《太上洞玄灵宝国王行道经》

The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning told the Supreme Lord of the Dao (the Way): When I think of the countless ignorant and deluded sentient beings, I divide and manifest my numinous, wondrous body, broadly bestowing teaching and transformation throughout the boundless worlds of the ten directions. For the kings of all the lands in heaven and in the human world, I expound the Jing (scriptures) and clarify the teachings. According to how deep or shallow people’s understanding is in different ages, I guide sentient beings onto the good Dao, so that they may forever leave affliction behind, reach the realm of liberation, and enter the gate of the true Dao.

Therefore, I transform my bodily form in response to sentient beings’ opportunities and spiritual resonance, manifesting different appearances according to their capacities. I conform to worldly ways without losing the nature of the Dao, draw close to celestial and human beings and guide them, and skillfully employ expedient methods to exhort them. With humility, patience, and diligent endurance of hardship, I bring sentient beings peace and joy. Sometimes I manifest a vast body that fills the void; sometimes I manifest a minute body that enters the finest dust. Sometimes I become a king or a celestial king; sometimes I become a teacher of the world or a chief minister; and sometimes I appear as a worthy, a Daoist priest, a learned Confucian scholar, a local official, a high minister, a crown prince, or an empress or consort. They are loyal and upright, assist the ruler, establish the teaching and instruct the multitudes, and exhort the ignorant and shallow, so that all may broadly leave suffering, give rise to faith, and turn toward the Dao of ultimate truth, ultimately accomplishing the unsurpassed great Dao, forever attaining the state of constant peace and joy, abiding in pure stillness and profound depth, becoming one body with the void, and no longer undergoing birth and cessation. The sacred hosts of the ten directions likewise all return from this to the original source.

The Supreme Lord of the Dao bowed respectfully and then asked: Sentient beings are weak in capacity and shallow in understanding. Even when they read the scriptures, they cannot believe or comprehend them. How can they be brought to awakening and have their various doubts removed?

The Celestial Worthy answered: Sentient beings are ignorant, and their capacities are dull and dim, like young children whose wisdom has not yet opened. They ought to be guided step by step and helped, by suitable methods, to understand. How can one expect them to enter the true Dao all at once? It is like a compassionate mother nurturing a beloved child: she teaches little by little, so that the child’s wisdom gradually grows. When the child comes of age, he can manage the affairs of the world, stand out in learning, and become a person who bears responsibility. Exhorting ordinary and ignorant people is just the same: one must help them rise gradually and in proper sequence, until at last they reach the mysterious and wondrous realm.

The Most High Lord of the Dao asked, “If the scriptural teachings, the Jing (scriptures/classics), are to be entrusted to kings, what is the intention in doing so?”

The Celestial Worthy replied, “I travel through the worlds of the ten directions—the vast heaven and earth extending in every direction—expounding the scriptures and preaching the teaching, exhorting celestial beings and the people of the world, marking out the various regions, founding states, and establishing rulers, in order to accord with local customs and the changes of the age, to institute rites and regulations, and to adopt flexible and fitting methods of instruction, so that in the end all living beings may dwell in peace and ease and every person may awaken.

Sometimes a king is a sage, a perfected one, or an immortal manifested in response to the world; sometimes an emperor of the celestial realms is reborn in the human world to become father and mother of the people. Some are the Jing (essence) and Qi (vital energy) of the stars descended into the world; some are auspicious signs and atmospheres displaying a numinous response; and some receive the mandate through blessings accumulated in the past, or because of prior causes and conditions. In the human world they command officials of every rank and instruct living beings, and they are the foremost agents of teaching. All scriptural teachings are therefore entrusted to kings, so that they may honor the great Dao (the Way) and save the people of the world. Why do you still doubt this today?”

The Most High Lord of the Dao respectfully addressed him, saying, “In the past I accompanied the Celestial Worthy as he traveled the ten directions, instructing kings and preaching the teaching so as to deliver people. Although the scriptures, precepts, and ritual norms had already spread through the world, and kings were led to cultivate the Dao in accordance with them, I had never heard the Celestial Worthy direct that these teachings be entrusted to sovereigns. That is why I venture to ask only today. I am grateful for the Celestial Worthy’s compassion in explaining the matter so fully. Whether the scriptural teachings flourish or decline depends upon kings. I wish that from now on all the teachings of sages and worthies be entrusted to them.”

The Celestial Worthy admonished, saying, “I now proclaim this throughout the heavens and the realms beneath heaven in the ten directions, and throughout worlds without bound: emperors of the various heavens, kings of every land, heir apparents, empresses and consorts, and chief ministers—all who govern the people and carry out the transformative teaching of the kingly way—are to follow my words. Henceforth I shall entrust the scriptural teachings to you. You kings are to exalt the great Dao, rescue living beings, and instruct and deliver celestial beings and the people of the world.”

The Celestial Worthy (Tianzun) told the ruler: The ruler should first build Daoist monasteries, establish places for the deliverance of people, and maintain and provide for them, guiding the men and women of the populace toward the true Dao (the Way), so that they forever abandon the roots that give rise to suffering. He should also command the chancellor and the ministers to set up many seats for expounding the scriptures in the Eastern Palace, the rear palace, and other places, and widely invite Daoist priests well versed in the scriptural teachings to discourse often on subtle principles and essential methods of the Dao, including the doctrines of the Great Vehicle, the profound contents of the Three Caverns (Dongzhen/Dongxuan/Dongshen), and the mysterious tenets of the Seven Divisions, so that people far and near may all awaken, and so that everyone may hear and come to know them.

In this way one prays that the realm be peaceful and the people at ease; that both the living and the dead obtain good fruits, and that the hells be made pure and still; and that men and women alike be worthy, good, and discerning. May all beings everywhere leave suffering behind, ultimately accomplish the true Dao, and long enjoy the blessings of spontaneity.

The Celestial Worthy said further: Next, one should fashion images of the various deities, representing the true bodies and the response-transformation bodies of the honored gods of Daoism. One may enshrine the Celestial Worthies who have attained the Dao in the three ages of past, future, and present, and throughout the ten directions and the three realms, together with the ranks of immortals, perfected ones, and sages, immortal lads and jade maidens, vajra spirit-kings, the incense officials of the left and right, the Dragon and Tiger Lords, and others. Materials and methods may be chosen according to whatever conditions are at hand: they may be made of gold, silver, pearls, and jade; rendered in embroidery, painting, or woven fabric; or one may carve wood, model clay, hew niches and work stone, carve ivory and bone, or print paper images and paint pictures. So long as the intention is sincere, the scale, large or small, may follow one’s own capacity; whether ornate or plain may likewise be decided according to time and place. One should make offerings with a sincere heart, just as if serving the Celestial Worthy in person.

Those who make offerings will receive blessings according to their intention, and the recompense will not err. In this way beings of the human world and the heavenly realms may all take refuge and pay homage, and beings of the hidden netherworld and the manifest world may share in the same blessings; such merit is beyond measure.

The Celestial Worthy said: Next, the thirty-six scriptures (jing) should be copied. They may be written in characters of gold or characters of jade, or carved on steles and stone tablets. Paper and writing materials should be as fine as possible. Whether clerical script or seal script is executed with refinement or with plain simplicity, each person may proceed according to his or her own ability. The scriptures should be widely circulated, bound with solemn dignity, and carefully stored in cases and boxes; they should be collated and corrected character by character, so that the section headings of the various scrolls agree. They should also be distributed to the human world and the celestial realms, transmitted to men and women alike, and frequently recited, with prayers offered for the peace of the realm.

Daoist priests should be invited to expound and study the subtle principles in the scriptures, to promote the transformative teaching of Daoism, and to make these truths widely known, guiding all beings to awaken to the Dao (the Way). Beings should be brought to understand that the human body is illusory and unreal, and that its gathering and dispersal occur in an instant; that the body will in the end decay and become foul; that delusive thoughts and afflictions torment the mind day and night; and that every thought is in constant change. Birth, aging, sickness, and death, together with worldly fame and profit, are in essence empty. One should turn inward and contemplate oneself, realizing that from the beginning no fixed, unchanging “self” can be found. Following the correct Way, one restrains the deluded mind, forever cuts off ignorance, long attains liberation, departs from the cycle of birth and death, and constantly abides in a realm of purity and calm.

The Celestial Worthy said: One should regularly build halls and sanctuaries, towers and storied pavilions, terraces and galleries, purification kitchens, courtyards, and other structures, including masters’ quarters, lecture rooms, and the buildings a Daoist establishment requires. What is new should be completed and old quarters repaired; places already damaged should be protected, so that these sites may long endure and not fall into ruin. The people should be broadly taught, these places carefully safeguarded, and men and women urged to worship and take refuge. One prays for the peace of the realm and the flourishing of Daoism. Merit of this kind is measureless and hard to conceive.

The Celestial Worthy said: One should also often make bells, chime-stones, banners, flowers, curtains, sitting mats, and other implements used for offerings and for performing the rites, and should fully provide bed-mats, quilts and cushions, incense burners, ablution vessels, covering cloths, boxes, ruyi scepters, tables, fly-whisks, banner-canopies, ceremonial staffs, and carriages, together with fragrant mountains, jeweled trees, and other adornments for offering. The “bells and chime-stones” mentioned here are ritual implements used in Daoist ceremonies for accompaniment, for keeping rhythm, and for summoning the assembly, while “banners and canopies” and the like serve to dignify the ritual space. The closing phrase, “fragrant mountains and jeweled trees, once conceivable,” seems defective in sense; read in context, it is understood as referring to the setting out of every kind of solemn offering implement, more than can be fully described.

The Celestial Worthy (Tianzun) said: One should regularly cast all kinds of bells and stone chimes, and make banners and flags, floral ornaments, curtains, and seats; fully prepare the ritual implements used for offerings, together with beds, mats, quilts, incense burners, bathing jars, handkerchiefs, coverings, cases and boxes, ruyi scepters, tables, fly-whisks, streamers and banners, carriages, incense mountains, precious trees, and every other such object; and use gold, silver, pearls, and jade to make offerings to the scriptures (Jing) and the teachings and to Daoist priests who have left home to cultivate the Dao (the Way). May the country be at peace. Exhort men and women, old and young, all to give rise to good hearts, to take refuge equally in the Dao and its teachings, and never to give rise to a divided mind. The merit of such offerings is inconceivable.

The Celestial Worthy said: One should regularly make all kinds of ritual robes and vestments, caps and hats, shoes, swords and staffs, sitting couches, seat cushions, bedding, curtains, eating vessels, spoons and chopsticks, towels, knives, combs, chests and boxes, and the other articles needed by those who leave home to cultivate the Dao, and offer them to Daoist priests. May the country be at peace. Constantly help living beings propagate the orthodox teaching, dispense good medicines and heal the people, and universally raise for all beings a bridge of the teaching, so that they may leave the bitter sea of birth and death. May male and female beings alike ascend to Yuqing (Jade Clarity, the high celestial realm spoken of in Daoism).

The Celestial Worthy said: One should regularly give gold, silver, pearls, and jade, damasks, gauzes, brocades, and embroidered silks, clothing and utensils, carriages, camels and horses, as well as fields, gardens, houses, and the like.

The Celestial Worthy said: One should regularly give gold, silver, pearls, and jade, damasks, gauzes, brocades, and embroidered silks, clothing and utensils, carriages, camels and horses, fields, gardens, and houses, servants and objects of enjoyment, together with fragrant flowers, lamps and candles, food, drink, and fine dishes, rice, wheat, and other supplies. Turn these goods over to the changzhu (the permanent communal property that supports Daoist abbeys or monasteries and serves for lasting everyday use), to make offerings to the Celestial Worthies, the scriptures and the teachings, and to Daoist priests who dwell in seclusion in the mountains and forests and to those who have left home to cultivate the Dao; also supply food for those who keep the zhai (purification fast) during the period of abstinence, and give to the poor, the elderly, and the sick, to prisoners, to those away on labor service, and to birds, beasts, insects, and fish, bestowing gifts universally upon all living beings. May the country be at peace, the five grains abundant, the people content, the world flourishing, and the land tranquil. Such merit stands incomparably high and cannot be measured.

The Celestial Worthy said: One should always cherish compassion, release living creatures and ransom lives, pardon prisoners, remit the death sentences of others, rescue those in danger and hardship, and treat the illnesses of the men and women of the people; broadly open paths for accumulating blessings and doing good, lend aid to purification assemblies (zhaihui) of every kind, and set free slaves, servants, and people of low status so that they too may have the chance to leave home and cultivate the Dao. Practice great kindness and great compassion, bring ease and joy to all living beings, and treat kindly birds and beasts, grasses and trees, insects and fish. May the country be at peace and living beings be universally happy. This merit is exceedingly profound and weighty, beyond conception.

One should know how to remain humble and self-possessed, and still more should arouse the resolve to leave household life and cultivate the Dao (the Way), widely practicing compassion, so that all living beings may be peaceful and happy—including birds and beasts, grasses and trees, insects and fish. One prays that the country may be stable and that all beings may obtain joy. This merit is exceedingly profound and weighty, difficult to fathom.

The Celestial Worthy (Tianzun) said: One ought constantly, at the mysterious altars (Xuantan—altar grounds where Daoist deities are enshrined and rites are performed), the numinous abbeys (Lingguan—Daoist temples and monasteries), and the places where sages and perfected ones manifest their presence—wherever the Jing (scripture/classic) and sacred images are kept—to offer incense and lamp oil, revering the immeasurable Celestial Worthies who have attained the Dao throughout the ten directions of the void, together with the hosts of immortals, perfected ones, and sages of the past, present, and future, and with a devout mind to pray for their protection. One prays that the country may be at peace, and also that the fragrance of incense and flowers, together with the light, may shine throughout the Three Realms, the Dao-realms of the ten directions, and the five hundred million heavens; whether sages or ordinary people, all may receive the clear radiance, smell the fragrance, and see the light. Men and women whose hearts turn toward the Dao may all sincerely return to the gate of the Dao, forever leave the darkness, and long enjoy the blessings of spontaneity.

The Celestial Worthy said: One ought often to build and restore the sacred images, the scriptures and methods, and the holy traces of the mysterious altars, so that the images of the deities are solemn and bright, the characters of the classics correct and orderly, the halls beautiful, and the foundations broad and level. If one cleanses the sacred images or mounts and arranges the scripture scrolls, these too should always be kept pure. One prays that the country may be at peace and the people joyful, and that men and women may be dignified in bearing and fair in appearance; after rebirth they may still possess the six faculties—eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind—complete, be intelligent and wise, and live long. May all under heaven be tranquil and the myriad things at ease; may the ten directions and the Three Realms all praise these good deeds, so that living beings enjoy blessing and long life and together accomplish the true Dao.

The Celestial Worthy said: One ought constantly, at numinous abbeys everywhere, to light everlasting lamps, so that the flames do not go out day or night, thereby assisting the brightness of the celestial realms. One prays that the country may be at peace, that warfare not arise, that floods and fires be eliminated, that demons and evils withdraw, that illnesses subside, that all manner of calamities never occur, that lifespan be lengthened, and that the land be peaceful and at ease. May the various heavens rejoice and the holy host descend to protect, so that both the living and the dead receive grace, and beings of the human world and the celestial realms alike may enjoy blessing and longevity.

The Celestial Worthy says: One should regularly make offerings to Daoist priests and provide them with what they need, such as incense, oil, food and drink, ritual robes (the clothes worn when performing rites), and ritual implements (the utensils used in ceremonies). One prays that the nation may be at peace, that benevolence and righteousness may naturally flourish, that rites and moral instruction may be put into practice, that men and women may live in ease, and that the whole country may enjoy peace; that auspicious events may often appear, that every kind of auspicious omen may descend together, that sweet dew and sweet springs (the legendary delicious spring waters) may fill the countryside, that the people may celebrate, and that the five grains may yield a rich harvest.

The Celestial Worthy says: One should regularly assemble Daoist priests and hold the collective retreats of the Three Caverns (Sandong)—collective Zhaijiao (purification rituals) conducted according to the scriptural tradition of the Daoist Three Caverns—practice the Dao (the Way) and perform rites of repentance (carrying out the rites according to liturgical procedure and worshipping in confession), burn incense and light lamps, and, on behalf of the living and the dead, repent and seek the clearing away of immeasurable karmic offenses. One prays that the nation may be at peace, that both the living and the dead may receive blessings and joy, and that men and women may rejoice. The emperors of the Four Heavens and the mighty spirits of the Ten Divisions (celestial deities in Daoist belief) burn incense and scatter flowers, descend from the sky, record sins and blessings, and compile merits in Shangqing (one of the heavens of the Dao). May all under heaven be happy, the nation prosperous, and the people well clothed and well fed.

The Celestial Worthy says: One should regularly, at the beginning, middle, and end of the month, and on such auspicious days as the ten days of upright observance, the eight seasonal nodes, jiazi days, gengshen days, the Three Yuan, the Five La, and the three assemblies of one’s natal destiny, hold retreats and practice the Dao, make offerings to the Three Treasures—Dao, scripture (Jing), and the masters—give alms to relieve the poor, release prisoners, remit the death penalty, ransom and set free captured living beings, grant freedom to those of low status, widely practice compassionate aid, broadly establish fields of merit (cultivating blessed reward by doing good and accumulating virtue), and perform many meritorious works. One prays that the nation may be at peace, that heaven and the human world may celebrate together, that immortals and sages may descend, that wind and rain may come in due season, that disease may not arise, that men and women may flourish, and that the land may prosper.

The Celestial Worthy says: Morning and evening one should worship the Celestial Worthies who have attained the Dao in the ten directions and the three realms, together with the innumerable host of sages, repenting on behalf of the living and the dead for the offenses of past lives and for all grave sins, and praying to be removed from the registers of the dead and entered in the registers of long life. One must burn incense and scatter flowers, sincere and diligent, and must not grow slack. One prays that the nation may be at peace, that people’s lifespans may be lengthened, that the destiny of the state may long endure, that sons and grandsons may be worthy, good, and filial, intelligent and clear-minded, that sacrifices may continue without interruption, and that all under heaven may be at peace.

The Celestial Worthy (Tianzun) says: One should often summon Daoist priests to recite all the scriptures of the Three Caverns (Sandong, the three categories of Daoist classics), and to copy, collate, and put the texts in order. In this way one prays that the state may be at peace, warfare may cease, floods and droughts may be removed, the five grains may yield abundant harvests, the people may rejoice, men and women may live in ease, and illnesses may be cured; that lingzhi and divine herbs may grow within the palace courts, the four seasons may proceed in their proper order, the stars may shine brightly, demonic evils and calamities may be extinguished, and auspicious omens may continually arise.

The Celestial Worthy says: One should regularly visit Daoist priests and ask to receive the scriptures of the Three Caverns, the precepts, and the Fulu (talismans and registers, written charms of religious significance in Daoism). Wear them on the body, restrain your thoughts and words, harmonize and set right the spirits (Shen) within the body, cultivate and observe them according to the Keyi (liturgy), practice diligently morning and evening, and extend the merit to all living beings. Pray that the state may be at peace, that the Three Realms (Sanjie, the different levels of the world as understood in Daoism) may respectfully protect and bless, that the Five Emperors may assist and welcome, that the Demon Kings may be unable to do evil, that the host of evils may respectfully submit, and that the various heavens may bestow blessings and shelter, so that the practitioner’s name may be entered in the palaces of the immortals and he or she may ascend to Shangqing (the higher celestial realms spoken of in Daoism), long enjoying the natural Dao (the Way).

The Celestial Worthy says: One should often exhort men and women among the people to go to Daoist priests or ritual masters to receive the precepts and to repent, so as to stop wrongdoing, guard against faults, and remove the entanglements of sinful karma. Pray that the state may be at peace, good spirits may protect, all evils may disperse, illnesses may be cured, men and women may be upright and good, the ruler may keep faith and the ministers may be loyal, and those above and those below may live in harmony; that the sun, moon, and stars—the Three Luminaries—may move in due measure, the Qi (vital energy) of the four seasons may circulate in its normal order, grasses and trees may flourish, the state may be prosperous, and the people may be abundant.

The Celestial Worthy says: On the first day of the first, fourth, seventh, and tenth months of each year, large precious-wheel lamp altars should be set up in public places—palace courtyards, city walls and outskirts, broad roads, market streets and lanes, gate pavilions, and the like—as well as in xuantan (places where Daoists establish altars to perform ritual services) and lingguan (Daoist temples and abbeys). Great numbers of sacred lamps should be lit, and the rites arranged according to the patterns of the stars in heaven. For fifteen days in succession, Daoist priests and the ritual assembly are to be gathered to practice the Dao (the Way) and offer worship; incense is to be burned and flowers scattered along the roads and streets; and from several hundred to as many as a thousand ritual altars are to be established for the exposition of the scriptures of the Three Caverns (Dongzhen, Dongxuan, and Dongshen; the collective name for the Daoist Jing, or scriptures).

These rites are performed in order to pray that the state remain peaceful and secure, that war not arise, that disease not appear, that ominous anomalies subside and disasters be removed, that the stars move according to their proper measure, that the sun and moon shine bright, that floods, droughts, insect plagues, frost, and other disasters not occur, that the common people live in peace and happiness, and that both the living and the dead receive grace.

The Celestial Worthy further says: On each of the eight principal days of heaven (important days of retreat designated in Daoism), incense should be burned and the Dao practiced, a large purification rite established, the true scriptures recited, and the profound principles and the Great Vehicle of the Dao explained. Lamps should be lit and flowers scattered, faults confessed, and the names of those who seek blessings entered on the yellow registers and white slips of the Eight Heavens (registers of blessing used in Zhaijiao, or purification rituals), with the prayer that their names be struck from the registers of the dead and transferred to the registers of the living; at the same time, offerings should be made to support the Daoist priests.

These rites are performed in order to pray that the state be peaceful and secure, that ruler and ministers be of one mind, that those above and those below be loyal and good, that the five grains yield a plentiful harvest, that the people flourish, that men and women live in peace and joy, and that all under heaven enjoy great peace.

The Celestial Worthy said: Each year, the fifteenth day of the first month, the fifteenth day of the seventh month, and the fifteenth day of the tenth month are the days of the Three Yuan—Shangyuan, Zhongyuan, and Xiayuan—when transgressions and blessings are examined. Seven days beforehand, one should summon Daoist priests, set up many ritual seats, expound the various scriptures (Jing), perform the rites of practicing the Way (Dao) and of worship, scatter flowers, burn incense, light ten thousand lamps, and hold the “Great Offering of the Mysterious Capital,” a rite of extensive offerings to the sages and perfected of the heavens and to all living beings.

Offerings may be taken from all kinds of flowers and fruits, costly garments, the seven treasures and rare objects, silks and brocades, objects of appreciation, and everyday things such as food and drink and fragrant medicines, set forth according to whatever the world possesses. One may also offer rice and wheat, carriages, flowered banners, canopies, bedding, armrests and staffs, bottles and basins, cushions and mats, and the like. With a sincere heart one establishes the Precious Trays of the Mysterious Capital, the trays on which offerings are displayed; their scale and the quantity of offerings depend entirely upon sincerity. The offerings are arranged and presented: above, to the Celestial Worthies, the sages of the ten directions, and all perfected immortals in the void realm of the Dao; in the middle, to the deities of heaven and earth who respond and manifest; and below, to the wandering souls in the Three Paths and Five Sufferings—the hells and other places of suffering—and to all male and female beings, so that all may receive blessing and protection and together abandon evil causes. One prays that the state be at peace, that the world everywhere rejoice in ease and joy, and that both the living and the dead receive grace.

The Celestial Worthy said: On the days of the Eight Principal Dates, the jiazi days, one’s natal destiny day, the Three Yuan and Eight Assemblies, and similar occasions, one should cast announcements and prayers toward the mountains, rivers, and waters. The characters “氆I” at this point in the scripture appear to be corrupt; “dragon bi-disks, rings, and knobs” refers to jade bi-disks, jade rings, and other ritual vessels used in rites of announcement. The registers of names and the prayer documents are briefly written out and displayed, with the prayer that evil causes be abandoned.

The Celestial Worthy said: On the days of the Eight Principal Dates, the jiazi days, one’s natal destiny day, the Three Yuan and Eight Assemblies, and similar occasions, one should cast announcements and prayers toward the mountains, rivers, and waters, set out ritual vessels such as dragon bi-disks, rings, and knobs, briefly write the registers of names, and list the prayer documents. One entreats the Three Officials, the divine offices that govern Heaven, Earth, and Water, to erase transgressions, enter the registers of names into Shangqing, the pure and subtle immortal realm spoken of in Daoism, and announce this to the various heavens. One prays that the state be at peace, that the dynastic fortune be long-enduring and life without end, that the world flourish in joy, that the country be peaceful and the people at ease, and that epidemics and pestilences be eliminated.

The Celestial Worthy (Tianzun) said: If the Yin-Yang of heaven and earth falls out of order and the cycles of Qi (vital energy) shift; if the sun and moon move in confusion, the five planets depart from their proper courses, and the positions of the seven luminaries are likewise in error; if the people suffer plague, flood and drought lose their balance, and warfare breaks out on every side; if ghostly wailing is heard in the mountains and the ranges resound, strange and demonic portents appear in secret, and calamities of every kind follow one upon another—then one should establish a hundred or a thousand ritual altars and expound the various Jing (scriptures) within the teachings of the Three Caverns (Dongzhen, Dongxuan, and Dongshen; the classification of Daoist scriptures).

One should also perform rites of worship and practice of the Dao (the Way), of repentance, and of prayers of thanksgiving; scatter flowers, burn incense, and light ten thousand lamps; conduct ritual services in accordance with the celestial patterns, recite scriptures and offer praises, hold Zhai (purification observances) and give alms, widely practice compassionate relief, and broadly accumulate blessings and De (Virtue/Power); release living beings and redeem lives, pardon prisoners and remit certain capital sentences, relieve those in peril and distress, and bestow kindness on the poor; and help others build Daoist monasteries, cast sacred images, and copy the scriptures. In the eight directions of the realm, in the astral-field divisions where disasters occur, and on the celebrated peaks of the Five Sacred Mountains, one should construct images or facilities for the veneration of the Celestial Worthies of the Eight Directions (the venerable deities who guard the eight directions) and of the host of immortals, perfected beings, and sages, install them and make offerings, so as to protect and secure the land, bestow blessings, and dispel calamity.

In this way one prays that the realm be at peace, that the stars move according to their proper courses, that the light of the sun and moon be regular, that the people be content, that plagues recede, that violent bandits be promptly pacified, that the crops be abundant, that men and women be healthy and joyful, and that all under heaven enjoy peace.

The Celestial Worthy said: I have always, with a heart of great compassion, pitied all beings equally and delivered every person, so that all might leave behind every kind of suffering, obtain peace and happiness, enter the profound and wondrous Dharma gate, and in the end accomplish the unsurpassed great Dao (the Way).

Yet beings are foolish and confused, and will not heed my teaching. They turn away from the correct Dao and incline toward deviant paths, constantly committing all manner of evil deeds, and are further troubled by delusive thoughts and inverted ideas. Afflictions entangle them, and in the end they fall into hell of their own accord, yet they turn about and say that I have no compassionate heart. Therefore, from one kalpa—an extremely long unit of time—to another, I range through the worlds of the ten directions, passing back and forth between heaven and the human realm, appearing as the ages change, and carrying out instruction by means of my true body or my response-and-transformation body. According to time and place I receive and guide beings, flexibly employing fitting methods, drawing in my sharp edge and merging into the world in order to rescue them, broadly forming the conditions for deliverance, expounding the teaching, and extending instruction everywhere.

My disciples are as numerous as dust and sand, spread throughout the celestial realms and the human world. Following my scriptural teaching (Jing), they rescue those in peril and suffering, and over long periods act in the human world by every kind of method, all of it ultimately in order to lead people into the Dao. You men and women should each cherish a heart of utmost sincerity, contemplate the mind by means of the Dharma, and then grasp the meaning of the Dharma from within the mind. Understand your own mind and also comprehend the principles of the Dharma, and thereby awaken to the Dao and attain perfection. From what is coarse and shallow, enter the subtle and wondrous realm; from what lies near at hand, advance step by step toward what is far-reaching; progress level upon level until wisdom is perfectly full, bright, and pure, and you ascend into the formless realm, unite with emptiness and stillness, and rest calm, clear, and utterly unmoving. Only this counts as truly realizing the great Dao.

Those who have not yet reached this realm must accumulate great merit, beginning with cultivation that still has form and visible trace, practicing in due sequence, advancing with courageous vigor, diligent and assiduous, and maintaining a heart of utmost sincerity throughout. Every time you give rise to a resolve, I know of it; whatever is done with intention can become a foundation for accumulating blessings and merit. The immortal, perfected, and holy hosts of heaven and the human world, the lads of good and evil, the vajra spirit-kings, together with the deities who hold office throughout the Three Realms and the subordinate officials of the Five Emperors, all record these things as thoughts arise and intentions stir. The causal conditions of offense and blessing, even in the finest detail, are never omitted. They weigh merit and fault, offset faults with merit, punish according to offense, and reward according to merit. Accumulating evil deeds brings decline upon oneself, while accumulating good deeds thickens one’s De (Virtue/Power). It is like a shadow following a form and an echo answering a sound, and like a mirror reflecting a person’s appearance, in which neither beauty nor ugliness is ever mistaken. All of you, men and women, should cultivate with care.

The Celestial Worthy said: Whether people cultivate goodness or commit evil, all the heavens see it with perfect clarity, and the sages know of it as well; the ruler of a state must likewise examine such conduct. A person’s every movement and every deed resonates with Heaven. Doing good brings an auspicious response, while doing evil invites calamity. The sovereign should observe the various portents and take them as warnings to himself. If he can maintain pure stillness and Wuwei (non-action)—neither acting recklessly nor disturbing the natural order—Heaven and Earth will be harmonious and at peace. If he disturbs Yin-Yang, so that both the human world and the realm of ghosts and spirits fall into turmoil and defilement, then floods, droughts, and epidemics will appear, together with changes such as the flourishing or withering of plants and trees; all of these are bound up with the resonance of the ruler’s De (Virtue/Power). Therefore, one who is sovereign should accord with the Dao (the Way) of Heaven and guide the people through teaching and moral transformation, instructing them to follow the Dao and De, to cherish the people and nurture the myriad beings, to lessen desire and selfishness, and to maintain pure stillness and Wuwei. In this way he himself may long remain secure and well, and the state too may be peaceful and enduring.

The Supreme Lord of the Dao (a revered deity of Daoism) and all those present burned incense and scattered flowers. They circled the Celestial Worthy, worshipped together, and praised him with one voice. Heaven and Earth shook at this; mountains and seas rose and fell, and grasses and trees swayed, continuing for a full day and night. The heavenly beings and the whole assembly were terrified, not knowing what had happened.

Then the Celestial Worthy sent forth a five-colored radiance that illuminated the ten directions (every direction), like the sun at noon. What lies above heaven and what lies below it, and what lies above the earth and what lies beneath it, were all lit with penetrating brightness; the scene was clear, with nothing obstructing it. All men and women, those with affinity and those without, beheld the Celestial Worthy, as if seeing a form appearing in the sun. The Celestial Worthy was pure, rare, and subtle in the extreme, beyond what words can conceive. At that moment the men and women of that kingdom all saw the Celestial Worthy; their bodily forms and features became clear and luminous, their many afflictions dispersed, their wisdom increased, and all attained long life. Afterward the host of sages bowed low in reverence and withdrew.