《玉清无极总真文昌大洞仙经注》Vol. 2

Commentary on the Jade Purity Wuji Zongzhen Wenchang Dadong Immortal Scripture

The Wenchang family had four generations under one roof; their family tradition was harmonious, and the etiquette of the inner quarters was dignified and well ordered. All kinds of good deeds were performed daily, and auspicious celebrations in the household were unceasing. These auspicious omens appeared in dreams, efficaciously transforming according to circumstance. The wife of the sage’s eldest grandson, Lady Li (titled “Lady Shuying Shaoxiao” and “Wenchang Jiqing Tianjun”), was utterly benevolent, filial, sage, and compassionate, and was born on the eighteenth day of the fifth month.

With utmost sincerity, taking refuge and paying homage (sincerely taking refuge, performing the rites of worship).

Within the Cassia Fragrance Inner Hall and the Wenchang Inner Palace, talk and laughter were warm like the spring breeze, and every word revealed a heart of benevolence; their manner toward others was harmonious, and in their speech they transmitted the family rules. The eldest son inherited the heart of the Sage Son and used hidden virtue (good deeds accumulated secretly) to cultivate the foundation; the grandchildren inherited the body of the Divine Grandson and ultimately attained the fruit and rank of true immortals. Auspicious omens appeared in dreams, and teachings were established according to family tradition. The second grandson, a certain Guo, titled “Marquis Chengying Xuanling Shunxiao” and “Wenchang Xiqing Zhenren,” had the personal name Huai (hui is an honorific reference to a respected person’s name), and was born on the thirteenth day of the tenth month.

Within the Wenchang Inner Palace, the descendants were like jade in substance and gold in bearing, carefully nurtured by their parents; grace shone everywhere like sunlight, and descendants continued between heaven and earth. Good deeds and hidden virtue took root, and inwardly they supported and awakened one another; a beautiful and good destiny continued the tradition of the gentry household and was accomplished through gentle mutual assistance. Auspicious omens appeared in dreams, transforming according to circumstance. The wife of the second grandson, Lady Guo, titled “Lady Huiying Tixiao” and “Wenchang Xiqing Tianjun,” was born on the twenty-third day of the seventh month.

The ritual invitation of the deities has been fully completed; relying on divine light, engage in repentance (acknowledging mistakes and repenting, washing away transgressions).

Qiqu Cizun, the True Teaching Lord (“Qiqu” is another name for Wenchang Dijun; “Cizun” is an honorific for the deity), Merciful Father and Merciful Mother, and I, Wenchang Xiqing Tianjun Lady Guo, born on the twenty-third day of the seventh month.

Sons and daughters were filial and compassionate like the Sage Son; grandchildren inherited the virtue of the Divine Grandson, fully manifesting compassion and filial piety.

The family’s harmony was like endless spring; for ten thousand generations it shone like the bright moon over the Spring Terrace.

The light of compassion shone throughout heaven and the human world, subtle as dust, filling heaven and earth.

In life I attained one body with heaven and earth, just as at Wenchang’s first beginning.

Sages do not make themselves sages, and ordinary people are not necessarily content to remain ordinary; wandering until now, I have only just awakened.

May I encounter the teaching of Qiqu Cizun, and keep only loyalty, filial piety, and compassion in my heart.

Repentance

Do not slight the gods because of evil words from the mouth; do not implicate your parents through evil deeds of the body. Do not deceive Heaven and Earth through evil thoughts in the mind; do not bring calamity upon descendants through inward evil intentions. I vow to practice filial piety, accumulate hidden merit (yingong—good deeds done in secret without seeking recognition), and strive to carry out every kind of skillful good means. I repent the stains of sin accumulated over many lives and many generations, and take refuge in the great compassionate radiance of Yuanhuang (one of the supreme deities of Daoism). In seeking descendants, official emoluments, or the way of long life, do not pray to others but seek from oneself—that is, turn back and seek within oneself. Only our Wenchang Qiqu Shi (Wenchang Dijun, also called Qiqu Zhenjun, who governs literary fortune and human merits and faults) has passed through immeasurable kalpas, waiting for people of the world to reflect on themselves through the method of forgiveness. May he release a ray of Ruyi (as-you-will) radiance, have compassion for sentient beings, and enable them to repent sincerely. Repentance is complete; next, make vows.

Making Vows

May my parents both attain the fruit of long life—years like the turtle and crane, white hair and youthful faces, reflecting compassionate light. May I myself receive great auspiciousness, and in serving elders and raising children, be free from all affliction. May descendants smell the osmanthus fragrance of Yunyan (Cloud Cliff), and may blessings flourish and prosper together with me. Fathers compassionate and children filial, the whole family like spring, our light never failing the Compassionate Lord’s teachings. May I be personally received and guided by Qiqu Zhenjun, led to the realm of immortals and perfected beings, and choose the right path of the Buddhist teaching. Renouncing this life and receiving another, may I perfect Zhengbianzhi (the Buddhist epithet for universal wisdom, here indicating perfect enlightenment), until future lives are forever complete. Vows complete; next, praise.

Praise

In Guixiang Hall (Hall of Osmanthus Fragrance), the Lord of Benevolence and Filial Piety teaches like rain, flowing ceaselessly, washing clean the roots of karmic hindrance. Karmic roots transform into osmanthus fragrance; roots of goodness are cultivated into the fruit of long life. May the flesh and blood of one family be free of affliction, and may the descendants of Qiqu come together to protect and sustain. I universally vow that in this life and in lives to come, before Ziyun Yan (Purple Cloud Cliff), I may long attain the Dao (the Way). Step by step and thought by thought, always beside the Heavenly Emperor; life after life, forever protected by the Heavenly Lord. Mortal flesh may be transformed, a heart reduced to ashes may revive, but one spark of true sincerity is firm as gold and stone.

Reverent Homage

Pay homage to the Heavenly Worthy of Clear Truth, True Contemplation, and Precious Radiance (Chengzhen Zhengguan Baoguang Tianzun). At the Wenchang Dadong Jing (Great Cavern Scripture) assembly, on the level seat, praise and chant the sacred sound. I bow my head before the throne of Xuhuang Tianzun (an honorific title of the Jade Emperor) and request the recitation of the Dongjing (Cavern Scripture).

Whenever one wishes to recite scriptures, one must first purify the three modes of action—body, speech, and mind (the “three karmas”).

Divine Spell for Purifying the Karma of the Body

Sprinkle pure water on the crown of the head and wash the hands; with the left hand form the Jade Mudra (Yujue; a hand seal), and with the right hand form the Sword Mudra (Jianjue).

The gist of the spell is: Within the body dwell thirty-six thousand spirits, which remain hidden within it as a person moves and goes about daily life. Whether in former kalpas or in this present life, may this body always remain pure and always abide within the Three Treasures revered in Daoism—the Dao, the Jing (scriptures), and the Master. Even when kalpas bring destruction, may this body not perish. Ji Ji Ru Lü Ling! (a common closing in Daoist spells, meaning “act swiftly according to the statutes and commands,” urging the spirits to come quickly and obey.)

Divine Spell for Purifying the Karma of the Mind

Pass the hand over the incense burner, inhale a breath of incense smoke, and with the left hand form the Li Mudra (Lijue).

The gist of the spell is: By the true Qi bestowed by the Dao (the Qi of true origin), expel the stale and take in the new, and cultivate the five spirits within the body. May this true Qi subdue all demonic obstructions, keep the mind always pure, cut off all kinds of obstacles, scatter all calamities, subdue sentient beings in the world, and cause even the stirring of a single thought to return to the right path. Ji Ji Ru Lü Ling!

Divine Spell for Purifying the Karma of Speech

Then take another sip of water, and with the left hand form the Kan Mudra (Kanjue).

The gist of the spell is: The mouth is the Palace of Great Harmony (in Daoism, the mouth is regarded as a palace where spirits dwell). Exhaling and inhaling the true Qi that descends, at all times recite the precious scriptures, and day by day receive the wondrous teachings. Eliminate ten thousand obstacles, scatter all calamities, subdue sentient beings in the world, and cause even a single thought to return to the right path. Ji Ji Ru Lü Ling!

Divine Spell for Purifying the Karma of Speech (Another Passage)

Likewise take a sip of water, and with the left hand form the Kan Mudra.

The gist of the spell is: The mouth is the Palace of Great Harmony. Exhaling and inhaling true Qi, at all times recite the precious scriptures, and day by day receive the wondrous teachings. Do not speak evil words and do not give rise to thoughts of sexual misconduct. May the roots of sin and suffering be eradicated, and may one always discuss the meaning of what is correct and true. Ji Ji Ru Lü Ling!

Divine Spell for Purifying Heaven and Earth

Sprinkle water inside and outside the scripture seat (the place where scriptures are expounded and recited), and with the left hand form the Four Rectitudes Mudra (Sizhengjue).

The gist of the spell is: The essence of Taiyi and the radiance of the Eastern Well (Taiyi is the name of a celestial deity; Dongjing, the Eastern Well, is the name of a lunar mansion, here referring to the essence of the stars) pour through the whole body, washing away defilement and driving out evil Qi. May body and mind be pure as a bright pearl and a lotus, transformed into a body of golden light, treading on cloud brocade and rosy mist, ascending to the Hall of Seven Treasures, and taking a place among the true immortals. Ji Ji Ru Lü Ling!

Divine Spell for Pacifying the Earth God

With the left hand, form the Yin Mudra (Yinjue).

This spell is used to pacify the Earth God; when reciting it, one coordinates it with the Yin Mudra of the left hand.

Yuanshi stabilizes and guards; universally announces to all spirits. Yuanshi—the primordial Qi (vital energy) at the very beginning of the opening of Heaven and Earth, namely Yuanshi Tianzun—stabilizes and guards this place and universally announces to all the gods of the spirit realm.

The true officials of the sacred peaks and waterways, the deities and spirits of the land. The true officials of the Five Sacred Peaks and Four Waterways (the great rivers), together with the deities and spirits who govern the land,

The She and Ji deities to the left and right must not be recklessly alarmed. Including the She deity (presiding over soil) and the Ji deity (presiding over grain) standing to the left and right, none may be alarmed or disturbed.

They return to the right Dao (the Way); inside and outside are clarified; each keeps its proper position. The gods return to the right Dao; within and without all is clear and pure; each keeps to its original position,

Fully guarding the celestial court, Taishang issues the command. Together they guard the court of the celestial emperor. Taishang (the Supreme Lord, referring to Taishang Daojun) issues the command:

Search and seize malignant spirits; the Dharma-protecting divine kings guard the recitation of the scripture and cause refuge in the great Dao. Search and seize aberrant spirits and specters; the Dharma-protecting divine kings guard this place and protect those who recite the scripture, causing them to take refuge in the great Dao.

Yuan, heng, li, zhen. Swiftly, swiftly, as by statute and ordinance. “Yuan, heng, li, zhen” are the four virtues of the Qian hexagram as stated in the Zhouyi (Book of Changes); here the meaning of auspiciousness and success is taken. “Swiftly, swiftly, as by statute and ordinance” is a common ending of Daoist incantations, meaning to execute quickly according to statute and ordinance without delay.

Incantation of the Profound Treasury for Opening the Scripture.

The Xuan, Yuan, and Shi Qi divide; the three primal Qi of Xuan, Yuan, and Shi first differentiate. The mysterious primordial Qi differentiates; Xuan, Yuan, and Shi—the three Qi—first begin to separate.

Clear and luminous, it opens the Dongshen (Cavern Spirit). The clear and luminous atmosphere opens the honored deity within the Great Cavern.

The numinous wind returns to Great Harmony; the divine wind stirs the Qi of Great Harmony. The numinous wind turns back, causing the harmonious Qi of Heaven and Earth to circulate again; the divine wind stirs the Qi of Great Harmony.

The jade tones gather the flowing Jing (essence). The jade-like clear sounds gather the scattered Jing.

The resonance of fine jade—jade and metal sounding. The sound is like fine jade struck together and metal and stone ringing, clear and lingering.

Supreme indeed is the original naturalness; the supreme Dao is not forced. The nature of the Dao is originally natural; the supreme great Dao is not made by force.

Who recognizes this hidden text? Who can recognize this profound and subtle scripture?

Firm and strong, one clearly awakens to the One; if a person can advance bravely, he does not fall into the Middle and Lesser Two Vehicles. With firm and strong resolve, one morning one clearly awakens; if a person can advance bravely and vigorously, he will not fall into the narrow, lesser levels of the Middle and Lesser Vehicles. (The Two Vehicles refer to lower stages of practice such as Sravakayana and Pratyekabuddhayana.)

In an instant one transcends the Three Vehicles; in a moment one suddenly transcends to the most wondrous Supreme Vehicle. In a flash one can transcend the Three Vehicles, and in an instant suddenly transcend to the most wondrous Great Vehicle. (The Three Vehicles broadly refer to several levels of practice; here it illustrates that practice can be suddenly awakened to and transcended.)

Silent and still, with no root of form; utterly quiet and empty, not stagnating in emptiness or form. The silent, formless root—the mind is utterly still and empty, not clinging to emptiness or form.

Through eternal kalpas, why drift and sink? If one remains undarkened through kalpas, how can one wander? If one drifts and sinks through long kalpas, how can one pass through the kalpas without becoming obscured? How can one allow oneself to wander?

How can one master the Three Vehicles? In an instant one suddenly transcends to the most wondrous Supreme Vehicle. How can one become proficient in the Three Vehicles? The answer lies in this: in a brief moment one can suddenly transcend to the most wondrous Supreme Vehicle.

As above: silent and still, with no root of form; utterly quiet and empty, not stagnating in emptiness or form. Same as above: the silent, formless root; the mind is empty and still, not lingering between emptiness and form.

As above: through eternal kalpas, why drift and sink? If one remains undarkened through kalpas, how can one wander? Same as above: why drift and sink through eternal kalpas? If one remains undarkened through kalpas, how can one wander?

How can one practice diligently? Why not strive vigorously to accomplish this Dao? How can one practice diligently? Why not make vigorous effort to accomplish this Dao?

Ultimately one ascends to Yuqing (Jade Clarity). Ultimately one ascends to the Yuqing realm. (Yuqing is the first of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing) realms, the highest celestial realm in Daoism.)

Another account says: thus your body may attain enduring existence. Another account says: in this way your own body may attain long-lasting existence without extinction.

Daoist scriptures record: At the beginning of the ancient Longhan kalpa (Longhan jie, with “jie” denoting an immensely long cosmic cycle), Yuanshi Tianwang (the Primordial Heavenly King) proclaimed the Dadong Yujing (Great Cavern Jade Scripture) in the Gaoshang Dayou Yuqing (Jade Clarity) Palace.

This passage was spoken by Yuchen Daojun (Dao Lord Yuchen). “In the past” refers to remote antiquity. “Longhan” is the name of a kalpa. At that time the cosmos was gestated from a single current of prenatal primordial Qi (xiantian yuanqi) within the void; at the beginning of Taiwu (the Great Non-Being), above there was no form or appearance, below no abyss—only a chaotic Taixu (Great Void), vast and flowing. This Qi circulated for more than seven thousand kalpas; each revolution covered 99,990 li and was reckoned as one year. Because its movement and transformations were unfathomable, like a dragon, it was called “Longhan.”

When the Qi-cycle ran to its end, the three luminaries—sun, moon, and stars—began to emit light; this stage was called “Chiming.” Pure, limpid Fan Qi (fanqi) filled the four directions; the laws of the myriad things gradually unfolded; the order of heaven and earth continuously evolved; and so heaven and earth were generated, transformative nurture began, and the deities appeared. This stage was called “Kaihuang.” Thus the sequence of the three kalpas became distinct.

According to the Dayou Jinshu (Great Existence Golden Book), Tianbao Jun (Lord of Heavenly Treasure) was born in the first year of Longhan and revealed the scripture that same year; Lingbao Jun (Lord of Numinous Treasure) was born at the opening of the Longhan chart, and after one kalpa, in the first year of Chiming, revealed the scripture; Shenbao Jun (Lord of Divine Treasure) was born in the first year of Chiming, and after two kalpas, in the first year of Shanghuang, revealed the scripture. Only then did the Three Treasures receive their fixed titles.

Later the Divine King (Shenwang) submitted a memorial, saying: The cycle of Qi has reached the Jiashen period; a great flood will wash away the impurity. From Chiming up to the first year of Shanghuang, 240,000 people received deliverance; from after Kaihuang to the year Jiashen, the selections and appointments of the heavens all have vacancies, and posts in the immortal bureaus lie vacant and unused. From the generations of the first three eras, 100,000 should be selected to fill those posts, another 120,000 selected as reserve officials, and from among the souls of the dead who have good merit, 320,000 selected to replenish them. After the Jiashen kalpa has swept clean, the multitude of Dayou will be opened.

The Confucian classics say that Yao ascended the throne in a jiachen year, and by a jiashen year forty years had passed; only afterward did the flood disaster occur. From this it can be inferred that the Shengshen Jing must have appeared before Tang Yao, while the Dadong Jing first appeared in the first year of Longhan. It was precisely then that Yuanshi Tianzun (one of the highest Daoist deities) brought forth the scriptures, and so that kalpa is called “the beginning of the Longhan kalpa.” By the first year of Shanghuang, when Taishang Laojun (a revered Daoist deity, the deified Laozi) brought forth the scriptures, the Three Treasures (Sanbao; the three categories of scriptural treasures presided over by the three honored deities) each had its assigned place. The scriptures were first transmitted as Lingbao and later entrusted to Taixuan (referring to another scriptural transmission lineage) at the Dharma assembly; thus when the following text says “this treasure is brought forth again,” it refers precisely to this.

The Zhenwu Jing records a teaching from the first year of Longhan but recounts events from the earlier first year of Kaihuang. Since Kaihuang comes first and Longhan later, this must be an error made when the perfected ones transmitted the scriptures. One should take the Dayou Jinshu as authoritative and clarify the kalpas in which the Three Treasures arose and the times of bringing forth scriptures and saving people; other accounts should not be wholly trusted.

At the beginning of heaven and earth there are five kalpas: the kalpa of beginning, the kalpa of formation, the kalpa of abiding, the kalpa of destruction, and the kalpa of emptiness. These five kalpas cycle without cease, and heaven and earth thereby undergo their beginning and end. Human beings and the myriad things are likewise so. The east is called Longhan, the south Chiming, the west Yankang, the north Kaihuang, and the center Shanghuang. Arranged by the earthly branches, counting from Zi, every three branches form one segment; reaching Xu and Hai corresponds to Yankang. To use day and night as a metaphor, this is night; to use human affairs as a metaphor, this is death.

Matters beyond the six directions (heaven, earth, the four quarters, above, and below) are for now left aside and not discussed. Since the opening of heaven and earth, as far as what can be verified in the Six Classics is concerned, the Yijing (Classic of Changes) records: “In the Changes there is Taiji (Supreme Ultimate), which produces the two modes; the two modes produce the four images; the four images produce the Bagua (Eight Trigrams).”

The Two Modes (Liangyi) refer to Heaven and Earth; the Four Images (Sixiang) refer to the four seasons. Yin governs stillness and Yang governs movement, and thus the myriad things undergo change. Movement and stillness follow definite patterns, and so hardness and softness become distinguished. The four seasons succeed one another, and the myriad things accordingly grow and decline; thus there is change. Change never ceases, and therefore there are “kalpa numbers” (jieshu); this is precisely the principle set forth in the Hetu (Yellow River Chart) and Luoshu (Luo River Writing). The two Qi of Yin-Yang rise and fall, and the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) interweave and revolve. Nothing escapes the domain of “number” (shu): the large is called a “kalpa” (jie), the small a “cycle” (yun). All arise from the progression of years, months, days, and hours, and their starting point is extremely subtle. Within one shi there are ke; within one day there are hou; within one month there are the changes of first quarter, full moon, last quarter, dark moon, and new moon; within one year there are spring, summer, autumn, and winter. Therefore, accumulating ke forms shi, accumulating shi forms days, accumulating days forms months, accumulating months forms years, accumulating years forms cycles, and accumulating cycles forms kalpas. Since the Taiji (Supreme Ultimate) divided, it is unknown how many kalpas and cycles have already passed.

Beginning in the first year of Longhan, Tianbao Jun (Lord of Heavenly Treasure) was generated by transformation. When he manifested in the world, the place was called Gaoshang Dayou Yuqing Palace. This is the dwelling of Yuanshi Tianwang (Heavenly King of Primordial Beginning), and also the place where the revered deity of the Great Cavern first expounded the Dadong Xianjing (Great Cavern Immortal Scripture). Therefore, the Dadong Xianjing is the ancestor of all scriptures and the king of all dharmas. Other scriptures all call him “Yuanshi Tianzun” (Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning); only the Dadong Jing calls him “Yuanshi Tianwang,” an expression of the utmost reverence. In addition, there are appellations such as “Yuanshi Shangdi” and “Yuanshi Tiandi,” which vary according to what is seen. These are not actual names; they are merely names reluctantly assigned by the realized ones. The scripture says: “The great Dao originally has no name; only because it transforms and gives birth to Heaven, Earth, and the myriad things does it have names.”

He expounded the Dao of Taixuan (Great Mystery), Chongxuan (Double Mystery), and Xuanyi (Mysterious Unity), and named this scripture the Dadong Xianjing.

Note: “Longhan” is one of the kalpa-cycle era names in Daoism; the Hetu and Luoshu are traditionally said to be charts and writings bestowed by Heaven in high antiquity, and are regarded by Daoists as symbols of Yin-Yang, the Five Phases, and numerological principles; “Taiji” refers to the primordial chaotic state before Heaven and Earth divided.

The character Xuan refers to a color that is black with a reddish tinge. The North belongs to Water; when yang Qi stirs, Water is generated. Yang Qi belongs to red, while the color of Water belongs to black; when the two are combined, this is called Xuan. Taixuan, Chongxuan, and Xuanyi all refer to water Qi at its most flourishing, as the root of Heaven and Earth. Xuan also carries the sense of profound depth and vast remoteness, and the scriptural phrase “mystery upon mystery” (xuan zhi you xuan) derives from this. Taixuan means that Xuan Qi and Yuan Qi come first, after which the beginning Qi grows in sequence; therefore one should expound the Qi of Taixuan. Chongxuan is the Dao (the Way) of Xuanyi. This scripture is titled the Dadong Xianjing (Great Cavern Immortal Scripture). In the Daozang (Daoist Canon) there is the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing) Dadong Jing (Great Cavern Scripture) in one hundred twenty fascicles, while Maoshan (a famous Daoist mountain) and Longhu Shan (the ancestral court of the Celestial Master (Tianshi) tradition) also transmit the Yujing (Jade Scripture) in thirty-nine chapters.

Yuanshi Tianwang (Heavenly King of Primordial Beginning, one of the highest Daoist deities) first caused a resonance in Yuqing (Jade Clarity, the highest celestial realm among the Three Pure Ones) through the single sound of Taixuan.

The One is the root of the ten thousand transformations and the sovereign source of the ten thousand virtues; there is nothing that does not arise from the mind. Laozi’s “obtaining the One,” Confucius’s “one thread running through it all,” and Shao Yong of the Northern Song’s “Heaven divides creation within the One” all share the same principle. The Dao of Heaven is simply One.

Taixuan is the orthodox Qi of the North; from it the two modes of Heaven and Earth establish their directions, taking the North as the Zi position. The so-called “one sound” refers to “Heavenly One generates Water”; among the Five Tones, Water corresponds to the Yu (feather) tone. This means that at the beginning of Heaven and Earth, beginning from the number one of the North, the first stirring of yang generates Water—just as in human generation, a single point of yang Jing (essence) congeals to form the embryo. Once yang Qi stirs, it transforms, and so it is called “flowing resonance.” This was not proclaimed by a golden mouth; rather, the numinous wind vibrated and sent forth a resonance, and thus the Cavern Stanzas were formed.

Promote the true Dao of the Diyi (Imperial One) and proclaim the precious writ of the Great Cavern.

The supreme being who governs all things is called the “Emperor” (Di); it is the human heart-mind. In governing a state there are nine basic principles, and the root that carries them through is only the “One” (Yi). The “One” is sincerity; to be without falsehood is what is called truth. Therefore it says one should “promote and expand the true Dao of the Emperor-One (Diyi)”; from this we know that the central purport of the Dadong Jing (Great Cavern Scripture) is connected with the Confucian Zhongyong (Doctrine of the Mean).

“Diyi” is the honorific title of the supreme deity in the Dadong Jing. It divides into Diyi, Xiongyi (Heroic One), and Ciyi (Feminine One), collectively called the “Way of the Three Ones” (Sanyi zhi Dao), which is the beginning of the Dadong Dharma-gate. “Hong” means to develop and broaden, meaning to vigorously promote this Dao. Proclaiming the Dadong precious text is intended to enable people in the world to attain the “One,” so that all things may be accomplished; if one can be single-minded and non-dual, with the mind free of distractions, this Dao is accomplished. This is also what is called the “gate of non-duality.” Therefore this scripture is named the Wenchang Dadong Xianjing. In addition, there are works such as Dadong Suisui, Dadong Yanyi, and Dadong Xuanqi; all are annotations based on the respective scriptures, not doctrines set forth arbitrarily on one’s own authority.

(The scripture) reveals the method of the “Nine Unifications” (Jiutong) and transmits the talismans of the “Nine Lights” (Jiuguang).

The three qi of Xuan, Yuan, and Shi each generate nine qi; these are the Nine Thearchs of Shenxiao (the nine honored deities residing in the Shenxiao Heaven in Daoism). Therefore, revealing the method of the Nine Unifications is for the purpose of uniting the thearch deities; transmitting the talismans of the Nine Lights is for the purpose of assembling the multitude of deities. The order of the Dadong Dao is: from one qi are generated three qi, from three qi are generated nine qi, from nine qi are generated ten thousand qi, which coalesce to form the ten thousand heavens. The scripture speaks only of nine qi and not of ten thousand qi because it is giving the outline. In the human body the ten thousand qi are all complete, and thus the ten thousand deities are generated. Heaven and Earth are established because of the ten thousand qi, and the human body is able to live because of the ten thousand qi; if the deities depart and the qi disperses, the human Dao would nearly be cut off. The Dao of Diyi is most flourishing here. The meaning of “using nine to show nine” has already been set forth in the Luoshu (one of the ancient Hetu and Luoshu charts, embodying the numerical principles of the Nine Palaces). The nine heavens produce four times nine, thirty-six heavens, and the nine earths produce four times nine, thirty-six earths; these will be annotated in detail separately below.

A person of utmost sincerity who practices the Dadong Xianjing (Great Cave Immortal Scripture), if able to recite this scripture and cultivate through zhai and jie (purification fast and precepts), can obtain the reverence and celebration of all deities, the protection and support of all spirits, the response of all sages, and the gathering and descent of all immortals.

“Zhai” is interchangeable with “qi,” meaning to make the mind clean and undivided, to calm and stabilize thought, and not to let miscellaneous thoughts create confusion. The ancients spoke of “three days of zhai and seven days of jie,” also called “qi jie and bathing,” as preparation before sacrificing to Shangdi (High God). Broadly speaking, “zhai” is causing the mind to return to emptiness and calm, while “jie” is guarding against the reckless movement of thoughts. If one can, like Confucius’s disciple Yan Hui, attain “sitting in forgetfulness” (the state described in Zhuangzi’s “The Great and Venerable Teacher” of forgetting bodily form and knowledge, with no obstruction in the mind) and obtain the “fasting of the heart,” then one accords with the intent of the Dadong Jing.

This passage means that the consummate adept who cultivates this scripture should purify the mind, observe zhai and jie, enter a quiet chamber, remove dust and defilement, still distracting thoughts, and single-mindedly guard the One. In this way, within, the practitioner’s mind experiences the joy of ten thousand deities; without, a hundred spirits protect and sustain him; above, all sages respond; below, all immortals descend. What the Shengshen Zhang (Chapter on the Generation of Spirits) calls “when one sings out, ten thousand perfected ones harmonize; when the nine rounds are complete, all the heavens pay court” refers to precisely this situation. The scripture also says: “If one can constantly be pure and tranquil, Heaven and Earth will all return to him.” This means that if a person can maintain purity and tranquility for a long time, all things in Heaven and Earth will turn toward him.

Through this, the cultivator can transcend all kinds of disasters and malevolent harms, such as the three disasters, four killings, five ghosts, six harms, seven wounds, eight difficulties, nine adversities, and ten evils.

The Dou Jing (Scripture of the Dipper) records this in detail, so it is not repeated here. People in this world constantly encounter various demonic obstructions and afflictions; if one does not single-mindedly cultivate the supreme Dao, how can one escape these troubles? There is a saying in the cultivation tradition that uses the image of a whetstone wearing itself away to perfect the blade, illustrating that cultivators should restrain private desires and dedicate themselves to others.

When cultivation reaches the realm of “ascending to immortality and entering sagehood,” one’s primordial spirit (yuanshen) dwells in Ziwei (the central celestial pivot where the Heavenly Emperor resides), following nature and abiding in non-action. The Xici of the Zhouyi (Book of Changes) says: “It is without thought and without action; quiet and unmoving, yet when stimulated it penetrates all things.” This exactly accords with the Dao of naturalness taught in the Dadong Jing. One edition has the reading “ascending to immortality and entering sagehood”; once this is understood, the principle becomes clear. After cultivation is accomplished, one’s own primordial spirit stands alongside the emperors of the heavens, enjoying the bliss and freedom of the celestial realm; why then would there be any need for contrivance? Therefore it says: “The spirit is born in Ziwei and is naturally without action.”

The Yi says, “without thought and without deliberate action (Wuwei, non-action),” which exactly accords with the natural Dao of the Great Cavern (Dadong), the highest realm in the Daoist scriptural system. Another version writes, “ascend to immortality and enter sagehood,” and this point is already clear. If a person can make their own Yuanshen (original spirit, the spiritual essence of a person) stand alongside the emperors of the various heavens and enjoy the bliss and freedom of heaven, why deliberately strive to act? These are all principles of nature.

Formerly, in the Tang dynasty, there was a Yang Taiming, who entered official service as a Confucian scholar and rose to be Magistrate of Chang’an; later he served on Guo Ziyi’s staff. After that he abandoned office and went to Mount Lu, where he built a thatched hut and cultivated practice. One day he encountered a Perfected Lord who had descended and said to him: “The Lord of the Great Plain of the Three Primes (Taisu Sanyuan Jun) has commanded me to transmit to you the Scripture of the Great Truth of the Nine Heavens (Jiutian Taizhen Daojing).” He took it and looked; it turned out to be the Scripture of the High and Supreme Great Cavern (Gaoshang Dadong Jing). Yang Taiming practiced and recited it day and night without ceasing. On the first day of the first month in the eighth year of Yuanhe under Emperor Xianzong of Tang, his body became light and he ascended as an immortal. Was this not precisely what the scripture means by “ascending to immortality and entering sagehood”?

Those who cultivate the Dao are not bound by Yin-Yang, the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water), or the six Qi.

The so-called six Qi are the six climatic qi of cold, heat, wind, rain, darkness, and brightness. Heaven possesses the six Qi; they descend to generate the five flavors, manifest as the five colors, and spread as the five sounds. If they become excessively disordered, they produce the six types of illness. Medical texts say that Yin-Yang, the Five Phases, the Five Movements, and the six Qi intertwine and knot between heaven and earth: following them brings auspiciousness; resisting and disrupting them produces ominous signs. In auspicious times, sages appear in the world, heaven sends down sweet dew, earth produces numinous mushrooms, the five grains ripen abundantly, and the people are peaceful and secure. In ominous times, heaven and earth close off, worthies withdraw, celestial phenomena change anomalously, disasters arise frequently, mountains collapse and seas dry up, and people die. All these are the result of being constrained by the Five Phases and the six Qi. Therefore cultivators should shed the outer shell of the Five Phases and depart from the mechanisms of the Bagua (Eight Trigrams), the symbol system in the Yi used to represent the transformations of heaven, earth, and the myriad things. The Bagua belong to the way of earth; only those single-mindedly seeking the Dao can transcend them. The way of earth models the way of heaven; therefore Yin-Yang cannot constrain them.

When thought follows thought without interruption and constantly grows, one can enter the Great Vehicle (Dacheng), a profound realm of cultivation; one’s influence spreads without limit, all the heavens come to watch, the Jade Emperor descends to inspect, and flying immortals guard and welcome one.

This single thought is the Golden Elixir (Jindan), the Neidan (internal alchemy) formed through cultivation. The mind and thoughts of a Dao cultivator should be self-strengthening without cease, continuous and as if subtly present. If one can keep a single thought unmoved so that thought follows thought continuously, it will gradually grow, and one will then comprehend the Great Vehicle.

This very thought is the Golden Elixir (Jindan). (Daoists use “Golden Elixir” as a metaphor for the refined inner Qi (vital energy) and Shen (spirit) produced by cultivation; here it means that single-minded focus itself is the root of cultivation.) The mind-thought must continue unceasingly, like self-strengthening without rest, preserved continuously and never lost. If a person does not shift a single thought and thought follows thought without interruption, it will gradually grow, and one will then understand the Mahayana (the great way of universal salvation of beings), and even the supreme vehicle (the highest realm of Daoist cultivation). If one can propagate this Dao, the kings of the various heavens will observe such a person from above, the Lord on High will descend to inspect him, and the flying demon-kings (Daoist guardian deities) will also recommend and protect him. Formerly Gao Yunju recited the Dadong Jing (Great Cavern Scripture). One day, celestial spirits came to investigate and look down; they conversed with him and praised one another, and afterward Gao Yunju attained immortality. Was this not brought about by the various celestial spirits looking down upon him?

Ancestors of countless generations and clan kin who have passed through innumerable kalpas—their wandering heroic souls and lingering spirits can all obtain renewal of life.

Before oneself has been saved, one first saves one’s ancestors. How much more so for ancestors from millions of kalpas ago, beyond count: their wandering spiritual essences and sunken, stagnant souls can all ascend and be reborn. Xu Jingyang (Xu Xun) of the Jin dynasty and Ge Xianweng (Ge Xuan) of Wu both ascended to immortality through the sacrificial refining of orphaned souls and wild ghosts, because these orphaned souls might also be one’s great-grandparents from a thousand lives and ten thousand kalpas ago.

Generations of descendants will be illustrious and noble, inheriting the immortal Dao, and for long remain honored persons, like Zhang Liang (courtesy name Zifang) and others of that kind. The heirs of the Celestial Master (Zhang Tianshi) also continue without end.

When one’s merits and practices are perfected and moral virtue fully present, all one’s family and flesh-and-blood kin may ascend together at the same time—as in the case of Xu Jingyang, whose household of forty-two members, in broad daylight, pulled up the whole house and ascended.

One transforms one’s own Yin-Yang and two Qi into dragons and clouds, rides them soaring into the sky, ascends to pay court in the Jade Clarity Holy Realm (one of the highest paradises of the Three Pure Ones), and becomes an attendant of the Primordial Lord on High.

The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning (Yuanshi Tianzun) intoned the Qi of the Great Mystery (Taixuan) and formed sound; concentrating Shen and Qi, thinking deeply and envisioning afar, he then proclaimed this precious Dadong chapter. This means that only through concentrating the spirit and deep contemplation can anything be obtained; the so-called “proclaiming the Cavern Chapter” is not mere casual recitation.

I. Opening: Yuanshi Condenses Shen and Qi into Sound

Yuanshi (Original Beginning) intoned the “Qi of the Great Mystery” (Taixuan zhi Qi; the most profound and subtle primordial Jing and Qi) and thereby emitted sound. First he condensed Shen (spirit) and Qi (vital energy), pondered deeply and thought far, making Shen and Qi pure and clear; only then did he proclaim the “Precious Chapters of the Great Cavern” (Dadong Baozhang, the scripture of the Dadong Zhenjing). This is like obtaining something only after thought has ripened. The so-called “proclaiming the Cavern Chapters” is not speaking with the mouth; rather, it is condensing Shen and Qi so that sound appears clearly and distinctly within the empty cavern.

II. Gaoshang Dongyuan

The name of this chapter is “Dadong Diyi Zunshen Gaoshang Xuhuang Jun,” which governs the beginning of the entire scripture. Several passages in this chapter take a single meaning and form separate sentences, so only a brief explanation is given here. Yuanshi was born before Taiwu (Great Non-being, absolute nothingness). At the very beginning, before the Five Greats (Wutai: Taiyi, Taichu, Taishi, Taisu, and Taiji—the five stages of the cosmos from non-being to being) had revealed any sign, there was already a Qi…

III. Yuan Generates the Nine Heavens

“Yuan” is the head of all good and the root of the ten thousand transformations. The “Yuan” spoken of here refers to the Three Primes (Sanyuan), namely the three primordial Qi of Xuan, Yuan, and Shi. The three Qi transform and generate the nine Qi, and the nine Qi in turn generate the Nine Heavens. If heaven and earth and the ten thousand things were not gestated by the Three Primes and guided by the nine Qi, they could not come into being. Therefore the three Qi are the honored elders of heaven and earth, and the nine Qi are the root of the ten thousand things. If a cultivator of the Dao (the Way) can practice and uphold this, then he or she unites in De (Virtue/Power) with the three Qi and stands equal with the nine Qi. From then on, the Dao of endless generation and regeneration becomes manifest. The Yijing (Classic of Changes) says: “The great De of heaven and earth is called generation.” Another edition has “Gaoshang Dongxuan,” which the commentator regards as a mistaken writing.

IV. Qi Ancestor, Taiwu

The three Qi of Xuan, Yuan, and Shi were born before Taiwu and merge with emptiness and non-being. The commentator explains their order of generation: from emptiness arises Qi; Qi arises from the void; the void arises from Shi; Shi arises from Yuan; Yuan arises from Xuan. Therefore it says, “The Qi ancestor is Taiwu,” meaning the great Dao issues from Taiwu and being arises from non-being.

V. The Many Winds Continue the Mystery

This sentence is relatively short; its general meaning is that the many wind-Qi (or the many Qi) continue from the mysterious root. Its specific referent can be determined only in light of the following text.

“One version has zongfeng (sectarian style); this is wrong”: Another edition reads “zongfeng,” and the commentator regards this as an error. The “zhongfeng” below refers to the Qi of the ten thousand things. “Feng” is “Qi” (vital energy), and “zhong” means more than one kind.

“Zhongfeng yinxuan”: The Qi of Hundun Taiwu Yuan has 99,990 yi wan Qi; the Qi of Chihun Taiwu Yuan has 99,999 wan Qi; the Qi of Mingji Xuantong Yuan has 99,990 wan Qi. The ten thousand Qi take the nine Qi as their root; the nine Qi begin with the three Qi; the three Qi ultimately return to the one Qi. “Yin” means to inherit and continue; the roots of the ten thousand Qi all emerge from the mysterious Qi. This is called “returning wind and blending” (huifeng hunhe).

“Ancestral kin cut off and scattered” (zengqin juesan): Another edition reads “tong san,” which the commentator also considers wrong. Since there is something governed, there is entanglement; how could it be scattered and lost? If cultivators cultivate this Cavern, the three zeng and nine ancestors (broadly referring to ancestors traced back many generations) and the five clans and six kin (broadly referring to clan relatives) can each obtain generation and transformation, and no longer be obstructed by the affliction of blockages formed in the womb.

“The Four Clarities soothe and bring ease”: The Four Clarities refer to the Qi of the four directions being clear and bright. Once heaven and earth have been separated, the four directions open wide; this is a metaphor for the detained consciousness of one’s ancestors all obtaining generation and transformation, so that they are no longer entangled. When the four directions each guard their own and dwell at ease in Wuwei (non-action), one can ascend to heaven, happy and free.

“Diyi Shangjing, Lianzhong Sheyan”: The emperor-deity of the Great Cavern (Dadong) is named Diyi. He rides the dragon carriage in the Mysterious Radiance, summons spirits and gathers wind and smoke, thereby saving beings from suffering and ushering in clarity, as in the saying of spiritual wind gathering smoke.

“Long accord with the one destiny; seven generations attain ease”: To be in lasting accord with a good destiny. The commentary says “the meaning of meeting with spiritual destiny and an auspicious time,” meaning to meet with spiritual destiny and a good time. Seven generations of ancestors can all attain ease, and scattered relatives can also be saved through this.

“Entrusting the spirit and attaching to life-destiny, returning to original truth and nature”: To entrust one’s spirit, attach to life-destiny, return to original truth, and return to nature.

Every point of spiritual light has something it relies on, and each person’s natal star deity—the stellar spirit governing individual destiny—also has its own affiliation. When spiritual light returns to its source, its radiance is whole and undiminished, without effort; this is why it is called “Ziran” (naturalness).

The vast radiance spreads outward; the Six Luminaries—stellar officials in the Southern Dipper that govern the bestowal of life—remain hidden and unmoving; the six fu organs of the body gather and stabilize, no longer changing.

“Lingfan Yuhui” refers to the Jade Emperor Lord. His given name is Feng Lingfan, his courtesy name Lü Changling; he is also called the Divine Elder, the White Emperor Lord. “Xihua” is Zhang’an—his courtesy and given names—symbolizing the peace and harmony of the lungs and viscera in the human body.

Xihua compiles and edits the jade registers in the Yuling Yaofu (Jade Spirit Jeweled Mansion) and submits memorials to the Jade Emperor. If cultivators can do likewise, all bonds such as evil roots, earthly roots, demon registers, and ghost ledgers will be released.

The upper Dantian (Niwan), middle Dantian (Jianggong), and lower Dantian (Qihai) are the places of embryonic breathing; their pathways are deep and hidden. In the Yellow Court, purple Qi embraces yellow Qi and enters the Dantian; generation after generation, it can nourish jade-like zhi herbs and orchids. If one can preserve and nurture the lower Dantian, Jing and Qi will fill the whole body, like zhi herbs and orchids growing on jade steps. The orchid is prized for its clear fragrance; therefore the Huangting Jing says, “The body generates radiance, and its fragrance is like orchid.”

The single point of spiritual light in oneself can illuminate the eight chambers, as if eight windows were exquisitely open and translucent. If a person is to be generated, they must possess ten thousand Qi and ten thousand Shen; lacking these, they cannot take form.

First Section (General Explanation of the Jade Chapter)

This passage of scripture says that this Jade Chapter was written in heavenly seal script (the mysterious writing of the heavenly realm), consists of eighty-eight characters, and governs the opening of the thirty-six chapters as a whole. The heavenly and earthly deities of the thirty-six heavens all possess the efficacy of this chapter.

The Xuanqi (the title of a Daoist scripture) says that when cultivating the Dadong Taixuan Diyi Dongzhang, one need only recite it once to eliminate all transgressions; the deities (Shen) within the body and the six roots (eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind) are all purified; the Six Heavens (the six levels of the heavenly realm in Daoism) naturally descend to protect and uphold; all demons bow their heads and obey; the myriad Qi (original Qi) within the body all return to rectitude, and one’s cultivation can enter the gate of non-obstruction.

Second Section (As Spoken by Yuanshi Tianwang)

Yuanshi Tianwang (the Heavenly King of Primordial Beginning, one of the highest deities in the Daoist pantheon) says that the Wenchang Dadong Jade Chapter is the first chapter of the entire scripture. In cultivation, one should cause a single point of primordial yang to coalesce within the body, as when a moon embryo has just formed, so that the Golden Elixir (the crystallization of Jing, Qi, and Shen formed through Neidan cultivation) is restored. The terms “Dingchou, Wuyin, Yu, Sui” in the text are dates or hexagram images recorded by the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches; they are markers for ritual or cultivation times.

Third Section (Cosmogony and the Heavenly Realms)

The scripture says that the primordial chaotic Qi generated the cyan-hued eastern Nine Yang Wood Qi, which condensed into a heavenly realm named Yudan Wuliang Heaven. The era name of this heaven is Longhan (a designation of a Daoist kalpa). The heavenly Jing and Hun here correspond to the Qi of Opening Yang (Kaiyang Qi), govern the Niwan Palace (the upper Dantian at the top of the head, that is, the brain), and are the root of original Qi generated by the Qi of the Emperor Perfected’s embryonic-life origin, the Primordial One Yellow Evolution (Dizhen Baoming Yuan Yi Huangyan zhi Qi).

The phrase “Gaoshang Yan Ziqing” refers to the highest Ziqing Heaven (Purple Clarity Heaven), the place where the heavenly deities assemble for feasts.

Fourth Section (Quoting the Wenchang Jing)

In the Wenchang Jing, the ancients took this chapter as the first chapter. In testing, one looks to see whether yang Qi is sufficient; yang Qi presides in the Niwan Palace and is in direct continuity with the Qi of the Emperor Perfected’s embryonic-life origin, the Primordial One Yellow Evolution mentioned above. The later reappearance of “Gaoshang Yan Ziqing” is a repetition in the original text and carries the same meaning as the earlier passage.

The Wenchang Jing is the chapter that the ancients held should be placed first. When one examines the Xuanqi and the number of sections and characters in the scripture, all accord with this, and so people today follow this order.

The Shangqing Dadong takes “Donghua Fa Taihui” as its first chapter. Its ten middle-volume chapters are arranged with many reversals from one edition to another; they are now rearranged according to the order of the six sense faculties (liugen: eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, mind). The upper-volume chapter “Tisheng Shenzhang,” which discusses human receipt of the fetal Shen-Qi (spirit and vital energy), is likewise arranged in this order, making it easy for readers to understand step by step.

These precious chapters do not speak only of human birth. Cultivators refining the Golden Elixir (Jindan) within the body—taking Neidan (internal alchemy) as the “elixir,” with the process comparable to forming an elixir—must also proceed according to the monthly sequence, like a pregnant woman or a hen incubating eggs, caring for it single-mindedly and never forgetting it. From the beginning of gestation until the fetus is complete in ten months, when the yang Shen (yang spirit, the cultivated original Shen) suddenly appears, the principle is the same in both cases.

At the first formation of human life, according to the Yijing’s statement that “male and female copulate in essence, and the myriad things are transformed and born,” the father’s Jing (essence) and the mother’s blood interact and respond through empty space; this is Taixuan Qi arising from Taiwu. Heaven One generates Water, which is the root of the myriad things. First, Ren Water is born in the northwest and joins with Ding Fire in the southwest; this is called “Water and Fire Jiji” (water and fire interacting to reach equilibrium). Yin-Yang respond to each other and gather in the Yuangong (the womb palace), suspended and attached to the spleen. The spleen belongs to Earth; therefore the myriad things receive Earth and are naturally transformed and generated, and thus the fetus is formed. Water and Earth are jointly nurtured in the Ji position (Ji belongs to Earth and dwells in the center). Ji is the place of pure and complete six yang, corresponding to the Qian hexagram; it also communicates with the Xun wind and is the place where the returning wind mixes. The male fetus turns left and after ten months reaches the Yin phase; Yin is where the three yangs intersect in Tai (the Tai hexagram), and so a male is born. The female fetus turns right and after ten months reaches the Shen phase; Shen is where the three yins are fully attained in Pi (the Pi hexagram), and so a female is born.

The scripture says, “The High Above feasts in Purple Clarity,” referring to the high Taiyou Yuqing Palace, the dwelling place of Yuanshi Tianzun (the Celestial Worthy of Original Beginning), located in the Ziqing Heaven. Yuanshi feasts above there, circulating the primal Qi and transforming to generate the human Niwan (the divine palace at the crown of the head). The sequence of fetal formation is as follows: the nose forms first and the ears afterward, which is why the ancients said, “the nose is the ancestor and the ears are the descendants.” This is the beginning and end of human life. The nose connects through to the top of the forehead; therefore it first receives the primal Qi to transform into the Niwan, and then through the two Qis, Xuan and Yuan, transforms into the middle and lower Dantian (energy centers).

Human endowment is nothing more than the coalescence of Yin-Yang and the Five Phases (Wuxing). Those who receive clear and bright Qi become sages and worthies; those who receive heavy and turbid Qi become common people; those who receive mixed Qi become the myriad things. Thus the following text says, “The Five Elders support the Jade Root,” meaning that the portions of the various kinds of Qi differ, such as the nine Qi of the East and the like. Supporting the Jade Root is the same as planting the Jade Root in the five viscera; all involve Huijiang Hua, Feiyu Pian, and so on, and all receive the true Qi descending from the five directions. Only then does human Shen take form, while Shen itself is without physical body.

Five Elders Support the Jade Root

The Qi of the five viscera is the foundation of the human body, and five deities guard it; hence the phrase “supporting the Jade Root.” This is the meaning of “the five sons return to the root,” namely that the Qi of the five viscera returns to its source and reverts to its original endowment. The commentary calculates the numbers for each direction according to the stems and branches: east nine Qi, south three Qi, west seven Qi, north five Qi, and center one Qi. The corresponding Heavenly Lords of the five directions are the Green Numinous Beginning Elder (Qingling Shilao) of the east, the Cinnabar Numinous True Elder (Danling Zhenlao) of the south, the White Numinous August Elder (Haoling Huanglao) of the west, the Five Numinous Mystery Elder (Wuling Xuanlao) of the north, and the Primordial Numinous Primordial Elder (Yuanling Yuanlao) of the center. The commentary further says that Jing, Shen, Hun, Po, and Yi are matched with the heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys, with the five viscera as their foundation. (By traditional account, the heart stores Shen, the liver stores Hun, the spleen stores Yi, the lungs store Po, and the kidneys store Jing.)

Taishu Brushes the Faint Vista

Taishu (Great Simplicity) is the Mother of the Three Simplicities, a deity in Daoism whose divine radiance brushes across distant scenes. “Miao” carries the sense of the minute or the endpoint. The commentary also says that Taishu is an attainment realized through cultivation, and hence there is the title “Perfected Person of Great Simplicity and Pure Emptiness” (Taishu Qingxu Zhenren).

Joining the Tally before Emperor One

The Young Lord Wuying is named Hefu; holding the tally and credential he bears, he joins it before Diyi (Emperor One, the name of a deity). When the tallies join, there is no further doubt about receiving life. Hefu is also called Xuanyuanshu and is responsible for guarding the gate of the liver.

White Emperor Haoyu Jiang

The revered deity Baiyuan, Haoyu Jiang, governs the lung Qi of the west and is also named Baiyuan Dongyang Jun. Yuling Biao, courtesy name Xuanyi Jue, uses the seven-yang metal Qi of the west to guard the Shen and You directions, commands the Dui Palace below, and protects the lungs.

Returning Metal to the Land of Great Rosy Clouds

This line means causing metal Qi (the west belongs to metal and also stands for lung Qi) to return to the land of Great Rosy Clouds (Taixia), that is, the celestial immortal realm.

Lung Qi belongs to Metal, so the circulating Qi and the mingling Qi combine and enter the realm of Taixia (Great Rosy Clouds). Above are Taibai Jinxing (Venus) and the seven lunar mansions of the West, arrayed across the celestial patterns; below it governs the Western Peak. The fenye (field-allocation correspondences) in the human body communicate with the lung viscera and are used to infuse Zhenqi (true Qi). (Fenye: the ancient correspondence drawn among the heavenly lunar mansions, terrestrial provinces, and the organs of the human body. Taixia: one of the heavens in Daoism.)

Ferry me across, and the death portals close. Since I am to be ferried across and liberated, the gate of death should be blocked and shut. In the human body there are thirty-six gates of life and thirty-six death portals. Qingyun (auspicious clouds) opens the gates of life, while Xiangyan (auspicious smoke) blocks the death portals. (Xiangyan is Zhenqi.)

Draw us out by the bridge from the Three Paths (Santu). If one wishes to be drawn out of the sea of suffering of the Three Paths, one should set up six gates of life. Among the thirty-six death portals, Qingyun opens the gates of life and Xiangyan blocks the death portals; Xiangyan again refers to Zhenqi. (The Three Paths, Santu, are the three paths of suffering spoken of in Daoism—the path of fire, the path of blood, and the path of blades—or they refer to the three evil destinies of hell, animals, and hungry ghosts.)

To escape the sea of suffering of the Three Paths, one should build the bridge of Xuanjin (Mysterious Ford). If one wishes to pass the three passes, one should set up the Magpie Bridge (Queqiao). The ancients said: “Upper Magpie Bridge, lower Magpie Bridge; Heaven responds to the heart, Earth responds to the tide.” This differs from the flying mysterious bridge. (Xuanjin: a mysterious ford. Magpie Bridge: borrowing the story of the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl, it is a metaphor for the passage that links above and below and enables the intercourse of Yin-Yang.)

The Ten Penetrations (Shitong) arise from this. When the Six Perfections (Liudu) and Ten Penetrations are cultivated to completion and the myriad practices are perfected, one attains the Way of long life and enduring vision. During the ten months of gestation, all the spirits are complete within the body, and only afterward is one born. First the embryo root must be made firm; only then can one reach the Ten Penetrations.

Wondrous practices arise from this. The three thousand wondrous practices rise from this and are perfected and complete. When a person’s Shen and Qi have already filled the whole body and the time is right, the Way of the Golden Elixir is generated. By cultivating the wondrous practices of the Ten Great Caverns, one can realize the ten great wondrous fruits. (Golden Elixir: the elixir formed through Neidan cultivation.)

Within the radiance of Dongming (Cavern Clarity). In the realm of the Way of the Sun, the luminous scenery is extraordinary. Only if a person’s constitution can be as clear as the sun can one see the realm of light. Huajing and Guangjing have the same meaning. The ancient immortals said: “Warm, warm the qianding (lead tripod); light penetrates the curtain.” This is the Dongming of Guangjing—the radiant light of Cavern Clarity. (Qianding: a Neidan term for the alchemical vessel, a metaphor for the place of cultivation.)

Diyi, the True Mystery beyond Mystery. Diyi (Emperor One) is the title of the Emperor Lord within the Great Cavern. When people cultivate the Golden Elixir, they too can realize this fruit—is this not mystery upon mystery? In the scriptures there is the teaching of “Diyi, Xiongyi, and Ciyi,” called the scripture of the Three Ones. The ancient immortals’ saying, “Warm, warm the qianding; light penetrates the curtain,” is precisely this state.

“Diyi” (Emperor One) is the title of the Dadong (Great Cavern) Emperor Sovereign. Those who cultivate the Golden Elixir can also realize this fruition—is this not mystery at its utmost? The scripture says that Diyi has male and female aspects, and it is also called the “Scripture of the Three Ones” (a classic named after the “Three Ones”). Diyi belongs to the north and to water; the dark/black color also corresponds to the north. Thus the true meaning of male and female Diyi is here mystery upon mystery.

In former times, Master Liu Gen (a legendary recluse of the Eastern Han who attained the Dao) went out to serve as an official, governed with virtue, and also constantly practiced the Dao of Dadong Diyi; thus he was able to undergo mysterious and wondrous transformations and become an immortal.

In general, when the Dao of Heaven operates and transforms and nurtures the myriad things, the mechanism of creation and transformation is none other than Yin-Yang and the Five Phases. Before the myriad things come into being, there must first be “principle” (li), and then there is Qi (vital energy; Daoism holds that the myriad things are constituted from this subtle Qi); when living beings are produced, they must further rely on the coalescence of Qi before they have form. Thus in the generation of humans and the myriad things, they first receive “principle” before they have the qualities of firmness and yielding and the virtues of benevolence, righteousness, propriety, and wisdom; they first obtain Qi before they have this body of hun and po souls, the five viscera, and the hundred bones. What Zhou Dunyi meant by “the truth of the Limitless, the essence of the Two and Five, mysteriously combine and congeal” speaks exactly of this: the true body of the Limitless combines with the essence of Yin-Yang and the Five Phases and congeals into a human being. In human conception, from the first month one receives Qi and forms an embryo; by the tenth month, when Shen (spirit) and Qi are replete, one is able to be born.

The process of cultivating the Golden Elixir is the same; following this sequence one by one, after three hundred meritorious practices it reaches completion, and the sacred embryo (the inner immortal embryo formed through cultivation) becomes firm.

The above “Jade Chapter Heavenly Seal Script” consists of sixty characters in total. Above, it guards Taihuang Huangzeng Heaven; below, it governs the Earth Emperor Lord of Serun Earth in the First Rampart. (The Jade Chapter Heavenly Seal Script is sacred writing among Daoist Fulu (talismans and registers); Taihuang Huangzeng Heaven and the Earth Emperor Lord of Serun Earth are names of celestial and terrestrial deities. This sentence explains the protective and governing function of these sixty characters.)

The Xuanqi (Mysterious Pact) says: By reciting the Wenchang Dadong Xianjing and cultivating the true Dao of Diyi, the marvelous function can be complete; then one first attains the ten penetrations of sage achievement and gradually accumulates the profound and mysterious principles. Above, it guards Taihuang Huangzeng Heaven; below, it governs the Earth Emperor Lord of Serun Earth in the First Rampart.

The Xuanqi (Mysterious Covenant) says: when the practitioner (zhao) recites the Wenchang Dadong Xianjing (Wenchang Great Cavern Immortal Jing) and cultivates the Diyi true Dao, the way of cultivation rooted in "Diyi," cultivation is then complete, and one first attains the sagely achievement of the ten penetrations. The mysterious principles initially accumulated are profound and remote; if one recites constantly a hundred times, one naturally penetrates Yuanqi (primordial Qi, the Qi that precedes Heaven); if one recites a full thousand times without interruption, one can communicate with Shen and spirits. In the Keyi (liturgy) of the Zhengyi corpus there is the expression "Xiao Zhao Zhenren (Minor Zhao Perfected), subject so-and-so"; from this one knows that in the Xuanqi all references to "zhao" and "Zhenren" are the practitioner's self-designations.

Yuanshi Tianwang (Heavenly King of the Original Beginning) says: the second section of the Wenchang Dadong Yuzhang (Jade Chapters of the Wenchang Great Cavern) discusses generating the embryo in the second month and the Golden Elixir returning to the origin twice. "Ji-mao, geng-chen, Gu, and Lin" use the sexagenary cycle and Yijing hexagrams to mark the sequence of time and the waxing and waning of Yin-Yang, corresponding to the cultivation rhythm described earlier.

The Yuanqi of Hundun gives birth to Dongqi (Cavern Qi); its color is red, it belongs to the three-yang fire Qi of the south, and it congeals into a heavenly realm named Shangshang Chanshan Wuliangshou Tian; the kalpa in which it exists is called Chiming (Red Brightness). The Jinghun (essence-soul) of this heaven belongs to Yangming Qi and governs the Mingtang office. The Mingyuan of the Dizhen embryo is Dongming; the Qi of the Purple Door (Zihu) produces the embryo root.

"Yuxu Shun Xuangui" is the sign of generating the embryo in the second month: first it causes the Taiyi Jinghun, the Shen formed through cultivation, named Xuanguizi with the courtesy name Shengchang, to govern birth and generation. Yuxu is the office of the Jade Emperor. The human head has nine palaces, and Yuxu is one of them. Chapter Five says that the Emperor ascends to Yuxu, so one knows it is the Jade Emperor's office. It is also called Shangfang Yuxu Minghuang Tianzun. In the biographies of immortals, there is the Yuxu Zunshi attending the gathering of Madam Nanqi and An Qisheng; therefore the name "Yuxu" is obtained according to the fruit of cultivation attained. Now Yuxu is the dwelling place of the Taijinghun.

"Tianchen" refers to the sun, and "Jinxiao" refers to the ecliptic, also called Yunhan, the Milky Way. When the Jade Emperor ascends the hall, the Qi of the sun revolves and moves in empty space; hence later it says the Jade Emperor rides the Zhuxiao, just as the yang Jing in the human body suddenly congeals within emptiness.

"Langlang Sheng Dijing": as the sun and moon move and the empyrean and Milky Way are bright, from this is born the Diyi mysterious scene. "Longyu Youxiong" is the name of a deity. Jing and Qi divide into nine layers; upon entering the bright and radiant realm, the brain office is about to be generated. The later phrase "Jiajing Fa Juexiao" means exactly this.

He reverently arrives at Yuzhou.

This passage discusses the name and origin of an immortal. His surname is Bai and his given name is Cheng; he suddenly rode a chariot of sunlight to journey through Yuzhou. Yuzhou is Xuanzhou. He is the Nine Heavens Sima of the embryonic origin of the adept’s body; unless he receives the mandate register handed down to him, he can never descend into birth. The term xuran means sudden and swift.

“The left controls the spirit of the Beginning Youth” refers to the Azure Spirit Beginning Elder Azure Youth Lord of the East, also called Taixiao Xiaotong, the Little Youth of Great Subtlety. He belongs to Wood and represents the Qi (vital energy) of the Wood King. He is located on the left side of the human body, drawing in green Qi to govern the three hun souls of the liver. “Beginning Youth” means a newly born child.

“On the right he commands Qichang Fu”: Qichang Fu is the name of the Emperor Lord’s assistant. The White Emperor Lord of the West governs the right side of the human body and emits white Qi to generate the seven po souls of the lungs. The two deities of Yin-Yang stand in attendance on the left and right, circulating and assisting Shen (spirit) and Qi.

“Mingzhen illuminates the Nine Heavens”: Mingzhen is the title of the nine emperor honored deities corresponding to the heart; its light is like a sun disk, shining above the ninefold heavens. When sun and moon unite, there is light; Yin-Yang intersect in the void. What the alchemical scriptures call “converging the two Qi in the Yellow Path” refers to this principle.

“Three suns reflect the mysterious and spread it abroad”: literally, the radiance of three suns shines upon the mysterious realm and spreads outward.

Xuanfu, Xuanpu, and the Three Days

“Xuanfu” is “Xuanpu,” located on Mount Kunlun in the northwest and also called the “North Pole.” The “Three Days” refer to three strands of yang Qi (yang energy) from the south. Taiyang Dijun (the Solar Emperor Lord) illuminates the northern Xuanpu with true fire; this is the way of Jiji (After Completion, a hexagram name in the Zhouyi, referring to water and fire assisting each other and Yin-Yang harmony, the state sought in Neidan cultivation). The ancients said that accumulating fen makes a cun, accumulating cun makes a chi, and as cun and chi accumulate without cease, they become zhang and pi. If a cultivator suddenly awakens and advances with vigor, cultivating for one day, two days, or even three days, the mysterious Qi (inner wondrous Qi) will penetrate the northern Xuanpu; this too is the way of Jiji. What the Tang Shu says—“If one renews oneself daily, renews again day by day, and renews yet again”—also speaks of washing away old defilements each day and gradually advancing, thereby becoming a good person.

Gan Jing and Jinxi

“Gan Jing” is also written “Qian Jing,” which should be a mistaken writing. Gan Jing is the name of a young attendant in Taiwei (the star office where the Heavenly Emperor resides); his full name is Gan Jingjing, courtesy name Huiyuanzi, and he is also called Jinshi. When water and fire are in Jiji and Yin-Yang resonate, the signs of birth are about to appear; therefore the assembled gods all cherish and treasure this sign.

Youliaowu and Long Years

“Youliaowu” is the name of the spirit-soul of Shangxuan Dihuang (the Supreme Mysterious Emperor), namely Taiyi. This deity is the master of transformation and the Jing and Qi that gestate the embryo. If a cultivator obtains it, it can serve as the foundation of the sacred embryo (the inner sacred infant formed through cultivation), and the Golden Elixir also takes it as its medicinal substance. It can enable a person to enjoy long life and enduring vision. The Celestial Master Xujing (Xujing Tianshi) says: the Dao is not far; it is within the body. All things are empty, but the original nature is not empty. When the original nature is not empty, Shen and Qi can abide securely; when Qi returns to the Origin Sea (Dantian), lifespan becomes inexhaustible—this is called “long years.”

A Thousand Kalpas Before One Circuit

This is the closing sentence of the scripture. It means that one must pass through an extremely long span of time before completing a single Zhou Tian (heavenly circuit) cycle, a metaphor for the great duration of cultivation.

In heaven, a thousand kalpas amount to only one full year, cycling on without end. Those in heaven have the “years of brushing away a stone” (the long span of time in which a great stone is repeatedly wiped until it is worn away). For those who suffer in hell, the time they undergo is no short either. The precepts of the Duren Jing (Scripture of Salvation) stipulate that it may be transmitted only once every eighty thousand kalpas; the Yuhuang Jing (Scripture of the Jade Emperor), once every forty thousand kalpas; and the Shengshen Zhang (Chapters on the Birth of Spirits), unless heaven and earth are opened anew, will not appear in the world. Then when can those who suffer escape their suffering? From this one may understand the “primary cause” of suffering (the fundamental cause that produces suffering, namely one’s own karmic offenses). On reading this scripture, one should awaken as early as possible, so as to seek the bliss of a thousand kalpas and long years. This scripture is not transmitted indiscriminately; the responsibility for transmitting and receiving it is shared by everyone.

The Yellow Register (Huanglu) Preserves the Kalpa’s Ren

Ren is popularly written as chu. In antiquity, seven chi made one ren; the Shangshu says, “To build a mountain nine ren high,” and the Mengzi says, “To dig a well nine ren deep.” The Yellow Register is a yellow document in Daoism that records the registers of immortals; it can preserve and govern the cycles of kalpas. Once a person is able to be born, heaven records that person’s name in the Yellow Register. The scripture says that the Yellow Register and white slips can erase one from the register of death and enter one into the register of life. When the rulers of heaven and earth hear that someone has been born, they feel both awe and joy, because the name is already on the Yellow Register and is regarded as auspicious. Yet some are willing to abandon the path of life and rush toward the land of death—truly lamentable. The character ren carries the senses of height, pointedness, and extremity; it refers to the time when the kalpa count is about to end, and so the Yellow Register is used to protect sentient beings.

Draped in Brocade, Entering the Divine Mound

“Draped in brocade” refers to wearing the embroidered garments of immortals; “divine mound” refers to the sacred mountain where immortals dwell. It means that the cultivator, clothed in immortal raiment, is able to enter the realm of immortals.

Qiu means empty, great, and gathered. Kunlun is located to the southeast; it is high on all sides and low in the middle, hence it is called Kunqiu. In the human body, this place is called Shenqiu, also Tiangu, or Yuzhen (an important acupoint below the back of the head). The scripture says, “Youliao drapes brocade garments and enters the emperor’s court,” meaning that the Qi of Yin-Yang penetrates upward to the brain gate. The commentary also says that “Taiyi” has the same meaning as “Chouqiu” and “Lan.” “Brocade” refers to the interweaving of the five colors, the patterned brilliance dyed by the Qi of the five viscera, hence “brocade garments,” also called “embroidered garments.” These are all the clothes worn by the Zhifa Zhenjun (True Lord Who Executes the Law), who holds an axe and halberd and is responsible for carrying out punishments.

Taiyi Attends the Root of Life: This chapter is titled “Chapter of the Venerable Spirit Taiyi.” Taiyi is the essence-Qi within prenatal water. Before Heaven and Earth had taken form, “Heaven first generates water,” and this spirit governed it. Taiyi is the lord of longevity; within the human body it appears as an unclothed infant four inches tall, namely the Dadong Fantai Shixing zhi Shen (Spirit of the Great Cavern Who Returns to the Womb and Begins Form). Its name is Wuyou Shou, its style name Guihui Chang, and it constantly guards beneath a person’s Yuzhen. When a person has just been born, it holds tally credentials and unites the hundred spirits, specifically managing the root of life. Below there are ten more occurrences of the word “Taiyi”; see the annotations in the middle volume for details.

Gongzi Summons and Joins the Tally: The deity on the left is called Wuying Gongzi; his name is Xuanyuan Shu, and his style name is Hefu Zi. When Taiyi summons him, their tally credentials join; the Qi thereby obtained is called Zhenqi (true Qi), and only then can it generate and nourish the human body. If they do not join, it is Xieqi (evil Qi), which should be rejected and eliminated.

Ten Returns Deliver the Initial Mind: Literally, this line means to deliver the initial mind through many repetitions. In context, the general meaning is that cultivation requires repeated cycles and a return to the original, fundamental mind.

This is a commentary on the Duren Jing (Scripture of Salvation). In practice one should recite it repeatedly ten times. For beginners, the mind half-believes and half-doubts, as if something is there and yet not there; by using the count of ten recitations, one can firm the Dao-mind and reach a stage from which there is no retreat. An ancient book says: “What others can do in one effort, do a hundred times; what others can do in ten efforts, do a thousand times.” If one applies effort in this way, then even with a weak body and mediocre capacities, one need only try the count of ten recitations and the work of the Dao can be accomplished. This is to require practitioners to put in bitter effort, advance diligently without slackening, and make firm vows before the high Perfected and supreme sages.

“Attaining entry into the root of great faith” means that by means of the instruction and guidance of the Dadong Xianjing (Great Cavern Immortal Scripture), one is brought into great concentration and true faith. This faith is a root that is true and not false, and it is not contrary to the ten thousand things. Among the Five Phases, faith belongs to Earth; Earth’s completion number is ten, which also accords with the numbers of the Hetu. In the ten chapters of this scroll, expressions such as “ten returns, ten wholesome deeds, ten directions, ten blossoms, ten virtues, ten immortals, ten Perfected, ten penetrations” repeatedly appear; all establish their arguments on “ten” as the number of completeness. If any one link is missing, the way of generation and transformation cannot be accomplished. Ten is the number of Earth, taking the meaning that Earth can nourish and sustain the ten thousand things. What is called “faith” is honesty without deception; therefore it takes sincerity and trustworthiness as its root.

The Jade Stanzas section: This Jade Stanza consists of ninety characters and is a sacred seal-script text of the heavenly realm. Above, it guards the Tai Ming Yu Wan Heaven; below, it governs the first rampart, Lord Yuande.

The Xuanqi (Mysterious Covenant) says: Recite it twice, and one can enter the foundation of nature and life; if good causes are not severed, one’s name will be recorded in the immortal register; when the ten thousand Qi are all harmonious, one can obtain the gate of stabilizing contemplation.

Yuanshi Tianwang (Primordial Heavenly King) says: The Wenchang Dadong Jade Stanzas are the third chapter; cultivating for three months gives birth to the hun-soul; the three hun return and the one Qi returns. The applications of days and times such as Xinsi and Renwu, as well as the image and meaning of the Guan and Shihe hexagrams, are all sequential stages relied upon in cultivation.

Dong Qi gives rise to Hao Qi: The Hao Qi generated by Dong Qi is white in color; it belongs to the seven-yang metal Qi of the West. When it congeals and takes form, one obtains the gate of stabilizing contemplation.

Yuanshi Tianwang (Heavenly King of Primordial Beginning) says: The third chapter of the Wenchang Dadong Jade Chapter states that when cultivation has lasted a full three months, the hun and po souls can be reborn, passing through three cycles of going and returning and one return to the root. The following “Xinsi, Renwu, Guan, Shike” are markers from the stems-and-branches and the Yijing hexagrams, used to correspond to the seasons and image-number patterns of cultivation; the original text does not elaborate, and no conjecture is offered here.

When heaven and earth first separated, “Dong Qi” (vital energy; the primordial Qi of the void) gave birth to “Hao Qi.” Hao Qi is white, belongs to the seven-yang metal Qi of the west, and condenses into “Fangai Xuyan Heaven”; the calendrical era of this heaven is called “Yankang.” The essential Qi of this heaven is the initial yang Qi in the human body and presides over the upper Dantian (energy center), the locus of Neidan (internal alchemy) in the head. The Qi of Di Zhen Hun Ming Yuan Chang Ling Ming Xian, in turn, transforms and produces the human being’s three hun.

The Jade Emperor’s Xuan Shang Banner

This is a subsection heading and refers to the Xuan Shang banner held by the Jade Emperor.

The commentary says that the Jade Emperor has a Xuan Shang Banner, which governs the ranks and commands of the Nine Heavens. The commentator suspects that this sentence contains three extra characters, possibly due to a copying error, because the Jade Chapters are mostly composed in five-character lines and should not have so many extra characters. It also says that the Taiwei Jade Emperor has, in addition, the Huihuang Flag and the Mingling Banner, used as instruments of summoning, with the purpose of causing the yang hun to return to the body.

“Zhi Ming Jiu Tian Jie” means that the commands issued by the banner come from the ranks of the Nine Heavens. The heavenly realm cannot be climbed, so banners are used to transmit commands. “Heavenly steps” refers to ranks and order; one must not overstep ranks and rush ahead.

The Seven Awakenings Ride the Wondrous Dao

The commentary says that “awakening” refers to the Buddhist wondrous mind of perfect enlightenment. In heaven it transforms into the Seven Stars and scatters spiritual Qi throughout the human body, where it is called the “heart”; when the spiritual Qi descends into the heart, it is called Shen (spirit) and is responsible for the duties of the Seven Awakening Divine Kings. “Seven awakenings” refers to the innate good knowing and good capacity of human beings; the heart has seven apertures, hence the name seven awakenings. Cultivators who ride the power of the great Dao (the Way) can have their names removed from the register of death and entered into the register of life. If people awaken, they do good; if they do not awaken, they may fall.

The Joyous Divine Wind Returns

This line describes the scene of Shen and Qi returning, joyful and harmonious; the scriptural commentary does not offer further explanation.

Huan means festive joy; xi means bright and gentle. When the original Qi in the human body reaches a state of utmost harmony and fusion, the deities (shenming) will come of their own accord. This kind of resonance is sometimes called “Shen Wind” and sometimes “Ling Wind”; both Shen and Ling are formed through the fusion of one’s own original Shen (yuanshen) with the swirling wind.

Biao Can Bei Ting Hua:

“Biao” is a popular variant of the standard character for a violent, suddenly rising gale. It is also called “Juyan Fuyao” (giant flame soaring whirlwind), that is, a whirlwind that spirals upward. “Ting” was originally written ting (pavilion), referring to a tower or pavilion-like structure; later generations wrote it as ting (to stop), with the sense of lingering and gathering.

Zi Ying Sings at the Eastern Bend:

The numinous, bright immortal Qi transforms and gives birth to the three hun (the three spiritual souls in the human body), growing like tender shoots; the purple blossom flourishes and develops in the eastern land of benevolence and virtue. The two deities Biao Can and Zi Ying chant the Dadong Baozhang (Precious Chapters of the Great Cavern, a precious scripture among Daoist texts), and their voices reach directly above the nine heavens.

Lin He Beyond the Nine Heavens:

Lin He is the title of the Left Immortal of Zhengyi (Orthodox Unity), an immortal office in the Zhengyi Daoist school. It implies the clear, resonant sound of fine jade struck together, spreading beyond the nine heavens (the highest reaches of heaven). It quotes the Analects: “Heaven will make the Master a wooden bell”—meaning that when harmonious Qi communicates between Heaven and humanity, auspicious signs descend. All this depicts the widespread reach of teaching through sound, overflowing to the four quarters.

The Jade Tally Summons Taiwei:

The Jade Emperor uses a jade tally to summon a young boy in Taiwei (the stellar enclosure where the Heavenly Emperor dwells), named Gan Jingjing, and has him stand in attendance at his side. He commands him to hold the Returning Yellow Banner, and also sends the two messengers Wuying and Zhiming Lingshen to summon the deities of the hidden and the luminous. The Shengshen Zhang (Chapter on Generating the Spirit) also mentions “Taiwei’s Returning Yellow Banner.”

The Three Su Are Born in the Niwan:

The Three Su refer to three kinds of pure, white, clean Qi. The Niwan (Mud Pill) is the palace in the brain at the crown of the head, which Daoism regards as the dwelling place of the original Shen. This line says that the Qi of the Three Su will transform and be born in the Niwan Palace.

“Su” means pure and white. The Three Su (San Su) refer to three states that are pure, unmixed, and consistently unified; they are also the name of an elixir. “Niwan” refers to the head. Daoism holds that the crown of the head contains nine palaces, that is, nine chambers inhabited by deities. Between the eyebrows, one cun inward, is the Mingtang Palace, where the deity Taiyi resides; on its left is the Purple Chamber and on its right the Vermilion Gate. Another cun inward is the Dongfang Palace, which contains three Perfected Beings: Wuying on the left, Baiyuan on the right, and Huangyun in the center. Another three cun inward is the Niwan Palace, the place where the assembled deities enter and exit; the Three Su Lord Huanglao, whose name is Hanzhang, governs this palace. Another four cun inward is the Liuzhu Palace, and at five cun is the Yudi Palace. One cun above the Mingtang Palace is the Tianting Palace; one cun above the Dongfang Palace is the Jizhen Palace; one cun above the Dantian is the Xuandan Palace; and one cun above the Liuzhu Palace is the Tianhuang Palace. Together these are called the Nine Palaces of the Head. The Huanglao Sanxi Lords generate deities in the Niwan Palace; these deities are also called the Qi of the Three Fields, namely the Qi of the three colors green, yellow, and white. The Huangting Jing says, “The Niwan has its nodes, and each has a deity.” The Three Su is also the name of an elixir. In former times, Master Wang refined the Three Su Elixir, was summoned to the Central Peak (Mount Song), and attained the Dao. Zhou Huibian, daughter of Duke Wumu of Zhou, cultivated the way of the Three Su. She encountered the Holy Mother of the Western Numinous, who transmitted scriptures to her, and hundreds of men and women followed and admired her. She declared that the world was about to fall into chaos, that she would go far away and return after a hundred years, and then she transformed and departed.

“Radiating the golden numinous brilliance”: the Three Su Lord emits golden radiance, and the numinous light flashes. The Three Su emit golden brilliance, and the numinous light shines above and below. It is like a person’s wisdom eye: once opened, there is nothing it does not see. The eyes are the place where the essence of the five viscera gathers, used to manifest the light of the sun and moon. The deity in the Yellow Court who governs the eyes is called Lord Mingyao Yingxuan.

“Hanzhang” is the personal name of the Three Su Lord.

“Laojun Hanzhang is above”: this means that Laojun Hanzhang (that is, the Three Su Lord) dwells above.

Han Zhang is the personal name of San Su Jun; this deity resides in Niwan (the upper Dantian in the brain at the crown of the head). When a person is first born, original Qi first descends from heaven, and then one receives the Jing (essence) and blood of one’s parents; the physical form begins to take shape, originating at Niwan and gradually growing to completion.

Guarding the death-joint mechanism: guarding the crucial pivot of the transition between life and death.

Reciting this scripture three times causes the three Hun (the three soul-spirits that Daoism holds to reside in the human body) to arise naturally. San Su Jun should guard and close the pass of “death Qi” (the Qi of decline and dissolution), so that the vital force can continue. This also states the principle of guarding and closing death Qi in order to clarify its meaning.

Since Han Zhang is a divine name, his office lies in transforming and generating the Great Dao and overseeing divine duties.

The Ten Good Deeds: ten kinds of good conduct, arising within the profound mystery.

Vernacular Interpretation

Human nature is good; everyone can become a sage or worthy like Yao and Shun. People are not born bad; rather, they themselves enter evil circumstances and thus invite disaster.

As for the principle that good and evil have retribution, some Confucians consider it empty and untrue. In fact, the ancients long ago had clear teachings: the Book of Documents (Shangshu), in the “Yu Shu” section, says that following the right Dao (the Way) brings auspiciousness, and rebelling against the right Dao brings danger—this is as inevitable as a shadow following a form or an echo following a sound. It also says that self-satisfaction invites loss, and humility receives benefit; this is the constant principle of the heavenly Dao. The Zhouyi (Book of Changes) also says that families that accumulate good deeds will surely have surplus blessings, and families that accumulate bad deeds will surely have surplus calamities. The sages admonished the world repeatedly in this way—how clear is the principle of retribution for good and evil! Have the sages ever not spoken of it? It is only that you have no leisure to read books and investigate it.

If a person can practice the ten good deeds (shishan), they can make their own original Qi pure, as if born within mysterious Qi. Yan Hui obtained one good deed and firmly kept it in mind, practicing it at all times; Yu the Great, upon hearing good words, bowed in thanks to the speaker. Generally, the way of being human should rest in the highest good: as a ruler, rest in benevolence; as a minister, rest in respect; as a son, rest in filial piety; as a father, rest in kindness; in interactions with others, rest in trustworthiness. In this way, every movement and every advance or retreat does not depart from the highest good.

Transcending Adversity and Attaining Naturalness

It means that by transcending adversity and hardship, one can reach the realm of natural Wuwei (non-action). The scripture says that one must fly over the three disasters and four killings, ultimately reaching natural Wuwei, no longer bound by Yin-Yang, the Five Phases, or the six Qi. The commentary repeatedly clarifies precisely this principle.

Additional Notes

In the Daozang (Daoist Canon) scripture, the phrase “the above Jade Chapter Heavenly Seal totals seventy characters” refers to the preceding passage of the Jade Chapter Heavenly Seal, totaling seventy characters. Above, it guards the Qingming Hetong Heaven; below, it fills the First Rampart Yuande Jun. This is the guarding and placement of Daoist talismanic chapters, which belongs to ritual content. The original text here only provides an annotation, so it is not expanded further.

Brief explanation of terms: ten good deeds (shishan) refers to ten kinds of good conduct; mysterious Qi (xuanqi) refers to the mysterious original Qi; three disasters and four killings are the various adversities and malevolent forces spoken of in Daoism; six Qi (liuqi) refers to the Daoist theory that, beyond Yin-Yang and the Five Phases, there are six kinds of Qi movements—here it broadly denotes the bonds of Qi movement.

The Xuanqi (Mysterious Covenant) says: reciting this scripture three times enables one to attain unfettered wisdom, transcend all calamities, enter the mysterious upper pass, make all breaths clear and luminous, and enter the silent, formless “Gate of Xiyi.” (Xiyi comes from the Laozi: “That which is looked at but not seen is called yi; that which is listened to but not heard is called xi”; it refers to the empty, still realm beyond the senses.)

At the beginning of Scroll Four, Yuanshi Tianwang (Heavenly King of Primordial Beginning) says: This is the fourth chapter of the “Dachang Dadong Yuzhang” (Great Flourishing Great Cavern Jade Stanzas). It speaks of how during the fourth month the hun-soul qi arises and generates, passing through four cycles and two returns, and it uses sexagenary terms and hexagram names such as Guiwei, Jiashen, Bi, and Bo to mark the changes in their temporal sequence.

Primordial Qi (the source Qi before heaven and earth had separated) produces Min Qi (the Qi of the sky); its color is dark, it belongs to the Five Yang water Qi of the north, and it congeals to form a heavenly realm called “Jiran Doushu Heaven,” with the kalpa name “Kaihuang.” This heaven is the solar Qi of essence-soul; it governs the Cavern Chamber Palace. The Imperial Perfected, the po (corporeal souls), and the life origin all come from this Qi, and from it the seven po are further derived.

Taizhen governs the Nine Qi. Taizhen is Taixuan, referring to the root of the mysterious primordial beginning Qi. The commentary says that Taizhen transforms the two Qi of mysterious primordial beginning Qi to produce the Nine Qi, also called the Nine Qi of Taixuan. The Nine Qi are like nine wheels of light; light is Qi. Taizhen commands the Nine Qi and thereby produces the myriad spirits.

“The Cavern Scenery Lodges Spirit Penetration”: the Hall of Cavern Yang is the place where true immortals refine the hun-soul; the luminous scenery of the Crimson Palace is where the spirits reside. What is able to “penetrate” comes and goes without constancy. The commentary quotes Confucius: “Hold it and it remains; let it go and it perishes; it comes and goes without fixed time, and no one knows its whereabouts.” That is, if one grasps it, it remains; if one abandons it, it is lost; its coming and going have no fixed time, and no one knows where it goes.

“The Jade Emperor rides the vermilion sky”: this describes the Jade Emperor driving through the vermilion clouds of the high heavens.

In addition, there are several textual-critical notes pointing out that “shui chi” is suspected to be an error for “shui zhe,” that “Kema” is an error for “Sima,” and that “dao” is an error for “nai”; these are corrections of edition text and are unrelated to doctrinal meaning.

Yudi Jun (the Jade Emperor Lord) rides the chariot of Zhuxiao and governs all spirits. Zhuxiao, also called Danxiao and Jiangxiao, refers to the upper Dantian, Niwan, at the crown of the head. Within Niwan is the Palace of the Jade Emperor, which oversees the myriad spirits in the human body and is the master of the myriad Qi.

Green radiance shines upon golden city walls. Yong originally means a small city wall built of earth and brick; here it refers to the walls of the Niwan Palace. The meaning is that when the Jade Emperor enters the city, his bearing is majestic, his body draped in a green cloud mantle, and the golden city glows brilliantly. This is the same meaning as the description in “Zhongxiang Wuzhang” of “draped in a red scarf and green clouds.”

Within the upper palace are pearls formed from cloud Qi. During cultivation, true Qi rises from the two kidneys, passes through the Jiaji, penetrates the two passes, and enters the Niwan Palace; at this point there is only one luminous precious pearl. This “cloud pearl” is the pearl of the five clouds. The five clouds refer to the Qi transformed by the five viscera; the place where the cloud pearl resides is the Xuanzhu Palace.

Looking upward, one can connect to the peak without an edge. The summit of Jade Capital Mountain is mysterious, empty, and vast, without sharp blade-like peaks. This means that above the human head, one connects with the boundless, empty, and expansive vista of the void. The golden city and jade towers of the northwestern Kunlun Mountains are a metaphor for the human head.

Below the Lingguan (Spirit Pass) all is dim and desolate. Lingguan means the Three Passes, namely the upper, middle, and lower Dantians. Above, it is obscure and formless, empty and mysterious, with no color to be seen; below, it is unfathomably deep, with no abyss to be found. Between the two kidneys is the dark realm of Fengdu, the northern underworld.

The misty foam surges into the sky. Aimo refers to auspicious vapors such as auspicious smoke and celebratory clouds. True Qi rises in steam and surges into the empty cavity, indicating that the human body’s utmost great and utmost strong righteous Qi can fill the space beyond heaven and earth, infinite and limitless. Chong means harmonizing.

In “hidden transformation blends Li and Kan,” the Li and Kan mentioned here are core images of Neidan. Li represents the fire in the heart, and Kan represents the water in the kidneys. The “union of Kan and Li” refers to the mutual completion of water and fire, the union of Yin-Yang, and through cultivation causing Jing, Qi, and Shen to transform into one another.

The state that people cannot see is called “Youming” (the dark and obscure). Kan belongs to Water and Li to Fire; when the two Qi meet, it is therefore called “Huiming” (the obscure and dark). “Transformation” refers to the cultivation path in which Water and Fire blend together. The alchemical scriptures say: take the solid line (yang) in the middle of the Kan trigram and place it into the yin position within the belly of the Li palace; from this one knows that Water and Fire are precisely the true body of the Great Dao. Fuxi’s pre-heaven Water and Fire and King Wen’s post-heaven sun and moon differ in name but are the same in substance. The immortal adepts say: this aperture is not an ordinary aperture; it is formed by the union of Heaven and Earth, Qian and Kun, and is named the “Shen-Qi cavity” (the place in the human body where Shen is stored and Qi gathered), within which are contained the essences of Kan and Li.

The names of the trigrams are only outlines; Kan and Li are the mother of the ten thousand things, and all the remaining trigrams can be inferred from them by analogy, so that nothing is lacking. For one who recites this scripture, the six positions (the six lines) have already ascended; the body turns to pure yang, is refined into purple-gold Qi, and ascends into the Golden Gate (the lofty realm attained by cultivators). The so-called six positions are the six lines: the yin lines of the Kun trigram change one by one into yang lines, and by the sixth line all are pure yang; this is the pure yang body. Kan and Li are the essential key of Wenchang (a deity in Daoist scriptures who governs literary fortune and cultivation).

“Xuanxuan Shu Huowang”: the Upper Prime Mysterious Father, whose hidden name is Shu Huowang and whose courtesy name is Zuo Huiming. “Mysterious Father” means the Father of the Dao. Some hold that it should be “Shu Huosheng,” but on examining lower volume, chapter fourteen, it reads “Shu Huowang,” and we now follow that. The character “wang” comes from the Shangqing Yu Jing (Jade Scripture of Highest Clarity).

“Zhangji Gao Tongsheng”: the Upper Prime Mysterious Mother, whose hidden name is Gao Tongsheng and whose courtesy name is You Huiguang. “Mysterious Mother” means the Mother of the Dao. “Zhangji” refers to the female gate (the female reproductive gate, metaphorically in Daoism the place from which generative Qi emerges). Some write “Gao Tongwang,” but since the preceding line already uses the character “wang,” here it should be “sheng,” meaning to guard the gate of the Mysterious Female.

“Wuji Bao Gutong”: one of the two deities within the body, the sovereign of the essence-soul, named Gutong. “Wuji” means infinite and inexhaustible; “Bao” means to nourish. He is also called “Huangning Tong.” He resides in the central palace of the spleen, governs the digestion and transformation of food and drink, wears yellow garments, and stands in the Yellow Court (the central position where the spleen is located).

“Yuantu wu ningzhi”: this refers to the round, flowing circulation of Qi and blood, without obstruction or stagnation.

The Round Path Has No Stagnation

The commentator says: Some hold that “without hindrance” is indeed good, but “stagnation” is instead more subtle. The “Round Path” is an aperture through which true Qi passes, one aperture of the True Center. “Without stagnation” means that among the upper, middle, and lower three palaces (the three Dantians), the Qi dynamics rise and descend, come and go, ceaselessly generating; when the route is unobstructed, the Qi dynamics become complete and luminous. The Shen-deity responsible for digesting water and grain wears a yellow lower garment (yellow symbolizing the Center and Earth De) and stands within the Huangting (Yellow Court), the cultivation site in the center of the body.

Fine Silk Conjoins, with Nine Layers

True Qi intertwines and merges, crossing vertically and horizontally, blending into one, like the patterns on fine silk; its radiance is layered and ninefold thick. When true immortals pay homage to the Heavenly Emperor, only brilliant golden light is seen, and their faces cannot be clearly discerned; for those who have cultivated into Zhenren (True Persons), ghosts and spirits can see only red light.

The South Pulls Out the Roots of the Seven Ancestors

“Pull out” has the variant “wipe,” and both readings are acceptable. “South Seven” refers to Fire (the south belongs to Fire, and seven is Fire’s completion number). “Wipe” means to brush away, that is, to brush away the dust and grime on the roots of the seven ancestors and be sure to make them pure. In this way the nine hun-souls are generated; the Nine Mysteries and Seven Ancestors all reside within the body, and when oneself is pure, they naturally transform and arise.

The West Resolves the Misfortune of Accumulated Kalpas

The west belongs to Yin and is matched with the lungs and the po-souls. The po-souls specialize in enticing people to chase desires and bring misfortune. If one does not release this through the Dadong (Great Cavern) Dharma-gate, then even after thousands and millions of kalpas it is difficult to be fundamentally liberated. Cultivators use this to subdue the seven po-souls and govern the lung Qi.

The Body Is Strong; Waves of Ten Thousand Essences

“Strong” means vigorous, referring to a strong body and moist, rich Jing and Qi. The “waves of ten thousand essences” are the true water of the north; it transforms into true Yang Qi, rises from the kidneys, ascends to the Niwan Palace (the upper Dantian at the crown of the head), and then drips down to return to the heart.

The Divine King Governs the Ten Directions

This line is from the scripture itself; the original commentary does not explain it. Literally, it means that the king of the gods and spirits governs the ten directions.

The Ten Directions Flying Immortal Divine Kings (Shenwang) are Qi generated by wind. Another version reads “generated by spirit,” which commentators regard as an error. The Shengshen Jing says: the true water of the north transforms into the Qi of true yang; it rises from the kidneys, ascends to the Niwan Palace (Niwan Gong, the key cultivation site at the crown), and then drips down into the heart.

The Divine Kings govern the ten directions.

The duties of the Divine Kings are not small. The Jade Scripture orders the Five Elders to obey the Divine Kings; this is precisely the office of the Jade Auxiliary Supreme Minister, a high divine post assisting the Heavenly Emperor.

“Great Return, Returning to the Fetal Shaft”: after cultivation returns to embryonic breathing and reconceives the sacred embryo, it returns to its course of operation. “Shaft” originally means the shaft of a chariot, a metaphor for the ceaseless circulation of true Qi; “return” is returning to the root and source; “fetal” is the sacred embryo.

“Three Harmonies Ride the Heavenly Dragon”: after three transformations, each attains its position; when the three combine, sound is produced; when form and spirit are both complete, one rides the heavenly dragon and ascends. The heavenly dragon has names such as Dragon Mountain, Dragon Terrace, Dragon Light, and Dragon Lin; these are synonymous and refer to the dragon ridden by the Heavenly Emperor.

The above Jade Chapter in heavenly seal script totals one hundred characters: upward it suppresses the Mysterious Embryo and peacefully nurtures in the heavenly realm; downward it commands the Lord of Primordial Virtue of the First Rampart.

The Xuanqi says: reciting it four times, the six sense faculties and their sense objects gradually become clear; the net of karma unties itself; kalpas and samsara no longer follow; the ten thousand Qi all arrive together, and one attains entry into the gate of freedom and ease.

The Primordial Heavenly King says: this is the fifth of the Wenchang Dadong Jade Chapters; in the fifth month it generates the five viscera; the five Qi return; the Three Primes return to the root. “Yiyou, Bingxu, Fu, and Wuwang” are stem-branch and hexagram names; the original text does not elaborate on them.

Min Qi generates Jing Qi; its color is yellow. It is the upper Qi of the single yang of the center, which condenses into a heavenly realm named Bolonimi Bujiaole Heaven; its kalpa name is Shanghuang. The essence-soul and yang Qi of this heaven govern the viscera of constant truth in the Cinnabar Palace (the heart); the five immortal numinous Qi, the root of life, transform and generate the five viscera.

Taiwei Heavenly Emperor Palace: the name of the palace where the Heavenly Emperor resides.

Within Taiji there is Taiwei (a subtle realm in the heavens), and within Taiwei there are twenty-four Perfected, who specifically govern the descent of spirits, the dispersal of primordial Qi, and the transformation and nurturing of life. If a person miscarries midway through gestation, or is unable to reproduce, it is probably because the Qi of Taiwei has not continued, and so the fetus is difficult to bring to full development.

The eight consciousnesses (the eight kinds of spiritual consciousness) float and fly upward, entering the camp of the Five Clouds. The Five Clouds are the five organs; each organ has a dwelling like a golden chamber or jade room, and so they are called “camps.” When the scripture says “flowing echoes in the cloud camp,” it means that primordial Qi circulates through the five organs and combines into a single movement of music.

Shenzong governs the Lingtai (the mind and breast). The central Elder is named Shenzong, which is the master of the heart; it means the sovereign of the spirits, governing the mind and the breast. Among the five spirits, the heart spirit is the chief; the other four spirits descend in sequence, transform and generate the five organs, and arrange the five spirits.

The dragon belongs to Wood, is positioned on the left, and corresponds to the liver. Its spirit is named Wuying Gongzi (the Young Lord Without Bloom), and is also called the dragon-yang entity, whose transformations are unfathomable. This means that when a person’s head takes form, the yang Qi is flourishing and the countenance is harmonious; the phenomenon it receives from above is the same as that described in connection with Wuren Peak.

The golden chamber is the lung organ, and its spirit is Baiyuan Zunshen (the Venerable Spirit of White Origin), overseen by Taihua Yuanlao (the Primordial Elder of Great Hua) of the western metal flower. Metal Qi transforms into dense, bright clouds and rosy light; this means that lung Qi is powerful and steams forth into a lush scene.

The heart has seven apertures, corresponding to the seven stars of the Northern Dipper; below it are the two apertures of Xuanpin (the Mysterious Female), corresponding to the auxiliary stars Fu and Bi. Together these make nine portals, bright and pure as fine jade. Another explanation is: the head has seven apertures, and below are the two apertures of water and fire, together penetrating the nine apertures.

The center is the spleen palace, which the Huangting Jing calls the “Yellow Court.” The spleen belongs to Earth and corresponds to the stems Wu and Ji, and so it is called the Yellow Court. The phrase “reaching the Northern Origin” means that it communicates upward with the apertures of the heart. The Yellow Court has inner and outer vistas; its meridians penetrate above and below and the four directions, and here one attains central correctness.

Yuanfu Zuo Huiming.

"Yuanfu" is an honorific for the Lord Xuanfu of the Upper Origin, of the Three Simplicities and Three Perfected; his courtesy name is Zuo Huiming, and he guards and maintains the Mysterious Female (xuanpin, the Daoist term for the root of life and the gate of Jing and Qi). "Yuanfu" appears three times in this scripture. Chapter Eight says, "Yuanfu forms the immortal fetus," and Chapter Ten in the middle volume again says, "Yuanfu Zuo Huiming"; see the preceding note.

Zhu Jing, the Luminous Master, opens.

Zhu Jing is originally the deity Siming, the Master of Destiny. He resides on and guards the right side of the heart, and this is the title of Baiyuan Dongyang Dijun (the White Origin Cavern-Yang Emperor Lord). He opens the light of the sun, moon, and Three Simplicities, and is therefore called the "Luminous Master" (Mingshi). The Luminous Master is also called the Lord of White Simplicity or Yang Jing (Yang Essence); each title has two forms of address.

Youliao ascends to Shangqing.

Taiyi is named Youliao. In the human body, kidney water rises and coalesces with heart fire; this is the key to cultivation. The upper Dantian (energy center) is called Jade Purity, the middle Dantian Upper Purity, and the lower Dantian Great Purity. Another account says that the Imperial Taiyi dwells amid layer upon layer of dark emptiness, and his courtesy name is Youliao.

The Four Mysteries uphold the primal prohibitions.

The Four Spirits are the Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Dark Warrior, and they uphold the prohibitions governing the movement of primal Qi. During Daoist Zhaijiao, at dawn one performs the "Mingmo ritual" to expel inauspicious influences, invoke the Perfected, and cause holy deities to descend. The human body possesses all five viscera and is guarded by the Four Spirits. The Three Harmonies, Four Mysteries, Five Emperors, Six Luminaries, Seven Awakenings, Eight Scenes, Nine Lights, and Ten Perfected all take "the sagely fetus becoming firm in ten months" and "leaving the furnace and changing the cauldron" (a Dan Dao term referring to removing the old substance and transforming into a new form of life) as their essential aim. The liver is the Azure Dragon, the lungs the White Tiger, the heart the Vermilion Bird, and the kidneys the Dark Warrior.

Long preserving the city of the Five Emperors.

The five viscera—heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys—are the city walls where the Five Emperors reside. The names of the Five Emperors are: the Azure Emperor Diao Liangji, the Red Emperor Chang Laijue, the White Emperor Zhang Anxing, the Black Emperor Bao Chengchang, and the Yellow Emperor Han Guangxi.

This passage is the “Jade Chapter” (Yuzhang) from the Yuqing Wuji Zongzhen Wenchang Dadong Xianjing, a scriptural chapter written in celestial seal script and used for recitation and cultivation. At the beginning it says that this celestial seal script consists of sixty characters; above, it subdues the Yuanming Wenju Heaven, and below, it commands the Gangse Ditu Huangjun of the second level (a deity who governs the earth).

The Xuanqi (a Daoist scriptural text that records the effects of recitation) says: If one recites this chapter five times a day, one can forever cut off the Qi (vital energy) of death, cause the vitality of life to gradually flourish and take root, and bring all kinds of primal Qi to arise together; thereby one enters the gate of long life.

Yuanshi Tianwang (the Primordial Heavenly King), one of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), says: This is the sixth section of the Wenchang Dadong Jade Chapter. It discusses the formation of the six fu organs of the human body (the stomach, gallbladder, large intestine, small intestine, bladder, triple burner, and other organs) and the circulation of Qi. “Six returns and four reversions” refers to the process by which Qi travels back and forth within the body. The terms “Dinghai, Wuzi, Dachu, Yi” and other Heavenly Stems, Earthly Branches, and hexagram names indicate the times and Yin-Yang changes coordinated with cultivation; the original text is rather brief, so no forced interpretation is offered here.

“Jingqi gives birth to Dunqi; its color is blue-green” means that Jingqi transforms and gives birth to Dunqi, whose color is blue-green; it congeals into the celestial realm of the northeast, named Dongyuan Huaying Sheng Heaven. The essence-soul and primal Yang Qi of this celestial level govern the middle Dantian (energy center in the abdomen). The lofty, true, and harmonious Qi contained in the Dizhen Lingfu (the mansion where the mind-spirit resides) and the Mingyuan (root of life) thereby generates the six fu organs.

“The Purple Essence Heaven is within the Great Non-being and Empty Cavern” means that the Purple Essence Heaven is located in the realm of Taiwu, which is without color or form; it is the formless celestial realm where the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing) reside. In the human body, it corresponds to the brain gate, also called Tiangu (Heavenly Valley), the place where the ten thousand spirits gather.

“The Three Primes are on the thoroughfare of the Upper Scenery”—the Three Primes refer to three kinds of primal Qi: Hundun Taiwu Yuan, Chihun Taiwu Yuan, and Mingji Xuantong Yuan. They abide above at the mouth of the great Dao of luminous scenery. The commentary says that the Qi of the human body gathers from above and circulates back and forth through the upper, middle, and lower Dantian, finally returning to the Niwan Palace (the spirit palace in the brain).

“Dabao” (Great Treasure) refers to the position of the Jade Emperor, clear, elegant, and luminous. The Xuanzhu (mysterious pearl) obtained through internal cultivation in the human body—that is, the luminous objects at places such as Canghu and the millet-grain pearl beneath the jaw—are also all called Dabao. Because it is precious and its radiance shines forth, it is called “Dabao.” “Zhaozhao shan di fu” means that this light spreads out as if a fan were opened, shining like an emperor’s throne.

One Cloud, Vast and Remote: The cloud Qi is long, remote, and misty, describing its vastness; “zhaozhao” means manifest clarity. The commentary says this is the Jade Emperor (Yudi) ascending to the supreme position, with clear light and awe-inspiring flames flying and flashing within it, like the light and flame that burst forth in the middle palace (the middle Dantian, the center of the abdomen) when cultivating Neidan, the practice of condensing Jing, Qi, and Shen within the body into an elixir.

Boshi Opens the Three Su: Boshi is the title of the Middle Primordial King Lord in the Gate of Life (Mingmen, regarded in the body as the root of original Qi) and the Yellow Court (Huangting, the divine palace in the region of the middle Dantian). The commentary says he was originally the Three-in-One Shen, the Shen of the unity of Jing, Qi, and Shen: in the upper Dantian he is the Red Child, in the middle Dantian the Primordial Sovereign, and in the lower Dantian the Primordial King. He is also named “Beginning Jing,” with the courtesy name “Primordial Yang,” and another name, “Infant”; therefore he is called the Lord Who Opens the Three Su in the Womb.

The Emperor Descends and Mounts the Jade Void: “Emperor” means sovereign ruler. If the human body lacks the ten thousand Qi, original Qi, it cannot nourish the ten thousand Shen; among the ten thousand Shen, the heart is the emperor, and wherever the heart turns, all the Shen obey. “Ascending to the Jade Void” means mounting the Jade Void, namely the upper Dantian, the Niwan Palace, which is the crown of the head.

Auspicious Qi Nurtures the Five Clouds: Five-colored clouds of auspicious celebration and propitious smoke support and surround the Jade Emperor. East three and South two combine to make five; North one and West four together make five; the center, Wu and Ji, is five—these are the generative numbers of the Five Phases, the numbers of the Hetu. When the three families converge, they form the Infant, a Neidan term referring to the cultivated Primordial Shen. The “Five Clouds” are also called the “Five Spirits.”

The Director of Destiny, the Beginning of Shenming: Siming, the Director of Destiny, is the Shen who governs the heart palace, named “Li Mingchu.” The heart palace is the dwelling place of Shenming, divine clarity; “beginning” refers to the place where life first takes form, namely the heart organ. The heart can perceive emptiness and fullness, and a person’s longevity or early death is related to cultivating the heart; therefore it is called the Director of Destiny.

The Immortal of Wondrous Practice in Ten Splendors: When the radiance of the ten directions and wondrous practice are perfected, one can attain the fruit of Shenxian, immortalhood. The “Ten Splendors” refer to Azure Splendor, Cinnabar Splendor, White Splendor, Mysterious Splendor, Yellow Splendor, Jasper Splendor, Golden Splendor, Green Splendor, Emerald Splendor, and Yao Splendor—the ten kinds of wondrous practice cultivated by the practitioner.

Subduing Demons Gives Rise to the Six Clarities: “Subduing demons” means subduing the demonic obstructions in the heart. The “Six Clarities” are the six roots; in the human body the five viscera are generated first, and the six fu organs afterward. The viscera and fu organs communicate with one another and become the palace of the Six Clarities. The six fu organs listed in the commentary are the gallbladder, stomach, bladder, large intestine, small intestine, and “navel.” In the common account, the six fu organs are the gallbladder, stomach, large intestine, small intestine, bladder, and Sanjiao, the Triple Burner; the character “navel” in the commentary may be an error for “Sanjiao,” and readers may compare the two.

The preceding Jade Chapter (a heavenly seal-script talisman) contains fifty characters in total. Above, it guards the Shangming Qiyao Moyi Heaven; below, it governs the Huangde Lord of the second rampart.

The Xuanqi (a Daoist scripture) says: Recite it six times, and the great demons of the six heavens will forever cut off the harm of ghosts and spirits. The six roots will be purified, the radiance will be vast, and ten thousand kinds of spiritual Qi will arise and shine together. One can then transcend the dusty world, meet the Huangde Lord of the second rampart, and enter the gate of immortality.

Yuanshi Tianwang said: The seventh of the Wenchang Great Cavern Jade Chapters opens the seven orifices of the heart in the seventh month, causing the Qi of the seven orifices to turn back seven times and return five times. The following “Jichou, Daguo, Kan” and “Kan and Li without stem-branch adjuncts” are symbols of hexagrams and the stem-branch system. The original text is extremely terse and difficult to explain word for word; one can only know that it discusses the symbolic-numerological principles of cultivation and nourishment.

Mysterious Qi transforms and generates Rong Qi; Rong Qi is black in color and condenses into a heavenly realm in the northwest called Linghua Fanfu Heaven. The essence-soul of this heaven is pure Yang Qi. It governs the Qi of the Yuangu Palace, the Dizhen Yuan Mansion, and the Mingyuan High Immortal Cavern Casket (a precious casket storing Daoist scriptures, used as a metaphor for the mysterious inner landscape), and by this opens the seven orifices of the heart.

For the line “Zhenyang, the Emperor’s Guest Elder,” the commentary draws an analogy from the Liji: the Son of Heaven personally bares his upper body, cuts the sacrificial animal, and kneeling offers a dagger. This is the etiquette for entertaining the Three Elders, the rite of “nourishing the aged and seeking their words.” The commentator holds that Zhenyang is the guest elder honored by the Jade Emperor; separately, the Zhengyi left immortal is named Binlao, also called Zhongchengzi.

“Receiving duties and meeting the Jade Emperor” means that the cultivator gathers in Yuxu (the heavenly immortal realm) and receives the Jade Emperor’s commands, just as Zhenyang pays court to Niwan (the spirit palace in the brain). This is called “silently attending the Supreme Emperor.” Its method uses the Purple River Chariot (a metaphor for the Neidan method of circulating Jing and Qi) to transport Qi from Weilü (the acupoint at the end of the tailbone) up to the brain; after twelve years one can become an immortal.

The commentary on “Destroying demons and removing polluted corpses” has two versions with similar meaning. One says that demon kings lurk in evil, and the cultivator must destroy the demons and remove the impure corpse-blood Qi within; when Yang Qi arises, Yin Qi naturally disperses—this is the natural principle. The commentary also says that so-called “demons” are means used by the emperors of the heavens to test whether the human heart is steadfast.

“All offices proceed to Jianggong” is only this one line. It means that the hundred officials assemble at Jianggong (the inner palace of the heart). The original text is incomplete, so one can only give a brief literal reading.

The human Dantian palace is called the Crimson Palace (Jianggong), which is also the Heart Mansion. The divine spirits of all the passes and apertures throughout the body constantly come to this palace to receive orders. The heart is the lord of the myriad spirits; all spirits come to pay homage to the place it governs, and the principles of all things in the world are contained therein.

The peaceful dwelling lies within the Dantian’s mystery: The dwelling of ease is within the Dantian. One inch above the Dantian is the Mysterious Elixir Palace (Xuandan Gong), located in the head. The Yuanshen—the person’s innate spiritual subject—gathers the myriad Qi here and then returns to the dwelling of ease, the Mysterious Elixir Palace. This is the gate for cultivating the Yang spirit, the spiritual consciousness that, once cultivated, can leave and enter the physical body.

The Five Qi form the ten directions: The Qi of the five directions—nine Qi of the East, three Qi of the South, seven Qi of the West, five Qi of the North, and one Qi of the Center—are the gates through which the Yang spirit comes and goes. These Five Qi also circulate like the Qi of the five viscera, filling the body inside and out and reaching everywhere. This line appears twice in the original, and the two annotations are identical.

With seven turns Siming arrives; with three returns the immortal dukes are summoned: With seven returns and nine reversions, the elixir Dao is declared complete. Siming is the deity in charge of life, death, and lifespan; the commentary says Siming is the heart spirit. The way of long life and enduring vision is thereby established. “Seven turns” refers to the seven-yang metal Qi meeting fire and congealing into the elixir. “Three returns” means the three combine to form a sound, able to summon the immortal dukes. Xiandu originally referred to the five noble ranks among immortals—duke, marquis, earl, viscount, and baron—and there are also titles such as Taiji Immortal Duke. Here, the immortal duke is the deity of the Eastern Hua Wood Palace who governs the liver.

The Lord of Mount Tai who governs ghosts swiftly audits within the Three Officials: Mount Tai governs matters of ghosts and spirits; it is the Holy Emperor of the Eastern Peak. “Tai” is the same as “Tai” in Taishan. Taishan is in Yanzhou and is the chief of the Five Peaks, hence also called Daizong; it belongs to Eastern Wood and is the place where the myriad things are born and transformed. The Lord of Mount Tai swiftly audits and records the life and death, guilt and blessing of all people in the three official bureaus of Heaven, Earth, and Water of the Three Primes. “Urgent” means swift, not procrastinating. The Three Primes’ official bureaus have 120 departments in all and conduct 73 reviews each year, checking without discrepancy.

The Ten Virtues first establish the foundation: Ten kinds of virtue begin to lay the foundation. (This is a fragmentary line, interpreted only according to the surviving text.)

Ten Virtues correspond to the number ruled by central Earth. They govern the spleen and stomach and grain Qi, and through this generate fluids. The Ten Virtues can perfect and preserve the Virtue of the human person. The Three Primordial Bureaus (the divine bureaus overseen by the Three Officials of Heaven, Earth, and Water) have under their jurisdiction one hundred and twenty departments, and each year they conduct seventy-three regular examinations; their assessments never err.

The commentary also says that the luminous Virtue in human beings comes from a heavenly endowment. Humans and the myriad things all receive it, and originally it is complete and without lack; only because desires obscure it does it become dim. Therefore Yuanshi Tianzun (the Primordial Heavenly Worthy) taught people to cultivate this Dao and to take it as the root for preserving Virtue. This is the principle of “manifesting the bright Virtue” spoken of in the Great Learning. The detailed contents of the Ten Virtues have already been recorded in lower volume, chapter eight, Xuanqi (Mysterious Covenant), and are not repeated here.

The Ten Virtues are the starting point and foundation of cultivation.

The Seven Awakenings refer to the mind. The spirit-mind communicates upward with the seven orifices—eyes, ears, nose, mouth, and so on—and the seven orifices thereby become clear and luminous. The seven stars of the Big Dipper also become bright accordingly, and the cultivator’s body deities can ascend together with them into the Seven Primordial Dipper. The Seven Awakenings also belong to the conscious spirit. Their stages of practice are: first, to know from birth; second, knowing, to be able to see; third, seeing, to be able to follow; fourth, following, to be able to practice; fifth, practicing, to be able to become firm; sixth, being firm, to be able to complete; seventh, completing without dwelling—that is, after accomplishment, not clinging to what has been accomplished. If one can cultivate according to these stages, one may enter wondrous practice and attain flying immortality.

This jade chapter in heavenly seal script totals sixty characters. Above, it guards the Xuwu Yueheng Heaven; below, it commands the Lord of Imperial Virtue of the Second Rampart. Xuanqi says that by reciting it seven times, the imperial consorts of the Seven Primordial Dipper luminaries will descend, erase the cultivator’s death register, and re-register that person in the Southern Palace—that is, enroll them in the immortal register. The myriad Qi then all arrive together, and from this one may enter the gate of flying immortals.

Yuanshi Tianwang (the Primordial Heavenly King) said: “The Wenchang Dadong Jade Chapter, Number Eight: in the eighth month the Eight Effulgences generate spirit; human beings return six times.” Among these, “Gengyin, Li, Xian” are symbols or oral formulas, which the original text does not explain.

Primordial Qi (yuanqi) fused and gave rise to flame Qi (yanqi), whose color is crimson red; it congealed into the celestial realm of the southeast called “Gaoxu Qingming Heaven” (one of the heavens in Daoism). This heaven gathers the refined souls of yang Qi and governs the Palace of Ultimate Yin. The life-destiny true spirits of the Dizhen Huafu (the celestial bureau overseeing the true spirits of life-destiny) were thereby transformed and generated, condensing Qi, and in turn brought forth the “Three Departments and Eight Scenes” (the three departments of the celestial realm and the eight luminous scenes within them).

Within the Qi of Great Simplicity (taisu) are the “Three Flowers” (sanhua), namely Shen (spirit), Qi, and Jing (essence). The Primordial Mother of the Three Simplicities and the Spirit of the Female One gather in the lower primal at the Zi hour, in the middle primal at the Wu hour, and in the upper primal at the You hour, ascending and descending with the Three Palaces.

In the early morning, the cultivator ascends the Hall of Broad Spirit (Guangling Tang), which is the palace of the heart. At the first crow of the rooster, yang Qi begins to arise; at this time one may ascend to pay audience at the Cinnabar Palace (Jianggong), the palace where the heart resides. The Primordial Mother of the Three Simplicities is also a deity who inspects sins and blessings and reports the sins of worldly people to the celestial court; therefore, reciting scriptures in the early morning can repel her inspection.

Jade Capital Mountain (Yujing Shan) is where the registers of the names of all immortals are kept. Cultivators often sit quietly and clarify the heart at the Zi hour, when the first yang stirs, absorbing the myriad Qi of heaven and earth, in order to avoid the records of sins and blessings reported before the Jade Emperor by the deities within the human body.

Guarding the Mingmen (Gate of Life) means guarding the point below the navel guarded by Lord Taokang. Wang Shuhe held that the right kidney is the Mingmen; human life and death are tied to the kidney, and when the kidney is exhausted the pulse of life is severed. Another edition changes “he” (pit/core) to “hai” (child), which should be an error. It is also said that when peach and pit are united, they can continue vitality and radiate brilliance.

At the Zi hour, Yin and Yang mingle and bring about the way of the “Imperial One” (Diyi), and therefore one can disperse the ten thousand demons. At this time yang is born and yin recedes; it is precisely the time when the way of the noble grows gradually and the way of the petty person fades gradually. This is the cultivation method of “Returning Wind and Mixing” (Huifeng Hunhe).

With a golden talisman, summon the deity of Guangxiang (Guangxiang, a realm of the immortal world).

With a golden talisman (Fulu)—the kind Daoists use to summon spirits—one calls forth the hun and po, the refined essences of the soul, to the vast, remote “Broad Country” (guang xiang) and the realm of utmost yin, so that they may all receive a new chance at birth and rebirth. In another recension the wording reads “du qing” (to ferry the minister); commentators treat that reading as doubtful. The gloss explains that “Broad Country” means the northern yin-realm of Fengdu—the underworld to which ghosts are said to return—and that in the human body this corresponds to the kidneys; the kidneys belong to water, and metal generates water, hence metal is used in the summoning rite.

Within the body, one guards and protects the “Earth Gate” (di hu)—the mingmen, the life-root at the lower part of the person.

The commentary adds that one should hold the lower dantian (energy center in the abdomen, the “sea of qi”) to receive innate vital qi (xian tian sheng qi, primordial life-breath). What the Book of Documents (Shangshu) calls “reflecting upon Heaven’s bright mandate” means constantly examining the luminous moral nature Heaven bestows. Since the Earth Gate is the lower mingmen, one must cherish and protect it and not waste it through lust and sensual desire.

One preserves this “King of Long Life” (chang sheng wang)—the sovereign of life within the person.

In heaven, this lord of longevity is the Jade Clarity True King, the Great Emperor of Long Life (Yujing zhen wang Changsheng Dadi), who holds authority over the power of generation and transformation; in the human being, the task is to guard in the heart one’s own “king who does not die of long life”—the original spirit (yuan shen) that survives cosmic calamities without being destroyed. That original spirit is the root of the “sacred embryo” (sheng tai) formed in cultivation toward immortality.

One’s practice then turns into the “Ten Immortal Gates” (shi xian men).

The “Ten Immortal Gates” are ten paths of immortality cultivation: the Gate of Unimpeded Action, the Gate of Fixed Contemplation, the Gate of Myriad Wonders, the Gate of Rare Stillness (xi yi), the Gate of Self-So Freedom, the Gate of Long Life, the Gate of Advancing Immortality, the Gate of Flying Immortality, the Gate of Flying Spirit, the Gate of Ascending to Truth, and the like.

The Eight Scenes (ba jing)—the eight luminous portals in the body—are gathered together in the Palace of Cavern Yang (dong yang zhi gong).

The gloss states that the Eight Scenes and Eight Gates are portals inherent in the body, channels through which spirit (shen) and qi enter and leave. “The three departments and Eight Scenes all enter together into the palace of Cavern Yang” means drawing the spirit-qi of the three departments and Eight Scenes back into the Cavern Yang palace.

The “Scarlet Mound Fire Mansion” (Zhuling huo fu) refers to the heart region’s store of fire-qi; with this fire one refines and transforms bodily form. “Jade Pupils” (yu mou) denotes the divine light associated with the eyes; “Yellow Flower” (huang hua) denotes the refined essence of spleen-earth. In practice one uses these to burn away impurities and cleanse the body, purifying body and mind.

The foregoing passage of “Jade Seal Heaven Script” (yu zhang tian zhuan)—mysterious celestial characters—totals fifty characters. Above, it stabilizes the Taiji Obscure Heaven (Taiji meng yi tian); below, it commands the Huangde Lord of the second rampart (di er lei huang de jun).

The Xuanqi says: Recite this scripture eight times, and the radiant spirits of the eight directions will manifest; the kings of the awe-inspiring spirits of the eight directions will protect the cultivator. The immortals of the four directions and eight heavens will record the reciter’s immortal name, sever the Earthly Gate (the gate leading to the yin-turbid realm, a metaphor for cutting off entanglements with worldly defilement), forever cut off the roots of evil, and all Qi will become clear and pure; thus one may enter the gate of ascension to immortality.

Yuanshi Tianwang said: This is the ninth section of the Wenchang Dadong Jade Stanzas. On the ninth day of the ninth month, the gates open, and the Qi of cultivation circulates back and forth (nine returns and seven reversions, referring to the cyclical turning of Qi in cultivation). Days such as Xinmao and Renchen are the times on which practice relies; their meaning is rather obscure.

Flame Qi gives rise to evolved Qi, whose color is white; it condenses into the southwestern heavenly realm, named the Heaven of No Thought, No Bonds, No Love. The essence-soul of this heaven germinates yang Qi and infuses it into the lower Dantian (energy center; the Qi cavity below the navel in the abdomen, which Daoism regards as the place where essence and Qi are gathered). The life-origin Qi of the Dizhen Yuefu (Imperial Perfected Mountain Bureau) and the Qi of natural mysterious illumination pervade the nine orifices of the whole body.

“Purple Jing (essence) nurtures in Hualin”: This line is fragmentary; its general meaning is that purple essence is nurtured within Hualin (a forest grove where immortals dwell).

The term Zijing (Purple Essence) appears four times in all; each is the name of a heaven, but among them there are errors and textual corruptions, which I now annotate together. “The Most High feasts in Purple Clarity” in the first chapter of the upper scroll and “Yilü ascends to Purple Clarity” in the first chapter of the lower scroll both refer to the heaven inhabited by the Heavenly Venerable of Primordial Beginning (Yuanshi Tianzun). “Within the Great Nonbeing of Purple Essence” in the sixth chapter of the upper scroll probably refers to the Purple Essence Heaven; this is a heavenly realm formed by the congealed Qi of the Three Primes, and a Dao Lord governs it, named the Lord of the Three Primes and Purple Essence.

“Purple Essence Nurtures the Flower Forest” in chapter nine of this scroll refers to the Purple Essence Heaven in the Shangqing (Highest Clarity) realm, where there is the Yuhua Forest (Nurturing Flower Forest). The trees in that forest have leaves like bamboo, flowers like bronze mirrors, and fruits like plums; heavenly beings pick and eat them, and can thereby attain immortality, not aging, and even ascend to immortal rank. An old poem says: “In the heaven of Purple Essence grows the Yuhua Forest; crimson fruits and vermilion branches, bamboo leaves deep. Chewing the abundant blossoms, one does not grow old; looking down, the sun-crow and moon-hare exchange light and time.” This scene is not something the mortal world can see.

Applied to the human body, the water Qi in the kidneys is black and the fire Qi in the heart is red; when the two Qi unite, they transform into pure Yang. The purple-gold essence condenses into a forest; flowers and trees flourish and fruits hang in abundance. After the Zhenren (True Person) within oneself eats them, one can also cultivate the way of longevity. As the Shengshen Zhang says, “Radiant jade flowers and yellow blossoms; in the wilds dense are the branches of the jeweled forest at the Life Gate,” and as the Wenchang Jing also says, “The cinnabar forest is dense with vermilion branches”—both mean this, using these images as metaphors for the Jing (essence) and Qi that the human body should nurture.

Long sleeping beyond the Great Nonbeing.

“Sleep” refers to a state of fixed immobility, quiet and constant, like a person asleep and not rising. “Great Nonbeing” is within empty stillness. Like Budai Monk and Chen Xiyi, who would sleep for months on end until dust covered their whole bodies—this is because the true breath is settled and the heart-mind and Shen (spirit) are concentrated and still.

The Jade Chamber gives rise to precious clouds.

“Jade Chamber,” according to one view, refers to the space between the eyebrows, an orifice through which the viscera and joints communicate. It naturally produces five-colored cloud Qi. This is probably because when Qi arises, Shen arises; the scripture’s statements “Golden Chamber and Jade Room” and “Purple Door and Jade Gate, at once generating Shen” have the same meaning as this.

This annotation discusses the growth of the “sacred embryo” in Neidan (internal alchemy) cultivation and the condition of inner radiance once the work is accomplished.

Within the Ninefold Embryo: The embryo refers to the sacred embryo conceived in cultivation, the symbol of the accomplishment of the Golden Elixir. Through the “nine turnings and nine returns” (repeated cultivation and the cyclical refining of Jing (essence) and Qi (vital energy)), the Dao of Neidan is brought to completion. “Nine months of gestation” refers to the nine stages from the formation of the embryo to its perfection; when the nine kinds of Qi are combined, the human way may be considered complete. The preceding passage speaks of “eight months,” which means the same thing: the moment when it is about to be full but is not yet full.

When the eighth month is already full and the ninth month is entered, Qi is sufficient and Shen (spirit) is complete; the sacred embryo is perfected and waits for the proper time before acting again.

The Emperor’s Guest Receives the Jade Talisman: The commentator holds that “Emperor’s Guest” here is not an error for “Emperor Lord.” The Emperor’s Guest is the yang spirit (the pure-yang spirit formed through cultivation), which governs the expulsion of yin evils and acts in accordance with the jade talisman, comparable to the Three Elders of a state deliberating on government by the ruler’s command.

The Three Lights Return to the Purple Canopy: The Three Lights in heaven are the sun, moon, and stars; the Three Lights in the human body are the two eyes and the heart. When the sun and moon in heaven lose their measure and the stars halt or linger, disasters and anomalies arise between heaven and earth; when a person’s eyes are deluded and the heart is disturbed, the body is imperiled. “Returning to the Purple Canopy” means withdrawing the gaze and reversing the hearing: the eyes do not look at evil colors, the ears do not listen to evil sounds, so that Shen and Qi are guarded within, Shen is whole, and Qi is condensed. The Purple Canopy (the radiant Qi at the crown of the head, like a canopy) covers all things; therefore the two eyes are compared to the canopy of the nine apertures.

Dark-Green Jade, Binlaisheng: Wufu is a kind of stone that resembles jade; here it is a metaphor for turning from “chaotic jade” to true radiance. Binlaisheng is the name of the Lord of Black Qi in the text, who specifically governs people’s inner radiance and virtue. Some editions write “dark-green” as “granary” (both cang), but the commentator considers this incorrect; dark-green jade refers to a blue-green jade with veining. Jade is used as a metaphor for virtue: if virtue is not yet attained, the ultimate Dao cannot coalesce; the inner luster naturally manifests outwardly—as when jade is in the mountains, plants and trees shine; when a pearl is in the deep, rivers and lakes become clear; when a treasure is held in the bosom, the complexion becomes radiant and the body healthy.

Guarding this Long Night Assembly.

This line means: guard and preserve this assembly of the long night.

The Long Night Assembly is in the Crimson Palace (Jianggong), which is the Spirit Mansion (Lingfu), the place where blood is generated. If one is awakened, it is ever bright; if not awakened, it is the long night. “Guarding” means correcting and rescuing its faults. Those who cannot cherish it have darkness within their bosoms; [those who can] have luster on the face and health in the body.

The “Long Night Assembly” is located in the Crimson Palace, namely the “Spirit Mansion” (the dwelling place of the mind-spirit; Daoism holds that the heart is the lodging of Shen). The Crimson Palace is an important locus within the human body, and it is here that blood is generated. When a person’s mind-spirit is awakened and clear, it is like an ever-burning lamp; if the mind-spirit is benighted and unawakened, one falls into the long night. What is called “guarding” is precisely correcting and rescuing the faults committed by the mind-spirit. If one can cherish and protect this heart so that it does not fall into darkness, then the heart will naturally be peaceful and calm, the countenance will glow, and the body will be healthy.

Guarding this Long Night Assembly. (repeated)

The Long Night Assembly is in the Crimson Palace … when will dawn come in the dark long night?

This passage is largely the same as the preceding one, differing only in its ending: if one cannot cherish and guard this heart, one is as if situated in boundless darkness, not knowing when morning will come. This is a negative way of reminding cultivators to maintain the awakening of the mind-spirit at all times.

The Five Spirits confer talismanic registers,

“Five Spirits” refers to the spirits of the five directions: Qingling, Danling, Haoling, Xuanling, and Huangling. “Confer” means to bestow; the sense is that the five Laojun bestow upon me the talismanic registers and texts of long life. The commentator says that the Jade Scripture transmitted at Maoshan does not contain the following six lines, so the text probably ends here.

The Nine Unities unite the Nine Lights.

“Nine Unities” is a cultivation method: by converging the talisman of the Emperor Lord’s Nine Lights, one gathers the spirits. This is the way of “returning wind and mixing” (the blending of breath and internal alchemy). When the count reaches nine, yang qi is already flourishing, and this yang qi is pure and correct, never decaying. The commentary also cites the Great Cavern Scripture (Dadong Jing), saying: from one qi arises two qi; from two qi arises nine qi. Nine is the extreme of yang numbers, and so it changes into an even number and transforms into thirty-six. Among these is the female “One Emperor True Nine Lights Holy Mother,” who is specifically in charge of generation. Another interpretation holds that the original wording “Yuanjing” is mistaken; “tong” means the governing order, and in the ancient era of the Nine Sovereigns there were nine regulations.

The Three Mysteries emerge from Taiqing,

“Three Mysteries” means three threes and nine mysteries, referring to the three mysterious passes within the human body. “Emerging from Taiqing” refers to the lower Dantian. The commentary says that the lower Dantian externally corresponds to the Northern Capital Luofeng (the netherworld) and internally corresponds to both kidneys. The meaning is that when ancestors and parents are all liberated beyond this realm, the cultivator can raise the spirit to the nine heavens and forever become a Perfected Person (Zhenren).

Purple Yang generates the ten thousand lives.

The “Purple Yang Jade Treasury” is annotated as the repository of generation, the root from which all things grow. It enables the lives of ten thousand generations to arise, and all spirits are made complete; noble and base alike all come from the generating power of Purple Yang. This principle of ceaseless generation and regeneration never comes to rest.

Mysterious Essence Nurtures the Nine Spirits

“Xuanjing” (Mysterious Essence) is mysterious, pure primordial Qi, and it nurtures the “Nine Spirits,” which are the nine hun-souls of the human body. The ancients took the north as “xuan,” and also took the human mind as “xuan.” One commentary says that the Nine Spirits are the root by which the heart-shen nurtures the vitality of ten thousand generations; all spirits are thereby made complete. Whether noble or base, humans all issue forth from Ziyang (pure yang Qi), and this principle of generation never ceases. Another commentary says the Nine Spirits refer to the nine apertures of the heart. The Qi of the Nine Mysteries receives life and relies on the nine hun-souls for nurture; only then does the womb embryo form, and therefore its substance must be tempered with the Qi of the Great Yang.

The Primordial Father Forms the Embryo Immortal

“Yuanfu” (Primordial Father) refers to the heart-shen. The commentary says the heart is the master of the whole body and governs deliberation, which is intention. The “embryo immortal” is the state of having Qi but no breath, that is, when cultivation reaches its depths, the Qi mechanism is held within and one does not depend on breathing—an infant-like spirit body. The later phrase “Purple Flower leads the embryo immortal” and the Huangting Jing line “the lute heart, in threefold layers, dances the embryo immortal” both mean this.

The above jade chapter in heavenly seal script contains seventy characters; above it is guarded by Chiming Heyang Heaven, under the command of the Earth Emperor Lord of the third tier of heavenly rule, the stone-fat-colored earth.

This passage explains the talismanic chapter. This talismanic chapter totals seventy characters; above it is guarded by Chiming Heyang Heaven and commanded by the Earth-Virtue Emperor Lord of the third tier, the stone-fat-colored earth.

The Xuanqi (Mysterious Covenant) says: Recite it nine times, and the emperors of the Nine Registers assemble; the spirits of the nine lights gather; one merges with the hundred spirits and enjoys an age equal to Heaven. The Eight Assemblies roam and gather, responding in audience to the Nine Heavens; ten thousand Qi all become immortal, and one attains entry to the gate of the realized.

The Xuanqi says: Recite it nine times, and the emperors of the nine directions assemble together; the spirits of the nine luminous rays gather; one merges with the hundred spirits, and one’s lifespan equals Heaven’s. The immortal assemblies of the eight directions roam and gather, responding in audience to the Nine Heavens; all ten thousand Qi return to the immortal Dao, and one may ascend into the gate of the realized.

The Heavenly King of Primordial Beginning says: The Wenchang Great Cavern Jade Chapter, Number Ten. In ten months one firms the form and spirit, delivers the embryo, and transforms into spirit. Guisi, Jiawu, Dazhuang, Jin.

The Heavenly King of Primordial Beginning says: This is Chapter Ten of the Wenchang Great Cavern Jade Chapter. Cultivating for ten months can make form and spirit firm, deliver the embryo, shed the mortal frame, and transform into spirit. “Guisi” and “Jiawu” are sexagenary day designations, while “Dazhuang” and “Jin” are hexagram names from the Zhouyi, indicating the waxing and waning of Yin-Yang and the stages of advancement during cultivation.

The Brahma-clear radiance Qi, whose colors are blue, yellow, and white, congeals into the central heavenly realm, called Boli Dahe Heaven. The central yang Qi of this heaven governs the Middle Prime Yellow Court Palace within the human body. The Emperor Real’s Qi of harmonious balance descends spirits and spreads Qi, firming physical substance, and is born within the human Dao.

The pure and bright Qi, with colors of blue, yellow, and white intermingled, congeals into the central heavenly realm, named “Boli Dahe Heaven.” The central, upright, harmonious yang Qi of this heaven governs the Middle Prime Yellow Court Palace in the human body. The Emperor Real, through the Qi of harmonious balance, descends spirits and distributes Qi, making a person’s physical substance firm and enabling generation within the human Dao.

Green Spirit Fans the Eight Extremes

(This is a fragment; only title-like text survives, and the original is incomplete.) The Qi of the Green Spirit fans the eight distant extremes, meaning its function extends throughout the four directions and above and below.

The East belongs to Wood and is the place where the myriad things arise and grow; for this reason it can stir the worlds of the eight directions. The eight poles (baji) refer to the four cardinal directions—east, south, west, and north—and the four corner positions. The Bagua (Eight Trigrams—Qian, Kan, Gen, Zhen, Xun, Li, Kun, Dui) and the Eight Gates (Open, Rest, Life, Harm, Obstruction, Scenery, Death, Fright) are both symbols of the movement of Qi corresponding to the directions.

Stirring the Wheel in the City of Sanhua (Three Flowers): Sanhua refers to Shen (spirit), Qi (vital energy), and Jing (essence), the three most precious primal Qi in the human body. The place where the Three Flowers reside is called the “city.” “Qingling Qi” is the generative Qi of the East; stirring it symbolizes the sprouting of vitality. “Wheel” is the name of the tongue spirit, meaning that the cultivator uses the tongue to stir the Huachi (Flowery Pool) fluids in the mouth—saliva—and irrigates the three Dantian (upper, middle, and lower energy centers).

Unfastening This Womb-and-Embryo Knot: For “pi,” one reading is “ba,” meaning to brush away or untie. The Sheng Shen Zhang (Chapter on the Birth of the Spirit) says, “Cutting down the womb tree removes one obstruction,” which has the same meaning. The womb-and-embryo knot refers to the obsessions and habitual tendencies that entangle body and mind; untying it means removing their root.

The Seven Ancestors Receive Blessings and Are Reborn: The Nine Mysteries and Seven Ancestors thereby receive blessings and are able to ascend to heaven and enjoy peace and bliss. If cultivators can advance diligently without slackening, they may ascend to the Formless Heaven, reach the stage of non-retrogression, and ultimately take their place among the attendants of the Supreme Perfected and the Three Realms of Daluo.

Past Enmities Are Resolved and the Five Paths Are Extinguished: The Sheng Shen Zhang explains that “dui” can be understood as dissolving enmities from past lives. The Five Paths refer to evil destinies such as hell, hungry ghosts, animals, asuras, and birds and insects. This sentence means eliminating the dangerous and inauspicious things within them, so that people are spared the suffering of sinking down and being unable to escape.

Always Guard the Camp of Diyi (Emperor One): The Maoshan school divides this into two chapters here. Ciyi (Female One), Xiongyi (Male One), and Diyi (Emperor One) are together called the “Way of the Three Ones.” Here one only guards the “camp of Diyi,” which is to venerate the Diyi of Dadong (Great Cavern). In the Daozang (Daoist Canon) there are separately the Nüyi Jing and the Xiongyi Jing.

The Young Lord Holds the Five Talismans: This sentence means that cultivators or divine attendants hold the Five Talismans to protect their cultivation; it can be understood in conjunction with the preceding “Always guard the camp of Diyi.”

On the left are Lord Wuying and Xuanyuan Shu, whose courtesy name was Hefu. They ride the eastern nine-yang generative Qi (yang Qi), hold the talisman of the Five Numinous Powers, transform and nurture the myriad things, and summon the spirits of the nine hun in the liver, causing them to spread throughout the world; the human Dao arose from this.

Taiyi (the supreme deity in Daoism) dwells in the Purple Chamber.

Taiyi is at the crown of the head, which is the Purple Door. The human body contains divine residences such as the Golden Tower, Jade Chamber, Purple Door, and Jade Palace. The Purple Door is a separate chamber of Niwan (the divine residence in the brain at the crown), where Lord Taiyi resides and governs the register of names of the assembled immortals who attain the Dao.

The Threefold Union Below the Earthly Door: When the three Qi combine, De is formed; when the three come together, sound is formed; the generative Qi then joins with the palace of the lower origin. The commentary says that the Earthly Door is the Xun position (a Bagua position), corresponding to the lower Dantian; it is the “death door” of the human body.

Drawing Up Life to the Jade Emperor’s Palace: This means drawing out the root of life (the lifeline) from the human body and sending it to the Jade Emperor’s Palace, that is, into the head. On Jade Capital Mountain there is the Jade Emperor’s Palace, presided over by the upper origin and the dwelling place of heavenly immortals. Only those who cultivate the Dao and do good can reach this place.

The Maiden Yumozi: A true immortal of the Northern Dipper resides in the human heart and governs longevity and premature death, wealth and poverty. She is also the deity called Ciyi (Female One), belonging to the class of female immortals. She is prenatal true Qi and can assist Heaven and Earth in transforming and nurturing the myriad things, embody and unite with the Great Dao, and aid the ten thousand transformations.

The Seven-Qi Windows of Weizhao: Weizhao is the cultivator’s self-designation, meaning “this petty servant, so-and-so.” The seven-qi windows refer to the seven apertures; the image of windows is used to convey brightness and transparency, that is, the sense of “eight windows, all luminous.” These are all expressions that make skillful use of metaphor.

Restraining and Covenanting the Blood and Fluids: The True Male of the Nine Origins is named Juzhi Shou; below the left ear he communicates with the heart, and the heart governs the generation of blood and fluids. He is bound by oath and covenant so that blood and Qi are not suppressed and pathogenic Qi cannot enter through any weakness; all return to the right Dao.

Filling and Replenishing the Five Viscera: The five viscera are full and replete.

If one can refine to the utmost truth and not be harmed by sensual desire... then long life.

If a person can carefully cultivate and refine, preserve the original nature in purity, and avoid being depleted by emotions and desires, then the fluids, blood, Qi, and seminal essence (Jing) in the body will fill the five viscera and six bowels and spread throughout the three hundred sixty joints of the whole body. When Jing and Qi accumulate to fullness, the body becomes strong and vigorous, the complexion rosy, and the face radiant; thus one attains long life.

Full and overflowing, the five viscera are replenished.

This summarizes the preceding passage, indicating that Jing and Qi are replete within the five viscera.

If one can refine to the utmost truth... longevity equal to the pine stump.

This repeats the preceding passage. “Pine stump” is probably an error for “pine and cypress,” meaning longevity like that of pine and cypress.

The Ten Perfected ascend to the Purple Chamber.

“The Ten Perfected” refers to the ten Huazhenren (Perfected Ones of Hua), immortals who have successfully cultivated the Dao; they ascend from below into the “Purple Chamber.” The commentary says that the Purple Chamber is the Mingtang Palace in the brain. One version reads “Yellow Chamber,” which the commentator considers incorrect.

The Emperor’s Child transforms into a Golden Immortal.

The cultivator’s original Shen (spirit), the soul of the August One (Huangyi), returns upward to the inner “Emperor’s Child” (Dizi)—that is, the cultivated pure Yang infant—and is then refined and transformed into a Golden Immortal (Jinxian). The commentary says that “gold” refers to the Huandan (Returned Elixir; Neidan) refined by means of the Gengxin White Tiger—that is, the metal Qi of the lungs. After ingesting the Huandan, a person’s constitution transforms into a substance as firm as gold and jade; hence the later phrase “bones and flesh like gold and jade” refers to this.

The flying talisman of white jade summons.

The flying talisman of the White Jade Capital (Baiyujing), the celestial immortal capital, descends to summon the cultivator. Having obtained this talisman, one can shed the mortal fetus, as if changing cauldrons and being reborn, and naturally undergo feathered transformation and ascend. The line “rejoice in this infant’s shedding” in the Chapter on Generating the Spirit (Shengshen Zhang) refers precisely to the human way of birth when the ten-month fetus is complete—that is, the immortals’ way of shedding the fetus.

Leading upward to Dragon Terrace Heaven.

It leads the cultivator upward to Dragon Terrace Heaven (Longtai Tian), an immortal realm.

Practitioners draw one another along and ascend together into the heaven of Longtai. Longtai is Longbian Fandu Heaven, meaning that the transformations of this heaven are mysterious and unfathomable. For example, Xuanyuan Huangdi (the Yellow Emperor, an ancient sovereign revered by Daoism as one of its founding ancestors) ascended in broad daylight in a dragon chariot; Xu Jingyang of the Jin dynasty (that is, Xu Xun, a famous Daoist of the Eastern Jin, said in legend to have ascended with his entire family) and others also rode dragons and clouds to pay audience at Yuqing (Jade Clarity), one of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing) and a celestial realm. These deeds are recorded in classical texts and are clearly verifiable. The reason they could ride clouds and dragons and depart was that they relied on the transformation of the two qi of Yin-Yang within themselves, not on any external force.

The Xuanqi (a Daoist text) says, “Transformations occur naturally.” As long as cultivation brings the “ten-month sacred embryo” (the inner sacred embryo formed through cultivation, namely the original spirit) to perfection, one can shed the mortal body, be transformed, and depart in spirit. The Life tradition (Mingzong) cultivates the Golden Elixir; when the ten months’ work is accomplished, that is the end. The Nature tradition (Xingzong), however, must penetrate the mysterious mechanism; sometimes, at a single word, one suddenly attains great awakening, and that is the end. As for people of dull faculties, even twenty or thirty years may not suffice for them to awaken to the Dao. Cultivation includes sudden awakening and gradual cultivation; those who aspire to the Great Dao cannot neglect either.

Some people think the Dao is not worth learning, not realizing that the three teachings of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism originally return to one and ultimately all reach the state of supreme goodness.

Laozi said, “There is a thing confusedly formed, born before heaven and earth; it cannot be seen, it cannot be heard.” Buddhists explain: perfect enlightenment and true suchness are innate; to see me in outward form or seek me through sound is a deviant path (from the Diamond Sutra). Confucians say, “Heaven gives birth to the multitudes; where there are things, there are norms.” They also say, “Do not look at what is contrary to propriety; do not listen to what is contrary to propriety.” This is the original substance of the sages of the three teachings.

Laozi said, “The true and constant responds to things; ever responding, ever still.” Buddhists say, “Perfectly round, radiant, lively, and utterly bare.” Confucians say, “To be full and possess brilliance is called great; to be great and transform is called sage; to be sage and unknowable is called spirit.” This is the function of the sages of the three teachings.

Buddhism speaks of no self and no other; Confucianism speaks of no obstinacy and no ego. These are ultimate principles that converge. Where could there be obstruction or blockage? Where could there be a distant place that cannot be reached? Those who seek the supreme vehicle of the Dao should pay attention here; they must not cling to their own views or deceive others with heterodox teachings, thereby harming others’ lives.

Jade Chapter and Celestial Seal Script

The “jade chapter” mentioned here is a talismanic chapter made of jade; the celestial seal script on it is talismanic writing from the celestial realm and consists of ninety characters in total. Above the talismanic writing stands guard the Xuanming Gonghua Heaven, while below it is governed by the Dide Jun (Lord of Imperial Virtue) of the Third Rampart.

Cultivation as Described in the Xuanqi

The Xuanqi (Mysterious Covenant), a Daoist classic, says: reciting this seal ten times will unite one’s yuanming (the fundamental life-locus within the body) with the Diyi Zhenren (Perfected One of the Emperor One). “Nine harmonies and ten unions” means that the various forms of yuanqi and shenqi within and beyond the body harmonize with one another, whereupon the body penetrates through to the realm of Dongzhen (Cavern of Perfection). After this one can summon and command the deities of the ten directions, govern yuanqi and lingqi, cause the myriad qi to transform into zhenqi, and merge De (Virtue/Power) and wisdom in profound accord, so that the mysterious and wondrous is boundless and transformation is free and unimpeded.

Reaching this stage in cultivation is called the “Xuan Pass” (the mysterious gateway) and also the “Xuan Meeting.” After cultivation through six degrees and ten cycles, when one’s merit and practice are complete, one may ascend to the position of Immortal Lord. The sequence of cultivation is roughly as follows: the initial mind of the ten faiths (first arousing the Dao-mind and establishing ten kinds of faith); then the arising of the ten wholesome deeds; then the issuing of the ten blossoms; then the completion of the ten De; then gradual advancement through the ten immortals; and finally transformation into the ten perfected. Once these six positions have been ascended, wondrous practice reaches completion; when form, Shen (spirit), and Qi (vital energy) are refined into one, one is called a Zhenren (Perfected Person). The ten faiths, ten wholesome deeds, ten blossoms, ten De, ten immortals, and ten perfected are collectively called the “six positions,” the stages for entering the gate of all mysteries.

Editorial Notes and Remaining Text

The book’s editorial note says: “‘Two qi’ is suspected to be ‘three qi.’”

The phrase “Dao (the Way) says: at that time” is a common opening formula in Buddhist and Daoist scriptures. “Dao says” means the Venerable Dao speaks; “at that time” means that time. Here it is only the beginning of a passage.

This scroll discusses the wondrous practice of cultivation and realization through the six roots (eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind), as well as through nature and life, Jing (essence) and blood, bodily fluids, hands and feet, and so forth. When the six roots are pure, one will not fall into the six caves of Fengdu (the ghost capital of the yin realm, that is, the underworld). The so-called six caves are Zhoujue Yintian, Taisha Liangshi Zongtian, Mingchen Naifan Wucheng Tian, Tianzhao Zuiqi Tian, Zongling Qifei Tian, and Gansi Lianwanlü Tian. When nature and life (a Neidan term referring to innate nature and acquired life) are pure, one will not fall into the hells of the Five Sacred Peaks; when Jing and blood are pure, one will not fall into the hells of the Water Palace; when hands and feet are pure, one will not fall into the eighteen hells of the Nine Netherworlds (the deep subterranean world); when bodily fluids are pure