《靈寶無量度人上品妙經》Vol. 18

The Celestial Worthy of the Primordial Beginning (Yuanshi Tianzun), through boundless wisdom and spiritual power, opened this wondrous scripture of the highest rank to teach sentient beings and deliver people from suffering. Its meaning lies hidden within emptiness, wholly in accord with nature. Deep, vast, subtle, and mysterious, it is true and steadfast, luminous and clear in its discernment, wondrous in its transformations, pervading all things without ever being destroyed or defiled.

It transforms the myriad realms, lofty and lucid, encompassing the entire Great Void. Within it, the Nine Origins take shape, revealing the formless, true, and subtle nature of the Dao. The Primordial Sovereign bestowed primordial Qi (the original vital energy from which all things are formed), thereby opening the heavens: vigorous winds stirred within, while pure light flowed beyond; utmost Yang Qi gathered into form, and sacred, pure Brahma Qi spread like a spring, forming the vast vessel of Heaven and Earth. The two forms of Yin and Yang then separated, and Heaven and Earth came into view.

The Pure Radiance is the source of the spiritual nature of all things. Above it is no other ancestral source; it has only the Dao as its own ground. Its radiance flows and gathers, planting divine beings everywhere. This supreme jade text brings peace to the Cinnabar City, a Daoist immortal realm and symbol of cultivation. Not a single word within it fails to shine, to be clear, to establish, to accomplish, to deliver, or to generate. It is the highest celestial realm in the Great Brahma Heaven: Yuluo Xiaofeng, the Golden Gate, and the Jade Mountain, situated at the summit of the Mysterious Heights, the Great Red Clear Source. Across long eons, it seems at times to vanish and at times to exist; the three lights—the sun, moon, and stars—encircle the Imperial Palace. There are the Great Yellow Court, the Jade Blade, the Vermilion Palace, and the celestial immortals’ jade chambers.

The Qi of Great Purity transforms and generates all things, filling the ten directions. Among its beings are the True Spirit Deity of Pure Radiance, the Lord of the Nine Mysteries at the Southern Pole, the Great Divine Elder Sovereign who delivers the world, the Perfected One of the Great Empyrean who achieves wondrous perfection, the Dao Lord Elemental, True Emperor of the Purple Court, and the Southern Capital’s Director of Destiny, Master of Transformation and Keeper of Registers, along with other divine perfected beings. They set creation in motion, protect and pacify the realms, restore life to the body, bring the dead back to life, and deliver sentient beings through boundless power. Today, as this scripture is collated and recorded, the celestial worthies and deities have all come before the hall.

The Great Sage of Long Life, King of the Divine Spirits of the Boundless East, Hua Lin, delivers boundless sentient beings.

The Great Sage of Long Life, King of the Divine Spirits of the Boundless South, Red Pattern, delivers boundless sentient beings.

The Great Sage of Long Life, King of the Divine Spirits of the Boundless West, Imperial Talisman, delivers boundless sentient beings.

The Great Sage of Long Life, King of the Divine Spirits of the Boundless North, Primordial Radiance, delivers boundless sentient beings.

The Great Sage of Long Life, King of the Divine Spirits of the Boundless Northeast, Azure Essence, delivers boundless sentient beings.

The Great Sage of Long Life, King of the Divine Spirits of the Boundless Southeast, Perfect Pearl, delivers boundless sentient beings.

The Great Sage of Long Life, King of the Divine Spirits of the Boundless Southwest, Vast Rosy Clouds, delivers boundless sentient beings.

The Great Sage of Long Life, King of the Divine Spirits of the Boundless Northwest, Golden Splendor, delivers boundless sentient beings.

The Great Sage of Long Life, King of the Divine Spirits of the Boundless Above, Purple Empyrean, delivers boundless sentient beings.

Below are the Divine Kings of the Numinous Capital of Nonbeing, the Great Sages of Long Life, and the Measureless Saviors of Humanity. In the ten directions are also the Divine Kings of Plain Radiance and Luminous Spirit, the Great Gods of Long Life who deliver the world without measure. Together they ride golden celestial carriages among layered clouds: eight-radiance carriages, jade chariots, and canopies adorned with feathers. Their vehicles are covered by plain-colored canopies, and their flying wheels turn.

They command nine-colored divine light, spirit tigers, dark-armored guards, and azure dragons. They bear flowing-gold ceremonial staffs and unfurl numinous banners. A Grand Mysterious precious staff leads the procession, followed by troops born through the transformation of the Three Heavens. White phoenixes and qilin accompany them, crying out in clear, ringing tones. The Seven Luminaries open the way, and the Three Perfected guard the carriage shafts. Myriad millions of chariots and riders descend through the air. The gods draw in their divine light, turn their carriages around, summon the spirits, and save living beings.

In the jade palace—the celestial realm above the Western Kunlun Mountains—the exalted immortal Lady of the Nine Subtleties and Supreme Mystery, Yellow Radiance, holds talismans and oversees the registers of names. She comes with the gods to appear before the Celestial Emperor.

The Celestial Emperor examines living beings. Since birth, karmic consciousness, thoughts, and delusions have entangled their minds, allowing countless grudges and knots to build up in confusion. Dust and grime obscure their numinous realm; their divine light grows dim, and their original nature is covered over. Through long eons, living beings remain stubborn and unchanged. The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning melts and tempers them with the fire of the Caverns, making them solid and pure. Then, with golden radiance, he transforms their bodies and makes them Perfected Ones.

All living beings who are base, humiliated, ruined, fallen, led astray by desire and love, scattered, or sunk into decline are delivered according to their needs. The celestial authorities strictly investigate the spirits and proclaim their commands throughout the deep caverns, the nameless mountains of Nonbeing, springs, river islets, and peaks. The Northern Gate’s cold court, the Five Sacred Mountains of the Divine Land, the twelve streams and springs, the Three Rivers and Four Waterways, and the dark sea and Salt Pond all receive the command.

They must swiftly erase the registers of sin and remove the roots of evil, allowing no groups of demons born of idleness and indulgence to linger and cause harm. The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning transforms and enlightens living beings as the appointed time comes, enabling them to ascend. The Yin officials of the Six Heavens rescue sinking souls and examine and refine them in the Palace of Vermilion Mound. The Qi of Great Clarity descends, transforming the souls of the dead into immortals and bringing them to the state of Perfected Ones. Those who are delivered receive salvation in this life and endure through every life thereafter. As the cycles of the eons turn, their lifespans become as long as Heaven’s. They are forever freed from the Three Paths, the Five Sufferings, and the Eight Calamities, transcend the Three Realms, and roam freely in Highest Clarity.

The Heaven of Highest Clarity is the wondrous, mysterious, colorless realm where the Celestial Emperor dwells. It belongs to the Brahma practice—the pure and solemn domain of celestial cultivation.

The Eight Heavens of the East

The Eight Heavens of the South (the eight tiers of the southern celestial realm)

Heaven of Yang Terrace Manifesting Scenes and Refining the True (Qi)—a heaven where scenes manifest on the Yang Terrace and true Qi is refined and cultivated. Its imperial title is “Precious Proclamation, Record of Continuance.”

Heaven of Southern Brightness and Open Yang—a heaven of southern radiance, where Yang Qi flows freely. Its imperial title is “Examining the Seals, Measuring the Spirits.”

Heaven that Governs Flame and Orders Brightness—a heaven that oversees fire and governs radiance. Its imperial title is “Protecting Life, Uttering the Utmost.”

Heaven that Inspects the True and Sets the Calendar—a heaven that examines the true Dao and determines calendrical cycles. Its imperial title is “Holding the Pivot, Ruling the People.”

Heaven of Descending Qi and Great Radiance—a heaven that distributes primordial Qi and releases great light. Its imperial title is “Mighty Awe, Surging in Every Direction.”

Heaven that Unites and Directs Harmony—a heaven that gathers and governs the Qi of harmony and directs all affairs. Its imperial title is “Transforming Commands, Setting Conduct Aright.”

Heaven of the Deep, Unbounded Red Scene—a remote and shadowy heaven like the deep sea, displaying a red radiance. Its imperial title is “Serving the August Jade Venerable.”

Heaven that Orders the Registers of Transformation—a heaven that governs transformation and establishes registers of names. Its imperial title is “Discerning Excellence, Bright and Settled.”

The Eight Heavens of the West (the eight tiers of the western celestial realm)

Heaven that Governs Blessings and Determines Life—a heaven that oversees blessings and determines the force of life. Its imperial title is “Xun Capital, Radiant Yang.”

Heaven of Pure Radiance and Shining Spirits—a heaven that reveals pure white light and makes the spirits shine. Its imperial title is “Observing Continuity and the Norm.”

Heaven of Lang Garden and Jade Grove—a celestial paradise like the garden of Lang and a grove of jade. Its imperial title is “Dew Spreading Broadly, Harmonious Splendor.”

Heaven of the Western Terrace and Jade Casket—a western celestial realm like a high terrace and a jade casket. Its imperial title is “Precious Attendant, Primordial Strangeness.”

Heaven that Governs the Four Quarters with Numina of Jade—a heaven that governs the four quarters through the numinous force of jade. Its imperial title is “Seeking the Foremost, Pursuing Clarity.”

Heaven of the Dragon at the Summit of Gang Mountain—a heaven where dragon Qi rises above the summit of Gang Mountain. Its imperial title is “Rousing Radiance, Purple Spirit.”

Heaven of the Seven Extremes and the Divine Tiger—a heaven associated with the Seven Extremes and the divine tiger. Its imperial title is “Mighty Pass, Awe-inspiring Capital.”

Heaven of Brahma Qi and the Golden Vehicle—a heaven filled with Brahma Qi, symbolized by the Golden Vehicle. Its imperial title is “Solemn, Still Mountain.”

The Eight Heavens of the North (the eight tiers of the northern celestial realm)

Heaven of the Mysterious Elder and the Sea’s Hidden Store—a deep, ancient heaven vast as a hidden sea. Its imperial title is “Abode of Spirits, Mountain and Net.”

Heaven of Dragon Radiance and the Myriad Emptinesses—a heaven where dragon radiance shines throughout the myriad emptinesses. Its imperial title is “Brilliant Gold, Blazing Firmament.”

Heaven of Clouds Encircling Universal Splendor—a heaven surrounded by clouds and filled with splendor in every direction. Its imperial title is “Subtle Mystery, Pure Office.”

Heaven of the Jade Grove, Where Waves Flow through Zhongyue—a clear, jade-like heaven where waves course through Zhongyue. Its imperial title is “Peerless Ridge, Pearl.”

Heaven of the Boundless Jade Palace—a heaven as limitless as a palace of fine jade. Its imperial title is “Illuminating Heights, Revolving Jade.”

Heaven where Azure Eyes Transform into Mountains—a heaven where azure eyes gaze down and mountains take form. Its imperial title is “Raising the Quarters, Clouds Arising.”

Heaven of the High Capital Terrace and Sea Cavern—a heaven where a high terrace connects with a hidden cavern beneath the sea. Its imperial title is “Washing the Heights, Compassionate Truth.”

Heaven where the Five Spirits Traverse the Ocean and Summon Numina—a heaven where the Five Spirits journey across the sea and summon divine beings. Its imperial title is “Winding Command, Western Waves.”

This scripture passage lists the eight tiers of heaven in each of the southern, western, and northern directions, along with their imperial titles. The names of the heavens and their titles are composed largely of symbolic Daoist language. Since the meaning of some phrases cannot be determined with certainty, they are explained here according to their literal imagery.

In the thirty-two heavens are thirty-two Heavenly Emperors, each with secret titles and taboo names preserved in that heaven. These names and their sounds are profound, wondrous expressions of the natural mysteries of the celestial realm. They are the titles of the revered gods of the heavens and manifestations of their divine powers. The gods and spirits transform without end. After nine returns to the One comes a tenth return to the Nine; the principles of Yin-Yang and number turn and revolve, bringing forth a clear, luminous radiance. When Metal Qi flows without obstruction, it can unite with divine Qi. When divine Qi does not decay, refinement makes it clearer still: its radiance shines forth and nourishes all things. This working is called “the divine Metal of the Fire Palace.” It is like divine metal being hammered and refined in a furnace until it unites with the Great Clarity, the pure and tranquil celestial realm spoken of in Daoism.

The immeasurable, profound principles are distant and difficult to fathom, and cannot be described in full. The Three Blossoms—the refined essences of Jing, Qi, and Shen spoken of in Daoism—are everywhere, refining celestial beings and practitioners alike. Today, fortunate to encounter the conditions for instruction and deliverance, the heavens have been invited to descend and bring a celebration of supreme wonder. Practitioners move with flying steps through the Five Celestial Markers, using ritual steps such as pacing the Dipper to symbolize movement among the stars. Their names are entered in the heights of the profound heavens, while the True King watches over and regulates the Mysterious Pass, the crucial opening of body and mind in cultivation.

The Eastern Dipper confers divine office; the Western Dipper transforms bodily form; the Northern Dipper records names in its registers; the Southern Dipper opens the way to life; and the Central Dipper joins yellow radiance into a unified light. The Qi of the Three True Ones stirs and transforms into golden essence. The Azure Emperor governs the measures and ordinances; the White Emperor commands the troops; the Red Emperor stands guard; and the Black Emperor condenses into form. The Yellow Emperor brings about transformation, and the myriad pathways thereby take shape as azure radiance.

The Heavenly Kings govern primordial Qi, each displaying a divine office: the Heavenly King of Immortal Elixir and Rosy Clouds rises into the heavens; the Heavenly King of Flowing Smoke and Pure Radiance opens the celestial realm and summons the spirits of the mountains; the Heavenly King of Mysterious Luminosity clears and guides the many rivers; and the Heavenly King of the Primordial Limit guards Kunlun Mountain. The True Kings of the Five Heavens are the sovereigns of the myriad spirits. They fly through the Six Directions—above, below, and the four quarters—and tour the celestial palaces, governing primordial Qi and revealing numinous light. They spread their divine might across the vast heavens and call themselves the Radiant and Glorious. All the heavens together complete their work, and the spirits who refine themselves in the upper heavens gather in the Bright Hall, where rituals are held and the gods assemble.

The Divine Kings unleash their power and sweep away ill omens. Azure clouds spread across the sky as lightning and fire are set in motion. The Vermilion Spirit stirs the winds and extinguishes wandering baleful lights. The Great Marshal of the Realm hurls a divine sword; fierce winds surge, its brilliance shines for ten thousand miles, and the sound of bells carries in all eight directions. Should evil beings dare to intrude and resist, the Three Officials—the gods of Heaven, Earth, and Water—punish them with dark axes: first they behead them, then subject them to further execution. Demons, evil spirits, and ghosts find no place to linger amid wind and fire. Thousands upon thousands are cut down; tens of thousands upon tens of thousands are destroyed, so that no malign force can harm the people.

The Six Heavens and Nine Palaces must carefully inspect the ranks of the ghost realm and allow no negligence or license. The envoys of the Golden Horse pass documents from one to another, proclaiming them throughout Luofeng, the Underworld of Endless Depths, the Dark and Cold regions, and other netherworld places, as well as to the great demons of the Three Realms. The documents are sent upward to the Jade Capital, where the Heavenly Emperor resides.

The Jade Register of the Primordial Grotto records: the five kinds of primordial Qi combine to form the body. Metal Qi becomes its bones, Wood Qi its sinews, Water Qi its blood, Fire Qi its spirit, and Earth Qi its intention. In this way, all things take form and come into being. The wondrous Dao of the Empty Sovereign brings to completion the Three Cosmic Forms—Heaven, Earth, and Humanity, or the cosmic levels of Heaven, Earth, and Yin-Yang. Thus the Mysterious Origin is established, the spirits are arrayed in order, and radiance shines forth…

All things manifest their distinct forms, making the true distinguishable from the false. When set in motion, they take shape as ritual; when still, they withdraw from sight. Gentle divine light shifts and flows, while Fire returns to Metal.

Metal’s essence remains unchanged, yet in motion it circulates like a flying wheel. Its perfectly rounded radiance trembles and shines; the wind stirs a bright Qi, bringing forth a grand vision. The Imperial Pole stands lofty and clear, while the Primordial Beginning is subtle and hidden. The Qi of Great Simplicity appears. The light of the Long Geng star glows with a harmonious purple hue, pouring through the void and revealing a pure white radiance. It flows and gathers in the vault of heaven, giving rise to the Five Qi and nurturing the Seven Mysteries.

The Jade Wisdom and Numinous Chapters for Dispelling Demons in the Great Cavern jointly enact the supreme teaching, as crystalline, wondrous light shines from heaven. After the great calamity of the Nine Dragons, the allotted tribulations come to an end, ushering in an age of peace and well-being. Through countless hundreds of millions of kalpas, all things intermingle and transform, then take firm shape. The Five Qi become forms and colors; the Five Essences become deep abysses. Wind and water contain one another, and Taiji (the Supreme Ultimate) extends without limit.

The Yellow Terrace lies far away in the hidden distance, and the Vermilion Palace stands deep and solemn. There is no form or shadow, no boundary or end. The vast, distant state of primordial chaos, before Heaven and Earth were divided, opens the wellspring of life in all things. Light and color flow and change; all things move in accord with nature. The Void Emperor guards the cycles of the kalpas, while the essence of the Primordial Beginning condenses into jade writs. Vermilion radiance mingles with moonlight, spreading across the azure palace of Heaven; its crimson brilliance reveals the subtle wonder of the utmost numinosity.

Qi extends in all ten directions, circling between the Northern Dipper and the Ji star. It turns and revolves, bringing the Five Constant Virtues, the Three Enclosures, and the palaces of Heaven into clear alignment with the ordinances of the celestial Way. The red writings of the Eight Luminaries—the sacred script of the celestial realm—gather in the breath of Qi and dwell high in the mysterious realm. The Supreme True Emperor within the Mystery, the Flying Immortals, and the Pure Radiance of Golden Clouds chant in the realm of the Hollow and the Void. Numinous light shines upon the green silk canopy of Heaven; cloud chariots answer one another in song, and jade-toned music resounds through the sky.

The Yellow Radiance bears the talismanic decree. The realm of Purple Clarity rises in majestic splendor; divine wings turn and return to the dwelling of the Primordial Beginning. Metal transforms into divine liquid and flows through the images of the blue heavens. The myriad things come into harmony and, of their own accord, bring the perfected person to completion. Among perfected persons are those of utmost divinity: the High Numinous One of Nanchang, the Elder of the All-Pervading Ranks, the August Lord of Treasured Peace, the Nine Aides of the Mysterious One, and the True Lord of Destiny. They select and examine the jade writs, transforming the numinous roots of those who ascend.

They travel upward through realms of purity and stillness and come and go in splendid immortal lands. Within the hidden darkness of the eight directions, even in places too subtle to perceive, they are able to pass freely. Below, they reach the deep Yellow Springs and the palaces of the nine abysses; between Heaven and Earth, they govern the people and bring all things into unity. Numinous Qi circles and turns; when it joins with Qi, one can become an immortal. The Way of the Immortals prizes the cherishing of life, and its deliverance of living beings is without end.

Above, the Eight Gates open and illuminate the celestial realm. The celestial wheel examines offenses, precepts, and karmic bonds, granting deliverance to the souls of the dead and the living alike. Thus the physical body may be reborn, and merit may rise to the heavens. Above each of the heavens is a Gate of Life, where texts of advancement and exalted rank are recorded. The writings preserved in the Numinous Chapters of Yellow Silk are listed among the realms of the High Perfected Ones.

Chapter One: The Sound of Pure Radiance Revealing the Wondrous and Soaring Through the Void

The Most Perfect is born within the Great Void;

Within the Great Expanse, formed things take shape.

They move and revolve without limit,

Nurturing all the divine spirits.

The Qi of Mysterious Clarity transforms into a vast net of Heaven;

The mixed yellow Qi sinks into the deep and distant realm of darkness.

Error and confusion scatter and transform into the myriad things; pure, harmonious Qi gathers to form the human realm. The heavens shine with clear radiance. By cultivating the Great Dao, one can grasp the roots of life. Vast, boundless creation rests on this foundation, and the dark realms in all eight directions turn toward Yujing, the celestial capital.

The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning reveals the Dao’s true and subtle principles; the pure, bright radiance melts divine metal, a symbol of wondrous, refined Qi. Having understood the profound mystery of the Double Mystery, one can unite with the Great Dao and attain spiritual clarity. Ancestors of seven generations ascend to heaven, while the people travel to Nanchang, an abode of the immortals, to pay homage to the Emperor Venerable. The five kinds of suffering are forever brought to an end, and even the demons of heaven sing in praise. All beings rejoice together in the true king’s teachings, and every kind of life attains longevity.

Chapter Two: The True King Whose Radiance Shines Without Ceasing

At the opening of the Longhan kalpa, crimson divine light established the ritual diagrams of Primordial Beginning. The Great Sage Xuanyi Emperor proclaimed and issued the Flying-Heaven Books. High Immortals received the mandate of Heaven and concealed the orthodox Way in Qingdu, the celestial capital. A Dong chapter descended to Yujing, its numinous light illuminating the eight directions. The Primordial Venerable displayed wondrous transformations, while the heavens treasured countless Ruizhū, symbols of precious celestial teachings and treasures.

Thus, the ever-radiant divine metal refines those consumed by greed and desire. It becomes true Qi and infuses the bodies of ordinary people, making them pure and unstained, while wondrous, refined Jing endures without decay. Yaoling, the deity honored in this chapter, is the source of Yujing’s radiance. Its unceasing light guides people back to emptiness and clarity, free of attachment.

The lofty Great Compassionate Venerable proclaims the numinous talisman that opens life and explains the subtle teachings of Shangqing, an important Daoist tradition and body of scriptures. With true understanding, one can unite with the Great Dao of mysterious emptiness. Cultivating Jing and Qi, one becomes a seed person—a person who has attained the Dao and received its protection—and the celestial Jade Chapters are thereby spread.

Chapter Three: Song of Attaining the Dao and Its Transformations

The myriad demons delight in sinking into ruin, while the flying immortals devote themselves to cherishing life. By keeping Shen and Qi firm and whole, one can transcend life and death within the Three Realms. Once the Great Dao of Shangqing is understood, one can follow the transformations of creation and fulfill one’s own nature.

Wander at ease through Changyang Palace. The waters of the Eastern Well nourish the River of Heaven, as you roam freely through the fierce winds of the highest sky. The Three Enclosures—the three groups of celestial constellations—pay homage to the Emperor Venerable. Beneath the vast cosmos, why are people in the human world so busy rushing about? In an instant, all things return to emptiness. Where is there an end to the long kalpas?

Join hands in reciting the Great Pattern, the fundamental law of the Dao, so that its clear radiance remains forever pure. Set the ritual wheel in motion, that its transformations may reach the divine. Gaze east toward Zhuoluo among the mulberry groves, and west toward Kunlun and the Longgeng star, Venus. In this way, you will behold the true teaching.

When the mind and spirit are clear, tranquil, and empty, one’s name can be inscribed in the register of the Jade Perfected and removed from the register of Fengquan, the spring-palace of the underworld.

Set your robes in order and ascend above the Great Void; bow before the hall where the Void Sovereign, a revered deity of the heavens, resides.

These two chapters are immortal songs sung by flying immortals in the skies above the Three Realms. Every line accords with the Cavern Scriptures. Recite them a hundred times, and your name will be entered in the Southern Palace. Recite them a thousand times, and the True King will protect and welcome you. Recite them ten thousand times, and your Dao practice will be complete: you will ascend through the Great Void, pass beyond the Three Realms, and take your place among the immortals. Hearing this wondrous sound, the demon kings will respectfully restrain themselves and submit to its authority; earth spirits will come to protect and escort you. Through reciting the scripture, one may leave the gates of hell behind and escape the five sufferings and eight calamities. One’s ancestors for seven generations may also rise in rank and leave the dark passes forever. Their souls will cross Zhu Ling, where Daoists refine and deliver the dead, and emerge renewed through purification. This is what is meant by universal salvation without end.

This scripture is a secret treasure of Heaven, revered by all the heavens. Anyone who reveals it or treats it with contempt will fall into hell, and the resulting calamity will extend to their ancestors for seven generations.

The Dao says: These two chapters are the wondrous, secret sounds treasured by the heavenly emperors and the supremely numinous True Kings. They set forth the foundation of the most true and wondrous Dao. The great spirits born from the original beginning of the Great Dao gained the capacity for discernment and awareness through the nine refinings of Primordial Beginning’s Cavernous Yang, crimson primordial Qi, and the dark, empty True Fire. Yet they may not understand that what is firm and indestructible, unchanged through the ages of calamity and constant from antiquity to the present, is a serene and settled awareness. It rests entirely upon a foundation of supreme purity, stillness, and immovable strength.

This foundation has the substance of true gold and can bring things forth and set them in motion. It also draws upon a force like wood and wind. When metal and wind reflect one another, they form a brilliant flame, penetrating and clear. This is called the “pure, unified, wondrously numinous Qi,” the deep source of the Great Dao. From it, the chaos of Heaven and Earth takes shape, and the Three Powers—Heaven, Earth, and humanity—are brought forth. Nothing fails to appear from it.

If you realize and illuminate your own numinous root, your own spiritual power can extend throughout boundless worlds. Immortals, spirits, ghosts, humans, dragons, and all things are shaped and nurtured by me; the heavens of the ten directions do not come from outside me either. The words of this scripture are the speech of Great Brahma, the sacred language of the heavens, not ordinary worldly speech. Its expression does not seek elegant rhythms or elaborate ornament, which is why it is called mysterious and profound, beyond exhaustive investigation.

This scripture is a precious book kept in Heaven’s treasury. It is hidden in the Eastern Treasure Scripture Chamber, among the jade palaces of the heavenly realms, including Xuandu, Shenxiao, and Yuqing. By established rule, it is transmitted to the human world only once every thirty-seven thousand years, when the time is right. If a person who has attained the Dao offers a precious object of gold as a token of faith, sincerely follows the ancient procedures, and swears an oath before the Dao Lord, the scripture may then be transmitted to them.

The Dao says: The workings of Heaven and Earth have periods of flourishing and decline. The Sun, Moon, and Five Planets (the five planets known to the ancients as Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth) also wax and wane. Those whose cultivation is still shallow and whose practice is not yet complete are easily harmed when fortune turns against them and calamity strikes. Such troubles arise when the essence of Shen and Qi—the vital energies of body and mind—is depleted within, and when pure essence, known in Daoist terms as Sùjīn, loses its spiritual efficacy. Once calamity and decline appear, they bring constraint. All who suffer such misfortunes should respond in sympathy with one another’s Qi: they should fast together, burn incense in reverence at the six appointed times, and recite the scripture ten times. Blessings and Virtue will then descend, dispelling every kind of ill omen. This immeasurable scripture can save beings throughout the boundless realms.

The Dao says: If someone whose cultivation is still shallow and whose Dao practice is insufficient, or whose rank among the perfected immortals is not yet established, faces the end of their allotted life and the body’s passage into Taiyin—the realm of death and the underworld—the perfected adepts among their fellow practitioners should burn incense and recite the scripture on their behalf.

By reciting the scripture ten times, the deceased’s body may be delivered in accordance with the rite; pure radiance will appear anew and light shine once more. Their soul and spirit will then ascend directly to the Southern Palace. The days granted to them will be reckoned according to the Virtue they accumulated through their studies and practice in life. They may thus be reborn, escaping the cycle of death, and ultimately become an immortal.

The Dao says: When the workings of Heaven and Earth approach their end, the stars move in disorder, the Sun and Moon lose their light, the seasons fall out of order, and Yin-Yang loses its balance. Calamity strikes the realm; the tribulations of water, fire, and wind descend; disease and poison spread, and the people die. When teachers and companions reach the end of their lives, or fellow students pass away, one should likewise fast, burn incense, and recite the scripture. The merit of fasting and recitation is immense: above, it can dispel disasters from Heaven, protect the sovereign, and bring peace; below, it can ward off poison and save the people. The living and the dead alike receive its blessings, and its Virtue cannot be measured. For this reason it is called “Universal Salvation of Heaven and Humanity, Without Measure.”

The Dao says: Whoever possesses this scripture and is willing to cultivate these merits for Heaven and Earth, the sovereign, and the people, should resolve to fast, burn incense, and recite the scripture ten times when disaster strikes. The gods of Heaven will record their name, and the myriad spirits will protect them. They will also receive help from perfected adepts, and may hope to become an official serving a sage sovereign, ranked among the immortal officials of the Golden Towers, the palaces of Heaven. The gods of Heaven record people’s merits and faults, overlooking nothing, however small. The True King in Heaven will also recommend you. Only one who has attained the Dao can fully understand these supreme principles.

The hidden words of Great Brahma among the gods of Heaven are sounds without measure, collected and arranged by the Lord of the Dao.

The Jade Chapters of Primordial Beginning, Pure Radiance, and Shining Spirit

The Eight Heavens of the East

What follows are the hidden words of the Eight Heavens of the East. The characters in this section are sacred sound-texts from a Daoist scripture and are preserved from the original without literal translation:

奎都出陌　化扬入参　霞虚激璘

延謌沂涔　万竦柘宿　淇华几钦

转兰彩望　晨精典寻　昭盈灵肆

溢卜奚登　擎庄荷露　龙蚑捐沉

静佐亟道　刘彬绪忱　秷稂荡卑

里适逾金

The phrases listed after the Eight Heavens of the South, the Eight Heavens of the West, and the Eight Heavens of the North are “Great Brahmā hidden words” in Daoist scriptures: sacred secret language made up of special phrases, not prose meant to be read continuously according to its literal meaning. Phrases such as “Pengzheng Jueli,” “Sujing Diansheng,” and “Huicheng Jialiao” are therefore difficult to translate word for word into ordinary language; they may also contain variant readings or textual corruptions introduced during transmission.

The scripture says that within these various heavens are hidden immeasurable sounds of Great Brahmā. In ancient times, the scripture was inscribed in the Hall of the Western Perfected Ones at the Jade Terrace, the celestial palace described in Daoist tradition, to open the radiance of the sun, moon, and stars. Taiyi, a revered Daoist deity, governs the scriptures; Ziling, a spirit of the unseen realm, offers incense in worship; the Primordial Emperor, another revered Daoist deity, commands the gods; and through this, the myriad spirits reveal their writings.

The scripture further says that these characters can be seen with the eyes and recited with the mouth. They contain wondrous power: they can receive Heaven’s intent above and connect with the earth’s Qi below, bringing wisdom and clarity to those who recite and uphold them, while encompassing the hidden mysteries of the depths of the netherworld. Their effects are elusive and hard to fathom, touching on life, death, and survival. Spirits enter and depart, changing without fixed direction. This is a treasured book of the Celestial Emperor, beyond the hearing of ordinary people in the world. Each character is one zhang long. The Celestial Perfected Sovereign, a figure in Daoist legend, once wrote these characters.

Recite this passage of the scripture in the correct tone. If someone understands this vocal sound and can observe purification and recite it, all the heavens will send divine beings to come. The Divine King Sujing (a divine name) will descend to inspect the person’s conduct, record their merits and labors, and report them to the heavens. The myriad gods will come to pay homage, while the earth spirits stand watch beside the door. The Great Merit Demon King (a divine name) will also recommend the person, enabling them to ascend to the realm of the Highest Perfected.

When this practice has been brought to completion, one can travel throughout the Three Realms and ascend through the Golden Gate, the entrance to the immortal realm. This vocal sound can open a way anywhere, dispel calamities and deliver beings from suffering in any matter, and bring any undertaking to completion. It is a sound that is natural to the celestial Perfected. Reciting it can therefore summon the Divine King Sujing to descend and inspect, while the Lord on High responds from afar in song. The myriad gods come to pay homage, and the gods of the Three Realms stand beside the celestial carriage. Demons bow their heads and retreat in submission; ghosts and monsters vanish of their own accord.

The clear, resonant sound of tinkling jade echoes through the air, bringing stillness and clarity to the ten directions. Rivers and seas grow calm, without a ripple; mist disperses among the mountains. All numinous beings are awed into submission, and the immortals are summoned together. No defiling energy remains in the heavens, and no demonic dust or grime remains on earth. The netherworld and wisdom alike are clear and pure. This is a realm of vast depth and mystery beyond comprehension.