《靈寶無量度人上品妙經》Vol. 36

The Chapter on the Union of the Eight Radiances and Spirits

The Dao says: Long ago, in the Vermilion Yang Heaven, Xuanji Lingge Tai Rongchang Earth received from the Celestial Worthy of the Primordial Beginning the scriptural teachings called “The Supreme, Boundless Scripture of Deliverance through the Union of the Eight Radiances and Spirits.”

When the Celestial Worthy of the Primordial Beginning was about to expound this scripture, he first circled around ten times to summon the gods of the ten directions. Once they had gathered, the great gods of heavenly truth, the high and holy venerable ones, the perfected beings of wondrous practice, the great gods of the Three Primordial Ones and Eight Radiances, and countless other beings all came riding through the air. Numinosity-filled clouds spread out, and flowers appeared. Jeweled palanquins, jade chariots, and purple canopies set one another off. Auspicious light shone among the divine realms, blessed vapors gleamed, and all eight directions blazed with radiance.

For seven days and seven nights, the eight radiant lights of the heavens reflected one another. Thousands of gods and myriads of spirits connected with the One Qi in the deep and mysterious realm, mingling and transforming into life as if they all belonged to a single cycle. Throughout the land, the soil, mountains, rivers, and trees shone brightly. High and low alike spread out together, level as one. Strange radiance appeared across the whole earth, interweaving in layer upon layer.

The assembled perfected beings stood in attendance before the seat. The Celestial Worthy of the Primordial Beginning sat upright in the air, surrounded by the myriad Qi, beneath the lofty, far-reaching vault of heaven, and expounded the scripture atop the Jade Terrace of the Cavern Radiance.

After he expounded the scripture once, the great sages of all the heavens praised it together. At that moment, the men and women of the land forever cast off their desires. After he expounded it twice, they reached understanding and insight, and joined with the highest truth. After three recitations, they could recognize and apply the subtle principles. After four, they could bring the primordial Qi into wondrous harmony and unite it with themselves. After five, they could purify and gather the essence of spirit and Qi to protect their bodies and spirits. After six, the myriad spirits coalesced into radiance and joined with the body. After seven, the imperial lords of the Three Palaces assembled and the divine perfected beings gathered in court. After eight, the hundred gateways became firm and sealed, the palace and offices within the body became interconnected, the gate of death was shut, and the root of the womb was severed. After nine, the Three Sections—the body’s three systems of spirit and Qi—opened wide, and the spirits of the Eight Radiances returned together. After ten, the divine powers were fully joined and harmonized, and the whole body could ascend to immortality.

At that time, all the men and women of the land sincerely turned toward the Dao. They were all protected and delivered, and attained long life.

The Dao also says: At that time, after the Celestial Worthy of the Primordial Beginning expounded the scripture once, the Great God of Azure Radiance, the Utmost Truth of the Boundless Grade of the East, and his countless followers came riding through the air. After he expounded it twice, the Great God of Cinnabar Radiance, the Utmost Truth of the Boundless Grade of the South, and his countless followers came riding through the air. After three recitations, the Great God of Pure Radiance, the Utmost Truth of the Boundless Grade of the West… (The original text ends here.)

The Great Spirit of Radiant Brilliance (the Spirit of Jingyao) and his countless attendants rose into the air and came, proclaiming the scripture. At the fourth recitation, the utmost truth of the boundless and immeasurable northern realm arrived; at the fifth, the utmost truth of the boundless and immeasurable northeastern realm; at the sixth, the utmost truth of the boundless and immeasurable eastern realm; at the seventh, the utmost truth of the boundless and immeasurable southeastern realm; at the eighth, the utmost truth of the boundless and immeasurable southwestern realm; at the ninth, the utmost truth of the boundless and immeasurable northwestern realm; and at the tenth, the utmost truth of the boundless and immeasurable realm above. The utmost truth of the boundless and immeasurable realm below arrived as well. The Great Spirit of Transformed Radiance and his countless attendants rose into the air and came. When the ten recitations were complete, the Eight Radiant Spirits from the boundless heavens of the ten directions all arrived together.

The men and women of the whole kingdom turned their hearts toward the teaching with single-minded devotion, and cried out joyfully: “Each of us, through good causes planted in a former life—whether through cultivating the Dao or through the blessings of good fortune—has been able to dwell in this heavenly realm and see the Heavenly Venerable expound this scripture with our own eyes. Now we have heard of the method by which the Eight Radiant Spirits unite and the Way of the highest perfected ones’ transformation. These are things we have never heard before. Anyone who hears this Way is sure to rise in rank and become one of the highest perfected, fully attuned to the mysterious principles. We have never heard this Way before and do not know the mysteries of the Eight Radiant Spirits’ union. How, then, could we transcend all things and accord with the source of the Great Dao of Primordial Unity?”

Then everyone came before the Heavenly Venerable and asked to hear the highest teaching. Those listening to the scripture were as numerous as fine rain and dense mist. They filled half the kingdom, so that the earth itself sank under their weight, and they could scarcely be held back.

At that moment, the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning surveyed the ten directions, lowered his gaze and fixed his attention, then waved the Five-Brightness Feather Fan. He slowly began to speak, clarifying essential teachings and revealing Taiji (the Supreme Ultimate), the source from which the cosmos first arose. The single Qi of Taiji divided and formed the Three Luminaries, the system of celestial bodies and their movements; it then separated further into the Eight Radiances. The Eight Radiances are the natural spirits corresponding to the luminous manifestations of the eight directions. The Eight Radiances of Heaven are divided into three divisions, each belonging to one of the Three Origins, the three levels of primordial Qi or realms in the heavens. The Eight Radiances of the human body, meanwhile, have …

The three divisions—Jing (essence), Qi (vital energy), and Shen (spirit), among others—each have their own domain. The Three Passes govern the three divisions, so the three divisions, the Eight Radiances, and the twenty-four perfected beings are all important aspects of Daoist cultivation. Those advanced in the Dao practice this method, bringing the Qi of the Eight Radiances into harmony with the spirits within themselves. When gathered, they are like the many gods returning to the “One Emperor”; when dispersed, they can manifest as a thousand perfected immortals. In this way, practitioners attain the rank of high perfected beings.

The Eight Radiances in Heaven are divided among three places: the Upper Origin Eight Radiances are at the Jade Capital’s Xiao Terrace, the Middle Origin Eight Radiances at the Purple Palace of Great Subtlety, and the Lower Origin Eight Radiances in the Chamber of Kunlun. The human body, too, has its Eight Radiances: the upper corresponds to the Niwan Palace, the chamber of spirits in the head; the middle to the Crimson Palace, the heart’s chamber; and the lower to the Dantian, the inner alchemy center in the lower abdomen. Each of the Eight Radiances has its own name, size and appearance, clothing and colors, and dwelling place. If practitioners can summon the Eight Radiances of Heaven and bring them into harmony with the spirits within the body, the spirits of the Eight Radiances will merge with their own Shen, making them high perfected beings.

The purpose of this method is subtle, empty, clear, and penetrating; it leads to stillness, purity, and luminous awareness. Those who focus on cultivating these eight aspects can attain their goal. The Eight Radiances embody the Dao’s De. If practitioners understand and diligently cultivate the way of Yang Jing—the essence of Yang Qi—and the true spirits of the Eight Radiances, those spirits will naturally descend into the body and impart the true immortals’ way of transcendent mystery and long life.

After hearing these words, the assembly bowed again and asked the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning to explain the most essential teachings to those who had not yet understood. They said that they were fortunate to hear this wondrous teaching that day, and hoped it would awaken them from their benighted state. They pleaded again and again without ceasing.

Then Primordial Beginning transformed into a mass of primordial essence, shaped like a vermilion sun and shining brilliantly, suspended in the air nine zhang above the ground. Primordial Beginning led the Great Gods of the Heavenly Perfected, the High Sages and Venerable Ones, the Perfected of Wondrous Practice, and countless other gods—including the Eight Radiance Great Gods from the boundless ten directions—into the vermilion sun. Those in Heaven looked up and saw the gods entering one after another from among the jeweled blossoms. When they had all entered, they vanished from sight. The land then settled and returned to its former state, the ground level once more, no longer tilted or sunken.

Primordial Beginning then completed the exposition of this scripture within the sun’s radiance. The perfected immortals stood respectfully nearby and listened.

At that time the ritual was largely complete. The gods of the heavens each returned to their own places, and in an instant all was silent, with no lingering echo left behind. The immortals of the celestial realms and all living beings who were fortunate enough to encounter this Jing (scripture/classic) and its methods were universally delivered. They preserved their original span of life and suffered neither early death nor harm. Throughout the land, high and low alike gave their hearts to the faith. Everyone cultivated a wondrous mind of the Dao (the Way), in accord with the Dao, emptiness, divinity, light, visionary appearances, radiance, purity, and mystery. Their hearts were sincere and without falsity, and their innate true nature was brought to completion. People cherished one another with kindness; even without ties of blood they were as close as a single family. The state was at peace, the people prosperous, and all rejoiced together in great peace.

This Jing began to be transmitted in one country, so that people might receive in advance the teaching of the Great Dao. All who held utmost sincerity in their hearts, who believed in it and reverently paid homage, could be delivered and rise beyond the sufferings of the ordinary world.

The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning said: All that the Jing sets forth consists of the inner names and secret sounds of the God-emperors of the various heavens. These are also the hidden taboo-names contained in the Three Divisions and Eight Effulgences—the Daoist order of deities together with the spirits dwelling in the body—and the concealed names of the hundred numinous beings. They are not words in ordinary worldly use. If a cultivator of the Dao can observe prolonged fasting and purification, practice, and recitation, that person can unite with the spirits of the Eight Effulgences and become one with the Way of Heaven. Calamities reaching back through seven generations are removed, and the cellular gates—the portals within the human body, also the vital apertures bound up with life—are closed and made secure. Supreme sages and Perfected who have already attained the Dao can penetrate the dark and profound, inquire into the fine and subtle, and fully understand the chapters and sentences of the text.

When the Jing is recited ten times, the various heavens sing in response from afar, and the myriad emperors pay homage. When the mind is clear and still, the Qi (vital energy) of disaster disperses. Body and mind join with the Eight Effulgences; divine perfected beings fill the inner self; the hosts of demons are restrained; and the malign Qi of ghostly essences is destroyed. It can even turn the dead back and cause white bones to become living persons.

When scholars who aspire to the Dao recite the Jing ten times, the spirits of the Eight Effulgences guard them. The Three Primes—the Three Officials of Heaven, Earth, and Water in Daoist teaching—pay them respect. Demonic essences lose their power, and the malign Qi of ghosts and specters scatters. Even those at the point of death, whose breath has already ceased, can thereby be delivered and live again. This is so because the foul Qi within the scholar’s body has not yet been wholly cleared away, body and mind have not yet fully communed with the true, and the work of uniting with the spirits of the Eight Effulgences is not yet complete. The De (Virtue/Power) of the Way of Heaven can help them subdue and drive off demonic obstacles and trials and remove calamities, yet it can only spare a person from death; it cannot yet bring the dead back to life. If one recites this Jing carelessly, one will instead bring calamity upon oneself.

To make offerings to this Jing and hold it in reverence can cause a household to flourish and successive generations to prosper, joined to favorable conditions. No disaster can intrude, and divine beings guard the family gate. This Jing is exalted and mysterious, without peer in the Jade Capital—the celestial realm spoken of in Daoism. Through measureless deliverance it saves living beings, and it is the root of the ten thousand ways. Its norms are lofty and vast, and its grace and De can scarcely be told in full.

The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning spoke further: Whenever this Jing is recited ten times, the spirits of the Eight Effulgences descend together. The countless dark souls among the ancestors who suffer from calamity are at once delivered and ascend into the Vermilion Palace—a celestial palace in Daoist teaching. All of them must pass through nine years of instruction and transformation; afterward they are reborn as persons of high station and take delight in studying the methods of the Dao.

When the merit of cultivating and reciting this scripture is complete, one can become an immortal, ascend to the Golden Towers in heaven, and feast in the Jade Capital of the immortal realm.

When those of the highest capacity cultivate and recite this scripture, their wisdom opens and grows clear, an inner radiance shines forth, and the refined vitality within them is nurtured. The Eight Radiant Spirits within the body unite with the Great Dao and accord with the mysterious realm. They are at once delivered and ascend to the Southern Palace. If people in the world can receive, uphold, and recite this scripture, the Eight Radiant Spirits within them will steadfastly guard the precepts, enabling them to escape the gate of death. The Eight Radiant Spirits of heaven will also unite with their physical form. Once all the spirits have gathered, practitioners can attain the Dao and become perfected, extend their years, and ultimately complete the path of ascension. Their souls and spirits undergo transformation and refinement, no longer suffering the anguish of hell. They preserve the innocence of an infant and roam through the vast reaches of space.

This scripture is subtle and wondrous, and can universally deliver countless beings. All beings in the heavens and the human world receive blessings and good fortune through it; the living and the dead alike benefit from its grace. Heaven keeps this scripture as a treasure, and it is not to be passed on to ordinary people of the world. Those truly endowed with the Dao must express their sincerity with treasures such as gold and silk, and swear an oath before heaven before receiving it. If it is disclosed carelessly or treated with disrespect, calamity will reach back through nine generations of ancestors, and the offender will serve for a long time in the offices of the netherworld. The Five Emperors, Jade Boys, and Jade Maidens who attend this scripture number twenty-four of each. They guard the text and protect those who receive it.

The Daoist scripture says: During the first lunar month, those who observe a long fast and recite the upper section of this scripture will have the Eight Radiant Spirits of the upper part of the body descend to the Mud Ball Palace and the Mysterious Hall, delivering and elevating their seven generations of ancestors so they may enter the Southern Palace.

During the seventh lunar month, those who observe a long fast and recite the middle section will have the Eight Radiant Spirits of the middle part of the body unite with them and merge with the Yellow Origin, the spirit within the body. In this way, they share the numinous nature of heaven and earth and acquire an immortal body. Their names will be entered in heaven’s registers of blue and purple tablets, and they will be able to ascend as immortals with their bodies intact.

During the tenth lunar month, those who observe a long fast and recite the lower section will have the Eight Radiant Spirits of the lower part of the body strengthen the roots of life. True Jing will be refined, and the myriad Qi will gather and become spirit. Riding the spirit wheel, practitioners will roam the Great Empyrean, ascend to the highest Pure Realm, and remain joyful for countless ages, enduring as long as the great cosmic calamities.

Reciting this scripture on the Eight Seasonal Festivals will unite the Eight Radiant Spirits with the practitioner, enabling them to rise beyond the world to the Jade Capital and become a pure and perfected immortal. Reciting it on one’s birth anniversary will cause the Eight Radiant Spirits of all three sections and the twenty-four perfected spirits to take the forms of infants. Dressed in brocade robes and embroidered skirts, they sit in rows within the Mud Ball Palace, the body’s inner palace. At this time, the soul and spirit become clear and composed, the myriad Qi endure forever, and the body’s passages and openings are refined. The whole body shines with light; the spirits of the Three Realms stand guard nearby, the Five Emperors come to welcome the practitioner, and the myriad spirits pay homage. The practitioner’s name is entered in heaven’s registers, and when their merit is complete, they ascend to the highest Pure Realm.

The Daoist scripture also says: On days when Daoist rites are performed, one should first bathe with fragrant water, observe the fast and precepts, and enter stillness indoors.

Facing east, knock your teeth together thirty-two times, thereby sending your intention up to the hearts of the thirty-two heavens. Then bow thirty-two times. Close your eyes and quiet your mind. Visualize yourself seated upright amid clouds of eight colors, with mist swirling inside and out all around you. The Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise—the guardian beasts of the four directions—stand alongside lions and white cranes, arrayed on either side.

Twenty-four true deities appear before you. The light of the sun and moon illuminates the room, filling it with brilliance. A circular radiance appears above your head, its light shining in all ten directions. Once the visualization is clear, silently recite the secret incantation:

“Supreme Lord of the Dao, Primordial Mystery, summon forth the Three-Five Merit Officers within my body, the officers and messengers on my left and right, the jade youths who attend to incense, the jade maidens who convey messages, the Five Emperors’ Talisman Officers, and the incense officers on duty today—thirty-two of each. Have them convey what I say today.

“This is an auspicious day. In the pure and tranquil fasting hall, I observe the fast and recite and cultivate the classic, the Scripture on Deliverance from Boundless Suffering. May the matters for which I pray and make my petition ascend to the celestial court and be presented directly before the supreme throne of the Primordial Sovereign in the thirty-two highest heavens.”

When you have finished reciting, draw in Qi thirty-two times, face east, and recite the scripture.

The Wondrous Supreme Scripture on Deliverance from Boundless Suffering by the Primordial Origin

This foundational chapter of the Primordial Cavern’s Mysterious Numinous Treasure contains the supreme wondrous teaching in which the divine spirits of the Eight Radiances unite. Through ten cycles of repeated verse, this passage delivers all beings from suffering. The hidden rhymes of the Eight Radiances join and separate, shifting and transforming of themselves. They embody the profound mystery of imperial Qi and the primordial perfected ones: the beginning of the distant, silent, formless celestial realm.

The empty, numinous source divides and gathers into form, spreading throughout and guarding the hundred passes of the body. The Three Palaces—the body’s three vital regions—are distributed within it, linked and encircling one another. Through transformation, they unite with the higher realm and refine the foundations of Jing and Qi.

There is no divine spirit that cannot give light, illuminate, establish, or bring things to completion. None cannot deliver beings from suffering or bring them into life. This is the utmost wonder of the divine.

In the Jade Tower and Bright Hall, the supreme dwelling at the heart of Heaven, flowing pearls of light and the Qi of mysterious elixirs rise upward to a splendid, lofty place. On Mount Kunlun, purple patterns of light cross and intertwine; their brilliance reflects and rises. Below, they reach the gates of the Central Yellow and Crimson Palace, as well as the hidden chamber deep within the navel and the fields of jade-like chambers.

The divine Qi of the Eight Radiances circulates throughout, turning without cease. Within it are the Three Departments, the Eight Radiances, and the twenty-four true deities; there is also a sovereign of empty clarity, open transparency, purity, and luminous radiance. Within it dwell the Great Emperor of Long Life at the Southern Pole, the Emperor of Azure Radiance at the Eastern Pole, the Great God Sima who delivers the world, the Venerable Lord Han, who cherishes life, and the honored deities of the Southern Heights: the Director of Destiny, the Director of Records, the Extender of Life, the Augmenter of Years, and the Reliever of Calamities. They can revive remains and bring the dead back to life, delivering all beings through boundless power. Today they review the registers of names in the heavens and descend before the hall.

The Void Spirit King, the Great Sage of Eternal Life, of the First Eastern Boundless Scenic Heaven, is charged with saving beings without limit.

The Seal Spirit King, the Great Sage of Eternal Life, of the Second Southern Boundless Scenic Heaven, is charged with saving beings without limit.

The Radiance Spirit King, the Great Sage of Eternal Life, of the Third Western Boundless Scenic Heaven, is charged with saving beings without limit.

The Mysterious Spirit King, the Great Sage of Eternal Life, of the Fourth Northern Boundless Scenic Heaven, is charged with saving beings without limit.

The Talisman Spirit King, the Great Sage of Eternal Life, of the Fifth Northeastern Boundless Scenic Heaven, is charged with saving beings without limit.

The Light Spirit King, the Great Sage of Eternal Life, of the Sixth Southeastern Boundless Scenic Heaven, is charged with saving beings without limit.

The Venerable Spirit King, the Great Sage of Eternal Life, of the Seventh Southwestern Boundless Scenic Heaven, is charged with saving beings without limit.

The True Spirit King, the Great Sage of Eternal Life, of the Eighth Northwestern Boundless Scenic Heaven, is charged with saving beings without limit.

The Wisdom Spirit King, the Great Sage of Eternal Life, of the Boundless Heaven of the Three Upper Divisions, is charged with saving beings without limit.

The Compliant Spirit King, the Great Sage of Eternal Life, of the Boundless Heaven where the Three Lower Divisions’ Spirits Unite, is charged with saving beings without limit.

The Spirit Kings of the ten directions, the Three Divisions and Eight Scenic Heavens, together with the countless great deities who preserve life and deliver beings from the world, travel through the high skies aboard splendid clouds. They ride jeweled carriages with purple canopies and wheels like rosy clouds, drawn by white numinous spirit tigers and azure essence dragons. Before them fly the dark banners and standards of Primordial Mystery, and the vermilion pennants of the Cavern Heavens. Ahead, they chant exquisite airs of the sun, moon, and stars; behind, they answer with the true songs of the Five Luminaries—the five planets. Blue luan birds and emerald phoenixes cry out in harmony. High immortals clear the way, jade maidens steady the carriage shafts, and myriads of chariots and mounted attendants move through the air.

Divine light pours down. The divine carriage turns and joins with the body’s original nature. The Primordial Sovereign, the Great One (the supreme deity of Great Oneness), enters the Mysterious Palace of the Cavern Chamber. In his left hand he holds the Five Registers; in his right, the Five Talismans. After circling three times and undergoing nine transformations, he works wondrous changes in the hidden realm. Wherever the divine light reaches, spirits respond to its summons and radiance shines in all eight directions. Harmonious Qi gathers, and the spirits ascend beyond the Great Void.

Great demons escort and recommend those being delivered. The Celestial Emperor bestows scriptures and proclaims them throughout the ten directions. The Lords of the Cavern Heavens open the gate of deliverance, freeing the souls of ancestors from generations of sinking in darkness, erasing their records of guilt and dispersing the roots of calamity. Anyone who dares to obstruct them will be swept away by raging fire.

The bodies of those being delivered ascend to the upper realm, and even ancestors from countless generations can forever leave the dark courts behind. Their bodies and souls are restored, and together they undergo refinement. In due order, the delivered enter the Southern Palace of Vermilion Yang, where immortal officials register their names and record their passage. Through transformation into immortals, they attain human form. They receive deliverance while still alive and endure forever through generation after generation. Even through the turning cycles of tribulation, they can live as long as Heaven, forever escaping the Three Paths, the Five Sufferings, and the Eight Calamities. They transcend the Three Realms and roam freely in Shangqing, the Highest Clarity. In the heavenly realm of Shangqing, the Celestial Emperor shines with penetrating clarity. It is a realm beyond color, where the assembled gods follow the pure practice.

The Eight Heavens of the East.

Wing Zhenyuan Cian Heaven, ruled by Emperor Jingjiao Sishen; Dongling Kaiji Heaven, ruled by Emperor Tianyuan Jingxu; Zhaosu Qinzong Heaven, ruled by Emperor Qingjia Jinxuan; Fuyuan Ganxu Heaven, ruled by Emperor Taiji Youfu; Yuli Xichang Heaven, ruled by Emperor Shenggong Beicang; Shende Yangzhen Heaven, ruled by Emperor Yiche Louxuan; Huangdu Lifang Heaven, ruled by Emperor Shanhui Yiyang; Shengzhi Biaoyang Heaven, ruled by Emperor Zhuling Dahua.

The eight heavens of the south:

Yuli Jigong Heaven, ruled by Emperor Daoxin Zhideng; Yuntao Sushu Heaven, ruled by Emperor Qigao Wua; Eight Perfected Clear Radiance and Joined Scenery Heaven, ruled by Emperor Xiaoyi Fengxian; Huaji Chongyao Heaven, ruled by Emperor Liechang Xizhen; Hedan Baonian Heaven, ruled by Emperor Miaoqi Chengyu; Donglu Chaohuang Heaven, ruled by Emperor Jiewei Zhichong; Bazu Jiling Heaven, ruled by Emperor Kaiming Dusheng; Xuanfang Zhuyue Heaven, ruled by Emperor Pudu Douhuang.

The eight heavens of the west:

Huiqi Jijǐng Heaven, ruled by Emperor Kundang Baosi; Chaozu Qinyuan Heaven, ruled by Emperor Yue Kang Ziming; Zhigan Qiwei Heaven, ruled by Emperor Yunming Youchu; Fenrong Shumo Heaven, ruled by Emperor Chiqi Poyong; Shouyan Chifu Heaven, ruled by Emperor Jueyu Zizhong; Xuandao Zhaoling Heaven, ruled by Emperor Xunyou Fucheng; Qiji Sihua Heaven, ruled by Emperor Zhangyao Dui; Fanguang Shenqing Heaven, ruled by Emperor Yinxi Rongshen.

The eight heavens of the north:

Pizhen Gongqing Heaven, ruled by Emperor Haoxiao Ziju; Xili Chongyong Heaven, ruled by Emperor Duo Shi Qin; Yinghua Chenggong Heaven, ruled by Emperor Yutang Yunfan.

The five celestial realms are named Bichan Naling Heaven, Xiliang Xuming Heaven, Haiying Longgang Heaven, Xingjing Luoji Heaven, and Bashen Hejing Heaven. Each is governed by a Celestial Emperor: respectively, Emperor Hun Dujiuwang, Emperor Zhong Fangqi, Emperor Meng Changsheng, Emperor Li Tuo Lining, and Emperor Guo Huayaoling. The scripture then states that these realms comprise thirty-two heavens and thirty-two Celestial Emperors, each with a secret name.

Within the void, wondrous writings appear of themselves. The hidden rhythms of the heavens transform into the sounds of the Eight Luminous Realms. The Eight Luminous Realms—Daoist sacred domains in the eight directions—have their honored gods, spirits, True Kings, and divine officials.

The gods of the Eight Luminous Realms converge and transform, revealing the immeasurable, profound mysteries of Shangqing, the pure and exalted realm revered in Daoism. Its depths cannot be fully described. The divine immortals bestow their grace, saving both heavenly beings and all living creatures.

Today, rejoice and celebrate: you have received deliverance and entered the sacred realm. If you steadfastly preserve this serene, pristine true essence and harbor no doubts, you may take your place among the High Immortals, manifesting a golden countenance and a jade-like bearing. In emptiness and stillness, subtle and unimpeded, your clear understanding will be whole. Your movements will flow freely without obstruction; you will forget contrivance, remain pure and unstained, and escape contamination by turbid Qi. Your radiance will shine through the hidden stillness, naturally and of itself.

The spirits have eight paths, which unite with these eight paths, gathering and transforming to take visible form. They wear brocade sashes and dragon robes. Their transformations are wondrous, pure, and subtle; they wander freely. Ascending the jade steps, they receive their divine offices, with appointments issued by Donghua, a revered deity in the Daoist pantheon. The Three Officials, who govern Heaven, Earth, and Water, will forever eliminate all evils, sever the roots of the cycle of life and death, and seal the gates that lead to death.

Your name will be entered in the registers of the Great Mystery. The Three Ministries will oversee inspection and recognition, ensuring that neither the visible nor invisible world can detain you. The Eastern Dipper governs longevity, the Western Dipper records names, the Northern Dipper governs death, the Southern Dipper governs birth, and the Central Dipper oversees all and keeps watch.

The Azure Emperor protects the hun soul and uses the Qi of Dongjing to guide people back to the true. The White Emperor attends the po soul and uses Huajing to secure its abode. The Red Emperor nurtures original Qi and uses Yuanjing to grant life. The Black Emperor opens the channels of the blood and uses Huijing to bring clarity. The Yellow Emperor dwells at the center and governs all, bringing the luminous powers into harmony and assigning each its proper place.

The True King of the Azure Heaven nurtures the spirits through Azure Radiance; the True King of the Red Heaven shines with the clarity of Cinnabar Radiance; the True King of the White Heaven blends the spirit with Pure Radiance; the True King of the Black Heaven brings the realm to profound, secluded stillness through Dark Radiance; and the True King of the Yellow Heaven governs from the center. With the Eight Luminous Realms complete, the True Kings of the five celestial directions jointly command the myriad spirits. The spirits fly in their retinue, and the divine troops are likewise under their command. Bearing command banners, ceremonial insignia, and drums and rhythm instruments, they patrol the vast sky, proclaiming their resplendent glory as all the heavens together accomplish their work.

The divine king charged by the celestial realm to govern and subdue Beifeng, the realm of the dead, accepts his commission and sweeps away calamities and ill omens everywhere. Divine dragons drive off poison and harm; heavenly horses race in from the four directions, clearing away evil and wrongdoing. Heavenly generals bear banners and standards, hurl flames, and send the sound of bells ringing ten thousand miles. Who among the eight directions would dare to offend or obstruct the Perfected One, a person who has attained the Dao, in carrying out his work? The golden battle-axe strikes first, the jade axe metes out punishment behind it, and demons and ghosts are destroyed. Wind and fire rage without pause, beheading and cutting down demon-kind by the tens of thousands so they cannot intrude. Ghosts and demons cease their mischief, and the breath of evil spirits is cleared away. The Three Officials and Beifeng scrutinize the strongholds of the ghost realm, leaving the spirits nowhere to hide. The golden horse carries the edict by relay, proclaiming it to the boundless reaches; all the myriad spirits must obey, and the Five Emperors of the Three Realms report upward.

The Jade Instructions of the Shangqing Perfected Sovereign, the honored deity of the Shangqing realm, explain wondrous transformations: within the dark depths of chaos, subtle Qi circulates. The scene above has no definite form or color; the scene below is no abyss. The scene in between is the Great Void, joined with the dark depths of Nature. The spirits corresponding to the Eight Wondrous Visions gather, firm as vajra, and travel upon the heavens. Above and below, in places dark or far beyond, there is no form or shadow, no boundary or limit. Twenty-four Perfected Ones dwell in ordered ranks around the palace. From this, Heaven and Earth begin to take shape; the Divine Emperors appear and disappear, and dragons roam through the undivided realm of chaos.

The vast realm of Great Brahma stretches wide, without light. The Eight Visions unfold their images, and the Three Divisions, the three classes of Daoist methods and teachings, are set forth. The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning brings Heaven and Earth to order and lays out the Five Scriptures. The Red Writing in Jade Characters and the Eight-Power Dragon Script, sacred Daoist symbols, protect the cycle of tribulations and preserve the cultivator’s life. Brahma Qi spreads everywhere, unfolding the myriad forms; the Qi that governs and orders all things circulates and extends throughout the thirty-two heavens. It courses through the realm without color, encircles the ten directions, follows the Dipper mansions and passes through the Winnowing Basket mansion, moving along the constant paths of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water). The thirty-five divisions gather primordial Qi in the Upper Origin. The spirits of the Eight Visions unite with Qi and enter the Mysterious Realm. In that realm, the Great Sovereign of Heaven and the High Perfected Ones drift above the rosy clouds, chanting the Cavern Chapters, sacred Daoist verses. Golden, true Qi shines in full splendor, and its sound spreads through the clouds; jade tones gather primordial Qi, while numinous winds draw together smoke and clouds. The Qi of the Purple Void gathers in exquisite beauty, assisting and protecting the immortals. A thousand kinds of harmonious Qi converge, naturally bringing forth the Perfected Ones. Among the Perfected Ones there are spirits as well.

The honored deities of the Eight Visions’ Jade Mystery and Divine Visions include the Great Lord of Long Life, the Young Lord Wuying, the Venerable Spirit Baiyuan, the Grand One, Director of Destiny, Taikang, Heyan, and others. They carry tallies and registers to protect people’s lives and their vital roots. Above, they roam through Shangqing, entering and leaving splendid immortal palaces, dwelling within the Eight Visions, in subtle mystery. Below, they guard the Mudball Palace, the divine palace in the head, and the Crimson Palace, the divine palace in the heart, regulating the Five Qi so that the hundred spirits may unite. After ten cycles, numinous Qi turns back and circulates; the myriad Qi gather together, bringing a person closer to becoming an immortal.

The immortal way prizes life and uses immeasurable methods to deliver living beings. The flying spirits of the Eight Visions enable people to transcend life and death, turning through cycles of sin and merit; all this is also bound up with prohibitions and precepts, destiny from past lives, and karmic conditions.

The dead who generally accept instruction and deliverance can regain life; the living, too, can thereby be saved. Above, one may hear the teachings of the heavens. Beyond the heavens, each realm has a gateway through which life is sustained. Among them is a realm of emptiness, where songs from the Songs of the Numinous Eightfold Radiance are chanted; their verses accord with the High Perfected (immortals of the highest rank).

Chapter One: The Eightfold Radiance Spirits Unite, the Sound of Flying Through Emptiness

Heaven has the Qi of the Three Origins, while the human body has three groups of vital gates and orifices, guarded by twenty-four perfected spirits.

The purple gate connects to the azure gate. Above are eight realms of radiance, four of them situated in the Mudball Palace (the spirit’s abode in the head). The other four lie in the throat, named Tingguang, Jixing, Youtuo, and Yuegeng. In the lungs dwell the spirit Xie Yongyong and the spirit Yu Chou Yin Shuyuan. Together, these four are called the Four Star Lords, and they guard the Mudball Palace within the person. They can drive away demons and prevent ghosts, monsters, and calamities from causing harm.

There are also four realms of radiance in the throat: the spirits Gege and Shishi, Binyuan and Zike, Lord Qingqi Boluo, and Taolan Weiqizi. These spirits are linked in succession and guard one another, preserving the hidden workings of transformation within the person, so that spirit and pure, harmonious Qi may unite and body and mind remain whole. In this way, one will not decay through countless kalpas, and will remain joyful and at peace for millions of years.

Chapter Two: The Eightfold Radiance Spirits Unite, the Chapter of the Perfected King

In the lofty celestial realm, immortals ride jade chariots adorned with carvings and drive splendid flying dragons, feasting and roaming in the Palace of the Three Origins. Numinous sunlight shines brilliantly.

The middle part of the human body contains eight realms of radiance that guard the vital gates. Those who can visualize and keep watch over these spirits may ascend Mount Jade Capital. Four realms of radiance reside in the heart: Huangyin and Jingfei unite; Xuxu and Zhuzhu are joined; Shinan and Menghui; and Wangli and Luqu. These spirits guard the gateway to long life.

The spirit Yanghua restrains the soul and secures the ford of profound subtlety (the body’s refined fluids and workings of Qi). Four realms of radiance also reside in the gallbladder: the spirit Xuxuzi Zhang, Zhenxiong Fengxianzi, Lord Xiaodu Yujiang, and Canhui Yaofanglai. They harmonize with golden cups and jade goblets, protect the Heavenly De, and banish calamities from the world forever.

When the Eightfold Radiance spirits unite as one, they ride the Six Qi through the skies and bestow on a person the Book of the Director of Life. In this way, one may endure for millions of years, free from sorrow.

Chapter Three: The Eightfold Radiance Spirits Unite, the Song of the Perfected King

Solar chariots and cloud banners, pendants and earrings of fine jade: they sit at ease in the Golden Gate, the celestial palace.

With a gesture or a step, they can see Fusang, the legendary eastern place where the sun rises. Twenty-four perfected immortals stand alongside the Immortal Kings, flying through the lofty heavens and descending to splendid celestial palaces. Below, the Eight Inner Visions each have their own divine name. Their power is mighty: they bring forth all things and govern the movements of the Dipper.

There are four vision deities within the kidneys, named the Great Spirit of Mysterious Truth. Their forms are shaggy, and their presence imposing. Purple Return assists Mysterious Truth; the Moon Maiden descends from the clouds. Together they are called the Perfected Ones of the Four Visions. They protect your body and nurture your infant-like Original Spirit, so that life may endure without decline. The bladder, too, contains four vision deities, named Lord Shuo, Tian Meng, Tingting Illusory Light, Zhi Immortal Shenfeng, Xiong Yuan Ciyang, and others. These divine beings communicate through cloud Qi, keeping the pure inner organs free from defilement.

They can destroy ghosts, demons, and malevolent forces. The three regions of the Eight Visions together comprise twenty-four child deities, dressed in embroidered robes and brocade garments. They dwell within your divine palaces, united with one another as a single whole. By day, they can soar into the high heavens. Try chanting this song in praise of the immortal perfected beings: the path to attaining the Dao is profound and hidden, beyond the reach of ordinary people. If you can understand and practice it, you can ride a splendid dragon into the sky.

This is a song sung by the True King who dwells above the Three Realms and flies through the heavens; every line accords with the Cavern Scripture. Recite it one hundred times, and your name will be entered on the roster of the Southern Palace of Deliverance. Recite it one thousand times, and the True King will protect and welcome you. Recite it ten thousand times, and your Dao practice will be complete: you can ascend into the vast heavens, pass beyond the Three Realms, and take your place among the immortals.

If someone hears this wondrous, numinous sound, the True King will honor their body and command the earth deities to escort and protect them. They will be freed from the gates of the underworld and from the Five Sufferings and Eight Hardships; their ancestors through seven generations will also be elevated and will forever leave the realm of ghost officials. Their souls will pass through Zhuling, where departed spirits are refined and purified, and be able to receive life anew. This is called boundless universal deliverance, a salvation without end. This scripture is a text secretly transmitted by Heaven and revered by all the heavens. Whoever reveals it or treats it lightly will fall into hell, bringing calamity upon their ancestors through seven generations.

The Dao says: These two chapters are secret sounds treasured by the Heavenly Emperors of the various heavens and the Divine Kings of the Eight Effulgences, the celestial beings of the heavens as described in Daoism. Reciting them brings all the gods into harmony, and the divine beings of the Eight Effulgences rejoice together. Those who can hold fast to their Original Spirit attain their true body and grow wings. These are words of the Great Brahma, sacred utterances believed in Daoism to come from the highest heavens, not ordinary expressions of the human world. Their rhythms and melodies, too, differ from those of worldly writing. These scriptures are therefore mysterious and profound, impossible to investigate fully: they are classics treasured by Heaven.

The scriptures are kept in the scripture chamber of the Jade Palace of Jade Clarity in the High Divine Empyrean, and in the Jade Hall of the Eastern Florescence. The Dao Lord descends to the human world to govern and teach, allowing the scriptures to circulate. Those who have attained the Dao may receive these scriptures only after bringing gold and precious treasures, demonstrating sincere intent, and swearing an oath of alliance with the Divine Empyrean in accordance with ancient rites.

The Dao says: The workings of Heaven and Earth have their end; the Sun, Moon, and five planets wax and wane. Even the most holy divine beings have times of adversity and ease, of rest and activity. How much more readily, then, may those whose study of the Dao is still shallow and whose cultivation is insufficient encounter illness and injury. Whenever such calamities occur, fellow practitioners should fast together, offer incense at the six prescribed times, and recite the scriptures ten times. In this way, blessings and merit will descend and dispel every kind of ill omen. These boundless scriptures can save all living beings.

The Dao says: When those whose study of the Dao is still shallow and whose rank among the immortals remains incomplete approach the end of their allotted life, and their bodies pass through Great Yin, the underworld or realm of the dead in Daoist belief, fellow practitioners who have attained the Dao should offer incense and recite the scriptures ten times for them, performing the rites to deliver their bodies. Then the divine beings of the Eight Effulgences will descend together, and the true spirit will unite with the body. Spirit and Qi will move within it, now gathering, now dispersing, until spirit and body communicate. What has withered will be renewed; what has fallen will be restored. The soul and spirit will rise directly to the Southern Palace in the heavens. The period of their rebirth will be determined according to the merits of their cultivation, so that they may be born again and pass into a new life without confusion, ultimately becoming immortals.

The Dao says: When the workings of Heaven and Earth are nearing their end and the stars have fallen out of order; when the Sun and Moon are dim, the seasons disrupted, and Yin-Yang out of balance, calamities will befall the realm, pestilence will spread, and the people will suffer death and injury. Even when teachers and friends have reached the end of their lives, their fellow practitioners should perform purification rites, offer incense, and recite the scriptures for them. The merit of fasting and recitation is immense: above, it can dispel heavenly calamities and protect and support the emperor; below, it can avert deadly harm and save the people. The living and the dead alike may receive its grace. This merit is beyond measure, which is why it is called “boundless salvation for Heaven and humankind.”

The Dao Lord says: Whoever chants and recites this scripture for Heaven and Earth, the emperors, and the common people, and, when calamity strikes, resolves to observe the fast, burn incense, and recite the scripture ten times, will have their name recorded by all the heavens and be protected by the gods. Such a person can gradually cultivate into a Perfected One and may hope to become a minister in the Golden Palace of the Sage Sovereign. The heavens record people’s merits and faults, omitting nothing, however slight; the True Kings of Heaven will also recommend and protect you. Only those who have attained the Dao can truly understand these profound principles.

The Boundless Sounds of Brahma’s Hidden Words in the Heavens, written by the Dao Lord.

The Inner Chapter of the Eight Radiances, Where the Divine Powers of the Primordial Beginning’s Numinous Writings Unite

What follows are the hidden words of the eight heavens in each of the east, south, west, and north. These phrases are sacred esoteric words in Daoist scriptures, used mainly to express the names or sounds of the celestial realm. They are preserved as they appear in the scripture; their specific meanings should not be inferred from the characters alone.

The Eight Heavens of the East

恥明規般　　蔣籍濤外　　變維宏珂

厯展攸最　　彰谿濱叉　　儀渤窈粹

靈敞懷堂　　保嘉瑶位　　卓評靜魔

墀騫扶頗　　緣演定足　　優杜頻羅

邈川洪嗣　　幽涂亟魔　　謁關領仙

格降越和

The Eight Heavens of the South

緣祈𠷣南　　迕梢穹貝　　丁河宰池

邅翾离銳　　甲靈梵除　　淸宣綱沛

彭都牢難　　約箕亨會　　處昌倫房

九俞蘭穟　　智澄雲瑤　　力濟奧類

耿參𤣤地　　運魂巢燔　　孽吠顓騰

揚旗東轅

The Eight Heavens of the West

武堅迎邦　　捐暉隗方　　寗緒岨芷

𡨚淸紀皇　　持屭曜陁　　伊那妙光

鈕乾祕賓　　寗孤極良　　障彬越都

秦鈞覩剛　　翳眇熾掇　　奚枚魯航

祝陁桓鈞　　洙機翹倫　　亮古忠悌

允鄙戚羣

The Eight Heavens of the North

賁融技傍　　珏傞温類　　延搜毗芒

淵嚴詹音　　寂相據育　　還微聊源

通隅蕭頂　　權著靈隨　　蠢孳羅合

The Jade Spirit Soars in a Chart; Huaying Assists the Mound; Straightaway Reaches Qiu Wu; Briefly Still at the Border, It Settles; Clear Chimes Come into the Void; Tranquil and Pure, It Bends over the Waterside; Ochre Rock Examines the Talisman.

These are hidden phrases and syllables in the scripture; the original text provides no explicit explanation of them.

The scripture says: These Great Brahma hidden phrases of the celestial realms comprise sounds without limit. The old text was engraved in a chamber on the northern ridge of Long Mountain to harmonize and rectify the Three Origins—the Daoist terms for Heaven, Earth, and humanity, or the upper, middle, and lower realms. This is the central teaching of scriptures in the Dongzhen Cavern. High immortals and perfected beings all keep these words in mind, recite them, and wear them, thereby communing with the divine, perfected Qi of the Eight Effulgences.

When these scriptures spread through the heavens and the human world, immortal officials present jade discs, Jade Maidens perform purification rites and burn incense, and the assembled spirits play music in attendance. No calamity can encroach upon them. Each character is one zhang tall. The Celestial Perfected Sovereign once wrote these words and established them as the correct sounds. If someone understands their sounds and meanings, observes purification, and recites them, the heavens will send flying immortals, Jade Youths, and the Great Gods of the Eight Effulgences to descend and observe that person. They will report his diligent cultivation and accumulated merits to the heavens. The myriad gods will come to pay homage, the earth spirits will keep watch by the gate, and the Great Merit True King will recommend him for immortality.

If one perfects the Way of the Eight Effulgences, one can travel throughout the Three Realms and ascend to the Golden Gate. These sounds can everywhere drive out evil, avert calamity, deliver beings, and bring them to fulfillment; they are the sounds of the natural, Celestial Perfected. Reciting them can therefore bring flying immortals down to observe, summon the gods of the Eight Effulgences from afar, and draw the myriad gods to pay homage, while the spirits of the Three Realms attend on every side. All manner of evil beings bow their heads and withdraw; ghosts, demons, and spirits vanish of their own accord. The sound of the scripture resounds, and the ten directions become solemn and pure. Rivers and seas grow still, mountains draw in their mists, myriad spirits are awestruck, and groups of immortals gather. In Heaven there is no turbid Qi; on Earth there is no dust of demons and evil. The dark and the wise alike return to a realm of lucid vastness, subtle and profound.

Section on the Seven Stars’ Expulsion of Demons

The scripture says: Long ago, in the Great Kui Luo of the Northern Clear and Mysterious Spirit Heaven, in the wondrous jeweled land of sublime precious blossoms, I received the inner title of the Primordial Beginning’s measureless, supreme, sublime, and wondrous Spirit Heaven: Great Void, Supreme, Ever-Accommodating Heaven. Its Heavenly Emperor was named General Supervisor of Ghosts and Spirits, and he dwelt in his own palace. Reflecting on the conditions that give rise to the Dao, he said: “By cultivating blessings, I attained the position of Heavenly Emperor and dwell in the realm that does not shift. The various heavenly worlds under my jurisdiction in the north are joined into a single domain. The celestial realms in the ten directions, and all the mighty ghosts and spirits and lands beneath Heaven, belong to my retinue. Because my store of blessings is complete, I possess spiritual powers that extend everywhere. I can restrain the demonic kind and make them take refuge in the Three Pure Ones, observing the Jade Statutes and Golden Regulations established by the Most High. My authority extends throughout the realm of ghosts and spirits. Yet now, the Primordial Beginning Emperor…” (The original text ends here.)

I should descend to this heaven to proclaim for its celestial beings and for living creatures in the ten directions the immeasurable, supreme teaching that saves and liberates. I am now in the world of Ultimate Reality, where I have heard the wondrous principles of the teaching; I am truly joyful and at ease. May I travel together with the sages of heaven, the perfected immortals, and the men and women serving in their various offices, and journey far to Jade Capital, the celestial metropolis.

We respectfully ask the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning to descend to this heaven and teach the assembly. The Celestial Worthy instructs his incense attendant, the Golden Boy Du Wenyu, to deliver the message. The Jade Maiden Feng Daoqian opens the storehouse of the nine-colored Rui Jade and brings forth the precious incense of the Three Heavens, where perfected beings descend. They kindle the fire of Cinnabar Heaven, while the Jade Courier Dragon carries the incense burner. The perfected beings perform the rites of the incense spirits, raise jeweled banners, and lay out rare flowers and precious objects as offerings. Hundreds of thousands of people journey together to the Xiao Terrace and Golden Gate of Jade Capital, bow before the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning, and repeatedly state their request. They look up to the Celestial Worthy’s compassion, asking him not to go against their sincere wish, but to descend among the heavenly beings and expound the Daoist teachings, saving all living creatures and opening their clear, numinous, and still minds: inwardly, enabling them to perceive the hidden principles; outwardly, enabling them to subdue demonic disturbances.

The assembly bows again, kneels, and waits for the Celestial Worthy to give his teaching. The Celestial Worthy says, “I originally had no form. I take the Dao as my substance and dwell in Jade Capital. When dispersed, I can appear in five forms and transform into countless divine bodies. Now I manifest here to proclaim the essentials of the teaching to the immeasurable living creatures in the boundless worlds of the ten directions, each in its own way, so that they may understand the truth of Ultimate Reality and be shown the path to the wondrous realm of quietude and purity.

“The heaven where you dwell extends upward to the formless heavens and downward to Kunlun Mountain; it reaches as far as the Northern Terrace, the Hidden Peaks, and the Ghostly Capital. No place lies beyond its jurisdiction. The domain governed by the Northern Pure Mysterious Spirit extends downward to Fengluo; near the seacoast, it also connects secretly and interweaves with the human world. The beings of the human world live crowded together amid stench and filth, and it is truly difficult for them to find a place of safety. Wandering spirits of the Six Heavens and ghosts and spirits from the eight directions kill and devour living creatures, causing many people to die before their allotted years, struck down by untimely death and injury. When the appointed years and fates of the Three Primes and one’s natal destiny converge, sinister ghost officials also conspire with underworld officials, recklessly bringing about calamities and dangers…”

The world is filled with punishments and harms, so the cries calling back the souls of the dying and the wails of those hurtling toward death never cease. Having witnessed such calamity, and seeing living beings bound by illness and affliction, I now wish to descend to that heaven and proclaim the teaching that delivers people from suffering. You (addressing the Celestial Emperor) were born of the innate endowment that arose upright from the Void (Kongdong, in Daoism the primordial state in which chaos is not yet divided, empty and profoundly deep), and you occupy this honored seat in the heavenly realm, yet you have not understood the supreme Dao (the Way) or its subtle, great method. I came to be what I am today through the Emperor of Wondrous Non-Being (a revered deity said in Daoism to have been born of primordial Qi), who gave birth to the Three Qi (Qi, vital energy; the three primal energies Xuan, Yuan, and Shi) and the Lords of the Three Treasures (the three supreme deities of Daoism). They established chaos, set apart the myriad heavens, and caused the palaces of the Celestial Emperor to stand in ordered rows, while hundreds of millions of Perfected Ones flew and gathered among the clouds, and thirty-six thousand suns and moons shone together.

I descended and transformed into the Great Chaos of the Jade Purity, dwelling beneath the canopy of the Purple Jade Precious Tower, within the Purple Tenuity Enclosure (the region of the sky where the emperor star resides), and I am called the Great Emperor of the Northern Pole. He wears a robe with dragon patterns and dark garments, hangs silk cords from his waist, and wears a tall crown. Twelve primary officers stand at his left and right, the Thunder Duke and the Thunderbolt deities stand beside him, thirty-six celestial generals guard him from behind, and the Five Marshals and the deities of the Four Virtues lead the way before him. At the beginning of the Chiming era (a kalpa name, one of the Daoist cosmic ages), when the chart of destiny was first opened, he was the divine lord of Shangqing (Supreme Purity). After the Kaihuang era (another cosmic age), he became the Great Emperor of the Northern Yin, who pacified the world and, his work accomplished, took his place in the Court of Purple Culmination at the center of the heavens. The beings of the ten directions look to him, yet he remains unmoved, and so he is called the "Chen Pivot" (the axis around which all the stars revolve).

Yet everything that has form moves; only what is formless remains still. The Pole Star lies a little over three degrees from the other stars, and the empty space between them is precisely where the true form of the Supreme Emperor of the North Star resides. The bright, shimmering place that people see, where the five stars shine upon one another, is in fact only the emperor's throne. One can see only the seat, so how could one lightly hope to behold the sovereign himself? This Great Emperor of the Northern Pole presides over all the constellations, ghosts, and spirits of the Three Realms, and the myriad gods and thousand numinous beings all bow their heads to receive his commands. The spirits of the Five Peaks, the Four Rivers (the ancient collective name for the Yangtze, Yellow, Huai, and Ji rivers), and the mountains and streams all prostrate themselves twice and wait, begging him to send down rain, end drought, raise winds, and make rain fall. The Northern Pole is my fifth transformation, holding the orthodox lineage of the Imperial Ultimate, taking the Jade Emperor as his ancestor and establishing the original root of the Great Void.

Within the Nine Palaces (the Daoist system of nine directional halls corresponding to positions of the stars in heaven), he is called Central Yellow Supreme Unity. He wears a purple brocade robe and carries at his waist twelve bells of flowing gold and fire. His appearance is that of an infant; he grasps the Seven Primes (the seven stars of the Northern Dipper) in his hands and exhales green Qi from his mouth. Now he dwells at the center of heaven, sheltered beneath the canopy, riding the Dipper chariot with his feet upon the Three Terraces (stars symbolizing the positions of the Three Ministers), seated in the Hall of Light opposite the star Arcturus. The seven attendants in purple embroidered robes at his left and right are the spirits of the seven stars of the Northern Dipper. You should go there and invite him to descend to the center of heaven, to expound the essentials of the Dharma and to instruct and deliver both heaven and the human world. When the Celestial Emperor had heard these words, he straightened his crown, took up his jade tablet, bowed once more, and said: "Your servant will go at once to respectfully invite the Sovereign of the Northern Pole to descend here."

The gods in the celestial palaces wished to hear this great teaching. So they took leave of the assembled heavenly beings, paid homage to the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning, and made their way to the Jade Palace of Flowery Radiance in the Central Yellow Violet Court. The True Officials led the way, with the Law-Enforcing Spirits following behind. They went directly before the Great Emperor of the North Pole, presented their request, and bowed in homage. They pleaded earnestly, so overcome with sorrow that tears and mucus streamed down together.

The Lord Emperor of the North Pole, dressed in a robe embroidered with dark dragons, issued a decree: “I have already reported this to the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning. Since this supreme teaching is to be proclaimed, your request should be granted.”

Then the Heavenly Emperor cast down his radiance, gazing upon the Hall of the Three Qi’s Precious Illumination in the jeweled palace within the Heaven of Supreme Vastness and Constant Abode, the Northern Clear Dark Spirit Heaven. The Lord Emperor was about to ascend the teaching seat and expound this scripture. First he circled it ten times, summoning the gods of the ten directions. Then the Great Gods of the Five Heavens, the True Lords of the Seven Origins, the High Sages and Exalted Worthies, the Perfected Ones of the Great Void, and countless other gods came riding through the air. Colored clouds spread across the sky, and the light of clouds shone in every direction. Jade terraces, phoenix carriages, feathered banners, golden standards, and treasures of every kind gathered there, filling the Great Void with their radiance.

For seven days and seven nights, the gods and Perfected Ones of the heavens, the sun and moon’s flying immortals, the Perfected Ones of the stars, and the divine generals among the clouds all halted their journeys. The fierce winds rang out with a clear, pure sound, and light flowed between heaven and earth. Seen from afar, the mountains, rivers, and forests all took on the color of jade. The earth became blue-green crystal, soft and bright, warm and lustrous. The gods stood in attendance beside the teaching seat. The Lord Emperor of the North Pole first bowed reverently toward the Jade Capital, the immortal realm where the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning resides. Then he ascended the teaching seat on the five-colored Dragon Terrace of Dark Emptiness and Floating Light, and began his exposition.

When he had recited the scripture once, the Great Sages of the heavens praised him in unison. At that moment, men and women throughout the whole kingdom heard the Lord Emperor of the North Pole proclaim its wondrous meaning: this scripture is the supreme essential teaching for saving beings without measure and using the power of the Seven Stars to dispel demons and evil forces.

At the second recitation, the Seven Stars shone brightly, and wondrous talismans appeared in the air. At the third, a great axe split open the Heavenly Mountain, and its rocks shattered. At the fourth, heaven and earth joined in harmony, and the waters of the four seas ran clear. At the fifth, immortal music filled the sky, while a wondrous, spiritual fragrance drifted far away. At the sixth, rainbows stretched in every direction, spanning the sky like bridges. At the seventh, the Seven Perfected Ones descended to observe, and demons and monsters trembled with fear. At the eighth, the Ghost Emperor fled in terror, and the many demons were subdued. At the ninth, sweet dew fell from heaven, and treasures like pearls drifted down in profusion. At the tenth, spirits and ghosts understood the Great Dao, and beings in the underworld were also able to ascend to immortality.

At that time, men and women throughout the kingdom all opened their hearts and accepted the teaching. They received protection and salvation, and attained long life.

The Daoist scripture says: At this time, the Sovereign Lord of the North Pole, a revered deity of the northern heavens, proclaimed the scripture once. The Great Deity Who Expels Calamities of the Seven Stars of the Celestial Dipper of Heaven, of the immeasurable and boundless rank in the east, then descended from the sky with his countless attendants.

When the scripture had been proclaimed a second time, the Great Deity Who Expels Calamities of the Seven Stars of the Celestial Dipper of Humanity, of the immeasurable and boundless rank in the south, descended from the sky with his countless attendants. At the third proclamation, the Great Deity Who Expels Calamities of the Seven Stars of the Celestial Dipper of Earth, of the immeasurable and boundless rank in the west, arrived with his attendants. At the fourth, the Great Deity Who Expels Calamities of the Seven Stars of the Celestial Dipper of Yin, of the immeasurable and boundless rank in the north, arrived with his attendants. At the fifth, the Great Deity Who Expels Calamities of the Seven Stars of the Celestial Dipper of Ghosts, of the immeasurable and boundless rank in the northeast, arrived with his attendants. At the sixth, the Great Deity Who Expels Calamities of the Seven Stars of the Celestial Dipper of Yang, of the immeasurable and boundless rank in the southeast, arrived with his attendants. At the seventh, the Great Deity Who Expels Calamities of the Seven Stars of the Celestial Dipper of Evasion, of the immeasurable and boundless rank in the southwest, arrived with his attendants. At the eighth, the Great Deity Who Expels Calamities of the Seven Stars of the Celestial Dipper of Ascent, of the immeasurable and boundless rank in the northwest, arrived with his attendants. At the ninth, the Great Deity Who Expels Calamities of the Seven Stars of the Celestial Dipper of Flight, of the immeasurable and boundless rank above, arrived with his attendants. At the tenth, the Great Deity Who Expels Calamities of the Seven Stars of the Celestial Dipper of Descent, of the immeasurable and boundless rank below, arrived with his attendants.

When the ten proclamations were complete, the Great Deities of the boundless heavens in the ten directions, who subdue demons and evil forces and sweep away spirits of calamity, arrived together. Men and women throughout the kingdom turned their hearts toward them in reverence. Each person who came made a vow: May the false and insincere thoughts accumulated over countless past lives be removed, and may impure, confused thoughts no longer fill the heart. May the Three Corpses—the spirits said in Daoism to dwell in the human body and lead people toward wrongdoing—cease their wandering; may the Seven Po—the souls said to constitute human mental activity—no longer harm and disturb one another through jealousy. May evil forces connected with ghostly Qi and all manner of demons and malevolent spirits be driven away, so that illnesses and misfortunes may be healed and people may come to understand the Great Dao.

Even in the human realm or the heavens, one may still be caught in the cycle of birth and death. Even those who have cultivated and attained various ranks, and temporarily ascended the ranks of the perfected, may have demonic and evil Qi invade their hearts and be tested and beguiled by wicked spirits. A single stirring of thought gives rise to worldly concerns; external influences then pull at them from the side. In this way, countless causes and conditions are created, giving rise to hundreds and thousands of kinds of karma. Now they hear the Great Emperor of the North Pole proclaim the Seven Stars Scripture for Expelling Calamities, Dispelling Evil, and Protecting…

Through the methods of the Orthodox Way, one can part the mists, open the eye of wisdom, set out on a wondrous and tranquil path, and move toward the realm of the High Perfected. With hearts of humility and reverence, the assembled bowed before the countless holy beings, then stood quietly to listen.

At that moment, the Lord of the Northern Pole gazed up at the celestial signs and down at the earth, surveying all things. Filled with vast compassion, he opened the wisdom of the Numinous Treasure and addressed the assembly:

Before the Heavenly Worthy of Primordial Beginning appeared, Heaven and Earth passed through immeasurable ages of cosmic calamity. All was chaos, without a trace of anything. Only after chaos divided did the seven apertures between Heaven and Earth appear—that is, the celestial bodies such as the sun, moon, and stars. The larger ones became the sun and moon, and the smaller ones became the stars. The sun, moon, and five planets together are called the “Seven Origins,” and correspond to the Northern Dipper.

The Northern Dipper has twelve stars. Five remain concealed from view and are called the “Hidden Luminaries.” Within the Dipper’s bowl are also Tianyi, Taiyi, and the twenty-four Jade Emperors, whose radiance likewise remains unseen. Only the Seven Luminaries shine clearly, illuminating the four directions.

The vital energies of the Northern Dipper’s seven stars correspond in the human body to its seven apertures. From them come sight, hearing, speech, smell, and perception. The vital energies of the Assistant and Aide stars descend separately into the two eyes, becoming the pupils. The spirits of the seven stars also include such beings as the Yin Po and Yang Hun. The spirits in the Dipper charged with eliminating demons include the Five Marshals, the Four Virtues, seven thousand divine generals, and the gods Tiangang, Kui of the River, Great Slaughter, Great Horn, Huoluo, Standing Dipper, Black Robe, Dark Mystery, and Seven Slaughters. They can destroy calamities and drive out demons.

If practitioners can devote themselves to purification and fasting—that is, cleanse body and mind and observe the precepts—wear Fulu (talismans and registers), and sincerely present petitions and prayers, the great gods of the Northern Dipper’s seven stars will descend to help them dispel demons and calamities. If practitioners seek the essential meaning of the Daoist methods and diligently aspire to the Way of Highest Clarity, the spirits of the seven stars will guide them onto the Orthodox Way, enabling them to ascend to immortality and deliver and transform seven generations of ancestors, returning them to their natural state.

The mysteries of the vital energies of the seven stars, the sun, moon, and stars, the Five Dippers, the Nine Palaces, and the Bagua (Eight Trigrams) are all contained here. In the heart of the sage, the spirits of the seven stars descend into the inner chamber of the Flowery Hall. The “seven chambers within a square inch” refer to the subtle and hidden realm within the heart. These methods are transmitted in secret and must not be disclosed indiscriminately. They are to be transmitted only after one has attained the realm of the Highest Perfected.

The Lord of the Northern Pole then finished expounding the scripture at that assembly. The Perfected Ones oversaw and conducted the transmission, passing the teachings of the scripture to me. The joy I felt then was beyond words. When the rites had largely concluded, the spirits of the heavens each returned to their proper places. In an instant, all around grew still, and no sound remained.

At that time, the immortals and ordinary people who encountered the scripture were all saved. They were able to complete their natural lifespans without suffering harm. The seven stars of the Northern Dipper sent down their radiance, and within the light their true forms appeared: within the body, a Mysterious Elixir arose—the subtle elixir Qi produced through inner cultivation—while outside the body, demonic Qi could be dispelled.

By taking refuge in and following the teachings, and practicing in accordance with them, one can remove demonic obstacles, illusions, falsehoods, distracting thoughts, craving, attachment, prejudice, greed, and doubt. One speaks no wicked or false words, and every sound one makes accords with the laws of Heaven. All beings love one another; even people of different surnames become as close as family. The state is stable, the people are prosperous, and everyone lives in joy and peace. All under Heaven is at peace.

When the teachings were first transmitted, if someone in a country put the Dao first and believed in and revered it with utmost sincerity, they could be delivered from suffering and rise beyond the hardships of the ordinary world.

The scripture says: The scriptures spoken by the Emperor of the North Pole contain the secret names and hidden tones of the several emperors of the Seven-Star Heaven, as well as the undisclosed personal name of the Northern Emperor and the secret names of the hundred gods. None of these are words used in everyday life. Only the high sages and perfected beings who have attained the Dao, understand its mysterious principles, and probe its hidden depths can fully comprehend these passages.

After the scripture is recited ten times, the mighty spirits of the eight directions raise their troops and form their ranks. The divine generals of the Five Heavens hurl flames; demon kings put their armies in order; star officials race forth in their chariots. Thousands upon thousands of armored soldiers cut down evil spirits and burn away demonic forces. Flames light up the sky, golden axes flash, and demons are bound fast. The evil influences of ghosts, apparitions, and妖 spirits dissipate; the scripture can even turn corpses around, bring the dead back to life, and restore human form to bare bones.

When practitioners of the Dao recite the scripture ten times, the Seven Primordial Ones—the star spirits represented by the seven stars of the Northern Dipper—descend. The divine beings of the Three Realms also bow in reverence to the scripture. Demonic essences lose their power, and the malign forces of ghosts, monsters, and evil spirits are destroyed. Those on the verge of death may even be saved and brought back to life.

This is because when practitioners respectfully recite this Cavern Chapter, a scripture containing profound Daoist principles, the Dipper Primordial Ones spread Qi, destroying evil spirits and sweeping away ill omens and foul influences. The practitioner’s body and mind thereby connect with the Dao of the Cavern of Truth, enabling them to summon and subdue the gods of the ten directions. Their might is sufficient to restore order in Heaven; their De is sufficient to move and command the earth gods and bind demonic spirits. Yet the scripture also says that this can generally save someone who is about to die, but cannot revive someone who has already died.

If one recites this scripture carelessly, the reciter will instead suffer calamity. If one makes offerings to and honors the scripture, one’s household will prosper and flourish for generations, forming ties with good causes. No disaster will assail it, and the gods will guard its gates. This scripture is exalted and mysterious, without equal in Jade Capital, the celestial city of the Daoist heavens. It can deliver countless beings and is the root of the myriad Dao. Its vast standards and beneficence are beyond words.

The scripture also says: Whenever someone recites it ten times, the Heavenly Attendants of the Dipper Heaven, the Great Gods of the Seven Stars, and the envoys of the Heavenly Emperor all arrive together to drive out demons and evil spirits and put an end to ill omens on the reciter’s behalf. The departed souls of ancestors from every generation can also be delivered at once and ascend to the Vermilion Palace, a celestial abode. The scripture says that they will receive instruction there for nine years, then be reborn as people of noble rank. Reciting this scripture can also calm one’s inner spirits and make one’s Qi pure and clear. The meaning of the later phrase “wu chen gu ze” is incomplete and cannot yet be determined.

When the gate of the Mysterious Hall—the underworld palace spoken of in Daoism—opens, the soul can transcend and ascend, no longer bound by the dark realm below. Anyone who delights in studying and cultivating this scripture can become an immortal once their merits are complete, ascend to the Golden Palace, and feast and wander in Jade Capital, the Daoist immortal realm.

A practitioner of the Dao of the highest order who cultivates and recites this scripture will receive the visit of the Seven Perfected Lords in their chamber of cultivation. Once cultivation reaches the utmost subtlety, the practitioner can often travel back and forth through the void, make three circuits of the heavens, tread among the stars and the Celestial Net, breathe in cloud Qi and swallow saliva, and cause the soul to soar as one. Their transformations will be limitless; they will ascend to the Highest Clarity, live as long as Heaven, and receive deliverance at once, ascending to the Southern Palace.

If people in the world uphold and recite this scripture and respectfully serve the Northern Dipper—the Pole Star and the deity it represents—they can sit in peace and summon divine maidens, receiving protection as wind bears them onward and rain welcomes them.

Relying on the Biao star to the left and bowing to the Kui star on the right, the practitioner is assisted by the Six Ding divine generals. They capture demons and seek out corpse souls, helping people prolong their lives. In the end, the practitioner can attain the Way of Corpse Liberation: the soul temporarily leaves the body, avoids passing through hell, then restores the body and roams through the vast heavens.

This scripture is subtle and vast, able to save all beings without limit. All beings in Heaven and on Earth can thereby receive immeasurable blessings, and both the living and the dead benefit. Heaven holds this scripture precious, and it must not be passed on to worldly people. A person truly accomplished in the Dao must prepare gifts of gold and jewels and, with a sincere heart, swear an oath to Heaven before teaching it. If the scripture is carelessly divulged or treated with disrespect, calamity will extend to nine generations of ancestors, who will be made to serve ghost officials for a long time. The scripture is attended by the Five Emperors, twenty-four Jade Youths, and twenty-four Jade Maidens. They surround it to guard its text and protect the bodies of those who receive it.

A Daoist scripture says: If one observes an extended fast during the first month and recites this scripture, the Seven Star Lords will open the registers of the Northern Mystery, examining and distinguishing the sins of the dead. The Director of Destiny among the Northern Dipper will refine the light of the Seven Stars and guide the spirits of the underworld so that they may be delivered. The souls of those who died in a previous life can escape confinement and forced service in hell and ascend to the Southern Palace.

If one observes an extended fast during the seventh month and recites this scripture, the Qi of the Northern Dipper’s Kui Palace will turn into purple light and pour like threads into the practitioner’s Muddy Pellet, the upper Dantian in the head. The Seven Great Deities among the stars will support the practitioner, allowing the spirit to travel through the Dipper’s celestial gate and ultimately attain immortality. The practitioner’s name will be entered into the registers of the various heavens, the Yellow Registers, and the White Tablets; it will be removed from the register of the dead and transferred to the register of the living.

If one observes an extended fast during the tenth month and recites this scripture, the Heavenly Emperor deity within the Dipper will hold the Seven Stars and dispel calamities and misfortune for the practitioner. The Red Emperor and the deity Yellow Elder will help the practitioner refine and nourish the soul, granting it the protection of the Heavenly Palaces. The Seven Stars will protect the practitioner whether seated or lying down. The vital essence of the stars enters the brain, while True Fire refines the body. The Purple Lord in the Muddy Pellet, whose title is “Regulating Radiance,” sits within a golden bed and jade canopy, dressed in a purple embroidered silk skirt and wearing a fire bell at the waist. These deities can dispel calamity and misfortune, allowing blessings and good fortune to arrive of their own accord.

Through cultivation, a person may rise to the highest rank of a minister, or even become a king or emperor. Rulers and ministers, fathers and sons, can all live in harmony. The nation’s good fortune will also be protected and sustained for a long time, continuing through generation after generation, and the practitioner will always help the ruler stabilize the fortunes of the realm.

On the days the local people call the “Eight Festivals of Great Peace,” reciting this scripture causes the light and colors of the Seven Stars to spread continuously across the eight directions. In the nine palaces where the Northern Emperor (the ruler of the north) resides, each palace is assigned a star in sequence, including One White, Two Black, Greedy Wolf, and Great Gate. Their blazing light shines downward, taking the place of the ancestors of ghosts and blocking and quelling decline and calamity.

Reciting this scripture on the natal day of the Perfected Ones of the Nine Palaces brings the palaces of Zi, Wu, Chou, and Wei into positions of life. The Seven Stars turn back Yang energy, prolonging the lives of all beings and granting boundless blessings and longevity. The soul and spirit become clear and upright, and the many primordial energies endure for a long time. The body is freed from suffering and shines with light. Attendants and guardians protect you throughout the Three Realms; the Five Emperors send spirits to welcome you, and the myriad gods come to pay homage. Your name will be entered in the registers of Heaven. When your merit is complete, you will ascend to Shangqing, the Daoist celestial realm of Pure Subtlety.

Daoist scriptures say that on days when Daoist rites are performed, one should bathe with fragrant water, observe purification and abstinence, then enter a quiet chamber. Facing east, click the teeth thirty-two times to send one’s prayers up to the thirty-two heavens, then bow to the Heart of Heaven thirty-two times. Next, close the eyes and meditate quietly, sitting upright amid clouds of purple, blue, and crimson. Visualize dense, dark clouds within and around the body, the Seven Stars covering the crown of the head, and the true Qi of the Five Organs encircling the whole body. The spleen gives rise to yellow clouds that rise above the head. Visualize the face of the golden Celestial Worthy of the North Pole and ten million heavenly horses; Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, Black Tortoise, lions, and white cranes are arrayed on either side. The sun and moon shine, filling the chamber with light. A round radiance appears above the head, its brilliance illuminating the ten directions. Once this vision is clear, silently recite:

“Supreme Mysterious Origin, Most High Lord of the Dao, summon from within my body the Three and Five Meritorious Officers, the officers on my left and right, the attendant jade youths who tend incense, the jade maidens who convey messages, the Five Emperors’ tally officers, and the incense officials on duty today—thirty-two of each. Let them convey and report what I say today. Today is an auspicious day. In this pure fasting hall, I observe purification and cultivate this Scripture of Limitless Salvation. May my prayers reach the supreme throne of the Primordial Beginning, the Most High Sovereign of the Origin, in the unsurpassed thirty-two heavens.”

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

The Wondrous Supreme Scripture of Limitless Salvation by the Primordial Beginning

The opening of the Primordial Beginning Scripture of the Cavern Mystery and Numinous Treasure says: The Seven Stars can dispel demons and evil influences. The Celestial Net turns, and the Heavenly Gate of Deliverance opens and closes in its cycles according to the natural Dao. Heaven has three souls, while the two luminaries—the sun and moon—contain their essences. Heaven has seven souls, while the seven luminaries—the sun, moon, and five planets—spread their vital energies. The Canopy Star follows its winding course, and the energies of Three and Five ascend. Purple clouds form a pass, veiled in green mist. Within lies a golden city at the North Pole, encircled by nine layers of mountains, with peaks arranged in ranks…

The dark grasses trail slender, drooping leaves; the cave gate lies deep in shadow, while the clear, empty Qi reaches in all directions. The divine spirits wear crowns shaped like the Kui constellation, tread upon dark dragons, wave green clouds, and sound jade chimes and golden bells.

The Heavenly Generals have nine heads and four eyes. An old man wields a golden battle-axe, quelling and destroying demons, evil spirits, and calamities. The Jade Pivot Pearl, symbolizing the workings of the Heavenly Dao, sets all things in motion, though its own nature is empty and formless.

The True Dao follows its natural course, its radiance shining through the Nine Palaces. The Great God Who Establishes the Dipper unleashes the force of thunder; the Nine Ugly Ones, embodiments of evil, loom in shadow and mist, clad in the robes of the Dipper constellation. They ride the wind, spitting poison and breathing fire. The divine spirits protect the world without end. Terrified, the ghosts and demons flee and hide within the divine palace.

Luminous green Qi pours through and purifies all things, bringing the gods together as one. In the golden gates and jade halls of Heaven, a scarlet sacred mirror shines. Auspicious clouds stretch for ten thousand zhang, and radiance reaches in every direction, even through the netherworld. Among them are the Seven-Star Gods Who Destroy Demons; the Venerable Lord Tianyou of the Purple Pole; the true form of the Great Emperor of Jingxiao; and the Great Heavenly General Who Binds Dragons.

Among them are the Lord of the Dark Heaven, Black Kill, and the Four Virtues and Five Marshals; the True Lord Tianpeng, whose majesty transforms and whose radiance is dark; and the revered gods of the Seven Stars, who uphold the Great Origin’s true bond and cosmic order. These spirits can restore life to corpses and bring the dead back to the world of the living. With boundless power, they deliver all beings. Today, as the scripture is transcribed and entered into the celestial register, the honored gods of all the heavens have come before the throne.

The Eastern Boundless Star Talisman God King, through the immeasurable power of the Great Sage of Longevity, delivers beings without limit.

The Southern Boundless Star-Killing God King, through the immeasurable power of the Great Sage of Longevity, delivers beings without limit.

The Western Boundless Star-Qi God King, through the immeasurable power of the Great Sage of Longevity, delivers beings without limit.

The Northern Boundless Star-Terrace God King, through the immeasurable power of the Great Sage of Longevity, delivers beings without limit.

The Northeast Boundless Star-Treasury God King, through the immeasurable power of the Great Sage of Longevity, delivers beings without limit.

The Southeast Boundless Star-Messenger God King, through the immeasurable power of the Great Sage of Longevity, delivers beings without limit.

The Southwest Boundless Star-River God King, through the immeasurable power of the Great Sage of Longevity, delivers beings without limit.

The Northwest Boundless Star-Command God King, through the immeasurable power of the Great Sage of Longevity, delivers beings without limit.

The Upper Boundless Star-Might God King, through the immeasurable power of the Great Sage of Longevity, delivers beings without limit.

The Lower Boundless Star-Root God King, through the immeasurable power of the Great Sage of Longevity, delivers beings without limit.

The utmost perfected beings of the ten directions (the regions of the cosmos), the Divine Kings who dispel evil among the Seven Stars, and the immeasurable Great Gods who grant long life and deliver beings from the world all ride together in cloud chariots woven from the radiant light of the Seven Stars. The chariots bear carriages shining with eight colors of light, drawn by heavenly horses, with the warding steeds harnessed at either side. The Six Jia (protective divine generals in Daoism) prepare the teams, while the Heavenly Troops stand guard in their full might. They drift and soar among the cinnabar clouds, traversing the open sky like embryo-immortals—those who have attained the Dao through cultivation and taken on the form of perfected immortals.

They raise emerald ceremonial banners and hold spirit pennants that gleam with flowing light. Ahead, purple phoenixes cry out in unison; behind, dark beasts roar together. Lions and white cranes, too, call out in ringing, harmonious voices. The God Tianyi clears the way, while divine soldiers guard the chariot poles. Myriad chariots and thousands upon thousands of cavalry come through the air, radiating light. They turn their chariots around to inspect those who truly cultivate and deliver living beings.

The Chancellor of the Star Palace, the Great God Yuandou, who records names and registers in the Celestial Hero Directorate of the Upper Palace of the Nine Heavens, carries the lists and registers. Together they come before the Imperial Lord and act according to whom each is meant to deliver.

They rigorously examine the heavens and the Seven Primordial Perfected Lords in the Seven-Star Treasure Palace. The Seven Primordial Perfected Lords wear the moon and guide the sun; they are dressed in dragon-patterned headcloths and tiger-patterned skirts. The Azure-Tongued Tiger Guards (the Azure-Tongued divine beasts and Tiger Guard divine generals) and the Lord of the Northern Pole also hold red documents…

The source text ends mid-sentence at “red document of fire,” so the translation can go only this far.