《靈寶無量度人上品妙經》Vol. 14

The Dao tells everyone: Long ago, in the Purple Yang Void-Song Great Treasure Land of the Red Radiance Heaven, the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning preached the Scripture of the Sun’s Essence, Yang Brightness, and Limitless Deliverance, Supreme Grade. The Celestial Worthy first recited the scripture ten times, summoning the divine immortals from the ten directions to attend the assembly.

The great gods of the Heavenly Realms, the highest sages and honored ones, and the perfected beings of wondrous practice arrived through the air, along with the emperor and empress of the Dongyang Sun Palace, their consorts, the celestial officials within the sun, immortal people, and countless other beings. Crimson clouds, scarlet skies, green carriages, jade wheels, and flower canopies shone upon one another, casting shade over the sunlight of the sun’s essence. The nine-colored radiance grew dense and brilliant, illuminating the vast heavens. For seven days and seven nights, the luminous essences of the stars and constellations descended from the heavens, their lights interweaving and reflecting one another, brightening the divine palace at the edge of the celestial realm. The heavenly pivot settled into stillness. The jade gui and golden heng ceased turning, coming to rest in proper alignment. The divine wind subsided, and heaven and earth grew quiet. Clouds between the mountains and seas drew inward; the sky cleared, and the Qi of Yang Brightness flowed pure and lucid.

Throughout the land, the earth, mountains, rivers, and forests became level and uniform, with no differences in height. The entire ground turned to red jade, its color without variation. The perfected beings stood in attendance beside the seat. The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning sat upright in the air upon a ritual seat atop a jewel mountain of blazing Yang Brightness, encircled by nine dragons, and began to preach.

At the first recitation, the great sages of all the heavens praised him in unison. At that time, men and women throughout the land looked up at the sun’s essence and its radiant splendor. Nine streams of rosy Yang Brightness spread throughout the heavens. Everyone understood that this pure, true vital essence was the source of all things.

At the second recitation, a thousand kinds of jeweled light appeared in the Sun Palace, and the celestial immortals and the people all turned toward the right path.

At the third recitation, the world within the sun was supported by the forceful wind and stood alone in the air, moving without pause.

At the fourth recitation, scrolls of the jade scripture traveled upon the clouds as purple-gold light gathered and shone down over the boundless earth, causing all things to grow and ripen.

At the fifth recitation, heavenly writing and the script of the Great Brahma appeared within the sun. The characters spiraled, and the rosy light wound in curves; even their hidden, difficult meanings were fully understood.

At the sixth recitation, the Qi of Dongyang rose to a height of nine million zhang and extended downward to the farthest reaches of the eight directions. Sages and precious metals and stones came into being through this Qi.

At the seventh recitation, the Qi of Dongyang became bright and clear, illuminating even the darkest places. White bones and frozen remains received the warmth of the sunlight; they rose with its radiance and escaped the sea of the netherworld.

At the eighth recitation, red light spread in all four directions, jade revealed its essence, and the Yang souls responded to its influence, all transforming into cinnabar-colored essence.

At the ninth recitation, perfected beings and hidden immortals dwelling in caverns and mountain ridges followed the light toward dawn, opening and flourishing the roots of all things.

The original text is incomplete from the words “At the tenth recitation” onward, so there is no corresponding content here.

Sunlight shines everywhere, auspicious signs appear, and all things gather vitality. The Golden Liquids—precious numinous fluids in Daoist teaching—flow and abound, turning even withered and decayed things into treasures. At this time, every man and woman in the land wholeheartedly turns toward the Dao and its teachings. All receive protection and deliverance, and attain long life.

The scripture says: At this time, the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning (Yuanshi Tianzun), a revered Daoist deity, expounds the scripture for the first time. The Great God of the Azure Emperor, from among the immeasurable ranks of the Eastern region—the kinds of celestial beings dwelling in the sun—and his countless attendants arrive through the air. When the scripture is expounded for the second time, the Great God of the Red Emperor and his countless attendants, from among the immeasurable ranks of the Southern region, arrive through the air. At the third recitation, the Great God of the White Emperor and his countless attendants, from the immeasurable ranks of the Western region, arrive through the air. At the fourth, the Great God of the Black Emperor and his countless attendants, from the immeasurable ranks of the Northern region, arrive through the air. At the fifth, the Great God of the Yellow Emperor and his countless attendants, from the immeasurable ranks of the Northeast, arrive through the air. At the sixth, the Great God Yuyi Chibiao and his countless attendants, from the immeasurable ranks of the Southeast, arrive through the air. At the seventh, the Great God Yuyi Zijing and his countless attendants, from the immeasurable ranks of the Southwest, arrive through the air. At the eighth, the Great God Yuyi Yanxiang and his countless attendants, from the immeasurable ranks of the Northwest, arrive through the air. At the ninth, the Great God Yuyi Jinzang and his countless attendants, from the immeasurable ranks above, arrive through the air. At the tenth, the Great God Yuyi Yangming and his countless attendants, from the immeasurable ranks below, arrive through the air.

When the scripture has been expounded ten times, the Sovereign of the Sun Soul from the immeasurable worlds in the ten directions, together with countless great celestial gods, arrives all at once. The men and women throughout the land are filled with reverence and admiration. They confer with one another, saying, “In the past, by virtue of our accumulated blessings, we long received the power of the Dao. We were born in the realm of the Dao and came to dwell above the sun and moon. We knew only that we rode upon radiance, and that flowing scenes of light illuminated the heavens. We also knew of seas and mountains surging, and of palaces and gardens transformed into the subtle hue of true gold. Today, the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning has shown us the method of Solar Essence and Yang Brightness—the practice of refining with the sun’s essence and Yang energy. It can cleanse and nourish the Qi of profound Yang, enabling people to absorb radiance and fill their bones and marrow with the utmost Yang energy, until flesh and bone become like gold. The Three Origins and Nine Qi—the primordial energies of Heaven and Earth in Daoist teaching—envelop and nourish all things. Without solar essence, those who have advanced deeply in cultivation cannot be nourished. As for refining metals and stones externally, and preparing water…”

Fire, the sun, and the moon each have their fixed measure. The power of creation can bring wondrous things to completion. People nurture their own bodies inwardly, while the sun symbolizes the heart and spirit. The primordial Qi within the sun shines through all thirty thousand gateways. Many divine youths hurry through them, bathing in sunlight. The sun is also like a fire dragon, able to refine the earthen crucible in the stomach—an image that likens the stomach to a furnace—into jade fluid. After a thousand days of cultivation, its effects become visible, and the true Dao is attained.

What I know is only the outer edge of the Daoist teachings. What the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning has proclaimed must contain still deeper mysteries. I long to hear the subtler teachings and open the barriers in my heart.

Those who came to hear the teaching were as boundless as fine rain and dense mist. They crowded so densely that half the land of the kingdom sank under their weight, and nothing could stop it. The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning then looked in every direction, surveying the assembly, and stretched out an arm shining with purple-gold light. Wearing a robe of nine-colored Dongxiao fire-jade silk, and drawing on great supernatural powers, the Celestial Worthy extended the arm for three hundred and thirty thousand li and plucked down the sun, as one might reach up to pick a sweet fruit.

The sun hung high, red with fire, its radiance shining in all ten directions as it appeared from the Empty Mystery. Its round form was full and bright; within it were mountains and forests, rivers and seas, palaces and walled cities. Countless immortal people lived there freely and at ease, as though gold were held within precious crystal. The celestial beings in the assembly saw this scene close at hand.

The Celestial Worthy then transformed the sun into a jewel only as small as a grain of millet. It hung in the Empty Mystery, nine zhang above the ground. The Celestial Worthy led the Heavenly Perfected, great spirits, supreme sages, exalted lords, perfected ones of wondrous practice, the emperors and empresses within the sun, and countless gods and other beings into the jewel together. The celestial beings looked up and saw figures faintly entering through its opening. Once inside, no one could tell where they were. The ground of the kingdom immediately grew level again and no longer tilted or sank.

Within the jewel, the Celestial Worthy finished expounding the scripture. The perfected ones oversaw and presided over this deliverance, then transmitted the scripture and teaching to me. The joy and celebration of that moment are beyond words. The ritual was nearly complete. The heavens returned to their proper places, and in an instant all around fell silent.

At that time, the celestial beings and all living creatures were fortunate to encounter the scripture and teaching. They were delivered in great numbers and each preserved their lifespan, suffering no harm. Everyone throughout the kingdom turned toward and honored the Daoist teachings, devoting themselves to goodness. They understood the Dao, the truth, the teachings, the precepts, the scriptures, and the principles; they understood Yin and Yang, spirit and Qi. Their words accorded with the sacred chapters, and they spoke no falsehood. They shared one heart and loved one another; even people of different surnames could be as close as family. The kingdom was secure, the people prosperous, and all rejoiced in the peace.

The scripture and teaching first spread out to transform a kingdom. All who, with utmost sincerity, revered and honored the Daoist teachings could be delivered from the suffering of the world.

The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning said: The contents of this scripture are all the inner names and secret tones used by the God within the sun, as well as taboo names that the solar officials—the spirits who govern the sun—do not transmit publicly. The sun is the source of the Three Qi, the primordial energies that form all things between Heaven and Earth, and the father of all Yang energy. By gazing up at it, immortals can reach the state of the boundless; by guiding it, they can bring emptiness and fullness into mutual generation within the Heavenly Valley, the place of cultivation inside the body, and give birth to the Purple True One. By visualizing it, they can dispel corpse energy and refine and nourish the hun and po souls; by moving toward it, they can receive the infusion of the Nine Rosy Clouds. The transformations of Heaven and Earth arise from it, and through it cultivators can attain the sacred and wield the power of the spirits.

These are no ordinary words of the world. Only the highest sages who have become perfected beings, penetrated the mystery, and probed the hidden depths can fully understand the passages within. Recite this scripture ten times, and auspicious radiance will appear. The Five Emperors will come to pay their respects; the divine crow will spread its radiant wings, and golden vital energy will rise and shine. The red celestial carriage will halt, its crimson wheels no longer turning; the host of demons will be bound, and the spirits of ghosts will lose their power. Corpses can come back to life, the dead can be restored, and white bones can be made whole again as human bodies.

Those who aspire to cultivate the Dao and recite this scripture ten times will be visited and protected by the Five Emperors, while the gods of the Three Realms bow before them. The light of Yangming will shine in all directions, blazing like fire. Demonic spirits will lose their power, and ghosts and evil influences will vanish. Even those near death, whose breath has ceased, can be saved and brought back to life.

This is because the foul energy within a cultivator has not yet been fully dispelled, the body has not yet completely reached the state of penetrating the true realm, and the cultivator cannot yet command the sun’s vital essence. Their power is not strong enough to restrain the laws of Heaven. Thus, although they can make the earth spirits obey and bind demonic beings, they can only hold death at bay; they cannot restore the dead to life. To recite this scripture carelessly will bring calamity upon oneself.

Offerings and reverence to this scripture will bring prosperity to the household, flourishing across generations and a bond with goodness. No disaster can intrude, and the spirits will guard the home. This scripture is supremely honored and mysterious, unmatched in the Jade Capital, the sacred celestial realm of Daoism. Its power to save living beings is without end, and it is the root of the myriad Dao. Its scope is vast and exalted, and its Virtue is beyond full description.

The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning also said: Whenever this scripture is recited ten times, the spirit of Yangming will descend, the celestial palaces of the immortal realm will turn in their courses, the veils of the Nine Yin will part, and light will arise within the gates of the Yellow Springs. The wandering souls of ancestors from countless generations, along with the dead who suffer, can all be saved at once and ascend to the Vermilion Palace, a celestial palace in the Daoist heavens. Each will undergo nine years of instruction, after which they may be reborn as a person of noble status.

If ordinary people delight in studying and reciting this scripture, then, as the days and months accumulate, Yin Qi gradually wanes and Yang Qi gradually flourishes. Their bodies can thereby be refined and transformed, and divine radiance enters their hearts, leaving their minds like the morning sunlight. All five viscera are transformed into gold, after which they receive deliverance and ascend to the Southern Palace.

People of the world who uphold and recite this scripture can prolong their lives. In the end, all can cultivate the path of “corpse liberation”—the Daoist way of casting off the body and transcending this world.

The essence of sunlight appears in the sky, while dense purple mists spread far and wide. The spirit abode—that is, the place where body and mind reside—becomes quiet and peaceful; the celestial spirit rises high, and the soul and spirit grow calm in turn. Even if the physical body is temporarily destroyed, one need not pass through hell: the body can be restored, and one can roam through the vast heavens. This scripture is subtle and vast, and its power to deliver living beings is inexhaustible. All gods and humans receive its blessings and gain immeasurable merit; both the living and the dead benefit from it.

Heaven keeps this scripture in its treasure store, and it must not be passed casually to ordinary people. A true adept must prepare gold, silk, and other valuables, and make a sincere oath before the scripture may be transmitted. If it is carelessly divulged or treated with disrespect, disaster will befall nine generations of one’s ancestors, and they will be made to serve the underworld officials for a long time. Attending this scripture are twenty-four Jade Youths and twenty-four Jade Maidens of the Five Emperors. They guard the text and protect the bodies of those who receive it.

The scripture says: If you keep the fast and recite this scripture throughout the first month, the Five Emperors will bestow registers upon you—the lists of names granted by Daoist authorities to practitioners. Through the power of Yangming, you will deliver departed souls, free them from service in the underworld, and raise them to the Southern Palace.

If you keep the fast and recite this scripture throughout the seventh month, the essence of sunlight will turn into flowing golden radiance. The Red Youth, a divine being, will hold out a bottle and let you drink jade nectar, the elixir of the immortals. In this way, you will preserve your life for a long time without decline and ultimately become an immortal. The gods of the heavens will enter your name in the Yellow Registers and White Tablets, the celestial records of immortals, and erase it from the register of the dead, turning death into life.

If you keep the fast and recite this scripture throughout the tenth month, the Pool of the Sun, a pool of sunlight in heaven, will pour forth its radiance. Vermilion blossoms and jade flowers will shine together; dewdrops will gather on their stamens, and golden clouds will give off fragrance. This will bring peace to kings, emperors, rulers and ministers, and fathers and sons, allowing the realm to enjoy lasting peace and its generations to continue. It will also bring order to the lands ruled by the sovereign, so that the people may live in peace and the world be at harmony.

If you recite this scripture on the Eight Seasonal Nodes, the eight festivals held sacred in Daoism, the essence of sunlight will merge into one and contain primordial light as it encircles the Jade Capital, the celestial abode of the immortals. Gaze from afar and bow before its golden radiance; aspire to the Way of Yangming, and you may become a Perfected of the Nine Palaces.

If you recite this scripture on your natal day, the day of your birth, you can bring peace to the spirit palace within yourself. Vermilion chariot wheels and embroidered banners will arise with the sun. Once you receive a Daoist name, your soul and spirit will be clear and upright, and the myriad Qi will endure forever, beyond all suffering. Your body will shine with radiance, attendants will guard you throughout the Three Realms, the Five Emperors will send messengers to welcome you, and the myriad spirits will come to pay homage. Your name will be entered in the celestial registers; when your merit is complete, you will ascend to Shangqing, the exalted heavens of Daoism.

The scripture also says: On days when Daoist rites are performed, one should bathe with fragrant water, observe a pure fast, enter the chamber, face east, and click the teeth thirty-two times… (The original text ends here unfinished.)

When presenting a report to the thirty-two heavens (the thirty-two celestial levels in Daoist cosmology), bow inwardly thirty-two times. Sit quietly with your eyes closed, visualizing yourself within purple clouds of nine colors, surrounded inside and out by a deep, dusky haze. The Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise, together with lions and white cranes, stand in ranks on either side. The sun and moon shine down, filling the room with clear light. Above your head, a round orb of light appears, its radiance illuminating the ten directions. Once the visualization is clear, silently recite the secret incantation:

Supreme Lord of the Dao, highest and most mysterious, please summon from within my body the Three-Five Officers of Merit (divine officials who carry documents and communicate with the gods), the messengers on my left and right, the jade youths who attend to incense, the jade maidens who transmit messages, the Five Emperors’ duty talisman officials, and the incense officers on duty today—thirty-six of each. Have them carry the words I present today up to the celestial court. Today is an auspicious day. In a pure fasting hall, I observe the long fast and cultivate this scripture, the Scripture of Limitless Salvation. May the matters I pray and report be conveyed upward and presented directly before the Supreme Original Emperor, the honored lord of the unsurpassed thirty-two heavens.

(Bow to conclude.)

Draw in Qi toward the east thirty-two times, then recite the scripture.

The Wondrous Supreme Scripture of Limitless Salvation by the Primordial Beginning

The Primordial Cavern-Mystery Lingbao Original Text says: The essence of the sun belongs to Yang; its radiance shines forth, and it is a scripture of the highest rank. It illuminates all things and delivers living beings. In concealed, rhythmic language, the scripture describes how Heaven, Earth, the sun, and the moon came into being. The joining and separation, the transformations of its written characters, all arise naturally.

Before chaos divided and Heaven and Earth had taken shape, the original True Qi already existed. The moon was like a watery womb, and the sun like an essence of gold. The sun was shaped like a pellet, while the moon’s embryo resembled an egg. Within them, five-colored currents of light revolved, forming five layers of radiance. The sun lay at the center, the moon encircled it, and primordial Qi enveloped them; gradually, Heaven and Earth took shape.

Earth Qi rose to become Heaven, and Heaven and Earth joined. The essential Qi of Heaven and Earth remained in a state of chaos; the clear and turbid Qi had not yet separated. This state was called the “womb origin.” After Heaven and Earth opened and formed, the sun and moon each took shape. The sun’s essential Qi was radiant, and its number corresponded to nine and five, in accordance with the position of the Qian trigram. The sun rose in the east from Fusang, like a flying dragon soaring into the sky; from this, Metal and Water separated. Thus the sun was formed: it rose by day and set at night, following the meridian path marked by Zi and Wu. The sun was round, with a diameter of ninety thousand [the original does not specify a unit of measurement].

Within the sun are a city of gold and the Palace of Cavernous Yang. In the palace is a grove of empty-blue trees. Those who eat the grove’s flowers and fruits share the sun’s longevity. Riding the force of strength, they fly through Highest Clarity, pass through the kalpas of the Mysterious Origin and the Primordial Ancestor, bring forth the various heavens, and open and illuminate the Three Luminaries of sun, moon, and stars. This is the “root of Heaven.” Above it there is no higher ancestor; only the Dao is the foundation. The Precious Writ of Yu Yi is the Sun Emperor’s sacred red script.

They broadly opened up Heaven and Earth and widely established the divine spirits. Without “patterning,” there can be no brightness, manifestation, establishment, or accomplishment; without it, there can be no transformation through teaching or generation and transformation. Such is the scene in the highest heaven of Great Brahma.

There are Jasper Pools, Crimson Terraces, Red Forests, and Cinnabar Capitals. Nine dragons draw the Yang-Sun Mirror, a legendary divine object that reflects sunlight, as they surge upward toward the City of the Sun. The heavenly realm is lofty, distant, and deep, seeming at once to exist and not to exist. Earthly blossoms are set apart; there are the Great and Wondrous Court, golden gates, and jade chambers, arrayed in tiers. The pure, sacred primordial Qi of the Divine Empyrean surrounds the ten directions.

Among them are divine beings who govern the Sun’s essence and Yang-brightness; the Lord of Longevity at the Southern Pole, a revered deity who presides over long life; the Emperor Lord of Azure Florescence at the Eastern Pole, a revered deity who presides over salvation; the Great God Sima, who oversees deliverance from the world; Lord Han the Elder, who cherishes life; and the revered deities who govern fate, official records, longevity, allotted years, and the overcoming of calamity. They control people’s registers of fate, lifespans, and misfortunes. They can also revive remains and bring the dead back to life, saving limitless beings.

Today, as the scripture is being collated and recorded, the divine spirits of the heavens descend together before the throne.

From the East: the King of the Gods in the Sun, who flies through the heavens without limit; the Great Sage of Longevity, who saves beings without measure.

From the South: the King of the Gods in the Sun, who flies through the heavens without limit; the Great Sage of Longevity, who saves beings without measure.

From the West: the King of the Gods in the Sun, who flies through the heavens without limit; the Great Sage of Longevity, who saves beings without measure.

From the North: the King of the Gods in the Sun, who flies through the heavens without limit; the Great Sage of Longevity, who saves beings without measure.

From the Northeast: the King of the Gods in the Sun, who flies through the heavens without limit; the Great Sage of Longevity, who saves beings without measure.

From the Southeast: the King of the Gods in the Sun, who flies through the heavens without limit; the Great Sage of Longevity, who saves beings without measure.

From the Southwest: the King of the Gods in the Sun, who flies through the heavens without limit; the Great Sage of Longevity, who saves beings without measure.

From the Northwest: the King of the Gods in the Sun, who flies through the heavens without limit; the Great Sage of Longevity, who saves beings without measure.

From Above: the King of the Gods in the Sun, who flies through the heavens without limit; the Great Sage of Longevity, who saves beings without measure.

From Below: the King of the Gods in the Sun, who flies through the heavens without limit; the Great Sage of Longevity, who saves beings without measure.

The supremely true Great Gods of the ten directions, who fly through the heavens in the Sun and bring limitless deliverance from the world, ride together on radiant clouds like the morning mist, in carriages adorned with bells of cinnabar jade. The carriages are decorated with red lotuses and have vermilion wheels. Vermilion phoenixes and dragons of the Sun’s essence draw them. The gods carry brilliant ceremonial standards and raise crimson banners of numinous coral. Nine phoenixes lead the procession, crying out in unison; eight luan birds follow, playing their music together. Lions and divine sparrows join in with their high, resonant calls.

The Five Emperors opened the way. Sun Immortals supported the shafts of the chariot, while tens of millions of chariots and thousands upon thousands of mounted attendants came floating through the air. They sent down radiance, turned the imperial chariots around, and inspected the true Dao, saving and delivering living beings. The Chancellor of the Golden Palace and the Great God Han, Director of Registers and Overseer of the Living in the Upper Palace of Nanchang, arrived together before the Emperor Lord, holding lists of names and keeping the registers.

According to the beings each was destined to save, they carefully examined the heavens and made the matter known throughout the Three Realms, the boundless divine realm, and the offices of the underworld: the Court of Quanqu, the Northern Capital of Luofeng, the Three Offices and Nine Bureaus, and the sources of the Twelve Rivers. In this way, they released ancestors, parents, and relatives of every generation from the burdens accumulated over many lifetimes; dispelled illness, erased entries in the registers of sins, and destroyed the roots of evil. They prevented the souls of the dead from being detained or tormented, or from being lumped together with the ghostly multitudes.

When the time set by the talismanic decree arrived, the souls of the dead ascended and departed. The Cold Pool Bureau of the Northern Capital guarded their bodies and souls, subdued demonic obstacles, and vouched for them, enabling their deliverance and ascent through the ranks. The dead souls of the Southern Palace, after undergoing refinement and deliverance, could be transformed into immortals; the living, once they had received deliverance, could endure through kalpas. Whatever cycles of kalpas the world might undergo, they could live as long as Heaven, forever escape the Three Paths, Five Sufferings, and Eight Difficulties, transcend the Three Realms, and ascend freely to the Heaven of Highest Clarity, reaching the realm of the Jade Emperor’s luminous cave, beyond form, where they would follow the Brahma conduct.

“Refinement and deliverance” is an important concept in Daoist rites for delivering the dead. It refers to using ritual ceremonies and divine power to free the souls of the dead from the torments of the underworld and raise them to a higher state. The Three Paths, Five Sufferings, and Eight Difficulties together summarize the hardships and obstacles endured by the dead or by living beings.

Eight Heavens of the East

Imperial Radiance, Jade Beam Heaven — Emperor Zongmo Weicui

Nine Elixirs, Shining Splendor Heaven — Emperor Duyan Qiushao

Green Forest, Reviving Yang Heaven — Emperor Yulang Xizhang

Sun Truth, Precious Wisdom Heaven — Emperor Zeqing Shoujin

Dawn Brightness, Awakening to Mysteries Heaven — Emperor Jingwei Gaosheng

Realm of Joy, Contemplating the Origin Heaven — Emperor Shutu Liu

Azure Wilds, Transformed Capital Heaven — Emperor Donggao Xingyun

Tortoise’s Neck, Shining Brightness Heaven — Emperor Lihua Tingzuo

Eight Heavens of the South

Sun Chariot, Vermilion Brightness Heaven — Emperor Guangchi Kan

Red Pivot, Leftward-Round Chariot Spirit Heaven — Emperor Limeng Yinyuan

Perfect Scenery, Lush Terrace Heaven — Emperor Yongxi Yifu

Prepared Spirits, Purple Flourishing Heaven — Emperor Yeyou Kuanji

Yellow Qi, Yang Essence Heaven — Emperor Liaohuang Fang

Vermilion So, Imperial Capital Heaven — Emperor Huangluo Chiwei

Rui Pavilion, Cloud Script Heaven — Emperor Xuanfang Zhengxian

Riding Yang, All-Round Heaven — Emperor Jigang Yichong

The passages above list the eight tiers of heaven in the East and South, along with their respective emperor names. The names of the heavens and emperors are Daoist celestial titles and are retained in the form given in the scripture.

In the West are eight tiers of heaven:

The Heaven of Pure Spirits That Banish Weapons, whose Heavenly Emperor is named Fengguan Shiyin; the Heaven of Auspicious Splendor and Flourishing Joy, whose Heavenly Emperor is named Su Anji; the Heaven of Golden Radiance Gathering in the Clouds, whose Heavenly Emperor is named Biyun Ningju; the Heaven of Pure Qi and the Seven Channels, whose Heavenly Emperor is named Mo Dan Qifu; the Heaven of Firm Resources and Swift Action, whose Heavenly Emperor is named Yi Dian Lingshen; the Heaven of Recorded Beings and Guarded Resources, whose Heavenly Emperor is named Miaoyi Xingxiu; the Heaven of Laws That Forbid and Destroy Demons, whose Heavenly Emperor is named Zhiyin Luozhong; and the Heaven of Jade Dragons Who Pray for Immortality, whose Heavenly Emperor is named Qingfu Daoya.

In the North are eight tiers of heaven:

The Heaven of True Power and Supreme Order, whose Heavenly Emperor is named Huanshu Gaoxuan; the Heaven of Preserving the Spirit and Joining the Ancestral Line, whose Heavenly Emperor is named Chali Kaofang; the Heaven of the Sun’s Fullness and the City’s Pattern, whose Heavenly Emperor is named Daoling Youguang; the Heaven of Precious Clouds and the Mandate of the True, whose Heavenly Emperor is named Jisi Jianping; the Heaven of Peng Pillars and the Locking of the Vastness, whose Heavenly Emperor is named Zhaosun Bingfu; the Heaven of Constant Stillness and Embodied Clarity, whose Heavenly Emperor is named Lianqin Fengzong; the Heaven of Answering the Hidden Signs and Awakening to the Origin, whose Heavenly Emperor is named Chidi Xuan; and the Heaven of Primordial Clarity and Peaceful Harmony, whose Heavenly Emperor is named Zhu Bu Dan.

These thirty-two tiers of heaven, their thirty-two Heavenly Emperors, and the hidden names of the various heavens together form the numinous scroll of the naturally formed, hollow heavens—the sacred scripture within the heavens. The hidden rhythms of the heavens are the sounds within the sun, the revered spirits, Heavenly Emperors, True Sovereigns, and divine beings. The nine radiances and ten flowers transform in ways beyond prediction. The boundless mysteries of Shangqing are profound and far-reaching, too vast to describe in full. The divine beings and realized immortals descend and spread blessings, saving all people of heaven and beings everywhere.

Today, the person joyfully celebrating their reception of the teaching is welcomed by the Sun Spirit. They rinse their mouth with rosy cloud vapors and swallow the sunlight, taking in the golden liquid of bright yang to strengthen their bones. Then they drink jade nectar to restore their spirit and mount a precious carriage.

Thus they become an honored guest of the Heavenly Emperor and ascend to the Hall of the Ancestral Mystery, where patriarchs and mysterious perfected beings dwell. They pass through the gates of the various heavens, seeking the destruction of all evil and the severing of desire at its root. They fly beyond the Five Sufferings and have their names entered among the Great Mystery. The Eastern Dipper assists from the left, the Western Dipper supports from the right, the Northern Dipper commands the hosts of troops, and the Southern Dipper…

The Big Dipper, the northern constellation that governs the movement of the stars, follows the Dao of Heaven as it turns, moving with the sun. Beyond it, Zhuque Mountain rises high above Jiangdu, the celestial capital where immortals dwell. Jade Qi gathers there, while the vital essences of Heaven and Earth move and bring forth life; from this, order in the world unfolds.

The Azure Emperor protects and nourishes the hun and po souls, and his solar essence enters the liver. The White Emperor safeguards the souls, and his solar essence circulates through the lungs. The Red Emperor nourishes the primordial Qi, and his solar essence is used to refine the heart. The Black Emperor sets blood and Qi in motion, and his solar essence dispels Yin Qi. The Yellow Emperor governs the spleen, and all things follow what he governs. The divine king of the Azure Emperor is named Jiaokui; the divine king of the Red Emperor, Xunyan Qingli; the divine king of the White Emperor, Sumang Yanhui; the divine king of the Black Emperor, Qianxuan; and the divine king of the Yellow Emperor, Jinling Baxiang. The Great Gods of the Five Emperors are the source of the sun’s Yang. They set light in motion, travel through the empty expanse, and fly on their way.

They march to the beat of drums, command the divine troops, and wave their banners and ceremonial standards. The sound and rhythm of the drums resound through the heavens. They proclaim their mighty splendor, and all the heavens join in their deeds. Heaven transforms and saves living beings, while sternly governing Beifeng, the divine realm in charge of the ghosts and spirits of the underworld. By command, the divine king of Beifeng sweeps away inauspicious forces everywhere: flames spout poisonous fire, red-armored warriors form ranks on every side, and fire troops lead the way. The solar generals carry banners and cast flames; within ten thousand li, the ringing of bells surges in all directions.

If anyone dares to offend or obstruct the True Ones who have attained the Dao, a golden battle-axe executes them at the front, while Juetian—whose name or office is unclear in the original—punishes them from behind, cutting down and dismembering demons. Wind and fire rage without pause; thousands upon thousands of ghost heads are severed, and tens of thousands of ghostly forms are cut apart. Evil spirits cannot intrude, and ghosts cannot wreak havoc. The Three Officials of Beifeng, who govern the affairs of Heaven, Earth, and Water and command the underworld, keep watch over the realm of ghosts. They allow no ghostly evil to hide, and send their orders by golden-horse relay stations to proclaim them everywhere.

All the gods of the boundless worlds come to receive their commands. The Three Realms and the Five Emperors submit their names in a report to Shangqing, the honored celestial realm of Daoism.

The Jade Calendar of the Origin Cavern, which records the cycles of cosmic tribulations, says: At the beginning of the Great Beginning, the Qi of Longkang Dongyang lay hidden within the womb of the Primordial Origin. It was then deep and unfathomable. After millions upon millions of kalpas, Heaven and Earth were still in chaos. At its center, the chaos was shaped like an egg; within it were solar essence and red numinous Qi, with the solar essence held in its embrace.

Thus the Sun, Moon, and stars—the three sources of light—come into view. Metal and Water separate, and above and below, Yin and Yang each divide and transform into light. What is called the “soul of the Sun” reaches upward to the red celestial realm and shines downward upon the numinous abyss. Winds and marshes spread through the open expanse, and light fills the sky.

In heaven and on earth, there is no place of darkness, no form or shadow that cannot be seen, and no limit or end. Heaven and earth are vast and undifferentiated; the Dao has not yet revealed its light. At the opening of the Crimson Brightness, the movements and measures of heaven and earth take shape of themselves. The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning sets heaven and earth in order and promulgates the Five Scrolls of Crimson Writing in Jade Characters—sacred script that symbolizes the laws of the celestial realm in Daoist scriptures. Jade-like writing also appears within the Sun.

These scriptures protect and regulate the cycles of cosmic calamity, sustaining the heavens for ages. Brahma Qi, the pure primordial energy of before birth, permeates the Net of Heaven, and all phenomena unfold from it. The Sun’s Jing-light shines upon the thirty-two heavens. The heavens revolve through the realm without form, circling through the ten directions. The Northern Dipper turns, and the Ji lodge revolves, ordering the regular sequence of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water). Thirty-five divisions gather and govern the Qi of the Upper Origin; the scenes of the eight directions join with subtle, hidden Qi and enter the mysterious realm.

Within the Sun dwell the Great Sovereign, the Five Emperors, and other exalted perfected beings revered in Daoism. They drift amid the Great Rosy Clouds, chanting the Cavern Chapters. The radiance of the Golden Immortals shines clear; their voices carry through the clouds, and with jade tones they gather primordial Qi. Numinous winds converge with mist and rosy clouds, purple sunlight appears, and ten thousand immortals dwell within the Sun.

The Sun’s Jing enters the human body and spreads downward through the upper, middle, and lower Dantian, the body’s centers for cultivating and preserving Jing, Qi, and Shen. Practitioners refine Jing into Qi, condensing it into liquid. They use embryo-soil as lead and refine it in the furnace of the stomach, joining the fire of the heart with the spring of the kidneys. The Qi of reverting Yin stirs like a bellows, and the vital fluid circulates throughout the body like streams converging into great rivers. The spirit tortoise in the emerald sea exhales vapor like smoke; Golden Liquid enters the cauldron, and embryonic breathing gradually forms the Jade Infant. All things join together naturally, and through this the practitioner becomes perfected.

In the realm of the perfected dwell divine beings: the Great Lord of Long Life, Lord Wuying, Venerable Spirit Baiyuan, Taiyi, Siming, Taokang, Heyan, and others. They hold talismans and registers to protect the root of life. They roam above in the realm of Shangqing and enter and leave the Flowery Chamber; they also guard the human body within the shadowed depths of the eight directions and in its most subtle places. They dwell in the Niwan, the spirit chamber in the head, and the Crimson Palace, the spirit chamber in the heart. They regulate the Five Qi and gather the hundred spirits, setting numinous energy in motion again and again until the myriad Qi assemble, helping a person ascend to immortality.

The immortal way cherishes life and can save people through immeasurable methods. Above, the eight gates open and the flying celestial wheels turn. The scriptures also speak of prohibitions concerning sin and blessing, and of karmic ties from past lives, so that all may receive deliverance. The souls of the dead may be rescued; the living may preserve their lives, receive new life, and ascend to the heavens.

Above each heaven is a gate of the Sun. Practitioners refine and transform Yin Qi, preserve the Yang in heaven, and use the transformations of flowing fire to reshape their bodies. They gather the Sun’s Jing and ultimately become immortal perfected beings. There are also verses of the Song of the Empty Cavern: words that proclaim the numinous writings of the True King and accord with the exalted perfected beings.

This is the first song, “The Sound of the Sun’s Jing and Yang Radiance Flying Through the Air.”

The red essence of the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning enables the Three Primes—upper, middle, and lower—to come to fruition. Crimson radiance shines through everything, penetrating the deepest darkness. Among verdant trees, golden flowers and fruits like fine jade gleam brightly. The Vermilion City stretches for thousands of miles, its crimson palaces and red courtyards magnificent and splendid. The Heavenly Emperors of the Five Directions remain pure and still in Wuwei (non-action), while the immortals stand arrayed like officials at court. Countless people roam freely, absorbing the sun’s essence and consuming the vital essences of plants and trees. Consorts and Jade Maidens burn incense and present precious vessels. If ordinary people can draw down rosy clouds and raise their Shen (spirit) and Qi (vital energy) to the highest heavens, they can reveal the golden countenance of a divine immortal, wear a jeweled crown, and be clad in embroidered banners. The Six Jia spirits clear the way ahead, and the Six Ding spirits follow behind. The might of the Spirit of Yangming can make all sinister, baleful, and ugly things vanish without a trace. The Heavenly Emperor bestows immortality, extending one’s years and prolonging one’s life. This is the way of the Highest Perfected, called “Nine Yang.”

Chapter Two: The True King of the Sun’s Essence and Yangming

The sun moves across the sky, passing through the Nine Palaces. Riding the firm force of Qi, it travels alone, making its circuit of the four directions and commanding the divine winds. The cosmos takes on a golden hue, and mountains, rivers, and seas all reflect the same color. All things depend on the sun to grow, while the Three Primes together bring forth and nurture them. This sun is an emanation of the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning. It can divide its form and change its appearance; refined through nine stages, it penetrates the Qi of Yangming and appeared before Heaven and Earth were separated. It sends forth crimson radiance, like a numinous crow, breathing in and out the Qi of Taichong—the original Qi of perfect harmony between Heaven and Earth. If ordinary people can attune themselves to this power, they can become wise and spiritually perceptive, quiet the mind to observe things, discern principles from afar, and regain the vigor of youth. Under its influence, all things blossom and flourish, becoming clear and lustrous; numinous substances such as cinnabar, precious jade, and jade-like fungi also shine with brilliant color. Pearl-like treasures float above a sea of clouds, while phoenixes perch in the Purple Tenuity Palace, the dwelling of the Heavenly Emperor.

The Sun’s Essence and Yangming are the true destination of the Great Dao. I chant these immeasurable scripture verses, wishing to protect all beings from calamity and decline.

Chapter Three: Song of the True King of the Sun’s Essence and Yangming

Cinnabar-red clouds rise with purple vapors, and jade-colored chariot wheels send out a brilliant sea of light. Fusang, the legendary tree from which the sun rises, gathers golden radiance; through the ages, its color never changes. From this we know that the essence of the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning existed before Heaven and Earth, hidden deep in a vast and distant realm. Nine dragons draw the sun god’s chariot, which suddenly rises from beyond the world. Heaven and Earth become a deep valley that gathers all things, and the three kinds of Qi mingle and harmonize with one another. The sun and moon are like divine elixirs; absorbing their essence can dispel death and decline.

Alas, these sluggish and obstructed immortals, though tempered and refined, have only solidified into a lump like stone. Why not mount a dragon chariot and guide the flow of the essence, letting it descend like a pearl from a shell? Let the breath pass through the joints and bones and connect the hundred channels throughout the body; let the sun’s Qi disperse the darkness. Chew and swallow the clouds’ Qi, so that its essence, like red glass, dissolves and spreads; drink in the sunlight, letting the spirit become intoxicated within it. Do not probe the depths of the immortal waters of Penglai. Instead, reflect constantly on the opposition between life and death. At dawn, one should be before the Five Emperors, seeking the mysteries of the Dao and the wondrous union of the profound.

This is a song sung by the True King above the Three Realms, flying through the heavens. Recite each word of these Cavern Chapters—the scriptures that convey profound principles—one hundred times, and your name will be entered in the Southern Palace, an immortal court in Daoist belief. Recite them one thousand times, and the True King will protect and welcome you. Recite them ten thousand times, and when your Dao practice is complete, you will ascend into the great void, pass beyond the Three Realms, and attain the rank of an immortal.

Whoever hears this wondrous, numinous sound will have their body honored by the True King. He will command the earth deities to guard them and escort them on their way, freeing them from the gates of the underworld and sparing them the Five Sufferings and Eight Calamities. Their ancestors for seven generations, too, can rise up and leave the offices of the netherworld forever. Their souls will be sent to Zhu Ling, a place of refinement and deliverance in Daoist belief, where they will undergo transformation and be reborn. This is called boundless salvation, without end. These scriptures are a secret treasure of Heaven, revered by all the heavens. Whoever reveals them or treats them with disrespect will fall into hell, bringing calamity upon their ancestors for seven generations.

The Dao says: These two chapters are both sacred sounds secretly transmitted by the Five Emperors of the Sun and the Divine King Yu Yi. They reveal the sun’s vital essence and the bright Yang Qi, allowing them to spread everywhere and move in and out amid the rosy clouds. This is a Daoist method for delivering perfected beings. Through these chapters, the Three Realms are opened to light, and the Yin and Yang of Heaven and Earth are distinguished. If the people can take in the sun’s vital essence and receive the radiance of bright Yang, they can transform the Golden Flower, an image of refined essence in cultivation, into an immortal; their ancestors for seven generations can also undergo refinement and deliverance. All of this belongs to the words of the Great Brahma, sacred speech arising from the source of the cosmos, not ordinary worldly language. Its words are not prized for elegant sound, nor does its melody possess ornate turns. It is therefore called profound and impossible to explore fully.

This scripture is a precious treasure kept in Heaven’s vaults, secretly stored in the palaces of the Dark Capital and the High God of the Jade Clarity of the Divine Empyrean. The Dao Lord descends into the human world in accordance with the times, allowing the scripture to be transmitted. If a person who has made progress in the Dao brings gold and treasure as a pledge of sincerity, and swears an oath before the gods according to the old rites, the scripture may be transmitted to them only after ten days have passed.

The Dao says: The movements of Heaven and Earth have their periods of flourishing and decline, beginning and end; the sun, moon, and five planets wax and wane. Even the most sacred divine beings sometimes meet with ill fortune. If later practitioners suffer illness or calamity, then, whenever such misfortunes arise, those who share their Qi should fast together, burn incense at each of the six daily periods, and recite the scripture ten times in succession. Blessings and De will then descend, and every ill omen will be dispelled. This scripture of boundless scope can deliver all beings, everywhere and without end.

If a young Daoist practitioner’s attainment is still shallow and his rank among the immortals is not yet complete, and his lifespan is about to end as he is on the verge of entering Great Yin, the realm of the dead, accomplished adepts among his fellow practitioners may burn incense and recite the scripture ten times to deliver his remains. According to the ritual, the qi of the sun’s essence flows downward, while the qi of Yang brightness opens the bones of Yin, refining the corpse and dispersing its Yin qi. His pure soul then rises straight to the Southern Palace. Next, the time required is calculated according to his achievements in cultivation. He will be granted rebirth and enter a new life. If his resolve remains firm and he is not led astray, he can attain immortality.

If the workings of Heaven and Earth are nearing their end, the constellations stray from their proper courses, the sun and moon lose their radiance, the seasons fall into disorder, Yin and Yang become unbalanced, the state suffers calamities, and pestilence and poisonous qi spread, causing people to die or be injured, then when a teacher, friend, or fellow practitioner dies, a purification rite should also be established, incense burned, and the scripture recited. The merit of observing the purification and reciting the scripture is immense: above, it can dispel disasters from Heaven and protect and stabilize the sovereign; below, it can drive away harmful forces and save the people. Both the living and the dead receive blessings through it. This merit and blessing are beyond measure, hence the name “Boundless Deliverance of Heaven and Humanity.”

Anyone who possesses this scripture and wishes to cultivate virtue for Heaven and Earth, the sovereign, and the people should, on the day calamity strikes, resolve to establish a purification rite, burn incense, and recite the scripture ten times. The celestial beings will enter their name in their registers, and the myriad spirits will guard them. Such a person may become a retainer in the Golden Palace of the Sage Sovereign, the palace of the Celestial Emperor. The celestial beings record people’s good and bad deeds, omitting nothing, however small; the True Kings of Heaven will also recommend and protect you. Only those who have attained the Dao can truly penetrate these profound principles.

The Great Brahmā’s Hidden Words and Boundless Sounds Among the Heavens, composed by the Lord of the Dao.

The Middle Section of the Primordial Beginning’s Numinous Writ: The Sun’s Essence and Yang Brightness

The Eight Heavens of the East

Cangming Longyi, Lüetai Yangbi, Yuanmo Shatuo; Jifu Chunqi, Tanlan Suhe, Qusheng Yingfei; Liezhu Nixian, Longmen Shoushi, Yangu Xiye; Baobin Pouyi, Yongchang Sige, Douhuan Shipei; Huajian Zhimang, Huxi Lingpi, Guanlie Gengyue; Meixuan Zhuowei.

The Eight Heavens of the South

Chaoyang Xuanfu, Chizhen Yanhui, Baoceng Baofeng; Dungang Changxuan, Wuzhou Haoyun, Chuanhuo Minba; Yingzhang Diaotu, Xiaguang Yaolu, Zhizhe Caiqi; Baoheng Cunzhao, Youjue Bituo, Zhuqian Feiyin.

The hidden syllables of the Eight Heavens of the West are: “Gao Gai Jia Shang, She Shan Lang Pen, Jiao Xiu Dong Yan, Qu Yuan Hua Hun…” The scripture then lists a series of syllables that are difficult to explain literally.

The hidden syllables of the Eight Heavens of the North are: “Zhen Dian Qiu Chan, Yu Chi Ci Yuan, Hai Ying Shou Da, Chen Huo Yan Xuan…” A further series of syllables follows.

The Dao says: The writings in these celestial realms are the immeasurable hidden words and sounds of the Great Brahma realm. They were originally inscribed above the crimson gates of the long towers at the Sun’s palace, and made visible by the light of Yang Yuyi. Their meaning is exceedingly profound: they are essential teachings transmitted by the Most High and not to be divulged lightly. All things find rest through them, and a thousand sages travel back and forth by their means. Those who understand them can summon the spirits and gather true Qi, filling the Mudball Palace, an important site of cultivation in the head. They can also transform Jing, Qi, and Shen and attain the immortal Dao. Their ancestors for nine generations may thereby receive blessings, while the practitioners themselves can soar through the air like drifting clouds.

Each character in these writings is enormous, measuring one zhang on each side. The Celestial Perfected Sovereign once inscribed them as the correct sounds. If someone understands these sounds, observes purification, and recites them, all the heavens will send the Yangming Spirit King down to examine that person and report their merit and diligence to the heavens.

The myriad spirits will come to pay their respects, and the earth deities will keep watch beside the gate. The Great Merit True King will vouch for and recommend the person. They will then enter the ranks of the Highest Perfected, complete their cultivation of the Dao, travel through the Three Realms, and ascend to the Golden Gate. These sounds can ward off, avert, deliver, and bring all things to fulfillment; they are the sounds of the Celestial Perfected and of nature itself. Thus, reciting them can summon…

The Divine King descends from Heaven to survey the human world. The Celestial Emperor chants aloud in the distance, while ten thousand deities come to pay homage. The immortals of the Three Realms stand in attendance beside the Emperor’s chariot. “The Three Realms” refers to Heaven, Earth, and Water. As the gathered deities assemble, the force of demons and malign spirits subsides, and ghosts, goblins, and spirits vanish of their own accord. Precious jade objects chime and ring, their sound reaching in all ten directions and bringing stillness and purity everywhere.

Rivers and seas fall silent; mists disperse among the mountains. All spirits are awestruck, bowing down and obeying. The immortals are summoned and gathered. No foul energy remains in Heaven, no demonic dust or grime on Earth, and even the darkest places grow bright and clear. This vision is vast and profound, its mystery without end.