《太上洞玄灵宝智慧定志通微经》

At that time, the Heavenly Worthy of Numinous Treasure (Lingbao Tianzun, a revered deity of Daoism) dwelt quietly in the Primordial Yang Seven-Treasure Purple Tenuity Palace of the Mysterious Capital. His countenance was peaceful, his mind secluded and still, resting in silent Wuwei (non-action). Light filled the Purple Tenuity Palace within and without, shining without bound. Precious fragrances of every kind spread of themselves without being burned; fragrance and radiance interwove, filling the void and drifting outward without end. The splendor of the palace furnishings shone far into the distance. The air was gentle, cool, and refined, beyond what words can describe. Wondrous music of heaven sounded, and the various tones played in concert with one another.

The Heavenly Worthy suddenly fell silent and spoke no more, reflecting on the beginning of the coming into being of living beings: their original endowment had been the same; all were formed as conscious spirit through the union of Yin-Yang and the condensation of Qi (vital energy). This conscious spirit was originally clear and pure, without admixture or stain; yet once they possessed bodily form, they came under the influence of the six emotions (joy, anger, sorrow, delight, love, aversion, and the like). Once the six emotions took hold, the movements of thought readily gave rise to faults and defilement. People were deluded by what they saw before their eyes and obscured by the things they clung to; thus the various affairs and conditions of the world arose one after another, bringing transgression and impurity.

Through many lifetimes, the sins and defilements of living beings accumulated ever more deeply. They wandered in the cycle of rebirth through the Three Realms (the Realm of Desire, the Realm of Form, and the Formless Realm), forgetting to return; they also transmigrated among the Five Paths (the five destinations in the rebirth of living beings), long sunk without awakening. They endured suffering yet could not recognize it themselves; mind and spirit raced about in fear and unrest, bent only on creating sinful karma. Compassion welled unceasingly in the Heavenly Worthy’s heart. Thinking of the original endowment of living beings, he found it truly pitiable, and so he sent an attendant to summon the Perfected of the Left Mystery and the Perfected of the Right Mystery.

Before long, the two Perfected arrived at once. After paying their respects, they took their seats according to rank. They attended for a while beside the Heavenly Worthy’s seat, chatting with one another, until their conversation had largely come to an end.

Thereupon the Celestial Worthy (Tianzun) said, “I summoned you here precisely for this matter. I have already reflected that the root nature and circumstances of the innumerable living beings are just so; in principle, they still have a chance of salvation. You two Perfected Ones (Zhenren) have already aroused great compassion, and you ought to share in bearing this task as well, should you not?”

The two Perfected Ones replied, “Living beings dwell amid suffering. We have long remained in the domains under our respective charge and have each done our utmost, patiently instructing them and setting forth the principles of transgression and blessing in the fullest detail—one might say to the very limit. Yet there are still some stubborn and ignorant people who never believe. Even if they occasionally show a little faith and for the moment restrain their conduct, before ten days or half a month have passed they grow slack again. This is probably also the situation that the Celestial Worthy, after clear discernment, has determined. What, then, can we do?”

The Celestial Worthy said, “Although they may grow slack, so long as they once gave rise to faith at the time, the blessings they have gained are already no slight matter. Since you two Perfected Ones have planted merit in this, you ought to commend and encourage them.”

The two Perfected Ones said, “We do not know what further method should be used if they are truly to awaken.”

The Celestial Worthy replied, “These people are dull and unenlightened. If the path set before them is too broad, the scriptures (Jing) too numerous, and the affairs too tangled, their wisdom can scarcely bear it; and what they cannot bear gives rise to a mind of slackness. I now wish to condense the essentials into concise wording and crucial points, and to indicate them clearly. The situation may then be different.”

The two Perfected Ones thereupon left their seats, bowed before the Celestial Worthy, and said, “We do not know what sort of concise content could bring them to awakening.”

The Celestial Worthy said, “Return to your seats. I wish to impart to you the essential method of ‘contemplating the subtle and settling the resolve’ (siwei dingzhi). Its content is simple and easy to practice, and people may readily come to understanding through it. Is that not excellent?”

The two Perfected Ones asked, “Does ‘contemplating the subtle and settling the resolve’ already exist as a scripture?”

The Celestial Worthy said, “There is no writing at all.”

The two Perfected Ones said, “In that case they will be as if they had struck a wall, lost in bewilderment with nowhere to begin. Without writing, how can anyone be brought to understanding?”

The Celestial Worthy (Tianzun) replied, “Do the Jing (scriptures) of the present day originally exist in written form? Might the words I speak today not themselves become scriptures?” The two Perfected (Zhenren) answered, “We earnestly beg you to expound this for us; we will record your words.”

The Celestial Worthy said, “Suppose there are many people, as few as a thousand or as many as ten thousand, all wishing to obtain precious treasures. Hearing that the sea holds a great many treasures, they each make ready: some build wooden rafts, some prepare boats—hundreds and thousands of vessels—and together they sail into the sea. Some travel a thousand or ten thousand li; some voyages are nearer, some farther. In the sea there are hundreds and thousands of islets, and islands beyond counting; some lie underwater, concealing many treasures, even measureless quantities of the seven treasures, dazzling in brilliance, their light shooting straight into the sky, each of a different color. These many fellow travelers, just as the wind is about to rise, set out by boat; yet none of them recognizes the treasure-light. They depart rashly in this way, not knowing where they ought to go.

“Faced with the rays of every color that shoot into the sky from the measureless seven treasures in the sea, can the people on these boats ultimately obtain the treasures?”

The two Perfected answered, “They have no guide, nor anyone who has gone ahead to ascertain the place, and they do not recognize the treasure-light; they can only rush about in all directions. The journey is exceedingly arduous. For the moment they can only search everywhere, digging wherever they happen to arrive; at times they must expend enormous effort in the water, and only then might they have a chance of finding the treasures.”

The Celestial Worthy said, “If those who cultivate the Dao (the Way) do not understand the essential method of siwei dingzhi, they are like these people who do not recognize the treasure-light yet wish to seek treasure—truly to be pitied.”

Siwei dingzhi is a technical term of cultivation in the scripture. It means cultivating by contemplating the profound and subtle principle and settling one’s resolve. The point of the teaching is that seeking the Dao cannot rely on blind rushing about alone; one must also know how to discern the direction and grasp the essential method.

The Celestial Worthy (Tianzun) spoke again: Among this company there suddenly appeared one person skilled at recognizing the radiance of treasure. That treasure-light shot straight up into the heavens; even from ten thousand li away it could be seen as clearly as the palm of one’s hand. Although the people were many, none of the others could see it. Only this person skilled at recognizing the treasure-light first hoisted sail and set out, and the other boats followed him, arriving together directly at the place where the treasure lay. All of them obtained a great many precious and renowned objects of the Seven Treasures, and each returned fully laden.

The companions deliberated, saying: “It is thanks to this guide that we have come so far; today we ought to repay his kindness. If every boat brings forth some treasures, worth hundreds of millions, to repay his favor, would that not be a thoroughly gratifying thing?” The two Perfected (Zhenren) said: “What benefit could be greater than this?”

The Celestial Worthy said: If those who cultivate the Dao can grasp this essential method of siwei dingzhi (discerning the subtle and hidden and firming the will—a practice of examining what is minute and obscure and stabilizing one’s resolve), they are precisely like that person who was able to recognize the radiance of treasure.

The Celestial Worthy spoke again: In an age long past, countless kalpas ago, the allotted span of the Celestial King was drawing to an end, and the realm was due to change its sovereign. The token conferred upon the Son of Heaven—the credential symbolizing the Mandate of Heaven and the imperial throne—had fallen into the human world. Whoever obtained it would become the Son of Heaven.

At that time there was a master skilled at reading portents who saw the radiance of the token shining forth from a mountain. That night a great rain fell; torches could not be lit, and all around was dark, so that people could see nothing. The master of portents then said to the villagers in the crowd: “The token of the Son of Heaven under Heaven lies within this mountain.” Hearing this, the villagers all went off in the darkness to search, yet they found nothing.

If those who cultivate and study lack the capacity to discern the subtle and settle the mind, they are like these people groping in the dark. When the master of portents heard that the crowd could not find the token, he went in person to look; as soon as he arrived he found it, and later ascended the throne of the Son of Heaven. If a person masters this method of discerning the subtle and settling the mind, the mind can be steadied, and the quest for the Dao (the Way) can be focused and circumspect. This is like the master of portents who recognized the treasure: by looking in person he found it, and in the end ascended the throne of the Son of Heaven. Do not lightly disclose this essential teaching. One who discloses it rashly will cause both himself and others to bear guilt, a guilt difficult to pardon. The reason is that what is slighted is not only the Jing (scripture), but also the Dao. Those who receive the teaching must be cautious, and cautious again.

The two Perfected, upon hearing this, were filled with joy and eagerness; inner and outer responded as one, and they wished only to hear further.

The Celestial Worthy said: Since I am to tell you, how could I conceal it? This, then, is the essential point within it. Know that within the Three Realms, the three times—past, present, and future—all return to emptiness. Understanding that the three times are all empty, one knows that even though this body exists, it must in the end return to emptiness. Understanding the principle of returning to emptiness, one can forget oneself; and if one can forget oneself, how could one cling to the body? No longer clinging to oneself, one can set aside all that one loves, and love only the Dao. One who is able to love the Dao will also be received by the Dao. Only when one is received by the Dao does one count as having returned to original truth.

The principle of discerning the subtle and settling the mind lies precisely here: return to original truth, so that the two separated halves are joined as one; return to the root, and come back once more to the true Dao. In this way the work of the Dao advances day by day—and shall we not then be free of worry and toil?

The Celestial Worthy (Tianzun) spoke again: “The two halves unite to form one. There are five principles in this. Do you know them?”

The two Perfected (Zhenren) replied: “We do. Does this mean that, when pure and empty Qi (vital energy)—the primordial breath of purity, stillness, and emptiness—blends and mingles, half of it separates and descends, joining the four halves here to become a single whole? And does it also mean that if someone uses this ‘one’ to do evil, they thereby bring upon themselves the Qi of the natural and sink into the three paths of suffering (the three evil destinies of hell, hungry ghosts, and animals)? If they practice good, they can leave these four halves, rise again into the Great Void (Taixu, the vast realm of emptiness), recover their own pure and empty Qi, restore the two halves to their original state, and abide in the natural?”

The Celestial Worthy said: “You have already grasped the principle in this. I will now use the diagram of the revolving two halves and display it in the air for the Left Perfected to see.”

The diagram of the two halves is as follows.

This ritual covenant is called the “True Covenant for Contemplating the Subtle and Stabilizing the Will” (Siwei Dingzhi Zhenquan), a credential for contemplating subtle principles and settling the mind and will.

The pledges used in the rite include twenty-four thousand cash, five liang of superior gold, one length each of patterned cloth in the five colors, five liang of plain silk, one bolt each of silk bearing the patterns of the five directions, one bright mirror, natal-destiny patterned silk (fabric marked with the recipient’s natal destiny), an additional count of “one” reckoned according to the years, and a pair of gold knobs; a number of ritual vessels must also be fully prepared.

After the transmitter of the teaching receives the pledges, they must be clearly recorded, and the transmission must proceed according to the twelve folds. If the transmission is not properly completed, this violates the precepts, and the culpability is increased fourfold. If the recipient offers insufficient ritual pledges, or if their intention does not correspond to the teaching received, they too incur guilt; their guilt is the same as that of one who violates the procedures of transmission. Daoists who live in seclusion in the mountains and forests are not covered by this provision.

A disciple of the Shangqing (Highest Clarity) tradition, So-and-so, brings a token of faith in accordance with the ritual procedure and respectfully receives the essential instructions. He should concentrate on committing them to memory, take the ritual formulas back, and divide them into two halves as required in order to put them into practice; in this way he will not wrongfully injure the hun and po souls. When ingesting the elixir, he is to use the whole of what has been received as a token of credence. The two Perfected (Zhenren) said: “This is indeed a concise and essential formula. When we first received the revelation, there was already so subtle and marvelous a purport, yet we had never grasped it. We are endlessly grateful for the great kindness of the Celestial Worthy (Tianzun) in saving and bringing us to completion; we can only engrave it upon our hearts. How could a few humble words spoken today ever repay it?”

The Celestial Worthy said: “Even after one has obtained this set of formulas, one must still take the Ten Precepts as the root.” After transmitting the formulas in two halves, he next transmitted the Ten Precepts. At the transmission of the precepts, the ritual master faced south. The disciple performed three salutations toward the ritual master and then made this request: “May I succeed in my cultivation; please transmit the Ten Precepts. I am willing to observe them all my life and swear that I dare not transgress them.” The disciple then remained long-kneeling, visualizing in his mind the great sages of the ten directions situated above, and bowed his head to listen with reverence. After burning incense, the ritual master proclaimed the precepts for the disciple.

The first: Do not kill; always keep living beings in mind. The second: Do not engage in illicit sexual conduct; do not violate the wives and daughters of others. The third: Do not steal; do not take wealth that is not in accord with right principle. The fourth: Do not deceive; do not invert black and white or confound good and evil. The fifth: Do not drink wine to the point of drunkenness; always think of maintaining pure conduct. The sixth: Bring clan, kin, and friends into harmony with one another; do not enter into disputes with relatives. The seventh: When you see others doing good, you should approve in your heart and rejoice for them. The eighth: When you see others meet with sorrow and distress, you should help them do good and accumulate blessings. The ninth: If others come to harm or offend you, resolve not to retaliate. The tenth: Before all living beings have attained the Dao (the Way), do not think only of attaining the Dao yourself.

The above are the Ten Precepts. Those receiving the precepts answered together: “Disciple So-and-so receives the Ten Precepts and will observe them throughout life.” They then bowed once more to the ritual master, and the rite of transmitting the precepts was thereby completed.

The Celestial Worthy said: “One who is able to uphold these Ten Precepts and cultivate in accordance with the method will be protected by the celestial officers of the ten directions and will certainly attain the Dao. If you are encumbered by worldly affairs and cannot observe the Ten Precepts with your whole heart, then you may choose nine, eight, seven, six, or even five of them to keep, selecting those precepts that you yourself are able to practice. As for the blessings to be obtained by keeping the Five Precepts…”

The Celestial Worthy (Tianzun) said: “If you can accept these ten precepts and cultivate in accordance with the proper regulations, the officials and spirits of the heavens in the ten directions will all protect and bless you, and in the end you will surely attain the Dao. If you are entangled by worldly affairs and cannot wholeheartedly observe all ten precepts, then even if you manage only nine, eight, seven, six, or even five, you may choose those you are able to practice. Yet the blessings gained by observing the five precepts are also hard to exhaust in words.

“You should widely exhort everyone, so that even those heavily laden with sin and defilement may hear these teachings. If they are unwilling to accept them, patiently explain them one by one and guide them gently. If they remain negligent, they will day by day move toward long-lasting suffering; this is because their karmic offenses are so deep—what else can be done?”

The two Perfected Persons (Zhenren) asked: “If someone is kind-hearted, resolved to cultivate the Dao diligently, and has leisure at present, is there anything else that could help him attain the Dao more quickly?”

The Celestial Worthy said: “The ritual procedures for universally teaching and transforming people are concealed within the Scripture of the Three Registers and the Graded Precepts of the Three Origins (Sanlu Sanyuan Pinjie). The Three Registers (Sanlu) are the root of all scriptures; they have already circulated in the world and should also be transmitted step by step.”

The two Perfected Persons asked: “When you speak of the Three Registers, do you mean the Golden Register (Jinlu), the Jade Register (Yulu), and the Yellow Register (Huanglu)?”

The Celestial Worthy said: “Precisely so. These are all teachings directed beyond the physical body. To grasp the supreme principle of ‘contemplating the subtle and settling the will’ (Siwei Dingzhi), one should understand that the wondrous awakening of the Three Origins (Sanyuan) is originally non-dual. Those who cultivate the Dao have a Dao to seek, and there is also the suffering of the hells that must be relieved; one should pray for the deliverance of ancestors of seven generations, and at the same time save those who have not yet been delivered.

“Just then, someone in the sky above recited:

This method is truly profound and wondrous; it can free your ancestors of nine generations from toil and servitude.

If this scripture is not transmitted to those who ought to receive it, people will be cut off from the Dao.

If it is transmitted to those who ought not to receive it, they will suffer punishment while alive;

after death they will fall into the suffering of the Three Evil Paths, and through ten thousand kalpas regret will be of no use.

“The recitation from the sky arose from concern that foolish people, once they obtain the scripture, will instead treat it lightly. They might casually lend it to others to copy, or go about everywhere seeking people while holding the text. In that case, those who sincerely seek the Dao would have nowhere to express their sincerity, and the bridge leading to the orthodox Dao would be severed. Hence this warning. You must be cautious; you must be cautious.”

At that time both Perfected Persons thought to themselves: this essential teaching is clear and thorough, and on hearing it one can comprehend the profound principle; yet much of what comes before and after is disordered and hard to understand, and they have still received no illumination—what, after all, is the reason?

At that moment the Celestial Worthy (Tianzun) perceived the thoughts of the two Perfected Ones (Zhenren) and replied, “Do you two worthy ones know? All good and evil have their causes and conditions, and it falls to me to explain them to you; that is why these matters have come to be. I shall now recount them for you. Listen with a quiet mind.

“In the extremely remote past, countless kalpas (vast stretches of time) ago, there was a commoner who devoutly believed in the teachings of the Dao (the Way). His surname was Yue and his name was Jingxin. His family was wealthy, with property beyond all counting. He had profound faith in the Dao and in De (Virtue/Power), and he often reflected in quiet places. He once made a vow in his heart: ‘That I am so rich is entirely the recompense of blessings. I have received the grace of Heaven and Earth, and it is right that I repay that kindness.’ He truly wished to repay it, yet he did not know where the repayment should be directed.

“Returning from his outer sleeping quarters, he told his wife these thoughts and asked her, ‘The Dao has no need of wealth. How, then, am I to repay the Dao?’ His wife said, ‘The Dao arises within the heart; why seek it anywhere else? If only you find a way to supply what Daoist priests lack, so that they can observe purification and fasting and propagate the methods of the Dao, is that not repayment?’

“Jingxin felt that his wife had spoken well, and his mind suddenly grew clear. He said to her, ‘In the mountains to the south there lives a Daoist priest who has long practiced purification and cultivation and constantly recites the scriptures (Jing). He is more than two hundred li from our home. I heard of him long ago and have kept him in my thoughts ever since. I wish to go and ask what he lacks, then provide it as best I can, making certain that his clothing and food are sufficient, and also sending things for his daily use.’

“His wife said, ‘To do this would indeed be excellent. When we close our eyes and leave this world, we will still have something to rely on. If we do not, then after death our spirits will have nothing to depend upon, and should we wish to seek rescue there will be nowhere to turn.’

“Jingxin thereupon opened the storehouse where miscellaneous goods were kept and took out fine celebrated incense, fine cloth, white felt, cotton, silk floss and silken fabrics, bedding and felt tents, together with precious garments and ornaments, exquisite vessels of gold, silver, and bronze, and all kinds of medicinal materials. He also chose ten male slaves, packed the goods into ten loads, and had them all sent to the Daoist priest.

“He explained his purpose and his plans to the priest in full, saying, ‘Today I have brought a few humble gifts to present to you. I also leave these ten slaves to serve you for a long time, at your command for errands and for sweeping. From this day on, if anything is lacking, simply send word to me and I will supply it according to your need. For one who believes in the Dao, this is an honor. Please do not decline.’

“The Daoist priest accepted these offerings. Jingxin then took his leave, returned home, and told his wife everything. When she heard that the priest had received the offerings, husband and wife were both filled with joy. From then on they regularly supported the Daoist priest in this way.

“After a time, the lives of Jingxin and his wife drew toward their end. They had a son named Fajie, who was then seventeen. Fajie waited on his parents and tended them in their illness. As they neared death they said to him, ‘The abundant estate we now possess has all come from the Dao. We once vowed to repay this boundless kindness. The Dao has no need of wealth, and so we have done nothing but support Daoist priests. All these years you have seen with your own eyes how we went into the mountains to make offerings and do good. The property in the house is now enough for your use. You must on no account let these good deeds cease.’

“Fajie wept and sobbed, overcome with grief. Crying out, he called upon Heaven and beat the earth, falling prostrate and then rising again. Several times his breath failed and then returned. Clasping his parents, he wept and said, ‘Father, Mother, you have accumulated such blessed virtue, and even at the end you have not forgotten to do good. Though the Dao of Heaven is far off, how could it fail to respond? I only wish that you may at once ascend to the Hall of Blessings and attain a noble station in the Dao. When my own life comes to its end, I too will surely meet you, and together we will take our places in the gate of the Dao.’

“His parents then passed away. Fajie wailed aloud, fainted, and only revived after a long while. Fajie’s family was kind at heart, and their conduct was auspicious. Although supporting Daoist priests was their first concern, they also aided their kin and their village, and people both near and far received their kindness.

“On the day his parents died, relatives and friends, near and far, close and distant, all hastened to the funeral, and the household servants were many as well. Seeing Fajie arrange the mourning and keep the filial rites, his filial heart moving Heaven and Earth, and hearing him make such a vow, all looked at one another and wept without ceasing, sighing inwardly, ‘That good people should depart so early is truly a grief.’

“Thereafter Fajie reverently upheld the methods of the Dao and turned his whole heart toward the Dao. Kind by nature, he also followed his parents’ last charge, supporting Daoist priests, relieving the poor, and aiding travelers. The living beings he helped were several hundred times more numerous than before. He had no new income, yet his expenditures kept growing, and at last the family’s circumstances gradually sank into poverty.

“Fajie’s support of the Daoist priest was also on the point of failing. The priest was growing old and had no other reliance. He often burned incense, remembering that this patron had once supported him and had in the end become poor because of it, and he prayed that the Dao of Heaven would look upon Fajie’s utterly sincere heart. He thought, ‘I am now old and hard-pressed. How am I to repay him?’

“On the last day of every month the Daoist priest would, within a single day, practice and cultivate the Dao in six periods. He had always kept Fajie in mind, so he sent someone to invite him, saying, ‘Please come to me. At the end of this month I will, as usual, practice the Dao in six periods through the day. There is nothing now that I need you to supply. You may come and join me in making some merit. Although the recompense of blessings will appear only after a long time, one ought not on that account to stop doing good.’

“When Fajie received the message he was overjoyed and replied, ‘Fajie bows to the Daoist priest. Honored by your invitation, when that day comes I will certainly come as bidden to observe the purification fast.’

“After the messenger had left, Fajie reckoned the grain and supplies in the house, only to find that every granary and storeroom was already empty. There was truly nothing he could take as an offering.”

Remembering the teachings his father had left him, Fajie grew still more sorrowful. He inquired everywhere, hoping to sell the residence. The house was tall and spacious, more than an ordinary scholar could afford to live in; only a Heavenly King would be fit to dwell there, yet the Heavenly King already had a palace of his own. Some said the residence’s allotted fortune was spent; others said it was inauspicious. And so, in the end, no one bought it. Fajie thought of selling the residence himself, yet he feared that once he belonged to another he would never again be able to return to the mountains to see the Daoist priest.

Fajie discussed the matter with his wife, and they would send their two sons to live with their maternal aunt. The elder son, Yinzu, was eleven; the younger, Ciyin, whose private childhood name was Anu, had just turned eight. The brothers were handsome beyond what the world often sees. When they recited the Jing (scripture) and practiced tuna (breath regulation), their voices were clear and bright as jade. Their bearing was courteous and their character outstanding. Young as they were, they were diligent in cultivation. Whether facing kin or strangers, near or far, they responded with propriety and respectful courtesy, and in calligraphy, painting, and speech they surpassed their peers.

The children’s aunt was wealthy and had no son, and she had always been very fond of the two boys. She often said that, having no brothers in the household, she would be content if only one child, the elder or the younger, might keep her company; she was willing to offer a million cash. Because she loved the children, she did not care how great the sum might be.

Fajie suddenly thought of this and asked his wife, “I remember hearing before that your elder sister is fond of one of our sons. If we sent a child to her now, what would you think?” At first his wife did not grasp his meaning, and she answered at once, “I would rather die together with the children than send such fine boys out of my sight. Selling a child to keep ourselves alive would only bring still greater sorrow. That is a road to death, and I will never agree.”

Fajie said, “If I sell a child, it is not to exchange him for money to feed ourselves.” His wife asked, “Then what is it for?” Fajie replied, “Providing for the Daoist priest in the mountains has grown ever more difficult. Have you forgotten that I have been carrying out the teachings left by my late father?”

His wife wiped away her tears and, kneeling, answered, “Poor as we are now, I have kept this matter in my heart all along. If that is so, this is a deed of accumulating merit and doing good, and it is also the teaching your late father left us—how could we fail to do it?” She added, “Fajie, if the matter has already become too hard to manage, then take the children to my elder sister.”

When mother and sons were about to set out, Ciyin knelt to take leave of his father and said, “I am about to leave my father’s side, and in my heart I truly cannot bear to part. May Father be safe in all his comings and goings, and come often to see me.” The bond of father and son was deep by nature, and they embraced and wept bitterly. Yinzu held his younger brother’s head and cried for a long time, saying, “As for this deed of accumulating merit and doing good, I too will do my utmost. The feeling of parting is truly more than words can exhaust.”

Seeing how unwilling the brothers were to part, Fajie felt great pain himself. Fearing also that his wife might later regret it, he said to her, “First send the children to their aunt’s, and for the time being let us set a pledge of a hundred thousand cash, agreeing to redeem them after one month. I hope the residence can be sold; when it is, I will certainly bring the children back. If the term arrives and we still cannot redeem them, then let the children remain for good in their aunt’s household. I say this only because I cannot bear an immediate parting and wish to comfort myself.”

So they parted in pain, and mother and sons set out for the aunt’s house. When the wife reached her elder sister, she explained in detail the plan of sending the children for a time and redeeming them later. Hearing this, her sister was overjoyed. She brought out five hundred thousand cash and had three carriages carry her younger sister and the money home.

Ciyin knelt to bid his mother farewell and said, “Father has done such a deed of accumulating merit; in days to come he will surely attain the Dao (the Way). Before that comes to pass, may Father and Mother be safe and well, and please come often to see me.” To comfort his aunt he forced himself not to cry. Yet when his mother was about to mount the carriage and the parting was at hand, the feeling between mother and son could not, in the end, be severed. Mother, Ciyin, and the aunt, though they did not weep aloud, all shed tears without ceasing.

Ciyin knelt and said to his aunt, “Now I am Aunt’s son, just as if I had been born to you. Still, ordinary people are always grieved at parting, and I hope Aunt will understand me. I wish to ask for ten thousand cash for my mother to take back and, besides, to entrust her with taking me to the Daoist priest in the mountains.”

Moved that the child was so understanding, the aunt loved him all the more. She brought out another hundred thousand cash and said, “This money is yours; arrange it however you wish.” Ciyin knelt in thanks and said, “Aunt has given far too much. I wish to tell my mother: sixty thousand cash is for my parents, to provide for their daily life; twenty thousand is for my elder brother—I ask him to take good care of himself and think of me often; the remaining twenty thousand is for the Daoist priest in the mountains. May my parents, my brothers, and my aunt often meet with blessed affinity.” He did not say that he hoped his aunt, too, would obtain that blessed affinity together with them, for he feared that saying so would displease her.

After the mother returned home she missed Ciyin greatly. The brothers had formerly been extremely close: in eating, resting, playing, and going out they were always together, and when they received something good to eat they always shared it, never enjoying it alone. Now, parted in a single day, Yinzu thought of how he had come home alone while his younger brother remained at their aunt’s for the sake of doing good, and he could not help falling into sorrow.

When Yinzu learned that his mother had brought back a great deal of money but had not brought his younger brother, he wiped his tears, covered his face with his hand, and knelt to ask her, “When you and my brother parted, did he cry?” Wishing to comfort him, his mother deceived him, saying, “He did not cry. Your aunt has always kept you brothers in her thoughts. When she saw your brother she was very happy, held him and would not put him down, and gave him all kinds of fruit to eat. He smiled as he took leave of me, and only asked me to bring the money back.”

Yinzu knew his brother must have cried, and that his mother was only coaxing him. He thought that his brother used to have him for company when he slept; now left there alone, he surely was not yet used to it, and would miss their father and him as well. Having just parted from their mother too, how could he not have cried? He sighed and said, “So suddenly the two brothers have been parted like this. Our parents do this in order to cultivate the Dao, and my brother will surely think of us. May each of us be safe and in good health.” As he spoke he choked; tears covered his face, and he could not stop crying.

Fajie then bought what was needed for the Zhai (purification) offerings, and also sent the Daoist priest a generous provision. The priest asked in surprise, “Where did these things come from?” Fajie dared not conceal the truth, and told him the whole course of events. The priest said little more, and the two of them performed the Zhai together. When the Zhai rite was over, Fajie took his leave and returned home, only to find that every storehouse in the household was suddenly full: the rooms of gold and silver, pearls and jade, cash, silk, silk floss, cloth, and every kind of splendid fabric, and the storehouses of grain and daily food, were without exception overflowing.

Fajie asked his wife, “Has the government deposited these here for safekeeping?” His wife said, “No. I only suddenly saw these things here.” Husband and wife were at once alarmed and joyful. They feared it was a dream, and they also suspected it might be Heaven’s compassion, and in their hearts they were deeply uneasy.

Fajie went into the mountains once more to consult the Daoist priest, and told him everything he had seen. The priest replied, “Last night, after I had expounded the Jing, I dreamed that a man holding a precious jade ruyi scepter gave it to you, and that you accepted it at once. I thought this was probably an auspicious sign, yet I dared not judge it rashly, fearing the matter had not yet come true. Those who shared the Zhai said I was boasting; now it has indeed come to pass. This is Heaven’s compassion, and no one would dare take it away. Your sincere reverence has called forth a far-reaching response, enough to bring such a reward of blessing. You need not doubt; set your mind at ease and use it.”

Fajie said, “I still wish to report this to the king, so that he may know these things may be used. May I?” The priest said, “You may.” Fajie reported it to the king. The king replied, “You have cultivated with vigorous diligence and risen beyond the ordinary world; how could Heaven fail to respond? This is a gift of Heaven’s grace, and no one would dare take it away. Use it without concern; I have no objection.”

After Fajie returned home, he told his wife and the household what had happened. The king and the Daoist priest had spoken as one, and everyone believed this was truly a gift of Heaven’s grace. They thereupon placed even firmer faith in the teachings of the Dao. From then on their blessings and emoluments flourished long, and without end.

At this moment the Celestial Worthy (Tianzun) asked the two Perfected Ones (Zhenren), “Do you recognize the people of these three lifetimes?” The two Perfected Ones replied, “It all happened a very long time ago, and we truly do not know them.”

The Celestial Worthy said, “The person named Le Jingxin in those years was the former self of my present life; Fajie was the former self of the Perfected One of the Left Mystery; and Fajie’s wife was the former self of the Perfected One of the Right Mystery. Do you still remember the kindness with which you were nurtured in a previous life? It is precisely because of this bond of causes and conditions that we meet today and have the chance to inspire and awaken one another.”

Only after hearing the Celestial Worthy’s teaching did the two Perfected Ones begin to understand. Although they recalled the matter and were clear in their minds, free of doubt, it was after all an event of the distant past, and they still felt it to be remote. Before the words were finished, an immortal carriage formed of clouds in eight colors suddenly appeared, and two people arrived riding in it together. Immortal lads and jade maidens attended them, performing grand music of the celestial realm. Coming from the southeast, they reached the presence of the Celestial Worthy, first bowing in reverence to the Celestial Worthy and then turning to salute the two Perfected Ones.

Only then did the two Perfected Ones realize: Might those who have come be our two children from a previous life? And is the present Grand Lady of Zhonghou (Zhonghou Taifuren) the Celestial Worthy’s wife from a previous life, and thus our own birth mother? When this exposition of the Jing (scripture/classic) is over, we ought to go and pay our respects to her.

The Celestial Worthy said, “It is precisely so; you have understood.” The two Perfected Ones asked, “In those years, selling one’s children in order to provide for the teachings of the Dao (the Way)—was that, too, a matter that brought grief and bitterness?”

Note: The “three lifetimes” refers to the previous life, the present life, and the life to come. A yunping is an immortal carriage that travels upon the clouds. The scriptural expression “selling one’s children to support the teaching” means giving up one’s own children in order to provide for the Dao and its methods, and it carries a sense of sacrifice and of sorrow.

The Celestial Worthy (Tianzun) said: “Cases of this kind are too many to count. Some sold themselves in order to support the methods of the Dao (the Way); some cast themselves to starving tigers; some cut flesh from their own bodies to feed birds and beasts; some sacrificed themselves so that insects might eat; some sent away wives and children as pledges; and still others gave their heads in offering to other people. Matters such as these, even if told through an entire kalpa (an immensely long span of time), could never be told to the end, and what was spoken would still remain inexhaustible.

“Why is this so? All of these people were Perfected (Zhenren) who had already attained the Dao. Together they manifested these deeds in order to exhort and transform the foolish. Their bodies no longer felt pain, and they clearly understood the principles of the human world. Some of these things may have been illusory manifestations, and there is nothing strange in that. The reason I have singled out the brothers Yinzu and Ciyin, six persons in all across three generations of fathers and grandfathers, is that at the time they were all ordinary mortals, yet they were able to go so far. That is truly rare, and so I have taken care to speak of it.”

The two Perfected said: “It is indeed as you have taught. We have grasped the essentials of the various methods and formulas in this scripture (Jing), and our hearts are full of joy. We believe that anyone with even a slight affinity for good, upon hearing these things, will surely be glad to accept them.” They then addressed the Celestial Worthy: “We now wish to transmit this scripture to the outside world, but we still do not know how the related ritual norms and the ritual pledges (tokens offered according to the rite) should be arranged as weightier or lighter. We therefore respectfully seek your instruction.”

The Celestial Worthy said: “If you have not yet fully understood, you ought indeed to ask until it is clear. Because important purport lies within it, and the mysterious precepts and norms are hidden and hard to discern, I did not set them forth item by item in detail. All of you must listen carefully and remember well: this prohibition is the strictest of all. You must on no account violate it.”

The Celestial Worthy (Tianzun) then told the Perfected of the Right Mystery (Youxuan Zhenren): “Once you have obtained this scripture (Jing), you may choose suitable persons to whom to transmit it, and you need not demand ritual pledges (faxin—the offerings presented according to rule when one receives a scripture).”

He next told the Perfected of the Left Mystery (Zuoxuan Zhenren): “Once you have obtained this scripture, you should observe the ritual pledges in accordance with the nether ordinances (mingdian—the statutes of the unseen realm). The money, patterned silk (wenzeng—silk fabrics bearing decorative designs), and other items employed must all conform to the regulations. This set of rules originates in the deliberation of the Primordial Lord of Vast Purity in the Void (Xuwu Haosu Yuanjun—a venerated deity of the Daoist tradition), and the Elders of the Five Directions (Wufang Yuanlao—the honored deities who respectively preside over the five directions) have always treasured and cultivated them. Those who receive the scripture should also prepare a further five fen of superior gold and five liang of plain silk, to requite the divine spirits of the Elders of the Five Directions. They must further prepare patterned silk according to their own natal destiny: one who prays for a lifespan of one hundred and twenty years must prepare one additional portion reckoned by the number of years; a duke or king must prepare one bolt, a household of middling means one zhang, and a poor person one chi. These three items must not be lacking. If they are lacking and one still forces reception of the scripture, the recipient incurs guilt. The precise quantities may be increased or decreased as circumstances allow, weighed according to wealth or poverty.”

The Perfected of the Left Mystery was puzzled at heart and felt this arrangement unfair, so he asked the Celestial Worthy: “When the Perfected of the Right Mystery transmits this scripture, he need not collect ritual pledges. Why, then, when I transmit it, must people instead prepare so many things? The scriptural method is clearly the same, yet there are two different regulations. How is this to be explained?”

The Celestial Worthy said: “This is not partiality; you do not yet understand the reason within it. People’s root capacities differ, and their minds are not alike, and so two methods have been established, though the ultimate aim is the same. Among the disciples of the Right Mystery there are śramaṇa (sangmen—those who have left the household to cultivate) and lay householders. Householders generally take the seeking of charitable gifts as their mode of practice, and make the elimination of evil conduct a bridge for guiding the many; if someone is willing to give, that person obtains a ten-thousandfold blessing. Therefore, in transmitting the scripture now, the demanding of ritual pledges is not emphasized.

“Even if your disciples go on alms-rounds (fenwei—begging for food with the bowl) to exhort, convert, and deliver people, should no one give, it will instead increase the other’s guilt; and without ritual pledges, their faith cannot be made manifest—on what basis, then, would a person obtain deliverance? For this reason ritual pledges are now specifically prescribed. The blessings gained by observing the ritual pledges are inexhaustible; just as the scripture says, the benefit will not be cut off. This does not prevent the side of the Right Mystery from obtaining blessings through giving.”

The Celestial Worthy (Tianzun) said to his disciples: “Even if you go out to beg for food (fenwei), hoping thereby to save and deliver others, should no one be willing to give you alms, you will on the contrary add to their burden of karmic offenses. If they have shown no faith, how can they attain deliverance? For this reason I now specially establish a method that takes faith itself as the offering. The recompense for the faith-pledge (faxin) is measureless. Like this scripture (Jing), it has no end, nor does it diminish the blessings that disciples of the Right Mystery (Youxuan) obtain through their giving.”

The Celestial Worthy continued: “When disciples of the Right Mystery give alms to lay householders, restraining themselves and offering their wealth to others, the blessings they receive, though ten-thousandfold, still come to an end. When a disciple of the Left Mystery (Zuoxuan) brings a faith-pledge to receive the scripture, this is to revere the teachings of the Dao (the Way); it is to give one’s wealth to the Dao and its methods. The blessings are therefore endless, just as the transmission of the scripture is endless. Although the Perfected of the Left Mystery follows the teachings, he has not yet grasped in his heart the principle that ‘blessings, like the scripture, have no end.’ What, then, is this principle?”

Knowing his thoughts, the Celestial Worthy said to the Great Worthy: “Is there a doubt in your heart? Set it aside. Why do I say that blessings, like the scripture, have no end? Suppose you obtain this scripture, make one copy, and pass it on to one person, to ten, to a hundred, to ten million, even to untold thousands of millions of people. If each of them in turn makes a copy, the scriptures handed on will keep multiplying and spread without bound or limit. The merit of the faith-pledge you first established will likewise be without end.

“If you now use one tael of gold, or ten thousand taels of gold, to request this scripture from your master, the blessings you later receive will also be inexhaustible as the scripture circulates, and will never be used up. I fear that some among the disciples still do not understand, so I explain it with a relatively simple comparison.

“The blessings that come from faith in the scripture differ according to the measure of faith and of offerings, yet all are like a good well. Even if a great drought covers the world and the sources of water dry up for a hundred zhang, this well remains full. Its owner draws more than enough for himself and can still give to others. Hundreds of thousands, even millions of people—however freely the inhabitants of whole villages and walled cities draw its water—all receive relief, and in the end the well never runs dry. This is the blessing that, of itself, is never exhausted.”

The Celestial Worthy said: Once one is able to put faith in the Dao (the Way), one will thereby come to believe in the Jing (scripture/classic). Because, through receiving and upholding the scriptures, one restrains one’s conduct and speech and gives of one’s wealth, the blessings obtained are without end, and so they are called “immeasurable”; at the same time, one also gains the blessings that come from faith in the Dao. The blessings of faith in the Dao can make a person’s spirit lucid and intelligent, and wisdom, just as the scriptures say, is likewise without end.

This is like a lamp: once it is lit, it goes on to light a hundred, a thousand, ten thousand, even countless lamps, illuminating the whole of empty space. The light of that first lamp is not diminished on that account. Such is the nature of blessings: wisdom can keep increasing without cease and without limit. You ought to tell this widely to all who receive the scriptures, guiding them to grow in wisdom and to awaken living beings. Wisdom is also like the water of a well: one must not draw on it only for oneself; if one is willing to help others, one will oneself obtain wisdom in abundance.

In his heart the Perfected of the Left Mystery (Zuoxuan Zhenren, a title of a Daoist immortal) again felt a doubt arise: “If all under Heaven suffers a great drought, and a well a hundred zhang deep has no source of water, how can the well still be full?” He wished to ask, yet did not speak.

The Celestial Worthy already knew the doubts of those assembled, and explained: “This is precisely why it is called a good well.” At that time, countless immortals and great sages in empty space were listening to the teaching; all grasped the principle and praised it together. With each act of praise, their blessings rose by three ranks (in the Daoist context, the levels by which blessings are advanced). The doubt of the Perfected of the Left Mystery dispersed at once, and he understood that the principle of revering the scriptures and faithfully receiving them is indeed still more extraordinary. He rose, made obeisance, and said: “Only just now have I attained awakening.”

At that time, the two who had come riding in cloud carriages were Yinzu of remote antiquity and his younger brother. Hearing this important teaching, they brought one thousand two hundred immortal lads and jade maidens, made obeisance to the Perfected of the Left Mystery, and requested that he transmit the essential instructions. The Perfected of the Left Mystery then transmitted to them the “Essential Instructions for Contemplating the Subtle and Settling the Will” (Siwei Dingzhi Yaojue, a method of cultivation that examines what is hidden and subtle and steadies the mind and resolve). After the two had faithfully received and understood them, they entered the third immortal rank (a grade within the Daoist hierarchy of immortals).

When the one thousand two hundred immortal lads and jade maidens saw that the two had received the scriptures and attained the Dao, each untied the precious pearls and jeweled garlands they wore and offered them to the Perfected of the Left Mystery, requesting to receive and uphold this honored scripture. After receiving the scripture, each recited it through once; at once their minds and spirits opened and grew clear, they grasped the meaning of the scripture, and they understood that the Three Realms (the Realm of Desire, the Realm of Form, and the Formless Realm) are all empty and illusory, and that when blessings are exhausted life too comes to an end. Each then repented of their faults. Thereupon, all one thousand two hundred were transformed and became immortals.

At that time, a celestial being in the air felt puzzled in his heart by the analogy the Celestial Worthy had given. He thought: The Celestial Worthy said that if those who study the Dao (the Way) can open and illumine their mind and Shen (spirit) and grasp the principle, they will know that the Three Realms—the Realm of Desire, the Realm of Form, and the Formless Realm—are all empty, illusory, and impermanent; when their share of blessings is exhausted, life too comes to an end, and so each person repents. Those one thousand two hundred people then at once, within their own persons, transformed and entered the path of the immortals.

Another celestial being thought: If those who study the Dao lack scriptures (Jing) such as the Siwei Dingzhi Yaojing, the Essential Scripture on Contemplating the Subtle and Settling the Resolve, they are like someone who goes down into the sea to gather treasure without a guide, or like a foolish person who, in a daze, walks into an empty mountain seeking the seal and ribbon of the Son of Heaven. Reasoning in this way, at the beginning of the creative transformation of heaven and earth, before this scripture had yet appeared, how could a great sage such as the Celestial Worthy have attained the Dao?

The Celestial Worthy knew his thought and replied, “You have not yet been ranked among the celestial beings; how can you trace the source of the creative transformation of heaven and earth? Great sages such as the Celestial Worthy attained the Dao before the scriptural teachings had appeared, because their inborn nature was pure and simple and their actions accorded with the natural. To accord with the natural is to fit the proper time and the principle; even in the midst of obscurity they can still accord with principle, and thus spontaneously gain a mysterious understanding. Such understanding originally had no written words; only later was it arranged and compiled into scriptures, so as to tell people of later generations. What is there to doubt? It is like a person falling into hell—must there first be a code of laws for hell?”

The celestial being praised him, saying, “The words of the Holy Worthy have made this foolish one understand.” He then repented and offered thanks, and the stage of his cultivation rose one level further.

At that time there were twelve young men living at ease and in contentment. Every day they gathered together, prepared fine dishes, drank wine, and amused themselves, and sometimes they also discussed whether cultivating the Dao (the Way) was, after all, difficult or not. From a distance the Celestial Worthy (Tianzun) saw them with the eye of the Dao and knew that in a former life they had been teachers, yet, begrudging what they kept in secret, they had not transmitted the scriptures (jing) of awakening to the Dao, so that their disciples, too, remained hesitant about cultivation. Even so, a slender thread of karmic affinity still remained, and they could yet be delivered.

The Celestial Worthy then transformed into an ordinary person, passed among the gathering, and, on the pretext of begging for food, entered into conversation with these young men. They spoke of principles just as before. One of them said, “I often go with my elder brother to Mount Anle, and I see that the Daoist priests there all observe the Ten Precepts, their bearing grave and solemn—this is very good. Cultivated in this way, after death the hun-soul and the Shen (spirit) ought also to have a place of return. Yet to keep all ten precepts well is, I fear, not something everyone can do.”

The transformed form replied, “Keeping the precepts is not difficult; violating them is what is difficult.” Hearing this, all nodded in agreement and asked, “Sir, why do you say that holding the precepts is easy, while breaking them is hard?”

The transformed form said, “If one rectifies oneself according to the precepts, one need fear neither the Son of Heaven nor ghosts and spirits—what is difficult about that? One who violates the precepts must be afraid in every circumstance: afraid of other people and afraid of ghosts and spirits alike. That is what is difficult.”

The twelve young men therefore all gave rise to a mind inclined toward the Dao, and each examined himself. One of them, who ordinarily loved wine, spoke first: “The other precepts may still be possible; only abstaining from wine is hard to achieve. Drinking is my natural preference, and I truly dare not guarantee that I can give it up. Because I once took medicinal powders, and when their potency takes effect nothing but wine can relieve it—that is why I dare to speak in this way.”

The transformed form replied, “Needing wine after taking the powders is a method of regulating the body with medicine, and some flexibility may be allowed. But one must not drink to excess, so that one’s physical condition becomes worse than usual.”

Another said, “Other matters may still be possible; only refraining from false speech is hard. The difficulty is that sometimes one’s own private affairs are involved, or one must conceal something on behalf of an elder. When others ask, it seems one has no choice but to tell a lie, and the moment one lies one breaks the precept—so it is hard to do.”

The transformed form replied, “Matters may be open or hidden, and speech too may take a fitting form; these situations can also be handled properly. One need only not call the good evil or the evil good, nor expose others’ shortcomings or harm them with words.”

Yet another said, “The other precepts may still be possible; only not stealing is hard. Even the smallest matter may count as breaking the precept.”

The transformed form replied, “If great matters make the precepts hard to keep, should small matters not call for still greater care?” He then recited a verse for them.

Why not uphold the precept against stealing? Not upholding this precept is also very hard to manage. Who says that what is done in secret is known to no one? In the unseen realm there are divine officials who record acts of theft. The more one steals, the heavier the offense grows year by year, accumulating layer upon layer, and it is never lightened. When the time comes, one must cup molten copper in the hands, scorching the mouth and tongue and boiling the heart and liver. At the thought of this suffering, even after a year has passed, the heart still turns sour. Why not uphold this precept? To keep it is to keep oneself whole. I honor this precept, and others honor it as well; wherever one may be, one can rest secure. Sitting calmly in quiet cultivation, one can call forth a numinous response, and long enjoy peace, happiness, and longevity.

Someone said, “The other precepts are easy to observe; only sexual desire is the hardest to cut off. Why do I say this? I have experienced it myself. I often followed my elder brother in keeping the fast at noon. While fasting, I would always think: if for this one day I keep the fast with a single mind and do nothing that transgresses propriety, perhaps after death I may receive the blessed reward of keeping the fast. But when night came, I grew distressed over this matter, and wicked thoughts often arose again. Though I tried hard to suppress and restrain them, I still offended without realizing it. It was this way every time, and so sexual desire is the hardest to sever.”

The manifested teacher (a person who appears through transformation and comes to instruct) said, “Sexual desire between man and woman is, in the end, only a thought arising in the mind. Thoughts are all empty; where is there any fixed and unchanging ‘form’? First observe your own body. Once you understand that the body has nothing extraordinary about it, you will know that sexual desire has nothing real that can be grasped. What, then, cannot be endured? Moreover, indulging sexual desire is like drinking salt water: the more one drinks, the thirstier one feels, and even unto death one cannot be satisfied.”

Thereupon the manifested teacher spoke a verse (a poem that conveys teaching in rhyme):

The torment brought by sexual desire surpasses thirst. Endure it only a little, and one can pass through the difficulty. Why go on drinking salt water? The saltier the water, the harder the thirst is to quench. If you can skillfully free yourself from this craving, you should drink the sweet dew of heaven. The sweet dew is fragrant and rich, spreading through the whole body. Celestial beings come, drawn by its scent. If one can endure only a little, one will naturally awaken to the mysterious principle. In such peace, joy, and pure harmony, one long abides in Wuwei (non-action), forever preserving the blessed fortune bestowed by the Nine Heavens.

One of them said, “I can observe all the other precepts, but the precept against taking life is very hard to keep. I like eating chicken. If a meal has no meat, I find it utterly tasteless; after a few days without meat, a person grows thin.”

The transformed person (a person who appears by transformation) said, “If a worthy person grows fat, that instead becomes a burden on the body; a little thinner, and the body is lighter and more agile. Why must one be fat?” He then spoke a gatha (a teaching expressed in verse):

A worthy person should abstain from taking life, and should not even harbor the thought of killing living beings. Living beings, even when weak and small, all delight in living and growing. Why harm their lives and then use them to nourish oneself? Sustaining the body with such food only damages one’s innate nature and leaves body and mind ill at ease. If one remains long sunk in the Three Paths (in Buddhist and Daoist tradition, the evil destinies such as hell, hungry ghosts, and animals), one will suffer continually and be reborn again and again. Good and evil each have their causes and conditions, just as a sound, once made, brings an echo. Why not give up this practice and urge oneself on with a compassionate heart? The Perfected One (one who has succeeded in cultivating the Dao (the Way)) is serene and at ease, roaming freely while observing the transformations of all things in the world.

When the gatha was finished, the transformed person manifested a form of matchless grandeur that embodied the ultimate Dao. His attendants and subordinate officials, together with the magnificent music of heaven, were all beyond what mortal eyes could discern. He then returned to the realm above. Everyone saw this with their own eyes. Their hearts were at once joyful and reverent; having also heard the essential teaching, they understood and awoke.

Together they went to the Left Mystery Perfected One and earnestly begged to receive the scriptures and methods and the Ten Precepts. With the eye of the Dao, the Left Mystery Perfected One perceived the causes and conditions of their previous lives and also knew why they found it hard to awaken. The Celestial Worthy had condescended to descend and guide them in many ways, originally so that this matter might be brought to completion. The Perfected One did not transmit the scriptures and methods to them on the spot, because they had an affinity with the methods of the Dao that ought not to be cut off; he therefore only told them to come again the next day to receive the transmission.

Yet when the next day came, they still had not received the scriptures and methods. Several young men discussed the matter privately, saying, “Our lives cannot be counted on. We cannot keep waiting until tomorrow again and again as before. Each of us should prepare the purification abstinence and the tokens of faith, take our leave, and then together make an earnest request. Someone suggested, ‘Even if we knock our heads until they bleed, and a great deal of blood flows, we must not stop. The Left Mystery Perfected One is compassionate at heart and will surely transmit them to us.’” At this point the scripture turns to the words “the address said,” and the text that follows is not recorded.

We men, So-and-so and the others, knock our heads and pray to the Great Dao (the Way), sincerely reproaching ourselves. Now the years slip away and the sunlight keeps shifting, and we often fear that this faint breath of life of ours may suddenly sink, like those lost in darkness, into a state of neither knowing nor feeling. Once we are benighted and unclear, it is as though we dwell in an endless night from which we can hardly escape—alone, hard-pressed, and suffering beyond words—seeking deliverance, yet with nowhere to seek it.

We have reverently heard that the Celestial Worthy once taught the method of the Ten Precepts for Contemplating the Subtle and Settling the Will. This scripture (Jing) is concise and to the point, and the principles it sets forth are complete in every respect. With sincere and concentrated hearts we look up in admiration and hope to receive and uphold this method. Even if we heard it in the morning and died that evening, we would never have any regret. If we delay any longer, the days will pass one after another. A human life is as brief as fungi born at dawn and dead by dusk, and no one knows whether tomorrow will bring good fortune or ill.

A method of the Dao so subtle and wondrous has taken myriad generations to appear, and now we have the chance to meet it. If we miss it again at this moment, it will be like a blind person grasping a sparrow: no sooner is the bird in hand than it flies away. Even if we waited another ten thousand kalpas, we might never encounter it again. We have therefore exerted heart and strength to the utmost, prepared tokens of faith according to the ritual procedure, and set out the list below. We respectfully knock our heads, present this statement, and pray that what we wish may be accomplished. We respectfully make this declaration.

The tokens of faith offered are as follows: five fen of superior gold, together with five liang of principal gold; five liang of white silk; patterned silk corresponding to the natal destiny, reckoned by the number of years and amounting to one piece, prepared according to the regulations; five dou of destiny rice; and one bundle of firewood. These five kinds are all prepared in accordance with the ritual procedure.

Here ends the Most High Dongxuan (Cavern Mystery) Numinous Treasure Scripture of Wisdom That Settles the Will and Penetrates the Subtle (Taishang Dongxuan Lingbao Zhihui Dingzhi Tongwei Jing).