《太上洞玄灵宝诸天灵书度命妙经》

At that time the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning (Yuanshi Tianzun), a revered deity of Daoism, was in the Lodge of Everlasting Joy in the Kingdom of Great Blessing, seated together with the great sages of the various heavens and the flying divine kings upon clouds of seven-colored treasure.

The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning asked the Supreme Lord of the Dao (Taishang Daojun), likewise a revered deity of Daoism: “Have you heard the sounds of sorrow and weeping coming from all around the Kingdom of Great Blessing?”

The Lord of the Dao bowed his head and answered: “I have been here for seven million five hundred thousand kalpas (jie, an immensely long span of time), and I have never heard sighs or sounds of grief upon this land. I do not know why this should be.”

The Celestial Worthy asked again: “Then have you heard the sounds of stringed music and song, of joy and delight?”

The Lord of the Dao bowed his head and answered: “The men and women of this land, throughout the seven million five hundred thousand kalpas within living memory, have never seen anyone here grow old. Whether male or female, their appearances are the same. Born here, they live amid blessing and joy, forever without sorrow, taking happiness alone as their delight.”

Thereupon the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning smiled and released a five-colored radiance. The light issued from his mouth and illuminated the land of the whole kingdom. The True Writs of the Numinous Treasure (Lingbao zhenwen), sacred talismanic script of profound significance in the Daoist scriptures, appeared within the light, their patterns bright and clear, shining through and reflecting upon one another, illuminating the five directions. The Supreme Lord of the Dao knelt long and bowed his head, looked up toward the Celestial Worthy, and asked to hear the essential meaning therein.

The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning replied, “Do you see the true writs within the light, the sacred Jing (scripture/classic)? This Jing descended upon this place in the Dragon-Han era (a remote age of Daoist legend). At that time, I, together with the Most High Great Sage, the Jade Emperor, compiled ten wondrous Jing, in order to proclaim the teaching and save all living beings. For this reason, the land was called the ‘Kingdom of the Great Hall of Blessing, the Abode of Everlasting Joy’ (a realm filled with blessing and happiness). The numinous teaching resounded through the four quarters, and its grace reached the ten directions.

“Thus the people here all enjoy long life, and none die young. They do not undergo all manner of suffering, nor are they afflicted by sorrow and vexation. They do not fall into the Three Paths (the three realms of suffering: the hells, hungry ghosts, and animals), nor do they encounter the Eight Difficulties (eight conditions that obstruct hearing the Dao (the Way) and cultivating practice). Here there is no sound of weeping and grief, only the sound of joy. To be born in such an age and to meet the Jing and the teaching is truly the karmic affinity accumulated over hundreds of millions of kalpas. To possess a life free of sorrow—how could one not rejoice?

“I laughed just now for no apparent reason because, alas, the people of this place do not know where their joy comes from, nor do they know that other places still suffer worry and grief. After I depart, the true writs will be concealed, the course of the age will grow hurried and severe, the Five Turbidities (five factors that defile the world) will stir one another, and all manner of evil deeds will arise one after another. When I think of the people of later ages, born into such a world yet willing to do evil and bear the retribution, turning again and again through the Five Paths (the five destinations of beings in the cycle of rebirth), long enduring the suffering of the Eight Difficulties, harming one another, and bound by sorrow and vexation—they will neither see the Jing and the teaching nor meet the holy writs, and can only be left to the sway of birth and death. This is truly grievous.

“I deeply pity these people. They do not know that the karmic obstructions and enmities of past lives will appear in succession, nor do they know where suffering comes from. Now I shall expound the ten wondrous Jing for the beings of later ages, so as to save celestial beings and the people of the world. You must study diligently with a devoted mind, set your intentions aright, receive this in earnest, and do not forget these words.”

Thereupon the Most High Lord of the Great Dao stepped out from the ranks, bowed his head in homage, and prostrated himself upon the ground to receive the Celestial Worthy’s charge. Of all the sages present, there was not one who did not rejoice and offer congratulations. The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning then expounded the true writs of Lingbao (the Numinous Treasure) in the Abode of Everlasting Joy, proclaiming the teaching and saving celestial beings and the people of the world. You must study diligently with a devoted mind, set your intentions aright, receive this in earnest, and do not forget these words.

Thereupon the Supreme Lord of the Great Dao (Taishang Dadaojun, one of the revered deities of Daoism; Dao, the Way) immediately stepped forward from the ranks, bowed and kowtowed, and respectfully accepted the command of the Celestial Worthy (Tianzun). Every holy perfected being present rejoiced and offered congratulations.

In the Abode of Lasting Joy (Changle She), the Primordial Celestial Worthy (Yuanshi Tianzun) expounded the True Writs of the Numinous Treasure (Lingbao Zhenwen, the sacred scriptures of the Lingbao scriptural tradition), establishing laws and regulations and delivering all living beings, beginning with this country. At that time countless holy hosts from the boundless worlds of the ten directions—the Supreme True Great Sages, the Divine Kings of the Flying Heavens, the Perfected Ones of Wondrous Conduct, and others—assembled together.

The very ground of this country was formed by the pouring of molten golden water. The steps and roadways all around were adorned with jasper, lapis lazuli, and other precious treasures, orderly and majestic, their light clear and penetrating. The teachings of the Dao were propagated here and delivered innumerable beings. For this reason the country was named the Country of the Great Hall of Blessings (Dafutang Guo). Those born here did not suffer untimely death or injury to their allotted span of life; their hearts were free of pain and vexation, their bodies free of worry and illness, and they could act as they wished. When their lifespan came to an end, they were delivered and entered Zhuling (the immortal realm of Daoist mythology). At that time, whether man or woman, anyone who had beforehand set their heart on seeking the Dao and attaining deliverance could transcend the mundane world.

After the territory of the Country of the Great Hall of Blessings had been brought to completion, the movement of the Dao continued eastward and arrived at the Great Fuli Land of the Azure Empyrean and the Songs of the Void (Biluo Kongge Da Fuli Guotu, a celestial realm in the east).

The Primordial Celestial Worthy came to the Great Fuli Land of the Azure Empyrean and the Songs of the Void and sat upright upon the azure mist. At that time the great holy hosts, the Divine Kings of the Flying Heavens, and the Supreme True Great Deities of the boundless worlds of the east, together with Anbao Hualin Qingling Shilao, the Azure Emperor and Heavenly Lord of the Nine Qi (Cangdi Jiuqi Tianjun; Qi, vital energy), the Supreme True King (Taishang Zhenwang), the Jade Maiden of the Azure Waist (Qingyao Yunü), the various numinous officials of the Eastern Quarter, and countless other holy beings, assembled together.

The ground of this land at once became level and expansive, without rise or hollow. It was paved entirely with jasper, and the steps and roadways all around were adorned with gold, silver, and precious treasures, orderly and majestic, shining and bright.

At this time the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning (Yuanshi Tianzun), a venerated deity of Daoism, said to the Azure Emperor Lord (Cang Dijun): “In this land, is there anyone who studies the way of the immortals? Are there any extraordinary methods? Do they know the destinies and karmic affinities of their former lives?”

The Azure Emperor Lord bowed his head and answered the Celestial Worthy: “Since I came to this realm, nine million nine hundred thousand kalpas (jie)—the unit Daoism uses to express an immensely long span of time—have already passed, and never has anyone studied immortality, for the people here are by nature unable to die. This land holds many marvelous sights. There is a grove of azure trees, and upon their leaves purple characters arise of themselves. When the wind blows and the trees stir, the sounds they give forth are all like the Cavern Chapters (Dongzhang), the sacred musical compositions of Daoism; their numinous voices shine with radiant brilliance and resound throughout the vast void.

Nine-colored phoenixes constantly dwell in the trees. When a phoenix calls, every man and woman in the realm bows in reverence and listens respectfully to its voice. If a phoenix lets fall a single feather, whoever obtains it can fly at once.

The people here do not grow old, know neither grief nor anxiety, and suffer no hardship. They live by joy alone, and do not know why they have come or with what karmic affinities they are linked. That they could be born here in this present life is truly the result of causes and conditions from former lives.”

The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning (Yuanshi Tianzun, a revered deity of Daoism) said to the Azure Emperor Lord (Cang Dijun, an imperial lord of the Azure Emperor lineage):

“Long ago, in the Longhan years (one of the reckonings of the kalpic ages), the Lingbao True Writs (Lingbao zhenwen, scriptures of the Numinous Treasure) appeared in this land, to transmit the statutes and methods and to save the many. At that time the Exalted Great Sage composed this wondrous scripture (Jing), writing the text with a purple brush in the Forest of Hollow Azure. When the wind passed through the woods, the sounds given out by the trees formed musical tones. Nine-colored birds often pecked the leaves, and from this brilliant patterned colors arose upon their bodies; if a person obtained their feathers, that person could fly. In those days all were able to cultivate the Dao (the Way) and attain perfection.

After I depart, the kalpic course of the world will quicken. Warfare and calamity will follow one upon another, and both the heavens and the human realm will suffer. Sentient beings will willingly do evil and bear the retribution of their sins, turning through suffering in the Five Paths (Wudao, the five destinations of rebirth) and the Eight Difficulties (Banan, eight conditions in which it is hard to hear the teaching and cultivate the Dao). They will be able neither to obtain the present life nor to meet with the transforming instruction of the scriptures; the suffering in this is truly beyond words. Therefore I now proclaim this scripture, so that the men and women of this land may know the conditions for attaining long life, and so that the way of salvation may be shown to beings of later ages. You must apply your minds to cultivation and practice, and listen carefully until you clearly understand my words.”

The Azure Emperor Lord bowed his head and received the Celestial Worthy’s command, and every holy perfected one seated there rejoiced.

At that time the territory of the Great Fuli Kingdom of Biluo Kongge had already been brought to completion, and the movement of the Dao reached the Southern Pole. Mention is also made of the Chiming land of the Huili world at the Southern Pole, and of the Cavern Chamber of the Three Primes in the bend of Nanpu Danhuo.

In the Vermilion Bright land of Chiming, in the Chanli world, the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning (Yuanshi Tianzun) sat upon crimson clouds. The boundless host of great sages of the south, the divine kings who fly through the heavens, the supremely perfected great deities, together with the True Elder of Cinnabar Numinosity of Brahma-Treasure Changyang, the Celestial Lord of the Three Qi (vital energy) of the Red Emperor, the Elder of the Three Qi, the Jade Maidens of Great Cinnabar of the Vermilion Palace, the various numinous officials of the southern quarter, and countless other divine beings, all gathered in the Cavern Chamber of the Three Origins beside Mount Danhuo.

This land was cinnabar red, and red clouds of Qi constantly rose and billowed, like crimson clouds. The steps and roadways all around were adorned with liuli glass and other precious treasures, radiant and bright, illuminating the entire realm.

At this time the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning asked the Celestial Lord of the Three Qi of the Red Emperor, “How long do the people of this land live?” The Celestial Lord of the Three Qi bowed his head and replied, “Since we have dwelt here, three million three hundred thousand kalpas have already passed. Never have we heard anyone in this land grieve or weep; we have seen only people who do not grow old.”

The Celestial Worthy asked again, “What wondrous method can bring one to such a state?” The Celestial Lord of the Three Qi bowed his head and answered, “In this land there is a Court of the Cavern Intestines and a Pool of Fire Refinement. Three times each year the people of the land go to the fire pool and, with the Jing (essence) of fire, refine and nourish themselves and moisten their bodily forms; that is why there are people who do not age. Above, there is also the Lord of the Southern Palace Who Delights in Life, who governs and protects the registers of human destiny, and so the sound of funeral wailing is never heard. We only do not know from whence all this first arose, and we earnestly beg the Celestial Worthy to set forth the principles we have never heard.”

Here, “kalpa” (jie) is a unit in Daoist Jing (scriptures) that denotes an extremely long span of time; “self-refinement by the Jing of fire” means cultivating the bodily form by means of the method of fire refinement, and it is part of the way to long life described in the scripture.

The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning said: This place has the “Court of the One of Cavern-Yang” and the “Pool of Flowing Fire” because, when the Numinous Treasure True Writ—the sacred characters of the Lingbao scriptures—first began to appear, the writing was not yet clear. At that time I came to this country together with the Most High Great Sage, the Jade Emperor, and refined the True Writ with fire, so that the forms of the characters emerged, bright and distinct. The writing blazed with radiance and shone through all five directions; for this reason the place came to be called the “Kingdom of Crimson Brilliance.”

The Jing (essence) and Qi (vital energy) of fire streamed together and coalesced into the “Court of Cavern-Yang.” Thus, when people undergo refinement by fire in the Court of Fire, they do not grow old. To this day, those within the court all benefit from the efficacy of the True Writ. This method is profoundly mysterious and precious: above is established the Lord of the Southern Palace Who Cherishes Life, who keeps the registers of human names and lifespans and can refine the dead and deliver all beings. Therefore, throughout this land, the sound of mourning is never heard. To be born in such an age is truly a joy!

After I depart, the true Jing (scripture) will be concealed. The course of Heaven will grow urgent, and the Five Turbidities—in Buddhist and Daoist usage, the five defilements that disturb the world—will contend with one another in spreading, their poison extending between celestial beings and ordinary mortals. Men and women will all sink into suffering, yet willingly commit crimes and do evil, turning from one state to another and falling into the Five Paths and Eight Difficulties, neither beholding the luminous teaching nor encountering the true scriptures.

Therefore I now expound this wondrous scripture for the beings of later ages and transmit the True Writ to you, so that the people of this land may know whence the divine immortals obtain longevity without death, and so that the men and women of the world may thereby be shown the way and have the conditions to be saved. You must cultivate with a devoted mind and not forget my words.

Thereupon the Heavenly Lord of the Three Qi of the Red Emperor—the heavenly lord of the three vital energies over which the Red Emperor presides—bowed his head to the ground and received the charge. At that moment the assembled sages paid their respects and departed.

At that time the Jade Kingdom of Crimson Brilliance in the world of Chanli had already been established, and the methods of the Dao (the Way) had spread as far as the Western Extremity; the Western Extremity is the Jade Kingdom of Xina in the world of the Great Hall of Blessings of Weiluo.

Note: In the original, a passage concerning instruction for the men and women of later generations appears twice; it has been combined here according to the sense of the text. The precise referents of the “Five Paths and Eight Difficulties” differ among the scriptures; the original terms are retained.

The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning came to the Jade Kingdom of Xina in the world of the Great Blessing Hall. On the Peak of Fuluo at Mount Yucha, he sat beneath a seven-treasure qian tree. Countless great sages of the Limitless of the West, divine kings who fly through the heavens, and great deities of supreme perfection, together with the White-Numinous Sovereign Elder of the Seven-Treasure Golden Gate, the White Emperor Heavenly Lord of the Seven Qi (vital energy), the Elder of Bright Stone of the Seven Qi, the Supreme White-Pure Jade Maidens, and the various numinous officials of the western quarter, all assembled together on the Peak of Fuluo.

The ground of this land was paved with white jade, and its steps were built of gold. Treasures covered all four sides, their radiance bright and illuminating the entire kingdom. Within the land were gathered beautiful music and wondrous sounds, and the sights were of every kind of marvel. The cries of birds and beasts in the groves were as if they were chanting jade verses. Jing (essence) flowed in the golden pools, nourishing and delivering the people of the whole kingdom. For this reason the land was called the “Land of Ultimate Bliss.”

The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning asked the Heavenly Lord of the White Emperor, “Why is this place called the Land of Ultimate Bliss? What marvels does the kingdom contain, such that people are free of sorrow and grief?”

The Heavenly Lord of the White Emperor bowed his head and replied, “We have been in this realm for seven million kalpas, and have heard only elegant and harmonious music; we have never heard the people of the kingdom utter a sound of sorrow. The faces of the men and women of the kingdom are all like gold. In the groves stand seven-treasure qian trees, bearing red fruit and encircled by white halos of light. On the trees are phoenixes, peacocks, and golden-winged birds, which through the six periods of day and night—a phrase often used in Buddhist and Daoist scriptures to mean without cease, day and night—give forth wondrous sounds. Lions and white deer also sing in harmony, their voices harmonious and pleasing to the ear.

“There are also pools of golden Jing and jade, containing the rich liquor that refines and nourishes essence. Flying celestial spirits come three times each year to bathe in the pools. The essence in the pools spreads through the deep waters and universally saves and delivers measureless beings. Therefore this land is named Ultimate Bliss. We do not know whence it first arose, and we only beg the Celestial Worthy to instruct us in what we have not yet understood.”

Note: The final passage of the original contains a repeated sentence, “Only this: the flying celestial spirits descend three times a year and bathe therein.” The above has been merged according to the sense of the text.

The Celestial Worthy said: “Long ago, in the years of the Longhan era, I came to this world together with the Celestial King of Primordial Beginning and the Exalted Jade Emperor, and here we encountered the Lingbao True Writs (the Lingbao scriptures). They appeared on Mount Fuluo Kong. Phoenixes, peacocks, golden-winged birds, and others flew among the mountain ridges.

A moment later, a five-colored radiance suddenly illuminated the whole world, so that even dark and hidden places were revealed. On the empty mountain I expounded the True Writs and compiled ten wondrous Jing (scriptures/classics). From then on I spread the teachings of the Dao (the Way) in this world and delivered living beings, hoping that the voice of the Dao’s teaching would be passed on and would instruct later generations. At that time, humans, birds, and beasts were all saved because of this. Thus the flocks of birds often uttered extraordinary and beautiful sounds; hearing them, people naturally gave rise to a heart turned toward the Dao and sprouted good hearts and good thoughts. Men and women throughout the country thereby attained the Dao and became Perfected.

All who are able to be born in this country are those whose good names were already recorded in the celestial realm over the past seven hundred kalpas, and only thus could they be reborn here. In the country there are divine birds that sing beautiful sounds through the six periods of day and night (Buddhist and Daoist scriptures divide one day and night into six periods). This country is called the Land of Ultimate Bliss. To be born in such an age is a blessing beyond measure.

After I depart, the true Jing will sink into concealment, the celestial cycles will gradually decline and grow pressing, and the country too will move toward ruin. Living beings of later ages will fall into suffering, fail to encounter the teachings of the Jing, and wander amid the Five Sufferings and Eight Difficulties (a general term for all manner of human hardships and obstacles to cultivation). The lifespans of men and women will be short, and the pain they endure will be beyond words. Therefore I now expound this Jing, so that the people of this world may know the roots of the karmic conditions of their past lives, and so that a path of deliverance may also be opened for living beings of later ages. You must understand my words and cultivate with a sincere heart.”

The Celestial Lord of the Seven Qi (vital energy) bowed his head and received the mandate, and all the assembled sages rejoiced.

At this time, in the Xinayu Kingdom of the Weiluo Great Hall of Blessings world, the land had already been brought to completion, and the practice of the Dao reached through to the Northern Pole. As for the Yudan Kingdom of the Yuanfu Qixian world of the Northern Pole—

The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning sat upon five-colored dark clouds on Longxuan Mound, north of the Yudan territory in the Yuanfu Qixian world. The hosts of the Limitless Great Sages of the North, the Flying Celestial Spirit Kings, the Most True Great Spirits, and the Yudan Kingdom of the Yuanfu Qixian world of the Five Qi Mysterious Northern Pole…

The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning (Yuanshi Tianzun), a supreme deity of Daoism, came to the land of Yudan in the world of Yuanfu Qixian and sat upon five-colored mysterious clouds at Xuanqiu on the northern ridge. The limitless hosts of great sages of the North, the divine kings who fly through the heavens, the great deities of supreme perfection, together with the Mysterious Elder of the Five Numina of the Mysterious Heaven of the Five Qi (vital energy), Cavern Yin, Shuodan, and Yujue, the Black Emperor Heavenly Lord (Heidi Tianjun), and a multitude of other spirits all gathered together at Xuanqiu on the northern ridge.

Throughout this land, water crystal (shuijing) had congealed on every side, and the ground was paved with liuli glaze. In the country there was a pool named Saichi, five hundred li in length and five hundred li in breadth. In the pool grew jade zhi of flowing essence (liujing yuzhi), and within the pool there was also a naturally formed Cavern-Numen Abbey (Dongling Guan). The Dongling Guan towered into the clouds, some fifty li in extent, with golden characters carved on the walls of all four sides. The place remained dark throughout the year; there was no light on any side, as though it were eternal night, and ordinary mortals could not see it.

The people of this country all drank the water of the pool. Their complexions were like jade fat; they never fell ill and knew no sorrow. Their lifespan reached thirty thousand years, and no one died before their time. After death their remains did not turn to ash, and even after ten thousand years they neither rotted nor stank. The country had no institutions of ritual and music; the people knew only how to keep a pure and straightforward heart. For this reason the place was called the “Land without Affliction” (Wuhuan zhi Guo).

The Celestial Worthy asked the Black Emperor Heavenly Lord, “Why is this place called the Land without Affliction? What rare and wondrous methods does this country possess?”

The Black Emperor Heavenly Lord touched his head to the ground and replied, “After one enters this realm, when five million kalpas have passed—a kalpa (jie) being an exceedingly long unit of time—the Dongling Guan appears and grows bright; when one kalpa has gone by, it grows dark again. Beneath the Dongling Guan there is a cold pool. The men and women of the country all go there to drink, and so their complexions are like jade. They show no look of aging, and they know neither sickness nor pain. All of them live out their full span of life, and after death their bodies do not turn to ash. That is why this place is called the Land without Affliction. The men and women here know only that they themselves were born; they do not know whence life comes, and thus they are able to enjoy such longevity. We earnestly beg the Celestial Worthy to make clear for us what we have not yet understood.”

The Celestial Worthy smiled, and five-colored light issued from his mouth, illuminating the entire country. The Abbey of Cavernous Numina (Dongling zhi guan, an abbey dedicated to Daoist deities) appeared with perfect clarity, open and bright on all four sides, as though lit by the sun at noon. The ornamental patterns on the city walls were vivid in color and dazzling in brilliance, beautiful beyond description. Everyone throughout the country was filled with joy.

The Celestial Worthy said, “The True Writs of the Numinous Treasure (Lingbao zhenwen, the sacred scriptures of the Lingbao canon) will appear in this land, to transmit the ritual norms and to save the many. I have sealed the celestial writs within this abbey, and that is why it is called the Abbey of Cavernous Numina. Beneath the abbey there is a cold pool, and its waters gather the numinous fluid (lingjin, a fluid possessed of sacred numinous power); thus, when a person drinks the water of the pool, he or she is able to live long and never die.

“After I depart, the Jing (scripture/classic) in this abbey ought to return to the Boundless Heaven of Yudan (Yudan Wuliang Tian, a celestial realm spoken of in Daoism). At that time the seasons of heaven will grow urgent, and calamities will come one after another. Celestial beings will have short lives and suffer harm, and people of the age to come will likewise fall into suffering. Before they can receive the aid of the scriptural teaching, they will cycle through the Five Sufferings—truly a sight one cannot bear to witness.

“Therefore I now proclaim this Jing, so that the people of this place may know from what causes and conditions calamity arises, and so that a path of salvation may also be opened for the men and women of future generations. To those who have a good heart, this Jing ought to be transmitted, enabling them to survive and, amid the many calamities, to escape every kind of suffering. Understand my words clearly; listen and receive them with care, and practice them diligently. Do not grow slack or indulgent, lest you fail the beings of the age to come.”

The Heavenly Lord Black Emperor (Heidi Tianjun, the northern celestial emperor in Daoism) bowed his head and accepted the charge, and everyone throughout the country rejoiced without end.

The Celestial Worthy told the Supreme Lord of the Dao (the Way; Taishang Daojun, a revered deity of Daoism): “The Five Elder Imperial Lords (Wulao Dijun, the honored deities who respectively govern the five directions) and the Lingbao True Writs (Lingbao Zhenwen, the Lingbao scriptures) are bound by a profound karmic affinity. Across hundreds of millions of kalpas they have met in lifetime after lifetime, and their teaching has never been interrupted. After the True Writs were transmitted to the Five Elder Imperial Lords, each received one true Jing (scripture/classic) and one set of wondrous secret instructions, and with these they settled and secured the five directions.

“Thus, in those countries where blessings and virtue are abundant, men and women alike enjoy long life. They do not die young or suffer injury, and their lifespans are brought to fulfillment. They are without sorrow or vexation, they do not undergo all manner of suffering, and they do not encounter the Eight Difficulties (obstacles to cultivating the Dao or to hearing the teaching). Their faces do not grow old. In the land one hears no sound of grieving weeping, but only music of every kind that is beautiful, harmonious, and refined, and joy continues from generation to generation.

“As for other countries and remote regions, places where blessings and virtue are insufficient, men and women never see the teaching of the Jing, nor do they know their own fated destiny. They can only follow karmic causes, revolving through birth and death and passing from east to west through the Five Paths (the five destinations of living beings in the cycle of rebirth), with no time of return. That blessings cannot reach all these places is truly a cause for sorrow.

“Now the teaching ought once again to be opened widely, so as to save and deliver all the heavens and all living beings universally, enabling men and women in distant regions of mixed habitation to turn toward this Dao, enter the gate of my teaching, and be rescued from every kind of suffering and from the Eight Difficulties. They will then be able to see and hear the good teaching, and none will fail to change their hearts. Their ancestors of seven generations will also receive these blessings and be reborn as human beings. Once blessings have spread throughout the world, the whole world will rejoice.”

The Celestial Worthy (Tianzun) brought the lands of the five directions to fulfillment and delivered all people, so that every one of them received the teaching of light. Each person gave rise to a wholesome aspiration and kept the Great Dao (the Way) in mind; they did not transgress the precepts of the Jing (scriptures), committed no manner of evil, and did nothing contrary to principle and right order, so that neither body nor mind was stained or impaired. They all cherished compassion, reverently served and followed the spirits, honored the elderly and cared for the young, and acted in accord with what is natural; thus they were able to lengthen their lives, and their bodies did not decline into old age.

The voice of this teaching spread far and wide, and the various heavens all revered and looked up to it. All those remote borderlands and other regions—places of brief lifespan and scant blessing—so long as they heard where the Great Dao was to be found, could likewise be delivered, rise beyond worldly suffering, and enjoy long life; there was no one who did not rejoice and leap with joy. At that time, men and women alike came to turn toward the Celestial Worthy and take refuge in the Great Dao.

The Celestial Worthy then returned to the Abode of Everlasting Joy. People from every place, old and young alike, came with their whole countries, gathering about the Celestial Worthy in such numbers that they could not be held back.

At that time the Celestial Worthy (Tianzun, the title in Daoism for the supreme venerable deity) concealed the light of heaven for three days and three nights in succession, so that its radiance could not reach the world. On high ground he heaped up a pyre of firewood some two hundred zhang high, seated himself upon it, and kindled the fire himself. When the flames rose, their light shone in every direction and illumined the various lands.

From afar, men and women saw the Celestial Worthy seated in the fire, yet they had no chance to draw near and lay their wishes before him. Wishing to examine their hearts, the Celestial Worthy said to those who had come: “If you desire long life, you should enter the pyre and let the fire consume you. When the flames rise, they will shine in every direction and illumine the various lands. The people see me from afar seated in the fire, yet they have no chance to approach and speak to me. Now I wish to examine your intentions, and so I tell you: if you desire long life, enter the fire and come here to me to receive the teaching.”

Among them, seventy-two thousand four hundred and fifty people who single-mindedly revered the Great Dao (Dao, the Way) and sincerely sought the teaching cast themselves into the fire and all came before the Celestial Worthy. There in the fire he transmitted the scriptures (Jing) and methods to them; as each person entered, he instructed that one. All of them obtained deliverance (duotuo, a Daoist term meaning to receive salvation and to be freed from the sufferings of ordinary life), concealed their bodily forms, and departed.

The remaining four hundred thousand, who had not entered the fire, saw from a distance that those who had gone in did not come out, and all supposed they had been burned to death. They therefore withdrew, each returning to his or her native place. Those who had entered the fire and received deliverance had long since returned home first; those who had not entered arrived only later. When the two groups met again at home, those who had failed to enter the fire felt regret and sighed, but it was already too late for remorse.

All who had received deliverance obtained long life. Their bodies were free of pain, their appearance did not age, and they lived for thirty thousand years, passing away only when their allotted span was complete. There were also some of good heart who diligently cultivated the scriptures and teachings, and they too all obtained deliverance.

The Celestial Worthy (Tianzun) said to the Most High Lord of the Dao (Taishang Daojun), a revered deity of Daoism: In the Longhan era I was the formless yet ever-abiding sovereign, and I came into the world to teach and transform all living beings.

At that time heaven and earth already existed, the sun and moon shone, and the Three Powers (Sancai) of heaven, earth, and humanity were complete. There were men and women, and there was birth and death. Although Yin-Yang was distinguished, there were no rites or institutions, nor seasoned food, clothing, bedding, or other such necessities. Everything arose spontaneously within the chaos. I taught them by means of the Dao (the Way) and gradually awakened them, so that they learned to practice benevolence and righteousness and sincerely revered the teachings of the Dao. From that time on, people’s lifespans were all lengthened, while those who did not revere the teachings of the Dao lived shorter lives.

After I departed, heaven and earth were destroyed, and the myriad things sank into a dim and subtle chaos. For hundreds of millions of kalpas (jie) there was no light: heaven above no longer had color, and the earth below no longer had any abyss. Wind and water alike dispersed into the void. All around was dark, formless, and shadowless, boundless and without limit. No one knows how long the chaos lasted. This age is called Yankang.

When the Chiming era arrived, light appeared once more. Heaven and earth returned to their proper places, Yin-Yang arose anew, and humankind multiplied again, once more subject to birth and death. I came again into the world under the title Lord Without a Name (Wuming zhi Jun), and with the teachings of Lingbao (Numinous Treasure) I transformed all living beings, saving those of the many heavens and of the human world.

At that time certain men and women sincerely yearned for the teachings of the Dao. They honored the scriptures (Jing) and the precepts and never slackened, and so they all attained the Dao. Body and form ascended together, and they roamed the sky spontaneously. Even those who had not yet attained the Dao were all able to live long lives. After death they rose into heaven, were reborn generation after generation, and passed through transmigration without end, until at last all of them could become immortals.

After I departed, one kalpa passed. Heaven and earth were destroyed once more and returned to darkness. Through five kalpas all was gloomy and without light. Three kinds of primordial Qi (vital energy) remained in chaos, waiting for the fortune of the age to turn so that the myriad things might be generated anew. When the Kaihuang era arrived, the Lingbao true writs—the sacred talismanic script of the Lingbao scriptures—set the operations of heaven and earth in motion and restored the Three Powers of heaven, earth, and humanity. Five kinds of patterns shone with brilliant color, and the sun, moon, and stars thereupon grew bright. The four seasons, the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water), and Yin-Yang came into being as well.

In the Heaven of Primal Azure (Shiqing Tian) I was called the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning (Yuanshi Tianzun). I founded and propagated the teachings and methods of Daoism, so that the many heavens were brought to completion. At that time humankind had only just begun to appear. Men and women were simple and pure, and they recorded matters by tying knots in cords. They had no rites or institutions, no seasoned food, no clothing, no colored ornaments, and no writing. They went naked and slept in the open, living together with the birds and beasts.

I guided and transformed them by means of the Dao, so that they gradually gained intelligence, came to understand benevolence and righteousness, and the institutions of rites and music little by little arose. People began to wear clothes to cover their bodies and to season their food and drink, and they took part in life according to the principles of the Five Phases. Thereupon I proclaimed the teaching and spread the methods of the Dao, widely bestowing the scriptures, exhorting and admonishing those still in ignorance, so that they turned their hearts to faith in the Dao and gradually entered the gate of its teachings.

At this time the Celestial Worthy (Tianzun) came to the bank of the western river and sat upon the Weak Waters (Ruoshui)—waters that, according to legend, are all but impossible to cross. From his mouth he sent forth a five-colored radiance that shone upon all the heavens and the remote lands of the four directions, so that every place grew bright. The Celestial Worthy manifested a million bodily forms, appearing everywhere at the same time. Men and women, old and young alike, all saw him within the five-colored light, as though he were present in the very place where they themselves stood. The people then came forward and bowed their heads in homage to him.

According to the conditions of each region, the Celestial Worthy emitted from his mouth the Lingbao Five Chapters of True Writ. These scriptures (Jing) blazed with such brilliance that no one could look at them directly. He expounded the ten wondrous scriptures and transmitted the prohibitive precepts—the rules that practitioners must observe. He told the assembly that those who wished to obtain long life might come forward, register their names, and make a solemn vow of sincere faith and fidelity; once they had received the precepts of the teaching, they might depart.

Men and women, old and young, from the borderlands of the four directions all turned their hearts toward the Dao (the Way). They came bearing gold and silver, brocade and silk, colored fabrics, pearls, jade, and other treasures, in quantities beyond counting. They reverently accepted the precepts and honored the wondrous scriptures. Only after seven days and seven nights did the light gradually fade, and the four directions returned to their ordinary state. The treasures sent by the various kingdoms piled up until they filled an entire country. The Celestial Worthy then distributed these goods to the poor, so that they had enough to eat and to wear; nor were the rich left lacking on that account. Rich and poor were thereby made equal, and no one harbored resentment in their heart.

When the registers were examined in the celestial realm, it was found that all those who had already accumulated good merit in the past, and whose names stood in the records, were able to leave the secular world and ascend into the Great Void. Those who had only just entered the gate of the teaching were likewise able to live for thirty-six thousand years.

In the first year of the era of the Supreme Sovereign (Shanghuang), the appearances of men and women throughout the various heavens gradually changed, and their hearts and natures grew ever more lax and corrupt. Fearing that the orthodox teaching would decline and could not be transmitted intact, the Celestial Worthy transformed himself and went to the various kingdoms, so as to bring the people’s good hearts to fulfillment. He said that after he departed, the men and women born during the half-kalpa to follow would grow steadily corrupt in mind. They would suspect one another and disbelieve the scriptural teachings; jealousy and the intent to harm would arise in them; they would contend for superiority and attack one another. Their words would not match their hearts. They would set up laws and measures of their own, show no reverence for Heaven and Earth, and treat the gods and spirits with contempt. They would kill living beings and perform improper sacrifices, praying to deviant spirits; curse one another; sink into sensual desire and indulge themselves at will; steal without cause; and, unwilling to accept the destiny allotted them, bring harm upon themselves.

Such people would fall into evil paths and undergo every kind of suffering. Their lives would be short, and sorrow and affliction would cling to them. They would wander through the Three Mires and Five Paths (Santu wudao)—the places of suffering and the realms of rebirth of which Daoism speaks—dying and being born again and again, with past sins and old enmities continually in pursuit, even to the parting of bone from flesh. It is truly grievous.

Now I expound this scripture in order to save and transform those who come afterward, so that those who are able to be delivered may indeed be delivered. Those who cherish good thoughts should receive this clearly, listen with care, and keep my words deeply in mind. The Most High Lord of the Dao (Taishang Daojun) bowed his head and accepted the charge.

The Celestial Worthy said: I have looked through all the heavens. From hundreds of millions of kalpas ago down to the present, among the exalted sages and great gods (Shen, spirit) who have attained the Dao (the Way) in the celestial realms, the Perfected of the various heavens, the immortal Perfected of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing) and the Nine Palaces, and the flying immortals of the Five Marchmounts, there is not one who became a true immortal by any means other than receiving and upholding the Lingbao Jing (scripture/classic) and thereby obtaining deliverance.

Consider also the Vermilion Palace of Nanling and the Blessing Hall of the Nine Numina. There, blessings bestowed by Heaven allow souls and spirits to partake, of themselves, of the food of the celestial kitchen. All who rise into the Blessing Hall and enjoy the celestial kitchen are those who, while alive, made offerings to the Lingbao Jing, practiced ritual fasting, kept the precepts, formed aspirations in accord with what is natural, and widely cultivated merit, so that after death they obtained deliverance.

This scripture is exalted and profound, and those it delivers are beyond all number. Even through the cycling of great kalpas—when heaven collapses and the earth sinks, the four seas mingle into one, gold and jade melt away, and the myriad things all come to an end—this scripture alone remains, and its methods are never cut off. Every kind of miscellaneous method, the arts of daoyin and nourishing life, formulas of transformation, and the minor techniques current among the people belong within the Six Heavens and inside the Realm of Desire. At the turning of a single minor kalpa, these arts vanish completely, leaving no trace.

The miscellaneous transformational talisman charts of Taiqing (Great Clarity), the Taiping Dao Jing, the various Daoist methods and numerological arts, and the lesser scriptures all lie within the eighteen heavens above and below, in the Realm of Form. When great kalpas succeed one another and heaven and earth are remade, these scriptures likewise disappear without a trace.

The supreme Dao of Yuqing (Jade Clarity), the divine scriptures of the Three Caverns (Dongzhen/Dongxuan/Dongshen), the tiger script of the divine Perfected, the golden writings and jade characters, and the Lingbao True Scripture all issue from the Primordial Celestial Worthy (Yuanshi Tianzun). They are preserved above the twenty-eight heavens, in the Formless Realm beyond the Realm of Form. When a great kalpa ends, these scriptures all return to the Mysterious Terrace of the Seven Treasures on Jade Capital Mountain in the supreme Daluo Heaven (Grand Veil Heaven), a place no calamity can reach. The Daluo Heaven stands above five hundred million, fifty-five thousand, five hundred and fifty-five layers of heaven.

Thus the Great Cavern True Scripture (Dadong Zhenjing), the Lingbao Dongxuan, and the spontaneous writings of the Cavern of Vacuity (Dongxu), the Cavern of Nonbeing (Dongwu), and their like pass away together with the course of the kalpas and appear again together with that course. They preside over all the scriptures and are the root of the classics of the heavens. Those who cultivate them with a steadfast mind may become immortals, live long and be delivered from the world, ascend in broad daylight, course along in dragon carriages, and enter the realm of emptiness. Those who can uphold these scriptures, if they make offerings and show reverence, may cause seven generations of ancestors to ascend to heaven; they themselves may also become Wheel-Turning Sage Kings, continuing from age to age in the company of good conditions.

In the Eastern Heaven of the Nine Qi (vital energy), the “Chapter-Stanzas of the Numinous Writ for Delivering Life” (Lingshu Duming Pinzhang) are chanted by the perfected and the jade maidens of the Palace of Eastern Florescence (Donghua Gong). Reciting them harmonizes the bodily form with the hun and po souls, gathers in primordial Qi, preserves life, settles the heart and Shen (spirit), and turns one toward immortality. These words are subtle sayings that the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning (Yuanshi Tianzun) manifested of himself, quite spontaneously.

From the Palace of Eastern Florescence blows a numinous and wondrous wind, and from the Western Palace come harmonious, ringing tones of the immortals. The two breaths mingle in the open void and, within the Great Void (Taixu), give birth to heart and Shen.

The Numinous Writ is opened and its long text spreads wide; precious characters flourish like a forest of emerald green. Phoenix-like song rings through the heavens and is chanted through the six periods of day and night, in keeping with the seasons.

In heaven there are Youths Who Deliver Life (Duming Tongzi). They drive off the long night and light the darkness. Even after passing through ten thousand kalpas, one can still keep the bodily form intact and spiritual illumination from perishing. This realm is profound and subtle, and hard to seek out.

For long one records the years of deathlessness, so that life moves together with the turning of the times. Sun and moon shine upon the soul; in the sky the Xuanji—in antiquity, the Northern Dipper and its astronomical motion—revolves and points toward the south.

The nine stars manifest form and image, and precious blossoms arise in the five hearts. Of itself there is an unwithering, undying spirit-numen, in accord with the elixir-gold I have cultivated to completion.

With the crimson Numinous Writ one regulates and binds Jing (essence) and Qi, and by the Jade Instructions (Yujue) one seeks out the mystery within them.

For long one records the years of deathlessness, so that life moves together with the turning of the times. Sun and moon shine upon the soul; the Xuanji revolves and points toward the south.

The nine stars manifest form and image, and precious blossoms arise in the five hearts. Of itself there is an unwithering, undying spirit-numen, in accord with the elixir-gold I have cultivated to completion.

With the crimson Numinous Writ one regulates and binds Jing and Qi. The wondrous principles in the Jade Instructions are profound and spontaneous. The Vermilion Palace (Zhugong, the palace of the southern celestial realm) stores the registers of life, and demonic spirits cannot harm those who hold and recite them.

This chapter comes from the Eastern Floriate Azure Palace of the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning. The Great Lord of the Azure Youth (Qingtong Dajun) sealed it in a precious casket of azure jade, stamped it with the seal of the Primordial Nine Qi, and set nine Azure-Waisted Jade Maidens (Qingyao Yunü) to guard it. Reciting it harmonizes form and soul, settles life, and keeps the heart and Shen from departing. The Eight Effulgences (Bajing, the body-protecting spirit-numina of which Daoism speaks) stand guard and defend, so that the body long endures. Seven generations of ancestors rejoice together and enter as one the gate of blessing and goodness.

The “Jade Stanzas of the Numinous Writ for Delivering Life” (Lingshu Duming Yuzhang) of the Southern Cinnabar Heaven of the Three Qi are stanzas constantly chanted by the perfected and the jade maidens of the Upper Palace of Vermilion Mound (Zhuling Shanggong). They serve to secure the Muddy Pellet (Niwan, which Daoism calls the spirit-mansion of the head), to settle the Shen of the brain, to preserve life, and to retain primordial Qi. They are stanzas of Jing (scripture) that appeared spontaneously.

Crimson clouds encircle a void green as jade, and a numinous breeze lightly brushes the Heaven of Grand Tenuity (Taiwei, a star palace in the heavens). The vast, boundless Six Qi (vital energy) gradually disperse, and a subtle numinous light slowly appears.

Riding a carriage formed from the shadow of the midday sun, I raise the reins and move in accord with the working of the Dao (the Way) of Heaven. The Vermilion Child (Zhutong, a Daoist deity) roots out the darkness of the numinous night and, in the realm of Cavern Yang (Dongyang), refines the afterglow of the setting sun.

The Jade Stanzas (Yuzhang, the sacred writings of Daoism) can extend the years of those whose lifespan is short, and numinous songs can open the Five Spirits (Shen, the spirit-deities of the five viscera within the body). The enduring soul never vanishes; in a single thought one enters the Nine Enclosures (the vast and boundless heavens and earth). After passing through a hundred million kalpas, one may still set out for distant immortal realms, and a beautiful life does not decay. Flying celestial spirits open barrier upon barrier and refine the afterglow of the setting sun in the Southern Palace.

The Jade Stanzas can extend the years of those whose lifespan is short, and numinous songs can open the Five Spirits. The enduring soul never vanishes; in a single thought one enters the vast heavens and earth. After passing through a hundred million kalpas, one may still set out for distant immortal realms, and a beautiful life does not decay. Flying celestial spirits open barrier upon barrier and, in the Southern Palace, behold the profound mystery hidden in its depths.

The Vermilion Mound (Zhuling, the palace halls of the southern immortal realm) registers and arranges the name-rolls of those who are to descend and be born. When the spirits are fully assembled, the bodily form can ascend in flight. Ancestors of seven generations rise to heaven together, and blessings and merit stand incomparably high.

Souls within the hollow void are conveyed and transformed, so that they depart through my Gate of the Nine Mysteries (the secluded gateways of the celestial realms). The forms seen in the night are clothed in a radiance like that of the morning sun and, lightly riding the turn of the times, make their way back.

This Jade Stanza comes from the Upper Palace of the Vermilion Mound of the Primordial Beginning. The Supreme Prime Lord of the Southern Pole sealed it in a precious casket of red jade, stamped it with the seal of the Three Qi of Great Cinnabar, and set three jade maidens bearing vermilion gui tablets to guard it. If one often recites this stanza, the spirit will not scatter and the Mud Pellet (Niwan), the upper Dantian (energy center) in the head, will be settled; every kind of breath will long endure, life will be lengthened and one’s allotted span preserved, and in the end one will become an immortal. Ancestors of seven generations will ascend in flight together as well, and cultivation of the Dao will follow of its own accord.

This is the Jade Stanza of the Numinous Writ for the Deliverance of Life, in the Western Heaven of the Seven Qi. The Perfected and the jade maidens of the Upper Palace of Grand Simplicity (Taisu) often chant it, so as to gather in the hun and po souls, save and deliver life, and extend the count of one’s years, enabling a person to become an immortal. Ancestors of seven generations ascend in flight together as well, and cultivation of the Dao accords with what is natural.

This is the Jade Stanza of the Numinous Writ for the Deliverance of Life, in the Western Heaven of the Seven Qi. The Perfected and the jade maidens of the Upper Palace of Grand Simplicity often chant it, so as to gather in the hun and po souls, settle the spirit, and keep primordial Qi abiding, and thus lengthen life so that it long endures. This is a stanza of natural, wondrous sound that leads to the realm of the Supremely True.

From the Kun Terrace (a lofty terrace in the immortal realm) comes a beautiful sound of lang-jade, and jade Qi drifts into the realm of the Nine Darknesses. The precious Jade Stanzas reach through to the Great Void and, following the true Dao, enter the realm of the formless.

Clouds like brocade catch emerald green and vermilion sunlight, and the flowers in the garden grow as the moon moves on its course. The various breaths merge with the Qi of nature, and the broad, far-off heavens and earth of the nine directions all become clear and bright.

The Six Wisdoms (six kinds of wisdom) make cultivation pure and true, and the Five Spirits summon lofty, wondrous numinous Qi. In the Crimson Abode (in Daoist teaching, the dwelling of the heart’s spirit), the Vermilion Child shines with radiance and, through ten thousand kalpas, does not wither.

The Lord of Enduring Existence Who Loves Life (a revered deity) unites with the Qi of the Great One (Taiyi) and of Yellow Tranquility. By means of the talismanic registers that preserve life, the hun and po souls are refined in the Court of Golden Radiance.

By taking refuge in the undying Qi (vital energy that lets life endure forever), one can buoyantly follow the course of Heaven and so come to life. The mysterious spirits of seven generations of ancestors enter the Southern Palace (the celestial palace that governs life and death and the receiving of new birth), and even withered remains regain their vitality.

One lifts the voice in a long song and takes pleasure in the drifting cloud-Qi; with a light and graceful bearing, one rides a green carriage and roams in play. Beyond Daluo Heaven (the supreme heaven of which Daoism speaks), one wanders free and at ease, and none among the beings of the Three Realms can look upon one with disdain.

This numinous chapter comes from the Western Floriate Palace of the Primordial Beginning, and is used to refine and transform the hun-souls and po-souls in the Golden Floriate Court.

By taking refuge in the undying Qi, one can buoyantly follow the course of Heaven and so come to life. The mysterious spirits of seven generations of ancestors enter the Southern Palace, and even withered remains regain their vitality.

One lifts the voice in a long song and takes pleasure in the drifting cloud-Qi; with a light and graceful bearing, one rides a green carriage and roams in play. Beyond Daluo Heaven, one wanders free and at ease, and none among the beings of the Three Realms can look upon one with disdain.

This numinous chapter comes from the Western Floriate Palace of the Primordial Beginning. The Golden Mother, Queen Mother of the West (a revered female immortal deity of Daoism), sealed it in a precious casket of white jade, stamped it with the seal of the Seven Qi of Great Simplicity, and set seven jade maidens dressed in white to guard it. For those who regularly recite this numinous chapter, the hun-souls and Shen (spirit) do not scatter, the various Qi remain settled and complete, and the Shen is clear, bright, and pure. They can lengthen their lifespan and avoid an early death, enduring long without decline, and seven generations of ancestors can also ascend into the Southern Palace and receive new life.

This is the Numinous Writ, the Jade Chapter of Life-Deliverance, within the Heaven of the Five Qi of the North. The perfected and the jade maidens of the Upper Palace of the North regularly chant it, so as to harmonize the Qi of the palaces of the five directions, settle the Shen, and prolong life. It is a Jade Chapter of Life-Deliverance that came into being of itself.

Striding forward and ascending in flight, one enters the pure realm of the North; holding the true formula, one invites the Upper Prime (a celestial honored deity, or a perfected spirit of high rank). Riding the radiance of the sun and moon, one gazes afar at the Mysterious Terrace, while from the four palaces rise cloud-Qi like brocade.

Among them are the Lads Who Gather Life (immortal youths charged with collecting vital Qi) and the Supreme Lord of Great Unity (a venerable divine lord of the heavens). Ten holy perfected circle about with light carriage-canopies, clad in feathered robes, their ceremonial escorts in full array.

They regularly have charge of the Registers of the Nine Destinies (the ledgers that record lifespan and allotted fate), together with sacred writings such as the Golden Registers and the Cinnabar Writs. Spirits from the uttermost regions of the ten directions encircle the Leather Court and come drifting in, borne upon the banners of life-deliverance.

Green carriage-canopies wheel with the wind, and cinnabar-hued cloud-heights brush the numinous chariots. I ask them to build an upper palace for me and to lead me out from the Gate of the Nine Nights (the dark region of the underworld), so that I may pass through the Towers of the Vermilion Mound (the place, in Daoist teaching, where the dead are delivered and where refinement and transformation are carried out), dwell long in peace, and pass through a hundred million kalpas without destruction. Let the Shen and the hun-souls be retained, so that they rest secure in the Crimson Palace (a divine residence within the body, or in the heavens); let the Infant (an image of the pure original spirit) shine clearly upon the Three Passes (important barrier-points within the human body).

The bodily form receives the undying Qi, and precious hun-souls and po-souls arise of themselves. Seven generations of ancestors are delivered into the Southern Palace, and generation after generation enter the Gate of Blessing and Felicity.

This numinous chapter comes from the Northern Upper Palace of the Primordial. It is sealed in the Mysterious Jade Treasure Casket of the Lord of Jade Dawn, stamped with the “Chapter of the Five Qi (vital energy) of Great Mystery,” and guarded by five Jade Maidens of Great Mystery. If one recites it often, the myriad Qi within the body will long endure, the Five Palaces—the five palatial residences within the human body related to the workings of body and mind—will be settled and firmly guarded, and Shen (spirit) and Qi will not leave the body. One’s lifespan is thereby prolonged, and one may ultimately become a superior immortal.

The Celestial Worthy says: These four numinous chapters are the wondrous methods by which the sovereigns of the Four Heavens deliver life. The holy perfected beings and jade maidens of the Four Heavens constantly chant them, and by this means protect their bodily forms and extend their lifespans, so that they may ultimately become superior immortals.

The Celestial Worthy said: These four chapters of the Jing (scripture/classic) are the wondrous method by which the Celestial Emperors of the Four Directions deliver and liberate living beings. Four supreme holy Perfected Ones and jade maidens in heaven constantly recite these scriptures. Recitation can settle the mind and Shen (spirit) and harmonize the Qi (vital energy), and it can also nourish the body together with the hun and po souls. The sound of the scripture is refined, proper, and beautiful, and its wisdom penetrates the void.

Therefore, if cultivators of the Dao (the Way) in the four directions have the affinity to hear these sounds of the teaching, they will naturally realize the truth of the Great Dao and enjoy long life. When their lifespan comes to an end, they may ascend directly to heaven; in successive lives thereafter, they become Wheel-Turning Sage Kings (sage kings who govern the world by the true law). The principles of this Jing are lofty and marvelous, holding a place of special honor among all scriptures. It can both nourish life and protect the dead, and it is a method of the Great Vehicle (a path of practice that can broadly deliver living beings).

The dispositions and circumstances of men and women in future lives may differ greatly from those of this life. Better, then, while the mind is still simple and pure in the present life, to believe in and revere the Great Dao with sincere faith. If they are always doubtful and unsettled, contending with one another and doing mutual harm, they will damage their own lifespan. They do not speak of the evil they themselves have done, but instead claim that the scriptural teaching has no divinities.

After I depart, the teaching of this Jing will still remain in Daluo Heaven above the Three Realms (the supreme celestial realm spoken of in Daoism). From afar I observe the hearts of living beings, and among them there will still be those who can be delivered. You must be diligent in proclaiming and teaching, so that those who have a mind to seek the Dao may hear this method, leave behind every kind of suffering and sorrow, see light in body and mind, and form good affinities. Those who refuse to believe and revere it are walking into suffering of their own accord, drifting in the current of birth and death and revolving through the Five Paths (the five destinations of living beings in the cycle of rebirth), never reaching a time of liberation.

I exhort you so earnestly, again and again, because I cannot bear to see how pitiable the foolish, stubborn, and ignorant people of ages to come will be; therefore I leave behind clear precepts. You must cultivate diligently and must not grow lax.

The Supreme Lord of the Dao (a revered deity of Daoism), together with the great sages of the ten directions and the most perfected honored deities, all bowed their heads and received the command, then departed.