Library

Immortal Grain-Abstinence Prescription (Bigdou, 5 sheng) is washed clean, steamed three times, sun-dried, and the skin removed. Huomaren (Hemp Seed), 3 sheng, is soaked in hot water overnight, filtered out, sun-dried, mixed with glue, and sun-dried again. The skin is removed, it is rinsed clean three times, pounded in a mortar, mixed with Bigdou.

The above ingredients are ground into powder. Glutinous rice porridge is used to bind them into balls, the size of a fist. They are steamed in a steamer. The fire is stopped from night until Zi hour (11 PM - 1 AM). They are taken out at Yin hour (3 AM - 5 AM) and stored in porcelain vessels, ensuring they do not dry out in the wind. Take one or two balls per dose, sufficient to feel full. Do not consume any other food. In the first course, fast for seven days; in the second course, fast for forty-nine days; in the third course, fast for three hundred days. When thirsty, grind Huomaren into a paste and drink it, which further nourishes the Zang-Fu organs.

Your appearance will surpass the usual. If you wish to eat solid food again, use Sanqi (Malva verticillata seeds), 3 he, crush them and decoct in water to drink. This opens the stomach and intestines, waiting for the harmonious Qi to return.

Emergency Famine Substitute Grain Pills

Bigdou (skin removed, 1 sheng), Guanzhong (Cibotium barometz, one piece), Chifuling (Red Poria, 1 qian), Baifuling (White Poria, skin removed, 5 qian), Baizhu (Atractylodes macrocephala Rhizome, 5 qian), Sharen (Amomum fruit, 5 qian).

The above ingredients are chopped. Use 5 sheng of water to boil together with the beans over gentle and strong heat until the water is exhausted. Remove the medicinal herbs, take the beans, pound them into a paste, and form pills the size of a chestnut.

Seal tightly in a clay jar. Chew one pill at a time, and you may eat plant leaves and shoots freely, feeling full all day long. Even if they are strange grasses and trees unfamiliar to you, they are non-toxic and will not cause hunger. The effect is the same as eating rice and grain.

Famine Prevention Cakes

Lizi (Chestnut), Hongzao (Jujube), Hetao (Walnut), Shibing (Dried Persimmon). Remove the pits and skins. Pound them together in a mortar until smooth and uniform. Shape into thick cakes, sun-dry, and store. To be used in case of famine and scarcity.

Grain-Abstinence Powder

Shanyao (Chinese Yam), Lianrou (Lotus Seed Meat, heart and skin removed), Qianshi (Euryale Seed, shell removed), Baibiandou (White Hyacinth Bean, shell removed and stir-fried), Lvdou (Mung Bean, shell removed, stir-fried and powdered, 8 liang each), Yiyiren (Coix Seed, shell removed, 12 liang), Xiaohui (Stir-fried Anise, 4 liang), Baijingmi (White Japonica Rice, stir-fried until yellow, 2 sheng).

Grind all together into powder. Take 5 qian per dose, mix with boiling plain water to swallow. Or mix with plain water and steam into cakes, which is also excellent.

For those traveling far where water and fire are inconvenient, or for cultivators wishing to reduce dietary intake, use Huangqi (Astragalus Root), Chishizhi (Halloysitum Rubrum), and Longgu (Fossilized Bones), each 3 qian; Fangfeng (Saposhnikovia Root), 5 fen; Wutou (Aconite Root), 1 qian. Soak them together. Pound in a stone mortar for one thousand strikes. Bind with refined honey into pills the size of marbles. To travel long distances, after a full meal, take one pill to walk five hundred li; take two pills to walk one thousand li.

Immortality Grain-Abstinence Elixir

Large, snow-white Fuling (Poria) from Yunnan. Remove the black skin to make it pure. Dingfen (Lead Carbonate), Huangdan (Red Lead), Baisongzhi (White Pine Resin), Baishamimi (White Honey), Huangla (Yellow Beeswax), each 2 liang. Zhusha (Cinnabar), 5 qian. Jinbo (Gold Leaf), 2 qian. Shuiyin (Mercury), 3 qian. First, melt honey, beeswax, and pine resin in a clean porcelain bowl until liquid. Pour in the medicines and stir evenly with a wooden spoon. When warm, form pills the size of a finger. Coat with mercury (using the method for processing fixed mercury): Wash hands thoroughly. Place 3 qian of mercury in the palm, rub with fingers until like mud and the palm turns blue. Roll three to five pills in this mixture. Then spread an appropriate amount of gold leaf in a bowl, place the pills inside, and shake so that the gold leaf adheres to the pills. Store in a sealed container. To take, use Ruxiang (Frankincense), half qian, and three small cups of water. Decoct the water, warm it, and swallow the pill without chewing. On the third day after taking the medicine, you will feel hungry. Make pancakes using dry flour and powdered Fuling, cook on a griddle, and eat until half-full. Thereafter, the medicine resides in the Dantian, preventing hunger and thirst. Over time, it penetrates the Five Zang organs, eliminating all yin turbidity. Everyone can take it without taboos. It increases strength, beautifies the face, ensures physical health, eliminates all diseases, relieves poverty and suffering. It is truly a good prescription for saving the world and a wonderful method for longevity. During this period, eating is not prohibited. However, if you eat within seven days, the medicine's efficacy will be expelled downward. By half a month, the medicine settles in the Dantian and never leaves.

Yuan-Nourishing Grain-Abstinence Elixir

Calms the Five Zang organs, eliminates hundred diseases, harmonizes Spleen and Stomach, tonifies deficiency and damage, consolidates Yuan Qi, fills essence and marrow. It makes the thin fat and the old vigorous. Regular consumption is best.

Use healthy beef from yellow cattle, no limit. Remove fascia and sinews. Cut into large pieces the size of chess pieces. Wash several times with river water until the blood taste is gone. Soak in river water overnight. Wash one or two more times the next day until the water is clear. Put in a clay jar with high-quality wine (without ash impurities). Seal with yellow mud. Boil over mulberry wood fire (gentle and strong) for one night. Take out, dry by baking, and grind into powder. Yellow sand color is best; burnt black is useless. For every jin of beef powder, add two jin of the following herbs as the standard:

Renshen (Ginseng Root), 4 liang. Baizhu (Atractylodes Macrocephala Rhizome, remove rootlet, stir-fry with aged soil). Baifuling (White Poria, remove skin, powder, float in water to remove veins, sun-dry). Yiyiren (Coix Seed, stir-fried). Huaishanyao (Huai Yam, moisten with water, slice, stir-fry with scallion and salt until yellow, remove scallion and salt). Qianshiren (Euryale Seed Kernel, shell removed, half jin each). Lianzirou (Lotus Seed Meat, stir-fry with scallion and salt, remove heart, scallion, and salt). Xiaohuixiang (Stir-fried Anise, 4 liang). Ganjiang (Stir-fried Dried Ginger, 4 liang). Baibiandou (Stir-fry with ginger juice, half jin). Sharen (Stir-fried Amomum Fruit, 2 liang). Qingyan (Green Salt, 4 liang). Gancao (Licorice Root, 4 liang). Wumei Rou (Dark Plum Meat, 2 liang, decoct into thick juice, half bottle). Jingmi (Japonica Rice, stir-fried until yellow, take clean powder, 5 jin, grind to powder). Chuanjiao (Sichuan Pepper, remove eyes, 2 liang).

Grind all medicines into powder. Mix evenly with the rice powder. Use 5 sheng of small red jujubes and 5 jin of aged mellow wine. Boil the jujubes until extremely soft, remove pits. Add 2 jin of refined honey.

Mix all together to form pills the size of marbles. Take two pills per dose, regardless of temperature. Swallow with soup or water, chewing if desired. Take three to five times a day to avoid hunger. If thirsty, only drink cold water.