Taoist Spell: The Spell to Slay the Middle Corpse

Peng Zhi, the Middle Corpse, is named Zhonghuang (the Yellow Center). It dwells in the eyes driven by lust and desire, hiding secretly in the abdomen. It drifts and transforms, with no fixed form. It seizes people's souls and wanders to the Three Palaces. The innocent soul is tossed about, driving people to madness. Lust harms the spirit, and the blame lies with this tiny evil entity. True Person [so-and-so], has been recognized by the Supreme God. Wearing the Jade Talisman and the Golden Seal inscribed with jade texts, [Their] name is engraved in the Primordial Diagram, and the three desires have vanished. By the command of the Primordial Lord, we slay the corpse's form; Cut off its roots and exterminate its kind, so it shall never flutter again. The wandering soul undergoes refinement, and the five viscera become cool and pure. True immortals stand guard in peace, and radiance is born within the viscera. The Five Emperors shine their light upon [this], and Taiyi (the Supreme Unity) arranges [its course]. In the Middle Yuan (the 15th day of the 7th lunar month), [we] bathe, don crowns and robes. [We] dissolve [our] form and transform [our] appearance, radiating the jade-like light of flowing scenes. Ascend to the Upper Clear Heaven (Shangqing), and nourish [ourselves] in the boundless void. Forever preserving the Dao of Nature, [we] exist as heaven and earth endure infinitely.

Taoism holds that there are three corpses (Upper, Middle, and Lower) residing within the human body, which are the root causes of human desires, illnesses, and disasters. The Middle Corpse, named Peng Zhi, corresponds to the Middle Palace of the human body (the abdominal area and the internal organs), and is particularly associated with lust and sensual desires. It is regarded as the key factor that disturbs people's minds and causes abnormal behaviors.

The "Three Palaces" refer to the Upper, Middle, and Lower Dantians (energy centers) of the human body—respectively located near the between the eyebrows, the chest, and the lower abdomen. These are the main places where the Middle Corpse wanders and wreaks havoc, disrupting the body's functions. The "Jade Talisman" and "Golden Seal inscribed with jade texts" are not ordinary objects; instead, they are tokens symbolizing divine mandate and the authority of the gods in Taoism. They signify that the spell caster has gained recognition from the heavenly realm and possesses the legitimate qualification to carry out the task of "slaying the corpses."

The "Upper Clear Heaven (Shangqing)" is one of the "Three Pure Heavens" (Yuqing, Shangqing, Taiqing) in Taoism, a celestial realm where immortals reside. "Ascending to the Upper Clear Heaven" is the ultimate spiritual goal prayed for in the spell, symbolizing liberation from the bondage of the mortal world and entry into the immortal realm to enjoy eternal peace. This reflects Taoism's core pursuit of purifying the body and mind through "slaying the corpses" to approach the state of immortality.