《元始天尊說酆都滅罪經》

The Scripture of the Primordial Heavenly Sovereign on Eliminating Sins in Fengdu (Plain Interpretation):

At that time, the Primordial Heavenly Sovereign (Yuanshi Tianzun, the supreme deity of Daoism) expounded this scripture capable of absolving sins, instructing the celestial and earthly spirits: through fasting and cultivation, boundless merit (De) may be attained. He summoned the celestial soldiers and divine generals, the underworld officials of Fengdu (the Daoist realm of the dead), the mountain gods of the Five Sacred Peaks (Wuyue), the city gods of various regions, and the deities governing life and death to assemble. The gathered spirits reverently bowed and received the Heavenly Sovereign's teachings.

The Heavenly Sovereign revealed: All living beings in the world are under the dominion of the Great Demon King. Those who commit the Ten Evils and Five Heinous Crimes will be imprisoned in the hells, suffering day and night. Yet if one cultivates through the "Ten Assemblies of Fasting" (ten types of merit-gathering rituals), the Great Emperor of Fengdu will pardon the sinner based on the records of the Karmic Mirror (which documents good and evil deeds). The specific methods are:

1. Observe fasting for forty-nine consecutive days and submit a written petition to the celestial court.

2. The Virtue and Vice Attendants of the Six Offices (celestial departments) will record the deeds in the Jade Register (the ledger of life and death).

3. The sinner may then be reborn in a land of blessings and joy.

4. Establishing grand Daoist altars to liberate deceased parents enables their souls to ascend to the Pure Land.

The scripture meticulously records the titles of the Ten Kings of Hell (each corresponding to a seven-day period after death), from King Qinguang of the First Seventh Day to King Zhuanlun of the Hundredth Day, Minor and Major Memorials—ten kings in total.

The Heavenly Sovereign particularly emphasized: Children should cultivate merit for their deceased parents, ensuring the departed souls ascend to heaven and avoid the wretched paths. If the entire nation practices accordingly, the dead may be spared descent into hell. However, those who commit grave evils without cultivating virtue will, after death, be dragged into the twenty-four layers of hell for punishment. Each person's retribution will differ according to the severity of their sins.

(Note: The Ten Evils refer to the ten grave offenses such as killing and theft; the Five Heinous Crimes include patricide and matricide; the Ten Assemblies of Fasting are Daoist salvation rites; the twenty-four hells constitute the Daoist infernal system.)

The Yuanshi Tianzun Says the Fengdu Scripture on Eliminating Sins describes the names and characteristics of the twenty-four layers of hell. These hells include: the First Prison of Heaven and Earth, the Second Leveling Prison, the Third Nine Heavens Prison, the Fourth Law Enforcement Prison, the Fifth Clear and Cold Prison, the Sixth Immeasurable Prison, the Seventh Supreme Truth Prison, the Eighth Three-Six Prison, the Ninth Heavenly Unity Prison, the Tenth Black Calamity Prison, the Eleventh Nüqing Prison, the Twelfth Torture Prison, the Thirteenth Mountain of Knives Prison, the Fourteenth Forest of Swords Prison, the Fifteenth Bronze Pillar Prison, the Sixteenth Rack Prison, the Seventeenth Volcano Prison, the Eighteenth Charcoal Furnace Prison, the Nineteenth Molten Bronze Prison, the Twentieth Saw Prison, the Twenty-First Stone Press Prison, the Twenty-Second Frozen Ice Prison, the Twenty-Third River God Prison, and the Twenty-Fourth Blazing Fire Prison.

Yuanshi Tianzun (the supreme deity in Daoism) states: When ordinary people in the world pass away, if men and women cultivate merit, sincerely uphold the Dao, extensively offer incense, flowers, scripture banners, and divine images, recite scriptures to relieve suffering, and observe purification rituals and spiritual practice, the souls of the deceased will not fall into these twenty-four layers of hell and will be spared the Ten Sufferings and Eight Calamities (referring to various hellish torments). In this way, they can transcend the sea of suffering, no longer be lost, naturally awaken, gradually ascend, and distance themselves from suffering, wholeheartedly turning toward the Dao and sincerely practicing it.

(Fengdu refers to the legendary capital of the underworld in Daoist tradition, and "eliminating sins" means eradicating karmic offenses.)