《元始无量度人上品妙经内义》Vol. 4

In this way, one can move freely without obstruction, clear and limpid, leaving no trace or form. The heart is broad enough to embrace all things, and its depths are beyond measure. This state is subtle and difficult to understand, so the scripture describes it as “dark wisdom, penetrating clarity, vast measure, mystery upon mystery.” “Dark” means in accord with emptiness and nothingness; “wisdom” means wondrous understanding that is complete and thoroughly clear; “penetrating” means unobstructed access; “clarity” means limpid transparency, without form or trace; “vast measure” means embracing all things and being immeasurable; and “mystery upon mystery” means that within the mysterious lies an even deeper mystery, beyond conception.

Upon reaching this state, one may speak of the dragon and tiger—symbols in Daoist Neidan cultivation for Yin-Yang, Jing, Qi, and related forces—without fixating on manipulating Jing, Qi, Shen, and the hun-soul. One may speak of nature and life, the cultivation of a person’s inner nature and life, without becoming attached to empty stillness. The mind can reach in all ten directions and harmonize freely without obstruction. The scripture says, “Use the light, then return to the original clarity.” This is what it means.

The Dao treats the people of the world as a loving mother cares for an infant: sheltering, supporting, nourishing, and raising them. It may even manifest in the world in different forms to explain moral principles and laws, establish the rites between ruler and subject, and set right the order between those above and below, so that people have support and nurture in life and a proper burial after death. The Dao accompanies those who stand out from the crowd throughout their lives. Even those who pursue worldly glamour and seek immortality out of fear of death may achieve results according to the merit of their practice; not even a single good deed is overlooked. This is care in its fullest measure.

If everyone could realize the Great Dao and become simple, uncontentious people like those of the age of the Ge Tian clan, there would be no need to write scriptures or establish teachings. It is only because people’s hearts lack benevolence that scriptures have been passed down and teachings established. Thus the retribution of heaven and hell is spoken of as a means of encouraging people to do good and restraining them from evil.

Some say that death is the end, and nothing remains; heaven and hell do not exist. This may sound reasonable, but how are we to explain what happens? After death, people sometimes appear in dreams, are sometimes seen by others, sometimes speak through another person’s mouth, and sometimes manifest through objects. In view of this, we cannot declare that everything ends when a person dies, nor can we say that heaven and hell have no reality at all. The Cave of Clear Spirits, the Hall of Pure Repose, and accounts of bodies buried as bones and the gloom of water prisons all relate to the ideas of heaven and hell.

The Celestial Worthy said: “Living beings have not yet awakened, so they must be guided through the consequences of cause and effect. Once they have awakened, what guidance do they still need?” Hell and heaven—are they not both temporary gatherings of causes and conditions? Both are created by the human mind, but that does not mean we can dismiss cause and effect altogether.

The Highest One constantly strives to save the people of the world, yet they do not cherish the Great Dao. These teachings are therefore used to guide ordinary people: do not direct the mind wrongly; return to your original nature, restrain your desires, and leave evil behind for good. Those who do so may, at the highest level, transcend the ordinary and enter sagehood; at the next, attain liberation through transformation, realize the Dao, and ascend to true immortality; at a further level, withdraw from the world to cultivate, prolong life, and endure; even at a more modest level, they can extend their years, live in comfort, retain human form through successive lives, and, by continually nurturing the roots of goodness, eventually realize the Immortal Dao. Compared with being plagued by illness, dying young, meeting a violent or untimely death, or sinking into evil realms, which outcome brings the greater gain or loss? Anyone who understands the matter will weigh it carefully.

“The Sound of the Eightfold Union of Natural, Mysterious, Expansive Heavenly Treasure Qi” is a wondrous sound that arose naturally in the celestial realm.

The “Lower Chapter of the Numinous Writings” was written by the Heavenly Perfected Sovereign.

The “Later Commentary” says: On examination, the “Wondrous Scripture of Salvation, the Supreme Grade of the Lingbao” was bestowed on Emperor Wu by the Queen Mother of the West during the Yuanfeng era of the Han dynasty. This was already the seventh transmission. There is no clear record of the transmissions that came before it. In the celestial realm, this scripture originally comprised many volumes; what we see today is only one chapter.

During the Jin dynasty, the Immortal Lord of the Left Palace of the Supreme Ultimate obtained the “Scripture of Salvation” in Shangyu, Kuaiji. He received it from Xu Laile, a Perfected One of the Supreme Ultimate. It included the “Lower Chapter of the Numinous Writings” and the “Postface by the Perfected One of the Supreme Ultimate,” which recount the Perfected Ones’ transmission of the scriptures and the circumstances of their coming together and parting. Only then was the full text complete. Later, after war and destruction by fire, Ge Hong obtained the scripture from the Perfected One Zheng Siyuan. The version passed down thereafter ended at “abundant mystery upon mystery.” The “Lower Chapter of the Numinous Writings” had already been lost and could not be reconstructed, so no complete copy of the scripture existed in the world.

Now, as the times grow auspicious, celestial officials have descended and appended the missing text to the end of the scripture. Those who recite it can grasp the wondrous methods contained in its two sections and three chapters. Those who cultivate and apply them can attain the extraordinary merit described in the complete scripture as “ten transgressions in the ten directions.” If they observe purification and practice in accordance with the scripture, they can ascend to the Shangqing realm, the Daoist realm of pure, subtle, and exalted immortals.

The “Scripture of the Five Sprouts” says: No one knows when the Heavenly Perfected Sovereign first attained the Dao, but he was a person of the previous kalpa who cultivated the Dao to the highest level. He stood nine feet tall, and his body was covered with fine black hair, each strand more than a foot long. In the time of the Yellow Emperor, he lived in a remote, shaded part of Mount Emei. His dwelling was built of dark green jade, his seat was made of gold, and he hung magnificent banners and burned a thousand measures of harmonious incense. Attending him were immortal youths and jade maidens. Three guests also sat with him, all known as the Immortal Kings of Great Clarity. The Yellow Emperor bowed to him and sought his instruction, and he transmitted the methods of cultivation known as the “Five Sprouts” and the “Three Ones.”

The Eight Heavens of the East describes the scenes within the eight celestial regions of the East. Clouds and Qi (vital energy) gather in solemn profusion; souls undergo refinement, and Jing and Qi become clear and pure. The landscapes and celestial phenomena between Heaven and Earth are mysterious and ever-changing, ultimately settling into stillness, emptiness, and stability. The text often uses hidden language to depict the heavens, so it is difficult to identify each phrase with specific scenes from everyday life.

The Eight Heavens of the South portrays the southern heavens ablaze with splendid light, with Heaven and Earth stretching vast and deep, and mountains, rivers, roads, and palaces unfolding in layer upon layer. Light flows and shifts; thunder rumbles faintly; red sunlight gathers; and a wondrous, jade-like mysterious Qi evolves and moves. Through hidden language, the scripture sets forth the solemn grandeur and numinous marvels of the heavens.

The Eight Heavens of the West depicts spiritual Qi flowing and light transforming in the western heavens, where all things blend into primordial Qi, the vital energy at the source of the cosmos. The Great Dao moves on in a remote and unbroken course, while the Great Spirit vanishes into an immense expanse. The heavens also contain splendid realms, firm lands, and cloud palaces where immortals dwell.

The Eight Heavens of the North describes palaces, passes, and the abodes of spirits in the northern heavens. Mysterious, remote, and shadowed Qi moves through them, as Heaven and Earth open out in clarity. The scripture also speaks of numinous beings, altars, the seasons, and matters of governance, presenting the northern heavens as a realm of strict order and grand laws.

The Postscript Commentary says: This passage’s hidden language resembles that of the Middle Chapter, but unlike the Middle Chapter, it has no Inner Instructions of the August Person to consult as evidence. Phrases such as “constantly and carefully guiding beings to salvation,” “sagely clear and generous,” “secret methods suited to their purpose,” “widely extending the imperial Dao,” and “protecting and opening up a vast teaching” all belong to the scripture’s hidden language.

The Later Commentary says: This passage resembles the Middle Section in its use of hidden language, but unlike the Middle Section, it has no inner commentary from the Sovereign of the Immortals (a divine perfected being who transmitted the scriptures) to serve as a guide. The character “Sen” for the East is formed from the wood radical; “Yan” for the South from fire; “Gao” for the West from metal; and “Wa” for the North from water, while also relating to earth. Water and earth are both abundant in the North. The character “Hai” is composed of “Hai” and “Zi.” These characters must be connected to the subtle principles by which Heaven and Earth bring things into being. Only those who have attained the Dao can fully understand their deeper meaning.

The Celestial Sovereign of Original Perfection (a divine perfected being from the heavens) says: These sounds of the Eight Directions, formed by the union of Qi from all eight directions, can address the world’s dangerous terrain, devastating floods, calamities, and misfortunes. Reciting and chanting them can ward off disaster, bringing the Dao Qi to clarity and stillness and restoring peace to all things. The Earth Official was commanded to transmit this scripture, and the myriad spirits hold it in awe. Written in cinnabar, its characters reveal their efficacy when worn. This classic should be transmitted to learned people who can cultivate the Dao; it should not be casually expounded to ordinary people.

The Supreme Ultimate Perfected One sings of the Dao:

Sacred clouds shine across the layered heights; sacred primordial Qi gathers in ordered ranks along the blue-green heavens. The Heavenly Worthy of Primordial Beginning arrives in a chariot drawn by nine dragons, while the Sovereign of the Immortals rides in a blue carriage. Sacred radiance gathers ten thousand perfected beings; jewel-like lights illuminate the distant, empty realm. The chapters of the Lingbao scriptures appear, bringing blessings and Virtue. The Dao of the Cavern of Mystery lies hidden in lofty, remote places, while jade-toned music resounds upon the Cloud Gong, an instrument of the immortals. Boundless mysteries defy all thought, and the sea of the Dao rises in waves. The teachings flow like a gentle stream, nourishing and bringing forth fine shoots of grain. Use this teaching to aid the poor and hungry, to make its transforming influence flourish, and to protect the court. May the august sovereign live for billions of years; may peace reign throughout the land and warfare come to an end. I bow my head and gaze toward Yuchen, the celestial realm where the Jade Clarity Heavenly Worthy dwells; its wondrous radiance shines forth in golden light.

The Supreme Ultimate Perfected One says:

The Great Lord of the Dao of the Jade Dawn (a revered Daoist deity) dwells in the Seventh Radiance Heaven above the Purple Clouds, where he records the wondrous and mysterious scriptures. The Jade Consort holds the scrolls, the Golden Youth spreads fragrance, Taiyi carries a hand towel, and the Jade Attendant stands beside the mat. Dragons roar and tigers howl as auspicious clouds fill the air. The great celestial deities of the Ten Directions, the highest sages and exalted lords, the Perfected Ones of wondrous practice, the Kings of the Flying Spirits beyond the Limitless, the great demons of the Three Realms, the Elders of the Nine Heavens, and countless beings all chant this Jade Scripture and take refuge in the wondrous Dharma of the Most High Lingbao. From this comes a flourishing destiny that endures through countless kalpas.

After reciting the scripture ten times, click the teeth thirty-six times. Pay homage in your heart to the Ten Directions, then rise, leave the mat facing south, and turn to stand facing east. Pay homage three times in your heart and silently recite the incantation:

I have now finished reciting the scripture. May the Three-Five Merit Officers, who have just emerged from my body and are responsible for conveying and recording messages; the left and right official messengers; the Youths Who Attend the Incense; the Jade Maidens Who Convey Words; the Five Emperors’ Talisman Officers, who carry out their commands; and the incense officials on duty today, thirty-two of each, return to my body and take up their proper places in their respective palaces. Let there be no confusion. When summoned again, come as customary.

Next, focus your mind and visualize all the deities within your body returning to their respective palaces. Then click your teeth three times, swallow the saliva in your mouth three times, burn incense, and silently recite the incantation:

Holy beings who have just come to listen to the scripture, please disperse the ritual altar and conclude the assembly, each returning to the domain under your care. Let the divine winds grow still, and the mountains and seas rest in solemn peace. May all evil Qi lie hidden, and may the spirits of every region protect my body.

Next, beginning in the east, visualize the celestial beings ascending to heaven in succession. At each direction, pay homage three times in your heart, then click your teeth three times to bid them farewell. Then inhale the three-colored clouds through your nose, swallow them, and visualize them entering the Five Viscera. Finally, visualize the Four Beasts, the divine creatures that guard the four directions, returning to their original positions, and click your teeth three times.

Then, beginning in the east, visualize the celestial perfected spirits who protect each direction rising to Heaven in turn. At each direction, bow three times in your heart, then click your teeth three times and send the spirit upward. Next, inhale clouds of three colors through your nose, swallow them, and send them into the five organs. Visualize the divine beasts of the four directions returning to their original places, then click your teeth three times and swallow your saliva three times. Afterward, put away the scripture and leave the room; you may then speak freely.

If you recite the scripture without observing these rites, you would do better not to recite it at all, lest negligence bring fault. Someone asked why a scripture explaining the aims of Neidan (internal alchemy) should record these rituals. This is because the Dao (the Way) is both within and without, so these rites cannot be omitted. Perhaps they can help people learn to honor the scriptures and thereby gain merit and blessing.

“Inner Meaning of the Wondrous Scripture of Supreme Excellence for the Boundless Salvation of Primordial Beginning, Volume Five” is the title of this book’s fifth volume.