《太上洞玄灵宝开演秘密藏经》

On the fifth day of the tenth month in the first year of Shanghuang, the Most High Lord of the Great Dao, a revered deity of Daoism, went together with countless celestial perfected beings and divine persons of wondrous practice to the place where the Imperial Lord of Grand Tenuity resided. There were radiant clouds and roseate mists, palaces built of jade, and halls of golden splendor. Before the Lord of the Dao arrived, the supreme deities of the various heavens had fasted and purified themselves. They walked along the ceremonial route, pacing to the rhythm of Buxu—the walking chant performed in the Daoist Zhaijiao (purification ritual)—and recited numinous chapters. Following the ritual protocols of the Three Vehicles, they paid their respects, struck the ritual drums, and summoned the perfected saints. Once all the saints had assembled, they began to discourse on the mysterious principles and to elucidate the Dao (the Way) and De (Virtue/Power). The saints took their seats in order, and all around was solemn and majestic.

The Imperial Lord of Grand Tenuity rose and bowed to the Lord of the Dao, saying, “Today is a grand celebration, and also the day for transmitting teachings and precepts. That you have condescended to come here and look upon us with a compassionate heart is a profound kindness we have truly received. A humble subject such as I seldom encounters an assembly of this magnitude, and all the perfected saints are likewise filled with extraordinary joy. I beg you, in your mercy, to instruct me and resolve the doubts I have not yet understood. I wish to ask: the Celestial Worthies of the three times and the ten directions—the past, the present, the future, and the worlds of the ten directions—by what principle have they realized their wondrous bodies? Are these bodies one and the same, or does each differ? I earnestly request a detailed explanation, so that all living beings and those who study the Dao in later generations may have something to follow. Only because I have received your grace do I venture to present this address, and my heart is filled with trepidation.”

The Imperial Lord of Grand Tenuity once more earnestly requested that the Lord of the Dao explain in detail whether the wondrous bodies of the Celestial Worthies of the three times and the ten directions are ultimately one or distinct, so that living beings and later students of the Dao might have a basis on which to rely.

The Most High Lord of the Dao then commanded the Golden Mother of the Western Terrace, a goddess of Daoism, to preside over the rite. The Thirty-two Heavens responded in unison, chanting numinous and wondrous music, performing the music and dances of the celestial realm, and manifesting all manner of auspicious signs. The grandeur shook heaven and earth, and the scene was marvelous and resplendent. After a long while, the Lord of the Dao finally spoke: “This question is profound and subtle. What you seek to inquire into is precisely the most hidden matter within the secret treasury of the true Dao. Since I attained the Dao, I have never expounded principles concealed so deeply; now that the question has been asked, I will risk the prohibition and transmit them to you. You must listen and receive them with care, and you must not disclose them lightly.” All the saints present reverently accepted this charge.

The Most High said: The truest and most subtle principle is silent and formless, pure and fathomlessly deep, and cannot be named in words. Only for the convenience of teaching living beings is it roughly set forth in two ways: one is the “Dao-body,” the still and empty fundamental substance of the Dao (the Way); the other is the “birth-body,” the physical form born in dependence on father and mother.

What is called the Dao-body stands far from every form and appearance. Through the completed cultivation of right wisdom, falsity is removed, and one secretly accords with the mysterious root, becoming one with the Dao. It neither perishes nor arises, and it neither comes nor goes. Words cannot reach it, and thought comes entirely to rest.

What is called the birth-body accords with the patterns of the world. Relying on the causes and conditions of father and mother, it is formed through the conjunction of Qi (vital energy) and numerical allotment. Its numinous root-treasury is like empty space; it can manifest in different ways according to time and place, and the year and month of birth are not always the same. Some are born from the armpit or the back and grow up in the inner palace. Some have a pure white countenance at birth; some retain a youthful appearance throughout life. Their bearing is graceful and their endowment extraordinary, and they are revered by heavenly beings and human beings.

After bowing, the Imperial Lord asked: “Is the Dao-body itself the silent root? Or is there another meaning, on account of which it is called ‘the root’?”

The Most High replied: “The Dao is the root of the sage, and ‘the root’ is the source of the Dao. The two are one and the same; there have never been two origins. The name ‘Dao’ stands alone and independent, and its substance is naturally numinous and penetrating. One forces the word ‘Dao’ upon it as a designation because it cannot depend on any other name. What is called ‘passing far away’ means that its movement is profound and far-reaching, and its function comes to rest without a trace.

“‘Root’ is named in relation to ‘branch’; it is a designation provisionally established according to their mutual opposition. To call it the beginning of the myriad things is to speak from its function of being able to generate the myriad things. It is also the determinate root of the myriad things. The movement and stillness of the Dao have different functions; manifestation and concealment reflect one another, and speech and silence likewise depend upon each other.”

The Imperial Lord asked further: “Since a substance such as this can give birth to the myriad things and is their root and beginning, how does it differ from Shen (spirit), which is taken as the root?”

The Most High (Taishang) replied: If one inquires into their true substance, there are in fact not two different appearances. Why? Because both transcend every distinction; they have neither beginning nor end, and cannot be made clear in words. Still, for the sake of expedient explanation, they may also be spoken of as different things.

What is called the “spirit-root” (shenben), as regards true substance, does not have two different appearances. Speaking from the standpoint of expedient explanation, the spirit-root refers to the first single thought of mind in which delusive thoughts arise; it can become the source of all birth and death. Sentient beings, beginning from this one thought, continue thought after thought and unceasingly give rise to ideation; they thereby create karmic causes, receive karmic fruits, and revolve without end in birth and death. This is called the “beginning of consciousness” (shichu), and is also called the spirit-root.

What is called the “original body” (benshen) is the pure mind that accords with the Dao (the Way). It is the source of all worldly and world-transcending dharmas, and is therefore called the “root.” This true nature cannot simply be said to be mind, nor said not to be mind; it cannot be said to be form, nor said not to be form. Because it has no function of clinging and discrimination, it cannot be called mind in the ordinary sense; yet because it can give rise to thoughts and knows all things, it is also called mind. Because it is free of the obstruction of shape and color, it cannot be said to be form; yet because it can give rise to shapes and colors, and can be seen by the eye of the Dao, it is also called form.

This pure mind is fully endowed with all immeasurable merits and wisdom; it constantly abides in freedom, clear and at ease. Only because it is veiled by afflictions and has not yet come forth is it called “nature.” If one cultivates by an appropriate method, cuts off the various afflictions, and clears away obstructions, it appears bright and lucid, and is therefore called the original body.

Such an original body has always existed; it is not something produced only now, and so is called the “root.” Originally it does not belong to any fixed mode of existence, nor is it bound by the three times of past, present, and future; only for the sake of expedient explanation is it said not to be entirely apart from the three times. Because it has always been, it is called the past; because all sentient beings will ultimately realize it, it is called the future; because the great sages of the ten directions have already realized it now, it is called the present. Although a distinction among the three times is spoken of, its substance does not waver, and it constantly abides without change.

The Sovereign Lord (Dijun) asked further: If the original body and original nature are already complete in everything, why are they still obscured by the various afflictions? If they are originally complete and yet obstructions can still arise, then the divine worthies who have already attained the Dao ought also to lose the fruit of the Dao once more. Why? Because the substance is only one.

The Most High (Taishang) replied: Although the fundamental substance is one, in terms of principle there are two cases. In one, the expedient methods are not yet complete; in the other, the expedient methods are already complete. That is why I say: how could one claim that it becomes an obstruction? If it were already complete and an obstruction could nevertheless arise, then once all the divine worthies had attained the Dao (the Way), they would all have to lose the fruit of the Dao yet again. Why? Because there is only one fundamental substance.

The Most High replied again: Although the fundamental substance is one, in terms of principle there are two cases. In one, the expedient methods are not yet complete; in the other, the expedient methods are already complete. Therefore I say that all dharmas have emptiness as their fundamental nature. Only in order to teach and transform sentient beings does one employ skillful expedients and speak according to each person’s circumstances. The nature of these words is like empty space, and they involve no discrimination; the root of a person’s consciousness and of the original substance alike is the mark of empty space. Since what is obtained is in itself nothing obtained, there is nothing that is lost; only when one holds that something has been gained is there something to be lost. Thus what ordinary people call “loss” is, in the eyes of the divine worthies of the ten directions, constant virtue.

The Imperial Lord (Dijun) asked further: If the dharma of birth and death has no beginning and no end, and its nature is pure, why is it not called the fruit of the Dao?

The Most High replied: The dharma of birth and death has cause and has fruit, and is therefore impermanent; it cannot be called the fruit of the Dao. The fundamental substance of the constant Dao does not belong to cause and effect, and so it is constant; its fundamental substance is itself the fruit, and for this reason it is called the fruit of the Dao.

The Imperial Lord asked further: Is this original substance, then, a fruit of the Dao held in common by everyone?

The Most High replied: The dharma of birth and death has cause and has fruit, and is therefore impermanent; it cannot be called the fruit of the Dao. The fundamental substance of the constant Dao does not belong to cause and effect, and so it is constant; its fundamental substance is itself the fruit, and for this reason it is called the fruit of the Dao.

The Imperial Lord asked further: Is an original substance of this kind possessed by everyone in common, or does each person possess it separately? If each person has one, there are innumerable original substances; if there is only one, then after someone attains the Dao it ought to obstruct others from attaining the Dao. If one says that it is merely one among many manifestations, then it is not the true Great Unity (Taiyi), nor can it be called constant.

The Most High said: Have I not said that all dharmas are like empty space? The nature of empty space is neither one nor many; it is free of obstruction, and it is not bound by the discrimination of “non-obstruction.” Such an original substance is the same: its fundamental substance cannot be defined as one or as many, and by nature it is without obstruction.

The Imperial Lord of Taiwei (Taiwei Dijun) bowed in thanks and said: I have respectfully received your teaching. Still, as for the two principles of “birth” and “limit,” why does the scripture employ these two expressions? I venture to ask, and I earnestly beg you, in your compassion, to expound them and set out the distinction in full.

The Most High said, “In reality the original substance admits of no distinction; it is only called different ‘bodies’ according to the meaning being expressed. What is called the ‘birth-substance’ refers to the form and appearance in which birth is manifested.” On hearing this, the Lord Emperor bowed his head in thanks and said, “I respectfully receive your instruction. I still do not understand the two meanings of ‘birth’ and ‘trace,’ nor how the two kinds of ‘body’ spoken of in the scripture (Jing) are ultimately to be understood. I venture to ask, and earnestly beg that in your compassion you distinguish and explain them at length.”

The Most High said, “In reality the original substance admits of no distinction; it is only called different ‘bodies’ in accordance with their meanings. The form and appearance in which birth is manifested, and the traces that appear, are in their concrete phenomena the same as those of ordinary people; yet the form and appearance has no fixed and unchanging aspect, nor does it always follow ordinary convention. So long as the fundamental Dao (the Way) can be made manifest, the traces that appear arise from this.”

The Lord Emperor asked further, “Are both the birth-body and the trace-body manifested in response?”

The Most High replied, “Precisely so. The two manifestations of ‘birth’ and ‘trace’ both arise in response to conditions; so long as there is no difference in their function of benefiting living beings, both are called ‘response.’ The original substance is not different; there are only different names according to meaning.” The Lord Emperor asked further, “Then, as for this trace-body, does it have a dharma upon which to rely, or no dharma upon which to rely?”

Here, “response” means manifesting and carrying out instruction in accordance with the conditions of living beings; the “trace-body” refers to the body of the traces that are manifested.

The Most High replied: What I mean is that the nature of all dharmas has no fixed, substantial entity. That being so, how can one say that, among the traces and bodily forms that appear, there must be a real dharma? Speaking in terms of provisional names and manifestations, one may say that it both exists and does not exist: it does not depart from the root, and so it is called “nonexistent”; sentient beings are able to see it, and so it is called “existent.” It possesses no separate, independent substance of its own, and so it is called “nonexistent”; yet it truly brings benefit, and so it is called “existent.”

This is like a bright mirror that reflects every kind of form with perfect clarity, each one distinct. The images in the mirror cannot be judged to exist absolutely or not to exist, and yet one may still say that there are images in the mirror. When the minds of sentient beings are as clear and pure as a bright mirror, they can see the form of the true Dao (the Way).

It is also like a still surface of water: because there are no waves, the sun, the moon, the stars, and flying birds are reflected there, and people can see their images in the water. All manner of things likewise show their own reflections in the water, clear and distinct. Yet neither the things in the water nor their images are the true substance itself; one cannot simply say that they exist, nor that they do not exist. When the minds of sentient beings are like clear, limpid water and manifest the image of the body of the Dao, it is just the same.

The substance of the body of the Dao is the true Dao, and so one says that it is not a really existent thing; yet because it is not wholly invisible, one also cannot say that it does not exist.

This is like seeking someone who has already gone: by following the footprints, one can find him. The footprints and the person are neither one and the same thing nor entirely unrelated. The manifestation of the body of the Dao is the same: those who understand the principle involved may, by means of these manifestations, gain insight, behold the body of the true Dao, and come to know the boundless dharmas, and so one says that they are “one”; yet people do indeed rely on these manifestations, are gradually awakened through them, and thereby establish a field of merit (a means of cultivating merit and obtaining blessings), and so one says that they are “different.”

Principles such as these belong to the realm of the Great Dao; they are not something that ordinary people, or those whose practice is still shallow, can fully understand. The Lord of the Dao, wishing to make this meaning clear, then spoke a verse.

The body of the Dao (the Way) has neither arising nor cessation. It accords with the principle of naturalness and is mysteriously penetrating. Clear and still, ever pure, independent and at ease, it can only inadequately be called “emptiness.” It transcends names and marks, depends on no paired opposition, and does not cling to the merit of creating the myriad things. Upright and tranquil, it is not constrained by doctrinal principles or functions; profound and silent, it securely abides in vacuous stillness and harmonious balance. The body of the Dao is the root of the myriad things. It transforms and gives rise to them, and it establishes and arranges the Three Powers (Heaven, Earth, and humanity). Its subtle function is hard to fathom, yet it can illuminate completely, appearing with each thought. It is both the source of every wondrous manifestation and able to appear in countless millions of forms. Its numinous function has neither arising nor perishing, nor any coming or going.

When the body of the Dao manifests as a human body, it may lodge in the form born of parents and thereby display wisdom, appearing just as ordinary people do. Its birth is like transformational emergence from a womb of fine jade, not pregnancy in the worldly sense; it manifests according to the mission it is to undertake. The body of the Dao is dignified and majestic, inspiring reverence; even in white-haired old age it can dispel confusion and craving. It is not an ordinary body of bone and flesh, but appears wherever the power of its vow extends. Its manner of manifestation follows no fixed norm, and the body it displays may also endure for a long time. It can appear throughout the Five Paths (the different destinations of beings in the cycle of rebirth), its form changing with the beauty or ugliness of the beings of each path. The teaching it carries out according to its original vow does not differ in benefit because of differences in outward appearance. Sometimes it is born by transformation; sometimes it is also born through parents.

The Imperial Lord of Grand Tenuity (Taiwei Dijun, a Daoist deity) again bowed in homage and asked, “May I ask whether the body of the Dao arises from causes and conditions, or without causes and conditions? If one says that it has causes and conditions, then, like things commonly seen in the world, it is born from the conjunction of causes and conditions and is therefore impermanent. If one says that it arises without a cause, one falls into a wrong view, that is, the teaching of a heterodox path. If the body of the Dao is not produced by causes and conditions but exists spontaneously, then all beings who do not cultivate the Dao ought likewise to attain the Dao. How, then, are these two claims to be understood? I earnestly beg you, in your compassion, to instruct me.”

Note: In the original text, the phrase “sometimes through parents” appears again in the preceding passage, and at the end the question whether the body of the Dao has a cause is restated in closely similar terms. In keeping with the context, the translation retains the intent of that question.

The Lord of the Dao (the Way) replied: “Only the Imperial Lord of Grand Tenuity (Taiwei Dijun, a revered deity of Daoism) can set forth principles so profound and hidden.

What is called the correct Dao refers to true reality itself, which cannot be conveyed by speech and writing alone. To speak of the ‘Dao’ now is merely to use words to point toward it, so that one may come to understand; once understanding is genuine, one must grasp the meaning beyond words—as one forgets the bamboo basket used for catching fish and takes hold of the purpose of the catch—and not cling to the written characters.

The so-called ‘Dao’ penetrates freely and without obstruction, like empty space. It is neither being nor non-being; neither ignorance nor wisdom; neither cause nor effect; neither the ordinary nor the sage; neither visible form nor mental thought. It has no fixed appearance, yet one cannot say that it is wholly without appearance. It is identical with all phenomena, and yet there is nothing that can be taken as identical with it.

Why is this so? Because the nature of all things is to have no fixed self-nature; the nature of things and the nature of the Dao are, in the end, both empty. What is called ‘emptiness’ is itself empty, and the ‘emptiness of emptiness’ is empty as well. Within emptiness there is no discrimination, and discrimination itself is also empty; therefore one speaks of the absence of discrimination. All things are likewise empty. Because emptiness admits of no twofold division, one says that things and the Dao are identical.

Sentient beings do not understand these principles. In the nature of phenomena and the nature of the Dao, where originally no phenomenon can be grasped, they give rise to the notion that ‘there is a phenomenon’; and where one ought not to cling to emptiness, they give rise to the notion of ‘emptiness.’ From this inverted thinking, views of attachment arise, fully embodying the four inversions (taking the impermanent as permanent, suffering as pleasure, non-self as a self, and the impure as pure). They falsely fabricate all manner of conceptions and cling to the self and to external things. This is what is called birth and death, and it keeps one from attaining the body of the Dao.

The Celestial Worthy, the Great Sage, realizes true nature, understands that all things ultimately have no fixed self-nature, thoroughly penetrates the source of the Dao, and becomes wholly one with the Dao; this is therefore called attaining the Dao. Body and Dao being one, it is called the body of the Dao. Cultivating this correct contemplation is called a ‘cause’; yet in truth there is nothing that can be cultivated, and so one also says that it is not a ‘cause.’ The correct Dao is not produced by some cause, nor does it exist without a cause. Its fundamental substance is not an effect, nor can one say that it is not an effect. It is neither permanent nor not permanent; neither quiescent extinction nor not quiescent extinction.

Principles so profound and hidden can be truly understood only by those who penetrate nature and the Dao. Even the highest sages and perfected immortals do not necessarily all penetrate them; only by relying on faith can they seem to gain some apprehension. Such a body of the Dao abides in the absence of attachment, yet there is nowhere it cannot abide. This is called the true body of the correct Dao.”

The Imperial Lord asked further: “May I ask what the karmic appearance of the birth-body received by the Celestial Worthy is like—that is, the body and its characteristics obtained through the fruition of past karma?”

The Most High said, “What is called ‘birth’ means that there is originally no birth, and yet the appearance of birth can be manifested; it transcends all birth in the ordinary sense.” The Imperial Lord asked further, “I do not understand. Of the birth-body manifested by the Celestial Worthy, what are the karmic causes and the circumstances?”

The Most High replied, “What is called ‘birth’ is that there is originally no birth, and yet the appearance of birth can be manifested, transcending all birth in the ordinary sense. Why is this so? The Celestial Worthies of the Ten Directions (the venerable deities of the worlds of the ten directions) long ago brought birth and death to a complete end, and the afflictions of clinging desire, together with ignorance, have been forever purified. Thus they originally have no birth. Only in order to benefit living beings do they manifest an appearance of birth like that of the world.

“Why must they do this? If I were to say that the realm of the Dao (the Way) is lofty, remote, and still, returning to quiescence and no longer subject to rebirth, living beings might suppose that the Dao cannot be cultivated, and would no longer arouse the mind of dedication, nor cultivate good karma. For this reason it is said that all sages have as their result the manifestation of a birth-body; yet they are not drawn by the force of karma into rebirth, but manifest it in accordance with their vows.

“As for taking birth in the life-forms of the human realm or of the heavens, all such births take superior good karma as their cause, for this kind of karmic cause is the most excellent. This is to explain, by way of distinction, the characteristics of the birth-body.”

The Imperial Lord of Taiwei (the name of a Daoist deity) bowed his head to the ground in reverence and said, “How wonderful! The Lord of the Dao has set forth a principle so profound. Never before have I heard a Jing (scripture/classic) so subtle and marvelous.

“It is like a person of scant blessings and heavy sins, born both deaf and blind, unable to see the colors green, yellow, red, white, and black, and unable to hear the five tones, gong, shang, and the rest. Later a skilled physician transmits a wondrous method, opens his ears and eyes, and enables him to hear and see every kind of sound and color. I am just the same: after hearing this Jing, I have come to recognize the two kinds of bodily form.

“One should know that this Jing is the ears and eyes of the Dharma. Those who obtain it can see the true Dao, together with the principles of the two bodily forms: the Dharma-body (the fundamental body that embodies the Dao) and the provisional body (the body manifested in order to save and transform living beings). That skilled physician is the Lord of the Dao. In revealing and teaching me this marvelous Jing, the Lord of the Dao is as one who opens my ears and eyes. Those who receive this teaching can obtain the true Dao and the subtle body. Once they have obtained the body of the Dao, they can, in accordance with the needs of living beings, manifest a birth-body.

“This Jing enables one to comprehend and bring to completion the two kinds of bodily form, and so it is called the ‘Mother of the Dharma.’ Why? This profound and subtle teaching can cause living beings to give rise to the true Dharma-body, just as a compassionate mother gives birth to her children. A child of perfect filial piety constantly remembers the kindness of the mother who nurtured and held him, and wishes to repay it, yet feels that the kindness can never be exhausted in a lifetime.

“We are the same. Because of this orthodox teaching we give rise to the undefiled body (the body of cultivation no longer bound by afflictions and the force of karma), and so we should constantly harbor a heart of gratitude and make offerings to this Jing: enshrine it in a hall, adorn it with the seven treasures, set forth incense, flowers, lamps and candles, music, banners, and canopies, and pay homage morning and evening, just as one would serve one’s closest kin.”

The Supreme Dao Lord (Taishang Daojun) replied to the Sovereign: "Just so; it is truly as you say. From the past until now, I have never taught such a Dharma to anyone. Why? Because those who cultivate and study had not yet developed sufficient capacity to receive it. It is not that we, the Celestial Venerables of the Ten Directions, have been withholding it or were reluctant to transmit it.

"Although the teachings I have spoken are presented in different ways, in the end they all clarify one and the same principle: the essence of the Dharma is of a single flavor and a single aspect. Beings each awaken to it and enter into it in their own way, and their understanding is deeper or shallower. Accordingly, the teachings come to bear different names, depending on what each has grasped. Yet what they reveal is fundamentally one aspect, and so it is said that they all return to the same end, with no scriptures that are truly different from one another.

"This is like heaven sending down a single kind of sweet rain, which falls on rivers, seas, and other different places. The water takes on different names and forms, yet the rain itself is only one. The great sages of the Ten Directions send down this same rain of the Dharma, and beings receive it according to their own capacities and the Three Vehicles (the different levels of practice). The benefits they gain differ, and so these are called the Three Teachings, but in the end they all return to one place. The same is true of the bodily forms that are manifested. For those who have not yet awakened, it is as though the Dharma has not yet been proclaimed; for those who have understood and penetrated it, the Dharma has been complete and perfect from the very beginning. Therefore we have not kept any Dharma hidden away in secret."

At that moment, the Sovereign of Taiwei and the assembled multitude heard this teaching and all praised it as a principle never heard before. They rained celestial flowers down from the sky, played heavenly music, and made offerings to the Supreme Dao Lord. Together they chanted verses in praise:

"We take refuge in the Supreme Venerable One, the unsurpassed and most excellent King of the true Dharma.

You skillfully expound two subtle aspects of the body, like a rain of sweet dew falling on all.

Beings of the Three Vehicles differ in their understanding, yet the Dharma the Dao Lord speaks is complete and everywhere present.

Riding this vessel of the Dharma, beings cross the great river of birth and death and are freed from its suffering.

Taking this pure and wondrous medicine of the Dharma, the defilements and illnesses of body and mind are all healed.

Each receives the benefit of the Dharma, and with hearts full of joy, they bow in thanks to the compassionate father."

At this time, after the Imperial Lord of Great Tenuity (Taiwei Dijun) and all those present had finished speaking the verses, he addressed the Most High (Taishang): “If the various principles of the Dharma set forth by the honored deities all point alike to one and the same Dao (the Way), with no distinction of depth or shallowness, why is there still a difference between the perfect and complete teaching and the teaching that has not yet been fully expounded or fully made clear?”

The Lord of the Dao (Daojun) replied: “All that the Great Sage has said is correct contemplation, and all of it arises from the mind of omniscience. There is none of it that is not the ultimate principle, and all of it is definitive teaching (teaching that can directly elucidate the ultimate principle). Only in order to suit living beings is there a difference between the half-teaching and the full-teaching. For those of dull capacity, one sometimes speaks of ‘existence,’ sometimes of ‘emptiness,’ sometimes of ‘permanence,’ and sometimes of ‘impermanence.’ This is called the ‘two halves.’

“These differing statements, earlier and later, cannot all be spoken at one and the same moment. It is like treating an illness according to its condition: only one principle is indicated at a time, and so it is called ‘half.’ After the former illness has been removed, another medicinal method is then made clear. Because the principle and the method are then complete, it is called ‘full.’ Once these two kinds of statement have been understood, one enters the Middle Way that falls to neither side (the principle of not clinging to either extreme). Only this is the realm of wholeness and perfection.

“Those of profound capacity and keen wisdom, on hearing a statement that leans toward either side, ought to realize that what is called ‘everything’ is only a provisional name established in dependence on causes and conditions, and that this very principle is itself the Middle Way. The Middle Way means not clinging to any thing, nor is there some other thing that must be rejected. Because one does not linger at either extreme, it is called the ‘middle.’ Because it can guide living beings to a wholesome realm and into the city of liberation, it is also called the ‘middle.’

“If one can understand the Middle Way, that is correct contemplation. This is the first vehicle (the fundamental Dharma-gate that leads practitioners toward liberation). It can enable practitioners to leave the Three Realms, transcend the two kinds of birth and death, clearly discern the true Dharma-nature, and accomplish the unsurpassed Dao. Therefore this Jing (scripture/classic) can dispel the boundless darkness of ignorance and let people see the unsurpassed treasure of the true Dharma. It is like a bright lamp that shines through the darkness, so that those who have eyes may see every kind of treasure, take and use it as they wish, and obtain satisfaction and ease.

“I take pity on living beings beset by darkness and suffering, and so I kindle this lamp of the Dharma to illumine the darkness of affliction, that all living beings may follow the light and find the Dao, arouse true wisdom, gain freedom and peace, and at last realize the unsurpassed fruit, ascending fully into the profound and wondrous realm.”

The Imperial Lord of Great Tenuity asked the Most High: “If that is so, then simply by correctly understanding the essential meaning of the Middle Way one can accomplish the Dao. Why must one still cultivate other Jing and methods, only adding toil to no purpose?”

The Most High said: If those who cultivate and study are able to investigate and comprehend the fundamental root of the De (Virtue/Power) inherent in themselves, and to penetrate the Middle Way of correct emptiness (the right view that does not incline toward either extreme of being or non-being), they already possess all that is required and need not cultivate any other ritual arts.

It is only because sentient beings dwelling amid the Five Turbidities (a general characterization, in Buddhist and Daoist scriptures, of a turbid and disordered world) do not yet understand the profound and subtle purport of this Jing (scripture/classic) that other dharma-gates are first taught, so as to tame their minds and cut off the afflictions and the “Four Demons” (demonic obstacles that disturb cultivation), those evil thieves. This is like an emperor who, although he possesses countless treasures and objects of enjoyment, must still build a palace-city, complete its walls and moats, guard against thieves, and ward off every kind of calamity.

Likewise, only by cultivating correct contemplation (right observation and understanding) can one begin to awaken the mind-king (the sovereign of the mind) and abide in the city of the Middle Way, taking sincerity and wisdom as dharma-walls and moats and firmly protecting oneself, so as to meet the trials of all manner of demonic obstacles. Therefore the Celestial Worthies of the ten directions and the great sages extensively expound scriptures and precepts and disclose the various dharma-gates.

The Taiwei Dijun (a Daoist deity) bowed his head in homage and said, “May I ask the Lord of Dao (the Way): what, after all, is the difference between bijing and jiujing? Please instruct me.”

The Most High replied, “‘Bi’ means to decide, and ‘jing’ means to determine. The teaching of which I speak is fixed and without a second. For example, when I say, ‘widely opening the dharma-gates’…”

The Taiwei Dijun again bowed his head in homage and said, “May I ask the Lord of Dao: what, after all, is the difference between bijing and jiujing? Please instruct me.”

The Most High said: “‘Bi’ means decisive judgment, and ‘jing’ means certainty. The Dharma I proclaim is fixed and without a second. Just as I say that the world is impermanent, like empty space—empty and without a self, pure and undefiled—the fruition of the Dao (the Way) is constantly attainable, bringing peace, ease, and freedom, and is truly pure. If those who cultivate other teachings come to question it, these principles never change. The divine venerables of the three times—past, present, and future—all proclaim it in this way. This is the meaning of ‘decisively ultimate.’

“It is also said that ‘bi’ means careful examination, and ‘jing’ means truth. If the various Lords of the Dao say that the nature of all dharmas is pure, like empty space; that they appear only temporarily through various causes and conditions, their fundamental substance not being truly permanent and unchanging; and that the principle of the Middle Way is by nature free of inversion and is a state of quiescent cessation—then those who speak thus are careful, true, and trustworthy, without falsehood, and this too is called ‘bijing.’

“It is also said that ‘bi’ means thorough penetration, and ‘jing’ means clear understanding. When the great sages of the ten directions realize profound correct wisdom in the sacred arena, they can, in a single thought, fully understand all dharmas and their true nature, penetrating and illuminating them without error. This wisdom is complete and accords with the Dharma of true reality; it penetrates and clarifies with nothing omitted, and so is called ‘bijing.’

“As for what is called ‘jiujing,’ ‘jiu’ means to arrive, and ‘jing’ means the limit. The divine venerables of the ten directions obtain all wisdom and arrive at the limit of all dharmas; this is called ‘jiujing.’ It is also said that ‘jiu’ means freedom from error: wisdom is complete and accords with the Dharma of true reality, penetrating and clarifying with nothing omitted, and so is called ‘bijing.’

“It is also said that ‘jiu’ means to cut off, and ‘jing’ means to exhaust completely. All divine venerables, relying on the wisdom of true reality, cut off afflictions and habitual tendencies so that they are entirely extinguished, and obtain perfect liberation; this is called ‘jiujing.’

“It is also said that ‘jiu’ means to cross over, and ‘jing’ means already accomplished. The great sages of the ten directions and the Perfected who have attained the Dao cross the sea of birth and death and have already reached the other shore; therefore this is called ‘jiujing.’

“The above separately explains the distinct meanings of ‘bijing’ and ‘jiujing.’”

The Imperial Lord asked further: “By what title should this scripture (Jing) be called? When it is transmitted, what method is to be followed? Please inform me of both in full detail.”

The Most High Lord of the Dao (Taishang Daojun) said: “This scripture (jing) is called Opening and Expounding the Secret Treasury. Why is it named in this way? Because it makes clear the profound and subtle secret treasury of the Dharma-body of the divine worthies who have attained the Dao (the Way), throughout the three ages of past, present, and future and the worlds of the ten directions. How do unsurpassed Dharma-kings such as we leave the evil world of the five turbidities and teach and transform living beings? Please explain this in full.”

The Most High Lord of the Dao said: “What this scripture sets forth is the profound and subtle secret treasury within the Dharma-body of the divine worthies who have attained the Dao throughout the three ages and the ten directions. When unsurpassed Dharma-kings such as we leave the evil world of the five turbidities—the defiled and impure world—in order to teach and transform living beings, we manifest the three activities of body, speech, and mind (bodily conduct, words, and thoughts), and we employ flexible, skillful, and expedient methods. The intention within them is profound and hidden, and not easy to understand completely.

“This is because the body realized by the Celestial Worthies of the ten directions is precisely the realm that accords with the true Dao: its substance tallies with what is natural and spontaneous; it is without form and without name; it is not fashioned by human artifice, but is like empty space. Through countless kalpas they have long realized this Dharma; their Dharma-nature is the same, equal and without duality. At the same time they can manifest every kind of Dharma-body, display the reward-bodies attained through cultivation, and transform in inexhaustible ways in order to teach and transform living beings. Whether in the human world, the heavens, or the evil paths, living beings, each according to kind, to what they see, and to the causal conditions of their karma, behold the manifestation that corresponds to them. Sometimes the bodily forms they see are surpassingly excellent, transcending the world, exceedingly rare, peerless and fearless, their awe-inspiring virtue transforming freely and inconceivably. This is called ‘opening and expounding the secret treasury of the body.’

“Within the true and unchanging nature of the true Dao there is originally neither word nor discourse, and it abides in the mark of quiescent extinction. Yet the Celestial Worthies, availing themselves of skillful causal conditions, can distinguish and reveal the principles within it, and preach in the manner suited to each living being. The content is inexhaustible, the wording orderly, and the meaning profound. These teachings sometimes speak of the One Vehicle, sometimes of the Three Vehicles, and also of the karmic causes and fruits of humans and gods, gradually guiding living beings until in the end they return together to the true and singular correct Dao. This is called ‘opening and expounding the secret treasury of speech.’

“Although the Celestial Worthies give rise to no deliberation and remain far removed from discriminating thought, they rely on omniscience to penetrate the gate of emptiness, and with correct understanding and contemplative insight they thoroughly investigate phenomena and principle, becoming equal and one with the mark of true reality. With the wisdom that knows every mode of things, they illuminate the myriad phenomena of the world. Whether phenomena of form or phenomena beyond form, mental phenomena or non-mental phenomena; whether living beings stand in the five paths, such as those of humans and gods, or are formed of the four great elements and the six constituents (the various factors that make up body and mind)—their thoughts, karmic fruits, and causal conditions can all be clearly comprehended in a single moment of thought. The Celestial Worthies are skilled at discerning the capacities of living beings and at teaching according to what suits them, and they thoroughly penetrate both worldly and hidden Dharma-gates. This is called ‘opening and expounding the secret treasury of the mind.’

“It is precisely by means of these three secret Dharmas of body, speech, and mind that the body of the true Dao is accomplished. This realm is not one that beings, from ordinary persons up to the highest sages, can awaken to and know on their own. In this scripture I set forth these principles completely, explain the marks of the body, and open the expedient Dharma-gates, so that those who cultivate and study may comprehend the secret treasury of the mind and enter the realm of double mystery (Chongxuan, the Dao-realm of ever-deepening insight that transcends paired opposites). Therefore this scripture is named Opening and Expounding the Profound Secret Treasury. You should practice in accordance with the teaching.

“This is a Great Vehicle scripture, the most refined and wondrous among all the scriptures. If someone applies the mind with utmost sincerity and is able to understand and expound its meaning, that person should be carefully examined, and the teaching transmitted after one has paid homage; there is no need to require an oath and covenant beforehand. Why? Because such a person has already received and upheld other scriptures, and the mind and intention can be known; moreover, the correct Dharma is impartial, and there should be no picking and choosing.”

The Imperial Lord of Grand Tenuity (Taiwei Dijun, a revered deity of the Daoist tradition) joined his palms, paid homage, and said: “Excellent! The Lord of the Dao has expounded principles so profound. Only today do I understand that the divine worthies are truly the real parents of living beings. By the power of great kindness and great compassion, they manifest the true marks of the Dharma within the markless, and they speak these three profound and subtle secret Dharma-gates, so that living beings of later ages may awaken to the Dao of the One Vehicle, obtain the wondrous Dharma-body, and realize unsurpassed awakening. Living beings may thereby understand the secret treasury, and may also expound for all living beings these three profound and subtle secret Dharma-gates.

“Only now do I understand that the impartial correct Dharma of the unsurpassed Great Vehicle does not pick and choose against those who are defiled or lowly, but is transmitted only to those willing to practice it. Those whose hearts seek the Dao should pass it on in good time, so that this wondrous Dharma may spread widely, all living beings may open the eye of the correct Dharma, the unsurpassed lineage of the Lord of the Dao may be carried on, and the wheel of the Three Treasures (the Dao, the scriptures, and the masters) may turn without cease.”

The Most High Lord of the Dao said: “Excellent—that you, Imperial Lord, should resolve to propagate this Dharma. If men and women of later ages are able to receive and uphold it, they will obtain this blessing; all will see the correct Dao and obtain the pure Dharma-body.

“Imperial Lord, you should know that even if other scriptures do not circulate, the world will not suffer any great loss; but if this scripture loses a single sentence or a single verse, it will bring every kind of calamity upon all living beings. Why? Because this scripture clearly reveals the true and proper body of the true Dao, which is the original homeland to which living beings ought ultimately to return. If this scripture is lost, living beings will be like people orphaned and without support, drifting through the three paths of suffering (hell, hungry ghosts, and animals) and the five paths, long sunk in misery and unable to gain liberation. Because they cannot find the source, they have nowhere to take refuge. Therefore, Imperial Lord, you should wholeheartedly propagate this Dharma and make every effort to see that it spreads.

“In the past I received this scripture from the Great Thearch; the Great Thearch received it from the Upper Perfected of the Five Thearchs and from the Exalted Supreme Jade Emperor; the Jade Emperor received it from the Imperial Lord of Jade Clarity and from the Great King Who Dispels Demons; and the Great King Who Dispels Demons in turn received it from the Imperial Lords, the Void Emperors of the Eight Heavens. In the past it was always transmitted from mouth to ear and was never written down. Now, Imperial Lord, you may record the scriptural text, so that it may be passed on to living beings of the future. I will guard this scripture with the power of spiritual penetration; wherever this scripture is found, there will be auspiciousness. When the great kalpa comes to an end, all other methods of the Dao will perish, and only this scripture will remain. It will return to the Daluo Heaven (the highest heaven spoken of in Daoism) and then, according to conditions, descend once more into the world to save and deliver gods and humans.”

Thereupon the Imperial Lord of Grand Tenuity carved the scripture upon jade slips, engraved it in characters of gold, bound the slips with white silver into a volume, recorded the scripture in full, placed it in a casket of purple jade, and sealed it away upon a terrace of the seven treasures. Immortal lads and jade maidens scattered flowers and burned incense in offering to this numinous text. At that time, after all those present had heard and received the scripture, the Most High Lord of the Dao returned to the Jade Capital; those who had come to the assembly each paid homage and departed.