Ode to the Valley Spirit Daoist Classic 谷神赋

Originally attributed to "Da Xin, a Recluse of Tianshui (Tianshui Yiren Da Xin Zhu)".

Presumably composed during the Song Dynasty.

General Records·Bibliographic Outline (Tongzhi·Yiwen Lue) records "One Scroll of Ode to the Valley Spirit, Composed by Zhao Daxin", which is presumably this work.

Ode to the Valley Spirit

The current version is included in the Methods Category of the The Dongzhen Section within the Taoist Canon (The Daozang).

This ode is based on Laozi’s theory of "The Valley Spirit is eternal and immortal", discussing the path of health preservation. It proclaims: "Cultivating the spirit lies in the mind; attaining immortality lies in oneself." When the valley can nourish itself and the spirit returns to its orifice, the primal Qi (Vital Energy) will endure forever, and life can be perpetuated. The way to cultivate the spirit involves concentrating the mind, restraining the eyes, abandoning love and desires, and upholding unity with tranquility and dedication.

Beneath each line of the ode is a seven-character jueju poem serving as an annotation, totaling fifty-one poems. The core meaning of these poems holds that cultivating the spirit is the key to Internal Alchemy (Neidan), and the innate Valley Spirit is the foundation of Internal Alchemy—its doctrines are quite different from those of the Southern School of the Golden Elixir Sect.