The Zewen of Lingbao Bifa

A classic on cultivating the inner elixir. In three volumes. Written by Zhongli Quan of the Five Dynasties, and transmitted by Lu Yan. It is believed to have been completed during the Later Han period of the Five Dynasties. Zhongli Quan, courtesy name Yunfang, was also known as Master Zhengyang and, by another name, Master Hegu. His birth and death dates and place of origin are unknown.

According to The Immortals, Zhongli Quan was from Xianyang in Jingzhao, though some accounts say he was from Yan. He served as a general under the Han, but after his army was defeated, he withdrew to Mount Zhongnan. There he met the Lord of the Eastern Florescence, Wang Xu Fu, who instructed him in the Supreme Way. In a stone wall, he found thirty volumes of the Scripture of Numinous Treasure: the upper section, a golden proclamation, was written by the Primordial Beginning; the middle section, a jade inscription, was narrated by the Primordial Sovereign; and the lower section, the original meaning of truth, was transmitted by the Most High. Together they contained several thousand words. He then devoted himself day and night to contemplation and deep reflection, and grasped the profound principles and hidden meaning. He combined them into three methods of cultivation, called The Complete Method of Numinous Treasure, and passed the work on to Lu Dongbin. Written in the form of recorded teachings, the book presents discussions from works such as The Jade Book, The Source of Truth, The True Teachings, Essentials of the Way, and The Golden Proclamation, with occasional commentary.

The author divides Daoist alchemical practice into three categories and ten methods: the Lesser Vehicle method for peace, happiness, and longevity; the Middle Vehicle method for eternal life; and the Great Vehicle method for transcending the ordinary and becoming a sage. Drawing on the principles of cosmic creation and the workings of yin and yang, the book expounds the theory of inner alchemy and qigong.