《高上玉皇本行集經(一)》

At that time, the Celestial Venerable of Primordial Beginning (Yuanshi Tianzun, the supreme deity of Daoism) was seated upon the luminous throne in the Jade Emperor's palace of the Seven Treasures Mystic Garden within the Golden Tower of Jade Capital, located in the Qingwei Heaven (one of the highest celestial realms among Daoism's Thirty-Six Heavens). He expounded the Dharma Gate of the Numinous Treasure's pure and true Oneness to countless immortals. The Jade Emperor (the highest deity in Daoism) and a multitude of perfected immortals, flying celestial sages, boundless divine kings, and jade maidens—ninety million in total—stood reverently by, observing the purification rituals (Zhaijiao) and holding ceremonial regalia.

Foreseeing the arrival of this auspicious moment, the Jade Emperor manifested six divine powers before the assembly, radiating a great light that illuminated all the heavens. Every boundless Brahma realm (a term shared by Buddhism and Daoism, referring to pure Buddha-lands) trembled in response, and the infinite worlds of the ten directions became as transparent as crystal, free from all obstruction. Celestial beings from across the ten directions arrived on five-colored jade chariots, jade-green carriages, and nine-hued dark dragons, shaded by tenfold feathered canopies. Qilin danced, phoenixes sang in harmony, celestial maidens scattered blossoms, and golden boys wafted incense smoke, all while singing hymns of praise as they descended through the skies.

All the golden immortals of the Brahma Heaven (the highest Buddhist celestial realm), Mahayana bodhisattvas, and the fourfold assemblies and eightfold retinues (Buddhist protector deities) received this radiance. Riding upon golden and jade-clouded chariots adorned with nine-hued flowing light, they gathered amid auspicious clouds. The sun, moon, and stars exhaled fragrant breaths, while winds from all directions swirled before the sacred assembly. Exquisite flowers fell like clouds, blanketing the entire ceremonial ground.

This light illuminated all the heavens and shone down upon infinite worlds, transforming the mortal realm into a paradise akin to the Mystic Capital (Xuan Du, the Daoist ideal of an immortal abode). The human world became connected to the Nine Heavens, with mountains and valleys flattening like the palm of a hand. The four directions of heaven and earth drew near, as if within arm's reach. Celestial palaces arrayed themselves like stars upon the earth, with jade towers and gem-studded halls gleaming amid the clouds. Railings of the Seven Treasures marked the pathways, while jade trees and divine flowers bloomed in splendor, and auspicious herbs spread across the Dantian (an energy center in internal cultivation). Mortals below witnessed celestial music flowing with the light, playing of its own accord. They beheld phoenixes singing in harmony, dragons and qilin frolicking, and heavenly blossoms scattering to carpet the roads.

At this moment, both mortals and sages marveled in awe. Even the darkest places were bathed in radiance, and gods and humans rejoiced together. Practitioners in the human realm ascended in flight, gazing up at the towering jeweled platform that reached into the clouds.

This scripture depicts the magnificent scene of the Jade Emperor (one of the supreme deities in Daoism) manifesting his divine power to universally deliver all beings. When the Jade Emperor descends, purple auspicious clouds envelop all celestial realms. People of all ages—from white-haired elders to tender infants—receive salvation: the elderly regain their youth, the sick are relieved of suffering, and the world manifests the signs of a golden age of Great Peace.

Miraculous phenomena appear at this moment: divine winds blow, the primordial Qi (vital energy) of heaven and earth flows freely, even withered bones are restored to life, and the souls in the underworld attain liberation. The Iron Rampart City of Fengdu (the Daoist netherworld) is shattered, and suffering souls from the Ninefold Darkness (the deepest hell realms) are all reborn in celestial realms. Beings trapped in the Three Wretched Paths—hell-dwellers, hungry ghosts, and animals—simultaneously achieve deliverance.

The Jade Emperor manifests his emanations throughout the ten directions of the cosmos. These celestial palaces naturally transform into glorious sacred realms constructed of white jade and gold, adorned with gardens of the Seven Treasures (gold, silver, lapis lazuli, etc.) and radiant jeweled halls. Seated upon these thrones, the Jade Emperor expounds the wondrous Dharma of purity and liberation to all worlds, with each manifested emperor attended by countless celestial immortals, perfected beings, and jade maidens paying reverent homage.

These jade maidens possess dignified beauty, adorned with precious gemstone necklaces, their voices pure and melodious. They naturally emit a marvelous fragrance of liberation that permeates all blessed celestial realms. Any being from the Six Paths (celestial, human, demonic, hell-dwellers, hungry ghosts, animals) who smells this fragrance attains deliverance:

Celestial beings who smell it eliminate the Five Decays (signs of a deva's impending death) and Four Marks (birth, aging, sickness, death), increasing their blessings. Earthly rulers and commoners who smell it gain longevity and may achieve liberation as Corpse-Release Immortals (a Daoist method of transcendence) after death. Demonic beings who smell it find peaceful abodes in celestial palaces, ceasing all conflict. Through these vividly imagined sacred visions, the scripture reveals the vast salvific vow of Daoism's supreme deity to deliver all sentient beings.

This scripture depicts the compassionate salvation of beings from the Three Wretched Realms—hell-dwellers, hungry ghosts, and animals—by the Jade Emperor (one of Daoism's highest deities). When tormented beings in the hell realms encounter this extraordinary fragrance, they are liberated from suffering and reborn in pure blissful lands. Hungry ghosts who perceive the aroma are freed from starvation and thirst, while animals receiving this fragrance transcend ignorance and attain wisdom.

Bathed in the Jade Emperor's merciful radiance, these heavily burdened beings awaken to the karmic consequences of their past misdeeds. Accompanied by their kin and celestial music, they approach the Jade Emperor with tearful lamentations: "Through countless kalpas of suffering, we have long dwelled in darkness without sun, moon, or starlight, enduring endless torment in the Three Wretched Realms. Now, through Your Majesty's compassionate illumination, we ascend to heaven—all evil karma purified, no longer bound by karmic fetters—and may pay homage at Your throne."

The Jade Emperor proclaims a solemn dharma-voice to the assembled celestial saints of the ten directions: "These sinful beings have long been blinded by ignorance, committing the Ten Evil Deeds (killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, etc.), defiled by the Six Dusts (form, sound, scent, taste, touch, and mental objects), and bound by the Three Karmic Gates (body, speech, and mind). Indulging desires without awakening, they accumulated sins in darkness and transgressed openly, gradually deviating from the true path while following wrong views. Every thought compounded their karma, condemning them to the Three Wretched Realms without escape. Were it not for this dharma assembly's auspicious timing, how could they attain liberation?"

At this moment, the Jade Emperor—manifested through the celestial saints' divine power—effortlessly guides these beings to the Qingwei Heavenly Palace (among Daoism's highest Thirty-Six Heavens), the Jade Pure Sacred Realm where the Primordial Heavenly Sovereign (Daoism's supreme deity) dwells. Unaware of the transition, they find themselves attending the Heavenly Sovereign's dharma assembly. Countless emanations of the Jade Emperor from the ten directions gather before the assembly, reflecting one another like infinite mirrors. The assembly venerates these manifestations with unwavering devotion, their faith strengthened and Dao-hearts made steadfast. These newly ascended beings suddenly obtain this most sublime opportunity.

This scripture recounts a wondrous tale: In the Kingdom of Splendid Light and Sublime Joy, King Pure Virtue (Jingde) and Queen Precious Moonlight (Baoyueguang) remained childless for years. Fearing he would have no heir in his old age, the king ordered grand Daoist rituals to be performed throughout the palace—hanging sacred banners, purifying the ceremonial space, and making offerings to the deities. For six months they maintained these devout prayers.

One night, Queen Precious Moonlight dreamed of the Supreme Dao Lord (Taishang Daojun, one of Daoism's highest deities) arriving with a host of golden-bodied, jade-quintessence immortals aboard a five-colored dragon chariot. Cradled in the Dao Lord's arms was an infant radiating countless beams of light that illuminated the entire palace. The queen reverently knelt and begged to receive this child as heir to the throne. Upon the Dao Lord's consent, she awoke to find herself with child.

At noon on the ninth day of the first lunar month in the bingwu year, the crown prince was born in the royal palace. His arrival was marked by radiant jeweled light, his countenance majestic and sublime. From childhood he displayed extraordinary wisdom and compassion. Upon reaching adulthood, he distributed the kingdom's treasures to the impoverished—widows, orphans, the disabled and starving—governing with such humility and moral virtue that his fame spread far and wide, drawing universal reverence. Eventually succeeding his father, he ascended the throne.

Through this mythological narrative, the scripture reveals the earthly descent of the Jade Emperor (Yuhuang Dadi, this very prince), showcasing his merciful and benevolent character while embodying core Daoist values of purification, spiritual cultivation, and sincere devotion.

This cultivator (referring to the previous incarnation of the Jade Emperor) took pity on all living beings and thus abdicated his throne to a virtuous minister, relinquishing his royal position to cultivate in the Puming Xiangyan Mountains. After prolonged practice, he successfully transcended the kalpas (a vast cosmic time unit). Thereafter, he passed through eight hundred kalpas, each time relinquishing his kingdom and choosing the path of cultivation for the sake of all beings.

Then, through another eight hundred kalpas, he practiced medicine to aid the world, healing the sick and bringing peace and joy to sentient beings. After completing this cycle, he endured yet another eight hundred kalpas, widely performing virtuous deeds, disseminating Daoist scriptures, expounding efficacious texts, propagating the true Dao, and manifesting miraculous powers to assist nations and people—contributing tirelessly, whether visibly or unseen.

Afterward, he endured another eight hundred kalpas, sacrificing his flesh and blood to cultivate the path of forbearance. In total, he practiced for three thousand two hundred kalpas before attaining the Golden Immortal fruit (a high Daoist immortal rank) and being revered as "King of Awakening, Tathagata of Purity and Naturalness." He guided bodhisattvas to sudden enlightenment in the true meaning of Mahayana Buddhism, gradually leading them into the profound mystery of the Dao of Emptiness. After cultivating through countless more kalpas, he finally attained the exalted status of the Jade Emperor.

At this moment, during the Dharma assembly, a celestial maiden named Yeguang (a heavenly female immortal) respectfully rose, straightened her robes, and knelt gracefully to ask: "Celestial Worthy, I have long served by your side, traversing countless kalpas in the golden palaces and jade capitals of the Three Pure Realms (the highest Daoist heavens), delighting in the sounds of the Dharma. Yet never before have I witnessed such a wondrous sight as today—where the ten directions manifest sacred realms, each with an emanation of the Jade Emperor, accompanied by numerous celestial immortals, perfected beings, and jade maidens. These maidens possess dignified beauty, graceful forms, and emit extraordinary fragrances, all now summoned by the Jade Emperor’s divine power to the Qingwei Heaven. By what cultivation did they attain such supreme rewards?"

The Celestial Worthy replied to Yeguang: "Though you have entered the sacred path, your wisdom is not yet complete. These jade maidens, in immeasurable kalpas past, cultivated various wondrous methods, perfected liberating wisdom, and maintained purity in faith, insight, intention, conduct, body, and mind. Thus, they achieved such majestic and adorned forms."

This scripture depicts the solemn assembly of celestial deities paying homage to the Jade Emperor (the supreme deity in Daoism). It describes:

These celestial jade maidens are not actual females—they are supreme heavenly beings who manifest in maiden form to guide sentient beings. Their spiritual powers, wisdom, and transformative abilities equal those of the Jade Emperor himself. Hearing this explanation, the Radiant Night Celestial Being attained sudden realization, paid reverent homage, and returned to his position.

The Lord of High Purity and Luminous Heaven (a senior celestial deity) led a host of gods riding the Eight Auspicious Phoenix Chariot beneath a nine-colored jeweled canopy. Playing mystical music and chanting immeasurable scriptures, they scattered celestial flowers and emitted divine fragrances as they flew through the sky to the sacred assembly. Through the majestic power of the Celestial Worthy Jade Emperor, these celestial blossoms transformed into enormous jeweled canopies covering all assembled beings.

Witnessing this rare spectacle, the Lord of High Purity prostrated and declared: "On this auspicious day of Dharma assembly, the Jade Emperor manifests great radiance—illuminating pure lands above and hell realms below. All suffering beings receive this luminous grace to ascend to celestial realms. These miraculous celestial flowers forming protective canopies over the assembly all manifest through the Jade Emperor's majestic spiritual power."

The passage concludes with a hymn praising the Jade Emperor: As sovereign of the Golden Tower and Mysterious Vault, this supreme Jade Emperor's wondrous form transcends all heavens, his compassionate light illuminating the Three Realms (of desire, form, and formlessness). As master of the True and Sacred Dao, both celestial and human beings rely on his guidance. Revealing the Great Vehicle's teachings and guiding the lost with the True Unity Dao, his merit is boundless as the void, worthy of eternal veneration.

(Note: "Eight Auspicious Phoenix Chariot" refers to a divine carriage adorned with eight auspicious signs; "nine-light jeweled canopy" indicates a ceremonial parasol emitting nine-colored radiance; "Three Realms" denotes the cosmological layers of desire, form, and formlessness; "Great Vehicle" here signifies the vast salvific teachings; "True Unity" refers to Daoism's fundamental truth)

This scripture describes the sacred nature and vast merits of the Jade Emperor (Yuhuang Dadi), one of the supreme deities in Daoism. As the sovereign ruler of the cosmos, the Jade Emperor possesses wisdom transcending time and space—his existence is simultaneously profound beyond comprehension yet utterly real. This supreme divinity embodies boundless spiritual powers and radiant purity, turning the Dharma Wheel (propagating truth) with great compassion to deliver all sentient beings.

The essence of the Jade Emperor is the very manifestation of the Dao (the Way). He is not an ordinary physical form but a body of pristine naturalness coalesced from immeasurable merits. His Dharmakaya (formless true existence) radiates majestic power, his renown pervades all realms, and his light illuminates even the darkest abysses. This Celestial Sovereign did not attain his virtues through deliberate cultivation—they are innate to his being. Though he has descended to the human realm numerous times to display miraculous powers, his original essence remains unsullied, never departing from the golden palace of the celestial court. He manifests countless emanations, appearing according to circumstances to deliver beings from suffering and leave teachings to guide future practitioners.

The Jade Emperor’s radiance possesses wondrous functions, including sixteen supreme luminous qualities such as the Light of Great Spiritual Power, the Light of Great Compassion, and the Light of Great Joyful Generosity. These lights represent supreme virtues like wisdom, auspiciousness, and liberation. Yet ordinary people seldom behold his true form directly, obscured as they are by their own afflictions and negative karma.

After the Lord of High Emptiness and Luminous Heaven (a lofty Daoist deity) extolled the Jade Emperor’s merits, the Celestial Worthy (here referring to the presiding teacher) expounded to the fourfold assembly (celestials, humans, spirits, and other listeners) methods to remove obstacles: first, one must generate great compassion and abandon doubt—this is the prerequisite for perceiving the Jade Emperor’s radiance. Hearing this teaching, the assembly rejoiced, prostrated, and earnestly sought further guidance on cultivation practices.

This scripture teaches practitioners to eliminate negative emotions and distracting thoughts, maintaining inner purity. It first enumerates ten detrimental mental states to be abandoned: greed, anger, lust, jealousy, violent impulses, worldly attachments, scattered thoughts, mental turbidity, sensory indulgence, judgmental attitudes, hatred and favoritism, discriminatory thinking, arrogance, and clinging.

During cultivation, one must concentrate the spirit and dissolve distracting thoughts, allowing all aspects of consciousness to settle into tranquility. The mind should become as pure and vast as the open sky, maintaining immaculate clarity both internally and externally, capable of embracing all things. Do not allow external corrupting influences to disturb your authentic Dao practice, lest you lose the true essence, damage your spiritual foundation (Linggen), and have the precious treasure of Daoist teachings stolen away. Otherwise, you risk eternal sinking into worldly existence, trapped in mundane snares, assailed by demonic obstacles, undergoing countless kalpas without hearing the subtle Dharma. Divine beings may also impose punishments, keeping you bound to the cycle of birth and death without liberation.

Therefore, you should single-mindedly guard the true essence of the Dao (Zhenzong), never allowing it to be lost. As previously instructed, eliminate all such obstacles to achieve purity of body and mind—only then can you transcend all suffering. This constitutes the true treasure of cultivation and the pillar of spiritual protection. Furthermore, devoutly practice this scripture with the same reverence as approaching the Jade Emperor (one of Daoism's supreme deities), visualizing the majestic countenance of the Celestial Worthy (Tianzun) and chanting his sacred name. Through this, you will behold the compassionate face of the Celestial Worthy, receive divine protection, hear profound teachings, personally make offerings, and permanently escape the sufferings of samsara. Upon hearing this teaching, the fourfold assembly of disciples (originally referring to Buddhist monks, nuns, and male/female lay devotees, here denoting Daoist practitioners) rejoiced and praised, declaring it an unprecedented wondrous Dharma.

(Note: This passage comes from the first volume of the Gaoshang Yuhuang Benxing Jijing [Supreme Jade Emperor's Scripture of Original Conduct]. It primarily instructs practitioners to purify their minds and safeguard their Daoist resolve, attaining liberation through devoted practice. "Zhenzong" refers to the fundamental principles of Daoism, "Linggen" denotes one's innate spiritual nature, and "treasure" metaphorically represents precious Daoist teachings.)