《太上道君说解冤拔度妙经》

At that time, the Supreme Lord of the Dao (Taishang Daojun), together with the assembled sages, was beneath the Eight Soaring Forests and upon the Terrace of the Seven Treasures. Ritual insignia were arrayed in solemn order as they expounded the essentials of the Great Dao (the Way). They sat calmly and quietly, their expressions serene, as majestic as Jade Capital Mountain. The Lord of the Dao sent forth a radiance like mountain jewels, illuminating the halls of blessing and the hells.

He saw, in the halls of blessing, men of profound goodness, living happily and at ease in Wuwei (non-action). He also saw, in the hells on every side, hungry ghosts and forsaken, suffering souls, tormented day and night in every kind of affliction. They no longer had a human appearance; their bodies were broken and rotting. When hungry, they swallowed blazing fire; when thirsty, they drank molten copper. Their feet trod mountains of knives, and their bodies were beaten with iron staves. Blood covered them from head to foot, and their wails of anguish rose straight to the heavens.

At that moment, among those seated was a Perfected named Guangxin. He rose, came forward, and after bowing in reverence asked the Lord of the Dao, “What faults did these forsaken, suffering souls commit in life, that they should suffer such misery?”

The Lord of the Dao said, “Those who undergo this punishment failed, while alive, to revere the Three Luminaries—the sun, the moon, and the stars. They deceived others and went against the principles of the gods and spirits, committing the Ten Evils and the Five Rebellions. They were neither loyal, righteous, and kind, nor compassionate and filial. They harmed life and killed living beings. When their store of blessings was exhausted and their lifespan came to an end, they had to endure these sufferings.”

The Perfected Guangxin felt compassion and wished to save them, so he earnestly begged the Lord of the Dao to exert his power and permit the deliverance of the departed souls. In his compassion the Lord of the Dao bestowed instruction, broadly setting forth the methods of salvation, and proclaimed this scripture for the sake of all beings. It is called Jieyuan Bazui (Dissolving Grievances and Uprooting Sins), and he caused it to circulate in the world, so as to benefit both the living and the dead.

If good men or good women concentrate with a single mind, enter stillness and observe the fast (keeping the purificatory precepts and making body and mind pure), burn incense and practice the Dao, and recite this scripture in the six periods of the day, the Lord of the Dao will protect and bless them according to their heartfelt wishes. The grievances and enmities of former lives will thereby be delivered through merit, and the departed souls in the dark netherworld will each be raised to a higher station.

The Perfected Guangxin joyfully bowed once more. Grateful for this wondrous affinity of causes and conditions, he composed a hymn and said:

How great is the Lord of the Great Dao (the Way)! He constantly performs immeasurable merits, like a ferry and its oars, helping all beings cross the bitter sea of birth and death so that they may transcend Luofeng (the legendary abode of the underworld).

From then on, beings no longer meet with the retribution of grievances born of sinful karma, and the blessings and De (Virtue/Power) they cultivate can commune with the Dao in the unseen. The marvelous workings of the Great Dao—how could they be measured? Even in praising Him, how could one ever say enough?

At this moment, the Perfected Guangxin (a Daoist honorific title) and the holy assembly present, having heard the Jing (scripture/classic) and its teaching to the end, each bowed in reverence, took refuge in the Great Dao, and faithfully received and carried out the instruction.

The Wondrous Scripture Spoken by the Supreme Lord of the Dao on Resolving Grievances and Effecting Deliverance concludes here.