《洞真太上说智慧消魔真经》

Volume One of the Perfect Scripture of Wisdom that Dispels Demons, Spoken by the Most High of the Grotto of Perfection, is entitled “The Sublime Numinous Chapter on the Mysterious Essence of the True Elixir.”

The Lord of the Dao once expounded “The Sublime Numinous Chapter on the Mysterious Essence of the True Elixir in the Great Wisdom Text of the Highest Clarity, Which Dispels Demons.” The Sovereign Lord of the Golden Palace was in attendance. After hearing it, he told the Lord of the Blue Youth: “This teaching comes from the Scripture of Wisdom that Dispels Demons of the Highest Clarity. The scripture says that reciting this chapter can drive away evil influences, cure illness, ward off spirits and calamities, disperse the ghostly Qi of the Six Heavens, and repel the attacks of all kinds of demons. This chapter is an important part of the Divine Tiger method. When using the true Qi, one must take care to keep it secret.”

The Chief Minister said: “This chapter may be transmitted only to Daoist practitioners whose true names were recorded in their destiny from the beginning. Those who were troubled by evil influences before beginning to study the Dao, and whose homes were haunted by ghosts, can drive away all harmful spirits and restore clarity and brightness of spirit by reciting it in their rooms during the day and silently repeating it in their hearts at night.”

The Lord of the Blue Youth respectfully accepted this teaching and entered it in the chapter on divine talismans. The names of the immortal elixirs transmitted by the Jade Clarity, Highest Clarity, and Taiji traditions are already enough to drive away all ghosts—how much more so if one actually ingests these elixirs?

The immortals of the Nine Palaces should not even see this book’s title, and the highest perfected beings of Taiji will not lightly transmit this great Scripture of Wisdom. It is transmitted only to practitioners who understand the principle of “emptiness,” not to those who remain in the world, have yet to attain the Dao, and bear a true name. Only after they have perfected their Daoist practice and ascended to Taiji may it be transmitted to a suitable recipient.

What the Most High expounds here is only one ten-thousandth of the Scripture of Wisdom. Even those who already bear a true name in the world, but have not yet left the dust of worldly life to cultivate the Dao, have no fate that would allow them to hear the teaching in full. Therefore, this scripture cannot be transmitted in its entirety. Hearing the title of its opening chapter is enough to learn the names of its immortal elixirs. Those who hear this scripture are practitioners whose destiny is fixed and whose names are inscribed in the Jade Books of Highest Clarity.

The Lord of the Azure Lad humbly said that what he had received was no more than one ten-thousandth of all the teachings. Even if someone had a genuine name for cultivating the Dao in the human world, they could not hear and understand all of this without first leaving ordinary life to study the Dao; they would have no karmic affinity for it. For this reason, the scripture could not be transmitted in full to everyone. Simply hearing the title at the beginning of the scripture was enough to understand the “name of the medicine” it describes—the spiritual elixir or essential formula used in cultivation—for this name was already recorded in the jade books of the Upper Clarity (Shangqing), the higher heavens in Daoist belief.

The Lord of the Azure Lad passed these words on to Red Pine. Before attaining the Dao, Red Pine suddenly fell gravely ill on Mount Jinhua. His illness was severe and lasted sixteen years. Though he continued to long for the true Dao, concentrate his spirit, and guard his Jing, his condition did not improve. At that time, Red Pine steadied his mind and devoted himself to seeking the Dao, focusing on cultivating Shen and maintaining purity and stillness. He did not grieve over his illness, and regarded life and death as matters outside himself.

The scripture says that the numinous spirits of the Six Heavens may use illness to unsettle a cultivator’s sincere heart, or that perfected beings of the higher realms may set it as a trial. Its purpose is to shake the seeker’s resolve and test whether they can remain true to the Dao when faced with hardship and danger. While ill, Red Pine observed purification and did his utmost to recite the “Chapter on Wisdom That Dispels Demons” three thousand times. His illness then vanished, and his mind and spirit became bright and clear—better even than before he fell ill.

The scripture explains illness as a kind of trial: first, it tests whether one’s heart is sincere; second, it removes impurities within the body; third, it dispels unrighteous thoughts; and fourth, it tempers and cleanses the pollutions of worldly life. If one calmly and firmly turns toward the Dao, continually advances in intention, devotes oneself to seeking the Dao, guards the spirit, and hopes to receive its wondrous teachings, the illness may soon dissipate. But if illness confuses the mind and spirit, weakens one’s resolve, turns one’s thoughts toward distractions, and leaves one’s sincerity in cultivation as little more than forced compliance, the illness may remain for a long time as a trial.

Later, Red Pine attained the Dao on Mount Dahuo and went to the Golden Palace, the palace of the heavenly realm, to pay his respects. He received an immortal book and became a Perfected One of the Great Void. This shows that he had long possessed a genuine name in the Upper Clarity.

The Scripture of Wisdom, also known as the Scripture of the Great Simplicity Cavern, is sometimes called the Transmission of Unadorned Wisdom. The complete scripture consists of seven scrolls. It is kept in the halls of the Jade Clarity Palace, within the elixir chamber of the Most High, Empty Sovereign, and is often guarded and attended by three thousand Unadorned Spirit Jade Maidens. For this reason, it is also called the Scripture of the Great Simplicity Cavern.

“Wisdom” means understanding that, at noon, the Sovereign Above—the highest divine being—appears. “Insight” means treating the ceaseless generation and protection of life as an urgent priority. The character for “insight” is made up of two instances of “life” side by side, as though they were riding together upon the character for “urgent.” This conveys that cherishing life allows no delay.

“Those who have written signs” refers to the text of the Scripture of Wisdom; “those who have no written signs” refers to what the Lord of the Dao Above said. The Lord of the Dao Above meant that a wise person should understand the Sovereign Above at noon, and a person of insight should treat ceaseless generation as an urgent priority. The character for “insight” is made up of two instances of “life” side by side, as though they were riding together upon the character for “urgent.”

The version with images and talismanic signs is the one described in the Jing of Wisdom. The version without images and talismanic signs merely presents two forms of the Most High Lord of the Dao, a revered deity in Daoism. The entire text should be recited in sequence, for a total of three thousand recitations. If you stop before completing the required number, you must begin again from the start.

If you are able to observe a long period of fasting and sit upright in a quiet room, reciting the text attentively from beginning to end, you should cut off all outside disturbances and not pause midway. It is said that interrupting the recitation will bring punishment upon you, and that the Jade Boy, a celestial attendant, will report you to the Three Officials, the deities who govern Heaven, Earth, and Water, and submit a memorial to the Golden Palace, the dwelling of the Celestial Emperor. Therefore, you must be careful.

Those who study the Dao should recite the scripture in full. Recitation can drive away baleful influences, clarify the spirits, open the mind, dispel ignorance, quell demonic energies, and bring the true Jing into the body. Before reciting, observe a fast for fifty days. Then form a hand seal in the prescribed manner, settle yourself, and offer a prayer. Let your voice emerge only slightly; do not rush or carelessly omit words. When you have finished, you will naturally grasp its mysteries, and a numinous being may descend to give instruction. Those who understand the scripture’s meaning can also fly through the Great Void, the boundless expanse, and become Perfected Beings of the Great Void. It is better still to recite it ten thousand times; on the day the practice is complete, a cloud chariot will arrive.

This Daoist scripture ranks above the thirty-nine Cavern scriptures, yet the material it conveys is still only a small part of them, since it is merely an excerpt amounting to one ten-thousandth of the Jing of Wisdom—to say nothing of studying all seven scrolls of the Mysterious Garden, the collection of arcane scriptures. However, the ritual precepts of the Four Extremities, a system of Daoist discipline and practice associated with the four directions and the heavens, may not be transmitted to practitioners on earth. Only Perfected Beings who have already ascended to Heaven may transmit them.

If you are able to practice according to the rules of fasting, it is best to recite this entire scroll. Those from poor households often cannot manage this. Looking through divine texts or listening to someone recite them amid ordinary life does not count as completing the focused recitation required during a fast. You should also set aside time to read beforehand, so that you become familiar with the text’s sections and rules, and only then undertake the fasting recitation.

Three thousand recitations count as “one completion,” six thousand as “one arrival,” nine thousand as “one entry,” and twelve thousand as “one illumination.” When the Scarlet Text of Yuyi, a Daoist term associated with the sun deity and red divine writing, reaches four illuminations, one can accord with the visions and disperse into transformation. This scripture must not be casually browsed in advance, and even after becoming familiar with it, you must not recite it carelessly. This is strictly forbidden by the Eastern Precepts of the Azure Youth. It is said that doing so will cause the protective light in your eyes to vanish, so take the utmost care.

While reciting, steady your gaze and look at the words, chanting slowly and softly. If you pause or misread, begin again from the beginning and continue until you reach the point thirty characters before the interruption. Before reciting, remain quiet, burn incense, rinse your mouth, and face east. Begin at daybreak, as the Yellow Chapter of Jielin says: at dawn, review the Way of the Utmost.

When reciting the scripture, schedule breaks at the hours of the three daily meals: Chen hour, Wu hour, and You hour. Continue reciting through the night until dawn. If a round of ritual observance has ended and you cannot immediately resume after a period of fasting, you may decide for yourself when to continue; there is no need to keep to a fixed interval. If you wish to read on after completing a round, you should fast again, just as you did at the beginning.

The writing inside the Dongtai, carved into the stone wall north of Yujue West Mountain, says: “When those with a shared affinity meet, they should joyfully and respectfully discuss and study the teachings. Devote yourselves to studying the utmost Dao, and the mind will become clear and understanding, while wisdom will grow deep and generous. Those who read the scripture should understand the general meaning of these words and also know the purpose of writing and reciting this scripture.” This passage mainly explains the aims of reading and writing the scripture.

The Preface to the Supreme Clarity Scripture of Great Wisdom, the Wondrous Elixir that Dispels Demons, and the Mysterious Essence of Lofty Spirits was received by the Taishang Daojun as a supreme and elevated scripture. It can also enable people to ride a flying wheel into the heavens and pursue and restrain the Qi of the Six Heavens—the six kinds of celestial Qi. The scripture comprises seven volumes and is a text treasured and secretly guarded by the Taishang Daojun. Qing Tong Jun has now copied out its demon-dispelling chapters. These excerpts amount to only one ten-thousandth of the complete scripture, and have been arranged before and after the divine talismans.

The Taishang Laojun entrusted the Taishang Dadaojun with the divine Tiger Great Talisman, the Golden Tiger True Talisman, and the Wisdom Plain Scripture. He also instructed Wang Jun to transmit them to those who know the truth, and Qing Tong Jun to transmit them to those who have attained truth. “Those who know the truth” are people who recognize truth through wisdom and thereby attain the Dao; “those who have attained truth” are people who earnestly seek the Dao and ultimately attain it. Only the two lords may transmit this book, and only to those whose names appear in the Jade Register of Mysterious Names, the register of Daoist immortals. No other perfected person may transmit it on their own authority.

For this reason, the Taishang Laojun specifically informed the Imperial Lord of the Golden Palace, the Housheng. The Imperial Lord of the Golden Palace then entrusted the scripture to the two lords, the High Minister and the High Chancellor. It may be transmitted only three times within seven hundred years. Before transmitting it, one must first take a solemn oath; only then may the transmission proceed. Anyone who views it privately without taking the oath will bring the examination and punishment of the Three Yin Water Officials upon seven generations of their descendants.

The Three Yin are three water officials among the Three Officials under the Five Emperors, responsible for judging the life and death of the guilty. The first, the Left Official, judges the offenses of the living; the second, the Right Official, judges the offenses of the dead; and the third, the Female Official, also takes part in the judgment. Anyone who views the scripture without first taking the oath will bring the scrutiny of the Three Yin Water Officials upon seven generations of their descendants.

The Three Yin are the three divine officials among the Five Emperors and Three Offices who oversee punishment for offenses and determine whether the guilty live or die. The first, the Left Official, examines and judges the crimes of the living; the second, the Right Official, examines and judges the crimes of the dead; the third, the Female Official, examines and judges the crimes of women.

There are also two divine officials, one of Water and one of Fire. The Left Water Official punishes those who speak falsely about Heaven and Earth, disclose celestial patterns, insult the sun, moon, and stars, or show disrespect toward them. The Right Fire Official punishes grave crimes: committing treason, killing living beings, harming one’s teacher or ruler, and plotting to betray one’s parents.

The Five Offices—the divine departments that administer affairs in Heaven—are located beneath Mount Dai (Mount Tai), within a hollowed lesser heaven to its north. This lesser heaven extends for four thousand li in every direction, and the whole region falls under the jurisdiction of the Three Offices. Within the Mysterious Realm are three reaches of the Great Void: the Jade Clarity Great Void, the Highest Clarity Great Void, and the Taiji Great Void. The Mysterious Realm has three hollows, as does the Cavern Realm. The Great Void lies beneath Mount Tai and above the hollow; the hollow lies beneath the Great Void and above the offices and chambers of the Perfected. The Nine Palaces of Great Clarity also contain three reaches of the Vast Void. The Vast Void lies beneath the Taiji hollow, in the emptiness within the Five Sacred Peaks.

The Most High Lord Lao, a revered Daoist deity, serves the Lord of the Great Dao, standing at his left side. The Lord of the Great Dao dwells at leisure in the raised chamber of the Hall of Numina that Welcomes the Dawn. Below him are the Nine Mysterious Purple Radiances; above him, six ranks of lions stand guard.

The Most High Lord Lao stands attendant at the left of the Most High Lord of the Great Dao. The Lord of the Great Dao resides at leisure in the lofty chamber of the Hall of numinous Dawn. Beneath him lies a seat of ninefold mystic purple radiance, while six divine generals, commanding lions and colossal beasts, guard his right side. The Perfected Tai Bao Jian Sheng and the Jade-Clear Goddess Fang Su stand beside him, holding fragrant flowers of vermilion-mound flying Qi and presenting scriptures of profound subtlety.

The Lord of the Great Dao rinses his mouth with emerald water and exhales crimson Qi. He stills his mind and straightens his body, settles his spirit, and focuses on the mystic principles. Then, with a divine tiger at his left and a Golden Perfected at his right, he proclaims the Upper Scripture of Wisdom, the Upper Petition of Divine Herbs that Repel Demons, and Dao practices such as the Eight Mysteries, Nine Perfected Ones, Seven Gates, and Three Lamps.

He says: “Emptiness and nothingness are the supreme writings of profound mystery. A thousand Perfected Ones halt their carriages, and ten thousand kinds of spirits stand still to listen. Their numinous sound reaches the heavens, their intent directed toward blessing and goodness. Their wondrous music soars far and high, clear as gold and jade, illuminating both Heaven above and the hidden world below. The mystic laws spread forth and become manifest, and the spirits swiftly comprehend them. The Great Dao has no bounds; its subtle resonance can be heard only by those who deeply apprehend it. The primal Qi stretches like a gale into the void, while dust gathers to form realms. The Dark Pearl shines with a wistful, deep light; the clear, bright treasured mirror reflects the realm of stillness.

“The workings of the Great Dao are profound and complete, its radiance flying to distant places. It passes through the numinous stream, stirring pure and graceful waves; it lies hidden in the ninefold netherworld, its traces impossible to follow. Its transformations are not limited by the seasons, and the places where it abides cannot be described by outward form. Its transformations rise high toward the sun, inspiring admiration for the light of its De. It brings people peace and joy, returning them to the subtlety of things, settling the unadorned Great Image—the whole form in which the Dao appears—and stirring the vast expanse of Heaven and Earth. It is deep yet penetrating, its wondrous principle approaching the finest subtleties. Wielding a divine blade, it roams the boundless cosmos, rousing the hundred Yangs until lightning is born, and stirring the thousand Yins until their might appears. The Six Heavens lose their power; the Nine Demons disperse and collapse.

“The Lord of the Dao holds the radiance of the sun and moon in his hands, while every kind of cloud and mist seems gathered in his embrace. In stillness he joins with Heaven and Earth; in motion he shines alongside the sun, moon, and stars. He lies down without clinging to ease, and faces danger without fear. Divine light illuminates the misty waters; he gathers the true Qi and lets it flow freely. At the hour of Dawn, Yin and Yang Qi unite; wherever his gaze falls, the dark realm opens of itself. He takes seven steps, holds the pivot of Heaven, and wears the Dark Stars above his head. He harmonizes Heaven and Earth, the Two Forms, causing rivers and mountains to split apart and the Qi of the four seasons to flow and change. Even hard, bright stone swiftly shatters; the numinous measures of the whole cosmos return to the Mystic One. Those who can let their spirit move in still emptiness and set the mystic resonance soaring can shake the vast void without form, stir up ten thousand winds in the hidden depths, ascend by the Eight Radiances, and ride a flying carriage straight to the realm of pure numinosity.

“They ride phoenix carriages and cloud chariots, freely speeding through the heights. They cross distant heavens, fly to the Purple Sky, and make the vermilion sun stand still. They roam the Seven Sources, allowing primal Qi to flow freely; they cross the emerald ford and pour into the crimson numinous well. Wind and mist, lightning, and wondrous bodies stand together. The limpid void fills the heart with longing, and the celestial ladder to the spirit realm stretches without end.

“Vermilion light has already illuminated the four quarters. The gathered spirits part ways and enter the Mystic River, folding their wings to watch the transformations and dwelling at ease in the void. Ten thousand scenes reflect one another; flying wheels travel across Jade Mountain. The luan birds cry out, dragons soar and tigers roar, phoenixes sing in harmony. Ten thousand sounds fall like scattered jade, while clusters of jade gleam like blossoms. The forests of langgan sway in the wind, and the crimson divine trees burst into flower.

“Then harmonious sounds gather into ten thousand melodies, numinous laws unfold, and cloud spirits appear in visible form. The breath that spreads the teaching flows forth at dawn; wondrous arts manifest at dusk. Practitioners loosen their sashes and let their spirits roam; they sit quietly with knees drawn up, their bearing simple and serene. They observe transformations without adornment and apprehend the mystic principle without seeking renown. Transcending emptiness and stillness, they remain clear and free. They pass through seven bright realms and endure without decline, giving no thought to what is cast aside or prized. They wander at ease in the cool spirit realm, without loneliness or opposition; they revere the wondrous laws and chant of profound wisdom.

“The Heaven-Seizing Spirit guards the liver; lions protect the lungs and viscera; the blazing fire guards the hun and po souls; and the bronze-headed divine generals join them in protecting the essence and spirit. Fangs thrust forward, ears and eyes alert; the Father of Lightning stirs primal Qi, and both feet are crossed in meditation. With teeth bared and feet drawn in, the Lord of Thunder strikes with all his might. Six spirits guard closely, while five tigers roar in fury. They pursue evil spirits with weapons in their mouths; fierce beasts drive out impurity. Surging primal Qi and the essence of thunder protect life and keep people from falling to their death. These numinous birds and divine beasts are first roused by human intention, and the Dao uses them to save lives. Practitioners climb to high peaks, gather their spirits, and fix their intent, breaking through perilous terrain. Nine kinds of harmful spirits are driven away, and calamity is dispelled.

“Practitioners do not cling to thought or emotion. They accord with the forms of the eight directions, their capacity mystic and their primal Qi light. From above the layered heavens they look out in every direction, while fragrant blossoms fall. Crimson and yellow Qi gather, revealing numinous light that is not smoke. They refine and transform until they return to the true, washing away the names and appearances that lie beyond simplicity. They rinse themselves with numinous writings, bringing spirit and Qi to a calm purity. Jade Maidens hold fragrant flowers, and Purple Consorts carry jade vessels. They pour numinous liquid into the pool among the clouds and scatter flowers across the Jade Court. They also send dispatches to summon armored celestial troops and gather the generals of Heaven. Poisonous dragons exhale Yin Qi, and divine tigers send out their troops. Mystic Qi wraps and guards them from without, while seven layers of defense are prepared within. If the Great Dao has not yet descended and joined with them, they can only act through force. Only after truly cultivating De can they unite with primal Qi.

“Thus the Perfected Ones of Jade Clarity have boundless minds. They dwell in the deepest reaches, embrace the Elixir Dao, and abide in cloud-filled ravines. As for those who follow the higher Dao, their inner refinement shines naturally. Those of supreme De alone apprehend the subtle principle of dispersal and transformation. They do not deliberately pursue mystic truth or make a show of radiance. They walk alongside the Great Dao, at ease like the man by the Hao River in Zhuangzi’s writings. Mystic sounds arise in their own time, delicate and lingering, as if the strings of a zither played themselves. The ninefold harmony of Heaven’s music is empty and still. Thus they can let the mind transcend the world of dust and unite with the wondrous realm of the One.

“From this point onward, the account describes Perfected Immortals roaming the four quarters, revealing the essence of hidden immortality and traveling in dreams to Jade Clarity. They ascend by riding the light, shake the purple celestial tablets, wear vermilion crowns adorned with lotuses, illuminate the Seven Valleys, and breathe in and out cloud and rosy mists. Their essence and Qi penetrate the Great Void; their merit extends through the Nine Heavens, and they stand alongside the sun and moon. They ride flying wheels to Northern Mound and rest with their sashes loosened in the Garden of Radiance. The Queen Mother of the West, leader of the female immortals, comes by carriage, and the immortals ride with her to roam Turtle Mountain. They spread blessings far and wide and chant the Dao of the Great Mystery. The six Yin spirits, moved by their transformation, come to cultivate the bond they shared of old. If someone has De but has not yet reached a high level of cultivation, and has not yet awakened to the true within, one may bestow such immortal medicines and numinous liquids as Langya Yuhua, Seven Yang Sun Infant, the liquid of Nine Lin, and the essence of Eight Qiong, along with orchid wine, sweet dew, and lingzhi. These numinous medicines can help a person ascend to Vermilion Heaven and enter Jade Clarity. Absorbing them brings one closer to the true spirits; rinsing and drinking them in their transformed state can lead one into the Purple Court. Practitioners can also reach the farthest realms in every direction, east, west, north, and south.

“At the height of summer, Yang Qi gathers and the scenic wind flies far. The essence of the Great Void rises; Heaven and Earth, the Two Forms, turn their radiance; the Qi of the eight directions is harmonized, and fragrance flows with the gentle, harmonious breath. The principle of transformation reaches through the nine quarters, and the blessings of De spread through the celestial realm of the Jade Emperor. The Three Passes are deep and hidden, while the divine chariot unfolds in all directions. Auspicious clouds meet at the horizon, and six signs of good fortune descend. Numinous winds scatter demons; ritual drums summon the celestial troops. Practitioners wash at the water’s edge, using the waters of Canglang to cleanse body and mind and refine the hun and po souls, then gather at the altar. They gather pure Qi and harmonize primal Qi to nourish life, absorb its essence and numinous beauty, let blessings flow outward, join below with the mystic current, and open above into the realm of emptiness and stillness.

“There was a man who had not yet attained the Dao. In his youth he studied Daoist scriptures and was recommended for his De, taking his place among the Immortal Sovereigns. Though he had left the world of dust and ascended to Kongtong, he still wandered among the immortal realms, coming and going with the immortals at dawn and dusk, his mind still entangled in thoughts of life and death. By chance he heard of the wondrous realm of the Jade-Clear Higher Dao, which penetrates the truth. His heart longed for it, and in deep admiration he waited through the night. He asked himself: ‘What fault have I committed, that I should linger in this small measure of ease? How can I remain steeped in worldly things for long and in the end fail to win the approval of the August Sovereign?’

“So he set aside his documents from the immortal realm and removed his old ceremonial robes and crown. Though he lived amid a busy world, his mind rested beyond appearances. He longed for a lofty and pure realm, seeking the wondrous sound of Jade-like Music, silent and beyond sound. Then he bid farewell to honor and splendor, raised his staff, and climbed a high ridge. He experienced the absence of Qi and absorbed the essence of the sun and moon. With wings outstretched, he traveled far, probing the subtle transformations of spirit. He cleared his heart and belly, emptied his inner being, and gathered primal Qi. Keeping his attention fixed on the mystic, he shut himself away for the whole spring, cultivating in quiet. He lived simply, forgot his body, remained unbound in the void, and grasped at nothing.

“Later, he opened the cave gate in the Forest of Hidden Sound and sought numinous traces in the Elixir Cavern. He opened the vermilion casket of the Nine Heavens and sought the Jade Tablets of Highest Clarity. Mystic writings were engraved on jade tablets, and his immortal name began to be inscribed in the void palace. He traveled throughout the Five Peaks and crossed a thousand cliffs and mountains. Many times he gazed upon the Jade Steps among the clouds of Purple Clarity; in the brocade-cloud bookcase he saw the divine writings again. Four times he paid homage to the Three Origins, and six times he visited the Five Elders. Nine times the Great Emperor accompanied and assisted him; seven times he rode in a carriage with the High Perfected Immortals. Then the Gate of Heaven swung wide, and light shone through the darkness. The immortal carriage turned back, and the grand assembly gathered for an audience. Immortals wore feathered mantles and bells that chimed as they moved, dragon crowns on their heads and phoenix skirts around them, roaming freely with the clouds. Their minds were tranquil and as bright as morning, and their forms too became expansive.

“Only then did he realize that in the past he had seemed hidden within a horned dragon. Now he rose up anew, like a luan bird flying on the wind. At last he was truly content and joyful, dwelling for ages in the purple heavens. He penetrated the mystic principles and explored their utmost reaches, learning that the wondrous Dao and numinous visions do not offer only one road, and that the path of seeking the Dao may stretch for a thousand miles. Only those who fulfill their lives and keep their mystic hearts turned toward the Dao understand that seeking a settled heart is a blessing.

“Many follow the Great Dao, but few reach its highest realm. Only those whose intent is steadfast, whose longing for Jade Truth is single-minded, and who seek long life without fear of hardship may attain jade-like radiance and ultimately become Perfected Immortals. If the mind wanders, nothing will be gained; only with focused practice can one gradually obtain what one seeks.

“Those who are drawn along by worldly emotions and wish to seek long life hear of the Dao and crawl forward on their knees. But when they see a lonely mountain path, they turn back. They press on toward the mountains until their feet grow numb with cold, then tremble all over in terror when they cross a river. They suffer fear at the edge of a ravine before they have even fallen, and panic at the threshold between life and death. All they do is waste the strength of a lifetime to win a name for themselves. In the end, this is because their minds are scattered and their emotions unsteady. Their desires grow day by day without their noticing, until they ruin the Correct Dao, lose their resolve, and become lost in the dreamlike Forest of the Dao. How could such people ever hear the Supreme Dao?”

Now I will tell you the methods for attaining spiritual truth and transcending ordinary limits. These are the practices of the Celestial Immortals and the secret essentials for granting people great salvation. They belong to the highest scriptures for prolonging life.

If you wish to ascend to Heaven in broad daylight, travel north to the place where the Jade Emperor resides, ride a dragon and clouds through the air, and dwell in palaces in the Shangqing realm, then ride a divine chariot on your travels, making a circuit of the Five Luminaries—the Sun, Moon, and five planets. You should unite with the Sun and shine with its radiance, enter into the Moon and share its luminous light. To do so, you should obtain the hidden books of the Jade Clarity realm and wear the divine golden tiger tally, a tiger-shaped token symbolizing divine authority. You should also practice the Red Writings of Yuyi, secret texts associated with the Sun, to summon it and ascend together with it; practice the Yellow Writings of Jielin, secret texts associated with the Moon, in hopes of dwelling with the Moon; practice the Mysterious Scripture of the Cavern of Truth to travel with the Five Luminaries; and practice the Great Cavern Scripture of Truth to resolve the enmities of seven generations. You should also study such scriptural teachings as the Thirty-Nine Chapters, the Seven Ancestral Immortal Heavens, the Eight Ways of the Yellow Emperor and Laozi, and the Divine Books of the Nine Perfected.

In addition, practice the Purple Writings of the Book of the Upper Registers and Numinosity to gather and refine the souls; follow the laws and order of the Golden Palace, the heavenly court; and obtain the precious registers bestowed by the Five Elders, the hundred numinous fungi of the Jade Court, and the refined medicines of Shangqing. The material above is excerpted from the Divine Books of the Nine Perfected in the Scripture of Jade Clarity Wisdom.

Thus it is said: The abundant Qi of the Six Purities flourishes and unfolds, its mysterious radiance taking the form of an octagon. The essence of the wind is like cloud seeds; the gates of the Celestial Emperor’s palace shine clear as jade. Golden light spreads out like a flower pod in bloom. The Yellow Wood of Vast Heaven, the Jade Pistils of Changcheng, and the Fire Jade of Night Mountain are all rare treasures of the immortal realms. In the Phoenix Forest of Lu Nai, phoenixes sing; in Western Yao, there is fine wine of jade nectar; in the Central Land, purple sweetness; in the Northern Mound, green hills; and at Crimson Ford, golden essence. The moon’s essence brings longevity, and the Vermilion River produces sons of langgan. Peng Mountain has ugly stones of extraordinary color; Zhuo River has a numinous herb with seven stalks; and Collapsing Peak has willows swift as lightning. To the north, one gathers patterned scallions from Dark Citadel; raising one’s head, one drinks vermilion honey between the clouds and waters. The crouching bones of Night Ox, the yellow lacquer of Shenwu, and the numinous melons of Kongtong are all wondrous spiritual things. The melons of Kongtong, in particular, bear a single fruit only once in four kalpas. There are also the unicorn gall of Dark City, the night sun of Flame Mountain, vermilion mulberries gathered from the eastern Fusang tree, and upright algae gathered by bending down at Long Abyss.

Blend these numinous things with the Nine-Turn Flying Jade, and take the Azure Mysterious Cloud Treasure. The Ring of the Great Void, the Embrace of the Plain Maiden, the Purple Horned Dragon Youth, the Nine-Colored Phoenix Brain, the Hidden Mushroom of the Supreme Ultimate, the Crimson Tree’s Sun Path, the Rainbow Peach of the Most High, the Great Herb of the Celestial River, the Giant Pearl of the Southern Palace, the Old-Age Support of the Western District, and the Dragon Blossoms of the Three Beams are all immortal medicines sought by the numinous consort. Whoever obtains and consumes them can transcend the limits of fate and live forever. These are treasures consumed by perfected immortals in the Jade Clarity realm and kept safe by the Most High. They enable one to ascend into the lofty clouds, divide one’s form to travel along myriad roads of dawnlight, guard the Imperial Essence, and pour vital energy into the Nine Brains at daybreak.

Yet this Dao is vast and profoundly mysterious; its numinous radiance reaches far beyond what can be fathomed. Ordinary people of flesh and blood who live on food and drink cannot fully understand it. They can only hear its mysterious sounds and thereby disperse turbid Qi; by receiving the breath of the wind, they drive away impurity. In the heavens, one can travel freely through the air and surpass Great Simplicity; below, one can avert demons and dispel illness. Unless one’s De resonates with the Dao and one’s foundation reaches the divine, who could walk alongside the numinous immortals? Thus the supreme method for dispelling demons is to regulate the Qi that courses through all things, while the medicine of the highest perfected ones nourishes the spirit and drives away evil. These words are indeed trustworthy.

The Hidden Mushrooms of Shangqing—the numinous mushrooms of the Shangqing realm—and the Ninefold Hours of the Most High—the Qi of the Nine Hours in the Most High realm—along with such wondrous treasures as the Eightfold Radiance of Great Harmony, the Black Embryo of the Mottled Dragon, and the White Foam of the Patterned Tiger, all come from the Western Mound. Other treasures include the Sevenfold Mystery Flying Nodes, the Nine-Holed Jade Pearls, Cloud Nectar and Jade Wine, the rich Langya of the Dark Garden, White Glue of Mount Zhong, Green Blossoms Born of Gold, the Stone Marrow of Langfeng, Coral of the Black River, the White Phoenix of Mount Meng, the numinous mound of Jade Fei, the Golden Blood of the Azure Luan, Vermilion Leaves of Eastern Essence, Intertwined Ninefold Nodes, Purple Hemp of Taiwei, Jade Blossoms and Jade Fruit, Whale Pearls of the Flowing Abyss, Crimson Cliffs of the Red River, and water drawn from the Well of the Supreme Ultimate in the north. Among the treasures gathered are the Golden Blood of the Patterned Luan, Vermilion Leaves of Eastern Essence, Intertwined Ninefold Nodes, Purple Hemp of Taiwei, Jade Blossoms and Jade Fruit, Whale Pearls of the Flowing Abyss, and Crimson Cliffs of the Red River; water is also drawn from the Well of the Supreme Ultimate in the north, and other numinous things are collected, including the veins of Patterned Vermilion, divine peaches of the Cloud Court, plain sparrows of the Kun Garden, Night Essence and Sun Grass, and blue-green reeds of the Azure Ford.

The True Palace has a flourishing altar precinct, while the Dark Capital is covered by three layers of precious canopies. To the left, one takes in the radiance of the Jade Youths; to the right, one absorbs the essence of the Jade Maidens. Above, one summons and draws in the divine origin; below, one drinks from the waters of the Dark Cascade. Raising the hands, one grasps the jade essence of the Orchid Garden; bending down, one plucks the purple numinous things of the Round Mound. There are also treasures such as Whitewater Spirit Clams and Red Garlic of the Eight Heavens. Each appears only once in ten thousand years, its flowing light dividing into nine ranks. Whoever obtains and consumes these numinous things can transcend the decrees of Heaven and endure forever. These are treasures consumed by the Heavenly Emperor and prized by the Most High; they are beyond the knowledge of those in the Supreme Ultimate realm and the attainment of those who are merely True Ones. Reciting the scriptures can wondrously prolong life; chanting the names of these numinous things can cure illness and cut down evil spirits.

The Chapter on Wisdom and the Scripture for Dispelling Demons together embody the subtle forms of the Dao. Superior immortal medicines such as numinous mushrooms, and the pure words of the True Sovereign, are only briefly revealed from the perspective of the Dao. Wearing Fulu (talismans and registers), upholding the True Way, and reciting the Nine Purities aloud may be enough to discern the conditions of the many demons. One should understand the Dao of the Primordial Beginning, receive primordial Qi, and study the principles of Jade Mystery at dawn, guarding these practices beyond the span of ten thousand years and endless life. In this way, the four hun souls and nine po souls unite and put the whole body to use; wielded in this manner, they are enough to bring one contentment.

Next come the four True Treasures of the Supreme Ultimate rank. Their cultivation, too, should be guarded beyond the span of ten thousand years and endless life, so that the four hun souls and nine po souls unite within the body and serve their purpose. Used in this way, they are enough to bring one contentment.

Next are the cultivation substances of the Supreme Ultimate grade. They include four kinds of precious substances: smoke, elixir liquid, and jade essence refined from nine stones; pearls flowing from Xunshou; stone essence found in jade blooms; golden liquid produced in an elixir furnace; purple radiance and rainbow-like essence; the Nine-Turn Elixir of the Great Clarity; syrup like five-colored clouds; dark frost and falling snow; leaping Three Yellows; White Fragrance of Dongying; blue coins of Canglang; surplus grain from High Mound; flying fields of Jishi; the returned elixir of Great Void; the dark firmness of Qin; flowing grass of Long Radiance; and flying thousandfolds of Cloud Children, among others. Taking these substances is said to make the body light enough to rise into the distant sky. They are substances consumed by celestial immortals and studied by flying spirits; ordinary people who wander the land have never heard of them, and hermits in the mountains have never seen them. One must also understand the “Nine Transformations and Ten Changes” and the Eight Arts of Hidden Ground. Only then can one travel widely through the mysterious void, walk backward at the edge of heaven, ride clouds and dragons, and soar at will.

Next are thirty-six kinds of spirit fungus, smoke refined in a flying furnace, Yang Water and lunar radiance, and the essence of the five stones. These are said to nourish the Five Organs and transform one’s appearance and body. There are also exquisite blossoms and cloud flakes, gold powder and jade liquid, which can extend life for ten thousand years.

Next are syrup of dark water and cloud radiance, the essence within the Five Yellow Evolved Spirits, jade brew from a thousand stones, the crimson blooms of the assembled blues, the fruit of the White Chariot’s flying joints, and the yellow essence of the flowing horse’s purple wood, among others. Taking these once is said to add a thousand cycles to one’s life; taking them every day lengthens life day by day, until one may live for ten thousand years.

Other spiritual medicines include the elixir of Dark Water and Cloud Radiance, the essence at the heart of the Five Yellow Spirits, the Jade Drink of a Thousand Stones, the Vermilion Blossoms of the Many Greens, the fruits of the White Chariot and Flying Joints, and the yellow essence of Flowing Horse Purple Wood. It is said that taking them once can add a thousand cycles of years to one’s life. Taken every day, they extend life day by day; as the years pass, their potency continues to grow, and life is prolonged accordingly. These are all wondrous substances with inexhaustible powers, extraordinary prescriptions for attaining long life and avoiding death. The claim that they add a thousand cycles of years is said to require only a single dao gui, a very small dose.

A lower grade of medicines includes pine resin, mountain ginger, poria spirit, sweet flag, dwarf lilyturf, sesame, yellow essence, chrysanthemum, goji berries, cliff honey, poria, peach bark, water plantain, fragrant Solomon’s seal, golden thread, cimicifuga, rehmannia, Vermilion Blossoms of the Red Board, and Cloud-Flying Water Cassia. There are many kinds of medicines in this category; these are only a few examples. Taking them brings certain benefits, but cannot make one immortal. Those who live longest may reach seven hundred years, while even the shorter-lived may reach three or four hundred. Yet those who take these medicines may still find it difficult to understand how to enjoy long life and ultimately ascend into the blue sky. Taking them can also moisten the body, turn white hair black, and restore a youthful appearance. One may command a thousand spirits, become an earthly immortal, travel on foot among the Five Marchmounts, and wander through famous mountains. But one should not conclude from this that death is impossible.

One should continue to seek higher-grade medicines, transform oneself, and renew one’s cultivation; only then can one make progress step by step. Why cling to old methods and refuse to change, only to be bound by the limits of one’s lifespan and let the years pass in vain?

In cultivating these Daoist methods, one should be gentle, humble, warm-hearted, and compassionate; keep one’s attention undivided; cleanse the body and maintain inner purity; harmonize the five viscera; steady the body and visualize inner scenes; and guard the many spirits within. One should keep watch over the hun and po souls, refine and nourish the spirit, remove impurities, and let the mind roam through the depths of mystery. Let one’s feelings and intentions remain free of the pull of worldly desires; embrace the One, the state of single-minded focus in Daoist cultivation; practice alone and avoid entanglement in worldly affairs. Spicy foods and pungent meats should not pass the lips, nor rich, fatty meats enter the stomach. One should live in a quiet place in the mountains and take no part in outside affairs. In this way, one can devote oneself to contemplating the profound principles, preserving one’s true nature, summoning spirits, and attuning to the power of talismans and registers; one can also ingest the Eight Minerals, the mineral medicines used in Daoist cultivation, and nourish bodily fluids through breath regulation.

Although practices such as Yin Elixir cultivation (internal alchemy practiced through sexual techniques), the method of joining the Yellow Way with Red Qi, the breathing method of the Seven-Nine Courtship of Essence, and the male-female techniques of the Six-One Return of the Elixir can win their practitioners the title of “immortal,” the Highest Clarity tradition does not consider them comparable to lofty virtue. Though they can bring about transformation, the Most High does not prize them. What these methods produce is merely a defiled immortal or a muddied perfected one; in the end, such a person cannot enter the Jade Gate, the portal to Heaven.

These practices are like walking over ice in dangerous places: failure can undo all one’s previous efforts. Even those who succeed become no more than earthly immortals with impure Qi. If you wish to follow the example of the truly accomplished, these methods are not worth dwelling on. Instead, set your mind on more practical Daoist methods, such as Daoyin (guiding and moving the body and Qi), breath cultivation (regulating the breath and nurturing the vital energies), embryonic breathing (an internal practice that imitates the breathing of a fetus), and quieting the mind while holding one’s thoughts. The methods recorded in works such as the Middle Chapters on Hidden Spirits, the Hidden Instructions of the Golden Casket, the Inner and Outer Yellow Court, and the Records of Guarding the One in the Great Clarity number in the thousands. They have long circulated among ordinary people, and you have heard of them all. Since the Middle Ages, from the time of the Yellow Emperor onward, those who have ascended through these Daoist methods have been as countless as the plants and trees on a mountain.

These people applied themselves diligently, guarded their Jing and Qi steadfastly, held firm to their discipline, and remained single-minded in their aims. If you cultivate in accordance with these four qualities, I will help you dispel demonic obstacles and aid your ascent to immortality.

As for those whose resolve is weak, even if they take up cultivation, some gain no benefit after years of practice. This is because some practice Daoyin and breathing without understanding the method; some are led astray by external things and fail just as they are about to succeed; some gain benefits for a time but stop when illness strikes; some hear a master’s teachings but cannot distinguish the true from the false; some cannot keep their minds focused and let their spirit become scattered; some accumulate transgressions and violate Heaven’s prohibitions; and some alter the prescribed methods on their own, adding or removing things according to their own ideas. Such failures recur again and again. These people are frivolous and shallow, lack integrity, and speak empty words; they cannot be taught.

Thus the Great Dao cannot be widely practiced throughout the world, and true immortals rarely appear among us. The responsibility for this lies, on close examination, with people themselves; it is no failing of our Daoist tradition.

The key to cultivation lies in calmness, detachment, and freedom from covetous striving. Use inner observation to illuminate the eight directions, settling consciousness and giving the hun and po souls a place of refuge. Do not act rashly, yet do not cling to rigid discipline. Purge worldly thoughts, keep the nine souls at rest, hold fast to the primordial unity, and let the spirit roam through the unseen realms. Keep the Qi of the five organs from scattering, and allow bodily fluids and primordial Qi to gather in mystery. Do not fear life or death, and remain unmoved by strange and uncanny events. Let the body follow the natural openness of the void, harmonize spirit and Qi, and preserve Jing and Qi.

For such a person, where could great trials arise, or demons and malign forces find a way to intrude? Even metal and stone cannot match the depth of their foundation, and the waters flowing from the eight directions cannot compare with their profound stillness. A clear and upright disposition may indeed be partly inborn, yet it can also be acquired quickly through study. Even without deliberately seeking it, one can still attain something.

Ultimately, immortality cannot be forced, and realization of the True cannot be won through scheming. Without a deep foundation, one will not hear the Scripture of Wisdom; without the right affinity, one will never encounter the scripture known as the Divine Golden Tiger Chapter. And without diligent admiration for the Way of the Flying Immortals, one would not come to know Taiji Shangqing, the system of belief associated with exalted Daoist deities and the transcendent realm of Shangqing.

In short, cultivating the Dao requires a sense of duty, aspiration, sincerity, and diligence. One should do good in secret, rescue those facing disaster and hardship, support the poor and distressed, and build up benevolent merit. This comes down to treating all things with compassion and never treating living beings with cruelty. This is the gateway to the Great Dao and the hidden depth where the Dao’s mysteries may be attained.

You must recite diligently and keep the high spirits in mind. I will tell you words that are difficult to understand: at times, when the mind’s openings are unsealed, you may grasp their essential meaning; when consciousness is clear, the True Dao will appear. All ghosts will flee. Even grave illnesses that are hard to cure will yield, malign forces will retreat, and illness will soon be healed. This truly depends on the divine tiger’s power to awe the Six Heavens—the Daoist forces of ghosts and spirits in the six directions—and also on the Scripture of Wisdom as a method for dispelling demonic obstacles.

All bonds are released, the mind and spirit grow bright, and the spirit is at peace. The six Qi come into harmony, bringing lasting tranquility; the seven essences—the vital energies or spirits within the human body—become clear and unobstructed, while every snare and barrier recedes far away. Cling neither to existence nor to nonexistence. The great Shangzhen, the exalted perfected beings, and the primordial merit of the Most High are vast and boundless. When you have recited this far, bow in the four directions and honor this sacred Great Yellow Way Chapter.

If you stop before completing three thousand recitations of the scripture, you must fast anew and recite it three thousand times. The recitations completed before stopping do not count.

The Eight Techniques of the Most High, the Wisdom That Destroys Demons, and the Hidden Writing of the Spirit Tiger are secret texts for those who have attained the Dao to enter stillness and live forever. They were compiled by the High Minister, the Azure Youth. If someone is steadfast in their resolve and, through the fate of a former life, has a connection with these texts and is able to receive and uphold them, they should observe purification and swear an oath by a golden dragon and a jade fish. These secret texts record the names of ten thousand kinds of spirits throughout the world, along with the hidden names of countless demons and monsters. For this reason, the Lord of the Great One ordered them compiled and often sends ghost soldiers to guard them. They must be treated with great care and never passed on lightly.

The Lord of the Great Dao then played the Jinglong Cloud Ao, a cloud-shaped instrument used for immortal music. Its sound soared high and rang out in long, distant waves, with myriad tones interweaving and surging together. Clear, beautiful music filled the space around them; purple clouds circled overhead, and dark winds rose from the eight directions. Jade phoenixes stretched their necks, golden luan birds steadied their breath, dragons sang amid the green waves, and tigers leapt across the land of the Divine Continent. Nine kinds of cries answered one another, and the wondrous music reached into the void. Crouching beasts swung their arms, fierce horses opened their throats; mountains lay out across the land, and forests swayed. Spirits bearing swords subdued evil influences. Amid the clamor of mingled sounds, a hundred wolves and all kinds of demons were stirred.

Then the Lord of the Great Dao commanded the attendants of the Upper Palace of Jade Clarity—An Fay­ing, Tian Sifei, Zhao Dingzhu, Cun Yunmen, and the others—to sing together the poem for summoning the spirits and the song for destroying essences and dispersing spirits. The lyrics say:

Riding the drifting chariot of Great Rosy Clouds, we roam toward the eight directions and reach the palaces among the clouds. The sacred sovereign tends his wondrous heart; dragon-shaped wings spread in splendor across the Jade Capital, the city of the immortals.

Clouds flourish between the golden gates, and nine tiers of chambers shine with bright purple jade. Riding a lofty carriage, we pass beyond the northern heavens and enter, in serene stillness, the realm of no birth. A vermilion tiger guides the spirit officials; the green-yoked carriage travels toward Highest Clarity. The wondrous court precincts of the four directions appear in radiant clarity; embracing immortal flowers, we return to Phoenix City.

The seven calamities are still revered as Brahma’s green registers; by them, the road to the Nine Origins is marked. The precious radiance of the Great Beginning proclaims its brightness, while visions swift and remote leap forth and spread.

The carriage is made ready, and the journey begins toward the Plainland. The spirits of the river have already opened the way ahead. Dark clouds veil the sun at night; moonlight shines like a candle, then suddenly mingles with the glow of dawn.

Before the spirits have formed clear and distinct bodies, they join hands to guide everyone back together into Nonbeing. Myriad sources pour into the Northern Valley; all ride through the void and return like shooting stars.

They vanish from sight and drift free beyond the world of dust. Lofty peaks seem to rise from waves at the edge of heaven. Immersed in wondrous joy, a subtle and mysterious realm stands forth, opening onto emptiness.

They dwell at ease in the primal realm of Cinnabar Mystery. In the Great Void, the Great Dao runs clear and open. Darkness and light alike follow the workings of the numinous talismans, shifting and transforming unseen. How could there be any error?

They emerge from the mysterious realm and gather together; the beginning of all things seems like a dream from ages past. De is hidden within, its traces faint and formless. In reaching utmost stillness, one does not even notice it taking place.

They dwell at ease in the primal realm of Cinnabar Mystery. In the Great Void, the Great Dao runs clear and open. Darkness and light alike follow the workings of the numinous talismans, shifting and transforming unseen. How could there be any error?

They emerge from the mysterious realm and gather together; the beginning of all things seems like a dream from ages past. De dwells within, its traces faint and formless. In reaching utmost stillness, one does not even notice it taking place.

Spirit, Qi, and Jing-soul respond to the Great Simplicity, the primordial Qi that forms all things. Hazy rays, like smoke and rosy clouds, illuminate the way ahead. Mysterious sounds arise in the far distance; how could the profound Dao possibly inspire doubt?

At dawn, drums answer the long wind, and radiance and rosy clouds appear here. The waters of the boundless, secluded cavern stream onward; all spread their wings and fly toward the Terrace of Six Ridges.

The Spirit King enters the Jade Void, the Daoist realm of pure emptiness; even the realm of Utmost Nonbeing cannot assail the Vermilion Guard, the divine or heavenly host. The Ninefold Net of Heaven meets the distant realm, and the wondrous gathering is now at peace.

The Dao is hidden within the Golden Pole Chapter. Music is played, its tones brilliant with splendor. A thousand dragons spout clear water, and nine great rivers seem to pour themselves dry.

Vast clouds cover the secluded and remote sanctuary; numinous waves spread across its four courtyards. All raise their heads together toward the lofty immortal palace, where neither forms nor names can be fixed.

They guide everyone upward and draw them into the Qi of Primordial Harmony. Mysterious wonders stand forth distinctly as they hold fast to the Dao. They contain Jing and Qi, illuminating the Cloud Chamber; pure and solemn, they return to the clear order of things.

The numinous Dao leads to the Orchid Gate, the palace of the immortals, and the realm of mystery upon mystery unfolds. Ten thousand peaks become wonders, and above the clouds dwell the Jade Immortals.

Only when the cycle of calamities has run its course do they unite with Jade Radiance, unaware that this is only the beginning. The primordial spirit merges with the transformed realms of the grotto-heavens, sinking into concealment and forgetting every fixed sign.

The River Lord forms the Upper View, its radiant pearls adorning the splendid courtyard. In the void, the Dao is without distinction; settled and clear, how could it suffer lack or excess?

The sun meets layer upon layer of Yin, circling and sweeping past, revealing darkness and flickering light. Together, all transcend the reach of the six senses, and their numinous songs converge in a single melody.

They set the courses of the Northern Dipper and the Celestial River in motion, brilliant with light as Jade Radiance trembles. The myriad spirits ride vermilion heavenly horses and leap aloft; a thousand kinds of demons no longer have time to arise.

Evil spirits are destroyed in the Palace of Water and Fire, while the true body rests securely in Supreme Purity, the realm of utmost truth and steadfastness. Outside the palace, the numinous officers chant in unison.

The celestial pivot turns, tracing the courses of the Milky Way and the Way of Heaven. Its radiance blazes, shaking the splendid Jade Palace. The myriad gods surge forth astride vermilion horses, and the thousand kinds of demons can no longer take root.

Evil spirits are destroyed in the Palace of Water and Fire, while the true body rests securely in Supreme Purity.

The gods of the four directions answer the summons in the north, governing the spirits and steadying the carriage. They call upon the earth deities, making spirits beneath the soil conceal their breath. Mountains hide their clouds, and the baleful Qi of the nine abysses is cut off. The thousand kinds of monsters are examined one by one, beheaded and seized, as thunder crashes.

The Northern Emperor opens the way, while the Four Bright Gods guard the carriage pole. They destroy every kind of evil and seal off and sever Feng Mountain, the abode of the underworld. Nine classes of ghosts merge into a single head; a thousand kinds of demons gather into one body. The Five Emperors wield great axes, and the Divine Lord breathes out smoke.

Violet radiance refines the realm brought into view, while layers of vermilion Qi coil around it. Souls race through the Night Terrace of the underworld, yet vital essence remains stored and guarded for a long time. Poisonous beasts stretch for ten thousand feet, killing without distinction between kin and stranger. What petty demon would dare gather in the hundreds or thousands?

They gather their Qi and all gaze toward the life gate, where life enters and leaves a person. The divine tiger displays its might, slaying fierce and baleful creatures such as the jue and the owl. This is the wondrous method of Great Nonbeing, a way cherished by the Most Numinous. What petty demon would dare gather in the hundreds or thousands? They gather their Qi and all gaze toward the life gate; the divine tiger displays its might, slaying fierce and baleful creatures such as the jue and the owl.

This is the wondrous method of Great Nonbeing, a way recognized and approved by the Most Numinous. Now that you have received and uphold this method, wear it upon your person forever. No matter how many trials you face, you cannot be disturbed; no matter how many demons there are, they cannot harm you. The God of Jade Radiance goes to the palace, while the heavenly perfected spirits circle and roam. Chant the clear, bright numinous tones and pay homage to the Three Origins, the three celestial officials.

When the chanting is complete, the Lord of the Great Dao, the Most High, commands the Left Mysterious Jade Lord, Yu Li Xuan, to hold a purple-gold feathered tally and summon the Emperor of the Grand Tenuity Heaven. The Emperor of the Grand Tenuity Heaven gathers his vital essence, holds the true register, and commands the void. He whistles and cries out, summoning the myriad gods and commanding primordial Qi. Holding the Golden Truth in his hand, he gazes serenely toward the Great Origin. At once he hears the command and sets out, mounting his carriage and leading the feathered spirits. The Vermilion Emperor clears the way ahead; the Heavenly Warriors guard the carriage; ten thousand tigers drive away the demons; and golden dragons marshal the troops. The Jade Tally casts down its light, flying blossoms enter the netherworld, turbid Qi flows, and the formation shines bright as it sets out to open the way.

The solar essence strikes a jade drum, releasing a surging boom, then sounds a jade bell, whose clear notes ring out. Mysterious melodies blend in harmony, and grand music follows in succession. Nine phoenixes stretch their necks and cry aloud; a hundred dragons hold the fluid in their mouths and exhale together. The golden essence gives forth a thrilling sound, while eight luan birds wheel through the sky. Purple banners rise high into the clouds, and brocade pennants encircle the solar essence. Green canopies form a shaded array; Qu Chen, in the morning light, suddenly rises. Flowing bells are tossed across one another, and bright moonlight resounds in every direction. Qiong’gan jade reveals its true form, and five symbolic visions appear and recede, pausing in turn. Fragrant flowers turn to mist, while the Three Radiances—the lights of Heaven, Earth, the sun and moon, and other celestial bodies—blossom in profusion. Light clouds gather in radiance; thin rosy clouds are draped in sunset glow.

The chariot bells ring across the seven directions. Eight chariots float in the air, accompanied by nine thousand empty carriages; poisonous dragons guard the procession on either side. It speeds through the clouds toward the hidden, mysterious realm, gathering primordial Qi and riding the wind. The sky is bright and filled with clouds, while the light in all eight directions grows hazy. The True Maiden rides on the right and calls to the spirit youths on the left. In an instant, the procession has grown to a multitude of hundreds of billions and reaches the Upper Palace. The carriage halts at Jade Clarity, one of the abodes of Daoist deities. The traveler’s form passes beyond the imperial palace walls, moving back and forth among the purple halls. There, they bow and knock their heads, awaiting the announcement of their arrival.

After a long while, the Great Lord of the Supreme Great Dao, a revered Daoist deity, finally orders the four attendants of the morning court to lead the way slowly. They ascend the Gate of Medicinal Pearls and enter the Inner Chamber of Seven Reflections. The Heavenly Emperor Lord of Great Tenuity, a celestial deity, speaks of himself: “This humble subject has arrived today and asks to hear your weighty command.”

The Supreme Lord of the Great Dao, a revered deity in Daoism, said: “Li Shanyuan’s virtue accords with that of the Seven Sages. He is the ruler of the Golden Palace and will henceforth attend upon the heavenly realms in the ten directions, governing the destinies of countless living beings. Amid the mysterious workings of Heaven, he will bring stability to the Middle Origin and regulate Yin-Yang, so that all things remain in harmony. He will promote the perfected immortals and command the gods, seal off rivers and streams, issue orders across the seas, decide life and death, and wield Heaven’s authority. He will destroy the evil spirits of the Six Heavens, oversee the Three Officials—the divine offices governing Heaven, Earth, and Water—and arrest the Northern Emperor. My lord serves the Emperor. His cultivation of the Dao is outstanding, his virtue vast and profound, and the duties he bears are weighty, as befits the authority entrusted to him. I have taught him the method of Wisdom and instructed him in the method of Demon-Suppression: wisdom can command the spirits, while demon-suppression can destroy malign forces. I have also bestowed on him the True Talisman of the Divine Tiger, a Fulu for suppressing evil and expelling demons, so that he may destroy the evil spirits of the Six Heavens with his authority. I have further aided him by reciting the Elevated Writ for Commanding Spirits, a text used to summon and dispatch spirits and disperse impurity and evil, thereby dispelling defilement and calamity. Moreover, the Lord Emperor of Taiwei treasures the Golden Tiger True Talisman, which subdues the spirits between Heaven and Earth. At its command, many demons and strange beings can be struck down; whoever wears it and goes forth makes all ghosts vanish from sight. If demons try to intrude, they die at once; if monsters peer out, their eyes grow dim. Such a Fulu may indeed be bestowed upon Li Shanyuan as well, to help him fulfill his duties.”

Then the Lord Emperor of the Taiwei Heaven bowed and replied. He opened the Cloud Casket, which held Daoist scriptures, and the Jade Case, a precious receptacle. Seven-colored radiance shone upon the white object, and sunlight flowed around it, revealing the true Dao. Nine shafts of light came to rest, while drifting fragrances intertwined and lingered. The Emperor held the Fulu but had not yet bestowed it. He turned and instructed the Taiwei attendants Ji Linhua, Yan Caiyun, Zhu Tiaoyan, Han Fangyao, and the others to sing together the poems of Golden Truth and the songs of Pacing the Void, hymns chanted while walking or bowing in Daoist rites. The lyrics said:

The far-reaching realm of Great Mystery lies beyond the four wondrous worlds; luminous visions hold the power of divine insight. A jade terrace spreads beneath the vermilion clouds of Heaven, while golden palaces rise amid green clouds.

Draw upward the spirit of the Cloud-Pearl Ridge; cast yourself face upward upon the Blade-less Peak. A numinous mirror lights the purple coiffure; shimmering vapors blaze and surge into the heights.

Profound and mysterious transformations coil around the radiance of jade. The cultivator draws in the seasonal energies and journeys onward with the Violet Youth, a boy who serves the immortals. The circular path is unobstructed, while layers of cloud Qi overlap like brocade.

Passing south through the gateway in the vermilion hills, the traveler goes west through a window between lofty peaks. The body grows light and nimble, as though stepping across ten thousand streams; awareness arises and can travel through all ten directions.

Mysterious Qi returns to the silent chariot pole, while ascending sounds accompany the celestial dragons.

The spirit journeys in a chariot of flying radiance, its bells ringing as it tours the seven paths. Light and clear, it passes through clouds, dust, and river crossings, and in an instant reaches Jade Province, a region in the immortal realms.

To the left, summon the Wife of Jade Radiance; to the right, command the Lord of Golden Truth. Above, usher in the Worthies of Flying Empyrean; below, support fellow cultivators of numinous subtlety.

Circle the Vast Cold Palace, the legendary moon palace, and enter the immortals’ dwelling on the divine hill, clad in brocade. Phoenix-brain incense, a wondrous fragrance used by immortals, can safeguard one’s lifespan through the kalpas; nectar brewed from flower stamens can restore radiance to a withered face.

The Most High, a Daoist title for the supreme deity or revered divinity, holds a banquet and wishes the guests abundant years. He orders their destinies, setting all things in their proper ranks. The Three Awakenings receive the mysterious mandate; in their delight, they shine with joy.

Radiance blazes in the fierce wind, and jade blossoms come to rest; purple cassia sways in flourishing splendor. Gemlike fruits ring out among the nine heavens, while jade tallies summon the Starry Palace of Taiwei.

Yellow talismanic proclamations halt the blades that damage De. How could the radiance of the perfected beings be scarce? Casting off the plain material form and returning to the formless and immaterial, all phenomena transcend together.

Amid bright Yang Qi, cinnabar Qi—the subtle primordial energy cultivated in inner practice—appears; crimson clouds dance in brilliant flight. In harmony with the stillness of Jade Radiance, its splendor hangs high in the realm of Highest Clarity.

The spirits answer the hidden ordinances of destiny, responding to the summons and drawing crowds of people to them. Across the vast crossings, waves surge and churn; myriad scenes reflect one another without end.

The immortals of the lofty Golden Gate enter the clouds in stillness. As they look up and down, they witness countless transformations; following change, they unite with the subtle Great Dao.

The mysterious cultivators dwell on the Terrace of Utter Stillness, quietly chanting the Way of Wisdom. They dispel demonic obstacles, grind away every sharp edge, and use verse to drive out impurity.

The Golden Tiger serves the might of Heaven and subdues evil spirits, forcing them to conceal their breath. It sweeps across thousands of acres of haunted ground, leaving not a trace of evil for ten thousand miles.

Thus the mysterious cultivators dwell on the Terrace of Utter Stillness, quietly chanting the Way of Wisdom. They dispel demonic obstacles, grind away every sharp edge, and use verse to drive out impurity. The Golden Tiger serves the might of Heaven, suppresses evil spirits, and forces them to conceal their breath; it sweeps across a vast expanse of haunted ground, leaving no evil within ten thousand miles.

Then the Great Spirit drew his own blood, and all the hundred kinds of spirits and demons were struck blind with fear. The Golden Tiger bristled, gave forth its might, and unleashed its poison qi, subduing every ghost and demon without exception. It swept through them, tearing open their bellies. The Six Heavens’ Demon Kings bowed their heads together; the spirits were subdued at once, birds and beasts fell silent, and the trees and grasses lay motionless.

This numinous text, Marvelous and Transcendent Writings of the Great Origin, shines with brilliance. Wear it as you travel, and you can attend the Jade Emperor, pay your respects in the Jade Chamber—the celestial palace where he resides—and have the Perfected Ones come to your dwelling. If anyone reveals the Divine Tiger Writing, calamity will befall nine generations of their clan. If anyone reveals the Golden Tiger’s True Talisman, calamity will reach seven generations of their ancestors. These numinous writings should be hidden deep within mountains and rivers: they are the essence of the Dao and De.

When the chanting was complete, the Lord Emperor of Taiwei bestowed the Golden Tiger’s True Talisman upon Lord Li. Then everyone departed. Lord Li had received two talismans and had also heard the Most High expound the two scriptures of Wisdom That Dispels Demons. The Most High further instructed the High Minister, the Blue Lad, to work with the Chief Minister and the Four Aides to compile and arrange these writings into scriptures, for people to practice regularly and to transmit to those destined to become Perfected Ones. Over the course of seven hundred years, they may be transmitted only three times.

The sound of this poem is subtle and wondrous. Much of its content was compiled and arranged by the Chief Minister and the Four Aides in Heaven, forming scriptures for people to practice regularly and to transmit to those destined to become Perfected Ones. Over the course of seven hundred years, they may be transmitted only three times.

The sound of this poem is subtle and strange. Its content consists largely of the names of various spirits between Heaven and Earth, while also concealing taboo names for countless demons and poisonous monsters. The Most High recites these names to reveal their transformations, recount related events, and show how they correspond to talismans and registers.

Divine light shines in all directions, and numinous Qi reaches into deep and uncanny realms. Secret talismans, invested with the power of the spirits, can subdue demons. These talismans bear a divine tiger as their emblem, followed by golden tigers in sequence. Writings of wisdom appear within them, and words that dispel demons are set among the lines.

If you feel afraid at night, simply recite these two poems. The many spirits and monsters will flee and hide, as though thousands upon thousands were keeping you company through the night. When the spirits of the mountains and rivers hear the poems, they will all take up their whips and bow in reverence toward the direction from which the sound comes. How much more, then, will wearing the divine gold spread its radiance through the Six Heavens—the heavenly realms of Daoist teaching—and gather and subdue evil spirits?

Those who aspire to cultivate the Dao and travel among the Five Sacred Mountains, seeking to ascend to immortality and transcend the ordinary, must know the taboo names of the Celestial Emperor of Taiwei and the Lord Taiyi, and possess the True Talisman of the Golden Tiger. Otherwise, their names cannot be entered in the registers of the Immortal Offices. Wear this talisman and recite the text for destroying demons, and the many spirits and monsters will hide, as though thousands were keeping you company. When the great spirits of the mountains and rivers hear the recitation, they too will take up their whips and bow in reverence toward the direction from which the sound comes.

To wear the taboo name of the Celestial Emperor of Taiwei and the name of the Lord Taiyi, one must hold a token of the covenant and formally receive them according to the master’s oral instructions. One must not pass through unclean places. These are the secret essentials of the “Hidden Art of the Eight Earths.” Take the utmost care: do not disclose them lightly or transmit them to anyone unfit to receive them, or calamity will extend for a hundred generations. If, at the time, you cannot transmit them properly and fear that their contents may be revealed, seal them away and return them to a famous mountain.

Scroll Two of the True Scripture of Wisdom That Dispels Demons, Spoken by the Most High of the Cavern of Truth

Scroll Three of the True Scripture of Wisdom That Dispels Demons, Spoken by the Most High of the Cavern of Truth

Chapter on Guarding the One

The Most High said to the Lord of the Golden Palace: Anyone who has firm resolve, observes the precepts, disciplines body and mind, and accumulates merit can cultivate over time and become a great sage. The key is to guard the One: to focus on and uphold the fundamental primordial Qi.

The One has no form, yet it can resonate with all things. When this resonance reaches a certain degree, an image appears. What one sees depends on the circumstances. The One is both present and absent, and its transformations are without end. It requires no effort and suffers no depletion; it neither increases nor diminishes, brings no calamity, and is not confined by birth and death. It is unborn, yet constantly gives rise to life; it constantly gives rise to life, yet does not fall into death. It brings all things continually into being, and all things receive its life force and grow by means of this deathless root. Those who uphold it are wise; those who abandon it are foolish. Foolishness leads toward death, while wisdom can preserve life.

Life is precious and cherished by all living beings. To love life and abhor death is also the shared wish of all beings that breathe. Yet those who single-mindedly seek life do not necessarily attain longevity, and fear of death may hasten it. If one cannot grasp the Way of life and death, one will act against one’s own wishes. To attain what one wishes for, wisdom is essential. Wisdom begins with understanding the One: the One is the generative Qi, the fundamental breath that gives rise to life. Qi gives rise to life without cease; it must neither be forgotten nor obstructed. If one blocks the flow of Qi in pursuit of longevity, the generative Qi will be cut off. When Qi is cut off, there is death, and after death one cannot gain life again by this means. Those who remain long in darkness and suffering should awaken to the truth; to awaken too late is called ignorance.

Ignorance traps people in foolishness and baseness, making them difficult to teach. Even if they are taught, they may not understand; even if they understand, they may not persevere; even if they persevere, they may not continue; even if they continue, they may not devote themselves fully; and even after devoting themselves fully, they may let their cultivation fall away. This is called a lack of steadfastness. Without steadfastness, one falls into delusion. If delusion becomes severe and one refuses to correct it, one cannot speak of wisdom. The wise correct their errors, return to the Way, abandon what is false and deviant, and return to the right path.

When one preserves the generative Qi within oneself, its flow continues to give rise to life. As generative Qi transforms, it divides and combines, forming three levels: the first is called the Primordial Beginning, the second the Primordial Grotto, and the third the Mysterious Void. The lowest level is Mysterious Qi, which governs emptiness and stillness. It can be used to heal illness and dispel calamity; cultivating the Way of emptiness and stillness brings results. The middle level is Primordial Qi, which governs penetration and openness. It enables the generative Qi to transform continuously, helping people prolong their years and overcome obstacles. The highest level is Beginning Qi, which governs the primordial root and makes generation and transformation ceaseless, reaching the realm of wondrous existence.

Wondrous existence encompasses all three: the Primordial, the Grotto, and the Void. Those not yet able to cultivate all three may cultivate the Void or the Grotto separately. Those who cultivate penetration and openness should cultivate De and extend their years. When alone, they should gather their thoughts; when with others, they should not act recklessly. They should make preserving themselves their root concern and responding to the outer world a secondary concern. If they can grasp what is primary and what is secondary, they may be called discerning. Those who cultivate emptiness and stillness should establish merit, teach others, and aid those in need. When alone, they should devote themselves to self-cultivation; when with others, they should offer help and support. They should put the salvation of living beings first and their own fulfillment second. Though they distinguish between what comes first and what comes later, they have not yet brought the two into unity; hence they are called wise.

Those who cultivate the Primordial Beginning should cultivate De and establish merit alike, attending to themselves and all things in both stillness and action. They should act at the proper time, whether something must come first or later, without losing what is fitting. They should both gather the spirit within and extend kindness outward, bringing life to themselves and to others, and keeping the human body and spirit Qi flowing freely. This alone is called wisdom.

When the Qi of wisdom reaches the source of the Dao, that source has no name of its own and can only be called “Beginning.” Before Beginning Qi, the foremost task is to nurture all things: to enable them to live while also continually preserving one’s own life force. Life giving rise to life without end is the seed of the Dao. In this way, one can heal illness, dispel calamity, add years to one’s life, and extend boundless kindness. Therefore, the One Qi is supremely mysterious. Those who study the Dao cannot be called wise if they do not understand this.

To know this One is to know the Beginning One. It can fulfill three functions, so it is called the Primordial One. Next is the Mysterious One; together, they are collectively called the Three Ones. Within the Three Ones, the three functions each differ. Cultivating them separately brings merit of varying depth. If one can bring all three together and understand them as a whole, this is called the supreme source of the lineage. The wondrous nature of the Source One neither increases nor diminishes and is not confined by birth and death, yet it enables all things to live and flourish without end. It is therefore supreme and exalted, standing alone, enduring, and unchanging.

The continuation of life requires Yin-Yang to combine in harmony. One must examine and understand how the One Qi gives rise to itself: two halves combine to form one, and the One then transforms and gives rise to three. To carry this on diligently without end is called resolve. When one’s resolve is fixed on this source, one must not stagnate. Indulging in sex and unrestrained desire, abandoning simplicity to chase beauty and ostentation, and competing out of jealousy are all unwise.

The wise should lessen selfishness and desire, purifying their cravings without becoming attached to them. They may have aims and take action, yet should not compete with others. If one seeks only one’s own benefit and looks down on others, favors one side and resents another, wishes to share with others yet races to take the lead, seeks to come first while placing too much value on reputation, wants to possess things oneself but not let others possess them, wants to be beautiful while wishing others to be ugly, seeks quick success while hoping others will be delayed, knowingly sinks into a mire yet refuses to repent, clings stubbornly to fixations, lets thoughts run wild, violates the scriptures and destroys the laws, disregards punishment from humans and spirits and the suffering of future retribution, and remains unrepentant even when calamity strikes, none of this is wisdom.

The wise uphold the One, focusing their minds and settling them in the source of the heart. But if the heart is tainted by worldly habits, the Dao is difficult to spread. Therefore, one should first use Fulu, talismans employed in Daoist ritual to pray for blessings and ward off harm. With utmost sincerity and careful observance, one can see results.

These sixteen talismans are used beginning on the eight seasonal nodes: the Beginning of Spring, Spring Equinox, Beginning of Summer, Summer Solstice, Beginning of Autumn, Autumn Equinox, Beginning of Winter, and Winter Solstice. Write them in cinnabar on bamboo membrane. At dawn, face south, swallow a talisman, and bow twice. If, while bowing, you are still unaware of any inner change, this does not count as wisdom. Wisdom means holding to the One—a state of undivided attention and focused spirit in Daoist cultivation—and carefully settling the foundations of the mind and spirit. If the mind and spirit have become accustomed to worldly ways, they will find it difficult to rest in the Dao. Therefore, swallow the talisman first; its efficacy will become apparent only after the mind and spirit have been purified and focused.

Another method is to begin using these sixteen talismans on the eight seasonal nodes. Write them in cinnabar on bamboo membrane, face south at dawn, swallow one, and bow. After bowing, you may make a vow according to your own wishes, continuing for sixteen days. Separately, write a talisman in cinnabar on white silk, place it in a brocade pouch, and attach it to your head. Wear it for five years, and you will be able to meet the True One—the Daoist term for the Dao in its original state, or the inner divine spirit.

Write these three talismans in cinnabar on white silk and wear them at the left elbow. After eight years of cultivation, the Three Ones—the three divine beings corresponding to body and mind in internal practice—will appear. Also, on the first day of the first lunar month, write a talisman in blue ink on white paper. Face north, bow twice, and then swallow it. Next, make a talisman plaque from gold, nine inches long, four inches wide, and three fen thick. Engrave it with characters and use it to subdue and seal away the evil spirits of mountains and rivers, and to govern the true essences—the divine energies contained in the Five Sacred Peaks. After swallowing and wearing the talismans, concentrate on visualizing the Three Ones.

Measure one inch back from the space between the eyebrows: this is the Hall of Light. Two inches back is the Cavern Chamber; three inches back is the Upper Dantian, also called the Muddy Pellet Palace, an internal cultivation site in the head. The Muddy Pellet Palace is one inch square, and purple Qi rises from it straight into the sky. Within it is the image of the sun, nine inches in diameter, shining outward for ninety thousand li. The cultivator’s body can change, becoming larger or smaller. Temporarily forget your own body and focus your attention on visualizing it.

The Crimson Child of the Upper Origin, an inner divine being who dwells in the head, resides beneath the Canopy of the Muddy Pellet Palace. His sacred name is Xuanning Tian, his courtesy name is Sanyuan Xian, and he is also called Bo Wushang and Bo Shihua. His rank is the Celestial Emperor of the Muddy Pellet Palace. To his right is the Imperial Attendant, whose sacred name is Zhaole Jing, courtesy name Zhongxuan, and who is also called Qifei and Changfu. Both are unclothed and have the appearance of infants.

The place where the heart is located is called the central Dantian, also known as the Crimson Palace, where the spirit of the heart resides. It is one inch across, and red vapor shoots straight up to the sky. Within it is the image of a sun, seven inches in diameter, whose light shines for seventy thousand miles.

Within my body there takes shape the Perfected One of the Central Origin, a deity who resides in the central Dantian. His sacred name is Spirit-Wielding Pearl, his courtesy name is Son of Southern Cinnabar, and he is also called Life Elder and Historian Cloud-Restraint. His rank is Cinnabar Emperor of the Crimson Palace. To his right is the Assistant Imperial Minister, a deity who assists the Cinnabar Emperor. His sacred name is Central Radiance Firm, his courtesy name is Four Transformations numinous, and he is also called Hidden Chariot Elder and Weighty Historian Splendor. Both are naked, have the appearance of infants, and sit facing one another.

Three inches below the navel is the Palace of the Gate of Life Dantian, where the lower Dantian is located. It is one inch across, and white vapor shoots straight up to the sky. Within it is the image of a sun, five inches in diameter, whose light shines for fifty thousand miles.

Within my body there takes shape the Infant of the Lower Origin, a deity who resides in the lower Dantian. His sacred name is Beginning Bright Essence, his courtesy name is Primordial Yang Flourishing, and he is also called Embryonic Infant and Elder Historian Source. His rank is Primordial King of the Yellow Court. To his right is the Minister of Protection and Stabilizing Assistance, a deity who assists and guards the King. His sacred name is Returning Above Bright, his courtesy name is Valley Below Profound, and he is also called Offering Shen Elder and Inheriting Radiance Life. Both are naked, have the appearance of infants, and sit facing one another.

Focus your mind on contemplating and remembering these three deities. Persist in this practice for a long time, and you will be able to see them. Once you see them, divine powers will manifest and wisdom will grow. The sacred name of the Minister of Protection and Stabilizing Assistance is Returning Above Bright, his courtesy name is Valley Below Profound, and he is also called Offering Shen Elder and Inheriting Radiance Life. Both are naked, have the appearance of infants, and sit facing one another.

Preserve the Three Ones—the deities housed in three places within the body—and keep them firmly in mind. If you persist in this practice, in time you will see them. Once they appear, the spirits become fully responsive, and wisdom is thereby attained. Those who study wisdom but do not keep to the One with purity, who have not yet brought the One into view and whose spirits are not yet fully responsive, will still encounter calamities and remain unclear about some things. Even if they have learned the methods, they may not be able to preserve their lives. If they then become self-satisfied and look down on others, thinking that what others can do or understand is nothing remarkable, and refuse to learn attentively, their minds will not hold to the practice, and they will be unable to understand. Understanding is not the foundation of cultivation, but it has practical uses: it can help one move through the world with restraint and live in harmony with others. Ignorance readily grows, while wisdom is hard to attain. If you abandon what you have learned, or practice it without following the right method, you will be unable to get along with others or help them. This is not true wisdom.

Whether in divination and crafts, games and amusements, relations between men and women, accounts of ghosts and spirits, every kind of beautiful or ugly appearance and method, the activities of the body, speech, and mind, sound, color, touch, and contact, movement and stillness, concealment and display, change and rise and fall, being and nonbeing, expediency and fact, right and wrong, strength and weakness, words of ill fortune and good fortune, or any kind of conduct: if even one thing lies beyond the reach of wisdom, then that is not wisdom. Those who study wisdom must hold to the One and never depart from it. The moment they depart, they lose wisdom. All of this is caused by the Three Peng, the three ghosts said in Daoism to disturb people from within the body.

The Upper Peng governs the hun and po souls, making people lustful and obsessed with sexual desire, and thereby causing them to grow old. The Middle Peng governs the conscious spirit—the mind’s awareness and thoughts—making people angry and resentful, and thereby causing illness. The Lower Peng governs Jing and Qi and the will, making people foolish and deluded, and thereby leading them toward death. After death, people join the ranks of ghosts and are called “corpses.” The suffering endured by these corpse ghosts is all caused by the Three Peng; hence they are called the Three Peng. They roam about wreaking havoc and are difficult to subdue. If they cannot be brought under control, the spirits within the body become troubled and tormented, and the body is damaged and destroyed. After death, one sinks into a dark realm, enduring the torment and poison of windlike blades, suffering through endless nights and countless kalpas. How could this not inspire fear?

The wise must first subdue these three ghosts: forbid lust and do not become mired in disputes; restrain anger with patience, and do not let conflicts escalate into lawsuits and fights. When fighting ends and grievances are settled, guilt and calamity will not bring death. People often move toward death because they cling and refuse to let go; clinging arises from delusion. When those in conflict collide with one another, each intent on showing strength and forcing the issue, neither knowing when to stop or yield, they may ultimately bring death and calamity upon themselves. Once punishment and suffering arrive, regret comes too late.

Therefore, the key to cultivation is first to hold to the One and nurture the spirits, so that affairs do not become tangled and stagnant. Act without attachment to action, and lessen private desires day by day, thereby cultivating De. Greed and lustful thoughts may arise from time to time; if you can correct yourself, that is enough. Anger may flare up; as soon as you notice it, restrain it and make amends promptly. In time, you will avoid clinging and obstruction. To avoid obstruction is to escape death and live long. Greed and anger are easy to fall into occasionally, but hard to remove once they become habits. Greed is comparatively easy to resolve; lust and resentment are harder still. All beings wish to surpass others. If they feel that someone has wronged them and made them unable to endure the insult, they strike back, and conflict follows. Conflict begins easily but is hard to end, and so it leads to death and ruin.

Vow to honor the Great Dao and hold to the One without departing from it. It is easy to refrain from wronging others; it is hard to keep others from wronging you. Even when someone offends you, do not take offense or harbor thoughts of revenge. Resolve the enmity in accordance with the Dao; guide and reassure both sides so that they return to the right path, bear no more hatred, and remain united in the Dao forever. To violate this method of cultivation is not true wisdom.

The wise and exalted make themselves an example and lead the people. The Most High, the supreme deity, instructs the people and establishes teachings through written words. The teachings people are to recite and study are set out in the seven chapters below.

To understand a principle but fail to uphold it; to uphold it only reluctantly and without firmness: this departs from the method of cultivation and does not count as wisdom. The wise take themselves as an example and guide others. The profound and simple principles of the Dao are explained in writing and thereby become teachings. The material people are taught to recite and practice consists of seven chapters:

First: To know a principle but fail to uphold it; even if one upholds it, not to do so firmly; even if one does so firmly, not to persist over time—this does not count as wisdom.

Second: To know that matters have greater and lesser importance but fail to put them in order; even if one does, not to be strict; even if one is strict, not to maintain it over time—this does not count as wisdom.

Third: To know that danger is present but fail to avoid it; even if one avoids it, not to do so thoroughly; even if one does so thoroughly, not to remain consistent—this does not count as wisdom.

Fourth: To know that one should draw close to others but fail to truly do so; even if one draws close, not to offer encouragement and help; even if one offers them, not to bring matters to fruition—this does not count as wisdom.

Fifth: To know that worldly affairs can be governed but fail to make that governance stable; even if it is stable, not to make it flourish—this does not count as wisdom.

Sixth: To know that the Dao can be put into practice but fail to follow it clearly; even if one follows it clearly, not to bring it to full expression and flourishing—this does not count as wisdom.

Seventh: To know that some things seem to be ignorance and nonbeing but fail to grasp the reality within them; even if one grasps it, not to do so with precision; even if one is precise, not to examine it with care and discernment—this does not count as wisdom.

The “Seven Awakenings and Seven Chants” listed on the right are words formed naturally by Heaven and Earth. The Most High of the past—a title Daoism uses for the supreme divinity—the present-day me, and those who will ascend to the honored rank in the future all chant these words to overcome trials posed by demonic obstacles and quiet false thoughts and doubts. When doubts are dispelled and confusion clears, one can return from the branches to the root; even the root principles that are hard to grasp gradually become clear. The branches and the root together appear as a natural text.

The Most High of the past, the present-day me, and those who will ascend to the honored rank in the future all chant these words, overcoming demonic trials and quieting false thoughts and doubts. When doubts are removed and confusion fades, one returns from the branches to the root and comes to understand the Way at its source. In cultivation, every measure of diligence and every breath can increase or diminish one’s merit and faults. As things come and go, when conditions mature, resonance appears in response; when circumstances call for a response, one should meet them through resonance. Let resonance set instruction in motion, awakening those who are ignorant and benighted: the benighted receive light, and that light returns to true awakening. Awaken to the fact that nothing is grasped at, while recognizing that within “nothingness” there is still subtle principle. When the subtle primordial Qi transforms, it can refine the false and bring the true to completion.

Truth arises from the Five Virtues; the Five Virtues converge to form the Six Spiritual Powers, capacities attained through cultivation, and the Six Spiritual Powers in turn depend on the Seven Awakenings. The Seven Awakenings arise from this chant, and chanting answers the resonance between things. Once resonance appears, it gives rise to a name: this is called “response.” From cause to result come verification and signs, with no error between them. Seven, five, and six transform and bring change about in one another. Their mutual resonance reveals signs and drives things into clear manifestation. Traces arise from my resonance, and my resonance too has a name. Though the names differ, their substance is the same. When signs become evident, they may seem different; the difference begins with the distinction between stillness and movement, when the other shore first divides. From one come two, then three gives rise to six, forming the traces of six times six; the six kinds of traces return to a single mind. The source of this single mind was originally one, yet it flows into countless branches. Broadly, these branches fall into six categories that hold the key to the changes of coming and going. Put them into practice, and one can transcend the Three Realms—the realms of desire, form, and formlessness. Abandon them, and one falls into the Nine Depths, the deepest regions of the Daoist underworld.

When wisdom is put into practice through six forms of cultivation, one can transcend the Three Realms and escape the suffering of the Nine Depths. This is why they are called the “Six Perfections.” All thirty-six heavens, six times six, cultivate the Six Perfections together:

First, be diligent: do good without growing weary. Second, have steadfast faith in the Dao and never forget it. Third, remain yielding and humble, hold to the One, and practice the Dao through gentleness. Fourth, persevere and remain constant from beginning to end, without giving up halfway. Fifth, remonstrate in disputes and restrain wrongdoing without offending others, so that both oneself and others are treated with care. Sixth, cast off attachment to wine and sexual pleasure, temper one’s sharpness and live in harmony with the world, and use the Dao to nurture all people. When the mind and spirit remain clear, unconfused and unobstructed, this is wisdom.

Wisdom means preserving clarity at all times. A libationer, a Daoist priest with a defined office, must not sink into confusion. Only when the mind and spirit are neither darkened nor obstructed can one communicate with the divine, help others, and give those who cultivate the Dao a place to belong. Though one takes action, one does not let it unsettle the mind; this is called “letting go.” What one must let go of is the attachment that obstructs clear understanding. Attachment leads one to violate the precepts, and violating the precepts brings confusion and loss of direction. This is not wisdom.

Those who study the Dao should cultivate the mind and spirit and aspire to virtue. If they have not yet reached a state of acting without reliance, they should practice restraint and economy, embody integrity, observe and honor the Daoist teachings, and gradually diminish selfish desires. Let integrity reveal the divine, support virtuous people, express wholehearted sincerity, and follow the prescribed rules without indulging in excess.

Wine is brewed from the essence of the five grains. Drunk in moderation, it can help Qi, blood, and bodily fluids flow freely. When consumed with restraint, it can benefit the reception of spiritual energy and nourish body and mind. Excessive drinking, however, disrupts the spirit and harms life. To sink into drink and end up with nothing is not the way of wisdom.

The source of the Dao returns to unity. Its mysterious Qi divides and gives rise to the myriad forms. Yin and Yang Qi circulate and nourish; in harmony, they bring forth all things. The three Qi flow through and spread everywhere, and through them the sages share the lifespan of Heaven and Earth. Vast De fills body and mind. Yin and Yang divide, giving rise to ceaseless life, then return to unity, from which change unfolds without end. To abandon De, become obsessed with beauty, disregard one’s descendants, and indulge desire by acting on every impulse is not the way of wisdom. The wise way lies in understanding the movements of the sun and moon and the waxing and waning of Yin and Yang, and in honoring the way of nurturing life that the heavenly spirits uphold. One should first make one’s own De abundant, then extend it to others so that its teachings continue without interruption. This principle must never be abandoned.

When Yin and Yang Qi lose their harmony, Yin may bind with Yin or Yang entangle with Yang; men or women may gather in excess, or people of high and low status, monastics and laypeople, may mingle chaotically. Such conditions give rise to jealousy, resentment, and estrangement. To regard them as superior conduct may lead to the end of one’s line of descendants and the extinction of later generations, even to the decline of the family. The hope of restoring things to their former state may then be far off, and regret will come too late. Some become infatuated with beautiful women, or women with handsome men, and have affairs with spouses who are not their own. This lets disorder overcome what is right and violates life’s proper way. To remain unable to change and awaken is also not the way of wisdom.

Those whose wisdom is clear and bright are free of perversity and disorder. Thus they can ascend to the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), the highest heaven in Daoist belief, and reach the Jade Capital and Purple Pole, the celestial abode of the immortals. The ultimate realm that leads to the source of the Great Dao is attained through purity, stillness, and uprightness.

All living beings with breath possess abilities and desires, though some desires are stronger than others, and some matters are more serious than others. If a minor disagreement is not resolved promptly, it can grow worse. Even when you have not offended someone and they have offended you, you should bear it. If, after bearing it, you still harbor resentment, and words cannot dispel that resentment, this is not wisdom.

When people of any rank, inside or outside a household, offend one another, they should be reconciled with kind words, using examples and explanations. They may also be urged with earnest sorrow, or rebuked and warned; use whatever suitable means you can to bring the dispute to an end. Weigh which methods may work and which may not. At times guide, at times restrain, and do not stir up anger or turn a small matter into a great one. If the dispute ultimately cannot be settled, perhaps the harmful ties from past lives run too deep for even sages to foresee. Respond with compassion, refrain from blaming anyone, and quietly feel regret that you could not prevent matters from worsening.

Be careful not to expose another person’s private affairs. Even wisdom has its limits. In such circumstances, there is no need to blame or resent yourself excessively, but neither should you abandon the other person and cease to care for them. If you offer no admonition and simply watch things fall apart, letting others act recklessly, you will have neither the merit of compassionate aid nor wisdom.

The wise uphold stillness and nourish the spirit, letting go of attachment to the body and settling the breath. When the breath flows freely, people do not contend, and disputes can cease. When you let go of attachment to the body and preserve the spirit, your counsel is often readily heeded. But if you focus only on bodily interests, benefiting yourself at another’s expense, the other person will not be convinced; instead, resentment will arise and may bring trouble later. This is not wisdom.

Whatever you undertake should have cultivation of the Dao as its foundation. The many affairs of the world are merely superficial details and may be set aside; only the subtle root of the Dao must never be abandoned. To turn from the root and pursue the details is not wisdom.

The wise take cultivation of the Dao as their foundation in their intentions, their words, and their conduct. From the first good deed to the last, they do not depart from their original good intent. They refine their inner selves day by day and diligently do good, continually renewing their merit. To fail in this is not wisdom.

In all practices of self-cultivation and nourishing the heart, one should bring one’s speech and thoughts into accord with the Dao (the Way) and uphold “embracing the One”—holding fast to the root so that the myriad things return to unity. One should learn humility and gentleness, overcoming hardness with softness. The rivers and seas can receive the waters of a hundred streams, and so become rulers of all waters. Those who can endure humiliation can bear defilement and still take responsibility for leading others. If one cannot endure hardship, distinguish right from wrong, or bear distress, one cannot be called wise. The truly wise esteem gentleness and humility, and are as broad-minded as rivers and seas. They can bear humiliation and heavy burdens, endure hardship, discern right from wrong, and face distress. The wise do not cling to opposing notions of “this” and “that,” for they regard all things and themselves as originally one. They do not make disputes over right and wrong into matters of great importance; even when discussing them, they do not stubbornly insist on their own views. They need not argue over hardship and pleasure or make a point of defending themselves. They do good without boasting, and when slandered, do not rush to justify themselves. Those whose state of mind differs from this cannot be called wise.

All who are born as human beings should cherish life. Revering the Dao, treasuring the scriptures, honoring one’s teacher, and carrying on the teacher’s teachings—these are the “Three Treasures.” The Three Treasures are truly precious and beyond price, and none of the three can be neglected. Neglecting any one of them creates obstruction; practicing all three fully brings harmony and free passage. Only after attaining such free passage can one help others, and helping others depends on the Three Treasures. The foundation of the Three Treasures’ dignity is their unity, yet they manifest in response to circumstances: sometimes hidden and unseen, sometimes clear and visible; sometimes silent, sometimes speaking, and they also communicate with one another in different ways.

The Treasure of the Dao is formless and hidden, the root of the transformation of all things. The Treasure of the Scriptures has written words and marks the beginning of manifest instruction. The Treasure of the Teacher has a physical form, with words and actions; every advance and retreat, every movement and stillness, can serve as a model, while speech or silence depends on the occasion. The Three Treasures endure forever and are the most essential support. The foremost teaching is to save immeasurable numbers of living beings: honor and trust the Three Treasures, uphold them sincerely, and never forget them. Perform Zhaijiao (purification rituals, including observances of abstinence and the establishment of an altar to invoke the gods), uphold the precepts, and cultivate the Dao in every matter with care, so that one’s practice is neither diminished nor damaged. If it is diminished, correct it at the root: amend the past and cultivate the future. Those who do not repeat their transgressions will eventually attain deliverance. Those who neither believe nor uphold the teachings, and do not amend their ways or repent, cannot attain deliverance; they cannot be called wise.

All who hear of the Great Dao should vow to cultivate diligently: to keep doing good, restrain themselves, and help others. Those with literary skill or martial ability can use their knowledge and talents to help others. Those with courage and physical strength can lend their efforts to help. Those with power, status, or wealth can assist through their office, stipend, or possessions. If they lack these three kinds of resources, they can help others with a kind heart: when they see someone meet with good fortune, they can rejoice for them and help them succeed; when they see someone facing sorrow or hardship, they can sympathize and offer help. Even if no direct benefit comes in the present, good connections formed over time will eventually resonate with one another. Others will receive the blessings of support and protection through good deeds, while one’s own rejoicing in their good fortune will bring a return of kindness. This return is like giving: it can grow without end, and what is accumulated is never lost. Such people will naturally also increase their abilities, strength, and standing. Those who cannot practice these four kinds of giving cannot be called wise.

Wise people put these four things into practice and take them as the starting point for cultivating the “Six Perfections,” or six methods of practice. They then go on to study and experience “emptiness” and “non-emptiness”—the culmination of reaching the sacred realm. At the utmost point, they can also experience “non-emptiness within emptiness, and emptiness within non-emptiness,” and even “attachment to neither emptiness nor non-emptiness,” thereby entering a realm of empty stillness, unobstructed by anything. The scripture goes on to say that being contains nonbeing, and nonbeing also contains being; being is not absolutely being, and nonbeing is not absolutely nonbeing. In nonbeing there is no distinction between refined and coarse, while in being there are distinctions between good and evil. Between being and nonbeing, too, there are differences of good and evil, refined and coarse. Those who cling only to the opposition of being and nonbeing, their mutual arising, or the distinction between refined and coarse cannot reach the ultimate. This is not true wisdom.

Their hearts are clear and pure, radiant yet never dazzling. In action, they know when to advance and when to withdraw, beyond the measure of ordinary people. They set their thoughts right and cultivate themselves, speak with care and preserve stillness. Their three karmic actions—body, speech, and mind—never depart from the righteous Way. Thus their Dao practice becomes complete and their spirit full; they meet life’s changes with ease and attain the six spiritual powers spoken of by Daoist practitioners. This is called Brahma conduct: pure and noble cultivation. Rising above the secular world through cultivation, they can leave the earth and ascend to heaven.

The six perfections, six methods of cultivation, are the foundation of Brahma conduct. The seven factors of awakening, seven paths of cultivation toward enlightenment, enable one to ascend to the Great Luo Heaven, the highest celestial realm in Daoism. This is beyond the reach of lesser sages and middling perfected beings. How much less could those of a still lower rank among the immortals and worthies hope to attain it?

Those with shallow understanding who remain stubbornly deluded, clever in small matters yet deeply confused, cling both to “nonbeing” and to “being,” harming one another. Evil spirits seize the opportunity to disturb and test them. Unable either to transcend their plight or to understand its truth, they fall into regression. This is not true wisdom.

The wise and worthy, by contrast, cultivate diligently and continually increase their merit. They far surpass the deluded and can also accord with the Dao above. When they accord with the Dao, demonic obstacles are dispelled. Therefore, you should cultivate with courage and vigor, so that those who practice in the future may first attain understanding. Explain these teachings carefully.

The Lord of the Golden Gate bowed his head and respectfully carried out these instructions.

(The above concludes Chapter Three of the Scripture of the Perfect Teaching on Wisdom and the Dispelling of Demons, Spoken by the Most High of the Dongzhen Cavern.)

Volume Four: Chapter on Attaining Sainthood

The Most High, the Daoist honorific for the supreme deity, said to Lord Green Youth:

The assembled sages accumulate merit and, through karmic conditions, cultivate themselves to realize the Way. When their merit is complete and their cultivation and realization perfected, they manifest forms of supreme excellence. They save the thirty-six heavens, and so possess thirty-six marks; they also bring forth eighty-one classes of beings, and so have eighty-one auspicious features. When beings respond to them deeply, they can see their complete forms. When their response is weaker, they see only partial manifestations, and what each person sees varies. The less that is revealed, the more remains concealed, and ordinary people often fail to notice it.

Thus, the true bodies of the assembled sages are not fixed and unchanging, yet their essential nature endures and neither increases nor diminishes. Few people can understand this, which makes such understanding especially precious.

Those who set their minds on learning may not yet have reached complete and penetrating understanding, but they can discern wonders according to what they know. Those who recognize the brows and eyes will pay special attention to their unusual qualities; those who recognize the nose and mouth will perceive what is extraordinary about them. The thirty-six marks each differ, and people understand them according to their own knowledge. The clearer and broader their understanding, the more fully they can come to see.

Among all living beings who breathe, what they share is slight and what sets them apart is abundant. Their differences are too many to count, while what they share is so little that it is almost only one thing. Yet even this “one” is not easily attained. The journey is long and requires cultivation and discipline: one must return from multiplicity to simplicity. Even after reducing things to very few, one has still not reached “the One.” Thirty-six stages remain, each corresponding to a heaven. Each heaven has a great distinction of its own. Only when these distinctions reach their utmost, and all thirty-six heavens have been traversed, can they converge in the same source. Accordingly, the methods of returning to the source include different liturgies and paths of cultivation. Their specific practices may be alike or different, but whether alike or different, they are all rooted in goodness. Though the root is one, it branches into thirty-six manifestations; the three kinds of Qi and the Three Realms are also contained within it. Outward forms may be understood in common. When one reaches the point of forgetting all outward forms and words, one can understand the thirty-six marks of excellence. Each of the thirty-six heavens has one supreme form; the Most High possesses them all.

Among the heavenly beings, perfected persons, immortals, sages, and spirits in the various heavens, each has some qualities in greater or lesser measure. People in the world also differ, from emperors and nobles to ordinary folk. Some are wealthy and honored but short-lived; others are poor and lowly but long-lived. Some have no home of their own, yet can rely on teachers and rulers; others have palaces and estates but lack the means to support them. Some possess many treasures but give little thought to clothing and adornment; others have abundant food but do not maintain their houses. Some live beneath trees or in thatched huts yet have great renown; others use splendid halls and gardens to make their names known. Some own jade terraces and towers but have no virtue, while others live behind stone doors in rocky dwellings yet possess virtue. The world has countless ways of life, with different gains and losses, strengths and weaknesses.

Those in high positions may need to seek something from those below them, while those below may have qualities worth learning from those above. Each person has different karmic conditions and a different way of cultivating the Way, so they should not criticize one another. Criticizing others damages one’s own understanding. If the mind and awareness can become completely penetrating, one can understand the Five Virtues. When the Five Virtues are complete, all outward conduct can be set aside. Though outward conduct is forgotten, the fruits of cultivation remain, and the complete auspicious features naturally appear.

Those who possess all thirty-six marks have nobility, abundance, intelligence, discernment, majesty, and radiance, surpassing the multitude. They have palaces and walled cities, jeweled canopies and couches, fragrant flowers, music and dance, and many attendants. They also have civil and military retainers, banners and drums, clear and harmonious clouds and winds, and light like that of the sun and moon. Their clothing and headdresses come in many colors, their food is rich in fragrance, and their lives are abundant in body and mind. Whether they need or do not need these pleasures, they are free to follow their wishes.

The Unsurpassed Perfected One, the Primordial Lord of Great Unity, and others reached this state through ceaseless study, accumulating goodness, and cultivating the Way. Those who have not yet reached it continue to circulate through birth and death, passing through cycles of life and death, suffering and joy, possession and absence. If their understanding does not become penetrating, they will be obstructed and lose the correct path, then fall into unfavorable realms, with no knowing when they may return. Only by returning to good conduct can they set out again on the correct path.

Therefore, all who study and cultivate the Way today should carefully assess themselves: what they possess and what they lack. They should pursue what is lacking and not be bound by what they already have. When able, they should help and support others; when their ability is limited, they should gradually bring themselves to the state they ought to reach.

If you have wealth but lack talent and insight, you should give generously and not be miserly. By valuing wealth lightly and the Dao highly, your talent and insight will grow day by day. If you have a house but find no peace, welcome worthy and holy people and let immortals who truly cultivate the Dao live there. Have no regrets and do not begrudge it; your troubles will naturally fade away.

If you have enough food and clothing but cannot attain long life, economize on your own needs, support a wise teacher, seek wondrous arts, and practice subtle methods with perseverance. In this way, you may hope to extend your years. If you have talent and insight but no stable home or food, you should rein in your ambitions, quiet your mind, and turn your attention inward. Teach those who come after you and guide others quietly, without boasting of your achievements. Be humble and yielding, and do not draw attention to yourself. As long as you harbor no doubts, the spirits will protect you, and both humans and ghosts will honor you. You will then gain a spacious dwelling, extend your years, and enjoy blessings like those of a heavenly palace, with wondrous food and clothing and splendid attendants and guards.

All such matters can be understood by extending these examples; there is no need to list them one by one. Those who understand the principle know that by letting go of attachment to tangible things and seeking the Dao of Wuwei (non-action), there is nothing they cannot attain. What is called “attaining the Dao” means not becoming attached, and not becoming attached means not being constrained by fixed rules.

When others ask for something, give it to them without clinging to your own view. This is called not becoming attached; it does not mean deliberately giving something up. Even if no one asks, if possessing something brings you worry and distress, give it to someone else. This is called letting go, but it is not the same as nonattachment. Giving up one thing to obtain another still clings to the act of giving things up, and does not yet count as attaining the Dao. If you give simply because someone asks, even if you yourself are unattached, what you give may bring harm to the recipient. This may not be attachment, but it is not the Dao either. The subtlety of the Dao lies in nonattachment; subtlety means discerning things clearly. Only when giving causes you no loss and truly benefits the recipient is it in accord with the Dao—and an act of wisdom.

There are many ways to give, and whether one should give depends on what is appropriate. Giving appropriately is wisdom; giving inappropriately is folly. The folly lies in giving something away while acting against wisdom.

When external things come seeking something from me, I must carefully discern what is false and what is real. What is false comes to test me; what is real comes to rely on me. Those who rely on me may have good or evil motives, and the tests that come to me may be crude or subtle. Crude tests should be broken down and overcome; subtle tests should be declined with tact. One who can decline them in this way is a sage teacher. When good things come seeking something from me, I should likewise discern what is false and real, good and evil, crude and subtle: break down crude tests and tactfully decline subtle ones. One who can decline them in this way is a sage teacher.

When benevolent spirits test me through events, their tests arise because my wondrous De is insufficient and my cultivation is not yet complete. I must discern their intent and understand it fully; then I will no longer be confused. To decline them tactfully is wisdom. If the tests come from the Five Demons and Three Poisons—the demonic obstacles that disrupt cultivation, and afflictions such as greed, anger, and delusion—they will transform their appearance to test me. If I do not yet understand my own arts and do not trust my own power, I should govern them according to the teaching, rebuke and subdue them, and make them yield. The ability to overcome demonic obstacles is wisdom. To be frightened, panicked, and confused when tested shows an inability to transcend them; it is not the mark of a wise person.

Those without wisdom fall in with demonic factions. If I can see through evil kinds, find a way to escape, leave the crooked and return to the upright, correct my thoughts, and hold firm to my resolve without ever retreating, then I will not rejoice when praise comes or grieve when slander comes. There are ways to handle such things and methods for resolving them. I should set praise and blame aside and not let them linger in my heart. If I cultivate the right Way and steadfastly uphold De, praise and blame will naturally subside. This is wisdom.

When others wrong me, I need not dwell on revenge. If reason can be heard, I should speak plainly; if it cannot, I should let the matter end there. By silently attuning myself to the divine Way, I can quietly release the wrong done to me, and the other person’s aggression will also cease of itself. If I harbor no thought of revenge, my De will grow day by day. Even if evil people hate me, they cannot harm me; they only bring harm upon themselves. I should pity them for this and make allowance for their stubborn folly, rather than take pleasure in their failure to get their way. To hold this intention is wisdom.

When faced with vicious people who act in boundless defiance, question the Dao and mock De, insult Heaven and Earth, revile their parents, slander their teachers and rulers, envy their relatives and friends, and falsely accuse the good, I should bear with them. Even when wronged, I should not grow angry, but patiently guide them, remain respectful and never contend, and keep the Way in my heart. This is wisdom. But if, in anger, I rush to prove myself and set the record straight, harming others for my own gain; or if I sacrifice myself for the sake of a reputation, letting resentment drive me without regret even unto death, and thereby deepen the tangle of enmity, that is not wisdom.

Whenever you encounter evil people, fierce birds or beasts, or venomous insects and birds, you should find ways to protect yourself. If you have no means of protection, or your methods are ineffective, and harm has already been done while your accumulated merit is slight, retribution will eventually come. Even so, do not forget the Dao: understand that this has been brought about by sins from the past, and do not resent others. When suffering hardship today, reflect on the karmic ties between yourself and your enemy and seek to resolve them. Bear no ill will, and do not harbor resentment because the other person is overbearing.

When something has just happened and its consequences are not yet clear, first consider how to respond. You may use parables, incantations, and prayers to do your utmost to resolve the situation so that neither side is harmed. Even if the other person threatens you with a knife or staff, seek only to make them leave; never kill them and deepen the enmity. If you have tried every means and still cannot avoid harm, accept some of it as repayment for grievances formed in the past. Do not think of revenge. Instead, hold fast to your Dao-centered mind and seek to be free of calamity forever in the future. This is wisdom.

Some people are clever yet poor and lowly; others are foolish and unenlightened yet wealthy and honored. Some are kind yet short-lived; others flatter and harm people yet live long. Some are innocent yet meet with disaster; others do wrong yet remain safe. All this results from each person’s karmic ties and retribution, without the slightest discrepancy. Those who are clear-sighted and understanding can grasp this; those who are benighted and stubborn will be perplexed. If their doubts cannot be dispelled, they cannot seek the Way of understanding. That is not wisdom.

The wise have no doubts; those without doubts possess true understanding. They understand the Thirty-Six Heavens and the thirty-six wondrous practices, and chant the thirty-six true utterances. Then the host of demons is destroyed and evil spirits retreat.

The Three Corpses—three spirits believed in Daoism to dwell within the human body, bringing decline and illness and hastening death—are exceedingly malevolent and are also called the “Three Poisons.” They poison human life and should be cast out without delay. As long as one concentrates on guarding the One, the Three Corpses will naturally perish.

The One has no form, no desires, and does not act recklessly. It is hard to seek, yet easy to lose once attained. One loses it because understanding grows dim and clear insight cannot be cultivated. Greed lingering in the heart brings decline; joy and anger without measure bring illness; delusion left unchanged brings death. Both old age and the calamities that arise from anger can give the Three Corpses an opportunity to work their mischief.

To regulate, rescue, and preserve oneself, one must first guard the One. Without guarding it, one cannot be saved or achieve one’s aim. When guarding the One, keep the mind tranquil and unadorned, quiet the heart, and seek in stillness. Lessen desires, restrain emotions, leave delusion behind, and return to the right path. Let the heart be empty, clear, and free of deliberate action, merging with the One. Such a person is the highest of the highest, formed through long-accumulated good deeds and diligent cultivation.

Those of above-average attainment may have done good in the past, but not accumulated enough; or they may have accumulated much, yet not reached the utmost. They can still advance step by step. They should hold the Three Origins—the upper, middle, and lower origins in Daoism—in mind, and carefully understand the spirits and Qi, the forms and names associated with spiritual and vital energies in Daoist cultivation, as well as their states of entering and leaving, presence and absence. The Three Origins govern the body’s Three Palaces, the three bodily sites or chambers related to cultivation. When this is accomplished, the Three Corpses will fall away and be eliminated.

The mysteries of the Three Origins cannot be fully grasped at once. One must therefore diligently do good, cultivate the Five Virtues, and accumulate good deeds each day. Then no matter how many demons and obstacles there are, they will dare not intrude. Once the poison of the Three Corpses has been eliminated, one can pass from obscurity to clear insight, gain wisdom and spiritual powers, and live forever without dying.

Sages, perfected beings, and immortals receive the corresponding results in accordance with their respective causes and conditions. They ascend to wondrous realms, yet also come into the world to teach and transform living beings. They come and go in accord with the times, discerning themselves and seeing through others. Their observations of themselves and of all things can be verified. One should examine matters carefully: when something is wrong, correct it and repent; when a course of action is right, follow it with resolve.

Through purification and stillness, inner contemplation, taking and wearing medicines and Fulu (talismans and registers), and submitting memorials to the gods with confessions and prayers, they remain unwavering in their faith in the Dao they cultivate. They are free of greed and desire, and do not decline with age. Even in old age, they can regain the state of an infant; body, mind, spirit, and Qi are radiant and flourishing. They do not give way to joy or anger, nor suffer illness or calamity. Even when calamity strikes, they can pass through it; illness can be dispelled, and their Qi—the vital energy of life as understood in Daoism—is abundant. They are free of delusion and jealousy, and do not die or perish. Even when the body passes away, they are not truly extinguished. Their understanding is upright and free of deviant thoughts. They can attain understanding themselves and help others do so, ultimately becoming one with the Dao. When one joins with the One, such a person is called a sage, perfected immortal.

If desires cannot be reduced, aging cannot be overcome, anger cannot be dispelled, illness cannot be cured, ignorance cannot be changed, and death cannot be transcended, then to claim verbally that one is studying the Dao is empty talk. Such a person will ultimately fall in with the demonic faction. Thus, in the world, some falsely assume exalted titles: some claim to be the Most High, while others falsely call themselves sages and perfected beings. They invoke the names of immortals to mislead the people. Without genuine study and practice, who can discern and correct these false teachings?

To dispel what is false and uphold the right way, one must guard the One, illuminate the Three, and practice the Five while preparing the Six—special terms for Daoist cultivation that refer to following the corresponding methods of practice. Those who possess the Six Powers are free of deceit and falseness; their actions and stillness alike accord with truth. Even when they use expedient changes, they ultimately remain on the true Dao.

Those who cultivate the true Dao do not grieve or fall ill, and seek long life without death. They never tire of teaching others. Having read the texts of ancient and present times, they understand them thoroughly: they can distinguish truth from falsehood, explain their meaning, and recognize what is biased or contrary to reason.

One who has truly realized the Great Dao feels no sorrow, suffers no illness, and can transcend death to live forever. Such a person never tires of teaching others and can memorize the classics of past and present at a glance. They can distinguish what is true from what is false, praise from criticism, point out omissions and errors, and fully understand both the subtle and the general aspects of a text. They can organize and explain the meaning of the scriptures so that people suddenly see through their doubts. They use scriptural passages with gravity and effectiveness, speak without flaw, and write without fault. Their lucid, flowing discourse can move Heaven; their expansive writing shines like sunlight. They can set their thoughts down and form a finished work, and can also compose prefaces and praises for profound teachings.

Scriptures take many forms and serve many purposes: there are scriptures, commentaries, precepts, and regulations, as well as songs, hymns, contracts, petitions, declarations, memorials, chapters, formal submissions, confessions, vows, instructions, talismans, records, and registers. Works may be long or short, elaborate or concise, plain or ornate. They may favor literary elegance or straightforwardness, and their contents may be simple or profound. Teachings should be adapted to different circumstances. Actions may be hidden or manifest, and their methods vary, with many shifts and changes. Different accounts may at first contradict one another but later prove reconcilable; at other times they may initially agree and later diverge. One should abandon evil and return to the good, for goodness is the foundation of cultivating the Dao. In speaking and writing, one may also separate or combine, alter, expand, or draw benefit from a text, but each such treatment must accord with truth and with what is appropriate.

One who has mastered a single field will not presume to alter even a hundred-character text. One who has mastered two fields will not casually revise a thousand-word work. One who has mastered three fields will not recklessly embellish a ten-thousand-character text with arcane language. One who has mastered four fields will not lightly change even a hundred-thousand-character work. In speaking and writing, though one may separate or combine, alter, expand, or draw benefit from a text, each treatment must remain appropriate and faithful to the original meaning.

One who has attained the first level of thorough understanding cannot be shaken by a hundred words. One who has attained the second cannot be changed by a thousand sentences. One who has attained the third cannot be confused by ten thousand words. One who has attained the fourth cannot be made to alter course by a hundred thousand words. One who has attained the fifth cannot be constrained by a million words. One who has attained the sixth need not examine every word among tens of millions. From then on, one can respond to circumstances as they arise and reach an understanding without limit.

Those who have not attained these six levels should not casually compose or compile scriptures. When writing, they should take the ancient worthies as their model, cite them, and rely on the teachings of the sages of the past. They must never speak recklessly on the basis of their own ideas alone. Even if they write about their own experience, if their understanding has not yet matured, their words will not accord with the Orthodox Way. Such writing will be regarded as deviant doctrine and soon disappear, unable to endure. Only writings composed by those who have attained the six levels described above can be passed down through the ages. Whether hidden or made known, they will not ultimately be lost. Later students should reflect carefully on this principle. If you recognize that you have not yet reached these six levels, do not force yourself to write books, lest you waste your efforts, invite ridicule from people and spirits, offend the Mysterious Spirits—the deities revered in Daoism—and incur severe punishment, remaining unable to escape even after many kalpas. Do not covet an empty reputation or write rashly and recklessly. Reckless authorship invites calamity, so everyone should be cautious.

In all actions, whether beneficial or not, advantageous or not, understand that there are times to act and times to practice Wuwei (non-action). Regard action as non-action: do not cling to “self,” and do not confuse “self” with external things. What seems to be action may not be true action; what seems to be non-action also has its own activity. This is acting through non-action. Reckless action invites calamity, so everyone should be cautious.

Those who act according to the Way of non-action do not incur resentment or slander. Even when they suffer harm, it does not damage their own Daoist heart. The other person has brought their misfortune upon themselves, and the suffering will fall on them. You should feel compassion for them, keep them in mind, and seek to protect them, but do not let dissatisfaction carry you away, nor simply abandon them. Do all you can to help. If every effort proves ineffective, then the other person cannot bear or accept that help. If you keep to the Way in your own conduct, good fortune will naturally remain with you. If the other person puts themselves in danger, that is their own choice and has nothing to do with you. Good fortune is not obtained by pursuing it deliberately; when you do not seek it, it comes of itself. Good fortune that comes naturally is not misfortune. To understand this is to be called wise.

If others respond to me with anger, and I respond to them in anger, then even if I do not retaliate face to face, failing to take precautions and letting events unfold will deepen their wrongdoing and bring heavier misfortune upon myself. When great calamities come one after another, people often remain unaware, quietly treating disaster as ordinary. It then spreads, with consequences that are hard to foresee and impossible to avoid. This is not wisdom.

If you have the ability to do good, you should also teach others to do good. Teaching others to do good benefits them, and benefits both yourself and others. If something you believe to be beneficial is in fact harmful, then it causes damage. Abandon false benefits and seek what truly benefits.

A perfected person—a practitioner who has attained the Dao—teaches others and does not keep goodness for themselves alone. Do good yourself, and help others do good; when others do good, it is as though you yourself were doing good. By joining with others in goodness and practicing it continually, you can enter the true Dao and realize it. Then, even if you are slandered and insulted, you will not be harmed by it. Judge matters clearly and without doubt. To harbor doubt is not wisdom.

When you hear rumors and slander, do not argue over and over or go back and forth in rebuttal. Instead, find a way to explain matters appropriately, responding with calm and good cheer, without anger. This allows everyone to feel at ease, and suspicion and mockery will fade away. If you insist that you are right and do not care whether others are reassured, then even if what you say is reasonable, you cannot address everyone’s concerns and guide them toward understanding. To look after one side alone can instead cause harm. This is not wisdom.

Without wisdom, you will face the demons’ trials and disturbances day after day. You will therefore be unable to obtain the thirty-six sacred fungi—immortal medicines described in the scriptures—or attain the thirty-six marks. You will not develop the eighty-one auspicious features that practitioners possess upon reaching perfection; you will be unable to dispel all demons, and your numinous power will not be complete. Without wisdom, you must not rashly enter the Dao sanctuary, a place for cultivation or ritual. To enter the sanctuary and dispel demonic obstacles, you must first establish wisdom.

Qingtong, a Daoist immortal’s title, bows, receives these teachings, and puts them into practice.

Dongzhen Taishang Speaks the True Scripture on Wisdom and the Elimination of Demons, Volume Four

Dongzhen Taishang Speaks the True Scripture on Wisdom and the Elimination of Demons, Volume Five

“Chapter on Transformation”

The Most High said to the Lord of the Golden Palaces:

When the myriad beings are moved by something, they respond to it. Evil is already present in people, though it has not yet reached its extreme. Even a trace of good intention does not yet amount to truly wondrous goodness. When the mind dwells on evil, it draws results that correspond to evil; this happens because the original evil thoughts pull one another along.

Goodness was not there from the beginning; it arose later. When one abandons shallow evil thoughts and turns instead toward wondrous goodness, one draws results that correspond to that goodness. In this way, goodness arises from what was originally absent. What is called “original absence” is the Dao: what the Dao responds to is goodness alone. Goodness has degrees, great and small, but none of it belongs to evil. What is called “original presence” is the mundane world: what the mundane world responds to is evil alone. Evil, too, has degrees, great and small, but none of it belongs to goodness.

Thus, even if the Dao would save someone who does evil, if that person is too deeply attached to delusion and refuses to turn back, they will ultimately fall into an evil realm. Wisdom cannot reverse this for them. A person who does good may be attacked by the mundane world, but if they hold fast to the right path without wavering, they will ultimately bring their good conduct to completion. This is what wisdom can cultivate and accomplish.

The foundation for bringing good conduct to completion is holding fast to the One. The One gives rise to Yin-Yang, and the Qi of Great Harmony spreads throughout, nourishing Jing and protecting Shen. Shen and Qi are supremely subtle. They have no beginning or end, no boundaries, no top or bottom, and no center. They are everywhere, yet there is nowhere one can point to and say, “Here they are.” They pervade all places, though people may not recognize them. Those who can recognize them are people of supreme wisdom.

People of supreme wisdom embody this wondrous discernment and understand and hold fast to the One. They use it without excess, making it their foundation in deep stillness and clarity. Its manifest effects have their proper measure, varying according to what one has attained; thus wisdom, too, has degrees, great and small. Why is this so? “Wisdom” is an outward name; its inner substance is wondrous Qi. The substance cannot be separated from itself, while names arise through provisional conjunctions of conditions. Practitioners gather in what is peripheral and return to the root, guiding what is false back to what is real. Within the real there is no falsehood. In responding to external things, there seems to be separation; once those things are left behind, one returns to the Dao. Names go out and come in: turned inward, they are the mind and Shen; expressed outward, they are conduct.

Conduct has its corresponding rules and methods, as well as teachings in the scriptures. To practice and transmit these teachings, and to apply the methods received from one’s teacher without ever slackening, is called merit and virtue. The completion of merit and virtue depends on the Five Spirits: the liver stores the Hun, the lungs the Po, the spleen the Zhi, the kidneys the Jing, and the heart the Shen. Shen and the other spirits work together; they are clear and unobstructed, do not conflict, and harmonize with one another. In this way, the Three Ones can remain. “Three Ones” is a Daoist cultivation term for inner foundations such as Jing, Qi, and Shen. By holding fast to the One and governing the Five Spirits, the six spiritual faculties can gather within oneself. Body and spirit unite, entering the gate of nonduality. The mind guides conduct, conduct returns to the mind and Shen, and spiritual powers converge into the One without departing from holding fast to the One.

The One opens into emptiness and stillness. This emptiness and stillness are boundless and endless, containing and encompassing all things. Its inner substance cannot be named; outwardly, it is called wisdom.

Wisdom governs the root and connects it to the branches. “Knowing” means knowing where to turn; “discernment” means not being deluded. Free of delusion, one can enter meditative stillness and respond to the outside world without missing anything. Even the smallest good deed will receive protection; those with merit will receive support; those with De will flourish. Whatever causes one plants will bring forth their corresponding fruits. By entering this state of stillness, one can adapt and respond as circumstances require. To understand the principle of stillness but fail to cultivate it; to know the methods but fail to practice them; to cultivate without any result; to remain blocked in times of difficulty and unable to find a way through; to speak empty words without taking practical action—none of this is true wisdom.

Wisdom must be put into practice by establishing De and accomplishing works. Follow the proper methods, cultivate with care and precision, preserve the Dao-centered mind, and rely on the teachings of the scriptures; seek confirmation by following one’s teacher. If long cultivation still brings no signs of progress, become more steadfast and diligent, continuing to practice without pause. In time, accomplishment will naturally follow.

Although there are many arts, the key is to keep them simple and practice them with single-minded devotion. First, contemplate the Great Dao and keep the mind and spirit from becoming scattered, focusing your thoughts on the Dao without allowing distractions to arise. In practice, make sure your conduct does not go astray. Follow the prescribed methods for wearing talismans and registers (Fulu), reciting incantations, regulating the breath, and walking the steps. If you practice with complete concentration, nothing will fail to take effect. If no results appear after a long time, it is because your practice is not yet sufficiently pure and refined. Continue to advance through repeated effort, and you will find that these teachings have grounds for trust. What follows is indeed true: take care, and do not spread it casually.

The wise superior adept who practices these three methods of protection can dispel demons and enmity, destroy ghostly bandits, subdue evildoers, ward off baleful forces, relieve distress and cure illness, and preserve the body from the calamities of war. Water and fire cannot harm them, and no disaster can intrude. They can also roam freely beyond the Three Realms, feast and wander in the Queen Mother’s abode, and behold the Lord of Peace with their own eyes. Their names are entered in the Register of the Seed People; step by step, they ascend among the ranks of the immortals, attaining the highest station of the imperial realm. They remain forever united with the Dao and undergo transformations without end. Such are the wondrous effects of the wisdom method and the essential secrets entrusted by all the sages. The Holy Emperor of the Golden Gate bows his head and reverently puts these teachings into practice.

Dongzhen Supreme Great One’s Scripture on Wisdom and the Dispelling of Demons, fascicle five