《靈寶無量度人上品妙經》Vol. 54

The wondrous supreme scripture of immeasurable salvation, transmitted by the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning, a revered deity of Daoism.

With the foundational chapters of the Dongxuan Lingbao tradition, the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning cuts down and destroys ill omens, enabling all beings to pass through ten acts of deliverance and escape calamity. The scripture dispels evil influences, while its hidden sounds naturally separate, unite, and transform.

Within the Great Void, the formless, undivided Qi of the Northern Clear Spirit, the Great One, takes shape as an old man. He wears a robe of purple-feather brocade, a bell sash at his waist, and a celestial crown on his head. Holding a scripture of the Cavern, he exhales wondrous, auspicious Qi, destroying a hundred kinds of demons and bringing the Qi of Heaven and Earth into harmony and perfect truth.

The True Qi shines forth in five colors—blue-green, red, yellow, white, and black—and gathers into an eight-sided pattern. Dragon characters and tiger script become talismans, registers, and diagrams, opening the gateway to wondrous transformations. They give rise to the divine generals of the Six Jia and command the spirit troops of the Six Ding. The Three Origins—the officials of Heaven, Earth, and Water—establish the registers of names; the Five Emperors work their transformations, dispersing darkness and impurity so that the orthodox Way may flourish. Every pattern and principle contained in the scripture shines and becomes clear; all are established, fulfilled, delivered, and brought into being. This is “the Heaven within the Great Brahma Heaven.”

The jade talisman is mysterious and exalted, revered by all the heavens. It transforms into the Golden Palace and the gods of Shangqing, and into the Brahma Qi of the Nine Blossoms of the Great Empyrean, which penetrates the netherworld and fills the vast celestial realms. In the Purple Pole, seven and nine unite to form a mysterious number. In the Jade Capital of the Mysterious Terrace, the August Sovereign cuts down evil influences and punishes the wicked, dispersing and severing the roots of sin. The True Way is inherently so, revealing its numinous power of its own accord. In mountains of fire and pools of flame, the divine is refined to perfection. The divine generals, their heads wrapped in dragon cloth and their bodies clad in phoenix robes, oversee and subdue every ill omen.

The sacred, luminous principles of the hidden Way become clear and accessible. Twelve thousand divine talismans summon the fire gods and their troops to guard the capital of the August Sovereign and inspect the registers of the Three Origins. The Mysterious Way is at once present and absent, hidden and revealed. The paired lights of the sun and moon pay court within the inner palace as Yin and Yang revolve in their cycles. Purple auspicious radiance accompanies white clouds; the celestial procession advances in solemn splendor without pause. The vast Brahma Qi extends throughout the ten directions.

Throughout the ten directions are the gods of the Three Heavens’ Orthodox Law; the Lord of the Northern Mystery who cuts down evil; the gods who govern prohibitions and laws; the Lord who bears divine talismans and safeguards life; the Elders of the Six Heavens who protect all beings; and the Lords of the Nine Heavens, who inspect the Five Sacred Peaks and govern longevity. The many Elders and true officials who administer prohibitions can transform into water and fire, then give rise to wind and clouds. The divine generals are countless, numbering in the billions and trillions. Tiger-brave troops guard all beings and cut down every ill omen. Today, the work of immeasurable salvation is being recorded and reviewed, and the gods of all the heavens have come before the hall.

In the Eastern Direction, the Limitless Spirit-Powerful God King, the Great Sage of Long Life, delivers immeasurable beings.

In the Southern Direction, the Limitless Spirit-Powerful God King, the Great Sage of Long Life, delivers immeasurable beings.

In the Western Direction, the Limitless Spirit-Powerful God King, the Great Sage of Long Life, delivers immeasurable beings.

In the Northern Direction, the Limitless Spirit-Powerful God King, the Great Sage of Long Life, delivers immeasurable beings.

In the Northeast Direction, the Limitless Spirit-Powerful God King, the Great Sage of Long Life, delivers immeasurable beings.

The Wuwei Spirit Kings and Great Sages of Long Life in the southeast, southwest, northwest, above, and below transform and save living beings with boundless power.

The true and perfect Spirit Kings of boundless spiritual might in the ten directions, and the countless great gods who grant long life and deliver the world, arrive together riding purple Qi and crimson clouds. Their radiance wheels around them as they ride in jade-adorned carriages beneath green banners, brocade tally tokens, and white canopies.

Dragons and tigers draw their carriages, while immortal adepts who have attained the Dao guide their attendants. They raise banners of the Five Spirits’ flowing radiance, fly upon luan birds, and wear ornate sashes. Jade instruments sound at the front, with voices joining in song; behind them, green-jade flutes play in unison. Crimson magpies and azure divine birds sing out in melodious notes. The Four Bright Ones who govern the Dao and the Five Immortals accompany the carriages. Myriad chariots and thousands upon thousands of riders descend through the air, wheeling their divine light and retinue as they inspect and record inauspicious events.

The high officials of the heavens, the true ruler of Northern Feng, the Nine Heavens’ Directorate, and the gods who govern the Seven Luminaries and Eight Spirits ride mists and winds, racing on fiery beasts. They hurl banners and drums, beating and shouting with thunderous force. Holding registers, they examine names and records, then come together before the Thearch. According to those each is charged with saving, they rigorously inspect the boundaries between the heavens, the world, the human realm, and the underworld, as well as the Divine Realm, the Office of Winding Springs, the Northern Capital of Luofeng, the Three Offices and Nine Bureaus, the sources of the Twelve Rivers, the Demon Kingdom of Shiluo, the Twenty-Four Hidden Realms, and the condemned souls in the hells.

The living souls and dead spirits bound among mountains and rivers bring calamity upon the world. They specialize in inauspicious acts: shortening lives, sending down disasters and poison, and creating hardship. They falsely accuse and wrong the innocent, spread poison and corruption, and damage the people’s allotted lifespan and blessings. They leave people bereft of complete blessings and virtue, cloud their minds, distort their nature, and even cause premature death and calamity to befall their kin. The underworld takes advantage of this to sow disorder, while evil spirits ceaselessly confuse and mislead.

The gods carefully uphold the Red Writ, the sacred Daoist script, and respectfully carry out its talismanic commands. With divine blades, they slay the myriad ghosts and bind their souls. They lift the hardships suffered by ancestors, parents, and kin across the cycles of tribulation. They also subdue great demons and stop evil spirits from gnawing at, clinging to, and harming the people. They do not allow them to seize the living or force them to join the company of ghosts.

By the command of the Heavenly Worthy of Primordial Beginning, the souls concerned must be promoted at the appointed time. Those who have erred are pardoned; those who are guilty are punished. Their names are recorded one by one, and they are sent to the Cold Pool in the Northern Capital to be kept under guard. The gods protect their bodies and souls, subdue the demons and evil spirits, and vouch for them so they may be delivered and raised in rank to the Southern Palace. The world is then spared calamity, and blessings arise of their own accord. If ghosts and evil spirits are not cut down, the registers of the dead will call them to account.

After the souls of the dead undergo refinement and deliverance—the Daoist ritual process by which departed spirits are purified and guided beyond suffering—they can be transformed into immortals and granted new life. Once delivered, they will not decay even after hundreds of millions of kalpas. Though Yin and Yang change through the cycles of nine and six, they remain ever aligned with the good path. The souls follow the turning course of the kalpas, their lifespans as long as Heaven’s, and are forever freed from the Three Paths and Five Sufferings, traditional Daoist and Buddhist terms for the lower realms and their many afflictions.

In this way, they transcend the Eight Obstacles, the eight hindrances encountered in cultivation or the attainment of the Dao, roam freely through the Three Realms, and ascend to Shangqing, one of the Daoist heavens. Above Shangqing lies the heaven where the Celestial Emperor and Yuzhen dwell. It is a formless realm devoted to pure cultivation.

Eight Heavens of the East

Purple Radiance and Jade Splendor Heaven — Emperor Zhaofu Xisheng

Utmost Capital of Double Illumination Heaven — Emperor Yuli Jiandeng

Capital of Proclaimed Truth and Righteousness Heaven — Emperor Juexia Dingfu

Vault of Radiant Subtlety Heaven — Emperor Zhengbian Jiuqu

Azure Subtlety, Dew of the Emperor Heaven — Emperor Dunhe Xuemou

Utmost Rectitude and Everlasting Nonbeing Heaven — Emperor Kongzhang Yineng

Numinous Maiden’s Founding Talisman Heaven — Emperor Yuanchang Chong

Radiant Pivot, Contemplation of Transformation Heaven — Emperor Longfu Yuecong

Eight Heavens of the South

Red Brightness, Radiant Illumination Heaven — Emperor Jiaxu Qianpu

Ruan Zhu Mian Bing Heaven — Emperor Zhuchang Mitu

Great Truth, Plain Rosy Clouds Heaven — Emperor Fengdie Yugu

Dao Mountain, Empty Expanse Heaven — Emperor Jiuxing Yanhu

Cavern-Floating Purple Splendor Heaven — Emperor Guangping Fu

Origin Principle, Wondrous Mechanism Heaven — Emperor Aoting Jingxing

Isles and Peaks, Cavern Flood Heaven — Emperor Bien Nanyanming

Fierce Whirlwind, High Dawn Heaven — Emperor Dangfu Yuanxu

Eight Heavens of the West

Distant Rosy Clouds and Cloudlike Purity Heaven — Emperor Yanting Ganchu

Transformed Garden, [text unclear] Thread Heaven — Emperor Yuanyang Douran

Nine Paths of Yang Transformation Heaven — Emperor Boluo Huiming

Eight Lands, Plain Cycles Heaven — Emperor Yuanci Zhenyu

Great Subtlety, Wondrous Vision Heaven — Emperor Nieling Zhaoyuan

Flying Splendor, Vast Perfection Heaven — Emperor Zhuqi Yifei

Golden Reflection, Vast Capital Heaven — Emperor Nali Quanji

The Jade Refining Dao-Formed Heaven, ruled by the Celestial Emperor Yu Tingfu.

In the north are eight tiers of heaven:

The Dark Cavern Dipper-Chief Heaven, ruled by the Celestial Emperor Shu Xiajuan Cheng; the Pheasant Chamber Net-Hong Heaven, ruled by the Celestial Emperor Yun Hu Qianxu; the Mysterious Spirit Cultivation-and-Transformation Heaven, ruled by the Celestial Emperor Shangxian Yuming; the Heaven of Removing Truth, Vaulted Terrace, ruled by the Celestial Emperor Luo Duyuanxu; the Great Rosy Mysterious-Truth Heaven, ruled by the Celestial Emperor Muyuan Jingchang; the Blended Radiance and Shining Scene Heaven, ruled by the Celestial Emperor Zhenqi Yang; the Stillness, Harmony, and Auspicious Ancestry Heaven, ruled by the Celestial Emperor Bu Jing Zhizhan; and the Mysterious Essence, Brilliant Light Heaven, ruled by the Celestial Emperor Bian Ding Qianqi.

The scripture goes on to say that the thirty-two heavens, their thirty-two Celestial Emperors, and the hidden names and secret titles of the various heavens are all contained in this numinous text: an empty, spontaneous work arising from the Dao of Heaven. The hidden tones of the heavens are the orthodox sounds of the celestial realm. The power of the revered gods, spirits, and great demons of that realm is also contained within it.

When the Dao’s Qi is harmonized, it joins with the Dao and brings forth transformation. Pure Qi descends from the north, proclaiming teachings and spreading the correct way, so that the myriad evils dare not intrude. Sword-light cuts down owl-demons, while demon spirits flee from wells. These arcane texts are written in purple celestial script. Like chapters among the clouds and divine writings of the grotto-heavens, they spread far and wide, enabling immortals and perfected beings to save the people of Heaven and the living beings of the world.

Righteous Qi surges forth, and the Dharma Wheel turns without end. Long spears and giant arrows are drenched in blood, and the enemy’s eyes are pierced blind. Now swiftly inspect the passes and issue the fire command; sweep across and smash the enemy ranks, beheading, disemboweling, and destroying the evil armies commanded by the Five Emperors. The ranks stretch for ten thousand zhang like a sea of flames, as thunder and lightning race across one another. War chariots smash the demon army’s camps; soldiers scatter, and corpses litter the ground. Officials of the underworld send out warrants to pursue and capture across all nine directions. Flying divine generals pass through the five gates and press the attack, pursuing the Three Wonders.

The Divine Kings bow their heads and receive their orders; the Six Heavens engage the host of demons. The Eastern Dipper sends down its might, the Western Dipper lowers its celestial net; the Northern Dipper proclaims its commands, the Southern Dipper kindles blazing fires, and the Central Dipper’s Purple Palace directs the celestial troops. The Azure Emperor of the Nine Heavens wields talismanic script; the White Emperor slays evil forms; the Red Emperor transmits talismanic orders; the Black Emperor employs divine power; and the Yellow Emperor issues commands. All spirits obey.

The Divine King of the Azure Heaven, Qu Luopengxing; the Divine King of the Red Heaven, Gu Bi Chongming; the Divine King of the White Heaven, Hu Mu Changying; the Divine King of the Black Heaven, Pishi Piaoling; and the Divine King of the Yellow Heaven, Xiao Du Shening, are the Divine Kings of the five celestial directions. The Divine Kings of the Five Heavens are the ancestors of all gods. They can slay thousands upon thousands of demons and monsters, sever their heads, and destroy them completely.

Through its celestial titles, divine commands, and depictions of formations that drive out evil, this passage presents the power of the spirits as they uphold the correct way, subdue demons and evil spirits, and save living beings.

The spirit of calamity commands ghost troops, roaming and flying through the Great Wilderness. They wave banners and standards, beat drums, and sound the signal instruments. Clouds and rosy mists gather into written dispatches; dragons leap into the air to carry commands. Fire and wind blaze fiercely, and all the heavens exert their might together. Heaven strikes down evil and keeps strict command over Northern Feng, the underworld in the north. The Divine Lord, acting under orders, sweeps away every ill omen. The blazing radiance of the Cinnabar Spirit spreads and shines; Huang Yue is commanded to destroy calamity.

The six-armed divine general grips weapons, his forehead hard as iron, smoke pouring from his mouth. The general who devours evil beasts and feeds on ghost kings wears frost-colored armor and stands in ranks for autumn’s killing. Marshal Night River commands the troops; the Great Emperor orders the Demon Xuan Elder to behead the dragon general at the front of the formation. Cavalry surrounds the halls on every side, stationed on cloud cliffs. Jade axes strike back, while dark beasts devour the long spears.

The Green Dipper sets down the names and commands all the gods to come swiftly before me. Whoever dares offend, test, or obstruct the High Perfected—the realized adepts who have attained the Dao—will be punished. The feathered canopy turns, and the curtains of the blue phoenix carriage move with it. The grand carriage commands ten thousand troops and shakes the roads; the Perfected ride back in their chariots to go and slaughter evil demons.

Cut down and crush what poisons; stir the depths until the heretical path falls silent. Every offender must be executed, with no leniency: cut off the heads of ten thousand, ten thousand evil chiefs, and cleave the noses of a thousand, a thousand violent demons. No powerful demon may invade; no ghostly creature may make mischief. The Three Officials and Northern Feng inspect the strongholds of the ghost realm; no evil ghost may hide. The Golden Horse courier carries the documents, proclaiming the orders to the farthest reaches without end. May the numinous might hear the reports of the Earth Division, which governs the earthly realm, and the Five Emperors, and convey them upward to Shangqing, the Daoist heaven above.

In the distant, empty expanse, Heaven and Earth move and turn; the deep void holds the vital essence. The kalpas of Longhan, Yankang, and others continue without end. When the Kalpa of Chiming is complete, the world opens, and Yin and Yang each take form and name.

Heaven and Earth suddenly change: the Three Luminaries—the three tiers of the heavenly realm—reach upward to Yuqing and downward to Wuxuan and Wuyuan. Wind transforms into Yin Fire, water into Yang fluid; the essence of wind becomes flame, while water congeals into stone. Emptiness and nothingness extend through the thirty-two heavens. Within them is Orthodox Qi, which transforms into the highest Perfected of the Great Dao.

The Great Dao can drive out all evil and return it to the right path. The highest teaching reaches into the hidden and mysterious; ghosts and spirits cannot trespass. The Dao is the ancestral source of Heaven, and Shen is the root of Qi. The power of vajra moves through Heaven; Heaven has no darkness to obscure it, no boundaries of form or shadow, and no end. Chaos is vast and boundless; the Great Brahma is the foundation of the Great Dao.

The heavenly realm is immense, its light illuminating all things, in which the myriad forms appear. Among the Nine Capitals is a sovereign of the ghost realm, born at the same time as the Celestial Emperor. He lingers near the dragon caves, arrogantly rules the Six Heavens, harms the right path, and blocks the light. The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning unfurls the heavenly book; the Qi of Chiming fills the grotto heavens, the Three Realms come into being, and a thousand gods wear jade ornaments.

Jade writing—sacred talismans—can execute, behead, and dispel ill omens. The tracks of the qilin and tiger tallies fly and stir; clouds gather. Primordial Qi condenses into Fulu, and evil essences and ghosts perish. The Imperial One holds the sun in his hands, with a Jade Maiden standing beside him. Brahma Qi flows, and immortals and sacred beings abound. Right mindfulness subdues Brahma demons, allowing the myriad teachings to shine forth. Clouds and rosy mists join together, and pearls hang down their light; cinnabar cords and red threads wind and curve, arrayed above Yuqing’s thirty…

Within the Second Heaven, the heavens revolve in their courses, reaching throughout the Formless Realm and the Ten Directions. Jade characters appear, spread across the celestial realms, and extend to such immortal landscapes as the Taiji Cave Chamber, the Long Tower and Treasure Mountain, and the Marvelous Terrace and Jade Hall.

The Way of Heaven moves, dispelling calamities. Qi of five colors transforms into a jade rainbow, circling according to the directions. It passes the stellar lodges Jiao, Kang, Di, Fang, Xin, Wei, and Ji, then circles past Kui, Niu, Nü, and Dou. Demons and evil spirits of the netherworld flee in every direction, yet are swept through the central palace. The primal Qi of the Five Planets—the five planets as understood by the ancients—and the Twenty-Eight Lunar Mansions is all gathered into the True Origin.

The Eight Powers, divine beings or forces of might in Daoism, join their breaths, and Qi enters the Great Primordial. The Dark Emperor of the Cavern Yin, the Northern Perfected One, wears a fine jade seal; divine light appears above his head, and purple clouds glow around his body. He chants the Cavern Scripture, sounding like a bell. Thunder and lightning roar, shaking the encampments of ghosts and spirits. The Jade Perfected One breathes forth numinous Qi, while spirit officers travel upon the stars. Wind and fire move at command, and even metal and stone give off smoke. The earth’s womb splits open, allowing corpse spirits to ascend to immortality. Their forms transform in myriad ways, and they naturally come to know the True Dao. Those who know the True Dao can attain the Dao and understand its nature. Among the spirits are those of utmost perfection, including the Great Lord of Long Life, the Elder of the Nine Qi, and the Venerable Gods of the Eight Poles.

The Primordial Rulers of the Five Heavens command the true gods. Taiyi, an important deity in Daoism, turns the divination board. Siming, the Director of Destinies, and the various divine ministers descend together to the human world and destroy demons and evil spirits. Fulu, talismans used in Daoism to summon gods and expel evil, lead the way as troops and their horses pour forth. The deities Qingji, Shiyun, Chiling, and others inspect souls and verify their destinies, then report together to Kunlun. The gods travel upward through Shangqing, enter and leave the Yellow Chamber, and reach the hidden realms of the Eight Directions. Evil forces of the ghostly way and all inauspicious things are bound and sent before the Divine Sovereign. Nothing can conceal the causes of transformation and life in the world: even the smallest details, or unjust calamities brought upon the good, are brought to light. Divine power descends to subdue the human Muddy Pellet Palace, an important site of Daoist inner cultivation in the head, and the Crimson Palace, the corresponding site in the heart.

In the Yellow Pool, the Purple Sea, and the Twelve Springs, countless ghosts gather along the dark and freezing roads of night. Wearing and using the divine script of the Eight Convergences, a kind of Daoist talismanic writing, sets Qi and blood in motion and cuts down evil gods and ancestors of ghosts. Biyang obeys the command and loses its Jing. A precious talisman issues its decree, transforming form and bones into the Realized One. The Five Qi are harmonized and the hundred gods brought together; numinous Qi circulates again and again until all Qi return together to the immortal way. The immortal way then appears of itself, all beings receive measureless deliverance, and the gods descend.

When the spirit enters the Gate of Heaven, the heart naturally opens to the True Dao. The spirit pearl moves like a vast Dharma Wheel. By guarding Jing and Qi, keeping the precepts, and believing in and understanding karmic causes, the mind’s eye opens and sees the Dao’s true form. All beings receive instruction and deliverance: the souls of the dead are freed, the living are given new life, and they can ascend to the heavens. Above, each heaven has its own gate of life, with transformations without end and a natural, enduring existence. To endure does not mean to be a thing with form; it means to be empty and clear, united with the light.

This is the song of the Spirit King and the hymn of the spirit officers. Its words mingle with the Dao of the High Perfected Ones, a Daoist term for exalted true gods.

These are the sounds uttered by the Spirit King of the Divine Might and Righteous Dao of the First Heaven as he flies through the air.

The jade summit rises high, with blue-green peaks layered one upon another. The phoenix carriage stands open on all four sides, while a dragon-shaped carriage rests amid the clouds atop the tower. Flying immortals move back and forth through the air, golden heavenly steeds gallop and surge onward, and tier upon tier of steps lead toward the stars.

The Qi (vital energy) of Taiji (the Supreme Ultimate) brings forth the myriad things, and perfected beings ride dragons on their journeys. Pure, upright energy coils and circles around; carriages and bridges shine with boundless radiance. A red script, a sacred Daoist talismanic text, unfurls above the golden dipper, summoning the Four-Eyed Elder at once. He is charged with destroying ten thousand kinds of demons, so that every sort of evil spirit can no longer cause trouble. Three lights shine forth, never dimming. Life endures until the end of the vast kalpa. The Celestial Elder issues a command from the dark-blue city, and a long sword is sharpened atop Mount Taisong. The forms and shadows of spirits and evil beings are wiped out; they wail in fear before the wind of the blade. I bring down the Qi of the Nine Heavens and have people swallow it within the cavern tower. Through compassion for all living beings, I put this method into practice, thereby attaining the merit of transcending suffering and delivering living beings.

Chapter of the Spiritually Powerful Demon-Subduing Divine King of the Second, Human Realm

Clad in crimson ritual robes and tiger-patterned garments, his divine might extends throughout the ten directions of heaven. With a dragon blade, he cuts down evil spirits. Attendants from the Six Paths guard his carriage; the radiance of his seal gathers like the sea, and the energy of his sword flies like thunder. He cuts away every ill omen and allows the righteous Way to prevail. How could those trifling evil beings become a source of calamity? I possess the mysterious Dao talisman, which can root out treachery and harm and return all things to their original state.

The Great Lord bestows favor and grants life, along with blessings of longevity and agelessness. The golden radiance of nine colors enables one to remain united with Heaven for long ages. Stillness and wisdom join with the divine, embodying the wondrous principle of the mysterious source. The beings of the world are many and foolish, their understanding clouded so that they do not know the true Dao. Therefore, all should be saved far and wide, both those in Heaven and those on earth; the ten thousand good deeds should spring from a single root and endure alongside the cycles of Heaven and Earth. The Supreme Emperor widely bestows grace and virtue, subdues demonic obstacles, and enables people to cultivate themselves into perfected beings. The registers of Heaven record the names of those who receive talismans, and evil spirits can no longer intrude; immortals, perfected beings, and sages together make their covenant. The Dao of the Primordial Beginning is profound and empty—how many can comprehend it? If one can understand the principle of nature, one can hear the wondrous sound, clear and pure as jade.

Song of the Spiritually Powerful Demon-Slaying Divine King of the Third, Terrestrial Realm

Beneath the boundless earth lie mountains piled layer upon layer. White clouds drift among the blue-green peaks, and those who enter never return. The Most High takes pity on them and therefore petitions for the deliverance of beings in the Uninterrupted Hell.

The divine wind stirred the rosy clouds, and a ring of light like green jade appeared. From there, the scripture came forth from the Ninefold Netherworld, the depths of the underworld. Then the red celestial script proclaimed its command: subdue the Po, seize the Hun, and sever the passes leading to the netherworld.

What wrong have living beings done to deserve such severe punishments and calamities? O radiant Great Thearch, celestial deity, the vital force of the Dao is natural. The true Dao is upright and luminous; through it, you may ascend.

Forsaking the paths of the world may perhaps let one escape the source of Yin evil. I have the scriptural chapters of the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning. Recite them, and the ancestors of ten thousand generations may ascend. Stagnant karmic obstacles can be transcended and dispelled; silently attuning to the Great Dao, one ultimately returns to wordlessness.

How could the merit of saving people ever come to an end? One should diligently recite this True King Scripture.

This is the song of the True King, above the Three Realms and soaring through the sky. Every line connects with the Cavern Scripture. Recite it one hundred times, and you will be delivered into the Southern Palace; recite it one thousand times, and the True King will protect and welcome you; recite it ten thousand times, and your Dao practice will be complete. You will soar into the vast sky, surpass the Three Realms, and take your place among the immortals.

If someone hears this wondrous, numinous sound, the spirit kings will honor their form and command the earth spirits to guard, escort, and welcome them. They will be freed from the gates of the underworld and spared the Five Sufferings and Eight Calamities. Their ancestors of seven generations, too, may ascend and leave the offices of the ghosts forever. Their Hun and Po will be delivered to the Zhu Mausoleum, where they will undergo refinement and receive new life. They will cut away the world’s inauspicious influences, and blessings and celebration will grow day by day. This is called universal deliverance without measure, without end.

This scripture is a heavenly secret text, revered by all the heavens. Whoever divulges or treats it lightly will fall into hell, bringing calamity upon their ancestors for seven generations.

The Dao says: These two chapters are both secret sounds kept by the Heavenly Emperors and the Spirit-Powerful Divine Kings. They belong to the speech of the Great Brahma and are not the ordinary words of the world. They are essential methods for cutting away inauspicious influences, and also the names of divine offices in the Six Heavens that govern the destruction of ghosts and demons. They can weaken Yin beings and disperse evil essences, enabling practitioners to attain long life and join the ranks of the immortals. Thus these scriptures are mysterious and profound, beyond exhaustive investigation. They are treasures kept by Heaven, concealed in the Upper Palace of Purple Tenuity in the Mysterious Capital. According to the Mysterious Regulations, they are transmitted once every forty thousand kalpas. If a person who has attained the Dao offers gold and jewels as tokens and swears an oath with a sincere heart, then, following the established rites and making a covenant before the Ten Heavens, the scripture may be transmitted to them.

The Dao says: The methods for cutting away inauspicious influences are indeed bound to the laws of the Great Dao. There are four circumstances, including the end of the Nine-Six cycle and the waxing and waning of the Three Luminaries…

The holy beings of the heavens believe that those who have not studied the Dao deeply are easily harmed. Whenever such grave misfortunes and disasters occur, fellow practitioners should fast together, offer incense at the six prescribed times, and recite the scripture ten times. The Northern Pole Central Mysterious Heavenly Emperor, the Venerable Celestial Lord of the Yin Cavern, will command the flying thunder and lightning riders, the Great Gods of Execution of the Five Directions, the Divine King of the Awe-Inspiring Sword, the fire troops of the talismanic diagrams, the Marshal Su Xiao Who Terrifies Heaven, and other divine generals to descend, cut away disaster, and bring blessings and De. This immeasurable scripture can deliver all beings without limit.

The Dao says: Those whose study of the Dao is still shallow and whose practice has not yet come to fruition may encounter ghosts from the Nether Springs or the gods of the Six Heavens, who recklessly bring about disasters. They may meet all kinds of calamities, suffering harm to themselves, a shortened lifespan, diminished blessings and rank, unrest in their household, and afflictions upon their family. When accomplished adepts of the Dao offer incense and recite the scripture ten times for them, they can dispel disasters and drive away evil influences. If the rites are performed as prescribed, the Sevenfold Primordial Qi of the Great God of the Central Heaven will enter the body. Good fortune will arise of itself, bringing lasting peace and safety, enduring life, and, in the end, the attainment of immortality.

The Dao says: Those who wish the gods of the heavens to descend into their courtyard, send divine troops to guard them, and cut away ill fortune should fast and recite the scripture. In this way, they can resonate with the immortals and perfected beings, and dispel calamities and epidemics. When the cycles of Heaven and Earth are nearing their end, the stars move out of order, the Sun and Moon behave abnormally, the four seasons lose their sequence, or Yin-Yang falls out of balance; when wars break out repeatedly, pestilence spreads, the people die in great numbers, or teachers and friends pass away, one should fast, offer incense, and recite the scripture. The merit of fasting and recitation is immense: above, it can dispel heavenly disasters and protect the ruler; below, it can neutralize poisons and save the people, bringing blessings to both the living and the dead. This blessing and De cannot be measured, and so it is called “the immeasurable universal deliverance of Heaven and humanity.”

The Dao says: Anyone who uses this scripture to cultivate merit for Heaven and Earth, the sovereign, and the people, and who, when disaster strikes, resolves to fast, burn incense, and recite the scripture ten times, will have their name recorded by the heavens and be guarded by the myriad gods. Such a person may in time become an accomplished adept, and then a sage ruler and a minister of the Golden Palace. The heavens record people’s merits and faults, omitting nothing, however small; the divine kings of Heaven will also recommend you. Those who have attained the Dao should truly understand this supreme principle.

“The hidden words of the Great Brahma among the heavens, sounds without measure,” written by the Lord of the Dao.

Jade Chapter of the Numinous Writ of Primordial Beginning for Beheading and Removing Ill Fortune

Eight Heavens of the East

Bright Winnowing Basket, Sea, Luxuriant Growth; Party, Road, Xu, Chen; Jue, Diligence, Union, Emperor

Like, Support, Cavern of Truth; Dense, Rely, Many, Bend; Wheat, Regret, Need, Cloud

These final strings of characters belong to the category of “hidden words,” a sacred scriptural expression used chiefly for chanting and generally not translated as ordinary sentences.

These texts are the “Great Brahma Hidden Words” of the heavens—sacred, secret celestial sounds—arranged in groups of eight for each of the southern, western, and northern heavens. The scripture writes out each syllable in turn: [the following groups of syllables are preserved as in the original].

The scripture says that these countless celestial sounds were once carved at the Northern Capital’s Mysterious Terrace, the Purple Tenuity Palace, and at places reaching down to Fengdu’s Mount Luo and the gates of the Nine Springs in the deepest darkness. They were used to manifest the awe-inspiring power of the Dao, cut down ghosts and demons, and dispel malign forces such as Yin souls and corpse parasites.

The Celestial Perfected Sovereign gathered the finest essence of the Cavern of Clarity, dipped a vermilion brush into it, and wrote these texts. Each character was vast and elongated, one zhang in length, and was used as… [the original ends here unfinished]

Anyone who understands the true sound spoken of in this scripture, observes purification, and recites it will be guarded by divine beings sent from the heavens to uphold the Orthodox Way and destroy evil spirits. The divine officers known as Heavenly Poison, the Eight Powers, the Nine Heads, and the Four Eyes, together with attendants such as the Ding clerks, will remain by the reciter’s side, protecting them, dispelling ill omens, and bestowing blessings.

They will also extend the reciter’s life, grant them a book of the Dao, and diligently report their merits to the heavens. The myriad gods will come to pay homage, while the earth spirits stand watch at the door. The Great Merit True King, a divine being who oversees merit and recommends people, will secure the reciter’s place among the Highest Perfected. Once their cultivation and achievements are complete, they will roam through the Three Realms and ascend to the Golden Gate.

This sound can ward off evil, avert calamity, deliver beings from suffering, and bring cultivation to completion. It is the sound that the Heavenly Perfected produce spontaneously. Reciting it can therefore summon the Heavenly Perfected to descend and observe: the Supreme Lord answers in song from afar, the myriad gods come to pay homage, and the divine beings of the Three Realms attend beside the Son of Heaven’s carriage. All evil spirits bow their heads, and ghosts and monsters vanish of their own accord. The sound of the scripture rings like jade striking jade, spreading in all directions and bringing every place to stillness and clarity.

Rivers and seas fall silent, and the vapors among the mountains disperse. All spirits are awed into submission, and the immortals are summoned to gather. No foul air clouds the heavens, and no strange, baleful haze rises from the earth. The underworld and the realm of wisdom alike are clear and bright; the domain is vast, mysterious, and profound.