Lingbao Scripture of Three-Unity and Five Qi 太上洞玄灵宝三一五气真经

The author is unknown; judging from its content and linguistic style, it was likely composed by a Taoist Priest during the Northern and Southern Dynasties.

Wang Xuanhe of the Tang Dynasty quoted The Scripture of the Imperial Man Guarding the Three Ones in Volume 1 of Classified Matters of the Shangqing Dao, which is suspected to be this very text.

Lingbao Scripture of Three-Unity and Five Qi

The surviving version is included in the Taixuan Section of The Daozang.

The scripture recounts that the Yellow Emperor Xuanyuan traveled to Mount Emei to seek an audience with the Heavenly True Imperial Man, who imparted to him the essential methods of contemplation (cunsi) and ingestion (of celestial essences). The Imperial Man defined the three core elements of the human body as spirit, blood, and Qi; identified the Niwan (Muddy Pellet), Jiangong (Crimson Palace), and Dantian (Elixir Field)—the upper, middle, and lower energy centers of the body—as the "Palaces of the Three Ones"; and referred to the refined Qi of the five directions (east, south, west, north, center) as the "Five Teeth" (a metaphor for the five Qi).

It teaches that practitioners who diligently guard the Three Ones in accordance with the methods, ingest the Five Qi, renounce desires, and abstain from grains (bigu) can achieve youthful vitality, longevity, repel evil spirits, and attain immortality—hence the scripture’s title, "Scripture of the Three Ones and Five Qi".

Additionally, the text elaborates on the way of guarding the "True One", content that also appears in Baopuzi (The Baopuzi), Chapter "Earthly Truth".