VITALITY, ENERGY, SPIRIT 1
Introduction 3
Notes on Sources 18

Selections from Classic Sources
Introduction 23
Tao-te Ching 31
Chuang-tzu 36
Huai-nan-tzu 39
Wen-tzu 44

Tales of Inner Meaning
Introduction 53
The Learned Man 57
The Story of Old Mister Shang 57
The Poor Man and the Gold 59
Who for Whom 59
Suspicion 60
Ups and Downs 60
Forgetfulness 60
The Ailment 62
The Story of Wan Baochang 62
Golden Butterflies 64
The Story of Nieh Shih-tao 67

Ancestor Lu
Introduction 77
The Hundred-Character Tablet 85
Sayings 86

The Founding of the Southern and Northern Schools
Introduction 119
Chang Po-tuan 121
Wang Che 135

Extracts from Contemplative Literature
Introduction 143
Records of the Source Teaching of the Pure Clarity of the Spiritual Jewel of the Exalted 146
Stabilization and Observation of Spiritual Jewels from the Open Mystery 149
Essential Secrets for Visualization According to the Immortals' Ancient Books of Great Clarity 152
Transformational Writings 155
Blue Flower Secret Letters 160
Records of Sayings of Banshan 162
Compass Center Directions 165
Overall Essentials of Alchemy 177
Clarifying the Way 180

Chang San-feng
Introduction 185
Commentary on Ancestor Lu's Hundred-Character Tablet 187
Discourses on the Teachings of Wang Che 193
Words on the Way 204
Loving People 207
On Medicine 209
On Human Characters 211

Liu I-ming
Introduction 215
Commentary on the Classic on Yin
Convergence 218
Commentary on Ancestor Lu's Hundred Character Tablet 235
Commentary on Journey to the West 247

Twentieth-Century Taoists
Introduction 253
Wang Hsien-ch'ing 256
Ch'en Tun-pu 258
Wu Tseng-lin 259
Yuan-hua-tzu 260
Wang Hua-chen 262
Ku-yang-tzu 263
Ma Ho-yang 265
Ko Chung-ho 267
Hsiao T'ien-shih 268
Fu Hua-i 271

THE SECRET OF THE GOLDEN FLOWER 273

Introduction 275
i. The Celestial Mind 279
ii. The Original Spirit and the Conscious Spirit 281
iii. Turning the Light Around and Keeping to the Center 284
iv. Turning the Light Around and Tuning the Breathing 287
v. Errors in Turning the Light Around 291
vi. Authenticating Experiences of Turning the Light Around 293
vii. The Living Method of Turning the Light Around 296
viii. The Secret of Freedom 297
ix. Setting Up the Foundation in a Hundred Days 304
x. The Light of Essence and the Light of Consciousness 306
xi. The Intercourse of Water and Fire 309
xii. The Cycle 310
xiii. Song to Inspire the World 313
Questions and Answers Opening up the Mysteries of the Doctrine of the Golden Flower 316
Translation Notes 322
Translator's Afterword: Modern Applications of the Golden Flower Method 360
Works Cited 376

IMMORTAL SISTERS 377
Translator's Introduction 379

Part One: Sun Bu-er
Introduction 399
Fourteen Poems with Commentary by Chen Yingning 402
Gathering the Mind 402
Nurturing Energy 404
Carrying Out Practice 405
Cutting Off the Dragon 408
Cultivating the Elixir 412
The Womb Breath 414
The Convergence and the Fire 417
Grafting the Medicine 418
Refining the Spirit 422
Ingestion of the Medicine 424
Abstention from Grain 426
Facing a Wall 427
Projecting the Spirit 429
Flying 433

The Secret Texts 434
Unexcelled True Scripture of Inner Experiences of Jadelike Purity 434
True Scripture on Inner Nourishment of the Embryonic Basis of Jadelike Purity 437
Precious Treatise on Preservation of Unity on the Great Way 440

Part Two: Poetry of Female Real People: Alchemical Secrets of the Feminine Tao
Wu Cailuan 445
Fan Yunqiao 447
Cui Shaoxuan 451
Tang Guangzhen 455
Zhou Xuanjing 457
Sun Bu-er 461

Part Three: Spiritual Alchemy for Women
Introduction 467
Spiritual Alchemy for Women 469

AWAKENING TO THE TAO 475
Preface 477
Translator's Introduction 478

Part One: Contemplations 481

Part Two: Refrains of Lament 543