《元始天尊说北方真武妙经》

I respectfully petition the Great Sage of the Mysterious Heavens (the Great Emperor Zhenwu): you are the supreme numinous deity transformed from the Water De (Virtue/Power) of the northern stems Ren and Gui, the True Worthy of the Golden Portal manifested in the human world, also called the Unsurpassed General, Zhenwu. Your divine majesty is resplendent, and you are styled the Lord of Great Yin, gathering the quintessence of the lunar mansions Xu and Wei. Your eyes are like lightning and can subdue hosts of demons; the troops under your command are like clouds, their awe shaking the nine earths. You wear a purple robe, a golden belt at your waist, and a divine sword; the dark tortoise and the great serpent uphold and guard your sacred feet. The Jade Maidens of the Six Ding attend you on either side, and the Generals of the Eight Killings guard you before and behind. You dispel calamity and bestow blessings, and your numinous powers are beyond conception. With a single heart I take refuge in you and offer devout worship.

At that time, on the fifteenth day of the seventh month in the first year of Longhan, the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning sat securely upon a seat formed of five-colored auspicious clouds in the Shangyuan Hall of the Celestial Palace of the Eight Effulgences. The Thirty-six Celestial Emperors, the Perfected of the Ten Extremes, countless great gods who fly through heaven, together with jade lads and jade maidens, all stood in attendance on either side, assembled together. The sound of the Dharma arose, and celestial music played of itself. The assembly gathered joyfully in the Shangyuan Hall, listening in stillness as the Celestial Worthy proclaimed the unsurpassed, true, and wondrous Dharma.

At this moment, from the northeast of the Shangyuan Celestial Palace there suddenly came seven successive peals, and the gate of heaven abruptly opened. The assembly looked downward and saw, in the human world, a mingled vapor of darkness, poisonous evil, blood-light, and defilement rising obscurely from the northeast, surging straight to the heavens, swirling and condensing, and lingering long without dispersing. All were greatly astonished, silent and speechless, not daring to open their mouths to inquire.

At this time, among those assembled there was a Perfected One named Miaoxing. Fully endowed with majestic virtue, he was revered by all the heavens. He stepped forward out of the ranks, holding a ceremonial tablet, knelt at full length, and addressed the Celestial Worthy: “This is clearly the pure and tranquil realm of the Great Yang Dao (the Way). How can this black toxic Qi (vital energy) coil together and surge upward? What is the reason? I earnestly beg the Most Holy Celestial Worthy to explain it for everyone and resolve our doubts.”

The Celestial Worthy said to Miaoxing: “Since you can raise this question on behalf of all living beings, please sit down, quiet your mind, and calm your Shen (spirit). I shall explain it for you.”

The Celestial Worthy said: “The people of the Lower Epoch (the period known in Daoism as the lower yuan) are all formed by receiving the pure, tranquil, generative Qi of True Unity, and each is endowed with thirty-six thousand spirit-Qi that guard the body. Now the reckoning of Yin-Yang has been exhausted, and the kalpic cycle is also drawing to an end. Demons spread everywhere. People follow deviant ways; they do not understand the root of their own being and seek only by chance to gain more blessings, and so they become confused and lost. They are neither loyal nor filial, neither righteous nor humane. They favor deviant spirits and offer prayers and sacrifices to sorcery. Now they are wrongfully harmed by the demons of the Six Heavens (the demonic forces spoken of in the scripture). Among old and young, men and women alike, some suffer sudden injury before their allotted lifespan is complete, and even lose their lives. They should not have died at this time, yet their souls have nowhere to lodge. Ghostly poison spreads; the souls of the dead cannot disperse. The Qi of resentment and anger surges upward and congeals into malign Qi. You ought to understand this.”

When the Perfected One Miaoxing and all those present heard this, they were deeply alarmed within. They wished to ask the Celestial Worthy to descend for a time into the human world, subdue the demons, rescue living beings, deliver the souls of the dead, and free people from the sudden calamities of evil spirits; yet doubts still remained in their hearts, and they dared not speak.

The Celestial Worthy said: “There is no need to trouble my awe-inspiring spirit. In the North there is already a great divine general whose title is Zhenwu. The hosts under his command are incomparably valiant and are best able to subdue deviant ways and to seize, capture, and slay demons and monsters.”

The Perfected reported to the Celestial Worthy: “I do not know what Dao (the Way) and De (Virtue/Power) this divine general cultivated when he was originally in the celestial realm, such that he later became a divine general.”

The Celestial Worthy replied: “Long ago there was a king named King Le, and his queen was named Shansheng. The queen dreamed that she swallowed the light of the sun; when she awoke she was with child, and she carried the pregnancy for fourteen months. In the first year of Kaihuang, the jiachen year, on the third day of the third month, at the wu hour, she gave birth to a child in the royal palace. The child was born with a divine and numinous nature, and when he grew up he was exceedingly brave. He was unwilling to inherit the throne; his sole desire was to cultivate the Way and assist the Jade Emperor, and he vowed to slay the demons and monsters of the world and to rescue all living beings. Day and night in the royal palace he made this vow, and his father the king could not stop him. So he left his home, took leave of his parents, and entered Mount Wudang, where he cultivated the Way for forty-two years. When his cultivation was complete, he ascended in broad daylight. The Jade Emperor, hearing of his valor, commanded him to garrison the north, to hold the office of Zhenwu (the Perfected Warrior), and to cut down the demonic and heterodox forces throughout the world.”

The Perfected again addressed the Celestial Worthy: “How can this divine general be brought into the human world to remove demons, save living beings, and spare people from sudden calamity? I earnestly beg the greatly compassionate Celestial Worthy to grant his aid.”

The Celestial Worthy granted his request and ordered the jade lad attendant at his right to carry a talismanic edict and go directly to the north to summon the divine general Zhenwu. When the divine general Zhenwu received the summons, he led the host of deities into the presence of the Celestial Worthy, knelt long, and reported: “Your servant has already received the Jade Emperor’s command to garrison the north. Today I do not know by what affinity I have been able to pay homage to the Celestial Worthy, having been honored with a summons by talismanic edict.”

The Celestial Worthy said: “While I was assembled in the Upper Prime Palace expounding the teaching, a blast of dark, poisonous, evil Qi (vital energy) suddenly rose from the lower realm and rushed into the celestial realm. Everyone present was greatly alarmed. You must go there, subdue and eradicate the demons, and save the suffering souls of the dead.”

The Divine General Zhenwu reverently accepted the Celestial Worthy’s command and received the talismanic summons.

Thereupon the Divine General Zhenwu, his hair unbound and his feet bare, trod upon the soaring serpent, the Bagua (Eight Trigrams), and the divine tortoise. Commanding three hundred thousand divine generals, together with the Six Ding and the Six Jia, the divine troops of the Five Thunders, and lions, venomous dragons, fierce beasts, and other divine spirits (Shen) and marvelous creatures, he descended amid a host crowded before and behind him into the lower realm. Within seven days the demons of the whole world were subdued and wiped out. Humans and ghosts each returned to their proper places; wronged souls were released; the living dwelt in peace and health; and the state was restored to clarity and calm.

Leading his subordinates back to the Upper Prime Palace, the Divine General Zhenwu paid homage to the Celestial Worthy and said: “Yesterday, under orders, I went to the lower realm to seize and slay the demons. By your compassionate protection, within seven days every evil ghost under heaven has been cleared away.”

The Celestial Worthy said: “Very good. Have you spirits had a toilsome task?”

The Divine General Zhenwu then crossed his hands and set out his paces according to the positions of the Dipper mansion. Directing his fingers by the stations of the Kui star and the Gang star, he worked the rite so as to assist the celestial realm above, and he chanted this incantation:

“Great Yin transforms and gives birth; it is the Jing (essence) and Qi of the Water position of the North. Above the lunar mansions Xu and Wei it corresponds with the patterns of heaven, and the tortoise and the serpent are joined in a single body. Its power courses through heaven, earth, and the four directions, and its majesty can overawe the myriad spirits. Nothing in dark or hidden places escapes its notice, and nothing that is sought lies beyond its power to accomplish. Whether a kalpa of disaster comes to an end or a new one begins, it can cut down evil demons and essence-sprites, rescue all living beings, and bring peace to household and realm.

“When the reckoning of the kalpa is nearly spent and the cycle of Jia draws to its close, and when demonic, evil Qi spreads abroad, the Supreme Thearch is moved to respond. I have therefore been commanded to descend into the human world, to clarify and exalt the orthodox teaching, to sweep away baleful influences and put an end to the disasters of war, to transform and nurture the people, and to assist the restoration of the state. If any petty ghost dares to show itself, I need only look upon it once, and the Five Marchmounts will be overthrown. Quickly, quickly, in accordance with the statutes and ordinances!”

In the primordial state of Taiyi (Great Change), the world had neither form nor image, and no one could tell the heavy and turbid from the light and clear. Amid the chaos I separated darkness from light, so that Heaven could move in its course, Earth could rest secure, the people could nourish life, the myriad things could sprout, evil could be set right, and spirits and divinities could appear. Among the Three Powers of Heaven, Earth, and humanity, every kind of thing could get through and proceed as it should.

After the original plain and simple Dao (the Way) dispersed, benevolence and righteousness arose in its place. Once the institutions of ritual and music were established, treachery and wickedness also began to breed. The six ethical relationships were at times broken, and scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants each had their disputes. Those above would not pardon, and those below lacked loyalty. Thereupon demons, ghosts, and monsters, together with sprites and evil beings, ran rampant and did harm, harassing the common people so that whole households were beset by illness and for years endured lawsuits and punishments; wealth was exhausted and kin were scattered; the innocent lost their lives, and calamities followed without end. Foul, mingled Qi (vital energy) rose up to the court of Heaven.

The Celestial Worthy (Tianzun) thereupon sent down a command and bestowed peace. Every demonic creature was to be eradicated, and every ghost and specter was to be punished; the ghost-officials who govern pestilence were likewise to bow their heads and obey. Ghosts, monsters, and sprites were destroyed, and evil demons were driven out. I command one hundred thousand stalwart warriors and fifty million soldiers and generals; whether in Heaven or in the human world, all heed my orders. Those who defy me perish; those who carry out my commands live. Those who hate me suffer disgrace; those who revere me gain honor. Those who pay me homage enjoy long life; those who oppose me die. Such is my command, and both humans and ghosts must obey. Quickly, quickly, in accordance with the statutes and ordinances.

The Mysterious Heaven of the North (the divine realm of the Mysterious Heaven in the north) is remote and profoundly dark, and a Divine Lord dwells there. His transformations are inexhaustible; he is the Numinous Perfected of Xuanwu (the northern deity venerated in Daoism). He can soar into Heaven and overturn the earth, drive thunder and lightning, and race upon clouds and Qi; leading tens of thousands of ceremonial troops and generals, he sweeps away the Qi of demons and evil. Quickly, quickly, in accordance with the statutes and ordinances.

At the end, after the words “and again the spell says,” no spell text is attached.

In the Mysterious Heaven of the North dwells the profound and subtle Divine Lord Zhenwu. Capable of endless transformation, he is the numinous and marvelous true divinity of Xuanwu. He can soar into the void and enter the earth, command thunder and lightning, and harness the Qi (vital energy) of the clouds; leading divine soldiers in their tens of thousands, he sweeps away the qi of demons and evil. The Thunder Lord attends at his side, and the Jade Maiden serves as general. Ghosts and spirits are subdued by him, and dragons and tigers withdraw and hide. His awesome might shakes the Five Peaks, and the myriad spirits all obey his commands. Sounding bells and beating drums, he tours the four quarters of heaven and earth, seizing rebellious ghosts, destroying the demon armies, rooting out evil and upholding the true Dao, so that the Qi of the Dao—the primordial energy of the Dao—constantly descends. Jiji ru lüling (a set phrase in Daoist ordinances meaning that a command is to be carried out at once).

The Celestial Worthy told Zhenwu: “From now on, on jiazi days and gengshen days, and on the third, seventh, thirteenth, seventeenth, twenty-third, and twenty-seventh of each month, you shall enter the human world once, to receive the people’s jiao offerings (Daoist rites in which an altar is set up to pray to the gods), to observe their good and evil, and to examine the merits and faults of their cultivation and study of the Dao, as well as the length of their lives. People may, in accordance with my teaching, make offerings to the deities and recite the scriptures (Jing); in this way the true divinities will descend, demons and monsters will recede, and inauspicious matters will also be removed. The deceased will be delivered and pass into new life; the grievances and adversarial enmities in the Ninefold Darkness (the depths of the nether obscurity) will be pacified; the living will receive blessings and joy, and all under heaven will likewise be at peace.”

At that time the Perfected One of Wondrous Practice, together with the emperors of the various heavens, the innumerable flying celestial spirit-kings, and the many true immortals, upon hearing these words were all filled with joy and excitement. Together they paid homage and praised the merit of this teaching, saying: “Today we have received the benefit of the Great Dharma. We ask to rescue living beings in the human world, so that they may be spared the afflictions of the three calamities.” Each of them received and carried out the teaching, bowing their heads in reverence.

The Divine General Zhenwu once more accepted the Celestial Worthy’s decree to guard the North forever. He took leave of the Celestial Worthy and withdrew.