《靈寶無量度人上品妙經》Vol. 20

The Song of the Empty Heavens of Bixiao says: In ancient times, the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning, in the great floating land of Bixiao and the Empty Heavens within the Heaven of Initial Azure, heard and received the naturally arising sounds of the Numinous Chapter of the Empty Cavern for Delivering Humanity by Primordial Beginning.

In the Heaven of Bixiao Winding Around the Void, rosy clouds streamed and divine winds surged. Ten thousand kinds of sound interwove and echoed, blending clear and murky tones, rising and falling, winding and overlapping until they formed a song. The song resounded through Heaven and Earth, and the various heavens answered one another. At that time, living beings throughout Heaven and Earth that ordinarily could not make a sound were all able, for a moment, to speak: proclaiming the Great Dao, establishing instruction, opening the subtle and mysterious teachings, and setting forth the religious precepts, so that all living beings might understand the principles of things and know the laws.

When the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning was about to expound this scripture, he first made ten circuits to summon the Bixiao worlds of the ten directions. Rosy clouds interwove like threads, forming a precious net. Celestial beings rode dragon and phoenix chariots, suddenly appearing and vanishing as if traveling through the depths of an empty cavern. The azure sky shone brilliantly, almost without obstruction; light and shadow flowed and illuminated the ten thousand directions. The divine wind quickened and slowed, and through it all beings were delivered. The song was chanted in measured rhythm; the zithers in the void played the sounds of the Dharma, boundless and without end. Pearl towers and jeweled halls all gave forth wondrous numinous music, praising the Dao, the Dharma, and the immortals, and exhorting beings throughout the heavens to perform good deeds and deeply comprehend the Higher Dao.

The great divine beings of Heavenly Truth, the highest sages and exalted ones, the Perfected of wondrous practice, and the utmost Perfected of Bixiao appeared of their own accord. Countless golden boys and jade maidens came riding through the air. The azure void was clear and still, its cold light illuminating the tranquil grotto-heavens. Jade horses, wind-borne chariots, and precious canopies spread out like celestial awnings; heavenly music and wondrous Brahma-like sounds faintly mingled. Nine rays of light circled and five hues flowed, shining without interruption for seven days and seven nights.

The Inner Perfected of the various heavens each ascended the Danyan towers and beat the heavenly drums together. Dragons and tigers roared, the stars revolved, and the East was shaken. In the jeweled palaces of the twenty-four heavens, azure blended into azure; mountains towered and waves ran clear. The Seven Luminaries shone bright and lustrous, the clouds rested gently, the winds fell silent, and the scene grew open and radiant. Within one realm, the land, rivers, mountains, and forests all became level and even, with no differences of height. Heaven and Earth enclosed it, the seas held it, and the land was green as jade, still, clear, and luminous. The songs throughout the grotto-heavens were everywhere alike, without distinction.

The Perfected attended before the throne as the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning sat upright on the Nine-Green Jade Platform in the void, upon a throne encircled by divine dragons and adorned with ten thousand pearls, and expounded the scripture. After he recited it once, the songs of the grotto-heavens in the azure sky rang out together in a chorus, all acclaiming its excellence. At that time, the men and women of the realm heard the scripture’s sounds; their hearts opened and their doubts dissolved, and even the deepest, most hidden places heard it. After he recited it twice, the Flowery Youths radiated light, illuminating all without limit. After he recited it three times, Bixiao gave forth the music of Heaven; the divine wind played gently, and the words rang clear and far. After he recited it four times, … (the original text ends here).

Wisdom reaches far and wide, and the Dharma Body—the Daoist true body that transcends physical form and is present everywhere—manifests universally. All beings hear the scripture together. At the fifth recitation, they hear the song and understand the Daoist teachings, returning to their source and recovering life’s original truth. At the sixth, they see themselves and the realms around them, all pure as precious jewels, able to display different colors of light according to their location. The body of the Dao is empty and still, and does not change. At the seventh, they are led to understand this principle of emptiness and stillness.

This song of emptiness and stillness has, from the beginning, neither arisen nor passed away. Rosy clouds spread across the sky, a gentle breeze stirs, and the tones sound forth of themselves. From this, one enters the Dao and ascends to the realm of the Perfected; its principle can be understood here. At the eighth recitation, one travels among floating palaces and lofty towers, one’s form drifting through the azure heavens. Inner immortal music and clear, resonant songs flow on, now fading from sight, now appearing again. At the ninth, flowers spring forth within the void, unfolding into a thousandfold world. Celestial beings, men and women enter and leave the Yellow Chamber—the Daoist palace of the immortal realm—sink into the azure heavens, then return to nothingness, revealing the Dao’s original nature. At the tenth, rosy clouds fill the ten directions, and the songs form nine melodies. They rise to the realm of light above and reach down to the dark depths below. The celestial beings rejoice greatly, and auspicious signs appear through the manifestation of Lingbao.

At this time, men and women throughout the whole country all join their hands in the Heavenly Net and tread the Cloud Pattern—the hand gestures and steps used in Daoist ritual—while their bodies ascend to Shangqing, the highest Daoist heaven. All receive protection and deliverance, and attain long life.

The Dao says: At this time, the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning preached the scripture for the first time. From the emerald heavens in the east came songs of the void, as the Great Gods of Utmost Truth and countless deities arrived through the air. At the second recitation, songs of the void came from the emerald heavens in the south, and the Great Gods of Utmost Truth and countless deities arrived through the air. At the third, songs of the void came from the emerald heavens in the west, and the Great Gods of Utmost Truth and countless deities arrived through the air. At the fourth, songs of the void came from the emerald heavens in the north, and the Great Gods of Utmost Truth and countless deities arrived through the air. At the fifth, songs of the void came from the emerald heavens in the northeast, and the Great Gods of Utmost Truth and countless deities arrived through the air. At the sixth, songs of the void came from the emerald heavens in the southeast, and the Great Gods of Utmost Truth and countless deities arrived through the air. At the seventh, songs of the void came from the emerald heavens in the southwest, and the Great Gods of Utmost Truth and countless deities arrived through the air. At the eighth, songs of the void came from the emerald heavens in the northwest, and the Great Gods of Utmost Truth and countless deities arrived through the air. At the ninth, songs of the void came from the emerald heavens above, and the Great Gods of Utmost Truth and countless deities arrived through the air.

When the Primordial Heavenly Worthy had delivered the scripture for the tenth time, the Perfected Great Deities and countless immortals in the celestial music of the Azure Vault below came riding through the air. As the tenth recitation ended, the Perfected Great Deities from the boundless celestial music of the Azure Vault in all ten directions arrived in a realm at that same moment. The men and women there heard the teaching, came to understand it, and wholeheartedly turned toward it. The arrivals were as boundless as wind and clouds, their sounds abundant: many voices interwoven, and a sound of immense grandeur. Before anyone could see their forms and bearing, they first heard this moving soundscape.

Singing, chanting, laughter, praise, weeping, the clink of jade pendants, and the tread of shoes—all these sounds gathered from every direction, filling the entire realm beyond restraint. The Primordial Heavenly Worthy then reached out and drew in the clouds and rosy mists, long as trailing ribbons from the Azure Vault. He coiled them in his palm into a round mass, like a blue-green jade pearl, radiant and transparent. The boundless scene of the celestial music of the Azure Vault in the worlds of the ten directions seemed close at hand. Looking down and around, one could see it clearly, as if through pure, polished glass. First the Primordial Heavenly Worthy showed everyone the place where the assembly was gathered, then he revealed the assembled multitude for all to behold.

As the people gazed upward, before long an object was suddenly cast into the air, nine ren above the ground and as large as a shooting star. The Primordial Heavenly Worthy led the Celestial True Great Deities, the Supreme Sages and High Worthies, the Perfected of Wondrous Practice, and the Perfected Great Deities and countless immortals from the boundless celestial music of the Azure Vault in all ten directions into the wondrous radiance of this shooting star. Not one of the heavenly beings or immortals failed to enter the divine light. Within the light, those outside could see those within, and those within could see those outside. Above seemed close to below, while below seemed to gaze up at above. Inward and outward, surface and interior, were all perfectly clear, though no one knew why. What was seen within and without merged into one; everywhere was the same light. The celestial music played of its own accord, azure mists billowed thickly, and divine winds rang out like metal. The jade cities of the ten directions all appeared harmonious, radiant, and equal to one another. Countless heavenly beings seemed unaware of where they were.

There, within this mass of wondrous, precious light, the Primordial Heavenly Worthy proclaimed this scripture, Celestial Music of the Azure Vault: it is the Dao that transcends the mundane world, the teaching that enables people to attain long life, the source that sets the transformation and birth of all things in motion, and the guiding principle of the mysterious Dao. The multitudes in the ten directions…

We are born with this sacred mind, eyes, ears, mouth, and nose, through which we can know every realm of the Dao. Yet all these sacred sounds arise from the numinous emptiness of the Azure Heavens. The song that penetrates the Great Dao resounds among all living beings, whose voices answer in turn. In this way, discourse on the Dao and the sacred rites can be brought to completion. The perfected ones oversee and preside over the work of guiding beings to salvation, and transmit the scriptures to me.

The joy of that moment is beyond words. When the rites were largely complete, the heavens returned to their appointed places. In an instant, all around fell silent, without a sound. At that time, the heavenly beings and the people of the human world, fortunate enough to encounter this scripture and its teachings, were broadly awakened. They came to understand the truth at the heart of things and learned that these azure mists were the primordial essence of Qi. After Heaven and Earth were formed, the essence of the rosy mists spread all around, crossing and intertwining like threads. When the wind moved through them, the five tones sounded together. This sound was neither made by Heaven nor formed through the combination of causes and conditions. Thus we know it to be the sound of the Dao’s mysterious, spontaneous manifestation. Hearing this wondrous sound opens the heart and eyes, enabling one to discern the nature of things and awaken to the true Great Dao. Even amid silence, one can hear a song echoing from afar.

The song of the Great Dao has no end. All who devote themselves to the Dao and revere it should cultivate a heart of great goodness: create nothing, desire nothing, insist on nothing, entertain no delusions, indulge in no fantasies, covet nothing, cling to nothing, and seek to possess nothing. They should be neither false nor deceitful, and should not extinguish the forces of life. Their words should be free of affectation and falsehood, and they should speak no words of malice. All people should love one another; even those with different surnames should be as close as one family. The state will be at peace and its people prosperous, delighting in an age of peace. When the scriptures begin to spread their teachings, the people of a whole state will take the Dao as their guide. If they recite them with utmost sincerity and bow in reverence, all can be guided to salvation and freed from worldly suffering.

The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning said: Everything described in this scripture is a song carried from the empty expanse of the Azure Heavens, a sound stirred by the celestial mists scattering in every direction and the divine wind chanting in secret. These sounds are performed among the emperors of the heavens as hidden melodies. They are also the secret names of the gods and the concealed names of the hundred spirits in the empty songs of the divine kings of the ten directions; they are not words used in everyday life. Only perfected beings who have attained the highest sagehood, mastered the mysteries, and probed the deepest hidden truths can fully understand the scripture’s chapters. If one recites it ten times, songs will ring out from the empty expanse, and the voices of the spirits will carry into the distance. Myriad emperors will bow their heads, and a thousand perfected beings will listen in solemn silence. The seas will grow calm, warfare will cease, the smoky haze in the sky will vanish, the sun, moon, and stars will halt their courses, and the cosmic scales will stop turning. The Eight Powers will stir the vital energies, and the assembled demons will lose their might. Green bones will gain new beauty, and numinous bodies will return to life.

Scholars devoted to the Dao who recite the scripture ten times will have the Three Officials of Heaven, Earth, and Water drive their chariot, while the Five Emperors accompany them. They can seal off mountains, summon clouds, command the ranks of ghosts and spirits, cure illness, avert calamity, and even restore to life those on the brink of death. This is because the scholar’s body is joined to the true Dao, the vital energy has reached its utmost, and the scholar has become attuned to the writings of the Azure Mystery and the Azure Heavens. The scripture is also engraved in the heart and bones. Thus the scholar can summon and command the powers of the Three Realms and take part in the affairs of Heaven.

The Divine Officer Who Commands the Earth, the god who governs the affairs of the underworld, swiftly sends forth demons and vile beings, granting them endless life. He restores the dead to bodily form and delivers them from suffering. Softly reciting this chapter can protect and dispel calamities passed down through seven generations. Those who bow before and uphold this scripture will see their Dao practice flourish and prosper from generation to generation, in harmony with good karmic ties; no trial can harm them. The spirits descend, and this scripture is sublime. It stands unrivaled in the Jade Capital, the celestial city of the Daoist heavens, and delivers countless beings. Its sound is clear and grand: it is the Daoist tradition’s most wondrous teaching, beyond compare.

The scripture says: Whoever recites it ten times will bring all the heavens down together. The suffering souls among the ancestors of countless generations will be delivered at once. They rise to the Azure Palace of Eastern Florescence, the palace of the eastern immortal realm. Hearing the song that summons souls from the sky, they recognize its voice and return to take up residence within themselves. Through the refinement of Qi, their souls recover their true nature and are able to be reborn as human beings. Those who can absorb the wondrous, numinous essence of the jade-green mists, let the spirit wind cleanse their hearts, and study diligently will, when their merit in the scripture is complete and their De perfected, become immortals. They will ascend to the Jade Palace and feast as they roam the blue sky.

Those of the highest spiritual attainment who cultivate and recite this scripture are immediately delivered and ascend to the Azure Palace. People in the world who receive and recite it can prolong their lives and ultimately cultivate the path of corpse liberation—the Daoist means of becoming immortal by leaving the physical body behind. Their souls and spirits merely fade from view for a time. When they hear the song from the sky, their minds remain undisturbed; they depart as if casting off old clothes. With spirit at rest and Qi settled, they can become sages and suffer no more in the hells. They turn from darkness toward light, and their hearts unite with the Dao. They deliver people, spirits, and all living beings alike, bringing blessings and joy to everyone; immeasurable grace extends to both the living and the dead.

Heaven treasures this scripture and does not pass it lightly to later generations. Those truly devoted to the Dao must offer gold and jewels as tokens and swear their sincerity before Heaven before it may be transmitted. Anyone who carelessly reveals it or treats it with disrespect will bring calamity upon nine generations of ancestors, condemning them to serve as ghost officials for a long time. Twenty-four Jade Youths and twenty-four Jade Maidens of the Azure-void Song from the Blue Heavens attend this scripture. They guard its divine text and protect those who receive it.

The scripture also says: Fasting and reciting it during the first lunar month can open the vital essence newly arising from the jade-green mists and free the souls of the dead from the bitter cold and endless night of the Cold Pool, allowing their spirits to rise to the Azure Palace. Fasting and reciting it during the seventh lunar month can summon the numinous sound of the Blue Heavens and nourish the firm Qi of the Golden Real Ones. It purifies the upper, middle, and lower Dantian, enabling the body to attain the way of the immortals. The Blue Heavens will enter the practitioner’s name in the registers of immortals and remove it from the registers of the dead, turning death into life. Fasting and reciting it during the tenth lunar month causes the jade-green mists to form talismanic script, and the scripture appears within the empty vastness. The mysterious sound that creates this text is offered up to the Celestial Emperor. The scripture also prays that emperors and their people, fathers and sons, may share in blessings and De, enjoy peace for ten thousand years, and live in harmony throughout the four seas, generation after generation. May the rulers of the world bring peace to the four quarters and endure through the cycles of calamity.

On festival days, reciting this Jing (scripture) causes the sound of the recitation to carry in all directions, while scriptures descend from the azure heavens. By consuming “green sprouts”—the green spiritual substance or nourishing food spoken of in Daoist cultivation—one may become a Shangzhen, a perfected immortal of high rank.

Reciting this Jing on one’s own natal day—the day corresponding to the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches of one’s birth—nourishes the true hun-soul, the ling-po souls, and the bones with jade essence. The body gains long life and joins with the Great Dao, free from worldly calamities. The inner scenes of the embryo shine brightly; the Three Elders grant life, the Five Emperors register the person’s name, and the spirit officials come to pay homage. The heavens enter that name into their records. When merit is complete and virtue perfected, the person ascends to Shangqing, the Highest Clarity heaven.

The Dao says: On days of practicing the Dao, one should bathe in fragrant water, observe purification and fasting, and then enter a quiet chamber. Facing east, click the teeth twenty-four times, allowing the mind to reach the twenty-four heavens, and bow twenty-four times. Close the eyes and meditate quietly, envisioning oneself seated amid blue, yellow, and white clouds. After a while, the clouds transform into azure rays of light, filling the inside and outside; all around is deep and dim. The Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, Black Tortoise, lions, and white cranes line up on either side. The radiance of the sun and moon shines down, illuminating the chamber. A circular image of light appears above the head, its brilliance reaching in all ten directions. When this visualization is clear, silently recite the secret invocation:

“Supreme Lord of the Dao, Mysterious Origin, Most High; summon from within my body the Three-Five Meritorious Officers, the left and right messenger officials, the attendant jade boys who bear incense, the jade maidens who transmit words, the Five Emperors’ direct talisman officers, and the incense officials assigned to this day—twenty-four of each. Convey to them the matter I present: Today is auspicious. In this pure hall of purification, I maintain the long fast and cultivate the supreme Jing, the Scripture on Deliverance from the Limitless. May my prayers and petitions ascend to the hearing of Heaven and reach directly before the supreme throne of the Primordial Beginning Emperor of the twenty-four heavens.” When the recitation is complete, bow.

Next, draw in Qi twenty-four times while facing east, then recite the Jing facing east.

The Wondrous Jing of the Supreme Scripture on Deliverance from the Limitless, of the Primordial Beginning

The original chapter of the Numinous Treasure of the Mysterious Cavern of the Primordial Beginning manifests and withdraws of its own accord through the wondrous sounds and subtle rhythms of the azure heavens’ empty chant, the nine transformations that deliver beings. In the chaos-cavern of the Great Nonbeing, within nonbeing there seems to be nothing that is not. It is Wuwei (non-action), vast and empty, and abides together with the Dao. When emptiness reaches its utmost, light appears; light transforms into Yang essence. Yang essence transforms into fire, and fire becomes the primordial beginning’s red Qi of the bright Yang. Within the red Qi, a yellow halo of light comes into being.

The yellow halo belongs to Earth: this is how Fire gives birth to Earth. The Qi of Fire and Earth is refined nine times until it becomes hard; hard substances have the nature of Metal. Metal then lies hidden and transforms into lead, lead transforms into water, and wood grows from the water, taking on a green color. Green, yellow, and white are called the three Qi of “Darkness, Origin, and Beginning.” Rooted in the power of Fire, they are forged for more than ninety thousand years. Their colors condense into emerald green, its radiance shimmering as crystalline Qi billows and scatters. At times it rises and leaps; at others it hides and flies, appearing and vanishing, walking slowly or racing swiftly.

Yin Fire transforms into wind, and Yang light transforms into Fire. Wind and Fire join, and emerald crystal blends with Li Fire, taking shapes like clouds and rosy mists, now drifting east, now west. Divine wind stirs the emerald mists and scatters them into branching forms that twist and change. Some are straight, others crooked; some are round like jade rings, others pointed like jade gui—ceremonial tablets carved from jade. They bend and extend in ever-changing forms that ordinary people cannot behold.

The emerald sky stretches wide, its radiance filling the four quarters of Heaven and Earth; its rosy light spreads to the farthest reaches in all eight directions. Its transformations are wondrous and unfathomable. The Heavenly Elder, the supreme deity of the celestial realm, takes up his brush and gives it form, making it a celestial text: a profound and subtle heavenly book composed of clouds and rosy mists.

The Three Origins, the Eight Powers, and the sixty-four forms each display their corresponding images: dragons ascend into the sky, phoenixes fly toward the Imperial Gate, qilin lie along jeweled roads, and turtles walk beside marshes. The bands of light from stars such as the Three, Nine, Five, and Seven join together, while the lunar mansions Kui, Fang, Bi, and Zi guard the ten directions of the celestial realm. Emerald mists crisscross in steep, far-reaching formations, winding without end like knotted cords. At their center is an open expanse, empty and receptive; wind sings within it, and wondrous sounds arise of themselves.

These sounds appear and vanish, circling and turning, becoming the songs and jade scripts of the Grotto Heavens: writings in the secret chapters of the Lingbao tradition that reveal the way by which the Highest Perfected ascend. Hearing a single divine song in the air causes vapor to rise in the mind, purple Qi to fill the room, and the Six Ding—six yin spirits in Daoist belief—to appear before one. Wherever the divine song reaches, all shines brightly. It can establish and complete things, deliver them beyond, and bring all beings to life. This is the song of the void in the Great Brahma Emerald Firmament, the wondrous celestial music of Shangqing.

Through this practice, practitioners leave behind life and death, ascend into the Heaven beyond Heaven, and reach the highest celestial realms, such as Yuluo Xiaotai and the Jade Mountain Upper Capital, ultimately arriving at the supreme Daluo Yuqing.

Throughout immeasurably long kalpas, even as some things seem to exist and others to disappear, songs from the void have always arisen naturally within the Emerald Firmament. These songs chant the way of the Most Perfect and open the spirits of Heaven to penetrating insight. All the spirits between Heaven and Earth receive their names through the songs. Simply call out to the divine sound in the emerald sky and it can be heard; from it come forth divine beings and the various Highest Perfected.

The Secret Taboo Names (sacred names or hidden incantations) are held in esteem because, by chanting the scriptures, the scenes of the heavenly realm can be revealed. In the Azure Firmament (the blue heavens of Daoist teaching), the realm is indistinct and distant. There, Jade Immortals (revered perfected beings) breathe forth a misty, vaporous Qi from their mouths. The sacred Brahma Qi (pure and holy primordial energy), like azure clouds, surrounds the Ten Directions.

Within the Ten Directions dwell gods who deliver people from death. In the Eastern Palace of the Ultimate, there is the Lord of Azure Florescence. There are also gods of nature who send forth songs in the air and wondrous sounds, and the Azure Sovereign, Ninefold Spirit, Great Mystery, and Life-Giving Virtue, who delights in nurturing all things. There are also the True Elder of the Azure Void, who transforms the heavens, and the Lord of the One Heaven, Supreme Clarity, Azure Clouds, Ultimate Void, Jade Song, Utmost Truth, and Cavernous Writings. These perfected gods transform and deliver living beings, refine and nourish their souls, and bestow boundless salvation. Today, as the scriptures are collated and recorded, the spirits of all the heavens descend together to the assembly.

In the East, South, West, and North; in the Northeast, Southeast, Southwest, and Northwest; and above and below, there is in each direction a Boundless Azure Firmament, Void Song, Jade Voice, God-King, Great Sage of Long Life, who comes to deliver people without limit.

The Utmost True God-Kings of the Ten Directions—of the Azure Firmament, Void Song, and Jade Voice—and the boundless great gods who grant long life and deliver the world all ride together in carriages above the Azure Clouds. Their bodies are blue-green, their wheels adorned with patterned colors, and they are drawn by azure phoenixes and dark, armored dragons. They raise banners of azure-cloud insignia, led by ten-section spirit pennants. Jade pipes play at the front as the assembly sings in unison; behind them, jade pipes sound together. Divine birds and dark cranes join in harmony, their calls flowing continuously into the songs in the air, long and clear.

Heavenly ministers bear the ceremonial standards, while marshals steady the carriage shafts. Tens of millions of carriages and riders arrive in a glow of azure light. Their songs shake the seas and mountains and resound through metal and stone. The gods gather in their radiance, turn their carriages, inspect the realm of the perfected, and deliver living beings. The ministers of the heavens, the nobles and officials of Supreme Clarity, and the deities of the divine palaces at the heights of the skies also come to the Azure Void…

The great immortal overseers of the Four Offices of Sacred Cloud and the Nine Paths of Strong Wind, following the registers of immortals and imperial charts, come together before the Celestial Emperor to verify the rolls of the immortals and rigorously examine the Six Heavens, the divine offices governing the underworld. They can see through the azure firmament and understand the wondrous sounds in the sky. Their divine power encompasses the vastness of space, their breath comes to rest in the depths, and they can free people from calamity.

All whose allotted fate is to become immortals are universally notified. This proclamation spreads throughout the boundless divine realms of the Three Realms and the Office of the Winding Springs, the underworld bureaucracy. So long as they are not confined by the heavenly order, and their names are entered in the realms of Azure Radiance, Yulei, and the Nine Suns, and listed in the registers of the Three Offices, the Nine Bureaus, and the sources of the Twelve Rivers, they can ascend and release their ancestors, parents, and generations of kin from guilt. The underworld spirits bound by far-reaching entanglements, as well as the karmic offenses recorded in disputes over graves and registers of guilt, can all have their roots of evil swiftly removed and no longer be held in custody.

In accordance with the talismanic decree of the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning, the spirits of the dead can then be promoted at the appointed time. Even spirits sunk in the River of Night, amid heaps of corpses, in filthy ditches and channels, or in cold springs can be freed from punitive labor. The divine offices restrain their bodies and souls, and, according to their rank, deliver them to the Azure Palace and Azure Radiance. Divine sounds wind around their bones and enter the Mysterious Realm, summoning all the gods and restoring the Nine Palaces to wholeness.

Those who receive deliverance regain life and are saved through salvation; they endure through all generations and never again enter the cycle of rebirth. They unite with the Dao and transcend the passage of time. They are forever delivered from harm and calamity, and all is peaceful. The living are no longer afraid, while the dead can pass beyond the Eight Barriers, ascend to the realm of eternal life, cross every hardship, and roam freely in the heavens of Highest Clarity. The heavens of Highest Clarity are filled with the energy of the azure firmament and reveal the purity and solemnity of the Brahma realm.

The Six Heavens of the East (The energy of the azure firmament rises from one degree and one minute at the Horn Lodge, then gradually moves north.)

Azure Brahma Mysterious Nonbeing Heaven — Emperor Mi Juehui Ying

Azure Void Reaching the Extremities Heaven — Emperor Bian Jiwanyan

Azure Net Primordial Beginning Heaven — Emperor Dongzhen Feisheng

Azure Joining and Clarifying Heaven — Emperor Yue Changdian Xing

Azure Countenance Vermilion Radiance Heaven — Emperor Hui Kuo Fusheng

Azure Vast Empty Expanse Heaven — Emperor Chong Zhong Tu

The Six Heavens of the South (The energy of the azure firmament rises from twelve degrees and the tip of one xia at the Winnowing Basket Lodge, then moves north in sequence.)

Azure True Cavern of Yang Heaven — Emperor Jiu Jia Kongxuan

Azure Jade Red Palace Heaven — Emperor Long Hun Jue

Azure Rosy Clouds Bright Plain Heaven — Emperor Zi Jing Kongchong

Azure Unilluminated Cavern Heaven — Emperor Mao Ji Yueyi

Azure Turning Beginning Chart Heaven — Emperor Yuan Yan Jiuzhen

The Bihuang Zhengxu Heaven is ruled by an emperor whose title is “Jiayuanxi.”

The Six Heavens of the West (the qi of Bilu rises from the point twelve and a half seconds beyond the third degree of the Nü lunar mansion, then proceeds northward toward the western quarter):

The Heaven of Azure Spirits Shining with Wisdom, ruled by the emperor titled “Chang Wujue”; the Heaven of Azure Currents and Violet Radiance, ruled by “Dingji Taiyuan”; the Heaven of Azure Canopies and Brahma’s Empty Expanse, ruled by “Miaoxun Yanyan”; the Heaven of Azure Caves and Rosy Sunlight, ruled by “Miaomang Zizhen”; the Heaven of Azure Blossoms and Opening Cycles, ruled by “Wulou Qingxuan”; and the Heaven of Azure Brahma and Distant Brightness, ruled by “Zixu Taiming.”

The Six Heavens of the North (the qi of Bilu rises from the point fifteen degrees and twenty-four and a half minutes beyond the Jing lunar mansion; this is the true direction of Bilu):

The Heaven of Azure Light and Cold Splendor, ruled by the emperor titled “Longyao Huazhen”; the Heaven of Azure Nectar Pouring Forth and Enduring, ruled by “Xuanshen Tai Du”; the Heaven of Azure Elixir and Transforming Qi, ruled by “Nilou Yanjing”; the Heaven of Azure Vastness and Compassionate Brilliance, ruled by “Yansheng Yuanchang”; the Heaven of Azure Falls and Song, ruled by “Fuli Miaofu”; and the Heaven of Azure Void and Congealed Yang, ruled by “Miaogong Taining.”

Together, these make twenty-four heavens and twenty-four heavenly emperors. They are all the hidden characters and titles of Bilu. Within the heavens of Bilu are naturally formed hollows and wondrous sounds, as well as the hidden rhythms of the various heavens. These are the sounds of the celestial realm, its revered deities and spirits, and its jade inscriptions.

The spirits of the celestial realm undergo nine transformations and extend throughout the Six Directions, changing without end. The mysteries of Shangqing Bilu are profound and far-reaching, too vast to describe in full. They unfold and reveal the utmost truth of the Dao, saving all beings throughout heaven and the human world. Clouded inscriptions and rosy-cloud writings twist and turn into patterns, transforming into many kinds of sound: Metal qi rings clear and bright; Earth qi sounds deep and rich; Wood qi drifts and stirs; Fire qi rises lightly; the Great One transforms into Water qi, which sounds as one vast whole. The Five Phases each return to their proper place, and the palaces of the five directions form Azure Rosy Clouds. Divine winds stir and sing: Shang notes flow and turn, Zhi notes sink low, Gong notes hold their fullness, and Yu notes lie deep and hidden. Songs in the heavens sound together, and the myriad heavens dance in response.

Today is a grand celebration. We receive the calendar proclamation issued by the Azure Heaven and report to the Three Primordials—the Daoist officials of Heaven, Earth, and Water, together with the days and divine offices under their charge. We pray that the calamity of the Five You will be cut off, that the accumulated demonic obstructions and karmic entanglements of seven generations be dispelled, that the root of death be removed, and that life’s original source be renewed, freeing people from the Great Yin, the realm of darkness. Afterward, we ride the Azure Dragon, visualize the Jade Maidens and bow to them, sit upright in the Hall of Light, tour the Nine Palaces, and conceal ourselves in the Celestial Prison, making our traces disappear…

Ghosts and spirits of the underworld appear and disappear unpredictably. In the blue firmament—the clear sky and realm of immortals—the King of Divine Kings, the Utmost True One, gathers clouds and mist, draws in primordial Qi, and seals the Ghost Gate. The Dipper stars of the East emit jade-colored light; those of the West shine with a brilliant white radiance. The Northern Dipper reveals a deep and subtle energy, the Southern Dipper glows brightly, and the Central Dipper spreads yellow clouds over the direction where I dwell. The energies of the Five Directions cross and weave into rosy clouds, forming patterns in the blue sky.

The Azure Emperor holds a mouth organ, the White Emperor strikes a chún, an ancient bronze instrument, the Red Emperor beats a drum, the Black Emperor shakes a bell, and the Yellow Emperor raises a clay ocarina and plays, sending music aloft. The gods perform celestial music together in the air, its sound ringing through the immortal capital of the blue firmament. Amid the music, the Great Sovereign wears a flying blue robe. Bo Hua lets out a long cry on the left, and Jun Cheng does the same on the right.

The Blue Heaven sounds forth jade tones, and jade script appears of itself. The Red Heaven sounds forth jade tones, and divine signs transform into a heavenly scripture. The White Heaven sounds forth jade tones, striking jade so that its sound rings clear and bright. The Black Heaven sounds forth jade tones, and myriad feathers rise. The Yellow Heaven sounds forth jade tones, sending out sacred hymns. The jade tones of the Five Heavens rise together into the blue firmament; Brahma-like sounds echo through the sky, chanting of the nameless and limitless Dao.

The King of Divine Kings rides a tiger and mounts a whale, breathing out flames as he flies ten thousand miles. Thunder follows, subduing the armies. He rises above the blue sky and descends into the depths below, slaughtering, cleaving apart, and destroying the evil spirits in the encampments of ghosts. The great demons of the heavens stand on close guard, while troops of fire form their ranks. The Six Heavens wield primordial Qi, and the foremost of the hundred spirits proclaims the command: Luodu is cleared away, and the dark depths of the hidden caverns are sealed off. Spears and halberds are brandished, banners raised, arrows sent flying, and bronze gongs struck. The command shakes North Mountain, leaving ghosts nowhere to hide.

The Five Emperors carry out their orders, while the Four Dukes, Daoist officials, inspect the registers of names. Those who have earned merit are entered and rewarded; those who have transgressed are barred from further service. The lord of ghosts has six eyes, and the master of lightning has the body of a pig. Flames surge and poison fumes spread in all directions, swiftly reaching the eight quarters. Whoever dares to offend or obstruct the Supreme Perfect Ones, the revered deities of Daoism, will be punished.

This is the natural heavenly book, the Jade Emperor’s decree, and the Shangqing talismans transmitted by the divine sounds of the blue firmament. Fire bells and wind chimes ring, while the myriad gods clear the way ahead. The command is proclaimed throughout the boundless realms: the Six Heavens must obey, and the Three Realms and Five Emperors proclaim it together in the blue void.

The Jade Essence radiance of the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning comes to rest in the blue palace of heaven, floating in the hidden depths; thus the divine Way unfolds. In the vast, boundless expanse of space, the myriad Perfected Ones open the heavenly book.

This scripture depicts the sacred cosmological vision of the Lingbao (Numinous Treasure) tradition, a major Daoist school. It opens with resplendent light flowing between heaven and earth, where the Nine Celestial Gates (jiuchong tianmen) stand in solemn majesty, while the Three Wretched Paths (santu) tremble before the awe-inspiring authority of the Supreme Divine Lord (Taishang Shengong). Symbols of divine power emerge—jade axes and golden implements—as thunderclaps shake the myriad heavens. Sacred scriptures unfold like mottled treasure books, their sharp contours revealed within emerald-hued auroras.

The text then portrays auspicious scenes of soaring phoenixes and dragons, with celestial brocades fluttering amidst clouds enveloping precious vessels. Daoist numinous beings manifest in the azure void, transforming endlessly beyond all boundaries of form and formlessness. It emphasizes the formless nature of the Dao as cosmic source: possessing no fixed shape, radiance, sound, color, or name—vast yet perfectly unified. This primordial source ultimately coalesces into the Jade Capital Mountain (Yu jing shan), the legendary abode of the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning (Yuanshi Tianzun).

Upon its towering verdant peaks stands the "Court of Supreme Wonder" (Dayou Miao Ting), where the Celestial Worthy resides with countenance pure as an infant's, clad in azure robes girded by a moonlike jade belt. Divine light crowns his head while he treads upon the Five Directional Sacred Beasts. Emerald mists condense as numinous winds surge, filling the valleys with mysterious celestial harmonies.

The scripture specifically identifies these as the "Vermilion Scripts of the Nine Heavens' True Writings" (Chishu Jiutian Zhenwen) possessing the sacred power to sustain heaven-earth and transcend kalpic catastrophes. It describes the operational principles of the Twenty-Four Heavens (ershisizhong tian) and the trajectories of sun, moon, and stars. Primordial Qi (yuanqi) circulates to form written characters, which transform into sounds carried by winds as the Nine Heavens' divine tones—capable of subduing demons and governing the underworld.

The concluding section shifts to corresponding practices of bodily cultivation: the Jade Sovereign (yuzun, representing the original spirit) atop the head embraces solar radiance, while internal Qi flows like coiling dragons. It references the "Yellow Court" (Huangting, a vital cultivation center) and "Purple Jade Fortress" (ziyu zhongcheng, metaphor for key bodily passes), inhabited by the great deity "Non-Flowering" (Wu Ying), capable of spontaneous transformation and unity with emptiness. Practitioners harmonizing Yin-Yang Qi may ascend to the Shangqing Heaven (highest pure realm among the Three Clarities), move freely through the "elixir chamber" (neidan metaphor), ultimately achieving unity with the Dao.

The Dao governs the Five Dippers—the systems of stars and constellations—in the formless realm. It issues commands that restrain the myriad spirits, brings the Nine Paths to clarity, and sets the Three Origins—the three kinds of primordial Qi presided over by the celestial, terrestrial, and aquatic officials—in harmony. The immortal Dao prizes the authentic above all and saves people without limit.

Those who cultivate the Dao enter the Mysterious Gate and ascend by flying steps through the Nine Heavens. Sin and blessing, prohibitions and precepts, and the causes and conditions of destiny from past lives are all bound up with a person’s life and origins. Practitioners may ascend to the Flower Palace and leave the underworld behind. Through practices such as refining the bones, refining the corpse, and extinguishing the wandering soul, the physical body may be reborn, allowing them to rise onward to the heavens. Above the heavens stretches the boundless Gate of Immortality. There dwell divine kings who chant songs of emptiness in the azure firmament. These profound Daoist writings weave their words and meanings together with the Way of the exalted perfected immortals.

First: The Voice of the Divine King of the Eastern Boundless Azure Firmament, Song of Emptiness, Jade Tone

The Great Nonbeing, a state of utter stillness and emptiness, is not itself a spirit, yet it receives the Dao’s numinous subtlety. Change has no fixed direction, and its workings are wondrous beyond measure. The Dao does not appear as a spirit; its supreme power of creation and transformation is nevertheless deep and unfathomable. The spirit’s Qi is like smoke, dense and blue-green; the divine king roams freely in the Jade Capital, the celestial abode of immortals.

Second: The Voice of the Divine King of the Southern Boundless Azure Firmament, Song of Emptiness, Jade Tone

Subtle and remote, it reaches straight to the high terrace. It takes on patterned form, like the script of dragons, and becomes this song of emptiness. The divine king rides in a blue-green palace and crimson carriage, journeying throughout the Nine Heavens. His voice sounds like flutes and reed pipes as he sings of the Dao of the Dao King, reaching a state of perfect purity, without remainder.

Third: The Voice of the Divine King of the Western Boundless Azure Firmament, Song of Emptiness, Jade Tone

Kui and Zhang, two lunar lodges, lie in the west, where the stars shine clear and scattered like the Jade Pivot. Primordial Qi is contained within the deep blue-green expanse, and that Qi is level with the void. True Qi, the original Qi of the precelestial state, has no form; the true Dao has no name. Through this realm of emptiness and stillness, the Jade Perfected comes naturally to fruition.

Fourth: The Voice of the Divine King of the Northern Boundless Azure Firmament, Song of Emptiness, Jade Tone

The Great Ox and Dark Plow sustain them at the hours of Xu and Hai. The embryo conceived by Yin energy has already been cast off. The Dipper stars in the heavens shine in scattered brilliance, bringing forth the myriad beings and harmonizing and nourishing the Six Measures, the spatial order of heaven, earth, and the four directions. At night comes the sound of an infant’s wailing, and the ghosts in the ghost court scatter in disarray.

Fifth: The Voice of the Divine King of the Northeastern Boundless Azure Firmament, Song of Emptiness, Jade Tone

The Dark Phoenix appears at the altar, penetrating all and utterly pure, reaching the state of supreme Yang. Azure clouds stir the void, and the divine wind sings in their wake. The sound is clear and plaintive, its rhythm subtle and mysterious; the Dao’s very body has a wonder that seems to be and not to be, beyond words. Within the Yellow Mound I govern, all things find their proper place.

The sixth is the song of the Divine King of Jade Sound, of the Boundless Azure Heaven, in the southeast.

The Celestial Emperor rides in a cinnabar chariot and commands the Heavenly Gate to open. Azure talismanic characters are written inside a golden casket. The spirits seek out the dead in the underworld and refine them with the breath of Scarlet Radiance, so that they may sprout renewed life like green shoots. The Cavern Spirit sounds a wondrous melody, while the Great Matriarch follows in a covered carriage.

The seventh is the song of the Divine King of Jade Sound, of the Boundless Azure Heaven, in the southwest.

The Bird Mother holds a banner, and the Water King bears a tally of authority. Wang Gui (a divine name) delivers living beings and washes away the sins and suffering of the Nine Depths, the deepest reaches of the underworld. The Dragon Immortal sets the mechanism of transformation in motion, while the Eastern Well (a constellation) shines like the moon. Today is a day of great celebration: our ancestors and parents are freed from the torments of the underworld.

The eighth is the song of the Divine King of Jade Sound, of the Boundless Azure Heaven, in the northwest.

The Heavenly Father’s hair and beard are golden, and he wears brocade embroidered with patterns. Sunlight pours from his mouth, and he treads upon a divine toad. A jade blade cuts through demonic barriers, and bells and drums resound. Bloodshed and darkness are swept away, and the Way of the Azure Heaven flourishes.

The ninth is the song of the Divine King of Jade Sound, of the Boundless Azure Heaven, above.

Vast Azure Radiance fills the Jade Clarity of Miro, a high celestial realm in Daoism. In the empty sky, a divine seal transforms into written characters, revealing the Cavern Writings of the Eight Assemblies, sacred Daoist script. In this way, the roots of the Supreme Dao are nurtured and living beings are transformed and nourished. On the lofty Celestial Terrace dwells the Emperor Lord.

The tenth is the song of the Divine King of Jade Sound, of the Boundless Azure Heaven, below.

Layer upon layer, the vast and deep land of Gangze stretches to the Wind Sea and the underworld. The Dark Elder, an underworld official, examines the registers of names. In the iron city, thick with fire and smoke, a black serpent bares its poisonous fangs, while savage beasts devour bodies. When celestial light descends at its appointed time, the myriad sufferings of living beings come to an end.

These are the songs that the Divine King of Jade Sound naturally gives forth throughout the ten directions, above the Azure Heaven.

Reciting this passage of the scripture one hundred times is called “Deliverance to the Azure Palace.” Reciting it one thousand times will bring the Divine King to escort and welcome you. Reciting it ten thousand times completes the Daoist method: you may ascend through the heavens, transcend the Three Realms, and become a Perfected Person of Highest Clarity.

When you hear the jade-toned words, the hundred spirits will guard your body, and you will receive the mandate to govern the earth deities. As you come and go, spirits will escort and welcome you, carrying you beyond the Earth Gate, the portal to the underworld. The Three Calamities and Nine Afflictions will be dispelled; your ancestors of seven generations will rise to higher realms and leave the gates of the underworld forever. Their souls and spirits will ascend to the Azure Palace and become members of the household of Taiyi. Passages in the scripture such as “Within Taiyi’s household, Azure is the Four Palaces’ imperial carriage, riding a dragon” may contain errors or omissions in the transmitted text, so their meaning is difficult to establish with certainty. The scripture also says that those who can follow this teaching and no longer walk by inauspicious, transgressive methods such as the black and red paths will reach the Azure Void. Those who truly understand it will penetrate the Great Dao, enjoy boundless life, and have their merits recorded. This method is a celestial secret transmitted through sacred sound and writing, revered by all the heavens. To divulge it or treat it with disrespect is to fall into hell, with calamity extending even to one’s ancestors of seven generations.

The Dao says: This passage of the Cavern Chapter, a profound scripture, consists entirely of jade-toned words sent forth in all ten directions by the Divine King of the Azure Firmament. They are the naturally perfect and true secret utterances of the Divine King, all words of the Great Brahma, not the common speech of the world. They explain that the Azure Firmament’s Empty Song, the sacred hymn of the celestial realm, is the supreme and true Dao. On a grand scale, it can join with the mysterious Dao, move in and out among all things as they transform, set the subtle laws in motion, open the world, and bring Heaven and Earth into being. On a smaller scale, it can enable people to cultivate themselves into immortals and ascend to Highest Clarity.

The Qi of the Azure Firmament connects with the ears and eyes in the human body, while descending to reach the Jing of the liver and kidneys. Jing and Qi move from Kan, which symbolizes water and the kidneys, into Li, which symbolizes fire and the heart, circulating day and night. Within the Brain Gate, a key opening for cultivation, and the divine furnace, a mysterious elixir should form, no larger than a millet grain or a bean. It emerges through the ear; once the cultivator receives and swallows it, they can cast off the womb-born body, transform their form, and ultimately become a guest of the emperors. Those who complete this Dao may travel in spirit through the Azure Land and behold the Azure City, jeweled towers, jade palaces, and the majestic dragons and tigers, lions, white cranes, and horned dragons. They may then roam across the Azure Firmament’s realm for ten thousand li. These states cannot be fully investigated or described through worldly learning.

This method is treasured by Heaven and kept in secret within the Upper Palace of the Purple Tenuity in the Mysterious Capital. According to the Mysterious Ordinances, it is transmitted only once every forty thousand kalpas. If a person who has attained the Dao comes forward bearing a jade ring and blue brocade patterned with designs, with a pure mind, they may receive the teaching only after making the prescribed oath and reporting to Highest Clarity.

The Dao says: The workings of Heaven and Earth, too, follow different sequences; the sun, moon, and stars, as well as the Nine Origins, the levels of the heavens, undergo changes of concealment and appearance. Even the most holy divine beings may be hidden or manifest. Later practitioners, too, will encounter calamities and afflictions. Whenever such calamities occur, all who share the same Qi should join in performing purification rites, offer incense at six times throughout the day, and recite the scripture ten times. Then the blessings brought by the Empty Song’s divine sound will arrive of their own accord, and the spirits of the Mysterious True will descend at once to dispel every ill omen. This immeasurable scripture can deliver all beings everywhere, without limit.

The Dao says: Some who are new to the Way have made little progress in their practice, and have not yet accumulated enough merit to fill their register among the immortals. Yet their allotted years are nearly at an end. At such a time, a fellow practitioner who has attained the Way may burn incense for them and recite the scripture ten times. Through the wondrous tones of The Empty Song of the Azure Heaven, the practitioner summons their hun and shen. The Qi of the Azure Heaven descends and joins with their bones, causing the five viscera and six bowels to shine with renewed life. Their true Qi is restored, and their corpse is thus delivered across. Their hun and shen can then rise directly to the Azure Palace—the celestial halls of Daoist belief—where the days are reckoned according to their merits in cultivating the Way and they receive rebirth. They will not be confused when they pass through the cycles of rebirth, and in the end they can become immortals.

The Dao says: When the seasons of Yin and Shen fall out of order, one should also establish a purification retreat, burn incense, and recite the scripture. One should do the same when Heaven and Earth grow dark and indistinct; when water and fire clash and the vital energy of the people is thrown out of balance; and when the borders of the state are under attack, with warfare and banditry unceasing. One should do the same when strange Qi brings calamity, when the people fall ill and epidemics spread, and when one’s teacher or fellow practitioners die. The merit of observing purification and reciting scripture is immense: it can restore the proper order of the seasons above, bring stability to the ruler in the middle, and dispel poison and harm below, delivering multitudes of people. Both the living and the dead can benefit from it. Its blessings and virtue are beyond measure, which is why it is called “Deliverance Without Measure for All Beings of Heaven and Humanity.”

The Dao says: Anyone who possesses this scripture and can perform these meritorious acts for Heaven and Earth, the ruler, and the people should, on the day calamity strikes, resolve to establish a purification retreat, burn incense, and recite the scripture ten times. The heavens will record their name, and the gods will protect them. There are also those who have attained the Way and can practice regularly, becoming Sovereign Lords of the Azure Heaven and ministers of the Azure Palace. The heavens record people’s merits and faults, omitting nothing, however slight; the divine kings of the celestial realm will also recommend you. Those who have attained the Way should fully understand these ultimate principles.

Among the heavens lies the Great Brahma Heaven, where the Empty Song of the Azure Heaven resounds, along with profound, hidden, and immeasurable tones. — Composed by the Dao Lord

Numinous Writ of Primordial Beginning: The Numinous Chapter of the Jade Text of Rosy Clouds

The Six Heavens of the East

With mirrors held aloft, the heights are majestic; rosy clouds and dew spread across the four quarters of the sky, embracing the forms of things in a realm both remote and profound.

The Dipper and Wei constellations appear there, their light illuminating the Nine Suns; they travel on to the furthest reaches of the ancestral pole.

They gather and discern the proper position of the western direction, then enter the realm where the eight directions converge; the mounds and hollows are settled, and the vessel is cleared and set in order.

The Golden Register appears like the moon in spring, holding radiance within the Jade Fields; the numinous chapter is calm, balanced, and empty.

The Six Heavens of the South

The constellations Jing, Gui, Liu, Xing, Zhang, Yi, and Zhen converge and meet; the true bell is in the auspicious lands of the east.

Cloud dragons reveal a sweetness like jade nectar; once more they receive the command, joined by yellow cords, and meet at the Wall constellation and the branch direction.

The final section, “The Numinous Chapter of the Jade Text of Rosy Clouds,” belongs to the celestial talismanic writings and coded language of Daoism. Its words consist largely of constellations, directions, and symbolic phrases, so their precise meanings are difficult to determine. The rendering above offers an accessible, literal interpretation.

The breath circulates everywhere. In the forests and mountain valleys, bright eyes shine like jade. The pivot of the Great Dao reveals an upright image.

The Five Yangs converge in their palaces. Luo Yuan appears in a violet radiance, and the Qi of mysterious sincerity spreads abroad.

The Six Heavens of the West

The secluded Xiao Pool is subtle and dim; its pearl light gleams as night mist drifts by. The ghostly Willow is dark, its realm vast and remote.

The registers of names are carried swiftly past the Fire Pool. The Cave Horse is brought into harmony, while the Jade Consort spreads an equalizing Qi.

The lunar mansions Mao and Zhang advance side by side; the mansions Nü and Shi harmonize with one another. Yang Qi is deep and abundant, and even winding places return to purity.

Jinxuan and Tiger Maiden; Cuo Di and Yanchen; Ao Tian and Taiyi.

The Six Heavens of the North

Kuntai and Pangyou; Luzheng and Yulin; Linhui and Junshi.

Fire Duke and Lightning Marquis; Zhengxiao and Zhengchi; Jingming and Xianmou.

Gouhe and Lingbian; Dianjun and Boxiu; Wuwu and Taishen.

Donglin and Nilou; Longji and Heming; Ziwei and Ji Qiu.

The scripture says: These are the numinous Brahma sounds in the Azure Firmament, mysterious and hidden, boundless and measureless. The ancient script was formed from the winding, flowing lines of Azure Mist; it shines forth and gathers into the celestial script of the Eight Assemblies. The Celestial True Sovereign followed the traces of the clouds, set down the writing, and established it as the Correct Sounds. If someone understands its tones and rhythms,

and can fast and recite it, the heavens will send the Jade-Sound Spirit King and the Great God of Perfect Truth in the Azure Void to descend and observe that person, record their merit and diligent practice, and report them to the heavens. The myriad spirits will come to pay homage, the earth deities will keep watch at the gate, and those of great merit, along with the demon kings, will recommend them, enabling them to roam the Azure Firmament and ride through the Green Gate.

These sounds can avert and ward off anything; they can deliver and accomplish anything. They are sounds naturally produced by the divine wind of the Azure Firmament. Thus, reciting them causes the Great Gods of the Flying Heavens and Azure Void to descend and observe. The High Emperor sings in response from afar, the myriad spirits come to pay homage, the spirits of the Three Realms attend the celestial carriage, and all evil beings bow their heads as ghosts and demons vanish of their own accord.

The divine wind resounds, and the Azure Firmament becomes clear and luminous. The ten directions shine upon one another; the oceans, mountains, and depths grow limpid. Light gathers in the hollow void, and their radiance mingles. The gathered immortals bow toward the Jade Capital, the celestial city of the immortals, then soar into the sky. Heaven and earth are vast and boundless; the divine sounds ring clear and far. The wisdom of the unseen realms has no end, and its vast mystery can never be exhausted.

“Four Sounds Explained in the Jiao Collection” (pronunciation notes for this passage): 汧 is pronounced “qiān” and is the name of a river; 爓 is pronounced “yán” and means a fire opening; 𢘍 is an ancient form of “弼”; 犇 is pronounced “bēn” and refers to cattle being startled; 朒 is pronounced “nǜ”; 嶪 is pronounced “yè”; 弇 is pronounced “yǎn”; 䕡 is pronounced “lǘ”; 涔 is pronounced “cén”; 蚑 is pronounced “qí”; 秷 is pronounced “zhì”; 稂 is pronounced “láng”; 聻 is pronounced “nǐ” in the falling-rising tone; 闠 is pronounced “kuì”; 湟 is pronounced “huáng” and is the name of a river; 漻 is pronounced “liáo”; 屧 is pronounced “xiè”; 晃 is the same as 晄 and is pronounced “huǎng”; 盅 is pronounced “chóng”; 錞 is pronounced “chún”; 芺 is pronounced “yāo.”

Scripture on Transforming Life, Revealing the Womb’s Root, and Dispelling Evil and Impurity

The Dao says: In ancient times, I was in the Purple Empyrean Void-Song Taiji Dark Earth of the Beginning Blue Heaven. There I received from the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning the supreme, boundless scripture and method that enables people to generate and transform life, and to sever the womb’s root and dispel evil and impurity.

As the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning was about to proclaim this scripture, he circled around ten times to summon the gods of the ten directions. Then countless beings arrived through the air, including the Great Gods of Heavenly Truth, the Highest Saints and Venerable Ones, and the Perfected of Wondrous Practice. Their vehicles were splendid and majestic: ornate carriages borne aloft by crimson clouds and mist, their bodies gleaming with crystalline light, and red and green conveyances floating through the sky. Luminous radiance encircled their feathered wheels, while canopies of five-colored brocade reflected the glow of the rosy clouds.

Nine kinds of Qi shone together, their radiance illuminating the vastness of space. For seven days and seven nights, the towers and pavilions of the heavens stood open in the distance. The jade light between the Celestial Worthy’s brows appeared and faded; stars wove themselves into a net, and even the sun seemed to pause. Mysterious Yin Qi unfolded its radiance, and golden waves surged without end. The Xuanji and Yuheng, instruments used in ancient observations of the heavens, revolved, while the Qi of numinous harmony filled the sea of space. Divine winds circled, and emerald mountains curved and dipped low. No drifting clouds obscured the sky; the Qi of the four seasons was clear. The mountains, rivers, and forests across the whole land became level and even, with no more high or low places. All the earth turned to jade, uniform in color.

The assembled Perfected stood attending beside their seats. The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning sat upright in the air upon the radiant throne of Seven Stars and Nine Blossoms, the Bright and Luminous Treasure Seat, and began to expound the scripture.

At the first recitation, the Great Saints of the heavens praised him together. At that time, the wondrous Qi of the men and women of the whole land gathered and formed embryos, revealing the root of generation and transformation. At the second recitation, evil and impurity were dispelled, and knotted and blocked places were opened. At the third, the spirits settled in the realm of the empty grotto, while the deep Brahma-Qi nurtured them. At the fourth, jade radiance emerged from the bones, and the face shone with golden color. At the fifth, grudges accumulated over seven generations dissolved, and the blessed hall rejoiced in reunion. At the sixth, purple smoke infused the whole body, and the hundred gods rejoiced. At the seventh, male and female merged and transformed, returning to the Three Ones…

Thereafter, those who listened to the scripture gradually ascended into a wondrous realm. After hearing it eight times, body and mind came into accord with its meaning. The divine light described in the scripture shone from within, allowing them to see clearly through the body’s hundred gates—its many vital openings. After the ninth hearing, they understood its meaning inwardly, grasped the subtle and numinous principles, and received confirmation in the court of the True Emperor. After the tenth, their names were entered in the registers of Jade Purity, the subtle immortal realm where Daoist high divinities dwell, and they were permitted to serve in the Golden Palace, the residence of the Celestial Emperor. At that time, men and women throughout the land sincerely turned toward the Dao. All received protection and salvation, and attained long life.

The scripture says: At this time, the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning, one of the highest divinities in Daoism, began to proclaim the scripture. When the first recitation ended, Qingdi Liang Xusheng, the Azure Emperor of the boundless and immeasurable grade of the East, together with the Great Spirit of the Perfected of Womb Transformation and countless other divine beings, came through the air.

When the second recitation ended, Chidi Zhong Mingbin, the Vermilion Emperor of the boundless and immeasurable grade of the South, together with the Great Spirit of the Perfected of Purging Impurity and countless other divine beings, came through the air.

When the third recitation ended, Baidi Xu Chengyu, the White Emperor of the boundless and immeasurable grade of the West, together with the Great Spirit of the Perfected of Womb Transformation and countless other divine beings, came through the air.

When the fourth recitation ended, Heidi Yuan Daoming, the Black Emperor of the boundless and immeasurable grade of the North, together with the Great Spirit of the Perfected of Purging Impurity and countless other divine beings, came through the air.

When the fifth recitation ended, the Lord of the Eight Radiances, Bright and Subtle, of the boundless and immeasurable grade of the Northeast, together with the Great Spirit of the Perfected of Womb Transformation and countless other divine beings, came through the air.

When the sixth recitation ended, the Lord of the Eight Radiances, Mysterious and Numinous, of the boundless and immeasurable grade of the Southeast, together with the Great Spirit of the Perfected of Purging Impurity and countless other divine beings, came through the air.

When the seventh recitation ended, the Lord of the Eight Radiances, True and Resplendent, of the boundless and immeasurable grade of the Southwest, together with the Great Spirit of the Perfected of Womb Transformation and countless other divine beings, came through the air.

When the eighth recitation ended, the Lord of the Eight Radiances, Numinous and Luminous, of the boundless and immeasurable grade of the Northwest, together with the Great Spirit of the Perfected of Purging Impurity and countless other divine beings, came through the air.

When the ninth recitation ended, the Lord of the Eight Radiances, Chanting in the Cavern, of the boundless and immeasurable grade above, together with the Great Spirit of the Perfected of Womb Transformation and countless other divine beings, came through the air.

The host of gods and immortals came soaring through the air. After the scripture had been recited ten times, countless gods from the boundless, immeasurable ranks below—including the Lords of the Eight Manifestations and Hidden Forms and the Great Spirit Who Removes Defilement and Attains Perfection—also came soaring in. When the ten recitations were complete, the great Perfected Spirits of the boundless heavens in the ten directions arrived together.

Men and women throughout the kingdom sincerely turned toward and revered the Celestial Worthy. Those who had come said to one another, “The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning is now expounding in the Heaven of Primordial Azure how to bring forth and transform the roots of the embryo, and how to cut off evil and defilement. We are caught in the ceaseless flow of rebirth and cannot escape life and death. Our greed, anger, and delusion run deep, and we have fallen into all kinds of material realms. Even when, through the conditions created by merit and virtue, we are born in the heavens, celestial beings can still become deluded and attached, unable to let go. Though we have only just left behind the defilements of the mortal world, subtle worldly habits have not yet been fully cleared away. The slightest disturbance can entangle and impede us. When responding to change, the embryo’s origin cannot be completely purified; the root of life and death remains firm. We cling to the body’s imperishability, taking existence itself to be the root.

“We do not understand that the Dao’s substance is mysterious and wondrous, encompassing and nurturing the great void. The Nine Sages and Ten Perfected Ones were never subject to birth or death. Because the embryo’s root has not been cut off, contention and turmoil arise: beings change into one another, taking turns to become different kinds of creatures. Corpses and blood abound, bones decay, and bodies perish. Though we are celestial beings, we have not escaped the Three Realms. Our forms have not yet transformed independently; we remain separated from the Dao. Even when we manifest in other forms, we are still within the material realm. Thus we see one another, take one another by the hand, and speak, yet our voices cannot accord with the realm of the Great Cavern. The Three Corpses are stirred as a result, defiled blood congeals into masses, and evil spirits seize the chance to attack, leading people away from the true Dao.

“Now we should listen with undivided attention to the sound of the teaching, gathered around the Celestial Worthy’s seat. Beings from across the millions of kalpas have assembled at the same moment; nothing can prevent this.”

Then the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning lowered his sleeves, gazed steadily, and ordered the Lord of Yellow Plain, a deity in Daoism, to hold a square-rule mirror and reflect the true forms of Heaven and Earth, revealing their branching details and pathways as written characters. The Lord of White Plain struck the Bell of Cavernous Yang. Its sound rang out in unison across the ten directions, and the ten thousand heavens sang in response. The Lord of Purple Plain lowered the Pearl of Vast Radiance. The pearl, as large as a millet grain, hung in the hollow darkness, above the ground…

The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning led the nine-zhang-tall Great Gods of Heavenly Truth, the Most High and Venerable Ones, the Perfected of Wondrous Practice, and countless Great Gods of Perfect Truth from the ten directions into the precious pearl.

Those in heaven gazed upward and saw the gods streaming densely through the pearl’s opening. Once inside, no one knew where they were. The people of the country scattered in every direction. Heavenly light shone down, and the myriad energies became clear and pure. The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning then preached the scripture inside the pearl until he had finished. The Perfected Ones together oversaw and guided the assembly, and transmitted this scripture to me.

The joy and celebration of that moment defy description. When the ritual observances were largely complete, the various heavens returned to their proper places. In an instant, all was silent, without a sound to be heard. At that time, the people of heaven and all living beings were fortunate to encounter the scripture and its teachings, and were universally saved. The knots in their hearts were untied, and the roots of evil were cut away. They turned their hearts toward the Dao and practiced it with utmost sincerity, forgetting weariness, distinctions, transformation, attainment, thoughts, feelings, and perceptions; they also forgot movement, breathing, and bodily form. Speech returned to the source beyond reason, and no sounds of greed arose from their mouths. All people shared loving-kindness, and even those of different surnames became as close as kin. The state was secure, the people prosperous, everyone joyful, and the world at peace.

When the scripture and its teachings were first revealed, anyone in a country who had already cultivated a heart of utmost sincerity and honored and revered this Dao could be guided and saved.

The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning said: Everything spoken of in this scripture consists of the inner names and hidden sounds of the Lords of Heaven, as well as the taboo names of the demon kings and the secret names of the myriad spirits. These are not ordinary words of the human world. They can bring forth the embryo of the Dao, purify and refine the root of life, dispel evil Qi, and destroy “blood corpses”—impure entities in Daoist cultivation belief. They are essential words for cultivating the Real and reaching the ultimate state. The Most High and Venerable Ones have already attained the Dao of the Perfected. They understand the mysteries and have penetrated the deepest obscurities, and can fully comprehend the chapters within.

If this scripture is recited ten times, the heavens will sing in response from afar, the myriad emperors will perform rites, the rivers and seas will fall silent, the mountains will hide their clouds, the sun and moon will cease their courses, and the Northern Dipper stars (Xuanji) will stop turning. The demons will be bound, and ghosts and spirits will vanish; the dead will return to life, and even white bones will take human form. As for those who study this Dao, reciting the scripture ten times will cause the root of their Dao embryo to arise and transform, dissolve their worldly entanglements, and wither away impurity and evil.

Spirit and body unite; the Lords of the Five Directions stand guard within the body and govern the Three Realms. By bowing in reverence to the spirits, one strips demons, essences, ghosts, and monsters of their power to cause harm. Evil influences and calamities are dispelled, and even those at the point of death may be rescued and restored to life.

This is because those who cultivate the Dao may gradually rid themselves of impurity, yet their hearts have not fully fathomed the hidden principles. They still cannot subdue the demons of the ten directions by their own power, nor do they yet possess enough spiritual authority and virtue to administer the decrees of Heaven, subdue the earth deities, or restrain demonic spirits. At this stage, they can save only themselves; they cannot yet widely deliver other beings.

To recite this chapter carelessly may instead invite calamity. To make offerings to this scripture with reverence and honor it in worship will bring prosperity to one’s household, flourishing through the generations, and enduring bonds of good fortune. No calamity can intrude; the spirits will guard the household gates. This scripture is exalted and mysterious, unmatched by any other in the Jade Capital, the celestial realm. It can widely deliver beings and is the root of the myriad Dao. Its teachings are lofty and expansive, and its grace and virtue cannot be measured.

The scripture says: Whenever someone recites it ten times, all the heavens descend together. The Elder of the Mysterious Heights, a revered celestial deity, will release you from the karmic burdens accumulated since conception, including clotted blood, stagnation, and red, black, and other impurities formed in the womb. The Lord of the Western Brightness, a celestial deity, will release you from fluids, foul matter, and impure energies accumulated in the womb, including those associated with corpses, ghosts, and stagnant water. If the Water Office, the divine bureau that governs the waters, records and pursues these faults, they may implicate a person in this life, damage the root of life and death, and bring forth calamity.

Reciting the scripture prevents these misfortunes from arising. It purifies the root of the womb and its generative processes, transforming them into immortal essence as clear as jade nectar. One’s form becomes beautiful, and one naturally proceeds along the path to attaining the Dao; the Seven Po also gain freedom to roam.

The demon Peng waits for an opportunity to cause disorder, drawing in evil influences from outside and allowing ghosts and spirits to disturb the womb chamber. In dreams at night, people consort and dwell with ghosts. The Jade Emperor of the Great One then sends an emissary bearing the Ninefold Spirit Talisman of Purple Light, a sacred celestial document, to the Office of Celestial Secrets under the Elder Lord Han of the Southern Palace. There, the Registrar of Merit examines the records. In this way, good merit increases, the root of the womb is purified and its generative processes restored, and evil impurities are cut off. The suffering spirits of millions upon millions of ancestors through the generations can also be delivered at once and ascend to the Vermilion Palace, a celestial hall.

These people all underwent nine years of instruction and renewal, became noble persons, and came to delight in studying the scriptures. When their merit was complete, they could all become immortals, ascend to the Golden Towers in the heavens, and wander and feast in the Jade Capital, the city of the immortals.

Those of the highest capacity who cultivate and recite this scripture can immediately be delivered and ascend to the Southern Palace. When people in the world receive and recite it, their fetal origins and turbid, malign Qi are refined away. They gradually bring the cycle of birth and death to an end and are transformed into perfected immortals. Their wicked souls and foul spirits are also cleansed and purified. They can then prolong their lives and ultimately attain the Way of Corpse 解: after the physical body perishes, the soul and spirit temporarily leave it and attain the Way. Though the soul and spirit briefly disperse, they avoid the underworld, recover their form, and roam through the vast sky.

This scripture is subtle and wondrous, and can save all beings without limit. All beings in heaven and on earth receive immeasurable blessings through it, and benefit in both life and death. It is a precious text kept in heaven and must not be passed casually to people in the world. Only a person of the Way who prepares gifts of gold and treasure, demonstrates sincere devotion, and swears an oath to Heaven may receive it for transmission. Anyone who carelessly reveals or neglects this scripture will bring calamity upon nine generations of ancestors, condemning them to long service under the officials of the underworld.

Twenty-four Jade Boys and twenty-four Jade Maidens guard the scripture and protect those who receive it.

The Dao says: During the first month, abstain and observe the precepts while reciting this scripture. The Azure Emperor, Luo Wenying, governs the upper nine palaces and holds the talismans and registers of the Azure Palace. He opens the body’s hundred channels and unknots blockages and stagnation. The One Sovereign is inwardly delighted; purple vapor fills the whole body, divine light shines through it, and feathered radiance illuminates the mysterious realm. In this way, the souls of the dead from previous lives can be delivered from the underworld’s service and raised to the Celestial Bureau of the Southern Palace.

During the seventh month, abstain and observe the precepts while reciting this scripture. The White Emperor, Yu Wen Sheng, governs the middle nine palaces and holds the talismans and registers of the Pure-Spirit Palace. He removes a person’s fetal origins, severs worldly entanglements, and halts the cycle of birth and death. He opens the vital passages so that the crooked and the upright are clearly distinguished, washes away defilement, and makes the body bright and pure as the sun and rosy clouds. Pure, unadulterated Qi arises in the Five Organs, and clouds of five colors enter the Niwan Palace, the cultivation center within the head. Through this practice, the practitioner becomes an immortal, has their name entered in the celestial registers, is removed from the register of the dead, and transferred to the register of the living.

During the tenth month, abstain and observe the precepts while reciting this scripture. The Black Emperor, Zheng Wentong, governs the lower nine palaces and holds the talismans and registers of the Black Emperor. He enters the practitioner’s bladder, destroying the fetal body and severing a hundred kinds of defilement, while stilling demonic influences and baleful energies. Marrow forms within the practitioner’s bones, and the Qi of the blood becomes abundant. The body displays the jade radiance of the Five Emperors, and the face shines with the gleaming whiteness of flowing gold. The practitioner regularly sleeps beside Grand Duke Taiyi, embraces the Dipper Star and the bright moon, and becomes a king, emperor, ruler, minister, father… (The original text ends here unfinished.)

May the destiny of the state be secured, so that it endures for a long time and continues unbroken from generation to generation. May its ruler always bring peace to the lands under his governance, and may the people praise the peace and well-being. Reciting this scripture on the days of the Eight Festivals—eight important Daoist observances—can make one a Perfected of the Nine Palaces, an immortal who dwells in the Nine Palaces and has attained the Dao.

The twenty-seven divine beings of the Three Yuan and Three Palaces, Wu Ying, Bai Yuan, and the spirits of the Five Palaces, whose odd and even forces alternate, all transform the wondrous Qi, nurture the roots of life, and sweep away and destroy the sources of evil. Jing and Qi spread throughout, radiance appears, and the Jade Infant—a symbol of inner spiritual nature or a perfected being—is born within a lotus. Di Yi, a Daoist deity, sits upright upon the altar, with none among the myriad spirits who can surpass him. Reciting this scripture on one’s natal day, the day of one’s birth, can form the Twelve Great Knots and connect the 360 joints of the bones with the Eight Passes, the body’s vital gateways.

The Divine-Cover Boy of the Nine Palaces and the inner deity of the Middle Pool respond to one another and mingle in cultivation, giving the transformations of life a firm root. They sever defilement and evil, steady the body, and make the soul and Shen clear and upright, while preserving the myriad forms of primordial Qi. The practitioner no longer undergoes distress, and radiance appears on the body. The Three Realms—the Desire Realm, the Form Realm, and the Formless Realm—guard the practitioner; the Five Emperors, the celestial emperors of the five directions, welcome them; and the myriad spirits come to pay homage. The practitioner’s name is entered in the celestial register, and, when their merit is complete, they ascend by flight to Shangqing, the Daoist heaven of highest purity.

The Daoist scripture says: On every day appointed for a scripture-recitation rite, one should bathe with fragrant water, observe fasting and purification, then enter a quiet chamber. Facing east, click the teeth thirty-two times to send one’s intention upward to the Thirty-Two Heavens, the Daoist celestial realms. Bow thirty-two times, close the eyes, and sit upright amid clouds of blue, yellow, and white. Clouds gather densely and mysteriously within and around the body. The Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise—the divine guardians of the four directions—along with lions and white cranes stand in two rows. The sun and moon shine, illuminating the chamber. The Three Divisions, Eight Radiances, and Twenty-Four Perfected Ones—the three divisions, eight radiances, and twenty-four spirits contemplated within the body—surround and protect the practitioner in solemn array. A round nimbus forms above the head, its light shining in all ten directions. Once these visions have been clearly contemplated, silently recite the secret incantation:

“Supreme Primordial Lord of the Mysterious Origin, Supreme Lord of the Dao: summon from within my body the Three-Five Merit Officers, the divine officials who convey documents; the left and right envoys; the attendant Jade Boy who tends the incense; the Jade Maiden who transmits the message; the Five Emperors’ dispatching officers; and the incense officials on duty—thirty-two of each. Let them together convey and report what I have said. Today is auspicious and blessed. In the pure and quiet fasting hall, I observe the fast and cultivate the Dao, reciting this scripture of boundless deliverance. May what I pray and report be heard in Heaven and sent directly to the supreme throne of the Primordial Lord, highest among the Thirty-Two Heavens.”

(When the incantation is complete)

Draw in Qi thirty-two times, face east, and recite the scripture:

The Wondrous Scripture of Supreme Excellence for Delivering Humanity Without Limit by the Primordial Lord

The Dongxuan Lingbao scriptures transmitted by the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning, one of Daoism’s highest deities, describe the creation and transformation of the life-bearing embryo. They also explain how to eliminate impure Qi, repeatedly deliver living beings, bring the myriad gods to rest, and sustain life.

Yin and Yang separate and unite, transforming naturally: Yin Qi becomes the Po, and Yang Qi becomes the Hun. Amid the transformations of primordial chaos, an imperial deity summons Yin and Yang and refines and nourishes Jing and Qi. The jade womb, a symbol of the vessel in which life is conceived, rises and descends within the Hall of Light, a sacred chamber in the body, its radiance shining over the bright heavens. Jing and Qi gather and mingle within the body, spreading in all directions and transforming into purple mists and white clouds.

The jade infant, a spirit child amid golden radiance, and golden light appear between the crimson palace and the divine pool, as a cool breeze swirls downward. Below lies the gathering place of the myriad ghosts of the Northern Capital, along with such demons as the Green Gu and White Aunt. They gnaw at the embryo spirit and transform into the red and black demons, becoming sources of harm to life. The Lord Emperor therefore issues talismans and commands to cut down the blood corpse—the impure, malign Qi described in Daoism—and cleanse the womb of defilement. He makes it mingle with primordial Qi so that together they may refine the true origin and move through the depths of the netherworld.

The Upper Palace is complete, empty, and still. In the Cavern Chamber, the Mysterious Elixir Bright Lad, an image of the divine beings within the body, holds a flame and burns away the roots of evil. The Delicate Maiden hears a flute and drives off the malign Qi. [The original text is damaged here, and part of its meaning is difficult to establish.]

The register of the womb-life is entered in the Upper Mystery’s Spirit Office, a sacred celestial bureau. The divine beings are clear and radiant, ranked among the highest heavens. The Xiao Terrace, Jade Mountain, and Upper Capital, reaching all the way to the supreme Great Luo Jade Clarity, extend through layer upon layer of remote realms, beyond any reckoning. Seeming both present and absent, they nevertheless guard the human body and govern its seven gates, the body’s vital apertures. In the Three Regions and Eight Radiances, the system of divine courts and spirits within the body, the myriad gods stand in ordered array, while the Three Splendors—the radiances symbolizing Jing, Qi, and Shen—flow without end.

In the Wondrous Court of Great Being, golden gates and jade chambers shine brightly. Righteous Qi spreads widely, revolving through the ten directions. There are deities who govern the transformation of life and the embryo’s origin; divine lords who cut away malign impurity; divine lords who bring the myriad gods together in harmony; deities who release what is bound up and open the joints; and deities who transform the embryo’s origin and change the womb. Also present are the Emperor Lord of Longevity of the South Pole, the Emperor Lord of Azure Florescence of the Eastern Pole, the Venerable Lord Han of the Celestial Pivot, and the Director of Destiny and Record Keeper of the Southern Heights, among other divine beings. They govern longevity, extend one’s allotted years, avert disasters, and overcome calamities. They can also restore the dead to life and deliver multitudes of people.

Today, as the scripture is collated and transcribed, the divine beings of the heavens descend before the hall.

In the eastern direction: the Boundless Flying Heavenly King of Settled Life, the Great Sage of Long Life, Deliverer of the Immeasurable.

In the southern direction: the Boundless Flying Heavenly King of Transformation, the Great Sage of Long Life, Deliverer of the Immeasurable.

In the western direction: the Boundless Flying Heavenly King of Embryonic Transformation, the Great Sage of Long Life, Deliverer of the Immeasurable.

In the northern direction: the Boundless Flying Heavenly King Who Cuts Off the Root, the Great Sage of Long Life, Deliverer of the Immeasurable.

In the northeastern direction: the Boundless Flying Heavenly King of Womb Transformation, the Great Sage of Long Life, Deliverer of the Immeasurable.

In the southeastern direction: the Boundless Flying Heavenly King Who Unties Knots, the Great Sage of Long Life, Deliverer of the Immeasurable.

In the southwest, northwest, above, and below are the Infinite Flying Celestial God-Kings. Each governs the spreading of the seasons, supreme truth, the expulsion of evil, or the removal of impurity. All are great holy beings of longevity, capable of widely delivering living beings.

The Flying Celestial God-Kings of supreme truth from the ten directions, together with the immeasurable great gods who grant longevity and deliver the world, ride in jade chariots of emerald mists and three luminous scenes, and vermilion carriages amid ten blossoms of pale clouds. Their vehicles are fitted with feathered canopies and wheels adorned with jade. They drive vermilion phoenixes and five-colored dark dragons, and raise nine divine-invocation staffs and banners of sevenfold frost silk. Ahead, nine phoenixes cry and sing in unison; behind, eight luan birds play and sound together. The numinous perfected ones lead the way, chanting the Cavern Chapters. Immortals crowd around them as they travel, their songs ringing clear and far. Myriad chariots and mounted hosts come floating through the air. They send down divine radiance and turn their chariots about, using the power of transformation to bring peace to living beings and enable them to be reborn.

The Celestial Pivot Chancellor, the great god Han, Registrar and Overseer of the Living from the Upper Palace of Nanchang, is responsible for recording and inspecting the life registers of living beings, and presides over pregnancy and birth for those who are to be born.