《太上三十六部尊经》

At this point, the Celestial Worthy said, “When the assembled perfected ones and immeasurable great spirits set their hearts on cultivating the Dao, they should practice compassion in order to realize the true realm of the Dharma. When cultivating a mind of relinquishment—a mind free from attachment and stinginess—they should practice wisdom. What further benefit of the Dharma can be gained through these merits over immeasurable kalpas, the vastest stretches of time? The holy beings of the heavens, the great perfected ones, and the immeasurable great spirits who cultivate such merits can thereby attain inconceivable realization.”

The Celestial Worthy expounded this teaching so that all beings might understand it. The Perfected One Baofa said, “I still do not understand its essential meaning. I do not know its fundamental principle, understand the aspect of emptiness, or comprehend all teachings.”

The Celestial Worthy said, “Good, good. You know when it is fitting to ask, and you recognize that I am expounding the teaching; therefore, you ask about the true meaning of the Dharma.” The Perfected One Baofa again said, “I still do not understand its essential meaning. I do not know its fundamental principle, understand the aspect of emptiness, or comprehend all teachings.”

The Celestial Worthy said, “Good, good. You know to raise your questions while I am expounding the teaching. You should seek guidance from the great Perfected Ones and divine beings, and from the boundless assembly of sages. Cultivate all kinds of good deeds and increase your many forms of wisdom. In this way, you will attain the peace and joy of Wuwei (non-action), abide in the realm of true emptiness and equality, where all teachings are freely accessible, and reach the palace of eternal joy, the land none can surpass, the home of merit and virtue, and the realm of the King of Light.

“Know that all beings face immeasurable suffering and sorrow. You should restore their bodies to health, bring them joy, and free them from the cycle of birth and death. Help them become settled and unwavering, and abide in truth. You should also skillfully use expedient means: in future generations, employ apt and ingenious methods, sow abundant seeds of merit, practice giving, and honor and respect others.

“Speak in this way: ‘Good. You, too, can work widely for the benefit of heaven and the human world, greatly increase the blessings of living beings, and grant them long life. You are now one of the finest physicians, skilled at treating the grave illnesses of living beings. You know the prescriptions and travel everywhere to treat them, never slackening for even a moment. You remove the roots of their illnesses and adapt your methods to treat every kind of disease. Step by step, you travel from place to place, benefiting living beings and bringing them immeasurable joy. Among all people, you are the most outstanding and esteemed.

“‘By what causes and conditions did you gain such wisdom and encounter such merit? Through cultivating precepts and meditation, treating every kind of illness, and traveling from place to place to benefit living beings and bring them immeasurable joy, you have become the most outstanding and esteemed among all people. By what causes and conditions did you gain such wisdom and encounter such merit? The cultivation of precepts and meditation, and this supreme field of merit, are exceedingly difficult to attain.

“‘All of this comes from causes and conditions in the past. Whether in the past, future, or present, the karmic results formed by causes and conditions are vast and far-reaching. A person’s appearance may be graceful and beautiful, distinguished in form and complete in dignity and power, able to bring peace and joy to all beings. Such a person can also dispel every kind of illness and countless fears, and explain to beings the consequences of wrongdoing and the rewards of merit.

“‘Life has no eternal substance, and neither existence nor emptiness in this world should be clung to. The body is neither solid nor pure: it is like an illusion, a dream, a bubble, and a shadow; like floating clouds, a blazing fire, dew in the wind, and frost and snow. Contemplating the body in this way is truly sobering and can lead one to relinquish attachment to it. Thus practitioners seek the supreme Nirvana of quiescence, the complete cessation of afflictions and birth and death. They leave suffering behind forever and reach the highest, purest state. There, impermanence, change, birth, and death have all ceased; worldly entanglements no longer remain. Through profound contemplation, wisdom, and merit, they bring the wondrous Dharma body to perfection, adorned with a hundred blessings and praised by the gods.’

“Such merit is immeasurable and boundless.” Then a great vow was made, and these verses were spoken:…

Throughout the countless kalpas (immensely long spans of time) I have experienced in the past, I have expounded the true Way for the sake of all living beings.

I have surveyed all things. My mind remains settled and unmoved, and I have realized the subtle and wondrous Dharma Body (the pure body attained through cultivation). I have adorned myself with a hundred kinds of merit and virtue, and have been praised by the heavens. Such merit is immeasurable and boundless. So I made a great vow and said:

Throughout the countless kalpas I have experienced in the past, I have expounded the true Way for the sake of all living beings.

I have surveyed all things. My mind remains settled and unmoved, and I harm nothing. This is the power of liberation.

Even if these principles were explained for an entire kalpa, they could not be fully expressed. Those who have attained the Way and those who are just beginning their studies alike should relinquish what is difficult to relinquish. When one can give up what is hard to give up, body and mind will not be harmed. This is called the true Way.

Lingfu of the Shangqing Jing.

The Shangqing Jing of the Jade Clarity Realm ends here.

The second, Miaozhen Jing of the Jade Clarity Realm.

This is the supreme teaching, containing boundless compassion. Cultivating the mind and cultivating the Dharma are, for those who seek to learn, the most courageous and steadfast, inconceivable forms of practice. Their subtle wonders defy comparison in words: they are as vast as the ocean and as limitless as empty space. The countless great sages of the heavenly realms, the many perfected immortals, and the great spirits all rejoiced and said, “We wish to seek the supreme, true, and wondrous Dharma.”

The Celestial Worthy said, “If you abide in the realm of empty stillness and equality, a realm that none can surpass, you will not see that there are parents…”

The Celestial Worthy says: If you abide in the realm of emptiness, stillness, equality, and transcendence, you will no longer cling to parents, brothers, kin, friends, sisters, children, or those you love and hate. It is like empty space: it has no parents or brothers, nor any distinctions of beings and lifespan. All things are the same. When the mind is equal, it can benefit many people, as vast as empty space. Why? Because you cultivate merit and skillfully accumulate various methods for contemplating emptiness.

This is inner emptiness. Through it, you realize permanence, bliss, self, and purity, and become free of fear. Although the nature of the Dao—the nature that enables one to attain the Dao—exists within inner emptiness, it is neither inside nor outside, neither above nor below. It is neither equal to anything nor unequal to anything. Its true nature endures without change; this is called the true teaching. To contemplate that inner and outer things are all empty, that all things are empty in their nature, and that things are impermanent, painful or pleasant, pure or impure—this is called the right teaching.

All you countless and boundless sages, perfected beings, and great gods of the heavens should always penetrate its subtle principles and extend them to all things, so that beings of the present, past, and future may all understand this gateway to emptiness. The principle of emptiness is profound beyond measure; once you understand it, you can abide in the realm of empty space.

When I taught these principles of emptiness among the assembly, hundreds of millions of beings heard them and immediately abided in a state of Dharma in accord with empty space. Having entered this state, they were no longer obstructed by anything. They were not bound or held fast, and their minds were free of confusion and distress. They continually enjoyed the freedom, purity, and Wuwei (non-action) of this realm. Therefore, these teachings are called all Dharmas in accord with empty space.

Just as empty space does not become attached to pleasing colors or resentful toward unpleasant ones, so should you be when you abide in this realm. You should observe and understand all things—their actions, causes, conditions, foundations, subtle details, thoughts, and the teachings by which one proceeds—as well as what it means to encounter a good teacher, uphold the precepts, or practice giving. This is the unsurpassed, profound, and vast wisdom of liberation.

This wisdom sees beings’ actions and their consequences. Those who do wrong are certain to fall into hell and suffer immeasurable anguish. When beings emerge from hell and are reborn as humans, if they practice giving and continue until every kind of good deed is complete, they can enter the right path of liberation. This is the true and subtle principle.

You should also further observe and understand that neither existence nor nonexistence gives rise to distress. In the realm of permanence, bliss, self, and purity, calamities and obstacles are dispelled, and all returns to Wuwei. The meditative state perfected by revered spirits no longer falls into the cycle of birth and death; it is firm, indestructible, and complete. One can also know that all beings possess the nature of the Dao. The verse says:

I have observed the course of my own life and seen that nothing has a fixed nature: everything appears through various conditions. From this, we can know that the myriad things in the world do not truly exist in themselves; they are empty.

Where, after all, do our precious life and the five sense objects—forms, sounds, smells, tastes, and touch—come from? Since no independent, unchanging source can be found, we should understand that all things are empty in their fundamental nature. This is the path of liberation, a way of practice that frees people from attachment.

What a wondrous teaching, never heard before! People often cannot understand its meaning; perhaps this is why.

Those with wisdom who hear this path of liberation should bow in reverence, receive it, and recognize the truth that all things are empty in their fundamental nature.

What a wondrous teaching, never heard before! People often cannot understand its meaning; perhaps this is why.

Those with wisdom who hear this path of liberation should bow in reverence and uphold this teaching.

The Wondrous True Scripture’s Spirit Talisman

This concludes The Wondrous True Scripture of the Jade Clarity Realm.

The Scripture of the Great One in the Jade Clarity Realm, Scroll Three.

The Great Dao proclaims that all Daoist teachings possess boundless wisdom. They can inspire faith and bring realization to heavenly beings, great sages, innumerable perfected beings, and all sentient beings throughout the various realms of the Dharma—whether they have bodies or not, and whether they have visible forms or not.

When sentient beings seek the true teaching, they are moving in accord with the Great Dao. Yet those who truly cultivate the right way cling neither to “going with the current” nor to “going against the current.” They abide in the right way without clinging to either “abiding” or “not abiding.” To understand this principle is to have reached the far shore of the Dharma, to abide in the highest state, to savor the depths of the Great Dao, to grasp the root of its teachings, and to attain true liberation.

Those who cultivate the right way and purify their nature can see, with the pure heavenly eye—a power of extraordinary insight—the causes and consequences experienced by sentient beings. Some commit evil through the Three Karmas of body, speech, and mind—that is, through their actions, words, and thoughts—and fall into the three evil paths of hell, animals, and hungry ghosts. There they suffer unbearable torments, as if burned by blazing fire and pierced by blades of wind, without respite day or night. They can also see people who do good, advance with courage and diligence, follow the Daoist teachings, and strive to help others. Such people are reborn in the heavens and enjoy endless happiness; if they are born in the human realm, they are exceptionally intelligent.

Over countless kalpas—vast stretches of time—I have seen sentient beings in four conditions. Some go from darkness into deeper darkness, confused and deluded, unable to awaken. Some go from darkness toward light, gradually gaining knowledge and right understanding. Some begin in the light but turn toward darkness, abandoning what is true to pursue what is false, and failing to recognize the Daoist teachings. Others move from light to greater light, attaining a state of perfect truth, full as the moon.

Some, as their evil karma ripens, or because greed, anger, and ignorance have made their wrongdoing so grave, are certain to fall into hell and suffer its retribution. But if they resolve to cultivate themselves, observe the precepts, follow the various Daoist teachings, and reflect until they awaken, they can avoid falling into hell. They should repent and openly acknowledge the evil they have done: from this day forward, they should sincerely regret their past actions and commit to doing no more evil. In this way, they will develop a sense of shame and remorse, leave behind the three evil paths of hell, animals, and hungry ghosts, and make offerings to the Three Treasures: the Dao, the scriptures, and the teachers. Through these good deeds, they can escape the suffering of hell and receive many good results. Their bodies will be adorned with merit and virtue, endowed with the fine appearance of heavenly beings, pure and at ease, and perfect as a blue lotus.

If people give rise to disbelief, various evil deeds and offenses will bring one hardship after another. What they seek will be hard to obtain, their wishes hard to fulfill, their efforts unsuccessful, and their hopes unmet. Their sorrow will continue without end, and they will suffer many consequences in this present life.

The perfected beings of boundless great compassion, wisdom, and insight see that such people do not understand cause and effect; they neither repent nor reflect, neither recognize their errors nor feel shame, and have no sense of fear. Their offenses therefore continue to grow, until they suffer retribution in hell, with no knowing when they will be freed. They remain in darkness for a long time and endure great pain.

Yet these sentient beings also possess Dao-nature; it is merely obscured by the many afflictions that keep its light and wisdom from appearing. They have boundless merit and virtue within them, but, like people trying to see in the dark of night, they cannot perceive what is true. Men and women in the world, those they know and those they do not, those who come and go, those connected with one another; their homes, cities, and villages; their clothing and food; the mountains and seas, forests and trees; and the lifespans of sentient beings—all are fundamental manifestations of the Dao, with no other underlying nature or appearance. The Great Dao is subtle and indivisible, still and free of action, enduring and joyful, unobstructed, vast and all-pervading, complete and without lack. Therefore, the following verse is spoken:

At that time, I had no other form or appearance. I dwelt in a state of utmost subtlety and pure unity, deep, still, and free of action. I lived forever, was forever joyful, faced no hindrance, and was fully realized. Then I spoke these verses:

At that time, I revealed vast wisdom, expounded many subtle principles, and guided all beings.

When beings heard these words, their resolve became firm. Thus they practiced without weariness, and their true hearts became pure.

Their hearts filled with joy, free of regret. They no longer felt fear, clung neither to what was within nor to what was outside, and gave rise to neither hatred nor anger.

In this state, the heart was free of delusion and confusion. Every nature and appearance could be understood without hindrance and manifested freely.

The numinous talismans of the Taiping Jing.

End of the Taiping Jing of the Jade Clarity Realm.

The Fourth: The Miaolin Jing of the Jade Clarity Realm.

The many methods of the Great Dao are vast and boundless, extending throughout the entire realm of reality without end. The foundations and merits of these various methods are all expressions of the Heavenly Venerable’s boundless wisdom; indeed, they are beyond the understanding of ordinary sages and wise people. Those who obtain such a method will encounter no obstruction, will not be shaken, and will have nothing to fear. Even a single method can be given many different scripture titles. However often it is expounded across measureless kalpas, its subtle wonders cannot be fully described.

This method cannot be understood through ordinary intelligence. It is exceedingly subtle and difficult to put into words. All ordinary people cling to forms—the visible and perceptible shapes and phenomena—and so give rise to desire, become bound, and cannot escape birth, old age, illness, and death, or the many afflictions of worry and grief. For this reason, those who hear this method can leave behind every kind of suffering, and countless beings thereby attain liberation.

If someone bears many obstacles from past wrongdoing and heavy karmic consequences in this life, yet has never heard this method, it is as though demons have possessed them; they may even be unable to expound this method throughout their entire life. If they cease to crave and cling, they can free themselves from demonic entanglement. This is like people guilty of crimes in the world, whom the authorities bind with shackles, while the innocent are not confined by them. It is the same for you: when you cling to something, demons entangle you; when you cling to nothing, demons depart, and your heart remains at ease.

By naturally relinquishing attachment, you can let go of grasping at forms, leave behind the entanglements of the world, and be free of afflictions and obstacles. You then gain ease in applying the methods. Through the Dao, you attain the method without other thoughts or distractions. Once desire has been left behind, true stillness arises naturally. All the methods are subtle and luminous, like precious jewels, and beyond measure.

If you see or hear this method, you should continue to teach it to others, using appropriate means to help everyone hear it and understand its profound, subtle truth. Let those who have deep faith each uphold it. In this way, countless beings give rise to the unsurpassed aspiration for the Dao, and are then revered, honored, and served by the Heavenly Venerables. This state is difficult to conceive. It enables people to understand the truth, dispel doubt, distinguish the genuine from the false, and penetrate the Dao’s inexhaustible mysteries.

At that time, hundreds of millions of true immortals and masters of the Dao sat in the assembly. They comprehensively upheld the true teaching and had already attained immeasurable merit and the great wisdom of the six supernatural powers. They turned the Wheel of the Dharma and proclaimed the Dao of Wuwei (non-action). This unsurpassed, true Dao is inconceivable and cannot be compared to anything. Realized adepts who have attained the Dao can see the countless forms below, throughout every realm. They guide and receive sentient beings, never abandoning them for even a moment.

If someone gives rise to the unsurpassed aspiration for the Dao, benefits sentient beings in every way, cultivates boundless wisdom, and diligently practices and upholds the fruits of the Dao, then even if the body has no fixed form, its principles remain true; even if a name has no substantial existence, its function remains real. Those who understand this method may enjoy long life. They persist without slackening in the cultivation of merit and often urge sentient beings: do not give rise to resentment, do not give rise to desire, do not crave or cling, do not lose yourselves in delusion, and do not hold false views. In this way, all beings can attain a true and complete, upright nature.

Thereupon, the scripture spoke in verse:

To give rise to wrong views is to disbelieve the principle of emptiness. Where, ultimately, do the various afflictions and defilements come from?

If they have existed from the beginning, how can one still attain Wuwei (non-action, a state of following the Great Dao without contrivance)? If they have only come into being now, how did they arise?

Do they arise dependent on conditions, by taking refuge in something, without cause, or through the combined action of many factors?

Set aside these questions and distinctions: from the outset, all things are unborn. Thus we know they are not truly existent, and the wondrous principle is difficult to grasp in words or thought.

The numinous talisman of the Miaolin Jing.

This concludes the Yuqingjing Miaolin Jing.

The Fifth Fascicle of the Yuqingjing Kaihua Jing.

The Dao’s transformative teaching is widely proclaimed, delivering all kinds of beings and bringing them to the far shore of liberation. Therefore, this scripture and its teachings should be widely expounded to guide living beings, so that all may cultivate various merits. If you can practice in this way, you will attain longevity through this teaching. Why? Because you must understand causes and conditions and make good use of the many skillful means, so that living beings in the future may all plant roots of goodness. People should therefore be helped to understand that all things arise temporarily through causes and conditions, and that this understanding can also be used to deliver living beings. Those in the world should diligently cultivate the three activities of body, speech, and mind, accumulate merit and virtue, and cultivate wholesome results.

There were also ten immortals, ninety-six kinds of practitioners, and their retinues, all of whom came here and entered the sacred assembly together to accomplish merit. Within the assembly, they disciplined their minds. Even when outside, they remained focused, using body, speech, and mind to cultivate blessings and do good, and constantly single-minded in their pursuit of merit.

Those who heard these teachings rejoiced in their hearts. As they spoke with one another, they were so moved that their voices caught in their throats. They said, “We have never heard such instruction and guidance before. It is truly a rare encounter.”

At that time, countless supremely realized sages, great divine beings, perfected ones, and holy assemblies filled the ten directions and pervaded the entire Dharma Realm. Their numbers were too great to record individually. Through causes and conditions from the past, they were able to meet that day and gather together in the assembly. Each reflected inwardly, contemplated the scripture and its teachings, and sought the Dharma Body, the substance that embodies truth. They were willing to give up what was difficult to relinquish. They also made offerings to the supreme honored one as their hearts desired: singing praises of holy virtue, burning incense, presenting flowers, and offering praise and reverence.

Then they entered together the pure realm of fragrance and attained unobstructed liberation. Through offerings of songs praising holy virtue, incense, flowers, and words of praise, they gained inconceivable wholesome fruits. They were always able to hear the turning of the Dharma Wheel, the proclamation of the true teaching, and entered a practice from which there is no backsliding, abiding constantly in the true Dharma. Having received these benefits, they heard the teachings and understood suffering, emptiness, impermanence, and non-self; they also recognized the meanings of permanence, bliss, self, and purity. After hearing the Dharma, each led their retinue back to their own land.

Among these beings, some attained liberation, understood wondrous principles, grasped the foundations of the Dharma, understood the twelve links of dependent origination—the chain of causes and conditions through which beings pass in the cycle of birth and death—and discerned the three characteristics. Some attained the Way and its fruits by hearing the teaching. They also understood the causes and conditions of practice and gained immeasurable wondrous powers of insight. They could exercise supernatural abilities, enter meditative concentration, understand stainless wisdom that no longer gives rise to afflictions, and guide living beings through skillful means. All this expressed great compassion. They could also enter meditative absorption in emptiness and stillness, a state beyond conception.

Among the assembly were people who were adept at understanding rare and wondrous teachings. They found liberation among the gathered multitude and realized the essential meaning of the Dharma. Such profound principles are extremely difficult to encounter. Everyone applied themselves with courage and diligence, rejoiced exuberantly, and praised the teachings without end, unanimously extolling the wholesome fruits they had gained. They said, “How fortunate we are to hear these supreme teachings at the honored one’s side today. We wish to understand them and continue deepening our realization. In the past, we had never witnessed the bearing and conduct of one of great compassion. Now everyone has been inspired and has gained principles and teachings they had never understood before.”

They considered these rare benefits of the Dharma and wholesome fruits worthy of being cherished by all. They and their retinues should relinquish what was difficult to give up, and they should also urge others to arouse the resolve to pursue the supreme Great Dao together, without giving rise to regret, so that all may practice with one heart. They immediately established a grand Dharma seat adorned with a hundred treasures. When it was ready, everyone bowed together and respectfully requested instruction, gazing up at the compassionate face and marveling at their good fortune in a past life, which had brought them to hear this teaching today. They praised the honored one’s great compassion and said that he widely proclaimed the true Dharma. Then they said:

The supreme, true, and exalted one possesses boundless De (Virtue/Power) and dwells in a realm of stillness. It is the highest, most real and subtle existence.

This is the revered spirit within the Limitless. I attained immortality and came here. The supreme Great Dao transcends past and present: there is no distinction between past and future, no trace of coming or going, and no arising of thoughts or delusions.

The one constantly teaches the world through the correct Dao, enabling all beings to attain good results and the greatest benefit. Showing no favoritism through love or hatred, the one allows all beings to share in the wondrous power of the Great Dao.

Sacred Talisman for Opening the Scripture’s Transformative Power (a talisman title within the scripture)

The Scripture on Opening the Transformative Power of the Jade Clarity Realm ends.

The Sixth Scripture of the Immortals of the Jade Clarity Realm

The wondrous realm of Jade Truth has no point of origin and is free of thoughts and delusions. The one constantly teaches the world through the correct Dao, enabling all beings to attain good results and the greatest benefit. Showing no favoritism through love or hatred, the one allows all beings to share in the wondrous power of the Great Dao.

Sacred Talisman for Opening the Scripture’s Transformative Power (a talisman title within the scripture)

The Scripture on Opening the Transformative Power of the Jade Clarity Realm ends.

The Sixth Scripture of the Immortals of the Jade Clarity Realm

The wondrous fruition of the Jade Perfected is solemn and rare. This rare and wondrous teaching is supreme even in the heavens. How could it be easily attained while living within the Three Realms and among the world? It is truly beyond thought and beyond words. I cannot bear this gift of excellence alone.

At that moment, all the Perfected Ones, great sages, immeasurable deities, and holy assemblies present said, “We, your followers, have come from distant places. The secret essentials and teachings spoken by the divine Lord still compassionately embrace us, as the sun and moon shine upon all things without concealment. We wish to lead our followers in taking refuge and paying homage. We humbly ask you to accept us with compassion, so that together we may bring forth our resolve, take refuge, and put your teachings into practice. If anything we do is improper, our intentions and wishes remain ever reverent.”

Then they sighed inwardly: “We are humbled, yet filled with reverence. The essential words we have received can never be fully expressed. They are as vast as empty space and truly difficult to comprehend. Yet even amid difficulty, there is a way forward. Since the assembly today has allowed me to expound the teaching, I have considered it again and again and dare not remain silent. If I do not proclaim it, people in later generations will be unable to attain good fruits or increase their blessings and De (Virtue/Power). If I do not speak the teachings I have received, this profound and secret method cannot be passed on.”

Then majesty and divine power appeared. Celestial beings attended and guarded the assembly, divine dragons protected the carriage, and hundreds and thousands of kinds of instruments played harmonious music all at once. The presiding master then expounded the various teachings, praising them: “The Dao (the Way) is profound and subtle, vast and empty, boundless and immense.”

Those who do not believe in the Daoist teachings are like a land suffering a long drought, with no rain: flowers and trees bear no fruit, and creatures of land and water wither and grow frail, deprived of nourishment and unable to thrive. Medicines of every kind also lose their efficacy. Those who do not believe are the same: they suffer decline and depletion themselves, for no other reason.

They are also like bees that swarm to flowers in spring, captivated by their colors, fragrance, and sweetness, never satisfied and unwilling to leave. But when the flowers fade and fall, the bees all fly away. So it is with those whose faith is unsteady. The worthy followers gathered here have heard this Mahayana scripture, containing immeasurable, boundless, and inconceivable merit, yet they still follow worldly habits and call it “extremely rare.” This is certainly praise, but their faith must also be made steadfast.

Excellent indeed! May this scripture spread widely in future ages, falling everywhere like a great rain of the Dharma, reaching all places fully and without obstruction, and bringing benefit and peace to all living beings.

This is like gold mixed with sand: after washing away the impurities and smelting it, the gold becomes priceless. It is also like a merchant who brings a priceless treasure to the marketplace to sell. A fool sees it and asks, “How much is this treasure worth?” The merchant replies, “It is worth a hundred thousand million.” Hearing this, the fool insults him and says, “What sort of thing is this, that you deceive me by calling it a treasure?” They discuss it among themselves and all conclude that it is not a real treasure. So it is with those who do not believe in the Dharma.

If the worthy people gathered here fail to recognize the true treasure, they too will be like those fools. Some hear this teaching and believe it, yet have not established upright and steadfast faith. They are like people who recognize a treasure but lack the means to buy it. If they can encourage others to practice good deeds and persevere for a long time without growing lax, they will thereby show that their faith is true.

Then the following verse was spoken:

The Great Dao is vast and boundless. It neither comes into being nor passes away. It can subdue demonic obstacles, make the true Way shine forth, and break down the teachings of various heterodox paths. Through the good fruits they have accumulated, practitioners attain freedom. Those who cultivate the Great Dao remain steadfast for a long time without growing weary, showing their trust in and acceptance of the true Way. Thus the following verse is spoken:

The Great Dao is vast and boundless. It neither comes into being nor passes away. It can subdue demonic obstacles, make the true Way shine forth, and break down the teachings of various heterodox paths. Through the good fruits they have accumulated, practitioners attain freedom.

The Great Dao is mysterious and profound; its name and its essence are both deep and subtle, and it cannot be sought by any fixed method. Its wondrous workings are beyond reckoning. It has no fixed form and is free of obstruction and affliction. There is also a benevolent physician who can heal suffering and illness, bringing people naturally to peace and joy.

The Scripture of the Immortals Through Spirit Talismans

The Scripture of the Immortals of the Jade Clarity Realm ends here.

The Lower Scroll of the Scripture of the Jade Clarity Realm, from the Supreme One’s Thirty-Six Sections of Revered Scriptures

The Scripture of the Yellow Grove, the Scripture of the Highest Perfected, the Scripture of Daoist Teachings, the Scripture of Highest Refinement, the Scripture of Supreme Wondrous Merit, and the Scripture of Dao and De: these six scriptures together form one scroll.

The Seventh: The Scripture of the Yellow Grove of the Jade Clarity Realm.

The orthodox teaching is proclaimed far and wide, without boundary or limit. Beings in the heavens and in the human world take refuge in it, endlessly. In the present and in the future, all beings possess the foundation of true nature. If people in past lives never heard the teaching, may they now come naturally to take refuge in it and put it into practice, without obstruction.

If someone leaves home to seek the Dao and can understand and follow the teaching, that faith can help them continue to grow. But if, after leaving home to practice, they still do not understand the nature of the Dharma—the nature of all things—and instead behave frivolously and noisily, flatter others, and deliberately pursue fame in the hope of receiving everyone’s respect, then they gain nothing themselves. How could they benefit others? One might have thought that those who leave home could understand true nature, only to find them still ignorant and unaware. They are like a blind person who cannot see the road but leads others along it: everyone becomes more and more lost, while the guide remains unaware.

If someone gives alms while deliberately seeking praise and the respect of others, they likewise gain nothing themselves. How could they benefit others? If giving is only a way to win praise, while the heart continues to crave repayment, it brings no benefit at all. In this way, every thought becomes a source of affliction, and peace is never found.

The scripture also praises the teaching, saying: “The Dao proclaims the teaching with a single voice, enabling different beings each to attain fulfillment, understand it in their own way, and find liberation. For this reason, everyone praises it.” Yet even such praise of the teaching does not amount to truly understanding its meaning if one cannot realize one’s own nature.

The Celestial Worthy then said to the assembly, “When I teach the Dao, I first help people understand their own nature. Then I teach them to uphold and practice the methods I have described. For this reason, once people have thoroughly understood the principles of the various teachings, I transmit those teachings to them.

“Those who receive this instruction are like children raised by their parents. They all praise and proclaim this wondrous teaching, and their merit grows with it, like the waters of the great sea flowing on without end. At that time, everyone who heard these words rejoiced. Such a conjunction of causes and conditions is exceedingly rare. The other members of the retinue, too, praised this event as extraordinary. Those among the assembly who had not yet heard or understood the teaching came to understand it through this encounter and gained immeasurable benefit. From then on, they set their minds on the Dao and together attained the true path.

“Immortal youths attended and guarded them; a hundred thousand kinds of music rang out, and fragrant flowers of every kind were offered. Each person received the fruit of their own deeds, and together they entered the realm of the Great Dao and Wuwei (non-action). All of you gathered here, and people in future ages, will likewise attain the true path.

“Rid yourselves of all wrongdoing, uphold the true teaching, turn away from evil and draw near to goodness. Begin by abandoning old habits, setting aside worldly pleasures, and devoting yourselves to seeking the Dao. This is the seed I speak of. To practice uprightly in this way is truly beyond imagining. If anything remains impure, transform it into purity and uphold my teaching. If it is not yet pure, bring it to complete understanding and make it pure.

“If you possess genuine wisdom and a truly precious, wondrous teaching, then these instructions are not false. When those with deep good affinities encounter this profound and wondrous Dao, their conditions come together and their thoughts continually change. They can pass from the ordinary to the sacred, and from the crude to the subtle and refined; they abandon their old body, receive a new one, and become true companions on the Immortal Way. The same is true of attaining the stages of six and seven abodes in practice; the same is true of realizing the true Dao.

“If beings are beset by demons, their bodies and spirits separated, trapped at the gates of the underworld and long subjected to servitude without release, their plight is terrible indeed. They should resolve to seek the Dao, leave home to practice, and distance themselves from the troubles and defilements of the world, just as I have taught. If they continue to follow these instructions, they will find peace and happiness. They will not fall into the cycle of rebirth or develop false views. They will eliminate every attachment to desire and uphold the true teaching always, never abandoning it, even for a moment. They should yearn for the Dao as the hungry and thirsty yearn for food and drink, seeking it with constant devotion.”

Then he continued:

(The following introduces the verse.)

Quiet and subtle karmic connections can benefit all living beings everywhere, inspiring even those who have not yet set their minds on cultivating goodness to make the resolve to do so.

Those who do not believe should also be guided toward the right path, so that broad thoughts of goodness arise in them and each person strives diligently.

Those skilled in expounding the true teaching are like accomplished physicians. With subtle remedies drawn from the teaching, they treat all kinds of people blinded by ignorance, enabling them to see the sun and moon. Such scriptures open the eye of wisdom and allow people to cultivate in peace.

Spiritual Talismans of the Yellow Grove Scripture

The Yellow Grove Scripture of the Jade Clarity Realm ends here.

The Scripture of the Jade Clarity Realm, lower volume, from The Supreme One’s Thirty-Six Collections of Revered Scriptures.

The Yellow Grove Scripture, the Supreme Perfected Scripture, the Scripture of the Daoist Teaching, the Scripture of Higher Refinement, the Scripture of Supreme Subtle Merit, and the Scripture of the Dao and De—these six scriptures together form one volume.

The Supreme Perfected Scripture of the Jade Clarity Realm, Chapter Eight

The quality of quietude and subtlety is natural and free of extraneous thoughts. Its realm is supreme, boundless, and immeasurable, extending everywhere; all people under Heaven and the heavenly beings revere it. Those who practice and uphold these scriptures and teachings should treasure and honor them as precious and noble things.

This pure and subtle teaching arises from nature itself, causing stray thoughts to cease arising in the mind. It is supreme and boundless, revered by all throughout the heavens and the human world. One should uphold the scriptures and teachings as though cherishing a treasure, and honor them as one honors one’s own body and loves one’s child, never forgetting them for a moment. In this way, one can gradually understand, gain supreme power, and remain settled and unmoving. One’s practice and merit will continue to grow, until at last one succeeds. This is the guiding way to cultivate the Dao and attain immortality. Whether the scriptures are being expounded or debated, listeners should bow respectfully. Those who are skilled at hearing the true teaching can gradually understand it. The so-called Three Realms and the empty expanse are all names established as expedient devices.

Sages possess such awe-inspiring virtue and power that they can put subtle teachings into practice and reveal to living beings principles that are difficult to understand and follow. Ordinary people have shallow capacities and little strength, and cannot fathom such principles; they therefore easily fall into confusion and delusion, and struggle to comprehend. Sages guide them with wisdom and expedient means, leading them toward the good and to higher states. Only through diligent adherence to their instruction can they hope to escape suffering.

Moreover, the Five Skandhas—the form, feeling, perception, formation, and consciousness that constitute body and mind—have no lasting substance, and the Three Paths of suffering, such as hell, hungry ghosts, and animals, are filled with hardship. Thoughts arise and perish in an instant, and nothing among the myriad things can abide forever. Those who listen well to the teaching at an assembly, without turning back or straying from the right path, can attain good results. This is peace and joy brought about by exceptional causes and conditions. By constantly practicing the pure and still Dao, one can be free and unhindered and attain good results. You should weigh the merit and benefit of participating in the assembly. Furthermore, the merit accumulated by Daoist priests and priestesses is beyond measure.

There are thirty-six thousand companions in the Dao who truly cultivate the right teaching. All know them to be wise and discerning, and accomplished in practice. The Great Dao, with its awe-inspiring spiritual power, upholds the right teaching and governs and protects the right path. It makes their renown spread throughout the ten directions, responds to the appeals of the people, and continues the lineage of the Three Treasures—the Dao, the scriptures, and the teachers—so that it is never broken. It subdues demonic obstacles and restrains heterodox teachings. They take purity and stillness as the foundation of protecting the teaching, forever leaving behind entanglements of love and desire. Their minds are settled, and they attain unobstructed liberation. With every thought, they sustain right mindfulness; their eloquence is inexhaustible, and they possess all the powers of practice, including giving, keeping the precepts, patience, diligence, wisdom, and skillful means. Sometimes hidden, sometimes manifest, they dwell in empty space. Through their vast wisdom, they attain the patient realization that all things are unborn, accomplish the Dao, enter the stage from which there is no turning back, and abide in pure and still practice.

Even a brief account of the Great Dao could not exhaust its meaning, were one to expound the scriptures and discuss their principles day and night for five hundred kalpas. You should know that from this day onward, through hundreds of thousands of kalpas, anyone who cultivates until attaining the state of Wuwei (non-action), realizes both formlessness and form, enters meditation through wisdom, and abides in the patient realization of the non-arising nature of things will be able to bow in reverence from above to below, understand the intent of the Dao, and possess the thirty-two marks of a sage’s perfected body. Their spiritual powers and wisdom will be immeasurable, like empty space, beyond all reckoning.

Moreover, in ancient times, when the Perfected One sought the right teachings of the Dao, they already felt compassion for living beings, as a mother loves her child. The lineage of the Great Dao has endured from long ago; it did not begin today. If one diligently and wholeheartedly upholds it, never forgetting it, and sincerely praises it, saying, “Excellent, excellent,” this is called an expedient method. The divine beings of the ten directions respond to this intention and grant subtle spiritual powers. At that time, the five routes are open, demons lie hidden, and everyone can form upright vows and fulfill them. Then the verses are proclaimed:

Now that I have encountered these teachings, I know they are teachings of the true Dao. The blessings and virtuous rewards they bring are immense, beyond the power of words to describe.

This is like someone finding a bright lamp in the darkness, allowing everyone to see the light by its glow. The body and mind can then rest at ease, no longer troubled by vexations. Through this karmic connection, everything one needs also comes to be provided.

This wondrous teaching is truly excellent, and its principles are profound. By cultivating in accordance with them, one can attain the fruits of virtue.

Divine Talismans of the Scripture of the Supreme Perfected

End of the Scripture of the Supreme Perfected in the Jade Clarity Realm.

Part Two of the Scripture of the Jade Clarity Realm, one of the Thirty-Six Venerable Scriptures of the Most High.

The Scripture of the Yellow Forest, the Scripture of the Supreme Perfected, the Scripture of Daoist Teachings, the Scripture of Supreme Refinement, the Scripture of Supreme Wondrous Merit, and the Classic of the Dao and Its Virtue: these six scriptures together form one scroll.

The ninth scripture: Scripture of Daoist Teachings in the Jade Clarity Realm.

The highest and most fundamental principle, the Dao, cannot be expressed in words; its subtlety is hidden within the profound mystery. Someone then asked a question. The Celestial Worthy said to the assembled immortals of the heavens and the boundless assembly of perfected great spirits: “You have gathered in the wondrous and exalted court. Together, expound the teachings.

“You all wish to seek the Dao, and have heard various accounts of its deeper and shallower aspects. Now you ask questions because you wish to hear the true principles and aspire to the supreme Dao. Yet this alone will not ultimately bring you to the Dao. Consider the powerful ghosts and spirits among the Five Destinies: age after age, they are born and transformed along with heaven and earth, yet become ensnared in webs of doubt and confusion. They seek the office of libationer, remain forever bound to the earth, and cannot receive the precepts. In this way, they lose the foundation of the Dao.

“If you wish to hear my Orthodox Teaching, you must now give rise to the supreme mind of great wisdom and to a vast, inconceivable mind. Only then can you hear it. You are now seeking the Dao and have already had the good fortune to hear it. This is exceedingly rare.

“One must not cling to anything visible in seeking the Dao, nor cling to what is formless. One must cling neither to ‘being’ nor to ‘nonbeing.’ Teachings are provisionally established for the sake of living beings, shaped to suit their circumstances and explained, however imperfectly, through names. But even when these names are understood, the substance of the Dao still lies beyond them. Simply hearing the name of the supreme, true Dao brings immeasurable and inconceivable merit. How much more so when one personally receives, upholds, and practices it.

“Though the Dao has no form and is deep and unfathomable, it contains the subtlest principles and is the highest teaching, free of all obstruction. True nature, real and unchanging, is unmoving, yet its power is like the sea, vast beyond imagination. Upholding this Dao can subdue afflictions and harmful obstacles and overcome the various heterodox paths. It is truly rare. It responds to different circumstances, manifests accordingly, and transforms without limit in ways beyond comprehension.

“The principles of the Dao are profound, and these words too are rare to hear. I now set forth these teachings for you. You should believe, receive, and remember them. Do not shrink back, doubt, or fear, and do not readily believe what others say. Do not claim that your strength is insufficient or that cultivating the Dao is too difficult. Simply keep your mind upright and focused, cultivate every kind of good root, and you will naturally understand the teachings and enter the source of the Dao.

“Always uphold the foundation of the Dao. Do not lose heart because you feel you have gained nothing. Cultivate wisdom well, and often guide others so that they too may attain the Dao. Do not create obstacles or feel jealousy. Speak the teachings with wholehearted focus and impartiality. The causes and conditions of this supreme path are truly beyond measure and inexhaustible. Expound widely on the conditions for cultivating the Dao. Proclaim the sound of the teaching without slackening, and praise the Dao and its teachings, so that all living beings may dedicate their merit together, give rise to the supreme, true, vast, and inconceivable mind, bring their practice to completion, cultivate the Orthodox Teaching, and save living beings without end.

“Each of you should use your inconceivable powers, great wisdom, and spiritual abilities to receive the teaching at this time. In this way, you will gain the auspicious conditions for deliverance. This is indeed so. If living beings, over age after age, hear even a little of the teaching, what they gain is likewise without measure or boundary; each hearing becomes a seed for cultivating the Dao. The concern is only that living beings may refuse to plant the seed themselves, making it difficult for fruit to grow.

“You are truly rare: you follow the Dao and its teachings, continue to advance, and never turn back, thereby becoming fully equipped for what is needed. You understand how to cultivate good roots, and the hosts of heaven have thereby gained fearlessness. Through merit and wisdom, you cultivate body and mind, adorn your forms, and attain the highest rank. You have already received good fruits: you have renounced worldly fame and honor, set your aspirations high, and no longer cling to your former habits.” Then he spoke this verse:

By using this benevolent Daoist teaching to guide the beings of the world, it is like heaven sending down sweet rain to nourish all things and help them grow.

All beings can thus attain good outcomes, end famine, and enjoy abundance and peace.

The teachings treasured by the divine venerable contain immeasurable wisdom. They can bring all evil deeds to a lasting end and prevent every malign spirit from causing harm.

The far-reaching insight of the divine beings enables practitioners to understand profound principles. With hearts that are sincere and steadfast, unmoved by external things, they can gain the strength to fear nothing.

“Daoist Scripture Spirit Talisman” is the inscription identifying the spirit talisman attached to this scripture. “The Daoist Scripture of the Jade Pure Realm ends” marks the conclusion of the section titled The Daoist Scripture of the Jade Pure Realm.

The text that follows repeats the preceding hymn, then lists the titles included in the volume: The Yellow Forest Scripture, The Supreme Perfected Scripture, The Daoist Scripture, The Scripture of Supreme Refinement, The Scripture of Supreme Wondrous Merit, and The Scripture on the Dao and Its Virtue—six scriptures in all, compiled as one volume. It then gives the heading “The Tenth Part of the Scripture of Supreme Refinement of the Jade Pure Realm,” marking the tenth section of The Scripture of Supreme Refinement of the Jade Pure Realm.

Dao said, “At the assembly of the Dharma are immeasurable holy beings, perfected beings of the celestial realms, and boundless, supreme great deities. The various teachings have both similarities and differences, as do living beings; among them are also immeasurable states beyond comprehension. I often survey all the heavens and the various evil paths, and so know of six palaces that govern sin and blessing: first, the Palace of the Dark Heaven of Severed Yin; second, the Palace of the Heaven of Tai Sha Liang Shi Zong; third, the Palace of the Heaven of Ming Chen Nai Fan Wu Cheng; fourth, the Palace of the Heaven of Tranquil Illumination of Sinful Qi; fifth, the Palace of the Heaven of Zong Ling Qi Fei; and sixth, the Palace of the Heaven of Gan Si Lian Wan Lü.

There are also twenty-four hells: the Hell of Boiling Cauldrons, the Hell of Copper Pillars, the Hell of Iron Plows Tilling the Tongue, the Hell of Knife Mountains and Sword Trees, the Hell of Saws and Mortars, the Hell of Venomous Snakes Devouring the Heart, the Hell of Molten Copper Poured into the Mouth, the Hell of Furnaces and Coals, the Hell of Iron Wheels, the Hell of Moving Stones to Make Mountains, the Hell of Iron Beds, the Hell of Sword Groves, the Hell of Frigid Ice, the Hell of Raging Fire, the Hell of Brutal Beatings with Iron Rods, the Hell of Great Stones Crushing the Body, the Hell of Iron Awls Piercing the Body, the Hell of Iron Balls, the Hell of Swallowing Fire and Eating Coals, the Hell of Grinding and Crushing, the Hell of Molten Iron, the Hell of Tongue-Pulling, the Hell of Iron Chains, and the Hell of Sawing Apart.

There are also five gates of suffering surrounding the twenty-four hells: first, the mind suffers through attachment to outward forms and appearances; second, the spirit suffers through longing for romantic love; third, the body suffers through the accumulation of greed and desire; fourth, Jing and Qi suffer through the pursuit of wealth and glory; and fifth, the hun and po souls suffer through attachment to the self. The Three Paths of Woe are three evil ways, divided into the upper corpse, middle corpse, and lower corpse. Together with the five sufferings, these are called the eight gates of adversity.

In addition, there are the Nine Hells of the Nine Depths, distributed across the four directions and the center: in the east, the Hell of Wind and Thunder; in the south, the Hell of Fire and Shadow; in the west, the Hell of Vajra; in the north, the Hell of Dark Cold; and in the center, the Hell of Universal Plunder. In the southeast is the Hell of Copper Pillars; in the southwest, the Hell of Butchery and Mutilation; in the northwest, the Hell of Fire Carts; and in the northeast, the Hell of Boiling Cauldrons. Countless men and women fall into these places. Their suffering is unbearable, and it continues day and night.

The Perfected One of Taiji (the Supreme Ultimate), a revered Daoist deity, bowed and prostrated himself before the Heavenly Worthy, then made his report. The Heavenly Worthy said, “These sinners do not believe in the Three Treasures—the Dao, the Jing, and the Masters—and devote themselves instead to committing sinful deeds. Thus they fall into these places, with no chance of escape for a long time. I will now expound the orthodox teaching and the supreme Jade Treasury, a precious Daoist scripture, so that all living beings may attain liberation.”

The Lord of Jade Void, a revered deity in Daoism, then vowed before the Most Perfect Dao and asked that the canonical ritual texts be brought forth from the Jade Coffer. Written on yellow paper and wrapped in blue scrolls, these texts recorded important rules for ritual practice and included sacred talismans for delivering beings from suffering. The Lord of Jade Void reported to the Celestial Worthy: “I have already heard these teachings. By receiving this method, one can be forever freed from the painful destinies of hell. By upholding the Jade Covenant, the token that signifies acceptance of the teachings, and practicing according to the ritual rules, one can ascend to the Golden Gate and pass through without obstruction. The light of a single lamp, shining in all eight directions, can dispel the Nine Hells.” Among the assembly, anyone who heard this important teaching and listened reverently would feel joy arise in their heart. Then they spoke this verse:

The Celestial Worthy said: “These realms of suffering are places that beings have entered of their own accord. To hear the teachings is itself a cause for rejoicing. Now that you are proclaiming them, hold firmly to your faith and advance with courage and vigor. Then use radiance and the pure water of the teaching to break through every obstacle. The Eight Hells and the Five Sufferings within them will naturally vanish. The iron walls stretching ten thousand li will collapse like sand.”

This is the content of the Scripture of Refined Elixirs and Numinous Talismans.

The Scripture of Refined Elixirs of the Jade Clarity Realm is complete.

The Scripture of the Jade Clarity Realm, Lower Scroll, from the Taishang Scriptures of the Thirty-Six Sections.

The Scripture of the Yellow Grove, the Scripture of the Highest Truth, the Daoist Scripture, the Scripture of Refined Elixirs, the Scripture of Supreme Wondrous Merit, and the Scripture of the Dao and Its Virtue: these six scriptures together form one scroll.

The Scripture of Supreme Wondrous Merit of the Jade Clarity Realm, Chapter Eleven.

Dao said, “Good, good! If countless Heavenly Perfected Great Sages and Supremely Perfect Divine Beings were once again to come to the assembly, the flying celestial lords of the east, west, south, and north would all bow and pay their respects to them. The many causes, conditions, and teachings of the Dao would be too numerous to describe. The great wisdom of the four directions can also make all of this vast and boundless.

If male and female beings can bring forth wholesome thoughts and develop great wisdom, they should first bring their own minds under control and cultivate the essential methods. By practicing according to these key teachings, they can enter the Dharma Wheel—the system through which the teachings operate and are transmitted—and keep the Way of the Flying Celestials in continuous circulation.

The Great Treasury of Orthodox Teachings, the complete collection of Daoist scriptures, contains more than five thousand works and eighteen thousand chapters, all gathered into the treasured repository. The Eight Flying Celestial Spirits use their divine power to set it turning. Golden dragons of the four directions coil around its pillars and shelter the pearl at its center; pearl ornaments hang from its eight sides, forming thirty-two pavilions. The Heavenly Emperors of the thirty-two heavens surround the eight directions. Five-colored auspicious clouds spread across the ground and rise upward, their light illuminating all. At the center of the treasury is the Scripture of the Nine Heavens on the Generation of the Spirits; the other scriptures are placed in the various pavilions. The Dharma Wheel turns three times, enabling all beings to understand their true nature. Guided and admonished within the Dharma Wheel, they regain life, are reborn among humankind, understand the various teachings without doubt, and cultivate all kinds of wholesome roots.

By cultivating this essential Daoist teaching, one can attain boundless wisdom; it contains all the immeasurable teachings, which will be transmitted through countless generations without obstruction. Its merit has no end and is truly inconceivable. Among the people, those who understand this principle can freely comprehend whatever they see and hear. Those who have not yet heard this essential teaching should also resolve to take refuge and study in accord with the Dharma Wheel. Even hearing only a little of the sound of the true Dao can bring liberation.

In cultivating this essential path, do not fall into discouragement or regret. Recite and chant diligently, and hear the profound, sublime Dao of the Perfected Ones. Renew your own radiance, save all beings from suffering, and bring them great benefit. Continue practicing by every suitable means, and even gods and humans will take refuge.

After hundreds of thousands of kalpas, all beings—those already born, those yet to be born, and those not yet born—should, whenever they bring forth a wholesome thought, be treated with reverence and guided into the Dharma gate. In this life or a future one, they will gradually hear the true teaching, remain free of demonic obstacles, and have the chance to encounter this teaching.

If someone has already heard this teaching but fails to practice it diligently and consistently, then even if they first attained the Dao, they will gain no liberation if they later grow regretful and retreat, becoming attached to worldly ties. You should listen to and accept my instruction, and open the Dharma gate wide: hold fast to the foundations of your own practice, and help those who have not yet awakened to awaken and those who have not yet heard to hear. In this way, you will establish great merit.

Once the various practices have been fulfilled, one can enter into wholesome fruits, perceive weighty causes and conditions, and enter fully into the fruit of Wuwei (non-action). Then, through further refinement and deliverance—the Daoist process of purification and salvation—one ultimately reaches the truth of the Dao and enters the fruit of purity and stillness. All that one does should be rooted in goodness. In this way, every kind of merit and power can be fully attained, vast and boundless, while also acting with subtlety and depth.

When the practice of the Dharma has only just begun to sprout, one who does not know how to cultivate it will lose its foundations and fail to attain long life. But if one continues to accumulate practice, merit will have no limit.

When I teach the Dharma, I can say neither that it truly exists nor that it is entirely absent. Through these causes and conditions, the various teachings become manifest in accordance with one another. Within them, there is no fixed, unchanging self or person, and all manner of seeing and hearing can be fulfilled. This subtle power is vast and inconceivable.”

Then he said:

To understand the principles that precede the origin of all things is to grasp the outline of the Dao. To explain clearly principles that have not yet been understood is to plant the seed of the Dao.

Why is this so? The wisdom of the Celestial Worthy has no bounds, and its principles are subtle and profound.

These principles are remote and difficult to understand, so one can only describe their appearance approximately. The workings of wisdom are beyond thought, yet they enable people to see into the principles of all things.

Why can living beings not understand them? Because they cling to desire and attachment, and so cannot recognize them. If they can understand these principles, they can all awaken.

Talismanic Text of the Scripture of Supreme Subtle Merit

The Scripture of Supreme Subtle Merit of the Jade Clarity Realm ends here.

The Scripture of the Jade Clarity Realm, Lower Volume, from the Thirty-Six Venerable Scriptures of the Most High

The Scripture of the Yellow Forest, the Scripture of the Highest Perfected, the Scripture of the Daoist Teachings, the Scripture of the Highest Refinement, the Scripture of Supreme Subtle Merit, and the Scripture of the Dao and Its Virtue: these six scriptures together form one scroll.

The Scripture of the Dao and Its Virtue of the Jade Clarity Realm, Chapter Twelve

I say: Everything is subtle and profound. You, perfected beings who have attained realization…

The Scripture of the Highest Perfected, the Scripture of the Daoist Teachings, the Scripture of the Highest Refinement, the Scripture of Supreme Subtle Merit, and the Scripture of the Dao and Its Virtue: these six scriptures together form one scroll.

The Scripture of the Dao and Its Virtue of the Jade Clarity Realm, Chapter Twelve

All the principles I have spoken of are subtle and profound. You who are realized adepts of the Dao possess immeasurable wisdom across past lives, future lives, and this life, yet you have not fully understood it. Your many forms of understanding are intertwined and confused, and the various karmic ties they create do not arise from right thought.

Some people have high innate capacity but still do not understand their true nature or fully grasp the principles of the Mahayana. They remain attached to external things such as fragrant flowers; they do not cultivate virtue, awaken wisdom, do good, or keep faith, and may therefore fall into ruin. How much more so for those whose minds are inverted and whose actions go against their own intentions, forever losing the chance to realize the Dao. They never encounter the Three Treasures—the Dao, the scriptures, and the teacher—never hear the essential teachings, or hear the drum of the Dharma and the hidden treasury. Even if such people hear me expound the Dharma, they cannot discern its principles; they cannot understand either what they do or the meaning of the Dharma.

All things have neither an independent, unchanging nature of their own nor a fixed nature derived from something else. If someone hears these words and can understand and awaken, they can succeed in all dharmas and reach the state beyond birth and death. At the same time, they can bring all dharmas to completion without clinging to the marks of any dharma, or to speech and what is spoken. They neither speak nor cling to silence. This is understanding the essence of the teachings. If you wish to travel the Great Way, do not guide people only along a narrow path. You cannot use the great sea as a comparison for the fulfillment of all dharmas and the state beyond birth and death, or for bringing all dharmas to completion while transcending their marks and speech. Nor can you compare the sea with a small stream, or the sun with other sources of light.

My exposition of the Dharma is unobstructed and complete. It is truly inconceivable and beyond words. It pervades the three thousand great thousand worlds—the vast worlds of the Buddhist cosmology—and encompasses every realm of Dharma, clear as the palm of one’s hand. It falls into neither of two opposing extremes and bears no illusory marks. It is pure and still, free of action, undivided by past and present, and without beginning or end. I earnestly encourage all beings to seek the roots of goodness, to seek awakening with complete selflessness, and to cultivate the teachings with steadfast resolve, so that every virtue may be perfected and beings greatly benefited.

At this very moment, the teachings are about to spread through future ages. Those who have not yet seen or heard this Dharma, who dwell in other lands and remain ignorant and unenlightened, can also awaken through the teachings spoken today. Once awakened, they enter the Wuwei Great Way from which there is no turning back, arrive at the realm of long life, and gain the foremost and most excellent affinity—a state beyond comparison.

Everyone present bowed with joined palms and prostrated with all five limbs touching the ground. Rejoicing and leaping for joy, they praised aloud: “These are inconceivable merits, boundless and limitless! I have heard this Dharma, yet through millions of eons I have never before encountered an opportunity like this. Even a single sentence contains infinite depth.” After hearing the teaching, the realized adepts gazed reverently upon the golden countenance and respectfully received the precious precepts and teachings. All of them attained awakening.

In an instant, they gained inconceivable attainment. Countless kings of the heavenly spirits and assemblies of sages also came from the sky, hoping to increase their virtue and experience the mysterious, true, and pure state of the Dao. Countless great spirits and immortals bowed together, praising the unsurpassed, perfectly true, subtle, and essential teaching, declaring it all to belong to the Great Brahma—the vast realm of purity.

Everyone who sees or hears this Dharma will benefit. How much more so those who uphold and recite it, transmit its precepts, and widely encourage beings to receive the wondrous teaching together. In this way they can attain perfection and embody the nature of the Dharma; the six desires, the cravings of the six senses, no longer arise, and the three poisons of greed, anger, and delusion are entirely extinguished. Their spirit becomes clear, and they attain vast, penetrating wisdom, then continue to transmit the teachings to others. Through such merit, the benefit is limitless. This is the true teaching, whose full meaning is beyond words. Then the following verse was spoken:

You should understand that when the mind and nature are kept quiet and pure, the six desires (the desires of the six senses) do not arise, and the three poisons of greed, anger, and delusion are eliminated. The mind, spirit, and consciousness all become clear. From this, one can attain wisdom that is vast and far-reaching, then teach what one has learned to others. Such merit has no limit, and the true teaching is impossible to explain fully. Thus the verse says:

You should understand that there are two kinds of quiet purity. The first is “stillness with form”: thoughts in the heart and mind are subtle, and one continually practices quiet and pure conduct. The second is “empty stillness”: thoughts are as open and expansive as the sea, and one continually practices diligence.

One must hold the mind to the One (steadfastly guard the spirit) to reach the deep source. When ultimate quiet purity is attained, all things shaped by purposeful action find their resting place. Only by understanding the various methods can one become inexhaustible, for all living beings inherently possess a nature that is clear and pure.

Numinous Talisman of the Dao De Jing

The Dao De Jing of the Jade Clarity Realm ends here.

The Supreme One’s Thirty-Six Sections of Venerable Scriptures: Scripture of the Highest Clarity Realm, Scroll One

The Cavern Mystery Scripture, the Primordial Yang Scripture, the Primordial Star Scripture, the Great Tribulation Scripture, the Scripture of the Opening Above, and the Inner Sound Scripture: these six scriptures together form one scroll.

The Cavern Mystery Scripture of the Highest Clarity Realm, First Section:

The truth is supremely subtle and unsurpassed, hidden and profound, difficult to explain. Therefore, all the heavens together praised it.

This passage says that the most wondrous and true principles of the Dao lie hidden in the depths, beyond easy understanding. The beings of the heavens therefore praise them together and ask the Celestial Worthy to reveal the essential methods of cultivating the Dao. All those gathered in the assembly rejoice and are inspired by immeasurable light, gaining insight.

The heavenly lords of the Formless Realm, a heaven without physical bodies or forms, come to hear the teaching. Among them are the princes of the Heavenly Emperors of the lands of Bright Court and Cloudy Crossing, Deep Flow and Primordial Cavern, Abundant Favor and Wondrous Accomplishment, and Refined Joy and Supreme Prohibition, as well as beings from the heavens of Rising Victory, Brahma’s Crossing, Jia Yi, and Constant Harmony. Hearing of this rare and wondrous event, they bring the wise men and women of their lands to gather there. The scripture says that through this they attain a higher realm, enter a place of unobstructed understanding, and comprehend the true meaning of attaining the Dao.

The princes of the Heavenly Emperors of the eighteen heavens of the Form Realm, where physical bodies and forms still exist, also come to hear the teaching. These include the heavens of Crossing Beyond, Veiled by Darkness, Harmonious Yang, Reverent Splendor, Ancestral Whirl, Imperial Pipes, Hall of Radiance, Upright Serenity, Reverent Celebration, Supreme Jasper, Rising Cavern, Imperial Cliff, Supreme Wind, Filial Vastness, Elder Profundity, River Origin, Ruan Joy, and Cloudy Oath. They bring their subjects before the Celestial Worthy, who responds to the moment by explaining the power of the true Dao. Each kingdom reverently practices the unobstructed teaching and raises a Dharma banner, a flag proclaiming the teachings of the Buddha and the Dao. On hearing of this inconceivable wonder, everyone rejoices and praises it as something they have never encountered before. In this way, they attain excellent fruits, form pure karmic connections, leave behind the allure of sensual pleasures and afflictions, practice a Dharma wheel that never regresses, escape birth and death, and attain fulfillment. Such a wondrous realm is beyond exhaustive description.

The princes of the Heavenly Emperors of the six heavens of the Desire Realm, where desires are active, also come together and praise this inconceivable merit, saying that such an opportunity is truly rare. They include the princes of the heavens of Imperial Beginning, Jade Completion, He Tong, Balanced Nurture, Literary Excellence, and Mo Yi, along with the ministers, crown princes, and people of their kingdoms. The scripture says that these beings have yet to bring their merit and virtue to completion and are deeply troubled, cycling through birth and death and enduring the suffering of separation from loved ones and encounters with those they resent. Yet anyone who sincerely seeks the Dao will travel to wherever its teachings are found, no matter how far the journey.

The Celestial Worthy explains the twelve causes and conditions, a teaching that describes how beings continue through interdependent causes and conditions and cycle through birth and death. He guides everyone to turn their hearts toward the Dao and advance together toward the true realm, gradually leading them to understanding at different levels according to their individual conditions and capacities. The gathered followers who hear the teaching thereby realize the true fruit of cultivation. Their practice no longer regresses, and they attain peace and joy. The ministers, subjects, and officials also receive the unobstructed teaching and enter the right path together. They ascend to the gate of pure wisdom, awaken the aspiration for the supreme Dao, and make their way toward the place of peace and joy.

The Celestial Worthy says that he often guides people in the world through various teachings, gradually leading beings into the right path until they ultimately attain the fruit of the Dao. He then recites a verse.

This teaching is luminous and subtle, and this is the most excellent scripture. Whenever and wherever someone follows and spreads it, now or in the future—whether in a city, village, mountain forest, marshland, open space, royal palace, or private residence—I will send spirits of great divine power there to accompany and protect them, so that all who expound this teaching may attain complete fulfillment.

Next comes the “Numinous Talismans of the Dongxuan Scripture,” containing the talismanic material from the Dongxuan Scripture. This concludes the Shangqing Realm Dongxuan Scripture.

The upper volume of the Shangqing Realm Scriptures in the Venerated Scriptures of the Thirty-Six Sections of the Most High brings together six scriptures—the Dongxuan Scripture, the Yuanyang Scripture, the Yuanchen Scripture, the Great Tribulation Scripture, the Shang Kai Scripture, and the Inner Sounds Scripture—printed in a single volume. It then marks the beginning of the second volume of the Shangqing Realm Yuanyang Scripture.

At this time, the holy assemblies of the heavens, the celestial deities, and the immeasurable great Perfected Ones all rejoiced. They heard the Celestial Worthy expound these teachings widely to the assembly and understood that by cultivating them in due order, one could attain perfection. These teachings can gather boundless merit and Virtue, becoming the foundation on which living beings depend.

If one carefully nurtures body and mind, nature and life, the heart will naturally become peaceful and at ease, and the body will be preserved. Then, by choosing suitable methods in keeping with the time and practicing diligently, one will be like a field continually watered by sweet rain: year after year it will yield a good harvest without being damaged. The benefits are inconceivable. They can save living beings everywhere, help them attain realization, and thereby enable them to become free and advance with courage and vigor.

After hearing the teachings, the assembly also gave rise, within this Jing, to pure, natural, fearless, and compassionate hearts. They honored and put into practice the path of cultivation. Practitioners outside the Daoist tradition in various lands also heard the teachings and received predictions of their future attainment. This is a great karmic connection that will bring immeasurable results. Their minds thereby opened and became clear, and they understood completely: their own being is vast as the heavens, without boundary, extending throughout the Dharma Realm without end. The thirty-two marks, the dignified features of a sage’s body, fill the empty sky; the eighty characteristics, its subtle signs of dignity, benefit living beings everywhere. Whether manifest or absent, appearing or concealed, these changes are immeasurably profound and subtle, and they are Wuwei (non-action).

These teachings are like good medicine: they can heal the suffering of living beings and help people in ways suited to their needs. One must discern whether an illness is slight or severe, then prescribe medicine accordingly; only then can one understand the waxing and waning of the body’s Four Great Elements—earth, water, fire, and wind. Practitioners should always hold great compassion, pity living beings, guide everyone to take refuge together, teach and transform them, and proclaim great wisdom. In this way, all living beings can enter deeply into the teachings, hear the hidden treasury, and ultimately reach the state beyond birth and death.

Some people in the world do not know or see these truths, while the faithful among the heavens can know and see them. Those who awaken are called Perfected Ones. They recognize the correct path, attain right understanding, and proceed as far as the highest vehicle. If asked how this differs from the world, one may say that it belongs to the world yet is not the same as the world. To explain the distinction, it must be briefly clarified.

You should proclaim these essential teachings and form wholesome connections with living beings in generations to come. Speak of them often, so that the ultimate good teaching will never be exhausted. Even those who possess vast wisdom cannot exhaust their meaning—how much less can ordinary exposition do so? You should receive and trust them. Next, I will explain in turn the profound root of the Dao, so that people may gain liberation. This is the foremost karmic connection.

If one attains wisdom, pities living beings with a heart of great compassion, and saves them everywhere, one forms connections by transmitting the teachings and can also become a friend and companion to people in the world. This is truly inconceivable. These teachings are established first of all to save all sentient beings everywhere.

When we observe living beings, we see that they cling to outward forms and to desire, yet do not realize it. Instead, they continually bring suffering upon themselves while at every moment taking it for pleasure. They speak false and boastful words, sow discord, and use abusive language; they also give rise to greed, anger, delusion, and wrong views. Even when they hear these teachings, they refuse to cultivate diligently, thereby bringing suffering upon themselves and remaining unable to attain liberation for a long time.

All the teachings I proclaim enable cultivation to reach fulfillment. Thus the following verse is spoken:

I now hear the true teaching. Do not let your mind make distinctions; if you cling to distinctions, you will lose your way and fall into an evil path.

Whether male or female, anyone who gives rise to faith and takes refuge in their own nature and life can become a disciple of the Dao.

Now that you have heard these words, you should pass on this rare teaching so that faithful disciples in future generations may benefit from it. Maintain emptiness and stillness, return to the source, and become my disciple: thus you will be pure and settled, and remain constant and unchanged.

Numinous Talisman of the Yuan Yang Jing

The Shangqing Realm Yuan Yang Jing ends here.

The upper scroll of the Taishang Thirty-Six Sections of Venerable Scriptures, the Shangqing Realm Jing, contains six scriptures: the Dongxuan Jing, Yuan Yang Jing, Yuan Chen Jing, Great Calamity Jing, Shangkai Jing, and Neiyin Jing.

Third: The Shangqing Realm Yuan Chen Jing

The purpose of the Great Dao is profound and mysterious; its hidden, subtle meaning is difficult to put into words. It is still and unmoving, and endures of itself.

If living beings do not know the root or examine the source, but indulge in greed, anger, and delusion; commit sexual misconduct and theft; take lives; show no reverence for the heavenly and earthly gods; fail to honor the teachings; and defile and slight the sun, moon, and stars, then one evil deed follows another until they have done every kind of wrong. Demons and spirits will then afflict their bodies, and they will often meet with confusion and disaster. They are arrogant toward all good teachings and do not believe in my Dao; they act as they please in defiance of the Dao, and what they do is without rule or measure. Then all the ghosts come to harass them, while the good spirits depart and no longer come to protect them. Their many karmic causes and conditions gather together; illness lingers without end, their bodies grow weaker by the day, and they can scarcely hope to live long. They are like morning dew that cannot withstand the sun.

Those who turn away from every good teaching and have no thought of following the Dao and doing good will see the causes and conditions of evil paths grow. They keep doing wrong, and it is truly difficult to repent. When the day of their death comes, they will have no chance to escape the evil paths and will sink forever into hell.

If a household has disciples who honor the Dao—wise men and upright women—who diligently cultivate the Great Dao and give rise to every good intention, they should invite a Daoist priest to purify the home and set up two banners called “Banhuang,” each nine feet long.

Practitioners should place the scripture banner for the Scripture of the Nine Heavens’ Response to the True Ones on the left. Write the large character “Dao” on the banner, draw thirty-six talismans on the four streamers at its top, and inscribe these four lines on its body:

“By talismanic command, the hidden realms are reached; the numinous banner billows in the wind. It guides the souls away from the Northern Office and raises them to the Southern Palace.”

Place the yellow banner on the right. Write the large character “Immortal” on it, draw thirty-six talismans on its four top streamers, and inscribe passages related to the Scripture of the Nine Heavens’ Chapter on the Generation of the Spirits, followed by these four lines:

“The star spirit Taiwei turns the yellow banner; the star spirit Wuying sends down the numinous banner. It gathers the souls dwelling in the dark underworld of endless night, opens the path of deliverance, and grants the departed new life.”

Set both banners before the gate. Sound the imperial bell and gather sincere practitioners from the ten directions to make vows and repent. This too can bring wisdom to fruition and remove all karmic hindrances from past sins. Accumulate merit widely throughout the ten directions and ten lands, until freedom extends everywhere, vast as empty space and without obstruction.

The mighty powers of the heavens and the immeasurable divine kings give rise to boundless compassion and benevolent intentions. They deliver all beings from suffering together, regardless of their station. Every anguish dissolves like snow and ice meeting hot broth and blazing fire. This vast power of wisdom is unobstructed, guiding beings throughout the heavens to make the most true and sincere vow together. Its comings and goings transcend existence and nonexistence, and its responsive transformations have no limit. With no divided intentions and great wisdom complete, they use this power to deliver living beings.

All who practice in this way and keep benevolent thoughts in their hearts are truly seeds of the Dao. They should give rise to every kind of benevolent intention, hoping to reach the greatest karmic connections of the past and future and dissolve all measureless evil karma. The connections of past and future thereby endure without end. They should also cultivate skillful methods, honoring all beings without limit and coming to hear the essentials of the Great Dao. The following verse says:

Now that you have attained the Dao, you can remain forever. To be settled and unmoving is what may be called the True Dao.

The True Dao has never arisen or come to rest, and neither comes nor goes. It is only that living beings appear to be born and to die.

The True Dao is vast and compassionate, and never abandons any living being. How could it itself have birth and death? What are called birth and death are merely phenomena experienced by living beings.

It is truly pitiful not to be able to abide in the Dao for long. The subtle Dao is vast and immeasurable.

The “Lingfu Talisman of the Yuanchen Jing” is the talismanic mark of the Yuanchen Jing.

The Yuanchen Jing of the Shangqing Realm ends here.

The Upper Scroll of the Scripture of the Shangqing Realm, from the Thirty-Six Venerable Scriptures of the Most High.

The Dongxuan Jing, Yuanyang Jing, Yuanchen Jing, Dajie Jing, Shangkai Jing, and Neiyin Jing—these six scriptures are compiled together in one scroll.

The Great Kalpa Jing of the Shangqing Realm, Part Four.

The realm of the Great Dao pervades all places. It is vast, immeasurable, and boundless, filling the entire world of empty space. It has no end and is not constrained by the cycles of kalpas. In the east, west, south, and north, in all four directions and above and below, nothing obstructs it.

The six scriptures listed above are compiled together in one scroll.

The Great Kalpa Jing of the Shangqing Realm, Part Four.

The realm of the Great Dao is present everywhere, vast and boundless, filling the entire emptiness. It has no end and is not limited by the cycles of the kalpas. East, west, south, and north, the four directions, above and below—nothing obstructs it. The Great Dao brings all teachings to fruition, enabling people to understand the three kinds of action of body, speech, and mind, and to grasp the essential paths of cultivation. It penetrates the particular character of every teaching, fulfills the mind’s wishes, and brings peace free from hindrance. It lets people hear the Dao and its teachings, along with matters of the highest order, and speak widely of essential teachings and the conditions that give rise to them.

The methods of the Great Dao are vast and boundless, beyond the reach of words to describe fully or thought to measure. Through diligent cultivation of the Six Practices—the six methods of cultivation—one can enter the realm of Wuwei (non-action). One should also form vows of pure wisdom and great compassion: relinquish attachment to all forms, abandon every desire, and remove greed, anger, and delusion. With impartial skillful means, practice the way of compassion and save all beings who suffer.

I now bestow upon you the vows of pure wisdom and great compassion known as “Three-Five-One-Four, Middle Forbearance”: relinquish attachment to forms and all desires, remove greed, anger, and delusion, and save beings in distress with impartial skillful means and a compassionate heart. I also bestow upon you a heart of forbearance that can endure all manner of circumstances, and the practice of pure diligence. Keep your resolve firm and never turn back; harbor no improper thoughts. Make all teachings the basis of each thought, and be able to reflect upon and receive the meaning of every teaching.

Hold no resentment toward those who are confused and given to delusion. Leave your virtue to the world; do not covet what others pursue, and be able to embrace all things. Even when faced with what is unreasonable, do not argue. Leave behind the world’s troubles and delusions, abide in Wuwei, and dwell in a place of purity and quiet seclusion. Speak truthfully and faithfully, and let your conduct never violate the Jing and precepts. Practice the Dao and move toward its fruition day and night. In everyday life—in eating, drinking, walking, and sitting—understand the Dao and its teachings. Do not crave the five flavors or become absorbed in delusion.

The six faculties—eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind—can all be freed from the bonds of attachment. Though the mouth may eat many kinds of food, the heart does not crave their flavors. Nurturing life and gathering Qi (vital energy) do not depend on taking medicines; rather, the skin and flesh are naturally nourished, and the true Yang Qi grows strong. Do not indulge in stray thoughts and dissipate your spirit, or let your eyes wander carelessly. Remove all evil karma and afflictions.

In the final kalpa of the future, some men and women will be born without encountering a true master or drawing near to good teachings. They will thus commit immeasurable evil deeds, let delusive thoughts multiply, scorn and harm the virtuous, commit grave offenses, and fail to repent. After death, they will fall into the boundless hells and sink into the five sufferings and evil paths: their bodies will embrace copper pillars, their feet tread knife mountains, and their hands climb sword trees; they will be cast into boiling cauldrons, swallow fire and eat charcoal, and have their heads and faces burned black. Beings transmigrate through the six paths of heaven, humanity, animals, hungry ghosts, and hell. They may also be born from a womb, an egg, moisture, or spontaneous transformation. Without wholesome conditions, they will find it hard to leave the evil realms; for a long time they will see no light and will never attain liberation.

If someone gives rise to the aspiration for supreme wisdom and widely proclaims the true teachings, then through this condition they can awaken to the right path and come to understand their own nature anew. This is the wondrous and inconceivably great wholesome condition of today. You immeasurable, boundless assembly have heard teachings never heard before and seen teachings never seen before. As you first enter the sanctuary of the Dao, you all receive the power of the wondrous teachings. Whatever you see or hear, you will understand as you wish, no longer confused or deluded. All people of great wisdom will thereby attain the Dao and uphold the true teachings everywhere. And so the verse says:

One should care for all beings as a mother cares for her child. Beings sink into the cycle of birth and death, trapped in transmigration and unable to escape, with little understanding of the true Dharma—the orthodox path of cultivation. If they are fortunate enough to hear of or encounter the true Dharma, they should strive to practice it and persevere without slackening.

The Great Dao favors no one in particular; it cares only for those who do good. When guiding beings in their practice, one should also protect them. Help them regulate body and mind, so that they gradually learn to restrain and settle themselves, seek the foundations of the Great Dao, and attain true wisdom.

Numinous Talisman of the Great Kalpa Scripture

End of the Great Kalpa Scripture of the Shangqing Realm

The Supreme One’s Thirty-Six Venerable Scriptures: Scripture of the Shangqing Realm, Upper Volume

The six scriptures—the Dongxuan Scripture, Yuanyang Scripture, Yuanchen Scripture, Great Kalpa Scripture, Shangkai Scripture, and Neiyin Scripture—are foundational texts that set forth true wisdom.

Numinous Talisman of the Great Kalpa Scripture

End of the Great Kalpa Scripture of the Shangqing Realm

The Supreme One’s Thirty-Six Venerable Scriptures: Scripture of the Shangqing Realm, Upper Volume

The six scriptures—the Dongxuan Scripture, Yuanyang Scripture, Yuanchen Scripture, Great Kalpa Scripture, Shangkai Scripture, and Neiyin Scripture—are combined into one volume.

The Fifth: Shangqing Realm’s Shangkai Scripture

The all-encompassing nature of the great perfection taught in this scripture has no boundaries and cannot be measured. The various important teachings proclaimed in the scripture reach to lofty realms and are true, profound, and subtle, without falsehood or error. The text speaks of matters concerning past, present, and future lives; you should receive these words with reverence and faith, and give rise to great compassion and a mind that clings to nothing and seeks nothing—the “mind of the great unattainable.” In this way, you will surely encounter rare wonders.

People in the world today all hope to calm and quiet their minds, listen reverently to the teachings, and accept them in faith. They must not commit evil deeds, harbor greed, malice, or wrong views, or make further reckless pronouncements.

The sun, moon, and stars move through the heavens according to their respective courses, and are believed to be linked by causes and conditions to calamity and blessing. At times they move smoothly, at times in reverse; they may pause or disappear from sight, shine brightly or grow dim, rise or descend, sink from view or appear sparse, pass along the lunar mansions or cross their allotted degrees. These changes are regarded as portents of good or ill fortune, so one must not speak carelessly about them. People below should cultivate and honor the teachings, observe the movements of the stars, and dispel calamities through prayer, averting misfortune, and making offerings in thanks to the gods.

I will now explain how to avert calamities brought by the stars. Prepare incense, flowers, lamps, and candles. In a quiet temple hall, create images of the Eleven Luminaries—the eleven stellar deities—as well as the Twenty-Eight Lunar Mansions, the various Golden Wells, the Milky Way, the Purple Hall divisions that correspond celestial regions with earthly territories, and the stellar spirits associated with good and ill fortune, calamity and blessing, and strange, shadowy phenomena. Recite scriptures and establish a Zhaijiao altar for worshipping the gods, praying for blessings, and averting calamity. Arrange an offering of lamps with the five grains, and, according to the luminary associated with one’s birth year, month, day, and hour, place cloth of the five directional colors inside the altar to secure it: one chi of black, two chi of red, three chi of blue-green, four chi of white, and five chi of yellow. After proclaiming the rites, reverently invite all the stellar gods to turn back their radiance, transform calamity into blessing, and change ill fortune into auspiciousness.

If men and women among the faithful can follow this method, then even if they have never before heard these important teachings, they may undertake purification rites and establish a Daoist altar. They should also pass the teachings on to others in turn and not obstruct their transmission; the resulting merit and virtue cannot be measured. Those who lack the means to perform the rites can still increase their roots of goodness and dispel various calamities by holding reverent faith and praising the merit of the rites. If all virtuous people can give rise to great compassion, they can extend the power of blessings wherever they live, establish altars, and make offerings widely, so that everyone may receive the grace of Daoism. Such merit and virtue have no bounds and can never be exhausted. Those who act with good intentions to avert calamity and pray for blessings on behalf of others must not grow slack.

If someone sees others establishing a Daoist altar and responds with contempt, refusing to honor the precepts and teachings and claiming that they are nothing but empty words, yet when calamity strikes hopes only for a lucky escape, then even if kind thoughts arise at that moment, their wishes cannot reach the heavens, and their family members will be unable to hear the true teachings. All manner of suffering is brought upon them by their own actions. Even when reborn in another age, they will forever lose the roots of morality; obstacles and afflictions will continue from life to life, with no easy escape. Later they will suffer grave harm, bringing calamity upon generations of descendants. This is truly sorrowful.

I now explain these teachings in the hope that everyone will accept them in faith. And so the verse says:

You should uphold these teachings with reverence and diligence. Do not grow resentful or show ill will.

Put an end to all troubles and entanglements, so that your heart remains clear and still, and your conduct is guided by wisdom. Remove distress from your heart, hold firm to your faith, and do not stray from the Dao. Observe these precepts carefully, and never transgress them again.

Put all the principles and teachings revealed here into practice with faith, and ultimately attain the supreme Dao.

Sacred Talisman for Opening the Scripture Above

End of the Scripture for Opening the Scripture Above in the Shangqing Realm

Scroll One of the Scripture of the Shangqing Realm in the Thirty-Six Sections of the Venerable Lord’s Scriptures contains six scriptures: the Dongxuan Scripture, the Yuanyang Scripture, the Yuanchen Scripture, the Great Kalpa Scripture, the Scripture for Opening the Scripture Above, and the Inner Sounds Scripture. Together, they form one scroll.

Chapter Six: The Inner Sounds Scripture of the Shangqing Realm

All changes in Heaven and Earth follow certain patterns. The phrase “Yang-nine and Hundred-six” refers to cycles during which calamities may occur. Whenever Heaven and Earth display unusual signs, there are corresponding portents. All the people in the world and their relatives may come into the world through their parents’ birth, yet in truth they receive their Qi, nature, and life from Heaven and Earth. Heaven and Earth are therefore also regarded as humanity’s parents. The disasters people witness, and the presence of good and evil, are expressions of changes in the purity and turbidity of Heaven and Earth’s Qi.

Those who cultivate the supreme Dao and advance in wisdom will understand that, if they widely encourage people to cultivate the Dao and practice goodness, fortune and misfortune each have their causes and conditions and are also connected with changes in Heaven and Earth. They should therefore pray with sincerity, cultivate the supreme Dao, make a shared vow to do good, and follow the Daoist scriptures, so that everyone may return to the orthodox teaching.

When the Qi of Heaven and Earth does not flow freely, or when disasters arise from their anger, the harvests may fail, people may die, wars may break out repeatedly, epidemics may spread, and the movements of the sun, moon, and stars may become irregular. These are years of great calamity under Heaven and Earth, when wrongdoing is so grave that it cannot be fully described. If people hear the wondrous teaching of ultimate truth, all manner of evil can be dispelled. The mysteries of Heaven and Earth are beyond full description: great anomalies are signs of great anger, moderate anomalies of moderate anger, and minor anomalies of minor anger. This is like human affairs: great matters are spoken of in a loud voice, matters of middle importance in a moderate voice, and small matters in a quiet voice. These signs are neither empty words nor false appearances, and they are not meant to deceive anyone.

Seeing a great auspicious sign means that Heaven and Earth are greatly pleased; seeing a moderate one means they are moderately pleased; and seeing a minor one means they are slightly pleased. When there are neither anomalies nor auspicious signs, the Qi of Heaven and Earth is withdrawn and stored away, showing no form, omen, or change. One should devote oneself to the Supreme Realm above and understand the sacred tones and jade writings—the words of holy significance—hidden within all the teachings. In this way, one can bring about all kinds of good conditions.

Heaven and Earth also have “manifestations” of different kinds—great, moderate, and small—each with its corresponding form. Among the Eleven Luminaries, a traditional astronomical term for the sun, moon, and celestial bodies, only the Purple Qi has no visible form and therefore does not cause calamities. The sun appears as a red rooster, and the moon as a white rabbit. In spring the sun corresponds to the Azure Dragon, in summer to the Vermilion Bird, in autumn to the White Tiger, and in winter to the Black Tortoise. Beside the jade rabbit in the moon are an azure cassia tree and a pestle and mortar for pounding medicine; these do not change through the seasons.

The Lord of the Wood Virtue Star has a rabbit’s head, a pig’s body, and a tiger’s tail. The Lord of the Fire Virtue Star has a horse’s body and a snake’s tail. The Lord of the Metal Virtue Star has a monkey’s head and a rooster’s body. The Lord of the Water Virtue Star is a black ape holding a brush, ink, and an inkstone. The Lord of the Earth Virtue Star has a ram’s horns, a dragon’s head, a dog’s ears, and an ox’s body. The Lord of the Rahu Star has a ram’s horns, a dog’s claws, an ox’s tail, and a dragon’s body. The Lord of the Ketu Star has the form of a tortoise, and the Lord of the Yuebei Star the form of a snake. When these celestial bodies display their normal forms, they do not bring calamity. Only when they undergo unusual changes—growing dim, losing their brilliance, or becoming indistinct—may they portend disaster.

The sun, moon, Jupiter, Venus, Purple Qi, and Mercury do not themselves cause calamities; even when their movements become irregular, they merely grow somewhat dim. When Mars is out of order, it appears crimson, with an angry gaze. When Saturn is out of order, it moves slowly. When Rahu, Ketu, and Yuebei are out of order, they change form as they pass through the Twelve Palaces, the twelve regions of the zodiac, thereby showing signs of disaster. Encountering Venus is auspicious. If calamities are averted in accordance with the degrees of the celestial bodies’ movements, danger can be turned into good fortune. The scripture then continues with this verse:

The methods for dispelling calamities and saving sentient beings embody the opportunity to transform all things. You should understand that first, body and mind must be purified.

To cultivate the profound Dao, one must first be reverent. Next, one must establish upright faith and bring the four virtues to completion. Only then can one truly take refuge. Men and women alike should practice according to the teachings, without doubt.

After understanding the source of the Dao and reaching the deep, subtle realm, one must also be able to trust and accept the teachings, then go further by guiding and saving others.

Numinous Talismans of the Inner Sounds Scripture

The Inner Sounds Scripture of the Shangqing Realm ends here.

The lower volume of the Scriptures of the Shangqing Realm, one of the Thirty-Six Sections of the Most High’s Venerable Scriptures, contains six scriptures in the same volume: the Scripture on Refining Life, the Numinous Secrets Scripture, the Scripture for Dispelling Demons, the Infinite Scripture, the Scripture on Subduing Demons, and the Scripture on Communion with the High.

The Shangqing Realm’s Scripture on Refining Life, Part Seven

The principles of the Dao are luminous and orthodox. From ancient times to the present, they have been heard and understood by people of every level. Their reach has no bounds: they extend throughout all of empty space, vast without limit, profound yet accessible. All other living beings can also benefit from them.

When ordinary people are about to prosper, it is often because they delight in good deeds. When they are about to decline, it is often because their likes and dislikes have become rigid and extreme. Those on the way to good fortune are easy to guide; those heading toward danger are hard to reason with. Heaven’s Dao often protects the good. The Great Dao establishes teachings in the hope that people will return to the right path and each gain something from it. Heaven’s Dao often turns away from the wicked. The Great Dao displays its majesty because it will not come to their aid.

If someone can cultivate the higher Dao, honor their master, inherit and receive the scriptures and teachings, then fill Jing and Qi to overflowing and infuse them into the body’s fields—the places within the body where Jing and Qi are cultivated—and write secret talismans in vermilion, they may swallow them and see the talisman script within their abdomen. This is a great auspicious sign, capable of driving away all manner of evil spirits.

The five sense organs govern the body. They are the starting point of Dao cultivation and the foundation of the many spirits. All the joints, sinews, bones, limbs, and eight meridians should accord with the true origin. When the gateways through which the body’s breath enters and leaves are clear, evil Qi will disperse on its own, the true Dao can move freely, and the inner and outer will become bright and clear. If this practice is maintained over time, the Heavenly Physician—the celestial healer or healing power described in the scripture—will naturally descend. All illnesses can be dispelled, bringing long life and extending the years.

The foolish do not understand the Dao of nature and abandon this subtle method. Even those who have accumulated good causes in the past may thereby turn toward danger. The wise, however, treasure it, honor it, and put it into practice. This may be called the Dao of lasting life. Most precious is to accord with nature, allowing both body and spirit to reach a wondrous state so that body and mind remain at peace. Guard the spirit and Qi, and nature and life will be preserved of themselves. Roam freely, attain the fruit of the Dao, and ascend to the Golden Gate, a symbol of entry into the immortal realm or a state of realization.

If you do not understand the essential instructions and cling instead to strange ideas, you will invite misfortune, lose the Dao of nature, and fail to attain the Dao of long life. If you now wish to cultivate according to the method described above, begin by nourishing the “mother” and cherishing the “infant.” This common metaphor in Daoist Neidan cultivation means first strengthening the root, then nurturing and refining the newly arising Qi. When the five Jing gather at the Mudball Palace, the upper Dantian in the head, primordial Qi returns and life is restored to its root. You will then be able to guard yourself without further loss. Only after this may you devote yourself to cultivating the Dao and enter and leave the Flowery Chamber, a name for an immortal realm or state of cultivation.

The realm of the Dao is solemn and flourishing, sheltering all living beings. It possesses the majestic qualities of true stillness, true stability, great perfection, great wisdom, and boundless, inexhaustible abundance. It saves all beings everywhere, extending throughout the entire Dharma realm and the vast regions of the four directions. In places both near and far, there are many tangled grievances and enmities, with good and evil intermixed; people have yet to understand the path to liberation. Only by relying on a single-minded heart, returning to the true tradition, seeking a master, and looking up to the Great Dao can one reach the presence of the Imperial Lord. Through long and steady cultivation, one too can transcend the ordinary and enter the sacred realm, leave the evil destinies behind, and purify body and mind.

In time, all of you will be able to cultivate through this method. People of later generations, too, can use this field of merit—the conditions for doing good and accumulating blessings—to sow the hundred grains, bringing in a harvest every year without suffering damage from drought. The heavens gather in numbers without limit, filling empty space beyond all reckoning; their blessings and virtue are vast and complete. All the sages and perfected beings praise this together. It is a wholesome cause that can benefit all living beings. When the celestial immortals and sages gather, they often say with joy: If a perfected person holds firmly to this practice, never turning back or succumbing to obstacles, then through life after life and the long cycle of rebirth, they will meet an enlightened master and personally receive the profound instructions.

This teaching is too extensive to recount in full. Therefore, a verse is spoken:

The virtue of transforming and guiding all living beings cannot be praised adequately in words. You should all cultivate sound wisdom and each faithfully follow the teachings.

Realize the primordial Qi, innate and true, and you will turn ceaselessly along the good path, without end, attaining a state of purity, stillness, and liberation.

Act freely with Wuwei, and keep right mindfulness at all times. Continue cultivating in this way, and achievement will come naturally.

Follow the teachings with generosity and composure. Realize the primordial Qi, innate and true, and you will turn endlessly along the good path, attaining purity, stillness, and liberation. Act freely with Wuwei and keep right mindfulness at all times; through cultivation, achievement will come naturally.

Be broad-minded and abandon the four kinds of wrongdoing. Practice virtue widely, so that the heart remains unobstructed.

Spirit Talisman from the Jing on Refining Life

End of the Jing on Refining Life in the Shangqing Realm

The lower volume of the Jing of the Shangqing Realm in the Thirty-Six Supreme Venerable Jings of the Most High contains six Jings: the Jing on Refining Life, the Jing of Hidden Mysteries, the Jing on Dispelling Demons, the Jing of Measureless Reach, the Jing on Subduing Demons, and the Jing on Communication with the Higher Realms. Together they form one volume.

Jing of Hidden Mysteries in the Shangqing Realm, Chapter Eight

People live between Heaven and Earth. From the time Heaven and Earth were created, the name “human” has existed. Humans receive the harmonizing Qi of Yin and Yang and are the most spiritually refined of all beings. Their dignity is enough to make them correspond to Heaven and Earth. Yet they cannot endure as long as Heaven and Earth, because they have not practiced methods for nourishing and gathering the body and mind, and for collecting their vital essence and Qi. Thus they move toward decline and death.

Those who attain the Dao understand this principle. They bring body and spirit into harmony, cultivate the true, and refine Qi, reaching a state in which body and mind are both wondrously transformed. In this way they live peacefully and freely, hold fast to their nature, and enter the Golden Gate—a symbol of the realm of becoming immortal and attaining the Dao. They leave the cycle of birth and death forever, ascend to realization of the Dao, and vow to save all beings and form ties of goodness far and wide.

You should know that a human life is hard to obtain, while the true Dao is often lost to the world. Once the human form is lost, it is difficult to regain even after countless aeons. When people die, they no longer know why they died or where they go afterward. Though their hun and po souls are gathered together, in an instant they return to the netherworld. This is truly sorrowful. I now tell you: understand right view and awaken to life and death; there is no need for futile lamentation. Every injustice and grievance can be released and will no longer become a burden.

There are corresponding laws between Heaven and Earth, which are the parents of all beings. When people blame themselves and weep, sink into suffering and distress, and recklessly create harmful karma, it is not that Heaven and Earth have singled them out for disaster. When their suffering becomes unbearable, they cry out to Heaven and beat the ground in lament, declaring themselves wronged. There are many arts and methods between Heaven and Earth that support life. Passed down from generation to generation, they refine and nourish the hun and po souls and bring about transformation in body and mind, enabling people to preserve themselves and extend their lives. Yet these are only minor arts, not the great wisdom and methods of the true Dao. They cannot teach people to understand the fundamental principle, nor enable them to endure as long as Heaven and Earth, shine like the sun and moon, move with the stars, or share the cycle of the aeons. Even if they bring a brief extension of life, they offer no real benefit.

All things that have form and are born by receiving the Qi of Heaven and Earth will eventually perish. What is more, people are often entangled by the seven emotions and six desires. They may become arrogant and complacent through wealth and status, believing their lives are complete and no longer seeking the true Dao. Those who are poor and lowly, meanwhile, may grow resentful, turn away from the right path, demean themselves, and feel no shame, creating harmful karma instead.

Those who study the Dao may still be shallow in wisdom and lack understanding of the world, and so become entangled in distress and filled with desires. If they refuse to work hard at learning the right path and wholesome teachings, they will look down on cultivation and later regret it. They may even mock and disparage the true Dao, dismissing it as heretical and false. Pursuing only small, immediate gains, they disrupt the Way of Heaven and deceive the true Dao, ultimately bringing themselves to ruin.

Foolish people in the world all know that everyone must eventually die. They therefore build tombs in the hope that they will remain firm and undamaged; arrange funeral matters in advance; make mourning garments for their descendants; and accumulate treasures to serve as funeral offerings, making the ceremony conform to worldly customs and appear respectable. These practices bring no real benefit. Yet people do not consider what retribution they will face if there is a next life after this body dies.

If you do not heed my teachings, you too will fall into the same situation. I have explained the right path in every teaching and shown it to all beings. I teach according to their circumstances and capacities, and no longer cling to desire or attachment. Thus I am joyful and free. Then I speak this verse:

Whatever aspirations one gives rise to, one should devote oneself wholeheartedly and do one’s utmost. Men and women alike should understand the subtle, fundamental principle.

At such a time, the mind should remain steadfast and unwavering. Then one can be joyful and at ease. Thus the scripture says:

Whatever aspirations one gives rise to, one should devote oneself wholeheartedly and do one’s utmost. Men and women alike should understand the subtle, fundamental principle.

Those whose minds remain steadfast and unwavering at this time are my disciples, people who possess the Dao.

They consistently follow the noble, upright path and do not fall into the four kinds of wrongdoing. They do not engage in illicit sexual conduct or commit various evil deeds. They cling neither to “having” nor to “having nothing,” but devote themselves to seeking the Dao and the teachings.

The numinous talisman of the Jing of Numinous Mysteries.

Here ends the Jing of Numinous Mysteries of the Shangqing Realm.

The lower scroll of the Jing of the Shangqing Realm, from the Thirty-Six Venerable Scriptures of the Most High, contains six scriptures: the Jing of Refining Life, the Jing of Numinous Mysteries, the Jing of Dispelling Demons, the Jing of Boundlessness, the Jing of Subduing Demons, and the Jing of Universal Access. Together they make one scroll.

The Jing of Dispelling Demons of the Shangqing Realm, ninth chapter.

Everyone living in this world should understand that all things ultimately have a place to which they return. Life turns repeatedly between birth and death, never ceasing, like the sun rising in the east and setting in the west. Emperors and sages throughout the ages have been no exception.

People often place too much importance on themselves, cling to life, and fear death. Day and night, they dwell on finding marvels and occult arts, foolishly hoping to prolong their lives through all manner of unorthodox methods, only to harm their own nature. They worship ghosts and spirits and flatter them in hopes of gaining blessings beyond their due; seeking good fortune, they instead invite calamity. Some who claim to understand the arts of the Dao invoke auspicious signs as a pretext, declaring that they have moved Heaven and Earth and can lengthen life and transcend the world. Such thoughts give rise to delusion. Those who believe heretical teachings and abandon the right Way sink into evil destinies and remain lost for a long time. They do not cultivate the right Way or understand proper causes; they encounter no good teachers to guide their practice, refuse to cut off the roots of evil thoughts, and lack foresight. In the end, they bring themselves sorrow and distress, and their minds and spirits grow confused. These actions all violate the Great Dao and damage the teachings, creating boundless karmic offenses. If they refuse to repent, their mistaken views will take deep root, and the right Way will find it difficult to enter their hearts.

The sages of antiquity were wise and far-seeing, and established standards for the world and for generations to come. They hoped that later people would recognize how heretical paths obstruct the good path, and so they expounded the principles of wisdom. They also hoped that all demons would cast off their hindrances and listen together to the right Way. The benefits of this are beyond measure. Worthy and virtuous people gathered in a flourishing age to explain essential principles of the teachings and assist in governing the world. They fully perceived the beginning and end of Heaven and Earth and deeply investigated the cycles of things as they come and go. They did not proclaim that the dead are reborn, nor did they describe life and death as two separate paths. Nor did they state plainly that the comings and goings of life and death are unreal. Instead, they clarified the fundamental principle of neither arising nor ceasing, allowing those who attain the Dao to realize its subtle meaning for themselves and understand the principle of arising and ceasing. In this way, wisdom has no bounds, and there is naturally no fear of arising and ceasing; all manner of wisdom can thus be passed on to later generations.

Hearing this teaching, people can set out on the supreme and true essential path, cross the great bridge of the teachings, and arrive directly at the far shore of the Dao. Anyone who honors the orthodox teaching and possesses wisdom can do the same: forever casting off craving and attachment, gaining the protection of the Demon King, and ascending to the court of the Celestial Emperor. If an emperor attains this teaching, he can rule through Wuwei (non-action), with hands folded and robes hanging loose, and the realm will settle of itself. If a worthy person attains it, he will devote himself to practicing filial piety, fraternal respect, loyalty, and trustworthiness; assist the ruler and bring peace to the state; and ensure that calamities do not arise and demons and aberrations disperse. Auspicious stars will shine continually, while inauspicious stars fade away. No wars will break out; no epidemics will plague spring, no pestilence will strike in summer, no virulent disease will spread in autumn, and no harm will befall people in winter. Winds and rains will be well balanced, and crops will flourish. Men and women throughout the realm will joyfully enjoy peace, and blessings will spread without end.

If they can also devote themselves to upholding this teaching, they can forever escape the hardships and calamities of the Three Evil Realms—hell, the hungry ghosts, and animals—as well as the Five Sufferings and Eight Difficulties. Holding talismans and registers, the credentials and rolls of Heaven, they will ascend directly to Jade Capital, the celestial palace of Daoist belief, and roam in freedom. They will ascend to the Vermilion Palace, refine and transform their bodies, have their names entered in the Purple Register, and receive their mandate in the Cinnabar Heavens. The Great Demons of the Five Emperors, the celestial immortals of the various heavens, the Demon Kings of the Three Realms, the Flying Heavenly Divine Kings, and the countless great gods will all receive its grace and be shown mercy. Together they will be delivered through the wondrous teaching, roam throughout the heavens, protect and recommend one another, and ascend to Shangqing, the upper celestial realm of Daoist belief.

Thus the verse says:

By making a great vow in one’s heart, one can attain this power of blessed virtue. All those gathered here today should also believe in and uphold this thought.

In this way, one can attain lofty and subtle states and the truly wondrous Daoist teachings, accumulate boundless good deeds, reach the higher Dao, and gain an all-encompassing understanding.

With a broad and universal right mindfulness, let beings of later generations cultivate accordingly. Their practice should bear fruit, their foundation endure, and their wisdom become complete as they enter the subtle realm.

Whether attached to what has form or discerning what is formless, one should possess the highest wisdom and be free of all distracting thoughts.

“Numinous Talisman for Dispelling Demons”

End of the Scripture for Dispelling Demons of the Upper Clarity Realm.

The Venerable Scriptures of the Thirty-Six Sections of the Most High say: “Beings of later generations should cultivate accordingly. Their practice should bear fruit, their foundation endure, and their wisdom become complete as they enter the subtle realm. Whether attached to what has form or discerning what is formless, they should possess the highest wisdom and be free of all distracting thoughts.”

“Numinous Talisman for Dispelling Demons”

End of the Scripture for Dispelling Demons of the Upper Clarity Realm.

The Lower Scroll of the Scripture of the Upper Clarity Realm, from the Venerable Scriptures of the Thirty-Six Sections of the Most High.

The Scripture for Refining Life, the Scripture of Numinous Mysteries, the Scripture for Dispelling Demons, the Scripture of Boundlessness, the Scripture for Subduing Demons, and the Scripture for Reaching the Upper Realm: these six scriptures together make up one scroll.

The tenth, Scripture of Boundlessness of the Upper Clarity Realm.

When the proper order of Heaven and Earth is maintained, calamities can be kept at bay for a long time. The Sun, Moon, and five planets—the planets of Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water—shine brightly. The people prosper, and each person gives rise to good intentions. Later, the people become restless and noisy, and the ways of the age change. This damages the harmony between Heaven and Earth, which then grow wrathful. The Sun, Moon, and stars, the three kinds of celestial bodies, lose their radiance, and Heaven and Earth fall into discord and conflict. The signs are disturbances in wind, rain, thunder, and lightning that damage all things and prevent them from growing; people are killed or injured; the Qi of Yin and Yang contend and lose harmony; the five grains fail; water and fire depart from their proper measure; and calamities follow one after another.

Yin and Yang were originally in accord, supporting one another and together bringing forth harmonious Qi. Now, however, they contend with each other. Therefore, I set forth the essential principles and explain methods of averting calamity through prayer and making amends, so that people may escape disaster and the people of the world may all understand the foundations of the Great Dao.

At this, the Most Perfect Great Deity, the immeasurable multitude of beings, all the Heavenly Perfected—the true sages of the celestial realm—and the many kinds of holy beings from the ten directions, boundless and immeasurable, bowed before the Celestial Worthy and said, “We still do not understand the profound depths of the proper Way. We beseech the Celestial Worthy, in your compassion, to explain it fully. May we ask: what causes a prolonged drought, when Heaven sends no rain, all plants wither and scorch, and the people suffer, even to the point of starving to death?”

The Celestial Worthy replied, “A prolonged drought is a calamity caused by irregular movement of the Sun and the loss of harmony among the six Yang forces. The count of Yang Nine is eighteen hundred years; when it coincides with a Jia year, it is called ‘Solar Nine.’ The count of Hundred Six is sixteen hundred years; when it coincides with a Shen year, it is called ‘Great Hundred Six.’ If Yang Nine does not coincide with Jia, and Hundred Six does not coincide with Shen, no calamity will arise. The Lesser Yang Nine is one hundred and eighty years, and the Lesser Hundred Six is one hundred and sixty years. A calamity arises only when the Great Cycle meets Jia-Shen. If it does not meet Jia-Shen, no calamity will arise.”

The gathered sages asked again, “What causes floods?”

The Celestial Worthy replied, “Floods are a calamity caused by irregular movement of the Great Yin—the Moon, which represents Yin Qi—and the loss of harmony among the six Yin forces. The numerical principles that govern this are the same as those just described.”

The gathered sages asked again, “What causes fires?”

At this point, the source text preserves only the words “fire is the course of the Fire Star”; “course” refers to the orbit and position along which a celestial body moves.

The Celestial Worthy said: Fires are connected with the positions where Mars travels and its deviation from its proper course. As Mars passes through different celestial regions, children’s rhymes arise among people as omens. If the omens are auspicious, they foretell blessings; if they are inauspicious, they foretell calamity. When Mars travels through the directions of Yin, Shen, Si, and Hai, it may bring fires to prefectures, counties, ferry crossings, and towns. When it travels through the directions of Zi, Wu, Mao, and You, it may bring fires to monasteries, palaces, temples, and dwellings. When it travels through the directions of Chen, Xu, Chou, and Wei, it may bring fires to people’s homes, cities, mountains and forests, lakes and marshes, and boats.

The assembled people then prayed together: “If such a disaster occurs, how should we seek help?”

The Celestial Worthy told them: “Floods, droughts, and fires are all connected with whether the people act virtuously. When a community acts virtuously, calamity can turn into blessing; when it does not, blessing can turn into calamity. In addition, when the stars Tian Chan and Tian Qiang descend—Daoist star deities believed to govern theft and armed unrest—they bring such troubles as banditry, looting, and loss of life. Without performing a Jiao (purification ritual) and submitting a memorial, it may be difficult to avert disaster.”

The Celestial Worthy then proclaimed the ritual rules for the Taiyi Jiao and commanded the Perfected Bao De, a revered Daoist deity, to descend among the people and transmit this method. It would protect the people from calamity and keep them far removed for a long time from floods, fires, Hanba—the spirit that causes drought—and banditry. Its benefits could extend widely to everyone. If a local community lacked the means to perform the Jiao ritual, people could instead fast and bathe, then ask a Daoist priest to recite this scripture with focused attention, up to one hundred times, and in this way also pray for disaster to be averted.

The Celestial Worthy also said:

The Daoist teachings have no fixed form or name; they depend on people cultivating and putting them into practice. The supremely true and subtle teachings are difficult to encounter.

You are fortunate to encounter them now because of blessings accumulated in past lives. You should continue to pass them on to others; in this way, you will accumulate great De (Virtue/Power).

Calamities will naturally disperse, and blessings and happiness will soon arrive. If you respectfully uphold and practice these teachings, you will often enjoy good fortune and things going smoothly.

The Yin-Yang Qi between Heaven and Earth will be harmonized, and all the people will live in peace and ease.

The numinous talismans of the Wuliang Jing.

End of the Upper Clarity Realm chapter of the Wuliang Jing.

The Taishang Thirty-Six Sections of the Venerable Scriptures, Upper Clarity Realm Scripture, Volume Two.

After Heaven and Earth took shape through transformation, they further divided into clear and turbid Qi: clear Qi became Heaven, and turbid Qi became Earth. Where, then, did it all begin? At the outset, perfected beings from the Ten Directions, holding a thousand ranks, attained the true Dao and manifested themselves in many forms to teach and transform others. Only then were the laws governing Heaven and Earth, Yin-Yang, and the movements of the sun and moon established. Once these measures were set, Qi was divided accordingly.

In the east were nine portions of Qi, belonging to Wood, gentle and flowing. In the south were three portions, belonging to Fire, fierce and blazing. The three portions of Fire Qi combined with the nine portions of Wood Qi to make twelve. In the west were seven portions, belonging to Metal, solid and strong. In the north were five portions, belonging to Water, vast and surging. The five portions of Water Qi combined with the seven portions of Metal Qi to make twelve.

The four directions of northeast, southeast, southwest, and northwest drew upon the Qi left over from the four cardinal directions to form Brahma Qi, the pure and subtle energy between Heaven and Earth. The Qi of the southeast and northwest was balanced, matching that of the four cardinal directions. The northeast had more Qi, and so mountains, rocks, great trees, and giant beasts came into being there. The southwest had less Qi, and so only precious treasures came into being. The upper and lower directions, meanwhile, received twelve portions of Qi divided from the central Earth position. As Qi rose, it became Heaven; as it settled and gathered, it became Earth. Thus Heaven and Earth each had thirty-six portions of Qi, and only then could all things be born and nourished.

At this time, the Great Gods of Perfect Truth from the Ten Directions and the Great Sages of Heavenly Truth bowed together and reported to the Heavenly Worthy: “We are fortunate to have heard the Orthodox Teaching, yet we have not understood its mysteries. We beseech the Heavenly Worthy, in compassion, to expound them widely.”

The Celestial Worthy said to the assembly: “The primordial Qi (the fundamental energy that forms all things in Heaven and Earth) follows the cycles of fate and fortune, and it too will eventually decline and come to an end. The sun and moon, the five planets and the stars in the heavens, even the most holy divine beings, cannot escape calamity. How much less can those whose cultivation of the Dao is still shallow presume to avoid illness and injury?”

On hearing this, the assembly was filled with alarm. They bowed their heads and prostrated themselves again, asking, “If such calamities truly occur, how can people be saved?”

The Heavenly Worthy said, “In your former lives, you were fortunate to encounter good conditions and to see and hear many kinds of true teachings. Living between Heaven and Earth, people are often disturbed in body and mind by the seven emotions and six desires. As a result, they cannot hear the true Way or understand the wondrous teachings, and concern themselves only with committing offenses. Even so, they can still repent and mend their ways. I now proclaim the orthodox teaching to you, expound the words of instruction from the heavenly realm, pass around the true scripture for you to see, and set out offerings in abundance.

“On the days of Jiazi and Gengshen, in the first, seventh, and tenth months, during the Eight Seasonal Nodes (the beginnings of spring, summer, autumn, and winter, and the spring and autumn equinoxes and summer and winter solstices), in the year of your birth, and on your birthday, you should respectfully burn incense, uphold the teaching, and practice diligently. In this way, you can gather the primordial Qi (the source energy spoken of in Daoism), harmonize Yin-Yang, and allow Qi and blood to flow freely between the upper and lower body. You will accord with Heaven and Earth, absorb upright Qi, and drive away malign influences and defilements. Thus calamities and illness will not arise, ghosts and apparitions will be dispelled, the roads in the five directions will be open, and your livestock will thrive.

“You should receive this scripture and pass it on to others in turn, so that those who study the Dao in generations to come may hear the good teachings and gain auspicious benefits, and that your entire household may receive wondrous blessings. This scripture is called the Inconceivable, and the power of its merit is likewise inconceivable.” At these words, the assembled heavenly immortals, the countless celestial perfected ones, the supreme perfected great sages, and the boundless, innumerable great gods of Heaven all listened with joy. Together they upheld the teaching, enabling it to spread throughout the world and benefit all beings. Do not let unenlightened ordinary people of later generations treat this scripture lightly or disclose it casually, lest they fail to receive its blessings.

The Heavenly Worthy then spoke these verses:

That which is truly constant and never changes is called the true Dao. All evil deeds should be shunned far away.

A lotus does not grow on dry land; it grows only where there is moisture.

It springs from murky mud, yet opens into a pure flower. You too should free yourselves from craving and attachment, and follow the way of purity and stillness.

Cultivating this Dao is like the lotus. Those who possess the highest De will have every aspect of body and mind complete and fulfilled.

Scripture of Demon-Subduing Spirit Talismans

End of the Scripture on Demon-Subduing in the Shangqing Realm

The Lower Volume of the Scripture of the Shangqing Realm, from the Supreme One’s Thirty-Six Venerable Scriptures

The Scripture on Refining Life says: Use the wondrous, secret power of this scripture to cleanse all impurities and free yourself from every desire and attachment. Then your conduct can return to purity.

In cultivating this Dao, you should be like a lotus: though it grows in muddy water, it remains unstained. Those of the highest De can embody every fine virtue and quality.

The Scripture for Subduing Demons and Its Talisman

The Scripture for Subduing Demons of the Upper Clarity Realm ends here.

The Lower Scroll of the Scripture of the Thirty-Six Venerable Sections of the Most High: The Scriptures of the Upper Clarity Realm

The Scripture on Refining Life, the Scripture of Hidden Mysteries, the Scripture for Dispelling Demons, the Scripture of Boundlessness, the Scripture for Subduing Demons, and the Scripture of Supreme Communion together make up one scroll.

Chapter Twelve: The Scripture of Supreme Communion of the Upper Clarity Realm

The Qi of emptiness and spontaneity—the primordial Qi that operates naturally before birth—gives rise to Heaven and Earth. When upright Qi circulates and transforms, harmful Qi disperses. When upright Qi is weak, harmful Qi invades Heaven and Earth, clouding their clarity. Abundant harmful Qi can damage upright Qi; when upright Qi is plentiful, it can overcome harmful Qi. This is the natural law governing the movement of Qi between Heaven and Earth. All harmful Qi arises because upright Qi cannot circulate, allowing harmful Qi to seize the opportunity to enter.

Those who cultivate the Dao should dispel harmful Qi and practice the supreme, perfectly true Great Dao, seeking ways to prolong life and attain immortality. People are born under Heaven’s mandate, and each lifespan has its limit. Heaven and Earth grant people an additional thirty years of life because their movements, along with those of the sun and moon, include extra intercalary time. If one can cultivate and preserve the Higher Dao and the supreme, perfectly true Great Dao, seeking to prolong life and attain immortality; if one can practice visualization of the Higher Dao and the perfectly true Way, as well as methods of breathing and gathering Shen—nurturing life by regulating the breath and gathering the spirit—then one can accord with the rising and descending movements of Heaven and Earth and thereby attain immortality.

Therefore, those who cling only to the body, without understanding how to move freely through change, cannot ultimately escape decline. Better to harmonize the spirit and gather primordial Qi, unite with the Dao in perfect truth, and take on forms as circumstances change without losing one’s original nature. Only in this way may one endure.

In human life, one’s allotted lifespan and one’s share of food and clothing are each determined. Yet even within these bounds, people can increase their good fortune and prosperity by cultivating the Great Dao. Consider someone who fails to sow in spring but hopes to reap in autumn. When no harvest comes, they say it was Heaven’s decree. How is that different from failing to practice goodness and accumulate De, yet hoping to receive blessings?

If you eat another person’s food today and provide for them later, this is not taking advantage of them; it is borrowing grain. If you carry someone else’s heavy load today and they carry yours later, this is not bearing a burden for them alone; it is entrusting labor to one another. If you receive someone’s help today and help them later, this is not one-sided assistance; it is an exchange of merit. If you praise and recommend someone today and later receive their praise and recommendation, this is not one-sided commendation; it is mutual recognition. There are many such examples, too many to count. People nowadays do a little good and hope to receive blessings at once. How is that different from these examples?

The perfected people of De and the superior men of the Dao do not act this way. If others do not help me, I still help them in secret, and I will surely receive good results. If everyone does evil, I alone persist in doing good, and I will surely receive good fortune. If others will not exert themselves for me, I gladly exert myself for them, and I will surely receive good fortune. If others will not provide me with food and drink, I willingly provide them for others, and I will surely receive good fortune. If everyone practices deceit and treats me dishonestly, I still treat others with sincerity, and I will surely receive good fortune. There are many similar examples, too many to count.

If you do someone a favor today and expect them to repay you, then resent them when they do not, your conduct is unacceptable. The perfected people and superior men seek Heaven’s grace; people of middling character seek favors from others. The foolish and base neither practice goodness in response to Heaven nor exert themselves to repay others, yet they idly imagine they will receive blessings. This is truly shameful.

If someone is wealthy, honored, and wise in this life, it is because they practiced goodness in a previous life, and they rightly enjoy this share of good fortune. But if, after becoming wealthy, honored, and wise in this life, they grow insatiably greedy, refuse to give to others, and plant no seeds of goodness, then in the next life they will again fall into poverty, low status, and ignorance. The same principle applies to the causes and conditions of this life.

The scripture continues with a verse:

Understanding the principle of empty stillness can dispel all manner of distracting thoughts. If you are able to gather together, you can enter the wondrous gate of the Dao as one.

At ease and free to follow your heart’s wishes, this method has no end. Here I have offered only a brief explanation.

You should know that as long as you nurture good thoughts, even when you turn your attention to dark and hidden places, you can bring light to them. The wondrous realm of Wuwei can be fully realized, bringing benefits of this kind.

“Numinous Talisman of the Scripture for Reaching the Higher Realms” (the numinous talisman in the Scripture for Reaching the Higher Realms)—here ends the Scripture for Reaching the Higher Realms of the Shangqing Realm.

The Scripture of the Taiqing Realm, Part One, from the Thirty-Six Venerable Scriptures of the Great High One

The Taiqing Scripture, the Scripture of Penetrating Vision, the Scripture of Gathering Immortals, the Scripture of the Cavernous Abyss, the Scripture of Inner Secrets, the Scripture of the True One.