《靈寶無量度人上品妙經》Vol. 45

All the immortals took the form of lotus stamens carved from jade, green, lustrous, and warm to the touch, without a trace of any other color. The Perfected Ones stood in attendance beside the seats, while the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning sat enthroned in the empty sky. The Ninefold Spirit Night Light shone over the peaks, revealing them in its radiance. Upon the Jade Terrace, the Celestial Worthy proclaimed the scripture.

At the first proclamation, the Great Sages of all the heavens praised him in unison. At that moment, thirty-six thousand mountains blazed with light.

At the second proclamation, dark frost drifted down through the air, and sacred mushrooms grew luxuriantly.

At the third proclamation, auspicious vapors spread across the land, and fragrant scents arose from the caves.

At the fourth proclamation, the human world became solemn and pure, while the clouds among the mountains took on a lovely aspect.

At the fifth proclamation, the radiance of dragons shone over the sea, and the treasures of heaven gathered their brilliance.

At the sixth proclamation, the Dao Qi—the generative breath of the Dao—stirred to life again, and all beings rejoiced and found peace.

At the seventh proclamation, ghosts and monsters concealed themselves, and miasmas and pestilence vanished.

At the eighth proclamation, the Heavenly Valley—the empty, mysterious realm of heaven—became clear, quiet, and profound, while numinous vapors billowed thickly through it.

At the ninth proclamation, the Jade Perfected Ones bowed in response, revealing wondrous auspicious signs and conveying news of mysterious affairs.

At the tenth proclamation, the teaching spread far and wide, transforming even distant borderlands. Heaven and earth alike praised and honored it. At that moment, men and women throughout the land sincerely turned toward the Celestial Worthy, received his protection and deliverance, and attained long life.

The scripture says: At that time, when the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning proclaimed the scripture for the first time, countless great deities charged with dispelling miasmas and pestilence in mountain valleys rose into the air and came from the boundless lands of the Eastern World of True Worthies.

At the second proclamation, countless great deities charged with dispelling miasmas and pestilence in mountain valleys rose into the air and came from the boundless lands of the Southern World of Insightful Vision.

At the third proclamation, countless great deities charged with dispelling miasmas and pestilence in mountain valleys rose into the air and came from the boundless lands of the Western World of Settled Immortals.

At the fourth proclamation, countless great deities charged with dispelling miasmas and pestilence in mountain valleys rose into the air and came from the boundless lands of the Northern World of Constant Goodness.

At the fifth proclamation, countless great deities charged with dispelling miasmas and pestilence in mountain valleys rose into the air and came from the boundless lands of the Northeastern World of Luminous Subtlety.

At the sixth proclamation, countless great deities charged with dispelling miasmas and pestilence in mountain valleys rose into the air and came from the boundless lands of the Southeastern World of Numinous Virtue.

At the seventh proclamation, countless great deities charged with dispelling miasmas and pestilence in mountain valleys rose into the air and came from the boundless lands of the Southwestern World of Still Seas.

At the eighth proclamation, countless great deities charged with dispelling miasmas and pestilence in mountain valleys rose into the air and came from the boundless lands of the Northwestern World of the Primordial Emperor.

At the ninth proclamation, from above, the Cavern...

In the lands of the Boundless, countless great deities charged with dispelling calamities and clearing miasma from valleys rose into the sky and came forth. The Heavenly Worthy of the Primordial Beginning preached this scripture ten times for the Radiant World below.

In the lands of the Boundless, great deities who dispelled calamities and cleared valley miasma continued to rise into the sky and arrive. When the Heavenly Worthy had completed ten recitations of the scripture, great deities throughout the worlds of the ten directions who were responsible for such matters also gathered in one land. The men and women there sincerely turned toward and revered the Heavenly Worthy, asking him, through his great compassionate power, to remove calamities and valley miasma from the countless beings in the lower origin worlds of the ten directions, and to preserve their lives and bodies.

The Heavenly Worthy then described the conditions in the mountains and the deep, hidden valleys throughout the heavens. Many ghosts and spirits lurked and roamed there, along with all kinds of ferocious and poisonous creatures that threatened life and gathered in great numbers. They released poisonous vapors and miasma, harming the people. The Heavenly Worthy of the Primordial Beginning used divine script to draw in and dispel these poisons, causing them to vanish forever.

At that time, the immortals and perfected beings who had come to hear the scripture gathered like clouds and rain, arrayed all around. So many of them crowded together that half the land sank down, and nothing could stop it. The Heavenly Worthy of the Primordial Beginning then focused his spirit and gazed into the distance, looking down in all directions. He slowly gave voice to his jade-toned words and proclaimed to the assembly:

“When primordial chaos first divided and Heaven and Earth took shape, the myriad things were born together. Thus there are thirty-six thousand Heavens and thirty-six thousand suns and moons, as well as worlds in the Great Thousand, Middle Thousand, and Small Thousand realms. Each world has its own kinds and peoples. There are also thirty-six thousand valleys, along with twenty-three thousand, twelve thousand, one thousand two hundred, and three hundred sixty other valleys. The vapors of lakes, marshes, ditches, wetlands, and valleys in the worlds of Heaven and Earth give rise to venomous and loathsome snakes and vipers, as well as insects both large and small. At dawn they breathe out poisonous smoke, forming toxic mists that spread and veil the surrounding area, bringing harm to the human world.

“Men and women in the world live near valleys. When they breathe, drink, and eat, they take in these baleful vapors and contract miasmatic illness, sometimes dying young. Calamities may also spread to cities and towns everywhere. Through the wisdom of the Dao’s teachings, I reveal divine talismans and methods for dispelling calamity, so that the people of the world may live in peace and well-being, cultivate the Way, and attain it.”

The assembly listening to the scripture praised him in unison, and all wished to continue listening.

After inaugurating his profound and subtle teaching, the Primordial Celestial Venerable (Yuanshi Tianzun) suspended a precious pearl, no larger than a grain of millet, in the Mysterious Void (the Daoist term for the profound, empty heavens), five zhang above the ground. He then summoned the great spirits of the Celestial Perfected, the high and holy sages, the Perfected of Wondrous Conduct, and the great spirits of the limitless worlds and lands of the ten directions who are charged with dispelling the miasmas and pestilences of the mountains and valleys (zhangli, meaning noxious vapors and epidemics). Countless divine hosts entered the pearl. People in the world looked up and saw clouds and vapors surging and billowing, flowing in through the mouth of the pearl; once inside, they vanished without a trace. At this, the people of the realm scattered in every direction, and the earth was restored to evenness, no longer tilting or collapsing.

The Celestial Venerable then expounded the scripture and its methods within the pearl. When he had finished, the Perfected oversaw the work of salvation and transmitted the scripture to me. The joy and gratitude of that moment are beyond words. When the ritual was essentially complete, the spirits of the various heavens returned to their proper places, and in an instant all fell silent, without the slightest lingering echo. The people of that age who encountered the scripture were universally delivered, preserved their allotted years, and suffered no harm along the way. The entire realm turned their hearts toward the Dao and devoted themselves to goodness: they were not devious, false, dissolute, slothful, arrogant, boastful, deceitful, blindly obedient, fraudulent, or deluded; their speech was upright and plain, and their bearing calm and gracious. All lived in harmony and peace, treating even those of other clans as members of one family. The state was stable, the people content, and the world at peace. When this scripture first emerged to teach the world, everyone in the realm who held sincere devotion and revered it with proper ritual was delivered beyond the world.

The Dao said: The words spoken by the Primordial Celestial Venerable in this scripture are the hidden names and secret sounds within the Celestial Sovereigns of the heavens, and also the inner taboo names of the True Kings. They are the secret titles used to dispel the miasmas of the mountains and valleys and to command the hundred spirits; they are not ordinary worldly speech. The sages and Perfected who have already attained accomplishment penetrate the profound principle and exhaust the subtle, and are able to restrain and command the malign ghosts and spirits who scatter miasma and create pestilence in the valleys, freeing them from the causes of calamity, suppressing illness and disaster, and preserving and saving the people. If one can fully grasp these verses and recite them ten times, the heavens will answer one another from afar, and the Northern Emperor (the great lord of the north who governs ghosts and spirits) will prepare ceremonies to welcome the reciter. The ghosts and spirits will withdraw their poisonous vapors, the valleys will draw in their mists, miasmas and pestilences will no longer spread, and the myriad people will be clear, tranquil, and at peace. The host of demons will have their bodies bound, and goblins and spirit-sprites will disperse. It can even raise corpses and restore the dead to life, so that white bones become living people again. When one who studies with utmost sincerity recites it ten times, the Celestial Emperors of the Five Directions will stand guard at their side, the spirits of the Three Realms will all bow their heads in homage, demonic essences will lose their baleful gaze, malevolent ghosts will be destroyed, and even the dying will be reborn from the brink of death.

The reason for this is that practitioners of the Dao who dwell in the true valleys and mountains of the sacred realms are in accord with the subtle mystery of the Great Dao, and so need no rites of dispelling or averting; naturally, there are no miasmas or pestilences for them. But if the impure qi within the body has not yet been cleared, and the body has not yet become one with the true Dao, then these methods are needed to subdue the harmful powers of the ten directions. And where the decrees of the heavens cannot yet subdue them, one may subdue them through De (Virtue).

By commanding the earth spirits, binding demons, and dispelling miasmal vapors—the harmful sickly air common in damp, hot mountain forests—one can aid the people. But merely seeking to cure illness does not bring longevity. Reciting this chapter carelessly may instead invite calamity. If you cherish and honor this scripture, your household will prosper and flourish for generations. By forming bonds with the good, you will be untouched by the myriad calamities, and the gods will guard your gates. This scripture is precious and subtle: blessings, De (virtue and power), and wisdom will grow of themselves. It saves people without limit and is the foundation for delivering all beings. Its methods are vast, and its De is beyond counting.

The scripture says: Whoever recites it ten times can dispel the miasmal vapors in the valleys of the ten directions. The great gods will all arrive together. Toxic, malignant Qi, along with the evil fumes breathed out by insects and snakes, large and small, can harm the people and destroy living creatures. Recite this Dongwen scripture, and the miasmal vapors will disperse.

The miasmal vapors in the valleys of the ten directions are all under the command of the god of miasma. The Seven Immortal Youths are responsible for making reports. The Twelve-Year Kings and the gods of the Seventy-Two Seasonal Periods govern epidemics; the Immortal Master oversees illness, and the Immortal Mother governs miasma. Lord Ouyang, Hua the Immortal, Master Guo, Master Zhang, Master Zhong, Master Li, and Master Bai command their troops and bring about miasmatic illness. The ghost marshal Shao Hou obeys the Jade Emperor’s decree and immediately gathers in the toxic Qi and the valley’s malignant spirits.

Reciting the scripture can dispel illness Qi accumulated and transmitted across generations, avert calamity, and keep misfortune away from the body. It can also bring longevity, bestow true good fortune, and extend one’s years. When body and mind are pure and one is attuned to the gods, the many deities provide protection. Just as a talismanic command decrees, the illness Qi will then be eliminated.

Those who delight in cultivating this scripture and complete their merits can all become immortals, ascend to the Golden Towers in heaven, and feast in the Jade Capital, the dwelling of the Jade Emperor. When accomplished Daoists cultivate and recite this scripture, the evil influences of valleys and the plagues of the world dare not harm them. With their spirit and Qi full and complete, they can at once attain deliverance and ascend to the Southern Palace. When ordinary people receive and recite this scripture, they can prolong their lives. In time, they can all cultivate the Way of Corpse Liberation, a Daoist means of attaining the Way in which the physical body temporarily disappears and the spirit departs: the spirit temporarily leaves, bypasses the underworld, then restores its form and roams through space.

This scripture is subtle and wondrous, delivering all without limit. None among heaven and humanity fails to receive its grace and blessings; its immeasurable beneficence brings aid to both the living and the dead. It is a scripture treasured by Heaven and must not be passed on to worldly people. A person of the highest Dao must bring gold and jewels and swear an earnest oath to Heaven before receiving it. If it is carelessly divulged or treated with disrespect, calamity will befall the offender’s entire clan, which will also be conscripted for a long time into the service of ghost officials. The Five Emperors’ Jade Youths and Jade Maidens who attend this scripture number twenty-four of each. They guard the text and protect those who receive it.

The scripture says that fasting and reciting it in the first month can dispel the miasmatic Qi that spreads through mountain valleys in spring and summer, protecting the living from infection. It can also release the souls of the dead from earlier generations from confinement and help them cross over to the Southern Palace. Fasting and reciting the scripture in the seventh month can dispel the miasma that spreads through mountain valleys in autumn and protect the living from infection. The practitioner’s name may also be entered in the registers of the heavens, recorded in the Yellow Registers and White Slips—Daoist records of the living, the dead, and their merits—and removed from the register of the dead, granting them a new life. Fasting and reciting the scripture in the tenth month can dispel the miasma that spreads through mountain valleys in winter and protect the living from infection. It can also bring stability to the state and support the emperor, ensuring that the country’s fortunes endure through the generations. If one regularly prays for the ruler and for peace throughout the land, the local people will also praise the era as peaceful.

Reciting the scripture on the days of the Eight Seasonal Nodes, eight important festivals in the Daoist calendar, can dispel the miasma that prevails in each season and protect the living from infection. Reciting it on the natal day of the Perfected Ones of the Nine Palaces has the same effect. On their own natal day, and on inauspicious days associated with punishment, harm, clash, rupture, death, or decline, people will not contract toxic influences or suffer calamity as a result. Their body, mind, and spirit will be pure and upright, and the myriad Qi will endure. They will be free from suffering, their bodies will radiate light, and they will be protected by the Three Realms, welcomed by the Five Emperors, and worshipped by the myriad spirits. Their names will be entered in the registers of Heaven. Once their merit is complete, they will ascend by flight to Shangqing.

The scripture also says that on days set aside for Zhaijiao purification rituals and Daoist cultivation, one should bathe in fragrant water and fast before entering a quiet chamber.

Face east and click the teeth thirty-two times to communicate with the thirty-two heavens above; then bow to Heaven thirty-two times. Close the eyes and sit quietly, concentrating on the vision of oneself surrounded by clouds of green, crimson, and yellow Qi, while within and without all is deep and dark. The Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, Black Tortoise, lions, and white cranes stand in formation on either side, and the light of the sun and moon illuminates the chamber. The Great Deity Who Dispels Calamity, together with the attendants and guards, has arrived. A round halo appears above the head, its light shining in all directions. Once this vision is clear, silently recite the secret invocation:

“Supreme Dao Lord of the Mysterious Origin, please summon the Three-Five Officers of Merit within my body, the attendant envoys on my left and right, the Jade Boys who attend the incense, the Jade Maidens who convey messages, the Five Emperors’ appointed talisman officers, and the incense officers on duty today—thirty-six of each. Have them report that today is auspicious: I am fasting and cultivating in a pure chamber, reciting the scripture for delivering people from suffering. May my petition reach the hearing of Heaven and be presented directly before the Most High Primordial Emperor, Supreme Lord of the thirty-two heavens above.”

After reciting the invocation, guide the Qi thirty-two times, face east, and recite the Supreme Scripture of Wondrous Words for Deliverance Without Measure, the Highest Chapter of the Primordial Beginning.

Among the Dongxuan Lingbao scriptures of the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning, a revered Daoist deity who symbolizes the source of all things, there is a wondrous chapter explaining how to dispel miasma and epidemic disease from mountain valleys. Its scripture uses secret sacred verses to command the assembled demons.

It accords with the true Qi of nature and is the source of mysterious emptiness. The Qi of the Primordial Beginning in the Highest Mystery gathers into precious essence, establishing Heaven and Earth, mountains, and celestial grotto-palaces; settling the gods in their places; governing the order of Heaven and Earth; setting creation in motion; and following nature to nourish all living beings.

When Yin and Yang fall out of balance, strange clouds of vapor gather. Toxic essences congeal into forms and give rise to hordes of demons, as well as snakes, giant vipers, and the essences of plague spirits. These evil beings hide in caves and remote, desolate places among the mountains of the eight directions. They rise when the vital force of righteousness grows weak, transform into baleful vapors, and spread poison at will, harming and sickening the people and bringing about miasma and epidemic disease.

Only the true writings of the Lingbao Great Dao, from the Dongxuan tradition, can summon and command these evil beings, keeping Heaven and Earth clear and pure for all time. The sacred writings shine everywhere and illuminate all things. They can establish the myriad things, bring all endeavors to completion, save living beings everywhere, and nurture life. This is the wondrous pivot of the Great Brahma, a Daoist term for a vast and pure realm.

The sacred heavens unfold in tier upon tier: Yuluo Xiaotai, the Upper Capital on Jade Mountain, and the supreme realm of Daluo Yuqing. Their depths are beyond measure, seeming both formed and formless. The Three Blossoms are distributed throughout; palaces such as the Great and Vast Wondrous Court and the Golden Towers and Jade Chambers stand in stately rows. Pure and immense, these realms set in motion the fundamental laws of Heaven and Earth.

Among those who govern the ten directions are deities charged with dispelling mountain miasma and epidemic disease, as well as the Lord of Heaven of Pure Purity and Ten Thousand Blessings, the Auspicious Great Deity who guards the world, the Elder of Boundless Preservation of Life, and the Southern High Venerable Deity who sweeps away demons and plague, extends life, increases one’s allotted years, and delivers people from calamity. The gods can bring withered bones back to life and raise the dead, saving living beings far and wide. Today, as this scripture is collated and recorded, the gods of the heavens have all descended.

In the East, the Boundless Divine King Who Seizes Poison, Great Sage of Long Life, saves living beings everywhere.

In the South, the Boundless Divine King Who Preserves the True, Great Sage of Long Life, saves living beings everywhere.

In the West, the Boundless Divine King Who Shatters Evil, Great Sage of Long Life, saves living beings everywhere.

In the North, the Boundless Divine King Who Calms Heaven, Great Sage of Long Life, saves living beings everywhere.

In the Northeast, the Boundless Divine King Who Wards Off Calamity, Great Sage of Long Life, saves living beings everywhere.

In the Southeast, the Boundless Divine King Who Dispels Miasma, Great Sage of Long Life, saves living beings everywhere.

In the Southwest, the Boundless Divine King Who Quells Pestilence, Great Sage of Long Life, saves living beings everywhere.

In the Northwest, the Boundless Divine King Who Subdues Demons, Great Sage of Long Life, saves living beings everywhere.

Above, the Boundless Divine King Who Secures Life, Great Sage of Long Life, saves living beings everywhere.

Below, the Boundless Divine King Who Protects the Body, Great Sage of Long Life, saves living beings everywhere.

The divine kings who dispel calamities and banish the miasmas and diseases of mountain valleys throughout the Ten Directions (the worlds of the Ten Directions), together with the great gods who grant long life and deliver beings from the world, arrive riding on jeweled clouds. They travel in purple jade carriages and sacred chariots drawn by green phoenixes. Their carriages are covered with splendid curtains, and their wheels are finely carved. Black tigers and five-colored yellow dragons pull them, while standards of the Nine Heavens, symbols of celestial ceremonial processions, and the Eight White Spirit Banners rise above them.

The deities at the front loudly chant the Cavern Chapters; those behind sing the Hidden Rhymes in unison, their voices in harmony. Lions and white cranes cry out with them. Immortal officials lead the way, while the Five Elders, exalted deities of the five directions, guard the carriage shafts. Millions of carriages and countless riders fill the sky as they arrive. They draw in their radiance and turn their carriages around to inspect the true Dao and deliver people from suffering.

The Earth Emperors of the Nine Lands, the High Lords of the Five Sacred Mountains, the Earth Deities of the Nine Provinces, the Divine Kings of the Four Rivers, and the great gods who dispel miasmas, disease, and calamity all hold registers and ledgers. Together they appear before the Celestial Emperor and carefully examine the heavens, each according to those they are charged to deliver. They also proclaim the command throughout the Three Realms—Heaven, Earth, and humanity—and the boundless divine realms: to the spirit courts in the mountain valleys, and to the thirty-six thousand mountains, great and small, in every direction, as well as the underground caverns, hidden ravines, rocky gullies, and stream sources.

They are to dispel accumulated, stagnant Qi, suppress the Qi of imbalance among the Five Phases, and quell the baleful Qi produced by abnormal cold and warmth. This baleful Qi encounters ghosts and strange beings, rises and transforms into clouds and mists, and enters through people’s breath, harming their bodies. It also attacks the skin from outside and disturbs their inner Qi. When it strikes, the cold is like frost and ice, the heat like a raging fire. The body suffers countless torments, while the spirit is filled with grief and resentment. Their calamities and illnesses must be removed at once, and they must promptly be handed over to the Three Offices, the divine authorities governing Heaven, Earth, and Water. There must be no delay or neglect, lest calamities and baleful forces press upon the people.

This is the talismanic decree of the Primordial Beginning, an honored Daoist deity. Whoever dares to delay will face the Celestial Master and his officers, who will lead their forces to protect people’s bodies and souls, preventing poisonous baleful Qi from inflicting wanton and terrible harm. May all beings under Heaven receive its grace and naturally attain blessings and good fortune. May they be delivered in this life and endure through all lives, forever free of calamity and living as long as Heaven.

May all beings pass beyond the Three Calamities, Five Sufferings, and Eight Hardships—the many calamities, sufferings, and adversities described in Daoism—and ascend beyond the Three Realms, roaming freely in Shangqing, the Daoist realm of the Highest Clarity. The Heaven of Shangqing is the formless realm of the Celestial Emperor, the Mysterious and True, and the place of pure cultivation.

Eight Heavens of the East

Heaven of Vermilion Clarity and Universal Transformation — Emperor Jing Qiwen

Heaven of Universal Radiance and Transcendent Truth — Emperor Chang Jiajiulong

Heaven of Life’s Opening, Joyful Response, and Imperial Thought — Emperor Yao Zhengzun

Heaven of the Open Cavern, Beneficent Deliverance, and Manifest Response — Emperor Jiao Chishiwei

Heaven of the Central Course, Divine Order, and Purifying Transformation — Emperor Lun Qiyunduo

Heaven of the Vacant Virtue and Inscribed Patterns — Emperor Bao Zhenziyi

Heaven of Daoist Thought and Mysterious Accord — Emperor Jue Zixiang

Heaven of Offered Guidance and Revealed Instruction — Emperor Bo Yueshi’ang

The Eight Heavens of the South

Yuchu Zhengqiang Heaven, whose Heavenly Emperor is named He Ziqing.

Guoji Siwei Heaven, whose Heavenly Emperor is named Daoboling.

Dujiming Xuanjianghua Heaven, whose Heavenly Emperor is named Yuxian Gongliang.

Zhanghua Yide Heaven, whose Heavenly Emperor is named Ziji Shiming.

Huiguan Yaokong Heaven, whose Heavenly Emperor is named Chilei Jiuzhuang.

Taiwei Miaozong Jiyi Heaven, whose Heavenly Emperor is named Yanqi Baoling.

Duanjing Cunhua Heaven, whose Heavenly Emperor is named Shang Xiaogong.

Xianli Zongzhen Pinggong Heaven, whose Heavenly Emperor is named Zhongjue Yikun.

The Eight Heavens of the West

Junxuan Zhenhe Heaven, whose Heavenly Emperor is named Huang Yuci.

Taishang Bianqi Heaven, whose Heavenly Emperor is named Liangbo Shangxuan.

Cihua Juxian Heaven, whose Heavenly Emperor is named Qian Liangyao.

Jiaodao Shengguang Heaven, whose Heavenly Emperor is named Zhan Jiong Luoqiang.

Fanbao Zhaoling Yongxiu Heaven, whose Heavenly Emperor is named Que Juezhen.

Yuyuan Jingqing Heaven, whose Heavenly Emperor is named Zhenwei Cixia.

Congyang Jiangying Heaven, whose Heavenly Emperor is named Gao Xuanyang.

Qiongdu Lifang Heaven, whose Heavenly Emperor is named Zheng Yu Zhaoxian.

The Eight Heavens of the North

Xuanling Qizhen Heaven, whose Heavenly Emperor is named Banzu Zhengxi.

Qingxuan Wansuo Heaven, whose Heavenly Emperor is named Lu Fangjiqian.

Jiaoling Yichun Heaven, whose Heavenly Emperor is named Zelu Longfu.

Douji Bianhun Shengzhen Heaven, whose Heavenly Emperor is named Youguan Dangwu.

Baoxian Shunjie Liming Heaven, whose Heavenly Emperor is named Hundao Kai.

Chuhuang Yuanshou Yuji Heaven, whose Heavenly Emperor is named Xianzi Jianrong.

Badao Yinxuan Cangwei Heaven, whose Heavenly Emperor is named Chaohou Zuohuan.

Taisu Longjing Yiwang Heaven, whose Heavenly Emperor is named Liexiu Dongxiu.

The names of the eight heavens in the South, West, and North, along with the titles of their respective Heavenly Emperors, are listed above. These names of heavens and emperors are specialized proper names in Daoist scriptures and should not be broken down literally as ordinary phrases.

“Thirty-two Heavens and Thirty-two Emperors” is a collective term for the thirty-two layers of heaven and their Heavenly Emperors. “The hidden taboos and hidden names of the various heavens” refers to the secret names of the different heavenly realms. “The naturally formed numinous chapters within the heavens” refers to scriptures that arise naturally in the celestial realm and possess spiritual potency. “The hidden rhymes of the various heavens” means the secret tones of the celestial realm, also known as “the sounds within heaven.”

The Supreme Heavenly Worthy is the foremost of the gods in the celestial realm, commanding its great demons and spirit officials. Nine and ten combine, bringing forth endless transformations. Their profound mysteries are difficult to explain in full. The true gods of the celestial realm spread their teachings widely, saving and delivering all humans and living beings.

Today we beseech the gods to dispel miasmas and epidemics, capture and subdue demons, dissolve disasters and strange calamities, root out the sources of misfortune, and avert illness and sudden calamity. We submit a petition to the True King of Jade Mystery, asking him to protect and deliver living beings and seal the gates of death. The Divine Emperor of the East cuts away poison and harm; the Imperial God of the West gathers in Jing (essence) and Qi (vital energy); the Lord God of the North purifies filth; and the True God of the South guards the body. The Great One of the Central Emperor, who governs the center and directs transformation, commands the power of generation and nurture, harmonizes the movement of righteous Qi, and sweeps away demonic forces. The Azure Emperor spreads benevolent energy; the White Emperor brings all things to stillness and calm; the Red Emperor stirs up fiery energy; the Black Emperor sends down moisture; and the Yellow Emperor governs the vitality of all beings, ensuring that life is neither cut short nor obstructed.

The Demon King of Green Mountain restrains evil spirits that fly about and hinder transformation; the Demon King of Red Mountain drives back calamities and resists evil; the Demon King of White Mountain wields a sharp blade to shatter great evils; the Demon King of Black Mountain subdues blazing flames and holds a halberd against harm; and the Demon King of Yellow Mountain commands might and keen weapons. The great demons of the Five Mountains and the gods who seize poisons each command their officers and vast armies. Bearing weapons and waving banners, they drive away and sweep aside ill omens. They assist the wondrous transformation of the Dao, and their merit accords with the Dao.

The teachings by which the celestial realm delivers living beings spread far and wide, and the influence of the true Dao flourishes. Gods and evil spirits cease their mischief, and wondrous teachings bring clarity to all things. Every kind of malevolent spirit is purged and turned to dust. Whether in the wilderness of the Black Stream or in the netherworld, the demons known as Kui, Xu, Chi, and Mei, along with spirits that receive sacrifices, can no longer wield their evil power or stir up trouble by following crooked paths. The ritual bell strikes terror into their minds, and the golden axe cuts down their forms. The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning issues an order: those who dare delay or obstruct it will cause the epidemic demons to vanish and the miasma’s poisonous vapors to be destroyed. The Three Officials and the Northern Feng, the divine bureau that governs the registers of the dead, inspect the ranks of ghosts and spirits so that none can hide. The Golden Horse relay carries the documents, proclaiming them throughout the boundless realms. All the myriad gods must obey; the imperial lords of the Three Realms and Five Directions must also submit a report to Shangqing.

How to use the talisman for warding off miasma in the mountains and valleys:

• Wear the talisman, or place it in a red silk pouch. Write it in cinnabar on white silk. It may be used by men and women, young and old alike.
• Write the talisman in cinnabar and paste it where you sleep.
• After writing the talisman, form it into a small pill. Prepare a decoction with peach and willow twigs and take it with the liquid. Face southeast and take it three times a day. If the illness is caused by cold, burn the talisman and take its ashes.
• Place the written talisman for warding off miasma and purifying defilement in the mountains and valleys in a basin of water.

At the beginning of the Celestial Origin, before the countless ages, Heaven and Earth were vast and remote, not yet divided, immersed in primal chaos. Jing and Qi gathered, nurtured life, and gradually formed Heaven and Earth. Yin and Yang rose and fell, and the four seasons ran their course. Within them, deviant and harmful Qi took shape as poisonous essence. The mother of this poisonous essence was called Baixian.

When Baixian breathed out, trees withered and burned; when it drew in the moisture from marshes, springs ran dry. It brought on miasma, the pestilential Qi of hot, damp mountain forests, and plunged Heaven and Earth into darkness. It could also transform into a fierce bird with nine joined heads, whose cries sounded like a baby’s wail. It flew among the Eight Mountains. Anyone it touched fell ill, growing weak and thin.

The Marvelous Emperor of Heavenly Treasure subdued the source of evil. His honorific title was Red Spirit, and he wore a red headcloth. With boundless power, he rescued and protected the people, destroyed violence and malign forces, summoned and guided the harmonizing Qi, and brought stability to all beings, restoring peace throughout the land. The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning secured Heaven and Earth and bestowed the Five Red Books in Jade Script, sacred writings of Daoist scriptures and registers, along with the Eight Mighty Dragon Characters. These protected people, subdued the spirits of disease, and prolonged life. They sealed the mountain ridges and banished evil Qi from the valleys so that miasma would no longer arise. Pure and wondrous primordial Qi spread throughout the vast heavens, and all things unfolded from it.

The order of Primordial Beginning was set in motion, and its teachings spread through the thirty-two heavens. The formless heavens revolved without ceasing, encircling the ten directions. The cycles of ghosts and spirits turned with them; divine beings wheeled through the heavens and transformed the Eight Mountains. The thirty-six grotto-heavens, Daoist realms of immortals, gathered the Qi of the Upper Origin. The scenes of the eight directions merged with it in hidden accord, and Qi entered the Three Mysteries, realms of Daoist mystery. The Great Sovereign Emperor within Mystery, together with the High Perfected and the assembled immortals, appeared riding purple clouds and chanting the Grotto Chapters, Daoist scriptures in golden and jade script. Golden true light shone brilliantly; its sound flowed through the clouds, while jade talismans gathered primordial Qi. Whirlwinds turned, mists converged, and the beautiful, flourishing realm of Purple Void supported and guarded the myriad immortals.

The divine beasts of the great mountains and the Golden Tiger Juetian, a mythical beast named in the scripture, devoured the miasma. Harmonizing Qi then flowed naturally, bringing peace and health to Heaven and Earth, and allowing all things to unite in harmony with the true Dao. Within the true Dao there is a deity named the Sovereign Lord of Green Florescence. The primordial Green Qi descended to the lower world, granting all beings long life, dispelling illness, and protecting them from poison and hardship. Immortal officials assisted him, and perfected consorts attended his chariot. Uncle Fire and Dark Father guarded the Radiant Dawn, holding talismans to protect the root of life. The divine spirits traveled above through the Shangqing realm, entered and left cloud chambers, reached throughout the hidden regions of the eight directions, and moved through even the subtlest spaces.

Divine power descended to guard the human body, dwelling peacefully in the Muddy Pellet, a Daoist inner alchemy term for the head, and the Crimson Palace, the Daoist term for the heart. It regulated the Five Qi within the body, brought the hundred spirits into harmony, and set numinous Qi in motion. When the myriad Qi gathered together, one could become an immortal. The immortal Dao cherishes life and saves beings far and wide. The Earth Gate and the Heaven Gate, the Sun Chariot and the Moon Wheel, all move in accord with the Qi of the true Dao. In this way, illness can be cured and life restored. The evil pestilential Qi of the valleys can be ritually dispelled and banished forever, so that all beings are protected and may live. This merit reaches up to the heavens; above them, each has its own Gate of Life. There are among them songs and verses of the Empty Grotto, the numinous writings of the True King, and jade texts of wondrous transformation.

This is the first section: a scripture for dispelling and warding off miasma in mountain valleys.

The lofty Dao is mysterious and profound; its wondrous powers have no bounds. It commands upright Qi and sweeps away every kind of evil. Upright Qi nurtures life, while evil Qi destroys it. Once demonic poison has vanished, strange calamities are quelled at their source. The Qi of demons and malign spirits harms one’s true nature, while unruly forces become entangled with one another. The Jade Pure King Who Dispels Demons, a revered Daoist deity, uses mysterious principles to drive away every illness. The sacred sounds of the numinous scripture calm the mountains, ringing out clearly and calling forth the Qi of Great Harmony. They disperse and draw in the sources of misfortune, dispelling miasma and pestilence as well.

Alas, you living beings do not yet know the hymns hidden within the mystery, and so you meet untimely death and sudden calamity, losing your lives. You are burdened with grief and grievances; what can you do? If you had not encountered the sound of emptiness—the sacred sound in Daoist scriptures that has the power to deliver—how could you escape the world’s net of calamities?

Second Interpretation: Hymn on the Efficacy of Calamity-Quelling

The Qi of the four directions remains undiminished, and every kind of calamity is successively destroyed. Miasma, pestilential poison, demons, ghosts, and evil vapors are all driven away by divine talismans. The divine might is vast and brilliant. The great sages of the heavens command the gods and spring into action. Holding bells, they perform the rites according to established forms, sweeping away all ill omens, purifying the worlds in the ten directions, and cleansing foul Qi so that calamities and illness depart from living beings.

Living beings pass safely through disaster and receive immeasurable, mysterious blessings. Our very survival is a source of joy. Harmonious Qi flows in abundance, joining with the Dao and returning to the Real. The supreme methods of Lingbao and the Jade Writings of the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning can dispel every calamity. They protect living beings and deliver them without end, serving as a bridge that carries people through hardship in this world.

Fearing that you have not yet understood, I have written this hymn especially for you.

Third Interpretation: Hymn for Quelling Calamity, Bringing Down the Real, and Summoning the Numinous

The clear and radiant realm of Lofty Dawn shines brightly, illuminating the Jade Capital, the celestial city of immortals. Heaven issues its commands, governing a thousand perfected beings and commanding ten thousand kinds of demons. The sacred golden book and its empty writ can subdue and summon the numinous beings, command them to protect and uphold the teachings in the world, and proclaim the principles of our tradition.

All who honor and follow the methods of my teaching will receive protection and enjoy long life. Calamities and violent misfortune cannot assail them, and they will dwell in peace, free from worry. The Highest Sage pities living beings and bestows this Jade Book, dispelling suffering and harm.

My Dao will never go astray. The right Dao cherishes life, while the deviant Dao brings people to an early death and causes them harm. By following my right Dao, one can accord with the true Dao. The right Dao endures and remains firm, untouched by urgent troubles or calamities. If you do not know this Dao, how can you communicate with the hundred spirits? The spirits’ power guards the eight directions. Cultivate the highest De, and your virtue will renew itself day by day.

These are the verses sung by the True King (the Utmost Numinous True King) above the Three Realms, as he flies through the heavens. Recite them a hundred times, and miasmas and calamities will disperse. Recite them a thousand times, and evil influences and epidemics will not arise. Recite them ten thousand times, and you can cultivate the Dao’s methods, receive protection everywhere, enjoy a long life, transcend the Three Realms, and join the ranks of the immortals.

If a perfected person hears this wondrous, numinous sound, the spirits of the Five Sacred Peaks will guard his body and command the earth deities—the spirits of the land—to accompany and escort him. They will free him from misfortune and dispel calamities and ill omens. His ancestors, too, can ascend and leave the Northern Mountain—the realm of the dead—forever. Their souls can cross over to Zhuling, a place said in Daoism to refine and deliver the dead, where they undergo refinement and are granted new life. This is called delivering all beings without measure or end. This scripture is a text kept secret by Heaven, and all the heavens revere it. Anyone who reveals or treats it with contempt will fall into hell, bringing calamity upon seven generations of ancestors.

The Dao says: These two chapters are divine sounds kept secret by the Lords of Heaven and the Utmost Numinous True King. They can dispel evil influences in mountain valleys, as well as unruly ghosts and spirits, fierce insects and beasts, and the disordered influences of the four seasons. Such abnormal influences can cause miasmic epidemics: in mild cases, they make one household ill; in severe cases, they bring plague upon a village, a prefecture’s towns and settlements, or even the whole world. The Highest Sages took pity on living beings, and so revealed talismanic verses and methods for dispelling calamity and undoing misfortune, to rescue and protect the people.

All these are the words of the Great Brahma—the exalted speech of the heavenly realms in Daoism—not ordinary worldly language. They do not follow the rhythms or ornate embellishments of secular writing, and are therefore held to be mysterious and profound, difficult to fathom. They are treasured secret scriptures of Heaven, kept in the Donghua Scripture Chamber of the Divine Empyrean Jade Purity King’s residence.

In the Renchen year, one year in the sixty-year sexagenary cycle, the scripture was transmitted down in accordance with the times. A person who has attained the Dao may receive it only after offering gold and precious objects as tokens, sincerely following the established rites, and swearing an oath of allegiance to the True King.

The Dao says: The climate in mountain valleys varies between steep and level terrain and between high and low ground. Cold and dampness are unevenly distributed, and shifts in the weather arrive at no fixed time. Higher places tend to be colder, lower places damper. When it is warm, insects do not lie dormant and streams do not freeze; venomous snakes and strange creatures seize on changes in the weather to stir up malign influences. Dry and damp vapors gather and rise between stones and metals, forming mists. Wandering spirits and fierce ghosts drift within them, afflicting people and making them ill. The highest sages and divine beings therefore passed down two methods for dispelling calamities and illness.

When disease-bearing Qi is at its height and spreading through towns and villages, one should purify the mind, observe abstinence, offer incense in reverence, and wear talismanic seals to dispel it. One may also write the “Hidden Words of Great Brahmā”—mysterious talismanic script found in Daoist scriptures—in cinnabar, burn it to ash, and put the ash in clean water for everyone to drink; the illness will then subside. When the seasons and climate are out of balance, or when one must pass through a mountain valley, one may also hold a ritual in advance to ward off harm. Set up an altar at the appropriate direction in the dwelling and offer a jiao sacrifice, inviting such divine beings as the Kings of the Twelve Years, the Five-Direction Heavenly Messengers who carry disease through mountain valleys, and Lord Shao. Then place a purified bottle in each of the five directions. Boil peach twigs, willow twigs, fragrant herbs, mugwort, and bamboo leaves in water, and pour the liquid into the bottles. Drink or bathe with it as needed. One may also write the Hidden Words of Great Brahmā in cinnabar and place them at the appropriate directions. In this way, miasma and epidemic disease will disperse, and the villages will be at peace. Offer incense at the six periods of each day and recite the scripture ten times; blessings and De will descend, dispelling every kind of ill omen. This immeasurable scripture can save living beings without end.

The Dao says: Those who have only begun to study the Dao, or whose cultivation among the ranks of immortals is not yet complete, may accidentally contract miasmatic disease. If they are not able to ward it off in time and die when their allotted lifespan has run its course, fellow cultivators who have attained the Dao may offer incense and recite the scripture ten times as they pass through Great Yin, the realm of the dead, thereby guiding the deceased onward. Following the ritual instructions, the person’s soul and spirit will ascend directly to the Southern Palace, a celestial palace in Daoist tradition. The days of their progress in cultivation will then be reckoned, allowing them to be reborn without confusion and ultimately attain the status of an immortal.

The Dao says: When Yin and Yang are out of balance and the times are obstructed, one should observe abstinence, offer incense, and recite the scripture. One should do the same when miasmatic epidemics bring calamity and poisonous illnesses spread; when demonic spirits run rampant and harm the people; when dark, malign forces encroach upon the righteous Dao; and when seeking good fortune and peace for the household. The merit of abstaining and reciting the scripture is immense: above, it can dispel calamities from Heaven; below, it can ward off poison and harm. It can save multitudes of people, bringing blessings to both the living and the dead, and its De cannot be measured. For this reason it is called “The Immeasurable Universal Salvation of Heaven and Humanity.”

Whenever disaster strikes a place, if someone acts out of concern for the people and, in accordance with this scripture, performs a Zhaijiao purification ritual—that is, observes ritual abstinence and holds a prayer ceremony—burns incense, and recites the scripture ten times, the merit will be recorded by the heavens, and the gods will protect them. Such a person may become a perfected immortal, receive the title of a holy lord, and become a subject of the Golden Palaces in heaven.

The heavens record people’s merits and faults, omitting nothing, however slight. The True Kings of heaven will also recommend and protect you. Only those who have truly attained the Dao can fully understand these profound truths.

The Great Brahmā’s hidden words among the heavens are immeasurable celestial sounds, composed by the Lords of the Dao.

Jade Chapter of the Primordial Beginning’s Numinous Writ for Dispelling Calamities and Relieving Miasma and Pestilence in Mountains and Valleys

The following lists the hidden words of the eight heavens in each of the four directions: east, south, west, and north. Here, “eight heavens” refers to levels of the celestial realm. These phrases are sacred hidden words in Daoist scriptures, traditionally used to dispel miasma and epidemics in mountain valleys. They are not ordinary expressions and cannot readily be translated word for word into plain language.

Eight Heavens of the East

桓精山佳　鵰云穴狸　董猫虺蛛

杀真乾雷　桃鬼枯柳　月芝渠师

遁寂胡蝣　马符螋非　剪沙岩畜

虎蜒流丹　土蚿罔刚　遥文敕馗

化感梦仙　赵邵𦁕灵　气淘海区

性遂时凝

Eight Heavens of the South

社侯伯元　南府三师　勉凶移毒

老父溪龙　崿銁琏俞　佐闲池蒙

摄命符令　转火奔风　尸牢锁伏

太空极雄　依出恍成　化石广功

操枝运灵　察景杀童　道游天霞

敕岸已舂

Eight Heavens of the West

崔杜监驱　急摄缟女　秦兰丙垂

幽宝竟东　育典秋堲　钦持决容

茂果逸回　汶灵褒中　马玄离逐

云乡耿汉　殿合建孤　明□敏神

昆卢苍机　沦藻品昧　静独荒诅

走阮夷陵

Eight Heavens of the North

真勃陀娄　焰珠擎门　左太皇扆

牛奎浮琼　去害子仙　罗聪变玄

波霁兖石　何庚窈宣　司饥郑侯

These words belong to the “hidden language of the Great Brahmā” (sacred sounds and talismanic signs in Daoist scriptures). In ancient times, they were carved at the Mysterious Terrace of Langfeng to drive away every kind of evil. They can dispel miasma and epidemics in mountain valleys, ward off many kinds of spiritual illness, and repel ghosts and spirits that harm people. Recite them and carry out the commands according to the prescribed methods, and they will soon take effect.

Each character is one zhang wide. The Celestial Perfected Emperor (an immortal in Daoist lore) once wrote these words as the standard pronunciation. Anyone who understands these sounds and can recite them after fasting will be visited by the ten-directional Spirit Kings, sent by the heavens to observe. The Spirit Kings will record the person’s merits and report them to the heavens. The myriad spirits will also come to pay homage, while the Earth Deities stand guard at the household gate.

This scripture has been passed down to offer aid to all people: to cure illness, dispel evil, and avert calamity. If a practitioner establishes great merit, the True King will recommend them, enabling them to attain the qualifications for ascent to Shangqing. In the end, they will be able to travel through the three realms and ascend to the Golden Gate. These sounds…