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The Way (Dao) originally has no words, yet its principles are naturally self-evident.

It does not拘拘 (restrict) to stillness or motion; the principle remains as it is, naturally so.

One should know that this is the pivot of all scriptures.

The sages established ten thousand discussions and a thousand classics; if one says they cannot reach the "Method" (Fa), it is because they lack the pivotal essence.

Humans possess acute insight into profound mysteries.

If one can comprehend the deep interest within the profound, then one grasps the true truth of the Dao.

Secretly, one makes a wondrous talisman in the heart.

The Method is the wondrous talisman of the source of the mind, the great necessity governing life and death. It cannot be obtained through frivolity or arrogance, nor known through agitation, nor learned through error, nor reached by mere chanting or walking.

Nor is it reached by step-by-step experience. Although clarity and obscurity differ, the principles of ancient and modern times are not different. The *Zhenyan Jue* (True Words Manual) says: "To remove death, first remove life [attachment]." Regarding the principle of removal and retention, one must embody and utilize it. Thus, high sages and masters of the Supreme Void Sect either clarify the Three Minds and Nine Minds, or manifest the One Method and Ten Thousand Methods. As for the Huangren Danjue (Imperial Person's Alchemical Secrets) and Qingtong Yushu (Blue Child's Jade Books), their principles ultimately return to the primal origin, free from stubborn attachment, harmonious without error, traversing all wonders, directly revealing the subtle and formless. Others, such as transforming the body, flying forms, nurturing infants, consolidating life, even borrowing the Five Elements, maintaining constancy in motion and stillness, and the mutual transmission of the Three Bodies, are but branches and leaves, far from reaching the root and trunk. This is because receiving the Dao from teachers of varying depth leads to attachments based on hearing and seeing. One should deeply save and deliver others, not fearing participation and inheritance.

Heaven and Earth generate humans with Qi (vital energy); thus, humans cannot depart from Qi for a single day or moment. Fish in water move their gills ceaselessly. Humans in the universe breathe through two nostrils ceaselessly. Therefore, commanding the Qi of creation, humans rely on it for life. Hence it is said: "Eat at the proper time, and the hundred bones are regulated. Move according to the mechanism, and all transformations are peaceful." This is why. Human life involves rushing and fatigue, causing Qi to become rapid. Rapid means more exhalation and less inhalation; external Qi does not enter, internal Qi becomes increasingly deficient. Thus, the time of death approaches. Only the perfected person observes the Way of Heaven, holds to the movement of Heaven, embraces the spirit in stillness, and gathers Qi to the navel. They achieve longevity like Heaven and Earth. Thus, knowing that humans live between Heaven and Earth, although what is visible is the form; what enables longevity is Qi.

Guo Kangbo met a divine being who taught him a technique for preserving the body and maintaining health, saying: "There are only four verses of a gatha; you must uphold them wherever you are." The gatha says: "When the body has illness, the mind knows it; Body illness is healed by the mind itself. When the mind and environment are still, the body is also still; When the mind generates [desires], illness arises." Guo Xin used these words, knew how to protect and cherish himself, became twice as healthy as usual, and lived several hundred years. All were due to skillfully gathering primordial Qi. Heavenly Qi is always clear, heavenly color is always bright. Nothing disturbs it, hence it lasts long. What people see today—clouds and mist suddenly appearing and disappearing—are all near the earth's boundary. Above a hundred li, there is none. For example, the human body has the interference of Seven Emotions and Six Desires, and the disturbance of Three Poisons and Six Harms; how can it last long? If one can be extremely clear and bright like Heaven and Earth, how could one not be like Heaven and Earth in not perishing? The *Qingtian Ge* (Song of the Blue Sky) says: "The blue sky suddenly rises floating clouds as obstacles; Clouds rise纵横 (crisscross), covering all phenomena." Those who cultivate health must discern this. Touching affairs and generating sensations, responding well and generating labor, these are all principles leading to old age. Zhuangzi said: "In Lu, there was Shan Bao, who lived in cliffs and drank water, did not share profits with the people, and at seventy years old still had the complexion of an infant." I consider this to be the principle of health cultivation. Humans are born with desires for shelter ("upper beams and lower eaves") and resources for hunger and thirst, so they must compete for profit with the people. Worrying and laboring their hearts day and night, with no leisure, old age arrives. Now, living in cliffs and drinking water means having no demands on the world; not sharing profit with people means competing with nothing. With no demands and no competition, even if one wishes not to be long-lived, is it possible? Ancients called this "repelling old age." Repelling it means removing the path that leads to aging.

Some people love to talk about the Dao. I stopped them, saying: "The Dao is not easy to talk about. If one cannot cut off lust, one need not talk about the Dao. If one cannot leave the secular world, one need not talk about the Dao." Why? The Dao is to preserve our True Nature. If one does not cut off lust, one becomes a leaking body; how can the True Nature be preserved? The Dao is to perfect our nature. If one does not leave the secular world, one becomes a dust-mixing vulgar; how can nature be perfected? Some cite "divorcing wives is not the Dao" or cite "great hermits dwell in markets" as proof. This is the subtlety of the Zen school's highest vehicle. If taken as an explanation, it merely causes regression. The *Weisheng Ge* (Song of Health Preservation) says: "Wood removed from fire does not become ash; only when humans remove fire [anger/desire] can life be extended." Trustworthy words. Anger, envy, sadness, excitement, agitation, running, jumping, dancing, singing, shouting—all those triggered by self and other interactions—are surely caused by "Fire." Wood rubbing against wood generates fire; people comparing themselves generate desire. The principle is the same. If humans can see through this principle, suppressing and reducing in every matter, punishing anger and blocking desires, then the Five Qi will naturally level, the Six Pulses will naturally harmonize, and extending life is certain.

Hun (Ethereal Soul) and Po (Corporeal Soul) combine to form the shape. Wisdom depends on virtue, fat/thin depends on the mother, longevity/short-life depends on the father. Abundant blood makes muscles fat; sufficient essence makes spirit strong; harmonious spirit makes virtue complete. I heard this from Wang Nongwan, who said this shows Heaven's endowment of destiny: life comes from the father's essence, and death also comes from the father's essence. But cultivating harmony and completing virtue depends on oneself; one must know how to serve this. Quan Deyu wrote: "Boats drown, riders fall, sleepers have nightmares, drinkers get drunk, eaters choke, walkers tire." Extremes can all lead to death; there is no crisis not present. Alas, is it only in high offices and noble titles? It lies precisely in diet, bedclothes, carriages/horses, and private chambers. People easily neglect to guard against these, thus placing themselves in danger.

Scholars learning the Dao must realize that this body comes from the Great Void. Since it comes from the Great Void, this body initially did not exist; why cling to it as one's own possession? Therefore, regarding the spiritual clarity of this body, the master must ensure it attaches neither to "Having" nor to "Non-Having," just as the Great Void has no objects to disturb it. Then the original mind can attain purity and harmony with emptiness, and spiritual awareness remains round/perfect. All prosperity and all burdens cannot take it away. If prosperity and burdens cannot take it away, then the worldly mind retreats daily, and the true mind advances daily. Retreating one part of the worldly mind naturally allows advancing one part of the true mind; this is what Mencius meant by "Nourishing the mind is best served by reducing desires." If the mind is from the Great Void, the body returns to the Great Void. What need to speak much of Immortals or Buddhas?

Zhou Laifeng asked Qian Wujiang about health techniques, saying: "It is merely walking in harmony and adapting to顺应 (compliance/nature)." Walking in harmony does not harm harmony; adapting to compliance does not violate compliance. The Qi of Heaven and Earth is supreme harmony and great compliance. Fully embodied in the human body, a small Heaven and Earth, why not imitate the longevity of Heaven and Earth? Laifeng carved stone at the Linqing government office, making a small ivory tablet, inscribing four characters, placed in his lapel/sleeve for life. How seniors value admonitions!

Yin and Yang are not originally opposite; they await Creation to produce things. Yang enters Yin; Yin retains Yang so it cannot fly, then Life is generated. Yang exits Yin; Yang disregards Yin and cannot stay, then Death occurs. Thus, life and death both depend on Yang, inherently unrelated to Yin. Immortal practitioners say: "A fraction of Yang Qi remaining, one does not die; a fraction of Yin Qi remaining, one does not become an Immortal." Can Yin and Yang then be spoken of as opposites? Nevertheless, where Yang resides, not only life/death depend on it, but the spirituality/stupidity of all things depend on it. Humans: Yang Qi is above, so ears/eyes are sharp, most spiritual among things. Birds/beasts: Yang and Yin Qi are mixed, so stupid. Plants/trees: Yang Qi is in roots, so especially stupid. Speaking thus, how can human Yang Qi not be treasured? Deafness and dim eyes mean Yang is scattering. Thus, gentlemen are vigilant beforehand, guarding only Yang. There is reason for this.

Human consumption is most suitable to be cautious, because the Qi within us rises, descends, gathers, and scatters due to it. Why? Drinking too much wine raises Qi; drinking too much tea lowers Qi; eating too much meat/grain stagnates Qi; eating too much pungent food scatters Qi; eating too much salty food sinks Qi; eating too much sweet food accumulates Qi; eating too much sour food knots Qi; eating too much bitter food suppresses Qi. Cultivators regulate the Five Zang organs and circulate spirit/mind entirely by measuring the Five Flavors, restricting alcohol/food, ensuring excess is avoided.

When a person first dies, eyes/ears/mouth/nose/hands/feet/form are complete, yet parents/brothers/wife/children do not love them, saying the Spirit (Shen) has gone. Thus, what humans love is Spirit, not Form. Yet today's people nurture Form, not Spirit. Why? Today's people lose Spirit when writing, lose Spirit when working, lose Spirit when enjoying sound, lose Spirit when enjoying lust. In all dynamic/static operations, Spirit goes out; people do not pity it, only grieving deeply when Spirit cuts off. How late this realization is! Human thought/emotion: one thought produces one Spirit; one focus produces one Spirit. Like dividing fire: the more divided, the drier the oil, the smaller the fire; the more divided Spirit, the exhausted Essence, the less Spirit. When it cuts off, grieving deeply. How late! Ancient Immortals said: "Once the Primordial Spirit exits, retrieve it; Spirit returns to the body, Qi naturally returns." Doing this morning and evening, naturally old men/women return to infancy. Ah, truly connecting to the vital energy of Heaven and Earth!

Gao Nanzhou said: "The intersection of Yin and Yang, the wonder of Creation, is unparalleled." He recounted a sorcerer's words: On the 15th of August, at midnight (Zi hour), wait for moonlight at its peak, use Fangzhu (ancient dew collector) to gather moonlight water filling a vat. Wait until May 5th next year, Wu hour, place Yangsui (ancient fire mirror) on the vat. Soon, sunlight shines on water, water in vat boils and surges. In a moment, water dries up. Observing the medicinal timing, use it for ingestion. This is the alchemist's method of refining Divine Water. Ingestion is hard to obtain quickly, but this reveals the wonder of Creation's intersection.

Methods to repel illness include practicing Gong. Deficiency diseases suit visualization/convergence, solidifying secret mind/volition, using internal guarding work to supplement. Excess diseases suit massage/guiding, inhaling/pushing/pinching, using external emitting work to disperse. Heat diseases suit expelling old/absorbing new, exhaling mouth/inhaling nose to cool. Cold diseases suit storing Qi/closing breath, using intent to generate fire to warm. These four methods are shortcuts for curing disease, far surpassing herbal/mineral medicines. Obtained from an old alchemist.

Daoist books say: Having wife/children means being burdened by them; having wealth/status means being burdened by them. The Dao cannot be practiced. If so, must one abandon wife/children and give up wealth/status? Wife/children do not harm the Dao; the harm lies in being burdened by them. Wealth/status do not cut off the Dao; cutting off lies in being burdened by them.

Generally, wife/children and wealth/status are environmental burdens, not mental burdens. Shun had two daughters and accepted Yao's abdication. He did not flee like Xuyou or refuse like Wuguang, yet suffered no harm to the Dao. The subtle purport of the Dao can be imagined here.

Wang Hongyu discussed difficulty/ease in cultivation: "Our broken/leaking bodies differ from virgin cultivation origins. Virgin is originally Qian (Pure Yang) body, unbroken/unleaking, not broken Qian becoming Li (Yin/Yang mix). To cultivate pure Qian, only Pure Yang Gong is needed. We must repair Li to Qian, then add effort, hence difficult." This theory fits primal principles well.

*Continued Biographies of Immortals* records a medicine-selling old man calling: "Those with money don't buy medicine; they all go to make 'earth steamed buns' (graves)." This is most awakening; few avoid becoming earth steamed buns. People err daily without realizing why? Medicines vary; hard to distinguish. Spiritual medicine extends life; Ultimate medicine revives dead; Divine medicine restores Yang/replaces bone. Minerals/plants only cure disease; though fast/slow, the final destination is still the earth steamed bun.

Xu Daoren said: "Human mind values clarity/stillness. If one can sit meditating at midnight without falling over, sitting upright in concentration, then Life/Nature enters my bag; if nightly without falling, Life/Nature is in my grasp, longevity may be hoped for." Why? Because Hun is strong, Po is weak. Asked: "How to apply effort?" Answer: "The True Person hides in the abyss, wandering while keeping to the center." Two phrases suffice.

Lu Yuanhe discussed the essence of health: "Merely hide Spirit in the abyss, let it not wander outward. Over time, naturally transforms spiritually. Do not talk much; I only heed these words." Spirit as an object cannot be known by knowledge, recognized by identification. Always staying in the body, bright within. Then Essence/Qi returns to Truth, Spirit transformation appears. Ancient Immortals said: "Qi is the medicine adding years; Mind is the God driving Qi." If Spirit/Qi stay, one becomes an Immortal. Is "Spirit/Qi staying" not Spirit? World calls Immortals "Shenxian" (Spirit Immortals) because they refine Spirit.

Zheng Longmen pointed to two potted flowers: "These four sprouted together; pity only two moved indoors. Ten days later, the other two, not exposed to sun, withered." He said: "This awakens to health cultivation. Like these flowers, does Heaven have limits?" I was alarmed. Truly understanding this, one does not place oneself in harmful environments. Ji Zhisan's theory on watering/withering is credible.

Youthful lusts show no immediate effect, but gradually lead to weakness/poverty like rich families wasting money. Natural principle. People hear life is short, so don't realize. Applying this, reading history/writing for health yields similar results. Don't say no merit; over time, effects appear.

Met a monk discussing Zhongnan Mountain ascetics living 200-300 years. Daily digging Huangjing, Cangshu/Baizhu to eat, some taking Poria. Method: Find large pine trees, dig deep roots, break tree's life root, place big jar with honey and fresh Poria under root. Spring: honey vapor rises to tree top; Winter: honey descends into jar. After three years, take out. Eat fist-sized piece daily, drink one cup water, no cooked food. Poria is long-life plant, no cooked food needed; exceptional longevity is fitting. Modern people with normal aspirations wanting abnormal longevity—isn't it hard?

Commonly call robust people "having Qi/Li". Shows Li and Qi connect; Li comes from Qi. Shouting, jumping, singing, dancing, running—using force damages Qi. Ancients good at health: call without sound, walk without dust. Not constantly dancing but doing Bear Hang/Bird Stretch; not long whistling but breathing Primordial Spirit. Likely resting force to generate Qi.

Wind/Cold/Heat/Dampness outside are Qi; entering body become Du (poison), causing abscesses/malaria/dysentery. Path of hidden injury to life must be cautious. Living quarters must be secret, solid, high, bright, dry. No worries then.

Well doesn't overflow if not drawn; Essence doesn't fill if not used. Why? Water from ground, drawing replenishes it; Essence fills body, loss replenishes it. Not naturally overflowing. World doesn't understand: drawing well doesn't show loss, but frequent drawing exhausts Earth Yuan; using Essence doesn't show consumption, but frequent use tires True Yuan. Understanding well-drawing, well nourishes endlessly; understanding Essence-use, Spirit uses endlessly.

Someone loves nurturing True but never travels far, saying: "I once boated on river, nearly capsized in wind, so don't travel often." I laughed: "Close your door, sit in room, isn't there a river? River danger relies on boat; room danger lies in bed/diet. Where is boat to rely on? Not just river? Scorching like fire, freezing like ice, sharp like spear—when not present? Not just river?" Guest said: "I hear fate; I will travel far."

Hair originally black, why white? Teeth originally dense, why sparse? Eyes originally clear, why turbid? Ears originally sharp, why deaf? Hands originally grasping, why tired? Feet originally running, why paralyzed? Shoulders bearing, why numb in old age? Body enduring, why weak in sickness? Face ruddy, why withered in decay? Reflect on reasons for dying while alive? Reasons for dying showing signs in form? Knowing why life dies, know why death lives.

Human form has daily birth, not knowing how to treasure life; has constant death, not knowing how to save death. Until lying down, suddenly dark, then grieving. Alas, too late! Those preparing early/accumulating heavily—if not perfected persons, how to discuss this?

Top-grade medicine: Spirit, Qi, Essence. Essence generates Qi; Qi generates Spirit; Essence/Qi regenerate, root of Spirit. Preserve Essence to enrich Qi; enrich Qi to nourish Spirit; key formula for longevity. But Mind is Essence Master, Intent is Qi Horse. Mind gallops/Intent moves, Essence/Qi follow. So Right Mind/Sincere Intent is central pillar. Though, this is initial work; must reach Mind/Thought obliterated, Spirit/Knowledge forgotten, to be True Person realm. Obliterating Mind preserves Mind; forgetting Spirit nourishes Spirit. Qi full/Spirit complete, naturally reaches Spirit transformation.

Gu Sequan loved Dao principles. Dreamt of sea, two men following, saying: "Mr. Gu, sincere in learning Immortality." Sequan asked; one shouted: "Immortals don't exist; Desirelessness is Immortal." Went east, pointed to sea. Woke, thinking: Isn't this Immortal? "Desirelessness is Immortal" is close to Dao; recorded.

Huang Kezhai said: Jingding era, went to capital, ate meat from Li Guchong's kitchen, extremely salty, inedible. Used Qiushi (autumn stone) to boil everything. Internal cuisine flavors too strong, eater doesn't know what it is. Said: Light diet very beneficial; five flavors too much harms life. Visited Dongguang village, three brothers 80+, very strong. Asked: Hard to get salt, we eat light, farm, no external affairs. Doesn't this explain health? Kezhai ate light for 10 years. Dao book: "Light diet, spirit refreshing." Laozi: "Five flavors dull the mouth." See, five flavors usage, must be cautious?

Heaven feeds humans Five Qi; Earth feeds humans Five Flavors. Now people pant, Qi escapes, stolen by Heaven/Earth; few get Heaven's nourishment. Daily nourishment relies on Five Flavors. Too much/excess makes Five Zang heavy. Not only no nourishment, but kills life. Taste true flavor: grains/beans/fruits are light. This shows Heaven/Earth's original intent to nourish. Best flavor is in lightness. Now people pursue strong flavors, losing true taste. Ancients said few know flavor, meaning light flavor.

Hu Punan, Governor of Jiangxi, fell ill from labor. Heard alchemist, demanded milk. Drank bowl daily, no effect. Demanded pine nuts, ate bowls daily replacing meals. Half month later, more weak/fatigued. Returned home, died. Hu Shagang said. Thinking: Objects have form/substance...