《靈寶無量度人上品妙經》Vol. 49

On Dispelling Epidemics, Lameness, and Illness

The Dao says: Long ago, the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning, while in the Heaven of Great Peace, heard from afar the sound of wind and music. He came to the Land of Great Harmony and received the Wondrous, Immeasurable Scripture of Primordial Beginning for Delivering People and Dispelling Epidemics, Lameness, and Illness. When the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning was about to proclaim this scripture, he circled the seat ten times, summoning the gods of the ten directions. Then the Great Divine Physician of Heaven, the High and Holy Venerable Ones, the Perfected Ones of Universal Aid, the Youths Who Cure All, and countless other divine beings came riding through the air.

Their bodies radiated light, its layers of brilliance rising straight into the clouds. Red chariot wheels, splendid canopies, and flower-shaped clouds covered the sky; rosy mists and radiance swirled in flight, while clouds like heavenly brocade spread and intertwined, illuminating all of space. For five days and five nights, the deep caverns and rocky heights of the heavens shone brightly, while the stars and lunar palaces stood still, day and night. Divine winds mingled with mist, and sacred incense drifted through the clouds. The four quarters of heaven and earth became clear and pure. Within the whole country, the land, rivers, mountains, and forests grew level and even, with no high or low places; the earth took on a deep blue-green hue, without any other color.

The Perfected Ones stood in attendance beside the seat. The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning sat upright upon a radiant, five-colored crystal throne suspended in the air and proclaimed the scripture. When he had finished reciting it once, the great sages of the heavens praised him together, saying, “Excellent!”

At that time, the illnesses of everyone in the country, women and men alike, gradually improved, and their minds and spirits slowly grew clear and bright. When he had finished reciting the scripture a second time, the deaf could hear, the blind could see, and those who had lost their voices could speak. After the third recitation, those who were gaunt and frail, or long afflicted with grave illness, regained their fullness and strength. After the fourth, blessings spread far and wide, reaching even those outside the household gates. After the fifth, those who were lame or had weakened limbs and could not walk were able to stand and walk. After the sixth, harmful spirits and epidemics dissipated, and vital energy flowed freely. After the seventh, the old regained their strength, and the young grew more powerful. After the eighth, bodily illnesses were dispelled, and the Dharma-body became peaceful and joyful. After the ninth, epidemics, lameness, and illness were all eliminated. People felt at ease in body and mind, and understood that the roots of illness were inherently illusory, not real or unchanging. By turning inward and observing within, one is free of suffering. The arising and passing of illness depend entirely on illusory change. Once the root of the Dao is understood, where can illness come from?

When he had finished reciting the scripture a tenth time, purple radiance appeared on people’s faces, and their bodies shone with a jade-like light. Illnesses caused by demons and malign forces dissipated everywhere, and spirit and Qi were joined with the Dao. At that time, everyone in the country, women and men alike, turned to him with sincere devotion. All received protection and deliverance, and attained long life.

The Dao says: At this time, when the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning proclaimed the scripture for the first time, the Great God Who Awaits the Qi of the Immeasurable and Boundless Grade of the East, together with his countless retinue, came through the air. When he proclaimed it for the second time, the Great God Who Sustains the Course of the Immeasurable and Boundless Grade of the South, together with his countless retinue… (The original text ends here.)

The assembled gods and immortals came down from the sky. During the third recitation of the scripture, the Great God of the Yearly Cycle, of boundless and immeasurable rank in the west, who governs the years and their fortunes, descended from the sky with his countless attendants. During the fourth recitation, the Great God Who Determines Destiny, of boundless and immeasurable rank in the north, who governs lifespan and fate, descended with his countless attendants.

During the fifth recitation, the Great God, Lord of Ghosts, of boundless and immeasurable rank in the northeast, descended with his countless attendants. During the sixth, the Great God Who Spreads Disease, of boundless and immeasurable rank in the southeast, associated with the spread of illness, descended with his countless attendants. During the seventh, the Great God Who Drives Away Pestilence, of boundless and immeasurable rank in the southwest, who governs the expulsion of epidemics, descended with his countless attendants. During the eighth, the Great God of the Eight Winds, of boundless and immeasurable rank in the northwest, descended with his countless attendants. During the ninth, the Great Celestial Physician, of boundless and immeasurable rank above, descended with his countless attendants. During the tenth, the Great God Who Removes Illness, of boundless and immeasurable rank below, descended with his countless attendants.

When the scripture had been recited ten times, the Great Gods of the Celestial Physicians of the Ten Directions, who universally aid all beings, arrived together. The men and women of that kingdom were filled with reverence and admiration. In their hearts they said, “We originally relied on our blessings to be born in heaven. We are unlike people in the human world, whose bodies are born from their parents’ essence and blood and are therefore impure. How, then, could we become ill?”

Then they reflected: “Although our spirit and vital energy are pure and bright, and our bodies were formed through transformation, condensed and joined from Qi, the thoughts that have accumulated and taken root in our minds remain coarse and impure. For that reason, illness may still arise in our bodies without cause, and our suffering has not yet been relieved. This is like people in the world who, in dreams, eat and drink, feel cold and warmth, and go about their daily activities as usual. The body in a dream is no different from the body we now have, born of our parents and living in the world. Even illness, pain and itching, sorrow, and joy in a dream are exactly the same as in waking life, without any difference. So our bodies may still suffer from illness, pestilence, lameness, and other afflictions. We should go before the Celestial Worthy and pray to be healed and freed from them.”

The people all approached the Dao with reverence. They were as numerous as fine rain and dense mist. Countless people crowded into the kingdom, pressing down so heavily that half its land sank beneath them, and the situation was almost impossible to contain.

At this time, the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning knew that even after these beings had been saved, heavenly beings and humans would still suffer from illnesses, epidemics, lameness, disabilities, and other afflictions. How much more, then, would the countless beings in the world—born from wombs, formed through transformation, born from moisture, and belonging to the seventy-two classes—be unable to escape such suffering? Therefore, out of compassion, I proclaim this wondrous scripture to dispel every kind of illness.

To cure all afflictions, nothing surpasses the medicine of the Dao. And among the wonders of the Dao’s medicines, nothing exceeds the divine elixir. The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning then summoned a purple radiance, its flames gathering like precious fire. A five-wheel hand seal appeared amid nine-colored light. From beneath his robe, which was draped in a cloud of myriad jeweled stars and a brocade mantle of jade, he drew forth a divine pill, which transformed into a precious pearl.

The pearl was as large as a grain of millet. It hung in the air, five zhang above the ground. The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning led the Great Heavenly Physicians, the exalted sages and venerable ones, the Perfected Ones of Universal Salvation, the disease-removing Great Gods of the boundless ten directions, and countless beings into the pearl together. The heavenly beings looked up and saw the beings entering one after another through its opening. Once inside, no one knew where they had gone.

The calamities and afflictions within the realm faded away. The ground became level again, no longer tilting or collapsing. The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning then finished expounding this scripture inside the pearl. The Perfected Ones oversaw the deliverance and passed the account on to me. The joy and celebration of that moment are beyond words. When the rites were more or less complete, the various heavens returned to their proper places, and in an instant all around fell silent.

At that time, the heavenly beings and the people were fortunate to encounter this scripture and its teaching. All were delivered and lived out their full natural lifespans, untouched by sudden calamity. The people throughout the realm turned their hearts toward faith and joined in doing good: they were free from doubt, deceit, sexual misconduct, greed, indulgence, uncontrolled anger or joy, confusion, perversity, and reckless speech. They made loyalty and trustworthiness the foundation of their conduct, spoke with calmness, and shared a compassionate heart, treating even those of a different family name as kin. Thus the country was at peace, the people were prosperous, and all enjoyed a tranquil life.

This scripture first spread throughout one realm. All who approached the Great Dao with sincere hearts, believing in it, honoring it, and bowing in reverence, could be delivered.

The scripture goes on to say: The words spoken by the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning are all names and secret sounds used within the inner courts of the Lords of Heaven.

This is the secret name of the True King, a revered Daoist deity. It is kept hidden and never spoken openly. It can dispel epidemics, enable the lame to walk, summon the myriad spirits to heal the sick, and subdue evil beings. It is not a word used in everyday life.

The Supreme Sage has already perfected himself as a True Person, freed himself from the five kinds of affliction, and achieved a vast Dharma Body, radiant with pure Yang light. The Dharma Body can vanish or appear: when it appears, it fills the ten directions; when it vanishes, it becomes unfathomable. In this way, illnesses in the world and obstacles in cultivation can all be dispelled. Those who understand the mysteries and investigate the subtlest details can grasp its workings.

Recite this passage from the scripture ten times, and the heavens will sing it together from afar while the myriad Emperors bow in reverence; the inner state will become clear and pure. High mountains will no longer seem perilous. The sick will recover, and those who are lame or paralyzed will regain their ease. The body will be as firm as a mountain and as bright as the sun and moon. Demons will be bound, and ghosts, monsters, and malign spirits will vanish. Those at the point of death will return to life, and bodies weakened by long illness will recover.

When students of the Dao recite it ten times, the five organs will produce their essences, the gallbladder and brain will become firm and stable, and the hundred spirits will guard the body. Epidemic ghosts will lose their power to cause harm. Even those near death, with their life force cut off, can be rescued and brought back to life. This is because practitioners have not yet fully cleansed themselves of impure influences, and their bodies have not yet become wholly attuned to the True Dao. Their power cannot yet subdue the ten directions, and their De can only gradually dispel worldly calamities and relieve those sunk in suffering; it cannot yet truly bring people back to life.

If this chapter is recited carelessly, calamity will instead befall the body. But if it is reverently offered and honored with bows, it can dispel illness and epidemics, gradually heal the lame and enable them to walk with ease. One’s prosperity will flourish through generation after generation, one’s fortunes will accord with good connections, and the myriad calamities will not intrude. The spirits will guard the household gates.

This scripture is exalted and mysterious, unique in the Jade Capital, the heavenly palace of Daoist tradition. It broadly saves living beings and is the root of the myriad Dao. Its teachings are lofty and expansive, and its merit is beyond measure.

The scripture says: Whenever this scripture is recited ten times, the heavens will all descend together. Living beings who are sick and suffering will be freed from their pain, and those who are lame or chronically ill will regain their mobility and health. Evil influences will be unable to intrude. The hundred channels throughout the body will receive numinous energy, and the myriad spirits will guard the body forever, so that one will no longer fall ill and will naturally live long. The departed souls of ancestors across countless generations, along with the suffering spirits of the dead, can also be delivered through this practice and ascend to the Vermilion Palace, a heavenly palace in Daoist tradition.

Having each undergone nine years of transformation, they were renewed through spiritual influence, became people of noble standing, and took delight in studying the scriptures. Once their merit and virtue were complete, they could all become immortals, ascend to the Golden Towers of Heaven, and feast and wander in the Jade Capital, the Daoist celestial realm.

With the protection of the scriptures’ divine power, illness and epidemic disasters can be dispelled, allowing the people to receive blessings and live in peace, free from pain and sickness. The Lord on High looks down from afar and bestows blessings and a true celestial register. Those who cultivate the profound Dao, if they practice and recite this scripture, can attain De and surpass ordinary people. Illness and disaster will be dispelled, epidemics and malign influences will cease to spread, ailments such as lameness will be cured, and old illnesses of many years will be eliminated. They can then be delivered and ascend to the Vermilion Palace, a celestial palace in Daoism.

When people in the world recite this scripture, long-standing illnesses will gradually improve, and accumulated impurities in the abdomen will disperse. Their numinous nature will open to the mysterious Dao, allowing them to prolong their lives. Afterward, they can also cultivate the path of corpse liberation, a Daoist practice in which one leaves the physical body behind so that the soul and spirit may ascend. The soul and spirit temporarily depart the body; without passing through the underworld, they can regain their form and roam through the vast sky. This scripture is subtle and vast, able to deliver beings without end. All celestial beings and humans can thereby receive blessings and good fortune, and both the living and the dead can benefit from its grace.

Heaven cherishes this scripture and does not permit it to be passed casually to people in the world. Those who have succeeded in cultivating the Dao must express their sincerity with gold and precious treasures and swear an oath to Heaven before they may transmit it. If they disclose it carelessly or treat the scripture and its teachings with disrespect, disaster will befall nine generations of their ancestors, and they themselves will be conscripted for a long time by the Three Officials, the deities who govern Heaven, Earth, and Water. The Five Emperors’ Jade Youths and Jade Maidens who attend the scripture number twenty-four each. They guard the text and protect those who receive it.

The Dao says: By observing a prolonged fast and reciting this scripture during the first lunar month, one can dispel stubborn illnesses that have resisted treatment for many years. Some illnesses linger for years, beyond the reach of worldly medicines. Others are epidemics caused by disturbances from ghosts, spirits, and strange energies, which even physicians cannot identify. The afflicted may alternate between lucidity and confusion, between life and death. Such illnesses are sometimes said to be inherited from earlier generations, disasters caused by harmful influences emanating from tombs. They may also arise when ghostly energies and malign entities attract and attach themselves to one another, or when the spirits of the dead from past generations cause trouble. Reciting the scripture can free the afflicted from their bondage and deliver them to the Upper Southern Palace, a celestial palace in Daoism.

By observing a prolonged fast and reciting this scripture during the seventh lunar month, one can dispel illnesses caused when Metal Qi is strong and overcomes Water Qi, such as injuries to the sinews and channels and the invasion of the body by malign influences. One can also dispel the harmful forces of punishment that enter the body through construction work or burial, causing the hands and feet to lose their ability to move, lameness that makes walking impossible, and severe, persistent old illnesses, so that they no longer trouble the celestial realm… (The original text continues beyond this point.)

If someone violates the laws of Heaven and the case involves the underworld, they should be settled and protected, so they neither suffer injury nor lose their lives, and may attain the cultivation of an immortal. Their names will be entered in Heaven’s Yellow Registers and White Tablets, the records of life, death, merit, and transgression, and removed from the registers of the dead to be entered in the registers of the living.

By fasting and reciting this scripture for ten consecutive months, one can dispel illness and epidemic calamities for all living beings. A wide range of strange afflictions can be harmonized and cured: illnesses caused by pernicious winds or overexertion, conditions that do not improve despite prolonged treatment, weakness and wasting, malaria, chills and fever, lingering hidden pathogens, swellings and sweating caused by spring ghosts, edema, coughing, and labored breathing. In this way, the king and emperor, as well as ruler and ministers, fathers and sons, can all be at peace; the state will remain stable for a long time, and its generations will continue. If a ruler regularly recites this scripture to bring peace to the realm, the people of the region will praise his age as one of peace and order.

Reciting this scripture on the Eight Seasonal Nodes—the Beginning of Spring, Spring Equinox, Beginning of Summer, Summer Solstice, Beginning of Autumn, Autumn Equinox, Beginning of Winter, and Winter Solstice—can dispel the evil influences and diseases brought by the winds of the eight directions. Reciting it on one’s birth-year day, the day corresponding to the year of one’s birth, can scatter all manner of illness and prevent ghosts, apparitions, and pestilence from intruding. The soul and Shen will be clear and upright, and the original Qi will endure, bringing an end to suffering. The body will shine with light, the spirits of the Three Realms will guard it, the Five Emperors will welcome it, and the myriad gods will come to pay homage. When one’s merit is complete, one will ascend in flight to the Shangqing realm.

The Dao says: Whenever a scripture-recitation rite is performed, one should bathe in perfumed water, observe fasting and the precepts, and enter a quiet chamber. Facing east, click the teeth thirty-two times to convey one’s intent to the hearts of the thirty-two heavens, then bow thirty-two times. Next, close the eyes and meditate, imagining oneself seated upright amid clouds of green, purple, and azure Qi, with a vast, deep stillness within and without. The Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, Black Tortoise, lions, and white cranes stand in ranks to either side; the sun and moon shine, filling the chamber with clear light. The celestial physicians, the Youths of the Upper Court, the attendants who wield stone lancets, and other divine officials stand in attendance before and behind. A round halo appears above the head, its light illuminating the ten directions. When these visions have become clear and distinct, silently recite the incantation:

“Supreme Lord of the Dao, the Great Lord of the Mysterious Origin, summon the Three-Five Meritorious Officers within my body, the messengers on my left and right, the Jade Youths who attend to incense, the Jade Maidens who transmit messages, the Five Emperors’ appointed talisman officers, and the incense officials on duty today, thirty-six of each. Have them report: Today is an auspicious and joyful day. I observe a long fast and cultivate this supreme scripture, the Wuliang Duren Jing, in a pure and tranquil hall. May the matters for which I pray ascend and be carried directly to the throne of the Most Exalted Primordial Emperor, the Supreme One of the Unoriginating One’s thirty-two heavens.”

When the rite is complete, guide the Qi thirty-two times, face east, and recite the Yuanshi Wuliang Duren Shangpin Miaojing.

In the Dongxuan Lingbao scriptures of the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning, there is a hidden chapter for dispelling illness, pestilence, lameness, and pain, and for bringing people peace and deliverance. Its verses accord naturally with the Great Dao. The Great Dao is the Dharma Body, giving rise to divine beings within the Great Void. These beings are still and formless, beyond existence and nonexistence; they are the supreme, primordial source. At the beginning of the kalpas, the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning brought forth the heavens. Heaven and earth rose and fell, Yin and Yang joined, and humanity came into being. People are born from the womb; illness and pestilence arise from causes and conditions, or may be trials and punishments brought on by transgressions. Lameness and pain, accumulated over time, can become intertwined.

Those who cultivate in accordance with the scriptures and gather the Three Luminaries—the essences of the sun, moon, and stars, as understood in Daoism—can strengthen the foundation of life. Once illness and pestilence are swept away, spirit and Qi draw close to the Great Dao. Through subtle insight, one attains the immortal way; with a single thought, the spirit and soul can ascend, no longer bound by the old karma of one’s ancestors, but taking the Great Dao alone as one’s very self. The Five Writings, sacred emblems of the Great Dao’s principles in Daoist scriptures, unfold and nourish the divine beings everywhere. There is nothing beyond their radiance, illumination, establishment, accomplishment, deliverance, or transformation. This is the celestial realm within the Great Brahma Heaven, the palatial towers of Yuluo Xiaotai on Jade Mountain, and the supreme realm of Daluo Yuqing.

Immortals and sages of the nine grades take the natural Dao as their body. The illnesses of ordinary people, too, can be brought to peace through this method. Those who have not yet entered the Great Vehicle and remain afflicted by illness and pestilence should refine the body into Qi, refine Qi into spirit, and unite spirit with the Great Void, abiding in a state that is at once present and absent. When the Three Blossoms—the blossoms of Jing, Qi, and spirit in Daoist understanding—separate, unite, and transform, one can reach such immortal realms as the Wondrous Court of Great Being and the Jade Chambers of the Golden Towers.

The pure, vast Qi of the Orthodox Dao circulates through the ten directions. Among its divine beings are those who govern deliverance from illness, pestilence, lameness, and pain, as well as the Great Emperor Lord of Long Life of the South Pole; the Great Divine Lord Sima, who delivers the world; Lord Han, the Elder Who Cherishes Life; and the revered gods of the Southern Upper Court who govern destiny, the registers of merit, longevity, the increase of lifespan, and deliverance from misfortune. They can restore dried bones to life and bring the dead back to life. Today, the boundless methods of delivering people are being examined and recorded, and the divine beings of all the heavens have descended before the hall.

The Great Sage, King of the Gods of the Eastern Limitless Realm, who dispels illness and misfortune and grants long life, delivers immeasurable multitudes of beings.

The Great Sage, King of the Gods of the Southern Limitless Realm, who dispels evil and pestilence and grants long life, delivers immeasurable multitudes of beings.

The Great Sage, King of the Gods of the Western Limitless Realm, who dispels lameness and affliction and grants long life, delivers immeasurable multitudes of beings.

The Great Sage, King of the Gods of the Northern Limitless Realm, who dispels persistent pain and grants long life, delivers immeasurable multitudes of beings.

The Great Sage, King of the Gods of the Northeast Limitless Realm, who dispels worldly illness and grants long life, delivers immeasurable multitudes of beings.

The Great Sage, King of the Gods of the Southeast Limitless Realm, who dispels intrusive Qi—the malign influences believed in ancient times to enter the body and cause illness—and grants long life, delivers immeasurable multitudes of beings.

The Great Sage, King of the Gods of the Southwest Limitless Realm, who dispels chronic illness brought on by trials and punishment, and grants long life, delivers immeasurable multitudes of beings.

The Great Sage, King of the Gods of the Northwest Limitless Realm, who dispels retribution from former lives and grants long life, delivers immeasurable multitudes of beings.

The Great Sage of Long Life, King of the Gods who eliminates illnesses of the eyes in the limitless heavens above, vows to save countless beings. The Great Sage of Long Life, King of the Gods who eliminates illnesses of the mind in the limitless realms below, vows to save countless beings. In the limitless regions of the ten directions, the Kings of the Gods who eliminate epidemics, lameness, and every kind of chronic illness live forever and save the world; their number is beyond measure.

Many great gods ride cloud chariots, swift as lightning. They drive carriages drawn by red phoenixes, surrounded by processions of Celestial Immortals, divine officials, officers, and attendant gods. They command sacred beasts such as heavenly deer and Kui dragons, and carry red tally tablets, banners adorned with jade, and ceremonial standards decorated with kingfisher feathers. Instruments sound before and behind them, while the immortals sing in voices that travel through the air. Heavenly troops clear the way, and blue-haired divine generals steady the chariot shafts. Millions of chariots and tens of thousands of cavalry arrive through the sky. Divine light turns and circles; the gods’ carriages descend to remove illness from living beings and rescue their lives.

The ministers of the heavens, together with the great gods Han Si, Registrar and Supervisor of Life in the Upper Palace of Nanchang, come before the Celestial Emperor. Holding talismans and registers and overseeing the rolls of names, they carefully examine who is due to be saved, then announce the matter throughout the Three Realms: to the limitless land of the gods, the Office of the Springs and Winding Paths, the Northern Capital of Luofeng, the Three Offices and Nine Courts, the twelve sources of the rivers, and other such places.

These divine offices are to release people from corpse possession, tomb disputes, long-standing illnesses, frailty, ghostly epidemics, lingering evil influences, lameness, and chronic ailments. They are also to remove karmic burdens accumulated over many lifetimes, along with illnesses inherited from ancestors and generations of kin. They erase the registers of offenses and destroy the roots of evil, so that the souls of the dead are neither detained nor forced to join the ranks of ghosts.

By the talismanic command of the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning, the souls of the dead are promoted at the appointed time. Divine generals guard their bodies and souls in the cold pools of the Northern Capital, subdue evil spirits, and recommend them for advancement, enabling them to ascend in turn to the Southern Palace. There, the dead undergo refinement and become immortals; the living, too, can be saved. People endure from age to age, their lifespans turning with the cycles of the kalpas and lasting as long as Heaven. They are forever freed from the Three Calamities, Nine Afflictions, and Eight Hardships, rise beyond the Three Realms, and roam at ease in the heavens of Shangqing—the Cave-Deep, Formless Realm where the Celestial Emperor resides.

The Eight Heavens of the East

• In the Heaven of Great Peace and Harmonious Yang, the Celestial Emperor is named Jing She Xu Ren.
• In the Heaven of Ultimate Transformation of the Spirit, the Celestial Emperor is named Yu Du Qiu Lun.
• In the Heaven of Quiet Radiance and Primordial Beginning, the Celestial Emperor is named Le Zhen Fu Xian.
• In the Heaven of Awakening, Illuminating Feelings and Subtlety, the Celestial Emperor is named Guang Qiong Liang Ben.
• In the Heaven of Ordered Cessation, Yin, and Yi, the Celestial Emperor is named Bu Gui Shi Qi.
• In the Heaven of Falling Implements, Clear Flames, the Celestial Emperor is named Dou Bu Zi Kun.
• In the Heaven of Ben Ting and Lu River, the Celestial Emperor is named Chu Huan Ci Ying.
• In the Heaven of Waves’ End and the Wondrous Garden, the Celestial Emperor is named Xiao Yin Mi Wu.

Eight Heavens of the South

Dangcheng Baozhen Heaven, whose presiding deity is named Emperor Choubei Zhenhuang.

Liaoju Xinling Heaven, whose presiding deity is named Emperor Yaoxia Zongxiang.

Bianzong Xuyou Heaven, whose presiding deity is named Emperor Jizhen Tu.

Qianyang Baoqu Heaven, whose presiding deity is named Emperor Fuguan Yinglu.

Xiangpan Chihe Heaven, whose presiding deity is named Emperor Bianding Feibang.

Liangbu Qiuxuan Heaven, whose presiding deity is named Emperor Guding Fankang.

Zhuyan Wutong Heaven, whose presiding deity is named Emperor Kongji Minxuan.

Xianfang Xiaji Heaven, whose presiding deity is named Emperor Yuedu Xianchang.

Eight Heavens of the West

Kaosheng Jingling Heaven, whose presiding deity is named Emperor Yuechuan Zhiwen.

Xianxing Diying Heaven, whose presiding deity is named Emperor Guanba Wangyi.

Yuzhu Daxiang Heaven, whose presiding deity is named Emperor Zhaoming Liyuan.

Pingqi Lieguang Heaven, whose presiding deity is named Emperor Duming Weichong.

Luzhen Queji Heaven, whose presiding deity is named Emperor Miaoxian Chou.

Lunyü Niyou Heaven, whose presiding deity is named Emperor Zhichi Long.

Yedu Siqi Heaven, whose presiding deity is named Emperor Beixi Guangxuan.

Lüshi Dongmian Heaven, whose presiding deity is named Emperor Daoyan Ruantong.

Eight Heavens of the North

Suda Ziyuan Heaven, whose presiding deity is named Emperor Zhiming Xinfang.

Kuangyi Zunyi Heaven, whose presiding deity is named Emperor Duanjiu Jingzhi.

Dongci Qingzhou Heaven, whose presiding deity is named Emperor Lujin Jihui.

Songxian Baosheng Heaven, whose presiding deity is named Emperor Pouqiu Xidang.

Taishi Zhiyu Heaven, whose presiding deity is named Emperor Bingqing Xu Wei.

Guangfan Jiuming Heaven, whose presiding deity is named Emperor Shiji Lin.

Yingxiang Xuying Heaven, whose presiding deity is named Emperor Mengfu Jingkang.

Bitang Liulun Heaven, whose presiding deity is named Emperor Yanba Jiugang.

This passage lists the levels of the heavenly realm in the Lingbao scriptures and the names of the presiding deities of each Heaven. These heavenly and imperial names are sacred Daoist names, used chiefly to identify the ranks of the heavenly realm. Since the original text does not explain their meanings individually, they are retained here as given.

Each of the Thirty-Two Heavens has thirty-two Celestial Emperors, and every heaven possesses hidden titles and taboo names. The Numinous Chapter of the Hollow Void amid the Heavens for Dispelling Illness is a wondrous, numinous sound of the celestial realm. Within it are the venerable Celestial Physician and the numinous spirits of celestial medicine, who govern disease and the expulsion of illness-demons and who hold a marvelous power to restore life.

The scripture says that after nine transformations and seven revolutions, one may ascend in flight to Taiqing (the supreme celestial realm spoken of in Daoism); the measureless and profound principles within it are difficult to explain in full. It can eliminate epidemics and pestilence, lengthen the span of one’s years, and universally deliver celestial beings and human beings. Today we joyfully celebrate those who have received deliverance as they pass through the barriers of the heavens, and we pray that the heavens remove disability and disease, cut off the root of illness, keep the Six Corpses (the yin evils spoken of in Daoism that invade the body and harm life) far away, and prolong life. Taixuan Siming, the Director of Destinies (the divine office in charge of lifespan and the registers of life and death), is responsible for inspecting the rolls of names. The Eastern Dipper cuts off the spread of sickness; the Western Dipper destroys gu poison; the Northern Dipper binds ghosts and specters; the Southern Dipper treats disease; and the Great Chief of the Central Dipper governs the Jing (essence) and Qi (vital energy) of the five viscera. The assembled deities jointly watch over the various spirits and eliminate disease and pestilence.

The Azure Emperor protects the hun and po souls; the White Emperor attends the po and the body; the Red Emperor nourishes primordial Qi; the Black Emperor frees the flow of the blood vessels; and the Yellow Emperor presides over medicines, supporting the weak and rejoining what has been severed. The deity of the center presides over Great Harmony, so that the myriad spirits each rest securely in their proper place.

The Demon King of the Azure quarter governs the warm epidemics that spread in spring; the Demon King of the Red quarter scatters yang poison; the Demon King of the White quarter causes paralysis on one side of the body and lasting disability; the Demon King of the Black quarter brings chronic grave illness, leprosy, and sores and abscesses; and the Demon King of the Yellow quarter produces swellings, abdominal masses, and the disease of fox-bewilderment. The Great Demons of the Five Quarters are the baleful evils that give rise to disease. Following the cycles of the times, they enter and leave the human world and seize the moment to create disorder. They come down from Mount Kunlun, ride poisonous dragons, and command evil ghosts, wandering through the world and cruelly harming the people.

The Upper Palace issues talismanic commands to seize treacherous evils and demonic hauntings. The True King descends into the human world and destroys calamity and baleful evil. The scripture further enumerates divine troops and extraordinary beasts: the divine pool, purple clouds, celestial horses, jade reins, lightning beasts, and giant tortoises that spit fire, together with the ghost commanders of the Five Quarters, who hold pennants and banners. There are also flying lights, dark pythons a thousand zhang long, and a hundred ghost-chariots; vermilion banners cover the sky, thunder and lightning race forth, and great rains pour down. All who dare to offend are to be slain: first put to death with the dark axe, then executed with the red blade, so that disease and pestilence are eliminated and the human world is brought to peace. Wind and fire arise together, and divine spirits stride the Dipper and ride the stars. Demonic evils may not encroach, and ghosts and specters may not raise demons or work harm.

The Three Officials and Northern Feng (the divine offices in Daoism that govern ghosts and spirits and the affairs of the underworld) clearly inspect the camps of the ghosts and do not allow ghosts and specters to hide. Divine messengers, golden horses, transmit the documents and proclaim them throughout the boundless realms. The myriad spirits must all obey, and the matter is reported upward to the Five Emperors of the Three Realms and to Shangqing (Highest Clarity).

Donghuang and Yuji, Longhan and Yankang, dwell in a realm remote and vast, empty, still, and without bounds. Primordial chaos encircles a firm and vigorous Qi: above, no definite form or color can be seen; below, no abyss can be seen. In the void the operations of Qi proceed, and the Jing of Metal congeals in heaven. There, above is no heaven and below is no earth; nor is there nether darkness, bodily form, or image. It is vast without limit, endless and inexhaustible.

At the beginning of the cosmos, chaos stretched vast and boundless. Brahma Qi filled the expanse, and there was not yet any light between Heaven and Earth. The Qi of Red Radiance opened Heaven and Earth and set creation in motion, allowing all things to arise naturally. The Dao of the Primordial Beginning steadied Heaven and Earth and set forth the five scriptures. The Red Writ in Jade Characters and the Eight Majestic Dragon Writings safeguarded and governed the cycles of cosmic calamity, sustaining Heaven and Earth for ages.

The Dao of Heaven also acts within the human body. Though bodies vary in size, they are permeated within by the Qi of chaos, and the six bowels and nine organs naturally work in harmony. The Qi of the Red Writ courses between wind, emptiness, Heaven, and the abyss. Through every transformation, as Yin and Yang divide and unite, all returns to the Dao. When the movement of Qi is harmonious, illness can be dispelled. One is spared lameness, chronic ailments, and demonic influences, and may attain long life and become an immortal.

Brahma Qi fills the body’s channels, membranes, and valleys; from it arise the subtle passages through which breath enters and leaves, as well as the openings in the bones. The channels and vessels are like the guiding order of Heaven and Earth: they wind and flow, circulating throughout the body. The body has nine gates, and the twenty-four perfected beings—the inner deities of the body—govern the three passes. At the center is the Celestial Pivot; before it lies Vast Brightness, with palaces distributed throughout. Behind is Utmost Yin. Yin and Yang embrace and mingle, while primordial Qi moves upward from below.

The Eight Luminaries, the hidden realms within the body, join in secret, and breath enters the wondrous realm. The Great Sovereign within the Mystery and the exalted perfected beings appear above the Great Empyrean, chanting jade verses. Golden perfected beings open primordial Qi, whose sound carries through the clouds. Jade tones gather Qi; numinous winds summon mists and rosy clouds. Purple Void Qi flourishes, aiding the myriad immortals.

Myriad kinds of harmonious Qi gather naturally and coalesce into true Qi. Impurities disperse, leaving no room for illness or pestilence to spread. The lame walk with ease, and chronic ailments vanish. Harmonious Qi mingles and gives birth to true Qi, within which numinous beings are naturally present.

The Great Lord of Long Life, the Young Lord Wuying, the Spirit of Dongyang, and the Venerable Spirit Baiyuan are pure, still, profound, and radiant. Taiyi guards the chamber of Fang; the Director of Destinies rings a bell; Taokang drives out evil influences and helps people prolong their years. The spirits set Jing and Qi in motion, wield talismans and registers, and protect the root of life, enabling one to ascend to Shangqing and roam in delight among jade palaces and emerald canopies.

Within the murky yellow Qi, a person rises and descends. The Qi of Mysterious Radiance takes root in the Muddy Pellet Palace—the upper Dantian in the head, as described in Daoist Neidan—and gathers at the body’s pores, refining and nourishing the hundred spirits. The Crimson Palace and Dragon Spring, the vital points where breath and spirits move within the body, govern the body’s key regions. They swiftly destroy corpse parasites, the harmful influences said to lurk within the body, and also crush long-standing chronic ailments.

The Five Qi are brought into order, and the eight kinds of precious Qi unite. Through repeated cycles of refinement, spirit and Qi turn back, the bones are renewed, and the body is transformed. After six cycles of sexagenary years, all Qi rises together, and all beings may become immortals. The immortal way prizes the preservation of life and widely dispenses boundless methods for saving people. It opens the eight gates and sets the flying wheel of the Dharma in motion. Through teachings on sin and merit, prohibitions and precepts, people of differing karmic conditions from past lives can all be guided and delivered. The souls of the dead and the bodies of the living may alike receive the chance of renewal.

Above, one hears the sounds of the heavens. Each of the heavens has its own Gate of Life, where the hymns of the Empty Caverns are found. The verses of the True King’s numinous text accord with the way of the exalted perfected beings.

The Great Divine Physician of the First Heaven can drive away demons and dispel illness. This is the sound that flies through the air:

That which flashes with five-colored radiance is this divine pill, made for ordinary people in the world.

The many diseases are unbearable. Grievances and resentment, sorrow and gloom, leave the face more haggard with each passing day.

Pulled along by causes and conditions and affected by external circumstances, the mind and spirit cannot be at rest. In the cold, it feels as piercing as ice; in a fever, as if flames were consuming you. Life is like a lamp in the wind, liable to go out at any moment. You can only sink into darkness and confusion, sighing for a long time.

I act with great compassion, mindful of your weakness, disability, and illness. Once the Crimson Palace—the Daoist seat of the heart spirit—is at peace, it can shine upon countless beings. Empty, still, clear, and unobstructed, it reaches up to the heavens and down to the earth.

The Jade Emperor, a revered Daoist deity, watches with solemn attention. The assembled immortals line up in praise and deliver you, enabling you to attain the rank of immortal lord. The myriad Qi of Heaven and Earth are constantly brought into harmony and wholeness.

Illness arises from causes, conditions, and karma. Once the hun and po souls leave the body, they are put to work by ghost officials, leaving relatives to grieve in vain and endure bitterness and pain. You do not understand the formless Dao, and so you cycle between life and death. If you can see the Dao and abide in emptiness, your spirit and soul can ascend to Jade Capital Mountain, the Daoist mountain in the celestial realm.

At that time, supreme wisdom will appear, and the trials of evil spirits will naturally be unable to assail you.

Second: The Perfected One Who Aids All, Admonishing Against Ghost Plague

Kuilong, a mighty divine general, wears blue armor and has steel whiskers ten zhang long. Every day he swallows ten thousand ghosts, leaving no trace of evil spirits or pestilential Qi. Pestilential poison robs people of their sight, while ghosts from the underworld must be driven away at once. Assemble the divine host of Dutian; let the divine officials cut down and destroy them. Then check the registers, track them down, and capture them, so the evil ghosts are trapped in the rugged, impassable Nine Prisons.

You ghosts and demons, why have you gathered and multiplied over the years until you have become a scourge? Why do you assume false forms and scheme recklessly to harm people, entering their blood vessels and blocking their spirit chambers—the places within the body where spirits dwell—so that Qi can no longer circulate, and keeping corpse ghosts as your companions? You use people’s dreams and thoughts to communicate with Yin spirits, changing your forms and clothes to disturb the Yellow Chamber, where Daoism locates the body’s Qi and spirits. Yet you refuse to awaken. You insist on struggling against all things, and your names have already been entered in Beifeng, the Daoist underworld; the reckoning for your deeds will never cease.

Why do you not dwell in the mountains and forests, long for the true Dao, and let your cultivation come naturally to completion? I practice the Dao amid purple smoke and dwell in the Yellow Court, the place within the body where Daoism locates Qi and spirits, to relieve suffering.

Third: A Song by the Great Sage of Long Life, Rescuing Those Afflicted with Lameness

Amid emerald mountains a thousand zhang high, ten thousand banners fly, wreathed in flames. At Tiger Hill, bows are drawn and ranks arrayed; at Heyu, drums thunder as weapons are raised. The great deity races through the clouds, flashing past like a shooting star and darting like a bolt of thunder.

Look down at these people: at times they rise, only to fall again. Evil influences invade their bodies; their bones grow weak, their sinews and channels are damaged, and disaster strikes their homes. A baleful atmosphere leaves their hands and feet crippled, while evil spirits haunt them, making them drag their limbs and stagger.

They do not know that all this is caused by karmic conditions from past lives. Their suffering is sincere, and their tears fall like dust. Greed, anger, superstition, and delusion bind them. They take lives and make offerings to ghosts and spirits; after death, they will enter the Prison of Dark Sand, a netherworld jail in Daoist belief, where they may be unable to escape for countless millions of years.

You should understand the mysteries of the Great Dao. The subtle, profound, and far-reaching Dao can nourish the human spirit, allowing people to transcend life and death naturally and become perfected immortals of Shangqing, the Daoist celestial realm, forever. Learn the Way of Wuwei (non-action) in freedom, and use the utmost Yang Qi to rekindle a flame that is about to go out.

This is a song sung by the True King in the sky above the Three Realms. Read aloud every word of its Cavern Chapters, sacred passages in Daoist scriptures. Recite them a hundred times, and illness will disappear; recite them a thousand times, and the old habits and karmic ties that bind people will also be removed; recite them ten thousand times, and you will attain the Great Dao, save all living beings, ascend through the open heavens, rise beyond the Three Realms, and take your place among the Immortal Lords.

When people hear this sacred, numinous sound, all demons will be bound, and the Earth Deities will come at command to guard and escort them. Those who recite the scripture will be drawn away from the gates of hell and freed from the Five Sufferings and Eight Calamities, the many kinds of suffering. Their ancestors for seven generations will ascend, forever beyond the jurisdiction of ghost officials. Their souls will be guided to Zhuling, where the dead are refined in the Daoist netherworld, and undergo alchemical refinement so they may be reborn. This is boundless universal salvation, a deliverance without end.

This scripture is a text kept secret in Heaven and revered by all the heavens. To reveal it or treat it with disrespect is to fall into hell and bring calamity upon one’s ancestors for seven generations.

The Dao says: These two scripture chapters are used by the gods and emperors of the heavens and the most numinous perfected immortals to cure illness and aid those afflicted with lameness. They reveal the original, true Yuan, the inborn nature that remains unmoving and unchanged. The karmic retribution of illness all arises from karmic ties, which continue through layer upon layer until habits become ingrained and the Qi changes; this is why groaning and pain arise. By cultivating consciousness and penetrating the emptiness, one can pass through countless kalpas without falling again into the cycle of life and death, and so attain the body of a perfected being, beyond birth and death.

These hidden sounds are all words of the Great Brahma, sacred language that comes from the heavens, not ordinary speech. They have neither the rhythms of worldly writing nor its ornate melodies, and so are called mysterious and difficult to understand. These scriptures are precious treasures kept secret in Heaven, stored in the upper palace of the True King of Shenziao. According to the cycles of cosmic kalpas, they are transmitted at the appointed time only once every thirty-eight thousand years. If a person who has attained the Dao comes with golden treasures and a sincere heart, and makes a covenant for three days according to the established rites, the scriptures may then be transmitted.

The scripture says that when the workings of Heaven and Earth fall out of order, calamities may appear: thunder and earthquakes, mountains collapsing and the ground splitting, floods and droughts, wind and hail, and irregular movements of the Sun, Moon, and Five Planets—that is, the Sun, Moon, and the planets associated with Wood, Metal, Water, Fire, and Earth. Even the most exalted holy beings, whose Dao practice has lifted them beyond illness, experience the ups and downs of fortune; their concealment and manifestation wax and wane with the times. Those whose practice of the Dao is still shallow may also fall ill or be injured. When such calamities arise, everyone should join in fasting, offer incense at the appointed times, and recite this scripture ten times. In this way, blessings and De will descend, dispelling every kind of ill omen. This boundless text can save living beings far and wide.

The scripture also says that those whose practice of the Dao is still shallow and whose rank among the immortals is not yet complete may be afflicted by illness, unable to move freely and sick for a long time without recovery. Their faith may waver, and they may doubt that the Great Dao is efficacious. To help them, fellow cultivators should offer incense and recite the scripture ten times on their behalf, dispelling their illness. If they cultivate according to the ritual method, Shen and Qi will flow freely between above and below, their true nature will awaken to understanding, and their illness will dissolve. The results depend on each person’s cultivation. This practice can also nourish life and extend one’s years, leading ultimately to becoming an immortal.

When the workings of Heaven and Earth decline, the stars fall out of order, the Sun and Moon behave abnormally, the seasons are out of balance, and Yin-Yang is disharmonious, disasters may strike the realm. Epidemics spread, poisonous vapors circulate, and the people suffer death and injury. If fellow cultivators fall ill after inadvertently entering a stricken area, they too should fast, offer incense, and recite the scripture. The merit of fasting and reciting the scripture is immense: it can dispel disasters from Heaven and preserve the state above, and drive away poisons and save the people below. Both the living and the dead can receive blessings from it. Its De is beyond measure; hence it is called “Boundless Universal Salvation of Heaven and Humanity.”

All who can uphold and recite this scripture, and perform these meritorious acts for the people of Heaven and Earth, should resolve to fast, burn incense, and recite the scripture ten times when calamity strikes. Illness, difficulty moving, and other ailments will then be dispelled. The heavens will enter their names in the registers, and the gods will protect them. In time, such people can become sage rulers and officials of the Golden Palaces in Heaven. The heavens record people’s merits and faults, overlooking nothing, however small; the demonic kings of Heaven will also recommend and protect you. Only those who have truly attained the Dao can fully understand these highest principles.

The Great Brahma’s hidden words among the heavens, boundless sounds—composed by the Dao Lord

The Middle Section of the Numinous Book of Primordial Origin for Dispelling Illness, Epidemics, Lameness, and Ailments: The Eight Heavens of the East

The following are the hidden words and sounds of the Eight Heavens:

Sacred response opens the Dipper; documents bring auspicious joy and affinity; vast Heaven hastens to subtle dew.

Solemnly aligned in the center of Heaven; instruction benefits and changes the oracle; also, the Great Perfect One is distant and profound.

The phrases above, “Yimin feilei … A wei shangxian,” belong to what the scripture calls “the immeasurable sounds of the hidden words of the Great Brahmā.” These are sacred hidden words in Daoist scriptures and cannot be translated word for word as ordinary prose. Here, the original phrases have therefore been retained.

The Dao says: These hidden words of the Great Brahmā in the celestial realms are all immeasurable sounds. In the old edition, they were written with a brush whose tip shone like a Langhua pearl, above the north gate of the Purple Palace in the Heaven of Supreme Ultimate Mystery and Stillness. The writing descends in a radiance of Qi and corresponds to the region of the Tail constellation. It can heal epidemics, lameness, and other illnesses; dispel the retribution of harmful karma; and release the resentment accumulated through relentless calamities, curses, lawsuits, and debts arising from injustice. It enables people to understand the practice of De, and illness and pestilential Qi then dissipate. This writing, said to bear the traces of the phoenix and the records of the dragon, has characters that are broad and elongated.

The Supreme Lord of Eastern Glory, the Azure Youth (a high-ranking deity of the Eastern Immortal Realm), once set down this scripture as the Correct Tone. Those who understand its sounds and meanings, and are able to observe purification and recite it, will be visited by flying-cloud heralds, messengers from the celestial realm, sent by the heavens to observe them, record their merits and diligent practice, and report to the heavens. The myriad spirits will come to pay homage, while the Earth Deities wait beside the gate. Those who accumulate great merit may be recommended by the Celestial Pivot and become high immortals. When their cultivation of the Dao is complete, they can travel freely through the Three Realms and ascend to the Golden Gate.

This sound can dispel evil influences wherever it is heard, avert calamities wherever they arise, deliver living beings wherever they are, and accomplish any task. It is the sound of heavenly truth and natural spontaneity. Thus, when the scripture is recited, flying-cloud messengers descend to observe; the Supreme Lord answers in song from afar; the myriad spirits come to pay homage, and divine beings of the Three Realms attend on either side. All evil forces bow their heads and retreat, while ghosts and apparitions vanish of their own accord. The scripture’s sound rings like jade chimes, spreading through the ten directions. Rivers and seas grow still, mountains fall silent, baleful Qi dissipates, the myriad spirits are awed into obedience, and the immortals gather. No dark impurity clouds the sky, and no demonic dust sullies the earth. In the netherworld, wisdom shines clear; all is pure and transparent, vast and mysterious.

Chapter on Averting Disasters of Water and Fire and Epidemics

The Dao says: Once, in the Vast and Empty Realm of Jade Sound, the Great Luminous Land within the Purple Origin Precious Imperial Heaven, the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning transmitted the Wondrous Scripture for Deliverance and Purification from Disasters and Epidemics of Water and Fire. The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning proclaimed this scripture ten times, circling through the ten directions to summon their divine beings. As the proclamation began, countless beings—including the Great Gods of Heavenly Truth, the Most High Sages and Venerable Ones, and the Perfected Ones of Wondrous Practice—came riding through the air. Auspicious clouds gathered high above, and numinous mists scattered colored light. Jade chariot wheels, splendid carriages, and jeweled canopies shone among them; all things gathered radiance, and hundreds and thousands of jeweled colors illuminated the whole expanse of space.

For seven days and seven nights, the heavens halted their courses. The sun and moon stood still together, while the stars and celestial bodies each remained in their appointed places. Green mountains rose in layered ridges, and the divine sea lay calm; immortal clouds covered the sky, while the earth was transformed into jade. Lofty towers and palaces soared above, as dragons and phoenixes danced in flight. White numinous fungi and red immortal trees caught the sweet dew and gave off a fragrant scent. Green light and golden radiance illuminated heaven and earth, while the Perfected Ones stood in attendance beside the seat.

The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning sat upright in the air, supported beneath by nine-colored true dragons, and proclaimed the scripture. After it had been proclaimed once, the Great Sages of the heavens praised it together…

At that time, the men and women of the kingdom listened joyfully as the Celestial Worthy proclaimed the Great Dharma for delivering countless beings. The scripture says that this teaching can dispel disasters of flood and fire and ward off epidemics, compassionately protecting and saving beings throughout the Three Realms.

When the Celestial Worthy proclaimed it a second time, the heavens shook, and the jade radiance—the beam of light between the Celestial Worthy’s brows—illuminated the Dragon Observatory everywhere. When he proclaimed it a third time, the bright River of Heaven poured forth its radiance, and the Mysterious Pearl, a jewel symbolizing numinous light, drifted down in a shower. At the fourth proclamation, the waters surged upward and the fires died down; all manner of transformations took place of themselves. At the fifth, disasters and epidemics ceased, and calamities were postponed. At the sixth, Yin settled and Yang grew calm; Qi lay hidden yet remained abundant. At the seventh, the Primordial Origin—the original state before Heaven and Earth had divided—revealed its transformations, and sacred ordinances spread far and wide. At the eighth, within still emptiness, transformations unfolded without end, and divine spirits and perfected beings manifested in response. At the ninth, a ritual altar built of gold emerged, and the immortals bent down to gaze upon it. At the tenth, flesh and blood grew anew upon dry bones, and even the darkest places became bright.

At that time, all the men and women of the kingdom turned wholeheartedly toward the Celestial Worthy. All received protection and deliverance, and attained long life.

The Dao says: At that time, each time the Primordial Beginning Celestial Worthy proclaimed the scripture, a Great God of immeasurable rank from one of the ten directions, together with his countless attendants, came from the sky.

At the first proclamation, the Great God of Opening Fortune and his attendants came from the east. At the second, the Great God of the Jade Register and his attendants came from the south. At the third, the Great God of Planting the Kalpa and his attendants came from the west. At the fourth, the Great God of Delivering from the Kalpa and his attendants came from the north. At the fifth, the Great God of Weighing and Measuring and his attendants came from the northeast. At the sixth, the Great God of Controlling Water and his attendants came from the southeast. At the seventh, the Great God of Quelling Fire and his attendants came from the southwest. At the eighth, the Great God of Dispelling Calamities and his attendants came from the northwest. At the ninth, the Great God of Transforming Epidemics and his attendants came from above. At the tenth, the Great God of Receiving and Aiding and his attendants came from below.

When the scripture had been proclaimed ten times, the True Gods and Great Gods of the immeasurable celestial realms in all ten directions arrived at once. The men and women of the kingdom turned toward them in sincere reverence, offering precious treasures and rare objects, wondrous incense, fine garments, and various ritual implements, along with banners, standards, canopies, jade pendants, necklaces, and pearl ornaments. The offerings filled the air like clouds and rain.

The assembly bowed to the Celestial Worthy, expressing their wish to hear the Great Dao. The Primordial Celestial Worthy stroked a jade table carved with cloud patterns. Holding a horsetail whisk that radiated a purple-gold light, he let his gaze sweep across the gathering, lowered his radiant presence, and proclaimed to the assembly and the celestial beings of the ten directions:

“Since I first brought forth Chaos and transformed it into the two forms of Heaven and Earth, I have directed and governed Yin-Yang. At the beginning, I appointed the divine immortals: the August Primordial Lord, the True One of Azure Radiance, the Emperor of the Azure Heaven, the Emperor of Azure Florescence, the Great Emperor of Azure Florescence, the Celestial Lord of Azure Radiance, the Great Emperor of Fusang, the Lord of the Nine Elders’ Immortal Capital, and the Lord of the Azure Youth, Minister of the Left. I also commanded the Three Officials of Donghua, divine officers responsible for examination and judgment, to balance Water and Fire and determine the cycles of calamity.

The limits of Heaven and Earth’s movement are marked by the conjunctions of nine and five, and of eight and six. The land measures three hundred billion, thirty-three million, three hundred thousand li in length and breadth. Its north-south span is one thousand li shorter, and its east-west span one thousand li longer. Halfway between the ground and the sky, strong winds of the upper air encircle the eight directions; the depths beneath the earth extend just as far. Heaven and Earth connect, meet in their vastness, and cover one another; their dimensions can be calculated by the method of right triangles.

Measure the shadows cast by the sun’s course and examine the directions on the ground: for every thousand li of travel, the shadow changes by one cun. From this, the distances can be calculated. The expanse of Heaven is about three million six hundred and sixty thousand li. Even if one tried to measure it by reckoning ten thousand layers of Heaven, ordinary measures could not encompass it.

Above the Azure Heaven are the nine Qi, and Heaven has nine Primordials. Their pivot turns, cycling around thirty-two times and covering day and night. Thirty days make one change in the heavenly season; twelve such changes make one degree, for a total of three hundred and thirty degrees. The Qi of the heavens is at its most abundant when Wood is in season. By the time of Yin and Mao, it reaches three thousand three hundred degrees.

When Azure Qi surges and Yellow Qi is blocked, and the Yang count reaches nine, this is called the ‘Minor Yang Nine.’ When the six seasonal Qi rise and the hundred officials gather, this is called the ‘Minor Hundred Six.’ When the Qi of the Fire Palace is strong, in the years of Si and Wu, epidemic Qi spreads and reaches nine thousand nine hundred degrees. Azure Qi surges, Yellow Qi encroaches, and the Yang count reaches nine: this is called the ‘Major Yang Nine.’ When the six seasonal Qi reverse and the hundred spirits draw in their Qi, this is called the ‘Major Hundred Six.’ This is Heaven…”

According to this passage, the Qi of Heaven and Earth moves among the directions associated with the Five Phases over the course of the yearly cycles. When one kind of Qi grows strong and clashes with the Qi that overcomes it, military unrest, epidemics, floods, droughts, and other calamities may occur. The scripture calls lesser calamities “minor Yang Nine and minor Hundred Six,” and greater ones “major Yang Nine and major Hundred Six.” These names are terms for calamity cycles in Daoist ideas about cycles of tribulation.

The Three Qi belong to Fire. When they move through the years of Shen and You, military unrest and epidemics occur together. When Fire Qi moves through the years of Si and Wu, at 3,300 degrees, Red Qi flourishes and White Qi is obstructed; this is “minor Yang Nine and minor Hundred Six.” At 9,900 degrees, Red Qi strikes White Qi and causes it to decline; this is “major Yang Nine and major Hundred Six.”

The Six Heavens Qi rises in the years of Chen, Xu, Chou, and Wei, which belong to the Earth palace; Fire is generated within Earth. At 9,900 degrees, Red Qi strikes White Qi and damages it. This is called “major Yang Nine and major Hundred Six.” When the Six Heavens Qi moves through the years of Hai and Zi, which belong to the Water palace, floods are to be expected.

The center belongs to Earth. When Yellow Qi moves through the years of Chen, Xu, Chou, and Wei, at 3,300 degrees, Yellow Qi flourishes and Black Qi is obstructed; this is “minor Yang Nine and minor Hundred Six.” At 9,900 degrees, Yellow Qi strikes Black Qi and causes it to decline; this is “major Yang Nine and major Hundred Six.” When Yellow Qi moves through the years of Shen and You, which belong to the Metal palace, epidemics caused by miasma break out on a large scale.

The Seven Qi belong to Metal. When they move through the years of Yin and Mao, which belong to the Wood palace, rivers overflow and calamities and illnesses arise together. When the Seven Qi belong to Metal and White Qi moves through the years of Shen and You, the state is at peace and the people are prosperous. At 3,300 degrees, White Qi flourishes and Green Qi is obstructed; this is “minor Yang Nine and minor Hundred Six.” When White Qi moves through the years of Hai and Zi, which belong to the Water palace, the people are swept away by floods, and many die young or are injured. At 9,900 degrees, White Qi strikes Green Qi and causes it to decline; this is “major Yang Nine and major Hundred Six.” When White Qi moves through the years of Si and Wu, which belong to the Fire palace, red portents appear, fires break out, and calamities and illnesses are especially severe.

The Five Qi belong to Water. When they move through the years of Yin and Mao, which belong to the Wood palace, waters rise and embankments burst, causing people to die young or be injured. At 9,900 degrees, Black Qi strikes Red Qi and causes it to decline; this is called “major Yang Nine and major Hundred Six.” When the Five Qi move through the years of Chen, Xu, Chou, and Wei, which belong to the Earth palace, this portends a severe drought.

The Qi of the five directions makes thirty-two complete cycles of revolution, passing through 9,900 degrees and circulating through the five directions… (The original text ends here, unfinished.)

The Qi of all regions rises upward. Yuanshi (the Daoist revered deity) sets the clear Yang Qi in motion, causing it to circle within the Mountain of Jade Capital, the mysterious city of Lingbao. It spreads throughout the heavens, the sun, moon, and stars, and extends beyond the ten directions. After the Qi of heaven has coursed through 999,999 degrees, it grows strong; at the turning of a kalpa, heaven and earth are formed anew. The principles governing the transformations of water and fire can bring calamities and disasters to a natural end only when they are dispelled and resolved.

Thus, the Dao has nine ones, heaven has nine ones, earth has nine ones, and humanity has nine ones. These four groups of nine combine to form the thirty-six Qi, which converge in the thirty-six heavens. Each Qi then transforms and gives rise to another nine ones, together forming the eighty-one primordial Qi. Between emptiness and being are eighty-one kinds of Dao Qi. Heaven has eighty-one sages; between heaven and earth are eighty-one kinds of true Qi; humanity has eighty-one kinds of immortal Qi. Together they make three hundred and sixty Qi.

The Dao has three hundred and sixty kinds of subtle, wondrous paths of natural emptiness and mystery. Heaven has three hundred and sixty paths of sage-like transformation; earth has three hundred and sixty paths of Dongzhen (Caverns of Truth); and humanity has three hundred and sixty joints, along with the path by which one transforms, soars, and ascends to immortality. These three hundred and sixty Qi transform in distinct ways: above are thirty-six spaces of emptiness, in the middle are thirty-six heavens, and below are thirty-six earths. Within the human body, their mysterious transformations appear as thirty-six portals, the entrances within the body described in Daoist teachings.

The Dao has thirty-six thousand kinds of miraculous transformations and mysterious forms; heaven has thirty-six thousand cloud-built palaces; earth has thirty-six thousand grottoes; and humanity has thirty-six thousand kinds of spiritual awareness. The Dao is the most subtle presence within mysterious emptiness, while humanity is the most spiritually gifted among heaven and earth. Both exist within the transformations of water and fire.

Heaven and earth are subject to the cycles of kalpas. When these cycles reach their end, disasters of water and fire and epidemics arise. Only when the High Sages and exalted venerables, together with the emperors of the heavens, bring them into harmony can the kalpa avoid its end and water and fire avoid violent surges and destructive transformations. In the world, only enlightened rulers who follow the Dao and worthy ministers of virtue can put an end to disasters of water and fire and epidemics. When water and fire within the human body fall out of balance and illness arises, harmony must be restored through calm stability and Wuwei (non-action): the fire descends and the water rises. This principle cannot be known by anyone whose cultivation has not reached the realm of Perfect Truth.

These great methods for dispelling and resolving disasters of water and fire and epidemics were spoken by Yuanshi after he finished expounding the scripture. All the perfected beings jointly witnessed and transmitted them to me. The joy and celebration of that moment defy description; the ritual proceedings were largely complete. The heavens each returned to their proper place, and in an instant all fell silent. At that time, the heavenly beings and the people of the world were fortunate to encounter this scripture and its teachings, and were saved in great numbers.

It enables people to preserve their natural lifespan and remain unharmed. All people turn toward and revere the Great Dao, and come to know its true nature. The two energies of water and fire are brought into harmony, and Heaven and Earth become clear and peaceful; all things and the people settle into stability and abundance. People no longer fight, show off their strength, clash, harm one another, brood, resent, suppress themselves, or become blocked and closed off. Their speech no longer wanders on endlessly in empty talk, nor do they speak perversely. United in compassion, people become as close as family, even across different surnames and peoples. The state is at peace and its people are prosperous, gladly enjoying an age of tranquility. The scripture begins by proclaiming its teaching, so that the people of an entire state may turn to the Dao in advance. All who sincerely believe in and pay homage to the Great Dao can be delivered and rise beyond the secular world.

The Dao says: The teachings in the scriptures spoken by the Celestial Worthy of the Primordial Beginning, a revered Daoist deity, are the secret names and hidden rhythms of the gods of the heavens. They are also the concealed names of demon kings and the unknown names of the myriad spirits. The highest sages who have attained realization inwardly master the true water of Lingbao, an image of water and fire brought into harmony to aid and deliver all things, keeping the water’s surface still. Their elixir Qi is pure and wondrous, without smoke or flame. In this way, they can harmonize and gently aid all things, cleanse away poisons and evils, dispel epidemics and calamities, penetrate the mysterious and investigate the hidden, and fully comprehend the scripture’s passages.

When this scripture is recited ten times, the Northern Capital, where the underworld resides, proclaims its authority, while the Southern Mound, which records good deeds, takes note of virtue. The volcanoes shine with light; gentle Qi spreads in all directions; the Dragon Marsh becomes clear and pure; and Heaven’s De becomes bright and peaceful. Poisonous harms are dispelled, calamities are brought to a lasting end, epidemics no longer arise, and the people enjoy health and well-being.

When those who cultivate the Dao recite it ten times, the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) follow their proper order, and the Three Calamities vanish of themselves. Demons lose their power, and ghosts, spirits, and evil beings are destroyed. The scripture can also rescue those on the verge of death, whose breath has ceased, and restore them to life. This is because those who cultivate the Dao guard the spirit and direct the Qi, ensuring that water and fire each follow their proper course. They regulate the firing process so that it remains measured and without error, setting in order the laws that govern Heaven and Earth. Calamities of annihilation are thereby gathered up and delivered to the Celestial Net for judgment.

If one recites this passage carelessly, calamity will befall oneself. If one makes offerings to this scripture, honors it, and pays it reverence, one’s household will prosper and flourish through the generations, sustaining an enduring connection with goodness. No calamity can intrude, and the spirits will guard the household gates. This scripture is exalted and mysterious, unmatched in the Jade Capital, the celestial city of immortals, and delivers people without limit. It is the root of the myriad Dao teachings; its law is lofty and vast, and its merit and virtue cannot be fully described.

According to the scripture, if someone recites it ten times, all the heavenly gods and spirits will come together to protect them. The suffering souls among their ancestors across countless generations will also immediately be delivered and raised to the Vermilion Palace, a celestial palace in Daoist belief. There they will undergo nine years of instruction, after which they will be reborn and become people of high rank.

By using the methods of the scripture to commune with the two divine beings of Water and Fire, one can harmonize Yin-Yang and bring the true Qi into accord. The gods will then descend into the courtyard and manifest their efficacy. Anyone who earnestly studies the Dao and completes their practice can become an immortal, ascend to the Golden Palace, and roam the Jade Capital.

If practitioners cultivate every day and recite this scripture, the sun and moon will accompany them like guardians. Water and Fire will shine with radiance, dispelling calamities and epidemics and bringing people immediate deliverance, so they may ascend to the Southern Palace. When people in the world recite this scripture, the fire within their hearts descends to the Purple Chamber, a place of cultivation within the body, while Mysterious Water rises to the Central Pool within the Golden Gate. As the Central Pool grows clear, the White Origin, a divine presence within the body, rejoices; harmful, baleful Qi is dispelled, and the true spirit endures. From then on, people can attain the way of corpse liberation: their soul and spirit temporarily leave the body, then regain their form without passing through hell, and roam through the vast emptiness.

This scripture is subtle and vast, and can deliver beings without limit. All beings in Heaven and on Earth can receive immeasurable blessings from it; both the living and the dead benefit. Heaven cherishes this scripture, so it must not be passed on to unworthy people in later generations. Before transmitting it, the teacher must prepare tokens of sincerity such as gold and silk, and make a solemn pledge to Heaven. Anyone who carelessly reveals it or treats its transmission lightly will bring disaster upon nine generations of ancestors and suffer prolonged service under ghost officials. The Five Emperors, Jade Boys, and Jade Maidens who attend to this scripture number twenty-four each. They guard the text and protect those who receive it.

The scripture also says that observing an extended fast and reciting it in the first month can set in order the principles governing the Three Primordial Periods—the Upper, Middle, and Lower—and dispel disasters of Water and Fire and the Qi of epidemics. It can end the service of ancestors’ souls in hell and deliver them, raising them to the Southern Palace. Observing an extended fast and reciting it in the seventh month can set in order the operation of the Five Cycles, dispel disasters of Water and Fire and the Qi of epidemics, and enable practitioners to become immortals. The heavens will enter their names in the Yellow Registers and White Slips, celestial records of merit and fault and registers of immortal status, and remove them from the registers of the dead, allowing them to return to life. Observing an extended fast and reciting it in the tenth month can set in order the movement of the Six Qi, dispel disasters of Water and Fire and the Qi of epidemics, and, for the state…

Emperors, rulers, ministers, fathers, and sons can all be brought to stability. The country’s good fortune is secured, its reign endures, and it does not decline from one generation to the next. When a ruler can bring peace to his domain, the people will praise the age as peaceful.

Reciting this scripture on the eight seasonal nodes—the Beginning of Spring, Spring Equinox, Beginning of Summer, Summer Solstice, Beginning of Autumn, Autumn Equinox, Beginning of Winter, and Winter Solstice—can set the order of the eight directions right and dispel the calamities of great and lesser cycles: the clashing of water and fire, harmful eclipses, and other disasters. It can also bring harmony and stability to the climate of Heaven and Earth. Reciting this scripture on the natal day of the Perfected Ones of the Nine Palaces, who correspond to the Qi of the Nine Palaces, can protect the cycles represented by the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches from harm, bring water and fire into proper balance, and allow true Qi to arise naturally. The soul and spirit become clear and upright; the various forms of Qi endure, free from distress. Light shines from one’s own body, the spirits of the Three Realms guard it, the Five Emperors welcome it, and the myriad spirits come to pay homage. One’s name is entered in Heaven’s register of merit. When one’s merit is complete, one ascends to Shangqing, a higher celestial realm in Daoism.

The Dao says: On every day appointed for a scripture-recitation ceremony, bathe with fragrant water and observe fasting and purification before entering the chamber. Face east, click the teeth thirty-two times to send one’s thoughts up to the thirty-two heavens, the levels of the Daoist celestial realm, and bow thirty-two times. Close the eyes and quietly visualize oneself seated amid clouds of blue, yellow, and white. Clouds fill the inside and outside of the chamber, deep and mysterious. The Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise, guardian beasts of the four directions, together with lions and white cranes, stand in rows to the left and right. The sun and moon shine, illuminating the chamber. A round halo forms above the neck, its radiance reaching in all ten directions. Visualize each of these scenes clearly.

Silently recite the incantation:

“Supreme Lord of the Dao, the Mysterious Origin beyond measure, summon forth from within my body the Three-Five Officers of Merit, who deliver memorials and communicate with the spirits; the officers and messengers to my left and right; the jade youths who attend the incense; the jade maidens who convey messages; the true talismans of the Five Emperors; and the thirty-six incense officers appointed for this day. Let them together present the words I speak. This day is auspicious. I have observed fasting and purification for a long time and cultivate this scripture in a pure and quiet hall. I pray for the boundless work of delivering people from suffering. May what I pray and report be conveyed upward and presented directly before the Most High Original Lord, the Supreme One seated above the thirty-two heavens.” (When the bows are complete.)

Then guide the breath thirty-two times and recite the scripture facing east.