《太上一乘海空智藏經》Vol. 7

This scripture records a dialogue between Haikong Zhizang (a Daoist practitioner) and the Celestial Venerable (the supreme deity in Daoism). Haikong Zhizang inquired about cultivation: What benefits can practitioners gain from cultivating the four immeasurable minds (compassion, loving-kindness, sympathetic joy, and equanimity) and wisdom? If one does not cling to dharma appearances, how should one comprehend the true meaning of Buddhist teachings?

The Celestial Venerable replied: Noble son, it is excellent that you raise this question at an appropriate time. When practitioners cultivate equanimity and wisdom, they attain the eternal bliss of Wuwei (non-action), abiding in the empty and equal nature of reality. This state is subtle and ineffable, as vast and boundless as the ocean and the void.

When genuine practitioners dwell in the supreme state of empty equality, they no longer cling to worldly distinctions such as parents and siblings, friends and enemies—just as the void itself makes no such distinctions. They regard all beings and principles with perfect equality, thereby benefiting all sentient beings extensively. How is this possible? Through the merit of cultivation, one realizes the truth that all phenomena are empty.

The inner nature of reality is quiescent and empty, bringing the four virtues of nirvana (eternity, bliss, true self, and purity) and the state of fearlessness. Though the Dao-nature exists within, this nature is neither inside nor outside, neither existent nor nonexistent—it transcends all dualities. Why? Because true nature is eternally unchanging. Only those who contemplate the inner emptiness and the emptiness of all phenomena, understanding that suffering and joy, purity and defilement, and all appearances are inherently empty, can be called genuine practitioners.

All Perfected Beings (Zhenren) and divine youths (representing practitioners at different levels) throughout the ten directions attain liberation by realizing this truth of emptiness. "Dharma emptiness" means understanding that the essence of all principles is empty, while "emptiness of emptiness" goes further—not even clinging to the concept of "emptiness" itself.

This scripture describes the process through which practitioners attain liberation by comprehending the wisdom of "emptiness."

When practitioners contemplate the "Gate of Emptiness" (referring to the portal of wisdom that leads to liberation through the realization of emptiness), understanding that "emptiness" is not mere nothingness but the ultimate reality beyond existence and non-existence, they can abide in the "Dharma Realm of Empty Space" (a transcendent state of purity beyond worldly defilements). Upon hearing teachings about "emptiness," countless practitioners immediately awaken to this realization.

Those who attain this state (referred to as "True Person Child Disciples") remain free from attachment and obstruction in all things. Their minds are unclouded by confusion or vexation, perpetually abiding in a state of natural ease and purity. This realm is called the "Dharma Realm of Empty and Pure Space" because, like empty space, it neither clings to pleasant things nor harbors aversion to unpleasant ones.

The "Oceanic Treasury of Emptiness Wisdom" (the vast treasure of wisdom realizing emptiness) manifests in practitioners who truly understand all phenomena: whether it be karmic cause and effect, spiritual roots, diligent contemplation, the Mahayana teachings, guidance from virtuous mentors, pure precept observance, or generous giving—all lead to supreme liberating wisdom. They clearly perceive that beings who commit evil deeds will inevitably fall into hell realms, while those who practice generosity and virtue will ultimately attain liberation.

These practitioners also possess correct knowledge and insight: they accurately observe the truths of permanence and impermanence, purity and impurity, self and non-self. They understand that celestial beings (higher forms of existence), though not yet completely free from birth and death, possess indestructible vajra-like bodies untainted by afflictions and immune to decay. Moreover, they realize that all beings inherently possess "Dao-nature" (the potential for enlightenment).

Practitioners endowed with such wisdom can discern: who has unwavering faith and seeks the Mahayana path; who drifts aimlessly with the currents, and who has firmly established themselves on the right path; who has transcended birth and death, reaching the other shore. With their pure heavenly eye (a transcendent faculty of perception), they perceive how beings create karma through bodily, verbal, and mental actions—such as adultery, theft, and other evils—and how these actions lead to unbearable suffering in the three lower realms of hell, animals, and hungry ghosts.

This scripture describes the different karmic trajectories of sentient beings based on their actions, as well as methods for spiritual liberation through cultivation.

Sentient beings follow four distinct karmic paths: some move from darkness into deeper darkness, remaining perpetually deluded; others progress from darkness toward light, beginning their awakening; some fall from light into darkness, abandoning truth for falsehood; while the fortunate ascend from light to higher realms. Those who create negative karma through greed, anger, or ignorance will inevitably descend into hell realms for retribution. However, by upholding precepts, sincerely repenting, reforming one's ways, and making heartfelt offerings to the Three Jewels (the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha), one can avoid such damnation.

Present-life karmic retribution manifests as various sufferings: headaches and stomach pains, verbal abuse and beatings, imprisonment, hunger and cold, and the frustration of unfulfilled desires—all these afflictions arise from past actions. Yet some deluded beings (like the Golden Light Youth described herein) fail to understand causality, neglecting repentance and allowing their negative karma to accumulate, thereby condemning themselves to prolonged suffering in the darkness of hell realms.

In truth, all sentient beings possess the potential for enlightenment (Dao-nature), though it remains obscured by defilements, much like objects hidden in darkness. Ordinary perception only apprehends superficial appearances: distinctions between male and female, carts and horses, cities and dwellings, food and clothing—the realm of tangible forms. The wisdom of sages (those who have realized the Dao) transcends such dualistic perceptions of gender and materiality. They practice generosity with equanimity, diligently cultivate the path, and fully comprehend the law of cause and effect.

True cultivators (the Perfected Youth) master eight fundamental cultivation methods and embody the five virtues of the Celestial Worthy (Tianzun, the supreme Daoist deity). Virtuous men and women who attain the four unimpeded wisdoms (unhindered understanding of dharma, meaning, expression, and eloquence) can expound the teachings without obstruction—unshakable, fearless, and indestructible in their realization. This constitutes the authentic state of Dao-realization.

Within the same ultimate truth, countless names may arise—so many that they could never be fully spoken even across endless time. Ordinary people in the world often cling to material forms (色), and even to the discriminations of consciousness (识). By clinging to form, they generate greed and become bound by material things; similarly, by clinging to consciousness, they become trapped by mental constructs. Thus, they can never free themselves from the afflictions of birth, aging, sickness, death, sorrow, and suffering.

For this very reason, I tell my disciples: Those bound by attachments are like those possessed by demons, struggling their entire lives without liberation. Just as criminals in the world are shackled by the law, while the innocent remain free, so too is it with those who cultivate the Dao. Those who cling to conditioned phenomena (有为法) naturally attract demonic obstructions, while those free from attachments remain unbound, always abiding in spontaneous liberation.

At this point, Haikong Zhizang (a realized adept) addressed the Celestial Worthy (天尊), saying: "I am like one savoring exquisite flavors—only through repeated refinement can I taste their full richness. Similarly, through continuously hearing the Great Dao (大道), I have come to experience its many flavors: the pure taste of detachment from desire, the serene taste of tranquil stillness, and the true taste of the Dao’s essence. Just as genuine gold must be repeatedly forged and refined to become brighter, purer, softer, and more radiant—its value beyond measure, ultimately treasured by both humans and heavens—so too is it with you, Celestial Worthy. Only through sincere inquiry can one hear the profound Dharma treasury. May those with deep faith uphold and practice it, inspiring countless beings to awaken the supreme mind of the Dao. Only then will they be revered and honored by all in heaven and earth."

The Celestial Worthy praised Haikong Zhizang, saying: "Excellent, excellent! You, a wise one who embodies non-action (无为), seek the supreme and wondrous Dao for the benefit of all beings. For this reason, I shall follow your intent and expound the profound and secret treasury of Mahayana wisdom, regarding you as my most cherished child."

The Celestial Worthy then further instructed Haikong Zhizang: "You have deeply tasted the flavor of the Dharma, fully attaining the immeasurable merit of the foremost wondrous practice. Such a practitioner is truly rare." And with this, he spoke in verse:

"Haikong Zhizang, know this—

All phenomena are without fixed nature,

Merely temporary means to guide beings.

Do not cling to emptiness,

Nor grasp the five dusts (色声香味触) as real.

Neither deny emptiness nor phenomena—

This is the genuine, unerring truth."

This passage expounds the profound principle of "emptiness." Those clinging to erroneous perceptions of "existence" generate all kinds of afflictions and heterodox views. Without understanding the truth of "emptiness," how could the various defilements (zhulou) and worldly desires (zhuchen) arise in the first place?

Attachment to "existence" leads to the mistaken notion of permanence (changji). If phenomena are considered truly existent, then how do they originate? Through conditioned arising (yuansheng)? Dependent origination (jisheng)? Uncaused emergence (wuyinsheng)? Or co-production (gongsheng)? In truth, these all demonstrate that phenomena lack inherent nature and are not truly existent.

This state transcends conceptual thinking and is called the "Sovereign of Limitless Virtue" (Wuji Dewang), symbolizing the highest realm of moral attainment. Here, there is no past or present, coming or going, thought or worry, love or hatred—neither arising nor ceasing. It subdues all afflictions and resentment, manifests the orthodox Dao to govern heterodox views, dismantles all false doctrines, and eradicates every erroneous perception.

The essence of the "Oceanic Void Wisdom Treasury" (Haikong Zhizang) is profoundly subtle and cannot be grasped through fixed concepts. Its divine function is inconceivable, having no fixed form. Realizing the emptiness of all phenomena (zhufa kong) is to obtain this "Oceanic Void Wisdom Treasury."

Those who cultivate this wisdom attain profound spiritual insight, comprehending the mystery of the Dao. They reach the realm of true immovability, possessing fearless power and understanding cosmic origins (gushi)—this constitutes the guiding principle of the Dao (daoji). Such wisdom is the seed of the Dao, for the wisdom of the Celestial Worthy (Tianzun) is boundless, subtle, and unfathomable.

Why do sentient beings struggle to realize this? Because they are mired in four heterodox views, deluded by manifold phenomena, clinging to sensual pleasures, unable to regard all things equally (sideng). Through discrimination and calculation, they ultimately fail to return to the source (guigen fuming). Only by abiding in the path of "Oceanic Void" can the mind find peace and joy.

The "Oceanic Void Wisdom Treasury" contains two methods of contemplation: one maintains purity through mindful observation (changnian jingxing); the other is the quiescent contemplation of voidness, vast as the ocean (kongjing sinian). Only through these two gates of emptiness can one realize the Dao's origin and attain ultimate stillness. This stillness dissolves all distinctions into emptiness—even the concept of "stillness" must be emptied. All phenomena (fa) should be contemplated thus, realizing both the emptiness of principles (likong) and true emptiness (zhenkong).

Sentient beings are fundamentally incapable of self-illumination (ben wu zicheng). Through deluded discrimination, they cycle in samsara, drowning in suffering. Regardless of gender, those who refrain from heterodox views, recognizing phenomena's illusoriness and the emptiness of false perceptions, can return to the source and become true Dao cultivators. Stabilizing the mind and entering the "Oceanic Void Treasury," they contemplate the emptiness of all phenomena.

The teaching of the "Oceanic Void Wisdom Treasury" exists precisely to help sentient beings realize these truths.

This scripture contains the teachings revealed by the Supreme Venerable Lord (Taishang, the highest deity in Daoism) for future generations of truth-seekers. It primarily expounds the principles and cultivation methods that practitioners should follow.

The text begins by explaining that Taishang expounds these truths for those who will seek the Dao in ages to come. Those with true spiritual capacity who can maintain inner emptiness and return to their original nature may become Taishang's genuine disciples. Such practitioners can abide in constant purity, united with the Dao, eternally present and immovable like a mountain.

Taishang questions Haikong Zhizang (likely an enlightened being) about whether he comprehends the mysteries of the supreme Dao. The Great Dao itself is formless and beyond birth and extinction, yet manifests the appearance of arising and ceasing to instruct sentient beings. The true Dao possesses great compassion and never abandons living beings. These manifestations of birth and death occur precisely because beings cannot abide constantly in the Dao, and thus the Dao, moved by compassion like a mother caring for her children, takes pity on them.

The scripture emphasizes that the Great Dao makes no distinctions between closeness and distance, yet naturally favors virtuous people. Practitioners should gently guide others with soft speech to help them understand truth and seek the Dao's origin. They must eliminate evil thoughts and malicious intentions, sever all afflictions and attachments, maintain pure awareness, and steadfastly pursue the Dao.

Taishang establishes precepts to warn practitioners: both male and female cultivators must abstain from quarrels, killing, adultery and other evils—these are as dangerous as venomous snakes. Those who stray from truth sink into the cycle of birth and death, drifting ever farther from the Dao while accumulating negative karma. Only by maintaining right mindfulness can one attain pure liberation and reach the state of wuwei (non-action) and natural ease.

Devoted men and women practitioners should cultivate tolerance, eliminating the four evil karmas (killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, and false speech). They must avoid impatience and vexation, pride and competition, as well as skeptical doubts. They should generate great vows and extensively accumulate merit. Those who practice thus without regression in every thought-moment are Taishang's true disciples.

Those who embody the Dao constantly practice virtuous methods, abstaining from the four evil karmas and unwholesome desires. They neither cling to "existence" nor "non-existence," single-mindedly seeking the Dao. Generating great vows and cultivating great merit—this is the proper path all should follow.

This scripture describes the sublime state and wisdom-virtue (De) that practitioners can ultimately attain through specific cultivation methods.

If practitioners follow this method, they will achieve a profound and mysterious state, becoming genuine adepts ("true pure disciples"). They will attain inconceivable supreme wisdom, gaining universal understanding of profound principles while maintaining vast compassion and constant mindfulness of all beings. During cultivation, they will achieve fundamental awakening, possessing perfect wisdom that penetrates both tangible and intangible phenomena, ultimately obtaining eternal and unchanging supreme wisdom.

The scripture details five essential cultivation points: First, maintain virtuous thoughts to illuminate all dark places; second, speak gently to dissolve dualities between self and others; third, frequently encourage others toward goodness and away from evil paths; fourth, completely sever doubts while constantly nurturing virtuous thoughts to deeply comprehend the true meaning of the Dharma; fifth, establish correct mindfulness and generate various virtuous aspirations so those unfamiliar with the Dharma may understand.

When practicing these methods, practitioners enter the ocean of merit and attain the state of Wuwei (non-action). Through single-minded concentration, they achieve unobstructed liberation and gain the ability of "mastering phenomena" (controlling external things without being controlled by them). The scripture emphasizes unifying three types of cultivation with three kinds of virtue, abandoning clinging to deliberate action while generating Wuwei states of mind, maintaining humble and gentle attitudes, and never forgetting the Three Jewels (Buddha, Dharma, Sangha).

Finally, the scripture states that wherever this classic circulates, any man or woman who sees, hears, and practices it will gain immeasurable blessings. Genuine practitioners will enter the supreme Wuwei state, becoming foremost among cultivators.

This passage elucidates how practitioners can transcend worldly afflictions through seven wisdom virtues (zhide) to ultimately attain liberation.

It first describes the predicament of sentient beings: people are constantly entangled in various vexations, accumulating attachments. Even when they obtain something, they quickly lose it again. Thus they vainly exhaust their lives without gaining anything substantial—what can they truly obtain? In reality, they obtain nothing at all.

The text then elaborates on the seven wisdom virtues: First, maintaining inner purity with every thought steadfastly focused on cultivation without regression. Second, persevering in the path of practice with the diligence of monastic practitioners. Third, helping beings leave suffering and attain joy by enabling them to frequently hear the Dharma. Fourth, emulating the skillful means of sages to benefit all sentient beings. Fifth, attaining spiritual powers like realized adepts and divine youths—all achievements of cultivation. Sixth, enabling beings to practice according to the Dao and reach the state of fearlessness. Seventh, perfecting virtue to attain unimpeded spiritual powers and freedom of movement.

These wondrous functions all manifest the power of the Dao that saves beings. Those who truly comprehend the path to liberation, expound the teachings accordingly, and understand the fundamental nature of the Dao are genuine practitioners. Why? Because the supreme Dao is unfathomable—neither existing nor perishing, without beginning or end, eternally boundless. When its power is employed, all things return to it, and all under heaven follow.

The Dao's function is profound and vast, creating realms of bliss (cultivation states). Its meanings are countless, mysteriously subtle like a bottomless treasure trove. Virtuous actions transform all things—real and true, boundless and limitless—manifesting in myriad ways to help beings transcend life and death. This is the realm of Mahayana practitioners, difficult for those with limited wisdom to comprehend.

The Dao is neither false nor real; neither empty nor substantial; appearing non-active (wuwei) yet accomplishing all. Such supreme merit yields four infinite wondrous functions. These teachings of immeasurable causes and conditions reveal that the Dao cannot be grasped as substantial nor denied as void—its wisdom treats all equally.

The conclusion emphasizes: Any being who can tear the net of doubt and sever the root of afflictions becomes a true disciple of the Dao, eternally united with it, turning the Dharma wheel (cultivation state), unifying form and spirit (xing shen), and realizing the mysterious Dharma body.

Just as a stone blossoms into gold and jade, when practitioners attain the true Dao, their exquisite essence manifests, and their coarse mortal forms become invisible. Shedding the physical bodies of ordinary beings, they acquire the pure Dharma-body (the eternal form achieved through cultivation), discarding crude appearances to embrace sublime reality—thus accomplishing the true path. Initially abandoning old, decaying bodies and minds, they attain fresh, steadfast Dao-forms. This process follows no fixed causality but arises entirely from the practitioner's vow-power.

When the Celestial Venerable (Tianshi) finished speaking this verse, all cultivators present attained inconceivable true wisdom, enabling them to distinguish truth from falsehood. Their profound cultivation methods reached supreme perfection. Among them were hundreds of millions of immortal sages and Daoist priests who, through righteous practice, had accumulated immeasurable merit (De), acquired the six transcendental powers (divine sight, divine hearing, etc.), and entered the wondrous state of true Wuwei (non-action)—an achievement beyond words. These perfected beings of superior virtue could manifest countless forms across the ten directions (the cosmic entirety of Buddhist cosmology), tirelessly delivering sentient beings.

Should virtuous men or women seek the Dao—whether ordained or lay practitioners—any wholesome intention they generate can lead to supreme enlightenment and mastery of all teachings. Know that the three realms (desire, form, and formlessness) offer no refuge; only the Dao provides true sanctuary. Though formless and traceless, the Dao's essence is ultimate reality; its name is eternal and indestructible, its substance unmoving. The realm of Great Purity (Taiji) is the Dao's primordial source.

As the Celestial Venerable spoke, the virtuous and all beings present comprehended the true meaning. Novice practitioners of the supreme path often admonished others to forsake resentment, attributing rightness to others and faults to themselves. By avoiding contention, they attained longevity. Why? Because they skillfully employed expedient means to plant wholesome roots, enabling sentient beings to forge virtuous connections.

Then arrived seventy-three junior Daoist priests from the west, including Kindhearted Priest, Almsgiving Priest, and Renunciation Priest, who came as disciples to hear the teachings. Each cultivated in their own way: some burned incense and lit lamps in devotion, others left parents to practice in mountain forests; some gave alms to aid people, while others abandoned spouses and children for austere cultivation. Some relinquished material wealth and intellectual attachments, some harmonized voices to hymn sacred virtue, and some expounded sublime scriptures like the Oceanic Emptiness of the One Vehicle. Through diverse practices, they reverently made offerings to the infinitely compassionate Celestial Venerable.

This scripture describes how practitioners attain inconceivable wisdom through realizing "unobstructed liberation of the One Vehicle" (referring to the state of unimpeded liberation), entering irreversible stages of cultivation. Practitioners can abide securely in the Dharma realm (referring to the state of Buddhist realization), their minds remaining peacefully unmoved, while beholding the "Ocean-Void City" (symbolizing the realm of emptiness wisdom). By observing the true nature of all phenomena, they understand that all worldly things are characterized by suffering, emptiness, impermanence, and non-self, ultimately realizing the nirvanic state of permanence, bliss, true self, and purity.

After hearing the Dharma, the assembly returned to their respective homelands with their followers. Among them were wise ones capable of comprehending profound truths, mastering the essence of the Thirty-Six True Scriptures (collective term for important Daoist classics), understanding the Three Aspects (possibly referring to the three truths of emptiness, provisional existence, and the middle way), and claiming to have attained the fruits of the Dao. They possessed immeasurable spiritual powers, could enter meditative absorption, attain uncontaminated wisdom (wisdom beyond afflictions), and practice great compassion through skillful means, entering the stillness of emptiness meditation.

Suddenly, someone in the assembly began expounding profound Dharma teachings, filling the gathering with courageous diligence and joyful hearts. Some expressed how hearing and understanding these teachings today filled them with anticipation for the future. The assembly then prepared a majestic Dharma seat, and the expounder, though feeling unworthy, declared that out of reverence for the Dharma they dared not withhold what they had received and must share these teachings. Through this exposition, those present who had not previously heard or understood gained realization, advancing in their cultivation.

After making vows, practitioners attain golden light protection (symbolizing accomplishment in practice), are attended by immortal youths, hear celestial music, receive various teachings, and ultimately realize the fruit of Wuwei (the state beyond contrivance). The scripture exhorts present and future practitioners to abandon unwholesome actions, cultivate right contemplation, and relinquish worldly pleasures in pursuit of the Great Dao. It emphasizes this as the supreme cultivation method that transforms the impure body into purity, revealing the truth that the body is fundamentally impure.

Practitioners who persevere in this profound cultivation can transcend Dharma conditions (referring to worldly causes and conditions), transforming thought-moment by thought-moment, turning the coarse into the subtle, abandoning ordinary human form to achieve immortal embodiment. The six roots (eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind) and seven branches (possibly referring to the seven emotions) can thereby be perfected. Conversely, those deluded by the four wrong views will be disturbed by demons, causing their Shen (spirit) to depart and their Hun-Po (ethereal and corporeal souls) to fall into hell realms, suffering immeasurable torment.

This scripture expounds the path to liberation and the essence of spiritual cultivation. It begins by observing how sentient beings remain trapped in the endless darkness of samsara, with only through dedicated practice can true liberation be attained. Those who genuinely relinquish worldly desires and transcend the four perverse views will experience the profound joy of cultivating the Dao (the Way).

The text emphasizes abandoning attachment to the five sensual pleasures (form, sound, scent, taste, and touch), particularly the craving for physical beauty. True practitioners should cherish scriptural teachings as intensely as a starving person longs for food and drink, valuing these classics more than their own bodies. Through such practice, one attains supreme wisdom and power, reaching the immutable state of permanence.

The scripture introduces the "Ocean-Void Wisdom Treasury" method of cultivation—a boundless repository of enlightened knowledge. At advanced stages, practitioners manifest various sacred forms—Perfected Beings (Zhenren), Divine Youths, or Celestial Venerables (Tianzun)—receiving reverence from sages of all realms. This realization unveils the illusory nature of the Three Realms and Five Aggregates (form, sensation, perception, mental formations, and consciousness), exposes the suffering within the Three Evil Paths (hells, hungry ghosts, animal realms), and perceives all phenomena as transient manifestations of arising and ceasing.

True bliss lies in maintaining a purified mind and achieving unobstructed liberation. The accumulated merit (De) of such practitioners becomes immeasurable—they roam the void with Dharma companions in miraculous transformations, or take rebirth where the teachings flourish. Even after expounding the Dharma for five hundred kalpas, the profundity of these truths remains inexhaustible.

The text concludes with the allegory of a prince seeking the Dao: Renouncing his throne, he overcomes every obstacle his parents devise, breaking all worldly fetters in his quest. This symbolizes how practitioners must transcend societal shackles to discover the genuine path to liberation.

The scripture depicts a scene where a practitioner seeks guidance from the Five Paths Mighty Ghost-Deities (Daoist deities overseeing the wheel of rebirth through five paths) about the path to enlightenment, followed by the deities' vivid description of karmic retribution.

The Five Paths Mighty Ghost-Deities respond: "In my past, I too renounced worldly life to cultivate the Dao. But because doubts arose in my heart and I became disturbed by the four kinds of demonic obstacles, I lost the fundamental path and fell to this existence as a ghost-deity. Though I've heard the name of the Supreme True Dao (the highest truth) and know its immeasurable merits, this ultimate truth has no fixed form—its essence is eternally clear and undisturbed. The genuine Dao possesses vast majestic power capable of subduing all afflictions and adversaries. Its transformations are boundless, beyond conceptual thought."

The scripture then shifts to graphic descriptions of hell's torments: Men and women alike suffer various excruciating punishments—some with faces festering with pus and blood, necks thin as cloth strips, bellies swollen like hanging drums, forced to carry red-hot iron rods while spitting flames; others have their tongues pierced by iron spikes and are beaten by strongmen with iron staffs; some naked souls swallow burning coals, their bodies charred and rotten, wearing iron pots on their heads while treading volcanic fires; still others are thrown into boiling poison cauldrons, shackled head to foot, or made to walk on iron needles without rest day and night; worse yet are those bound to scorching bronze pillars, their flesh devoured by the Tai Mountain's vicious beasts.

The ghost-deities conclude with a piercing question: "What sins did these people commit? What heavenly principles did they violate to deserve such cruel retribution?" This harrowing depiction serves to illustrate the universal law that "evil deeds inevitably bring evil consequences," using extreme imagery to warn humanity to revere the Dao of Heaven and maintain virtuous conduct.

At that time, the celestial beings (devas) of the Three Realms (the Realm of Desire, the Realm of Form, and the Formless Realm) proclaimed: "There exists a category of people who have committed various sins in their past lives. From their previous existence, they have engaged in malicious speech, slander, endless disputes, and every kind of evil deed. They defamed moral principles, attacked their own masters, slandered and harmed one another, even slaughtering the innocent without a shred of compassion for sentient beings, their actions cruel and tyrannical. Their hearts were dark and venomous, consumed by jealousy toward those superior to them, suppressing the wise and virtuous. The transgressions they committed are too numerous to recount. Thus, they must now endure all manner of suffering, passing through countless kalpas of rebirth before they may be reborn again into the wretched paths of non-humans."

The Celestial Venerable (the supreme deity of Daoism) then revealed: "These suffering men and women must be awakened to recognize their own good and evil actions so they may tame their hearts. Console them with gentle words, guide them to reflect on their past deeds, and lead them toward goodness. Through the teachings of the Dharma Wheel (symbolizing the Buddhist or Daoist doctrine), repeatedly admonish them so they may repent and renew themselves, be reborn as humans, and cultivate merit. By practicing the Dao I impart, they may dissolve the boundless roots of their past transgressions. Open wide the expedient means, establish great virtue, accomplish all good deeds, enter the gate of blessings, witness the causes and conditions of the great Dao, attain the fruition of Wuwei (the state beyond contrivance), and ultimately achieve true liberation."

Then the Celestial Venerable spoke in verse (a common poetic form in Buddhist and Daoist texts):

"All that the eyes perceive—whether human or non-human—

Creates external illusions.

People mistake these illusions for reality,

Taking delight in them within their hearts.

Sentient beings are ever full of false speech,

Flattering words, malicious talk, and slander,

Riddled with greed, sorrow, and hatred.

Ignorant and deluded, clinging to wrong views,

They frequently steal, kill, and engage in debauchery.

They show no reverence for heavenly deities or noble beings,

Defiling the radiance of sun and moon.

All such evil deeds are thus—

All such unwholesome actions

Will ultimately be devoured by the ghostly paths, their forms consumed.

Arrogant toward all teachings,

Their hearts do not believe in the true Dao,

And they even harm monastics.

"Then there are so-called virtuous men

Who indulge insatiably in food and drink,

Wasteful in extravagant clothing,

Acting lawlessly, defying all rules.

Even malevolent spirits despise such behavior;

Benevolent deities will not protect them.

All their karmic creditors gather,

Seeking to destroy their bodies.

Such people do not live to old age—

Like flowers that bear no fruit.

"Addicted to sensual pleasures,

Obsessed with the Five Flavors (sour, sweet, bitter, spicy, salty),

Their minds cling without release.

All who follow heretical paths

Never contemplate cultivation,

Engaging only in unwholesome deeds—

Truly incomprehensible.

Know this, you virtuous men:

In the worlds of the Ten Directions,

There are lands of blessed virtue,

Where no obstacles exist.

The true abode of blessings

Does not depend on the magnitude of one’s thoughts."

This scripture expounds how the supreme wisdom of the Dao (the Way) can liberate all beings from the boundless sea of suffering, just as the blazing sun melts winter frost. True great wisdom knows no bondage and treats all beings equally—whether celestial immortals or earthly mortals. Such wisdom transcends the duality of "being" and "non-being," responding to conditions without limit.

The text reveals that those who disbelieve in karmic causes and conditions remain forever adrift in the six realms of rebirth, fettered by the desires of the six senses (eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind), never finding liberation's opportunity. Perhaps only one in ten thousand may comprehend this truth—such a person becomes a seed of the great Dao. Practitioners should vow to understand all past and future karmic connections, discerning the roots of virtue and vice among countless beings.

Those who truly penetrate the Dao perceive essential truths amidst worldly phenomena, comprehending the true meaning of the "Three Virtues" (possibly referring to Dao, De [Virtue], and benevolence as fundamental virtues). They grasp all dharma appearances without obstruction, delighting in practice and hearing supreme wondrous teachings, skillfully guiding others through expedient means.

Cultivation requires upholding six pure practices (liuxing), abandoning all sensual temptations, and embracing impartial compassion for suffering beings. Practitioners should maintain humility like the destitute, enduring hardships through the five rebirth paths (heavens, humans, animals, hungry ghosts, hells). Diligently cultivating pure methods, they preserve right mindfulness without regression, avoiding the four wrong views (possibly eternalism, nihilism, wrong views, and attachment to precepts).

One should constantly maintain the turning of the Dharma wheel (truth of the teachings), enduring others' slander without resentment. Safeguarding virtue in the world, they neither covet what others desire nor contend with others, instead persuading through principle. Withdrawing from worldly troubles to practice in seclusion, their words and deeds align with scriptural precepts without transgression. Progressing diligently day and night, they consume simple meals, focusing the mind on gathering medicinal herbs and refining the Golden Elixir (internal alchemy), restraining the eyes from improper sights.

The scripture concludes with a grave warning: In this world filled with afflictions, those who commit evil will descend into the great hells after death, suffering through the five rebirth paths. At life's end, retribution awaits—their bodies embracing red-hot bronze pillars, limbs treading mountains of blades, forever wandering among sword trees before plunging into boiling oil cauldrons. Starving, they swallow flames until their heads and faces char, cycling endlessly between heavenly and human realms in torment.

This passage describes the profound teachings revealed by the Celestial Worthy (the supreme deity in Daoism) to the enlightened master Haikong Zhizang. The Celestial Worthy declares: Sentient beings in the world, failing to understand the causes of liberation, remain trapped in endless suffering within the realms of hell and hungry ghosts. Even when reborn as humans, they remain unawakened, missing opportunities for salvation.

True Dao cultivators should diligently pursue the supreme truth, using their physical bodies as vessels for spiritual practice. These profound methods recorded in the scriptures contain no falsehoods throughout the ages. Those who seek the Dao with reverent hearts will undoubtedly witness wondrous marvels.

The Celestial Worthy further instructs Haikong Zhizang: Presently, worldly beings suffer from eight calamities (referring to disasters like floods, fires, warfare, and famine) and manifold afflictions. They neither awaken the aspiration for the Dao nor practice the Four Immeasurables (loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity). With deluded and inverted thinking, they eternally miss the causes for enlightenment, never encountering the Three Treasures of Buddhism, Daoism, and Confucianism, nor hearing the genuine Dharma essentials.

The Celestial Worthy charges Haikong Zhizang to widely propagate these teachings in the future, enabling those who have never heard them to comprehend and realize. Upon awakening, practitioners will enter the irreversible stage, attain the fruition of Wuwei (non-action) in the Great Vehicle, and ultimately reach the immortal realms of eternal life. Such supreme and extraordinary karmic connections truly transcend verbal description.

Upon hearing this, Haikong Zhizang immediately prostrated himself in full devotion, his heart overflowing with Dharma joy. He marveled: "Through countless kalpas of tribulations, never have I heard such exquisite teachings. Today, in mere moments, I've gained inconceivable awakening." Suddenly, numerous wisdom-bearing youths (manifestations of accomplished Daoist practitioners) appeared in the sky, including ten sacred beings like Universal King Ascending Youth and Threefold Celestial Ascending Youth, all praising Haikong Zhizang's merits.

Finally, celestial princes descended from the Formless Realm (the supreme heaven beyond material existence) - two imperial sons from the Luminous Court's Azure Canopy Heaven and the Abyssal Passage Primordial Cavern Heaven. The entire scene brimmed with extraordinary auspicious signs, marking this as a supremely rare Dharma transmission assembly.

This scripture depicts a grand ritual assembly where celestial emperors and princes from various heavenly realms (in Daoism, these represent different levels of immortal paradises) lead their subjects to receive the sacred teachings.

First mentioned are the rulers from the four directions, such as the Wheel-Adorned Sublime Kingdom. Upon hearing the wondrous Dharma sound, they bring their male and female devotees to listen to the profound teachings of the "Ocean-Void Wisdom Treasury of the One Vehicle." Though divided by gender, those gathered here are free from worldly desires and entanglements, their bodies and minds at ease. Their majestic forms stand tall and dignified as they come specifically to hear this rare and profound Dharma, hoping to realize the unimpeded truth of liberation and attain the state of union with the Dao (the Way).

Next described are the numerous celestial emperors and princes from the lower heavens, such as the Heaven of Void-Transcending Radiance, the Heaven of Supreme Ultimate Obscurity, and the Heaven of Crimson Brightness and Harmonious Yang—thirteen rulers in total (all names from the Daoist cosmology of the Thirty-Six Heavens). They arrive with their subjects to receive teachings of unsurpassed wisdom, capable of shattering all obstacles and inspiring awe. Upon hearing them, they will forever sever evil desires and afflictions, no longer sinking into the bitter sea of birth and death.

Finally, the scripture mentions the six heavens of the Realm of Desire (the lowest of Daoism’s Three Realms), including the Heaven of Imperial Ancestry and the Heaven of Jade Perfection. The beings here are afflicted by countless sufferings, trapped in cycles of love and hatred, enemies and evil karma. Yet if they sincerely seek the Dao, regardless of distance, they may now hear the secret teachings of the "Ocean-Void Wisdom Treasury of the One Vehicle." According to their individual capacities, they gradually awaken, all attaining irreversible enlightenment, with rulers and subjects alike finding peace and joy.

This passage embodies the Daoist ideal of "universal salvation," emphasizing that beings of all levels can attain liberation through hearing the true Dharma. The "Ocean-Void Wisdom Treasury of the One Vehicle" refers to the core teaching of the Scripture of the Supreme One’s Ocean-Void Wisdom Treasury, representing an all-encompassing, boundless treasure of wisdom as vast as the sea.

This scripture expounds the profound mysteries of the "Ocean-Void Wisdom Treasury" (haikong zhicang), representing the supreme wisdom of Daoism. The Celestial Venerable (Tianzun, the highest deity in Daoism) reveals: The Dao is boundless and limitless, vaster than heaven, earth, and the four seas, without beginning or end. This wondrous principle of True Oneness (zhenyi) neither increases nor decreases, transcends temporal causality, and is unfathomably deep.

Though sentient beings come and go, in essence there is no real coming or going. This mysterious truth cannot be grasped through ordinary thinking. The Celestial Venerable admonishes practitioners to purify their hearts, reduce desires, and concentrate on contemplating the Dao. Genuine cultivation requires relinquishing attachment to the physical body, eliminating desires, and severing distracting thoughts. Through such profound practice, one becomes free from afflictions and attains diamond-like indestructible virtue (de) and wisdom.

Accomplished practitioners can dispel evil, subdue demonic obstructions, and obtain fearless power. Devout men and women who see through material appearances and maintain purity in the five aggregates (form, sensation, perception, mental formations, and consciousness) will achieve liberation. All phenomena arise through dependent origination, their essential nature being emptiness.

The scripture employs various metaphors to illustrate stages of cultivation: one should be as stable as the earth, as immovable as mountains, as discerning as eyes, as free as drifting clouds, and as compassionate as parents. True practitioners (zhenren tongzi, perfected beings and pure youths) can expound teachings according to circumstances, moving with unimpeded freedom to attain immeasurable wisdom.

Throughout countless kalpas (immeasurably long cosmic cycles), even continuous exposition of scriptural meanings cannot exhaust their profound mysteries. Men and women in the mundane world must cultivate through a thousand lifetimes of tribulations, practicing worldly methods—only through such cultivation can they attain unobstructed understanding of the Dharma.

Perfected beings (Zhenren) and divine youths (those who have achieved cultivation) practice the Four Unhindered Dharmas (unhindered comprehension of meaning, doctrine, expression, and joyful eloquence) to universally deliver sentient beings. Those of middling capacity cultivate the Dharma of stillness, preferring solitary meditation; when delivering beings, they manifest spiritual powers without excessive speech, ultimately reaching the state of ultimate purity. The wisdom contemplation of "Ocean-Void Illumination" (vast as the ocean, transparent as space) represents supreme wisdom, while the spiritual powers of celestial youths are most extraordinary—each realm manifests differently.

What originally existed now vanishes; what was absent now appears—all phenomena throughout past and present transform thus. Now I shall explain anew in detail: Devoted men and women still carry various afflictions and possess physical bodies born from parental union, thus lacking the indestructible vajra-body of subtle Dharma-nature. Originally, we inherently possessed the characteristics of impermanence, non-self, suffering, and impurity; precisely because these exist, the supreme Dao-mind remains unseen.

If there are cultivators—whether expounding teachings or not, male or female—who claim that the supreme Dao of the Celestial Venerable (Tianzun, highest Daoist deity) allows free coming-and-going, attainment of impermanent wondrous bliss and purity, such statements are incorrect. For this reason, the Four Demonic Obstacles (affliction demons, skandha demons, death demons, celestial demons) cannot yet be overcome, nor can the ultimate state of meditative emptiness be realized. If attachment to all dharmas persists, dull disciples like myself cannot expound the wondrous single-vehicle Dharma.

Originally, no one possesses innate sharp faculties—even jade-elephants among men (metaphor for virtuous beings) or Perfected Ones of sublime practice will fall into expedient means without the foundation of "non-self," requiring instruction through the Three Vehicles. Should any cultivator claim the supreme Dao permits free movement or ultimate exposition of Wuwei (non-action), these are all expedient teachings adapted to circumstances. If beings cannot comprehend this supreme truth, the divine and wondrous Dao ultimately remains ineffable and unattainable.

When the Wisdom Treasury of Sea and Void (a Daoist sage who attained the highest spiritual realization) comprehended these profound truths, his mind became suddenly illuminated, grasping the ultimate reality in its entirety. His physical form manifested seventy-two majestic signs and eighty-one auspicious marks, transcending fundamental constraints and surpassing ordinary wisdom. This subtle and profound state of Wuwei (non-action, the supreme attainment in Daoist practice) possessed unsurpassed power, filling him with boundless joy.

He then recited a gatha (a versified scripture common in Buddhist and Daoist traditions): "With great compassion and mercy for all beings, I now take sincere refuge. Skilled at extracting the poisonous arrows of suffering, thus am I called the Great Healer. Worldly physicians can only bring temporary relief, for illnesses will return; but the Celestial Worthy (the highest deity in Daoism) offers a cure that severs the roots of disease forever. The Celestial Worthy bestows the nectar of wondrous medicine upon all beings—those who partake shall transcend the cycle of life and death. Today, the Celestial Worthy reveals to me this supreme wisdom; when beings hear this profound truth, they attain the realm of neither birth nor cessation, finding peace in body and mind, clearly beholding the sacred realm of Sea and Void."

After speaking this gatha, the Wisdom Treasury of Sea and Void addressed the Celestial Worthy once more: "The truth revealed by the Celestial Worthy today is beyond the perception of ordinary people—only Zhenren (perfected beings) can fully comprehend it. If we say Zhenren belong to this world, we cannot claim that worldly people are entirely ignorant; yet if we say Zhenren understand these truths while not belonging to this world, what then distinguishes them?"

The Celestial Worthy replied: "Noble one, so-called Zhenren both belong to this world and transcend it. You ask what makes them special? Set aside this doubt for now, and I shall explain in detail. However, today is not the time for complete revelation—when conditions ripen, I will fully expound the profound root of the Dao. You should understand that all this arises from the same cause."

Hearing these words, the Wisdom Treasury of Sea and Void and all the assembled practitioners paid reverent homage to the Celestial Worthy before withdrawing. This scripture passage comes from the seventh scroll of the Supreme One-Vehicle Scripture of the Wisdom Treasury of Sea and Void.