《靈寶無量度人上品妙經》Vol. 21

Within the Purple Chamber of the Mysterious Spirit Womb Gate, a great deity strikes the jade bell and casts the fire chime, washing away every foul and impure Qi. It dispels such evil impurities as blood corpses, Peng knots, red joints, and black joints.

At the four cardinal passes, signs are set in place to reveal vital energy and remove evil disturbances. Divine officials who oversee name registers and record books come together before the Celestial Emperor. According to those each is charged to save, they rigorously inspect the heavens and proclaim this throughout the Three Realms, the boundless divine lands, the Office of the Winding Springs (the underworld), the Northern Capital of Luofeng (the realm of the dead), the Three Officials’ nine offices, and the sources of the twelve rivers.

For the deceased, they undo the calamities and illnesses suffered by their ancestors, parents, and relatives across countless kalpas; they remove their records of sin and eradicate the roots of evil. The dead are no longer detained or driven back into the ranks of ghosts. When the talismanic command of the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning arrives, they are promoted at the appointed time. Beings in the womb are brought forth into new life, while the dead leave the mundane world and return to the True Dao. Evil spirits are cut off and impurities cleared away; the hundred gods are summoned and subdued, and the seven generations of ancestors are released from their grievances.

The Five Emperors oversee the process and bear witness together. In the Cold Pool of the Northern Capital, the dead transform their bodies and refine their bones, ultimately becoming immortals. They may come and go without hindrance from gates or doors, overcome demonic obstacles, receive recommendation, and ascend to the Southern Palace to be saved. The souls of the dead receive the talismanic command and transform into immortals; those reborn in another life can also be saved and endure through generation after generation. Even as they pass through the cycles of kalpas, they may live as long as Heaven, forever escaping the Three Paths, the Five Sufferings, and the Eight Difficulties, transcending the Three Realms and wandering freely in the realm of Shangqing.

Above the heavens of Shangqing lies the formless realm where the Celestial Emperor Kuiling resides. There, the way of Brahma is practiced—that is, pure cultivation.

The Eight Heavens of the East

Hall of Perfect Truth, Returning to Heaven — Celestial Emperor Hui Li, the Unborn

Heaven of the Empty Cavern, Pervading and Stirring — Celestial Emperor He Zhen, Mi Ni

Heaven of the Distant Master, Revered and Relieved — Celestial Emperor Yuan Xu, Zi Chang

Heaven of Bright Radiance, Encircling the Ancestral Line — Celestial Emperor Bai Yun, Zi Guang

Heaven of Slight Nonbeing, Swallowing the Spirit — Celestial Emperor Zu Si, Yue Zhang

Heaven of Ox-Hill, Portents of the Gourd — Celestial Emperor Zhi Lu, Xi Dun

Heaven of the Wondrous Palace, Veiled in Nonbeing — Celestial Emperor Liang Bian, You Du

Heaven of Returning Spirit, Establishing the Measure — Celestial Emperor Kang Hua, Zhi Yan

The Eight Heavens of the South

Heaven of Lofty Abundance, Empty and Beautiful — Celestial Emperor Bian Wu, Yuan Chang

Heaven of Holding Life, Presiding over Immortals — Celestial Emperor Jue Xuan, Lan Chang

Heaven of the Primordial Master, Exhausting the Origin — Celestial Emperor Ji Du, Meng Dou

Heaven of the Tyrant’s Marsh, Returning to Splendor — Celestial Emperor Li Ming, Zheng Qian

Heaven of Great Simplicity, Diminishing the Subtle — Celestial Emperor Kuo Yi, Liao Zhen

The Three Heavens of the East and Center:

Heaven of the Valley Marked by Qian, whose Heavenly Emperor is named Yanglu Guobin.

Heaven of Auspicious Signs Reaching Beyond the Dao, whose Heavenly Emperor is named Luxi Lai.

Heaven of the Nation’s Dark Turning and Fortune, whose Heavenly Emperor is named Qingzu Ciren.

The Eight Heavens of the West:

Heaven of the Dragon’s Mysterious Womb and Spirit, whose Heavenly Emperor is named Cheliang Cidi.

Heaven of Mound, Stillness, and Flowing Qi, whose Heavenly Emperor is named Yiqiong Jingchong.

Heaven of Bright Strength and Support from Luo, whose Heavenly Emperor is named Jiuyong Ziying.

Heaven of Filial Devotion Reaching the Heights of Gangyu, whose Heavenly Emperor is named Jigen Huanyuan.

Heaven of the Cave’s Transformation and Precious Yang, whose Heavenly Emperor is named Yubian Zitan.

Heaven of the Spirit’s Thread and Mixed Sweetness, whose Heavenly Emperor is named Chanzhu Ningfang.

Heaven of Rescue from Prison and Deliverance from the Pit, whose Heavenly Emperor is named Bishan Duzhen.

Heaven of Flowing Radiance and Crimson Writs, whose Heavenly Emperor is named Jinguan Zhaoxuan.

The Eight Heavens of the North:

Heaven of the Bright and Changing Fire Emperor, whose Heavenly Emperor is named Qiangwan Minghua.

Heaven of Treasures in Mind, Gathered in Truth, whose Heavenly Emperor is named Baiqi Yincheng.

Heaven of Irrigation, Origins, and the Fulfillment of Calendars, whose Heavenly Emperor is named Zhixuan Derong.

Heaven of the River’s Array and the Assembly of Masters, whose Heavenly Emperor is named Guyuan Yansheng.

Heaven of Forging Essence and Nurturing Spirit, whose Heavenly Emperor is named Jiaoling Zisi.

Heaven of the Womb’s Life, Primal Transformation, and Pure Light, whose Heavenly Emperor is named Xiulong Youxu.

Heaven of Radiance and the Desire to Cross Over, whose Heavenly Emperor is named Bingqi Huwan.

Heaven of Observing Zhu and Auspicious Plans, whose Heavenly Emperor is named Zhengjue Jixian.

Each of these thirty-two tiers of heaven and their thirty-two Heavenly Emperors has secret names and titles. The hidden names and taboos of the heavens are all numinous, patterned writings of the heavens’ empty, self-so nature. Their secret rhythms are the responsive power of the sounds of the Cavern of Truth, the honored ones of the Cavern of Nonbeing, and the spirits of the Cavern of Contemplation.

These numinous writings have the power to control great demons and transform spirits. Evil, unclean Qi invades the lungs and viscera, devouring vital energy. Thieves are born alongside human beings; they drink blood and consume Jing, hiding in the fundamental root of the embryonic origin. They bring premature death and obstruction, making it difficult to attain the Dao of immortals. They can also cause corpse spirits to change their forms and obstruct the body’s ascent, lying hidden in the Niwan Palace and at the womb’s base. Yin forces conspire with one another, while external evils invade. When a practitioner approaches the Mysterious Portal—the subtle aperture spoken of in cultivation—they are thrown into disorder, and even the clear radiance of a celestial dawn becomes tainted.

The Supreme God cuts down and destroys the Divine Swallow. The Nine Harmonies of the Jade Hall and the Ten Unions transform between emptiness and permanence. Their mysteries are profound and far-reaching, too subtle to explain fully.

The divine and perfected beings—the spirits and those who have attained the Dao—bestow wondrous teachings, saving all beings throughout the heavens and the human world. Today, we joyfully celebrate the rite of deliverance and pass through the barriers of heaven. The heavens untie knots and remove obstacles, raising the roots of the womb beyond them so that names may be entered in the Great Mystery. The Demon Kings watch over and recommend the initiate, and the gates of heaven no longer hold them back. The Dipper stars of the east prolong life; those of the west refine the womb. The Northern Dipper removes impurities, the Southern Dipper transforms the substance of the womb, and the Central Dipper harmonizes and blends all things, bringing them together as one and giving rise to spirits.

The Azure Emperor turns the vital energy; the White Emperor bestows a numinous mandate; the Red Emperor protects the root; the Black Emperor purifies the body; and the Yellow Emperor guards the central palace. Impurities within the womb no longer arise. The Azure Heaven Demon King Yuzhu Dongluo, the Red Heaven Demon King Yanguang Miejing, the White Heaven Demon King Duanbao Jiaozhen, the Black Heaven Demon King Fuxie Mingshen, the Yellow Heaven Demon King Dongguan Taiying, and the great demons of the Five Emperors are all progenitors of the myriad spirits. They fly through the Three Realms, govern the perfected womb in its entirety, sweep away evil energy, protect the life-force, and keep the seven gates open and clear.

Wondrous transformation spreads throughout, ascending through nine stages of change. Once impurity and obstruction have been swept away, bones and flesh ascend together. At the summons of the flying perfected beings, blessings descend: within, true merit is made complete; without, divine power shines forth. Calamities and disasters cease, and evil spirits and monsters lie hidden. Vast, vital energy coils and gathers within the Three Cinnabar Fields—the three places in the body where Jing, Qi, and Shen are cultivated—and the Jade Chamber, together supporting the Heavenly Emperor in bringing all things to life.

Thus danger and decline are dispelled. The six great demons of the heavens and all vile creatures scatter in an instant and are destroyed. Golden light and radiance shine together, and the Jade Way connects all things. Seven generations of ancestors are delivered, and a hundred kinds of transgression are cut off. The registers of sin kept by the Three Officials, who govern the affairs of Heaven, Earth, and Water, are erased forever, leaving nowhere for the roots of calamity to hide. The bright and upright principles of the Heavenly Way are proclaimed without end. The myriad spirits return together, to feast and make their reports at the Jade Gate, the palace of Heaven.

The Jade Emperor, a revered deity in Daoism, dwells within the Nine Mysteries of the Empty Cavern. The Mysterious Spirit draws forth rosy light and spreads clouds of Qi, while purple mists hidden in the void descend. The Jade Consort dances upon a splendid lotus-like womb-seat, and the immortals appear with her.

The Dao is the source of all things. From it arise transformations, and its wondrous spiritual source is boundless. The Dao rises beyond the Great Nonbeing and governs the heavens. Above and below, there is neither darkness nor obscurity, neither form nor image; the Dao is vast, without limit or end. When Heaven and Earth were still undivided, vast and silent, the Qi of Scarlet Radiance opened the patterns of Heaven and Earth, while all movement and change followed nature.

The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning settled Heaven and Earth and set forth five scriptures. The Red Writ in Jade Characters and the Eight-Power Dragon Script protect and govern the cycles of cosmic calamity, ensuring that Heaven and Earth endure. Brahma Qi, the primordial Qi that precedes Heaven, fills all the heavens and lays out the laws and order of all things. It flows throughout the Thirty-Two Heavens. Down to the myriad beings, all are formed through transformation from a single body, and from this the Five Spirits appear.

The True Mandate descends, and the mysterious order of the immortal way extends over the Nine Palaces. The Six Ministers sit in ranks upon lotus womb-seats. The Spirit of Mysterious Unity sees through souls and spirits, sitting astride the Dipper stars and spanning the Kui constellation. It supports the Fire King on the left and steadies Boying on the right, sweeping away filth and malign Qi. It opens the Jade Spirit in the four directions, takes its place in the Golden Gate, and, by command, governs the myriad spirits.

Its divine power circulates without form or color, reaching in all ten directions. It travels swiftly by the art of flight, directs the Seven Primordial Ones—the star spirits corresponding to the Big Dipper’s seven stars—and dispels evil and impurity, clearing the heavens. Its power fills the Seven Gates and nourishes the green sprouts. It gathers in all the true realms shown in the Twenty-Four Charts, joining the Eight Radiances in the unseen world as they rise and descend through the mixed yellow Qi.

Among them is the High Emperor of Mysterious Unity, a perfected one, floating amid rosy light and chanting the Cavern Chapters, scriptures of golden writing and jade characters. Golden true light shines brilliantly, and the recitation echoes among the clouds. Jade tones command the breath; numinous winds gather the mists. The realm of Purple Void flourishes in beauty and aids the immortals. A thousand harmonious Qis and ten thousand subtle unions, followed naturally, bring about the perfected person.

Among the perfected is the Great Lord of Long Life. The Great Spirit of Flowing Bells, seated in the Purple Door and Green Chamber, sits enthroned in the Hall of Light, guarding the Mysterious True. Holding Fulu, talismans and registers, it governs the source from which all things come to life and cuts off impurity and evil. Its divine power moves in and out among the Nine Palaces and Eight Radiances, reaching deep into the finest details. It cleanses the Stomach Pool, opens all the body’s gates, and swiftly summons the myriad spirits, gathering them in the Niwan Palace, the head’s inner alchemy center. After ten cycles, the numinous Qi returns; one can then unite with Qi and become an immortal.

The immortal way places the highest value on cherishing life.

The Scripture of Limitless Deliverance opens the Eight Gates and sets the Flying-Heaven Dharma Wheel in motion. It explains sin and blessing, prohibitions and precepts, and the karmic ties of past lives, so that all beings may be delivered. The souls of the dead are rescued, and the bodies of the living are granted life. This teaching reaches up to the heavens. In every tier of Heaven there is a Gate of Life, containing both the chants of the Empty Cavern and the numinous writings of the Demon Kings; these scriptural words are joined with the teachings of the High Perfected.

First Chapter: The Flying-Through-the-Air Sounds of the Realm of Desire

The human path is narrow and remote; the path to becoming an immortal is vast and far-reaching. Ghostly souls lie hidden within the roots of the womb. Though people dwell at the Gate of Life, they remain ignorant and ordinary, unwilling to seek the way of the immortal perfected ones.

The Empty Palace, the body’s still and vacant inner abode, is assailed by evil Qi and foul, corrupting influences. The pure, lofty, and numinous Qi becomes clear and bright. The subtle Qi joins with the Great Void, bringing forth a precious embryonic root and enabling you to attain the immortal Way.

As the old Qi gradually fades with the passing days, the spirit wind rises from Kunlun. Within the Great Cavern, one beholds the Jade Perfected, the true immortals of Daoist teaching. Purple clouds circle the Crimson Court, the body’s chamber of spirits, where the Young Lord transmits numinous talismans. The august spirit Di Yi appears in an instant, rising and descending.

Leave behind the defiling path of emperors, and the roads to the eight directions open of their own accord. Feathered canopies drift lightly aloft, and feathered chariots travel toward the Nine Heavens. Heaven bestows a mandate; Hua Tianying, a celestial spirit, grants a numinous text radiant as jade.

Chapter of the Demon King of the Second Realm of Form

Lofty and profound, the Jade Gate towers high. The numinous text of the Primordial Beginning teaches all perfected immortals and worthies: below, it reaches the framework binding Heaven and Earth; above, it extends to the heavens. Its boundless mysteries are all connected with my own body.

How could evil and defilement disturb my embryonic root? Blood corpses accumulate, and Yin souls bind the spirit. Even if the treasure mountain melts away, how could I alone remain? I receive numinous talismans amid mystery and come before the Emperor. In that moment of joy, I turn my face and see the Jade Infant, the pure and true spirit body spoken of in cultivation.

The Red Radiance era has passed, yet I can still discern the true Way. My realm has been lightly tainted, so a precious text is bestowed to clear away accumulated filth and entanglements and summon the gathered spirits. I refine and nourish the embryonic root, then ascend to immortality. At the Jade Abode, the dwelling of the Celestial Emperor, I receive Heaven’s mandate, cleanse away defilement, and rise through the air to become a guest of the Celestial Emperor.

Song of the Demon King of the Third Realm of Formlessness

Within the bones lies the Great Void, where ancient corpse Qi dwells. The old Qi is in turmoil, withering your numinous fungus, a symbol of spiritual vitality. The womb’s portals are blocked, and the essence Qi cannot spread freely in the four directions. Blood and Qi stagnate, while defilement chokes off the life force of the Primordial Beginning.

I hold the throne above and command the assembled spirits: in my left hand I hold a jade tally; with my right I summon the heavenly troops. With a flowing bell, a ritual implement or token for summoning divine forces, I drive out the evil gathered in the embryonic root, ensuring the mandate endures and dispersing the many treacherous forces. The thirty-nine Perfected Ones display their divine power, and the Red Script, a Daoist numinous text, opens the light.

By cultivating the wondrous state of “the Dao of life,” and receiving this celestial chapter—a scripture of the heavenly realm—one can withstand all kinds of trials and cause the Great Dao to flourish. Our Dao is vast and radiant, reaching the realms of emptiness, formlessness, truth, and becoming an immortal. The spirit and soul ascend above the jade-colored mists, riding in a carriage through blue-green clouds and vapor.

These three chapters are immortal music sung by demon kings who dwell above the Three Realms and fly through the空. Their sounds harmonize with one another and accord with the Cavern Chapters, scriptures that penetrate the Great Dao. Recite them a hundred times, and the roots of the womb will be purified. Set one’s name in order and enter the Southern Palace; recite them a thousand times, and one can sever all evil and impurity forever, while the demon kings will protect and welcome the reciter. Recite them ten thousand times, and one’s cultivation of the Dao will be complete: one will ascend into the great void, transcend the Three Realms, and take one’s place among the immortal lords.

Whoever hears the numinous, wondrous sound of these scriptures will be honored by the demon kings, who will also command the earth spirits to keep them in check and have them guard, escort, and welcome the hearer. The dead can be drawn away from the gates of the underworld and freed from the Five Sufferings and Eight Calamities. Their seven generations of ancestors will rise, leave the offices of the ghosts forever, and go to Zhu Ling to undergo refinement and receive life anew. This is what is meant by boundless universal salvation: rescuing living beings without end.

These writings, kept secret in the heavenly realm, are revered by all the heavens. Whoever discloses or treats them lightly will fall into hell, bringing calamity upon seven generations of ancestors.

The Dao says: The two chapters above are secret sounds preserved by the August Emperors of the heavens and the most numinous demon kings. They are all words of the Great Brahma, the sacred language of the heavenly realm, not ordinary speech used in the world. They do not rely on worldly eloquence or ornate melodies; therefore, they are mysterious and profound, and difficult to investigate or explain in detail. They are scriptures treasured by Heaven and kept secret in the Upper Palace of Purple Tenuity in the Mysterious Capital. According to the Mysterious Regulations—the heavenly rules governing precepts and transmission—they are transmitted only once every forty thousand kalpas. A person who practices with utmost sincerity may receive them only after pledging precious gold as a guarantee, making a sincere vow, following the established rites, and swearing an oath before the heavens in the ten directions.

The Dao says: In the past, living beings had no deep affinity with the Dao. Their consciousness was bound to karma; they took form through gestation and birth, and their lives belonged to the common world. Their foundations were dim and unreal, and they were destined to decay and perish. If they are refined through the Great Dao, they can commune with the divine. Evil spirits and impurities invade and weaken the body, causing illnesses to knot and linger, and drawing beings from the unseen realm to take up residence within. The Three True Ones—the three true spirits within the body—then withdraw from their stations, making it difficult even for those who advance in cultivation to join with their fellow practitioners. Therefore, all who study the Dao should fast together, burn incense and pay their respects at six set times each day, and recite the scripture ten times. In this way, blessings and virtue will descend and all manner of misfortune will be dispelled. This boundless scripture can save living beings everywhere, without end.

The Dao says: Some beginners have made little progress in cultivating the Dao, and their merit for the ranks of immortals is not yet complete. When their allotted time arrives and their bodies are about to die and pass through the Great Yin—the realm of the dead—fellow practitioners who have attained the Dao may burn incense for them and recite the scripture ten times, transforming their remains according to ritual. This will purify and stabilize the roots of the womb, make the soul’s terrace bright in all four directions, remove evil and impurity, and bring the deceased into the company of immortals and sages. Their spirit and soul can then ascend directly to the Southern Palace. On the date determined by the merit they earned through their cultivation, they will receive life anew. When they enter the cycle of rebirth, they will not lose their way, and in the end they will become immortals.

The Dao says: Those whose bodily foundations are unstable often fall ill or suffer injury. Impurities from the womb erode the body, leaving the complexion haggard…

When a woman’s hair turns white, when she becomes pregnant but cannot give birth, or when a child dies young; when someone in the household is frail and often ill, or even mentally exhausted—these were all believed to result from the severing of Daoqi (the Qi of the Dao) and the stirring of the Three Corpses (spirits said in Daoism to dwell in the human body and arouse illness and desire). They could bring death and harm. Therefore, one should observe a purification, offer incense, and recite scriptures.

The merit of observing purification and reciting scriptures is great. Above, it can nourish the fetal origin, preserve the body, and enable a person to attain the Dao. Below, it can dispel evil and impurity and save living beings. Both the living and the dead can receive its blessings. This merit is immeasurable, which is why it is called “the boundless salvation of gods and humans.”

The Dao says: Anyone who obtains this scripture—whether they keep it as a teacher and companion, recite and uphold it, or use it to teach others—can nourish the fetal origin and dispel evil and impurity by sincerely observing purification, burning incense, and reciting the scripture ten times on a day of calamity. Those who practice in this way may one day become holy rulers and servants in the Golden Palaces of Heaven. The gods of the heavens record everyone’s merits and faults without the slightest omission; the demon kings of Heaven will also recommend and protect you. Only those who attain the Dao can truly penetrate the profound truth of this passage.

The Hidden Brahmic Words of the Great Brahma of the Heavens, in Boundless Sounds — Composed by the Lord of the Dao

The Middle Chapter of the Numina’s Writings of the Primordial Beginning

The Eight Heavens of the East

真庭献庄，混璧卷常，月离珉施；

几叶洞梁，㠗车锡磐，休留忘襄；

马焉胡旗，震正允臧；道密意绵，

玄图洞桓，兆寂孔幽；夷邈眇闻，

旨在爻应，骈贯感番；流淇温静，

空观无还。

The Eight Heavens of the South

素气徊豫，华迹罙滋；延丑戮暑，

英照渊昆，竭帝邃京；玉仓璉瓊，

霞枚云施，子丹云征；秀珠蔚华，

南韩肆骈，宰听幽贵；天机监元，

纶极太冥，亢孤摄烟；龙运秘标，

默目返缘。

The Eight Heavens of the West

欹悲触荄，仁泽流涓；槁梗昭炫，

灵化杳传；混浩莽都，景骥飞旋；

长古转台，运逸孔坚；便穴液持，

淀霐龙鱞；偃驱神虚，相主八关；

演坑袭遒，部邹球奚，胎居消晶。

The scripture then gives the “hidden Brahmic words” of the heavens in the east, south, and west. These are sacred utterances used in Daoist rituals and scriptures. They are not ordinary Chinese sentences and are generally recited, contemplated, or used to express the order of the heavens; they are therefore not suited to word-for-word translation into everyday language.

Subtle Manifestations of Jade Fluids

The Eight Heavens of the North

“Ghosts hasten to devour herbs; pungent prison bars seal the stalks. The nine heavens are commanded and inspected. Han’s annotations are examined and recorded; dim and indistinct, they are scarcely seen. Awakened, one surpasses intention and becomes a dragon. Rising, casting off, soaring and circling, the divine tiger spans ten thousand reaches. Songs of Luo echo through Wan. Knocking resounds in harmony with the ravine; questions end, overflowing replies cease. The pivot of transformation is now discerned. Immortal beings float through the fields; Mount Song ripples, its forests suspended. The precious body bends, its radiance shining; Brahma spreads through the refinement.”

The scripture says: These are all “Great Brahma’s hidden words” among the heavens, sounds beyond measure. In ancient times, each written character was a zhang long. To help life in the womb grow and develop, sever the roots of illness, and dispel filth and impurity, one may write these characters in vermilion ink, place them on a stone, sit down, and recite the Cavern Text. Then the Corpse Thief will lie low and hide, and the Sparrow Yin will be frightened. Phrases such as “𡀱怖琚, 骄丧睛姑俞” are hidden syllables in the scripture.

Wear these characters on the body, and the hundred spirits will come to pay homage; dispatches and commands will direct the myriad gods. The Celestial Perfected Sovereign, the immortal said to have transmitted the script of heaven, once wrote these characters and established them as the correct sounds. If someone understands these syllables, observes purification, and recites them, the heavens will send flying celestial kings down to inspect that person and report their meritorious practice to the heavens. The myriad gods will come to offer homage, the earth spirits will stand beside the gate, and the Great Meritorious Demon King will also recommend the person, allowing them to take their place among the Most High Perfected. Once their Dao practice is complete, they can travel through the Three Realms and ascend to the Golden Gate.

These sounds can ward off, avert, deliver, and bring all things to fulfillment. They are the natural sounds of the Celestial Perfected. Reciting them can therefore bring flying immortals down to inspect; the Lord on High will respond from afar in song, the myriad gods will come to offer homage, and the spirits of the Three Realms will attend the Emperor’s chariot. All evil forces bow their heads, and ghosts and monsters vanish of their own accord. The sonorous recitation rings out in every direction, and the ten directions grow solemn and pure. Rivers and seas are stilled; mists disappear from the mountains; the myriad spirits tremble and submit, and the gathered immortals answer the summons. No tainted qi remains in heaven, and no demonic dust or impurity remains on earth. The underworld and wisdom alike return to clarity and penetrating insight. This is a state of far-reaching, measureless depth, mysterious beyond mystery.