《太上九真妙戒金箓度命拔罪妙经》

The Wonderful Scripture of the Most High on the Nine True Wonderful Precepts and the Golden Register for Delivering Life and Removing Sins is included in the Zhonghua Daozang among the scriptural teachings of the Three Caverns (Dongzhen/Dongxuan/Dongshen). Its author is unknown. It was probably composed between the Northern and Southern Dynasties and the Sui–Tang period, and purports to record the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning proclaiming the “Nine True Wonderful Precepts” and the “Precious Talismans of the Golden Register” to the Northern Emperor of Fengdu and the various immortals and perfected ones. The scripture aims to deliver the guilty souls of all beings so that they may escape hell. “Golden Register” refers to the documents and Fulu (talismans and registers) used in the Daoist Zhaijiao (purification ritual). The entire scripture consists of one juan.

The base text is taken from the precepts and regulations category of the Dongzhen division of the Zhengtong Daozang and has been collated with Dunhuang manuscript S.957.

At this time, the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning (the supreme deity revered in Daoism) was seated in the Palace of the Three Origins within the wondrous realm of the Nine Clarities, upon a jeweled cloud-and-jade throne formed from the essence of the Three Qi (Sanqi, the three kinds of primordial vital energy between heaven and earth), beneath the Qian Forest. Together with the great sages, the Supreme Lord of the Dao, the Most High Lord Lao, the Nine Sovereigns and Upper Perfected, the Flying Heavenly Great Sages, the Perfected of Wondrous Practice, the Four Offices and Five Emperors, and countless beings—celestial dragons, spirits, and ghosts among them—he assembled upon the lofty Treasure Terrace of Kalpa-Ren.

Those who came from the ten directions rode five-colored jade wheels and eight-luminary coral carriages, bearing mysterious numinous kingfisher standards. They drove flying-cloud plain canopies and qilin-drawn feathered chariots, raised dragon banners and phoenix covers, and were accompanied by lions and white cranes. Along the way they sang and whistled in harmony, burned incense and scattered flowers, walked and flew through the air, chanted the Cavern Chapters, paid homage and offered praise to the Celestial Worthy, and oversaw the inspection of charts and registers, rescuing and delivering beings from suffering.

At that moment the Upper Palace of the Three Origins shone with universal light, illuminating the whole of vast space. The radiance of the Numinous Capital and Purple Tenuity shone upon the ten directions, reaching downward into boundless realms and even into the long-night gloom of the Ninefold Dark Hells. The roots of life, good and evil alike, of all beings appeared clearly in the light; every mysterious office was illuminated, and every celestial palace was plainly visible.

The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning, together with the assembly, broadly proclaimed the supreme and wondrous Dao (the Way), teaching the beings of the heavens and the human world, marking meritorious deeds, entering the names of those with merit in the Yellow Register (Huanglu, the Daoist ledger used to record merit and related rolls of names), and further inscribing them on golden tablets and jade slips set forth before the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing). The conditions within every hell were likewise made manifest.

The Celestial Worthies Who Save from Suffering of the Ten Directions entered the Ninefold Darkness, delivering beings from suffering, and commanded the Northern Emperor, the Three Officials and Nine Bureaus, the One Hundred and Twenty Departments, the examining officers of the Five Emperors, the Lads Who Inspect Destiny, the Directors of Destiny and the Recorders, the Directors of Merit and the Directors of Killing, the Soil Sovereigns of the Nine Ramparts, the Four Luminous Lords with their guests, companions, and subordinates, the clerks of the Five Marchmounts, the divine troops who carry out punishments, the mighty celestial strongmen, the armored soldiers of the celestial grooms, the ox-headed jailers, the Divine Kings of the Awesome Sword, the great demons of the Three Realms, and the nine hundred million ghost kings—all to gather in the hells of the Ninefold Darkness and together receive instruction and precepts.

At this moment, the Northern Emperor of Fengdu and all the ghost officials were shocked and filled with fear. They thought to themselves: “Because we accumulated sinful karma, we became ghost officials charged with governing the underworld. For long years we have dwelt in darkness and, through hundreds of millions of kalpas, have never once seen the light. Why has a Supreme Sage suddenly descended today, whose majestic radiance shines bright and illuminates every dark place? We wish to step forward and seek instruction, yet doubt and fear remain in our hearts, and we dare not speak.”

At that time, in the Universal Plunder Hell of the Center, many sinners were entered in the black registers. Ox-headed jailers drove them up the mountain of knives, and every one of them was wounded until head and body were mangled and limbs lay scattered. Only one among them walked up and down the mountain of knives, passing high and low among the trees and treading the edges of the blades, yet suffered no injury at all; every blade and weapon turned into a lotus flower.

The Northern Emperor was greatly alarmed. He kowtowed in reverence and addressed the Celestial Worthy (Tianzun): “This disciple’s destiny is unfortunate. I hold office in the underworld and reside in Fengdu, and already hundreds of millions of years have passed. Time and again I have seen sinners endure every suffering.

“I have seen the Wind-and-Thunder Hell of the East. There black winds constantly roar and thunder and lightning strike; flying spears and drifting halberds rush upon the sinners, splitting their limbs and piercing their five viscera. They suffer through ten thousand kalpas, day and night without cease.

“I have seen the Fire-Veil Hell of the South. Sinners swallow fire and eat charcoal and are burned by fierce flames until their heads and faces are scorched black. They bear volcanic mountains upon their heads, and flames rise everywhere upon skin, bone, and flesh. They suffer through ten thousand kalpas, day and night without cease.

“I have seen the Adamantine Hell of the West. Sinners are struck again and again with golden hammers and iron staves until their limbs rot and sinews and bones fall apart. Iron forks pierce their bellies, and golden hammers are forced into their chests. They suffer through ten thousand kalpas, day and night without cease.

“I have seen the Dark-Cold Hell of the North. Sinners sink into pools of bitter cold; spears of ice and blades of frost sever sinews and bones, and they are forced to drink the juices of a hundred poisons, so that their bodies are ruined and heart and belly are injured. They suffer through ten thousand kalpas, day and night without cease.

“I have seen the Universal Plunder Hell of the Center. Sinners are beaten until the pain is past bearing; their sinews and vessels snap, blood streams forth, and after they faint they are flung to the ground. The jailers then stab them with iron forks and force them, one after another, to climb the mountain of knives and the trees of swords. Wild winds from the eight directions set the trees swaying. The sinners tread the mountain of knives, and their bodies hang upon the sword blades. They suffer through ten thousand kalpas, day and night without cease.

“I have seen the Copper Pillar Hell of the Southeast. Sinners are bound to copper pillars amid roaring flames. They clasp the pillars with their hands and brace their feet against them; inside and out they are scorched, and belly and back fester and rot. They suffer through ten thousand kalpas, day and night without cease.

“I have seen the Butchery Hell of the Southwest. Sinners are hung upside down while knives and swords cut their bodies open. Limbs, sinews and vessels, skin, and the five viscera are sliced in every part; fresh blood covers the ground in a sight too cruel to behold. They suffer through ten thousand kalpas, day and night without cease.

“I have seen the Fire-Chariot Hell of the Northwest. Sinners are torn apart by five chariots and their four limbs scattered. Some are placed upon fire chariots whose wheels turn from every side; the blades upon the wheels cut them without pause, and fierce fire burns them until their bodies are charred and rotten. They suffer through ten thousand kalpas, day and night without cease.

“I have seen the Boiling-Cauldron Hell of the Northeast. Sinners are lifted on iron forks and cast into boiling broth; their bodies are cooked until they dissolve, and the stench of pus and blood is more than one can bear. They suffer through ten thousand kalpas, day and night without cease.

“I do not understand why the sinner now before us passes over the mountain of knives and the trees of swords without harm to a single hair, and why the edges of blades and spears have turned into lotus flowers. His bearing is solemn and majestic; he walks alone and knows no fear, and none of the many tortures can injure him. Now a Supreme Sage has descended as well, and the perfected immortals of the heavenly realms have assembled. All are shocked and terrified, and none knows the reason.

“I earnestly beg the Celestial Worthy, with a compassionate heart, to extend salvation widely, so that the beings who suffer in the Ninefold Darkness (Jiuyou) may be freed of their sinful karma, come to know the karmic causes and conditions of their former lives, abandon evil and turn to good, leave the dark underworld and enter the light, be reborn to enjoy blessed rewards, obtain lasting liberation, and forever depart from the Three Paths (Santu—the three evil destinies of the hells, hungry ghosts, and animals).”

At this time, the beings in the Ninefold Dark Hell heard that the Northern Emperor had interceded widely on their behalf. Remorse arose in their hearts, and they were willing to petition for the removal of their sinful karma. They wept aloud in grief, and the sound of their crying shook the Brahma heavens.

Thereupon the Heavenly Worthy Who Saves from Suffering of the Ten Directions, filled with great compassion, universally delivered all beings. By the majestic radiance with which he transforms living beings, and by employing the wisdom of the Six Penetrations, he caused every sinner to close their eyes and reflect in stillness. In a moment, each recalled former lives and clearly saw the many evil deeds committed while alive: some had slain their ruler or their father with their own hands and failed to honor their parents with filial reverence; some had slandered the Great Dao (the Way), turned away from the true Dao, and followed what is false and empty; some had harmed their brothers and plotted to betray their teachers; some had conspired with kin and committed incest among their own flesh and blood; some had become robbers and killed others; some had slaughtered living beings solely to satisfy themselves; some had used their power to bully the weak and, on the pretext of exalted rank, abused those of humble station; some had treated the Three Treasures—the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha—with frivolity and held no steadfast faith; some had slighted Dharma masters and slandered and debased the sacred scriptures (Jing); some had concealed the intent to harm and harbored cruel jealousy; some had spoken with venom and sown discord, stirring strife among good people; some had taken life, indulged in sexual misconduct, offered sacrifice to ghosts and spirits, and moreover profaned the sun, moon, and stars, the Three Luminaries.

From the first arising of a thought in the mind and words uttered by the mouth, through personally committing evil and inciting others to do the same, they recalled every sinful deed accumulated over successive lifetimes, and in an instant all of it stood perfectly clear. Their sorrow and distress thereupon grew twice as deep, and they longed all the more for liberation.

The Celestial Worthy (Tianzun) made a general proclamation to the four assemblies of disciples present: “Listen carefully. From ages long past these sinners have not believed in the scriptural teachings (Jingjiao). They have set their minds only on doing evil; their evil deeds have become entangled with one another, their faults have accumulated to the full, and their guilt has thereby been fixed. Their names were therefore recorded in the registers of evil. After death they sank into the Ninefold Darkness (Jiuyou, the depths of the netherworld) and remained stranded in the Three Paths (Santu, the places of suffering such as the hells, the hungry ghosts, and the animals), with as yet no hope of liberation.

“Fortunately, among them there was one person who, while still alive, established the Great Retreat of the Ninefold Darkness (Jiuyou Dazhai, a Zhaijiao, or purification ritual, held for the beings of the netherworld) and received and upheld the Wondrous Precepts of the Nine Truths of the Golden Registers and White Slips (Jinlu Baijian Jiuzhen Miaojie, the precepts of the Nine Truths recorded in the golden registers and white slips). His name was therefore entered in the golden registers (Jinge) and inscribed in the Jade Clarity (Yuqing). His De (Virtue/Power) was profound and his merit lofty, and he moved and communicated with the upper realms. I shall use divine power to rescue and protect in accordance with the intention of his heart. Now I shall universally proclaim the prohibitions and precepts, cut off the roots of every kind of evil conduct, and enable all of you to attain liberation together.”

At this, the Northern Emperor (Beidi), having heard the words of the Celestial Worthy, was filled with joy and deeply stirred. Looking up at the countenance of the Celestial Worthy, he chanted:

“O Primordial Celestial Worthy (Yuanshi Tianzun), how truly great you are—the compassionate father and mother of all living beings. From the Palace of Purple Tenuity (Ziwei Gong, a palace of the celestial realms) you pour forth light, bending it to shine upon the gates of the Ninefold Darkness. You illumine the lofty, secluded, and cold courtyards, and you shine through the vast and icy waters. Amid the raging flames you send down an abundant rain of the Teaching. Perfectly rounded and penetrating, you harbor great compassion and wisdom, and you are ever skilled at relieving the sufferings of beings. You rescue the departed souls of the long night, so that they may now bow their heads and pay homage.”

After the Northern Emperor had finished reciting this hymn of praise, the gods of all the heavens acclaimed it together. The music of the Harmonious Heaven (Juntian, the immortal music of the celestial realms) and instruments of every kind sounded in concert; banners and pennants, flowered canopies, incense, and blossoms spread everywhere and covered all.

The Primordial Celestial Worthy then again addressed the four assemblies present: “Listen carefully and take this to heart in stillness. I shall now set forth for you the Wondrous Precepts of the Nine Truths (the precepts recorded in the Golden Registers and White Slips), together with the merit of receiving and upholding them. They can uproot calamity and relieve suffering; their divine power is inconceivable, and all the gods reverently receive the command of the teaching.”

The Celestial Worthy said: “The first is to be diligent in one’s duties and loyal to the ruler; the second is to be respectful and yielding, and filial in nurturing one’s parents; the third is…”

At the end of the source text, earlier material is repeated just as the third item begins, and the content of the precepts is not given; the translation can therefore go only as far as the words that survive.

First, be diligent and conscientious, and loyal to the sovereign; second, be respectful and yielding, and with filial care support and provide for one’s parents; third, do not kill living beings, but with compassion rescue and aid all living beings; fourth, do not engage in sexual misconduct, but keep oneself upright and associate with others in a fitting way; fifth, do not steal, but prize the Dao (the Way) and righteousness, and be willing to suffer loss oneself; sixth, do not give way to anger, and do not oppress others with ferocity and rage; seventh, do not deceive or flatter, and do not do what harms good people; eighth, do not grow arrogant or self-important, and do not treat the Dao of Ultimate Truth with disrespect; ninth, do not violate the precepts, but practice them with single-minded devotion.

Talismanic Mandate of the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning: the True Talisman of the Golden Register and White Slip for Deliverance from Suffering. This talismanic mandate is now proclaimed to the boundless worlds of the ten directions, the Three Officials and the Nine Bureaus, the one hundred and twenty departments, the examining officials of the Five Emperors, the hells of the Ninefold Darkness, and also to the mighty warriors of heaven, the divine generals who command the spirit troops, the divine clerks who oversee records and lifespans, merit and fault, and killing and punishment, the ox-headed jailers, and the great demons of the Three Realms: Deliver the soul of the deceased, So-and-so, so that it may leave the hells, forever take leave of the dark, endless night and come to behold the light, be washed clean of every karmic offense, and have all enmities dissolved. May the deceased receive the merit gained by cultivating these Nine True Wondrous Precepts and ascend into Heaven. Once the above command has been issued, it is to be swiftly transmitted and carried out by the courier of wind and fire.

Proclaimed at the purification altar (zhai) in the year of Taisui such-and-such, on such-and-such day, the first of such-and-such month.

Talismanic Mandate of the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning: the Numinous Talisman of the Golden Register and White Slip for Long Life. This talismanic mandate is now proclaimed to the Cinnabar Heaven world of the South, the Fire Bureau of the Vermilion Mound, the Great Lord of Long Life of the Upper Palace of Nanchang, Marshal Lord Han, and the exalted deities who govern lifespan, the registers of merit, the lengthening of life and the increase of allotted years, and the removal of calamity and deliverance from adversity, together with the great gods who cause the remains of the dead to rise again and who hold authority over life and death: Liberate the soul of the deceased, So-and-so, so that it may ascend into the Court of Flowing Fire of the Vermilion Palace. By divine power like the radiance of jade, refine and transform the bodily form; with Yellow Efflorescence, wash clean the physical frame; enter the deceased’s name in the Purple Register, so that the deceased may undergo birth by transformation and obtain new life. May the deceased receive the merit of the Golden Register’s deliverance of life and, at the proper times, be promoted step by step. Once the above command has been issued, it is to be swiftly transmitted and carried out by the courier of wind and fire.

Proclaimed at the purification altar in the year of Taisui such-and-such, on such-and-such day, the first of such-and-such month.

If you are able to receive and uphold the Nine True Wondrous Precepts of the Golden Register and White Slip, the Numinous Talisman of Long Life, and the True Talisman for Deliverance from Suffering, you will be able to eliminate the great sins within the Ninefold Darkness. The above command is swiftly transmitted and carried out by the courier of wind and fire.

Proclaimed at the purification altar in the year of Taisui such-and-such, on such-and-such day, the first of such-and-such month.

Here, “talismanic mandate” means a sacred document issued in the name of a Celestial Worthy in Daoist ritual; “Golden Register,” “White Slip,” “Purple Register,” and the like are all celestial documents or registers of names spoken of in the scriptures (jing). “Transmission by the wind-and-fire post” means that the command is swiftly conveyed by spirit messengers. In the original text, one occurrence of the wording “the Ox-Slip True Talisman for Deliverance from Suffering” does not connect readily with the surrounding context; above, its name has been retained in accordance with the original.

If you are able to receive and uphold the Golden Register and White Slips, the Nine True Wondrous Precepts, the Longevity Spirit Talisman, and the True Talisman for the Relief of Suffering (Fulu, the talismans and registers used in Daoist purification and precept rituals), you can eliminate the great sins of the Nine Darknesses (the depths of the underworld), and your name will be registered in the Nine Palaces. The Lad Who Inspects Fate (the divine officer in charge of the registers of allotted lifespan), the Mighty Spirits Who Guard the Precepts, the Directive Talismans of the Five Emperors, and the Clerks of the Six Palaces (divine officers each charged with their own duties) will all, in accordance with the text of the slips, follow and protect the disciples who have received the precepts.

The Celestial Worthy further said: If a country is beset by unending warfare and rampant epidemics, the ruler, the empress and consorts, the crown prince, the princes and dukes, and the common people should all hold the Great Retreat of the Nine Darknesses (a purification ritual established to dissolve the karmic sins of the underworld), and each should receive and uphold the Nine True Wondrous Precepts and the Precious Talismans of the Golden Register. In this way the calamities of war will subside, demons, evils, and baleful influences will retreat and disperse, heaven and the human world will rejoice, and the country will attain peace.

If a person in the mountains, forests, or open wilderness is pursued and attacked by tigers, wolves, and fierce beasts, they should steady the mind and visualize the Golden Slip Spirit Talisman, the Lad Who Inspects Fate, the ritual master who conferred the precepts, and the divine kings who protect the teaching; the fierce beasts will then withdraw and will ultimately do no harm. If one enters the great sea and meets with violent winds, one should likewise hold these protectors in mind; the wind and waves will subside, and one will reach shore in safety. If one stands on the battlefield amid swords and blades, one should likewise hold them in mind; the weapons will be subdued and concealed and will not injure anyone. If one is shut in prison and bound in shackles, one should likewise hold them in mind; injustice will be redressed, and one will at last obtain release. If one is entangled by evil essences, ghosts and demons, and all manner of suffering, one should likewise hold them in mind; the ghosts and demons will disperse, and illness will heal of itself.

If, after someone has died, their allotted fate destines them to enter the Nine Darknesses and their name has already been entered on the Black Register, then their spouse, sons and daughters, disciples, and fellow students should hold the Great Retreat of the Nine Darknesses for the deceased, write that person’s name on a white slip, and receive and uphold the Nine True Wondrous Precepts on their behalf. In this way the Black Register can be burned away, those sinners are at once liberated, and their souls ascend to the Nine Heavens; then, through the turning of causes and conditions, they may become Perfected Ones of the Nine Palaces.

The Celestial Worthy further said: The Wondrous Precepts of the Golden Register and the Longevity Spirit Talisman are of vast power, and the prohibitions of the precepts are exceedingly strict. If one can cultivate according to the regulations, the blessings obtained are measureless. If someone gives rise to slander, contempt, or negligence, know that this person has accumulated evil over successive lifetimes and that their karmic obstructions are profound and heavy; their name will be entered in the Register of Evil, and after the fleshly body dies they will fall under the jurisdiction of the ghost officials. After death they will surely sink into the hells of the Nine Darknesses, endure every kind of suffering, and suffer through the long, endless night, unable to gain release.

Even if someone at first believes and accepts the precepts but later gives rise to a mind of slighting and negligence, the Lad Who Inspects Fate will report the matter to the Three Officials (the deities who govern Heaven, Earth, and Water), strike that person’s name from the Golden Slip, and enter it in the Register of the Dead. While still alive they may also suffer malignant illnesses such as parasitic sores, ulcers, and abscesses, so that others shun and reject them; they can neither seek to live nor seek to die, and are tormented without cease by sorrow and affliction, unable to find release. They may also long endure sudden disasters and evil events: violating the king’s law; meeting the calamities of weapons, tigers and wolves, water and fire; or suffering the slander and curses of wicked people; discord in the household, strife within the clan, and entanglement by enemies and those who bear a grudge. Thus, once one loses the true Dao (the Way), one will long sink into the evil paths.

Therefore you should practice in accordance with the regulations, give rise to no contrary thoughts, and tell these words to all men and women, so that they may all hear them.

At that time the Northern Emperor, together with the four assemblies present and the sinners of the Nine Darknesses, upon hearing these words awakened in their hearts. Each gave rise to good thoughts; every kind of suffering dispersed, and body and mind were at ease. They all resolved to cultivate the Dao, and their minds no longer turned back. Then the Black Registers of the Nine Darknesses were burned up all at once, the volcanoes were extinguished, and the icy pools grew still; the sufferings of swallowing fire and eating charcoal were transformed into sweet dew, and the golden hammers and iron staves also became lotus flowers.

They flew through the air and stepped into the void, chanting in praise:

I make obeisance to the supreme Venerable of the Dao (the Way). In an instant the raging fires of hell are quenched, the fiery mountains no longer spout flame, and the pools of ice grow still once more. The torments of the sinful souls who once swallowed fire and ate charcoal are transformed into sweet dew, and the suffering of those beaten with golden hammers and iron staves is likewise transformed into lotus blossoms. Then I rise aloft, treading the void, and chant:

I make obeisance to the unsurpassed Great Dao, and with a single heart I turn toward the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning, Yuanshi Tianzun (a revered deity of Daoism). You are the sovereign of utmost truth and utmost wonder, responsive to the myriad things, who opens and teaches the gateway into the realm of mystery. The wondrous precepts (the mysterious precepts) bring peace and harmony to the Five Numina (spiritual powers bound up with body and mind, heaven and earth), and the Golden Script (the sacred document bearing the precepts) admonishes the myriad spirits. You examine allotted destinies and verify the registers (the documents that record the name-rolls and destinies of spirits), and with numinous talismans you deliver souls in suffering. May I ride the clouds to audience with the Jade Emperor (Yuhuang Dadi), and be united with the Perfected Persons of the mysterious Great Dao.

Here ends the Wondrous Scripture of the Most High on the Nine True Wondrous Precepts and the Golden Register for Delivering Life and Removing Sin (Taishang Jiuzhen Miaojie Jinlu Duming Bazui Miaojing).