Yuanshi's Scripture of Eightfold Dragon Seal 元始八威龙文经

The author is unknown.

It was presumably compiled between the Tang and Song dynasties. Consisting of one volume, it is included in the Ben Wen (Original Text) category of The Dongzhen Section in The Daozang.

Yuanshi's Scripture of Eightfold Dragon Seal

The scripture is divided into eight sections, expounding the way of cultivating truth and refining the body. It generally elaborates on cultivation techniques such as preserving spirit, consolidating essence, and harmonizing Qi by using relative concepts including mother and child, yin and yang, fire and water, movement and stillness, and emptiness and solidity. Its wording imitates that of Laozi and Zhuangzi, and is rather obscure. For example, Section Five states: "Vague and indistinct, spirit is generated within fire; dim and obscure, essence is generated within water. Fire blazes upward, and the Seven Returns generate spirit; water flows downward, and the Six Abodes generate essence. Spirit converges with essence to connect with the numinous power of heaven and earth." Another example from Section Seven: "Being empty yet not solid, thus fire is generated; being still yet not moving, thus water is pure. Those who understand this way can unify their spirit through stabilizing their nature, and enable the circulation of their Qi through calming their mind."