《靈寶無量度人上經大法》Vol. 2

First Rendering: The jade characters came into being before the void had differentiated, hidden within emptiness, and were called the "Jade Script of the Great Brahma" (Dafan Yuzi). When the Chiming (Vermilion Brightness) era opened its charts, the script was refined by fire and took visible form as the "Vermilion Writing Jade Script" (Chishu Yuzi). Heavenly Venerable of the Primordial Beginning (Yuanshi Tianzun) used the vast and penetrating divine power of this script to manifest five kinds of writing, which gave rise to spirits, proclaimed the meaning of the scriptures, and disclosed hidden truths, and in this way the Great Dharma (dafa) took shape.

Second Rendering: Once the vermilion script was refined, each character measured one zhang in size and had an octagonal form. Its light hung downward, covering the heavens and shading the roots of the Nine Heavens of Xiyuan. Its golden radiance surged like flowing water, and the jade light and the golden true light illuminated outer space. The Heavenly Venerable ordered the Heavenly Perfected Huangren (Tianzhen Huangren) to write these characters, which were called the "Eight Majestic Dragon Script" (Bawei Longwen) and also the "Writings of the Eight Assemblies of the Heavens." They were secretly stored in the Golden Gate of Shangqing Xuandu, the Seven-Treasure Jade Terrace, the Orchid Chamber and Golden Room of the Upper Palace of Zi Wei, the Eastern and Western Halls, and the Palace of the Great Rosy Mist of the Nine Heavens.

Third Rendering: Heavenly Venerable of the Primordial Beginning is the lord of the Dao methods, and Jade Dawn Lord (Yuchen Daojun) is the teacher of the Numinous Treasure (Lingbao) tradition. Together they composed this numinous book, forming the scripture from five sections of true script and thirty-two heavens' jade characters, and named it the "Chapter of Cloud Seal Light." In addition, the Queen Mother of the West once transmitted the scriptures to the Yellow Emperor, and the Old Man of the Dragon Majesty (Longwei Zhangren) once transmitted the Five Numinous Talismans method to Great Yu. The Later Sage Most High (Taishang Houshen) also transmitted the Numinous Treasure Venerable Scripture to rulers of successive ages. All of this material is contained in the Thirty-Six Scriptures and has been further rendered elsewhere, so it will not be repeated here.

The Yellow Emperor once sought the Dao on Mount Emei, personally saw the Heavenly Perfected Huangren, and again received his instructions. Zuo Xianweng of the Wu region likewise bestowed this scripture at the Taiji Palace, which allowed it to circulate. These experiences will not be narrated again here.

Fourth Rendering: On the seventh day of the seventh month of the first year of the Yuanfeng era of Emperor Wu of the Han, the Queen Mother of the West descended and transmitted this scripture and its methods to Emperor Wu. Since the emperor did not understand the language of the Great Brahma, the Queen Mother explained: "Yuanshi is a person of the Great Luo Heaven, and the Daojun is a person of the Xiniyu kingdom. The language of the heavens differs from the language of the divine continent, and how much more so the language of the Great Brahma?" She then wrote out the scripture with her brush, rewriting the heavenly jade script into the writing in common use at the time. The rites, garments, implements, palace names, book titles, halls, stems and branches (ganzhi), trigrams, qi methods, altar ritual, and the various practical procedures of the Great Dharma contained in the language of the Great Brahma, along with the related content recorded in the Thirty-Six Venerable Scriptures, were all revised according to the institutions of the Han dynasty.

The words in the "Shiwen" are the teachings transmitted through the ages to pass on the Dharma. The Heavenly Perfected Huangren (Tianzhen Huangren, a revered Daoist deity) recorded the writings of the "Five Translations" in their entirety, making them the correct sounds and wondrous practices.

The Perfected compiled talismanic writings and great methods for cultivation and use. The Perfected Xiuyong Zhending, the Perfected Yuluo, and the Perfected Guangmiao gathered thirty-six sections of scriptures and talismanic diagrams and compiled them into the Zhongmeng Baolu. The texts of the thirty-six scriptures thereby became the Lingbao Dafa (the Great Method of the Numinous Treasure). Later, the Elder Immortal Wu Zuoxian transmitted the scriptures, registers, and oral formulas to the Perfected Xu of Taiji, and the Elder Immortal then passed them on to Lord Yang of Shangqing. Lord Yang compiled the scriptural methods of the two categories of Yuqing and Dongzhen, Shangqing and Dongxuan. In later generations, the Divine Writings gradually appeared, and these constitute the Fifth Translation.

Chapter on Regulations for Fasting and Abstinence

The Xuanshi (Mysterious Master) says: Whoever wishes to receive and practice the Lingbao Dafa must first uphold the Ten Supreme Precepts. One should keep a mind of fairness and never deceive oneself. One should be loyal to the sovereign and filial to Heaven, Earth, and one's parents. One should be compassionate and generous, treating all things with kindness, contented with simplicity and frugality, and restrained in one's conduct. One should maintain purity and uprightness and not form cliques or show partiality. One should revere the Lingbao Dafa and believe deeply in its teachings and practice accordingly. One should respect the spirits and gods and never treat them with contempt or insult. As for clothing and food, all come from the Yuanshi Zuqi (the primordial ancestral qi, the original vital energy of the cosmos), so no deluded thoughts should arise about them. One should cleanse impurities with ash water and need not adorn oneself with elaborate decoration. While reciting scriptures, one should chant with the mouth and worship with the mind, and must not overtax the body. After seven days of stillness and settling, when the spirit light is clear and tranquil, one will be able to behold the Yuqing realm.

The Xuanshi says: Whoever cultivates and recites this scripture, seeks to penetrate its profound principles and investigate its subtle meanings, and pursues the Dao and seeks immortality, must first uphold the Twelve Great Precepts of Fasting. Do not kill living beings. Do not injure others. Do not be jealous. Do not harbor envy. Do not indulge in licentiousness. Do not steal. Do not be greedy. Do not crave what is not one's own. Do not harbor hatred. Do not revile others. Do not speak in flowery or boastful terms. Do not utter evil words.

The Xuanshi says: Whoever wishes to honor the supreme Dharma gate, rescue the dead, liberate the living, subdue the myriad demons, and govern the hundred spirits must uphold the Nine Perfected Precepts. Be respectful and humble, and care for one's parents. Be diligent in one's duties and loyal to the sovereign. Do not kill, and be compassionate in aiding all living beings. Do not indulge in licentiousness; keep oneself upright and conduct one's dealings with others in accordance with the Way. Do not steal, uphold righteousness, and be willing to suffer loss oneself. Do not give way to anger or commit evil, and do not bully others. Do not deceive or flatter, and do not secretly harm the good. Do not be arrogant or proud, and do not treat the supremely Perfect Dao with disrespect. Keep the precepts without a divided mind and practice them with single-hearted devotion.

The Mysterious Master (Xuanshi), the ancestral patriarch of the Daoist lineage, says: Whoever receives any of the precepts must take refuge in the body, the spirit, and the life-force, and return to the Three Treasures of the Supreme Dao. One must not believe in or follow heterodox masters, nor be deluded by illusions, by the teachings of demonic and false paths, or by the magical arts transmitted by demons. The Three Treasures referred to here are: first, taking refuge in the Supreme Treasure of the Dao (Dao Bao); second, taking refuge in the Supreme Treasure of the Scriptures (Jing Bao); and third, taking refuge in the Supreme Treasure of the Master (Shi Bao).

The Mysterious Master says: These precepts were all spoken personally by the Heavenly Honored One (Tianzun). If one receives them and keeps them without transgression, all the heavens will rejoice, one's obstacles of demons will be dispelled, one's trials will be overcome, and ultimately one may ascend to immortality. If one transgresses, the Earth Office (Dis), which governs the registers of the netherworld, will send a report upward by urgent memorial, and the Three Officials (Sanguan), the deities governing heaven, earth, and water in Daoist belief, will investigate and impeach the offense, while the Five Emperors (Wudi) will record the fault. For a minor offense, one's allotted lifespan will be reduced. For a moderate offense, one will be examined and will implicate one's living soul (shengHun). For a grave offense, one will suffer setbacks in one's merits and works, and will be subject to reduced lifespan, reduced stipend, and demotion in immortal rank. If the transgression was not intentional, repentance and apology are still permitted; however, one must avoid apologizing during the autumnal equinox, and once one has repented, one must not offend again. If one transgresses three times, forgiveness will no longer be granted.

The Mysterious Master says: In practicing and upholding this Great Dharma, one should select auspicious days designated by the heavens, and cleanse oneself through fasting and purification. In this way, Heaven and Earth will register one's name, and the Nine Mysterious and Seven Ancestors (the multiple generations of ancestors in Daoist teaching) will all be able to ascend to the Southern Palace. The practitioner will be safe, pure, auspicious, and long-lived, will attain perfection upon completing their merit, and blessings will extend to their household. Requests will be granted, spirits and ghosts will bow in reverence, and the assembled Perfected (Zhenxian) will come to pay court.

On each of these monthly days, corresponding Heavenly Honored Ones and Celestial Lords descend. On the first day, the Heavenly Honored One of the Jade Treasure August Emperor of the East (Dongfang Yubao Huangshang Tianzun) and the Nine Qi Celestial Lord (Jiuqi Tianjun) descend. On the eighth day, the Heavenly Honored One of Ten Thousand Blessings and True Mystery of the South (Nanfang Xuanzhen Wanfu Tianzun) and the Three Qi Celestial Lord (Sanqi Tianjun) descend. On the fourteenth day, the Heavenly Honored One of Supreme Subtle Ultimacy of the West (Xifang Taimiao Zhiji Tianzun) and the Seven Qi Celestial Lord (Qiqi Tianjun) descend. On the fifteenth day, the Heavenly Honored One of Jade Dawn of Mysterious Supremacy of the North (Beifang Xuanshang Yuchen Tianzun) and the Five Qi Celestial Lord (Wuqi Tianjun) descend. On the eighteenth day, the Heavenly Honored One of the Supreme Sage Who Delivers Immortals of the Northeast (Dongbei Duxian Shangsheng Tianzun) and the Brahma Qi Celestial Lord (Fanqi Tianjun) descend. On the twenty-third day, the Heavenly Honored One of Good Life and Salvation of Life of the Southeast (Dongnan Haosheng Duming Tianzun) and the Brahma Qi Celestial Lord descend. On the twenty-seventh day, the Heavenly Honored One of the Great Spirit Void August Emperor of the Southwest (Xinan Tailing Xuhuang Tianzun) and the Brahma Qi Celestial Lord descend. On the twenty-eighth day, the Heavenly Honored One of Boundless Great Brilliance of the Northwest (Xibei Wuliang Taihua Tianzun) and the Brahma Qi Celestial Lord descend. On the twenty-ninth day, the Heavenly Honored One of Jade Void Bright August Emperor of the Above (Shangfang Yuxu Minghuang Tianzun) and the Brahma Qi Celestial Lord descend. On the thirtieth day, the Heavenly Honored One of Dawn Clarity True Emperor of the Below (Xiafang Zhenhuang Dongchen Tianzun) and the Earth Sovereign of the Nine Ramparts and Heavy Yin (Jiulei Chongyin Tuhuang) descend. In a short month without a thirtieth day, this shifts to the twenty-seventh day.

The Mysterious Master says: On the days when these Ten-Direction Heavenly Honored Ones descend, it is fitting to cleanse oneself through fasting, to repent of faults, to petition for grace, and to present memorials to the Heavenly Court. The Ten-Day Three Assemblies (shitian sanhui, specific days in Daoist belief associated with convening with the heavens and presenting memorials) are likewise suitable for this practice. On the seventh day of the first month...

Each year on the seventh day of the seventh month is the "Qingsheng Zhonghui" (Assembly for Celebrating Birth), and the fifth day of the tenth month is the "Jiansheng Dahui" (Great Assembly for Establishing Birth).

Master Xuan (Xuanshi) says that these three assembly days, along with the Sanyuan (Three Primordial) days, namely the fifteenth day of the first month, the fifteenth day of the seventh month, and the fifteenth day of the tenth month, are days on which all beings are universally delivered and their merits and faults are examined. Beyond these, there are also the Five La Days (wula ri). In the Scripture on the Profound Kindness of the Parents of the True One (Zhenyi Fumu Enzhong Jing), the Heavenly Venerable (Tianzun) teaches that these days are suitable for fasting, for offering sacrifices to deceased ancestors and relatives, and for chanting scripture and performing ritual practice to liberate the dead. Doing so is called filial conduct. Sacrifices made on other days may count as improper rites: the dead cannot enjoy the offerings, and the one who sacrifices receives no blessing in return.

The Five La Days are as follows: the first day of the first month is Tian La (Heavenly La), the fifth day of the fifth month is Di La (Earthly La), the seventh day of the seventh month is Daode La (La of the Dao and De), the first day of the tenth month is Minsui La (People's Year La), and within the twelfth month is Wanghou La (La of Kings and Lords).

Master Xuan further says that there are also the "Xiao Sanhui" (Minor Three Assemblies): the Gengshen days, the Jiazi days, and the days of one's own birth cycle (benming ri, the ganzhi day of one's birth). On a Gengshen day, the Corpse Deities (Shi Shen) report a person's faults to Heaven. On a Jiazi day, Taiyi reviews the registers of the spirits. On one's benming day, the hundred spirits come to stand beside the person. The Eight Nodes days are the days when the Celestial Perfected (tianzhen) from the eight directions gather to assess people's sins, blessings, and merits in the Palace of the Eight Radiances in the Upper Void. The Eight Nodes consist of the Four Standings (Lichun, Lixia, Liqiu, Lidong), the Two Solstices (Dongzhi and Xiazhi), and the Two Equinoxes (Chunfen and Qiufen).

There are also several minor assembly days that are suitable for holding jiaoji (a Daoist rite for seeking blessings), for performing good works and accumulating merit, and for chanting scripture. When these observances are carried out, the True Spirits will descend, and the practitioner will receive blessings. The minor assemblies are as follows: Jiawu is the Heavenly Festival Assembly, Jiashen the Earthly Festival Assembly, Jiachen the Assembly of the Four Seasons, Jiazi the Human Festival Assembly, and Jiaxu the Assembly of the Five Phases. Bingwu is the Assembly of Heaven, Renwu the Assembly of Earth, Gengwu the Assembly of the Sun, Gengshen the Assembly of the Moon, Xinyou the Assembly of the Stars, and Dingmao the Assembly of the Immortal Perfected. In addition, there are the Three-Day Dipper Earth-Branch Assembly and the Assembly of One's Birth Day and Birth Year.

Master Xuan says that since one has resolved to pursue immortality, one should fast, burn incense, and chant scripture whenever calamities arise. Six kinds of circumstances are important occasions on which a Daoist practitioner accumulates merit (gongxing): when the cosmic cycle of Heaven and Earth nears its end, when the stars move in disorder, when the sun and moon lose their regularity, when the four seasons fall out of order, when yin and yang fall out of balance, when the ruler suffers misfortune, when wars break out, when epidemics spread, when the people suffer death and injury, and when one's teachers and friends pass away.

The so-called exhaustion of the cosmic cycle of Heaven and Earth refers to the point at which the greater and lesser yin-yang cycles reach the period of nine hundred and six. At such a time, there may be catastrophes such as the splitting of Heaven and Earth or the running of the cosmic degrees toward their final decline. In all of these, one should fast, burn incense, and chant scripture. Likewise, when the stars run in disorder and their orbits collide, when baleful stars, portent stars, or comets with spear-like rays appear, and when the sun and moon are eclipsed or grow dim and obscure, one should also fast, burn incense, and chant scripture……

Fasting, offering incense, and recitation can ward off the disasters that come with disordered seasons: unseasonal weather, droughts and floods out of time, and imbalances in the yin and yang qi. These phenomena were understood as calamities caused by violating the qi of the seasons. Where war breaks out, rebellion spreads, armies march east and west, and rebel ministers and bandits bring chaos everywhere, one should likewise practice fasting, incense offering, and recitation. Even a perfected sage, if karmic retribution from past lives brings demonic trials, misfortune, and suffering, should cultivate in the same way.

For one who has not yet entered the practice, how can illness and harm be avoided if he has not entered the mysterious realm? How much more so when one lives in a mundane world filled with the five defilements, where insect plagues, warfare, fire, epidemics, the penalties of royal law, and military levies arrive one after another. One should then aid others with a compassionate heart and repay old karmic debts, and likewise practice fasting, incense offering, and recitation. Cultivating in this way accumulates merit that will surely lead to attaining the rank of Perfected and becoming a minister of the Jinque (the Golden Gate, the celestial palace of Daoist legend).

The Mysterious Master says: the method of recitation is detailed in the Xiusong Pin (Chapter on Recitation Practice), and the ritual procedures for incense offering are found in a single book of warp and weft. There are four kinds of fasting: the Mind Fast (xinzhai), the Constant Fast (changzhai), the Pure Fast (qingjingzhai), and the Long Fast (changzhai, written with a different character from the Constant Fast).

The Mind Fast means strictly observing the celestial precepts, bringing the mind into accord with the commandments, and keeping inner and outer conduct consistent. One does not think, desire, worry, or fear, and easily reaches the state of sitting in oblivion (zuowang), in which the distinction between body and mind is forgotten. When one's virtue equals that of a Perfected and one's realm of the Dao matches that of the immortals, this is called the Mind Fast.

The Constant Fast means abstaining from pungent and repugnant foods and cutting off meat, while restraining desire. The Pure Fast means abstaining from the five grains and staying apart from worldly affairs. One dwells in the mountain forests, takes in the primordial qi (yuanqi), keeps the precepts strictly, forgets worldly entanglements, and cuts off ties with the secular world. The Long Fast combines all three of the above practices and may be sustained for one or two months, one or two years, or even ten or twenty years, until the end of one's life. Cultivation begins with the vow one makes, and its ultimate goal is ascension to immortality.

According to the Xuandu Dingzui Lü (Statutes for Fixing Offenses of the Mysterious Capital) and the Taiji Ke (Taiji Liturgy Code), anyone who recites scriptures after eating the five pungent vegetables and so violates the precepts commits an offense of the first rank. Whoever offends the spirits or defiles the pure qi while reciting will suffer the retribution of the hell where venomous serpents pierce the heart. Eating any of the three abhorrent foods means one has forever lost hope of becoming an immortal. The flesh of the six domestic animals, as well as the eggs and embryos of birds and livestock, must not be eaten, because eating them harms life and shortens one's lifespan. Pork and dog meat are especially to be avoided.

Violating the fasting prohibitions not only undermines one's practice. Even when one's merit is complete, the celestial gate will block one and refuse entry, and the memorials one submits will not reach Shangyuan (the Highest Origin, the celestial level of the Daoist cosmos). If a Daoist priest falls ill, he may eat dried meat, venison, or goose and duck meat. It is better still not to eat these once he recovers.

Baojing (Scripture of Treasures), "Chapter on Deliverance from the World"

The Bright Treasure Scripture: Sealed Away and Descended to the World

The Celestial Venerable (Tianzun) expounded this scripture in the Shiqing Heaven (Shiqing Tian) and transmitted it to the Lord of the Dao (Daojun). Later, in the Taidan Heaven (Taidan Tian), he bestowed the sounds of the Great Brahma, which the Lord of the Dao arranged into written form. Once the scripture was complete, Heaven stored it in the Purple Tenuity Upper Palace of the Xuandu Jade Capital, treating it as an extremely precious secret that only sages could transmit.

Later, the Queen Mother of the West requested that the Celestial Emperor send this scripture down to the human world, so that it could be used to meet the calamity of the Jiashen year and be entrusted to those who cultivate the Dao. The scripture thus remained in the human world. Its contents are the secret songs of the Heavenly Thearchs and the Supreme Spirit Demon Kings, describing the calamities of heaven and earth, the names of the gods, the union of Yin and Yang, and the generation and transformation of primordial Qi (yuan qi), the root Qi from which all things arise. Its meaning is profound and cannot be fully explained; only those who truly awaken to the Dao can perceive it clearly.

In Heaven, the scripture is transmitted only once every forty thousand kalpas, while in the human world it is transmitted once every forty years. To divulge or neglect this scripture carelessly brings disaster that reaches nine generations of ancestors and even extends into the netherworld, so how could one not be cautious? (The above follows the commentary of Li Shaowei.)

The Origin of the Inner Sound

The Celestial Venerable was seated and teaching the Dao in the Bailing Hall of the Chiming World. At that time, clouds and mist grew dense, and the sky remained dim and dark for three days and three nights. The Five Elder Thearchs petitioned the Celestial Venerable, saying: "Today we attend in your presence and encounter omens unlike any before. In the past, when the Celestial Venerable taught the Dao, the mountains and seas grew still, and heaven and earth were clear and solemn. Today, however, the day has grown dark, and heaven and earth seem fearful and restless. We do not understand why."

The Celestial Venerable told them: "Today the heavens are manifesting auspicious signs, and efficacy arises naturally. The radiance of the jade characters blocks the light of heaven, so that everyone present cannot see clearly for the moment, in order to await their appearance."

Before long, the atmosphere of heaven suddenly opened and brightened, the darkness dispersed at once, and five-colored light illuminated the ten directions. Spirit writings appeared throughout the sky, each character a zhang (about three meters) square, vivid and dazzling in color. Light hung down from the eight corners, and their brilliance was so intense that no one could look directly at them.

The Celestial Venerable addressed the assembled Perfected universally: "These are the Spirit Writings of the Eight Gatherings. Their forms have no fixed pattern, and their meanings are profound, so you will find them difficult to comprehend." He then ordered the Heavenly Perfected Huangren (a figure from legend) to annotate these characters, explaining their meanings and pronunciations, and to bestow the annotations on the Supreme Lord of the Dao (Taishang Daojun). The complete text contained two hundred and fifty-six characters. The Lord of the Dao arranged them into a text called the "Concealed Language of the Great Brahma," and recorded this account of its origin after the first two chapters.

Once, during the time of the Yellow Emperor, the Heavenly Perfected Huangren descended to the human world, came to Mount Emei, and taught the Yellow Emperor the method of the Three Ones and Five Sprouts (a cultivation method in Daoism). He later ascended to Heaven and departed. (The above is compiled from the Inner Sound Scripture and the Biographies of Immortals (Liexian zhuan).)

The Great Method of the Supreme Scripture of Limitless Salvation through the Numinous Treasure, Volume Two

(Transmitted and established / this chapter)