《上清金匮玉镜修真指玄妙经》

The Supreme Lord of the Dao (Taishang Daojun, a venerated Daoist deity) assembled together with the host of celestial immortals and the true officials of the Three Realms in the Purple Empyrean Grove of the Jade Void Cavern of Highest Clarity. He proclaimed to the assembled immortals this Jing (scripture) that elucidates the essential keys of cultivating perfection, saying:

Beings of the lower world do not understand the correct Dao (the Way), and thus they commit all manner of sins, sinking without end. Those who have committed transgressions do not know how to wash away their faults; those who cultivate body and mind often stray from the correct Dao. As a result, evil paths proliferate everywhere, and the road leading to vitality is blocked off.

Now I proclaim to you these important principles, directly elucidating the essential purport of the mysterious and wondrous Great Dao, and transmit it to those who are pure, still, and sincere. By cultivating the body and nourishing life in accordance with this, one can bring peace and stability to the nation and harmony to the family. When cultivation is perfected and meritorious achievement is accomplished, one can transcend the Three Realms (the Realm of Desire, the Realm of Form, and the Formless Realm), rescue one’s ancestors, and cause blessings to extend continuously to one’s descendants. This secretly transmitted numinous chapter of the classic Jing (scripture)—you should listen to it with careful attention.

The Lord of the Dao said: Heaven and earth revolve and transform, and thus the ten thousand things are generated and flourish. Human beings bear the karmic affinities of the past and come into the world as causes and conditions converge. When father and mother unite, a person is thereby conceived. After the fetus has matured and primordial Qi (vital energy) is sufficient, Shen (spirit) descends from emptiness and stillness into the body.

Taiyi (the spirit that guards the human body) resides in the brain, guarding the Niwan (the upper palace of the head in Daoist teaching); Siming (the spirit that governs life) resides in the heart, receiving the root of life. Wuying dwells on the left, and Baiyuan is established on the right. The Three Perfected Ones and the Nine Palaces (the spirits within the human body and their dwellings) are each properly arrayed and complete. The liver stores the hun soul, the lungs store the po soul, the spleen stores will and intention, and the kidneys store Jing (essence) and Qi; the heart is the master that stores Shen, and Danyuan (the luminous Qi of the chief spirit in the heart) guards a person’s spirit.

The human body is formed in imitation of heaven and earth, bearing Yin on the back and embracing Yang in front; the Qi of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) interweaves and distributes, corresponding to the four seasons. The eyes are like the sun and moon, the hair like the stars, the eyebrows are called the Floral Canopy, and the head resembles Mount Kunlun. Palaces and towers are found throughout the body to house the spirit. Among the ten thousand things, human beings are the most honored and spiritually luminous.

Life originates from the Dao (the Way); human nature is endowed by the “One” (the fundamental reality manifested by the Dao). When the ten thousand things first arise, Shen is clear and still. Later the Qi of primal simplicity dissipates; people chase after the false and consume their true nature, and body and mind become turbid and disordered. Observe with a still mind oneself and external things: what is distant, and what is near? Only by holding to the Great Dao and preserving life can one turn toward the good and preserve original authenticity. The ignorant are driven by external things and only suffer in vain.

I transmit the correct teaching, encouraging only those of talent and virtue to diligently seek its meaning, to cultivate daily and nourish it at all times. If one can remove sins and defilements, lifespan may be extended; above, one may transcend the Three Realms (the realm of desire, the realm of form, and the formless realm); below, one may rescue the souls of the dead in the netherworld. Recitation, holding fast, worship, and chanting must all be maintained without interruption; do not lose one’s practice. When meritorious practice is complete, one will certainly attain long life.

A Daoist Jing (scripture) says: If the defilements of the heart can be removed, lifespan may be extended; above, one may transcend the Three Realms; below, one may rescue those in the netherworld. Recitation, holding fast, worship, and chanting must not be abandoned halfway. When meritorious practice is complete, one will certainly attain long life.

The Daoyan says: The heart is the master of the body and also the dwelling place of Shen (spirit). The Qi (vital energy), fluids, blood, and Jing (essence) within the body all come into harmony of their own as the mind settles.

When the Dao (the Way) of governance is generous and peaceful, the people become simple and settled; when the Dao of governance is elaborate and severe, the people grow weary and lose their proper state. Nourishing the heart is the same: one must be cautious in action, not letting arrogance grow, not indulging desire, not becoming complacent, and not sinking into pleasure. The greatest error is none other than the relentless pursuit of desire; the greatest misfortune is none other than not knowing contentment.

If one can rest content in one's lot, halt thoughts of greed, empty the heart and still the mind, and eliminate desire, then the root of original authenticity will be clear and stable, and the light of spiritual illumination will naturally appear. By having few thoughts and concerns in the heart and by not acting recklessly or willfully, one can gradually accord with the true Dao.

Dao (the Way) says: Jing (essence) and Qi (vital energy) exist by relying on the physical form, and the physical form is likewise filled by Jing and Qi. When the physical form is intact, Jing and Qi can be retained; when Jing and Qi are harmonious, the physical form can be preserved. Heaven and Earth take clear Qi and turbid Qi as the basis of their constitution; without Jing and Qi, Yin-Yang cannot operate. The sun and moon present different forms through brightness and darkness; without Jing and Qi, the Qi of Yin-Yang cannot unite.

Most plants and trees wither and decline, yet pines and cypresses alone remain flourishing for a long time, because their Jing and Qi are firm. Fish lose their vitality in drought; turtles and cranes can endure long without decay because their Jing and Qi are settled. The physical form is the dwelling that retains Jing and Qi, while Jing and Qi are the support by which the physical form is preserved. If one wishes the physical form to last long in the world, one must first nourish Jing and Qi. Jing and Qi that are vast and vigorous can fill the space between Heaven and Earth; Jing and Qi that condense and become numinous can transcend the dusty world. From this it can be known that Jing and Qi exist within the human body, and humans likewise live within Jing and Qi; all things of Heaven and Earth are generated from Jing and Qi.

Those skilled at nourishing Qi use it inwardly to nourish and protect the body and outwardly to resist evil. Ordinary people use Jing and Qi every day yet may not realize it. Those who understand this principle and cultivate it can achieve results in silence and stillness; they can resist hunger, cold, pathogenic Qi, and epidemics, and can also employ Jing and Qi to subdue venomous insects and poisonous creatures. All techniques and methods of protection take Jing and Qi as their foundation.

The method of nourishing Qi consists essentially in being cautious with speech and moderate in diet, restraining anger and suppressing desires; gathering in the senses and shutting the gates of craving, so that Jing and Qi continue unceasingly, existent as if nonexistent, and when they are employed one does not force them or exhaust them.

The method of nourishing and protecting the physical form consists essentially in drawing in one’s sharpness and harmonizing one’s radiance, regulating things before they become disordered. In ordinary times one remains stable without overexertion; after labor one still does not deplete one’s strength. When dwelling in stillness one is not disturbed by external things; even when disturbed one does not allow Jing and Qi to become chaotic. Outwardly there is regulation, nourishment, and supplementation; inwardly there is moistening, nourishment, and enhancement. When these are accomplished, the methods of nourishing the physical form and preserving Jing and Qi are complete.

The Dao (the Way) says: After a person’s physical form and original Qi (vital energy)—the energy upon which the activities of life depend—have taken shape together, one ought to nourish Jing (essence) and Shen (spirit). The crucial point of life’s transformations also lies here. When Jing is sufficient, Shen is vigorous; when Jing is depleted, Shen declines. Jing is able to gather and condense Shen, so that Shen is preserved; Shen is able to govern the physical form, so that the body remains stable. The kidneys are the place where Jing is stored; overuse will exhaust it, and therefore one should devote oneself to cherishing and restraining the Jing-Qi. The heart is the dwelling place of Shen; excessive expenditure of Shen leads to weariness, and therefore one should nourish it in quietude. Only through a still mind and single-minded concentration can one guard what is within. The scripture says that the true state of the ultimate Dao is profound and subtle, dim and silent; those who cultivate the Dao do not look outward or listen outward, but gather in the spirit and remain quiet, and the physical form will naturally become upright. One must be quiet and clear; do not weary the physical form, nor disturb the Jing-Qi. Reduce selfish thoughts and desires, and there is hope of longevity.

The Dao says: Methods originally have no fixed methods; principle ultimately returns to nature. The mind becomes disordered because of external circumstances, while the methods of cultivation arise from the mind. Rectify the physical form, do not disturb the Jing-Qi, reduce selfish thoughts and desires, and there is hope of longevity.

The Dao says: Methods originally have no fixed methods; principle ultimately returns to nature. The mind becomes disordered because of external circumstances, while the methods of cultivation arise from the mind. Methods of cultivation are established in order to remedy what has already been lost and to prevent problems from appearing before they have arisen. If someone has damaged the “Three Wonders” (the important fundamentals of cultivation referred to in the scriptures), one should first carry out restorative treatment; only after the restoration is complete may one continue to cultivate. To advance rashly in practice without having restored them will only be fruitless labor. The methods of restoration are set forth in detail, with their subtleties, in the Hunyuan; the sequential stages of cultivation are also fully clarified, with their essentials, in the Lingbao. Only when the previous stage of cultivation has already shown results may one enter the next stage; when the work is complete one can attain the true, and the level of the realm reached will be high or low according to each person’s practice.

Having only technical effort without De (Virtue/Power) easily leads to demonic obstacles and makes accomplishment difficult; possessing De and cultivating with perseverance, the immortal perfected ones will naturally come to support one. When good deeds are complete, auspiciousness follows of itself. Cultivation has its different emphases and also clear ranks: those who seek to become heavenly immortals should accumulate one thousand three hundred good deeds; those who seek to become earthly immortals should accumulate three hundred good deeds. Do what accords with principle and withdraw from what does not; do not take deviant or crooked paths, and even in solitude do nothing that deceives the heart. Accumulate good deeds and merit, treat the myriad things with a compassionate heart, be loyal and filial, live in harmony with kin and friends, rectify oneself and influence others by personal example, pity orphans and care for widows, respect the old and love the young; even insects and plants and trees should not be harmed at will. Such a person may be called a good person: people will respect him, the heavenly Dao will protect him, blessings and fortune will follow him, and all manner of evil influences will stay far away. Whatever he undertakes can succeed, and thus there is hope of becoming an immortal.

To cultivate the Dao (the Way), one must first still the thoughts of the mind and eliminate distracting thoughts. “Still” means not allowing any thoughts to arise; “eliminate” means letting all attachments subside. Then gather the Shen (spirit) and Qi (vital energy) and return them to the Qihai (the gathering place of breath in the lower abdomen), storing the breath in the Dantian (energy center) (the location of the body’s internal Qi mechanism as spoken of in Neidan (internal alchemy) cultivation). Practicing in this way, whatever one undertakes can be accomplished, and the way of the immortals becomes attainable.

To cultivate the Dao (the Way), one must first still the thoughts of the mind and eliminate distracting thoughts. “Still” means not allowing any thoughts to arise; “eliminate” means letting all attachments subside. Subsequently gather the Shen (spirit) and Qi (vital energy) and return them to the Qihai, storing the breath in the Dantian (energy center); nourish the original nature, preserve the true primordial essence, and peacefully enter a state of profound stillness. With prolonged cultivation in this manner, one naturally attains the corresponding realm.

Yuanshi Tianzun (a revered Daoist deity) sits quietly upon the seat of empty mystery as thirty-six thousand kinds of spiritual consciousness gather into the precious pearl. When cultivation reaches this stage, the two radiances of sun and moon (referring to the Qi of Yin-Yang) merge into one, and Shen and Qi intermingle in the “Cauldron of Ten Flowers”; the intentions of male and female unite, and Jing (essence) and Qi blend in the “Furnace of Five Qi.” Then the Jing-Qi transforms, and sound and breath change accordingly, opening and closing in operation within the “Gate of Xuanpin” (symbolizing the portal of Yin-Yang union and the coming and going of the Qi mechanism). One single-mindedly guards the breath and concentrates the Shen, refining them in the vessel of male-female union. In this way white hair naturally turns black, fallen teeth grow back, one returns to youth, longevity is extended, life is preserved, and the self unites with the Dao; ultimately one becomes as firm as heaven and earth and lasts as long as heaven and earth.

Daoist practitioners establish De (Virtue/Power) and accumulate merit through many forms of cultivation: refining Qi (vital energy), sitting in forgetfulness, cultivating authenticity, ingesting elixirs (methods of practice such as taking alchemical medicines), expounding the Jing (scriptures/classics), spreading teachings, assisting the state, and delivering the people of the world. Even when their merit is complete and their cultivation accomplished, they must first deliver the nine mysterious generations and seven ancestors (forebears and kin of successive generations) together with the departed souls of their parents, so that these may leave the netherworld, ascend into the heavenly realms, and have their names erased from the ghost registers; only then can the practitioners themselves attain the Dao (the Way).

How much more is this true of ordinary people of the world, who create evil karma and accumulate sins that also bring calamity upon their ancestors and relatives. Filled now with compassion, I proclaim this essential instruction: to rescue departed souls, one must rely upon merit. Beside the images of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), one may set up a clothed likeness of the deceased and, according to the ritual method, write the Nine Perfected Marvelous Seals so that the likeness of the deceased bears them. One then worships and recites this Jing in a rite of repentance, three times each day. If one cannot repent in this manner, one should still concentrate each day on reciting the name of the Heavenly Worthy Who Saves from Suffering Upon Hearing Cries three thousand times. After every hundred recitations, perform nine acts of worship and pray: “May the soul-spirit of so-and-so soon leave the dark and gloomy realm and ascend to the heavenly realms.” Those of lighter sin may be delivered in three days; those of heavier sin may be transferred upward in nine days. Filial sons and daughters ought to worship the holy worthies with wholehearted sincerity.

With single-minded reverence I worship the Primordial Heavenly Worthy of Void and Spontaneous Nature.

With single-minded reverence I worship the Jade Dawn Lord of the Dao of the Most High Great Dao.

With single-minded reverence I worship the Most High Mysterious Origin, the Holy Ancestor Lord Lao.

With single-minded reverence I worship the Numinous Treasure Heavenly Worthy Who Inclines the Heart to Unite with the Dao.

With single-minded reverence I worship the Numinous Treasure Heavenly Worthy of Pure Thought and Cultivating Authenticity.

With single-minded reverence I worship the Numinous Treasure Heavenly Worthy Who Repents and Erases Evil Traces.

With single-minded reverence I worship the Numinous Treasure Heavenly Worthy Who Attains Release from Sinful Obstacles.

With single-minded reverence I worship the Numinous Treasure Heavenly Worthy Who Extracts Suffering and Dissolves Obstacles.

With single-minded reverence I worship the Numinous Treasure Heavenly Worthy Who Rescues and Aids the Netherworld.

With single-minded reverence I worship the Numinous Treasure Heavenly Worthy Who Extinguishes the Wheel of Suffering.

With single-minded reverence I worship the Numinous Treasure Heavenly Worthy Who Rescues and Lifts Up the Nine Netherworlds.

The original text concludes with repeated formulas of worship, and the final phrase “Zhi Bao Tianzun” appears to contain missing or corrupt characters, so its complete meaning cannot be determined.

With utmost sincerity and reverence I bow in homage to Lingbao Tianzun, who elevates beings beyond the five paths (saving sentient beings and enabling them to transcend the cycle of reincarnation through the five paths). With utmost sincerity and reverence I bow in homage to the Greatly Compassionate and Merciful Jiuku Zhenren. With utmost sincerity and reverence I bow in homage to the Greatly Compassionate and Merciful Dahui Zhenren. With utmost sincerity and reverence I bow in homage to the Greatly Compassionate and Merciful Bazui Zhenren. With utmost sincerity and reverence I bow in homage to the Greatly Compassionate and Merciful Pujiu Zhenren.

Having completed the worship, with a heart of sincerity and reverence I respectfully confess: I, the disciple and humble servant so-and-so, knowing myself to dwell in the dusty world and having received the transforming teaching of the Orthodox Dao, feel gratitude for the covering, protecting, and nurturing grace of Heaven and Earth, and also for the illuminating virtue of the sun and moon. I further reflect that parents are the root of life, who gave birth to and raised me; remembering their toil, I ought to seek a way to recommend and deliver the departed souls in order to repay their kindness. Now, before the sagely perfected ones, I sincerely pray, earnestly requesting that the departed souls of ancestors through hundreds of millions of generations and of deceased kin, that all the sins and transgressions accumulated through successive kalpas in their past lives be pardoned; that they be freed from the suffering of sinking and wandering, attaining ease and peace, instantly dissolving grievances and stagnation, following the light of wisdom to obtain salvation, and swiftly ascending the mysterious further shore; receiving the talismanic mandates, paying homage to the true sages, forever departing from the cycle of reincarnation, together being born into a realm of lasting peace and joy, causing heavenly Qi (vital energy) to return to themselves, always receiving the protection of the Great Dao (the Way). I pray with a heart of incomparable grief, earnestness, and sincerity.

The Daoist scriptures say: Pure and sincere male and female devotees, whether praying for the recommendation and deliverance of the deceased, seeking blessings for the living, or requesting good fortune and the elimination of disasters, should all be solemn and cautious. They should bathe and purify the body with fragrant water, concentrate with sincere intent, bow in worship and recite the true Jing (scriptures), and invoke the names of the sagely perfected ones; so long as Jing (essence) and sincerity are both complete, they will surely communicate with the sagely perfected ones and obtain a response.

If male and female devotees of pure faith wish to make sacrificial offerings for the deceased, pray for blessings for the living, and dispel disasters while averting misfortunes, they should be especially rigorous. First they must bathe and purify the body with fragrant water, then with concentrated sincerity worship, recite the true Jing (scriptures), and praise the names of the sacred venerables. When Jing (essence) and sincerity are both complete, they can communicate with the divine, so that both the living and the deceased receive deliverance, disasters scatter, and blessings descend.

If the attitude is disrespectful and incautious, the mind and Shen (spirit) confused and wavering in doubt, and if after consuming fishy, pungent, or meaty foods or after unclean acts one opens the scripture scrolls, reciting them casually and treating the sacred classics lightly, then the practice is vain and of no benefit, and will instead invite calamity. As the saying goes, cultivating blessings is not as good as first avoiding transgression.

If one copies and prints this Jing and distributes it to those seeking to study and cultivate the Dao, so that the text circulates for others to worship and recite, this helps the souls of the deceased to be delivered, brings peace to the hells, accumulates blessings and goodness, and extends grace to later generations. If one widely bestows treasures, clothing, and daily possessions upon the poor and needy, relieving those in hardship, the merit is the same as the foregoing. In this way criminal names are erased from the registers of the underworld, records deleted from the books of the earthly court; spirit-souls may ascend and be reborn according to their wishes, and descendants benefit, free from disaster, poverty, and illness. Such blessings and virtue are extremely vast and difficult to measure.

Therefore one should attentively receive the Jing, proclaim them widely, worship and recite according to the scriptures, universally deliver all sentient beings, and put the teachings into practice. Thereafter one should also respectfully worship all Tianzun (Celestial Venerables):

With sincere heart, respectfully worship the Primordial Celestial Venerable of Void and Nature.

With sincere heart, respectfully worship the Jade Dawn Dao Lord of the Supreme Great Dao.

With sincere heart, respectfully worship the Supreme Mysterious Origin Holy Ancestor Lord Lao.

With sincere heart, respectfully worship the Celestial Venerable Who Constantly Does Good and Saves All Things.

With sincere heart, respectfully worship the Celestial Venerable of Limitless Salvation of Humans.

With sincere heart, respectfully worship the Celestial Venerable Who Rescues the Lost and Frees the Obstructed.

With sincere heart, respectfully worship the Celestial Venerable of Mysterious Transformation Benefiting Life.

With sincere heart, respectfully worship the Celestial Venerable of Golden Palace Salvation.

With sincere heart, respectfully worship the Celestial Venerable of Unobstructed Freedom.

With sincere heart, respectfully worship the Celestial Venerable Who Pities Life and Benefits All Things.

With sincere heart, respectfully worship the Celestial Venerable of Mighty Merit and Vast Salvation.

With sincere heart, respectfully worship the Celestial Venerable Who Rains Treasures to Relieve Want.

With sincere heart, respectfully worship the Celestial Venerable of Boundless Deliverance.

With sincere heart, respectfully worship the Celestial Venerable Who Loves All Things and Saves the World.

With sincere heart, respectfully worship the Celestial Venerable of Immeasurable Merit.

With sincere heart, respectfully worship the Celestial Venerable Who Returns the Corpse and Raises the Bones.

With a single heart of sincere reverence I worship the Celestial Worthy Who Refines Form and Ascends to Perfection (Lianzhi Dengzhen Tianzun), the Celestial Worthy who transmutes physical form so that one may ascend to true immortality. With a single heart of sincere reverence I worship the Celestial Worthy Who Expounds the Teaching of the Mysterious Origin (Xuanyuan Chanjiao Tianzun), the Celestial Worthy who elucidates the wondrous Dao (the Way). I worship the Celestial Worthy of Immeasurable Merit (Gongde Wuliang Tianzun). With a single heart of sincere reverence I worship the Celestial Worthy Who Recalls the Corpse and Raises the Bones (Huishi Qigu Tianzun), the Celestial Worthy who restores the deceased to life and raises withered bones.

With a single heart of sincere reverence I worship the Celestial Worthy Who Refines Form and Ascends to Perfection. With a single heart of sincere reverence I worship the Celestial Worthy Who Expounds the Teaching of the Mysterious Origin. With a single heart of sincere reverence I worship the Celestial Worthy Who Delivers Beings through Dao and De (Daode Duren Tianzun), the Celestial Worthy who instructs and saves all living beings by means of the Dao and De (Virtue). With a single heart of sincere reverence I worship the Celestial Worthy Who Dispels Calamity and Extends Longevity (Xiaozai Yanshou Tianzun). With a single heart of sincere reverence I worship the Perfected One Who Grants Pardon, Blessings, and Continued Life (Youfu Xuming Zhenren), the Perfected One who bestows blessings and prolongs life. With a single heart of sincere reverence I worship the Perfected One of True Stillness and Perfected Merit (Zhenjing Yuangong Zhenren), the Perfected One whose true stillness is complete and whose meritorious practice has been fulfilled. With a single heart of sincere reverence I worship the Perfected One Who Cultivates Perfection and Completes the Dao (Xiuzhen Chengdao Zhenren).

The worship now completed, I respectfully present my prayers and thanks. This disciple, your servant so-and-so (a blank in which the ritual performer inserts his or her own name), has heard that among the works of cultivation, filial piety and reverence should come first, and that within the teachings, fasting, purification, and disciplined practice form the root. If one wishes to repay the loving kindness of father and mother, one ought to know the methods of prayer and invocation; if one wishes to repay their deep and boundless grace, one ought to set forth solemn offerings.

Most people in the world are driven by fame and profit. Once the mind is engaged in calculation of gain and loss, how can it avoid the faults of greed and ignorance? Thus some, when their lives end, have their souls dwelling in the Nine Darknesses (the deep and gloomy underworld). I wish, by relying upon the most excellent merit, that they may perhaps be rescued from the suffering of submersion. Therefore, with a heart of mournful entreaty, I dedicate myself wholly to the recommendation and salvation of the deceased.

I recite the numinous scripture of the Golden Coffer, looking upward to request the protection of the True Sages; I worship the titles of the exalted Celestial Worthies, praying that they look down and behold the descendants’ remembrance of their ancestors. May we receive the power of the Great Dao, widely delivering the submerged souls of the dead, erasing immeasurable sins, so that they may together leave the long darkness. I pray that Heaven grant vast clemency, extending it universally to all beings. May the ancestors of a hundred million generations all ascend in due course, and may accumulated karmic debts and knots of enmity all be transcended and released.

I also pray that the elders and the young of the household, kinsmen and relatives by marriage, may constantly receive the protection of auspicious fortune and enjoy the shelter of the Void and the Great Dao. This servant’s heart turns toward the Heavenly Court and looks up to the Sages and Perfected Ones, with reverence and earnestness at their utmost, anxiously awaiting that they may deign to listen.

The Dao Ancestor said: Once this mysterious scripture has been fully recounted, it may be transmitted to the world so that it circulates widely and delivers all sentient beings. At that time those present, upon hearing this method, fully comprehended the principle of Wuwei (non-action)—following the Great Dao without rash or forced action—and together they attained the fruits of the Dao. Countless sinful souls in the prisons of the netherworld likewise accumulated meritorious deeds and immediately gained liberation. The immortal hosts of the heavens rejoiced in reverence, performed the rites of homage, and then withdrew.