《仙人请问本行因缘众圣难经(敦煌本)》

It is not known in which year this took place, only that it fell in a gengshen year. The first day of the first month was a renzi day. [The preceding text is missing.] Everyone quieted the mind, observed purification and abstinence, and devoted themselves single-mindedly to contemplating the Dao (the Way).

At noon that day, thirty-three earthly-immortal Daoist priests came forward. They burned incense, paid reverence to the scriptures, and walked in circumambulation as a mark of homage. When the rite was over, each returned to his former dwelling and remained there in quiet. Then an immortal left his seat and respectfully inquired:

“We of a later generation have studied the Dao for many years—nine hundred years to this day—yet we are still only earthly immortals dwelling at leisure among the mountains and forests, without any official charge. When the Celestial Worthy first propagated the Great Dao, you had long since been enfeoffed as Left Immortal Duke of the Taiji (Supreme Ultimate). You should by rights ascend to the Supreme Jade Capital, enter the Golden Portal, and pay court homage to the Unsurpassed Void Sovereign. We do not know what merit you stored up in former lives, or which scriptures and methods you observed and cultivated, that you came to hold so lofty a station and became a sage looked up to by the Three Realms and honored by Beifeng (the underworld of the north). We earnestly beg you to tell of the course of your past lives and of the root causes and conditions by which all this was brought to completion.”

After a moment, the Immortal Duke (Xiangong) replied, “You have asked the fundamental question. Please sit down, and I will tell you.

“After Heaven and Earth (the two Qi [vital energy] of Yin-Yang) separated, the myriad things came to differ as what is subtle and fine and what is coarse and manifest. People’s transgressions and blessings, the length of their lives, wealth and honor or poverty and low station, and the rise, decline, and change of worldly affairs all become apparent from this. Human beings are one of the Three Powers of Heaven, Earth, and Humanity. Whether one is worthy and wise or foolish and dull, capable or slow, depends for the most part on cultivation in former lives, on what one revered, on what vows one made, and on what De (Virtue/Power) one accumulated.

“When in former lives you studied the Dao (the Way) and received the Jing (scriptures/classics), your cultivation was not diligent enough, the merit you accumulated was slight, and your aspirations were shallow and narrow: you thought only of your own deliverance and did not think of saving others; you attended only to your own study and did not think of teaching others; you sought only to attain the Dao yourselves and did not care whether others could attain the Dao. You did not believe the far-reaching teachings in the Jing of the Great Dao, you did not devote yourselves to purification and fasting, and you did not follow the masters of the Three Caverns (Dongzhen/Dongxuan/Dongshen)—the masters who transmit the scriptural methods of Shangqing, Lingbao, and Dongshen—but preferred the shallower and more immediate methods. Therefore you obtained the way of the earthly immortal and of corpse-liberation (becoming an earthly immortal, or manifesting death by means of bodily remains, personal effects, and the like, and thereby being released from the physical form). In this way one can still come and go at will and move in freedom, living long without dying; yet one still cannot transcend the Three Realms or roam the ten directions, nor look up to the Jade Capital and Golden Towers of the Most High (the celestial palaces of which Daoism speaks).

“If you wish soon to ascend into the heavens of Shangqing and fly through the celestial realms, you should further accumulate merit and establish De, aiding kings and the common people and helping them to be freed from calamity and suffering. When merit and De are complete, the Most High will graciously send to welcome you. Thus Peng Zu lived eight hundred years, An Qisheng lived a thousand years, and Baishi lived three thousand years, yet they still came and went among the people, all because their merit was slight when they studied the methods in former lives. Some have cultivated in mountain caves for more than ten thousand years and still have not ascended to Heaven. You have lived only a few hundred years—how can that be counted as long?

“Immortals mostly dwell hidden in the mountains and forests, secretly doing good and accumulating De until they ascend as immortals. As for immortals who leave the physical form by corpse-liberation, by entrusting a substitute form, and similar means, most will show traces in the human world; yet those praised by the world and recorded in the Jing and in biographies are only a few.”

At that time there was an immortal surnamed Ji, whose courtesy name was Facheng. The Immortal Duke pointed to him and said, “He was my disciple in a former life, only he has not yet seen the root of his own former life. I can enable you to understand the affairs of former lives.”

Facheng replied, “Yes, Heavenly Worthy.” After a moment he awoke to it, pressed his palms together in salute, and said, “This disciple is dull and has not yet understood his own original practice. I earnestly beg you to look down in compassion and instruct me.”

The Immortal Duke said, “This is a karmic connection remaining from the age of Emperor Yao. I can enable you to understand the experiences of your former life.” Facheng replied, “Yes, Celestial Worthy.” A moment later, Facheng gained some insight. Joining his palms in salute, he said, “This disciple is dull-witted and still does not understand the roots of his own cultivation in a former life. I earnestly beg your compassionate instruction.”

The Immortal Duke said, “When Emperor Yao was on the throne, you once followed me into Mount Songgao to study the Dao (the Way). Your aspirations were not lofty; you always hoped for quick results. You often mocked my words as empty and untrue, and you resented the realm I looked toward as too remote and the path I cultivated as too hard to travel. You also sighed over Xu You and Chao Fu, who regarded seclusion on Mount Ji as noble and refused to accept Yao’s abdication of the throne to them; yet you felt that what they did was not necessarily proper either.

“I often urged you to cultivate the Shangqing Dao (an important Daoist tradition of cultivation), but you would not heed me. You were like one who drinks seawater and still cannot fill his stomach, and like one who only strikes at stone yet never obtains jade. Chao Fu and Xu You long ago ascended into the Taiji Palace (Taiji, the Supreme Ultimate; the celestial palace spoken of in Daoism). I myself have only just been appointed Left Immortal Duke (a Daoist immortal office). You alone became an earthly immortal. Although you live long and do not die, you have reached only this level. Your De (Virtue/Power) still falls several ranks short of a higher realm. How could you not feel melancholy and discontented? Only now do you understand that my words have all been fulfilled, that they are truly trustworthy, and that I did not deceive you.”

Facheng said in shame, and as he recalled these past events his mind suddenly became clear: “In former times I did not follow your teaching. How lamentable that seems when I think of it now! I wish you would raise me up, so that I may attend you, ride the cloud chariot and hold the reins for you, and personally behold the celestial countenance (the august visage of the Celestial Emperor). This is precisely the opportunity brought about by the karmic connections of this disciple’s former life.”

The Immortal Duke said, “You have now already risen above the ordinary and stand apart. At most you can only ascend to Heaven. How could you follow me into the Taiji Palace and have audience at the Most High’s Jade Capital and Golden Towers (the supreme celestial palace spoken of in Daoism)? It is not that I am unwilling to fulfill this for you.” Another immortal then asked the Immortal Duke, “Have the roots of cultivation in the former life all been fully explained? If anything remains untold, please continue your instruction.”

The Immortal Duke (an immortal) said: “The things I passed through in former lives, the blessed rewards and karmic offenses that come from doing good and doing evil, and the course of reincarnation and rebirth—even if I spoke of them for a whole lifetime, I could not finish. If you wish to know, I can only give a brief example.

“I was once reborn as a person of high rank. I bullied the poor and the lowly, and used my power to oppress the weak. After death I fell into hell, and was later reborn as a commoner—poor, humble, and sickly, lonely and destitute, suffering beyond words. At that time I began to reflect: What had I done in a previous life to fall into such misery? What De (Virtue) had others accumulated in former lives that they could enjoy wealth and rank? I thought of doing good, yet in my heart I still could not understand, and my sorrow was hard to put into words.

“Later, after I died, I rose to the Hall of Blessings (the place where one receives karmic reward) and was reborn into a wealthy family. The household had treasures in abundance and lacked nothing, yet I cruelly abused the servants and slaves, and after death I fell into hell again to suffer punishment. After the Three Officials (divine officers who oversee good and evil in the human world and examine merit and fault) had judged my karmic offenses, I was reborn as a lowly servant. I watched my master’s expression and served him in order to keep myself safe; at the slightest cause I was whipped, and I endured every hardship of toil. At that time I reflected again: What fault had I committed in a previous life that I should become such a servant?

“So I used my own possessions to relieve the poor, revered Daoist priests, burned incense, and offered lamp oil, wishing only that in the next life I might be reborn into a wealthy and noble family, and after death rise to the Hall of Blessings, with clothing and food naturally abundant. Later I was indeed reborn as a person of high rank, yet I again killed living beings and made my living by fishing and hunting. After death I fell into hell and passed through punishments such as the mountain of knives, the forest of swords, boiling in scalding liquid, and swallowing fire, suffering all five kinds of bitter torment. When my karmic offenses had been paid off, I was reborn as pigs and sheep, repaying the debts of resentment I had incurred in the past.

“Later I was reborn again as a person of low status. My body was filthy and foul-smelling, so that people loathed me; I also deceived others and seized their money without returning it, and after death I fell into hell once more. Later I was reborn as an ox, repaying with my labor the debts I owed others, and offering my flesh for people to eat.

“Still later, I was reborn into a household of middling means and lived in comfort, and I began to accumulate merit and De: I regularly made offerings to Daoist priests, reverently upheld the Jing (scriptures) and observed the precepts, treated people with humility, gave alms to relieve those in hardship, followed the teachings of the Dao (the Way) in all matters, and whenever I heard of a good deed I was willing to do it. I lived until the age of eighty before I died, and at once rose to the Abode of Blessings (the dwelling where one enjoys karmic reward), partaking of the celestial kitchen (the food and drink of the heavenly realm).

“After that I was reborn again into a noble family, yet I delighted in martial valor and treated killing and warfare as ordinary matters. Even so, I still revered Daoist priests, believed in the teachings of the Dao, carefully observed the precepts, treated people with humility, gave alms to relieve those in hardship, followed the teachings of the Dao in all matters, and whenever I heard of a good deed I was willing to do it. After I died I fell into hell and ought to have undergone punishment. The Most High therefore issued a decree, saying: Although this person committed the offense of killing and warfare, while alive he had believed in the teachings of the Dao…”

Revering the Great Dao (the Way), he gave alms to those in distress. When his merits and faults were now examined, he could be permitted to ascend to the Hall of Blessings and enjoy what the celestial kitchen provided. Later he was reborn as a person of noble rank, and his enemies and adversaries were about to come seeking him. At this point he vowed to put his faith in the Dao, reverently accepted the teachings of the scriptures (Jing), did good and accumulated De (Virtue/Power), and rescued those in peril. In conducting affairs of state he followed the Dao and righteousness, treated all beings with a compassionate heart, and supported Daoist priests. He was loyal to his sovereign and courteous to his subordinates, and he often thought of resigning his honors and giving up his stipend. Only in this way did he escape his enemies. When his life came to an end he ascended to the heavenly halls, and later he was reborn once more as a person of noble rank.

His reverence and faith in the Dao grew still more devout, yet his talent and wisdom were insufficient. He therefore made a vow, burned incense, and prayed: “May I in every life hereafter keep the Dao in mind, treat all beings with a compassionate heart, support Daoist priests, remain loyal to my sovereign and courteous to my subordinates, and often think of resigning honors and abandoning stipend. In this way I shall escape my enemies and, when my life ends, ascend to the heavenly halls. May I in the next life be wise and clear-minded, able to grasp the subtle and mysterious principles, become a Daoist priest, and after death ascend to the Hall of Blessings.”

Later he was born into a family in the Central Lands and became a ritual master and Daoist priest. Clad in ritual robes, he upheld the precepts and cultivated the methods of the Dao. In expounding and reciting the scriptures he was intelligent and penetrating, and his conduct was often respected by the ritual masters and the assembly. He then made a vow again, saying: “In this life I cannot attain the Dao. Better to become a woman, pure and quiet, with nothing to attend to, and so live a life of leisure and ease.”

After he died he was reborn as a woman, of upright appearance and outstanding talent, whose speech could take form as literary composition. After she had prepared to observe the fast and recite the scriptures, she again vowed to be transformed into a man. She hoped that her talent and wisdom would be great, that she would thoroughly understand the mysterious principles and discern what is hidden and minute, and at the same time she hoped to be a king who could associate with Daoist priests. All that she wished in her heart was fulfilled: she roamed among mountains and waters; music and dance in the palace were abundant; and there were often occasions of expounding the scriptures. After she died she ascended to the heavenly halls, where clothing and food were of themselves plentiful.

Before long he was reborn into a king’s family and became the crown prince. He came and went among the various quarters of the palace and succeeded to the throne. He often summoned Daoist priests and worthy, virtuous Confucian scholars, performed the rites, and discoursed on the methods of the Dao. He cultivated the way of purity, stillness, and quiet repose, and carried out as he wished the things he honored. Thus the state was at peace, the people prosperous, and all under heaven solemn and untroubled.

At this time three attendant ministers made a vow together: “May we in the life to come become Daoist priests; I wish to be a recluse.” Dao Wei, Zhu Fakai, Zheng Siyuan, Zhang Tai, and others likewise all vowed to become Daoist priests, resolving to ascend as immortals and transcend the world, cutting off the king…

I once cultivated with great effort. After death I ascended directly to Heaven and enjoyed the clothing and food of the celestial realm. I was later reborn as a recluse. Kaiwei, Zhang Zheng, and others also became Daoist priests, and together we entered the mountains to study the Dao (the Way) and seek immortality. Later I became teacher to the company and resolved to cultivate the path of the Great Vehicle. I often observed the fast and recited scriptures (Jing), and I also carried precious treasures to the great ritual master, where I received and upheld the great scriptures of the Three Caverns (Dongzhen, Dongxuan, and Dongshen), made offerings and paid homage, formed vows and offered prayers, kept the fast and practiced the Way, and cultivated methods such as ingestion and breath regulation. The great scriptures of the Three Caverns are a general name for the important classics of Daoism; ingestion and breath regulation are Daoist methods of cultivation.

My causes and conditions were not yet fulfilled. When my lifespan came to an end, I was reborn into a worthy and good household and again became a Daoist priest and ritual master. Later I met my former fellow students; we became teacher and disciples to one another, and I once more received and upheld the great scriptures, kept the fast, and practiced the Way. Because of this, the Exalted Sage (a holy perfected being of lofty status) looked upon me with favor and condescended to transmit instruction to me. At that time both Kaiwei and Zhang Zheng stood in attendance at the seat, and they still follow me now. This is precisely the karmic connection and original vow we formed in former lives.

When the immortals heard this, none failed to feel set at ease. The whole company sighed and said, “The Heavenly Worthy, the superior one, has sought the Dao for a long time, passing through countless kalpas and many years, and so was able to attain the rank of Immortal Duke. There is indeed a reason for it. Only now do we understand that the merit of our cultivation in former lives was slight and the scriptural methods we received and upheld were few. How could we presume to seek the station of immortals of high rank? From now on we ought once more to receive and uphold the scriptural Way of the Great Cavern, diligently cultivate a compassionate heart, and deliver beings from every kind of hardship and peril, hoping thereby to gain the chance to ascend to Heaven.”

The Immortal Duke said, “If one does not revere the Cavern Scriptures of the Supreme Dao, one cannot bring the many wondrous methods to completion. Let each of you cultivate diligently, accumulate abundant merit, and relieve the sufferings of living beings. Having formed such a resolve, do you still fear that you cannot ascend to Heaven before long? Only if one wishes to ascend to the Golden Portal of the Most High (the palace towers of the highest celestial realm in Daoist tradition) must one perhaps wait some time yet.”

The Immortal Duke continued, “What I have undergone and put into practice is too much to tell in full. Brush and ink could not finish recording it, and the toil within it is even harder to make plain. Only now have I received the karmic reward I enjoy today.”

The immortals asked, “Earlier, when we entered Dongting together with you, the superior one, we viewed the detached palace of the Heavenly King. When we first ascended Mount Mao, we again saw a host of immortals asking to accompany you, the superior one, on your tour. What, after all, are the origins of those immortals, and why are there so many of them?”

The Immortal Duke replied, “Those immortals all belong to the famous mountains and grotto abodes of various places…”

Immortals are already far from few. Have you not seen the grotto-abodes in the great mountains of Kunlun, Penglai, Zhongshan, Songgao, Huayue, Lingniao, and the rest? Countless immortals dwell there.

An immortal asked, “I do not know where Dongting leads.”

The reply was: “Dongting leads to the great mountains spoken of above, and also to the great sea, to Beifeng (the nether realm of Daoist legend), and to Daizong (Mount Tai). Among the Five Sacred Mountains, there is nowhere that cannot be reached from the others. Once five immortals said they wished to return to Mount Juqu. Is that the homeland where they lived in a former life?”

The reply was: “Mount Juqu is the very mountain I see the moment I raise my eyes, and it is also a celebrated mountain of Jiangzuo (the region east of the lower Yangtze). It is the western side gate of the Dongting of the Nine Springs. The terrace of the grotto-abode beneath the mountain measures thirty li square. Its palaces and chambers shine with brilliance, and they lie within the sphere of the thirty-six lesser heavens. The place is untroubled by defiling Qi (vital energy). So long as a Daoist priest cultivates himself with uprightness, he may dwell there in peace. In the past, after Master Mao attained the Dao (the Way), he has continued to this day to live in the grotto-palace on that mountain. The grotto-palace stands in the midst of the void and is named Kongdong, the Hollow Cavern; there the Abbey of the Mysterious Palace was built as a dwelling for immortals.”

The immortal asked again: “Not long ago I ascended to the Xuanpu Palace of Kunlun to attend at the seats, and I saw the Perfected One of Zhengyi (Orthodox Unity), Ritual Master of the Three Heavens Zhang Daoling—the Celestial Master (Tianshi) revered in Daoism—descend to the seat. Officials of Fengdu came forward to receive him; the beings of the Three Realms bowed their heads to him, and the gods of the various heavens paid him their greetings. The dragon carriage he rode lit the void as it moved; a round radiance shone behind his neck, and his body gave forth heavenly light.”

An immortal respectfully inquired: Lately I ascended to the Xuanpu Palace on Mount Kunlun—the legendary palace gardens where immortals dwell—to attend at the assembly, and I saw the True Person of Zhengyi (Orthodox Unity), the Ritual Master of the Three Heavens, Zhang Daoling, come down from his seat. The officials of Fengdu came forward to receive him; beings of the Three Realms bowed to him, and the gods of every heaven offered him respectful greetings. The dragon carriage he rode flashed through the air; a halo of perfect brightness circled above his head; celestial light issued from his body, and the patterns upon his person were brilliantly resplendent. What merit, I ask, did he accomplish in former lives, that he could attain the Dao (the Way) and alone possess such honor? I would gladly hear the reasons.

The reply was: The cultivation undergone by Celestial Master (Tianshi) Zhang Daoling likewise passed through the diligent toil of countless kalpas. He kept the purification fasts and observed the precepts, recited the Jing (scripture/classic), propagated the great Dao, and broadly delivered living beings. He established the lofty exemplar of the mysterious and wondrous True Person, devoted himself to realizing principles subtle and profound, and sought the Dao through many turnings. The effort he expended even surpassed my own, and it is hard to recount in full. His aspiration was vast and he revered the great Dao, and so he received the office of Ritual Master of the Three Heavens and the title of Supreme True Person of Zhengyi. Is this not truly exalted?

At that time the Azure Lad of Eastern Florescence—the immortal youth attendant upon the Lord of Eastern Florescence—and the assembled immortals were all within the grotto-abode of Mount Songgao, quietly keeping the purification fast and chanting the scriptural texts. Those newly beginning to cultivate the Dao, after hearing the Immortal Duke recount the cultivation experiences of the various immortals, without exception longed for the great Dao and encouraged themselves with these deeds.

(In the original text this passage is repeated once.)

The Azure Lad said: The Immortal Duke has spoken with subtlety and marvel; his words reach far, and the principles he sets forth are essential, truly trustworthy, and worthy of reverence.

The assembled immortals bowed and said: We are willing to carry out the words you have spoken.

The Azure Lad spoke again: In former days you and I together received grace and kind regard, and this bond of feeling has not been forgotten even to the present. You received the charge conferred by the Most High; by rights I should have been the first to show you respect. Our sentiments were congenial, yet we have all along been unable to pay our respects to you face to face, which has often left me uneasy at heart. I hope this intention has not been left unfulfilled.

The Immortal Duke replied: Earlier I received your special concern and kind inquiry. I felt deeply abashed, and my admiration for you only deepened—how could the gratitude in my heart ever be fully expressed? My De (Virtue/Power) is shallow, yet I have been fortunate to be valued by the Supreme Sage, who openly conferred an edict and talismanic writings and bestowed the title “Chiyi,” which I am truly ashamed and dare not accept. We became companions through the Dao and through De, coming and going among the Three Realms. Whenever I think that we may wander free and at ease, roaming together in the realm of mysterious emptiness, I find it pure, refined, and delightful. The respect you show me truly need not be mentioned again. It is only that I am now about to take up my post, and the day of parting from you draws ever nearer. Thinking of this, I cannot help feeling reluctant to leave, and my heart is filled with wistfulness.

Lord Azure Lad (Qingtong jun) said: “Within the Three Realms—the Realm of Desire, the Realm of Form, and the Formless Realm, as spoken of in Daoism—I have often longed to wander free and at ease, roaming together with you through the mysterious realm of emptiness. This pure and beautiful friendship is already enough to express my respect for you; what more need be said? It is only that, thinking of your imminent departure to take up your post, the day of our parting draws ever nearer. Reflecting on this, my heart cannot help but feel attached and sorrowful. What is to be done?”

Lord Azure Lad replied: “I have always kept your earnest hopes in mind, and so I have often been graced by your kindness and words of comfort.”

The Immortal Duke said: “The Celestial Master (Tianshi) said that if, on the first and the fifteenth of each month, one can observe fasting and abstinence in a quiet chamber, recite the Daoist scriptures (Jing) one has received and upholds, and read the deeds of the various immortals, one can become a subject of the Later Sage. Born in such an age, is this not cause for joy? On the dingmao day, one should worship the Azure Lad of Eastern Florescence (the honored deity of the immortal realm of the East) in the quiet chamber: facing north, bow three times, and pray for the attainment of immortality that one desires. One should also recite the scriptures on one’s own natal day and refrain from dealings with worldly affairs. All these are important methods for seeking immortality. In the Daoist tradition there are many such practices; one need only choose those one believes in and follows. The fundamental formula for cultivating the Dao (the Way) lies in inner single-mindedness and the gathering of Jing (essence) and Qi (vital energy); one’s practice must accord with the mysterious teaching. Even if one harbors wishes in the heart, if one cannot cultivate in this way, they will be hard to realize.”

Note: The collation remarks that follow record the lacunae in the Dunhuang manuscript and the restoration of scripture titles and wording; the quotations and collation characters therein are all supplied on the basis of the Daozang edition and other materials.