《高上玉皇本行集经(张良校释本)》

An Edict from the Three Heavens on Collating the Scriptures

The Great Dao is still and profound, beyond the reach of words; its spiritual powers are vast and boundless, beyond anything speech can fully express. The words of praise and guidance in the scriptures were meant to awaken people’s hearts, yet as they passed down through the generations, interpretations and records naturally came to differ. And with the passage of time, errors were bound to arise in oral transmission and copying. Characters with similar forms, such as “yu” and “lu,” or “wu” and “yan,” are easily mistaken for one another. Without checking and correcting them, how could such errors be avoided?

Therefore, civil officials are hereby ordered to examine the sacred texts. Zhang Liang, Senior Minister of the Celestial Pivot, studied Confucian learning in his youth and now holds a key office. He has been commanded to establish an altar in Southern Continent to teach and transform the people, and has also written books to instruct living beings in the lower realm. He is now appointed to oversee discussion and collation, and to redouble his efforts in comparing and verifying the texts, so that the scriptures people recite and uphold may be accurate and complete, and the profound meaning of the heavenly writings may be made clear. All errors and omissions are to be corrected one by one, so that the scriptures are brought to completion.

The foundation of the Great Dao lies in transmission from heart to heart; true wondrous awakening goes beyond words. Yet meaning is made clear through writing, so the path of cultivation should begin with studying the classics. I hope you will collate them with even greater care, fulfilling the duty entrusted to you to compile and revise them. At the same time, explain the way to seek the classics and make clear the steps leading into the realm of the Dao. May those who cultivate the Dao seek its hidden principles through this work, may sincere believers attain the Dao by following it, and may it turn back the trend toward shallow and frivolous ways and restore stillness and simplicity. Once the collation is complete, report it to the court, and it shall then be promulgated on that basis. Let this edict be announced; it must be carried out accordingly.

The above document is issued by command of the Three Pure Ones and is to be carried out in accordance with the edict. So ordered.

I respectfully received Heaven’s command appointing your servant Liang to review and revise the Scripture of the Jade Emperor. Your servant Liang believes that the mysteries of the Dao (the Way) are difficult to put into words and cannot be fully explained through language alone. Yet scriptures reveal teachings, and their principles should also be set out clearly. These principles are inherently plain, and people are capable of understanding them.

Since the sayings in the scripture accord with reason, they should not be altered casually. Moreover, people have long recited the old edition, and in time it has become difficult to change. If even one sentence were changed without authorization, I fear the people might grow confused. It would therefore be best to follow the established text, so as to avoid criticism. My learning and judgment are meager, and I am unequal to the weighty responsibility of reviewing a sacred text. At the risk of incurring punishment, I venture to state my earnest request. Your servant Liang is filled with apprehension and bows his head as he submits this memorial.

Your servant Liang was once an insignificant person in the mortal world, a low-ranking official in a turbid age. Fortunately, I received the instruction and guidance of my teachers and elders, and was thereby able to rise into the ranks of the immortal officials. Though my abilities are limited and my understanding dull, I have been wrongly assigned charge of an important matter. I think of this day and night, feeling both grateful and fearful. I only wish to fulfill my duties to the best of my ability and thereby escape blame.

I did not expect the Heavenly Worthy’s compassion to be shown in a special edict. Its tone was gentle and warm as spring; its instructions were generous and measured, not harsh like autumn frost. The Heavenly Worthy entrusted me with the important task of revising the scripture, allowing me to make a modest contribution to this secret scripture. But how could I, so foolish and incapable, be equal to the task? Besides, the words of the sages have already set forth the highest principles in full, and the true scripture has long circulated among ordinary people. If it were suddenly changed, how could everyone believe in it? I fear that the uninformed might become suspicious and cease to trust the scripture, or even treat its secret words with contempt, bringing severe punishment upon themselves. In that case, not only would I, an insignificant person, be punished for failing in my duty; the precious scripture itself might suffer the disgrace of being slighted and cast aside.

Reflecting on this, I believe the matter truly deserves discussion. In my ignorance, I earnestly ask the Heavenly Worthy to discern the hidden circumstances and take account of my sincerity, to relieve me in particular of this heavy responsibility, or to appoint someone of outstanding virtue and exceptional ability to lead the discussion and revision. This may help reduce controversy.

Your servant Liang has ventured to speak in this way only because I am carrying out the Heavenly Worthy’s command. I do not intend to defy the Heavenly Worthy’s favor; I have simply stated my thoughts truthfully. I know that my offense merits death many times over, and beg the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), the supreme deities revered in Daoism, to consider this matter. May the Heavenly Worthy decide it personally and issue a proclamation to those within and beyond the court. I will surely do my utmost to fulfill my duties and repay the Heavenly Worthy’s favor. Your servant Liang has offended the dignity of Heaven and is filled with profound fear and trembling. I bow my head as I submit this memorial and await the decree. Respectfully submitted.

The memorial submitted above was written on a certain year, month, and day. I, your subject Zhang Liang, respectfully submit it.

The Three Pure Ones issued another decree:

We have learned of all the matters you reported. Your learning encompasses the many schools, and you are counted among the sages and worthies. You have already taken up the work of guiding people to salvation and have long been responsible for compiling scriptures. We have considered that the people of Southern Continent (the human world in the south) have always followed the teachings of moral principles, yet the Collected Scripture of Original Conduct contains passages that are now confused and disordered. As a result, people in the lower realm are left with differing doubts and questions. We therefore deliberated and chose a suitable person, and now specifically command you to carefully collate this scripture.

You should respectfully accept the earlier decree and solemnly carry out this instruction. Do not decline or defer out of modesty; take up this responsibility. We now issue this decree again to inform you. Be sure to obey it with reverence.

The Supreme Minister of the Celestial Pivot (a high-ranking celestial office) explains the central purpose of reciting and upholding scriptures, and recounts the reason for collating this text.

Although the Jing of the Jade Emperor’s Original Conduct contains many words and passages, all of them hold subtle truths and profound mysteries. The High Sage left behind so many essential secret teachings out of deep concern for the people of the world. The scriptures fill thousands upon thousands of volumes, too many to read in their entirety; yet sometimes a few words are enough to grasp their essential point. Once you seize the guiding principle and grasp the key, it is like digging for gold: you will naturally find what is precious.

If you cannot distinguish the superficial from the subtle or discern what is hidden and mysterious, it is like seeing the sun through gauze or mistaking a deer for an ox. Even if you toil and study diligently all your life, without understanding the essence of the profound and mysterious, how could you know the workings hidden within primordial chaos? You must therefore turn your mind inward and observe your own mind; as you look, examine more deeply what you see. Consider the truest principles with care and reflect on the foundations of the most subtle Dao. Only then can you see the deeper mysteries within mystery and comprehend the utmost depths within stillness.

This is like tasting the precious essence of dragon’s liver and phoenix marrow. You shed the body and mind of the ordinary world, enter the formless realm, and transcend what is subject to defilement—the condition still bound by afflictions and birth and death. Your spirit ascends to the Golden Palace, roams freely through Miro Heaven, the lofty heaven described in Daoism, and unites body and mind with the Jade Capital, the celestial city of immortals, serving the Lord of the Vault of Heaven.

The Jing of the Jade Emperor’s Original Conduct embodies the ultimate reality and the wondrous workings of the High Sage. Within its narrative it conveys the mystery of True Unity; through its praises it points to the gate of liberation. Its words and meaning illuminate one another, as principle and manifestation clarify one another. The scripture contains the truths of the profound and mysterious without concealing them; its passages unfold subtle meanings without hiding them. Those who comprehend its meaning bring their spirit into accord with the Qi of Great Harmony. Those who recite it leave every kind of affliction far behind in their hearts. The scripture’s wondrous efficacy is boundless, and its profound truths and numinous workings encompass all things.

Yet living beings bear the heavy burden of karmic obstacles, and ordinary people see only dimly. They ask about words by looking only at the words, without following the thread that connects them; they examine writing through more writing, without seeking the source of the meaning. If one asks only about the beginning and end of the events recounted in the Jing of the Jade Emperor’s Original Conduct, how could one grasp the utmost truth within it? Some covet blessings and take an immediate result to be a miracle. Others fear the punishments prescribed by precepts and mistakenly believe that merely escaping calamity is the scripture’s promised response.

The sacred text does indeed record extraordinary events, but its mysterious words convey truths. How can one take only what is superficial and discard what is subtle? Do not cling to the surface and miss the profound meaning. In this way, you can accord with the Heavenly Worthy’s intent and quietly match the Jade Emperor’s heart. Practicing accordingly, you can leave behind the defiled, evil world, rise beyond it, and enter the ranks of pure immortals. Practitioners can thus reach the Clear Subtlety Heaven and ascend the Hall of Radiance. Without waiting for the Jade Emperor to manifest his wondrous voice again, they can enter the Heavenly Worthy’s Dharma gate and roam freely, acquire the Six Supernormal Powers, and attain great freedom. This is true faith and acceptance, and true recitation and upholding of the scripture.

If you recite it over and over without understanding the teaching of True Unity, or let your six sense faculties merely skim its words without joining them to the path of liberation, you cannot repay the Heavenly Worthy for the effort of proclaiming this scripture, nor receive the merit of the Jade Emperor’s protection of it. I therefore urge those who honor and believe in the teaching to devote themselves to upholding it with even greater care. Recite it aloud and keep it in mind, as though dwelling within jade radiance; join spirit with spirit and contemplate it with focused attention, as though wandering through a garden of treasures. Examine closely the divine powers by which the deities manifest in separate forms and reunite as one. Quiet your mind and contemplate how they respond to things and transform in accordance with them. Become clear and still, free of burdens, and stand firmly upon what you can rely on. Then you can ascend to the celestial palace with effortless steps and have your name entered among the sages.

I, your servant Zhang Liang, have respectfully received the imperial command and am preparing to praise this precious scripture. I have therefore first set out its meaning in humble words, to make it known to the people of the world. The scripture already fully explains the merit gained through reciting and upholding it, as well as the details of its spiritual responses and fulfilled promises, so there is no need to repeat them here. As for clarifying the ultimate truth and correcting errors, that is beyond the abilities of a person of limited learning such as myself. Fortunately, a gracious edict gave me guidance. I humbly asked to be excused, but my request was not granted. I therefore had no choice but to examine my own thoughts, review the text carefully, and set my findings down below. I begin the scripture with these words, hoping that readers in later generations will first understand that it records the Jade Emperor’s original conduct. Your servant Zhang Liang bows his head and prostrates himself twice, and respectfully and carefully sets down these words.

The first chapter of the upper scroll of the Scripture of the Collected Deeds of the Most High Jade Emperor is titled “Chapter on the Spiritual Powers of the Palace of the Qingwei Heaven.”

Long ago, the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning, while in the Qingwei Heaven—one of the heavenly realms described in Daoism—ascended the Seat of Light in the Jade Emperor’s palace, within the Golden Towers of Jade Capital and the Mysterious Garden of Seven Treasures. There he proclaimed to countless listeners the Lingbao Dharma Gate of Purity, True Unity, and Nonduality—a path of cultivation concerning purity and return to True Unity.

The preceding “Chapter on Teaching in Response to the Time” has been carefully collated and appears to contain no significant errors. I respectfully observe: the mystery of the Great Dao begins where there is no beginning and reaches an end that has no end. It cannot be confined by any particular form, nor can it be directly known through ordinary sight and hearing. The beings of the Three Realms—the Desire Realm, the Form Realm, and the Formless Realm—all have forms. If they wish to seek the Great Dao, where should they begin?

I respectfully believe that the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning, deeply understanding the Great Dao’s lofty mystery and taking pity on the dimness and confusion of living beings, responded to the right moment and revealed the Dharma Gate, so that beings throughout the Three Realms could follow this path in seeking the Dao. Thus, no matter how lost or dull they may be, they may enter the gate of purity and True Unity and return to the realm of emptiness and naturalness. The perfected beings who compiled this scripture wished to record the Celestial Worthy’s proclamation of the Dharma Gate, and so placed this chapter at the beginning of the entire scripture.

Yet from beginning to end, this scripture records the Jade Emperor’s spiritual powers, transformations, and manifestations. The perfected beings who compiled it, however, say plainly that it proclaims the Lingbao Dharma Gate of Purity, True Unity, and Nonduality. Who could grasp their intention without spiritual awakening and a heart in accord with the Dao? I respectfully restate the teachings revealed here for those who come later, and humbly ask the Most High Saints to examine them. Respectfully submitted by your servant, Zhang Liang.

At that time, the Jade Emperor, the perfected saints—the Daoist venerated deities and those who had realized the Dao—also called in another version “the Heavenly Perfected, Flying-Heaven Great Saints, and the Kings of Limitless Divinity,” and ninety million spirit boys and jade maidens were all observing pure abstinence and performing the rite of erecting the ritual standards, standing in attendance beside the Jade Emperor.

The preceding “Chapter on Seizing the Occasion and Attending the Assembly” has been carefully collated and appears to contain no significant errors. I respectfully observe: the hearts of the Most High Saints are single-minded and undivided; the conduct of the Most High Saints…

The section above, “On Riding the Moment and Gathering for the Assembly,” has already been carefully collated and, in general, contains no errors. I, your servant Zhang Liang, respectfully submit: the mind of the Supreme Sage is wholly unified, and his actions accord with one another without distinction. Thus, while the Celestial Worthy was ascending the Radiant Seat in the Seven Treasures’ Mysterious Garden, preparing to expound the scripture, he had not yet spoken a single profound word or issued a summons to gather the sages. The Jade Emperor nevertheless understood silently in his heart and, together with the great sages, assembled of his own accord, without any prior arrangement. Does this not show that the Supreme Sage’s mind is unified and his actions accord? I fear that beings in the lower realm do not understand this principle, so I have ventured to explain it. I humbly ask the Supreme Sage to examine it with discernment. Your servant Zhang Liang respectfully submits this memorial.

At that moment, the Jade Emperor knew the time had come. Before the sages had gathered, he displayed the Six Supernatural Powers and sent forth a brilliant light that illuminated all the heavens. Every realm within the Boundless Brahma Pure Land was greatly shaken. The boundless worlds in the ten directions also became as clear and transparent as crystal and glass, with no barrier between them.

The passage above says that the Zhi Shi Fang Guang Zhang (“Chapter on Knowing the Time and Releasing Light”) has been carefully revised and contains no obvious errors. The minister Hujin submits: “In every place there are differences of rank and status, of distance and proximity, and of position; their circumstances therefore differ as well. If there were no sovereign who governs all things, how could their responses be the same? I respectfully contemplate the Jade Emperor, whom Daoists venerate as the ruler of the celestial realm. He commands the heavens and governs all the lands. On this day, therefore, he releases a special radiance that shines in every direction and stirs all things, awakening and enlightening every sentient being, so that they may seize this rare opportunity and receive the blessings of the Dao.

“Yet the profound meaning of divine light has long been unknown to people. I presume to reveal this mystery in the hope of benefiting all beings. What we call light is the Dao-nature, the innate nature of the Dao present in all things. Every living being that moves, grows, and possesses life has this Dao-nature. The supreme sages, however, through their cultivation, bring their Dao-nature into perfect unity, fully revealing its most refined essence. Beings, by contrast, sink into the cycles of confusion and loss, estranged from their own most precious nature. Thus, when the supreme sages’ refined essence is fully revealed, it shines with radiance; when beings lose the precious Dao-nature they originally possessed, they sink into darkness. The supreme sages employ wondrous transformations to illuminate the Dao-nature shared by all beings, and all are thereby stirred to awareness and begin to awaken. Once divine light is released, it fills the entire Dharma Realm—the totality of the world in which all things exist—and everything within it is stirred and awakened. Such is the wondrous efficacy of revealing nature through union with one’s own nature; those who cultivate the Dao should understand this. I respectfully pray that the supreme sages look down upon us. Your minister Liang submits this with care.”

The immortals and numinous beings from the ten directions arrive in carriages with wheels of five-colored jade, vehicles adorned with langgan stone, bi-jade chariots, nine-colored dark dragons, and canopies decorated with ten kinds of feather ornaments. Qilins dance and phoenixes sing; the immortals chant and intone in harmonious, far-reaching voices. Spirit consorts scatter flowers, while golden youths raise fragrant smoke. Singing hymns of praise and chanting Dong chapters—Daoist liturgical hymns—they descend through the air.

Viewed in terms of direction and region, the ten directions—the east, south, west, north, four intermediate points, above, and below—naturally differ from one another. In appearance, too, the myriad sacred beings each have their own form. Yet all things and I are one. What essential difference is there between the worthy and the holy? Near and far should be regarded equally; how, then, can direction be a boundary? It is only natural that, when the Celestial Worthy expounds the scriptures and the Jade Emperor radiates light, beings throughout the ten directions should come together in assembly. All living beings in the world should understand this. I, Zhang Liang, respectfully submit this account.

At that time, all the Golden Immortals of Brahmā’s Heaven, the realm of purity and splendor, the Mahayana Bodhisattvas, and the four assemblies and eight classes—the various Buddhist practitioners and guardian beings—received the radiance and came to the gathering aboard the Jade Chariot of the Ninefold Spirits of Azure Clouds and Flowing Radiance, a cloud-borne vehicle for immortals. At the four assemblies in the Celebration Heavens, the three celestial bodies released their fragrance, and flying incense converged from the eight directions. The assembled beings encircled the front of the ritual ground as wondrous flowers descended from heaven, falling like clouds and covering the entire forecourt.

The foregoing “Chapter on the Universal Arrival of the Golden Immortals” has been carefully collated and contains almost no errors. I respectfully submit: the Dao originates in the One. Although teachings differ, tracing them back to their source reveals a single lineage; what differs are only the branches. Follow the branches back to the source, and differences will ultimately return to unity. Why insist on distinguishing them? People today regard Daoism and Buddhism as separate paths, their differences as stark as vermilion and ink. They do not know that the Dao and Buddhism both come from one lineage and were not different at the beginning. Thus, when the Celestial Worthy expounded the scriptures and the Jade Emperor radiated light, the Golden Immortals, too, were able to attend the assembly. This is because the sages and perfected beings share one mind, and Daoism and Buddhism have a common source in a single lineage. People should understand this. I, Zhang Liang, respectfully submit this account.

At that time, when the Celestial Worthy expounded the scriptures and the Jade Emperor radiated light, the Golden Immortals, too, were able to attend the assembly. This is because the sages and perfected beings share one mind, and Daoism and Buddhism have a common source in a single lineage. People should understand this. I, Zhang Liang, respectfully submit this account.

At that moment, radiance shone throughout the heavens, then streamed down to illuminate the boundless worlds below, linking them to the realm of Xuandu. The human world lay close beneath the heights, near the Nine Heavens and connected with them, as though the two were right beside each other. The ridges, slopes, paths, ravines, streams, and valleys in the boundless lower world all became flat as a palm. The four directions of Heaven and Earth seemed within reach, and the Three Realms no longer seemed far away.

Heavenly treasure towers and halls were scattered across the human world like stars. Precious jade and treasures were arranged among them, shining brightly along the cloud roads. Railings made of the Seven Treasures marked out the paths; jade trees and immortal flowers reflected one another’s splendor. Pearls and jade gleamed brilliantly, their light falling upon the Dantian (energy center), while stretches of lingzhi mushrooms spread across the land.

At that moment, everyone in the lower world could see the heavens and hear the wondrous music of Jun Tian (the music of the celestial realm) circling with the radiance and sounding of its own accord. They also saw luan birds cry out and phoenixes sing, while birds called in harmony, keeping time with the music. Dragons played and qilin wheeled through the sky, flying and dancing at the horizon. Precious flowers from the heavens drifted down in a shower, scattering along the roads.

This passage on the right is called “The Chapter on Light Shining Below.”

In my private view, when looking down from Heaven upon the human world, Heaven is “here” and the human world is “there.” The commonly circulated edition now reads, “Make this human world draw near to the Nine Heavens.” This wording makes it seem that the human world must be made to approach the Nine Heavens, thereby confusing “here” with “there.” Moreover, wherever divine light shines, above and below are already naturally connected and blended as one, without boundaries. The word “make” in the commonly circulated edition suggests that this is brought about by force, rather than occurring naturally. I have therefore respectfully changed “here” to “there,” and likewise changed “here” to “there” in the phrase “at this lower realm.”

As for the commonly circulated edition’s phrase “and again make the luan cry and the phoenix sing,” the word “make” there also implies force. I have therefore changed it to “all.”

In my private view, this scripture is heavenly writing, not something that originally existed in the human world. The Heavenly Perfected descend among people and orally transmit it to the immortals of the lower realm, who record it from memory. From the human perspective, the word “here” is therefore often used. It is no surprise if some inappropriate phrasing has crept in along the way. I have now revised it in the hope of making the meaning more precise. I have explained the matter in detail here because I fear that people may not understand the reasons for these changes. May those who recite and uphold this scripture have no doubts about them.

I respectfully submit the following: When a mirror reflects an object, everything with form appears; when dust covers an object, its unclean parts are revealed. How much more so with the Emperor Above, whose divine light has unobstructed and impartial power, shining upon all and naturally blending above and below into one, without distinction between here and there, near and far. If living beings can grasp the principle behind the Jade Emperor’s radiance, they can dissolve the division between self and other, regard those near and far as one, treat good and evil impartially, and transcend the distinction between danger and ease. If the light within the heart becomes like the Jade Emperor’s unobstructed and impartial light, then when that light shines forth, it will come close to resonating with the Emperor’s radiance. To seek the principle within concrete things is no deception. May those who are fated to encounter this understand.

Respectfully submitted by your servant Liang.

At that moment, ordinary people and sages alike were filled with wonder as the dark places suddenly blazed with light. Celestial beings and people on earth rejoiced and celebrated, leaping for joy. All those in the mortal world who cultivated the Dao ascended, gazing up at the towering treasure terrace and looking down upon the vast purple clouds.

Living beings in every world were bathed in the Qi of the Dao—the breath and power of the Dao. The elderly, with white hair and deeply lined faces, were transformed and delivered; young people with dark hair and rosy complexions, as well as small children, also changed in appearance, becoming radiant and beautiful. Their afflictions vanished, and all beings gained liberation. People in every world lived in peace and happiness. Songs rang across the land, celebrating peace throughout the realm.

The passage on the right is called “Chapter on Miraculous Powers and Efficacious Responses.” I privately believe that once the Jade Emperor’s divine light has shone upon the world below, the text should immediately describe the extraordinary effects that appear. Several passages in the scripture are now slightly out of order, making the meaning incoherent. I therefore respectfully move the words “At that time” to before “mortals and saints alike were astonished.”

Once the people are living in peace and happiness, the world has reached great order. I therefore respectfully move the eight characters meaning “The world sings in praise, rejoicing that the realm is at peace” to follow “peaceful, happy, and content.” The remaining words about “the divine wind spreading far and wide” describe the wondrous power of divine transformation appearing in the underworld, not only in the human realm, so they should be moved to the next chapter.

I respectfully submit the following: although the underworld and the visible world are different, the principles that govern them are the same. When an earthly emperor grants favors, the dead may be restored to life, convicts released, the dismissed reinstated, the demoted promoted again, the honored made more exalted, and the eminent granted still greater glory. All these are effects of the emperor’s benevolence. How much more, then, when the Lord on High sends down divine light—a favor beyond compare. It is only natural that cultivators of the Dao ascend to immortality, the elderly regain their youth, the young grow strong, and the sick recover. All beings should strive to follow the Way of the sages and perfected ones, diligently pursue Daoist learning, and quietly await the Jade Emperor’s abundant grace. The Great Dao does not fail people, and the sages have given clear teachings; everyone should believe and follow them with care. Respectfully submitted by your servant Zhang Liang.

At that very moment, the might of the divine spread far and wide, and the myriad currents of primordial Qi surged. Heavenly thunder roared and the earth split open. Withered bones grew anew; corpses sunk beneath the water and souls severed from their bodies all rose again and regained their forms. Fengdu’s iron ramparts, which enclose the underworld, and the nine dark depths of the eternal night collapsed at once. The beings in the hells were released and reborn among the heavens. All the suffering of the three evil paths—the realms of hell, hungry ghosts, and animals—was ended. At that time, every kind of sinner, by the power of this divine light, was able to be reborn in the great heavenly palaces of the ten directions.

This chapter is called “The Withered and Decayed Made to Live Again.”

I believe that when the divine beings bring forth the wondrous workings of the Dao, their benefits extend equally to all things, though their grace still appears in a certain order, nearer and farther, sooner and later. Divine light shines upon the world first, reaching the visible realm of the living, and then the various beings in the netherworld. This is the natural order. In the old version, the account of this matter is considerably jumbled. I have now moved the phrase “At that time” to precede “the divine wind spread far and wide,” and placed the phrases “Fengdu and the iron enclosure” and others after “all arose and regained their forms.” This makes the sequence clear and the meaning coherent, and I hope it does not depart from what was actually seen when the scripture was first spoken. I have also removed the phrase “having given birth to the various heavens” from the old scripture.

I respectfully submit that dry bones should decay, buried corpses should rot, and beings who have fallen into evil paths should be imprisoned: these are all matters of common course. But the grace of the Jade Emperor, the heavenly sovereign revered in Daoism, is extraordinary and cannot be measured by ordinary standards. One must not conclude that beings who have sinned and done wrong have no chance of pardon and ascent to heaven. Yet if this gives rise to a sense of taking such chances, they may instead be imprisoned again in the netherworld. This matter calls for caution, so I explain it first.

Next, it should be explained how the beings under protection escape their confinement and live again. Beings do not sink into sinful states by nature. It is because their evil deeds and misdeeds accumulate, and their karmic burden grows heavy, that they suffer the inescapable torments of hell. Once they receive true grace, they can naturally transcend and transform. How much more so when they encounter the Jade Emperor’s radiance and receive his extraordinary pardon: their wrongs and evils are entirely erased, like ice melting in hot water. It is no difficult matter for the primordial spirit inherent in beings to ride the sunlight upward to the nine heavens.

The revival of dry bones and buried corpses can be explained by analogy. Fish bones decay in the mud, yet when they meet water they can come back to life. Duckweed by a well withers on the ground, yet when it meets water it can sprout again. Water is merely an ordinary substance, yet fish and duckweed undergo such transformations when they receive it. How much greater, then, is the extraordinary grace of the Supreme Lord?

A corpse is formed through the transformation of the human body, and bones are what remain after a corpse has wasted away. Bones come from corpses, and corpses come from people; people are formed from the Yin-Yang Qi of Heaven and Earth, so what of other things? Bones are transformed from Jing and Qi, and are therefore unlike ordinary kinds of matter. If those who study the Dao can refine Jing, they can transform Jing and Qi into an inner Golden Elixir like gold and jade, thereby preserving the body and attaining long life as immortals. Since bones, too, are transformed from Jing and Qi, they may naturally differ from ordinary things. Most things buried in the earth usually rot within about a year, but human bones buried in soil remain difficult to wear away even after a long time. This, too, is because they are formed from Jing and Qi.

For this reason, the Highest Sage, moved by compassion, established the practice of “refining the form in Great Yin,” a Daoist method of refining the form of the dead and bringing them back to life. Alas, not only does he rescue people while they live; he also makes efforts to bring them back to life after death. His compassion and vows reach such depths! Now the Jade Emperor shines forth his light, freeing prisoners from confinement, raising corpses again, and even causing dry bones to grow anew. How, then, should people repay the Highest Sage’s life cherishing grace? If they show even the slightest ingratitude, how could they escape Luofeng and the Iron Enclosure, places of imprisonment and torment in the netherworld? Beings should understand this.

I, Liang, respectfully submit this account.

At this time, the Jade Emperor divided his own form and appeared in the celestial palaces throughout the ten directions. The celestial officials naturally manifested in turn. The palaces had cities of white jade and halls of gold. In the Mysterious Gardens adorned with the Seven Treasures and in the Great Hall of Radiant Light stood seats of light. Banners, canopies, rare treasures, and extraordinary flowers filled every place, their radiance shining everywhere.

The passage above is the “Chapter on Divided Forms and Manifestations.” After collating the text, I found no obvious errors. I offer this cautious reflection: the Dao-body is like empty space. Empty space is everywhere and contains all things, so how could it be confined to a single place? The moon is reflected in the sky, and wherever there is water, its image appears. Thunder resounds across the heavens, and wherever it can be heard, its sound reaches the ear. The Jade Emperor’s wondrous Dao-body is like empty space, present everywhere; neither thunder nor the moon’s reflection can compare with it. Why, then, would it need to divide itself first in order to appear throughout all the worlds?

Yet living beings need concrete forms in order to see. The Jade Emperor therefore manifested divided forms, allowing all sentient beings to gaze upon him in whatever shape they beheld, gather their thoughts, turn their hearts toward him, and await the wondrous teachings. Thus the Jade Emperor appeared in different forms in the various celestial realms, inspiring their inhabitants with admiration and reverence. Then, wherever he appeared, he proclaimed the teachings and universally transformed the myriad spirits.

Alas! To know only that the Jade Emperor’s Dao-body is one is to miss its capacity to divide and manifest; one’s understanding then becomes fixed and cannot encompass the whole. To know only that the Dao-body can divide is to miss that it is originally one; one’s understanding then becomes confused and loses its unifying principle. It is one, yet not merely “one”; it divides, yet is not merely “divided.” Between concealment and appearance, gathering and dispersal, it is profound and still, yet wondrously open and penetrating. This is the subtle meaning of the Jade Emperor’s divided manifestations. Living beings should reflect on it carefully. I, Zhang Liang, offer this account with due care.

At this time, the Jade Emperor’s divided forms appeared everywhere here. From the seats of light in the Great Hall of Radiant Light, within the Seven Treasures’ Mysterious Gardens in the White Jade Capital and Golden Palace, he universally proclaimed the Way of purity and liberation to the ten directions.

The preceding “Chapter on Expounding the Wondrous Dao” has already been carefully collated and, for the most part, contains no errors. I offer the following remarks with due caution:

Living beings in this defiled world do not understand the true Dao, and so indulge their seven emotions and six desires without restraint. Their many faults accumulate, yet they make no effort to correct them, and they cannot escape the consequences of a fall into hell. Who could have imagined that the Lord on High, in his compassion, would grant mercy and forgiveness, save living beings, and enable them to ascend directly into pure realms, where they might enjoy boundless bliss?

Yet people do not realize that even those who reach the heavens by accumulating merit may fall again once that merit is exhausted. And some ascend only through the grace of the Lord on High; their very opportunity to do so comes entirely from that grace. If they do not understand this and continue their cultivation, on what grounds can they attain liberation? The Jade Emperor, the supreme celestial sovereign revered in Daoism, is abundantly benevolent. He still hopes that living beings will ultimately attain liberation, and so proclaims the Way of purity, enabling beings throughout the heavenly realms to realize the highest fruition.

Ah, the Jade Emperor’s compassion is vast and boundless, and his intentions are profound. How could the beings of the heavens fail to strive diligently in response to his wish to guide and save them? Those in the human world, too, should reflect on how the Jade Emperor forgives living beings and rescues them from suffering. They should strive to do good and not give in to despair. When the Emperor’s grace descends, the blessings they receive may then be greater still.

This chapter says that the Jade Emperor proclaimed the Way of pure liberation to celestial beings. Yet in the chapters that follow, we do not see him directly explaining these principles. Why? Because many jade maidens attend and guard him. The true forms of these maidens give off a fragrant scent, quietly embodying the aim of pure liberation. Beings encounter the divine light in their various circumstances and awaken; wondrous sounds proclaim and spread the teaching. All these things express the meaning of pure liberation. This is the teaching the Jade Emperor did not state openly, yet had already conveyed.

The perfected beings who compiled the scripture silently grasped this meaning, and so they simply recorded that the Jade Emperor universally proclaimed the Way of pure liberation to beings throughout the ten directions. Ah, they discerned the Jade Emperor’s intentions and saw beyond the surface of things. The compilers’ attainment was subtle and their understanding of the mysteries profound—truly beyond ordinary comprehension. Practitioners who recite this scripture should use it to deepen their understanding of its principles.

Respectfully submitted by your servant Zhang Liang.

At this time, the Jade Emperor was attended on both sides by countless holy beings from the celestial realms, perfected beings of profound cultivation, and spirit consorts and jade maidens. The maidens were beautiful, with dignified and extraordinary bearing, and wore rare treasures from the heavens.

“Celestial treasures and rare jewels” here refers to precious and unusual objects in heaven. An older edition wrote “celestial truth” instead of “celestial treasures”; this has now been corrected.

Their appearance was majestic, and their voices clear and pleasing, delightful to all who heard them. A subtle, pure fragrance of liberation also emanated naturally from them. Rich and pervasive, it filled all the heavens.

An older edition reads “able to fill all the heavens.” The fragrance from the maidens arose naturally and filled the Dharma realm—the whole universe and the scope of all existence. Adding “able to” before “fill” would imply that they deliberately caused the fragrance to spread, so the wording has now been changed to “pervaded all the heavens.”

This fragrance reached the supremely wondrous pure lands and every other blessed place on earth, as well as all beings in the Six Paths, the six destinations of rebirth.

One edition reads, “able to cause all beings in the Six Paths to smell it.” Suffering beings in the Six Paths smelled the fragrance naturally; no one forced them to do so. The words “able to cause” have therefore been removed.

All beings who smelled the fragrance attained awakening and deliverance. The Six Paths referred to here are the paths of heaven, humanity, demons, hell, hungry ghosts, and animals.

An older edition includes the four characters “from this point onward” after “the path of animals.” But when the maidens’ fragrance arose, beings in the Six Paths could smell it at once; they did not have to wait until afterward. An error entered the record of the immortals’ oral transmission, so the four characters “from this point onward” have been removed.

If the beings of the heavenly realm can smell this incense, the signs of the “Five Declines”—the marks of waning fortune that appear when a heavenly being’s blessings are nearly exhausted—will be dispelled forever, and their heavenly blessings will increase. If kings, ministers, and common people in the human realm can smell it, they may enjoy the blessings of longevity in both the human and heavenly realms. They may also attain liberation and pass beyond, or leave their physical bodies and attain the Dao of “corpse liberation”—a Daoist means of transcending the body and ascending away.

If the demons of the demonic realm can smell this incense, they may dwell peacefully in the heavenly palaces and cease their fighting, bringing an end to the suffering of war. If beings in the hell realm can smell it, they may escape the torments of hell and enjoy the bliss of the Pure Land. If hungry ghosts in the hungry ghost realm can smell it, they may be satisfied and no longer suffer from hunger and thirst.

If animals in the animal realm can smell this incense, they may escape the suffering of animal existence and attain the joy of wisdom.

An older edition reads, “all hungry ghosts and spirits.” The textual commentators consider that beings of the spirit class may indeed fall into the hungry ghost realm, but once fallen into the ghost realm they should be called ghosts. Adding “spirits” here risks confusion with “spirits” meaning deities, so they have removed the word. The older edition also reads, “all sentient beings.” The commentators consider that since the preceding passage already uses “sentient beings” for the hell realm, this passage, which refers specifically to the animal realm, should instead read “animals.”

The chapter Wenxiang Jietuo Zhang (“Liberation Through Fragrance”) on the right has now been carefully collated and corrected. I would like to offer my own view. Ordinary truths are understood by everyone; uncommon truths may still elude even the wise and perceptive. I venture to explain my understanding of the Wenxiang Jietuo Zhang for the world’s consideration.

I see that when the Jade Emperor, a revered deity in Daoism, first radiated light in the Seven-Treasure Mysterious Garden, the people below and the beings in hell were illuminated and thereby able to ascend to heaven. Yet after the scripture describes the Jade Emperor’s manifestations appearing everywhere, it goes on to say that when these manifestations appeared, various great sages and Jade Maidens attended and protected them. It also records that the fragrance emanating from the Jade Maidens spread everywhere, and that among the beings of the Six Realms—the Buddhist and Daoist categories of gods, humans, asuras, hell beings, hungry ghosts, and animals—none who smelled it failed to attain liberation.

People are therefore puzzled: since the people and the beings in hell had already ascended to heaven through the Jade Emperor’s light, the power that enabled them to ascend should come from the imperial radiance. How, then, could it also have to do with the fragrance of the Jade Maidens? This puzzlement should not be held against them. What exceeds ordinary understanding is bound to be difficult to grasp, so it is no surprise that questions arise. I will explain the underlying principle as carefully as I can, in the hope of dispelling the world’s doubts.

The Celestial Worthy preaches this scripture at this moment precisely to explain the method of purity. A woman’s body is of a wholly Yin nature; because it is wholly Yin, it is often close to impurity, and so the body is ordinarily lacking in fragrance. Yet the Jade Maidens are as pure as the Jade Emperor in their thoughts, understanding, and conduct. Thus, although their nature is wholly Yin and close to impurity, a subtle fragrance that brings liberation naturally emanates from them. In the same way, people living amid defilement can bring forth this subtle fragrance of liberation if they make their thoughts, understanding, and conduct pure.

This scripture centers on purity, True Unity, and liberation. That is why, at its conclusion, the true sages specially describe the fragrance of the Jade Maidens’ bodies, to make its subtle meaning clear. But “fragrance” should be understood as a principle, not clung to as a literal scent. If someone is free of faults and can understand the Dao and realize the True, then words they speak and deeds they perform, when admired and praised by others, are like the Jade Maidens’ bodies, untouched by impurity and giving off the subtle fragrance of liberation. The fragrance of the Jade Maidens spreading throughout the heavenly realms and blessed lands is like a person’s words and deeds reaching distant places. The beings of the Six Realms attaining liberation by smelling the fragrance is like good words and good deeds spreading through the world and benefiting the many.

This is one path of cultivation. All living beings should understand its principle and put it into practice. This is, in broad terms, my understanding. My words are brief and may not express it fully. I respectfully ask the Most High Sages to judge it, and hope the people of the world will believe it. I, your servant Zhang Liang, submit this with respect.

At this time, the beings who had originally been born in the heavens because of their sinful karma, and who had now entered a splendid celestial palace, were embraced by the compassionate light and awakened. They understood the causes and conditions of sinful karma and blessings. Together with their respective retinues, they played celestial music and came before the Lord of Heaven.

Filled with sorrow, they spoke in unison: “In the past, for thousands upon thousands of kalpas, we could not see the three lights of the sun, moon, and stars. We remained in darkness for a long time, enduring many sufferings in the three evil paths of hell, hungry ghosts, and animals. Fortunately, the Lord of Heaven employed skillful means and released his light, taking pity on us and saving us, so that we could be born in heaven. All our evil karma has been erased. We are no longer bound or obstructed by karmic force, and have all been able to be reborn in the celestial realm. We look up to worship the Lord of Heaven and have come before the Dao.” After speaking, these beings reborn in heaven because of their sinful karma bowed their heads in reverence and returned to their former places.

The above is the “Chapter on Awakening Through Receiving the Light.” After collation, no obvious textual errors were found. I, your servant Zhang Liang, respectfully submit: Beings carry deep karmic obstructions, and their minds are clouded by karmic force. They do evil and accumulate transgressions for a long time, until they finally fall into hell. Even if they regret their actions then, how could it not be too late? If they suddenly receive Heaven’s grace, escape their suffering, and are reborn directly in a celestial palace, such good fortune is encountered less than once in tens of millions of years. What happens far exceeds all expectation; how could their joy ever end?

Now that they have left suffering and found joy, this is truly cause for gratitude. Yet it would be better to build good connections continually while alive and ascend directly to a place of peace and joy. Beings in this world should diligently sow good causes and seek the true Dao. They should not wait until they have fallen into hell to hope for Heaven’s grace and seek liberation. Even if they do eventually receive Heaven’s grace, they will already have endured great suffering in this life, which is truly heartbreaking. Beings should reflect deeply on this. Respectfully submitted by Zhang Liang.

At that moment, the Jade Emperor’s solemn and wondrous voice rang out, proclaiming to the sacred assembly in the heavens of the ten directions: “Listen carefully. From time beyond measure, these suffering beings have let ignorance—their deluded and obscured nature—rule over them. They have committed the ten evil deeds, been tainted by the six sensory objects—forms, sounds, scents, tastes, touch, and mental objects—and become bound by the three kinds of karma: those of body, speech, and mind. They have acted as they pleased, following every impulse without ever awakening. Their hidden sins and public offenses have accumulated day by day, growing ever more grave. They have turned away from the Dao and the truth, followed what is false and deviant, and abandoned the right path. With every stirring of the heart and arising of a thought, they have incurred another fault; after death, they therefore fall into the three lower realms—hell beings, hungry ghosts, and animals—and cannot escape. If they had not encountered this ritual assembly today, by what means could they ever have been freed from their suffering?”

The “Chapter of Wondrous Sound that Opens the Way to Deliverance” recorded on the right has been carefully collated and is largely free of errors. The old edition, however, placed this chapter after the passage on receiving and guiding the celestial beings. I believe that after the Jade Emperor manifested his transformation body, beings in the six realms were liberated upon smelling the fragrance. They then received the light, awakened to truth, and each resolved the karmic ties of former lives. The Jade Emperor therefore proclaimed Wondrous Sound, offering instruction once more so that they would strengthen their practice and continue making progress. Only afterward did he receive and guide the celestial beings, appearing together with the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning. The old edition’s account of the descent of the perfected ones and the transmission of immortal teachings is rather confused in its sequence. I have now taken the liberty of rearranging the chapters in the hope of making the meaning flow more clearly.

I venture to say this with care: I once read in a scripture, “Spirit brings me to life; mind brings me to death.” Reflecting closely on its profound meaning, one comes to understand the workings of the mind, and the harms and benefits it brings—matters too numerous to recount.

When a person is first born, spirit merely resides within the body; there is not yet a mind that distinguishes and clings. Once the four elements that make up the human body—earth, water, fire, and wind—come together, spirit gathers and becomes mind. When spirit resides in the mind, it begins to depart from its source. Once the mind has left its source, thoughts arise; as soon as a thought takes hold, various actions follow. As these actions accumulate, all manner of sins and good deeds arise from them. Thus, when thoughts turn toward good, merit is accomplished; when they turn toward evil, sins are committed. This happens for no other reason than that thoughts arise in the mind.

When we observe how beings sink into the six realms—the six destinations of birth and death—we see that at the outset they are not led there by any external teaching. Rather, their initial thoughts are impure; they accumulate faults and eventually fall for a long time into the three paths of misery—hell, hungry ghosts, and animals—with no way out. The three forms of karma, created through body, speech, and mind, bind them; the six dusts, the objects of perception—form, sound, smell, taste, touch, and mental phenomena—defile them. All of this stems from the same root: thoughts arising and the mind setting them in motion.

The Jade Emperor widely extends his grace, receiving and saving beings in every realm. He greatly fears that after receiving this grace and escaping their suffering, beings may still lack a firm foundation in their minds and be unable to continue their practice. He therefore specially proclaimed Wondrous Sound, explaining the roots of their descent, so that beings in the six realms might clearly recognize the source and no longer lose their way and sink into suffering. This all arises from his vast compassion, and so he patiently repeats his instruction without weariness.

The people of the world should follow the Jade Emperor’s Wondrous Sound and keep the precepts firmly, without violating them. Then ascending to Heaven and attaining fruition will be as easy as turning over one’s palm. But if they treat the teaching lightly, neglect it, and indulge themselves, violating the precepts set forth in Wondrous Sound, they will sink into a sea of suffering. Trying to turn back then would be like standing a plank upright and making a pellet roll uphill: almost impossible. Do not assume that the Jade Emperor’s deep grace will always be so easily obtained.

Respectfully submitted by your servant Zhang Liang.

At that moment, the Heavenly Lord manifested in the heavens used his spiritual powers to guide the celestial beings to the sacred realm of the Jade Purity Palace in the Clear Tenuity Heaven, where the Dharma assembly of the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning was being held. He did not move from where he stood, and no one noticed that they had been brought there until they arrived.

The assembled Celestial Worthies saw the manifestations of the Jade Emperor from the ten directions gathering together. The scene before them was like a boundless bright mirror: countless images appeared, mingling and reflecting one another. Everyone stepped forward, bowed low, and looked up in reverence. Among the holy assembly, the Heavenly Lord’s manifestation was the most imposing. It strengthened the people’s pure faith in the Dao and deepened their resolve to follow it. Their hearts no longer wavered; they gave rise to firm, unshakable conviction.

The celestial beings who had only just attained birth in heaven suddenly beheld the Celestial Worthy’s splendid Dharma assembly. The place was supremely pure, adorned with the merit of Wuwei (non-action). They leapt with joy, bowed together, and praised the scene as a spectacle they had never before witnessed.

This passage of “The Chapter on Joining Heaven and Humanity” has been checked against other texts and contains no apparent errors. I respectfully submit: The Dharma-nature—the fundamental nature shared by all things—is equal and vast, without bounds. Increasing it does not make it greater; diminishing it does not make it less. Calling it near does not bring it nearer, and calling it far does not make it farther away. Sages, perfected beings, Heaven, and humanity are, in their original nature, without distinction.

Yet once living beings appear in different forms, they depart from the root and lose their source. Even the slightest divergence can lead to a vast departure. Thus high and low seem utterly different, and ordinary people and sages appear to be worlds apart, each regarding the other as separated by countless distances.

Now the Jade Emperor, through his grace, enables living beings to escape realms of suffering and rise beyond them. Earlier, the scripture used wondrous sounds to reveal the roots of wrongdoing, explaining them in great detail. But it was also concerned that beings in the many different realms might not yet grasp the mystery of Dharma-nature. So it manifested varied scenes to explain that Dharma-nature is without obstruction. Without moving from his own place, the Jade Emperor could bring together the beings in Heaven and those gathered at the assembly of the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning, guiding them to appear before that assembly.

From the perspective of the heavens, the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning’s assembly lies at an immeasurably exalted height. From beneath the assembly, the realms of the heavens seem immeasurably low and distant. Yet now, without moving from his own place, the Jade Emperor makes the heavens and the realm of the Celestial Worthy’s assembly appear as if held in the palm of his hand, clearly before everyone’s eyes. Does this not embody the wondrous workings of Dharma-nature, showing that Heaven and humanity arise from the same principle, and that high and low are originally one?

Those who study the cultivation of the Dao should reflect carefully on the profound meaning of “The Chapter on Joining Heaven and Humanity.” In this way, Heaven and Earth within one’s nature, and sages and ordinary people within one’s heart, can meet and merge, opening into a vastness without obstruction. This does not happen only when immortals in the lower realm cultivate the Dao and attain realization. The Dao does not fail those who seek it; students of the Dao should strive all the more diligently.

Respectfully submitted by your servant, Zhang Liang.

At that moment, the Jade Emperor’s manifestations, which had appeared throughout the ten directions, merged back into one. They rose together from beside the Dharma seat and knelt facing north. The Celestial Worthy said:

Long ago, there was a kingdom called Radiant Majesty and Wondrous Bliss. Its king was named Pure Virtue, and its queen was named Treasured Moonlight. The king had never had a son. One day he thought, “I am now old, yet I have no crown prince. If I should die, to whom could I entrust the kingdom and the ancestral temples?”

With this in mind, the king ordered Daoist assemblies to be convened. In palaces throughout the kingdom, banners and jeweled canopies were hung according to the liturgy; the halls were swept clean, and offerings were arranged. Each day, the Daoists performed the rites and bows at the appointed times, praying widely to the true sages. For half a year, they never slackened.

One night, Queen Treasured Moonlight dreamed of the Most High Lord of the Dao and a gathering of perfected immortals. Their bearing was pure and dignified. They rode a five-colored dragon chariot adorned with dazzling banners and canopies like rosy clouds. The Most High Lord of the Dao sat serenely in the chariot, holding an infant in his arms. Countless rays of light streamed from every pore of the child’s body, illuminating the palace and filling it with colors like precious jewels. A ceremonial procession led the way as the dragon chariot descended from the sky.

The queen was overjoyed. She bowed respectfully and knelt before the Lord of the Dao, saying, “The king has no heir. I beg you to give me this child, so that he may inherit the kingdom. May your compassion take pity on me and grant my request.” The Lord replied, “I will gladly bestow the child upon you.” The queen thanked him with a bow and took the infant in her arms. When she awoke, she found herself pregnant.

After carrying the child for a year, she gave birth to a crown prince in the palace at noon on the ninth day of the first month, in the Bingwu year. At his birth, light radiated from his body and illuminated the entire kingdom. His features were so beautiful that no one ever tired of looking at him. Even as a young child he was clever and quick; as he grew, he became compassionate and kind. He distributed the wealth in the royal treasury to the poor and suffering, including widowers, widows, orphans, the elderly, those without support, the hungry and disaster-stricken, and people with disabilities. He treated others with kindness and humility, and his virtue became known far and wide. People throughout the realm admired and submitted to him, praising the benevolent crown prince, and the king was pleased.

Later, the king died suddenly, and the crown prince took charge of the kingdom. Mindful of how brief human life is, he urged his ministers to govern and pass on the kingdom in a way that accorded with the Way. Then he renounced the throne and went to Mount Universal Illumination and Fragrant Splendor to cultivate the Dao. When his practice was complete, he transcended the world.

After this, for eight hundred kalpas, he repeatedly gave up his royal position, letting go of attachments for the sake of living beings and cultivating the Dao. For another eight hundred kalpas, he gathered herbs to treat illness and helped living beings find peace and comfort. At the end of that kalpa, he returned to Mount Universal Illumination and Fragrant Splendor to cultivate the Dao; when his practice was complete, he transcended the world. For a further eight hundred kalpas, he skillfully employed every means, opened the Daoist canon, expounded wondrous and numinous scriptures, spread the teachings of the Orthodox Way, revealed miraculous virtues, assisted the state, and saved the people, offering help from the underworld to the human world.

After that, for another eight hundred kalpas, he practiced patience by sacrificing his body and life, even giving up his own flesh and blood. Only after practicing in this way for a total of three thousand two hundred kalpas did he attain the rank of Golden Immortal, receiving the title “Tathāgata, King of Pure and Natural Awakening.” He taught the Bodhisattvas to awaken suddenly to the true teaching of the Great Vehicle and to enter, step by step, the wondrous Dao of the Void. After cultivating in this way for another myriad kalpas, he finally attained the rank of Jade Emperor.

When the Celestial Worthy had finished speaking, all those gathered to hear the teaching praised him with one voice, saying that they had never heard anything like it.

The Chapter on the Original Practice of Transformation into Being has already been checked against other texts, and its wording is generally sound. It briefly explains how cultivation gradually enters the wondrous Dao of Nothingness. By cultivating in this way through countless eons, one may ultimately attain the state of the Jade Emperor. When these words had been spoken, the pure assembly in the teaching hall praised them in unison, saying that this was something they had never heard before.

I, your subject, respectfully submit: since the beginningless beginning, no karmic affinity and merit have been as great as those of the Jade Emperor’s transformation into being. To reveal this karmic affinity and merit, the Heavenly Worthy specially established a subtle and wondrous assembly, so that all beings in the Three Realms could see and hear. First, he had the Jade Emperor emit radiance and manifest great supernatural transformations; then he expounded secret teachings and explained in detail the Jade Emperor’s original practice of transformation into being. After welcoming the heavenly beings, the Jade Emperor’s divided forms came together again as one. He returned to the source and restored his origin, manifesting the unsurpassed Dao-body. When he appeared before the Primordial Heavenly Worthy, he did not speak first to report what had happened. The light of the hearts of the Heavenly Worthy and the Jade Emperor had merged: they could not be called entirely identical, nor could they be called separate from one another. So the Jade Emperor faced north, knelt, and performed the rites of audience, then personally proclaimed his original practice.

From this, we can see that when the Jade Emperor appears as many forms throughout the heavens, this is the True One—the source Dao—responding and transforming according to conditions. When the divided forms come together again as one, this is the True One unmoving. The Heavenly Worthy established the subtle and wondrous assembly to proclaim this great karmic affinity and merit; the Jade Emperor explained his original practice of transformation into being so that beings in the Three Realms might understand his karmic affinity and merit and take it as a model for diligent cultivation. The teaching of the undivided True One and the path of purity and liberation are both embodied here.

Beings should learn about the Jade Emperor’s transformation into being and his cultivation across many lifetimes, and strive to establish unsurpassed, wondrous merit. The Jade Emperor’s dividing from one into many and returning from many to one also shows that cultivators can enter the gate of the undivided True One and attain the unsurpassed Dao. If they do not fear hardship, but persevere from a moment to every moment, from one year to a hundred years, from one lifetime through many lifetimes, and from one eon through countless eons, always diligent and never retreating, then even an ordinary, impure body can cast off worldly defilements and cultivate the True Dao. In time, the Great Miro Heaven will assign you a fitting place, allowing you to ascend and attain the Dao. Serving among the attendants of the Three Realms and then attending the Jade Emperor will be no difficult matter. All beings and cultivators should consider these principles carefully. Respectfully submitted by your subject, Zhang Liang.

At that time, among the assembly was a Jade Maiden named Nightglow. She rose from her seat, straightened her robes and headdress, and walked with calm dignity to stand before the Dao. Kneeling upright, she addressed the Heavenly Worthy:

“Long ago, I must have had some great blessing, for I was able to serve at your side for so long, making offerings to you in person through countless aeons. The Three Pure Ones’ realms, where the Dao’s exalted deities dwell, and the Golden Gates and Jade Capital, where the celestial palaces stand, are serene and tranquil, free and at ease. I have wandered through sacred realms and listened to the sounds of the Dharma, yet I have never witnessed such a rare sight.

“In the sacred realms that appeared within the light, formed through the transformations of the heavens in the ten directions, there were manifested bodies of the Lord on High, appearing to teach and guide living beings. They were attended and protected by heavenly perfected great sages, wondrously accomplished realized beings, numinous consorts, and Jade Maidens. These Jade Maidens were dignified in appearance and wondrous in form; no one in the world could compare with them. By the Lord on High’s divine power, they were drawn here, and now they have all gathered in the Clear Subtlety Heaven. I do not understand what causes enabled these Jade Maidens to attain such supreme forms. I beseech your sacred compassion to explain and resolve what I have yet to understand.”

At that moment, the Celestial Worthy said to the Jade Maiden Nightglow, “You have only just entered the ranks of the sages. Though you possess wisdom, you still cannot fully understand. These Jade Maidens have practiced every kind of wondrous cultivation throughout countless past kalpas and possess the means of liberation. They share pure faith, pure understanding, pure thoughts, pure conduct, pure bodies and minds, and pure intentions; they also possess pure spiritual attainments and their corresponding fruits. They harbor vast compassion and mercy, sheltering living beings like a mother and caring for them as a mother cherishes her infant. They devote themselves to upholding the precepts and quietly contemplate the Great Dao. Through pure fasting and far-reaching vows, they have honored the Jade Emperor for countless kalpas.

“These Jade Maidens are not women in the ordinary sense; they are beings of ultimate truth in the celestial realm. To save living beings, they appear in the form of Jade Maidens. Their appearance, supernatural powers, wisdom, and ability to vanish, appear, and transform are therefore the same as the Jade Emperor’s.”

After hearing these words, Nightglow suddenly understood. She bowed her head in thanks, filled with joy, and then silently returned to her former place.

The preceding Chapter on the Wondrous Practice of the Jade Maiden has been checked against other editions and is, for the most part, free of error. I venture to say with due care: an old saying goes, “A person who does not know they are originally a sage is like a horse that does not know it is originally a dragon.” There is truth in this.

The Jade Maiden—a woman who cultivates wondrous practices in the scripture and ultimately attains liberation—is a being of pure Yin. Pure Yin is easily regarded as turbid, so attaining purity may seem very difficult. Yet through cultivating all manner of wondrous practices, the Jade Maiden ultimately gains access to liberation. To “gain access” means to be freed from every kind of bondage.

The root of her liberation lies in the cultivation of these wondrous practices. The root of her practice, in turn, lies in a heart of great compassion, and in the purity of her faith, understanding, recitation, conduct, bodily actions, inner life, and thoughts. Thus, all the fruits and recompenses she receives are pure, and she ultimately attains complete liberation.

Alas, even with a body of Yin turbidity, the Jade Maiden could cherish compassion, attain purity, cultivate wondrous practices, and gain liberation, serving the Jade Emperor, a revered Daoist deity. Her appearance, spiritual powers, and wisdom can appear and vanish, transforming just as the Jade Emperor’s do. She can even lead suffering beings in the Six Realms—the six states through which beings transmigrate—toward liberation simply by letting them smell her fragrance. How lofty and far-reaching are the merit and recompense brought by cultivating wondrous practices!

All people in the world who are born by receiving the primordial Qi originally come from the Primordial Origin, the source from which all things first arose. In their original nature, they are no different from the Jade Maiden. If they cultivate wondrous practices and bring themselves to the same state as the Jade Maiden, how could the state they later attain differ from hers? All beings should strive to follow this method of practice.

The earlier passage says that the Jade Emperor expounds the way of purity and liberation to beings in the ten directions; this is precisely what it means. The Jade Emperor also gives teachings that are not conveyed in words, and these too should be contemplated with care. I, Zhang Liang, respectfully set this down.

At this time, the Lord of High Void and Pure Clarity led his celestial retinue, riding in the Eightfold Radiance phoenix carriage—a splendid vehicle for the immortals—and raising the Ninefold Light jeweled canopy, adorned with auspicious rays. They played wondrous music, chanted immeasurable Cavern scriptures, scattered precious flowers from the heavens, and sprayed celestial true incense. Flying through the air, they arrived before the sacred altar.

By the divine might of the Celestial Worthy, Lord God, the precious flowers at once transformed in midair into a jeweled canopy, covering everyone present without leaving anyone out. Seeing this rare spectacle, the Lord of High Void and Pure Clarity bowed and knelt for a long time, then said to the Celestial Worthy, Lord God: “Your servant was negligent and arrived late to this ritual assembly. Today’s auspicious celebration establishes this Dharma bridge leading to the Great Dao, so that the hidden realm and the visible world, ordinary people and sages alike, may all receive the holy grace. A great radiance shines forth, revealing a rare spectacle. Its light reaches upward to illuminate the heavens, the Four Brahma Heavens, the Six Desire Heavens, and all the blissful celestial realms. The perfected immortals and holy assemblies see the light and gather from every direction. Its light also reaches downward, illuminating the boundless worlds in the ten directions, connecting them all with the Mysterious Capital and bringing them close to the Nine Heavens. The spirit wind plays music, and the notes of the gong, shang, and other pitches respond to one another. Their clear, resonant sound echoes through the cloud-borne halls and courtyards, transforming into wondrous scriptures. All living beings receive the teaching of the Great Dao. The Iron Enclosure Mountains of Fengdu, the Nine Depths of Eternal Night, and all those suffering in the hells also receive the power of this light. They can be reborn in the heavens and enjoy bliss.

“The precious, wondrous flowers I scattered from the heavens immediately gathered together to form a canopy that covered the entire assembly. This is all due to the divine might of this radiance. We have accumulated good causes through a thousand kalpas and now encounter the turning of the Nine Heavens. The imperial Dao is vast, the Orthodox teaching flourishes, and today’s auspiciousness is supreme. All look up in reverence to the wondrous De.”

Then the Lord of High Void and Pure Clarity praised the Lord God in verse:

“Ancestral Lord of the Golden Towers and Mysterious Vault,

Revered Jade Emperor, exalted above all.

Your wondrous form crowns the heavens;

Your compassionate light illumines the Three Realms.”

This means: “Ancestral Lord of the Golden Towers and Mysterious Vault, exalted Jade Emperor, your majestic, wondrous form stands above all the heavens, and your compassionate light shines throughout the Three Realms.”

The teacher of the wondrous Dao, truly wise and sagely, is also the guide on whom both Heaven and humanity rely. He teaches through the Great Vehicle and guides those who have lost their way with the pure and undivided true Dao.

The Jade Emperor’s merit and virtue are vast as the void; no praise could ever exhaust them.

The Jade Emperor is the supreme ruler of the boundless heavens and the presiding lord of the long cycles of kalpas. He observes with subtlety and sees through all things; none in the world can compare with him. Still and profound, he transcends being and nonbeing. He is the highest sage and the most numinous spirit, endowed with great supernatural powers and the gathering place of all radiance. With the grand bearing of a great hero, he teaches and transforms Heaven and the human world, proclaims the inexhaustible methods of the Dao, and widely turns the Dharma Wheel with great compassion, saving all beings. For this reason, he is honored as the Jade Emperor. He is the truly ancient and revered Lord of Heaven, perfectly complete and wondrous, pure and undefiled, endowed with wisdom and eloquence, and the most honored presence within the supreme Dao. He guides and saves all beings, and therefore proclaimed this luminous teaching.

The above is the “Chapter on the Praise and Veneration of the Lord of Heaven.” I, your servant, have collated the text and found no apparent errors. I, your servant Zhang Liang, respectfully submit: The Jade Emperor’s merit and virtue are so vast that words cannot praise them fully, and no comparison can express them completely. Even if countless heavenly beings lived in worlds as numerous as grains of dust and sand, and each had ten thousand tongues with which to praise the Jade Emperor, their praise would still be inexhaustible. How much less could one person, with only a single tongue, possibly praise him completely?

Now the Lord of Heaven of the Lofty, Empty, Clear, and Bright Realm praises the Jade Emperor in verse, perhaps because he fears that among the beings of the Three Realms there are still some who do not understand the Jade Emperor’s merit and virtue. Even if one modeled the true forms of Yin-Yang transformation and depicted the wondrous radiance of the sun and moon, the most gifted painter could not bring all their skill to bear. How much less could words fully proclaim the Jade Emperor’s lofty and boundless merit and virtue? The Lord of Heaven’s verses are indeed beautiful and heartfelt, yet they still cannot portray even one ten-thousandth of the Jade Emperor’s merit and virtue. Perhaps the Lord of Heaven praises him in this way to draw forth the Jade Emperor’s inexhaustible sacred words. Thus he chants and praises again and again, without finding it tedious. The Heavenly Worthy perceived his sincerity, and so, in the chapters that follow, continued by descending with sacred teachings. I, your servant Zhang Liang, respectfully submit.

After the Lord of Heaven, High, Void, and Pure Clarity, had finished his verses of praise, the Heavenly Venerable announced to the four assemblies present: “This Emperor’s body is the body of the Dao, without end.” Thus the verses praise him repeatedly, without concern that their meaning may seem too elaborate. The Heavenly Venerable perceived the Lord of Heaven’s sincere intention and continued, in the passage that follows, to proclaim the sacred teachings. I, Chen Liang, respectfully record this.

After the Lord of Heaven, High, Void, and Pure Clarity, had finished his verses of praise, the Heavenly Venerable announced to the four assemblies: “This Emperor’s body is the body of the Dao, a being beyond the ordinary. He possesses immeasurable merit and virtue. His body is pure and natural; his divine nature is firm and indestructible, and he is the supreme Dharma body, returned to true emptiness. His majestic virtue is vast, and his fame reaches in every direction. There is no hidden or dark place beyond the reach of his light. His divine wonder and majesty are too profound to describe fully in words.

“The Emperor’s merit and virtue were not accumulated through deliberate, acquired practice. In the past, although he descended into the human world and, through countless kalpas, taught and transformed its people, manifesting great supernatural powers, his own nature remained pure. Nor did he ever leave the Golden Palace, the abode of the Celestial Emperor. Instead, he manifested in different forms according to the circumstances of each place, rescuing living beings so that they might transcend the world of dust and set out on the path. He taught the Dharma far and wide and inspired those who came after him to follow its teachings and ultimately attain the true Dao.

“These merits adorn the Emperor. His radiance therefore shines constantly through the heavens, and his wondrous wisdom reaches everywhere without obstruction; it cannot be measured. He embodies many kinds of supreme radiance: the Radiance of Great Supernatural Power, the Radiance of Great Compassion, the Radiance of Great Joy and Equanimity, the Radiance of Great Forbearance, the Radiance of Great Equality, the Radiance of Great Gentleness, the Radiance of Great Sovereignty, the Radiance of Great Benefit, the Radiance of Great Fulfillment, the Radiance of Great Wisdom, the Radiance of Great Auspiciousness, the Radiance of Great Liberation, the Radiance of Great Refuge, the Radiance of Great Merit and Virtue, the Radiance of Great Perfection, the Radiance of Great Unobstructedness, and the Invincible Radiance.

“You wish to see this Emperor, yet you have never been able to. This is because you have not yet let go of your ingrained habits in bodily conduct and speech, and your afflictions and karmic actions have not been dispelled. These obstacles prevent you from seeing the Emperor’s compassionate countenance. I will now explain to all those assembled how to remove these obstacles. You should all put these teachings into practice.”

On hearing this, the assembly was filled with joy. They bowed before the Heavenly Venerable, all expressing together their wish to listen.

The Celestial Worthy said: “To remove obstacles, first give rise to great compassion. Do not harbor doubt or develop greed, anger, lust, jealousy, thoughts of killing, worldly attachments, or worldly concerns. Do not covet or envy, indulge in sights and sounds, argue over right and wrong, cling to hatred or affection, make arbitrary distinctions, or become arrogant and stubborn.

“Gather and still the spirit, and clear your thoughts, so that the spirits responding to your body and mind may also settle. Let your mind be as vast as the Great Void, pure and upright within and without, able to contain and receive all things. At the same time, do not let outside evil thoughts disturb the foundations of cultivation, turn you from its true purpose, damage your spiritual roots, or make you lose your most precious treasure. Otherwise, through countless kalpas you may fall forever among ordinary people, become entangled in worldly snares, and suffer the torment of myriad demons. Even after hundreds of thousands of kalpas, you may never hear the wondrous teaching; you may be seized and punished by ghosts and spirits, and continue endlessly in the cycle of birth and death.

“Therefore, you should wholeheartedly guard the true tradition of cultivation and never let it be lost. You should sever each of the obstacles just described, purify body and mind, and rise beyond every kind of suffering. This is called the Treasure of the Dao, and it is the pillar that upholds the teaching.

“You should also cultivate and put this scripture into practice as though drawing near the Jade Emperor. Hold him in reverence, contemplate his sacred countenance, and praise his name. In this way, you will behold his compassionate face, receive his protection and deliverance, hear the wondrous teaching in its fullness, and personally make offerings. You will never again wander through the cycle of birth and death.”

At that time, the four assemblies—the four groups of listeners present—rejoiced and praised the teaching, declaring that they had never before heard anything like it.

The Zhuijiao Duanzhen Zhang on the right has already been checked against other texts, and no obvious errors have been found. I will explain it carefully as follows.

A “scripture” is a path, a way of practice. There are two ways to uphold scriptures: reciting them aloud and keeping them in the heart. Reciting aloud means reading and praising the scripture with one’s voice; keeping it in the heart means understanding it inwardly and putting its teachings into practice. Recitation should be rooted in inward observance, while inward observance should begin with recitation. Only when heart and voice work together can merit be fulfilled. Doing just one of the two leaves merit incomplete. For this reason, the scripture calls them together “reciting and upholding.” To recite without upholding is to say much aloud while gaining no real benefit within. To uphold without reciting is to have insight inwardly but neither express nor communicate it. Both are necessary for the practice to succeed.

The same is true of reciting and upholding the scriptures of the Jade Emperor: one should follow the Jade Emperor’s meritorious deeds and emulate and aspire to his cultivation and realization. There are five ways to follow and emulate him: first, to revere and admire him; second, to repent and remove karmic obstructions; third, to accumulate merit and help others; fourth, to be broad-minded, perceptive, and clear in understanding; and fifth, to cultivate the True One and attain the ability to transform.

“Revering and admiring” means the practices described in the scripture: visualizing the Jade Emperor’s sacred countenance, making an image of him, praising his name, and reciting the scripture’s teachings. “Repenting and removing karmic obstructions” means the methods for clearing impediments and karmic hindrances described in the scripture; the relevant teachings are all recorded there. “Accumulating merit and benefiting others” means the practices described in the scripture, such as manifesting transformations, aiding the human world, and spreading the teachings. “Being broad-minded and clear in understanding” means having a heart as vast as the Great Void, able to contain and receive all things, and helping living beings with compassion and adaptable skill. “Cultivating the True One and attaining transformation” means, as the scripture describes, purifying oneself, dwelling constantly in the Golden Palace—the Jade Emperor’s heavenly abode—and manifesting wherever one is needed.

If people diligently practice these five methods, they can attain the rank of immortals in the Great Miro Heaven. After three years of practice, the myriad spirits will revere them and the assembled demons will be subdued. After ten years, beings in the ten directions will serve them, and their spirit will ascend to the Jade Purity Heaven, the upper heavenly realm in Daoist belief. After twenty-four years, when their merit is complete, their body will ascend to the Jade Purity Heaven. Once they arrive there, they can realize the “Three Bodies”: the body of immeasurable merit, the body of pure naturalness, and the indestructible, imperishable Dharma Body of true emptiness, supreme and unsurpassed.

Those who study and cultivate the Dao, and those who recite scriptures, should reflect carefully on my words and put them into practice. If they merely recite this scripture while their conduct violates the precepts, the consequences that follow from the scripture’s wondrous sounds and its methods for removing obstructions are described in detail in the “Chapter on Miraculous Efficacy and Retribution.” Students of the Dao and scripture reciters should hold this in reverent awe. I, your servant Zhang Liang, respectfully submit this account.

End of the upper scroll of The Scripture of the Collected Deeds of the High and Supreme Jade Emperor.

The following notes describe textual variants among different versions of this scripture:

“Dao said” reads “At that time” in the plain-text version; “thereupon” reads “at that time”; “recognize” reads “chant”; and “distant” reads “far away.”

“Abandoning life” is suspected to be an error for “sentient beings”; “living beings” appears as “suffering souls” in the plain-text version. “All” appears as “far away” in the plain-text version.

“The deified form of the Lord of Heaven” appears as “the deified form of the Jade Emperor” in the plain-text version, which the collator considers preferable. Zhang’s edited version changes “Jade Emperor” to “Lord of Heaven” in several places. “Jade Sovereign” appears as “Jade Emperor” in the plain-text version; “Emperor” reads “once,” and “perish” reads “pass away.” The collator considers the plain-text readings preferable in both cases. “Benevolence and kindness” reads “compassion and benevolence.”

“Lord of Heaven’s responsive, transformative Dharma body” appears as “Jade Emperor’s responsive, transformative Dharma body” in the plain-text version. The same applies below to “the Lord of Heaven’s miraculous powers of spiritual transformation.” The original has no character meaning “shelter”; it is added here on the basis of the plain-text version.

“Celestial Worthy and Lord of Heaven” appears as “Celestial Worthy and Jade Emperor” in the plain-text version, which the collator considers preferable; the same reading occurs later. “All are then” reads “all receive,” which the collator considers preferable.

The original reads “to praise the Lord of Heaven’s day.” The plain-text version reads “Jade Emperor” and includes the character for “verse” before “praise”; that character is added here on the basis of the plain-text version. “Expound” appears as “release” in the plain-text version, which the collator considers preferable.

At that time, the Five Old Sovereigns, ancestors of Heaven and Earth, bowed before the Celestial Worthy, knelt upright, and said: “We have heard that the High and Exalted Jade Emperor, out of compassion for all beings, sends forth divine light everywhere, illuminating the entire Dharma Realm, so that the Six Realms of ordinary existence and the Four Sages may all receive the protection of the Dao.

“Human life is brief, and the cycle of calamities is nearing its end. Now is the time to spread the Orthodox Way and save the people of the world, giving those who cultivate the Dao hope of transcending the ordinary and ascending, while also allowing people in the final age to attain longevity. Since ancient times, the True Writ in Red Script on Jade Leaves of the Cavern Mystery of the Primordial Origin Lingbao came into being before the Primordial Origin, within the Void. At that time, Heaven and Earth had not yet formed, and the sun and moon had not yet shone. All was dark and chaotic: there were no ancestors, breath, images, colors, names, forms, traces, or sounds. It appeared faintly, sometimes present and sometimes gone. The Two Modes of Heaven and Earth divided by means of it, and the sun shone by means of it. As celestial patterns changed, it appeared in keeping with the time.

“The Jade Emperor once bestowed upon us the Secret Register of Lingbao and an inconceivable Great Divine Incantation. Heaven and Earth were divided and formed through them; the sun, moon, and stars shone through them. The numinous writing, abundant and beautiful, illuminated the Highest Clarity—the Daoist realm of the highest heavens—and issued forth from the Heaven of Primordial Blue. Its colors had no fixed direction, and its strokes curved and turned in ways too intricate to investigate fully.

“The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Origin refined it in the Hall of Cavern Yang, then tempered it in the Court of Flowing Fire, making the true text vivid and its radiance pure and bright. The Qi of Cavern Yang is red, and so it was called the Red Script. Once the numinous diagram appeared, ten thousand Heavenly Emperors came to pay homage to the true Dao. They trod the Void and walked through emptiness, circling through the Upper Palace, burning incense and scattering flowers as they recited the numinous verses.

“At that time, twelve kinds of mysterious auspicious signs descended from Heaven, while twenty-four responses appeared on Earth. They celebrated the wondrous depths of the Nine Heavens and praised the precious radiance of the Three Heavens. Divine winds surged, and the Imperial Dao flourished. The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Origin gave the command; Tai Zhen took up the brush, and the Jade Consort arranged the mat. The text was cast in gold onto tablets and the numinous writing carved upon jade leaves. The Five Old Ones were entrusted with this register and hid it away in the Hall of the Numinous Capital of the Nine Heavens. A Jade Maiden was charged with burning incense, Tai Hua with holding the towel, and a Jade Youth with standing guard nearby. It was written above the Nine Heavens, beyond the hearing of ghosts and spirits.

“Heaven stores it, and so is able to rise and float; Earth conceals it, and so is able to remain at peace. The Five Emperors hold it, and so can guard the four directions. The sun, moon, and stars rely on it, and so shine brightly. The High Sages uphold it, and so attain divine powers; the exalted ones grasp it, and so cultivate into perfected beings; the Five Sacred Peaks follow it, and so gain numinous power. When the Son of Heaven receives it, he can govern the state well, and the realm can enjoy peace. Such are the mysterious merits of the numinous writing and the foundation of Heaven and Earth. Its divine power is vast and boundless, reaching everywhere. It sets great transformations in motion and is the source of the spirits. Its power cannot be measured; it is as vast as the great emptiness. Now that the true Dao has been set forth in a text, it should be put into practice.

“Now the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Origin sets the cycles of Heaven in motion, and mysterious celestial patterns unfold as diagrams and texts. The numinous writing shines with a beautiful aura, and its divine might appears in the five directions, establishing Heaven and Earth and teaching the myriad spirits. This is the foundational work of the Great Dao. Might we briefly open the hidden treasury of the numinous writing and glimpse what it contains?

“Now the Imperial Dao is in circulation, and its grace extends in all ten directions. Looking up at the cycles of calamity, we see that this is the time to spread the true Dao. In our hearts, we hope that numinous light will shelter the eight directions and that pure breezes will sweep through the orchid groves. May even cold branches look forward to flourishing splendor, and may even withered corpses bathe in the numinous dew. We look up to the compassion of Primordial Origin and earnestly voice our wish, beseeching him to pity and care for all beings. May the True Writ on Jade Leaves of Lingbao be bestowed upon us and transmitted to those who have not yet heard this Dao?”

At that time, the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning leaned on a small table, sat upright, and gathered his thoughts. After reflecting for a moment, he saw that the time was ripe and said to the assembled perfected sages, “Shall we now discuss and decide to whom the True Writ of the Jade Chapters—a heavenly scripture transmitted by Daoism—may be entrusted, so that it can be taught to those who have not yet heard it?”

The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning then summoned all the perfected sages. Together they worked out the changes of Yin-Yang, calculated the convergence and succession of kalpas, verified the course of the Yellow River’s source, examined the laws governing the movement of the heavens, and chose those fit to receive the teaching. They explored the Great Nonbeing, the profound and formless realm described in Daoism, and expounded the Nine Mysteries, the subtle principles of the nine deep celestial realms, so that their words would not go unheard and the path of seeking the truth would not be obstructed.

At that time, the Five Elders, divine lords representing the five directions, asked again and again. Only after a long while did the Celestial Worthy lower his eyes and sigh. “How profound these principles are! What you ask today reaches so far. This is the subtle root of Primordial Beginning and the Numinous Treasure, the true writing of empty, spontaneous Nature. It can bring Heaven and Earth into being, transform and enlighten the spirits, guard the Five Sacred Peaks, secure the realm, and care for the people. The subtle wonder of the Numinous Treasure is revered by all things. Auspicious signs appear in Heaven, and wondrous responses arise of themselves.

“Now the fortunes of the Three Heavens are changing, the way of the Six Heavens is prevailing, and disordered teachings are spreading through the world. There should be thirty-six thousand methods of the Dao, to test the intentions of those who seek the Way in later times. When this cycle of teachings has run its course, after the passing of the Three Dragons, in the year of the Metal Rat, the disordered energies will disperse throughout the world and the heavens will gather in celebration. Only then will our true teaching of the Dao be put into practice. These teachings may now be entrusted to you and recorded in the Upper Archive of Heaven, but for the time being they may not be transmitted in the world. The precepts of Heaven forbid it; they must not be taught at once. You should go to the Upper Palace of Purple Tenuity in the Numinous Capital, hear Heaven’s decree, and act according to the ordinances of the Divine Kings. Only afterward may you prepare the heavenly documents and take charge of the affairs of the celestial realm of Primordial Beginning.”

Thereupon, the Five Elders and the assembled perfected sages burned incense, observed the precepts, and traveled along the cloud road. They summoned the spirits of the ten directions of Heaven and ascended to the Cold Numinous Elixir Hall in the Jade Capital of Highest Clarity and Great Mystery, and to the Upper Palace of Purple Tenuity, where they received Heaven’s rules of conduct. They thus understood that the true Way of Heaven is supremely exalted and cannot be heard lightly. On their return, they paid a further visit to the Celestial Worthy, asked about the precepts and rites to be observed when transmitting the teaching, and humbly acknowledged their own lack of ability.

The Celestial Worthy then instructed them with compassion and dispelled their doubts. He ordered the Five Elders to open the Jade Casket of the Grotto of Yang, where heavenly scriptures were stored, and to lift the nine colored radiant treasure pouch that held the classics. He took out the True Writ of the Jade Chapters of the Primordial Numinous Treasure, together with the jade chapters of the great spell: written in gold and jade, subtle and secret, governing the movements of Heaven and Earth, and shining its light everywhere. He gave these to the Five Elders and the assembled perfected sages, commanding them to transmit the teaching in accordance with Heaven’s precepts and laws.

I respectfully submit the following. I have privately observed that at the beginning of the Five Great Origins (the five stages before the cosmos took visible form), before there were any signs, the two Qi of Yin and Yang had not yet separated, and the myriad things had not yet taken shape. With reverence, I reflect on the Primordial Lord, the supreme deity honored in Daoism. He gathered the Dao Qi, the primordial energy of the Dao, within chaos and arranged the sacred writings, divine talismans, in the distant reaches of heaven. The divine winds stirred against one another, and the two Qi of Yin and Yang then separated. Only after they had separated did the myriad things begin to appear.

Afterward, the Primordial Lord sent down the gathered Dao Qi and bestowed the arranged sacred writings, lodging them in the writings of the Yellow River and the Luo River, sacred diagrams associated with the River Chart and the Luo Writing. They were used to establish order among humankind and govern the Three Powers of Heaven, Earth, and Humanity. These gathered Dao Qi and arranged sacred writings are what people in the world today call the true writings and numinous talismans.

The grandest true writings, however, can divide Heaven and Earth and set Yin and Yang in motion. The flowing and rising of mountains and rivers, and the coming into being of people and things, are all formed by true writings. These are the pivot of Heaven and Earth’s creative transformation and the power behind their wondrous workings. Yet writings of this kind have never been transmitted to the human world. What people see in the world today are only the seal-script texts used to deliver beings from suffering, avert calamities, and subdue demons and malign forces—that is, the various incantations in the “Chapter of Divine Spells.”

When scriptures were transmitted to the human world, superior perfected beings of the upper realms passed them on to lower immortals who had attained the Dao. There was more than one transmitter and more than one recipient. As a result, the wording and degree of detail, as well as the depth of meaning, inevitably differ among versions, and some of these differences may be discussed. For example, the passages for opening barriers in the “Chapter of Divine Spells” are detailed in some versions and brief in others. Some phrases lack coherence, and some meanings do not connect from one part to the next. Readers often have questions when reciting them.

By the grace of the Jade Emperor’s command, I have been entrusted with the task of collating the scriptures. I had intended to make additions and deletions, but I was deeply concerned that if the revised text circulated, people might have even more questions when reciting it. I have therefore kept to the old versions and made only a few textual inquiries, pointing out places where the text does not fit. I have not dared to alter other passages whose meanings are disjointed or whose wording is awkward. Among the scripture editions circulating in the world, some are so brief that they may not cover the whole subject, while others are comparatively thorough from beginning to end. I have therefore taken the liberty of selecting the more complete version as the authoritative text, so that people may read and recite it. Respectfully submitted by Liang.

At this time, the Azure Emperor of the East, the Old One Who Began the Green Spirit in the Forest of Precious Peace, issued a divine spell and an edict:

In the East are nine kinds of primordial Qi, and the azure heavens are the beginning of all things. Amid clouds and rosy mists of jade green stands an old man who oversees the registers and rosters of the immortals. He commands primordial Qi, enabling living beings to ascend to immortality.

The seal script above is the Azure Emperor’s secret text, comprising the twenty-four characters given earlier. It is inscribed on the Platform of Primordial Heaven and used to summon the Lords of the Nine Heavens and inspect and correct the registers of the immortals.

The Year Star (Jupiter) supports the liver; the lunar lodges Jiao and Kang guard the true Qi; and the four lodges Di, Fang, Xin, and Wei move in accord with the four seasons.

The lodge Ji governs the seven celestial markers and sets the course of the Northern Dipper aright. It receives primordial Qi, captures evil and wrongdoing, and sweeps away every kind of calamity.

The seal script above is the secret text of the thirty-two characters given earlier. It is inscribed in the Hall of Eastern Florescence in the Purple Tenuity Palace and used to summon the star officials and correct the celestial divisions and degrees of the stars.

The divine spell of Eastern Mountain can summon and command the Nine Heavens. Its red-written talismanic edict governs Feng Mountain, the mountain domain said in Daoist lore to oversee ghosts and spirits.

It binds demons and wicked spirits and sends ghosts away. None who are to be punished can escape; all must proceed to the Wood Palace, and none may delay.

The seal script above is the secret text of the thirty-two characters given earlier. It is inscribed in the Hall of Dark Spirit in Eastern Florescence and used to capture ghosts and demons and regulate the primordial Qi of the Nine Heavens.

Below, it restrains the Eastern River and commands the water spirits of the seas. When great calamities and floods arise, flood dragons carry it on their backs; the Water Palace opens roads, with hundreds and thousands of routes for passage. When the Supreme Lord’s red talisman is put into effect, the power of wind and fire meets no obstruction.

The seal script above is the secret text of the thirty-two characters given earlier. It is inscribed on the Jade Tower and Cinnabar Terrace in the northeast of the Nine Heavens and used to command the Water Emperor of the Eastern Sea. The scripture goes on to describe flood dragons carrying it during great calamities and floods, and the Water Palace opening roads; when the Supreme Lord’s red talisman is put into effect, wind and fire encounter no obstruction.

To ward off floods, write these characters in yellow on blue paper, recite the spell separately, then cast the paper into the water to dispel the calamity.

The True Writ of the Jade Chapters of the Nine Qi of the East contains 120 characters. These words are all great divine incantations of the Most High, supreme and perfectly radiant, as well as celestial writings formed spontaneously from the empty void. The text is also known as the Chapter of the Mystery of the Cavern of the Precious Truth That Generates the Spirits, the Divine Incantation of Dongshan, and the Document of the Eight Awesome Powers of the Azure Emperor.

Talisman of the Azure Emperor of the East

The celestial script of the nine Qi of the Numinous Treasure, made from nine kinds of Numinous Treasure Qi, transforms and generates the Qi of the Red Emperor and the honored deities of the Three Heavens, Nine Perfected, and Great Void.

This refers to the Qi of Lesser Yang transforming and generating the three Qi of the Sun, thereby forming Cinnabar Heaven. It governs the Si year of a minor cosmic calamity, the Wu year of a major cosmic calamity, and their cycles of movement. The Red Emperor, one of the Five Emperors who governs Fire and the South, can pass through the corresponding calamities by wearing this talisman. As shown earlier, the talisman should be written in cinnabar ink on a piece of blue silk nine inches long.

Talisman of the Command of the Azure Emperor, the Old Lord of the Blue Numinous Beginning, Who Dwells in the Precious Flower Forest of the East

By this, the sun and moon are brought to rest, and the mountains and forests are opened up. The Three Heavens, the three celestial realms in Daoist teaching, display abundant auspicious signs, as the various true spirits travel back and forth on their rounds.

This refers to the Qi of Primal Yang, which generates the treasure of the nine Qi of the Azure Heaven. The Azure Emperor governs the East. After eighty-one cycles, the Qi of the Nine Heavens converge and form a major cosmic calamity, and Heaven and Earth begin anew. Wearing this talisman enables one to move with the changing cycles of calamity and pass through great disasters. The talisman should be written in blue ink on white silk.

True Talisman of the Primordial Beginning Azure Emperor

Summon the Direct Talisman, Qu Gengsheng, to guard the celestial script of the Numinous Treasure. After a Daoist priest swallows this talisman, numinous Qi will guard the liver and give rise to the nine leaves of the precious blossoms of Azure Essence. This makes the spirits heed one’s commands and grants the ability to communicate with the numinous and summon the immortals. Qu Gengsheng, the Direct Talisman, is a supreme great perfected being.

The Upper Beginning Heavenly Light Text comes from the “True Writ of the Azure Emperor” and is used to stabilize the heaven of the Eastern Nine Qi. After receiving this true writ, the Azure Emperor used it to guard the Eastern Peak. He sealed away a copy in the Ninefold Spirit Grotto, opening it only once every forty thousand kalpas.

A person cultivating the Dao whose destiny belongs to the Eastern Peak may write it in green ink on deep red silk and wear it on their person. On their own natal day, they should write it in cinnabar, face east, and swallow nine of its talismanic characters. The talisman officials on duty that day can then renew the person’s life. The characters enter the body and reside in the liver. After nine years, a precious bloom formed from green essence Qi arises in the liver, its ninefold radiance shining beyond the body.

The talisman should also be written on deep red silk and placed in the next position below the upper section of the Black Emperor’s divine staff. The green-robed Jade Talisman enters the liver, where, after nine years, it likewise gives rise to a precious bloom of green essence whose ninefold radiance shines beyond the body. Nine green-robed Jade Maidens also stand guard. Those who practice this must not be lax or lack focus, or they will be subjected to scrutiny.

After wearing and ingesting the talismans described above, the practitioner should face east and click their teeth nine times. They should visualize green Qi entering the liver and producing nine layers of radiant blossoms, whose light penetrates and illuminates the back of the neck. Place the talisman before you, then recite the incantation:

“Supreme green essence, great spirit of the Nine Qi. Divine light spreads far and wide, flowing to illuminate the eastern blue heaven. Splendid radiance surges forth and pours into my form. Stabilize my inner palaces, and let the precious soul grow of itself. Penetrate all things and reach everywhere; let brightness extend to the eight directions, as I ascend to the Jade Court.”

An earlier instruction in the ritual text says to recite an incantation; it refers to this one.

The Azure Numina of the East, the Old One Who Begins in the Azure Spirit of the Forest of Precious Blossoms, grants dragon talismans to protect the true Dao through the power of the Three Primordial Talisman Decrees and the Nine Chariots’ Mandate from Heaven. Even when rivers, lakes, and waterways flood, their waters cannot inundate the sky.

The passage above concerns the Lower Origin of the Nine Qi Blue Heaven. Minor Yang Nine occurs in the year of the Snake, and Minor Hundred and Six in the year of the Horse; great calamities take place in these years. From the Lower Origin, the Azure Emperor issues talismanic decrees and sends them to the Eastern Peak to preserve all beings, stabilize the state, and keep the people healthy. He also establishes the divisions of the Nine Qi Blue Heaven to protect and guide those who cultivate and study the Dao. The talisman is written in green ink on white silk.

The Divine Incantation of Zhongshan can make those who have received its initiation servants of the gods and enter them into the registers of those destined for salvation, so that all manner of calamity will cease to trouble them.

During the Middle Origin period, the sun moves to the position of “Nine Shen.” In a year when the “Great Hundred and Six” coincides with the Rooster, all crops will wither. The Azure Emperor, ruler of the East, issues the Middle Origin talisman and sends it to Mount Dongyue to protect and nurture all things. He also establishes the measures of the heavenly seasons to help living beings pass through great calamities. This talisman is written in blue characters on white silk.

The Lord above the Western Mountain is appointed “Preserver of the True.” When one person attains the Dao, they may take their place among the nine ranks of perfected immortal officials.

During the Upper Origin period, great calamities return in cycles, and Heaven and Earth are transformed. Gold and jade, mountains and seas, people and birds and beasts will all be destroyed at once. Heaven and Earth will lie in darkness, without any light. The Azure Emperor issues the Upper Origin talisman and sends it to Mount Dongyue to preserve all things. He also establishes the Qi of the Nine Heavens to help those cultivating the Dao pass through the calamity.

These talismanic commands of the Three Origins can protect the primordial Qi of the azure heavens. Those who wear them can return to the primal state in which life first began. This document appears only once every nine thousand years. The Azure Emperor of Mount Dongyue says: “When the great calamity returns, the talismanic text should be engraved on a gold tablet and worn on one’s person.” This talisman is written in blue characters on white silk.

The Jade Emperor issues an edict, bestowing it upon the Nine-Qi Heavenly Lord, the Azure Emperor of the East, the Old One of the Azure Spirit and the Beginning of Life, who dwells in the jeweled treasure garden of blossoms and forests. He is commanded to govern all the heavens and lands of the East, the sun, moon, and stars, and the Most High and exalted ones, perfected immortals, holy assemblies, and all numinous deities in famous mountains, sacred grottoes, watery palaces, and spring chambers. Wherever the edict and talismanic command reach, they must be carried out in accordance with the edict.

The divine incantation and edict received by the Southern Red Emperor, the True Old One of the Vermilion Spirit, the Radiant Yang of Brahma’s Treasure:

The South is the Cinnabar Heaven, where the Red Emperor dwells in the Jade Hall. Within it is a great deity named the Red Sovereign.

Red light rises into the sky, and vapor flows; the three breaths shine with flourishing brilliance. The immortals receive their appointments and offices by command, and assemble when the sun makes its circuit.

The seal script mentioned above is the Red Emperor’s secret text of thirty-two characters. It is written in the Hall of Dongyang in the Nine Heavens to summon the immortals of the Nine Heavens and record their registers and names in gold.

The Planet of Fire assists the Heart constellation, while the Well and Ghost constellations guard this seal script. It is the Red Emperor’s secret text of thirty-two characters mentioned above, written in the Hall of Dongyang in the Nine Heavens to summon the immortals of the Nine Heavens and record their registers and names in gold.

Antares assists the Heart Mansion, while the Well and Ghost Mansions guard the Room Mansion. The Willow, Star, Zhang, and Wing Mansions form a connected sequence, and the Neck Mansion guards the four directions.

The Chariot Mansion commands the seven mansions, setting the Way of Heaven in motion through its cycles and keeping its order constant. It summons the stellar officials and sets the seasons and their conjunctions in motion, making the righteous Way proceed like messages passed from one relay station to the next.

The seal script above is the secret text of the first thirty-two characters. It is written on the Three-Qi Elixir Altar, a Daoist altar where the three primordial energies converge. It is used to summon the stellar officials, discern the measures of the celestial signs, and set the boundaries and order of the heavens aright.

The red talismanic script commands the spirits and subdues Feng Mountain to the north, the place where ghosts and spirits are said to dwell in Daoism. It binds and escorts away demons, and cuts off the roots of evil.

The offenses of those targeted by the talismans are all clearly set out. The divine incantation of Southern Mountain has great power and can subdue the eight directions.

All kinds of demons and harmful spirits will be destroyed; every killing and calamity will collapse and vanish.

The seal script above is the secret text of the first forty characters. It is written on the Yangzheng Jade Gate in the southwest, a palace gate in the Daoist heavens. It is used to restrain Northern Feng and set ghostly Qi aright.

The Water Emperor of the South Sea and the Dragon King Taibo: their divine incantation spreads far and wide and can dispel ill omens everywhere. When floods and sudden disasters strike, it stops the flood dragons and summons the dragon deities. It opens and clears the waterways, so that the countless channels all flow freely. It is also used to set ghostly Qi aright.

The Water Emperor of the South Sea and the Dragon King Taibo: their divine incantation spreads far and wide and can dispel ill omens everywhere. When floods and sudden disasters strike, it stops the flood dragons and summons the dragon deities. It opens and clears the waterways, so that the countless channels all flow freely. If anyone defies the command and causes death, that person is seized and escorted to the Fire Palace. None can disobey the order proclaimed by the Red Script, the Daoist sacred writing in red.

The seal script above is the secret text of the first forty-eight characters. It is written on the Yangzheng Western Gate in the southwest. It is used to seize the Water Emperor of the South Sea and to deal, at the turning of a great cycle, with floods breaking out everywhere and with summoning flood dragons and water deities.

The True Text of the Jade Chapters of the Southern Three-Qi Lingbao consists of one hundred and fifty-two characters. All of it is the naturally formed, uncreated text of the Great Divine Incantation of the Most High, supreme and all-encompassing in its great radiance. It is also called the Precious Talisman of the Southern Clouds that Reaches Heaven, the Supreme Incantation Above the Nine Heavens, and the Red Emperor’s Eightfold Mighty Commanding Text.

Talisman of the Southern Red Emperor

The celestial text of the Three Lingbao Qi transforms and gives rise to the Qi of the Yellow Emperor. It governs affairs of state, commands the Dipper Mansion, carries the clouds through the heavens, and sets the corpse-body aright and at peace.

The Qi of the sun gives rise to the central primordial Qi, which becomes the Qi of the Yellow Heaven. It governs the minor calamities during the Chou and Wei years and the convergence of the Qi of the Nine Heavens during the great calamities of the Chen and Xu years. When the Yellow Emperor performed the rites, he wore this talisman to ward off the “disaster of Yang Nine,” a calamity described in Daoism. Its design appears earlier in the text. It should be written with a yellow brush on red silk three inches wide.

Talismanic Decree of the Southern Brahma Treasure, Prosperous Yang, Elixir Spirit, True Elder, and Red Emperor

With jade-toned words, breathe out and draw in Qi; submit the memorial on plain paper and send it up to the celestial realm. This talisman can preserve life and enable one to become an immortal. The Jade Calendar records and confirms one’s title of investiture.

This is the precious Qi of the Elixir Heaven, born from the Qi of Dongyang. The South is governed by the Red Emperor. After nine cycles, when Yang Qi surges and the great calamity is nearing its end, wearing this talisman can avert disaster and bring one through to an age of peace. It should be written with a cinnabar brush.

True Talisman of the Primordial Beginning Red Emperor

Summon Changzhong, the deity who serves directly under the talismanic decree, to guard the celestial writings of the Lingbao tradition. After a Daoist swallows this talisman, numinous Qi will guard the mind and spirit, bringing forth the three leaves of the precious blossoms of Elixir essence. The spirits will answer to the Daoist’s command, enabling them to understand the numinous and become an immortal. Changzhong, the deity who serves directly under the talisman, remains here to guard the Daoist lineage and govern its affairs.

The above is the writing of Shangyang Ming, from the Chapter of the Red Emperor’s True Writings. It says that when numinous Qi guards the mind and spirit, it can bring forth the three leaves of the precious blossoms of Elixir essence; the spirits will answer to one’s command, enabling one to understand the numinous and become an immortal. Changzhong, the deity who serves directly under the talisman, guards the Daoist lineage and oversees its governance.

The passage on the right is the “Upper Yangming Text,” from the Chapter of the True Writ of the Red Emperor. It is used to stabilize the heaven corresponding to the three Qi of the south. After receiving this true writ, the Red Emperor—the ruler of the south and god of fire—used it to guard the southern sacred mountain. He also sealed a copy in a hollow on Mount Nanhuo, to be opened once every forty thousand kalpas, an immense span of time.

A Daoist whose destiny corresponds to the southern sacred mountain should write the talisman in red characters on yellow silk and wear it on their person. On the day of their birth sign, they should write it in cinnabar ink while facing south, then swallow three talismans. The Talisman Officer, the divine clerk responsible for transmitting talismanic commands, then prays for prosperity and enters the abdomen together with the talisman, settling in the heart palace. After three years, a precious flower formed from red essence will arise in the heart, and its threefold radiance will shine beyond the body.

The talisman should also be written on yellow silk and placed inside the spirit staff, at the lower section belonging to the Azure Emperor, where it is guarded by three Great Cinnabar Jade Maidens. One must act with utmost reverence, or divine clerks charged with inspection and correction will descend.

Those who cultivate the Dao should wear and ingest the talismans described above, facing south and clicking their teeth three times. They should visualize red Qi entering the heart and producing threefold floral radiance that shines through the chest and back. After writing the talisman, place it before you at the lower section belonging to the Azure Emperor, where it is guarded by the three Great Cinnabar Jade Maidens. One must act with utmost reverence, or divine clerks charged with inspection and correction will descend.

Those who cultivate the Dao should wear and ingest the talismans described above, facing south and clicking their teeth three times. They should visualize red Qi entering the heart and producing threefold floral radiance that shines through the chest and back. After writing the talisman, place it before you, then recite the spell:

Cinnabar radiance turns and shines; precious numinous fungi send forth their light. The essence of spirit and Qi penetrates the depths of darkness; numinous Qi spreads to the eight directions. The Talisman Officer gathers the Qi and summons the Vermilion Youth. The three essences unfold and flourish, pouring into my Crimson Palace, the dwelling of the heart spirit. The Red Spirit settles and guards; the five fragrances fill and spread. Light shines beyond the body, and both inside and out are radiant. Water and fire give birth to one another within my body; walking alone, I can ascend in flight.

The spell mentioned earlier in the instructions as an additional incantation is this one.

The three-origin talismanic command of the Red Emperor, the ancient vermilion spirit of the southern Brahma Treasure, Changyang and Cinnabar Numinous, is bestowed upon those whose destiny belongs to Zhengyi. It grants them long life and ascent to heaven.

The passage on the right describes the lower origin of the Three-Qi Cinnabar Heaven. In the years of the smaller Yang Nine, marked by the earthly branches Xu and Chen, and the smaller Hundred-Six, marked by Chou and Wei, fire arises from earth, and all things are about to decline of their own accord. At this time, the Red Emperor of the Lingbao tradition sends down a talismanic command from the lower origin to the southern sacred mountain. It preserves all things, stabilizes the state, brings peace to the people, and establishes the divisions of the Three-Qi Cinnabar Heaven to protect those who cultivate the Dao. Write the talisman on black silk, and the talisman clerks in the torrents of the myriad rivers—the divine clerks of the waters—will retreat; it can even dry up the Water Mother, the deity who governs numinous beings beneath the water.

During the Central Origin period, the years of calamity known as the “Great Yang Nine-Hai” and the “Great Hundred-Six Zi” were at hand. At that time, fires subsided and floods surged forth. The Red Emperor, the deity of the South who embodies the virtue of Fire, sent down the Central Origin talismanic decree and came to Mount Heng in the South to save living beings from disaster, regulate the workings of Heaven and Earth, and dispel the calamities of fire and water. The talisman should be written in cinnabar on black silk. The powers of the sun and moon would then manifest, and fires would cease in the region around Wangping Mountain in Shandong. That year, the people faced the calamity of fires subsiding and floods surging forth. The Red Emperor sent down the Central Origin talismanic decree and came to Mount Heng in the South to save living beings, regulate the order of Heaven and Earth, and dispel the calamities of fire and water. The talisman was written on black silk, and the powers of the sun and moon manifested. Fires no longer occurred in the region around Wangping Mountain in Shandong, and the people and their rulers were preserved.

During the Upper Origin period, great cycles of calamity alternated and Heaven and Earth underwent transformation. Gold, jade, mountains, seas, people, and birds and beasts would all be destroyed in an instant. Heaven and Earth became a chaos without a trace of light. The Red Emperor sent down the Upper Origin talismanic decree and came to Mount Heng in the South to protect and save all things. He set the Qi of the Nine Heavens—the primal energy between Heaven and Earth—in motion, enabling cultivators of the Dao to pass through the calamity. These three talismanic decrees of the Originator can protect and stabilize the primal Qi of Cinnabar Heaven. All who wear the decrees can preserve their original endowment. This text appears only once every nine thousand years. The Red Emperor of Mount Heng in the South said, “When great cycles of calamity alternate, the text should be engraved on a gold tablet and worn on one’s person. The talisman may also be written in cinnabar on black silk.”

The Jade Emperor issued an edict, granting the Three-Qi Celestial Lord—the Southern Brahma-Treasure Changyang Cinnabar-Spirit True Elder Red Emperor authority over all the heavens and lands of the South, the sun, moon, and stars, the sacred mountains and numinous caverns, the water palaces and spring chambers, the supreme sages and exalted lords within them, the True Immortals and holy assembly, and all beings endowed with spirit. Wherever the talismanic decree and imperial edict arrive, they are to be carried out in accordance with the edict.

The divine spell and edict received by the Central Jade-Treasure Primordial-Spirit Elder Yellow Emperor:

The Center governs all spirits; the Yellow Emperor receives the celestial origin above. From him the Five Elders first came into being, and the emperor of the Center occupies the highest seat.

He governs all Qi and oversees all perfected beings, commanding all the Immortals. He is in charge of arcane charts and registers the names from former lives and the jade writings.

He sets the highest primal Qi in motion and circulates it, making a universal proclamation to all the spirits.

The Lingbao One Qi, by transforming through celestial patterns, gives rise to the Qi of the White Emperor. The White Emperor belongs to the west. On a day associated with the mountain’s yang side, this coincides with the Dipper’s Tunyi position. A numinous being appears, declaring that he is the origin of the High Immortals.

The passage above describes the Qi of Primordial Unity giving rise to the Qi of Lesser Yin and forming the Su Tian, or Plain Heaven. It governs the year of the Monkey during a minor kalpa.

Yellow Emperor Talisman of the Center

The Lingbao One Qi, by transforming through celestial patterns, gives rise to the Qi of the White Emperor. The White Emperor belongs to the west. On a day associated with the mountain’s yang side, this coincides with the Dipper’s Tunyi position. A numinous being appears, declaring that he is the origin of the High Immortals.

The passage above describes the Qi of Primordial Unity giving rise to the Qi of Lesser Yin and forming the Su Tian, or Plain Heaven. It governs the year of the Monkey during a minor kalpa and the year of the Rooster during a great kalpa. As the great cycle turns, floods sweep across heaven and earth. Wearing this celestial text enables the White Emperor to survive the calamity of the Great Yang Nine—the cycle of calamities described in Daoism. The talisman’s design is as shown above; it should be written in white ink on a piece of yellow silk three cun wide.

Talismanic Decree of the Central High Sovereign, Jade Treasure, Primordial Spirit, Primordial Elder, and Yellow Emperor

This talismanic decree gathers in and governs heaven and earth, commands the Nine Heavens, and connects the royal Qi of every direction, so that the Supreme Emperor can observe from afar.

The passage above describes the Qi of the High Sovereign giving rise to the Qi of Primordial Unity and forming the Yellow Heaven’s Treasure. The center is governed by the Yellow Emperor. When the cycle of nine nines comes to an end, Yang Qi surges against Yin Qi, and the movement of Qi stirs violently, bringing about a great calamity as floods cover the sky. Wearing this talisman enables one to survive the heavenly disaster and behold the Lord of Peace. It should be written in yellow ink.

True Talisman of the Yellow Emperor, Primordial Beginning

This talisman summons the directional talisman spirits, who guard the Lingbao celestial text and protect the center. When a Daoist swallows it, numinous Qi takes up its post in the spleen and produces twelve leaves of precious yellow essence blossom. Yellow essence is a medicinal herb often used in Daoist cultivation. The spirits submit to command, and through cultivation the practitioner becomes attuned to the numinous, able to communicate with the spirits and approach the realm of the immortals. The contents concerning the directional talisman spirits do not belong to the numinous writings of the Three Heavens.

The comprehensive numinous text above comes from the True Writings of the Yellow Emperor and is used to stabilize the heaven of the center. After receiving this text, the Yellow Emperor used it to guard Central Peak and sealed a copy in a numinous cavern on Mount Song, where it is opened once every forty thousand kalpas. Daoists may command the powers of this numinous text.

This talisman, which gathers and governs numinous Qi, comes from the Huangdi Zhenwen Pian. It is used to stabilize the central heaven. After the Yellow Emperor obtained it, he used it to guard Mount Zhong, and sealed one copy in a numinous grotto on Mount Song, which is opened only once every forty thousand kalpas.

A Daoist whose destiny belongs to Mount Zhong may write the talisman on white silk and wear it on their person. On the day of their birth, they should write it in cinnabar, face the King’s direction, and swallow twelve talismans. The talisman officer on duty oversees this practice; do not swallow the talismans indiscriminately. The talismans should remain in the spleen palace for twelve years. Afterward, they will give rise to a precious radiance like yellow essence, in twelve layers that shine beyond the body. The talisman should also be written on white silk and placed inside the lower section of the divine staff of the Red Emperor, where twelve Yellow Silk Jade Maidens will guard it. One must act with complete focus and sincerity; otherwise, one will be subject to scrutiny.

Those who cultivate the Dao and wear and ingest the talismans described above should face the King’s direction and click their teeth twelve times. Visualize yellow Qi entering the spleen and producing twelve layers of radiance that illuminate the whole body. Then write out the talisman, place it before you, and recite:

“Numinous High Spirit who gathers and governs primordial Qi, turn the Shen and Qi within me and spread them in all directions. The supreme yellow Qi shines forth; the vital essences of the Five Emperors mingle in fragrant harmony. Jing and Qi flow and spread, transforming into twelve layers of radiance. Join with my form, so that the myriad spirits come to welcome and protect me. Stabilize and guard the yellow spleen; nurture primordial Qi at the center of the body. Preserve my life and carry me through the kalpas. Guard me forever, without end.”

Write out the talisman, place it before you, and recite:

“Numinous High Spirit who gathers and governs primordial Qi, turn the Shen and Qi within me and spread them in all directions. The supreme yellow Qi shines forth; the vital essences of the Five Emperors mingle in fragrant harmony. Jing and Qi flow and spread, transforming into twelve layers of radiance. Join with my form, so that the myriad spirits come to welcome and protect me. Stabilize and guard the yellow spleen; nurture primordial Qi at the center of the body. Preserve my life and carry me through the kalpas. Guard me forever, without end.”

The other incantation mentioned in the earlier instructions refers to this very passage.

The Threefold Talisman Decree of the Central High Sovereign, the Jade Treasure Primordial Spirit Elder Yellow Emperor, enables the heavens to revolve and the moon to move, enduring the passage of kalpas without decline.

The text on the right describes the calamities corresponding to the Yellow Heaven of the One Qi. During the Lower Origin period, it will face the disasters of “Minor Yang Nine in the Year of the Monkey” and “Minor Hundred Six in the Year of the Rooster.” At that time, dense fog will cover the sky, and day will be indistinguishable from night. The Lingbao Yellow Emperor will descend upon Mount Zhong and issue the Lower Origin talisman, protecting all beings, bringing stability to the state and well-being to the people. He will also establish the measure of the Yellow Heaven of the One Qi, safeguarding those who receive and uphold the talisman so they may pass safely through the calamity. The talisman is written on yellow paper and then attached to blue silk. The scripture next gives a passage of blessing: “Ding speaks, and all have their allotted lives; do not keep the jue, lest there be no offspring; behold Heaven and Earth.” Its meaning is difficult to determine with certainty. The text then repeats the words about protecting all beings, bringing stability to the state, and ensuring the people’s well-being.

The text on the right describes the calamities of the Middle Origin period: “Major Yang Nine in the Year of the Tiger” and “Major Hundred Six in the Year of the Monkey.” At that time, the mountains and rivers will all be destroyed. The Yellow Emperor will descend upon Mount Zhong and issue the Middle Origin talisman, rescuing beings who are destined to receive it, establishing the measures of Heaven and Earth, stabilizing the Qi of the earth, and warding off disaster. The talisman is written on yellow paper and then attached to blue silk. The scripture says that during the calamity, Yin-Yang will change and the mountains and rivers will collapse; the land of the Nine Provinces will seem on the verge of overturning. Those who receive and uphold this talisman will be able to withstand the disaster of upheaval.

The text on the right says that during the Upper Origin period, great calamities will alternate in cycles, and Heaven and Earth will be transformed. Gold and jade, mountains and seas, human beings, birds, and beasts will all perish at the same moment. Heaven and Earth will sink into a chaotic darkness, without light. The Yellow Emperor will descend upon Mount Zhong and issue the Upper Origin talisman, protecting all beings and regulating the Qi of the Nine Heavens to rescue those who receive and uphold it. These talismanic charges of the Three Origins can preserve the primordial Qi of the Central Yellow Heaven. Those who wear them will receive the harmonious Qi of the beginning of Heaven and Earth. This text appears only once every nine thousand years. The Yellow Emperor of Mount Zhong says that when great calamities alternate, the talisman should be engraved on a gold tablet and worn on the body. It is written on yellow paper and then attached to blue silk.

The text on the right is the Jade Emperor’s edict, appointing the “Central Precious Calamity, Cavern-Clearing Jade Treasure Primordial Spirit, Elder Yellow Emperor, Heavenly Lord of the One Qi” and commanding him to govern the Central Sovereign Heaven and Empress Earth, the sun, moon, and stars, famous mountains and numinous caverns, water palaces and spring halls, the highest sages and exalted ones, the perfected immortals and sacred assemblies, and all mighty spirit beings. Wherever the talismanic charge reaches, it must be obeyed as an edict.

The divine spell and edict received by the White Emperor, Elder Sovereign of Radiant Spirit at the Western Seven-Treasure Golden Gate, concerns famous mountains and numinous caverns, water palaces and spring halls, the highest sages and exalted ones, the perfected immortals and sacred assemblies, and all mighty spirit beings. Wherever the talismanic charge reaches, it must be obeyed as a command.

The divine spell and edict received by the White Emperor, Elder Sovereign of Radiant Spirit at the Western Seven-Treasure Golden Gate:

Talisman of the White Emperor of the West

The seven celestial Qi of the Lingbao tradition, together with the celestial signs and talismans, give rise to the Qi of the Black Emperor. It rises and holds back the Five Roads, allowing “Yi, Wu, Ren, Hui, You, Zhao, Zi” to pass through the gates of the Three Heavens.

This is the Qi of Lesser Yin, which gives rise to the five Qi of Great Yin and the Dark Heaven. The Black Emperor governs the minor calamity of the Year of the Monkey and the major calamity of the Year of the Rooster. Yang Qi reaches its height, passing through the number one hundred and six multiplied by nine. When the Black Emperor travels, he wears this text to survive the great flood of the Jia-shen year. The talisman is shaped as shown earlier. Write it in black ink on a strip of white silk seven inches long and wear it on your person.

Talisman Mandate of the August Old Lord and Emperor of the Bright Spirit at the Western Seven-Treasure Golden Gate

He commands the Five Elders, the divine spirits of the five directions, and gazes westward toward the Nine Capitals, the divine capital of Heaven. After passing through countless kalpas, they gather together and clearly establish the Nine Rivers.

This is the Qi of Primordial Yin, which gives rise to the seven Qi of the Plain-Heaven Treasure. The White Emperor governs the West, taking the number nine times nine as his measure. Yin Qi surges and flourishes while Yang Qi is blocked. The Qi of the Nine Heavens joins to become the ninth Qi of the Sun. Wearing this text brings peace to the age in which one lives, allows one to soar lightly as a feather, and to look down from the heavens upon the surging floodwaters. This passage should be written in white ink.

True Talisman of the Primordial Beginning White Emperor

Summon the Officer of the Direct Talisman, Qu Zheng, and command him to guard the celestial writings of Lingbao. After a Daoist priest swallows this talisman, numinous Qi guards the lungs and brings forth seven leaves of the precious flower of White Essence. The spirits can then be put to service, enabling one to reach the numinous and summon immortals. The Officer of the Direct Talisman, Qu Zheng, can help people survive floods.

This is a luminous celestial numinous text, originating from the True Talisman of the White Emperor.

Summon the Officer of the Direct Talisman, Qu Zheng, and command him to guard the celestial writings of Lingbao. After a Daoist priest swallows this talisman, numinous Qi guards the lungs and brings forth seven leaves of the precious flower of White Essence. The spirits can then be put to service, enabling one to reach the numinous and summon immortals. The Officer of the Direct Talisman, Qu Zheng, can help people survive floods.

The sacred text of the Right Radiance Heaven comes from the “Chapter of the True Text of the White Emperor.” It is used to stabilize the heaven of the West’s Seven Qi. After receiving this sacred text, the White Emperor used it to guard the Western Sacred Mountain and sealed a copy in the Nine Recesses Grotto of the Golden Cavern, opening it only once every forty thousand kalpas.

Daoist practitioners whose destiny is linked to the Western Sacred Mountain may write the talisman in cinnabar on black silk and wear it on their person. On the day of their birth sign, they should write the talisman again in cinnabar, face west, and swallow seven copies. The Officers of the Direct Talisman and the Upright Officials of the Qu-rong will then enter the body with the talisman and dwell in the Palace of the Lungs. After seven years of practice, a precious bloom of white vital essence will arise within, its sevenfold radiance shining beyond the body.

The talisman should also be written in cinnabar on black silk and placed inside the lower section of the divine staff of the Yellow Emperor, where it is guarded by seven Jade Maidens of Great Simplicity. This must be done with utmost sincerity; otherwise, divine officials who inspect practitioners will descend.

Those who cultivate the Dao and wear and swallow the talismans described above should face west and click their teeth seven times. Visualize white Qi entering the lungs, where it gives rise to sevenfold radiance that shines upon the Dantian. Then write out the talisman and place it before you, and recite the incantation:

“Seven Qi of the Golden Spirit, flowing and dividing like bands of white silk. The Youth of Golden Essence wears a primordial headdress and carries talismans and registers on his person.”