The Huangting Jing 黄庭经

Huangting Jing (The Yellow Court Scripture) is a major classic of the Shangqing School of Taoism and is also regarded by inner alchemy practitioners as a primary text for inner alchemy cultivation.

Huangting Jing consists of two parts: Huangting Neijing Yujing (The Jade Scripture of the Inner Visions of the Yellow Court) and Huangting Waijing Yujing (The Jade Scripture of the Outer Visions of the Yellow Court).

According to Taoist interpretations, "Huang" (yellow) refers to the color of the center, symbolizing "the central region"; "Ting" (court) denotes the middle of the four directions, the open space before the steps, symbolizing "emptiness within". The "visions of the Yellow Court" refer to the state of inner emptiness achieved through Taoist internal cultivation practices. As an important classic of the Shangqing School and one of the regular practices of Quanzhen Taoism, it is praised within the religion as "a wonderful text for longevity and eternal life".

Based on the ancient Taoist idea that each internal organ of the human body has its own presiding deity, combined with the theories of organ functions from ancient medical classics, the scripture expounds the medical principles of Taoist internal cultivation in the form of seven-character rhymed verses. It emphasizes preserving essence and refining qi, and reveals the essential secrets of longevity and visionary clarity. There are many legends about the author of Huangting Jing. Some say it was written by Wei Huacun, a female Taoist priest of the Jin Dynasty, after studying folk herbs; others claim it was dictated by a Taoist priest and recorded by Wei.

Huangting Jing first appeared in the catalogs of Baopuzi Neipian·Xialan (Inner Chapters of the Master Who Embraces Simplicity·Broad Views) of the Eastern Jin Dynasty and Old Book of Tang·Jingji zhi (Bibliographic Treatise of the Old Book of Tang). According to research by modern scholar Wang Ming, the ideas of the Yellow Court gradually became popular during the Han and Wei periods. He believes that Neijing (Inner Visions) was completed during the Taikang era of the Western Jin Dynasty, while Waijing (Outer Visions), following the essence of Neijing, emerged during the Xianhe era of the Eastern Jin Dynasty. However, there is another view that Waijing was completed in the early Jin Dynasty, and Neijing was derived from it. Modern scholar Chen Yingning, in his Huangting Jing Jiangyi (Lectures on Huangting Jing), stated: "The two texts (referring to Neijing and Waijing) need not be from the same author, but their profound principles are interconnected, and their theory and application complement each other. Those who truly understand the essence will no longer distinguish between them." He also said: "Moreover, most authors of alchemy classics have focused on practices for men, and there are separate traditions for female alchemy. However, Huangting Jing has been used by female Taoists throughout history to attain the Dao, such as Lu Miaodian, Cui Shaoxuan, and Xue Xuantong, as recorded in historical texts, and there are quite a few such examples. This makes it an essential guide for alchemists and a fundamental text of Taoism."