《太上靈寶元陽妙經》Vol. 7

When the Celestial Venerable of Primordial Beginning (the supreme deity in Daoism) was about to withdraw from the world in the treasure-laden grove of the Primordial Yang realm, he saw King Shan-zhong collapse in grief and faint. The Celestial Venerable then declared to the assembled immortals: "For this king's sake, I shall remain in the world for countless kalpas (eons), temporarily refraining from entering perfect Dao." At this, the third Perfected Being of the Primordial Yang realm, Sui-ye, bowed and asked: "Why do you refrain from perfect Dao only for King Shan-zhong, and not for all sentient beings?"

The Celestial Venerable explained: "Among all present, only King Shan-zhong truly believed I would disappear forever and grieved to the point of collapse. My statement about 'not entering perfect Dao' contains profound meaning: those I seek to liberate are ordinary beings burdened with evil karma and attachments, not the enlightened beings who have realized Wuwei (non-action). For those who truly comprehend Dao have already transcended all distinctions among sentient beings."

"King Shan-zhong represents sentient beings still bound by afflictions—those who have not yet perceived their inherent Dao-nature (potential for enlightenment). Had they perceived this nature, my prolonged stay in the world would be unnecessary. What we call 'non-arising' means only when afflictions cease can one perceive Dao-nature, and perceiving Dao-nature enables abiding in the true path. This state is called 'non-arising.'"

The Celestial Venerable concluded: "The mystery of Dao is beyond comprehension, the realm of Perfected Beings is beyond comprehension, and the profundity of Primordial Yang scriptures is beyond comprehension." With these words, he emitted eighty kinds of sublime radiance and manifested seventy-two majestic forms, illuminating the entire land. The Primordial Yang Perfected Beings and other immortals, witnessing these auspicious signs, felt ashamed of their imperfect cultivation, wondering how they could behold such extraordinary manifestations. In truth, the Celestial Venerable's radiance had no substantial form—it was neither material nor void—precisely demonstrating the ineffable nature of Dao.

(Note: "Kalpa" is a Buddhist unit of time here indicating an immeasurably long period; "five heinous crimes" refers to patricide, matricide and other grave offenses; "Wuwei beings" refers to liberated practitioners)

This scripture depicts a wondrous scene: the Fourth Zhenren (a Daoist practitioner who has attained an advanced spiritual state) named Ju Zhenglin explains the reason behind the Celestial Lord (the highest deity in Daoism) manifesting miraculous radiance.

The text begins by stating that the true nature of the Celestial Lord transcends all forms and concepts—neither being nor non-being, neither white nor black. Yet, to save sentient beings, the Celestial Lord deliberately manifests visible forms, allowing people to perceive colors and sense warmth and cold. Though these luminous manifestations appear, their essence remains beyond verbal description.

Ju Zhenglin explains that these miraculous visions foretell that the virtuous King of Good Seeds will suffer a grave illness. Since no physician in the world can heal both body and mind, the Celestial Lord emits divine light to first cure the king’s body and then his heart. Just as parents with seven children naturally show special care to the sick one, the Celestial Lord treats all beings equally but shows particular compassion to those who have committed wrongdoings.

The term "those who do not wander in indulgence" refers to the Celestial Lord, Zhenren, immortals, and their retinues. When they regard sentient beings, they make no distinction between noble and lowly status—only whether beings possess virtuous hearts. Those with virtuous hearts receive the Celestial Lord’s loving-kindness. These miraculous manifestations are displays of the Celestial Lord’s majestic De (Virtue/Power), capable of dispelling the afflictions of sentient beings.

Ju Zhenglin further explains that the true Dao nourishes beings like sweet dew. Only that which purifies body and mind and leads to enlightenment can be called a true physician. At this point, the King of Good Seeds voices his doubt: He has heard that the Celestial Lord does not associate with the wicked, just as the ocean does not tolerate corpses and the phoenix perches only on lofty branches. He fears that an ordinary mortal like himself might sink into the earth upon seeing the Celestial Lord. He believes approaching the Celestial Lord is more terrifying than facing tigers, wolves, or raging fires, for the Celestial Lord never draws near those who have committed grave sins.

Finally, the king asks Ju Zhenglin: "With what state of mind should I go before the Celestial Lord?" This dialogue reveals the awe of mortals in the face of the sacred, as well as the Celestial Lord’s dual nature of universal equality and special compassion for sinners.

This passage presents a metaphorical story to help understand why the Celestial Venerable (the supreme deity in Daoism) would expound teachings for beings harboring delusions and doubts.

Just as a hungry person seeks food, a sick person seeks a good physician, and those in suffering long for relief, so too should Your Majesty pursue the true essence of the Dao (the Way). If the Celestial Venerable is willing to explain the profound mysteries of primordial yang (referring to the esoteric truths of Daoism) even to those filled with misguided thoughts and doubts, how much more would he not extend his compassion to save Your Majesty, who is free from such delusions?

Your Majesty raises a question: It is said that some people are full of wrong views, do not believe in the Dao, refuse to listen to its teachings, and fail to discern the truth—why would the Celestial Venerable still expound the Dharma for them?

The Perfected One (Zhenren) answers with the analogy of healing illness: Suppose someone is gravely ill and dreams at night of teeth falling out, lying naked in filth, walking and eating with the dead, and encountering venomous snakes on the road. Upon waking, they become distressed, and their condition worsens. Their family wishes to summon a doctor, but due to poverty or physical disability, the messenger they send appears unrefined. When the doctor sees the messenger’s inauspicious appearance and divines the time and celestial signs—all of which indicate misfortune—it would seem the illness is beyond cure. Yet the doctor reflects: If the patient originally possesses virtue (De, meaning accumulated merit and blessings), there may still be hope. Without such virtue, even auspicious signs would not guarantee recovery.

On the way to see the patient, the doctor encounters further ominous signs: children fighting and bleeding, torches suddenly extinguishing, trees being felled, and encounters with fierce beasts. All these signs suggest the patient is beyond saving. Yet the doctor does not give up, continuing to contemplate the possibility of a cure.

This passage recounts the story of a skilled physician treating a gravely ill patient, serving as a metaphor for the compassionate salvation offered by the Celestial Honored One (the supreme deity in Daoism).

An exceptional physician encountered a critically ill patient exhibiting ominous signs: their devotion to the Three Treasures (originally a Buddhist concept referring to the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha, here borrowed to represent Daoist faith) had waned, their former generosity turned to miserliness, their eating and sleeping patterns became disordered, their gentle disposition transformed into violent temperament, and they even lost filial piety toward their parents. The physician concluded the patient was beyond recovery, yet instructed the family to accommodate the patient's needs as much as possible, promising to return the next day.

When summoned by the patient the following day, the physician knew recovery was impossible. This mirrors how the Celestial Honored One faces deluded beings: some awaken immediately (those with present-life virtuous roots), while others will only benefit in future existences (those with future-life virtuous roots). Even knowing certain beings remain temporarily unenlightened, the Celestial Honored One continues teaching the Dharma to save them, for the virtuous seeds planted now will inevitably bear fruit later. This demonstrates the deity's wisdom—it's not that the Celestial Honored One lacks compassion, but that beings refuse to take the marvelous medicine prescribed.

The scripture particularly emphasizes that true compassion isn't about granting every request, but teaching according to each being's spiritual capacity (receptivity). Just as a physician wouldn't offer false comfort to a terminal patient, the Celestial Honored One employs stern methods to correct those clinging to erroneous views—this embodies supreme wisdom.

The Supreme Numinous Treasure Yuanyang Scripture discusses how people of different spiritual capacities (根器) may attain salvation. The text describes two types of individuals: those with sharp faculties (利根, possessing profound wisdom) and those with middling faculties (中根). Those with sharp faculties plant virtuous roots in this very life, while those with middling faculties must wait until future rebirths to encounter the true Dharma.

An analogy is given: it is like when a virtuous person accidentally falls into a cesspit, trapped in filth with no means of escape. If a compassionate individual then grabs their hair and pulls them out, they can regain purity. Similarly, the Celestial Worthy (天尊, the supreme Daoist deity) saves sentient beings through various means, rescuing those who have fallen into the Three Wretched Realms (三恶道: hells, hungry ghosts, and animal rebirth).

Later, King Good Seed (善种大王, symbolizing a truth-seeker) consulted the Fourth Perfected Being (第四真人拘正林, an advanced practitioner), asking whether one must select an auspicious day to approach the Celestial Worthy. The Perfected One replied that pursuing the Dao is like being gravely ill—one shouldn't delay treatment by choosing dates. Just as both bamboo and wood will burn when set aflame, auspicious or inauspicious days make no difference to sincere seekers. Genuine devotion alone can eradicate karmic obstructions. Upon hearing this, the king immediately ordered his minister Ji Zhen (吉桢) to prepare ritual offerings. Leading his civil and military officials in clean robes, bearing incense, flowers, musical instruments, and precious treasures, he proceeded with countless attendants to the Yuanyang World to seek the Celestial Worthy and obtain the true medicine of the Dao.

Finally, the Celestial Worthy revealed: "All ordinary beings become lost in their true nature precisely because they cling to conceptual attachments about the 'Supreme Ultimate Truth' (无上正真)." This passage emphasizes seizing the present opportunity for spiritual practice, transcending formalistic obsessions, and seeking liberation through sincere devotion.

This scripture recounts how the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning (Yuanshi Tianzun, the supreme deity in Daoism) dispelled the doubts of the Virtuous Seed King. The text first emphasizes that without proper guidance from a true teacher, spiritual practitioners are prone to fall into misguided paths. The true remedy lies in this very scripture, the Mysterious Yang Classic (Yuanyang Miaojing). Through devoted recitation and veneration, one can dissolve karmic obstacles and afflictions.

Yet the Virtuous Seed King remained perplexed. The Celestial Worthy then revealed to him: all phenomena in the world lack fixed forms (wudingxiang)—whether material appearances, emptiness, cosmic principles, or even the Dao itself. Precisely because everything is impermanent, the Celestial Worthy sought to help the king establish unwavering faith in the Dao. If even sins and transgressions are transient, they can naturally be purified through cultivation.

Hearing this, the Virtuous Seed King approached the Celestial Worthy in a fragrant grove. Burdened by his sense of grave misdeeds, he felt unworthy of the title "king." Yet the Celestial Worthy, in boundless compassion, still addressed him as such. Deeply moved, the king realized the deity’s impartial mercy toward all beings. The scripture concludes by showing how this revelation allowed the Virtuous Seed King to truly grasp the Celestial Worthy’s teachings.

The core message of this passage is threefold: first, spiritual cultivation requires guidance from an enlightened teacher, and scriptural practice can dissolve karmic hindrances. Second, it expounds the philosophy of "formless reality" (wudingxiang), revealing that precisely because all things are impermanent, sins can be purified and the Dao-mind realized. Finally, through the Celestial Worthy’s universal compassion, it embodies Daoism’s spirit of universal salvation.

At that time, the Sixth Perfected Lord of Primal Yang, Pure Virtue, addressed the assembly: "The Celestial Worthy has already expounded the Dharma-gate for firming the resolve to King Good Seed, enabling him to attain spontaneous karmic fruition." King Good Seed thereby eliminated his karmic doubts from past lives, and immediately made reverent offerings of banners, canopies, incense, flowers, and musical instruments. After circumambulating to the left three times with utmost devotion, he respectfully withdrew to stand at one side.

Then the Primordial Celestial Worthy addressed King Good Seed: "Now I shall expound for you the profound mysteries of the supreme Primal Yang contemplation method. You should collect your spirit and listen with single-minded attention. All cultivators should constantly contemplate their own being, examining twenty fundamental truths of existence:

First, understand that body and mind are originally empty and quiescent. Second, recognize one's own lack of virtuous roots. Third, realize one has not yet transcended birth and death. Fourth, know the peril of falling into evil destinies. Fifth, contemplate how to behold the true Dao. Sixth, investigate methods for attaining samadhi and seeing the Celestial Worthy. Seventh, discern that the nature of birth and death is suffering. Eighth, understand the difficulty of avoiding the Eight Hindrances (eight obstacles to cultivation). Ninth, know that karmic creditors constantly follow one. Tenth, discover one's inability to prevent evil karma. Eleventh, realize one remains bound to the three evil destinies. Twelfth, recognize the abundance of wrong views within. Thirteenth, acknowledge failure to establish precepts against the Five Heinous Crimes. Fourteenth, know one remains trapped in the cycle of birth and death. Fifteenth, understand that without virtuous actions there can be no virtuous fruits. Sixteenth, know that karma never fails and one reaps what one sows. Seventeenth, realize that without planting virtuous causes, no virtuous fruits will come. Eighteenth, understand that all karma inevitably bears fruit. Nineteenth, know that through ignorance one is born and through ignorance one dies. Twentieth, recognize habitual indulgence of body and mind in creating karma.

The Celestial Worthy expounded: "Though King Good Seed is foremost among humans, he too should constantly practice these twenty contemplations. Through such contemplation, body and mind become purified and unstained, thereby attaining right view. Then one should progressively observe the three characteristics of arising, abiding, and ceasing, extending this observation to the arising and ceasing of thoughts, meditative states, wisdom, and precept-keeping. Thoroughly understanding these truths enables cessation of evil and cultivation of good, freeing one from fear of death and the three evil destinies. Without such mindful observation, one will indulge in sinking and drowning."

The Virtuous Seed King (a fictional monarch from Buddhist scriptures) inquired of the Celestial Master (the supreme deity in Daoism): "According to my understanding, the truth you expound reveals that from past to present, I've never truly perceived these twenty realities of existence. Thus I've committed many unwholesome deeds. Precisely because of these misdeeds, I now fear falling into the three wretched paths of animals, hungry ghosts, and hell beings. If I persist in delusion, I'm certain to descend into hell and suffer."

The Celestial Master replied: "The nature of all phenomena is impermanent and ever-changing—how could there be absolute predestination? Why do you insist you're certain to fall into hell?" The Virtuous Seed King prostrated respectfully and responded: "If all things lack fixed forms, then my acts of killing should likewise be indeterminate. But if killing deeds truly exist, then phenomena cannot be impermanent."

The Celestial Master praised: "An excellent question, great king! The Perfected Ones (those who have attained the Dao) indeed teach that all phenomena are without permanent characteristics, but you've discerned that killing itself is illusory. Consider your claim of having wrongfully killed your father—this so-called 'father' is merely a provisional designation, a delusional attachment formed by sentient beings toward the five aggregates (form, sensation, perception, mental formations, and consciousness). Among the twelve sense fields (six senses and their objects) or eighteen dhatus (six senses, their objects, and six consciousnesses), which one constitutes the real father? If form were the father, the other four aggregates wouldn't be; if the four aggregates were the father, form should equally qualify. In truth, neither form nor non-form can combine to create 'father,' for their natures are fundamentally incompatible."

Ordinary people mistakenly identify the form aggregate as their father, yet form itself consists of ten elements, only some of which can be seen, touched, measured, or bound. Even so, the nature of form is fluid and transient—precisely because it cannot be grasped, it ultimately cannot be caught, measured, or restrained. If form could truly be killed, the other nine elements shouldn't exist; if those nine don't exist, how could karmic offenses arise?

Understand this: form manifests in three temporal states—past, present, and future. Past and future forms cannot be harmed, for they vanish instantaneously. Thus the same form may be "killed" or "not killed"—the act of killing itself is indeterminate, karmic retribution consequently unfixed. How then can you insist on inevitable hellish rebirth?

Sentient beings create two kinds of unwholesome karma: one arises from clinging to substantial existence (creating karma through belief in real entities), the other from inverted delusions (creating karma through mistaken perceptions). Your case belongs to the latter. Realizing your father's essential emptiness, the offense naturally dissolves—like killing in a dream that vanishes upon waking.

The Supreme Numinous Treasure Primordial Yang Scripture (Taishang Lingbao Yuanyang Miaojing) reveals profound truths about karmic retribution through a dialogue between a king and a spiritual practitioner. The text classifies human actions into "light karma" and "heavy karma": merely thinking or speaking without actualizing the deed constitutes light karma, while actions that engage one's thoughts, words, and physical deeds together create heavy karma.

The scripture illustrates this with an example: if a king merely prohibits killing verbally without enforcing it, the karmic consequence remains light. However, should the king personally order the execution of an innocent practitioner (referring to an immortal possessing the five supernatural powers), this constitutes heavy karma. The slain immortal, at the moment of death, gives rise to hatred, loses his spiritual powers, and vows revenge in a future life. Though the king later repents and makes offerings to the immortal's remains, he still bears lighter karmic retribution—sufficient to avoid hellish rebirths but not full absolution.

The text further elucidates that sentient beings' deluded behaviors stem from four fundamental confusions: the greed-madness of material attachment, the drug-madness of substance addiction, the spell-madness of superstitious reliance on curses, and the innate-madness (original delusion) caused by past-life karma. Each being reaps exactly what they sow—an innocent father won't suffer retribution, while a guilty one inevitably faces consequences. The law of karma operates with perfect precision; no one escapes it through status or power.

This passage particularly emphasizes that even noble kings attain their thrones solely through planting virtuous roots in past lives and embodying the Dao's Qi (vital energy). Without continuing virtuous deeds, none can maintain exalted status. The killing of innocents invariably incurs karmic punishment—an immutable cosmic law.

This scripture employs multiple metaphors to explain the nature of negative karma to the "Wealth Kings" (likely referring to rulers obsessed with material riches). It describes four types of deluded individuals whose harmful actions, if not committed intentionally against precepts, won't lead them to the Three Wretched Realms (hell, hungry ghosts, or animal rebirth). Just as harming one's mother while drunk—an act later regretted upon sobriety—doesn't create karmic retribution because it wasn't consciously intended.

The text then illustrates the illusory nature of "killing karma" through seven vivid analogies: illusions conjured by magicians, mountain valley echoes, enemies feigning friendship, mirror reflections, desert mirages in summer heat, phantom cities that appear and vanish suddenly, and pleasures experienced in dreams. Ordinary people mistake these for reality, but the Celestial Worthy (the supreme Daoist deity) and Perfected Persons (those who have attained the Dao) with wisdom-eye perception recognize their fundamentally empty nature.

The conclusion emphasizes that genuine understanding of the act of killing, its karmic force, its consequences, and the path to liberation nullifies negative karma. Like a wine steward who knows of alcohol's existence but abstains from drinking and thus avoids intoxication, this teaching warns rulers that seeing through the illusory nature of greed allows them to maintain clarity even amid power and wealth.

This scripture employs metaphors and logical reasoning to expound a profound truth: all phenomena in the world arise through causes and conditions, lacking any fixed intrinsic nature. Just as when the sun and moon shine, some may commit evil deeds under their light, yet the celestial bodies themselves bear no guilt; or how a king wields the power of life and death, yet the true crime lies with the perpetrator.

Vivid examples illustrate this principle: When the royal chef slaughters sheep by decree, the sheep harbor no resentment toward the king; when people harm others driven by greed, the fault lies in the covetous mind itself. Like the fundamental truth revealed in the "Scripture of Primordial Yang" (an essential Daoist classic) — which neither exists nor doesn't exist — the act of killing similarly defies absolute judgment: it constitutes sin for the conscience-stricken, yet registers no guilt for the spiritually numb.

The text further clarifies that what we call "killing" fundamentally means ceasing a being's breath. Even sages conventionally use this term. Yet deeper analysis reveals our physical form (materiality) and consciousness (awareness) are both impermanent, born of transient causes — intrinsically characterized by suffering, emptiness, and non-self. If even the "self" is illusory, then who truly kills? Who is killed? Through such wisdom, sages transcend appearances, perceiving constancy within impermanence and discovering peace amid suffering.

This passage employs dialectical thinking to dismantle attachments, emphasizing that motivation and awareness behind actions matter more than external forms. Such thought directly connects with Daoist cultivation concepts like "equalizing all things" and "sitting in forgetfulness."

This scripture recounts King Good-Seed's realization of the profound truth of "impermanence." The opening passage reveals the core doctrine: those who truly comprehend the principles of "impermanence, suffering, emptiness, and formlessness" (fundamental concepts shared by Buddhism and Daoism, indicating all worldly phenomena are transient, filled with suffering, intrinsically void, and without fixed forms) can unite with ultimate truth and avoid falling into hell realms.

King Good-Seed addressed the Celestial Venerable (highest divinity in Daoism), reporting his realization: through observing all phenomena from material forms (rupa) to consciousness (vijnana), he finally understood they are all impermanent. He confessed that although he had previously heard sages described as parents to all beings, only upon personally arriving at Mount Jade Capital (Daoist celestial realm) did he gain genuine conviction. Just as legend describes this mountain—composed of four treasures (gold, silver, lapis lazuli, and agate)—changes color according to the hues of celestial steeds, he ultimately perceived the essential nature of all phenomena as impermanent, suffering, empty, and formless.

The king acknowledged his past disbelief in the true Dao due to ignorance, a state termed "rootlessness" (lacking fundamental right view). Now having received the Celestial Venerable's revelation of mysterious scriptures, the merit gained could dispel sentient beings' afflictions and evil thoughts. The Celestial Venerable praised the king's awakening, prophesying he would surely help liberate beings from delusion.

The king then made a magnificent vow: if he could truly help beings eradicate evil thoughts, he would willingly endure immeasurable kalpas of suffering in the Twenty-Four Hells of Mount Tai (Daoist hell realms). This solemn pledge moved the previously skeptical, deluded beings present, awakening their aspiration for the Dao. Through the merit generated by their compassionate resolve, King Good-Seed's heavy karmic burdens were lightened. Witnessing this spiritual marvel, the entire royal household developed determination to pursue the supreme spontaneous Dao.

The Virtuous Seed King addressed the Celestial Venerable (the supreme deity of Daoism), saying: "Though I have not yet passed from this life, I have profoundly realized the profound mysteries of the true Dao. By relinquishing transient life, I have attained eternal longevity; by abandoning the impermanent physical form, I have obtained the everlasting true body. May all sentient beings awaken the resolve to seek the unsurpassed orthodox Dao, thereby attaining the eternal true body of longevity and becoming true disciples of the Celestial Venerable." After speaking these words, he made offerings to the Celestial Venerable with precious banners, canopies, fragrant flowers, musical instruments, and exquisite, rare garments and ritual objects, and praised him with verses:

The mysterious essence of the Celestial Venerable transcends all, his virtue (De) and Dao surpassing even the Great Purity (Taiqing) celestial realm. He roams freely through golden palaces and leisurely wanders the jade capital of immortals. At all times, he expounds the true meaning of the Primal Yang (Yuanyang) Dao, its supreme principles brimming with numinous power. This scripture is like sweet dew and divine medicine, also called the precious scripture of the Great Vehicle (Dacheng) that delivers beings. Whether one believes or not, sincere devotion to it can dissolve karmic transgressions. With compassionate heart, the Celestial Venerable rescues beings from suffering, extending his grace to all living things. Those who deeply grasp its profound meaning may reach the sacred realm of Mysterious Capital (Xuandu). The formless true Dao resides within the formed; the shapeless truth manifests through shapes. All cultivators who seek the virtuous path should exhaust their utmost sincerity. Simply by focusing on a single verse, gathering the mind and severing worldly ties, one may break free from the bonds of affliction, allowing the innate Dao-nature to manifest spontaneously. Then, immortals and sages will come to protect, and body and mind will become light and free from care.

At this time, the Virtuous Seed King, having received the earnest teachings of the Celestial Venerable, along with all his attendants, grasped the mysteries of the Scripture of Primal Yang (Yuanyang Miaojing) and deeply understood the principles of cause and effect. They chanted verses of gratitude to the Celestial Venerable, bowed in reverence, circumambulated three times to the left, and then took their leave to return to their own realm.

(This scripture passage records the process by which practitioners attain longevity and liberation through realizing the true meaning of the Dao, making sincere offerings to the Celestial Venerable, and reciting the scripture. It embodies the Daoist cultivation principle of "abandoning the false to cultivate the true" and the ultimate pursuit of "perfecting both form and spirit.")