《云笈七签》Vol. 2

The myriad things come into being in different ways: birds and beasts are born through the movement of breath, while human beings are born through the gathering of Jing and Qi. Among all things, human beings are the most noble.

From the age of the Great Beginning onward, countless kalpas passed—an immensely long span of time. The Great Beginning was the time when people first appeared. At that time there were only Heaven, Earth, the sun, the moon, and people, who had not yet learned to recognize or name things. After the Great Beginning came the age of the Great Commencement. During this era, Lao Jun descended into the world as a teacher and orally transmitted a scripture called the Jing of the Great Commencement. He taught the people of that age and established order throughout the world. This era lasted through ninety-one kalpas, up to a hundred cheng. A hundred cheng equals 810,000 years. The Great Commencement was the stage when the myriad things began to take form, hence the name “Great Commencement.” As the myriad things circulated and changed, their simple forms and breaths gradually emerged, and from these changes Yin-Yang eventually took shape.

After the Great Commencement came the age of the Great Simplicity. During this era, Lao Jun descended into the world as a teacher and taught its people, governing the world through laws and principles. This era lasted through eighty-one kalpas, up to a hundred cheng, or 810,000 years. The Great Simplicity was the undivided, unformed state of the myriad things, hence the name “Great Simplicity.” From the Great Beginning through the Great Simplicity, sweet dew fell from Heaven and sweet springs welled up from Earth. Those who drank from them could live forever. When people died, others did not yet know to bury them; they simply left the bodies in distant fields. This period is called High Antiquity.

After the Great Simplicity came the age of Chaos. It was then that mountains and rivers first appeared. Lao Jun descended into the world as a teacher, taught the people of the age of Chaos, and governed the world. After seventy-two kalpas, the Qi of Chaos moved and changed, and mountains and rivers gradually took shape. The Five Great Mountains, the Four Rivers, and the ordering of high and low, honored and humble, also began to emerge. From the age of Chaos onward, people began to recognize things and give them names.

The Chaos clan had two sons: the elder was named Hu Chen, and the younger Hu Ling. After Hu Chen died, he became a deity of the mountains. After Hu Ling died, he became …

The Water Spirits were then given the names of the Five Sacred Peaks and the Four Great Rivers, as well as mountains and streams of varying heights. After Chaos disappeared, the Nine Palaces emerged. In the age of the Nine Palaces, Lao Jun descended to earth as a teacher and spoke a scripture called the Jing of Heaven and Earth, establishing the Nine Palaces so that people could understand Heaven and Earth. Clear Qi became Heaven, and turbid Qi became Earth. From the age of the Nine Palaces onward, Heaven belonged to Yang and Earth to Yin. Yang is firm and strong, and from afar it is not easy to discern. In Heaven, it appears as the sun, moon, and stars; on Earth, it takes shape as the Five Sacred Peaks and the Four Great Rivers; within the human body, it is expressed through the five organs, such as the heart and liver. Though their names differ, they are one in essence. This is called the “Three Firm Powers.”

After the Nine Palaces disappeared, the Primordial Sovereign appeared. In the age of the Primordial Sovereign, Lao Jun descended to earth as a teacher and orally transmitted the Jing of the Primordial Sovereign, instructing him in how to govern the world. Thus the sovereign’s teachings began, were passed down to later generations, and gradually developed. After the Primordial Sovereign came the Supreme Sovereign. In his age, Lao Jun descended to earth as a teacher and instructed him in governing the world. After the Supreme Sovereign came the Earth Sovereign, followed by the Human Sovereign. After the Human Sovereign came Zunlu, Julu, Hexu, and Tailian, in that order.

The period from Chaos up to Tailian was called the “Middle Antiquity.” In that age, Heaven produced five kinds of things and Earth produced five flavors. When the people ate them, they were able to prolong their lives.

After Tailian came Fuxi. Fuxi was born at the “Beginning of the One Source,” sent down in response to Heaven’s will. He harmonized and applied Yin-Yang, and established the Eight Trigrams (Bagua). Before Fuxi, the Five Classics had not been recorded, and written characters and texts had not yet been handed down. Only Lao Jun descended from the empty expanse of Heaven, crossed countless rivers, and came to the “Beginning of the One Source,” where Fuxi was born in response to Heaven’s will. He harmonized Yin-Yang and established the Eight Trigrams.

Only the Old Lord (Laojun), the deity revered in Daoism, descended from the emptiness of Heaven. Beyond the Great Clarity (Taiqing), worlds as numerous as the sands of the Ganges are beyond counting. Ever since the Great Dao divided and Heaven and Earth were created, the Old Lord has initiated teachings, assisted the Heavenly Emperor, ensured that Daoist methods would be passed down to later generations, and left records behind.

During Fuxi’s reign, the Old Lord descended to serve as his teacher, under the name Wuhuazi, also known as Yuhuazi. He taught Fuxi to derive ancient methods, explain Yin-Yang, establish the eight directions, and formulate the Eight Trigrams (Bagua). He also composed the Scripture of Primordial Yang (Yuanyang Jing) and transmitted it to Fuxi. Before Fuxi, people had no surnames, only personal names. Their customs were simple and unspoiled, and they did not yet grow the Five Grains. Fuxi taught them to set up nets and catch birds and animals for food. People then wore animal hides and ate raw meat, carrying a rank, gamey odor; there was no distinction between men and women, nor jealousy between them. In winter they lived in caves; in summer, in nests.

After Fuxi died, Nüwa succeeded him; after Nüwa came Shennong. During Shennong’s reign, the Old Lord descended again to serve as a teacher, this time under the name Dachengzi. He composed the Scripture of Great Subtlety (Taiwei Jing), taught Shennong to taste all kinds of herbs and identify the Five Grains, and led the people in sowing and cultivation. From then on, people ate grain instead of hunting birds and animals.

After Shennong died, Suiren succeeded him. In Suiren’s time, the Old Lord descended to teach him how to make fire by drilling wood, bringing to the human world a light that endured like the sun. People also began cooking their food instead of eating it raw, dispelling its rank, gamey odor.

After Suiren died, Zhurong succeeded him. During Zhurong’s reign, the Old Lord descended to serve as a teacher, under the name Guangshouzi. He taught people to uphold the Three Bonds—the ethical relationships between ruler and minister, father and son, and husband and wife—and to harmonize the Seven Powers, the system of governance and instruction associated with the sun, moon, and the planets of the Five Phases. All three sovereigns cultivated Daoist methods, and so the people of that time suffered no illness. The Old Lord also composed the Scripture of Massage for Circulating Essence (Anmo Tongjing Jing).

Next came the three generations of Gaoyuan, Gaoyang, and Gaoxin.

Cangjie and Zhongshuo began teaching people to write characters and study literature. After the Three Sovereigns came Xuanyuan, the Yellow Emperor. During his reign, the Old Lord descended to become his teacher, under the name Limuzi. He harmonized Yin-Yang and composed the Jing of Daoist Precepts and the Jing of Daoist Flourishing. From the time of the Yellow Emperor onward, society had distinctions such as ruler and subject, father and son; there were differences between high and low, and between noble and common.

After the Yellow Emperor came Shaohao. During his reign, the Old Lord descended to become his teacher, under the name Suiyingzi, and composed the Jing of the Mysterious Repository. At that time, the realm was peaceful. Auspicious grain grew, sweet springs welled up, qilin appeared, phoenixes came flying, and the auspicious star of good fortune shone in the sky.

After Shaohao came Emperor Zhuanxu. The Old Lord descended to become his teacher, under the name Yuanyangzi, and composed the Jing of Subtle Words. After Zhuanxu’s death came Emperor Ku, followed by Emperor Yao. During Yao’s reign, the Old Lord descended to become his teacher, under the name Wuchengzi, and composed the Jing of Governance. After Yao came Emperor Shun. During Shun’s reign, the Old Lord descended to become his teacher, under the name Yinshouzi, and composed the Great Clarity Jing. After Shun came Yu of Xia. During Yu’s reign, the Old Lord descended to become his teacher, under the name Zhiningzi, and composed the Jing of Virtuous Admonitions. After Yu came Tang of Yin, and then the early Zhou dynasty. In the early Zhou, the Old Lord descended to serve as a teacher, under the name Guoshuzi, and composed the Jing of Red Essence.

The Old Lord said: “At the beginning of my secret transformation into life, my true nature was emptiness. Through endless ages I underwent countless transformations, and was the first to descend into the world as a teacher. Before the Three Sovereigns, I was the source of wondrous divine transformation. Thereafter I took form in the age of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, serving as their teacher; this included the Three Kings, whom I also urged to cultivate goodness. Heaven is numbered one, Earth two, humanity three, time four, tones five, pitches six, stars seven, winds eight, and regions nine; together they make forty-five. The Rat, Horse, Hare, and Rooster positions, along with the center, each have the number nine. Wear nine above and tread on one below; three is on the left and seven on the right; two and four are like the shoulders, six and eight like the feet, and five is at the center. Together, these form the shape of the Eight Trigrams (Bagua).

“Water flows toward its end, dividing into eight at the Ox position; leaves fall back to their roots, dividing into six at the Pig position; hard, strong Metal occupies its proper place, dividing into two at the Goat position; Earth flourishes in the four seasons, dividing into four at the Snake position. The Kan trigram bears resentment as it moves alone; the Li trigram is bright, and its number is four. The eight at the Gen position rise high, while three comes from the Kun position. Qian holds fast to Kun, like a city wall, and pursues the number one. Xun looks up toward Heaven’s Gate and borrows one from Qian. Zhen moves like thunder over a marsh, reducing the number from Dui. Dragon, Horse, Rooster, and Pig are self-punishing hexagrams. Each receives the Eight Trigrams to form its image, while the remaining nine numbers are used to form the character ‘Yi.’”

The Old Lord then explained the “method of moving through the periods,” a way of tracing movement according to time and direction: “There is a method for moving through the periods. First raise the Kan position and join it with the number two of Kun. The southwest is where the Queen Mother resides; the east is where the Azure Dragon resides. Habitual Qi issues from the space between the Earth Gate. The four temporal positions on Xun enter the central palace, then rise from the center to Qian and travel west to the Great Marsh and the summit of Mount Hua. From there they go northeast, between Yin and Gen, then south to the Li position, where the blazing fire resides, and Mount Huo. Suddenly they transform and travel north, entering the Mysterious position.”

The Preface to the Daoist Teaching says: The teaching of Daoism passed through four stages and ultimately returned to the “Central Palace.” From there it rose toward the position of Qian (the northwest), traveled west to the Great Marsh and the summit of Mount Hua, then northeast to the position of Gen (the northeast), and south to the land of blazing fire and Mount Huo. At last it underwent a sudden transformation and went north into the Mysterious Realm, a deep and subtle domain.

In ancient times, there was not yet any “teaching.” Teachings arose only after the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors. To teach is to inform and instruct: it involves words, principles, and meanings, as well as transmission and reception. Words are used to explain, and teaching to admonish. People grasp a teaching through words and come to understand its principles; once they understand, they can forget the words. Since there are those who teach and those who receive instruction, there are teachers and disciples.

There are “teachings of nature” and “teachings of the divine.” Neither depends on instruction handed down by a teacher. The teaching of the divine can be described in terms of its meaning, but at its root it has no form or trace. There are also the teaching of the True and Orthodox, the teachings practiced by the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors in response to worldly conditions, and teachings that guide the people. Each of these has both expedient and genuine aspects, yet all are brought forth from the same fundamental Truth.

The teaching of nature refers to the state before primordial Qi—the original energy from which all things in Heaven and Earth arose—had formed: Heaven and Earth were still undivided in their simplicity, deep and still, empty and without form. At that time, no teacher expounded the teachings and no disciple received a transmission. There was no beginning or end, no principles or words. From this state, primordial Qi began to transform and the divine powers began to create; Heaven and Earth came forth to cover and support all things, while the sun and moon came forth to shine and move. The rulers of antiquity governed through Wuwei (non-action), and this non-action was the working of the teaching of nature.

The teaching of the divine refers to the division of primordial simplicity into the divine powers. Heaven and Earth are the greatest forms; the divine powers possess the greatest authority. They harmonize primordial Qi, set it flowing and turning, and arrange the myriad things in accordance with the Great Dao: clear, round Qi formed Heaven, while turbid, square Qi formed Earth. Through their vast and numinous power, they brought the world into being and then vaporized harmonious Qi to form human relationships. Yin-Yang could not discern the beginnings of Heaven and Earth’s transformations, and ghosts and spirits did not understand the nature of the divine powers.

The teaching of the True and Orthodox takes the Supreme and Formless Emperor as its teacher and was transmitted by the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning. Its profound and pure teachings are kept secret in the Nine Heavens, while its orthodox teachings have been spread among humanity by sages throughout the ages. In Heaven, the Celestial Worthy expounds the Great Dao across the heavens of the Three Pure Ones, widely proclaiming the true vehicle and guiding people to ascend the ranks of immortality. On Earth, Fuxi received the Yellow River Chart, Xuanyuan received a celestial mandate, Gaoxin received the Heavenly Scripture, and Yu the Great received the Luo River Writing. These four sages received revelations from the divine, and the Five Elders also appeared by the river. Thus came the Three Mounds, the Five Canons, and other texts, which served as scriptures for the teaching of the constant Dao. As for teachings adapted to worldly conditions, the Great Sage Emperor of the Mysterious Origin, Laozi, governed the state and the family through principle.

The sacred writings and true teachings of spiritual practice were widely circulated among people, while precious celestial scriptures were widely disseminated in heaven. Their purpose was to restore heaven and humanity alike to an unadorned, original state, in keeping with the teachings of the sage kings of antiquity.

When Confucius saw morality in decline, he expounded the way of benevolence and righteousness to guide the customs of his age. He also promoted ritual and wisdom in an effort to rescue a troubled world. Yet the ways of simplicity and sincerity had already grown distant from people. Alas, sages established their teachings out of compassion, seeking to save the world and benefit all things. If we can grasp the true purpose of those teachings, we can share the sages’ understanding. Then we will no longer cling to expedient means or ultimate truth, to words or explanations; we will accord with what cannot be expressed in words, and even the thoughts and images in our minds will fall away.

◎ The Origins of Daoism

Daoist scriptures and talismanic texts trace their origin to the “Three Origins” (the Daoist triad of Heaven, Earth, and Water). They manifest from the fundamental Dao in concrete forms and take shape in accordance with the “Five Virtues.” Three elements combine to produce five forms, from which the written characters of the “Eight Assemblies” emerge. These characters condense from wondrous Qi, sending out rays of light in eight directions. They gather in the sky like clouds and become cloud-script, an ancient and mysterious Daoist writing. The Grand Perfected writes with a brush while the Jade Consort wipes the writing table clean. They write in gold on white jade tablets and keep them hidden above the heavens, within the Mysterious Terrace of Seven Treasures. Only those who possess the Dao can see them; those without the Dao cannot. These are naturally formed celestial writings, not characters invented by Cang Jie.

The Lingbao Jing that circulates today is said to have been taught by the Celestial Perfected Sovereign to the Yellow Emperor at Mount Emei, and also to Emperor Ku at the Terrace of Virtue. Yu the Great received the scripture at Mount Zhong through a spiritual response, while King Helü once glimpsed it at Mount Gouqu. Later, Ge Xiaoxian, Zheng Siyuan, and others passed it down from master to disciple in an unbroken lineage.

Laojun’s Daode Jing belongs to the “Great Vehicle Division.” It is one of the Three Supporting Scriptures, and its teachings have not yet been incorporated into the Three Caverns, the three major divisions of Daoist scriptures. Most people who study the Dao today learn only superficially: they can recite the Daode Jing but do not recognize the true scriptures. Some even think Daoism began with Zhuang Zhou, or with Laozi when he served as Keeper of the Archives under the Zhou dynasty. The author laments that such people are like those who have lost their roots and wander far from home—a truly regrettable state. How can their understanding be so shallow?

It is said that Laojun was born at the end of the Yin dynasty and grew up at the beginning of the Zhou. He lodged his spirit in the womb of the Mysterious Jade Maiden and remained there for eighty-one years. Later, he wandered freely beneath a plum tree and emerged from her left side. His hair was already white at birth, so he was called “Laozi,” meaning “Old Master.” He pointed to the plum tree as his namesake, and thus took Li as his surname. He had handsome brows and eyes, a yellow complexion, and raised marks on his forehead like the sun and moon. When he walked, his feet formed the number five and his hands the number ten. He had three openings in each ear and two ridges in his nose.

The Zhou dynasty’s Virtue declined, and the age fell into turmoil. On the twenty-fifth day of the twelfth month in the thirty-third year of King Ping of Zhou, Laojun left the human world and traveled west. His black ox passed through the mountain pass, and purple Qi appeared above it. There he handed the Daode Zhenjing to Yin Xi, the Keeper of the Pass. From this we can see that Daoist scriptures extend far beyond the five thousand characters of the Daode Jing. Yuanshi Tianzun and Laojun are indeed distinct: they lived in different eras and held different honorific titles and ranks. As for those whose names are listed among the Three Realms...

The Realm of Desire consists of six heavens. Starting with Taihuang Huangzeng Heaven, as described in the Scripture on Saving Humanity, they are counted in sequence; the six heavens together make up the Realm of Desire. People there live for ten thousand years. Those in the world who do not commit bodily offenses such as killing, stealing, or sexual misconduct can ascend to these heavens in a future life. They may also be born there if they are not stained by the six desires—the cravings of the six senses.

The Realm of Form consists of eighteen heavens arranged in sequence. The heavenly beings there live for hundreds of millions of years. A person who, throughout one lifetime, commits no bodily offenses such as killing, stealing, or sexual misconduct, and is also free from greed and anger, may be born in the Realm of Form.

In the Realm of Formlessness, heavenly beings’ lifespans are measured in billions of kalpas. A person who, throughout one lifetime, commits no offenses of harsh speech, divisive speech, falsehood, or frivolous and deceptive speech may dwell in this realm in a future life.

When a good man or good woman has fully cultivated merit and meets the conditions for ascending to the Four Higher Heavens, the Queen Mother—the Queen Mother of the West—will welcome them and lead them upward. Above the Three Realms are Tai Xu Wushang Changrong Heaven, Tai Shi Yulong Tengsheng Heaven, Longbian Fandu Heaven, and Taiji Pingyu Jiayi Heaven. Together, these are called the Heavens of the Seed People. These four heavens lie above the Three Realms and are untouched by the three calamities—the floods, fires, and winds at the end of a cosmic age. Above the Heavens of the Seed People are the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing); above the Three Pure Ones is the Great Luo Heaven. The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning dwells in the Great Luo Heaven, where he teaches and transforms.

The Daoist Three Caverns: Origins and Principles

The source of Daoism lies in “the Prior to the Unbegun,” the origin that precedes the generation of all things. Dao manifests its traces and responds in resonance, arising from the Wondrous One. The Wondrous One differentiates into the Three Primordials, which in turn transform into the Three Qi. The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning dwells among them and teaches and transforms.

The Great Dao venerated by Daoism arose before anything had yet come into being. The Great Dao revealed itself in different forms in response to resonances in the world, thereby giving rise to “Wondrous Unity,” the subtle and unified source. Wondrous Unity then divided into the Three Origins, which in turn transformed into the Three Qi. The Three Qi further brought forth the Three Powers: Heaven, Earth, and Humanity. Once Heaven, Earth, and Humanity had formed and nurtured the myriad things, all things were complete.

The Three Origins are: first, the Origin of Primordial Nonbeing in the Vast Cavern; second, the Origin of Primordial Nonbeing in Red Turbidity; and third, the Origin of Mysterious Communion in Dark Stillness. The Origin of Primordial Nonbeing in the Vast Cavern gave birth to the Lord of the Heavenly Treasure; the Origin of Primordial Nonbeing in Red Turbidity gave birth to the Lord of the Numinous Treasure; and the Origin of Mysterious Communion in Dark Stillness gave birth to the Lord of the Divine Treasure. The Dao of the Great Cavern manifested as the master of the teachings, dwelling in the Three Pure Ones’ realms. These realms are Jade Clarity, Upper Clarity, and Great Clarity, also known as the Three Heavens: the Heaven of Clear Subtlety, the Heaven of Remaining Yu, and the Heaven of Great Red.

The Lord of the Heavenly Treasure dwells in the realm of Jade Clarity, which is the Heaven of Clear Subtlety; his Qi is primordial blue. The Lord of the Numinous Treasure dwells in the realm of Upper Clarity, which is the Heaven of Remaining Yu; his Qi is primordial yellow. The Lord of the Divine Treasure dwells in the realm of Great Clarity, which is the Heaven of Great Red; his Qi is mysterious white.

Thus, the Scripture on the Generation of the Nine Heavens says: although these three titles differ, their source is in fact one and the same. Each of these three Heavenly Lords serves as the master of one teaching and is a revered deity of one of the Three Caverns, the three major divisions of Daoist scriptures. The Three Caverns are Dongzhen, Dongxuan, and Dong…

The Celestial Treasure Lord, the Numinous Treasure Lord, and the Divine Treasure Lord each expounded twelve divisions of scripture and served as the patriarchs of the Three Caverns: Dongzhen, Dongxuan, and Dongshen. Together, the Three Caverns comprise thirty-six revered scriptures. Dongzhen is ranked first and belongs to the Great Vehicle; Dongxuan is second and belongs to the Middle Vehicle; Dongshen is third and belongs to the Lesser Vehicle.

Beyond the Three Caverns are three categories of supplementary scriptures: Taixuan, Taiping, and Taiqing. Taixuan supports Dongzhen, Taiping supports Dongxuan, and Taiqing supports Dongshen. When the Zhengyi Mengwei tradition—through which Daoist scriptures and ritual registers are transmitted—is added as an encompassing framework, the result is called the Seven Sections. This is the basis for the phrase “the revered writings of the Three Caverns and the mysterious teachings of the Seven Sections.”

The Seven Sections are further divided into thirty-six divisions: first, foundational texts; second, divine talismans; third, jade instructions; fourth, numinous diagrams; fifth, registers and genealogies; sixth, precepts and rules; seventh, ritual forms; eighth, methods; ninth, various arts; tenth, biographies; eleventh, hymns and recitations; and twelfth, memorials and petitions. Each of the Three Caverns has these twelve divisions, making thirty-six in all.

The “Three Qi” refers to Xuan Qi, Yuan Qi, and Shi Qi. Shi Qi is blue and resides in the Clear Tenuity Heaven; Yuan Qi is yellow and resides in the Yu Yu Heaven; Xuan Qi is white and resides in the Great Red Heaven. Hence they are called the Three Qi: Xuan, Yuan, and Shi.

The Three Qi further transform into Yin, Yang, and Harmony; Yin, Yang, and Harmony then give rise to Heaven, Earth, and humanity. This echoes the Daodejing: “The Dao gives birth to One; One gives birth to Two; Two gives birth to Three; Three gives birth to the myriad things.” Counting downward from the Jade Capital of the Mysterious Metropolis, there are thirty-six heavens.

Twenty-eight heavens lie within the Three Realms, with another eight beyond them. The Three Realms comprise the Realm of Desire, the Realm of Form, and the Formless Realm. From lowest to highest, the first six heavens belong to the Realm of Desire, the next eighteen to the Realm of Form, and the four above them to the Formless Realm, making twenty-eight heavens in all.

In the more exalted regions of the Three Realms, the heavenly beings have dignified and beautiful forms. From the heavens of the Realm of Desire upward, life spans are very long. The ground there is paved with gold, the steps are built of white jade, and pearls, jade, and other treasures abound naturally. Yet even amid such joy, beings cannot escape the cycle of birth and death.

Above the Three Realms are four more heavens, called the Heavens of the Seed People, the Heavens of the Sage Disciples, or the Four Brahma Heavens. The heavenly beings there have already ended birth and death and are unaffected by the Three Calamities: the floods, fires, and winds at the end of a cosmic cycle.

Higher still are the Three Realms, each with a Left Palace, a Right Palace, and a Central Palace. In each palace are ranks such as Immortal King, Immortal Lord, Immortal Minister, Immortal Elder, and Immortal Grandee, as well as a Celestial Master, the Most High Lord Lao. The Taiqing Realm has nine Immortals, the Shangqing Realm nine Perfected Ones, and the Yuqing Realm nine Sages; together they are known as the Twenty-Seven.

The nine Immortals, in order, are the Highest Immortal, the Elevated Immortal, the Great Immortal, the Mysterious Immortal, the Heavenly Immortal, the True Immortal, the Spirit Immortal, the Numinous Immortal, and the Ultimate Immortal. The titles in the Realms of the Perfected Ones and the Sages follow the same order: Highest, Elevated, Great, Mysterious, Heavenly, True, Spirit, Numinous, and Ultimate.

The highest heaven is called the Great Luo, above the Mysterious Capital and Jade Metropolis. There stand the Purple Tenuity Golden Towers and the Seven-Treasure Qian Trees. Qilins, lions, and other beings appear there through transformation and dwell within. The heavens of the three eras…

The sacred sovereigns’ abodes lie within this celestial region. The Three Realms contain twenty-eight heavens. Above them are four more heavens, then three realms, and at the very top is the Great Luo Heaven. Together these make thirty-six heavens, all governed by the Three Heavenly Worthies. Thus the scripture says: “Above the Three Realms lies the remote and subtle Great Luo Heaven. There is no foundation of visible form there; clouds and Qi rise in layer upon layer. Only the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning dwells within it. This is the Dao realm that endures through the great kalpas.”

The Three Heavenly Worthies of the three ages are the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning in the past, the Most High Jade Emperor Heavenly Worthy in the present, and the Golden Tower Jade Dawn Heavenly Worthy in the future. The Most High is a disciple of the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning. Since the half-kalpa of the August Sovereign, the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning has ceded the exalted position.

The Three Heavenly Worthies also have ten titles: first, Natural; second, Limitless; third, the Great Dao; fourth, the Most True; fifth, the Most High; sixth, the Dao Lord; seventh, the High Sovereign; eighth, the Heavenly Worthy; ninth, the Jade Emperor; and tenth, Your Majesty.

Zuo Yi, Record of the Eastern Mists of the Cavern of Primordial Chaos

The Young Immortal of Azure Florescence in the Eastern Sea (a celestial youth of the Azure Florescence Palace in the Eastern Sea) said:

“By good fortune, through karmic ties accumulated over countless ages, I once received the Supreme One’s favor and was appointed to oversee the Azure Florescence Palace for a time. Purple clouds cover the palace above, while the sun and moon shine beside it. Immortals, Jade Maidens, and perfected beings of profound cultivation attend me on either side, and life is peaceful and free. I was appointed among the deathless immortals and placed beside the High Lord.

“I oversee the instruction of those who cultivate the Way and await the Sage of Great Peace, the future saint who will descend into the world. In the palace’s eastern hall stand golden chambers and jade shelves, where three hundred scrolls of precious scriptures, nine thousand writings of jade instructions, and countless proclamations are kept. Their contents cannot be exhausted even over countless ages. They contain subtle principles and essential methods. Among these texts, the Zuoyi stands first.

“I once took part in this sacred duty, and my heart was often filled with joy. I wished to save all living beings and bring them together back to the source of the Dao. Yet living beings are trapped by defilements and obstructions, and I fear they will be difficult to save. The Supreme One’s compassion is boundless. He commanded me to guard this duty closely, to receive and guide living beings, and to instruct and encourage them whenever the right moment came, without growing lax. I have kept this command firmly in mind and dare not neglect it for even an instant.

“For those already entered in the registers of those who study to become immortals and who have received methods for cultivating perfection, I vowed to spread and explain these teachings so they might awaken their wisdom and attain good fruit. Yet the prohibitions concerning the Heavenly Treasure are strict, and it must not be transmitted lightly; the recipient must truly be suitable. Before transmitting it, one must first report to the Supreme One and wait for auspicious signs to appear before proceeding.

“Of the three hundred scrolls of precious scriptures, the Zuoyi stands at the very beginning. I wished to use it to save living beings far and wide, but for a long time I did not encounter a suitable person. Though many seek to study, few truly accord with the Great Dao. If I bring the scripture forth, I fear the calamity of revealing a precious teaching; if I keep it sealed away, I fear the Dao’s transmission will be cut off. For this reason, I have long remained mindful of the matter, observing purification and reflecting on it through the years.

“The Lord of the Upper Ministry, the Green Youth Lord, and I examined the titles of the precious scriptures together. The Record of the Eastern Mound of the Zuoyi is also called the Chapter of the Three Heavens on Deathlessness, the Wondrous Instructions for Wisdom and Long Life, and the Precious Text of the Highest Sage for Receiving and Saving the Living. It is also called the *Source…”

Dongxu Shan Yuli, also known as Ciyi Hundong Zhenwen. Its three grades of scripture registers are collectively called the “registers.” The highest grade is called the “Register of Immortality,” and is also known as “The Wondrous Formula for Wisdom and Long Life,” “The Precious Chapter on Receiving Life from the Supreme Sage,” and “The Source….” The middle grade is called the “Register of Long Life,” and is also known as “Yellow Registers and White Slips,” “Jade Tablets and Golden Chapters,” “Jade Books in Golden Characters,” and “Golden Writings and Jade Talismans.” The lowest grade is called the “Register of the Book of the Dead,” and is also known as “Cinnabar Chapters and Dark Tablets,” “Black Slips with Vermilion Writings,” “Red-Eyed Stone Records,” and “Inscribed Seals of Retreat into the Hidden Realm.”

Knowing the names of the lowest-grade scripture registers enables one to enter the middle grade; knowing the names of the middle-grade registers enables one to rise to the highest grade. If merely knowing the names can raise one’s rank, how much more so for those who truly understand them and practice accordingly?

The Brief Account of the Lingbao Tradition says: “The origins of the scriptures and Daoist methods, and the generations they have passed through, are as ancient as the void itself and truly beyond reckoning. They have continued to appear and transform through kalpa after kalpa, beyond the reach of human thought and discussion. In the past there was a kalpa called the ‘Longhan Kalpa.’ At that time, sages came into being…”

The Lübao Lueji Shu says: The scriptures and Daoist teachings first appeared so long ago that their age was as vast as the Void and impossible to calculate. They manifested their teachings through one kalpa after another, beyond the reach of human thought and discussion.

In the distant past, there was a kalpa called Longhan. A sage appeared then, known as the Venerable Heavenly Lord of Brahma-Qi. He descended into the world and used the Lingbao teachings to guide living beings, delivering countless people from suffering. His teachings shone throughout the great thousand-world system. After the Longhan cycle had endured 99,999 kalpas, its vital force reached its end. Heaven collapsed, the earth broke apart, the four seas merged into one, and the world was destroyed, leaving no light.

Another hundred million kalpas passed before heaven and earth opened anew. This kalpa was called Chiming. A great sage descended into the world, known as the Heavenly Worthy of Primordial Beginning. He used the Lingbao teachings to guide living beings, and his teachings flourished and spread, just as described above. After two kalpas, Chiming came to an end: heaven and earth were destroyed again and plunged into darkness. Only after five more kalpas did they open anew.

In the first year of Kaihuang, the Lord of the Great Dao of Highest Purity was conceived in the Western land of Lünü Jade. He was carried in the womb of a woman of the Hong family, where he grew for 3,700 years in a womb-chamber like jade. He was born in that land near the Heights of Fuluo on Mount Yucha, at the slope of Danxuan. His name was Qidu, and his courtesy name was Shang Kaiyuan. As he grew up, he understood the true meaning of the Dao and devoted himself to the supreme Great Dao. He sat beneath a withered mulberry tree and meditated with complete focus for one hundred days. The Heavenly Worthy of Primordial Beginning then descended and transmitted to the Lord the Great Vehicle of the Lingbao teachings and the Ten Sections of Wondrous Scriptures.

At that time, the Heavenly Worthy of Primordial Beginning still resided in the Hall of Everlasting Joy in that land, where he broadly expounded the great Orthodox Teachings to the people of the age and the beings of the celestial realms. Those who attained the Dao then were too numerous to count. Later, the Heavenly Worthy of Primordial Beginning and the Lord traveled through the ten directions, spreading the Daoist teachings and forming bonds with those who would receive them. When this work was complete, the Heavenly Worthy of Primordial Beginning entrusted the teachings to the Lord and bestowed upon him…

After the Dao Lord received the title “Taishang,” he widely proclaimed scriptures and Fulu (talismans and registers), making them known to later generations. At that time, the great teachings had spread widely throughout the ten directions. Only the area around Wanli City had not yet heard the sound of the Dao, although its people were destined to encounter the Daoist teachings.

In ancient times, during the reign of Emperor Ku, Taishang sent the Three Heavenly True Sovereigns, revered deities of the celestial realm, carrying the Five True Writings of the Numinous Treasure to bestow upon him. Emperor Ku received them with reverence and kept them for many years, allowing the Fulu to be passed down. When he was about to become an immortal, he sealed the true writings away on Mount Zhong. The mountain lies to the northwest, beyond the Weak River—a legendary waterway said to be impossible to cross—and rises fifteen thousand li.

When Yu the Great came to the throne, he visited famous mountains on an inspection tour, crossed the Weak River, and reached Mount Zhong. There he found the True Writings of the Numinous Treasure that Emperor Ku had sealed away. He then upheld the scriptures and practiced according to their methods. Yu practiced alone and did not pass them on to the people. As a result, he gained the powers of a great immortal and was able to cut through Dragon Gate and clear the four great rivers. Once he had completed the work of flood control, the rivers and waterways were regulated, and the realm was at peace. Later, he made it appear that his corpse had died, though in truth he had not. Thus, the wise praised his deeds, while realized adepts who had attained the Dao knew that he still possessed a numinous body.

Before becoming an immortal, Yu the Great sealed the true writings away again, placing them under guard in the northern mountain and in a cavern at Baoshan Dongting. During the reign of King Helü of Wu, Helü went on an outing to Baoshan and saw someone inside a cave. He asked, “Who are you?” The person replied, “My surname is Shan, and my name is Yinju.” Helü said, “You live in the mountains, so you must have unusual insight. Try to retrieve that object for me.” Shan Yinju agreed.

He entered the cavern-palace of Dongting and traveled along an underground passage for fifteen hundred li before finally reaching his destination. He saw a stone city but did not dare enter carelessly. He fasted for three days outside the city, then went in. The stone city’s gate stood open, and inside, a scroll of plain silk bearing extraordinarily strange writing lay on a jade table. He bowed, respectfully took the book, and brought it to Helü.

Hélǚ summoned his ministers to examine the text together. It was written in seal script, an ancient form of writing, and no one could read it. He therefore sent a messenger to ask Confucius for help. The messenger deliberately made up a story: “When the King of Wu was resting in his hall, a red crow suddenly appeared, carrying a text in its beak, and dropped it in front of the hall. The king could not understand its meaning, so he sent me to ask you.”

Confucius looked grave and did not reply. After a long silence, he said, “I have heard a children’s song: ‘The King of Wu goes out to view Zhen Lake; the elder Longwei lives hidden in the mountains. Climb north to Mount Bao, enter the numinous realm where immortals dwell, then go on to Dongting and steal Yu’s text. The great writing of the Celestial Emperor must not be revealed; this text will endure for ages. If anyone forcibly takes it out, disaster will befall the state.’ If the book you have brought is this text, I can recognize it. But I have never heard the story of a red crow carrying a book.”

The messenger then admitted that he had lied and apologized to Confucius. “It is just as you say,” he said. Confucius replied, “This is the True Text of the Five Talismans of Lingbao. Long ago, Yu of the Xia dynasty found it on Mount Zhong and later sealed it away in a chamber at Dongting.”

When the messenger returned and reported this to Hélǚ, the king honored and served the True Text. But he was extravagant by nature and treated it with disrespect; he could not follow Daoist precepts in his practice. The True Text therefore flew up into the sky and vanished. Later, his son Fuchai succeeded him. When he climbed Mount Lao, he found the True Text again and reverently offered it his devotion. From then on, the text was handed down through the generations and preserved in written records.

During the Red Crow era of Sun Quan, ruler of Wu in the Three Kingdoms period, Ge Xuan of Langya, whose courtesy name was Xiaoxian, was the son of Ge Shangshu. Ge Shangshu, whose given name was Xiaoru, was eighty years old when Ge Xuan was born. Ge Xuan often experienced spiritual signs and responses. At thirteen, he already admired Dao and De; he was loyal, honest, and sincere. He was recommended for the position of Filial and Incorruptible, but did not enter government service. Giving up wealth, prestige, and official stipends, he resolved to draw close to mountains and waters, and went to Mount Tiantai to study Daoist arts…

XIII. Xiaoxian admired the Dao and De, and was upright, loyal, and trustworthy. The court recommended him for the post of Filial and Incorrupt (a category in the Han dynasty civil-service selection system), but he declined. He left behind the honors of high office and gave up its salary, setting his heart on mountains and rivers. He then entered Mount Tiantai to study the Dao. Through focused contemplation, he attained profound insight, and in less than a year he established a spiritual communion with the Most High (a revered Daoist deity). The Most High sent three perfected sages down to the human world to transmit the Lingbao Jing to him.

The first perfected one called himself “Yuluoqiao, the First Perfected of the Most High’s Profound Unity”; the second called himself “Guangmiaoyin, the Second Perfected of the Most High’s Profound Unity”; and the third called himself “Zhengdingguang, the Third Perfected of the Most High’s Profound Unity.” Before the three perfected ones descended, the Most High had also appointed the Perfected One of the Supreme Ultimate, Xu Laile, as Xiaoxian’s Three Caverns ritual master, responsible for transmitting the scriptures and methods of the Three Caverns.

Xiaoxian received a total of twenty-three scrolls of scripture, along with ten scrolls of oral instructions and responses to his questions, making thirty-three scrolls altogether. He transmitted the scriptures and methods to Zheng Siyuan and to his elder brother, Lord Hai’an, tutor to the crown prince, whose courtesy name was Xiao Yuan. Xiao Yuan passed them on to his son, Ti, a military guard commander. Ti was the father of Baopuzi (Ge Hong).

After Baopuzi and Lord Zheng swore an oath of allegiance, Lord Zheng transmitted the scriptures and methods to Baopuzi at Mount Luofu. After Lord Zheng’s death, they passed to his nephew, Lord Hai’an, and later to his great-grandson, Chao Fu. At the end of the Long’an era, Chao Fu transmitted them to the Daoist priests Ren Yanqing, Xu Lingqi, and others. The scriptures and methods were recorded and transmitted from generation to generation, later branching into many lineages and spreading without end.

This came about through the workings of the Great Dao’s cycles, which rose in response to the capacities of living beings. It also reflected the unseen convergence of karmic conditions and the design of the divine powers. Gentlemen who aspire to the Dao may select teachings from among these for their practice.

Preface to the Compilation of the Three Treasures’ Scriptures on Manifestation and Transformation

All beings first arose from the original source at the beginning of time, relying on the “Original Reality.” The Original Reality is pure and still, profound and quiet; its nature is clear and it exists eternally, without any form of coming, going, or change. From antiquity to the present, its name has never changed. Formless and nameless, it is the root of all things. The Three Origins Scripture calls it the true parents of all beings.

We are born through the gathering of causes and conditions, temporarily taking form in our parents’ wombs. The numinous awareness of all beings originally arose through their true parents. But their innate nature is subtle and hidden, not yet made manifest; confused by worldly troubles, they come to have physical forms. With physical form come all manner of burdens. Thus beings cycle through the Five Paths—the five realms of existence—and find it difficult to return to the source. All beings’ natures depend on one another, and their numinous awareness is originally the same. All possess wisdom, yet in the end they fail to return to the Original Reality.

The sages are compassionate, like loving fathers who cherish their young children. They offer help according to each being’s circumstances, enabling them to leave suffering behind and attain the peaceful ease of Wuwei (non-action). For this reason, the sages established the Three Caverns—the Daoist system for classifying scriptures—and various paths of cultivation. Adapting to beings’ inclinations and capacities, these paths help them understand their own innate wisdom and ultimately attain liberation. The key to liberation is awakening. Once awakened, one follows the teachings, sets aside worldly methods, and settles the mind and spirit in Wuwei, attaining the art of immortality. If a wise person can explain the meaning of the scriptures to others and rouse those long lost in confusion, how could the merit and blessing of such a person be measured?

I have not yet put on a Daoist robe, but I have studied and sought out Daoist scriptures, exploring their principles and connections and reflecting on their teachings about liberating beings. I have therefore tried to describe the reasons the Three Treasures—the Dao, the scriptures, and the masters—appear to teach and transform beings, and to annotate several scriptures in order to clarify doubts and offer them for the consideration of those who follow the Dao. I have only set down some explanations and dare not depart from the balanced and proper Way. If any of my interpretations are inappropriate or mistaken, I ask readers to examine them carefully.

An Abridged Account of the Names of the Celestial Worthy, Lord Lao, through the Kalpas

At the beginning of the opening of the netherworld and the Primordial Kalpa of Worthies, the Old Lord—a Daoist honorific for the Most High Lord Lao—manifested in the Celestial Palace of the Jade Emperor of Great Constancy at Fusang and transmitted the Daoist teachings to the Great Emperor of Fusang. The Old Lord has several honorific titles: Lord of the Great Dao, Supreme and Boundless; the Most High, Truly Perfect, One and Only Perfected One; and the Most High, Empty Sovereign, Celestial Worthy of the Primordial Beginning. It is also said that above Original Yang lies the Boundless, Supreme, Upper Pure Subtlety Heaven. After manifesting in the Celestial Palace of the Jade Emperor of Great Constancy at Fusang, the Old Lord transmitted the Daoist teachings to the Great Emperor of Fusang. In the Boundless, Supreme, Upper Pure Subtlety Heaven, he is the Most High, Empty Sovereign, Lord of the Dao.

At that time, the Old Lord appeared in a cool, serene form. His divine radiance shone brightly, illuminating the deepest reaches. Because he had established merit and virtue, the Perfected Pan Gu was summoned to Heaven. He prostrated himself before the Primordial Beginning, Empty Sovereign, Lord of the Dao and asked to receive the three hundred and seventy-five scrolls of the Inner Scripture of the Numinous Treasure. The Most High, Empty Sovereign, Supreme Lord of the Dao then transmitted to him the thirty-six scrolls of the Inner Scripture of the Three Sovereigns. The Perfected Pan Gu applied the scripture’s methods and powers to open Heaven and Earth and bring forth the myriad things. He also practiced the Daoist teachings between Heaven and Earth, bringing about the response of the round pearl. After ten thousand cycles of the sun and moon, the sun, moon, stars, and Heavenly Origin arose, forming five hundred and fifty-five billion layers of Heaven and Earth. The teachings of Dao and De spread throughout the ten directions, and thereafter the Heavenly Sovereign clan began to flourish.

At that time, the Old Lord descended to the Palace of the Three Mysterious Empty Heavens and transmitted the fourteen chapters of the Inner Scripture of the Heavenly Sovereign to the Heavenly Sovereign clan. With this scripture, the Heavenly Sovereign clan governed the world for three hundred and sixty thousand years, then ascended to immortality in broad daylight and entered the Palace of the Three Mysterious Empty Heavens. After the Heavenly Sovereign clan, the Earthly Sovereign clan arose. The Supreme Ultimate Old Lord then transmitted to the Earthly Sovereign clan the fourteen chapters of the Inner Scripture of the Earthly Sovereign. The clan governed the world by means of it for three hundred and sixty thousand years, then ascended to Heaven in broad daylight and entered the Palace of the Jade Emperor in the Plain Void, where the myriad emperors paid homage and showed reverence.

After the Earthly Sovereign attained immortality, the Human Sovereign clan arose. The Supreme Ultimate Old Lord then transmitted to the Human Sovereign clan the fourteen chapters of the Inner Scripture of the Human Sovereign. With this scripture, the clan governed the world for three hundred and sixty thousand years, then ascended to immortality in broad daylight and entered the Palace of the Jade Emperor in the Great Plain Void, where it enjoyed natural longevity. Another nine hundred and ninety-nine million nine hundred and ninety-nine thousand years passed before the Five Emperors arose; each governed the world for thirty-six thousand years. After the Five Emperors, it was not until the Central Sovereign, the Heavenly Sovereign, appeared that the account began of the Most High Old Lord and the Perfected One of the Supreme Ultimate descending to Mount Kunlun and again transmitting the fourteen chapters of the Inner Scripture of the Heavenly Sovereign.

After receiving this scripture, the Heavenly Sovereign governed the world through the Dao for thirty-six thousand years. He then ascended to immortality in broad daylight and rose into the Taiqing Heaven. After the Heavenly Sovereign departed, the Earthly Sovereign arose. At the time of his birth, the Supreme Lord Lao and the Perfected One of Taiji again descended to Mount Liugang and taught him the fourteen chapters of the Earthly Sovereign’s Inner Scripture. After receiving it, the Earthly Sovereign likewise governed the world through the Dao for thirty-six thousand years, then ascended in broad daylight to the Taiji Void Sovereign Heaven. After his departure, the Human Sovereign arose. During the Human Sovereign’s reign, the Perfected One of Taiji and the Supreme Lord Lao descended to Mount Nanhou and taught him the fourteen chapters of the Human Sovereign’s Inner Scripture. After receiving it, the Human Sovereign governed the world through the Dao for thirty-six thousand years, then ascended in broad daylight to the Palace of the Supreme Heaven of Southern Vermilion in Taiji.

Thereafter, the Lord Lao passed the scriptures and methods on to the Human Sovereign’s descendants, so they could govern the world and cultivate the Great Dao. The Heavenly Worthy of Primordial Beginning and the Perfected Ones also descended into the world. Later, the Five Dragon Clan arose. The Heavenly Perfected Sovereign and the Supreme Lord Lao descended to the Land of Kaiming and taught the Five Dragon Clan the fourteen chapters of the True Writings of the Numinous Treasure and the fourteen chapters of the Inner Scripture of the Three Sovereigns. After receiving these scriptures, the Five Dragon Clan governed the world through the Dao for twelve thousand years, then ascended to immortality in broad daylight.

At that time, sweet dew fell, and all living beings came into being from it. Thereafter, Yin-Yang moved and operated, the Five Phases took shape, and subtle transformations, worldly desires, and the causes and conditions of birth, death, and rebirth arose. People then followed their own impulses and lived in a simple, undifferentiated state. They ate raw meat and drank the blood of animals, and there was no distinction between men and women. In summer they lived in nests built in trees; in winter they sheltered in caves. After three hundred and sixty thousand years, the Divine Human Clan arose. At birth, its members had extraordinary appearances, like the Perfected One Pangu, and were therefore also called Pangu. The scripture says that all beings and things at the beginning of the kalpa came through him.

They compared things according to the categories formed from established images, using them to distinguish Heaven and Earth, the Sun and Moon, the stars, Yin-Yang, the four seasons, the Five Phases, the Nine Palaces, the Eight Trigrams, the Six Jia, and mountains, rivers, and seas. Yet they still could not determine them clearly. So, on the first day of the seventh month in the first year of Yuanjing of the Middle Heaven, he ascended to the place of the Taiji Heavenly King and reported to the Celestial Worthy, the Most High of Primordial Beginning. The Celestial Worthy then transmitted to him the Inner Scripture of the Three Sovereigns of the Divine Treasure and the Scripture of the Five Talismans of the Numinous Treasure.

Laojun descended to the human world and transmitted these scriptures to the Divine Man. After receiving them, this person passed them down among the people. He then used the scriptures and diagrams to divide Heaven and Earth and name the kalpas of the world. The High Perfected One reopened the work of the age of creation. Since the achievements and influence of the sages of former ages were no longer known, things began anew from this point. When people gather to talk, they know only of Pangu—but how could they know that before the creation of Heaven and Earth as it is spoken of today, there was another Pangu?

Beginning with this Pangu, he governed the world through the Dao for 19,999 years. Then, in broad daylight, he ascended to immortality, journeyed to Kunlun, and entered the Great Clarity Heaven, where he was granted the title “Primordial Beginning Heavenly King.” The Queen Mother then cultivated the Dao and descended to Bird-People Mountain.

After the Perfected Pangu became immortal, Fuxi arose. In the first year after clear Qi and turbid Qi had separated, the Great Spirit of the Taiji Heaven reported to the Most High Lord Lao. Laojun bestowed on Fuxi the fourteen chapters of the Inner Scripture of the Heavenly Sovereign and the Five Thousand Words on the Dao and De of the Numinous Treasure Diagram. Fuxi followed…

The scriptures use the Dao to teach and transform all under Heaven, distinguishing among the many kinds of living beings and placing humanity above the rest. They also explain the relationships between men and women, husbands and wives, parents and children, brothers, and members of a clan. This is the purpose of the Lingbao Five Thousand Words Scripture.

Fuxi governed the world through the Dao for six thousand years. Later, he ascended to Heaven in broad daylight and was honored as the Perfected One of Heavenly Truth and Auspicious Radiance. After Fuxi, the Suiren clan rose to prominence. In the first year of the division of clear and turbid forces, the Perfected One of Jade Void—a title for an immortal in Daoism—submitted a memorial to the Supreme Lord Lao, a revered Daoist deity. He then descended to Mount Danhuo and transmitted to Suiren the fourteen chapters of the Inner Scripture of the Earthly Sovereign and the Lingbao Five Thousand Words Scripture of the Dao and De. After receiving these scriptures, Suiren invented the use of fire and made cooked food from raw ingredients. This, too, was a function of the Lingbao scriptures. Suiren governed the world through the Daoist scriptures for six thousand years. Later, he ascended to immortality in broad daylight on Mount Danhuo, entered the Left Palace of the Supreme Ultimate, and was honored as the Perfected One of Jade Void.

After Suiren, the Zhurong clan rose to prominence. In the first year of the Heavenly River, the Supreme Lord Lao descended to Mount Heng in the Southern Marchmount and to Mount Penglai, where he transmitted to Zhurong the Inner Scripture of the Human Sovereign, the Lingbao Five Thousand Words Scripture of the Dao and De, and other scriptures. Reading the Inner Text of the Human Sovereign revealed where treasures such as gold and jade could be found. Zhurong therefore made pottery, smelted metal, worked stone into iron, and created tools such as knives, axes, saws, and chisels. These benefited living beings and spared people injury from having to work with their fingernails and claws. Zhurong governed all under Heaven through the Dao and De for six thousand years. Later, he ascended to the Upper Palace of Nanchang in the Supreme Ultimate in broad daylight and was honored as the Great-Going Perfected One.

After receiving the scriptures, Fuxi and Suiren each passed them down through six hundred years, with their descendants continuing the line; together, they governed for six thousand years. After Zhurong, the Shennong clan rose to prominence. In the first year of Heavenly Radiance, the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning and the Supreme Lord Lao descended to Mount Xingma and transmitted five chapters of the Lingbao’s true writings …

When the Shennong clan rose to power, the Celestial Venerable of Primordial Beginning and the Supreme Lord Lao descended upon Mount Xingma in the first year of Tianjing. They transmitted to Shennong the five chapters of the true texts of the Numinous Treasure, the Inner Classic of the Three Sovereigns, and the Classic of the Dao and Its Virtue. Guided by these texts, Shennong sought to prepare elixirs of immortality for all living beings, to relieve the suffering of the people.

At that time, however, elixirs could not cure every living being. So Shennong turned again to the Inner Classic of the Three Sovereigns and summoned the Great Perfected One, the High One, Father and Mother of Heaven from the previous cosmic cycle. He asked about the creation and transformations of Heaven and Earth in ancient times. After receiving clear instruction, he carried the true texts of the Numinous Treasure on his back and flew to Mount of the Hundred Plants, where he tasted every kind of plant. When he tasted something bitter, he survived; when he tasted something sweet, he died. Thus, many times in a single day, he passed through life and death. Later, in the valleys of Mount Nongshi, he found the five grains and the five pungent vegetables. He brought them back and taught the people to cultivate them, using grain as food and reducing the dangers of life and death that came from gathering and eating wild plants.

After the people had eaten grain for a long time, their five viscera also began to suffer harm. Shennong therefore drew on the methods of the Dao to distinguish medicines made from plants, trees, and stones, and compiled prescriptions to treat illness. He also made measuring instruments such as scales, rulers, pecks, and bushels. When people traded goods, he traveled throughout the land in a cloud chariot, ensuring that each region could obtain what it needed.

Shennong governed the land through the Dao for two hundred years. Later, he ascended to immortality in broad daylight on Mount Dashì and rose to the Great Sovereign Heaven, where he was known as the Perfected One, Numinous Treasure and Empty Sovereign. His descendants ruled for 522 years, after which the Xuanyuan clan rose to power.

On the fifth day of the tenth month of the first year of the Shanghuang era, Lord Lao descended upon Mount Emei and bestowed the Five Talismans’ True Text of the Lingbao Scripture on the Yellow Emperor. When the Yellow Emperor climbed Mount Nanheng, a divine being named Zhu Ling bestowed the Inner Scripture of the Three Sovereigns upon him.

After pacifying Chiyou, the Yellow Emperor wished to understand the principles of wondrous transformation, but could not grasp them on his own. He therefore took Guang Chengzi as his teacher. Following the methods in the Inner Scripture of the Three Sovereigns, the Yellow Emperor summoned the great sages and perfected beings of the high heavens, along with the divine immortals and perfected beings who had shaped the transformations of the world in a former kalpa. Invoking the name “the parents of the Nine Heavens,” he asked about the workings and circumstances of Heaven and Earth’s creation in that former kalpa. The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning and the assembled perfected immortals then descended together and said to him, “If you wish to understand the circumstances of Heaven and Earth’s creation in former kalpas, you may consult the Scripture of the Supreme Ancient, Mysterious Elder, Lord of Lingbao, and the Five Talismans’ True Text. The fundamental workings of Heaven and Earth’s creation all derive from this scripture, which serves to adorn Heaven and Earth. The merit and virtue needed by all things and living beings are also contained within it. It records in detail the names and forms of all kinds of things, as well as the different kinds of living beings.”

At that time, Primordial Lord Lao explained the scripture’s meaning to the Yellow Emperor. Reflecting on the text in light of the explanation, the Yellow Emperor observed Heaven, Earth, and human affairs. He then improved and invented walled cities and raised platforms, palaces and towers, houses and dwellings, garments and headwear, and taught people to use beautiful colors. He also made boats and vehicles to ease travel by water and land, and fired pottery, cauldrons, and various utensils for people throughout the realm to use in eating and drinking. He further developed astronomy and established ritual and music, bringing different craftspeople together to assist in the work of moral instruction. All these achievements were said to be connected with the workings of the three grades of Lingbao scriptures.

On the twenty-ninth day of the seventh month in the third year of the Shanghuang era, the Heavenly Perfected Emperor descended to the world and transmitted to the Yellow Emperor the Six-Ren divination diagrams, the Six Jia Three Primes, and the methods for constructing Dun Jia divination charts. These methods exerted their influence throughout the realm and were passed down to later generations.

The Yellow Emperor governed the realm through the Dao for one hundred and twenty years. He later ascended to Heaven in broad daylight from Mount Dinghu, rose to the Taiji Palace, and was honored as the Central Yellow Perfected One.

Shangqing is the name of a heavenly palace, located high above primordial chaos, its light shining throughout the Great Luo Heaven. There, the numinous and wondrous are empty and still, and the miraculous arises naturally. The place is pure, lofty, and far-reaching, hence the name “Shangqing,” or Highest Clarity. Shangqing Palace is where the assembled immortals reside and the sages come and go.

The palace houses precious scriptures of the August Sovereign, adorned with painted designs and written in golden script and jade characters. These texts are Daoist teachings and verses that arose naturally in ancient times, originating with the Lord of the Nine Mysteries, king of the nine heavens. Tracing their origins to their source, they have endured through ninety thousand billion nine thousand kalpas. Each of the August Sovereign’s scriptures has its own laws and measures, distinct from the others.

On the first day of the ninth month in the first year of the Middle August era, the Lord of the Nine Mysteries, in the Golden Gate Palace of the Jade Heaven’s Jade Chamber, ordered the Eastern Florescent Green Palace to examine the laws governing the movements of Heaven and Earth, collate ancient texts, arrange numinous and wondrous chapters, and compile them into precious scriptures. Later, Emperor Wu of the Han obtained these books and stored them in the Bailiang Tower. Immortal Perfected Beings once descended to him, and he claimed to have attained the Dao. But he became self-indulgent and lax, ignoring the Queen Mother’s admonitions. The following year, a heavenly fire destroyed the Bailiang Tower, and the scriptures flew back into the sky, disappearing without a trace.

The Perfected of Great Origin, Mao Ying, whose courtesy name was (the term “hui” here refers to a personal name), took Lord Wang of Xicheng as his master. He received instruction in the Shangqing Way of Jade Pendants and Golden Bells, and the Two Luminaries and Jade Pivot. In the fourth year of the Diji era under Emperor Xuan of the Han, in the third month, he ascended to Heaven. Su Lin, a High Minister of Xuanzhou, took Juanzi as his master and studied the Shangqing method of the Three Ones. On the sixth day of the third month in the second year of the Shenjue era under Emperor Xuan of the Han, he ascended to Heaven. Lord Zhou, Lord Li, and the other immortals also each received transmissions. They carried on the scriptures and teachings, though most were not passed down in the human world.

On the wu-wu day of the ninth month in the second year of the Yuanshi era under Emperor Ping of the Han, the Perfected of Xicheng transmitted the thirty-one scrolls of the Shangqing Scripture to the Perfected of Clear Emptiness, the King of the Minor You-Heaven, Wang Bao, at Yangluo Mountain. During the reign of Emperor Cheng of the Jin, Wang Bao transmitted them at Xiuwu County in Ji Jun to the Primordial Lady of Purple Emptiness, the Lady of Mount Heng, Wei Huacun. In the ninth year of the Xianhe era, a jia-wu year, Wei Huacun ascended to Heaven riding a wind wheel. At the time of her death, she entrusted the scriptures to her son Daotuo, who later passed them on to Yang Xi. Yang Xi was born with extraordinary qualities and could reach the spirit realm and meet the Perfected Immortals.

Lord Yang, also known as Yang Xi, was once the teacher of Emperor Wen. He took Lady Wei of Mount Heng as his master and received the thirty-one scrolls of the Perfect Scripture of the Great Cavern of Shangqing. In the eleventh year of the Taiyuan era under Emperor Xiaowu of Jin, the bingxu year, he ascended to immortality and departed.

Master Xu, whose personal name was Ying, was from Jurong County in Danyang Commandery. His ancestor seven generations earlier, Xu Zi’e, had accumulated hidden merit during his lifetime, spreading blessings widely and extending them to his descendants. Xu Zi’e’s descendant six generations later was named Xu Fu, who served as magistrate of Shan County. Xu Fu ascended to immortality in the bingxu year. He had eight sons. The eldest was named Mai, styled Shuxuan, and nicknamed Ying; he later changed his name to Yuanyou. From childhood, Xu Mai loved the immortal Way and devoted himself to seeking its hidden mysteries. He practiced breathing and regulating the breath, held lofty ambitions, and sought to transcend the secular world. In the first year of the Jianxing era under the Jin, the guiyou year, he crossed the river and entered Mount Chicheng, never to return. He had taken as his masters Bao Jing, governor of Nanhai, and Lord Mao, the Perfected of Taiyuan.

Xu Mai’s fifth younger brother, Xu Mi, once served as Chief of Staff to the Palace Guard and as Palace Attendant at Scattered Cavalry. He took the Perfected of Taiyuan as his master and received the Shangqing scriptures. In the first year of the Ningkang era, he withdrew from the world and disappeared. Xu Mi had three sons. The youngest was named Yufu; the eldest was named Hui, styled Daoxiang. Hui’s virtue was pure and luminous, and few in the world could compare with him. He took Master Yang as his teacher and received the thirty-one scrolls of the Correct Methods of the Three Heavens of Shangqing and the Plain Silk Phoenix Writings. Later, he withdrew from the world and disappeared.

Yufu’s son was named Huangmin, and Huangmin’s son was named Yuzhi. In the twelfth year of the Yuanjia era, Yuzhi died at Mount Bai in Shan County. As he lay dying, he sealed the treasured Shangqing scriptures and the wondrous writings of the Three Caverns—the Daoist system for classifying scriptures—inside the Xuantai, stamped them with a silver seal, and entrusted them to the household of Ma Dusheng in Tan County. He told Ma Dusheng, “I am leaving for a time now and will return before long. Do not open these scriptures!” The Ma family respectfully guarded and honored the scriptures for generations. A Daoist named Lou Hua, from Ankang, often lodged with the Ma family.

I researched the origins and transmission of the scriptures, making great efforts to ask permission to open them and examine their contents. Ma remained firmly opposed and would not yield, so the dispute dragged on without resolution. At that time, Emperor Songming revered the Daoist arts and had Daoist priests summoned to reside and receive support in the rear hall. Lou Hua seized the opportunity to ask the priest Shu Jizhen, who served in the rear hall, to make a confidential report to the emperor. The emperor immediately sent people to seize the scriptures and bring them to the capital. After performing the rites of reverence, he opened them. Suddenly, brilliant purple light in five colors shone before his eyes. The emperor exclaimed, “The possessions of immortal perfected beings must not be treated with disrespect!” Less than a year later, the emperor died.

In the first year of the Yuanhui era, Ma came forward to petition for the return of the scriptures. The emperor issued an edict granting his request. Thus the true scriptures from the Heavenly Treasury returned to Ma’s hands. It was said that the Highest Perfected Ones had annotated them in their own hands, writing them in vermilion on tablets of red, in purple script. In later generations, when ordinary people copied and transmitted them, they called them “authentic originals.”

This text records the precious scriptures written by the Divine Kings: thirty-one volumes in all. It lists the sequence and titles of the chapters, naming each according to its subject matter. Yet the words of the Heavenly Perfected Ones express principles so profound that they are difficult to explore fully. Some titles are the same, though the matters they address differ; some convey related principles, though their wording is not alike. These wondrous, hidden teachings often do not accord with ordinary understanding. Even those fortunate enough to read them may find them difficult to comprehend completely.

I was fortunate to encounter these precious scriptures and to explore the origins and transmission of the Daoist teachings. By nature, I delight in profound principles and have immersed myself in their wondrous mysteries. After studying them for many years, I gradually began to understand them. With my limited insight, I have searched through and collated the various scriptures to compile the Meaning and Catalogue of the Shangqing Scriptures. I do not presume that this can contribute anything to the Great Dao; I have simply recorded it for now.

Preface to the Catalogue of the Lingbao Scriptures

On a certain day in a certain month of the fourteenth year of the Yuanjia era, the Three Caverns disciple Lu Xiujing—a student of the Daoist scriptures of the Three Caverns—respectfully addresses his fellow practitioners: We should cultivate together and spread the literary teachings of the scriptures, praise their wondrous instruction, and thereby bring prosperity to the world and increase its blessings. I am often heartened that living beings receive compassion and grace, leave the evil paths, enter wholesome realms, and enjoy carefree, lasting happiness. What could be more cause for rejoicing?

Yet the principles are exceedingly profound and subtle, and their refined meanings reach far beyond easy understanding. Without guidance from an accomplished teacher, people find it difficult to resolve their doubts and confusion. Am I the only one who earnestly admires the Dao and longs to seek it? Since the universe is vast and remote, and it is difficult to encounter a teacher of the Mysterious Dao, we should seek within ourselves and judge in accordance with its principles. I venture to offer my limited understanding and first set down what I have been thinking.

The Lingbao scriptures began in the Longhan era, the name of an ancient cosmic cycle. Events before Longhan can no longer be recalled. During the long Yan’kang cycle, Heaven and Earth were in chaos, and time had no clear divisions. The Dao was hidden from view, and the precious scriptures had not yet been brought to light. When the Red Bright era arrived, another name for a cosmic cycle, the fortunes of the world changed, and the Lingbao scriptures began to flourish. The Celestial Worthies revered these scriptures and established their own liturgies and regulations. At the end of each cycle, the fortunes of the world changed once more. This continued through five cycles, up to the era after Kaihuang.

In the first year of the Shanghuang era, the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning bestowed his teachings. The Great Dao spread widely; the assembled sages expounded the scriptures’ meanings, compiled their essential contents, and organized them into ten sections and thirty-six fascicles to guide later students and save both humans and celestial beings. After the Shanghuang era ended, the Six Heavens—the divine order governing the underworld and calamities—shifted in their turn. The sages withdrew and ascended to Heaven, and the scriptures returned to the Great Luo Heaven, the highest celestial realm in Daoism. From then on, the fundamental teachings of Primordial Beginning were lost for a time.

Later, Emperor Gaoxin once summoned a procession of cloud chariots, and Yu the Great received scriptures from Mount Zhong. Lord Lao descended and transmitted the true Dao to the Celestial Master, while the Immortal Lord taught scriptures at Mount Tiantai. These events came about because those figures had accumulated merit and thereby moved the Most High, an honorific title for the supreme deity in Daoism, to help them fulfill their sacred work. Was this not a way to keep the teachings alive in the world and proclaim them widely to all?

According to the scriptures, in the forty-sixth Dinghai year after the Tang dynasty, and in the Gengzi years around that time, the Son of Heaven rallied his followers at Yukou. Rebels gathered, and corpses filled the Yue River valley. Powerful ministers seized control, while a weak ruler fled west. After the Dragon Essence, the ruler who succeeded to the throne secured the dynasty, deposed the false sovereign, and put down the rebellious people. The Daoist tradition reached the height of its influence, and this scripture was destined to circulate at that time. Calculations of the calendar and examination of the facts all point to the same conclusion. Once the right moment had arrived, the Great Law began to flourish.

Yet although the teachings began to rise, they had not been fully revealed or widely circulated. Only one third of the ten sections in the old catalogues had appeared in the world. Though their profound contents had not all come to light, the Wheel of the Law—the spread of the teachings—had already reached every quarter. Had the right moment not coincided with the turn of fortune, how could such a flourishing have come about?

Recently, versions of the scriptures have become numerous and seem confused in relation to one another. Some appear in the old catalogues, while others come from different texts. The old and new scriptures together amount to fifty-five volumes. Scholars each uphold their own views, and few can distinguish among the differences. At first, I too could not make sense of them.

Among those who sought out scriptures, one person made inquiries and examined the texts, only to discover that many had been corrupted. Some had altered or abridged the Shangqing scriptures; some had extracted passages from other scriptures; some had fabricated prefaces; others had rearranged chapters, added sections and verses, or made talismanic diagrams. Some inserted this material into old classics, while others set up new oaths and precepts. The writing was stiff and obscure, its sounds and rhythms discordant, its wording tangled and petty, its principles shallow and vulgar, its contents confused and reversed, and its reasoning without order.

On examining whether these works were genuine, one can only conclude that they came from arrogant people. Their understanding was not deep enough to grasp the mysteries, and they had never truly sought the Dao. Having happened upon a few scrolls while practicing, they borrowed the title of Daoist, coveted fame and profit, and, heedless of the calamity they might bring upon themselves, repeatedly invented new doctrines to win people’s reverence. They mixed fish eyes among pearls and passed broken stones off as the jade of Heshi, deceiving the ignorant and slandering the highest and most subtle Dao.

Later students believed these claims without distinguishing truth from falsehood, so the fine and the coarse became mixed together and the genuine and the spurious circulated side by side. Those who read or heard such material were left confused, while those who practiced and studied it grew troubled. In the eyes of those above, this damaged the reputation of the sacred realms of Daoism; in the eyes of those below, it brought shame upon people who studied the Dao. No course of action seemed satisfactory. People wasted their family fortunes and their energy, yet what did they ultimately gain?

The offense of treating the teachings of the scriptures with contempt is already grave, and the guilt of slandering the Orthodox Way is difficult to pardon. From my youth, I have immersed myself in the mysteries and loved the scriptures, gathering them piece by piece in the hope of learning something from them. If there is truly something worthy of reverence, why deliberately speak of it so obscurely that people are needlessly exposed to calamity? Fearing that my account might still be incomplete, I have briefly set out the old chapters already in circulation, along with the teachings and commentaries transmitted by the Immortal Lord. I have also briefly explained the passages that remain in doubt.

Judging from the meaning of the scriptures, the origins of these perfected immortals and Daoist teachings are vast and boundless. They have appeared and been transmitted through countless kalpas, beyond all reckoning.

After the Kaihuang era, in the Tianhan era, there was a man named Wang Bao, styled Zideng, from Sangping in Fanyang. On the first day of the first month, he took leave of his parents, intending to seek out the immortals and obtain the Way of long life and immortality. He entered Mount Hua and devoted himself to cultivation for eighteen years. In response, the Most High Sage, the Perfected One of Taiji, Xiliangzi, descended and taught him the “ㄒ rice method” and how to consume cloud teeth. Five years later, the Perfected One of Taiji, Wang Zongzhen, descended once more, gave Zideng thirty-one scrolls of the Upper Clarity Scripture, and took him on a tour of the Five Sacred Peaks and a visit to famous mountains, enabling him to receive the supreme Daoist teachings in full.

During the reign of Emperor Wu of Jin, there was a woman from Rencheng named Wei Huacun, styled Xian’an, daughter of Wei Yangyuan. Wei Yangyuan had served as governor of Xingyang and Yiyang commanderies, Attendant Gentleman of the Palace, and governor of Jizhou. Xian’an later married Liu Yan, styled Youyan, a man from Nanyang. Liu Yan was then appointed magistrate of Xiuwu County, and Xian’an accompanied him there. From childhood, Xian’an had lived in the women’s quarters of her family home; by nature, she…

She devoted herself wholeheartedly to the Great Dao. Although she had not yet become an immortal, she sensed the arrival of perfected beings on many occasions. Later, when she reached adulthood, she married and established a household in accordance with the rites expected of women. At times, she therefore set aside her Daoist practice. When her children had grown, she told them, “I hope never to abandon my resolve to seek the true Dao.” She then withdrew from society, lived alone, and took no further part in worldly affairs. Afterward, she again sensed the arrival of perfected beings on many occasions.

Later, when she reached adulthood once more, she married and established a household in accordance with the rites expected of women. At times, she therefore set aside her Daoist practice. When her children had grown, she told them, “I hope never to abandon my resolve to seek the true Dao.” She then withdrew from society, lived alone, and took no further part in worldly affairs. She secluded herself in a remote place, claiming to suffer from a hidden illness, and resumed the practice she had pursued in earlier years.

She entered a quiet chamber and cultivated herself for a hundred days, hoping that the immortals would arrive. Day after day, she focused her thoughts, yearning for a response. Thereafter, she maintained her solitude and stillness, communed with the spirits, and kept her mind single-mindedly joined with the Dao. Through sincere and arduous practice, her devotion reached the heavens, and perfected beings from afar descended.

It was late winter that year, in the middle of the night, and the sky was clear. Suddenly, she heard the sounds of bells and drums, flutes and pipes coming from the air, their music mingling in a great clamor. She stepped outside and looked up. From the empty sky in the east came a procession: banners spread wide, feathered canopies appeared in profusion, and a mysterious, brilliant radiance illuminated the whole expanse of heaven. No one else could see it.

Before long, tiger-drawn carriages, jade chariots, and vehicles fitted with concealed wheels came to a halt in front of the lady’s quiet chamber. Four perfected beings descended. They all looked to be in their twenties, with noble, radiant features and exceptional bearing. Each wore a lotus crown patterned in purple, splendid garments woven with flying designs, and a belt adorned with precious jade. Tiger patterns marked their clothing, circular halos encircled their necks, and each held an ornate banner.

One introduced himself: “I am the Perfected One of the Supreme Ultimate, An Duming.” Another said, “I am the Great Spirit of Donghua, the Azure Youth Lord of Fangzhu.” The third said, “I am the Perfected One Jinglin, Divine King of the Fusang Blue Sea and Yang Valley.” The fourth said, “I am the Perfected One of Pure Emptiness, the Immortal of Little You, Wang Zideng.”

Then the Lady prostrated herself and bowed twice, striking her head on the ground and beating her own body. She said, “I never imagined that today the Lord of the Dao would descend in person. I beg only for the Dao of becoming an immortal, attaining long life, and transcending the mortal world.”

The four of them sat down and remained there for a long while. Wang Zideng said to the Lady, “I have heard that you have long cherished thoughts of goodness and have searched far and wide for a way to live. In secret, you cultivated true Qi, bringing harmony to your hun and po souls and purity to your body. Your heart is steadfast and sincere, and your aspirations are far-reaching. Your name has already been entered in the registers of Shangqing, the Daoist realm of the immortals, and you have formed a deep bond with the perfected beings. You have held firmly to your convictions and hoped for a response from the spirits. Subtle resonance opened the mysteries, and your radiance appeared unseen at Chicheng. Thus your deeds were written in golden books, and jade tablets were stored in the Jade Court. This moved the spirit of Gaochen, and wondrous hymns arose in response. The Great Thearch therefore ordered me to come and teach you the true Dao of the immortals.”

The Lord of the Azure Lad of Donghua said, “This Pure Void Perfected One is your teacher. You should follow him and learn.”

An Duming said, “Through the good affinities you accumulated in past lives, you have long resonated with the quest for the Dao. You have pursued it with great effort for a long time, and your thoughts have been wholly devoted to it. Now the Dao has come to you, and you will attain it.”

The Perfected One Jinglin said, “Through all your lives, you have diligently sought a response and long cherished the true spirits. Now the resonance you have accumulated is about to come to fruition. You are indeed an eminent and exceptional person born at the appointed time. The Sovereign of Emptiness has long known that your heart yearns for Taiji, the supreme realm in Daoist teaching. He has already inscribed your name on a jade register, entered it in the Palace of Purple Emptiness, written it in the Eastern Florescence Pavilion, and carved it into the brocade register of Shangqing’s cinnabar writings. You will become the Primordial Lady of Purple Emptiness and the True One in Charge of Destiny. You will also receive a title for a sacred mountain and be enfeoffed as Lady of the Southern Marchmount.

“Now it is clear that your nature truly shines, like clouds and rosy mists high in the sky. Your Jing and Qi are full, and their radiance shines in layer upon layer. You have the bones of a phoenix and the bearing of a dragon; precious light appears at your head, and purple veins run through your Five Organs. Feather patterns mark your heart, your body dwells amid the dawn clouds, and your spirit keeps company with the wondrous realm. You are truly worthy of bearing the charge of Heaven and humanity. The Celestial Emperor has ordered Wang Bao to form a covenant with you as your teacher and ally, and has therefore sent the Perfected One of Taiji to examine your sincerity. You should…”

“Make every effort in your practice.” After the four Perfected Ones had each offered their parting words, the Lady kowtowed and struck herself with her hands. She spoke:

“I, Hua Cun, am lowly in status, no more than the remnant of a withered skeleton. I have willingly remained amid the dust and grime, long stained by impurity. Heaven and earth are vast, with an immense gulf between high and low. I have given myself over to this evil age of the Five Turbidities, mired in filth. My innate nature has been obstructed, and I have sunk into the ordinary world. I never expected the radiance of the sun and moon to reach such a dark and remote place. Yet the Heavenly Worthy has deigned to descend into the human realm.

“So I have put aside distracting thoughts, content to be as lowly as an ant or earthworm. I recall that from my youth I loved the Way of the Immortals and yearned for long life; this longing arose naturally in my heart. I once swore by the sun and moon to uphold my aspiration. But I was born in the final age, when rites, laws, and prohibitions abound, constraints are everywhere, and there is no way to escape. My long-held wish could never be fulfilled. Now my body is weak and my appearance wretched; my bodily Qi is impure, and I have long been tormented by dust and grime. Merely trying to preserve my integrity through sheer effort is of no avail.

“Since entering the Liu household, my practice of the Dao has fallen away day by day. Only recently have I found a little free time, allowing me briefly to escape the burdens of affairs within and beyond the household, quiet my mind, observe the purification fast, and follow the Daoist methods in seeking scriptures and practices for entering the chamber. I meant only to nourish my five viscera in stillness and ward off illness. How could I have imagined that my greatest wish would come true tonight? The Dao Lords have descended together, granting me favor far beyond anything I dared expect. Divine light has illuminated this dark place, and I have received the Heavenly Worthy’s grace. I am overwhelmed with awe. This is my fortunate chance to be delivered from the mortal world. I ask only for your compassion and for the gift of life and nature.”

When she had finished speaking, the Youth of Donghua beckoned to her and said: “From your youth you have loved the Great Dao, and your heart has been sincere and devoted. That is why you were destined to be born into this world, to undergo the refinement of the five spirits in the womb, and to manifest an innate wisdom that gives you equal insight, enabling you to transcend the Eight Difficulties, the many obstacles to cultivation. Your Qi will unite with luminous spiritual radiance, and you will stand apart in your accord with the true Dao. You are destined to become a Perfected One who serves as Director of Fate in the Purple Void Palace, overseeing the affairs of the Perfected. You must strive diligently and advance in your practice, penetrating the Dao of Taiji. You will also receive a fief on a sacred mountain, with a rank equal to that of a feudal lord. But unless you accept and study the inner methods of the Supreme Dao and the Jing of Jade Radiance at Dawn, you will not be able to master the many wondrous arts of the Immortal Way. Make every effort in your practice! I will meet you again in a few days on Mount Yangluo. Work hard and persevere.”

Then the Perfected One of Clear Emptiness, Lord Wang, ordered the attendants Hua Santiao, Li Mingyun, and the others to draw aside the cloud curtains and open the jade casket. They took out thirty-one scrolls of scriptures, including the Precious Writings of the Most High, the Hidden Writings of the Eight Su, the Great Cavern Perfect Scripture, the Spiritual Writings in Purple Script: Eight Paths of Purple Transcendence, Flame Radiance, Stone Essence, Jade Steed, and Divine True Tiger Script, and the High Immortal’s Feathered Mystery. Lord Wang had received these scriptures from the Perfected One of the South Pole, Lord Wang of the Western City, when they met on Mount Yangluo. Now, in Xiuwu County, Jixun Commandery, he transmitted them to the Lady. The Divine King of Yanggu separately transmitted to her the Jing of the Yellow Court’s Inner Radiance, while the Perfected One of Orthodox Unity, Lord Zhang, separately taught her the “Method for Regulating Essence and Subduing Demons,” a technique for regulating vital essence and controlling ghosts. The Lady received more transmissions over time than just these thirty-one scrolls; the relevant texts and scrolls are recorded in her biography and cannot all be listed here. The scriptures of the Shangqing tradition of Daoism began to circulate in the world from this time onward.

The Jing of the Three Sovereigns records that in ancient times, when the Celestial Sovereign ruled the world, Heaven bestowed on him a scroll called the Heavenly Jing. Later, when the Terrestrial Sovereign succeeded him, Heaven bestowed another scroll on the new ruler. After the Human Sovereign took the throne, he too received a scroll. The three scrolls received by the Celestial, Terrestrial, and Human Sovereigns were collectively called the Three Mounds, also known as the Jing of the Three Sovereigns. After the Three Sovereigns came the Eight Emperors, each of whom ruled for eight thousand years. Heaven likewise bestowed one scroll on each of them; these texts were called the Eight Cords. For this reason, the Three Mounds and the Eight Cords were regarded as the foundations of the ancient classics. In principle, the Three Treasures—here referring to Daoist scriptures or teachings—had existed since time immemorial, though at times they appeared and at times they vanished. After the Three Sovereigns and Eight Emperors, these writings disappeared from view.

During the reign of Emperor Wu of the Jin dynasty, Bao Jing of Jinling, who had once served as governor of Nanhai and had loved the Daoist arts of immortality from a young age, climbed Mount Song on the second day of the second month in the second year of Yuankang, during the Jin dynasty. He entered a stone chamber to observe a period of purification and quietude, and suddenly saw the ancient writings of the Jing of the Three Sovereigns, all engraved on stone. At the time, he had no master from whom to receive the scriptures, so he followed the prescribed rites, offered four hundred feet of silk as a token, swore an oath, and received them. Later, he passed the scriptures on to Ge Zhichuan (Ge Hong), and they were handed down through successive generations until the present day. The Three Treasures’ transmission in the world was a natural arrangement, brought about as people’s hearts accorded with principle and hidden affinities came together.

The scripture then explains the stages of Daoist cultivation. People’s minds are clouded, and they have long been lost in the cycle of birth and death. Their spiritual clarity is obscured, making it difficult for them to understand the Great Dao. Sages appear in the world out of great compassion, caring for living beings as they would their own children. They teach and save people according to the times and their circumstances, helping them escape suffering and attain the joy of Wuwei (non-action). The Great Dao is profound and subtle, and people cannot grasp it all at once; guidance must therefore proceed step by step.

Before the Great Dao is revealed directly, people are first taught more accessible methods, such as culinary practices, registers and texts, miscellaneous techniques, and the Way of Yellow and Red. These teachings suit people of different capacities and gradually lead them to faith. Those who practice these methods are said to serve the Dao. Having begun to serve the Dao, they can abandon demonic and worldly practices and gradually bring their bodies and minds under discipline, before proceeding to study the Lingbao. Once they have faith in the Lingbao, they may seek to become Daoist priests. After becoming priests, they should receive and uphold the 180 major precepts and the 240 deportments. They then cultivate the Six Spiritual Powers, dispel the Six Dusts—the external objects of sight, sound, smell, taste, touch, and thought—and uphold the practices and vows set out in the scriptures. By devoting themselves to investigating the Dao’s source and deeply experiencing its reality, they ultimately attain wondrous awakening and fulfill the Dao of immortality. Through this cultivation, they will in the end move toward Wuwei. The scripture concludes by explaining that registers, culinary practices, and other more accessible teachings serve as steps that guide practitioners gradually into deeper cultivation.

Some people claim to believe in the Dao, yet do not understand its true principles. Only a truly discerning and virtuous gentleman can judge this matter.

◎ Genealogical Records of the Daoist Lineage

A careful examination of the Yuntai Register of Inner Records from the Central Office reveals the following: the Supreme Lord Lao (Taishang Laojun) transmitted the Diagram of the Correct Governance of Yuntai and methods such as Governing the Mountain’s Stove and Cauldron. The lineage comprised forty-one generations. The names and order of succession are listed below.

The first generation was Lord Lao. He transmitted the method of “Great Elixir of the Fire Mountain” to three hundred people. Only three—Wang Fangping, Yin Xi, and Xu Jia—were included in the lineage.

The second generation was Lord Wang. He transmitted the teachings to thirty people. Only three—Mao Meng, Sun Ying, and Zhang Zhen—were included in the lineage.

The third generation was Zhang Zhen. He transmitted the teachings to seventeen people. Only two—Ruoshi and the immortal known as Lady Li—were included in the lineage.

The fourth generation was Ruoshi. He transmitted the teachings to fifty-two people. Only three—Lord Li Yuan, Master Baishi, and Li Changcun—were included in the lineage.

The fifth generation was Lord Li Yuan. He transmitted the teachings to seventy-two people. Only two—Wang Ziqiao and Xu Shucheng—were included in the lineage.

From the sixth generation onward, the immortals transmitted the teachings independently, and the lineage gradually dispersed. In the human world, the title “Yuntai Office for Governing Qi” and the methods associated with it were no longer passed down. Taking pity on those aspiring to learn the Dao, Lord Lao once more came to Mount Pinggai and transmitted to Zhang Ling the Yuntai governance, the scriptures and methods of Fire Zhi and Fire Immortals, transformative arts, medicines for longevity and immortality, and ways to ascend into the clouds. He appointed Zhang Ling as the sixth-generation collateral descendant of the Daoist lineage. The Young Lord of the Eastern Sea vouched for Zhang Ling. Zhang Ling paid reverence to the Supreme Lord Lao as his teacher of deliverance, received initiation at Yuntai, and was invested as Celestial Master (Tianshi). The Celestial Master transmitted the teachings to three hundred people. Only three—Zhang Shen, Wang Sheng, and Li Zhong—were included in the lineage and took charge of the ritual centers.

The seventh generation was Zhang Shen. He transmitted the teachings to thirty-three people. Only three—Li Zhongchun, Li Yiqi, and Li Xuan—were included in the lineage, carrying on the succession and overseeing the methods of governance.

The eighth generation was Li Zhongchun. He transmitted the teachings to fifteen people. Only two—Li Shaojun and Wei Boyang—were included in the lineage.

The ninth generation: Li Shaojun. Those who transmitted methods of ritual practice included Li Zhongchun, Li Yiqi, and Li Xuan.

The eighth-generation Li Zhongchun transmitted the teachings to fifteen people, but only two carried the lineage forward: Li Shaojun and Wei Boyang.

The ninth-generation Li Shaojun transmitted the teachings to ninety people, but only two carried the lineage forward: Luan Ba and Li Changcun.

The tenth-generation Luan Ba transmitted the teachings to five people, but only two carried the lineage forward: Yin Changsheng and Li Zhouxian.

The eleventh-generation Yin Changsheng transmitted the teachings to eight people, but only two carried the lineage forward: Zhang Jingxiao and Wang Wanjin.

The twelfth-generation Zhang Jingxiao transmitted the teachings to five people, but only one carried the lineage forward: Liu Feng.

The thirteenth-generation Liu Feng transmitted the teachings to five people, but only one carried the lineage forward: Liu Zheng.

The fourteenth-generation Liu Zheng transmitted the teachings to five people, but only two carried the lineage forward: Sun Bo and Yan Guang.

The fifteenth-generation Sun Bo transmitted the teachings to three people, but found no suitable successor to carry on the lineage. He therefore entered Mount Linwu, where he refined the Great Elixir of the Dragon and Tiger, an important elixir in Daoism, and then ascended to heaven. After this, this branch of the methods of ritual practice was lost.

The Most High Lord Lao commanded Li Zhongfu to leave the capital of the immortals and transmit the teachings to Zuo Ci of Jiangnan, whose courtesy name was Yuanfang. Zuo Ci was therefore established as the transmitter of the sixteenth generation. He transmitted the teachings to eighty people, but only three carried the lineage forward: Jie Xiang, Yan Guang’s daughter, and Li Tuo.

The seventeenth-generation Jie Xiang transmitted the teachings to forty people, but only five carried the lineage forward: Li Yan, Zhang Shou, Wan Geqing, Ruan Yu, and Li Yong.

The eighteenth-generation Li Yan and Jie Tan transmitted the teachings to eighteen people, but only one carried the lineage forward: Liu Jing.

The nineteenth-generation Liu Jing transmitted the teachings to four people, but only one carried the lineage forward: Guo Yan of the Eastern Sea.

The second-generation Tan, presumably Jie Tan, transmitted the teachings together with Li Yan to eighteen people, but only one carried the lineage forward: Liu Jing.

The nineteenth-generation successor, Liu Jing, taught four people, but only Guo Yan of Donghai continued the transmission of the lineage.

The twentieth-generation successor, Guo Yan of Donghai, taught thirty people, but only Ling Shouguang continued the transmission.

The twenty-first-generation successor, Ling Shouguang, was originally a foreigner. He taught eighteen people, but only He Shu continued the transmission.

The twenty-second-generation successor, He Shu, taught ten people, but only Luo Xianqi continued the transmission.

The twenty-third-generation successor, Luo Xianqi, taught twenty people. Of these, Gan Jiren and Gan Xiaoxian continued the transmission.

The twenty-fourth-generation successor, Gan Xiaoxian, taught fifty-one people, but only Shi Fan Gong continued the transmission.

The twenty-fifth-generation successor, Shi Fan Gong, taught nineteen people, but only Gong Hu continued the transmission. Another account says that “Gong Zhongyong” was Gong Hu’s courtesy name.

The twenty-sixth-generation successor, Gong Hu, taught eighty people, but none was able to continue the lineage, and the arts he had transmitted were therefore lost. Gong Hu practiced at Mount Heng and Mount Tiantai for eighty-five years. During this period, the line of immortals came to an end, and the orthodox Daoist teachings were no longer transmitted.

Laojun (the Most High Lord Lao) felt concern for these meritorious practitioners and once again descended to Mount Lu. He ordered Zuo Yuanfang to transmit the Mount Tiantai teachings to Shi Cun and Ge Xuan, enabling them to carry on the lineage. They became the founding ancestors of the immortal officials’ succession, and were instructed to pass the teaching on to those of benevolent virtue.

The twenty-seventh-generation successor, Shi Cun, taught seventy people, but they were all Earth Immortals—that is, immortals who had not yet attained the state of Celestial Immortals. Only his fellow student Ge Xuan continued the lineage.

The twenty-eighth-generation successor, Ge Xuan, taught nineteen people. Only Zhang Qin and Qiu Zhen continued the transmission; Li Yong transmitted a separate branch.

The twenty-ninth-generation successor was Yin Si. The Most High Lord Lao sent a purple-robed messenger to Mount Lu with a decree, transmitting the teaching to five people and later to two more. Yin Si and Yin Gui carried on the lineage and transmitted the Daoist teachings. Yin Si taught seventy people, but only the women Fan Zhonghe and Wei Yishan continued the transmission.

The thirtieth-generation master, Yin Gui, transmitted the teachings to nineteen people, but only one carried on the lineage: the female immortal Li Yuanyi.

The thirty-first-generation female immortal, Fan Zhonghe, transmitted the teachings to two people, but only one carried on the lineage: Liu Gang, also known as the Mother of Dongling.

The thirty-second-generation female immortal, Li Yuanyi, transmitted the teachings to forty people. One account says that she passed the lineage to Li Yuanyi; another says she had no suitable successor, and the lineage ended in her generation.

The thirty-third-generation master, Liu Gang, was Lady Fan’s disciple. Though he held office, oversaw related affairs, and was Lady Fan’s husband, this branch of the lineage eventually died out.

The thirty-fourth-generation master, Zhang Qin, was Ge Xuan’s disciple. Seeing that the lineage had been interrupted, Ge Xuan once again instructed Zhang Qin to transmit the teachings to eleven people. Only Wang Lie carried on the lineage.

The thirty-fifth-generation master, Wang Lie, transmitted the teachings to nine people, but only two carried on the lineage: Xu Xun and Hu Shaozhen.

The thirty-sixth-generation master, Xu Xun, transmitted the teachings to a hundred people, but no one could continue the lineage, and it was interrupted once again. During the two generations after Xu Xun ascended to heaven, warfare repeatedly ravaged the world, and the true purpose of cultivation was not passed down.

Later, the Lord Lao sent three emissaries to Mount Tiantai and ordered Ge Xuan to transmit the Dao teachings to Zheng Siyuan, who was thereby counted as the thirty-seventh-generation master.

Siyuan once taught nineteen people, but only Ge Hong and Li Chunfeng were included in the lineage. The thirty-eighth generation was Li Chunfeng. He taught forty people, of whom only four were included in the lineage; two others were Li Daoxing and Li Jing. Later, Li Chunfeng went into seclusion again on Fanggong Mountain. A hundred years afterward, he emerged and taught Zhang Changcun, Li Taixu, Li Huiju, and one other, for a total of four people.

The thirty-ninth generation was carried on separately by Li Huiju and Zhang Changcun. Their disciples were all called “grandchildren of the thirty-ninth generation.” Li Huiju taught thirty people, but only Li Baozhen, Bai Xuanzhong, and Li Taichang could be included in the lineage. Zhang Changcun taught thirty-seven people, but only Sun Zhangzhen, Yingzhen, and Sun Daoyong were willing to be included in the lineage.

The fortieth generation was Li Baozhen. At the twenty-four dioceses, he taught one hundred people, of whom only Lin Tongyuan and Li Deren were included in the lineage. The forty-first generation was Lin Tongyuan.

Register of Scripture Transmission for the Nine Ranks of the Nine True Alliance Liturgy of Xuandu

The first chapter of The Supreme Text of Xuandu says: The Perfect Scripture of the Great Cavern, The Precious Scripture of the One Yin, and The Wondrous Scripture of the Great Being, Plain Spirit of the Most High are three precious scriptural works and treasured texts of the High and Supreme Jade Emperor. They are secretly stored in the Palace of Great Being and the Jade Chamber of the Numinous Terrace of the Great Mystery, above the Nine Heavens.

The old rule of transmission, established in the early years of the August Sovereign, was that these scriptures could be transmitted only once every ten thousand kalpas. Later, when the teachings of the Three Dao traditions were brought to light and more people gradually attained truth through study and practice, the High and Supreme regulations allowed them to be transmitted three times within seven thousand years. Seven thousand Jade Boys and seven thousand Jade Maidens served as guardians of the scriptures. They carried incense, kept the texts, and oversaw the transmission according to its prescribed procedures. At each transmission, both parties had to fast for one hundred days and make their vows before Heaven. They used a divided golden clasp as a token of their covenant, entrusted it to the Jade Boys and Jade Maidens, and observed the rules of the covenant of the Four Extremities.

Anyone who transmitted the scriptures without authorization and in violation of these rules would bring guilt upon seven generations of ancestors. After death, their soul would be taken into custody and subjected to tortures such as swallowing fire, eating iron, and carrying mountains and hauling stones to fill the prisons of endless kalpas. They would also suffer punishment by blades of wind. Their bodies would die and be mutilated, and they would be confined in hell for a long time, forever unable to become an immortal.

The second chapter of The Supreme Text of Xuandu says: To transmit The Thirty-Nine Chapters of the Perfect Scripture of the Great Cavern to later generations, one must provide ten taels of gold, twenty-five jin of copper, five pairs of golden clasps, one golden fish, and one jade dragon as tokens of trust, and wind one tael of blue silk around the golden clasp. To transmit The Precious Scripture of the One Yin, one must provide five taels of gold, fifty chi each of five-colored brocade, one jin of incense, and three pairs of golden clasps. To transmit The Most High Scripture of the Plain Spirit’s Cavern of Mystery and Truth, one must provide three taels of gold, one hundred chi of purple patterned brocade, twenty-seven chi of blue silk fabric, five taels of red silk, one jin of incense, and one liang of cinnabar. The August Sovereign used these tokens to express sincerity and seal the vow; nothing could be omitted.

The hundred feet of cloth used in the sacrifice, twenty-seven feet of blue silk, five liang of red silk thread, one jin of incense, and one liang of cinnabar are tokens of faith established by the Supreme Sovereign with the solemnity of an oath. None may be lacking; any omission violates the precepts. If the master who transmits the scriptures breaks the covenant, the jade boys and jade maidens who serve him will be taken away, and he will be sent back to his former post. Within three years, he will suffer punishments sharp as windblown blades and will inevitably lose the scriptures. If recipients of the scriptures fail to observe the covenant and its precepts, they will become blind or physically impaired. Their parents and ancestors for seven generations will also suffer punishment in Fengdu, the underworld in Daoist tradition, and after passing through ten thousand kalpas will be reborn in nonhuman forms. Those who study and practice must be vigilant.

The third chapter of The Supreme Section of Xuandu says: Those whose names are inscribed in gold in Donghua, and whose names are written in jade in Shangqing, may receive The Jade Writings of the Emperor’s Chapters in the Lang Book of the Great Empyrean, The Scripture of the Divine, Mysterious Transformation of Purple Radiance, The Central Scripture of the Nine Perfected Ones, on the Seventy-Four Methods of Transformation in Shangqing, The Eight Arts of the Hidden Earth in the Elixir Radiance and Dao Essence, The Jade Scripture of Release from Form, Transformation, and Flowing Radiance, and The Scripture of the Seven Transformations and Dance of Heaven. These scriptures are exalted writings obtained from the midst of nothingness, within the Ninefold Mystery of the Great Void, by the Perfected Kings of the Nine Heavens, the Primordial Heavenly King, the Supreme Celestial Emperor, and the Central Yellow Elder Lord.

These scriptures are kept in secret in the Purple Chamber of the Palace of numinous halls of the Supreme One. The Three Primordial Lords oversee them, and three thousand jade boys and jade maidens guard them. Since the beginning of the Primordial Origin, they have been transmitted once every seven thousand kalpas. Since the establishment of the Three Ways in their proper order, transmission has been permitted three times within seven thousand years. If a suitable person appears in any seven-hundred-year period, transmission is also permitted. Before transmission, one must observe purification for ninety days, or sometimes nine days, then make an oath and transmit the scriptures, appointing jade boys and jade maidens to the recipient and observing the precepts of the covenant of the Four Poles.

If transmission does not follow the precepts, the guilt will extend to the recipient’s parents and ancestors for seven generations, condemning them to serve as ghost officials, carrying stones from Mount Meng to fill the Jiye River. After passing through ten thousand kalpas, they will be reborn in nonhuman forms. The transmitter will also suffer punishments sharp as windblown blades, inevitably lose the scriptures, and ultimately fail to become an immortal. Those who transmit the scriptures must be vigilant.

Transmitting the Supreme Grade of Xuandu to outsiders brings the burden of sin upon seven generations of one’s ancestors and parents. The transmitter must also go before the ghost officials to be punished, carrying stones from Mount Meng to fill the River of Accumulated Nights. Even after countless kalpas, should they finally be reborn, they will no longer be able to follow the path of cultivating immortality. The transmitter will also undergo the trial of wind-blades, lose the scriptures of their own accord, and ultimately be unable to become an immortal. Transmitting scriptures must therefore be done with the utmost care.

The fourth chapter of the Supreme Grade of Xuandu specifies the tokens and pledges required when transmitting each scripture:

To transmit the Imperial Chapters in Jade Writing, one must pledge a gold fish, a jade dragon, thirty-two feet of blue silk, and three pairs of gold clasps.

To transmit Purple Measure and Flaming Radiance, one must pledge fifty feet each of brocade in five colors, five taels of fine gold, five catties of agarwood, one catty of genuine cinnabar, a writing knife, seven gold tablets, and seventy feet of crimson patterned silk.

To transmit the Scripture of the Seventy-Four Methods of Transformation of the Highest Clarity, one must pledge forty feet of blue silk, ten taels of fine gold, six pairs of gold clasps, one catty of fine incense, a gold fish, and a jade dragon.

In former times, the Central Scripture of the Nine Perfected Ones required a pledge made with a lock of hair. Now, ninety feet of white silk serve as the pledge token, following the number of the Nine Perfected Ones. One must also provide one catty of blue silk and twenty-four feet of crimson patterned silk as the pledge to Northern Radiance; twenty-four feet of green silk as the pledge to Lunar Splendor; and three pairs of gold clasps as tokens of the Complete Transformation of the Youth of Original Constancy.

The Eight Arts of Hidden Earth in the Essence of the Way of the Cinnabar Radiance likewise requires ninety feet of white silk as the pledge token, following the number of the Nine Perfected Ones. One must also provide one catty of blue silk and twenty-four feet of crimson patterned silk as the pledge to Northern Radiance; twenty-four feet of green silk as the pledge to Lunar Splendor; and three pairs of gold clasps as tokens of the Complete Transformation of the Youth of Original Constancy.

To transmit the Jade Scripture of Unbinding the Form, Evading, and Transforming into Flowing Radiance, one must provide ten taels of fine gold, one gold fish and one jade dragon, forty feet of blue silk, forty feet of purple patterned silk, and three pairs of gold clasps.

To transmit the Scripture of Seven Transformations and Dancing in Heaven, one must pledge five taels of gold, one catty of genuine cinnabar, and thirty-two feet of blue silk. These tokens demonstrate sincerity and reverence of heart; none may be omitted. Any omission constitutes a breach of the pledge.

The master should give the mountain-dwelling practitioners the tokens prescribed by the Heavenly Law, so they can relieve the poor. The remaining property should be used to acquire and support scriptures and the implements associated with them, and must not be diverted to other uses. If the master violates the precepts above, the Jade Boys and Jade Girls will be taken from him, his allotted years will be reduced, and his name will be entered in the register of the dead. He will be returned to the ranks of ghosts and spirits associated with Fengdu. If recipients of the transmission fail to observe the precepts, their souls will scatter and their spirit will be lost. They will also suffer the “Trial of Wind Blades,” a punishment in the underworld. Within three years they will lose the scriptures and, in the end, will be unable to become immortals.

The fifth chapter of The Superior Text of Xuandu says: The Hidden Book of Jade Clarity on Dispelling Demons and Wisdom, The Golden Chapters of the Treasure Cavern, Flying through the Firmament and Cutting Off the Profound, The Morning Chart of the Eight Radiances in the Purple Phoenix’s Red Script, The Spirit Text in Purple Script, the Golden Truth and Jade Light, The Supreme Scripture of the Golden Root, with Golden Pendants and Jade Pendants, and The Orthodox Method of the Three Heavens are precious scriptures of the Great Lord of the Great Dao, the Heavenly King of Primordial Beginning, and the Emperor Lord of the Golden Gate. They are kept in secret within the golden chambers and purple doors of the Jade Clarity Palace. Three thousand Jade Boys and three thousand Jade Girls guard each of these sacred texts.

At the beginning of primordial time, these scriptures were transmitted only once every thousand kalpas. During the seven hundred years after the Three Heavens established the Orthodox teaching, they could be transmitted three times; if a suitable person appeared within a hundred-year period, a transmission could be made once. The transmission must follow the Covenant Regulations of the Four Poles—the covenants and precepts for transmission established in the celestial realms of the four directions—and be accompanied by Jade Boys and Jade Girls. The transmitter must observe ritual abstinence for ninety days, though in some cases transmission may take place after nine days of abstinence.

If transmission is made without observing the precepts, the offense will implicate seven generations of ancestors, condemning them to serve as ghost attendants for a long time without release. The transmitter will suffer the Trial of Wind Blades and, after death, become a lowly ghost, with no possibility of becoming an immortal.

The sixth chapter of The Supreme Texts of Xuandu says: To transmit Wisdom for Dispelling Demons, The Golden Chapters on the Treasure Cavern, Soaring Through the Clouds, and Transcending the Mysterious, or The Morning Chart of the Eight Scenes in the Red Script, one must prepare ten liang of fine gold, one jade tablet, one golden fish, one jade dragon, and forty chi of purple silk.

To transmit The Scripture of the Golden Root or The Purple Script of the Numinous Writings, one must prepare five liang of fine gold, one gold slip and one jade tablet, each one chi six cun long and two cun four fen wide; one golden fish and one jade dragon; one hundred chi of purple silk; and forty chi of blue patterned fabric.

To transmit The Orthodox Methods of the Three Heavens, one must prepare thirty chi of blue silk, forty-three chi of blue cloth, one gold slip and one jade tablet, each one chi six cun long and two cun four fen wide; one golden fish and one jade dragon; one hundred chi of purple silk; and forty chi of blue patterned fabric. One must also prepare five pairs of gold rings as tokens of a secret oath, and ten liang of fine gold as a credential for access to the spirits.

To transmit The Golden Truth and Jade Radiance or The Hidden Writings of Jade Pendants, Golden Ornaments, and the Jade Clarity Heaven, one golden fish and one jade dragon must be presented as tokens of the oath. According to the liturgical regulations, none of the required items may be omitted. If anything is missing, the master will lose the service of jade boys and jade maidens, and his name will be entered in the register and he will be sent back to Beifeng, the Daoist realm of the dead. If the recipient of the teachings fails to follow the liturgical regulations, their soul will be harmed and their spirit diminished, and they will suffer punishment by wind-blades. Within three years, they will naturally lose the scriptures and methods, and ultimately be unable to become an immortal.

The seventh chapter of The Supreme Texts of Xuandu says: The Seven Stars’ Shifting Courses, The Scripture of Flying on White Plumes and Black Feathers, Walking the Celestial Dipper, The Supreme Hidden Writings on Treading the Seven Primal Stars, and The Six Jia of Numinous Flight are Daoist methods and secret texts used by the Supreme Great Emperor and the Great Emperor of the Supreme Ultimate and Subtlety to ascend through the air, fly aloft, become invisible, and transform. They are kept in secret within the Purple Chamber above the Supreme Jade Palace, guarded by three thousand jade boys and jade maidens. According to the liturgical regulations, the seven…

It was transmitted only once every thousand years. After the “Three Heavens” established orthodoxy, the rule changed to permit three transmissions within seven hundred years. If a suitable candidate appeared within a hundred years, the transmission could take place at once. Beforehand, one had to fast for ninety days or thirty days, prepare tokens of transmission such as Jade Boys and Jade Maidens, and observe the precepts of the Covenant of the Four Poles. If the transmission was not conducted according to the rules, the guilt would implicate seven generations of ancestors. The transmitter would serve for a long time as a ghost attendant in Beifeng, the northern underworld in Daoist belief, and suffer every kind of hardship, including punishment by wind blades. After death, they would sink into the netherworld and never be able to become an immortal.

The eighth chapter of the Supreme Grade of the Mysterious Capital says that transmitting the Seven Stars’ Shifting Courses requires thirty-one feet of blue-patterned cloth, seventy feet of crimson silk, ninety feet of phoenix-patterned gauze, and a pair of gold clasps. For the Flying Feather Scripture of White Plumage and Black Quills, one must prepare two taels of fine gold and thirty-two feet of blue-patterned cloth, in place of the ritual of cutting hair and swearing an oath with blood. For Walking the Celestial Net in Flight, one must prepare thirty feet of brocade, one gold fish, and one jade dragon. The Supreme One’s Hidden Scripture likewise uses a gold fish and a jade dragon as tokens for swearing an oath. For the Six Jia of Numinous Flight, one must prepare sixty feet of white silk, six pairs of gold quails, and six taels of blue silk. These are all tokens prescribed by the celestial regulations to demonstrate sincerity; none may be omitted. Omitting any of them counts as a breach of the precepts.

If a master transmits the teachings in violation of the precepts, the Jade Boys and Jade Maidens will be taken back, the master’s jade name will be erased from the Azure Register—the register of Daoist names—and the master will be sent back to Beifeng. If the recipient fails to follow the rules, their Jing and Qi will be depleted and their spirit will decline; they will incur punishment by wind blades. Within three years, they will naturally lose the scriptures and methods, and in the end will be unable to become an immortal.

The ninth chapter of The Supreme Grade of Xuandu records six hundred collections of talismans, including The Numinous Talisman of Fangzhu and Wen, The Hidden Text of the Seven Luminaries and Eight Heavens of Huoluo, The Golden Spirit Tiger Talisman of the Flowing-Gold Fire Bell, The Eight Methods of the Demon-Dispelling Branches and Stems and the Night-Illuminating Divine Candle, The Hidden-Retreat Purple-Clear Jade Talisman, The Supreme Talisman of the Six Jia in the Five Registers of Dongxuan, The Secret Text of the Five Phases, and various talismans in The Statutes of Xuandu. The Most High marked these materials within the old scriptures so that people could follow them in practice.

The transmission of these scriptures and talismans must observe the vows and rituals prescribed in the texts. Any omission during transmission incurs the same offense as violating the precepts of the Supreme Grade scriptures. Scriptures and talismans must be used together: without talismans, heavenly demons will harm people; without scriptures, a practitioner’s thoughts will receive no response, and the spirits will not descend. The texts stipulate that neither scriptures nor talismans may be put into practice alone. Performing only one of the two incurs the same offense.

The precepts and regulations, scriptures, and talismans all originate in the Qi of nature and the patterns of emptiness, so they cannot be cultivated separately. Those who practice the Dao without observing the precepts and regulations cannot become immortals.

Volume Five: The Transmission of Scriptural Teachings

True Lineage — composed by Li Bo of Longxi

The transmission of scriptures and Fulu (talismans and registers) in Daoism reaches far back. One lineage, recorded clearly enough to convince scholars, is as follows: in the Yichou year of the Xingning era of the Jin dynasty, the assembled Perfected Ones descended and transmitted the scriptures to Lord Yang. Lord Yang passed them to Lord Xu, who passed them to his disciple Xuanwen; Xuanwen then handed the scriptures to Ma Lang. In the Yisi year of the Jinghe era, the court ordered the scriptures to be brought into Hualin Garden. After Emperor Ming ascended the throne, Shu Jizhen requested that they be returned to his residence. Lord Lu of Jianji came south and established Chongxu Abbey, where all the true scriptures were then stored.

According to the Huangsu Formula, a document recording the transmission of scriptures and methods and the procedures for their practice, anyone who happens upon the scriptures through a fortunate conjunction of circumstances and follows the prescribed practices is considered to have received them from a master. The teachings transmitted by Lord Lu continued the line of Yang and Xu. Lord Lu passed them to Lord Sun, who passed them to Lord Tao. Lord Tao gathered and organized the scriptures left by Xu Ling, collecting nearly all of them. He passed them to Lord Wang, who also obtained many important secrets from Master Zongdao. By the time they reached Lord Wang, the scriptures, methods, and secret texts were thus fairly complete. Lord Wang passed them to Lord Pan, who passed them to Lord Sima, then to Lord Li, and later to Lord Yang. Altogether, the lineage had lasted thirteen generations.

Lords Yang and Xu transcended the mundane world and became Perfected Immortals; Xu Ling, too, ultimately attained deliverance from the world. Ma Lang and Shu Jizhen were fortunate to encounter the scriptures and methods, but did not devote themselves to their practice. From the time of Lord Lu onward, even emperors turned toward these teachings. These transmissions are all recorded in historical works, and some of their traces can still be sought out. Those who have followed this Way from generation to generation are branches descended from these lineages.

To understand only its principles, without understanding its wondrous transformations, is not to seek long life. To move beyond ordinary doctrine and enter the wondrous realm, blending with primordial Qi and attaining Wuwei (non-action), in which nothing is left undone: this is the Way of our True Tradition. The Great Dao itself neither flourishes nor declines, but teachings may flow freely or become obstructed. The key to restoring what is obstructed to free passage lies with those who cultivate the Dao. Therefore, I record this lineage of the true method and pass on the branches that divide from the same source. Those listed in the registers of immortals are not included here.

Written on the twenty-first day of the seventh month of the Yiyou year of the Zhenyuan era, at the Hall of Abiding in Truth in White Deer Grotto, Mount Lu.

The Perfected was surnamed Yang and named Xi. He was born in the ninth month of the fifth year of the Xianhe era of the Eastern Jin dynasty (330 CE), in Jurong. He had the appearance of a man from the Wu region: fair-skinned and handsome, and skilled at conversation and humor. He devoted himself to reading, loved learning, and was well versed in the classics and histories. His nature was deep and gentle, and even as a child he was thought to possess the ability to communicate with spirits.

At an early age, he formed a divinely inspired bond with the two Xu brothers, Xu Ying and Xu Mu. Xu Sixuan recommended him to the Prince of Xiang, and he consequently served as a secretary in the prince’s official residence. At the beginning of the Yonghe era, he received the Method for Controlling Tigers and Leopards of the Central Yellow (a Daoist transmission of ritual techniques). In the sixth year of Yonghe, he also obtained a numinous talisman from Liu Pu, the eldest son of Lady Wei. Lord Yang was composed and profound, able to respond to the spirits, and inwardly empty and still, finding his own delight in that state. His spiritual responses were like water and fire stirring one another through wetness and dryness: they answered each other in profound stillness, with traces too subtle to discern.

In the yiyou year of the Xingning era, when Lord Yang was thirty-six, a host of Perfected beings descended and transmitted Daoist teachings to him. Among them were Lord Qing Tong, the High Chancellor; the Perfected of Great Void; Lord Chi, the High Steward; Lord Wang of the Western City; the Perfected Mao of Great Origin; the Perfected Pei of Clear Numinousity; the Perfected Wang of Tongbai; the Perfected Zhou of Purple Yang; Lord Mao of Central Mao; Lord Mao of Lesser Mao; Fan, the Central Marquis; Xun, the Central Marquis; Lady Ziyuan; the Lady of Southern Peak; Lady Youying; Lady Ziwei; Consort An of Jiuhua; Lady Zhaoling; and Lady Zhonghou. Their retinues shimmered indistinctly like rainbows; they mounted divine reins and rose silently, appearing one after another before vanishing like dissipating smoke, leaving no trace in the mortal world. When he met with them, Lord Yang often heard the clear, jade-like sounds of their banquet gatherings. Not a single month of the year passed without such an occasion, and no season went by in vain.

Lord Yang took Lady Wei as his teacher and Consort An of Jiuhua as his companion, and he also befriended the other Perfected beings. Consort An once said, “The worthy lord has received a nature that is empty, still, and refined; his inner depths shine like jade. He is a noble figure of the Lanyuan lineage, whose pure reputation resounds through the Golden Palaces. He is destined to become an important aide among the Four Assistants, to carry out the commands of the Sage Lord, and to oversee the observation of Yin-Yang and the harmonious Qi. He will become master of the spirits and ghosts of the Wu and Yue regions. In twenty-two years, he will ride a dragon and mount the clouds, ascending to heaven in broad daylight. If he cannot endure the trials of wind, fire, and smoke, he may seek the method of sword release as a way to bring his life to its close.” Sword release was a form of liberation in Daoist legend in which a sword took the place of the person who departed this world.

The Declarations of the Perfected records that Lord Yang died in the bingxu year, the twelfth year of the Taiyuan era (387 CE). His disciple Xu Hui had earlier heard his teacher speak of Xu Hui’s father, Xu Mu, and through cultivating together with Lord Yang, Xu Hui too was able to encounter the Perfected beings. Though the nine members of the Xu family had long accumulated blessings through cultivating the Dao, their eventual attainment of manifest spiritual powers was like a bright mirror gathering light and becoming clearer with each polishing. The credit for this achievement belonged to Lord Yang.

The Perfected Lord Xu of Leiping Mountain was named Xu Hui, styled Daoxiang, and known in childhood as Yufu. His father, Xu Mu, once served as Chief Aide to the General of the Palace Guard under the Jin dynasty and later held the rank of Left Minister of the Supreme Clarity tradition. His mother, Lady Tao, was named Kedou and later entered the Palace of Changing and Moving.

Even as a child, Xu Hui stood out as exceptional. He was naturally serious and composed, and his father thought highly of him. The commandery recommended him for posts as an Accounts Clerk and Registrar, but he did not take them up. Refined and pure, he regarded worldly affairs as no more than chaff and did not wish to be entangled in them. He devoted himself to cultivating the Dao, as though a spring were washing away his obscurations, gradually enriching and continually improving himself.

He lived below Leiping Mountain and studied under Lord Yang, receiving the Three Heavens Orthodox Method: Curved Plain Phoenix Script (a scripture of Daoist methods from the Supreme Clarity tradition). Later, the Perfected Lord of the Register of Destinies transmitted to him more advanced methods and admonished him: “Studying the Dao is like digging a well. The deeper you dig, the harder it is to carry away the earth you have brought up. If you cannot keep your resolve firm and your practice upright, how will you ever reach the spring?”

Xu Hui often hoped to enter the grotto-heaven realms of the immortals soon and did not wish to remain in the human world for long. Later, he went to the Northern Cavern and reported that he was about to depart this life. Afterward, he resided at the Fangyuan Lodge in a cave on Fangyu Mountain. He often traveled to and from the Four-Year Square Terrace, which is why the Declarations of the Perfected says, “While the hidden one was in the world, he loved to dwell there.” A letter from Lord Yang to Xu Mu also mentions that he did not know whether the hidden one of Fangyu Mountain had set a place for himself among the households of Yiqian.

Sixteen years after Xu Hui’s death, he was expected to go to Donghua to receive scriptures, become an Immortal Lord of Supreme Clarity, and be entered in the Upper Ministers’ and Imperial Mornings’ Two Registers (the Supreme Clarity rolls of perfected immortals). He was born in the xinchou year, the seventh year of Xiankang, and was twenty-seven in the dingmao year, the second year of Taihe. After the third year of Taihe, no trace of him appeared in the human world. The records of his family say that he died at the age of thirty, in the gengwu year. The Biographies of the Elders says that he burned incense and bowed in worship on the stone altar in the cave, then never rose again. The next morning, people saw that his body still looked alive. The stone altar remains to this day. The Declarations of the Perfected also says that he received the “Method of Casting Off the Garment” (a practice for shedding the body and ascending to immortality) from Zhang Zhennan, and that he probably departed from the altar at night. He married the daughter of Huang Yan, Magistrate of Jiankang, and had a son, Huang Min, who later returned to his family home.

The Immortal Lord Xu, Magistrate of Linju

Xu the Immortal, magistrate of Linju, was named Huangmin, with the courtesy name Xuanwen. He was the son of the Shangqing immortal lord Hui and the grandson of Mu, the Shangqing Left Minister. He was born in the fifth year of the Shengping era (the Xinyou year). “Magistrate of Linju” was the official post he held. The original text also records that he once served as a registrar in the commandery and was recommended for office at the age of twenty-one. Here, “recommended” refers to the local authorities examining and nominating talented individuals. As mentioned earlier, he received the “method of shedding the garments” from Zhang Zhennan, a Daoist cultivation practice.

This Filial and Incorrupt official once served as assistant director of the Stone Storehouse, military aide to the Southern Man, and magistrate of Linju. In the third year of Yongxing, unrest broke out around the capital, so he set off for Shan, carrying the scriptures (jing) with him. Ma Lang held him in high regard, and Ma Lang’s cousin Ma Lao often provided for him as well. People at the time knew that Master Xu had attained the Dao. His father and grandfather were also renowned, which won him even greater respect.

In the sixth year of Yuanjia, he planned to move to Qiantang. He sealed a cabinet of scriptures—an ancient piece of furniture for storing books—and entrusted it to Ma Lang. Jing left these instructions inside: “These are traces left by the immortals. I did not create them myself. Even if you have the books, do not hand them to anyone else.” Later, he stayed briefly at the home of Du Daoju and died there, aged sixty-nine.

The Zhengao (True Revelations), a Daoist text, records that Huang Min, his great-uncle Mai, his great-aunt Ehuang, his uncle Lian, and Huang Min’s son Rong, younger brother Sun, and daughter Qionghui all transcended the mundane world. Ma Lang revered the scriptures as he would a ruler or his father. Divine light and numinous energy often appeared in the main hall, and Ma Lang’s wife repeatedly saw jade maidens dressed in blue moving through the air. His family was kept safe, and they enjoyed wealth and longevity.

Angered that He Daojing had stolen the scriptures and disclosed their contents, Ma Lang sealed the scripture cabinet by pouring molten copper over it, and ordered his family never to open it again. After Ma Lang’s death, his son Hong and Shu Jizhen continued to honor the scriptures together. In the first year of Jinghe, Lou Huilang persuaded Shu Jizhen to submit a memorial requesting that the scriptures be taken out. Shu Jizhen was skilled in Daoist arts and was quite renowned at the time. Once removed, the scriptures were presented at Hualin Garden. Those who saw the originals found the writing, red brushwork, and yellow brushwork extraordinarily vivid and radiant. They did not dare to turn through them at leisure.

After Emperor Ming ascended the throne, Shu Jizhen submitted a memorial requesting that the scriptures be returned to his official residence. Later, Lu Jianji traveled south to establish Chongxu Monastery, and the scriptures were placed there. He Shenzhen cleverly arranged for these scriptures to be passed down: they were first kept in secret by Ma Lang, then brought out by Shu Jizhen, and finally delivered into the hands of Master Lu. Though Shu and Ma had the honor of preserving and bearing the scriptures, they did not gain access to their deepest mysteries.

◎ Master Lu of Jianji Monastery on Mount Lu, of the Song dynasty

The Master was a son of the Lu family, a prominent clan in Wuxing, in what is now the Zhejiang region. His personal name was Xiu Jing. He said that he had received the primal Qi bestowed by the Dao and had been born unlike ordinary people. His expression was calm and his De bright; with clear wisdom he grasped the principles of things, and with a mind empty and still he penetrated their hidden subtleties.

In his youth, he took Confucian learning as his foundation and mastered the ancient classics as well as books of prophecies and portentous texts. He believed that the principles that preceded Heaven and Earth, nurtured the myriad things, gathered Jing and Qi into unity, and accompanied the True Ruler—the spirit who governs all things—were recorded in golden tablets and jade script, and did not appear in secular books. He therefore withdrew from worldly life, quietly seeking and investigating the hidden Dao. His travels took him across the lands of Xiang, to Mount Jiuyi and Mount Luofu, and westward to the Wu Gorge and Mount Emei. His figure, graceful amid the mountains and waters, was like clouds reflected among pines and a clear breeze passing through them. After completing his cultivation, he sought answers to the mysteries, communed with the spirits, and received wondrous oral instructions. Insight came to him naturally, enabling him to move among the immortals and perfected beings.

Toward the end of the Yuanjia era under Emperor Wen of Song, he came to the capital to buy medicine. Emperor Wen admired his bearing and invited him to serve at court, but he declined. In the Taichu era…

Later, the situation grew perilous, and people were gripped by fear and doubt. He traveled south along the river, taking in the beautiful scenery of Mount Lu, where he built a quiet retreat for Daoist practice. There, through secluded cultivation, he cleared away disordered thoughts, nurtured a clear and abundant vital force, and absorbed the primordial essence of Heaven and Earth.

Emperor Ming of Song inherited the simple, unadorned ways of the Yellow Emperor (Xuanyuan) and wished to investigate the ancient Dao and transform society. He sincerely invited the Master to court many times. The Master always declined, citing an illness brought on by sorrow. The Emperor then withdrew to observe purification, built a residence for him, and waited respectfully. With no choice, the Master came in response to the summons. The Emperor took the opportunity to ask him about the Dao, and the subtlety of the Master’s explanations deeply enlightened him. Those at court and beyond who could recognize the true Dao flocked to follow him, like water flowing into a valley or the wind meeting a tiger. Who could have stopped them?

The Master lifted the mist and made the principles clear; he sifted away the gravel to reveal true gold, pointed out the way, and turned people back toward the Dao. Most people of middling or better ability could understand its teachings according to their own capacities. Sima Yuan Can was one such person. When Chongxu Abbey was completed, the scriptures and cultivation formulas that the Shi family had kept in their collection were also entrusted to me.

When the Master first left Mount Lu, bears, tigers, monkeys, birds, and other animals cried out mournfully and crowded along the path. They stopped only when he had left the valley. Later, when the Emperor fell ill, he asked the Master to perform a “Mud and Charcoal Fast,” a purification ritual to avert calamity. That night, auspicious clouds filled the sky, and by the next day the Emperor had recovered.

Before this, the Daoist scriptures of the Dongzhen Cavern had been a mixture of genuine and spurious works. The Master revised and corrected them, clearly distinguishing the authentic from the false. The standards for purification rites have therefore been followed to this day.

When Prince of Guiyang rose in rebellion, his atrocities left the land covered with bones. The Master prepared coffins, gathered the remains, and buried them. The hidden De he accumulated through these good deeds is too great to recount in full.

In the first month of the fifth year of Yuanhui (477 CE), the Master said to his disciples, “I can return to the mountain now. Prepare your belongings.” They were astonished, since the court had not yet issued an edict permitting him to leave. On the second day of the third month, he died lying on his back. His sash had loosened, his skin shone, and his eyes remained bright and clear. A rich, unusual fragrance was the only thing detectable in the room.

Three days later, the Daoists of Mount Lu all saw the Master return to his former dwelling, clad in banners that seemed woven from clouds. In an instant, he vanished from sight. Everyone was astonished. Before his death, the Master had instructed them to place his body in a cloth sack and cast it into a nearby ravine among the cliffs. His disciples could not bring themselves to do so and instead returned his body to Mount Lu. The Master lived to the age of seventy.