《太上说东斗主算护命妙经》

Lord Lao told the Zhengyi (Orthodox Unity) Celestial Master (Tianshi), an honorific title in the Daoist Way of the Celestial Masters: The heavenly Dao (the Way) operates in what is profound, hidden, and without form, and the stars and celestial phenomena above respond in secret. The stars shine forth brightly, yet they do not speak. The canonical stars and the fixed stars of heaven, whether within or without, each have their offices and presiding officials—one hundred and eighteen divine officials in all, amounting together to seven hundred and eighty-two stars. The Twenty-Eight Lunar Mansions, the sun and the moon, and the Five Stars all move within the Xuanji, the pivotal hub for observing the motions of the heavens, so as to harmonize the courses of the sun, moon, and stars. The exalted deities of the heavenly realms of the five directions, the Numinous Dipper Sovereigns, together with the bearings and seasonal order of north and south and the balance of east and west, all illumine the four quarters from the center.

I now expound for you this mysterious scripture (Jing). If people of the world receive, uphold, and recite it, they may turn calamity into good fortune; those who have succeeded in cultivating the Dao, upon obtaining it, may acquire a mysterious numinous radiance. I have already explained to you the method-instructions of the Northern Dipper and natal destiny, and the scripture of the Six Offices of the Southern Dipper; these can broadly deliver all beings, so that people may pass through the disasters of the kalpas and yet long endure. Now I shall further expound for you the titles of the Eastern Dipper Sovereigns in the Jade-Numinous Jasper Chapters. The Eastern Dipper presides over the reckoning of lifespan and can extend people’s years. Transmitted to later generations, this scripture can help all beings escape the calamities of the Three Paths—the three evil destinies of hell, hungry ghosts, and animals—the Five Sufferings, and the Eight Difficulties, diminishing their entries in the registers of death and turning death into life. It governs bodily form and the hun and po souls; mysterious and profoundly subtle, its efficacy is without end.

Lord Lao said: The spirits of the East take the Dipper mansion as their companion. The Great Sage of Longevity, Elder Han Jun, wields my authority; the spirit of deathlessness assists at my left, and the lord of long life assists at my right; the Great Deity Sima carries out my commands. The Controller of Fate and the Controller of Records oversee the extension of life, the increase of one’s allotted years, and the salvation of all beings. The Azure Emperor protects my hun and po, and the Most High supports my body. Bayuan, Choubo, and the perfected essence of the Demon King all likewise accord with my will, prolonging life and rescuing heavenly beings and the people of the world. Reverently observe the laws of Heaven—quickly, quickly, in accordance with the statutes and ordinances!

The incantation is as follows:

The Great Dao (the Way) is bright and manifest, and yet still, secluded, and profound. The stars of the Five Dippers move in their courses, and through the four seasons the myriad things thereby grow and transform. The hosts of ghosts in the Northern Capital—the underworld realm spoken of in Daoism—can obstruct a person’s lifespan. I possess profound chapters of scripture (Jing) that can deliver the people of the world and grant them added years and long life. To make offerings and reverently worship the Eastern Dipper enables a person’s spirit to be rightly governed. Within the mysterious there is a mystery still deeper, and the Jade Capital—the immortal realm where, in Daoist legend, the Celestial Emperor dwells—rises lofty and majestic. Reverently obey the statutes and ordinances, and carry them out at once.

The first divine lord of the Eastern Dipper is named the True Lord of Azure Numen Who Prolongs Life; the second divine lord of the Eastern Dipper is named the True Lord of Ridge Radiance Who Protects Destiny; the third divine lord of the Eastern Dipper is named the True Lord Guantian Dawei Who Gathers Blessings; the fourth divine lord of the Eastern Dipper is named the True Lord of Great Brightness and Harmonious Yang Who Preserves Harmony; the fifth divine lord of the Eastern Dipper is named the True Lord, Superintendent of the Extremity of the Tail.

Lord Lao says: Whenever an ordinary person recites this scripture, one must cherish utmost sincerity, observe fasting and purification and remain pure, face east and click the teeth—a ritual gesture in Daoist liturgy—worship inwardly, kneel and sit with the eyes closed, and concentrate the spirit in contemplation, as though seeing, in the boundless homeland of the east, the Mysterious and Numinous Imperial Lord, the Supreme True Great Saints, and the many spirits arrayed all around, inspecting and protecting oneself.

When calamity is met, one may, on the birthday of one’s own root destiny, or on the first and fifteenth of each month, or on the ninth of each month, at home or in a Daoist temple, prepare seasonal fresh flowers and precious fruits, burn incense and quiet the mind, face the Imperial Lord of the Eastern Dipper in the east and set up a Zhaijiao (purification ritual), repent of and acknowledge one’s sinful karma, and pray for an increase of lifespan. In this way one receives the blessings bestowed by the spirits and obtains blessings without measure; transmitted and guided by a person of the Dao, one may roam at ease in the Shangqing, the higher celestial realm spoken of in Daoism. The meaning of this scripture is mysterious and profound, and is difficult to set forth in full.

When the Most High had finished expounding the scripture, he sat upon the Jade Bureau seat and said to the Celestial Master (Tianshi): “If this mysterious scripture and secret method are transmitted to an unsuitable person, disaster will implicate nine generations of ancestors. I therefore bestow it upon you, that you may spread the orthodox Way, save and deliver the beings of heaven and humanity, and enable them to attain long life.” The Celestial Master once more bowed and paid homage, received the scripture, and practiced it according to the ritual regulations. From then on, this scripture circulated in the world.

In the original text, a passage of scripture is repeated before “the third of the Eastern Dipper,” and the prayer that follows “on a day of calamity” is likewise repeated; the above has been combined and arranged according to the sense of the text. “Xiaobi Shangqing” is understood, in light of the context, as “xiaoyao Shangqing.”