《靈寶無量度人上品妙經》Vol. 13

The Dao says: Long ago, in the Purple-Void Golden-Brightness Vast and Luminous Land—a celestial realm in Primordial Yellow Heaven—I received the Scripture of Deliverance: the Supreme and Boundless Scripture of the Great One’s Primordial Essence, transmitted by the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning.

Before the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning was about to expound this scripture, he first circumambulated ten times to summon the gods of the ten directions. Then countless gods ascended together: the great divine beings of celestial truth, the supreme sages and exalted worthies, the perfected ones of wondrous practice, the Yellow Elder and Primordial Emperor, the True Lord of the Great One’s Primordial Essence and Wondrous Void, the Nine Central Layers, the Thirty-Six Sovereigns, immortal kings, great divine beings of the earth, true sovereigns beneath the soil, numinous immortals, and the officials and commanders below the earth. They rode on blue-green clouds and yellow clouds, in green carriages and on jade wheels, with crimson radiance streaming from their bodies. Their primordial essence gathered into jade-like light, and auspicious colors illuminated the sky. This vision lasted five days and five nights.

The divine beings of the Great One’s true essence filled the heavens. The palaces of the sun and moon and the starry halls were all shrouded in divine light. Dragon chariots ceased their swift passage, and the jade mechanisms of heaven stopped turning. The sun, moon, and stars held their radiance still, and golden light appeared everywhere. The cool wind died down; the heavenly valley grew deep and quiet. Green vapor drifted low, bright light spread across the vast blue sky, and purple clouds of vapor rose and swirled.

The Three Origins—the energies of the heavens, earth, and waters—surged and revolved; the Four Energies, those of the four seasons, were tranquil and subtle. The mountains, rivers, and forests throughout the land became level and settled, with no distinction between high and low. The earth was like golden glass, solid yet yielding, holding a sheen within it. Dense rosy clouds and varied colors filled the scene. The perfected ones stood in attendance. The Celestial Worthy sat upright in the air, suspended above a five-colored divine dragon.

After the Celestial Worthy had recited the scripture once, the great sages of all the heavens praised him together. At that moment, the men and women of the land saw with their own eyes and wondered inwardly: From where had the heavens and earth, the stars and sun and moon, the mountains and seas, the jade terraces and jeweled pavilions, and the immortals, sages, ghosts, and gods come, to take on their present forms?

When the scripture was recited a second time, people wondered why the sun and moon alternated in their courses, why rivers and seas flowed together, and what force kept them moving without end. At the third recitation, all the celestial beings and gods turned their attention inward and perceived what was hidden and subtle. Their breath returned to the Mysterious Origin, the source of the Dao, and joined with the Dao of the Void Sovereign, an honorific for the Dao. At the fourth recitation, as the celestial beings looked up and down, the clouds and energies of the Three Realms shifted, the winds began to flow, and auspicious signs appeared one after another.

At the fifth recitation, people realized the source from which all things come into being: the Great One’s Primordial Essence is formless, yet it responds to change and brings forth the real earth. At the sixth recitation, the luminous mind opened at once. People could foresee the harmonious cycles of Yin-Yang in heaven and earth, through which all things come into being. At the seventh recitation, mysterious sweet dew fell and jade mushrooms grew of themselves. Dragons roared and tigers howled, as if their forms had appeared in response to this realization. At the eighth recitation, the body was refined into emptiness, and emptiness in turn became truth. And so…

Such miraculous powers are exceedingly rare. When the scripture had been preached for the ninth time, everyone in the assembly joyfully looked up to the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning. They grasped the opportunity to enter the Dao and understood the wondrous efficacy of Primordial Essence.

When it had been preached for the tenth time, beautiful music rang out from the heavens, with many sounds resounding together. The Jade Aspect—a sacred image symbolizing the manifestation of compassion—revealed compassion, pure as a clear, bright sky. At that time, everyone in the kingdom, men and women alike, wholeheartedly believed and accepted the teaching. All received protection and deliverance, and attained long life.

The Daoist scripture says: At that time, each time the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning completed a recitation, countless categories of Great Gods of Supreme Truth, the Primordial Essence of Taiyi (the highest and most authentic divinities of the Taiyi realm), together with innumerable divine beings from one of the ten directions, came through the air. After the first recitation, the divine beings of the east arrived; after the second, those of the south; after the third, those of the west; after the fourth, those of the north; after the fifth, those of the northeast; after the sixth, those of the southeast; after the seventh, those of the southwest; after the eighth, those of the northwest; after the ninth, those from above; and after the tenth, those from below.

When all ten recitations were complete, the countless Heavenly Perfected Great Gods of Supreme Truth, the Primordial Essence of Taiyi, from the ten directions had all arrived together. The men and women of the kingdom wholeheartedly revered them and sincerely devoted themselves, having heard the scripture.

The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning proclaimed the method of the Great One’s Primal Essence, explaining that the generation of Heaven and Earth, humanity, immortals and sages, and ghosts and spirits all depends on being conceived and nourished by “True Earth” before taking form.

The “True Earth” spoken of here is not physical, inert soil. It is the complete essence of the Dao, born before Heaven and Earth and refined through the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water). Recognizing this formless True Earth naturally enables one to attain the Dao. People should pay reverence to the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning and seek this wondrous teaching from him.

Those who came to hear the teaching were as numerous as fine rain and dense mist, beyond counting. The crowd filled half the country, pressing the ground until it tilted and sank, yet nothing could stop them. So the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning suspended a precious pearl in the air. It was no larger than a grain of millet and hung five zhang above the ground. He led the Heavenly Perfected Great Spirits, the Supreme Sages and High Worthies, the Perfected Ones of Wondrous Practice, the Yellow Elder and Primordial Emperor, the True Lord of the Great One’s Primal Essence and Wondrous Emptiness, all the true spirits within True Earth and beneath the ground, the countless assemblies of sages, and the Great One’s Primal Essence True Spirits from the boundless ten directions—along with numberless beings—into the pearl.

Those in the heavens looked up and saw the people entering through the pearl’s opening one after another. Once inside, no one could tell where they were. When they had all entered, the gathered crowd dispersed, and the ground became level again, no longer tilted or sunken.

Within the pearl, the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning finished expounding the scripture. The assembled Perfected Ones jointly witnessed and transmitted this scripture to me. The joy of that moment was beyond words. When the ritual was largely complete, the gods of the various heavens each returned to their places. In an instant, all was quiet, with no sound anywhere.

At that time, the people of Heaven and all living beings were fortunate to encounter the scripture and its teaching. They were saved far and wide, their natural lifespans preserved and sudden calamities averted. Everyone throughout the land turned toward and trusted in the Daoist teachings. All believed in the Dao, the scripture, the teacher, the teaching, the rank of the Dao, cultivation and realization, constancy, life and transformation, and the root of all things. They spoke without pretense or distortion, using upright words. They cared for one another; even people of different surnames were as close as one family. The country was stable, the people prosperous, and everyone joyfully enjoyed peace.

Now that this scripture has begun to be transmitted, everyone in the country who honors and reveres the Daoist teachings with utmost sincerity can be saved.

The Dao says: The contents described in this scripture are the inner names and hidden tones of the Lords of Heaven, the private taboos (honorific names not used publicly) of the True Kings, and the secret names of the myriad spirits.

The Great Unity Primordial Essence is formless True Earth. True Earth has no substance or shape; it is the Great Void. The Great Void transforms into earth, from which arise all the heavens and worlds of the Three Realms, along with all beings: True Immortals, dragon spirits, humans, ghosts, and others. If one understands this, joining being with nonbeing, nature with emptiness, and Shen (spirit) with the Dao, one can become a High Perfected, an exalted immortal who has attained the Dao. These are not words in common use among ordinary people. Only the highest sages who have realized the Dao, perfected beings who understand its profound principles and investigate its hidden subtleties, can fully comprehend the meaning of this chapter. Recite this scripture ten times, and the heavens will sing in response from afar, the myriad spirits will bow, and Great Unity will descend and appear. Rivers and seas will grow still, while the Primordial Essence spreads forth and brings forth life.

Mountains conceal the clouds’ Qi, while True Earth gives birth to light. The sun and moon emerge from within, manifesting forms through the formless. The celestial mechanism—the ancient instrument for observing the heavens, and a symbol of their movements—comes to a halt; demons are bound, and the vital essences of ghosts and monsters disperse. It can bring corpses that have turned back to life and restore human form to white bones.

Scholars devoted to the Dao who recite this scripture ten times will have the Five Emperors attend and protect them, and the Three Realms will bow to them. Demonic essences will lose their powers, and calamities caused by ghosts and monsters will be dispelled. Even those at death’s door, whose breath has ceased, can be saved and brought back to life. Great Unity bestows its De (Virtue/Power), and the Primordial Essence releases numinous Qi. It gathers breath in the air and summons spirits from the formless, extending one’s years and renewing life. Earth is the foundation of life.

The reason is that the scholar’s impure Qi has not yet been cleared away, and the body has not yet fully opened to the True Dao. They do not yet possess the power to subdue the ten directions or command the ordinances of Heaven. Their De can subdue and direct the earth deities and bind demonic spirits, but it can only keep the living from dying; it cannot revive the dead. If one recites this chapter carelessly, calamity may instead befall oneself.

Those who make offerings to and honor this scripture will see their household flourish and prosper for generations. They will form ties with goodness, remain untouched by every calamity, and have the spirits guard their doorways. This scripture is supremely precious and profound, unrivaled in the Jade Capital, the celestial palace of Daoist tradition. It saves people without limit and is the foundation of the myriad paths. It is lofty and vast, its blessings beyond measure.

The Dao also says: Whenever someone recites this scripture ten times, all the heavens will come together to the place of Great Unity, Primordial Essence, and True Earth. The Primordial Essence gives birth to a Dao embryo and divides forth a divine spring, making the winding paths of the underworld visible. The departed souls of ancestors across millions of generations, and the suffering consciousnesses of spirits, can all be delivered at once and ascend to the Vermilion Palace, a celestial hall. There they receive instruction for nine years, then are reborn as noble people who delight in studying the scriptures. When their cultivation and merit are complete, they can all become immortals, ascend to the Golden Palace in Heaven, and travel and feast in the Jade Capital.

When practitioners of the highest grade cultivate and recite this scripture, the Great One nurtures numinous Qi, the Earth Deity governs the Five Blessings, and the Primordial Essence enters their bodies, delivering them and enabling them to ascend to the Southern Palace. If ordinary people uphold and recite it, they can extend their years and prolong their lives. Earth is the mother of Metal—the term for Earth in the Five Phases, since Earth generates Metal…

Earth is the foundation of Original Qi—the primordial energy from which all things are formed—and Metal is true lead. Once Water encounters Metal lead, it draws close to Mercury. Those who understand the truth of this will not die. All who encounter this scripture and grasp its true meaning can cultivate the Way of Corpse Liberation: their soul and spirit briefly disperse, then, without passing through hell, they regain their bodies and roam through the vast heavens. They take in the essence of Earth and deliver countless beings from suffering. Every being in the heavenly realms and the human world receives its blessings. Its immeasurable merit and virtue benefit both the living and the dead.

Heaven holds this scripture precious and does not pass it down to later generations. A person who has attained the Way must bring gold, silver, and other treasures, and swear a solemn oath before Heaven with sincere intent before the scripture may be transmitted. If it is carelessly disclosed or treated with disrespect, disaster will reach seven generations of ancestors, keeping them for a long time in the Three Paths of suffering: hell, the realm of hungry ghosts, and the realm of beasts. Twenty-four Jade Youths and twenty-four Jade Maidens serve this scripture. They guard its words and protect the bodies of those who receive it.

The scripture says: Fast for the whole month of the first lunar month and recite it, and Taiyi Original Essence—the subtle primordial Qi transformed by Taiyi—will take form. It will end the punishments in hell for the souls of the dead from past lives, free them from forced service, and raise them to the Southern Palace. Fast and recite the scripture during the seventh lunar month, and Taiyi Original Essence will make Earth the root of life, granting the practitioner an immortal’s body.

The heavens will write a person’s name in the Yellow Registers and White Tablets, the celestial records of life, death, and merit and fault, and erase it from the register of the dead, turning death into life. Fast and recite the scripture during the tenth lunar month, and Taiyi Original Essence will make Earth the sovereign. It will dwell at the center and govern the four directions, ride upon yellow Qi, and spread abundant auspicious patterns, protecting kings, emperors, rulers and ministers, and fathers and sons.

It can stabilize a nation’s destiny, ensuring that the nation endures and its generations continue without end. It can also bring stability to the lands governed by a ruler, so that the people live in peace and the world is at peace.

Fast and recite the scripture at the Eight Seasonal Nodes, the two seasonal markers in each of the four seasons, and Taiyi Original Essence will summon the vital energies of the eight directions to gather before the Primordial Beginning. Taiyi will descend into the courtyard and bring five blessings, freeing people from the Eight Calamities and enabling them to become perfected beings of the Nine Palaces. Fast and recite the scripture on the day matching one’s birth date in the sexagenary cycle, and Taiyi Original Essence will protect one’s nature and life and grant longevity.

The formless Primordial Beginning, the most ancient ancestor, dwells before the source of life; life’s root lies hidden within the Great Mystery. Though the eyes are open, it cannot be seen: only the Empty Mystery is visible. The Empty Mystery is a treasure; those who comprehend it ascend to immortality. When soul and spirit are clear and upright, the myriad Qi endure forever. Suffering comes to an end, and the body shines with light. Divine beings of the Three Realms guard it; the Five Emperors come to welcome it, and the myriad spirits gather in homage. The person’s name is entered in the celestial records, and when merit is complete, they ascend to Shangqing.

The scripture says: On every day of practicing the Way—that is, performing Daoist cultivation rites—one should bathe with fragrant water and fast before entering a quiet chamber. Face east and click the teeth thirty-two times, directing one’s thoughts upward to the thirty-two heavens. Then bow thirty-two times, close the eyes, and meditate in stillness. Sit upright amid clouds of blue, yellow, and white Qi. Let body and mind, within and without, settle into deep darkness and silence, as though among them were a Azure Dragon, a White Tiger, a Vermilion Bird, a Black Tortoise, a lion, a white crane, a luo...

Let the radiance of the sun and moon illuminate the room, bright and clear throughout. The Qi of the Grand Unity’s Primordial Essence (the Daoist term for the original vital essence) appears as a vivid red vision, residing between the practitioner’s crown and neck. Its circular radiance shines in all ten directions, clear to behold. Then recite silently:

“Supreme Lord of the Dao, Mysterious Origin, summon forth the Three-Five Merit Officers within my body, the divine officials who convey reports, the left and right attendant messengers, the incense attendants, Jade Youths, Jade Maidens who transmit messages, the Five Emperors’ talisman officers on duty, and the incense officials on duty for this day, thirty-six of each. Have them report the matters I set forth: today is auspicious and joyful; I observe the fast and cultivate in this pure fasting hall, reciting this supreme scripture and praying to deliver beings without measure. May what I present in prayer ascend to the heavenly court and be laid directly before the honored seat of the Supreme Primordial Emperor in the thirty-second heaven.” When you have finished reciting, face east, inhale thirty-two times, and then recite the scripture.

The Wondrous Scripture of Limitless Deliverance, Supreme Grade of the Primordial Beginning

This chapter of the Primordial Beginning’s Cavern Mystery and Numinous Treasure is the supreme teaching of the Grand Unity’s Primordial Essence, as well as a secret and profound chapter of the Yellow Court that delivers beings.

The Grand Unity’s Primordial Essence separates and unites, changing and transforming spontaneously, and is present everywhere. The supreme, true origin is named “Ancestral Earth” and called “Great Void.” The Great Void is the Grand Unity; Ancestral Earth is the Primordial Essence. It conceives and nurtures the Three Realms, brings forth the heavens, and opens the three lights of the sun, moon, and stars; thus it is the foundation of Heaven and Earth.

Above it there is no further ancestral source: only the Dao exists as the substance of all things. The Dao is everywhere; there is no place that is not void, and no place that is not earth. Void and earth transform into one another, and both are roots of the Dao. The formless is called void; the formed is called earth. When void can bring forth transformation, it is True Void. When earth’s original state has no form, it is True Earth. Earth is the root of life. Those who understand the void can become immortals. The void can transform things on its own, and earth contains the most profound patterns. The Grand Unity’s Primordial Essence and True Earth are names for these mysteries.

The Five Patterns, symbols of the Dao’s laws, unfold throughout all things and give birth to the divine. Without patterns, there would be no light, no manifestation, no establishment, no accomplishment, no deliverance, and no generation or transformation.

This is the heaven within the Great Brahmā Heaven: Wuluo Xiaotai and the Jade Mountain’s Upper Capital, the supreme Great Luo Jade Clarity. It is lofty and subtle, seeming to exist and yet not to exist. The Three Flowers are arrayed there, forming the Wondrous Court of Great Being and the Golden Gate and Jade Chamber.

The gods stand in ranks amid purity and vastness; the Brahmā Qi of the Divine Empyrean flows through the ten directions. Among them are the deity of the Grand Unity’s Primordial Essence; the Emperor of Longevity at the Southern Pole; the Emperor of Azure Radiance at the Eastern Pole; the Great Divine Sima, Director of Deliverance from the World; Lord Han, the Elder, who cherishes life; and the revered gods who govern destiny, record, prolong life, increase one’s allotted years, and avert calamity. They restore form to the dead and grant life to those who have died. Today, these divine beings who deliver beings without measure review and record the affairs of the heavens, presiding in court and hearing petitions.

In the east, south, west, and north; in the northeast, southeast, southwest, and northwest; above and below, there are the Great Sages of Limitless Flying Heaven, Great Unity, and Primal Essence, who govern longevity and deliver people from suffering.

The supremely true beings of the ten directions, the immeasurable gods of Flying Heaven, Great Unity, and Primal Essence who govern longevity and deliver the world, all arrive together on auspicious clouds. They ride in vermilion carriages and blue-green chariots, adorned with canopies and painted wheels. Yellow phoenixes and five-colored golden dragons draw the vehicles, which fly the staffs of Great Unity and the spirit banners of Primal Essence. Ahead, fierce tigers roar in unison; behind, phoenixes and cranes cry together. Lions and bixie beasts sing out in ringing voices. The Old Gods of the Five Directions clear the way, while gathered immortals guard the chariot shafts. Millions upon millions of vehicles and mounted attendants descend from the sky.

They turn back the radiance of Heaven and descend among humanity, inspecting the realm of truth and rescuing living beings. The Chancellor of the Imperial Pole and the Great God Han, Director of Records and Overseer of Life at the Upper Palace of Nanchang, hold registers and ledgers as they come before the Lord Emperor. They observe transformations, probe the mysteries, and examine the crucial points of spiritual efficacy. The Gate of the Mysterious Female is the root of the eight directions. It draws the Earth Qi of the vast emptiness, causing it to gather and circulate in the air. The perfected ancestral master commands the spirits to harmonize the breath and swallow the saliva: the Earth essence in the brain flows down into the Yellow Court, a place of inner cultivation, then rises to reach the Muddy Pellet, a place of cultivation in the head. The Gate of the Mysterious Female breathes the boundless Qi of the air, and the radiance of Heaven enters the abyss. In this way, the destinies of seven generations can all be transformed into the immortal path; living beings, meanwhile, undergo strict inspection and verification according to the manner in which they are destined to be delivered.

All the heavens jointly inform the boundless gods of the Three Realms, the Office of the Springs and Underworld (which administers the affairs of the dead), the Northern Capital of Luofeng (the Daoist underworld), the Three Offices and Nine Bureaus, and the sources of the Twelve Rivers: they must release ancestors and relatives of every generation from the guilt accumulated over successive lifetimes, swiftly erase their names from the registers of sins, destroy the roots of evil, and neither detain the souls of the dead nor force them to join the ranks of ghosts.

The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning (a revered Daoist deity) issues a talismanic decree, ordering the souls of the dead to ascend at the appointed time. The Cold Pool Department of the Northern Capital guards their body and soul, subdues demonic obstacles, and recommends them so that they may attain deliverance and ascend to the appropriate rank. The dead souls in the Southern Palace (the divine bureau that oversees the refinement and transformation of the deceased) undergo refinement and are able to become immortals or be reborn as humans. Thereafter, they endure through the kalpas, remaining forever and living as long as Heaven as the cycles of the kalpas turn. They are freed forever from the Three Evil Paths (hell, hungry ghosts, and animals), the Five Sufferings, and the Eight Difficulties; they transcend the Three Realms and roam freely in the Upper Clarity. The Heaven of Upper Clarity is the colorless realm of the Celestial Emperor’s Dongzhen Cavern, and a realm of pure practice.

Eight Heavens of the East

Heaven of Bright Embodiment and Universal Life — Emperor Chuanhui Zitan

Heaven of Righteous Illumination and Ordering Yang — Emperor Yuhu Yicheng

Heaven of Divine Excellence and Transforming the Numinous — Emperor Wujing Hesun

Heaven of True Wisdom Without Bounds — Emperor Baoyuan Linan

Heaven of Radiance Upholding the Azure Scenery — Emperor Jianghui Shujia

Heaven of Following Prosperity and Gathering the Term — Emperor Zaijiang Youdi

Heaven of the Cavernous Void and Shining Numinous Power — Emperor Zhiyi Qielou

Heaven of Pure Transformation and the Dao’s Might — Emperor Weiding Neixian

Eight Heavens of the South

Heaven of Dragon Brahma and Faithful Radiance — Emperor Huanqiu Erguang

Heaven of the Great Origin and Vanishing Flame — Emperor Zheyu Bianhuai

Heaven of the Cinnabar Carriage and Level Clouds — Emperor Dangyao Fu Jiao

Heaven of Radiant Splendor and Ninefold Light — Emperor Zhuo Ran Lianju

Heaven of Literary Emptiness and Oceanic Space — Emperor Yiling Bochong

Heaven of Vermilion Brilliance and Scattered Radiance — Emperor Taogai Shuangtu

Heaven of Assisting, Trusting, and Upholding the Talisman — Emperor Miyue Jingliang

Heaven of Shining Redness and Floating Cultivation — Emperor Ali Yougong

Eight Heavens of the West

Heaven of Storing the Spirit and Extending the Mound — Emperor Chongji Zhongwen

Heaven of Golden Truth and Vast Embrace — Emperor Lushi Bixian

Heaven of True Mystery and Simple Ascension — Emperor Lianggang Zhituo

The text next lists the names of the heavens in the East, South, and West and the emperors who rule them. The names of the heavens and emperors are Daoist divine titles and are retained in accordance with the original.

The Heavens of Vast Emptiness and No Thought, Great White Heaven of Settled Truth, Heaven of Fruitful Talent and Supreme Support, Heaven of Balanced Clarity in 𩁹li, and Heaven of Sincere Merit and Reverent Celebration are five of the Eight Heavens of the North. Each is governed by a Celestial Emperor: in order, Emperor Hu Fan Dao Han, Emperor Tai Wu Tian, Emperor Luo Ru Qi Ni, Emperor Tu Lu Yan Zhi, and Emperor Bing Kang Yu Chui. The text then lists eight more heavenly names and their respective emperors: Emperor Lue Ru Jing of the Heaven of Pure Refinement and Grounding; Emperor Jue Xuan Ben of the Heaven of the Mysterious Canopy and Severed Purity; Emperor Du Xian Bian Ming of the Heaven of Hua’s Inheritance and the Cavern of Emptiness; Emperor Bao Shun Si of the Heaven of the Dao Dragon and Fulfilled Clarity; Emperor You Xuan Ding Meng of the Heaven of the Spring Palace and Calculated Truth; Emperor Ju Shen Wan Lao of the Heaven of the Dipper’s Stern Register; Emperor Miao Zai Jing Gao of the Heaven of Exorcism and Meritorious Aid; and Emperor Xiang Xi Mi Yun of the Heaven of Deeply Hidden Pearls and Conception.

Each of the thirty-two heavens has a Celestial Emperor, as well as a secret celestial taboo name, a secret name, and numinous writings naturally formed in the hollow spaces of heaven. The hidden tones of the heavens are the sounds of Taiyi (the Great One). Taiyi is a revered presence and the dwelling place of the spirits, primordial essence, and numinous vitality.

The One in emptiness transforms into Nine; Nine and One transform into the foundation of earth. The count reaches its limit at Ten, and Ten forms earth. Earth has no fixed form and can change, rising into Shangqing, the upper realm of purity and transcendent subtlety described in Daoism. Its immeasurable, profound principles are unfathomable. They spread forth and descend as divine beings, saving all humans and spirits. Today, one joyfully receives salvation, returns to the original source, comes to know the root, realizes the Great Dao, and returns to the true Dao.

Looking up to the heavens, one draws in harmonious Qi. The earth embryo and the Golden Spirits—symbols of numinous beings and vital essences in cultivation—establish signs, making life itself an omen of cultivation. One cultivates a true body and passes through the barriers. The heavens are entreated to dispel the three evils and sever the causes of death. One flies across the Five Gates, has one’s name entered in the register overseen by the Great Dark True King, a Daoist deity, and is examined and promoted. From then on, one is no longer constrained.

Note: Some characters and punctuation in the original are unusual, especially the opening names of the heavens and emperors, and the phrases “虚一爲” and “九一爲.” The translation above follows the extant text as literally as possible while clarifying its meaning.

Heaven’s Pass, the gateway to the celestial realm, is guarded by the Azure Dragon of the East, the Metal Tiger of the West, the numinous Tortoise of the North, the Quail Head of the South, and the Great Kui of the Center. These four directional powers and the central power are rooted in Earth.

Earth is the womb of Yin; only after emerging from the womb can things come into being. The Azure Emperor bestows the hun soul, the White Emperor nourishes the po soul, the Red Emperor generates Shen (spirit), the Black Emperor transmits numinous power, and the Yellow Emperor governs thought, instilling nature and life. The King of the Green Earth Spirits, Flying Spirit, drives out demons and dispels corpse ghosts. The King of the Red Earth Spirits, Gouzha, can use the force of blood and Qi (vital energy) to cow ghosts and apparitions. The King of the White Earth Spirits is Mo Jian, the King of the Black Earth Spirits is Dun Yi, and the King of the Yellow Earth Spirits is Qu Duo. Mo Jian and Dun Yi observe and eliminate spirits and monsters, and destroy wicked ghosts. The True Earth of the Five Directions is the primordial essence of Taiyi (the Great One): it extends throughout the cosmos, takes the same form as the void, and is the root of all transformations and the source of the gods. As it flies, drums accompany it; it commands the ghost troops and directs their banners and drum signals as they enter and leave the cosmos. It declares its own might and radiance, and all the heavens share in its power.

It gives birth to the two modes of Yin and Yang, transforms into the Nine Palaces, and divides the Three Realms. True Earth contains all things. The primordial essence of Taiyi enables cultivators to attain the Dao, become perfected beings, reach the spirit realm, ascend to heaven, and deliver all living beings. It keeps the King of the Northern Feng, ruler of the northern underworld, under strict command, charging him to sweep away inauspicious forces everywhere. The King of the Northern Feng has long fangs and spits venom; his head is square, his face has four aspects, and his forehead gleams like brocade. The divine generals who go before him stand in ranks like warriors, brandishing banners and hurling flames. Their bells ring across ten thousand li, and their might shakes the eight directions. If anyone dares to offend or obstruct the perfected ones who have attained the Dao, a golden axe leads the way, striking down giant beasts, while punishments are inflicted behind. Ghosts and apparitions are pursued by wind and fire without pause. Their heads are cut off by the thousands and tens of thousands, and demonic forms are wiped out, leaving demons unable to invade and ghosts unable to cause mischief.

The Three Officials, divine beings who govern the affairs of Heaven, Earth, and Water, join the Northern Feng in inspecting the strongholds of the ghost realm, leaving ghosts and apparitions nowhere to hide. The Golden Horse Courier carries this command in every direction and proclaims it throughout the boundless void; all the gods must obey. The sovereigns of the Three Realms and Five Directions submit a memorial to Shangqing, one of the celestial realms in Daoism, declaring that the primordial essence of the empty cavern, the unnamed Taiyi, belongs to the Earth phase and extends throughout the Six Emptinesses—the void above, below, and in the four directions.

The transformations of all things between Heaven and Earth arise from the divine granary, the Nine Clarities, and the One Earth within the Jade Capital and Golden City—the sacred palace described in Daoism. From these, the heavens come into being and reach completion. Without Earth, nothing could grow, nor would Yang Qi have anything to rest upon. The ancestral Earth transforms into emptiness, and from emptiness arises Longkang. In the chaos of the countless eons of antiquity, light and color emerged from the emptiness above, while an abyss emerged from the emptiness below. When emptiness reached its utmost, wind arose. The wind stirred the waters; wind and water joined, opening the emptiness into a vast, clear expanse. The Qi of adamantine strength bears the heavens.

Above and below Heaven, there is no darkness or obscurity, no form or image. This realm is boundless and endless, deep and vast, and impossible to fathom. Its domain of true Earth is called “Taiyi”; its inner name is “Primordial Essence.” The Yang Qi of Primordial Essence extends without limit, and its Red Radiance opens the celestial charts and sequences, setting Heaven and Earth in motion.

The Way of the Natural Origin first settles and guards the true Earth. The Brahma Qi of primordial emptiness transforms into writing and unfolds in five chapters. The Red Script in Jade Characters and the Dragon Script of the Eight Powers appear from it. They protect and regulate the cycles of the eons, preserving the heavens for ages. Brahma Qi spreads everywhere, and all phenomena unfold from it. The ordinances of the Primordial Beginning circulate and set in motion the Thirty-Two Heavens. The heavens revolve through the realm beyond form and circle the ten directions; the Dipper lodges turn, the Winnowing Basket returns along its course, and the Qi of the Five Constant Virtues circulates in sequence. The Qi of thirty-five divisions gathers into one.

The Eight Effulgences of the Upper Origin join with the primordial Qi hidden in the unseen and enter a realm of mystery and depth. The Supreme Emperor and the High Perfected—revered spirits who have attained the Dao—appear amid the Great Rosy Clouds and chant the Cavernous Chapters. The Golden Perfected shine with a rich radiance, their voices ringing through the clouds. Jade tones govern the primordial Qi; numinous winds gather mists and clouds. The purple void is lush with vital splendor, supporting and protecting the myriad immortals. All of this is formed through the transformations of the true Earth, Taiyi, and Primordial Essence into primordial Qi. Without Earth, nothing could be brought to completion. Earth is bound by covenant to the Great Dao.

Though Earth has no form, within it lies the power to generate true numinous beings. True Earth is like the two poles of Yin-Yang: it spreads the essence and preserves Shen, and through it, the thousands of kinds and forms unite and naturally become true. Within these numinous beings are spirits such as the Great Lord of Long Life, the Young Lord of Green Radiance, the True God Jade Consort, the Great God of Fate who governs Taiyi Primordial Essence—Taokang—and Heyan. Their bodies are transformed into jade; they spread the vital fluids and administer talismanic commands and registers. They protect life and nourish its roots. They travel above through Shangqing, enter and leave the Flowery Chambers, and move among the hidden realms of the eight directions. They also penetrate the most minute reaches, descending to guard the Muddy Pellet Palace and Crimson Palace within the human body—the inner cultivation centers of the head and heart.

They regulate the Five Qi and bring the hundred spirits into harmony. By repeatedly circulating numinous Qi, they bring the myriad Qi into balance and cultivate the immortal Way. The immortal Way prizes the cherishing of life and carries boundless merit in saving others. The scripture opens the eight gates and turns the Flying-Heaven Dharma Wheel. It explains offenses and blessings, prohibitions and precepts, past lives, and karmic ties. It offers instruction and salvation to all, enabling the souls of the dead and the bodies of the living alike to be saved, renewed, and raised up to the heavens. Above the heavens, each has its own gate of life. There are hymns of the empty cavern and numinous writings of the True Kings, whose words accord with the High Perfected.

This is the first chapter, “The Sound of Taiyi Primordial Essence and the Great Void”:

Before the Three Realms took shape, Heaven and Earth had no names, and the worlds of the ten directions were all empty.

“Emptiness” is simply a name people have given it. To regard emptiness as the Ancestor of the Dao, or to use it to describe the Dao’s form, is to mistake the matter. People understand emptiness as the absence of everything and imagine it pervading all things as one undifferentiated whole. But this is not the truth of the Dao.

Most beings know only the name “Earth.” Confined by the idea of emptiness, they cannot see the reality of the Dao. They do not understand true “emptiness” because “emptiness” is not its original name. Those who cling to emptiness and abandon the Dao, remaining with the notion and reputation of emptiness, do not understand what emptiness truly is. What is called “emptiness” is, in fact, existence without form.

What is without form? It is True Earth—the primal essence that Daoism speaks of. Not knowing True Earth, people mistakenly take it for emptiness. If emptiness were merely inert and still, how could it give rise to the myriad things? Know, then, that the Three Realms, the Myriad Heavens and Nine Pure Ones, Jade Capital Mountain, and the lofty terraces of Yuluo cannot arise spontaneously from emptiness; they arise from Earth. The “Earth” spoken of here is called “True Emptiness,” and it gives rise to transformations of every kind. If you seek truth apart from “emptiness,” all you find is illusion. Do not cling to this kind of emptiness, or it will cloud your vision.

Sweep away the veil of emptiness, and True Earth will be revealed. The Dao’s substance is vast and boundless; nothing lies beyond its power to accomplish. As a sign, practitioners take the Mysterious Female—the Daoist source of generation and transformation—and absorb the essence of True Earth in their daily practice. In this way they can attain long life and roam through Red Citadel, the realm of immortals. Once the Qi of True Earth is established, the immortal body can be realized.

Second: Chapter of the True King of Great Unity’s Primordial Essence

The lofty Upper Divine Empyrean, the far-reaching realm of the Divine Empyrean, lies a million li above the earth and encircles the eight directions. True spirits roam there and cast their light down; within the realm of the Divine Empyrean, the azure sky is their dwelling. People do not understand that this azure sky is precisely where True Earth resides. It is not the muddy, Yin-laden earth of the human world, but the source that independently nurtures all things: when a year ends, it removes the old; when the moon turns, it renews itself; with the arrival of spring it revives, and in summer it flourishes.

Moreover, this True Earth is Wuwei (non-action) and without form. One cannot say that it exists, nor that it does not exist; it is the gateway through which all things transform. Clouds gather to form the empyrean, upheld by a firm and vigorous force. One can walk upon it as though treading on soft cotton, yet it can bear a weight of ten thousand jun. Jade terraces endure for countless kalpas, and magnificent halls spread in every direction.

The realm sustained by primordial breath (fanqi)—the pure, original Qi that precedes Heaven and Earth—is lofty without seeming forbidding. Within it lies the true soil, the original substance from which Heaven, Earth, and all things are formed. Divine power holds everything firmly together. The primordial essence transformed by Taiyi is beyond the knowledge of ordinary people.

Now I sing this chapter, and my clear, resonant voice naturally accords with Li, the Fire trigram.

Chapter Three: “Song of the True King and the Primordial Essence of Taiyi”

At dawn I climb Mount Taiyuan; at dusk I feast at the source of the Celestial River. The human world has already undergone two cataclysms, while spring is in full bloom on Mount Langfeng.

Immortals adjust their star-feathered crowns and travel by dragon, riding the divine wind. The journey of ascent is too vast to measure in miles, and purple clouds drift in a hazy swirl. Jade Maidens strike their instruments, sounding clear and far-reaching notes.

The immortals call to those lost in the great calamities, hoping they will rouse themselves with joy and climb the waves of cloud. Incense smoke rises among green windows; rosy clouds, like red brocade, swirl through the purple sky, and emerald towers soar above. Lightning-bright banners stream with the clouds; rainbows stretch out as bridges of jade, and myriad immortals dance to a wondrous sacred song.

The three thousand great thousand worlds were all shaped from the true soil. Yet ordinary people do not know the source of the Dao and De. They abandon the sacred Way and chase after splendor. Moved by compassion for beings in the mortal world, the immortal sings this song and plays the cloud gong, an instrument used by immortals.

This is the song sung by the True King above the Three Realms, in the open void. Every line accords with the Cavern scriptures. Recite it a hundred times, and your name will be entered in the Southern Palace. Recite it a thousand times, and the True King will protect and welcome you. Recite it ten thousand times, and when your cultivation and merit are complete, you will ascend into the vast sky, pass beyond the Three Realms, and take your place among the immortals.

For anyone who hears this sacred music, the True King will watch over them and command the earth spirits to guard and escort them. They will be freed from the gates of hell and spared the Five Sufferings and Eight Hardships. Their ancestors of seven generations will rise to a higher realm and leave the offices of the ghosts forever. Their souls will be guided to Zhuling, where the spirits of the dead are refined and delivered; after this refinement, they will be reborn. This is called boundless salvation, delivering beings without limit.

This is a secret text from Heaven, revered by all the heavenly realms. Anyone who reveals or treats it lightly will fall into hell, bringing calamity upon their ancestors of seven generations.

The scripture says: These two chapters are the secret words transmitted by the emperors of the heavens and the most numinous True Kings. They serve to identify the true Earth, the place where the Dao resides. The Great Unity’s original essence is nurtured within it. Those who can understand these words and cultivate in accordance with them will avoid misfortune and decline. Nature belongs to Metal; the empty space is Earth. The child follows the mother, and the heart and spirit become harmonious and settled. Hold fast to this state, and with every breath remain close to the mountain of Great Origin. The Giant Tower and Twin Streams are where true Qi is received and turbid Qi expelled; they are what life depends upon. When empty delusion is extinguished and true Earth appears, the myriad energies can replenish the self. When spirit and Qi merge, the gate of death closes of its own accord. These are the words of the Great Brahma Heaven, not ordinary worldly expressions. They have neither rhyme nor ornate melody, and so are called mysterious and profound, beyond exhaustive inquiry.

This scripture is a secret classic treasured in Heaven, kept in the palace of the Jade Pure King of Divine Empyrean in the Mysterious Capital. The Great Lord Renchen descended under a sacred command to transmit it. Those who cultivate the Dao may receive the transmission only after offering gold and precious objects as tokens of faith, sincerely following the established rites, and swearing an oath before the Ten Directions.

The scripture also says that the workings of Heaven and Earth pass through flourishing and decline, beginning and ending; the sun, moon, and five planets likewise wax and wane. Sages and divine beings who have succeeded in cultivating the Dao can pass through times of decline in peace. If beginners encounter illness or calamity, all who resonate with them in Qi should join together to undertake a purification ritual, burn incense at the six watches, and recite the scripture ten times. In this way, blessings and De will descend and dispel every kind of ill omen. This immeasurable scripture can save beings everywhere without limit.

If someone who is new to the Dao and has only shallow understanding, whose cultivation toward the ranks of immortals is not yet complete, is nearing the end of their allotted lifespan and their body is close to death, then, as they pass through the realm of Great Yin, fellow cultivators who have attained the Dao should burn incense and recite the scripture ten times, then perform the rites to deliver their corpse. In this way, Great Unity will protect their dwelling, original essence will fill their body, and the True King will send the Qi of long life to join with them. Their hun and shen will ascend directly to the Southern Palace. Then, according to the merits of their ordinary cultivation, the days will be reckoned until they are granted rebirth. Through such cycles they will not lose their way, and in the end they will become divine immortals.

If the workings of Heaven and Earth are nearing their end, the stars fall into disorder, the sun and moon lose their light, the seasons become irregular, and Yin-Yang falls out of balance; if disaster strikes the state and warfare, punishment, hauntings, theft, and epidemics spread, causing people to die or suffer injury; if teachers and friends pass away, and cultivators of the Dao also suffer calamity, then they should undertake a purification ritual, burn incense, and recite the scripture. The merit of purification and recitation is immense: above, it can dispel celestial disasters and protect and secure the emperor; below, it can drive out poisons and save the people. The living and the dead alike can receive its blessings. This De is beyond measure, and so it is called “the immeasurable universal salvation of Heaven’s and humanity’s beings.”

The Dao says: Whenever someone can perform the meritorious work of upholding this scripture for Heaven and Earth, the emperor, and the people, then, on days when calamities occur, if they resolve to undertake a purification retreat, burn incense, and recite the scripture ten times, all the heavens will record their name, and the gods will protect them. Such a person may be counted among the perfected, and may ultimately hope to become a minister in the Golden Palace of the Sage Sovereign—the celestial emperor’s palace. The heavens record people’s merits and faults, leaving out nothing, however small; the true kings in Heaven will also recommend and protect you. Only those who cultivate the Dao and attain it can truly understand these highest principles.

The immeasurable sounds of the Great Brahma’s hidden words among the heavens, composed by the Lord of the Dao. The following are the hidden words of the four directions of the heavens, listed in the Central Section of the Primordial Spirit Text of Great Unity.

The sequences of characters listed after the eight heavens of the East, South, West, and North are the “Great Brahma’s hidden words” found in Daoist scriptures. They are sacred sound-texts symbolizing the celestial realms, rather than ordinary classical Chinese sentences, and cannot be translated word for word into vernacular language. They are used in sequence to designate the heavenly realms of each direction, and their recitation forms part of liturgical practice.

This is a celestial script that commands the spirits and conveys the emperor’s talismanic mandate, as though a covenant had been established amid a sea of fire. (The opening lines may contain textual errors or omissions, and their meaning is difficult to determine with certainty.)

The scripture says: These Great Brahmā hidden words of Heaven are boundless celestial sounds. The True King of the Great Beginning once used a brush of dark-hunt hair to gather them together and write them across the open expanse of space. These characters sometimes hide and sometimes appear, summoning the vital energy of the Primordial Essence of the Great One. From them arose the Primordial Ancestral Earth, and from them came the myriad spirits. They are the matrix of all things within chaos, and the sign that appears before the Great Mystery issues its commands.

Those who understand these principles know that although the body appears in the world, it is originally empty; only when Jing and Qi dwell within it does a body take shape. The body will eventually wear away, and what is real returns to nothingness; nothingness is emptiness. The body enters the Great Nonbeing, entering the realm of emptiness, where it disperses and transforms like smoke, spreading throughout the myriad heavens. Then, from emptiness, it can appear again as an immortal. It manifests in response to circumstances and affinities: when a thought arises, it appears; when the thought is forgotten, it returns to the mystery. No one can know how this happens; it simply occurs of itself.

Each of these characters is one zhang tall. The Celestial Perfected Sovereign once wrote them down as the true sounds. If someone understands their sounds and meanings, and can observe purification and recite them, the heavens will send flying celestial spirit-kings to inspect that person, record their merits, and report them to the heavens. The myriad spirits will come to pay homage, the earth deities will attend at the gate, and the Great Merit Demon King will recommend them. Such a person’s cultivation of the Dao will be complete, and in the end they will be able to travel through the Three Realms and ascend to the Golden Gate.

These celestial sounds drive away every evil influence, dispel every calamity, deliver all beings, and bring all things to completion. They are the sounds of the Celestial Perfected, arising naturally. Thus, reciting them brings the True King down to inspect; the Lord on High answers in song from afar, the myriad spirits come to pay homage, and the gods of the Three Realms guard the procession. All evil spirits bow their heads, and ghosts and apparitions vanish of themselves. The clear, resonant chant rings out in every direction; the ten directions grow tranquil, rivers and seas lie calm, and mist clears from the mountains. The myriad spirits are awed into submission, and the gathered immortals assemble. No defilement remains in Heaven, and no evil dust remains on Earth. The hidden wisdom shines through with clarity: this is the vast and wondrous realm of mystery.