《太上洞淵神咒經》Vol. 10

The opening section of the tenth volume of the Taishang Dongyuan Shenzhou Jing (Scripture of the Divine Spells of the Abyssal Cavern) records a scene where the Celestial Worthy (the supreme deity in Daoism) preached the Great Exorcism Scripture to demon kings at Mount Xuandu (a sacred Daoist mountain). During this assembly, the Three Heavenly Princes requested explanations of the Upper, Middle, and Lower Origin Scriptures, while ten Perfected Beings of the Ten Kingdoms sought instruction on the Scripture of Infinite Samadhi and Great Simplicity, and immortals from the ten directions petitioned to receive the Jade Scripture of the Inner and Outer Scenes of the Yellow Court's Dao Transformation.

Gathered from all directions, thirty thousand Perfected Beings came to listen. Midway through, the assembly rose with lamentations: "The common people, ignorant of the Dao's methods, suffer under pestilent ghosts and the ravages of war. Households everywhere face death, yet none know how to save themselves through the Three Caverns (Dongzhen/Dongxuan/Dongshen) scriptures." They earnestly beseeched the Celestial Worthy to widely disseminate these teachings.

Approving this request, the Celestial Worthy immediately dispatched thirty thousand Perfected Beings to spread the scriptures throughout the world. Another Perfected Being named Nihe led thirty-nine thousand followers to similarly propagate the teachings, ensuring the Central Plains' populace could receive this wisdom. For households afflicted by sudden illness or legal disputes, practicing the rituals three times daily—morning, noon, and evening—would resolve lawsuits and cure diseases. Should pestilent ghosts linger stubbornly, they would be utterly eradicated without mercy.

The scripture explains these Perfected Beings came to transmit the teachings due to profound karmic connections formed with sentient beings in past lives. Those capable of receiving the Three Caverns scriptures had accumulated merit in previous existences and possessed the affinity to encounter enlightened masters. Henceforth, all who sincerely carry this scripture will receive divine protection, forever spared from calamity.

A prophecy warns of great disasters in the Renwu year: displaced populations, border unrest, and rampant pestilent ghosts. The remedy involves crafting divine talismans (Fulu) to safeguard homes. Communities of three to five households—or even a hundred—should jointly construct an altar (an earthen platform eight feet long and wide, six feet high) by water. Facing east, they must perform thirty-six prostrations to honor the Five Directional Celestial Emperors, then submit memorials to heaven. Such devotion will surely move the deities.

Finally, a grave warning: during the sixth month of the Xinsi year, the ninth month of Renwu, and the seventh month of Guiwei, eighty thousand pestilent ghosts named "Wu Tulun Na Lun" will descend to kill. This passage primarily transmits collective Daoist rituals—through ceremonies and scripture recitation—to combat epidemics and disasters.

This scripture describes an impending great calamity and how to avert disasters through Daoist cultivation. It mentions massive plague-birds (symbolizing epidemics) appearing in flocks to harm humanity. However, if people faithfully uphold the Three Caverns scriptures (the Shangqing, Lingbao, and Dongshen canonical systems of Daoism), these plague-birds will perish. Daoist priests hold this truth with absolute conviction.

The text reveals that due to rulers' greed and cruelty—their disregard for the people's suffering—the masses live in destitution, with lamentations heard everywhere. As people abandon the Dao's teachings, fleeing in all directions amidst warfare, even fathers and sons grow suspicious of each other. In response, Heaven dispatches plague-demons to punish those steeped in sin. These sinners face flood disasters yet remain unaware of their plight. During this time, Daoist masters and practitioners who cultivate the Dao will receive assistance from the Great Kings of the Three Heavens (high-ranking Daoist deities), numerous immortals, and the Jade Maidens of the Ten Directions (female divinities), granting them formidable strength. Households receiving this divine aid will enjoy celestial protection, with illnesses and legal troubles swiftly resolved as malignant qi dissipates. Should malevolent spirits refuse to depart, they will be executed without mercy.

The scripture further states that most people nowadays commit evil deeds, with few being true believers of the Dao. In the Renwu year (a specific year in the Chinese calendar), Heaven will send eighty million plague-demons to spread seventy types of fatal diseases. Families aware of this prophecy should perform purification rituals (zhaijiao) by water, paying homage to the Five Directional Emperors (Green Emperor of the East, Red Emperor of the South, White Emperor of the West, Black Emperor of the North, and Yellow Emperor of the Center) toward the northwest, and hang large talismans (fulu) on their gates. This will prevent plague-demons from approaching. Households without talismanic protection will fall victim to these demons, though the talismans themselves are guarded by eighty million mighty warriors.

A prophecy warns that during the Jiaxu and Renwu years, eight thousand nine hundred red-faced demons named "Mingzhen" will appear, each leading thirty-nine thousand minor demons wielding red clubs to strike down evildoers. These wicked people neither believe in the coming floods nor in the Dao's teachings, ultimately falling into the Three Paths and Five Calamities (hellish realms). Yet the Supreme Mystery (referring to Laozi) in his compassion still seeks to deliver them.

Finally, the scripture emphasizes that during the Renwu year, households where people chant the Immeasurable Samadhi Scripture (an important Daoist text) and perform purification rituals will remain untouched by plague-demons. Daoist priests who transmit the Three Caverns scriptures will receive the Heavenly Emperor's assistance, never to fall into evil paths.

From the Guiwei to Jiashen years, three hundred and ninety thousand black monstrous birds will transform into ghosts haunting the Central Plains. They will spread poison into people's homes, causing incurable edema diseases. If communities of ten or five households build a pure chamber by the water's edge to venerate the Three Treasures (Dao, Scriptures, and Master), offering incense and lamps morning and evening with sincere devotion, while repenting and praying to the Five Directional Celestial Emperors (Daoist directional deities), and hold ritual ceremonies within one, two, or seven days—their names will be recorded in the celestial registers of immortality.

A great calamity approaches as floods will soon erupt, yet the ignorant remain oblivious. Twelve thousand celestial maidens in colorful robes will descend to enlighten mortals, though most will fail to recognize them. Those who encounter these maidens during the Xinsi year will attain the opportunity for transcendent liberation. Should anyone suffer illness, legal disputes, or slander, if Daoist priests perform deliverance rituals, these celestial maidens will descend to assist, ensuring misfortunes turn to blessings.

By the Guiwei year, the Qi of the Great Dao will flourish daily, and the Three Caverns Scriptures (Daoist canon) will spread throughout the world. When the people of the Nine Provinces sincerely embrace Daoism, when rulers devoutly uphold its teachings, and when scripture altars are established everywhere with morning and evening incense offerings—then plague demons will flee, diseases will vanish spontaneously, and legal conflicts will dissolve. Celestial soldiers will protect the ritual masters; wherever these masters go, malignant spirits will retreat a thousand miles, and both celestial and earthly beings will descend to aid cultivators.

The Jiashen year will witness the extraordinary omen of dragons ascending en masse. Should ninety thousand divine dragons appear together, it will herald an imminent catastrophic flood. Daoists must then retreat to mountains to preserve their lives. Most worldly people commit endless evil—indulging in lust, coveting wealth, delighting in slaughter, persisting in cruelty, rejecting the Great Dao, and mocking cultivators. After death, they will fall into endless hells, undergoing seven cycles of death and rebirth daily, enduring forty-two kalpas (cosmic time units) before regaining human form—only to be reborn with mutilated features, deafness, muteness, idiocy, or grotesque deformities that provoke universal revulsion—such is the karmic retribution for their past transgressions.

The wise and virtuous in this life owe their gifts to diligent study in past incarnations, while those born with physical defects suffer the consequences of grave sins committed in former existences.

This scripture expounds several key teachings:

First, it emphasizes that Daoist cultivators (daoshi) should educate the people. When encountering those unwilling to receive instruction, this occurs because they cannot perceive the virtuous path (De). As long as cultivators teach with sincere effort, Heaven will surely record this merit. However, failing to guide others violates the fundamental purpose of Daoist practice—saving the world and delivering beings—which is not true deliverance.

The scripture prophesies that during the Renwu year (in the traditional Chinese calendrical cycle), numerous malevolent spirits called "Thousand Transformations" will appear in the world. Towering in stature with terrifying visages, they will bring thirty-nine thousand types of diseases specifically to punish those who disbelieve the Dao, slander Daoist priests, or recklessly criticize scriptures. Such people foolishly debate profound Daoist classics with ignorant minds, disrespect cultivators, and disrupt their true hearts with divided intentions. Their heavy sins will condemn them after death to the Upside-Down Hell for thirty kalpas (an immense Buddhist time unit), followed by rebirth as animals.

The text observes that most people remain ignorant, prompting Heaven to dispatch malignant qi and demonic executioners to punish those who slander Daoists or harm virtuous individuals. Presently, over three thousand diseases and various ghosts (including those inhabiting stones, trees, water, earth, insects, and beasts) claim human lives—all resulting from opposition to the qi of the true Dao (Zhengdao). Practitioners should diligently instruct the masses to follow the true path, making them impervious to ghosts. Those who still refuse belief may face extermination by spectral armies when the Great Expulsion (the coming calamity) arrives.

Finally, it foretells that during Renwu, both emperors and foreign tribes will embrace the Great Dao (Dadao), while the Three Caverns scriptures (the Shangqing, Lingbao, and Sanhuang canons) spread widely, with mountain recluses practicing everywhere. Regardless of age or social status, sincere devotion ensures protection by celestial beings, averting untimely death and ultimately leading to immortal rank. The text concludes by urging cultivators to tirelessly educate all people.

This passage from the Taishang Dongyuan Shenzhou Jing (Scripture of the Divine Spells from the Abyss) contains instructions regarding Daoist priests' mission to aid the world and save people. The main teachings are as follows:

All priests who travel among the people to heal and rescue will receive assistance from ghost kings and celestial generals. Minor ghost kings must cooperate with priests in curing illnesses and must not allow commoners to suffer from disease or unjustly shortened lifespans. From now on, all ghost kings must follow priests and assist them in healing various ailments. If any case proves incurable, these ghost kings will face severe punishment.

The celestial realm now dispatches five-directional divine generals and a celestial army of thirty-nine million to descend and assist priests in healing households, ensuring all diseases and legal disputes are swiftly resolved. Any ghost king who disobeys will be harshly punished according to the decree of the Most High Lord Lao (Taishang Laojun).

Some worldly people disbelieve in the Dao, neglect scriptures, and indulge in mundane affairs, bringing misfortune upon themselves. They mock the virtuous and show no reverence for the Three Treasures (Buddhism, Daoism, and Confucianism). Celestial deities will punish such people with sudden death—when regret comes, it will be too late. Thirty million divine warriors from the ten directions are now sent to assist priests, protecting communities where they practice medicine and exorcising evil influences. Those who insult or assault priests, or plot theft, will have their souls cast into hell to suffer punishment, making them understand the majesty of celestial law.

All ghost kings must enforce this decree by punishing evildoers. Should any ghost king fail to comply, the celestial deities will be displeased, and the Great Dao (Da Dao) will lose its efficacy. The demon kings all pledged obedience and immediately began punishing wrongdoers.

Henceforth, priests must extend their healing mission to remote regions. When seeking out the sick, they should perform purification rituals (Zhaijiao), recite scriptures, and practice the Dao. Eight hundred thousand celestial troops will be dispatched to assist in healing, and all great demon kings are commanded to ensure favorable weather, harmony between humans and spirits, and peace among the people. If kings believe in the Dao and the people embrace the scriptures, those who enter mountain retreats for seven days can attain immortality. Without these conditions, one cannot speak of the Great Dao or the salvation of humanity.

A final note: When skilled masters (Fashi) heal, they need only chant incantations orally without writing talismans (Fulu)—silent practice alone can cure. No illness exists that cannot be healed through scripture recitation and Daoist practice. Even severe cases may be treated with multiple methods simultaneously.

This scripture primarily discusses the formidable power of various deities who come to assist Daoist priests during specific exorcism and healing rituals, as well as the precepts priests should follow in their cultivation.

The text first describes how when a Daoist priest activates the "Nine-One Qi" (a cultivation method) and the "Three-Five Qi" (another cultivation technique) within the stillness chamber (a dedicated practice space), celestial guardians like heavenly warriors, divine kings, and vajra beings descend. These celestial deities, heavenly maidens, and spiritual consorts all come to aid the practitioner, ensuring the resolution of legal disputes and complete recovery from illnesses. The scripture sternly warns that if great demon kings or minor ghost monarchs refuse to assist in healing, their heads will be split into eighty pieces by the decree of Lord Lao (the deified Laozi).

It then emphasizes that priests adhering to the teachings of the "Three Caverns" (the classification system of Daoist scriptures) must not reside with practitioners of the "Yellow-Red Way" (sexual cultivation schools). Orthodox Daoists should retreat to mountains for seclusion. If they must teach among ordinary people, they must maintain separate dwellings from sexual cultivation practitioners, with only brief contact permitted on specific auspicious days (such as Gengshen or Jiazi dates).

The latter section delivers stern pronouncements: all demon kings must assist priests in saving lives, ensuring human suffering is alleviated and legal disputes resolved. Those who cause deaths through non-assistance will be torn into ten thousand pieces. Finally, it enumerates various harmful spirits: six-inch black-bodied ghosts hiding in birds, three-inch red-white barbarian ghosts appearing with floods, and eight hundred thousand "Sky-Head" damp ghosts causing fires. These spirit disturbances often presage national disasters like great floods or tyrannical governance.

The conclusion states that only mountain-dwelling priests who uphold the scriptures can single-mindedly combat these calamities. The entire passage demonstrates both the sacred authority and compulsory nature of early Daoist exorcism rituals, while reflecting contemporary societal fears of natural disasters and political instability.

This scripture describes a calamity caused by malevolent spirits and the divine protection that Daoist priests can obtain through scripture recitation and rituals.

It mentions that during the period from the Renwu to Renchen years (as recorded in the ancient celestial stem-branch calendar), great demons known as "Beng Zhou," "Li Zi Shi Er Tao Jiang," and others will lead hundreds of thousands of ghostly soldiers to slay the wicked. Only those who cultivate the Dao (the Way) and ordained priests will be spared. If a Daoist priest recites scriptures (zhuanjing) to heal and save people, celestial beings will descend to assist, and the demon kings themselves will show mercy and offer protection.

The scripture specifically warns that during this time, evil spirits will run rampant, with fewer than three or four out of ten people surviving. However, Daoist priests who study and practice the scriptures will be guided by celestial beings and escape this great calamity. If ordinary people can seek the aid of a master well-versed in the Three Caverns (Dongzhen, Dongxuan, Dongshen—the highest Daoist scriptures of the Shangqing, Lingbao, and Sanhuang traditions) to perform rituals, even the great demon kings will assist in curing illnesses and exorcising evil, suppressing the haunting ghosts a thousand feet beneath the earth.

Conversely, if no Daoist priest is invited to perform rituals, all manner of misfortunes will follow: the sick will not recover, family members will die one after another, legal disputes will arise, crops will fail, and official careers will stagnate. The wicked ghostly soldiers will first be hacked to pieces by the great demon kings—no mercy will be shown.

Later, the text describes a black-faced demon called "Red-Beard," standing seventy feet tall, who often impersonates the Yellow Emperor (an ancient sage-king) to terrify the people. These demons, along with various unregistered wandering ghosts and spirits, will wreak havoc, causing illness and death in every household, afflicting livestock and wild animals, and bringing lawsuits, quarrels, imprisonment, and general misfortune. The scripture concludes with the urgent command "ji ji ru lü ling" (a common Daoist ritual phrase meaning "swiftly, as decreed by the law"), emphasizing the immediacy of these warnings.

This passage from the Taishang Dongyuan Shenzhou Jing (Scripture of the Divine Spells from the Abyssal Cavern of the Most High) describes exorcistic practices. The Most High Lord Lao (Taishang Laojun, one of Daoism's supreme deities) commands all ghost kings to immediately assist Daoist priests in healing the living—resolving legal disputes and curing the sick. Should these ghost kings disobey, the demonic rulers would face complete annihilation. These decrees are executed according to the sacred ordinances personally proclaimed by Lord Lao himself.

As a pivotal Daoist scripture for exorcism and healing, the Shenzhou Jing records numerous divine incantations (shenzhou) and methods for dispelling malign influences and curing diseases. This particular passage underscores the ghost kings' obligation to cooperate with Daoist priests in saving humanity, with severe consequences for disobedience—embodying Daoism's fundamental mission of delivering salvation through worldly intervention. The text reflects the Zhengyi (Orthodox Unity) tradition's emphasis on ritual efficacy and the Daoist priesthood's mediatory role between celestial and earthly realms.