Jade Axis Scripture 上清黄庭五脏六腑真人玉轴经
Paul PengJade Axis Scripture
Referred to as Yuzhou Jing (Jade Axis Scripture) for short, it is an important Qigong health-preserving document of the Tang Dynasty, which occupies a significant position in the health cultivation system of Taoism.
With the "Six-Word Qi Formula" as its core theory, it correlates the six characters—"Si", "He", "Xu", "Hu", "Chui", "Xi"—with the six zang-fu organs respectively: lung, heart, liver, spleen, kidney, and gallbladder. Based on the breathing regulation method of "exhaling to purge pathogens, inhaling to tonify vital qi", it carries out health-preserving practices in combination with the physiological and pathological characteristics of the zang-fu organs, and its theoretical logic is closely related to the Five Elements mutual generation and restriction theory in Taoist philosophy. Its theoretical system includes the Six-Qi Method, Disease Diagnosis Method, Daoyin Method, etc., which has both therapeutic and body-strengthening functions. It is cited as the foundation by later documents such as Huangting Neijing Wuzang Liufu Buxie Tu (Illustrated Charts of Tonifying and Purging the Five Zang-Organs and Six Fu-Organs in the Internal Landscape of the Yellow Court), and exerts a far-reaching influence on the development of Qigong health preservation, especially on the practice system of Internal Alchemy.
Jade Axis Scripture
Core Theory
Yuzhou Jing takes the "Six-Word Qi Formula" as its core practice, corresponding to the human zang-fu organ system, and its connotation is consistent with the thought of harmonizing the body and The Dao in traditional Taoist culture:
- The character "Si" corresponds to the lung, governing the dispersion and descent of lung qi.
- The character "He" corresponds to the heart, regulating the excess and deficiency of heart fire.
- The character "Xu" corresponds to the liver, relieving the stagnation of liver qi.
- The character "Hu" corresponds to the spleen, harmonizing the transportation and transformation functions of the spleen and stomach.
- The character "Chui" corresponds to the kidney, consolidating kidney essence and primordial qi.
- The character "Xi" corresponds to the gallbladder, unblocking the shaoyang gallbladder qi.
The practice emphasizes the breathing principle of "exhaling to purge pathogenic qi, inhaling to tonify healthy qi", and regulates the functions of zang-fu organs through the airflow vibration of different syllables, so as to achieve the effect of dispelling diseases and prolonging life.
Practice System
The cultivation methods recorded in the scripture, which is also included in related collections of The Daozang in different versions, include the following elements:
- Time Selection: It advocates practicing facing east from after Zi hour to before Si hour, conforming to the law of yang qi generation and ascension in Taoist yin-yang theory.
- Posture Requirements: One needs to sit cross-legged in a quiet room to calm the mind, combined with auxiliary practices such as tapping teeth and swallowing saliva, which are common basic methods in Taoist health cultivation.
- Breathing Rhythm: It follows the tuina principle of "one exhalation unblocks all meridians, one inhalation connects all meridians", emphasizing deep, slow, and gentle breath control to ensure the smooth operation of qi in the body.
- Progressive System: It is divided into three stages: Small Cycle (36 breaths), Medium Cycle (72 breaths), and Great Cycle (108 breaths), to gradually enhance cultivation proficiency and move towards the state of harmonizing body and spirit.
