《洞玄灵宝升玄步虚章序疏》

“Shengxuan” is the general name for what leads to the realm of wondrous awakening, and “Buxu” is the highest realm that divine creative transformation can attain. “Sheng” means realizing the true without the slightest deviation; “Xuan” means joining, in hidden obscurity, with the supreme De (Virtue/Power). “Bu” carries the sense of passing through and traversing, while “Xu” describes transcending all things and being bound by nothing.

The “zhang” spoken of here means radiance brought into the open, broad and expansive, and is used to praise the wide circulation of the Dharma-body of the Great Dao (the Way). No sooner does the mysterious music begin than heaven and earth in the eight directions answer in harmony; when the divine resonance unfolds once more, flowers of the ten directions vie to gather. People then circle within the Xuandu (the immortal realm of which Daoism speaks), cast numinous wonders into the air, tread the heavenly net woven of cloud and Qi (vital energy), and unite with the Dao.

This is truly a ritual ground that gladdens the spirit and purifies mind and will, and a wondrous realm in which the body is liberated and the inner heart returns to emptiness and stillness. This chapter of the Jing (scripture/classic) is therefore called the Shengxuan Buxu Zhang.

Taishang (the honorific by which Daoism addresses the supreme sacred being) is the title used by the sage, who is able to proclaim and bring to fulfillment the orthodox Dharma. “Yujing” (Jade Capital) is a metaphor for the essential body of the Dharma. The Dharma originally has neither words nor form; names and appearances such as “Xuandu” (Mysterious Capital) are now borrowed in order to expound its principles, and only thus are there Jing (scriptures/classics) that tell of Yujing Mountain, its city walls and terraces, and the like. This Jing belongs to the eighth volume of the Lingbao (Numinous Treasure), within the third division of the Dongxuan section of the Three Caverns (Dongzhen/Dongxuan/Dongshen).

It is placed after the Kongdong (Empty Cavern) because “Kongdong” speaks of the principle praised in common by all the heavens: the essential body of the Dharma is perfect and all-pervading, runs through past and present, and gathers within itself both what is coarse and shallow and what is fine and subtle. The words here are Taishang’s comprehensive conclusion, called “the Praise of the Great Pure Dharma-Gate.” They make plain the root on which instruction depends, and they clarify the principle that wondrous awakening runs through all as one. Therefore every dharma may be called Yujing, and every thing likewise embodies Dao (the Way) and De (Virtue/Power).

“Yujing” also means that the essential body of the Dharma is profound and yet one with the myriad things; “du” is a collective name. The three-thousand great-thousand worlds, taken together, are called a single Yujing Mountain. This is at once the realm in which Taishang dwells and the place where a person’s mind and Shen (spirit) dwell. “Yujing” is therefore used as the name of the teaching, so as to instruct the mind and Shen. When the mind and Shen awaken, this is called awakening; when they are lost, this is called delusion; when they are lucid, this is called wisdom. The teaching corresponds to a person’s mind and Shen, and so it is called a Jing. “Jing” means to run through and to guide: principle comes to be understood by means of exposition, and exposition in turn arises from principle. If learners can grasp the spiritual principle within it, the name “Jing” is given to it.

“Yu” has the sense of purity, and “jing” (capital) the sense of vastness. To speak of “Xuandu” is to speak of the principle of vast purity, and the term therefore points to the essential body of the Dharma. Taishang represents the person; Xuandu Yujing represents the Dharma, and also the realm that is contemplated and wisdom. The realm that is spoken of, and the place where it is located, are both called “the many treasures”; the wisdom that is spoken of, and the place on which wisdom depends, are both called “Lingbao.” The work is therefore entitled the Jing Expounding Xuandu Yujing Mountain.

This volume is divided into four parts. The first sets forth “Xuandu” (the Mysterious Capital) as the realm of the Dao (the Way), in order to establish the fundamental reality of the Dharma; it then interprets the teaching in light of these images, and explains how the conclusions stated in the text arise from principle and take effect as function. The second part treats the methods of cultivation. The third sets out ten hymns of praise, used to celebrate the fundamental reality of the Dharma and to sum up the meaning of passing from outer images into inner principle. The fourth discusses rites such as the scattering of flowers and extended recitation, explaining that every ritual service should be carried out with due correctness, and thereby displaying both gain and loss and the transmission of the Dharma.

The Most High says that “Xuandu Yujing Shan” (Mysterious Capital, Jade Capital Mountain) is a name given in the scripture. It is said to “crown and canopy the eight directions” because the mountain has four faces, four oblique corners, and an overhanging cover toward the four quarters, and so it covers the eight directions.

What is spoken of here is the realm of heaven and earth, within which there are many worlds. By analogy with the lie of the land, there are three levels of Xuandu—upper, middle, and lower—and the mountains are also called the “Three Great Encircling Mountains.” “Encircling” means covering what lies all around, canopying the eight directions like the cover of an umbrella, with all the heavens contained within.

In the lowest, lesser Xuandu, the eight directions stand for the eightfold world under heaven, which together make up a single world enclosed by one circuit of encircling mountains. Worlds of this kind accumulate, level upon level, to one thousand and become a small thousand-world, set amid the four quarters. Enclosed again by one circuit of encircling mountains, this becomes a world of the middle rank; accumulating in the same way, level upon level, to one thousand, it becomes a medium thousand-world, likewise set amid the four quarters. Enclosed once more by one circuit of encircling mountains and accumulating, level upon level, to one thousand, it becomes a great thousand-world. The scripture says that these circuits of mountains, enclosing one another level upon level, together constitute the mountain that “crowns and canopies the eight directions.” Taking the middle and lower levels together, they are called the “three-thousand great-thousand worlds.”

This mountain has the Seven Treasures as its substance, and so it is also called the “Gathering of Treasures,” and is therefore named Yujing, the Jade Capital. By means of an image, this conveys its beauty and loftiness and serves to designate the fundamental reality of the Lingbao Dharma. It pervades and penetrates the void throughout, and so trees of the Seven Treasures grow of themselves. To name the mountain here is not to speak of the trees alone; the trees likewise represent the fundamental reality of the Dharma, and are therefore also called the “Tree of the Dao.” There is only a single Tree of the Dao. Its branches and leaves spread widely and cover the four quarters, and so it is called “Faluotian” (the Heaven of the Dharma’s Spreading Canopy).

This is the place where the Lord of the Great Dao governs and teaches, walks, and sits at rest; it is also the Dharma-realm, the sanctuary, the place where Shen (spirit) is settled, and the place where the Dharma is expounded. These places are not established apart from the true Dao. Wherever one may be, the present itself is the true Dao. Nowhere in the world is truly empty: everywhere there are afflictions such as the three poisons and the four inversions, and everywhere, too, is filled with the fluids of numinous nature and the ocean of the Dharma, together with psycho-physical phenomena such as the six faculties and the five aggregates.

Yujing Mountain is the Xuandu where lofty immortals dwell. The myriad sages assemble there, and it is also the sacred realm of the Lord of the Great Dao. Those who can regard the myriad things as one body with themselves are, it would seem, none but the sages, and they are therefore called the “Great Sages of the Dharma.” Celestial Worthies, emperors and kings, lofty immortals, and superior Perfected all observe the purificatory fast and honor the Dharma here, taking the Most High as the one they revere.

“Zhai,” the fast, means washing clean the mind and Shen. “Day” has the sense of a date or a moment, and may also refer to the moment of awakened illumination by a pure mind. When one’s own mind is pure, nothing one sees fails to be pure. The title “Taishang Xuandu” (Mysterious Capital of the Most High) contains precisely this meaning.

The burning of natural banners and sandalwood produces the numinous incense of return to life, that is, divine incense. The realm itself is pure. Flying immortals scattering flowers means that all dharmas may be flowers. The assembly moves in circuit, chanting the Kongdong Lingzhang (Numinous Stanzas of the Empty Cavern) with one voice, while the heavens together perform hundreds and thousands of kinds of sound. All of these are subtle ways of setting forth the teaching, and what they indicate is entirely the fundamental reality of the Dharma as numinous clarity and awakened illumination. Following the scripture, one may grasp this for oneself.

Note: In the base text, “the three poisons and the four arrivals” is suspected to be an error for “the three poisons and the four inversions.” In addition, the wording concerning the levels of worlds is repetitive; the account above follows the original sequence.

The mountain has ten designations, each established according to its essential dharma-nature. Although the names are ten, the principle to which they point is in fact the same.

The first is called “Gaitian Shoushan,” the Mountain That Canopies Heaven and Stands as the Head. This mountain takes the true emptiness of dharma-nature as its root. It runs through past and present and is the foundation and the foremost of the myriad things, and so it is called “Tianshou,” the Head of Heaven.

The second is called “Mixuan Shangshan,” the Lofty Mountain of All-Pervading Mystery. This mountain has no bounds, and no end of it can be found; nor is there any above or below that one might reach. Hence it is called “Mixuan,” the All-Pervading Mystery.

The third is called “Luoxuan Dongxu Shan,” the Mountain of Enfolding Mystery and Cavernous Void. This mountain is present everywhere, yet it is without form or trace, and there is nowhere it can be grasped. Hence it is called “Luoxuan,” the Enfolding Mystery.

The fourth is called “Gaoshang Zhenyuan Shan,” the Mountain of the Exalted True Origin. This mountain is the root honored by all the sages, and so it is called “Gaoshang,” the Exalted and Supreme.

The fifth is called “Zhongbao Youjie Ren Shan,” the Mountain of Many Treasures, Hidden Kalpas, and the Blade. Every dharma upon this mountain is a true treasure, and both its depths and its shallows can appear. Hence it is called “Zhongbao,” the Many Treasures.

The sixth is called “Wuse Dajue Shan,” the Formless Mountain of Great Awakening. This mountain possesses a subtle nature of awakening, yet it has no form or appearance. Hence it is called “Wuse,” the Formless.

The seventh is called “Zhouguan Dongxuan Shan,” the Mountain of All-Encompassing Vision and the Cavern of Mystery. The light of this mountain is vast and without limit, and so it is called “Zhouguan,” the All-Encompassing Vision.

The eighth is called “Jinghua Taizhen Shan,” the Mountain of Radiant Splendor and Supreme Truth. This mountain is an undivided whole, with radiance flowing through it, and so it is called “Jinghua,” Radiant Splendor.

The ninth is called “Busiyi Shan,” the Inconceivable Mountain. This mountain is true emptiness in its very nature, and it cannot be reached by thinking or inference. Hence it is called “Busiyi,” the Inconceivable.

The tenth is called “Taixuan Du Yujing Taishang Shan,” the Mountain of the Great Mystery Metropolis, the Jade Capital, and the Most High. Within this mountain, person and dharma are not two, and purity is its essential substance. Hence it is called “Taixuan,” the Great Mystery.

The mountain spoken of here is also the body—that is, the body of Taishang, the Most High (the Dharma-body embodied by Taishang, the revered deity of the Daoist tradition). One who understands the purport contained in these names naturally accords with the Dao (the Way) and its methods. When name and essential substance correspond, one may enter the register of the immortals.

In the realm of the trees of the Mountain of Seven-Treasure Flowering Leaves, the branches, stems and leaves, earth and stones, and terraces and towers are all the Seven Treasures, symbolizing treasures that are precious and pure. The flowers and leaves there likewise embody the scriptural teachings (Jing) of Shangqing (Highest Clarity), the Three Caverns (Dongzhen/Dongxuan/Dongshen), the Dao and the De (Virtue/Power), and others of the same kind. They accord with the Dao and its methods, and name corresponds to essential substance; therefore they too may enter the register of the immortals.

In the realm of the mountain forest of flowers and leaves of the Seven Treasures, the branches, stems and leaves, soil, stones, terraces, towers, and pavilions are all the Seven Treasures. The flowers and leaves among them are the classics of the Shangqing (Upper Clarity), the Three Caverns (Dongzhen/Dongxuan/Dongshen), and the Dao (the Way) and De (Virtue/Power), together with the scriptural texts and their commentaries; taken together, they all belong to the Thirty-Six Scriptures. If you can receive these doctrinal meanings as one receives food and drink, you can become an immortal in whose body the “Golden Blossom” appears. After people are exhorted to swallow and savor the method of the Lingbao Pure Goblet, the realm they inhabit grows clear and unimpeded in accord with the inner mind; even the great earth seems to turn into a mysterious scripture formed of the Seven Treasures. Mountain forests, grasses and trees, and stones all seem to possess wisdom and to be able to proclaim the precious methods of the Dao; and where, then, could one not find the immortal realm of the Jade Capital?

The title “Dongxuan Buxu Yong” indicates that what follows is the method of savoring the flowers and leaves of the Seven Treasures. When mind and Shen (spirit) penetrate the mysterious Great Dao, and when spirit-thought intones the verses of Buxu (Pacing the Void), it is as if one were walking within the scriptures and their methods. What the learner comprehends through spirit-thought is called a Jing (scripture/classic); visualization that travels along with the sound is therefore called a Yong (chant).

“Jishou li” (the rite of prostration) has three ways of performing the bow, and the ordinary explanations will suffice. Since what is discussed here is the purport of swallowing, savoring, and chanting, it should be explained in terms of the “heart-leaf.”

Hymns of the Scripture of Pacing the Void of the Supreme Cavern Mystery

The First

I bow in prostration to the Taishang (the supreme venerable of the Dao), and after burning incense I return toward the root-origin of emptiness. Radiance circulates and turns about with me, and the Dharma Wheel (the wheel symbolizing the operation of the methods of the Dao) also revolves three times. The Qi (vital energy) of the Mysterious Origin arises, and numinous blessings descend upon kings and nobles. Ancestors of seven generations are reborn in the heavenly halls and appear in resplendent brilliance. I chant and whistle in song, visualizing the vast expanse of space; the music of heaven gladdens my heart. My fragrance accords with unsurpassed De, and the immortals of the lower realm cannot compare with me. Mysterious forms awaken one to the Great Dao, and hosts of immortals roam one after another through the void.

I respectfully pay homage to Taishang (the honorific title Daoism gives the supreme deity). “Ji” means to open, “shou” refers to the heart-mind, and “li” refers to the body. That is, one opens the heart-mind and holds the body upright, so that the fire of Taishang’s wisdom burns away every form and appearance upon the body and renders it pure.

After the incense is burned, one returns to emptiness and non-being. “Burning” carries the sense of annihilation: once every form and appearance has been eliminated and the fragrance is pure, one naturally returns to emptiness and non-being. The “emptiness and non-being” here does not mean returning to where Taishang is; rather, Taishang himself returns to emptiness and non-being. Hence it is said, “the flowing radiance returns with me.” “I” is the self that has already united with Taishang. The Wheel of the Law also turns through three circuits, and by this one unites with Taishang; the threefold turning of the Wheel is then complete.

The Dao (the Way) of the Mysterious Origin thereupon flourishes, and my Four Great Elements—the four constituents of the human body: earth, water, fire, and wind—grow still more abundant, enduring together with the Mysterious Dao. The blessings of numinous clarity can extend even to kings and nobles: by means of numinous wisdom and blessed fortune, one can support one’s parents, assist the sovereign, and benefit all living beings, and so this grace can also reach kings and nobles. The ancestors of seven generations are then reborn in heaven; light spreads everywhere, and auspicious scenes appear.

One chants, whistles, and sings, contemplating the Great Vastness (the vast and profound realm of the Dao). What is sung is the sound of numinous wisdom; a single tone covers the four quarters and enables one to contemplate the Dao of the Great Vastness. The joy of union with the Dao is naturally like the music of heaven, bringing ease and delight.

In the phrase “together receive the supreme De (Virtue/Power),” “xin” means to receive: the ancestors of seven generations and the sovereign all receive, together with me, this supreme De, for this is not the realm of lesser immortals. Mysterious contemplation accords with every mysterious principle; where there is no obstruction, there is mysterious awakening. “Shenshen” means numerous and harmonious: many lovely things come and go in the void, roaming at ease.

Second

One wheels about in one’s steps, treading the guiding order amid the clouds; riding the void, one walks within the mysterious statutes. When one intones Diyi (one of the revered deities of Daoism), the hundred passes of the body are naturally harmonized and opened.

Bowing low, one summons the youths of the Eight Seas; lifting the head, one leads forth the exalted immortals. Fragrant flowers scatter among the heavens, and in the pure stillness a numinous wind arises.

The wishes of former lives and the root of one’s allotted destiny have already been settled, and only thus does so lofty a realm appear. Even if, before Taishang, the heart is full of joy, and one passes through ten thousand kalpas, it is still as though nothing has yet begun.

We turn our bodily form and walk, treading the principles of cloud-Qi (vital energy), moving through the void and advancing in step with the mysterious guiding order. “To walk” also carries the sense of forgetting. Chanting verses of poetry can make one’s original nature fully open; when original nature is open, the venerable Emperor-One naturally unites with one’s own body. The hundred passes of the body—that is, the bones and the joints throughout—all become harmonized and freely at ease, returning to the ultimate principle.

Bowing down, one calls to the youths within the oceans of nature in the eight directions. The myriad things meet with oneself, as though they were all parts of the body; therefore the oceans of nature in the eight directions likewise return to completeness. The “youth” spoken of here refers to a state without mind and without desire. The hosts of heaven look up to and rely upon the lofty immortal maidens.

The various heavens scatter fragrant flowers, and between heaven and earth the true Dharma-flowers are likewise spread abroad. Outer conditions grow clear in keeping with the state of mind, and the jade scriptures then appear in response to those conditions. Amid clarity and stillness, the wind of numinous awareness rises with a rustling sound.

Vows accumulated since measureless kalpas are rooted in destiny; numinous wisdom is boundless, and the vows open through to awakening. In this way the root of life can remain long settled and secure, and now one will also receive this fruition. It was for this that a lofty and far-reaching aspiration was established, and now at last it is realized: the Most High stands before my heart; the fruit of the Dao (the Way) is boundless; the vows are brought to completion; sorrow and joy thereby come into accord, and the constant Dao continues from this. Through ten thousand kalpas it is as if nothing had ever begun—this is to explain what is meant by “the constant.”

The Third

The soaring Mountain of the Mysterious Capital is the ancestral lord jointly revered by the ten directions; the majestic Terrace of Heavenly Treasure has a radiance that turns like fierce flame and shines like the sun. The Forest of Jade Blossoms is brilliant and flourishing, and its vermilion fruits gleam vivid and dazzling. One constantly thinks of drawing in primordial Jing (essence) and refining and nourishing the bodily fluids, so as to make firm the form and substance of the body. Golden light spreads through the celestial palace of Purple Tenuity, and the deep and lovely Mysterious Capital appears at ease, pure, and remote.

The lofty Xuandu Mountain is the place where the mysterious and subtle Dao (the Way) gathers; the realm of purity and stillness is none other than the substance of the Dharma-body (fashen). Beings of the ten directions all take “Huangyi” (the August One) as the common root of their reverence. “Huangyi” means the noble mind of pure wisdom: once awakened, one understands that this mind contains and pervades the ten directions, and that all beings turn toward it.

The towering Tianbao Terrace symbolizes the gathering of the myriad things into oneself. When realm and wisdom fuse into one and illuminate each other, light spreads like fierce flame, surpassing the light of sun and moon. Before this radiance, the brilliance of sun and moon appears dim and useless. The lines that follow—“Blazing are the blossoms of the jade grove; vivid brilliance shines upon the crimson fruit”—describe precisely this splendor.

The scripture then speaks of the work of practicing visualization: “Ever mindful, nourish the primordial Jing (essence).” Here “primordial Jing” refers to luminous, numinous wisdom. One visualizes the light of the sun, refines clear and fresh Qi (vital energy), and replaces declining breath with it, so that the foundation of the body gradually turns into a Dharma-body of golden light, its radiance spreading through the whole body. This practice makes one seem to dwell in the mansion of Ziwei (Purple Tenuity) and to wander freely in the abode of Xuandu. Later people changed the wording here to “the Great Vehicle,” which is a mistaken understanding. “Vehicle” means to convey and to tend toward; Xuandu is the furthest reach leading to the supreme Dao. Faithful practitioners follow this direction and arrive; the process is like a long trek, in which toil and ease differ from one to another.

Chapter Four

Between bowing the body and raising the head, one visualizes Taishang (the Most High, the supreme Dao); splendid radiance appears within the Dantian (energy center, the site of inner refinement in the abdomen). Looking back to the left, one escorts Yuyi (the solar spirit); glancing to the right, one carries Jielin (the lunar spirit). Taking the six measures (liudu, six standards of practice) as the basis of conduct, one’s cultivation of Dao and De (Virtue/Power) grows with each passing day. Merit and virtue accumulated over past lives make hearing the Jing (scripture/classic) like meeting one’s closest kin. Born with a capacity that transcends the worldly, one delights in reciting passages of hidden subtlety and mystery. One harmonizes the Qi of emptiness, stillness, and peace, and breathes in and out the Xiajin (the Jing and Qi spoken of in cultivation); by means of taixi (embryonic breathing, a fine, deep, and prolonged method of respiration) one quiets the passes and apertures of the whole body, and in pure stillness investigates three essential methods. Bright light shines forth from the Niwan (the site of inner refinement in the head), and at last one becomes an immortal of golden efflorescence. Demon kings come in reverent submission to attend one, and thus one is able to have audience with the various heavens. All of this begins with fasting and the observance of precepts, and is accomplished through the long accumulation of merit and of wholesome conditions. One then flies across the vast Taixu (Great Void), escorting and guiding Perfected Ones of high rank.

From the line “Bowing and looking up, visualize Taishang” onward, each section sets forth a different method of visualization, for practitioners to ponder and intone again and again. Practice begins with precepts and conduct; only through the long accumulation of merit and of affinities from past lives can one fly within the Taixu and escort Perfected Ones of high rank.

Quieting the mind, one visualizes Taishang, the honorific by which Daoism addresses the supreme deity. Each scriptural passage (Jing) here sets out its own method of visualization and practice, so that one may nurture mind and nature and recite the text in order to realize it. Although the methods of practice differ, the cloud-chapter scriptures that are intoned all serve to awaken one to the great Dao (the Way) and return one to the orthodox tradition. Each chapter expounds a single method of visualization, and they are not connected with one another.

“Bowing and looking up while preserving Taishang” means that, when the body performs the rite, there are movements of bending forward and raising the gaze, while in the mind one must visualize and hold Taishang. When body and mind correspond, the mind and Shen (spirit) can apprehend the mysterious and subtle; wondrous visualization gathers in the mind and spirit, and the body moves as the spirit moves. Preserving the spirit proceeds along the Dao of Taishang, and Taishang likewise moves with the spirit. Thus, between bowing and looking up, the bodily form seems to answer to Taishang. One may also say that Taishang follows the spirit and returns into oneself, so that a numinous, refined radiance fills the Dantian (energy center).

The words “glancing to the left and raising Yuyi and Jielin below,” and what follows, mean guiding and holding body and mind according to awakened wisdom. Yuyi and Jielin are the divine names of the sun and the moon. The “six perfections” are the six virtues on which practice relies, such as giving, keeping the precepts, and patient forbearance; they are like a canopy covering body and mind. By upholding these pure practices, De (Virtue/Power) grows day by day.

“Blessings accumulated through former destiny” means that one who can cultivate by the methods above must long since have stored up the causal conditions of practice; now one honors them all the more, and cultivation is firm and does not fall back. “Hearing the scripture is like meeting one’s nearest kin” means that, on hearing the classic, it is as if after a long separation one suddenly sees parents and family, and the heart is joyful and close. The scripture is the mother of the Dharma-body, and the Dao is the father of the Dharma-body. Encountering scripture and Dao, one should rejoice, revere them, and practice as taught. This also shows that the affinity for cultivation is of long standing: it is a causal bond laid down in former lives.

“A heaven-raised talent surpassing the world” means that one is innately endowed with capacities beyond those of ordinary people, and therefore delights in reciting the two pieces “Xi” and “Wei.” “Xi” means without sound; “Wei” means without form. Without the strength of long practice from former lives and of continued cultivation, a person may disbelieve the scriptures, so that hearing them is as if not hearing them. Even if one cultivates for a time, one readily falls back before long, for lack of the power to restrain oneself and to persevere.

“The Qi (vital energy) of empty stillness and great harmony” concerns correct practice of visualization. “Chong” refers to the mind. When the mind realizes the wondrous Qi of empty stillness and great harmony, one then, through exhalation and inhalation, sets the breath circulating so that radiance appears, like roseate vapor and vital fluid pouring through the whole body. This is also called embryonic breathing: settled like a fetus, one does not cling to thoughts while breathing; one lets the mind rest empty and quiet, so that the passes and apertures of the whole body grow calm. Once the mind is still and one reaches a state of silent clarity in which the inner heart is luminous, one can inquire into and penetrate the essential gate that opens through the Three Realms.

The Niwan, the cranial spirit-palace of which Daoism speaks, symbolizes Wuwei (non-action). Within, the realm of Wuwei is cavernously clear and bright; its light appears outwardly and shines without ceasing, and one thereby cultivates into an immortal of the Golden Flower. In this way the demon kings can be brought to respectful submission and made to obey one’s command, and one oneself thereby gains audience with the deities of the various heavens.

All these attainments begin with purification and abstinence. Tracing practice back to its origin, a person has, through distant kalpa-ages, accumulated the myriad good deeds and washed away the defilement accrued since the primordial beginning. The body therefore corresponds with the Dharma-realm, and one can fly in the Great Void. Holding the myriad wonders, one can then raise up and lead those of lofty attainment.

Taking the mind as reins, one guides body and mind and roams through the ten directions (the worlds in every quarter), then comes to rest in the mysterious realm of the Dao (the Way). Looking up, one gazes upon the Jieren Terrace (Jieren Tai, symbolizing an extremely high stage of cultivation) towering into the clouds; looking down, one sees purple clouds curling all about, as if a gauze of cloud covered every side. One wanders freely through the Supreme Jade Capital (Taishang Yujing, the celestial capital of the immortals spoken of in Daoism), meets companions of the Way, and sits together with them upon the lotus.

By steadily accumulating study and cultivation, one can become a Perfected Person (Zhenren, one who has attained the Dao). Body and mind are at ease, the nutritive and defensive Qi (vital energy) is harmonized, and within there is likewise clarity and peace. Thereby one long enjoys a lifespan without end; among all the things of the world, what could be worth comparing with this?

The Great Dao takes mysterious stillness as its teacher. Among the companions who ascend to immortality is Wuying (a divine name in Daoism). The Young Lord (Gongzi) transmits the numinous talisman that delivers beings, and Taiyi holds the Cavern Chapters (Dongzhang, Daoist scriptures or chapter texts). Sheli (a divine name in Daoism) manifests a golden form, and a dragon chariot suddenly comes to receive them. The Celestial Worthy (Tianzun) looks toward the cloud chariot, and the company drifts lightly, flying upon the void. Fragrant blossoms fall like flying snow, and cloudy vapors spread over the Mysterious Beam (Xuanliang, a lofty beam in the realm of the immortals). All bow their heads in reverence before the Golden Portal (Jinque, the palaces of the celestial realm) and, hand in hand, roam at ease through the Jade Capital.

Those who seek to learn the Great Dao should take mysterious stillness as their teacher: outwardly they experience the realm of stillness, and inwardly they awaken to the original source. What is called the realm of stillness is Wuwei (non-action).

The great Dao (the Way) takes profound mystery and quiet stillness as its teacher. Those who pursue the Dao ought to take the realm of profound mystery and quiet stillness as their model: outwardly they experience the realm of stillness, and inwardly they awaken to the nature of the primordial source. The realm of stillness is Wuwei (non-action), and Wuwei is itself the realm of stillness; this is to attain the Dao, and it is to take stillness as one’s teacher.

Therefore, those who ascend as immortals take Wuying as their companion. Once one has formed an immortal friendship with Wuying, the numinous talisman naturally circulates within one’s own body. The Young Lord Wuying is the title of a tianzhen (a primordial true immortal). The Imperial Lord Taiyi bestows upon me the Dongzhang (the musical chapters of the celestial realm); the Dongzhang are the sounds of the celestial realm. Sheli means bone. The music of the celestial realm pours into my bones, so that my bone-form achieves a golden immortal countenance.

A dragon carriage suddenly arrives in the sky to welcome me. I give the reins free play and ride forth in roaming; the Celestial Worthy (Tianzun) regards me with favor and raises me up. The cloud carriage drifts along, and together with the Celestial Worthy I soar through the void. Fragrant flowers fill the sky, swirling thickly like flying snow; their light and color are hazy yet abundant, becoming a lofty bridge of the mysterious Dao. Within the Golden Portal (Jinque, the palaces of heaven) I bow in homage. The Celestial Worthy takes my hand and leads me roaming, and we sit amid the Jade Capital (Yujing, the immortal capital of the celestial realm).

Seven

Qian trees grow in the Garden of Mysterious Radiance, and the groves of the seven treasures gleam in brilliant splendor. In the garden are three hundred kinds of celestial beasts; the lions are immense in body, extending as much as ten thousand xun. Flying dragons wheel about and cry; divine phoenixes sing in time with the rhythm. A numinous wind brushes the wondrous flowers, and a clear fragrance drifts out, filling the folds of one’s robes. Without transcendent immortal talent, how could one wholeheartedly aspire to such an immortal realm and abide there in peace?

Having perfected the majestic nine-dragon carriage, one rides the void and roams freely. The heavenly realms of the eight directions seem to rest in the palm, and what distance could remain among the four quarters of heaven and earth? The assembled immortals recite the Dongjing (Cavern Scripture), while the Most High Lord Lao intones clear and wondrous songs. Fragrant flowers scatter on the pure breeze, and sounds as lucid as jade ring throughout the Purple Empyrean. The five kinds of suffering vanish at once, and the eight kinds of calamity are likewise stilled by the methods of the Jing (scripture). The gardens of Lingbao (Numinous Treasure) are truly marvelous; they have raised this vast Bridge of the Law, helping all beings to cross beyond suffering.

Adorn my carriage of the nine dragons. Here, “adorn me” means using the orthodox wisdom of Lingbao (Numinous Treasure) to set in order and cleanse my five roots—the five sense faculties of eye, ear, nose, tongue, and body—and the four minds, so that they bring to completion the six penetrations, six kinds of supernatural power, and the three clarities, three kinds of capacity for clear discernment. In this way the road that leads toward the many sufferings can be made level, and so it is called the “nine-dragon carriage,” that is, riding in the carriage of the nine dragons. Hence it is said, “ride the void and wander freely”: riding upon emptiness, roaming at ease and in freedom.

The celestial realms of the eight directions seem as near as if they lay in the palm of the hand; within the six conjunctions, what place could count as distant? By according with the Great Dao (the Way), one can become one body with the myriad things. The host of immortals, the Most High venerable deities, teachers and elders, and good friends gather of themselves without waiting to arrange a meeting. Together they chant the Kongdong ballads, the sacred hymns of Daoism, and thereby teaching and transformation are brought to completion. Hence it is said: “Fragrant flowers scatter with the wind; jade tones become the Purple Empyrean.” Every scene and color within the Purple Empyrean (Zixiao, the celestial realm) is transformed entirely into scripture (jing). Thus the five kinds of suffering, too, can in an instant disperse along with the scripture and be transformed into scripture; the eight difficulties, eight kinds of calamity, are likewise so. Hence it is said: “How wondrous is the garden of Lingbao; it raises this great bridge of the Law.” The realm of Lingbao is truly marvelous; it erects this grand dharma-bridge.

Chapter Nine

The Palace of the Celestial Perfected, the Sovereign One,

Broad and radiant, crowned by the Shining Spirit.

Streaming brilliance, the guiding cords of the dharma-wheel,

Whirling through emptiness, entering the formless.

The Void Sovereign strokes the cloud-ao;

The assembled perfected recite the Cavern Scripture.

Exalted immortals clasp their hands in praise;

Through enduring kalpas, benefit and steadfastness are preserved.

In “the Palace of the Celestial Perfected, the Sovereign One,” the word “palace” refers to the body. The body embodies the Dao of what is so of itself, and thus becomes the place where the celestial perfected dwell of themselves, and also the residence of the most exalted, supremely unitary Sovereign. “Broad and radiant” describes glory spread far and wide, the whole body illumined by the Shining Spirit (Yaoling), the bright divinity or radiance.

The dharma-body of the body flows with brilliant light and becomes the guiding framework of the dharma-bridge. Turning like a dharma-wheel, it unites with emptiness, revolves in the void, and enters the realm of the formless. The Void Sovereign (Xuhuang), a venerable deity of Daoism, and the assembled perfected suddenly arrive and become my teachers and good friends. They stroke the cloud-ao (yun’ao), a Daoist musical instrument, and sing, and together with me they recite the Cavern Scripture (Dongjing), a Daoist classic, and thereby accomplishment is realized in me.

The exalted immortals (gaoxian), perfected beings of high rank, clasp their hands in praise and congratulation, celebrating that the cultivation of the Dao has been brought to completion. “Through enduring kalpas, benefit and steadfastness are preserved” means that, passing through long ages of kalpas, one can still maintain tranquility and firm rectitude.

Chapter Ten

Supreme Truth (Zhizhen, the highest and purest realm) does not depend on external things in order to exist, yet at times it rides a flying dragon. Through prolonged fasting that cleanses body and mind, one naturally comes to meet the Mysterious Capital (Xuandu, the immortal realm of which Daoism speaks). Jade pendants chime, and when the jade bells are struck they likewise sound of themselves. The immortals of the ten directions gather together, and purple vapors condense into immortal palaces. Precious canopies stand ranged about the Most High (Taishang, a revered deity of Daoism), and Perfected Ones (zhenren) hold hibiscus blossoms. The immortal host scatters Dharma-flowers and sets forth my vows; grasping tallies, they summon the demon kings. The Dharma drums sound and assemble the immortals; in the numinous song, there is none who differs. There is nothing that may be done, and nothing that may not be done; thought communicates with the hidden, subtle, and mysterious realm.

To attain the realm of Supreme Truth, with body and mind united to it, is to be able to bear the myriad things while remaining unbound by bodily form, and therefore to depend on nothing. Riding a flying dragon at times is precisely an expression of this realm. After long fasting and the cleansing of one’s thoughts, one naturally meets the Mysterious Capital. The phrase “chiming jade and striking the jade bells” means that, when the Dharma drums are invoked, the jade pendants and jade bells also sound of their own accord.

From the words “ten blossoms” onward, the text speaks of the host of sages responding and coming to gather in assembly. Purple vapor is breathed forth and naturally forms immortal palaces. “Precious canopies” refers to Dharma-crowns. When the immortals assemble about the Most High, countless Perfected Ones hold hibiscus-shaped Dharma-flower banners and offer precious canopies to the void. The immortals scatter flowers that symbolize the wisdom of the Dharma and set them forth, so that the vows I made in the past may be fulfilled. The former vows spoken of here mean the accomplishment of wisdom and the making of boundless vows; to declare these vows now is to pray that they be realized.

“Grasping the tally to summon the demon kings” likewise means that the vows are fulfilled and obstacles are cut off. The Dharma drum is the drum of Dharma-wisdom, able to summon the host of spirits. The phrase “in the numinous song, none differs” means that the wondrous voices answer one another. Hence the lines “nothing that may be done, nothing that may not be done; thought communicates with the rare and subtle (xiwei)”: when the inner mind is lucid, it manifests outwardly, and what the mind conceives naturally communicates with the hidden, subtle, and mysterious realm.

Note: A passage in the original commentary is repeated; it is interpreted here in combined form.