The Scripture of the Twenty-Four Gods of the Supreme Emperor of Taiwei for Returning to the Origin
The author of this text is unknown. Judging from its content, it was likely composed by Taoist priests of the Shangqing School (Higher Clarity School) during the Eastern Jin and Southern Dynasties.
Consisting of one scroll, it is included in the Xu Daozang (Supplementary Taoist Canon). Additionally, Volume 31 of Yunji Qiqian (Seven Lots of the Clouds’ Repository) also contains this scripture. This text expounds on the method of visualizing the "body gods" (shen within the human body).
The scripture claims that: the formation of a human fetus, the shaping of the body, and the generation of internal gods are all governed by the Supreme Emperor of Taiwei. The human body, divided into upper, middle, and lower parts, is guarded by "Eight Sceneries" (eight gods) in each part, totaling twenty-four gods.
- The Eight Sceneries of the Upper Part (upper body) refer to the gods of the brain, hair, skin, eyes, nape marrow, spinal muscles, nose, and tongue.
- The Eight Sceneries of the Middle Part (middle body) refer to the gods of the throat, lungs, heart, liver, gallbladder, left kidney, and right kidney.
- The Eight Sceneries of the Lower Part (lower body) refer to the gods of the stomach, lower intestines, large and small intestines, torso, chest and diaphragm, ribs (both left and right), left yin and right yang, and right yin and left yang.
Each of these twenty-four gods has its own name, clothing color, and form. It is said that visualizing these gods can calm the body and soul, dispel disasters and misfortunes, and elevate one to the rank of a high immortal.
The method of visualization prescribes that practitioners should, at dawn, midday, or midnight, lie flat without a pillow, perform "wogu" (a Taoist hand gesture to secure vital energy), regulate their qi (vital energy), recite the names of the gods aloud, visualize the forms and colors of the gods, and coordinate these actions with practices such as teeth-knocking and incantation-chanting.
The Taoist method described in this text is largely derived from Huangting Neijing Jing (The Inner Scripture of the Yellow Court) and is similar to Dongxuan Lingbao Ershisi Shengtu Jing (The Scripture of the Twenty-Four Birth Charts of the Numinous Treasure of the Mysterious Grotto). See the entry for that scripture.
✨ Recommended Taoist Talismans
Discover powerful talismans for your spiritual journey
