《上方大洞真元图书继说终篇》

Ziming said to Li Fang: "I heard Xiaoyao Yun say that, in my early years, when I entered the court and the immortal altar, I met Sima of the White Clouds, the Refining Master. He said that he himself had once gone beside the Qingxu Cavern on Mount Wangwu and obtained two immortal Jing (scriptures/classics) in true seal script: one called Yuanjing, the Primordial Jing (essence), and one called Danhua.

"I carefully examined the original traces of the scriptural texts and pondered the meaning within them, and only then understood that the dragon chapters and phoenix seal script (the extraordinary, numinous characters of Daoist scriptures) are wholly unlike worldly writing, and that the methods handed down by the sages and the arts of the immortals are likewise utterly different from the writings of ordinary people. Melancholy remained in my heart; I regretted only that I had never seen with my own eyes the person who wrote these scriptures. After long study, however, I gradually probed their profound and subtle points, hoping only that I might behold the figure of that immortal.

"In former times the Perfected Baopu obtained the two scriptures Yuanjing and Danhua and transmitted them to Master Zhonghe; Master Zhonghe in turn transmitted them to Master Liu, who lived in seclusion on Mount Tiantai. Master Liu's ancestors were originally people of Puhai Commandery in ancient Yingzhou. Later he took the Perfected Li of Banyang as his teacher and received the Jinye instructions. In the jihai year he happened to come to Zhulin, and there obtained the Divine Elixir of the Nine Tripods from the old woman Yu. This matter resonated with the realms above, and so the Upper Realm bestowed on him the title 'Perfected of Great Simplicity, Immortal Lord of Penglai.'

"He often wandered through the world, widely proclaiming the Dao (the Way) of the Wondrous Perfection of the Great Cavern, seeking out upright words, skilled at guiding the hearts of the people and at receiving and leading those possessed of De (Virtue/Power), so that they devoted themselves to discerning the arrangements of the Heavenly Dao. When the supreme sages expound the classics, true immortals transmit the scriptures to people at the proper time. How, then, should the affairs between Heaven and human beings be understood, when true immortals transmit scriptural methods in accordance with the Heavenly Dao? Therefore, what lofty scholars ultimately prize is nothing other than the practice of the great Dao."

Thereupon Xiaoyao recorded the teachings in full detail. What he said was a retelling of the words of the Perfected of earlier generations, not something empty or absurd; what he practiced was the carrying forward of the practice of the sages of later ages, and it was indeed proper. Thus both his words and his deeds took books and charts as their rule, modeled upon the documents of Heaven, fresh and bright; his language seemed to come from beyond the heavens and was left behind to instruct the people of the world. If one traces its essential purport, it may be called broad and profound. To spread the Great Dao (Dao, the Way) and not let it be cut off—who but the Immortal Lord could do this?

At this time Xiaoyao said to Ziming, “I believe the Immortal Lord’s teaching has now been fully imparted. If a person can act according to these teachings, he will be able to nurture body and mind and attain peace. I only fear that the merit and practice of people in the world are insufficient, so that in the end achievement will be hard to reach. This, I think, is understandable.” He also feared that these contents would merely be kept in secret and would not reach the region of Pengcheng, and so he held that the matter ought to be praised. He therefore composed a gatha (a rhymed verse used for praise and chanting), saying, “Yong also came together to inquire—oh, the True Origin of the Great Cavern (the fundamental truth of the Great Dao)! Oh, the vast compassion of the Immortal Lord! And thus the essential principles were spread.” Li Congzhao, of the school of Ni Zhenyuan, recorded these words.

The recluse said, “I have heard that the sage establishes teaching by means of speech, and that teaching must rely on speech to be expressed. If names and words were entirely cut off, how could master and disciple transmit anything to one another? Therefore one borrows sayings commonly met with in the world as a way of entering cultivation. Moreover, human beings grow by relying on the Dao, and the Dao in turn must rely on human beings to be made known. At the outset, some practice broad giving and rescue living beings, and already they can obtain vast blessings; yet to transmit the classics (Jing, scripture/classic) and urge people to do good yields a hundredfold auspiciousness that is still more profound.

“Alas, the people of the world have not awakened to the truth that life is like a great dream; they only rush about day and night, amassing wealth and goods. Yet illness and death are about to arrive, and the calamity of thieves may suddenly descend; when one suffers oppression and cruel torment, even the wish for a good end may not be granted. In the end, wealth is scattered among the crowd, while evil karma is borne by oneself. When it comes to such a time, how can one not grieve?

“One ought early to realize the Dao and to do good, accumulating De (Virtue/Power). To dig a well only when one is already thirsty—is that not too late? Better, while the body is healthy and the times are peaceful, joyfully to donate pure wealth, to print precious scriptures, and to let the scriptures circulate for people to recite, just as one plants a field of blessings (good deeds that cultivate merit). From this one may know that prayers receive a luminous response, like a suspended object answering to a sound; hidden virtue (good deeds accumulated in secret) grows deeper day by day, and auspicious signs continue to arrive for a long time. In this way one will naturally be able to have audience at the Golden Towers (palaces in the realm of the immortals) and roam freely through the Jade Capital (the capital city of the immortal realm).”

At this time the recluse walked with his staff upon Mount Yi and sang, “The merit of giving broadly to aid living beings—ah, it does not equal the blessings of transmitting the scriptures! The living enjoy the fortune and emolument bestowed by Heaven—ah, and the departed ascend to the palaces of the immortal realm—ah.”

Note: The original text contains many repetitions and passages that appear corrupt or defective; the rendering above follows the sense of the text smoothly. The closing phrase “临行杳，勿空归啼” is unclear in meaning and has therefore not been forcibly interpreted.

In former times, when the former master was living at leisure, someone asked him about the supreme sages of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing) and the Celestial Worthies who manifest transformation bodies throughout the ten directions. Ziming replied:

I once read the commentary of Master Guangcheng. When heaven and earth had not yet taken form and chaos had not yet divided, the great Dao (the Way), through the successive transformations of a single Qi (vital energy), engendered three kinds of Qi: the Mysterious, the Primordial, and the Initial. That which was engendered from the Initial Qi is called the Elder of Heavenly Treasure. He dwells in the Heaven of Pure Subtlety within the realm of Jade Clarity, comprehensively presiding over the scriptures of the twelve divisions of holy practice. He is the teaching lord of Dongzhen among the Three Caverns (Dongzhen/Dongxuan/Dongshen), elucidating the Dao of naturalness, and is the key to accomplishing the highest vehicle. That which was engendered from the Primordial Qi is called the Elder of Numinous Treasure. He dwells in the Heaven of Yuyu within the realm of Upper Clarity, comprehensively presiding over the scriptures of the twelve divisions of perfected practice. He is the teaching lord of Dongxuan, expounding the Dao of Wuwei (non-action), and is the key to accomplishing the middle vehicle. That which was engendered from the Mysterious Qi is called the Elder of Divine Treasure. He dwells in the Great Scarlet Heaven within the realm of Grand Clarity, comprehensively presiding over the scriptures of the twelve divisions of immortal practice. He is the teaching lord of Dongshen, revealing the root of the Dao and of De (Virtue/Power), and is the essential point for accomplishing the great Dao.

I have heard that the lofty perfected can freely divide their bodies and pass through a thousand kalpas to save living beings, and that the supreme sages radiate light and manifest transformation bodies, rescuing living beings throughout the worlds of the ten directions. In former times the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning, responding to Qi, manifested transformation bodies and appeared in the ten directions. A Daoist Jing (scripture/classic) says: “The Celestial Worthies of the ten directions are as numerous as sand and dust; they manifest transformation bodies in the worlds of the ten directions, universally relieving and delivering heavenly beings and humans.” These Celestial Worthies, by their wisdom, know the respective capacities of living beings and judge which persons can be taught and delivered. They then manifest bodies and go to the corresponding places, adapting to different stations in order to rescue and guide living beings and lead them into the correct Dao.

Sometimes a Celestial Worthy transforms into an emperor and expounds to living beings the principles an emperor ought to follow: understand governing by Wuwei and assist the principle of naturalness; reverently serve the Supreme Thearch and benevolently cherish the people.

Sometimes he transforms into an official and expounds the principles an official ought to follow: be incorrupt, loyal, and upright, reverent, generous, and in accord with what is right; serve those above with a sincere heart, and govern those below with a forgiving mind.

Sometimes he transforms into a court gentleman or a minor clerk and expounds the Dao of serving as a clerk: cast off thoughts of cruelty, abuse, and harm to living beings, and practice acts of compassion that rescue life; one must not reward or punish arbitrarily according to personal likes and dislikes. If one can continue in this way, one may hold office for a long time.

Sometimes he transforms into a person who has left the household and expounds the Dao of leaving home: constantly abide in the state of Wuwei in which nothing is left undone, without clinging to whether a matter must be practicable or not; cultivate Neidan (internal alchemy) and Waidan (external alchemy), consolidate the root of nature and life, penetrate the principles of wondrous being and true non-being, and understand the essentials of the primordial Qi of Dongshen. Once united with the Dao, one can attain long life and enduring vision.

Sometimes he transforms into a ritual master and expounds the Dao of the ritual master: understand such rites as fasting and the setting up of offerings, namely Zhaijiao (purification ritual), and transmit precepts and registers in order to deliver the people of the world; take the teachings of the Yellow Emperor and Laozi as the source of Daoist arts, and the thought of Yin Xi and Zhuangzi as the purport of the classics; adorn Daoist abbeys and palace halls, make offerings to sacred images and true countenances, widely practice giving and cultivate blessings and De, relieve the multitude, and thereby accomplish good fruits.

Sometimes he transforms into a dragon king and expounds the Dao of the dragon king: do not let floodwaters overflow and damage the people’s fields; calm the winds and waves and settle the ditches and river channels; send down sweet rain in due season to nourish the crops.

Sometimes he transforms into a man and expounds the Dao of being a person: take filial piety and fraternal respect as De, practice benevolence, accord with the great Dao and follow heavenly principle, so that the people are at peace and the myriad things receive benefit. Dwelling in a turbid world, one can contain defilement; meeting a clear stream, one washes oneself. Act with the changing circumstances, and do not cling stubbornly to one’s own views.

Sometimes he transforms into a woman and expounds the Dao of being a person: understand a character that is quiet, chaste, and correct, pure and clear yet firm and resolute; set one’s resolve upright and make virtuous conduct manifest; be filial and respectful toward elders, and benevolent toward the young.

Sometimes he transforms into a mendicant and expounds the Dao of the mendicant: firmly cherish the principle of non-arising, and do not attend only to one’s own enjoyment; be content in poverty and delight in cultivating the Dao, neither resenting heaven and blaming others nor coveting gain. Know where one’s allotted portion lies, lessen desires, abide in a place of clarity, stillness, and plain detachment, and live a life of ease and freedom.

Sometimes he transforms into a person of lowly station and expounds the principles such a person ought to observe: reverently serve one’s master, diligent morning and evening without slackening; regularly draw water and offer fresh flowers, and often recite scriptures and worship the sages and perfected ones.

All these transformation-body Celestial Worthies transmit the classics and deliver the people of the world. Therefore the Scripture of Causes and Conditions says: if good people copy Daoist scriptures, including the great-vehicle classics of the Three Caverns, their blessings and De can be transmitted for a long time, and their merit is boundless. Why is this? Because the scriptures are the teachings left by the supreme sages, used to guide the foolish and deluded. They can arouse in living beings a measureless mind turned toward the Dao, so that people become perfected through awakening. All the sages, too, realized the fruit of the Dao only through cultivation.

Then someone asked about the Daoist scriptures. The former master replied: I often meet with this saying—if the Dao has no words, its profound meaning cannot be set forth; if words do not rely upon the Dao, they lose their root. Yet if one does not speak at all, the Dao remains hidden and unrevealed; once there is speech, the principle is readily made clear.

Therefore the former master exclaimed in praise: How great! The realm of the Dao can drive out the deviant and false, the palace of De can bestow blessings, and the myriad spirits all revere the teachings of the Dao. The Daoist scriptures passed through five great kalpic ages, beginning in the epochs of Longhan, Yankang, Chiming, and Shanghuang, and continuing into the ages of Kaihuang and Shaoyun, until the celestial writings and the classics gradually became complete.

Looking up with reverence to the supreme sages who transmitted the methods of cultivation for immortals, one finds as their content the nine sincerities and the ten goods, together with the Three Caverns and the Four Auxiliaries, all gathered under twelve categories and arranged as thirty-six divisions. The Celestial Worthy of Daluo set forth the classics in cloud-seal script, 1,080,000 chapters in all; the Emperor of Supreme De composed 5,881 sections; the Lord of the Dao transmitted sixty-one grades and opened one hundred twenty gates. Thereafter 360 grotto-heavens were invested by decree, seventy-two blessed lands of commanderies and counties were established, offices were arranged by rank and Fulu (talismans and registers) were conferred, and the administrative seats of the terrestrial immortal realms were chosen.

These teachings opened forth from a single initial sound and in the end return to the multitude of wonders. Their scale is vast and cannot be fully recounted. Thus one can only provisionally call this the “house of the great method,” amounting altogether to 1,014,592 matters, all preserved in the secret repository of the Mysterious Capital, collectively elucidating the root of the wondrous scripture of the Great Cavern. One only fears that later people may be unable to read widely, and so still be unable to remove delusion or easily reach the state of Wuwei. If one wishes to follow directly the Dao of the Golden Portal, it is to be feared that this will not be easy. There has never been anyone who obtained the fruit of the Dao without learning.

Here only a single passage is taken from among them in order to exhort people to do good, and it is also of benefit to those who cultivate the Dao; therefore it has been recorded according to the pronunciation and meaning of the original text. With a reverent heart I pray, offering wishes above that the sage sovereign of the court enjoy a sage longevity enduring, for hundreds of millions of years, without end.