《太上洞玄灵宝元始无量度人上品妙经(敦煌本)》

In the Daoist Jing (scripture/classic) it is said:

In former times, within the Beginning Azure Heaven (the azure celestial realm), upon the Great Fuli Land (a pure land of the celestial realm) of Biluo Kongge (a name of the celestial realm), the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning (a revered deity of Daoism) was about to expound the Scripture of the Primordial Beginning for Limitless Salvation of the Supreme Grade. He circled the place of exposition ten times in order to summon the deities of the ten directions; only afterward did the deities arrive before the seat.

The great gods of heavenly perfection, the supreme sages and exalted worthies, the Perfected of wondrous practice, and countless beings came riding through the void. They drove flying clouds, passed through Danxiao (the red heights of the sky), and rode in green carriages and jade-wheeled chariots, from which feathered canopies hung down in shade. Jade light streamed and turned; the radiance of the five colors grew rich and full, illuminating the entire sky. This spectacle lasted for seven days and seven nights.

The suns and moons, the constellations, and the Xuanji and Yuheng (stellar officials or instruments for observing the heavens) of the various heavens all ceased their motion. The divine winds grew still; the cloud-Qi (vital energy) between the mountains and seas withdrew; no drifting clouds veiled the sky; and the Qi of the four seasons was clear and lucid. Within one realm, the mountains, rivers, and forests all became level and even, with no longer any distinction of high and low; the land was entirely transformed into blue-green jade, and no other color could be seen. The Perfected stood in attendance beside the seat, while the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning sat upright, suspended in the void, upon a five-colored lion.

When the scripture had been expounded once, the great sages of the various heavens together praised its purity and stillness. Within one realm, the mountains, rivers, and forests once again became level and even, with no longer any distinction of high and low; the land was entirely transformed into blue-green jade, and no other color could be seen. The Perfected stood in attendance beside the seat, and the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning sat upright, suspended in the void, upon a five-colored lion.

Each time the Jing (scripture) was expounded once, the great sages of all the heavens praised it together. At that moment, every deaf person throughout the country regained hearing. When the exposition reached the second time, the blind recovered their sight; at the third, those unable to speak were able to open their mouths; at the fourth, the lame and those afflicted by illness and hampered in movement could all rise and walk; at the fifth, those long uncured, whose lingering ailments had hardened into chronic disease, all regained their health; at the sixth, white hair turned black and teeth that had fallen out grew anew; at the seventh, the elderly recovered robust vigor and the young all became strong; at the eighth, pregnant women, together with birds and beasts carrying young—whether the offspring had already been born or had not yet been born—were all able to grow and develop without hindrance; at the ninth, treasures buried underground came to light, and gold and jade appeared in the world; at the tenth, withered bones were restored to life and all rose up as living people.

At that time, men and women throughout the country, without exception, turned toward this Jing with sincere hearts; all received protection and deliverance, and attained long life.

The Dao (the Way) said:

At this time, the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning (Yuanshi Tianzun, a revered deity of Daoism) expounded the scripture (Jing) once, and the boundless supreme true great deities of the east, of every kind and class, leading multitudes beyond counting, arrived through the air. At the second recitation, the supreme true great deities and multitudes of the south arrived through the air; at the third, those of the west arrived through the air; at the fourth, those of the north arrived; at the fifth, those of the northeast arrived; at the sixth, those of the southeast arrived; at the seventh, those of the southwest arrived; at the eighth, those of the northwest arrived; at the ninth, those from above arrived; and at the tenth, those from below arrived. When the ten recitations were complete, the boundless true deities of the celestial realms from all ten directions (the four quarters, the four corners, and above and below) assembled at the same moment.

Within the kingdom, men and women among the common people all revered him with devoted hearts and came forward in throngs, as numerous as fine rain and dense mist. Countless people gathered and crowded until they filled half the land; the ground was pressed until it tilted and sank, and nothing could withstand the force. Thereupon the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning suspended a precious pearl, and the host of great true deities arrived all together.

In one kingdom, men and women alike sincerely gave their allegiance and looked up in admiration to the teachings of the Dao (the Way). Those who came were as dense as fine rain and thick mist. Their numbers were beyond counting; they packed half the country, and the ground was pressed until it tilted and sank. No one could stop them.

Thereupon the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning (Yuanshi Tianzun, a revered deity of Daoism) suspended a precious pearl no larger than a grain of millet, which hung in the air five zhang above the ground. Yuanshi Tianzun led the Great Gods of Celestial Perfection, the Supreme Sages and Exalted Worthies, and the Perfected of Wondrous Practice, together with the inexhaustible Great Gods of Ultimate Truth from the ten directions and the many hosts of immortals, and they all entered the precious pearl together. Those in heaven looked up and saw the immortal hosts entering continuously through the mouth of the pearl; once they had gone in, no one knew where they were. The crowds in the kingdom then dispersed, and the ground returned to level, no longer tilting or sinking.

Within the precious pearl, Yuanshi Tianzun finished expounding this scripture (Jing). The perfected deities presided over the assembly, delivered and transformed those present, and transmitted the text of the scripture to me. The joy and celebration of that time were beyond words. The ritual was largely complete, and the gods of the various heavens each returned to their original places. In the blink of an eye, the preaching of the scripture within the pearl had already ended, and the perfected deities had presided over it and transmitted the text. The rejoicing then was beyond description. The rite was largely finished, and the gods of the heavens each resumed their stations; in an instant, all around fell silent. Those in heaven who encountered this scriptural teaching were all universally saved. They lived out their allotted years in peace and suffered no untimely calamity. Throughout the country, people turned toward the methods of the Dao and held good intentions in their hearts. They did not kill or harm others, did not envy or resent, did not engage in licentiousness or theft, were not greedy or given to excess, and neither hated nor bore grudges. Their speech was not ornate, and no evil words passed their lips. All cherished one another; even those who were not of the same kin were as close as a single family. The state was secure, the people prosperous, and they gladly enjoyed a life of great peace.

When this scripture had just begun to circulate, it transformed the people of an entire kingdom through the teachings of the Dao. All who had long harbored sincere hearts, and who honored and reverently received the scriptural teaching, were able to attain deliverance from the mundane world.

The Daoist scripture says:

In the scripture expounded by Yuanshi Tianzun, what is spoken consists entirely of the inner names and hidden sounds of the God-Emperors of the various heavens, as well as the secret taboo-names of the demon kings and the concealed names of the hundred spirits. These are not the ordinary words of everyday use in the world. The supreme sages have already cultivated themselves into Perfected Beings. They penetrate the mysterious and wondrous and investigate the obscure and subtle, and therefore they can fully understand the chapters and phrases of the scripture.

If one recites this scripture ten times, the various heavens respond in harmony from afar, and the myriad thearchs pay homage. Rivers and seas grow calm and silent; mountains and peaks draw in their clouds and vapors; the sun and moon halt their light and shadow; and the xuanji (an ancient instrument for observing celestial phenomena) ceases to turn. Hosts of demons are bound, and the essence (Jing) and vital energy (Qi) of ghosts and specters are extinguished. Corpses return to life, and white bones are transformed into human bodies.

A person who truly possesses the mind of the Dao (the Way), upon reciting this Jing (scripture/classic) ten times, will draw the Celestial Emperors of the Five Directions to come and stand guard. The Three Realms—heaven, earth, humanity, and the other distinct realms—will all pay that person homage. Malevolent demons will lose the power to work harm, and ghosts and uncanny beings will disperse. In this way one can rescue those on the brink of death and bring back to life those who have already ceased to breathe.

This is because the foul Qi (vital energy) upon the cultivator has not yet been wholly cleared away, and the body has not yet fully opened through to the true Dao. Therefore, although one can summon, dispatch, and subdue the ghosts and spirits of the ten directions, one still lacks sufficient majestic authority to command the celestial realm. One can only, by the De (Virtue/Power) gained through cultivation, subdue and employ the earth deities—the spirits of the earth—and bind demonic beings; yet one can only spare the dead from harassment for a time, and cannot restore the dead to life. If one recites this scripture rashly, one will bring disaster upon oneself. If one can offer it up with sincere devotion and honor it with reverent worship, the household will prosper, flourishing generation after generation, and will stand in accord with good affinities. No calamity of any kind can intrude, and divine beings will protect the gates. This Jing is noble and profoundly mysterious, without peer in the Jade Capital, the celestial capital of which Daoism speaks. It can save living beings far and wide and is the root of the ten thousand ways. It is vast and exalted, and its merits can scarcely be told in full.

The Dao says:

Whoever recites this Jing ten times will have all the heavens descend together. Ancestors through the generations, together with the souls of the dead in the dark underworld and ghosts who suffer, will at once be saved and will ascend into the Vermilion Palace, a palace of the celestial realm. After nine years of instruction and transformation, they will shed the old form and be made new, regain life, and become persons of honor. Those who love to study the Great Dao and who recite and practice this Jing, once their merit is complete, can all become immortals, fly up to the Golden Towers, the palaces of the celestial realm, and roam and feast in the Jade Capital.

Cultivators of the highest order who practice and recite this Jing can all be saved at once and fly up to the Southern Palace, a palace of the celestial realm. If people in the world receive, uphold, and recite this Jing, they may lengthen their years and benefit their span of life; in time they may also accomplish the way of shijie, or corpse-liberation, which Daoism describes as a manner of leaving the ordinary body and ascending by a transformation of form: the hun-soul and Shen (spirit) temporarily leave the flesh without passing through the hells, and afterward the bodily form is restored, so that one may roam the vast void.

This Jing is subtle beyond all comparison and can save innumerable beings everywhere. There is no being of heaven or humanity who does not receive blessing because of it, and both the living and the dead partake of its grace. It is a classic treasured by Heaven and must not be transmitted to the people of the world at will. A person of the Dao must present gold and precious treasures as tokens of faith and, with a sincere heart, swear a covenant before Heaven; only then may it be transmitted. If one rashly divulges it or treats this Jing with negligence, disaster will implicate nine generations of ancestors, and one oneself will for a long time be pressed into service by the ghost officials.

The five Celestial Emperors who serve this scripture dispatch twenty-four Jade Lads and twenty-four Jade Maidens to guard the text and to protect those who receive and uphold it.

The Dao (the Way) says:

By keeping a prolonged fast and reciting this scripture through the first month, one may free the souls of those who died in former lives from bondage in the underworld, so that they ascend to the Southern Palace (Nangong, a palace in the celestial realm). By keeping a prolonged fast and reciting this scripture through the seventh month, the practitioner himself may attain the Dao and become an immortal, his name entered in the registers of the various heavens; on the Yellow Register and the White Slip (Huanglu and Baijian, the documents in which Daoism records the registers of the immortals), the register of the dead is removed and the register of the living is added.

By keeping a prolonged fast and reciting this scripture through the tenth month, one may pray on behalf of kings, emperors, and sovereigns, and for rulers and ministers, fathers and sons, so that the state is secure, the destiny of the realm endures, and the generations continue; so that the sovereign, generation after generation, dwells securely in his station and brings peace to the lands under his rule, and the people acclaim an age of Great Peace. Reciting this scripture on the Eight Nodes (Bajie—festivals such as the four seasonal commencements, the two equinoxes, and the two solstices) enables one to become a Perfected Being (Zhenren) of the Nine Palaces. Reciting it on one’s Benming day (the commemorative day corresponding to the year, month, and day of one’s birth) makes the hun-soul and the Shen (spirit) clear, pure, and upright, so that primordial Qi (vital energy) long endures, one suffers no affliction, and the body gives forth light. The gods of the Three Realms (Sanjie—the Realm of Desire, the Realm of Form, and the Formless Realm) stand guard; the Five Emperors come to receive one; the myriad spirits pay homage; and one’s name is recorded in the heavens. When merit is complete, one ascends in flight to Shangqing (Supreme Clarity, the higher celestial realm of which Daoism speaks).

The Dao says:

On days when Daoist rites are held, one should first bathe in fragrant hot water and, after the fast, enter the quiet chamber. Facing east, one clicks the teeth thirty-two times, so that the sound rises to the Thirty-two Heavens; one bows thirty-two times in the mind, then closes the eyes and quietly visualizes oneself seated amid clouds of the three colors azure, yellow, and white, the whole body dimly merged in deep stillness; the Azure Dragon, the White Tiger, the Vermilion Bird, and the Dark Warrior, together with lions and white cranes, arrayed on either side; the sun and moon shining, so that the chamber is bright and clear throughout; and a circular image of light arising above the crown, its radiance illuminating the ten directions. These scenes must be visualized clearly and distinctly.

One then silently intones the incantation:

“Unsurpassed Mysterious Origin, Most High Lord of the Dao, I ask that you summon forth from within my body the Three-and-Five Merit Officers (Sanwu Gongcao, the divine clerks who transmit documents), the officers of the left and the right, the Jade Lads who attend the incense, the Jade Maidens who convey words, the duty-talisman officers of the Five Emperors, and the incense officers on duty for the day—thirty-two of each—and have them report the words I speak. This day is auspicious. In the pure chamber of the fast I keep a prolonged fast and cultivate this supreme scripture, the Wuliang Duren Jing (Scripture of Limitless Salvation). May what I announce be able to ascend and be presented directly before the throne of the Most Venerable Primordial Lord on High of the Unsurpassed Thirty-two Heavens.”

When the incantation is finished, one draws in the Qi thirty-two times and, facing east, recites the scripture.

In the pure hall of Zhaijiao (purification ritual), one practices and upholds this supreme Jing (scripture/classic), praying that innumerable living beings may be saved. May what is prayed and announced ascend to the heavens and be presented directly before the most venerable throne of Yuanshi Shangdi, the Primordial Lord of the Unsurpassed Thirty-Two Heavens.

After the rite ends, one regulates the breath and circulates Qi (vital energy) thirty-two times, then faces east and recites the scripture.

This scripture is a wondrous method of the highest grade. It can save living beings again and again and cause the hundred kinds of demonic obstacles to withdraw. Changes such as those of Yin-Yang and of the manifest and the hidden, scattering apart and then joining once more, all come about of themselves. The Hundong Chiwen (sacred writing symbolizing the time before Heaven and Earth were divided) contains the unsurpassed true Dao (the Way). The Yuanshi Zujie (the primordial ancestral kalpa, at the opening of the cosmos) transforms and gives birth to the many heavens and opens the three luminaries—the sun, the moon, and the stars. This is the root of Heaven, Earth, and the myriad things. Primordial Qi returns to its source, and the Dao is its own foundation.

The heavens and earths of the five directions open broadly and unfold, everywhere conceiving and nurturing divine spirits. Without the writings of the Dao, the myriad things could not become manifest, be established, be brought to completion, receive salvation, or grow. This is the realm of the Great Brahma, the highest heaven among the celestial realms. The Yuluo Xiao Terrace and the Upper Capital of Jade Mountain stand at the unsurpassed summit, that is, the Daluo Yuqing realm. Vast and profound, enduring through countless kalpas, it seems to exist and yet not to exist. The Sanhua Libian, the Wondrous Court of Dayou, and the Golden Towers and Jade Chambers are all pure and majestic palaces of the heavens. The great Brahma-Qi encircles and spreads throughout the ten directions.

Among them are spirits who govern the salvation of living beings and grant deathless longevity; the Lord of Longevity of the Southern Pole; the Great Spirit Sima, who oversees the deliverance of the world; the Elder Lord Han, who presides over the cherishing of life; and the deities of the Southern Superior Directors of Fate and Directors of Records, who govern the lengthening of life, the increase of one’s allotted years, and the removal of calamity. They can restore remains to life, raise the dead and return them to the living, and save innumerable beings.

Today the Jiaolu is held—the rite of checking and registering the rolls—and the spirits of all the heavens come before the hall. The Limitless Flying-Heaven Divine Kings, the Great Saints of Longevity of the East, are charged with the measureless salvation of people; the venerable spirits who prolong life, increase the reckoning of years, and deliver from adversity can restore remains to life, raise the dead and return them to the living, and save innumerable beings. Today the Jiaolu is held, and the spirits of all the heavens come before the hall.

In the east, the south, the west, and the north, and in the northeast, the southeast, the southwest, and the northwest, as well as above and below, each direction has its Limitless Flying-Heaven Divine Kings, the Great Saints of Longevity, charged with the measureless salvation of people.

The supremely perfected deities of the Ten Directions—east, south, west, north, southeast, southwest, northeast, northwest, above, and below—the Divine Kings Who Fly through the Heavens, and the immeasurable great deities who govern longevity and the deliverance of the world arrived together, riding on flying clouds. They traveled in cinnabar-red carriages and emerald-green palanquins, with canopies made of feathers and wheels adorned with fine jade, drawn by vermilion divine beasts.

The Divine Kings Who Fly through the Heavens, the Great Sages of Longevity, and the immeasurable deities of human salvation from the boundless worlds below came as well.

The supremely perfected deities of the Ten Directions, the Divine Kings Who Fly through the Heavens, and the immeasurable great deities of longevity and world-deliverance descended once again upon flying clouds. They rode in cinnabar-red carriages and emerald-green palanquins, with feathered canopies and jade-ornamented wheels, drawn by vermilion phoenixes and five-colored dark dragons, and they bore nine-colored ceremonial standards and the numinous banners of the Ten Ultimates. Before them nine phoenixes cried long and all the music sounded together; behind them eight luan birds called in unison; lions and white cranes likewise sent forth harmonious, drawn-out cries. The Five Elder Gods saw them off at the start of their way, the host of immortals guarded the carriage shafts, and hundreds of millions of carriages and horses came coursing through the void.

They drew in their divine light and turned their carriages about, inspecting the true immortals and saving all living beings. The chancellors of the various heavens, the Upper Palace of Nanchang (the celestial palace in Daoism that administers the affairs of salvation and the granting of life), the Chief Registrar of the Han Bureau, and the great deities who supervise life, holding rosters of names and record books, came together before the Celestial Emperor and carried out salvation according to each person’s circumstances. They strictly examined the name registers of all the heavens and broadcast the command throughout the Three Realms, the boundless spirit-lands, the Bureau of Winding Springs (the offices of the dark underworld), the Northern Capital of Luofeng (the northern capital of ghosts and spirits in Daoist teaching), the Three Officials and the Nine Bureaus, and the Twelve River Sources.

They were to release from entanglement the ancestors of human beings and their kindred across hundreds of millions of kalpas, swiftly strike out the ledgers of sin and destroy the roots of evil, so that the souls of the dead would no longer be detained and would no longer be forced into the ranks of ghosts. This is the talismanic mandate issued by the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning; the souls of the dead must ascend at the appointed time.

The divine officers of the Cold Pool of the Northern Capital will guard the bodies and souls of the dead, subdue wicked demons, and recommend them, so that they rise by rank into the Southern Palace. Souls of the dead, once refined and delivered, can become immortals and be transformed into human beings; the living, too, can receive salvation, enduring from age to age, turning with the course of the kalpas without losing their lives, equal in longevity with Heaven, forever freed from the Three Paths (the three evil destinies of hell, hungry ghosts, and animals), the Five Sufferings, and the Eight Difficulties, transcending the Three Realms and roaming at ease in Shangqing (the higher celestial realm spoken of in Daoism). That is the Heaven of Shangqing, presided over by the Celestial Emperor Jade Perfected, and it belongs to the formless realm, the realm of pure Brahma-practice.

The Eight Heavens of the East

The eight heavens of the northeast are the Taihuang Huangzeng Heaven, presided over by Emperor Yujian Yuming; the Taiming Yuwan Heaven, presided over by Emperor Xu’a Natian; the Qingming Hetong Heaven, presided over by Emperor Yuanyu Qijing; the Xuantai Pingyu Heaven, presided over by Emperor Liudu Neixian; the Yuanming Wenju Heaven, presided over by Emperor Chou Falun; the Shangming Qiyao Moyi Heaven, presided over by Emperor Tianhui Yan; the Yuwu Yueheng Heaven, presided over by Emperor Zheng Dingguang; and the Taiji (Supreme Ultimate) Mengyi Heaven, presided over by Emperor Quyou Jiuchang.

The eight heavens of the south are the Chiming Heyang Heaven, presided over by Emperor Lijin Shangzhen; the Xuanming Gonghua Heaven, presided over by Emperor Kongyao Chouyin; the Yaoming Zongpiao Heaven, presided over by Emperor Chong Guangming; the Zhuluo Huangjia Heaven, presided over by Emperor Moyi Miaobian; the Xuming Tangyao Heaven, presided over by Emperor Ajia Lousheng; the Guanming Duanjing Heaven, presided over by Emperor Yumi Luoqian; the Xuanming Gongqing Heaven, presided over by Emperor Longluo Puti; and the Taihuan Jiyao Heaven, presided over by Emperor Wanli Wuyan.

The eight heavens of the west are the Yuanzai Kongsheng Heaven, presided over by Emperor Kaizhen Dingguang; the Tai’an Huangya Heaven, presided over by Emperor Poluo Atan; the Xianding Jifeng Heaven, presided over by Emperor Zhaozhen Tong; the Shihuang Xiaomang Heaven, presided over by Emperor Saluo Louwang; the Taihuang Wengzhong Furong Heaven, presided over by Emperor Minba Kuang; the Wusi Jiangyou Heaven, presided over by Emperor Mingfan Guang; the Shangdie Ruanle Heaven, presided over by Emperor Bobo Lan; and the Wuji Tanshi Heaven, presided over by Emperor Piaonu Qionglong.

For the eight heavens of the north, the scripture at this point gives only the directional heading and does not go on to record the specific names of the heavens or the emperors who preside over them.

Here “heaven” refers to the successive levels of the celestial realms in the Daoist cosmology. Each heaven has its own name and is presided over by a corresponding “emperor.” A number of sentences in the scripture recur, and some names of the heavens and of the emperors may exist in variant readings among the transmitted versions. The foregoing follows the wording as given and is arranged by direction.

Haoting Xiaodu Heaven (one of the celestial realms) is presided over by Emperor Hui, who discerns what is dark and obscure. Yuantong Yuandong Heaven is presided over by Emperor Fanxing, who observes all living beings. Taiwen Hanchong Miaocheng Heaven is presided over by Emperor Nayou Chouying. Taisu Xiule Jinshang Heaven is presided over by Emperor Longluo Juechang. Taixu Wushang Changrong Heaven is presided over by the Emperor who Supervises Ghosts and Spirits. Taixu Yulong Tengsheng Heaven is presided over by Emperor Miaomiao Xingyuan. Longbian Fandu Heaven is presided over by Emperor Yunshang Xuanxuan. Taiji Pingyu Jiayi Heaven is presided over by Emperor Daze Famen.

These are the Thirty-Two Heavens and the thirty-two Celestial Emperors. All the Celestial Emperors move and act amid what is hidden, subtle, and mysterious. Longbian Fandu Heaven is presided over by Emperor Yunshang Xuanxuan, and Taiji Pingyu Jiayi Heaven is presided over by Emperor Daze Famen.

The Thirty-Two Heavens and the thirty-two Emperors all have secret taboo names. Within the celestial realms all is empty and profound, holding numinous and wondrous writs that arise of themselves. The various heavens have hidden tones and rhymes, and they also have the sounds of the celestial realms, exalted deities, spirits, Demon Kings, and numinous perfected beings. These powers harmonize and converge with one another, transforming until they return to Shangqing (the higher celestial realms of which Daoism speaks). The mystery within them is measureless, so deep and far-reaching that it can hardly be explained in full. Divine perfected beings bestow teaching and transformation, universally saving celestial beings and the people of the world. Today is worthy of joy and celebration: those who receive salvation have already passed the barriers and obtained deliverance.

The various heavens pray and petition that the Three Evils be removed—evil deeds, evil thoughts, and the evil fruits they bring—and that the roots of falling into the evil paths be cut off, so that people may pass beyond the Five Households, which symbolize the barriers leading to the celestial realms, and have their names entered in Taixuan, the mysterious celestial realm. The Demon Kings are charged with inspection and recommendation, so that such persons are not blocked by the gates of heaven. The Eastern Dipper governs the span of life, the Western Dipper registers names, the Northern Dipper records death, the Southern Dipper presides over ascent into new life, and the Central Dipper, the Great Chief, has general charge of all the spirits. The Azure Emperor protects the hun soul, the White Emperor protects the po soul, the Red Emperor regulates Qi (vital energy), the Black Emperor clears the blood vessels, and the Yellow Emperor, dwelling at the center, commands them all. The host of deities each attends to its own office and may not overstep its place.

The Demon King of the Azure Heaven... (The text that follows repeats the preceding passage from “the Southern Dipper ascends, and the Central Dipper, the Great Chief,” and webpage-link wording is mixed in. The link is inserted after “the Northern Dipper consigns to death,” breaking the original sentence. Read in context, the sense of the sentence is: “The Northern Dipper records death, the Southern Dipper presides over ascent into new life, and the Central Dipper, the Great Chief, has general charge of all the spirits.”)

The Demon King of the Azure Heaven is named Bayuan Choubo; the Demon King of the Crimson Heaven is named Futian Danshi; the Demon King of the White Heaven is named Fanshan Liumu; the Demon King of the Black Heaven is named Jianchou Langfu; and the Demon King of the Yellow Heaven is named Hengtian Danren. The Great Demons of the Five Emperors command the myriad spirits. Leading their hosts, they fly forth on campaign and exercise overall command of the ghost troops. Bearing banners, drums, and tallies of authority, they patrol the Great Void, proclaiming their might and majesty, and together with the deities of the various heavens they put forth their powers.

When Heaven above delivers and transforms the people of the world, it sternly sets Beifeng in order—the underworld region that governs ghosts and spirits. The Divine Duke, acting under command, sweeps away inauspicious Qi (vital energy) on every side. The spirits of the Eight Majesties spew forth poisonous Qi; fierce horses charge in all directions; celestial troops clear the way ahead, and the great commander holds the banner aloft. Blazing fire is hurled across ten thousand li, and the flowing bells shake the eight directions. Whoever dares to offend or obstruct the Superior Perfected—realized persons and celestial perfected who have attained the Dao—is cut down in front by the golden battle-axe, while the giant celestial spirits then carry out punishment. Ghosts and specters are hacked apart, and wind and fire do not cease. Heads are severed by the thousands and tens of thousands, and forms are sheared away by the millions upon millions, so that demonic beings dare not encroach and ghosts and specters no longer work their mischief.

Three times the blazing fire is cast, and the flames extend for ten thousand li; the flowing bells shake the eight directions. Whoever dares to offend or obstruct the Superior Perfected is cut down in front by the golden battle-axe, while the giant celestial spirits then carry out punishment. Ghosts and specters are hacked apart, and wind and fire do not cease. Heads are severed by the thousands and tens of thousands, and forms are sheared away by the millions upon millions, so that demonic beings dare not encroach and ghosts and specters no longer work their mischief.

The Three Officials—the divine offices that govern Heaven, Earth, and Water—clearly inspect and verify the hosts of ghosts at Beifeng, permitting none to remain hidden. Documents are swiftly conveyed by golden horses and made known everywhere unto the infinite distance; the myriad spirits all come to receive their commands. The Five Emperors of the Three Realms likewise report the matter upward, rank by rank, to Shangqing, the pure celestial realm where the exalted deities of Daoism dwell.

In the Cavern-Heaven Jade Calendar of the Primordial Beginning—a celestial calendar that records the kalpic fortunes of the cosmos—the long kalpa-ages of Longhan, Yankang, and others were passed through, a stretch of time so remote that it cannot be reckoned. When Heaven and Earth were still in chaos, there was no color above and no abyss below; wind and water flowed through the void, and adamantine Qi (vital energy) upheld Heaven. At that time there was neither darkness nor brightness between Heaven and Earth, nor form nor shadow—vast without limit, without beginning and without end.

Within this vast and obscure Great Brahma Qi, the four directions lay empty and boundless, wholly without light. The age of Chiming opened the configuration of the cosmos, and the turning of Heaven and Earth, together with transformation and salvation, unfolded of itself. The Celestial Worthy of the Primordial Beginning settled Heaven and Earth and sent down five texts of Jing (scripture): the Red Writ in Jade Characters and the Dragon Script of the Eight Powers. They uphold and regulate the kalpic cycles, so that Heaven endures through long ages. Great Brahma Qi spreads everywhere, extending through the myriad quarters; from it the myriad kinds of Brahma Qi unfold, and the fundamental guiding order of the cosmos circulates and operates.

The Thirty-two Heavens revolve in the colorless void, encircling the ten directions. The stars and the Dipper move, passing through the Ji lunar mansion, and in the course of their circuits they marshal the Qi of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water). Primordial Qi in its thirty-five divisions gathers in the Upper Prime; the Qi of the Eight Effulgences subtly intermingles, and Qi enters a realm deep, remote, and mysterious. Within that mystery are exalted Shen (spirits) such as the Great Sovereign, the Supreme Thearch, and the High Perfected. Riding roseate light, they chant the Cavern Stanzas (scriptures of the cavern-heavens). Golden true Qi shines bright and abundant; voices flow and resound among the clouds. Jade tones gather and concentrate the breath; numinous winds draw mist and rose-colored clouds together. The Qi of the Purple Void is lush and graceful, assisting the host of immortals. Through a thousand layers of harmonious Qi and ten thousand wondrous unions, the Perfected are naturally brought to completion.

Among the Perfected are divine Shen: the Great Lord of Long Life, Prince Wuying, the venerable Shen Baiyuan, Taiyi the Director of Destinies, Taokang, Heyan, and others. They hold the talismanic mandates and the registers of names, protecting life and nourishing vital growth. They roam upward in the Heaven of Pure Tenuity, entering and leaving the Florid Chambers (abodes of the immortals), and they also move through the dark and hidden realms of the eight directions and within the finest subtleties. They further descend to anchor the human body, dwelling in the Mud Pellet (the divine residence of the head) and the Crimson Palace (the divine residence of the heart), regulating the five Qi within the body so that the hundred Shen mingle in harmony. Through successive levels of circulation, the many Qi return to the Immortal Dao (the Way). The Immortal Dao treasures life and, by measureless methods, transforms and saves all living beings.

Heaven above opens the Eight Gates, and the Flying Heaven Dharma Wheel—the celestial turning that operates the heavens and saves all beings—revolves. Teachings concerning sin and blessing, prohibitions and precepts, predetermined destiny, and causal conditions are carried out everywhere, so that all beings may receive instruction and obtain salvation. Even departed souls may, through ten transformations, recover their spiritual nature, and the myriad Qi accordingly return to the Immortal Dao. The Immortal Dao takes the treasuring of life as essential and is able to save people without measure.

The scripture opens eight gates and manifests the flying celestial wheel of the law (symbolizing the principles by which the heavens operate). It proclaims sin and blessing, prohibitions and precepts, destiny and karmic conditions, so that sentient beings everywhere are inspired and delivered. The souls of the dead may obtain new life, and the body too may be born again; all of this reaches upward to the various heavens. Above each of the heavens there is a Gate of Life, and within them lie the realms of the Hollow Void, stanzas of song, and the numinous writings of the demon kings, their wording joined with the intent of the Exalted Perfected (the high-ranking perfected immortals venerated in Daoism).

First: The Sounds of Flying through the Void in the Realm of Desire

The roads of the human world are remote and insignificant, while the immortal Dao (the Way) is vast without bound. The way of ghosts, though peaceful and pleasant, must in the end enter the Gate of Life. The immortal Dao treasures life, whereas the ghostly way comes to an end; the immortal Dao ever meets with good fortune, while the ghostly way ever meets with calamity. O divine perfected ones, lofty, pure, and numinous—the mournful song resounds through the broad sky. I wish only to cultivate and attain the immortal Dao, and not to remain stranded in the human world.

In the Spring-Bend Bureau of the Northern Capital (the underworld), hosts of ghosts gather, wishing only to block people’s allotted years and cut off human life. Therefore I chant the Dongzhang (Cavern Chapters, Daoist scriptures), so as to bring the Northern Luofeng (the northern underworld) under command. Reciting without cease, I bind and destroy demons and monsters and sever the sharp edge of the Six Ghosts. The Qi (vital energy) of the various heavens surges without bound, and my Dao grows ever more flourishing.

Second: The Sound-Chapters of the Demon King of the Realm of Form

Lofty, far-reaching, and vast, bright Qi rises toward the four directions. The heavens of pure practice (the celestial realms of pure cultivation) encircle the ten directions. A measureless breath surges without bound, and my Dao grows ever more flourishing.

Second: The Sound-Chapters of the Demon King of the Realm of Form

Lofty, far-reaching, and vast, bright Qi rises toward the four directions. The heavens of pure practice encircle the ten directions. The countless great spirits all issue forth from my own body. I possess the Dongzhang; when it has been recited a full ten thousand times, one may become an immortal. The immortal Dao prizes the deliverance of sentient beings, while the ghostly way binds beings to one another. Heaven and earth are vast and hazy, and foul Qi spreads all around. The Three Realms (the Realm of Desire, the Realm of Form, and the Formless Realm) afford ease and joy; pass beyond the Three Realms, and one may endure for long. When the body is delivered out of my realm and the bodily form returns to the Natural, the ease and joy of that moment are all received through my grace.

The age of Longhan (the remote kalpa-age spoken of in Daoism) surges without bound—who can tell the true from the false? My realm is hard to cross in deliverance, and so I wrote this Dongwen (Cavern Writ). It transforms and flies through the void, in order to test your body and mind. In the end, between success and slackening into retreat, how many are those who can be delivered? I laugh that you cannot attain deliverance, and therefore I compose this song to open the text.

Third: The Demon King of the Realm of Form Sings:

Above the Three Realms (the Desire Realm, the Form Realm, and the Formless Realm) lies the remote and profound Daluo Heaven. There, none of the roots of form and appearance known to the ordinary world are found, and tier upon tier of clouds of Qi (vital energy) rise aloft. Only Yuanshi Tianzun (a revered deity of Daoism) dwells amid the vast kalpas, presiding over and governing this realm of mine and commanding Xuandu (the celestial realm of immortals spoken of in Daoism). To pass beyond this realm, one must enter deeply into Yuxu (the immortal realm where Yuanshi Tianzun dwells). I occupy the higher station and hold sway over the host of demons.

In the void, transformations are endless, and turbid Qi spreads in wild confusion. Few can hold to their true nature; many are lost and bewildered. The immortal Dao (the Way) is hard to maintain, while the ghostly Dao easily leads people onto deviant paths. Which road a person takes depends on one’s own heart; truly, no one else can take one’s place. The immortal Dao values genuine cultivation, whereas the human Dao often values outward show. If you are unwilling to cultivate the immortal Dao, how can you transcend the Three Realms? If you wish only to turn about among the Five Paths (the five destinations in the cycle of rebirth), what can I do?

These are the song lyrics of the Demon Kings above the Three Realms, in the midst of the flying void; their melodies correspond to the Cavern Stanzas (Dongzhang, the sections and verses of Daoist scriptures). Recite them a hundred times, and one’s name may be entered in the Southern Palace (Nangong, the celestial office that keeps the registers of the immortals); recite them a thousand times, and the Demon Kings will protect and come to receive one. Recite them ten thousand times, and one’s practice of the Dao will be complete; one will ascend in flight into the Great Void, transcend the Three Realms, and take one’s place as an Immortal Lord. On hearing this numinous scriptural sound, the Demon Kings will honor that person and command the earth deities (diqi, spirits of the land) to escort and receive them, so that they leave the gates of the underworld, are spared the Five Sufferings and Eight Hardships, and bring promotion to the ancestors of seven generations. Thereupon they depart forever from the ghostly offices; their souls proceed to Zhuling (the place of refining and deliverance in Daoist lore) and, through refining and deliverance, obtain new life. This is called “measureless”—that is, the universal salvation of innumerable living beings.

This secret text of the heavens above is honored in common by all the heavens. If one divulges it or treats it lightly, one will fall into hell, and the calamity will also implicate the ancestors of seven generations.

The Dao says:

These two chapters are both the secretly transmitted voices of the God-Emperors of the heavens and the Demon Kings of supreme numinosity. They belong to the “Words of the Great Brahma” (the sacred language of the celestial realms) and are not the speech used in everyday life in the world. Their phrasing does not strive for rhythmic elegance, nor are their passages intricately embellished; they therefore appear mysterious and profound, difficult to investigate and explain in detail. They are classics treasured by Heaven, secretly kept in the Xuandu and the Upper Palace of Ziwei. According to the Xuanke (the sacred precepts and rules of transmission in Daoism), they are imparted only once every forty thousand kalpas. Only if a person of profound cultivation prepares pledges such as gold and precious objects, observes the old regulations in the heart, and swears a covenant before the celestial realms of the ten directions may the Jing (scripture/classic) be transmitted to that person.

The Dao (the Way) says:

The movements and transformations of Heaven and Earth also have times of decline and final end. The sun, the moon, and the Five Stars (the five planets spoken of by the ancients as Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth) also wax full and wane. Even the most sagely divine beings experience peace or adversity, and those whose cultivation is still shallow also meet with illness and harm. All who encounter calamities of this kind, together with those affected by them, should unite in cultivating the fast (observing purification and devoting themselves to practice), offer incense at the six times of each day (burning incense and worshipping at the prescribed hours), and recite the Jing ten times. In this way blessings and virtue will descend and every kind of inauspiciousness will be removed. This boundless text can universally save and deliver innumerable living beings.

The Dao says:

Those whose cultivation is still shallow and whose attainment of the Dao is not yet deep sometimes, before their immortal rank is complete, meet the end of their allotted span, and their bodies enter Taiyin (the yin realm spoken of in Daoism). At the approach of death, fellow disciples who have succeeded in cultivation should offer incense on their behalf, recite the Jing ten times, and, according to the ritual method, deliver their remains. In this way their hun-soul and Shen (spirit) can ascend directly to the Southern Palace (a palace-office of the celestial realms in Daoism) and, with the days reckoned according to the merit of the cultivation they performed in life, live again, turning through cycles without extinction, and in the end become immortals.

The Dao says:

When the revolutions of Heaven and Earth are about to come to an end, one should also observe fasting and abstinence, burn incense, and recite the scripture (Jing). When the movements of the stars and constellations fall into disorder and the sun and moon depart from their proper courses, one should also observe fasting and abstinence, burn incense, and recite the scripture. When the four seasons lose their proper sequence and Yin-Yang falls out of balance, one should also observe fasting and abstinence, burn incense, and recite the scripture. When the ruler of the state meets with disaster and warfare arises on every side, one should also observe fasting and abstinence, burn incense, and recite the scripture. When pestilence spreads and the common people suffer death and injury, one should also observe fasting and abstinence, burn incense, and recite the scripture. When a teacher or a friend passes away, one should also observe fasting and abstinence, burn incense, and recite the scripture.

The merit of fasting, abstinence, and recitation of the scripture is exceedingly great. Above, it can eliminate heavenly calamities and protect the sovereign; below, it can drive away poisonous harms and save the common people, so that both the living and the dead receive protection. This blessed merit is beyond measure and is therefore called “immeasurable”; it is able to save, universally, all beings of the celestial realms and the human world.

The Dao (the Way) says:

Whenever someone possesses this scripture and cultivates such merit on behalf of Heaven and Earth, the sovereign, and the common people, and, on encountering calamity, resolves to observe fasting and abstinence, burn incense, and recite the scripture ten times, all the heavens will record that person’s name and the host of spirits will guard them. That person will be ranked among the Perfected Persons (zhiren) and may hope to become a minister of the Golden Portal of the Sage Lord (the palace of the Celestial Emperor). The heavens record a person’s merits and faults without the slightest omission. If in the heavens there is someone who practices the purification fast, burns incense, and recites the scripture ten times, the heavens record that person’s name and the spirits guard them; that person will be ranked among the Perfected Persons and may hope to become a minister of the Golden Portal of the Sage Lord. The demon kings of heaven will also recommend and sponsor you, so that you attain the Dao. One who is able to accomplish these things has comprehended the supreme teaching.