《上清道宝经》

The Supreme Clarity Scripture of the Dao Treasure, Volume One, First Section.

The scripture scroll is laid on yellow brocade and written in cinnabar and gold powder. A frame of purple gold surrounds it, and it is kept in a brocade pouch.

Among the scriptures handed down from remote antiquity, high antiquity, and later antiquity, whenever this text is present, the Five Emperors send guards to protect it. Three Jade Boys and three Jade Maidens stand on either side, holding the scripture; the Nine Stars shelter it from above; and many perfected beings, immortals, and spirit officials of the Five Sacred Peaks descend day and night into the room where it is kept.

The Inner Writing of the Celestial Emperor can be used to guard a residence.

The Five Chapters of the Three Sovereigns’ Red Writing are refined in the Hall of Cavernous Yang and enshrined in the Court of Flowing Fire. They bring forth Heaven and Earth and bring the spirits to enlightenment. When an emperor possesses them, phoenixes come to pay homage and the Five Planets follow their proper courses. When a feudal lord possesses them, the lunar mansions shine forth. When nobles and common people possess them, they become gentle and radiant as jade. When women possess them, their faces shine like the sun and their complexions glow, reflecting the radiance of the sun, moon, and stars. Empresses and kings, too, can possess them.

This true writing can ascend into the clouds.

The Jade-Checked Documents come from the Nine Mysteries and the Nine Heavens, and separately govern the Three Ways of Heaven, Earth, and humanity. When the document of the Celestial Origin appears, the sun, moon, and stars are obscured; the Five Emperors lose their rightful places; the Nine Cycles are thrown into disorder; and the vital energies of the Seven Mansions scatter. When the document of the Terrestrial Origin appears, the lands of the Nine Provinces sink, the Five Sacred Peaks crumble, and mountains and rivers are overturned.

The methods of the Three Origins are all encompassed in the numinous scripture, the Great Cavern of Perfect Truth Scripture in Thirty-Nine Sections. This is the secret designation of the Three Fives, the essence of the true Dao, the supreme text of the Three Ones, and a restricted record in the secret treasury of Jade Clarity.

The Chapters of the Three Wonders are the treasured writings of the Jade Emperor. They are kept in secret in the Palace of Great Being above the Nine Heavens, and in the jade chamber of the Great Mystic Numinous Terrace.

The Three Registers are the Three Origins’ grades of precepts and admonitions: the Golden Su Register, the Yellow Register, and the Jade Su Register.

The Three Scriptures refer to the Three Transgressions examined and received.

The Three Caverns are Jade Clarity’s Cavern of Perfect Truth (Dongzhen), Supreme Clarity’s Cavern of Mystery (Dongxuan), and Great Clarity’s Cavern of Spirits (Dongshen).

The Great Cavern of Perfect Truth Scripture.

The Lingbao Jing is a supreme scripture transmitted by exalted immortals. It expresses the most authentic Dao of the original source, emptiness, and is also known as the secret treasure of the profound Great Dao, the celestial writings handed down from the Three Sovereigns, and, at times, the Taishang Yuce (Jade Tablets of the Most High). These scriptures and talismans of the Three Caverns are the guiding principles of the Dao and the fundamental purpose of the Great Void. They are also the foremost scriptures revered by the Highest Perfected. How could lesser immortals be permitted to hear them? The Cavern of the Spirit Division is called the “Way of the Immortal Treasure.”

Next come the Three Caverns: the Cavern of the Spirit Division is the Way of the Immortal Treasure, inherited from the age of the Three Sovereigns; the Cavern of the Mystery Division is called the “Way of the Numinous Treasure,” used to save beings in the age of the Five Emperors; and the Cavern of the Truth Division is called the “Way of the Celestial Treasure,” used to save people in the world after the Three Dynasties.

The “Seven Divisions and Ten Divisions” refers to the classification of Daoist scriptures. It is said that the wondrous scriptures transmitted by the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning were compiled during the Longhan era. They are golden registers and jade books kept in the Most High Palace of Purple Tenuity, secret texts passed down by the highest sages, written in red gold and engraved on green jade slips. They are also called the “Jade Instructions of the Most High.” The Ten Divisions comprise thirty-six scrolls, all engraved on golden books and jade slips, with their titles inscribed at the Southern Gallery of the Purple Tenuity, in the Great Mystery Capital of the Jade Capital.

The Five Emperors received the talismanic mandates and guided the Three Luminaries; they held these mandates and established registers of names for all beings.

If a gentleman looks at nothing throughout the day, he will see nothing; if he listens to nothing throughout the day, he will hear nothing. The Most High speaks no words. If a gentleman says nothing throughout the day, there will be no words to pass on. Those skilled at explaining must understand the words within it and the meaning within them. The Perfected listen with a mind attuned to the spirits; such listening deserves respect. The sages teach by setting an example through their own conduct; such teaching deserves to be treasured.

The traces of the Dao left by the sages seem to be there and yet not there in the yellow earth, and you cannot yet discern them. To say they are entirely absent is also premature, for there may be true meaning in them, though you cannot yet be sure. The Dao has what is genuine and what is false; blessings have good and ill fortune; offenses may be public or private; and the clarity or obscurity of things and principles has degrees, from the subtle to the hidden. In the world there are three kinds of people…

The Immortals’ Record: Teachings of Ji Fa Cheng and others:

The noble and the lowly serve one another; the wise and the foolish contend with one another; good and evil reveal one another. Yet at the root, there is no distinction between them, nor any difference between coming and going. It extends through countless kalpas, the longest spans of time, and fills all of empty space.

The number of stars cannot be counted. It has been so ever since I attained the Dao and became an immortal. Empty space has no bounds and cannot be measured by walking; my lifespan, too, is as immeasurable as empty space.

Take the Dharma as the source. Dongxuan and Shengxuan, pathways within the Daoist scriptural system, are contained within it.

All people and things between Heaven and Earth are originally the Dao. The subtle essence of the Dao shines with a radiance that is wondrous, lofty, and profoundly mysterious.

Contemplate silently: it is neither emptiness nor non-emptiness; neither Dharma nor non-Dharma; neither a thing nor not a thing; neither a person nor not a person; neither cause nor non-cause; neither result nor non-result; neither beginning nor non-beginning; neither ending nor non-ending.

In this way, the attainment of the Primordial Supreme Perfected One becomes clearly manifest.

The two extremes are united as one: being and nonbeing are the two extremes. To cling to neither being nor nonbeing is the right Way.

Leave behind these four attachments, and you can return to the realm of what is true and real.

Understand that “nonbeing” is not absolute nothingness, and know that “being” is not substantial existence; then you can dwell in the city of the Middle Way’s correct contemplation. Reconcile your attachment to the extremes of being and nonbeing and abide in the natural state, and your cultivation of the Dao will advance day by day. As your understanding continues to grow, you will see the Dharma’s original mind and discern the mind’s true state.

Guide people in cultivating the Dao, so that a fresh breeze may sweep away the dust and burdens of the mundane world.

The Most High once again sounded the heavenly drum thirty-six times. Looking up to the sky, he prayed: “All unseen spirits of mountains, rivers, waters, and lands; the demon kings of the Three Realms and the demon kings of the Six Offices; and the kings and princes of every nation: if you can receive and uphold this scripture, then join together in one purpose and cherish and protect it.”

In the shapeless chaos, before Heaven and Earth were formed.

Heaven’s response may seem slow, but it comes quickly; the result sought through resonance arrives without the need to set out.

The Sage on High of the Golden Tower commanded the Perfected One of the Supreme Ultimate to have Wang Zhong, the Jade Gentleman of the Zhengyi Upper Mystery, Bao Qiu, and others, together with Mao Ying, the Four Sections, Yan Tai, Liu Ming…

Heaven’s recompense may seem slow in coming, yet it arrives swiftly. What the heart senses and hopes for will come to pass without one needing to go out in search of it.

The High Sage of the Golden Palace in the celestial realm commanded the Perfected of the Supreme Ultimate to have Wang Zhong, Bao Qiu, and others of the Zhengyi Upper Mystery Jade Attendants deliver to Mao Ying the Four-Season Swallow-Womb Luminous Spirit Mushroom, the Long-Shining Flying Spirit Mushroom, and the Night-Luminous Grotto Herb. They also bestowed seals, garments, ceremonial headwear, and other objects upon him. Mao Ying faced north, bowed, and stood.

The four envoys said to Mao Ying: “One who has eaten the Supreme Ultimate’s Four-Season Hidden Mushroom may attain the rank of a True Minister. One who has eaten the Golden Palace’s Swallow-Womb Jade Mushroom may serve as Director of Destiny. One who has eaten the Eastern Palace’s Luminous Golden Essence may serve as Director of Merit. One who has eaten the Long-Shining Flying Spirit Mushroom may become a True Earl. One who has eaten the Night-Luminous Grotto Herb may serve as commander over the left and right censors. You have already consumed all these spirit mushrooms. Therefore, your lifespan may endure as long as Heaven and Earth, and your rank should be that of Supreme True One, Director of Destiny and Minister of the Eastern Peak, commanding the immortals of Wu and Yue and overseeing the mountains south of the Yangtze.”

Before long, the Heavenly Emperors of the five directions arrived, each in a carriage. By order of the Great Emperor, the Heavenly Emperor bestowed on Mao Ying the title “Supreme True Lord, Eastern Minister and Director of Destiny,” and gave him a jade document. It read:

“From childhood, Mao Ying left home and let his hair fall loose, withdrawing to North Mountain. With undivided purpose, he attuned himself to the Supreme Emperor and devoted himself to the mysterious Dao. Now I appoint you Supreme Mystery Perfected and Divine Lord, Director of Destiny. Your resolve is firm as metal and stone, your cinnabar heart upright, and you surpass ordinary people. Therefore, I grant you the jade-made green standard of Yue and the Eight-Powers Command, so that you may punish evil spirits in the mountains and marshes and subdue the myriad gods.

“You once endured cold at Eastwood Valley, so I grant you the purple-haired staff and lotus-flower crown, enabling you to summon and command the gods and call forth clouds in the mountains. You gave up your family’s estate to cultivate the Dao alone, so I grant you embroidered feathers, a purple cloak, and a flying skirt of red and blue, enabling you to ascend the heavenly steps with ease and join hands with the Jade Perfected Immortals.

“You once walked through deep mountains and dense forests, so I grant you a patterned dragon carriage and a white tiger carriage, enabling you to ride the clouds in leisurely travels and fly through the court of the Heavenly Emperor. You once endured frost, snow, and cold dew, so I grant you the Quchen Precious Elixir, curtains of jade, and a red dwelling, enabling you to visit the Nine Palaces and live in quiet warmth.

“You withdrew to remote mountains and devoted yourself to contemplating the myriad things, so I grant you the Divine Flowing Fire Bell and twin pearls bright as the moon, enabling you to ascend to the Supreme Ultimate and send messages upward to Highest Clarity. Your sincerity is pure and still, so I grant you brocade standards and embroidered banners, white feathers and black staffs, enabling you to summon the gods of the Six Yin, with Jade Maidens riding in carriages to attend you.

“You held compassion for the myriad things and secretly accumulated many deeds of merit, so I grant you the luan-and-phoenix flute, a golden bell, and a jade chime, enabling you to harmonize your spirit in the empty, still palaces of the immortals and to play music in welcome to the gods. The myriad things cannot scatter your attunement, and evil spirits cannot make you abandon your pure nature. Therefore, I grant you purple jade ointment, jade nectar, and a golden infant, so that your lifespan may endure as long as the sun, moon, and stars, and your name be engraved upon cinnabar jade.

“Mao Ying’s heart is radiant, like the sun and moon joined together, and his spirit soars through the Great Rosy Clouds. Among humankind, he is an elder of outstanding virtue, and therefore bears the title ‘Great Origin.’ Now that he has fulfilled the nine virtues, I further transmit to him nine duties and assign him forty Jade Youths and forty Jade Maidens, who shall attend him in his comings and goings and carry out the affairs entrusted by the Supreme Ultimate. He shall govern the Jade Grotto Palace of Red City, and all his movements and stillness shall be reported.”

Mao Ying bowed low to receive the decree, knocked his head to the ground, and bowed twice. Thus he became the Perfected of Great Origin.

The Former Heaven and the Later Heaven each have a beginning and an end. The same is true of everything from minor kalpas to major kalpas. By cultivating the Dao and accumulating merit, one may ascend to Heaven in broad daylight once one’s merit and virtue are complete.

If you wish to drain the sea of suffering—sorrows as vast as the sea—and dry up the river of desire, the attachment to worldly love, you must cultivate constantly. The Dao has no form; words and images can only serve as bridges to guide people into the Dao. “Central Harmony” is the source of all things. Once you reach the most upright Middle Way, you must let go even of the thought of “eliminating.” There is nothing to attain and nothing to rely on; even attachment to “forgetting” must be forgotten.

I bow before the scripture master and earnestly ask that the profound and wondrous teachings be opened to us. May we all understand the true reality together and enter the mysterious gate. Just as the Jade City of the Mysterious Capital has eight gates, allowing people from all eight directions to enter by their own gate.

The heavens are vast and boundless; the myriad methods of the Dao ultimately return to the same Dao.

“Two Exhaustions” refers to transcending two states of death: an inner state of death that comes when one’s appointed limit arrives, and an outer root of death formed by thoughts arising and vanishing in succession.

To transcend these two states of death is to pass beyond the foundation leading to the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing). The Celestial Elder asks: the mysterious titles, the Blue Registers and White Documents—the names of Daoist scriptures and registers—the wondrous Dao of Yin-Yang transformation, and the supreme arts of ingestion and application are all the essential secrets at the root of divine techniques.

What you heard in the past did not yet amount to true understanding; what you hear now is truly hearing the Dao.

Heaven above and the world below shine with light, and the earth is pure and radiant like crystal and the Seven Treasures. Rows of trees line the roads, and beneath each tree stand immortal boys and jade maidens holding incense and flowers. In the air, immortals perform many kinds of wondrous music. In every realm, the Most High Divine Venerable sits upon a golden couch on a Seven Treasures dais.

Wondrous Scripture of the Dharma Wheel.

This scripture comes from an immeasurably distant age. It has endured kalpas as countless as the sands of the Ganges and has been handed down like stars that shine across the heavens. Bright as the moon, it illuminates the ten directions. When the Three Realms—the Desire Realm, the Form Realm, and the Formless Realm—lie in darkness, it rises like the sun and shines throughout the heavens. As rivers surge and converge, this scripture is like the depths of Tanggu, the source of the Lühai Sea, to which all things return to their root. It is lofty as Mount Sumeru and like Jade Capital Mountain: it encompasses and contains everything. Above, it explains the principles of the sun, moon, and stars; between heaven and earth, it harmonizes Yin-Yang; below, it enables all things to grow. Those who cultivate this scripture without slackening can soon ride a dragon chariot and ascend to heaven in broad daylight.

The De of the Dao De Jing is like spring, bringing all things to life; like summer, nurturing them; and like autumn, whose might stills them. Its De is like the seven treasures, cherished by all things; like a bright mirror, reflecting all things; and like a great state, complete in every respect. It is like a mountain, a place on which all things depend; like a sea, holding all things within it; like the moon, reflecting all things; and like the sun, shining upon all things. It is as deep and substantial as the earth, bearing all things, and as vast as the sky, covering everything. Thus it can govern heaven and earth and bring the four seasons to life. The Upper Scripture belongs to heaven; the Lower Scripture belongs to earth.

The heart is like crystal: clear and pure.

The Most High—an honorific title in Daoism for the supreme deity or a revered god—dispels doubt.

Above, it reaches everywhere with its light; below, it extends to all things.

Once it is understood, it leads directly to the realm of the numinous.

Lingbao, one of the honored deities and scriptural traditions of Daoism, establishes a vast Dharma Bridge. It shows people the Dao and guides them through the Dharma, saving them from the three calamities and eight hardships.

It opens the gates of sweet dew and immortality, leads me into the Dharma Gate, and settles me in the chamber of Wuwei (non-action), the realm of stillness and non-action.

The Mind King, sovereign of the heart, dwells in the city of the Middle Way. The Dharma’s trustworthiness and grace serve as its walls and moat.

The three supreme Dharmas.

The Taiji Perfected One, Xu Laile, comes forth and opens the great gates of sweet dew and immortality in all the heavens. He leads me into the Dharma Gate and settles me in the chamber of Wuwei.

The Mind King dwells in the city of the Middle Way. The Dharma’s trustworthiness and grace serve as its walls and moat.

The three supreme Dharmas.

The Supreme Ultimate Perfected One Xu Laile came to pay his respects, and the great sages of the heavens gathered at Penglai. He bowed before the Dao Lord. The Supreme Dao Lord sat upon a jeweled flower, surrounded by tens of thousands of immortal boys and jade maidens. The Dao Lord wore an outer robe made of nine-colored silk, a robe called the Flying Forest Frost Orb, and a crown called the Whiskered History of Ten Thousand Changes. At his side hung a sword called the Morning Crown Sun Bell.

The Dao Lord chanted the wondrous sounds of the Dao, and his voice carried in every direction. With a gentle touch on a bird-shaped musical instrument, he made dragon-patterned radiance appear in the abyss and vermilion splendor emerge among the rivers and marshes. He revealed a heavenly bearing like orchid jade and brought forth the golden essence light of hidden valleys. Following the Great Dao, he commanded the myriad forms; his spirit roamed in pure realms even as he mingled with the world of the Five Turbidities. In the void, he sent down ninefold rays of light. Serene and clear, he sat in the realm of the Nine Awakenings, danced with light and shadow, scattered the void, rode through emptiness, and held clouds and mist in his hands.

Diligently cultivate the ten practices, as a lamp shines into darkness and dispels delusion, enabling people to travel to the royal city, a symbol of the pure realm of the Dao. Raise vast clouds of the teaching and send down its dew-like instruction, so the roots of cultivation may take hold. Rain the same flavor of the teaching upon the ten directions, and use layer upon layer of ritual seals to bring stability to this tradition.

The Palace of Immortality is where the officials of the Southern Pole Songling reside.

This is the fundamental teaching for transforming the world and the good physician who heals its people. It is the gateway to cultivating the Numinous Treasure tradition and the stairway for advancing in virtue. With the gateway in hand, one can enter deeply into the chambers of the Dao; once firmly established on the stairway of cultivation, one’s achievements will steadily grow.

This is the Dao that connects past and present, the natural Dao of the True One. It is so subtle, wondrous, mysterious, and profound that it cannot be called either existent or nonexistent; neither the ordinary nor the sage can easily define it. Take wisdom as your boat, cast off the ten bonds, and reach the far shore of enduring life. Wondrous flowers rain down from the heavens: they are the flowers of the Qian Grove. Music sounds in the celestial realms: it is the music of the Heavenly Fishing Rod.

The Perfected One of the Supreme Ultimate and Great Void said to the Immortal Duke Zuo, “Long ago, I received from the Supreme One the Inner Teaching of the True One’s Ascent to the Profound. This is the first teaching for those entering the path, and the scripture once practiced by the Five Emperors. It is the foundation on which the perfected immortals cultivate the three deeds of body, speech, and mind, like a parent to them; it is also a scripture secretly treasured in Jade Clarity.”

Chapter Two: The Relationship Between Teacher and Disciple

Cultivating the Dao cannot be accomplished through one’s own efforts alone. Practicing the Dao, refining oneself, attaining the Dao, and becoming an immortal all depend on instruction from a master. Without a master’s guidance, it is difficult to ride the Dragon Chariot of the Eight Radiances, the vehicle of immortals, or to reach the Jade Gate of Taiji, the gateway to the immortal realm. The Dao’s realm is boundless and lofty, and even sages must begin by studying with a master and following a method suited to them: serve a junior master and seek a lesser Dao; serve an intermediate master and seek an intermediate Dao; serve a great master and seek the Great Dao.

Let your conduct take the Dao as its measure and standard, and follow its laws and precepts. Masters bear various titles, including Divine Master, Perfected Master, Dao Master, Immortal Master, Sage Master, and Worthy Master.

Masters possess nine virtues: great compassion, great mercy, great joy, great generosity, great goodness, great method, great merit, great transformation, and great De. In the celestial realm, there are titles such as sage, perfected being, and immortal, making twenty-seven ranks in all.

The Three-One True Spirits, associated with the Daoist “True One of the Three Origins,” shine within; outside, master and companion meet in ease and openness. The Palace of the Mysterious Garden on Kunlun is a renowned immortal sanctuary. There one may meet the Perfected One of Zhengyi, the Masters of the Three Heavens, the Perfected Ones of Shangqing, and other perfected immortals.

The Great Immortal Register Ma, the Master of the Longevity Method, and Sheng Sān-jūn—whose given name was Baicheng and courtesy name Zhigao—lived in the era of the Central Sovereign. Legend says he was born beneath a cypress grove on Mount Zhong in the Northern Sea. At his birth, auspicious signs appeared: sweet dew, purple mushrooms, luminous pearls, and flowers shaped like intertwined dragons. His mother conceived him after being touched by white dew. At fourteen, he set out westward, became a disciple of Master Lingpa Yiju, and served Master Huanggu. Later, he met the Jade Purity Immortal Lord Wenshi Shuyu Jinhui, titled the Jade Emperor. The two Dao Lords transmitted to him the Scripture of the Great Cavern of Truth.

Ghosts and spirits all make way for masters of the Three Caverns. Anyone who receives the ritual registers of the Three Caverns, the credentials of Daoist rank, is entitled to have all ghosts and spirits withdraw. Those who recite the thirty-nine chapters of the Scripture of the Great Cavern of Truth likewise possess the corresponding authority and spiritual power.

This is the cultivation method of the High God. It enables one to guide and support the Most High (the supreme deity), draw in and receive the Nine Perfected Immortals, rank alongside the High Immortals, and hold equal standing with the God of Fate. By cultivating the fourteen skillful methods recorded in the Most High’s Yellow Register, one may be called a “Dadong Master,” whose radiance shines throughout the myriad Perfected Ones and whose rank is equivalent to that of an Immortal of the Supreme Ultimate.

Those who read The Hidden Writ of the Great Elixir, The Golden Flower Cavern Chamber, and The Precious Herb of the Feminine One will, through utmost sincerity, resonate with the Great Simplicity—the primordial Qi of Daoist teaching. Their revered master will then descend and bestow nine ritual implements. If the Five Emperors cultivate according to the fourteen skillful methods recorded in the Most High’s Yellow Register, they may be called “Masters of the Three Primordials” and “Perfected Ones of Primordial Radiance,” and become High Immortals of the First Emperor.

Those who read the Mystical Scripture of the Cavern of Truth, The Hidden Writ of the Great Elixir, The Golden Flower Cavern Chamber, and The Precious Herb of the Feminine One will, through utmost sincerity, resonate with the Great Simplicity. Their revered master will then descend and bestow nine ritual implements. If the Five Emperors cultivate according to the fourteen skillful methods recorded in the Most High’s Yellow Register, they may be called “Masters of the Three Primordials” and “Perfected Ones of Primordial Radiance,” and become High Immortals of the First Emperor.

Those who read the Mystical Scripture of the Cavern of Truth can comprehend the mysterious principles, resonate with the spirits, and open and clear the Seven Scriptures. By cultivating the forty-four skillful methods recorded in the Most High’s Yellow Register, one may be called a “Dongxuan Master” or an “Upper Radiance Perfected One,” with a rank equivalent to that of an Earth Immortal of the Nine Palaces.

Their names are entered among the ranks of the Perfected Ones of the Southern Palace, and recorded in the Most High’s cinnabar slips and ink register.

The Supreme Primordial Lady, the Child of Great Mystery, the Perfected One of Wondrous Conduct, and the Master of Limitlessness. Bright Authority.

The palaces of the Three Primordials transform in response into nine, forming the Nine Palaces and Nine Spirits. Together these comprise three groups of nine, or twenty-seven ranks: the Nine Sages, Nine Perfected Ones, and Nine Immortals, as well as the Jade Emperor of the Most High and the Perfected Ones of the Nine Refinements.

Of the three ranks, Sage is the highest, Immortal the lowest, and Perfected One lies between them.

The ten transformations are transformations of the body.

Sages are divided into nine grades: Upper Sage, High Sage, Great Sage, Spirit Sage, Mysterious Sage, True Sage, Immortal Sage, Numinous Sage, and Utmost Sage.

When a snake obtains the Numinous Treasure, it transforms into a divine dragon; when a bird obtains the Numinous Treasure, it becomes a phoenix; when an ordinary beast obtains the Numinous Treasure, it becomes a qilin. Sages are divided into nine grades: Upper Sage, High Sage, Great Sage, Spirit Sage, Mysterious Sage, True Sage, Immortal Sage, Numinous Sage, and Utmost Sage. When a snake obtains the Numinous Treasure.

Transformed into a divine dragon, a bird that obtains it becomes a phoenix; any wild beast that obtains it becomes a qilin; and any ordinary person who obtains it is called a sage.

True practitioners are divided into nine grades, corresponding to nine ranks of sainthood.

The highest grade is called “sage.” By cultivating the Way of Great Mystery, one can ascend to Shangqing.

The middle grade is called “perfected one.” By cultivating the Way of Great Peace, one can ascend to Shangqing.

“Embryonic Dao and spirit” refers to the state in which a Dao cultivator is conceived within the Dao and brought forth through the transformation of spiritual Qi. The ranks of the perfected ones differ among the heavenly palaces: a lower perfected one in the Jade Purity Palace is equivalent to a higher perfected one in the Shangqing Palace; a higher perfected one in the Supreme Polarity Palace is equivalent to a lower perfected one in the Shangqing Palace; and a lower perfected one in the Shangqing Palace is equivalent to a higher perfected one in the Great Purity Palace. A lower perfected one in the Supreme Polarity Palace ranks below those who attain the station of flying immortals of the Nine Palaces.

The Way of the Most High has three methods: Hidden Writ of Jade Purity, Great Talisman of the Divine Tiger, and True Talisman of the Golden Tiger. By cultivating these Dao methods, one can become a perfected one of the Most High, be granted three thousand Jade Youths and three thousand Jade Maidens, and take a place among the Jade Sovereigns of the highest perfected rank.

The Way of the highest perfected ones has six methods: Script of the Most High for Yu Yi’s Flight to the Sun, Hymn of the Most High for Jie Lin’s Flight to the Moon, Scripture of the Flight through Heaven of the Thearch of Taiwei, Thirty-Nine Chapters of the Great Cavern Scripture of Truth, One Scripture of the Purple Writ in the Num in the Golden Tower, and Central Scripture of the Eight Ways and Nine Perfected Ones of the Yellow Emperor and Laozi. Cultivating these scriptures together can make one a perfected person of Shangqing, grant one three thousand Jade Youths and three thousand Jade Maidens, and place one among the emperors of the various heavens. The myriad perfected ones lead the way ahead, phoenixes follow behind, Xuan Yue and the White Emperor open the road, and flying dragons guide the way.

“Wings and Axle”

The Way of the middle perfected ones has seven methods.

By studying and mastering the four true scriptures—the Hidden Book of Great Elixir, the Upper Scripture for Facing the Perfected, the Divine Talisman of the Jade Emperor, and the Writings of the Phoenix Perfected of the Three Heavens’ Orthodox Teaching—along with the methods of cultivation in the Supreme One’s Golden Register, the Jade Characters of the Chamber of Seclusion, the Secret Treasure Talismans of the Six Jia from the Upper Scripture, the Inner Text of the Three Sovereigns, the Great Characters of Celestial Writ, the Azure Waist and Purple Books, the Writings of Quzhen, the Formulae of Qusu, and other scriptural secrets, you gather your practice and become a Perfected of the Central Way in Shangqing.

At that time, the Jade Emperor will grant you three thousand jade maidens as attendants, and you will take your place as a preceptor to the ministers on the left and right of Shangqing. When you travel, a purple retinue will accompany you, together with the myriad spirits and thousands of Perfected Ones. Phoenixes will sing and play before you, while heavenly music sounds behind. Dark dragons will clear the way, and the Five Emperors will attend your carriage, enabling you to fly through the Great Void.

There are eight paths to the lower realms of perfection.

By studying and mastering the scriptural secrets of the Upper Clarity Scripture of Nine Transformations and Ten Changes, Three Times Nine Plain Words, the Essence of the Dan Radiance: Eight Hidden Guardians of the Earth, the Three Charts of the Heavenly Gate, the Jade Book of Dark and Yellow, the Scripture of Crimson and Green: Seven Changes and Seven Revolutions of the Divine Continent, the Jade White Dragon Book of the Yellow Way, the Central Chapters Presented in Plain Writing by the Assembly, the Secret Talismans of the Five Phases, the Jade Mystery of the Five Chapters, the Jade Book of the Upper Origin, and other texts, you gather your practice and become a Perfected of the Lower Origin in Shangqing. When you travel, a five-colored retinue will accompany you. Jade maidens will cry out before you, and nine phoenixes will play behind. Eight luan birds and white dragons will clear the way, while the spirits of Taiji attend your carriage. Then you can fly through the realm where the light of heaven is reflected and roam the Purple Chamber, the abode of immortals.

“Pouring in the essence of the Chou cloud” means pouring five-colored Qi in through the crown of the head.

The True King of Shangxu, whose purple radiance is reflected through the Nine Heavens.

This immortal is ninety million zhang tall. During the three months of winter, he guards Jian Jinhua Feitian Kou. He wears a long robe embroidered with flowing patterns of sunlight and moonlight, carries a gilded phoenix seal, and wears at his waist a sword of intertwined gold that can transform in myriad ways. He stands between nine-colored lotuses and purple clouds, his radiance illuminating the realm above Yuqing.

During the three months of spring, he changes his appearance: nine pure lights crown his head, a gold coin rests in his mouth, and he holds an image of the sun in his hand. Standing upon purple clouds, he casts his light over the blue sky above the cavern entrance. During the three months of summer, he transforms into nine beings, all clad in blue feathered robes, each with a moon atop the head and a nine-colored banner in hand. They stand upon purple clouds. During the three months of autumn, he transforms into blue, white, and black lights, whose radiance illuminates the four directions. This passage comes from the Jade Register Scripture of the Primordial Beginning’s Transformations at Guishan (Shangqing Yuanshi Bianhua Guishan Yuanlu Jing).

Left Xuan and Right Xuan: the Perfected Ones devote themselves to guarding their resolve. The four elder Perfected Ones dwell within the sun, yet cast no shadows. They appear as blue, white, and black lights, whose radiance illuminates the four directions. The Supreme Perfected One descends to the riverbank.

The Azure Emperor Shaoyang Jiuling Perfected One of the East, the Red Emperor Taiyang Nanji Perfected One of the South, the White Emperor Shaoyin Lingsu Perfected One of the West, the Black Emperor Taiyin Xuanling Perfected One of the North, and the Yellow Emperor Sanling Perfected One of the Center—all twenty-four Perfected Ones—receive their commands from the Azure Lad of Fangzhu. This passage comes from the Chronicles of the Ninefold Mystery Lord of the Later Sage (Housheng Jiuxuan Daojun Lieji).

Wander freely and at ease through the realms of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing). This sentence comes from the Scripture of the Jade Spirit’s Purple Radiance in the Highest Shangqing (Taishang Shangqing Yuling Ziying Jing).

Immortals are divided into nine ranks, also called the “Nine Perfected Ones.”

Immortals of the lowest rank cultivate the method of the Golden Elixir and Jade Essence of Great Clarity, ascending to the realm of Great Clarity’s Luminous Might. Once their hun and po souls have been cultivated to completion, they become guests of the Purple Court.

High-ranking immortals can ascend to heaven in broad daylight. The titles of middle-ranking immortals are associated with famous mountains and grotto-heavens; they cultivate the Dao of “the One, naturally so.” The Jade Writings and inscriptions in the Golden Gate and Orchid Terrace should belong to the high-ranking immortals.

They transform into the form of the Southern Palace, and the remains of their bodies vanish along with them. Golden Immortals radiate a light like gold. Mount Tai; the Southern Sacred Mountain.

East of the sea, which stretches three thousand nine hundred li across, are ninety thousand Immortals and two hundred and forty thousand Jade Maidens. The Immortals dwell in Chayang Palace, three thousand li from Daowen Mountain. There are three million divine dragons there, which the Immortals ride when they ascend to Heaven.

True Persons who cultivate the Way of Great Unity can all attain the “ascent of the Three Heavens”—the chance to rise into the celestial realms—and bathe in the Eastern Well.

The Three Bonds and Six Relationships appear in the colors of gold, purple, carved patterns, and yellow, changing without end. Through prolonged cultivation, one can refine a divine elixir and undergo the method of the Nine Cycles of Liquid Gold. The secret of returning the elixir is recorded in the Jing of Ren in the Golden Book.

Jade Purity shines upon Xuandu, and ten perfected sages travel to and from the Ziwei Palace. Clad in clouds, they emerge and soar across the ten levels of Heaven, flying through the air. Above the Cinnabar Skies, they ride a light, flying canopy and bathe in the numinous radiance of the sun and moon.

From the Illustrated Chart of the Twenty-Four Lives.

Grasping the Sun and Moon

The supreme True Person of the Five Penetrations.

Exhaling and Inhaling to Refine the Five Spirits

From the Code of the Luminous Perfected.

Gathering Emotions in the Forest of Seven Treasures

The essence of the moon shines brightly. The Most High governs the Purple Terrace, while the assembled Perfected Immortals recite the Cavern Scriptures.

Riding the Dragon

Riding the dragon, one crosses the deep and mysterious waves and washes one’s feet in the River of the Eight Heavens. The True Person can thereby escape the bonds of the net of Heaven and Earth and has already transcended and departed.

Preserving the Child on the Flying, Mysterious Path

The talismanic registers that guide the Five Spirits through.

The Great Cargo Ship

A metaphor for the Great Vehicle.

The Middle Boat

A metaphor for the Middle Vehicle.

The Small Boat

A metaphor for the Small Vehicle.

The Purple-Tin Brocade

With purple as its predominant color, it symbolizes the Three Vehicles.

Ten Lamps and a Thousand Lamps

Their radiance reflects in the ten directions and illuminates all the heavens.

The Three Blossoms

The name of the Golden Chamber of the Great One.

The Superior Adept

One who has achieved success in cultivation, remains steadfast throughout life, and never wavers in resolve. After rebirth, they ascend to the Supreme Ultimate and take their place among the ranks of the Immortal Ministers. This is the “Dharma Wheel.”

The Middle Adept

Reciting the wondrous passages, and passing through three deaths and three rebirths with unwavering resolve, one can travel upward to Taiqing, the clear and lofty heavenly realm, and become a perfected person of the Nine Palaces.

The Lower Adept

One who loves mountains and waters and keeps the Elixir in the heart—the refined essence or spiritual medicine gained through cultivation—sits upright as though facing the Master and the Treasure, two of the Three Treasures revered in Daoism. When coming and going, such a person keeps company with birds and beasts. After nine deaths and nine rebirths, with the aspiration never abandoned, one can roam the netherworld, travel through the Five Sacred Peaks, and fly through the realm of the Great Origin.

Those who seek profit by refining gold are upper adepts.

The exalted person is a heavenly adept.

The middle person is a human adept.

The lower person is an earthly adept.

Heaven and Earth opened the gateway of Dao and De.

The upper adept is an upper adept.

The exalted person is a heavenly adept.

The middle person is a human adept.

The lower person is an earthly adept. Heaven and Earth opened the gateway of Dao and De.

The upper adept receives primordial Qi that is rich and pure, and is granted the title “Flying Chariot.” The middle adept accords with the mysterious Dao and enjoys a middle span of life, along with the art of long life and immortality. The lower adept has a lifespan of five hundred years.

Those who listen with Shen can penetrate what is formless.

Those who listen with the heart can discern what lies within.

The Venerable Man of the Heavenly Treasure was transformed from the Qi of the Most High Jade Emperor. In the first year of the Longhan era, a period in the Daoist cycle of cosmic tribulations, he came into being as the Lord of the Heavenly Treasure.

The Venerable Man of the Primordial Emperor of the Origin.

His body rises to a height of ninety million zhang. During the three months of spring, he wears the Crown of Flowing Essence and Purple Radiance, a robe of ninefold radiance, and a naturally woven, seamless sash in nine colors. He is girded with the Fire Jade of the Six Mountains, often rides clouds in shades of blue and green, and sits upon a nine-colored lion. Light blazes all around him. He dwells above the Great Clarity and within the Jade Void, the lofty celestial realm described in Daoist teachings.

During the three months of summer, he takes the form of a single body with nine heads, standing a thousand zhang tall. He wears a nine-colored cloud crown and a robe of moon-patterned brocade, its surface displaying light in countless transformations. Draped in a seamless robe and bearing a sword refined by the immortals of the Nine Heavens, he rides clouds in shades of cinnabar, purple, and a third color, and sits upon a nine-colored dragon amid the purple clouds of the Jade Void.

During the three months of summer, he takes the form of a single body with nine phoenix heads, standing five thousand zhang tall. He wears a tiger robe patterned in nine colors, rides seven-colored clouds, and dwells above the Highest Clarity, the lofty celestial realm described in Daoist teachings.

During the three months of winter, he takes on the colors blue-green and black, radiating a surge of light like the scene during an eclipse.

Jade Perfected, Venerable of the Nine Heavens

His body rises to a height of ninety million zhang. During the three months of spring, he takes the form of a phoenix with nine heads on one body. He wears a crown of mysterious essence and ninefold Qi, a nine-colored patterned robe, and a feathered robe. Riding a twelve-colored flying qilin and seated upon a five-colored lotus, he dwells in the Purple Void of the Great Clarity.

During the three months of summer, he takes the form of a dragon’s body with a human head, with two-colored light above his head. He wears a feathered robe in blue-green, yellow, and purple, holds a plain-colored sash in his mouth, rides five-colored clouds, and sits upon a five-colored lion. His radiance illuminates “Earth Clarity.”

During the three months of autumn, he takes the form of purple and green light, like the sun and moon overlapping.

During the three months of winter, he wears the Crown of Flying Essence and Myriad Transformations, a naturally woven brocade robe of nine-colored flowing light, and bears the Staff of Communion with the True. Riding five-colored clouds and seated upon a five-colored object, his radiance is like the sun and moon overlapping.

During the three months of winter, he wears the Crown of Flying Essence and Myriad Transformations, a naturally woven brocade robe of nine-colored flowing light, and bears the Staff of Communion with the True. He rides five-colored clouds and sits upon five-colored clouds.

Venerable of the Three Heavens of the Sovereign Elder

His form is thirty million zhang tall. During the three spring months, he wears a crown set with seven precious gems that connect the Jing, and a purple brocade robe patterned with flying clouds and flowing light. He bears the insignia of the Divine Lord of the Ear Emperor and often sits amid shifting rays of an ugly hue. His radiance blazes brightly. He dwells above the Upper Clarity and within the Cavern of Emptiness. When visualized, he returns to a form three cun and three fen tall.

During the three summer months, he transforms into three heads on one body. He wears a cloud crown in blue, yellow, and green, and a long robe patterned in those same three colors. He sits upon twelve rays of splendid light. When visualized, he returns to his original true form.

During the three autumn months, he transforms into a figure of solid gold. Twelve-colored radiance rests upon his neck. He wears a brocade robe of ever-changing light and ties a sash patterned with a golden tiger and phoenix. He sits upon three clouds of pure radiance. When visualized, he returns to his original true form.

During the three winter months, he transforms into intertwined, mingling rays of dark blue, green, and purple, shaped like the moon’s luminous shadow. This is the form of the Elder of the Three Heavens, who gathers in and transforms the Qi of the Cavern of Emptiness, and receives the refined essence of the Three Heavens of the August Elder. When visualized, he returns to his original true form.

The High and Exalted Spirit Treasure Elder of the Nine Heavens

The radiance emanating from his form mingles and coils together, shaped like the moon’s luminous shadow. This is the form of the Elder of the Three Heavens, who gathers in and transforms the Qi of the Cavern of Emptiness, and receives the refined essence of the Three Heavens of the August Elder. When visualized, he returns to his original true form.

The High and Exalted Spirit Treasure Elder of the Nine Heavens

His form is nine thousand zhang tall. During the three spring months, he transforms into nine childlike figures, each dressed in a different color and holding the sun in its mouth. Together they sit upon clouds of nine colors, their light illuminating the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing). During the three summer months, he transforms into nine-colored rays of light, shaped like rising clouds. During the three autumn months, he wears a purple crown of primordial radiance and nine transformations, a cinnabar brocade robe patterned with seven colors of luminous designs, and a sash bearing the strategies that awaken the spirit of the Three Treasures. He also wears the Seven Leaps Primordial Insignia. During the three winter months, he transforms into a child with nine heads, seated upon crimson clouds.

The Elder of Dao and De

The parents of Dao and De.

Heavenly Treasure Lord

The revered deity of the Great Cavern, the exalted school within the Daoist canon; see the Nine Heavens’ Chapter on the Generation of the Spirit.

Spirit Treasure Lord

The revered deity of the Cavern of Mystery, one of the Daoist canonical divisions.

Divine Treasure Lord

The revered deity of the Cavern of the Spirits, one of the Daoist canonical divisions.

Azure Yang Upper Palace

The Dao Lord of the Central Origin, Registrar of the Primordial Scene in the Hall of First Yang, wears shoes in five colors and holds a command tablet imbued with divine power. He rides a chariot with wheels shaped like flying tortoises, traveling upon dark clouds, driven by a green dragon.

Palace of Azure Yang

The Great Dao Lord, Laozi of the Primordial Scene in the Hall of Dark Subtlety, holds a chapter that commands the spirits. He rides a chariot adorned with human figures and azure clouds, driven by a dark blue dragon.

Upper Palace of Lesser Yang

The Dao Lord of Limitless Jade Radiance and the Dark Scene in the Hall of Great Subtlety, surnamed Wang and named Yuanying, holds a chapter that summons the spirits. He rides a chariot of dark-scene green jade and a five-colored cloud carriage, driven by a phoenix.

Upper Palace of Greater Yang

The Dao Lord of Dark Radiance, Grand Commandant of the Empty Scene in the Hall of Purple Subtlety, surnamed Xuan and named Boyang, wears a jade crown that levels the heavens and gleams with the essence of the sun. He holds a chapter that subdues demons and malign forces, and rides a radiant Dao chariot and a red-cloud carriage.

Upper Palace of Lesser Yin

The Dao Lord of the Great One and the Heavenly Dao in the Primordial Scene of the Hall of Numinous Subtlety and Yang holds a command tablet for the spirits. He rides a red-and-purple cloud carriage adorned with jade writing brushes and covered by a five-colored canopy, driven by six dragons.

Upper Palace of Greater Yin

The Dao Lord of Great Harmony and the Bright Scene in the Hall of Essential Subtlety and Dui wears a white silk spirit sash and holds a jade chapter of divine commission for preserving life. He rides a white-cloud carriage adorned with crimson jade and green writing brushes, driven by a white tiger.

Upper Palace of Yin Radiance

The Dao Lord of Solar Heaven, Registrar of the Dark Scene in the Hall of Clear Subtlety, wears a white silk spirit sash and holds a jade chapter of divine commission for preserving life. He rides a white-cloud carriage adorned with crimson jade and green writing brushes, driven by a white tiger.

Upper Palace of Yin Radiance

The Dao Lord of Solar Heaven, Registrar of the Dark Scene in the Hall of Clear Subtlety, wears a dark-cloud sash in green. He rides an eight-rayed cinnabar chariot of the dark scene and a purple-cloud carriage, driven by the Dark Warrior.

Upper Palace of Yin Essence

The Dao Lord of Dark Harmony, Ritual Master of Refinement in the Hall of Subtle Dao, wears a dark-cloud sash in five colors and holds a jade writing brush that loops and turns. He is driven by a dark phoenix.

High Lord of the Empty Emperor

He wears a flying-brocade red robe; above his head appear the radiance of the sun and moon and the colors of seventy-two hues. He also wears brocade robes of endlessly shifting brilliance, like flowing clouds formed from the Qi of Primordial Simplicity. This is a manifestation of the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning.

The High Emperor Lord of Purple Clouds.

Wearing a phoenix-shaped insignia that shimmers with flowing light, riding clouds of purple and green Qi, and dressed in a nine-colored robe for flying through the heavens, he dwells within the Purple Void.

Jade Void Lord of the August Sovereign

Wearing a flower crown of Dao essence with nine transformations, and dressed in a nine-colored robe of flying clouds whose form resembles drifting clouds, he dwells within the Purple Void.

Great Luminous Lord of the Three Heavens, August Sovereign

Wearing a flowing-gold fire bell capable of transforming seventy-two times.

Purple Dawn Lord, Master of the August Sovereign

Wearing the upper minister’s talisman for controlling spirits, carrying the bamboo slips of the Eastern Meng for blending with the perfected, and seated upon the back of a nine-colored azure dragon, he dwells above the Charged Spirits and gazes into the depths of Shangqing.

Wearing a purple-gold fire bell capable of transforming seventy-two times.

Purple Dawn Lord, Master of the August Sovereign

Wearing the upper minister’s talisman for controlling spirits, carrying the bamboo slips of the Eastern Meng for blending with the perfected, and seated upon the back of a nine-colored azure dragon, he dwells above the Charged Spirits and gazes into the depths of Shangqing.

Great Emperor of the Purple Void

Wearing a crown of purple radiance woven from the flowing essence of the Nine Qi, and dressed in a naturally formed robe of nine-colored primordial seams, he wears the insignia of the Seven Luminaries’ night radiance and carries the bamboo slips bearing the Primordial Emperor’s command to the perfected.

Elder Emperor of the Purple Void

Dressed in a robe of numinous writing and solar essence, he stands amid dark clouds and sits upon a nine-colored numinous turtle, dwelling among azure clouds.

Lord of the Mysterious Void, Perfected One of the Grotto’s Radiance

Wearing the sword that summons immortals, bestowed by the Elixir Emperor and King, and dressed in a turtle-patterned robe, he transforms into a numinous turtle bearing three hundred and sixty markings. With the Seven Stars in its mouth, it sits beneath a canopy.

Lord of the Great Ultimate Purple Void, High and Pure

Wearing the Fire Jade of the Six Mountains and a purple sash of numinous flight, he is dressed in a thirty-two-colored ritual robe and dwells in the Shangqing Palace.

Lord of the Central Origin, High and Exalted, of the Empty and Luminous Purple Orchid

Dressed in golden-purple ceremonial robes and wearing a golden-light sword, he stands above the green rosy clouds. He transforms into purple-green light, rising like the sun.

Purple Essence Lord of the Three Origins of the Purple Void

Wearing the imperial writings in the Dragon Script of the Nine Heavens and carrying a sword of solar essence, he transforms into the likeness of a youth, his hair gathered into a loose cloud-shaped double topknot.

Lord of the Mysterious One, Elder of Primordial Yang

Wearing a five-colored canopy and holding the Five Zhi, he transforms into sunlight. Its radiance is a deep, verdant green, and he dwells amid purple clouds.

Heavenly Emperor of the Great Tenuity

Carrying the imperial writings of the night-radiant treasure herb and a sword of solar essence, he transforms into the likeness of a youth, his hair gathered into a loose cloud-shaped double topknot.

The Primordial Elder of True Yang, Lord Xuanyi, wears a five-colored canopy on his head and holds the Five Zhi, five forms of sacred lingzhi used as immortal medicines. He transforms into sunlight, radiating a deep green glow as he dwells among purple clouds.

The Celestial Emperor of Taiwei wears a luminous night-blooming sacred herb. Thirty-two kinds of precious light shine from his whole body. Holding a golden bell, he transforms into a sun disk rimmed with purple radiance and dwells within Jade Emptiness, the Daoist realm of pure, empty immortality.

The Three Primordial Lords of Supreme Origin and Great Simplicity wear brocade robes as light as purple Qi and drape over themselves feathered skirts patterned with nine-colored dragons. They wear imperial talismans inscribed with dragon script and sit within the Great Chamber, radiant as the sun and pure as gold.

Lord Qingling Yang’an wears a red brocade coat, a flying-dragon crown, and holds the moon in his mouth. In his hand is a purple sash.

The Lord of Supreme Great Simplicity appears as three suns. He dwells within primordial Qi, above the Purple Empyrean.

The Three Pure Lords of Shangqing Purple Essence wear feathered robes in blue-green, azure, and purple. The three colors entwine like clouds of rising Qi.

The Lord of the Imperial Pure Grotto of Truth dwells in the Great Void, illuminating the ten directions of heaven.

The Central Lord of the Four Elders Above the Emperor wears a brocade coat adorned with phoenix patterns and a purple, three-colored feathered robe. Its three colors entwine like clouds of rising Qi.

The Lord of the Imperial Pure Grotto of Truth dwells in the Great Void, illuminating the ten directions of heaven.

The Central Lord of the Four Elders Above the Emperor wears a brocade coat adorned with phoenix patterns and holds the Seven Lives in his mouth, a sacred object symbolizing the continuation of life.

The Great Lord of the Supreme Dao at Yuchen wears a bright-moon bell, a horned headband, and holds a golden talisman. He dwells on Five Zhi Flower Mountain.

The Yellow Elder Lord of the Center wears a sash of interwoven spirits and a feathered robe for flying through heaven.

The Lord of Primordial Radiance of the Great Dao of Taiji wears a precious immortal sword. Golden light circles above his head, illuminating the seventy-four regions. He stands upon a mysterious tortoise, his loose hair falling to his waist, amid purple Qi.

The True Elder Lord Yuanying of the Center stands upon a nine-colored lion and holds a golden branch.

The Yellow Elder Lord of the Center.

Taiwei Tiandi Jun was a disciple of the Taiwei Heavenly Emperor. He was born spontaneously in the second year of Qingxu Shanghuang. Light shone all around him, its layers reflecting one another; a five-colored canopy formed among the clouds, while auspicious vapor gathered in the mysterious heavens. He entered through the Gate of Primordial Mystery and opened with his own hands the gates of ten thousand courtyards. The Most High, a revered deity in Daoism, transmitted to him the Jing of the Nine Truths Spoken Aloud and the Chapters of the Eightfold Secret Words, making him a Perfected of the Supreme Ultimate (Taiji).

Emperor Qingyao

Emperor Qingyao was a disciple of the Jade Emperor, Primordial Sovereign of the Nine Yangs. He was born in the first year of Zhonghuang, when Jupiter stood in the Eastern Quarter, in the Celestial Jade Grove on the cliffs of the Jade Realm of Xuanchu. He lay beneath a seven-jeweled tree, beside the banks of the Nine Regions of Qimeng. All kinds of auspicious signs appeared in response, and at dawn the gates opened three times in succession. Nine dragons guarded him, while a seven-colored jade phoenix shaded him. A divine qilin carried lingzhi and nourished him with mysterious Qi; a celestial maiden breathed vital essence into his body; jade youths scattered fresh flowers to dispel impurity, and divine consorts spread blossoms to sweep away dust.

His bearing was upright as a jade crown, and his face shone with golden radiance. Divine talismans covered his body, and every word he spoke was a golden chapter handed down through successive kalpas. Dark clouds and a purple canopy rose above his dwelling, while numinous light illuminated the courtyard. He lived in the realm of Bright Rosy Clouds and roamed the lands of the Jade Realm. Purple clouds were his roof, blue-green clouds his city walls, gold his palace, and white jade its walls; his golden hall and jade steps were encircled by phoenix towers. Golden youths stood beside him, jade attendants held sacred implements, and celestial immortals stood in ranks as his guards. More than five thousand formed the heavenly procession, with a retinue of feather-adorned riders as mighty as qilin. Mysterious Qi gathered in nine layers, while the rosy clouds of numinous phoenixes unfurled.

“Qingyao” is another name for the Azure Emperor. Emperor Qingyao received from the Primordial Sovereign a wondrous formula written in gold and jade on purple silk. These teachings are scriptures handed down from the Nine Heavens and secret writings composed at the Eight Assemblies. The Jade Emperor commanded the Most High, Upright and True, to gather and verify these scriptures, then compile them into a collection of classics, transcribing them with a purple brush and engraving them on golden slips. These scriptures all expound the Dao of the Mysterious One of the August Sovereign, and were transmitted to Emperor Qingyao.

He was born a divine being at the edge of the Beginningless Azure Heaven. Purple clouds flashed like lightning, deep and mysterious smoke enveloped the surroundings, and cinnabar light wound around him. There was no dark place he could not illuminate, no height he could not see, and no depth he could not discern. At the age of fourteen, a golden countenance shone forth from within, while jade-like radiance streamed outward. The rosy light of the nine heavens grew clear and flowed around him, and he was therefore granted the title “Great Emperor.”

The Supreme True Lord of the Southern Pole, who oversees the registers of destiny

(A Supreme True deity who keeps the master register in the southernmost realm)

In the first year of the First Emperor’s reign, in the year of the Horse, on the seventh day of the seventh month at noon, beneath the Jade Forest of Seven Treasures in the Phoenix Capital and Purple Terrace of the Jade Kingdom of the Boundless-Lifespan Heaven Above the Highest, before the Jade Chariot, the Dao Lord of the Void Emperor gave this instruction: “The secret formula for extending life and returning to youthful years in the Golden Chamber is hidden in the nine-curved chamber of the Jade Hall on the Great Being’s Golden Terrace, high above the nine heavens. It is not something an ordinary perfected person can practice. This formula takes the nine Qi as sharing one root, and the sun, moon, and stars as turning together on a single wheel. Practice it ten thousand times, and your rank will rise to that of an immortal minister.”

Great Darkness, Great Void, Great Origin,

Primordial Beginning, Original Commencement, the Great Spirit of the Myriad One:

They rise to Heaven and descend to Earth, moving among the four quarters between Heaven and Earth.

When dispersed, they become Qi; when gathered, they form a “mouth.”

They come and go without a gate, enter and depart without a gap. They travel without walking and respond without being called; hence they are called “spirit entering.”

The Jade Coffer of the Ninefold Darkness

(A jade coffer containing records of the Ninefold Darkness)

From the Regulations and Statutes of the Clear Truth.

The Great Sage, Flying-Heaven Divine King of Limitless East:

The perfectly true gods of the Ten Directions all ride cloud-borne cinnabar chariots, holding green writing brushes, and come floating through the air with billions of chariots and riders.

In the Fragrant Forest Garden,

for the wise child above to settle the mind amid the various teachings and practice the Lingbao method of the Five Refinements of the Living Corpse (a Lingbao ritual practice concerned with refining and delivering the dead).

The Eastern Azure-Light Child, named Azure Supreme, courtesy name Flying Rectitude, has a body the color of blue-green rosy clouds.

The Southern Red-Light Child, named Cinnabar Radiance, courtesy name Dark Record, has a body the color of red rosy clouds.

The Western White-Light Child, named Vast Splendor, courtesy name Returning Spirit, has a body the color of white rosy clouds.

The Northern Black-Light Child, named Dark Brilliance Supreme, courtesy name Great Yin, has patterned markings on his body and is the color of black rosy clouds.

The Central Yellow-Light Child.

The towel-holding youth is named Towel Holder One, with the courtesy name Yellow Record. His body glows with a yellow, rosy radiance, like the essence of gold.

The Golden Radiance Lifts the Cavern Scripture

The incense-bearing youth has the courtesy name Great Yin. His body is marked with patterns of black, rosy radiance.

Youth of the Central Yellow Light

He is named Towel Holder One, with the courtesy name Yellow Record. His body glows with a yellow, rosy radiance, like the essence of gold.

The Golden Radiance Lifts the Cavern Scripture

The incense-bearing immortal youth can whistle and sing, and his songs carry through to the Mysterious Capital, an immortal realm in Daoist legend. They sound jade instruments and strike the jade bells.

Golden Light Youth, Shaoye Youth, and Primordial Beginning Youth

The Three Heavenly Lords of Shangqing, listed in the annals.

The wicked cannot assail the upright, and demons cannot overcome those who possess De.

A Daoist of pure De, born from Heaven

The Perfected of Zhengyi expounded the Thousand Perfected Liturgy.

Plumbing the depths and reaching the farthest distance: investigating hidden mysteries and penetrating the deepest principles.

He should be called Master Mysterious Stillness, Master Devoted to Mystery, Proclaimer of the Dao, or Master Unfolding the Mystery.

Master of Ancient Mystery

After the Lord of the Dao received this scripture, he transmitted it to the Immortal King of the Mysterious Capital.

Master of the Purple Palace

He lived for three thousand years and often resided in the caverns. Scripture of the Seventy-Four Transformations of Shangqing

Master of the Ten Thousand Beginnings, Sovereign of Heaven

He wore a belt patterned with phoenixes and rode upon white clouds.

Master of the August Sovereign, Lord of Purple Dawn

He is descended from the Two Luminaries—the Sun and Moon’s essences. Gathering the vital essences of dawn, he nurtured dragon-shaped clouds in the vast sky. Passing through the Purple Void, he reached the divine spirits; dwelling within the Nine Mysteries, he took in their numinous grace. He gathered the mighty Qi of the divine spirits and became a god, tempering himself with the Three Primal Qis until he was purified. Through the Mysterious Mother, the sacred source that gave birth to all things, he descended in accordance with the cosmic order. He underwent the transformations of successive tribulations and, responding to an auspicious day, bathed. At dawn on the first year of the Shanghuang era, under the Heavenly Stem Jia, he was born in the Central City of Great Peace Mound, in the Eight Suns region of Shenzhou, beside the Dongyuan cavern. His face shone with golden radiance, his body gleamed like jade, and he wore a robe patterned with five-colored purple lines. He could assume seventy-two forms, and his radiant countenance was as lustrous as jade.

A divine dragon exhaled lingzhi mushrooms to bathe him, while luan phoenixes spread their wings to shade him. The Sun and Moon’s two lights halted their radiance where they shone across the eight directions; the Seven Primordials of the Big Dipper turned back the vital essence to guard and assist Kuangchen. Golden Immortals spread fragrance, mingling it with pure Qi; divine consorts scattered flowers that transformed into clouds and mist. The Five Latitudes—the five planets—weaved a network, and the numinous Qi filled the purple heavens. He drew in the cool breath of clouds and rosy mists, and exhaled wondrous vapors. He was invested with the title “Primordial Sovereign” and took his place in Purple Dawn. The Immortal Wei cleared the way for him, and three beams of light converged. Flowing rosy clouds displayed their majesty as he rode a swift, light carriage straight up to the Nine Mysteries. He ascended the jade steps once more, paid homage three times at the Purple Court, toured the Jasper Palace, and summoned the gods of the Three Primal Realms. He led the Five Elders—the gods of the five directions or Five Phases—as honored guests in the Jade Empyrean. Golden youths lifted clouds to attend his carriage, while jade maidens stepped through the air in its escort.

Master of the Five Sacred Peaks: One who receives and upholds ritual registers, resolves to return to the Real through the Most High, and possesses vermilion documents and black sashes.

Superior Among the Celestial People: One whose name is entered in the Most High’s Mysterious Register.

Worthy of the Otherworldly Palace of the Immortal King of Dongting: One capable of breathing and wielding wondrous, mysterious Qi.

Scholar of the Highest Learning: One who rigorously disciplines himself through the methods of the Mysterious Precepts.

Daoist of the Southern Mountain: One who refines and nurtures the hun and po souls so that they suffer no harm.

Sacred Craftsman: A person who understands the methods of the Mysterious Master.

Disciples of Superior Learning and Disciples of Middling Goodness: Titles denoting levels of a disciple’s cultivation.

Disciple of the Ten Transformations: One who has completed ten transformations and ranks above the Flying Immortals.

Disciple of the Three Lights: After transforming two people, one may be called a Master of the Three Lights.

Flying by Day: Ascending to heaven in broad daylight. “Flying beneath the Flowering Canopy” and “Riding with the Disciples of Wei” are titles associated with immortals or cultivators of this kind.

Disciple of the Ten Transformations: One who has completed ten transformations and ranks above the Flying Immortals.

Disciple of the Three Lights: After transforming two people, one may be called a Master of the Three Lights.

Flying by Day

Riding beneath the flying flower canopy, the splendid carriage canopy used by immortals, and driving a dragon named Wei, one ascends to Taiji (the Supreme Ultimate, the highest celestial realm) and tours the Nine Palaces, the heavenly palaces. These are words from The Golden Slips and Jade Characters of Taiwei.

Conceal the radiance of the Three Luminaries—the sun, moon, and stars—and sink from sight in broad daylight.

Corpse liberation, in which a practitioner leaves behind the physical body while the spirit ascends to immortality, is among the lower grades of immortals. See The Supreme Ultimate Perfected One’s Flying Immortal Precious Sword.

The name is entered on the Purple Slips, the registers of immortals.

The Three Officials—the Officials of Heaven, Earth, and Water—conduct their inquiry without omission. This kind of impediment is called “household liberation.”

Those of the utmost loyalty and filial devotion will receive instruction from lower-ranking immortals.

As for those who are honest and upright, two hundred and eighty years after death they may rise one rank and take up a post as a celestial official.

Virtue is the foundation of all things.

This is the Lord Lao’s admonitory document.

The Four Virtues are the essential gateway to cultivating the Dao, and the scriptures through which its methods are obtained.

Marquises, nobles, and other prominent people use money and precious treasures to seek the true texts, consult the scriptures, and wear talismans and registers.

In ancient times, those whose resolve was insincere could not become immortals; in the latter age, those without material resources will also find it difficult to be saved.

The gateway is the door to the scriptures through which the methods of the Dao are obtained. Marquises, nobles, and other prominent people use money and precious treasures to seek the true texts, consult the scriptures, and wear talismans and registers. In ancient times, those whose resolve was insincere could not become immortals; in the latter age, those without material resources will also find it difficult to be saved.

Exchange ten thousand catties of gold for a single scripture of the immortals, and give it to people of the latter age in poor, remote mountain regions. Would they eat the gold instead of reading the scripture of the immortals?

In accordance with the celestial regulations, burn incense six times each day and contemplate the sun in your heart. Even if meeting the master requires enduring four hundred million kalpas, with sincere faith, Dao and Virtue will ultimately be achieved.

The name is entered in the Register of the Mysterious Order.

Listed among the ranks of the High Immortals, one’s seven generations of ancestors are delivered from suffering, and one roams freely in the realm of the Seven Treasures. One’s name is also recorded in the documents of the immortal registers.

The primordial essence of Great Simplicity forms the five organs, and the Seven Spirits enter the Muddy Pellet, the abode of spirits within the head.

The bones contain the jade radiance of the Five Emperors, and the face shines with flowing golden light.

Prostrate before the master’s gate, bowing the head to receive the character “De.”

The middle section of The Ink Register records wondrous texts of the Three Treasures and the clear regulations of the Four Extremes.

What the Supreme One personally transmitted is the method of the Four Seats.

Offer a pair of gold clasps and nine feet of blue silk. On the Eight Festival Days—the seasonal days marking the four beginnings, two equinoxes, and two solstices—present the scripture at the Mysterious Peak. Face north, report your name to the Green Office, the divine bureau overseeing the relevant immortal registers, and receive the precious scripture.

Perfected officials with numinous duties, together with jade boys and jade maidens, stand guard at one’s side. When perfect sincerity brings a response, the mind and spirit can meet with the Mysterious Capital, the Daoist palace in the realm of immortals. On a Jiazi day, observe purification and stillness, enter a quiet chamber, and at midnight, when vital energy arises, recite the incantation:

“Supreme One of the Nine Spirits, primal essence of the Three Luminaries, great spirits of the Immortal Capital, Three Pure Ones of the Four Extremes, the Eight Vows, the Nine Jade Boys and Maidens, perfected officials standing guard—may perfect sincerity bring a hidden response…”

The heart spirit meets the Mysterious Capital, the celestial realm where the immortals dwell. On a Jiazi day, a day marked by the Jiazi in the sexagenary cycle, observe purification and abstinence, enter a quiet chamber, and recite the incantation at midnight, when Yang Qi first arises:

“Highest One, Ninefold Numinous; primal essence of the Three Radiances; great spirit of the Immortal Capital; Four Poles and Three Pure Ones; Eight Vows and Nine Unions; flying through Jade Clarity.”

The source of the Dao has no form; it is empty, still, and natural.

Pay homage to one master, ten masters, or even a hundred, a thousand, or ten thousand masters. One whose learning is complete is a person of the Great Vehicle, one who has attained a high level of cultivation.

Holding a seedling of mugwort against a raging fire means that when those with shallow cultivation encounter calamity, they will be warned by the spirits.

Among family, friends, and dependents, keep the Dao’s admonitions in mind. Amid hardship and distress, think of good deeds that help the world and save people. Seated where snakes and vipers lurk, think of the path that leads away from danger. Living in mountain forests where tigers and leopards gather, keep the Way of blessings and De in mind.

The Great Void, the Great Origin, and the Great Emptiness are the foundation of the precepts. Give up possessions, dispel greed and attachment, aid living beings, and fulfill compassion.

Essential Precepts

These are important precepts of Laozi’s Way of Everlasting Life. Once you take and uphold the precepts, you will practice Daoist virtue throughout your life and may be appointed to an immortal office in the celestial realm.

By receiving and upholding the Three Precepts and Five Precepts, you can transform ignorance into wisdom and board the boat of immortality.

Nine Red-Banded Talismans

Also called the “Nine Talismans of Flying Heaven in the White Feathered Grove,” these talismans arise from the Qi of the Nine Origins. They belong to the Flying Mystery Feathered Writ, a type of Daoist talisman, and condense into jade script. By obtaining and wearing the true talismans, one can command the Nine Red Spirits to seal and guard hills, and order the spirits of the Five Phases to summon divine beings. Visualizing the Water Emperor can dispel transgressions; drawing in the numinous spirits of the sea can connect one with the source. Records of transgression are erased from the Nine Offices, the bureaus that keep registers in the underworld, while one’s life register is engraved in the Three Pure Ones’ celestial realm. The talisman’s Qi subdues evil forces, its power commands the myriad spirits, and it can put the Six Jia, celestial generals used in Daoist divination, to work and dispatch the heavenly troops.

The above comes from the Inner Truth Scripture of the Five Emperors.

Primordial Beginning’s Jade Talisman of the Three Origins and Five Elders

This talisman comes from the Purple Tenuity Upper Palace on Jade Capital Mountain, a celestial palace. It harmonizes with the primal Qi of the Three Heavens and can ward off the calamities of the Yang Nine and Hundred-Six Cycles. Those who wear it can ascend to heaven in broad daylight and pay court at the Mysterious Capital.

The above comes from the Lingbao Red Book.

Ninth Attainment Duke

This person was nine feet tall, with round eyes and a square mouth. His voice was like thunder, and a purple radiance shone from the crown of his head. Twenty-four maids attended him, dressed in fur robes patterned in nine colors.

During the reign of Emperor Wen of Han, this person rode a flying phoenix cloud chariot and traveled through the sandbars of White Water and the empty mountains. He said to Pei Xuanren, “Yesterday I saw Qinghua submit a memorial saying that Ziyu’s name had already been entered in the Azure Register. He should be made a Clear and Numinous Perfected One and reside in the Qing Palace of Shezhen. This is probably no idle claim. Ziyu is exceptionally gifted, and his name is listed in the Azure Register. I obtained the Precious True Jade Talisman for Deliverance from Calamity bestowed by the Primordial Beginning. Wearing it enables one to become an immortal and command five Taixuan Jade Lads. After a hundred years, this scripture may be transmitted only with the permission of a Perfected One.”

The Seven Sons’ Jade Florescence and Mysterious Excellence says: Ziyu’s name is listed in the Azure Register. He obtained the Precious True Jade Talisman for Deliverance from Calamity bestowed by the Primordial Beginning; wearing it enabled him to become an immortal and command five Taixuan Jade Lads. After seven thousand kalpas of transmission, twenty-four people should receive this talisman. It came into being together with the Nine Heavens and endures alongside the sun and moon. Even after being struck by a hundred blades, its bearer will remain unharmed. The bearer may live ten thousand years and still appear in the prime of life. After wearing this talisman for nine years, the body will emit a wondrous radiance. The Yellow Register of the Five Emperors of the Most High

Five Talismans

On the first day of the latter part of the month, copy five talismans in cinnabar ink: the Jade Treasure Talisman of the Natural Essence of the Primordial Beginning, Lord of the Vast Mystery; the Nine Jade Talisman of the Nine Mysterious Heavens, where essence is born and formed in the Jade Void; the Precious True Talisman of the Numinous Treasure, in which jade essence is born from the Lord of the Vast Space, the Nine Heavens; the Immortal Treasure Talisman of Naturally Flowing Essence of the True Jade of the Mysterious Void and Nine Heavens; and the Talisman of the Vast Cavern, Transformed from Primordial Unity, by which the Nine Fathers of the Nine Heavens Guide Essence to Give Birth to Heaven and Reach the Origin. Facing the sky, swallow these talismans. It is said that after ten days, five-colored radiance will appear on the face; after nine days, one will be able to command the five Jade Maidens of the Five Emperors; and after nine years, one will ascend to Great Clarity and become an immortal official of the Five Sacred Peaks.

Golden Chamber Talisman for Preserving Life

Reciting the scripture ten times counts as one session of practice. Once the session is complete, swallow one talisman. It is said that this allows one to communicate with the spirits and reach the Perfected Ones, and to command the five Jade Maidens of the Five Emperors within a single day. After nine years, one will ascend to Great Clarity and become an immortal official of the Five Sacred Peaks. Seated upright, one can see in all eight directions; every joint and pathway in the body becomes unobstructed, and one’s lifespan matches that of Heaven and Earth, the sun, moon, and stars.

Nine Heavens’ Great Simplicity Yang-Birth Talisman

One of the talismanic regulations formerly used in the Purple Tenuity Palace of the Mysterious Capital. It is also called the “Eight Dragons’ Script.” The Red Writing of the Numinous Treasure

Opening the Heart and Dispelling Delusion

Choose an Open Day. Write the talisman with cinnabar and then swallow it. The incantation is: “The Five Spirits open the mind and spirit; the Three Souls gather and contain the essence and Qi.”

The Perfected One of Jiuyi

Han Zhong received this scripture from Song Dexuan of Mount Song in the Central Peak. After taking the Lingfei Six Jia talisman, Song Dexuan could travel more than three thousand li in a single day.

The Four Transformations Talismans

In spring, take the Dongming Tongzhen Bianjing Yangxia talisman; in summer, the Nanguang Balian Danjing Silang talisman; in autumn, the Xijing Haoling Huajing talisman; and in winter, the Beixuan Yuzhen Lianjing Xiaofeng talisman. This is the method of following the Way of the Yellow Emperor. In the month of Li, take the Huangshang Bajing Shengjing Yumen talisman.

The Dongming Tongzhen Talisman

In the east, the azure Qi of Yangxia opens the light and leads to the true realm. Its Qi is the radiance of the beginning of the Origin, illuminating the eastern sky as it surges forth in layer upon layer, vast and boundless. Flocks of Linbing blue chickens dwell there. Above is the Hall of Primordial Azure, within which is the Office of Azure Florescence; in the hall are the Elders of the Nine Qi, and in the office is the Sage Lord of Azure Truth. At the Sage Lord’s right, the Queen of the Azure Waist attends him; at his left, the Spirit Boy of Emerald Plumes stands guard. He often rides a numinous beast of Mount Tai and drives a divine dragon of the Nine Lights.

For the three months of spring, they descend and guide the Qi of the Nine Heavens. Gather this Qi, and it forms a talismanic sign; draw in essence and Qi, and a talisman is made. If one can swallow this Qi, one can establish a body of divine light; if one can condense this essence and Qi, one can transform into nine hues of light. The details of these manifestations are too numerous to set down in full.

The Nanguang Balian Talisman

In the south, four kinds of luminous essence are refined. These essences are the first-born radiance of the eight trigrams of the Eight Heavens. They spread out in eighty-eight thousand, eighty-eight hundred million layers, like dense, surging clouds of celebration, illuminating the court of Great Mystery. Jade fluid—the immortal realm’s elixir—pours abundantly into the Land of Flowing Fire. Within the sun is a cavern called “Agitated Mouth,” and in the Land of Flowing Fire dwell immortals who never die.

Above stands the Platform of the Southern Pole; within it is the Office of Grotto Yang. In the platform is the Director of Fate, who oversees the registers of immortals and governs the span of life. In the office dwells the Supreme Perfected One of Great Harmony. The Jade Maiden of Great Perfection stands attendant on the right, and the Numinous Youth of Red Radiance on the left. They often ride the beast of Mount Huo and travel in nine-colored phoenixes.

During the three months of summer, guide the Qi of the Nine Heavens upward and draw down the radiance of the Crimson Palace, the light of the southern immortal realm. This brings the Yin and Yang Qi into interaction and transformation, with change emerging from what is subtle. When essence and Qi gather, they form talismanic patterns; when Qi congeals, it forms stars. Swallowing these energies brings the numinous honored ones down into the inner chamber. Refining essence and Qi enables one to fly through the eight directions of the sky. One can also command the Six Jia and marshal the Six Ding, the divine generals of Daoism.

Talisman of the Western Essence and Luminous Spirit, Transforming Radiance and Supporting Hope

This talisman is formed from the essence of the Western Luminous Spirit, the Metal Soul, and the Sun Gate, together with the first-born radiance reflected in the Six Shores of Metal. It shines brightly over the Western Rong lands and spreads far and wide in sixty-six thousand, sixty-six hundred million layers. Its essence is clear as jade, its radiance flowing and nourishing the four quarters as it gathers into the Court of Refining. Within the Court of Refining is the Pool of Returning Form, where the jade essence of immortals can be refined; within the Metal Gate is the blue-green cinnabar of Blue Gold.

Above stands the Divine Tower of Dragon Mountain; within it is the Office of the White Spirit. In the tower are twelve royal immortals, and in the office dwells the Perfected One of Western Florescence. The Jade Maiden of the White Spirit stands attendant on the right, and the Youth of Golden Florescence guards the left. They often ride the numinous beast of Cheshan and travel in the chariot of the White Emperor.

During the three months of autumn, guide the Qi of the Nine Heavens upward, bringing the two kinds of Qi into correspondence and union. When essence and Qi gather, a talisman rises into being; when Qi congeals, it forms a spirit. Swallowing these energies makes the faces of the gods appear. Refining essence and Qi enables one to fly to the Metal Gate, sit upright, and summon the spirits of the ten directions, raising clouds and calling forth dragon spirits.

Talisman for Refining Radiance in the North, the Dark Mystery

The qi of the north is called “Yushe.” When essence and qi gather and rise, they can form talismans and registers; when qi knits together, it can transform into divine beings. Swallowing this qi causes the countenance of a divine being to appear. By cooling the essence and qi, one can fly to the Golden Gate, the portal to Heaven, summon the gods of the ten directions while sitting in stillness, and even raise clouds and summon dragons.

Northern Mysterious Refining-the-Essence Talisman

The essence of the northern Yuzhen, the mysterious wind and flowering dawn, is the radiance that emerged when Yin and Yang first separated. This radiance is indistinct and murky, sometimes gathering, sometimes dispersing, spreading and flowing in countless layers. Its essence and qi are subtle and profound, clinging to one another. They blend with the qi of dark, smoke-like black clouds; though they gather into the shape of flowers, they do not shine brightly. They nourish the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) and establish the qi of the north, the mysterious northern extremity. Within Yin qi, jade ointment for refining oneself into an immortal comes into being; within cold water lies the power to subdue demon kings.

Above them is a canopy of seven divine flowers, and at its center stands the Hall of Deliverance. The Emperor Yuchen resides in the hall. At his right serves the Taixuan Jade Maiden; at his left serves the Yuchen Youth. They often ride the divine beast of Mount Dan, drawn by the flying turtle’s purple chariot.

During the three months of winter, guide the qi of the Nine Heavens upward and gather essence and qi to form talismanic script; gather the breath to achieve immortality. Swallowing this qi causes the gods of the Seven Mornings to descend into one’s chamber. Taking in its essence enables the cycles of Yin and Yang to turn and transform. This is the wondrous efficacy of the Imperial Spirit Writ.

Yellow Supreme Eight Scripture Talisman

The Supreme Divine Mother of Central Yellow gives birth through the Jade Gate, a symbolic sacred passage, to the essence of Radiant Clarity. Her Qi is the primal radiance of the cosmic order and the cycles of the twelve double-hours, illuminating the eight directions. Her breath drifts in every direction like mist; its brilliant light fills the void, rises in abundance to the capital of Great Mystery, and passes through the successive layers of Heaven and Earth. Her fluids flow forth, filling the realms where the four seasons reside.

Above is the palace of Wangjing; in the middle is the office of the Leather Canopy. In the palace dwells the Supreme Lord of the Dao; in the office, the Sovereign of Wood Dawn. On the left stand the Flying Immortals with feathered staffs and the Jade Maidens of Azure Radiance; on the right attend the Jade Immortal Gentleman and the Golden-Bell Divine Youth. They often ride numinous beasts of the Nine Emptinesses and drive the dark, upper Yellow Dragon. They gather command over the Five Qi to set the hours in motion and govern the twelve junchen. Above, they guide the currents of the Nine Heavens; below, they draw forth the Yellow Spirit of the Spleen. The two Qi above and below meet in the Niwan, the upper Dantian in the head, and are refined and fused in the chambers of the Three Elixirs, the three parts of the body where Jing, Qi, and Shen are cultivated internally. When Jing and Qi gather, they can transform into Shen; when the breath gathers and settles, one can cultivate immortality. Swallowing this Qi causes the spirit of the Yellow Elder to descend and appear. When Jing and Qi are made cool and pure, the face shines with the radiance of adamant. One can then undergo a thousand transformations and fly through the vast sky. The wondrous power of this numinous writing is beyond measure.

Dao and De are the father; the spirits and bright powers are the mother. Purity and stillness are the teacher; Great Harmony, a state of peaceful accord, is the friend.

When the horse and tiger transform into a dragon, they become one with Heaven and Earth. Attaining the realm of profound stillness, one can reach the Dao completely. Do not act unless it accords with goodness; do not speak unless it accords with harmony. Thus, those who do good become aware of themselves, while those who do evil suffer the consequences themselves.

When thoughts are upright, there are no deviant thoughts or doubts. When the mind is clear, there are no burdens or turbidities.

The Supreme August Emperor, the Ninefold-Ripened Highest Perfected One.

The tongue is where calamity is invited in, and the root of peril and ruin.

Speech concerns a person’s life and fate, and is bound up with punishments and disasters. Whenever the sage speaks, the sage is always cautious, fearing that once words are spoken, they may go against subtle truth.

Written words extend throughout Heaven and Earth.

When the worthy and the sage speak, their words benefit the state if they address a ruler; if they address a father, they bear on … punishments and disasters. The sage is always cautious in speaking, mindful of whether words accord with subtle truth.

Written words extend throughout Heaven and Earth.

When the wise and worthy—those of Virtue and wisdom—speak, they tailor their counsel to the listener, urging each person to do good and uphold Virtue. To a ruler, they say, “Bring blessings to your country.” To a father, “Love and care for your children.” To a teacher, “Care for everyone.” To brothers, “Show one another affection through your actions.” To a minister, “Be loyal to your ruler.” To a son, “Honor your parents.” To friends, “Treat one another with trust and honesty.” To a wife, “Be faithful to your husband.” To a husband, “Live in harmony with your wife.” To a younger brother, “Show your elder brother respect according to ritual propriety.” To rural folk, “Encourage them to work diligently in the fields.” To Daoists, “Keep your resolve in the Dao upright.” To people from other lands, “Each should guard the borders of their own country.” To servants, “Carry out your duties with care.”

The Northern Lord of the Five Spirits, the Mysterious Elder of Dongyin Shuo-dan Yujue, bore the surname Hao and the courtesy name Fuming. He was a descendant of the Mysterious Emperor and a scion of the Great Clarity. At the age of twelve, while in the Heaven of Beginning Blue, he already loved mountains and streams, returning home only once every thousand days. Later, beneath Mirror-of-the-Earth Mountain, he met a poor person and gathered zhusheng, a kind of plant, to feed them. He continued without pause for three years, and eventually died at the foot of the mountain. The Nine Heavens recorded his Yang De, and the Golden Register entered his immortal name. They sent his soul and spirit to the Office of Vermilion Mound, the Daoist realm of the immortals. The Celestial Emperor sent a great golden-winged bird to spread its wings over his corpse. Seven hundred years later, a water calamity altered the course of Heaven, and floodwaters carried his remains to a boundless region. When the waters receded, the body came to rest at Northern Long’s Mysterious Mound. Thirty years later, a great mountain fire broke out. Tempered by the flames, he rose again, covered in five-colored clouds. The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning bestowed on him a sacred text: the True Scripture of the Five Qi of the Dark Heaven, written in the Red Characters of the Lingbao tradition.

Some sold themselves to support the Dharma; some threw themselves before hungry tigers; others cut flesh from their bodies to feed birds and beasts. Their utmost sincerity reached the Great Void, and their hidden, profound De accorded with the sun, moon, and stars.

The Supreme One’s Inner Truth of the Five Emperors, in the Nine Red-Banded Talismans.

Their diligence in practice had no equal; for long periods they dwelt in secluded mountain forests and valleys.

The Dharma Wheel, a term commonly used in Buddhism and Daoism to describe the means of proclaiming the true teaching and transforming living beings.

Skilled in revealing skillful means, they spread compassion widely among living beings. They led people away from greed and sexual misconduct, quieted anger and distress, dispelled false views and ignorance, and eradicated the three poisons of greed, anger, and delusion.

The four kinds of giving should be practiced. These four things form the foundation for cultivating the Six Perfections, the six methods of practice.

The thoughts by which men and women each strive to outdo one another vanish in an instant. Compared with a team of four horses at full gallop, even those horses seem slow; to call it as swift as lightning flashing through the clouds still does not capture its speed.

The human mind is the hardest thing to control, even harder to subdue than tigers or leopards. Apes, monkeys, deer, and horses are all easier to tame. Only sages of the highest order can skillfully regulate and guide their own thoughts.

One must set one’s spirit and thoughts in order, and also correct one’s conduct and one’s person. The gods of Heaven will respect such a person, and the gods of Earth will protect them. There are many kinds of liturgical rules for governing the heart and entering the Great Dao, but one must always remain steadfast and sincere. Guide oneself subtly, in private; keep one’s movements and bearing peaceful and restrained; and quietly put this teaching into practice. Eat only one meal each day, and maintain purity through fasting.

Even gold must not be defiled, much less the supreme Great Dao.

The Three Marvelous Treasure Writings: The Supreme One’s Ninefold Truth Clarifying Precepts.

Take a vessel of clear water and add two parts pearls. Write the Illumination Talisman and place it in the water. Set the vessel outdoors in the middle of a courtyard overnight. When taking up the water, face north, click the teeth three times, and then recite the incantation:

“Radiance from Heaven dispels the shadows; the Five Spirits unite with the true Dao. The cinnabar spirits are all thrown into confusion, and filthy Qi spreads through Heaven and Earth. Today, clarity brings good fortune: calamity is halted and blessings are welcomed. Threefold brilliance shines in mutual reflection; the Five Zhi—the immortals’ sacred fungi—wash away dust and grime. The Qi of the eight directions grows bright and clear, weaving around my body. Above, white; below, gold; within and without, bright and pure.”

After reciting, wash your hands and face with the water; you may also bathe in it. Pour the remaining water into a river flowing eastward, so that all impurities disperse, the assembled Perfected protect you, and none of the three forms of intrusion can touch you. In this way, you may cultivate the Dao of the Three Heavens. This passage comes from the Instructions of the Lord Green Lad.

All who are born into the dusty world have little purity and much turbidity, so they should wear a broken talisman. The Qi of the Nine Heavens transforms into nine phoenixes, each guarding the body. They fly through the Three Realms—the different levels of the worlds of Heaven, Earth, and humanity—drawing in the wondrous Qi of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing) and washing away the worldly dust and clamor of the Nine Earths. This passage appears in the Supreme One’s Register of Azure Origins.

Bathe three times each day using five kinds of incense.

The fifteenth day of the first lunar month, the fifteenth day of the seventh lunar month, the fifteenth day of the tenth lunar month, and, on ordinary days, the first day of the month, midday, and midnight.

Green Aloeswood

The flowers and leaves of green aloeswood grow in sections of five, with every five sections joined together. People in India call it the “herb of the five fragrances.” They believe it can dispel foul Qi, gather in the hun and po souls, subdue ghosts, and summon divine beings. Green aloeswood grows mostly east of Canglang, and the divine beings of the East each call it green aloeswood as well.

Burn green aloeswood, frankincense, and benzoin resin in the sleeping chamber to disperse the foul Qi of the Five Turbidities. The scripture says that demonic and baleful Qi from the earth surges upward to a height of forty li. The smoke of green aloeswood can dispel the stench of turbid Qi and scatter the mists formed by evil spirits. The Jade Maidens of Heaven and Emperor Lord Taiyi, a revered Daoist deity, will come with the fragrance and take their place before you.

Practitioners of the Highest Teachings

Those who cultivate the highest Daoist methods take elixirs such as the Radiant Essence of the Sun and Moon and the Golden Essence Flying Root. Those who cultivate the Way of Yellow Qi should boil angelica root, peach bark, and green aloeswood at dawn on the Beginning of Spring, then bathe facing east.

Jiazi Day

One should bathe on Jiazi day.

The above is from the Precious Register of the Queen Mother of the West on Nourishing the Spirit and Daily Observances, a Daoist text concerning the Queen Mother of the West’s practices for nourishing the spirit and ordering daily life.

The first, fifteenth, and twenty-third days of each month

On the third day of each month, collect water from three rivers (some accounts say three streams or water from three wells). Take one hu of water, add one liang each of five aromatics—clove, greenwood fragrance, Lingling fragrance, frankincense, and agarwood—and boil them together. Write out the Tongming talisman (the talisman used in this method), place it in the water, then bathe with the water.

Before bathing, face east and click your teeth twenty-four times. Visualize the Seven Stars above your head, with purple clouds filling the room like a canopy. A divine boy scatters incense on your left, and a jade maiden holds a towel on your right. When this is done, recite the spell: “The Three Lights shine brightly; the Five Spirits are clear and pure. No floating clouds veil the heavens, and no dust flies upon the earth.” Then bathe, reciting: “Bathe in the Eastern Well, receive your robes, and restore your true form. Let the body be fragrant and the bones aromatic; ascend to the Jade Court. Having received the Way of Great Truth, sink the talisman into the well.”

This is the supreme method for the Celestial Emperor’s bathing, transmitted by the Primordial Heavenly King to the Emperor Lord of Heavenly Unity. After practicing it, the Emperor Lord was covered in flowing purple radiance of vital essence. After practicing it, the Supreme Lord of the Southern Pole gave off such a fragrance that it could be smelled after he was summoned three times. After the Emperor Lord of the Great Tenuity practiced it, divine fungi arose of their own accord in the Five Directions and gathered at his dwelling. The face of the Supreme Sage Lord of the Golden Tower shone with an imperial radiance; after the Lord of the Azure Lad, the High Minister, practiced it, fragrance filled the realms of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing). This Daoist method is kept secret in the Purple Chamber of the Southern Pole.

Bathe in the Orchid Pool, where a dragon bears a long-necked flask, a golden boy scatters fragrant blossoms, and a jade maiden pours out water of the Five Stars. Put on cap and sash, cleanse yourself with jade fluid, and refine the forms of the Five Immortals. Let fragrance issue from your body; may the myriad spirits descend, and ride the radiance of the sun and moon to ascend on high. Bathe at the Golden Gate, put on cap and sash, and reveal the radiance of the divine.

Jade Void congeals into a talisman, and the myriad immortals all gather and return.

The officials serving the Celestial Bureau feast and wander in the realms of the Three Pure Ones, ascending the Mysterious Peak.

The Emperor Lord of Great Unity takes the Purple Chamber as the mingled Primordial Father and Mysterious Mother, and the Three Embryos as his spirits.

The Eightfold Purities, a method of spiritual cultivation found in Shangqing scriptures, place visualization of the True Dao first. Their secret teachings and subtle instructions take the Nine Perfected Ones—the nine perfected deities, or practices associated with them—as their inner scriptural essentials. The divine method reaches its deepest mystery through stilling the mind. The methods of practice and childlike purity become efficacious only through complete understanding of the True Dao. The Great Cavern method takes the exalted Shangqing realm as its foundation. The Great Elixir method takes Female Unity—the feminine, undivided inner vital essence—as its inner essence. The Five Elders method is rooted in the Dao of nature. The Supreme One method finds its mysterious clarity in Wuying, a Daoist deity. The Yellow Emperor and Laozi method takes aspiration and innate nature as the foundation of the Dao. The Baiyuan method makes purification of body and mind, and single-minded practice, the path to entering the Real. The Perfected Ones cultivate together by bringing their breaths into harmony. The essential means of becoming an immortal is to let sincere devotion move and connect with the Dao, so that the Dao may be realized.

When Jing and Qi are abundant and the mind is sincere, Shen and Qi flourish. Residing at the center and harmonizing the heart and Qi, one thereby brings about transformation through the Dao.

Sincerity is the gateway to the divine.

Do what ordinary people cannot do, and hold to a state that ordinary people cannot sustain; then you may ascend into the Mysterious Realm.

Have without clinging to having; lack without clinging to lacking. Being is neither being nor nonbeing, and its movement extends throughout the Nine Extremes, the farthest reaches of the cosmos. Practice without pause; contemplate without weariness.

Within the human body are the Five Viscera, corresponding to the Five Sacred Mountains.

Learning should be as bright as the midday sun.

At first, before one has studied, the mind is dim and unclear. To reach this state of lucidity is to take the first step toward awakening wisdom.

In seeking learning and cultivating the Dao, one must be both diligent and clear-minded. Only then can one perceive the mysteries of the Three Pure Ones, the highest Daoist deities and the realms in which they dwell.

Confine every kind of malign spirit in prisons in the remote wilderness of the eight directions, and seal away the myriad kinds of demons and apparitions in the farthest reaches of the nine directions.

When the mind is upright, even Heaven and Earth cannot oppose it. Keep constant watch over the Nine Souls, the soul spirits within the human body, in pursuit of ascending to immortality. Taiyi, a Daoist deity or a spirit within the body, dwells peacefully in the Six Abodes, where the deities within the body reside; the Five Spirits guard the Three Gates, the body’s three vital openings, in alternating succession.

When the Three Officials—the officials of Heaven, Earth, and Water, or related offices within the body—are harmonized and unobstructed, the Five Viscera are at peace. Use numinous medicines for protection, and ingest and cultivate them within a body formed of cloudlike Qi.

Study methods that others cannot study, and dwell in a state that others cannot inhabit: this is “True Unity and Naturalness,” the return to what is real, undivided, and natural.

A tree large enough to be embraced by both arms grows from a tiny sprout. Smoke rising to the clouds begins with a single spark.

The Taizhen Code, a Daoist collection of ritual precepts, says: “Accumulated evil deeds lead a person toward death; the suffering of death is sorrowful. Accumulated good deeds prolong life; the joy of long life deserves celebration. Accumulate three thousand merits, and one may ascend in broad daylight. Accumulating three hundred good deeds also counts as cultivating goodness and establishing merit. Accumulated evil deeds bring death, and the suffering of death is sorrowful.”

Those who are skilled at accumulating good deeds can attain long life; to enjoy life is cause for celebration.

Accumulate three thousand merits, and you may ascend to the heavens in broad daylight; accumulate three hundred good deeds, and you may become an earthly immortal. Those who study the Way of Immortality should accumulate six thousand two hundred good deeds. When the practice of goodness and the accumulation of virtue are abundant, a cloud chariot will descend from heaven. By widely spreading the Great Dao, life will not perish, and immortality can be attained.

The path of cultivation grounded in great compassion puts the salvation of others first. Without merit, there is no reward; without virtue, there is no advancement; without sincerity, there can be no salvation; without actual cultivation, one cannot become an immortal. In establishing merit and cultivating virtue, one should strive for the sake of Heaven and Earth, the sun, moon, and stars, rulers, the people, one’s ancestors, all living beings, and oneself.

Exhaling and inhaling primordial harmony (regulating the breath so that body and mind unite with the original, harmonious Qi), drinking in flowing rosy clouds (the celestial Qi of cloud and mist in legend), and gathering the essence of the Five Blossoms (the five vital essences)—these are all subjects on which the Immortal Lord sought instruction.

Once you have cultivated an immortal’s bones, your name will be entered in the Register of the Mysterious, the canon of the names of immortals and perfected beings, and inscribed among the names in the Golden Pavilion of Jade. All who accumulated five hundred good deeds in past lives can attain the Three Ones, the inner divine beings cultivated in Daoist practice.

On the Eight Auspicious Days, the appointed days for paying homage to the Celestial Worthies, one should make obeisance to them. The highest aspiration is to ascend to the heavens, cross the River of Jade Purity, and roam among the heavens. The middle aspiration is to transform one’s form, summon the Five Spirits, and rise again through the Moon Gate. The lowest aspiration is to travel through the farthest reaches in the four directions. All five hundred cultivators can attain the Three Ones.

On the Eight Auspicious Days, when paying homage to the Celestial Worthies, one may also state five wishes: may the farthest reaches in the four directions protect me, so that my words may reach their destination; may attendants from Western Florescence guard and support me, commanding the Golden Youths and bringing the Five Elders; may I ride in a carriage with the Eight Radiances, and may all auspicious blessings converge.

Paying homage to the celestial patterns—that is, bowing to the stars of the heavenly realm—requires eleven forms of contemplation and fourteen kinds of meritorious practice. Through these practices, one may resonate with the perfected beings and become a bridge between the human world and the immortals and perfected ones.

The secret scriptures are treasured in the Great You Palace above the Nine Heavens. Great dragons and poisonous beasts guard the Jade Gate closely; jade phoenixes spread their wings, while divine luan birds protect the Mysterious Palace. The assembled perfected beings hold banquets and perform rites; the myriad sages come to pay homage to the imperial carriage. On the jade steps, ceremonial canopies fill the celestial court, and even the Great Emperor bows before the altar table. Practitioners should pay homage to the Celestial Worthies of the Ten Directions at dawn, sunset, nightfall, and midnight, beginning in the east and proceeding in order.

Tai Su, a sacred name in Daoist scriptures, engraved the Scripture of Numinous Treasure and Natural Spontaneity in red gold. The perfected beings, immortals, and sages circle the Purple Tenuity Terrace, a celestial palace, three times each day, burning incense and paying homage.

After receiving and upholding the Wondrous Scripture of the Simple Numinous, Grotto Mystery, one should cultivate and put into practice the instructions given above.

On three days each month, worship the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning and Taisu in secret. Have the Lingbao Natural Scripture inscribed in cinnabar and gold. At the Purple Tenuity Terrace, the assembled perfected immortals and sages circumambulate three times each day and burn incense.

Receive and uphold the secret essentials and instructions in the Wondrous Scripture of the Grotto Mystery of Su Ling, and put them into practice.

On three days each month, worship in secret the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning, the Elder of Great Perfection, and the True King of the Nine Heavens. On the appointed day, bathe, enter a quiet chamber, burn incense while facing north, and kneel in prayer: “May I attain immortality and have my name entered in the Jade Register, the roster of immortals. May flesh grow upon my bones, and may my flesh be transformed into a body of gold. May wondrous divine annotations appear in my alchemical chamber, and may purple clouds rise within it.” When the prayer is complete, rise and bow again. After practicing in this way for seven years, the true spirit will manifest in visible form.

Perfect the bones into gold, have your name recorded in the Jade Register and engraved in the Green Palace, and observe a strict fast for one thousand consecutive days.

Have no dealings with worldly affairs. Burn pure incense and observe the precepts.

Keep free of worldly dust, remain calm and composed, and practice the Six Practices—the six disciplines of cultivation in Daoism.

With a gentle nature and mysterious intent, your name will be written in the Golden Register, the roster of perfected immortals, and entered among the immortals of the Nine Heavens.

Receive and uphold the thirty-nine chapters of the Great Grotto True Scripture, as well as the “Way of the Jade Su, Eight Winds, and Circling Emperor One,” transmitted by the Lord of the Great Dao, the Most High.

On Mount Shu there lived a tree spirit who had endured for a thousand years.

Three worthy men passed by and rested beneath the tree. A voice came from within it: “My former merits were not yet complete, and so I was confined within this tree. Please go to my home and arrange three days of purification fasting for me.” The family invited Daoist priests, who burned incense and recited scriptures. They observed a purification fast for three days, praying for the tree spirit and offering thanks. Afterward, the tree spirit rose into the clouds, above Jingxiao, the celestial realm high in the sky, and became a carefree wandering immortal.

Through this practice, the body becomes fragrant and pure. The family again invited Daoist priests, who burned incense and recited scriptures. They observed a purification fast for three days, praying for the tree spirit and offering thanks. The tree spirit then rose into the clouds, above Jingxiao, and became a carefree wandering immortal.

The body is fragrant and pure, as immaculate as gold and jade. The Three Origins—the divine realms governed by the officials of Heaven, Earth, and Water—open, and one’s virtue surpasses the heavens.

Virtue is like the open sky: vast and without form, it is the foundation of the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning. Virtue is like the Dao: its numinous power is vast, and it is the treasure of the gods. Virtue is as expansive as Heaven and Earth; it shines through the heavens like the sun, moon, and stars, and nurtures all things like the four seasons. It is like the Great Mystery, the dwelling place of immortals; like Mount Tai, which steadies the spirits and protects all things; and like a great river, surging onward without obstruction. Only one whose dignity is equal to that of the sun, moon, and stars can be called a noble cultivator.

There are six days of purification fasting in a year.

On a person’s own birth day, on Gengshen Day, and on Jiazi Day, the Most High sends Perfected Ones, the sages of the ten directions, and immortals to descend. He also sends the spirits and gods of the Three Realms to come with them. All the deities between Heaven and Earth become solemn and reverent. If one practices the Dao and recites scripture on these days, devoting oneself to contemplating the true Dao during the six periods of the day and night (the day divided into six periods), the Most High will command the gods who govern people’s fates to extend one’s years. In this way, one may live a long life, escape the ten sufferings and eight calamities, dwell continually in a blessed land, and enable seven generations of ancestors to ascend to Heaven.

In the past, the Most High transmitted the methods for the three annual purification days and the six monthly purification days to the Perfected One of the Stone Chamber. He transmitted the method for the tenth day of the sixth month each year to the Perfected One, the Celestial Elder. He also commanded the Perfected One of Emptiness, Laozi, to transmit the Zhengyi Three Heavens method to the Perfected One of Zhengyi, the Three Heavens Master.

The fifteenth day of the first month is the Upper Origin; the fifteenth day of the seventh month is the Middle Origin; and the fifteenth day of the tenth month is the Lower Origin.

On the third day of the third month each year, the Five Emperors of Earth, the deities of the Five Sacred Peaks, the divine officials of the Three Realms, and the gods of the various water palaces ascend to the Palace of the Two Origins in the Mysterious Capital of the Three Heavens. On this day, the Heavenly Worthy of Boundless Limit, the emperors of the thirty-two heavens, the Flying Heavenly Spirit Kings, the Great Gods of Highest Truth in the Jade Void, the Lord of the Most High of the Boundless Great Dao, the various Elders, the South and North Poles, the two Hua mountains of East and West, the Ninefold-Spirit True Mother, the Jade Maidens of Great Harmony, the Southern and Northern Dippers, and the sun, moon, and stars of the heavens all gather in solemn assembly. The officials of the left, right, and central offices of the Three Origins; the Three Officials and Nine Offices; the one hundred and ten bureaus; and the officials who oversee Yin-Yang, water and fire, wind, blades, punishment, and examination also review the merits and faults of all beings in Heaven and on Earth.

Those with meritorious good deeds have their names entered in the Green Register; those with offenses have their names entered in the Black Register. After each is recorded, the registers are submitted to the Three Officials. If one follows the method of repentance for the Three Origins (a rite of confessing one’s faults on the purification days of the Upper, Middle, and Lower Origins), the earth spirits will guard one’s door, and the Three Officials will recommend one.

The Threefold Non-Action Purification of Highest Cavern Truth

The Upper Origin, governed by the Celestial Official, is the heavenly realm; the Middle Origin, governed by the Earth Official, is the terrestrial realm; and the Lower Origin, governed by the Water Official, is the human world. Each has its own presiding official. The Three Origins unite with the true Dao and correspond above to the Nine Profound Heavens, the nine remote and hidden layers of heaven. The Upper Origin falls on the ninth day, the Middle Origin on the sixth, and the Lower Origin on the third. On the day before the purification period begins, one should bathe in fragrant water made with five kinds of incense. For the Upper Mystery, prepare nine people; for the Lower Extremity, prepare three. On the day of the purification rite, write “The Signal of Golden Truth and Jade Radiance of the Nine Heavens”—a talismanic message sent up to the Nine Heavens—and place it before the Five Emperors to summon the spirits and invite them to descend.

The Method of Purification for the Three Grades of the Three Origins of Great Truth records: Write the Mysterious Diagram, a talismanic chart associated with the wondrous heavenly realm, and offer it to the Five Venerable Elders. The emperors and lords of the various heavens regularly gather on the six purification days at the Terrace of Purple Tenuity and Primordial Yang, in the Spiritual Capital of the Upper Heaven, to compile the heavenly registers and calculate the cycles of time and destiny. The various heavens dispatch the envoys of the Celestial Emperor Taiyi, the retinues of the sun, moon, and stars, the officials of the Three Officials who investigate the span of human life, and the great deities of the Five Sacred Peaks and Four Rivers. They travel throughout the world, inspecting the cycles of time and destiny and people’s merits and faults. When practitioners observe purification and abstinence, their merits are entered into the registers of the Three Officials and Five Emperors, and their names are added to the heavenly records. They can then pay their respects to the Most High, and seven generations of their ancestors can all ascend to the Hall of Blessings.

The seventh day of the first month

One should observe a prolonged purification for the various heavens and write one’s name in the Yellow Register and Upper Book, the heavenly records, so that one’s name is removed from the register of the dead and entered in the register of the living.

The Great Sage of the Northwest Heaven of Primordial Beginning and Numinous Treasure; the assembled Most Perfect and Venerable Spirits; the Supreme Emperor, True Sovereign, and Elder of the Limitless Great Dao.

The first day of each month

The assembled deities gather above at the Upper Palace of Purple Tenuity on the Northwest Mountain of the Numinous Treasure Mysterious Capital. The Stellar Dipper descends and, together with the Three Officials who assess people’s ranks and the Four Divisions that investigate wrongdoing, travels throughout the world. When someone observes purification and abstinence, the Three Officials remove that person’s sins.

The Great Sage of the Northern Heaven, the Most High Lord Lao.

The eighth day of each month

The assembled deities gather above at the Terrace of Yin Origin on Jade Mountain, near the Numinous Treasure Mysterious Capital. They invite the Northern Dipper’s spirit officials who govern the killing of ghosts to descend to the lower world and travel throughout the world together with the Record-Keepers of the Eight Directions. Those who observe purification and abstinence on this day have their names removed from the register of sins by the Three Officials and entered into the immortal records of the Three Heavens. The spirits of heaven and earth also protect those who undertake purification, keeping every kind of calamity from troubling them.

The Northern Heaven’s eastern and northeastern sages, together with the assembled Most High Record-Keepers, travel throughout the world. Those who observe purification and abstinence on this day have their names removed from the register of sins by the Three Officials and entered into the immortal records of the Three Heavens. The spirits of heaven and earth also protect those who undertake purification, keeping every kind of calamity from troubling them.

The eastern and northeastern Heaven’s Sage, the Most High Lord of the Mysterious Origin, Emperor of Ten Thousand Deliverances and Ten Thousand Lives.

On the fourteenth day, the assembled deities meet at the Tongyang Qingwei Palace on Xuandu Jade Mountain. The Taiyi Envoy and the Northern Deng Metropolitan Lord are ordered to tour the world and inspect the human and divine realms. All who undertake purification rites and cultivate De are entered in the registers of the Nine Heavens and included in the ranks of the immortals.

The great sacred deities of the Eastern Heaven include the Supreme Lord Lao, the Most High Lord of the Dao of the Three Heavens, the Mysterious Origin of the Highest Clarity; the Azure Spirit True One, Heavenly Emperor; the Great Emperor; the Lord of the Nine Elders’ Immortal Capital; and the Elder of the Nine Qi, along with 1,200 official lords. Also among them are the Jade Steps of Highest Clarity, the Elder of the Eastern Pole, the Great Spirit of Azure Florescence, the Minister of the Left, Sima; the Golden Gate’s Azure Youth, the Later Sage Emperor; the Nine Immortals of Numinous Treasure; the Jade Maidens of Azure Harmony; and the Jade Youths who preside over the immortals.

On the fifteenth day, the assembled deities meet at the Jade Maiden’s Azure Florescence Jade Steps Palace in the Great Mystery Capital, and the Heavenly Emperor descends in person. The sun, moon, and stars, along with the spirits of heaven, earth, and the Five Sacred Peaks, come as well. Those who undertake purification rites receive the recommendation of the Five Emperors and are protected by the holy powers.

The great sacred deities of the Southern Heaven include the Lord Lao of the Southern Heights, the Red Sage True Person of the Southern Pole, and the Jade Maiden of Great Harmony.

On the eighteenth day, the assembled deities meet at the Numinous Elixir Terrace of the Jade Mountain grotto. On this day, burning incense and carrying out the Way brings the fulfillment of every prayer.

The great sacred deities of the Southern Heaven include the Red Emperor of the Southern Heights, Laozi of the Elixir Spirit, the Lord of Deliverance from the World at the Southern Pole, and the Lord of Ten Thousand Blessings.

On the twentieth day, the assembled deities meet at the Hall of Original Yang in the Numinous Grotto of Jade Mountain. The Taiyi Envoy and the Three Officials—the deities who govern heaven, earth, and water—are ordered to tour the world and observe conditions in heaven and among humanity. On this day, upholding the scriptures and burning incense brings the protection of the Earth Official.

The great sacred deities of the Southwestern Heaven include the Celestial Being, the Elder, the True Lord of Original Reality at the Southern Pole, and Great Numinous Yang of the Grotto.

On the twenty-fourth day, the assembled deities convene at the Vermilion Palace of the Jade Capital to inspect the Three Officials, Nine Offices, Five Sacred Peaks, Mount Tai, and the Twenty-Four Prisons. The Northern Dipper’s Pole Star deity tours with the Three Officials, while the spirits of the Water Department investigate wrongdoing and patrol the world.

The great sacred deities of the Western Heaven include the Golden Hall and Jade Palace of Western Florescence, and the spirits of the Five Sacred Peaks, Mount Tai, and the Twenty-Four Prisons. The Northern Dipper’s Pole Star deity tours with the Three Officials, while the spirits of the Water Department investigate wrongdoing and patrol the world.

The Great Sage of the Western Heaven; the True Mother, an Immortal of the Golden Hall of Western Splendor (a revered deity of the Western Immortal Realm); the Sacred High Lord, Emperor of the Rear Hall of the Golden Que (a noble emperor in the celestial palace); and the Perfected Ones of the Four Extremities:

On the twenty-eighth day of each month, the gods gather at the Jade Capital’s Golden Que, the palace of seven treasures where the Celestial Emperor resides. Taiyi, the deity who surveys Heaven and Earth, makes his rounds in order. Xuanji and Yuheng, stars of the Northern Dipper, check and verify one another’s findings, and all the gods descend together to the Gate of Heaven.

The Great Sage of the Lower Origin; the immortals of the Lower Origin’s Mystery and Yellow, Grotto of the Abyss and Grotto Spirit; the Five Emperors; and the Perfected Ones of the Four Offices:

On the twenty-ninth day of each month, the gods gather in the Yellow Chamber within the Jade Gate of the Yellow Heaven. Taiyi, the Three Officials who govern Heaven, Earth, and Water, the Nine Courts, and the Nine Divisions’ inspectors who investigate wrongdoing all make their rounds across the Five Sacred Peaks.

The Great Sages of the High Heavens, and the Lords and Elders of the Supreme Dao of Wuwei, from above and below, the center, and all four directions. Dao Qi is the source of all things: vast and boundless, without beginning. Before the separation of the primal chaos, it had no form and rested in emptiness and natural spontaneity. The Dao within the Great Dao is the sovereign of the divine spirits. There are countless myriads of billions and trillions of such exalted deities, beyond calculation. The Lords and Elders of Dao and De, the assembled immortals, celestial officials, and great gods are all among them.

On the thirtieth day of each month, the gods ascend to gather at the Seven-Treasure Ziwei Palace, the dwelling of the Celestial Emperor, and pay court to the Heavenly Perfected and the myriad emperors. They review the cycles of great and lesser kalpas, as well as the lesser cycle of one hundred and six. On that day, the High Taiyi is sent down among them. The stars of all the heavens, the sun and moon, Xuanji, and the Northern Dipper descend together as well. With the Five Emperors, the Five Sacred Peaks, the Four Rivers governed by water deities, the Water Emperor who investigates and summons the spirits of the Water Court, and the gods of the earth, they make their rounds through the world. Those who practice purification and fasting on this day have their names entered in the Register of High Immortals.

The Northern Emperor of the Upper Office of Great Mystery:

On a Gengshen day, the Northern Emperor subdues the Three Corpses recorded in the celestial realm—the spirits said to report people’s transgressions to the Celestial Emperor—registers people’s offenses, and submits them to the Imperial Lord. Those who practice purification and fasting on this day have their names entered in the Azure Register, a Daoist roll of names.

The Perfected and Exalted Deities of the Upper Palace of Great Mystery:

On a Jiazi day, the Great Envoy of the Central Terrace of Taiyi is sent to tour the heavens and earths and inspect the deities. On that day, incense is burned and petitions are presented to the Three Heavens, the three celestial realms of Daoist teaching. Thereafter, those who receive the charge to oversee the celestial realm and govern affairs on earth have their names entered in the Jade Register, the celestial roll of names.

The Exalted Perfected Great Deities of the Upper Palace of Great Mystery.

On the day of the Beginning of Spring, the revered Great Sages gather to inspect Heaven and Earth and assess the gods. Burn incense that day and submit a report to the Three Heavens, and one may shed one’s former rank, take up the office of overseeing Heaven and governing the land, and have one’s name entered in the Jade Register, the celestial register of names.

The Great High Perfected Gods of the Supreme Mystery Upper Palace

On the day of the Beginning of Spring, the revered Great Sages gather at the Supreme Ultimate Upper Palace to calculate and revise the jade slips and golden names—the celestial register. Those who qualify may become immortals.

The Perfected One of Primordial Simplicity of the Supreme Mystery Upper Palace

On the day of the Spring Equinox, the immortal officials gather at the Jade Terrace of Kunlun to revise the Lingbao True Scripture.

The Five Emperors of the Supreme Mystery Upper Palace

On the day of the Beginning of Summer, the immortals gather in the Purple Tenuity Palace.

The Three Celestial Officials of the Supreme Mystery Upper Palace

On the day of the Summer Solstice, the immortal officials gather at the upper office of the Lord of Destiny.

The Perfected Ones of the Five Marchmounts of the Supreme Mystery Upper Palace

On the day of the Beginning of Autumn, they go to the Yellow Cloud Court of the Yellow Elder Lord in the central region, where they meet the immortal officials and assess the divine charts and numinous medicines of the world.

The August Supreme Emperor of the Supreme Mystery Upper Palace

On the day of the Autumn Equinox, they ascend to the Hall of the Subtle Tenuity at the Clear and Numinous Gate, and meet with the True Numinous Treasures, the Supreme High Five Elder Lords, and the Perfected Lord of the North Pole.

The Perfected Ones of the Mysterious Supreme Sun Terrace

On the day of the Beginning of Winter, the immortal officials and jade maidens gather on the Sun Terrace.

The True Immortal Assembly of the Supreme Mystery Upper Palace

On the day of the Winter Solstice, they go to the dwelling of the Eastern Florescence Azure Florescence Immortal. There, at the eastern sea, they meet with the Azure Youth of Golden Opening and the assembled company. The Great Perfected God Zhi Xiang Zhi Zhen revises the register of the immortals.

By contemplating the spirits, regulating the breath, and practicing the methods, one can have one’s name entered in the immortal register. This is more important than learning the cloudless ladder to Heaven or the starless art of flying steps. If one practices these methods without observing purification and fasting, one will not attain the goal.

One day of pure purification and fasting can add a hundred days to one’s life; ten full cycles of fasting, or a hundred days, can add twelve years; and a thousand days of fasting can add a hundred years. Practitioners should conceal their Virtue and avoid displaying their talents and intelligence, thereby summoning the spirits and seeking a response.

The Golden and Yellow Registers

The Ceremonial Forms of the Lingbao Assembly’s Purification Rites

There are six methods of purification: the Golden Register, Yellow Su, Clear Perfection, the Three Primes, Naturalness, and Self-Cultivation.

The Palace of Separation and Union, the divine residence that governs parting and reunion, is the gate that opens and closes, charged with transforming and guiding living beings.

The Palace of the Six Heavens, the celestial realm known in Daoism as the Six Heavens, records the names of the dead. The Palace of Opening and Closing governs the transformation of people’s bodies and lives. When you discover a fault in yourself, repent at once; when you have acted rightly, persevere. The inner and outer influence one another, victory and defeat turn into each other, and causes and consequences follow naturally. In this way, self-cultivation begins.

The Palace of Separation and Union is the gate that opens and closes, charged with transforming and guiding living beings. The Palace of the Six Heavens records the names of the dead; the Palace of Opening and Closing governs the transformation of people’s bodies and lives. Repent at once when you discover a fault; persevere when you have acted rightly. The inner and outer are connected, victory and defeat affect one another, and causes and consequences are linked. — Taishang Suming Tu

Clear the mind: first acknowledge your faults and repent of them. Remove your offenses and put your wrongs behind you. Do not resent Heaven and Earth, or human beings and spirits. Instead, correct your faults and cultivate De (Virtue/Power), thereby opening the way to the future. Persevere for three years, and you will attain the way of the immortals. Accumulating good deeds is like building a wall; Heaven’s net keeps close watch, like frost and snow that leave nothing unaccounted for.

The Three Sovereigns, the three ancient supreme deities revered in Daoism, said: “Except for the immortals born of the lineage of Yuxu, the celestial realm described in Daoism, all other beings are nurtured by primordial Qi (vital energy) and bound by turbid Qi.” — Jiuzhen Mingke

Before the Three Luminaries—the sun, moon, and stars—disclose your intentions, let down your hair, and knock your teeth in reverence. Then observe a pure fast for a hundred days and respectfully receive and uphold the precious scripture. If you do not first make your account and repent before your teacher, teacher and student alike will suffer the cutting pain of decline, like wind-blades; their souls will endure ten layers of suffering and eight kinds of calamity, and after death their bodies will sink into the netherworld.

Those of the highest grade are tranquil and desireless, like water reflecting a bright mirror. Their hearts hold no obstruction or anxiety; they cling to nothing and seek nothing recklessly.

Those of the middle grade think little and desire little, and act with care and caution.

Those of the lowest grade respect and trust the Daoist teachings.

Before the Three Luminaries, make a vow that will endure for ten thousand kalpas. Be diligent and steadfast, never turning back.

Daoling vowed to be a guide for Heaven, humanity, and beings in the Five Paths. When the vow is fulfilled, the mountains of the Five Sacred Peaks and all other mountains will become level, and the earth will be clear as colored glass.

Twelve exalted vows: Taishang Zhenwen Yaoyao.

The seasons will proceed in harmony, and every kind of wish will be fulfilled. Light will shine throughout the heavens; clouds will gather like smoke, covering the deep and mysterious realm. When hidden, all returns to Wuwei (non-action); when revealed, it fills the sky.

The five vows of the Lord Emperor.

First Wish: May my body move in the same way as the three celestial bodies—the sun, the moon, and the stars. Second Wish: May my body dwell above the heavens, in palaces built of fine jade and in imperial residences. In the morning, may I feast with the Jade Emperor; at dusk, may I be accompanied by the Dark Mother, a Daoist deity. When thirsty, may I drink the great spring of the Wavelike Well and consume jade fungus; when hungry, may I eat dragon embryo, delicacies like jade paste, and the red children of the Crimson Tree. Third Wish: May my body emit ten thousand kinds of light, with seventy-two rays; may it grow wondrous hair and bones, enter and leave the palaces of the Celestial Emperor, gather blessings and good fortune, and enjoy limitless life. Fourth Wish: May I live and perish together with primordial Qi, and be reborn after death; may I be invested with authority to govern the Ten Heavens and preside over the Immortal Lord Wei. Fifth Wish: May all who follow the Dao jointly protect the sun, moon, and the three luminaries; may the Seven Mysteries and Nine Ancestors—that is, seven and nine generations of forebears—ascend to the Southern Palace. The five wishes of the four directions ultimately gather together in the Hall of Blessings.

Day of the Celestial Emperor of Taiwei, first day of the first lunar month

On this day, when praying against the nets of Heaven and Earth, say: “I alone roam above, within the nets of the Ten Directions and Nine Heavens. Who would dare cast down a net to ensnare me? I will roam below, within the nets of the Ten Directions and Nine Earths. Who would dare use them to bind me? I will go to the realm of the Highest, ascend to the Hall of Blessings, and attend a feast.”

Day of the Celestial Emperor of Taiwei, first day of the first lunar month

On this day, when praying against the nets of Heaven and Earth, say: “I alone roam above, within the nets of the Ten Directions and Nine Heavens. Who would dare cast down a net to ensnare me? I will roam below, within the nets of the Ten Directions and Nine Earths. Who would dare use them to bind me? I will go to the realm of the Highest, ascend to the Magnificent Hall, and proceed to the Office of Winding Springs, the land of the underworld. Do not detain my soul any longer.”

Ritual Protocol for Reverently Attending the Illustrated Text and Paying Court

The ritual for reverently carrying out the illustrated text, paying court, and performing formal salutations.

Visualizing the True Lord Taiyi

Visualize the True Lord Taiyi within the Dark Cinnabar Chamber. Clad in feathers of the great swan, you ascend into Taiqing, the pure and lofty celestial realm.

Visualize the sun and moon appearing before you and entering through your nostrils into the Grotto Chamber and the Golden Flower Palace. Their light emerges from the back of your neck, forming a round halo of nine colors, then gently enters the Jade Pillow at the back of your head. The sun enters through the left nostril and the moon through the right. This method of visualization comes from Precious Instructions on the Hidden Annotation of Taiji.

Visualize the Dao descending and revealing the divine spirits, who appear with jade-like countenances and golden forms. Let your mind and spirit unite with them, as if you were in the Capital of Great Mystery, seeing before you the Jade Capital Mountain in the hall.

The perfected immortals Baichengzi, Guangchengzi, Qingzhenzi, Guxizi, and others.

Visualize the Dao descending and revealing the divine spirits, who appear with jade-like countenances and golden forms. Let your mind and spirit unite with them, as if you were in the Capital of Great Mystery, seeing before you the Jade Capital Mountain in the hall.

The four immortal sages—Baichengzi, Guangchengzi, Qingzhenzi, and Guxizi—visualized the qi of the Northern Dipper, the Daoist star spirits associated with the heavenly realm and the destinies of life. It seemed to merge with their own being, and together they entered a lotus seed. Suddenly, within the seed they saw a jade mountain stretching a thousand li, and palaces and terraces without end. Their roofs seemed to join the clouds; vermilion trees bore fruit, fungi grew on purple flowers, and jade-green, brush-shaped forms displayed colors of dark and yellow. There were also wondrous sights such as the Three Su and the Eight Wheels. The four sages wandered there, and before they knew it, they had arrived above the lotus seed.

Once the five thoughts are established,

the form of the Dao can be seen.

Wherever the Dao arrives, all things become manifest; wherever the Dao passes, all things return.

By contemplating spirits, one can connect with spirits; by contemplating Perfected Ones, one can summon Perfected Ones; by contemplating immortals, one can summon immortals; by contemplating the Great Dao, one can connect with the Great Dao. The more one holds in mind, the more responses one receives. The vital energy of sages can inspire people to long for the virtuous, and thereby connect with virtue. A person’s thoughts, too, can summon the protection that corresponds to them.

Thoughts follow one another without pause.

If the mind and spirit cannot remain focused, a thousand kinds of reflection will surge forth.

Twelve acts of contemplation

bring twelve responses.

The five calamities,

as well as the Three Calamities and Nine Afflictions, have celestial officials to guide and accompany them, and earth spirits to welcome and serve them.

Command the Six Jia—the Daoist divine generals who govern time and space and command troops—

and set the stars in motion.

Chide and command the Three Sovereigns, here referring to Daoist deities;

employ spirits and ghosts, so that lifespan and the foundations of life grow steadily stronger.

Focus the mind and recite silently:

The Primordial Elder, a revered deity, bestowed the jade talisman at Nanyang; the August Sovereign, a revered deity of the heavenly realm, granted a purple name at the Place of Cinnabar Radiance. The name was inscribed in the Immortal Lodge on the Western Terrace and placed in a chamber of the Hall of Eastern Splendor. Let body and mind unite with the qi of the Three Su, and look upward to receive its light, bright as a morning lamp. The qi of the Eight Luminaries circulates through the body, carrying the talisman upward to Nanyang. At the Place of Cinnabar Radiance, the August Sovereign grants a purple name; the name is inscribed in the Immortal Lodge on the Western Terrace and placed in a chamber of the Hall of Eastern Splendor. Body and mind unite with the qi of the Three Su, receiving the light of dawn from above. The Eight Luminaries circulate through the body, causing one to ascend and travel throughout the seventy-four regions.

Grace spreads across the Nine Marshes,

and blessings fill the realm of hidden mystery and purity.

The Scripture on the Nine Heavens Giving Birth to the Spirits

This passage concerns the merit gained by reciting Daoist scriptures, along with the related rituals and practices.

The scripture is described as arising from the convergence of the wondrous Qi of the Three Caverns (Dongzhen, Dongxuan, and Dongshen), which condenses into a numinous text. It contains the names of the gods and conceals deeper meanings concerning the cycles of tribulation. Sacred beings such as the Heavenly Treasure, Numinous Treasure, Divine Treasure, Taiyi, and the Nine Heavens recite it, each to a different effect: some open the light of Heaven and Earth; some release the souls of the underworld from the long night; some govern the myriad spirits; some save the spirits within the body; and some enable living beings to be born anew. When a person recites it once, the sound reaches the Nine Heavens, passing through the Golden Towers and Jade Halls, the twelvefold gates, the Purple Doors and Jade Pavilions, and the thirty-six thousand barriers. Taiyi bestows talismans and registers, the Primordial Lady grants life, and immortal boys and jade maidens stand ready to serve. Riding a dragon-drawn chariot, the practitioner travels onward, ascends to Heaven by day, and receives the generative transformation of the Nine Heavens.

The Five Thousand Words on the Dao and De—the Dao De Jing—is said to have different effects according to the practitioner’s level. Those of the highest capacity who recite and receive it may become Supreme Immortal Kings; those of middling capacity may become flying immortals; and those of lesser capacity may become Wheel-Turning Sage Kings. The Heavenly Emperor will send a numinous chariot to welcome their souls and spirits. The text also says that reciting the Dao De Jing brings the protection of divine immortals. If one recites five chapters each month, or recites its five thousand words ten thousand times, the Most High will come on a cloud-dragon to welcome the practitioner. Those who have not yet become immortals should recite it three times each month.

According to the Precious Instructions Concealed in the Supreme Ultimate, one may recite and receive the Five Thousand Words on the Dao and De on the first and fifteenth days of each month, on one’s natal day (the day corresponding to one’s date of birth), and on the eight seasonal nodes (including the beginnings of the four seasons, the equinoxes, and the solstices). Practitioners should observe purification and keep their thoughts still, recite the scripture attentively in a numinous chamber—a quiet inner room for cultivation—and establish a platform for blessings, an altar for practice and prayer. In this way, they can escape judgment and punishment by the Five Officials of Mount Tai, divine officers who examine the souls of the dead, and by the underworld. After death, they may be reborn either in the presence of the Heavenly Emperor or into the household of a lord or king, endowed with the marks of beauty and radiant with numinous splendor.

According to the Bright Rules of the Four Poles, when one enters the chamber to recite scripture, the Five Emperors will put their robes and caps in order, and the Four Administrators—divine beings in charge of the relevant offices—will come to welcome the practitioner. Yin Xi once recited a single scroll, completing ten thousand recitations over a thousand days.

The ears can hear the faintest sounds, and the eyes can see the most subtle things. All the heavens present a high lotus throne, and the gods bring a jeweled canopy to shelter it. Flying dragons roar, and lions guard the gate. The kings of the heavenly gods possess the five supernatural powers; divine beings scatter flowers and burn incense as offerings.

The Most High Lord of the Dao proclaims the Writ of Great Wisdom of the Upper Clarity

The Sovereign Lord of the Golden Gate, a title of a heavenly emperor, sat nearby in attendance. After hearing these words, he told the Azure Youth, an immortal’s name: “The High Minister, a title of an immortal official, may transmit these words to Daoist practitioners.” Later, these words were passed on to the Red-Risk Master of Mount Heng, an immortal’s name. He fell ill on Mount Jinhua. The scripture says that heavenly ghosts and spirits use illness to disturb a person’s true nature; even when sick, one should recite the scripture. After reciting it three thousand times, the Grand Lady of the Golden Gate bestowed on him the title Perfected of Great Lu. The scripture also records words of praise and the granting of blessings.

Perfected Beings of the Ten Directions

Perfected beings pay homage in Jade Mountain and guard the wondrous scriptures. They walk among the Five Sacred Peaks, reciting the Buxu—a Daoist ritual procession accompanied by chanting—and welcome the heavens. All the heavens praise them.

The Dao itself makes no distinction between high and low, noble and humble; what matters is whether the practitioner has attained results. Dragons can transform. The Yin aspect among the Seven Po, the seven souls said to make up a person’s spiritual activity, is called the “thirsting ghost within the body.”

Method for subduing the Seven Po: Practice on the nights of the first and fifteenth days of each month, and at the end of the month. This method appears in the Purple Writ of the Numinous Book.

At the beginning of the Great Beginning, chaos had not yet divided. Then the three Qi became clear and differentiated.

The Golden Flower Grotto Chamber is called “Radiance of the Sun Origin.”

The method for subduing the Seven Po restrains the souls, nurtures the spirit, and cultivates life. It is recorded in the Ink Record of the Most High’s Cinnabar Slips.

The Five Perfected Beings Who Pacify and Guard

Evil spirits that come from outside.

The Scripture of the Great Cavern of True Origins says: The Dao of the Jade Emperor of the High Sovereign depends on the One; without the One, nothing can be accomplished.

To unite with the One is to become a person of the highest rank. Those above the middle level should visualize and preserve the Three Origins, the three primordial energies or powers of the heavens in Daoist teaching, so that they guard the Three Offices, the divine system governing Heaven, Earth, and Water. Then the Three Corpses, spirits said to dwell in the human body and record one’s misdeeds, will surely fall away, and the workings of the Three Origins will become still more wondrous. Diligently cultivate the Five Virtues and accumulate good deeds day by day.

What does not come to life will not come to life again; one who is destined to die soon will have their lifespan shortened.

The One is the source from which primordial Qi arises and the guiding principle of the Way of Heaven.

If you wish to live long, you must understand the Three Ones, the three Ones visualized in Daoist practice.

If you contemplate and preserve the One until you are hungry, the One provides you with coarse food. If you contemplate and preserve the One until you are thirsty, the One provides you with drink. The One is the source from which primordial Qi arises and the guiding principle of the Way of Heaven.

To seek longevity, one should understand and hold fast to the “Three Ones”—the three true spirits within the body spoken of in Daoism.

Contemplate and hold fast to the “One”: when hunger comes, the One will provide coarse food; when thirst comes, the One will provide water. When things arise, remain calm and unhurried, letting the One dwell in its proper place. If you can be still and inwardly composed, and prepare in advance, the One will not depart. Persist in seeking and maintaining it, and you can ascend to the Nine Chambers, palaces in the Daoist immortals’ realm.

Heaven can cover all things without collapsing by holding fast to the One; Earth can remain stable and still by holding fast to it. Mountains can withstand cold and heat by holding fast to it; hidden places can flow on without end by holding fast to it. If people can hold fast to the One, they may hope to become immortals.

General of the Guard and the Prohibitions.

Twenty-four great spirits will protect and bless the practitioner.

Baicheng Qingsheng asked about the Way of the Cloud Chamber—the dwelling places of the spirits within the body—and the secrets of the Three True Ones, the three true spirits within the body.

The Jade Emperor said: “The Two Pure Ones are the sovereigns of a person’s body and the original true spirits of all the gods. The attendant spirits alone examine and set their offices in order; the Three Sovereigns bring inner peace; the Great One nourishes the embryo’s origin; and the Five Elders make the Jing and Qi abundant. The One dwells in the Dantian, governs lifespan, and safeguards life; the One dwells in the Crimson Palace, the inner palace corresponding to the heart, and nourishes the body with purple Qi; the One dwells nobly in the Grotto Chamber, the spirit chamber within the body, bringing together and illuminating the Qi of the Three Pure Ones. The Bright Hall, Cloud Office, Purple Gate, Jade Gate, Yellow Watchtower, Golden Chamber, Jade City, and Vermilion Window are all dwelling places of the Emperor One within the body, and precious spirit chambers of the Three True Ones.

“In this Cloud Chamber, visions and spirits unite: above, it connects to Kunlun; below, it overlooks clear springs. A canopy of clouds rises high, while lush forests and green bamboo flourish. The Seven Spirits wheel about, and luminous Qi in three colors intertwines. Countless tiers of pavilions turn to cloud and mist after three years of cultivation. The Jade Watchtower is clear, empty, and still; its seven gates are deep and mysterious, and five books of talisman registers are stored in golden gates and jade cabinets. The practitioner gathers the Qi of unified oneness and gives it form, then can summon the Yang Spirit and the Yin Spirit.”

The human body is the foundation of its many deities and the lifeline on which the hundred spirits depend for their existence. Bodily fluids flow from it like mountain springs, and the hun and po souls, along with Jing and Qi, dwell within it. The stomach is like a pool, square in form, receiving food and drink; the brain is empty and rounded, suited to discerning the true Dao. The body’s hair stands upright, and its thousands of apertures each open freely. A person’s De can be matched with Heaven and Earth, and their standing is equal to the Great Mystery.

Above the space between the eyebrows is the palace of the upper Dantian, where the Red Child resides. The heart is the palace of the middle Dantian, where the Perfected One resides. Three inches below the navel is the palace of the lower Dantian, where the Infant Brother resides. These three places are collectively called the Three Dantian.

The head has nine palaces. Three inches inward from the space between the eyebrows are the paired upper Dantian. One inch farther inward is the Palace of the Bright Hall; three inches beyond that is the Palace of the Grotto Chamber; and three inches farther is the Palace of the Dantian. From the Palace of the Dantian, pass inward through the “Four Halls” and then go one inch farther to reach the Palace of the Heavenly Court. One inch inward from the Palace of the Grotto Chamber is the Palace of the Flowing Pearl; five inches farther is the Palace of the Jade Emperor’s Luminous Ultimate Truth. One inch inward from the Palace of the Dantian is the Palace of the Mysterious Pearl; one inch inward from the Palace of the Flowing Pearl is the Palace of the Great Sovereign. Above the space between the eyebrows are also palaces called the Yellow Gate, the Purple Portal, the Crimson Terrace, and the Green Chamber. The Green Chamber has a guardian deity named Upright Heart, whose courtesy name is First Direction. An Emperor Lord is always present in the Palace of the Dantian, and the great deity who guards the palace also dwells there permanently.

The Most High said: “The Perfected value ‘the One’ because, in the end, the true One is only one. This ‘One’ joins with the Great Nonbeing, and the Great Nonbeing, in turn, responds to the ‘One.’ The transformations of the ‘One’ reach everywhere and accord with the hidden subtlety of the Way of Heaven. The ‘One’ of the upper Dantian is the body’s Heavenly Emperor; the ‘One’ of the middle Dantian is the Cinnabar Sovereign of the Crimson Palace; the ‘One’ of the lower Dantian is the Primal King of the Yellow Court. This true One governs the body’s fourteen kinds of Qi and corresponds to the twenty-four true deities of the celestial Enclosure of Great Tenuity. True Qi circulates and harmonizes; from it the two forces of Yin-Yang take form. Mysterious spirit and Qi mingle and divide, moving in secret within the Purple Chamber. The true One of the upper Dantian is the highest reach of imperial rank; the true One of the middle Dantian is the essential principle of kingship; the true One of the lower Dantian is the wondrous function of kingship. When the Heavenly Emperor obtains the truth of the upper Dantian, he becomes the Supreme Emperor. When the Earthly Emperor obtains its essential principle, he unites with the One. When the Human Emperor obtains its wondrous function, he attains the realm where all wonders dwell.”

Terms such as “Dantian,” “palace,” and “deity” express ideas about the spirits and movements of Qi within the body in Daoist Neidan and visualization traditions. Through images of palaces and deities, this passage describes how different parts of the body each have their own ruler, while the “true One” of the Three Dantian connects the whole body and corresponds to the Way of Heaven.

Transmitted by Juanzi.

As Su Lin cultivated the Way of “Three True Ones Returning to One,” he told Lin, “I received an imperial summons and was appointed a Grandee of the Four Offices of the Central Yellow, overseeing the Northern Sea.” It is said that he later left a sheet of paper on which he wrote: “The Method of the Five Dipper and Three Ones is a teaching kept secret by the Great Emperor. If you ponder it with care for twenty years, the spirits of the Three Ones will appear. I now bestow this book upon you. If you can keep to the Three Ones, your name will be entered on the jade register, the roll of immortals and perfected beings.”

If you visualize the spirits within the Cavern Chamber, you can become a Lord of Shangqing. If you then discern the Three Origins—the spirits associated with the upper, middle, and lower regions of the human body—you can become a Lord of the Five Emperors. The Imperial Lord of the Golden Gate, the Later Sage, attained this very practice: riding swiftly through the clouds, he traveled across the Ten Forests, one of the immortal realms.

During the reign of Emperor Yuan of the Han, he once told his disciple Zhou Jitong, “Yesterday I received a summons from Xuanzhou and was appointed Senior Minister of the True Ones of Destiny and Grandee Chamberlain of the Supreme Ultimate. Tomorrow, a cloud chariot with feathered canopies will arrive, accompanied by dragons and tigers and several thousand attendants, to welcome me.” That day, Su Lin ascended to Heaven. His figure rose slowly toward the northwest, seeming to tread upon the clouds.

Thus, in the age of the Three Sovereigns, those who cultivated the Dao placed great importance on keeping to the One. In practice, one should make the mind plain and the spirit settled, focus with reverence and sincerity, and attune oneself to the Dao. Do not let distracting thoughts arise or allow focused intention to scatter. If you turn inward and keep your thoughts fixed for three consecutive months, you will see a spirit. Its radiance will then manifest and circle the Five Viscera.

Since the plain and true Dao was lost, ostentation and deceit have gradually arisen. If keeping to the Three Ones does not bring an immediate connection, the spirits will not appear at once. For this reason, the method of keeping to the Three Ones is regarded as the opening chapter of the true book of the August Heaven, Shangqing, and the Golden Gate Imperial Lord. It is the most wondrous of Daoist methods, a path to the realm of the immortals, and a secret passed down by the perfected ones. In daily conduct and in all manner of affairs, one should constantly hold the One in mind.

The Mudball Palace, the abode of the spirits within the head, houses the camp of the Po spirit; the Middle Origin is in the Palace of Embracing the One, where the spirit of keeping to the One resides.

Within the Dantian (energy center), where Jing (essence) and Qi (vital energy) are stored, are two numinous chambers. When Jing and Qi unite, they can give rise to the sovereign of the Shen (spirit). The Three Passes govern the nine apertures and breathe in the essence of the sun and moon. The Qi of the Five Stars nourishes the body, while the Six Qi circulate first. Quiet the mind and hold the vision within, and myriad breaths will gather; when the Shen is settled, the body too will shine with radiance. The spirits and visions of the Three Divisions and Eight Radiances within the body are real, and will guide me into the palaces of Heaven.

Ten thousand volumes of Daoist writings are no match for calmly keeping to a single Qi. The value of precious purification and cultivation lies in preserving Jing and Qi and nurturing the celestial form; in this way, all things can grow and transform. The wise can discern the changes in their thoughts.

People of the age of the Supreme Sovereign knew the most subtle essence of Heaven and Earth and understood their intent. Without learning and cultivation, one is like someone with dim sight at night, unable to tell east from west or north from south, yet still hoping to go beyond one’s own dwelling. Even if one rides the wind into the sky or drives a dragon onward, one is only contemplating the body’s form. Only when the mind and Shen are clear can one return to the mysterious source of the Dao. Devote yourself to contemplating the Three Plain Palaces, the celestial palaces spoken of in Daoism, and you will gradually reach the utmost Dao.

Even after repeated setbacks and humiliation, to remain humble and cautious is the first kind of wisdom. Guiding the Three Origins and Five Spirits within the body is the second. Moving through the eight directions and discerning clarity and turbidity, rising and sinking, is the third. Cultivate in this way for nine years, then advance to twenty-four years and thirty-two years, and wisdom will deepen further. To endure every kind of setback and withstand every kind of trial is the fifth kind of wisdom.

Contemplate through form and appearance, through Qi, and through Shen. With the knowing and discernment of the Primordial Beginning, contemplate with integrity and gain liberation. In this way, one forms a luminous, indestructible body and transcends as a Supreme Immortal. Only by recognizing the true Dao can one attain it; only by seeking it diligently can one obtain it.

The primal Shen joins with the wondrous Dao, and transcendent contemplation flows without end. The radiance of the sun transforms and circulates, illuminating the body from the Purple Court, a Daoist palace within the body or in Heaven. Realize the Great Dao, and you will accord with the Highest True Ones. The Seven Spirits penetrate the talismanic commands; the wondrous workings of their principles become clear, and the registers established by the Eight Sovereigns record your name. Your name is presented to the imperial court, entered into the feathered registers of the Great Origin, and you dwell peacefully in the Green Chamber, a celestial palace, flying through the Jade Void, the Daoist heavens.

When outward study reaches its full understanding, the original source becomes clear; inner cultivation reaches that source through oneself. Ride the luminous clouds upward, as flowing Jing and Qi shine upon the jade branches. Look back and gaze within: from nonbeing, being arises. Unite Jing and Qi and return to the infant’s state of pure oneness.

In cultivation, proceed with utmost care, as though treading on blades of ice. Enter the mysterious realm cautiously, and at last reach a state of emptiness, clarity, and freedom from obstruction.

It was originally in accord with the Dao and returned to the Way of True Unity, becoming a name recorded in the Supreme One’s Purple Books.

If you wish to ascend to Heaven, you should cultivate the method of the “Seven Spirits” so that primordial Qi flows freely.

Mount the bright clouds and rosy mists and rise upward.

The flowing essence shines upon the jade branches. Looking back, it is as if forms appear from the void; then unite yourself with the infant-like true Qi.

In practice, proceed with utmost caution, as though walking on ice or along a sword’s edge.

Ascend into the mysterious realm.

Let the mind be empty, clear, and free of all things.

It was originally in accord with the Dao and returned to the Way of True Unity, becoming a name recorded in the Supreme One’s Purple Books.

If you wish to ascend to Heaven, you should cultivate the method of the “Seven Spirits”; then ascend to the North Pole and enter the Purple Court, the celestial palace.

A stone stele inscribed “The Ford of the Northern Jade Wall of Taiji” records that Mao Ying of Xianyang once practiced under a master who taught the Scripture of Pacing the Dipper. Someone tested him by setting fire to his clothes. Though he said nothing, his expression remained as though a celestial soldier were making its rounds in Taiji. He later ascended in person to the heavenly realm of Shangqing. Now, after ninety-eight years, he has only just begun to receive an appointment as a minister to the Emperor. This shows that sincere cultivation will, in the end, be observed and accepted by the higher realms. This passage appears in the Jade Characters of the Golden Slips of Taiwei.

Lady of Mount Heng,

the inner transmission of the Primordial Sovereign of the Purple Void.

The Three Realms and Six Heavens—the levels of the cosmos and celestial realms as described in Daoism—are where ghosts, spirits, demon kings, and their officials dwell.

To accord with the lesser Dao is to evoke lesser spirits; to accord with the middle Dao is to evoke intermediate spirits; to accord with the Great Dao is to evoke great spirits. “Primordial” means the source of Heaven and Earth. It is jointly upheld by the Three Realms, observed by the Five Emperors, formed from the Qi of the Five Palaces, and nurtured as true Qi by the Six Organs.

The Supreme One’s Nine Scarlet-Spotted Talisman of the Nine Luminous Palaces, a Daoist talisman.

Study the subtle awareness of the celestial essence, and sever every attachment and intrusive thought that presses upon the heart.

The Female One and the Five Elders, Daoist divinities.

A hundred formal petitions will make your voice resound through distant realms.

Scatter the sounds of the wind and harmonize the jade tones; ride the flying mists and race among the Six Reins, which guide the celestial chariot. Establish these methods, and you can release yourself from countless bonds, roam freely between Heaven and Earth, and travel beyond the eight directions of the clouded heavens, dwelling beside the Dao.

Those who awaken first should help those who come later to awaken.

Sever every attachment and intrusive thought that presses upon the heart.

The Female One and the Five Elders.

A hundred formal petitions will make your voice resound through distant realms.

Scatter the sounds of the wind and harmonize the jade tones; ride the flying mists and race among the Six Reins. Establish these methods, and you can release yourself from countless bonds, roam freely between Heaven and Earth, and travel beyond the eight directions of the clouded heavens, dwelling beside the Dao.

Those who awaken first should help those who come later to awaken.

Turn back the scattered, flowing Qi and return it to the single source.

Much effort yields little,

and in the end one will stray from the Great Vehicle, the level of cultivation that leads to the Great Dao.

Open in all four directions.

On the first day, the practitioner’s spiritual consciousness rises to the heavenly realm, where they see treasures such as gold, silk, pearls, and jade, along with palaces adorned with the Seven Treasures. The scene is like Yujing, the celestial capital in Daoist tradition. On the second day, the physical form rises: the body and features become whole and complete, as solid and indestructible as a vajra. On the third day, the lifespan rises; its length is entrusted to the Three Treasures (the Dao, the scriptures, and the teacher). On the fourth day, sincerity rises. Facing good and ill fortune, good and evil, hardship and joy, one can forget both the external world and oneself, and ascend above the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), the three highest deities revered in Daoism.

The Appearance of the Original Form

Able to observe with keen discernment.

The Six Perfections of Wisdom Cultivation

Able to transcend the Three Realms (the desire realm, the form realm, and the formless realm) and rescue those suffering in the Nine Depths, the underworld. Hence they are called the “Six □.” First is diligence; second, trustworthiness; third, the feminine; fourth, the end; fifth, refining cold; sixth, pursuing wine and sensual pleasures.

The Scripture on Dispelling Demons says:

Thus one can untie the Three Bonds, a term whose meaning is unclear. Through breathing practices, one nurtures the Cloud Sprout, a symbolic term in Daoist cultivation.

Those who possess the first spiritual power cannot be corrected by a hundred characters; those who possess the second cannot be altered by a thousand words; those who possess the third cannot be attained through ten thousand characters; those who possess the fourth cannot be changed by the ten directions; those who possess the fifth are not constrained by a hundred directions; those who possess the sixth can bring ten thousand things into the Great Silence. Those without these six spiritual powers must not compose scriptures. Anything that does not conform to the Orthodox Way is called a heterodox text.

The first is sight penetration, called “seeing through.” One can see the Three Venerables, the three revered deities of Daoism, and distinguish all colors without being deluded by them. One is not constrained by distinctions of Yin-Yang or size; nothing is beyond sight.

The second is hearing penetration, called “hearing through.” One can hear and receive the Three Treasures—Dao, scripture, and teacher—without being held back by the five tones. Whether sounds are clear or muddy, bright or obscure, none are beyond hearing.

The third is smell penetration, called “emptiness penetration.” One is not bound by distinctions between stale and fresh, heavy and light, and can discern every kind of Qi.

The fourth is taste penetration, called “void penetration.” One is willing to taste sweet dew, a symbol of a pure and wondrous substance, and to grasp the subtle methods of alchemy. One does not crave meat or pungent foods, fears nothing, and clings neither to strength nor to weakness; one can discern right and wrong in one’s conduct.

The fifth is bodily penetration, called “subtlety penetration.” One is not limited by boundaries between broad and narrow, or inside and outside, and investigates things until they are fully understood.

The sixth is mental penetration, called “clarity penetration.” With pure Qi, one nourishes the Five Spirits, the spirits dwelling in the five viscera, and washes away the ten desires, the many kinds of craving. One makes no distinction between high and low status, or between monastic and lay life, and can understand matters completely. Even when touched by defilement, one is not stained by it. One should use the supreme method of medicine to treat the illness of madness and delusion.

The six Qi of awareness constantly open onto the six forms of wisdom.

Heaven governs seeing through; Earth governs hearing through; the East governs emptiness penetration; the West governs void penetration; the South governs clarity penetration; and the North governs turbidity penetration.

This is a method for bringing a person to the Jade Realm of the Taiji.