《元始无量度人上品妙经注》Vol. 3

“Eyi has no measure; profound wonder accords with Truth.” This cloud-script—a sacred celestial inscription—was used by the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning to guard Tengsheng Heaven. Eyi is the inner name of the Celestial Emperor. “Measureless” refers to the Perfected One of Supreme Emptiness; “measure” means to assess and judge; “profound wonder” means penetrating and subtle; and “accords with Truth” means being in harmony with the true Dao.

The scripture says that the Celestial Emperor Eyi cultivated the Dao from the Primordial Kalpa onward. He transcended the Three Realms, took his place in the Jade Void, and attained the rank of Great Sage. When the chart was opened in the Red Radiance era, the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning appointed him King of Fandu Heaven. He also commanded the Perfected One of Supreme Emptiness to open the Office of Long Night and assess and rescue guilty souls, helping them understand their destiny from former lives, cleanse the roots of their wrongdoing, and ascend to the Hall of Wondrous Transformation, where they would at last accord with the true Dao. This cloud-script was therefore used to guard Fandu Heaven.

“Primordial Brahma is vast and boundless; in hidden stillness, it delivers people.” This cloud-script was used by the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning to guard Jiayi Heaven. “Primordial Brahma” refers to the great Brahma Qi of Primordial Beginning—the primal, expansive energy. “Vast and boundless” describes its immeasurable extent; “hidden stillness” describes its profound quiet; and “delivering people” means saving and guiding countless beings.

The scripture says that the great Brahma Qi of Primordial Beginning is vast and without limit. It floats high above and never falls, is so wondrous that it cannot be put into words, and is so deeply still that it cannot be seen or heard. Yet Truth is contained within it, and within Truth there is essence. In the unseen depths, it can deliver the inhabitants of Heaven and all living beings.

The hymn says: If those who cultivate the Dao can understand the “Great Cavern Chapter,” the demon kings of the Three Realms will enter their names in the register. Those newly delivered ascend Mount Tuoshan; when the kalpa comes to an end, they undergo assessment and then rise beyond the Three Realms. Afterward, they travel by the rites of the flying heavens to attend a banquet, ascending amid the azure clouds and guiding the great sages of Heaven to accompany them. Three times each day, they pay homage at the Seven-Treasure Palace and personally offer congratulations before the Jade-Resplendent Emperor.

The Perfected Person of Great Nonbeing, who dwells in the realm of utmost emptiness, delivers souls burdened by sin. In this way, all beings may be saved, and each may clearly see the fate allotted to them in a former life.

His merit is lofty and boundless, beyond the reach of inquiry. The primordial Brahma Qi, the original vital energy at the birth of Heaven and Earth, is vast and empty, like the undivided state of primordial chaos.

It is deep and still, beyond what the eye can see or the ear can hear; yet within it lies true, subtle Jing, unmistakably real.

The wondrous principles by which beings are saved and all things aided are difficult to express, and are therefore called “hidden words.” This is what is presented to the Lord and praised in his honor.

The Perfected Person of Great Nonbeing, who dwells in the realm of utmost emptiness, delivers souls burdened by sin. In this way, all beings may be saved, and each may clearly see the fate allotted to them in a former life.

His merit is lofty and boundless, beyond the reach of inquiry. The primordial Brahma Qi is vast and empty, like the undivided state of primordial chaos.

It is deep and still, beyond what the eye can see or the ear can hear; yet within it lies true, subtle Jing, unmistakably real.

The wondrous principles by which beings are saved and all things aided are difficult to express, and are therefore called “hidden words,” also known as “sounds without measure.”

The scripture says: “The great Brahma hidden words and sounds without measure in these heavens are ancient characters, each one vast as a length of ten feet.” The Celestial Perfected Emperor, a transcendent said to be in charge of recording the characters of Heaven, once wrote these characters down and established their standard pronunciations. Whoever understands these pronunciations, observes purification, and recites them will be visited by the Flying Heavenly Spirit Kings, sent down by the heavens to observe them. They will record the person’s deeds of cultivation and report them to the heavens. The myriad spirits will come to pay homage, the earth deities will wait by the gate, and the Great Merit Demon King, who oversees the examination and recommendation of practitioners, will also recommend the person for admission among the High Immortals. When the Way is fully realized, the practitioner will be able to travel through the Three Realms and ascend to the Golden Gate.

These characters are formed from Brahma Qi and are secret celestial script. Above, they can protect the heavenly realm, stabilize the Way of Heaven, and summon celestial immortals; below, they can benefit the people and deliver suffering souls from death. For this reason, they are called “saving beings without measure.” The ancient characters were assembled by the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning after he observed the traces left by the movement of Brahma Qi. Each character spans ten feet and appears faintly suspended in the Great Void. Every eight characters form the foundation of a heavenly Qi. The formation and destruction of the heavens through successive kalpas are governed by the dispersal and gathering of these characters. Even holy beings of the highest rank cannot recognize them, so the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning commanded the Celestial Perfected Emperor to write down their standard pronunciations. Yet once one has attained the rank of a celestial immortal, these characters become recognizable.

The phrase “the Great Merit Demon King recommends a High Immortal” means that this revered deity, who rules the Three Realms, recommends a practitioner for elevation to the rank of High Immortal. When the practitioner’s realization of the Way is complete, they can travel through the Three Realms and pay their respects at the Golden Gate.

The “Sacred Writ of the Great Brahmā” is a hidden and holy scripture. It began to circulate only after it was corrected by the “August Immortal,” a primordial immortal in Daoist legend. Those who fast and recite it with sincere devotion can bring joy to the heavens, ascend, and become transcendent immortals.

The scripture’s sound dispels and averts all harm, saves and delivers all beings, and brings every undertaking to completion. It is the sound of heavenly truth arising naturally. As it is recited, it is as though the celestial realm has descended: the chanting of the Lord is heard from afar, the myriad gods come to pay homage, and the gods of the Three Realms attend on either side. Demons bow their heads and submit, while ghosts, sprites, and strange beings vanish of their own accord. The scripture’s voice rings clear as a jade chime. The ten directions fall silent, rivers and seas grow calm, and mists lift from the mountains. All spirits tremble and bow in submission, and the assembled immortals are summoned to appear. No defilement or demonic influence remains between Heaven and Earth; profound wisdom becomes open and clear. This is the vast and wondrous realm.

The account has already described these matters in detail. Here, it praises the fourteen merits brought about by Lingbao—the sacred scriptures and teachings honored in Daoism—with phrases such as “mountains swallow the mists; all spirits tremble and submit; the immortals are summoned; Heaven is free of foul vapors and Earth of demonic dust; profound wisdom opens into clarity; vastness and mystery beyond measure.” These words are written at the end of the scroll to bring the work of the “Great Cavern,” a profound Daoist state of cultivation, to completion.

“Profound wisdom opens into clarity” also sums up Lingbao’s four sacred powers. “Profound” means being in deep accord with all things. “Wisdom” means insight that illuminates without limit. “Cavern” means seeing through the ten directions. “Clarity” means attaining the utmost purity. These are the qualities inherent in the Lingbao Dao, and the complete merits that practitioners may attain.

“Vastness and mystery beyond measure” means that the Daoist Lord marvels at the scripture’s boundless power to benefit the world and deliver people, a wonder beyond words. The mysterious Dao brings all things to completion without claiming credit for itself; this is the virtue of mystery. “Mystery upon mystery” is the source of all subtle teachings, hence the phrase “vastness and mystery beyond measure.”

The hymn says: Among the scriptures of the Three Caverns, those voiced in sacred jade tones are most exalted. Their lines and characters are arranged with graceful precision, radiant as pearls, jade, and precious metals. They protect Heaven and Earth, suppress calamities, and widely save and deliver the countless beings of the mortal world.

The commentator says: The middle section of the Ling Shu is a sacred chant for guarding the thirty-two heavens and opening the gate to salvation. Reciting and proclaiming it brings great benefit. The thirty-two heavens also symbolize the stages through which celestial beings and Daoist practitioners cultivate, realize, and advance. Within the Three Realms there are three vehicles. For the seed people—living beings who cultivate the Dao—to enter the highest vehicle is the most exalted attainment. At this point, nature and life become one, and one joins with the Dao in truth. The scripture therefore sums up the teaching with the words, “The Dao’s words bring it to completion.”

It also uses “Mysterious Wisdom, Pervasive Clarity” to describe this state, and further explains it as “the vastness of mystery upon mystery.” This makes clear the distinction between the Great Vehicle and the three vehicles of the upper realm, as well as the meaning of the seed people entering the highest vehicle and attaining mysterious awakening.

The hymn says: The form of the Great Dao is deep and unfathomable; “mystery” is its name at the deepest level. It accords with the principle of mystery, yet appears to have no form. Within its depths lies subtle substance, and sacred Qi—the primal energy of the divine—gathers in profound abundance. The Great Dao is still and far-reaching, wholly merged with the Dao.

Why is it called “wisdom”? This means the utmost divinity. True wisdom arises naturally; it is where the divine light shines. No dark place remains unilluminated, and nothing cannot be accomplished. This is natural and so it has always been.

Why is it called “pervasive”? “Pervasive” refers to true emptiness. The principle of emptiness in Heaven is borne within the meaning of the scriptures; nothing subtle is obstructed, and inner and outer are connected throughout. Emptiness is empty of all that could be emptied: it is simply open and all-pervading.

Why is it called “clear”? “Clear” is a name for the “True One.” The Dao De Jing says, “Attain the One, and you will be clear.” The myriad things begin to arise from the One, whose source is the Great Luo Jade Clarity. Pure and unstained, it ultimately returns to formlessness.

When all four—Mysterious Wisdom, Pervasive Clarity—are fully present, this is the state of empty, mysterious, wondrous fusion, mystery upon mystery. One clings neither to emptiness nor to being, and no longer clings even to “nothingness.” This is perhaps the supreme efficacy of the Most High’s Dongxuan Lingbao Scripture for Delivering People Without Measure.

The lower section of the Primordial Beginning’s Ling Shu was written by the Celestial Perfected Sovereign.

The Eight Heavens of the East:

Senjiao stores the clouds; the nine souls refine essence. Zhi-mo peers through jue; Fu-mei says ~. Lu-ji raises Fang; Bi-ti zan circles back. Chi-dian.

Cloud vapors gather between the forested peaks, where the Nine Souls refine and nourish Jing and Qi. Zhi Mo gazes secretly at the jade tablet; Fu Mei says … Lu Ji raises the dwelling, and Bi Ti circles back. Chi Dian bears the dang, while Qi Huan joins hands in paying homage. Zao Zhang transforms into fine jade, and Lan Pan wears a blue-green ring. Kang Bang grows in the wilderness; at the center of the highest realm, clarity shines like Kunlun. Radiance unfolds and the caverns run dry; in stillness, subtle principles gather and take shape. What is pure and white rests upon the net of emptiness; the sovereign reaches the primal spirit.

The Eight Heavens of the South

Yan Duan’s hall stretches wide, with a jade corner of the Great Empyrean. Through distant regions they pass, setting each thing in its proper place; encircling gates are adorned with designs. They open a path over lofty mountains, and Gu Dan becomes whole. Ji Yun’s brilliance dazzles, while Jing Qi holds the rushes. Zhang Wei brings the rite to completion, its radiance flashing like fine langgan jade. Bian Lü Yi Dan: in hidden places, thunder resounds everywhere. Juan Huang manifests true reality in the east, as red sunlight gathers and rises. Yu Xuan lays out the feudal lords; Bai Pan reaches the proper measure.

The Eight Heavens of the West

Gao Zheng moves to the left; Po Ni subdues the spirits. Bei Zhao balances the frontiers, while Ji Nan travels to the place of the Kui star. Stillness and equanimity quiet the brilliance; within the primordial unity, causes and conditions are awakened to. Abiding in the Dao, one dwells in the heights; signs endure and make its principles clear. Tai Ling is still and remote; Bing He and Lu Sui follow. Zhe Jing and Chang Hua; Xu Xian and Jian Sha. Li Duo and Chu Zhu; Hui Yan and Qiu Pei. Zhuo Yun and Qing Fu; Ye Du and Ban Ji.

The Eight Heavens of the North

Wa Hai receives the sweet dew; the emerald firmament has nine railings. Xiao Gou’s ripples rise; Long Fen is the spirit gate. Gou Lun and Xu Mo; Huo Man and Qi Tong. The dark void stills its breath; without knowing, it opens into brightness. Mang Xiu brings an auspicious night; fragrance fills the altar and the fields. Tang Chang spreads flourishing abundance; the humble are careful in their aid. At dawn, Kang Ji widens the spirit gate. Gou Lun and Xu Mo; Huo Man and Qi Tong. The dark void stills its breath; without knowing, it opens into brightness. Mang Xiu brings an auspicious night; fragrance fills the altar and the fields. Tang Chang spreads flourishing abundance; the humble are careful in their aid. At dawn, Kang Ji widens the spirit gate; secret methods are fittingly displayed. The vast sovereign orders life, and Wei Zhao brings greatness to humankind.

The Celestial Perfected Sovereign, through the subtle and far-reaching Brahma Qi (pure primordial vital energy), gave form to the eightfold natural sound of the Heavenly Treasure. This sound governs the cycles of calamity, the earth’s ramparts, floods, and all manner of disasters in the world. Those who recite it can ward off strange forces and calamities, bringing the Dao Qi to purity and calm so that all things may be at peace. The Earth Official reverently preserves this text, and all spirits stand in awe of it. Written in divine cinnabar, the scripture reveals its efficacy when worn. It is transmitted only to those who have attained the Way through cultivation, and is not made public to ordinary people.

Hymn of the Realized One of the Supreme Ultimate

Sacred clouds shine brightly in the lofty heavens, and Brahma’s net spreads across the blue-green sky. The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning arrives in a carriage drawn by nine dragons, attended by the Divine Emperor, a Daoist deity, riding in a blue carriage. Wondrous radiance gathers ten thousand Perfected Ones; pearl-like beams of light illuminate the vast, still expanse of heaven.

The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning reveals the “Lingbao Chapters,” scriptures of the Numinous Treasure tradition, thereby bringing blessings and Virtue. The Dongxuan, one of the classifications of Daoist scriptures, lies hidden in a lofty and majestic place, while jade-toned music resounds amid the notes of cloud chimes, instruments used in Daoist ritual. The boundless wondrous principles are beyond thought, and the vast sea of the Dao sends up its waves. The teachings in the scripture flow like a clear stream, nourishing and cultivating fine seedlings. Through them, those who are poor and hungry may be given relief; the teachings may flourish and the court be protected. May the sovereign enjoy honor and live for countless years; may peace reign throughout the realm, weapons of war be laid aside, and blessings and Virtue spread far and wide.

I bow low and raise my gaze toward the Jade Court, the abode of the Celestial Emperor. Wondrous blossoms of light drift down, shining with a golden glow.

The Scripture of Salvation praises the Supreme One—the highest Dao—as a true scripture able to save and transform living beings without limit. We are born through the bodies of our parents, yet the root of life at its beginning is the same as that of Heaven and Earth: all receive the primordial Brahma Qi, the original energy at the birth of the cosmos, and from the gathering of Jing and Qi, awareness arises. The ordinary body is burdened by the six faculties—eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind—and the six sense objects—forms, sounds, smells, tastes, touch, and mental phenomena. It is also poisoned by the three karmic actions of body, speech, and mind. The first things to guard against are greed for food and anger. People drift with worldly desires, forget to return to their source, and gradually lose the seeds of goodness.

The Celestial Worthy, moved by compassion, offers aid to the people of Heaven far and wide. He explains the subtle principle by which nature and life accord with the Great Dao, proclaiming it through scripture so that people may return to life’s source and no longer fall into the cycle of rebirth. At the very beginning, the wondrous scripture teaches the nature of the Dao: when the mind and spirit are still, clear, and pure, the pristine source becomes manifest. All are equal, high and low alike, with no distinction made because rivers or mountains stand in the way. The pure sheen of jade symbolizes the innate purity of human nature; amid emptiness and mystery, a precious pearl hangs high. Realizing the true source brings fulfillment in perfect emptiness. In stillness, no sound remains, and all finally returns to silence.

How can one bring nature and life to completion? By refining Qi and becoming an immortal, harmonizing the Five Qi—the five energies within the human body that correspond to Heaven and Earth—and entering the Gate of the Mysterious Female, the root gateway of generation and transformation. The hundred spirits merge and return to unity. Through ten cycles of refinement and nourishment, the embryo of the origin reaches completion; one sheds the ordinary and returns to the true, as the body merges with nature. To attain this state, cultivation and virtuous conduct are both essential: fulfill eight hundred acts of practice and accumulate three thousand merits. The heavens record every good and bad deed without the slightest error. In the realms ruled by the demon kings, radiant primordial Qi rises in all four directions. Negligence and backsliding bring admonishment; even metal and stone are not unbreakable. Heaven recommends the practitioner, who then flies with effortless lightness. Both emptiness and existence fall silent; ingrained attachments are severed at their root. One transcends the Three Realms and ascends to the Jade Void. Cultivating in accordance with the scripture is like forgetting the fish trap once the fish is caught. Even the Daoist disciples who offer this praise cannot exhaust the Dao’s profound mystery. Heaven’s grace spreads widely over all beings, saving them everywhere without limit.

End of the Lower Volume of the Commentary on the Supreme Scripture of Primordial Beginning for Measureless Salvation, Wondrous Scripture of the Highest Rank.

Accounts of the efficacy of reciting the Scripture of Salvation:

The experience of Master Du San after cultivating and reciting the scripture.

Daoist Du Yanzhen of Tianqing Temple in Langzhou cultivated the Way with sincere devotion and often recited and upheld the Scripture for Deliverance. He used his own robes and alms bowl to build a small scripture hall. Before a stone image of Lord Lao, he placed a statue of a tortoise as its base. The hall was covered with paintings of the divine beings’ manifestations described in the scripture. He always kept it solemn and clean, never growing lax.

In the year Du Yanzhen turned seventy-eight, he suddenly said to those around him, “If you do not cherish the Way of the immortals, how can you transcend the Three Realms? For now, I take my leave of you all. Take care of yourselves, and hold fast to your conduct like pines and cypresses in the depths of winter.” Having said this, he knelt down and died.

After Du Yanzhen was buried, a white light often appeared above his grave, which the local people found strange. His disciples went together to inspect it and discovered a hole in the grave. His body had disappeared, leaving behind only two shoes. At the time, no one understood what had happened. Later, someone suddenly arrived from Chengdu and said, “Master Du the Third has sent a letter.” When they opened it, the letter read: “Tell the Most High Lord Shi to diligently look after the village’s tortoise.” “Most High Lord Shi” referred to Lord Lao in stone form. Only then did everyone understand that their revered teacher, Du Yanzhen, had attained “corpse liberation”—the Daoist transformation in which the body disappears as one leaves mortal form and becomes an immortal.

The Liu Family’s Daughter Receives a Response Through Recitation

During the Shaoxi era, a Liu family lived in Guozhou, and their daughter was seven years old. One day, a Daoist was reciting scriptures and soliciting offerings. The girl asked her parents, “Which scripture is he reciting?” They replied, “The Scripture for Deliverance.” The girl respectfully asked to learn it, and her parents agreed. In less than a month, she had memorized the entire text and recited it without pause, day and night.

One day, a great fire broke out at the home of their western neighbor, and the Liu family’s house stood amid the flames. People could hear only the girl’s recitation, which never stopped. Just as it seemed the Liu home would be burned to ashes, a sudden whirlwind swept around, and the flames passed over the house, leaving it completely unharmed. The author believed this was likely an example of the scripture’s divine beings protecting a household. He therefore had the story carved into print and distributed it for others to read.

During the Qingyuan era, whenever the Baozhu Society in Zizhou held a gathering, the lame Wang Ming would come leaning on his cane to listen to the scriptures. One day, when he heard a passage about “saving people throughout the immeasurable reaches of the ten directions,” he felt as though a powerful force were pulling at his leg. He looked down, but saw nothing. So he dropped his cane and walked home on his own. When someone asked him what had happened, Wang Ming said, “I listened to the scriptures for twenty years before I understood what they say: repeatedly proclaiming the scriptures can enable someone who has been lame for years to walk again. This really has come true.”

The Efficacy of Zhang Jiangshi’s Recitation

During the Chunxi era, late in life Zhang Jiangshi of East Street in Langzhou studied the Scripture of Deliverance (Duren Jing) under a Daoist priest, known in ancient times as a “yellow-robed one.” Every morning and evening he observed purification and abstinence. He burned incense before the stove, steadied his voice and regulated his breathing, then recited the scripture several times over. He kept this up for thirty years. One day, he suddenly said to his family, “How could you know? What I practice is the Way of Corpse Liberation”—a Daoist method of attaining immortality by leaving the physical form behind. Not long afterward, he died at the age of seventy-seven.

Zhang Jiangshi was born in a year of the Dinghai cycle. A month after his burial, when a Dinghai day came around again, nine lotus blossoms suddenly grew from the ashes of the family’s ancestral offering table. Their petals were pure white, and their slender stems stood more than a foot tall. His family invited their relatives to come and see them, and everyone marveled and praised the sight. Three days later the blossoms withered, though their roots remained where they were. Later, while looking through the scriptures, the family came across the words, “If one wishes to be born, it is through the lotus flower,” and then understood the meaning of what had happened. In later years, his son Xin sat the prefectural examination in the jiatai jiazi year and passed. The family has since become one of the leading local lineages.

The Efficacy of Ren Zhao’s Recitation

During the Jiatai era, Ren Zhao, a county clerk in Shizhao County, Hezhou, lost his sight because of an eye disease. He resigned from his post and recited the Scripture of Deliverance (Duren Jing), praying to recover. One day, his eyesight suddenly returned. After this, he became even more diligent and devout, and made a solemn vow: to copy the Scripture of Deliverance, carve a sacred image of the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning, and spread them to Tianqing Abbey in the prefecture; he would also contribute to the construction of the Daoist Canon and other scriptural collections. The work was soon completed. Is this not the fulfillment of what the scripture says: “Proclaim the scripture twice, and the blind will regain their sight”?