予幼年习八股业，工夫只在夜间，披华振秀，屡试辄冠军。揣摩既久，觉八股无甚用处，究心医理、地理
、诸传。自趋庭传授而外，游名山大川，访高人异士，读已见书，并读未见书，名师剖晰，秘诀始多。医理、
地理确乎有验，着有《天文秘占》、《地理确义》。先师真本诸刊，久已行世。因欲步三大干龙，未及其一，
而足疲矣。偶一日入高巅深林，十数里无人烟。日已暮，远望平坡，有小草篷，急往投之。见一老者，询其年
不答，叩以薪火借炊，曰无有。心私异之，此必高人也。下拜求教，云与予有夙缘，授以坐功。至半夜，忽然
骨节俱响，遍体快畅，如婴孩胎中，不可名状，此身在羲皇以上，竟不知有今世境。老者曰∶此开关也。数日
登山劳倦、筋骨疼痛至此俱释，津液满口，腹不知饥，心又异之，此殆却病休粮秘诀也。后复访，则并草篷不
复见矣。至丙子科，寓湖南净寺，见一道者在寺前静坐，视其概与予无异。请入寓，因语予以草篷即予师无生
子也。予前所传，止有手诀心诀，此即吾儒正心诚意、心斋坐忘真旨，一切语言文本、见解造作皆无所着。道
者始详语四戒、五进、六不传诸则。阅三日，而道者不知何往。嗟乎！其即向草篷者哉？
予何缘之浅而觌面失也！嗣后与葛屺瞻先生、郭丹葵先生、冯茂远先生、九十四岁翁陈白也先生相参秘旨，诸
公自以向者闭息、导引、十六字、八段锦，与夫三字、六字、十二字、七转九还及袁了凡先生禅印坐功，诸法
行之，皆验。然终涉有为，不若无生子直捷了当，妙蕴无穷。问道盲者，然无生子之诀不涉语言，难陈纸笔，
若夫袁葛郭陈诸公，其闭息导引诸法，或旧本所有，或口相授受，予得而编辑之，俾好道者开卷有得，是亦囊
中妙药延年却病，多服为佳者也。
我年轻时学习八股文，用功主要在夜间，文章辞藻华丽、文采出众，多次考试都获得第一名。揣摩久了，觉得八股文没什么实际用处，便转而钻研医理、地理以及各类传记。除了父亲的家传教导之外，我还游历名山大川，拜访高人和隐士，阅读已见过的书，也阅读没见过的书，在名师的剖析讲解下，掌握的秘诀才逐渐增多。医理和地理确实有验证，我曾著有《天文秘占》和《地理确义》。先师真本的各种刊刻版本，早已流传于世。我想追随三大干龙（指山脉主干）行走考察，尚未完成其一，脚力便已疲惫不堪。
偶然有一天，我进入高山深处的密林，十几里没有人烟。天色已晚，远远望见平缓的山坡上有一个小草棚，急忙前往投宿。见到一位老者，问他年龄，他不回答；向他借柴火做饭，他说没有。我心里暗自惊奇，这一定是高人。于是下拜请求指教，他说与我前世有缘，传授给我坐功（静坐修炼法）。到了半夜，忽然全身骨节都发出响声，浑身舒畅痛快，如同婴儿在母胎中一般，无法用言语形容，感觉自己处于伏羲氏以上的远古时代，竟然不知道有当今这个世界的境界。老者说：“这是开通关窍。”几天后，登山劳累、筋骨疼痛至此全部消除，口中津液充盈，肚子也不觉得饿，我心里又感到惊奇，这大概是祛病辟谷的秘诀吧。后来再去拜访，连草棚都不见了。
到了丙子年科举考试期间，我寓居湖南净寺，看见一位道士在寺前静坐，看他的神态气度与我之前遇到的并无不同。请他到住处，于是告诉我，那个草棚里的老人就是我的老师无生子。我之前所受的传授，只有手诀和心诀，这正是儒家“正心诚意”、“心斋坐忘”的真谛，对于一切语言文字、见解造作都不执着。道士开始详细讲述四戒、五进、六不传等规则。过了三天，道士不知去了哪里。唉！那不就是之前在草棚里的人吗？我为什么缘分太浅而当面错过呢！
此后我与葛屺瞻先生、郭丹葵先生、冯茂远先生、九十四岁的陈白也先生互相参悟秘密旨意，各位先生自己认为以往练习的闭息、导引、十六字诀、八段锦，以及三字诀、六字诀、十二字诀、七转九还法，还有袁了凡先生的禅印坐功等方法，实践起来都有验效。然而终究属于“有为”之法，不如无生子先生的方法直截了当，奥妙无穷。问道之人众多，但无生子先生的秘诀不涉及语言，难以用笔墨陈述。至于袁、葛、郭、陈诸位先生，他们的闭息导引等方法，有的是旧本原有，有的是口耳相传，我得以收集编辑它们，让喜好道术的人翻开书卷就能有所收获，这也是口袋中的妙药，用于延年益寿、祛除疾病，多服用（修习）为佳。
In my youth, I studied the Eight-Legged Essay (Baguwen), dedicating my efforts mainly to nighttime study. My writing was ornate and elegant, and I frequently ranked first in examinations. After studying it for a long time, I felt that the Eight-Legged Essay had little practical use, so I turned my attention to medical principles (Yili), geography, and various biographies. Besides the teachings passed down by my father, I traveled to famous mountains and great rivers, visited masters and recluses, read books I had already seen, and also those I had not. Through the detailed explanations of renowned teachers, I acquired many secret methods. Both medical principles and geography proved effective; I authored *Tianwen Mizhan* (Secret Divination of Astronomy) and *Dili Quyi* (Definitive Meaning of Geography). Various printed editions of my late master’s authentic works have long been circulating in the world. I intended to follow the three main dragon veins (major mountain ranges) for investigation, but before completing even one, my legs grew weary.
One day, by chance, I entered a deep forest on a high peak, where there were no signs of human habitation for dozens of li. As evening approached, I saw a small grass hut on a distant flat slope and hurried towards it for shelter. I met an old man there. When I asked his age, he did not answer; when I asked to borrow firewood for cooking, he said he had none. I secretly wondered if this must be a high master. I bowed and requested instruction. He said we had a predestined affinity and taught me Sitting Practice (Zuogong, a form of seated meditation/cultivation). By midnight, suddenly all my joints cracked, and my whole body felt refreshed and comfortable, like an infant in the womb—an indescribable state. I felt as if I existed in the era above Fuxi, completely unaware of the current world. The old man said, “This is opening the orifices.” A few days later, the fatigue from mountain climbing and the pain in muscles and bones were entirely relieved. Saliva filled my mouth, and I felt no hunger. I again marveled, thinking this must be the secret method for curing illness and abstaining from grain (Qiebing Xiuliang). Later, when I went to visit him again, the grass hut was gone.
During the Bingzi year imperial examination session, I stayed at Jing Temple in Hunan. I saw a Daoist priest sitting quietly in front of the temple. His demeanor appeared identical to mine from before. I invited him to my residence and told him that the person in the grass hut was indeed my teacher, Wushengzi. What I had previously received from him consisted only of hand seals (Shoujue) and heart seals (Xinjue). This aligns with the true essence of Confucian “rectifying the mind and making thoughts sincere” (Zhengxin Chengyi) and “fasting of the mind and sitting and forgetting” (Xinzhai Zuowang), without attachment to any language, texts, views, or artificial constructs. The priest then detailed the rules of the Four Prohibitions (Sijie), Five Advancements (Wujin), and Six Non-Transmissions (Liubuchuan). Three days later, the priest disappeared. Alas! Was he not the same person from the grass hut? Why did I miss him face-to-face due to shallow affinity?
Subsequently, I exchanged secret insights with Mr. Ge Qizhan, Mr. Guo Dan-kui, Mr. Feng Maoyuan, and Mr. Chen Baiye, who was ninety-four years old. These gentlemen believed that their previous practices—such as breath retention (Bixi), Daoyin (guiding and pulling), the Sixteen-Character Formula, Baduanjin (Eight Section Brocade), the Three-Character Formula, Six-Character Formula, Twelve-Character Formula, Seven Turns and Nine Returns, as well as Yuan Liaofan’s Chan Seal Sitting Practice—were all effective when practiced. However, these ultimately belong to “having-form” (Youwei) methods. They are not as direct and straightforward as Master Wushengzi’s method, which contains infinite subtlety. Many seek the Dao, but Wushengzi’s secrets do not rely on language and are difficult to record in ink and paper. Regarding the methods of Mr. Yuan, Ge, Guo, and Chen, whether found in old texts or transmitted orally, I collected and edited them so that those interested in Daoist practices may gain something from reading. This serves as a wonderful medicine in the bag for prolonging life and curing illness; it is best to practice them diligently.