《靈寶無量度人上品妙經》Vol. 51

Those who can understand the meaning and sound of this scripture, observe a vegetarian fast, and recite it will have the heavens send Flying Celestial Spirit Kings to inspect them. The kings will record their diligence and merit and report it to the heavens. The myriad spirits will come to pay homage, the earth spirits will wait by their door, and even the Demon King will recommend them. Such a person will thereby attain the Dao of Highest Clarity and eventually roam through the Three Realms and ascend to the Golden Gate.

The sound of this scripture can dispel calamities and evil wherever it is heard, avert misfortune and save living beings wherever it is recited, and bring every undertaking to completion. It is the sound of Heaven’s original, spontaneous nature. Reciting it can therefore summon the Flying Celestials to inspect, while the Highest Lord sings in response from afar. The myriad spirits come to pay homage, and the gods of the Three Realms attend at one’s side. All demons bow their heads, and ghosts and monsters vanish of their own accord. Its resonant, jewel-like tones spread throughout the Ten Directions, purifying Heaven and Earth: rivers and seas grow still, mountains fall quiet, the energy of demons and evil dissipates, the myriad spirits are subdued, and the immortals gather. No impure energy remains in Heaven, and no demonic dust or filth remains on Earth. The netherworld shines with wisdom and light; the Grotto Heavens are clear, vast, mysterious, and deep.

Chapter on Dispelling Epidemics, Preserving Life, and Prolonging Years

A Daoist scripture says: Long ago, in the Azure Origin Heaven, at the place called the Great Jade Isle of Flying Radiance and True Sound, the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning taught this immeasurable, supreme scripture, which dispels epidemics, preserves life, and prolongs years. As he expounded it, the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning circumambulated ten times, summoning the spirits of the Ten Directions.

Then countless gods arrived through the air, including the Great Gods of Heavenly Truth, the High Sages and Venerable Lords, and the Perfected Ones of Wondrous Practice. They rode on plain clouds and flying rosy mists, and drove jade-adorned carriages crowned with phoenix-shaped canopies. Clouds drifted through the Purple Empyrean, while radiance rose through the Azure Firmament. Their numinous light blazed, illuminating the vast emptiness. For five days and five nights, the palaces, terraces, halls, and numinous passes of the heavens shone with seven-colored light. The Jade Pivot ceased turning; the sun, moon, and stars all shone together, and the myriad things fell silent. Auspicious signs appeared on Earth, and jade script appeared in the sky. The sound of the scripture’s teachings traveled far, reaching throughout the heavens; the Three Realms were purified, and the Four Seas grew clear and still. Within a single nation, the land, mountains, rivers, and forests became level and even, with no differences in height; all the land became…

The jade was flawless, without a trace of other colors. The assembled Perfected Ones stood in attendance beside the seat. The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning sat suspended in midair above a jeweled throne encircled by nine dragons.

When the Celestial Worthy preached the scripture once, all the great sages of the heavens praised him together. At that time, the men and women of an entire kingdom listened reverently to the sacred teaching and grasped the mysterious and wondrous Way of the immortals and the Perfected.

After the scripture was preached a second time, their nature became empty, still, and clear. After the third preaching, numinous Qi descended within them. After the fourth, karmic hindrances and burdens from past lives were dispelled, and every illness was cured. After the fifth, their five viscera and six bowels were refined and renewed with life. After the sixth, Jing and Qi soared upward, their bodies transformed, and golden light remade their bones. After the seventh, wondrous Qi filled their bodies, preserving them always. After the eighth, merit and virtue reached throughout the Three Realms, grace extended in all directions, epidemics were eradicated everywhere, and the people lived in health and joy. After the ninth, the souls of the dead ascended to heaven, and the underworld officials ceased their investigations. After the tenth, all things fulfilled their natures, and peace and freedom prevailed throughout the world.

At that time, all the men and women in the kingdom gave their hearts to the teaching and accepted it in faith. They all received protection and salvation, and attained long life.

The Dao says: At that time, when the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning preached the scripture once, the Great God Huanglao of the Eastern Realm, limitless in extent and rank, arrived floating through the air with his many attendants. When he preached it a second time, the Great God Taidan of the Southern Realm, limitless in extent and rank, arrived floating through the air with his many attendants. When he preached it a third time, the Great God Yuehua of the Western Realm, limitless in extent and rank, arrived floating through the air with his many attendants. When he preached it a fourth time, the Great God Lingguang of the Northern Realm, limitless in extent and rank, arrived floating through the air with his many attendants. When he preached it a fifth time, the Great God Dihui of the Northeastern Realm, limitless in extent and rank, and his many attendants…

During the sixth recitation of the scripture, the Great Spirit of the Cloud Net, from the limitless and immeasurable ranks of the southeast, came through the air with his countless followers. During the seventh, the Great Spirit Who Subdues Demons, from the limitless and immeasurable ranks of the southwest, came through the air with his countless followers. During the eighth, the Great Spirit of Lofty Clarity, from the limitless and immeasurable ranks of the northwest, came through the air with his countless followers. During the ninth, the Great Spirit of Transcendent Emptiness, from the limitless and immeasurable ranks above, came through the air with his countless followers. During the tenth, the Great Spirit of the Cavernous Origin, from the limitless and immeasurable ranks below, came through the air with his countless followers.

When the scripture had been recited ten times, the perfected beings and spirits from the limitless worlds in all ten directions—those charged with dispelling epidemics, preserving life, and extending the years of one’s life—also came to this country. Men and women throughout the land sincerely turned toward them and revered them.

At first, some beings suffered from illnesses caused by deviant practices in their hearts, while their bodies were afflicted by malign epidemics. All beings within the Three Realms, and countless inhabitants of the heavens, were subject to the shaping and constraints of Yin-Yang, the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water), and the six Qi—even some who had attained the Dao had not yet escaped the bonds of fate. Each considered the circumstances that had led them to cultivate the Dao and the fruits they had attained. The true forms of their Dharma bodies at the level of the Dao fruit could undergo thirty-six transformations, according to their karmic rewards and spiritual capacities, appearing and disappearing in hidden and manifest realms.

There were also beings in the world who had once done wrong and offended the officials of Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth in the five directions—east, south, west, north, and center—and were punished with illness. Others were ignorant and shortsighted: they failed to follow the Way of Heaven and did not understand the principles governing the movement of life. The Five Phases overcame and restrained one another; Qi fell out of balance and stagnated, giving rise to countless changes. Water epidemics made people cold; fire epidemics made them feverish; metal epidemics made them cool and dry; earth epidemics left them panting and sweating; and wood epidemics made them weary and fearful. Epidemics spread, and ghosts and malign influences caused harm.

Beings of these twelve kinds gathered together around the Dharma seat. After hearing the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning proclaim the “Great and Subtle Paradigm of the Flying Heavens of Lingbao” ten times, beings throughout the Three Realms and the ten directions were delivered. Flying immortals and ranks of sages came in numbers as dense as fine rain and mist.

At that moment, the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning sent forth divine light in eight directions, illuminating the ten directions and reaching as far as the myriad heavens. He again admonished the assembly: “The Dao cannot be fully expressed through feeling or words. It exists before all forms and is unique and without equal. Nearby, it may be compared to the human mind: thoughts come and go, changing beyond measure and too tangled to fathom. As for what is called the ‘mind,’ it is not something constant, real, and unchanging…”

Living beings are deluded and dull, weighed down by accumulated karmic obstacles. They use thoughts to recognize wisdom, then rely on wisdom to perceive the spirits. When the spirits have become settled, they can unite with the Dao.

If people do not understand how perfected beings cultivate and use body and mind, their awareness will become narrow and clouded. They will gradually approach the path of ghosts and unite with evil, pestilential Qi, inviting illness and plague and preventing people from living out their natural years. But if they can return their Qi to emptiness and stillness, and bring their spirit into accord with a state beyond thought, they can become a dwelling place where the spirits may rest. When the mind is quiet, Jing and Qi become pure; when Jing and Qi are pure, the body can be kept whole. No harmful influence can intrude, and illness and plague cannot enter the body. Free from illness, the body can preserve life and extend one’s years.

Then, with thoughts of the Dao as support, let the mind and spirit rest in their natural state. Wear jade talismans, golden registers, and other Fulu (talismans and registers), and consume the Qi of clouds and rosy mists. In this way, one can attain long life and the Dao, and take one’s place among the perfected beings.

At that time, the heavenly beings of the ten directions heard these words and were moved to praise them, rejoicing and celebrating. Auspicious light appeared in the heavens, and divine treasures shone brightly. The Mysterious Pearl of Primordial Unity encompassed the Nine Abodes, the realms where beings dwell in the nine directions. When the August Void had finished expounding the scripture, all the perfected beings jointly bore witness, guided beings to salvation, and transmitted the scripture to me.

The joy and celebration of that moment were beyond words. When the ritual proceedings were largely complete, the heavens returned to their appointed places. In an instant, every sound fell silent, and nothing more was heard. The heavenly beings were fortunate to encounter this scripture and its teachings; all were saved and could live out their natural years without suffering sudden calamity. Everyone turned toward it with reverence and respect, and together cultivated goodness of heart: they did not speak falsely, covet, deceive, cling, act stubbornly, slander, behave recklessly, spy on others, or shield wrongdoing. Their words were not flowery, and no evil sounds came from their mouths. They showed one another affection, treating even those of different surnames as family. The state was stable, the people prosperous, everyone rejoiced, and peace prevailed throughout the land.

When this scripture and its teachings first began to circulate, the people of any country who embraced them with sincere faith and reverence could all be delivered.

The Dao says: The words in the scriptures spoken by the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning are the inner names and hidden rhymes of the emperors of the heavens, the secret designations of demon kings, and the hidden names of the myriad spirits. They are not ordinary words used in the world. The High Sages have already perfected themselves as perfected beings and mastered the mysteries, probing their deepest reaches. In their compassion for living beings, they secretly protect all things, bringing clarity and order to the three Qi of Heaven and Earth, and ensuring that the Five Constant Virtues flow in harmony with De. In this way, they dispel illness and plague, preserve life, and extend people’s years.

Whether epidemic poison afflicts a single person or plague spreads across the whole world, people need only set their thoughts in order, protect their original Qi, and accumulate good deeds and merit. Then Han Si, the Registrar of the Southern Pole, who oversees the registers of lifespans, will record their names, avert calamities, pardon their faults, and note their merits. If they reverently recite this scripture ten times, the heavens will answer one another from afar, and the myriad emperors will perform rites of reverence. Rivers and seas will grow calm, clouds will veil the mountains, the sun and moon will shine brightly, and the stars will turn and gleam. Gentle Qi will drive away harmful influences, fierce illness and plague will subside, and peace and order will return to the world. Tiger tallies, golden tablets …

When the merit of those who recite this scripture is recorded, demons and every kind of poison will be cut off at their source. Heaven’s commands will accord with the righteous Dao, allowing upright Qi to circulate. The Three Officials—the Heavenly Official, the Earthly Official, and the Water Official in Daoist teaching—will report each person’s merits and faults to Heaven. They will also dispatch divine troops to guard and capture ghosts, while the authorities responsible will investigate and verify the reports, rewarding good and punishing evil. This can increase one’s spiritual capacities and help sincere students settle into their practice.

When sincere students recite this scripture ten times, the Five Emperors will attend and protect them, and the Three Realms will pay them homage. Demonic essences will lose their power, ghosts will be destroyed, and disasters and epidemics will be relieved and brought to an end, allowing people to survive. This is because the foul Qi within practitioners has not yet been entirely cleansed, their bodies have not yet fully opened to the true Dao, and they have not yet established the power to subdue the ten directions. Their virtue is also not yet sufficient to command the Earth Deities or bind demonic spirits. They may, however, escape death, though they cannot yet bring the dead back to life.

If this chapter is recited carelessly, plague demons will spread calamity. Those who respectfully make offerings to and honor this scripture will bring prosperity to their households and flourishing to their descendants. They will form ties with goodness, and no disaster will touch them. Divine officials will attend and protect them, and Heaven’s workings will become clear, enabling them to stand alone in the Jade Capital, the celestial realm. This scripture saves and transforms immeasurable beings. It is the root of the myriad Dao, vast and majestic, with merits too great to describe fully.

The Dao says: Whoever recites this scripture ten times will bring all the heavens down together. Ancestors of every generation and the souls suffering in the netherworld will immediately be saved and transformed. Heaven’s workings will enable them to be reborn in the celestial realm and have their names entered anew in the registers. After nine years of instruction, they will be reborn as honored people who delight in learning. When the merit of practicing the scripture is complete and virtue has been perfected, they will all become immortals, ascending to the Golden Palace in Heaven and feasting in the Jade Capital.

Those of the highest rank who study, practice, and recite this scripture will be untouched by illness or epidemic Qi. Their spirit and Qi will be calm and pure; Yin turbidity will dissipate, leaving evil spirits no opening to test them. Through internal refinement of the alchemical fire, their bones can be transformed and their lifespans extended. They will be saved and transformed at once, ascending to the Southern Palace in the celestial realm. Those in the world who uphold and recite the scripture can extend their lives. After death, they too can cultivate the Dao of corpse liberation, a Daoist practice in which the physical body is transformed and the spirit-soul leaves its form. Their spirit-soul temporarily departs the body, bypasses hell, and then regains its form to roam through the vast sky.

This scripture is subtle and wondrous, saving and transforming beings without limit. Celestial beings all receive immeasurable blessings from it, and both the living and the dead benefit. It is a scripture treasured by Heaven and must not be passed on to worldly people. Those of true virtue should express their sincerity with gold and precious objects, swear an oath to Heaven, and only then transmit it. If they reveal it carelessly or treat it with disrespect, calamity will reach their ancestors for nine generations, condemning them to serve for a long time in the ghostly courts.

Each of the Five Emperors sends twenty-four jade boys and jade maidens to attend this scripture, guard its divine writing, and protect those who uphold it.

The scripture says: If people observe a fast during the first month and recite and chant this scripture, they can dispel the blue pestilential Qi. The deteriorating Qi brought by the Nine Yi—a term used in antiquity for several peoples of the east—harms the human body. Reciting the scripture can also deliver the dead in this world, freeing them from confinement in the underworld and sending them to the Southern Pole’s Taiwei Celestial Secretariat, an office in the Daoist heavens, where they may receive deliverance and be promoted.

If people observe a fast and recite this scripture during the seventh month, they can dispel the white pestilential Qi. The deteriorating Qi brought by the Six Rong—a term used in antiquity for several peoples of the west—harms the human body. Reciting the scripture can help people attain the Dao and become immortals. Their names are entered in the registers of immortals at the Jade Palace of the Divine Empyrean and the Hall of Western Florescence, recorded in books of gold and slips of green bamboo. Their names are removed from the register of the dead and entered in the register of the living.

If people observe a fast and recite this scripture during the tenth month, they can dispel the black pestilential Qi. The deteriorating Qi brought by the Five Di—a term used in antiquity for several peoples of the north—harms the human body. Reciting the scripture can stabilize the fortunes of kings and emperors, protect the country so that it endures from generation to generation without interruption, and help rulers bring peace to their lands, so the people may praise them for a peaceful age.

Reciting this scripture on the days of the Eight Festivals, the eight seasonal observances honored in Daoism, can bring peace to the eight directions and rouse the spiritual power of the eight forces. It drives away the eight kinds of evil Qi and ensures that all kinds of pestilence cease forever. It can also cause precious pearls to arise in the Three Fields—the body’s upper, middle, and lower Dantian—regulate the joints throughout the body, transform the blood into jade fluid, and refine Jing and Qi into jade radiance, ultimately making one a Perfected Person of the Nine Palaces.

Reciting this scripture on one’s natal day, the annual observance associated with one’s birth date, prevents alien Qi from arising and illness or pestilence from invading, and prolongs life. Demons and spirits lie hidden; the hun and po souls, Shen, and the mind become clear and upright; and the myriad breaths endure. Those who recite the scripture suffer no distress: their bodies shine with light and are protected by the Three Realms. The Five Emperors come to welcome them. Generals who command the Celestial Pivot ride cloud chariots adorned with pearl tassels, while the assembled gods come to pay homage. When their merit is complete, they may ascend to the Shangqing realm.

The scripture also says: On days when Daoist rites are performed, one should bathe with fragrant water, observe a fast, then enter the room and face east. Click the teeth thirty-two times to send one’s petition up to the thirty-two heavens. Bow thirty-two times, close the eyes, and quietly visualize oneself seated upright amid clouds of red, blue, and yellow Qi, with clouds filling both the inner and outer spaces. The Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise, guardians of the four directions, stand on either side, together with lions and white cranes. The Six Jia, the Six Ding—guardian generals in Daoism—and the Demon-Subduing General guard the front and rear. The radiance of the sun and moon shines through the room, filling it with light. A round halo rises above the head and illuminates the ten directions. Once the visualization is clear, silently recite the incantation:

“Supreme Lord of the Dao, the Highest Sovereign of the Mysterious Origin: summon forth the Three and Five Merit Officers within my body, the officials and messengers on my left and right, the jade attendants who serve the incense, the jade maidens who carry messages, the Five Emperors’ appointed talisman officers, and the incense officials on duty today—thirty-two of each. Have them relay and report the matters I present. This is an auspicious day. In this pure fasting chamber, I observe the fast and cultivate the Dao, reciting and studying this Scripture of Limitless Salvation. May my petition ascend to the heavenly court and be presented directly before the throne.”

When reverently reciting the scripture, face the honored seat of the Primordial Emperor of the Thirty-Two Highest Heavens. After reciting, face east and draw in Qi (vital energy) thirty-two times, then recite the Wuliang Duren Shangpin Miaojing (Wondrous Scripture of Supreme Rank for Delivering People Without Limit by the Primordial Beginning).

The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning, a revered deity of Daoism, sees through the mysteries, and the Lingbao scriptures came forth from this insight. This scripture can dispel illness and epidemics, protect life and prolong longevity, deliver countless beings, and, through the subtle principles of its sacred tones, subdue the myriad demons.

Separation and union arise spontaneously; in the time before the Great Beginning, there was no form. The primordial Qi is summoned and drawn forth, then congeals into what is real. Breath arises from a place without support; in stillness and emptiness it settles, mysterious beyond mystery, and becomes the mother of the Qi of all things. Radiance circles and turns, while vapor rises and streams through the air. Jade fluid is refined into brilliance, and golden essence ascends. The Jade Capital of the eight directions stands high; the Qi of the Azure Void gathers and revolves.

Three manifestations transform into red, while nine layers of radiance clear the abyss, and jade writing forms naturally. The principle of the Limitless and the Utmost Reality takes three, five, nine, and one as its numbers. These are the foundations of Heaven and the primordial era of the Primordial Beginning. Lingbao gives rise to the divine, nourishing with warmth, strengthening and moistening. The vigorous turning wheel opens into light. The Three Qi give birth to the heavens, while Heaven and Earth remain undivided in the chaos of dark and yellow.

Metal and Fire interact, bringing change to Yin and Yang and dividing what is upright from what is corrupt. Upright Qi is the root of all things; by maintaining it, one may attain long life. Corrupt Qi brings illness, calamity, and upheaval. Only by knowing the Great Dao and cultivating the true Dao can one preserve oneself. The true Qi of the Five Viscera congeals into numinous writing. Without numinous writing, there can be no light, revelation, establishment, accomplishment, deliverance, or nourishment.

The numinous writing corresponds above to the celestial realms spread throughout the heavens and gathers at the Mysterious Terrace. The Jade Capital of the Great Sovereign rises to the highest point; the deep, unfathomable Purple Palace of Mysterious Emptiness has endured through countless kalpas, at once seeming present and absent. The Three Blossoms separate and unite, revealing the Taiqing, Yellow Court, Golden Gate, Jade Hall, and Divine Pool of Pure Radiance. The Qi of the Cavern Mystery flows in all directions, dispelling every kind of calamity. The pure and upright jade wheel circles the ten directions.

Among these are the God of Deliverance from Death, the Great Sage of Longevity, and the Great God Who Dispels Epidemics; also the Lord of the Taiwei Celestial Secretariat, the benevolent Elder Han, and the southern officials of Fate, Records, and Wenchang. They govern the increase of one’s allotted years, passage through calamity, preservation of life, and prolonging of longevity. The High Realized Ones can restore bones to life and revive the dead, delivering beings through boundless power. Today, as the scripture is collated and recorded, the spirits of all the heavens have come to the pavilion.

In the east, the Measureless Divine King, Elder Emperor, Great Sage of Longevity, delivers beings without limit.

In the south, the Measureless Great Cinnabar Divine King, Great Sage of Longevity, delivers beings without limit.

In the west, the Measureless Moonlight Divine King, Great Sage of Longevity, delivers beings without limit.

In the north, the Measureless Numinous Radiance Divine King, Great Sage of Longevity, delivers beings without limit.

In the northeast, the Measureless Imperial Radiance Divine King, Great Sage of Longevity, delivers beings without limit.

The Divine King of the Cloud Net of the Boundless Realm in the southeast, the Great Sage of Long Life, saves and delivers immeasurable beings.

The Divine King Who Subdues Demons of the Boundless Realm in the southwest, the Great Sage of Long Life, saves and delivers immeasurable beings.

The Divine King of Lofty Clarity of the Boundless Realm in the northwest, the Great Sage of Long Life, saves and delivers immeasurable beings.

The Divine King of Primal Void of the Boundless Realm above, the Great Sage of Long Life, saves and delivers immeasurable beings.

The Divine King Who Sees into the Origin of the Boundless Realm below, the Great Sage of Long Life, saves and delivers immeasurable beings.

The supremely perfected flying Divine Kings of the Ten Directions—the four quarters, above, and below—and the immeasurably great gods who grant long life and deliver the world arrive together, riding Dragon Chariots of the Three Radiances, Emerald Chariots of Ten Flowers, Cloud Chariots drawn by Nine Phoenixes, and Jade Carriages of flowing light. Divine tigers and qilin clad in blue armor that wards off evil pull their carriages. The gods hold talismanic tokens that summon the perfected spirits, their radiance illuminating the sky. Sacred banners are arrayed in front; the Generals of the Six Yang clear the way, followed by the Eight Officials and their divine troops. The flying perfected ones of the Nine Heavens roam through the air and travel across the void. The Heavenly Emperors of the Five Directions, the Five Elders, open the way for them, while the immortals guard their carriages. Countless carriages and myriads of horsemen descend from the sky.

The gods draw in their radiance and turn back their carriages to inspect the perfected spirits and deliver living beings. The Jade Sovereign’s Guardian Minister, the Most Numinous One of the Southern Pole, and the Primordial Lady of the Golden Palace Who Watches Over Those Born Above—all revered divinities who govern inspection and salvation—hold registers and records of names as they come together before the Heavenly Emperor.

They carefully examine the celestial registers according to each person’s circumstances and the salvation they are due, protecting the supremely perfected and helping them accumulate merit. Anyone who cherishes kindness and forgiveness, loyalty and filial devotion, and has not violated the precepts of the Three Officials and Six Caverns—the divine bureaus and heavenly grotto realms—can pass through the gates of the underworld, even if they have committed hidden faults. Longstanding illnesses are cured, epidemics cease to afflict them, and evil spirits can no longer wreak havoc. The Four-Eyed Divine Generals guard them in front; the assembled sages descend to guide them, preserve their lives, and extend their years.

This proclamation reaches throughout the boundless divine realms of the Three Worlds, the subterranean grotto palaces and springs, the Northern Gates of the underworld, the cloud camps of the Six Heavens, and the fiery-bladed mountains of iron. It is also presented to the Divine Empyrean. Once the jade edict is proclaimed, epidemics, impurity, calamities, and offenses are dispelled. The suffering endured across kalpas by ancestors, parents, and relatives of every generation is also released. Illnesses are removed, evil entries in the registers of the dead are erased, and harmful causes are extinguished. They no longer sink into torment or remain confined by ghosts and spirits.

The Sovereign of the Void issues an edict, sets the appointed time, and commands the souls of the dead to ascend. The Cold Court of the Northern Capital examines their spirits, while even the great demons protect the departed souls and help them cross over and rise to transformation. The souls of the dead undergo refinement in the Vermilion Palace and endure as the cycles of time turn; the perfected bodies of the living are delivered and remain unshaken through kalpas. Beings turn through the cycles of kalpas, and their lives endure as long as Heaven.

They are forever delivered from the Three Paths—hell, hungry ghosts, and beasts—and from the Five Sufferings and Eight Adversities. They transcend the Three Worlds and wander freely in the heavens of Highest Clarity. The heavens of Highest Clarity are the formless realm of the Heavenly Emperor Jade Perfected, and the place where pure cultivation is practiced.

The Eight Heavens of the East

Heaven of Jade Songs and Radiant Ancestry—the Heavenly Emperor Pingluo of Scenic Capital.

Heaven of the Imperial Calendar and Flourishing Phoenixes—the Heavenly Emperor Zhenzhang of Purple Luo.

In the east, south, west, and north, there are eight tiers of heavenly realms. Each tier has its own name and ruling Emperor. The scripture lists these realms and imperial titles in sequence:

The eight eastern heavens: Heaven of Sovereign Separation and True Transformation, whose Emperor is Yao-fu Wan-jun; Heaven of Aligned Mandate and Ascending Splendor, whose Emperor is Yin Shen Chi-ming; Heaven of River-Dawn and Fateful Encounter, whose Emperor is Jue Yi Jing-xu; Heaven of Precious Measure and Orchid Radiance, whose Emperor is Yao-ji Si-gan; Heaven of Everlasting Life and Long Abiding, whose Emperor is Yue-fan Zhi-xing; Heaven of the Pivot’s Fall and the Left Mystery, whose Emperor is Cheng-an Zhi-gong.

The eight southern heavens: Heaven of Utmost Aspiration and Summoning the Ancestor, whose Emperor is Yue Si Xiao-ling; Heaven of Joining the Dao and Directing Nourishment, whose Emperor is Lü Yuan Zi-xi; Heaven of the Great Tenuity and the Pivot’s Support, whose Emperor is Hui-ming Yong-kang; Heaven of Summoning the True and Inquiring into Wisdom, whose Emperor is Chu-fu Jiu-dang; Heaven of Universal Faith and the Mysterious Stream, whose Emperor is Wen-heng Bu-yi; Heaven of Dragon Light Shining on Life, whose Emperor is Qi-tang Ji-feng; Heaven of Transcendent Wonder and Enduring Extension, whose Emperor is Zhuan-ying Ji-lun; Heaven of the Moon’s Auspicious Signs and Celebrated Name, whose Emperor is Chi-jin Liang.

The eight western heavens: Heaven of Mound Transformation and Infant-like Suchness, whose Emperor is Bing-jing Shu-guang; Heaven of Hidden Caverns and Wondrous Performance, whose Emperor is Le-xuan Wu-yin; Heaven of Illuminating the Hidden and Cleansing the Swift, whose Emperor is Qi-jiang Yan; Heaven of Secret Understanding and Utmost Primordial Chaos, whose Emperor is Zong-jian Zhen; Heaven of Shadows Becoming Subtle Emptiness, whose Emperor is Chu-si Bai-huan; Heaven of Mysterious Measure and Intent in the Darkness, whose Emperor is Bao-chao He-song; Heaven of Sprouting Shoots and Clouded Concealment, whose Emperor is Jiang-ji Si-yang; Heaven of Lofty Rejoicing and Lu, whose Emperor is Bo-wu Qi-jiang.

The eight northern heavens: Heaven of Bright Oversight and True Transformation, whose Emperor is An-tu Ding-fang; Heaven of Great Splendor and Supreme Light, whose Emperor is Mi-shi Jiu-xiang; Heaven of the Sun’s Circuit and Encompassing Embrace, whose Emperor is Zhao-wu Bian; Heaven of Yellow Networks and Towering Rosy Clouds, whose Emperor is Zhi-di Shuang; Heaven of Vermilion Containment and Abundant Commands, whose Emperor is Peng-min Jian-qu.

These are the names of heavenly realms and divine imperial titles found in Daoist scriptures, forming part of the lineage of the Daoist cosmic order. The northern section of the original lists only five tiers; the remaining material does not appear in the passage provided. Most of these names are specialized titles and are retained here in transliteration.

The Heaven of Seal-Bearing Restraint of Demons (a celestial realm that subdues demons through the power of seals), Emperor Yuanzhen Ying; the Heaven of Gathering the Capital and Returning to Its Place, Emperor Hu Kang Liyuan; the Heaven of the Divine Granary’s Release and Passage, Emperor You Qiang Yuyuan.

The thirty-two heavens and their thirty-two Celestial Emperors each have secret titles. Among the heavens, the numinous writings of empty, natural creation—sacred documents of the celestial realms—are their hub, key, and governing authority. They are also the great demons and numinous jade of the heavens. In the Golden Towers of Heaven, where the Celestial Emperors dwell, supreme spirits transform and distribute Qi, save and guide all people, and bestow blessings on all things. Yin and Yang harmonize, and their transformations rise into Shangqing, the Daoist high celestial realm. Its countless mysteries are unfathomable. The divine perfected beings save all celestial beings and living creatures, dispel poisons, harms, and calamities, and avert disasters caused by offending Beichen, the North Star and the stellar divinity it governs. The Primordial Venerable of the Southern Pole eradicates epidemics, protects life, and extends years of longevity. Today, all rejoice and celebrate.

Those who receive salvation pass through the barriers of the heavens and pray for the destruction of the Three Evils—the harmful deeds and calamities they bring—and the severing of the roots of the earth, which bind one to the underworld. They ascend through the Five Gates, enter their names in the register of the Great Dark Demon Kings, and receive oversight and recommendation. They pass through the gates of Heaven without hindrance. The Eastern Dipper dispels illness; the Western Dipper removes offenses; the Northern Dipper protects life and destiny; the Southern Dipper extends longevity; and the Central Dipper’s Great Chief governs the Primordial Officials and eighty-one spirits, commanding all immortals.

The Azure Emperor sweeps away epidemics; the White Emperor carries out instruction; the Red Emperor proclaims authority; the Black Emperor guides all beings; and the Yellow Emperor sits at the center, commanding the myriad spirits. Acting under imperial decree, the Azure Heaven Demon King wears the Emperor’s talismanic document; the Red Heaven Demon King flies through the Great Void; the White Heaven Demon King secretly destroys every evil; the Black Heaven Demon King commands the true talismans; and the Yellow Heaven Demon King issues the orders.

The Five Great Demon Kings of Xuandu are the ancestors of the myriad spirits. They administer the laws of Heaven and command the ghostly troops, bearing banners and holding tally tokens as they patrol the underworld. Their wondrous transformations are boundless, and they came into being together with Heaven. Heaven saves and guides all people and rigorously governs the frigid depths of the underworld. The Primordial King, following its command, sweeps away omens of demonic disorder and calamity throughout the world, so that epidemics cease, the righteous Qi may circulate, and the people may live in peace and keep to their homes. Calamities are dispelled, life endures as long as the mountains and rivers, and blessings equal those of Vast Heaven.

The Celestial Master’s treasured talismans, the Great Writings of Mysterious Numen, and the dragon-script summons and tiger dispatches—Daoist talismans and documents for summoning spirits and dispatching generals—are used to summon the ghosts and spirits of Kuigang and others, and to slay ghosts and demons. Wind and fire never cease: thousands upon thousands sever heads, tens of thousands cut down forms. Demons may not invade; ghosts and demons may not cause havoc; the Three Officials…

In the Nine Capitals, the realms of the nine hidden directions, the duties of ghosts and spirits are examined without slackness or indulgence. The golden-horse courier sets out under orders to submit his report, while transformation and nurture circulate without end; talismanic decrees inform the myriad spirits. The Mysterious Steward of the Upper Palace, the divine official in charge of hidden affairs, flies a memorial to the Celestial Emperor and presents it at the Imperial Gate.

The limitless is sublime and wondrous, radiant and splendid. The clear, penetrating energy brings forth fragrant vitality, purifies Heaven and Earth, and enables all things to form and flourish. Divine transformations and changes continue without cease; wind and fire rise together. Essence and Qi are refined through nine kalpas. Water leaps over the Dragon Gate, and clouds congeal, firm as jade. The nine gates of the Heavenly Palace open, revealing jade towers and jeweled pavilions; the myriad spirits guard the city walls. Light shines across the remote lands of the nine directions, and vermilion talismans summon the immortals and perfected beings. The sun raises nine beams of light, while the moon scatters the rosy clouds of the ten directions. The star spirits of the Five Bushels turn the celestial chariot; the Heavenly Splendor is filled with the scent of orchids. The Imperial Consort ascends against the current, trailing fragrance. The Jade Perfected sits upright in the pavilion; the Five Elders confer divine office. The Three Officials swiftly arrive by chariot to bless the people, so that good fortune endures without end, firm as a mountain. The True Origin breathes in and out, and the golden-horse courier immediately sets forth.

He roams ahead through the cloud heights, vanishes into the Heavenly Court, sounds the bells, and travels to the crossing. The Correct Way prevails, and pestilence cannot descend. Lifespans are lengthened and years added, for a life of a hundred billion years. The celestial envoys of the five directions, the tiger-turbaned divine generals, and the Dragon Officials all come to receive talismanic warrants, then return to the realm of True Mystery. Elixir radiance dawns and circulates everywhere, naturally and without effort. The Primordial Emperor widely disseminates the numinous-treasure jade chapters, the Red Writings, and the authentic texts of the Five Talismans and Eight Powers, securing peace and protection. When great kalpas come to pass, the spirit and Qi are sent coursing through the heavens. The Great Brahma’s breath encompasses all things, lays out the framework of the Heavenly Way, and transforms the boundless heavens. The heavens revolve, extending throughout the formless realm and the ten directions; riding the wind, one ascends in a great spiral, follows the constant Way, and dispels pestilence.

The gods of the five directions, the Celestial Plague Spirit who governs seasonal pestilential energies, and the Six Harmful Forces that bring injury all withdraw. By means of the Cavern Writings, calamities and strange transformations are dispelled; poison and harm are eradicated, and the sources of misfortune cut off. The workings of Heaven send the divine names upward in a memorial, while mysterious laws interweave and operate. The twenty-five energies return their merit to the Upper Origin; the hidden realms of the eight directions converge and merge into the Mysterious Oneness. Within the mystery, the Greatly Perfected Celestial Emperor, the August High One, appears above the clouds and chants, summoning the celestial wind. Gold…

Bright, flourishing light dispels demons and calamities. Its majestic power resounds throughout the Cloud Palace, where immortal music begins to play. It gathers primordial Qi, turns back spiritual light, and revives life. It governs Taiwei, the celestial palace of stars, restores order, and rises to Yujing, the Daoist celestial capital. Evil Qi and pestilence are utterly extinguished.

The immortal perfected beings declare: Three Qi protect life, while the Qi of the six inner organs disperses murky vapors. A thousand forms of harmony come together, and the true Dao is naturally fulfilled. Within the true Dao are divine spirits. The Great Lord of Long Life sits in his rightful place, governing the South Pole, sweeping away demonic miasma and ridding the world of strange calamities, so that the five pestilences disperse and subside. Taiyi, a revered Daoist deity, wields fire to burn them away; the demon officials and Siming, the deity who governs lifespan, obey orders and subdue every evil spirit.

Taokang Mingling, a Daoist deity, gathers and governs the myriad forms, bringing them together and sustaining them. Holding talismans and registers, he summons the roots of living beings. He travels above through Shangqing, the highest Daoist heaven, and enters and leaves the Yellow Court, the inner palaces of divine Qi within the human body. In the Bright Hall and Crimson Gate, he protects the Mysterious Elixir, the elixir Qi formed through inner cultivation. He keeps the Three Perfected Beings settled in the Dao palace and regulates the five inner organs, bringing clarity to their domain. After ten turns of returning spirit, all Qi rise together, and at last one ascends to immortality.

Cultivation and nourishment continue without end, lifting people to higher realms. The eight gates are opened, and the precious flying wheel of heaven turns, carrying people toward the heavens. The prohibitions and precepts concerning guilt and blessing, along with the ties of fate and past lives, are universally proclaimed and revealed. The souls of the dead are universally delivered, enabling them to be reborn; the living, too, come to know the Dao teachings above the heavens. Above the heavens, each realm has a gate of life. There are chapters of the “Songs of the Empty Cavern” and verses from the Demon King’s sacred texts, ranked among the high perfected beings.

Chapter One: The Sound of Flying Through the Air, Dispelling Pestilence in the Realm of Desire

Demons and evil spirits rise in great numbers, invade the righteous Dao, and spread poison without restraint. They divide themselves and transform, roaming in every direction. Pestilence descends upon the people; cold floods and blazing heat rage, while foul vapors swirl and spread. The breath of corpses intrudes, true Qi is depleted, and people are bewildered and thrown into confusion. Han Si, a divine name, checks and records the registers of names. The South Pole Fire Bell, a Daoist ritual instrument or the fire bell of a divine general, sends flames surging to the sky and swiftly distinguishes good from evil. Emperor Wenchang, who governs literary affairs and celestial records, and ninety thousand officials receive commands to transmit talismanic orders downward. Wind and fire rage without cease; pestilence is dispelled everywhere, and the people enjoy long life and health.

Once the Dao of life has been set right, names are reported to the Celestial Court, and the workings of Heaven send down true Qi. Divine power descends to rescue people from disasters and calamities. Jade Fluids, the refined essence and bodily fluids spoken of in Daoism, are poured in for cultivation and nourishment, enabling the body to ascend through the air.

Chapter Two: Verses of the Demon Kings of the Realm of Form, Preserving Life and Prolonging Years

He wears a tall, jade-green lotus crown patterned with dragons and tiger script. A precious sword hangs at his side, and a red sash is tied around him as he travels the distant, secluded cloud roads. In his hand he holds a jade seal inscribed with vermilion script, whose majesty commands the Great Void.

The Supreme One’s Yellow Register, the ledger recording merits and names in the celestial realm, and the Five Elders’ Heavenly Talisman, the talismanic decree of the revered gods of the five directions, are recorded by immortal officials with their brushes. The Celestial Court issues its command to Yuandu, the celestial capital in Daoist teaching, granting people long lives and making the Great Transformation peaceful and serene.

Illness and pestilential qi cannot enter; the wondrous Dao is stored within the heart. The August Void, a revered Daoist deity, descends with teachings and dispels every evil. The Fire Court of Nanchang, the Upper Palace of Zhuling, celestial offices associated with refining by fire and delivering the dead, and the Fire Officials of Dongyang array their ceremonial guards and command nine dragons. A precious pearl reveals its mystery, and sacred writings spread below. Elixirs refine the bones of ordinary people, enabling them to ascend to the dwelling of the Celestial Emperor.

You who hear these words: chant this wondrous sound, and your whole body may become immortal and rise to the heavens.

The Third Song of the Demon King of the Formless Realm, Who Ascends to Divinity and Creates the Mysterious says:

The fierce wind congeals into stone, piling up mountain upon mountain; wind and marsh waters harden and congeal, sealing deep within the passes of the Celestial Emperor. The sun and moon move, revolving among the heavens; the Lord of Transformation issues commands, arranging all things with form.

Your breath is clear and numinous, your body graceful and transcendent. Evil influences and pestilence cannot trouble you; your spirit palace is clear and peaceful. The true scriptures of the Great Dao coil and gather like dragons, merging and shining as auspicious clouds. Your blood becomes jade nectar, and your vital essence is refined into a round wheel like precious jade.

The Demon King wears a tiger-patterned crown. His ceremonial guard raises embroidered banners, and he rides in a vermilion carriage. He records and rectifies your intentions, then grants you a palace among the immortals. Clouds rise high, reflecting yellow mists and emerald waves. You pass through the Underworld Bureau, which governs the souls of the dead, as High Immortals and Jade Immortals take your hands and lead you up to the Emerald Capital. Laughing and singing, you enter the Land of Nothingness, the Daoist realm of emptiness and Wuwei (non-action).

This is the Demon King’s song, sung above the Three Realms as he flies through the air; its sound accords with the sacred chapters of the Daoist scriptures. Chant it a hundred times, and your name will be entered in the Southern Palace. Chant it a thousand times, and the Demon King will protect and welcome you. Chant it ten thousand times, and your Daoist practice and merits will be complete: you can fly up into the vast heavens, transcend the Three Realms, and take your place among the Immortal Lords.

The Demon King honors and protects everyone who hears the wondrous sound of this scripture. Earth deities, commanded to serve as guards, escort them along the way and send them onward, freeing them from the gates of the underworld. Through the Five Sufferings and Eight Calamities endured in the underworld, even their ancestors of seven generations are raised up. They leave the jurisdiction of ghost officials forever; their souls are sent to Zhuling for refinement by fire and are given life anew. This is called boundless universal deliverance, a salvation without end.

All the heavens together revere this secret celestial book. Whoever reveals it or treats it lightly will fall into hell, bringing calamity upon their ancestors of seven generations.

The Daoist scripture says: These two chapters of scripture are secret teachings handed down by the Heavenly Lords of the various heavens and the supremely numinous Demon Kings. They belong to the “Great Brahma Sound,” the highest sacred sound in the cosmos. The scriptures can dispel illness and pestilence, protect life, and prolong the years. They differ from ordinary worldly speech: they have no melodious, ornate tunes that conform to rhyme, nor do they rely on literary embellishment. For this reason they are called “mysterious and profound,” and cannot be fully investigated. Heaven keeps these scriptures treasured in the Upper Palace of Purple Tenuity in the Mysterious Capital, a celestial palace in Daoist cosmology. According to the rules of the Mysterious Register, each scripture is transmitted only once every forty thousand kalpas. If a person who has attained the Dao brings gold and precious objects, sincerely takes an oath according to the old observances, and waits ten days, the scriptures will then be transmitted to them.

The Daoist scripture says: When Heaven’s cycles reach their decline and end, order on Earth, too, becomes blocked and stagnant. The sun and moon wax and wane, or encroach upon one another; the stars move in disorder, and their courses deviate. At the most serious level, this affects the rise and fall of the holiest divine beings; at a lesser level, it causes ordinary people to fall ill or suffer injury, while epidemics spread across the land. At such times, people everywhere should unite in fasting and purification, burn incense and make offerings six times each day, and recite the scriptures ten times. In this way, they can bring down blessings and virtue and dispel all ill omens. These immeasurable scriptures can universally save countless beings.

The Daoist scripture says: Some who have only recently begun cultivating the Dao have made little progress, or an immortal has not yet completed their rank. If they face the end of their allotted years, pass through the Great Yin—a stage associated in Daoism with death and the netherworld—or suffer an epidemic, then those who wish to preserve their lives and prevent their decline may, at the time of death, have a fellow cultivator who has attained the Dao burn incense and recite the scriptures ten times, then perform the rites to deliver the deceased. Their hun and po spirits can thereby ascend directly to the Southern Palace, a celestial office in Daoist cosmology. Their days are then reckoned according to their cultivation, granting them renewed life: they enter a new cycle of existence without losing their way and ultimately become immortals. The epidemic will also be cleared away, the people will live in peace, the Dao will prevail, and life’s natural span will endure for a long time.

The Daoist scripture says: When the cycles of Heaven and Earth come to an end, the constellations fall into disorder, the sun and moon shine with abnormal brightness, the seasons lose their proper order, and Yin-Yang falls out of balance. Calamitous forces then arise of their own accord and bring epidemics. A country may suffer floods, droughts, and warfare; pestilence may spread, leaving people dead or injured. Teachers, friends, and fellow cultivators may also infect one another through their contact. In such circumstances, all should fast and purify themselves, burn incense, and recite the scriptures. The merit of fasting and recitation is immense: above, it can dispel heavenly calamities and protect and stabilize the emperor’s realm; below, it can undo the harm of pestilence, bringing blessings to the broad populace, living and dead alike. This merit is beyond measure, and so it is called “immeasurable”; it can universally save both celestial beings and people in the world.

The Daoist Ancestor said: Those who perform the meritorious service of putting this scripture into practice for Heaven and Earth, the emperor, and the common people should, on the day disaster strikes, resolve to undertake a purification ritual, burn incense, and recite the scripture ten times. All the heavens will record their names, and the myriad spirits will protect them. If they can do this with special dedication, they may hope to become ministers in the Golden Palace of the Sage君. The heavens record people’s merits and faults, overlooking nothing, however slight; even the demon kings of the heavenly realms will recommend you. Only those who have attained the Dao can truly penetrate these profound principles.

The “Boundless Sounds of the Great Brahma’s Hidden Language” among the heavens was composed by the Dao Lord.

The Central Chapter of the Primordial Origin’s Numinous Writ

The Eight Heavens of the East

Heaven’s signs turn on the pivot of clarity; the mechanism examines and joins with the Origin. The four offices of the Central Yellow; the Jade Coffer’s High Lord. The numinous void and supreme mystery bestow the mandate and confer true investiture. Cloud-script records are kept in secret; achievements are assessed in Southern Han. The Lady of Letters records ranks and selects those to ascend to the Purple Enclosure. The title of the chapter is “Jade Treasure”; vermilion radiance is proclaimed in abundance. The protective characters reach the Dragon; the office opens to the spirit of destiny. The jade-green orb shines through; the myriad paths are mysterious spirits.

The Eight Heavens of the South

The Emperor of Sympathy joins with the immortals; feathered, pale as uncolored smoke. The Brahma-mixed essence clears itself; the cave demons hold their feast. The courier speeds forth, fragrant with trust; the officers and teachers rise in accord. The compassionate talisman shines and brings aid; merit and mindfulness reach the hidden springs. Benefit shelters the people; advancement removes fruit and severity. Thoughts are stirred to seek the distant; deep care nourishes the vast fields. Nothing falls away; all arises through movement. The wall bears an inscription of the Origin’s unbroken continuity. Deliverance and grace reach the parched and suffering; the response is constant and without limit.

The Eight Heavens of the West

The void contains the pattern of intention; the immortals’ command is proclaimed with force. Careful understanding—what could it conceal? Kong Xiong borrows the power of Heaven. A distant letter offers silent prayers; armor and troops multiply in secret. The commanded chapter is explored with a hoe; completed islands link with heroic allies. Transformation grants pardon, and suddenly the net is gone; discernment refines the worthy and martial. The foolish are forbidden; prayers dispel the dimness. A memorial reports the lost and binds them on their return. The Central Emperor hangs in red; the mighty sword is the blue-green serpent. Clear awareness makes out what lies far away; this substance joins with splendor.

The Eight Heavens of the North

The Jade Sovereign presides over the rites; vastness sweeps away the ancient times. Suddenly the signs are penetrated and examined; the offices of service raise their banners. They oversee and inspect, granting pardon to living beings; the fire-swift carriage races onward. The courier office examines the written records; the mountain prison leaves souls in doubt. Confusion is covered over, and the exalted is set right; what weight does the pattern of instruction bear? Instruction inspects the firmaments and the Dipper’s strength; the Great One circles nine times.

The writings of these four heavenly regions belong to the “Great Brahma’s Hidden Language”: they are esoteric passages in the scripture that express the names, offices, and sacred meanings of the heavenly realms, and may not be interpretable word for word as ordinary prose. A purification ritual is a Daoist rite through which practitioners express reverence and sincerity and cultivate merit by observing ritual purity, burning incense, and reciting scriptures.

According to the original text, this sixteen-character incantation is divided into four lines, each corresponding to one of the four directions—east, south, west, and north. Together, they are called the “Hidden Words of the Great Brahma,” secret words used in Daoism to communicate with deities and perform rituals. The scripture says these characters can dispel epidemics: written in cinnabar and then worn or ingested, they may be used to pray for safety and good fortune.

The scripture also says that this secret formula can heal illness and drive away pestilence. Its prescribed method is secret and solemn. If someone learns the incantation and recites it after fasting, the heavens will send a Flying Celestial Spirit King down to observe them and report their merits to the heavens. The myriad deities will come to pay their respects, the earth deities will keep watch at their doorway, and the Demon King will recommend them. If they practice the Way of Dongzhen, the profound cultivation represented in the Three Caverns of Daoist scriptures, and perfect their Daoist arts, they will be able to travel through the Three Realms and ascend to the Golden Gate.

This incantation is called the “sound of the naturally real.” It is said to ward off disasters and avert calamities, save all beings, and bring their deeds to completion. As it is recited, the Flying Celestial Spirit King descends to observe, the Supreme God answers in song from afar, the myriad deities come to pay their respects, and the spirits of the Three Realms attend the carriage. Demons bow their heads, and ghosts and monsters vanish of their own accord. The sound of the incantation resounds in all directions, stilling rivers and seas and making the mountains solemn. All spirits are awed into submission, and the assembled immortals gather. Filthy and malign energies between heaven and earth disperse; no demonic or impure traces remain on earth. In the end, all reaches a state of profound clarity, vastness, and mystery.