《太上玄灵北斗本命延生真经注解(玄元真人)》

The Commentary on the Most High Scripture of the Northern Dipper for Extending Life According to One’s Birth Destiny is a commentary on the Scripture of the Northern Dipper for Extending Life According to One’s Birth Destiny. It is attributed to the Perfected Person Xuanyuan of Mount Kongtong, and its author may have been a Daoist priest of the Song or Yuan period. The book falsely presents prefaces as having been written by Li Bai and Su Shi. Its commentary focuses mainly on cultivating the mind and nature. The work consists of three volumes; its base text is included in the Zhengtong Daoist Canon, in the Jade Instructions section of the Cavern of Spirit.

“Preface to the Commentary on the Scripture of the Northern Dipper for Extending Life” is the title of this preface.

At the beginning, the Qi of the Great Beginning—the primal state before Heaven and Earth had separated—had not yet divided. There was no light or form in the world. The Qi of chaos gave birth to the myriad things, each with its beginning and end. The pure and clear rose, while the turbid and heavy remained below; good deeds received support, while wickedness was condemned. Thus the underworld established 120 offices to govern its affairs, and the Jade Palace, abode of the immortals, kept thirty-six collections of scriptures. These were used to guide the Heavenly Beings who followed the Dao and to awaken living beings who had not yet attained understanding. I have often wondered: are these not the principles at work throughout the Three Realms and the ten directions, and among Heaven, Earth, and humanity?

Now we are fortunate to live in an enlightened age, in a year of abundant harvest, and under the flourishing rule of the present dynasty. People use morality to bring peace to their families and state, and follow the virtuous governance of Yao and Shun to educate the people. All under Heaven is at peace, and the Great Mystery of the Dao shines forth. Thus, people such as the Fufeng clan took up the aspiration to seek the Dao and resolved to uphold the ever-renewing ordinances of the Dao. For many years they had admired the perfected beings. They prayed for Heaven’s protection and for the subjugation of evil demons, and sought guidance from teachers who could pass on the essentials of cultivation. In time, they were able to meet the Perfected One Xuanyuan of Mount Kongtong. The Perfected One explained the mysterious scriptures of the Longhan era and expounded the profound principles of the Chiming era. He taught the study of Fulu (talismans and registers), the methods of the Ten Caverns and the Three Vehicles, and resolved myriad matters through a single principle. The Perfected One wrote a commentary in one volume on the Scripture of the Northern Dipper for Prolonging Life: through it, one may ascend in spirit to the Golden Palace, abode of the Celestial Emperor; preserve the state and bring peace to the family; prolong one’s life; and broadly save sentient beings, so that all may enter a realm free of obstruction. I have therefore carefully written this text as a preface to the scripture.

Li Bai, respectfully prefacing.

Taishang Xuanling Beidou Benming Yansheng Zhenjing (The Most High’s True Scripture of the Northern Dipper for Prolonging Life According to One’s Birth Destiny), Volume One

Commentary and verses by the Perfected One Xuanyuan of Mount Kongtong.

“Tai” means reaching the utmost limit; “Shang” means supreme. “Xuan” means profound and ancient; “Ling” means wondrous efficacy. The Northern Dipper is a crucial pivot in the workings of Heaven and Earth. “Original destiny” refers to the nature and life each person possesses from the beginning. “Prolonging life” means that life endures without decline or decay. A “True Scripture” is a path leading to the realm of truth and mystery.

Many great sages and heavenly perfected beings left teachings to guide people, helping them understand the limits of deliberate action and ultimately realize the Way of Wuwei (non-action). The heart then reaches a state of harmony and balance, while outwardly one accords with the crucial patterns of things. From there, one may transform and ascend, roaming the Jade Capital, the celestial palace of Daoist tradition. Yet people lose sight of the true Way and give free rein to greed and folly. Misdeeds arise together in body, speech, and mind, while the six faculties and mental activity—the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind—also fall into turmoil. The three karmic actions are greed, anger, and delusion; the six faculties are the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind.

Once the three karmic actions and six faculties stir, they create obstacles. Obstacles give rise to affliction, and people become entangled and bound by all manner of attachments, gradually straying from the true Way. Thoughts run wild like an unbridled horse; the spirit darts about like a monkey. Thus people lose their source of spiritual vitality and damage the true Qi within them—the vital energy of Daoist teaching. Their offenses pile up like mountains, while their good deeds are so few they are scarcely like grains of dust. The Southern Stars diminish a person’s allotted lifespan, and the Northern Dipper subtracts years from it. After death, the person enters Fengdu, the Daoist underworld, and suffers countless torments: sword trees and blade mountains, boiling water and burning coals, and endless torture. Their family can only weep in vain. Even those of the highest rank or immense wealth must eventually suffer alone. What use are such riches and honors then? Why do people not distinguish impurity from purity, preserve their true nature, and return to the Great Dao?

The hymn says:

The Supreme One’s true teaching frees the deluded, dispels false thoughts and turns people toward the right path, urging them to renounce greed and folly.

A scene formed by temporary conditions is not true happiness; the homeland of one’s return, by contrast, is most beautiful.

A few strands of morning mist drift across distant ridges; a crescent of waning moon shines on a cold, clear pond.

To understand how the Star Lords of one’s birth year protect life and extend one’s years, one must grasp the mysteries of creation contained in the Mysterious Origin—the source of the Dao.

At this time, on the seventh day of the first month in the first year of Yongshou, the Most High Lord Lao was in the Palace of the Supreme Ultimate in the Realm of Great Clarity.

“ At this time” means the present moment. The Most High Lord Lao is revered as the source of Heaven and Earth and the master of the myriad teachings; his sacred virtue is so lofty that it cannot be fathomed. “The seventh day of the first month in the first year of Yongshou” uses the calendar to mark a time. In the profound and distant realm that endures through aeons of cosmic change, there are no fixed years or dates. “The Palace of the Supreme Ultimate in the Realm of Great Clarity” refers to a carefree realm of immortals, with towering jade halls and rows of jeweled pavilions, their gold and green splendor reflected in flowing rosy light.

The Most High Lord Lao dwells there, surrounded and guarded by the gods. Yet people know only that Lord Lao is above in the heavens; they do not know that he is also within their own bodies and minds. Thus the Three Pure Ones—the three revered deities of Daoism, who also symbolize the inner source of the Dao—are already within oneself. Why seek them outside?

A verse says:

The Great Dao is deep and subtle, beyond all measure; within it lie the wondrous methods of cultivation.

Why seek true awakening beyond the clouds? Seek within yourself the source of the Dao.

Recognize the path from which you first came, and let flowers and trees flourish of their own accord.

If cultivation fails to grasp this truth, it is like scooping up water to beckon the moon: in the end, it is all in vain.

Again, one sees living beings drifting through countless aeons, turning again and again through birth and death.

All beings originally share the same power of creation as Heaven and Earth, and the same essential nature as the sages. When awakened, they become sages; when deluded, they become ordinary people.

Those who are awakened understand the wondrous workings of the Dao of true constancy and can respond to the transformations of Heaven and Earth while grasping their underlying principles. They preserve their true nature and nurture their innate nature, refine their hun and po souls, and clarify their spirit. They empty the mind and quiet their thoughts, sever desire and clear their awareness, allowing nothing among the myriad things to stir their hearts. When their practice is complete, they can abide freely in Wuwei (non-action) and roam at ease beyond the world of ordinary concerns.

Those who are deluded have lost their original capacity for awakening. They receive the primal Qi generated by the union of their parents’ activity and stillness, and are conceived through the essence and Qi shaped by Yin-Yang transformation. In the womb, their breath becomes full and their bodies take shape; after ten months, they are born. After birth, the Four Great Elements—earth, water, fire, and wind—and the Five Aggregates—form, feeling, perception, mental formations, and consciousness—temporarily come together to form an illusory, impermanent body. As soon as they can recognize things, they gradually learn to distinguish north from south. Before long, they use their eyes to look at improper sights, their ears to hear improper sounds, their tongues to taste improper flavors, and their noses to smell alluring fragrances. Their minds cling to desire, love and hate arise within them, and they argue over right and wrong in word and deed. Their conduct gradually grows deviant and clouded. In this way they sow all kinds of evil causes, and after death reap the consequences of the Three Destinies—hell, hungry ghosts, and animals—drifting through immeasurable ages and cycling between life and death.

Thus the Most High Lord Lao (a revered Daoist deity) manifested his boundless spiritual powers and sent forth light. Seeing all beings adrift in endless cycles of life and death, he took pity on them and widely taught the true teachings, like a boat ferrying people across. He guided beings to understand “the form of formlessness” (not clinging to fixed appearances) and recognize “the shape of the shapeless” (existence beyond visible forms), hoping they might thereby attain long life and freedom and bring the cycle of rebirth to an end forever.

The verse says: How could our original face fall into the cycle of rebirth? It is only because of greed and ignorance that we sink again and again into delusion’s dream. Fortunately, within the heart there remains an undivided, primordial nature, like the world within a pot. How could we bear to let the mind give rise to the root and dust—the distinctions and attachments that arise when the six senses meet their objects?

Amid Nonbeing and Being, emptiness and form, what seems illusory may still be a path to the real. Return to your original homeland, where the scene is beautiful: wildflowers bloom, birds sing, and green willows reflect the light of spring.

Sentient beings may be born in the human realm, in China, or in lands of the Yi, Di, Man, and Rong peoples. Some are wealthy and honored; others are poor and lowly. Through causes and conditions that come together only temporarily, people enter the world. Yet through the karma they create, they may also fall into hell.

This is because sentient beings have different causes, conditions, and karmic forces, and are born according to their individual results: some are born in China, others in lands of the Man and Yi; some are born into the homes of wealthy elders, others into poor and humble households. People temporarily attain human form and can often do as they please, yet without realizing it they indulge in evil and act recklessly. They let the Three Corpses—the spirits said in Daoism to dwell within the human body and monitor and record its failings—control them, and allow the Six Thieves, a common Buddhist and Daoist metaphor for the six sensory desires that disturb body and mind, to lead them astray.

People covet wealth and sensual pleasure, speak one way while thinking another, envy the worthy and harm the virtuous, and deceive Heaven and Earth. They are disloyal and unfilial; their words and actions are false, and they lack integrity. They harm the worthy and gentle, and violate Heaven and Earth’s prohibitions and the codes of the true sages—their sacred precepts. They raid birds’ nests, destroy their eggs, kill living beings, and commit all manner of wrongs without ever reflecting on their actions. The thirty-six thousand spirits within the body seem to turn into eighty-four thousand afflictions and harmful deeds. In the end, these blaze like a fire consuming the body, and disaster becomes unavoidable. The Four Great Elements and Five Aggregates that make up body and mind will eventually disperse into earth, water, fire, and wind, leaving only a lonely, forsaken soul. While alive, people are only a temporary gathering of causes and conditions; yet, blinded by desire, they do not repent, and after death they fall into the Avici Hell. How can this thought fail to bring sorrow?

Although people possess an imposing six-foot body, they often think only of washing and grooming themselves, adorning their appearance with fine silks, and caring for their bodies. Who is willing to preserve their true nature, nurture life, cultivate the mind, and keep the spirit within? Therefore, the Heavenly Worthy, a title for revered deities in Daoism, revealed this scripture and its teachings to guide sentient beings, so that they might quickly awaken and enter the wondrous realm of Wuwei (non-action).

A hymn says:

In spring, the scenery of the Pot-Heaven, a Daoist term for an immortal realm, stretches far and wide. The rain has passed and the sky cleared; the mist is warm and the landscape bright. How sad that new swallows fly into splendid halls, unaware that roaming bees are pursuing the fragrance of flowers hidden in dark places.

A hymn says:

In spring, the scenery of the Hutiān (immortal realm) stretches especially far and wide. The rain has passed and the sky has cleared; mist hangs warm in the air, and the landscape shines brightly.

New swallows fly to splendid houses, stirring affection, while wandering bees chase the fragrance of flowers in shadowed places. Blossoms flourish in the little garden, vivid and bright; tender willow strands droop and brush the pond.

Alas, amid this boundless spring, butterflies frolic and bees dance, their wings beating without pause.

Because the mind and spirit lack stability, sinful karma entangles them without end. The hun and po (soul aspects) are bound in the underworld, suffering until their karmic retribution is exhausted. After that, they lose the chance to be born human and are reborn among livestock, or as birds and insects, far removed from the human path and unlikely to regain a human body. They sink ever deeper in this way, without realizing it themselves. This is because in a former life they lost sight of the true Dao and now endure this cycle of rebirth.

Heaven and hell both depend on what people do. Good and evil, therefore, have no fixed paths; people bring them upon themselves. If people continually do good during their lives, Heaven and Earth will protect them, the sun and moon will shine upon them, the spirits will honor and treat them with respect, and the true sages—those who have attained the Dao—will guard their gates. With the protection of the true sages, blessings and good fortune will come to them, while calamities will keep their distance. Such people are truly wise, and their names may be entered in Yuqing, the Daoist realm of the highest heavens.

Everyone should know that among all things in the world, human beings are the most precious. Why are people so precious? Because they can understand the hidden workings of Heaven and Earth, comprehend the principles of Yin-Yang change, penetrate profound and mysterious matters, illuminate the truth, and ultimately attain the Dao and become immortals. These are all realms that human beings can reach.

Yet people often fail to recognize the precious spiritual nature they already possess. Instead, they act recklessly without cause, indulge their six desires and seven emotions—all manner of human wants and feelings—and commit the ten evils and five rebellious crimes, grave wrongdoing and offenses against proper order. They show no reverence for the Three Lights—the sun, moon, and stars—and bring shame upon their nine generations of ancestors. As their offenses accumulate day after day and year after year, they pile up like mountains. Their souls are then confined in the offices of the underworld, where they endure every kind of suffering without rest, passing through countless cycles of birth and death with little hope of escape. Only after their retribution has run its course are they temporarily allowed to be reborn. But they may then fall into the realms of hungry ghosts or animals, taking birth as camels, mules, elephants, horses, birds, insects, and other creatures. If they continue to sink in this way, they will lose the chance to be born human again for a long time. Alas, there is no benefit in losing one’s true nature, nor any purpose in acting arrogantly. People thus abandon their True Suchness, their real and un deluded nature, and take on other forms.

The verse says:

Because they act recklessly without cause,

their intelligence is clouded by ignorance,

and their souls are confined in Dendu,

the underworld’s domain.

The underworld officials seize and interrogate them;

all that remains is weeping and choked sobs.

The jailers humiliate and punish them,

leaving them only sighs and cries of grief.

Even if they briefly leave the underworld,

they must leave their former bodies behind

and be reborn in another form.

It is lamentable that once one falls into the animal realm—the nonhuman way of beasts and other creatures—it is nearly impossible to regain a human body, even after countless eons.

Out of compassion for all beings, the Most High manifested in many forms to teach the world and descended in the capital of Shu. The earth spirit rose from beneath the ground and lifted up a jade table to serve as a high seat.

This passage tells how the Most High lamented that beings wandered among the Six Destinies, the six destinations of rebirth, and suffered karmic consequences in the Three Paths of Woe: hell, hungry ghosts, and animals. He therefore manifested in many forms to teach them and descended in the capital of Shu. At that time, the sun and moon ceased their courses, the stars stood still, and Heaven and Earth grew solemn and clear. Rivers and seas lay calm and tranquil. Then the earth spirit rose up and lifted a jade table to serve as a high seat.

The assembly might ask what this passage means. The sages and worthies were not all free of faults, nor were all ordinary people guilty of them. The scripture draws on the Most High’s great divine power to urge beings not to sow the roots of wrongdoing and thereby to awaken to the Great Dao. The Great Dao has no form or name; it cannot be pointed out clearly or readily explained in words. That is why the teachings are conveyed through the deeds of sages and worthies. As the Perfected One of the Supreme Ultimate said, “Though the Great Dao has no mind, it may be sought through a heart that feels.” Thus, when the Most High manifests out of compassion to teach, it also shows that when beings give rise to compassion, they have set out on the path of seeking the Dao.

The assembly might also ask why the Most High rebukes beings. A country has laws, but it is those who break them who suffer harm. If a person has committed no fault, how could punishment befall them? As long as people reflect on their failings, correct their mistakes, and commit no further wrongs, calamity will not trouble them. Is this not the principle at work here? Thus the Scripture on Deliverance from Human Existence says, “If you are unwilling to cultivate the immortal Way, how can you transcend the Three Realms? If you wish to change your destination among the Five Paths, what can I do for you?”

In common usage, “the capital of Shu” refers to the place where ancient rulers lived, the foundation of its mountains and rivers, and the center on which the order of the realm depended. It could govern the world and transform fish and dragons. In Daoist doctrine, however, “the capital of Shu” refers to the human body and mind. The Treatise on the Gathering of the Nine Elders and the Perfected Ones says, “The peace and beauty of wind and moon resemble the scene of the imperial capital; the many states come to pay tribute and receive the sage’s grace.” The mind is like the ruler, and the body like the capital of Shu. When the mind is upright, the whole body is at ease, and the spirits within flourish in harmony. When the mind is crooked, the Three Corpses—the Daoist spirits said to dwell in the body, stir up desires, and damage life—consume one’s vitality, while the Six Thieves, a metaphor for six desires that disturb body and mind, obscure the right Way. Calamity then descends upon the person, who ultimately drifts through the cycle of rebirth.

“The earth spirit rises up” symbolizes benevolence sprouting in the heart. “Lifting up the jade table” symbolizes the revelation of the precious seat of innate perfection. If one sets one’s heart and resolve on the Dao, forms no erroneous views, sows no wrongdoing, seeks the Great Dao, suddenly awakens to the nature of Wuwei (non-action), and is not misled by the faults of the Six Desires, one can attain the station of the Ten Blossoms, a lofty state of Daoist cultivation, roam freely beyond the world of ordinary concerns, and become one with the Great Dao.

Do not block the road to the azure heavens, a metaphor here for the path of ascent and access to the Great Dao. Trust that the human illusory body, the temporary fleshly form, will in an instant return to emptiness.

Do not imagine that the mysterious principles can be reached easily. Without sincerity, all your efforts will be in vain.

Strive forward with generous resolve and break through the gate of life and death. Those with aspiration should leap beyond the cage that binds them, roam freely beyond the concerns of the world, and become people who are at ease in Wuwei (non-action), as though they could hold the sun and moon in their palms.

Then the Venerable Lord Lao (Taishang Laojun) ascended the Jade Bureau Altar and sat down. He transmitted to the Celestial Master the Scripture and Instructions on the Northern Dipper and One’s Birth Destiny, expounded the essential methods far and wide, and offered universal deliverance to living beings.

At that time, the Venerable Lord Lao ascended the Jade Bureau Altar and taught the Three Vehicles, teachings suited to practitioners of different capacities. He clarified the mysterious principles of the Northern Dipper and one’s birth destiny, and of praying for longevity, then transmitted them to the Celestial Master to guide living beings and help everyone awaken to the Dao.

All should understand that when living beings indulge the seven emotions—joy, anger, sorrow, and delight among them—they commit offenses and create the causes for falling into hell. When they crave and become deluded by the five desires for wealth, sex, fame, food, and sleep, they cannot attain a superior reward, much less reach heaven. People often fail to notice that they are caught in the Three Poisons of greed, anger, and delusion, and the Ten Evils, the ten kinds of wrongdoing. They sink into the river of desire, drifting through the cycle of rebirth without end.

Therefore, the Most High spoke this true scripture to teach people not to give rise to wrong views. Morning and evening, people should refrain from discussing others’ faults and should regularly reflect on their own errors. They should curb their sharpness, speak with care, and repent sincerely. They should wash away the toil and afflictions of the world with the water of the Dharma, a symbol of Daoist purification, and use the precious mirror, a clear mirror symbolizing introspection, to behold themselves. In this way, body and mind become pure and unite with the functioning of the Great Dao.

Then the original spirit dwells securely in the cinnabar palace, the Dantian (energy center) within the body, while the light of wisdom shines upon the Jade Mountain, a symbolic place within the body in the language of cultivation. The Four Great Elements—earth, water, fire, and wind—are stable, and each of the hundred bones rests in its proper place. Within and without, all is empty and clear; above and below, all is still and luminous. Yin-Yang joins and its movement never ceases. At last, all blends into one Qi (vital energy), the primordial energy of the precelestial state; the Great Elixir is refined, and one transforms and ascends in flight. Its mystery is profound and beyond measure. Since the ordinary body can unite with the Great Dao, there is no need to doubt that the sacred achievement is within reach.

The ode says:

After the cultivation of cinnabar—a symbolic expression for Daoist internal alchemy—has reached completion, body and mind naturally return to their original state. When the mind is whole and unobstructed, one can transcend outward appearances and see the “Heaven within a Gourd,” a realm like an immortal paradise.

Fame, wealth, and position are ultimately things outside oneself. Moral cultivation, by contrast, is bound up with one’s own opportunities and practice.

When the wind stops and the rain passes, emerald ripples spread across the water. The clouds and mist disperse, revealing the moon’s clear and beautiful light. In quiet contemplation, one can perceive a solemn and pure realm; every movement of the things in the world seems profound and mysterious.

The lines “Virtue and the Dao are both bound up with my own circumstances” are chanted again: fame, wealth, and position are things outside oneself, while moral cultivation is connected with one’s own opportunities. After the wind and rain, the water ripples green and the moon shines bright. In quiet contemplation, one can see a solemn and pure realm, where mystery is present in all things.

At this point, the Lord Lao (Taishang Laojun) tells the Celestial Master, an honorific title in the Celestial Masters tradition: “A human body is hard to obtain, and birth in the Central Land—here, China or the center of civilization—is hard to attain. Even if one is born there, encountering the Correct Dharma, the orthodox teaching of cultivation, is difficult.”

Reflect on how living beings may be reborn through the cycle of birth and death in one of four ways: from a womb, from an egg, from moisture, or through transformation. Some are born in remote mountains and wilderness; some dwell among plants and trees; others live in rivers and streams. Pigs, dogs, cattle, horses, donkeys, and mules; poisonous insects and fierce beasts; tigers, leopards, jackals, and wolves; shrimp, crabs, fish, and turtles; birds and other winged creatures—the six domestic animals and all kinds of beings are beyond number. How could anyone count them? Compared with birds and beasts, those who are reborn as human beings are fewer than one in ten thousand.

Everyone, if you do not cherish this life, you will lose the rare human form. Even if you are born human, to live in a remote, uncivilized land untouched by the teachings is still the result of past wrongdoing. Have you heard of the country called Boye, beyond the Northern Sea? Its people live on mountains in summer and hide in caves in winter. The land around them is desolate, and yellow winds sweep across it. They can cover themselves only with animal skins and leaves, and must hunt birds, insects, and beasts for food. They know neither benevolence and righteousness nor morality; they act as they please, do evil, and commit offenses. It is difficult for them to enter the realm of the immortals, and easy for them to fall into the realm of ghosts.

You are now born in a country where the Three Teachings—Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism—are transmitted, and live in the Central Land, governed by the Five Constants: benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness. Surely you attained this human birth through accumulated virtue. Yet even among those born in the Central Land, many cling to erroneous views and never encounter the true teaching. They regard themselves as clever and boast that they surpass others. Pretending to understand the Mysterious Gate of Daoism, they misinterpret its scriptures and teachings, straying further and further until they never behold the Great Dao. If they do not understand the true principles of the Three Teachings, then their journey through this world has been in vain.

A verse says:

The cycle of rebirth through the six realms is cause for lament; one should cultivate through one’s own thoughts.

Once the heart-monkey—the unruly, hard-to-control mind—is tamed, a thousand desires can no longer arise. Once the inferior horse—the unrestrained, hard-to-rein thoughts—is subdued, not even a trace of delusion can remain.

The world’s scenes mingle in confusion like moonlight on an autumn night. Entrust the roots and dust—the human senses and the realms they encounter—to the Jade Jar (Biqiong Hu), which symbolizes purity in Daoist contexts.

Our homeland is actually close at hand, and its scenery is beautiful. With a sweep of the sleeves and a smile, one can step onto the level, upright path.

People in the world often lose sight of the true Dao and devote themselves to deviant paths. They sow many karmic wrongs, grow accustomed to crafty speech and deceit, indulge in lust and killing, become absorbed in forming factions and social ties, and let greed and anger drive them. Many therefore sink into hell and lose their human form. Living beings do not understand these causes and conditions, nor do they know the proper path; many are bewildered.

This happens because living beings have shallow roots of goodness and clouded, muddled wisdom. They refuse to be loyal to their ruler or honor their parents. In poverty, they do not keep to their proper place; in wealth, they do not extend kindness or help others. They do not seek to do good or relieve those in hardship, and they show contempt for the Three Lights—the sun, moon, and stars. Many are led astray as a result.

Living beings also cast aside grain and, in the sea of suffering, crave wealth and sensual pleasures. In the prisonlike world, they struggle to outdo one another and pursue fame. They do not believe in cause and effect; they are miserly and greedy, and envy others. They kill all kinds of animals, cook dogs and pigs, and end their lives, bringing evil consequences upon themselves as well. They rely on power to bully the weak; eat meat and fish; speak obscenely, spread gossip, and provoke disputes. When they encounter people performing Zhaijiao (purification rituals), they conceive the urge to disrupt them; when they see people cultivating the Dao, they respond with disbelief. Such baseless conduct leaves people clouded and bewildered. They sink into hell, lose their human form, fail to see the proper path, and enter only deviant ways.

How can people see the proper path? They should not cling to external objects such as sound, scent, taste, touch, or mental phenomena—the five of the six sense objects in Buddhism, here joined with visible form to mean that one should not be led by sensory experience or ideas in the mind. Nor should they give rise to miserliness, greed, killing, theft, or lust. They should open their wisdom, purify body and mind, and turn inward to observe the six faculties (eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind), the four great elements that constitute the human body (earth, water, fire, and wind), the five aggregates that make up body and mind, and the hundred spirits within the five organs. What moves this physical form? What enables it to speak? When a single breath no longer follows the one before it, the four great elements of earth, water, fire, and wind at once disperse.

The body itself contains profound and subtle principles. Do not give rise to a miserly, grasping mind, clinging to external things and losing sight of your true nature.

Only when one understands the Great Dao does life truly come alive. Once the passions, desires, gains, and losses of the world are seen clearly, they often seem cause for sorrow.

Do not let yourself sink into confusion and indulge in wrongdoing. Instead, purify body and mind, and turn declining fortune and condition toward renewal. In Daoist teaching, the “Five Signs of Decay” (wushuai) are various indications that one’s blessings are running out and body and mind are declining.

A person’s Shen (spirit) and nature are originally untouched by worldly dust. By opening the heart and mind, one can reveal the numinous foundation held within Heaven and Earth.

I take pity on these beings, and so I have passed down these teachings to show them the path toward wholesome connections. I would have them understand that both the human body and life depend on the Great Dao for their existence.

The sages established teachings and devised many skillful methods. They taught according to each person and occasion, creating rules for cultivation to guide the world, so that all beings might realize the Great Dao and understand that all things in heaven and earth are generated by the Dao.

The Great Dao arises from what seems to exist yet does not, and manifests in what seems not to exist yet does. It is truly difficult to explain in words. Before heaven and earth had taken shape, when the clear and turbid had not yet separated, the world was dark and still, with neither sound to hear nor form to see. Within this indistinct, elusive state, the “Five Greats” appeared—the five stages that Daoism says preceded the generation of heaven and earth. When their evolution was complete, primordial Qi gathered into a mass and became chaos. After a further ninety thousand kalpas, dark and yellow Qi gradually emerged within it. At this time, the Primordial Sovereign, the deity said in Daoist lore to have opened up heaven and earth, regulated the essence and Qi within. Once the primordial Qi was sufficient, the Sovereign caused chaos to split open, and the Yin and Yang energies secretly separated. Thus the Three Powers—Heaven, Earth, and Humanity—were established. Clear Qi gathered and rose to become Heaven; turbid Qi condensed and sank to become Earth. The sun, moon, and stars were arrayed, and the mountains, rivers, and seas took shape. The seasons alternated between cold and heat, Yin and Yang rose and fell, and all things came into being. Nothing lies outside the Great Dao.

Thus the Scripture of Clarity and Stillness says: “The Great Dao has no name, yet gives birth to Heaven and Earth; it has no form, yet nourishes the myriad things.” Heaven and Earth are the descendants of the Dao, and the sun and moon are its offspring in turn. Without essence and Qi, Heaven and Earth could not take shape; without them, the sun and moon would not shine. Without essence and Qi, plants and trees would wither and die; if a person exhausts their essence, life cannot be sustained.

Humanity is never far from the Dao, and the Dao never leaves humanity. The human body contains the Great Dao and is originally one with Heaven and Earth. To cultivate the Real, one can follow the workings of the Way of Heaven; in this way, one can become one with the Dao. The Scripture of the Hidden Tally says: “Observe the Way of Heaven and grasp the patterns by which it operates; that is enough.” If students of the Dao can observe how the Way of Heaven works and act in accordance with its patterns, they are skilled in cultivation. They should also refine the Yin soul, transforming it into the Yang spirit, and change the mortal body into the body of an immortal.

The verse says: Understand the causes and conditions behind the myriad teachings from ancient times; contain the light and contemplate in stillness, grasp the patterns by which the Way of Heaven operates, and cultivate skillfully. Refine the Yin soul into the Yang spirit; change the mortal body and transform it into the body of an immortal.

By understanding where the myriad methods arise, one can gather in one’s radiance, quiet the mind, and observe inwardly, setting subtle and mysterious transformations in motion.

The Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water) blend within the body, revealing the scene “within the pot.” Through the Seven Returns, the repeated process of refinement and cultivation in Daoist practice, one can attain a state that transcends worldly forms.

The Golden Crow, the divine bird that symbolizes the sun, flies silently toward the Scarlet Palace, the immortal realm of Daoist lore. The Jade Rabbit, which symbolizes the moon, plays ceaselessly amid the moonlight.

Who can know the true message concealed here? Without meeting a wise teacher, one should not pass it on lightly.

Those who grasp its principles can preserve life for a long time and keep the seed of human life from perishing, so that they may be born as human beings in generation after generation. They will not be born in a place where the Dao is absent, nor will the foundations of human life be cut off.

If you can form the noblest and kindest aspirations, refrain from all evil thoughts and deeds, dissolve the distinction between self and others, fill in the deep pit dug by desire, break free of the shackles that bind body and mind, dispel the greed and attachment that keep people endlessly cycling through rebirth, and awaken to your pure and still nature, you will feel joy and freedom.

Once people understand the Great Dao, what good fruits may they receive in the future? They may be spared suffering and distress and avoid falling into hell; blessings of every kind will quietly gather, a thousand calamities will fade away, and their wishes will come to pass. They will naturally have ample food and clothing, enjoy long life and good health, and dwell at ease in a realm of happiness. The Qingjing Jing says: “Those of the highest capacity who understand the Dao rise to become celestial officials; those of middling capacity who understand the Dao take their places among the immortals of the Southern Palace; even those of lesser capacity who cultivate the Dao can enjoy long life in the human world.” Beings who sow evil causes will not receive blessings; when good causes are sown, calamities have no place to arise. If you hold lofty understanding, awaken suddenly, yearn for the true Dao and honor the sages, wash away impurity and clear your thoughts, you will gain the greatest benefit. Yet this benefit can only be attained through your own cultivation; no one else can enjoy it on your behalf. Know that good deeds bring good results, while evil deeds bring retribution. The Shengshen Zhang Jing also says: “In the merit and fault of good and evil, not even the slightest measure is ever mistaken.”

Across the three ages—past, present, and future—a person may be born as one of the four kinds of life: womb-born, egg-born, moisture-born, or transformation-born; or may find themselves in the six paths of rebirth. Whether rich or poor, wise or foolish, born as a hungry ghost or an animal, or even as a camel, mule, elephant, or horse; whether falling into hell or ascending to heaven—all depends on the good and evil karma one has accumulated. The Confucian classics also say: “A family that accumulates good deeds will surely have blessings left over; a family that accumulates what is not good will surely have misfortune left over.” So cleanse your thoughts and turn toward goodness. Understand the causes and conditions of sin and blessing, and the karmic consequences of good and evil: they follow one like a shadow and answer like an echo in a valley.

How lamentable it is when people harbor crooked intentions and misguided views, harming others for their own gain, or slandering and envying the worthy. Instead, treat others with generosity, follow what is right within your means, and cultivate merit and the Dao according to circumstances. Continually do what benefits others; relieve the suffering of living beings and show them kindness. Then Heaven, Earth, the Sun, and the Moon will naturally protect you, and the spirits will honor you. You will not be born in a place that departs from the righteous Dao, nor will you lose the foundation of human life. Ah, wield the “hand that seizes dragons”—the wisdom within you—and shatter the confusion and obscurity of your former mind.

The verse says: Whoever can suddenly grasp the subtle, profound principle and penetrate deeply into it will obtain its wondrous key.

Only then will one believe that when chrysanthemums bloom and migrating geese fill the sky, and where willows grow thick and bees and butterflies dance, all is less abundant than before. One will also understand that worldly splendor, like falling blossoms and flowing water, is no more than an illusory dream; the birds in the hills and the lone cloud at the edge of the sky are what merit entrusting one’s mind to.

Having grasped this profound principle, one will know that it is best to awaken early to the path of reclusion and cultivation. Auspicious clouds rise beyond the gate of the green mountains, heralding good fortune.

If one goes further, cultivating the mind and following the righteous path, one will gradually enter the gateway to the Way of the Immortals, leave the cycle of rebirth forever, and transcend the ordinary to attain the Dao.

All beings should constantly restrain selfish desires and act fairly; honor their parents, be loyal to their ruler, revere Heaven and Earth, the sun, moon, and stars, and follow the teachings of sages past and present. Treat others with warmth and kindness, act with care, be humble and courteous, uphold what is right, and remain modest. They should also purify the heart, temper their nature amid the six desires—the desires of the six senses—and transcend the Five Turbidities, the polluted world of Buddhist and Daoist thought. Let the heart grow still, cultivate wisdom, conceal one’s tracks, and restrain one’s brilliance. Wash away worldly dust from the outside and nourish the spirit within. Take in golden essence through the Jade Spring, a Neidan term often referring to saliva; harmonize the Dragon and Tiger, symbols of Yin-Yang Qi within the body, in the Cinnabar Cauldron, an alchemical vessel that also refers to Neidan practice; then irrigate the Yellow Sprout, a symbol of nascent Neidan, with divine water, so that the body’s gates and openings flow freely. Let the Sheep Cart, a symbolic vehicle in Daoist cultivation, carry the numinous origin, the source of life, and bring joy to the spirits. In this way, purify the body and cherish the spirit.

If one can do this, one will no longer cling to distinctions or give rise to love and aversion; one will be bound by nothing, insist on no choices or rejections, and be moved neither by thoughts of coming and going nor by attachment to external things or distress. The six desires will cease to arise, and the Three Poisons—greed, anger, and delusion—will be eliminated. Then one can forever escape the cycle of rebirth and ascend to attain the Dao.

All should understand that human nature is originally Wuwei (non-action): clear and still, empty and undisturbed. Where do afflictions and obstacles come from? They all arise from the six desires and seven emotions: joy, anger, worry, thought, grief, fear, and alarm. When awakened, thoughts can become the Ten Good Deeds; when deluded, they become the ten evil karmic acts. Through reflection and awareness, wisdom becomes complete and unobstructed freedom is attained. Clinging to delusion, one becomes troubled and confused, lost in false imaginings and ignorance, immersed in desire and attachment, turning in the cycle of birth and death, swept along through the six realms, and cast into the three evil realms to suffer alone.

Alas! Sincerely practice the true Way and gradually enter the gate of the Immortal Way. Temper the nature and nourish the spirit; increase wisdom and settle the mind, until inner and outer are empty, still, and silent, and the mysterious, radiant light shines through. When merit and practice are complete, the Five Elders, Daoist deities of the five directions, will come to welcome you. Spirit and body will no longer be divided; united with the Dao, you will ascend. This is what it means truly to leave the cycle of rebirth forever and ascend to attain the Dao. How profound and wondrous this is!

Hymn:

Turn the mind back and cast off selfish desires; leave the prison of the dusty world. Return to simplicity and original truth, and awaken to the central teaching of the true Way.

The mountain slopes look beautiful after last night’s rain, while the morning wind has scattered the flowers. Where the light of Shen shines, the mysterious and profound opens out without limit; when wisdom moves into action, its wondrous workings become visible. Once the Dharma Eye—the eye of wisdom that sees through to truth—opens, one can behold the realm of reality, as though a full moon hung high in the sky.

So I reveal this wondrous teaching to you, so that the people of the world may be delivered, return to the true Dao, and understand their nature and destiny.

The Most High, a reverential title for the highest Daoist deity, takes pity on living beings. Seeing them commit all manner of evil deeds, their sins accumulating in Fengdu, the Daoist underworld, and retribution endlessly repeating while old grievances bind them again and again, he saw them lose their way and drift through life and death. He therefore passed down this wondrous teaching, instructing people to understand their nature and life, return to the true Dao, and awaken to the Great Dao.

All of you, what is nature? And what is destiny? To receive life from the Dao is called “destiny”; to grasp the Great Dao is called “nature.” From this we know that human life has a limit, while nature neither arises nor perishes. Thus the Venerable Lord Lao said, “Whatever is born must die; if there were no death, there could be no birth.” A human life lasts no more than thirty-six thousand days. How many spans of seventy years can anyone have in this world?

Because living beings commit evil deeds and their minds are clouded, they continue to transmigrate, restless and anxious in the sea of suffering and the maze of delusion. They plunge urgently into painful realms among the four forms of birth and six paths of rebirth. Thus they repeatedly change their bodies and are born again and again. Yet if we reflect, since beginningless time, has the nature of suchness ever truly undergone birth and death? Living beings are merely deluded, having lost their original truth and obscured their nature. They rise and fall with the force of karma and arise and perish according to causes, conditions, and consequences. How, then, can they escape birth and death, awaken to their true nature, and return to the Great Dao?

In cultivation, one should turn inward to observe one’s own mind, and gather the senses inward so that external things do not disturb them. Restrain desires and keep body and mind clear. In this way, deviant thoughts can return to the right path and restless activity can cease. Cherish and nourish original Qi, preserve the spirit, and work at it continuously throughout the day, as though forgetting it while never giving it up. When one’s cultivation of the Dao remains undiminished in this way, one may ascend to Jade Purity, the pure immortal realm spoken of in Daoism. Is this not a blessing?

The Most High employs countless methods, explaining and teaching in many different ways, establishing scriptural teachings and leaving behind liturgical rules and rites. They are like bright pearls in the darkness, lighting the way; like keys that open Heaven’s gates; and like boats that help people cross the world and ladders leading to the immortals. They guide people toward the true Dao and help them understand the Great Dao. When we consider how tirelessly the sages explained and taught, solely to deliver living beings, how could we fail to honor their grace?

How good it is to turn the light back upon oneself and contemplate the realm of true emptiness; yet, alas, the cries of ghosts and spirits still do not cease.

Alas, the roads through the Six Paths—the six destinations of beings reborn in the cycle of transmigration—are rough and difficult. Better to turn back and awaken to the Great Void, the vast, formless origin. Only by penetrating the principle that “being exists within nonbeing” can one understand the subtle truth that “nonbeing exists within being” within the body. Clear, bright moonlight shines upon the river, while the deep and tranquil Mysterious Pearl, a symbol of profound Daoist principles, gleams inside the jade vessel. If you wish to transcend worldly concerns, you must apply yourself earnestly to cultivation.

On the day corresponding to the sexagenary signs of your birth year, you may observe purification and conduct a Zhaijiao (purification ritual), praying and making offerings to the deities of the Northern Dipper, the Three Offices, the Five Emperors, the Nine Palaces, and the Four Offices. Pray for blessings and relief from calamity, and sincerely submit memorials stating your wishes.

If people in this world can, on the day corresponding to the Heavenly Stem and Earthly Branch of their birth year, solemnly clean their homes, set out incense and lamps, perform the complete ritual, and pray with focused attention to the gods of the Northern Dipper who govern their birth destiny, presenting a memorial to request blessings and grace, and to turn disaster into good fortune, they can thereby receive help. The Most High takes pity on living beings, who drift as though on a sea of suffering and have lost their way: they undergo birth and death again and again in the Three Paths—the Buddhist realms of hell, hungry ghosts, and animals—and wander ceaselessly through the Six Realms of rebirth. For this reason, the Most High specially revealed this scripture to guide living beings back to the right path.

If, on the Jiazi day of one’s birth cycle or on other days suitable for purification and fasting, one can clear the mind and set oneself straight, vow before the Nine Heavens of Purity, reflect on past faults, and refrain from future wrongs, then pray to the original spirit within oneself that governs one’s birth destiny, one may be able to dispel transgressions, scatter calamities, avoid misfortune, and welcome good fortune. How does one pray to the original spirit within oneself? Simply purifying the mind through fasting, correcting one’s faults, and doing good is prayer.

In Zhaijiao, Daoist rites of purification and supplication, “purification” means disciplining the mind, while “supplication” means praying with sincerity. Only by cleansing body and mind can one repent and thereby receive blessings. Thus a verse says, “The illness of one’s own heart must be cured by oneself.”

What is the original spirit within oneself? There is a Northern Dipper in the heavens, and the human body has its corresponding counterpart. The heavens have the Three Officials, Five Emperors, Nine Palaces, and Four Offices; the human body has corresponding counterparts as well. The Northern Dipper within the body is the heart: the Dipper turns the seasons and courses among the stars, while the heart governs the myriad transformations of body and mind and commands the hundred spirits. Thus it is said that the Northern Dipper is the heart. The Three Officials correspond to the three souls, the Five Emperors to the spirits of the five organs, the Nine Palaces to the nine apertures, and the Four Offices to the four limbs.

If one can nurture the three souls, harmonize the five organs, discipline the nine apertures, and keep the four limbs from being drawn along by the dust of the world; if one can sever worldly attachments, understand profound principles, maintain a clear and tranquil awareness, and see deeply without obstruction, then one can transcend the ordinary world and attain a higher state. Once one reaches this point, would it not be a wondrous thing to seek blessings and pray for grace?

Therefore, the sages established these visible outer rites as a means of guiding people to perceive the inner Dao of Wuwei (non-action). Ah, do you understand this teaching? Once it is pointed out, one can see that above the blue heavens, all things naturally possess a state of clarity and repose.

The hymn says: Turn the mind back and look within, and worldly entanglements will fall away. Realize the truth of things as they are, and the natural Dao will come into view. The Three Realms—the Desire Realm, the Form Realm, and the Formless Realm—are like flowers reflected in empty space; the scenes of the world vanish in an instant. The cinnabar osmanthus of the Nine Pure Heavens, the Daoist celestial realm, lies hidden in a place of deep mystery. The Daoist mind should be as clear as the moon reflected on rippling water; the original nature of the Dharma, the fundamental nature inherent in all things, should be like a lotus blooming in fire, untouched by the outer world. Even through the destruction of a cosmic age, one can see that all things are empty; the green mountains still rise on the distant horizon.

Offer bows with reverence, present incense and flowers of every kind, and set out the Five Seasonal Fruits. Follow worldly rites and purify the altar, arranging it in accord with the patterns of Heaven and Earth. Whether in a Daoist temple or at home, one may do good and accumulate merit according to one’s means, and invite Daoist priests to perform a ritual. The merit gained is profound and too great to recount in full.

Simply recite the names of the Seven True Lords of the Northern Dipper, the seven honored deities of the constellation, and you can dissolve sinful karma, cleanse calamities and misfortune, increase blessings and lifespan, and bring wholesome results upon yourself.

Ice and charcoal cannot be placed in the same furnace. How, then, could the wise and the foolish live together for long? Their natures are different: ice does not know that it will freeze into ice, and charcoal does not know that it will burn and give off heat. The wise need not say much; their understanding is naturally clear. The foolish need not say much either, yet their understanding remains clouded. The wise keep benevolence, righteousness, propriety, and law in their hearts, always afraid of harming others. The foolish often do what is neither benevolent nor righteous, and may even resent the loss of their own advantage. How lamentable the foolish are! The Book of Documents says, “The good person never feels there is enough time to do good; the wicked person never feels there is enough time to do evil.” This is precisely the situation it describes.

The beings of the world are deluded, unaware that their many actions are all transgressions. How could they understand that the celestial officials record every good and evil deed, without missing the slightest thing? When good deeds have accumulated to a certain degree, one can transcend the ordinary and become an immortal. When sins reach a certain number, one’s lifespan is shortened and brought to an end. After death, one must also endure suffering alone in Fengdu, the underworld of Daoist lore, and one’s descendants may be made to suffer hardship as well.

I, the Most High—a reverential Daoist title for Lord Lao—lament that the paths to the immortal realms of the Ten Continents and Three Islands are deserted and lonely, while the paths through the Six Realms and Four Births, the different destinations and forms of life into which beings are reborn, are crowded and chaotic. For this reason, the scriptures explain causes and conditions, and karmic retribution: to encourage the worthy to advance further in goodness and to warn the foolish against evil.

To guide beings of different capacities and awaken those who are deluded, the Daoist tradition established rules and precepts. Anyone whose heart is confused and who wishes to repent may purify the altar and adorn the ritual space, arrange incense and flowers, offer seasonal fruits, and invite Daoist priests to conduct rites. Then, by doing good and accumulating merit according to one’s means, one may build up profound virtue beyond words.

The Great Dao emerges from emptiness. Human nature seems originally to contain nothing, yet it also holds wondrous functions—who can explain it clearly? The Scripture on Birth into Heaven and Attaining the Dao says, “That which is profound, dark, pure, and still is the Dao. Silent and formless, it appears within the Great Void. The Dao’s body is clear and tranquil, dwelling nowhere. Forms and thoughts alike return to stillness: this is the true source.”

From this we can see that the right way may be revealed through evil, just as truth is hard to recognize without falsehood. This subtle teaching is proclaimed to awaken beings and help them understand the causes and conditions of good and evil: they must not act wickedly as they please, nor indulge their desires and thereby commit transgressions. Only then can they gradually enter the mysterious gate of the Dao and understand its workings. The profound principles that transcend the ordinary are, in truth, never far from the heart.

Alas! Because people do not recognize their original nature, they remain bound within true emptiness and, even now, have not found release.

Only by severing worldly desires can one cultivate the true Dao; only with a sincere resolve to cultivate the Dao can one transcend the world.

Fame, wealth, right and wrong, and resentment should all be set aside. Rather than chase after them, one might keep company with the fresh breeze among the pines and the bright moon. One should see through illusions and hold fast to the true nature one has always possessed. I ask those in the world who cultivate the Dao: do not judge people as close or distant according to their outward appearance and form.

The principles one realizes in the heart can help one understand the workings of the Dao. The mysteries beyond the secular world are never separate from the human heart. Alas, it is only because people do not recognize their original truth that they remain bound within the void to this day.

When urgent trouble strikes, one may burn incense and recite scripture, praying for safety within a set period. Thus the scripture proclaims: the Great Sage Lords of the Seven Stars of the Northern Dipper, revered deities of the seven stars in that constellation, can dispel every kind of calamity.

The Great Sage Lords of the Seven Stars of the Northern Dipper can dispel the calamity of the Three Disasters.

The flavors, sensations, sounds, and scents encountered by the six senses easily give rise to calamity and bring misfortune that goes on without end. People laugh in vain at mirage towers conjured above the seashore, yet are themselves deceived by the illusion of geese flying in the distant sky. They do not understand: if external things are false, why do they still cling to them? They should trust that the roots of calamity, too, can be examined within themselves. The poem says: a lone person stands amid the clouds’ shadows in the wilderness, lingering there for a long time, silently facing the setting sun.

The Great Sage Lords of the Seven Stars of the Northern Dipper can dispel the calamity of the Four Baleful Forces.

The Six Dusts—the external objects encountered by the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind—are often difficult to clear away. When the Four Baleful Forces, malign influences that bring calamity, clash with one another, they give rise to distress. If strange spirits and demons cannot be subdued, specters will fight among themselves, deceiving and slandering one another. A fierce wind scatters the chrysanthemums before the courtyard; a sudden storm batters the reeds along the river. One can only lament these seemingly carefree scenes in vain, as fated cycles turn again and again, appearing and vanishing.

The Great Sage Lords of the Seven Stars of the Northern Dipper can dispel the calamity of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water).

One should recognize the original master within, that is, one’s inner nature: its spirit and form both transcend the Five Phases, which constitute all things. Yuluo, a name in Daoist texts for the lofty celestial realm, is not truly sealed off by white clouds; nor are gardens and marshes cut off by green waters.

The methods are many and varied, and may seem chaotic, yet in the end they should all follow the ancient Dao. A thousand words and ten thousand phrases ultimately express only reverence for the aims of the Daoist tradition.

When one clings to deliberate action and to things with form and appearance, understanding divides into countless opinions. Only by remaining clear-minded and contemplating emptiness can one truly experience “emptiness.”

The great Lords of the Seven Origins of the Northern Dipper—the seven revered deities represented by the seven stars of the Dipper—can deliver people from the calamity of the six harms.

The hymn says:

The great sages of the Seven Origins possess profound wisdom. How dare the six harms still stir up trouble?

It is like wind scattering the evening clouds: the mountains remain unmoved. The moon sinks into the cold river, yet the waters continue to flow.

Through “emptiness” one comes to experience reality and recognize what is true. When the world of dust comes into view, greed and anxiety reveal themselves as illusory.

So long as you continually examine and guard yourself, light will naturally fill the four directions.

The great Lords of the Seven Origins of the Northern Dipper can deliver people from the calamity of the seven injuries.

The hymn says:

Within the jeweled terrace and jade palace, the Dao holds the truth. The seven thieves—desires and afflictions that damage body and mind—draw ever closer; they are the source of conflict and depletion.

Wind in the trees can only stir the world below; beneath the moonlight on the Milky Way, one may walk freely.

Elixir refinement, in the Daoist sense of cultivation, does not depend on external things such as gold and jade. To preserve one’s original nature, do not lose yourself in distinctions between turbidity and clarity.

When the many afflictions in the heart fall still, the state of “a blue lotus blooming in fire” will naturally appear, symbolizing the emergence of pure nature through cultivation.

The great Lords of the Seven Origins of the Northern Dipper can deliver people from the calamity of the eight difficulties.

The hymn says:

Nature becomes stubborn because one pursues the clamor of the world. Thus this illusory life meets the eight difficulties and suffers torment.

Know that the body is bounded by its allotted years. Understand that time passes and cannot be held back.

If you cannot restrain your attachment to love and desire, but instead willingly fall into the prison of countless calamities, then once your karmic offenses have taken shape, how can you expect repentance alone to settle the matter? You should constantly polish the mind’s mirror, leaving not the slightest trace of dust.

The great Lords of the Seven Origins of the Northern Dipper can deliver people from the calamity of the nine stars.

The hymn says:

Fortune and misfortune alternate. Can that alone dispel our troubles? And why would the nine stars willingly bring down punishment?

All this happens because the mind’s inner light is obscured, allowing every kind of demonic obstacle to emerge unchecked.

After leaving one’s homeland, one no longer longs for it, yet becomes absorbed in illusory pleasures and pursues them without end.

Question: If people remain bound by worldly desires and emotions, when can their divine nature be set free?

The Great Sage, Lord of the Seven Origins of the Northern Dipper (the revered deities corresponding to the seven stars of the Northern Dipper), can release people from calamities between spouses.

The hymn says:

Behind the union of man and woman, who knows that there lies a principle that opens the way to the Great Luo Heaven (the highest celestial realm in Daoism)? In practice, one should restrain and subdue the various demonic obstacles. The Qi of Yin and Yang can temporarily return to its source, and the divine nature should likewise escape the river of passion and desire. Climb the verdant ridge at night to admire the beauty of the moon; come to the green stream at dawn and feel a refreshing breeze like the sea wind. Alas, many arrogant people have yet to awaken. They disregard the wondrous principle of true emptiness and persist in reckless conduct.

The Great Sage, Lord of the Seven Origins of the Northern Dipper, can release men and women from calamity.

The hymn says:

The lucid nature is originally without distinction; only through their different karmic conditions do outward forms take different paths. When mist spreads and clouds turn cold, the water’s surface naturally freezes; when the sun rises and the air grows warm, the ice melts away. The divine nature is originally still and ever clear, yet the mind of wisdom still stirs up distress. If people attend only to what lies before them and lose the wondrous truth, they will revolve endlessly through Jambudvipa (the human world), wasting their practice in vain.

The Great Sage, Lord of the Seven Origins of the Northern Dipper, can release people from calamities related to childbirth.

The hymn says:

People lose their original nature and are therefore obscured by the dust of the world. Once desire and affliction take hold, the Dao-centered heart can no longer proceed freely. From childhood to old age, people see only a body that changes in illusion; leaving one body, they enter another body formed from illusory elements. Only by ending the cycle of rebirth can one reach a solemn and pure state. Turbid afflictions obscure one another, covering the precious mirror of one’s original clarity. Now I urge those in the world who are truly resolved to cultivate the Dao: practice diligently until there is neither departure nor arrival.

The Great Sage, Lord of the Seven Origins of the Northern Dipper, can release people from calamities that follow one upon another.

The hymn says:

The divine nature is originally Wuwei and cannot be confined. Whence, then, could calamities that follow one upon another arise? People do not understand that all things share the same source. Instead, they cling to differences, obscuring the truth and preventing it from appearing fully. The Eight Sufferings (the eight kinds of human suffering in Buddhism) press in together, obstructing the path of cultivation; the Ten Entanglements (the various afflictions that bind the mind and spirit) surge forth at once, bringing fear and anxiety. Since you know how tightly these afflictions entangle you, why delay? Remove them, turn back, and awaken, and they will all cease.

The Great Sage, Lord of the Seven Origins of the Northern Dipper, can release people from the calamities of epidemics and illness.

The hymn says:

Cold and heat alternate; wind and snow come and go. The failing body will eventually perish, giving rise to all manner of calamities.

Nurturing the body and mind without knowing how to harmonize and follow their proper course, while indulging in greed and delusion and willingly accepting their harm, will damage the body. The Six Thieves (a common Buddhist and Daoist metaphor for the six sensory desires that disturb body and mind) ceaselessly drain Jing, Qi, and Shen, causing one’s inner light to fade. The Five Demons (here, malevolent forces that bring calamity) intrude, and epidemics and misfortunes press in.

Only by awakening oneself and opening the wisdom of the Great Sage can one support oneself through danger, escape calamity, and transcend the cycle of rebirth.

The Great Sage, the Seven Lords of the Northern Dipper (deities transformed from the seven stars of the Northern Dipper), can dispel the calamity of illness.

The hymn says:

If ordinary people wish to escape the troubles of the world, they must first put an end to their own suffering; they cannot simply count on others to cure them. If they cannot rid their hearts of attachment and prejudice, how can talk of the true teaching save them? A mirror leaves no trace behind, while clouds beneath the moon have their own radiance. Walk the Middle Way without clinging to either side, and you may return in peace, content among the cliffs and streams.

The Great Sage, the Seven Lords of the Northern Dipper, can dispel the calamity of essence demons.

The hymn says:

When the will is stubborn and refuses to sever its many entanglements, essence demons of the world appear one after another. If the heart grows steadily quieter and one realizes the profound Dao, delusion and greed gradually recede; the more one loses oneself in worldly pleasures, the more pitiable one becomes. As the body slowly ages, Jing and Qi seem to be secretly stolen away, damaging the Dantian (the place where Jing and Qi are refined). Better to awaken to the illusory worldly things, fleeting as smoke and moonlight, and preserve upright Qi (the pure, orthodox vital energy of life) so that body and mind remain strong.

The Great Sage, the Seven Lords of the Northern Dipper, can dispel the calamity of tigers and wolves.

The hymn says:

The mysterious, primal, wondrous Dao is deep and subtle. Once the teaching of returning to simplicity and truth has been lost, who can understand the principle of emptiness? Through countless kalpas, the Dao has never truly come into being or ceased to be. The transformations of Yin-Yang and the cycles of all things show that people are always moving between clarity and delusion. Fortunately, on an autumn night the moon shines clear of clouds, and the winding riverbank is calm and pure; one need only fear falling into the mire. In the end, the key to subduing tigers and wolves and capturing serpents and dragons lies in a man truly carrying it out.

The Great Sage, the Seven Lords of the Northern Dipper, can dispel the calamity of insects and snakes.

The hymn says:

Do not let the original awareness change over and over. When one’s nature is settled, worldly thoughts naturally cease to arise. The monkey and horse (metaphors for a restless, unsettled mind) sleep among the mountain mists and clouds, and even insects and snakes scatter at the sudden clap of thunder.

In the valley on a spring day, orioles sing in the sunlight; beside the quiet waters, swallows wheel beneath the clear sky.

When one faces the scene before them and takes it in for oneself, the heart no longer gives rise to turmoil.

The restless thoughts that leap like apes and the desires that race like galloping horses come to rest among cloud-wreathed mountains; stray thoughts lurking like insects and snakes are scattered by the sudden peal of thunder.

In the valley on a spring day, orioles sing in the sunlight; beside the quiet waters, swallows wheel beneath the clear sky.

When one faces the scene and understands it through personal experience, the wind and moon among the mountains appear especially clear.

The Great Sage, Lord of the Seven Primordial Stars of the Northern Dipper, can dispel calamities, bandits, and disasters.

The hymn says:

Who can forestall danger and misfortune? Only by grasping the profound, mysterious principle beyond the cloudy heavens can one do so.

When one penetrates the fundamental principle that precedes Heaven and Earth, one knows that calamities have no fixed time for beginning or ending.

The inner and outer become suddenly clear, and all things fall into harmony; one perceives and illuminates the subtle workings behind the transformations of immortals and ordinary people.

As if in a sudden battle, demons and evils vanish in an instant, leaving no trace of the bandits to be found.

The Great Sage, Lord of the Seven Primordial Stars of the Northern Dipper, can dispel the calamity of chains and judicial punishment.

The hymn says:

Bind the stubborn, scattered thoughts and keep yourself from reckless action; then the three thousand punishments of the world lose their power.

With a sudden opening to subtle insight, one can cast off golden fetters; when the mysterious Dao is made manifest, even jade fetters will break apart.

At dawn, the waterside is clear and translucent, as if immortals appeared and vanished in the distance; the cold pool reflects the bright moon, its light lingering there.

This teaches one to understand the lofty Way of Heaven: in the end, both suffering and joy depend on oneself.

The Great Sage, Lord of the Seven Primordial Stars of the Northern Dipper, can dispel the calamity of an untimely death.

The hymn says:

Through true awakening, reach perfect harmony and preserve the innate, undivided original nature; subtle radiance shines through above and below, and Heaven and Earth become clear and vast.

The precious jewel—the innate clarity of the spirit—endures through the ages. Has its light ever dimmed? The jade grotto, a metaphor for a pure and mysterious realm, opens layer upon layer; the Dao has always been luminous.

Only by indulging the six faculties of eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind—the senses and consciousness that encounter the outer world and stir desire—does one lose oneself without realizing it. Then, drawn along by all manner of passions, one falls into the cycle of birth and death.

If you wish to leave the path of transmigration, cherish the clear, luminous nature within your heart.

The Great Sage, Lord of the Seven Primordial Stars of the Northern Dipper, can dispel the calamity of binding curses and oaths.

The hymn says:

Those sunk in the tumult of the dusty world do not cultivate body and mind. They are captivated by illusory transformations and let greed drive them.

Their true nature, originally free and at ease, is sealed within the prison of the world; their unbound true spirit is as if confined within a coffin.

When distress arises, people vow to devote themselves wholeheartedly to the Dao. Once things settle down, however, their resolve to follow the Dao falters again.

So you rush about, busy and restless, going back and forth through the cycle of rebirth. Tell me: when will you truly reach its end?

The Great Sage, the Seven Lords of the Northern Dipper, can free you from the calamity of the heavenly net—the disasters and constraints that ensnare you like a net cast from above.

The verse says:

The truth of Wuwei (non-action) has no form or trace. Only when the mind is deluded does one stray onto a path that leads nowhere.

Since ancient times, people have been bound by worldly desires. Even now, they remain constrained and cannot understand the mystery of emptiness and stillness.

An oriole sings from a branch—how could it know the willow has turned green? A butterfly flutters by—how could it know the flower’s heart is scarlet?

Heaven sends down death and grants life; in this world, blessings and calamities are intertwined. We must seek out the deepest truths and dispel confusion and obscurity.

The Great Sage, the Seven Lords of the Northern Dipper, can free you from the calamity of the earthly net—the disasters and constraints that ensnare you like a net spread across the ground.

The verse says:

Know that worldly desires bring many troubles upon you. You should raise your aspirations and rise above entanglements that ensnare you like a net, woven from harm and benefit alike.

When craving follows desire, the heart finds little peace. Indulging delusion and miserliness at will only draws one into demonic obstacles.

Once you have fallen into a deep pit, escaping takes a struggle. Before you fall in, do not recklessly exhaust yourself and invite calamity.

Cloud, mist, and water vapor stretch without end, yet a light boat can still float onward and cross the river of delusion.

The Great Sage, the Seven Lords of the Northern Dipper, can free you from the calamity of weapons—the disasters brought by war and conflict.

The verse says:

There are many kinds of calamity caused by weapons in this world. People often become pointlessly entangled in disputes over right and wrong.

Harsh words and slander are like sharp blades. A broad and tolerant heart brings openness and peace within.

Turn your thoughts around, mend your ways, cultivate yourself, and pray to pass through the tribulation. When your heart is at ease, even lamplight seems cool and serene.

In the center of the heavens dwells the Lord of the Celestial Pivot, who governs the turning of the stars and aids all beings. It is no difficult matter for this deity to dispel calamity.

The Great Sage, the Seven Lords of the Northern Dipper, can free you from the calamity of water and fire—floods and fires, and also the suffering of desire and karma, which burn and surge like water and flame.

The verse says:

The sea of desire surges without end, as if its vast waters reached the sky; the fierce fire of karma seems ready to consume the wilderness.

When the mind is clear, deep, and still, it becomes pure and undisturbed. Treat others with gentleness, humility, and tolerance, and the heat and agitation will subside, leaving the heart cool and clear.

See all forms and appearances as empty, and the mind naturally grows quiet. Remain untouched by disputes and turmoil, and act in accord with circumstances.

When water and fire rise and descend in harmony, the true Dao can be realized. Build a lofty bridge to help all beings cross the great river of suffering.

The Seven Lords, corresponding to the seven stars of the Northern Dipper, possess vast spiritual powers. They can rescue people from every kind of calamity and free those who suffer. Those who pray for help in urgent peril receive protection and remain safe. Through this, one may accumulate a hundred blessings and bring oneself into accord with the Qi of the Five Phases. The Three Hun souls become secure and whole, leaving no place for evil spirits to linger. Pure Qi descends from the five directions, and every kind of blessing follows. Longevity and freedom from the Eight Difficulties—the obstacles encountered in cultivation or the attainment of the Dao—are linked to upholding the Seven Stars of the Northern Dipper. In this life, body and mind are at ease; in every life, spirit and Qi remain clear. Good deeds appear of themselves, like shadows in the light; responses arise naturally, like echoes in a valley. The Three Officials, deities who govern Heaven, Earth, and Water, protect together, while the myriad saints watch over all. Calamities and obstacles do not arise, and the Daoist heart remains forever at peace.

The hymn says: Subdue evil spirits, and the mind naturally becomes calm; the great sages of the Seven Lords possess vast spiritual powers. Keep the mind and nature like the bright moon unobscured by clouds; do not let emotions drift and sway like duckweed on the water. Wash away troubles and impurities outwardly, and inwardly refine the Mysterious Mirror of clear discernment, dispelling darkness and delusion. The Eight Difficulties and Three Calamities naturally vanish; these responses all come from upholding the Seven Stars of the Northern Dipper.

This concludes the first volume of the Commentary on the Most High’s Scripture of Numinous Mystery, the Northern Dipper Scripture for Extending Life According to One’s Destiny.

Commentary: Some editions read “born in,” while others read “perhaps in.” “Seated at the Jade Bureau” should read “seat at the Jade Bureau.” Given the context, “recruit” should be “admire.” “Distressed and weak” is probably an error for “critically ill.” In the passage stating that the Seven Primordial Lords of the Northern Dipper can dispel calamities, some editions list calamities from “the calamity of weapons and warfare” through “the calamity of water and fire,” while another edition lists them from “the calamity of hell” through “all calamities.” Other editions read “recite and uphold it to ensure peace and safety” and “demons and malign spirits will be banished forever.”

The Middle Volume of the Commentary on the Most High’s Scripture of Numinous Mystery, the Northern Dipper Scripture for Extending Life According to One’s Destiny

Commented on and rendered in verse by the Perfected Xuan Yuan of Mount Kongtong

The Lord Lao said: The Northern Pole Star appears in the heavens, with the stars circling around it. It is the pivot of the workings of creation in Heaven and Earth, and the central seat of authority over the human world and the spirits.

The Northern Dipper (the North Star) hangs high in the sky, shining brightly; the stars circle the imperial star in radiant splendor. Thus, wherever the Northern Dipper turns, all things move in response. Its workings lie silently concealed—who can truly understand them?

People in the world who cultivate the Dao often climb mountains and cross rivers, searching in vain for realized adepts far and wide, year after year without rest. They visit fellow practitioners and seek teachers, yet still do not understand the principles; how, then, can their original spirit be at peace? Some devote themselves to memorizing vast amounts of songs and discussing poems and hymns. What, in the end, can they gain? Their efforts never take root in actual practice. Even if they claim to cultivate the Great Dao, they cannot truly succeed by merely grasping at clouds over streams, contemplating “the obscure and the unseen” (the Dao’s state beyond sound and form), or holding onto their own shadows. How can one discern the Great Dao in the world before one’s eyes, recognize the stars, and understand mysteries beyond the ordinary world?

Someone asked: How can one discern the Great Dao in Heaven and Earth, recognize the stars, and understand their mysteries? Heaven and Earth each receive clear and turbid Qi (vital energy). The sun and moon move; Yin-Yang rises and falls; the seasons change; and all things are born and perish. These changes accord with nature. That is why observing Heaven and Earth can reveal the Great Dao.

The Northern Dipper hangs high in the sky, moving in season, following the constellations and responding to all things, while commanding the stars. Its transformations are hidden and profound; its creative workings are subtle and far-reaching. This is how one recognizes the Northern Dipper and comprehends the mysterious realm. The Virtue (De) of the sages reaches throughout Heaven and Earth, bringing all things into being. If the Northern Dipper did not turn, nothing could come into existence. From this, one can see how vast and profound the principles are. If living beings can put this method into practice, the results of cultivation will be securely achieved.

According to tradition, the Northern Pole’s Dark Spirit was titled Zhenwu, or Perfected Warrior (a revered Daoist deity). In the era of the Longhan kalpa (a primordial cycle of tribulation in Daoist tradition), he vowed to take the Northern Dipper as his model. Later, after completing his cultivation on Mount Wudang, he ascended to Heaven in broad daylight. Yet people in the world do not understand this method. Since the Perfected Lord Zhenwu attained the Dao, no one has continued his path. Alas, the truly profound principle lies right before us; there is no need to seek it in cloud-veiled, remote mountains.

The verse says:

The root of creation lies right before our eyes; the Great Dao is not hidden in some distant place beyond the sea.

When one awakens to the Dao, all things in the world can serve one’s purpose; when one loses the way, faults seem to lie everywhere. Strong winds and deep waters naturally give rise to waves; after rain, distant mountains are often veiled in mist.

The verse says: The principles of creation are right before us. The Dao is not hidden overseas or in some remote, mysterious realm. When one awakens to the Dao, all things in the world can serve one’s purpose; when one loses the way, faults may arise everywhere. Strong winds and deep waters bring waves, and after rain, distant mountains are often shrouded in mist. The bright moon hangs high in a clear blue sky, revealing everywhere the natural scene of perfect, radiant wholeness.

The Dipper commands awe throughout the Three Realms—the heavens, the earth, and the human world. It governs the myriad spirits, determines the appointed times of human good and evil, fortune and misfortune, and oversees the underworld’s offices for distinguishing right from wrong.

The Dao is the foundation of one’s original nature, and that nature is also the key to understanding the Great Dao. Anyone who wishes to study the Dao must first recognize their own nature. Original nature is pure and still, in accord with the Way of Heaven; when feelings and thoughts arise, it is because external things have stirred them.

All beings possess an original nature, yet attachment to external things often gives rise to feelings and thoughts. Once these become deluded, they lose the right path. Such people can neither practice the Great Dao nor carefully avoid all manner of wrongdoing. They cannot live in purity and stillness, remain detached and accept things as they come, or let their minds be like cooled ashes and keep their nature as steadfast as a withered tree. Instead, they are pulled along by worldly distinctions between self and others, gains and losses, right and wrong, honor and disgrace, as well as by the six desires, seven emotions, greed, hatred, delusion, and anger. They give no thought to the roots of wrongdoing, resort to cunning at every turn, and even take harming others as a mark of skill. They betray their conscience for profit without realizing that they are sinking into the deep currents of the river of desire, where they will ultimately suffer through the cycle of birth and death.

How can people hold fast to the One—the single-minded Dao-heart—so that their inner selves do not become scattered, and preserve this heart without departing from the Great Dao? The Great Dao has no visible form and no audible sound, so it cannot be said to exist as a concrete thing. Yet the four seasons follow it in their course, and all things follow it as they grow, so neither can it be said not to exist. The Scripture for Dispelling Calamities says, “Within nonbeing there is nonbeing; within being there is nonbeing.” This expresses precisely that the Great Dao is neither being nor nonbeing. It is strong and vast, fine enough to enter a mote of dust and broad enough to encompass Heaven and Earth. Yin and Yang take shape through it, bringing cold and heat; the sun and moon move according to it. Through it, people possess awareness and their bodies are able to move. None of the transformations of the myriad things between Heaven and Earth can be separated from the Great Dao.

How, then, should one begin to cultivate? By observing the pivotal workings of Yin and Yang and discerning the patterns of transformation in the workings of creation, one can naturally bring body and mind into accord with the Great Dao. Confucius said, “Observe the path a person follows; examine what they are at ease with.” His meaning is close to this. If beings do not cling to false views or commit transgressions, but keep their minds pure and single-minded and take refuge in the Northern Dipper, the Daoist star deity and center of faith, they can receive a response.

The Northern Dipper governs the transmission of commands, the movement of all things, and the direction of the spirits. Within the Dipper are deities such as the Overseer of Wrongdoing, the Overseer of Danger, the Overseer of Punishment, and the Overseer of Transgressions, who investigate and carry out punishments. There are also deities such as the Extender of Life, the Augmenter of Years, the Reliever of Calamities, and the Ascender to Life, who record people’s merits. If a person turns from wrongdoing and cultivates goodness, even for a single thought, they may be granted longer life and blessings, and receive the hidden protection of the gods. They can then dwell freely in Wuwei (non-action), roam at ease through the Three Realms, undergo transformation and ascend to Jade Clarity, and soar to the Golden Palace, attaining a wondrous state. Is this not a cause for joy? One should cast off desire, understand the methods of cultivation, and cast aside greed and anger, thereby ascending to the Great Dao.

People are all caught up in the turmoil of pursuing fame, status, and wealth, and have forgotten their original roots. Even if they bustle about, scheme, and make a show of themselves everywhere, their innate wondrous capacities will gradually fall into disuse.

Clear green waters blur into the distant horizon, while vast white clouds hide the faraway peaks. Deep in the night, with all around still, the only sound is a fisherman playing his flute. The reeds glimmer in the moonlight, and the whole scene is so quiet it seems no one is there.

The Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water) all receive their endowment from the Heavenly Dao, while the Seven Luminaries—the sun, moon, and five planets of Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth—belong to the movements of the celestial bodies. The Northern Dipper has the power to revive the dead and prolong life, as well as to dispel calamities and misfortune. From emperors above to common people below, their social ranks may differ, but the destinies they receive are no different.

All changes in the myriad things between Heaven and Earth are, at root, changes of the Dao (the Way). The source of all things therefore cannot be separated from the Dao; without it, nothing could come into being. Heaven and Earth, the stars, the sun and moon, wind and clouds, thunder and lightning, rain and dew, rivers, lakes and seas, hills and mountains, grasses, trees and flowers, fields and crops, the Five Phases and Seven Luminaries (the Five Phases, together with the sun, moon, and five planets), the transformations of Yin-Yang, the warmth and cold of the four seasons, and the human body and all other things—all come into being through the Qi of emptiness, naturalness, harmony, and the Great One (the pure and tranquil primordial energy).

People, listen: the world often fails to seek its true nature within, clinging instead to external things. It forgets its original nature and turns away from the Dao, craving desires and indulging emotions. How can people fail to realize that a human life lasts no more than a hundred years, yet they strive to tend their bodies as though they could endure for a thousand? Alas, they have been deluded.

People adorn their houses and regard them as dwellings for the body, yet do not know that the body itself is a house where the spirits reside. When a house collapses, one has nowhere to shelter; when the body decays and is damaged, the spirits lose their dwelling.

The scripture also says: Do not become infatuated with external things, which are illusory and ever changing, lest you wear down and lose your original true nature. Reduce your desires, quiet distracting thoughts, cultivate your heart and nature, and clear your inner mind. Always be concerned that you have not done enough good, and remain alert to your own mistakes. Long for the Dao and seek the truth; do no evil. Nurture harmonious Qi in the Dantian (energy center, the inner cultivation site below the navel), and build in the Purple Palace (the dwelling place of the divine in Daoist teaching) a stairway leading to the realm of the immortals. Through such cultivation, one can achieve the power to revive the dead and bring life again, avert calamities and resolve misfortune, escape the cycle of suffering, and roam freely beyond the ordinary world.

Alas, the moonlight in the clear, cool sky makes no distinction between high and low. Once what obscures it has been cleared away, it shines everywhere.

Ode:

The Dao is formless from the beginning, beyond comparison in words. Do not vainly seek causes and conditions in the void.

Those who linger beneath the willow shade, greedy to watch orioles sing—how could they know that egrets lie hidden along the smartweed bank?

Among the reeds and rushes, how many blossoms fall along the water’s edge? For a thousand miles, rippling waves shimmer, their billows seeming to blur the horizon.

In old age, I could no longer see fishing boats passing by. I could only face the slanting sun and watch the years slip away.

Among ordinary people, many live in confusion and error. They do not know that their lives and bodies are connected to the Lords of the Northern Dipper, or that their lifespans are arranged by the Celestial Bureau of Destiny. When disaster or illness strikes, they do not know how to dispel calamity, repent and give thanks, or pray for protection. They wish to seek blessings and lengthen their lives, yet do not understand the way of taking refuge—that is, turning toward and following the Daoist teachings.

I believe that the Two Principles of Heaven and Earth, Yin and Yang, cover and sustain all things, moving in secret according to the mysterious workings of Heaven. From them arise the Three Powers—Heaven, Earth, and humanity—and the wondrous workings of the cosmos unfold widely. Thus, after the Taiji (Supreme Ultimate) divides, clear and turbid Qi are brought forth by the Celestial Bureau of Destiny.

Heaven and Earth, the two primal forms, support all things and move silently within the subtle mysteries. From them the Three Powers—Heaven, Earth, and humanity—combine and give rise to life, unfolding their wondrous workings throughout the world. The Supreme Ultimate (Taiji) divides, and clear and turbid Qi form the shapes of Heaven and Earth. The transformations of the Great Dao give rise to the world, as the essences of Yin and Yang gather to form the sun and moon. The myriad things flourish, and every living being has its own life. The Great Dao moves like breathing in and out, without seeking to rule; it is also like an empty bellows, able to function without action, yet setting all things in motion. This is the natural power of the Great Dao.

The heart governs the movement of the limbs and the whole body. Heaven and Earth receive the Dao and take form, and so they have life and death; the human body acts in accordance with the heart, and so encounters good fortune and misfortune. What people do can serve as a warning and a lesson: this is how good and evil bring corresponding results. The heart is Shen (spirit), and Shen is one’s nature. When nature is settled, Shen is at peace; when Shen is at peace, the heart’s activity is calm. If you keep the heart balanced and harmonious, bringing the Qi of Zhengyi—the pure and unified vital energy—into accord with the Great Dao and following nature, is this not a source of joy?

People should understand that before the Great Dao took shape as Heaven and Earth, all was still and empty above and below, open and vacant within and without. Who could see it or grasp it? Who could put it into words? Before a person’s nature entered the body, it too wandered freely beyond the myriad things, at ease in Wuwei (non-action). Nothing could entangle it, and no sorrow or distress could injure it.

Yet across countless lifetimes, living beings have passed from one delusion to another, turning through the cycle of rebirth and drifting between life and death. After death they enter the hells; at birth they take shape in the womb. As they grow, they gradually learn about worldly affairs, but soon pursue what is false and wayward, losing their nature and the truth. People do not understand that it is delusion that confines their originally unobstructed nature within the body, where it suffers all manner of calamities and vexations, yet they still do not awaken. Ask yourselves: what is there in the world of dust that deserves pride or delight?

Living beings in this world do not understand that their nature accords with Heaven and Earth, or that their allotted lifespan is linked to the stars of the Northern Dipper. They often see what is good but refuse to do it, while rushing to do evil. When their fortunes wax and wane, they do not know how to cultivate and care for body and mind. Even if there are practices for extending life, how many know the path back to the True Way? Alas, how lamentable! The path to becoming an immortal is plainly there, yet living beings remain deluded and attached, still drifting with the current.

The eulogy says: A person should rouse and strengthen themselves through wisdom, repeatedly washing away the murky thoughts in the heart, like clear water breaking through raging waves. Let benevolent thoughts arise again and again from the deeply hidden roots of karma—the habits and causes left by past actions—and do not let the path to the Way of the Immortals grow over with thorns. The lake of the heart grows clear and the clouds disperse, as if the horizon stretched far away. In a lovely mountain valley, the moon rises, illuminating a distant cape.

Alone before the cold river, one sees an endless expanse of scenery, all as if drawn down from the clouds and gathered within a monk’s robe. “Robe” here refers to a monk’s garment; the image suggests that the landscape is gathered in and embraced by it.

This may then shock the hun and shen, bringing disaster in its wake: some suffer grave illnesses that resist treatment; others are harmed by malevolent spirits, remaining weak and ailing for years, with bad fortune lasting a long time. There may also be disputes over graves and summonses or calls for service, even implicating ancestors who have passed away.

Heaven supports those who practice goodness and punishes those who act without benevolence, bringing down calamity and blessing as recompense. People fear calamity and hope for blessings, so they should begin by practicing benevolence and accumulating good deeds. Heaven urges people to do good and will aid them with blessings in return; those who hope for blessings should also restrain their faults. Yet people in the world do not understand the principles of Heaven. They want only to receive blessings, but refuse to do good; they know only to fear calamity, but refuse to take care to avoid wrongdoing. Such people cannot hope to live in peace and enjoy good fortune.

Those who can live securely and enjoy blessings have practiced benevolence and accumulated good deeds, while also carefully correcting themselves and renouncing their faults. Calamity and blessing have their causes; good and evil receive their recompense. Those who do not deceive their conscience or harm others can prosper for a long time; those who are gentle in temperament and restrain themselves can enjoy blessings for many years. These principles are plain to see, right before us. It is only a pity that people’s hearts are stubborn and they find it hard to make up their minds.

Consider life in the world: diligence in seeking a livelihood brings wealth, and frugality in spending brings abundance. Without diligence or frugality, how could anyone have enough? In the same way, those who want blessings should accumulate good deeds, and those who fear calamity should renounce their faults. Without good deeds or self-correction, how can anyone live in peace?

How could ordinary people fail to think seriously about how clearly good and evil are repaid? They are often jealous, stingy, and greedy, losing their true nature and turning away from the Dao. They care only for the moment, deceiving their own hearts to gain some advantage, without considering the many calamities that will later befall them. Their souls and spirits are then bound, and misfortune clings to them: illnesses resist treatment, malign influences intrude, their fortunes turn against them, and accidents follow one after another. In life they are burdened with troubles; after death they find no peace. Better to dispel the evil karma in one’s heart and correct one’s own faults; to realize that things have no fixed substance, and to contemplate that one’s nature is originally empty and still.

The verse says:

Originally, there is nothing that can be grasped and given a name. Only greed and delusion make thoughts change again and again.

Those who chase pleasure do not know that pleasure is the very root of calamity. How could those who cling to life believe that their craving to live can itself become the cause of wrongdoing?

One should loosen the bonds of the heart and wash away the dust that has clouded one’s former temperament. In dealing with affairs, one should move with the cautious slowness of someone walking beside a cold, deep abyss. Once you slip and fall in, who knows how long it will take to escape that suffering?

If one is condemned by Heaven or falsely accused by the ghosts and spirits of the underworld, how can such calamity be resolved? One should promptly pray to the Northern Dipper and its Star Lords, perform a Jiao ritual to establish an altar, offer sacrifices, pray for blessings, and make amends, and recite and pass on the true scriptures. One should also acknowledge and take refuge in one’s own natal True Lord, the Star Lord who governs one’s birth destiny. Only then may one find peace and, in time, enjoy health and good fortune. There are many deeper principles, too numerous to explain in full.

I believe that the Way of Heaven is impartial and draws close only to those who do good. Fortune and calamity both bring their consequences; the key lies in the human heart. Thus, blessings naturally come near to those who do good, while disaster is never far from those who do evil.

The Nine Heavens of Great Luo, the pure celestial realms described in Daoism, and the Three Paths of Suffering, the hells where beings endure torment, seem separated by an immense distance. In truth, they are two conditions brought about by a single thought of the heart. From this we can see that the Way of Heaven has not failed living beings; rather, living beings have turned away from the Way of Heaven. Calamity and blessing follow one another like shadow follows form, and the consequences of good and evil recur in cycles.

Have people never considered how clearly rewards and punishments are distinguished? Why, then, do they remain confused and unawake, concerned only with deceiving their own conscience and acting on luck? They always seek prosperity for themselves, harbor resentment, and envy the happiness of others. They do not realize that to seek blessings for oneself, one must first share blessings with others. To profit by harming others is, in secret, to harm oneself. If you do not believe this, ask yourself: can you truly deceive Heaven by relying on luck to get ahead of others?

When wrongdoing has piled up to its limit, bringing Heaven’s punishment and false accusations from ghosts and spirits, what use is regret once suffering has begun? How, then, can such danger be resolved? One must wake up, reflect, and turn back in time: put aside greed and anger, and bring forth the kindness to help others; mend divisions and injuries, and hold an equal regard for all. Through rituals such as fasting and Jiao offerings, make amends; fix your thoughts on the true Dao, and acknowledge your own natal True Lord. Only then may you find peace and gradually regain health and good fortune.

How can one see one’s own natal True Lord? Be vigilant: do not let the many demonic thoughts steal the bright mirror within your heart. Constantly guard the heart’s clarity; in this way, you can subdue those thoughts.

The verse says:

Do not let the mind fall under the control of the assembled demons. Only by overcoming the Three Corpses—the spirits said in Daoism to dwell within the human body and give rise to desires and reckless actions—can one escape bondage, find peace, enjoy good health, and live smoothly. How can you behold your own Destiny Lord (the star lord corresponding to your personal destiny)? Ha! Do not let the assembled demons steal the mind’s mirror, the clear and lucid original mind. Constantly use this mirror to observe and subdue them.

The verse says:

Do not let the original mind fall into the demons’ hands. Only by overcoming the Three Corpses can you escape the net.

The waves of the sea of suffering run high; reach the shore as soon as you can. The winds on the river of desire blow hard; hurry to climb the bank.

Hold fast to the nature of the True Void—the nature unmoved by deluded thoughts or external circumstances—and however circumstances may change, you can remain settled and self-possessed.

Scenes of willow green and peach blossom are also illusory and impermanent. Simply lower your head and smile; do not let them lead you astray.

Whenever you behold the true form of the Northern Dipper—the image or likeness of its star lords—you should bow in reverence.

The Dao originally has no form, yet it can generate the myriad things. Though the myriad things appear in visible forms, at their root they still arise from the Dao. In the world there are emptiness and substance: only where substance exists can emptiness be revealed; without what is real, there can be no falsehood. The Dao is hidden within all things, and the awakened can experience it right before them. Those who cling to one side, however, regard the Dao as something far away. Once they have lost their way, where can they hope to find it?

If you wish to learn the Dao, what should you do to experience it? Follow good conduct and turn away from evil. Continue to accumulate good deeds and merit, bringing your actions into accord with the principles of Heaven. Only then may you encounter a wise teacher, one who understands the Great Dao. Such a teacher can introduce you to the practice of Wuwei (non-action), a way of cultivation that follows the Dao and avoids contrivance, enabling you to experience the Dao’s profound mysteries.

Good and evil arise from the mind, while a teacher must point out the Dao’s subtle principles. Wisdom must be cultivated for oneself, but a teacher can show the way. Even if you meet a wise teacher, you may be unable to grasp deeper truths if your own wisdom is shallow. Yet even if you are intelligent and inclined toward goodness, how can you understand subtle principles without a teacher’s guidance?

Those who wish to learn the Dao should first practice goodness and avoid evil, staying alert so they do not act wrongly. At all hours, day and night, they should remain committed to cultivation and keep their minds clear and awake. If they persist in this practice, they will gradually come to embody the principles of the Dao.

Ordinary people often lose the Dao of their true nature. Why? The things of the external world continually tempt them, stirring their minds with the five desires—the desires of the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and body. They then pursue pleasure and cling to life, losing their true nature and straying from the Great Dao. Thus the Highest One warns: do not cling to outward appearances, lest your mind and spirit be disturbed. It is only because people greedily gaze upon the illusory sights before them that they invite calamities to come. How could they fail to be cautious?

When you see something false, let it awaken in you a desire to seek what is real. When you encounter what is true, let go of deluded attachments. For example, people bow in reverence when they see the true form of the Northern Dipper. They do so because the Dipper is the pivot of the celestial order, its true form has remained unchanged since ancient times, and their bows express sincere devotion.

There is no need to seek the Dao far away; it is present in all things. When people are deluded and fail to awaken, everything before them becomes an obstruction. The sages teach living beings to recognize what is real through the myriad things, and then the Great Dao is within their grasp. The scripture speaks this way so that ordinary people will not develop mistaken views or commit wrongs. It uses visible forms to reveal what is real and guide those who have not yet awakened.

Good and evil both arise from the mind. Before doing what may be done, consider it carefully; when it is time to stop, think it over and stop in time. Cultivating in this order is truly subtle and appropriate. Alas, when the karmic obstructions in the mind are removed, the karma of body, speech, and mind—actions, words, and thoughts—can diminish. Once demonic obstacles arise in the mind, all kinds of such obstacles grow along with them.

The sacred form within the vessel is originally still and effortless. Only when people follow their thoughts and chase after things outside themselves do they invite turmoil. People come and go in the world of Jambudvipa—the human realm—drifting in the sea of suffering; the road of life is sometimes winding, sometimes smooth. Rather than live this way, it is better to often contemplate the true scene of one’s homeland, where cloud-wreathed mountains transcend the cycles of calamity and are wondrous beyond measure. To understand the real meaning here is like hearing a flute suddenly sound by the river in the deep of night: it must be grasped in stillness.

The First of the Northern Dipper, Lord Greedy Wolf of Great Yang Brightness, corresponds to those born in the Year of the Rat.

The Second of the Northern Dipper, Lord Giant Gate of Primordial Yin Essence, corresponds to those born in the Years of the Ox and Pig.

The Third of the Northern Dipper, Lord True One of True Fortune, corresponds to those born in the Years of the Tiger and Dog.

The First of the Northern Dipper, Lord Greedy Wolf of Great Yang Brightness, corresponds to those born in the Year of the Rat.

The Second of the Northern Dipper, Lord Giant Gate of Primordial Yin Essence, corresponds to those born in the Years of the Ox and Pig.

The Third of the Northern Dipper, Lord True One of True Fortune, corresponds to those born in the Years of the Tiger and Dog.

The Fourth of the Northern Dipper, Lord Mysterious Nether of the Pivot of Literary Song, corresponds to those born in the Years of the Rabbit and Rooster.

The Fifth of the Northern Dipper, Lord Vermilion Origin of the Guiding Cord of Integrity, corresponds to those born in the Years of the Dragon and Monkey.

The Sixth of the Northern Dipper, Lord Northern Pole of the Record of Martial Song, corresponds to those born in the Years of the Snake and Goat.

The Seventh of the Northern Dipper, Lord Heavenly Pass of the Gate of the Army Breaker, corresponds to those born in the Year of the Horse.

The Eighth of the Northern Dipper, Lord Illumination of the Outer Assistant.

The Ninth of the Northern Dipper, Lord Hidden Light of the Inner Aide.

Who can know that above the body’s nine apertures correspond the Northern Dipper’s Heavenly Ladle, while the Numinous Terrace—the seat of the mind and spirit—sets in motion the hidden workings of change? Forget selfish intent and comprehend life’s true nature, and blessings will respond; indulge the mind carelessly and sink into decline, and faults will arise from this as well. Silently enact the divine De within the Vermilion Palace, and spread the sacred might of the Mysterious Mountain, abode of the immortals. When you gaze back toward the blue sky where the clouds and mists have dispersed, the precious pearl will shine forth brilliantly.

Upper Terrace: Lord Void Essence, Star of Opening Virtue.

Middle Terrace: Lord Sixfold Purity, Star of the Minister of Works.

Lower Terrace: Lord Crooked Life, Star of the Minister of Emoluments.

To cultivate body and mind, one must keep far from worldly turmoil. Only a tranquil mind is suited to refining and nourishing spirit and body. Clouds rest quietly over the Qu River, and moonlight shines bright; mist clears from the deep valley, and the green mountains appear of their own accord. The tiger of cinnabar lightning sleeps, while the wind whistles; the dragon of the Jade Pool plays, and the waters are cool. Just as one is about to invoke the sacred rites of the Three Terraces, the Six Demons scatter in every direction, with nowhere to hide.

“Clouds rest quietly over the Qu River, and the moon shines bright; mist clears from the deep valley, and the green mountains appear of their own accord” appears once again in the original.

“Cinnabar radiates like lightning,” “the tiger lies down in sleep,” “the wind rustles,” “the Jade Pool,” “the dragon frolics,” and “the water murmurs coolly” describe the inner visions and the movement of breath during cultivation: cinnabar light flashes like lightning, the tiger crouches and rests, and the wind rustles. In the Jade Pool, the dragon swims and plays, while the water sounds cool and clear. When the cultivator invokes the sacred method of the Three Terraces, associated with the Lords of the Three Terrace stars, the six ghosts flee in every direction, with nowhere to linger.

Ordinary people rarely hear the names of such Perfected Lords. Anyone who is fortunate enough to hear them and able to recite and uphold them shows a deep heart for the Dao and good affinities formed in past lives. The merit gained by hearing and reciting this scripture is vast beyond measure.

The highest sacred Dao favors no one; its grace extends to all living beings. Their wisdom differs, and their many expressions vary greatly, yet their original nature is no different. Good and evil arise from one’s actions, just as rain and dew nourish all things. Living beings pass through the Four Births—the womb-born, egg-born, moisture-born, and transformation-born—and wander through the Six Paths of rebirth: heavens, humans, asuras, hell beings, hungry ghosts, and animals. It is difficult to ascend to the Nine Pure Heavens, the lofty realms of heaven in Daoist teaching, but easy to sink into the Five Night Lands, the shadowy world below. This is all because living beings are attached and deluded.

People living in this world cling to and are confused by worldly things, paying no heed to the Dao of True Emptiness. They take scheming and opportunism for skill, self-deception and the veiling of the heart for wisdom, the pursuit of wealth and profit for honor, and indulgence in sensual pleasures for happiness. In this way they lose the true Dao and remain trapped in the cycle of rebirth for a long time. The human mouth is like a three-inch steel blade, often wounding others; the mind is like a trap laid on every side, with every thought aimed at besting others. They do not realize that Heaven and Earth observe human conduct, that the recompense for good and evil follows like a shadow, and that fortune and misfortune come in its wake.

People, why not reflect that human life is only an illusory form? Even if a person lives to seventy, more than half of those years are spent at night. That amounts to about ten thousand days, and much of that time must still be given over to worries and trivial matters. How much time is left? Why go on creating further wrongdoing?

The human body corresponds to Heaven and Earth: the small and large intestines are like rivers and seas, the two eyes like the sun and moon, the five viscera like the Five Sacred Mountains; the head is round like Heaven, and the feet are square like Earth. Heaven and Earth come into being by following the Dao, and the human body, too, grows through the Dao. Since both people and Heaven and Earth receive nourishment from the Dao, why do Heaven and Earth endure while the human body cannot remain firm and last? Heaven and Earth follow the Dao and remain at peace, while people often depart from the Dao and act recklessly. Heaven and Earth follow the Dao: Yin and Yang unite, and Qi naturally circulates up and down without end, in accord with the Dao of True Oneness. Thus they can endure. When people depart from the Dao and act recklessly, they injure their original Yang—the body’s fundamental Yang Qi—and deplete the Dao’s power. They cannot keep joy, anger, craving, and resentment from disturbing their original nature, and they sink deeply into external temptations. Their Yang souls are depleted, their Yin souls grow strong, and they do not know how to keep to the Dao. As a result, every part of the body is as though beset by a host of demons. How could it remain firm and endure like Heaven and Earth?

Therefore, when wise living beings hear these teachings, if they awaken to them, understand them, recite and uphold them, and take refuge in the Dao, this shows that they have a deep heart for the Dao and good affinities from past lives. They are able to encounter the true teaching of the Most High’s Mysterious Gate, leave the cycle of rebirth, attain the rank of immortals, and forever escape the sorrows and sufferings of the Six Paths. They may travel to the Ten Isles, the Daoist realms of the immortals, rejoice there, and ascend beyond into the hidden and profound realm. Alas, having encountered the Dao of the Mysterious Gate, why not awaken? How long will you continue to circle through rebirth before it finally comes to an end?

There are few true kindred spirits who understand the Daoist path of cultivation. Must one seek them in the remote depths of cloud wreathed mountains?

Simply turn back to the little path shaded by willows and lined with fragrant grasses, and the peaks veiled in blue mist will naturally come into view. As you walk, admire the mountain flowers blooming along the ridge; when you rest, listen to the wild birds calling before the mountain. Such a quiet dwelling is not far away. In the end, understanding its meaning depends on one’s own heart.

If men and women who truly believe in Daoism encounter this true scripture, it can bring their innate wisdom to full clarity and open their Daoist hearts. They can leave the path of delusion, enter the Gate of the Inaudible and Invisible (a subtle realm of the Dao beyond words), take refuge in and follow orthodox Daoism, and attain a flourishing life.

Some people set out on the path to seek the highest Dao, while others stray onto harmful byways. The difference lies in their own thoughts and understanding. Reflect on your faults, and they will be dispelled; understand the truth through wisdom, and the Daoist heart will arise. If wisdom cannot grasp the truth, and the heart remains deluded by a reckless and deviant path, how can one see the true Dao within the mysterious gate? One should draw near to good conduct, abandon faults, preserve stillness and purity, and keep far from agitation.

Within stillness and purity are the sun and moon, and also the “Three Mountains,” a Daoist term commonly used for immortal realms or mountains. The realm of agitation, by contrast, remains within the “Six Paths,” the six destinations through which beings transmigrate according to Buddhism. Stillness and purity are the foundation of becoming an immortal; agitation is the root of ordinary people’s dreamlike submergence. To leave agitation behind and return to stillness and purity is the work of the wise.

In every action, there is right and wrong; in every stirring of the mind, there is deviation and correctness. Right and wrong can be distinguished, as can deviation and correctness, so one should approach these choices with care and composure. Among the people, who can cast off deviation and walk the Dao with ease? Who can receive the teaching of Dao and De, and rest content? The wise live in the ordinary world yet take care not to do wrong. Even when fools encounter the true Dao, they cannot accept it with an upright and trusting heart. If someone possesses right faith and wholesome wisdom, then encountering this true scripture can bring their wisdom-nature to completion, open the Daoist heart, lead them out of delusion and into the “Gate of the Rarefied and Subtle,” a Daoist term for a realm too hidden to see clearly or describe in words. They can then return to and honor the true lineage, reaching a state of longevity, joy, and fulfillment.

In the phrase “wisdom-nature complete,” “wisdom” means seeing all things and dwelling in the world without letting one’s nature be disturbed or the heart become attached. “Insight” means apprehending the workings of Heaven and Earth and the principle of “true emptiness,” so that one can perceive what is hidden and understand change. “Nature” means the divine nature that endures through the ages. “Complete” means that awareness flows freely and insight meets with no obstruction. The Daoist heart opens when one suddenly apprehends the true Dao. In this way, one can naturally leave the misguided path, enter the Gate of the Rarefied and Subtle, return to and honor the lineage of the True One, and reach a state of longevity and ease. If worldly habits are not cast off, the Three Calamities will arise together; once the Daoist heart opens, the Six Desires will recede.

The hymn says: Enter the gate of the hidden and ineffable—the realm of the Dao, beyond the reach of the senses—and take refuge in the source of the One, the origin of the Great Dao. Then you can attain a state of long life and peace. If you cannot cast off worldly habits, the three calamities will all arise together; when the heart of the Dao awakens, the six desires will all fade away.

The hymn also says:

The Dharma Mirror, a metaphor for reflecting one’s nature, shines with a gentle radiance, and the jeweled terrace appears faintly. Begin cultivating early; do not delay and let worldly habits stain you.

Suddenly comprehend the profound and wondrous Great Dao, and you can return to stillness and purity. Leave the path of delusion, and transform both suffering and joy.

Understand that purposeful action has its uses, then follow things as they are, without clinging to coming or going.

Comprehend the signs and transformations within the Great Dao, and you can transcend the Nine Heavens, revealing your wondrous true form and spiritual might.

On the Three Yuan days—the purification days of the Upper, Middle, and Lower Yuan—the Eight Festival days, including the four seasonal beginnings, the equinoxes, and the solstices, as well as one’s birth day and the days when the Northern Dipper descends, one should solemnly establish an altar, recite scriptures, hold purification rites and offerings, and cultivate the Dao according to the liturgy. The blessings gained in this way are boundless. Through generation after generation, one will remain true to one’s nature and never fall into false views.

Iron ore may be crude and stubborn, but only through tempering can it become a tool. The human heart is easily drawn by desire; only by drawing close to De and correcting one’s faults can one cultivate oneself into a perfected being. Ore that is not tempered can never become a tool; a person who does not cultivate can never become perfected. Therefore, rely on the guidance of a skilled master to correct deviant views.

Iron ore is hard and crude; only after being worked can it become a useful object. The human heart is full of desires; only by drawing close to Dao and De and giving up one’s faults can it be transformed. Ore that is not worked will never become a useful object; a person who does not cultivate will never attain true realization. Thus, guidance from a skilled craftsperson can set one on the path to awakening, while following the cultivation of Dao and De can set one on the path to understanding the principle of “emptiness.”

Dao is the root of all things, and De is the source of every kind of good action. The subtle workings of Dao and De extend everywhere, yet how many people know that they are present in everyday life? Dao has no form or image, but it can be experienced by giving up desire. De is like a bright mirror, but it cannot be perfected without accumulating good deeds. If those who admire Dao do not understand their own nature, how can they attain true realization? If those who aspire to cultivate De do not cultivate their conduct, how can they be called benevolent?

All who cultivate Dao and De should be pure and sincere, keep stillness, enrich their inner lives while remaining open and humble, restrain themselves and yield to others, honor their elders, and take a modest place below others. Those who fail to follow these principles will eventually abandon the study of Dao and cultivation of the true halfway through.

Before attaining Dao, ordinary people’s bodies and lives remain subject to constant change. People do good or evil, and their fortunes and misfortunes differ; all of this is governed by the rulers and officials of the Celestial Bureaucracy and the underworld. Wrongdoing brings punishment, while good deeds bring blessings. Therefore, on the Eight Seasonal Festivals, when Yin and Yang turn at the changing seasons, on the Three Primal Festivals—the Upper, Middle, and Lower Primal Festivals—and on one’s birth-sign day, one should purify the ritual space, recite scriptures, and perform Zhaijiao, purification rituals to pray for blessings and atone for offenses. One should also visualize the true Dao, pray to the Great Dao, repent of one’s faults, and seek grace and blessings. In this way, sins can be dispelled and blessings bestowed. One will neither betray one’s true nature nor fall into false views, and so can preserve one’s allotted years and cultivate Dao for a long time.

If one becomes absorbed in false views, one loses the true Dao; losing the true Dao ruins one’s cultivation; ruined cultivation brings offenses; and offenses, when accumulated, destroy body and life. Alas, a single confused thought can send one plunging into a river of delusion; letting the Six Thieves—the six sensory desires that disturb body and mind—take control can hurl one into a net of karma. Why not refine a single Golden Elixir and escape the illusory changes brought by the Four Births, the four modes of rebirth in the cycle of existence? Then one can rise above the world, unite with the truth of Dao, roam freely, penetrate its mystery, and remain unbound by obstacles.

The verse says:

Within the body is another, the Great Tenuity Spirit, an inner deity;

Within the spirit, all is perfectly integrated in a realm called Profound Darkness, deep and subtle.

Neither sight nor hearing can discern its form;

Those who penetrate the mystery remain ever united with the numinous and true Dao.

The moon hangs bright in the sky like a shining mirror; the pine forest, lush and green, follows the contours of the mountain like a green screen. Neither the rise and fall of the mountains nor the places reached by the moonlight can dim its clarity. The mind is clear and open, as if no external things existed; even the distinction between body and self is forgotten.

Those who recite this scripture will also receive good fortune if they regularly chant the names of the Seven Primordial Lords—the seven revered deities corresponding to the stars of the Northern Dipper—and accumulate good deeds until they are complete.

There is also a solemn and majestic state: when the mind is free of obstruction and rests in Wuwei (non-action), one is at ease. Even the slightest worldly desire, no larger than a mustard seed, leaves no trace in the heart; in quiet sitting, one feels the protection of the gods.

Everyone should reflect carefully on the principles of Daoist cultivation. To cultivate the Real, one must work at the root: once the root is established, the Dao will suffer no deficiency. Without understanding the root of the Dao, how could one reach the Jade Pool, the realm of the immortals? Thus the noble person focuses on the root: when the root is firm, the Dao grows from it. To seek the mysterious Dao, first strengthen the foundation. With a firm foundation, seeking the Real is easy, and losing the root while seeking the Real is difficult. Only when root and Real are both present can one grasp their subtlety and ultimately return to one’s own source.

Wuwei must be expressed through deliberate action, so one must recognize that the foundation truly exists. What has form must be discerned through what is formless. To recognize the crucial point before you, see it clearly, and break through it is to let the eyes and ears open wide. The wondrous transformations of the Real are, it turns out, within oneself. Know that stone striking stone produces fire, and that a hollow in the earth becomes a deep pool. To seek good fortune, do good; cut off the causes of evil and dispel harmful connections. Thirst is quenched with water, and cold is warded off with padded clothes. In cultivating the Real and advancing along the Dao, act with care and commit no transgression.

As long as people persevere in recitation, keep the Dao in mind and contemplate the Real, and do not slacken in good deeds, then when their cultivation is complete and their work accomplished, good fortune will gather and descend upon them. Their spirit and soul will roam freely, enjoying the Great Mystery forever. Ah, even if one extols the unsurpassed beauty of the Three Isles, the heart has its own moonlight and breeze; carefree freedom is better still.

The hymn says: Amid tier upon tier of pavilions and splendid halls, a numinous spring wells forth. There is a Cinnabar Sovereign there, whose name is “Natural.” Yu Luo, where all things mingle as one—the lofty celestial realm of Daoist tradition—opens into a vast expanse. In emptiness, stillness, and serene harmony, the Golden Cauldron turns with the Dao of the True Mystery.

The Yang spirit guards the realm of the Three Bright Ones, while the Yin soul is subdued within the Six Grotto-Heavens.

Do not linger by your pillow, lost in illusory dreams, lest you find yourself alone before a fishing boat beneath the cold moon, only adding to the desolation.

Next, recite the Beidou Incantation:

The nine stars of the Northern Dipper are great deities dwelling in the heavens. They ascend to the Golden Palace, the residence of the Heavenly Emperor, and descend to overlook Kunlun. They regulate the order of Heaven and Earth and govern the cosmos. The stars Great Dipper, Greedy Wolf, Giant Gate, Store of Wealth, Literary Song, Chaste Purity, Martial Song, and Army Breaker, together with the exalted Jade Emperor and the Thearch of Purple Tenuity, extend throughout the vast celestial realm, reaching into even its finest details. What disaster cannot they dispel? What blessing cannot they bestow? May the Original Sovereign’s Correct Qi, the primordial vital energy spoken of in Daoism, come to me and unite with me. The Celestial Dipper’s handle points and turns without cease, day and night. Though I dwell in the mundane world as an ordinary person, I cherish the Great Dao and seek its efficacy; may I behold the revered deities’ countenances and preserve my life forever. The stars Empty Essence, Six Purities, and Crooked Life among the Three Platforms nourish and sustain me, and protect my body. □□□ Revered Thearch, swiftly, swiftly, in accordance with the statutes and commands!

The hymn says:

The Mysterious Female turns like a pivot, arranging and bringing forth the gods; she enables me to ascend to truth and receive abundant grace.

Auspicious clouds block the path of circling and wandering; the new moon opens the gate to ease and repose.

Correct Qi gathers and nourishes life, bringing peace to people like Yu and Ji; the wondrous spring nurtures all things and flows through Kunlun.

The radiance of the Seven Primordial Lords never dims; its streaming light shines forth. The myriad sages come before me to guard me, this revered deity.

Laojun said: The life, nature, and five bodily forms of every person are all governed by the star official of their birth destiny. The deity of one’s birth destiny and the star official of one’s natal constellation often bestow their grace and protection, presiding over human lifespans so that people may live out their allotted years. Ordinary people know nothing of this and never awaken to it throughout their lives. Each year, the True Official of one’s birth destiny descends to the human world six times; these days mark the appointed limits of one’s birth destiny. At those times, three thousand messengers from the Southern Mound, seven thousand divine generals of the True Lords of the Northern Dipper, and all the perfected beings led by the True Official of one’s birth destiny descend together to offer protection.

The Dao is the foundation from which all things between Heaven and Earth grow. Original Qi (the fundamental vital energy that forms and drives all things) supports the workings of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water). All things grow and flourish by drawing on the numinous energy of Heaven and Earth; human beings, in turn, take in the essence of all things in search of peace. Thus the Three Powers—Heaven, Earth, and humanity—as well as the Five Phases, human relationships, life, and all things depend on the Dao both to grow and to take form. Nothing in the world lies beyond the Great Dao.

The Dao embraces all things. If a person can realize the unity of mind, they can understand that all things flow forth from the Dao. Though the unified mind has many ways of acting and changing, what is truly dependable is the Real. Anyone who seeks to learn the Dao and return to the Real, cultivate body and mind, and preserve their original nature should make truthfulness their guiding principle. Heaven sets the sun and moon in motion through the reality of its patterns; Earth holds and contains all things through the reality of its sustaining power. The mind, too, should be grounded in what is real. Only then can a person fulfill the Dao’s reality in the world and attain the state of being without leakage—free from loss or dissipation.

When thoughts are sincere and practice is steady, the Dao does not lapse into illusion, and cultivation can reach the Real. If one’s nature is stubborn and knows no restraint, how could the work of the sages ever lead through the Mysterious Gate? All cultivation must be grounded in genuine practice. The workings of my Mysterious Ultimate Great Dao are real and true; only the deluded people of this fleeting world mistake them for illusion. Alas, how could beings with shallow roots and inadequate practice believe that the Mysterious Gate holds truths of profound mystery? They crave sensual pleasures and take them for happiness; chase fleeting wealth and think themselves rich. They eagerly spread tales of depraved desire and strife, yet are startled and repelled when they hear of True Emptiness (the reality beyond attachment and illusion). They envy and slander the Mysterious Gate, treating mud and sand as treasures. In seeking what is unworthy, they forget their own life and destiny. The wondrous truths of the Mysterious Real seem hidden beyond ten thousand leagues of mist and water. When will those who are trapped in a sea of suffering and have lost the ferry crossing reach the far shore of the Dao?

Ordinary people are ignorant and cannot awaken on their own. Therefore the Most High—a Daoist honorific for the supreme deity of the Dao and its teacher—reveals the Way of Wuwei (non-action) to all beings, speaking wondrous words that save and benefit all things. He points out the path to the Three Heavens, the higher celestial realms described in Daoism, and closes the gates to the Nine Nights, the dark underworld. His teachings benefit living beings and extend their grace to all kinds of life. They guide those of superior goodness to cultivate into celestial immortals, while also leading people of middling or lesser capacities toward the right path. The scriptures teach the Three Vehicles, paths of cultivation suited to different capacities, and circulate through the world to instruct all things.

Beings differ in temperament and capacity. The highest teachings therefore guide those of superior capacity. Those of middling or lesser capacity may not grasp their principles, so they must gather in their thoughts and refine their nature, quietly keeping to the intent of the Dao and working steadily without interruption. In time, they may realize the principle of the formless and aspire to the truth beyond images. Such principles are difficult for anyone but those of superior capacity to comprehend. For this reason, the middle and lower vehicles are also established: outward rites and things are used to lead people toward inner truth. Practice begins with what has form and appearance, and then explains the state of being without leakage.

For example, the True Officer of the Birth Destiny, the stellar official who governs a person’s birth destiny, descends to the human world six times each year. This means that, according to the sixty-year cycle, the stem-and-branch day corresponding to a person’s birth year is their Birth Destiny Day. Each year, this day occurs six times; each occurrence is a descent of the Birth Destiny. On that day, the stellar officials and divine generals who govern a person’s birth destiny descend to inspect good and evil. Three thousand envoys of the Southern Mound and seven thousand divine generals of the Northern Dipper also come to offer protection. It is an auspicious day for fasting, bowing and reciting scriptures, repenting and praying to avert calamity, taking refuge in and honoring the assembled perfected beings, and making offerings to one’s Birth Destiny deity. Such observances can dispel misfortune and lengthen life.

Some explain that the three thousand envoys of the Southern Mound symbolize Li Fire and belong to the Palace of Cinnabar Yang. The “three yang” correspond to the three hun souls; when they are activated, the spirit can emerge and govern the heart. The heart can restrain the body and spirit so they do not fall into disorder. The seven thousand divine generals of the Northern Dipper symbolize Kan Water and belong to the Palace of Dark Yin. The seven stars correspond to the seven apertures; when these are opened, light becomes manifest and the kidneys are governed. The kidneys can carefully guard Jing (essence) and Qi so that they do not deteriorate. These are all places within the human body where the original truth resides. When the original vitality is abundant, the Three Corpses, Seven Po, six desires, nine worms, and other disturbances of body and mind can all be brought into accord with the right path, and the myriad spirits and perfected beings will come to offer protection. This is the Dao’s true and real working.

Ah, if one can grasp the profound intent of the Great Mystery, even Mount Tai can be transformed into Jade Capital Mountain, a celestial realm of Daoism.

The river of desire is broad, and the six desires surge like giant waves. The many afflictions of body and mind can all accord with the Great Dao. Then the myriad gods and perfected beings come to offer their protection: this is the Dao’s true efficacy. Ah! If one can grasp the message and intent of the Great Mystery, even Mount Tai will be transformed into Jade Capital Mountain, the Daoist realm of immortals.

The river of desire is broad, its giant waves obscuring the sky. So draw yourself free at once and board the vessel of cultivation.

Subdue the playful monkey mind and let it sleep among flowered paths; allow the wild horse of thought to gallop across fragrant fields.

Grasp the subtle principles of the mysterious Dao, and wherever you look or listen, you can perceive the Great Dao. Understand its hidden mysteries, and everywhere you can enter a state like meditation.

On a moonlit night, I chant alone, raising the oar high; my homeland appears faintly before the ancient peaks.

In this way, one can avert calamities, repent of wrongs, pray for blessings, and prolong life. One can also, according to one’s means, perform zhangjiao—Daoist rites in which memorials are submitted to the gods and offerings are made through a jiao ritual—to increase blessings and De. If someone’s allotted time of calamity is approaching but they do not know it, and neither perform a zhaijiao purification ritual nor maintain the incense offerings, they are treating life lightly, losing sight of their roots, and failing to value their human station. The celestial bureau in charge of heavenly registers will then reduce their allotment and years of life, shortening their lifespan and often bringing an early death. Those who are deluded and stray from the path may encounter scriptures and instructions for cultivation, yet still refuse to believe; some even slander the sacred writings. After death, such people sink into the Three Evil Paths—hell, the realm of hungry ghosts, and the animal realm—and drift through the various realms of rebirth, forever losing the chance to be born human again. This is truly tragic; these bitter consequences are all brought upon themselves.

I privately think that if you want a fire, you go near the firewood; if you are thirsty and want relief, you go near a spring. To rid yourself of faults, draw near good people; if you are foolish and do evil, you should draw near the worthy. The nature of firewood is not to sink into the various evil paths…

To make fire, one must go near wood; to quench thirst, one must go near a spring. To correct one’s faults, one must draw close to good people; to turn away from ignorance, one must draw close to the wise. Wood does not burn by itself, but drilling wood can make fire. If the human heart follows desire, it loses its way; if it knows restraint, it can give rise to a heart aligned with the Dao. Without the help of the wise, it is difficult to distinguish ignorance; without drinking from a spring, thirst cannot be quenched. Without understanding the right path, it is difficult to distinguish the crooked one; without truth, falsehood cannot be known. Truth can be revealed through appearances that are false, just as the right path can be recognized by seeing the crooked one.

It is like a precious mirror suspended on a jade stand, its light shining brightly within. Though you have a physical form, why assume that nothing exists within the profound, formless Dao? The precious mirror symbolizes true nature, while the forms that appear in it are false and impermanent. The nature concealed within those false forms is what is real. You should polish the mirror of the heart as if wiping it clean, removing even the slightest dust, so that your nature may accord with the Dao and extend throughout the vast world. The Great Dao encompasses all things. By holding fast to your original nature, your heart will not be disturbed. All things are known to be false and impermanent; only when the heart shines alone can the real be seen.

If you cling to external things in cultivating the Dao, you cannot devote yourself fully to delighting in the Dao. If you leave external things behind and speak of principles in the abstract, you will find no path to understanding. It is like looking toward the seashore and suddenly seeing the moon of osmanthus; like walking a mountain path and suddenly feeling the breeze among the pines. One turns from evil conduct toward goodness, and from recognizing appearances that are false comes understanding of truth; from the ordinary one learns of the sage, and from leaves and shoots traces the way back to the root.

Ordinary people live in the world. If they do not rely on false things to point to the real, how can they recognize what has form? If they do not rely on concrete images of the Dharma to convey emptiness, how can they understand the principle of the formless? Thus the sages revealed methods of teaching and transformation to guide those who had not yet awakened. As the Most High said: “Those who know do not speak much; those who speak much do not truly know.”

If we ordinary beings can understand the Great Dao, know the span allotted to our lives, recite this mysterious scripture, continue advancing toward the ranks of the immortals, and cultivate diligently without turning back, our blessings and De will naturally grow. If we do not cultivate the Dao diligently, but take life lightly and abandon our original life, our nature will depart from our body and our hearts will fill with suffering, like all things turning to ashes. When will we understand the retribution of cause and effect? When will we escape after being imprisoned in the iron prison? Better to rely on wisdom and ascend the heavenly road, rather than follow the Three Corpses—spirits said in Daoism to lie hidden within the human body and obstruct cultivation—and become prisoners of hell.

The hymn says:

Practice according to your own abilities and seek the truth; only then can you gradually come to see the true Dao (the Way). At first, devoted cultivation often calls for diligence and hard work. Most important, however, is to put it into practice, so that you may enter the gate of Wuwei (non-action) and freedom: a state of neither acting recklessly nor being constrained.

The sea of karma—the sea of suffering formed by all kinds of karmic forces—offers no glimpse of shore even a thousand miles away. Peng Mountain, the legendary abode of immortals, is veiled by dense layers of cloud, leaving travelers lost and disoriented. On a silent, cold river, fishing lights shimmer across the water. Gulls and egrets startle into flight, leaving their flock behind. These images portray the hardship and uncertainty of the path of cultivation, and repeatedly remind us to return to the gate of Wuwei and freedom.

If, on your personal life-cycle day, determined from the cyclical signs of your birth year, you undertake a Zhaijiao (purification ritual) and sincerely present your wishes to the celestial officials who oversee heavenly records and administer rewards and punishments; if, during the period of your life-cycle term, you recite and transmit the true Jing (scripture), and make offerings on a generous scale, then you may pray to be reborn as a man in each of three successive lives, endowed with wealth, noble status, and intelligence, and distinguished among the people.

All desires arise from external things, while all acts of distinction and judgment arise within the mind. Once desire takes hold, a realm that was originally pure can become Luofeng, the legendary land of the dead. When desire subsides, even the dark halls of the underworld can become a wondrous, tranquil dwelling. Where do all the demonic obstacles and afflictions come from? Where do the Eight Difficulties and Ten Entanglements—the terms used in Buddhist and Daoist writings for various hardships and vexations—arise? Attachment to external things is the root of demonic obstacles and afflictions; disturbance of one’s nature and mind is the beginning of every hardship and vexation.

Desire has no fixed source, yet the eyes are often where it begins. Demons have no power to obstruct people of their own accord; the mind is what invites them in. Thus the Dao De Jing says that the five tones dull the hearing and the five colors confuse the sight. The Yinfu Jing says that the blind may be especially good at hearing, and the deaf especially good at seeing. Cut off one root of craving and gain in cultivation will surpass that of ordinary people tenfold; apply yourself to practice day and night, and its effects may increase ten thousandfold. In the end, all the myriad conditions and all human actions arise from a single mind.

It is also said that the willow’s green and the peach blossom’s red before our eyes are shifting illusions, while the clear wind and bright moon offer a free and easy life beyond the turmoil of kalpas. If you quietly contemplate Taiwei, the subtle and empty realm, your spirit and soul will ascend to the Elixir Palace, the abode of immortals. If you become absorbed in worldly desires, your hun and po souls will fall into the Cold Pool. Worldly entanglements and desires take countless forms. The key is to recognize your original true nature amid illusion, and to find the true body of the Dao within the formless; only then can you cultivate the Great Dao.

The circumstances before people’s eyes are tangled and varied, and the worldly conditions that mislead them arise without end. The seven emotions and six desires, along with the five ghosts and three corpses—Daoist spirits said to disturb body and mind and lead people to wrongdoing—turn into evil thoughts and draw people into the River of Delusion. Worldly pleasures then tempt them to sink into the Sea of Karma. Calamities follow one after another, becoming hard to bear. Once the mind is subdued, the host of demons naturally falls quiet; once desire is cast aside, the many sufferings disperse. When thoughts cease, all phenomena cease with them; when desire arises, the many sufferings arise from it.

On entering the mysterious gate of the Dao, the dark passes and the halls of the night may seem to divide into different paths, but there is only one way. Insisting on going to either extreme leads one astray. When the spirit and soul are clear, they can illuminate the underworld; when the hun and po are clouded, the Three Mountains, the underworld realms of Daoist legend, are plunged into darkness. The bliss of heaven and the confinement of hell, the consequences of wrongdoing and the causes of goodness, all change with the state of the mind and take shape through a person’s wisdom and nature.

If living beings understand the principles of their allotted lives, purify themselves through fasting and abstinence, and sever worldly entanglements, their good deeds can reach the offices of Heaven. They may gain a dignified appearance, take their place among the perfected, and cross beyond the sea of suffering. All this comes from subduing the mind, overcoming demonic obstacles, doing good, and avoiding evil. In this way, they can roam freely in the realm of the immortals without being confined in the prisons of the underworld. Those who uphold the scriptures and cultivate the Dao, follow the teachings handed down by the Most High, and do not violate the precepts of the holy perfected ones can attain the Dao and become immortals. They may roam freely in the immortal realms, beyond the reach of the underworld’s prisons.

Having received the grace of the sages of old, how should one repay it? The Song of Realizing the Dao says, “Even if one’s body were ground to dust and one’s bones shattered, it would not repay this grace; a single thought of awakening can transcend billions of kalpas.” If your resolve to follow the Dao is clear and you cleanse the impurities in your heart, you will not have failed the principles of Heaven and Earth. Ah! Break open the stone walls and sweep away the obstructions: all things stand forth in ordered array, visible at a glance in the palm of your hand.

The hymn says:

The Dao of Mysterious Spirit saves living beings from suffering through great compassion. It guides people of many different capacities, helping them realize the principle of emptiness and stillness.

The truth before you is something to recognize, grasp, and put into practice for yourself. Do not chase tales of clouds or wander everywhere searching for traces.

The peach trees, the Han River, and the willows along the bank are familiar sights in your own home. The moon among the cassia trees and the wind through the pines are the serene realms cherished by my ancestors.

How laughable that so many who study the Dao remain attached to worldly scenes, rushing about without rest.

Some people are born with little good fortune. Though they live in this world, they are poor and lowly. Even if they know which of the spirits governs their birth destiny, they may lack the means to undertake much cultivation. Yet if they can offer water and flowers, quiet their minds as they face the North Pole, bow in reverence, and recite the name of the True Lord who governs their birth destiny, they have not missed the appointed time for their destiny rites. Cultivating with such sincerity can extend life and increase good fortune, allowing people to retain their human form, dispel calamities, and receive immeasurable blessings. The Celestial Master gladly rose and bowed, praising this as a rare bridge leading to the supreme Dao.

Water is calm by nature, and waves arise when the wind stirs it. The human heart is quiet by nature, and disturbance arises from external things. When the heart does not cling to external things, emotions do not arise; when it remains empty and still, desires naturally fade. When craving and attachment arise in the heart, both body and spirit are burdened by external things. People drift across the boundless sea of karma—the suffering and rebirth brought about by their own actions—with no shore to return to. They travel the shadowed road to Luofeng, the underworld of Daoist belief, leaving themselves to its treacherous paths. Only after the moment has passed do they awaken, and then they can do no more than grieve in vain, like someone trying to hold up a shadow at midday.

People are blinded by greed and attachment, driven into confusion, delusion, and miserliness; sadly, many still fail to awaken. This is what harms life and nature, and lies at the root of losing the true Dao. Craving worldly pleasures does nothing to aid the cultivation of the Dao; the opening of the Dao-heart is the cultivator’s glory. In secluded grotto dwellings wreathed in clouds and rosy mists, the clear light of sun and moon shines of its own accord. In splendid towers and halls, the stars and the changing seasons are reflected. Beyond the world of dust and worldly things lies a realm of freedom and ease. Can the world’s fleeting splendors and pleasures truly be free of harm?

All who cultivate the true and refine their nature should keep body and mind pure throughout the twelve double-hours and one hundred quarter-hours, whether walking, sitting quietly, or going about their work, and should continually seek ways to do good. In this way, merit and good deeds will naturally accumulate, opening a path to the Three Heavens, the upper realms in Daoist belief, and ultimately to becoming perfected and attaining the Dao. The Most High said, “Do good as though doing it in secret.” So in the world of dust, one should keep a low profile, adapt to circumstances, and do good as the occasion allows. To speak of doing good without actually doing it provides no path to realizing the Dao; only by recognizing one’s faults and giving them up does a road to becoming perfected open. All who wish to cultivate the true and learn to become immortals should establish genuine good deeds.

In the world, people differ in wealth and poverty, rank and status; within the true emptiness of the Great Dao, there are no distinctions. Some cultivate the Dao with clear wisdom and a pure, still heart; others set out banners and offer images of the gods, seeking protection. The paths of doing good may differ, yet all can lead to the same destination. People in the world differ in wealth, but Heaven’s heart makes no distinctions of rank. As soon as the thought arises to cultivate the Dao and do good, the Celestial Perfected Ones and Earth Spirits protect one from without, while one’s original life force and body and spirit rejoice within. In this way, calamity can naturally be dispelled and immeasurable blessings received.

At this time, the Celestial Master, a teacher who upholds the Dao, supports the correct path, and guides people back to it, received this scripture and was greatly pleased. A Celestial Master is one who embodies the Great Dao and assists the true path; those who lose the true Dao and follow deviant ways are like earthbound ghosts. Thus, those who awaken to the true Great Dao may be said to have encountered the supreme Dharma Bridge, the teaching that leads onto the path of cultivation. Ah! The divine beings uphold the true path, free from crookedness and flattery; within it, the Three Realms—the different realms of heaven and earth in Daoist belief—are all at ease and free.

The hymn says:

The willow-lined bank lies clearly in view, and a ritual bridge stretches across before me; yet when I lose my way, the road ahead seems long and far away.

The mist over the river disperses, and the mountains gradually come into focus; sunlight enters the quiet village, and the fields reveal their beauty.

Fortunately, the nature of the Dao is originally formless and free of attachment. Now, though, I must labor to explain it again and again in words.

I do not know how long it has been since I turned back to look upon the human world. In the clear moonlight and gentle breeze, I alone invite those who are to come.

Commentary on the Scripture of the Supreme Mystery of the Northern Dipper for Extending Life According to One’s Birth Destiny (Taishang Xuanling Beidou Benming Yansheng Zhenjing Zhujie), middle scroll

Editorial notes: “Take refuge” is written this way in the Commentary on the Scripture edition; the Commentary on the True Scripture edition reads “return to the Real.” “Though one returns to an enlightened master” is believed to be a mistaken reading of “though one meets an enlightened master.” “And thus” is suspected to be a mistaken reading of “within.”

Commentary on the Scripture of the Supreme Mystery of the Northern Dipper for Extending Life According to One’s Birth Destiny, lower scroll

Commentary and hymn by the Perfected Person Xuanyuan of Mount Kongtong

The Old Lord again admonished the Celestial Master, saying: The sins, blessings, good deeds, and evil deeds of people in the world are all administered by the Heavenly Office, the divine bureau that keeps the registers of Heaven and oversees rewards and punishments. To repent of sins and dispel calamities, nothing is more important than cultivating and practicing the Daoist teachings. On the day of one’s birth destiny—the day corresponding to one’s birth year and cyclical sign—one should report to the Yuanchen and Yima within oneself, the divine offices said in Daoism to be associated with one’s fate and fortune, and ask that one’s sins be erased…