《太上洞玄灵宝往生救苦妙经》

In former times, the Celestial Worthy (Tianzun, the honorific title for the highest deity in Daoism) was wandering in the Fragrant Grove Garden, expounding the wondrous Dharma for all living beings and opening the gateway that leads to it. At that moment, subtle light of five colors issued from the Celestial Worthy’s mouth, illuminating the boundless worlds of the ten directions and also lighting the boundless Ninefold Dark Hells (Jiuyou, the shadowy realms of suffering spoken of in Daoism). Above in heaven and below on earth, there was no place left unillumined.

Among the listeners was a Perfected Person (Zhenren, one who has attained realization through cultivation) named Fajie. He rose, adjusted his robes and cap, performed the rite of prostration, and knelt long before the Celestial Worthy, saying: “Those assembled here accumulated blessed merit and built up meritorious practice in former lives; only after passing through ten thousand kalpas have they gained the opportunity of this meeting, and thus are able to hear the Celestial Worthy expound the wondrous Dharma. Your disciples bow their heads in reverence, prostrate themselves with all five limbs upon the ground, and earnestly beseech the teaching, even until blood covers the ground.”

Thereupon the Celestial Worthy, greatly moved by compassion, raised his hand and snapped his fingers, praising the disciples: “Excellent, excellent! You take pity on living beings and seek the Dharma with earnest care. This teaching is indeed profound; were one not a Perfected Person, one could not take the initiative to request it. I shall now expound this causal nexus for you. You must listen with concentrated mind, guard purity, follow and practice it, receive it with care, and remain reverent day and night, without lapse of propriety.

“If there are living beings who are arrogant and refuse to believe, who slight the teaching, give rise to slander in their hearts, harbor neither faith nor reverence, and do not guard purity, then in the future they may fall among animals, or even become all manner of insects. Even if they remain in the human world, they may meet with sufferings such as the loss of eyebrows and beard, sores covering the body, and the rotting of the whole frame; they will sleep exposed in the wilds and be cast out by humankind. Common people who see them will all feel revulsion, and parents, wives, and children will be rent with grief. Such persons suffer bitterly—what then can be done? All of this arises from living beings’ own causal conditions and actions; it is not brought about by others. Each of you should reflect carefully and practice with prudence.”

Fajie inquired of the Venerable of the Dao (the Way), not knowing through how many kalpas these sinners had passed in former lives, what lay at the root of the karmic offenses they had incurred, or for what reason they had formed enmity with others. He earnestly begged the Celestial Worthy, in compassion, to reveal and explain the source of the offenses they had committed.

The Celestial Worthy replied to the Left Mystery Zhenren (a venerated deity of Daoism): these sinners each had their own causes and conditions in former lives. Generation after generation they sometimes accumulated blessings and sometimes contracted resentments; all manner of causes and conditions became entangled with one another, and every one of them arose from their own actions. The great sages of the ten directions never mislead people. I will now tell you, and you must all listen carefully to this Jing (scripture) that expounds the Three Paths and Five Sufferings (the realms of suffering spoken of in Daoism).

You disciples, whether men or women, need only give rise in a single thought to a mind of diligent practice, and you may keep a vegetarian fast for seven days and seven nights in succession. On each of the ten days within the month (the designated days for Daoist fasting and ritual practice), throughout the twelve double-hours of the day, burn incense and carry out the practice of the Way; invite Daoist priests to preside over the rites, establish a ritual sanctuary, light forty-nine lamps, hang banners and canopies (the banners and ceremonial canopies used in ritual), and recite this scripture by turns. Over the seven days and seven nights, recite the scripture seven times by day and by night and make repentance. In this way, the old karma and the roots of offense accumulated by your disciples, by the faithful close to you, and by your ancestors of seven generations, your parents, and the deceased of the past can all be released.

If someone has not yet encountered this scripture and has already fallen into hell, so long as that person once calls upon the names of the Three Treasures (the Dao, the Jing, and the Master), I will follow the sound and go to the rescue, enabling that person to leave hell and ascend to heaven. How much more, then, if you are able for seven days and seven nights to keep a vegetarian fast, burn incense and light lamps, recite this scripture, and repent: every old offense upon your person can likewise be removed. If one does not repent, karmic offense is hard to eliminate. All of you must listen carefully.

The Zhenren of the ten directions (practitioners who have attained the Dao), together with male and female beings, whether acting for the dead, for the living, or for themselves, may take gold and silver, elephants, horses, carriages and conveyances, clothing, bedding, and other goods, or donate fields and residences, and offer the treasures upon their persons and other possessions, in order to assist in the making of scriptures and sacred images. They may also bestow wealth upon the ritual master, expressing sincerity through material gifts, seek instruction in the methods of the Dao from the ritual master, recite the scriptural texts, receive the precepts, and repent with a sincere heart: bowing their heads before the Worthy and listening as the ritual master expounds the teaching, they themselves repent of the thousand kinds of offenses and the ten thousand kinds of afflictions upon their persons, praying that these may be extinguished.

The Celestial Worthy (Tianzun) said: If someone sincerely forms a good vow and wishes to carve and produce scriptures (jing) and divine images, they should, according to what they are able to undertake at the time, immediately prepare what is needed and not put it off until later, lest the original good vow come to nothing and instead become their own fault. If one is to donate material goods, zhai food (the food prepared when a purification feast is offered), or items given to the ritual master, these too should be delivered promptly and not delayed. If the heart harbors stinginess, or if one takes as one’s own what has been promised to others, one will create evil karma. After death one may fall into hell and suffer all manner of hardship, or be reborn as a hungry ghost or an animal. Even if one is born again as a human being, one may be deaf and blind, disabled in body, living in poverty and of low station; or one may become an orphan, fostered in another’s household, pressed by hunger and cold, with no one to show love or pity. Even deep into the night one will still weep from sorrow, the heart troubled and vexed, rarely finding joy. One may also be reborn as livestock such as pigs, dogs, oxen, and sheep, constantly slaughtered, in repayment of the faults formerly committed. These bitter retributions, even if told over the course of many kalpas, would be hard to exhaust. I now admonish you disciples: cultivate yourselves with caution.

The Left Mysterious Perfected (Zuoxuan Zhenren, an honorific title of a revered Daoist deity) bowed in ritual homage and addressed the Celestial Worthy, saying: “May you, for the sake of all living beings who have accumulated sinful karma over many kalpas and are about to receive bitter retribution, expound this scripture on the Three Paths (santu—the three evil destinies of hell, hungry ghosts, and animals), the Five Sufferings, and the Eight Difficulties. Beings who are blind, deaf, and the like all look up in reverence and listen with single-minded attention. Those who hear this scripture will all obtain peace and joy; delight will arise in their hearts, and together they will bow and earnestly request to hear it.”

In the original text there are several repetitions and markers of missing characters (such as “#6” and “#7”); the reading here follows the coherence of the context.

The Celestial Worthy (Tianzun, an honorific in Daoism for the supreme deity) told all living beings: “Good men and good women, I have surveyed the heavens throughout and have also toured the hells, where I saw beings undergoing punishment: great cangues about their necks, shackles on their arms, heavy fetters locked upon their feet, and iron spikes borne on their bodies; fire held in their mouths, their backs pierced through by blades and needles, sword-trees striking their chests, vicious birds pecking out their eyes, iron plows cutting their tongues, molten copper poured into their mouths, and every part of their bodies as if ablaze. Red-hot iron pellets were swallowed down their throats and scorched them until the flesh ulcerated; beings were set in boiling cauldrons to be fried and seethed, and crushed hard against bronze pillars.

Some were driven up the mountain of knives, flesh and bone hacked to pieces; some were cast into charcoal furnaces, fat dripping as fierce fire burned, and then sent on into freezing ice, the cold piercing heart and bone; some were forced to lie on iron beds, their bodies rotting away upon them until they became ghosts no longer recognizable. Some were trapped in fields of snow, hearts and bowels torn open, blades driven into the body, flesh and blood rotting like mud; then they were ground to fine powder, bones and sinews scattered to the wind, and afterward made into hungry ghosts. Ox-headed jailers raised their clubs, and wardens gripped steel forks, driving the sinners through their punishments without pause. Enduring this through hundreds of millions of kalpas in the cycle of rebirth—when, after all, can they return?

All you living beings must strive to restrain yourselves, rectify body and mind, and diligently cultivate merit. You disciples, and all who are present, should each encourage one another and guard your original mind; only thus can you attain liberation.”

Before the Celestial Worthy had finished speaking, the Perfected of the Left Mystery (Zuoxuan Zhenren, a title of a Daoist perfected immortal) again addressed the Celestial Worthy: “We still do not know what karmic offenses these beings committed in former lives, or what faults they incurred, that they should suffer such bitter punishments, nor which precepts they violated. The multitude is foolish and ignorant, and does not understand of itself. We only wish that the Celestial Worthy, in compassionate sorrow…” The original text breaks off here.

In the scripture, images of punishment such as the mountain of knives, freezing ice, the iron bed, and the ox-headed jailers depict suffering in hell; “hundreds of millions of kalpas” (yi jie) indicates an extremely long span of time.

The Perfected of the Left Mystery had not yet finished speaking when he again addressed the Celestial Worthy: “I do not know what karma these beings created in former lives, or what faults they committed, that they now suffer these pains, nor which precepts they have violated. They are all foolish and ignorant, and do not understand why they are being punished. I earnestly beg the Celestial Worthy to take pity on those who endure this punishment, to tell them what faults they have committed, so that they may act with caution and not offend again. I also ask you to instruct them in which merits they should cultivate and practice, so that the roots of their sins may be uprooted.”

At this, all the beings present gave rise to hearts turned toward the Dao (the Way). They bowed their heads before the Celestial Worthy, showing that they were willing to hear his clear instruction.

The Celestial Worthy told everyone: “If you wish to hear this Jing (scripture/classic) that speaks of the Two Paths, the Five Sufferings, and the Eight Difficulties, you should listen with full attention. This scripture is mysterious and profound, beyond all conception; among scriptures of every kind, and among the scriptures of the highest grade, it ranks first. Through repentance it can deliver the dead of the past, and among scriptures that save beings from suffering it is the most excellent. It is therefore honored beyond compare, the king of all scriptures.

“The Three Paths just mentioned refer to the path of hell, the path of animals, and the path of hungry ghosts.

“The Five Sufferings refer to embracing the bronze pillar, walking the mountain of knives, treading along the sword-trees, entering the boiling cauldron, and swallowing fire and eating charcoal. All of these are cruel punishments in hell.

“The Eight Difficulties are the many conditions in human life that are hard to obtain. First, to be reborn as a human and to leave the three evil paths; second, to be born a man; third, to have a sound body, complete in the six senses, the four limbs, and one’s features; fourth, to be born in the Central Kingdom—the civilized regions, as the ancients called them; fifth, to be born in a country that possesses the Dao (the Way), and to meet a worthy and enlightened ruler and worthy parents; sixth, to meet a ruler who possesses the Dao, to delight all one’s life in cultivating the Dao, and to hold kindness and humaneness in one’s heart; seventh, to give rise to a good heart, to believe in the Daoist teaching, and to seek long life; eighth, to believe in the Dao and in De (Virtue/Power), to be born into the age of an emperor of great peace, and, through myriad kalpas, still to encounter the Three Treasures—the Dao, the scriptures, and the masters revered in Daoism. All of these are very hard to obtain, and so they are called the Eight Difficulties.

“The Three Calamities refer to meeting with war, to being ill year after year, and to encountering a great flood while traveling or while dwelling somewhere.

“Another kind of Five Sufferings consists of being swept away and drowned by water, being burned by fierce fire, being killed or wounded by bandits, being harassed by ghosts and demons, and being stung or bitten by all kinds of venomous creatures, with pain that is deep and severe.

“The Five Turbidities are five kinds of murk and disorder. First, views are confused, and deviant things delude people; second, the course of the kalpa is turbid, so that the movement of sun and moon seems brief; third, living beings are turbid, and their spirits are dim and unclear; fourth, afflictions are turbid, and people rage and contend with one another; fifth, lifespan is turbid—many die young before their time, wives, children, and kin are parted midway, and orphans and widows grieve and sorrow because of it.

“The Eight Practices are eight guidelines of cultivation. First, even when one suffers injustice, one does not plead one’s own case; second, one yields one’s merit to others; third, one does not covet what others desire; fourth, one can yield to others and does not argue or reckon accounts; fifth, one stays far from people without the Dao and lives in seclusion in a pure and quiet place; sixth, one is single-mindedly loyal to the country, constantly keeps the Three Treasures in mind, burns incense day after day, long maintains the purification fast without interruption, makes offerings to monastics, and does not go against humaneness, righteousness, and good faith; seventh, one does not violate the scriptural precepts—even if one remains a householder all one’s life, one keeps the fast to the end and never breaks the precepts, diligently sweeps the pure and quiet rooms, tends the lamps and the stove fire, and aids the poor and the lowly, women in childbirth, the old, the sick, and the frail, the orphaned and helpless, and those whose bodies are impaired. On seeing any of these beings, one must give rise to compassion; eighth, all one’s life one is mindful of the Dao, does not slander monastics, harbors no mind of right and wrong, and constantly recites aloud. On seeing every tiny living creature, one cherishes it with kindness; one treats all beings equally, making no distinction of self and other, and holds that good and evil, beauty and ugliness, are no different from oneself. These are called the Eight Practices.

“The Four Equal Minds are four ways of regarding others: loving-kindness, protective care, the doing of good, and forbearance.

“The Six Dusts are six ways in which the senses meet things outside. The ears hear the five tones; the eyes see colors such as blue-green, yellow, white, black, and red; the nose distinguishes fragrance from stench; the body perceives hardness and softness, dryness and wetness; the tongue distinguishes flavors such as pungent, sour, salty, bitter, and sweet; and the mind discerns good and evil, together with joy, anger, sorrow, and delight. Outer things that touch the senses are called ‘dust,’ and the feelings that arise within are called ‘sentiment’; together they are called the six sentiments and the six dusts.

“The Six Penetrations are the six capacities of perception—ear, eye, nose, body, tongue, and mind—that is, the six sense-faculties working together.

“The Three Poisons are craving and lust, anger, and delusion.”

The Celestial Worthy (Tianzun) again said to the Perfected One of the Left Mystery (Zuoxuan Zhenren): “Just now I expounded for all living beings this Jing (scripture) concerning the Three Paths and the Five Sufferings. Living beings far and near can all gain wisdom, understand its principles, and thereby enter the gate of cultivating the Dao (the Way).”

The Perfected One of the Left Mystery again addressed the Celestial Worthy: “Now all living beings who have committed sinful karma, having heard the Celestial Worthy speak of the retribution of sin and blessing—those seated here, the disciples, and the hungry ghosts and animals suffering hunger, cold, and hardship—have all understood the principles of this scripture. Each of them strives in cultivation and dares not commit sinful karma again. As for those who have already died and are now enduring in hell the retribution of the Three Paths, the Five Sufferings, and the Eight Difficulties, if one wishes to save them, what method should come first and is most able to lessen the suffering of the dead?”

The Celestial Worthy told the Perfected One: “If you wish to rescue the dead, then when a family member is nearing death you should seek out ritual masters in every place, to proclaim the precepts for the deceased and hold a rite of repentance. Along the funeral route and at the burial ground you should also invite ritual masters to recite the scripture, and for the deceased burn incense, offer praise, and repent. Bring forth wealth to make offerings for the deceased; one may also turn into alms the wealth that children and relatives have set aside for themselves. The merit gained in this way is the most profound.

On the forty-nine days of the seven sevens after the deceased has passed away, and on the hundredth day, one may economize, copy out scriptures, and fashion images of deities; observe fasting and purification, and light forty-nine lamps; make a colored silk banner forty-nine chi in length, burn incense and offer praise, perform the rite of repentance, and with wealth make offerings and give alms, so as to accumulate merit for the deceased. Hang the banner on a long pole; if one cannot afford a large banner, make a small banner of seven chi. One may also produce the Lingbao scriptures and the Scripture of the Five Sufferings, and recite them seven times by day and by night.

Within the seven sevens after the deceased has passed away, the categories of sinful karma are fixed; within a hundred days, the deceased is assigned to the Five Paths (the five destinations in the cycle of rebirth of living beings). The scripture spoken of above can rescue the dead and lessen their suffering; among these practices, this method is the most important.”

The Perfected One of the Left Mystery again asked the Celestial Worthy: “All the living beings who were formerly amid the Three Paths, the Five Sufferings, and the Eight Difficulties—after hearing this scripture, can the dead, according to their own wishes, be reborn in places of peace and joy? And can we hear news of them?”

The Most High Celestial Worthy of the Numinous Treasure of the Cavern Mystery (Taishang Dongxuan Lingbao Tianzun) told the Perfected of the Left Mystery (Zuoxuan Zhenren, a Daoist immortal): Whether people still living in the world or those who have already died, so long as they hear me expound this scripture (Jing), they ought to cultivate and accumulate blessings and De (Virtue/Power), and attain rebirth in accordance with their own wishes. If they follow the “Five Contemplations” that I set forth—five notions and practices explained section by section in the scripture—and recite the scripture seven times for the living or the dead, then all sentient beings and the departed of the past can be reborn as youths according to their wishes, leave the household to cultivate and practice, and make offerings to the Three Treasures (the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha).

The scripture’s explanation says: Now, upon hearing that the Celestial Worthy is about to expound the “Five Contemplations,” all sentient beings rejoice and leap for joy, single-mindedly delighting to listen.

The Celestial Worthy further told the Perfected of the Left Mystery: The youths reborn according to their wishes ought to leave the household to cultivate and practice, and make offerings to the Three Treasures.

The scripture’s explanation says again: Now, upon hearing that the Celestial Worthy is about to expound the “Five Contemplations,” all sentient beings rejoice and leap for joy, single-mindedly delighting to listen.

The Celestial Worthy told the Perfected of the Left Mystery: Those who wish to recite the “Five Contemplations” ought to observe a prolonged purification fast, keep body and mind pure, wear clean clothes, single-mindedly and respectfully invite their teacher, and receive and carry out the practice according to the ritual procedure. If they do not do so, they will certainly fall into hell, never to have a day of return. One must strive with diligent effort, guard purity, receive and uphold the scriptural teaching, serve with an undivided mind, and must not neglect ritual propriety.

The Celestial Worthy told the Perfected of the Left Mystery, together with the people and ghosts present, that all must listen with a quiet mind to this scripture of the “Five Contemplations.”

The first contemplation: Constantly contemplate the Three Treasures—the Dao (the Way), the scripture, and the Master—who compassionately take pity on sentient beings. May sentient beings be saved and delivered, and escape sufferings like a pit of fire. A thousand kinds of sinful karma and every manner of calamity are eliminated; lameness, illness, and long-accumulated afflictions can all likewise be released. Deviant demons and evil ghosts are confined in hell, while the men and women of the people give rise to hearts turned toward the Dao. Those who have committed the Five Rebellions (grave crimes that seriously violate ethical norms) and enemies bound by grievance all rejoice and are reconciled, and the cauldrons of scalding oil are transformed into lotus ponds. Sentient beings throughout the dharma-realm open their mouths to recite words of goodness, and the departed of the past can also be reborn according to their wishes.

The second contemplation: All sentient beings before one’s eyes ought to strive to keep a prolonged fast, taking this as a bridge for the salvation of sentient beings. One must remember the sufferings of hell and of the Three Paths (the three realms of suffering: hell, hungry ghosts, and animals), and be diligent in almsgiving, the burning of incense, and reverent worship. When one receives and upholds the precepts, recites the scriptures, and performs solemn worship, the departed of the past can ascend to Heaven. With a snap of the fingers, the Celestial Worthy informs sentient beings that light will soon appear in the dark hells. Sentient beings throughout the dharma-realm diligently cultivate the methods of the Dao, and will one day be able to be reborn in the Center (referring to the ideal realm of ultimate refuge).

When the third recitation is chanted, people feel deep pity for the deceased: once they enter the grave, it is very hard for them ever to see the light of day again.

If in life they were unwilling to provide funds to establish a ritual arena and to support the performance of rites, then when the four seasons and the festival times come round, what they receive is only a small amount of money.

The dead suffer bitter anguish in hell and can only cry out their grievances, appealing upward to Heaven. Unwilling throughout life to cultivate and accumulate merit, after death they must endure the cangue, iron rods, and whipping.

Within a single day they undergo every kind of suffering of birth and death; even if they are reborn among the six domestic animals—ox, horse, sheep, chicken, dog, pig, and the like—they must live that way for several years. They are beset by hunger and cold, their backs are torn and broken, and they cannot speak; after a year or two they are fitted with nose rings and led along.

Filial and loving children will cultivate blessings for the deceased, while contrary and unfilial children will sever the wholesome bond with them. Some people eat and drink their fill and enjoy wine and meat, yet will not give so much as a single coin in alms for the dead. If one can, while still alive, do much good and accumulate blessings, then after death one may be reborn where the Three Treasures—Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha—abide.

When the fourth recitation is chanted, it admonishes beings who have no good heart and who, by slandering the Three Treasures, bring about their own downfall. Even if they enter the ritual arena, should their minds not be upright, and should they merely take the occasion to gossip and to mock and revile monastics, they will suffer the punishments of the copper pillar and the iron bed, as if forced to lie upon them; sword-trees and knife-mountains will also press close upon their bodies.

When the pain has been borne to the full, they wish to find a master to save them, yet no one can be found. Ox-headed jailers—hell wardens in the form of ox heads—come forcibly to their side, fork them with iron forks into the boiling cauldron, and then pound and grind them to powder with pestle and millstone. That they undergo these many sufferings again and again is entirely because they slandered monastics.

Monastics are not necessarily destined to fall into hell; yet no being should slight the mind of the Dao (the Way)—the heart that turns toward the Dao and cultivates it. The scripture (jing) warns the people of the world to strive to hold fast to the mind of the correct Way, so that beings may turn back to right mindfulness and, each according to his or her own wish, be reborn in the Fragrant Grove, the pure destination of which the scripture speaks.

When the fifth recitation is chanted, it encourages those who cultivate and study together to leave household life early, so that from ignorance and deep, heavy karmic obstruction a sprout of wisdom may arise. In this way hell can be transformed into peace and joy like that of heaven, and lotus flowers can bloom even upon the iron bed and the copper pillar. All beings can obtain happiness; in companies of three or five they ascend together into the clouds and roseate mists.

Through the six periods of day and night—every division of the whole day—the sound of bells and chimes can constantly be heard. One wishes only that among descendants there will always be those who leave home, who wear ritual robes and teach and transform the people, who recite with their mouths the Lingbao (Numinous Treasure) scriptures, and who cut off demons and evil.

The parents of seven generations of ancestors have already ascended to heaven, while those who died in former times go to serve and offer fragrant flowers.

The Celestial Worthy said to the Perfected of the Left Mystery: “Just now I explained these five methods of recollection, and I also said that one should constantly listen to the sound of bells and chimes throughout the six periods of the day. The sole wish is that descendants may often leave household life, wear ritual robes, teach and transform living beings, and recite the Lingbao scriptures (Jing) aloud, so as to cut off demons and evil. The parents of seven generations of ancestors have already ascended to heaven, while those who died in former times go to serve and offer fragrant flowers.

“When I spoke just now of these five methods of recollection, I wished to help living beings understand this scripture, yet I still fear that everyone has not grasped it. You Perfected Ones who have come from the ten directions must find a way to expound it once more, explaining it with solemnity and earnest sincerity.

“If someone comprehends it in the heart, holds right mindfulness with a single mind, guards purity, receives and upholds this scripture, and earnestly practices and recites it; or if, for the living, the dead, those traveling far away, and the sick, one arouses the intention to dedicate merit (transferring the merit of one’s own cultivation to others), then both parties can eliminate the karmic offenses of successive kalpas. In dreams one will constantly see the Three Treasures (Dao [the Way], the scriptures, and the masters), meet good spiritual friends (those who can guide people toward wholesome cultivation), and, wherever one is reborn, constantly enjoy peace and happiness.

“If one can further observe the fasts and keep the precepts over a long period, burn incense and pay homage at the six periods of day and night, never forgetting in the heart; if, whether in this life or in past lives, one can carry the scriptures and precepts on one’s person, leave household life in childhood, and make offerings to the Three Treasures; and if one can also build a quiet hall (a place for pure and tranquil cultivation), copy, receive, and uphold this scripture, bind it into scrolls, and expound it to those who have never heard it, so that they too may hear and see it, then merit of this kind is the greatest and cannot be measured.”

The Perfected of the Left Mystery bowed his head in homage and addressed the Celestial Worthy, saying: “Living beings are foolish and ignorant, lost in attachment and sunk in delusion, given to greed, anger, and resentment, and in their hearts they have not yet vowed to dedicate merit. Some, although they arouse the mind to dedicate merit, bring out a hundred fine horses, a thousand jeweled carriages, and all kinds of wealth to give as alms, yet their intention is careless and superficial, and they even shout and clamor. How much merit can actually be gained in this way? We earnestly beg the Celestial Worthy, in compassion, to explain it to us once more.”

At this, everyone present bowed their heads, set their thoughts aright, and undertook the practice with a single mind.

The Celestial Worthy (Tianzun) told the Perfected of the Left Mystery (Zuoxuan Zhenren), a Daoist immortal: “If all living beings neither believe in nor revere the Three Treasures—the Dao (the Way), the Jing (scripture), and the Master—in their hearts, and if they likewise fail to respect scriptures, sacred images, and the observances of fasting and abstinence, then look at the people of the world. Some are poor and lowly, deaf and blind, afflicted with many illnesses, flawed in appearance, and worse off than others. If someone wishes to practice giving in outward action, yet has neither faith nor reverence in the heart and does not respect the Three Treasures, such a person will surely receive this kind of karmic retribution.

“It is like a mirror reflecting a person: whether the image appears pure or not depends only on that person, and no other image is mixed in. What is black shows as black, and what is white shows as white, according to the inherent nature of the thing itself. Karmic offenses are just the same. If you do not believe this, hell is right before your eyes: it lies within the human body, and there is no need to seek it far away. Living beings of the ten directions should all bow and pay homage, turn toward it with a single mind, and aspire to see and hear the true Dao.”

The Celestial Worthy then told the assembly: “After I leave the world, if there are living beings who obtain this Jing, cultivate and recite it according to its meaning, uphold it to the end while remaining pure, and also find ways to explain it to others; yet if someone does not believe in the heart and deliberately defiles scriptures and sacred images, making them unclean, that person will suffer punishment in the future and be reborn among the six domestic animals (the six kinds of livestock).

“If someone can give away money, treasures, and other things external to the body, and use them for giving—making offerings to scriptures and sacred images, providing food for the ritual fast, or redeeming living creatures and setting them free—that person will obtain blessed rewards in the future, will certainly be born in heaven, and will regularly be born into families of wealth and rank, forming good affinities generation after generation, eliminating offenses accumulated over a long time, and in the end transcending the world and ascending as an immortal.”

The Celestial Worthy said further: “You living beings must listen carefully as I explain the merit of the five kinds of giving. Keep these thoughts in your hearts at all times, and do not forget them.”

In the first category, if sentient beings of their own accord give rise to the resolve, bring forth wealth to give in charity, and encourage and assist others to join in offering it to ritual masters, to the building of monasteries of the Dao (the Way), or to the making of scriptures (Jing) and images, then even a gift of a single coin can bring a blessed reward of four hundred thousand times; a gift of ten thousand coins or more brings a blessed reward all the more beyond counting. Passing through ten thousand kalpas, they can still constantly enjoy happiness, and they can also teach and transform the multitude, long remaining teachers of all.

In the second category, if sentient beings give wealth, encourage and assist others to copy and preserve the scriptures, and offer banners, flowers, lamps, and candles for the quiet hall (a place of pure and still cultivation), then even a gift of a single coin can bring a blessed reward of four hundred thousand times; a gift of ten thousand coins or more brings a blessed reward beyond counting. After rebirth in the Central Lands, they will be intelligent and wise, pure and complete in body and mind, ever able to draw near the Three Treasures (the Dao, the Jing, and the master), forever free of affliction, and at ease in the joy of purity, stillness, and freedom.

In the third category, if sentient beings suddenly give rise to a vast heart of compassion and encourage and assist the multitude to give to the poor and lowly, the lonely, suffering, and frail, the aged and the sick, hungry old women, widows, travelers suffering cold and hunger, those lodging away from home, and others of this kind, then even a gift of a single coin can bring a blessed reward of two hundred and fifty thousand times; a gift of ten thousand coins or more brings a blessed reward beyond counting. Wherever they are reborn, they can always obtain wealth and honor, with clothing and food naturally sufficient.

In the fourth category, if sentient beings, for the sake of parents deceased or still living, suddenly establish a vast vow and encourage and assist the multitude to give to the ritual masters and youths in the assembly, as well as to men and women of pure faith (male and female devotees who believe in Daoism and uphold the pure precepts), then even a gift of a single coin can bring a blessed reward of two hundred thousand times; a gift of ten thousand coins or more brings a blessed reward beyond counting. They should also, by every kind of expedient means, encourage and assist others so that they turn their hearts back toward goodness. The scripture says that the karmic fruit received in this life is the hope of being able to leave the household and cultivate the Dao, to enjoy long life and enduring life, to expound the scriptural teachings for a long time, and to urge people to give rise to a good heart.

Fifth, if there are sentient beings able to give rise to a good heart, caring for all living beings, urging others to do good and helping them to give; advising butchers to stop taking life, to turn their hearts and mend their ways, and to redeem living creatures and set them free; and constantly reciting the Dao (the Way) and observing the precepts—then toward prisoners in jail, those facing danger in childbirth, and those beset by hunger and cold, as well as every living being, even those who have committed the five heinous offenses and those unfilial to their parents, they should arouse compassion, speak no more evil words, and instead invoke the Three Treasures (Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha), forever abstain from wine and meat, and pity the deaf, the mute, and the blind. All the common people, men and women alike, should care for them as they care for themselves.

One who gives a single coin or more may receive a return of one hundred eighty thousand times; one who gives ten thousand coins or more receives blessings beyond all measure. Thereafter, in every life of rebirth, such a person will always abide in the presence of the Three Treasures.

The Celestial Worthy again admonished the disciples: “When I speak of urging people to help in giving, there are those who give a single portion and then wish to obtain a return of ten thousand portions. Even if the giving is very great, when karmic offenses and blessings are weighed together, if the blessings still have something left over, a ten-thousandfold return can thereby be gained; but if the blessings, though abundant, are not enough to make up for the offenses, then those blessings cannot cancel even the slightest part of the offenses. Only by calculating merit and setting it against fault can one see clearly the condition of offense and blessing. I therefore admonish all men and women: create no further offenses, and only then can merit and virtue endure. It is precisely for this reason that it is called ‘ten-thousandfold.’ Everyone must be cautious; everyone must be cautious.”

Those present praised what the Celestial Worthy had said, bowed their heads and paid their respects, and then solemnly withdrew. With a heart of compassion, the Celestial Worthy recited once more, saying:

The root of all things and all methods is originally pure and ever at peace. The retribution a person receives arises from his own mind; suffering and joy are not caused by anything outside. Hell and heaven, in fact, both stand perfectly clear before the eyes. What lies ahead, however, is dim and hard to discern, and so one must examine it with care and think it through in depth.

Look back over this life of yours: all manner of inverted thoughts tug at one another. When the mind cannot see clearly, it is bound by affliction and tangles itself. Dwelling in darkness and confusion, how can one make out the road ahead? Time drifts on and on, like flowing water. In a moment the bloom of youth fades, and a person soon makes for the Yellow Springs.

Good and evil are not two wholly different fundamental principles, and right and wrong issue from a single source. That people perceive differences and give rise to discrimination is mostly because mind and consciousness are dim. What accords with the heart is like entering the gate of the celestial immortals; what runs against one’s wishes is like stepping through the gate of hell. Only by reflecting deeply and awakening for oneself can one reach the unsurpassed realm. How sad that the deluded do not know where the true Dao (the Way) lies. It is like driving six horses with a rotten rope, forever fearing that the horses will take fright and bolt.

Thoughts keep clinging to external things, and the fault lies in this heart that is so hard to tame (“mind-monkey” describes the restless, unsettled stirring of thought). Forget the bodily form, and do not cling to the distinction between good and evil; draw in the senses and settle the mind and Shen (spirit). Birth and death are both the receiving of karmic retribution, which in the end one must bear oneself. If one can discern the principle of birth and death, one knows that still extinction is a return to the true realm. At birth all kinds of differences appear; after death, all alike return to equality. The four elements that constitute the body—earth, water, fire, and wind—disperse, each returning to its proper place.

The movement of heaven and earth follows a natural order; it is not arranged for human beings alone. If one tries to trace the principle by which life is received, it cannot be reduced simply to “effect” or “cause.” Gather in the thoughts of the mind and cultivate inner practice, and one need not wait ten days to awaken to the principle; let mind and spirit race toward outer things, and one falls into a boundless, dark, and bewildering maze.

Among all forms of merit, praise comes first. With skillful means one receives those who have lost their way, and with compassion one guides them. Accumulating good deeds is like tilling the field of blessings; accumulating evil deeds brings on calamity. Those teachings are only borrowed names; from the beginning they have no fixed substance. Expedient words and methods likewise change with circumstances and are not forever the same. If a person is inverted and deluded and cannot awaken, the longer the days pass, the more deeply he sinks into dullness. Those who fear hell seem as if seared by raging fire and hung suspended in pain.

I open a source as clear as still water and wash away the habits and grime accumulated over a long time. Once body and mind are pure, one is never worn away by the kalpas. From of old it has been said that those who keep the precepts appear dignified through forbearance. Now one may behold the Celestial Worthy (Tianzun), whose majestic beauty is hard to celebrate in words: eighty-one fine marks shine forth, and seventy-two features of form are majestic and pure. The body is soft and lustrous as jade, firm as vajra, and through countless kalpas it does not decay. The ruddy lips seem about to part, and the pure white teeth are thereby revealed.

The voice of the Celestial Worthy is gentle, and compassion arises from his original nature. The spring of wisdom is like a bellows, endlessly bringing forth; the settled mind is like a mirror of water, clear as it illumines things. All of this comes from keeping the precepts and, in the end, from cultivation by which one realizes the fruit of attainment and becomes a great sage.

The Wondrous Scripture of the Most High Dongxuan (Cavern Mystery) Lingbao (Numinous Treasure) on Rebirth and Deliverance from Suffering (Taishang Dongxuan Lingbao Wangsheng Jiuku Miaojing) ends here.

The opening of Dunhuang manuscript P.2384 is damaged, while the end of the scroll is preserved intact. The title at the head of the scroll is “The Wondrous Scripture in Which the Heavenly Worthy (Tianzun) Expounds for All Living Beings the Three Paths and Five Sufferings, the Living and the Dead, Rebirth, Deliverance from Suffering, and Extraction from Hell,” which differs greatly from the title of the Daozang (Daoist Canon) edition.

The collation notes on variant readings in the manuscript are as follows. For “烂坏” (rotten and ruined), the Dunhuang manuscript reads “洪烂” (severely rotting). For “奉行” (receive and put into practice), the Dunhuang manuscript reads “觉察” (perceive and examine). The four characters “左玄真人” (the Perfected of the Left Mystery, Zuoxuan zhenren) have been supplied on the basis of the Dunhuang manuscript. In one passage the Dunhuang manuscript reads “或将来布施，施与法师” (or in the future give alms and present them to the ritual master). For “若有真心，能发善意” (if one has a true heart and can give rise to good intentions), the Dunhuang manuscript reads “所有出心有意” (whoever puts forth the heart and has intent). For “心不,” the Dunhuang manuscript reads “万一.” For “有乐” (there is joy), the Dunhuang manuscript reads “有忘” (there is forgetting). For “左玄真人稽首作礼” (the Perfected of the Left Mystery bows with his head to the ground and pays homage), the Dunhuang manuscript reads “右玄真人叉手作礼” (the Perfected of the Right Mystery clasps his hands and pays homage). For “齐皆,” the Dunhuang manuscript reads “斋心” (with a purified heart). The four characters “一切众生” (all living beings) have been supplied on the basis of the Dunhuang manuscript. For “项负” (borne on the nape), the Dunhuang manuscript reads “咽着” (lodged in the throat). “入喉” (entering the throat) originally read “入口” (entering the mouth); it has here been changed to “入喉” on the basis of the Dunhuang manuscript. For “渍烂” (sodden and rotting), the Dunhuang manuscript reads “肉烂” (the flesh rots). For “分擘” (torn apart), the Dunhuang manuscript reads “分百.” For “锋刃锉身，血肉如泥” (sharp blades grate the body, and blood and flesh become like mud), the Dunhuang manuscript reads “到对斩身，细将入磴，血肉分别” (brought face to face and the body cut down, finely placed into the millstone, blood and flesh separated). For “狱卒” (jailers), the Dunhuang manuscript reads “狱师” (prison masters). In the later passage, “左玄真人又白天尊曰” (the Perfected of the Left Mystery further addressed the Heavenly Worthy, saying) appears in the Dunhuang manuscript as “右玄真人又白天尊曰” (the Perfected of the Right Mystery further addressed the Heavenly Worthy, saying).

In notes 17 and 18, “狱卒” (prison warders) is written in the Dunhuang manuscript as “狱师” (prison masters). In note 19, “左玄真人又向天尊禀告说” (the Perfected of the Left Mystery again addressed the Celestial Worthy, saying) is written: “右玄真人从众人中走出，行稽首礼，五体投地，向天尊禀告说” (the Perfected of the Right Mystery stepped forward from among the assembly, performed the kowtow, prostrated with all five limbs upon the ground, and addressed the Celestial Worthy, saying), twenty-one characters in all. In note 20, “所犯” (offenses committed) is written “勿犯” (do not transgress). In note 21, “天尊告诉说” (the Celestial Worthy said) is written “天尊告诉右玄真人” (the Celestial Worthy told the Perfected of the Right Mystery). In note 22, “者，宜各” is written “你们这些弟子” (you disciples). In note 23, “更值” is written “便值.” In note 24, “乐道” (delighting in the Dao (the Way)) is written “学道” (studying the Dao). In note 25, the two characters “不生” are supplied on the basis of the Dunhuang manuscript.

In notes 26 and 27, “五苦” (the Five Sufferings) is written in the Dunhuang manuscript as “五毒” (the Five Poisons). In note 28, “燔灼” (burning and scorching) is written “焚燃” (burning and blazing). In note 29, “邪物” (perverse things) is written “耶见.” In note 30, the character “所” is supplied on the basis of the Dunhuang manuscript. In note 31, “物事” is written “无事.” In note 32, “六根” (the six faculties) is written “并六根” (together with the six faculties). In note 33, the character “重” is supplied on the basis of the Dunhuang manuscript.

In note 34, “又向天尊禀告说” (again addressed the Celestial Worthy, saying) is written: “曰法解行稽首礼，向天尊禀告说” (it says that Fajie performed the kowtow and addressed the Celestial Worthy, saying), twelve characters in all. In note 35, “赞叹忏悔” (praise and repentance) is written in the Dunhuang manuscript with only the two characters “叹忏.” In note 36, the character “舍” is supplied on the basis of the Dunhuang manuscript. In note 37, the character “造” is supplied on the basis of the Dunhuang manuscript. In note 38, “又向天尊禀告说” is written: “曰法解行稽首礼，向天尊禀告说,” twelve characters in all.

This passage consists of collation notes on the scripture (jing), recording differences of wording among the various versions. In note 39, “法界众生” (sentient beings of the dharma-realm) appears in the Dunhuang manuscript—a handwritten copy of the scripture unearthed at Dunhuang—as “寄语后生” (a message left for later generations). In note 40, “告语苍生” (words addressed to the common people) likewise appears there as “寄语后生”. In note 41, the sentence in the Dunhuang manuscript reads “过去亡人出地狱” (the dead of the past come forth from hell). In note 42, “升云霞” (ascending amid the clouds and roseate mists) appears as “礼三宝”, that is, paying homage to the Three Treasures (sanbao) revered in Daoism. In note 43, “韬轴” appears as “蹈轴”. In note 44, “号叫” (wailing) appears as “豪意”.

In note 45, the original text reads “罪一如此”; here, on the authority of the Dunhuang manuscript, it is emended to “罪亦如是” (the offense is likewise so). In note 46, “告曰：汝等众生” (it was announced: “You sentient beings”) appears as “告诸众等”. In note 47, the character “诸” is supplied on the basis of the Dunhuang manuscript. In notes 48 and 49, “四十万” (four hundred thousand) appears as “卅万”, that is, three hundred thousand. In note 50, “饿妪厘妇” appears as “饿苟产妇”, and the character “苟” ought to be “姁”. In note 51, “皆与二十五万” (all are given two hundred fifty thousand) appears as “皆廿万”, that is, all are given two hundred thousand. In note 52, “托生” (taking rebirth) appears as “堕生”. In note 53, “布施众中法师童子” (alms given to the ritual masters and youths in the assembly) appears as “布施法师、山中师童子” (alms given to ritual masters and to master-youths in the mountains). In note 54, “清信男子女人” appears as “清信男女人等”, referring to the male and female devotees who practice the Dao as householders. In note 55, the original text reads “者”; here, on the authority of the Dunhuang manuscript, it is emended to “皆” (all). In note 56, “产难” (difficult childbirth) appears as “产苟”, and “苟” is interchangeable with “姁”.

These collation notes are as follows. The Dunhuang manuscript reads “transmit by mouth” rather than “clamp the mouth,” a reading closer to the original meaning; it reads “before the seat of the Three Treasures” rather than “before the Three Treasures”; and where the base text has “one jin,” this has been emended to “one piece” on the basis of the Dunhuang manuscript. The scriptural text (Jing) of the Dunhuang manuscript ends here and does not include the long passage of laudatory verse that follows.