Gallbladder and Spleen Elders, the Three Passes, Breath, and Guarding the Essence (chapters 14-26)

14 The palace of the gallbladder is the essence of the six bowels;within it is a child, Radiant Awesome Light;eightfold the thunder and lightning shake, raising jade pennants;dragon banners stretch across the sky and hurl bells of fire.He governs all strength of breath and commands the tiger soldiers;outwardly he answers to the pupils of the eyes and the pillar of the nose;brain and hair sustain one another, and both are bright and fresh.In a brocade of nine colors, a skirt of green blossom,gold at his side, jade at his belt, patterned with dragon and tiger,if you can hold Awesome Light in mind, you will ride the clouds of good omenand send the ten thousand spirits to pay court to the Three Origins.

15 The spleen is a foot long and covers the Great Granary;in the central division the Elder Lord governs the Hall of Light;his style is Numinous Origin, his name Blended Ease;he cures a person's hundred illnesses and dissolves grain and food;in a yellow robe and purple sash, with the emblem of dragon and tiger,to lengthen the essence and add to life, one relies on this sovereign lord.Call my name three times and the spirit opens to you of itself;the Three Elders sit together, each with his companions;some for the essence, some for the embryo, each holds a separate method;the Peach Child joins them to prolong life and bring forth a blossoming radiance.Men and women, circling through the Nine, have Peach Ease within;the Father of the Way and the Mother of the Way face each other;the Father-Teacher and the Mother-Teacher dwell in the country of cinnabar and dark;by holding them in mind and contemplating them you may climb into the void;the paths differ, but they meet in one and return to the end that matters.Shut and seal the Three Passes, hold fast, and be still;rinse the mouth with golden nectar and swallow the jade bloom;then you will feel no hunger, and the Three Worms will perish;with heart and mind always in harmony, you will reach joy and flourishing.The cloud vapor of the Five Peaks swells and billows;guard and water the Jade Throat, and so make yourself whole;the five forms will be complete and firm, without calamity or harm.

16 Above, you see the Three Origins like a string of pearls;far and wide their bright light shines on the nine corners;the five numinous ones, lamps in the night, blaze across the eight regions.You who hold the Inner Sovereign in mind, roam with me;in a phoenix robe, bearing the tiger tally,arrive but once, and before long you will rise into the void and the nothing.Within the square inch, let thought lie deeply stored;neither square nor round, shut its windows and shutters;the three spirits restore the essence, and the old grow strong again;the spirit-soul and the body-soul keep guard within and do not contend.The spirit born within the belly bears a jade pendant;the numen pours into the Secluded Gate-Tower—how could it be lost?Boughs of fine jade, ten thousand fathoms tall, give shade and support;the three spirit-souls are calm of themselves, by the Emperor's written command.

17 The Numinous Terrace, thick with haze, looks out on the yellow plain;within three inches lie strange chambers, some above, some below;through the winding passes the nourishing and guarding breaths are received by the High Dark;the Cavern Chamber and the Purple Pole are the doors and gates of the numen.This is what the Most High told me long ago:on the left, the Spirit Young Lord utters spirit words;on the right, the White Origin stands beside him;between the Hall of Light, the golden casket and the jade chamber,the True One of Highest Clarity stands before me.The Child of Cinnabar in his yellow skirt, his breath thick and quick—may I ask where he is? At the tips of the two brows?Within, flanked by sun and moon, the ranked constellations are laid out;the Seven Luminaries and the Nine Origins crown the Gate of Life.

18 In the midst of the Three Passes, essence and breath lie deep;within the Nine Subtleties it is secluded and shaded;the mouth is the Gate of Heaven, the pivot of essence and spirit;the feet are the Gate of Earth, the door of life and destiny;the hands are the Gate of Man, holding the balance of flourishing and decline.

19 If you can hold the dark cinnabar in the Three Palaces,the Great One's flowing pearl will rest on Kunlun;within the layers stand towers and pavilions in twelve rings;from the highest to the lowest, all are True Ones.The Jade Hall and the crimson eaves are all Dark Palaces;the Turning Pivot and the Jade Beam gleam the color of orchid jade.Look up: children sit lingering there;I ask, whose children are these that dwell in my body?Where do these people go? They enter the Mud Pellet;by thousands and by hundreds they join one to another,one by one and ten by ten, like mountain upon mountain.Cloud Regalia and Jade Blossom flank the gates of the ears;the Red Emperor and the Yellow Elder are with my spirit-soul;the Three True Ones support the bones and share the fluid of the chambers;the Five Dippers blaze with light—they are the Seven Origins;sun and moon fly through the Six Directions;the Emperor's country lies at the center of heaven, at the head of the Earth Door;in the region of the face, souls and spirits are all held in mind together.

20 Breathe the primal breath in and out, and seek immortality;the immortal lord and the young lord seem to stand before you;the Vermilion Bird breathes out and draws in at the source of the White Stones;bind the essence, nurture the womb, and a living body is born by transformation;keep the embryo, stop the essence, and you may live long.The three breaths circle to the right, and the Nine Paths grow bright;the Upright One holds its blossom, and all is filled to fullness;gaze far to the one heart, like stars spread out;beneath the Golden Chamber you will not fall;it lengthens my life, though my head is white, and turns me back to infancy.

21 In the Chamber of Gems the Eight Plain Ones gather;the Lady of the Mud Pellet stands in the center;the Long Valley and the Dark Country circle the outskirts and the towns;six dragons fly scattering, hard to tell apart.For long life, the utmost caution is needed—in the bedchamber, most of all;why bring on death by your own act and make the spirits weep?Neglect it, and you are in the country of disaster; the three numens perish.Only draw in the breath and keep the register of your essence;the Inch Field and the Foot-Long Dwelling can order life;if the sea were breached, a hundred channels would pour out;the leaves leave, the tree withers, the lush green is lost;breath gone, fluid spilled, the form is no longer your own.Seal it with a single mind and rein in the light, and you will know lasting peace;guard my Mud Pellet and its three wondrous numens;in calm and plainness, look at leisure, and within you grow bright of yourself;things one by one do not intrude; all is serene and level;be sincere and free of affairs, and the old become men in their prime again;contemplate and chant the Jade Book, and enter Highest Clarity.

22 Keep in mind always that the Three Chambers open into one another;seeing through them, you can perceive with no inside or outside;hold in mind and rinse with the Five Sprouts, and you will neither hunger nor thirst;Spirit Blossom carries the towel, and the Six Ding come to pay their respects.Guard the chamber of essence at once, and let none of it spill in folly;keep it shut and treasure it, and you can live long.It rises from within the form, at first not wide;the Three Offices lie close at hand and are easy to rein in.Void and nothing, silent and still, the plain within the empty:let the form be so, and it will not be defiled.The Nine Chambers, truly empty, are the lodging of the spirit-light;hold in mind and contemplate through a hundred thoughts, watching the measure;tend and order the six bowels, and let them not grow old,and you will go soaring of yourself onto the road of clouds.

23 The way to order life is not burdensome at all;only cultivate the Cavern Dark and the Jade Chapters,and together with them practice the Eight Radiances, the spirits within the form;the Twenty-Four True Ones will come forth of their own accord.With hands folded high, doing nothing, spirit-soul and body-soul are at peace;in pure stillness the spirits appear and speak with me.Where are they? In the Purple Chamber, amid curtains and hangings;outside the chamber they stand and sit, the dark ones, in threes and fives.Burn incense, and join hands before the Jade Blossom;together enter the Great Chamber by the gate of the Turning Pivot;on high, in calm and plainness, study the garden of the Way;look within, gaze in secret, and you will see all the True Ones.The True One is in yourself—do not ask the neighbors;why go far afield to search for a destined tie?

24 Hide your radiance, conceal your form, and be set apart from the world;hold the breath, nourish the essence, and your lips are red as cinnabar;with nature and destiny held at your belt, keep to the void and the nothing;your name enters Highest Clarity, struck from the register of death;the joy of the Three Spirits comes from dwelling in seclusion.In an instant you roam and wander, with no worry left behind;once you have settled your feathered robe, the eight winds are driven off;take the reins of the three plain clouds and ride the dawn glow;the golden carriage takes its station, and the jade coach follows;why not climb the mountain and recite my book?Lush and dim, the haunt of the True Ones;what is hard about entering the mountain, that you hang back?In the human world all is bustle and stench, like the reek of a treasury.

25 The Five Phases press one another on and return to the One;the Threes and Fives join their breath in nine times nine joints;you may use Hidden Earth and turn the Eight Arts;the Crouching Ox in the Secluded Gate-Tower spreads out its ranks in rows.The Three Names emerge at the border of life and death;the numinous images of the Cavern Chamber are Dipper, sun and moon;the father is called the Mud Pellet, the mother the Female One;the Three Lights blaze and shine into your chamber.If you can hold the Dark True One in mind, all affairs are done;the essence and spirit of the whole body must not be lost.

26 Speeding high toward sun and moon, I take the upward Way;Yuyi and Jielin, guard one another well;then you will see the Elder of Void and Nothing in Jade Clarity,and you can restore your face and fill blood and brain.With a numinous fungus in your mouth, carrying the five stars,a tiger register at your waist, golden pendants at your side,you ride out in an instant to meet the banquet of life at Dongmeng.

14 The palace of the gallbladder region holds the essence of the six hollow organs. Inside is a boy called Gleam, whose other name is Majestic Light. Thunder and lightning shake eight times as he raises the jade banners. Dragon flags stretch across the sky, and he hurls bells of fire. He governs all strength and commands the tiger troops. Outside, it answers to the pupils of the eyes and the pillar of the nose. The brain and the hair support each other, and both stay fresh and bright. He wears nine-colored brocade robes and a skirt of green flowers. He wears gold and jade, with belts patterned with dragons and tigers. If you can picture Majestic Light, you will ride auspicious clouds. You will command ten thousand spirits, and they will come to pay court at the Three Origins.

15 The spleen is one foot long and covers the Great Granary. In the middle region, the Old Lord rules the Bright Hall. His formal name is Spirit Origin, and his given name is Blended Health. He cures people of a hundred illnesses and digests their grain and food. He wears a yellow robe and a purple belt, with an emblem of a dragon and a tiger. To grow the essence and add to life, you depend on this lord and king. Call my name three times, and the spirit will answer on its own. The Three Elders sit together, and each has companions. Some hold the essence and some hold the embryo, and each keeps to a different method. Peach Child joins in and lengthens life, bringing out a flowering glow. Men and women circle through the nine, and Peach Health is there. The Father of the Way and the Mother of the Way face each other. The Teacher-Father and the Teacher-Mother are in the land of Cinnabar and Dark. Use visualization to climb up into the empty sky. The paths are different, but they meet as one and come back to the same essential end. Close the three passes, make the firm-grip fist, and stay still. Swish the golden nectar in your mouth and swallow the jade blossoms. In the end you will not be hungry, and the three worms will die. Heart and mind will stay in harmony, bringing joy and prosperity. The cloud breath of the five peaks swells and fills. Guard and water the jade skull, and you repay yourself. The five forms will be whole and firm, with no calamity.

16 Looking up, you see the Three Origins like strung pearls. Bright lights shine one by one on the nine corners. The Five Spirits light lamps at night, glowing over the eight regions. Picture the Inner Emperor, and he will roam with me. You wear a phoenix robe and carry a tiger tally. Once he arrives, before long you will rise into the Void. Within the square inch of the heart, hold your thoughts deep inside. Neither square nor round, it keeps its windows shut. The Three Spirits restore the essence, and the old grow strong. The hun and po souls stay guarded within and do not fight. A spirit born in the belly carries jade pendants. The spirit pours into the Hidden Tower, so how could it be lost? Jade branches ten thousand fathoms tall give shade and support. The three souls settle themselves, at the written command of the Emperor.

17 The Spirit Terrace is thick with mist, looking out over the yellow fields. Within its three inches are separate rooms, upper and lower. The nourishing and guarding energies wind through the passes, and the High Dark receives them. The Cave Chamber and the Purple Apex are the doors of the spirit. This is what the Most High told me long ago. The divine young lord on the left spoke divine words. On the right, White Origin stands beside him. Between the Bright Hall, the golden cabinet and the jade room, the True Person of Upper Clarity stands before me. The Cinnabar Child in his yellow robe breathes thick and fast. I ask, "Where is he?" At the tips of the two eyebrows. Inside, the sun and moon stand on both sides, and the constellations are laid out. The Seven Luminaries and the Nine Origins crown the Gate of Life.

18 Within the three passes, the essence and breath run deep. Inside the Nine Subtleties, it is dark and shadowy. The mouth is the Gate of Heaven, the trigger of essence and spirit. The feet are the Gate of Earth, the door of life. The hands are the Gate of Humans, holding rise and decline in their grasp.

19 If you can hold the Dark Cinnabar in the three palaces, the flowing pearl of the Great One rests on Kunlun. Inside the layers are towers and pavilions in twelve rings. High and low, all are True Ones. The Jade Hall and the Crimson Roof are all dark palaces. The Jade Pivot and the Jade Beam are the color of orchid jade. Looking up, I see the boys sitting and lingering. I ask, "Whose children are these in my body?" Where do these people go? Into the Mud Pellet. By thousands and hundreds they link to one another. By ones and tens they look like mountains piled in layers. Cloud Form and Jade Blossom stand beside the ear gates. The Red Emperor and the Yellow Elder are with my hun soul. The three True Ones support the bones and share the fluid of the chamber. The Five Dippers blaze bright, and they are the Seven Origins. The sun and moon fly through the six directions. The Emperor's home is in the middle of heaven, at the point of Earth's Door. In the region of the face, all the souls and spirits keep each other alive.

20 Breathe the primal breath in and out to seek immortality. The immortal lords and young lords seem to stand before you. The Red Bird spits out and draws back at the source of the White Stone. Gather the essence, nourish the womb, and a body is born by transformation. Keep the embryo and hold back the essence, and you can live long. The three breaths circle to the right, and the nine paths grow bright. The True One holds its blossom and is then filled to the full. Looking far off at the single heart, it is like stars set out in order. Below the Gold Chamber, you will not fall. It lengthens my white-haired age and turns me back into a baby.

21 In the fine-jade chamber, the Eight Whites gather. The Lady of the Mud Pellet stands in the middle. Long Valley and the Dark Land wind around the towns. Six dragons scatter in flight, hard to tell apart. To live long, be extremely careful. Being careful in the bedroom is urgent. Why bring about death and make the spirits weep? Neglect this, and you end up in the home of disaster, and the three spirits die. You should only breathe in the breath and hold on to your essence. The Inch Field and the Foot-wide House can be used to govern life. If the sea is breached, a hundred streams pour out. When the leaves fall, the tree withers and loses its green. When the breath is lost and the fluids leak, the body is no longer yours. Seal it up completely and steer the lights, and you will be at peace for a long time. Protect my Mud Pellet and the three marvelous spirits. Be calm and plain, and look gently, and you will be bright inside on your own. No outside thing disturbs you, and you are at ease and even. Be sincere and do not strive, and the old become strong young men again. Think on the Jade Writing and chant it, and you will enter Upper Clarity.

22 Always think of the three chambers as connected. See through them, and you will see with no inside or outside. Picture the Five Sprouts and swish them in your mouth, and you will not be hungry or thirsty. The Spirit Flower holds the towel, and the Six Ding come to pay their respects. Quickly guard the essence chamber, and do not let it leak carelessly. Close it and treasure it, and you can live long. It starts inside the body and at first is not far off. The Three Officials are near and easy to keep in order. In the silent void, within the emptiness, is plainness. Make your body like this, and it will not be soiled. When the nine chambers are properly empty, they are the home of the bright spirits. As you picture them, watch your hundred thoughts and keep to the right measure. Tend the six hollow organs and do not let them grow old. Then you will soar on your own along the road of clouds.

23 The way to govern life is not troublesome at all. Just practice the Cavern Mystery and the Jade Book. Also work with the spirits of the Eight Lights inside the body. The twenty-four True Ones come out on their own. Fold your hands high and do nothing, and the hun and po souls will rest. In purity and stillness, the spirits appear and speak with me. Where are they? In the Purple Chamber, among the curtains and screens. They stand and sit outside the room, in threes and fives, in the Dark. Burn incense and join hands before the Jade Blossom. Enter together the Great Chamber, the gate of the Jade Pivot. Study deeply in the calm and quiet garden of the Way. Look inward, glance secretly, and you will see all the True Ones. The True Ones are in yourself, so do not ask the neighbors. Why go looking far away for a connection?

24 Hide your light and conceal your form, and be different from the world. Hold the breath and nourish the essence, and the mouth stays bright red. Hold your nature and your life close, and guard the void. Your name will enter Upper Clarity and be removed from the records of death. The joy of the Three Spirits comes from living in seclusion. Quick as a flash you roam and wander, with no worry left behind. Once you straighten your feather robe, the eight winds drive you along. You steer the three whites and ride the morning glow. The golden carriage takes its place, followed by the jade cart. Why not climb the mountain and recite my book? Dense and deep is the dwelling place of the True Ones. Entering the mountain is not hard, so why do you hesitate? The human world is a noisy crowd, and it stinks like a treasury.

25 The five phases push one another along and return to one. Threes and fives join their breath in nine-times-nine sections. You can use the eight arts of hiding in the earth and turning back. The Hidden Ox at the Dark Gate spreads out and arranges the ranks. The three names appear at the border between life and death. In the Cave Chamber are spirit images: the Dipper, the sun and the moon. The father is called the Mud Pellet, and the mother is the Female One. The three lights blaze and shine into the child's chamber. If you can hold the Dark True One in mind, everything is done. The essence and spirit of your whole body must not be lost.

26 Race high through the sun and moon: this is my way upward. Yuyi and Jielin protect each other well. Then you will see the Elder of Jade Clarity, of Void and Nothingness. You can bring back your youthful face and fill the blood and brain. With a spirit mushroom held in your mouth, you carry the five stars. A tiger register hangs at your waist, and gold pendants at your belt. You ride in a flash to join the banquet of life at Dongmeng.