Supplementary Essentials of Baopuzi 抱朴子别旨

Originally attributed to Ge Hong of the Jin Dynasty, it is suspected to be a later forgery. Both the Secret Catalogue of the Southern Song Dynasty and Tongzhi·Yiwen Lue (Comprehensive Records of Literature and Arts) recorded it as one volume.

The surviving version is included in the Taiqing Section of The Daozang, appended to Baopuzi·Inner Chapters.

This text expounds on the techniques of daoyin (gentle exercises) and circulating Qi. It states that daoyin can unblock stagnant Qi, nourish life, and dispel illnesses. It classifies the Qi in the human body into three types: miscellaneous Qi, coarse Qi, and primordial Qi. It holds that miscellaneous Qi enables one to lift heavy weights, travel long distances, and move the body; coarse Qi can move mountains, breach seas, and subdue ferocious beasts and bandits; while those who seek to nourish life should cultivate primordial Qi. Primordial Qi is scanty yet hard to dissipate, so nurturing it allows one to preserve the spirit for a long time.

Composed by Sun Simiao in the early Tang Dynasty, it is one volume, included in the Methods Category of the The Dongshen Section in The Daozang. Volume 33 of Yunji Qiqian (Seven Bamboo Slips of the Cloudy Satchel) contains Taiqing’s Essentials of Contemplating the Spirit, Refining Qi, and the Five Stages and Seven States, which is this very text with slight textual variations.

It expounds on the method of refining Qi, stating: "One must first practice bigu (grain abstinence), calm the mind in the Qi Sea, contemplate the spirit in the Dantian, focus the mind, and meditate in tranquility. When the Qi Sea is full, one will naturally feel satiated." The cultivation system consists of five stages and seven states: the five stages refer to the five progressive levels of concentrating the mind to enter tranquility; the seven states are the seven realms achieved through practicing this method.