《上清洞玄明灯上经》

The Taiwei (the profound and distant heavenly realm) pervades the mysterious and wondrous, its radiance illuminating far-off shadowy places, continuing the mysterious brilliance of the sun and expounding the precious Jing (scripture) of the Bright Lamp. Originating from nature itself, it receives the essence of the sun and moon; its light now shines forth, now recedes into subtlety, scattering its glow throughout the void. No heavenly realm is left unilluminated by it, no darkness remains unlit, and no domain fails to reveal the mysterious. Only those endowed by heaven with the mysterious, in harmony with the Dao (the Way), and who have accumulated merit over seven lifetimes, can even glimpse this Jing. Having had the fortune to encounter it, you ought to treasure and practice it with care.

To receive this Jing, one must swear an oath using bright gold and green jade as pledges, and the transmission must take place at a sheer cliff. Those lacking a sincere oath of trust, without special De (Virtue/Power), and who are ordinary people accomplishing nothing, should not casually disseminate the Jing. Anyone truly wishing to receive the Jing must first undertake fasting and purification; only when there appear responses from the numinous void and auspicious signs may it be transmitted.

The Taiji (Supreme Ultimate) Gaoxuan Zhenren ascended the Jade Terrace of the Nine Heavens and kowtowed toward the window of the Zichen Zhangren (a celestial worthy), requesting enlightenment and the opening of wisdom. Crawling forward on elbows and knees, after some time he received the instruction. The Zichen Zhangren said: “What you inquire about is a matter of mystery. Now I shall use this Jing to elucidate the Seven Mysteries (mysterious principles concerning good and evil, ancestors, and the like), and to recount the precious methods of worship and recitation, informing you of the Jing’s essential purport.

“The precepts of heaven are strict, its abodes lofty and precipitous, constantly encircled by still rosy clouds. Access requires passing through successive flights of steps, ordinarily veiled by mysterious clouds and guarded day and night by flying dragons, heavenly troops, and feathered cavalry. Palaces gleam with decorations of glazed pearls and jade, their radiance brilliant; only a Shangzhen (high-ranking perfected immortal who has attained the Dao) can behold the palace walls.

“To study the principles of emptiness and mystery, to embody the Flying Root (the numinous and marvelous root of which Daoism speaks), and to lecture upon and recite the precious Jing, the finest cultivation is through fasting, repentance, and thanksgiving. The most fitting method is to follow the Shangqing Dongxuan Mingdeng Shangjing (Highest Clarity Cavern Mystery Bright Lamp Upper Scripture), burning incense, lighting lamps, performing worship, and reciting the Jing. When lighting the lamps, space them one zhang and five chi apart, placing ten lamps upon each pole, while reciting the Jing’s meaning aloud. The many lamps form a mysterious framework, a thousand lamps arrayed in succession constituting a solemn rite; the number of lamps accords with the sincerity of one’s heart. Above, the bright lamps correspond to the stars; below, they illuminate the seven ancestors (seven generations of forebears). The marvelous principles contained therein cannot be fully expressed in words. After three years of cultivation, one may ascend to heaven in broad daylight.”

The lamp-offering ritual (worshiping and presenting lamps) begins by facing east, then west, south, and north. One then gazes upward to the heavens, visualizing the Heavenly Heart (tianxin) within the mind, and next performs obeisance toward the center. Throughout the bows the mind must remain sincere and reverent.

The bright lamps symbolize the stars of heaven and can also illuminate the seven ancestors (the deceased of seven generations). The profound mysteries contained herein are difficult to express in words; after three years of cultivation one may ascend to heaven in broad daylight.

When performing the lamp offering one faces east, west, south, and north in succession, then looks up to the sky, visualizing the Heavenly Heart, bows toward the center, and recites in accordance with the True Writs (zhenwen, the sacred scriptures of the Daoist classics).

Those observing the fast together should sing hymns of praise. Afterward the incense table is arranged and the incense fire prepared with care; the ritual procedures are then carried out in sequence without allowing the incense smoke to be interrupted. This method can widely save and deliver sentient beings, freeing them from the sufferings of the dark netherworld and exempting them from calamities between life and death.

Those who are devout toward the Dao and hold faith in their hearts, if their household meets with unexpected disaster or a relative falls ill and they wish to save themselves by establishing a zhai, should offer renowned incense and pure oil in whatever quantity their hearts desire; at the same time they must cultivate diligently and strive to perform good deeds. If anyone commits a fault during the ritual, the incense and oil brought by the host are to be used as compensation to offset related expenses and make amends for the mistake.

You practitioners of the Dao who day after day hope for blessings to arrive soon, yet seeing the response delayed declare that the Great Dao is distant and illusory and that fate cannot be changed: since you yourselves cannot transcend the dusty world and ascend to the highest realm, how can you cause the seven ancestors to send down blessings? Taking a step back, if you cannot invite fellow practitioners into your home to establish a zhai and lecture on the scriptures, but instead always rush about in haste, amusing yourselves with wine and music, you violate the Mysterious Teaching (xuanjiao, the profound doctrines of Daoism) above and fail your ancestors in the middle. Worse still, you slaughter cattle, sheep, and other livestock to express filial piety; this is truly heartbreaking and fills me with sorrow.

When blessings dissipate and misfortunes intensify, you then blame the deities and the directions and pray to the netherworld; this is like digging a well only after becoming thirsty—can it still be in time? Deceased infants endure suffering, and calamities flow onward to later generations. Descendants who go hungry or fall ill do so because in this life you have failed to do good and accumulate virtue, allowing yourselves to drift with the current and act willfully.

Ignorant and obstinate people who hear these admonitions are like the spring breeze sweeping across the sky, like pheasants and geese crying in flight: they hear but pay no heed; they even laugh like dogs. To offer such teaching and admonition yet meet with refusal to believe is truly pitiable.

If one wishes to prolong life and achieve longevity, eliminate disasters and cure diseases, cultivate abundant De (Virtue/Power), and attain the realm of Ultimate Truth (the state of realizing the Dao (the Way) in Daoism), while also releasing the Seven Mysteries (the burdens suffered by ancestors and their descendants), one should familiarize oneself with the Shangqing Great Precepts on the Retributions of Good and Evil Actions (an important set of precepts concerning good and evil deeds and their retributions) and perform worship along with scripture recitation. Only in this way can one dispel calamities and ascend to Jinghan (a Daoist immortal realm).

The lamp-worship ritual is customarily performed merely by following the prescribed worship and reciting incantations. However, if one particularly desires to cultivate with earnest sincerity and to extract the sufferings of sin, this is by no means forbidden.

The Taiji Zhenren (Perfected One of the Supreme Ultimate) said: “If one worships the Lamp King or conducts the lamp ritual, the verses to be recited are as follows: In the great Palace of the Seven Treasures, lotuses arise of themselves; the lamplight shines brilliantly, emitting light in the dark night, and in an instant it ascends to the Grand Auroras (Taixia, the cloudy mists of the immortal realm). Raising the head to gaze upon the Palace of Mysterious Truth (Xuanzhen Que, palaces in the mysterious true realm), cloud-towers rise lofty and majestic; radiance circulates, illuminating the mysterious void, urging the heavenly troops to campaign against the myriad demons. Beings are rescued from the net of suffering; only after passing through successive kalpas does the opportunity for deliverance begin to arise.

When fasting, observing precepts, and lecturing on the scriptures, the verses recited are as follows: In the great Palace of the Seven Treasures, lotuses arise of themselves; the lamplight shines brilliantly, emitting light in the dark night, and in an instant it ascends to the Grand Auroras. Raising the head to gaze upon the Palace of Mysterious Truth, cloud-towers rise lofty and majestic; radiance circulates, illuminating the mysterious void, urging the heavenly troops to campaign against the myriad demons. Beings are rescued from the net of suffering; only after passing through successive kalpas does the opportunity for deliverance begin to arise. Fasting, observing precepts, and lecturing on the scriptures can deliver the Seven Ancestors (the ancestors of seven generations), accumulate meritorious De, and protect the family.

An extremely mysterious radiance appears from the divine spirits, formless and without appearance, silent and without shadow; it purifies boundless realms and suddenly delivers those who have passed away. It delivers the Seven Mysteries from the sufferings they endure, causing lasting purity to manifest in the profound depths; it extracts the deceased souls obstructed by the Five Difficulties, allowing them to respond to the power of the Dao and ascend to heaven upon the clouds.

The bright lamps illuminate the Ten Directions, with no place of pitch-black darkness remaining unlit. The Mysterious Truth stands magnificent and illustrious, its radiance shining upon the Ten Directions. Deeply closed places suddenly open, and the various disasters upon living beings are resolved; the Seven Ancestors and the deceased souls in the Three Paths (the three realms of suffering: hell, hungry ghosts, and animals) are liberated, no longer troubled by worry and affliction.

The radiance of the green jeweled canopy illuminates the Ten Directions; immortal perfected ones fly and ascend, traveling through the clouds; the light of the divine lamps pervades the Nine Darknesses (the extremely deep and dark netherworld), illuminating and protecting among the mountains. In the Palace of the Six Assemblies of the Brahma Body (a palace in the Daoist immortal realm), generation after generation become immortal families; the smoke in the void all transforms into karmic affinities from past lives, meritorious De descends, and the myriad demons are eliminated.

Suffering souls respond to the power of the Dao, and their sufferings dissipate accordingly, like ice departing from flowing sands. The accumulated misfortunes were planted at some unknown time; how could they be merely the faults of a single day? The Seven Ancestors therefore bear these disasters, lingering long between rivers and seas. The Superior Perfected (Shangzhen, high-ranking immortal perfected ones) pity their sufferings and open the nine-layered heavenly gates. Thereupon they kowtow and worship the mysterious lamps, enabling their name registers to be transferred into the Eastern Floriate Palace (Donghua Gong, a governmental palace in the Daoist immortal realm).”

The above constitute the responsive verses recited when worshiping the Lamp King: sufferings dissipate like ice departing from flowing sands. The accumulated misfortunes were planted at some unknown time; how could they be merely the faults of a single day?

The seven generations of ancestors suffered such calamities and remained long stranded between rivers and seas. The Upper Zhen (high-ranking immortal true ones) took pity on their hardships, opened their hearts, and unlocked the nine-layered heavenly gates.

I kowtow in salute to the Mysterious Lamp (the profound divine lamp), wishing to have my name register transferred into the Donghua Palace (a Daoist immortal realm).

After the above ritual of paying homage to the King is completed, one then recites the nineteen lamp hymns, whose contents are as follows:

Numerous true immortals pay court to the palaces of agate and jade, their radiance penetrating thoroughly and illuminating the empty void. They look up in admiration to the Honored One of Wuwei (non-action), roaming among flying mists and clouds.

Body and mind are pure and still, so that obstacles and hardships cannot bind or detain them; the body generates light like the Seven Treasures. I serve as a boat master upon the sea and thus can release the three kinds of net-like bindings.

The night-glow thoroughly illuminates the secluded valleys, and I wash body and mind through bitter cultivation; illusory smoke and dust scatter throughout the eight directions as bright light enters Taiwei (the celestial star palace).

Worshiping and reciting the unsurpassed teaching, the blessings are vast and lofty. Light-qi drifts and intermingles, stillness pervades the hills of the eight directions. Cloud shadows arise in Sanqin (an ancient regional name), and in the void appears the dual Taiyuan (Daoist divine true titles). With insight into the ten directions one is free and unfettered, causing the suffering physical form to dissipate.

The flying wheels (immortal flying vehicles) envelop the great void, formless and without trace. Allowing the flying wheels to operate as they will, one serenely transcends the worldly realm. Clad in coarse cloth and chanting the night-glow, all the heavens appear especially outstanding.

Sin and blessing are not determined by others; the measure lies entirely with oneself. Accumulating and cultivating the unsurpassed merit of Taiyuan, with insight into the ten directions one is free and unfettered, causing the suffering physical form to dissipate.

The flying wheels envelop the great void, formless and without trace. Allowing the flying wheels to operate as they will, one serenely transcends the worldly realm. Clad in coarse cloth and chanting the night-glow, all the heavens appear especially outstanding. Sin and blessing are not determined by others; the measure lies entirely with oneself.

If one does not accumulate merit in good time, one should day and night cultivate the field of blessings (accumulating fortune through good deeds and practice). Taking refuge in the Dao (the Way) of Wuwei (non-action), one will ultimately see the realm of the True and Correct.

Radiant and brilliant, brightly shining, clear and penetrating with no hidden places; the light is majestic, illuminating and breaking through the nether darkness. Blessings descend and accumulated fortune continuously increases. Peacefully contemplating the ten directions, one universally relieves all sentient beings.

I straighten the reins of my Mysterious True (the bridle for driving the profound Dao), joining hands to hold up the jade talisman. Striking the agate bell with the bright lamp, the bell’s sound responds and already unobstructedness is obtained. Within one day seeing three kinds of penetrations, dissolving the sorrows accumulated over successive lifetimes.

Moving into the palace of Seven Treasures, the wheels turn, winding around tortuous mountains; stopping the carriage to rest in the green-canopied chamber. How would one still know that many years have already passed?

Rinsing, drinking, and absorbing the essence of golden liquid (the vital qi and numinous fluid of Daoist cultivation), after passing through ten thousand kalpas one is able to ascend the immortal register. Looking down upon the worldly pursuit of glory and contention, they do not understand the principle therein—what can be done?

The mysterious radiance shines upon the winding valleys, suddenly bright, penetrating straight to the deep springs. Light flows freely, circulating and intermingling, winding and filling Fengshan (a mountain name associated with the netherworld).

The seven ancestors (seven generations of ancestors) can all escape the original cycle of birth and death and be reborn in the Five-Colored Palace of Chang’an. There the cloud-Qi (vital energy) is dense and radiance shines forth, and a magnificent spiritual energy rises into Taiqing (the highest heavenly realm spoken of in Daoism).

The attendants of the heavenly realm stand arrayed on both sides, riding flying wheels back to the south. In a trance-like moment, nine years have already passed; they temporarily transcend the physical body and open spiritual illumination. The seven ancestors obtain embryonic immortality (the state of becoming immortal through embryonic birth) and are reborn once more in the Southern Palace. The flying wheels, wreathed in cloud-Qi amid the empty heavenly expanse, look downward, where heaven and earth are profound and bottomless.

Once they understand the principle, the mind’s thoughts can become unified; the gathered smoke then dissipates. The body becomes light, following the Dao (the Way) of Wuwei (non-action); the four directions are bright, and the scenery is completely renewed. The three evil paths in hell (the three realms of suffering: hell, hungry ghosts, and animals) are also able to escape their bonds.

They sing and chant on the Nine Mystery Terrace (a high terrace in the Daoist immortal realm) and ascend lofty mountain ridges. The inner heart becomes penetrating, and the perceptions of the six senses all become at ease, so they cast off the filthy entanglements of the mundane world. Flowing rosy clouds illuminate the golden palaces, and the spacious halls emit mysterious radiance. The long-accumulated sincerity and reverence of the practitioners induce a spiritual response, causing the Shen (spirits) to descend; although the physical form exists alone, the distinction between Dao and the human also melts away. In an instant looking back on the years of ten thousand kalpas, how would one perceive that billions of years have already been crossed?

Between the steps of the immortals, lush gardens are exceedingly beautiful; vermilion fine jade and splendid gemstones are laid out interwoven. A clear breeze stirs the Kongtong jade, and phoenixes dwelling in secluded places give forth their calls. Purple smoke winds around the winding halls, and cinnabar-red radiance encircles the green carriages. Flying banners gather beside the dark-colored canopies, and feathered ceremonial ornaments shine in the Purple Clarity heavenly realm.

The clear and pure scenery spreads beyond the nine heavens, and the immortals roam freely in Phoenix City (a city in the immortal realm). They look back at those who chase glory and compete for fame and profit, feeling it better to enjoy together this joy of morning and evening.

Harnessing the carriages and controlling the mysterious radiance, they gallop through the wilderness in the bright sunlight; wandering to seek out people of spiritual nature, they merge as one with them and celebrate together among the lofty clouds. Reaching out to push open the vermilion jade gate, the scene before the eyes suddenly becomes bright and clear, as if the immortals leisurely roam freely, the mind peaceful and at ease.

The Golden Towers (the golden palaces of the heavenly realm) stand tall and majestic, with no dust in the pure light and shadow. Lowering the banners, they arrive at the Xuanlang Terrace (a high terrace in the immortal realm), which exactly matches the wish in my heart. Thus they escape the suffering of the Three Paths (the three evil paths of hell, hungry ghosts, and animals), cultivate to endure long, and lifespan is made secure.

Wisdom originally arises from emptiness and nothingness, its light shining brightly, transcending the ten directions. The void condenses into form, towering at the mysterious heavenly horizon; all the heavens draw from its fragrant flowing grace. The marvel of the Dao is hard to fathom; even by responding with a mind of emptiness and stillness, one can communicate with the real. Being is not truly being, non-being is not entirely non-being; there is nothing it does not contain, and even so-called “non-being” cannot exclude it.

Note: In the original text, the passage from “the seven ancestors obtain embryonic immortality” to “flying wheels wreathed in the empty void,” as well as some sentences before and after “reaching out to push open the vermilion jade door,” have repetitions and suspected omissions; the above is translated smoothly according to the extant text.

Wisdom should constantly reflect back upon itself; this is the first step in cultivating and studying the methods of the Dao (the Way). The profound and mysterious realm seems boundless and limitless, and it will naturally receive and protect my Shen (spirit).

The Celestial Worthy constantly shelters me, and the Demon King also pledges to protect me. I shall possess a body that is brilliantly luminous and indestructible, rising transcendently to become a Supreme Immortal.

Wisdom gives rise to the root of upholding the precepts; the true Dao takes the precepts as its mainstay. The Three Treasures—Dao, Jing (scripture), and Master—arise from this, and it is also the method honored and transmitted by the high perfected sages. Boarding this boat of immortality, in an instant one can cross to “Great Possession” (the realm of the immortal perfected as described in Daoism). When the precepts are expounded, the assembled immortals all come to pay their respects.

Hymn Recited by the Heavenly Emperor of Supreme Subtlety upon Receiving the Precepts

Whenever one sees a lighted bright lamp, one ought to recite this hymn; it is not only to be recited when lamps are lit at the time of receiving precepts. When reciting, tap the teeth lightly so that others do not hear the sound; the recitation from the mouth should likewise be audible only to oneself.

The Most High scatters bright lamps throughout the ten directions; the floral lamps convey and communicate sincere heart. All the heavens shine with radiance, and all the earths are entirely bright. My body is likewise luminous and thoroughly transparent; the five viscera generate brilliance. The flames of light illuminate the Supreme Void (the boundless emptiness), and the mind remotely contemplates the flourishing and magnificent realm of Jade Purity.

The Cinnabar Jing (essence refined within) is reflected in the Supreme Void; the Mysterious Yang (the profound yang Qi [vital energy]) resounds in the emptiness. Nourish the physical form so that the root of affliction melts away; visualize the subtle and mysterious, returning to the realm of ultimate truth.

The cascading floral light does not display precious treasures, and the forms produced by causal conditions do not shine; my body is likewise thus, according with transformation and lodging itself within the flowing radiance.

The night-glow reveals the Yang Elixir, remotely illuminating the Numinous Chamber (the inner realm of visualization cultivation). All the heavens universally manifest brightness, and all darkness immediately dissipates. My Shen also becomes keen and lucid, constantly perceiving wisdom and luminous insight.

Serenely following the operation of the Great Dao, one migrates according to the changes of the celestial seasons. Raising the body, one steps into the Hollow Void (the empty realm spoken of in Daoism), glowing and spreading like a lamp-flame in the night.

The Taiwei Heavenly Emperor said: If you only know to light lamps but do not recite this Jing (scripture), the great demon palaces of the Six Heavens will not spare you from the sentence of death; the various heavens of the eight directions will not dispatch jade boys and jade girls, and flying celestial divine beings will not descend to your side. The ten directions and three realms will not release your name from the death registers and send it into the Eastern Flower Southern Palace (a Daoist immortal official residence), nor will your seven generations of ancestors thereby receive deliverance and enter the way of transformation and rebirth.

Mantra for Offering Food to Sentient Beings

Diligently cultivate the methods of the Great Dao (the Way), communicating with the netherworld through a sincere heart. The true Shen (spirit) descends, causing demons and sprites to disperse and all traces of evil spirits to vanish.

May the seven generations of ancestors attain deliverance and enter the Southern Palace; may your body and mind ascend to Shangqing (the Highest Clarity, a pure immortal realm in Daoism). Since blessings are widely bestowed, offer the ritual food to all sentient beings.

Here “offering food” refers to using rituals and reciting mantras to give food to sentient beings, expressing the wish for the universal salvation of the deceased and beings of the netherworld.