Threefold Longevity - A Practical Guide 三元延寿参赞书

Compiled by Li Pengfei in the Yuan Dynasty.

It was roughly completed in the late Zhiyuan period of Emperor Shizu of the Yuan Dynasty (1294).

Consisting of five volumes, it is included in the Methods Category of the Dongshen Section of The Daozang.

Threefold Longevity - A Practical Guide

This book expounds the principles of nourishing life and prolonging lifespan. In his preface, the author stated that he once met a Taoist priest at the foot of Feilai Peak, who told him: "A person's lifespan is composed of three parts: sixty years from Tianyuan (Heavenly Vitality), sixty years from Diyuan (Earthly Vitality), and sixty years from Renyuan (Human Vitality), totaling one hundred and eighty years. Failure to exercise caution will lead to a daily decrease in lifespan. If one fails to preserve essence and Qi, the lifespan from Tianyuan will be reduced; if one overreaches in schemes and actions, the lifespan from Diyuan will be shortened; if one does not regulate diet properly, the lifespan from Renyuan will be diminished." Inspired by this, Li Pengfei compiled this book to elaborate on the ways to preserve the three vitalities and extend lifespan. The first three volumes of the book are respectively: Chapter on Obtaining Tianyuan Lifespan by Preserving Essence and Qi Without Depletion—which discusses the principles of moderating sexual intercourse and preserving essence and Qi; Chapter on Obtaining Diyuan Lifespan by Maintaining Regular Daily Routines—which expounds on regulating thoughts, words and deeds as well as daily living habits; and Chapter on Obtaining Renyuan Lifespan by Maintaining Moderate Diet—which focuses on regulating diet and the principles of health preservation through medicine and diet. The last two volumes are Chapter on Immortals’ Secrets to Saving the World and Rejuvenation and Chapter on Immortals’ Admonitions to the World. The core tenet of these chapters exhorts people to pay attention to nourishment and tonification, restrain anger and desires, and practice good deeds while eliminating evil. Drawing extensively from various sources with plain arguments, this book is a significant work on medicine and health preservation, embodying the core concepts of Taoism.