《九天应元雷声普化天尊玉枢宝经集注》

The Collected Annotations on the Precious Scripture of the Jade Pivot of the Celestial Worthy Who Responds to the Origin with Thunderous Sound and Universal Transformation in the Nine Heavens is a commentary on this scripture. “Celestial Worthy Who Responds to the Origin with Thunderous Sound and Universal Transformation in the Nine Heavens” is the title of a revered Daoist deity. “Precious Scripture of the Jade Pivot” refers to a treasured classic, while “Collected Annotations” means that commentaries from several authors have been brought together.

The commentators explain that nine is a yang number, symbolizing the Way of Heaven and governing the Zhen trigram palace, the direction associated with thunder. This is why it is said that the “Nine Qi of the southeast” is the place where the Thunder God is thought to enter and emerge. “Heaven” refers to Qi that is supremely vast and sacred, Wuwei (non-action), and formless. “Respond” means that all things receive the Mandate of Heaven and come into being. “Origin” means the greatest; it is also the first of all good actions, the beginning of the four seasons, and the precursor of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water).

“Thunder” is Heaven’s command, holding the authority to bring forth life and to bring things to their end. How all things and spirits move in response to it is beyond ordinary people’s understanding. “Sound” refers both to thunder’s rumble and to “birth”: shaken by the sound of thunder, all things sprout and grow. Another explanation is that Heaven does not speak, but uses thunder to proclaim its will.

“Universal” means extending throughout Heaven and Earth and to the eight directions and their furthest reaches, encompassing everything visible and invisible. “Transformation” refers to the changes brought about by the movement of Yin-Yang under the Way of Heaven. It also refers to all things coming into being from nothing, returning from being to nothing, and growing and multiplying. This is the kind of transformation Laozi describes when he says, “I practice Wuwei, and the people transform themselves,” as well as the transformation of all things through virtuous conduct. “Celestial Worthy” is an honorific title of the highest rank and dignity.

“Discourse” here means praising and explaining the teachings, as well as interpreting hidden and profound principles. “Jade” is the finest essence of Heaven, Earth, the sun, and the moon, and the beautiful condensation of Yin and Yang, Water and Fire. It symbolizes something gentle, precious, and imperishable. “Pivot” refers to the vital mechanism and central axis, symbolizing the turning point between generation and decline. “Precious” means something valuable and worthy of reverence. “Scripture” means a path: an essential way to cultivate the truth and enter the Dao.

The title Jade Pivot refers to the waxing and waning of the forces of Qi between Heaven and Earth, and to the movements of stillness and activity in Yin-Yang. “Primordial Number” draws on the Book of Changes and its statement, “The Primordial One of Qian employs the Nine.” The Celestial Worthy of Universal Transformation presides above all: a deity who governs the Three Realms and manifests in the ten directions.

The Celestial Worthy issues vast vows to teach and transform living beings. His virtue cannot be measured, and the workings of his transformations are beyond conjecture. Thunder therefore serves as a symbol of his teaching, and the Jade Pivot as its standard. Good and evil deeds, life and death, are judged by the True Sovereign of the Nine Qi—the nine kinds of primordial vital energy. The myriad spirits of the Three Realms and the heavens of the ten directions all praise the Celestial Worthy’s power to nurture and transform.

The eulogy says: Primordial Qi fills the Great Void; the Nine Heavens are the dwelling place of the gods of the Nine Heavens. The Celestial Worthy commands thunder and rain and wields wondrous talismans. He brings all things to life and enables people to be born and thrive; all these works of creation are governed by the Jade Pivot. Through it, all sentient beings in the Three Realms can attain the Dao, and no path in the ten directions is beyond reach. The Celestial Worthy of Universal Transformation shines with radiant brilliance, revealing the Dao of Primordial Beginning. His greatness is like the sun and moon shining together, and is truly worthy of belief.

At that time, the Celestial Worthy of Thunderous Sound, Responding to the Origin in the Nine Heavens, Who Universalizes and Transforms…

The “Nine Heavens” govern the thirty-six heavens and are the exalted deities who oversee the celestial realm. According to tradition, the Nine Heavens arose from the Nine Qi of the southeast and emerged directly from the Gate of Thunder; they therefore govern the thirty-six heavens.

The commentary says: “‘Nine Heavens’ is a title for the one who governs the thirty-six heavens and oversees the affairs of all the heavens. The gods of the Nine Heavens first arose from the Qi of the Nine Suns in the southeast, directly from the Gate of Thunder. They therefore command the thirty-six kinds of thunder arts and hold the seals of the various bureaus, offices, and courts. They reward good deeds and punish wrongs, without bending to personal considerations. The name ‘Nine Heavens’ conveys the idea that Yang’s vigorous Qi endures and does not wane.”

“Responding to the Origin” means that the Jade Pure True King—a revered Daoist deity said to rule the heavens of the Divine Empyrean—received the Primordial One Qi that differentiated during the Primordial Ancestral Kalpa, the cosmic era of beginnings. “Thunder” is formed through the joining of Yin and Yang Qi. Once formed, thunder is placed under the authority of the Ancestor of Thunder of the Nine Heavens, then divided into five kinds, through which the True King of the Divine Empyrean governs the Three Realms.

The True King of the Divine Empyrean resides in the Jade Court of the Divine Empyrean. The Way of the Divine Empyrean lies in the Xun direction, that is, the southeast, where the Qi of the Nine Suns is found. This Qi condenses into clear, radiant brilliance, and the Celestial Venerable of Primordial Beginning thereby brings forth the Jade Pure True King of the Divine Empyrean. The Jade Court of the Divine Empyrean lies amid the Brahma Qi of the Azure Empyrean, 2,300 li from the City of Thunder. The City of Thunder is eighty-one zhang high. To its left is the Office of the Jade Pivot’s Five Thunders Emissaries; to its right, the Office of the Jade Court’s Five Thunders Emissaries.

The heavens have four cardinal directions and four intermediate directions, making nine firmaments in all. The Divine Empyrean lies amid the Brahma Qi. The heart is called “spirit,” hence the name “Divine Empyrean.” This is the capital where the True King conducts affairs and the Celestial Venerable descends. The divine offices of ministers, masters, emissaries, and chancellors each have their own duties. They oversee calamities and blessings in the celestial realm, measure the rise and decline of all things, and govern the life and death, flourishing and decay, closing and opening, and generation of humans and other beings. From the Celestial Emperor above to the Earthly Emperor below, all commands are carried out through thunder. Matters as great as life and death and as small as withering and flourishing are likewise governed by thunder.

The decrees of thunder are overseen by the revered deities: the sages of the Three Pure Ones are the ancestors of thunder; the Most High of the Ten Extremes is its source; the Jade Emperor of the August Heavens commands it; the Empress of the Earth restrains it; and the Great Emperor of the North Pole, Ziwei, governs the Five Thunders.

“The Five Thunders” are the Thunder of Heaven, the Thunder of Earth, the Thunder of Water, the Dragon Thunder, and the Thunder of the Earth Altar’s Command. There are also the “Ten Thunders”: Jade Pivot Thunder, Divine Empyrean Thunder, Great Cavern Thunder, Immortal Capital Thunder, North Pole Thunder, Great Unity Thunder, Purple Palace Thunder, Jade Dawn Thunder, Great Empyrean Thunder, and Supreme Ultimate Thunder.

In addition, there are the “Thirty-Six Thunders,” including Jade Pivot Thunder, Jade Court Thunder, Jade Pillar Thunder, Upper Clarity Great Cavern Thunder, Fire Wheel Thunder, Wind and Fire Thunder, North Pole Thunder, Purple Tenuity Jade Pivot Thunder, Divine Empyrean Thunder, Immortal Capital Thunder, Great Unity Sky-Rumbling Thunder, Earth Altar Barbarian Thunder, Earth Deity Thunder, Three Realms Thunder, Eight Trigrams Thunder, Supreme Ultimate Thunder, and Jade Dawn Thunder. The scripture says that the thirty-six Thunder Gods once assembled together before the Most High. Thunder arts are divided into seventy-two grades. Heaven and Earth use thunder to reward good, punish evil, and hasten the birth of all things; thus the coming into being and transformation of all things may be said to be connected with thunder. Even thunderclaps produced by the clashing of Yin and Yang are considered the result of divine beings setting things in motion: when thunder sounds, rain follows.

“Sound” is the benevolent voice of Heaven and Earth. On the fifth day after the spring equinox, thunder begins to sound. Its voice carries a hundred li and shakes the nine heavens and nine earths, making the four seas surge. The Most High said: “If I did not give voice to Yin and Yang, the great sound could not summon the Qi. So I strike with thunder, using sound to call forth Qi.” Thirty-six thunder drums are arrayed before the Thunder Emperor. Whenever a thunder art is performed, the Thunder Emperor personally strikes one drum of his division, and the Thunder Duke and Thunder Gods immediately set thunder rumbling.

“Celestial Venerable of Universal Transformation” means that the Celestial Venerable of Primordial Beginning of Fuli gave birth to nine sons, one of whom, the Jade Pure True King, transformed into the Celestial Venerable of Thunder’s Universal Transformation. The Celestial Venerable has passed through many kalpas and appeared under different names in different eras. His source is the Jade Pure True King, differentiated from the One Qi during the Primordial Ancestral Kalpa, who governs the Nine Heavens. On appointed days each month, the Celestial Venerable inspects the heavens and tours the Three Realms, the nine provinces, and the various lands, rewarding good deeds and recording transgressions. For this reason, he is revered as the vast and exalted Celestial Venerable of Universal Transformation.

Although the “Nine Heavens” are called the “number of Qian” (the yang number symbolized by the Qian trigram), expressing a forceful yang nature, they are also the source from which the “Nine Qi” (the nine primordial vital energies) arise. These primordial energies gather essence and spiritual power, and thus manifest in the form of the Jade Pure True King, a revered Daoist deity.

“Responding to the Origin” means that a single Qi circulates between Heaven and Earth, while the energies of Yin-Yang and the Five Phases rise and descend. All things receive their heavenly mandate and come to life by receiving Yin-Yang Qi; hence the term “responding to the Origin.”

The power of thunder extends far and wide. The holy spirits of Heaven and the perfected immortals of Earth across the Three Realms and the Ten Directions each have their own duties, while the Jade Pure True King of the Nine Heavens commands the thunder decrees. Sound is the effect of Qi, and Qi drives sound. The sound of thunder distinguishes right from wrong, stirs what is just beginning to sprout, and awakens what lies dormant. Without the commands of thunder, how could the myriad things come into being?

“Celestial Worthy of Universal Transformation” means a Celestial Worthy who universally transforms and teaches living beings. The Celestial Worthy is connected with Heaven: Heaven is me, and I am Heaven. He made a vast vow and manifests in the worlds of the Ten Directions. Whenever living beings turn their hearts toward the Dao, he protects and guides them through his own manifestations. This is the meaning of “the Celestial Worthy’s universal transformation.”

The commentary explains: At this point, the nine kinds of primordial Qi (the original vital energy that forms Heaven, Earth, and all things) gather and take shape, forming the Nine Heavens. The Nine Heavens lie above the thirty-six heavens and are the ancestral Qi of the Ten Directions and Three Realms. The number “nine” is used because their primordial Qi has its source in the being of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), while in its function it is called the “Nine Heavens”—an appropriate name.

“Responding to the Origin” refers to Heaven being Yang and Earth Yin, each following its own principle. The Celestial Worthy is endowed with life through Yang Qi and dwells in Heaven, strong and vigorous. All things grow from the Earth, yet they follow the Celestial Worthy’s governance, each finding its proper place. People do not understand this principle. In truth, the original source of every person also comes from the residual Qi flowing forth from the Celestial Worthy. The Celestial Worthy wishes everyone to become a Celestial Worthy. Why would he begrudge this primordial Qi, and keep people from responding to their origin and grasping the wondrous Dao?

“Thunder” is linked to “kind,” signifying that all kinds of beings arise from it and all things flourish. People do not know that thunder is formed when Yin and Yang Qi surge and clash against one another, yet it also has its own appointed office. How can thunder strike down evil people, destroy malign spirits, summon the wind, and bring rain? How could ordinary people understand that this comes from the Primordial Celestial Worthy holding the power of life and death, and the Jade Purity True King exercising his wondrous function?

“Sound” means a command; it also serves to be heard and to convey messages, and it too has its own appointed office. Without sound in Heaven, thunder could not move; without sound in Earth, plants could not sprout; without voices among people, the clear and turbid would be hard to distinguish. Sound is therefore the foundation of how body and mind function, and an expression of the primordial Qi of Yin and Yang.

Heaven is impartial, so the sun and moon shine everywhere. Heaven has De, so living beings and things are able to grow. The Celestial Worthy therefore carries out the Dao on Heaven’s behalf and extends his grace throughout the Three Realms: those who are clear become sages, and those who are dense and turbid become worthy people. All beings with feeling and form are guided to ascend to the rank of immortals, and in the end return together to the One Qi, the primordial energy that is the source of all things.

The hymn praises the Nine Heavens, the highest celestial realm, as immeasurably deep and wondrous. At one moment, they seem to be behind me; in the next, they are right before me.

“Responding to the Origin” means that Yin and Yang Qi divide into their distinct forms, yet together give rise to the True King in the Jade Clarity Heaven (one of the highest celestial realms in Daoism). He links Heaven and Earth, spreads the teachings, and manifests in many forms throughout the ten directions.

“Thunder” is the rightful command of Yin and Yang Qi and the order that sets the Five Phases in motion. Thunder cuts down ghosts and demons, destroys evil spirits, and makes Heaven and the human world answer its call.

“Voice” means that, through the sound of thunder, the Heavenly Emperor’s grace is proclaimed far and wide. All beings receive the chance to flourish, while the numinous beings of the Three Realms listen attentively. Do not think that Heaven never speaks. Know that the Thunder God, who governs the commands of Heaven, conveys them through thunder.

“Universal Transformation” means that the Heavenly Worthy’s boundless virtue of nurturing life teaches and transforms all the heavens and the worlds in the ten directions. He dwells in the Thunder Bureau of the Jade Clarity Heaven and commands the Thunder Department. All the gods, dressed in court robes, come to pay homage to this True King.

In the Jade Clarity Heaven, the Emperors of the heavens in the ten directions gather in the Hall of Nine Lights at Jade Void, the Lodge of Misty Heaven, and the Chamber of Purple Ultimate. They consult the treasured celestial texts kept in the Deep Azure Jade Archive and examine the writings of Subtle Insight and Clear Dawn. Gathering together, they speak in hushed tones and carefully discuss the profound mysteries of the Dao. Their many attendants stand respectfully at either side.

The Heavenly Worthy sits serenely and recites the clear, bright chapters of the Cavern Scripture. The Emperors of the heavens chant the Steps of Emptiness in long, resonant voices. Colorfully dressed immortal maidens scatter flowers as they circle around, taking one another by the hand to wander and play in the Emerald Palace. The assembled immortals lead the way; ceremonial staffs precede them and axes follow behind. Dragon banners and phoenix chariots drift through the vast sky, and all gather at the seven-tiered Jade Brahma Terrace.

The commentary explains that “at that time” refers to the period being described. The Celestial Worthy, a revered deity in Daoism, was traveling through the Yuqing Heaven, the “Clear Subtlety” celestial realm in Daoist cosmology. In the Purple Pole Chamber of the Jade Void Hall, he held a banquet with the heavenly emperors and lords who had come from the ten directions. At that time, the Celestial Worthy examined the chest of azure jade of the Great Darkness and studied the records of Subtle Mystery and Bright Dawn. These names refer to chests and books containing treasured records of the hidden and subtle Dao of Heaven.

The heavenly emperors and lords sat in order, leaning toward one another and speaking quietly as they listened together to profound and subtle teachings, which they passed down from generation to generation. Each lord had many attendants at his side, all respectful and attentive. Seated high above, the Celestial Worthy recited the Cavernous Chapters in a clear, resonant voice. Deeply moved by what they understood, the lords rose one after another to chant and perform the Pace of Emptiness, a ritual procession accompanying the recitation, in praise of the Celestial Worthy’s teachings.

Celestial maidens scattered flowers around the seat of the Celestial Worthy and invited him to the seven-tiered terrace of the Emerald Palace, hoping he would expound the wondrous teachings there. The terrace was a dragon-and-phoenix-shaped dais with seven tiers adorned with precious jewels. As the Celestial Worthy set out, white cranes and lions led the procession, while the Azure Dragon, White Tiger, and the Six Jia and Six Ding, guardian deities who oversee directions and provide protection, flanked him. The celestial maidens of the Nine Heavens and the Perfected Ones of the Twelve Streams played immortal music. The great emperors of the heavens, divine lords and kings, and Perfected Ones of the Supreme Ultimate followed the phoenix palanquin and dragon carriage, accompanying the Celestial Worthy through the Emerald Palace. Immortal processional regalia, ceremonial axes symbolizing authority, dragon banners, and phoenix carriages drifted through the air and gathered at the jeweled terrace.

The commentary on the doctrine explains that the Celestial Worthy was traveling through the Yuqing Heaven and stopped at the jeweled terrace to expound the subtle scriptures and teach essential doctrines. The heavenly beings and attendants around him were thereby awakened and transformed, and their merit and cultivation advanced.

At this time, the Celestial Worthy was in his palace, where there were the Hall of Nine Radiances, pavilions and libraries, and chambers in every quarter. He was reading through the ritual codes and examining official documents, preparing to teach the True Lords of Heaven in the ten directions so that they might understand the Great Dao. The True Lords of Heaven received the Celestial Worthy’s beneficence with heartfelt devotion and were so delighted that they could not express their joy. The Celestial Worthy was greatly pleased and wished to visit the outer palace. Immortals from the heavens attended him on every side, carrying battle-axes and arranging banners as they led him in his phoenix carriage, the splendid vehicle of a Celestial Worthy, to rest at the Emerald Palace. The Emerald Palace was a travelling residence of the Jade Clarity realm, a revered celestial domain in Daoism. The Thunder Master had something on his mind that he wished to report, but did not know how to begin. Just then, the Celestial Worthy ascended the jeweled terrace, holding a wish-granting scepter that shone with golden light, and gazed down upon all things in the world.

A hymn says: The Celestial Worthy opens the hidden, wondrous aperture, and the gods of the ten directions and three realms arrive in response. He reads the jade books, precious texts of the immortals, and preserves the Original Qi, the primordial energy that forms the basis of life and the cosmos. He again expounds the contents of the treasured scrolls, nurturing the original embryo within the practitioner. The attendant women whisper together, understanding one another without words; the officials standing respectfully in attendance can also discern the Celestial Worthy’s intentions. Before long, the Celestial Worthy proclaims the teachings. Celestial flowers flutter through the air, while phoenixes and luan birds drift around the Seven-Treasure Terrace.

At this time, the Thunder Master Hao Weng, an important general of the Thunder Ministry and an old retainer of the Celestial Worthy, stepped out of rank among the immortals and came before him. He bowed, then knelt upright with a solemn expression and made his report: “The Celestial Worthy’s compassion is boundless and his sacred De exalted. He is the father of all beings and the guide of the myriad spirits. Now all the gods of Heaven can behold the Celestial Worthy at this grand assembly. A moment ago, I saw him reading the treasured scrolls and examining the jade books, whose secrets are too numerous to recount one by one. The various departments of the thirty-six inner courts under the jurisdiction of the Jade Empyrean Palace, the Eastern and Western Flowery Terraces, the Mysterious Halls and Wondrous Pavilions, the four offices and six courts, and all the administrative bureaus each oversee their own affairs. Among them, the offices that command the Five Thunders and patrol the three realms are especially important. The Celestial Worthy is supremely exalted, yet personally attends to so many affairs of government. We minor officials of low rank—by what karmic affinity may we approach and serve him? We earnestly ask the Celestial Worthy to tell us, so that we may understand.”

A note explains: The Thunder Master Hao Weng was an old retainer of the Celestial Worthy and a high-ranking minister of great standing.

The commentary says that Leishi Haoweng is an old minister of the Celestial Emperor and a highly honored senior official. The Jade Firmament Palace is the residence of the True King of Jade Purity in the Heaven of Divine Firmament, situated above the thirty-six heavens. It contains five halls: the eastern hall, called Jewel of Medicine; the western hall, Beryl Jade; the northern hall, Azure Florescence; the southern hall, Spirit Congealing; and the central hall, Longevity. It also includes institutions such as the Inner Court of the Great One, the Central Office of Kehan, the eastern and western platforms, the four departments and four bureaus, the Pavilion of Great Brahma and Purple Tenuity, and the Hall of Immortals’ Capital and Fire-Thunder.

The Jade Palace has offices including Left and Right Mystery, Attendant in the Golden Gate, and Chief Deputy and Senior Minister. Its divine officials include perfected immortals, perfected earls, senior supervisors, attendants of the celestial court, immortal gentlemen, jade gentlemen, jade youths, jade maidens, and the left and right marshals. The various divisions of thunder gods, along with their officials, commanders, and clerks, all come under its authority.

There are thirty-six heavens in the celestial realm. The eight heavens of the east are the High Heaven of the Dao’s Stillness, the High Heaven of Yangqi, the High Heaven of Luminous Caverns, the High Heaven of Purple Ascent, the High Heaven of Jade Spirit, the High Heaven of Pure Emptiness, the High Heaven of Subtle Fruit, and the High Heaven of Upright Heart. The eight heavens of the south are the High Heaven of the Dao’s Origin, the High Heaven of the Great Sovereign, the High Heaven of Dark Ascent, the High Heaven of Ultimate Perfection, the High Heaven of Brahma Qi, the High Heaven that Supports the Emperor, the High Heaven of the Dark Lineage, and the High Heaven of Changing Cycles. The eight heavens of the west are the High Heaven of the Left Dipper, the High Heaven of the Master of Transformation, the High Heaven of the Talisman’s Presence, the High Heaven that Protects Splendor, the High Heaven of Settled Essence, the High Heaven of Azure Florescence, the High Heaven of Radiant Jade, and the High Heaven of Cinnabar Essence. The eight heavens of the north are the High Heaven of Peaceful Altars, the High Heaven of the Vast Lineage, the High Heaven of the Vast Emperor, the High Heaven of Rare Mystery, the High Heaven of Celebrated Abodes, the High Heaven of the Celestial Tower, the High Heaven of Transforming Immortals, and the High Heaven of Ascent into Mystery. The heavens at the four diagonal directions are the High Heaven of Revered Sovereigns in the northeast, the High Heaven of Spirit Transposition in the southeast, the High Heaven of Jade Spirit in the southwest, and the High Heaven of Ultimate Ascent in the northwest.

The lower realm is guarded by thirty-six ramparts. Each direction has nine Yang Brahma Qi—the harmonious Yang vital energy spoken of in Daoism—which corresponds to the thirty-six Qi of the year. Every ten days, one Qi corresponds to the celestial realm. Each day, a Celestial Emperor governs one Qi and reviews the merits and faults of celestial immortals, spirits, and ghosts. Those who have merit are entered in the registers; those at fault are confined in that heaven’s celestial prison. Good and evil deeds in the human world are reported by the sovereigns of the thirty-six ramparts to the Jade Palace of Divine Firmament for examination.

Every day, dragon spirits raise thunder and carry out duties that include granting life and death, punishing violence, and destroying evil spirits. The four palaces are the Jade Purity Palace of the Nine Heavens, the Azure Mystery Palace of the Eastern Pole, the Palace of the Nine Heavens’ Response to the Origin, and the Jade Palace of the Cavernous Abyss. The six courts are the Inner Court of the Great One, the Jade Pivot Court, the Five Thunders Court, the Dipper Pivot Court, the Yang Clan Court, and the Court of the Immortals’ Capital and Fire-Thunder. Other governing offices include the Celestial Thunder Department, the Penglai Water Administration, the Great One Thunder Department, the Northern Emperor’s Thunder Department, the Northern Dipper Office of Punitive Expeditions, the Northern Dipper Office of Defense, the Jade Palace’s Nine Thunder Departments, and the various departmental courts and offices.

When there is a prolonged drought in the human world, untimely winds and rains, unjustly begun wars, or repeated famines, a petition must be made to the Jade Palace. The Jade Pivot then conveys its orders, and measures are arranged according to each region’s boundaries. The commanders overseeing the three departments also examine the merits and faults of ghosts and spirits across the Three Realms in order to aid the people. The various thunder offices, courts, and palaces assist the Jade Pivot in issuing orders and carry them out as commanded. Thunder’s punitive expeditions, rewards, and punishments are governed by clear regulations and dedicated institutions; there are also offices with overlapping duties, field offices, and inspection bureaus, each staffed by officials. Thus, the Jade Firmament Palace oversees the Five Thunders and their inspection of affairs across the Three Realms.

The Celestial Worthy, Daoism’s supreme deity, uses precious scriptures and classical texts to teach the perfected beings of the heavenly realm. The Thunder Master, a divine general of the Thunder Department, silently understands the Celestial Worthy’s intent and asks him to reveal an accessible method of practice. At that moment, although ruler and minister hold different ranks, their minds are in accord; all they do is to save and help living beings. Those who recite this scripture should take the Thunder Master’s intention as their own and will naturally receive the corresponding merit.

At that time, the Celestial Worthy ascended the jeweled platform and observed living beings, seeming not to speak. The Elder Hao, Thunder Master, was solely in charge of the Thunder Court’s affairs and ranked above the perfected beings of the heavenly realm. He used his own mind to discern the Celestial Worthy’s intent, then spoke before him. The Celestial Worthy’s transforming virtue has no bounds, and the primal source of the Dao has its own origin. The heavenly realm’s mysterious scriptures and secret registers cannot be queried casually, item by item. The Celestial Worthy therefore oversaw all the offices and departments of the eastern and western courts and bureaus across the thirty-six heavens, all of which fell under the jurisdiction of the Jade Empyrean Office. Taking this occasion to speak, the Elder Hao voiced what the Celestial Worthy had not yet made explicit.

The Thunder Master addressed the Celestial Worthy: “You are supremely great and holy, and you care for all things. My gifts are meager; by what cause have I been allowed to serve at the Jade Palace, your sacred abode? I beg you to tell me of the causes and conditions of my past lives, so that I may assist the transformation of the Dao and help manage the affairs of the Jade Empyrean Office.” Having spoken, he held his breath and waited reverently for the Celestial Worthy’s instruction.

The Thunder Master suddenly knelt and presented his petition to the highest gate of the Dao. Every department, court, office, platform, and pavilion holds an exalted place. Among the thirty-six institutions, every divine office governing clouds, thunder, rain, and wind is provided for; no kind of divine office has been omitted, and no perfected sage falls outside the authority of these offices. The Thunder Department governs life and death, calamity and fortune, and thus bears on good and ill fate. To hear the highest principle, one must make one’s petition with sincere devotion. Compassionate indeed, compassionate indeed, is the Thunder Master, Elder Hao.

The Celestial Worthy said, “Thunder Master Hao Weng, chief deity of the Thunder Ministry, and all you celestial officials: in your previous lives, you had already accumulated merit, and in this life you have continued to cultivate the Way. Thus you have been appointed to posts in the Jade Bureau and entered in the immortal registers of the Jade Palace. The merit you have established and the good deeds you have performed in this life surpass those of your previous lives. You should serve the Thunder Office wholeheartedly and devote yourselves to assisting the Fire Ministry. As days and years pass, your merit will grow ever deeper, your character will become clear and upright, and your spirit will come into harmony. Then you will attain the rank of the High Perfected and advance into the wondrous Dao.

“Yet the spirits and demons of the Thunder Ministry toil day and night, often suffering beatings and punishment; those with grave offenses are even investigated and executed. They rush about without pause, as if breaking clouds and carving snow, carrying orders to dispatch dragons and crows: when one place rests for a moment, activity begins elsewhere. You should all understand these reasons.”

Thunder Master Hao Weng and the celestial immortals pricked up their ears and listened in silence. The Celestial Worthy sat on the Nine-Phoenix and Cinnabar-Cloud seat, adorned with patterns of nine phoenixes and cinnabar clouds, holding a golden-bright Ruyi scepter. A gentle breeze stirred, and the colored clouds were richly beautiful. The Celestial Worthy remained silent for a long time.

The commentary says: The Thunder Office issues commands and carries out its duties as swiftly as wind and fire, with no pause. Rainfall and the blessings of rain each have their appointed bounds, and thunderclaps have their set measure. When drought is due, there is drought; when rain is due, there is rain. All must obey the Jade Emperor’s decrees. Why does the Thunder Office drive spirits and demons? Because in life they dwelled in the mortal world but were disloyal and unfilial, unkind and unrighteous; they did not revere the Three Treasures of Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha, did not follow the Five Constant Virtues of benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness, and did not cherish food. After death, being compelled to serve the Thunder Office is punishment for these offenses. Hearing the Celestial Worthy explain the causes and consequences of good and evil, Thunder Master Hao Weng and the celestial immortals all listened attentively, their hearts filled with reverence. As the Celestial Worthy sat upright, a serene, harmonious divine breeze and beautiful colored clouds surrounded him. He was silent for a long while, as though about to explain further mysteries of the Dao to the assembled immortals.

The teaching is this: cultivate the roots of goodness and do not commit evil deeds. Even celestial immortals must accumulate merit and cultivate their character; how much more should later students devote themselves wholeheartedly to practice.

The Thunder Master Haoweng, a deity of the Thunder Department, shares one body with Heaven and Earth and shines as brightly as the sun and moon. Thus the Celestial Worthy said that, long ago, he had already accumulated great merit: he cultivated before the beginning of all things, sowed good causes, allowed no evil karma to arise, preserved his original nature, and continually accumulated merit through cultivation. Given this, how could those of later generations who cultivate the Dao fail to devote themselves wholeheartedly to the practice?

The commentary adds that, in his earlier cultivation, the Thunder Master Haoweng accumulated merit and refined Jing and Qi. He later took form, which enabled him to serve in the Jade Office and become renowned in the Jade Palace. Now he also oversees rewarding good and punishing evil, and transforms and saves living beings; his achievements are considerable. He serves the Fire Department—the divine bureau of thunder—with all his heart, acting from his true nature. As merit accumulated over time, his reputation and virtue gradually became evident. His original Qi, the vital energy at the source of life, remained intact; his nature was clear and his spirit integrated. These are no empty claims. Thus he became a trusted minister of the Most High True King, a revered celestial deity, and took his place among the ranks of immortals on the Great Dao.

The Celestial Worthy used the two paths of good and evil to admonish the perfected beings of the heavens, and offered the spirits and gods of the Thunder Department as an example. They labor day and night, circling through their duties without rest. “Shredding clouds” describes their strenuous journeys in every direction as they gather clouds and arrange them in formation. “Carving snow” describes their hardship as they brave the bitter cold, ride the wind, and bring rain, causing droplets to freeze into snowflakes. They enter the sea to deliver commands to dragons and go into mountain forests to order crows. At times they set things in motion in the east and bring them to rest in the west; at other times they lie hidden in the east and rise into action in the west. They are always busy, never stopping. All this shows that good and evil each bring their own corresponding consequences.

The Celestial Worthy then said to the Thunder Master: “I can hold the power that governs the generation and transformation of Heaven and Earth and occupy the rank of the highest perfected beings because I devoted myself wholeheartedly to this Dao from the outset, and so attained this state. If you wish to ascend to the ranks of immortals and assist the wondrous Dao of transformation, make my achievements your own, and the Dao will naturally be cultivated to completion. Now listen to what I have to say.” The Heavenly Emperors of the various heavens pricked up their ears and listened with reverence.

The Celestial Worthy’s dignity and bearing defied description. They saw only divine winds rising and bright, lovely clouds spreading across the clear sky. The Celestial Worthy reunited with the Nine Qi and became one with them once more, still and unmoving.

The verse says: The paths of good and evil each bring their due, as an image follows the body. Those who do good become members of the celestial host; those who do evil fall into the ranks of the wangliang, spirits and demons.

The Celestial Worthy said, “Fifteen hundred kalpas ago, I aligned my mind and spirit with this Dao and cultivated it, thereby attaining the rank of the Highest Perfected. I also nurtured this merit through my intention, and so came to preside over the vast workings of creation. Before the Celestial Worthy of the Primordial Beginning in the Great Luo Heaven, I once made a great vow with a pure heart: May all beings in future ages, along with the heavenly dragons, ghosts, and spirits, be delivered and liberated whenever they call upon my name. If this cannot be done, I am willing to undertake their salvation myself. Purify your thoughts, and I will now expound this teaching to you.”

The commentary says, “‘Mending this Dao with the mind’ means that cultivating the Dao is like sewing together pieces of cut cloth. If the cloth is not sewn together, how can it become a garment? In heaven and earth there is a trace of primordial Qi, the fundamental breath from which all things are formed, dispersed throughout the boundless cosmos. People receive a trace of this primordial Qi from their parents, and it remains within the body as the life-root passed down by their ancestors. If, through cultivation, one increases one’s wisdom, quietly observes with a pure heart, gathers the Seven Treasures—the precious essences spoken of in cultivation—and condenses them into the Reverted Elixir, the fruit of Neidan practice, then one has joined and linked the Great Dao through mind and spirit, ultimately attaining the rank of the Highest Perfected. One also nurtures great merit by blending the primordial Qi through which heaven and earth give birth to the myriad things with the wondrous principle of harmony with the Great Dao. Thus one can preside over the vast workings of creation and govern heaven and earth, while transformations between the visible and invisible remain beyond measure.

“Before the Celestial Worthy of the Primordial Beginning in the Great Luo Heaven, the Celestial Worthy made a great vow: May all beings, heavenly dragons, ghosts, and spirits be delivered and liberated whenever they call upon his name; if this cannot be done, he is willing to undertake their salvation himself. This shows that the Celestial Worthy extends protection to all beings in the human and heavenly realms and has made a great vow.”

The explanation of the principle says: Those fortunate enough to receive a human body must not let this opportunity pass in vain. They should uphold this Dao and recite this Jing, accumulating their practice day by day until they unite themselves with the Dao. The benefit this brings is no small matter.

The interpretation says: It is difficult to attain the Dao, and no easy matter to unite with it. As early as the beginning of five hundred kalpas, the Celestial Worthy had already aligned his mind and spirit with this Dao. In other words, those fortunate enough to receive a human body must not let this opportunity pass in vain. They should uphold this Dao and recite this Jing, accumulating their practice day by day until they unite themselves with the Dao. The benefit this brings is no small matter.

The commentary says that attaining the Dao is difficult, and coming into harmony with it is no easy matter. Five hundred kalpas ago, I, the Heavenly Venerable, had already brought my heart into harmony with this Dao. That was when the Nine Qi—the nine kinds of primordial energy—were forming bodies. For this reason I was called the True King and placed in charge of the great work of transforming and nurturing Heaven and Earth.

In the presence of the Heavenly Venerable, the Origin of the Great Luo, I once made a vast vow extending throughout the Three Realms. With the pure and undivided true nature of the Nine Heavens, I vowed that in the future, any being formed from the Nine Qi who submitted to my teaching and invoked my name would be brought back from death to life. If anyone refused to believe and follow, I would transform the One Qi of the Origin into the Nine Qi and restore all things to their beginning. The Heavenly Venerable said to the emperors and lords of the heavens, “You should keep your hearts clear. I will now reveal to you the hidden mysteries of the Great Dao.”

The verse says: The Dao is the heart of Heaven and Earth, but the ignorant do not know to seek it. A torn robe must be mended, and a needle must be sharpened by grinding it in water. Cultivating the Dao, too, calls for patient refinement.

The Heavenly Venerable said, “You beings of Heaven and humanity wish to hear of the Supreme Dao. The Supreme Dao is profound and subtle; it is nowhere else. Since you wish to hear it, hearing nothing is true hearing. If you can see, you will see the true Dao. When hearing and seeing both dissolve, only you yourselves remain. Yet you cannot even say that you truly exist, so how much less can you speak of the Great Dao? If you can hear without listening, what Dao is there to discuss?”

The commentary says that the Supreme Dao is nowhere else: it is within you. Since you wish to hear the Dao, once you understand the Dao within yourself, there is no need to seek it through what you hear from outside. This is what is meant by “hearing nothing is true hearing; if you can see, you will see the true Dao.” If, by hearing another person’s words, you come to see the Dao within yourself, then hearing and seeing can ultimately both dissolve, and you need not cling to what you have heard or to your own views. If you claim that you do not exist at all, yet seek to hear the Great Dao despite never having heard it, then the Great Dao cannot be discussed.

The exposition of principle says that the Great Dao has no form. It makes no distinction between self and others and transcends both existence and nonexistence; this is the true Dao. If you cling to purposeful action and form, where can the Dao be found? Those who cultivate the Dao should begin where distinctions between existence and nonexistence are transcended.

The verse says: Dao, oh Dao, oh Dao, oh Dao—how laughable it is to speak of it. Heaven and Earth, I and others, are one family; each has an aperture that connects with the others.

The Celestial Worthy says: What is called the Dao—if you approach it with a sincere heart, you can draw near to the true Dao. But if you regard the Dao as something with form and appearance, where could it be found? Those who cultivate the Dao should begin by letting go of all attachment.

A hymn of praise says: Dao, oh Dao—repeat it again and again, and it begins to sound amusing. Heaven and Earth, I and others, are all one family, as though we emerged from the same opening.

The Celestial Worthy says: To realize the Dao, enter through sincerity, uphold it in silence, and put it into practice with gentleness. Sincerity may look like dullness, silence may seem like a lack of eloquence, and gentleness in dealing with things may appear clumsy. Cultivating in this way, you can forget the body and forget the self, until even “forgetting” no longer occupies your thoughts. Those who enter the Dao know when to stop; those who uphold the Dao know to be cautious; those who put the Dao to use understand its subtle workings. When you can perceive what is subtle, the light of wisdom appears. When you can uphold it with care, sagely wisdom is complete. When you know how to cease your deluded striving, the mind becomes settled. When the mind is settled, sagely wisdom is complete; when sagely wisdom is complete, the light of wisdom appears. Once this light appears, you can unite with the Dao. This is called true forgetting. To forget means to forget without becoming attached to forgetting, until there is nothing left to forget. Reaching the state in which nothing remains to be forgotten is the ultimate Dao. The Dao exists between Heaven and Earth, yet Heaven and Earth are not aware of it. Whether sentient or insentient, all return to the same principle; there is no difference between them.

The Dao is the path that runs through the Three Realms. There are ways to enter the realm of the Dao, methods for holding fast to the Great Dao, and principles for putting it into practice. The Dao is the expression of the natural Wuwei of Heaven and Earth, and it is also the enduring nature inherent in human beings.

What is meant by “sincerity” is being upright and cautious, remaining steadfast, and harboring no delusive thoughts. One must therefore enter the Way of True Constancy with a sincere heart free of delusion. The Way of True Constancy must be experienced personally by those who awaken to it: first, one silently apprehends it within the heart and brings its meaning together before one can hold fast to it; then, one acts with ease and composure, without haste, before one can put it into practice. If someone enters the realm of the Dao but cannot hold fast to it, they have not truly entered. If someone holds fast to the Great Dao but cannot put it into practice, they have not truly held fast to it.

Those who truly put the Great Dao into practice may appear dull and taciturn. They treat others with gentleness and generosity, without harshness or aggression, and may seem clumsy. But this is only their outward appearance; they are not truly dull or clumsy. If people can enter, hold fast to, and put the Great Dao into practice in this way, they can forget not only external things but also themselves. Then they forget both self and things, and even the thought of forgetting itself falls away.

To forget oneself means that the heart is not stirred by external things. It is clear, still, and settled, abiding constantly in quietude and no longer distinguishing between self and other. The wise can recognize this; those of clear understanding can perceive it. This is true realization. When one enters the realm of the Dao and knows where to stop, and holds fast to the Great Dao with due care, one can follow the Dao without straying. When one puts the Dao into practice with an eye for subtlety, one can return to what is simple and avoid being misled by claims of distance and grandeur. This is the foundation of the Dao’s own nature, and the source from which the wondrous workings of the mind arise.

The ability to understand everything and know everything is already present in human nature. At this point, it can once again fully manifest within oneself. Its source, traced back, lies in knowing where to stop. Knowing where to stop allows the heart to settle; once settled, it can become tranquil. By sustaining stillness and calm over time, one’s hearing and discernment grow ever more complete. The inner light of Heaven—the clarity of the original heart—illuminates oneself, and the heart becomes wholly attuned to the Dao, uniting with its truth.

At this stage, one can no longer tell what is the Dao and what is oneself. One simply feels that the Dao is oneself and oneself is the Dao; the two forget each other, until even forgetting can no longer be forgotten. This is the Highest Dao. It is present throughout Heaven and Earth, yet people find it difficult to point to any particular place where it is. Consider: among all living things endowed with feeling and all active beings, as well as the mountains, rivers, grasses, and trees without feeling, which does not arise from the pure and unmixed Dao? Only those who “embrace the One”—holding fast to purity and keeping their thoughts free of distraction—and thereby serve as a model for all under Heaven understand this. When ordinary people cultivate truth and refine the Dao, they need only remain single-minded and steadfast, undisturbed by stray thoughts. Their cultivation will then advance and they will suffer fewer demonic obstacles, until the day they ascend and become immortals.

In terms of its underlying meaning, this chapter describes the starting point of the Jade Purity True King’s entry into the Dao, adherence to it, and realization of the Great Dao. Practitioners who follow the teachings of the Precious Scripture of the Jade Pivot should study it repeatedly and reflect on it deeply. In time, they will gain insight and understand that the Jade Purity True King’s words are not empty talk.

The explanation says: The Great Dao is originally without words. Once expressed in language, it can no longer be fully equivalent to the Great Dao. For this reason, the Heavenly Worthy said in the previous chapter that the utmost Dao is profound and subtle, and cannot be fully conveyed in words. Here, the text again explains that practitioners must study it repeatedly and reflect on it deeply. In time, they will gain insight and understand that the Jade Purity True King’s words are not empty talk.

The commentary says: The Great Dao is originally beyond words. Once it is expressed in language, it is no longer the whole of the Great Dao. Thus the earlier passage says that the highest Dao is profound and subtle, beyond the reach of hearing. If later generations understand it as something with a beginning and an end, something that can be seen or heard, they will fail to grasp the Celestial Worthy’s teaching. Beginnings and endings, seeing and hearing, are all fashioned by thoughts of the mind. In ancient times, the Celestial Worthy was born from the Nine Qi—the nine primordial vital energies—and brought to completion by them. What, then, could there be to see or hear?

This chapter explains how those who study the Dao and cultivate the Real should apply themselves and preserve what they have gained through cultivation: they must use their own sincerity to accord with the sincerity of Heaven and Earth. Sincerity returns to the One. The Dao gives rise to two, two gives rise to three, and three transforms into the myriad things; all things come from sincere devotion to unity. If cultivators enter the Dao through sincerity, preserve it through silence, and put it into practice with gentleness, they may seem foolish, taciturn, and clumsy. Sincerity, silence, and gentleness are the foundations and workings of cultivation; foolishness, taciturnity, and clumsiness reveal the Dao’s deep mystery and its refusal to make itself conspicuous. Only then can one merge completely with the Dao, forget the body and the self, and even cease to cling to “forgetting.” This is the Dao’s reality and the subtle mystery of cultivating the Real.

To enter the Dao, one must know when to stop; to preserve it, one must be cautious; to put it into practice, one must grasp what is subtle. Understanding subtlety allows the light of the Nine Qi to become abundant, serving as the foundation and function of cultivation. Caution brings the wondrous workings of the myriad spirits to completion; stillness brings the spirits of the Three Origins—the three vital energies and spirits governed by the officials of Heaven, Earth, and Water—to rest. When the spirits are settled, wisdom becomes complete. When wisdom is complete, numinous radiance arises; when numinous radiance arises, the primordial Qi, the vital energy at the root of life, can unite with the Dao. This is called “true forgetting”: to forget truly is to forget without clinging to the act of forgetting, until there is nothing left that needs to be deliberately forgotten. This is the Great Dao of the True One.

The eulogy says: Guard unity; guard unity with care and quietude. Though you have forgotten yourself and others, a “thief” may still lie hidden in the heart: attachment to the One. If you can recognize and let go of that as well, the mind will become clear and tranquil, like green jade.

The Celestial Worthy said, “Now that I am in the world, how can I benefit living beings? For this reason, I expound this wondrous and precious scripture to the gods of the heavens and to humankind. Those who grasp its meaning can attain the rank of immortals.”

Those who cultivate the Dao should understand that people differ in their endowments of Qi and in their allotted destinies. People inherit different endowments depending on where they live; this is called ‘Qi.’ They also differ in intelligence and dullness, and in the clarity or murkiness of their nature; this is called ‘allotted destiny.’ Destiny is related to a person’s fate, while Qi is related to the seasons of Heaven. If people are constrained by their Qi and destiny and bound by Heaven’s decree, it is difficult for them to attain the true Dao.

Dullness can become intelligence, and murkiness can become clarity, but whether this happens depends on what one’s allotted destiny permits. A person’s obscurity, dullness, and lack of clarity are also shaped by local customs and conditions and by innate endowment. Heaven and Earth arrange these changes in secret, beyond people’s notice; people call this “natural.” Even if people know that they do not know what lies behind the arrangement, it can still be called natural.

The mysteries of nature exceed human understanding, and their very mystery lies in the fact that people cannot know them completely. Yet the Dao itself has never made people dull or murky.

After hearing this, the gods of the heavens and the four assemblies—the four groups of listeners present—were all filled with joy.

The commentary says: Where people live, if the soil is deep and water is plentiful, the local Qi is cool. All things grow more slowly, and the power by which Heaven and Earth nurture them is also more profound; therefore, people tend to live long lives. If the soil is shallow and water is scarce, the local Qi is warm. All things grow more quickly, and the power of Heaven and Earth to nurture them is comparatively limited; therefore, people are more likely to die young. This is because the natural conditions of different places vary, and the endowments people receive differ accordingly.

When a person receives clear and harmonious prenatal Qi, they tend to be compassionate, upright, loyal, filial, intelligent, and wise, and to aspire to the Dao. When the Qi they receive is turbid, they may instead be cruel, treacherous, vicious, foolish, rebellious, and lacking in benevolence and righteousness. The difference between people’s intelligence and foolishness lies in the difference between clear and turbid Qi.

A person’s fate is constrained by the course of Qi, just as flowers and trees each have their own season for blooming and are all affected by the Qi of the soil. The phrase “constrained by Heaven’s decree” means that a person’s fate seems bound by Heaven’s decree. Those who do not practice goodness may remain sunk for a long time in evil destinies—evil places or states—and find it difficult to attain the true Dao. The foolish can be transformed through the way of wisdom; the turbid, through the way of purity. The foolish are often clouded in mind and spirit, while the turbid are often obscured and unclear. This is what it means to be constrained. The scripture also says that these conditions arise naturally and are determined by the distribution of local conditions and individual endowments. Heaven and Earth nurture and bring death to all things in ways that also vary with the seasons.

Those who are wise receive the Qi of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) and the essence of Yin-Yang—the fundamental forces of Qi that form all things between Heaven and Earth. Through cultivation, they can strengthen body, mind, and life, and endure as long as Heaven and Earth, shining as brightly as the sun and moon. The foolish pursue only pleasures of sound and sight and the tastes of food, unaware that these desires instead damage their nature and life. Therefore, those who study the Dao should quiet their minds and reflect.

The explanation of the meaning says: All things born of Heaven receive the influence of the two Qi of Yin-Yang. When clear and harmonious Qi predominates, it readily gives rise to a kind and noble character; when turbid Qi is heavier, it readily shows itself in treachery and wickedness. Is this not precisely because the natural conditions of different places vary, and the endowments each receives differ?

The commentator explains that local customs and environmental conditions differ, and that these differences are closely bound up with the workings of Qi and the allotment of one’s fate. Why, then, did the Celestial Worthy place this chapter after his discourse on the Great Dao? Because people do not know how to care for their bodies. They recklessly harm their lives without understanding that light, clear Qi transforms into Heaven, while heavy, murky Qi transforms into Earth. In the human body, Jing, fluids, and humors are generated from the Qi of Heaven, while bones, flesh, and sinews take shape from the Qi of Earth. Since people are born by receiving the two Qi of Heaven and Earth, why do lifespans differ, and why do people vary in aptitude, some clever and others dull? Could it not be because the conditions of local lands and climates differ in their richness or severity, and because Yin-Yang Qi may be either excessive or obstructed?

The fate bestowed by Heaven is like a yoke, and the bounds set by the workings of Qi are like a prison. This means that people seem unable to escape Heaven’s decree or transcend the limits of their allotted fate. Only those who cultivate the Dao, if they honor this scripture, can rise beyond the constraints of Heaven’s decree and free themselves from the limits of their fate. When the Celestial Worthy had finished speaking, the two ranks of high ministers, masters, envoys, and chancellors, along with the various Heavenly Emperors and the venerable Thunder Master, all rejoiced and praised his words. Even the celestial dragons, ghosts, and spirits danced with delight.

The verse of praise says: Whether a land’s climate is favorable is also bound up with Qi and blood; waters each have their source, and each person has their own measure of tribulation. Light, clear Qi returns to the realm of mystery, while heavy, murky Qi remains obscure. The Great Dao has always been one and the same; all that is needed is for the mind to be as pure as the bright moon.

The Celestial Worthy said: What I am now speaking is the Precious Scripture of the Jade Pivot. In a future age, if any living being hears my name, all they need do is gather their thoughts, silently contemplate, and inwardly recite, “Celestial Worthy of Universalizing through Thunder, Responding to the Origin in the Nine Heavens.” Whether they recite it once, five times, seven times, or hundreds or thousands of times, I will manifest throughout the ten directions and, through my intention, move throughout the Three Realms, granting the wishes of all who invoke my name in silent contemplation. Throughout the ten directions and the Three Realms—among the heavens and the earth, the sun, moon, and stars, the mountains, rivers, and plants, the birds and beasts, and even the tiniest insects—whether beings are sentient or insentient, and among the celestial dragons, ghosts, and spirits, if any hear living beings invoke my name and then defy or disobey them, their heads shall be cut off and their hearts torn out, reducing them to dust.

The commentary explains: “Jade Pivot” refers to the Qi of Jade Clarity. “Jade” denotes the most precious of treasures. Thus the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning is called “Jade Clarity,” the August Supreme Emperor is called the “Jade Emperor,” the Lord of the Way Above Great Purity is called “Jade Morning,” and the Most High Lord Lao is called the “High Jade Emperor.” The dwelling place of the Three Pure Ones is called the “Jade Capital,” and the True King of the Divine Empyrean is also called “Jade Clarity.” “Pivot” is the key hinge of Heaven; thunder is the crucial mechanism by which Heaven and Earth operate. The celestial pivot and the earthly mechanism correspond respectively to Yin and Yang. Heaven belongs to Yang, yet is called a “pivot”—a reflection of the principle that Yin and Yang transform into each other. Although Heaven is commonly said to be Yang and Earth Yin, Heaven is also the source of water. The Northern Dipper’s first star, Greedy Wolf, is called the “Pivot Star.” Greedy Wolf corresponds to the Celestial Origin and leads the Seven Celestial Governances. The “pivot” also resembles the Privy Council at court, which oversees the state’s most confidential affairs and military campaigns. The Precious Scripture of the Jade Pivot is a document of thunder rites from the Celestial Treasury. Anyone who defies the command is dealt with under the authority of the Thunder Bureau; the commentary’s phrase “restrain the heart and sever the head” means that the thunder deities carry out punishment in accordance with their orders.

“Meaning”: The Celestial Worthy takes the protection of life as his fundamental intention. He manifests throughout the ten directions, so that nothing is beyond the reach of his grace. If anyone slanders the Celestial Worthy, the Thunder Bureau—the divine office that governs thunder and punishment—will, at its master’s command, cut off that person’s head.

Another explanation says: The Celestial Worthy takes the protection of life as his fundamental intention. He manifests in the ten directions and bestows grace everywhere. If anyone slanders him, the Thunder Bureau will cut off that person’s head and cut out their heart; this is a fitting punishment.

“Commentary”: This chapter clearly shows that the Celestial Worthy has made a vast vow. His thoughts are always devoted to protecting and nurturing life. The profound meaning of this cannot be fully expressed in words, so he sent down the numinous text of the Jade Pivot Scripture to teach and transform living beings. If living beings receive this teaching, attain the Dao, and become perfected, then so long as they recite the Celestial Worthy’s name and write his talismans, all things in the world—the mountains and rivers, plants and trees, birds and beasts, and even tiny insects—that are born by receiving the two Qi of Yin-Yang must show reverence and obey, never daring to defy him in the slightest. Those that refuse to obey will be shattered by the Thunder Bureau into fine dust.

“Praise”: Celestial Worthy, Celestial Worthy, you have made a vast vow. Those who slander the wondrous scriptures will be punished by the Thunder Bureau.

The Celestial Worthy said: “I am the Great Sage of True Brightness of the Nine Heavens, who upholds the right way and sees clearly the good and evil of all things above the Nine Heavens.”

“Praise”: Celestial Worthy, Celestial Worthy, you have made a vast vow. Those who slander the wondrous scriptures will be punished by the Thunder Bureau.

The Celestial Worthy said: “On the sixth day of each month and on every day marked by the Heavenly Stem Xin, I inspect the heavens and patrol the Three Realms. If anyone wishes to study the Dao, seek immortality, deliver the Nine Generations of ancestors and family spirits, or dispel the Three Calamities, they should invite a Zhengyi Daoist priest. They may also set up an altar with family and friends in a tower or shrine, at home, or at the local community altar. They should make offerings of water and flowers, and recite this scripture according to the ritual. Reciting it once, three times, five times, or even dozens or hundreds of times will bring clarity of mind, ease of breath, an open heart, and a healthy body. Whatever one prays for will receive a response.”

“Note”: The Celestial Worthy’s title is “Great Sage of True Brightness.” “True” means upright and faithful to the right way: he observes Heaven and Earth through the right way and overcomes fortune and misfortune through the right way. The transformations of Heaven and Earth serve as a model for the sage; when signs of fortune and misfortune appear, the sage acts accordingly. Thus, whatever one prays for will receive a response.

The commentary says that the Celestial Worthy’s honored title is “Great Sage of Upright Illumination.” “Upright” means observing Heaven and Earth through the correct Way and judging good and ill fortune. The sage takes the transformations of Heaven and Earth as a model, and acts in response when signs of good or ill fortune appear. The Qian hexagram of the Book of Changes says, “Originating, flourishing, beneficial, and upright.” “Upright” corresponds to winter among the four seasons and to the north among the four directions; it also belongs to the season of the north. Heaven One generates Water, which is regarded as the ancestral Qi of Jade Clarity—the original Qi of the Jade Clarity realm.

The Celestial Worthy descends on the sixth day of each month and on days marked by Xin. On the sixth day, Yin and Yang wax and wane, rise and descend, and circulate through the Six Emptinesses—the spaces above, below, and in the four directions between Heaven and Earth. In this way, the Dao reaches its utmost, the sage’s work comes forth, and the spirits become manifest. In the numbers of Heaven and Earth, one is the generating number and six the completing number. Nourished by Water, Heaven and Earth can moisten the world. The Six Xins are connected to Heaven’s number for Water; according to the heavenly numbers, they should therefore be called the “Six Xins.” The number Xin is also associated with Qian, Heaven. The saying “Heaven One generates Water” refers throughout to the primordial One Qi.

“The Myriad Heavens” refers to such celestial realms as Great Luo, Clear Tenuity, Yu Yu, and Great Red. The Celestial Worthy traverses all the heavens, inspecting the merits and faults of celestial beings. Within the Three Realms—the Desire Realm, the Form Realm, and the Formless Realm—he also makes his rounds, recording the merits and faults of all beings. If someone recites this scripture, whatever they pray for will receive a response.

The explanatory commentary says that the Celestial Worthy teaches that beings with or without feeling, and with or without awareness, can all attain true realization. This reveals the vast reach of the Dao’s transformation. From this, we can see that the Celestial Worthy’s merit and virtue cannot be measured, and that sincere prayer will surely receive a response. Those who believe in and follow this Way will likewise receive a response to whatever they seek.

The explanatory commentary further says that the Celestial Worthy teaches that beings with or without feeling, and with or without awareness, can all attain true realization, revealing the vast reach of the Dao’s transformation. The Celestial Worthy’s merit and virtue are beyond measure, and sincere prayer will surely receive a response. How could those who follow the Great Dao fail to cultivate themselves diligently?

The commentary says: On the day the Celestial Worthy descends to inspect the world, he fears that people may not know of it and so may unwittingly violate the heavenly laws and precepts. The Celestial Worthy’s care for all beings is, indeed, so profound. Anyone who studies the Dao and seeks immortality need only make offerings of clear water and fresh flowers, or have a relative, friend, or Daoist priest recite this scripture, to be included among the immortals and have their name entered in the heavenly registers. Even a very foolish person who suddenly develops sincere faith and recites this scripture at the appointed times can become openhearted and feel at ease in body and mind. Filial children and worthy descendants who sincerely observe purification and clear away distracting thoughts, establish an altar, and ask someone to recite this scripture can also attain spiritual ascent. Thus the three calamities can be dispelled and nine generations of ancestors delivered to transcendence; all these wishes can be fulfilled, and none will go unanswered.

The hymn says: Sincerity does not depend on external offerings; it connects through the heart and Qi. Simply chanting the Celestial Worthy’s name can bring spring back to Heaven and Earth.

The Celestial Worthy says: Why do you not summon the nine numinous spirits within your body? In order, their names are Tiansheng, Wuying, Xuanzhu, Zhengzhong, Zidan, Huihui, Danyuan, Taiyuan, and Lingtong. Summoning them brings good fortune. Why do you not call upon the three Jing spirits within your body? They are called Taiguang, Shuangling, and Youjing. Calling upon them brings blessings and good fortune. If your heart feels troubled, your six pulses are disordered, your limbs are restless, and discomfort affects every part of your body, why not recite this scripture? The passage that follows repeats the names of the three Jing spirits and again says that one should recite the scripture when faced with these conditions.

The commentary says: The Nine Spirits are the fundamental divine beings within the human body. The Heaven-Born is the Mysterious Female, the source that nurtures life. The Unadorned Hero is the Infant Brother. The Mysterious Pearl is the Valley Spirit, a wondrous Qi that lies deep within and gives rise to transformation. The Central Correct One is the Muddy Pellet, the divine seat in the head. Cinnabar Child is the spirit of the Numinous Terrace. Turning and Turning is the spirit of the Precious Deed. Cinnabar Origin is the spirit of the heart. Great Abyss is both the women who dwell in the Kidney Palace and the spirit of the Water Palace. Numinous Child is the spirit who oversees the regulation of the five organs. Terrace Radiance refers to the union of man and woman, the joining of essence and Qi, and the beginning of conception and growth in the womb. Bright Spirit is the ethereal soul; Hidden Essence is the corporeal soul.

Since people know that these spirits dwell within them, why not call and summon them continually, so that they gather, harmonize, and unite as one family? Then the pursuit of the Dao and immortality will meet with no obstacles. When the heart is troubled and the pulse disordered, reciting this scripture can calm the spirits within the body and bring comfort and peace.

The explanatory commentary says: This passage speaks of the Three Essences and Nine Obstructions. When the heart is troubled and the pulse disordered, reciting this scripture can calm the spirits within the body and bring comfort and peace.

The explanatory commentary says: The Three Essences and Nine Spirits are not outside the body; they dwell within one’s own original nature. Take care not to let them scatter and depart. Keep them constantly by your side. Pay homage to the true gods morning and evening, and honor the sages and perfected beings; this makes it easier to receive a response and obtain the Daoist teachings. The Celestial Worthy feared that people would not know where the Great Dao resides, and so used these terms to show that the Dao is within oneself.

The interpretive commentary says: In heaven there are the Nine Luminaries, the nine celestial bodies that represent star spirits; in the human body there are the Nine Spirits. In heaven there are the Three Terraces, star officials corresponding to the Northern Dipper; in the human body there are the Three Souls. If the Nine Luminaries move out of order or the positions of the Three Terraces shift, calamities such as floods, droughts, and darkness may occur. If the Nine Spirits abandon their posts and the Three Souls roam recklessly within a person, calamities may likewise arise. In such circumstances, sincerely reciting the scripture and burning talismans—that is, burning Fulu in a rite of prayer and averting calamity—can settle the Three Souls and quiet the Nine Spirits. The mind and spirit will grow calm, the pulse and breath will become even, the limbs will be at ease, and the whole body will be free from harm.

The hymn says: Nine Spirits, O Nine Spirits, you are my essence and Qi. Call and summon you continually, and life can be preserved for a long time.

The Heavenly Worthy says: If a person’s Five Phases (in ancient thought, Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth were used to explain a person’s fate and allotment of vital energy) are out of balance, the Nine Luminaries (the Sun, Moon, and the planets Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth) move unfavorably, or the year’s influences bring punishments and clashes, conflicting or contending forces, and malign influences such as Lone Star, Solitary Lodging, Goat Blade, Sword Edge, Calamity Sha, Death Spirit, Ghost Gate, and Hook and Twist; if the person’s fortune and rank are damaged, or the Travel Horse falls into Emptiness, bringing danger in their undertakings and hardship in deciding whether to advance or withdraw, they should recite this scripture. Then they should pray for the Celestial Official to dispel calamities from Heaven, the Terrestrial Official to dispel calamities from Earth, and the Water Official to dispel calamities from Water; for the Five Emperors to dispel calamities in the five directions, the Four Sages to dispel calamities in the four seasons, the Southern Dipper to dispel calamities of one’s birth fate, and the Northern Dipper to dispel all disasters.

The commentary says: When a person’s Five Phases are out of balance, the Nine Luminaries move abnormally, and punishments, clashes, and various malign influences arise, everything they do and every step they take may go awry. In severe cases, they may even suffer retribution from Heaven and punishment from Earth, losing their lives. The commentary holds that these calamities are governed by the Three Officials, the Five Emperors, the Four Sages, and the Southern and Northern Dippers. By devoting oneself to this scripture and upholding it, reciting its incantations, burning incense, and presenting talismans in prayer, one can dispel various disasters.

The explanation of its underlying principles says: Among the Three Realms, human beings are the most spiritually perceptive. Yet if they do not learn to advance further toward the Dao, they may encounter clashing stellar influences and a difficult course through life. At such times, they should sincerely uphold this true text, so that the Three Origins and the Five Emperors may remove their offenses. This chapter teaches people to recognize the inauspicious prohibitions they should avoid and explains that disasters can be averted through prayer and ritual petitions.

The explanation says: This passage concerns unfavorable Five Phases and disturbances affecting the Nine Luminaries. All malign spirits obey the Heavenly Worthy’s commands. Anyone who encounters the circumstances described above may follow this chapter and pray for the Three Origins and the Five Emperors to remove their offenses. The chapter aims to teach people about prohibitions, help them avoid misfortune, and show how to avert calamities through prayer and ritual petitions.

The commentary says: This means that if a person’s Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) are out of balance and the Nine Luminaries—the astral forces represented by the nine stars—cause trouble, they may encounter misfortune. All harmful spirits and baleful forces must obey the edicts of my Celestial Worthy. If someone suffers such calamities, they should recite this scripture. The Celestial Worthy will then command the household’s Six Gods of Destiny, the spirits who oversee the fate of the home, to submit a petition: the Celestial Official will dispel calamities from Heaven, the Earthly Official calamities from Earth, and the Water Official calamities from water; the Five Emperors will dispel calamities from the five directions, the Four Sages those of the four seasons, the Southern Dipper those tied to one’s birth destiny, and the Northern Dipper all calamities. The Three Officials, Five Emperors, Four Sages, Southern Dipper, and Northern Dipper are all subordinate officials of the Celestial Worthy. The phrase “petition upward” is used to make clear how vast the range of divine offices under the Celestial Worthy’s command is.

The hymn says: The nets of Heaven and Earth are hard to escape; when baleful stars gather, how can their influence be dispelled? Simply recite the Celestial Worthy’s sacred title with sincerity, then promptly burn jade-inscribed registers and golden talismans—Daoist Fulu (talismans and registers)—and pray for the Celestial Worthy’s protection.

The Celestial Worthy says: Someone may be bedridden with a long illness, afflicted by a stubborn disease, and unable to recover for a long time; seeking medical care may have no effect, while the spirit grows hazy and the body can scarcely hold up. This may be because they suffered an injustice and became entangled with it at the offices of the Five Emperors, the Three Officials, Taishan’s Five Ways—the divine offices overseeing life, death, and departed souls—or among the sun, moon, and stars; mountains, forests, and plants; numinous altars and ancient sites; city-god and local-earth shrines; village lanes, wells, and stoves; temples, monasteries, and pagodas. It may also have happened in the thirty-six prisons of the underworld or the seventy-two offices of the netherworld officials. The cause may instead be an oath or curse, or an unpaid debt. If enmity was formed in a past life or this one, and persists across many lifetimes, one should investigate the wrong, make amends and resolve the grievance, sincerely confess one’s fault, and recite this scripture.

The commentary says: If a person suffers from a grave illness that cannot be cured despite long treatment and is confined to bed, and neither medical care nor prayer has any effect, this may be because they inadvertently offended the Three Officials and Five Emperors, Mount Tai and the sacred peaks of Dai, the sun, moon, and stars, the City God shrines and local temples, the well and stove spirits in their neighborhood, sacred altars and ancient sites, Buddhist and Daoist temples and pagodas, the various offices of the Five Paths, or the officials of the underworld. Mountains, rivers, plants, and trees also each have their own spirits. The cause may instead be an old grievance, a debt, a killing, a curse laid by someone else, a broken oath or pledge, or enmities carried over from past lives. In such cases, one should repent, openly admit one’s faults, recite scriptures and incantations, and burn the talisman written in seal script (a Fulu drawn in seal characters) mentioned here. It is said that this can dispel the suffering caused by illness.

The explanatory interpretation says: This chapter deals specifically with lingering illness and offenses against prohibitions. Simply invoking the title of the Celestial Worthy can dispel misfortune and bring blessings; there is no need to doubt it.

The explication says: If someone contracts a serious illness that does not respond to prolonged treatment, and medicines in the human world are ineffective, the cause may be spirits of the underworld at work. It may also be that the person once made an oath or curse, was cursed by another, accumulated faults, or secretly committed wrongs. When the underworld investigates the cause and assigns responsibility, how can one avoid punishment? Reciting the Precious Scripture and burning a sacred talisman can bring immediate peace.

The eulogy says: Punishments from the underworld and sins committed in the world of the living can bring grave illness. When a prohibition has been violated, one should pray by reciting scriptures and burning talismans.

The Celestial Worthy said: In Heaven and on Earth there are spirits who govern official tallies. There are corresponding tallies for each year, month, day, and hour, and for every direction, orientation, and facing away. Major undertakings can bring the calamity of official tallies, while minor ones can easily provoke quarrels; these are governed by the spirits in charge of “red mouths and white tongues,” or verbal disputes. When people go about their affairs, travel, or arrange their homes and daily lives without knowing which taboos to avoid, they may encounter official tallies or verbal disputes and be plagued by turmoil, unable to find peace day or night and often drawn into arguments. They act one way in public and another in private, quarrelling at the slightest provocation. They swear oaths and utter curses before gods and Buddhas; what begins as slander and scolding ends in insults and attacks. This can lead to lawsuits and criminal punishment. To dispel these calamities, one need only recite this scripture: verbal disputes will quietly subside, and the calamity of official tallies will also be pacified.

The commentary says: The spirits of official tallies and of red mouths and white tongues discussed in this chapter are baleful astral deities under the scrutiny of the heavenly realm, bringers of calamity. Because people in the world do not cultivate the right path or respect the law, and offend the spirits of thunder and rain, these deities are sent to disturb them. Anyone who has violated such taboos should promptly recite this scripture and burn talismanic documents—paper slips inscribed with Daoist talismans—and the calamities will then be dispelled.

The explanatory interpretation says: In a person’s conduct and actions, some things are suitable and others unsuitable. People, however, often cannot discern the right timing or the underlying principles. If they therefore violate taboos, this scripture can help them avoid calamity.

The interpretive commentary says: The Celestial Worthy’s vow is boundless, and there is no fixed method for transforming living beings. This chapter deals specifically with the various official tallies. The spirits of official tallies are easily offended but difficult to appease; when ordinary people violate taboos, red mouths and white tongues seize the opportunity to arise. If people in the world recite the precious scripture in advance and burn jade talismans—Daoist talismans—the calamities can be dispelled.

The eulogy says: Heavenly and Earthly Talismans are divine decrees from the spirits, and people must not offend them. To avert lawsuits and calamities, the scripture should be written as talismanic seals, and the prescribed rite performed with three formal announcements.

Collected Commentaries on the Precious Scripture of the Jade Pivot of the Celestial Worthy of Universal Transformation through Thunder, Responding to the Primordial Origin of the Nine Heavens, Fascicle One

Collected Commentaries on the Precious Scripture of the Jade Pivot of the Celestial Worthy of Universal Transformation through Thunder, Responding to the Primordial Origin of the Nine Heavens, Fascicle Two

The Celestial Worthy says: The Earth Sovereign, the deity who governs the land, commands the Nine Layers, the levels of the underworld. Beneath him are 1,200 deities, including the Earth Marquis, Earth Earl, Earth Lord, Earth Mother, Earth Son, Earth Grandson, and other members of the Earth family. There are also the Grand Year, Generals, Crane Spirit, Great White, Nine Liang, Sword Edge, Male and Female, Imperial Nine Layers, Metal Spirit, Fire and Blood, Body Yellow, Fate Collision, Three Sha, Seven Sha, Yellow Banner, Leopard Tail, Flying Lian, and Knife and Anvil. These Earth-family spirits and baleful forces are associated with the land, directions, and taboos tied to particular times and days. When people dig or build, consult the divination for a site, or undertake construction, even a slight offense against them may bring illness, or even death. As long as one recites this scripture, all the spirits will respond; the seasons, terrain, and Yin-Yang will no longer impose taboos, and nothing will be forbidden.

The commentary says: Whenever ordinary people undertake construction, they are bound to offend some spirits or baleful forces. Calamity may strike at once: in severe cases, it may cost them their lives; even in less serious cases, they may face a lawsuit. How could anyone fail to take care? Write the talismanic seals and observe the prescribed rites, then recite the scripture in prayer, and all taboos can be avoided.

The explanation of its meaning says: The Celestial Worthy cherishes living beings so deeply that he speaks of such matters in this degree of detail. The scripture also says that while people live, they depend on the land, and after death, they return to it, yet they do not realize that the harm arising from the land can sometimes be especially grave. This is because the land is suited to stillness and should not be disturbed without cause.

The explanation continues: Everyone knows that Heaven covers the Earth. What the Celestial Worthy teaches is that the harm caused by disturbing the land can be especially grave, because the land is suited to stillness and should not be disturbed without cause.

The commentary explains that the Celestial Worthy is a revered deity among the Nine Heavens, who governs the Three Realms of Heaven, Earth, and Humanity. The Nine Mound Sovereigns, their dependents and retainers, and many baleful spirits may harm people. The Celestial Worthy therefore uses jade writings and sacred registers to suppress and dispel these malign forces, so that people of every rank can go about their daily lives with fewer taboos and calamities.

The hymn says that all things arise from Wu and Ji, the Heavenly Stems associated with Earth. Accidentally violating a taboo may bring disaster. Fortunately, the True Writ of the Celestial Worthy of Universal Transformation offers protection; without it, every place could become a scene of bones scattered across the ground.

The Celestial Worthy says that when people marry, offending baleful spirits such as Xianchi and Tiangou, encountering inauspicious configurations such as the Three Punishments, Six Harms, or Separated Corners, or suffering an imbalance of Yin and Yang or obstruction by the Heavenly Net and Earthly Snare may make it difficult to have children, or even leave a person alone for life. Those who hope for a male heir may recite this scripture. The Great Deities of the Nine Heavens who Watch Over Births and other divine beings will summon spirits and subdue malign influences, enabling people to have virtuous children.

During childbirth, the deity Taiyi guards the doorway, while the deity Siming watches over the courtyard. If childbirth is obstructed by karmic grudges, ghosts, taboos, or calamities, reciting this scripture can invoke the Nine Heavens to protect the birthing room. The Holy Mother will also offer hidden protection and carry the infant safely into the world, ensuring a smooth and peaceful delivery. It is said that while still swaddled, infants may be troubled by fifteen kinds of ghosts under the command of the Sandalwood Spirit King, leaving them prone to convulsions and spasms. This scripture should also be recited to seek protection for them.

The commentary adds that marriage and childbirth may both be affected by baleful spirits. Those who do not know the auspicious directions or have failed to avoid the year’s Tai Sui may accidentally violate a taboo and invite serious misfortune. They should promptly recite the scripture and burn talismans to dispel it, seeking safety and good fortune.

The discussion of its principles says that good and ill fortune intermingle. Those facing difficulties in marriage or childbirth, or unable to conceive, may recite the Celestial Worthy’s sacred title and pray for these obstacles to be dispelled.

The commentary explains that marriage and descendants among humankind are also matters governed by the Celestial Worthy. Marriage, childbearing, and raising children are no small matters. People do not understand this and persist in privately matching and choosing partners, thereby causing many errors. If they transgress, spouses may be separated and children may be difficult to have. They should recite the Precious Scripture and burn sacred talismans to dispel their transgressions. Then husband and wife can live in harmony, and their descendants can prosper and live in peace.

The hymn says: The bond between husband and wife is a great matter in human relationships, and children are one’s own flesh and blood. To bring harmony to the family, one should take refuge in and honor the Precious Scripture of the Jade Pivot.

The Celestial Worthy says: If strange disturbances arise in someone’s home—birds or mice behaving unnaturally, snakes or insects causing trouble, bricks and tiles being hurled, or chickens and dogs being startled—and someone uses these events to demand offerings, even frightening people with shadows or tormenting them in dreams, leading to adultery, theft, and other misdeeds, then these demons and malevolent beings have taken over the dwelling and made it their nest, confusing its inhabitants and leaving the household in turmoil. At night they cry out from the roof beams; by day they spy on the house. Even cattle, horses, dogs, and pigs may be struck by pestilence. Calamities spread to one’s own flesh and blood and may even endanger the breeding of livestock. Licentious shrines and evil altars—places of worship that violate orthodox rites and altars devoted to malevolent spirits—join together to shelter wicked gods. Mourners arrive one after another, and funeral carts follow in an unending procession. If this scripture is recited, ghosts, monsters, and spirits will be destroyed, and both people and all living things will be at peace.

The commentary says that such households fail to observe the proper human relationships and the righteous Way, and show no reverence for Heaven, Earth, or the spirits. They favor foul and rank foods, indulge in depravity and sexual misconduct, kill living beings, disregard public law, seek only private gain, and do evil as they please. Thus they incur the resentment of ghosts and spirits, and malevolent beings gather to cause trouble. If they can repent and confess their offenses, recite the scripture, and burn talismans, disorder will cease, and both the people and the household’s livestock will be at peace.

The explanation of the principle says: When walls are damaged, thieves can easily enter; when evil karma is heavy, ghosts and spirits are easily drawn in, bringing calamity upon the household’s livestock and unsettling its household gods. The Celestial Worthy does not withhold grace just because a matter seems small. Recite the scripture often, and calamities can be brought to an end.

The commentary says: When righteous Qi (vital energy) is abundant, it is upright and great like the Way of Heaven, and evil spirits dare not intrude. People sometimes fail to manage their homes properly and offend the gods, so that the six household deities—the spirits who protect the home—can no longer dwell there in peace. Evil influences then take advantage of the opening and enter. In some places, rat spirits, snake monsters, and other entities cause disturbances, throwing things and alarming the family. They may even subject household members to sinister influences, cloud their minds, and bring about unforeseen calamities. Evil spirits may also steal household possessions or move things from place to place. Such disturbances can attract baleful spirits such as the Funeral Guest and the Gate of Mourning, which preside over misfortune and death, and let them wreak havoc at will. In such circumstances, reciting the Precious Scripture and burning jade talismans (Daoist talismans) can bring peace to the family and its possessions.

The hymn says: When people do evil, evil spirits arise along with it; when people do good, they follow the Way of Heaven. If people suddenly suffer such a calamity, they should write numinous talismans and recite the Precious Scripture.

The Celestial Worthy says: “Generals of the Nine Heavens’ Thunder, Generals of the Five Directions’ Thunder, Generals of the Eight Directions’ Cloud and Thunder, Envoys of the Five Directions’ Savage Thunder, Chief Commanders of the Thunder Bureau, and Judge Mo Zuan: hear this command and issue your orders. Act with the speed of wind and fire. You may punish evil spirits in temples and strike down monsters at altars. Wherever there is a monster, remove it; wherever there is a spirit causing trouble, drive it away. In the final age, the Way of the teachings has declined, and all kinds of shamans have flourished. Evil arts have spread, secretly using curse rituals and prayers to cause harm. Therefore, Shangqing (a major Daoist school) has a court for extending Heaven’s prohibition against ghosts and investigating treachery, as well as a chamber where the Thearch Lord binds demons and examines evil arts. Those who can recite this scripture will see an immediate response, like an echo answering a sound.”

The commentary says: The scripture has twenty-one sections in all, and the Celestial Worthy usually speaks directly in them. Only this chapter is specially introduced with the words “The Celestial Worthy says.” This is to praise the mighty virtue of the Thunder Generals, envoys, and judge, who carry out commands and respond swiftly; for this reason, the chapter does not use the usual wording. Shamans of this kind practice evil arts and fabricate demonic tales. They also use curse rituals and prayers to ruin marriages or use enchantments to lure women into illicit relations. When faced with such wicked shamans, reciting the Precious Scripture and burning talismans will prompt the Thunder Bureau to swiftly destroy the evil spirits and carry out retribution, restoring peace.

The explanation of the principle says: Heaven and Earth are impartial and assist only those who have virtue. Retribution for good and evil comes swiftly, following like a shadow or answering like an echo. Those who cultivate the Dao should observe the mind of Heaven and understand their own original nature. Then calamities will be dispelled, and blessings and prosperity will arrive.

The commentary says: This chapter speaks of peace.

Heaven and Earth show no partiality; they help only those who possess De. Good and evil each receive their due, as swiftly as a shadow follows a person or an echo answers a sound. If those who cultivate the Dao can grasp Heaven’s intent and understand their own original nature, calamities will be dispelled, and blessings and good fortune will come.

This chapter says that the Celestial Worthy personally praises the sacred majesty of the Thunder Office, the divine bureau that governs thunder. Slaying ghosts and evil spirits, raising clouds, and sending down rain are all carried out only after the Celestial Worthy issues the command. Today, people in the world and members of the Daoist community alike struggle to tell right from wrong. Some use improper arts, corrupting human relations and violating Heaven’s laws. Reciting this treasured scripture and burning talismans brings an immediate response, swift as an echo answering a sound. How could one fail to hold it in awe?

The Thunder Office clearly distinguishes good from evil, supports the good and punishes the wicked, and often destroys malign arts used to harm others. One should recite the Jade Pivot Scripture frequently.

The Celestial Worthy says: There are twenty-five kinds of plague in Heaven and on Earth; twenty-four kinds of gu poison in Heaven and on Earth; and thirty-six kinds of consumption illness in Heaven and on Earth. Those who can recite this scripture can clear away plague, dispel gu poison, and ease consumption illness. One should recite the Jade Pivot Scripture frequently.

The Celestial Worthy says further: Plague, gu poison, and consumption illness in Heaven and on Earth number twenty-five, twenty-four, and thirty-six kinds respectively. Reciting this scripture can clear away plague, dispel gu poison, and cure consumption illness. Each of these illnesses also has its own cause: it may be linked to deceased family members, lingering corpse Qi, malevolent influences arising from disputes over graves or from tombs, or contamination by the souls of the dead and the attraction of corpse Qi. These ghosts and spirits may cling relentlessly out of grief or resentment, invading the human body through malign Qi. When they find an opening, they can wreak havoc. This scripture therefore reaches upward to the Three Heavens, the celestial realms described in Daoist teaching, and downward to the Nine Springs, the underworld. It can deliver the souls of the dead and ferry ancestors to transcendence. The Most High will dispatch the Great General of the Plain Cart and White Horse, a guardian spirit, to oversee this work.

The commentary explains: Whenever ordinary people suffer from plague, gu poison, or consumption illness, there is a cause behind the disease. In severe cases, it can even wipe out an entire household and bring disaster upon the six degrees of kin. If one recites the scripture with sincerity, allowing it to reach upward to the Three Heavens and downward to the Nine Springs, it can deliver the souls of the dead and ferry ancestors to transcendence. The Most High will dispatch the Great General of the Plain Cart and White Horse to oversee and protect this work.

The Commentary says: When ordinary people contract plague, gu poisoning, or consumptive disease, there is always a cause. In severe cases, the illness may even wipe out an entire household and spread to its relatives. If people sincerely recite the scripture and burn talismans, the Thunder Bureau will send divine generals riding white horses and traveling in white carriages to rescue them, sparing them these sufferings.

The Explanation of the Principles says: Plague, gu poisoning, and consumptive disease have existed since ancient times. If people sincerely purify themselves, recite sacred scriptures, and pay reverence to the Celestial Worthies, they will not suffer these afflictions.

The Interpretation says: “Wen” refers to abnormal pestilential Qi; “gu” refers to invisible insects or gu poison; and “zhai” refers to illnesses that are difficult to cure. The scripture holds that these calamities have existed since ancient times because epidemics spread repeatedly, corpse vapors contaminate the air, and resentments from graves implicate the living. “Repeated entanglement” means that calamities occur one after another, bringing great misfortune upon people. Since people in the world do not know how to pray for relief and dispel these afflictions, an entire household may be wiped out. “Grave litigation” refers to disasters caused by the grievances of seven generations of ancestors entangling their descendants. As for “corpse vapors,” the explanation says that coffins buried in the earth for many years can breed small insects. The insects may fly into food or fall into vessels; after people ingest them, they may contract gu illness. Therefore, when moving to a new home, people should recite scriptures and burn talismans to dispel these calamities.

The Eulogy says: Plague, gu poisoning, and consumptive disease are great sufferings in the world between Heaven and Earth. Calamities have their causes and are also connected with people’s actions. Reciting the profound scripture can deliver seven generations of ancestors from suffering, while the White Horse General will take on the duty of protecting them.

The Celestial Worthy says: When someone packs for a long journey, they may encounter robbers committing evil or suffer injury from weapons. On land, they may come across tigers, wolves, mountain spirits, and legendary creatures said to harm people, all baring their teeth and ready to devour. By water, they may meet flood dragons and enormous mythical aquatic beasts, which open their jaws and stir up wind and waves. They may also be harassed by the restless spirits of the wronged, or face storms and calamities. Some spirits lure people to their deaths, then seek the living as substitutes. If one devotes oneself to this scripture with faith and reveres it sincerely, journeys by land and water can be made safe, with every step bringing good fortune.

The commentary says: On land, people may encounter robbers, the ravages of war, snakes, tigers, dangerous legendary creatures, or mountain spirits. By water, they may meet flood dragons and enormous mythical aquatic beasts that stir up wind and waves. Restless spirits may seek release by seizing someone to take their place. Travelers may also suffer calamity or be swept by storms to a distant land. One may prepare talismans in advance and dissolve them in water or fire, or urgently recite the Celestial Worthy’s sacred name; these practices are said to dispel all kinds of calamity at once.

The explanation of the underlying principle says: When going out, returning home, or carrying out daily activities, one should always be cautious. If one regularly upholds this scripture, how could disaster arise?

A further explanation says: Whether traveling or staying at home, one should act with care. Good fortune, misfortune, and hardship often arise from one’s actions, so particular attention is needed when traveling. Before setting out on a long journey, one should first recite the precious scripture and wear a protective talisman, seeking good fortune and success in all things along the way.

The hymn says: In the world, travel by land and water is often beset by unseen mischief from spirits and gods. By reciting the revered title of the Celestial Worthy of Universal Transformation and wearing a talismanic seal of the True Sovereign, one may pray for protection.

The Celestial Venerable said: When the sun blazes and a long drought holds, and the rains are slow in coming, reverent bowing and recitation of this scripture will bring down timely sweet rain. When yin clouds gather into calamity and the waters will not stop overflowing, reverent bowing and recitation of this scripture will bring timely clearing skies. When Zhurong (the god of fire) brings disaster, and flames leap toward the dwellings of the common people, and the Red Rat (a monstrous creature traditionally associated with fire calamities) appears within the city, startling and scorching the people, this scripture may be used to avert the disaster. When Hairuo (the god of the sea) loses all restraint, and fish and turtles wander in confusion, and floodwaters fill the sky, drowning the people, this scripture may be used to halt the flood.

The commentary says: This chapter embodies the Celestial Venerable's deep compassion for all living beings. A prolonged drought or endless rain is truly a sign that the qi of heaven and earth has fallen out of harmony. It may also arise because people's karmic obstructions are hard to dissolve, so that the Three Realms rage and calamities such as floods and landslides occur, with Zhurong stirring up trouble and the Red Rat working its monstrous mischief, leaving the people without peace. In such a lean year, one should recite this scripture and burn fulu (talismans and registers) written in the Daoist manner, so that sun and rain fall in due measure and the people are naturally settled.

The interpretation of principle says: When the cosmic Yin-Yang cycles go astray, as in the ravages of drought, these are all bound up with the offices of the celestial spirit-officials. When the qi of evil karma has not dispersed, the true Dao has not received its due honor. The Celestial Venerable turns the transformation of heaven and earth so as to nourish the myriad things and let life grow without end, and this compassionate heart is truly worthy of praise.

The explanatory commentary says: Changes in the weather are no small matter. Above, they concern the celestial court; below, they connect to the grotto-abodes (dwellings of the immortals), and they also depend on whether the Yin and Yang qi are in harmony. When drought or flood arrives, Daoist practitioners should solemnly establish a ritual altar (daochang), recite the numinous texts, and burn jade seal-script talismans, so that rain may fall in times of drought and clear skies may return in times of flooding.

The eulogy says: Floods and droughts concern heaven and earth. Recite the scripture with sincere devotion, and bright skies will come, or sweet rain will fall.

The Celestial Venerable (Tianzun) said: If people wish to be spared the three calamities of water, fire, and wind, as well as all manner of accidents and misfortunes, they should bow toward Beichen (the Northern Pole Star) on a quiet, clear night. Above Beichen are the Three Terrace Stars, which stand in a line, linked together and shaped like a pair of eyes. They are divided into upper, middle, and lower tiers and lie above the Dipper's bowl, which is why they are called the "Celestial Stairway" (Tianjie). Whoever is able to see them will, while alive, not suffer punishment or imprisonment, and after death will not sink into torment.

Within the Big Dipper (Beidou) there is also the Star of the Supreme Emperor, composed of two stars as large as a cartwheel. Whoever can see it will preserve their form and spirit and dwell long in the world, becoming an immortal of long life. One who takes refuge in this scripture and turns the mind single-heartedly toward the Pole Star will be able to respond to the spirits of the netherworld.

The Big Dipper is the pivot of Heaven, and within it lies the Tiangang star. Inside the Dipper it is called Lianzhen; outside it, it is called Pojun. The city of thunder has twelve gates, and whether each gate is auspicious or inauspicious depends on the direction in which the Tiangang star points. For instance, when Tiangang points to the Chou position, the star itself stands at the Wei position: the position it points to is auspicious, and the position where Tiangang itself stands is inauspicious. The other directions follow the same pattern. Whoever can see the Tiangang star will live a thousand years.

The annotation explains that Beichen is the Northern Pole Star. The Chen stars have five positions, and among them the Emperor's Throne Star is itself located at the Wei position. The position it points to is auspicious, and the position it occupies is inauspicious, with the other directions reckoned in the same way. Whoever can see it will live a thousand years.

The commentary explains that Beichen is the North Star, also regarded as the seat of the Heavenly Emperor (Tiandi). It stands at the center of the heavens, its position fixed, while all the other stars revolve around it. The Big Dipper (Beidou) lies at the center of the sky and is described as the pivot of Heaven, governing the turning of the four seasons. Heaven and earth, sun and moon, the Five Planets, the constellations, the Six Jia cycles, the Twenty-Eight Lunar Mansions, the various immortals and perfected beings, and all living things from the Son of Heaven down to the common people have their lives, ranks and emoluments, wealth and poverty, life and death, and fortune and misfortune all placed under the general authority of the Big Dipper.

Taishang (the Most High) transmitted the scripture and oral formulas of the Big Dipper to the Celestial Master (Tianshi) Zhang Zhenjun. When people encounter danger, they may urgently report their plight to the Big Dipper, bow, and recite the names of their own Benming Zhenjun (the perfected lord of their birth destiny) to petition for safety. They may also receive the nurturing and protection of the Three Platform Stars (Santai).

The Three Platform Stars number six in all, divided into the Upper, Middle, and Lower Platforms, and are called the "Celestial Steps" (tianjie). They are regarded as the road by which Taishang ascends and descends, and they stretch across the second star of the Big Dipper. The Upper Platform is named Xujing, the Middle Platform Liuchun, and the Lower Platform Qusheng. These are the stars' personal taboo names. The scripture holds that knowing these names can dispel all evils and increase all goods, and that seeing the configuration of the Three Platforms ensures freedom from punishment and sorrow in this world and from suffering after death.

In practice, one should sit upright in a quiet room and visualize the Three Platform Stars covering the crown of the head. Then one visualizes the qi of the two kidneys rising from the chest and connecting with the Three Platforms. After sustained visualization, one clicks the teeth fourteen times, exhales gently through the nose, closes the mouth, and swallows the breath. Next one recites the incantation: "Jiejie rongrong, yuan qi changsheng, taixuan santai, chang fu wo xing, chu ru wanglai, wan shen xie rong." The scripture states that after five years of practice one may attain immortal bones, after seven years the refining of the elixir becomes complete, and after ten years one may ascend to Heaven. Afterward one kowtows and bows toward the stars, praying for the smooth success of all affairs.

The Big Dipper is also described as the refined essence of yin and yang, shining light across the nine directions and sheltering the ten heavens. Of its stars, seven are visible, while two remain hidden from view. Ordinary people can generally see only the seven and cannot see the two Honored Emperor Stars (Zundi Erxing). The commentary holds that these two hidden stars assist the Emperor and the Most Honored Morning Lord, and that they manifest the awe-inspiring spirit of the souls and souls-of-the-earth of heaven and earth. The Assistant Star (Fuxing), which governs Heaven, is named "Constant" (Chang), and the Corrector Star (Bixing), which governs Earth, is named "Void" (Kong). "Constant" is the spirit of the earthly po-souls of the Nine Earths, and "Void" is the essence of the heavenly hun-souls of the Nine Heavens. When heaven and earth are at peace, Void and Constant lie hidden; when heaven and earth fall out of harmony, they appear with brilliance. The changes of yin and yang and the alternation of the four seasons are also bound up with them.

These two stars hold a noble position and ordinarily remain concealed, and the Nine Heavens keep their spirit names secret. The scripture says that only high immortals and perfected beings who have attained the Dao can see them, and that those who chase fame and profit, or whose hearts are clouded, cannot receive their starlight. If a layperson happens to see them, he must never speak of it, for doing so will bring calamity, even subjecting him to the punishments of the hells and bringing the Three Offices' (Sanguan) punishments upon his parents as well.

The method of worshipping the two Honored Emperor Stars is as follows: on the night of the third and the twenty-seventh day of each month, one avoids other people, burns incense in the courtyard, bows, and recites the incantation: "Honored Emperor Stars, spirits of the North Pole. May I, your servant, soon behold you, and beholding you, attain long life. May blessings and joy be boundless, and may Heaven grant me long years." One should then sincerely recite this scripture silently. The commentary holds that by persisting over a long period, one may come to respond and see the two stars, while at the same time one must not reveal the names of the Celestial Pivot (Tiangang).

The Tiangang lies at the pivot of the Big Dipper. Its shape is opposite that of the Broken Army Star (Pojun), its color is red, and its body is somewhat larger. In each double-hour, as the handle of the Dipper points to one of the Twelve Earthly Branches, it turns without ceasing. The scripture says that the directions to which the Tiangang points rotate day and night. The Thunder City has twelve gates corresponding to the Earthly Branches, and when thunder is about to sound, it issues from the gate of the direction the Tiangang is pointing to at that moment.

For example, when the Tiangang is in the position of Wei, it faces the palace of Chou. The Tiangang's upright qi both gives life and takes life. The place it points toward is the "birth" direction, possessing life-giving qi, which may be used to treat illness and replenish deficiency, calm the spirit and benefit qi, and dispel calamity and extend life. The place where it is located has "killing" qi, which may be used to slay demons and expel evil, to suppress violence, and to subdue malign spirits. Therefore the scripture says that the place the Tiangang points to is auspicious, and the place where the Tiangang is located is inauspicious.

The Nine Luminaries (jiuyao, the nine principal stars) and the Three Terraces (santai, the names of star officials) govern the human body and regulate the transformations of all things. Those who cultivate the Dao (the Way) should worship and present petitions to them according to the proper rites, and their requests will be answered.

The Three Terraces hold a noble and important position. Two honored Emperor Stars (dixing) stand among the stars of the Northern Dipper (beidou). Why are they so highly esteemed? Because they are regarded as the hun and po of Heaven and Earth, and as the pivot of the operations of creation. Students of the Dao often know to devoutly worship the Divine Perfected and to pay homage to the Northern Dipper, but they do not understand that gazing upon these two venerable Emperor Stars is also a direct path of cultivation.

Beyond the Northern Dipper lies the Heavenly Outrigger (tiangang). It moves with the opening of the Thunder Gate (leimen) and points toward it. There are twelve Thunder Gates, corresponding to the twelve double-hours. The scripture's meaning is that the direction the Heavenly Outrigger points is auspicious, and the position where it rests is inauspicious; this refers to the Thunder Gate. Practitioners who wish to worship the Northern Dipper and gaze upon the stars should consult the commentary for the specific methods. Those who practice accordingly are said to prolong their lives and increase their blessings.

The profound principles of the Mysterious Gate (xuanmen, the Daoist teachings) are often said to be deep and difficult to grasp. When a practitioner's merit is complete and their cultivation is perfected, they should worship the Nine Luminaries.

The Heavenly Honored One (tianzun) says: When the world declines and the Dao's methods wane, people lack virtue (De). They are disloyal to their rulers, unfilial to their parents, disrespectful toward their teachers, unbrotherly toward their siblings, and unfaithful to their spouses...

The Celestial Honored One said: When the way of the world declines, the Dao and De (Virtue) grow feeble, and people lack virtuous conduct. They are not loyal to their rulers, do not honor their parents, do not respect their teachers and elders, do not love their brothers, are not truthful with their spouses, and keep no faith with their friends. They do not revere Heaven, Earth, and the spirits, do not pay homage to the sun, moon, and stars (the sun, moon, and stars together are called the "Three Lights"), and do not cherish grain. Some commit the "three bodily offenses" and speak the "four evil words" (the "three bodily and four verbal" faults refer to transgressions of body and speech). They use large scales to take in and small measures to give out, they take life, they give others only a little while grasping much for themselves, and they engage in treachery, licentiousness, deception, false accusation, and rebellion.

As these evil deeds progress from subtle to manifest, the Three Officials (the spirits who govern Heaven, Earth, and Water) record their transgressions, the Taiyi (a deity of the Daoist pantheon) submits the documents, and the person is then handed over to the Office of the Five Thunders for Beheading and Examination (the divine office charged with punishing and interrogating offenders through thunder rites). First they behead the spirit, then they examine the body. Beheading the spirit destroys the soul and drives the person into mental derangement, so that they lose their normal state. They become despised, loathed, and resented by others, and their corpses may even be struck by lightning and split apart. They are then made to haul water and drive carts, are inspected monthly and tested every ten days, and are further subjected to interrogation and punishment.

Merely hearing this scripture causes the karmic offenses to be extinguished. If someone has angered the Thunder Deities so that, after death, the corpse cannot be buried and neither water nor fire will accept it, one should recite the name "Celestial Honored One of the Universal Transforming Thunder Sound of the Nine Heavens Responding to the Primal" and visualize the following: all the myriad spirits bow to me and together obey my commands.

The commentary says: When a person commits a transgression, they ought by rights to receive severe punishment. Would the Celestial Treasury (Tianfu), which governs the thunderbolts, strike down each person one by one? The same holds for those who are executed for their crimes, or who meet with calamities such as warfare, flood, or fire rather than dying a natural death. When a person first commits minor wrongs and does not correct them, the accumulation over days and months grows into grave offenses. Once the offenses have come to light and the person still does not repent, the Three Officials and Supreme One (Sanguan Taiyi), the divine officials who examine and record the good and evil deeds of humankind, investigate the case and transmit documents to the Office of the Five Thunders (Wulei zhi Si), the divine office in charge of thunder-based punishment. That office first destroys the person's spirit-soul. When the time is ripe, the punishment is carried out, and the souls of the dead are handed to the Thunder Office, which drives them onward and flogs them under interrogation.

If a person can amend their faults, turn toward goodness, and wholeheartedly uphold this scripture, their offenses may be erased. Should men or women who have been struck by thunder find that their headcloths, hats, hair, and beards were not burned, they may also petition the Heavenly Venerable (Tianzun) and ask the Venerable to render judgment personally. All the gods obey the Venerable's command.

The Yijie (Commentary on Meaning) says: The Three Bonds and Five Constants (the ethical norms upheld in traditional society) are principles unchanged for all ages, so how could one go against them and act recklessly? Grain sustains the livelihood of the common people and is also a treasure of the state, so how could it not be cherished and protected? In recent times the social mood has grown shallow. People are disloyal and unfilial, unrighteous and unkind. They prize extravagance, despise frugality and simplicity, belittle virtue, and grow accustomed to deceit, so calamities follow one upon another. Why not reflect on these principles? The Heavenly Venerable has graciously opened a true path for people. If they follow it, these manifold evils will not arise.

The Shiyi (Explanatory Commentary) says: Human beings live between Heaven and Earth, receiving the two breaths of Yin and Yang and possessing the Five Constant Virtues of benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness. They ought to practice benevolence and righteousness and to keep to loyalty and filial piety. Why, then, would they recklessly abandon their lives and commit all manner of acts contrary to the proper Way? Those whose offenses are grave will provoke the wrath of the Thunder Office, and their corpses will be exposed in the marketplace. Those whose offenses are lighter will still face the penalties of the government. Therefore, good deeds may be done, and evil deeds must not be undertaken rashly. The Thunder Office drives those who lack benevolence, while gentlemen who do good should receive protection and deliverance. Whenever someone invokes the name of the Heavenly Venerable, the gods all respectfully listen and obey.

The hymn says: Loyalty and filial piety should serve as the foundation, and the transformations of Yin-Yang are the very heaven and earth in which we live. To dispel the many evil karmas, one need not necessarily recite the Nanhua Zhenjing (the Daoist honorific title for the Zhuangzi).

The Heavenly Venerable (Tianzun) says: The merit of this scripture is inconceivable. In past kalpas, the Great Emperor of Long Life, True King of Jade Clarity of the Divine Empyrean (Shenxiao Yuqing Zhenwang Changsheng Dadi), proclaimed it. When an adept who has attained the Dao transmits this scripture, each should offer gold and silk as a gift, swear an oath before Heaven, and transmit it with solemn care.

Thunder Master Hao (Lei Shi Haoweng) knelt for a long time, bowed, and again reported to the Heavenly Venerable: Wherever this scripture is enshrined, the Earth God and the Director of Destiny should be charged with guarding it at every place, and the generals of the Thunder Ministry should inspect and verify it at set times. If a household enshrines this scripture and keeps it with utmost sincerity, auspicious vapors will fill the courtyard, auspicious clouds will shelter the eaves, calamity and turmoil will not arise, and blessings will gather. When such a person dies, they need not pass through the hells. Why? Because after death they can be reborn and turned toward a good destiny, and this efficacy is owed entirely to the divine power of the Heavenly Venerable.

Whether going out or coming in, or in everyday life, one who carries this scripture is respected by others and inspires awe in ghosts and spirits. When facing dangers and calamities of any kind, one need only single-mindedly recite the name "Heavenly Venerable of the Nine Heavens, Who Responds to the Primal Origin, Universal Transformer of the Thunder Sound" (Jiutian Yingyuan Leisheng Puhua Tianzun), and one can escape from peril.

The commentary says that the Heavenly Venerable (Tianzun), out of vast compassion, spoke this precious scripture so that it might benefit the heavens above and rescue living beings below. Those truly resolved to cultivate the Dao who receive this scripture should offer gold and silk as a token of their sincerity, and then swear an oath before the heavens of the ten directions, after which the teaching may be transmitted. The gold and silk serve only to display sincerity and to pledge before Heaven; their quantity is not what matters. Though the offering is modest, the vow made with it is solemn. The Great Sage was not stingy with the scripture or unwilling to have it widely transmitted; rather, he feared people would treat it with disrespect, and so he repeatedly issued solemn warnings. The Thunder Master should have the Earth Lord (Tudi) and the Director of Destiny (Siming), the deities who govern local lands and the life spans and fates of people, guard this scripture in every place. If someone serves the Heavenly Venerable and recites the scripture and the Venerable's names, moving the Holy Perfected to descend into their courtyard, auspicious clouds will encircle the place. Those who follow the scripture's teachings while alive will, after death, return to the good path. If, further, one follows the ritual to draw talismans (fulu) and copy this scripture, and wears it on the body with utmost sincerity, one can avoid all kinds of calamity and earn the respect of both humans and spirits.

The interpretation of meaning explains that this chapter aims to teach sincerity and the avoidance of deception. Later students of the Dao should act in accordance with the scripture's text, so that they may hope not to stray from the correct path.

The explanatory gloss says that Thunder Master Haoweng (a deity of the Thunder Department) respectfully listened to the Heavenly Venerable expound the supreme teaching, and his heart was filled with joy. He then knelt long and reported again to the Venerable: "From now on, those resolved to cultivate the Dao who receive this scripture should offer gold and silk to show their sincerity and swear an oath before Heaven, and only then should the scripture be transmitted. Wherever this scripture is kept, the Earth Lord and the Director of Destiny should guard it everywhere, and the divine generals of the Thunder Department should inspect it on schedule. If it is upheld and recited in this way, the household will be blessed and the ancestors will be able to ascend. Those who carry this scripture will be respected by the world, and ghosts and spirits will also stand in awe and submit. When facing peril, one need only invoke the Heavenly Venerable's name to be delivered. Therefore, the merit of this scripture is inconceivable."

The verse of praise says: What is precious is not gold, but a utterly sincere heart. Those who first enter the gate of the Dao to study often suffer harassment from external demons. If one sincerely swears an oath before heaven and earth, before long one will hear the jade voice (the Venerable's teaching).

Then Leishi Haoweng spoke before the Heavenly Venerable, saying:

"O Jade Pure Sovereign, Supreme and Unsurpassed, who governs the thirty-six heavens! The Ninth Heaven's Universal Transformation Lord manifests in the ten directions of the world, hair unbound, riding the qilin, barefoot across layer upon layer of ice. He grasps the Qi of the Ninth Heavens; with a whistle he summons the winds, and with a crack of his whip the thunder shakes. By the power of wisdom he subdues demons and spirits of every kind, and he rescues the souls sunk in the long darkness, bringing benefit to all beings. The Venerable's grace is like the waters of the Milky Way, vast and boundless, as though a thousand eyes reflected a thousand bright moons. I vow that in ages yet to come I will forever propagate the Venerable's teaching."

After Leishi Haoweng finished reciting this gatha (a rhymed verse of praise for the Heavenly Venerable), the commentary explains that this chapter tells of the Venerable subduing demons and spirits through wisdom, delivering souls from the long night, and benefiting all beings. His grace is as vast as the waters of the Milky Way, like a thousand eyes mirroring a thousand moons, and he vows to propagate the Venerable's teaching in ages to come.

The commentary further notes that Leishi Haoweng suddenly attained understanding, and so composed a gatha extolling the Venerable's immeasurable merit in cherishing life and widely practicing goodness. The meaning of the verse is clear and fluent, its language ornate, and the greatness of its merit is difficult to fully describe.

The interpretive exposition explains that the Venerable's virtue cannot be described by concrete things, so Leishi Haoweng uses the Milky Way as a metaphor, intending to show that the Venerable's primordial Qi is pure, noble, and supremely luminous.

Thunder Master Haowong (Leishi Haowong): Awed by the spiritual powers of the Heavenly Venerable (Tianzun), the author could not find words adequate to praise them, and so composed this gatha (ji, verse). Our Heavenly Venerable governs the Thirty-Six Heavens and transforms the worlds of the ten directions. When touring the heavens, he wears his deep-blue hair loose and rides a qilin; when inspecting the Nine Springs, he walks barefoot across layer upon layer of ice. Holding the "Qi of the Nine Heavens" refers to the wish-granting implement that emits golden radiance. Summoning wind and calling thunder are the commands issued by the Heavenly Venerable. Slaying ghosts and demons, relieving the myriad beings, and bringing blessings to the people are all works by which the Heavenly Venerable benefits sentient beings. The waters of the Milky Way are invisible to people and cannot be measured, profound and mysterious. "A thousand eyes and a thousand moon wheels" means that all sentient beings and all who believe in the teaching feel as though the Heavenly Venerable stands before their eyes. May his vast vow to propagate the Heavenly Venerable's teaching endure forever.

The commentary on the verse says: In praising the Heavenly Venerable, this gatha is truly well written. The Heavenly Venerable transforms all things universally, vast and boundless; since the remote kalpas of antiquity, he has ever upheld the one Dao and Qi.

The Heavenly Venerable declares: This scripture has circulated in the world, yet people do not yet understand it. I now govern the Palace of Responding to Origin of the Nine Heavens (Jiutian Yingyuan Fu), the divine palace under the Heavenly Venerable's jurisdiction. Within it are the Thunder Gate envoys of the Nine Heavens, assisted by the Recorder of Registers and the Investigator of Examinations. There are also four bureaus: the first is the Bureau of Surplus Extraction, the second the Bureau of Accumulated Arrests, the third the Bureau of Unjust Wrongs, and the fourth the Bureau of Retribution. Each bureau is headed by a Grand Master (Daifu) who oversees its affairs. All the matters I govern are jointly assisted by divine officials of the ranks of Minister, Master, Envoy, and Assistant, thereby accomplishing the transformation of heaven and earth.

The commentary explains: The Heavenly Venerable himself clarifies that the bureau officials, soldiers and generals, and clerks each have their own duties, and that matters of good and evil are likewise governed by their corresponding departments. Therefore, the great authority over life and death is commanded by the Heavenly Venerable, and the myriad spirits of the Three Realms all obey.

The explanatory commentary says: In this chapter, the Heavenly Venerable explains that good and evil and merit and achievement each fall under their own departments, and that the assembled spirits jointly assist the transformation of heaven and earth.

The exegetical notes say: The question-and-answer of this chapter has concluded. So that later students may know the departments and subordinate officials the Heavenly Venerable governs, the relevant contents are listed below. Whatever is sought through prayer, each bureau...

The commentary holds that this chapter is spoken by the Heavenly Venerable (Tianzun) in person, explaining that the deeds of good and evil in the world and the various merits are each overseen by a corresponding spirit office, and that each office performs its own duties to assist Heaven and Earth in nourishing the myriad things. After the questions in the scripture have been addressed, the Venerable, concerned that later students may not understand the domains under each spirit office, explains them one by one. Whenever someone makes a petition, the officials of each office and the thunder-department soldiers, upon hearing the Venerable's command, carry out their orders and help Heaven and Earth in their nurturing work.

A eulogy says: The Celestial Court has established the offices, each governing the thunderbolts, and the Wind Spirit, the Fire Spirit, and Feilian (a wind deity of ancient legend) obey the command. They reward good deeds and punish evil ones as swiftly as a shadow follows the body. The laws of the Nine Heavens do not bend to personal favor.

When the Venerable finished expounding this scripture, heavenly flowers drifted down over the Jade Brahma Seven-Jewel Terrace (a high Daoist altar adorned with seven precious materials), and fragrant incense curled through the air. The Celestial Sovereigns of the ten directions all praised it, saying, "Excellent!" The heavenly dragons, ghosts and spirits, the assembled thunder-department officials, and all the numinous beings of the Three Realms rejoiced, received it with faith, and resolved to practice it in accordance with the scripture.

The commentary explains that once the scripture was complete, the Celestial Sovereigns and the ghosts and spirits of the thunder department all marveled and withdrew in joy. Any fellow cultivator who accords with the Dao, and any person who believes in the Dao and practices goodness, who encounters this precious scripture should purify the heart, cleanse away distracting thoughts, and recite the text with utmost sincerity. In this way, calamities will not arise, and one may preserve life over the long term.

The commentary further states that after the scripture has been proclaimed and its teachings praised, the Three Realms and the ten directions will each attain their proper place. Students who are fortunate enough to encounter this precious scripture and the Jade Seal script (the talismanic writing of Daoism) may observe purification fasting to cleanse the mind and remove distracting thoughts, prepare clear water and fresh flowers as offerings, and then recite the text and write out the talismans according to the prescribed rites. In this way, the various calamities will not arise, and many good fortunes will gather. Those who cultivate the Dao should attune themselves to the heart of Heaven, wash themselves with a pure mind, study the true script, and seek its profound principles. Since this is so, they should wholeheartedly uphold this scripture so that its transforming teachings may spread ever more widely.

This precious scripture is written in jade seal script (yuzhuan). Without the decree of the Upper Realms of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), namely the Heaven of Qingwei, the Heaven of Yuyu, and the Heaven of Dachi, and without the command of the True King of Yuqing, it could not be transmitted to the world or used to teach living beings. The meaning of the text has now been corrected and the commentary made clear, and the jade seals and golden patterns shine brightly. Should not all who petition the gods fast, purify their hearts, and read this profound scripture with reverence?

The Adept Daoling, who holds the office of Director of Merit and sits in the Left Court, applied his own primordial spirit (shenyuan), which condensed into a radiant essence. The universal merit of the Heavenly Venerable was also recorded on this day, and the Perfected of the successive sagely generations, Shuli, stand at his left. Reciting this scripture must not be done carelessly or with disrespect. The serious consequence is heavenly punishment, and the lesser one is calamity falling upon oneself.

The eulogy says: The precious scripture is complete, and all people praise its goodness. It removes calamity and pardons transgressions, sending misfortune away and bringing blessing.

Collected Commentary on the Precious Scripture of the Jade Pivot of the Heavenly Venerable of Thunder Sound, Universal Transformation, Responding to the Nine Heavens, Volume Two

Auspicious Efficacious Chapter of Completion

In the past, when reciting the scripture, one should always hold sincere reverence in one's thoughts. If the scripture is treated with disrespect, the consequence is heavenly punishment, and the lesser one is calamity falling upon oneself.

The eulogy says: The precious scripture is complete, and all people praise its goodness. It removes calamity and pardons transgressions, sending misfortune away and bringing blessing.

Collected Commentary on the Precious Scripture of the Jade Pivot of the Heavenly Venerable of Thunder Sound, Universal Transformation, Responding to the Nine Heavens, Volume Two

Auspicious Efficacious Chapter of Completion

When reciting the scripture, sincere reverence must be maintained from beginning to end. Thousands of Perfected immortals listen together, and myriads of sages respond with spiritual resonance. The Responding Primordial unites the vital breath (qi), and Universal Transformation divides into forms. The Nine Heavens hold the mandate, and the Three Realms act according to its command. Calamity is removed, transgressions are confessed and pardoned, blessings are sought, and life is prolonged. When merit is fully accomplished and good deeds are perfected, one is certified by the Great Dao (Dao).

Talismans (Fulu)

Each time a talisman is written, incense should be burned and deep reverence cultivated, and the scripture should be recited sincerely: recite from the beginning of the scripture through the third chapter, then recite the chapter corresponding to the matter one is petitioning for. Afterward, visualize the precious image of the Heavenly Venerable in the mind, chant the Dispatch Spell of the Celestial Sovereign aloud, and then write the talisman. In ordinary times, the talisman should be carefully wrapped in yellow paper, and it is unfolded only when used. Each of the talismans below follows this same procedure.

Chapter One: To study the Dao and aspire to become an immortal.

Chapter Two: To summon the Nine Numinous and Three Essences.

When one's birthday in the sexagenary cycle (benming) arrives, one should strictly observe fasting, recite the scripture, invoke the name of the Heavenly Venerable, and then write the talisman and burn it.

Chapter Three: To dissolve the conflicts, clashes, harms, and offenses among the Five Phases and the Nine Luminaries.

Chapter Four: For chronic illness, curses, and entanglements of enmity.

Chapter Five: To eliminate disputes arising from gossip and quarrels in speech.

To exorcise the Earth Sovereign spirit-afflictions (tuhuang shensha), which are tied to taboos concerning the earth and the directions, one must observe the prohibitions and must not burn the associated offerings.

Chapter Three addresses the mutual overcoming and conflict among the Five Phases (wuxing) and the Nine Luminaries (jiuyao), as well as clashes, punishments, and disharmony between the stars and signs.

Chapter Four addresses illnesses that have resisted long treatment, as well as the entanglements of curses and enmities.

Chapter Five removes disputes arising from quarrels and gossip.

Chapter Six exorcises the taboos brought on by the Earth Sovereign spirit-afflictions.

Chapter Seven prays for offspring, protects pregnant women, prevents difficult childbirth, and blesses infants.

Chapter Eight destroys bird demons and serpent calamities.

Chapter Nine drives away ghosts and goblins, subdues evil spirits, and destroys the nightmare-inducing sorcery and incantations practiced by wicked shamans.

Chapter Ten removes gu poisons, consumptive diseases, and other afflictions, and delivers ancestors and departed spirits.

Chapter Eleven prays for safe passage by water and by land.

Chapter Twelve prays for rain or clear skies and halts floods and fires.

Chapter Thirteen concerns observing the stars overhead and paying homage to the Big Dipper (Beidou).

Chapter Fourteen concerns hearing scripture recited in order to erase accumulated sins.

Chapter Fifteen concerns wearing and enshrining scriptural talismans to invite good fortune, so that people are respected and ghosts and spirits are awed.

The section on Joining in Marriage prays for the continuation of marriage and harmony between husband and wife.

Any infant still in swaddling clothes who is disturbed by the fifteen kinds of demons under the throne of the Sandalwood Divine King (Zhantan Shenwang) may suffer repeated convulsions and seizures, and for this reason this scripture should be recited.

On careful examination of the Shizang Huzhu Tongzi Jing (Scripture on Protecting Children, from the Buddhist Canon), the text records that beneath the throne of the Sandalwood Divine King are fifteen kinds of demons, each with a different appearance, who roam the human world and frighten infants and young children with terrifying forms. If a person recites the scripture sincerely and burns the talismans, these calamities can be averted.

The first is called Mizhoujia, which takes the form of an ox. When it disturbs a child, the child's eyes will roll.

The second is called Mijiwang, which takes the form of a lion. When it disturbs a child, the child will vomit repeatedly.

The third is called Qiantuo, which resembles Kumarakumara, a protective deity. When it startles a child, the child's shoulders will tremble without pause.

The fourth is called Abosimolo, which takes the form of a wild fox. When it disturbs a child, the child will foam at the mouth.

The fifth is called Mouzhijia, which takes the form of a macaque. When it disturbs a child, the child's fists will clench and cannot be opened.

The sixth is called Mozhijia, which resembles a rakshasa woman, a fierce demonic being. When it disturbs a child, the child will bite its own tongue.

The seventh is called Yanmijia, which takes the form of a horse. When it disturbs a child, the child will alternate between crying and laughing.

The eighth is named Kamini. Shaped like a woman, it harasses children and makes them fond of being close to women. The ninth is named Libopi. Shaped like a dog, it harasses children and takes on many different forms. The tenth is named Fuduona. Shaped like a pig, it harasses children, causing them to startle, become frightened, and cry in their sleep. The eleventh is named Mandunanti. Shaped like a cat, it harasses children, making them cry and laugh by turns in their sleep. The twelfth is named Sheijiuni. Shaped like a bird, it harasses children and makes them refuse to nurse.

The thirteenth is named Jianzhabo'ni. Shaped like a rooster, it makes children cry, and it also makes their throats sound as if they were blocked. The fourteenth is named Mukhamancha. Shaped like a xunhu (a smoke-colored fox), it harasses children and causes fever and diarrhea from seasonal qi. The fifteenth is named Lanpo. Shaped like a snake, it harasses children and causes frequent hiccups and dry heaves.

The contents of the Leiting Yujing (Jade Scripture of the Thunderpeal) that Xuanyangzi obtained are as described above, and it must have a transmission lineage of its own. He did not keep the scripture for himself but was preparing to have it printed for circulation, which shows how deep his generous wish to benefit others is. Although I do not yet know him personally, I have already come to understand his intention, and I know he is no ordinary person.

Still, the Supreme Dao cannot be fully expressed in words, and the finest language has no fixed form. To truly grasp and clarify its profundity depends on the individual. Since you have already gained some understanding from words and texts, you should go further and cultivate direct experience of the Dao beyond words and texts. I hope others will not regard you as clinging to outward appearances or fixated on the written word; this is my earnest hope for you. Continue to strive.

Dated the first day of the Shangyuan festival in the guiyou year of the Zhishun era, inscribed by Taixuanzi, the thirty-ninth-generation Celestial Master (Tianshi).