《无上九霄玉清大梵紫微玄都雷霆玉经》

At that time, in the first year of Longhan, the year of Shetige, when heaven and earth had just opened and the Three Powers of heaven, earth, and humanity had already taken form, the Primordial Heavenly Worthy (Yuanshi Tianzun, a revered deity of Daoism) dwelt in Haoting Xiaodu Heaven. Together with the Lord of Heaven and the divinities of the heavens of the ten directions, he discoursed upon and extolled primordial chaos, bringing the vast emptiness into being. A numinous wind blew; trees of fine jade grew into forests, their branches and leaves stirring gently; auspicious clouds spread across the sky, and the myriad things grew still.

The Great Dao Lord of Yuchen and the Unsurpassed Lord Lao attended at his side. Though the Unsurpassed Lord Lao did not speak it aloud, he asked himself in his heart: Since the beginningless kalpas, what good roots have I planted and what good fruits have I brought to maturity, that I should now hold this station—transcending the Three Realms, ascending to dwell in Yuqing, becoming a teacher of the human world and the heavens, and a model for the Three Realms to emulate? Above, I assist the transformative teaching of the Daluo Primordial Heavenly Worthy; below, I support the methods of the Dao (the Way) of Shangqing Lingbao. Only after hundreds of millions of kalpas have I met with this occasion; among a thousand lives it is truly a blessing. Lord Lao felt this stirring within, yet did not give it voice.

The Heavenly Worthy said, “You need not be overly perplexed. The Great Dao Lord of Yuchen can make it clear for you; you have only to listen carefully.” Receiving the Heavenly Worthy’s command, the Great Dao Lord of Yuchen bowed to him there in Haoting.

The Celestial Worthy (Tianzun) said, “You need not be overly modest. The Great Dao Lord of Yuchen will explain it for you; you have only to listen carefully.” Obeying the Celestial Worthy’s command, the Great Dao Lord of Yuchen (Yuchen Dadaojun) first bowed in reverence to the Celestial Worthy in the Haoting court, then saluted the Heavenly Lord.

The Celestial Worthy rode in a carriage of nine jades, flying auroras, azure void, and numinous light. The Heavenly Lord sat in attendance beside him, likewise riding a chariot of the Eight Effulgences, great aurora, and cinnabar dawn. The Dao Lord stood in attendance at the Celestial Worthy’s right, likewise riding a carriage of jade clouds, feathered empyrean, brocade aurora, and supreme azure. The immortal hosts of the heavens in the ten directions each rode chariots of azure groves, feathered void, and floating canopies, or chariots of the great elixir, flying immortals, and five clouds scattering their radiance. There were also carriages of empyrean numina, streaming reflections, and jade-eyed great immortals, and carriages of purple gemstone, golden radiance, bright yang, and feathered pinions. Upon the carriages were raised nine-jointed staffs of dancing immortals, banners of embryonic numen, jade mystery, and the eight pure essences, pennants of the nine auroras, and streamers of the three clouds. Eight phoenixes sang in the void, and nine luan birds chanted Brahma tones. To the left were immortal guests amid the clouds; to the right, immortal guests amid the auroras. Solemn, grand heavenly music was arrayed on both sides and struck up, while the immortals, clad in feathered robes and rainbow skirts, played in turn before and behind. When the rites and music ended, the heavens of the ten directions were bright and clear, and the Qi (vital energy) of the four seasons grew pure, settled, and harmonious.

The Dao Lord then mounted a carriage of jade blossoms, nine immortals, and pure origin. Raising his jade tablet, he saluted the assembled immortals, looked back across the heavens, and surveyed all the perfected beings. His manner was serene and at ease, yet he sighed with feeling. Slowly he came before Lord Lao (Laojun) and said, “You have wondrously opened the realm of Supreme Clarity (Taiqing) and dwell in honor in the court of Great Existence. You are revered by the human world and the celestial realms, and held in awe by dragons and spirits. The Five Emperors form ranks to pay homage, and the myriad immortals attend and receive you. Yet you do not count this as glory; instead you humble yourself again and again, putting the Celestial Worthy to the trouble of inquiring in person. Why should this be? I, too, have opened the realm of Supreme Clarity and dwell in honor in the court of Great Existence. I am revered by the human world and the celestial realms, and held in awe by dragons and spirits. The Five Emperors form ranks to pay homage, and the myriad immortals attend and receive me. Yet I do not count this as glory, and I remain humble. Now I will set the matter forth for you, and by this you ought to understand.”

Lord Lao descended from his carriage and bowed before Yuchen, saying, “I take the Primordial Beginning as my father and Yuchen as my elder brother. These principles can be grasped without explanation and known without translation. It was only my own humility and reverence that startled the Celestial Worthy into looking into the matter himself. I beg the Celestial Worthy to set aside his displeasure; I will make the statement in person.”

Lord Lao returned to his seat, raised a ruyi of golden light, six pure essences, and bright aurora, faced the Celestial Worthy, then turned toward the Dao Lord, and thereupon displayed his awesome power. At once heaven and earth shook, black clouds spread thick, a divine wind rocked the sky, mountains and peaks flew and shifted, myriad dragons leapt aloft, and lightning flashed in crisscrossing bursts. Cloud masters roared in front, rain riders cried out behind, the drums of heaven boomed, and every dormant creature among the myriad beings was startled.

At that time, among the assembled immortals there was a Sovereign Lord of the Great Yang and the Nine Dragons. In former times he had served as envoy of the Nine Yi and the Cang waters of Jiuyi in the Mysterious Capital, and had also divided his person to become the Perfected One Who Receives Refinement in the Southern Heights. Now, bearing the Celestial Worthy’s talismanic command, he served as Investigating Envoy of the Nine Heavens. He stepped beyond the ranks, jade tablet in hand, and flew forth upon the clouds, his form wheeling as if in flight. He set his jade tablet straight and bowed once more. When the bow was finished, he knelt long before the Celestial Worthy and began to recite an incantation.

I am the Lord of the Immortal Capital of the Nine Elders (Jiulao Xiandu Jun), the exalted deity who governs the realm of the immortals. I command you, the gods of the Thunder Departments of the Five Directions: thunder gods of the Five Directions, come swiftly before the altar. Whoever dares arrive late shall first have his bodily form destroyed. Quickly, quickly, in accordance with the statutes and ordinances (jiji ru lüling, a Daoist formula of statutory command, meaning that the order is to be carried out at once).

The Investigating Envoy of the Nine Heavens (Jiutian Caifang Shizhe, the envoy commissioned by Heaven to patrol and inquire among the gods) treads the “Gang of the Nine Dragons Coiling Water, Driving Clouds, and Flying on the Breeze” (bugang: in Daoist ritual, pacing in a prescribed sequence of steps so as to symbolize travel through the heavens), and then takes his seat. At this moment, to the right of the Celestial Worthy (Tianzun), there suddenly appear the Great General of the Nine Dippers’ Yang Radiance, Flowing Metal, and Fire Bell, together with the Great Immortal of the Fire Bell, the Great Immortal of the Azure Fang and Thunderclap, the Celestial Stalwart Strongmen, the Jade Maidens of the Six Ding, the Generals of the Six Jia, the Envoy of the Nine Heavens Who Howls the Mandate of Wind and Thunder, the Flying-Cloud Clerk of the Azure Dragon Who Oversees Troops of the Nine Heavens, the Fire-Bell Clerk of Flowing Metal and Fierce Lightning of the Nine Heavens, the Envoy of the Thunder Command, and others. Leading hosts of qilin, tigers, leopards, xiezhi, and baize, they arrive at the Bright Court (Haoting). In an instant they form ranks around the steps before the Investigating Envoy of the Nine Heavens and bow toward the seat below.

The envoy asks them: “Do you know? Before chaos had yet begun, before the Great Simplicity had yet divided, and before the Three Powers (sancai) of Heaven, Earth, and humanity had yet appeared, the Three Powers already existed, and the Three Realms had already been distinguished. At that time I was the Lord of the Five Thunders, and the hosts under my command were all subject to the Unsurpassed Primordial Lord (Wushang Yuanjun). The Unsurpassed Primordial Lord is today’s Lord Lao (Laojun), and I of today am the Lord of the Five Thunders of that former time.”

The gods answer together: “After we, your subjects, received life, a whole age has already intervened, and we truly do not understand the causes and conditions of the past. Now that you have graciously explained them, there is none among us who does not comply. Having grasped this mysterious intent, we shall certainly honor and carry it out with still greater reverence.”

“We, your subjects, have heard that thunder and lightning are the hinge upon which Heaven and Earth turn. Heaven has its pivot and Earth has its mechanism. What is yang is called thunder (lei); what is yin is called lightning (ting). The pivot belongs to yin and the mechanism belongs to yang. Thunder presides over good, and lightning presides over evil. Each of the myriad things has its ultimate talisman (zhifu, the fundamental talismanic correspondence that manifests its own nature). This ultimate talisman is dark and mysterious, and it governs arising and perishing. The east is numbered three, the south two, the north one, and the west four; these are the root of the great numbers, and the center is numbered five. Thunder and lightning obtain the Qi (vital energy) of the center of Heaven and Earth, and are therefore called the Unsurpassed Primordial Lord of the Five Thunders, and from this they hold the Dao of Nine and Five (jiuwu zhi dao, the principle by which nine and five symbolize the authority of thunder and lightning).

“In terms of the numerology of the heavenly stems and earthly branches, from the east one reckons from ren-zi back to geng and obtains nine; from the north one reckons from bing-zi back to geng and obtains five. The rest are these: geng-zi returning to geng yields one, wu-zi returning to geng yields three, and jia-zi returning to geng yields seven. Thereby possessing the Dao of nine and five, one can preside over thunder and lightning. Ren-zi is the root of the east, and bing-zi is the source of the north. Jia stands for thunder and geng for lightning; jia and geng are the commands of thunder and lightning. Ren is the configuration of thunder and lightning, bing is their assembly, and zi is their ancestral line. Within jia is contained si, within ren is contained ding, within bing is contained xin, and within geng is contained yi. Therefore jia, geng, bing, and ren are governed by the gods of thunder, while yi, xin, ding, and si are governed by the gods of lightning. Only wu and gui join and transform into fire, emptying what lies within, and thereby become the sovereign of thunder and lightning.

“What is called the Dao of Nine and Five means that thunder and lightning move from north toward east, from the hour of zi to the hour of si, and all of this belongs to yang. One who masters the Dao of the Nine-and-Five thunder and lightning can command the awe of Heaven, causing the myriad things to flourish or to wither and the four seasons to arise or to cease. I, the Lord of the Five Thunders of the present, am the master of thunder and lightning, and I hold the Dao of the Three-and-One Thunder and Lightning: three is the ancestral number of the east, and one is the generative number of the north. In the north, zi is the thunder configuration; in the east, mao is the thunder gate. To master the numbers three and one is no different from the Dao of Nine and Five; it likewise belongs to the Dao of thunder and lightning.

“We, your subjects, hold office in charge of thunder and lightning and carry out the correct Dao (the Way) of Heaven and Earth. Having been fortunate enough to learn the root of remote antiquity, how dare we not set it forth with all our strength? We presume to present this before your honored presence, and we are truly apprehensive.” The Investigating Envoy of the Nine Heavens thereupon remains silent and does not speak.

Lord Lao said, “Your words move me, and your loyal devotion deserves praise and respect. If matters are indeed as you say, then I truly possessed merit in the past. Now the Five Thunder Lords (the divine generals who command the thunder divisions of the five directions) preside over investigation and inspection, which accords exactly with my intent. You ought to know this.”

Long ago, at the beginning of the kalpa, the Divine Mother and Primordial Lady of Jade Clarity was a descendant of the Heavenly Worthy of the Primordial Beginning of Fuli. Her eldest son was the Heavenly Worthy of the Primordial Beginning of Jade Clarity; her ninth son held the rank of Great Emperor of Longevity, the Perfected King of Jade Clarity of the Exalted Divine Empyrean (Shenxiao), and exclusively governed the Nine Empyreans and the Thirty-Six Heavens. All thirty-six Heavenly Worthies were under the Great Emperor’s command. The Great Emperor controlled the configurations of Qi (vital energy) throughout heaven and earth and presided over the transformations of Yin-Yang; therefore the affairs of thunder also fell under his jurisdiction. The Thunder Bureau was established in the north, the Thunder Gate in the east, Thunder Fire in the south, and the Thunder Command in the west. Jia, Geng, Bing, and Ren belonged to Yang thunder; Yi, Xin, Ding, and Si belonged to Yin thunder; and Wu and Gui came under the Office of Thunder Fire. Thus the Investigating Envoy of the Nine Heavens oversaw the four seasons and governed the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water). This envoy was the Perfected King of the Divine Empyrean.

All the ghosts and spirits praised him, saying, “We accumulated blessed affinity in former lives, and only today do we finally understand these matters.”

When the Heavenly Worthy of the Primordial Beginning had heard this, he returned to the Daluo Heaven. The Dao Lord of the Jade Palace also returned to his original immortal realm, and the Most High Lord Lao thereupon returned to the realm of Supreme Clarity. The Investigating Envoy of the Nine Heavens likewise returned to the Palace of Purple Mystery and Radiant Splendor.

The Heavenly Lord of Haoting Xiaodu then reported to the Perfected Lord of the Grand Sovereign of Myriad Blessings: “We of the heavens of the ten directions, together with the dragon spirits, should each lead our subordinates and go by carriage to the Nine Empyreans to pay homage to the Perfected King. We will present the Heavenly Worthy’s compassionate instructions to the Perfected King, so that he may know the mission long foreordained for him, and thereby answer the hopes of the myriad spirits of the Three Realms.”

The Heavenly Lord and the heavens of the ten directions then set out for the Nine Empyreans. The company first waited beneath the Jade Clarity Gate of the Nine Empyreans. The Secretary of the Jade Pivot (the official in charge of transmission and documentary affairs) led his subordinate officials out to receive them. Nine tiger spirits stood solemnly on either side, and six horned dragons were arrayed before the gate. Only after the secretary had attended them for a long while were they permitted to enter.

They then entered the Jade Prefecture of the Nine Empyreans. The plaque inside the gate read, “The Heaven of the Exalted Divine Empyrean.” Within that heaven were five halls: the eastern hall was called Azure Blossom, the southern hall Condensed Spirit, the western hall Cyan Jade, the northern hall Stamen Pearl, and the central hall Longevity. There were also the Eastern and Western Floral Terraces and the Four Boards and Four Bureaus. Outside stood the Pavilion of Great Brahma and Purple Tenuity and the Lodge of the Immortal Capital of Fire and Thunder. Within the prefecture were further established the Court of the Jade Pivot, the Court of the Five Thunders, the Shiyang Court, and the Court of the Immortal Capital of Fire and Thunder, as well as the Metropolitan Office of Thunder, the Taiyi Office of Thunder, the Northern Emperor’s Office of Thunder, the Penglai Metropolitan Water Office, and other agencies. Each board, court, and office was staffed with numerous soldiers and commanders, each under its own general. Above these were further established the Tai Province of Thunder, the Mysterious Province, and the Metropolitan Province, together with the Three Provinces and Six Ministries, the Eight Courts and Four Offices, and other bureaus. All the offices, lodges, and pavilions had their officials, and the Eastern and Western Floral Terraces were likewise under the jurisdiction of these agencies.

The heavens of the ten directions came to pay homage to the Perfected King. The Perfected King sent one Jade Lad Attending the Incense and one Jade Maiden Attending the Carriage to convey solemn greetings to the Heavenly Lord and to deliver this message: “Because the affairs of the Three Realms are so numerous, the Perfected King and Great Emperor regrets that he did not earlier divide his presence to set a banquet and receive you separately in the hall. On the fifth day of the fifth month he will open the residence of the Fire Bell, Jade Pupils, and Flying Rosy Mists of the Southern Palace, and he sincerely invites you all to come at that time.”

The guests from the various heavens lingered, unwilling to leave, and again asked the jade maiden to tell the Perfected King: “We have come by the Heavenly Worthy’s command to pay homage to the Great Emperor. In heaven there is a mysterious and wondrous scripture, and within the scripture a profound meaning. Long before the kalpa without beginning, the Great Emperor once expounded this scripture, titled the Unsurpassed Jade Scripture of Thunder of the Nine Empyreans, Jade Clarity, Great Brahma, Purple Tenuity, and the Mysterious Capital. Having heard this, we greatly hope to hear the scripture at once.”

After the jade maiden returned and reported, the Great Emperor consented. He ordered the Grand Marshal of the Northern Dipper’s Office of Conquest and the Grand Marshal of the Northern Dipper’s Office of Defense to transmit this command: “The heavens of the ten directions wish me to expound this scripture. It is a secret classic that I treasure, and there is also a decree from the Heavenly Worthy. You should assemble with the Grand Commandant, the Great Thunder Envoy of the Yellow Axe and Crimson Staff, the Venerable Father, and the Thunder Minister and Grand Steward, together with such officials as the Prefectural Judge, the Prefect, the Associate Prefect, the Commissioner, and the Co-signatory; then summon those among the Ministers, Vice Ministers, Chamberlains and Supervisors, Directors, and Registrars who are most familiar with affairs of government, and together ascend the Three Heavens in jasper carriages (the jade carriages of the immortal realm).”

The two grand marshals returned and reported that the hundred officials had already assembled at the Three Provinces, that the Three Provinces were ready, and that the Metropolitan Province was fully prepared. The Great Emperor mounted the great-cloud chariot of the Primordial Sovereign, the Cavern of Perfection (Dongzhen), and the Total Void. The hundred officials of the Three Provinces, Five Prefectures, Six Ministries, and Eight Courts attended him. White cranes sang, azure luan birds called, qilin danced among the clouds, and the baize roared into the wind. The Great Emperor’s carriage set out, and the hundred officials followed in their carriages. Fire wheels and fire palaces guarded left and right; jade tigers opened the way in front, and golden dragons escorted the carriage behind. Together they proceeded to the Gate of the Three Heavens.

The Great Emperor first paid homage at the Province of the Celestial Mechanism to the Immortal Elder of the Left Palace of Taiji (Supreme Ultimate) of the Most High Jade Capital; then at the Province of the Celestial Pivot to the Grand Historian and Lofty and Brilliant Envoy, the Metropolitan Immortal of the Nine Provinces; and afterward at the Metropolitan Province of Grand Mystery to the Great Ritual Master Who Upholds the Teaching and Assists the Primordial of the Three Heavens. He further went to the Phoenix Pavilion to pay homage to the Ritual Master of the Primordial Beginning of Jade Clarity and the Great Teaching Lord of the Jade Hall. Next he ascended the Phoenix Pavilion and paid homage to the Most High Limitless Great Dao, the Most High Elder, the Most High Lord of the Dao, the Most High Lord Lao, the Lord Heavenly Thearch, the Elder of the Heavenly Thearch, the Lord of the Immortal Capital of the Nine Elders, the Great Teaching Lord of the Jade Hall of the Nine Masters, the Elder of the Nine Qi, and the many official lords of the Dao and Qi. After worshipping at the jade steps of Supreme Clarity, the Great Emperor entrusted the Jade Talisman of the Great Elixir to the sovereign of the realm of the Gang winds and vast Qi, and to the officiants who govern the Yellow Path and the Black Path. Ghosts and spirits of the various thunder divisions throughout heaven and earth also gathered behind the Great Emperor.

The Great Emperor attended court before the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing). The jade maidens of the Three Pure Ones scattered jade blossoms; the blossoms drifted throughout the Gang winds, and divine mist and jade clouds showered down upon the Purple Capital. Holding a jade tablet, in solemn cap and robes, the Great Emperor stood reverently at the right of the steps. The Vice Minister of Great Brahma and Bright Dawn announced, “We respectfully invite the Most High Supreme Venerable of the Upper Heaven, the Limitless and Unsurpassed Emperor, the Heavenly Thearch, to ascend the hall.” This Heavenly Thearch was the Heavenly Worthy of the Primordial Beginning.

The Heavenly Worthy said, “My younger brother, you have come. I have thirty-six thousand palaces, and in each palace thirty-six thousand presiding palace ladies manage the affairs of thirty-six thousand worlds, yet even I do not take this to heart. You are my younger brother; why weary yourself so?”

After bowing in thanks, the Great Emperor memorialized, “The Unsurpassed Jade Scripture of Thunder of the Nine Empyreans, Jade Clarity, Great Brahma, Purple Tenuity, and the Mysterious Capital, of which I speak, is a precious scripture transmitted only once in ten thousand kalpas. It has been long since chaos was opened, and this treasured scripture ought to be transmitted; yet I dare not take it forth on my own authority and must first request the sacred instruction.”

The Heavenly Worthy replied, “You may.”

The Great Emperor took leave of the Heavenly Worthy. The Heavenly Worthy ordered the Divine Duke of Limitless Daluo and the Grand Chancellor of the Three Heavens to meet the Jade August Supreme Thearch of Vast Heaven and the August Earth Spirit of Sovereign Earth at the Lodge of Jade Brahma and the Bright Sovereign. At the banquet the Great Emperor sat in the lower place beside the Heavenly Thearch, Sovereign Earth sat in the lower place beside the Great Emperor, the Divine Duke sat facing the Great Emperor, and the Grand Chancellor sat in the lower place beside the Divine Duke. The Heavenly Worthy ordered that jade liquor and the golden fluid of Grand Tenuity be presented, and that dried meat of the eight qilin, cured meat of the nine phoenixes, roast of the three dragons, and minced meat of the four tigers be offered in turn. When the feast ended, the Divine Duke and the Chancellor took their leave together.

The Great Emperor again paid homage to the Great Emperor of Jade Clarity and ordered the officials of the left and right offices of the Four Bureaus of the Longevity Hall to copy the scripture that same day and submit a memorial of thanks to the Three Heavens. The Heavenly Thearch and the Earth Sovereign also took part. Afterward the Great Emperor returned to the Longevity Hall and sat together with the Heavenly Thearch and the Earth Sovereign in a jade carriage. The heavens of the ten directions all rode in jade carriages, and the heavenly deities and dragon spirits stood in ranks on both sides of the hall steps.

The Great Emperor sat quietly for a moment, then recited the incantation:

“Great Thunder, Second Thunder, Third Thunder, Fourth Thunder, Fifth Thunder. Om, hum, hum, san-tan-na, ou-xi-wei-gan-bi-li-zha. I summon you with all speed. All under heaven know your names. Come quickly, come quickly! Quickly, quickly, in accordance with the statutes and ordinances!”

Om, Hum, Hum, Han, Nan, Yan, Qian, Yi, She—these are the syllables of a mantra.

The Great Emperor then said to the Celestial Emperor and the Earth Sovereign: “I shall expound the true essentials of the teaching for the heavens of the ten directions.” The Celestial Emperor and the Earth Sovereign reported to the Great Emperor: “The heavens of the ten directions have long awaited this exposition. We earnestly beg the Great Emperor, in compassion, to hold nothing back.” The Great Emperor said: “I have just recited the mantra; wait a little longer.”

After a short while, the Five Marshals led their hosts, and dragon troops and tiger cavalry moved with them, summoning wind and rain, flying thunder and lightning. Clouds surged and thunder roared; lightning and peals shook and clamored between heaven and earth. The Great Emperor ordered the Envoys of the Five Thunders to strike the command tablet of the Five Thunders. When the tablet sounded, the hosts of the Five Marshals again summoned wind and rain and flying thunder with fierce lightning; clouds scattered and thunder boomed, the din shaking the heavens. The Great Emperor then ordered the Envoys of the Five Thunders to strike the command tablet of the Five Thunders once more, and heaven and earth at once fell silent. Thereupon the Great Emperor began to expound the scripture (Jing).

The Five Marshals, the dragon troops and tiger cavalry, and the Envoys of the Five Thunders are all divine generals in Daoist narratives of the Thunder Rites (Leifa), who command the divine soldiers of the Thunder Department and transmit the thunder commands. The command tablet of the Five Thunders is the ritual implement used to issue those orders.

The Great Emperor said: “I am the son of Fuli Yuanshi Tianzun (the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning of Fuli) and of Yuqing Shenmu Yuanjun (the Primordial Lady, Divine Mother of Jade Clarity), the younger brother of Yuqing Yuanshi Tianzun (the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning of Jade Clarity), and the uncle of Taishang Laojun (the Most High Lord Lao). The sun and moon are my daughters-in-law, the stars are my kindred, wind and thunder are my servants, and clouds and mist are my carriages and horses. I can pass between being and non-being, at times concealing my sacred form and at times appearing in a mortal body; I can fly through the air and harness the Qi (vital energy) of dawn, and I can also mount the void and step into the Brahma realm. The Three Officials (the Official of Heaven, the Official of Earth, and the Official of Water) ascend in haste, and the Five Emperors (the Heavenly Emperors of the five directions) follow as my escort. Exalted as I am, how could I dare not serve with all my heart? Therefore I extend my mind and strength throughout the Three Realms (the Realm of Desire, the Realm of Form, and the Formless Realm) and devote myself to governing the Five Phases (wuxing). Among all you heavenly spirits, dragon spirits, and ghost spirits, which one does not know this?”

At this time, the Thunder God and Fire Master (the divine general who governs thunder and fire) composed his bearing, held the register slips, stood before the Great Emperor, bowed his head, and knelt at length, saying: “How lamentable! In this abandoned world of the worthy and wise, all living beings—rulers and ministers, fathers and sons, husbands and wives, brothers, hosts and guests, friends, relatives, and servants, as well as birds, beasts, fish, insects, and grasses and trees, whether sentient or insentient—from the kalpa-ages of the past until today, since life began, have already accumulated the toil and karmic offenses of hundreds of millions of kalpas, and in this present life they again bear the stain of karma. Greed, anger, delusion, and attachment arise in the way people establish themselves in the world and in their words and deeds; killing, theft, and sexual misconduct appear in every thought and every movement. There are three offenses in the mind and four offenses in speech; others have every kind of fault, yet one finds in oneself every kind of justification. The illusory body with outflows (a body ruled by afflictions and karmic force, which will in the end decay) brings boundless karmic obstructions. Contention over right and wrong spreads as vast as the sea, and opposition between people rises as high as the mountains. I do not know what can be done so that they may escape punishment under the laws of thunder.”

The Great Emperor said: Before heaven and earth had taken form, my own being already existed; before my own being had appeared, the root existed first. The source of life and the destination of death are the gateways leading to the celestial palaces and the earthly underworld. Life and death cycle back and forth without end, like ants circling a millstone. If one supposes that life and death might not exist, heaven and earth would still have day and night, and day and night would still have the alternation of sun and moon. It is clear, then, that life and death cannot be dispensed with. Guilt and blessing, long life and short life, flourishing and decline, favor and disgrace, right and wrong, self and other, fame, profit, and wealth and emolument all attach themselves to life and death, and a person’s nature and life are thereby bound.

Therefore, in the northeast is established the Hell of Wind and Thunder; this is the awesome wrath by which thunder carries out punishment. Slight offenses are examined and recorded by Taiyi (a Daoist deity); obvious offenses are reported upward by the Three Corpses (the spirits which, as Daoism teaches, scrutinize human faults); still graver crimes are recorded and punished by the Three Officials (the deities who govern Heaven, Earth, and Water), and the punishment of the wind-blades immediately descends; crimes of the utmost gravity that involve thunder incur still severer punishment. In the world of the living there is the penalty of whipping the corpse; in the underworld there is the penalty of tearing the body apart. Private words spoken among people sound to Heaven like thunder; acts of deceiving oneself in a darkened room are seen by the spirits as clearly as lightning. How can one fail to be cautious? Scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants, monks and nuns, Daoist priests and laypeople, from the Son of Heaven down to the common people—if in their destiny they encounter the calamitous omen of a comet, or if their bodies are harassed by evil spirits, all of this is brought about by the actual descent of the decrees of thunder.

The Great Emperor said further: Thunder presides over the calamities and blessings sent down by Heaven and holds the authority to weigh and measure the myriad things. It governs the myriad things and all people, presides over giving life and taking life, inspects, confines, opens, and closes, and manages the coming into being of the myriad things. From the Celestial Sovereign above to the Earthly Emperor below, without thunder no command can be carried out. From matters as great as life and death down to matters as small as rise and decline, glory and withering, without thunder these affairs likewise cannot be directed. The decrees of thunder each have their proper jurisdiction, and the affairs that fall under those decrees each have their presiding spirits. I shall now explain them to you one by one. All must observe these rules and maintain awe and reverent care.

The Great Emperor said: The supreme sages of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing)—the three highest deities venerated in Daoism—are the patriarchs of thunder, and the supreme worthies of the Ten Extremes—the honored deities who govern the ultimate realms of the ten directions—are the root of thunder. The Jade Emperor, Lord on High of Vast Heaven, is charged with commanding the thunder, while the Empress of Earth, the August Earth Spirit, is charged with regulating the thunder.

The Great Emperor said: I am the True King, the Great Emperor of Longevity, whose honorific title is Most High Jade Clarity of the Divine Empyrean (Shenxiao); next come the Great Emperor of Azure Radiance of the Eastern Pole, the Heavenly Worthy of Universal Transformation Whose Thunder Voice Responds to the Primordial of the Nine Heavens, the Great Emperor Thunder Ancestor of the Nine Heavens, the Great Heavenly Emperor Taiyi of the Purple Tenuity Jasper Palace of Upper Clarity, the Great Emperor of the Cavern Abyss of the Six Heavens, the Imperial Lord, Heavenly Sovereign of the Six Waves, the Perfected Lord Elder of the Kehan Office, and the Perfected Lord of Investigation of the Nine Heavens. These nine are collectively called the “Nine Chen of Shenxiao,” the nine honored deities of the Shenxiao system.

The Great Emperor said: You assemblies of the various heavens of the ten directions know of these matters as well, do you not? Therefore, whenever the lower realm, in order to eliminate calamity, performs rites of rangxie—rituals of prayer to avert misfortune and of thanksgiving to the deities—or seeks to cut down baleful stars, campaign against heterodox temples, subdue flood dragons and fierce tigers, drive out epidemics and evil spirits, release people from the net of heaven and the perils of earth, and dissolve the disasters of the year and the misfortunes of the month, the calamities of stellar destiny, the grievances accumulated over successive generations, and the inauspicious conjunctions of seven lifetimes, or to deal with the afflictions caused by the harassment of ghosts and spirits and the workings of demons and monsters—whether the affliction has already occurred or has not yet occurred—one should first present memorials to the Nine Chen of Shenxiao, and then report, level by level, to the divine bureaus of the various offices.

The Great Emperor said: The Perfected Lord who presides as judge of the Jade Bureau, the Left and Right Attendants-in-Ordinary of the Jade Bureau, the Left and Right Vice-Directors, the Supreme Chancellor of Celestial Thunder, the Commissioner-Chancellor of the Jade Pivot, the Supreme Chancellor of the Dipper Pivot, the Director of Destinies of Highest Clarity, the Right Minister of the Jade Bureau, the Commissioner of the Court of the Five Thunders, the Metropolitan Office of Thunder, and the Perfected Lord of Original Destiny—all these are key divine offices in the thunder system, and are therefore called the “Nine Offices.” Whenever the thunders are invoked, memorials must be submitted to them. There are, in addition, the Thunder Kings of the Five Directions and the Great Emperor-Lords of Thunder of the Five Directions, to whom memorials must also be submitted.

The Great Emperor further said: The Solar Emperor-Lord of the Sun Palace is the deity upon whom the might of thunder depends; the Lunar Sovereign-Lord of the Moon Bureau is the deity upon whom the wondrous power of thunder depends; and the Nine Sovereign Perfected Lords of the Northern Dipper control the pivot of thunder and its overall administration.

In former times, the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning commanded the Unsurpassed Primordial Lord of Great Clarity, the Great Envoy of Lofty Brilliance who serves as Metropolitan Immortal and Grand Scribe of the Nine Provinces, the Immortal Elder of the Left Palace of the Taiji (Supreme Ultimate) in the Jade Capital of the Most High, and the Great Ritual Master of the Three Heavens Who Upholds the Teaching and Assists the Primordial to take charge respectively of the Tai Department, the Xuan Department, and the Metropolitan Department of Thunder. He further ordered the Great Immortal Fuqiu to assist in countersigning and managing the affairs of the Three Departments of Thunder. The remaining divine offices, each according to rank, have their own bureaus and jurisdictions. Some are called “concurrent offices,” and some “branch offices”; when divine officials go out on tours of inspection, they are called “itinerant offices.”

If any of these four offices falls vacant, a successor must be chosen to fill it. In a certain kalpa of the past, these posts were once filled by selection and then transferred; now these four divine officials are again to descend into the human world, to govern the people and instruct the populace, and, when their merit is complete, to return each to his own jurisdiction.

The Great Emperor said: “Deities of the heavens of the ten directions—the gods of the celestial realms in every quarter—you should know that this scripture (Jing) contains profound and subtle principles and is not to be expounded to those of shallow foundation.

“In former times I received the decree of the Celestial Worthy (Tianzun). In the Jade Clarity mansion of the Nine Empyreans I issued Fulu (talismans and registers) and documents, transmitted the proclamations, and conferred registers and patents, in order to save and deliver the living and the dead: the living receive deliverance, and the souls of the dead undergo refinement, so that they leave the hells, ascend among the immortals and perfected ones, and attain liberation. Every talismanic mandate of the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning is carried out by the Nine Empyreans.

“My Heaven of Jade Clarity of the Nine Empyreans oversees the Fire Bureau of the Vermilion Mound, the Office of Refinement of the Upper Palace of Nanchang, the Office of Deliverance of the Lower Palace of Nanchang, the Yellow Register Court of Highest Clarity, and the Hall of Universal Radiance of the Yellow Registers of Great Clarity. All of these are divine offices charged with saving the living and refining and delivering the souls of the dead.

“The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning appointed three assisting officials to administer the talismanic mandates, and they are subordinate to my own heaven. The first is the Divine Duke of the Limitless Great Canopy, who adjudicates the affairs of the Yellow Register Court of Highest Clarity and is titled the Perfected One Yuluoqiao; the second is the Ritual Master of the Primordial Beginning of Jade Clarity, who serves as Commissioner of the Yellow Register Court of Highest Clarity and is titled the Perfected One of True Fixed Light; the third is the Great Teaching Lord of the Jade Hall, who serves as Deputy Commissioner of the Yellow Register Court of Highest Clarity and is titled the Perfected One of Radiant Wondrous Sound. These three assist this heaven and take charge of saving the living and delivering the dead.

“Every rite of refining and delivering the souls of the dead must first be memorialized to the Nine Chen (the nine exalted deities of the heavens), then reported to the nine offices, then made known to the three assisting officials and submitted to the Three Departments, so that the documents reach all the bureaus of the palaces of the sun and moon and the offices of the Northern Dipper. Only then can the command pass, level by level, to the various heavens, the decree be carried out, the earth spirits (deities of the terrestrial realm) be restrained, and the Three Realms be notified throughout.

“If this procedure is not followed, then even hundreds or thousands of Fulu and documents will have no effect, because communication between heaven and earth is cut off.”

The Great Emperor said: If a ruler in the human world wishes to preserve and secure the foundation of the state, pacify the people, harmonize the four seasons, and regulate the two Qi (vital energy) of Yin-Yang, this scripture (Jing) may be copied upon brocade silk, adorned and placed in a golden casket, then set within a stone coffer and stored by the seashore or among the mountains. In this way the people will dwell in peace, wind and rain will arrive in their proper seasons, the five grains will be spared from disaster, the myriad things will be safe and well, the state will be free of warfare, and the common folk will enjoy prosperity and long life.

Wherever this scripture is kept, divine officers attend and guard it: the Divine Kings Who Fly through Heaven; the Elders of the Ten Directions (deities who guard the heavenly realms of every quarter); the Heavenly Stalwarts and Strongmen; the Wolf Officials and Tiger Braves; the Heavenly Mounted Armored Troops; the Riders Who Detect Treachery and Seize Offenders; the Directors-in-Chief and their Attendants; the Station Masters and Deputy Station Masters of the post pavilions; the Mounted Courier Officers of the Gang Wind; the Officers Who Submit Memorials on Horseback; the Flying-Talisman Officers Who Destroy Illicit Shrines; the Officers Who Adjudicate Yin Spirits; the Officers Who Adjudicate Yang Spirits; the Flying Dragon Mounted Officers; and other divine functionaries.

The Great Emperor further told the Elders of the heavens of the ten directions: Long ago, in the Heaven of Fuli Biluo, I, together with the Limitless Great Sages of the Ten Directions, attended upon the Primordial Heavenly Worthy, dwelling amid the precious millet and the songs of the void. The Primordial Heavenly Worthy expounded the Great Numinous Chapter of Primordial Azure. At that time I made a vast vow: after five hundred kalpas, the world would fall into calamity; living beings would suffer disaster; corpses would pile up like mountains; fresh blood would flow across the plains; and there would no longer be, as there is now, a scene in which the myriad things are settled and Yin and Yang are in harmony.

Thunder holds the Qi of central harmony between Heaven and Earth, administers the decrees of Heaven and Earth, oversees and examines fortune and misfortune, assists the turning of the Heavenly Dao (the Way), commands Yin and Yang, and governs the laws by which the earth moves. As lord of thunder, I ought to be the first to bear responsibility and, in place of living beings, endure every demonic tribulation. Yet rather than use such merit to suffer on behalf of living beings, it would be better to have the Primordial Heavenly Worthy expound this numinous chapter, so that people may open their minds and awaken to the mysterious and wondrous.

This scripture of mine does not differ in essential purport from that numinous chapter; through it, too, the mysterious principle I have comprehended is opened. If living beings are able to hear this scripture, even when their lives are about to end they may obtain deliverance and need not pass through the hells.

At that time the heavens of the ten directions all bowed their heads and praised the mysterious principle spoken by the Great Emperor. The Heavenly Emperor and the Earth Sovereign also praised him, saying, “Excellent!” Heavenly dragons, ghosts, and spirits were all greatly delighted; golden lads danced the incense smoke, and jade maidens scattered fresh flowers.

The Great Emperor said: Once people of the world give rise to a thought and act upon it, they may commit all manner of unwholesome deeds: offending Heaven and Earth, profaning the sun and moon, maligning wind and rain, and slighting the stars; failing their rulers and teachers, defying and insulting their parents, deceiving friends and old acquaintances, and treating kin, friends, and neighbors with arrogance; killing living beings and squandering grain; taking in with a large steelyard and paying out with a small measure, thereby cheating sages and worthies; imposing harsh punishments and harming birds and beasts; secretly engaging in debauchery and theft, inciting others to do evil and aiding violent wrongdoers; craving glory and bullying the weak. For this reason the gods of Heaven grow furious, the spirits of Earth seethe with indignation, and ghosts and spirits likewise detest them.

If someone can invite the officials of the various bureaus of the Nine Heavens, the immortal officers of the first rank of the Upper Prime, or a Zhengyi (Orthodox Unity) Daoist priest—a ritual master of a Daoist lineage—to set up an altar and swear a covenant in a louguan or a jinglu (places for cultivation or for performing Zhaijiao [purification ritual] ceremonies), or in the home, and have the Jade Scripture recited, then whether the rite lasts one day, three days, five days, or seven days, one should first report to the deities of the upper realm, sincerely repent of one’s faults, and pray for the protection of one’s natal hun-spirit (the soul-spirit linked to one’s birth time and allotted fate), requesting that it be received into the Jade Palace, that the matter be conveyed up to the celestial court, and that the celestial troops extend their safeguarding. In this way the Three Officials (the deities who govern Heaven, Earth, and Water) will cease their interrogation, and the Black Register (the ledger that records transgressions) will cease its investigation, so that one is spared the wrath of the Thunder Gods and the condemnation of Heaven. If one can turn the heart back toward goodness, good fortune will follow.

The Great Emperor said: If someone is harassed by celestial enchantresses and earth goblins, mountain essences and stone monsters, demonic afflictions of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water), fierce demons of the Three Realms, and evil spirits of village shrines, or if, entangled by those who died bearing grievances, they are seized by terror and lose their normal state, their hun and po unsettled and their five viscera disordered, humans and ghosts disturbing one another and their conduct turned awry, I will dispatch the Great General Who Commands Demons as Vanguard, together with the Faceless Great God of the Cloud Roads Who Seizes Ghosts of the Nine Heavens and the Golden Blade Merit Officer, to lead the celestial troops and distinguish human from ghost; those who resist shall have their corpses beheaded.

The Great Emperor said: The method for ritually averting flood disasters is to report to the Great Lord of Fusang of the Water Bureau, Lord Fengyi of the Water Bureau, and Lord Xuanming, God of the Waves, and to transmit documents informing the Great Gods of the Five Lakes, the Dragon Kings of the Four Seas, and the bureau officers of the Nine Rivers, commanding them to lead the celestial troops and distinguish human from ghost; those who resist shall have their corpses beheaded.

The Great Emperor said: The method for averting flood disasters is to submit documents to the Great Lord of Fusang of the Water Bureau, Lord Fengyi of the Water Bureau, and Lord Xuanming, God of the Waves, and to circulate documents informing the Great Gods of the Five Lakes, the Dragon Kings of the Four Seas, the Water Emperors of the Nine Rivers, the Source Dukes of the Four Waterways, the Masters of the Nine Rivers, the Lord of the River Source of Kunlun, the Great God Hekui, and the Commissioner of All Waters at Penglai. One petitions them to swiftly remove water monsters, hold back and calm the surging floods, and cut down demonic cruelty and harm, so that these do not endanger the common people.

The Great Emperor said: The method for thanking the fire gods and averting fire disasters is to submit documents to Lord Yinghuo of the South, Lord Zhurong the Fire God, Lord Ebo of Thunder-Fire, Lord Huilu of the Fire Department, and General Huoling, and to circulate documents informing the Great Gods Who Preside over Fire in the Southern Fire Department, the Great Gods of Flying Fire, Hurled Fire, and Flowing Fire of the Five Directions, the Great Immortals Who Hold the Fire Writs and the Golden Scripture (Jing), the Judges of the Fire Department, the Bing-Ding Youths, the Great General Who Overcomes Fire, and the Great God of Soaring Light. One petitions them to clear away the calamity of fire, so that the places where the people dwell may be peaceful and pure, and fierce flames may not spread and do harm. When the people avert floods or thank the fire gods, they must also submit a written report to the Taisui Lord of such-and-such year: flood disasters, classed under Water, are administered by the Lunar Bureau, while fire disasters, classed under Fire, are administered by the Solar Palace.

The Great Emperor said: When baleful stars appear over the lands of the human world and malign stars shine upon a person’s body, the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning has a method for shifting the stars and altering the positions of the stellar lodges. As for demon stars and retrograde lodges that do not belong among the Five Emperors, the Eleven Luminaries, the Twenty-Eight Lodges, or the stars within the Purple Tenuity Enclosure, all of these may be cut down. One should first memorialize the Nine Celestial Courts and report to the Nine Offices, and only then memorialize the Great Emperor of the North Pole and Purple Tenuity and report to the Palace of the Seven Kings of the Northern Dipper, leaving it to them to cut these stars down in accordance with the will of Heaven.

The suppression of illicit gods in temples is governed by a separate rule: whenever a temple deity is not orthodox, one should first send a document informing the City God of the jurisdiction to which it belongs, and only then submit a report and petition. A memorial may be presented only when a bing day is encountered; at that time the responsible offices will inspect and verify the matter, and the offices concerned will all carry it out under orders.

The Great Emperor said: If a person’s illness is critical and treatment has no effect, and the four limbs can no longer be sustained, one should submit a memorial petitioning the Envoys of the Celestial Physicians, the Numinous Officials of Superior Medicine, the Envoys Who Cure Illness, and the Golden Lads of Ritual Moxibustion to come and give treatment. After the prayer and petition, jade Qi (vital energy—the numinous energy spoken of in the Way of the immortals) transforms into flowing energy, and the divine elixir descends, so that the people revive and return to life, recovering their spirits and their appearance. If the harm comes from evil spirits, the same procedure is followed.

The Great Emperor said: The method of stilling flood dragons is the same as that of ritually averting flood disasters. To drive off fierce tigers, one must command the local earth gods, the Jade Maidens of the Divine Tiger, and the Jade Maidens who can subdue fierce tigers. The method of cutting off epidemics is to issue documents to the Five Plague Envoys (the deities who preside over pestilence) and the Venerable God Taisui, and to forward those documents to the Thunderclap Metropolitan Office (the divine office in Daoism that administers the affairs of thunder).

The Great Emperor said: There are ghosts and spirits that impersonate deceased ancestors, forcibly compel people to offer sacrifice, and produce all manner of strange phenomena, pressing people to make offerings and wait upon them. They also throw bricks and tiles, knock at doors and strike households, scatter sand and set fires, startle chickens and dogs, hang up snakes and rats, and transmit images and sounds. All who harm people by these means are to be punished according to their offenses.

The Great Emperor said: In the Jade Clarity Prefecture of the Nine Heavens there are the Supreme Minister of Eastern Numinosity, the Immortal Master of Auspicious Light, the Envoys of the Six-Petaled Jade Sleet, the Flower-Scattering Jade Maidens, the General Who Presides over Snow, and the Envoys Who Turn the Wind and Bind the Clouds. They administer the affairs of snowfall and hail, and are subordinate to the Sovereign Lord of Great Yin of the Lunar Prefecture.

The Great Emperor said: If the land suffers prolonged drought, the people are tormented by summer heat, fish and birds are frightened and restless, grasses and trees wither and grow brittle, demons and specters work mischief, a fiery heat envelops the sky as if a canopy of flame were opened on every side, and the earth for a thousand li is scorched red, one should submit a memorial petitioning the Envoys of the Eastern Well and the Winnowing Basket, the Envoys of the Eastern Wall at the Gate of Heaven, the Envoys of the Net Lodge of the Golden Pass, the Great God Taiyi Mulang of the Three Mountains, and the Great Gods of the Four Ding of the Four Seas, commanding them to drive the dragons, draw water, raise clouds, and send down rain.

The Great Emperor said: One should submit a memorial petitioning the Envoys of the Eastern Well and the Winnowing Basket, the Envoys of the Eastern Wall at the Gate of Heaven, the Envoys of the Net Lodge of the Golden Pass, the Great God Taiyi Mulang of the Three Mountains, and the Great Gods of the Four Ding of the Four Seas, commanding them to drive the dragons, draw water, raise clouds, and send down rain.

The Great Emperor said: When overcast rain continues without ceasing, one should make a report before the local City God, the altars of Soil and Grain, and the Shen (spirits) who supervise the ward domain, setting forth how the fences have collapsed and the ditches and canals are full to overflowing; one should then pray to the Sovereign Lord of the Sun’s Nine Dragons, asking him to dispatch the Great General of the Nine Dippers’ Yang Radiance and Flowing-Gold Fire Bell to seal off pools and marshes, hold down the seawater, stop the rainfall, restrain the dragon Shen, disperse the mists, and draw in the clouds, so that the sky clears and the sun appears.

The Great Emperor said: You Thunder Shen and Fire Masters (those who hold sacred office over the methods of thunder and the methods of fire) should know that I have set forth the teaching through every kind of expedient approach. To expound this Jing (scripture) now is truly hard to encounter. If someone obtains it yet does not treasure it, rashly divulges it, and treats it with negligence and profanation, know that this person will throw into disorder the Three Origins (the system governed by the Three Officials of Heaven, Earth, and Water), and the offense will be entered in the Eight Registers (the ledgers of transgression and blessing administered by the divinities of the Dao (the Way)). One who receives and upholds this Jing may bring its numinous efficacy to light; the matter is in the charge of the thunder Shen-officers of the five directions. I shall now explain it to you one by one.

The Thunder Shen and Fire Masters said: Your servant has understood; please permit your servant to proclaim it. The Thunder Shen and Fire Masters came before the Great Emperor, bowed their heads to the ground and knelt at length, and stated: Your servant has heard that the thunder Shen-officers of the five directions long ago received a prior mandate from the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning, and have for a very long time assisted the True King and directed the administration of thunder. Your servant had originally wished to make their names and titles known to the people of the world, yet without receiving a decree your servant would have kept them secret and unrevealed. Now that the command has been received, your servant proclaims them as follows.

The thunder Shen of the east who govern wind, rain, clouds, and lightning are Hufengya, Duozheli, and Yijiuluo. The thunder Shen of the south who govern wind, rain, clouds, and lightning are Bingjiulu, Nuanyanliao, and Shi’axiong. The thunder Shen of the west who govern wind, rain, clouds, and lightning are Rongyaoling, Langzhongyan, and Shanjiutuo. The thunder Shen of the north who govern wind, rain, clouds, and lightning are Luxingmeng, Hengtianba, and Zhaozhenjiu. The thunder Shen of the center who govern wind, rain, clouds, and lightning are Sunzhen’er, Duoboyan, and Xuzhigui.

Your servant holds that these Shen-officers are majestic and illustrious, their bearing powerful and strong.

I believe these spirit-officials are majestic in their awe and abundant in numinous Qi (vital energy). Their radiance is bright enough to shine upon wind and cloud, and their divine powers are so vast that they can stand against the sun and moon. They can shake the oceans and the high mountains, and they can overturn heaven and earth. They are divine generals sent by the Celestial Emperor, the most efficacious of all within the Thunder Department. Whenever this Jing (scripture/classic) is recited, the many spirit-officials each lead their own subordinates; as soon as they hear the names by which they are summoned, they descend together upon the Daoist altar.

The Great Emperor said: It is indeed so. In the east are the God of Azure Yang, the Azure Emperor, and the Azure Dragon, whose holy light is resplendent, whose awesome numen quakes and stirs, and whose thunderclaps are fierce—the Great General Qu Heng. In the south are the Fire Chariot, the Fire Torch, and the thunder and lightning of Upright Yang, with thunder roaring and thunderclaps resounding—the Great General Kong Guang. In the west is the Lord of White Lightning, whose flashes accompany the thunderclaps; there are also the Duke of Thunder, the Mother of Lightning, the Eight Numina and the Eight Ferocities (divine generals of the Thunder Department), the Duke of Thunder of Shaoyang, and the Great General Wei Zhen. In the north the majesty is imposing: lightning and thunderclaps, black clouds surging, waters rolling in waves, and shaking thunder flashing—the Great General Wei Qing. In the center is shaking lightning, which drives thunderbolts and flying clouds; fierce and unyielding, upright and valorous, it can wield the might of the Great Cavern thunderclap and command the thunder chariots of the eight directions—the Great General Yin Ling.

The Divine Lords of the Five Thunders of the East and the Perfected of the Purple Court each command the Great Gods of Sudden Fire, the Duke of Thunder, and the Mother of Lightning; riding thunder chariots and bearing axes and halberds, they come soaring through the air. The Divine Lords of the Five Thunders of the West and the Venomous Gods of Mighty Thunder are arrayed on either side; the Heavenly Lads of the Flying Seal, the Envoys of the Five Thunders, and the honored gods of the Rain Department likewise ride chariots and bear axes, coming through the air. The Divine Lords of the Five Thunders of the South and the Great God Mulang each command the Generals of the Flowing Bells, the Earl of Wind, and the Master of Rain; riding chariots and bearing axes, they come through the air. The Divine Lords of the Five Thunders of the North and the Great God of the Directorate of Waters each command the Great Gods of Thunderclap, the Envoys of the Five Thunders, and the divinities under their authority; riding chariots and bearing axes, they come through the air. The Divine Lords of the Five Thunders of the Center, the Yellow-Robed Envoys, and the gods of Man Thunder are arrayed on either side; the Six Jia and the Six Ding (guardian divine generals, as they are called in Daoism), the gods who raise clouds and bring rain, and the gods of the Yangzi, the Yellow River, the Huai, and the Ji, together with the gods of the mountains, peaks, and river courses, all likewise ride chariots and bear axes, coming through the air.

Also present are the Imperial Lord, Heavenly Sovereign of the Six Waves; the Senior Minister of the Jade Bureau; the Envoy of the Five Thunders; the Perfected Lord of the Jade Pivot Court; the Perfected Lord of Original Destiny of the Thunderbolt Directorate; the Envoy of the Directorate of Waters of Penglai; and such gods as the Yellow Emperor of the Center, the Azure Emperor of the East, the Red Emperor of the South, the White Emperor of the West, and the Black Emperor of the North; the Azure Emperor, Earl of Thunder; the Great Ritual Lord of the Crimson Heaven of Supreme Clarity; the Left Literary Lord of Original Destiny of the Jade Bureau of Supreme Clarity; the Primal Lady, Deputy Commissioner of the Jade Pivot Court; the Primal Lady, Master of Rain; the Elder Master of Rain; the Azure Lord of Thunder Commands; the Lord of the Fire Earl of Wind and Thunder; the Primal Bright Lord of Wind and Fire; the Lord of Dragon Thunder; the Primal Sage Lord of Lightning Radiance; the Dragon Lord Who Rolls the Waters; and others of their kind.

There are, moreover, the Primal Lady, Senior Minister of the Eastern Numen; the Perfected within the Dipper; the True Arbiter of Celestial Thunder; the True Arbiter of Divine Thunder; the Immortal Arbiter of Dragon Thunder; the Immortal Perfected of Water Thunder; the Master of Thunder Commands; the Senior Minister of Celestial Thunder; the Deputy Commissioner of the Court of the Five Thunders; and the great immortals who keep the Fire Writs and the Golden Jing, the Great Immortal of Thunderclap, the Great Immortal of the Fire Bell, the Great Immortal of the Azure Sprout, the Great God Who Governs Thunder, the Great God of Sudden Fire, the immortal officials who bear light, the Great God of Shaking Might, the Great God Who Administers Thunder, the Great God Who Leads, the Great General of Fiery Eyes and Lightning Radiance, the Great God of the Many Eyes, the General Who Holds the Tally and Leads the Army, the God Ebo of Thunder and Fire, the Fierce General Who Bears Light, the Great God of Auspicious Might, the Immortal Master of Auspicious Light, the spirit-officials who command the dragon cavalry of wind and fire, the Great God Who Shakes the Mountains and Boils the Seas, and the divinities who govern thunderclap firelight and the might of silver fangs and dazzling eyes.

There are also the Great Ritual Master of the Primal Heaven of the Jade Bureau of Supreme Clarity; the Pivot Minister within the Dipper; the Celestial Master (Tianshi) of Thunder Commands; the Immortal Master of Jade Perfection and Radiant Numen; the White-Haired Elder, Master of Thunder; the White Master of Jade Thunder; Marquis Zhao, Master of Prohibitions; the Ritual Master Who Heals Illness and Smites Evil; the Director of Destinies of Supreme Clarity; the Minister of the Right of the Jade Bureau; the Primal Lady, Ducal Guest of the Four Brilliances; the Marquis, Duke of Thunder; the Marshal of the Fire Chariot; the Lord of the Hidden Numen of Cavern Yang; the Lord of Firelight and Flowing Jing (essence); the Immortal Maiden of Metal Jing and Pure Thought; the Lord Who Leads the Winds of Celestial Thunder of the Great Flourish of the Vacuous Sovereign; and the Left and Right Envoys of the Directorate of Waters within the Dipper, the Envoys of the Six Penetrations within the Dipper, the Great Judges of the Left and Right of the Five Thunders and the Judges, the Erudite Who Subdues Thunder, the Judge Who Keeps the Register of Good, the Right Envoy of the Directorate of Waters of the Three and Five, and others.

The Thunder Department further includes the Great General of the Iron-Faced Fire Chariot, the Great General of the Grand Year, the Chief Commander of the Three and Five of Shaoyang, the Great General of the Flowing-Metal Fire Bell, together with the Merit Officers of the Thunderclap Archives, the Merit Officers of Re-examination, the Merit Officers Who Record Names and Write Down Transgressions, the Judges Who Keep the Register of Evil, and others. The many spirit-officials are severally charged with carrying out Heaven’s mandate and with the affairs of sunlight; crops and the five grains; jade light and metal Jing; ocean tides and waves; wind, snow, hail, and lightning; felling trees and smiting demons; opening mountains and expelling evil; floods and calamities; mountains, forests, streams, and valleys; the Thunder City; wind and thunder; thunder chariots; and documents, writs, and registers.

There are also Black-Faced Shenshu; the Leading Generals of the Left and Right of the Thunder Chariots; the officials who keep the registers; the senior officials who divinely decide wind and cloud; the great spirit-officials who fly the clouds and speed the lightning; and the spirit-officials who command the thunder chariots of black Qi, who swallow demons and expel sprites, who seize dragons and capture malefactors, who keep the fire carriages and metal chariots, and who examine demons and sprites and set right good and evil. There are further spirit-officials and envoys charged with inspecting good and evil, filial piety and defiance, and loyalty and compliance, and with the affairs of the ghost commanders of the thunder drums; the hard winds and the Heavenly River; raising rain and stirring clouds; awesome swords and shaking numina; the winds and rains of the four seasons; thunderclap fire; celestial documents and writings; troops, horses, and carriages; ghost administration and dragon writs; the regulation of waters; pursuing the wind and spreading the clouds; armored soldiers and cavalry; and thunder, wind, snow, hail, lightning, and fire.

The envoys of the Thunder Department are many in title. They include the Envoys Who Supervise the Troops of the Dragon Squadrons; the Thunderclap Envoys Who Search Out Dragons; the Envoys of Statutes and Ordinances; the Envoys of the Azure Sprout; the Envoys of the Five Thunders; the Envoys of the Fire Bell of the Southern Palace; the Left and Right Chariot Envoys of the Thunder Array; the Envoys Who Scatter the Clouds and Pass through the Dark; the Envoys Who Bind Souls and Escort Them Under Guard; and the various envoys who govern thunderclap fire chariots, thunder and fire, rushing clouds, wind, thunder, lightning, and hail, the moving of mountains and the overturning of seas, and the waterways of the rivers. There are also the Thirty-Six Strongmen of the Thunder Drums, the Strongmen Who Send Down Hail, the Strongmen Who Crush Evil, and the Perfected of the Left and Right Who Hold the Banners, the Lad of Purple Light, the Lad of Jade Light, the Lad Who Keeps the Registers, the Lad Who Presents the Sword, the Lad of the Jade Maiden of Thunder Light, the Lad of the Thunder Master, the Lad of the Hail Master, the Lad Who Holds the Banner, and others.

Finally, the Generals of the Three and Five of Shaoyang, the Duke of Thunder of Shaoyang, the Generals of the Fire Chariot, the Generals Who Raise the Dipper, the Generals of the Six Dragons, and the Duke-of-Thunder Generals belonging to the Yellow Emperor, the Azure Emperor, the Red Emperor, the White Emperor, and the Black Emperor, together with the Generals of Gleaming Light of Celestial Thunder, the Generals of Lightning Radiance of Water Thunder, the Generals Who Waylay from Behind, Strike Down, and Hurl Fire, the Generals of Thunderclap Who Howl in the Dark, the Generals of Thunderclap Who Slay and Campaign, and others—all likewise lead their hosts and come soaring through the air. The divine generals of the left and right under the Hall of the Jade Pivot, the Hall of Penglai, and the Hall of the Northern Pole likewise lead their armies and descend.

The Great Emperor said: “In the flourishing fortune symbolized by the black dragon and the red horse, one ought to summon the thunder officials of the celestial realm and transmit to them the secret essentials.”

The Great Emperor said further: “These divine officials can dispel calamity and protect the body, dissolve resentment and the knots of enmity, release sworn covenants and curses, root out evil and uphold the right while exalting the good. They can also destroy illicit shrines and execute baleful spirits, halt pestilence and drive off gu poison, heal the illnesses of the people, and bring them peace and health. In former times, when the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning commanded these divine officials, he once recited this incantation:

Green water and clear waves, deep, limpid, and pure; an axe blade weighing a thousand jun, falling upon the head, still feels light. The willow by the river is blown down by the wind and strikes Chang’e, yet she takes no fright. When light, it is like dust in the air; when heavy, like a thousand weights of iron; white as the snow of heaven, red as the blood of the xingxing ape. Fourth Brother of the Weaving Maiden, Goulou Jili, Dengseng Dese. Quickly, quickly, in accordance with the statutes and ordinances (jiji ru lüling).”

When the incantation was finished, the Thunder God, the Fire Master, and the divine beings of the various heavens heard it. At once heaven darkened and the earth grew dim; a fierce wind sprang up; thunder and lightning flew together; thunderclaps and hail roared; mist and rain rushed forth in torrents; mountains and rivers shook; and heaven and earth were plunged into gloom.

The Great Emperor said: “Fire Master, O Fire Master! This efficacy, this marvel, relies neither upon me nor upon you; it depends neither on gods nor on ghosts. The moment the mind’s intent arrives, it is spontaneously so.”

The Great Emperor said further: “The Great Emperor of Purple Tenuity at the North Pole presides over the Three Realms and commands the Five Thunders, yet he too relies neither upon me, nor upon you, nor upon gods or ghosts. The moment the mind’s intent arrives, it is spontaneously so.”

The Great Emperor said: The Great Emperor of Purple Tenuity of the North Pole (Beiji Ziwei Dadi), the exalted deity who rules the northern heavens and holds the administrative commands of the celestial realm, presides over the Three Realms and commands the Five Thunders (Wulei). Lord Tianpeng, Lord Tianyou, Lord Yisheng, and Lord Xuanwu each attend to different affairs and govern within their separate offices. The deities Tiangang and Hekui are charged with summoning the thunder gods and issuing the proclamations of thunder.

The Great General of the Flowing-Gold Fire Bell of the Nine Heavens, the Celestial Stalwarts, the Jade Maidens of the Six Ding (Liuding), and the Generals of the Six Jia (Liujia) are the envoys who restrain and dispatch the thunders. The Envoy of Wind and Thunder Who Roars the Command through the Nine Heavens, the Envoy of the Thunder Command, the Great Immortal of the Fire Command, the Earl of Fire, the Wind Command, the Fire Command, the Earl of Wind, the Four-Eyed White Elder, and the Great Immortal of the Azure-Tusk Thunderbolt are the spirits who oversee and administer the thunders.

The Lord of the Fire Earl and Wind-Thunder, the Primordial Bright Lord of Wind and Fire, the Primordial Holy Lord of Lightning, and the Immortal Lord, Elder of the Rain Masters, have charge of thunder, wind, and rain. Among them are the Three-Five Shaoyang Thunder Dukes, and also divine generals who drive fire chariots and bear iron-blue faces; there are fierce clerk-deities who carry the force of the wind, together with the Great Gods of the Statutes and Ordinances (Lüling), their silver teeth flashing, swift as darting fire, the Wolf-Fang Fierce Clerks, the Great Judges, the Flying Swift Envoys of the Five Thunders, the Thunder Duke Generals of the Five Directions, the Great Generals of Cloud and Thunder of the Eight Quarters, the Envoys of the Man Thunders (Manlei) of the Five Directions, the Envoys of the Man Thunders of the Three Realms, and the Envoys of the Man Thunders of the Nine Altars. They carry the commands of thunder into effect and assist the gods in exercising their authority.

The Great Emperor said: The Jade Emperor of Vast Heaven (Haotian Yuhuang Shangdi), the supreme deity who oversees the celestial realm, rules by Wuwei (non-action) and is the origin of the transformations of all things; the Sovereign Earth Goddess (Houtu Huang Diqi), the goddess who governs the earth, receives Heaven’s mandate and presides over Yin-Yang. Mortals who live between heaven and earth, upon obtaining this divine scripture, should all hold gratitude in their hearts.

Each morning at dawn one should stand facing southeast and pray: “Your servant is of common mortal birth and a defiled body, no more than a corpse of bones that can only walk. Through long kalpas down to the present, my offenses have piled up like mountains and lie as deep and vast as the sea. I earnestly beg the Most High Limitless Great Dao (the Way); the Unsurpassed Perfect Three Treasures—the Dao, the Jing (scripture/classic), and the Master, which Daoism venerates; the Compassionate Father and the Holy Mother; the venerable elders of the heavens of the ten directions; the imperial perfected of thunder in the nine empyreans; the Golden Empress and the Jade Consort; the ministers, masters, envoys, and chancellors; and the true spirits of the dharma realm, to extend vast compassion and specially pardon your servant’s offenses. Bestow upon your servant the golden light and fire-clouds of the Five Thunders of the Most High in the ten directions, together with the true Qi (vital energy) of Zhengyi (Orthodox Unity)—the orthodox primordial energy of which Daoism speaks—so that it may pour into your servant’s body and enter the Three Burners and the Nine Palaces, and the five viscera and six bowels. May your servant’s name be entered in the Grand Empyrean, the body ascend into the Jade Bureau, leave the dusty world and recover original truth, and roam freely in the Great Void.”

When the Great Emperor was about to finish expounding the scripture, the Celestial Emperor and the Earth Sovereign first returned to the Jade Palace (the celestial court). The heavenly lords of the ten directions each ascended and departed; the immortals, thunder gods, and fire masters also hastily took their leave and returned; and the lords of thunder all stood in attendance beside the True King. Clouds and Qi wound over the earth, and mist drifted through the void; the clouds showed five colors, and dew flew down like sweet dew from the eight directions. The auspicious Qi of sweet dew and propitious clouds filled heaven and earth, bringing harmony and joy to the world and peace to the people. The Great Emperor led the host of immortals in procession through the Bright Court, and then said to the thunder officers, the immortal overseers attendant at court, the immortal ministers, the immortal gentlemen, and the jade gentlemen: “I possess the nine talismans of the Jade Clarity Great Brahma Purple Tenuity Immortal Capital of the Nine Empyreans, and I shall transmit and proclaim them one by one. Listen carefully.”

They are the Jade Talisman of Jade Clarity Great Brahma for Calling the Wind; the Jade Talisman of Jade Clarity Great Brahma for Summoning Thunder; the Jade Talisman of Jade Clarity Great Brahma for Raising Clouds; the Jade Talisman of Jade Clarity Great Brahma for Bringing Rain; the Jade Talisman of Jade Clarity Great Brahma for Arousing Lightning; the Jade Talisman of Jade Clarity Great Brahma for Praying for Snow; the Jade Talisman of Jade Clarity Great Brahma for Borrowing the Tide; the Jade Talisman of Jade Clarity Great Brahma for Crushing Demons; the Jade Talisman of Jade Clarity Great Brahma for Requesting Clear Skies; then the Jade Talisman for Bringing Rain; and the Jade Talisman of Jade Clarity Great Brahma for Arousing Lightning.

The Yuqing Dafan Talisman for Praying for Snow, the Talisman for Borrowing the Tide, the Talisman for Crushing and Subduing Demonic Evil, and the Talisman for Praying for Clear Skies.

At this time the Great Emperor True King transmitted the nine talismans (fu) to the sovereigns of thunder and lightning and swore a covenant with them, saying: “The Jade Scripture (Yujing) consists entirely of writings secretly treasured in the celestial realm. It is a book composed by Zhonghuang Taiyu and ought from the first to be kept under strict secrecy. Even precious talismans must first be received by instruction and then observed. You are august and valiant; once you have heard these talismanic commands, put them into effect at once.”

The sovereigns of thunder formed ranks before the kings and together bowed in reply: “How would we dare fail to be diligent in our duties and reverently obey the sacred instructions?” The Great Emperor then summoned the commanders of the Northern Dipper (Beidou) Bureau of Conquest and the Northern Dipper Bureau of Defense, together with the black-robed, black-bannered envoys of the Northern Dipper mobile tribunal. They received the edict of the jade carriage, returned to the heavens of the Nine Empyreans, paid their respects and took leave of the Haoting, and at once mounted carriages adorned with precious jade. Five-colored clouds encircled the carriages, and nine layers of mist and roseate vapor guarded the shafts; before them eight simurghs cried out, and behind them ten thousand cranes wheeled in flight; jasper blossoms carpeted the road, and sweet dew like fine jade drifted down in showers. The gods of thunder drove their chariots in attendance.

The Great Emperor returned once more to the Ruizhu Hall. Celestial beings from the heavens of the ten directions, together with the sovereigns of thunder, knelt as one and presented memorials of thanks. The Thunder God Fire Master came reverently before the Great Emperor, knocked his head to the ground, and offered a cavern hymn (dongzhang; a hymn of praise presented in Daoist ritual):

“The Great Emperor descends upon the Haoting, flying in a chariot of jade-colored clouds. Celestial beings and five-colored auspicious clouds press close on either side, listening as the Purple Immortal expounds the celestial writ. Precious true words spread among the jade gate-towers, and the pivotal offices of heaven issue precious talismans. The Great Emperor then returns to the Ruizhu Hall; simurghs and cranes dance in flight, and the immortals return together to the immortal capital.”

At this time the Immortal-Leading Attendant (Lingxian Sheren; the official who guides the host of immortals) of the Ruizhu Hall led the assembled immortals in taking leave of the Great Emperor and withdrawing. The immortals said to one another: “We will certainly believe and put this into practice.”