《太上灵宝天尊说延寿妙经》

At that time, the Celestial Worthy of Numinous Treasure and Prolonged Life (Lingbao Yanshou Tianzun), a revered deity of Daoism, was beneath the jeweled forest trees of Golden Light Mountain in the Heaven of the Southern Pole, quietly contemplating and realizing the great Dao (the Way). With ten thousand disciples he expounded the Marvelous Scripture of Prolonged Life, setting forth the vacuous great Dao. Light shone from his entire body, illuminating heaven and earth, the three realms, and the worlds of the ten directions, and the radiance shook the four quarters. Sages of the various heavens, ghost-kings of every kind, and the ten divisions of heavenly dragons all followed the light into the Celestial Worthy’s presence and begged to be freed from the sufferings of birth and death. They prostrated themselves with all five limbs upon the ground, paid homage to the Celestial Worthy, and then stood in due order.

At this moment the Perfected of Prolonged Life (Yanming Zhenren), the Perfected of Vast Blessing (Guangfu Zhenren), the Perfected of Golden Splendor (Jinhua Zhenren), the Perfected of Wondrous Joy (Miaoxi Zhenren), and the Perfected of the Purple Canopy (Zigai Zhenren), together with the Yellow Register Youth (Huanglu Tongzi), the Jade Empyrean Youth (Bixiao Tongzi), the Azure Splendor Youth (Qinghua Tongzi), the White Grace Youth (Baihui Tongzi), and the rest of the holy assembly, all offered precious flowers and various fragrant medicines. Holding the numinous banners of the sun and moon, the divine staffs of purple light, the numinous pennants of the ten absolutes, and the precious canopy of prolonged life, they circumambulated in order and paid homage, burning incense and scattering flowers. Together they praised the Celestial Worthy of Prolonged Life and prayed that all living beings might transcend the sufferings of the dusty world.

The Celestial Worthy sat smiling, solemn and majestic in bearing. From the crown of his head he released ten rays of divine light, which universally illumined the bodies and minds of everyone in the ritual arena (daochang); yet none of those present was awakened by this. Thereupon a youth in the ritual arena named Shanda stepped forward, paid homage, and addressed the Celestial Worthy: “All who are seated here are transformed immortals. Why have they still not awakened? I earnestly beg the Celestial Worthy to explain this for me.”

The Celestial Worthy replied, “Although these immortal hosts possess spiritual powers, they have not in fact obtained the true Dao.” The youth asked, “May I ask what may truly be called the true Dao?”

The Celestial Worthy said: What has neither birth nor extinction is called the “True Dao” (the Way); what has neither coming nor going is also called the “True Dao.” Even if one speaks of neither arising nor ceasing, neither going nor coming, so long as the mind remains dull and cannot realize it, one has not truly understood the True Dao. All outward forms and appearances are unreal.

If the men and women of the world wish to lengthen their lives, remove calamities, and accumulate blessings, they should earnestly burn incense and practice the Dao, give alms, release living beings, accumulate merit, and recite the Jing (scripture) while making offerings. They may also invite Daoist priests and ritual masters to expound and read the venerable scriptures, explain the forms of one’s natal destiny (methods bound up with an individual’s birth date and allotted lifespan), or hold a natal-destiny Zhaijiao (a Daoist purification ritual for seeking blessings and averting disaster on a person’s behalf). Then the spirits—the Divine King Who Records the Reckoning, the Divine King Who Registers Names, the Divine King Who Assigns Death, the Divine King Who Raises to Birth, and others—will protect those who recite the scriptures, record their merits, and report them upward to the heavens, so that clothing, food, and possessions are ample and peace lasts long.

Thereupon the great sages of the heavens and all the ghost-kings bowed their heads and took refuge, their hearts full of joy. They said that, though they had cultivated the Dao through many kalpas, they had never heard this scripture; it was spoken by the Celestial Worthy’s own mouth. The ghosts and spirits then made a great vow: that generation after generation they would see true immortals with their own eyes, hear the true teaching with their own ears, revere the Ten Fasts (the Daoist observance of fasting on ten days), and constantly practice the true Dao.

The Celestial Worthy further left this verse:

If in life one does not practice kindness, love, and filial respect, after death on what can one rely to receive grace in return? Weeping in sorrow in the hells, who will speak to you the words that urge people to do good? Those who do good return to good; those who do evil in the end return to the root of evil. Offerings made with utmost sincerity can lengthen life and bring a meeting with immortals. Copy the scriptures and fashion sacred images, and one’s share of blessing, emolument, and longevity will grow as well.

At that time all the true immortals seated in the assembly, having heard this scripture through, praised it as inconceivable, bowed once more, and withdrew.