Daoism Series 27: The Eight Commentaries on Respecting Life

Daoism Series 27:
遵生八笺
The Eight Commentaries on Respecting Life

The following excerpt stems from The Eight Commentaries on Respecting Life [zun sheng ba jian遵生八笺], 1591, by Gao Lian [高濂], ‘Commentary on Prolonging one’s Years and Eliminating Diseases Part 1’ [yan nian que bing jian shang juan延年却病笺上卷]. This Ming Dynasty discourse focuses on longevity ideas and practices which encompasses eclectic sources of medical, religious and philosophical nature. Only one character in the first line is altered, that is Supreme Truth [tai zhen太真] becomes Supreme Divinity [tai ling 太靈]. The full excerpt reads:

若人夢寤不真，魄協百氣以校其心，欲伺我神之間伏也。每遇夢惡，但北向啟太上大道君，具言其狀，不過四五則自消絕也。 《青童君口訣》曰：「夜遇惡夢非好，覺當即返枕而咒曰：『太靈玉女，侍真衛魂，六宮金童，來守玉門。化惡返善，上書三元，使我長生，乘景駕雲。』畢，咽液七過，叩齒七通而更臥。如此四五，亦自都絕也。」此咒亦返惡夢而更吉祥也。

When we cannot verify whether we are dreaming or awake, [this is because] the corporeal souls are cooperating with the hundred Qi in order to contest with our heart-minds and wish to take advantage of the periodic moments when our spirits lay low. Each time you encounter nightmares, you only need to face north and inform the Supreme Great Dao Sovereign, fully describe the situation. Then, after no more than four to five times [of stating the following incantation], [the nightmares] will be eliminated by themselves. The Azure Infant Sovereign Oral Transmissions read:
At night, after encountering nightmares and bad [dreams], upon awakening one ought to promptly return to rest on the pillow while saying this incantation:

The Jade Maiden of the Supreme Divinity, the guardian ethereal souls who attend the truth, and the golden infants of the three palaces, may you come to safeguard the gate of vitality. Transform me from evilness and return me back to goodness. I present a petition to the three luminaries (i.e. the sun, moon and the stars), may I live long, and may I mount on the sceneries and ride on the clouds.
Once finished, swallow the fluids [i.e. saliva] in seven portions, knock the teeth seven communions [i.e. times] and lie down again. Do so as such four to five times, all [the nightmares] will be eliminated by themselves.

This incantation also reverts nightmares and changes them into auspicious [dreams].

Post-Scriptum: This article will be published as part of a book, entitled ‘Arts of Daoism’ about meditation, stillness cultivation, abstention from grains [bi gu辟谷], sleeping gong [shui gong睡功], dreams, vegetarianism and diet in Daoism, formulae for fasting and meditation incense, including several chapters from the alchemical classic The Essentials of the Shortcut to the Great Achievement [da cheng jie yao 大成捷要]. It will be a mixture of anecdotal and oral transmissions from my teacher Li Shi Fu and translations of a number of chapters from ancient texts. It is set to be released early 2021, as more than half of the book is already finalized.