《太上灵宝元阳妙经》Vol. 3
About this page. The original text of 《太上灵宝元阳妙经》 Vol. 3 (Dongzhen 洞真部, 5 volumes) is shown in Classical Chinese as transmitted in the Godners/DaoZang edition. An English interpretation of the 11 passages on this page accompanies it: select a passage or press “Interpretation” to show it. All texts in English
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Source textInterpretation
The Dharma-nature is the Dao. The Dao is “the scholar”; the scholar is compassion, and compassion is the Celestial Worthy. Good men, compassion is the unsurpassed Dao cultivated by perfected beings. The Dao is compassion, and compassion is the Celestial Worthy. Compassion is also present among the sages of the heavens and throughout countless worlds. From age to age, Dharma-nature is the Dao; the Dao is “the scholar”; the scholar is compassion, and compassion is the Celestial Worthy. You should understand that compassion is the Celestial Worthy.
Compassion seems to exist and yet seems not to exist; it is neither existent nor nonexistent. This state of compassion is beyond the thought and understanding of novice lesser immortals. Compassion, Dharma, Dharma-nature, and the Celestial Worthy are all inconceivable.
The perfected child-disciple cultivates this compassionate mind in the wondrous garden of the Mahayana. Even while asleep, it is as if they had not fallen asleep, for they remain diligent and tireless in their practice. Though they are often perceptive and clear-sighted, they do not cling to being “clear-sighted,” because their minds are free from dullness and delusion. While they sleep, the heavens protect them, yet there is no “protector” who clings to the act of protecting, because the practitioner does no evil. They have no bad dreams or unwholesome experiences in sleep. After death, although they are reborn in heaven, they do not cling to “being reborn,” and so they remain free and at ease.
Good men, cultivating a compassionate mind can bring about immeasurable and boundless merit. This Great Primordial Yang Supreme Grade Subtle and Wondrous Scripture, together with the heavens and the perfected beings, can also bring about such immeasurable and boundless merit.
Perfected Being Linghua said to the Celestial Worthy, “All that perfected child-disciples think and realize within themselves is true; the attainments of lesser immortals and latecomers to the study are not yet true. Why can’t all beings rely on the power of perfected child-disciples and thereby share in happiness? If beings truly cannot attain happiness, then does the compassion cultivated by perfected beings not benefit them?”
The Celestial Worthy replied, “Good men, the compassion of perfected beings does indeed benefit living beings. Among ordinary people, some are bound to suffer, while the suffering of others is not inevitable. If all ordinary people were destined to suffer, then the compassion of perfected beings truly could not free them from suffering. But if their suffering is not inevitable, the compassion of perfected beings can benefit them and bring them all happiness.
“Suppose someone sees a fierce animal or a venomous creature from afar: naturally, they feel anxious and afraid. If they see a ghost while walking at night, they are frightened as well. People naturally feel fear when they see such things; likewise, beings naturally feel at ease when they see someone who cultivates a compassionate mind. Therefore, the compassion practiced by perfected beings has a real effect; it can indeed benefit living beings.”
Read and recite the Supreme Grade Wondrous Scripture of Primordial Yang Contemplative Practice with sincere reverence. Deeply understand the four states of mind: compassion, pity, joy, and equanimity. In this way, you can be delivered and attain the fruit of the unsurpassed, natural Great Dao. Good men and others, do not take this lightly or doubt it. Do not harbor false thoughts, disbelieve the teachings of the scripture, or slander the sacred texts. If you give rise to disbelief, you will fall into the three evil destinies and receive the fate of an animal.
After hearing this, Perfected Being Linghua, the retinue of immortals, and the good men understood inwardly and were no longer obstructed by doubt. They all bowed respectfully, circumambulated to the left three times, bowed their heads, and took their leave.
The fifth scroll of the Taishang Lingbao Yuanyang Miaojing is complete.
The character “yi” should be read as “yi” in the sense of “deliberation.”
The sixth scroll of the Taishang Lingbao Yuanyang Miaojing
The Middle Section of the Chapter on Contemplative Practice
At this time, the Perfected One Yuanyang Miaole gathered together with the celestial assembly, the immortal retinue, and eighty-four thousand young attendants in the Yuanyang World. They erected a lofty ritual seat, arranged incense and flowers, performed music, and hung banners and jeweled ornaments.
At that time, the Perfected One of Mysterious Joy in Primordial Yang, together with the assembled multitudes from the celestial realms, the retinues of spirits and immortals, and eighty-four thousand youths, came to the Primordial Yang world and established a lofty teaching seat. Offerings such as incense, flowers, music, banners, and jeweled canopies were arranged in tier upon tier, filling the open sky. All present then expounded the profound and wondrous principles and the secret treasury of Primordial Yang, so that men and women in generations to come might hear the sacred teaching.
The Celestial Worthy then gave rise to great compassion and manifested many auspicious signs of light. He proclaimed profound and hidden scriptures, guiding all beings: “What people in the world know, I also know; what people in the world do not know, I know completely as well.” What does this mean? Good men, beings in the world do not know, see, or discern the nature of the Dao—the nature of the Dao inherent in all things. Whoever can know, see, and discern the nature of the Dao is no ordinary person of the world, but is called a Perfected One, one who has attained the Dao.
Ordinary people in the world likewise do not know, see, or discern the meaning of the thirty-six honored scriptures, the thirty-six kinds of causal conditions, or the superior contemplative practice of Primordial Yang. Whoever can understand and discern these principles is no ordinary person of the world, but should be called a Perfected One. These are the things that beings in the world cannot know, see, or discern.
What, then, can people in the world know, see, and discern? They speak of the ruler of creation, the beginning and end of the world, and the two biased views known as “annihilationism” and “eternalism.” They also say that the true Dao is reached by beginning with the resolve to practice and continuing all the way to the realm of neither perception nor non-perception, the highest meditative state in the Formless Realm. These are the things people in the world can know, see, and discern.
The youths who are Perfected Ones can also know, see, and discern these things. If a Perfected One understands these principles yet says that he does not know, see, or discern them, that is falsehood. Falsehood is a transgression, and so he will fall into hell. Whether man or woman, anyone who says, “There is no Dao,” should be known as a kin of external demons and as one who slanders the Dao’s teaching. To slander the Dao’s teaching in this way is to slander the Celestial Worthy. Such a person will fall into the three evil paths—hell, the hungry ghosts, and animals—becoming a being outside the human realm and suffering many kinds of retribution.
At that time, after hearing these words, the Perfected One of Mysterious Joy and the assembly present praised the Celestial Worthy and recited a verse:
Because he is filled with compassion and pity for all living beings, the Celestial Worthy expounds the Way of Primordial Yang for me. It can remove the many poisoned arrows lodged in living beings, and so it is called the “Great King of Physicians.” Treatments by physicians in the world may bring relief for a time, but illness and injury can return. What the Celestial Worthy heals, by contrast, ultimately frees people from calamity. The sages’ nectar medicine is a wondrous elixir. Once living beings take it, they can transcend death and suffer no more from the pains of birth and death. The Celestial Worthy now expounds this teaching to everyone, opening up and clarifying chapters that are profound and hidden. When living beings hear this secret teaching, they can enter a realm of freedom.
After the Perfected One Miaole finished this verse, he asked the Celestial Worthy: “As you have said, nothing in the world can know, see, or perceive; only the Primordial Yang Youth can know, see, and perceive. But if the Primordial Yang Youth is also part of the world, then it cannot be said that nothing in the world knows, sees, or perceives, and that only the Primordial Yang Youth can do so. If the Primordial Yang Youth is not part of the world, then in what way does he differ from the world?”
The Celestial Worthy said: “Good man, the so-called ‘Perfected Child’ may be said to belong to the world, and may also be said not to belong to the world. When understanding and awakening have not yet arisen, one is called worldly. Once understanding and awakening have arisen, one is no longer called worldly. You ask what distinguishes the two; I shall explain it to you now.
“When men or women first hear this Wondrous Scripture of Contemplation and Practice, Supreme Grade of Primordial Yang, if they feel reverence and faith in their hearts and form the aspiration to seek the supreme, true Great Dao, they are called ‘worldly children.’ Beings in the world have not yet attained understanding and awakening, and at first these children are the same as they are. After hearing this scripture, however, a child learns that beings in the world have not yet attained understanding and awakening, and begins to recognize this. The child then reflects: ‘How should I practice so that I may attain understanding and awakening?’ And thinks further: ‘It is right to devote myself to upholding the precepts of the Dharma.’
“Good man, through these causes and conditions, practitioners will often remain on the right path in the future. They will not become arrogant, hold false views, or give way to doubt, nor will they claim to have fully entered the mysterious realm. Such people are called ‘Perfected Ones.’ Once they have cultivated the precepts and purified their conduct, they then practice the true Dharma. Thus, wherever they are reborn, they retain right mindfulness and do not forget.
“All beings are said to possess the nature of the Dao. The thirty-six divisions of revered scriptures, together with the ‘permanent bliss, true self, and purity’ taught by the Celestial Worthies and Perfected Ones, all show that every Perfected Child can perceive the nature of the Dao. When practitioners keep these principles firmly in mind and, through cultivating meditation, realize the ‘twelve emptinesses,’ they are called Perfected Children.
“First cultivate the pure precepts of the Dharma, and once your observance is complete, cultivate pure wisdom. Through cultivating pure wisdom, the precepts of the Dharma you have undertaken become firm and unshakable. Good man, just as Mount Yujing is not shaken by the winds from the four directions, Perfected Children are not shaken by the ‘four inversions’—mistaken, upside-down views.
“At this time, the Perfected One knows for himself that the precepts of the Dharma he upholds are firm and unshakable. This understanding and awakening belongs to the Perfected One; it is not the understanding and awakening of worldly people. When the Perfected One upholds the precepts steadfastly, without remorse in his heart, joy arises. With joy comes delight and ease of heart; with ease comes composure; with composure comes the concentration of non-movement. From this concentration arise true understanding and insight. With true understanding and insight, one grows weary of birth and death, then attains freedom and comes to understand the nature of the Dao. This is the Perfected One’s awakening, not the awakening of worldly people.
“Good man, this is understanding and awakening that worldly people have not yet attained, but that the Perfected One possesses.” The Perfected One Miaole then asked: “How should the Primordial Yang Child cultivate the precepts of the Dharma so that remorse leaves the heart and the nature of the Dharma can be seen clearly?”
The Celestial Worthy said: “Good son, the ordinary precepts of the world cannot be called pure. Why? People often observe worldly precepts in pursuit of some personal gain. Their intentions are unsettled, and their practice does not benefit all beings universally. Such precepts, therefore, are not ultimately pure. When the mind is impure, remorse readily arises. With remorse, the heart finds it hard to feel joy and ease or to settle in meditation. Without meditative stillness, true insight cannot arise; without true insight, one cannot grow weary of birth and death and attain liberation, nor see the nature of the Dharma. In the end, one cannot attain the supreme Dao.
“The Pure Dharma Precepts upheld by realized youth who cultivate the Way are not observed for personal gain. They are grounded in the ultimate Dharma and take the welfare of beings as their foundation. These alone are called the Pure Dharma Precepts. Those who practice pure precepts do not deliberately seek to avoid remorse. Rather, because their conduct is pure, remorse naturally falls away. It is like holding a bright mirror: though one does not set out to see one’s face, it appears of its own accord. It is like a farmer sowing seeds in fertile soil: though the farmer does not force them to sprout, they grow naturally. It is like lighting a lamp: there is no need to drive the darkness away deliberately; it disappears by itself.
“Those who uphold the Pure Dharma Precepts naturally feel joy in their hearts. A person with a pleasing appearance feels happy when seeing their reflection; in the same way, those who keep the precepts feel joy because their conduct is pure. Those who break the precepts, however, feel no joy when they see the Pure Dharma Precepts, just as a person with a physical deformity may find it hard to take pleasure in their own appearance.
“Two people once each carried a bottle to market to sell. One bottle held fermented milk; the other, a drink. On the way, both bottles broke. The person carrying the fermented milk was glad, while the one carrying the drink was distressed. Those who keep the precepts and those who break them respond differently to the same event because their states of mind differ. One who reverently upholds the Pure Dharma Precepts feels joy and then reflects: ‘The Celestial Worthy says that those who keep the Pure Dharma Precepts can attain the Way. I am now practicing these precepts too, so I should also be able to attain the Way.’ This makes the heart still more joyful.”
The Realized One Miaole asked: “What is the difference between joy and happiness?”
The Celestial Worthy replied: “Refraining from evil is called joy; keeping the Dharma Precepts in one’s heart is called happiness. Contemplating birth and death is joy; seeing the marks of the Dharma is happiness. The former is more superficial, the latter deeper. Leaving behind the common ways of the world is joy; attaining a Dharma that transcends the world is happiness. Those whose conduct is pure are gentle in their manner and free of harsh faults in speech. Whatever they see or hear, they are not led astray by evil thoughts, and their hearts remain at ease. From being at ease, they attain stillness and concentration; from stillness and concentration, they attain true insight. With true insight, they grow weary of birth and death and attain free and untroubled liberation. They then see the nature of the Dharma and realize the True Way. This is how realized youth keep the precepts purely, and this is how their practice differs from worldly precepts.
“Five supports aid the Pure Dharma Precepts: faith, a sense of shame, a sense of moral accountability, good spiritual friends who guide the practice of the Way, and reverence for the true Dharma. Practitioners must also leave behind the five hindrances, the five false views, and the five doubts. The five doubts are doubt about the Way, doubt about the Dharma, doubt about realization, doubt about the precepts, and doubt about heedfulness. In this way, the five faculties can be perfected: faith, mindfulness, diligence, concentration, and wisdom. One then gains mastery over all the processes of body and mind: form, feeling, perception, mental formations, and consciousness. This state is beyond the understanding of worldly people, but it is known and seen by realized beings.
“If a disciple of the Celestial Worthy receives, keeps, reads, and recites the Upper Grade Scripture of Original Yang, yet breaks the precepts, others will reproach him: ‘If the scripture truly has power, why have you violated the precepts you accepted?’ When someone who keeps the scripture breaks the precepts, people may look down on the scripture, and many beings may thereby commit harmful acts and fall into hell. Such a person is not a disciple of the Celestial Worthy but a follower of evil spirits, and should no longer receive or practice the subtle scriptures.
“If a disciple diligently receives, keeps, reads, recites, copies, and expounds the Great Vehicle Scripture of the Secret Treasury of Original Yang, he should comport himself properly in body and mind, with care and without frivolity or playfulness. Seeking worldly gain in the heart is called frivolous agitation; committing various evil deeds with the body is called playing around. If someone reads the scripture while coveting gain and committing harmful acts, others will question the scripture as well. Those who keep the scriptures should also take care when expounding them: do not teach at an unsuitable time, against the true Dharma, in an impure state, or with disrespect. Do not disparage the Way, or use a teaching to stir up worldly desires. Teaching the scriptures at the wrong time, against the true Dharma, or in a worldly manner may also lead people to look down on them and harm beings.
“Therefore, those who wish to receive and uphold, or expound, the teachings of the Scripture of Original Yang, the Great Vehicle Secret Treasury, the Scripture of the Immortals, the Attainment of the Way by Youth, and Free and Untroubled Liberation should first purify body and mind. They will then be less subject to reproach and will inspire those who hear them to approach the scriptures with pure reverence. Even if someone hears only a single verse, phrase, or word, if they rejoice in it, praise it, and explain it to others, opening beings’ understanding, they can arouse the aspiration for the supreme, true, and perfect Way. Such a person is a good spiritual friend who truly benefits beings, a disciple of the Celestial Worthy, and not a member of the outsiders’ demonic host.
“One of the paths of practice known to realized beings is the Six Recollections: recollection of the Celestial Worthy, realized beings, youth, the Dharma Precepts, Daoist practitioners, and compassion.
“To recollect the Celestial Worthy is to call to mind his Virtue. The Celestial Worthy possesses the titles Right and Universal Knower, Perfect in Wisdom and Practice, Well Gone, Supreme Being, and Teacher and Tamer of Gods and Humans. He abides unchanged, pure and complete, and has reached the far shore of liberation. No one can surpass or shake him. He has wisdom and is skilled in teaching the Dharma. Because he understands its meaning, the right moment, and the capacities of beings, he can teach them appropriately; for this reason, he is called a great teacher of the Dharma.
“The Realized One Miaole asked what these titles mean. The Celestial Worthy explained: ‘The word “worthy” has several meanings. Through wisdom, the Celestial Worthy has overcome the Four Demons, the four obstacles that disrupt cultivation of the Way, and has also left behind countless afflictions. In the past, he endured all kinds of afflictions for the sake of beings without regarding them as suffering, and he received offerings of incense, flowers, music, and more from gods and humans. “Right and Universal Knower” means that he is free of delusion and comprehends all things. It also means that he understands the causes and results of practice, follows the Middle Way, and attains the right fruit. “Perfect in Wisdom and Practice” means that his wisdom and practice are complete and that he clearly sees the nature of the Dharma. It can also mean that he possesses the fullness of illumination, wholesome action, and the fruit of liberation. “Well Gone” means both that he has reached the supreme Way and that he does not treat beings with arrogance, but always preserves the wholesome resolve with which he first made his vow.
“‘The nature of the True Way is not some concrete thing as worldly people claim. The Celestial Worthy calls it something that “exists” only in keeping with ordinary language. He is called the “Supreme Being” because he has no afflictions left to cut off and does not contend with others. Beings cannot overturn the truth he speaks, and the sages of the three ages have none who surpass him.’
“The Realized One asked what it means to be the ‘Tamer of the Great and Noble, Teacher of Gods and Humans.’ The Celestial Worthy replied: ‘A practitioner who learns the true Dharma by relying on good spiritual friends, listens attentively and understands its deeper meaning, contemplates its subtle principles without doubt, observes the Dharma Precepts, and subdues afflictions through action has what it takes to be a great and noble person. A person with a strong outward appearance but a deceitful, corrupt, and lustful heart cannot be called great and noble. The Celestial Worthy teaches beings wholesome methods so that they may leave behind evil actions of body, speech, and mind. Because evil actions can be left behind, beings can thereby attain freedom. After cultivating the Way, dispelling ignorance, and attaining pure insight himself, the Celestial Worthy teaches beings the same path, so that they too may escape the sea of suffering in birth and death and move toward the supreme Way.
“‘“Heaven” may mean brightness, freedom from sorrow, and good fortune; “human” refers to a person of ability and gratitude. The Celestial Worthy is called Teacher of Gods and Humans because gods and humans can give rise to the aspiration to seek the Way, practice the Ten Good Deeds, and ultimately attain the Great Way.
“‘The word “Way” also means passage. When practitioners understand the source of afflictions, those afflictions can no longer control them, and practitioners can also help others understand the truth. The Dharma includes protective spirit-generals, heavenly soldiers, and mighty warriors, who can subdue evil spirits and demons as well as afflictions, bring wholesome Dharma to completion, and exercise power throughout the ten directions. Whether walking, standing, sitting, or lying down, in daylight or at night, if one’s thoughts never stray from the True Way, one can continually draw near to the Dharma of the Way.’
“Realized youth possess fine qualities and a good reputation because, over countless eons in the past, they honored their parents and teachers; often gave generously to beings; upheld the precepts, practiced patience, exerted themselves diligently, cultivated concentration, and learned wisdom; and benefited beings with compassion. They received, kept, read, recited, and expounded the thirty-six revered scriptures in order to bring beings free and untroubled liberation, peace, and happiness—not to seek gain for themselves. They left behind greed, anger, delusion, pride, doubt, and attachment. Their hearts were pure, gentle, and upright, and they never turned back; thus they attained fearlessness and freedom.
“To recollect the Dharma is to contemplate the excellence of the true Dharma. The Dharma enables beings to see reality as it is in the present. It is not limited by time, cannot be seen by the physical eye, and is difficult to describe by analogy. It transcends distinctions such as arising and ceasing, coming and going, long and short, and moving and turning, yet it also appears amid the many phenomena of the world. Through this contemplation, one comes to understand suffering and emptiness and moves toward the wondrous Way. The true Dharma cannot be destroyed and is inconceivable. It is a refuge in which beings can abide and a means of escaping birth and death. It guides beings like a bridge and benefits them like a field of merit, while remaining itself pure, unstained, impartial, and at peace.
“To recollect the precepts is to contemplate the precepts. Though the precepts have no shape or color, they can still be upheld and practiced. Practitioners should ensure that their conduct remains unbroken, free of violations and unmixed with impurity, and should use skillful means to bring it to perfection. Keeping pure precepts protects practitioners from harm, inspires them to seek the Way, and enables them to expound the wondrous Dharma and offer protection to beings.
“To recollect giving is to contemplate how generosity is an important condition for attaining the Way. Giving cannot immediately cut off all afflictions, but it can ease the afflictions of the present and earn the praise of beings. Giving food to beings is like giving them life. One should give by proper means, without harming others or seeking a return. Practitioners give in order to help beings; this wholesome action can become a condition for attaining the Way.
“To recollect heaven is to contemplate the states of the heavenly realms. The realms of the Nine Heavens and Immortals, and even the Station of Neither Perception nor Nonperception, are exalted and subtle states, yet they remain impermanent and subject to birth, aging, sickness, and death. They should not be treated as the final destination. What is truly worth seeking is the Heaven of the Highest Meaning: the pure, everlasting state realized by realized beings. It is beyond birth and death, aging, sickness, and dying, and can help beings cut off their afflictions. With firm faith and gradual practice of mindfulness, diligence, concentration, wisdom, and other methods, one can move toward this state.
“The Wondrous Scripture of Original Yang is a profound secret treasury transmitted by the gods of the heavens, realized beings, and immortals. That is why the scripture says it is supremely subtle and inconceivable. Even before they have seen the supreme Way for themselves, realized youth are willing to risk their lives in seeking it and continue to strive diligently. Though they know that birth and death are beset by immeasurable faults, they remain within them to save beings, without growing weary or turning away. They are like a wealthy elder who sees his house on fire: though he knows the danger, he turns back inside to rescue the children who have not yet escaped. Realized beings protect and save beings in the same way.
“Realized youth are also called inconceivable because they can cross the sea of suffering in birth and death. Though they remain within birth and death, its afflictions do not ensnare them. Even while in the womb or at birth, they can remain clear-minded, free of greed and anger. They can also grasp the meaning of profound scriptures and expound it to beings without holding anything back.
“There are evil actions of body, speech, and mind that should each be left behind. The body should refrain from killing, stealing, and sexual misconduct. Speech should refrain from falsehood, slander, harsh words, and deceitful flattery. The mind should refrain from greed and envy, hatred, anger, and false views. Practitioners do not cling to the thought ‘I am overcoming afflictions.’ They understand that all conditioned things arise and cease, and do not treat wisdom as an achievement to boast about. Wisdom cannot be harmed by external forces such as fire, water, or wind, and is not controlled by greed, anger, or delusion.
“After hearing this, the Realized One Miaole said: ‘Only now do I understand that realized youth know the Dharma treasury deeply and are inconceivable. The Dharma of the Way is subtle and wondrous, and the meaning and merit of the scriptures of Original Yang and of those who receive and uphold them are profound and immeasurable.’”
The Celestial Worthy said: “The supreme Dao is always close at hand. How could it ever perish? Good man, the Essential Secrets of Original Yang sets out four contemplative practices: first, contemplate the body as constantly pure, unstained by defilement or evil; second, contemplate the mind as constantly settled, free from scattered thoughts; third, observe all phenomena and realize that there is no fixed, unchanging ‘self’ within them; fourth, contemplate all things and regard them with an equal mind. These are the four contemplative practices.
“If my disciples can uphold, recite, copy, and explain the meaning of this scripture, and receive the respect, praise, and many offerings of living beings, you should know that their connection with the Dao has not yet been severed. If the Scripture of Original Yang is widely circulated, yet my disciples often break precepts and do evil, lack reverence and faith in this profound scripture, refuse to uphold, recite, copy, or explain it, and receive no respect or offerings from others—or even look down on and slander those who uphold the scripture—then they are slighting the Dao and its teachings, and cannot be counted as my disciples. The Dao they follow is about to decline.”
The Perfected One Miaole then asked the Celestial Worthy: “I personally heard these teachings from a sage. Why, then, do you say that slighting and slandering the Dao will cause its teachings to perish? Sages conceal their forms and manifest themselves in borrowed guises, transforming without limit. Could a sage perish because someone slighted and slandered the Dao? If not, how should we understand these words?”
The Celestial Worthy said: “Good man, I will explain this further. Listen with full attention. There are two kinds of teaching: the first is worldly teaching, and the second is the teaching of ultimate truth. Worldly things can be sought and obtained, but the teaching of ultimate truth cannot be obtained in the way worldly things can.
“There are also two sets of qualities. One is impermanence, no-self, no joy, and impurity; the other is permanence, joy, self, and purity. The first set can appear and disappear, while the second is unchanged by appearance or disappearance. There is also a distinction between inner and outer: external teachings can appear, while inner teachings have no form to appear in. Things subject to action can be obtained; things beyond action cannot be grasped. Some things can be obtained and therefore have a beginning and an end. Others cannot be grasped and therefore have neither beginning nor end. If my disciples truly receive the Dao and its teachings, they will not treat them as something they can possess.
“If my disciples can uphold, recite, copy, and explain the Scripture of Original Yang, make offerings with reverence, show respect and praise, bow morning and evening, and keep immortals in their thoughts, you should know that the Dao and its teachings are flourishing and will not come to an end.
“Have you heard that Perfected Ones and youths possess this scripture? The Scripture of Original Yang is a secret text kept deep within by the sages. Why do I say this? Although the Celestial Worthy spoke this scripture, he did not fully explain the nature of the Dharma, or all the teachings on the Celestial Worthy’s permanence, joy, self, and purity. Thus even Perfected Ones may not be able to exhaust the wondrous Dao completely. This scripture is called the Secret Treasury of Original Yang and one of the thirty-six honored scriptures because it contains teachings that have not been fully expounded. It is like someone storing away the seven treasures without bringing them out for use: that is why it is called a ‘treasury.’
“People store away treasures so they can meet future needs. In a famine, they can bring out grain to provide relief. When beset by thieves, threatened by evildoers, or faced with dangerous roads, they can bring out valuables in an emergency. The secret teachings treasured by the Celestial Worthy are like this. In a future age, if Daoists with wrong views accept impure offerings and tell the public that the Celestial Worthy will eventually perish, taking offerings for nothing while showing no respect for the scriptures, the Celestial Worthy will use this scripture to break down such wrongdoing and lead people away from wrong views. When someone reveres and makes offerings to the Celestial Worthy, the Celestial Worthy will explain this scripture to them. When the secret teachings are passed on and revealed at the proper time, the Dao and its teachings will flourish.
“The Scripture of Original Yang is constant and unchanging, so do not doubt it. Was this scripture present at the beginning of ancient times? People spoke of it then as well. The people of ancient times were mostly simple, kind, and wise. Though they did not yet understand the true Dao, their bodies and minds were pure and they were easy to teach. Their virtue and standing were great, and their resolve was firm. People today are burdened by greed and desire, beset by troubles, foolish and forgetful, lacking in wisdom, full of doubt, and weak in faith. The world, too, is impure. Living beings all believe that sages are subject to impermanence and change, and will eventually disappear from the true Dao. That is why the Celestial Worthy spoke this scripture. In truth, the sages’ Dao and teachings cannot be severed, because they are constant and unchanging.
“Good man, if someone says that ‘no-self’ means ‘self,’ or that ‘self’ means ‘no-self’; that impermanence means permanence, or permanence means impermanence; that no joy means joy, or joy means no joy; that impurity means purity, or purity means impurity; that what is not true is true, or what is true is not true; that what is not the Dao is the Dao, or that the Dao is not the Dao; that what is unborn is born, or that what is born is unborn; that what is not destroyed is destroyed, or that what is destroyed is not destroyed—such words, which confuse the principles, are the words of demons. To take demonic words as truth and deceive people with all kinds of specious arguments leads to falling into the three evil destinies—hell, hungry ghosts, and animals—where one sinks for a long time and finds liberation hard to attain.
“I would sooner say that a rope could bind a raging wind, or that a great lotus could grow in a blazing fire, or that the moon could grow hot and the sun grow cold, than say that the true Dao could ever become utterly obscured.
“When Perfected Ones first attain the wondrous, supreme, and true fruition of Original Yang, the Dao, there may as yet be no disciples able to understand its profound meaning. Even if the sages conceal their traces and manifest through transformations, the Dao and its teachings will still endure for a long time. If there are already disciples who understand the profound meaning, then even as the sages transform their forms, the Dao and its teachings will still endure for a long time. If disciples who understand the profound meaning exist, but there are no ordinary people who are loyal and faithful to the Dao and its teachings and who revere them, then even after the sages depart, the Dao and its teachings can still endure for a long time. If there are both disciples who understand the profound meaning and ordinary people who revere the Dao and its teachings, then after the sages depart, the true Dao can likewise endure for a long time.
“If disciples explain the scripture for the sake of profit, then even if believers revere the Dao and its teachings, those teachings will gradually decline. If disciples explain the scripture without seeking profit, but to save living beings and lead people toward the true teaching, then even after the sages depart, the Dao and its teachings can still endure for a long time. If disciples understand the profound meaning and believers revere the immortals and the Dao, but the disciples often argue and accuse one another, this will hinder the long endurance of the Dao and its teachings. By contrast, if disciples cultivate harmony and respect, do not quarrel over who is right and wrong, and treat one another with affection and esteem, then even after the sages depart, the Dao and its teachings can continue without end.
“If disciples explain the wondrous teachings of Original Yang to living beings, treat one another with respect and do not quarrel, and remove what is impure, yet boast, ‘I will surely attain the Dao,’ the Dao and its teachings can still remain in the world for a long time. If disciples can explain the profound meaning of the secret treasury, practice harmony and respect, and honor one another, while neither clinging to the idea that all impurity must be removed nor claiming that they are about to attain wondrous fruition, then even after the sages depart, the Dao and its teachings can likewise endure for a long time.
“Good man, you should know that no phenomena have a fixed, unchanging form; they cannot be measured or fathomed. Living beings differ in their natural capacities, some keen and others dull, and the karma they bear and the understanding they have also differ in depth and subtlety. I regard living beings with compassion and have no attachment to favoring the high over the low or distinguishing self from others. I therefore treat all things equally and do not fall to either extreme.
“It is like a skilled physician who prescribes medicine according to the root of an illness and treats it according to the patient’s condition. The Celestial Worthy observes the roots of living beings’ afflictions and uses skillful means to teach them, so that they understand the scriptures and precepts and cultivate the true teaching. I save living beings, remove their afflictions and karmic hindrances, and bring them to purity, leaving no lingering harm. You should understand that sages dwell in the world for a long time; they have not passed away and vanished. They do not cease.”
At this time, all the divine beings and their families in the world of Yuanyang had attained clarity and purity, with nothing left unresolved. You should know that sages who dwell in the world for a long time belong neither only to the past nor to an age in which they will cease to appear.
At this time, all the divine beings and their families in the world of Yuanyang understood everything clearly, their hearts free from doubt or obstruction. The Perfected One Miaole, a Daoist immortal title, had mastered and understood all the essential teachings and deeply grasped their wondrous principles. Filled with joy and admiration, he bowed reverently, circumambulated to the right seven times, and then said:
The substance of the Great Dao is deep and mysterious, and its highest principles are so subtle that they are difficult to know. Though names are used to point to the reality, it changes with the times and appears when the moment is right. The sage guides and saves living beings, and is therefore honored as the teacher of humans and heavenly beings; he can prepare wondrous medicines and serve as a skilled healer in the world. The Yuanyang teaching illuminates profound principles, and its secrets are truly worthy of contemplation. Eighty thousand disciples have all found refuge in the sage’s radiant virtue and power. All beings in the Three Paths of Suffering—hell, hungry ghosts, and animals—have been liberated; the Five Sufferings, the many kinds of profound distress, have ended forever. All guilty souls have returned to the right path, and the hungry ghosts have received food and been freed from hunger. The immortals shine upon one another like pearls and jade reflecting each other’s light. They ride phoenixes to the Mysterious Capital, the Daoist immortal realm, and fly on luan birds up to the Purple Tenuity, the celestial palace among the stars. Now that living beings have awakened, they may hope to attain Wuwei, in which one follows the Dao without forcing things. Today, having received this grace, their blessings will flourish for a long time. The spirits of all the heavens rejoiced, bowed in homage, and took their leave to return.
This concludes scroll six of the Taishang Lingbao Yuanyang Miaojing.
At that time, the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning was among the trees of the Baoqian Grove in the Primordial Yang Realm, preparing to depart from the world. King Shanzhong collapsed to the ground. The Celestial Worthy said to the assembly, “I am now going to remain in the world for this king, passing through countless kalpas without entering the true Way.”
The Third Perfected One of Primordial Yang, Suiye, bowed to the Celestial Worthy and asked, “You say you will remain in the world for the sake of all living beings. Why mention only King Shanzhong?” The Celestial Worthy replied, “No one in the assembly believes that I will ultimately enter the true Way. Only King Shanzhong is certain that I will disappear forever. That is why he was so frightened that he leapt up and fell to the ground.”
The Celestial Worthy further explained, “The words ‘for King Shanzhong’ have a profound meaning. Ordinary people who commit the five grave transgressions, along with all beings who engage in activity but have not yet attained the Way, are included in what I mean by ‘for.’ I will not remain in the world for a long time on behalf of beings who have already reached the state of Wuwei (non-action), because those who have attained Wuwei are no longer ordinary people awaiting instruction. King Shanzhong’s afflictions have not ended, and he has not yet aroused the aspiration to seek the supreme, true, and perfect Great Way. He has therefore not yet seen the nature of the Way. Once someone has seen the nature of the Way, they are no longer an ordinary person, and I need not remain in the world for a long time on their behalf. The nature of the Way is the fundamental nature inherent in all beings, which neither arises nor perishes. When afflictions cease, one can see the nature of the Way and abide in the true Way. This is called ‘non-arising.’”
The Celestial Worthy said, “The Celestial Worthy’s hidden teachings are inconceivable; the mysteries of the Daoist teachings are inconceivable; the purity of the Perfected Ones is inconceivable; and the Primordial Yang scriptures are also inconceivable.”
Then the Celestial Worthy manifested his awe-inspiring radiance, displaying eighty beautiful features and seventy-two marks. His light illuminated the entire realm, bringing coolness to heaven and earth. The Perfected Ones of Primordial Yang and the assembled immortals said to one another, “We are so coarse and lowly, and the defilements and afflictions within us have not yet been removed. How can we witness such an auspicious sign?”
They also asked, “The light emitted by the Celestial Worthy is originally formless and without appearance. Why has it suddenly become manifest? It is neither colored nor colorless, neither marked nor unmarked; it can be said to be neither existent nor nonexistent. It is not white, black, blue, or yellow. The Celestial Worthy does not manifest this sign merely to save living beings, so why let people see it, even allowing them to feel heat or cold and distinguish blue, yellow, red, and white? Though this light appears in this way, it cannot truly be spoken of. What, then, is the reason for its manifestation?”
Among the assembly, the Fourth Perfected One, Ju Zhenglin, replied, “This auspicious sign has appeared because King Shanzhong is gravely ill. No physician in the world can heal his body and mind. The Celestial Worthy therefore emits light to heal his body first, then his mind.”
The king asked, “Perfected One, does the Celestial Worthy care for me as well?”
The Perfected One replied, “Suppose someone has seven children, and one of them falls ill. Though the parents love them all equally, they feel special compassion for the sick child. The Celestial Worthy is the same: he regards all living beings equally, yet feels particular compassion for those who are sinful and heedless. Those who are not heedless are left to abide in their own practice. Those who are not heedless are the Celestial Worthy, the Perfected Ones, and their immortal retinues. The Celestial Worthy does not look at a being’s high or low birth or status; he looks only at whether they have a good heart. If they do, he compassionately watches over them.”
The Perfected One continued, “Great King, you should understand that this auspicious sign manifests through the Celestial Worthy’s awe-inspiring virtue, and can dispel the burning distress caused by afflictions in living beings. The flavor of the nectarous Dharma works in the same way. When beings delight in and seek the true Way, that Way is called the flavor of the nectarous Dharma. It cleanses body and mind and enables one to awaken to the true Way. This is the good physician.”
King Shanzhong asked Ju Zhenglin, “I have heard that the Celestial Worthy does not sit, lie down, or converse with wicked people, just as the ocean does not admit a corpse and the azure luan and crimson phoenix do not perch on mixed woods. The Celestial Worthy seems the same. How can people like us go to pay him a visit? Even if I see him, might I sink into the earth? I would rather approach tigers, wolves, lions, wild beasts, or blazing fire than draw near to people who have committed the four or five grave transgressions. Now I wish to see the Celestial Worthy. With what state of mind should I go?”
Ju Zhenglin replied, “Great King, just as the hungry and thirsty seek food and water, the sick seek a good physician, and those in distress seek help, so should you seek the fruit of the Way. The Celestial Worthy even expounds the hidden treasury of Primordial Yang to beings deluded by wrong views and doubt. How much more would he compassionately rescue you, since you are not stubbornly deluded?”
The king said, “I have heard that some people are deeply attached to wrong views: they do not believe in the Way, do not listen to the teachings, refuse to examine them, and do not understand their meaning. Why does the Celestial Worthy still teach them?”
The Perfected One replied, “Great King, suppose someone is gravely ill. At night they dream that their teeth and hair fall out, that they lie naked in filth, that they walk, stand, sit, and lie down with the dead, holding their hands and eating with them, and that they travel along a road full of poisonous snakes. When they wake, they become distressed, and their illness worsens. Their family then sends someone to summon a physician.
“The messenger they send is destitute, deformed in appearance, and deficient in all six faculties. He tells the physician, ‘Please come quickly with me.’ Seeing the messenger’s inauspicious appearance, the physician thinks the patient is probably beyond help. He then consults the calendar and the stars and finds that they are all inauspicious. He checks the season and the time: it is autumn or winter, or sunset or midnight, none of which is suitable for treating an illness. He thinks that although all the signs are bad, he must still consider whether the patient has accumulated merit. If the patient has merit, there may still be a chance to save him. So he sets out with the messenger.
“On the road he sees two children fighting, their heads and faces bleeding. He also sees someone’s torch suddenly go out, someone cutting down a tree, and tigers, wolves, and wild beasts. He thinks these are all inauspicious signs, but then reminds himself that as a good physician he should go and save the sick person. Later, he hears people crying and shouting ahead, along with dogs barking, birds calling, and fierce beasts making sounds. Everything around him is noisy and unsettled. Still, he decides to go on.
“When he reaches the patient’s home, he finds the patient alternately hot and cold, with a swollen head and face, a foul-smelling body, blocked urination and bowel movements, labored breathing, and restless sleep. The physician asks the caregiver what changes the patient has shown lately. The caregiver says, ‘He used to revere and trust the Three Treasures and exert himself without slackening; now his reverence and trust have faded. He used to enjoy giving; now he is miserly. He used to eat in moderation; now he is greedy. He used to be kind; now he is violent. He used to honor his parents; now he has lost all respect for them.’ Hearing this, the physician judges the illness to be severe. He says he will return for now and come back tomorrow, and tells them to give the patient whatever he wants and not to restrain him for the time being. The next day he sends someone again, making excuses and delaying: the arrangements are not finished, the medicine is not yet prepared. A person of understanding should know that such a patient is beyond saving.
“The Celestial Worthy acts in the same way. When faced with someone deluded by wrong views and doubt, he examines their capacities before teaching them. If he did not teach them, ordinary people would think he lacked great compassion. Compassion is a form of wisdom; without compassion, how could he be called the All-Knowing One? If the Celestial Worthy offers a sick person a wondrous medicine and the patient refuses to take it, that does not mean the Celestial Worthy lacks a loving heart.
“There are two kinds of people deluded by wrong views and doubt: one kind can plant roots of goodness in this life, while the other can do so only in a future life. If the Celestial Worthy knows that someone can attain roots of goodness in this life, he teaches them. If he knows that someone can benefit only in a future life, he still teaches them. Even if the teaching brings no help now, it can establish a connection for the future. Those who hear the wondrous Primordial Yang scripture also have sharp and middling capacities. Those with sharp capacities can attain roots of goodness in this life; those with middling capacities will encounter the Dharma in a later life.
“Great King, suppose someone falls into a cesspit. A kindhearted person who sees them takes hold of their hair and pulls them out, restoring their cleanliness. The Celestial Worthy helps living beings in the same way. When beings fall into the three evil destinies, he finds a way to help them escape. Thus the Celestial Worthy expounds the treasure of Primordial Yang to someone deluded by wrong views and doubt for the very same reason.”
King Shanzhong asked, “If that is so, I will choose an auspicious day tomorrow to visit the Celestial Worthy.”
The Perfected One replied, “In the Daoist teachings, there is no need to choose an auspicious day. A gravely ill person does not choose a date first; they hasten to find a good physician. Great King, your illness is now severe, and you need the Celestial Worthy, this good physician. You should not choose a date. Fire inside wood and fire inside bamboo can both burn; auspicious and inauspicious days are the same. If you think of the Way and seek the truth, you can dispel your sins. I urge you to go today.”
King Shanzhong then ordered his minister Jizhen to prepare the offerings. Jizhen replied, “Great King, your wish to visit the Celestial Worthy in the Primordial Yang Realm and ask about the true Way is a good one. The offerings are all ready.” The king, together with his retinue, nobles, and ministers, then arranged their garments and brought fine horses, carriages, banners and canopies, incense, flowers, music, and precious objects. With a great company of attendants, he set out for the Primordial Yang Realm to pay his respects to the Celestial Worthy and ask for the true Way and its healing medicine.
The Celestial Worthy said to the assembly, “If ordinary people wish to seek the supreme, true, and perfect Great Way, they need both conditions and a good friend who guides them first. Had King Shanzhong not heeded the Perfected One’s instruction, he would certainly have died within a month and fallen into the three evil destinies. Therefore, to cure illness of body and mind, the most important thing is to draw near to a good friend. A good physician and wondrous medicine can cure grave illness and also dispel afflictions and karmic hindrances. Great King, you should know that the wondrous supreme-grade scripture of Primordial Yang is the good physician and wondrous medicine for all living beings. If you respectfully bow to it and recite and study it morning and evening, year after year without turning back, you will surely attain the fruit that arises naturally.”
The Celestial Worthy again said to the assembly, “King Shanzhong still has doubts in his heart. I will cause him to develop firm faith.”
The Sixth Perfected One, Jingde, asked, “As was said earlier, all dharmas have no fixed, unchanging marks. Form, emptiness, dharma, truth, and even the boundless Great Way have no fixed marks. Why, then, does the Celestial Worthy now say that he will cause King Shanzhong to develop a firm mind?”
The Celestial Worthy replied, “Well said. I do indeed intend to help King Shanzhong develop a firm mind. If his doubts can be dispelled, that itself shows that no dharma has a fixed, unchanging mark. So I will help him establish firm faith, though he should not cling to that mind as fixed and unchanging. Good man, if the king’s mind were absolutely fixed, how could the sin of killing his father ever be dissolved? It is precisely because no dharma has a fixed mark that karmic offenses can change and be dissolved. That is why I will help him establish firm faith.”
King Shanzhong came to the fragrant grove among the Qian trees and paid his respects to the Celestial Worthy, gazing up at his majestic radiance and dignified, wondrous appearance. The Celestial Worthy called to him in eight tones of voice: “King Shanzhong.”
The king looked around, thinking, “Who here is the king? I am sinful and without merit. Why would the Celestial Worthy call me ‘king’?” The Celestial Worthy called him again. Hearing this, the king was overjoyed and said, “Only today do I understand that the Celestial Worthy compassionately cares for all living beings, with no difference in his great compassion.”
Shanzhong came forward and said to the Celestial Worthy, “I was once doubtful, but now I understand. I know with certainty that the Celestial Worthy is truly the supreme guide of all living beings.”
The Perfected One Jingde said to the assembly, “The Celestial Worthy has already caused King Shanzhong to develop a firm mind. He will attain the fruit that arises naturally. His profound doubts have awakened, and the knot that had long blocked his heart has been untied.” The king then presented banners and canopies, incense and flowers, and music to the Celestial Worthy. After bowing, he circled the Celestial Worthy three times and withdrew to one side.
The Celestial Worthy said to King Shanzhong, “I will now explain to you the profound meaning of the wondrous practice of contemplation in the supreme-grade scripture of Primordial Yang. Gather your thoughts and listen attentively.”
“All ordinary people should continually examine themselves, review their conduct, and reflect on these twenty matters:
First, my body and mind are empty and insubstantial, and my roots of goodness are incomplete.
Second, I lack roots of goodness. Is there still a way for them to develop and grow?
Third, I remain caught in birth and death and have not yet found security.
Fourth, I am like someone who has fallen into a deep pit, surrounded everywhere by danger.
Fifth, what method can I use to see the true Way?
Sixth, how should I cultivate concentration in order to see the Celestial Worthy?
Seventh, there is constant suffering amid birth and death; body and mind are neither lasting, independent, nor pure.
Eighth, the eight difficult circumstances that obstruct hearing the Way and practicing it are not easily left behind.
Ninth, adversaries constantly follow me.
Tenth, I have no good conduct that can restrain my many evil acts.
Eleventh, I have not yet escaped the three evil destinies.
Twelfth, I am filled with various mistaken and wrong views.
Thirteenth, I have not yet cultivated a method for crossing the river of evil represented by the five grave transgressions.
Fourteenth, birth and death have no limits, and I have not yet found a refuge in the true Way.
Fifteenth, without creating the corresponding karmic causes, I will not receive the corresponding results.
Sixteenth, the karma I have not created will not bring its results upon someone else in my place.
Seventeenth, without planting good causes, there will ultimately be no good results.
Eighteenth, once karma has been created, its result will not disappear without cause.
Nineteenth, I am born through ignorance and die through ignorance.
Twentieth, in the past, present, and future, I am always indulgent and slack.”
The Celestial Worthy said, “Though you are a great king, you should examine yourself in this way constantly. After doing so, when body and mind are pure and free from defilement and evil conduct, you will gain right understanding. Next, examine in turn the arising, abiding, and passing away of actions and of thoughts in body and mind. Examine mind, concentration, wisdom, diligence, and precepts in the same way. By observing arising, abiding, and passing away, you will understand how the mind and even the precepts change. Then you will no longer commit various evil acts, and you will no longer fear death or falling into the three evil destinies. If you do not apply your mind to these twenty matters in this way, it will become heedless, and you may commit any kind of evil.”
King Shanzhong said, “In keeping with the Celestial Worthy’s teaching, I never examined myself in this way before, and so I created much evil karma. Because I did evil, I fear death and falling into the three evil destinies. I think I am certain to fall into hell.”
The Celestial Worthy said, “The nature and marks of all dharmas are impermanent; nothing is absolutely fixed and unchanging. Why say that you are certain to fall into the three evil destinies?”
King Shanzhong asked, “If no dharma has a fixed mark, then the crime of my killing the former king should also have no fixed mark. But if the crime of killing is definite, then not all dharmas are without fixed marks.”
The Celestial Worthy replied, “Well said. You know that the crime of killing has no fixed mark, so you should understand that killing itself has no fixed and unchanging nature. Great King, you call your father innocent, but the word ‘father’ is a conventional designation applied to a being made up of the five aggregates, the five constituents of body and mind. There is no independently existing, unchanging ‘father’ to be found. If the physical form is the father, then the other four aggregates are not. If the four aggregates are the father, then the physical form must be as well. If you say the physical form and what is not physical form together make the father, that too does not hold, since form and what is not form have different natures and cannot combine into one fixed entity.
“Ordinary people mistakenly identify a father within the aggregate of form, yet the physical body itself cannot truly be killed. Form has ten kinds, only one of which can be seen, handled, and weighed, and seems capable of being drawn away and bound. Yet its nature does not remain fixed. If it cannot truly be grasped, weighed, or bound, how can one say it has been killed? Form has three times: past, future, and present. Past form has vanished, and future form has not yet appeared; neither can be killed. Present form, too, changes from moment to moment. Thus the same body seems both killable and unkillable; neither killing nor not killing has a fixed, unchanging nature. Form is not fixed, so killing is not fixed; killing is not fixed, so its karmic result is not fixed either. How can you declare that you are certain to fall into hell?
“The offenses living beings create can broadly be divided into two kinds, light and heavy. Those created only through thought and speech are called light; those created through body, mind, and speech together are called heavy. Great King, you only formed the thought in your mind and spoke words; your body did not carry out the act itself. The result you receive is therefore lighter. At that time, you did not order anyone to kill the former king. You only said to cut off his feet, and did not truly intend to kill him. Besides, you did not personally give the order. Why should you bear the whole responsibility? Would the Perfected One also be guilty for this? Your noble birth and kingship came from roots of goodness planted in the past and from receiving the Qi of the Way. Without corresponding good karma, you would not have become king; if you had not become king, this killing would not have taken place. If that means you are guilty, then the Perfected One too would seem to be guilty. But if the Perfected One is not guilty, how can you alone bear the blame?
“Once, you hunted in the mountains, searching everywhere for game without finding any. You saw only an immortal who possessed the five supernatural powers. You became angry, thinking that you found no game because the immortal was there, and ordered your attendants to kill him. As he was dying, the immortal became angry, lost his supernatural powers, and vowed, ‘I am innocent, yet you have killed me for no reason through your thoughts and words. In a future life, I too will take your life through thought and speech.’ The king immediately regretted what he had done and made offerings to the immortal’s remains. In that incident, too, you received only a lighter result and did not fall into hell. Why, then, must you fall into hell this time? Each person bears the results of their own actions. Why say this offense cannot possibly change? If the former king was truly without fault, why did he receive a corresponding result? In this life, too, the king experiences both good and bad results. The former king’s circumstances, likewise, were not fixed and unchanging. Since that is so, killing has no fixed, unchanging nature. How, then, can you declare that you are certain to enter hell?”
The Celestial Worthy continued, “Living beings suffer from four kinds of delusion: first, greed for wealth; second, indulgence in sexual desire; third, being confused by spells, curses, and other forms of enchantment, which give rise to fear and doubt; and fourth, being influenced by past karmic connections to crave wealth. Some of my disciples, too, are caught in these four kinds of delusion. Though they have done many evil things, I do not therefore conclude that they must fall into the three evil destinies. When they recover their clarity, neither can they simply be condemned as people who have broken the precepts forever.
“Great King, you killed your father out of greed for the throne, driven by a mind deluded by craving. It was not the act of your clear and composed, innermost mind. Suppose someone, drunk with wine, accidentally kills their mother, then wakes and deeply regrets it. The karma of such an act will not produce the same result as it would under ordinary circumstances. Again, suppose an illusionist creates various utensils, men and women, carriages, horses, and garments at a crossroads. Foolish people take these things to be real, while those who understand know they do not truly exist. Killing is the same: ordinary people cling to it as real, while the Celestial Worthy knows through the eye of wisdom that it has no fixed substance.
“The echo in a mountain valley, a deceiver pretending to be close, an image in a mirror, a mirage that looks like water in the heat, and the enjoyment of the five desires in a dream are all like killing. Foolish people take them to be real; those who understand know they are not real. The Celestial Worthy understands the means of killing, the karma of killing, its results, and the way to liberation, and so is not bound by fixed ideas of guilt. Though you know about killing, why must that make you guilty? A person who manages wine knows about wine, but if they do not drink it, they do not become drunk. Knowing about fire does not mean one is burned. The same is true of you: though you know about killing, how can that alone establish your guilt?
“Some beings commit offenses at sunrise and steal when the moon comes out. If the sun and moon did not appear, they would not do these things. Though they use the sun and moon as they do evil, the sun and moon themselves are not guilty. Killing is the same: though it occurred because of you, that does not mean you must be guilty.
“Great King, you should know that sheep are often slaughtered in the palace. You are not frightened by this. Why are you so fearful only when you think of your father? Human beings and animals differ in status, but they equally cherish life and fear death. People in the world are often driven by greed and desire and cannot act freely, so they kill others. Even if there are karmic results, their root is craving. If you did not act freely, what fault could you have?
“The wondrous scripture of Primordial Yang is neither existent nor nonexistent, yet it can also be said to exist. Killing is the same: it is neither absolutely real nor completely nonexistent. Those who feel shame know that it is not fixed and real; those without shame take it to be real. The fact that someone receives a karmic result shows that, in the conventional sense, the result does exist. Those who cling to emptiness say it does not exist; those who cling to existence say it does. If someone clinging to existence consequently receives a karmic result, it cannot be said to be wholly nonexistent. Those who cling to permanence think it does not perish; those who cling to impermanence think it changes. If clinging to permanence leads to an evil result, that too cannot be said to be wholly nonexistent. Thus, although killing is neither absolutely real nor wholly nonexistent, it can still be said to exist in the realm of cause and effect.
“Great King, the life of a living being is expressed through the in and out of the breath. When breathing stops, conventionally this is called killing. Sages follow conventional speech and call it killing as well. Form is impermanent, and the conditions that produce form are impermanent. Since form arises from impermanent conditions, how can it endure forever? From form through consciousness, all are impermanent, and the conditions that produce consciousness are likewise impermanent. Because they are impermanent, there is suffering; because they are empty, there is no self. Since they are impermanent, suffering, empty, and without self, what fixed and unchanging thing is there to be killed? Sages abandon attachment to impermanence, suffering, emptiness, and signlessness, and realize the true Way. If one says that an impermanent, suffering, empty, and signless thing has been killed, then clinging to those very marks is itself like killing. Understand it in this way, and one will not fall into hell because of it. How, then, can you be certain to fall into hell?”
After hearing this, King Shanzhong contemplated form and consciousness as the Celestial Worthy had taught. He said, “Only now do I understand that form through consciousness is impermanent. If I had been able to contemplate them in this way earlier, I would not have committed these offenses.” He respectfully bowed to the Celestial Worthy and said, “I had heard that sages treat living beings like parents treat their children, but I had never truly understood. Only now am I certain that the Celestial Worthy is indeed the parent of all living beings. I had also heard that Mount Yuqing is made of the four treasures—gold, silver, lapis lazuli, and agate—and that all the things gathered there reflect the same color. I had only heard about it; I had never truly understood. Now that I have come to Mount Yuqing, I truly comprehend: all dharmas are impermanent, suffering, empty, and without marks. By contemplating in this way, I know that all dharmas are impermanent and have no independent root. I did not understand this before and stubbornly refused to believe in the true Way. This was what it meant to have no root. Now, fortunate enough to see the Celestial Worthy and hear him expound the mysteries and clarify the true scriptures, I have gained merit that can shatter the afflictions and evil thoughts of living beings.”
The Celestial Worthy said, “Great King, well done! I know you will be able to dispel the evil thoughts of living beings and break the knots of their afflictions.”
The king again said to the Celestial Worthy, “If I truly can understand and break through the evil thoughts of living beings, I am willing to undergo immeasurable kalpas of great suffering in the twenty-four hells of Mount Tai on their behalf, without regarding it as suffering.”
At that time, countless worldly beings who did not believe in the true Way and were constantly troubled by wrong doubts heard these words and aroused the aspiration to seek the supreme, true, and perfect Great Way. Because King Shanzhong had stirred in them a great heart of compassion, his grave offenses were thereby reduced. When the king, queen, and palace maids saw that the king understood the Dharma and that his body and mind were pure, they too aroused the aspiration to seek the supreme, natural Way.
King Shanzhong said to the Celestial Worthy, “Before I have died, I have already gained a deep understanding of the true tradition. I have relinquished a short lifespan and gained long life; I have relinquished an impermanent body and gained a true, enduring body.” Having said this, he made offerings to the Celestial Worthy of jeweled standards, banners and canopies, incense and flowers, music, and various precious objects. Then he composed a verse of praise:
The Celestial Worthy realized the wondrous Dao. His De surpassed the Great Clarity, the lofty and empty realm spoken of in Daoism. At ease, he walked among the Golden Towers, the palaces of the immortals, and calmly wandered through the Jade Capital, the celestial city of the immortals. He continually expounded the subtle meaning of Primordial Yang, whose highest principles are majestic and efficacious. This scripture is called the “Nectar Medicine” and is also known as the “Mahāyāna Scripture.”
Whether one believes in it or not, each person receives for themselves the karmic consequences of upholding this scripture, whether merit or transgression. With compassion, the Celestial Worthy relieves the suffering of living beings and extends his grace to them all. Those who can grasp its profound meaning will reach the Mysterious Capital, the immortal realm of Daoist lore. The formless, featureless Dao is entrusted to what has form and appearance. All good teachers—people of virtue who can guide others toward goodness—should devote themselves wholeheartedly. Quiet the mind and contemplate this verse; gather in your thoughts and cast off emotional distractions that entangle the spirit. When the bonds of affliction dissolve, one’s Dao-nature will naturally become clear. The immortals will protect you; your heart will be free of worry, and body and mind will naturally become light and calm.
At that time, King Shanzhong (note: according to the editorial annotation, “king” here should read “jade”; the passage quoted is repeated):
Quiet the mind and contemplate this verse; gather in your thoughts and cast off emotional distractions that entangle the spirit. When the bonds of affliction dissolve, one’s Dao-nature will naturally become clear. The immortals will protect you; your heart will be free of worry, and body and mind will naturally become light and calm.
At that time, King Shanzhong received the Celestial Worthy’s earnest instruction and guidance. Together with all his retinue, he comprehended the Secret Canon of Primordial Yang and deeply understood the principles of cause and effect. He composed a verse in praise and offered thanks to the Celestial Worthy. After paying his respects, he circumambulated to the right three times, took his leave, and each returned to their own kingdom.
The Great Supreme Numinous Treasure Wondrous Scripture of Primordial Yang, scroll seven, ends here.
At that time, Yin Miaolin, the noble Perfected One of the Upper Grade of Yuanyang, came with his disciples and household, the eight kinds of disciples foremost in wisdom, and an immeasurable assembly. Together they entered the grove of Qian trees beneath the fragrant garden tree. They bowed in reverence and circumambulated it three times. Then, kneeling with their hands clasped around their scrolls, they asked the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning: “We consider ourselves fortunate to have encountered the Holy Venerable. We dare to ask about what troubles our hearts, and earnestly beg the Holy Venerable to enlighten us.”
The Celestial Worthy smiled and said, “Good, good! Your question is profound and important. Ask freely, and I will explain it to you.”
Miaolin reported: “May I ask: Do ordinary beings who commit offenses such as defiance and harm still possess the Dao-nature? Why do such people fall into hell? If they possess the Dao-nature, why is it said that they lack lasting, true bliss? If those who sever their roots of goodness are called ordinary beings, why does the Dao-nature not perish when those roots are severed? If the Dao-nature does perish, why is it said that lasting, true bliss exists? And if the Dao-nature does not perish, why are they called ordinary beings?”
The Celestial Worthy replied: “Those who violate the Four Bright Disciplines, slander the Scripture of Yuanyang, or commit the ten evils are not fixed in their fate. If their condition were unchangeable, by what causes and conditions could they attain the unsurpassed, true, natural Great Dao, achieve the fruits of the Nine Immortals, and even become Perfected Ones who comprehend the true Dao? Conversely, if the fruits of the Nine Immortals and the state of Perfected Ones who comprehend the Dao were also fixed, then they too could never attain the unsurpassed, true, natural Great Dao.
“If violating the precepts of the Four Covenants is not unchangeable, then neither are the ranks of the Nine Immortals nor the state of Perfected Ones who comprehend the Dao fixed. The great sages of the heavens are the same. If their state is not fixed, then neither is the Yuanyang Dharma-nature, and neither are any of the dharmas. Why say that they are not fixed? Because if an ordinary being can leave behind that status and attain the true Dao, the great sages of the heavens may also lose their former state; those who have entered the ranks of Yuanyang may also fall away from them. If this is truly so, then the nature of Yuanyang is uncertain, and lasting, true bliss does not exist. Why, then, is it said that ordinary beings and others can enter the ranks of the immortals?”
At that time, the Celestial Worthy of No-Form said to Yin Miaolin, the noble Perfected One of the Upper Grade of Yuanyang: “Good, good! Good man, you ask these questions to benefit immeasurable ordinary beings and all living beings, bringing them joy. You also ask out of compassion for living beings, hoping that Perfected Ones and Daoists will strengthen and awaken their natural mind. In the past, you drew near the eight kinds of Perfected Ones of Yuanyang and cultivated wholesome deeds within the Celestial Worthy’s teachings. You have already attained the true Dao, and your merit is sufficient to subdue demonic foes and drive them away. You have also guided immeasurable beings into the ranks of Yuanyang immortals, helped them comprehend the subtle Mahayana scriptures, and asked the great sages of the heavens about these profound meanings throughout past kalpas as numerous as the sands of the Ganges. I have never seen anyone in the world, whether human or heavenly, or any beginner disciple, ask the Celestial Worthy about this meaning in such a way. Now listen with full attention, and I will explain it to you in detail, point by point.
“Good man, the status of an ordinary being is not fixed. If it were fixed, ordinary beings could never attain the natural Dao. Precisely because it is not fixed, the Dao-nature, as you said, does not perish.
“Perfected Ones and Daoists, there are two kinds of roots of goodness: inner Dao-nature and outer Dao-nature. The Dao-nature belongs neither to the inner nor to the outer, and therefore it cannot perish. Roots of goodness can also be divided into the conditioned and the unconditioned. The Dao-nature is neither conditioned nor unconditioned, so it cannot perish. They can also be divided into the permanent and the impermanent. The Dao-nature is neither permanent nor impermanent, and therefore it cannot perish. If the Dao-nature could truly perish, there would have to be a time when it could be gained again. If it could not be regained after perishing, only then could it be called destroyed. When it can be regained after being lost, it is merely the condition of an ordinary being that has changed; the Dao-nature itself has not perished.
“The condition of those who violate the precepts of the Four Covenants is likewise not fixed. If it were fixed, those who broke the precepts could never attain the unsurpassed, true, natural Great Dao. Slandering the Mahayana scripture of Yuanyang and the Three Luminaries Masters is likewise not unchangeable. If it were fixed, those who slander the true Dharma could never attain the wondrous natural Dao. The same is true of those who commit the ten evils: if evil deeds determined everything, they could never attain the true Dao.
“Appearances and forms, as well as fragrances, tastes, touch, characteristics, birth, ignorance, the five aggregates, the twelve sense bases, the eighteen elements, and all other phenomena are not fixed. Good man, this is like an illusionist who conjures mountains, forests, trees, cities, and villages before a crowd. People without wisdom see these scenes and believe they truly exist; those with wisdom know they are illusions, and that the illusionist’s power has confused their eyes. So too, ordinary beings, disciples of the Immortal traditions, and Perfected Ones who comprehend the Dao may see all dharmas as though they truly exist.”
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