《靈寶無量度人上品妙經》Vol. 58

The divine immortals arrive riding splendid clouds and celestial carriages. Purple and emerald radiance flows, and the clouds gleam like jade. Flowers are scattered over the carriages; banners, curtains, wheels, and canopies are adorned with solemn splendor. Feathered carriages bearing the dignity of the eight directions advance in formation, crimson banners streaming. Dragons and phoenixes ornament the vehicles, while the immortals hold ritual cloths and standards. The immortals at the front blow and whistle on jade flutes; those behind play pipes and flutes, and their music rises together. Lions and white cranes cry out in time with the music. Six immortals sing in unison, while four celestial generals guard the carriage shafts. Myriads of carriages and countless mounted attendants come through the air.

They draw in their divine radiance and turn their carriages around, bringing the dead back to life and renewing their lives. The Great God who serves as Chancellor of the Celestial Pivot and Registrar and Guardian of Life in the Upper Palace of Nanchang—Han Si (a deity who oversees registers of names and protects living beings)—holds talismans and registers. Together they come before the Imperial Lord, carefully checking the celestial registers according to those each has saved, and proclaiming the command throughout the Three Realms.

The Divine Land of Nonbeing, the Office of the Spring’s Bend, Beidu Luofeng (the legendary realm of the dead), the Three Offices and Nine Bureaus, the Twelve River Sources, and all such places must swiftly summon the gods who govern life, restore life, and replenish allotted years. Those whose allotted years have run out are to receive additional years. The registers of the dead are to be changed: their surnames struck out and their names transferred. Their names in the Black Register are to be burned to ash, and the sins of their ancestors, parents, and kin from all past kalpas are to be absolved. Illness and records of sin are to be erased, and evil roots uprooted, so that they are no longer detained or forced to join the ranks of ghosts.

By the talismanic command of the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning, the souls of the dead are to be promoted at the appointed time. The Department of the Cold Pool in Beidu is to guard their bodies and souls, subdue demonic obstacles, and keep them safe. All who are saved will ascend according to their rank and enter the Southern Palace. Through the refinement and deliverance of the dead, they may become immortals and transform into human beings; the living, too, may receive salvation in this life. They will endure through every generation, follow the turning of the kalpas, and share the heavens’ longevity, forever freed from the Three Paths, Five Sufferings, and Eight Afflictions, transcending the Three Realms and roaming in freedom.

In the heavens of Shangqing is the formless realm of Dongzhen. Listed below are the Eight Heavens of the East and the names of their Celestial Emperors:

• Heaven of Silent, Subtle Stillness: Emperor Chongguang Ximing.
• Heaven of Abundant Auspice in the Vast Firmament: Emperor Yaopang Zudang.
• Heaven of Splendid Radiance and the Han Measure: Emperor Qiao Ya Chonglu.
• Heaven of Flourishing Order and the Grain Measure: Emperor Fang Shen Jiutu.
• Heaven of Rushing Suddenness and Empty Daylight: Emperor Jiu Ci Yuanbiao.
• Heaven of Auspicious Blessing in Yongtian: Emperor Jue Long Yan Jin.
• Heaven of Complete Distance and No Thought: Emperor Dou Ju Mangsha.
• Heaven of Pure Ascent at the Side: Emperor Hou Fu Minglian.

Of the Eight Heavens of the South, the three listed here and the names of their Celestial Emperors are:

• Heaven of the Horn, Thousand Fires, and Pestle: Emperor Xia Xian Mingzun.
• Heaven of Subtle Vast Yang: Emperor He Yi Bingyao.
• Heaven of Rising Dragon and Advancing Fulfillment: Emperor Zao Ji Fang.

Chuji Diao Xiang Heaven — Emperor Bao Bao Yun Jia

Junfang Guangzhong Heaven — Emperor Ding Zhong Ci Sheng

Ji Zheng You Xian Heaven — Emperor Miao Si Yun Xiang

Kongxuan Huaimo Heaven — Emperor Fu Ning Di An

Kunyu Fangning Heaven — Emperor Miao Nang Zi Lai

The Eight Heavens of the West:

Baoxi Lieyi Heaven — Emperor Miao Shi Zhi Jing

Dao Wei Bu Xu Heaven — Emperor Jiu Chen Wei Shu

Li Tao Jizhen Heaven — Emperor Hui Zan Yu Dun

Qingxu Tonghuang Heaven — Emperor Pu Yan Yi Cun

Zhi Mo Kuangyou Heaven — Emperor Ze Huan Yi Huan

Liang Gong Shixiang Heaven — Emperor Fu Yuan Dun Zhang

Rongjing Liguang Heaven — Emperor Yu Zhi Lu Bu

Xialin Zhufu Heaven — Emperor Yue Ying Wu Jiang

The Eight Heavens of the North:

Ju Xian Chengji Heaven — Emperor Yan Ti Chi Hu

Ma Ying Chongyuan Heaven — Emperor Song Yi Bu Ling

Luo Gao Fushi Heaven — Emperor Shen Yang Guan Pu

Zhao Yin Ba Luan Heaven — Emperor Du Xian Ji

Yi Deng Cuiluo Heaven — Emperor Yan Sou Pi Tang

Xiao Ting Yingchao Heaven — Emperor Hui Zong Long

Shi Xu Suwen Heaven — Emperor Xuanyuan Shen Chang

Fanyuan Shangle Heaven — Emperor Xing Wei Shang Jian

The names of the various heavens in the celestial realm and their imperial rulers are listed above. These names of the heavens and their emperors are all hidden names. This passage of the scripture calls them “the naturally manifest numinous writings of the empty caverns within Heaven”—sacred characters contained in the celestial realm and revealed by nature.

These hidden verses can summon and gather life, establish its foundation, and communicate with and transform spirits. They can also cause corpse demons to leave their fetal bodies and become spirits. Here, “corpse demons” refers to defiled beings in the context of cultivation or deliverance; “leaving the womb and becoming spirits” describes their departure from their original forms and transformation into spiritual bodies.

Yin and Yang unite, and pure Qi descends. These boundless mysteries are profound and difficult to fathom, beyond any full account. Divine beings and perfected immortals descend to save all, both humans and celestial beings.

Today we rejoice and celebrate those who have received deliverance: the dead are brought back to life, and those near death are revived; they pass through the barriers of the heavens. We pray that the Three Evils be destroyed and the roots of karmic offenses cut away, so that people may fly beyond the Five Sufferings and return their lives to the Great Mystery, the source of the Dao. The Demon Kings keep watch and make recommendations, ensuring that living beings are not trapped at the gates of life and death.

The Eastern Dipper sends souls on their way; the Western Dipper divines the fate of their animating spirits; the Northern Dipper assigns their ranks; and the Southern Dipper examines their lifespans. The Central Dipper governs blessings, while the Great Kui preserves life and guards it with meticulous care. The Three Terraces, a group of stellar officials, oversee and inspect all spirits.

The Azure Emperor gives people awareness; the White Emperor awakens their capacities; the Red Emperor stirs their consciousness; the Black Emperor refines and nourishes their Jing and Qi; and the Yellow Emperor bestows physical form. All the gods dwell within the human body. The Azure Heaven Demon King brings people back to life and restores lives that have been cut short. The Red Heaven Demon King restores breath and blood circulation. The White Heaven Demon King guides the breath, drawing it out continuously like a thread. The Black Heaven Demon King makes every kind of divine power effective. The Yellow Heaven Demon King subdues ghosts and gods and nurtures infants.

The Five Emperor Great Demons are the ancestors of all gods. When they travel, music and drums accompany them; they command the ghost troops, direct the ceremonial guard and its drumbeat, and patrol the open reaches of space. They proclaim their radiant splendor and declare their merit equal to Heaven’s. When Heaven delivers people, it exercises strict command over Beifengdu, the divine bureau that governs ghosts and the underworld, and orders a sweeping removal of ill fortune, so that the withered may live again and flourish anew. Divine dragons line up to draw the carriage, while perfected officials display their might. Heavenly troops summon souls, and the Marshal commands the hundred gods throughout the body, leading them back to the jade carriage and golden coach of the divine beings. Every register declaring someone dead is annulled, and the chains that bind ghosts are cut apart.

Fire is hurled from the northern mountain, and bells carry the signal for ten thousand li. In all eight directions, anyone who dares to offend or obstruct the Highest Perfected is executed on the spot with a golden axe. The Great Heaven stands at the front, slaughtering and dismembering ghostly demons. Wind and fire rage without pause: thousands upon thousands have their heads severed, and tens of thousands are cut to pieces. Demonic beings cannot trespass, and ghosts and monsters cannot wreak havoc. The Three Officials and Beifengdu scrutinize the affairs of ghosts and gods, allowing no demon to hide. The Golden Horse Relay, the divine office that transmits documents, presents the command and proclaims it everywhere without end. All gods must obey; the Five Emperors of the Three Realms submit it together in a memorial.

The realm of Highest Clarity is vast, empty, and still, far removed from all sound. The cycles of tribulation and the womb merge in a state of peace. This realm is subtle and profound: countless lives take shape beyond primordial chaos. Outside, there is no fixed form or color; within, no fixed abyss. Wind moves through the empty space of the six directions, and liquid gold floats in the heavens. Above and below Heaven there is no darkness, no shape or shadow, no boundary, and no end.

In the vast, primordial state of chaos, there is no light, yet there is the utmost essence. It knows itself and brings itself into being. It has awareness, yet there is no such thing as awareness; it has light, yet there is no such thing as light. It does not rely on awareness or light for the Dao to bring its transformations to completion and for spirit and Qi to become full. When spirit arrives, life begins; when spirit departs, life ends. Birth is to enter a womb and receive physical form; death is to depart like a fruit from its stem. When Qi continues to flow, spirit can live; when Qi is cut off, life ends.

Conscious awareness disperses, the blood congeals, the bones wither, and the corpse lies rigid. The Nine Worms—creatures said in Daoism to dwell within the human body and harm its life and vitality—turn into evil spirits, gnawing at the brain and devouring the marrow. If the spirit is sheltered in the Niwan, the spirit palace within the head, and Daoist Qi is made firm, the heavenly spirits will not leave the body. Then the dead can rise again and take human form.

Before Heaven and Earth had opened, the world was dark and still. The Red Radiance, a cosmic era in Daoist teaching, established the patterns and measures by which all things could unfold according to their natural course. The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning brought stability to the cosmic era and bestowed the Five Red Books, Jade Characters, and Eight Majestic Dragon Writings. These guarded the era and preserved Heaven and Earth through time. Primordial Qi filled the vast cosmos; from it the myriad forms took shape, and the guiding order of Heaven flowed on without end.

The Thirty-Two Heavens turn, the Three Realms circulate, and the Ten Directions revolve. Through the cycles of time, life can be renewed and the dead return, restoring them to the Way of the Five Constants. The thirty-five divisions gather and govern the Qi of the Upper Origin, while the Eight Radiances unite in hidden depths. Qi enters the most mysterious of mysteries and reaches the dwelling of the Great Sovereign Emperor. High Perfected Ones chant the Cavern Chapters amid the Divine Empyrean. Golden rays of true light shine forth; sacred sounds travel through the clouds, drawing in breath with jade-toned notes.

Whirlwinds circle and smoke gathers. Auspicious Qi flourishes in the Purple Void, aiding the assembled immortals. Through countless harmonies and unions, life arises of itself; endowed with spirit, life can endure forever. The Great Lord of Long Life, Wuying, the Left Officer, Baiyuan, the Right Spirit, Taiyi, Baoshi, and Siming bestow sacred talismans. The spirits Taokang, Qiyuan, Heyan, and Mujing oversee the talismans and registers, summoning the dead so they may live again. They travel above through Shangqing and enter and leave the Flowered Chambers, reaching throughout the Eight Seas and into the most subtle realms. They also descend to guard the Niwan and the Crimson Palace, where the heart spirit resides, harmonizing the Five Qi and joining the myriad spirits. Through repeated cycles, they cleanse and refine spirit and body, bringing Jing, Qi, and Shen into unity. Returning to the true, they harmonize the myriad Qi and attain immortality. The immortal Way cherishes life and saves people through boundless methods. It opens the Eight Gates, takes flight through the heavens, and sets the Dharma Wheel in motion.

Sins and blessings, prohibitions and precepts, and the causes and conditions of past lives all fall within this universal salvation. The souls of the dead may be saved, their bodies brought back to life, and they may ascend to the heavens. Above the heavens, each realm has a Gate of Life. There are songs and verses of the Empty Cavern, as well as the Numinous Chapters of Returning to Life, whose words accord with the Way of the High Perfected Ones.

First: The Sound of Flying through the Desire Realm and Returning to Life

In the Great Void, there is no distinction between inner and outer. A single point of numinous light gives rise to radiance.

From this, Heaven and Earth take shape. Where do Heaven and Earth come from? Numinous light transforms into spirit.

Once spirit is established, Qi takes form, though Qi itself has no shape. From the formless and nameless, the Three Pure Ones come forth.

Heaven, Earth, and all things thereby receive life.

If this life can be preserved, its source can no longer be traced. The Way of Heaven cherishes life.

The Ghostly Way (the realm inhabited by ghosts and spirits) regards death as the end: a person’s breath is exhausted, but Shen (spirit, the spiritual soul) does not come to an end.

Shen has neither beginning nor end. Bring it into harmony with the Way of Heaven, and it will naturally turn back and be reborn.

Death and the decay of the body cannot sever the spiritual soul. When the spiritual soul of the dead has departed, why not keep it here?

If the spiritual soul can be preserved, both life and death can be delivered from suffering. Though the corpse decays and the body is gradually cast aside,

its original nature can suddenly appear, as if returning to formlessness. To see a realm in which nothing can be seen is to keep company with the True Dao.

Within the bones are mysterious hollow spaces. Breath enters like wind, and the spiritual soul suddenly arrives;

then it can speak and laugh, and show its face. What kind of Way is this? It is to unite the mind with the mysterious Way.

The mysterious Way communicates with the mind; they respond to one another, and the process unfolds naturally. The sacred writings (scriptures imbued with divine power) turn back like jade…

The corpse withers, and the five senses are restored. I recite the Shangqing Chapters (scriptures of the Shangqing tradition), subdue demons and malign spirits, and send them to Kehan (written 可韓 in the original; the meaning of this proper name is unclear).

I hold the talismanic covenant and inform the Director of Destiny (the deity who governs human lifespan, life, and death). Those sunk in the netherworld thereby establish a path back to life.

Second: Chapter on Rising from the Dead and Prolonging Life in the Realm of Form

A red portal rises high above the radiant heavens; sunlight encircles it, and purple clouds drift by. Within it is a person dressed in green,

playing a flute and arriving on a white lotus. He bows before the Jade Clarity King (a revered Daoist deity). The Jade Clarity King inspects the registers of immortals and summons the immortals;

holding a roster, he calls forth the nine souls, then takes up a command tablet and opens the eight passes (gates leading to the divine or netherworld realms). Those whose allotted years have ended call upon the Emperor,

and the Emperor guides their souls back with a jeweled staff. Those whose lives are prolonged wear yellow sashes; brilliant colors gleam from their red talismanic writings.

The seven souls (constituent elements of the human soul) enter the chamber of the pistil, and the Jade Maidens open the jade-like pavilion gates. Feathered canopies surround the Most High;

Azure Dragons encircle the black phoenix, and white clouds swirl through the crimson palace (a palace where immortals dwell). In the numinous light, embryo-immortals (spiritual beings formed through cultivation) dance lightly.

The life-demon is confined in the cold pool, treachery and evil are destroyed, and the miraculous spring is thereby made clear. The Impermanence Ghosts (spirits who govern death) are prevented from destroying the body.

Recite the “Great Being Chapter” with reverence, and the hundred spirits will guard the Great Mystery (the highest, most profound realm). The flowing pearl rings with a delicate chime;

numinous fluid (a wondrous liquid or sacred dew) washes the withered branches, making tender boughs sprout fresh leaves that shade the fragrant orchids.

True Qi spreads in all directions, and the jade bones renew themselves like a cicada shedding its skin. The highest Way prizes simplicity and subtlety;

secret teachings are better spoken of sparingly than proclaimed carelessly.

Third: Song of the High God of the Formless Realm, the Jade Clarity King of the Divine Empyrean

The lofty, hidden jade palace, its blue-green roof set high above; the Brahma Qi (the pure, subtle primordial energy described in Daoism) flows like a river…

It spreads through the eight directions of the celestial realms, rushing in torrents to wash and refine. The waves boil and surge, interwoven with the sound of thunder.

My original Qi—the fundamental energy from which all things arise—blazes upward, bringing all things back to life and growth. All beings in the Three Realms (the Realm of Desire, the Realm of Form, and the Formless Realm) receive this wondrous Qi.

From towering mountains to the smallest things, all receive their vitality from it. High perfected beings, Immortal Kings, and nobles such as dukes and marquises also receive its nourishing transformation. Through refinement, the elixir condenses to the size of a bean, and the Jade Capital, a city in the realm of the immortals, soon appears.

The sun and moon take turns in their courses, and my life endures without decline; all things continue to flourish without end. Holding the numinous pearl in my hand, I naturally gain what I seek, yet I do not know that within the Great Void, the wondrous Dao is already the law by which all things move.

If the mechanism of creation ceases to turn, the Three Realms will fall still. If one cannot understand the True One, the fundamental principle by which all things return to unity, the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water) will instead become forces that harm life.

Look to the lofty mountains: the wind sings, and songs sound through the air. One can pass through the Divine Capital, laughing and coughing across the long cycles of cosmic change. I dwell in the station of the Supreme King, amid wondrous transformations. I can free those who have received grace from death, open the nine apertures within the body so they connect with one another, restore the dead to life and revive their forms, and summon the Six Dragons of Heaven. The utmost Yang Qi seems formless, yet it can resonate and harmonize, bringing all things suddenly into accord with the wondrous Dao.

These are the songs of the True Kings, who dwell above the Three Realms and fly through the sky. Every line and sound accords with the Cavern Chapters, Daoist scriptural verses. Recite them a hundred times, and your name will be entered in the Southern Palace of Deliverance, the celestial office that oversees salvation. Recite them a thousand times, and numinous spirits and demons will protect and welcome you. Recite them ten thousand times, and when your Dao practice is complete, you will soar into the Great Void, transcend the Three Realms, and ascend to the rank of an immortal.

Whoever hears this numinous and wondrous sound can bring life back to the body and restore its form. By imperial command, the earth spirits are placed under one’s authority to attend, guard, and escort. One can pull people away from the gates of hell and lift them beyond the Five Sufferings and Eight Calamities. Seven generations of ancestors, too, can ascend, forever released from the control of the offices of the dead. Their souls are conveyed to Vermilion Mound, the Daoist place of refinement and deliverance, where, after refinement, they receive life anew. This is called boundless universal deliverance, saving all without end.

This scripture is a secret text kept in the celestial realms and revered by all the heavens. Whoever reveals it or treats it with contempt will fall into hell, bringing calamity upon seven generations of ancestors.

Dao says that these two chapters of scripture are secret teachings preserved by the Lords of Heaven and the True Kings of the Divine Empyrean. They can summon the vital energy of renewed life and reunite a body with its soul. They cause spiritual radiance to shine forth in the Nine Palaces and the Three Offices to gather Jade Fluids—the bodily fluids described in Daoist teaching. The body is covered in purple light, the face glows with a vermilion radiance, and the practitioner ascends beyond the world to the Mysterious Capital. These are the words of the Great Brahma, the sacred language of the highest heavens, not ordinary worldly speech. They have none of the worldly sounds and ornaments, and so are called mysterious and difficult to fathom fully. Heaven keeps these scriptures in the Eastern Florescent Treasure Chamber of the Upper Palace of Jade Clarity in the Divine Empyrean. According to the Mysterious Regulations, they are transmitted downward only when the time is right. A perfected person of deep cultivation may receive them only after presenting a golden treasure as a token, sincerely observing the established rites, and making an oath before Heaven and Earth in the ten directions.

Dao says that the workings of Heaven and Earth have their endings and declines; the sun, moon, and five planets have their waning and waxing; even the most sacred divine beings have times of rest and decline. Those whose learning and practice are still shallow may also suffer illness and injury. Whenever such calamities arise, the vital energy of life can be turned back to aid those near the brink. All who follow the same Dao should fast together, burn incense and pay homage at the six prescribed times of day, and recite the scripture ten times. Then blessings and De will descend and dispel every ill omen. These immeasurable scriptures can save all beings without limit.

Dao says that for those whose cultivation is still shallow, their rank among the immortals may not yet be complete even though their allotted life is nearing its end, and their bodies are about to pass through the Great Yin, a realm associated with death and the underworld. As they die, a perfected fellow practitioner may burn incense for them and recite the scripture ten times, thereby transforming their bodily form. In accordance with the ritual method, the spirits of life return to the body, its palaces shine anew, the gate of death is closed, and impure energy is washed away. The Heavenly Mystery’s Dark Inspection and the Upper Palace of Nanchang, an immortal residence in the heavens according to Daoist teaching, will cause their souls to return. Their days are then reckoned according to the merit of their cultivation, allowing them to be reborn and continue through the cycles without losing their way; in the end, they may become immortals.

Dao says that bringing the dead back to life is a central concern of the Lingbao scriptures. The teachings in the forbidden books of the Divine Empyrean concern methods for life and death, extending or shortening one’s years, and prolonging life, from Heaven and Earth down to people and other beings. When the workings of Heaven and Earth near their end, and the vital forces shift in the year of the Earthly Branch Hai, the stars move out of order, the sun and moon depart from their proper courses, the stars change position, the seasons lose their order, and Yin-Yang falls out of balance. When Metal energy grows strong and Fire energy is suppressed, calamities arise within the realm: warfare and banditry break out from time to time, plague spreads through the shrines of Taiyi, where the deity Taiyi is worshipped, and people die in large numbers. If someone’s allotted life is nearing its end, a teacher or friend has died, or the lineage of true cultivation they inherited is about to be cut off, they too should fast, burn incense, and recite the scripture, so that life may be renewed and danger turned to good fortune. Their blessings will not be lost, and the living will all receive protection. This practice can truly aid an individual and also benefit the whole realm. Yet these wondrous secret methods are exceedingly subtle, and those with shallow cultivation often fail to understand the purpose of fasting and reciting the scriptures.

The merit of this scripture is immense. Above, it can dispel natural disasters and protect and stabilize the emperor; below, it can ward off poison and harm, helping the people survive calamity. Both the living and the dead can rely on it for blessings. This merit and virtue are beyond measure, hence the term “boundless”; it universally saves humans, heavenly beings, and all sentient beings.

The Dao says: Anyone who possesses this scripture and is willing to carry out its meritorious teachings for Heaven and Earth, the emperor, and the people should, on the day calamity strikes, resolve to undertake a Zhai (purification and prayer ritual according to Daoist practice), burn incense, and recite the scripture ten times. The heavens will then enter that person’s name in their registers, and the myriad spirits will protect them. Such a person will be able to serve among the ministers in the Golden Palace, beside the sage and enlightened ruler. The heavens record people’s good and evil, merits and faults, overlooking nothing, however small; the demon kings of Heaven will also commend and protect you. Those who cultivate the Dao and attain it should ultimately understand these words of ultimate truth completely.

The Great Brahmā hidden words among the heavens—their mysterious celestial sounds—are boundless and without limit. This chapter was written by the Dao Lord.

The Jade Chapter on the Primordial Beginning’s Numinous Writ for Gathering Qi and Restoring Harmony

The following lists eight heavens each in the East, South, West, and North. Most of the terms and names listed in this chapter are hidden words and titles from the celestial realm, and are retained as in the original.

Eight Heavens of the East

帝锡宝瑄、赉仙绩洪、元奥昊允；资升九冲、确璃峻翘、璨华炎封；邃亶瑶廊、灵池杳府、鉴池斗普；载护龙祖、尚师趫骞、愿寂宿与；丹策韩玺、玉玑远威、奏逕直銮；偏呈邱陂。

Eight Heavens of the South

轴璆兰序、展逸冒弸、欹移追胡；回灵君汉、万龄柱天、金凿曜殿；葳萎美眸、皎庆枚施、爵关神那；疆鄙攸司、鬼社兴生、独官呵泉；济龙穴火、灌渎旼玄、秀魁璘女；福和育千。

Eight Heavens of the West

适录伊驷、阴裳比暄、渍云吸灨；白炼虎邅、气弦浴神、庚魂绕乾；斗阁注简、命皇奏延、浑恍廓合；应殊交渊、沔漠甫察、丹露虯仙；竟祈萧琢、月荐璵偕、整审尸爽；宸令迅传。

Eight Heavens of the North

极道无壁、青神意閧、溢浆泝巓。

“Silent seeking and receiving offerings; baiting, gathering, and concealing ghosts; the phoenix, stone, and jade resounding…” This passage belongs to the “Great Brahma hidden words,” sacred sounds found in Daoist scriptures. Many of its words are secret syllables passed down in esoteric traditions, so they should not be interpreted word by word according to ordinary meanings. The scripture says that these sounds are clear and resonant, able to move hidden spirits to respond. Their meaning is also deep and far-reaching, seemingly vast beyond measure and beyond what ordinary speech can express.

The Dao says: These Great Brahma hidden words in the heavens are wondrous sounds without limit. Long ago, the True King of the Divine Empyrean recorded them and transmitted them to the Purple Terrace and the Green Jade Pavilion. They were used to summon the gods of the heavens and restore the dead to life. He also commanded the Northern Capital, the Daoist realm of the underworld, to bring the dead back to life. Ghosts and spirits bow before these sounds and thereby increase their spiritual power; immortals and sages carry them and thereby gain access to the mysteries. Heaven and Earth rely on them to bring forth and transform the myriad things; Yin-Yang relies on them to unite and take form; and Shen and Qi are stirred into motion and circulation along with them.

These sounds are the secret taboo words of the Dao of life. They must be known: to know them is to protect life and endure for a long time. In the past, the Celestial Perfected Emperor wrote down these words and transmitted them as the orthodox sounds. If someone understands these sounds, observes purification, and recites them, the heavens will send spirits to restore the dead to life and return their bodies to wholeness. The spirit kings will look down upon this person’s conduct, record their merits and diligent practice, and report them to the heavens.

The myriad spirits will come to pay homage, while the earth deities wait outside the gate. Perfected immortals of great merit will recommend this person, enabling them to ascend to the realm of Highest Clarity, perfect their practice of the Dao, and ultimately travel through the Three Realms and ascend to the Golden Gate.

These sounds can dispel filth and evil wherever they are heard, avert calamities in every affair, save anyone, and fulfill every wish. They are sounds that arise naturally from the Celestial Perfected. Reciting them can bring the spirit kings to descend and observe; the Supreme Emperor responds from afar; the myriad spirits come to pay homage; and the divine beings of the Three Realms attend in procession. All evil forces bow their heads and retreat, while ghosts and apparitions vanish of their own accord. Their sounds ring out in every direction like the music of jade chimes, purifying the ten directions. The Nine Peaks fall silent, smoke clears from the Seven Marshes, the myriad spirits are subdued, and the gathered immortals answer the summons and arrive. The sky holds no foul vapors, the earth no demonic dust; the underworld and the realm of wisdom alike return to clarity, and the realm becomes vast and profound.