《太上老君说长生益算妙经》

In former times, the Most High Lord Lao, while in the Biluo Heaven of the land of Chanli, saw many men and women suffering from illness, their lives about to end contrary to all reason and seemingly on the verge of premature death, though in truth their allotted span of years had not yet run out. By the wisdom that discerns the thoughts of others, the Most High Lord Lao saw completely through the subtle mystery of the matter. He lowered his head and cast down his eyes, gazing with compassion, and then summoned the celestial officials of the ten directions, the True Lords of the Five Marchmounts, and the Controller of Longevity and Destiny (the deity who governs lifespan), bidding them stand in attendance on either side, all gathered beside the seat of the seven treasures and liuli.

The presiding deities of the celestial palaces reckoned the allotted lifespans according to the charts of the Six Jia (diagrams of Fulu [talismans and registers] connected with the heavenly stems and earthly branches and with the offices of the spirits). The gods of heaven and the spirits of earth (the divinities of the heavens and the deities of the earth), together with countless hosts of gods, all came forward, bowed in homage to the Most High Lord Lao, and knelt long upon the ground. Holding their tablets of office, their expressions reverent and solemn, they listened to and received his teaching.

The Dao (the Way) says: People of the lower realm seldom believe in the methods of the Dao and do not understand how to seek long life. Day after day and month after month they commit evil, and this state of affairs has already continued for a long time. They do not recognize the True Lords (Zhenjun), and so they bring upon themselves every kind of calamity and are often beset by illness. The Most High Lord Lao, taking pity on all living beings, commanded the True Lord of Longevity of the Eastern Pole to summon the divine beings of the Six Jia who preside over the reckoning of lifespan. Each of these divine beings has countless attendants and mounts. They patrol the various regions, holding scriptures (Jing) in their hands to instruct the people, conveying to them the mandates of Heaven and humankind, guiding those who are benighted, and bestowing talisman cords for people to wear upon their bodies. They also increase allotted lifespan through the recitation of scriptures. People ought constantly to observe purificatory fasts, hoping thereby to prolong life and be spared every kind of disaster.

If there are men and women who believe with sincere hearts, who receive, uphold, and make offerings to the scriptures, who burn incense and purify the place by sprinkling and sweeping, never growing weary, diligent day and night, who revere the Three Treasures—the Dao, the scriptures, and the master—and who, with vast compassion, relieve living beings and rescue those in peril, they will be granted pardon, demonic obstructions and misfortunes will be removed, evil affairs will be quelled, and the way of the age will become clear and bright.

General Jiazi, Wang Wenqing, together with his one hundred and thirty-nine attendants, bestows upon me twelve thousand measures of the power that increases allotted lifespan, protecting the human body so that it may be brought to completion; by means of true spirits he settles the heart-spirit (Shen) and eliminates severe illness.

General Jiaxu, Zhan Zijiang, together with his one hundred and thirty-five attendants, bestows upon me twelve thousand measures of the power that increases allotted lifespan, protecting the human body, removing illness from within the body, and dissolving calamity.

General Jiashen, Hu Wenchang, together with his one hundred and thirty attendants, bestows upon me twelve thousand measures of the power that increases allotted lifespan, rescuing the human body and causing the hun and po souls to return.

General Jiawu, Wei Shangqing, together with his one hundred and thirty-nine attendants, bestows upon me twelve thousand measures of the power that increases allotted lifespan, protecting the human body so that a person may enjoy a lifespan of one hundred and twenty years.

General Jiachen, Meng Feiqing, together with his one hundred and thirty-five attendants, assists me in adding twelve thousand measures of increased allotted lifespan, guarding the human body and not allowing a person to encounter evil.

General Jiayin, Ming Wenzhang, together with his one hundred and thirty-one attendants, comes to my aid in adding twelve thousand measures of increased allotted lifespan, defending the human body and cutting off the harassment of every kind of demon.

O Lords of the sixty sexagenary cycle and the Three Origins who bring prosperity to the Dao, O Lords of Myriad Lives who increase allotted lifespan! If someone’s life is about to reach its end, that person may still, by relying on the grace of the Great Sage, have life prolonged. Myriad ways descend and come to birth, adding allotted lifespan on my behalf. The Dao can cover and cherish all living beings; the Dao can rescue and protect all living beings; the Dao can cause all living beings to be generated and to grow. If someone’s allotted years have already been exhausted, the Dao can still add for that person twelve thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine years of lifespan reckoning, making that person as enduring as the Dao, of one longevity with Heaven and Earth, and joined in De (Virtue/Power) with Heaven and Earth, so that the myriad things flourish and grow. The Dao can enable living beings to obtain life. The True Lord descends into the human world, bestowing upon me long life and an increase of allotted lifespan, so that I receive primordial Qi (vital energy) and endure for a long time.

Twelve thousand seven hundred kinds of powers of the Dao descend to protect the human body. If someone falls ill, the Elder Han Jun, the Jade Maidens of Brilliant Medicine, the minor officers of the duty talisman, and others—forty-eight thousand persons in all—come together to give treatment. If demonic evils and spectral enchantments intrude, the three thousand five hundred Perfected, including those of Great Compassion and Radiant Brilliance, descend at the same time to break demonic obstructions, cut away calamities and misfortunes, and cause every kind of disaster to disperse. The transformations of the Dao are inexhaustible. They bestow upon me three thousand measures of the power that increases allotted lifespan, guarding the human body and making the lifespan secure.

Advancing with courage and vigor, five hundred immortals descend and bestow upon me ten thousand measures of the power that increases allotted lifespan, protecting a person’s body and life so that the person may long remain in peace and health. May the orthodox Dao constantly spread far and wide, and may the Way of the Great Sage flourish and prosper, increasing my years so that I naturally enjoy long life. Hundreds, thousands, and myriads of ways constantly protect the human body, opening for me the gate of wisdom so that I may comprehend without obstruction. Myriad ways descend and come to birth, adding for me thirty-five thousand measures of the power that increases allotted lifespan, protecting the human body, making demeanor and conduct complete, and smashing the host of demons. Ninety million Perfected and divine youths bestow upon me an increase of allotted lifespan; riding three thousand holy ways, they fulfill my wishes.

(In the scripture, the passage on “General Jiashen” and certain prayer sentences are repeated. In one place the original text has a missing character in “cut, punish, and calamity □”; according to the context, this is translated as cutting away calamities and misfortunes.)

At this time, the Most High Lord Lao, together with the host of Perfected Ones, immortal youths, and Master Wenshi Deran and others, returned as one toward the source of the Great Dao (the Way), adding years to the allotted lifespans of people in the world and guarding their bodies. They set in motion twelve thousand divine talismans, driving back and destroying every kind of demonic evil and gu poison. Baleful spirits that lodged in mountains and forests and at the sheji (the places where sacrifice is offered to the deities of soil and grain), that borrowed bodily forms and voices to impersonate divinities and falsely assume divine authority, were likewise to be subdued and annihilated.

The divine talismans of the Most High can repel every kind of demonic evil and the kings of wind-borne malignity, as well as the harmful Qi (vital energy) brought by the Stove God, by Cancu, by the deities of the water dragons, and by the Earth Duke, causing all of them to disperse. The divine talismans of the Six Jia (Fulu, talismans and registers, in Daoism corresponding to the deities of the Six Jia) can repel the Five Xu and the Six Hao (ghostly beings believed to bring loss and depletion), nightmares, the sounds of singing and chanting, the curses and imprecations of deviant paths, together with the chimei and wangliang (spirit-beings of mountains, forests, waters, and marshes) and ghosts that possess blood and Qi, driving them all away.

This Jing (scripture/classic) is exalted and profoundly subtle, and its power is beyond words; it is the king of all scriptures. In subduing demonic evils and destroying what is false and empty, it stands foremost. Diligently cultivate the supreme principles within it, so that De (Virtue/Power) and virtuous conduct spread widely through the One Vehicle (here referring to the supreme Great Dao), and blessings descend upon all. Do not transmit or display it lightly to others; one should practice it according to the proper method, keep it carefully secret, and revere and carry it out. Let it be kept constantly in mind. Daoism holds that the words spoken by the Dao are not empty speech. Those who are able to act in accordance with the scripture cannot be invaded by any evil; the registers of their offenses are erased, enmities and grievances are resolved, the body is sound and the household at peace, and every kind of calamity loses its root.

The Tanlang star governs malign Qi; the Jumen star governs toil, exhaustion, and depletion; the Lucun star governs the hundred ghosts; the Wenqu star governs disputes of the mouth and tongue; the Lianzhen star governs nightmares; the Wuqu star governs lawsuits and litigation; the Pojun star governs the xu and hao (ghosts that cause depletion); the Zuofu star of the Dipper governs human lifespan; the Youbi star of the Dipper governs ghosts and spirits; and the Santai stars guard a person’s body and life-destiny.

The first, the Malign Star; the second, the Auspicious Star; the third, the Warding Star; the fourth, the Yinghuo star; and the fifth, the Peril Star—all of these can dispel disasters and carry one through danger, driving away the epidemic Qi and diseases of the world, as well as treachery, what is improper, and every kind of ghostly haunt. May they swiftly depart to a distance of ten million li. Quickly, quickly, in accordance with the statutes and commands of the Most High Lord Lao!

The first is the heart-opening talisman (Fu); the second is the talisman for increasing longevity; the third is the talisman for protecting the body and preserving life; the fourth is the talisman that keeps the Five Phases (Wuxing)—Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth—from overcoming one another; and the fifth is the talisman of the spirits who preside over the living, Aju, the ghosts of the dead, and Xuhao (depletion and waste). When the ritual arts are performed according to these talismans, all evil things, upon seeing the talismans, disperse and perish of their own accord. Strictly heed the statutes and ordinances, and put them into effect at once!

The Six Jia Generals (the divine generals in Daoism who command the divine troops of the Six Jia), on the first day of the first month of the Shangyuan Jiazi year.

The talisman of the spirits who preside over the living, Aju, the ghosts of the dead, and Xuhao: when the ritual arts are performed according to the talisman, all evil things, upon seeing the talisman, disperse and perish of their own accord. Strictly heed the statutes and ordinances, and put them into effect at once!

The Six Jia Generals, on the first day of the first month of the Shangyuan Jiazi year.

In the first year of Han'an (142 CE), on the renwu day of the fifth month, the Most High Lord Lao and the Celestial Master (Tianshi), in a cliff dwelling at Chishi City in the capital of Shu, transmitted this Jing (scripture/classic) and broke a stone as proof. Those who believe in the Great Dao (the Way), if they feel that their lifespan is drawing to an end, that their allotted fate is already exhausted, or that they are old and frail, or that the ordinances of the month are unfavorable, should bathe, burn incense, observe a purificatory fast and quiet the mind, and hear and reverently uphold the divine talisman of the Most High. The divine talisman can protect all people, granting them a hundred years of peace, whole and unimpaired; when the year, month, day, or hour is unfavorable, wearing the divine talisman enables one to escape decline and misfortune. This true talisman of the Great Dao is bestowed upon the believer and can help a person pass through calamity, prolong life, and increase the allotted measure of blessings. After the talisman is received, one's lifespan is extended, and myriads upon myriads of talismans of the Dao guard body and life, with the wish that a person live to one hundred and twenty years, blessings and longevity fulfilled.

When true Qi (vital energy) is abundant in the Dantian (energy center) of the three palaces—the places within the human body where Jing (essence) and Qi are refined and nourished—the body is filled with light. The host of immortals protects me; the scriptures record me; the sun and moon shine upon me; jade light illuminates me; Yin-Yang causes me to grow; the four seasons nourish me. The five zhi, the lingzhi-like immortal medicines of which the immortals speak, shelter me; clouds of the five colors cover me; the true spirits of the five directions guard me; the divine generals of the Six Jia assist me; the Five Emperors support me. The five tones delight me; armed guards protect me; the stars shelter me from above; true sages stand watch over me; immortals aid me; jade maidens attend me. The Azure Dragon leads me; the White Tiger guards me. Dukes, marquises, and officials love and protect me; the common people and the myriad folk do their utmost for me; elders obey me; the village holds me in respect. Bows and arrows, blades and weapons, and thieves keep far from me; tigers and wolves, venomous snakes, insects, and beasts avoid me; nor can the five poisons and gu sorcery harm me.

After the disciple wears the divine talisman, it is as if heaven, earth, and the four directions all open before him, and the hundred ghosts bow their heads and obey. Falling into water, he does not drown; treading on fire, he is not burned; in going out and coming in, all is auspicious, and he meets with no disaster. The divine generals of the four seas and the Five Marchmounts protect him; the Dao of Heaven guards him with thorough care; and every kind of ritual art can be carried into practice.

The Supreme Sacred Scripture—the sacred scripture of the Most High Lord Lao—together with the worthies and sages, guards me and bestows upon me excellent medicine, enabling me to discern good and ill fortune completely. Divine talismans protect me, so that the hundred ghosts keep away from me. The way of the immortals looks upon me with favor: the Gate of Heaven opens for me, and the Door of Earth closes for me. Clear springs are given me to drink, and divine beings bring me news. The Earl of Wind escorts me on my way, and the Master of Rain sweeps the road before me.

Whoever obeys my talismanic commands finds peace; whoever defies them meets destruction. This talisman suppresses every kind of ghost and evil; in several places the writing has become corrupt, and the original sense can no longer be known with certainty. It also suppresses ghosts bound up with funerals and burials, those drawn in through weeping and calamity; ghosts of the mountains and forests, of the altars of soil and grain, and of the fields; wandering essence-specters (Jing) and every manner of ghostly demon; ghosts born of malicious curses and sworn oaths; the corpse-infestation ghosts—baleful spirits believed to cause illness—stirred up when neighbors build houses and break the soil; ghosts brought by the day-wanderer, by earth Qi (vital energy), and by taboos; ghosts of foul blood, of death by injury, of death abroad, of death in battle, and of death in prison; ghosts that harm men and women, and likewise the ghosts of those who died innocent and wronged.

The disciple now receives the divine talisman of the Great Dao (Dao). Whether I walk, halt, or rest in stillness, the roads of the four directions lie open before me. In sleep I suffer no nightmares, and auspicious signs arrive day after day; whatever I seek and whatever I wish is fulfilled according to my heart. A thousand methods of the Dao and ten thousand ritual gates all carry the power of the orthodox Way and the true dharma. May the awesome command of this talisman extend wherever it reaches and swiftly subdue evil ghosts. Quickly, quickly, in accordance with the statutes and ordinances of the Most High Lord of the Dao!

The first is the Heart-Opening Talisman. The second is the Life-Reckoning Talisman, a talisman for praying that one’s allotted span of life be increased. The third is the Talisman for Protecting Body and Life. The fourth is the Talisman by Which Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth Do Not Overcome One Another, a talisman praying that the Qi of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) neither clash nor conquer one another. The fifth is the Talisman of the Presiding Spirit over Human Birth, the Aju Death-Ghosts, Goblins, and Consuming Spirits; the original wording here is suspected of corruption, and its meaning is unclear.

A talisman suppresses the quan-ghosts of the mountains and forests; in the original, the graphs “肙犬” are suspected to be corrupt characters. A talisman suppresses the quan-ghosts of the five soils; in the original, the graphs “肙犬” are suspected to be corrupt characters. A talisman suppresses the quan-ghosts of wandering and settling earth Qi; in the original, the graphs “肙犬” are suspected to be corrupt characters. A talisman suppresses the quan-ghosts of those who died abroad; in the original, the graphs “肙犬” are suspected to be corrupt characters.

By means of talismanic spells, one subdues the ghosts of those who died in the dog prison, the ghosts of the innocent, the red-tongued ghosts, the male-and-female ghosts, and the ghosts of those who died a foul, bloody death.

The Wondrous Scripture Spoken by the Most High Lord Lao on Prolonging Life and Increasing the Reckoning of Years comes to an end here.

The phrase “fu juan quan” (符肙犬) is suspected to be a talismanic formula or a term of subjugation in the scripture, while “quan yu si” (犬狱死), “wugu” (无辜), “chi she” (赤舌), “ci xiong” (雌雄), and “xing si” (腥死) are the names of categories of ghosts enumerated in the text.