《云笈七签》Vol. 3

Second, this is what people call “refining and nourishing the body in a secluded place, then ascending to the celestial palace of Taiwei.” After he died, the court bestowed on him the posthumous title “Master Jianji” and renamed his former residence “Jianji Hall,” honoring his devotion to the Great Dao. More than a hundred of his writings, including records, treatises, and discussions, circulated during his lifetime. Among his disciples, the most renowned for attaining the Dao were Sun Youyue and Li Guozhi.

Later, Kong Dezhang wrote to Li Guozhi about the Master: “The Master’s virtue was unrivaled in the Central Plains, and his teachings spread eastward. Emperors accepted his instructions, while the people and spirits alike revered his precepts. Yet the Master left the mortal world, withdrawing from sight and transforming; his numinous presence roams through realms both mysterious and sublime. His subtle teachings have now fallen silent, and his grand methods of the Dao are in danger of being lost. You, Master of the Dharma [here referring to Li Guozhi], were endowed from birth with a numinous and composed nature. You are among the finest of the inner chamber disciples, outstanding in both learning and insight, and the one to whom the disciples look for guidance. You should gather and compile the deeds the Master left behind, draw out their main points, and set the transmission in order, so that your former teacher’s teachings may continue to flourish and the legacy of the mysterious Dao may be carried on. In this way, you can guide people of later generations and help them see the path ahead.”

◎ Master Sun, Director of the Xing Shi Hall under the Qi dynasty

Sun Youyue was descended from the people of Wu. His courtesy name was Yingda, and he was from Dongyang. As a child he was respectful and cautious; as he grew older, he became gentle and mild. He was as still as a deep pool, ……

◎ Master Sun, Director of the Xing Shi Hall under the Qi dynasty

Among the descendants of the Wu clan was a man named You Yue, courtesy name Yingda, who came from Dongyang. As a child he was respectful and careful; as an adult he was gentle and modest. His nature was as still as a deep pool, and his manner as warm as a spring breeze. He examined and sifted through the Nine Schools, devoting himself to the subtle and mysterious principles underlying them.

He once walked near Jinyun Hall at Chisong Ravine and later chose that place as his lifelong retreat. In the early Song Taichu era, Master Jianji traveled from Lushan to the area around the imperial residence. You Yue straightened his robes and hurried to pay his respects. He received profound Daoist teachings, along with the Three Caverns—the three great divisions of Daoist scriptures—and secret handwritten texts passed down from Perfected Yang and Clerk Xu.

Afterward, You Yue took Daoist medicines, stopped eating ordinary grains, and also consumed the Grain-Immortal Pills. Even after sixty-seven years, his complexion remained radiant, his spirit clear, and his bearing refined. Only after Master Jianji’s death did he return to his former dwelling. There he collected and organized the essentials of the Daoist teachings, distinguished the genuine from the false, and formed close ties with three fellow Daoists: Chu, Zhang, and Zhu.

In the second year of the Yongming era under Qi, the court issued an edict appointing him to succeed his master and also serve as director of the Hall of Flourishing Generations. Those seeking extraordinary Daoist teachings thus learned that his lineage had an orthodox transmission, and many came to follow him. Kong Dezhan, Liu Xiaobiao, and others also eagerly befriended him, meeting with him beyond the concerns of ordinary life. Later, he repeatedly pleaded illness and asked to return to the mountains, but the court refused each time. In the fifth month of the seventh year of Yongming, after bathing, he declared himself ill and passed away peacefully.

He had several hundred disciples, but only Tao Hongjing was admitted to his inner chamber to receive instruction directly. Tao Hongjing served him respectfully for six years, and the bond between master and disciple endured for a thousand years. You Yue valued Tao Hongjing’s understanding of the true Dao and therefore held him in special regard, transmitting to him all the scriptures, methods, commandments, and oral secrets. The two had originally planned to prepare together for the process of transforming and refining elixirs. The medicinal ingredients and minerals had already been gathered, and they were about to compound and refine them, but circumstances prevented them from completing the work.

◎ Tao Hongjing, Master Zhenbai of Mount Mao in the Liang dynasty

Hongjing, whose courtesy name was Tongming, was a seventh-generation descendant of Tao Jun, the governor of Jingzhou during the Wu dynasty. He was from Moling in Danyang. When his mother had just conceived him, she dreamed that sunlight entered her womb and that two heavenly beings descended, carrying a golden incense burner. After waking, she said to those around her, “The child I am carrying must be a boy, and no ordinary person. I only fear that he will have no descendants in the future.”

After Hongjing was born, he showed signs of being different from others. Clever and eager to learn from childhood, he grew up with broad knowledge and keen insight. After reading Biographies of the Immortals, he resolved to ride the clouds and dragons in pursuit of becoming an immortal. At the age of seventeen, he and…

Jiang Xue, Chu Xuan, and Liu Si were known as the “Four Friends” during the Shengming era of the Song dynasty. They served as officials under the Qi dynasty, successively acting as tutors to several princes and lords and overseeing their secretarial affairs. Their letters, memorials, and petitions were refined and elegant, highly esteemed by their contemporaries, and widely used as models.

After Qingxi Palace was completed, he presented an encomium. The emperor issued an edict praising it and planned to have the text carved on a stone stele, but the plan was abandoned after Wang Jian raised an objection. He began practicing Daoism in his twenties, then went to the Xing Shi Hall to seek instruction in the scriptures and teachings from Master Sun. He diligently studied the essentials of the Daoist tradition and gained a thorough understanding of its profound and subtle principles. Later, when he was reassigned to the post of Fengchaoqing, he submitted a memorial requesting permission to resign. The emperor replied with words of comfort and urged him to stay, while also granting him generous rewards. The senior ministers saw him off at Zhenglu Pavilion with an elaborate banquet and procession. Everyone said there had never been such a send-off since the founding of the Qi dynasty.

Afterward, he entered Mount Mao, where he obtained the authentic writings of Yang and Xu—the Shangqing scriptures said in Daoist tradition to have been transmitted by Yang Xi, Xu Mi, and others. He climbed a rocky peak and declared that he would live in seclusion to cultivate the Dao. He called himself “Hermit of Huayang,” and used this title in his correspondence. He especially loved the sound of wind in the pines and planted pine trees throughout his courtyard. Whenever he heard the pines roar, he was delighted.

During Emperor Ming’s reign, the emperor once wanted him to come live on Jiangshan, but he declined earnestly, and the emperor eventually gave up. The emperor nevertheless often ordered gifts to be sent to him. Finding these social obligations troublesome, he built a three-story residence: he lived on the top floor, his disciples occupied the middle floor, and visitors were received on the ground floor. He allowed only one young attendant to relay messages. Living in obscurity, he devoted himself quietly to cultivation. The sincerity he attained reached far beyond him, touching the celestial beings known as the Xia people in Daoist legend. It could be said that where there was a response, communication followed.

He was seven feet eight inches tall, and his nature was open and accommodating, modest and cautious. His mind was like a bright mirror, responding fittingly to whatever it encountered. He rarely felt sorrow and never sought to outdo others; he restrained joy and anger and took both grief and delight lightly. Whatever appeared in his words and actions belonged to the outward realm. He admired Zhang Liang’s character and moved with lightness and quietude, as if borne along by the vapor of clouds and rosy mists. The Daoist methods he practiced were all understood inwardly and were beyond the reach of ordinary people.

He was especially skilled at distinguishing right from wrong and correcting errors, and was also well versed in geography, calendrical science, and mathematics. His writing was never empty speculation: once completed, it could serve as practical evidence or be put to use. He made an armillary sphere, an instrument that models the movement of celestial bodies. When it was turned, the positions of the stars aligned with the actual heavens. He compiled works such as the Zhenggao Yinjue and wrote commentaries on books including the Laojun, producing more than two hundred volumes in all.

In the second year of the Yongyuan era, knowing that his time in public life was nearly over, he used an excuse to withdraw. When Emperor Wu of Liang displaced Qi and established the Liang dynasty, the new state had not yet settled on its name. Master Tao cited various prophetic texts, which foretold fortune and disaster and interpreted the Mandate of Heaven, to argue that “Liang” was an omen of Heaven’s favor. He also selected dates for the suburban sacrifices and the feng and shan sacrifices, and his choices proved strikingly accurate. The emperor sent a messenger into the mountains to convey his thanks. Emperor Wu had known him since his early years, and from then on he kept Master Tao informed about every matter, whether he was taking action or resting quietly.

After Master Tao obtained secret instructions for alchemical refinement, he believed he could produce a divine elixir, but was often troubled by a lack of ingredients. The emperor supplied him with everything he needed and also wrote to him by hand to offer greetings and seek his advice. Master Tao painted two oxen: one grazed freely among water and grass, while the other wore a gold-trimmed halter, led by someone holding its reins and driving it with a stick. The emperor laughed and said, “This man wants nothing. He would rather be like the turtle dragging its tail—living freely instead of being constrained. How could we summon him to serve us?”

Whenever the court faced an important matter, Master Tao always stated his views in advance. People of the time therefore called him the “Chancellor in the Mountains.” In the early years of the Datong era, he presented two swords, one named “Joy Prevails” and the other “Success Prevails”; both were regarded as precious treasures. Emperor Wu wrote in the Jinlouzi: “Among recluses, I esteem Tao Zhenbai; among scholar-officials, I esteem Zhou Hongzheng. When Tao Zhenbai discusses principles, his thoughts and insights unfold without end. He is truly a celebrated man of his age.”

Master Tao often composed poems, including these lines: “Wang Yan gave himself over to carefree abandon, and He Yan sat idly in empty talk. Who would have thought that Zhaoyang Hall would become the palace of a Xiongnu chanyu?” The poem uses events of the past to lament how the world changes. At that time, the scholars vied with one another…

He often discussed subtle and profound principles, but did not practice military affairs. When the Rebellion of Hou Jing broke out, events in the war unfolded just as he had said they would. In the second year of Datong (536 CE), he died at the age of eighty-five. His complexion remained unchanged, and his body could still bend and stretch as it had in life. The fragrance in his room lingered for many days.

The court posthumously bestowed on him the title of Grand Master of the Palace (Zhong San Dafu), gave him the posthumous name “Master Zhenbai,” and sent a palace attendant to oversee the funeral arrangements. The Biographies of Those Who Attained the Dao says that he was appointed to serve as an immortal supervisor on Penglai. He had dozens of disciples, but only Wang Yuanzhi and Lu Yichong were regarded as his most outstanding students.

◎ Master Wang Shengzhen of Maoshan in the Tang dynasty

Wang Yuanzhi of Langya was the son of Wang Tanshou, the Chen dynasty governor of Yangzhou. His maternal grandfather, Ding Chao, once served as a Gentleman of the Carriage Office under the Liang dynasty. While Wang Yuanzhi’s mother was pregnant, she dreamed of a wondrous phoenix. Later, she heard a baby crying inside her womb. Baozhi, a famous Buddhist monk of the Southern Dynasties, said, “This child will one day become the leader among the immortals.”

At seven, Wang Yuanzhi could read ten thousand characters a day. He read widely and grasped the Great Dao in his heart. At fifteen, he went to Huayang to study under Master Zhenbai, learning the methods of the Three Caverns (Dongzhen, Dongxuan, and Dongshen)—the Daoist scriptures and practices associated with them. Later, he studied various secret methods under Master Zongdao, Zang Jin. The ruler of the Chen dynasty summoned him to Chongyang Hall, treated him with exceptional courtesy, and, after giving him gifts, sent him back to Maoshan.

Wang Yuanzhi built a quiet retreat on a ridge northwest of the cavern and lived there, devoting himself to the study of profound and wondrous methods. Near the end of the Dajian era, a divine being suddenly appeared in the retreat, collapsed drunkenly on the ground, and vomited without pause. Wang Yuanzhi burned incense, bowed, and attended to him. The divine being said, “You have attained the Dao, and Zhang Faben is also deeply devoted to cultivation. I wish to take you both on a journey to Mount Tiantai. The stone bridge on the mountain is broad enough to cross, and many free-roaming immortals live there. Sweet dew descends often as well. Catch it in a vessel and drink one sheng, and you can extend your life by five hundred years. Would you like to go?”

Wang Yuanzhi set out with the divine being and climbed the eastern ridge to find Zhang Faben. Halfway up the mountain, he suddenly remembered that he had not yet given several disciples instructions about the scriptures, so he turned back thirty paces. When he looked again, the divine being had transformed into a crane and flown away.

When Yang Guang, Prince of Jin under the Sui dynasty, was stationed in Yangzhou, Wang Zixiang and Liu Guyan came in turn to invite Wang Yuanzhi. Not long after Wang Yuanzhi arrived, his hair and beard suddenly turned white. Yang Guang was frightened and sent him back. A short while later, Wang Yuanzhi’s hair and beard returned to their former color.

After Yang Guang ascended the throne, he sent Cui Fengju to invite Wang Yuanzhi. The emperor personally treated him with the courtesy due to a disciple and ordered the Jade Clarity Mysterious Altar to be built in the capital as his residence. He also appointed Wang Yuanzhi as the tutor of Wang Yue. Before Gaozu, Li Yuan, had ascended the throne, Wang Yuanzhi privately foretold that he would receive the Mandate of Heaven. The Prince of Qin, Li Shimin, and Fang Xuanling came to visit in ordinary clothes. Wang Yuanzhi went out to meet them and said, “There is a sage here.” Li Shimin then revealed his identity truthfully. Wang Yuanzhi said, “You will become an emperor who ushers in peace. I hope you will take good care of yourself.” Li Shimin then became Wang Yuanzhi’s disciple and studied the methods of the Three Caverns. After ascending the throne, he intended to grant Wang Yuanzhi a high-ranking official post.

Mr. Wang repeatedly requested permission to return to the mountains to cultivate the Dao. In the ninth year of the Zhenguan era, the court ordered the construction of the Taiping Temple on Mount Mao in Runzhou and authorized seven people to leave home and enter the Daoist path. The emperor issued an edict saying, “When I was still living in the residence of a prince, I was fortunate enough to ask you about the Dao. Your bearing has remained in my heart, and I have never forgotten it, day or night. Recently I read your memorial requesting permission to return to your old mountain and cultivate. I have issued a separate edict to honor your wish. I ordered the temple to be built to express the regard I have held for you over many years.”

The Master was openhearted and broad-minded. His words and silences were always consistent; he saw matters as clearly as a bright mirror and treated people without partiality.

At that time, Dou Dexuan was passing through Yangzhou when he encountered an emissary of the Controller of Destinies, a divine official who managed people’s lifespans and registers of fate. The emissary said that Dou was destined for great fortune and prosperity, but according to his allotted lifespan, he should already have died. Dou pleaded with him. The emissary told him, “The Perfected Wang, the Dharma Master, is an Immortal Earl of Mount Shaoshi. He oversees the inspection of registers concerning the human world and the spirits. When he submits a report to the Celestial Bureau, he always receives an immediate response.” Dou then begged the Master for help. Unable to refuse, the Master petitioned on his behalf for a longer life. The emissary later replied, “His life will be extended by thirteen years.” In the reign of Emperor Gaozong, Dou Dexuan became Left Chancellor, and the date of his death was just as the emissary had foretold. For this reason, people called the Master the “Dharma Master,” and understood that he had been granted an immortal office.

Later, the Master said to Pan Shizheng, “Yesterday I saw the register of immortals and learned that, as a child, I once accidentally injured a boy’s lip. For this reason, I cannot ascend to heaven in broad daylight. I have been appointed Immortal Earl of Mount Shaoshi, and the day I take up my post is near.” The next day, he bathed, dressed carefully, burned incense, and lay down. He passed away peacefully at the age of one hundred and twenty-six.

Pan Shizheng and Xu Daomiao received his secret teachings together and became inner-chamber disciples, personally initiated by the Master. Chen Yu and Wang Gui came after them. The other disciples each lived in a grotto, devoting themselves to cultivation throughout their lives.

In the second year of the Tiaolu era under Emperor Gaozong, the court posthumously bestowed on the Master the title Grand Master of the Palace, granted him the posthumous title “Master of Ascending to the Mysterious,” and ordered that forty-nine Daoist priests be accepted into the Taiping Temple. In the early years of the Sisheng era under Empress Wu, he was posthumously granted the title Grand Master of the Golden and Purple Light, and his posthumous title was changed to “Master of Ascending to Truth.” During the Tianbao era under Emperor Xuanzong, the court commissioned Li Hanguang to build a memorial hall at the Taiping Temple and paint a portrait of the Master, in recognition of his immortal deeds.

Among the Daoists of Mount Zhongyue, the Celestial Master has already been introduced; next is Master Pan. His personal name was Shizheng, and he was from Zanhuang in Zhaozhou. His mother died when he was young, and he built a hut beside her grave and lived there. He became known for his exceptional filial devotion.

Within, Master Pan’s true Qi (vital energy) was abundant and harmonious; outwardly, his natural radiance shone forth. Like the precious Sui pearl and Jing jade, he was valued by people without needing adornment. During the Daye era of the Sui dynasty, he entered the Dao and began his cultivation. Wang Xianbo passed on to him secret methods of cultivation, along with the Fulu (talismans and registers) he had obtained. Afterward, Master Pan lived in Xiaoyao Valley on Mount Taishi, subsisting for twenty years on nothing but pine leaves and water.

Emperor Gaozong of the Tang repeatedly traveled in person by imperial carriage to Master Pan’s retreat, where Daoists lived and practiced. Yet Master Pan never left the main hall or descended the steps to greet him.

He merely clasped his hands in greeting. When asked what he needed, he replied, “Pine trees and clear springs are enough; the mountains have plenty of both.” The emperor and Empress Wu held him in great esteem and prevailed on him to stay two nights before he returned. Before long, the emperor ordered Chongtang Abbey built where he lived, and another residence, the Jingsi Retreat, built on the mountain ridge for him. He also ordered the construction of Fengtian Palace, with a special gate opened at the entrance to Xiaoyao Valley called “Immortal’s Journey Gate,” and another gate, “Seeking the True Gate,” set up north of the imperial park.

The Court of Imperial Sacrifices performed immortal music and composed three pieces, “Praying to the Immortals,” “Gazing toward the Immortals,” and “Yearning for the Immortals,” each named in his honor. The emperor presented him with five hundred poems over the years. The master often sighed and said, “A man of great resolve who cultivates the Dao should conceal himself among the clouds and forests. He should not disturb the rulers of this world. This is my fault.” He then planned to travel east in search of Penglai, setting out alone by boat across the sea. Just then, the emperor’s faith in Daoist arts was deep, and his pleas for the master to stay grew ever more earnest. The master lingered at the mountainside, then finally stopped and did not go.

In the first year of Yongchun (the Tang Gaozong era, 682 CE), the master “announced his transformation”—a Daoist expression for his death—at the age of eighty-nine. The emperor mourned him for a long time, posthumously conferring on him the title Grand Master of the Palace and the posthumous name “Master Embodying the Mysterious.” The master had an extraordinary bearing and an immortal’s air, much like an elegant recluse. Those who ascend to the realm of the Real, conceal their traces, refine Jing and Qi, and transform freely—are they not perhaps like this? His eighteen disciples were also outstanding. Among them, Wei Fazhao, Sima Ziwei, and Guo Chongzhen had the bearing of phoenixes and the elegance of pines reflected in clouds. They all received instruction in the Jade Court, and secret transmission in the Jade Chamber, devoting themselves to the Way of Jade Clarity and becoming companions who surpassed ordinary immortals. Chen Ziang also composed an eulogy for him at the time.

◎ Master Sima, the Zhenyi of Mount Wangwu

This master was a great-grandson of Sima Yi, Duke of Langya, of the Later Zhou. His name was Chengzhen and his courtesy name was Ziwei; he was from Henei. In his youth, he served Master Embodying the Mysterious and inherited his Fulu (talismans and registers), along with the arts of abstaining from grains, guiding and stretching (nourishing the body through breathing and physical movements), and ingesting medicinal and health-preserving substances. Master Embodying the Mysterious especially admired him and said, “I…”

Sima Chengzhen was the great-great-grandson of Sima Yi, a native of Langya in the Later Zhou, and his courtesy name was Ziwei. He came from Hanoi. In his youth, he studied under Master Tixuan and received instruction in Fulu (Daoist talismans and registers), bigu (a cultivation practice of abstaining from grains), daoyin (health practices for regulating the body and guiding Qi), and medicinal nourishment (taking medicines or other health-preserving substances). Master Tixuan especially admired him and said, “I received the orthodox teachings from Jianji, and you are now the sixth generation.”

Later, Sima Chengzhen traveled widely, journeying as far as Mount Tiantai. When Wu Zetian heard of his reputation, she summoned him to the capital and personally issued an edict praising him. As he was about to leave the capital, Wu Zetian ordered Li Qiao to host a farewell banquet for him east of the Luo Bridge.

In the second year of Jingyun, Emperor Ruizong of Tang sent Sima Chengzhen’s nephew, Sima Chengyi, to the mountains to escort him to the capital. He summoned Sima Chengzhen into the palace and questioned him about Yin-Yang and the arts of divination. Sima Chengzhen replied, “The scriptures say: ‘In cultivating the Dao, one should diminish desires and deliberate action day by day. Diminish them again and again, until reaching Wuwei (non-action).’ Even the things before our eyes are not yet entirely easy to let go of. Why, then, probe into those unorthodox arts, which only increase one’s cleverness and calculation?”

Ruizong said, “When one cultivates oneself through Wuwei, it certainly seems tranquil and elevated. But what does it mean to govern a state through Wuwei?” Sima Chengzhen replied, “A state is like a person’s body. The Old Master…”

According to the account, Guangchengzi believed that the mind and spirit should rest in quiet simplicity, the breath should accord with emptiness and stillness, and one should follow the natural changes of all things without personal designs. In this way, the world could be governed well. The Book of Changes says, “The virtue of the great person—the one whose virtue accords with Heaven and Earth—accords with Heaven and Earth.” From this we can see that trust can be won without speaking, and accomplishments achieved without deliberate action. The principle of Wuwei (non-action) is precisely a way to govern the state. The emperor exclaimed, “What could surpass Guangchengzi’s words?” Guangchengzi firmly declined the offer and returned to the mountains. The emperor gave him a precious zither and a silk shawl patterned with rosy clouds. More than a hundred court poets composed poems in his honor.

In the ninth year of the Kaiyuan era (721), Emperor Minghuang again sent an envoy to bring him to the capital. The emperor personally received Fulu (talismans and registers), the credentials conferring Daoist religious rank. The rewards bestowed on him over the years were very generous. In the tenth year of Kaiyuan, when the emperor came to the capital, the master again asked to return to the mountains. The emperor composed a poem and selected a scenic place on Mount Wangwu, where he built an altar and residence for him.

The master then submitted a memorial saying, “The deities enshrined in the temples of the Five Sacred Peaks are all spirits of the mountains and forests, not true divine beings. Each of the Five Sacred Peaks has its own grotto, and in each one an Immortal of Highest Clarity (a high-ranking Daoist immortal) has descended to serve as its divine official. I request that separate shrines be established for their worship.” The emperor accepted his proposal and established shrines to the Perfected Lords. The master was asked to consult the Daoist scriptures and devise the images and regulations for the shrines.

The master excelled at seal script and clerical script. He once wrote the Dao De Jing in three different scripts, collated its text, and established an authoritative version of 5,308 characters. He also composed The Secret Essentials of Cultivating the True; readers of this work could find a way to begin their cultivation. The emperor decreed that a Daoist temple, the Yangtai Abbey, be built where the master lived. He personally inscribed its plaque and continued to bestow generous gifts.

In the twenty-third year of Kaiyuan, the master died at the age of eighty-nine. The emperor posthumously awarded him the title Grand Master of Silver and Azure Radiance, gave him the posthumous title “Master Zhenyi,” and personally wrote his commemorative inscription. He had many disciples, but only Li Hanguang and Jiao Jingzhen truly received his Daoist teachings. Though Jiao Jingzhen was a woman, she possessed an innate spiritual intelligence. Once, while quietly reflecting, she was led to Fangzhang Mountain, the legendary abode of immortals, where she met two immortal maidens. They said to her, “If you wish to become a perfected official, you may pay your respects to the Lord of the Green Lad of the Eastern Florescence and receive the Three Sovereigns Method, a Daoist manual of ritual arts.” She asked the maidens their names, and they replied, “Zhenyi.” After returning, Jiao Jingzhen went to pay her respects to the master, who gladly transmitted this method to her.

The lay surname of Master Li Xuanzjing of Maoshan, an honorific title in Daoism, was Hong, and his personal name was Xiaowei. He was from Jinling. His family had revered Confucian learning for generations, and people in his home district called him “the Master of Pure Seclusion.” To avoid the personal name of Emperor Jingzong of Jin, he changed his surname to Li.

His son was named Hanguang. At thirteen, he left home to devote himself to the Dao and began his training under a master. His conduct was upright. He looked up to the clear, open sky with compassion in his heart and care for all beings in the world. Even alone in a dark room, he was as cautious as if standing before a ruler or his parents. When people saw him, they would compose themselves and dare not behave carelessly.

As a boy, Hanguang studied seal script and clerical script. Someone praised his calligraphy as better than his father’s. When he heard this, he stopped writing for the rest of his life. Later, he became a disciple of Master Zhenyi. Master Zhenyi passed on to him all the Daoist texts on Fulu, including cloud scripts and precious writings. Then the master looked at him and said, “Truly, [you are of] Jade Clarity…”

“Guest!” Those who cultivate the Dao of emptiness and nothingness will never reach the end of their pursuit of the Way. Those who rely on remote, deep mountains to hide their traces remain shallow in virtue. The lineage comes from distant antiquity, and one should first help save the people of the world. This is precisely what it means to guide later students into the inner chambers and impart profound teachings.

The Master’s original Qi had not dissipated. The clear, luminous images of the registers of the immortal realm appeared before him, and he had long since attained the subtle and wondrous realm. He made concealing his radiance his customary way: in action, he did not deliberately display himself; in stillness, neither did he withdraw into silence. When responding to the movements of all things, he seemed to return to the beginning, where all is one. The traces that appear in response to circumstances can be named; the constant Dao cannot.

The Master nurtured the myriad things and brought about transformation, making his mind open, clear, and attuned to all things. When the mind changed, learning began; when learning advanced further, one reached the realm of the Dao. The vital energy of goodness came naturally, yet when he attained the Dao, he was unaware of it. Thus, all who straightened their robes and came forward to seek instruction admired his manner of original harmony, as grasses and flowers in autumn lean against layered mountains, and summer rains flow into broad, unobstructed rivers.

The Master was not attached to himself, yet he cared for the people. Auspicious signs repeatedly came to pass, but he regarded them as only one among the many phenomena of nature. Whether scholars or common people came to ask him questions, he could meet their intentions with his expression. He often instructed people to close the courtyard of the petitioning altar and keep it quiet and pure; when conducting a jiao rite, he carefully selected the firewood for the sacrificial flame. Such was the care he gave to subtle principles and reverent ritual observance.

Near the end of the Kaiyuan era, Emperor Ming of Tang formally invited the Master and asked him how to govern the realm and educate the people. The Master replied, “Dao and De are the ruler’s teachers. In the past, Emperor Wen of Han followed these principles, and the people throughout the realm became benevolent and long-lived.” The emperor then asked about refining elixirs in the Golden Tripod. The Master replied, “Dao and De are principles held in common by all under Heaven. Seeking to lighten the body and ascend is a private desire mixed into what should be shared by all. People sometimes reveal this selfishness. The sages established teachings to lead people toward goodness; to pursue long life single-mindedly and indulge one’s desires is as impossible as trying to bind the wind.”

The emperor bestowed on the Master the honorific title “Mysterious Stillness.” Before long, the Master firmly pleaded illness as his reason for taking leave, and returned east to Mount Gouqu. The emperor ordered the construction of the Ziyang Temple where he lived. Thereafter, imperial Daoist scriptures arrived one after another, and provisions continued without interruption. Dukes and ministers came to pray and seek instruction, with visitors arriving almost every month. In the end, he helped those within the Daoist tradition make their true conduct more evident, uphold the precious virtues of compassion and frugality, and return to the unadorned customs of the age of Fuxi. How far-reaching the Master’s teachings were!

He authored Traditions of Immortal Learning and On the Differences and Similarities of the Three Profound Teachings, and also wrote the True Scripture and Notes on the Sounds and Meanings of the Materia Medica.

By holding fast to these two treasures, compassion and frugality, one returns to the simple customs of the age of Fuxi, the legendary ruler of high antiquity. The Master’s teachings were truly profound. His writings, A Transmission of Immortal Learning and On the Similarities and Differences among the Three Mysteries, as well as the True Scripture and Meanings and Pronunciations of the Materia Medica, record these matters in detail, supply what was missing, and illuminate their subtle principles.

In the winter, on the eleventh month of the fourth year of the Dali era (769), he said to his inner disciples Wei Jingzhao and Meng Zhanran, “I shall follow the transformations and depart.” His expression was calm as he spoke, as though he were sitting quietly at the end of his life and setting off unhurriedly on a distant journey. He was eighty-seven years old. A numinous cloud descended into his dwelling, and sacred mushrooms sprang up in profusion. He held his bamboo tablets as usual, his expression peaceful, and remained so for a long time. According to the True Scripture, this is to follow the transformations and return to nature: a profound and wondrous state among the ranks of the immortals.

Wei Jingzhao passed the transmission to Gao Dongxu, who in turn passed it to Li Fanglai. All inherited the Master’s De, keeping the lineage unbroken. At that time, Liu Shi also composed a hymn in praise of the Master:

The ancients could only strive to give the Dao a name.

That primordial, subtle Qi was silent and deep, beyond sight.

The Yellow Emperor passed it down; the Master understood it.

The Master followed the Dao freely and at ease,

ever accompanied by the One, the source of the Dao.

The realm embraced by true nature accorded with Great Origin,

the primordial Qi at the root of the cosmos.

Each day he walked the path of the immortals without proclaiming it,

until the moment arrived.

People said he would live for ten thousand years;

what I saw was his ordinary, unchanged bearing.

Emperor Xuanzong of Tang admired him and summoned him to the capital.

Though the palace was exalted, he remained unmoved;

a life as free as white clouds was his true home.

Disciples from distant places came to visit, all at ease.

Though the world offers many paths, the true vital essence

is still something each person must keep within.

He followed the transformations and departed;

how could others fathom the mystery within?

The liturgies and secret teachings of the Mysterious Gate

are bound by an agreement made in the unseen.

Volume Six: Section on the Teachings of the Three Caverns

The Three Caverns (with preface)

The Great Treatise on the Daoist Tradition says: “‘Cavern’ means access and penetration. The scriptures and teachings that penetrate the mysteries and reach the deepest principles are divided into three classes, hence the name ‘Three Caverns’: first, the Cavern of Truth; second, the Cavern of Mystery; and third, the Cavern of Spirits.”

The Three Caverns scriptures contain the profound meanings of the Three Radiances and the numinous chapters of the Eight Assemblies. Their words are written in forms such as phoenix seal script and dragon script, and compiled in golden registers and jade slips. Those who practice these scriptures can thereby gain understanding; those who study them can return to the source. The Esoteric Commentary on the Jade Scripture says: “The scriptures and talismans of the Three Caverns are the guiding principles and standards of the Dao.” The Scripture of the Origin says: “If a body of scriptures contains all twelve divisions and accords with the principles of the Three Caverns, it is called the orthodox teaching.”

The Cavern of Truth means that nothing is mixed in or confused; the Cavern of Mystery takes its name from freedom from obstruction; and the Cavern of Spirits is distinguished by effects so wondrous that they cannot be fathomed. Thus “cavern” still means access and penetration: the profound principles of each of the Three Caverns connect with one another.

The Cavern of Truth contains numinous, hidden principles and is pure and unmixed, hence the name “Truth.” The Cavern of Mystery has the power to bring Heaven and Earth into being, and its workings encounter no obstruction, hence the name “Mystery.” The Cavern of Spirits can summon and command ghosts and spirits, and its effects are beyond measure, hence the name “Spirits.” All three paths enable ordinary people to reach the realm of the sages and accord with the way of the Great Vehicle; therefore, they are all called “Caverns.”

The Three Caverns—the three classes of Daoist scriptures and teachings—each have a “root” and an “expression.” The root is the source; the expression is the revealed teaching and its master. The master of the Cavern of Perfection (Dongzhen), the Lord of Heavenly Treasure (Tianbao Jun), is its expression; its root is the Qi of the Primal High Jade Emperor of the Chaotic Cavern and Great Nonbeing. The master of the Cavern of Mystery (Dongxuan), the Lord of Numinous Treasure (Lingbao Jun), is its expression; its root is the Qi of the Primal Supreme Jade Void of Red Chaos and Great Nonbeing. The master of the Cavern of Spirit (Dongshen), the Lord of Divine Treasure (Shenbao Jun), is its expression; its root is the Qi of the Primal Supreme Jade Void of Dark Stillness and Mysterious Communion.

It is also said that “heaven and earth” conveys the sense of profound mystery, “void” the sense of subtle refinement, and “spirit” the sense of freedom from burdens and constraints. This shows that the Three Caverns teach methods of cultivation in stages, and also describes the practitioner’s gradual ascent from the ranks of immortals to those of sages. Practitioners first enter the rank of immortals and reach a state free from burdens; hence the initial stage is called the Cavern of Spirit, and its master is named the Lord of Divine Treasure. Their wisdom then becomes increasingly refined, bringing them to an intermediate state; hence the middle stage is called the Cavern of Mystery, and its master is named the Lord of Numinous Treasure. Finally, they reach the highest state, where the use of wisdom and methods meets no obstruction; hence the highest stage is called the Cavern of Perfection, and its master is named the Lord of Heavenly Treasure.

The three masters are collectively called the “Lords of Treasure.” “Treasure” means worthy of reverence, while “lord” refers to the people: together, the title means one revered by all beings. In the Method of the Cavern of Perfection, the Lord of Heavenly Treasure dwells in the Realm of Jade Clarity. In the Method of the Cavern of Mystery, the Lord of Numinous Treasure dwells in the Realm of Highest Clarity. In the Method of the Cavern of Spirit, the Lord of Divine Treasure dwells in the Realm of Great Clarity. These three pure and wondrous realms are the roots of the Three Caverns and the places where the Three Treasures—Heavenly Treasure, Numinous Treasure, and Divine Treasure—were established.

The name “Jade Clarity” evokes the purity of jade, free of impurity. “Highest Clarity” refers to its position above and to its gradual manifestation in use, while “Great Clarity” is named for its all-pervading reach. Practitioners first enter the realm of immortals, where their wisdom and capacities gradually become more far-reaching; they then ascend to a higher realm and ultimately accord with the true, unadorned Dao. The three realms and their names thus represent the successive stages of cultivation. They are collectively called the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing) because these three pure realms are free from defilement and impurity. Their palaces have many rulers; Qi gathers into clouds and appears in changing forms according to different conditions, beyond all possibility of reckoning.

The foundations of the Three Caverns (Dongzhen, Dongxuan, and Dongshen), the three major divisions of Daoist scriptures, all arise from the same Dao Qi (vital energy). When Dao Qi is touched by the dust of the mundane world, it takes on many forms. The Central Palace governs its countless strands. Dao Qi gathers into clouds and then manifests in response to circumstances, changing in ways too numerous to exhaust.

The foundations of the Three Caverns originally share a single source in Dao Qi. This Qi is one, but its different applications divide it into three classes. All three classes of scriptures guide people in the mundane world toward becoming immortals, leading ordinary people step by step to cultivate the Dao and realize it. Their names reflect the successive levels of cultivation. In scripture titles, the Cavern of the Spirit is called “Cavern of the Spirit: Three Sovereigns”; the Cavern of the Mystery is called “Cavern of the Mystery: Numinous Treasure”; and the Cavern of Truth encompasses a range of different designations. Some are named for the words transmitted through the teachings; others for forms such as colors and sounds. The principles and functions these names refer to are beyond comprehension; the names were simply established to suit different circumstances.

According to the Scripture of Karmic Retribution and the Scripture of Manifestation and Transformation, the scriptures and teachings all originate with the Celestial Worthy. The Celestial Worthy said, “I use the Qi of the Dao to bring the many realms of heaven and earth into being. From one kalpa to the next, I adapt my teaching to the circumstances of each age.”

In the first year of the Longhan era, the Celestial Worthy was titled the Formless Celestial Worthy, also known as the Lord of the Heavenly Treasure. In the Jade Clarity realm, a high celestial realm in Daoism, he taught the twelve divisions of the Dongzhen Scripture and instructed nine sages of the heavens. This belongs to the Great Vehicle of the Dao, the highest form of cultivation.

The Jade Latitude records that the Dongzhen Scripture was transmitted by the Lord of the Heavenly Treasure. It also says that the Primordial Exalted Jade Emperor compiled three hundred scrolls of the Supreme Clarity Dongzhen Scripture, nine thousand chapters of the Jade Instructions, and seven thousand chapters of the Talisman Diagrams. These scriptures were kept in secret above the Nine Heavens, in the Palace of Great Being. Later, the Jade Texts were passed to the Lord of the Azure Youth, the Chief Minister, who sealed them away in the Jade Flower Palace. In the first year of the Yuanjing era, another collection was hidden in the Western City Mountains.

The Great Emperor also ordered the Divine King of Yanggu, the Great Emperor of Fusang, to compile thirty scrolls of the Instructions for Standing Apart and three hundred scrolls of the Upper Scripture, and to circulate them in the world. The Youth of Xiangcheng transmitted the Scripture of the Seven Origins and Six Cycles, Flying Steps across the Heavenly Net to the Yellow Emperor Xuanyuan. In the first year of the Yuanfeng era under Emperor Wu of Han, the Queen Mother of the West and the Lady of the Upper Origin together transmitted to him the Twelve Matters of Supreme Clarity in the Spirit-Flying Six Jia.

The Perfected One Mao Ying of Great Origin received the Scripture of the Jade Pendants and Golden Bells, Winding around the Jade Pivot from Lord Wang of the Western City. The Perfected One Su Lin, a high minister of Xuanzhou, received from Juanzi the method of the Three Ones, a form of cultivation concerning the union of body, mind, and spirits. During the reign of Emperor Ping of Han, the Perfected One Wang Bao received thirty-one scrolls of the Precious Scripture of Supreme Clarity from Lord Wang of the Western City. During the reign of Emperor Cheng of Jin, these scriptures were transmitted at Jiqu to Lady Wei of Southern Peak. Lady Wei passed them to her son, who then passed them to Yang Xi of Maoshan.

Xu Mai once studied under Bao Jing, governor of Nanhai, and received the Shangqing Scriptures, the Daoist classics of the Shangqing school. Xu Mai’s younger brother, Xu Mi, and Xu Mi’s son, Yufu, also received the Three Heavens Orthodox Method and Qu Su Phoenix Writings, a Daoist scripture.

The Celestial Worthy said, “In the first year of the Yan’kang era, I was called the Wushi Celestial Worthy, also known as the Lord of Lingbao. I manifested in the Shangqing realm and expounded twelve divisions of the Dongxuan Scripture to teach the Nine Perfected Ones of the heavens. This is the Way of the Middle Vehicle.” The Jade Latitude also says that the Lord of Lingbao expounded the Dongxuan Scripture in the Shangqing realm, and that it was transmitted by the Most High Great Sage.

It is said that the Primordial Heavenly King once told the Queen Mother of the West: “In the Purple Tenuity Palace of Great Simplicity, the Lingbao Writings are recorded in golden registers and jade books. Their true writings comprise twelve divisions of wondrous scriptures, collected into thirty-six volumes.” The Covenant Rites of the Four Extremities records that the Dongxuan Scripture appears only once every ten thousand kalpas; one division has now been sealed away on Mount Laosheng.

According to tradition, the Yellow Emperor once visited the Celestial Perfected One on Mount Emei and received the Lingbao Scripture of the Five Sprouts. He then went to Mount Qingcheng to visit Perfected Lord Ning Feng and received the Lingbao Scripture of the Dragon Walk. The Nine Heavens Perfected King also descended to the Terrace of Nourishing Virtue and bestowed the Celestial Lingbao Writings upon Emperor Ku. After cultivating them, Emperor Ku attained the Dao and sealed the scriptures away on Mount Zhong.

Yu the Great once communed with the Most High in the Yangming Grotto-Heaven. The Most High ordered an embroidered-robed messenger to bring down the Five Lingbao Talismans, which Yu used to control the floods and summon the myriad spirits by talismanic dispatches. Yu later attained the Dao and became a Perfected One of the Purple Court of the Supreme Ultimate. He expounded scriptures including the Scripture of the Great Kalpa, the Scripture of the Small Kalpa, the Divine Incantation of Zhongshan, and the Eight Mighty Powers for Summoning Dragons. All of these have since circulated in the world.

In the first month of the jimao year, the Supreme Ultimate Perfected One Xu Laile and three other Perfected Ones descended to Mount Tiantai and transmitted the Lingbao Scriptures to Ge Xuan. Ge Xuan passed them to Zheng Siyuan, who entrusted the Lingbao Scriptures and the Three Caverns scriptures—the three major categories of Daoist texts—to Shaochuan Xi, a younger kinsman of Ge Xuan. Shaochuan Xi passed them to his son, General Ti, who in turn passed them to his son Ge Hong, author of the Baopuzi. Ge Hong later visited Zheng Siyuan on Mount Majishan and, after making a covenant, received the scriptures and methods. On the third day of the third month in the second year of the Jianyuan era of the Jin, Ge Hong transmitted the scriptures on Mount Luofu to his disciples An Haijun, Wangshi, and others. Later, Ge Hong’s younger kinsman Cao Fu transmitted them to the Daoist priests Ren Yanqing and Xu Lingqi in the first year of the Long’an era of the Jin. From that time onward, the scriptures circulated more widely.

The scriptures in circulation today are said to be those received by the Yellow Emperor, Emperor Ku, Yu the Great, and Ge Xuan. The twelve divisions of scripture have not yet all descended into the world.

The Celestial Worthy said: During the Chiming era, my honored title was Celestial Worthy of Brahma Form, and I was also called the Lord of the Divine Treasure. I manifested in the realm of Great Clarity and taught the twelve sections of the Cavern of the Spirit Scripture to instruct the nine immortals of the heavens. This belongs to the Lesser Vehicle Way.

The Jade Latitude records that the Cavern of the Spirit Scripture was transmitted by the Lord of the Divine Treasure and then passed on by the Perfected Person of the Western Numinous. The scripture is kept in the Jade Bureau of the Heaven of Lesser Presence.

The Preface and Contents states that the Three Sovereigns Text of Lesser Presence originally came from the Great Presence. It was a book transmitted by the Three Sovereigns of high antiquity, also passed down by immortals, and kept within famous mountains. Tradition says that when the Yellow Emperor traveled east to Qingqiu, he passed Mount Feng and met the Perfected Person of the Purple Court, from whom he received the Inner Writings of the Three Sovereigns. Huang Luzi and the Lord of the Western Peak both learned arts for restraining tigers and leopards. The Perfected Person Jie Xiang once obtained talismans for commanding tigers, while the Eight Might Envoys received writings for commanding tigers and leopards.

In addition, during the Yongkang era of Emperor Hui of Jin, Bao Jing once went to the stone chamber of Lord Liu on Mount Song to undertake purification and fasting, cleansing his body and mind and cultivating in seclusion.

When practitioners of the Dao were absorbed in contemplating the Great Dao, they suddenly saw a stone tablet inscribed with the “Celestial Writings of the Three Sovereigns” emerge from a rock wall. After offering four hundred feet of silk to Xuan—the person receiving the transmission—Bao Jing petitioned for the text and obtained it; he later passed it on to Ge Hong. The texts that the Pot Gourd Master transmitted to Fei Changfang also included scriptures of the Dongshen (Cavern of the Spirit) category. The scriptures found in the stone chamber differ somewhat from the “Writings of the Three Sovereigns” that circulate today. After Master Lu Xiujing obtained this book, he transmitted it to Sun Youyue, who in turn passed it on to Tao Yinju (Tao Hongjing).

The twelve divisions of scriptures in the celestial realm have not all been transmitted to the human world. The scriptures now in circulation are said to have been transmitted by figures such as the Yellow Emperor, Huang Luzi, the Duke of the Western Peak, Bao Jing, and the Master Who Embraces Simplicity. After the Three Caverns (Dongzhen, Dongxuan, and Dongshen) entered the human world, they were further divided into the Great Vehicle, the Lesser Vehicle, and the Middle Vehicle, as well as the Initial, Middle, and Later Methods, to teach and transform people.

The Three Caverns are, in truth, subtle teachings that lead to the One Vehicle—the single fundamental Great Dao—and mysterious words concerning the Three Realms, the three tiers of heaven or celestial realms in Daoist teaching. Those who understand and grasp these principles can ascend to the rank of the Highest Sage; those who comprehend the teachings of the Three Caverns can rise to the state of the Highest Perfected. Dragon script and phoenix seal script, sacred writing used in Daoist scriptures, illuminate the highest principles with subtle expression. Jade tablets and golden books, symbols of precious and sacred texts, guide people in mastering the essentials of returning to the root and restoring the origin. Thus, the “Hidden Commentary on the Jade Scripture” says: “The scriptures and talismans of the Three Caverns are the guiding framework of the Great Dao. They are the mysterious teaching of the Great Void and the most important classics of the Highest Perfected.” Could such teachings be heard by ordinary perfected immortals of the middle rank? The “Scripture of Orthodox Unity” also says: “The wondrous methods of the Three Caverns embrace all things and return to the path of the One Vehicle.”

Categories and Ranks of the Three Caverns

The “True Scripture of the Eight Su” says: “The Way of the Highest One has three kinds; the Way of the Highest Perfected has seven; the Way of the Middle Perfected has six; and the Way of the Lower Perfected has eight.” Some of these are listed below:

“Hidden Book of the Jade Clarity”

“Great Talisman of the Divine Tiger”

“True Talisman of the Golden Tiger”

These belong to the Way of the Highest One. Practicing these true ways enables one to attain the rank of a perfected being of the Highest One and become a Jade Emperor Lord among the Highest Perfected.

“Writings of the Highest One, Yu Yi, on Racing Toward the Sun”

“Chapter of the Highest One on Tying the Knot and Racing Toward the Moon”

“Hidden Book of the Highest One’s Eight Su, on Racing Toward the Morning Stars”

“Upper Scripture of the Great Net of Heaven, on the Flight of the Imperial Lord of Taiwei”

“Thirty-Nine Chapters of the Highest Great Cavern True Scripture”

The Supreme Scripture of the Purple Writ in the Numinous Book of the Golden Gate, the Central Scripture of the Eight Ways and Nine Real Ones of the Yellow Emperor and Laozi, and the Thirty-Nine Chapters of the True Scripture of the Great Cavern from on High all belong to the Way of the Superior Real Ones—the methods practiced by the highest-ranking Real Ones. By cultivating these methods together, one may become a Superior Prime Real One of Shangqing, in the celestial realm of Shangqing.

The Supreme Scripture of the Jade Emperor’s Spirit Talisman for Paying Court to the Real Ones, from the Hidden Book of the Great Elixir, the Writ of the Phoenix Real One in the Orthodox Law of the Three Heavens: Text on the Nine Real Ones’ Ascent to the Profound, the Chapters on the Four Real Ones in the Scripture of the Three Primes: The Supreme One’s Golden Register, the Six Jia Spirit-Flying Talisman in the Jade-Written Supreme Scripture of the Fangzhu Cavern Chamber, the Great Celestial Characters of the Three Sovereigns in the Numinous Treasure’s Secret Talisman, and the Scripture of the Three-Five Sequential Course, with Verses on the Curved Plain in the Purple Book of Qingyao, all belong to the Way of the Middle Real Ones—the methods practiced by mid-ranking Real Ones. By cultivating these methods together, one may become a Middle Way Real One of Shangqing, in the celestial realm of Shangqing.

The Plain Words on the Nine Transformations and Ten Changes of Shangqing, the Eight Arts of Concealing Oneself in the Earth: The Essence of the Way in the Cinnabar Radiance, the Jade Book of the Profound Emperor: Three Charts of the Celestial Pass, the Cavern Scripture of the Seven Changes and Seven Turns of the Divine Realm, the Scripture of the Jade Horse and Water Mother, Essence of Stone from the Central Direction of Purple Deliverance, the Many Writings of the Dragon Book with Jade Eyes, on the Crimson, Green, and Yellow Ways, the Secret Talisman of the Five Phases in the Central Chapter of Plain Memorials, and the Five Books of the Five Emperor Jade Maidens of the Upper Prime all belong to the Way of the Inferior Real Ones—the methods practiced by lower-ranking Real Ones. By cultivating these methods together, one may become an Inferior Prime Real One of Shangqing, in the celestial realm of Shangqing.

The Celestial King of the Primordial Beginning told the Queen Mother of the West, the legendary leader of the female immortals: “Treasured in the Supreme Purple Tenuity Palace are golden tablets and jade books. The Lingbao True Writings they contain comprise ten wondrous scriptures in thirty-six volumes. The Lingbao Lord transmitted these scriptures, and the Great Sage of the Highest Height compiled them. According to the Explanatory Commentary on the Lingbao, twenty-one volumes have already circulated in the world, while the remaining fifteen have yet to be transmitted.

“Master Meng says that the ten volumes written by the High and Profound Great Master, the Immortal Lord Xia Yu, together with the five volumes of Essentials for Practice, make thirty-six volumes in all. These scriptures were combined into six fascicles; that was the version circulating in the world at the time. Later, a separate ten-volume Inner Teaching emerged, known as the Writings of Ascending to the Profound, which also circulated in the world.

“The Covenant Regulations of the Four Poles of the Great Mystery records that the Dongxuan scriptures appear only once in every ten thousand kalpas. Now, one copy has been sealed away at Mount Tai and another at Mount Laosheng.” The Celestial King of the Primordial Beginning then said to the Queen Mother of the West: “The golden tablets and jade books in the Supreme Purple Tenuity Palace, the ten wondrous scriptures of the Lingbao True Writings, are scriptures kept in the Supreme One’s secret treasury. They have not all been transmitted into the world. Could the scriptures you obtained really contain all their essential teachings?”

The Queen Mother said, “The Ten Wondrous Scriptures of the True Writings of the Numinous Treasure, in the Jade Book of the Golden Register of Purple Tenuity, Supreme High is a scripture preserved in the secret treasury of the Supreme High. It has never been transmitted in its entirety to the world. Although the Queen Mother obtained part of it, she may not have reached the full depth of its essential teachings. The scriptures kept on the Five Sacred Mountains are also mostly incomplete. Only the heavenly scriptures held in the Western Chamber of Guishan and the Southern Grotto of Wangwu are complete.”

Long ago, the Yellow Emperor climbed Mount Emei and paid a visit to the Celestial Perfected Sovereign, asking to receive this method. He later rode a dragon up into the Mysterious Realm. During the reign of Emperor Ku, the Nine Heavens True King descended in a carriage drawn by nine dragons to the Terrace of Nurturing Virtue and transmitted this method to Emperor Ku. Emperor Ku later sealed it away on Mount Zhong.

The scriptures that appeared through the response of Xia Yu contain accounts that differ from this brief summary. The Scripture of the True One and Naturalness says that Xia Yu, the Perfected One of the Supreme Ultimate, understood the sacred realms and the true Dao. The Supreme High ordered that the Scripture of the Numinous Treasure and Naturalness be copied, and its contents were arranged into separate sections, including those on the Great Kalpa and the Lesser Kalpa. The Scripture of the Mountain-Dwelling Spirit’s Incantation, the Eight Powers for Summoning Dragon Spirits says, “When the Lesser Kalpa arrives, one will certainly be able to escape the great flood.” (A kalpa refers to a great disaster between heaven and earth; the “Lesser Kalpa” in this scripture is a calamity on a smaller scale.)

The scripture also says that the three Perfected Ones Xu Laile and his companions transmitted the immortal methods to the Immortal Master Ge Xuan at noon on the first day of the first month in the year Jimao, on Mount Shangyu in Kuaiji. Ge Xuan’s courtesy name was Xiaoxian. Later, on Mount Tiantai, he transmitted them to Zheng Siyuan, Zhu Falan, and Shi Daowei. Daowei then passed them on to Sun Quan, ruler of Wu, and others. When the Immortal Master ascended and transformed—that is, left the world upon attaining the Dao—he instructed that the Three Caverns’ true scriptures he had received be divided into three portions: one to pass to his disciples, one to be stored in a famous mountain, and one to be entrusted to his family descendants. He also passed them to his younger paternal cousin, Shaochuan Xi.

Xi’s son was the Protector of the Army Ti; Ti’s son was Hong. Hong later went to Mount Majishan to visit Siyuan, and received the transmission after making an oath. Hong was known as “Master Who Embraces Simplicity.” In the sixth year of the Jianyuan era, on the third day of the third month, Master Who Embraces Simplicity transmitted the Dao on Mount Luofu. At the end of the Long’an era, he transmitted the Daoist methods to the son of the Protector of the Army Ti.

On the third day of the third month in the sixth year of Jianyuan, Ge Hong transmitted this scripture at Mount Luofu to the Daoist priests Ren Yanqing, Xu Lingqi, and others. The scripture was passed down through many hands, and its transmission has continued unbroken to the present day.

The Jade Latitude records that long ago, at noon on the seventh day of the seventh month in the first year of Kaihuang, a bingwu day, the Primordial Heavenly King ordered the Three Jade Youths of Heaven to pass down the teachings of the Lord Above the August Sovereign. Those destined to receive these teachings would naturally be able to obtain them. Later, the Master of Emptiness transmitted them to Tang Yao. Still later, the Lord Emperor of the Later Sage commanded the King of the Lesser-Being Heaven to compile the scriptures and proclaim and transmit them.

The Lord of the Blue Youths said that, from the time of Tang Yao onward, only seven thousand people had obtained the text above—that is, the scripture or teachings just mentioned. Some rode flying dragons into the wondrous realm; others vanished and transformed, quietly crossing over and departing. They could not all be recorded individually. Those who attained the Dao treasured the scriptures within the Five Sacred Mountains.

The scripture explains the lords who transform and teach the world during the Three Kalpas. It also discusses the Kalpa of Kaihuang and says that this wondrous scripture can bring Heaven and Earth into being. The Great Sage manifested within the Beginning Azure and was called the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning; he was sometimes also called the Lord of the Way, the Most High. He is the ruler who teaches the heavenly and human realms. These matters belong to the explanations of the liturgy of the Three Treasures and will not be discussed further here.

The Hidden Annotations on the Jade Scripture says that this classic is also known by such titles as Heavenly Writ of the Three Sovereigns, Dongshen, Dongxian, and Jade Register of the Most High. “Dongxian” means that those who practice and understand this system of teachings can ascend to become immortals of the Great Purity. “Jade Register” carries the sense of urging and supporting: it encourages diligent practice and helps practitioners attain immortality.

As for the Writ of the Three Sovereigns, the fourteenth chapter of Dongshen says that the first text is the Inner Characters of the Heavenly Sovereign’s Writ. “Characters” here means purpose and resolve: the Heavenly Emperor has people look up at the writing in the sky and gain insight from it; inwardly they resolve to practice diligently, while outwardly they avoid showing off. The second text is the Inner Record and Written Text of the Earthly Sovereign. “Written text” refers to…

Here, “illumination” means penetrating understanding. To set one’s heart on seeking illumination, remember the correct Way without becoming confused, and put what one has learned into practice by extending it and helping people widely: all this is to follow the Way of understanding to its utmost. The word “Wen” in the third chapter, “The Writing of the Human Sovereign,” also means “illumination.” A person can examine the geography below, take Earth as a model and follow the Way of Heaven, settle the inner self and govern the outer world, and universally save all beings, so that they all return to the mysterious gate—the wondrous Great Way spoken of in Daoism. This is a principle acquired through learning. The above is the scripture’s own explanation.

The title Scripture of the Three Sovereigns comes from the fact that the Three Sovereigns each received this scripture and practiced in accordance with it in different eras. The phrase “scripture of the Eight Emperors” likewise refers to the way the text taught people in different places according to their needs. This is like a text in the Lingbao tradition that was separately received by the Five Emperors, and so was called “The Writing of the Five Emperors.”

Bao Nanhai’s Preface and Catalogue says: In antiquity, this scripture was first transmitted to the Three Sovereigns, which is why it was called the Writing of the Three Sovereigns. The Book of the Cavern of Spirit also says that the Five Emperors each received the treasure, hence the name “The Writing of the Five Emperors.” The book further says that, in the view of the immortals, the Sovereigns’ Writings existed even before the Three Sovereigns, taking shape as great texts when bird-track script first arose. The Sovereigns’ Writings and the Emperors’ Books came into being spontaneously. They appeared in the empty expanse of nothingness, their characters formed from gathered primordial Qi. Their origins were no different. Later, the Three Sovereigns each received one text, which was divided into the Three Origins—the three kinds of primordial Qi or fundamental levels in Daoist teaching—corresponding to the Three Powers of Heaven, Earth, and humanity.

The book also says that the Three Origins and Eight Meetings—the Daoist account of the primordial Qi of Heaven and Earth and the script of the celestial realm—formed characters spontaneously and hung visibly in the sky above the immortal realm of Fangzhang, each character appearing on its own. Volume Fourteen says that whether a person can obtain this text depends on that person. The scripture will never disappear; sages and perfected beings all cherish it and keep it securely enshrined in the Palace of Taiji.

The Preface and Catalogue also says that the Small You Writing of the Three Sovereigns originally came from the Great You. Both are scriptures received by the Three Sovereigns in antiquity.

The Small Three Sovereigns Text originally came from the Great You. It is a classic said to have been transmitted by the Three Sovereigns in high antiquity. The Heavenly Sovereign, Earthly Sovereign, and Human Sovereign texts each comprise one volume, making three volumes in all; tradition holds that they were handed down from the age of the Three Sovereigns. The writing resembles talismanic script, seal script, and ancient characters, and the number of characters varies from section to section. The text was transmitted by Lord Shenbao and compiled by Perfected Person Xiling. It was originally kept in the Jade Repository of Small You Heaven, where the immortals’ books are stored. The immortals passed it on to people in the world and hid copies in stone chambers in various famous mountains. The versions that circulated were all incomplete; only Mount Emei in Shu Commandery preserved a complete copy.

In the past, the immortal Zhiqiong brought two volumes of the Sovereigns’ Text to see Yiqi. Yiqi could not read them and returned the books. After Wang Gong painstakingly obtained the text from Lord Bo, he passed it on to learned and capable people, and it has been transmitted ever since. The Prefatory Account of the Large Characters has fourteen sections, explaining the order and essentials of celestial patterns. The Lower Record of the Small You Scripture contains eleven volumes, used to examine and arrange the present classic and distinguish its rituals; together, these make fourteen volumes. The version recorded by Master Meng was the copy he obtained in the mountains, and it still comprised eleven volumes. Both versions have circulated in the world.

The Baopuzi records that the Yellow Emperor once traveled east to Qingqiu, passed through Feng Mountain, and paid a visit to Master Zifu, who gave him the Inner Text of the Three Sovereigns. During the Jin dynasty, Bao Jing studied the Dao on Mount Songgao. In the second year of Yongkang under Emperor Hui, while observing purification and cultivating himself in Lord Liu’s stone chamber, he suddenly discovered the Three Sovereigns Text engraved on stone, its writing revealed to him. He then followed the instructions in the scripture, offered four hundred feet of silk in sacrifice to the Dark Heaven, and received the text. Later, Bao Jing also passed the book on to Ge Hong.

The Preface to the Three Sovereigns Scripture says that the text Bao Jing found in the stone chamber differed from the version circulating in the world, and that Ge Hong may have obtained both versions. The copy Master Lu received at the time was first passed to his disciple Sun Youyue and comprised only four volumes. Sun Youyue later passed it on to Master Tao. Master Tao organized the text, separated its different lineages, and gradually expanded it to eleven volumes. This is the version transmitted in the mountains.

According to tradition, when the Three Sovereigns governed the world, each received a volume of scripture to guide human affairs. In times of urgent need, they summoned the spirits of Heaven and Earth and commanded them to act. These scriptures were collectively called the Three Mounds (Sanfen). Later, the Eight Emperors succeeded the Three Sovereigns as rulers of the world. Each received a volume, making eight in all, known as the Eight Records (Basuo). During the Eight Emperors’ reigns, evil spirits fled in all directions. The Yellow Emperor then composed scriptures to eliminate evil.

The Seven Sections

The “Seven Sections” are the guiding principles of Daoist teaching and the orthodox canon of the Daoist tradition. They encompass many fields of learning and bring together a vast body of texts. The debates over the Six Syntheses cannot compare with them, nor can the theory of the Five Ages be placed on the same level. No one who reads this sea of the Dharma fails to attain the Real; all who enter these compassionate waves can cast off illusion.

The “Seven Sections” are arranged according to the order in the Zhengyi Jing (Scripture of Orthodox Unity): first, the Dongshen Section; second, the Dongxuan Section; third, the Dongzhen Section; fourth, the Taiqing Section; fifth, the Taiping Section; sixth, the Taixuan Section; and seventh, the Zhengyi Section. The meanings of the first three sections were explained earlier in the discussion of the “Three Caverns.” Here, the remaining four are explained.

As for the name “Taiqing” (“Great Clarity”), Master Meng says it refers to the Great Dao condensing into Qi, pure, empty, and vast. The scripture is named for the realm it describes. Here, it is suggested that the scripture may instead be named for the realm it supports: it supports the Dongshen Section, whose corresponding realm is Taiqing. Another possibility is that the name comes from its teachings on the art of the Golden Elixir—the methods for refining it. Those who take the Golden Elixir can ascend far into Taiqing, hence the name “Taiqing.”

In “Taiping” (“Great Peace”), “tai” means utmost, while “ping” means peace and stability. The name describes the harmonious joining of the four directions of Heaven and Earth, allowing the Qi of balance and justice to flow. The Taiping Jing (Scripture of Great Peace) says, “Now the Qi of peace and harmony is in motion.” Here, “ping” also carries the sense of stability. The scripture further says that to restore the ancient age of Great Peace, one must first stabilize the central Qi. It also says that when the Qi of the Three Powers and the Five Phases is in harmony, the sun and moon shine constantly; this is what is called Great Peace. The Erya says that “brightness” can mean accomplishment, which offers another way to understand the term: a wise and enlightened ruler governs the world so that all things find their proper place and fulfill their growth and nourishment. This, too, is Great Peace. Some also explain Great Peace through the proper alignment of the “Three Steps”—three stars in the sky—and the appearance of the Auspicious Star. But these accounts each explain the idea through just one event. Here, it is suggested that when this scripture circulates in the world, it can bring customs into accord across the realm, lead different states to follow shared principles, and establish wise rule and order among all things. This may be called Great Peace.

Master Meng says “Taixuan” (“Great Mystery”) refers to the Taixuan Capital, a Daoist immortal realm. Here, it is said that since the Venerable Lord Lao is hidden away in the Land of Great Peace, the location of the “Taixuan Capital” remains unclear. Perhaps “Taixuan” does not refer to a particular place, but points instead to a state of mind: gathering in one’s outward traces, returning to the source, and gradually letting go of attachment, until one reaches “mystery upon mystery.” This, then, is why the scripture is called the Taixuan Jing.

The “Great Mystery” (Taixuan) mentioned here probably takes its name from honoring the subtle and mysterious Dao as supreme, hence “Great Mystery.” There is also some basis for saying that it originated in the Mysterious Capital, the Daoist realm of the immortals. However, all seven divisions of the canon have similar features; this is not unique to this text.

The “Orthodox Unity” (Zhengyi), the Scripture of Covenants and Authority explains, means that “orthodox” is what is used to govern what is deviant and deluded, while “unity” is what gathers and orders the myriad things. The scripture also says: “The Dharma brings together what has become scattered; its written teachings distinguish matters and principles.” Living beings have left their roots, and so are called “separated.” A later passage says: “Turn back from separation and return to the source; accord with what is true and cast aside what is false. All this can be accomplished only through the Dharma.”

“To gather the myriad things” means to encompass everything and enable living beings to return to the true. A later passage therefore says that those who study the Dao should awaken and reduce their desires. When desires diminish, they draw closer to the Dao’s root. The key to taking the Dao as one’s root is observing the precepts. The Text on Governing Deviance says that living beings have shallow capacities and are far from the Dao. Out of compassion, the Great Dao established laws and teachings to instruct and guide them, opening their hearts. It makes the two divided halves one, keeps that unity from falling apart, and thereby brings them into accord with the constant Dao. Hence the name “Orthodox Unity Dharma Text.”

“Division” means a category or class. The three divisions are collectively called “Great,” while Orthodox Unity alone is called “Orthodox,” because all three divisions belong to the Orthodox Unity Dharma Text. The three divisions support the great teachings of the Three Caverns, the three major systems of Daoist scriptures, and are therefore called “Great.” Orthodox Unity sets out the three vehicles, the different levels of cultivation, in broad terms to distinguish them from deviant paths, and is therefore called “Orthodox.”

The Four Supporting Traditions

First: The Great Clarity takes the Great One as its central principle.

The Laojun’s Discourse on the Scripture of Establishing Abundance says that the subtle and wondrous teaching comes from Taiqing, the Daoist realm of serene stillness and sublime purity. The Secret Prophecies of the Celestial Elder says that the principles of attaining the Dao are indeed mysterious, and that one must remain sincere at all times. If one can persevere in sincerity without faltering, one can ascend to Taiqing.

The Nine Lords’ Exposition of the Essentials of the Dao says that the Central Scripture of Great Clarity was transmitted by the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning, then entrusted by Lord Lao to the Primordial Lady and the Perfected Ones of the Nine Sovereigns. It was studied and transmitted from generation to generation without interruption. These texts all expound the Way of the ruler. The Scripture of Orthodox Unity records that the Celestial Patterns and Terrestrial Principles of Great Clarity and Golden Liquids comprises forty-six volumes. Most of its contents explain the essentials of Golden Elixir cultivation; it also records rites for divining celestial signs and forecasting good or ill fortune, which will not be examined in detail here. According to the Black Register, in the first year of the Hanan era (142 CE), the Most High Lord Lao entrusted these forty-six volumes to the Celestial Master. They have been transmitted continuously ever since.

The second section discusses “Great Peace,” whose fundamental teaching is the “Three Ones.”

The first teaching in Part A of What the Lord Lao Says: Those who study the Dao should learn how to use this book and seek out its foundation. Its central teaching is the “Three Ones,” the Daoist path of the Three Ones. The Jade Weft says, “‘Great Peace’ is the name for the proper way followed throughout the six directions of Heaven and Earth.”

Today, the world of Wanli is divided into nine provinces and eighty-one regions. The Six Heavens—Daoist scriptures’ term for evil gods and heterodox paths—are swept away, and the immortals are consulted above. The ancient Great Dao is explained in detail, bringing peace to families and states and allowing people to live long in joy and contentment.

The fourth teaching in Part D says: To know how powerful the Great Dao’s effects can be, transmit it to a wise and virtuous ruler and have him put it into practice. In this way, he can accord with Heaven and Earth. This is the Great Dao’s manifest efficacy and proof. The first teaching in Part A also says: “Recite my book, and calamities will not occur.” These are the writings by which the sages of antiquity observed gain and loss.

Books fall into three categories. The first is “books of the divine Dao,” the second “texts that examine facts,” and the third “records of empty ornament.” “Books of the divine Dao” are focused and pure, never straying from the foundation; they truly preserve the source, accord with Yin-Yang, and follow the same path as the divine beings. “Texts that examine facts” assess how events differ or agree; even when they contain doubts or errors, they do not depart from the facts. “Records of empty ornament” have strayed far from the foundation and are disordered in content. They cannot serve as a regular guide and are only recorded from time to time; hence they are called “records of empty ornament.”

The scripture also says: “Great Peace” means putting an end to great disorder, achieving outstanding merit, and upholding upright virtue. If this set of principles can be put into practice, the age will be one of Great Peace. Thus the scripture says that it will appear when the time is right and be put away once its work is done.

A sage ruler governing all under Heaven will carefully make use of this book, while an ordinary ruler in power will disregard and neglect the classic. The accounts differ about how many volumes it contains. The versions now in circulation are divided into ten parts, labeled A, B, and so on, and comprise 170 volumes. The Zhengyi Jing records instead that the Taiping Dongji Jing has 144 volumes. This scripture has now been lost in scattered fragments and is nearly on the verge of disappearing.

Both classics explain in detail the principles of governance, the cultivation of causes and realization of their fruits, and various taboos and methods of practice.

As for the one hundred and forty scrolls of the Dongji Jing, the Zhengyi Jing records that in the first year of the Han’an era, the Most High personally bestowed it upon the Celestial Master (Tianshi), after which it circulated among the people. The One Hundred and Eighty Precepts says that the Dongji Jing, part of the Ten Sections called Jia and Yi, was originally transmitted by Lao Jun to Yu Ji, a man from Langya, in Linqiong County, Shu Commandery, during the reign of King Nan of Zhou. Afterward, it disappeared from view. More recent accounts say the scripture was kept in a stone chest on Haiyu Mountain. From the Song and Liang dynasties onward, those who went in search of it failed to find it. Whenever anyone tried to retrieve the scripture, storms and darkness would descend, with thunder and lightning all around. After the Chen dynasty was founded, people made several more attempts, but still could not obtain it. Each time they climbed the mountain, the storms came just as before.

After Emperor Xuan came to the throne, he took an interest in Daoist arts and ordered the Daoist master Zhou of Taiping, whose personal name was Zhixiang, to retrieve the scripture. Zhou was naturally upright and refined, qualities too deep to describe fully in words. He obeyed the order and went to the mountain, where he observed a seven-day purification before preparing to retrieve the scripture. Before he could begin, clouds and mist at dawn covered the open country and darkened the mountain. The master proceeded with bows of reverence, and the sky promptly cleared. He ordered dozens of attendants to work together, kneel, and try to lift the stone chest, but it would not open. The master held his breath, focused his mind, and performed the rite. Only then did the chest open, revealing the scripture inside.

The master asked to bring the scripture back to the capital. The emperor received it with due ceremony and placed it in the Zhizhen Monastery for veneration. The scripture shone with a brilliant light, and people from across the country came to pay their respects. The emperor ordered the master to establish a teaching altar at Zhizhen Monastery and expound the scripture, hoping that it would benefit and bring peace to the realm. People at the time called this “Taiping,” meaning “Great Peace.” Because the master had obtained the scripture for the emperor, the emperor called him the “Taiping Master.” This is the Daoist lineage that Master Cangjing inherited.

Third, Tai Xuan takes the doctrine of Chongxuan as its central principle.

The Classic Spoken by Lord Lao says, “The mysterious and yet more mysterious is the central principle of the Supreme Dao.” However, accounts differ about the number of volumes in this scripture. The Zhengyi Jing records that the Tai Xuan Dao Jing comprised 270 volumes. The related scriptures preserved in the Yuwei today amount to only 135 volumes, and these are not all from the original text. The rest have not been seen in circulation. This was probably because the time was not yet ripe for the scriptures to spread widely.

The scripture’s main idea is to take “the mysterious” as its ultimate aim. The Tai Xuan Jing says, “Nonbeing upon nonbeing is called the Dao; at the furthest reach of its principle lies the mysterious and yet more mysterious.” The Perfected Person Le says that the Five Thousand Words on the Dao and De—that is, the Dao De Jing—is the scripture that explains this realm. According to an old account, the Dao De Jing had three volumes. The Yuwei says that one precious, hidden volume belongs to the Taiqing category, but this claim is difficult to verify in detail.

According to the Preface to the Western Ascent, the Dao De Jing was divided into two parts and transmitted to Emperor Wen of Han by the Old Man of the Riverbank. It also records that Yin Xi received the two volumes of the Su Shu, making five volumes altogether. Since the transmission of the scriptures took place in three stages, Master Xu Jing arranged them into three sections, with the two volumes on Dao and De as the guiding framework. In the first stage, Dao and De served as the foundation, and the teachings were stated in broad terms, since the text did not address any particular audience directly.

The Western Ascent then takes “freedom from desire” as its foundation. It therefore says one should preserve clear wisdom and investigate the mysterious source and the True One. Later transmissions expounded the True One at length and made it their foundation. The lineage runs as follows: Yin Xi received the five volumes of scripture, which gradually increased in number thereafter. The related details are not discussed further here.

As for the transmission that runs through the entire scripture, the Zhengyi Jing records that the Most High personally transmitted the 270 volumes of the Tai Xuan Jing to the Celestial Master (Tianshi). Judging by the dates, the scripture was received in the seventh month of the first year of the Han’an era. It was passed down from generation to generation thereafter, continuing to the present day. The portions that were lost or damaged returned to the Heavenly Treasury—the celestial repository of scriptures—as the times changed.

“Fourth, Zhengyi takes the True One as its foundation.”

The Jing of Orthodox Unity Spoken by the Most High comprises 270 scrolls in the celestial realm. According to the text, people on earth received this Jing in the seventh month of the first year of the Han’an era. From then on, it circulated in the world, and it continues to do so today. Over time, however, some scrolls were lost or damaged. This is why the Jing returned to the Heavenly Repository, where scriptures are kept in the celestial realm.

“Fourth, Zhengyi takes the True One as its foundation.”

In the Jing of Orthodox Unity Spoken by the Most High, the Celestial Master recounts: “I received this Jing from the Most High Lord Lao, who instructed me to transmit Zhengyi, a newly revealed Daoist teaching. It is called ‘new’ because people grow weary of old things and favor what is fresh, so it is described as ‘newly revealed.’ In truth, only its name is different; its fundamental content is the same.”

The cultivation of the orthodox teaching is intended to drive away evil. It continues to use the ancient scriptures inherited from earlier generations without alteration, and teaches people to seek immortality according to methods handed down from antiquity. Wang Chang feared that ritual masters in later generations would change the teachings, so he compiled a record entitled Newly Revealed Rituals of Zhengyi. The Celestial Master said: “Men and women in later generations will surely alter my teaching. If you covet wealth, are infatuated with women, and refuse to give alms or help others, you will make the successive levels of hell your home. Each of you must be vigilant!”

The Scripture of Zhengyi records that the Text of the Zhengyi Teaching comprises one hundred scrolls. The version recorded today by Master Meng also has one hundred scrolls, divided into ten fascicles (a fascicle is a set or volume of books). It is unclear whether these are the same scripture. Its teachings encompass the Three Vehicles, the different levels of Daoist cultivation. Thus the scripture says that Zhengyi sets out the teachings of the Three Vehicles in broad detail.

Wang Chang’s Newly Revealed Rituals comprises forty scrolls, but they have not yet been arranged in sequence. Wang Chang once accompanied his master in ascending to the Profound Realm. At that time, he received much of the instruction through oral transmission and personal guidance, and recorded only the titles of the scrolls without arranging their contents.

As for the origins and transmission of these scriptures, the Jade Latitude says that long ago, on the seventh day of the seventh month in the first year of Kaihuang, at noon on a bingwu day, the Heavenly King of Primordial Beginning sent a Jade Youth to transmit the writings of the white slips and blue registers—the scriptures and talismanic documents passed down in Daoism—to the Lord Above, who received the teaching spontaneously. The Master of Emptiness then transmitted it to Tang Yao. Later, the Lord Emperor of the Later Sage commanded the Heavenly King of Little Presence to compile and proclaim these writings. The Blue Youth said that from then on, seven thousand people received them. Some rode flying dragons into the Profound Realm; others vanished, transformed, or quietly withdrew. They cannot all be recorded. Those who attained the Dao hid the scriptures among the Five Sacred Peaks. Only through sincere contemplation, cultivation, and accumulated spiritual responses could people obtain them in due course. These writings are exceedingly subtle; whether one receives them depends on one’s affinity. At times the scriptures emerged from the He River and the Luo River; at others, they were entrusted to disciplinary scriptures or books of methods. In every case, karmic results arose through the unfolding of causes and conditions.

At the end of the Han dynasty, there was a Celestial Master, Zhang Daoling. While meditating and cultivating with great concentration on Western Mountain, he received a personal descent from the Most High. On the first day of the fifth month in the first year of Han’an, the Most High transmitted to him the Three Heavens Orthodox Teaching and appointed him Celestial Master.

At the end of the Han dynasty, the Celestial Master (Tianshi) Zhang Daoling, revered as the founding patriarch of the Zhengyi (Orthodox Unity) school of Daoism, devoted himself to cultivation on Mount Xi. The Supreme One, a revered Daoist deity, descended in person. On the first day of the fifth month in the first year of the Han’an era, the Supreme One bestowed on him the Orthodox Teachings of the Three Heavens, appointed him Celestial Master, and transmitted to him the Essential Way and Methods of the Zhengyi Liturgy. On the seventh day of the seventh month that same year, the Supreme One bestowed on him the Wondrous Scripture of the Zhengyi Covenant’s Authority and the oral instructions for the Three Karmic Deeds and Six Spiritual Powers, once more honoring him as Master of the Three Heavens and Perfected One of Zhengyi.

According to the Treatise on the Transformation of the Zhengyi Scriptures and Registers, the Scripture of Correct Principles comprises 930 scrolls, while its talismanic diagrams comprise 70 scrolls, making 1,000 in all. The hundred scrolls of the Zhengyi bestowed on the Celestial Master are included in this total. When the teachings have been fully gathered and established in later generations, the foundations of the Dao will naturally be revealed in their entirety. The Scripture on Rank and Dignity says: “The true scriptures are profound and wondrous, their meaning and language without equal. Though the orthodox teachings of the Way number 364,000 and are beyond counting, none depart from the principle of Zhengyi.” The Five Thousand Words (Daodejing) is the foundation for nurturing the myriad things and spreading transformation through teaching. Among the truly wondrous scriptures, the Three Caverns (Dongzhen, Dongxuan, and Dongshen) are foremost.

Although this tradition has deep roots, its flourishing began in the Han dynasty. After the Celestial Master ascended to Heaven, he transmitted the teachings to his descendants, disciples, successor masters, lineage masters, and all devoted adherents, both within and outside the tradition, so that they might cultivate and pass them on. Many people have transmitted the Dao over the generations, and they are not all recorded here. In this way, these scriptures have been handed down.

According to the Treatise on the Registers, Diagrams, Liturgy, and Precepts of the Zhengyi Scriptures, the Scripture of Great Purity supports the Dongshen Cavern and discusses the Golden Elixir and other paths to becoming an immortal. The Scripture of Great Peace supports the Dongxuan Cavern and discusses the paths to becoming perfected found in the Ten Sections of Jia and Yi and the texts that follow them. The Great Mystery supports the Dongzhen Cavern, while the Five Thousand Words and later texts discuss the path to becoming a sage. The Ritual Text of the Zhengyi Teaching takes Dao and De as its foundation, honors the Three Caverns, and explains at length the Three Vehicles, or different levels of cultivation.

The Scripture of Great Peace says that “support” means “father.” The statement that the Three Great Scriptures support the Three Caverns means that their functions complement one another: they help people develop insight and understand the principles, just as a father can bring life into being. People’s innate capacities are limited, and profound teachings are difficult for them to grasp when they first hear them. Further explanation and support are therefore needed to complete the teachings and ultimately help people understand. This is what it means to assist and supplement.

The Twelve Sections of the Scriptures contain subtle teachings that run through the Three Vehicles—the different levels of Daoist cultivation—and serve as an essential outline encompassing the Seven Collections of Classics. By studying them, one can come to know the truth; by reflecting on them repeatedly, one can grasp their meaning. They truly offer a bridge and a path to help people escape birth and death and approach the Great Dao. The Scripture of Zhengyi (Orthodox Unity) says that the scriptures practiced in each of the Three Vehicles are divided into twelve sections.

The meanings of the twelve sections of Daoist scriptures run through all Three Vehicles. Here, the Middle Vehicle is used as an example; the other two can be understood in the same way. The twelve sections are: first, Original Texts; second, Spirit Talismans; third, Jade Explanations; fourth, Sacred Diagrams; fifth, Genealogies and Registers; sixth, Precepts and Rules; seventh, Ritual Deportment; eighth, Methods; ninth, Various Arts; tenth, Records and Biographies; eleventh, Praises and Hymns; and twelfth, Memorials and Petitions.

“Original Texts” refers to the writings of the Three Origins and Eight Meetings, as well as lengthy scriptures that describe the source and beginning of things. Lady Ziwei said that the writings of the Three Origins and Eight Meetings belong to the High Perfected Ones of the Taiji (Supreme Ultimate). “Origin” means a beginning or source: it is the starting point of scriptural teaching and the foundation of writing, as well as the source for understanding meaning and the root of the myriad methods. “Text” means distinguishing and presenting meaning: it clarifies Heaven and Earth and Yin-Yang, differentiates the various forms of things, orders the myriad affairs, and expresses the highest truths. This is like the grain of a tree, which reveals its pattern and order. These are not called “True Writings” because the classification of the Twelve Sections applies to all Three Vehicles, whereas “True Writings” are not a category shared by all three.

“Spirit Talismans” refers to writings such as dragon chapters and phoenix seal-script, as well as talismanic texts bearing supernatural signs. “Spirit” means wondrous and unfathomable; “talisman” carries the sense of a matching tally. These traces of spiritual power have inconceivable effects and can benefit living beings; like matching tallies, they are trustworthy.

“Jade Explanations” refers to writings that expound the secrets of obscure scriptures and resolve difficult questions, such as the Duke of Heshang’s commentary on Laozi’s scripture and works explaining the Golden Books. “Jade” symbolizes purity from defilement; “explanation” means a definite and certain statement. The term thus refers to writings that make the meaning of the scriptures clear and dispel doubt.

“Sacred Diagrams” include images such as the Five Emperors Embracing the Radiance and diagrams depicting the forms of the Three Ones. “Sacred” means wondrous; “diagram” means to depict or portray. In other words, these diagrams render wondrous forms in images and pass them down to later generations.

“Genealogies and Registers” include the Three Lords, whose accounts describe the generation of the spirits, and the Five Emperors presented in Establishing the Root. “Genealogy” means a line of descent or sequence; “register” means a written record.

The sages recorded these matters to establish methods of instruction and trace them back to their origins, so that people could write them down and follow them. Precepts are one such category. “Pu” means to set out a lineage and trace its origins; “lu” means to record.

Precepts include such items as the “Six Emotions” and the “Ten Evils.” “Jie” means to release, distinguish, and prohibit: it releases people from the bonds of evil, draws the boundary between good and evil, and prevents wrongdoing. “Lü” means to guide, correct, and inspire awe: it measures punishments according to offenses, determines what is just without bias or wrongful judgment, and instills caution.

Ritual deportment includes regulations for purification rites and ceremonial procedures for inviting scriptures. “Wei” means solemnity that inspires awe; “yi” means proper ritual forms and standards, and also refers to rites and rules established to suit particular circumstances.

Methods include practices such as “visualizing the Three and holding fast to the One” and “restraining the Po and binding the Hun.” “Fang” refers to specific methods; “fa” refers to the rules and standards governing cultivation. In other words, regulating body and mind requires appropriate methods and a proper framework.

Various arts include refining elixirs and minerals, transforming the body, and concealing one’s form. “Zhong” means many; “shu” means Daoist arts, the initial practices one must cultivate on the way to the highest state.

Records and biographies include accounts of the Dao Lord’s original work and the deeds of the Celestial Worthy. “Ji” means to describe; “zhuan” means to transmit. Together, they mean recording the fundamental work of cultivation and passing it on to those who study the Dao.

Eulogies and hymns include the “New Hymns of the Five Perfected” and the “Ancient Chapters of the Nine Heavens.” “Zan” describes deeds; “song” sings of virtue. The Book of Songs says that hymns are writings that portray abundant virtue. Eulogies and hymns are also called “ji.” The word “ji” suggests a pause or rest: they are often composed in lines of four or five syllables, whose rhythm falls like a pause for breath.

Petitions include prayers offered during the six purification days and requests presented at the three assemblies. “Biao” means to make something known; “zou” means to submit and present it to a higher authority. The term refers to setting one’s innermost wish in writing and presenting a petition to the Great Dao.

The “Section of General Discourse” takes its name both from the categories of its contents and from its division into sections: it groups together materials with similar meanings. There is no single, fixed way to explain the sections, and the twelve categories can also overlap. One should first understand their shared principles, then explain each category separately, as described above.

Among the twelve divisions of scripture, only the “root text” has both a general aspect and a distinct aspect. “Division” refers to a category, that is, a group classified according to its content. “Distinct” means sorting different principles into separate categories. Yet the principles of the twelve divisions also run through one another, so they can first be understood through what they share, then distinguished by their differences, as explained above.

All twelve divisions of scripture use written words to explain principles, so they can all be called “root texts”; “root text” is also another name for a Jing (scripture). Taken as a whole, the twelve divisions are root texts in the general sense. Among them, however, there is also the “Five Writings of Truth,” which has the power to bring Heaven and Earth into being and is the root of all teachings. It is therefore called a root text in the distinct sense. One cannot say that all twelve divisions are “jade instructions”—secret teachings that explain the meaning of scriptures and methods of practice—and then set one apart from among them as a distinct “jade instruction.” The other divisions should be understood in the same way. Continuous prose and verse hymns each also have a root text that serves as their foundational scripture. The other scriptures of the Two Vehicles in Buddhism—the vehicles of the hearers and the solitary realizers—can be understood by analogy.

The root text is the foundation from which the myriad things arise, so it comes first. Once things have come into being, they need support and nurture; therefore, talismans are discussed next. The cloud-script characters of the Eight Assemblies and the jade characters of the Three Origins are of no use unless one knows how to prepare and use them. Jade instructions are therefore needed to explain their principles and methods. Since sentient beings are confused and dull-witted, direct teachings alone do not bring them to understanding, so images are provided to help explain. Once the achievements of the sages have become manifest, records of lineages are also needed to document their transmission and keep people from suspecting that these are merely fables.

These five categories set out the principles by which the myriad things come into being. To further support cultivation, one must also draw on precepts and rules. Harmful conduct and failings should be prevented in advance, so rules of discipline are established. Practitioners who leave worldly life, enter the Dao, and take their place among the honored treasures of the Master, the Dao, and the scriptures must observe proper conduct and bearing. Hence the discussion next turns to ritual deportment.

This is intended to prevent the creation of further evil karma. The sins and karmic debts accumulated in the past have not yet been cleared, so one should observe purification through the rites of fasting and abstinence, and repent for wrongs already committed. Once the rites and practices have been properly completed and the roots of past sins have been cleansed, one should go on to study the arts of the Dao. In principle, mastering these essentials is necessary for ultimately cultivating oneself into a perfected being.

The subtleties of the arts of the Dao are revealed in written records, where accounts of the sages’ cultivation of these arts are set down in sequence. When one’s learning has become evident and one’s reputation has spread through the bamboo and silk of books, the accounts are then compiled into biographies. These biographies trace events from the arising of the myriad things to the attainment of cultivation. Since all they recount is worthy of praise, eulogies are compiled after them.

The teachings discussed above are mostly presented in continuous prose. The eulogies discussed here, by contrast, use verses: rhymed compositions written in brief lines. When one’s merit and virtue are complete, one should declare and report it to the numinous court—the abode of the spirits—just as one reports one’s merit after completing a purification retreat. For this reason, memorials and petitions are placed at the end. The first eleven divisions discuss cultivation that transcends the mundane world; the memorials and petitions that follow are used to dispel calamities in the human world. Rites such as the Three Primordials’ Rite of Scorching and Purging and the Zi-Wu Petition for Life require memorials to be submitted.

◎ The Thirty-Six Divisions

Among the Three Vehicles—the three levels of cultivation—each has twelve divisions, making thirty-six in all. If we consider how they encompass one another, the Great Vehicle contains thirty-six divisions, the Middle Vehicle contains twenty-four, and the Small Vehicle has only twelve. Why is this so? The Great Vehicle can encompass the Small Vehicle, and practitioners of the Great Vehicle can also study the methods of the Small Vehicle to broaden their practice. The Small Vehicle cannot also take up the Great Vehicle, so it has only twelve divisions. The Middle Vehicle can be understood in the same way. This is a broad account from the perspective of the approaches to teaching within the realm of existence.

The Three Caverns (Dongzhen, Dongxuan, and Dongshen) bring the Three Vehicles described above together within a single vehicle. The Three Caverns therefore make up the one Great Vehicle. Conversely, when the Three Vehicles are distinguished on the basis of the Three Caverns, the point is to show that the one vehicle encompasses everything.

There are also two different scriptural accounts. The first comes from the Ritual of the Lord Lao’s Natural Purification in the Great Mystery section. It divides the scriptures and teachings into three kinds: the first is the celestial scripture, practiced by the Celestial Perfected; the second is the terrestrial scripture, practiced within the Grotto-Heavens; and the third is the human scripture, the Three Luminaries’ teaching practiced in the world. These three kinds interpenetrate and unite as one, and are called the Three Vehicles. Each vehicle uses twelve methods of practice; these intersect and interpenetrate, and together they are called the thirty-six divisions.

The twelve are: Wuwei (non-action), action, non-action that is action, action that is non-action, continuing attachment, ending attachment, neither continuing nor ending attachment, division into successive stages, unbroken continuity, knowing what is subtle, knowing what is manifest, and applying what is appropriate. According to the circumstances one faces, one uses methods such as non-action that is action and action that is non-action. Together these are called the twelve divisions. If both hidden and manifest methods are employed, there are seventy-two divisions.

The first three kinds of scripture described here concern the teachings; the twelve items that follow focus on the practice of cultivation. The second account is the one set out by Zhengyi (Orthodox Unity), which also explains the twelve divisions…

First, one practices Wuwei (non-action) both inwardly and outwardly. Second, one is inwardly non-active while still taking action outwardly. Third, one is inwardly active while remaining non-active outwardly. Fourth, one leaves home to practice the Dao, yet lives among ordinary people. Fifth, one takes one’s family into the mountains, rivers, lakes, and marshes. Sixth, one withdraws from the secular world and lives apart from people. Seventh, one remains in the world, follows its ways, and lives among ordinary people without showing off one’s abilities. Eighth, one cuts off desire. Ninth, one does not deliberately cut off desire, yet brings it to rest. Tenth, one roams through the air. Eleventh, one dwells underground. Twelfth, one lives in heaven.

Each of the Three Vehicles—the three levels or methods of cultivation described in Daoism—has twelve categories, making thirty-six in all. Their meanings have already been explained in the classifications organized by stages of cultivation and spiritual achievement. The names and formulations in these two scriptures differ, however, likely because each follows a distinct doctrinal tradition. What the Taixuan teaches is based mostly on the inner mind, while the Zhengyi account discusses both inner mind and outward conduct. Among the twelve categories listed in the Taixuan, the eighth is explained in sections; on examination, it concerns outward conduct, and the classifications of the twelve scriptural sections are not explicitly listed.

Volume Seven: Texts of the Three Caverns

“On the Method of the Three Origins, Eight Assemblies, and Six Scripts”

The Daomen Dalu says: When Yin and Yang first separated, the Qi of the Three Primordials, the Five Virtues, and the Eight Convergences came into being. From this arose the “Flying-Heaven Book,” which was later compiled as the Writ of Luminous Radiance in the Cloud Seal of the Eight Dragons.

Master Lu explains that the Three Powers are the Three Primordials. Once the Three Primordials were established, the Five Phases were complete as well. When the Five Phases are taken as five positions and joined with the Three Primordials, they are called the Eight Convergences, the source of the written characters in all the scriptures. There is also the Writ of Luminous Radiance in the Cloud Seal of the Eight Dragons. It took shape when naturally generated, flying, mysterious Qi condensed the empty expanse. Its characters are square, each one a zhang in height. Originating among the heavens, they brought forth and established all things.

According to the Zhengao, Lady of Purple Tenuity said that the book of the Three Primordials and Eight Convergences marks the beginning of written compositions, while the Cloud Seal of the Eight Dragons is the earliest source of writing. She also said that the Eight Convergences are the Three Powers and the Five Phases, and appeared only after Heaven and Earth had been divided.

The Red Writ says that the five true texts in the Lingbao Red Writ appeared long before the beginning of the Primordial Origin. From this, it seems that the Three Primordials here do not mean the Three Powers, and the Five Virtues do not mean the Five Phases. Rather, they refer to the Three Qis of the Venerable Elder of the Three Treasures; the Three Qis themselves possess the Five Virtues. The Scripture on the Generation of Life by the Nine Heavens says: “The transformations of all things between Heaven and Earth cannot come into being unless they are nurtured by the Three Primordials and guided by the Nine Qis.” It also says: “The Three Qis are Heaven’s exalted foundation; the Nine Qis are the source of all things.” Thus, the Three Primordials here exist before Heaven and Earth were opened and before the Three Powers came into being.

Master Song explains that the Eight Convergences are the Three Qis and the Five Virtues. The Three Primordials are: first, the Primordial of Undifferentiated Great Nonbeing, the Qi of the Most High Jade Emperor; second, the Primordial of Crimson Undifferentiated Nonbeing, the Qi of the Supreme Jade Void; and third, the Primordial of Mysterious Communion in Dark Stillness, the Qi of the Supreme Jade Void. The Five Virtues are the qualities inherent in the Three Primordials. The convergence of three and five is the harmony of Yin and Yang: Yin has Lesser Yin and Great Yin; Yang has Lesser Yang and Great Yang; and the harmony within Yin-Yang brings the total to five virtues.

“Seal script” can mean to compile or gather together. Characters formed by gathering clouds of Qi are called “cloud seal script.” These are the writings of the Three Primordials and Eight Convergences. The characters in the Writ of Luminous Radiance in the Cloud Seal of the Eight Dragons are all…

This is a heavenly text, an example of the “Three Origins and Eight Assemblies Script.” The terms “Lesser Yang” and “Greater Yang” refer to harmonizing the Qi of Yin and Yang so that it reaches a state of balance. This union is called the “Five Virtues.” The word “seal script” carries the sense of compiling and gathering; accordingly, texts gathered from heaven are called “cloud seal script.” This is the “Three Origins and Eight Assemblies Script.” The “chapters of the Eight Dragons’ Cloud Seal Script” are all …

This too is a heavenly text, belonging to a type of the “Three Origins and Eight Assemblies Script.” “Cloud Seal Script of Luminous Radiance,” by contrast, belongs to the category of the “Five Talismans and Five Victories.” The main text of the “Eight Assemblies” contains 1,109 characters, of which 668 are authentic characters corresponding to the chapters. It is regarded as the foundation of the Three Powers—Heaven, Earth, and humanity—and as the source from which Heaven and Earth came into being and humans, spirits, and all things were brought to life and understanding. That is why it is said to contain the Way of Heaven, the Way of Earth, the Way of spirits, and the Way of humanity. The Jade Instructions says that learning and applying this method is divided into five chapters, each with a different number of characters and four sections of content.

The first section is used to summon the Supreme Emperors of the Nine Heavens, verify the charts and registers of the immortals—records of their names and ranks—and study the methods for attaining immortality and realizing the Dao. The second summons the celestial officials and spirits of the stars, corrects the divisions and measures of the celestial realm, and studies the ways of protecting the state and bringing peace to the people. The third section is used to control the Qi of the Six Heavens of Fengdu. The fourth uses talismanic commands to order the Water Emperor and subdue and summon dragons and birds.

The “inner sounds” of the various heavens—the pronunciations or meanings of sacred celestial writing—consist of eight characters for each heaven, or 256 characters in all across the thirty-two heavens. These characters describe the measures and assembly periods of the heavens; the names and titles of the great sages and perfected immortals; the locations of the offices and terraces they govern; the ranks through which immortals transform and ascend or descend; the various kinds of demons; and the causes and conditions behind the cycle of birth and death of the Eight Ghosts. Thirteen characters give the names of the primal essences of the Five Directions, as well as methods for ingesting them, seeking immortality, refining Shen and transforming the body, and ascending to Heaven in broad daylight. The original explanations of the sounds and meanings of the remaining 122 characters have been lost.

The second section describes the “Eight Assemblies” transformed into characters shaped like dragons and phoenixes, called “dragon script.” What follows was all related by the Mysterious Sage and serves to depict the patterns of Heaven.

The third section recounts that in the age of the Yellow Emperor, Cangjie modeled ancient writing on the shapes of dragons and phoenixes and adopted the forms of the tracks of birds and beasts to create characters, replacing the practice of recording events by tying knots. This writing is ancient script.

Fourth, Shi Zhou of the Zhou dynasty changed ancient script into Large Seal Script.

Fifth, Cheng Miao of the Qin dynasty changed Large Seal Script into Small Seal Script.

Sixth, after the Qin dynasty, Xu Yang changed Small Seal Script into Clerical Script. Another account holds that in the Han dynasty Clerical Script was called “Assistant Script.” Some also say that Cheng Miao devised Clerical Script while in prison. Because it arose from the laboring convicts, it was called “Clerical Script.” These are the Six Scripts.

Cloud Script

There is also the “Radiant Cloud Script,” a form of Brahmic script—heavenly writing in Daoist usage—that takes shape in accordance with its forms. It has sixty-four varieties and is disseminated through the Thirty-Six Heavens, the levels of the Daoist celestial realm. It is said that the characters in scriptures today use clerical forms to explain the heavenly texts, so the two kinds of writing have been transmitted together.

Eight Styles, Six Scripts, and Six Forms

There are eight forms of writing: first, Large Seal script; second, Small Seal script; third, engraved talisman script; fourth, worm script; fifth, seal script used for engraving impressions; sixth, inscription script; seventh, halberd script; and eighth, clerical script.

During Wang Mang’s reign, he ordered the Minister over the Masses, Zhen Feng, to revise the written forms. He also listed six kinds of script: first, ancient script, that is, the writing discovered in the walls of Confucius’s residence; second, unusual characters, variants different from ancient script; third, Seal script; fourth, assistant script, that is, clerical script; fifth, seal-carving script, used to copy and engrave seals; and sixth, bird Seal script, also called “turning script.”

When Cangjie began creating characters, brushes must already have existed. The Book of Songs mentions “red tubes,” referring to brushes. Some say that Meng Tian invented the brush, perhaps because he was a Qin general whose family was famous for several generations. His skill in making and improving brushes was so refined that he became especially renowned for it.

During the reign of Emperor He of Han, Cai Lun began making paper. Before that, people wrote only on slips and tablets. Tablets were pieces of wood or bamboo used to record or present matters; slips were narrow, elongated pieces of bamboo or wood on which writing was brief and concise.

The scripture says that, at first, there were heavenly writings and golden slips. Later, the writing passed down among people took the form of eight scripts and six kinds of characters, all derived from the “True.” Scholars may investigate this further. The scripture also says that no one knows when this classic was first written on paper and assembled into scrolls. Some today believe that brushes already existed at the beginning of the kalpa, the age when the world began. How could the heavenly writings written by the Great Perfect One, a revered Daoist deity, have been made without a brush? How could they lack the eight scripts and six kinds of characters? This is because the Celestial Worthy, in bringing all things into being, already possessed every method and principle. Later generations inherited and used them, and so naturally there were differences in their order of appearance.

The six kinds of characters refer to six methods of forming written characters: first, pictographs, such as “sun” and “moon”; second, ideographs, such as “above” and “below”; third, phono-semantic compounds, such as “river” and “sea”; fourth, associative compounds, such as “martial” and “trust”; fifth, derivative cognates, such as “examine” and “old”; and sixth, phonetic loans, such as “command” and “long.”

Talismanic Characters

All things in the world rely on Jing and Qi to function.

The vital energy of Jing (essence) and Qi (vital energy) is the basis of how all things operate. Heaven and earth, the sun, moon, and stars all have Jing and Qi moving within them; once things come into being, Jing and Qi likewise move within them. From this we can see that the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) and all kinds of things possess Jing and Qi.

When the Jing and Qi of the Dao are arranged on talisman paper, they can join with the Jing and Qi of all things. They are used to drive out evil and falsehood, support the righteous path, summon the spirits, govern life and death, sustain the cycles of calamity and fortune—that is, the cycles of heaven and earth—and stabilize and guard the five directions: east, south, west, north, and center.

Talisman methods are rooted in “forming the Great Reality in the void,” the true writings formed in empty space. They copy the writings of heaven above, then place them according to the directions and distinguish among different forms, such as diagrams, images, talismans, and writings. Talismans express meaning by drawing on the patterns of clouds and stars. Writings convey meaning by arranging syllables and phrases. Diagrams depict the forms taken by spirits as they transform. Yet talismans also contain writing, with shapes resembling images; and writing also contains diagrams, combining form and sound. Hence the “eight manifestations and six scripts,” which reflect and illuminate one another.

The eight manifestations refer to eight forms of writing:

First is “heavenly writing,” the writings of the Eight Assemblies; second is “spirit writing,” or cloud script; third is “earthly writing,” in the shapes of dragons and phoenixes; fourth is “inner writing,” said to be characters uttered by turtles, dragons, fish, and birds; fifth is “outer writing,” characters carved into or appearing on scales, shells, fur, and feathers; sixth is “ghost writing,” whose forms are obscure and disordered, and which ordinary people cannot read; seventh is “Central Xia writing,” the scripts used in the Central Plains, including cursive and seal script; and eighth is “Rong and Yi writing,” shaped like insects.

These six scripts and eight forms of writing sometimes have the same shapes in ancient and modern times, and sometimes different ones. The various signs interweave to form a ritual system and work together, so there is no fixed distinction among them. This account follows Master Song’s explanation, though the original does not specify which texts it is based on. Some talismans and registers in the Three Caverns scriptures contain writing. For example, some ancient characters in the Old Documents are identical to characters used today.

When the Lord of the Way (Taishang Daojun) dwelt in Nandan, he did not teach any fixed body of written texts. This claim is based on Master Song’s account; the original scripture passage has not yet been found. As for the written talismans in the scriptures of the Three Caverns, some resemble the ancient characters in the Documents of Antiquity (Guwen Shangshu): some have archaic forms, while others are identical to characters in common use today.

◎ The Jade-Character Instructions

It is said that in the Upper Lodge of Dongyang Cave in Nandan, the Lord of the Way taught the scholar Wang Long oral instructions for explaining the numinous writings and jade characters. However, it remains uncertain who annotated these texts, or in which era. Scholars may continue to investigate the question.

The book also discusses methods such as drawing talismans during cultivation, conducting Zhaijiao purification rituals, visualizing deities of the five directions, and warding off calamities. These passages explain the “Eight Assemblies” script—that is, the form and meaning of the numinous writings. When the scriptures explain the principles behind the characters, they also clarify the truths within them. For example, an explanation of the true writings may also describe how practitioners can resonate and communicate with the Dao through cultivation.

The Scripture on Settling the Will (Dingzhi Jing) says that these passages expound the meaning of “subtle contemplation”: a single matter may contain a further, deeper layer. For instance, when the Jade Instructions (Yujue) explains the numinous writings, it also discusses transmitting scriptures, the oaths sworn when they are received, and the related rites. Explanations of written characters found in various scriptures may all be collectively called “Jade Instructions.”

◎ The August Writings and Imperial Script

The Scripture of the Three Sovereigns (Sanhuang Jing) says that the August Writings and Imperial Script—the sacred characters associated with the way of the Three Sovereigns—arose in the empty expanse of natural nonbeing and condensed from Qi into written forms. They have no ancestors or beginning, and no limit or end. They appear and disappear with the turns of time, yet continue without interruption and remain forever.

◎ Celestial Writing

The Scripture of the Inner Sounds of the Heavens (Zhutian Neiyin Jing) says that celestial writing suddenly appeared, its characters each as large as ten feet, manifesting in the air. The writing shone brilliantly; its characters had eight angles and emitted dazzling light, so bright that no one could look at them directly. The Celestial Perfected Sovereign said, “This writing is exalted and mysterious, beyond comparison with ordinary things. Therefore, at the beginning of the opening of the Great Being chapter, the light of Heaven was veiled, to preserve the Daoist teachings and honor these characters. Their forms twist and turn in profound ways, unlike the writing of ordinary people. This reveals their wondrous appearance while concealing the ultimate truth of the Dao.”

◎ Dragon Script

The Lingbao Scripture says, “In the era of Red Illumination, celestial books and charts were opened, and their transformations unfolded naturally. The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning brought Heaven and Earth into order and spread the five scriptures. Red writings, jade characters, and the Eight-Weapons Dragon Script protected and restrained the cycles of calamity, sustaining Heaven and Earth for ages to come.” The “Dragon Script” mentioned here refers to the “Eight-Weapons Dragon Script.”

Phoenix Script

The Scripture of the Purple Phoenix and Red Writing records that this scripture was originally kept in the Purple Chamber of the Supreme One’s Six Directions, a celestial palace in Daoist belief. Six enormous lion-shaped divine beasts guarded it by the wall, while jade boys and jade maidens attended and protected the Phoenix Script, sacred writing formed in the shape of phoenixes.

Jade Tablets and Golden Books

The Scripture on Spreading the Three Origins says that dragon characters, sacred writing decorated with dragon forms, were engraved on books of the Golden Elixir. The books were placed in pouches made from naturally woven cloud brocade, sealed with the seal of the Divine Treasures of the Three Origins, and hidden in the Palace of Great Being above the Nine Heavens. For this reason, they were called “Jade Tablets and Golden Books.” The scripture also says that the slips were made of purple jade, their characters engraved in native gold, bound together with gold thread, and wrapped in blue silk. The Statutes of the Supreme Taizhen records that the slips of the Jade Tablets and Golden Books were made from the Seven Treasures; they were also called “purple slips.”

Characters on Stone

The Scripture of Original Practice records that long ago, in the world of Chanli, King Dui had a daughter named Guayin. She was unable to speak from birth. When she was fourteen, King Dui found this strange and abandoned her in the empty mountains around Nanfuchangsang.

Guayin wandered through the mountains and suddenly came upon a divine being at a dwelling in Danling, beneath a grove of cypress trees. The divine being took her right hand, wrote on a red stone, and said to her, “Although you cannot speak, you can still remember these characters.” Heaven responded to the event and took pity on her affliction. It therefore sent the numinous child of the Vermilion Palace down to the human world to teach Guayin methods of cultivating the body and nourishing life, and to transmit the eight characters of the Red Script. From then on, Guayin was able to speak. The Scripture of the Jade Instructions of Lingbao records that the Dao once told Aqiu:

In a former life, you lived with the Venerable Deity of the South Pole, a revered god of the Southern Heaven of Everlasting Life, in the world of Chanli. Beside a house in Danling, beneath a grove of cypress trees, we vowed together to cultivate the Dao. At that time, the Venerable Deity of the South Pole was surnamed Huang and had the courtesy name Duming. He held your right hand, and together we inscribed our names on a red stone, recording them in the Southern Palace. Then he copied your handwriting onto the southern wall. Those characters are still there today, and the inscription on the stone has also been preserved. Do you remember?

After hearing this, Qiu Zeng understood something. He looked up and saw characters carved into the southern wall under the Venerable Deity of the South Pole’s charge: “On the first day of the seventh month in the Tai Jia year, Huang Duming Wang and I, Qiu Zeng, vowed together beneath the cypress grove at Danling.” The inscription contained twenty-three characters, all clearly legible.

Inscriptions on Silk

The Scripture of the Five Talismans says: “The Five Talismans” should be written on a fabric called Nanhe—a red silk—and sealed inside a case made of golden essence. The seal of Xuandu should then be affixed, and the case delivered to the Lord of the Dongxuan Cavern at Zhenshui.

The Scripture of the Immortal Lord’s Questions says that works such as the Upper and Lower Scriptures of the Dao and De, the Mysterious Scripture of the Dongzhen Cavern, the Celestial Writings of the Three Sovereigns, and the Verses of the Many Chapters of Shangqing were all scriptures written by the Most High on Nanhe silk. They are therefore called “inscriptions on silk,” meaning scriptures written on silk.

Jade Characters

The Scripture of Jade Characters in Inner Sounds records the words of the Celestial Perfected Sovereign: “The inner sounds of the heavens” are jade characters formed naturally. Each character measures one zhang across, appears spontaneously in the expanse of the void, and radiates dazzling light from its eight corners. These numinous writings follow the pattern of the “Eight Assemblies.” Their forms are not fixed, and their meanings are profound and intricate, difficult to fathom. They are the Great Brahma’s hidden words within the heavens, formed from flying, mysterious Qi. They gather the sounds of the Five Directions, arise above the Primordial Beginning, and appear within the empty cavern. As the times turn, they open the way to transformation and bring the creative workings of Heaven and Earth to completion everywhere.

The Celestial Worthy commanded the Celestial Perfected Sovereign to explain these jade characters: they are formed from flying, mysterious Qi, gather the sounds of the Five Directions, arise above the Primordial Beginning, and appear within the empty cavern. In keeping with the times, they open the way to transformation and bring the workings of Heaven and Earth to completion everywhere.

The Celestial Worthy commanded the Heavenly Perfect Sovereign (a Daoist divinity entrusted with recording and annotating the celestial scriptures) to annotate the Correct Sounds, so that the imperial Dao might flow freely and shine clear, and its grace reach the ten directions. The Heavenly Perfect Sovereign dared not disobey. Taking up his brush, he wrote: “I know that my understanding is limited, so I can only offer brief annotations based on what I have seen. The meaning of ‘Fivefold Harmony’ is that its Dao can guide and save humans and spirits alike. It brings together the immeasurable sounds of the five directions to form the Inner Sounds of the Heavens. This is why it is called the ‘meaning of Fivefold Harmony.’”

Patterns Arise in the East

The Scripture of Great Peace says: “‘Pattern’ arises in the east and flourishes in the south. Thus the patterns of the heavens begin in the northeast, as do written characters, and corresponding signs appear in the sky. The tiger is patterned in the direction of Yin, and the dragon in the direction of Chen. ‘Pattern’ sprouts in the east and reaches its height in the south. From this we know that the sacred Perfect Writings first appeared in the northeast.”

Jade Registers

The Hidden Book of the Jade Clarity says that there are books in gold and registers of dark jade bestowed by emperors, which may be used to transmit the Mystery Feather Jade Scripture. It also says that without the Jade Register of the Imperial Mandate—a token symbolizing authorization and transmission from the celestial realm—one cannot hear or see the Jade Wisdom and Hidden Book of the Jade Clarity of the High Sovereign, nor the Golden Mystery and Hidden Mystery Feather Scripture.

Jade Chapters

The Preface to the Collected Chapters says that the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning commanded the Great Perfect One to write, while the Jade Consort spread and smoothed the mats. They cast tablets in gold, then engraved the words on jade chapters. The Five Elders were entrusted with these registers and hid them in the Palace of the Ninefold Numinous Immortals. Later, the scriptures were kept in abundance like clouds and transmitted to Ge Xiangong.

Jade Slips

The Scripture of the Golden Root says that the Lord of the Great Dao Most High gave the Great Cavern Perfect Scripture to the Lord of the Azure Lad, the Upper Minister. He kept the registers in the Eastern Florescence Azure Palace and passed them on to sages destined to become Perfected Beings. These golden tablets and jade slips came from the Numinous Capital Palace of the Most High and were engraved on jade.

Vermilion Books and Ink Registers

The Code of the Great Perfect One says that vermilion tablets are records coated in red lacquer, symbolizing Fire and Yang, while ink registers are texts written in ink, symbolizing Water and Yin. Those who study the Dao honor these scriptures and registers in their pursuit of long life and immortality. Hence they are called “vermilion tablets and ink registers.” They must be kept secret and not passed on casually.

The Jade Emperor of Heaven holds the “Jade Register of Flying Immortals,” the Human Emperor holds the “Jade Register of the Supreme Emperor for Preserving Life,” and the Earth Emperor holds the “Jade Register of the Primordial Emperor for Settling the Registers.” A “jade register” is a set of slips or a talismanic register made of jade; each has its own name and purpose.

The Book of Linked Blessings

The Scripture in Thirty-Nine Chapters says: The Most High, a revered Daoist deity, has a Gate of Jade Feathers. Heyan is the king who oversees the destiny of the unborn; Xuanyi is the honored lord of the Three Qi; and the Primordial Elder is a guest of the Lord on High. Together, they protect the human body, while the Spirit Terrace records a person’s name in the “Book of Linked Blessings.”

The scripture also says that this book is called the “Slips of Linked Blessings” and is a set of gold slips and jade tablets used by the Most High.

Jade Writings of the Glorious Dragon

The Scripture of Flying and Soaring on Feathers says that gold books and jade registers are all “jade writings of the glorious dragon”—precious writings and talismans of the immortals.

Silver-Bound Booklet

The Scripture of the Golden Chamber for Deliverance and Life says that the palace of the numinous spirits of the Grand Constant holds secrets for helping people pass through misfortune and prolong their years. These secrets are cast onto gold slips, carved onto booklets bound in silver, and then written with a purple brush.

Red Writings

The Scripture of Jade Instructions says that the five scrolls of red true writings of the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning are placed in the abodes of the Five Emperors. Guided by the Qi of Yin-Yang, they turn the pivot of the nine heavens and set the radiance of the Five Planets in motion.

True Writings Refined by Fire

The Scripture of Original Forms says: In the first year of Red Luminosity, I refined true writings here with the Most High Great Sage Jade Emperor, using fire to bring the forms of the characters into view. At that time, the portion of the true writings that seeped out during the fire refining had its Qi transform into a forest of the Seven Treasures. Its branches and leaves appeared purple, and above it were golden ground, silver carvings, and jade inscriptions.

Dragons, birds, fierce beasts, and all kinds of divine creatures often drink the dew of the forest. Once its true Qi enters their bodies, they can all live for thirty million kalpas. When their lifespans end, they transform into flying immortals and continue cultivating the Dao, eventually attaining the true and correct Dao of Wuwei.

Characters Written in Golden-Pot Ink

The Shengji records that the kingdom of Futi presented two people skilled in writing divine texts. They would suddenly appear old, then young. When they concealed their bodies, their shadows remained; when their voices were heard, their bodies disappeared. At the time, they brought out a golden pot four inches high, sealed with a five-dragon-shaped clasp and blue clay. It held black ink as thick as lacquer. Sprinkled onto wood or stone, the ink revealed seal script, clerical script, and tadpole script—an ancient script whose characters resembled tadpoles—recording the origins of the transformations of Heaven and Earth and of human relationships. Laozi composed the Dao Jing, nearly one hundred thousand characters in all. They were written on jade tablets, bound with golden cords, and stored in a jade casket. When the ink in the golden pot ran out, the two people from Futi even wanted to cut open their hearts and use their blood in its place.

Jade Documents

The Yuqing Yinshu Jinhu Fu says: “The Yuyi Chiwen can summon the sun and ride in the same carriage with it; the Jielin Huangzhang can dwell together with the moon.” The Shangqing Xiaomo Jing says: “Open the cavern gate at Xilin and seek traces of the sacred at Danxue. Open the vermilion treasure casket of Yuantian and gaze up at the jade documents of Shangqing. Mysterious characters are engraved on jade tablets, and exalted names are first carved upon the spirit towers, the palaces where immortals dwell. In the Mysterious Palace, meet the Three Origins four times; in the Spirit Chamber, pay visits to the Five Elders six times.”

Purple Characters

The Basu Jing says: “The mysterious characters of the Basu Zhenjing arose in the midst of the Great Void and appeared on West Tortoise Mountain, above the Dark Garden, and north of Jishi Mountain. The sacred writings of the Basu Gaoxuan Yuzhang flourish at the summit of the Grotto Heaven. Purple characters shine brilliantly among jade trees; divine light illuminates the Nine Origins, the Golden Palaces or heavenly realms, while golden tones ring clear across the Purple Heaven. The scriptures are resplendent and solemn, their breath spreading throughout the Purple Court. The assembled perfected beings make their salutations in peace and offer congratulations to Shangqing, the heaven revered in Daoism.”

Characters of Spontaneity

The Jade Emperor’s Mysterious Record of the Seven Sages says: These writings wind upward through the nine heavens to the celestial realm. Inscribed on white bamboo slips and blue talismans, they were received from the Nine Vacuities—the distant heights of heaven—by the High Sage Emperors. Naturally condensed from the flying, mysterious purple Qi, they record the names attained by later generations of Dao cultivators who realized the Dao. The numinous tones of the writings resonate with one another, and Jade Radiance received their true meaning.

At times these writings appear as written forms; at other times, as hidden sounds. The talismans of the four directions, above and below, come together to signify the mysterious names. Kongsheng once inscribed these writings in the Hall of Vast Numen. The ancient text contained one hundred thousand jade words. They have no fixed forms or pronunciations; none but a High Sage can comprehend their meaning.

Only after seven thousand years did the writings appear in the Chamber of Kunlun, at the source of the Northern Cavern. Each character was one zhang square, its patterns brilliantly luminous and shining out in all four directions. The characters appeared and vanished, seeming both present and absent. Circling purple Qi swept away their grime, while golden radiance illuminated them. After many more kalpas, their forms finally became clear.

On the seventeenth day of the ninth month of the first year of the High Sovereign, the Seven Sages gathered at the Long Palace of the Numinous Purification and observed a fast. They swore a covenant to Heaven in gold and blue, reported to the spirits, and received the numinous writings. The Most High explained the passages whose winding turns made them difficult to understand, and the Seven Sages together grasped their mysterious tones. They then recorded them as The Chapter of Attaining the Dao and Returning to Heaven through the Nine Heavens. The scripture was carved on silver slips and bound with flying blue script. It was placed in a brocade cloud pouch, sealed with the Chapter of Opening Destiny, and entrusted to the Left Immortal Duke of the Five Elders’ Immortal Capital. He stored it in the Jade Palace.

The Four Directions Come Together to Form Characters

The Jade Emperor’s Mysterious Record of the Seven Sages says: The Seven Sages’ Mysterious Record: Returning to Heaven, the Upper Text appears at times as written forms and at other times as hidden sounds. When the directions above and below and the four quarters come together, they form characters. The scripture also says that these numinous writings were sealed with the Chapter of Opening Destiny, entrusted to the Left Immortal Duke of the Five Elders’ Immortal Capital, and stored in the Jade Palace.

The Yudi Qisheng Xuanji says: The written forms in the Qisheng Xuanji Huitian Shangwen are composed in different ways. Some are arranged according to rhyme; some are paired by reference to similar character shapes; others bring together figures from above, below, and the four directions to form written characters. Sometimes the correct pronunciation is indicated. The divine taboo names—the names of spirits—are sometimes formed from single characters and sometimes from compound characters. These writings all emerged from the profound emptiness of remote antiquity and were compiled by exalted perfected beings to reveal numinous writings. Only those who come after and possess a profound name, meaning a name entered in the registers of immortals, may see them. “Qingkong shu” (with shu pronounced “chu-jue”) is such a profound name. It is kept by the Four Offices and recorded by the Five Emperors.

Langjian Ruishu

The Basu Jing says: In the Western Florescence Palace there is a Langjian Ruishu. Only those who are about to become perfected beings may receive this book.

Stone Biang

The Sandong Zhunang says: In the seventh month of the first year of the Shanghuang era, the Queen Mother of the West descended into the Southern Floating Grotto Chamber and issued a teaching. She bestowed it on the Perfected Man of Clear Emptiness, Lord Wang, who then passed it on to Yu the Great. Yu sealed the writings in a stone coffer in the Southern Floating Grotto Chamber. Some editions write “biang” where others have “li.” Thus, when the Wufu says, “The numinous book of the Nine Heavens remains sealed in the Stone Biang,” it refers to this event. Yet, on examining the various written forms, it seems that none contains the character “biang.” The lower volume of the Yujue says, “The true writings of the Five Elders are sealed and inscribed in a jade coffer,” which is a similar account.

Kong Lingfu’s Kuaiji Ji says: South of Mount Kuaiji lies Mount Wanwei. On the mountain is a stone that local people call the “Stone Basket.” Its sheer cliffs rise into the clouds, and it can be reached only by climbing a succession of steps. Long ago, when Yu the Great was regulating the waters, his work was not yet complete, so he fasted and purified himself on this mountain. He opened the Stone Basket and found a golden tablet inscribed with writing. From it he learned the courses of the mountains and rivers. He then cleared the waterways, allowing each river to flow according to the lay of the land.

Volume Eight: Explanations of the Scriptures in the Teachings of the Three Caverns

Explanation of the Jings in Thirty-Nine Chapters

The Dadong Zhenjing says: Below the Most High Void Emperor Dao Lord are thirty-nine Dao Lords. Each wrote one chapter of scripture, hence the name Jing in Thirty-Nine Chapters. This scripture is the foremost section of the Dadong Zhenjing.

Chapter One

The High and Lofty Lord of the Void Emperor said: Primordial Qi, the fundamental energy from which the universe generates all things, arises above the Nine Heavens. The thirty-nine Dao Lords below each composed one chapter of scripture. For this reason, it is called the Scripture of Thirty-Nine Chapters, and it opens the Great Cavern Scripture.

Chapter One

The High and Lofty Lord of the Void Emperor said: Primordial Qi arises above the Nine Heavens and is called “Repelling the Wrong.” Its vapor descends into the human body and transforms into “the Qi of the Luminous Beam,” dwelling among the five viscera, beneath the heart. This is where the most refined Qi resides and where the long vapor of Primordial Qi finds its resting place. Those who understand the origin of Repelling the Wrong can govern the “Ancestral Great Void”; those who govern the Ancestral Great Void can fully realize the profound and mysterious Great Dao and become an exemplar of the Dao.

The “Beneficial Primordial Feathered Youth” is the human nose spirit. “The many winds that stir the mystery” refers to the breath in the nose. “The Four Pure Ones soothe stillness” refers to the area between the nose and the mouth; the breath through the nose should always be kept calm and steady. One should also regularly press the bridge of the nose with the hand while reciting this chapter. The bridge of the nose is the High and Lofty Lord of the Void Emperor’s seat of honor, and the place where the Qi of the Heavenly Peak mingles. When the breath arrives, it can release the various knots of stagnation in the body. The nose spirit sits lightly in the “Green Chamber”; the Green Chamber is the area around the philtrum above the lips.

Use “The Emperor’s First, Upper Radiance” to draw in the vapor of Primordial Qi and gather it into a continuous whole. Then one can remain in harmony with the workings of the Void and return life to its natural authenticity. “Yi You” is a gate in the northwest above the Nine Heavens. Ascend through the Gate of Yi You and one can enter the assembly in the Emperor’s Hall. Thereafter, the five paths all return to the Dao. The myriad forms are deep and flourishing; the sound of Great Harmony flows secretly, and all manner of sounds emerge from the subtle depths. The various mixed energies circle and return, ultimately coming back to “the One.”

“The treasure of the Great One, hidden in life” refers to the human heart. It is where the Qi of the Luminous Beam resides and where Repelling the Wrong rests. Thus the ancestors of seven generations are able to return to life, and the principles of cultivation reach the imperial court. These are the tenets of the High and Lofty Great Dao; their meaning lies here.

After reciting the Great Cavern Scripture of the High and Lofty, continue by silently chanting: “San lan luo bo dai tai.” This is the invocation of the Nine Heavens and the dwelling place of the High and Lofty. Thus the ancestors of seven generations are able to return to life.

The mysteries of the Dao are entrusted to the scrolls transmitted by the Emperor Lords and to the sublime teachings of the High One. After reading the Scripture of the Cavern of the High One, recite aloud the blessing: “San lan luo bo dai tai.” This is a blessing of the Nine Heavens and also an inner name of the High One. In earthly language, “San lan luo bo dai tai” means “May Heaven’s mandate endure, and may people always be at peace.” “Yi you,” in earthly language, means “long-lasting platform.”

Chapter Two

The Sovereign Jade Void Lord said: “Xuan gui,” in the language of the Nine Heavens, means “Niwan.” “Tianchen” and “Jinxiao” describe the male and female principles of the One Emperor: Tianchen is female, and Jinxiao is male. The spirit of the male One is named Chen; the spirit of the female One is named Xiao. The “Jade Continent Yellow Register” is the Emperor Lord’s golden tablet; “Virtue Blade” is the name of a platform in the Nine Heavens.

Chapter Three

The August Jade Emperor Lord said: The Jade Emperor has a banner called the “Mysterious Supreme Banner,” also known as the “Banner of Returning Splendor.” These are the Jade Emperor’s standards, signs used to summon immortals and perfected beings and to convey commands. They are used to issue orders to the deities at every rank in the Nine Heavens and to summon the divine kings of the Four Seas and Five Sacred Mountains. The perfected beings of the Nine Heavens call the sun “Zhuoyao Luo”; the perfected beings of the Three Heavens call it “Yuang Guang Wei.”

In the Jade Clarity Heaven grows a tree shaped like a pine, called the “Forest of Kongqing.” Whoever eats its blossoms will be transformed into golden light. Unless one searches with exquisite care for the immortal realm among the clouds, one cannot ascend to the Golden Chamber; unless one repeatedly recites the Cavern Chapters—the Daoist scriptures—one cannot see the Jade Guests, the honored visitors of the immortal realm. Once one has embarked on this path, one can glimpse the radiant, densely arrayed gates of the immortals and pluck the blossoms of Kongqing with one’s own hands.

Lord Zichen of the Upper Sovereign said: Supreme Darkness lies above the Nine Heavens. It is remote and profound, cut off from the Nine Obscurities, the realm of utmost depth and darkness. Only those who recite the Great Cavern Jade Scripture can connect with that realm. Thus, what is called the “Cavern Vision” is a vision entrusted to the Dao of the divine beings. In the Jade Clarity Heaven there is also the Tower of Interwoven Splendor; beneath it lies the Sea of Ten Thousand Fords, whose waters surge and whose waves rise like unbroken mountain ranges.

Chapter Five

The Celestial Emperor of Great Tenuity said: The perfected beings of the Nine Heavens call the wind “Floating.” The Golden Chamber stands above Bright Rosy Clouds, and the Nine Gates lie within the Jade Tower. These are the dwellings of the Great Tenuity Heaven and the jade palace of the Celestial Emperor.

Chapter Six

The Lord of Purple Essence of the Three Origins said: The Heaven of Purple Essence lies within Great Nonbeing. The Qi of the Three Origins fills the lofty thoroughfare of the celestial realm. Elegant Brightness is the name of a tower in the Jade Clarity Heaven; Great Blending is the name of a hall in the Jade Clarity Heaven; and Feathered Radiance is the name of a carriage ridden by the celestial beings of Supreme Clarity.

Chapter Seven

Lord Xuan Yi, the Elder of Primordial True Yang, said: True Yang is a lodging in Supreme Clarity; the Jade Emperor is a perfected being who dwells in emptiness; the Abode of Ease is the luminous hall where true Qi is housed; and Vermilion Mystery is where the Mudball Palace, the spirit residence within the head, is located.

If one can recite and turn the Cavern Scripture seven times above the Spirit of Thunder, then turn toward the Imperial Worthy three times amid the white Qi—visualizing and paying reverence to the Imperial Worthy—the perfected beings will establish one’s name in the registers, and the Demon King will immediately descend. At that time, one’s name will be entered in the register of the living at the Jade Portal, and the Five Elders will be summoned to the Golden Terrace.

The Most High has a Gate of Jade Feathers. Lord Heyan is the perfected being who oversees fetal destiny; Xuan Yi is the honored lord of the Three Qi; and the Elder of Primordial is a guest of the Supreme Emperor. Together, they support the practitioner’s body and spirit, so that the practitioner’s name may be inscribed on a bamboo slip of linked blessings. The Most High’s golden slips and jade tablets are called the “Book of Linked Blessings.”

The Lord of the Three Origins of Supreme Simplicity says: In the Palace of the Three Origins of Supreme Simplicity, there are three kinds of splendid Qi (vital energy), born of Nature and shining like lotus blossoms. “Morning Lamp” is the bright numinous Qi in the Heaven of Jade Truth, whose radiance illuminates the Terrace of the Three Origins. “Hall of Vast Numinousness” is the name of a palace in the immortal realm of Highest Clarity. If a cultivator can contemplate “the Female One” day and night—an inner practice of concentrating the spirit and holding fast to a visualization—and recite the Cavern Chapter ten thousand times, then the Lesser Lad of Great Tenuity will stand beside the Heavenly Emperor, bearing the Five Diagrams, and the Perfected Ones of the Crimson Palace will attend the Venerable of the Womb, carrying the Five Talismans. Joined in transformation with the Qi of the Three Essences and receiving the light of the Morning Lamp, they can escape death and live forever.

Chapter Nine

The Lord of the Three Essences of Purple Essence in Highest Clarity says: In the Heaven of Purple Essence in Highest Clarity there is a tree whose leaves resemble bamboo leaves but are red, whose flowers shine like bright mirrors, and whose fruits resemble plums but have no pits. It is called the Forest of Nurturing Blossoms. Eating its leaves can banish hunger; eating its flowers can bring long life and freedom from death; eating its fruits enables one to ascend to the heavens and become an immortal. This is what is called the Red Tree’s Cinnabar Fruits, whose radiance shines upon the Five Viscera. Only those who have long practiced stillness and deep contemplation, concentrating the spirit and settling the heart in…