Library

In my youth, I studied the Eight-Legged Essay (Baguwen), dedicating my efforts mainly to nighttime study. My writing was ornate and elegant, and I frequently ranked first in examinations. After studying it for a long time, I felt that the Eight-Legged Essay had little practical use, so I turned my attention to medical principles (Yili), geography, and various biographies. Besides the teachings passed down by my father, I traveled to famous mountains and great rivers, visited masters and recluses, read books I had already seen, and also those I had not. Through the detailed explanations of renowned teachers, I acquired many secret methods. Both medical principles and geography proved effective; I authored *Tianwen Mizhan* (Secret Divination of Astronomy) and *Dili Quyi* (Definitive Meaning of Geography). Various printed editions of my late master’s authentic works have long been circulating in the world. I intended to follow the three main dragon veins (major mountain ranges) for investigation, but before completing even one, my legs grew weary.

One day, by chance, I entered a deep forest on a high peak, where there were no signs of human habitation for dozens of li. As evening approached, I saw a small grass hut on a distant flat slope and hurried towards it for shelter. I met an old man there. When I asked his age, he did not answer; when I asked to borrow firewood for cooking, he said he had none. I secretly wondered if this must be a high master. I bowed and requested instruction. He said we had a predestined affinity and taught me Sitting Practice (Zuogong, a form of seated meditation/cultivation). By midnight, suddenly all my joints cracked, and my whole body felt refreshed and comfortable, like an infant in the womb—an indescribable state. I felt as if I existed in the era above Fuxi, completely unaware of the current world. The old man said, “This is opening the orifices.” A few days later, the fatigue from mountain climbing and the pain in muscles and bones were entirely relieved. Saliva filled my mouth, and I felt no hunger. I again marveled, thinking this must be the secret method for curing illness and abstaining from grain (Qiebing Xiuliang). Later, when I went to visit him again, the grass hut was gone.

During the Bingzi year imperial examination session, I stayed at Jing Temple in Hunan. I saw a Daoist priest sitting quietly in front of the temple. His demeanor appeared identical to mine from before. I invited him to my residence and told him that the person in the grass hut was indeed my teacher, Wushengzi. What I had previously received from him consisted only of hand seals (Shoujue) and heart seals (Xinjue). This aligns with the true essence of Confucian “rectifying the mind and making thoughts sincere” (Zhengxin Chengyi) and “fasting of the mind and sitting and forgetting” (Xinzhai Zuowang), without attachment to any language, texts, views, or artificial constructs. The priest then detailed the rules of the Four Prohibitions (Sijie), Five Advancements (Wujin), and Six Non-Transmissions (Liubuchuan). Three days later, the priest disappeared. Alas! Was he not the same person from the grass hut? Why did I miss him face-to-face due to shallow affinity?

Subsequently, I exchanged secret insights with Mr. Ge Qizhan, Mr. Guo Dan-kui, Mr. Feng Maoyuan, and Mr. Chen Baiye, who was ninety-four years old. These gentlemen believed that their previous practices—such as breath retention (Bixi), Daoyin (guiding and pulling), the Sixteen-Character Formula, Baduanjin (Eight Section Brocade), the Three-Character Formula, Six-Character Formula, Twelve-Character Formula, Seven Turns and Nine Returns, as well as Yuan Liaofan’s Chan Seal Sitting Practice—were all effective when practiced. However, these ultimately belong to “having-form” (Youwei) methods. They are not as direct and straightforward as Master Wushengzi’s method, which contains infinite subtlety. Many seek the Dao, but Wushengzi’s secrets do not rely on language and are difficult to record in ink and paper. Regarding the methods of Mr. Yuan, Ge, Guo, and Chen, whether found in old texts or transmitted orally, I collected and edited them so that those interested in Daoist practices may gain something from reading. This serves as a wonderful medicine in the bag for prolonging life and curing illness; it is best to practice them diligently.