《洞玄灵宝玉京山步虚经》

The Jade Capital Mountain of the Mysterious Metropolis stands above the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing). It has neither phenomenal form nor worldly defilement. Upon it rise the Golden Towers of the Jade Capital, the Mysterious Terrace of the Seven Treasures, and the Upper Palace of Purple Tenuity, in which the divine scriptures (Jing) of the Three Treasures are kept. In each of the eight directions a tree of the seven treasures grows of itself; the eight trees spread through all eight quarters, their branches and leaves covering the heavens and embracing the Three Realms. This is the dwelling of the Most High, Limitless, Void-Sovereign Celestial Worthy of the Unsurpassed Great Luo Heaven.

In the groves and palaces of the mountain are set out the name registers of the holy hosts of all the heavens. The sage sovereigns of the heavens, the lofty immortal Perfected, and innumerable immortals come three times each month to the Jade Capital Mountain to pay court and homage. They burn the natural sandalwood incense of life-restoring numinous fragrance; flying immortals scatter flowers; they circle the Mysterious Terrace of the Seven Treasures three times and chant the song chapters of the Empty Cavern.

Then the heavens strike up their music, and many musicians perform together. The sound of the yun’ao, an instrument of the immortal realm, is clear, bright, and far-reaching. The Perfected Consorts, female immortals, sing in unison and dance to the rhythm. The immortal lads, solemn in expression, sing songs of pure and lofty tone. The jade maidens come forward with unhurried steps and whirl lightly, their dancing graceful and flowing, their ranks full and expansive.

The flowering groves of the seven treasures on the mountain shine with brilliant splendor. The vermilion fruits that form on the trees gleam bright and dazzling. Trees and fruits alike are made of gold and silver, pearls and jade, crystal, colored glaze, tridacna shell, agate, and other precious substances. A numinous wind stirs the trees, and their sound of itself forms the tones of gong, shang, and the other notes—elegant and wondrous, almost beyond words. When the hosts of the heavens hear it they soar aloft, yet they do not cease playing and singing. They are rapt in this exquisite music of heaven and marvel that it cannot be described. Divine beasts, dragons, qilin, lions, white cranes, rare birds, and phoenixes likewise cry out and leap.

The Most High strikes the ritual drum and invites the guests into the Jasper Hall, seating them at ease upon lotus thrones. He expounds the principles, sets forth the true realm of clarity and stillness, intones the Cavern scriptures (Jing), and explains the mysterious scriptural texts, so that the assembled immortals come to experience the profound and all but ineffable realm of xiyi—the dark, subtle, and formless aspect of the Dao (the Way). The immortals are thereby filled with joy and exaltation. Then winds from the eight directions lift the banners; fragrant flowers drift and intermingle; incense smoke spreads and rises.

The Supreme (Taishang, the Daoist honorific for the highest divinity or the Great Dao) rejoiced and offered praise. Ritual drums resounded as he received his guests in halls of jasper and jade. Seated at ease upon a lotus, he expounded the true Dao (the Way) of clarity and stillness, chanted the Cavern Scriptures (Dongjing, Daoist classics), and explained their mysterious texts. The assembled immortals savored these deep and far-reaching principles, and joy filled their hearts. At that moment winds from the eight directions lifted the banners; fragrant flowers drifted down in profusion, and mists and vapors curled and spread all around.

The Supreme declared in praise: “How excellent! The Dao has its root in the formless and the nameless, and its meaning is profound and wondrous. It enables one to gain mysterious awakening and vast deliverance, passing through kalpas and ages without number. The Great Dao is by nature secluded and hard to put into words; it is revealed through two scriptural texts. If you can keep a long purification fast, quiet the mind in reflection, recite the Cavern Scriptures, click the teeth (kouchi, an intra-oral guiding method in Daoist cultivation), swallow the saliva, and breathe in and out the Qi (vital energy) of Great Harmony (Taihe zhi qi, the peaceful breath used in breath regulation and guiding exercises), your body will become golden, a round radiance will appear at the nape of your neck, you will wear upon your head a mysterious ornament symbolizing the essences of the sun and moon, and you will hold numinous talismans and the Banner of the Ten Ultimates (Shijue fan, a banner used in Daoist ritual). Merit of this kind is lofty and majestic, and it manifests the dignity of the Dao. One who treasures and inwardly realizes these wondrous transformations is truly a Perfected of the Supreme (Taishang zhenren).

“Such a person will commune with the Great Void (Taiwu, the empty origin of which Daoism speaks), stir the Celestial Elder (Tianlao, a venerable deity of the heavens), summon flying dragons, and draw down celestial immortals. When the Three Realms and Nine Lands (Sanjie jiudi, Daoist names for the layered orders of heaven and earth) reach the end of a great kalpa, even the fated cycles of Yang Nine and Hundred Six (Yangjiu bailiu, the periods of disaster spoken of in antiquity) and the calamities of flood and fire can all be dissolved in the power of the Superior Dao of Jade Clarity. The true scriptures of the Three Caverns (Dongzhen/Dongxuan/Dongshen), the precious writings of the divine perfected, the gold books and jade characters, the phoenix seal-script and dragon compilations, and other classics and treasured texts will all be stored away on the Mysterious Terrace of the Seven Treasures of the Jade Capital within the unsurpassed Great Canopy Heaven (Daluo tian). That place is untouched by disaster or kalpic ruin. When the kalpas have passed and heaven and earth are opened anew, the scriptures will be transmitted to the true sages and then passed on into the human world.

“Jade Capital Mountain (Yujing shan) stands in the highest heaven among five hundred million, fifty-five thousand, five hundred and fifty-five layers of heaven. From the region below, where the sun and moon of the Eight Brahma Heavens travel, the distance is nine quadrillion, nine hundred ninety-nine trillion, nine hundred ninety-nine billion Qi; the span of a single Qi equals three thousand li. The immortals of the various heavens say that this mountain has ten names: Canopy-Heaven Crown Mountain (Gaitian Shou Shan), Upper Mountain of Pervading Mystery (Mixuan Shang Shan), Mountain of the Net of Mystery and the Cavernous Void (Luoxuan Dongxu Shan), Lofty Mountain of the True Origin (Gaoshang Zhenyuan Shan), Mountain of the Hidden Kalpa-Blade of the Many Treasures (Zhongbao Youjie Ren Shan), Great Treasure Mountain Beyond Form (Wuse Dabao Shan), Mountain of Encircling Contemplation of Cavern Mystery (Zhouguan Dongxuan Shan), Mountain of Radiant Splendor and Great Perfection (Jinghua Taizhen Shan), Mountain of the Inconceivable (Busiyi Shan), and Great Mountain of the Jade Capital in the Metropolis of Great Mystery (Taixuandu Yujing Tai Shan). To know the names of this mountain is already to have entered the way of the immortals.

“On the mountain there is a flowering grove of the seven treasures. Its trees, blossoms, and fruits all display the characters of the Mysterious Scripture of the Dao and De (Virtue/Power) of the Three Caverns of Highest Clarity (Shangqing Sandong Daode Xuanjing). Whoever eats these blossoms and fruits becomes an immortal of golden light. If you recite this scripture, savor it with care, and swallow and absorb the utmost true Dao within it, the Dao will come to completion of itself.”

When practicing the Lingbao Dongxuan Zhai (a purification ritual of the Lingbao tradition) and reciting the Stanzas on Pacing the Void of the Empty Cavern (Kongdong Buxu Zhang), one first knocks the teeth three times, then swallows the saliva in the mouth three times. One visualizes the sun and moon appearing before oneself, their radiance pouring into the nose: the sun enters through the left nostril and the moon through the right, converging in the Palace of Golden Florescence (Jinhua Gong). Light issues from behind the head and turns into a bright nine-colored circular radiance, spreading over the Jade Pillow (the area at the back of the head) and illuminating the ten directions. One visualizes this light accompanying one’s own circumambulation of the Jing (scripture/classic), turning and circulating as one moves.

When this is finished, one again knocks the teeth three times and swallows the saliva three times, visualizing the Three Primordial Ladies of the Pure Essences (Sansu Yuanjun, honored deities of Daoism) within the Palace of Golden Florescence, their forms like those of infants. The procedures of solemn deportment in the purification ritual of the Zhenren (Perfected) are all carried out in this manner; only the item of “presenting the announcement and dispatching the officers and troops” is not performed. The scriptural text then says the same thing once more: knock the teeth three times, swallow the saliva three times, and visualize the Three Primordial Ladies of the Pure Essences, like infants, within the Palace of Golden Florescence. The purification rituals of the Zhenren are all held according to the methods of solemn deportment, and the sole exception is that one does not present the announcement or dispatch the officers and troops.

The remaining sections, such as prayers and acts of worship, are all conducted by establishing the purification according to the Great Method. At the beginning of the purification ritual, if it is being held for the first time, one may dispatch the clerical troops (summoning the divine officers, troops, and generals who guard and uphold the ritual proceedings within the rite); if one is not transmitting the scriptural methods, or if one is instructing people outside the tradition, it is not necessary to dispatch the clerical troops. The Zhenren of the Taiji (Supreme Ultimate) treasures this scripture; anyone who does not possess, from former lives, the allotted standing of an immortal or a perfected one is not permitted to see it.

Ten Chants on Pacing the Void of the Dongxuan

I respectfully pay homage to the Most High, burning incense and taking refuge in the empty, non-being Great Dao (the Way). Radiance moves along with me, and the wheel of the Law also turns through three revolutions. The Way of the Mysterious Origin flourishes, and numinous, wondrous blessings descend upon kings and nobles. The seven generations of ancestors are able to be reborn in the heavenly halls, brilliant with light that shines upon the four quarters. Whistling and singing, I survey the vast, boundless void, and the music of heaven brings joy to my heart. With the purest fragrance I make offering to supreme De (Virtue/Power); this is not something that ordinary worldly people can equal. Through subtle visualization one comprehends the mysterious principle, and the many in their turn roam about within the void.

Turning as I walk, I tread the guiding cords amid the clouds, riding the void and stepping into the mysterious and wondrous pattern. Chanting the name of the Honored One of Imperial Unity (Diyi Zun, an honored deity of Daoism), the hundred joints of the body are naturally brought into harmony. Downward I summon the Eight Sea Lads (divine youths who govern the seas of the eight directions); upward I lead forth the lofty immortals. The various heavens scatter fragrant flowers, and a numinous wind rises quietly. The aspirations of former lives settle the root of destiny, and only thus can one establish a lofty and far-reaching resolve. One enjoys delight before the Most High; even after passing through ten thousand kalpas, all of this still seems as though it has only just begun.

Mount Xuandu rises lofty and majestic; it is the center jointly revered by the gods of the ten directions. The towering Terrace of Celestial Treasure shines with brilliant radiance, as if the light of the sun were ceaselessly turning; the Forest of Jade Blossoms flourishes in bright beauty, and its crimson fruits gleam with splendor. Those who cultivate the Dao (the Way) often visualize and absorb the primal Jing (essence), refining and nurturing the seminal fluid within the body so as to make the physical form firm. Golden light spreads through the palace of Purple Tenuity, and the profound, far-reaching Dao of the Great Vehicle leaves one transcendent and at ease.

Between bowing down and lifting the head, one holds the Most High (a revered deity of Daoism) in mind; a splendid vision appears in the Dantian (energy center—the site of visualization and cultivation in Neidan, internal alchemy). Glancing to the left, one takes Yuyi (the sun deity) by the hand; turning to look to the right, one brings along Jielin (the moon deity). Taking the Six Perfections (six methods of cultivation) as the standard of practice and following brahma-conduct (pure cultivation), one’s cultivation of the Dao and of De (Virtue/Power) advances day by day. Merit and virtue accumulated in former lives bring auspicious blessings; when one hears a Jing (scripture/classic), it is as if meeting someone close and familiar. Those born outstanding and beyond the ordinary delight in reciting subtle and mysterious passages of scripture, drawing in the Qi (vital energy) of emptiness, stillness, and peace, and breathing out and in the rosy fluid (a term in cultivation for essence, Qi, and bodily fluids). By fetal breathing (a fine, slow mode of respiration like that of a fetus), one quiets the passes and orifices throughout the body and, in stillness, glimpses the sanbian (three wondrous functions spoken of in cultivation). The Niwan, or Mud Pill (the upper Dantian in the head), grows clear and bright, and at last one becomes a Golden Blossom immortal. The Demon Kings, too, respectfully obey one’s commands, and thus one is able to have audience with the deities of the various heavens.

All of this begins with fasting and abstinence and is accomplished through the long accumulation of merit and blessed affinity. When the work is complete, one can ascend in flight to the Great Void and join hands with lofty perfected immortals. Driving a carriage toward the ten directions, one pauses along the way in the realm of Mysterious Radiance; one looks up at towers lofty as kalpas and looks down upon a cloud-gauze woven of purple mist. Roaming at ease through the capital palaces of the Most High, one sits together with the immortals upon lotus blossoms. By studying and cultivating without cease, one can become a zhenren (Perfected Person); the mind is tranquil, and the rong and wei (the Qi and blood which, in Chinese medicine, circulate within the body) are brought into harmony. One long enjoys a lifespan without end, and even a life of ten thousand years counts for little.

The Great Dao takes Mysterious Stillness as its teacher, and at the ascent to immortality one is accompanied by Wuying (a divine name in Daoism). The Young Lord bestows a numinous talisman, and Taiyi (a revered deity of Daoism) bears the Cavern Chapters (Daoist scriptures). The śarīra (here referring to the wondrous essence brought to completion through cultivation) shines with golden radiance, and a dragon carriage suddenly comes to receive one. The Celestial Worthy gazes toward the cloud-carriage, and the immortals drift aloft, riding the void in flight. Fragrant flowers whirl like snow, and cloudy Qi winds about the mysterious beams. One bows before the Golden Portal and, hand in hand, roams the Jade Capital.

In the Garden of Mysterious Radiance the qian trees gleam with brilliance, and the groves of the Seven Treasures shine in dazzling splendor. Of celestial beasts there are three hundred kinds, and the lions are huge of body; flying dragons circle and cry, and divine phoenixes call in time with the rhythm. A numinous wind brushes the rare flowers, and a clear fragrance drifts to the folds of one’s robes. Were one not born with the endowment of a lofty immortal, how could one be so wholly absorbed in this immortal realm?

The nine-dragon carriage is arrayed in solemn order, and one rides the void, roaming free and at ease. Heaven and earth in the eight directions seem to rest in the palm of the hand; how could the four quarters, above and below, be counted as far? The assembled immortals recite the Cavern Jing (Dongjing, scripture/classic), and the Most High (Taishang, the supreme honored deity) intones clear and elegant songs. Incense and flowers drift away on the wind, and sounds as pure and ringing as jade pass into the Purple Empyrean (Zixiao, the immortal realm high in the sky). The Five Sufferings disperse at once, and the Eight Hardships are likewise stilled with the scripture. The immortal realm of Lingbao (a class of Daoist scriptural teachings) is truly wondrous, and this Dharma bridge leading to the Great Dao (the Way) has been raised.

In the palace where the Heavenly Perfected Emperor dwells, auspicious mist spreads and radiant light shines. The guiding norms of the Dharma Wheel turn and gleam, circling in the air and entering the formless realm. The Vacuous Sovereign (Xuhuang, an honored deity of the Daoist pantheon) plays the cloud ao (yun’ao, an instrument of the immortal realm), and the assembled Perfected (zhenren) recite the Cavern Jing. The lofty immortals clasp their hands in praise, vowing that through countless kalpas of calamity they may still preserve the orthodox Dao and what is good and beautiful.

The Dao of the Utmost Perfected does not rely on external things, and at times one travels by driving a flying dragon. After prolonged fasting and purification, the company gathers in the Mysterious Capital (Xuandu, a Daoist immortal realm), sounding jade and striking jade bells. Immortals of the splendid realms of the ten directions assemble, and purple mist condenses into palaces. Canopies of precious jewels surround the Most High, and the Perfected hold hibiscus in their hands. The assembly scatters flowers to express its vows and, bearing tallies and insignia, campaigns against and subdues the Demon Kings. Dharma drums summon the host of immortals, and all chant with one voice. There is no clinging and no rejection; jade is sounded and bells are struck, immortals of the splendid realms of the ten directions assemble, and purple mist condenses into palaces. Canopies of precious jewels surround the Most High, and the Perfected hold hibiscus in their hands. The assembly scatters flowers to express its vows and, bearing tallies and insignia, campaigns against and subdues the Demon Kings. Dharma drums summon the host of immortals, and all chant with one voice. There is nothing to be taken up, and nothing that may not be taken up; the mind in visualization communicates with the hidden, subtle, and mysterious realm.

Eight Hymns in Praise of the Scripture of Wisdom of the Most High (Taishang Zhihui Jing Zan)

The mysterious and empty teaching of the Most High spreads the Great Dao, and people revere this Jing. If one seeks the Dao above and below and cultivates with diligence and without cease, one can attain the Dao and become an immortal, enduring through countless ages. The De (Virtue/Power) of the supreme and unsurpassed Great Dao is vast and far-reaching; it is still and silent in Wuwei (non-action), and it becomes manifest because nothing gives rise to it. The spectacle of the cloudy empyrean condenses into towers in the void, and cultivators ride emptiness, coming and going of themselves. The light of sun and moon shines, and peace and joy have no end.

Those who study immortality must cut off vain and showy stray thoughts. Thoughts follow one another without a break and accumulate without rest; disordered thinking disturbs the mind and Shen (spirit), agitating the Shen, so that every kind of circumstance may then be undergone. Remove stray thoughts and settle mind and spirit in emptiness and stillness, and one can enter the empty and quiescent realm in silence. Seeking the Jing is like seeking food and drink in hunger and thirst, and one should guard one’s resolve as firmly as metal and stone. In this way you can preserve your path of flying immortality and, by means of the Fulu of the Five Numina (Wuling Fulu, talismans and registers associated with the numinous spirits of the five directions), obtain deliverance.

Aid me in cultivating the practices of the Six Deliverances (six kinds of cultivational practice); only thus can one be released from the Three Nets (Sanluo, the triple net that binds the cultivator). With pure fasting and purification one worships the Grand Simplicity (Taisu, the realm of pure and still original substance), and through breathing out and in one nourishes the cloud sprouts (a figure for the Jing (essence) and Qi (vital energy) that arise within the body). Roaming free and at ease… (From this point the original text is missing, or the sentence division is disordered, at “roaming free and at ease,” and then portions of the preceding sentences are repeated.)

By helping all living beings through the Six Perfections—the six practices of saving the world and of cultivation—one is therefore able to free them from the Three Nets, the threefold snares that bind living beings. Upholding pure and clear fasts and precepts, one reveres Taisu, the primordial Qi (vital energy) of which Daoism speaks, and through regulated breathing nourishes the cloud sprouts within the body, the Jing (essence) and Qi that symbolize living vitality. One roams at ease among the Golden Towers, the palace towers of the celestial realm, and takes the Jade Capital, the celestial immortal realm of which Daoism speaks, as home. The Seven Treasures arise of themselves, and everyone sits upon a lotus. Looking up, one tastes the immortal fruits of the Mysterious Capital; bending down, one eats and drinks the melons and fruits of the Hollow Void. One’s countenance shines like ten suns, and there is no need to reckon how many years and kalpas one has passed through. The dharma drum assembles the celestial immortals, and the sound of the bell summons the great demons.

A numinous wind brushes the fragrant flowers, and gorgeous robes spread out in brilliant display. The Taizhen, those venerable immortal perfected ones, play the yun’ao, the instrument of immortal music among the clouds, while the host of immortals pluck the numinous zithers. They sing aloud hymns in praise of the Three Heavens, the celestial realms of Daoism, and scatter wisdom through the Forest of Jade Blossoms. The seven generations of ancestors thereby ascend to the Hall of Blessings, and all of this springs from cultivating the mysterious sounds of the Dao (the Way). If the fortune of former lives is insufficient, this Jing (scripture/classic) is hard to encounter. If the heart that has faith in the Dao is not firm, the wish to ascend in flight will instead end in a fall. Whether the Dao of Wuwei (non-action) of the Taishang—the honorific by which Daoism addresses the supreme divinity—can be made to flourish depends above all upon your own heart.

Study of the Dao must begin with firm conviction, and one should serve one’s teachers and elders as one would one’s closest kin. Receiving the essential radiance of the sun and moon, and drawing near the realm of clarity, stillness, and emptiness, one cultivates diligently and advances day by day. So long as the many have not yet been delivered, I can never in the end be delivered alone. Make a vast vow, and profound blessings are sure to follow; mysterious De (Virtue/Power) is surely worthy of trust. Evil done in secret brings heavy karmic guilt, and when retribution arrives it is like the turning of the cycle of rebirth, from which there is no easy escape.

The study of the Dao is also truly arduous; day and night one must accumulate merit and De. Cultivating virtuous conduct is like planting trees: only by gathering it drop by drop can one heap it into a mountain. If you can honor the mysterious Dao with a single mind, you will rise lightly into the blue heavens. In practicing this Dao of Wuwei, one should form a bond with good deeds. The Taishang Zhiyin Shu is named the Wisdom Chapter. To uproot suffering, one must possess vast talent and wisdom; to pass beyond the ordinary world, one must realize the true Dao. A bearing so numinous and marvelous is rare in the world, bright and fair as a lotus in a deep abyss.

If human conduct has a root, it is always bound up with the merit and virtue accumulated in former lives. De should be established early, and every vow one has made should be carried out with effort. Good and evil each have their own retribution, and the principle by which they depend upon and transform into one another can hardly be exhausted. Persons of worthy virtue honor the teachings, and they also understand how not to cling to anything at all. One who comprehends this great wisdom can become the Lord of Taiji (Supreme Ultimate), an exalted deity of the Daoist heavens. Jeweled canopies are joined to jade carriages, and celestial spirits drive the nine-dragon chariots. Golden radiance, the golden blossom-light of the immortal realm, illumines the Cavern Scripture, and those who bear incense are all immortal youths. The sound of whistling song carries to the Mysterious Capital, and the immortals chime their jade and strike the jasper bells.

By cultivating body and mind, one can rise above Taiqing (the highest celestial realm), pass beyond the sights of the mortal world, and roam freely through Zixiao (the lofty immortal realm). Hold fast to the root and do not transgress the proper measure, and one may wander at ease in the dark and mysterious realm. To pass through ten thousand kalpas seems no more than a single night; to undergo a thousand transformations is like the morning just begun. Lofty immortal mountains lie covered in clouds and rose-tinted mists, and one need only reach out to pluck the branches of the treasure grove. The incense smoke and dust of the world disperse of themselves, and subtle immortal music rises together with the bodily form. Lingfan (banners of the immortal realm) stream away on the wind, and the tangle of thoughts recedes with them. Clear away the cleverness that discriminates and calculates, and one returns to the vast, blended realm; with a mind of Wuwei (non-action), one sings forth songs of pure stillness.

This is a verse composed by the Perfected of Taiji (Supreme Ultimate). The assembled immortals often chant it in rapt absorption. It is not expounded to people of the ordinary world, but is kept hidden within the Golden Portals and Jade Chambers (halls of the immortal palaces). The Immortal Duke said, “It should be transmitted to those who possess the Dao (the Way), that is, to those who practice the Lingbao Zhai (the purification ritual of the Lingbao tradition). It must not be shown to those who chase after empty show. Be most cautious; be most cautious.”

When the Mysterious Master, the Perfected of Taiyuan (the Great Origin), transmitted to Xu, Attendant-in-Ordinary and Clerk, the Jade Capital Mountain Instructions of the Dadong Xuanjing (the Mysterious Scripture of the Great Cavern), he composed three hymns. On that same night, Lady Youying also recited these hymns.

The hymns say:

The Dao of the Eight Assemblies (Bahui, gatherings of immortals and perfected beings in the Daoist heavens) cannot be traced to its root by ordinary principles. Accord with the turn of the times and behold the profusion of the world. Dwelling amid the dust yet able to rise beyond its changes, one loosens the lapels of one’s robe and may thereby join the ranks of those who possess the Dao. Riding mist and rosy clouds, in the turn of an eye one travels together with the perfected and reaches the immortal realm where spirits dwell. The empty brightness of the immortal scene shines upon towers and galleries of jade, and subtle musical measures lift songs like the voice of the phoenix. Set out upon the fitting path, and there is no obstruction; wondrous music echoes through the sea of clouds. When one’s De (Virtue/Power) and conduct stand level with the perfected of Jade Capital Mountain, what need is there to covet the many things of the world?

In the left hand one holds a canopy of jade blossoms, rides the immortal Qi (vital energy) of the dawn, and treads the Seven Primordials (Qiyuan, the celestial realm symbolized by the seven stars of the Northern Dipper). The three chronograms—sun, moon, and stars—radiate a purple brilliance; raising the eyes in steady gaze, one meets and touches Mingzhen (the luminous realm of the perfected). The bodily form transforms and leaps aloft; within a mere moment, wondrous spirit-realms have already appeared on every side. The numinous scriptures (Jing) have no end; one ought diligently to study the scriptures of Shangqing (Highest Clarity). Why sit wavering where the roads divide, so that feeling and intention cannot be made single? Yin’e (afflictions of a yin nature, or illnesses that lie hidden) will cause one to lose the mysterious opportunity, and one does not even realize that the years and months have already passed.

(The final section of the original repeats the lines that follow “On all four sides, all is already divine”; they are here translated once, in combined form.)

Mysterious waves churn the vast billows, and a mighty ford gathers and drives the myriad streams. Riding a carriage bright as sunlight, one gazes far above, below, and toward the four quarters, wishing in the heart to wander with the Perfected. Beautiful song draws no answer, and clear, ringing music finds no one to join in harmony. Racing on jade wheels among the clouds, who could still be counted a person of the dusty world?

At Shangyu Mountain in Kuaiji Commandery, the Five Perfected of the Most High Taiji (Supreme Ultimate) transmitted the Dongxuan Lingbao Jing (the Lingbao scripture of Dongxuan, the Cavern Mystery, one of the Three Caverns) to the Immortal Duke Ge (Ge Xuan). Each of them chanted a hymn.

Hymn of the Perfected of the Most High Taiji

The Most High Lord of the Great Dao (the Way), a revered deity of Daoism, appears and transmits the Lingbao chapters. Lofty, profound, and mysterious, they are hard to put into words, like the most mysterious realm within the mysterious. The worlds of the ten directions will of themselves look up to this supreme immortal Perfected.

The Dongxu Jing is vast, deep, and wondrous. One may sit calmly and pay court to all the heavens. Above, the scripture is kept in the Purple Tenuity Terrace, a palace of the celestial realm; below, it is kept in famous mountains everywhere. Dragon and phoenix patterns on the text shine with brilliant color, and its divine radiance is held within.

The Dao of the Most High is truly mysterious. It takes Wuwei (non-action) as its foundation and always accords with what is natural. Whether among kings and nobles or among ordinary people, what is most precious is worthy virtue. If blessing and good fortune were allotted in former lives, one may, through the causal ties of the past, rise above the common lot. Daoist masters transmit this scripture generation after generation, and precious tokens of faith pass down through the kalpas.

When the heart is broad and saves all living beings, blessings descend upon oneself. To make offerings to this scripture is surely to attain the Dao; to practice this Dao is to become a supreme Perfected. The Great Dao draws no distinction between one and another. In transmitting the Great Dao, one should transmit it to those who can bring the work of the Dao to completion.

Hymn of the First Perfected of the Most High Xuanyi (the Mysterious One)

The many mysterious ways emerge from Dongzhen (one of the scriptural systems of Daoism, the Cavern of Perfection among the Three Caverns), and their radiance illuminates Taiqing Heaven, the pure celestial realm spoken of in Daoist teaching. Those who uphold this scripture are called immortals. Uniting in body with primordial Qi (vital energy), they attain long life.

They wander free and at ease through the mysterious void, where palaces stand all about. Groves of the seven treasures are fresh and bright, and the sun and moon shine with clear light. Dragons and qilin race in every direction; phoenixes spread their wings, fly, and give voice.

The Most High governs the heavens from the Purple Terrace, and the Perfected recite the Dong Jing (Cavern Scripture). They take up incense, bow in homage, and circle the palace city; after three circuits they return to the high seat. The King of the Dao then answers with praise. If a ruler of the human world promotes the supreme Dao, all under heaven will be at peace.

Hymn of the Second Perfected of the Most High Xuanyi

The Dao of emptiness always accords with what is natural. People force a name upon it and call it the “Great Dao.” Its voice is deep and boundless, limited by neither time nor space, and the many mysteries all return to the Lingbao Jing. Closing the eyes and visualizing the supreme Perfected, with thought held in single concentration, one can summon the Ten Elders, deities of the Daoist pantheon. Thereby one ascends as an immortal and obtains lasting peace.

At the end of the original text the words “The Second Perfected of the Most High Xuanyi hymned, saying” appear once more, but no verse follows.

The Great Dao (the Way) is originally empty and void, and from beginning to end it is simply so of itself. “Dao” is only a name that people have provisionally given it. Its resonance is profound and subtle, without limit, and it never changes; every mystery in the world returns to Lingbao (a general term for Daoist scriptures and methods). Close the eyes and quietly contemplate the Way of ultimate truth, and with concentrated thought one can summon the Ten Elders (ten divine perfected beings revered in Daoism). After practitioners ascend as immortals, they long abide in the state of Wuwei (non-action), and their countenance remains ever fair. When thirsty they drink the sweet dew of the Jade Pool; when hungry they eat the immortal herbs of the golden flower. They purify the world, deliver beings from the Eight Difficulties (eight obstacles met in cultivation and in attaining the Dao), and relieve the many sufferings of the people.

The Third Perfected of the Most High Xuanyi offers this praise:

How mysterious and wondrous are the Lingbao scriptures; they are classics naturally transmitted by the Most High. Those who practice the scriptures can attain the Dao, and true immortals will accordingly descend into the world. Receiving Heaven’s mandate, they proclaim the teaching of the Dao and are truly persons who transcend the ordinary world. When their work of merit is complete, they ascend as immortals and, within the immortal palaces, govern the Mysterious Terrace (a palace where immortals dwell or conduct affairs). At times they descend upon Mount Kunlun and rest at ease, roaming freely, on the immortal isle of Penglai.

The Zhengyi (Orthodox Unity) Perfected, Ritual Master of the Unsurpassed Three Heavens, Celestial Master (Tianshi) Zhang, offers this praise:

Lingbao and the Dadong (important Daoist scriptures) are truly the supreme scriptures of the Dao. Only the Five Thousand Words (the Daodejing, so named because the whole text is about five thousand characters) can be set beside them; their loftiness and subtlety are without equal. Those who practice these scriptures become flying immortals, governing the void from mysterious dwellings; they attend and guard the terrace of the Most High and dwell at ease in the Purple Tenuity Palace (a palace of the celestial realm). Even the passage of ten thousand kalpas is but a flash of lightning; life endures forever, without end. When the rites and implements needed for cultivating the Dao are complete, one suddenly awakens and communes with the principle of the hidden dark. Even amid gloom and obscurity, one may sit at peace and clearly perceive the ten directions (the four sides, the four corners, and above and below).

Three Incantations for Venerating the Scripture

The Perfected says: “The oral instructions say that when the immortal lads and jade maidens who attend the scriptures hear this incantation, they all rejoice and protect the practitioner. Whenever this great scripture is recited, one should chant this incantation and perform the rite of reverence. If one only worships the scripture with a sincere heart, the incantation may also be recited silently in the mind; this is a method secretly transmitted by the higher immortals.”

Take the cultivation of the methods of the Dao as a companion through life, and regard the scriptures as precious as jewels and fine jade. Uphold the precepts, restrain the seven emotions (joy, anger, sorrow, fear, love, aversion, and desire), constantly hold the Great Dao in mind, and set aside personal desire. When the mind is plain and unattached, the proper Qi (vital energy) is settled; when one’s bearing is clear and still, one rests peaceful and silent. Even the demons of heaven will respect one and withdraw, and great blessings will be enjoyed generation after generation.

When household and state flourish, the scriptures and the methods of the Dao flourish with them. The many practitioners turn together toward the Dao and lightly enter the Great Vehicle (the profound and complete realm of cultivation). With a single thought of goodness one opens a field of merit (a path of accumulating goodness and cultivating blessings), and the wheel of the teaching (a figure often used in Buddhist and Daoist texts for the spread of the teaching) turns slowly. Ancestors of seven generations are reborn in heaven, and one oneself may ascend as an immortal in broad daylight.

The Great Dao (the Way) is deep and hidden, penetrating what is mysterious and wondrous. Whatever the heart conceives, so long as it accords with the Great Dao, there is nothing that cannot be accomplished. One cultivates form and substance until one enters the realm of the immortals and the perfected, and in the end attains a body as firm as vajra. Thereby one transcends the sufferings of the Three Realms and is released from the five sufferings of the hells. All people should take refuge in the Scripture of the Most High (Taishang Jing), still the mind in contemplation, and bow the head in reverent salute.

The Left Immortal Duke of the Taiji (Supreme Ultimate), Perfected Ge, bore the personal name Xuan and the courtesy name Wubuqi. He cultivated form and substance, entered the realm of the immortals and the perfected, and in the end attained a body as firm as vajra; thereby he transcended the sufferings of the Three Realms and was released from the five sufferings of the hells. All people should take refuge in the Scripture of the Most High, still the mind in contemplation, and bow the head in reverent salute.

The Left Immortal Duke of the Taiji, Perfected Ge, bore the personal name Xuan and the courtesy name Xiaoxian. On Mount Tiantai he transmitted the methods of the Dao to his disciples Zheng Siyuan, the śramaṇa (a Buddhist monastic) Zhu Falan, Shi Daowei, and Sun Quan, the founding ruler of the state of Wu. Later, on Mount Maji, Zheng Siyuan transmitted the methods of the Dao to Ge Hong. Ge Hong was the grandnephew of Immortal Duke Ge; he was known as Baopuzi and authored inner and outer writings.

At that time Lord Zheng recounted the words of his immortal teacher, Immortal Duke Ge: “The Shangqing Three Caverns (Dongzhen, Dongxuan, and Dongshen) Scripture of the Great Perfected Dao that I transmit is to be passed on in this way. When I leave this life, one copy is to be entrusted to the cavern-terraces of the famous mountains, one copy to my disciples, and one copy to the younger members of my own family, so that they may record and transmit it from generation to generation. If someone who truly possesses the Dao attends only to studying my scriptures while rushing about in worldly affairs, that person is not fit to bear the duty of recording and transmitting them. In such a case, the scriptures may all be entrusted to the famous mountains and the Five Marchmounts; they must not be lightly given to unsuitable persons. If a suitable person is encountered, they ought to be transmitted. Do not seal off the Way of Heaven.”

The Dongxuan Lingbao Scripture of Pacing the Void on Jade Capital Mountain is complete.