《靈寶無量度人上品妙經》Vol. 43

Before the primordial Qi of undivided chaos had separated, the Great Dao lay hidden and unrevealed. Then, in a sudden transformation, it gave birth to spirit and vitality. These became the animating power within all things, and from them chaos took shape. Heaven and Earth intermingled above and below, while two currents of Qi mingled and flowed: white Qi entered red Qi, bringing Yin and Yang into harmony; then red Qi entered black Qi, and the womb formed.

Within the womb lay emptiness, illuminated by the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), the three supreme deities revered in Daoism. The divine chamber stood lofty, though it had not yet been named. The jade infant passed from darkness into blue-green. It had no other ancestral source: only the Dao as its foundation. The purple womb loosened its knots and revealed its pure, radiant true form. The Qi of undivided chaos emerged from the womb and gave life to the divine beings.

Heaven and Earth, through the combined transformation of Yin and Yang, brought forth life in a dim and mysterious process. Within the netherworld lay essence and Qi, along with spirits of utmost truth. No spirit failed to shine; none failed to establish and accomplish; none failed to deliver, transform, and give birth. This is the womb within the womb, in the Great Brahmā Heaven, the vast and supreme celestial realm.

Over countless kalpas, the Seven Treasures rose in tiers upon Jade Mountain. The Nine Palaces and Ten Courts, and countless millions of gates, all came into being as the Dao womb transformed spirit and vitality. From it came people and things, as well as the wondrous courts of the Three Blossoms, the purple pavilions, and the vermilion palaces. The Fetal Light, Clear Spirit, and Hidden Essence—the three subtle souls described in Daoism—are minute and concealed, lying deep within the root of the womb.

The divine wind circles and travels through the ten directions. Among its powers are the Lord of the Protecting Womb and Nurturing Fire, the deity who transforms infants and harmonizes Yin and Yang, the Lord who governs men and is called Bo Hua, the deity who oversees birth in the Great Mystery, and the perfected beings who guard the chambers. Boys are called Mengfei; girls, Ziyi. Before the dark womb opens, two divine beings remain joined together. At the name of the ghost of fetal blood, evil spirits are cut down and dare not intrude.

Those who return to the Way of life can live long and receive blessings. The Mysterious Master who protects life wears robes patterned with dragons and tigers and a garment that gathers the Five Dippers, and swiftly summons the Three Officials, the deities who govern Heaven, Earth, and Water. Taiji Zhufei, holding a bell, cries out and shouts with the force of wind and thunder to guard the womb palace. Pale smoke fills the air, while the Five Emperors, Great Demons, and Eight Powers of Metal and Fire protect the fetus, helping it remain in the womb and become perfected. What matters is to seek the light, dispel calamities, pass through misfortune, and remain free of thought and in Wuwei (non-action).

Today, as this scripture is collated and recorded, the divine beings of all the heavens have come before the hall.

In the eastern direction, the Boundless Divine King Who Protects the Womb and Nurtures the Way of Life, the Great Sage of Long Life—delivering beings without measure.

In the southern direction, the Boundless Divine King Who Protects the Womb and Nurtures De, the Great Sage of Long Life—delivering beings without measure.

In the western direction, the Boundless Divine King Who Protects the Womb and Aids the Noble, the Great Sage of Long Life—delivering beings without measure.

In the northern direction, the Boundless Divine King Who Protects the Womb and Guards the True, the Great Sage of Long Life—delivering beings without measure.

In the northeast, southeast, southwest, and northwest, as well as above and below, each of the ten directions has a King of the Boundless Gods. They govern, respectively, protecting pregnancy and bestowing blessings; safeguarding life and illuminating transformation; protecting life and delivering souls; dispelling afflictions caused by food; cutting off the calamity of death; and widely bestowing wisdom. The Kings of the Boundless Gods in all ten directions join together to protect pregnancies and lives, deliver the world, and save people. Their divine light is immeasurable.

The gods ride in auspicious light amid purple clouds, borne in wondrous carriages drawn by Azure Beasts, divine birds, vermilion phoenixes, and other numinous creatures. Seven Spirits, the great birds of the Nine Absolutes, and other divine beings guard the carriages. Kui dragons pull their shafts, and the banners bear the titles of those who protect pregnancies and lives. The cries of the Eight Rapids sound ahead; the Nine Tones ring out together behind. Immortals dance and sing. The Five Elders clear the way, while the Three Primordial Gods form ranks and pass on commands. Countless carriages and horses arrive through the air.

The heavenly realm cherishes life and gives first priority to the life of the unborn. The Supreme Lord personally selects the gods of Taiji (Supreme Ultimate) and commands the spirits who govern the host of perfected beings to watch over the Fang constellation and transform living beings. The Holy Mother of the Nine Heavens arrives in an azure carriage. The Queen of Heaven and the royal consorts, together with the Black Tiger, guard the banquet; the gods who protect pregnancies and lives also come before the Supreme Lord.

The heavenly realm transforms living beings in accordance with their circumstances. It rigorously examines the heavens and proclaims throughout the Three Realms the Boundless Divine Realm, the Palace of Prolonged Life, Taiyi, the Three Enclosures, and the Twelve Fetal Gods. They bestow the breath of life and grant years of longevity; summon the gods of heavenly perfection; bring the crimson membrane and purple abyss into union; harmonize the Qi of the Yellow Court; and clear away obstructions at the source of life.

If evil Qi left behind by one’s ancestors blocks the path of life, harms the fetus, cuts off one’s descendants, and brings calamity, then illness and fated disasters must be dispelled and the roots of misfortune uprooted. They must not be allowed to detain living beings or force them to consort with ghosts. By command of the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning, the gods concerned must be promptly advanced in rank. They must cut off evil trials and the Five Inauspicious Paths, protect the fetus and nurture the infant, guard body and soul, subdue demonic obstacles, and preserve life.

The numinous gods of the Vermilion Palace descend, enabling people to become exalted immortals or be reborn as human beings. Once delivered, they endure through generation after generation, sharing Heaven’s lifespan as the cycles of the kalpas turn. Even those who encounter the eight calamities in the womb can be delivered. When the Daoist methods of the Three Primordial Ones are complete, they can ascend freely and enter the Heaven of Shangqing.

In the Heaven of Shangqing stands the North Hua Terrace, where the Primordial Lord governs the lives and Dao lineage of the world; each has its corresponding heaven and earth. The Heavenly Emperor Yuzhen dwells in the realm without form and practices the Brahma Dao.

The Eight Heavens of the East are charged with protecting fetuses and sustaining life. All beings in the world that are born from a womb fall under the authority of these heavenly realms. The route taken by fetal Qi (vital energy) is as follows: it begins at the Northern Dipper’s Xuanming star branch and enters the Three Terraces constellation. The Three Terraces consist of six stars and govern the generation and nurture of all things, protecting all living beings. Fetal Qi then winds downward through the thirteen degrees of the Fang lunar lodge and the seventeen degrees of the Nü lunar lodge, stopping at the Zi position in the constellation of Aquarius. Whenever fetal Qi passes through the lodge corresponding to someone’s birth star and the fetal lodge associated with their birth time, a woman becomes pregnant and the fetus leaves the womb to be born. This is why it is called “Zi” (child).

“Vessel” suggests the capacity to contain and release, and also symbolizes conception and birth. Only heavenly beings are born through transformation, remaining in a formless womb. From heavenly beings downward—to humans, ghosts, dragons, and demons—all are born through gestation in a form-bearing womb. The Eight Heavens of the East are linked to the Eighteen Heavens of the Desire Realm, and are also governed by an Emperor Lord and his officials. When people in the world pray for help, these heavenly realms send down auspicious Qi, bring about the birth of male children, and protect fetuses.

The Eight Heavens of the East and their Emperor Lords are:

Lingfan Juluo Heaven, Emperor Lord Gongci Zhen;

Xiuming Huayao Heaven, Emperor Lord Bianyuan Xu;

Jizhen Dongsheng Heaven, Emperor Lord Liu Xingzhenti;

Puli Zhenghua Heaven, Emperor Lord Qiang Duxiami;

Shangzhi Hongmo Heaven, Emperor Lord Yanshen Guanxi;

Liuning Zhen Du Heaven, Emperor Lord Yizhen Xuyi;

Yingyan Feidu Heaven, Emperor Lord Guyen Louxi;

Juechu Yingshi Heaven, Emperor Lord Zhengcha Zhenwei.

The Eight Heavens of the South:

Yanmo Jingkong Heaven, Emperor Lord Cui Linzhiti;

Xuan Shu Chijie Heaven, Emperor Lord Li Changdu;

Dizheng Huchu Heaven, Emperor Lord Bian Chiloulan;

Yueli Zhixuan Heaven, Emperor Lord Hui Duan Simeng;

Fanfu Zhaoji Heaven, Emperor Lord Yue Shangliang;

Xuqiu Yanzhu Heaven, Emperor Lord Yuan You Biqi.

The names of the heavenly realms and their Emperor Lords listed here are those recorded in the scripture. In the original text, only six heavens and their Emperor Lords survive in the section on the “Eight Heavens of the South.”

The Heaven of Forbidding Wrong and Governing Affairs; its Heavenly Emperor is named Miaotu Beiluo.

The Heaven of the Jade Court’s Bright Measure; its Heavenly Emperor is named Yutong Xieren.

The Eight Heavens of the West

The Heaven of Wind-Rising and Great Firmament; its Heavenly Emperor is named Feichang Yisheng.

The Heaven of Golden Crags and Worthy Goodness; its Heavenly Emperor is named Huoxuan Xing.

The Heaven of Jade Peaks and Flourishing Cultivation; its Heavenly Emperor is named Licui Damo.

The Heaven of Transforming and Exalting Ceremonies; its Heavenly Emperor is named Duyan Sheda.

The Heaven of Crooked Fish and Fighting Spines; its Heavenly Emperor is named Qiupo Tangong.

The Heaven of Judging Spirits and Proclaiming Peace; its Heavenly Emperor is named Zhibi Langju.

The Heaven of Radiant Splendor and Complete Preparation; its Heavenly Emperor is named Nixian Lian.

The Heaven of High Mystery and Wise Contentment; its Heavenly Emperor is named Jiudu Helu.

The Eight Heavens of the North

The Heaven of the Great Beginning and Confining Emptiness; its Heavenly Emperor is named Fuyu Shanqi.

The Heaven of Broad Radiance and Dawn; its Heavenly Emperor is named Aliu Zhenming.

The Heaven of the Crane Terrace and Universal Governance; its Heavenly Emperor is named Kaigong Langchong.

The Heaven of Responding to Benefit and Returning to Darkness; its Heavenly Emperor is named Huiqu Meilong.

The Heaven of Good Potential and Leading the Tuo; its Heavenly Emperor is named Yanji Xikang.

The Heaven of the Mysterious Embryo and Subtle Cultivation; its Heavenly Emperor is named Dingfan Guang.

The Heaven of Examining Origins and Passing Through Elimination; its Heavenly Emperor is named Zhuoke Yiyang.

The Heaven of Unarrogant Dao and Following Its Course; its Heavenly Emperor is named Guifu Donghou.

The thirty-two heavens and their thirty-two Heavenly Emperors each have hidden names. The embryo spirit’s empty, natural, numinous verses, formed from the hidden names of these heavens, are secret chants that protect the primordial embryo. They are also numinous sounds transmitted by the revered gods of Heaven, the spirits, the Great Mystery Heaven, and the subtle numinous beings.

Protecting the primordial embryo, enabling it to develop into form, joining its Qi channels, and returning it to Jade Clarity (the highest heavenly realm in Daoism)—all this arises from the immeasurable mystery of the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning, who spreads Jing and Qi and transforms the spirits. Its profundity is difficult to describe fully.

May the true wonders of the primordial embryo be set forth and revealed, bringing universal salvation to heavenly and human beings. Today, all gather in joyful celebration and receive …

All the spirits who make their rounds through the heavens in appointed order and are charged with dispelling harm to the fetus have been commanded to proclaim this decree. Lady Black Teeth, the Yellow Maiden, Spring Matron, White Calamity on Her Daily Rounds, and other ghosts and spirits, along with such malign spirits and evil ghosts as the Green Snake, Celestial Dog, White Tiger, Old Man of the Flower Source, and Young Woman, often harm fetuses with inauspicious Qi, bringing suffering to the people. Their victims are harmed without cause and carry profound grievances, yet do not know why the harm has befallen the fetus. Such harm allows evil forces to entangle one another. The Spirit King is charged with inspecting, recording, and punishing these offenses; he must not allow the people to suffer. The Eastern Dipper, the star spirits of the East, arranges the allotment of life, while the Western Dipper determines names.

The Northern Dipper governs conception, the Southern Dipper governs the dispatch of souls, and the Great Leader of the Central Dipper governs the fetal origin. The Azure Emperor protects the soul, the White Emperor guards the corporeal soul, the Red Emperor nourishes the original Qi, the Black Emperor sets the blood flowing, and the Yellow Emperor presides at the center over the myriad spirits. The emperors of the five directions each have their own duties, and together they protect the fetus: the Azure Heaven sends down the true Qi of Wood; the Blue-Veiled Red Heaven sends down a purple canopy; the White Heaven sends down the true Qi of Metal; the Black Heaven sends down the Qi of the Water Emperor; and the Yellow Heaven sends down blessings. The fetal spirits of the Five Heavens are the root of life in all things. They fly and roam among the Three Platforms, pass the Di and Fang constellations, climb to the Maiden constellation, pay their respects at the Void constellation, and wander through the great expanse of space.

Radiant clouds gleam brilliantly as the spirits of the heavens unite to protect the fetus and preserve its life. They strictly restrain the baleful forces of Northern Feng, the realm that governs the ghosts and spirits of the underworld, and of the eight directions, forbidding them to cause harm. The Great Spirit Who Oversees Birth investigates and punishes those who harm fetuses, showing no mercy. The host of spirits rushes into action, swift as wind and racing clouds, striking the offenders head-on. The Fire Master unleashes a swift blaze of smoke and flame; the Dark Tiger tracks their traces, burning and tearing apart evil ghosts. The divine troops of Donghao attack from all four directions. If any dare to offend or obstruct, the Highest Perfected send a golden horse to carry their command, while the Jade Perfected lead troops to guard the encampment and slay the demons. Wind and fire rage without pause: thousands upon thousands of ghostly heads are severed, and myriad ghostly forms are cut down. No evil spirit or ghost dares intrude again. Demonic essences scatter, the precious fetus is kept safe, and its allotted years pass in peace. This decree is proclaimed throughout the boundless realms; all the myriad spirits must obey. The Three Realms and the Five Emperors likewise affirm it and transmit it to Highest Clarity.

The Jade Spring lies still, without a ripple; the Dragon Marsh is quiet and numinous. Within the subtle Brahma Qi, Dao embryos are conceived side by side.

In the state when primordial chaos first opened, Heaven and Earth had no colors, depths, wind, or water. All things existed in emptiness, still undivided. Within the purple womb, spirit and Qi responded and gathered; from this, the original Qi bestowed from before Heaven was born.

Above and below the heavens, there was no distinction between darkness and brightness, form and image, nor were there boundaries or ends. Amid the vast, lightless Qi of chaos, the Dao began to reveal its radiance, transforming countless beings. The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning brought the heavens to rest and established them, allowing the original Qi within the human body to rise into the wondrous prenatal origin. Spirit and Qi joined within the body, and wondrous Qi condensed into cloud-patterned script, forming treasured books such as the Jade Chapters and the Three Origins Treasure Book. Written in phoenix and dragon forms, these texts were used to protect the womb and preserve life.

The Great Brahma Qi spread everywhere, thereby opening the prenatal origin of all things. Starlight flowed through all thirty-two heavens; the formless realm revolved throughout the ten directions. The stars followed their courses through the sun, moon, and constellations. The Three Terrace stars and the Qi of the thirty-five divisions were gathered under the Upper Origin, while the hidden realms of the eight directions joined in harmony. Original Qi entered the source of creation and transformation. The High Perfected, including the Great Sovereign Emperor, rode auspicious, harmonious Qi, chanted the Cavern Chapters, managed the registers, and determined the course of life.

The Holy Mother followed the celestial pattern in her movements, removing disaster entries and the perils of childbirth from the child’s register of life, and dispelling calamities. To be born at a propitious hour, in an auspicious month, or on a favorable day of the Three Origins is a joyful blessing. May the child live long and flourish, gather harmonious Qi, and grow into an adult shaped by the Dao. The human body comes from the womb, and the womb itself contains a true spirit of supreme dignity.

The Spirit Who Directs Destiny protects the womb chamber and sets guardian spirits in place: the Left True Lord of Heaven One, Guardian of the Womb; the Right True Lord of Heaven One, Guardian of the Womb; and the Great Spirit of the Muddy Pellet, all of whom guard the womb gate. Jade Maidens come and go, carrying fire in one hand and a bell in the other. The Jade Emperor watches over the head, the Red Child Spirit dwells in the heart, and the Master of the Yellow Court guards the Imperial Gate, bringing body and mind into accord with Heaven. May descendants be many. May corruption, filth, and the stench of blood be cut away; may no evil spirit trouble the fetus, so that the infant may live in safety.

Connected above to Jade Clarity, the breath reaches the Flowery Chamber and Green Room. Even in the most subtle and hidden places, spirits protect life and settle the soul. Between the Jade Palace’s Bright Hall and the Golden Gate of Kunlun, life-giving Qi is abundant and Dao and De are pure and deep. After ten months in the womb and nine cycles of change, when all Qi is complete, the Dao of immortality can be attained. Daoism cherishes life and uses the boundless Dao to transform all beings, opening the gate of life. The scriptures of the Flying Heaven Primordial Lords often appear amid obscurity and mystery; their transformations have no limit, and they protect the fetus and preserve life. The radiance of the Three Realms shines together, universally revealing and transforming the workings of sin and blessing, prohibitions and precepts, and karmic ties from former lives.

When the souls descend, the body is born and enters the world; this event reaches up to the heavens. Each level of Heaven has a gate of birth, within which are songs of emptiness and numinous mystery. The words of the Womb-Protection Numinous Text form part of the mysterious scriptures of the High Perfected.

The Great Spirit of the First Heaven, Guardian of the Original Womb and Protector of Life, oversees and safeguards childbirth in the years of Jiazi and Jiaxu.

The Great Dao possesses wondrous powers. The earthly soul and heavenly spirit unite, and the essences of the sun and moon gather together as well.

Once the fetus has formed, its spiritual nature changes. A jade pendant flies on the left, while a golden bell circles on the right.

Essence and Qi flow through nine cycles, their radiance shining in every direction. The fetus is subtle and exquisitely formed, like a newborn child.

Fang, Shen, Wei, and Ji are among the twenty-eight lunar mansions. The spirit maiden wears embroidered robes and adorns herself with splendid tassels and precious garments.

When she enters the fetal palace, the chamber where the fetus is nurtured, the Three Primordials—the energies or deities of Heaven, Earth, and Water—descend together with blessings. They support and carry the True Child, the pure and wondrous fetus.

All things gather naturally and part naturally. They avoid every kind of peril and do not fall into ruin or danger.

May the boy grow up to become a noble lord; may the girl become a beautiful and honored consort. May they be safe and secure, and may all go smoothly for them.

May heavenly innocence remain peaceful for a long time.

Chapter of the Second Earthly Primordial Great Deity Who Protects the Fetus and Preserves Life, the True Lord Jia-Shen and Jia-Wu, Overseer of Births

A yellow banner waves in the air, and purple and white Qi align with the palace. The fetus is safe and whole, and the child is born without difficulty.

Heaven’s blessings are vast and deep. I come from the east, riding the azure clouds and driving that long rainbow.

I climb among the stars, ride a jade horse, and travel with the golden wind. I descend into the True Court, where the divine beings dwell, and walk alongside the Plain Maiden and young immortal attendants.

I drive my chariot down, trailing light. Beside it are skirts of emerald green, and six dragons draw the carriage. The immortals of Heaven bow to me, the Exalted Lord.

The deity who protects the fetus among the Three Primordials safeguards it and steadies its spiritual roots through the nine tiers of Heaven. The Purple Emperor, the Great One, and the gods of the myriad heavens together exercise their sacred power.

Seated in calm, I give a long whistle and command a thousand spirits; I cut down and destroy calamities. I cast flames across distances of countless miles, transform into light, and ride the wind.

I protect the fetus and ensure its safe growth. The power of De has no end. Dawn clouds release their radiance, illuminating the dark and distant vault of Heaven.

Song of the Third Water Primordial Great Deity Who Protects the Fetus and Preserves Life, the True Lord Jia-Chen and Jia-Yin, Overseer of Births

The Yin womb and Yang fetus are what all beings depend on for their birth and growth. All things follow the movement of a single Qi, and from this the Three Realms are established.

I hold a jade ritual vessel and come to perform a solemn rite. The holy consort’s face is like beautiful jade, bright and radiant. Purple Qi appears at the doorway, bringing peace and stability to the chamber where the fetus is nurtured.

Then I summon the gods of the nine heavens. The splendid canopy, part of the immortals’ ceremonial procession, flutters in the wind.

The Six Ding Spirits, the six Ding deities, play the zither, while the Three Officials of Heaven, Earth, and Water hold aloft the rising incense smoke and guard the chamber of the womb. They grant the pregnant woman a lifespan as long as that of the sun and moon. The Spirit Lord strikes down demons and evil beings, and the Northern Emperor reports what has occurred. Heavenly troops surround and protect her, while Immortals and Perfected Ones ride in chariots to inspect and patrol. Incense is burned and foreheads are bowed. Merits and transgressions are recorded fairly, without bias; good deeds naturally accumulate, and all the gods serve Xuanyuan, an honored title of the Dao.

This is the natural song of sound that protects the womb and preserves life, from the realm of the Six Jia palaces beneath the Three Origins, where the Six Jia spirits guard the fate of the unborn. Recite it one hundred times to the tones of the Cavern Chapter, a passage from a Daoist scripture, and the womb palace will be quietly protected. Recite it one thousand times, and the hundred spirits will come to protect you. Recite it ten thousand times, and your cultivation of the Dao will be complete; the fetus will take on an immortal form, pass through the tribulations of the Three Origins, and preserve its life.

If a prince or lord hears these wondrous sounds, the Six Jia spirits will support and serve him. Acting on command, they will restrain the Earth Spirits from causing trouble, making them quiet and still so they can no longer disturb anyone. In this way, the harms of premature death, miscarriage, and violent death caused by the Earth Official can be removed, and the Five Sufferings and Eight Calamities averted. Life will flourish and prosper, forever free from misfortune and evil; the soul and spirit will be peaceful and clear, united with the Dao and long-lived. This is called “universal deliverance without limit, saving beings without end.” All the heavens revere this heavenly secret text together. To disclose it or treat it with disrespect is to fall into hell and bring calamity upon seven generations of ancestors.

The Dao says: This Cavern Chapter is a secret text of sound treasured by the Three Origins’ Supreme Emperors and the Kings of the Six Jia. It is composed entirely of the speech of the Great Brahma, the sacred language of the heavens, not words commonly heard in the human world. Its language lacks the beauty of worldly rhyme, and its melody has no elaborate ornamentation; for this reason, it is called mysterious and difficult to understand. It is a precious book kept in the heavens, concealed in the Upper Palace of the Three Terraces in the Mysterious Capital. According to the Mysterious Regulations, the Daoist rules and procedures for transmission, it is passed on only once every sixty thousand kalpas. If a person who has attained the Dao seeks it with a golden treasure as a token and a sincere heart, and follows the established procedure by making an oath before the spirits for ten days, it may then be transmitted to them.

The Dao says: During the lower period of the Three Origins, corresponding to the Water Official, if a woman is pregnant and encounters the “Five Harms,” adverse clashes between the sun and moon, or other inauspicious conditions, her life may be endangered. At the time of childbirth, the spirits of the dead from former generations or unruly ghosts may obstruct the birth and bring disaster, preventing the child from being born safely. Inauspicious spirits such as Tian Kui and Da Sha may also stir up demonic forces. When such calamities occur, one should purify the mind, observe ritual abstinence, offer incense six times each day, and recite the scripture ten times over. Blessings and De will then descend, dispelling all forms of ill omen. This is a text of boundless scope, able to save beings everywhere without end.

The Dao says: When the Qi of the womb palace is weak, the blessings that enable childbirth cannot flow. This often leads to miscarriage, while the mother’s body grows weak and withered, deprived of nourishment. The ancestors are then gripped by fear and cry out in distress; the line of descendants is cut off, and mother and child are unsettled. There may also be loneliness, illness, and the intrusion of harmful Qi during nursing. These calamities can affect those who serve the Dao and cultivate perfection as well. Therefore, the Perfected One offered incense for this purpose…

Reciting this scripture ten times can protect the fetus and preserve life. Monsheng, the deity who oversees childbirth, will present the prayers to the Southern Palace, adding years to a person’s life, recording their merits, and blessing them with a safe birth. A person’s fate is shaped by the path they follow, and the measure of their merit also affects their blessings. One may become wealthy, honored, and long-lived, or cultivate oneself into an immortal.

The scripture says that ghosts who harm fetuses can cause people to be examined by the Three Officials, the deities who govern Heaven, Earth, and Water. They damage a person’s lifespan and register of official rank, cause fetuses to die young or be afflicted by illness, and make children difficult to raise or slow to develop. All this is caused by the mischief of ghosts and spirits. Even good people may suffer abuse and injury without cause, leaving them without descendants and bringing decline to their households. When this happens, one can promptly recite this scripture and pray for the protection of the Fetal Star, which guards the root of life.

If a fetus cannot be safely preserved because the ancestors lacked virtue and ghosts and spirits are exacting retribution, bringing punishment from Heaven, one should quickly correct one’s faults, act with care, purify body and mind, and repent and renew oneself, so as to avert such calamities.

There are nine kinds of ghosts that harm fetuses: the ghost of the second month is named Huangqiu; the third month’s is named Lisheng; the fourth month’s, Zhaofei; the fifth month’s, Luqi; the sixth month’s, Xueshi; the seventh month’s, Qiongqi; the eighth month’s, Huoqi; the ninth month’s, Longmei; and the tenth month’s, Chixi. Once you know these ghosts’ names, burn incense and recite the scripture, and you can enjoy lasting peace. One receives protection in both life and death, and the blessings gained are beyond measure. This is why they are called “immeasurable”: they can save people everywhere.

The scripture says that anyone who possesses it can protect the fetuses and preserve the lives of men and women in generations to come. On days of calamity, one need only commit to purification and abstinence, burn incense, and recite the scripture ten times. The诸天 will record one’s name, and the myriad spirits will come to guard and protect. Those who cultivate the Dao and practice and recite this scripture can bring clarity and rectitude to the Fetal Spirit and cause the Three Palaces to shine with renewed splendor, attaining longevity and becoming perfected beings. A Sacred Embryo, the holy foundation that coalesces within a cultivator, can also form within the body. Yet women are not the only ones who may follow this scripture; others who are destined to encounter it may also practice it and ultimately become sacred lords and ministers of the Golden Palaces, the celestial halls.

The诸天 record people’s merits and faults, however minute, and omit nothing. The Three-Origin Fetal Immortals and the Six Jia Divine Kings, spirits associated with conception, protection of the fetus, and the cyclical order of time, will also support and safeguard your life. Only those who cultivate the Dao and attain it can fully understand these profound words.

Immeasurable Sounds in the Hidden Brahma Language Among the诸天

Composed by the Lord of the Dao

Numinous Scripture for Primordial Protection of the Fetus and Preservation of Life

The Eight Heavens of the East

Qiyan Huangzheng　Beitai Yuangxuan　Fanxing Jiesheng

Dihuo Dongqian　Qiu Li Baiming　Xilou Duxuan

Yuguan Haojie　Nüfang Jiyan　Jingming Shenmo

Lüy ing Huitan　Ganju Bige　Hualan Guozhan

These are hidden names in the scripture; the original text does not explain them.

Gongdu Ayi, Yunfu Yuyuan, Xianwo Liuwei, Qingluo Guxian.

The Eight Heavens of the South

Jiushou Weiwu, Kuangtu Rizhu, Fengqu Guishen, Zhengyi Wensu, Wangmi Xiaojing, Zihua Xuanhu, Jiujing Bifu, Hunmou Wanchou, Yaxie Xianfan, Zhige Chengchu, Jiantu Shengqu, Daoxuan Zhewu, Lulan Jiaomei, Qianbei Jingu, Wanmu Yidu, Tianyao Chuanmou.

The Eight Heavens of the West

Luojiong Yechui, Qianni Yanchi, Jianlou Yin Xu, Jitai Yingbei, Yanyue Xiasheng, Xuanmo Duqi, Jingyao Lüqiu, Jiaquan Jinshi, Wanle Dasou, Qin Feng Bishí, Guye Qiudu, Bumu Yinsi, Ge Yu Zhaole, Dingguan Chirong, Feilü Yeming, Xianting Jifeng.

The Eight Heavens of the North

Gouwu Houyu, Huju Ningfu, Weikuang Anying, Mingju Xiutai, Jiangxie Shimei, Jiuzhen Miyai, Adu Zita, Pingxi Haijia, Ludeng Chengpi, Bingxie Yituo, Muwang Kuimo, Xuanchu Yuanhua, Doubiguan Chi, Mingsu Haocha, Dongzhen Xiyue, Tianju Quluo.

The scripture says: Among these heavens there is a sound issued by celestial spirits such as Chen Kui, the Three Terraces, and Yuansheng. Its numinous light gathers into patterns, which are arrayed to guard the thirty-two heavens. It makes all things grow, steadies the course of life, brings forth the myriad people, and brings light.

The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Heaven, a divine being in Daoist legend, recorded these characters, whose patterned strokes are intricate and beautiful and whose forms contain radiance, as the True Sounds. If someone understands their sounds and rhythms, observes purification, and recites them, the heavens will send Flying Celestial Spirit Kings down to inspect that person. They will nurture the person’s embryonic origin, preserve their life, and report their cultivation and merit to the heavens. The myriad spirits will come to pay homage, the terrestrial deities will keep watch at the gates, and the Great Merit Immortal King will recommend the person, enabling them to take their place among the High Immortals and High Perfected.

At that time, the divine Perfected of the heavens will descend into that person, who will then be able to travel through the Three Realms and ascend to the Golden Gate. This heavenly sound can everywhere repel evil influences and dispel calamities; everywhere it can save living beings and bring merit to completion. It is the natural way of the heavenly Perfected…

This is the conclusion of the scripture in the preceding passage: Because such sounds are heard, reciting the scripture can bring the flying immortals—the deities of the heavenly realms—to this place. Gazing upward from below toward the Supreme Lord, ruler of the heavens, and chanting from afar, one summons the myriad gods to come and pay homage. The deities of the Three Realms stand in attendance beside the Emperor’s carriage; demons bow their heads, and ghosts and monsters vanish of their own accord. The inner True Nature of the embryo appears, and its radiance shines everywhere.

The offices of the Three Officials, who govern Heaven, Earth, and Water, grow still and clear. The heavenly canopy turns a deep blue-green, while the earth’s axis becomes mysteriously bright. Mountains rise high, the seas grow clear, and the sun and moon shine. The wondrous sound echoes through the depths; the immortals gather in joyful celebration; the Qi of the four seasons settles into peace, and the scene of the Dao becomes empty, still, and serene. This is a realm both vast and mysterious.

The Dongshen Chapter on Averting Calamities

The Dao says: Long ago, in the Azure Radiant Land of Great True Illumination in the Heaven of Taiji, I received the Lingbao Scripture of Salvation, the Supreme Infinite Grade of Dongshen for Averting Calamities. The Great Dao Lord of Dongshen of Fusang was about to proclaim this scripture. He circumambulated ten times to summon all the perfected immortals from the Fusang worlds of the ten directions.

The Fusang world lies nine hundred thousand li east of Taiji, within a blue-green sea. There is a great mountain there whose roots connect to Dongming, the deep and shadowy sea. Golden sand is piled in layer upon layer, reaching from top to bottom, while the summit extends into the divine realm of the Great Void without Purple. To the west it connects with Taiji; to the south it rises above Yanling; to the north it guards the Hidden Gate; and at its center it opens onto Xuandu. This world stretches for more than a hundred thousand li, with sacred peaks and towering ridges appearing and disappearing from view. Above the Canglang waters, Brahma Qi drifts, while auspicious radiance and blue-green clouds fill the sky.

There, walls are built of blue-green jade, and palaces among emerald groves; the earth is suffused with the light of deep blue-green blossoms. The Fusang tree takes root in the farthest reaches of the east. Its roots coil around one another, and its branches face each other, shining with a blue-green light. On its thousand leaves, heavenly script appears of its own accord: the Red Writ of the True Emperor, written in the phoenix script of the Nine Qi and used to guard the heavens of the ten directions.

The sun and moon rise from below, and Yang Qi moves of itself. Day and night are divided into six periods. The waters of the Celestial River surge, while waves of cloud race against one another. The inhabitants of the Immortal Capital are divided into twelve ranks, and the myriad things number in the hundreds and thousands. They were brought forth from the Three Original Qi within the Great Nonbeing, and this realm is called the Azure Palace, the Fusang world.

The Heavenly Venerable of Primordial Beginning divided and dispersed the gods, scattering their forms throughout the myriad heavens and transforming them in a thousand billion ways. Later, he suddenly named this region the Heaven of Fusang and the Dao Realm of Azure Radiance. The finest and most numinous descendants nurtured their vital essence and were born in the utmost emptiness. They were called the Great Dao Lord of Dongshen of Fusang. In the outer world, he is the Great Emperor of Fusang, who governs the rising and setting of the sun and escorts it on its passage through Mengsi, the legendary place where the sun sets. His true form is the essence of the sun and moon, and his soul is the Great Emperor of Longevity of the South Pole. The original text continues beyond this point.

The second is the Emperor Lord of Azure Florescence, a revered Daoist deity. He was brought forth by the Fusang, the sacred tree of the East, and its qi of the Cavern of the Spirits. Only after nine transformations through tribulations did his form fully appear. Having realized the true Dao of the East, he became the Great Lord of the Dao of the Cavern of the Spirits.

The qi of the Cavern of the Spirits is the qi of the true essence of the Nine Yangs. Born within the Fusang, it can also transform into the fire of tribulation. Through further transformation, it becomes a power of clear understanding, intelligence, eloquence, and exalted sacred virtue. When virtue reaches its utmost, it becomes a Lord of the Great Dao. The Lord of the Dao presides over the Mother of All Things. Through her, he brings forth the primordial embryo, containing the essential qi of the Five Phases, and forges Heaven and Earth as if in a furnace with hammer and anvil. Calamities in the human world are invariably associated with fires and their disasters; fire is one source of calamity.

Within the Dao is the ancestor of the Fusang Cavern of the Spirits, who can command these transformations. The qi of the Fusang’s azure groves, when used on a grand scale, can refine true texts and enhance the mysterious Dao; when used on a smaller scale, it can ward off disasters and dispel misfortune, bringing blessings and protection to all beings. This is like fire, which must rely on wood to burn: fire is stored within wood, while fire in turn belongs to the spirit, whose qi nourishes the fire within the wood. Thus natural disasters subside of their own accord.

For this reason, the Great Lord of the Dao of the Fusang Cavern of the Spirits is the principal deity invoked to ward off calamity. The tradition of prayers and rites for averting disasters holds that a ritual should begin with a visit to the true realm of the Fusang in the realm of the Supreme Ultimate. At that time, the Great Gods of Dao and De, the highest sages and venerable ones, the Perfected Ones of the Azure Emperor, and countless other gods will arrive riding through the air. Clouds drift across the jade-blue sky; the azure groves flourish; the wind wheels turn silently; and the jeweled canopy of the cavern-heaven hangs down in brilliant color. Azure dragons radiate wondrous light that stretches into the boundless distance, while flowing rosy clouds mingle with the glow of crimson clouds, forming a distant, hazy scene.

For seven days and seven nights, the Radiant Platforms, solar palaces, star palaces, and jade-hinge carriages of the various heavens cease their journeys. The numinous wind spreads far between the sea and Mount Tai; luminous clouds cover Heaven and Earth, and the scenery in the four directions seems to merge into one. The pure and bright Nine Qi fill the entire realm. Its soil, rivers and mountains, and forests all shine forth, their jade-like blossoms vivid and fragrant. Azure patterns rise in relief, and purple jade rings out in harmony with the music of the empty heavens.

In stillness and mystery, the Great Lord of the Dao of the Fusang Cavern of the Spirits wards off calamities for all beings. Seated upright in the air, he appears upon a jade throne bathed in the precious light of the purple empyrean. After the scripture has been proclaimed once, the great sages of all the heavens praise it in unison. At that moment, the calamities and illnesses afflicting the men and women of the entire realm are dispelled.

When the scripture is recited twice, the celestial realm of the Taiji (Supreme Ultimate) opens, and myriads of perfected immortals gather together. When it is recited three times, clouds and mist rise over the immortal capital, and celebration fills the Three Realms. When it is recited four times, the wondrous spirit of the heart penetrates inward, and people seem able to grasp the subtle essence. When it is recited five times, the dragons’ voices resound across sea and sky, and the blessings of the divine spirits spread far in every direction. When it is recited six times, the three kinds of calamity cease, and all things flourish. When it is recited seven times, divine radiance shines back and forth, illuminating the layered gates of heaven. When it is recited eight times, the five cloud scripts—Daoist seal characters shaped like clouds—give forth violet immortal music. When it is recited nine times, jade radiance rises into the sky, and layers of colored light shine back and forth. When it is recited ten times, the洞神 spirits cast down their light, and even the netherworld receives their grace.

At that time, throughout the whole country, men and women alike are wholly devoted in faith. Everyone receives protection and spiritual deliverance, and gains long life.

The scripture says: At that time, whenever the Great Lord of the Dao of the Fusang Dongshen recites the scripture once, the Perfected Great Dongshen and countless divine attendants summoned by the Eastern, boundless and immeasurable section for averting calamities and dispelling adversity come through the air.

When it is recited twice, the Perfected Great Dongshen and countless divine attendants summoned by the Southern, boundless and immeasurable section for averting calamities and dispelling adversity come through the air.

When it is recited three times, the Perfected Great Dongshen and countless divine attendants summoned by the Western, boundless and immeasurable section for averting calamities and dispelling adversity come through the air.

When it is recited four times, the Perfected Great Dongshen and countless divine attendants summoned by the Northern, boundless and immeasurable section for averting calamities and dispelling adversity come through the air.

When it is recited five times, the Perfected Great Dongshen and countless divine attendants summoned by the Northeast, boundless and immeasurable section for averting calamities and dispelling adversity come through the air.

When it is recited six times, the Southeast, boundless and immeasurable section for averting calamities and dispelling adversity…

The Great True Deities of the Cavern of the Spirits (Dongshen) realm and the countless hosts of gods descended from the sky and proclaimed the scripture. When it had been recited seven times in the southwest, its teaching concerned the boundless and immeasurable and the averting of calamities and release from distress. At the eighth recitation, the divine hosts came to the northwest; at the ninth, they came above; at the tenth, they came below. When the ten recitations were complete, the Great True Deities of Heaven from all ten directions arrived together. Men and women throughout the realm sincerely turned toward them in reverence and admiration. Those who came were like rushing streams flowing into an abyss, or converging waters answering the tide: vast and boundless, with no end in sight.

Among the countless divine hosts, those who cultivate the Way of Heaven may encounter twelve kinds of calamity. When substance and function have not yet been distinguished, entanglement in karmic conditions becomes a calamity. When wisdom is imbalanced, being tainted by the teachings becomes a calamity. When Shen and Qi are out of harmony, clinging to distinctions becomes a calamity. Not understanding the nature of the Dao, clinging to falsehood becomes a calamity. Grasping at distinctions between emptiness and existence, or between the heterodox and the orthodox, becomes a calamity. Coveting the Dharma-body—the pure underlying reality revealed through awakening in Buddhist usage—and mistaking it for the self becomes a calamity. Clinging to supernatural powers and transformations becomes a calamity. Seeking to escape the cycle of birth and death in the Three Realms becomes a calamity. Understanding that the Great Dao is Wuwei (non-action), then turning that understanding into an attachment, becomes a calamity. Presumptuously speculating about the fundamental creative workings of Heaven and Earth, in a state of arrogance and delusion, becomes a calamity. Not understanding the principles of Yin-Yang revealed by the Cavern of the Spirits becomes a calamity. Not understanding that ordinary people and sages alike undergo the transformations of entering and leaving the womb becomes a calamity. These twelve are all calamities that practitioners of the Great Deities of Heaven and humanity may encounter.

There are also calamities of the human world. At birth, being governed by karmic force and born crosswise or sideways is one calamity. Being frightened in childhood is one calamity. In adulthood, being affected by the turns of fate is one calamity. In seeking to accomplish things, experiencing both gain and loss is one calamity. During cultivation or the conduct of affairs, being affected by the weather is one calamity. Falling ill in daily life is one calamity. Being interfered with by ghosts and spirits while undertaking some action is one calamity. Acting against one’s conscience and thereby incurring Heaven and Earth’s punishment is one calamity. Betraying the state and suffering penal punishment is one calamity. Being unfilial and bringing down thunder and fire is one calamity. Breaking precepts and thereby violating Heaven’s prohibitions is one calamity. Being cut down in one’s years through defilement and disrespect is one calamity. Secretly… (The original text ends here unfinished.)

When Yin energy is at its strongest, an imbalance between Yin and Yang brings disaster. Greed, indulgence, and overstepping one’s proper bounds invite disaster, as does the hollow and shallow character of worldly customs. These fifteen calamities may befall anyone in the world, and in severe cases they can cost a person’s life. The Five Destiny Stars cast their influence; the celestial stars send down misfortune; the officials of the underworld who oversee its registers record people’s offenses. The Three Officials, divine officers who govern the affairs of Heaven, Earth, and Water, report to the Five Emperors, the celestial emperors of the five directions, and enter people’s transgressions into the registers. Troubled in body and mind by these calamities, the people gathered at the Dao Lord’s vast assembly, surrounding him and gazing up at his sacred countenance as they waited quietly for him to expound the great teaching that wards off disaster and benefits all beings.

Then the Lord of the Fusang Realm, the Cavern Spirit Great High Dao Lord—a revered Daoist deity—held a sash adorned with the Sun, Moon, clouds, and dragons, and turned a bright table of auspicious jade. Looking down upon the assembly, he gazed with delight toward the ten directions. In an instant, the Dao Lord manifested a thousand billion forms. In accordance with their own karmic connections and spiritual capacities, each being saw the sacred lord standing before them in person. They knelt for a long time to receive his prediction, and the Dao Lord laid a hand upon each one’s head to instruct them.

The Dao Lord proclaimed: “Fusang is the source of life-giving energy. From within Fusang arises the Cavern Spirit’s energy, which becomes the animating spirit of all things. In the face of every great calamity, if you visualize the true and upright Nine Yang radiance of the Cavern Spirit, no disaster cannot be dispelled, and every hardship can be washed away completely.”

At the assembly, everyone saw the Dao Lord seated aloft upon purple clouds. Their curved shadows sheltered the patterned leaves of the Fusang jade scroll. The Cavern Spirit’s energy transformed into a forest of cinnabar trees, where a thousand perfected ones stood in orderly ranks five zhang above the ground, crowned and bearing swords. The Cavern Spirit Great Dao Lord led the assembled deities in warding off disaster and resolving calamity. Among them were the Great Divine Perfected of the Cavern Spirit, Han the Registrar, the Southern Palace Lord of the Deities Who Transfers Destinies, Removes Calamities, and Follows the Way, the Most High and Venerable Blue Radiance Jewel-Bearing Perfected, and countless other Great Perfected Deities of the ten directions, boundless in number. Together they entered the shaded refuge of the divine forest. Those in Heaven and on Earth looked up and saw the deities continually entering from the Cavern Spirit’s radiance. Once inside the forest, no one knew where they had gone.

The turmoil in the realm then subsided. The blue ramparts were restored, flat as a whetstone, and the divine forest grew still. The Cavern Spirit Great Dao Lord then finished expounding the scripture within the manifested realm. The perfected ones jointly oversaw the transmission and entrusted the scripture and its teaching to me. The joy of that moment cannot be put into words, and the ritual was largely complete. The assembled celestial deities each returned to their proper place. Divine energy arose within the empty vastness, and silence fell all around.

At that time, celestial and worldly beings who had the good fortune to encounter this scripture and its teaching were saved in great numbers. They could preserve their allotted lifespans and remain unharmed. The people of the whole realm turned their hearts toward the Dao and looked up in reverence; calamities vanished, and their minds regained stillness and purity. Once their thoughts were upright, deviant ways could no longer trouble them, the stars no longer clashed in their courses, and ghosts and spirits no longer sent down punishments and calamities.

The calamities known as the Three Disasters, Four Killings, Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water), Six Harms, Seven Injuries, Eight Afflictions, and Nine Perils can all be transcended and dispelled. Misfortune is removed, and ill omens come to an end. The scripture’s hidden words teach people to follow the Middle Way, avoid slandering others, treat everyone equally, and hold compassion in their hearts, so that even people of different surnames may be as close as one family. In this way, the state is secure, the people are prosperous, life is peaceful, and all under Heaven is at peace.

After this scripture began to be transmitted, all those in the land who had long held sincere devotion, revered the Great Dao, and worshipped it respectfully could attain deliverance.

The Lord of the Great Dao of the Cavern of Spirits (a revered Daoist deity) said: “Everything taught in this scripture consists of secret tones used by the Lords of Heaven to avert calamity and bestow blessings, and secret names used by demon kings to dispel misfortune. These are not ordinary words of the human world. The perfected sages and adepts who have already attained the Dao understand the mysteries and probe their subtleties; they can fully comprehend its passages. Recite the scripture ten times, and the heavens will send down true Qi, sink calamities, and sweep away misfortune. Your birth destiny will be illumined, blessings will naturally increase, and the Qi of celestial truth will guard your body. Evil ways will have no means to intrude; the assembled immortals will revere you in solemn awe; spirit officials (divine functionaries charged with protection and oversight) will beat drums and play music; rosy clouds will shine, and the jeweled sea will radiate light.

“Calamities in the human world will be removed, evil Qi will disperse, and misfortune will turn into good fortune. The practitioner’s Dao work will grow, and in the end they will become a perfected adept. A scholar who has succeeded in cultivating the Dao need only recite the scripture ten times to resonate with the various emperors and receive the distant illumination of the heavens, which protect the human world. Every calamity can be averted; the people and all things will be at peace, and the Dao’s teachings will flourish for a long time. Poisonous harm will disperse, ghosts and spirits will lose their power, the Five Emperors will guard you close at hand, and beings throughout the Three Realms will also be delivered. Even when someone lies dying and has stopped breathing, they can be brought back from peril to life.

“This is because the scholar’s virtue is complete and abundant, and ghosts and spirits all respect and admire them. Their realization penetrates the truth, and their spiritual power extends everywhere. Reciting this supreme scripture brings blessings and dispels calamities, enabling all living beings to escape the many disasters. Its mysteries can reach through to the Way of Heaven, command the earth spirits, and bind demonic forces. It can do more than avert death: it can also bring someone back from death to life.

“Reciting this scripture carelessly can instead bring calamity. If you make offerings to it, revere it, and bow before it, your household will prosper and flourish from generation to generation, forming good connections far and wide. Ten thousand kinds of calamity will be unable to intrude, and the divine powers will guard your home.

“This scripture is exalted and wondrous, unique in the Jade Capital (the celestial capital in Daoist belief), and can deliver immeasurable numbers of living beings. It is the root of the ten thousand Dao. Its height and breadth are boundless, and its merits and virtues cannot be fully described.”

The Dao says: Whoever recites this scripture ten times will see the disasters of the Nine Heavens, the exalted heavens of Daoist teaching, dispelled. The great gods of all the heavens will descend together and resolve hardships and perils.

If someone’s fate brings them under the influence of baleful forces about to descend—such as hidden stars, Yin luminaries, the Dark Heaven Divine Head, or the ominous Bo and Li spirits—they should observe purification, quiet the mind, and pray with sincerity. In this way, decline and disaster will be cut off forever. Even when their allotted age has reached its end, their soul and spirit can be delivered and rise to the Vermilion Palace, a heavenly residence in Daoist teaching. After nine years of instruction, they will be reborn as a person of high standing. If they delight in cultivating the scriptures and complete their merit, they can all become immortals, ascend to the Golden Tower, the residence of the Celestial Emperor, and feast at leisure in the Jade Capital, the city of heaven.

Those of the highest attainment who cultivate and recite this scripture extend blessings far and wide, so that all beings may receive its beneficence. Even grave disasters will be cleansed away and resolved; the afflicted will then be delivered and ascend to the Southern Palace, a heavenly residence. People of the world who uphold and recite this scripture can prolong their lives and, in the end, all attain the Dao of corpse liberation, the Daoist method of shedding the mortal body to become an immortal. The Divine Cave’s Fire Essence refines and transforms the bodily bones, turning them into an immortal body. The spirit body can appear and vanish, change form, and travel freely. It dwells in a blessed land, wanders at ease in the realm of the Dao, and ultimately resumes its form and moves through the vast heavens.

This scripture is subtle and expansive, and can deliver beings without limit. All heavenly beings and people of the world receive immeasurable blessings through it; the living and the dead alike benefit. Heaven treasures this scripture, so it must not be passed on casually to ordinary people. Those who truly possess the Dao must express their sincerity with gold and jewels and swear an oath before heaven before they may transmit it. Anyone who carelessly reveals or neglects this scripture will bring calamity upon nine generations of ancestors, condemning them to long service under the officials of the dead. The Five Emperors’ Jade Boys and Jade Maidens who attend this scripture number twenty-four of each. They will guard the text and protect those who receive it.

The Dao says: Observing an extended purification fast and reciting this scripture in the first lunar month can free the souls of one’s deceased ancestors from calamities such as lawsuits concerning their tombs and inspections by officials of the dead. It cuts off misfortune, spares them the hardship of forced labor in the River of Night, and delivers them to the Southern Palace. Observing an extended purification fast and reciting this scripture in the seventh lunar month can dissolve the nets of heaven and earth, the nine sudden calamities, and disasters such as punishments and injury in the heavenly prison, enabling the practitioner to become an immortal. The heavens will enter their name in the Yellow Register, the Daoist register of the dead, and erase it from the White Ledger, the record of the deceased, freeing them from death so that they may live. Observing an extended purification fast and reciting this scripture in the tenth lunar month can resolve unusual eclipses of the sun and moon, disruptions in the fortunes of heaven and earth, and evils...

May demons and evil spirits be rooted out, and disasters on the borders and throughout the realm brought to an end. May the people be freed from epidemics and harm. May the king, the emperor, the ruler and his ministers, and fathers and sons live in peace; may the nation enjoy lasting stability and endure from generation to generation. When the ruler brings peace to the land, the people praise the reign as peaceful.

Reciting this scripture on the eight seasonal nodes—the Start of Spring, Spring Equinox, Start of Summer, Summer Solstice, Start of Autumn, Autumn Equinox, Start of Winter, and Winter Solstice—can dispel disasters brought by the shifting of cosmic cycles and the changing of seasons. It can also resolve disputes and slander, entanglements in guilt, imprisonment, killing and injury, disasters involving water and fire, and hardships such as destitution, decline, and blocked roads. The spirits of the Nine Palaces descend to guard the practitioner.

Reciting this scripture on one’s natal day—the day corresponding to the Earthly Branch of one’s birth year—can avert disasters such as the Big Dipper, revered in Daoism as a star deity, summoning one’s living soul and entering one’s name in the register of the dead, as well as distress, hardship, and humiliation. In this way, the soul and spirit become clear and upright, and the original Qi remains vigorous for a long time, free from suffering. The body shines with radiance, guarded by the Three Realms and welcomed by the Five Emperors; the myriad spirits come to pay homage. One’s name is entered in the celestial realm, and when one’s merit is complete, one may ascend to Shangqing, the pure celestial realm spoken of in Daoism.

The scripture says: When performing the recitation rite, first bathe with fragrant water and observe purification and abstinence. Then enter a quiet chamber and face east. Click the teeth thirty-two times to communicate with the thirty-two heavens above, then bow thirty-two times. Close the eyes and meditate, imagining oneself seated upright amid blue, yellow, and white clouds, their depths dense and shadowy. The Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, Black Tortoise, lions, and white cranes stand in ranks on either side. The light of the sun and moon illuminates the chamber. The great deities of the Dongshen Cavern who avert calamities stand solemnly before and behind; a circular halo appears above their heads, its light illuminating the ten directions. During the rite, these scenes should be visualized clearly, and then the secret incantation silently recited.

The secret incantation says:

Supreme Lord of the Dao, mysterious and primordial: summon forth from within my body the Three and Five Merit Officers, divine officials who convey commands; the officials and envoys on my left and right; the jade youths who attend to incense; the jade maidens who transmit messages; the Five Emperors’ Tally Officers, who carry out the Emperors’ commands; and the incense officials on duty today, thirty-six of each. Convey what I say today up to the Heavenly Court. Today is an auspicious day. In this pure ritual hall, I observe purification and cultivate the Dao, reciting the Scripture of Deliverance from Limitless Suffering. May the matter I petition for ascend to Heaven’s hearing and reach directly before the supreme throne of the Original Beginning Emperor in the highest of the thirty-two heavens.

After reciting the secret incantation, guide the breath thirty-two times, face east, and recite the scripture.