《太上升玄消灾护命妙经注(李道纯)》

At that time, the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning (Yuanshi Tianzun)—a revered deity of Daoism, interpreted here by the commentators as the “primordial ancestral Qi (vital energy),” that is, the original Qi from which the myriad things are generated—manifested in the Forest of Seven Treasures. The “Forest of Seven Treasures” refers to the human body. The commentators hold that the body contains the Three Origins and the Four Images, and that it is named for this reason.

The Celestial Worthy was also dwelling within the Palace of Fivefold Radiance. The “Palace of Fivefold Radiance” refers to the inner realm of the Yellow Court in the central palace of the body, an inwardly empty and luminous state able to illuminate all things. His being together with the limitless host of sages speaks of every kind of transformation; his sending forth of limitless light speaks of every kind of knowing and insight; his illumination of the limitless worlds speaks of every kind of realm.

When he gazed upon the limitless beings, what he saw was every kind of empty, delusive thought; that beings endure limitless suffering means they are bound by every kind of entanglement. People turn about in the world, continually exchanging one body for another, as if without end; cycling through birth and death, they are born only to die again, yet do not know it themselves. Drawn by the ties of feeling, they seem to drift upon the broad river of love; driven by craving, they are as if blown into the deep and vast sea of desire, sunk within it and hard put to escape.

To be lost in sounds and forms is to be deluded by external sounds and sights, which is the work of karmic consciousness (consciousness that moves under the influence of karma). To be deluded by the notions of “being” and “non-being” is to be drawn by the roots and dusts (the sense faculties and the external objects they contact).

To speak of “non-emptiness and existent emptiness” is to say that so-called “non-emptiness” is not true emptiness, and that so-called “existent emptiness” is only an illusory emptiness. To speak of “non-form and existent form” is to say that so-called “non-form” is not true form, and that so-called “existent form” is only an illusory form.

Being and non-being are not absolute being or absolute non-being; what are called being and non-being are only illusory manifestations. To speak of being and non-being is not to speak of true being and non-being; non-being within being, and being within non-being, are likewise only phantoms.

If one looks at the matter only from the side of “being,” or only from the side of “non-being,” one falls into obscurity; yet if one clings to neither side, one still cannot in the end understand. One thus remains forever bewildered and unsettled. The four distinctions spoken of here—being, non-being, form, and emptiness—all throw the mind and spirit (Shen) into confusion, so that one can never come to rest.

The foregoing chapter explains the purpose of expounding this scripture. Sentient beings all remain within realms set apart from one another as being and non-being, form and emptiness, and therefore can never understand. The Celestial Worthy (Tianzun), out of compassion, expounds this scripture and establishes all manner of expedient means, wishing that people may, by means of this illusory body, cultivate correct awakening—that is, awakening to the true principle. For this reason the scripture employs such analogies as the “Seven Treasures” and the “Five Brilliances.”

If one wishes to guard and nourish the spirit with a jade talisman and to refine and nurture the body with golden liquor, one must first preserve and cultivate the Primordial Ancestral Qi (the fundamental primordial Qi, or vital energy, of heaven, earth, and the myriad things), and then gather in and set in order the various causes and conditions. Only then can one break down every distinction, transcend every realm, cut off every falsity, and loosen every bond. One will then no longer be ruled by craving and affliction, and will never again pass through the cycle of rebirth. One who can understand and practice in this way may attain the Dao (the Way) of long life and lasting vision (the way of enduring existence and of caring for body and mind).

The Celestial Worthy further said:

This principle is now set forth once more: you sentient beings—all sentient beings—arise from illusory appearances.

From “non-existence” there appears “existence”; all things that have form and features are not, in their origin, truly existent. From “not complete nothingness” there appears “non-being”; all realms without form or features are not, in their origin, absolute nothingness either.

Within what “does not belong to form” form appears; all visible shapes and colors are not, in their origin, fixed and truly real forms. Within what “does not belong to emptiness” emptiness appears; all so-called emptiness is not absolute emptiness either.

To cling to being as being is not true being; to cling to non-being as non-being is not true non-being; to take form as form is to fail to see that form is not, in its origin, truly fixed. Emptiness is the same: every so-called realm of emptiness is not, in its origin, absolute emptiness.

Clinging to “Wuwei” (non-action) and to “non-being” is not true non-being, because “non-being” does not mean that nothing at all exists.

Only by not taking form and appearance as fixed and truly real form and appearance can one see that form and appearance are not fixed and unchanging. To cling to emptiness as a fixed emptiness is likewise not true emptiness, because emptiness has no fixed substance.

If one merely regards emptiness as emptiness, it becomes a rigid and hollow “stubborn emptiness.” Emptiness has no fixed appearance; how could there be a body of emptiness that never changes?

Form and appearance are the same. If one merely regards form and appearance as fixed form and appearance, that is only illusory and unsettled form and appearance. Form and appearance have no fixed appearance; how could there be a body of form that never changes?

Form and appearance are emptiness; form and appearance and emptiness are not distinct. Emptiness is likewise form and appearance; emptiness and form and appearance are not distinct.

If one can understand that emptiness is not the emptiness of annihilation, one can recognize that the myriad things still appear within emptiness—this is called true emptiness. If one can understand that form and appearance are not fixed and unchanging, one can also recognize that although form and appearance appear, they have no fixed substance—this is called true form.

This is called “clear illumination” (lucid discernment and thorough understanding): seeing clearly that form and appearance and emptiness are originally one, one thereby understands that being and non-being are not opposed.

Only from this can one comprehend “wondrous sound” (the voice of subtle principle): although one hears, one does not cling to the sound that is heard—this is called wondrous sound.

After recognizing the dharma of emptiness (the principle concerning emptiness), one understands that emptiness likewise has no object that can be grasped—this is called the dharma of emptiness.

In this way one can see through phenomena and principle, and the mind is no longer obstructed. Understanding that being and non-being are not opposed, one enters the gate of non-obstruction; understanding that form and appearance and emptiness are originally one, one enters the gate of the myriad wonders and is naturally able to awaken to understanding.

Not clinging to being and non-being, mind and nature open into sudden clarity. Leaving behind every kind of doubt, one no longer regards form and appearance and emptiness as opposed to each other, and doubt disperses along with that.

One does not cling to views concerning emptiness. As the Heart Sutra says, “there is no realm of the eye, up to and including no realm of consciousness,” the practitioner is not bound by the six sense faculties (eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind) or by what they see and sense, and thus renders the six faculties pure; one does not cling to form, sound, scent, taste, touch, and dharmas (the six objects of perception), and thereby cuts off wrong views and obstructions.

Nor does one cling to form, feeling, perception, mental formations, and consciousness (the five aggregates that constitute a person’s bodily and mental experience).

The previous two chapters have set forth the mind-method of “ascending to the mysterious” (shengxuan). Out of compassion, the Celestial Worthy (Tianzun) directly points out the profound meaning of being, non-being, form, and emptiness, and repeatedly urges and admonishes, hoping that people will leave behind every realm of mutually opposed discrimination and not cling to such notions as being, non-being, and emptiness. The essentials for reaching the realm of the mysterious, subtle, and refined have here been fully stated. If a cultivator of the True can grasp the central point at this juncture, study and practice may come to a close; if one has not yet grasped it, then please listen carefully to the final words that follow.

“I therefore expound this wondrous Jing (scripture) for you.”

The meaning is as explained in the preceding text.

“Its name is Protecting Life (Huming),”

referring to the Dao (the Way) of long life and lasting vision.

“It can rescue and deliver all living beings:”

those who believe in it and put it into practice will not suffer defilement or disgrace.

“To carry and venerate this Jing on one’s person”

means to store it within the mind; the bodily form is thereby preserved, and one’s life span can also be long.

“To transmit the meaning of the Jing to the people of the world”

means to put it into practice outwardly, benefiting the beings of the human world and of the celestial realms.

“To circulate and recite this Jing widely:”

those who recite it can ward off calamity and support the weak and failing.

The hosts of guardian deities—Flying Celestial Divine Kings, Vajra warriors who smash the heterodox, spirit lads who protect the teaching, Perfected Ones who save from suffering (Zhenren), fierce beasts of metal Jing (essence), and others—each numbering in the hundreds of millions, will all attend and guard this Jing and protect it wherever it may be.

Wherever the Jing is present, it receives the protection of the good spirits of the Ten Heavens. This is close in meaning to what the Buddhist scriptures say: that wherever a scripture is present is as where a stupa or a Buddhist monastery is present.

“Warding off calamity and supporting the weak”

is like a medicinal remedy that prolongs life.

“Delivering all living beings”

is like a bridge that helps beings cross over suffering.

“Enabling people to depart from every kind of attachment”

is like a dharma-rain that washes away dust and grime.

At that time the Celestial Worthy further spoke a gatha (teaching expressed in verse), clarifying the wondrous meaning still further: “You do not see me,” and so one must be cautious toward those places that cannot be seen; “you do not hear me,” and so one must stand in awe of those sounds that cannot be heard. “Depart from every one-sided attachment,” and therefore the gentleman is ever watchful when alone. “This is called the wondrous Dao.”

The teaching of Shengxuan (ascending to the Mysterious) has now been fully set forth. The three chapters above serve to exhort and explain the merit of reverently upholding the scriptures.

The preceding text spoke of the four tendencies—existence, non-existence, form, and emptiness—together with the true realms of cultivation, taking them as steps toward the realm of Shengxuan and as a bridge for saving living beings. Fearing that some lack the strength to undertake the practice, the author in this chapter provisionally sets forth various phenomenal forms to guide those of middling capacity and below, so that they may revere, trust, and put the scriptures into practice; by reciting the text and grasping its meaning, they gradually enter higher realms. Four verses then point directly to the subtle essentials, so that both humans and non-humans may ascend into the Mysterious realm.

From this it is clear that the Most High’s virtue of loving living beings and wishing them life and liberation has reached its utmost. Unless one sets one’s will with single-minded dedication and diligently cultivates, one cannot repay this mysterious grace. Practitioners who read this scripture should encourage themselves all the more.