《靈寶無量度人上經大法》Vol. 28

The Mysterious Master said: The effects of merit and fault, sin and blessing, are as follows: major ones add to or subtract from one’s lifespan, while minor ones shorten or lengthen it. Lifespans are calculated in three grades and nine ranks, all determined by the Three Mysterious Capital Bureau in accordance with the prohibitions of the heavenly realm. You should observe and follow these rules.

Upper Grade

Merit is divided into three levels—upper, middle, and lower—and each level into three ranks: upper, middle, and lower.

• Upper level, upper rank: adds three ji; upper level, middle rank: adds two ji; upper level, lower rank: adds one ji.
• Middle level, upper rank: adds ten years; middle level, middle rank: adds nine years; middle level, lower rank: adds seven years.
• Lower level, upper rank: adds half a ji; lower level, middle rank: adds five years; lower level, lower rank: adds three years.

Faults are likewise divided into three levels and nine ranks, each reducing one’s lifespan accordingly.

• Upper level, upper rank: subtracts 240 suan; upper level, middle rank: subtracts 120 suan; upper level, lower rank: subtracts 100 suan.
• Middle level, upper rank: subtracts 90 suan; middle level, middle rank: subtracts 50 suan; middle level, lower rank: subtracts 40 suan.
• Lower level, upper rank: subtracts 30 suan; lower level, middle rank: subtracts 20 suan; lower level, lower rank: subtracts 10 suan.

The Mysterious Master added: Minor good and evil deeds also bring corresponding increases and decreases, ranging from ten suan at most to one suan at least. The Perfected One of Mysterious Energy of the Supreme Ultimate said: If you can accumulate merit of the highest rank in the upper level, do not commit a sin of the highest rank in the upper level. Do one minor good deed each day, recording it, and remove one minor evil deed each day. Accumulating minor good deeds can bring great merit; removing minor evil deeds can bring about great goodness. Even if you have already accumulated merit of the highest level, committing a sin of the upper grade will not be excused on that account. Scholars who recite, study, and follow these words will enjoy blessings as deep as mountains; those who treat them lightly and disobey will bring upon themselves calamities lasting through ten thousand kalpas.

Here, “ji” and “suan” are units used in Daoist texts to calculate lifespan; this passage does not specify how they convert into years.

Middle Grade

The Mysterious Master said: The highest rank among male immortals is called “Celestial Worthy,” and the highest rank among female immortals is called “Primordial Lady.” Practitioners have not yet brought both body and spirit to perfection and still possess physical bodies, so they may not be granted these two honorific titles.

Those who perform meritorious deeds in the human world are promoted according to the scale of their achievements: great merit earns a promotion every three years, moderate merit every seven years, and lesser merit every nine years. Those without merit are promoted one rank every seven hundred days. At their first evaluation for office, they serve in the underworld bureaucracy. Thereafter, they proceed in turn to positions among the Water Officials, the Masters of Mountains and Rivers, the Earth Officials who govern the Jinglu and blessed lands, and the Masters of the Grotto-Heavens, before gradually advancing to the ranks of immortal officials in the Ten Continents and Three Islands.

Those who serve in the Celestial Bureaucracy and practice the Dao in the human world, establish the ten kinds of merit, and widely spread its teachings may await the gods’ examination and receive an official rank once both their inner cultivation and outer deeds are complete.

When the period of Yin-world corpse refinement in the Great Yin is over, those who can take shape and become immortals on schedule may be promoted according to their merit. If their inner and outer merit is not yet complete, they must divide their spirits to carry out their duties, establishing official residences in the Yin bureaus of the three realms of Heaven, Earth, and Water. To enter this mysterious rank and be listed among the esteemed and pure grades, one must pay homage to the Dipper stars, receive a register of the teachings, and be removed from the register of the dead and entered into the register of the living in the Southern Bureau. Merit comes from correcting one’s faults and accumulating goodness through cultivation; only then can one ascend to the ranks of immortals. After examination, promotion to an immortal rank is also permitted. Those who presume to advance recklessly or skip ranks will be investigated and impeached by the Three Officials (Heaven, Earth, and Water). These rules must be observed carefully: violators will be demoted, have years deducted, and suffer penalties to their merit; their undertakings will also fail.

Titles and ranks of the Law-Enforcing Order

Three Heavens Brush-Holding, Demon-Subduing, Law-Enforcing Envoy (the title conferred upon first receiving the teachings and entering the immortal ranks).

Supreme Law-Enforcing Disciple (ranks including Immortal Adept, Perfected One, Immortal Official, and Perfected Official).

The above comprise eight ranks, with promotion granted after examination.

Supreme Jade Steps Law-Enforcing Immortal Adept, Supreme Jade Steps Law-Enforcing Perfected Adept, Supreme Jade Steps Law-Enforcing Immortal Official, Supreme Jade Steps Law-Enforcing Perfected Official.

Supreme Jade Altar Law-Enforcing Immortal Official, Supreme Jade Altar Law-Enforcing Perfected Official.

The above comprise ten ranks, with promotion granted after examination.

Southern Palace Lesser Tenuity Law-Enforcing Perfected Official, Southern Palace Great Tenuity Law-Enforcing Perfected Official, Southern Palace Primordial Tenuity Law-Enforcing Perfected Official, Southern Palace Wondrous Tenuity Law-Enforcing Perfected Official, Southern Palace Numinous Tenuity Law-Enforcing Perfected Official.

The above comprise fifteen ranks, with promotion granted after examination. The associated traditions include Dongxuan, Dongyuan, Dongwei, Dongshen, Dongling, Taiji, Taiqing, Ziwei, and Dayou.

Celestial Bureaucracy Law-Enforcing Immortal Supervisor.

The Immortal Supervisors above comprise seven ranks.

Celestial Bureaucracy Law-Enforcing Immortal Minister.

The above comprise twenty ranks, with promotion granted after examination.

Taiji Law-Enforcing Immortal Minister, Taiji Law-Enforcing Perfected Minister; Dongshen Law-Enforcing Immortal Minister, Dongshen Law-Enforcing Perfected Minister; Taiqing Law-Enforcing Immortal Minister, Taiqing Law-Enforcing Perfected Minister; Shangqing Law-Enforcing Immortal Minister, Shangqing Law-Enforcing Perfected Minister; Yuqing Law-Enforcing Immortal Minister, Yuqing Law-Enforcing Perfected Minister.

The above comprise thirty ranks, with promotion granted after examination.

Taiji Law-Enforcing Perfected Lord, Taichu Law-Enforcing Perfected Lord, Taiyuan Law-Enforcing Perfected Lord, Chiming Law-Enforcing Perfected Lord, Yuanming Law-Enforcing Perfected Lord, Taixu Law-Enforcing Perfected Lord, Yaoming Law-Enforcing Perfected Lord, Zhuluo Law-Enforcing Perfected Lord.

The True Lords Who Hold the Law in the Void and Illumination (the True Lords who administer the laws and perceive what is hidden and manifest), and the True Lords Who Hold the Law in Illumination.

The Mysterious Master said: This rank is divided into ten grades, with status equivalent to the ministers of the various heavens. After completing fifty “proclamations of correction” (counted by correcting faults and establishing meritorious deeds), one rises by a grade. After completing forty such proclamations, one may be transferred into the ranks of the ten Immortal Lords listed above.

From this point downward lies the Realm of Form, the heaven of visible form. The law-administering Immortal Lords of Taihuan, Yuanzai, Taian, Xianding, Shihuang, Xiaomang, Wengzhong, Wusi, Ruanle, Wuji, Haoting, and Yuandong, along with the law-administering High Immortals and True Lords, enter the rank of Immortal Lord after completing sixty proclamations of correction; after seventy, they enter the rank of High Immortal; after eighty, the rank of True Lord. Above them lies the Heaven of the Formless Realm, transcending visible form. It includes the law-administering Immortal Lords, High Immortals, and True Lords of Taiwen, Taisu, Wushang, Taishi, Fandu, and Pingyu. Taiqing, Shangqing, and Yuqing each also have a rank of law-administering True Lord.

The Mysterious Master said: In these ranks, ninety proclamations of correction qualify one for the rank of Immortal Lord; one hundred qualify one for the rank of High Immortal; and one hundred and twenty qualify one for the rank of True Lord. From there, one advances gradually to the rank of Perfected Person. These appointments are all specially conferred by the Supreme Emperor, and their holders also serve as Immortal officials over the various heavens, lands, and waters.

Further advancement leads to offices such as the Inner Secretariat of the Celestial Pivot, the Grand Secretariat of the Celestial Pivot, and the Grand Secretariat of the Great Mystery. Each time a vow to correct one’s faults is made, it must be reported to the Celestial Secretariat for verification by both that office and the Bureau of Demons. The Bureau of Demons reviews the merits of spirits and demons and assesses achievements in subduing demons; it then recommends those who have earned merit. Promotion requires the endorsements of demon officials, the Three Officials, and the Five Emperors, followed by a memorial presented to the various heavens. Demotions and punishments are handled in the same way. Without insight into the many gods and knowledge of the affairs of the Celestial Offices, one cannot understand these mysteries. There are also ranks such as the Celestial Perfected Immortal Register and the Golden Gate of the Divine Court, conferred separately each day. After receiving honors such as bestowed robes, the construction of an immortal residence, audience with the Origin and participation in the Dipper rites, and scrutiny and assessment, one must complete the meritorious deeds prescribed by the Seven Scriptures to fully grasp the highest principles of the Upper Mystery.

Lower Grades

Mysterious Statutes, Immortal Register: Upper Grade, Highest Rank—Murder, Rebellion, Defiance, Betrayal, and Conspiracies of War

The Statutes of the Mysterious Capital say: Those who murder their father or ruler; poison their teacher or elders; disrupt the Five Constant Virtues (the five basic ethical principles) and moral order between Heaven and Earth; offend their ruler, teacher, or parents; angrily destroy or defy the teachings of their revered teacher or parents; abandon the right path for the deviant path and attach themselves to demons and sorcerers; engage in sexual relations with close kin or members of the six relations; or conspire with others to murder someone—all such offenders are to be removed from the registers of immortals, have their merits reduced, and be punished. Their crimes offend the nine generations of ancestors above them, implicate the seven generations of descendants below them, and harm themselves as well. They will endure the torment of wind and blades forever, through countless kalpas.

If one gives no thought to being reborn as an animal in a future life, one will lose the hope of becoming an immortal and have twelve years of lifespan taken away.

The Xuanxian Code of Immortal Rank, Upper Grade, Middle Class: Disrespect, Disclosure, and Destruction

The Lü of Xuandu (Daoist precepts) says: showing disrespect toward rulers, teachers, parents, the Three Treasures (the Dao, scriptures, and teachers), their revered images, and sacred writings; failing to observe the prescribed time limits and disclosing without authorization the forbidden scriptures and secret canons of the Three Treasures and Three Caverns (Dongzhen, Dongxuan, and Dongshen), as well as Fulu (talismans and registers, documents conferring Daoist rank); revealing prophecies and taboo sayings concerning the Five Phases of Heaven and Earth, or divine secrets not yet disclosed; losing blessings by divulging secrets; failing to revere rulers, teachers, parents, forbidden precepts in the canons, and sacred writings; destroying revered images of the Three Treasures or the property held in common by rulers, teachers, and parents; beating, insulting, plotting against, or killing people of the Five Merits of the Dao and De or one’s six kinds of kin; ruining the work of the religious community, professing faith in public while slandering it in private, or changing one’s principles and aspirations; and seizing or deceitfully appropriating sacred texts of the Three Treasures, or the possessions, clothing, and utensils of rulers, teachers, parents, and people of the Seven Virtues. Anyone who commits these offenses will be struck from the register of immortals, have their merit diminished and their office lowered, bringing misfortune upon nine generations of ancestors and seven generations of descendants. After death, they will fall into the long night and the Three Paths of Suffering (hell, hungry ghosts, and animals), with no pardon for a thousand kalpas. In a future life they will be reborn as creatures afflicted with leprosy and having a less than human appearance, and lose twenty-four years of lifespan.

The Xuanxian Code of Immortal Rank, Upper Grade, Lower Class: Killing, Sexual Misconduct, and Theft

The Lü of Xuandu says: killing or injuring any living creature and bringing harm to any being; indulging in sexual desire and engaging in marital intercourse contrary to proper conduct; and stealing any property. Anyone who commits these offenses will be demoted from the ranks of immortals, have their merit diminished and their office lowered, bringing misfortune upon ancestors and descendants. After death, they will sink into hell and receive no pardon even after three amnesties. In this life, they will also incur incurable afflictions such as deafness, blindness, muteness, and madness, and lose twelve years of lifespan.

The Xuanxian Code of Immortal Rank, Middle Grade, Upper Class: Breaking Fasts and Precepts, Greed and Jealousy, Hatred and Resentment

The Lü of Xuandu says: eating the Five Pungent Foods (foods with strong flavors usually avoided in the practice of the Three Treasures) and the Three Forbidden Meats (meats avoided during Daoist fasting), drinking excessively, and craving the flesh of domestic animals, birds, and insects; breaking the fast, secretly consorting with others, and eating meat or other polluting foods during a fast; rewarding and punishing without due measure out of pleasure or anger; acting deceitfully and falsely, coveting without limit, and having many desires without knowing contentment; envying those who surpass oneself, hating those who fall short, resenting the good, harboring evil thoughts, and begrudging others for being stronger than oneself. Anyone who commits these offenses will be demoted three ranks among the immortals, have their merit diminished and their office lowered for nine years, and lose six years of lifespan. One may atone by withdrawing from the fast for one year and then performing one hundred and twenty good deeds.

The Xuanxian Code of Immortal Rank, Middle Grade, Middle Class: Cunning and Flattery, Expediency and Recklessness, A Far-Reaching Bad Reputation, and Empty, Foul Speech and Conduct (Only this heading appears in the text; the following passage has not been preserved.)

The Lü of Xuandu (the precepts transmitted by Xuandu) stipulates:

A person is crafty in thought and suspicious in every matter; acts only for immediate gain or loss; is deferential when serving those above, then turns to flatter those below; speaks falsely and acts without sincerity; shouts angrily and acts arrogantly; turns away from the right path and follows heterodox teachings, unable to distinguish truth from falsehood; enjoys currying favor and dislikes upright people; finds fault in everything, seeks novelty, and passes judgment on right and wrong, truth and falsehood. In walking, standing, sitting, or lying down, the person pursues elegance and finery, unable to return in nature to simplicity. The person defiles pure places, eats the Five Pungent Plants (strongly scented foods such as scallions and garlic), and speaks in obscene and disorderly ways; curses, swears, and resents Heaven, Earth, wind, rain, the Five Phases, and spirits in the morning; and performs various curse rites of suppression (magical acts meant to curse or restrain others). Anyone who commits these faults is to be demoted by two ranks among the immortals, stripped of merit and diminished in immortal service, have five years deducted from their allotted lifespan, observe a retreat of three hundred days, and make amends by performing ninety good deeds.

The Immortal Ranks and Precepts of the Xuanxian Code, lower grade, lower rank: theft, deception, misleading others, and harboring malicious intent.

The Lü of Xuandu stipulates: secretly taking property; failing to repay debts or return borrowed things; taking and hiding something another person has lost; using petty cunning to pursue private gain under the guise of public service; speaking falsehoods and writing false documents; misreporting or concealing facts, passing off the false as true, creating illusions, or spreading lies to mislead others; acting arrogantly toward Heaven and people, deceiving one’s own conscience and the spirits, secretly doing whatever one pleases, and deceiving the sun, moon, stars, Heaven, Earth, and good people. Anyone who plots or intends to commit various evil acts in their heart is to be demoted by one rank among the immortals, stripped of merit and diminished in immortal service, have three years deducted from their allotted lifespan, observe a retreat of one hundred days, and make amends by performing fifty good deeds.

The Immortal Ranks and Precepts of the Xuanxian Code, lower grade, upper rank:

The Lü of Xuandu stipulates: treating the Five Grains with contempt or destroying them; showing no regard for gratitude or duty; breaking alliances and vows; cutting or staining silk; failing to keep faith, showing no compassion, having no spirit of humility or intention to help others; failing to honor firm agreements, and lacking harmony. Anyone who commits these acts is to be demoted by three ranks among the immortals, stripped of merit and diminished in immortal service, have one year deducted from their allotted lifespan, observe a retreat of seventy days, and make amends by performing thirty good deeds.

The Immortal Ranks and Precepts of the Xuanxian Code, lower grade, middle rank:

The Lü of Xuandu stipulates: looking down on the lonely, the destitute, the elderly, and children, and refusing to aid them; failing to care for poor Daoist priests living in the mountains and forests; ruining merit that has not yet been completed; refusing to help good people suffering hardship or illness, or to give them food and clothing; destroying mountains, forests, and graves for the sake of one’s own security; using power to coerce others, or seeing people in danger and failing to rescue them; cutting down plants and trees while they are growing; harboring deceit and misleading others; taking advantage of divinations concerning Heaven, Earth, the stars, and auspicious or inauspicious signs to curry favor with princes and nobles, and using clever schemes to trap living creatures and make offerings…

The transgressions described in the upper-grade precepts include failing to discipline subordinates properly, neglecting to offer incense and flowers during worship, or attending only to one’s own needs rather than devoting oneself to the rites. Anyone who commits these transgressions will be demoted by one rank in the immortal hierarchy and have their merit reduced; their meritorious work will be suspended for half a year. They must withdraw from fasting observances for fifty days, make amends, and then atone by performing twenty good deeds.

Lower Grade, Lower Rank of the Arcane Statutes and Immortal Grades

The Statutes of the Arcane Capital say: falsely claiming that words have been transmitted by the celestial authorities or perfected spirits; pretending to possess virtue in order to seek favors and blessings; intimidating ordinary people; revealing another person’s practice of the Dao in order to attract attention; altering divination slips without authorization; secretly prying into others’ private affairs; opening sealed documents or picking locks without permission; keeping records of minor faults; trampling on or wiping down tables; insulting people of low status; shouting loudly while drunk; making servants work without regard for their hunger or cold; making vows and failing to fulfill them; poisoning or destroying the things associated with the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water); needlessly getting drawn into disputes; being excessively particular about food; whipping or torturing domestic animals; keeping birds, beasts, and insects in cages; using impure incense in worship; performing the bows carelessly during a jiao sacrifice; writing memorials to the celestial authorities or proclamations without sufficient care and reverence; showing disrespect when honoring the deities; and failing to follow the proper standards for the rites associated with liturgical documents.

Anyone who commits these transgressions will be demoted by one rank in the immortal hierarchy and have their merit reduced; their meritorious work will be suspended for ninety days. They must withdraw from fasting observances for one month, make amends, and then atone by performing ten good deeds. Here, “withdraw from fasting observances” means temporarily stepping back from the life of fasting and ritual observance in accordance with the precepts. “Jiao sacrifice” and “memorials and proclamations” refer to Daoist rites and their associated documents.

The Names and Taboo Names of the Celestial Realms

The True Names of the Thirty-Two Heavens

The names of the Celestial Emperors are listed below in order:

Celestial Emperor of the Imperial-Ever-Heaven: Opening the Mysterious, Embracing Illumination; Celestial Emperor of Jade Perfection Heaven: Preserving the Mysterious, the Dao’s numinous power; Celestial Emperor of He Tong Heaven: Dark Life, Enduring Truth; Celestial Emperor of Pingyu Heaven: Drifting Radiance, Silent Stillness; Celestial Emperor of Wenju Heaven: Opening Life, Spreading Beyond; Celestial Emperor of Heng Heaven: Mirror Without Flaw; Celestial Emperor of Mengyi Heaven: A Nan, Oceanic Illumination; Celestial Emperor of Mayi Heaven: Extending Emptiness, Illumination; Celestial Emperor of Heyang Heaven: Ordering Peace, Protecting the Immortals; Celestial Emperor of Gonghua Heaven: Flying Sound, Numinous Power of the Cavern; Celestial Emperor of Zongpiao Heaven: Abundant Chastity, Heroic Spirit; Celestial Emperor of Huangjia Heaven: Difficult Mystery, Illumination; Celestial Emperor of Tangyao Heaven: Pervading the Mysterious, Illumination; Celestial Emperor of Duanjing Heaven: Brightly Beholding, Radiant Illumination; Celestial Emperor of Gongqing Heaven: Majestic Purity, the Dao’s Mystery; Celestial Emperor of Jiyao Heaven: Penetrating Truth, Everlasting Vision; Celestial Emperor of Kongsheng Heaven: Opening Light, Complete Truth; Celestial Emperor of Huangya Heaven: Radiant Heroism, A Hun; Celestial Emperor of Jifeng Heaven: Returning Radiance, Majestic Filial Piety; Celestial Emperor of Mang Heaven: Lord of Glorious Power; Celestial Emperor of Furong Heaven: Beneficent Majesty, Light; Celestial Emperor of Jiangyou Heaven: Bright Dharma, Origin; Celestial Emperor of Ruanle Heaven: Abundant Origin, Truth; Celestial Emperor of Tanshi Heaven: Flying Heaven, Empty Heroism; Celestial Emperor of Xiaodu Heaven: Original Purity, Illumination; Celestial Emperor of Yuandong Heaven: Dharma’s Power, the Dao Foremost; Celestial Emperor of Miaocheng Heaven: Numinous Merit, Beneficent Origin; Celestial Emperor of Jinshang Heaven: Yang’s Majesty, Radiance; Celestial Emperor of Qingchangrong Heaven: Embracing the Mysterious, Numinous Power.

“Zhen Teng Sheng Tian Di, Kong Wei Dao Ming, Fan Du Tian Di, Ju Ling Miao Guang, Jia Yi Tian Di, and Yong Xuan Jiu Sheng” are all the jade taboo names—the exalted and secret names—of the celestial emperors. Engraved in blue-green characters on red crystal, they are kept hidden in the Shangqing Imperial Palace. They are the true sounds of the celestial emperors and are never transmitted to the human world.

The names written in the scripture are appellations used in place of their original names. They are all sacred inscriptions formed from the natural Qi of the empty Dao. Through nine fusions and ten transformations, they contain the boundless and profound mysteries of Shangqing, which are difficult to explain in full. Whoever recites them ten thousand times can ascend to immortality in broad daylight. This is precisely what the saying “I possess the Cavern Inscription; after ten thousand recitations, I become an immortal” means.

The Hidden Sounds of the Thirty-Two Heavens

The hidden sound of the Celestial Emperor of Huangzeng Heaven is “Jueguan”; that of the Celestial Emperor of Yuwan Heaven is “Lan Jue”; that of the Celestial Emperor of Hetong Heaven is “Da Jue”; that of the Celestial Emperor of Pingyu Heaven is “Yuwang”; that of the Celestial Emperor of Wenju Heaven is “Fanyun”; that of the Celestial Emperor of Mayi Heaven is “Yuzhen”; that of the Celestial Emperor of Yueheng Heaven is “Wushang”; that of the Celestial Emperor of Mengyi Heaven is “Xuyu”; that of the Celestial Emperor of Heyang Heaven is “Huanming”; that of the Celestial Emperor of Gonghua Heaven is “Shiyuan”; that of the Celestial Emperor of Zongpiao Heaven is “Luo Jue”; that of the Celestial Emperor of Huangjia Heaven is “Shaotang”; that of the Celestial Emperor of Yaoming Heaven is “Yunshang”; that of the Celestial Emperor of Duanjing Heaven is “Jingsheng”; that of the Celestial Emperor of Gongqing Heaven is “Jingji”; that of the Celestial Emperor of Yao Heaven is “Kuoyi”; that of the Celestial Emperor of Kongsheng Heaven is “You”; that of the Celestial Emperor of Huangya Heaven is “Wანji”; that of the Celestial Emperor of Feng Heaven is “Liuxiao”; that of the Celestial Emperor of Mang Heaven is “Yimiao”; that of the Celestial Emperor of Furong Heaven is “Achan”; that of the Celestial Emperor of Jiangyou Heaven is “Aqiu”; that of the Celestial Emperor of Ruanle Heaven is “Wuliang”; that of the Celestial Emperor of Danshi Heaven is “Danxiao”; that of the Celestial Emperor of Duxian Heaven is “Yuyuan”; that of the Celestial Emperor of Dong Heaven is “Shangmiao”; that of the Celestial Emperor of Cheng Heaven is “Tuojin”; that of the Celestial Emperor of Shang Heaven is “Kui”; that of the Celestial Emperor of Tengsheng Heaven is “Fuli”; that of the Celestial Emperor of Fandu Heaven is “Jingshang”; that of the Celestial Emperor of Changrong Heaven is “Ji”; and that of the Celestial Emperor of Jiayi Heaven is “Eyi.”

The Inner Names of the Five Old Lords

The inner name of the Azure Emperor Lord is “Yan Kai,” and his courtesy name is “Ling Weiyang”; the inner name of the Red Emperor Lord is “Dong Fu Ji Yan,” and his courtesy name is “Chi Biao Nu”; the inner name of the Yellow Emperor Lord is “Tong Ban Yuan Shi,” and his courtesy name is “Han Shuniu”; the inner name of the White Emperor Lord is “Shang Jin Chang Kai,” and his courtesy name is “Yao Po Bao”; and the inner name of the Black Emperor Lord is “Hei Jie Ling Hui,” and his courtesy name is “Yin Hou.”

The inner name of the Perfected Person Who Delivers Life is “Fu Yi Chang.”

The Inner Names of the Five Emperors of the Five Directions

The inner name of the Azure Emperor is “Chang Jingming”; that of the White Emperor is “Hun Ru Shou”; that of the Red Emperor is “Yan Dong Dan”; that of the Black Emperor is “Xuan Ming Meng”; and that of the Yellow Emperor is “Ma Zhongshun.”

This passage first explains that the Azure Emperor, one of the Five Emperors, governs the human soul and liver. In Heaven, he presides over flying immortals; on Earth, he guards the mountains and commands ghosts and spirits. Within the human body, he governs the five organs and their spirits, including the liver’s Hun, the lungs’ Po, the heart’s Qi, the kidneys’ blood, and the spleen. He also presides over the central palace and the muscles.

Thus, humans model themselves on Earth, Earth models itself on Heaven, Heaven models itself on the Dao, and the Dao models itself on nature. The scripture says that the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning opened the gate through which beings could be transformed and saved, taught the methods of becoming immortal, and governed Jade Capital and Dark Metropolis through the principles of the Dark Origin. The phrase “all assemble before the Emperor” in the scripture refers to these matters.

The text then lists the divine and perfected beings of the celestial realms, including the Great Luo Heaven and Jade Clarity, along with their names and secret appellations. For example, the Duke of Jade Clarity is named Kuoyi; the Perfected One of the Upper Origin is named Tanyi; the Lord of Deliverance and Destiny of the Southern Palace is named Xuyu; and the Perfected One of Nine Florescences is named Luokong. The Jade Emperor is also named Kuoyi.

The Lord Emperor of the Heaven of Highest Clarity is also called the Lord Emperor of Purple Dawn. His name is Yuzhen and his courtesy name is Tuoyu. He dwells in the “Realm Beyond Form, Heaven of Brahmic Practice,” where the Great Brahma Qi flows and forms an image in which all things blend as one. Nine-colored radiance appears there naturally, shining upward without the aid of the three lights of the sun, moon, and stars. The scripture’s phrase “the Realm Beyond Form, the Brahmic Heaven’s Emperor Yuzhen” refers to this Lord Emperor. It also says that he manifests wondrous radiance and spiritual grace as a sign of the Dao’s source, with a lineage extending from the Longhan era to the Chiming era.

“Mohe” is a secret honorific by which the various heavens address the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning. The text goes on to list the names or secret appellations of many other divine and perfected beings: the Great Sovereign of the Dark Center is named Yimiao; the Perfected One of Nine Florescences is named Jiuling; the Lady in the Moon has the courtesy name Lüluo; the High God of the Jade Clarity of the Divine Empyrean is named Shao; and the Lords of the Southern and Northern Dipper each have an inner secret name. The God of Rebirth on High in the South is named Feisheng, and the Lord Who Cherishes Life on High in the South is named You. The list also includes the Supreme Perfected Ones of the Four Poles, the Perfected One of Luminous Empyrean, the Lord of the Dao Above, the Perfected One of Rebirth, the Mother of the Nine Spirits and Lady of the Great Yin, the Lord of the Celestial Emperor’s Mandate, the Flying Kings of the Gods of the Ten Directions, the Perfected Ones of the Sun and Moon, the Great Marshal of the Nine Heavens, the Perfected Ones of the Four Poles, the Great Immortal Master Who Cleanses Defilement and Delivers Spirits, the Four Perfected Ones within the Dipper, the Emperor of the Azure Beginning Heaven, and the Great God Who Oversees Birth. Each has a distinct name or secret appellation.

These names designate revered gods and perfected beings in the Daoist pantheon. Terms such as “taboo name,” “inner secret name,” and “hidden title” refer to a spirit’s proper name or esoteric appellation. The final phrase, “the catalogue of the hidden names of the hundred spirits,” introduces a list of the secret names of the hundred spirits.

Lords of the Five Sacred Peaks:

The Central Empress Earth, deity of the Central Earth Palace, has the surname Ming and the personal name Dongnan. The Lord of the Southern Sacred Peak has the surname Rong and the personal name Xiao; the Lord of the Western Sacred Peak has the surname Chong and the personal name [missing]; the Lord of the Northern Sacred Peak has the surname Chen and the personal name [missing]; the Lord of the Central Sacred Peak has the surname Yun and the personal name [missing]; the Lord of the Eastern Sacred Peak has the surname Sui and the personal name Liao.

Great Demon Kings of the Five Heavens:

The Demon King of the Azure Heaven has the surname Bin and the taboo name Chichengba; the Demon King of the Crimson Heaven has the surname Fo and the taboo name Youpushì; the Demon King of the White Heaven has the surname Chi and the taboo name Zhangbu; the Demon King of the Black Heaven has the surname Xu and the taboo name Zhishi; the Demon King of the Yellow Heaven has the surname Tianxing and the taboo name Bo.

Great Demon Kings of the Five Emperors:

The Great Demon King of the Azure Emperor has the surname Poluo and the taboo name Wanxing; the Great Demon King of the Crimson Emperor has the surname Zhe and the taboo name Shangbai; the Great Demon King of the White Emperor has the surname Deng and the taboo name Xu; the Great Demon King of the Black Emperor has the surname Xiao and the taboo name Gongsun; the Great Demon King of the Yellow Emperor has the surname Wansong and the taboo name Chansheng.

The Six Spirits:

The Great Lord of Long Life, taboo name Xu; the Azure Young Master Wuying, taboo name Xuanhaishu; the Venerable Spirit Baiyuan, taboo name Dongyangjun; the Imperial Sovereign Taiyi, taboo name Zhongmingkong; the Venerable Spirit Siming, taboo name Liming; and the Great Spirit of the First Life Gate, taboo name Huihai, courtesy name Daokang.

Taiyi resides in the brain and governs the assembled spirits. Siming resides in the heart and oversees the reception of life-giving Yuan Qi. Wuying resides in the liver and constrains the Three Hun souls; Baiyuan resides in the lungs and restrains the Seven Po souls; Taokang resides at the navel and guards the root of Jing and Qi. The Great Lord of Long Life comes into being and transforms along with a person’s changes, governing the circulation of Jing and blood within the body.

Demon Kings of the Three Realms:

The Demon King of the Realm of Desire, taboo name Yumo; the Demon King of the Realm of Form, taboo name Molu; and the Demon King of the Formless Realm, taboo name Shao. The Great Flying Demon King of the Three Realms, taboo name Dachou; the Great Spirit of Xuandu, taboo name Ana; the Jade Maiden of Great Harmony, named Xian; the numinous child in the Dipper, taboo name Dufu; the Jade Maiden of Mysterious Harmony, named Daorong; the numinous child in the Southern Palace’s Fire-Refining Pool, taboo name Boni; the Demon King of Trayastrimsa Heaven, taboo name Jiutong; the numinous child in the sun, taboo name Shaodu; the celestial spirit who oversees the Feathered Forest, named Miao; the celestial attendant of the emperor, taboo name Kong; the divine infant of the Great Brahma, named Guanyin; the child of the Fire Wheel, named Wuhe; the celestial official who governs the Fire Prison in Yuqing, taboo name Jia; the Great Spirit who cuts down evil in Yuqing, taboo name Na; the Flying Divine King of Yuqing, taboo name Hu; the Jade Maiden of Ten Thousand Transformations in Yuqing, taboo name He; the senior investigating official in Yuqing, taboo name Liu; the divine maiden above all, named Quli; and the elder of the Chief Minister of the Celestial Mechanism, taboo name Yuqing.

The “taboo names” listed here are the deities’ personal or esoteric names. The passage on the Six Spirits associates deities with parts of the body such as the brain, heart, liver, lungs, and navel. This reflects the Daoist internal cultivation practice of focusing the mind on deities to regulate body and mind.

The Great Spirit of Fine Jade Radiance is named “Flying and Scattering Within the Dipper.” The second Great Spirit’s sacred name is “A Tuo Long.”

The Great Spirit of Luo Birth and Embryonic Transformation is named “A Chan.” The sacred name of the Three Heavens’ Great Spirit A Na is “Yu Pu Shou.”

The Great Method of the Supreme Scripture of Limitless Salvation by Numinous Treasure, juan 28.