The Su Nü Jing: Daoist Sexual Wisdom from Ancient China

The Su Nü Jing—translated as The Classic of the Plain Girl—is one of the most profound and detailed texts on sexual cultivation in Daoist tradition. Dating back to the Han Dynasty (206 BCE–220 CE), it takes the form of a dialogue between the Yellow Emperor (Huang Di), three divine female teachers: Su Nü, Xuan Nü, and Cai Nü, and Pengzu. The text is a manual for using sex as a path toward longevity, health, spiritual awakening, and cosmic harmony.

tldr;

• The text weaves together detailed instructions on energetics, anatomy, technique, and ethics
• Sex cultivates energy that permeates all parts of life, preserving and circulating vitality  
• Mutual pleasure is required and non-negotiable
• Men are instructed to edge, or control ejaculation, to prolong life and cultivate energy
• Sexuality mirrors the cycles of yin yang

 

Keep reading to unearth: 

• Principles that makes sex a practice of healing and longevity
• Hyper specific practices, techniques, and remedies
• Context and characters that influenced the text 

Note this is best read with other context from Sexuality in Daoism →

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✹ Sexuality as Medicine, Discipline, and Dao

The Yellow Emperor begins by confessing symptoms of imbalance—fatigue, fear, and emotional disconnection. Su Nü responds that most men make grave mistakes in their approach to sexual union. The art of sex, she explains, is not one of conquest, but of harmony—like composing a perfect meal or tuning a symphony. For sex to have healing powers and prolong life it must be virtuous, or ethical. When a person truly
understands the laws of sexual intercourse between men and women, they will naturally abide by Wu Change, the ethics and morals, of sexual intercourse.

The five foundational elements of cultivating longevity through sex:

1. Ren (Benevolence) – Giving pleasure generously.
2. Yi (Equity) – Knowing when to abstain.
3. Li (Etiquette) – Acting with restraint and dignity.
4. Xin (Faithfulness) – Staying attuned to one’s own desire.
5. Zhi (Wisdom) – Acting in accordance with Dao.

The purpose of intercourse is to balance energies, calm the heart, and strengthen the Zhi (will). Then comes Shen Ming (clarity of spirit); the subject feels a deep well-being: neither cold, nor heat, neither hunger nor satiety, and the body is in peaceful merriment. The enjoyment of the woman and the non-weakening of the man, are the good results. —Su Nü

 

The Yin-Yang union is necessary for any movement in the universe. 

Yang transforms when it reaches Yin; Yin varies when it captures Yang, since Yin and Yang are complementary. Thus the male organ gets hard and the feminine one opens when the two energies unite and the sperm as well as the secretion flows. 

Intercourse was known as the clouds and rain—the heavens would make love to the earth and reach cosmic harmony through rain, or at the intersection of the two worlds. 

Yin-Yang union healed both men and women. The objective for men is to generate energies; for women, to eliminate diseases. Men should follow eight steps; for women, nine palaces. If this rule was not followed, the man would contract the Ju Yong, the woman, the menstruation disease, later other diseases will come and the subject will die. If this rule is respected, the subject will always have a bright face and a long life.

Principles of the Su Nü Jing

Principle	Explanation
Sex as Energy Cultivation	Sexual energy (jing) is life force. Preserving and circulating it strengthens the body and prolongs life.
Ejaculation Control	Men are instructed to avoid ejaculation except for procreation, to preserve vitality and spirit (shen).
Mutual Pleasure as Medicine	Women's enjoyment is essential—if she is not aroused, energy exchange is incomplete and harmful.
Cosmic Correspondence	Sexuality mirrors heaven and earth, yin and yang. The union is seen as sacred, not profane.
Intercourse as Ritual	Intercourse should be intentional, respectful, and attuned to breath, seasons, and the five elements.
Signs of Arousal	Women’s pleasure is observable through five signs and ten movements.
Eight Techniques of Movement	Penetration involves rhythmic movement—forward, back, bowing, lifting.
Postures and Prescriptions	Specific positions provide different healing benefits.

How to enjoy sex without ejaculation. 

Pengzu articulated that ejaculation causes men to feel his body full of fatigue, the disturbed ear, drowsiness, the dry throat, the sore joints. Essentially your life force evacuates your body. When you retain life, that energy will permeate all other parts.

 

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✹ Practices & Techniques for Harmony

Daoism sexual sacraments emphasize the mutual desire and satisfaction. Pleasure is about enjoyment for both the man and woman. 

Yin and Yang are interdependent. If Yang lacks Yin, he is not happy; in the same way that if Yin lacks Yang, he does not move. If the man wishes to have intercourse, but the woman does not , or conversely, the two hearts do not consent and the two energies will not
correspond if the action is brutal.

When the desire is reciprocal, the two feelings come together; the "part" of the woman vibrates, the jade stem gains strength and swells. It hits the Shu Shu (female sex), penetration is carried out now slowly, now Quickly, the Yu Hu (Jade Gate) opens while the quintessence flows, without any need for force. The woman picks up the quintessence that reinforces energies by irrigating the Zhu Shi (The Red Room or vagina).
—Xuannü

Unearth detailed, prescriptive pleasure antidotes: 

• Interpreting Signals →
  The signals and actions for energy to arrive
  
  
• Techniques → 
  The nine-methods that cultivate life-nourishing sex
  
  
• Remedies →
  The 15 cures to strengthen benefits and address deficits 
  
  
• Partnership & Conception →
  Co-create a family unit that promotes longevity
  

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ᨒ Contextualizing Creation 

The Su Nü Jing (Classic of the Plain Girl) is one of the earliest and most detailed erotic and sexual health manuals in Chinese history. But its existence wasn’t accidental—it emerged from a unique blend of philosophy, politics, and cultural curiosity during the Han Dynasty (206 BCE–220 CE), a time often considered China’s golden age.

Why the Han Dynasty Was Fertile Ground for Erotic Texts

Several interwoven forces made the Han Dynasty a time of bold intellectual exploration—especially in medicine, Daoism, and longevity practices:

• Daoism & the Search for Immortality: The Han court was deeply influenced by Daoist alchemy and internal cultivation. Sexual practices were seen not as indulgent, but as methods of balancing yin and yang, circulating qi (life force), and even attaining immortality.
  
  
• State Stability & Scholarly Culture: With centralized bureaucracy, surplus resources, and a flourishing class of scholar-officials, there was room for philosophical and medical experimentation—including state-sponsored inquiries into health, pleasure, and vitality.
  
  
• Philosophical Pluralism: Although Confucianism became state orthodoxy, Daoism coexisted alongside it. This allowed for texts like the Su Nü Jing, which approached sex as sacred and medicinal, rather than sinful or shameful.
  
  
• Medical Integration: The Han were pioneers in integrating sexual cultivation into early Chinese medicine. The Su Nü Jing became part sexual guide, part longevity manual, part spiritual dialogue.
  

Emperors, Goddesses, and Gods

The Su Nü Jing unfolds as a dialogue between mythical sages and gods, each representing a different facet of wisdom around sex, health, and spiritual power. Su Nü and Xuannü are divine sisters. When their names combined, they signify the Daoist arts of the bed chamber.

Huang Di 黃帝—The Yellow Emperor

• Role: The archetypal seeker of wisdom and legendary ruler of China.
• Significance: He serves as the student in the text, asking profound questions about sexuality, vitality, and the Dao. His curiosity drives the entire dialogue.
• Symbolism: Represents the masculine principle (yang) seeking to harmonize with the feminine (yin) for health and immortality.

Su Nü 素女經—The Plain Girl, Goddess of Music, Medicine, and Sex

• Role: Primary teacher and sexual sage.
• Significance: She instructs Huang Di in the arts of sexual cultivation, offering insight into energy preservation, female pleasure, and rhythm.
• Symbolism: Her “plainness” is not about simplicity—it connotes clarity, purity of teaching, and connection to natural wisdom.

Xuannü 玄女—The Mysterious Girl, Goddess of Military, Magic Art, and Justice

• Role: A complementary sage, who offers additional technical detail on energy flow and the mechanics of sexual union.
• Significance: Known for revealing deep esoteric knowledge, especially around the subtle energetics of desire and longevity.
• Symbolism: Represents the hidden, mystical aspects of yin—what lies beneath the surface.

Cai Nü 才女—The Skilled Girl

• Role: An intermediary and transmitter of Daoist sexual teachings.
• Significance: She is sent by Su Nü to consult the sage Pengzu, gathering deeper knowledge on the practice of sex without ejaculation.
• Symbolism: Embodies transmission, apprenticeship, and the humble path of learning.

Pengzu 彭祖—God of longevity, health, and nutrition

• Role: An immortal sage said to have lived for over 800 years.
• Significance: Offers the most technical teachings on longevity and sexual mastery, particularly emphasizing semen retention and energetic control.
• Symbolism: The perfected Daoist adept—living proof of what mastery over bodily desire can achieve.
  
  

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꩜ Why This Text Still Matters

Modern society often reduces sex to mechanics, entertainment, or shame. The Su Nü Jing offers an entirely different frame: sex as sacred medicine and cosmic balance. It places pleasure and emotional attunement at the center, recognizes women as vital teachers, and insists that male vitality depends on listening, restraint, and reverence.

Its teachings may seem esoteric, but the core message is clear: when we align sexuality with breath, presence, and mutual joy, we unlock not only pleasure—but power.

 

Return to Sexual Summer → 

Master the Art of Your Pleasure →

 

Su Nu Ching, Sunü Jing or Classic of the White Madam, is the basic book of Taoist Sexology, Chinese classics on Taoist sexual practices. The book was written before the Han Dynasty, and it is said that the author was the Goddess Su Nu in the Huang Di (Yellow Emperor) era.