《靈寶無量度人上品妙經》Vol. 40

Chapter on Abolishing Calamities in the Northern Capital (Chapter on Dispelling Disasters in the Northern Capital)

The Dao says: Long ago, the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning was in the Purple Origin Heaven. He came to the Great Mysterious Luminous Realm, where clouds drifted and songs floated through the air, and proclaimed the Supreme Scripture of Primordial Beginning for Delivering People and Abolishing Calamities in the Northern Capital, of Boundless Excellence. The Celestial Worthy recited this scripture ten times in succession, summoning the spirits of the ten directions to attend the assembly.

The Great Gods of Heavenly Truth, the High Sages and Exalted Worthies, the Perfected Ones of Wondrous Practice, the Great Emperor of the Northern Capital, the Perfected Ones of Mount Luofeng, the star lords of the seven northern lodges—Dipper, Ox, Girl, Emptiness, Rooftop, Encampment, and Wall—the Director of Destiny of the Northern Dipper, the officials and clerks who inspect affairs in the Northern Capital, the Great God of the Flying Cavalry and Standing Dipper of the Northern Capital, the Great God Mingling, leader of the black-armored officials of the Five Qi, the Nine Ugly Seizers and Slayers, and the Five Heavens’ Marshal Kings of Calamity Abolition, along with countless other divine hosts, all came riding through the air.

They rode in chariots of blue-pink clouds and purple jade, and in palanquins of dark jade and mountain clouds. Blue canopies covered the vehicles; mysterious jade light, dense as the color of the sea, illuminated all the sky. For seven days and seven nights, the layered wheels of the heavens hung motionless in the air, the stars ceased their courses, the drums of Dragon Mountain fell silent, and the Jade Pivot no longer turned. The divine winds and sounds of Heaven grew still; cloud shadows vanished from the mountains, Heaven’s virtue became clear and lofty, and the earth was quiet and pure. The land, rivers, mountains, and forests within the kingdom all became level and even, with no high or low places. The ground was transformed entirely into blue jade, uniform in color.

The Perfected Ones and gods attended beside the seat. The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning sat upright in midair, emitting six streams of pure light. Seated upon the jeweled throne of Jade Mountain amid the blended Qi of the Nine Palaces, he proclaimed the scripture. When he had recited it once, the great sages of all the heavens praised it together.

At that time, through the power of reciting Dao scriptures, the men and women of the kingdom suddenly opened their minds and understood the truth. Living beings in the world had long endured retribution for accumulated karma, and the resentments they had formed remained in Luofeng, the underworld of Daoist teaching. Without hearing this scripture, their calamities could not be dispelled.

When the scripture was recited a second time, people saw the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning radiating wisdom light that shone through the ten directions like the rising morning sun. Resentments in the Three Offices of the Northern Capital, the Six Caves above and below, and the Nine Hells were thereby resolved, and the five kinds of suffering came to an end.

At the third recitation, the Dharma sound was wondrous and pure, spreading through the ten directions. Those in Heaven heard it and attained realization, taking on the mark of non-leakage—a pure state in which nothing is lost or dissipated.

At the fourth recitation, ordinary beings forgot their resentments and venomous thoughts. Those who had secretly plotted to harm others turned instead into companions in the practice of the Dharma.

At the fifth recitation, suffering caused by calamities, the disasters of the Three Calamities, chronic illness, and corpse-infestation disease—believed to be caused by the intrusion of ghosts and malign spirits—were all dispelled at once. Everyone rejoiced as if granted life anew.

At the sixth recitation, the people nurtured by the Dao, who practiced the Way and received Daoist instruction, devoted themselves to learning the true Dao. They rested in stillness, returned to the Great Nonbeing, and through right mindfulness reached through empty space, their spirits turning toward the upper realm. The scripture continued… *

(Continued from the previous passage.) By the seventh recitation, peace would endure throughout the entire country. People would honor the Great Dao and cherish life. Free from selfishness and greed, they would not die young or suffer injury without cause. By the eighth recitation, the gods of the heavens would come to celebrate. Calamities would be dispelled, society would be harmonious, and people would practice with sincerity and come to understand the truth. By the ninth recitation, colorful clouds would descend from the sky and auspicious plants would appear on earth; the gods of the heavenly realm would come to listen. By the tenth recitation, the Great Emperor would travel from afar to attend and bear witness to the teaching. Heaven and humanity would praise it together, their voices resounding through the nine heavens. At that time, all the men and women in the country would sincerely turn to the Great Dao, receive its protection and deliverance, and attain long life.

The Daoist scripture says: At this time, each time the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning recited the scripture, countless assemblies of great gods from every direction would arrive from the air. At the first recitation, the great gods of the east would come; at the second, those of the south; at the third, those of the west; at the fourth, those of the north; at the fifth, those of the northeast; at the sixth, those of the southeast; at the seventh, those of the southwest; at the eighth, those of the northwest; at the ninth, those above; and at the tenth, those below. All these divine assemblies belonged to the “Great Gods of the Northern Capital Who Remove Calamities,” the deities in charge of dispelling disasters and misfortune.

When the ten recitations were complete, the countless Great Gods Who Remove Calamities from the ten directions would all arrive together. The men and women throughout the country would sincerely revere and turn to the Great Dao, and together understand the principle of Wuwei (acting in accord with the Dao and avoiding forced action). Only then would they understand…

These ignorant and unenlightened people commit all manner of evil in their hearts and repeatedly incur offenses. They abandon loyalty and filial conduct, harbor secret plots to harm others, and are greedy, cruel, and stubborn. They also commit sexual misconduct and murder, envy and injure the worthy, and violate the Dark Regulations, the Daoist precepts. Thus their souls return to the Northern Capital, the underworld in Daoist belief. After death, they are judged by the Three Offices, the divine authorities governing Heaven, Earth, and Water. They suffer for countless eons, without end.

Even if they later are reborn, they remain afflicted by calamities and illness for a long time, with scarcely a good deed to their name. They do not understand that their misfortunes arise from the accumulation of sinful actions. Unless they recite the true scriptures, pray to the Northern Capital, and perform a Jiao rite, a Daoist sacrificial prayer, to atone before the Seven Stars of the Dipper, their calamities cannot be dispelled.

Let everyone listen to the method for dispelling calamities and easing misfortune in the Northern Capital, as proclaimed by the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning. The beings who came to hear the teaching were as countless as fine rain and dense mist, too numerous to reckon. They crowded together so densely that it seemed half the realm might sink beneath them, and they could not be held back. Then the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning addressed the heavenly beings in the ten directions:

Within the Northern Capital of Luofeng, the underworld dwelling place of ghosts and spirits, stand the mountain city of the Six Caverns, where the Great Emperor resides, along with twelve lesser caverns, the Three Offices, nine prefectures, one hundred and twenty bureaus, and the great prisons: sixteen prisons, twenty-four prisons, thirty-six prisons, eighty-one prisons, and one hundred and twenty prisons. The Northern Capital’s Cold Pool lies far below, in the sea at Gui, in the northeast. There is Mount Luofeng, known as the Northern Capital. Because this place is governed by Celestial Worthies, Yin Perfected Ones, and Ghost Emperors, it is called Fengdu: “Feng” is the name of the city, “Luo” the name of the mountain, and “Capital” the place where the many ghosts gather.

Looking down from here, the distance is not great. The mountain rises three hundred and sixty thousand li, and its roots extend three hundred and sixty thousand li beneath the water. Its palaces and towers are so splendid they rival those of the heavens. Day and night, guilty souls are examined and cross-examined there; their cries of grief and anguish shake Heaven and Earth.

This great mountain rises as high as the Dipper and Ox mansions. The Qi of each of the seven stars of the Northern Dipper descends into the capital, so the Dipper’s Yin spirits govern and command the Northern Capital. Within it dwells the Great Emperor Xuanci, the divine lord of the Black Emperor. He is a thousand feet tall, wears a robe of dark dragons, and bears a round crown…

Just now, that immortal rode in a boundless chariot drawn by nine dragons. A chancellor and many officials accompanied him, along with countless billions of ghosts and spirits. These ghosts and spirits are in fact like human beings: they are born from wombs. From birth, they possess the ability to communicate with spirits and transform themselves, much like dragons, serpents, and venomous beasts. Though born from wombs or eggs, they can change their size, and their supernatural powers are beyond measure. The ghosts and spirits of the Northern Capital, the capital of the underworld, are the same.

Countless ghosts and spirits also come into the human world. They marry, enter official service, trade, and make their living—all just as people do. The Great Emperor secretly dispatches them to keep watch over the world. Living beings fail to observe the precepts, indulge their impulses, and recklessly commit evil deeds. Every act of disloyalty, lack of filial piety, injustice, or inhumanity is recorded and reported to the Northern Capital. Its spirit kings tally these records day by day, review them hour by hour, and then present them to the Great Emperor. Once the Emperor approves them, people’s lifespans may be thrown off course, and they may meet with danger and calamity. Every kind of sudden, violent death is brought upon oneself. People cycle through death and rebirth countless times, unable to escape.

Moved by compassion, I seek to save and protect all living beings. I therefore command the Northern Capital to remove calamities and disasters. The Northern Capital also has many great spirits. If living beings submit petitions, bow and pray, solemnly perform a Zhaijiao purification ritual, build an altar, present and offer sacred texts, and swear before Heaven to repent, their calamities will at once be dispelled, their bodies will be healthy, and their lives will be long.

These great spirits include the Spirit King of the Northern Capital and its Ghost Chancellor; the Left Director of Fate of the Northern Capital’s Yin Dipper, who governs life and is named Ge; the Right Director of Fate of the Yin Dipper, who governs death and is named Kai; the Northern Capital’s Left Director of Fate, who governs the records of guilt concerning life and death and is named Guansheng; the Right Director of Fate, who governs the various punishments for calamities and is named Qicheng; the Left Inspector, who reviews merits and faults and is named Yin; and the Right Judge, who hears legal cases and governs the registers and is named Guan.

These great spirits govern calamities and are especially capable of dispelling them. As long as you pray sincerely and submit a memorial, even grave accumulated offenses can be wiped away and absolved all at once. You should receive these teachings and put them into practice.

The assembly prostrated themselves, bowed twice, and paid their respects, carefully following the teachings.

The Lord of Primordial Beginning (Yuanshi Tianzun, one of the highest deities of Daoism) finished reciting the scripture. The assembled Perfected (zhenren) had already reviewed the principles for delivering all living beings, and they transmitted this scripture to me. At that moment my joy was beyond words, and the ritual was largely complete. The heavens each returned to their stations, and in an instant all was still, with no lingering echo. From then on, whenever this scripture and its teachings reached heaven or earth, all beings were universally delivered.

From that time on, the world was free of calamity. The people of the land turned wholeheartedly toward it, and everyone upheld the mind of goodness: they did not kill or harm, did not envy or resent, did not indulge in licentiousness, did not steal, did not crave or covet, did not hate, and did not speak falsely. Their words were plain and unadorned, and no evil words passed their lips. People treated one another as equals and lived together in compassion, so that even those of different origins could become kin. The state was secure, the common people were prosperous, and joy and peace prevailed. As this scripture began to spread and teach, the whole nation was thereby led in advance to the Dao. Anyone who sincerely believed in it and reverently worshipped it was able to transcend the mundane world and attain deliverance.

The words of this scripture are the hidden, inner resonance of the Great Emperor of the Northern Capital (a deity of the north in Daoism who governs life, death, and the registers of spirits), and the secret inner name of the King of the North. They are the names that the hundred spirits keep concealed, not ordinary words of the mortal world. Supreme Sages among the Perfected who have already achieved cultivation (highly accomplished Daoist immortals), who have mastered the profound and fathomed the subtle, can fully comprehend its verses. When one recites this scripture ten times, the heavens respond from afar, the myriad Heavenly Emperors establish their rites, and in secret they dissolve the calamities and sufferings of others. Disasters naturally vanish, blessings follow in response, and auspicious signs appear of their own accord. The myriad demons are bound in their bodies, the vital essences of ghosts and specters are extinguished, dry bones can be restored to life, and white bones regain human form.

When practitioners who are studying the Dao recite this scripture ten times, the Northern Perfected respectfully listen, the officials of the netherworld kowtow and receive their orders, demonic essences lose their supernatural powers, and the calamities caused by ghostly beings are cut off at their root. Even those on the brink of death can receive aid and regain their vitality. The reason this is possible is that the turbid qi within ordinary practitioners has not yet been fully expelled, their bodies are not yet fully penetrated, and their primordial vital power (zhenyuan) is not yet full. Their potency is therefore not yet sufficient to govern the ten directions, and their virtue is not yet adequate to administer the heavenly government. They can only subdue the earth spirits (dizhi), bind demonic spirits, and remove calamities, but they cannot restore the dead to life. If one recites this chapter carelessly, one will still suffer calamity oneself. But if one makes offerings to, honors, and reveres this scripture, the family will prosper and flourish for generations, the good causes and good conditions will be continued, myriad misfortunes will not intrude, and the divine spirits will bestow their protection.

This scripture is supremely venerable and supremely wondrous. In the Jade Capital (the celestial realm of the immortals) it is unique, and it can deliver countless beings. It is the fundamental essence of all the myriad Dao. Its loftiness and breadth, and the depth of its virtue, cannot be fully described.

The scripture says: Those who recite it ten times will have the Lord of the North, ruler of the northern underworld, sever the calamities and entanglements afflicting the hidden souls, suffering souls, and bright spirits—the different names for the souls—of their ancestors through countless generations. All will receive deliverance and ascend to the Vermilion Palace, the dwelling place of immortals. After nine years of transformation, they will be able to be reborn. If they become people of distinction and take delight in study and cultivation, then, once their practice and merit are complete, they can all become immortals, ascend to the Golden Palace, and feast and wander in the Jade Capital.

Those of the highest capacity who study and cultivate this scripture can be freed from calamities and entanglements, receive immediate deliverance, and ascend to the Southern Palace. When people in the world recite it, they can dispel misfortune and defiling influences and seal the gate of death. The Northern Capital, the underworld, will remove their calamities; Donghua, the divine office that oversees the registers of life and death, will record their names, and they will gain long life. In time, they may also attain the Way of Corpse Liberation: their soul and spirit briefly vanish, but without passing through hell they regain their bodily form and roam through the vast sky.

This scripture is incomparably subtle and can save all beings everywhere. All the gods of heaven and people of the world receive blessings and joy through it, and both the living and the dead benefit from its grace. Heaven treasures this scripture, so it must not be transmitted to worldly people. Those who have succeeded in cultivating the Way must offer gold and silver treasures to show their sincerity, and can transmit it only after swearing an oath before Heaven. If they reveal it carelessly or treat the scripture with disrespect, calamity will fall upon their ancestors through nine generations, as well as their parents and elders. The five imperial jade lads and twenty-four jade maidens who attend to the scripture on Northern Mountain will guard it and protect those who receive it.

The scripture also says: Keeping a strict fast and reciting it during the first lunar month can dispel calamities in the Northern Capital, free the souls of the dead from the underworld’s forced service and confinement, and deliver them to the Southern Palace. Keeping a strict fast and reciting it during the seventh lunar month can dispel calamities in the Northern Capital, raise one’s ancestors through seven generations to a higher realm, and enable oneself to become an immortal. The heavens will record one’s name on yellow registers and white slips, erase it from the register of the dead, and enter it in the register of the living.

Keeping a strict fast and reciting it during the tenth lunar month can dispel calamities in the Northern Capital and add years to one’s life. It can bring stability to kings, emperors, ministers, fathers, and sons, and ensure that the state remains secure and endures through the generations. Those who recite the scripture can often become rulers, bringing peace to the places they govern and earning the people’s praise for their peaceful rule. Reciting it on the day of the Eight Festivals—the important observances marking the four seasonal beginnings, the two equinoxes, and the two solstices—can dispel calamities in the Northern Capital and bring blessings to all things, while offering the hope of becoming a Perfected One of the Nine Palaces. Reciting it on one’s birth-cycle day can dispel calamities in the Northern Capital, remove the names of the dead from the registers, purify their souls and spirits, and preserve one’s own original Qi. One will suffer no more distress; the body will shine with light, the spirits of the Three Realms will stand guard, the Northern Emperor will send a god to welcome one, and the myriad gods will come to pay homage. One’s name will be entered in the heavenly registers, and when one’s merit is complete, one will ascend to Shangqing.

The scripture says: On the day of every Daoist Zhaijiao purification ritual, one should bathe in fragrant water and fast, then enter a room facing east. Click the teeth thirty-two times, directing the mind upward to the thirty-two heavens; perform thirty-two bows, close the eyes, and meditate quietly. Sit upright and still, visualizing oneself within the three colors of blue-green, yellow, and dark…

Amid the clouds, a dense, shadowed atmosphere fills both inside and out. The Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise—the divine beasts of the four directions—stand in formation on either side, together with lions and white cranes. The Great Deities of the Northern Capital stand solemnly arranged before the altar and descend to appear before the practitioner. Sun and moon shine brightly, illuminating the room. A circular radiance forms above the head, its light reaching in all ten directions, so that the scene is clearly visible. At this time, silently recite the secret invocation:

Supreme Lord of the Dao, Most High Lord of the Mysterious Origin, summon the Three-Five Merit Officers within my body—the divine clerks who transmit documents—the left and right official messengers, the jade boys who attend to the incense, the jade maidens who carry messages, the Five Emperors’ Talisman Envoys, and the incense officials on duty today, thirty-two of each. Have them convey the prayer I present today. On this auspicious day, I observe the fast and practice cultivation in the tranquil fasting hall, reciting the Scripture on Deliverance from Boundless Suffering. May my petition ascend to the heavenly court and reach directly the altar of the Most High Supreme Emperor Yuanshi, in the highest of the thirty-two heavens.

(When the recitation is complete.)

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

The Wondrous Scripture of the Supreme Beginning, Boundless Deliverance, Highest Grade

This chapter of the Numinous Treasure of the Mysterious Cavern, bestowed by the Supreme Beginning, is a highest-grade scripture for dispelling disasters and eliminating calamities in the Northern Capital. Through the Five Qi, the scripture delivers living beings; its profound cadence reaches the realm of Fengluo, the netherworld, in depths beyond comprehension. It arose spontaneously within the Primal Cavern and is the source of the Venerable Ancestors and the supreme True Dao.

The Supreme Beginning and the exalted Northern Emperor came into being together. The Northern Emperor governs the Seven Primordial Stars of the Yin Dipper, with Fengcheng and Luoshan under his jurisdiction. On lofty Luoshan, the nine offices are arranged in order and kept secure. Since the ancestral tribulation of Longhan, the Six Heavens of the Northern Capital, along with Qinghe and other places, have also been demarcated from here.

Within the Cinnabar Well, Cloud Gate, and Cavern Spring, great deities hang sashes and wear dragon scarves as they command and subdue demonic spirits. They judge good and evil, investigate offenses and impose penalties, rigorously record each crime, and enforce prohibitions according to the law. These rules are carried out, and nothing escapes their notice. Dark bronze encircles the steadfast netherworld; seas and mountains rise like the roots of the earth. The Great Ghost Ancestors of Supreme Mystery take bone and flesh as their bodies and share the Dao’s very substance. They can transform: dragons lie hidden, and winds race swiftly. They spy upon and steal the laws of the world, searching to the limit for the origins of evil karma. Evil karma passes from one generation to the next, bringing calamity and keeping living beings sunk for ages in the cycle of rebirth.

Within the Dao is a jade text that opens the way to pardon. The numinous and wondrous scripture cannot shine forth without its patterned text, cannot be made clear without it, cannot be established without it, and cannot be brought to completion without it. Without it, there can be no deliverance or generation. This is the celestial realm within the Great Brahma Heaven: Fengluo’s Northern Terrace and the Dark Capital of Black Mountain lie at the highest reaches, within the pure realm of lofty, upper Mysterious Luo, vast and remote, seeming both to exist and not to exist. The Three Blossoms of Lianbian and the Wondrous Court of Great Being lie lower down. Below them are the Northern Capital, the Three Offices of Luofeng, the demonic caverns and ghost camps, as well as the Fire Mountain and Cold Pool. To the left is purity; to the right, depths beyond measure.

The Sanskrit Qi of Great Radiance, the primordial Qi spoken of in Daoism, extends throughout the ten directions. Among the gods within it are the deity who dispels calamities in the Northern Capital; the numinous lord, the Black Emperor of the North Pole; the great deity Sima, director of the Nine Heavens’ prohibitions; the Lord of the Northern Yin, who governs the recording of births and the fixing of deaths; and the gods of the Northern Dipper who administer destinies and records. They govern the prolonging of life, the addition of years, the dispelling of disasters, the revival of bones, the raising of the dead, the removal of calamities, and the deliverance of living beings. Today, the gods of the heavens are reviewing and recording the registers of names, and have come before the hall.

In the east, the King of the Gods Who Fly Through Heaven Without Limit and Capture Souls; the Great Sage of Long Life, who delivers beings without measure.

In the south, the King of the Gods Who Fly Through Heaven Without Limit and Gather Qi; the Great Sage of Long Life, who delivers beings without measure.

In the west, the King of the Gods Who Fly Through Heaven Without Limit and Slay Demons; the Great Sage of Long Life, who delivers beings without measure.

In the north, the King of the Gods Who Fly Through Heaven Without Limit and Govern the Mountain of Netting; the Great Sage of Long Life, who delivers beings without measure.

In the northeast, the King of the Gods Who Fly Through Heaven Without Limit and Patrol the Void; the Great Sage of Long Life, who delivers beings without measure.

In the southeast, the King of the Gods Who Fly Through Heaven Without Limit and Fix Names; the Great Sage of Long Life, who delivers beings without measure.

In the southwest, the King of the Gods Who Fly Through Heaven Without Limit and Administer the Passes; the Great Sage of Long Life, who delivers beings without measure.

In the northwest, the King of the Gods Who Fly Through Heaven Without Limit and Supervise and Command; the Great Sage of Long Life, who delivers beings without measure.

Above, the King of the Gods Who Fly Through Heaven Without Limit and Review Memorials; the Great Sage of Long Life, who delivers beings without measure.

Below, the King of the Gods Who Fly Through Heaven Without Limit and Dispel Calamities; the Great Sage of Long Life, who delivers beings without measure.

The Perfected Ones of the ten directions, the King of the Gods Who Fly Through Heaven and Dispel Calamities in the Northern Capital, and the great gods who prolong life, deliver the world, and save beings without measure all arrive together. They ride azure dragons and colossal beasts, borne beneath canopies in flying carriages. Kui dragons serve as their chariot beasts, while divine tigers with dark horns guard them. They hold staffs for summoning the gods and raise brightly gleaming banners. Those in front chant the Nine Songs; those behind play the eight kinds of instruments, and all the music sounds together. Purple whales and dark birds, too, give forth melodious calls.

The Five Old Ones clear the way for them, while the assembled immortals escort their carriages. Myriads upon myriads of chariots, with thousands of troops and tens of thousands of horsemen, come from the sky. Divine light shines in all directions. They turn their carriages around to dispel calamities in the world and deliver living beings.

The Chancellor of the Northern Capital, the chief administrator of the Six Palaces of Fengcheng, and the great gods who manage the registers of names and dispel calamities hold their lists and ledgers. Together they come before the Thearch and carefully carry out the work of deliverance according to those who are to be saved.

Inspect and verify the Six Heavens, and issue proclamations to the boundless realms of divine spirits throughout the Three Realms, to the Office of Spring and the Palace of Quanqu, to the Northern Capital of Luofeng (the underworld in Daoist belief), and to the Three Offices, Nine Palaces, and sources of the Twelve Rivers: all calamities, misfortunes, and illnesses accumulated by ancestors, parents, and relatives of every generation are to be undone. The registers of sins are to be destroyed and the roots of evil eradicated. They must no longer be detained or forced to join the ranks of ghosts.

By the talismanic command of the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning, the souls of the dead are to be promoted at the appointed time. The departments of the Northern Capital must protect their bodies and souls, subdue demons, and recommend the departed so that they may be delivered and enter the Southern Palace to undergo refinement and deliverance. After their souls have undergone refinement and deliverance, the dead may become immortals and be transformed into perfected beings. The living, if they can receive deliverance, may transcend the endless cycles of calamity, no longer turning with them, and share the same lifespan as Heaven.

They will forever be delivered beyond the Three Paths of Evil (hell, hungry ghosts, and animals), the Five Sufferings (various forms of hardship), and the Eight Difficulties (conditions that obstruct spiritual practice). They will transcend the Three Realms and roam freely in the Highest Clarity. The Heaven of Highest Clarity is the colorless, hollow realm where the Heavenly Emperor resides, a place of pure Brahmic practice.

Eight Heavens of the East

Taiyuan Duluo Heaven — Emperor Di Xiangqi Xuan

Xuanzhi Yaocheng Heaven — Emperor Bi Qian Duwang

Yubao Chaoxiang Heaven — Emperor Yan Ganglong

Lunming Jiji Heaven — Emperor Yan Tumi Mei

Kaiwu Shunzhen Heaven — Emperor Ping Lei Pansheng

Yuming Chaoshi Heaven — Emperor Mian Du Qinduo

Yuanyang Genghua Heaven — Emperor Gan Xialuoyu

Daoguang Chuhua Heaven — Emperor Du Xia Yiduan

Eight Heavens of the South

Yaoli Xuanzhen Heaven — Emperor Zhu Jun Fanlai

Siji Guangjing Heaven — Emperor Huangdu Zhenshi

Dishu Yuanji Heaven — Emperor Lü You Fuxuan

Danyun Jiming Heaven — Emperor Hu Yan Fuzhang

Lizeng Yuanji Heaven — Emperor Chi Jiang Bigeng

Huanling Duanshen Heaven — Emperor Bu Zhi Xixin

Hunming Weiguang Heaven — Emperor Bin Jia Xiting

Daowei Chongxu Heaven — Emperor Jiang Lu Congqiao

Eight Heavens of the West

Jidu Gaoming Heaven — Emperor Bao Fu Qigui

Changhui Zichi Heaven — Emperor Lan Xu Jishi

The heaven of tranquil composure and serene wisdom: its Heavenly Emperor is named Zhaohu Yuming. The heaven of pure clouds and treasured lineage: its Heavenly Emperor is named Shilan Yujing. The heaven of universal illumination and deliverance of the earth: its Heavenly Emperor is named Moding Kun. The heaven of gathering immortals and refining their practice: its Heavenly Emperor is named Baizeng Yaochu. The heaven of pure spirits and upright measure: its Heavenly Emperor is named Daojun Yintao. The heaven of peaceful blessings and subtle workings: its Heavenly Emperor is named Hongyuan Cixu.

The Eight Heavens of the North:

The heaven where Dark Mound gathers the spirits: its Heavenly Emperor is named Xiluo Yifang. The heaven that transforms the dark and reaches the utmost truth: its Heavenly Emperor is named Like Mingju. The heaven that delivers spirits across vast ages: its Heavenly Emperor is named BotI Weiduo. The heaven of the flourishing lineage of living truth: its Heavenly Emperor is named Zhenduo Feiying. The heaven of settled light and floating realms: its Heavenly Emperor is named Woyao Bixu. The heaven of secret aid, deliverance, and protection: its Heavenly Emperor is named Shuxuan Qiuheng. The heaven of Yuli and flourishing life: its Heavenly Emperor is named Anyishebi. The heaven of the Nine Purities, flourishing Yang, and the transformation of the Dao: its Heavenly Emperor is named Yeyang Yunguang.

The hidden titles of the Thirty-Two Heavens and their thirty-two Heavenly Emperors, together with the hidden names of the various heavens, form the numinous writings of the naturally empty heavens—their wondrous scriptures. The hidden resonance of the Northern Capital is the sound of sacred transformation; its honored deity is the god who removes calamity. The true demons of the Northern Capital possess divine power to dispel disaster.

The boundless mysteries of Shangqing, revealed through the transformations of the Nine Sages and Ten Perfected, are too profound to describe in full. From them the gods and perfected spirits spread forth and appear, universally delivering the beings of heaven and humanity.

Today, all rejoice and celebrate as they receive deliverance. The Northern Capital’s power to dispel calamity reaches throughout the heavens. We ask it to destroy the Three Paths of suffering and sever the roots of the earth, so that people may ascend, pass beyond the Five Qi, and transcend the world to become spirits. The Northern Capital removes the seeds of calamity from the womb, cleansing them completely without a trace. It enables the corpse to undergo transformation and refinement into an immortal, whose name is entered among the Great Profound True Kings.

They inspect, preside over, and raise up the departed without obstruction: the Gate of Heaven, the Eastern Dipper Heaven, the Azure Heaven, the Western Dipper Heaven, the Prison Heaven, the Imperial Chariot of the Northern Dipper, the Heavenly Mechanism of the Southern Dipper, and the Yellow Canopy of the Central Dipper. The Five Dippers send down divine power. When the Ox and Maiden mansions meet, a talismanic decree is sent down to the Northern Capital to remove calamity and grant blessings. The Azure Emperor lengthens people’s lives; the White Emperor cuts down spirits and monsters; the Red Emperor burns demons and evils; and the Black Emperor and the Lord of the North establish palaces in the capital at Mount Luo. The countless millions of officials and people of Fengcheng all pay tribute and make offerings to them.

The Imperial Court, the court of the Celestial Emperor, oversees the eradication of human wrongdoing and the removal of calamities that entangle people. Its envoys patrol the underworld and the human realm. The Yellow Emperor presides at the center, protecting the state and bringing peace to the people. The myriad gods come to pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning.

The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning manifests as such gods as the Azure Heaven God King, Yaoluoshibo, the Red Heaven God King, Zhenshi, Qianshi, the White Heaven God King, Zhan Gui Poshang, the Black Heaven God King, Chenjing Jidian, the Yellow Heaven God King, and Daohai Juli. The Five Emperors and the gods and demons are the ancestors of the myriad gods. They inspect and command the Northern Capital, the northern underworld city, flying on patrol with drums and music in attendance. They command the ghost troops, carry banners, ceremonial regalia, and drum batons, and patrol the vast reaches of space.

The nine banners shine brilliantly. The Six Heavens, the six celestial regions in Daoist teaching, join in carrying out their work: dispelling calamities and saving people. The stern God King who governs Beifeng, the underworld dwelling place of ghosts and spirits, receives orders to sweep away all inauspicious forces. Luotian exhales poisonous vapors, and the Celestial Wolf spreads out in all directions. Huoding clears the way ahead, while the Chief Commander marches with a banner. The venomous dragon stretches ten thousand zhang; the divine tiger’s might shakes the eight directions. If anyone dares to offend or obstruct the Supreme Perfected, Jinbi strikes down the great evildoers at the front, then metes out punishment and rends the demons. Wind and fire rage without cease: thousands upon thousands of ghostly heads are cut off, and countless ghostly forms are destroyed.

Demons may not invade, and ghosts may not cause disorder. The Three Officials—the celestial, terrestrial, and aquatic deities—inspect the ghost camps of Beifeng, leaving the ghosts nowhere to hide. The golden-horse courier conveys commands and proclaims them without end. The myriad gods all come to receive their orders; in the Three Realms, the Five Emperors each present their reports to the Highest Clarity.

When primordial chaos first opened, darkness still prevailed and nothingness stretched without limit. From light and emptiness Qi arose; wind and fire condensed into stone. The eight directions and nine wilds extended beyond measure, beyond human perception and recognition. Suddenly a blue-green dragon took shape, a hundred billion long, coiling and winding around five pillars. From the dragon to Kang—the text reads this way, but what it refers to is unclear—countless eons passed, yet all remained within primordial chaos.

The upper sea had neither form nor color; the lower sea was bottomless. In the middle sea, wind rose and waters stirred: empty and vast, it contained Heaven and Earth. Hard metals and stones gradually took shape, and later formed a circular world of blue-green jade. The Six Qi revolved of their own accord, and the Five Cycles—the movements of the Five Phases’ Qi—repeated in succession, filling Heaven and Earth. Above and below, there was no darkness or gloom, no form or shadow, and no boundary or end.

That primordial chaos was remote and empty, without light. The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning therefore brought forth the Northern Emperor, ruler of the northern underworld. He struck iron to make mountains, refined gold to build houses, and carved jade to raise towers. The Nine Qi shone forth, and he was then titled the Black Emperor, Great Dark King of Primordial Mystery, lord of the northern underworld. He governed the souls of the dead, erased the charges recorded in the register of ghosts, dispelled calamities, and held in awe the myriad ghosts and demons of the four directions.

“Five Chapters on Illuminating the Course of the Ages, the Natural Origin, and the Pacification of the Yuan Shi”

The jade characters of the Red Book are the Dragon Script of the Eight Powers. They protect and govern the cycles of tribulation, ensuring that Heaven endures in peace. The Brahma Qi spreads everywhere, unfolding the myriad forms of existence. The primordial framework flows and evolves, connecting the thirty-two heavens. The five-colored celestial wheel turns throughout the ten directions; the Dipper and Winnowing Basket constellations move with it, revolving and regulating the Five Constant Virtues.

In thirty-five divisions, it gathers and governs the Qi of the Upper Origin. The Eight Luminaries join with the netherworld, and the Qi enters the realm beyond mystery. The Great Sovereign Emperor and the exalted perfected beings of the Daoist tradition dwell there.

“Removing Calamities in the Northern Capital”

The divine perfected beings wander above the Great Rosy Clouds and travel to the Northern Capital, where the gods of the Daoist underworld reside, to dispel calamities. Calamities are planted by the consequences of wrongdoing, and remain even after many cycles of tribulation. How can Yin Qi be dispelled? One should resolve to chant the Cavern Chapter.

The golden light of true radiance shines bright and dense, fiercely blazing like lightning and fire; its sound resounds through the camps among the clouds. The black-capped armies receive the jade command, draw in the breath, and swiftly drive the calamities away. Numina-bearing winds gather clouds of smoke, and documents are arrayed in the Northern Capital. The splendid numinous powers of the Purple Void flourish, assisting the immortals and protecting all living beings.

Within the human body, the Muddy Pellet—the upper Dantian in the head—governs the hundred passes. It destroys evil spirits and calamities, opens the flow of Qi through the numinous palace, and gathers all the gods together.

Jade nectar and golden cups meet in a thousand forms, and the true Dao comes to completion of its own accord. Within the true Dao are gods: the Lord Emperor of Long Life, the Great Emperor of Qinghua, the Nine Gods of Feiluo, the Great One, the Director of Destiny, Taokang, and Heyan. They wield talismans and hold registers, protecting life and nurturing its root. They travel above through Shangqing, the upper celestial realm of Daoism, and enter and leave the Flowery Chambers, reaching throughout the eight directions, the netherworld, and the most subtle places. They also descend to protect the human body, regulating the Five Qi in the Muddy Pellet and the Crimson Palace, where the spirit resides, so that the hundred gods may harmonize. After ten cycles, the numinous Qi revolves and the myriad Qi gather, drawing one toward the immortal Dao.

The immortal Dao prizes cherishing life and aims to deliver people without limit. It opens the Eight Gates and sets the flying celestial wheel in motion. There are prohibitions governing both sin and blessing, and both are influenced by the conditions of past destiny. Through universal teaching and deliverance, the souls of the dead are saved and the living are renewed. Body and mind receive the Way of renewal and ascend to the heavens. Above each heaven is a Gate of Life, where are found the Chanting Verses of the Empty Cavern and the numinous writings of the perfected kings. Their words and meaning may be compared with those of the exalted perfected beings.

Chapter One: Aerial Music of the High Minister Who Removes Calamities in the Northern Capital

Four horses toss their bits;

the vermilion carriage follows my wheels,

and flying clouds serve as banners.

I go forth to attack the demon armies.

The Northern Capital resounds with thunder,

as files of documents and records lie scattered.

Foolish deeds become causes of karma;

evil roots are planted generation after generation,

and calamities grow from those roots.

Why not amend your ways and begin anew?

Set your heart on the Great Dao of the Great Void;

entrust your thoughts to the Emperor Lord.

Wear the talisman of the Eight Powers,

and hold the jade writing of the Golden Tower.

Twelve great gods

form ranks to guard and protect you.

The revered gods of the Northern Capital will dispel your calamities,

riding here in a phoenix carriage.

I journey through vast outer space, riding in a carriage adorned with gold and jade. Looking down over the lands of the Nine Provinces, I see them stretching far below like an unfathomable abyss. The mysteries of the Great Dao are not readily imparted to those who lack De.

When this celestial music is heard soaring through the sky, seven generations of ancestors can ascend to the heavens.

Chapter Two: Dispelling Calamities at the Northern Capital and the Lord of Destiny

The King Lord of Destiny wears a tall, sky-reaching crown, a crimson robe patterned with dragons, and holds a court tablet. By command of the Supreme Lord, and through the numinous radiance of his divine seal, he descends to the Northern Capital. He commands the star generals Kui and Chenggang and others, and puts the assembled deities in due order. The divine attendants who oversee the records stand nearby.

For the sake of the living and their deaths, calamities, and misfortunes, people pray to the revered gods of the north. They purify the altar and offer prayers, carry out the divine commands, and recite precious talismans, looking up to receive the light of the spirits. In this way, calamities can be dispelled and blessings brought; longevity and good fortune flourish together. One can forever escape the eight kinds of calamity and decline, ascend to the immortal palace in the purple clouds, and attain perfection while helping the world. This model and its hymns will be passed down without end.

Chapter Three: Song to the Northern Emperor Who Dispels Calamities

Mount Luofeng, in the Northern Capital, lies three hundred and sixty thousand li from here. On the mountain stand palaces that shine by night; below it are arranged the offices of the Nine Courts. There are institutions there that govern Yin-Yang and life and death, recording and assigning the calamities that befall the living.

People are ignorant and give no thought to the Great Dao, letting their desires lead them. A human life lasts a hundred years; once a person has departed, they do not return. Hell is summoned by your own thoughts. The true realm, in fact, lies within the space of an inch.

Why not seek pardon and make your supplication at the Northern Capital, silently paying homage to the Purple Emperor? If your sincerity is made clear and you repent of your former attachments, Heaven will pardon you and remove every obstacle. One person may thereby attain the Dao, while seven generations of ancestors are freed from the netherworld and the Yellow Springs. The record of calamities is cut off from then on, and blessings follow one after another, like a rolling sphere.

I lament that living beings are trapped on the road of life and death, imprisoned through countless kalpas behind the gates of darkness. You must strengthen your resolve, pay homage to the Divine Empyrean, and look up toward the heavenly countenance among the clouds.

These are the songs of the True Demons, sung above the Three Realms as they fly through the sky. Every line resonates with the Cavern Scriptures. Reciting them one hundred times earns you a register entry and passage to the Southern Palace; reciting them one thousand times brings the True Demons to escort and welcome you; reciting them ten thousand times completes your merit in the Dao, and you can then ascend through the sky, transcend the Three Realms, and take your place among the immortals.

The duke has heard this.

Spirits of sacred sound and true demons alike revere the form of this scripture and are bound by its commands. Earth deities stand guard and escort the deceased, freeing them from the gates of the underworld and the Five Sufferings and Eight Calamities. Their seven generations of ancestors ascend, forever escaping the grip of disaster. Their souls are guided to Zhuling, the place where Daoist teaching says the dead are refined and delivered, and there they are reborn. This is what is meant by boundless universal deliverance, without end. This scripture is a secret text from Heaven, revered by all the heavens. To reveal it or treat it with contempt is to fall into hell and bring calamity upon one’s seven generations of ancestors.

The Dao says: The two chapters above are secret scriptures kept by the Heavenly Emperors of the various heavens and by Beidu Zhenyuan, the true deity of the underworld in Daoist teaching. They can bestow blessings and protection on the people and dispel calamities. If someone sincerely makes a vow, rejects wicked teachings and sudden misfortune, they can escape harm and receive the protection of true spirits. When one person attains the Dao, their seven generations of ancestors may also ascend to the ranks of the perfected. These are words of the Great Brahma, the sublime speech of the celestial realms in Daoist teaching, not ordinary worldly language. They lack the rhythm and literary elegance of secular poetry and prose; their meaning is therefore hidden and mysterious, difficult to investigate and explain in detail. They are treasured texts of Heaven, kept secret in the Jade Palace of the High Pure Jade Empyrean. The Dao Lord transmits them by sacred command and in accordance with the established law.

If a person who has attained the Dao brings gold and treasure, and with sincere intent follows the old observances to swear an oath and make a formal request to the Dao Lord, only then will the Dao Lord entrust the scripture to them.

The Dao says: As the workings of Heaven and Earth approach decline and their end, the sun, moon, and five planets also wax and wane. If a most holy divine person encounters adversity, or a novice in the Dao meets with illness or disaster, fellow practitioners should join together to establish a Zhai (purification observance), offer incense at the six appointed times each day, and recite the scripture ten times. In this way, blessings and De descend, dispelling every kind of ill omen. This immeasurable scripture can deliver sentient beings without end.

The Dao says: A novice’s practice is still shallow, or their cultivation among the ranks of immortals is not yet complete. If their allotted lifespan is about to end and their body is to enter the underworld, fellow practitioners who have attained the Dao should offer incense, recite the scripture ten times, and ritually transform the person’s remains according to the prescribed method. Then the Great Emperor of Beidu and the Heavenly Lord Xuanzi will oversee and command the ghost officials who carry out punishments, issuing strict orders throughout the underworld. The Taiyi Office of Restoring Life and Directing Destiny will register an extension of the person’s lifespan. Thus body and spirit will be settled, their inner light will not scatter, and their soul will ascend directly to the Southern Palace, the celestial palace in Daoist teaching. The length of their term will be determined according to their achievements in cultivation; they will be reborn without losing their way in the cycle of rebirth, and will ultimately become an immortal.

The Dao says: When Heaven and Earth are nearing the end of their cycles, the stars move out of order, the sun and moon grow dim, the seasons lose their sequence, and Yin-Yang falls out of balance, famine may strike the realm and deadly epidemics spread, killing many people. If teachers, elders, or fellow practitioners have died, one should also establish a Zhai, offer incense, and recite the scripture. The merit of purification and scripture recitation is immense: above, it can dispel heavenly disasters and protect and uphold the emperor; below, it can ward off deadly harm and deliver the people. The living and the dead alike can rely on this blessing and De, whose benefits are beyond measure. This is why it is called “the boundless deliverance of humans and celestials.”

The scriptural text says: Whoever possesses this scripture (jing), if he can practice the merits set forth in it on behalf of Heaven and Earth, the imperial sovereign, and the common people, should, on a day when calamity comes, resolve to hold a purification rite (zhai), burn incense, and recite the scripture ten times. If he does so, all the heavens will register his name, and the myriad spirits will protect him. He will gradually attain the state of the Ultimate Person and will in the end become a minister within the Golden Portal of the Sage Lord. All the heavens clearly record a person’s merits and faults, without the slightest discrepancy; the True Kings in the heavens will also recommend and elevate you. Only one who has attained the Dao (the Way) can truly and thoroughly comprehend these supreme principles.

“The Immeasurable Sounds of the Great Brahma Hidden Language among All the Heavens” are the profound and immeasurable sacred sounds used by all the heavens. This piece was composed by the Lord of the Dao (Daojun).

The Jade Chapter of the Yuanshi Numinous Writ for Dispelling Calamity in the Northern Capital (Yuanshi Lingshu Beidu Chuyang Yupian) is a chapter of the numinous writ used to dispel disaster and relieve adversity in the Northern Capital. Listed below are the hidden-language names of the eight heavens of the East, the South, the West, and the North. These phrases are sacred sound-names within the scripture; they are not ordinary sentences.

The names of the eight heavens of the East, in order, are: Ji Huan Yi Chi, Tuo Tu Yan Pin, Lu Xu Ying Huang, Ze Luo Ji Qing, Pu Hua Guo Guang, Suo Bin Yun Cheng, Mian Luo Cha Hu, You Lang Fei Jing, Zhu Bian Fang Ding, Yi Tuo Zu Qing, Lan Shou Qie Lou, Dan Ji Duo Mei, Jue Bang Pin Lu, Ying Xuan Zhi Men, Ye Dou Hua Yi, and Xi Yu Yue Qin.

The names of the eight heavens of the South, in order, are: Yong Ning Ji Tong, Yan Chuang Chi Gong, Shao Yuan Di Qi, Ling Ba Juan Chong, Ti Min Kang Dong, Ji Xian Te Long, Hui Mang Jing Wei, Li Zhan Yu Meng, Xi Yun Tong Yi, Yi Suo You Yi, Jue Gong Han Yan, Wang Yi Yu Fei, Bian Fan Qi Gang, Su Xuan Jin Yi, Yi Duo Si Ling, and Bian Zi Ming Chi.

The names of the eight heavens of the West, in order, are: Ba Tang Shen Xi, Jian Fu Dian Sui, Yi Luo Gui Tong, Yan Fu Liang Kui, Li Ben Geng He, Mi Ling Yun Wei, Zao Xing Che Rang, Hui Huang Xing Wei, Jiao Zheng Jue Yang, Tu Jian Bao Bi, Yue Mao Dang You, Cao Yan Qiu Dian, Zhuo Song Yao Fu, Bian Shun Yang Ai, Niu Zi Yun Dang, and Bi Guang Tiao Tai.

The names of the eight heavens of the North, in order, are: Zhou Yao Qiong Du, Bei Jun Yin Ju, Wu Shu Ling Qu, Bi Pian Mo Fu, Jiang Dao Mian Bo, Ying Bi Qian Xiu, Ding Lei Bu You, Zhuo Fang Jin Chou, and Chi Ping Wu Fu.

The fateful command contends in combat; the mountain peaks are upright and desolate to the utmost, and all that moves tilts and twists. The rosy clouds turn the green network; Heaven gathers, the sun lies flat. Wu casts forth auspicious syllables; the dim stars accompany good fortune.

The scripture says: Throughout these heavenly realms circulate vast, mysterious secret words and boundless sounds. In ancient times, they were engraved upon the Nine Terraces of Mount Fengcheng. According to the scripture, these sounds can prevent the roots of calamity from sprouting and return practitioners to truth, allowing them to roam freely without obstruction. Each character is immense and enduring, a zhang in length, and radiates mysterious light. In the past, perfected beings wrote these characters down and established them as the sounds of orthodoxy.

If someone knows these sounds and can observe the fast and recite them, the heavens will send investigating officers down to inspect their practice and report their diligence and merit to the heavens. The myriad spirits will come to pay homage, the earth deities will attend beside the gate, and the Great Merit True King will recommend them. Beidao Yuanbei will also acknowledge them, enabling them to travel between the Three Realms and ascend to the Golden Gate.

These sounds can ward off calamities and evil wherever they are heard, avert misfortune, deliver sentient beings, and accomplish meritorious good works. They are sounds that arise naturally from the celestial Real. Thus, reciting and upholding them can summon the investigating spirits to descend and inspect, and can also make the Lord on High respond in song from afar. The myriad spirits will come to pay homage, while the divine beings of the Three Realms stand before the carriage. All malign forces bow their heads and submit; ghosts and monsters vanish of their own accord.

Sounds like tinkling jade resound, and the ten directions fall into solemn stillness and purity. Rivers and seas grow calm; mist and vapor disperse among the mountains. The myriad numinous beings are stirred to reverence and submission, and the assembled immortals are summoned to appear. Above, there is no tainted qi; below, no demonic dust or miasma. The hidden world and wisdom alike become clear and unobstructed: a realm vast and mysterious.