Refining Spirit, Abstaining from Grain, Liver and Lung Qi, and the Rite of Transmission (chapters 27-36)

27 In the Dark Origin, the Supreme One, spirit-soul and body-soul are refined;as a thing, the One cannot be seen at a glance;you must attain the utmost truth before you may cast it a look.What you must shun above all is the breath of death and every foul and mean thing;the Six Spirits gather together and feast in the void.Bind the pearl, make the essence firm, nourish the root of the spirit;the jade bolt and the golden key stay whole and firm;close the mouth, curl the tongue, and feed on the embryo's fluid,so that I may finally complete the refining and gain flight as an immortal.

28 Immortals and masters of the Way are not spirits by nature;by piling up essence and heaping up breath they become true.The wondrous voice of the Yellow Child is hard to hear;the jade book, the crimson tablets, the writing in red cinnabar.He is styled True One, in a golden kerchief;in armor, bearing the tally, he opens the seven gates;fire soldiers, tallies and charts stand ready at the numinous pass,some raised in front, some low behind, ranked high and low.Wielding swords a hundred rods long, they dance in coils of brocade;the Ten Severances wheel through the sky, fanning and swirling;bells of fire crown the heavens and fall as smoke.Where? At the Yellow Gate-Tower between the two brows:this is no branch or leaf; it is the root.

29 The Supreme Sovereign of Purple Clarity, the Lord of the Great Way,with Great Dark and Great Harmony attending on either side,transforms and gives birth to the ten thousand things, and makes me an immortal;I fly up through the Ten Heavens, driving the jade wheels.Seven days and nights, think and do not sleep;if you can cultivate this, you may endure forever.Merit piled up and refining achieved do not come of themselves;they come from utmost sincerity and from single-mindedness;guard within, firm and unshaken, the truest of the true,and in emptiness, calm and plain, the spirit comes of itself.

30 The fruit of the hundred grains is the essence of the earth;the five flavors, fair outside, are the rankness of evil and demons;their stench confuses the spirit-light, and the embryo's breath dwindles;how then can one turn back old age and become an infant again?The three spirit-souls grow faint and hurried, the body-soul wastes and collapses!Why not eat breath, the essence of Great Harmony?So you may never die, and may enter the Yellow Repose.

31 The heart presides over the whole body, king of the five organs;in motion and in stillness, keep it in mind, and the Way and its Virtue are practiced;pure and clean, the good breath is bright and radiant of itself;sitting or rising, I am together with it, sharing the ridgepole and the beam;by day it shines in radiance, at dusk it shuts and stores itself away;it opens the way to the blossoming essence and tunes yin and yang.

32 Passing through the Six Directions, it hides in Mao and You;the spirits of the two kidneys govern the lengthening of life;turning and descending, it meets the Dipper and stores the First Nine;know the male, keep to the female, and you may be free of age;know the white, keep to the black; sit and guard it at once.

33 The liver's breath billows up, clear and long;spread among the six bowels, it gives birth to the Three Lights;the heart's essence and the mind's focus hold within, unshaken;above, it joins the Three Burners; below, the Jade Brew.The dark fluid moves like cloud, dispelling stench and leaving fragrance;it cleanses and sweeps hair and teeth, and refines the Five Quarters;take the fluid from the Dark Breast and bring it into the Hall of Light;it waters the throat below, and the spirit-light passes through.Seated, you attend the Flowery Canopy and roam the Noble Capital;drifting, drifting, on the mats of the Three Clarities, cool and clear;clouds of five colors swirl, fresh and verdant;close your eyes, look inward, and let them gaze upon one another,and let all the spirits of the heart return and stand exalted of themselves.The bloom and blossom of the Seven Darks open the Gate of Destiny;the Way of Heaven runs clear and free, and the dark root is held in mind.For a hundred and twenty years you can still return;beyond that, to keep to the Way is truly hard;only wait for the Nine-Turn Cinnabar of the Eight Gems,and once more, with fine concentration, hold the Seven Origins in mind;the blossom of sun and moon rescues the old and the failing;the liver's breath circles and flows, and has no end.

34 The lung is breath, and it rises from the Three Burners;in sight and hearing, in the dim and dark, watch for the child;it tunes and orders the five blossoms, the essence of hair and teeth;thirty-six swallows within the Jade Poolopen the hundred vessels, where blood and fluids begin.The complexion gains radiance, glossy as gold and jade;the teeth firm, the hair black, and white unknown;hold this true spirit in mind, and do not be slack;remember that in the Purple Palace there are seats,where the many spirits gather and in turn seek one another.

35 Hidden beneath the feathered canopy, look upon the halls of heaven;pay court to the Great Yang, joyfully calling to one another;the bright spirit, with his Eight Awes, rightly drives off evil;the spleen's spirit goes back home, to the house of the stomach.Delight in nourishing the numinous root, and it will not wither again;close and seal the Gate of Destiny, and guard the Jade Capital;then the ten thousand spirits bestow their blessing, and life is more than enough;this is what is meant by the spleen standing established in the Central Palace.It is the master of the spirit-light of the five organs and six bowels;above, it joins the Gate of Heaven and enters the Hall of Light;keep the female, hold the male in mind, and bear the Three Lights on your crown;outside square, inside round, with the spirit in the middle.It clears the vessels of the blood, and the five organs grow rich;bones green, sinews red, marrow like frost;the spleen rescues the seven openings and drives away ill omen;sun and moon are set out in ranks, and yin and yang established.The two spirits meet and become jade bloom,tasteless and plain, food of the heavenly;the Child of Cinnabar serves the dishes, the meats a pure yellow;they are called lang-gem cream and jade frost.The Most High's Hidden Ring, the gem of the Eight Plain Ones,waters and enriches the eight fluids, and the kidneys receive essence;crouched in the Great Yin, my own form appears;raising the wind of the Three Darks, it comes forth first green.In the trance between being and not being, it reaches utmost clarity and numen;playing on the Whirlwind Terrace, it sees the scarlet arise;in the carefree realm it thrives, nourishing the true and the blossoming splendor;gazing inward in silence, refine the five forms.The three breaths linger and wander, and the spirit-light is gained;hidden dragon and vanishing fungus, cloud and lang-gem bloomcan fill the hunger and command the ten thousand numens;above, roofed by Dark upon Dark; below, the tiger emblem.

36 Bathe, make yourself thoroughly clean, and put away rich meats and pungent herbs;enter a room facing east and recite the Jade Chapters;after some ten thousand recitations the sense grows fresh of itself;with hair unbound and free of desire, you will live long.When the five flavors have all come, the upright breath returns;level the heart, be silent and still, and let no vexation or grievance in.When the count is past and complete, body and spirit are refined;the Jade Maiden of Yellow Blossom will tell you the truth of it;once the True One has come, he sets the Six Ding to work,and then bestows the Great Cavern Scripture of the Hidden Fungus.Read it ten times, bow four times, and pay court to the Most High;first present yourself to the Great Emperor, then face north;the Inner Scripture of the Yellow Court, the jade book, flows on unimpeded.The giver is called the master; the receiver swears a covenant;cloud brocade and phoenix gauze, wrapped with golden knots,are used in place of cutting the hair, so that the flesh stays whole;hand in hand they climb the mountain and sip the liquid cinnabar in oath;only then may the golden writings and jade radiance be proclaimed.If you are to pass it on, give it with care, and report to the Three Offices;do not let the Seven Ancestors suffer the afflictions of the dark;the subtle words of the Most High bring one to spirit immortality;the way of deathlessness: this is its true text.

27 Through the Dark Origin and the Highest One, the hun and po souls are refined. The One is a thing that is hard to see all at once. Only when you reach the Utmost True will it turn and look at you. What you must avoid most is the breath of death and everything filthy and vile. The six spirits gather and feast in the emptiness. Form the pearl, secure the essence, and nourish the root of the spirit. The jade key and the gold key stay whole and firm. Close the mouth, curl the tongue, and swallow the embryo's fluid. So I can finish the refining and become a flying immortal.

28 Immortals and masters of the Way are not gods by nature. They pile up essence and gather breath until they become true. The wondrous voice of the Yellow Boy is hard to hear. There are jade writings, crimson slips, and red cinnabar script. His formal name is True Person, and he wears a gold cap. In armor and holding a tally, he opens the seven gates. Fire weapons, tallies and charts guard the spirit passes. They are raised in front and low behind, arranged high and low. He holds a sword a hundred zhang long and dances with coiling brocade. The ten cutting strokes circle in the air, fanning out in swirls. Bells of fire rise to the top of the sky and fall down as smoke. Where is he? In the Yellow Tower between the two eyebrows. These are not branches and leaves. They are the root.

29 The Supreme Emperor of Purple Clarity, the Lord of the Great Way, has Great Mystery and Great Harmony standing at his sides as attendants. He changes and gives birth to the ten thousand things, and he makes me an immortal. I fly up to the ten heavens, driving a jade wheel. Day and night for seven days, think and do not sleep. If you can practice this, you can last forever. Piling up effort and finishing the refining do not happen on their own. They come from pure sincerity and from focus. Guard within, firm and solid: this is the true of the true. In emptiness be calm and plain, and the spirit will come on its own.

30 The fruit of the hundred grains is the essence of the earth. The five flavors are sweet on the outside, but they are demonic and rank. Their stench confuses the spirit's clarity, and the embryo's breath dwindles. How, then, could you go from old back to being an infant? The three souls grow faint, and the po soul is ruined and topples! Why not feed on the breath, the essence of Great Harmony? Then you can escape death and enter the Yellow Peace.

31 The heart manages the whole body and is king of the five organs. In movement and in rest, keep it in mind, and the Way and Virtue will act. Pure, clean, good breath brightens on its own. Sitting or rising, I am with them, and together we are the beams of the house. By day it shines with light, and at dusk it closes up and stores it away. It reaches the flowers of the essence and brings yin and yang into balance.

32 It passes through the six directions and hides at Mao and You, the east and west points. The spirits of the two kidneys govern long life. Turn and go down to the Dipper, and store the first Nine. Know the male and keep to the female, and you can be free of old age. Know the white and keep to the black. Sit at once and keep watch.

33 The liver's breath rises thick and vigorous, clear and long. It spreads through the six hollow organs and gives birth to the three lights. When the heart's essence and the mind are focused, the inside does not fall. Above, it joins the Triple Burner, and below it brings the jade nectar. The dark fluid moves like clouds and drives out foulness, leaving fragrance. It washes the hair and teeth and refines the five directions. Take the fluid from the Dark Breast into the Bright Hall. Below, it waters the throat, and the brightness of the spirits flows through. Sit and attend the Flower Canopy, and roam in the noble capital. Drifting, you come to the seats of the Three Clarities, cool and clear. Five-colored clouds swirl, green and lush. Close your eyes and look inward, and see each other. Then all the spirits of the heart go back and raise themselves up. The Seven Dark Blossoms open the Gate of Life. The Way of Heaven flows freely, and the dark root is kept. Even at a hundred and twenty years, you can still turn back. Beyond that, keeping to the Way is truly very hard. Wait only for the Nine-Turn Elixir of the Eight Fine Jades. You must again focus your thought and picture the Seven Origins. The flowers of the sun and moon save the old and worn out. The liver's breath circulates all the way around and never comes to an end.

34 The lung's breath rises from the Triple Burner. Sight and hearing, in the dim depths, wait for the Boy. It tunes the five flowers, the essence, the hair and the teeth. Thirty-six swallows go into the Jade Pool. They open the hundred vessels, where blood and fluid begin. The face gives off light, with the sheen of gold and jade. The teeth are firm and the hair is black, and you never know white. Hold this true spirit in mind, and do not be careless. Remember that the Purple Palace has seats. The many spirits meet and call for one another in turn.

35 Hidden under the feather canopy, look at the house of heaven. Pay homage to the Great Sun, and call to each other with joy. The bright spirits of the eight powers rightly drive off evil. The spleen spirit returns, and the stomach is its home. Devote yourself to nourishing the spirit root, and it will not wither again. Close the Gate of Life and protect the Jade Capital. Then the ten thousand spirits grant their blessings, and life is more than enough. This is called the spleen standing firm in the central palace. It is the master of the bright spirits of the five organs and six hollow organs. Above, it joins the Gate of Heaven and enters the Bright Hall. Keep to the female, hold the male, and carry the three lights on your crown. Square outside and round inside, the spirit is in the middle. The blood vessels flow freely and the five organs are rich. The bones are blue, the sinews are red, and the marrow is like frost. The spleen helps the seven openings and takes away bad omens. The sun and moon are laid out and set up yin and yang. The two spirits meet and change into jade blossom. Bland and without taste, it is the food of heavenly beings. The Cinnabar Child serves the dishes, and the food is truly yellow. It is called gem cream and jade frost. The Most High's Hidden Ring is the Eight Whites, fine jade. It waters and adds to the eight fluids, and the kidney receives essence. Hidden in the Great Yin, it shows my form. Stirring up the wind, the three dark ones come out, green at first. In the dim and hazy moment between, the purest spirit arrives. Playing on the Whirlwind Terrace, you see red arise. In the realm of ease, the true ones flourish and nourish blossom and glory. Look inward in silence and refine the five forms. The three breaths pace to and fro and win the light of the spirits. There are the hidden dragon, the fugitive fungus, the cloud, and the gem blossom. They can fill your hunger and let you command the ten thousand spirits. Above is the canopy of dark upon dark, and below is the tiger emblem.

36 Bathe, make yourself fully clean, and give up rich food and strong smells. Enter the room, face east, and recite the Jade Book. After about ten thousand recitations, the meaning becomes clear on its own. Let your hair down, be free of desire, and you will last long. The five flavors all arrive, and the upright breath returns. Keep your mind even, quiet and still, and do not be irritated or resentful. When the count is finished, your body and spirit are pure. The Jade Maiden of the Yellow Blossom tells you the truth. When the True Person has come, he sends the Six Ding to work. Then he hands you the Great Cavern Scripture of the Hidden Fungus. Read it ten times, bow four times, and pay homage to the Most High. First greet the Great Emperor, and then face north. The Inner Scripture of the Yellow Court, the Jade Writing, is set forth in full. The one who gives it is called the teacher, and the one who receives it takes an oath. Cloud brocade and phoenix gauze are bound with gold clasps. They take the place of cutting the hair, so the skin stays whole. Take hands, climb the mountain, and take the liquid cinnabar to your lips. Only then may the golden writings and the jade lights be spoken aloud. When you pass it on, make sure you give it correctly, and report to the Three Officials. Do not let your seven ancestors suffer misery in the dark world. The subtle words of the Most High lead to spirit immortality. The Way of deathlessness is this true text.