《太上洞玄灵宝导引三光妙经》

At that time the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning sat upright in the Hall of Cinnabar Blossoms of the Three Qi (vital energy), within the Palace of Bright Aurora in Vermilion Phoenix City, in the Land of Cinnabar Numina of the world of Red Brilliance. Together with the great sages of the various heavens, the most perfected honored deities, the Five Elder Thearch Lords, the Latter Sage of the Golden Portal, the Primordial Ultimate of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), the supreme sages and lofty worthies, the Grand Sovereign of Eastern Florescence, the Golden Mother of Western Numina, and the thearchs of the thirty-two heavens, the lords of the eighty-one heavens, the Numinous Consorts of Mysterious Harmony, the Jade Maidens of Great Brilliance, and countless other deities, he regulated the seasons of heaven, governed the great floods, examined the cycles of the kalpas, and, in accordance with the registers of the Three Origins (the rosters recording the Three Origins of Heaven, Earth, and Water), saved and delivered living beings.

Those sunk in the Three Realms and the Ninefold Darkness, beings of other kinds, and the myriads of spirits all thereby found peace and together beheld the teachings of the Dao (the Way). The hells grew calm and pure, and places of darkness became bright; illnesses and sufferings long accumulated were dispelled, and the registers of sinful deeds were erased. Living beings were able to glimpse the light of heaven beforehand and together received great blessings. Beings of the inexhaustible worlds of the ten directions received the awesome divine power of the Dao and, in the blink of an eye, all arrived at the assembly.

At that moment, from the distant east and west, wondrous rays of light suddenly rose, illuminating the sky and entering the assembly. The radiance was of nine colors, bright and vivid, brilliant and flowing, so dazzling that none could look upon it directly. Heavenly lords, heavenly thearchs, perfected persons, immortals, jade maidens, jade lads, and the retinues of the heavens then arrived in succession. Circular halos appeared above their heads, and they trod upon lotus flowers, filling the east and the west as they came together to the assembly. After entering, they paid homage to the Celestial Worthy, burned incense, scattered flowers, and offered worship in audience. When the rites were finished, each returned to his original place and took his seat in order on either side.

Thereupon the Great Perfected raised banners of faith, and divine kings held pennants aloft. Celestial music sounded, songs came from the air, and the various strains interwove, shaking heaven and earth; the joy was beyond words.

Before the assembly had ended, the Perfected Person of Universal Virtue and Wondrous Practice rose from his seat. With steady and dignified steps he came before the Celestial Worthy, bowed his head in salutation, and addressed him, saying: “The beings who have come to today’s assembly from the east and the west are exceptional in form and spiritual bearing, upright in appearance, composed in manner, and their bodies emit a wondrous light. What teaching do they cultivate? Under whom do they study? By what conditions have they attained such a rank? We earnestly beg the Celestial Worthy to tell us of this doctrine, which we have never heard.”

The Celestial Worthy (Tianzun) said: Pude Miaoxing, you have already realized the station of Supreme Perfected (Shangzhen) and have passed through many kalpas. The graded order of sages, worthies, and venerable ones, the stages of realizing the true Dao (Dao, the Way), and the differences in cultivated merit—inner and outer, exalted and humble, shallow and deep—you perceive with clarity. The methods practiced by the two kinds of cultivators you ought likewise to understand.

You raise this question because, among those seated here, there are young sacred youths and practitioners who have only just entered the path of immortality. Their learning is not yet broad, and on seeing the practitioners present they can hardly help feeling doubt. You also wish, by this means, to make plain the methods they cultivate and set them forth for later students of the Dao; that is why you ask. This is a wish to open wide, for later generations, the gate of wondrous teaching and to bring them great benefit—vast, profound, and inconceivable. Sit down once more and listen carefully. I shall explain it for you.

The transformative arising of the Great Dao goes beyond every so-called beginning. It cannot simply be called “being,” nor can it be called “non-being.” Deep and still, it is hard to express in sound or image; it is neither concrete form and color nor empty nothingness. Subtle, mysterious, and profound, it has no end and no beginning. In order to open the work of teaching, the Great Dao gradually puts forth the impulse of generation and transformation.

Within the deep stillness of the Great Void, the Qi (vital energy) of the Dao—Daoqi, the primordial Qi brought forth by the Dao’s transformation—first divided, and signs of form gradually appeared. Clear Qi and turbid Qi became distinct: clear Qi rose and became Heaven, while turbid Qi condensed and thickened and became Earth. Once the two Qi had separated, Yin and Yang took shape. The essential Qi of Yin-Yang (Yin-Yang), in which Jing (essence) and Qi congeal together, became the sun and the moon. Yang Qi reached the full number nine, and the sun contains nine rays of light; Yin Qi reached the full number ten, and the moon displays ten kinds of radiance. The moon’s course is swift and the sun’s is slow; the moon presides over shaping and completion, the sun over generation and transformation. The two luminous bodies of sun and moon move in turn, illuminating Heaven and Earth. The myriad things receive their influence and thus grow and change without cease in the human world.

Sun and moon further gather breath and differentiate essence, scattering it as stars and condensing it into rivers and mountain ranges. The Five Stars and the Five Dippers (Wudou—the five groups of stellar lodges spoken of in Daoism) are interwoven across the sky, establishing the guiding order of Heaven and Earth’s movement and presiding over what is hidden in darkness and what is bright and manifest. All things in the world, great and small, come under their inspection.

Within the sun, the moon, and the stars, each has palaces and a corresponding system of offices, with rulers and ministers, presiding lords and attendant officers, each directing a proper duty. The ranks of immortals, the spirit officials, and the officers who administer transgression and blessing all hold posts among them, and their arrangements are complete.

Some of these officials arise spontaneously by receiving primordial Qi; some are promoted to office after accumulating merit; others occupy their stations according to the rank attained through study and realization. Together they are called the Three Luminaries (Sanguang—the sun, the moon, and the stars), and they accord with the transformations of the Great Dao. Within the Three Luminaries are preserved spontaneously generated jade characters and the Script of the Eight Convergences (Bahui zhi wen—the sacred writing spoken of in Daoism), secretly stored in the Three Palaces and never before transmitted to the people of the world. Now I shall transmit it to you, so that it may teach and transform living beings.

This method is named “Daoyin of the Three Luminaries.” Its content is guiding and drawing, and ingesting and commanding, true Qi (zhenqi—regulating and employing pure primordial Qi). The practitioner must receive the method by covenant and oath according to the regulations, and cultivate by the method for eighteen years. When the work is complete, one attains the Dao, so that one’s own Qi unites with the Dao and one’s lifespan is without end.

The people of both parties (the two kinds of practitioners spoken of in the scripture), after long cultivation of this Way, when merit is fulfilled and practice complete, ascend together in body and spirit-consciousness. They dwell in the palaces of the Three Luminaries and become immortal officials belonging to them. Their bearing is bright and their radiance resplendent, plainly different from ordinary gods and immortals. If they continue to accumulate merit without slackening, they may still advance step by step according to rank. Even one who begins as a lower immortal official among the Three Luminaries can rise to a sagely station, and in both the practice and the principle of cultivation is the same as those who study the scriptures (Jing) of the Three Caverns (Dongzhen, Dongxuan, and Dongshen), receive the methods, and cultivate perfection.

This method, innumerable hundreds of millions of kalpas ago, when Heaven and Earth were just beginning and chaos had not yet divided, already circulated in transformative teaching through the various heavens together with the sacred teaching of Jade Clarity (Yuqing). The Two Contemplations and the Three Vehicles (Erguan Sancheng—teachings of cultivation at different levels) do not differ from one another. Do not give rise to doubt concerning the Great Dao.

He immediately ordered the Dianjing Shangqing (a high official in charge of the scriptures [jing]), the Weizhen Taishi (the Grand Scribe who guards the true Dao), and others to carry out their charge according to the norms of practice of the dharma-gate of the Three Caverns (Sandong), so that every affair would accord with the mysterious and subtle Dao. Already a hundred million kalpas ago, in that vast and remote age before Heaven and Earth had divided, this teaching, together with the holy teaching of Jade Clarity (Yuqing), transformed and nurtured the various heavens. The Two Contemplations and the Three Vehicles that it sets forth stand equal to other teachings, with no distinction among them. One should therefore not give rise to a mind of doubt toward the Great Dao.

He immediately ordered the Dianjing Shangqing, the Weizhen Taishi, the Jianmeng Tonglu, and the other officials of the upper mystery, together with the Four Officers of the Jade Bureau and the staff under their authority, to open the Precious Hall of Morning Radiance, reverently bring forth the Jade Casket of Cinnabar Radiance, and take out the Upper Scripture of the Three Luminaries. Written in mysterious characters such as the jade script of the Eight Heavens and the Nine Transformations and Eight Assemblies, the text belongs among the subtle cavern chapters. In accordance with the Bright Code of the Four Poles (the celestial norms for transmitting scriptures and methods), they conferred it upon Pude Miaoxing.

At that time the deities of the various heavens each remained in their stations, the myriad sages were arrayed according to ritual, and the Three Realms and the Four Offices all looked on. Pude Miaoxing then faced north, knelt upright, and bowed his head to the ground to receive the scripture, while the myriad spirits between Heaven and Earth cried out together in praise. Thereafter the scripture was borne on slips made of white jade, engraved in gold, and stored in the Tower of Yuyi and the Pavilion of Jielin. Within four hundred years it may be transmitted to only three persons.

After the scripture had been fully expounded, the Celestial Worthy (Tianzun) told the assembly that had hastened there from two directions: the immortals of the sun and moon were guiding and escorting the Three Luminaries—ordinarily the light of the sun, the moon, and the stars—to bear witness to the attainment of the true grade of cultivation. The bodies and minds of those present were clear and lucid through and through, and their radiance shone upon the entire ritual assembly. All who saw it found it most marvelous; yet, compared with every luminous manifestation of true immortals that appears in the teachings of the various quarters, this could not yet be counted especially supreme. No one should give rise to doubt on this account, or the good merit of cultivation would be lost in vain.

Before long, the assembly saw the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning (Yuanshi Tianzun), a revered deity of Daoism, arrive riding the Three Luminaries to bear witness to the attainment of the true grade. Subtle light appeared upon the Celestial Worthy and upon the people and celestial hosts present, shining through the expanse of space and merging into one with heaven and earth. Its colors changed without end, like a mountain heaped of the seven treasures, its brightness surpassing that of a hundred thousand suns. The light of the sun and moon interfused with the light given forth by the assembly, and there was no distinction between them.

The Celestial Worthy said to Pude Miaoxing: “The mysterious efficacy of the Great Dao (the Way) generates and nurtures the myriad things. The myriad things receive the Dao according to their own forms, and so each differs in depth. The Dao establishes teachings, revealing and delivering beings according to their differing capacities; and when people cultivate according to their own capacities, they likewise reach different levels. Though the transformations of the myriad things are not the same, in the end they all return to the one Dao. The Dao is originally without distinction and ultimately returns to the source; when one truly accords with the Dao, even the thought of ‘one’ must be forgotten. Do not cling to external things or to the self, and do not be bound by notions of being and non-being. Remain pure, still, and quiescent, transcending words and thought. Though the kalpas at last come to an end, the Dao endures; to abide within the profound and mysterious gate of the teaching—this is called attaining the Dao.”

When the Celestial Worthy had finished speaking, he ordered the celestial carriage to return to Daluo, the supreme heaven of which Daoism speaks. The divine immortals of the assembly, the celestial perfected and supreme sages, and all those within and beyond the Three Realms understood this true meaning. They bowed toward the Great Void (Taixu)—the vast, formless emptiness—paid their respects, and withdrew.

The lofty sages of high antiquity, the celestial Perfected of the Limitless, the numinous consorts of Mysterious Harmony, and the jade maidens of Great Brightness, together with the celestial lords and celestial emperors of the thirty-two heavens, the great gods of celestial perfection, the Perfected of Lingbao (Numinous Treasure), the immortal hosts of the various heavens, immortal lads and jade maidens, the true officials of the sun and moon, the ranked stellar luminaries, and their many attendants, as well as the unattached immortals who come and go among the sun, moon, and stars, regularly, when the orthodox Qi (vital energy) of the sun is at its height, in the first, third, fifth, seventh, ninth, and eleventh months guide the radiance of the sun with the left hand and the soul of the moon with the right. Looking upward, they pay homage to the myriad sages; bending low, they draw in the Qi of the assembled stars, and they practice the cultivation of the Dao (the Way) of Fixed Light and True Constancy.

This set of guiding methods is named, in order, Flowing Jing (essence), Moistening the Infant, Method Qi, Yang Jade, Cloud Florescence, Dao Immortal, Nine Transformations, and Fixed Light. When the practice has been carried through to completion, one returns to True Constancy. As primordial Qi rises and falls in transformation, one accords with the profound mystery of the great Dao, and from then on is neither born nor extinguished, enduring through a hundred million kalpas. The Perfected and immortals of the heavens all delight in cultivating this method. The Lord of the Sun, the Emperor of the Moon, and the true officials of the constellations likewise constantly join in harmony with it, so that none fail to praise it and hold it in reverence.

Primordial Qi is breathed out toward heaven as Flowing Jing, and with a humming rinse one moistens the Infant; one extends and guides the Method Qi, and masters the Yang Jade; one pours in and refines the Cloud Florescence, which transforms and develops into the Dao Immortal. Transcending and leaping aloft, one passes through the Nine Transformations; the body manifests a marvelous radiance, the two hands revolve the Fixed Light, and one’s figure leaps into the Great Void. One is delivered beyond the Three Realms, forever freed from birth and death, and ascends in flight to the Upper Palace.

The Five Elder Great Sages—the venerable deities of the five directions and the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water)—together with the Perfected of the various heavens guide the Flowing Jing of the Three Luminaries. At that moment, one hundred and twenty-five Perfected chant the sounds of the ritual covenants of the Eight Assemblies, that is, the sounds of the numinous writs of the Eight Assemblies spoken of in Daoism.

The subtle Dao (the Way) differentiates into a unitary Qi (vital energy)—the primordial Qi with which the cosmos begins—and within that Qi, Yin-Yang further divides. Yin and Yang condense and transform, forming the sun, the moon, and the stars, which move in brightness and become the Three Luminaries. The Nine Splendors contain the nine courses, and the eight colors harmonize the eight directions. The Three Luminaries shine in brilliant glory, manifesting the body of Dongzhen (Cavern of Perfection, one of the Three Caverns), while Jing (essence) and Qi circulate and return to the Great Radiance. Below, they give rise to the Palace of the Abyssal Spring; above, they are arrayed in the Township of Nowhere. The body stretches forth, as if leaving traces of flight, and suddenly merges with the myriad things, each forgetting the other. The Jing of the Seven Treasures flows and congeals, and within chaos fragrant splendor is mingled in. One swallows the Nine-Cloud Powder, yet the enjoyment of this bliss is still without end.

Channel the flowing Jing; after the ritual covenant has been recited to completion, ingest the three talismans.

The Five Elder Great Sages and the Perfected of the various heavens channel the moisture of the Three Luminaries, nourishing the infant spirit—the inner numinosity referred to in cultivation. At this moment, one hundred and twenty-five Perfected chant the tones of the “Eight Assemblies” used for the ritual covenant, the particular phonology of Daoist liturgy.

Mysterious Qi lies stored deep within the Nine Qi, and the moistened infant is born from the Great Non-being, the primordial realm without form or image. Yuyi, god of the sun, radiates brilliance in the Yang Valley, the legendary place where the sun rises, while Jielin, god of the moon, illuminates the road of heaven. The Five Stars stream forth precious light; the Northern Dipper and the celestial pole turn the Pivot of Qian, the hub of the heavens’ motion. Flying breath spreads in full vigor; when one swallows it, takes it in, and masters it, the bodily form seems to wander without settling. Crossing the steps of the Heavenly Treasure, one refines and nurtures the numinous mushroom and consumes its flowering essence. Qi disperses throughout the body, and the myriad spirits each become complete; raising the whole body, one ascends into the Great Void.

Channel the moistened infant; after the ritual covenant has been recited to completion, ingest the three talismans.

The Five Elder Great Sages and the Perfected of the various heavens channel the Dharma Qi of the Three Luminaries. At this moment, one hundred and twenty-five Perfected chant the tones of the Eight Assemblies used for the ritual covenant.

Vast, crystalline-bright Qi gives birth to Dharma Qi, which diffuses and condenses amid the mysterious dark. The two luminaries, sun and moon, are together clear and bright, and the Five Stars in their courses interpenetrate one another. The Three Luminaries have already shone forth in brilliance, and precious Qi fills the Three Palaces—three important reservoirs of Qi within the human body, which may also refer to the three palatial abodes spoken of in Daoism. In the Imperial Township, dwelling of the Celestial Emperor, nine immortal elders assemble; after one swallows the Dharma Qi, the hundred bones of the whole body are filled and made strong. Golden radiance shines like a mirror, and the body becomes as the sun and moon. With the mind set before the Supreme Sages, one may pass through ten thousand kalpas and enjoy longevity without end.

Channel the Dharma Qi; after the ritual covenant has been recited to completion, ingest the three talismans.

The Five Elder Great Sages and the Perfected of the various heavens channel the Jade Yang of the Three Luminaries. At this moment, one hundred and twenty-five Perfected chant the tones of the Eight Assemblies used for the ritual covenant.

When the orthodox and true Qi of Jade Yang—the jade-hued, yang-harmonious vital energy spoken of in Daoism—has brought its wondrous function to completion, one ingests the three talismans.

The Five Elder Great Sages and the Perfected (zhenren) of the various heavens guide the Qi (vital energy) of the Three Luminaries—that is, the sun, the moon, and the stars—and bring it to gather at Yuyang. At this moment, one hundred and twenty-five Perfected chant the ritual covenant in unison, singing forth the Sounds of the Eight Assemblies, a sacred mode of intonation found in Daoist scriptures (jing).

The pure and orthodox true Qi of Yuyang differentiates into the three manifestations of the mysterious great Dao (the Way). Clear and harmonious Qi sings out numinous tones, and the Sounds of the Eight Assemblies spread forth scriptures like fine jade. The Five Elders dwell at ease in the deep and secluded cinnabar abode, drifting lightly along upon auspicious clouds. The Great Sages of the various heavens ride dragons and drink jade liquor. The reckoning of three and five determines the registers of life and death; roaming back and forth, they become guests of the Most High. Radiant light shines without bound, and hand in hand they pay court to the Imperial Dawn.

After Yuyang has been guided and the chanting of the ritual covenant is complete, one ingests the three talismans (fu).

The Five Elder Great Sages and the Perfected of the various heavens guide the cloud-blossoms of the Three Luminaries. At this moment, one hundred and twenty-five Perfected chant the ritual covenant in unison, singing forth the Sounds of the Eight Assemblies.

Beyond the bounds of Yuluo they guide the true Qi, and nine rays of light congeal into cloud-blossoms. Seven divinities ascend the lofty Way on high, while the sun, moon, and stars illuminate the vermilion glow of the dawn clouds. Bearing incense and ingesting the Jing (essence) of dawn, once merit and practice are fulfilled one may cast off the bonds of the secular world. After the accumulated defilements of the dusty world have been refined away, even a lifespan of hundreds of millions of years does not seem too long. In the courts of the Three Realms one’s name is removed from the mundane registers, and one enters into fellowship with the household of the Most High. Riding luminous clouds and directing the mysterious celestial signs, even the farthest reaches of the eight directions are no longer remote.

After the cloud-blossoms have been guided and the chanting of the ritual covenant is complete, one ingests the three talismans.

The Five Elder Great Sages and the Perfected of the various heavens guide the Three Luminaries so that they lead the immortal Perfected. At this moment, one hundred and twenty-five Perfected chant the ritual covenant in unison, singing forth the Sounds of the Eight Assemblies.

The spontaneous great Dao is supremely true and supremely wondrous; its mystery has reached a depth that cannot be deepened further. The host of gods of the myriad heavens attend court at the jade steps, and the Nine Elder Perfected pay homage in the splendid halls. The Three Luminaries contain numinous Qi, and only sages and worthies can obtain deliverance through them. Diligently cultivate the work of guiding the immortals; swallow, take in, and put to use the Qi of essential florescence. Bring Jing and Shen (spirit), together with bodily form, into accord with the three images of heaven and earth, sun, moon, and stars, and gradually return to the realm of ultimate mystery. The host of gods of the myriad heavens attend court at the jade steps, and the Nine Elder Perfected pay homage in the splendid halls. The Three Luminaries contain numinous Qi, and only sages and worthies can obtain deliverance through them. Diligently cultivate the work of guiding the immortals; swallow, take in, and put to use the Qi of essential florescence. Bring spirit and bodily form into accord with the three images—remote, profound, and mysterious—and at last return to the original source. The imperial bird flies through the heavenly realms of the ten directions, ascends, and departs, never to return.

After the guiding of the immortals and the chanting of the ritual covenant are complete, one ingests the three talismans.

The Five Elder Great Sages and the Perfected of the various heavens guide the nine transformations of the Three Luminaries. At this moment, one hundred and twenty-five Perfected chant the ritual covenant in unison, singing forth the Sounds of the Eight Assemblies.

The Three Heavens—the upper celestial realms of which Daoism speaks—are lofty and boundless, and the Nine Mysterious Terraces, the immortal platforms where divine beings dwell, stand ranged tier upon tier. Perfected youths gather the lingzhi, and jade maidens return bearing fresh flowers. Guests of heaven welcome the immortals, and the immortals step forward and ascend the jade stairs. The Heavenly River shines upon the Eastern Well, the name of a constellation, while precious primordial Qi (vital energy) comes circling through the sky. Swallowing and rinsing the fluids that are like jade nectar, one passes through countless kalpas and still does not grow old. Raising one’s head to gaze toward the road of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), the highest celestial realm revered in Daoism, one sets one’s robes in order and shakes one’s sleeves—what joy!

After the guiding has been completed nine times, one recites the ritual covenant, the scripture or oral formula followed in practice, and then ingests three Fulu (talismans and registers).

The Five Elder Great Sages and the Perfected of the various heavens together guide the Three Luminaries, so that their light remains steady. At this time, one hundred and twenty-five Perfected intone the ritual covenant, chanting it in the sounds of the Eight Convergences, the sacred sounds spoken of in Daoist classics.

The supreme and unsurpassed Dao (the Way) of the Highest Perfected—how mysterious and wondrous are the chapters of the Lingbao Jing (scripture/classic)! One absorbs the radiance of the sun, moon, and stars, guides the five stars, the stars corresponding to the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water), and swallows, rinses, and visualizes the light within them. Jing (essence) and Qi flow throughout the whole body and pour into all its parts; bright and pure, they congeal like snow and frost. They shine through within and without, so that filth and grime disperse together. The skin grows full and moist, and one no longer ages. To cultivate according to this method is called “Stabilizing the Light.” One dwells forever at ease in the Hall of Great Brightness, a luminous and pure immortal realm, a place where there is no night. Gathering in one’s outward traces and returning mind and Shen (spirit) to the root, through nine cycles of transmutation and refinement one condenses into a state that is true and abiding.

After completing the guiding for Stabilizing the Light and reciting the ritual covenant, one ingests three Fulu.

Revering the Fulu (talismans and registers), I pay homage to the Zhenren (Perfected immortals who have attained the Dao (the Way)). I guide the body and swallow and draw in the breath, so that the two luminaries of sun and moon—the light-images of the sun and the moon—mingle with each other, and the three lights of sun, moon, and stars come together. I stand aloof from the dusty world, and body and mind become one with radiance. When I manifest, I return to form; when I am still, I enter the formless. I wander freely in the Taixu (the vast void), and my appearing and vanishing, my transformations, have no end.

Through this state of freedom, one becomes a person who accords with what is natural and attains the utmost perfection, also called the “Yuanshi Wulao Lingbao Sanshi’er Tian Dingguang Zhenren” (the Fixed-Light Perfected of the Primordial Beginning, the Five Elders, the Numinous Treasure, and the Thirty-Two Heavens). One constantly roams and rests together with the Great Saints of the Ten Extremes, the Exalted Perfected of the Ten Hua, the Emperors and Kings of the Four Heavens, and the Supreme Thearchs of the Five Elders, along with the thousands of Zhenren and myriads of spirits in attendance and the officers of the Three Realms, at the gate-towers of Dongyang and upon the Terrace of Jueguan (Absolute Contemplation).

There are four tiers of heaven: Huangzeng Heaven, Heyang Heaven, Kongsheng Heaven, and Xiaodu Heaven, and each tier has thirty-six kingdoms. Every kingdom has its rulers and ministers, its lands, its people, and its sovereign, and also the many beings known as the “human-bird Kunlun.” The Jade Capital and its golden gate-towers, the Mysterious Metropolis and the Five Marchmounts, the numinous offices of gods and immortals, the great marshes and famous mountains, and the divine beasts of the Eight Awes are all found there. Creatures that fly, swim in the depths, walk, and roost—whether scaled and armored, shelled, or feathered—and even the tiny beings among the hills and woods, are all transformed into the Seven Treasures, shining light in the four directions.

Dharma drums resound through the sky, and wondrous music sounds together, as people chant the Chapters of the Most High’s Eight Assemblies (sacred passages in the Daoist scriptures). Those who have only just entered the way of the immortals and are still advancing in their studies also have a chance to watch and listen. They ascend the ordering cords of the heavens, wheel along the paths of those cords, circle the stars of the Dipper, and enter the Kui star. They swallow and draw in primordial Qi (vital energy) and take in the quintessential florescence, so that the spirit opens through and through and unites with the wondrous Dao. Their hands move through the Six Du (hand methods in cultivation), and their feet tread the Nine Hua (the sacred positions involved in pacing methods, or in pacing the stars). They leap aloft into the void, become one with the light, forever mount the wondrous Dao, and their lifespan passes beyond the ordinary limit of postnatal existence.

At Yuwan Heaven, Gonghua Heaven, Huangxian, and other such places, those who have only just entered the way of the immortals and are still advancing in their studies may likewise watch and listen. They ascend the ordering cords of the heavens, wheel along the paths of those cords, circle the stars of the Dipper, and enter the Kui star. They swallow and draw in primordial Qi and take in the quintessential florescence, so that the spirit opens through and through and unites with the wondrous Dao. Their hands move through the Six Du, and their feet tread the Nine Hua. They leap aloft into the void, become one with the light, forever mount the wondrous Dao, and their lifespan passes beyond the ordinary limit of postnatal existence.

Within Yuwan Heaven, Gonghua Heaven, Huangya Heaven, and Yuandong Heaven stands the Terrace of Haoyang Xuanyuan, the place ascended by the Nine-Transformation Zhenren (Zhenren formed through nine transformations).

In the Hetong, Zongpiao, Jifeng, and Miaocheng Heavens there are a grove of jade blossoms and a terrace towering into the clouds, called the Grove of Jade Blossoms and the Terrace Soaring into the Clouds. This is the place where the Perfected Who Guide the Immortals ascend.

In the Pingyu, Huangjia, Xiaomang, and Jinshang Heavens there is the Precious Terrace of Mysterious Flourishing, the place where the Perfected of Cloud Blossoms ascend.

In the Wenju, Tangyao, Wengzhong, and Changrong Heavens there is the Terrace of Returning Yin and Supreme Perfection, the place where the Perfected of Jade Yang ascend.

In the Qiyao, Duanjing, Jiangyou, and Tengsheng Heavens there is the Terrace of Clouds Gathering and Spirit Flight, the place where the Perfected of the Method’s Qi (vital energy) ascend.

In the Yueheng, Gongqing, Shangdie, and Fandu Heavens there is the Terrace of Immeasurable Ultimate Contemplation, the place where the Perfected Zeying ascend.

In the Mengyi and Jiyao Heavens there is likewise a Terrace of Clouds Gathering and Spirit Flight, the place where the Perfected of the Method’s Qi ascend.

In the Yueheng, Gongqing, Shangdie, and Fandu Heavens there is likewise a Terrace of Immeasurable Ultimate Contemplation, the place where the Perfected Zeying ascend.

In the Mengyi, Jiyao, Tanshi, and Jiayi Heavens there is the Terrace of Ten Transcendences and Nine Blossoms, the place where the Perfected of Flowing Jing (essence) ascend.

These eight terraces are places where the True Immortals of the Three Luminaries—the perfected and immortals corresponding to the light of the sun, the moon, and the stars—the Celestial Kings of the Four Heavens, and all the Perfected ascend on high to survey the view and to roam and feast. The documents and jade writings of the celestial realm are engraved on jade and stored in these terraces; they are called the “Talismanic Mandates of the Eight Heavens of the Primordial Beginning.”

Those who practice Daoyin—cultivation that guides body and mind by regulating the body, regulating the breath, and similar methods—should revere these talismanic mandates and, according to the method, swallow and ingest the corresponding substances, so that the body is transformed, its old form shed and a new one taken on. By this means one refines the body still bound by physical form and enters the formless Dao (the Way). In practice one should set apart a quiet chamber in which to visualize and contemplate the Great Dao, observe purification and abstinence in purity and stillness, and keep far from worldly dust. One should choose the “months of the six yang,” such as the sixth and twelfth months of the lunar calendar, so that the six kinds of Qi flow freely and come into harmony; then one can resonate with celestial perfection. One may also clarify the mind and spirit and concentrate one’s contemplative attention atop numinous hills and immortal peaks, and thus at once communicate upward with the celestial realm. If one remains amid the dust and customs of ordinary society, it is to be feared that full resonance and penetration will be hard to attain.

The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning (Yuanshi Tianzun, the supreme deity venerated in Daoism), the Most High Lord of the Great Dao (Taishang Dadaojun, the Great Way), the Most High Lord Lao (Taishang Laojun), the Five Elder Supreme Emperors, the True Kings of the Four Extremes, the Imperial Lords of the Nine Heavens, the Imperial Kings of the Four Heavens, the Emperors of the Thirty-Two Heavens, the Most High Perfected of the Ten Blossoms, and the Lords of the Three Origins together preside over all the saints and every venerated deity. Whenever this month arrives, they perform the rite of guiding the Three Luminaries. The “Three Luminaries” are the sun, moon, and stars; “guiding” (daoyin) here means to lead and to harmonize. Through this the Three Luminaries open the subtle mechanism of the mysterious, setting the pure and upright Qi (vital energy) between Heaven and Earth in motion, bringing the order of the seasons into harmony, and keeping the winds of the eight directions from falling into disorder.

They then command the many perfected-immortal officials to pay court to the Celestial Worthies of Laozi of the four directions and to the various holy and venerated deities. The deities manifest their forms in accordance with concentrated intention, and their divine radiance shines brightly, so as to augment the light of the sun and moon. Those who cultivate this Dao should, morning and evening in the purification chamber, visualize and reverently honor the deities, hoping thereby to enter into sympathetic communion with them.

The titles of the Celestial Worthies of Laozi in each direction are as follows.

Celestial Worthies of Laozi of the Eight Heavens of the East

Celestial Worthy Who Governs All, Laozi of Great Mystery (Taixuan Laozi Zongyu Tianzun); Celestial Worthy of Eightfold Brightness, Laozi of Mysterious Subtlety (Xuanwei Laozi Baming Tianzun); Celestial Worthy of Flowing Rosy Clouds, Laozi of Directional Governance (Fangyu Laozi Liuxia Tianzun); Celestial Worthy of the Three Perfected, Laozi of Great Cinnabar (Taidan Laozi Sanzhen Tianzun); Celestial Worthy of the Great Unity, Laozi of the Yellow Court (Huangting Laozi Taiyi Tianzun); Celestial Worthy of the Grand Sovereign, Laozi of the Northern Emperor (Beidi Laozi Taihuang Tianzun); Celestial Worthy of Vast Qi, Laozi of Heavenly Might (Tianwei Laozi Haoqi Tianzun); Celestial Worthy Who Returns to the Perfected, Laozi of the Purple Pole (Ziji Laozi Huizhen Tianzun).

Celestial Worthies of Laozi of the Eight Heavens of the South

Celestial Worthy of the Five Qi, Laozi of Turtle Mountain (Guishan Laozi Wuqi Tianzun); Celestial Worthy of Precious Refinement, Laozi of Circular Practice (Yuanxing Laozi Baolian Tianzun); Celestial Worthy Who Attends the Pole, Laozi of Guiding Communion (Daotong Laozi Shiji Tianzun); Celestial Worthy Who Returns to the Dao, Laozi of the Thousand Recitations (Qiansong Laozi Huidao Tianzun); Celestial Worthy Who Follows Life, Laozi of Fourfold Brightness (Siming Laozi Suisheng Tianzun); Celestial Worthy of Cloud Light, Laozi of Cloud Celebration (Yunqing Laozi Yunguang Tianzun); Celestial Worthy of the Upper Capital, Laozi Who Roams the Mystery (Youxuan Laozi Shangjing Tianzun); Celestial Worthy of Primordial Antiquity, Laozi of Precious Measure (Baoliang Laozi Yuanlao Tianzun).

Celestial Worthies of Laozi of the Eight Heavens of the West

Celestial Worthy of Universal Salvation, Laozi of the Great Balance (Taiheng Laozi Pudu Tianzun); Celestial Worthy of True Transformation, Laozi of the Nine Qi (Jiuqi Laozi Zhenhua Tianzun); Celestial Worthy Who Saves the Living, the Yellow Elder Laozi (Huanglao Laozi Dusheng Tianzun); Celestial Worthy Who Nourishes Shen (spirit), Laozi of Purple Yang (Ziyang Laozi Yangshen Tianzun); Celestial Worthy Who Flies and Travels, Laozi of Fixed Appearance (Dingxiang Laozi Feixing Tianzun).

In the original text the passage “Guishan Laozi Wuqi Tianzun, Yuanxing Laozi Baolian Tianzun, Daotong Laozi Shiji Tianzun, Qiansong Laozi Huidao Tianzun” appears twice; of the titles belonging to the Eight Heavens of the West, the scripture as given lists only five.

Gaoye Laozi (the venerable deity Laozi renowned for profound cultivation) is Guantian Tianzun (Celestial Worthy); Feihuang Laozi is Jiuguang Tianzun.

Dafa Laozi is Xuanji Tianzun. The Laozi Tianzun of the Eight Heavens of the North include Huiyuan Laozi, titled Sansu Tianzun; Liuhe Laozi, titled Beidu Tianzun; Zidu Laozi, titled Liuying Tianzun; Xingxiang Laozi, titled Zhenqi Tianzun (True Qi, vital energy); and Quanhua Laozi, titled Zhirong Tianzun. The Laozi Tianzun of the directional Eight Heavens likewise include these five.

In addition, there are Baixian Laozi, titled Yanzhen Tianzun; Bingren Laozi, titled Wuqi Tianzun (Five Qi); and Jiubian Laozi, titled Qingjing Tianzun.

Yuanshi Tianzun presides over the great saints of all the heavens since countless kalpas, together with the Laozi Tianzun who manifest in response throughout the ten directions, in the practice of the Dongtian Lingbao Daoyin Zhaifa (Cavern-Heaven Numinous Treasure Rite of Guided Purification). In the six months of zhai—the first, third, fifth, seventh, ninth, and eleventh months (the months appointed for Daoist fasting and cultivation)—one should, at noon, face the proper direction and reverently worship the Laozi Tianzun. In worship one prostrates with the five limbs to the ground, performing thirty-two prostrations in all, and scatters flowers and burns incense. By day one offers prayers, lighting lamps and reciting in silence with a quieted mind; by night one repents just as at dawn. So long as one is single-hearted and sincere and cultivates to the utmost of one’s ability, the many good deeds will gather, the great deities of supreme truth will of themselves respond in the unseen, and in the end the one who cultivates the Dao (the Way) will come into communion with the gods and spirits.