《靈寶無量度人上品妙經》Vol. 61

The roots of calamity and the illnesses of one’s relatives are all eliminated. The evil roots recorded in the register of offenses are also destroyed, so one is no longer bound by them or driven to consort with ghosts. When the time set by the primordial talismanic mandate arrives, the departed soul can ascend as appointed. It is protected in the Northern Capital’s Cold Pool region: its body and soul are restrained and guarded against harm from demons, and it receives a recommendation. The departed soul then enters the Southern Palace for refinement and deliverance. There, the dead soul undergoes refinement and is transformed into an immortal.

The living, too, can receive deliverance in this life. In this way, one may endure through every generation, severing the cycle of rebirth forever and escaping the suffering of repeated birth and death. One transcends what is prior to Heaven, is no longer limited by lifespan, and is forever delivered from the Three Paths and Five Sufferings. One passes beyond the Eight Difficulties, roams freely within the Three Realms—the Realm of Desire, the Realm of Form, and the Formless Realm—and ascends to Highest Clarity. The Heaven of Highest Clarity is the realm of the Heavenly Emperor’s luminous, formless presence, and the realm of pure practice.

Eight Heavens of the East

Jade-Suo Level-Sea Heaven　　　　　　Emperor Haozhen Bingfu

Proud-Flame Auspicious-Provision Heaven　　　　　　Emperor Sishun Xiaoyou

Cloud-Dang Dragon-Gravel Heaven　　　　　　Emperor Jingming Huntú

Li-Xing Rare-Mist Heaven　　　　　　Emperor Qiqiu Lüfu

Zhenxiang Flowing-Oath Heaven　　　　　　Emperor Guwei Hanchang

Yuefan Rich-Bank Heaven　　　　　　Emperor Zhaoji Jianwang

Congealed-Immortal Deer-Observatory Heaven　　　　　　Emperor Jidao Yuanguang

Doupuh Xuansi Heaven　　　　　　Emperor Dangyuan Ciyi

Eight Heavens of the South

E-Lin Flying-Mechanism Heaven　　　　　　Emperor Kuodong Ziyou

Cave-Flame Red-Jade Heaven　　　　　　Emperor Xijue Chuying

Yangqi Upright-Father Heaven　　　　　　Emperor Yaojing Haohuang

Golden-Law Ordered-Spirit Heaven　　　　　　Emperor Biyou Susha

Black-Millet Unchanging Heaven　　　　　　Emperor Midu Siwei

Spirit-Return United-Brightness Heaven　　　　　　Emperor Daoling Fangli

Great-Origin Mechanism-Inspection Heaven　　　　　　Emperor Zexong Shiqian

Register-Review Settled-Truth Heaven　　　　　　Emperor Yuhan Chouming

Eight Heavens of the West

Bright-Mystery Sage-Emperor Heaven　　　　　　Emperor Zhiyi Boluan

Curved-Life Ruler-of-the-World Heaven　　　　　　Emperor Youdu Xian

All-Brahma Supreme-Origin Heaven　　　　　　Emperor Langqi Feiyuan

Mystery-Transformation Canon-Law Heaven　　　　　　Emperor Zuding Yanzhen

Punishment-Register True-Calculation Heaven　　　　　　Emperor Changling Dudan

The text lists the eight heavens of the East, the eight heavens of the South, and the first five of the eight heavens of the West. The heaven names and emperor names are sacred titles given in the scripture.

Huajing Qingxiao Heaven, Miaozhen Denü Heaven, and Liexing Jiaowei Heaven are the names of the celestial realms listed above. Each heaven is paired with an Imperial Lord and his esoteric taboo-name: “Emperor Yudan Chang,” “Emperor Jiuji Daohu,” and “Emperor Yingda Fayao.”

In the north there are eight heavens: Yunhun Baijiu Heaven, Luanhua Yeliu Heaven, Wenbao Yuyang Heaven, Gouyu Zhonghua Heaven, Chiyin Suoshen Heaven, Taiji (Supreme Ultimate) Bao’ai Heaven, Huijin Renshan Heaven, and Danjing Zhuque Heaven. Each of these heavens likewise has the esoteric taboo-name of an Imperial Lord: Emperor Qiandong Fuji, Emperor Zunxi Juanlei, Emperor Donghun Guanglin, Emperor Kuobao Mingsheng, Emperor Shihuo Jiaohou, Emperor Daozhen Yuhua, Emperor Dili Baogui, and Emperor Miaohua Yugang. These names of the heavens and of the emperors are specialized designations in the scripture for celestial realms and deities.

The Thirty-two Heavens and the Thirty-two Emperors each have hidden taboos and hidden names, and these names constitute the secret order of the celestial realms. The numinous chapters of the Cavernous Void and Spontaneity (Kongdong Ziran) among the heavens—the sacred scriptures—together with their hidden rhymes, are the formless, imageless sounds of the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning (Yuanshi Tianzun). He is an august and unchanging divinity, transcending image and reality, demonic obstruction and delusive thought. His numinous power becomes manifest in harmonious union, setting the myriad things in circulation and liberating transformation, so that they leave the root of transformational birth and endure amid every kind of change. This is the boundless, profound realm of Shangqing (Highest Clarity), so deep that it can hardly be explained in full.

When the divine perfected—the sacred true spirits—descend and bestow their grace, people are no longer entangled by the causes and conditions of the Three Realms. On this day there is joyful celebration: one receives deliverance and passes through the guarded passes, praying that all the heavens destroy the Three Evils and cut off the earthly roots, so that the six kinds of defilement remain forever pure. Here the “Three Evils” refer to such afflictions as evil karma and evil destinies, and the “six defilements” refer to the various factors that stain the mind and Shen (spirit).

The name-registers of the assembly are placed under the inspection of the True King of Great Mystery (Taixuan Zhenwang), and the gates of heaven no longer bar the way. The Eastern Dipper brings the myriad things into being; the Western Dipper brings the Dao (the Way) and its righteousness to fulfillment; the Northern Dipper enables the Dao to endure; the Southern Dipper sends down numinous Qi (vital energy); and the Central Dipper sets the divine spirits in motion. The Nine Elders and the Three Perfected, together with the Azure Emperor, the White Emperor, the Red Emperor, the Black Emperor, and the Yellow Emperor, each attend to their own charge: the Azure Emperor plans with subtle ingenuity, the White Emperor secures the ascent, the Red Emperor penetrates transformation, the Black Emperor remains profound, pure, and still, and the Yellow Emperor dwells at the center and governs all.

These Imperial Lords command the myriad spirits. The Demon King of the Azure Heaven fixes names by written documents; the Demon King of the Red Heaven discerns things and disperses Jing (essence) and Qi; the Demon King of the White Heaven presides over the punishment of sins; the Demon King of the Black Heaven wields wisdom and stratagem; and the Demon King of the Yellow Heaven leads the great lineage. The scripture then describes the powers that stand between the Five Emperors, the Great Demons, and life and death, calling them the Primal Heroes (Yuanxiong). They are able to fly; drums sound as their followers attend them; and they command a martial host. Bearing banners, standards, drums, and cadence-staffs, they patrol the Great Void, lead a resplendent cavalry, assist the celestial realms in establishing deeds of merit, forever cut off rebirth in the cycle of transmigration, and by the power of their majesty hold every quarter in their sway.

Beifeng—the divine office or divine realm that governs the underworld—carries out its sacred work under command and sweeps away inauspiciousness on every side; the gods of the Eight Awes (Bawei) spew forth fierce, toxic Qi.

The Celestial Generals (heavenly divine commanders) carry banners, torches, and flowing bells (ritual bells) as they patrol in all directions. If anyone dares to offend or obstruct the High Perfected Ones (those who have attained the Dao), golden axes surge forward to strike, while great swords pursue from behind to cut them down. They punish, slaughter, and dismember the ghosts, as wind and fire rage without pause. Thousands upon thousands of ghostly heads are severed, and tens of thousands of ghostly forms are cut away. Demons cannot invade, and ghosts and monsters cannot wreak havoc. The Three Officials (Officials of Heaven, Earth, and Water) and Northern Fengdu (the northern capital of Fengdu, where the underworld lies) clearly inspect the strongholds of the ghost realm and permit no concealment. The Golden Horse Relay Station (a divine post for transmitting documents) sends up reports and petitions, proclaiming them everywhere without end. All the gods come to receive their commands, and the Five Emperors of the Three Realms join in proclaiming them throughout Shangqing (the Daoist celestial realm above).

The Primordial Cavern (the deep and mysterious source) endures through long ages and undergoes calamities such as Longkang, profound and unfathomable. Across millions upon millions of kalpas, the affairs of the world turn and shift without constancy. When one cycle of calamity ends, another begins; the Great Void is vast beyond measure. Heaven and Earth are chaotic, blurred, and unsettled: above there is no realm of form, and below there is no abyss. Winds turn through the ninefold empty expanse, while golden radiance steadies the celestial bodies. Above and below, in darkness and light, there is no form or shadow, and no boundary. The Great Brahma (the boundless realm of Brahma Qi) is deep and vast, dim and lightless. There, neither life nor death is named, and there is no coming or going. The Three Realms revolve in cycles, the Imperial Way (the Great Dao) flows through them, and the Six Qi (the forces of Yin and Yang, wind, rain, darkness, and brightness) shift, gather, and disperse.

The spirit endures by relying on Lingbao (the Daoist-revered Celestial Worthy of Numinous Treasure and his scriptures and methods), and the roots of Jing and Qi remain firm. The Red Brightness era (an age in the Daoist chronology of calamities) opened the registers and texts and set in motion the methods for saving the world. The Dao of Nature was established and laid out by the Celestial Worthy of the Primordial Beginning, who sent down five scriptures. The Red Writings in Jade Characters and the Eight Majestic Dragon Scripts (sacred Daoist talismanic writings) protect and regulate the cycles of calamity, preserving Heaven for ages to come. Brahma Qi spreads everywhere, giving rise to the myriad forms. The laws of the Primordial Beginning flow and transform, extending throughout the thirty-two heavens. The Formless Realm revolves and reaches in all ten directions. Stars and constellations circle onward, passing through the measure of the Five Constants. The total Qi of the thirty-five divisions returns to the Highest Mystery; the Eight Radiant Realms (numinous realms of the eight directions) merge in darkness, and Qi enters the realm of the mysterious.

The Great Emperor Above, within the Mystery, and the High Perfected Ones (divine beings of exalted attainment) descend to the Great Rosy Clouds and chant the Cavern Chapters (scriptural chapters of the Three Caverns). Golden radiance shines in abundance, its sound spreading through the clouds. Jade-toned voices gather in numinous Qi, and spiritual winds bring together mist and rosy clouds. The refined Qi of the Purple Void (a purple celestial realm) flourishes and supports the assembled immortals. A thousand kinds of harmonious Qi and ten thousand forms of numinous Qi naturally converge, bringing the Perfected Ones to fruition. Within the Perfected Ones there is spirit, and spirit has no fixed form. The Dao takes up residence in names and is therefore called the Southern Pole Grand Tenuity Longevity Lord, Wuying, Qinghua, Baiyuan, Suzhen, Taiyi, and other revered gods.

Taiyi begins the transformation that gives birth to all things, while the Director of Life (the god who governs lifespan) calculates the years allotted to each. Gods such as Taokang and Heyan bring you benefit. Birth has death as its root, and the cycle of life turns without cease. Yet the Dao’s original beginning is Wuwei (non-action): it neither destroys nor makes things come to completion. This is the way the immortal perfected beings nurture and teach the people: they uphold talismans and registers (Daoist Fulu), protecting nature, life, and their roots. Practitioners journey upward through Shangqing and enter and leave the Flowery Chambers (palaces of the immortal realm), traveling throughout the hidden regions and subtle reaches of the eight directions. They also descend to guard the human body, regulating it within the Muddy Pellet (the upper Dantian inside the head) and the Crimson Palace (the palace within the heart).

The five forms of primordial Qi (vital energy) merge and circulate. The hundred spirits undergo ten transformations, turning back toward their numinous nature, so that all forms of energy return to the immortal Dao (the Way). The immortal Dao prizes cherishing life and universally saves all beings. The Eight Gates open in heaven, and the flying Dharma wheel turns, proclaiming sin and blessing, prohibitions and precepts, destiny and karmic causes. In this way, all beings receive guidance and salvation. The souls of the dead are delivered, while the living gain new life; body and mind are reborn, never again to enter the cycle of reincarnation.

Look upward and listen to the voices beyond the heavens: every level of the celestial realms has its true spirits. Among them are the Hollow Songs, numinous writings of the True Kings, whose words mingle with the realms of the High Perfected.

First: The Flying Sounds of the Desire Realm

The celestial realm is clear and radiant; the realm of ghosts is dark and confused; the human world is obscure and hard to fathom. Beings sink into these realms and turn endlessly through the cycle of rebirth. The immortal Dao, by contrast, is full of joy and ease, with the Great Void—the boundless expanse of emptiness—as its home.

Men and women become entangled with one another, and this is especially common in the world where I dwell. Sensual sights and sounds cloud the spirit, while stubborn attachment to emptiness spreads its net. The turbid world is like a sea with surging waves; the dust-filled world is like a mountain piled layer upon layer.

If we merely record people’s offenses, how could that stop delusion and wickedness? When beings encounter me, the Venerable Sovereign of Emptiness, and hear me expound this Great Cavern Scripture, they at once become people nurtured and transformed by the Dao. What is there in the forms and sights of the world worth craving so intensely?

Alas, after passing through long ages of tribulation, beings remain deluded and fail to awaken; thus a sorrowful song rings through the air. Those driven by love and desire amid the boundless sea of humanity—if they still do not awaken, what can be done for them?

Second: The Chapter of the True Kings of the Form Realm

On a towering, boundless mountain stands the Flying Heaven Palace, guarded in ranks by tens of thousands of feathered attendants. I am entrusted with governing its affairs.

At dawn, I ride in a vermilion carriage, harness the numinous wind, and tour the Great You Court, the celestial precincts. At dusk, I return to the Registering Office, the heavenly bureau that examines and records the names and deeds of the immortals, where the True Immortals hold jade tablets in their hands. Then I gather in my spirit and return to the Great Void.

Looking down upon the beings in the heavens, I know that a great tribulation will eventually come. Even in the celestial realm, one may still be stained by the subtlest dust. If one has not yet escaped the cycle of rebirth, how can one forget one’s attachment to sensual desire?

Once one hears the Hollow Cavern Chapter, body and mind can unite and return to empty clarity. Let thoughts come to rest in the Seven-Treasure Grove, and wash body and mind at the ford of the Celestial River; then one will forever accord with the Dao of the Imperial Ultimate. Thereupon, one bows and prostrates before the Celestial Worthy.

Third: The Song of the True Kings of the Formless Realm

The Dragon Han era of tribulation was vast and boundless; the Red Bright era of tribulation was remote and profound. From these, the Imperial Ultimate—the highest source of the Dao—gave rise to the divine, without form or name. When the Three Realms were first established, I occupied the honored seat.

Ruling over all things and commanding the host of spirits; the heavens are vast and radiant.

The realms of the worlds lie open in every direction, yet old habits and karmic bonds have not been fully severed, so they may still collapse and decline.

When the times align and the right conditions come together, one can ascend into the ranks of the True Immortals. The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning teaches and transforms, widely revealing the true mechanisms of the Dao. This Dao is firm and indestructible, and all beings can return to the realm of Wuwei (non-action).

Once awakened, one can end the cycle of rebirth. Great blessings will descend upon you, so why worry about kalpas as long as the sands? Heaven and Earth will no longer collapse; numinous light will spread in the ten directions, and all beings will become immortal perfected ones together in the Jade Capital of White Jade.

This hymn is the voice sung by the True King in the sky above the Three Realms, and it accords with the Dongzhang. Recite it a hundred times, and this is called being delivered into the Southern Palace; recite it a thousand times, and all the perfected ones will escort and welcome you; recite it ten thousand times, and your Dao practice will be complete. You may then ascend through the vast sky, transcend the Three Realms, and take your place among the Immortal Lords. When this sacred voice is heard, the Three Officials—the deities who govern Heaven, Earth, and Water—will honor the one who has been delivered. The earthly deities, acting under orders, will guard and escort them, freeing them from the gates of hell and sparing them the Five Sufferings and Eight Calamities. Their ancestors of seven generations will be elevated and forever leave behind the passes of the netherworld. Their souls will be delivered and rise to Zhu Ling, the place where Daoists refine and deliver the dead in the underworld, transcending life and death. This is called boundless universal deliverance, extending to all without end. This scripture is a secret text treasured by Heaven and revered by all the heavens. Anyone who reveals it or treats it with contempt will fall into hell, bringing calamity upon their ancestors of seven generations.

The Dao says: These two chapters are secret hymns treasured by the Lords of Heaven and the True King of Divine Empyrean Jade Purity. Whoever can recite them will behold the Dao in its entirety, penetrate the realm of the Nameless, awaken to the Dao and realize the truth, and end the cycle of rebirth forever. These are words of the Great Brahma, not ordinary speech of the world. They have neither ornate rhythms nor florid diction, and are therefore called mysterious, profound, and difficult to fathom. They are secret writings cherished by Heaven, kept in the Eastern Florescence treasury chamber of the Divine Palace. According to the Mysterious Regulations, they are transmitted to the human world only when the time is ripe. If a person who has attained the Dao brings gifts of gold and treasure as a pledge of sincerity, and takes an oath of allegiance according to the established rites, the scripture may be entrusted to them after three days.

The Dao says: The cycles and transformations of Heaven and Earth also have times of decline and ending; the Sun, Moon, and five planets also wax and wane; even the most holy divine beings have periods of rest and decline; and beginners in the Dao may suffer illness and injury. All such calamities arise when one’s allotted Qi is exhausted. Coming and going, cycling around, beginning and ending in succession—all are born from the many illusions that arise within the turning of the Three Realms. Since all people share this Qi, they should cultivate the fast together, burn incense six times each day, and recite the scriptures ten times. In this way, blessings and De (Virtue/Power) will quickly descend and dispel every kind of ill omen. These boundless scriptures can universally deliver beings without end.

The Dao Ancestor said: Some later students have not cultivated the Dao deeply, or have not yet attained the rank of the immortals, and are about to die as their allotted tribulations come due. When their remains pass through the Great Yin—the netherworld where the souls and spirits of the dead travel—fellow cultivators who have attained the Dao may offer incense and recite the scripture ten times, following the rites to deliver their remains beyond suffering. Their souls and spirits can then rise directly to the Southern Palace, the dwelling place of the immortals. There, according to the merit they earned through cultivation in life, they will advance day by day and ultimately ascend to the Mysterious Realm. They will no longer enter the cycle of rebirth and will attain immortal status.

The Dao Ancestor said: When the cosmic cycles of Heaven and Earth are nearing their end, the stars will move out of order, the Sun and Moon will grow dim, the seasons will lose their sequence, and Yin-Yang will fall out of balance. Harvests in the states will fail; epidemics and poisons will spread; and the people will die and suffer injury in great numbers. The deaths of fellow members of the same tradition and their teachers and friends are also hardships in the human world. Punishments and calamities, too, should be met through purification rites, offerings of incense, and recitation of scriptures. In this way, the true Dao can penetrate the heart, enabling people to leave the cycle of rebirth forever, transcend the Three Realms—the Realm of Desire, the Realm of Form, and the Realm of Formlessness—and dispel punishments and calamities. When the spirits hear the scripture, they will also bring calamities to an end.

The merit of observing purification and abstinence and reciting scriptures is immense. Above, it can dispel disasters from Heaven and protect and bring stability to the emperor; below, it can dispel poisons and deliver the people from suffering. Both the living and the dead can receive its blessings. This merit and blessing are beyond measure, which is why it is called “the boundless deliverance of all beings in Heaven and among humankind.”

The Dao Ancestor said: Anyone who possesses this scripture and is willing to cultivate this merit for Heaven and Earth, the emperor, and the people will, on a day of calamity, need only resolve to observe purification, burn incense, and recite the scripture ten times. All the heavens will record their name, and the gods will protect them. Such a person may become a subject of the Sage Lord in the Golden Palace—the celestial palace. The heavens record people’s merits and faults, omitting nothing, however small; the True King of Heaven will also recommend you. Only those who have attained the Dao can truly and fully understand these profound truths.

Among the heavens, the Great Brahma’s hidden utterances have immeasurable sound.

The Central Section of the Numinous Book of Primordial Beginning

The Eight Heavens of the East

Kuiji Yuge, Yuanzuo Gounye, Hekui Dujun

Huahou Zhanghua, Shaluo Weihuang, Qiangshen Liu Shi

Zhouling Cai, Shiwan Tianzhen, Lu Du Fu Hun

Fu Qu Yin Ming, Ji Lai Jin Jie, Hu Jiu Qi Ren

Yue Cheng Dian Si, Hu Ying He Lun, Yi Tong Shi Jie

Ding Wei Ni Lin

The Eight Heavens of the South

Hebi Guxuan, Miaoye Jiaoguan, Hunqi Jiexin

Daoyou Shihui, Hepo Zhiwei, Duiyi Hongshi

Huanhu Miaomo, Xuannui Deyi, Dongqing Juewang

The groups of characters above, for the East and South, belong to the “hidden utterances of Great Brahma among the heavens.” They are secret celestial syllables recorded in the scripture and are generally not translated character by character as ordinary prose.

Those who attain immortality through corpse liberation dwell in a remote, quiet realm, free from the world of dust. The perfected beings of Heaven guide them from on high, so that they advance together along two paths. As they travel, Yi—the legendary archer of antiquity—shows them the way. At last they enter a realm of luminous emptiness and open vastness, leaving behind the hidden workings of the dark ghostly path.

The Eight Heavens of the West

Zu Zhuan, a title of an ancient immortal, established the founding purpose, and the movement of Qi unfolded like a rosy cloud dragon. Brahmā’s tones expounded the profound Dao, teaching widely and revealing a radiant countenance. Immortal dew raised people to a higher realm, while contemplation of the cinnabar heart took form as written seals. Strange insight brought extraordinary changes in life, like surging water and the refining assault of fire. The lifespan receded as the body was released, opening a passage to a distant realm.

People follow secret methods to invoke the subtle Dao, carefully observe the precepts, and practice with diligence, allowing the Dao’s teachings to spread like the wind. As their practice advances, they contemplate the world, inherit the traces left by their predecessors, and pass them on. They teach through wholesome methods and dispel falsehood and delusion, provisionally revealing wondrous, unfathomable teachings.

The Eight Heavens of the North

A single spark of light becomes myriad petals. All things arise from empty stillness and return to permanence. When strength is exhausted, new life follows; generations change in an endless cycle. Things sometimes turn, flourish, loosen, and decline, continuing on like the turning spokes of a wheel.

In darkness there is neither movement nor stillness, and the mystery is hard to know; those who fail to understand it are regarded as shallow. The many duties and distinctions are all dissolved and cut away, until one enters a broad, harmonious realm of solitary emptiness. Amid change and return, the truth remains still. One traces the unfolding of coming and going, investigating the cycles of return. When does it appear? In an instant, it settles again. This is the realm conveyed by elusive words. Subtle things disperse, and ugly forms dissolve with them, blending into nothingness and no longer bound by worldly rules.

The Daoist scriptures say that the “hidden words of Great Brahmā” in these heavens are sounds without limit. The ancient text was written in yellow-lacquer sap by the Nine Elders of the Immortal Lords of Xuandu, upon the Imperial Gate of the Kalpa Gate. Those who practice the True Way must leave the Three Realms—the Desire Realm, the Form Realm, and the Formless Realm—and transcend the worlds of the ten directions. They must ascend the Kalpa Gate and recite the middle section in order to rise into the formless realm. Later practitioners whose cultivation is shallow, who remain caught in the cycle of birth and death and confined to the Lesser Vehicle, will, if they do not recite this scripture, have their bodies recorded by the Earth Official and their souls detained by the Celestial Bureau. Their passage will be arduous and dark, and they will be unable to reach the most profound truth. Those who can comprehend this numinous text will receive a message from the spirit of the Central Pool.

The general meaning of this passage is as follows: As for the line, “The signs have no limit; great illumination opens through the window of wisdom, and the sea is seen clearly from the settled capital,” every word is vast and far-reaching, extending for a full zhang. In ancient times, the Heavenly Perfected Sovereign (Tianzhen Huangren), an immortal said to have transmitted the scriptures of the celestial realm, wrote these words as sounds aligned with the right Way.

If someone understands their rhythm and can observe ritual purity and recite them, the heavens will send flying celestial spirit kings down to inspect that person’s cultivation, record their merits, and report them to the heavens. The myriad spirits will come to pay homage, while the earth deities guard the gates. A person of great merit will be recommended by ten perfected immortals, eventually proving worthy of the Way of Highest Clarity, traveling through the Three Realms—the different levels of heaven, earth, and humanity—and ascending to the Golden Gate.

These sounds can ward off, dispel, rescue, and bring things to fulfillment without limit; they are the sounds of the Heavenly Perfected in their natural state. Reciting them therefore brings the three heavens down to inspect. The Supreme Emperor sings in response from afar, the myriad spirits come to pay their respects, and the deities of the Three Realms stand beside the chariot. All evil forces bow their heads, and ghosts and demons vanish of their own accord. The sonorous chant rings out in every direction, and the ten directions grow solemn and pure: rivers and seas fall silent, mountains draw in their mists, the myriad spirits tremble and submit, and the assembled immortals are summoned to gather.

Then no foul Qi remains in heaven, no evil influence or dust of impurity remains on earth, and within the netherworld the light of wisdom shines clear and pure. The vast, wondrous realm of mystery stretches deep into the boundless distance.