Vermilion Book of Longevity 上玄高真延寿赤书

Compiled by Pei Xuan, a hermit of Zhongnan Mountain in the Tang Dynasty. History of Song·Treatise on Arts and Literature records: "Pei Xuan’s Red Book of Longevity in one volume", which refers to this very book.

The existing version in The Daozang is included in the Methods Category of the Dongshen Section.

Vermilion Book of Longevity

At the beginning of the book, there is a Memorial to the Emperor Presenting the Book written by the author himself, claiming that he compiled Red Book of Longevity in one volume and presented it to Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, titled the Sage of Kaiyuan, Holy, Literary, Divine and Martial, Emperor Who Conforms to Heaven and Upholds the Supreme Dao. Most of the content of this book is adapted from Declarations of the Perfected·Xiechang Qi. It is divided into eight chapters. The first chapter, Yuyi Charging Forward, expounds the magic arts of visualizing the radiance of the sun and moon and the spirits within the body. The second chapter, Purifying the Mind and Observing Internal Taboos, states the daily routines, bathing and grooming taboos for those who practice Taoism and cultivate the true self. The third chapter, Clearing the Spirit and Observing External Prohibitions, lists the names of the six palaces in Fengdu and expounds the magic arts of warding off nightmares. The fourth chapter, Concealing the Secret and Hooking the Spirit, discusses the magic arts of visualization and internal vision. The fifth chapter, Treasure the Spirit and Calm the Qi, expounds the methods of massage, bathing and grooming to rejuvenate the appearance and retain youthful looks. The sixth chapter, Annotate the Storehouse and Secure Eternal Plans, talks about the taboos of diet and taking medicines as well as the methods of curing diseases and eliminating impurities. The seventh chapter, Circulate True Qi Secretly, explains the method of massaging the eyes to make them bright and see clearly. The eighth chapter, Align with the Seasons and Practice the True Way, expounds the methods of controlling the soul and elimin