《太上洞渊神咒经》Vol. 4

The Lord of the Seven Qi of the West, the honored deity who governs the seven vital energies of the west, dwells in the Dui Palace (Duigong) and rides a chariot that gleams like a flying golden blade. Its jade carriage moves lightly, and the immortals' ceremonial procession stretches across the sky. Cranes soar and circle overhead, and the jewel pendants they wear chime with a clear, pleasing sound. Among them are the myriad numinous spirits of the ages, who expound the scriptural methods of the Three Caverns (Sandong jingfa, the classification of Daoist scriptures). They deliver the dead trapped in the netherworld (youming) and lift them into the vast void. Thousands of golden-armored riders follow as escort, and evil demons dare not draw near. The orthodox Way flourishes within the realm, and ghosts and specters are swept away almost entirely. Now, relying on the grace of the Great Dao (dadao), we humbly wish to ride the six dragons onward.

The Lord of the Five Qi of the North, the honored deity who governs the five vital energies of the north, is the Xuanwu deity of the doubled Kan trigram, the Dark Warrior of the north (Beifang Xuanwu, the northern water god). Layer upon layer, palaces are built of watery essence, and the immortal mansions stay in eternal spring. Black waves stretch down to an unfathomable depth, and Fengdu (the legendary capital of the netherworld) towers amid them. The Lord Emperor expounds the Cavern Scriptures (Dongjing), and both the netherworld and the human world are able to hear them. Malevolent ghosts with deformed shapes are shattered in body and their residual souls annihilated. In the Luotian (the vast celestial realm) there are fierce beasts whose breath darkens the four seas. The flowing bells and flying fire wheels exert their power, clearing away evil impurities and bringing peace to heaven and earth. Those who observe fasts and cultivate merit are all received within the gate of myriad blessings.

The Wuji-Gengji Deity of the Center (Zhongyang Wuji Shen, the earth deity who governs the central direction) honors the Five Earths as supreme. Vermilion palace gates tower into the great void, and jeweled halls lie hidden in the immortal realm of Kunlun. The Twelve Scriptures of Long Life are recorded on jade tablets and proclaimed through golden mouths. Heavenly deities line up among the clouds and display their might, and the gates of the fast-ritual enclose the practitioner in successive layers. Celestial soldiers shatter the black poisons, and mighty warriors annihilate the yellow plagues. The Lord Emperor unleashes the talisman that slays demons and cleanses myriad evil spirits. Jade youths strike the jade bell, washing away and delivering the wandering souls of the long night. Incense and lamps burn bright, and those who diligently practice good works will receive corresponding blessings and grace.

The Qingfan Heaven of the Northeast (the pure celestial realm of the northeast) lies in the Gen Palace, profound and cool. Jade maidens scatter precious fragrance, and the True Emperor expounds the Cavern Scriptures. The sound of the xiao flute is like the cry of phoenixes, and the wind and the music of the clouds blend harmoniously. The souls sunk in the nine dark depths are released and elevated, all ascending to the Purple Mist City. Sword wheels are waved a thousand li away, and heavenly soldiers are arrayed across ten thousand li. The demons who committed evil will today find it hard to hide. The post-dragons carry out their orders, and evil ghosts are handed over to the heavenly soldiers for execution. Good fortune rises, calamities dissipate naturally, and peace endures for a thousand years.

To the southeast stands the Fanbao Palace (Fanbao Gong), the sacred palace, set among the blue clouds of the Xun direction. Divine soldiers (spirit generals acting on heavenly command) hold their ritual implements and recite sacred incantations, and so they can subdue the demons of the Three Realms. The merit accumulated through fasting and recitation rises high and majestic, as if it calmed the surface of the azure sea. Jade maidens sing in the emptiness, and Azure Youths tread the void as they chant immortal hymns. Meritorious deeds having been accomplished, light clouds encircle the path to the immortal realms. Petals drift between the banners and canopies of the procession, and the divine soldiers escort it along the way. The Supreme Sages descend from the void, and the blessings of fasting rise as high as mountains. The Three Offices and Twelve Bureaus (divine agencies governing heaven, earth, water, and related affairs) widely proclaim the liturgies and precepts of the Supreme Dao (Taishang Daofa).

To the southwest lies the Fanqi City (Fanqi Cheng), situated within the Taixuan radiance of the Kun palace. Nine streams of light gather and shine brightly, and cloud chariots rise from the Ten Directional Grottoes (Shifang Dongtian). The August Sovereign Xu (Xuhuang, a revered Daoist deity) expounds the secret scriptures, and the assembled immortals scatter heavenly flowers. Golden dragons soar, spewing crimson flame, and iron-faced spirit generals seize the wicked. Lamps illuminate the netherworld, and immortals chanting hymns strengthen virtuous thoughts. Wangliang, Chimei, and other ghosts and demons are all driven onto the cloud chariots. The August Sovereign expounds the secret scriptures, and the immortals scatter heavenly flowers; golden dragons soar, spewing crimson flame, and iron-faced spirit generals seize the wicked; lamps illuminate the netherworld, and immortal hymns strengthen virtuous thoughts. Each of the various ghosts is subdued in turn by golden forks. The Three Caverns scriptures (Sandong jingfa, the three major categories of Daoist scripture) now circulate widely, and the myriad perfected all follow the Way of the Ten Flowers. The kindled lamplight shines across every boundless place, and with merit complete, all return to the pure realm of the Dao.

To the northwest is called the Gate of Heaven (Tianmen), where purple mists curl deep within the Qian palace. Wondrous music rings out clearly, and incense hangs heavy in the jeweled halls. There is no other road to the Three Heavens (Santian, the celestial realms of Daoist cosmology), only the illumination of a pure, clear, and empty mind. The merit of fasting and the power of scriptural recitation can dispel the sounds of sorrow. Cultivators thus ascend to paradise, untouched by calamity and by the afflictions of cold and heat. The Great Dao spreads the Three Caverns scriptures, and the immortals chant them in turn. Even if demons run wild and cause disorder, they cannot shake the resolve of the cultivator. Divine guardians protect the place where fasting and practice are performed, making it like the Precious Flower Grove where the flying immortals dwell.

Above lies the boundless expanse of the Thirty-Two Heavens of Clarity, where countless long-lived immortals dwell. The Lord of the Void (Xuhuang), a revered deity of Daoism, proclaims the true scriptures, and the immortals wheel and sing in the sky. Dragons come in flocks on clouds, and the chariots of the Five Emperors soar lightly through the air. The Most High (Taishang) issues an edict to destroy the demons and evil spirits throughout the Three Realms, to cleanse the Five Turbidities (the five defilements that stain the human heart and bring suffering to the world), and to wish that all beings may be freed from the torments of hardship and rescue the souls of the dead from the netherworld. All of this is the result of obeying the sacred words of the Master. Those who perform the fast (zhai), keeping the purification rites to seek blessings and avert calamity, and who accumulate merit, will receive these true scriptures generation after generation. The immortals still wheel and sing in the sky, and the dragons and chariots of the Five Emperors arrive in throngs. The Most High issues his edict to destroy the evil spirits of the Three Realms, cleanse the Five Turbidities, deliver people from suffering, and rescue the dead souls of the netherworld. Those who practice the fast and accumulate merit will, generation after generation, receive grace and rise in status.

Below are twelve true immortals, and the four seas stretch deep and boundless. They keep the fast and uphold precepts, governing the subjugation of demons, and by imperial decree they eliminate evil spirits. Incense smoke draws up jade-green clouds, and lamps and candles are arranged like red lotus blossoms. Jade maidens sing without end, and every household obtains boundless blessings.

The Valley of the Sunlight calms the cold abyss, and chariots drawn by five-colored auspicious clouds deliver the dead. The mysterious, luminous light equals the radiance of the sun, moon, and stars, and does not let smoke and rain obscure it for long. Today, worship is offered to the ten directions (the four cardinal and intermediate directions, as well as above and below), and celestial soldiers stand guard in layers. By the power of supreme compassion, beings attain, as they wish, the Golden Flower Feast (Jinhua).

The Dao says: Now I have specially dispatched the Grand Master to proclaim universally, for you families where someone is ill, afflicted by disaster, or suffering, the Buxu (Pacing the Void, the stepping and chanting liturgy of the Daoist zhaijiao rite) for the averting of calamity. Now, the demon kings of the Thirty-Six Heavens shall all at once turn their hearts and submit. I have specially dispatched the Grand Master to proclaim, for households with the sick, the afflicted, and those in suffering, the Pacing the Void for averting calamity, so that the demon kings of the Thirty-Six Heavens turn their hearts and submit all at once. From now on, they shall no longer bring calamity upon the people of the world. Those who hear and witness the true words of the Great Dao must reverently honor them. Everyone, bow and kowtow, and listen as I recite the hymn.

The Great Dao (Dao, the Way) emerges from emptiness and nonbeing, illuminating all beings with its profound and clear radiance. Heaven and the human realm therefore teach those who are foolish and bewildered, while immortals soar beyond the clouds. Whoever can rescue beings from the Eight Calamities (the eight kinds of hardship described by practitioners of the Way) may attain longevity through this Dao.

The supreme principle is silent and soundless, empty, deep, and dark. Taishang (the Most High, the honorific for the supreme divine lord) sits upright on the jeweled terrace, while Jade Maidens chant the verses of the Taiqing (Great Clarity). The Perfected of attained Dao do nothing contrived. If you can comprehend this, the Dao will be accomplished within yourself. The gods of all the heavens worship Taishang, and the Three and Five (sacred numerical terms in Daoism) naturally comply. Flying immortals roam the Three Realms, and Perfected Ones chant among the clouds.

The sages all sigh in admiration. Who can truly understand this intent? The True Qi (qi, vital energy) and Taiyi (the Great One, the primordial Qi) nourish and transform all things, and one may ascend to heaven while still without form or sign. The lion roars in the wilderness, and the phoenix sings in accord with its rhythm. The immortals come to pay homage, and you will naturally awaken to the mystery. The light of the Three and Five shines in mutual brilliance, and the profound and luminous Dao changes along with all things. Emptiness does not call itself by any fixed name, yet it is vast and boundless, entering a realm that contains everything. If you can grasp this principle, how could you fail to become an immortal?

Emptiness has no constant name. It dwells only in a single-minded will and in the body. The Heavenly Venerable (Tianzun) appears out of the dark depths, and the Dao is born from it. Wise persons who study the bright and upright teachings may proceed to the celestial court where Taishang dwells. Heavenly beings hold vermilion flowers, and Jade Maidens wave jade fungus (lingzhi). Numerous divine persons come to serve, and flying immortals open the road to the heavens. The mysterious immortal Perfected of the Taiji (Supreme Ultimate) are not something worldly people can fathom. Immortals live for ten thousand kalpas, and a thousand years to them is like a single year. Speak of ten thousand years, and it is no more than this very evening. Worldly titles and measures are hardly adequate to describe the immortal state. If you have the root of immortality, you will respond to this intent.

The teachings of the Three Caverns (Sandong, the three major divisions of Daoist scripture) flow through the ten directions, and the bright and upright teachings require people to propagate them. Those who faithfully uphold the scriptures and precepts with sincerity will also receive the protection of spirits like those of the Five Marchmounts. If you lack the root that lifts you upward to ascension, how could you ascend to heaven? You should focus your thoughts beyond the Three Realms and wander serenely to the Jade Capital (the celestial capital of the immortals). Perfected Ones chant in the air, and Jade Maidens ride the void. Today I worship the Heavenly Venerable and bow in homage to the Jade Emperor (Yuhuang).

Three Hymns for the Fasting Ritual

Taishang is lofty and profound, and the supreme principle leaves no traces to follow. Subtle awakening (miaojue) lies hidden in stillness and emptiness. Perfected Ones chant in the air, and Jade Maidens ride the void. Today I worship the Heavenly Venerable and bow in homage to the Jade Emperor.

Dongyuan Great Retreat Night Vigil: Three Verses

The Supreme Dao (Taishang Dao) is profoundly mysterious and lofty, and its highest principles leave nothing out. Subtle awakening is proclaimed in stillness and emptiness, and immortals chant the principles of emptiness. Were it not for Huang Linshi (a cultivator of the Dao), who could propagate such merit?

The immortals emerge in orderly ranks through the clouds, and as one looks out from afar, the gods of the heavens arrive one after another. They recite true formulas, and eight dragons ascend to the Purple Palace (the residence of the Heavenly Emperor). Were it not for Gao Shangbin (an immortal of the highest rank of perfected beings), how could one comprehend this scripture?

The highest principle transcends distant boundaries, and when the mind holds it in thought, nothing remains beyond understanding. The mysterious master brightens the sun, moon, and stars, and the perfected take this as their standard. The immortals bow to Liudan (the marvelous elixir-vapor of the immortal realm), and all bow their heads in reverence.

Three Night Verses

How wondrous is the Sandong Jing (the Scripture of the Three Caverns, the Dongzhen, Dongxuan, and Dongshen scriptures of Daoism)! Spirits guard it, and nine dragons come to greet it. Establishing a Zhaijiao (a Daoist ritual of blessing and repentance) can dispel fearful hearts and allow people to journey to the Purple Phoenix City (the palace city of the immortal realm). With resolve to cultivate and accumulate merit, across myriad kalpas, how could demons dare not obey?

The eight tones ring out together, resounding through the Supreme Capital of the ten directions (the celestial capital in Daoist cosmology). One should diligently study the Three Caverns scriptures and use them to exhort and deliver all beings.

Three Night Verses:

The Sandong Jing is truly profound! Spirits protect it, and nine dragons welcome it. Establishing a Zhaijiao can dispel fearful hearts and allow one to roam the Purple Phoenix City. With resolve to cultivate and accumulate merit, through myriad kalpas, how could demons dare not obey?

The eight tones sound together, resounding through the Supreme Capital of the ten directions. One should devote oneself to studying the Three Caverns scriptures, exhorting and delivering all beings. Dongwen Yishuo (the recitation of the liturgical text, the reading and explanation of the retreat's words): once the assembly has performed the three bows, they sit upright and listen to the scripture.

Beyond the Three Realms, the distance is boundless, deep and dim. Now we specially establish this great retreat, kindle the lamps, and illuminate the mysterious stars. Suddenly a little phoenix exhales and reports to the spirits, and because of this, demon soldiers rise up.

The Dao says: I dwell above the Three Heavens (one of the heavens in Daoist cosmology), and I cannot bear to see all beings under heaven suffering so many calamities, with sickness and death everywhere. These calamities all arise from you beings yourselves. Since the age of seven, the Six Thieves and Ten Evils have arisen one after another. Your bodies and minds are constantly recorded with your transgressions by the Three Corpses (Sanshi, Daoist spirits said to record human faults and report them to the heavens), who memorialize them to the Celestial Bureau (the heavenly government offices), which thereby determines the length of your lives. Yet originally no one had been dispatched to investigate. Later, when the Celestial Bureau ordered an investigation, the Demon King spread pestilence in all directions. All this is because of the transgressions your body, mind, mouth, and hands have committed: the Three Corpses record these charges and report them to the Celestial Bureau, and your lifespans are fixed accordingly. After the Celestial Bureau ordered the investigation, the Demon King spread pestilence everywhere. Now I widely proclaim for you beings the method of repentance, so that when demon kings and ghost lords hear the scripture, they will naturally feel shame, withdraw their poison, and stop the sickness. You worldly people should listen with full attention, for I will explain the roots of transgression.

Dao (the Way) says: I now tell you living beings that from the age of seven onward, you may be punished for various deeds. For example: scolding the wind and rain, showing disrespect to Heaven, Earth, the sun, moon, and stars, cursing the gods of Heaven and Earth, baring the body beneath the sun, moon, and stars, or reviling ghosts and spirits. Also, singing and summoning things that the spirits of the netherworld abhor, failing to keep the precepts, treating sacred objects with contempt, and showing disrespect to parents and teachers.

Relieving oneself facing the sun, moon, and stars, despising scriptures and precepts, divulging secretly transmitted scriptures, slandering loyal and wise people, and bullying the young or the elderly to the point of discord are also transgressions. In trade, using small scales and short measures when selling while using large ones when collecting, turning away from the right Way to embrace deviant methods, acting in violation of the rules, urging others to do evil and causing them to abandon good deeds, and showing disrespect to the Dharma teachings or undermining others' good works all fall within the scope of punishment.

Those who devote themselves to vicious and rebellious acts, conceal good deeds while spreading evil ones, pass themselves off as false masters, give random instructions, and claim to convey divine will in order to confuse people's minds, disturb graves and startle the dead, offend the house gods, defile and disrespect wells and the Kitchen God, or throw filth into water or fire and pollute the earth and gold, silver, copper, and iron, are also transgressions. Borrowing things and not returning them, agreeing with the mouth while the heart intends not to fulfill the promise, mocking others for doing good while hoping they will do evil, envying others' good deeds and delighting in unlawful acts, and seeing someone cultivate merit and virtue yet begrudging money and refusing to give aid all invite punishment.

Praying for blessings and making vows with an irreverent heart, buying and selling Daoist or Buddhist scriptures, images of deities, and similar items, cursing innocent people and implicating commoners, bullying others and forcibly seizing their property, drinking wine and eating meat and then using intoxication to shout at gods and ghosts, indulging in lust without regard for kinship, and holding purification fasts or offering rituals (jiao), a Daoist rite of petition to the gods, without following the prescribed norms are all included.

Encountering urgent distress and not rescuing, seeing someone in danger and not lending support, even wishing for them to fall into hardship, vowing to build shrines or do good and accumulate virtue but abandoning the effort halfway, calling a Daoist priest to treat you when ill but not knowing how to proceed according to the proper documents and Keyi (liturgy), relying on drunkenness to act with reckless arrogance, offending elders and juniors, and damaging objects, rousing improper desires upon seeing women, breaking the precepts while fasting and showing arrogance and contempt toward the immortals above, taking life or trampling insects and ants, being insatiably greedy, jealously lashing out at and beating servants while withholding clothing from them, deliberately altering contracts to seize others' fields, making good vows while drunk or in urgent distress and then breaking faith afterward, harboring malice and plotting all manner of harm, and enjoying abundant food, clothing, and smooth fortune without being grateful for Heaven's gifts are also transgressions.

Such punishments are too numerous to describe one by one. Now, while chanting the scriptures, I recite past transgressions in the hope that they may be eliminated and that forgiveness may be granted for them all together. Even if the accumulation of karmic offenses sinks beneath the nine earths, blessings may still arise from the ten directions. May we, life after life, always encounter the Great Dao, believe in it, receive it, and practice it.

Taishang Dongyuan Shenzhou Jing, Scroll Fifteen, complete.

Scroll Sixteen

Chapter on Commanding Ghosts (Chi Gui Pin)

The Dao says: Men and women among the common people of the ten directions, if they are disturbed by ghosts and demons, may fall ill and even die. They may lose their sanity, run wildly about, and talk to themselves alone; or they may suddenly vomit and suffer diarrhea, or be seized by cramps that will not stop; or they may be struck by plague, jaundice, or fever, with symptoms such as swelling and fullness of the abdomen. They may also suffer floods, fires, and the raids of bandits, with losses of goods and livestock. They may fall into quarrels and bring lawsuits and imprisonment upon themselves. Chickens, dogs, and other birds and beasts may die unnaturally, and strange portents such as flowing blood or uncanny lights may appear. Pregnant women may miscarry, and men and women may be injured or killed. Wishes go unfulfilled and every affair is obstructed. Graves and dwellings are left uneasy, and livelihood and property are wasted away for nothing. Whoever meets with hardship, poverty, and misfortune should go to a mingshi (enlightened master, a teacher with a clear lineage of transmission in cultivation), receive my jielu (precepts and talismanic registers), observe them reverently, and do no evil.

When calamity arises, one should bathe, change clothes, and arrange the hair and cap. Burn incense and bow before the scripture, sit upright, settle the mind, and calm one's thoughts. Then hold incense, knock the teeth thirty-six times, and recite the incantation:

Above my head is the Vermilion Bird, the divine bird of the south; underfoot is the Dark Warrior, the divine beast of the north. On the left, the Azure Dragon stands guard; on the right, the White Tiger keeps watch. In front are the azure-spirit swords and halberds; behind are the golden mallets and iron axes. Heavenly Guardian warriors, celestial generals who protect the realm, stand watch before and behind me. The Yellow Servants and their hundreds, along with all fierce evil ghosts and bandits, shall quickly withdraw a thousand li beyond. Hasten, in accordance with the statutes and decrees.

The scripture says: Throughout the world there are countless ghosts and demons who harass and harm the common people. I now know all of your names. Among them is a ghost king named "Chitou Shagui Wang" (Red-Headed Ghost-Slaying King), who stands two zhang tall and commands 3.6 trillion ghost-slayers. Each of these ghosts carries a red staff and wanders about, waiting for chances to harm the living.

There are also the Great Demons of the Three Heavens, the Great Demons of the Nine Heavens, the Great Demons of the Thirty-Six Heavens, the Ghost-Slayers of the Ten Directions, and the Great Ghost Kings who lead them, 380,000 in all. There are also spirits who have come from the east, west, south, and north, each commanding three hundred million followers, who use these forces to plague men and women, causing illness and loss of property. I know all of your names. You must leave at once, beyond a thousand li. If you do not leave, I will dispatch the Eight Divisions of Restraining Troops (bābù jìnbīng, the forces of Daoist divine generals) to strike you down. This command must be carried out immediately.

The scripture further says: The Great Demon King "Xia Yinren" leads his followers in plaguing men and women, causing illness and loss of property. I know all of your names. You must leave at once, beyond a thousand li. If you do not leave, I will send the Eight Divisions of Restraining Troops to strike you down. This command must be carried out immediately.

"Jí jí rú lǜ lìng" (Quickly, quickly, as the statute commands) is a common closing formula in talismans and decrees, signifying that the order must be swiftly obeyed.

The Dao says: The Great Demon Kings Xia Yin, Wu Yan Chi, Bo Hong Gong, and others; the thirty-nine billion people under the command of the Great Expulsion General; the twelve million great troops; the four hundred thousand Red-Bow soldiers; the nineteen thousand strongmen of the Nine Provinces; the four billion nine hundred million Si Ming; and the eight hundred and ten thousand troops of the Heavenly Killing Marquis-King must all obey my commands. Drive away the thousand spirits and ten thousand demons from men and women who do good, and expel them beyond the borders. Do not allow them to harass the good people.

I also command the seventy million great kings of the thirty-six heavens; the nine billion troops of the Nine Heavens; the eighty million Heavenly Gods Who Never Leave; the thirty million Heavenly Strongmen and Warriors; the four hundred thousand Jade Maidens Who Transmit Incense; the four hundred thousand Golden-Badged Attendants of Incense; the thirty-six Brahma Kings; and the nine hundred billion righteous soldiers: when you hear this scripture, come forth to protect the living person named So-and-so, so that demons and ghosts retreat and all illnesses are cured.

I also command the four hundred thousand Strongmen of Universal Harmony, the three hundred and sixty thousand Tongue-of-a-Hundred-Speech Officials and Soldiers, and others: wherever someone recites the scripture and proclaims the divine incantation, help the living person bring harmony to relations among household members. Let everyone inside and outside the home fulfill their proper roles, and keep the family safe. Protect the living person and drive away every invading ghost, demon, and spirit-monster. For meritorious protection, advance and reward them according to the statutes. Those who disobey my command must answer for their offenses before the Three Officials, the Daoist divine authorities who govern life and death, good and evil, and guilt and blessing. Be exceedingly careful; be exceedingly careful.

The one reciting the incantation should click the teeth together three times, then swallow the saliva in the mouth three times.

The Dao says: If people sincerely and faithfully believe in the Dao, whether male or female, ruler or minister, official or commoner, monk or minor immortal, official of any rank or member of any community, wise person in the mountains or courageous and diligent cultivator—whether rich and honored or poor and lowly—then, as soon as they hear this scripture, they can believe and accept it. You should know that in countless kalpas (immensely long stretches of time), these people once lived as immortals and were reborn in the human world from Heaven. They have come to this world for a time and will soon become immortals. They may also depart through corpse liberation (the Daoist transformation in which the body is left behind as the person becomes an immortal), or entrust themselves to death and ascend to the celestial realm, never to die again. For this reason, I will briefly explain this scripture.

Among people in the world, many do not believe in the Dao and are ill-natured. When they hear this scripture, they scorn and mock its divine incantations, refuse to believe the words of the sages, and dismiss them as strange, delusive teachings. They show no respect for the true scripture, insult their teachers and elders, slight the Great Dao, and have no heart to believe or accept it. Such people come from the Three Evil Realms (places of suffering such as hell, the realm of hungry ghosts, and the animal realm). They are constantly bent on harming others; their evil karma has not been cleared away, and their burdens of sin are deep. That is why they are as they are. In this life, too, they may suffer distress. Their greed is strong and their minds clouded by ignorance; like silkworms trapped in their own cocoons, they bind themselves and seem to have no way to escape.

They may fall gravely ill, their whole bodies turning yellow, with plague spirits haunting them on every side. Their efforts to make a living may go badly, and nothing they do may succeed. Even if they briefly rise to high office, they will soon lose their standing. They may also suffer punishment and bodily injury, and in the blink of an eye become people of low status. They may enjoy wealth and rank for a time, only to fall into poverty and misery later, beset by serious illness and unable to find peace in their household. Some will develop malignant sores, parasitic skin diseases, and other afflictions, with pus and blood oozing from foul, festering wounds. Others will suffer epidemics such as scabies, skin eruptions, dropsy, disorders of the Qi, painful abscesses, silkworm sores, and hard swellings, spreading the illness to those around them. If a spirit medium performs rites, their condition will worsen; even the best medicines will fail to cure them, and they will die. These are the punishments from Heaven brought on by slighting this scripture, and their misfortune will continue even after death.

Such people will also fall into the Avici Hell (the hell of unceasing torment), where they will be confined behind the barriers of a dark prison. They will endure for billions of kalpas without release. Even if they eventually get out, they will be reborn as birds, beasts, or livestock, despised and treated with contempt by people. They will be able to eat only filthy things, even excrement; their desires will go unsatisfied, their lives will be hard, and they will have to carry heavy loads and suffer beatings. Once they lose human form, they may not regain it even after ten thousand kalpas. Such is the offense of scorning and mocking this scripture.

Now I look upon the beings in the lower realms and see that each receives the consequences of their own suffering and joy, that lifespans differ, that some are rich and honored while others are poor and lowly, and that their actions are all different. My heart is therefore filled with compassion…

All suffering beings should be regarded as infants. Guide and teach those who are ignorant, so that reverence and faith may arise in them. In the end, all can attain liberation and be reborn in the heavens. They will no longer endure the anguish of birth and rebirth, and will constantly possess pure, free bodies. You have practiced together with me, so I now proclaim this verse, a passage to be chanted:

Samadhi (the state of cultivation in which the mind is focused and still) is spread far and wide; those with a connection to it can hear it. The wise accept it at once, and through many kalpas become honored beings. They come for a time to the human world, then soon become immortals of their own accord. They come into this world in order to deliver living beings.

Samadhi is spread far and wide; those with a connection to it can hear it. The wise accept it at once, and through many kalpas become honored beings. They come for a time to the human world, then soon become immortals of their own accord. They come into this world in order to deliver living beings.

I have sent beings from the heavens and perfected immortals who have cultivated through countless kalpas to teach the ignorant and benighted. Some wicked people refuse to accept the teaching. Instead, they mock this scripture and say its teachings have no efficacy. They show one another no reverence for or care toward this scripture, and in this life and the next they will suffer the consequences of their offenses: plagued by illness, harried by plague spirits and demon kings, and seeing their households destroyed. The deaths of their kin, wives, and children will still not be enough to repay their offenses. Their souls will enter the hells, where they will remain for ten thousand kalpas without escape, cast into darkness and confined in prison upon prison, enduring unbearable torments. Afterward they will suffer through a long night of darkness. When they leave the hells, they will be reborn as birds and beasts, feeding on filth; or they will become livestock, scorned by people, made to bear heavy loads and labor, and beaten with whips.

Those who slight this scripture will incur the offenses described above. Those who can accept it will receive blessings and be reborn in the heavens. Those destined for immortality, suited to cultivating the Way, who can uphold this Samadhi Scripture and cultivate in accordance with the Middle Way, will behold the True Lord.

After the Most High had finished reciting this verse, the Great Demon Kings of the Nine Heavens, the Demon Kings of the Thirty-Six Heavens, the heavenly maidens, and the Brahma Kings of the heavens all accepted it. They therefore received blessings and were reborn in the heavens. Those destined for immortality should uphold the Samadhi Scripture; if you cultivate in accordance with the Middle Way, you will behold the True Lord.

After the Most High finished reciting this verse, a poetic text used for praise and prayer, the Great Demon King of the Nine Heavens, the Demon Kings of the Thirty-Six Heavens, and the celestial maidens, Brahma Kings, and the demon kings’ retinues heard the Celestial Worthy’s teaching. Their hearts filled with joy. They rose together, knocked their heads to the ground, and bowed again. They said, “We Brahma Kings and Demon Kings will also lead our followers in constantly guarding those who uphold this scripture, as we travel throughout the world. We will not allow illness to afflict anyone who upholds it. We will capture and destroy the ghostly evils that bring epidemics, killing, and calamities, so that illness may be cured as quickly as possible. May all prayers be answered as desired; may legal disputes be resolved, and all that is sought proceed smoothly and to one’s satisfaction. If evil demons, spirits, or malevolent ghosts disobey the Most High’s commands, we will seize them and chop them into ten thousand pieces, pulverize them into dust, and show them no mercy.”

The Demon Kings then swore together, “We dare not do evil again. We wish to leave behind our ghostly forms, enter the immortal Way forever, and draw near to the Great Sage.”

At that time, the Perfected Ones Wei Mingluo, Tongzhi Shizhang, and Gou Minzi, along with the other Perfected Ones and the assembled multitudes of the heavens, heard the Celestial Worthy’s wondrous verse. Their hearts filled with joy, and they wished to turn toward the immortal Way and draw near to the Great Sage. Each bowed their heads and performed three prostrations, expressing their faith and their resolve to follow the teaching.

End of Volume Sixteen of the Scripture of Divine Spells from the Cavern of the Most High.

Volume Seventeen of the Scripture of Divine Spells from the Cavern of the Most High

On summoning the divine spirits of the heavens and the divine dragons to pacify and guard tombs and dwellings.

At that time, the Lord of the Dao, the Supreme One, together with the gods and immortals of the heavens, the Great Sages, and the divine kings of the Ten Directions, went to the old site of the Sun Valley beneath the Longsang grove. They circled the path three times, then joined in offering reverent homage and a report to the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning:

“I have seen that when the parents and relatives of ordinary people die, their families bury them on hillsides and build tombs, hoping their ancestors may rest in peace for a long time, and hoping their descendants will be safe, their households prosperous, and their lives filled with wealth and honor. Yet some families suffer misfortune for many years. Each year they face another death; their money and grain are depleted, calamities follow one after another, and some are even investigated by the authorities and imprisoned for years. Their livestock fail to multiply, farming and silkworm raising are harmed, nothing they undertake goes well, and their plans rarely succeed.

“Through the good fortune of past causes and conditions, I have been blessed in this life and today have had the chance to meet the Supreme One beyond compare. I beg you to dispel the doubts in my heart and take pity on me with your instruction. To receive your teaching would be like seeing flesh and blood grow again upon dry bones. I have received such great kindness that I scarcely know how to repay it.”

The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning snapped his fingers and furrowed his brow. He said to the Lord of the Dao, the Supreme One: “The calamities you have just described are, in fact, favorable conditions for helping beings in suffering. If you wish to revive those sunk in delusion and guide them all onto the path to happiness, then please sit down.”

The Lord of the Dao, the Supreme One, gazed reverently up at the Celestial Worthy, listened with earnest devotion, and bowed forward attentively to receive his teaching.

The Celestial Worthy asked him, “Have you seen people who live in abundance, and people who suffer hunger and cold?”

The Lord of the Dao replied, “I see them often, but I do not know the origins of their different circumstances. I beg the Celestial Worthy, in your compassion, to enlighten me.”

The Celestial Worthy asked again, “Have you seen people who live in abundance, and people who suffer hunger and cold?”

The Lord of the Dao replied, “I see them often, but I do not know the origins of their different circumstances. I beg the Celestial Worthy, in your compassion, to enlighten me.”

The Celestial Worthy says: Those who now enjoy good fortune and live in peace and abundance may have planted the seeds of their blessings in a previous life and receive their reward in this one. Others inherit the blessings their ancestors left behind, which then benefit their descendants. Once they have enough to eat and wear, if they can also relieve the poor and repair ancient sites, sacred places known for their efficacy, and the dwellings of immortals, they should actively build and maintain them. In this way, they can receive blessings in this life without waiting for a future one.

As for those who suffer hunger, cold, and poverty, some may have robbed and harmed others in a previous life, or injured people of good character. Some may have stolen materials used to build houses, failed to help people in danger, or refused to support those in hardship. Others may have used their large followings, ample grain stores, abundant family wealth, or great riches to oppress people. Some, dissatisfied with halls that are low or cramped, recklessly renovate or replace their homes without considering the risk of injury and disaster to themselves or understanding that their wealth and good fortune may decline and come to an end. In doing so, they violate the baleful forces called “Two Black” and “Five Yellow” in fengshui divination, bringing ruin to their homes and damage to their family fortunes. Their building projects may also fall on inauspicious days, such as those called “Nine Emptiness” and “Four Abandonments.”

Some people, when burying relatives, focus only on avoiding baleful forces such as “Calling Women, Killing Sons,” without choosing a favorable date and burial site for the deceased. By violating taboos associated with the dead, such as “Five Ghosts” and “Three Calamities,” they bring disaster upon the living and make their household members violent. Some associate with evildoers, sometimes using their power to bully the weak, sometimes defying their elders, or even cursing their parents. As a result, they may be injured by wood or stone, attacked by snakes or tigers, struck by lightning, or burned in a fire. They may also fall ill and die, perish in war or prison, become entangled in lawsuits year after year, lose money unexpectedly, fail in their undertakings and see their wishes go unfulfilled. Their crops and silkworms may yield nothing, their families may live in discord, their livestock may fail to breed, and for years they may endure hardship and misfortune, seeking safety in vain.

Those Realized Ones who have advanced far in cultivation understand the teachings of the scriptures. Daoist priests should follow the ritual rules of the Lingbao scriptures of natural spontaneity. At times, they must conduct a Zhaijiao (purification ritual) over one day and two nights: burn incense and ascend the altar to make their petitions known to the gods; perform the Dao and recite scriptures three times a day; summon the celestial gods, earth deities, Dragon Kings, and all the assembled saints; ask that past and future transgressions be dissolved; repent for past sins; seek pardon for grave offenses; and earnestly entreat the gods to bestow great mercy and save those who pray.

The ritual altar is two zhang and four cun high and more than one zhang and two chi wide. Twenty-four stems are arranged upon it and bound with rope wound three times around the left side. The “Heavenly Gate,” “Earthly Door,” “Human Gate,” and “Ghost Gate” are also set up. Inside the altar, eleven incense stands are arranged, or five incense tables may be used. The ritual space is solemnly adorned, and banners and standards are laid out. The Daoist priest prays with devotion to the Great Dao of emptiness and natural spontaneity; the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning of Jade Clarity; the Daoist Lord Yuchen of Highest Clarity; the Lord Lao of the Mysterious Origin of Great Clarity; the Supreme One of the Great One of the Empty Cavern; the boundless Great Dao of the Ten Directions; the Five Emperors of the Great Beginning; the Venerable Sages of the Three Origins; the Lords of the Sun and Moon; the Most Holy Ones of the Five Planets; the True Lords of the Seven Luminaries; the Divine Perfected of the Five Dipper Constellations; and the officials of the Three Terraces, along with the other divine beings. The priest then respectfully explains the reason for the petition, settles body and mind in an upright and tranquil state, and lays out the scriptures and the names and ranks of the gods.

We respectfully invite:

The Azure Emperor Dragon King, who guards tombs and protects homes in the east; the Red Emperor Dragon King, who guards tombs and protects homes in the south; the White Emperor Dragon King, who guards tombs and protects homes in the west; the Black Emperor Dragon King, who guards tombs and protects homes in the north; and the Yellow Emperor Dragon King, who guards tombs and protects homes at the center.

The Dragon Kings of the Storehouses in the east, south, west, north, and center—the deities who protect stored goods and wealth.

The Dragon King of Auspicious Cultivation in the east, the Dragon King of Abundant Goodness in the south, the Dragon King of Sweet Thought in the west, the Dragon King of Flowing Waves in the north, and the Dragon King of the Black Dragon at the center.

The Dragon Kings of Heaven and Earth; the Dragon Kings of states and territories, prefectures and districts, and deep forests; the Dragon Kings named Hualiu, Shanran, Siqing, and others; the Dragon Kings of palaces, halls, homes, and towers; the Dragon Kings associated with kitchens and hearths, farms, silkworm raising and mulberry cultivation, silk floss, fine silk, brocade, patterned silk, gold, silver, pearls, jade, copper, iron, and other produce; and the Dragon Kings of storehouses and the Five Grains.

The Dragon Kings of the Son of Heaven, the feudal lords, the prefectural rulers, the county magistrates, household heads, descendants, and mountain ridges.

This passage is a roster for inviting deities. It respectfully calls upon the Dragon Kings who guard places throughout the world, grouped by direction, dwelling place, produce, and people. The Azure, Red, White, Black, and Yellow Emperors correspond respectively to the east, south, west, north, and center; “the Eight Grains” refers to various kinds of grain.

The Divine Dragon Kings who protect burial grounds and residences; the Divine Dragon Kings who govern tombs and homes for the dead; the Divine Dragon Kings who govern homes for the living; the Divine Dragon Kings who guard the nation; the Divine Dragon Kings who bring peace to official residences and households; the Divine Dragon Kings who bless family homes; the Divine Dragon Kings who drive away ghosts and demons; the Divine Dragon Kings who cut down ghosts and demons; the Divine Dragon Kings who protect the six domestic animals (livestock raised by households); the Divine Dragon Kings who govern wealth; the Divine Dragon Kings who attract good fortune and riches; the Divine Dragon Kings who uphold dress and ritual propriety; the Divine Dragon Kings who preside over benevolence and righteousness; the Divine Dragon Kings who preside over loyalty and filial piety; and the Divine Dragon Kings who send down rain and dew, nourishing springs and streams.

The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning proclaimed these great divine Dragon Kings of the heavens, including the Dragon Kings who govern wealth, attract good fortune and riches, uphold dress and ritual propriety, preside over benevolence, righteousness, loyalty, and filial piety, and send down rain to nourish springs and streams.

The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning declares: Each of the great dragon kings of the heavens commands nine hundred thousand followers. If devout male and female disciples who believe in the Dao have suffered hardship at home for many years, they may invite a Daoist of deep cultivation, well versed in the Daoist teachings, to establish a ritual ground in their home. A ritual altar may be arranged and ritual documents prepared. At midday and midnight, memorials may be presented to the celestial authorities, setting out their petitions. Depending on the urgency and importance of the people’s needs, appropriate rites to avert misfortune and dispel calamity should also be performed.

During the rites, the scriptures may simply be recited, with reports to the deities offered at three times during the day; alternatively, the Dao may be practiced six times a day. Once the purification rite is complete, the ritual altar is taken down, and a grand sacrifice is then held to summon the dragon spirits and pray for peace in the nation and in every household. In this way, the emperor and officials, the people, and communities throughout the land may all be safe. Calamities and evil forces will disperse, blessings will descend, and bandits will vanish. Divine dragons will offer protection, and misfortune will quickly depart. The people will live and work in peace, sow one measure and reap nine, and enjoy an abundant harvest.

The Most High commands the great dragon kings of the heavens, together with the divine troops and mighty warriors of the ten directions, each to carry out their orders and guard the nation’s palaces, official offices, graves, and homes. The emperor, ministers, and people of the realm should all sincerely follow the Dao and be willing to uphold the Wondrous Scripture of the Northern Pole Divine Incantation. In this way, its teachings will spread widely. The dragon deities of the heavens, the great holy divine kings, mighty warriors, perfected immortals, and troops will all come to offer protection.

All faithful men and women who uphold the scripture and its teachings will receive protection that prolongs their lives, extends their years, and preserves their offices and emoluments. The nation will remain secure for a long time, the people will live in peace, the five grains will yield abundant harvests, and the world will be at peace. The sun, moon, and stars will shine and follow their proper courses; the seasons and calendar will remain in order; the four seasons will accord with their appointed times; the three kinds of calamity will be banished forever; and war and disaster will cease. With urgency, carry out the Most High’s command, so that the divine dragons may bring peace and protection to the human world.

The Heavenly Worthy of Primordial Beginning again addressed the people below: “From this day onward, if a country’s government is unstable and its people cannot live in peace; if floods, droughts, warfare, epidemics, and other calamities occur one after another; if the five kinds of poison and harm run rampant, thieves cause trouble, villages suffer from war or disaster, people lose their livelihoods, prefectures and commanderies lie in ruins, the people endure hunger and hardship, and friends and relatives grow distant or families are torn apart, then these are all the work of ghostly troops and spreading calamities, bringing people great suffering.

“If a king, local official, or person of virtue and standing can lead the people—even if just ten or five households join together in common purpose—to procure incense and lamp oil and establish an altar for Daoist rites, they should sincerely invite Daoist priests accomplished in their practice and well versed in the scriptures and precepts. They should recite the sacred texts that summon the Dragon Gods and the secret writings of the Northern Pole Dongyuan. With purified minds and united sincerity, all should together pay homage to images of the True Form of Primordial Beginning, the Five Venerable Emperors, and the assembled Immortals and Sages. They should earnestly report their rites to Heaven, so that their intentions and sincerity may find a response. Then I will send the summoned Immortals, Perfected Ones, deities, and Dragon God hosts to descend together upon the altar. They will heed the people’s prayers, dispatch troops and generals to seize the evil demons, stamp out the five poisons and three calamities, and bestow abundant grace and blessings. They will protect the people who turn their hearts toward the Dao, so that they may long receive its wondrous grace and compassionate protection. Their undertakings will go smoothly, their plans will succeed, and all they do will be accomplished. Their households will prosper, their families flourish, and their clans attain honor.

“When calamities have subsided and peace has been restored, they should continue to revere the sun, moon, and stars—the Three Luminaries—and honor all the deities. In this way, they will naturally enjoy peace and security for a long time. These commands must be carried out at once. They are decrees issued by the Most High to teach the people how to dispel calamities and pray for blessings.”

End of Scroll Seventeen of the Scripture of the Divine Spells of the Most High Dongyuan.

The Chapter on Praying for Blessings and Relief from Calamities During the Six Jia Cycles recounts the origins of prayers for the removal of calamities and the bestowal of blessings during a Six Jia cycle segment, one of the periods in a sixty-day cycle used to mark days by the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches.

The Dao says: In the first year of the Longhan era, the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning traveled through the Three Heavens with the Five Elder Emperors, the two palaces of Yin and Yang, the Supreme Perfect Ones of the Five Stars, the Perfect Lords of the Seven Origins, and the divine officials of the Twenty-Eight Lunar Mansions. Together, they arranged the destinies of good and evil in the human world. Later, in the first year of the Shanghuang era, the year Jiawu, the Celestial Worthy descended to the land of China. Surveying the regions, he found that blessings and auspicious signs had come rarely, while epidemics and miasmas were widespread. Many people had been driven from their homes, and floods and droughts had struck across the land, leaving the grain harvests poor.

The Celestial Worthy sighed with compassion. Seeing all beings suffering calamity, he displayed his vast supernatural powers and revealed the power of the Dao, allowing his majestic radiance to shine everywhere. He summoned the assembled gods, immortals, and sages of the heavens; the Dragon Kings of the heavens; the 7,200 immortal boys and jade maidens of the Dragon Palaces; and the spirits who governed the mountains, rivers, pools, and caves within his domain. They all came to the gathering place to behold the Celestial Worthy and hear the true teaching.

At that moment, fierce winds arose, thunder roared, and sweet rain fell everywhere. The Celestial Worthy’s grace spread like mist, cleansing away ill omens and restoring peace and joy to the land. Among those gathered was a high-ranking Daoist named Mingluo. He stepped forward from the crowd, bowed, and paid his respects.

I was able to serve before the Celestial Venerable only through blessings accumulated in a former life. I have personally endured the lesser and greater Yang Nine calamities—the cycles of disaster described by the ancients—and other periods of misfortune, yet I still do not understand how to explain them. In a full cycle of six Jia, where do calamities in a given year come from? I beg the Celestial Venerable, in compassion, to reveal this teaching and bestow your grace, so that I, a withered and worn-out person, may feel the warmth of spring sunlight, and a fish in a dried-up stream may meet the spring rain.

Then the Celestial Venerable said, “This teaching is profound. Withdraw for now, and I will explain it to you.” From the very beginning of Heaven and Earth, I established the Jiazi calendar cycles for Heaven, Earth, and the human realm. The human Jiazi calendar marks the turning of the seasons and the movement of Yin-Yang rhythms. It is divided into the Upper, Middle, and Lower Eras, each governing sixty years. I will now explain, year by year, the abundance and scarcity, good fortune and misfortune within this era. Listen and make a record, then pass it on to later generations, so that people may know which years may bring calamity and which may bring blessings. When the wise encounter the first stirrings of Yang energy, they can pray with sincerity as the proper season arrives, and seek the gods’ protection in good time. Thus, the following verses were composed:

In the autumn of the Jiazi year, farming families are filled with grief and worry. The crops fail to bear grain, and calamity ravages the fields. After autumn, even the high-lying fields can scarcely yield a harvest. People struggle through winter and spring; fathers and sons flee their home districts, brothers scatter in different directions, and wives and children can barely find enough to eat. The people suffer far and wide, and many travel a thousand miles to escape disaster.

In the spring of the Yichou year, plague afflicts the people. Epidemics begin to appear in early summer, striking especially hard around Chu and Lu. Many households can barely subsist, and in the land of Wu some families are driven apart. The people flee a thousand miles away, and livestock suffer as well. The high-lying fields can still be cultivated, but seedlings in the lowlands are damaged. The epidemic spreads as it did the previous year, and people cannot return home to live in peace.

At the beginning of the Bingyin year, fierce beasts will appear in great numbers, and the seas in all directions will surge with waves. Water sources, plains, and hills will merge into one vast expanse. It will be suitable to plant the high fields, and farming can also be done along the ridges and hillsides. By the fourth and fifth months alone, schools of fish will be swimming in front of courtyards.

In the middle of the Dingmao year, one should not judge the year’s fortunes by a passing wind. Early spring will bring no violent downpours, but a great flood will come in mid-autumn. Low-lying fields will suffer the worst damage, while land near the mountains will repay diligent cultivation. Though there may be a modest harvest during the year, the granaries will still be hard to keep from emptying.

During the Wuchen year, insect pests and locusts will strike together. The people will suffer famine and epidemic disease, and women will grieve over partings caused by death. The disaster will come in mid-autumn. Rice can be planted only around the halfway point up the mountains; crops in low-lying areas will surely be hard to harvest and will mostly be swept away by floods.

At the start of the Jisi year, fish will be visible swimming in front of the courtyard steps. Dragons will appear in the lakes, and boats will even travel along streets on dry land. Floodwater will cover the flat roads, and the rice harvest will be almost nonexistent. To find a dry and safe place, build a tall house and move in early.

At the start of the Gengwu year, both floods and droughts may occur. Boats will travel on roads, while horses will have to be led through lakes. The summer drought will be alarming and may last a hundred days; in autumn, disasters will strike in the third, sixth, and ninth months. Rice should be planted in the high fields, and the autumn harvest should be gathered at the beginning of winter. Harvesting late will bring calamity, and before long warfare will break out.

In the Xinwei year, crops should be planted near the mountains. Great floods will come in early spring, and drought is certain in summer. The Wu region should remain safe, but the Jing-Chu region will suffer disaster. Though there will be only a mild drought at the start of summer, springs will spread everywhere in autumn. Epidemic disease and calamity will still be hard to avoid, and every household may be affected.

In the Xinwei year, crops should be planted near the mountains. Great floods will come in early spring, and drought is certain in summer. The Wu region should remain safe, but the Jing-Chu region will suffer disaster. Though there will be only a mild drought at the start of summer, springs will spread everywhere in autumn. Epidemic disease and calamity will still be hard to avoid, and every household may be affected.

During the Renshen year, even the high fields will be hard to protect. Carts will travel through river channels, and grain will be hard to find around Wuxing. Stores will mostly run short, and no household will have even a sheng or a dou of surplus grain. Disasters will strike repeatedly in the north, with nine regions suffering all at once. Epidemic disease will also break out around Denglai. The calamity will gradually subside only after spreading as far as the mouth of the Hao River.

In the Guiyou year, neither the high fields nor the low ones will yield a good harvest. Drought will strike first in early spring, followed by successive floods at the start of summer. In late autumn, fierce winds will bring fires in their wake, and the rice harvest will be meager. In the Qi-Lu region alone, there will be famine.

In the middle of the Jiaxu year, insect pests struck as soon as spring began. Drought followed in summer, and floods came in autumn and winter. Even in the higher fields, where seeds had been sown, mugwort and weeds grew thick. As for the places the disasters would reach, they included Yan, Wei, and the region of Shandong.

At the beginning of the Yihai year, floods and droughts spread everywhere, bringing disaster in their wake. A great demon guarded the city. The distant sign concerned the number nine-five; gains and losses would become clear only at the beginning of the Wei year. Sown fields might be struck by disaster, and Yan, Wei, and the region of Shandong would also be affected.

At the beginning of the Yihai year, floods and droughts spread everywhere, bringing disaster in their wake. A great demon guarded the city. The distant sign concerned the number nine-five; gains and losses would become clear only at the beginning of the Wei year. Wherever the grain had grown, both high and low ground remained fit for habitation.

After the Bingzi year had passed, rivers seemed to surge up from the fields. Farmers were distressed and burdened, and much of the grain was damaged. Rats appeared in swarms, with ten young in each nest. People prayed devoutly to the gods for protection, hoping to preserve the crops yet to come.

There was upheaval in the Dingchou year, and farmers could find no peace. Though they sowed at the start of spring, by the beginning of autumn their fields had become rivers and seas. Cattle and horses suffered disaster and injury, and the area of Jingzhao—roughly present-day Xi’an in Shaanxi—was especially troubling. To learn where grain might still grow, look to the threshing grounds where rice was harvested in years past.

In the Wuyin year, hillsides were suitable for opening fields and cultivation, while roads on dry land became rivers, ditches, and streams. The hungry fell dead by the roadside. Fish, turtles, and rabbits seemed to run together, and even high banks appeared fit for planting lotus. By the end of Mengxia, the first month of summer, it would already be suitable to row boats in front of the courtyard.

When the Jimao year arrived, grain grew well in the higher fields. Water was scarce at the start of spring, but between autumn and summer the rivers ran full. Chu and Lu suffered disaster, while the regions of Hao and Hui received relief. The harvest was plentiful overall, and it was a good year to sow and farm early.

When the Gengchen year arrived, people in Yan and Wei would rise in rebellion, and livestock would suffer similar upheavals. In the fields, insect pests would destroy the grain.

When the Gengchen year arrived, people in Yan and Wei would rise in rebellion, and livestock would suffer similar upheavals. In the fields, insect pests would destroy the grain. A blessing ritual held by the mountainside could bring the gods’ protection. The harvest would be plentiful overall, and it would be a good year to sow and farm early. Farmers in Hao would rejoice at the success of their work. Low-lying fields would be flooded, while fields at higher and middle elevations would yield well.

In the Xinsi year, water spread into courtyard ditches, and fish even swam into the streets, while rice shoots formed ears on high slopes. Sowing and cultivation must begin early; do not delay. Low-lying fields would suffer damage, while those at moderately high elevations would yield abundantly.

In the spring of the Renwu year, rainfall and drought will be out of balance. The highlands will give cause for concern, while fish will swim in the low-lying areas. Famine is likely, and there is also fear that warfare will become frequent. Plague and miasma will recur for several years, and many people will suffer hunger and hardship.

In the Guiwei year, five households will share one well. Miasma will occur in spring and summer, followed by floods in autumn. Take care in the Hao and Chu regions, as well as Shandong; famine will also strike in the west. Farmers will have no choice but to keep working the fields.

In the Jiashen year, the danger may not last long. Carts will travel through lakes and marshes swollen with water, and horses will race to the Three Rivers’ confluence. Those who move away may not return, adding to the calamities. Rice will be harvested around the Five Lakes, but not in the east. Famine will strike in the west, and farmers will have no choice but to keep working the fields.

In the Jiashen year, the danger may not last long. Carts will travel through lakes and marshes swollen with water, and horses will race to the Three Rivers’ confluence. Those who move away may not return, adding to the calamities. Rice can be harvested around the Five Lakes; there is no need to cultivate the mountain slopes.

In the Yiyou year, spring will surely bring drought. Three households will share one well, and calamity will spread from Hao. Those who depend on farming will all hope to move to the Five Lakes region. There is no need to cultivate the mountain slopes, and fields on high ground will lie fallow.

In the Bingxu year, wells and springs will dry up after autumn begins. There will be water in early summer, but afterward the land will still be parched. In this year, the cloud dragon will rise, and rice can be harvested around the Five Lakes. Crops planted on land of middling or greater elevation will surely be damaged.

In the Dinghai year, Hao will be suitable for settling. Harvests will be seen on both high and low ground, but the Honglu region will suffer famine. Calamity will be everywhere in Sicheng, while Yan and Chu will be especially barren. Though the year will yield a small harvest, floods will still occur at the start of spring.

In the Wuzi year, farmers should cultivate the slopes. Pests will strike at the end of summer, and calamities will be more numerous in mid-autumn. Floods and droughts will follow one another, with pests and rats everywhere. There is no need to cultivate low-lying fields; high ground will still yield a small amount of grain.

In the Jichou year, calamity will spread throughout the land. Zheng will be afflicted by plague and jaundice, and farmers will have to travel by boat. All the domestic animals will suffer calamities. Crops should be planted in fields of middling or greater elevation. Ghosts and spirits will roam everywhere, and those suffering from various illnesses will find it hard to recover.

In the Gengyin year, high ground will be suitable for cultivation. Though there will still be mild drought, water conditions will be the same as the previous year. Low-lying fields will yield a modest harvest, while land of middling or greater elevation will be most fruitful. Wild beasts will run in herds, and roads will be passable everywhere; the sick will still find it hard to recover.

In the Gengyin year, high ground is suitable for cultivation. Even if there is a slight drought, water levels will be about the same as last year. Low-lying fields will yield somewhat better harvests, while fields at middle and higher elevations will be the most abundant. Herds of wild animals will roam about, and roads everywhere will remain passable.

In the Xinmao year, millet should be sown early, but not in excessive quantities. Floods will cause damage in autumn, and the waters along the mountains will surge like waves. Early sowing will be followed by drought, while late sowing is also unlikely to produce a good harvest. The situation will not become clear until autumn signs appear; then fish will swim onto the roads people use.

In the Renchen year, at the time of the rites, crops will wither and die from insect damage. The disaster will also affect the people and their livestock. There is no need to cultivate crops in low-lying fields; planting should be done around the mountainsides. Early sowing may yield a little, but the prospects for late sowing are uncertain.

In the Guisi year, harvests on high and low ground alike will be uncertain, and middle-ground fields will also suffer disaster. Crops such as millet and wheat will have to be planted in the mountains. Disasters will occur that year, and low-lying areas will often be flooded. Old grain reserves will be consumed, while most new reserves will not yet have been prepared.

At the beginning of the Jiawu year, neither floods nor droughts will let up. Carts and horses will travel beneath lake waters, while boats will moor on mountains. Even if low-lying fields are cultivated, there will surely be no grain in reserve by winter. To find a suitable place to settle, cultivate the land near the mountains.

At the beginning of the Yiwei year, fields should be planted around the mouths of the Three Rivers. The Wu region can sustain the people, while the area around Jingzhao will suffer many disasters. Drought will not be the only calamity; all manner of strange disasters will follow one after another. The people will be driven from their homes and swept along like drifting water, and may soon meet their deaths.

In the Bingshen year, neither high nor low ground will be suitable for resettlement. Around the Five Lakes, only thornbushes will grow, and conditions will be much the same everywhere. In places struck by disaster, one dou of rice will cost a thousand coins. Those seeking a secure refuge may find Jiangnan comparatively suitable.

In the Dingyou year, cultivation on both high and low ground will come to nothing. Three households will share a single well, and thornbushes will cover the lakebeds. The people of Jiangdong will leave their homes in large numbers, and those of Qi and Lu will also travel elsewhere to find food. The regions of Xilong and Hao-Chu will be cause for concern, and peace will elude the southeastern lands as well.

In the Wuxu year, rice will be abundant in Jiangnan, while the people of Yan and Wei will still go hungry. Cultivation on both high and low ground will come to nothing. Three households will share a single well, and thornbushes will cover the lakebeds. The people of Jiangdong will leave their homes in large numbers, and those of Qi and Lu will also travel elsewhere to find food. The regions of Xilong and Hao-Chu will be cause for concern, and peace will elude the southeastern lands as well.

In the Wuxu year, the rice harvest in Jiangnan was abundant, while the lands of Yan and Wei suffered famine. Houses stood empty, unoccupied for three years in succession. Men were taken away for military service or by the fighting; some returned home only to weep. Husbands and wives were separated, each struggling to survive.

During the Jihai year, conditions in Jiangnan were at their most wretched. Crops ripened across both high and low ground, and the harvest spread through the mountains and river valleys. Yet calamities persisted in the west, where famine was as severe as the year before. The border regions were unsettled, and troubling events would follow.

By the end of the Gengzi year, ordinary people could scarcely make ends meet even at home. Seedlings suffered extensive damage, and relatives cheated and fought among themselves. Grain was too scarce to keep people fed, and wives could only fend for themselves. Though Jiangnan had enjoyed a good harvest for a time, people would still be left mourning. When calamity struck, empty houses were all that remained.

In the Xinchou year, calamity was certain to come to pass. An area a thousand li across around Hao and Yue would be struck in early summer; by early autumn, locusts would appear everywhere. The hungry would be abducted or die as wanderers in foreign lands, and livestock too would suffer greatly.

In the Renyin year, packs of ferocious beasts would wreak havoc. People would cultivate the slopes, while villages grew so sparsely populated that passersby would be hard to find. Rice would grow in the higher fields, but locusts would be everywhere. The regions of Wei and Qin would also be struck by disaster. On land, it would seem as though boats were sailing, while waves surged between the high walls of cities.

In the Guimao year, the regions of Jin and Wei would suffer calamity. Drought would persist, and after three autumns its effects were expected to continue for two years. Fields would lack water, leaving harvests on both high and low ground uncertain. People would quarrel and clamor, crowded together within the city in their distress.

In the Jiachen year, insect plagues would break out everywhere, and calamities would be numerous. The area around the Three River Estuary would suffer especially severely. Millet and wheat would yield relatively good harvests, and in spring and summer people would cultivate the hillsides. Though Jiangnan would reap a modest harvest, it would still be beset by the turmoil of war.

In the Yisi year, it would seem as though a flood dragon were rising from beneath the earth. The year foretold famine, and on land it would seem possible to sail boats. The areas around Suzhou and Huzhou would be struck by raging floods, while crops in the Wu region could be harvested and saved. Rice would also grow in the higher fields, and conditions would become more favorable in the years to come.

In the Bingwu year, floods and droughts will be hard to predict. Floodwaters may rise without warning, while drought may dry up wells and springs. Fish from the water may appear on land like rabbits and deer, and chickens and dogs may seem to turn into fish. Rice will grow in the low-lying fields, and boats may even be needed on dry land. The Suzhou and Huzhou region will be submerged by floods, while Wu will preserve its harvest. Rice in the high fields will grow well, bringing good harvests in the years to come.

In the Bingwu year, the severity of floods and droughts will be hard to predict. Floodwaters may arrive suddenly, and drought may dry up wells and springs. Creatures of the water may seem to turn into rabbits and deer, while chickens and dogs may seem to turn into fish. Rice will grow in the low fields; the higher fields will not need plowing.

In the Dingwei year, the hillsides will be suitable for planting, while the low fields will not need cultivation. Those living in low-lying areas may suffer famine. Calamity will come not only through floods but also through war. Conditions in Wu will be stable, while the regions of Yan, Qi, and Chu will face hardship.

By the end of the Wushen year, the people of Jiangnan will have come through safely. Both high and low fields will yield harvests, and pest infestations will subside on their own. The Five Grains will be abundant this year, and people and livestock alike will rejoice. Officials may expect promotion through the ranks, and roads throughout the land will be open.

In the Jiyou year, farmers need only tend their fields. There will be some pest damage, but epidemics will be readily cured. Hillsides will be suitable for planting. A dou of tadpole rice will cost three qian. Low-lying fields will suffer some water damage, while the middle and higher fields will be worse affected.

In the autumn of the Gengxu year, the people will have no cause for worry. Although Jiangnan will see some drought, there will be no need to seek grain from elsewhere. Granaries will be full, and the autumn rice harvest will be abundant. Farmers will rejoice, and all under Heaven will enjoy peace and prosperity.

In the Xinhai year, calamities and epidemics will strike the regions assigned to them. Rebellious forces will threaten peaceful states, with unrest beginning around Cangling. Some celestial regions will suffer ill omens; according to the interpretation, calamity will fall on Longyou. Jiangnan’s harvest will be somewhat poor, and the hilly lands of Wu will be unsuitable for growing grain.

In the Renzi year, grain will be so plentiful that no one will eat it. Jiangnan will be a good place to live, but the roads in the east will see constant warfare. Sicheng will return to the imperial route, while the post roads will lie abandoned and overgrown with brambles. Everywhere will be caught up in turmoil and frantic hardship, yet Wu will remain suitable for farming.

When the year Guichou arrives, the common people are destined to suffer calamity. Epidemics will break out around Penglai and Yingzhou, and the lands of Qi and Lu will also be struck by disaster. Plague, jaundice, and other illnesses will appear one after another. Many households will keep their doors shut, with too few people at home to manage their affairs. People will be trapped in hardship, and this state of affairs will persist in the same places; mulberry fields will change once again.

In the year Jiayin, people around Jiangdong will just manage to make a living, but granaries everywhere will be empty, and the people will flee their homes. Epidemics will break out again, and it will be hard to escape after calamity strikes. Low-lying areas will certainly suffer floods, while higher ground will also yield little.

In the year Yimao, travel and trade will flow freely in all directions. Places spared from disaster will enjoy good harvests, and farmers will be able to work their fields well. Millet and wheat will yield the best crops, with the lands of Shandong especially benefiting. There will be much good fortune this year, though strong winds will also be frequent. Sow early. High ground is unsuitable for farming; low and middle elevations are best, while high ground will produce mostly mugwort.

In the year Bingchen, grain seedlings will grow best on elevated dry land. Haozhou and Chu will be peaceful, while Qi and Jin will suffer disaster and death. There will also be many floods, with deer and rabbits appearing alongside fish. Local people will lack grain, and the granaries will all be empty.

In the year Dingsi, the land of Hao will have favorable weather, and its granaries will be filled to the brim. People will travel and go about their business across the broad waterways. If they encounter a wise ruler, they need not strive to seek promotion. Both high and low ground will yield good harvests, and farmers will no longer have cause for worry.

In the year Wuwu, each household will have about three people. A calamity will strike around the middle of autumn. Few people will have anyone to turn to, and many will be burdened by worry and blame. Yet both high and low ground will yield crops, and famine will not come until near the end of the year. Overall, this will be a year of plenty, and the people will be able to live in peace and look after themselves.

In the year Jiwei, livestock rearing will meet with hardship. Five horses will be exchangeable for one ox; this gives a sense of what will follow that year. Grain stores can be gathered from scattered sources, but field yields will be poor. Despite these difficulties, life will not become unbearably harsh.

In the year Gengshen, rice will grow on high fields. Great floods will come in summer, inundating low-lying areas and bringing insect damage. Do not judge by the lush growth of the seedlings alone: Haozhou and Chu will face the same conditions. Low fields will be hard to cultivate, while better yields can be expected from land at middle and higher elevations.

After the year Xinyou, fields at middle elevations will face difficulties, though life will not become unbearably harsh.

In the Gengshen year, rice will grow well in high-lying fields. There will be severe flooding in summer, while low-lying fields will suffer insect damage. Do not judge by the lush growth of the seedlings alone: the same will be true even in the Hao and Chu regions. The low-lying fields will be laborious to cultivate, and the harvest from the higher fields will also be poor.

After the Xinyou year, fields on moderate ground will generally be able to preserve their harvest. Drought will damage the highlands and areas near the headwaters, while low-lying lakeside areas will be inundated by floods. Early rice will be battered by wind, with the Wumen region suffering especially badly. Neither high nor low fields will be secure; only those on moderate ground may still yield a harvest.

In the Renxu year, harvests will vary among fields on moderate, high, and low ground. Drought is expected in spring and summer, and waterways in Jiangnan may become impassable. Drought will also come in autumn and winter. Low-lying fields are suited to more intensive cultivation; crops planted in high fields may ultimately leave nothing but mugwort. The areas likely to suffer include Yangzhou, Chu, and Jiangdong.

During this cycle, in the Guihai year, the land of Hao (an ancient regional name whose precise location is unclear) can rest easy. Fields on moderate ground are the most dependable; nothing should be expected from low-lying areas. After the new year, the Azure Dragon lies hidden (the Azure Dragon symbolizes shifts in seasonal climate), and a harvest can also be expected from fields on moderate ground. Though drought will come in autumn and winter, the crops will ultimately be gathered in full.

At that time, after the Celestial Worthy had finished chanting his hymn on calamity and blessing, the True Person Mingluo and the assembled immortals straightened their robes and appearance, stepped forward together, and bowed. They said, “The ties we formed in past lives run deep, and so we have been able to meet the Compassionate Worthy. You have explained the roots of good fortune through the ages and revealed the patterns by which calamities recur. You have opened our eyes and awakened our foolish minds, enabling the people of the Dao community to prepare for famine before disaster arrives. We rejoice in our hearts and are grateful for the Compassionate Worthy’s profound kindness, like that of Heaven and Earth in nurturing all things.”

The Celestial Worthy said to the assembled perfected ones, “What I have just chanted does not yet exhaust the underlying principles. Two more cycles of sixty years remain, and much time lies ahead. I cannot reveal everything at once, lest I disclose the laws of Heaven’s mysteries. Now I will teach you another wondrous method, to be passed on to those who uphold the Dao and keep faith. Never reveal it to ordinary, ignorant people. This is a secret method for understanding whether a year will bring plenty or scarcity, whether it will be peaceful, and why the prices of the five grains rise or fall. You must commit it firmly to memory and understand it for yourselves alone. Do not tell vile people who are violent, arrogant, without justice, or untrustworthy.” Then the Celestial Worthy chanted:

On the first day of the first lunar month and on the day Beginning of Spring, it is auspicious to set out after first encountering a Tiger day or a Rabbit day. If the date reaches a Dragon day or a Snake day, do not wait until after the fifth day to depart. Setting out within this time frame foretells stable grain prices and a life free from hardship for the people. If departure is delayed until the seventh, eighth, ninth, or tenth day, it foretells rising rice prices, a poor harvest, and possibly little rain.

The Celestial Worthy said to those who serve the True Dao: “I have composed this verse so that it may be passed down to you for a long time: If the date reaches a Dragon day or a Snake day, do not wait until after the fifth day to depart. Setting out within this time frame foretells stable grain prices and a life free from hardship for the people. If departure is delayed until the seventh, eighth, ninth, or tenth day, it foretells rising rice prices, a poor harvest, and possibly little rain.”

“Dragon” and “Snake” here are two of the twelve Earthly Branches used to mark days; “Tiger” and “Rabbit” refer to days associated with those animals. The passage concerns choosing auspicious departure dates around the first day of the first lunar month and Beginning of Spring, using a verse to foretell the harvest and grain prices.

The Celestial Worthy said to the perfected beings serving at his side: “I have handed down these verses so that my disciples may follow them for generations, learn to recognize years of calamity and famine in advance, and prepare by storing grain. If disaster strikes, they should perform the prayers and rites for averting calamity that I have taught.

Rites of prayer and deliverance may be held on a solitary peak, beside water or among mountains, at an ancient site or sacred altar, in a public hall, or in an open field beyond the city. The essential thing is that the place be clean and quiet, far from anything impure. In keeping with the strict regulations of the Three Caverns (Dongzhen, Dongxuan, and Dongshen), establish an altar and perform a Zhaijiao purification ritual. When praying on behalf of a king, chief minister, provincial governor, or county magistrate, set up a three-tiered sacred altar and open twenty-four altar gates. Arrange incense tables facing the ten directions, and pray to the Great Dao of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), the Five Emperors of the Great Beginning, the officials of the Three Origins, the immortals and divine officers of the forty-six grotto-heavens, and the spirits of famous mountains and great rivers, deep pools and marshes. Carry out the rites with utmost care and effort.

After three days of fasting and purification, dismantle the altar and then hold a grand Zhaijiao. The ritual offerings may be arranged according to one’s means, whether abundant or modest. Then recite the scripture for summoning dragons and bow as you present a memorial written on yellow silk—a prayer document addressed to the gods. Alternatively, one may devote oneself to the Dao and present the memorial orally. Whichever method is used, one must show sincere reverence for the Dao of the masters and never act carelessly or omit any part of the rite.

To act with disrespect or vulgarity is to slight the perfected holy beings of the heavens on the one hand, and to show contempt for officials and the people on the other. Such conduct only exhausts those taking part and wastes supplies; it leaves prayers unanswered and brings grave offenses in the unseen realm. Those who follow the ritual teachings and methods I have handed down should hold them in awe.”

At this, the Perfected One Mingluo and the assembled immortals heard the Celestial Worthy’s teachings on years of calamity and plenty, and on the strict rites for averting disaster. They straightened their robes and headwear, then bowed with sincere devotion. The Perfected Lords and High Ministers rode in phoenix carriages and dragon chariots, accompanying the Celestial Worthy back to the Jade Realm. The spirits present and the assembly who had heard the teaching also each returned to their places.

The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning sat with the Great Sage of Boundless Power, the Flying Divine King, upon a seven-colored jeweled throne in the Palace of Everlasting Joy, in the Land of Great Fortune and Bliss. He proclaimed the Great Scripture of Divine Spells for Driving Out Evil from the Abyssal Depths, and summoned the Kings of Divine Spells of the Ten Directions and the Great Divine Immortals of Mysterious Wonder Who Travel through the Heavens to appear before him.

The Celestial Worthy asked the Lord of the Dao Most High, “Have you heard that demons and ghosts are causing trouble at the borders in all ten directions of the Land of Great Bliss and Fortune, harming men and women among the people and making them often utter cries of sorrow and suffering?”

The Lord replied, “This land has endured seven hundred and fifty million kalpas. It is a world of supreme bliss, where there were originally no cries of grief. Since the Dragon-Han era, men and women among the people have gradually become cruel and violent. They kill others and make immoral prayers and petitions to the gods and demons, recklessly seeking to secure their livelihoods. Over these seven hundred and fifty million kalpas, the people have become poor and destitute, their bodies weakened, aged, and beset by illness. Men and women alike have devoted themselves to currying favor with wicked ghosts. The evil, ancient Qi of the Six Heavens has also drawn in the nine ugly wood spirits and demons. They invade people’s hearts, stirring up violent and rebellious thoughts and causing harm to the innocent. The evil spirits have consequently grown ever more rampant.”

Thereupon, the Celestial Worthy informed the Five Old Emperors and commanded the Great Demons of the Ten Heavens, the Lords of the Three Realms, and the great host of true spirits of the Dao Most High to lead countless troops in capturing every ghost that had escaped the registers and was harming the human world. These ghosts had brought unrest to the land and caused the people great suffering, leaving them without peace in either life or death.

The True Kings of the Three Heavens, together with the divine immortals of the Ten Directions and the great armies of the Three Heavens, made their rounds throughout the land. They treated the people’s illnesses, upheld the righteous Qi of the Heavenly Dao, destroyed wicked influences, and rescued living beings, enabling them to gain the power of the Dao and fulfill their allotted lifespans.

From now on, if a Daoist honors the scriptures of the Three Caverns, receives and upholds this scripture, and travels throughout the world in accordance with its teachings, treating the sick wherever they are found so that they may recover and live in peace without dying before their time, then any ghost that refuses to leave and instead commits evil to obstruct the Daoist’s healing work will be dealt with by the Celestial Worthy. He will send the troops of the Great Demon King of the Nine Heavens to bind them one by one and destroy their followers, bringing them to an utter end.

The Dao said: “From now on, in the Three Realms, places of deviance and eras steeped in dark Qi, filth, and peril will rise rapidly. The customs of honesty and simplicity have vanished; restless scheming and competitive strife are appearing one after another.

Throughout the four heavens and eight directions of the lower realm—that is, across its many regions—there are many wicked spirits calling themselves ‘divine kings.’ They have brought a corrupt age of celestial beings into the world, spreading everywhere among humankind. In the four heavens, mountain and forest spirits and stone essences possess people. Men and women imitate one another and also call themselves Heavenly Kings. These evil spirits join with the old-Qi ghosts of the Six Heavens—ghosts formed from the Qi of former demons and spirits—and with ghosts who have left the registers of the dead but remain in the world. They gather into factions, scatter throughout the land, and take on new names to suit the times, becoming a scourge to the people.

They lead people to divine and pray, flatter and seek aid, urging them to abandon the right Dao and trust in evil arts, and to offer food in hopes of gaining blessings. In this way, the power of ghosts and demons grows ever stronger. They consume people’s Jing and Qi, drain their blood and vital channels, and steal away their lifespans. Yet people remain unaware. The ghosts and demons enter the body, making people loathe life and welcome death. Such spirits number in the tens of thousands of billions, deluding men and women.

If a Daoist priest passes through these places while practicing the Dao and treats the people’s afflictions, I will send three hundred thousand great gods from the ten directions and envoys of the Five Sacred Peaks to assist the priest in healing them.

From now on, in the years of Jia Shen and Ren Chen, great wars will break out across the world. Pestilence ghosts will kill people, and nine out of every ten will die. The world will be in turmoil and the people in hardship, while rulers show no concern for their welfare. Thirty kinds of incurable illness will also appear. If a Daoist priest follows the Three Caverns Divine Incantations Scripture, I will send a great army of celestial gods down to the world to help the priest heal the sick.

One should summon the Great King of the Samadhi Divine Incantations to lead one hundred thousand Red Soldiers and golden-armored troops; then summon four hundred thousand Generals of the Nine Heavens who Strike and Slay, four hundred thousand troops in blue armor, four hundred thousand in red armor, four hundred thousand in white armor, four hundred thousand in Qi armor, four hundred thousand in yellow armor, and four hundred thousand great troops who forbid and suppress killing. One should also summon the celestial officials of the five directions—blue, red, white, black, and yellow—with four hundred and eighty thousand from each direction.

Each of these divine generals commands billions of troops and carries the Three-Armor implements for slaying ghosts—ritual weapons used to subdue and destroy evil spirits—to help the Daoist priest heal the sick. If ghosts or demons practice malign arts, or if anyone harbors ill intent and tries to harm the priest, they are to be put to the sword one by one, so that neither the living nor the dead may cause further calamity. In this way, the numinous efficacy of the great Dao will be made manifest.”

The Dao teaches: Whether Daoists live in mountain valleys or among the people, they should devote themselves wholeheartedly to helping the people, especially those facing danger, hardship, or serious illness. Daoists should recite scriptures and perform the rites for them three times each day. After completing this practice for one or three consecutive days, they should stand at the center of the courtyard, face north, and recite the Precious Chapter of Great Expulsion once, while wearing the Divine Talisman of the Great Register of the Nine Heavens. The talisman should be written on silk or plain white cloth. After putting it on, they should pray for the patient to recover as soon as possible, for people and ghosts to cease harming one another, and for every calamity to be dispelled. The various spirits and deities will also help the Daoist subdue pestilence and suppress harmful influences, assisting in the treatment of the sick.

The Dao further teaches: From now on, if Daoists practice the Scripture of Divine Spells of the Three Caverns but do not wear the Scripture of Great Expulsion, they will be unable to subdue the hundred demons or receive help from the spirits, and their healing rites will be unlikely to succeed. If Daoists devote themselves wholeheartedly to the Dao and set their purpose on the Three Caverns, then by receiving and upholding the Four Great Talismans of the Three Heavens’ Great Expulsion Scripture, they can subdue every ghost and monster. All the wangliang—the spirits of mountains and rivers throughout the world—will come to pay homage wherever Daoists perform their rites. If any still dare to cause trouble, the Daoist should recite the scripture, perform the rites, and instruct everyone to keep quiet, avoiding noisy or impure speech. Then nine hundred thousand troops protecting the Dao will arrive to capture the ghosts and monsters, guard the Daoist, and help heal the sick, so that evil spirits dare not intrude.

The Dao further teaches: From now on, if Daoists recite the scripture through the night and proclaim this great Three Caverns scripture for driving out evil, demonic forces will be struck with awe and monstrous spirits will lose their vital essence. The thunder of the rite will resound like drums, and celestial troops will form ranks and subdue the evil spirits. Blazing fire will spread for ten thousand miles; fire bells will race like shooting stars, destroying the Nine Ugly Ones, slaying monstrous spirits, and sweeping away pestilence so that those afflicted by it may be healed. People and ghosts will cease to harm one another. You evil ghosts and spirits will be sent far away, thousands and tens of thousands of you compelled to depart. Hasten to carry out the commands of the Great Expulsion rite.

The True King of the Three Heavens tells the men and women of the world: if you can devote yourselves wholeheartedly to the Dao and its teachings, resolve to study the Three Caverns (Dongzhen, Dongxuan, and Dongshen), and uphold this scripture while enshrining it in your home, then on the day of the Great Exorcism you can guard against ghost armies running rampant and killing the innocent. As the great calamity draws near, people and ghosts will be hard to tell apart.

From now on, if Daoist practitioners devote themselves to cultivating the Dao, honor the sun, moon, and stars, cherish the true Dao, and uphold the righteous force of the Heavenly Dao, they may prepare forty feet of white silk, a pair of gold rings, five feet of five-colored silk, and jiangzhen incense. They should establish an altar in a pure Daoist monastery or in the mountains, forests, beside waters, or in other such places, and make offerings to the Five Emperors. At that time, they should use the Threefold Mystery Divine Incantation, the Great Exorcism Divine Talisman, the red and black Qi, and the Great Talismans of the Four Directions to subdue springs, mountains, rivers, flames, spirits, and ghosts, placing them under restraint. The prohibitions of the Three Heavens can also subdue every hidden being.

From now on, whenever a Daoist holds this Great Exorcism Divine Incantation Talisman, I will help them treat the sick, capture all ghosts who have escaped the registers, and deliver them to the prison of the Three Heavens for punishment, thereby manifesting the efficacy of the Great Dao. When treating the sick, Daoist practitioners should recite and practice this scripture and act in accordance with the Daoist teachings. At each of the six appointed times, they should petition the spirits and state their requests. They should write the divine talisman and its great register in cinnabar ink on silk, then, as prescribed in the scripture, have the patient wear it or use it to suppress the forces of illness.

Daoist practitioners treating the sick must be single-minded and help those in distress. They must not demand payment or covet wealth; otherwise, Heaven will diminish their Daoist power, and how could they become immortals? This talisman is guarded by the demonic troops of the Five Emperors and by nine billion heavenly soldiers of the Three Caverns. If Daoist practitioners do not uphold it, the hundred ghosts and thousand demons will feel no fear. Those who wear it will cause the ten thousand demons to come to pay homage and the host of ghosts to praise it; all the ghosts will bow together and ask to uphold the talisman.

The Dao says: Great calamities are about to arrive. Warfare, plague, floods, and fires are all drawing near. Before the Renchen year, floodwaters will rise ten thousand zhang; ghost soldiers will kill the people, and plague will spread everywhere, leaving no place untouched. I now lead the divine consorts of the heavens, the perfected spirits of the ten directions, and the officials of the Three Realms down to the human world to heal the illnesses of living beings. Those who believe in Daoism and are willing to practice the scriptures and methods of the Three Caverns, and who can receive and uphold divine incantations, samadhi, and great exorcistic talismanic warrants, may be enrolled among the Nine Palaces, take up celestial office after the Three Dragons, and escape the Three Calamities and Nine Afflictions recorded in the Jade Register. By the command of the Great Exorcism, carry this out at once.

The Dao says: Within the Three Realms are countless spirits, and many demon kings as well. Bearing all manner of poisons, they kill and injure living beings without fear of Heaven’s authority. From now on, I will dispatch the commanders Lu and Jin with hundreds of millions of troops, together with nine hundred thousand Wuding envoys, three hundred thousand heavenly forbidden troops, and four hundred and ninety thousand Red Ding officials and soldiers. They will descend together into the world to cure people of every kind of illness.

When Daoist priests follow the scriptures and methods of the Three Caverns, perform Daoist rites, and recite scriptures to save people, they should first establish a quiet chamber and hang the True Images of the Five Emperors and the supreme true images of the Three Caverns. They should set up a ritual space of the Three Caverns and widely dispel calamities and grant blessings to the people, removing misfortune. When male and female devotees bring incense to the ritual space and ask for healing, the priests should establish a purification altar according to their means, perform purification rites and prayers, make offerings to the spirits of the Five Emperors, and have the sick wear divine talismans. If the sick recover, I will promote you, the demon spirits, and raise you through the ranks. By the command of the Great Exorcism, carry this out at once.

The Celestial Maidens of the Three Heavens, the radiant maidens of the ten directions, and all the immortal consorts of the celestial realms come riding on dragons and phoenixes. Carrying ritual implements such as the Tenfold Spirit Banner for Summoning Demons, which drives away evil spirits, and jeweled canopies atop jade poles, they bestow and transmit the orthodox Qi of the Three Heavens for the benefit of all living beings. They awaken people in the world to a sense of shame and remorse, lead them to remember the Three Treasures—the Dao, the scriptures, and the teachers—and turn toward the Great Dao. In this way, they pass through the calamity of the Jia-Shen year, are entered in the Jade Register, the celestial record of merits and faults, and are spared the Three Calamities and Nine Afflictions.

You ghosts who spread pestilence, stop poisoning and harming living beings. May all beings be safe and free from injury. From now on, if a Daoist gives rise to great compassion, feels sincere pity for living beings, and devotes himself to practicing the methods of the Three Caverns for saving people, I will help him treat the sick and save lives. Wherever this Jing is preached or recited, all ghosts and spirits will flee in fear. By urgent command of the Great Exorcist.

The Dao says: From now on, whenever a Daoist in the world upholds this Jing, takes refuge in the Seven Perfected Ones, wears divine talismans, and heals the sick, talismans should be worn on behalf of those people. The Daoist should also present memorials to the celestial court and perform a Zhaijiao rite to pay homage to the spirits of the Five Emperors, so that the sick may recover and people may pass through the Three Calamities and Nine Afflictions.

If a Daoist casts off worldly burdens, devotes himself wholeheartedly to practicing the Dao, and resolves to heal the sick in accordance with the scriptures of the Three Caverns; if he lives frugally, gives away his possessions, aids the poor, and helps living beings, then the gods of Heaven and Earth will bring his merit to fruition, allowing him to behold the true Dao soon. The Lords of the Three Heavens will assist the Daoist in practicing the Dao. All ghosts and spirits will be filled with fear and will no longer come to harm the people or other living beings. I will dispatch the Great Demon-Exorcising King to strike them down one by one. By urgent command.

The Dao says: From now on, if Daoist priests, rulers, emperors, regional governors, high-ranking officials, or county magistrates and prefects believe in this Jing, cultivate the Three Caverns (Dongzhen, Dongxuan, and Dongshen), and receive the mysterious Qi, they can enable people to ascend to immortality. Those who cultivate the way of the highest immortals will grow wings and fly freely; those who cultivate the way of the middle immortals will be able to become invisible at will; and those who cultivate the way of the lower immortals will be able to command ghosts and spirits.

At that time, news of the Three Caverns perfected beings ascending to immortality will spread far and wide, and beings in the ten directions will yearn for them with reverence. Men and women throughout the world will burn incense, bow their heads, and look up to the heavens, holding great aspirations and hoping that the Great Dao will descend among humankind. Its compassionate radiance will nourish all beings. Rulers and ministers will follow the Dao and support one another, bringing prosperity and peace to the realm, while people enjoy lasting security in their stipends and positions.

The Dao says: From now on, in the years of Jia Shen and Ren Chen, nine hundred thousand plague ghosts will spread across the world, bringing ten thousand kinds of illnesses that are difficult to cure. If Daoist priests who uphold the Three Caverns recite the scriptures and perform the rites, using the Three-Five Qi that wards off evil to subdue these ghosts and drive them elsewhere, they can protect their family members and elders and keep the local earth spirits, Ao spirits, and others from being disturbed.

If someone falls ill, ask Daoist priests who uphold the Three Caverns to recite the scriptures and perform the rites. They should burn incense, light lamps, hang colored banners and canopies, scatter flowers, and offer hymns and chants in six periods throughout the day and night. When the rites are complete, they should perform a Zhaijiao offering to the Five Emperors, the Five Sacred Mountains and Four Rivers, the water emperors of the Nine Rivers, the spirits of the twelve streams and cave sources, the Dragon Kings and the various divine officials, as well as the mighty spirits and retinues of the Three Realms in the heavens. Even the beings of the netherworld, down to those in the Six Paths and Four Forms of Birth, will thereby awaken to a sense of shame and be driven elsewhere.

The Dao says: From now on, whenever a Daoist reverently follows the Three Caverns (Dongzhen, Dongxuan, and Dongshen, the three major divisions of Daoist scriptures) and travels from place to place, if someone falls ill and needs treatment, the Daoist should summon the divine generals—the officials of the Three Heavens’ Forbidden Army, the Supreme True Spirits who preside over the ten directions, the Twelve Affiliated Officials, the emissaries of the Nine Heavens who capture evil, the officials who seize ghosts, the officials who arrest wrongdoers, the great demon who drives out ghosts, the emissary of the Red Capital, and the Heavenly Strongmen. They should each lead their retinues, a total of 480,000 beings, to descend and assist the Daoist in treating the illness.

The Dao says: The emissaries who capture evil, the officials who seize ghosts, the officials who arrest wrongdoers, the great demon who drives out ghosts, the emissary of the Red Capital, and the Heavenly Strongmen should each lead their retinues, a total of 480,000 beings, to descend and assist the Daoist in treating the illness.

The Dao says: These True Immortals, male and female spirits of the celestial realms, numinous consorts, and immortal youths heard that the recitation of this scripture was nearing its end. They bowed together, expressing their faith in it and their commitment to put it into practice.

The “Talisman for Beheading Ghosts in the Underworld Prison” is written in black pigment, placed in a red pouch, and worn on the head.

The “Talisman for Dispelling All Evil” is written in black ink on white silk and worn on the head.

The Dao says: A Daoist should write a divine chapter and cast it into a spring to cut off evil influences and suppress the places throughout the world where the hundred demons appear. No matter how large or small the place, whenever the scriptures are recited in cycles and Daoist methods are practiced, the Great Treasure Chapter for Driving Out and Slaying must be added, and the officials and troops must be invoked aloud. This talisman is to be written in cinnabar.

End of Volume Nineteen of the Supreme Scripture of Divine Incantations from the Cavernous Abyss.

Volume Twenty of the Supreme Scripture of Divine Incantations from the Cavernous Abyss

Chapter on Sending Ghosts Away in the Long Night

The Dao says: In former times, I once traveled with Wenshi and Chisongzi, leading 700,000 Brahmā Kings.

The Most High (a Daoist honorific for the supreme deity) said, “In ancient times, Wen Shi and I, together with Red Pine Master, led seven hundred thousand Brahma Kings (divine beings of the heavens) on a tour of the human world, through the region of the Five Ridges. There we saw many people die in the calamities of war.

Moved by compassion for them, the Most High sent an emanation in the form of a Daoist priest to ask, ‘What crimes have you committed to suffer such misery?’ The people replied, ‘We have endured these tortures and afflictions, yet we do not know their root cause. We only hope that the compassionate, exalted deity will grant us instruction and show us the way.’

The Daoist priest in the Most High’s emanated form said, ‘Alas, do you know that a great calamity is near? Floodwaters will soon arrive, and the people of the world will be mixed with the mud and swept into disaster. Many more will suffer than just you. Why do you not cultivate the Dao? Only by cultivating the Dao can you endure and continue. You crave wealth and status, but what you gain lasts only a moment. If you thereby miss the chance to become an immortal and attain deliverance, no amount of time—even ten thousand kalpas—can make up for it. Since you have not planted roots of goodness, it is as though Heaven and Earth have cut you off, leaving you bound to encounter calamity. The human world is impure and defiled. The Five Thieves (five desires or delusive thoughts that harm people) lead people onto evil paths, drain their spirit and vital energy, and drag them into the abyss. Once you take a wrong step and meet with failure, it will be too late for regret.’

As the Most High spoke, the thirty-nine thousand people present, one hundred thousand heavenly maidens, two hundred and thirty thousand subterranean beings transformed into human form, and four hundred and ninety thousand Daoist priests, demon kings, and men and women rose in alarm and asked to receive and uphold this Jing. From that day on, they vowed to follow its teachings and instruct the ignorant, no longer seeking high office and rich rewards or coveting the throne. Each swore, ‘Today we have heard the Heavenly Worthy’s teachings. We will put them into practice and never go against them.’ They removed the clothes they wore and used them to receive this Jing.”

The Dao teaches that, in the age of the final Dharma, thirty-nine thousand people in the world will attain immortality and ascend to Heaven aboard the Nine Dragons driven by the Most High. Hundreds of millions of celestial beings will travel through the human realm, guiding and receiving Daoist practitioners who have an affinity with the immortals. At that time, floods will break out and ghost troops will fight; many men and women will die or be injured.

I am now deliberately sending transformed beings—divine spirits appearing in human form as messengers—to travel throughout the four seas and have people everywhere prepare the scriptures and respectfully receive the Great Expulsion Scripture. Those who have faith will rejoice as soon as they hear it and ask the transformed beings for the scripture. Others will not believe; they will hear it yet remain unenlightened, drifting in the torrents until they are swept into the Nine Rivers and Three Streams and die. It is truly lamentable.

The Most High will rise through the air upon clouds of five colors. Moved by great compassion, he will look down upon everyone and think of you: some have faith and rejoice when they hear the scripture, asking to receive it; others do not believe and remain unenlightened, drifting in the floodwaters until they are swept into the Nine Rivers and Three Streams and die. The Most High pities your foolishness and laments that nothing can be done. How, then, can he save you?

So the Most High will ride a dragon, leading celestial beings, all the sacred kings, and the immortals who guard the Five Sacred Peaks—a total of a hundred billion people—to guide and receive those who have faith amid the flood, keeping them from fear. Great black birds will carry these people on their backs and take them up to the Ninth Heaven. The dragon ascent, an act of deliverance in which people ride dragons to Heaven, will extend across vast distances: some will span ten thousand li, others two thousand nine hundred li, and others one thousand two hundred li. Such ascents to Heaven will take place eight hundred million times, each carrying three hundred million people.

Those who refuse to receive the scripture, do not hear the teachings of the scriptures, fail to observe the prescribed purification and fasting, or do not understand the Dharma Realm—the sacred world and order as understood in Daoism—will be unable to board the dragon ascent. When the flood is about to arrive, even if transformed beings come to guide and receive them, the officials who govern the spirits of buildings will kill them. After inspecting the guilty, they will cast them back into the water. Only the Most High, the Supreme Sage, can save them; male and female flying immortals will also help him deliver the people. Thousands upon thousands of great black birds will arrive at once, carrying people of good conduct on their backs.

You Daoist practitioners have now seen this Great Expulsion Scripture, heard the teachings of the Most High, and beheld his image. In a future life, you will indeed have the chance to encounter the dragon ascent and rise to Heaven. The words of the sages will not prove false.

The Dao said, “These immortals have arrived. Ten thousand great black birds will also fly here together and carry away those who have done good. You Daoists have now seen this Great Expulsion Scripture, heard the Supreme One’s teachings, and witnessed the forms of the immortals. If in later generations you truly meet them and ride dragons up to Heaven, you will know that the words of the sages were no falsehood.”

The Dao said, “These immortals and Jade Maidens (female immortals) were born long before Heaven and Earth took shape, and have passed through many kalpas. Now they join me in teaching the ignorant. Only those endowed with immortal bones—that is, those with the potential to cultivate immortality—can see their forms. In the future, each of you must teach those who come after you. Let everyone, men and women alike, receive and uphold this scripture together. Then they will not meet a violent death, nor be drowned when the great flood comes.”

Hearing the Celestial Worthy’s words, everyone wept with sorrow and asked to receive and uphold the scripture. The Supreme One took pity on them and sent an emanation into the mountains to establish an altar and teach the scripture to the eighty million men and women present. The demon kings and their followers could not arrive in time. Later, carrying tokens of recognition, they too went separately into the mountains to receive the scripture.

The Dao said, “If you receive and uphold this Great Expulsion Treasure Scripture and grasp its essential teachings, you can become immortals. Diligently teach others and pass the scripture on to the ignorant. The ignorant see things upside down, and are truly to be pitied; in the next life, the great flood will engulf them. The sages watch the ignorant pass their days at ease, just as people watch the insects in a latrine, unaware of when they themselves will depart. If you Daoists do not teach others, you will sink forever into the cycle of birth and death, and are truly to be pitied; in the next life, the great flood will engulf them. The sages watch the ignorant pass their days at ease, just as people watch the insects in a latrine, unaware of when they themselves will depart. If you Daoists do not teach others, you will sink forever into the cycle of birth and death.”

The assembly gathered there—including the immortals of the Five Sacred Peaks, the four groups of listeners, heavenly beings, and men and women—praised the teaching in unison: “Well said! We too should uphold this scripture.”

The Daoist Patriarch said: Beyond the North Sea lies a country called Yilin, with four hundred and eighty thousand households. Its people do not believe in the methods of the Dao. They kill recklessly, and so the country is in turmoil: the people flee and rebel, and three hundred are killed each day. The Most High (the supreme deity revered in Daoism) saw that a great calamity was about to strike. Yet the foolish people knew nothing of it and continued to commit sins. After death, they would fall into the evil paths, with no knowing when they might be released.

The Most High then entered Dark Mountain to observe the destinations toward which all beings were headed. He immediately sent forth light from his body, illuminating the ten directions, and dispatched transformed beings of the ten directions—messengers transformed by the gods—to fly through the air to Yilin. When the king and his people saw them arriving through the sky, they were terrified and suspected they were demons or ghosts. The king sent thirty thousand men to shoot at them all at once. But the arrows rebounded, killing those who had loosed them, while the flying immortals remained unharmed. The officials could not kill them, so they sent word to the king. In a rage, he dispatched another thirty thousand soldiers to attack and kill them, but still they could not harm them.

After descending, the flying immortals soon spread throughout the country, taking the forms of countless women, children, and old people. The king was deeply afraid. He bowed before them and said, “We are all sinners, and did not know that the Great Sage had arrived. From this day on, we wish to take the immortals as our teachers. Please accept us.” The immortals replied, “We cannot be your teachers. We have our own teacher, named the Celestial Worthy. If you truly mean what you say, we will take you to pay homage to him.”

The immortals then led the king and the others to meet the transformed Most High. At that moment, once the king had departed, the country fell silent and stood empty. The king and his companions said, “These immortals are all great sages. We should serve them with even greater sincerity.” Knowing that their resolve was firm, the transformed beings led everyone in the country to take refuge in the Daoist teachings. They transmitted Fulu, scriptures, and covenant documents—texts used in Daoist transmission and ritual practice—and also taught the people to perform purification rites. From then on, the teachings of the Dao flourished beyond the North Sea.

The king and his minister Ma Xuan asked, “After receiving this scripture, how should we serve our teacher?” The transformed being replied, “Those who receive and uphold this scripture must honor their teacher as they honor the sun and moon, and cherish the scripture as they cherish pearls and jade. Do not neglect the scripture or slight your teacher. The teacher is like Heaven, and the scripture is like the sun: Heaven cannot be destroyed, and the sun must not be offended. Rising to immortality and crossing beyond the world both depend on the teacher. Without a teacher, you cannot obtain this scripture; without a scripture, you cannot become a high immortal.

“When serving your teacher, harbor no resentment. Even after a single night apart, do not address your teacher by name. The methods of the Dao must not be divided into two conflicting systems, and serving your teacher must never go against sincerity. If you do not follow these rules, your head will split into seven pieces.”

The Most High said: “When the great flood calamity arrives, China will have three immortals—Tang Ping, Yu Guang, and Ma Qi—who will lead eighty thousand heavenly soldiers and generals to come to the rescue. Those who do not follow them will have their heads split into seven pieces.

“The Most High also said: ‘When the great flood calamity arrives, the three immortals will come in an iron boat to guide and receive Daoist practitioners and followers who hold the scriptures. Everyone should wait for them. When the immortals arrive, five-colored clouds will appear in the sky, stretching for three million zhang like a round canopy. Within the clouds will be a hundred thousand Jade Maidens, shining with intermingled red and white light. This is the sign that the immortals are coming; everyone should wait for them.’”

A Daoist from Donglin asked, “Which scriptures should we uphold and practice in order to see the immortals and escape the Three Calamities?”

The Most High replied: “The Shangqing Lingbao Samadhi Boundless also has this power. Yet unless Daoist practitioners uphold and practice the Great Expulsion Scripture, they cannot cross the great waters of the Three Rivers or escape the calamity of the tribulation. Why? Because the Great Expulsion Scripture holds the highest place among the scriptures: it is the king of the thirty-six scriptural divisions, and no scripture surpasses it. It gathers and governs all the scriptures; to uphold and practice this scripture is equivalent to upholding and practicing them all.

“Men and women who practice the Dao cannot uphold and practice this scripture unless they were born with immortal bones in a former life. This scripture and the Boundless come from the same source. Anyone who wishes to cultivate according to its teachings should follow the methods of the Boundless in every respect. Those who wish to become immortals and ascend by flight should recite the Treasure Scripture of the Boundless. Daoist practitioners who do not uphold and practice the Boundless Great Expulsion Scripture are not true Daoists.”

After hearing the Most High’s teaching, the eighty-four thousand people present each bowed three times, earnestly requesting to uphold and practice the scriptures and put them into effect. From now on, the disciples were to carry this scripture and teach people throughout the world. All who wished to uphold and practice it were to be instructed, household by household.

Dao teaches that human beings have three Hun souls and seven Po souls. After death, they scatter in all directions and enter the Five Yin (the five factors that make up body and mind). Thus, what follows death may be auspicious or inauspicious.

Those who die during the three months of spring are killed by the Solar Messengers, and their names are placed under the jurisdiction of the Lord of the Nine Yi, a spirit who governs the souls of the dead concerned. The Great Spirits of the Nine Hundred Thousand select them and call them “Weigeng.” Their constellations are destined to perish, and they may also take their own lives one after another. If rites are performed and they enter stillness to cultivate, then after ten rounds of refinement and deliverance, the souls of the dead can be freed from the control of the seven Po souls. They will not undergo the Five Sufferings (the hardships endured after death), but will ascend to the Mudball (the upper divine realm in Daoist thought), enter Yuanfang according to ritual, receive the protection of heavenly beings, and undergo judgment of good and evil.

If someone dies and another person recites and upholds this scripture, the soul of the dead can be freed from the control of the seven Po souls and spared the Five Sufferings. It can ascend to the Mudball, enter Yuanfang according to ritual, receive the protection of heavenly beings, and undergo judgment of good and evil. If someone recites and upholds this scripture after a person’s death, the Eight Hundred Million Great Spirits will deliver the deceased’s souls and raise them to Heaven. If the soul remains in the human world, it can become a marquis, king, or elder, with clothing and food provided naturally and no further suffering.

Wherever a purification rite is established, the Eight Hundred Million heavenly beings and jade maidens will descend to observe. The merit accumulated by Daoist priests who cultivate this method brings blessings to the living and enables the dead to ascend to Heaven. This is the power of rites of purification and deliverance for the dead.

The Dao says: Those who die during the three summer months are killed by the spirits and demons of the Honglin Taiyin Office of Destiny. Their names are entered in the registers under the Eight Barbarian Lords. Chosen by eight hundred thousand officials, their allotted lifespans correspond to the stars and should come to an end, never to continue.

From now on, whenever someone dies, if another person passes on this scripture, the deceased will not be transferred. If the deceased cannot be reborn in the heavens or among humankind, I will send the luminous immortals Dashu, Qianzhi, and Fangsheng. Each will command thirty-nine thousand heavenly soldiers and one hundred thousand warriors to slay the demon kings, the officials who select and govern the dead, and the Great Gods of the Ten Refinements. They will prevent them from reporting the deceased’s name in the registers. These spirits and demons will be reduced forever to the lowest rank among petty demons, with no hope of becoming immortals. This is an order spoken by the Most High—a Daoist honorific for the supreme divinity—and in carrying it out, no leniency is permitted. By the Most High’s spoken command, you petty demon kings will surely be demoted.

If you continue to issue prohibitions on your own authority and refuse to obey other commands, you will meet a violent death. Nine hundred thousand Great Gods, each carrying a red staff, will strike down the evil demons. The officials of the Five Roads and the selecting spirits of the Ten Directions must assist one another and ensure that the matter of the deceased is never reported again. If a report is made, you will be punished first, and the Most High will show no mercy. These words were spoken by the Most High, the Utmost True One; all must be carried out. If they are not, the heads of the demon kings and demon lords will split into sixteen pieces.

The Dao also says: Assist one another and ensure that the matter of the deceased is never reported again. If a report is made, you will be punished first, and the Most High will show no mercy. The words spoken by the Most High, the Utmost True One, must all be obeyed. If they are not, the heads of the demon kings and demon lords will split into sixteen pieces.

The Most High Dao Ancestor says: Those who die during the three months of autumn are all killed by calamities such as the “Six Harms,” great epidemics, and disasters involving water and fire. Their names are entered in the registers of the Lords of the Six Rong, divine rulers who govern these calamities. Six hundred trillion divine officials are selected, and their titles appear of themselves. The constellations in heaven will also be extinguished in response, ending their continuity from then on.

From this month onward, whenever someone dies, if scriptures are recited for the deceased, the Five Paths, divine officials who oversee where departed souls go, will select officials to carry out ten rounds of refinement and deliverance, a Daoist rite for saving the souls of the dead. Those unable to ascend to heaven have committed such offenses as sowing discord, wounding others with cruel words, robbing and killing, violating moral order, failing to honor their parents, deceiving their teachers and cursing their fathers, or striking their elders. Anyone guilty of these offenses—whether among brothers and sisters or among relatives such as aunts, uncles, and cousins—will fall into hell for ninety-one kalpas and be unable to ascend to heaven. The officials who keep the registers of the celestial realm will not admit them. Reciting scriptures on their behalf brings no benefit; their offense is the same as slandering others.

Daoist priests should set themselves right and teach others, uphold the Three Caverns, the three main divisions of Daoist scriptures, honor the scriptures, and practice the Dao. When someone dies, reciting scriptures for them will bring scripture spirits down by command, enabling the deceased to rise and proceed directly to life in the celestial realm. Beginning in the Guiwei and Xinsi years, Daoist priests who teach and deliver others will be spared the great flood calamity among the Three Disasters of the Jiashen year.

The Most High Dao Ancestor also says: Those who die during the three months of winter are killed by envoys bearing a clear decree. Their offenses are failing to follow the Dao, mocking those who do good, blaming the common people, and insisting on their own views while claiming that others are unreasonable; their offenses are also connected with the Three Hun and Seven Po, the souls said in Daoism to constitute the human person. Their names are entered in the registers of the Lords of the Five Di, divine rulers who govern these souls. Five hundred thousand officials will distinguish the good from the evil. The constellations will be extinguished, and calamities will cease one after another.

From now on, everyone who dies will undergo refinement of the spirit. The Lord of Spirit Refinement commands eight hundred million people and will guide the deceased to heaven, where celestial maidens will receive them. If they cannot become flying immortals, they can still be reborn as humans. After ten rounds of refinement and deliverance, divine beings from the ten directions will come to welcome them. All under heaven will join in selecting the departed souls so that they no longer fall into the lower realms. If a soul falls into the Three Paths of Suffering, the fault lies with the demon king.

The Registrar of Mount Tai, an official who keeps records in the underworld of Mount Tai; the Lords of the Five Paths, divine officials who oversee where departed souls go; and the immortal officials of famous mountains: if you fail to attend to your duties and allow the deceased to endure suffering, you will first bear the guilt yourselves. The command issued personally by the Most High will never fail to take effect. When Daoist priests teach others, they should establish a Zhai, a purification and supplication rite, when good or ill events arise. The Zhai spirits will protect them.

The scripture assigns different kinds of death to different divine bureaus: deaths by execution or imprisonment are overseen by the Bureau of Civil Officials; deaths from cold or fever, by the Bureau of the Bright King; deaths from falling by a riverbank or beneath a tree, by the Bureau of the Burning Ram; deaths in warfare, by the Bureau of Xiaren; deaths caused by wooden instruments of punishment or ropes, by the Bureau of Nüluo; drowning, by the Bureau of the Dark Maiden; death by fire, by the Bureau of Heavenly Assistance; deaths beneath trees, by the Bureau of King He; death by starvation, by the Bureau of Meng Ying; death from swelling, by the Bureau of Ji Ying; death by needle, by the Bureau of the Dragon King; deaths caused by encounters in dreams, by the Bureau of Lin Xuan; death by obstruction, by the Bureau of Liu Shi; deaths involving wrongful accusations, by the Bureau of Zuo Ren; death by madness, by the Bureau of Ding Gou; death by self-inflicted stabbing, by the Bureau of Zhu Ling; drowning is also assigned to the Bureau of Hu Chun; and death after prolonged illness, to the Bureau of Qiao Qiu.

From now on, if anyone dies in one of these ways and falls under the so-called “Eighteen Bureaus,” which govern the sins and destinations of the dead, reciting this scripture can change the responsible bureau named in it. Those who hear and recite the scripture will find that its spirits make their own judgments and arrangements, enabling the living to advance in rank and the dead to be reborn as human beings. In the years of Renwu and Xinsi, both good and ill affairs can be transformed through this scripture.

The Dao teaches that each person’s life belongs to a constellation system: Jiao, Kang, Di, Fang, Xin, Wei, and Ji; Dou, Niu, Nü, Xu, Wei, Shi, and Bi; Kui, Lou, Wei, Mao, Bi, Zi, and Shen; Jing, Gui, Liu, Xing, Zhang, Yi, and Zhen, followed by seven missing characters. Each constellation has its own name, along with countless divine generals and attendants who patrol the roads.

The Most High, a revered deity in Daoism, takes pity on all living beings and has therefore revealed the names of various great Ghost Kings. From now on, if a household can solemnly hold a purification retreat and recite this scripture, it should promptly perform rites for the dead, helping them ascend to heaven, where food and clothing will come to them naturally. If the dead are in the Three Paths of Suffering—hell, the realm of hungry ghosts, or the realm of animals—they should be rescued from them. If the constellations cannot free the dead, they must find a way to do so; if they cannot erase their karmic offenses, they must find a way to erase them. Should the dead still fail to be delivered and their suffering continue without end, the great Ghost Kings and others must first be punished for one kalpa. The officials who oversee the Five Paths and the registrar of Mount Tai, who keeps the records of life and death, will also be held guilty. Once their guilt is established, they will be unable to ascend to immortality.

The Dao also teaches that after a person dies, merit may still be cultivated on their behalf even after the third seven-day period—twenty-one days after death—and whether ten, five, or a hundred years have passed. Good deeds and alchemical rites of deliverance should be performed for the dead, with rituals held on the second, fifth, seventh, or ninth days, or according to these ritual numbers, to accrue merit and make amends for past wrongs. If the dead had no register in life—a Daoist document conferring membership and ritual rank—one may be granted to them after death. The Heavenly Mystery Yellow Book is an important scripture; by accepting this covenant, one can gain access to all the methods. A living person without a major register may also receive the protection of the Ten Generals, divine generals who guard the Dharma, and undertake acts that accrue merit and make amends. By wearing the covenant and command tally of the Heavenly Mystery Yellow Book, one may receive and uphold the Three Caverns, the three bodies of Daoist scriptures and teachings.

All who come seeking the Dao should be welcomed, regardless of their status. Why? The Great Dao is like the sea: how could the sea refuse what is impure? The Dao’s teachings are vast and boundless, and those who cultivate the Dao should not distinguish among one another. When Daoist priests teach the people, they must never envy one another. Envying others will cause the heavenly spirits to shorten your allotted years. The Dao’s methods are many; those with wisdom should observe them widely and spread them.

The Dao says: From now on, as the Rite for Refining the Shen (a ritual for cultivating spiritual awareness through scripture recitation, purification rites, and related practices) is performed here, I command the nine billion celestial soldiers, the eighty thousand strongmen of the ten directions, the one hundred and twenty thousand immortal officials and their attendants, and the three thousand six hundred Jade Maidens. Let each take up a red halberd, slay the evil ghosts throughout the world and those who harm others with malicious words, and drive thieves out of the county offices. If worldly people plot against Daoist priests and seek to seize from or bully ritual masters, I will seize the living souls of each of them, show no mercy, and execute them.

If Daoist priests diligently teach and transform the people, the Great Demon King, the lords of ghosts, the various officials, and the spirits in charge of selection will seek documents on behalf of the dead. If the dead are being punished by the Three Offices (the divine administrations governing Heaven, Earth, and Water), they must be demoted to places of suffering. These spirits must report to their superiors and bring the dead out of those places, enabling them to ascend to Heaven. If they fail to remove the dead from the Three Paths (the hell realms, hungry-ghost realm, animal realm, and other evil paths), the clerks and soldiers will also be punished. From the year jiaxu onward, men and women who become Daoist priests in this world and happen to hear the teachings of the Three Caverns (Dongzhen, Dongxuan, and Dongshen, the classification of Daoist scriptures) are mostly reincarnated from Heaven; the ignorant among worldly people cannot hear them.

The Dao says: This Scripture for Refining the Shen is the highest of scriptures. Why is this so? The single character “Shen” in the scripture can reach and move thirty-six thousand spirits. When the spirits hear that someone is performing a purification rite, 490,000 deities who oversee such rites, 8,000 Primordial Jade Maidens, and 120,000 immortals of the Eastern Peak will all come to select and deliver the dead. The dead will thereby ascend to Heaven, while the living will receive blessings. From now on, Daoist priests who practice this method, receive these essential teachings of the Three Caverns, and teach others to uphold them will enter the ranks of the immortals.

From the year renwu onward, kings, ministers, regional governors, and officials ranked at two thousand shi who receive this scripture are all people with karmic ties from previous lives, destined to become immortals. Immortals will come to teach and transform them, naturally awakening their faith and allowing them to meet the great ritual master. Faithful men and women will surely become high immortals and will never fall into the abyss.

The Dao says: After some people die, others come after them to teach and transform the people of the world. This naturally awakens faith in them, allowing them to encounter a great master of the Dao. Men and women who cultivate goodness will surely become transcendent immortals and will never ultimately fall into the abyss.

The Dao says: After some people die, others come after them to accumulate merit on behalf of the deceased. The deceased will surely be reborn as human beings; once they regain human form, they can also ascend to the heavens. After ascending, they will be reborn in the human world again, with ample food and clothing. If they live among ordinary people, they may become teachers who guide others. If they become Daoist priests and study the Dao, even a king will honor them as a teacher, and they will no longer be ordinary people. If they serve as kings, regional governors, high-ranking officials, county magistrates, or county chiefs, as long as they keep good thoughts in their hearts, encourage others to cultivate the Dao, practice the Dao themselves, honor the scriptures of the Three Caverns—the three classes of Daoist scriptures—and revere their teachers and the spirits, remaining steadfast throughout, they will attain distinction in this life, and their blessings will be passed down through generations without end. Your upright appearance in this life is also the result of the Great Dao’s protection; whether you are rich or noble, poor or lowly, is likewise arranged by the Great Dao. If your appearance is unattractive, that too is due to the Qi of the Dao, the generative energy of the Dao. As long as you wholeheartedly believe in the Dao, the Dao will never speak falsely. The billions of Jade Maidens seated here heard this teaching and were all delighted. Each performed the three obeisances. From now on, they should teach and transform the people of the world, so that people will believe, accept, and put the teaching into practice.

The Dao says: The Dao never speaks falsely. The billions of Jade Maidens seated here heard this teaching and were all delighted. Each performed the three obeisances. From now on, they should teach and transform the people of the world, so that people will believe, accept, and put the teaching into practice.

The Dao says: When ordinary people study and cultivate the Dao, the Qi of the Dao is profound and mysterious, and cannot be seen with their own eyes. They should therefore believe in the scriptures, which can point out the principles of the Dao. Without the scriptures, how would people know the Dao? The scriptures are like a person’s eyes: eyes can see into the distance and distinguish blue from white, good from evil, and large from small; without eyes, one cannot tell them apart. The scriptures are the same. When Daoist priests study and cultivate, they should first establish faith. With faith, they can then follow the scriptures and methods. Next, they should honor their teachers, who are able to guide people. The sages are hidden and far removed from view, concealing their forms; therefore, one should honor one’s teachers. A person must first have an affinity with the Dao in order to encounter a teacher, and thus come to know the methods of the Dao. When cultivating immortality, practicing the Dao, or performing purification rituals, one should keep one’s teacher in mind at all times. The celestial beings and Jade Maidens will then naturally help people preserve and nurture goodness in their hearts. The purification observance lasts one day and two nights, during which the Dao is practiced three times—that is, three ritual sessions are held.

The Dao teaches: Long ago, there was a country where tigers and leopards were plentiful and often ate people along the roads. At that time, several Daoist priests of the Three Caverns (Dongzhen, Dongxuan, and Dongshen, a system for classifying Daoist scriptures) were traveling with male and female officials. After going into the mountains to gather medicinal herbs, they met someone on the road and asked him for directions. The man said, “At night, you must patrol the road three times.”

The Dao teaches: Long ago, there was a country where tigers and leopards were plentiful and often ate people along the roads. At that time, several Daoist priests of the Three Caverns and male and female officials returned from gathering medicinal herbs in the mountains. They met someone on the road and asked whether there were any tigers nearby. The man lied and said there were none. The priests continued on their way, and a tiger transformed itself into the shape of a deer. When it saw them, it neither panicked nor showed any intention of harming them. Having heard there were no tigers on the road, the priests happily continued their journey. Heavenly beings watched over them. Knowing that the man had deceived the priests, Heaven naturally shielded them because their intentions were upright.

Thus, a Daoist practitioner need only establish faith. With faith in the heart, one can naturally make a connection with others. This is the story of Jiao Mai of the South Sea, who led eighty people into the mountains to seek immortality. They lived in the mountains for seven years. Each day, a million evil spirits descended from throughout the world to test them. The priests remained entirely fearless and said, “We uphold the covenant of the Supreme Limitless (a token of faith transmitted by the Supreme One, symbolizing the protection and obligations bestowed on Daoist practitioners). By what right do you little spirits think you can frighten us?” They held fast to their conviction without wavering. The evil spirits came to test them every day for seven years, then eventually withdrew of their own accord. After celestial maidens appeared in transformed form, the priests all became transcendent immortals.

Therefore, what matters most to a Daoist practitioner is keeping faith in the heart. This event took place after the reign of Emperor Hui of the Western Jin, when the Sima clan crossed the Yangtze River and moved south.

The Dao says: In the jiazi year, the Six Yi—the ancient collective name for peoples on China’s borders—invaded the Central States. There was no ruler in the Central Plains, and the Sima clan moved to the Wu region, establishing itself as emperor east of the lower Yangtze. Later, the brothers of the Golden Knife became kings and governed the realm. The world was at peace, the people lived in harmony, and the border peoples made no war.

In the xinsi year, the Six Yi began to stir in small numbers. The unrest continued through the renwu and guiwei years without abating. In the jiashen year, disaster will strike: if there is a flood, the waters will rise to forty zhang; if there is no flood, there will likely be large-scale warfare, and foreign armies will move south. Yet they will cause no harm, and all parts of the realm will remain at peace. At the end of the era of “True Lord and Golden Knife,” the emperor will move to the Chang’an region to govern the realm. Disaster will strike there, and the waters will rise to forty zhang; if there is no flood, there will likely be large-scale warfare, and foreign armies will move south. Yet they will cause no harm, and all parts of the realm will remain at peace.

At the end of the era of “True Lord and Golden Knife,” the emperor will move the seat of government to Chang’an, where conditions will no longer be suitable for living. When people leave, the local residents will go first, and the migrants who settled there will depart afterward. This is determined by the timing of Heaven, not arranged by human hands. Daoist masters and the School of the Mysterious Gate will be honored by the ruler, and Daoist teachings will flourish; the Six Yi, too, will submit. In the middle period, the state will be established anew, governed and guided by a wise king. There will no longer be people who take up arms or harbor ill will. The people scattered far from home will gradually return to the capital. The realm will be at peace, and in the end, Great Peace will arrive.

The events from the Yongjia upheaval of the Western Jin through the early years of the end of the Song dynasty have now all come to pass.

The Taishang Dongyuan Shenzhou Jing says: In the years Renwu and Xinsi, some people went into the mountains to cultivate the Dao, abstaining from grain and food in the hope of attaining the Way of the Immortals. Some did not covet worldly splendor and wealth, but diligently followed their masters and studied the Dao. Some set aside worldly concerns and devoted themselves to reciting and studying the scriptures. Some did not marry or establish families. Some focused on their cultivation and personally undertook arduous labor. Some went without food and offered it to their masters. Some freely spent their wealth to have scriptures and images of the gods made. Some received many contract talismans and registers, Daoist documents of authority and ritual. Others left their wives behind and refused to serve as government officials. All of them hoped to attain the Way of the Immortals.

There were also people who urged others to cultivate the Dao day after day, built many ritual compounds for Daoist purification rites, practice, and administration, served their masters with reverence, or refrained from contrivance and reckless action. These, too, were all done in the hope of attaining the Way of the Immortals.

The scripture also says: Some people took masters and studied the Dao, yet lounged and sprawled in their masters’ presence, squatted casually, and showed no regard when they saw them. They also deceived their masters and fellow disciples; of the ten things they said, not one was sincere. Such people would squander their blessings in vain, incur punishment from the heavenly beings, and fail to live out their allotted years. One should serve a master with the reverence a minister shows when appearing before the emperor. How can one be arrogant and careless, or look down on others? Though a master is an ordinary person, he is the ruler of ghosts and spirits. If you serve your master with reverence, the spirits will come to protect you. If you fail to honor your master, he will not wait for you to show him respect. Around a master are divine spirits guarded by immortals; when these spirits grow angry, they punish people. Daoist practitioners should therefore conduct themselves with care and restraint.

The Dao says that from the present time until the xinsi year, “Red People” will appear—people of a foreign or unusual kind mentioned in the scripture. They are three chi and seven cun tall, and number three hundred million. They live in the waters of the Eastern Sea, and among them are people who cultivate the Way of the immortals. In the Southern Sea there are eight hundred thousand more, nine chi tall, who will also come to China to receive the Daoist teachings. At that time, people may not recognize them.

The people of the waters live on Qushan, a winding mountain in the sea. Men and women also dwell beneath the water, often coming out to Qiujiu Mountain. Many among them cultivate the Way; they have refined features, and no one in the world can match their beauty. The king of the people of the waters has three hundred consorts, all of whom cultivate the Daoist Way. This is the result of the Celestial Maiden Dark Lady teaching and transforming them through immortal arts.

The great scriptures of the Three Caverns, an important body of Daoist texts, have spread to the Western Sea. There, too, are people who stand one zhang and seven chi tall. They live as couples and cultivate the Way differently from the people of China. Wang Fangping and Magu, immortals of Daoist legend, travel there every day to teach and transform the people.

This country also has people of the waters, who stand one zhang and six chi tall. Women outnumber men. The local king is two zhang and nine chi tall and has three thousand consorts, each with thirty-six princes. They eat no grains. Celestial beings also travel back and forth beneath the water, where they build palaces from the Seven Treasures, including gold and jade. The people wear garments made from gold, jade, and the other Seven Treasures. Even if people from China meet them, they may not recognize them. When they travel, they ride the wind and command the rain, and possess the natural Dao-Qi—the vital energy of the Dao as it moves through nature.

These people of the waters live beneath the water, as though the water flowed above them. In the sea there are also enormous creatures unknown to ordinary people, as well as great horses and great oxen; the oxen are built like large horses. There are also beings with hundreds of millions of heads, and ten thousand kinds of strange things that cannot be compared to any familiar object. Nothing like them has ever been seen in the human world.

Dao says: In the world there are thirty-six kinds of different people. Ninety thousand li beyond the Eastern Sea stands Red Moon Branch Mountain, nine hundred million ten thousand zhang high. One kind of people live on the mountain. They have three heads sharing a single body shaped like a snake. They eat no grains, but eat people, insects, deer, crows, and wild beasts. They can also fly like birds and beasts.

Three hundred thousand li beyond the Southern Sea stands Bamboo Mountain, seven hundred thousand zhang high. A kind of people live in the mountain. They have a single horn growing from the top of the head and stand six zhang and seven chi tall. They also eat insects, crows, plants, and other things. Their speech is unintelligible to others.

Seventy thousand li beyond the Western Sea live people who are five chi tall. They eat stones, sand, and water, and their speech, too, cannot be understood.

Fifty thousand li beyond the Northern Sea stands a mountain two hundred zhang high. A kind of people live on it. Each has one body and three faces, and stands nine chi tall. They eat no grains, only grass seeds. They know nothing of human affairs, yet they have the natural impulse toward sexual union and reproduction. Their children are born much like ordinary people. They run fast enough to catch flying birds, and tigers and wolves fear them.

Dao also says: These people who live in the water live for three thousand years before they die, while the wild people in the mountains die after living three hundred years. They know nothing of the Dao and have no rites or moral principles. Only the people of China understand rites and moral principles. China extends fourteen hundred thousand li in each of the four directions. Its people all understand laws and standards and study the Great Dao, so Heaven and humanity naturally communicate with one another. Other lands have no such condition. Among the boundless nations in the ten directions, those described here are foreign lands, not ordinary small countries. Where the sages dwell, no one may go unless they are a Supreme High Immortal.

The Immortal Yuan Zhen asked, “Which country counts as China? How large is its territory, and in what order are its boundaries divided?” The Celestial Worthy told the Supreme High One: “China is Chang’an. To the east it reaches the seashore; to the south, the outskirts beyond Wu and Chu; to the west, Kuchin; to the north…”