The Yellow Court, the Gods of the Body, and the Five Organ Palaces (chapters 1-13)

1 Before the Void Sovereign in the purple glow of Highest Clarity,the Lord of the Jade Dawn, of the Most High and Great Way,at leisure in Stamen Pearl, composed these lines of seven words;he scattered and transformed the five forms, changing them into ten thousand spirits,and so made the inner chapters of the Yellow Court.The lute-heart folds threefold, and the embryo immortal dances;nine breaths blaze forth in brightness from the heights of heaven;the spirit canopy and the child bring forth purple smoke.This is called the Jade Book, and it can be studied with utmost care.Chant it ten thousand times and you will rise to the Three Heavens;a thousand calamities will melt away, a hundred illnesses be healed;you will not fear the savagery of tigers and wolves,and you will hold off old age and lengthen your years without end.

2 Above lies the numinous soul; below, the Gate of Origin;on the left, Lesser Yang; on the right, Great Yin;behind, the Secret Door; before, the Gate of Life;out with the sun, in with the moon, breathing, and holding them in mind.Where the primal breath comes together, the ranked constellations part;purple smoke above and below, and the three plain clouds.They water the five blossoms and plant the numinous root;the seven fluids run clear through and rush into the throat;circling the purple, embracing the yellow, they enter the Cinnabar Field;the secluded chamber glows within and shines on the Gate of Yang.

3 The mouth is the Jade Pool, the Palace of Great Harmony;rinse and swallow the numinous fluid, and calamity cannot touch you;the body puts forth radiance, the breath is fragrant as orchid;a hundred evils are driven off and destroyed, and the face is refined like jade.If you can truly practice this, you will climb to the Vast Cold;by day and night without sleep you will become a True One;thunder roars, lightning strikes, and the spirit fades into stillness.

4 Thunder roars, lightning strikes, and the spirit fades into stillness.In the Yellow Court the inner people wear robes of brocade,skirts of purple blossom that fly, gauzy with cloud vapor,cinnabar and azure, green sashes, emerald boughs of the numen;a jade key of seven tassels bars the two doors,and twice over it veils the golden gate and its hidden pivot.The Dark Spring and the Secluded Gate-Tower rise high and towering;in the midst of the Three Fields, essence and breath are subtle;the delicate maiden, graceful, veils the radiance of the heavens;the Double Hall blazes, raising the Eight Awes;at the Heavenly Court and the Earth Gate, axes and hatchets stand in ranks;the Numinous Terrace stands coiled and firm, and will never decline.

5 The spirit within the Central Pool wears crimson pearls,a cloud robe of cinnabar brocade, a tiger tally at the belt;the Transverse Ford, of three inches, is where the numen dwells;hidden fungus and dense shade uphold one another.

6 Tend with essence and care the peak at the center of heaven;once the numinous dwelling is clear, the Jade Emperor roams there;the roads and paths run open and free, and never cease.The brows, called the Flowery Canopy, cover the bright pearls;the sun and moon of the Nine Secluded Realms pierce through to the Void Origin;in the dwelling is a True One who always wears cinnabar;if you can truly see him, you will be free of sickness.Crimson pearls, a numinous skirt, flowered and radiant scarlet;beneath the tongue, the Dark Breast, the shore of life and death;the two breaths, green going out, dark coming in, blaze forth;if you meet them, you will rise to the River of Heaven.

7 The supreme Way is not complicated; its secret is to hold the true in mind.The Mud Pellet and the hundred joints all have their spirits:the hair's spirit, Azure Blossom, is styled Great Origin;the brain's spirit, Essence Root, is styled Mud Pellet;the eyes' spirit, Bright Above, is styled Dark Bloom;the nose's spirit, Jade Ridge, is styled Numinous Firmness;the ears' spirit, Empty Leisure, is styled Secluded Field;the tongue's spirit, Open Destiny, is styled Right Order;the teeth's spirit, Cliff Edge, is styled Thousand Ranks.The spirits of the whole face take the Mud Pellet as their head;in the Mud Pellet the Nine True Ones each have a chamber,and in a space an inch across, square or round, they dwell,all wearing purple robes and skirts of flying gauze.Only contemplate one part, and your years will be without end;it is not that each lives apart, in a separate place in the brain;they sit in rows in their order, facing outward;what you hold in mind in your heart answers to them of itself.

8 The heart's spirit, Cinnabar Origin, is styled Guardian of the Numen;the lungs' spirit, Gleaming Blossom, is styled Void Complete;the liver's spirit, Dragon Smoke, is styled Holding Light;Dense Shade and Smoke Guide govern the turbid and the clear;the kidneys' spirit, Dark Obscurity, is styled Nurturing Infant;the spleen's spirit, Ever Present, is styled Soul at Rest;the gallbladder's spirit, Dragon Radiance, is styled Awesome Light.The six bowels and the five organs, spirit and body alike pure,all within the heart turn the heavenly course;hold them in mind by day and night, and long life comes of itself.

9 The palace of the lungs is like a flowery canopy;below it a child sits on the jade gate-tower;the Son of the Seven Origins governs and tunes the breath;outwardly he answers to the Central Peak, the nose, in its own place.He wears a plain brocade robe and a belt of yellow cloud;when you pant and gasp and the body is ill at ease,quickly hold the White Origin in mind and bring the six breaths into harmony;you will be a spirit immortal who sees for ages, free of calamity and harm;practice it without pause and the body will not stagnate.

10 The palace of the heart is a lotus holding its blossom;below it is the home of the child, Cinnabar Origin;he governs the balance of cold and heat, and the harmony of the nourishing and the guarding breaths;in flying skirts of cinnabar brocade, a mantle of jade gauze,with golden bells and a vermilion belt, he sits swaying at ease.He tunes the blood and orders life, so that the body does not wither;outwardly he answers to the mouth and tongue, which put forth jade blossoms;even at the brink of death, call on him and you will rise and revive;practice it long, long, and you will fly to the Great Glow.

11 The palace of the liver is wrapped in layer on layer of emerald;below it is the Azure Child, the spirit young lord;he governs all the gates and mirrors, where keen hearing and clear sight begin;in an azure brocade mantle, with jade bells at his belt,he harmonizes and restrains the spirit-soul and the body-soul, and levels the fluids;outwardly he answers to the eyes, the essence of sun and moon.Where a hundred maladies gather, hold Bloomless in mind;use it together for seven days and you will fill to fullness of yourself;at the point of death, think on the spirit and the dying will live again;draw in the spirit-soul and bring back the body-soul, and you will never fall.

12 The palace of the kidneys is a round Dark Gate;within it is a child, Obscurity Above the Dark;he governs the source of all the six bowels and the nine fluids;outwardly he answers to the two ears, the ford of a hundred fluids;in azure brocade and a cloud robe he dances with dragon banners.Upward he brings the bright glow, the smoke of sun and moon;for a hundred illnesses and a thousand calamities, hold him in mind at once;the two divisions, kings of water, face the Gate of Life,and they let a person live long and rise to the Nine Heavens.

13 The palace of the spleen belongs to Wu and Ji;within it is a bright child, wrapped in a yellow skirt;he dissolves grain, spreads breath, and holds the teeth in his keeping;these are the two bright children of the Great Granary,who sit on a golden terrace, a city of nine tiers,an inch across, square or round, within the Gate of Destiny.They govern and tune the hundred grains and the fragrance of the five flavors;they ward off weakness and emaciation, and no illness or injury comes;outwardly they answer to the Foot-Long Dwelling, its color and breath fragrant;the radiance that springs from them makes all this plain.In yellow brocade and jade robes, with a tiger emblem at the belt,fix your thought on the Three Elders and you will soar lightly;you will live long, become a high immortal, and stay far from the woes of death.

1 Before the Void Emperor, in the purple clouds of Upper Clarity, the Most High lived at ease in Stamen Pearl. He is the Lord of the Great Way and the Jade Dawn, and he composed these seven-word verses. He scattered the five forms and changed them into ten thousand spirits. This is the inner text he made for the Yellow Court. When the heart is tuned like a lute, three times over, the immortal embryo dances. The nine breaths shine brightly and come out among the clouds. The spirit's canopy and the child bring forth purple mist. This is called the Jade Writing, and it is worth close study. Chant it ten thousand times and you will rise to the Three Heavens. A thousand calamities melt away and a hundred illnesses are healed. You need not fear the fierce cruelty of tigers and wolves. You will also push back old age and stretch out your years for good.

2 Above is the soul-spirit, and below is the Gate of Origin. On the left is Lesser Yang, and on the right is Great Yin. Behind is the Secret Door, and in front is the Gate of Life. As you breathe out and in, picture the sun going out and the moon coming in. Where the primal breath joins together, the constellations are set apart. Purple mist lies above and below, with clouds of the three whites. They water the five flowers and plant the spirit root. The seven fluids flow all the way through and rush through the skull. They turn the purple, embrace the yellow, and enter the Cinnabar Field. In the dark chamber it is bright inside, and the light shines on the Gate of Yang.

3 The mouth is the Jade Pool, the Palace of Great Harmony. Rinse your mouth with the spirit fluid and swallow it, and calamity will not touch you. The body gives off a glowing light, and the breath smells sweet like orchids. It drives away a hundred evils and refines the face like jade. If you can truly practice this, you will climb to the Vast Cold. Go day and night without sleep, and you will become a true being. Thunder rolls and lightning strikes, and the spirits fall still and dim.

4 Thunder rolls and lightning strikes, and the spirits fall still and dim. The inner people of the Yellow Court wear brocade robes. Their skirts of purple flowers fly, draped in gauze made of cloud breath. The colors are cinnabar red and azure, with green sashes and jade-green spirit branches. The jade key with seven tassels locks the two doors. The golden pass is covered twice over, and the secret pivot is kept hidden. The Dark Spring and the Hidden Tower stand high and steep. In the three fields, the essence and breath are faint. The lovely maiden, slender and graceful, veils the light of the sky. The Double Hall glows brightly and raises the eight powers. Heaven's Court and Earth's Gate are lined with axes and hatchets. The Spirit Terrace is coiled and firm, and it will never decay.

5 The spirit inside the Middle Pool wears red pearls. It wears a cloud robe of cinnabar brocade, with a tiger tally at the belt. The spirit lives in the Crossing Ford, which is three inches across. Hidden Fungus and Dense Shade grow thick and hold each other up.

6 The Peak in the Middle of Heaven should be tended with care and purity. Once the spirit house is clean, the Jade Emperor comes to roam there. The roads are open and clear, and they never stop. The eyebrows are called the Flower Canopy, and they cover the bright pearl. The sun and moon of the Nine Depths shine through the empty source. In the house lives a true one who always wears red. If you can truly see him, you will have no illness. The red-pearl spirit skirt is bright, rich and glowing. Under the tongue, the Dark Breast is the shore between life and death. Breath goes out green and comes in dark, and the two breaths glow. If you meet it, you will rise to the Milky Way.

7 The highest Way is not complicated. The key is to hold the true in mind. In the Mud Pellet and in the hundred joints, every part has a spirit. The hair spirit is Azure Flower, whose formal name is Great Origin. The brain spirit is Essence Root, whose formal name is Mud Pellet. The eye spirit is Bright Above, whose formal name is Radiant Mystery. The nose spirit is Jade Ridge, whose formal name is Firm Spirit. The ear spirit is Empty Leisure, whose formal name is Hidden Field. The tongue spirit is Life Connector, whose formal name is Right Order. The teeth spirit is Rocky Edge, whose formal name is Thousand Ranks. The spirits of the whole face look to the Mud Pellet as their chief. In the Mud Pellet, all nine True Ones have rooms. Each lives in a space one inch across, inside it. They all wear purple robes and flying gauze skirts. Just think of any one part, and your life will have no end. It is not that each lives separately in the brain. They sit in rank order, facing outward. What you hold in mind is in the heart, and it matches them on its own.

8 The heart spirit is Cinnabar Origin, whose formal name is Guard Spirit. The lung spirit is Shining Flower, whose formal name is Empty Completion. The liver spirit is Dragon Smoke, whose formal name is Holds Brightness. Dense Shade and Guiding Smoke rule over the cloudy and the clear. The kidney spirit is Dark Obscurity, whose formal name is Nurture the Infant. The spleen spirit is Ever Present, whose formal name is Soul Rests. The gallbladder spirit is Dragon Gleam, whose formal name is Majestic Light. The spirits of the six hollow organs and the five solid organs have bodies of pure essence. All of them are within the heart, turning the heavenly course. Hold them in mind day and night, and you will live long on your own.

9 The palace of the lung region looks like a flower canopy. Beneath it a boy sits in a jade tower. The Child of the Seven Origins governs the regulation of breath. Outside, it answers to the Central Peak, and the nose holds the matching place. He wears white brocade clothes with a belt of yellow cloud. If you gasp, if breathing is hard and your body feels unwell, quickly picture White Origin and bring the six breaths into harmony. You will become a spirit immortal with long life, free of calamity and harm. Keep using it without stopping, and your body will not grow stuck.

10 The palace of the heart region is a lotus holding its flower. Beneath it is the boy, in the house of Cinnabar Origin. He governs cold and heat, and he brings the nourishing and guarding energies into harmony. He wears a flying robe of cinnabar brocade, draped with jade gauze. With golden bells and a red belt, he sits swaying. He tunes the blood and orders life, so the body does not wither. Outside, it answers to the mouth and tongue, which give out jade blossoms. Even at the edge of death, call to him and you will revive. Keep doing this for a very long time, and you will fly into the Great Rosy Cloud.

11 The palace of the liver region is wrapped in layers of green. Beneath it is the Green Boy, the divine young lord. He governs all the passes and the mirror, where keen hearing and clear sight begin. He wears green brocade clothes and carries jade bells. He harmonizes and controls the hun and po souls and keeps the fluids even. Outside, it answers to the eyes, the essence of the sun and moon. Where a hundred ailments gather, picture Without Blossom. Use them together for seven days, and you will fill up on your own. When you are near death, think of the spirit and the dying will live again. Gather the hun soul and bring back the po soul, and you will never be overturned.

12 The palace of the kidney region is a round Dark Gate. Inside is a boy, dim and high in the darkness. He rules all the six hollow organs and is the source of the nine fluids. Outside, it answers to the two ears, the spring of a hundred fluids. He wears dark-green brocade cloud clothes and dances with a dragon banner. Above, he brings bright rosy clouds and the mist of the sun and moon. For a hundred illnesses and a thousand calamities, hurry to picture him. The two kidney palaces, kings of water, stand facing the Gate of Life. They make a person live long and rise to the nine heavens.

13 The palace of the spleen region belongs to the earth signs Wu and Ji. Inside is a bright boy, wrapped in a yellow robe. He digests grain, spreads out the breath, and controls the teeth. These are the two bright boys of the Great Granary. They sit in a golden tower inside a city of nine layers. It is one inch across, within the Gate of Life. They regulate the hundred grains and make the five flavors sweet. They drive away weakness and frailty, so there is no illness or injury. Outside, it answers to the face, the foot-wide house, where the color of the breath is healthy and fragrant. The radiance it produces shows itself clearly on the outside. He wears yellow brocade and jade clothes, with a tiger emblem at the belt. Fix your thoughts on the Three Elders, and you will soar lightly. You will live long, become a high immortal, and stay far from the misfortune of death.