《靈寶無量度人上品妙經》Vol. 44

The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning (Yuanshi Tianzun) set the cycles of creation in motion and brought forth the various heavens. The True Spirit of Green Radiance and Wood (the true spirit embodying the Qi of Green Radiance and Wood) is the root of the growth of all things. Vital energy spreads throughout, and essence-Qi becomes abundant. The wood deity is the sovereign of wood and the child of primordial Qi. Qi transforms into true water, and water in turn generates wood. Wood contains the Qi of Green Radiance and becomes the sovereign of all things.

Within the essence of Green Radiance and Wood lies a clear, pure nature, which transforms and gives rise to fire. Fire shines crimson and bright, reaches into the mysterious and subtle, and fulfills the true Dao; spirits arise from it naturally. Their forms are transparent to the Great Void, and they can awaken to the principles of sincerity and clarity. Their breath flows on without cease, flickering and blazing; hence they are called “Dongshen” (Cavern of the Spirit). Dongshen is supremely true. All things that receive it can grow and take form; all evil influences and calamities that encounter it are brought to rest. It is the true embodiment of the Dao, able to ward off disasters, misfortune, evil, and falsehood.

When metal meets fire, its essence is revealed; when all things enter fire, they undergo endless transformations. To shed one’s old form and bones and ascend into the mysterious realm is to follow the principles of Heaven and seek the wondrous Dao. When worldly calamities stray from the right path, Dongshen arrives in response, dispersing every disaster. Dongshen contains the Nine Yangs and can bring boundless blessings. Those who attain it may endure forever; all things transformed by it can likewise remain secure for a long time.

The divine wind surges, and cinnabar clouds drift and unfurl, weaving into intricate patterns. The three luminaries—the sun, moon, and stars—shine together to dispel calamities and protect life. The divine writing is inscribed on a tablet and placed above the Jade Hall. Above, it reaches the supreme Dao realms of the Three Heavens; below, it extends to places such as Jade Mountain, Yuluo, and Hunhuang. It bestows grace on beings of every kind and helps dispel calamity and misfortune. By reciting, swallowing, and wearing the divine writing, one guides and absorbs the sun’s purple mist, gathering it within until it shines with blazing radiance. This is an essential method of cultivating the Dao, a path to ascent, and a condition for becoming a Celestial True One—a true spirit who has attained the Dao. The generation of spirits, the directing of transformations, and the protection of the people are all connected with the Qi of Dongshen.

The Qi of the Great Brahma circulates through the ten directions. Among its powers are spirits who avert calamities and turn misfortune into blessing, and divine lords who dispel disaster and extend life: the Venerable Spirit of Dongshen Who Relieves Distress, the Lord of Eastern Florescence Who Grants Life, the Elder of the Great Sovereign Who Bestows Ten Thousand Blessings, the Spirit of Fusang Who Settles Destiny and Removes Calamity, and the Lord of Dao and De Who Disperses Disaster and Misfortune. They answer prayers for protection and blessings, carrying out boundless deeds to save people. Today, as this scripture is collated and recorded, the spirits of the heavens also attend at the hall to witness and inspect it.

In the East: the King of the Gods of Dongshen Who Averts Calamity, the Great Saint of Long Life, and the Boundless Savior of People.

In the South: the King of the Gods of Dongshen Who Averts Calamity, the Great Saint of Long Life, and the Boundless Savior of People.

In the West: the King of the Gods of Dongshen Who Averts Calamity, the Great Saint of Long Life, and the Boundless Savior of People.

The Boundless Cave-Spirit Kings Who Dispel Calamities and the Great Sages of Long Life in the north, northeast, southeast, southwest, northwest, above, and below are all deities who save and guide limitless numbers of people.

The Boundless Great Gods of the Ten Directions, the Cave-Spirit Kings who Dispel Calamities and grant long life and deliverance from the world, arrive together in carriages that whirl like swift winds and shine with radiant light. They ride carved carriages adorned with red jade, covered by canopies and hung with pearl banners. Dragons and phoenixes draw the carriages, preceded by standards of the Ten Extremities and Nine Lights. The vital energies of the four quarters and the scenes of the eight directions surround the luminous curtains. The attendants in front chant sacred hymns in unison, while those behind play wondrous music of the immortals; golden cranes and red-hued numinous birds add their harmonious songs.

The Six Jia deities clear the way for them, while the Nine Elders guard the rear of the carriages. Millions upon millions of carriages and thousands upon thousands of mounted attendants float down from the sky. They draw in their radiance and turn their carriages to inspect those cultivating the Way and save all living beings. The chancellors of the heavens, the Director of Destiny and the Director of Records in the Upper Palace of Nanchang, and the revered gods who dispel calamities, scatter misfortune, extend life, add years, and rescue those in distress all hold registers in their hands. Gathering before the Divine Sovereign, they carefully examine the celestial records to determine how each person should be saved.

They issue proclamations throughout the Three Realms and the divine domains beyond measure, and also notify the Office of the Springs’ Crooked Paths, the Northern Capital of Luofeng, the Three Offices and Nine Palaces, the Twelve River Sources, the deities who govern plagues and natural disasters, and the spirits who administer the underworld. They remit the punishments, calamities, decline, and loss that living beings in the world would otherwise suffer; revise the registers and erase records of misfortune, so that people may live long and their blessings and good fortune may grow. Illness is dispelled, sins are dissolved, and evil roots are destroyed. People are no longer detained or forced to join the ranks of ghosts.

By the command written in the Dao Lord’s talisman, practitioners should be promoted at the proper time. Following Heaven’s firm vital energy, they enter the Dipper, pass through the Heavenly Gate, and leave the realm of death for the realm of life, gaining the right to appear before the Heavenly Emperor. Heaven subdues demonic obstacles and recommends the practitioners, enabling them to ascend beyond this world to the Southern Palace. Their souls are refined, calamities disperse, and blessings come to fruition; their bodies in this present life are also saved, and they endure through every generation and age. As the cycles of the kalpas turn, their lifespans grow as long as Heaven’s.

They forever transcend the Three Paths, the Five Sufferings, and the Eight Difficulties, cross beyond the Three Realms, and roam freely in Shangqing. Above the Heaven of Shangqing lies the colorless realm of the Heavenly Emperor Yu Zhen, where the pure Dao is practiced everywhere.

The Eight Heavens of the East

In the Jade Register’s Mysterious Crossing Heaven, the Heavenly Emperor is Zhen Ding Yiyang.

Xina Celebrates the Ancestral Heaven, ruled by Emperor Chou Bianyingchang; the Heaven of Nine Qi Honoring the Worthy, ruled by Emperor Shou Tigengguang; Qinghua Liyuan Heaven, ruled by Emperor Fu Pu’erdun; Handu Nine Offices Heaven, ruled by Emperor Wang Chiximing; Butong Transcends the Latter Heaven, ruled by Emperor Bi Zongshilong; Danlin Conceals and Establishes Heaven, ruled by Emperor Qiao Zongyansong; the Heaven of Nine-Colored Firm Seeds, ruled by Emperor Yue Zhizirong.

Eight Heavens of the South:

Yaofu Tanyu Heaven, ruled by Emperor Jing Zhaojiansheng; Chongguang Pushi Heaven, ruled by Emperor Yu Wei Guanling; Dongji Danyi Heaven, ruled by Emperor Zu Qiguiren; Zhengji Taidu Heaven, ruled by Emperor Chu Sibugong; Bian’e Lucheng Heaven, ruled by Emperor Gan Yicong; Xuanshu Huining Heaven, ruled by Emperor Yan Lü Fengling; Jiuyang Lijing Heaven, ruled by Emperor Lu Qiu Shiyin; Zhangfan Yuanjing Heaven, ruled by Emperor Wu Qiu Sitong.

Eight Heavens of the West:

Canji Xuanji Heaven, ruled by Emperor Dawuyuan; Zhaojin Puyi Heaven, ruled by Emperor Shi Dugeyan; Miaoyu Suling Heaven, ruled by Emperor Shun Shi Dongyin; Jinfei Haoxu Heaven, ruled by Emperor Zao Ciyuanbu; Donghui Mingmiao Heaven, ruled by Emperor Gen Qi Shugun; Zhaozhen Kongbi Heaven, ruled by Emperor Pin Dong Zhiqing; Guoding Qingji Heaven, ruled by Emperor Lang Fuyouyang; Huangsi Shilong Heaven, ruled by Emperor Meng Yuanyi Xuan.

Eight Heavens of the North:

Daoli Hongdu Heaven, ruled by Emperor Xue Wuyanzhi; Yuyi Xuanming Heaven, ruled by Emperor Chang Shanmin; Zhuji Dexi Heaven, ruled by Emperor Jing Zhang Rongfei; Jiusu Sixuan Heaven, ruled by Emperor Dong Jue Yaizhen.

This passage lists the names of heavenly realms in each direction and the emperors who rule them. “Heaven” here refers to levels of the celestial realms in Daoist cosmology, while “emperor” refers to the deity governing the corresponding realm. Most of the heaven and emperor names are proper names and are best retained in their original form; their specific meanings cannot readily be determined from the characters alone. Although the text labels the sections “Eight Heavens of the South” and “Eight Heavens of the West,” the northern section contains only four pairs of heaven and emperor names.

The Heaven of Hidden Radiance Receiving the Light (where radiance lies concealed and receives the light of Heaven) is governed by the Emperor of the Axis, Luo Yongcui. The Heaven of the Great Origin’s Lofty Formation (where the breath of the Great Origin is exalted and takes shape) is governed by the Emperor of the Celestial Terrace, Yuan Ben Shi. The Heaven of Bright Mystery Revering the Gods (where light and mystery are honored, and the gods revered) is governed by the Emperor of the Deer, Du Ming Shu. The Heaven of Deep, Vast, and Endless Expanse (where the depths stretch far and endure without end) is governed by the Emperor of the Moon, Shang Zhen.

The thirty-two heavens and their thirty-two Heavenly Emperors each have their own secret names. These hidden names arise naturally as numinous registers from the Brahma Qi of the Cavern of the Spirits. They contain the secret sounds of the heavens, their honorific titles, and the names of gods, demons, and numinous beings. Nature and spirit unite and transform in response; this is the immeasurably profound realm of Shangqing, too deep to describe fully. The scripture proclaims the descent of the divine immortals, who universally save the people of Heaven and Earth and the gods. Today, all rejoice and celebrate, receiving salvation and transformation. May calamities be dispelled and transgressions kept far away.

The Most High examines and verifies the constellations, turns back the celestial carriage, and sweeps away the dark paths. No calamity, ill omen, or disaster of blood and fire may again afflict the world. Demons plot harm in secret; grievances and false accusations can all bring great disaster. The scripture petitions the heavens to dispel the Five Sufferings and commands that the Five Declines be cut off. The divine spirits stride through the heavens, carrying out their charge to govern the Nine Origins, so that harmful, evil Qi is extinguished forever. The Lord of the Dao grants years of life, and the Cavern of the Spirits sends down Jing. Through visualization, one may enter the Gate of Heaven.

The Eastern Dipper is responsible for checking the registers of names; the Western Dipper gathers numinous Qi; the Northern Dipper averts calamities and changes their names; the Southern Dipper issues talismanic commands and vermilion writings to protect the body; and the Central Dipper records lifespans and governs blessings. The Azure Emperor preserves life, the White Emperor halts calamities, the Red Emperor grants registers for transcending the world, the Black Emperor dispels misfortune, and the Yellow Emperor guards the whole body, making blessings and good fortune shine brightly.

The Great God of the Azure Heaven ensures that calamities do not arise; the Great God of the Red Heaven makes curses ineffective; the Great God of the White Heaven conceals the traces of death and harm; the Great God of the Black Heaven sweeps away the encampments of demons; and the Great God of the Yellow Heaven uses numinous diagrams to guard the realm of the Real. In this way, the Five Viscera are stabilized within, while the hundred spirits gather without. The numinous jade register is the foundation of primordial Qi. It can extinguish misfortune and cause brilliant light to rise.

The Great Gods of the Five Heavens are lords of all ghosts. They fly through the air and command ghostly troops. Bearing banners and playing drums and music, they patrol the Ninefold Underworld. Vermilion banners gleam, and purple Qi rises. The heavens thereby alter their courses, calamities turn into blessings, and Heaven saves living beings through the authority of its laws.

The Most High of the Cavern of the Spirits of Northern Feng universally sweeps away calamities and evil, using the power of the eight directions to subdue malign Qi. The fierce horses, the Heavenly Generals of the Four Quarters, and the Great Marshal who captures ghosts all go forth together. They bind dragons, hurl flames, and set the myriad stream-bells racing across ten thousand miles. If, in any of the eight directions, an evil creature dares to offend or recklessly cause harm, the Northern Emperor makes its bones drift away, while the Southern Dipper burns its remains, utterly destroying the demons. Wind and fire surge in vast tumult, their power without limit.

The Lingbao scriptures, part of the Daoist canon, describe a sacred power that burns away evil spirits and dispels calamities. Demons are burned and cut down, ghosts cannot intrude, and the essences of monsters and evil beings are powerless to cause harm. The Three Officials, deities who govern Heaven, Earth, and Water, and Beifeng, the realm of the dead, clearly discern the affairs of ghosts and spirits; the ghost soldiers have nowhere to hide. The Golden Horse courier carries proclamations in every direction, commanding countless spirits to obey and reporting to the Five Emperors of the Three Realms, who govern those realms.

Within the Primordial Cavern, the Qi of Azure Florescence condenses into emerald clouds, while the music of the divine mulberry sustains purple cloud sprouts. This is the spirit of the origin, which governs the ceaseless creation and transformation of life and is the source of springlike vitality. It is the ancestor of the transformations of all things and the honored lord of the Cavern of the Spirits. The Cavern deity refines the Yang soul with Yin fire. When ordinary people encounter this power, they can attain immortal reality. It disperses the calamities and evil influences that afflict the world, and returns the mind and spirit to the true Dao. Calamities vanish like clouds; the breath exhaled by the Cavern deity burns away ill omens and is the source of blessings.

Jade Capital’s Mysterious Mountain rises lofty and steep, pure and tranquil on the left, deep and secluded on the right. Golden liquid and jade springs flow through it, and its Qi reaches directly to the Nine Heavens and the realm of layered mysteries. The Mysterious Dao is formless, and beneath it lies a depth without bottom. Wind, marsh, and the Qi of the Cavern Void fill this wondrous realm. Between Heaven and Earth there is no dark or obscure place, no boundary of form or shadow. It is vast and limitless, flowing on without end. At the beginning of chaos, where could calamities have come from?

After the Red Luminosity opened and ordered Heaven and Earth, all things found their proper place. Good deeds accumulate blessings; evil deeds invite calamity. The causes of misfortune and good fortune both arise within the heart. The Dao’s essence is formless, and the Daoist heart acts through Wuwei (non-action). Since it is formless and inactive, how could misfortune or good fortune arise from it? The Lord of the Cavern of the Spirits, with a compassionate heart, sets divine power in motion, turning calamity into blessing and protecting every living being without omission. Sacred scriptures such as the Five Jade Texts and the Dragon Writings of Eight Powers can dispel lingering evil influences and extend life. They preserve the cycles of cosmic change and keep the Way of Heaven in motion for ages. Brahma Qi fills the cosmos, causing all calamities to lie hidden. The Primordial Principle, which sustains the movement of Heaven and Earth, flows through the Thirty-Two Heavens, revolving everywhere across the Formless Realm and the Ten Directions. The gods of fate in the Dipper Palace record blessings and remove calamities. Their divine Qi moves through the thirty-five divisions, governs the Qi of the Upper Origin, and silently merges with the Eight Radiances.

The divine Qi enters the depths of mystery. The Supreme Emperor of Mystery within Mystery and the High Perfected hold the Mixed Origin talismans for averting calamity. They sit in the Hall of Light, descend to the Great Rosy Clouds, and chant the Cavern Verses. Golden true Qi shines with brilliant splendor, and its sound reaches the Celestial Court of Taiwei. The courses of baleful stars return to their proper paths, and the Qi of evil forces is subdued. White smoke circles back to the left, while purple Qi gathers to the right. Together they give rise to jade-like forms and countenance; myriad aspects of Qi mingle and converge, and Perfected Beings come into being naturally. Within each Perfected Being resides a spirit. The Lord of the Cavern of the Spirits in the Azure Palace of Fusang is the ancestor of the myriad Qi and the Great Lord of Long Life. He was the first to establish the realm of Azure Clouds and wears a brocade sash. Prince Wuying, the Venerable Spirit Baiyuan, and the Great One (Taiyi), a Daoist deity, hold brushes and record the registers, while Taokang looks down upon the courtyard.

By holding and mastering talismans and registers, one can preserve life and sustain its vitality. Their power comes from ascending to Shangqing, the upper celestial realm in Daoist cosmology, entering and leaving the Flowery Chambers, and reaching throughout the eight directions, the netherworld, and the most minute reaches of existence.

The power of talismans and registers can also descend to subdue the Niwan Palace, the dwelling of the spirits in the head, and the Crimson Palace, the dwelling of the spirits in the heart. It regulates the Five Qi and brings the hundred spirits together. After ten transformations, the numinous Qi turns back, all Qi gathers, and one can become an immortal.

The immortal way places great value on life. One must dispel baleful Qi and make the spirits manifest. When the Gate of Heaven suddenly opens, one can see the Sovereign Lord bestow secret instructions, enabling one to recognize the innate True Nature within oneself. The prohibitions concerning sin and blessing, as well as the fates and karmic ties of past lives, are all taught and delivered from suffering. The Way of the Cavern Spirit, a Daoist method of cultivation, brings life into being; life is born from the Dao. By ascending above the heavens, one can forever eliminate the roots of calamity.

Among these writings are pieces such as “Songs of the Empty Cavern,” along with poems by three True Spirits. Their elegant language joins together the Way of the High Perfected, the exalted divine beings revered in Daoism.

First Poem: “The Sound of the Heavenly Market’s Ordered Course,” by the Cavern Spirit Lord of the Dao, Who Wards Off Calamity and Brings Blessing

Radiant and majestic, numinous power shines bright, its light turning back across the eight directions and illuminating the world. All things turn toward the Great Dao. Follow the Dao and good fortune comes; oppose the Way of Heaven and decline follows.

Bow twice to the golden divinities, praying that your wishes be answered and calamities cease. The Dao and De are lofty and vast; the immortal way stretches on without end. The way of ghosts, meanwhile, has its periods of flourishing and decline.

Why not gaze upon the Great Nonbeing, the vast, formless emptiness? Numinous Qi shines brilliantly, illuminating the blue vault of heaven. Clouds and mists drift above the Jade Gate, the celestial palace. Immortals welcome the fragrant breeze; their faces are youthful as infants, as though spring had returned.

The Way of the Cavern Spirit transforms people, like green shoots sprouting forth. After they swallow numinous medicines, their radiance streams and turns. May the Way of Fusang, the immortal path symbolized by the divine tree of the east, appear together with the Phoenix Seal, a sacred talismanic emblem, serene and harmonious.

Below, it takes pity on those beings who live from dawn to dusk. They toil without rest in the turning cycle of life and death, yet do not understand the purpose of the Cavern Spirit. They wander in distress, trapped as though shut inside a cage. So one mounts a numinous carriage high in the sky and travels to Mount Donghua, where one meets the immortal spirits.

Second Poem: “The Chapter of the Great Tenuity and the Empty Cavern,” by the Cavern Spirit Lord of the Dao, Who Wards Off Calamity and Brings Blessing

Blue numinous light streams and shines; the golden palace and vermilion gates glow brilliantly. Stars crowd the sky like trees. Clouds encircle the heavens like a celestial net, and the stars are linked together like pearls.

Calamities linger and do not depart. Opposing the Great Dao brings disaster and prolongs misfortune. I possess red writings, secret vermilion texts passed down in Daoism, numinous charts, and precious records of the stars’ courses. Woven together like a net, they accord with people’s body and spirit and are used to ward off calamity and pardon transgressions.

These are scriptures from the secret treasury of the Most High, transmitted only once in countless ages. The Cavern Spirit Primordial Sovereign defied the prohibition to reveal and proclaim them.

The chapters shine with radiant splendor, like the glow of rosy clouds. The cinnabar scriptures—sacred Daoist texts written in red ink—record mysterious words that dispel calamities in the world, extend the transmission of the Dao and human life, and help rulers follow the way of Heaven, enduring unchanged through countless eons.

Rows of palaces coil like dragons, their golden light winding and flowing. They breathe out fierce flames and stir up waves, washing away demonic obstructions and tangled grievances. They unite with the Great Dao and proclaim its power throughout the Three Realms, helping all beings pass through the eight calamities and return their breath to the natural Dao.

Song of the Third Cavern of the Divine Dao Lord: Dispelling Calamity, Bringing Blessings, and Subduing Demons in the Ziwei Palace

The all-embracing radiance surges without bounds as golden horses gallop in every direction. A jade chariot travels through the sky, with the sun leading and the moon following. The gods each keep their appointed stations, while the Three Officials—the Heavenly Official, the Earthly Official, and the Water Official—stand in ordered attendance.

Calamities in the world follow their appointed course; water and fire bring destruction. Yin-Yang waxes and wanes, and when the cycle of disaster reaches its limit, it turns. The Nine Spirits beat their wings, and the Dragon Post, a numinous station that carries messages for the gods, turns the mechanisms of Heaven. The calamities of warfare and violent storms descend; murderous Qi spreads, and signs of disaster appear.

At this time, the Red Scripture for averting calamity is bestowed. The Five Emperors wield their brushes to make records, while the Four Luminaries capture evil spirits. Demonic influences are swept away completely, and blessings and Virtue grow vast and deep. The Heavenly Emperor enjoys boundless longevity. The people live in peace, and distant lands rejoice and sing; auspicious celebrations and blessings follow one after another.

I chant the text of the Divine Cavern: a cinnabar-colored carriage travels among green clouds, its jeweled canopy scattering light, while a divine wind brings a distant, fragrant scent. The Ziwei Palace, the Heavenly Emperor’s residence, makes its circuit, with the Three Platforms, celestial star officials, arrayed around it like a screen. Vast, upright Qi shines upon the Northern Dipper. The Flowing Bell refines true Qi, and amid the nine-colored clouds of the celestial palace, the Lord of Great Simplicity appears.

These three true scriptures are sounds that avert calamity and bestow blessings. They were transmitted by the Most High Lord of the Dao of the Cavern of the Spirits (a revered Daoist deity) when he transformed his Dharma body and roamed through space. Those who contemplate the Cavern Chapters and recite them one hundred times are said to “cross over to the Southern Palace.” After one thousand recitations, the Demon King will escort and welcome them. After ten thousand, their cultivation and merit in the Dao will be complete: they will ascend through space, transcend the Three Realms, and take their place among the Immortal Lords. When the Demon King hears the wondrous, numinous sound of the scriptures, he reveres their power and, under orders, restrains the local earth spirits, attends and escorts the dead, and helps departed souls escape the gates of hell. In this way, they avoid the Five Sufferings and Eight Calamities, their seven generations of ancestors rise to a higher state, and they are freed forever from the jurisdiction of ghost officials. Calamities no longer linger, and blessings descend together. This is called “unlimited universal deliverance, without end.” All the heavens revere this secret text of the celestial realm. To reveal it carelessly or treat it with disrespect is to fall into hell and bring calamity upon one’s seven generations of ancestors.

The Dao says: These two chapters of scripture are the secret, preserved words of the Lords of Heaven and the True King who averts calamities. They are all the speech of Great Brahma, the sacred language of the celestial realm, and not words commonly used in the world. Their diction follows neither worldly rhythms nor ornate literary conventions, and so they are called profound and difficult to understand. They are treasures cherished by Heaven, kept hidden in the Upper Palace of Purple Tenuity in the Dark Capital, a celestial palace in Daoist belief. According to the Dark Regulations—the Daoist rules for discipline and transmission—they are transmitted only once every forty thousand kalpas. If someone who has attained the Dao brings precious gold and treasure, makes a sincere vow, and reports their pledge to Heaven according to established custom, the scriptures may be transmitted to them only after ten days have passed.

The Dao says: The methods of the Cavern of the Spirits for averting calamity are wondrous beyond words. Those who have not grasped the profound principles and explored the hidden depths cannot fully understand them. When heavenly beings encounter calamity, it is because the movement of their allotted Qi has reached a time of decline and final exhaustion. The sun and moon wax and wane; even sages and spirits experience times of good fortune and decline. When beginners in cultivation fall ill or meet with calamity, all those who share a resonant Qi with them should join together in purification rites, offer incense six times throughout the day and night, and recite the scriptures ten times. Then blessings and De will descend at once, dispelling every kind of ill omen. This immeasurable scripture can deliver all living beings without limit.

The Dao says: In averting calamities that afflict people in the world, some people have exhausted their allotted Qi and are nearing the end of their lives; the rites avert ill omens for them. Others are still beginners in the Dao and have not attained a sufficient rank among the immortals. Their fate has decreed that they must die, and their bodies are about to undergo Taiyin, the underworld realm in Daoist belief. As they approach death, fellow practitioners who have attained the Dao may offer incense and recite the scriptures ten times to deliver their bodies. Averting calamity according to the prescribed rites means not only dispelling misfortune during life, but also averting calamities after death. Even though the person has now died and their soul has dispersed, calamities are still said to occur: these include the prisons of water and fire, and the prisons of metal and iron, as well as interrogation and torture, pursuit and summons, and imprisonment. These too are calamities that souls encounter underground. Therefore, at a quiet place among mountains and waters, build an earthen altar, face north to pray and make an invocation, lay out the jade writings of the Five Directions’ true texts and burn them as an offering, then perform purification rites and recite the scriptures to help the soul ascend directly to …

The surviving text ends with “Nanchang, according to the days counted for their cultivation and merit, then …” The passage is incomplete, so its precise meaning cannot be determined.

As long as one can be reborn again and avoid losing one’s way in the cycle of reincarnation, one can attain the status of an immortal.

The Dao Lord said: When the workings of Heaven and Earth are nearing their end, the stars move out of order, the sun and moon lose their regular courses, the seasons fall into disarray, and Yin-Yang becomes unbalanced; rulers suffer calamities, warfare breaks out everywhere, epidemics spread, and the people are killed and injured. When such things occur, and a teacher, friend, or family member dies, one should hold a purification fast, practice cultivation, burn incense, and recite scripture.

One should take the Five Emperors’ Red Writings, the numinous scripts of the five directions—talismanic writings associated with the spirits of those directions—and write them in cinnabar on blue-white plain silk. Facing the corresponding direction, burn the silk and scatter its ashes. Alternatively, one may make slips from cypress wood, write words of calamity-aversion on them in cinnabar, then cast them into mountains or waters, or bury them in the corresponding direction or at the place where calamity has occurred. In this way, the Great Gods of the Dongshen Cavern will gather up the baleful Qi and send down blessings and auspicious signs.

The merit of fasting and reciting scripture is immense. Above, it can dispel disasters from Heaven, protect and bring peace to the emperor; below, it can avert poison and harm, save the people, and shelter all beings through life and death. The blessings gained from this are beyond measure, and so it is called “unbounded salvation for all beings, celestial and human.”

The Dao Lord said: Anyone who possesses this scripture and is willing to cultivate this merit for Heaven and Earth, the emperor, and the people need only resolve to hold a purification fast, burn incense, and recite the scripture ten times when calamity strikes. All the heavens will record that person’s name, and the myriad spirits will protect them. By cultivating in this way, one will in time become an immortal official who serves the Holy Lord and holds rank in the Golden Gate. The heavens record people’s merits and faults, leaving out nothing, however small; the demon kings of Heaven, too, will recommend your meritorious deeds. Only those who attain the Dao can truly understand these supreme teachings.

The Great Brahma Hidden Words of the Heavens, whose sounds are without limit. This text was written by the Dao Lord.

Middle Volume of the Numinous Book for Averting Calamity, by the Great Dao Lord of the Dongshen Cavern at Fusang

What follows are the Great Brahma Hidden Words for the Eight Heavens of the East and the Eight Heavens of the South. These are sacred sound-texts in Daoist scriptures. Since the original provides no word-by-word explanations, their sound-text form is preserved.

The Eight Heavens of the East

Ji cries on the Jade Mound　　Dongjing transforms into an immortal　　The Ox and Chamber cross and join

The Six Qi discern the mystery　　Splendid and radiant, the treasure is supreme　　The mysterious steps wander through the wilds

All the myriad realms of Brahma　　Chen stores ten thousand subtleties　　Guizhu is guided by compassion

The characters gaze and gather in profusion　　Jiao stands tall and guards the radiance　　The moon’s sovereign is veiled in Yin mist

Gu strikes Qiantuo　　Transformation awakens and engraves the rites　　The immortal of Chen speaks of the grove

Yi’s plain, the mountain ridges, subtle and remote

The Eight Heavens of the South

Zheng and Kun distinguish the nine　　Ba and Ming blend with the East　　The Purple Mound approaches the river

Stillness and truth become one　　The Brahma realm extends far and wide　　The Golden Limit is a vast mound

The beginning is pure, the level of growth　　Ami thinks and is veiled　　The upright cavern, red clouds

Bright crystals, a jade-green form　　Huan and Luo, Yan comes to the rescue　　The commander and steward uphold loyalty

Si raises a stele: “What verse?”　　At the end, Zhuo flourishes and pounds　　Gong establishes the frost-bound bond

Shao Yue Chui Xiong, Gui Ze Long Yan, Ding Bai Mi Xuan, Xue Ling Bi Lu, Zhi Qian Zou Tan: these are secret syllables in the scripture, not sentences that can ordinarily be explained word for word. A note beside the text states that the four phrases beginning with “Gui” are secret texts for averting calamities—concealed words used in prayers to ward off misfortune.

The Eight Heavens of the West

Kui Lou Ying Xian, Qi Gao Bu Lian, Chuo Zhen Gou Tan, Jing Fu Zi Jian, Tai Xiang Yu Du, Qiu Lang Chu Chuan, Niu Shi Shi Wu, Bao Cheng Mo Yun, Shen Di Fan Sou, Qing Lang Zou Jin, Long Wu Mou Jiu, Dan [𧕏] Yuan [𢎞], Pu Zai Ding Hu, Ji Chi Yang Jie, Lan Jue Jiong Chang, Hu Bing Zi Xing: these are Great Brahma secret utterances from the various heavens of the West. They are concealed syllables with specific sounds and cannot be translated word for word as ordinary phrases.

The Eight Heavens of the North

Yu Yi Jie Lin, Ci Ji Gong Chuan, Lang Du Jiu Ming, Dao Bo You Xuan, Yao Yi Zhuan Gang, Quan Rong Chi Fang, Yu Miao Ji Wei, Tian Kui Chan Yan, Bi Lao Xu Wei, Jing Ji Dong Shang, Yang Fu Lei Jie, Yue Kui Yu Cang, Su Lin Xi Yan, Shen Feng Ying Zhang, Ji Qu Huan Ji, Dao Mi Qi Chang: these too are Great Brahma secret utterances, centered on the sounds of concealed syllables. They should not be forced into literal, word-for-word interpretations.

The scripture says that the Great Brahma secret utterances of these heavens are infinite sounds. In ancient times, the written characters were vast and elongated, each one ten feet long. They were engraved on paired jade leaves growing from green forests of fusang in the Golden Palace of the Great Emperor. Above, they could avert calamities in Heaven; below, dispel disasters on Earth; and between, bring peace to the people, all things, and the spirits.

These sounds reverberate through the Cavern Heavens, stirring the spirits to give voice and Qi. They spread throughout the Nine Provinces, harmonize with the myriad spirits, and prevent calamities from assailing the world. The Celestial Perfected Emperor once wrote down these characters as the sounds of the orthodox tradition. Whoever learns these sounds, observes the fasts, and recites them will have the heavens send Cavern Spirits to avert calamity and bestow blessings. The Spirit Kings will also descend to inspect that person, record their merits and diligence, and report them to the heavens. At that time, the myriad spirits will come to pay homage, the Earth Deities will stand guard by the door, and the Great Merit Demon King will recommend them. When their practice is complete and their merit perfected, they may travel throughout the Three Realms and ascend to the Golden Gate.

These sounds can dispel evil spirits, avert and resolve calamities, and deliver living beings wherever they are; there is nothing they cannot accomplish. They are sounds that arise naturally from the Celestial Perfected. Reciting them can therefore summon the Flying Immortals to descend and inspect, the High Emperor to chant from afar, and the myriad spirits to come and pay homage. The spirits of the Three Realms stand before the celestial carriage; the host of evil spirits bow their heads, and ghostly essences disperse of their own accord. Their jade-like, resonant tones shake the four quarters, making every place still and clear. Rivers and seas fall silent, and even the mountains seem to draw in their voices…

Smoke—or perhaps “by means of”—causes the myriad spirits to tremble and submit, summoning the assembled immortals. No impure qi remains in Heaven, and no dust of demons and evil spirits remains on Earth. Deep wisdom reaches into clarity, vast and boundless, mysterious beyond mystery.

Scripture on Dispelling Miasma and Plague from Mountains and Valleys

The Dao says: Long ago, the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning received the Wondrous Scripture of Primordial Beginning for Delivering People and Dispelling Miasma and Plague from Mountains and Valleys in the paradisal land of the Great God of Deep Azure and Hidden Song, within Vast and Spacious Heaven. When the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning was about to expound this scripture, he first recited it ten times, round after round, to summon the gods of the ten directions. Only then did he approach the ritual seat.

The Great Gods of Heavenly Truth, the Most High and Venerable Sages, the Perfected Ones of Wondrous Practice, the immortal officials who govern mountains and valleys great and small, the assembled immortals of the mountains in the lands of the ten directions, the chiefs of the ghosts and spirits of streams, valleys, springs, and sources, and the divine officials who oversee each region in that year and bring miasma into being as epidemic disease, together with their subordinate officials—all were numberless. They came riding through the air, appearing from within the mountains in purple carriages and jade-green chariots. Their radiant clouds crossed and mingled. Above their jeweled wheels and feathered canopies, ornate parasols cast their shade; bright jade light flowed and turned in myriad colors, flourishing and brilliant as it illuminated the distant, mysterious sky.

For seven days and seven nights, the sun, moon, and stars of the heavens, the pivot of the Northern Dipper, and the Jade Pass all stood still, as though the wheels of the sun and moon had ceased to turn. The divine winds fell silent, the clouds and mists in the valleys vanished, and the sky grew clear. The qi of Heaven and Earth in the eight directions came into harmony; the lands, ground, mountains, rivers, and forests all became level and even, with no distinction between high and low…