《太上玄都妙本清靜身心經》

The Scripture of the Mysterious and Primordial Wondrous Foundation of Purity in Body and Mind (Taishang Xuandu Miaoben Qingjing Shenxin Jing), Modern Interpretation:

At that time, the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning (Yuanshi Tianzun, the supreme deity of Daoism) was expounding the Dao in the Purple Jade Palace of Seven-Jeweled Blossoming Trees within the Mysterious Capital (Xuandu) celestial realm. The Supreme Lord of the Dao (Taishang Daojun), along with sages from the ten directions, celestial immortals, rulers of the Three Realms, and countless beings including heavenly deities and dragon spirits awaiting deliverance, had all attained the true state of the Dao. With minds in Wuwei (non-action), they gathered at the Mysterious Capital palace. Adorned with treasures—gold, silver, lapis lazuli, coral, amber, pearls, and jasper—the palace radiated brilliance inside and out. Countless immortals sat in attendance, with auspicious signs naturally manifesting: celestial flowers rained down to carpet the ground, divine music played without musicians, and a hundred sacred fragrances spontaneously filled the air.

The assembled immortals were struck with wonder and doubt, silently contemplating but none daring to speak first. The Celestial Worthy, perceiving the karmic conditions of ordinary beings, opened the gate of wisdom to reveal the great Dao of Wuwei. Reflecting on the original nature of all things, he proclaimed in a resonant voice: "All you beings, men and women alike, are originally pure in body and mind. Your true nature is eternal and unchanging, like empty space—free to come and go, untainted by defilement. Yet through deluded thoughts and karmic forces, you take rebirth, like a luminous pearl long buried in filth, its radiance obscured by dust and grime."

"You future beings cling to this false body, straying from the true Dao. Creating inverted karma, you accumulate layers of false dust, burying the pearl of wisdom beneath foolish impurities. Drowning in the ocean of birth and death, you are swept away by torrents of desire, trapped in the realms of the Five Desires (wealth, lust, fame, food, and sleep) and the Four Maras (afflictions, the five aggregates, death, and celestial demons). Bound by vexations that fetter body and mind, you cycle through the Three Evil Paths (hell, hungry ghosts, and animals), veiling your originally luminous true nature."

"Thus, I now reveal this wondrous dharma gate for your awakening. You must draw the water of Dao-nature with your inherent capacity, gather the sublime fragrance of Wuwei, and brew the medicine of wisdom within the chamber of purity. For all beings, cleanse the defilements of root and branch, wash away the dust of illusion, and enter the gate of wisdom to contemplate your true nature—utterly eradicating afflictions and habitual tendencies. Penetrate the singular vehicle of the great Dao, understand the truth of birth and death, return to the source, and restore our original purity and emptiness. Thus, you will naturally realize the Dao."

(Note: This scripture, set in the celestial assembly of the Mysterious Capital, reveals that all beings inherently possess the pure nature of the Dao but cycle through rebirth due to delusion and attachment. It points to the path of returning to the origin through cultivation of Wuwei. The "mysterious pearl" symbolizes the innate Dao-nature in all, while the "Four Mara realms" denote four obstacles on the spiritual path.)

This scripture depicts a sacred ritual assembly scene, consisting of several key elements:

First, after listening to the Celestial Sovereign's (Tianshi) teachings, the assembly rejoiced and respectfully chanted hymns of praise. The hymns essentially convey: The supreme Primordial Celestial Sovereign (Yuanshi Tianzun) compassionately enlightens sentient beings, revealing how human attachments and delusions plant the roots of greed, anger, and ignorance, leading to endless afflictions and perpetual wandering through the cycles of karma. The Celestial Sovereign teaches us to use "the water of Dao-nature" (symbolizing purification methods of pristine wisdom) to cleanse defiled thoughts and return to the true path. Through the "soup of pure wisdom" (metaphor for cultivation methods), one can remove the filth of ignorance and awaken true nature. Those with karmic affinity should enter the "chamber of proper contemplation" (place of practice), using the mirror of wuwei (non-action) clarity to illuminate their karmic obstacles.

Then, a perfected being named Fajie (one who has attained cultivation) respectfully inquired of the Celestial Sovereign: Sentient beings are deeply mired in ignorance, bound by karmic obstructions—how should they establish pure ritual spaces using the "Dharma soup" (cultivation methods) to cleanse their transgressions?

The compassionate Celestial Sovereign replied: On ten specific auspicious days each month (the Ten Direct Days), one should blend pure water with fragrant Dharma soup (symbolizing purification methods) in a clean chamber while maintaining proper seated posture. First, one must observe one's own body... This passage emphasizes the importance of specific cultivation methods for purifying body and mind, including selecting auspicious dates, preparing purified spaces, and blending appropriate "Dharma soup" for practice. These represent common liturgical procedures in Daoist cultivation, designed to help practitioners eliminate afflictions and return to their original purity.

This scripture elucidates methods for attaining the Dao through purifying body and mind. The teaching unfolds in several key sections:

It begins by describing the defiled state of ordinary human existence: Our bodies and minds accumulate layers of impurity—from coarse to subtle—through greed, ignorance and other defilements. Bound by the sufferings of birth, aging, sickness and death, our six sensory faculties (eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body and mind) become obscured like dust-covered mirrors, while our innate nature resembles a sun veiled by dark clouds.

The purification method is then presented: First, one uses ritual fragrant water (xiangtang, sacred liquid used in Daoist ceremonies) to cleanse the body systematically from outer limbs to inner orifices. After achieving external purity, practitioners turn inward through meditative observation (jingguan) to clear mental afflictions—delusions, attachments, and the three poisons of greed, anger and ignorance. Only when both inner and outer purification are complete can one abide in true Dharma and dwell permanently in the sacred space of practice.

Through dialogues between Perfected Beings (zhenren) and the Celestial Worthy (tianzun), deeper teachings emerge: Both human form and consciousness are ultimately empty, being merely temporary manifestations destined for dissolution. Precisely because of this impermanence, purification through practice becomes essential. Particularly at death—when consciousness enters the intermediate bardo state (a transitional phase between death and rebirth recognized in both Buddhist and Daoist traditions)—family and fellow practitioners should erect ritual altars, hang scripture banners, and perform chanting, incense offerings and lamp lighting to assist the deceased consciousness in purification, ultimately enabling its ascent to the pure celestial realms.

The Celestial Worthy emphasizes a crucial insight: Authentic practice requires understanding the relationship between "provisional existence" (jiayou) and "true emptiness" (zhenwu). Practitioners must neither be deluded by transient forms nor neglect their utility—using the provisional physical body as the means to cultivate the formless Dao.

This Scripture of the Most High Mysterious Capital's Wondrous Foundation for Purifying Body and Mind (Taishang Xuandu Miaoben Qingjing Shenxin Jing) contains immeasurable merit as vast as the void itself. Those who transcribe, venerate, and cultivate this scripture will attain a purified original heart, with body and mind becoming spotless as snow. The blessings received will be as innumerable as dust particles—boundless and limitless—hence its name "Mysterious Capital's Wondrous Foundation for Purifying Body and Mind."

All virtuous men and women should know that among all methods for delivering sentient beings, this scripture stands supreme. It is foremost among methods for averting calamities, foremost among cultivation practices, foremost in the path of Wuwei (non-action), foremost in wisdom teachings, and foremost in contemplative practice. This scripture's profundity is beyond conception—the most sublime among all Dharma gates. In the past, I and the other Celestial Venerables attained the Dao-fruit through this very practice. You must treasure it carefully and transmit it with discretion. When encountering suitable recipients, you should burn incense, make vows, and transmit it reverently.

At that moment, thirty-six divine beings—including the Azure Flower Youth, the Cinnabar Origin Perfected Being, the Jade Maiden of Primordial Purity, the Envoy of the Mysterious Palace, and the Great Spirit of the Central Yellow—arrived with their retinues to protect this sacred text and safeguard its practitioners. If you can recite it with tranquil hearts and diligently cultivate it day and night without weariness, your Three Dantian (upper, middle, and lower energy centers) will become purified and radiant, the Six Consciousnesses (of sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch, and thought) will be cleansed and empty, ten cycles of karmic obstructions will dissolve, the Five Spirits (corresponding to the organs) will be pacified, and you will naturally merge with the Great Dao of Wuwei. With body and mind purified, all demonic hindrances will spontaneously vanish.

Hearing this, the assembly rejoiced. The Celestial Venerable then closed his eyes in deep contemplation, while the attendees gazed reverently, not daring to speak, and pressed their palms together in homage. The Celestial Venerable then spoke this gatha:

"The original heart, pure and serene, abides in constant freedom,

Body and mind untainted, without a speck of dust.

Sentient beings drown in delusion through karmic deeds,

Thus the Compassionate Celestial Venerable reveals the true teaching.

The Dharma gate of equality delivers all beings,

Filth dissolves, afflictions depart.

Merit accomplished, they return to the Mysterious Capital,

Ascending to the immortal realms, attaining perfect freedom."

After the sages finished reciting the gatha, the Celestial Venerable smiled, radiating five-colored divine light that illuminated all heavenly blessed realms and the nine netherworld hells. By this radiance, the assembly clearly witnessed the manifestations of karmic retribution throughout heaven and earth, as plainly as seeing their own palms. Thus, they wholeheartedly took refuge in the Great Dao.

The Scripture of the Supreme Mysterious Capital's Wondrous Foundation for Purifying Body and Mind describes how people can eliminate accumulated karmic obstacles (referring to negative cause-and-effect retribution) and present-life calamities through repentance, aspiring to help all beings transcend suffering. The Celestial Worthy (one of Daoism's highest deities), moved by the sincerity of sentient beings, manifests majestic divine power. With the ritual gestures of snapping fingers and clicking teeth (common Daoist ceremonial actions), hell realms are instantly pacified, and hungry ghosts and prisoners are all elevated to the realm of the Dao (the state of cultivation).

At this moment, sacred light illuminates the entire Dharma realm (the cosmos), as mountains, forests, rivers, and valleys are bathed in an atmosphere of universal harmony. The wind of wisdom blows gently, and the sun of enlightenment (symbolizing the radiance of wisdom) shines brightly. All beings participating in this Dharma assembly (religious gathering) attain their true stations (realized stages of cultivation). Sages from the ten directions, celestial beings of the Three Realms (Desire Realm, Form Realm, and Formless Realm), and all manner of living creatures receive profound benefit. Finally, the assembly bows reverently, vowing to practice in accordance with the teachings.

This passage depicts a scene of salvation through sincere repentance, embodying Daoism's compassionate ideal of "delivering all beings." The snapping fingers and clicking teeth mentioned are common ritual gestures for communicating with the divine, while "true stations" refer to the various levels of realization attained through cultivation.