《上清洞真智慧观身大戒文》

The Great Precept of Wisdom Contemplating the Body (the great precept of contemplating one’s own body, with wisdom as its foundation) has circulated far and wide, its radiance illuminating the Great Void, accumulating over more than thirty kalpas. The Yuanshi Tianwang (Primordial Heavenly King) received this precept text from the Taishang Gaosheng Daojun (Supreme High Sage Dao Lord). They then together ascended the Hall of Dongzhen (one of the Three Caverns), where they lectured on and recited the precept text before transmitting it to the Taiwei Tiandi (Heavenly Emperor of Taiwei) and the Taiji Gaoxian Tianwang (High Immortal Heavenly King of Taiji, the Supreme Ultimate). The precept text is passed down only by word of mouth and is not written in books.

When the Taiwei Tiandi received the precept, he recited:

The foundation of wisdom is originally without form,

its radiance shining brightly, surpassing the ten directions.

It condenses in the void, standing erect in the mysterious heavens,

all the heavens encircling its fragrance.

Its profundity is beyond thought;

in emptiness and stillness it communicates with all things, truly manifesting.

Where there is existence, there is a realm that does not belong to existence;

where there is non-existence, there is nothing that cannot be contained.

Wisdom constantly contemplates the body;

this is the foremost task for those who study the Dao (the Way).

In the remote and mysterious realm, allow it to follow nature,

and the natural Dao will collect and protect my Shen (spirit).

The Tianzun (Celestial Worthy) constantly bestows protection;

the Demon King also swears to protect.

The body is luminous like vajra,

standing transcendently before the Supreme.

Wisdom is the root of the precepts;

the true Dao takes the precepts as its mainstay.

The Three Treasures (the Dao, Jing (scriptures/classics), and masters revered in Daoism) arise from this,

and the high sages also honor and receive these precepts.

Aboard this boat of immortality,

in an instant one can ferry across into the realm of Great Existence.

When the precepts are proclaimed, all the heavens come to bow in homage.

Those who study the Dao must not kill living beings, not even the tiniest insects. They must not instruct others to kill living beings, nor instruct others to harm even the tiniest insects.

Those who cultivate the study of the Dao (the Way) must not incite others to kill living beings, including even the smallest crawling insects. They must not drink wine, nor must they incite others to drink. They must not speak frivolous or false words, sow discord, or fail to keep their word, nor incite others to do these things. They must not debauch the wives and daughters of the common people, nor incite others to do so. They must not steal the property of others, nor incite others to steal.

Those who cultivate the study of the Dao must not be jealous of the worthy and able, nor incite others to jealousy of the worthy. They must not forget kindnesses rendered or turn their backs on their teachers and elders, nor incite others to abandon their teachers. They must not be disloyal to those in authority, nor incite others to disloyalty. They must not deceive or withhold the truth from those under them, nor incite others to deceive their subordinates. They must not deceive or mislead fellow cultivators who have not yet understood the principles, nor incite others to do so. They must not despise or treat their disciples with neglect, nor incite others to slight disciples.

Those who cultivate the study of the Dao must not speak words of kindness outwardly while cherishing malice within, nor incite others to such behavior. They must not spread abroad the faults and evil deeds of others, nor incite others to do so. They must not greedily accumulate stores of gold, silver, jewels and other valuables while refusing to give alms to the four classes (the four types of people in the Daoist cultivation community), nor incite others to do so. They must not covet the money and miscellaneous goods of others in order to appropriate them for themselves, nor take the faults of others as their own heavy burden.

Those who cultivate the Dao (the Way) should not incite others to covet other people's money, wealth, and miscellaneous possessions, treating these things as their own heavy burden. They should not collect knives, swords, or weapons, nor should they teach others to collect them. They should not raise the six domestic animals (cattle, horses, sheep, chickens, dogs, pigs, and similar livestock), nor should they teach others to raise them. They should not use vessels of gold and silver for eating and drinking, nor should they arrange lavish burials for their remains after death, and still less should they teach others to do so. They should not greedily cling to glory, luxury, and official salaries, nor should they teach others to cling to them. They should not burn any worldly objects, nor should they teach others to burn them. They should not throw edible items into water or fire, nor should they teach others to do so. They should not greedily crave worldly delicacies, nor should they teach others to crave them; they should not greedily consume the five pungent vegetables (typically scallions, garlic, chives, shallots, asafetida, and similar aromatic vegetables), nor should they teach others to consume them greedily. They should not write in cursive script on behalf of others, nor should they teach others to write in cursive for people. They should not exchange coarse or inferior items for others' fine things, nor should they teach others to do so. They should not inquire into or participate in military and national affairs, nor should they teach others to do so. They should not devise plots, schemes, or stratagems, nor should they teach others to do so. They should not seek an audience with the Son of Heaven or with princes and lords without cause, nor should they teach others to do so. They should not presumptuously speculate on heavenly timings or discuss the stars and constellations, nor should they teach others to do so. They should not set fires to burn fields and mountain forests, nor should they teach others to do so.

Those who cultivate the Dao (the Way) should not pick the flowers of various plants and trees without cause, nor should they instruct others to do so. They should not associate closely with wicked people, nor should they instruct others to associate with the wicked.

They should not set fires to burn fields and mountain forests, nor should they fell trees without reason; they should not incite others to do these things.

They should not speak too much among crowds or involve themselves in worldly affairs, nor should they instruct others to do so. They should not eat alone amid a crowd, nor should they instruct others to do so.

They should not interfere in the marriage affairs of the world, nor should they instruct others to interfere. They should not learn worldly songs, dances, and entertainments, nor should they instruct others to learn them.

They should not disclose others' hidden faults and private unseemly matters, nor should they instruct others to disclose them. They should not demand without grounds to examine others' letters, nor should they instruct others to do so.

They should not converse or travel alone with women. When traveling with a woman, a suitable companion should be present. Men and women should not sit together alone; even in gatherings of many people, they should not sit intermingled with women. They should not eat with women or exchange clothing with them, nor should they personally teach women.

They should not discuss whether others' ancestors were good or evil, nor should they excessively praise people of the world to their faces.

They should not throw poison into deep ponds, rivers, or the sea.

Practitioners of Daoism must not incite others to throw poison into deep pools, lakes, or rivers and seas.

They must not associate only with their own clan nor distance themselves from people of different surnames; they must not teach others to abort or harm fetuses, nor teach others to abandon their families or break up households. They must not take revenge on others out of resentment, nor enter into improper romantic relationships with disciples.

They must not gather crowds without cause, nor incite others to do so; they must not write letters flattering people of the world, nor incite others to do so. They must not inflate their own status, nor teach others to inflate their own status; they must not become arrogant and self-satisfied, nor teach others to become arrogant and self-satisfied.

They must not be self-righteous and act willfully, nor teach others to do so. They must not arbitrarily establish numerous taboos, nor teach others to do so; they must not covet other people or their possessions, nor teach others to covet.

They must not drain ponds, reservoirs, and other water sources dry, nor teach others to do so. They must not comment on the relative talents and abilities of teachers and friends, must not treat Jing (scriptures) lightly or slander proper teachings, nor incite others to do so.

They must not look down upon or despise the elderly or the sick, nor teach others to do so; they must not abandon or look down upon beggars.

Those who cultivate the study of the Dao (the Way) must not teach others to look down upon, shun, or disdain beggars; they must not rely on power and influence to bully the people of the world, nor teach others to do so; they must not show favoritism toward those close to them, nor teach others to be partial.

They must not separate from their parents to establish a household of their own, nor teach others to do so; they must not harbor resentment toward their disciples, nor rebuke people of the world; they must not insult others by calling them slaves or beasts, nor brand characters upon the faces of slaves or inflict injury upon their bodies.

They must not take pleasure in the faults of others, nor teach others to do so; they must not frequently impose levies and circulate proclamations, thereby disturbing the world; they must not preside over ceremonies on behalf of lay people; they must not survey mountain configurations or select sites for the building of houses for others; they must not divine the auspicious and inauspicious affairs of the world, nor teach others to practice such divination.

They must not arbitrarily change their course of action or direction in order to seek advantage or avoid harm, nor teach others to do so; they must not mingle indiscriminately with worldly people, nor pay visits to persons of rank without cause; they must not ride in carriages or on horseback; they must not seize what others desire; they must not rush about in pursuit of worldly fashions and compete with people of the world; they must not take part in secular celebrations and mourning rites merely to please the multitude.

They must not conceal the merits and reputation of others, attributing the accomplishments to themselves; they must not sleep upon beds inlaid with gold and jade and carved with ornate decoration; they must not dine together with famous persons, nor follow their tastes and preferences; they must not employ absurd speech to proclaim that disaster is imminent, thereby alarming the common people.

In the original text the formula “those who study the Dao must not…” is repeated many times, and there are several instances of repetition or suspected textual corruption or omission; the foregoing is a combined interpretation of the identifiable precepts.

Those who study the Dao (practitioners of Daoism) must not frighten ordinary people with talk of disasters and calamities, falsely claiming that someone is about to meet with decline and misfortune. They must not startle birds and beasts or drive them into a desperate situation with no escape. They must not frighten the elderly and children without cause, nor look down upon or bully officials and those who manage public affairs.

They must not intervene in worldly disputes over right and wrong. They must not, after conferring a kindness, pursue or harass the recipient (the original phrase “shi hui zhui sao” is somewhat unclear in meaning). They must not wander about without restraint, nor casually climb high towers. They must not capture and confine flying birds and running beasts, nor block wells, ditches, and ponds.

They must not take malicious pleasure when another household suffers a death or calamity. They must not lay thorns across a path that others must travel, nor incite others to do so.

They must not offer sacrifices to deities, nor incite others to sacrifice. They must not bow in worship to spirits and ghosts, nor incite others to worship. They must not expose the body beneath the Three Luminaries of sun, moon, and stars, nor scold the wind and rain without cause.

They must not take or transfer others’ property without returning it to the creditor (the original “huan ju ren wu” is of uncertain meaning). They must not encroach upon or damage others’ property. They must not persuade others to do evil, nor prevent others from doing good. Those who study the Dao must not fail to perform good deeds (the original sentence reads “Dao xue bu ren wei shan shi,” and the meaning may contain omissions or errors).

On the fasting days of the various heavens, they should observe the fast and concentrate single-mindedly on reciting the Dao. The six fasting days of the year and the monthly fasting periods must likewise not be violated. They must not violate the liturgies (Keyi), precepts, and prohibitions set forth in the scriptures and teachings. They must not compose legal documents or lawsuit texts on behalf of others.

They must not publicize or discuss the evil deeds of others, nor lightly believe others’ words and thereby bring disaster upon the world. They must not mock the foolish, ignorant, or poor. They must not arbitrarily add to or delete from scriptures and precepts. They must not treat the Three Treasures (Dao, Jing, and Shi) with arrogance, nor slight the celestial deities and the people of the world. They must not advise others to rebel against their rulers and superiors or to betray their teachers, nor advise them to be unfilial to their parents or to abandon their brothers.

Students of the Dao (the Way) must not boast of themselves or arbitrarily claim the title of Zhenren (Perfected Person). They must not put their faith in the miscellaneous techniques of heterodox paths or in improper views. They must not greedily accumulate clothing so that they possess more than they need. They must not compel others to enter the Dao and pursue its study. They must not, lacking any basis in the Jing (scriptures), pretend to be engaged in cultivation and thereby deceive both people and the gods.

The foregoing belong to the Guanshen Jie (Precepts for Observing the Body), which are precepts for examining and restraining one’s own conduct. From the first precept through the one hundred and eightieth they constitute the way of the superior immortals and are known as the Yuqing Zhihui Xiayuan Jiepin (Jade Clarity Wisdom Lower Origin Precept Categories).

Students of the Dao should not expect others to bow to them or show them respect. They must not privately copy the scriptures and precepts of others. They must not decorate coarse cloth Daoist robes with luxurious ornaments. When the body is unclean they should not ascend a high seat to recite the scriptures. When walking together with fellow practitioners they should let others go ahead. In summer, when studying together with fellow practitioners, they should voluntarily take charge of lighting the fire and cooking in order to provide for everyone; in winter, when studying together, they should voluntarily fetch water for everyone to drink. When eating together with fellow practitioners they should consume coarse food and vegetables and should take their food from in front of their own seat. When cultivating and studying together with fellow practitioners they should respect those whose cultivation and knowledge surpass their own; when dwelling together they should follow the arrangements made by others. They should attend carefully to the teacher’s instructions and, where they do not understand, should inquire of senior or more experienced fellow practitioners.

If others have done them harm and they have endured it, they should not harbor resentment; they must not keep resentment in their hearts and later seek an opportunity to retaliate. When speaking with a woman they should not gaze directly at her face nor face her with a smile; when crossing water together with a woman they should not look at her squarely. When something is lost they should not suspect fellow students or others; they should let matters take their natural course and reflect upon their own past faults. If they are afflicted with many illnesses and misfortunes they should rectify themselves, be respectful and introspective, resolve to correct past errors, and compensate for them through future cultivation.

Those who cultivate the study of the Dao (the Way) should endure what others find difficult to endure, relinquish what others find difficult to relinquish, wear clothing that others find difficult to wear, eat food that others find difficult to swallow, learn what others find difficult to learn, accommodate people and affairs that others find difficult to accommodate, bear circumstances that others find difficult to bear, and cut off desires that others find difficult to cut off.

Those who cultivate the study of the Dao, if without scriptures and regular practices of cultivation, will find their spirit scattered and disordered, and the true intention difficult to penetrate. When the body is impure, the hun and po souls readily fall into conflict and dispersion; when the mind harbors attachments, the Qi (vital energy) of heavenly innocence recedes far away, and the demonic officials no longer submit. Burdened by household and family, the Three Poisons of greed, anger, and ignorance become difficult to eradicate, and the Three Perfected (the three true spirits or true Qi of which Daoism speaks) cannot dwell in peace; clinging to the physical body, the various desires become difficult to remove, and sincere contemplation finds it hard to obtain a response. One should empty the mind and abide in stillness and silence so that the state of mind accords with the true Dao; stabilize the Mysterious Spring (a term of Daoist internal cultivation referring to the deep origin or the seat of essence and Qi within the body) and not allow it to stir recklessly, thereby nourishing the primordial Qi of life; and further eliminate discriminating thoughts and clinging views, so that the Zhenren (the realized person who has attained the Dao) may appear.

The above constitutes the content of the Guanshen Jie (Precepts on Contemplating the Body), from the first through the two hundred and sixteenth, belonging to the unsurpassed orthodox true Dao and named the Yuqing Zhihui Zhongyuan Jiepin (Jade Clarity Wisdom Middle Origin Precept Category).

Those who cultivate the study of the Dao should constantly take vegetables as their food; they should first think of delivering others and only then seek their own liberation; they should constantly think of dwelling in the secluded quiet of mountain forests and concentrate on cultivation; they should be content with poverty, reciting the jing (scriptures) and practicing the methods of the Dao without slackening; they should burn various precious incenses so that the fragrance rises to the various heavens and pervades the demonic realms; among virtuous fellow cultivators they should listen to and receive subtle and marvelous teachings; they should respectfully request the scriptures and recite and practice without slackening; they should respectfully request, receive, and uphold the precious jing of the Three Caverns (Dongzhen, Dongxuan, Dongshen), diligently cultivating themselves, upholding and making offerings; they should establish merit and deliver the multitude, never slackening even until the kalpa is exhausted; they should repay the former kindnesses of teachers and friends, never slackening even until the kalpa is exhausted; they should also hope that the realm may be tranquil, that the sovereign may implement moral transformation, and that all under heaven may be at peace, so that every person may practice the Dao.

Those who cultivate Daoism should hold this thought in their hearts: live in peace with neighboring countries, each guarding their own borders. They should recite incantations and pray that the common people enjoy peace and constantly remain secure. They should place the myriad things before themselves and not put themselves first. They should treat ghosts and spirits with respectful distance: neither slighting them nor offering excessive veneration. They should keep far from heterodox arts and all manner of forbidden techniques. They should keep far from entertainment arts such as music, sensual beauty, song, and dance. They should keep far from those who hastily imitate ghosts and spirits and propagate wild, false teachings.

They should honor the root and hold fast to the true Dao (the Way). They should ensure that what they say with their mouths does not contradict their inner hearts, and that their inner hearts do not fail their own conduct. They should harbor no doubts toward the scriptures (Jing) of the sages and the precepts and liturgical codes (Keyi), nor arbitrarily add to or subtract from them. They should be without seeking and without desire. They should be pure and upright, firmly maintaining chaste oneness. They should keep the mind free of mixed thoughts, dwelling only in a state of empty stillness and quietude.

They should pray that every household be at peace, free from all suffering. They should pray that those in the world who encounter distress, who are entangled in guilt, and whose anguish is hard to resolve, may all have their hardships dissolved. They should pray that the Son of Heaven be sagely and enlightened, his heart free of selfish desire, that he promote the Daoist teaching so that the imperial enterprise flourishes day by day; and also pray that the sovereign’s assisting ministers promote the true Way, constantly preserving clarity in government. They should pray that Heaven and Earth operate normally, that the sun and moon shine as usual, and that wind, rain, frost, and snow all arrive in their proper seasons.

They should gratefully remember the kindness and karmic affinity of the parents who raised them. They should pray that seven generations of ancestors and their parents may all ascend to heaven. They should pray that their own master soon attain the Dao and ascend in liberation. They should keep in mind fellow students who have not yet fathomed the profound mysteries of the Dao and the standards of the scriptures, and pray that those of like aspiration teach one another and lead them onto the true path. They should not go against the scriptural teachings they themselves recite.

They should regard others’ parents as their own parents, others’ children as their own children, and others’ bodies as their own bodies. When others are harmed and feel pain, they should feel it as if they themselves were wounded and in pain; when others suffer insult and malicious treatment, they should likewise empathize as if they themselves were insulted.

Those who cultivate the methods of the Dao (the Way) should constantly visualize as follows. They should think that the karmic affinities of their previous lives have already been severed. They should think that the root of their embryonic birth has been cut off, so that they will no longer be reborn into the world nor form ties with worldly relatives. They should think that when others are wounded they ought to feel the pain as if they themselves were suffering it. They should think that when others suffer humiliation and mistreatment they should regard it as if they themselves were being insulted and harmed. They should think that the karmic affinities of previous lives have already been severed and that the root of embryonic birth has likewise been cut off, so that they no longer take rebirth in the world or associate with kinsfolk. They should think that the tree of their life has already withered and that their Shen (spirit) has united with Taiwu, the formless and imageless primordial origin; after passing through countless kalpas they will finally unite with the Dao and become true. They should think that the road to the Three Paths—hell, hungry ghosts, and animals—has been blocked and that the sufferings of hell have thereby ceased forever. They should think of nourishing the Shen with a moderate diet and of abandoning overly rich and greasy foods. They should think of carefully maintaining “Taiba” (a term whose precise referent in the original remains unclear) and of constantly visualizing the Zhenren Zidan in the Three Palaces, the inner deities so designated in Daoist terminology. They should think of exhorting the people of the world and of dwelling in harmony with the secular without arrogance. They should think of holding the Three Treasures, observing the Jing (scriptures) and precepts, and reciting them constantly without interruption. They should think of visualizing the Ci Yi (Female One of Daoist contemplative practice) and, when reciting the Dadong Jing (Scripture of the Great Cavern), of concentrating the mind as if the divine true one were present before them. They should think of ascending to immortality and transcending the world, riding clouds and driving dragons. They should think of meeting with teachers, Dao companions, and fellow students. They should think of seeing Zhenren and Daoist priests cultivating themselves and performing Keyi (liturgy). They should think of the sage king governing the world, of people from overseas also bowing in submission and riding the wind to receive instruction. They should think of enjoying food naturally provided by the heavenly kitchen, with no remaining thought of hunger or thirst. They should think of sitting opposite the Tianzhen (celestial True Persons) in quiet detachment and dwelling in Wuwei (non-action). They should think of being attended by immortal youths and jade maidens. They should think of traveling east to Qinglin and Donghua. They should think of traveling south to Taidan and Nanhua. They should think of traveling west to Anyang and Xihua. They should think of traveling north to Biluo and Beihua. They should think of traveling to the northeast, of aiding ordinary men and women, of transmitting to them the teachings that encourage goodness and warn against evil, of guiding them into the northeastern gate so that they may enter the realm of Wuwei.

The repeated expression “those who study the Dao should contemplate” reminds practitioners to cultivate through visualization and conceptual reflection: they must cut off attachment to the karmic connections of worldly birth and death while also fostering compassion, observance of precepts, and the exhortation of others to goodness, and they must visualize themselves uniting with the Dao and delivering the people of the world.

Daoist practitioners should visualize themselves traveling through the southeast, aiding the local people, both men and women, teaching them to practice goodness and observe the precepts, and guiding them to enter the southeastern gate so that they may form a bond with the Dao (the Way).

They should visualize themselves traveling through the southwest, aiding the local people, both men and women, instructing them in exhortations and precepts, and guiding them to enter the southwestern gate so that they may enter the Dao of Wuwei (non-action)—the state of according with the Great Dao and not acting recklessly.

They should visualize themselves traveling through the northwest, aiding the local people, both men and women, instructing them in exhortations and precepts, and guiding them to enter the northwestern gate so that they may ascend into the realm of Supreme Perfection.

They should visualize themselves traveling through immortal realms such as Qinlang Terrace and Kunlun.

They should visualize themselves going to the Zhai Hall (the site for holding purification rites and instructional ceremonies), expounding the sacred Dao and elucidating its profound and subtle principles.

They should visualize themselves traveling to the Golden Palaces of Shangqing (the golden palatial halls of Shangqing Heaven), paying audience to the Perfected Ones and the Most High.

They should visualize themselves traveling to Yulun.

They should visualize themselves going to the Zhai Hall to expound the sacred Dao and elucidate its profound and subtle principles.

They should visualize themselves traveling to the Golden Palaces of Shangqing, paying audience to the Perfected Ones and the Most High.

They should visualize themselves traveling to the Seven Treasures Palace of Yuqing, paying homage to the Three Primordial Celestial Worthies.

They should visualize themselves traveling to the Cinnabar Cloud Palace of Yuqing, paying homage to the Twenty-four High Saints of the Most High.

They should visualize themselves traveling to the Seven Treasures Flowing-Mist Terrace of the Jade Capital of the Most High; there, beneath the shade of the jade groves, they pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Most High and the Great Saints of the Ten Directions, who endure through successive kalpic cycles and remain eternally present.

They should visualize themselves traveling to the Purple Cloud Palace, paying homage to the Thirty-nine High Saints of Dongzhen (Cavern of Perfection).

They should visualize themselves traveling to the Golden Palaces of the Thirty-six Heavens, paying homage to the Celestial Emperor Lords.

They should visualize themselves traveling to the Golden Radiance Palaces of the Nine Heavens, paying homage to the Unsurpassed Supreme Perfected.

They should visualize themselves traveling through the palaces and dwellings of the various heavens, inquiring of the Dao and discussing the scriptures with the Perfected Ones.

They should visualize themselves traveling through the Seven Treasure palaces and temples of the Six Heavens. When the Great Demon Kings see my talismanic registers (the Fulu and name-registers that prove one’s identity as a practitioner), they will enroll me in the ranks of the immortals and declare that I have already been struck from the registers of the netherworld.

They should visualize themselves traveling to the palaces of the sun and moon, which shine with brilliant radiance; there they pay homage to the Kings of the Sun and Moon and drink the golden fluid transformed from the essence of sun and moon. When the Great Demon Kings see my talismanic registers, they will enroll me in the ranks of the immortals and declare that I have already been struck from the registers of the netherworld.

They should visualize themselves traveling to the palaces of the sun and moon, which shine with brilliant radiance; there they pay homage to the Kings of the Sun and Moon and drink the draught of golden fluid transformed from the essence of sun and moon.

They should visualize themselves traveling to the Flowing Radiance Palace of Great Brahma Heaven, paying homage to the Four Heavenly Sovereigns and listening to the lofty and wondrous sounds of the scriptures being chanted throughout the heavens.

They should visualize themselves traveling through the Seven Treasure groves of the various heavens, where numinous fragrance continually regenerates and sweet aroma spreads everywhere.

If the sound of lions and flying dragons beating their wings and letting out long cries comes against the wind from three thousand li away, the practitioner of the Dao (the Way) should visualize themselves roaming through the various heavens, bathing in the celestial pools, and then sitting peacefully upon lotus flowers. There the fragrance is pure and clean, and the waters of the celestial pools flow of their own accord; hundreds of thousands of celestial pools appear as one single place, and everyone is joyful and at ease.

The practitioner of the Dao should visualize themselves roaming through the various heavens, listening to the music and dances of heaven, without giving rise to worldly thoughts.

The practitioner of the Dao should visualize themselves roaming through the heavenly realms beyond the ten directions, paying homage to the Great Sage Xiangyuan Shangzheng Zhenren.

The practitioner of the Dao should visualize themselves going to the Wuji Jingang Heavenly Palace below, paying homage to the various elder Zhenren.

The practitioner of the Dao should visualize themselves going to the famous mountains, hidden palaces, and cavern chambers between heaven and earth, paying homage to the host of sages as well as those who attained the Dao before.

The practitioner of the Dao should direct the heart toward the Dao, never giving rise to heterodox views or miscellaneous thoughts; one should make the inner mind empty, peaceful, and at ease, without thinking or deliberating, calmly contemplating emptiness and stillness.

The practitioner of the Dao should guard the secret names of the celestial true Shen (spirits) and deities, not allowing them to be spoken from one’s own mouth.

The above constitutes the “Precepts for Contemplating the Body.” Starting from the article that reads “direct the heart toward the Dao, never giving rise to heterodox views or miscellaneous thoughts; one should make the inner mind empty, peaceful, and at ease, without thinking or deliberating, calmly contemplating emptiness and stillness,” through the three hundred precept texts mentioned later, these belong to the Most High Wuji Dao, and are named the “Gaoshang Yuqing Wisdom Shangyuan Precepts Category.”

Yuanshi Tianwang said: “The Gaoshang Dongzhen Wisdom Jing (scripture) is not publicly preached to scholars of the mundane world. Those able to transmit this scripture have for the most part already attained authenticity; even if people of the world have an opportunity to see it, they find it difficult to understand thoroughly, so this scripture rarely appears in the world. These precepts are honored and solemn, and must not be spoken of casually. Practitioners of the Dao visualize and thoroughly examine the Shen within their own bodies together with the three hundred joints, so that the true spiritual forces do not leave the body of their own accord, and thus demonic evils cannot invade. Those who receive, hold, and recite these precepts and observe the prohibitions contained therein, even if they no longer cultivate other methods, can travel forth riding the clouds. Azure-colored carriages will come of themselves to receive them; the person ascends to heaven in broad daylight, the body floating and wandering in empty space, a circular halo appearing atop the head, its radiance illuminating Taiwu (the vast emptiness spoken of in Daoism), commanding the sagely hosts of the heavenly realms; there is none who dares not revere you. At this time the Great Demon Kings of the Six Heavens will recommend the one who keeps the precepts to the Donghua Palace; the Donghua Palace then reports their name upward to the Great Brahma Heavenly Palace, which in turn reports it to the Jade Capital Golden Towers, and records them in the ranks of the higher immortals.”

The Celestial King of Primordial Beginning (Yuanshi Tianwang) said: “Recite the Scripture of the Great Cavern (Dadong Zhenjing) ten thousand times and a cloud chariot will descend, conveying one to the Eastern Flower Palace. The Eastern Flower Palace is also called the Great Brahma Heavenly Palace, which is likewise known as the Jade Capital Golden Towers, and there the practitioner is enrolled among the ranks of the highest immortals.”

The Celestial King of Primordial Beginning further said: “Recite the Scripture of the Great Cavern ten thousand times and a cloud chariot will descend to welcome one. Yet the Lingbao Scripture of the Cavern of Mystery (Lingbao Dongxuan Jing) contains passages that enable one to transcend kalpic calamities. Some people practice according to these texts yet fail to become immortals and cannot even refine the Golden Elixir (Jindan) and numinous liquid. Why is this? Because they have not cultivated and observed the Precepts of Wisdom Contemplating the Body (Zhihui Guanshen Jie), precepts for contemplating one’s own form and restraining body and mind. These precepts are the most subtle of all wondrous methods, their awe-inspiring spiritual power most exalted; nine hundred Golden Flower Immortals stand in attendance, burning incense in protection. This is a truly secret transmission of the Dao (the Way) that cannot be written down for instruction but can only be recited and practiced in accordance with it.

“Those who study the Dao, if they do not receive and uphold this precept, will ultimately be unable to become immortals. Some generate evil karma and indulge in sounds and colors; some begin diligently but later grow slack; some enter the mountains to cultivate or practice at home yet are tested by various demonic obstacles and thus fail; some give rise to heterodox thoughts and become doubtful of the true scriptures; some return to secular life and lose the mind of seeking the Dao; some slight teachers and friends and insult fellow practitioners; some suddenly become mentally deranged with disordered temperament; some, greedy for wealth and lustful, instead despise the Three Treasures (the Dao, the scriptures, and the teachers as venerated in Daoism); some suffer impoverished households with successive grudges and disputes; some frequently have nightmares, chaotic miscellaneous thoughts, and a spirit that is sorrowful and depressed.

“These misfortunes all arise because there are no great precepts to restrain and stabilize the mind-spirit. The Three Poisons (greed, anger, and ignorance) are as filthy as floating corpses, and the mind-spirit together with the five viscera (five palaces) can all perceive these afflictions. The Demon King will not strike the names of the deceased from the registers of the Ququ Palace of the netherworld (the underworld palace that administers the dead); thus the practitioner cannot transcend the Three Realms and ascend to the ranks of immortals.”

The Primordial Heavenly King (Yuanshi Tianwang), a venerated Daoist deity, said: This set of precepts was transmitted and revealed by numinous immortals. Immortals in heaven, on earth, and among the famous mountains should all observe and practice them with reverence. On the first and fifteenth days of the lunar month, the Eight Seasonal Nodes (the festivals of Beginning of Spring, Spring Equinox, Beginning of Summer, Summer Solstice, Beginning of Autumn, Autumn Equinox, Beginning of Winter, Winter Solstice, and so forth), the Benming Yuanchen (days connected with the heavenly stems and earthly branches of one’s own birth), and the fasting days of the various heavens, fellow teachers and disciples of the same lineage should enter a quiet chamber together and expound the precepts once through. They begin by making obeisance to the Ten Directions, bowing once toward each direction. On the day when the precepts are heard and preached, the various heavens likewise each perform their own rites of reverence.

A disciple who wishes to receive and uphold this set of precepts should prepare five liang of gold as a token of faith offered to the Five Emperors, and ten zhang of cinnabar brocade as a pledge of oath to the Ten Directions. After the covenant of receiving the precepts has been formed, the precepts must not be divulged. The recipient is to serve the master who transmits the precepts and, after three days of fasting and purification, concentrate wholeheartedly on realizing the essential meaning of the precepts. On the evening of receiving the precepts, ten lamps are to be lit as offerings to the Great Sages of the Ten Directions, thereby making one’s sincerity evident.

If wind, rain, thunder, and lightning are violent at the time of receiving the precepts, the ceremony is not suitable to be held. One should undertake fasting and purification once more and compose oneself with reverence and solemnity. This is because such weather may disturb a person’s heart-mind and Shen (spirit).

After nine years of practicing the precepts, the divine candle naturally shines bright, the light of the sun and moon appears within the body, a golden countenance radiates from within, the complexion is as ruddy and full as that of a child, spiritual powers penetrate in all four directions, and one’s De (Virtue/Power) stands equal with that of the high immortals. By practicing this great set of precepts one can wash away worldly dust and defilement, ascend the Terrace of the Seven Treasures, ramble and gaze upon the Flowery Pond, and take shelter in the fragrant forest of returning life. Golden light is vivid and flourishing; even through successive kalpas one may still eternally enjoy the true realm of the Great Dao (the Way).

On one’s own natal day, at noon or at midnight, facing north, one recites the Taishang Huixuan Dapin Zhang (the Great Chapter of the Supreme Pacing the Mystery), thereby communicating with the Taishang of the Ten Directions.

The Heavenly Emperor of Grand Tenuity (Taiwei Tiandi), a venerated Daoist deity, said: This set of precepts is named the Zhihui Guanshen Jie (Wisdom Contemplation of the Body Precepts), also known as the Baoxian Lingwen (Numinous Text for Preserving Immortality).

The Heavenly Emperor of Taiwei said: This precept is named the Wisdom Contemplation of the Body Precepts, also called the Numinous Text for Preserving Immortality, and also the Supreme Dongzhen (Dongzhen) Life-Saving Spiritual Elixir. If one is not a person who accumulated merit in previous lives, with blessings continuing from generations of good deeds, they will ultimately not be allowed to see this precious secret text. Without the golden tablets and jade names of Donghua, they will also not encounter a teacher who transmits these precepts. Those able to practice it are destined to have hope of becoming immortal.

Having Jing (scriptures) but no precepts is like wanting to cross the sea without oars, or like having a mouth but no tongue—by what means then can one enable oneself to transcend? Those who study the Dao (the Way) and do not know to seek the classics, or who know to seek the classics but do not know to seek the precepts, have not yet grasped the true essential root. They remain long asleep without awakening, which is truly heartbreaking. One should weigh whether one has the capacity to practice it, and then receive the transmission with sincerity. Recipients of the precepts may orally transmit to only one person in nine hundred years, not exceeding one; transmitting to even one extra person constitutes leaking the precepts. The sin of leaking the precepts will implicate seven generations of ancestors, causing parents to be trapped in hell; oneself will then experience the Three Paths, Five Sufferings, and Eight Difficulties (the evil paths, sufferings, and calamities spoken of in Daoism), with kalpas cycling without cease, transmigrating into evil paths, and growing ever farther from becoming immortal. Karmic creditors and enemies will also seize the opportunity to come seeking, therefore everyone must cautiously uphold them.

The Heavenly Emperor of Taiwei further said: Those who dare to eavesdrop on the precepts will be scrutinized by various great demons and will certainly encounter great misfortune, without a doubt.

Disciples who uphold the precepts, if alone in fearsome places such as mountain forests, may strike the Heavenly Drum twelve times (that is, lightly tapping the head with the fingers, as a method in Daoism of visualizing Shen (spirit) and praying for protection), and contemplate the precept spirits in the mind. The precept spirits will provide protection in three layers, causing demons, ghosts, and monsters to dare not approach; blessings and virtue will also accompany one's person, and the good spirits of the various heavens will each come to protect. Original karmic creditors and enemies will all give rise to minds of compassion.

The Taiwei Heavenly Emperor (Taiwei Tiandi, a venerated celestial deity) said: “When I first began cultivating the Dao (the Way), I knew only to request scriptures, yet I did not know to seek out and observe the precepts, and thus I passed through countless kalpas of cyclic birth and death. The Most High (Taishang, the Daoist honorific for the supreme deity) took pity on my aspiration to seek the Dao, and the High Sage likewise lamented my unceasing perseverance, telling me: ‘You study with such diligence, yet you do not know to uphold the Great Precepts for Contemplating the Body (Guanshen Dajie, precepts whose essential purport is to contemplate one’s own person and restrain body and mind). How then can you become an immortal?’

“I therefore kowtowed for three thousand days beneath the Golden Palace (Jinque, a heavenly palace). Seeing my sincerity, the Most High transmitted the essential precepts to me. I upheld and cultivated them, and within nine years a cloud chariot came to receive me, while the Perfected Ones of the Three Realms and Ten Directions assembled in the realm of mysterious emptiness. Therefore those who study the Dao should take the precepts as foremost and honor the tenets of the Daoist tradition. The related methods should be practiced and recited until they are thoroughly familiar upon the tongue. The ancient sages stored them away as treasures, and only now have they been written out in full; those who now observe these precepts should likewise do so, and not allow the writings to become vulgarized among ordinary people.”

Hymn of the Bright Lamp of the Most High

Before the lamp is lit, this text should always be recited first; it is not recited only at the time of receiving the precepts. Gently knock the teeth three times, without letting bystanders hear the sound; all knocking of the teeth should be performed in this manner.

The Most High disseminates brightness throughout the Ten Directions,

the light of the splendid lamps conveys a heart of utmost sincerity.

All the heavens shine in this way,

the great earth too is bright in every place.

My body likewise radiates throughout,

the Five Viscera (the five internal organs of traditional lore) generate luminous splendor.

The flames of light illuminate the Great Void (Taiwu, the vast emptiness),

thoughts reach afar to Jade Purity (Yuqing, the Qingwei heavenly realm of Daoist cosmology).

The elixir Jing is entrusted to the Great Void,

mysterious yang (the mysterious yang Qi) manifests in empty space.

The root of affliction contained in the physical form is eliminated,

the mind-spirit is profound and mysterious, visualizing the realm of ultimate truth.

Floral light hangs down, yet it is not truly existent;

only through the aggregation of causes and conditions does the form of light appear.

My body is likewise thus,

riding upon transformation and entrusted to the flowing brightness.

Nocturnal light reveals the yang elixir (the yang Jing-Qi accomplished through internal cultivation),

illuminating from afar the spirit chamber (the inner dwelling visualized in the practice of concentrating the spirit).

All the heavens universally manifest brightness,

every darkness instantly dissipates.

My mind-spirit likewise becomes keen and lucid,

constantly experiencing wisdom and luminous insight.

Roaming freely in accordance with the movement of the Dao,

one allows change and migration, following the current of the Heavenly Dao.

The body soars into the air as if entering a secluded and profound grotto-heaven; the lamps lit at night shine with brilliant radiance, their light flowing in splendor.

The Heavenly Emperor of Grand Subtlety (Taiwei Tiandi) said: If one merely lights the lamps in vain without knowing to recite this Jing (scripture), then the Demon Palaces of the Six Heavens (the demonic realms in Daoism that disturb those cultivating the Dao) will only seize one's life after death; the various heavens of the eight directions will not send Jade Boys and Jade Maidens (heavenly attendants) and Flying Celestial Perfected Ones (Zhenren who can fly up to the heavenly realms) to descend to your side. The Ten Directions and Three Realms (the various heavenly realms and the worlds of sentient beings they govern) will not register your immortal name in the Southern Palace of Eastern Efflorescence, nor will they allow your seven generations of ancestors (seven ancestral generations) to obtain the way of transformational birth, that is, the opportunity for deliverance and rebirth.

The Heavenly Emperor of Grand Subtlety said: Those who cultivate the Dao, if they do not uphold the Great Precepts of Contemplating the Body, even if they recite the Jing ten thousand times and live in seclusion in the mountain forests, it is still to be feared that they can hardly hope to ascend as immortals. If one can fully observe the precepts in the inner mind and act with humility and reserve in outer affairs, perhaps there is hope of reaching a numinous and wondrous realm. Cultivating the Dao and ascending is not difficult; what is difficult is upholding the precepts. If you can keep the precepts perfectly, I, this Most High of the Ten Directions, will protect and support you in ascending as an immortal. After keeping the precepts perfectly, if one then recites the precious Jing and wears the Fulu (talismans and registers) of the Great Dao, and still cannot become an immortal, then there would truly be a way of immortality and deathlessness under heaven.

What I lament is that genuine seekers of the Dao are rare in the world. People of the latter days mostly advertise themselves with flashy empty names, and it is rare to see those who harbor a sincere heart of Dao and De (Virtue/Power); therefore the Three Treasures (Dao, Jing, and Master) remain hidden and unmanifest, and the sages also conceal themselves and do not appear. Is this because the Great Dao is not vast enough? As long as after receiving the precepts one can constantly uphold them, the Great Sages of the Ten Directions will naturally appear before you; even without further study, the immortal Dao can be accomplished. These words are not empty. I say this out of pity for those in the world who have the will to seek the Dao, hoping that when the causes and conditions ripen, one can encounter those who can be taught. You must encourage yourself and diligently uphold them. After the immortal Dao is accomplished, what joy can surpass it? Then one can roam freely in the Jade Capital of the Most High (the heavenly palaces spoken of in Daoism), wander at will and at ease in the natural realms, enjoy boundless joy before the Most High, and it will not cease even after passing through ten thousand kalpas. This realm indeed cannot be fully expressed by written words.

The Perfected One of Taiji (Supreme Ultimate) said: “I once heard Taishang say: Reciting the cavern scriptures of the Three Treasures—Dao (the Way), Jing (scripture/classic), and Shi (Master)—yet failing to observe the great precepts, how then can the various mysteries of the immortal Dao be achieved? These precepts are therefore transmitted only by word of mouth and are not written down in the scriptures; if they are not observed, one will in the end only wander alone, far removed from the garden of the Three Treasures. Unless one possesses from a former life the root of immortality, or unless one’s ancestors have accumulated blessings and virtue through successive generations, with good affinities stretching on, and have secretly amassed lasting merit, how would one ever come to know of and take joy in cultivating the Taishang Precepts for Contemplating the Body?

Those who are able to carry out these precepts may become a great ritual master of Taishang and a patriarchal teacher of the Three Treasures. The beings of the ten directions will all honor you in the heavens above the clouds, and the host of immortals will guide you toward Donghua. In the very act of sitting upright you will be able to summon the celestial demons and their kings; they will submit the talismanic commands on your behalf, causing your name to be entered in the Quanqu Mansion of the Three Realms and the Six Heavens (the underworld bureau that examines matters of life and death). Neither the Lord of Mount Tai nor the Earth Official will any longer keep a register listing you as one who must die; your immortal name will thereby be firmly established in the Azure Palace (the eastern realm of the immortals). In time you will become a high immortal of the Jade Capital and a Perfected One of Taishang.”

The Perfected One of Taiji (Supreme Ultimate) further said: “The key to cultivating the Dao is that one’s actions conform to the precepts that exist in the unseen, and that one accumulate sufficient good deeds in the inner heart, only after which one may begin to enter the realm of the Great Dao. Those who cannot do so are merely expending futile effort in the dusty world, of no avail for prolonging life or for the cultivation of body and mind. The Dao resides in oneself and does not depend upon others. If the four virtues of loving-kindness, magnanimity, forbearance, and yielding can be practiced, one is already near the Dao.

Diligence combined with faith, completing what one undertakes, being able to remonstrate and correct errors, and being able to renounce craving for sensual beauty and for wine—these six practices likewise constitute standards of cultivation and can bring one close to the Perfected. When encountering slander, not hastily justifying oneself; being willing to defer to others; not coveting; being able to endure the unreasonable without contention; keeping distant from what is contrary to the Dao and to righteousness, and concealing oneself in a place of quietude; not violating one’s own conscience, not betraying the scriptures and the precepts, and not verbally vaunting one’s observance of the precepts—if these are accomplished, one may keep company with good deeds.”

Taiji Zhenren (a Perfected One in Daoist legend) said: The way of the precepts is solemn and mysterious. Fearing that people cannot sincerely believe in them, they should therefore be kept secret and not written out lightly. Thus the so-called “precept of not boasting in speech” and these eight precepts are all laws that take good conduct as a friend and exhort people toward goodness.

Taiji Zhenren further said: The way of the precepts is solemn and mysterious. Fearing that people cannot sincerely believe in them, they should therefore be kept secret and not written out lightly. For this reason the contents of the Wisdom Jing (scripture) cannot be fully revealed to those who have just entered upon the study of the Dao (the Way); they can only be transmitted orally. How could they be leaked at will? When the precepts are proclaimed, the celestial beings of the ten directions all join their palms and listen with reverence, and ghosts and spirits likewise pay homage. This being so, how can one treat the precepts one has heard with negligence?

Taiji Zhenren said: The ancients who cultivated the Dao sought profound stillness and tranquility. They settled the mind and Shen (spirit), contemplated the true Dao, and the inner heart naturally remained unperturbed by external things. Sitting in stillness and forgetting the self, they had already attained the realm of union with the true Dao, and so the cloud chariot came to receive them. Some rode the wind soaring through the void, driving dragons in flight, leaping up and ascending to Taiji (the Supreme Ultimate). Body and mind merged into the realm of empty stillness, relying on nothing external. Therefore their traces were unseen by people and the world did not know them. Those who know them are few, and those able to emulate them are still more precious. This is precisely what union with the true Dao means.

If teachers and friends set up regulations by means of deceitful words, that is not the law transmitted from high antiquity but something formulated by later students themselves. If a person studying the Dao sincerely requests a precious Jing (scripture), one should first examine this person. Only after confirming that he has truly understood may one report before Taishang (a Daoist deity of high rank) in the presence of the Jing and then deliver the Jing to him, enabling him to follow the text and put it into practice. This accords with the profound regulations and great laws of Taishang.

If one does not possess the talent and De (Virtue/Power) to propagate the Great Dao, how can one enable the seven ancestors (the ancestral lineage) to obtain verification and the ten directions (the worlds in all directions) to give recognition? How can one violate these laws? One should first carefully reflect and consider whether one can observe them. The Three Paths of hell (the realms of suffering spoken of in Daoism), the ten sufferings and eight difficulties—how can they be taken lightly? Thinking of these, fear will arise in the heart. Toward all the ways of worthiness and goodness one should cautiously and clearly observe the precepts, and blessings will come of themselves; if one violates the precept-mind, disasters will follow. Once suffering descends upon oneself it is hard to endure at every moment, still more so the sufferings of long kalpas after death.

The Perfected One of the Taiji (Supreme Ultimate) said: Whether it marks the end of a kalpa or the beginning of a new one, this precept is an unchanging principle. The ancients held that those who receive the precepts and put them into practice may, when they attain the Dao (the Way), sometimes manifest outwardly and sometimes remain hidden. For this reason, people of the world cannot judge how far a practitioner has actually advanced.

The people of high antiquity attained the Dao by draping a robe about themselves, sitting in stillness, and forgetting all stray thoughts. The Yellow Emperor Xuanyuan smelted and refined in his cauldron, and afterward a dragon came to welcome him. Thus they were able to see through the ten directions (the four cardinal directions, the intermediate directions, and above and below) and to transcend the Three Realms (the realm of desire, the realm of form, and the formless realm). Wang Qiao and Chisongzi rode purple clouds up to the heavenly court, and they too were people who had attained the Dao in this way. Such cases are too many to recount or record one by one. Is this not what people mean when they say, "Without study, the immortal path is accomplished of itself"?