《靈寶無量度人上經大法》Vol. 5

Interpretation

This passage contains talismanic texts and explanations of their uses from the Lingbao Fuming Pin. It mainly describes how wearing, ingesting, or posting talismans can ward off calamities, repel evil, cure illness, and help people cultivate toward immortality. Some characters and phrases in the original may be corrupt or missing; the following interpretation follows what can be discerned.

Talismans can preserve life and stabilize its root. Wearing one can bring a person into the company of benefactors, and can also be used to address the loss or dispersal of wealth.

The sounds issued by talismans can restore a person’s vitality. They can drive away the ghosts and evils that bind people, subdue forces that cause confusion and disorientation, and consume evil beings such as the “Three Dao.”

Wearing or posting talismans can keep all manner of calamities from intruding, allowing a person to travel alone to Yujing, the Daoist palace realm of the immortals. Talismans can also suppress impure Qi. According to the text, posting one in the center of a courtyard can help a person ascend and depart.

The merit of the Great Brahma—the pure and lofty realm of the Dao—is majestic and vast beyond reckoning. Talismans can be used for corpse liberation, a Daoist means of leaving the physical form and attaining the Dao as an immortal, and for dispelling calamities. Worn on the body, they can suppress evil and ward off mountain spirits and impure Qi.

Talismans can calm rivers and seas and draw in the clouds and Qi of mountains. They can also be used to deal with water demons, the miasma of mountain mirages, and calamities such as poisonous mists.

Talismans can make the light of the sun and moon stand still and halt the turning of the Northern Dipper’s Jade Pivot. Wearing or ingesting one is said to sharpen hearing and eyesight, suppress tomb deities, and dispel related calamities.

Talismans can bind the multitudes of demons and disperse the evil Qi of ghosts, monsters, and spirits. Wearing one can suppress evil, subdue demons, and overcome ghostly malign forces.

Talismans can make the stiff dead rise and turn white bones into people. The text also says they can put an end to the mischief of corpse ghosts, pacify the dead, and be used in burial rites. Wearing or ingesting one can ward off pestilence and cure illness. The later phrase “rebirth, illness, precious, wear the talisman” is unclear, so its precise meaning cannot be determined.

The Five Emperors, the five directional sovereigns revered in Daoism, will come to protect the practitioner, whose body will then be permeated with the Qi of Wood’s De and connected with the true Dao. Wearing or ingesting the talisman can ward off pestilence, cure illness, and help increase wisdom. Some phrases here are unclear.

Talismans can make the gods of the Three Realms—such as the worlds of Heaven, Earth, and humanity—bow their heads. They can open a person to the mysterious and enable them to investigate the hidden. They can also be used to subdue ghosts and monsters and suppress spirits.

Talismans can blind demon spirits and disperse the evil Qi of ghosts and specters. Wearing one is said to make ghosts unable to see clearly and to destroy ghostly evils.

The power of talismans can subdue the ordinances of Heaven, and their De can bring the Earth Deities to submission. Wearing one can address dark Qi or evil beings in water, and can also bring peace to the underworld and safety to wells.

When merit is complete, all practitioners can become immortals. Wearing or ingesting a talisman can harmonize body and mind, bringing a person into accord with the Dao’s primordial Qi. It can also ward off ghosts and evils. Several characters in this passage are unclear.

With long practice, one can ascend to the Golden Palace in Heaven and feast in Yujing. Long-term ingestion of talismans is said to transform the body and exchange its bones.

Amid clouds of blue, red, and yellow, the talismans shine brightly within and without. Ingesting or wearing one can dispel evil Qi in water. Washing the eyes with water is said to remove corpse Qi from the body, clear out the Five Worms within, and enable one to see ghosts and spirits.

The Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise, the four directional beasts commonly found in Daoism, are all subdued by the talisman. It can suppress evil and dispel calamities, and can also be used to address misfortunes caused by official documents and fires.

The lion and white crane shine with the light of the sun and moon. When entering the mountains and forests, wearing or ingesting a talisman can subdue tigers and wolves and eliminate the Three Corpses, the malevolent spirits said to dwell within the body and obstruct cultivation. It can also be used for protection and to suppress harmful influences.

Talismans can make a room shine with light and cause a circular radiance to appear above the head. Wearing or ingesting one can calm the mind and deal with madness and evil influences. It can also help a person meet benefactors.

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Interpretation

The Three-Five Officers of Merit and the officials who serve on the left and right are divine functionaries in Daoism who convey orders and attend to affairs.

Wearing this talismanic command can connect people with the divine and make dreams come true.

The Golden Youth who attends the incense and the Jade Maiden who conveys messages are deities who tend the incense and carry information.

Wearing a golden talisman and a jade talisman enables the youths to relay messages and bring matters into harmony.

The Direct Talisman of the Five Emperors and the Incense Officials on Daily Duty are divine functionaries who serve the Five Emperors of the five directions and take their posts in turn each day.

Wearing the talismanic command can help govern affairs and submit reports to higher powers. It can also convey conditions such as illnesses of the Five Viscera to Heaven.

Today is an auspicious day; may the hall remain pure and tranquil for a long time.

Wearing it can protect and secure good fortune, quiet the heart, resolve official matters, settle the Shen (spirit), and bring the Five Viscera into balance.

The Fundamental Chapter of the Primordial Beginning, Grotto Mystery, and Numinous Treasure was transmitted by the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning and belongs to the Numinous Treasure scriptures.

It can protect a home and drive away evil influences. It is said that wearing it helps one sleep soundly, prevents nightmares, and keeps demons and spirits at bay.

The Scarlet Writ of Chaos, on Separation and Union, describes parting and reunion and the red celestial script that emerged from Chaos.

Wearing it or using it for protection can calm scattered, confused, and deluded states of mind and spirit.

The Primordial Beginning’s Ancestral Eon gave rise to the various heavens through transformation.

It can be used to quell animal monsters, resentments, and disputes over debts.

The Three Luminaries shine forth: this is the Root of Heaven. The Three Luminaries refer to celestial bodies such as the sun, moon, and stars; the “Root of Heaven” is the foundation of the workings of Heaven and Earth.

It can be used to address disturbances of the earth and taboos surrounding burial, and to protect homes, mountains, forests, and other places.

Without these writings, there is no light; without these writings, nothing can be made manifest.

Wearing, ingesting, or using them for protection is said to help one obtain rank, suppress misfortune, have children, and advance in official position.

Without these writings, nothing can be accomplished; without these writings, no one can be delivered from suffering.

They can be used to protect the four directions, seek prosperity, deliver the dead, pray for a safe pregnancy, and seek ascent to Heaven.

Without these writings, nothing can be established; without these writings, nothing can be brought forth through transformation.

Wearing them can help one seek wisdom and hasten childbirth, making a person discerning. They can also be used in matters involving stillbirth.

Heaven within Heaven, the Lofty Terrace of Yuluo and Xiaotai, refers to a distant and exalted realm within the heavens.

It can be used to quell epidemics, birds entering a home, or attacks by arrows, and to deal with disturbances in a household.

The Great Luo and Jade Purity, the Vast Tribulation Blades, refer to exalted heavenly realms such as Great Luo Heaven and the Jade Purity realm, as well as calamities arising during an age of tribulation.

It can be used to address incessant crowing at night and disturbances by thieves, and may also be worn on the body.

Seeming to exist and not exist, the Three Florescence dispersing and changing: this means that things appear and disappear, while the Three Florescence scatter and transform. The meaning of this phrase is uncertain.

It can be used to quell water ghosts and disturbances caused by evil spirits and monsters.

The Greatly Abundant Wondrous Court, the Golden Gate and Jade Chambers, refers to the Wondrous Court, Golden Gate, and Jade Chambers in the heavens.

It can be used to address misfortune in silkworm raising. Worn or otherwise used, it can also be used to deal with miscarriage.

Vast and pure, the Brahma Qi extends everywhere; this refers to the immense, pure Qi of Brahma Heaven.

It can be used to quell wandering souls, Yin spirits, mountain spirits, and mountain demons, and to dispel curses.

Among them are the gods who deliver people, the god of immortality in the South Pole, and the Lord of Longevity. Wearing this talisman can help one seek a longer life, protect a pregnancy, and pray for a child; ingesting it is a way to pray for their protection.

Among them are the gods who deliver beings from the world, the gods who cherish life, as well as the Great Spirit Marshal and the Elder Lord Han.

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Interpretation

Those seeking a child may wear or ingest this talisman to pray for an immortal child.

The gods of the Southern Upper Office of Fate, including the Director of Destiny and the Director of Records, who govern lifespans and registers, as well as the revered gods who prolong life, add years, and dispel calamities, can raise the dead from their remains and bring the deceased back to life. Wearing or ingesting this talisman can dispel calamities and prolong life, help one conceive a child, cause a ghost fetus to miscarry, or alter a pregnancy so that the child is born male.

The Five Elders of Limitless Deliverance, revered gods of the five directions who deliver living beings, open the way. The assembled immortals guard the imperial carriage, while the ministers of the heavens accompany it.

Wearing or ingesting this talisman can remove corpse worms and treat the Three Primordial and Nine Worms. It can also suppress the spirit of Mars and fires, or remedy calamities in an old residence.

The Great God who Oversees Birth in the Upper Palace of Nanchang, who governs childbirth, can remedy calamities caused by offending the Kitchen God, hasten labor, and cause a stillborn fetus to be expelled.

Han, Director of Records, who governs the registers of names, holds the talismanic command and oversees the rolls. Wearing this talisman can help one obtain a noble son, hasten labor, or cause a stillborn fetus to be expelled.

The assembled gods come together before the Emperor Lord and deliver each being according to its proper destiny. This talisman can suppress the earth gods of the Five Directions and remedy the poisonous qi of gu sorcery in those directions.

The Northern Capital of Luofeng, the netherworld in Daoist belief, strictly examines the heavens. It can treat sores of the genital region and protect against them, as well as suppress and destroy haunting spirits.

The gods of the Three Offices and Nine Bureaus, the Twelve River Sources, and others can drive away the Three Corpses, the harmful spirits believed to dwell within the human body. They can also summon dragon gods and subdue water monsters.

It can deliver ancestors, parents, and relatives of every generation above, freeing them from calamities accumulated over a long time. It can suppress and dispel the haunting of the deceased, and resolve the debts of resentment owed to the Seven Ancestors.

Illnesses are eliminated, the registers of offenses are erased, and evil roots are destroyed. Wearing this talisman can remove one’s name from the register of the dead and lift curses.

Ghosts and spirits may not detain or coerce people, nor make them fall among the ranks of ghosts. This talisman can suppress and drive away calamities and hauntings; wearing or ingesting it can also ward off epidemics.

After the talismanic command of the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning descends, the talisman-bearer can be promoted in rank at the appointed time. This talisman can treat illnesses of the heart and lungs.

The spirits of the Northern Capital’s Cold Pool Division protect the human body and soul. This talisman can treat illnesses of the kidneys and spleen.

When the souls of the dead undergo refinement and deliverance, the ritual that purifies and saves departed souls, they can be transformed from ghosts into immortals. This talisman may be placed over the heart to treat sudden attacks of illness. It can also treat afflictions caused by the invasion of myriad worms and by various spirits.

Those who live and receive deliverance can endure through generation after generation. They can preserve their bodies, avert calamities, and avoid losing their human form.

As the cycles of calamity turn, one’s lifespan can equal that of Heaven. The talisman can stabilize the land and treat the early death of offspring and the severing of one’s lifespan.

It can free people forever from the Three Paths, Five Sufferings, and Eight Hardships, terms for netherworld torments and various afflictions in Buddhist and Daoist texts, and ultimately raise them to the Heaven of Great Sovereign, Yellow Zeng.

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Interpretation

(Used to deliver the souls of the dead, helping them transcend the Three Realms and roam freely in Shangqing; for those born in a Horse year.)

Qingming He Tong Heaven; Xuantaipingyu Heaven.

For those born in a Goat year.

Taiming Yuwan Heaven; Yuanming Wenju Heaven.

(For those born in Horse or Monkey years.)

Shangming Qiyao Moyí Heaven; Xuwu Yueheng Heaven.

(For those born in a Monkey year.)

Taiji Mengyi Heaven; Chiming Heyang Heaven.

(For those born in a Rooster year.)

Xuanming Gonghua Heaven; Yaoming Zongpiao Heaven.

(For those born in a Dog year.)

Zhuluo Huangjia Heaven; Xuming Tangyao Heaven.

(For those born in Dog or Pig years.)

Guanming Duanjing Heaven; Yuanming Gongqing Heaven.

(For those born in Pig or Rat years.)

Taihuan Jiyao Heaven; Yuanzai Kongsheng Heaven.

(For those born in Rat or Ox years.)

Tai’an Huangya Heaven; Xianding Jifeng Heaven.

(For those born in Ox or Tiger years.)

Shihuang Xiaomang Heaven; Taihuang Wengzhong Fuyong Heaven.

(For those born in a Rabbit year.)

Wusi Jiangyou Heaven; Shangdie Ruanle Heaven.

(For those born in Rabbit or Dragon years.)

Wuji Tanshi Heaven; Haoting Xiaodu Heaven.

(For those born in a Dragon year.)

Yuantong Yuandong Heaven; Taiwen Hanchong Miaocheng Heaven.

(For those born in Dragon or Rooster years.)

Taisu Xiulejinshang Heaven; Taixu Wushang Changrong Heaven.

(For those born in Rooster or Snake years.)

Taishi Yulong Tengsheng Heaven; Longbian Fandu Heaven.

(For those born in a Snake year.)

Taiji Pingyu Jiayi Heaven.

(For those born in a Tiger year.)

Nine and ten unite; transformation into Shangqing.

(Used to secure and harmonize a married couple; the item “transformation into Shangqing” is used.)

Please eliminate the Three Evils and sever the roots in the earth.

(Used to dispel calamities caused by the Three Evils; the item “sever the roots in the earth” is used.)

Bayuan Choubo, bearing heaven and carrying stone.

(Used to treat liver and heart ailments.)

Fanshan Liumu, supervising Chou and illuminating fragrance.

(Used to treat lung and kidney ailments.)

Hengtian Danli, ancestor of the myriad spirits.

(Used to treat spleen ailments and afflictions caused by ghosts of those who died away from home.)

Commander of all ghost troops, with banners, pennants, drums, and ritual batons.

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Interpretation

Roam through the heavens, renowned in might.

(Used to treat blood disorders and corpse demons.)

The Divine Lord receives his command and sweeps away all ill omens.

(Used to treat bodily heaviness and the invasion of ghostly influence; also used to treat nocturnal emissions and possession by mountain spirits.)

The mighty spirits of the eight directions exhale toxic breath; fierce horses thunder in every direction.

(Used to subdue epidemics and bandits; also used to treat disturbances by ghosts in dreams and nighttime terrors.)

Heaven’s troops clear the way ahead; the great commander holds his banner.

(Used to drive out ghosts and subdue demons; also used to make corpse demons appear.)

Flames are cast forth, flying ten thousand li; the ritual bell rings, shaking the eight directions.

(Used to drive out ghosts and subdue demons; also used to make corpse demons appear.)

If evil spirits dare to offend or obstruct the High Perfected Ones (the exalted divine beings),

(Used to make corpse demons appear, and also to drive out ghosts and burn away evil spirits.)

Then a golden axe strikes them down in front, while the Great Heavenly God metes out punishment behind.

(Used to recover property stolen by ghosts; also used against harm caused by ghost fire.)

Ghosts and demons are cut down; wind and fire rage without cease.

(Used to prevent rats from gnawing and damaging belongings; also used to protect the home and drive away epidemics.)

By the thousands, ghost heads are severed; beyond counting, ghostly forms are cut away.

(Can be written on the ground to bind ghosts, put them in stocks, and drive away epidemics.)

Demons and monsters cannot intrude; ghosts cannot cause mischief.

(Used to treat children’s fright and the condition called “Heaven-Hanging Ghost”; also used to treat childhood convulsions.)

The Three Officials and Northern Feng (the divine bureau overseeing affairs of ghosts in the underworld) inspect the ranks and camps of the ghost realm.

(Used to treat children’s nighttime crying and sleep-talking.)

Ghosts cannot hide; their cases must be handled according to the dispatch procedures of the Golden Horse relay station.

(Used against objects that have acquired a spirit; also used to treat epidemic influences afflicting livestock.)

Proclaim this throughout the boundless realms; all the gods come to receive their orders.

(Used to dispel the influence of gu poison and to summon light.)

The spirits of Wind and Marsh pass through the void; the vajra rides upon Heaven.

(Used to treat ringing in the ears.)

The wondrous Supreme Emperor and High Perfected Ones within the Mystery,

(Used to treat vessels that ring, and also against mountain demons that appear and confuse people.)

The Purple Void is deep and beautiful, supporting and guarding the Myriad Immortals.

(Used to treat fright in people, and against chickens that make sounds like human speech.)

A thousand kinds of harmony, ten thousand things in accord; thus one naturally cultivates the true Dao.

(Used to bring harmony to one’s possessions and help all affairs go smoothly.)

Within the true Dao are divine spirits: longevity and great goodness.

(Used to bring men and women into harmony, and also to address doors that open by themselves.)

The Lordling Without Yin and the Venerable Spirit White Origin (spirits within the body named in Daoist teachings).

(Taking the substance indicated by this method enables one to abstain from grain.)

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Interpretation

Created by the Great Unity, the Lord of Destiny, and Tao Kang (the Great Unity is a revered Daoist deity; the Lord of Destiny and Tao Kang are spirits who govern life and fate).

(Taking this substance enables one to abstain from food, pass through calamities, and ascend to the heavens.)

It settles below in a person’s Mud Pellet Palace (the central point in the head) and Crimson Palace (the heart palace):

(After taking it, one can abstain from grains and calm the mind and spirit; it disperses primordial Qi, allowing the blood vessels to flow freely.)

Within, it harmonizes the five Qi (the five kinds of primordial energy), bringing all the spirits into accord:

(After taking it, one can calm the spirit; wandering souls become visible and can be seen in the palm of the hand.)

Therefore, sacred Lingbao talismanic script was specially made to transform people and enable them to ascend:

(It lifts curses and dispels enmity and karmic debts.)

Use these arts to test your cultivation: see what you have achieved, and whether you have grown lax or fallen back:

(It frees you from the entanglement of ghosts bearing death warrants and dispels calamities brought by inauspicious stars in the present.)

How many people have been delivered? One must hold fast to the talismans and registers. Lingbao uses talismans and incantations to bind demonic spirits. These incantations are the words of Great Brahma, numinous sounds formed naturally in the heavens, not ordinary worldly speech. Ancient talismanic scripts were immense, reaching a length of one zhang. In former times, the Elder of Mount Qingcheng received this method from the Supreme Dao Lord. When recited, it subdues all demons; the demons and ghosts gradually vanish, and the myriad spirits offer protection. The talismanic script is then written out, formed into a pill, and swallowed, enabling one to ascend into the wondrous void.

After the incantation has been recited one hundred times, the work of cultivation is complete. The Flying-Heaven Divine King will descend to observe the practitioner, record his merit, and report it to the heavens in the ten directions. In this way, one can comprehend the primordial, natural principles of Lingbao. From this incantation, one or two characters may be selected to reveal to people the outcomes of fortune and misfortune, life and death, auspiciousness and evil; the prediction will never fail.

If one receives this teaching from a Perfected One, one must pledge an oath with gold and jewels, swear before Heaven, and only then pass it on. If one carelessly reveals it or treats this method with disrespect, calamity will extend to nine generations of ancestors. If an evil spirit causes trouble wherever this text is kept, write out the talismanic script to suppress it; the other evil spirits will also turn to water. By following this method, one will naturally realize the principles of the Great Dao.

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