《靈寶無量度人上品妙經》Vol. 25

The Dao Ancestor said: Long ago, in the Pure and True Great Illuminating Land of Vermilion Radiance in the Crimson Firmament Heaven, I received from the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning the Scripture of Deliverance: the Vermilion Talisman and Elixir Light of Measureless Excellence.

As the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning expounded this scripture, he circled around ten times to summon the gods of the ten directions. The first to arrive before his seat were the Great God of Heavenly Truth, the Elder of Crimson Spirit, the Heavenly Lords of the Three Qi, the Nine Immortals of Elixir Light, the Supreme Sages, and countless perfected beings of profound attainment. They came riding through the air, their retinues crossing paths, precious wheels spinning through the sky, and feathered canopies overlapping in splendor. Their radiance soared and lit the vast heavens. The jeweled wheel of the Celestial Pivot shone brilliantly, and the ordering principles of Heaven and Earth became luminous. This scene continued for five days and five nights. The Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), the realms of the four directions, and the countless heavens—from the Great Luo Heaven above to the land of the Yellow Portal below—all revealed the crimson primordial Qi and set the cosmic cycle in motion.

The precious talismans of the Flying Firmament (treasured talismans of ascent) gave off a glow like crimson clouds, illuminating the eight directions. The land, rivers, mountains, and forests of the whole kingdom became level and even, with no high or low places. The earth turned smooth and lustrous, its texture like jade, and showed no other colors. The perfected beings gathered around the Celestial Worthy and attended him.

The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning remained suspended in the air, seated in a treasured carriage formed from nine dragons, divine solar metal (a metal with wondrous powers), and a myriad-changing ritual carriage. He expounded the scripture, and each recitation brought a corresponding response.

At the first recitation, the Great Sages of the heavens praised him together. At that time, the men and women of the whole kingdom raised their heads to hear the sacred teaching and listened quietly, taking in its profound meaning.

At the second recitation, heavenly light shone from within and illuminated hidden places.

At the third recitation, the divine Qi came together as one, and all things blossomed with life.

At the fourth recitation, the mind became empty, still, clear, and open, able to see the ten directions.

At the fifth recitation, the Vermilion Talisman and Elixir Light appeared within the body.

At the sixth recitation, the Dao joined with life, and illness, calamities, and epidemics were dispelled.

At the seventh recitation, cycles of vengeance and retribution ceased in Beifeng, the shadowy realm of the underworld.

At the eighth recitation, merit was recorded on golden slips and names entered in jade registers. The Three Officials of Heaven, Earth, and Water issued their decree, transforming people’s bodies into those of flying immortals.

At the ninth recitation, the dew of the Law and the pearl blossoms nourished all things.

At the tenth recitation, every sealed and hidden place in the Three Realms of the ten directions was opened. Countless beings became free to roam and escaped their suffering.

At that time, all the men and women of the kingdom sincerely turned toward the Dao. All received protection and deliverance, and attained long life.

The Dao Ancestor continued: At that time, after the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning had recited the scripture once, the Great God of Treasure-Birth of limitless quality in the eastern direction…

After the scripture had been proclaimed twice in the south, the boundless and immeasurable Great God of Dongfu and a multitude of spirits came flying through the sky to hear it. Then, when it was proclaimed a third time in the west, the boundless Great God of Yaoming and the spirits came flying through the sky. At the fourth proclamation, the Great God Taiyi and the spirits arrived from the north; at the fifth, the Great God Bao’an and the spirits came from the northeast; at the sixth, the Great God Chihua and the spirits came from the southeast; at the seventh, the Great God Yuling and the spirits came from the southwest; at the eighth, the Great God Feixia and the spirits came from the northwest; at the ninth, the Great God Dabian and the spirits came from above; and at the tenth, the Great God Chonghou and the spirits came from below.

When the scripture had been proclaimed ten times, the Great Gods of Red Talismans and Vermilion Light, who reached throughout the ten directions, all arrived together. The men and women of the entire realm sincerely turned toward them in devotion and reverence. They saw large red script covering the empty sky, with vermilion light shining through the ten directions, illuminating every quarter at once. Looking inward, they could see their own body and mind connected with the myriad ways; looking outward, they found themselves in accord with the Dao’s teachings. This is called “Red Talismans”: the proof of the Dao’s teachings made manifest through red talismanic script. To see clearly that all things, though varied in form, are illuminated by the same light is called “Vermilion Light.”

The Dao within and without is the Dao through which the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning created Heaven and Earth from outside and gave rise to it within a person. All things follow this principle. Without the guidance and instruction of the sages, living beings could not be transformed or brought to fulfillment.

This is like the beginning of Heaven and Earth, when chaos first opened: after nine cycles of tribulation, without the qi of Red Brightness, the image of Heaven and Earth could not have appeared. When a person is first born, they already possess hair, limbs, joints, and the nine apertures; yet without divine light shining upon them from outside and the light of the heart flowing through them from within, they cannot become a sage or worthy.

Thus, we have all understood the great teaching spoken by the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning: it can set wondrous transformations in motion and guide living beings in the heavens and the human world. Those who came to hear the scripture were as numerous as fine rain and dense mist, packed closely together and nearly filling half the realm…

Everywhere, the land had tilted and collapsed, and nothing could stop it. So the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning suspended a precious pearl in the air. The pearl was no larger than a grain of millet, and hung five zhang above the ground. The Celestial Worthy led the Great Divine Beings of Heavenly Truth, the Exalted Sages and High Worthies, the Perfected Ones of Wondrous Practice, and the Great Divine Beings of Ultimate Truth bearing red talismans and cinnabar radiance from the ten directions without limit, along with countless other gods, into the pearl. Those in the heavens looked up and saw the gods entering one after another through its opening—a magnificent sight.

Once inside the pearl, the gods vanished from view. The land at once became level again and no longer tilted or collapsed. Within the pearl, the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning completed his exposition of the scripture. The assembled Perfected Ones oversaw the ritual and transmitted the scripture to me. The joy and celebration of that moment cannot be put into words.

When the ritual was nearly complete, the heavens each returned to their proper place. In an instant, all fell silent; not a sound remained. At that moment, the people in the heavens were fortunate to encounter the scripture and its teachings. They were saved and their lives preserved, suffering no harm. The tilted land was restored to stability, and the people all turned toward and revered the Great Dao.

People were then able to look deeply, understand the mysteries, discern the principles, awaken fully, and perceive what was hidden. Their words accorded with the highest truth, and even in silence they resonated with the mysterious workings of Heaven. They loved one another as one family, so that even people of different surnames were as close as kin. The country was stable, the people prosperous, and everyone rejoiced in peace and well-being. Once the scripture’s teachings began to spread, all within the country who sincerely honored and revered the Great Dao could be delivered.

The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning said: “What this scripture describes consists entirely of the inner names and hidden sounds of the emperors of the heavens, the inner names of the True Kings, and the secret names of the myriad spirits. These teachings reveal the Dao and establish Heaven and Earth: within, they bring forth the myriad things; beyond, they give form to chaos. The red talismans answer one another, the cinnabar radiance winds and intertwines, and primordial Qi and true fire are refined and transformed. In the end, they form the foundation of the Three Realms and establish the myriad heavens.

“If you can understand and practice these principles, you will naturally attain the Dao. These are not ordinary words of the human world. The Exalted Sages have already attained the Way of the Perfected, mastered the mysterious principles, and probed what is hidden; they can fully understand the chapters within.”

Recite this scripture ten times, and all the heavens will chant it from afar; the myriad emperors will also offer ritual homage. The rivers and seas will grow calm, the mountains will conceal their clouds and mists, red clouds will spread across the sky, and clear heavenly light will extend far and wide. The mysterious Heart Talisman, which communicates with the gods and protects practitioners, will fill the body, while the radiance of the Elixir Treasure shines outward. The assembled demons will be bound, and ghosts, monsters, and spirits destroyed. Rotten corpses will be revived, the dead restored to life, and white bones transformed into living people.

Those who aspire to cultivate the Dao and recite the scripture ten times will have the Five Emperors guarding them, while the Three Realms—the different levels of existence, including heaven, earth, and the human world—pay them homage. The radiance of the Purple Tenuity Star will shine from afar; wondrous Jing and Qi will fill body and mind; the mysterious methods of the Dao will open and take shape there, and the spirits will dwell within. Demons and monsters will lose their power to cause harm, and ghosts, specters, and evil beings will be destroyed. Even those near death, whose breath has failed, can be rescued and revived.

This is because the practitioner’s foul Qi has not yet been dispelled, the power of the Red Talisman remains hidden, and the Elixir’s radiance lies concealed within. Their cultivation has not yet reached the true realm, so they cannot yet subdue beings in the ten directions or wield enough authority to command the ordinances of heaven and restrain the earth spirits. They can bind demonic spirits and avert death, but cannot yet bring the dead back to life. Anyone who recites this chapter carelessly will bring calamity upon themselves.

Offerings and reverence to this scripture will bring prosperity to the household and flourishing across generations. Good fortune will burn brightly, a thousand kinds of calamity will be unable to intrude, and the gods will guard the doors. This scripture is exalted and mysterious, without equal in the Jade Capital, the celestial city of the immortals. It can save countless beings and is the root of the myriad Dao. Its teachings are lofty and vast, and its beneficence cannot be fully counted.

The scripture says: Whoever recites it ten times will have all the heavens descend together. The Red Talisman saves living beings, and the Elixir’s radiance illuminates the netherworld. The departed souls of ancestors from millions of generations, together with suffering spirits, will at once be delivered and ascend to the Vermilion Palace, a palace in heaven. After nine years of instruction there, they may be reborn as people of distinction and take joy in cultivating the Dao. Those who study this scripture and bring their practice and merit to completion can all become immortals, ascend to the Golden Palace, and feast in the Jade Capital.

Those of profound cultivation who practice and recite this scripture will join with the divine power of the Red Talisman and connect with the Dao of the Elixir’s radiance. They will then be delivered at once and ascend to the Southern Palace. People in the world who receive and recite this scripture can prolong their lives. The crimson radiance of the Elixir can nourish the corpse, restoring vitality to rotten bodies and hard white bones. In the end, accomplished practitioners may attain the Dao of Corpse Liberation, in which the physical body is shed and the spirit separates from it to become immortal. The spirit temporarily vanishes, bypasses the underworld, and then regains its form to roam through the vastness of space.

This scripture is subtle and vast, delivering beings without limit. All beings in heaven and on earth can receive its blessings; the living and the dead alike benefit from its grace. It is a scripture treasured by Heaven and must not be passed on to worldly people. Those who aspire to the Dao must prepare gold and precious objects, then swear their sincerity before Heaven before receiving the transmission. Anyone who reveals the scripture carelessly or treats it with disrespect will bring calamity upon nine generations of ancestors, while the transmitter will serve for a long time under the officials of the spirits. The Five Emperors, Jade Youths, and Jade Maidens who attend this scripture number twenty-four of each kind. They will guard the text and protect those who receive it.

The Dao says: If you observe a strict fast and recite this scripture in the first month, the Red Talisman (a Fulu used in Daoist rites to summon spirits and avert misfortune) will summon harmonious Qi, and the light of the Elixir will flow brightly. The Three Origins—the upper, middle, and lower origins in Daoist teaching—will bestow talismanic credentials, allowing all things to sprout and grow. In this way, the souls of the dead from past generations may be delivered from the forced labor of the underworld and raised to the Southern Palace.

If you observe a strict fast and recite this scripture in the seventh month, the Red Talisman will summon Yin Qi, and the light of the Elixir will nourish Jing and Qi. The Four Luminaries will report your merits, and the Five Elders will uphold this scripture. The reciter will thereby attain immortality. The heavens will record the reciter’s name in the Yellow Registers and White Tablets, documents that record the names, life spans, and deeds of immortals and mortals. The name will be erased from the register of the dead, so that the reciter passes from death to life.

If you observe a strict fast and recite this scripture in the tenth month, the Red Talisman will summon Yang Qi, the light of the Elixir will operate according to the prescribed rites, and the Qi of the Nine Palaces will unite. The Jade Maidens will bestow a divine liquid. This can bring peace to kings, emperors, rulers and ministers, fathers and sons; stabilize the fate of the state so that it endures for generations without end; and bring peace to rulers in the lands under their authority, where the people will praise the age of peace.

On the days of the Eight Seasonal Nodes—the two major solar terms in each season—recite this scripture. The Red Talisman will spread in every direction, the light of the Elixir will flow, and the Eight Luminaries will unite as one. The perfected spirits of the Six Offices of Destiny, who govern human life spans, will thereby become perfected beings of the Nine Palaces.

Recite this scripture on the day of your birth year’s corresponding cycle. The Red Talisman will summon spirits, and the light of the Elixir will surround your body. Your hun and shen will become clear and upright, and the myriad breaths will endure. The reciter will no longer suffer distress; the body will shine with light, spirits will guard the Three Realms, the Five Emperors will attend, and the myriad spirits will come to pay homage. The reciter’s name will be entered in Heaven, and, once their merit is complete, they will ascend to Shangqing.

The Dao says: On every day when a Daoist rite is performed, bathe with fragrant water and observe the fast before entering the chamber. Face east and click your teeth thirty-two times to reach the thirty-two heavens. Bow thirty-two times to the thirty-two heavens visualized in your heart. Close your eyes and meditate, sitting upright amid clouds of blue, yellow, and white. Visualize clouds within and without, thick and deep, with Azure Dragons, White Tigers, Vermilion Birds, Black Tortoises, lions, and white cranes arranged on either side, while the sun and moon illuminate the chamber. Above your head, visualize a circular radiance whose light shines in all ten directions. Make each of these visions clear and distinct. Then silently recite the secret invocation:

“Supreme Mystery, Primordial Origin, Most High Lord of the Dao: summon forth from within my body the Three-Five Merit Officers, divine officials who convey documents and communicate with the spirit realm; the attendants and messengers on my left and right; the Jade Youth who attends the incense; the Jade Maiden who conveys words; the Five Emperors’ Talisman Officers; and the incense officials on duty today—thirty-six of each. Have them report the matter I present today. This is an auspicious day. In this pure fasting hall, I observe the strict fast and cultivate the supreme scripture, the Limitless Salvation of Humanity. May what I present be conveyed upward and delivered directly before the throne of the Supreme Emperor of the Primordial Beginning in the supreme thirty-second heaven.”

(When you have finished reciting)

Draw in Qi toward the east thirty-two times, then recite the Wondrous Scripture of the Upper Grade on the Limitless Salvation of Humanity by the Primordial Beginning.

The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning, the supreme deity revered in Daoism, presents vermilion talismanic writing and cinnabar radiance in the Lingbao teachings of the Dongxuan Cavern as the highest and most wondrous teachings. They reveal the methods for discerning and transforming sentient beings, bringing prosperity to the Dragon Era and boundless blessings. The scripture explains the conditions that bring about the transformation of sentient beings, along with the wondrous chapters hidden deep within the Great Cavern: the empty void contains the utmost truth of the Dao; within Great Nonbeing, the Qi of the Three Ones gathers and flows, extending throughout the azure heavens and becoming manifest. The Great Dao rises high above the root of Heaven. Its vast scriptures unite and separate the myriad realms, dividing and transforming the spirits, and appearing as vermilion talismans, imperial Qi, cinnabar light, and exalted spirits.

The Great Dao unfolds its mysterious laws, while the deep and distant cycles of time continue without end. Six kinds of wind and Qi shine in mutual reflection, forming the scenes in the sky. Jade script, the sacred writing of the heavens, begins to appear, and the Way of Heaven then flows forth: this is the beginning of all things. In the vast, undifferentiated chaos, vapor rises and flies; above the Great Empyrean, clouds gather and condense, and the immortal realms stretch away without limit. The teaching of the orthodox Way turns and advances like the Imperial Pole; its lofty jade net reaches straight up ten thousand fathoms.

The wondrous spiritual power, perfect and unobstructed, circulates through three rounds and returns nine times, continuously encompassing countless heavens and sentient beings. Sentient beings return to the true Dao and enter the Jade Enclosure, follow the orthodox Way, wander through the Brahma realms, and pass beyond the barriers of life and death. Among them are spirits who oversee the registers of Vermilion Radiance; perfected beings who draw in Qi with jade talismans; lords whose cinnabar flames stream and blaze; and elders who transform sentient beings with radiant fire. There is also the Qi of Taiyi, which enters the Yellow Court, the vital place of inner cultivation in the human body, as phoenix clasps join together and return to unity. The exalted sovereign of the Great Cavern commands wondrous transformations, manifests in the Clear Capital, dispels demonic obstacles with golden registers, and sets the vast flying wheels in motion. Thus the thirty-nine Sovereign Lords open the gates in the eight directions.

Today, as this scripture is proclaimed, ten thousand true spirits gather before the hall.

The Boundless King of the East, the Precious Birth God, Great Sage of Long Life, transforms and delivers immeasurable sentient beings.

The Boundless King of the South, the Divine Lord of the Cave of Floating Light, Great Sage of Long Life, transforms and delivers immeasurable sentient beings.

The Boundless King of the West, the Radiant Brightness God, Great Sage of Long Life, transforms and delivers immeasurable sentient beings.

The Boundless King of the North, the Taiyi God, Great Sage of Long Life, transforms and delivers immeasurable sentient beings.

The Boundless King of the Northeast, the God of Preserving Peace, Great Sage of Long Life, transforms and delivers immeasurable sentient beings.

The Boundless King of the Southeast, the God Who Upholds Transformation, Great Sage of Long Life, transforms and delivers immeasurable sentient beings.

The Boundless King of the Southwest, the Jade Spirit God, Great Sage of Long Life, transforms and delivers immeasurable sentient beings.

The Boundless King of the Northwest, the Flying Rosy Clouds God, Great Sage of Long Life, transforms and delivers immeasurable sentient beings.

The Boundless King Above, the God of Great Transformation, Great Sage of Long Life, transforms and delivers immeasurable sentient beings.

The Boundless King Below, the God of Deep Abundance, Great Sage of Long Life, transforms and delivers immeasurable sentient beings.

The Divine Kings of the Scarlet Talismans and Cinnabar Radiance of the Ten Directions, together with the Great Gods Who Truly Save the World and Fly Through Heaven, ride together in the Three Blossoms’ crimson-cloud chariot, a cloud-carriage for immortals. They ride in phoenix chariots and jade palanquins, with canopies above and wheels below. Divine beasts with vermilion light and jade horns, and horned dragons with blue scales and flaming manes, draw the carriages as they advance, bearing banners and tallies that symbolize the true Dao.

The numinous officers carry great banners and lead the way; the jeweled staffs of the Jade Void follow to guard them. The transformed troops of the Three Origins and the Nine Immortals of the Cavern Spirit fly through the sky and tread upon empty space. The Four Marshals clear the road, and the Three Masters proclaim the covenant. Myriad chariots and cavalry surge through the air, gather in their radiance, and turn back their carriages to survey the true Dao and save living beings.

The scripture of the Scarlet Talismans proclaims: Heaven, Earth, and humanity—all three realms—are nurtured by the same transforming power. Cinnabar radiance shines everywhere, and flying spirits of the six directions bestow blessings on all things. Living beings know this in their hearts and see it with their eyes; when the divine will stirs, they respond at once. Those in Heaven and those in the human world both admire and emulate the Great Dao, and ultimately return to it, spreading its vast and profound principles in every direction. Various talismans are put into effect in realms of deep mystery, summoning those destined to ascend.

After ascending to the Nine Heavens, the High宰 of the Nine Heavens, Yuanhuang, and the Great Gods of the Left Palace, Flowing Clouds, and Command of Destiny and Protection of the World take charge of registers and hold talismans. They gather together in the heavenly emperor’s court. Each carries out Heaven’s transformation according to those they are destined to save, rescuing living beings through change. They also issue a proclamation throughout the cloud encampments of the three realms and the eight directions, and to Kunlun’s Jade Towers, the remote gates of the vast wilderness, the Dark Peaks of the Five Directions, the True Lords of the Four Extremities, and other such places. The Great Statutes of the Nine Origins reveal their jade writings and swiftly remove the foul influences of the past, allowing clear and upright Qi to grow again without obstruction.

Through this practice, cultivators align themselves above with the immortal sages, bear the Scarlet Talismans and Cinnabar Radiance, and ascend through the heavens at the appointed time. The Six Caverns of the Northern Capital grant universal pardon to departed souls, subdue demonic hindrances, and commend the dead for salvation. The dead souls in Zhuling, the place where Daoists refine and deliver departed spirits, undergo refinement and are reborn as human beings; the living, too, can be saved. Through however many kalpas they pass, they endure forever, turning with the cycles of the kalpas and living as long as Heaven. They are forever spared disasters such as wind-blades, floods, and fire, transcend the three realms, and roam freely in Shangqing.

The Heaven of Shangqing is the formless realm where the Heavenly Emperor Zhuming dwells. Listed below are the Eight Heavens of the East and their Heavenly Emperors:

Eight Heavens of the East

Heaven of Quiet Capital and Diligent Brightness — Heavenly Emperor Miaoheng Jubang

Heaven of Changjiao and Ninefold Radiance — Heavenly Emperor Qingling Yindeng

Heaven of Talismanic Response and Wise Numinous Power — Heavenly Emperor Xiaoxu Miaochang

Heaven of Blazing Transformation and Cinnabar Spirit — Heavenly Emperor Gouqi Tusheng

Heaven of Azure Capital and Precious Wind — Heavenly Emperor Huazhao Jingxing

Heaven of the Sacred Foundation and Hidden Illumination — Heavenly Emperor Jianzhen Dingwei

Heaven of Crystal Essence’s Movement, Direction, and Shifting Thought — Heavenly Emperor Fuben Nanggu

Heaven of the High Void, Scarlet Talismans, and Blessings of Life — Heavenly Emperor Jingxu Liwei

Eight Heavens of the South

The Heaven of Sunlight Generating Life, presided over by Emperor Jingzhong Weining; the Heaven of the Nine Palaces’ Bright Radiance, presided over by Emperor Biyuan Qiufang; the Heaven of Red Clouds Pouring Forth Spirit, presided over by Emperor Heyuan Xuyan; the Heaven of Curving Dawn and Purple Truth, presided over by Emperor Hudou Zhaoxian; the Heaven of Great Tenuity, Auspicious Spirit, Responsive Essence, presided over by Emperor Zhibo Yilun; the Heaven of Radiant Wisdom and Unfathomable Caverns, presided over by Emperor Gangguo Zeshen; the Heaven of Silent Thought and Mysterious Reflection, presided over by Emperor Baoyu Lingxiu; and the Heaven of Mysterious Caverns, Subduing Demons, and Gathering Clouds, presided over by Emperor Feiyuan Yaosui.

The eight heavens of the west:

The Heaven of the Jade Palace and Settled People, presided over by Emperor Antu Zhiyuan; the Heaven of the Cold Court and Facing Arms, presided over by Emperor Jiewu Xiangxu; the Heaven of Overseeing, Opening, and Renewing the World, presided over by Emperor Ciliu Sheng; the Heaven of True Merit and Settled Registers, presided over by Emperor Wenchu Xianfei; the Heaven of the Most High, Plain Dawn, and Forbidden Net, presided over by Emperor Shulao Shengdang; the Heaven of the Inner Pool, Blossoming Splendor, and Abundant Yang, presided over by Emperor Noda Yongyi; the Heaven of Seeking the Ancestors, Knowing Change, and Subtle Simplicity, presided over by Emperor Dongxian Changshi; and the Heaven of the Chief Register, Deliverance of Immortals, and Transcendent Transformation, presided over by Emperor Shanying Xiefang.

The eight heavens of the north:

The Heaven of Brahma’s Music and Registering Demons, presided over by Emperor Bianlong Zhiqi; the Heaven of Compassion Descending, Flying Truth, and No-thought, presided over by Emperor Zhiming Yuanfu; the Heaven of Mysterious Brightness, the Left Cycle, and Still Light, presided over by Emperor Fuzhao Congxi; the Heaven of the Five Qis, Interwoven Talismans, and Refining the Spirit, presided over by Emperor Youpin Jingzhu; the Heaven of Zhangyu and Practicing the True, presided over by Emperor Nasheng Bianshu; the Heaven of Dragon Mulberry and Appointing Immortals, presided over by Emperor Qukong Mingshen; the Heaven of Vermilion Brightness and Harmonized Qi, presided over by Emperor Jijian Mengzhen; and the Heaven of the Numinous Net, Upright Qi, and Gathering Yin, presided over by Emperor Zhuluo Chaming.

These scriptures list a number of heavenly realms and the titles of the emperors who preside over them. The names of the heavens and emperors are largely specialized Daoist designations with symbolic meaning, and their specific significance should not be inferred from the words alone. The eight heavens of the west and north are arranged by direction; here, the scripture chiefly presents the levels of the heavenly realms and their sacred order through these names.

Each of the thirty-two heavens has thirty-two Celestial Emperors, each with secret names and hidden honorifics. In the emptiness of the celestial realm, wondrous passages appear of themselves. They contain the heavens’ hidden rhythms and sounds, as well as celestial deities, spirits, great demons, and divine officials.

The Nine Wonders and the Ten Pairs—the numerical principles by which Yin and Yang are matched—harmonize and unite, bringing forth red talismans and cinnabar radiance. They transform into the limitless, mysterious methods of the Shangqing (the Daoist realm of the higher heavens), whose depths defy full explanation.

The divine perfected ones spread their teachings widely, saving beings throughout the heavens and the human world. Today, all rejoice in celebration as beings receive deliverance. This mighty teaching opens the way to life and moves even the gates of the underworld. All the spirits join in asking that the Three Evils—the three evil destinies or forms of karma in Buddhist and Daoist usage—be destroyed.

Cut off the roots that lead to evil realms, end rebirth through the womb, and close the gate of death. Let names be entered under the Great Dark True King, the divine perfected one who governs the underworld and the deliverance of the dead, and submitted for review and enrollment, free from restraint.

The Eastern Dipper at the Gate of Heaven oversees contracts; the Western Dipper summons the immortals and perfected ones; the Northern Dipper submits registers; the Southern Dipper presents reports; and the Central Dipper guards the center and directs the workings of the pivot. The Sovereign of the Primordial Gate, Leader of the Dipper Mansion, holds the jade register of immortal names and commands, and sees clearly into the underworld. The Celestial Perfected One of Mysterious Unity, together with the talismans of the Five Dippers, descends to the lower realm and brings forth primordial Qi. Cinnabar writings record the events of the great tribulation.

The Azure Emperor issues commands, the White Emperor repels harm, the Red Emperor sets the laws in order, the Black Emperor establishes order, and the Yellow Emperor rules from the center, directing transformation. In the realm of the limitless, only the commands of talismans can guide the way for Yin and Yang to unfold. Thus good and ill fortune appear, and good and evil become interconnected.

The Demon King of the Azure Heaven, Xiaojing, together with the Demon King of the Yu Luo Red Heaven, Mingyao Jiangxia; the Demon King of the White Heaven, Jinzhen Baohua; the Demon King of the Black Heaven, Guhua Xuanbo; and the Demon King of the Yellow Heaven, Anzhen Chong’a, form the Five Great Demons of Heaven. They are the ancestors of all spirits. When they travel, a host of spirits accompany them with drums and music. They command the celestial armies, bear banners and tally tokens, and patrol in every direction.

The Great Darkness calls itself Heyì, and all the heavens join in establishing its works. The heavens’ work of delivering people is carried out through the strict governance of Beifeng, the northern underworld. By command, the True King sweeps away inauspicious forces everywhere. The Three Officials of Heaven, Earth, and Water issue edicts, and their laws are enforced with full rigor. Flying talismans carry commands; spirits are summoned and governed; the ten directions are cleared and purified. Boundaries are marked, and boundless winds and fires are set in place. All who dare resist are seized and sent to the Palace of Fengdu. The Primordial Perfected One brandishes a sword, and celestial light shines forth. Punishments are carried out, evil spirits destroyed, and the hunt does not cease: thousands upon thousands are beheaded, tens of thousands stripped of form. Demons may not seize the chance to cause trouble, nor may ghosts become wicked goblins and monsters.

The Northern Capital of Great Yin, which oversees the offices of the underworld, must inspect the ghostly hosts without slackness or indulgence. Flying memorials are sent up to the Northern Dipper’s stellar asterism, and all three divine officials are informed, so that the righteous Way may prevail. Merits and faults are examined, names are determined, and the records entered in the registers.

The Purple Clarity and Mysterious Radiance, the Treasured Calendar of the Great Tribulation, and the Vast Fortune of Longkang circulate throughout the cosmos. Yin and Yang Qi intertwine, bringing prosperity to Heaven and Earth. The August Sovereign sends down a jade proclamation on ascent and transformation, spreading it through the ten directions. Cinnabar radiance rises and descends in a ceaseless cycle. Vast, fierce winds sweep across the heavens, and myriads of Qi gather in the red, chaotic Palace of Mystery.

At the beginning, the stars of the celestial circuits moved above, while layer upon layer of deep abysses formed below. The winds stirred the netherworld in all eight directions, shaping the farthest reaches of Heaven and Earth; the sky appeared red.

The Fulu (talismans and registers) changed and, through refinement, became the radiance of the Elixir. Its light rose and its smoke spread, illuminating both Heaven and the human world, and giving shape to what had been hidden in darkness. The visions within the Void were vast and boundless.

The primordial Qi of undivided chaos suddenly opened out and released its light. Tai Zhen—the highest true Dao—unfurled the charts and scriptures, setting in motion the natural laws between Heaven and Earth. Zhu Ling, the immortal realm of Daoist legend, expounded the scriptures and turned the currents of wind and Qi. The upper section was written on jade tablets in golden characters and entered into the Jade Registers and Precious Books, which preserve the peace of Heaven and Earth and ensure their endurance through the long cycles of tribulation. Pure, primordial Qi spread everywhere, and from it all things unfolded.

The Elixir’s radiance appeared, and the Three Realms and the various heavens were established. Each celestial realm moved along its own course, while Kunlun encompassed an expanse without limit. The primordial elder immortals descended to teach and deliver all beings. The immortals traveled between the Three Heavens and Three Earths, pouring primordial Qi into the Three Enclosures and Eight Radiances. The Qi of the Jade Net ascended to the far-off Mystery Realm, where dwell the gods of utmost truth, the high ministers of the Vermilion Empyrean, and other revered deities.

They wore the jade writings of Heaven, collated the scriptures, and established the ranks of the honored. In accord with the light of the sun and moon, they rode the clouds and recited the Cavern scriptures. Golden radiance flowed and transformed the cloud palaces everywhere; jade edicts, great proclamations, phoenix tablets, dragon books, and other celestial documents circulated in their courses.

The hidden Dao carried on and opened the charts and registers of the Primordial Beginning. Auspicious harmonies in countless forms converged, and the true Dao came into being of its own accord. Within the true Dao are gods: the Lord of Heaven of the Eastern Florescence, the Emperor of Fangzhu, the Thousand Spirits of Great Simplicity, and others, who protect life with mysterious radiance. The Qi of the Vast Cavern sustains life, while red talismans and cinnabar registers eternally guard the mysterious root. The immortals journey upward through the Clear Tenuity Heaven and enter and leave the Cavern of Emptiness. The lofty celestial gates are the dwelling place of the assembled sages. They descend to teach and transform the people, then raise them into the Pure Capital, the tranquil celestial realm. There they harmonize the Taiji (Supreme Ultimate), blending all things with emptiness; after ten cycles of change, every kind of manifestation ascends together.

The Way of the immortals prizes the preservation of life, and its deliverance of beings has no bounds. The scriptures and teachings open the Eight Gates and move across the heavens. Sin and merit, prohibitions and precepts, and the causes and conditions of past lives all fall within the work of deliverance. All beings receive refinement and deliverance: the souls of the dead are rescued, and the living are granted new life. This teaching reaches up to the heavens; above every tier of Heaven is a gate through which life may be opened. Within each gate are preserved the scriptures that recount the opening of the cycles of creation, as well as the numinous writings of the immortals and sages. The meaning of these writings accords with the Dao of the high perfected immortals.

First: The Sound of the Red Talisman of the Immortal Who Flies Beyond the Ultimate

The primordial beginning of the Great Void

From it, Heaven and Earth were formed

Empty, still, and profoundly deep, without end

Heaven and Earth arose from a single Qi

Vast and without limit

From it the true Emperor came into being

The true Emperor dwells in the Jade Capital

Ruling the Three Realms

Bestowing numinous power everywhere

Great or small, without distinction

It flows everywhere, moving with each change

From this the vast expanse of Heaven and Earth was formed

The red writings spread and descended

The numinous immortals gathered

The five immortal mountains settled into their watchful places

The mysterious peaks rise high

Kunlun and the immortal realm of Langfeng

Are governed by the Way of the Yellow Emperor and Laozi

The August Sovereign, a revered Daoist deity, takes pity on all living beings and reveals the wondrous principles of the Dao. The Cavern Chapters gather in the myriad demons, protecting countless celestial realms.

Second: The Chapter of Vermilion Radiance of the True Lord of Mysterious Transformation

Within the solemn, lofty Palace of Great Being, the myriad spirits pay homage to the Supreme Sovereign. The three primordial energies encompass the vastness of space; flying rosy clouds interweave to form the ordering framework of Heaven and Earth. Above, a spacious jade chamber opens; below, the Hall of Luminous Scenery spreads out in flowing radiance.

The Three Enclosures hang in the heavens, displaying the imperial throne; red celestial patterns fill the five directions. In the palace stands the Jade Pole Perfected One, safeguarding this everlasting Great Scripture. In the air, knots arise that bind the Earth; in the hidden depths, they deliver Longkang.

The True King rides a heavenly steed, while the jeweled palace sends forth vermilion light. The workings of Heaven unfold mysterious images; the Jade Way reveals auspicious signs. The Primordial Lady arrives riding the energy of transformation, her wondrous transformations beyond measure.

They look down upon the beings of the Three Realms: all are sunk in a sea of desire, bewildered and without refuge. Those who open and read, then recite the Dongxuan chapters, may ascend beyond to the Hall of Great Blessing.

Third: The Song of the Vermilion Talisman and Vermilion Radiance True King

The lofty Golden Palace overlooks Supreme Clarity. Azure clouds gather and form this Golden City. Amid the towering vistas of the void, flying terraces rise above Jade Capital. Through nine great kalpas, the spirits were born here; wondrous Qi mingled and transformed into the foundations of Heaven and Earth.

Red celestial patterns array the assembled sages and Perfected Ones. The Supreme One of Vermilion Radiance was born together with the Dao. Thirty-nine celestial emperors govern the laws of Heaven. The Sovereign Lord of the Empty Cavern examines and refines those who ascend; riding dragons and qilin, he travels throughout the Three Realms, making the Right Way shine forth.

Their mighty radiance descends to save living beings, penetrating layer upon layer of darkness, cleansing the Northern Feng—the netherworld of Daoist teaching—and granting universal pardon to wandering souls. In this way, all beings roam in freedom, and living things in the ten directions receive their grace.

This is the Song of the True King, above the Three Realms and soaring through the skies. Every line of the song accords with the Cavern Chapters. Reciting it a hundred times enters one’s name in the Southern Palace; reciting it a thousand times brings the True King’s protection and welcome. Reciting it ten thousand times completes one’s cultivation, enabling one to soar through the heavens, transcend the Three Realms, and take one’s place among the Immortal Lords. Those who know this song well and can recite and uphold it will attain this.

The Demon King called the “Demon King of Spirit Sounds”—a divine being who governs spirit sounds and uses talismanic decrees to bind the earth deities—honors the body and constrains the earth deities (gods of the land) with edicts. He has them guard and escort the souls of the dead, freeing them from the five sufferings and eight calamities of the underworld, helping seven generations of ancestors ascend, and removing them forever from the rule of the ghost officials. In Zhuling, the Daoist place of refinement and deliverance, the souls undergo transformation and are reborn. This is called “universal deliverance without limit.”

This scripture is a celestial document kept in secret by Heaven, and all the heavens revere it together. Anyone who reveals it or treats it with disrespect will fall into hell, and the calamity will also reach seven generations of their ancestors.

The Dao says: The two chapters above are sacred utterances kept in secret by the gods and emperors of the heavens and the Most Numinous True King. They belong to the language of the Great Brahma—the sacred language of the celestial realm in Daoist teaching—and are not words of ordinary human speech. Their language has no fixed sounds or ornate melodies; hence it is called mysterious and difficult to investigate or explain fully. This is a scripture cherished by Heaven and kept hidden in the scripture chamber east of the Jade Palace of Divine Empyrean. According to the prescribed rule, it may be transmitted to the human world only after thirty-seven thousand years, when the time is ripe.

If someone who has achieved success in cultivating the Dao brings gold and treasure as tokens, sincerely follows the established rites, and makes an oath of allegiance before the True King, only then may this scripture be bestowed upon them.

The Dao says: If the Scarlet Talisman—the Daoist talismanic mandate—is defied and the cinnabar radiance, a red spiritual light symbolizing a deity or the Dao, fades away, then the two principles of Yin and Yang in Heaven and Earth will fall into disorder, and the movement of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) will become chaotic. The workings of Heaven and Earth will thus go awry, and the sun, moon, and five planets will suffer eclipses or shine with improper fullness. Even the most holy and numinous beings can pass through such decline and hardship unharmed, but those who have only begun to study the Dao may be injured by it. All who encounter such calamities should join in purification: burn incense at the six appointed times of the day and recite the scripture ten times. Then blessings and De (Virtue/Power) will descend and dispel every ill omen. This limitless scripture can deliver all without end.

The Dao says: Those who have only begun to study the Dao may not yet have attained the rank of the immortals because their cultivation is insufficient. If their allotted lifespan has run its course and their bodies are about to perish, as they approach the realm of Great Yin—the underworld or the place of death—cultivated fellow practitioners may burn incense and recite the scripture ten times on their behalf, then deliver their bodies according to the rites. In this way, the Scarlet Talisman will shine upon their hearts, and the cinnabar radiance will reappear in their bodies. They will not dissipate as the external things around them change; their spiritual awareness will become settled, their breath clear, and their souls will ascend directly to the Southern Palace in the Daoist heavens. They will then receive new life in accordance with their cultivation, merit, and allotted years. Passing through successive rebirths without losing their way, they can attain the state of the immortals.

The Dao says: If the workings of Heaven and Earth are nearing their end, the stars move in disorder, the sun and moon lose their radiance, the seasons fall out of order, Yin and Yang become unbalanced, calamities strike the realm, wars break out, pestilence spreads, the people die and suffer injury, teachers and friends pass away, and the good meet untimely disaster, all should undertake purification, burn incense, and recite the scripture. The merit of purification and recitation is immense: above, it can dispel calamities from Heaven and protect and stabilize the emperor; below, it can ward off poisons and save the people. All beings, living and dead, can receive its blessings, whose measure is beyond reckoning. Hence it is called “limitless universal deliverance for heavenly and human beings.”

The Wondrous Scripture of Limitless Deliverance, Supreme Grade of the Lingbao says: Anyone who recites and practices this scripture for Heaven and Earth, the emperor, and the common people, and who, when disaster strikes, resolves to observe purification, burn incense, and recite the scripture ten times, will have their name recorded by all the heavens, and will be guarded by the gods. In the future, such a person may become a high minister to a sage ruler and take a place in the Golden Palace in Heaven. The heavens record people’s good and bad deeds, omitting nothing, however small. The True Kings of Heaven will also recommend you. Only those who have attained the Dao can truly understand this supreme principle.

What follows are the “Great Brahma Hidden Words of the Heavens”—secret sounds used in the celestial realm—compiled by the Dao Lord under the title Jade Chapters of the Primordial Beginning’s Numinous Writ in Vermilion Characters and Elixir Light. The scripture presents hidden words for eight heavens in each of the east, south, west, and north. These phrases are sacred sounds in Daoist scriptures and are not usually interpreted word by word as ordinary language; when reciting them, the emphasis is on following the ritual method.

Eight Heavens of the East

Fuli jingsang, xizhan fudang, gengfu dianshen;

yangqi shifang, yanmei yuhui, zhouqin diliang;

yuezhan chuanye, birong zhiguang, anpi yaoshi;

weishi yinkang, jingxue yuanbi, midu zhutang;

canju jiaoshou, qiongqi xizhang, luoxi moling;

canxiu dongjiang.

Eight Heavens of the South

Chifu sanqi, huoshan yan jing, zhaohuan qianzhe;

youli fuqiong, dingxian miaoshu, jixi jiming;

shanlü yixiu, yuying sibeng, yuedia mingzhao;

hunlin fanteng, wuduo yanlu, panhe zhecheng;

miandu linggao, ciyou bingjian, sichu xianning;

taixia ziming.

Eight Heavens of the West

Bilu jiyou, fukong jingya, shence feilu;

zaochi xuanhua, kuimang huangqiu, luyuan yuyao;

zunshan jimiao, biyantouwei, genzi yinzhou;

yuwei huashen, haosu gelüe, liyuan kairen;

zhangji yuanshi, couzhi yuanjing, baoyue lüxia;

yongci zhiyin.

Eight Heavens of the North

Hengwei taishi, manglu jixu, jutu zhiyun;

huanfang jiwu, zhenglin touhuang, juchong youling;

yusu jianhuang, xiangshi guanzhen, guiyou laocha.

These hidden words consist mainly of divine names, celestial titles, and ritual sounds. The surviving text itself offers no direct vernacular explanation, so the original sounds are retained.

The obscure hidden and numinous, the day’s garden of radiant harmony, the sacred heights praised in rosy clouds; Qi embracing the vast expanse, marshes holding endless designs, carved stems among clouded peaks, all stillness gathering at the spring.

The scripture says: These lines are the “Great Brahmā hidden words” of the heavens, boundless celestial sounds. In ancient times, they were carved upon the Vermilion Terrace, the wondrous and numinous Jade Blossoms, and the broad halls of the Jade Consort’s cinnabar walls. Each character was a zhang in height. The Celestial Perfected Emperor (a legendary immortal perfected being of the heavens) once wrote these words as the true sounds.

Those who understand these sounds and can recite them while observing purification will have the heavens send divine kings, bearing red talismans and radiating cinnabar light, to inspect them. The divine kings will record their merits and report them to the heavens. The myriad spirits will come to pay homage, earth gods will stand watch outside the gate, and even the great demon kings of merit will recommend them, enabling them to become Supreme Perfected Ones. When their practice is complete, they will roam the Three Realms and ascend through the Golden Gate. These celestial sounds can ward off, dispel, deliver from suffering, and bring every endeavor to fulfillment. They are the natural sounds of the Celestial Perfected.

Thus, when these celestial sounds are recited, the red talismans convey a numinous response: one call, and the ten thousand directions answer; cinnabar light shines back, and every principle and myriad detail becomes clear. The practitioner will secretly receive a purple book. Above, the True Lords and divine kings respond; below, the Supreme Emperor echoes them from afar. The myriad spirits come to pay homage, and the gods of the Three Realms stand alongside the carriage. The host of demons bow their heads, and ghosts and specters vanish of their own accord.

The ringing, jewel-like recitation resounds throughout the ten directions, purifying Heaven and Earth: rivers and seas fall silent, smoke and dust disperse from the mountains, the myriad numinous beings tremble and submit, and the assembled immortals answer the summons. There is no turbid Qi in Heaven, no evil spirits or dusty defilement on Earth; the hidden realms and wisdom alike are lucid and unobstructed. This state is vast and wondrously profound.

Pronunciation notes: “帀” is pronounced jiā and means “all around”; “昶” is pronounced chǎng and means “to pass through unobstructed”; “玦” is pronounced jué and refers to a jade pendant; “澱” is pronounced diàn; “莛” is pronounced tíng or tǐng; “閥” is pronounced fá and means “merit”; “𢾭” is pronounced fú, with the original gloss given as “𢻫,” and another pronunciation, chí; “坱” is pronounced yǎng and refers to dust; “圠” is pronounced yà and means “unfathomable”; “钁” is pronounced jué; “坌” is pronounced fēn and refers to dust; “皛” is pronounced xiáo or xí and means “clear and manifest”; “芤” is pronounced kōu and refers to something hollow in the middle, with a treasure at its side; “𧊚” is pronounced tóng and refers to an insect; “𧵥” is pronounced guǐ and refers to property; “俅” is pronounced qiú.

Title: Chapter on Understanding the Substance and Pervading Qi.

The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning (Yuanshi Tianzun), the supreme deity revered in Daoism, said: “Long ago, in the Great Elixir Heaven, within a realm of red radiance where crimson clouds gathered high in the sky, I received the Supreme Wondrous Scripture of Primordial Beginning on Delivering Beings, Illuminating the Essence, and Linking the Qi. When I expounded this scripture, I told all beings: ‘I am the source of Heaven and Earth and the ancestor of the myriad forms of Qi.’

“After the Three Treasures Heavenly Lords began to bring forth and nurture all things, the Dao’s body divided into three and manifested amid the vast emptiness, the primal murk, the clear void, and the glow of cinnabar, bringing forth and nurturing beings everywhere. After a great tribulation, a third elder came into being, named the Most High Lord Lao (Taishang Laojun), a revered Daoist deity. He governed the mysterious Qi and nurtured all beings. All this came about through the dispersal of my spirit from the Supreme Dao and the transmission of its teachings.

“This vast teaching has passed through ninety-nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine hundred-million kinds of wondrous Qi. As Qi transformed and divided, it endured three cycles of tribulation and continued to deliver beings without limit. I once expounded this Dao there. Now I should command the Most High Lord Lao to explain its mysteries to all beings in the Great Elixir Heaven, awakening beings in Heaven and the human world. I have proclaimed and revealed to the heavens the essentials of the Dao: the Three Powers—Heaven, Earth, and humanity—the Five Phases, Yin-Yang, and the utmost mysteries. As for how to illuminate the essence, link the Qi, and distinguish their underlying patterns, the Most High Lord Lao will explain.”

“To reveal what is hidden and subtle, so that beings may comprehend the Great Dao and understand its meaning,” the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning resolved. The Most High Lord Lao then sat peacefully in the Hall of Great Radiance in the Taiqing Taiji Palace, respectfully receiving the instructions. He came before the throne, bowed twice, and knelt upright. In silence, he recited three times the sacred name “Great Sage, Emptiness Sovereign, Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning,” then reported: “Your servant has received the secret command and been instructed to ascend the teaching seat and expound the Wondrous Scripture on Illuminating the Essence and Linking the Qi to beings in the ten directions of Heaven and the human world.”

The Most High Lord Lao faithfully obeyed the decree and delivered his teaching with care. After paying his respects, he adjusted his robes and prepared to expound the scripture. First he circled the teaching seat ten times to summon the gods of the ten directions, then ascended it. True gods and great gods of Heaven, the assembled sages and exalted ones, the Perfected of Highest Clarity, and countless other immortals came riding through the air. Nine-colored clouds of rosy light filled the sky, while mysterious radiance shone inward. Canopies and immortal carriages swept down from above; the blue vault glittered, and flowing clouds and crimson light enveloped the Great Void.

For seven days and seven nights, the Three Realms of Clarity—Qingwei, Yuyu, and Great Red—along with the Seed People, the Three Realms, the boundless heavens, the palaces and offices of the sun and moon, the Jade Walls and Imperial Thrones, Taiwei, Liaoyang, Yushan, Xuandu, the Cinnabar Terrace, the Purple Pavilion, the Jade Towers, the Gemstone Halls, the Imperial Pole, Feigang, and Dongyuan all stood clearly revealed before them. They appeared in layer upon layer, with nothing obscured. The Perfected stood in attendance beside the teaching seat.

The Most High Lord Lao sat upright upon the precious platform in the Jade Tower of Yang Light, suspended in the air, and recited the scripture once. The Great Sages of the various heavens…

As everyone praised him together, the men and women of the whole country understood the source of life’s transformation and generation. After the scripture had been recited twice, many evil thoughts and deeds were dispelled. After three recitations, all kinds of good deeds gathered within them. After four, True Qi descended and infused the field of the heart. After five, everything they undertook accorded with the True Way, and they received wondrous talismans and the standards of the Orthodox teaching. After six, they were fully endowed with miraculous powers and could attain the state of flying immortals. After seven, they could understand the wondrous principles of their original nature, let Qi flow freely, and master its use. After eight, the Nine Mysteries and Seven Ancestors—a Daoist term for generations of ancestors—as well as the souls of the dead from previous lives, relatives, and in-laws could all dwell in freedom and escape suffering. After nine, the Jade Writ, a sacred scripture, could dispel darkness, and its numinous light could illuminate the netherworld. After ten, all living beings would forever sever the causes and conditions that lead to falling into evil realms; enmities would be resolved, and entanglements of karmic retribution would come to an end.

At that time, the men and women of the whole country all wholeheartedly believed and accepted the teaching. They received protection and deliverance, and attained long life.

The Dao says: At that time, whenever the Most High Lord Lao (Taishang Laojun), one of the supreme deities revered in Daoism, recited the scripture once, the Great Gods of the Eight Radiances, of limitless grades and number, from the Eastern direction, together with their countless attendants, came flying through the air. At the second recitation, the Great Gods of Bright Light, of limitless grades and number, from the South, with their countless attendants, came flying through the air. At the third, the Great Gods Who Subdue Demons, of limitless grades and number, from the West, with their countless attendants, came flying through the air. At the fourth, the Great Gods of the Jewel-Pearl, of limitless grades and number, from the North, with their countless attendants, came flying through the air. At the fifth, the Great Gods of the Cloud Palace, of limitless grades and number, from the Northeast, with their countless attendants, came flying through the air. At the sixth, the Great Gods of Transformation, of limitless grades and number, from the Southeast, with their countless attendants, came flying through the air. At the seventh, the Great Gods of Numinous Flight, of limitless grades and number, from the Southwest, with their countless attendants, came flying through the air. At the eighth, the Great Gods of the Three Essences, of limitless grades and number, from the Northwest, with their countless attendants, came flying through the air. At the ninth, the Great Gods of the Jade Void, of limitless grades and number, from above, with their countless attendants, came flying through the air. At the tenth, from below…

The multitude of the Boundless Union and Separation Great Spirits—divinities of limitless power who can divide, unite, and transform—was beyond counting. They came soaring through the air, filling the ten directions. At the same time, the Boundless Radiant-Body Qi-Penetrating Great Spirits, who extended throughout the ten directions, also arrived. Throughout the realm, men and women alike wholeheartedly turned toward and revered the Dao and its teachings. Those who came followed one after another, crowding and overlapping in countless millions, beyond measure; they filled the heavenly realms.

When the Most High Lord Lao saw the crowds gathered from all quarters and the people who had come from the ten directions surrounding him, he faced north and respectfully paid homage to the Great Sage of Jade Capital, the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning, the Supreme Lord of the Jade Dawn in the Azure Clouds, the Great Lord of the Jade Purity—the revered deity of Daoism. After completing the rites, Lord Lao sat down again, faced east, and surveyed the assembly. Using the divine power of the Dao, he raised into the sky the celestial beings who had come from near and far across the ten directions, along with all those scattered through the heavens who had come to watch and hear the teaching. They rose to a height of about a hundred zhang. Then he summoned blue-green rainbows, flowing clouds, and yellow robes patterned with myriad flowers. He welcomed the celestial beings and seated them beneath the rows of seats. The spacious hall stood open on all four sides, packed with people so densely that they were piled together like millet grains.

The assembly praised and bowed, their voices resounding in all directions. The Most High Lord Lao smiled, raised the Five-Luminosity jeweled fan, gently brushed the red-cloud, golden-radiance table, and solemnly addressed the assembly:

“When the Dao manifests, it becomes spirit; when spirit transforms, it becomes Qi (vital energy). Qi exists before Heaven and Earth and Yin-Yang take shape. It is the root of the transformations of all things, the power of response produced by the Dao’s wondrous workings. Qi has no color or form. We cannot say that it exists, nor that it does not exist. It is not governed by Yin-Yang, nor does it belong to the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water). It can bring forth, transform, and complete all things; it is the power through which the Dao works its mysteries. Thus it is harder than metal or stone, clearer than ice or jade, broader than empty space, and older than antiquity. Within, it gathers the finest substance and brings forth chaos; below, it covers and nourishes the myriad kinds of beings. All things take this Qi as their beginning.

“Before this Qi reveals any form or acquires substance, it is subtle and elusive, and is called ‘misty and indistinct.’ It molds all things within the Great Simplicity—the primordial state before things take shape and substance—and is the root from which Heaven and Earth arise. It is called ‘the One Qi.’ Hence it is also known as the ‘True One,’ the ‘Mysterious One,’ and the ‘Great One,’ and is also called the ‘Mystery, Origin, Beginning, Three…”

Primordial Qi, the fundamental force behind the generation and movement of all things, was established from the Jade Capital, an immortal realm in the heavens, down to the Gates of the Springs, the land of the underworld. Immortals and sages, ghosts and spirits, human beings and all things—nothing comes from anything other than it. All things are born together from the Dao. Originally, there were no distinctions between high and low, good and evil, strong and weak, or hard and fragile. The Dao gives each thing its nature according to the principle of spontaneity, without deliberate action.

When the Three Realms took shape, spirits came to govern each realm, and distinctions between ruler and subject, high and low, were established. The transformations of all things, their rank and decline, and differences in wisdom and folly likewise came to be arranged. The Dao has its supreme holy spirits, and Heaven has its just and impartial Emperor. The Three Enclosures of stars and the Eight Might spirit officials, who oversee celestial decrees, are assigned their duties and record people’s merits and faults, life and death, without missing the slightest detail. Even deeds as small as a mustard seed or a millet grain cannot escape their record.

Therefore, one must first understand the underlying nature of each thing, and through it comprehend the Primordial Qi it has received. The Dao is the formless underlying nature; De is the formed underlying nature. Brightness is the underlying nature of light, and mystery is the underlying nature of darkness. Yang is the underlying nature of movement, and Yin is the underlying nature of stillness. The upright is the underlying nature of becoming an immortal; the deviant is the underlying nature of becoming a ghost. Since each underlying nature has its own fixed allotment, the corresponding Qi runs through it and enables it to receive life: the formless body is permeated by vast Qi, and the formed body by Primordial Qi; the bright body by clear Qi, and the dark body by turbid Qi; the moving body by dragon Qi, and the still body by constant Qi; the immortal body by numinous Qi, and the ghostly body by anomalous Qi.

The Qi that runs through each kind of underlying nature has its own boundaries and patterns. In this way, the transformations of all things are brought into order, the framework of the Three Powers—Heaven, Earth, and humanity—is established, and instruction and meritorious deeds can be accomplished. Thus, there is hope of transcending the Three Realms and attaining the work of a High Perfected One. Good and evil are each recorded; blessings and calamities each have their causes and principles. These truths are entirely clear.

Heavenly beings, humans, ghosts, spirits, and the countless beings throughout the ten directions can all be taught, freed from the cycle of rebirth, and raised to the immortal Way. Long life and Wuwei (non-action) are what truly accord with the Way of the Great Void.

When the Most High Lord Lao had finished expounding the Jing, the assembled Perfected Ones watched over and presided over the work of salvation, then transmitted the teachings of the Jing to me. The joy and celebration of that moment are beyond words. Once the rites were largely complete, the heavens each returned to their proper places. In an instant, all was silent, without a trace of sound. At that time, heavenly beings and people in the world who were fortunate enough to encounter this Jing and its teachings were saved far and wide and preserved their full span of life, untouched by unexpected calamity. From the highest to the lowest, the whole country turned in reverence and devotion, and all set their hearts on goodness. They understood cause, conditions, retribution, response, and fruition, as well as the Dharma, teachings, precepts, and underlying nature. Their words accorded with the utmost Dao, and their actions followed Heaven’s workings. People treated one another with kindness; even those of different surnames were like family. The country was at peace, the people were prosperous, and all gladly enjoyed a time of peace. The Jing and its teachings first spread through one country. Anyone who resolved to believe in them, honor them, and pay reverence to them could receive salvation.

The Daoist Jing says: The words spoken by the Most High Lord Lao as he expounded the Jing were all the inner names and secret rhythmic utterances of the heavenly emperors.

“Hundred Spirits” is the secret inner name of the demon king, not ordinary language used in the world. Only the High Sages, having become perfected beings, can penetrate the mysteries and understand the nature of reality, with true Qi flowing through their entire bodies; only then can they fully comprehend these passages. Recite them ten times, and divine radiance appears within the body, while demons lose their power. Yilin’s brilliance unfolds, the Jade Pivot shines bright, calamities and pestilences are cut down, ghosts and spirits are subdued, corpses rise again, and white bones become human beings.

Those devoted to the Great Dao who recite the passages ten times will be observed from afar by the Most High, who will enter their names in the Three Offices—the Daoist offices of Heaven, Earth, and Water. Demons and evils will thereby perish, and lingering souls of the dead will ascend and be delivered. Even those at death’s door, whose breath has ceased, may live again.

This is because practitioners have not yet fully penetrated the Great Mystery or thoroughly understood the principle of the nature of reality. Their impure Qi has not been entirely removed, and they remain entangled in worldly concerns. They have not yet acquired the power to summon and command the ten directions, nor can they command the heavenly realm, subdue the earth deities through their De, or bind demonic spirits. Thus they can only keep people from dying; they cannot bring the dead back to life. To recite these passages carelessly is to invite calamity upon oneself.

Worship and honor this Jing, and the household will prosper, generations will flourish, good affinities will be formed, no disaster will intrude, and the spirits will guard the gates. This Jing is supremely precious and mysterious, without equal in the Jade Capital, the Daoist celestial city. It delivers countless beings and is the root of the myriad Ways. Vast and exalted, its De is beyond all telling.

The Dao says: Whenever someone recites this Jing ten times, all the immortals will come. With body and mind cleansed and the heart-spirit clear, darkness disperses, and Qi and Shen unite in truth. The numinous light of the nether darkness grows bright and unobstructed. The departed souls of ancestors across countless generations, and the dead who suffer, are at once delivered and ascend to the Vermilion Palace, a celestial Daoist court. After nine years of instruction there, they regain life, become noble persons, and delight in studying the scriptures. When their deeds are complete and their De fulfilled, they can all become immortals, ascend to the Golden Towers of the celestial realm, and roam and feast in the Jade Capital.

Those of the highest attainment who cultivate and recite this Jing are immediately delivered and ascend to the Southern Palace. Through sincere recitation, they commune with the spirits, understand the nature of reality without falling into delusion, and let numinous Qi flow through their bodies. They can then naturally undergo refinement and reach the Court of Flowing Fire, a sacred Daoist realm. Their numinous countenance becomes as pure and gleaming as jade, and they take the vermilion characters, sacred Daoist writing, into their brocade womb.

When people in the world uphold and recite this Jing, their strength and blessings increase, and their corpse-body is preserved. By stopping the flow of blood within themselves, purifying their bodily fluids, and filling the brain and marrow, they can prolong their lives. Thereafter, they can all cultivate the Way of Corpse Liberation, the Daoist means of becoming immortal by temporarily leaving the physical body behind as the spirit departs. Their souls and spirits briefly disappear, and they no longer pass through the underworld…

The dead can recover their bodily forms and travel freely through space. This scripture is exceptionally subtle and wondrous, and can save countless beings everywhere. All beings in the heavens and on earth receive blessings and good fortune through it. Its immeasurable merit benefits both the living and the dead. Heaven holds this scripture in great esteem, so it must not be passed on casually to ordinary people. Only those of virtue may receive it, after preparing gifts such as gold and silk and making a solemn vow in sincerity. Anyone who carelessly reveals it or treats the scripture and its teachings with disrespect will bring calamity upon nine generations of ancestors and will be kept in servitude among the ghost officials for a long time.

Those who attend upon this scripture include the Five Emperors—the Daoist deities who rule the five directions—as well as twenty-four Jade Youths and twenty-four Jade Maidens. They guard its divine text and protect those who receive it.

The Words of the Dao say: By observing a strict fast and reciting this scripture in the first month, one can understand the nature of how the myriad things come into being, as well as the principles by which immortals, humans, and ghosts change form. All things arise naturally from the Great Nonbeing—the formless, imageless origin. They follow the Dao to take shape, rely on Qi as the basis of their activity, and are stirred to awareness by divine spirits; through discernment, they develop understanding. Only after being refined through Yin-Yang, Water, and Fire can they attain their true form. The myriad things, immortals, humans, and ghosts may appear to have the same bodily form, but the Qi infused within each differs. Their spiritual powers and subtle modes of transformation therefore differ as well. The principles by which they appear and disappear interweave, giving rise to wondrous transformations. The scripture also says that reciting it while observing a fast can save the souls of the dead, freeing them from confinement in hell and raising them to the Southern Palace.

By observing a strict fast and reciting this scripture in the seventh month, one can understand the nature of how the myriad things take shape and form, as well as the principles by which immortals, humans, and ghosts undergo changes through the ebb and flow of Yin and breath. The myriad things receive form through the infusion of numinous Qi. Refined by Yin Fire, they become firm and take shape in accordance with fixed principles. Through the transformations of numinous Qi, clear Qi gives rise to awareness, dry Qi provides their bodily form, and the radiance of the moon washes them clean; through refinement, they attain their true form. The myriad things, immortals, humans, and ghosts may appear to have the same bodily form, but the Qi infused within each differs, as do their transformations and spiritual powers in the netherworld. The scripture further says that fasting and reciting it can sever worldly ties and free the souls of the dead in the netherworld from the desolation of the wilderness, raising them to a realm of mystery. Those who recite it can attain an immortal body, have their names entered in the heavenly registers known as the Yellow Registers and White Tablets—Daoist records of names and deeds—and pass from death to renewed life.

By observing a strict fast and reciting this scripture in the tenth month, one can understand the nature of how the myriad things return to their original life… [The original text ends here.]

Humans and ghosts alike return to their source and receive life from “Mystery-One,” the primordial Qi spoken of in Daoism. Life thereby takes on form. The Qi of the Great Beginning flows through it, and the two Qi of Yin and Yang divide, bringing all things into being. Life arises through resonance with subtle Qi; it then absorbs the vital essence and is nurtured. Passing from darkness into light, it transforms through stillness and purity. Refined through the cultivation of dark frost and jade-green dew, it ultimately perfects the True Body.

Though the forms of things differ, the essential nature of the forms of immortals, numinous beings, humans, and ghosts is connected. Yet the Qi that permeates each form differs, as do the workings of awareness and inner perception. Accordingly, the paths by which each may transcend the world, travel afar, and ascend are also different. These secret methods are transmitted separately to kings, emperors, rulers, and to sovereigns and ministers, fathers and sons, so that the state may be at peace, its fortunes endure, and its generations continue. If a ruler regularly uses these methods to bring peace to the lands under his governance, the people will praise the realm for its harmony.

Reciting this Jing on the days of the eight seasonal observances during the year can draw the winds of the eight directions into the body and circulate them within. It gathers the scenes of the eight directions in the “Niwan,” an inner palace in the head in Daoist internal cultivation, making it clear and radiant so that one may become a True Person of the Nine Palaces. Reciting this Jing on one’s birth-cycle day can purify and illuminate the body and circulate Qi throughout it. Those of De may become sages, while even the bones of ordinary people may be refined into the True. In this way, the soul and Shen become clear and upright, and the myriad Qi endure forever, free from suffering. The body shines with light; spirits of the Three Realms guard it, the Five Emperors send emissaries to welcome it, and the myriad spirits come to pay homage. The practitioner’s name will be entered in the registers of Heaven, and when their merit is complete, they will ascend to Highest Clarity.

The Dao says: On the days appointed for this practice, first bathe with fragrant water and observe purification. Then enter the chamber, face east, click the teeth thirty-two times, and make a declaration to the thirty-two heavens above; then bow thirty-two times. Close the eyes and quietly envision yourself seated upright amid clouds of blue, yellow, and white, with profound darkness all around, within and without. In the east is the True Person Wood-Black; in the south, the True Person Flame-Elephant; in the west, the True Person Golden Liquor; in the north, the True Person Water-Elephant; and above, the True Person Mysterious Wonder. They stand beside you, guarding and overseeing your practice. Lions and white cranes line either side; the sun and moon shine, illuminating the chamber. A round halo appears above your head, its radiance illuminating the ten directions. Once this vision is clear, silently recite the secret invocation:

“Supreme Lord of the Dao, Lord of the Mysterious Origin: I ask you to summon the Three-Five Officers of Merit within my body, together with the attendant messengers on my left and right, the jade youths who tend incense, the jade maidens who convey messages, the appointed talisman officers of the Five Emperors, and the incense officials on duty today—thirty-two of each. Ask them to report on my behalf: Today is an auspicious and joyful day. In the purified, tranquil hall, I observe purification and cultivate this most exalted classic, praying for the immeasurable deliverance of living beings. May all that I declare be carried above and presented directly before the Most High, the Supreme Primordial Emperor of the thirty-two heavens.”

After reciting this, draw in the Qi thirty-two times, then face east and recite the Jing.