The Dunjia Yuanshen Jing 遁甲缘身经 Scripture on the Connection of Dunjia to the Body

Dunjia Yuanshen Jing (Scripture on the Connection of Dunjia to the Body)

The author of this text is unknown. It was probably compiled between the Tang and Song dynasties, consisting of one scroll. It is included in the Daozang (Taoist Canon) under the Taixuan section, and an abridged version is also found in volume 14 of Yunji Qiqian (Seven Slips from a Cloudy Satchel).

First, the text discusses methods of summoning deities to cure illnesses and writing talismans to ward off evil. It states that when a person is ill, they can follow the method of holding their breath and reciting the names of the Six Jia deities on duty, and all diseases will be cured. Additionally, inscribing talismans associated with the Six Jia, Six Bing, Six Ren, Six Wu, and Six Geng can be used to repel ghosts, spirits, soldiers, bandits, disasters of fire and water, alleviate pain, dispel evil, and protect against tigers, wolves, and other dangers when entering mountains or forests.

Next, the text explains terminology from the Huangting Waijing Jing (Yellow Court Scripture: Outer Scenery) and specifies the locations, shapes, potential injuries, and treatment methods for the five viscera and six bowels. It asserts that visualization and inner observation (cunsi neishi) can cure diseases—for example, excessive worry harms the liver, which can be nourished by focusing on the heart; licentiousness harms the kidneys, which can be nourished by focusing on the liver. This is known as the method of "inner observation through the viscera."

Finally, the text includes Wei Furen Song (Ode of Lady Wei) and Song Huangting Jing Jue (Instructions for Reciting the Huangting Jing). The former mentions the technique of swallowing "cloud teeth" (a Taoist alchemical practice), while the latter describes methods for reciting the Huangting Jing and visualizing the seven deities of the face and the six deities of the viscera.

All the Taoist methods described in this text belong to the practices of the Shangqing (Highest Clarity) school of Taoism, which were cultivated by Taoists during the Wei, Jin, Southern, and Northern dynasties.