《太上洞淵神咒經》Vol. 9

The Taishang Dongyuan Shenzhou Jing (Scripture of the Divine Spells from the Abyss of the Most High) primarily discusses the connection between epidemic-causing demons and Daoist cultivation for protection. It mentions that in specific years such as Gengchen and Renwu, a thunder demon named "Jiuchang" will lead eighty thousand minor demons, wielding red clubs to execute evil individuals, bringing forth thirty-six types of diseases. Additionally, the "Youjian" demon causes red swellings, while over eighty million demons induce diarrhea. Twelve thousand red-eyed demons bring about vomiting and dysentery, ninety million demons cause eye ailments, and four hundred ninety thousand demons inflict fevers and chills.

When such calamities occur, if a Daoist priest (fashi) is present in a place where scriptures are recited and chanted repeatedly, these epidemic demons will naturally dissipate. The Three Heavens Jade Maidens (high-ranking female immortals in Daoism) will lead eight hundred trillion celestial beings, accompanied by three hundred ninety thousand celestial maidens from the ten directions, descending to report to the Most High Lord Lao (Taishang Laojun): From this moment onward, if a household afflicted by illness or legal disputes invites a priest to recite scriptures, and the epidemic demons still refuse to leave, they vow to banish these demons ten thousand miles away, ensuring the sick recover and legal troubles resolve. Should the demons resist, the Nine Heavens Messengers (celestial guardian generals) will mercilessly execute them.

The scripture particularly emphasizes that people often lack faith in the Dao. Even if only one person believes in the classics, they should pay no heed to mockery—true cultivators naturally disregard the ridicule of fools. It prophesies that during the years of Jiashen, Renwu, and Guiwei, great calamities will arise: epidemic demons descending from the heavens, warfare and chaos, infestations of insects, snakes, tigers, and wolves, as well as disasters of water, fire, and poisonous Qi. Yet people remain deluded, even slandering Daoist priests and defaming the scriptures. Such sinners will ultimately meet sudden deaths, bleeding from all seven orifices, their bodies swollen, and perishing voiceless—beyond the salvation of even celestial immortals. Thus, it admonishes cultivators to be cautious in speech and conduct.

Finally, it prophesies that in the year Renchen, a True Lord (a realized sage) will emerge, encouraging believers to diligently study the scriptures and guide sentient beings—only then will they be received by immortals. It specifically mentions that during the Renwu year, when epidemic demons run rampant, the Most High Lord Lao, moved by compassion for humanity, dispatched five great perfected beings—Yan Ping, Wang Jin, Fang She, Zhou Zhuang, and Xuan Tang—to descend into the world and aid the people.

This scripture recounts how the Supreme Dao Lord (the highest deity in Daoism) foretells a coming catastrophe and teaches people to avoid disaster through faith and cultivation. It states that in the year of Renwu, a catastrophic flood will rise to immense heights, and only Daoist practitioners who take refuge in deep mountains will survive. From the third to the ninth month, a great plague will sweep the mortal realm, with thirty-seven thousand plague demons slaughtering people indiscriminately. Those who do not believe in the Dao will be the first to perish, and ninety kinds of diseases will ravage humanity.

When the True Lord (a high-ranking celestial official) descends to the mortal world, the wicked will be unable to see him, for Heaven has already dispatched demon-slaying spirits to eradicate them. Heaven and Earth will undergo a great reshuffling—the sun, moon, and stars will realign, and the immortals will establish a new order. At that time, the Five Directions will know eternal peace, the earth will be adorned with the Seven Treasures (gold, silver, lapis lazuli, and other precious substances), and people will lack nothing. Livestock will vanish, all will become sages, and evil people will cease to exist.

The Supreme Dao Lord warns: Now that the flood is imminent, those with wisdom who sincerely believe in the Three Caverns scriptures (the core Daoist classics) and devote themselves to cultivation will receive the protection of one hundred thousand Jade Maidens of the Three Heavens (celestial female immortals). Daoist practitioners must guide the people—for every person converted, Heaven will rejoice; but if anyone remains obstinate, the practitioner will be punished. You had karmic ties to immortality in past lives, which is why you have encountered this profound scripture. Keep it enshrined in your home, and no plague demons or malevolent spirits will dare approach.

From this moment onward, if anyone in the world faces lawsuits, imprisonment, severe illness, or life-and-death crises, they must urgently recite this great divine scripture. Within it reside thirty-nine trillion mighty deities who will descend to rescue them, forcing the plague demons to retreat. Celestial soldiers and generals from the Ten Directions, the Four Heavenly Demon Kings (guardian deities), and rainbow-robed immortals will descend to assist. If plague demons linger where a Daoist chants the scripture, the Three Heavens’ Warriors (celestial enforcers) will immediately slay them.

After the year of Renwu, diseases will spread among the people, and ghostly armies will gather to execute the wicked. If the afflicted receive help from a master, the Supreme Dao Lord will dispatch four hundred ninety trillion benevolent deities to drive the plague demons ten thousand miles away—those who refuse to leave will be slain on the spot.

This scripture records the plagues that will emerge in different years along with their corresponding ritual remedies. According to Daoist prophecy, during the Renwu year, a crimson divine bird will bring pestilence, specifically targeting evildoers. Those who commit numerous wicked deeds and lack faith in the Dao (the Way) will find it difficult to escape calamity. To avoid disaster, one may establish a zhaijiao (Daoist purification ritual) in the ninth or tenth month, paying homage to the Five Directional Emperors (the five directional deities of Daoism). Specifically, one should kneel and bow nine times facing east, three times facing south, seven times facing west, five times facing north, twelve times toward each of the four corners, thirty-two times toward the heavens above, and twelve times toward the earth below. In this way, the celestial deities will descend and record the names of the sincere in the Jade Register of Immortals. If resources are limited, devoutly bowing thirty-six times facing east can also bring immeasurable blessings.

During the Guiwei year, seventy types of epidemics will spread. If every household can perform a zhaijiao and bow thirty times facing south, the plague demons will retreat ten thousand miles away.

The scripture further prophesies that in the years of Jiazi, Jiaxu, and Jiashen, eight hundred thousand red-tailed ghosts will appear. These demons, called Duo'a, have three tails, stand nine feet tall, and wield water vessels to spread illnesses of alternating chills and fevers. Daoist priests must urgently advise people to set up quiet chambers by rivers or roadsides, conducting a one-day zhaijiao and bowing thirty-six times facing west. The celestial deities will then record the names of the participants' entire families in the immortal registers, sparing them from untimely deaths.

In the years of Jiawu and Jiachen, black pestilential qi will spread, with eight hundred and ninety thousand plague demons causing throat blockages and diarrhea. Daoist priests should transmit the fulu (talismans and registers) of the Three Caverns (Dongzhen/Dongxuan/Dongshen) and conduct a zhaijiao lasting one day and two nights by the water between the first and third months, bowing twenty-five times facing north across five time periods. The celestial deities will naturally record the merits earned.

Finally, during the Jiayin year, three-inch-tall "Big-Eyed Ghosts" will appear, swarming in groups alongside a million crimson birds to invade homes and harm people. The discerning should quickly observe fasting by the water, repenting and bowing thirty-six times facing east across five time periods over one day and two nights. The celestial deities will surely come to protect them, and the plague demons will naturally retreat, not daring to approach. At this time, Daoist priests must actively guide the people in cultivation.

The Taishang Dongyuan Shenzhou Jing (Scripture of the Divine Spells of the Most High's Cavernous Abyss) contains prophecies and admonitions regarding calamities foretold to occur in the Renwu year (a cyclical year in the traditional Chinese calendar). The scripture states that around this time, floods will arise, and local officials should swiftly perform good deeds. In this year, epidemic demons (ghosts that spread disease) will emerge to eliminate the wicked, and those who do not believe in the Dao will perish. Daoist priests must enlighten the ignorant so that Heaven may protect those who sincerely turn to the Dao.

Nowadays, people in the world lack faith in the Dao, so Heaven sends epidemic demons to punish them. From now on, those with wisdom who cultivate with sincere belief will receive special favor from Heaven and will not suffer unjustly. The wise should propagate the Dao, accumulate merit, and act with caution.

The scripture describes in detail: In the Renwu year, thirty-six types of grass demons (ghosts that cling to plants) will harm people. When gathering wild herbs, the roots, stems, and leaves of plants may harbor ghostly toxins called shengru. These shengru demons number in the millions and can cause illness within ten days to a month. The poison invades the limbs and body, turning the afflicted yellow and red. These demons stand three cun and seven fen tall.

In the mountains, there is also a female demon called Luoweng, who leads 200,000 female demons alongside her consort and two daughters, lurking in forests and near water to harm people. Another female demon, Jiangnü, had accumulated much merit and was destined to become an immortal, but because she disrespected the "Three Great Saints of the Three Heavens" (the highest Daoist deities) and the "Three Masters" (Daoist teachers), she fell and became a demon. These demons harbor evil thoughts upon seeing Daoist priests entering the mountains. Their appearance is hideous: ten chi tall, with black faces, vertical pupils, reddish-yellow bodies, and a foul stench that makes people flee.

The scripture warns: Those who disrespect the Three Treasures (the Dao, the scriptures, and the teachers) will end up like this. One should uphold the scriptures, revere teachers, refrain from slandering masters, serve diligently, avoid jealousy, and not associate excessively with worldly people. Those who violate these principles will be punished by Heaven, suffering in the mountains for 390 billion kalpas (an immeasurably long time). If a Daoist priest can uphold the "Secret Registers of the Three Caverns" (the highest Daoist teachings), they will have laid the foundation for immortality. Fleeting pleasures are incomparable to attaining eternal life.

Finally, an analogy is given: A Daoist who obtains true scriptures and guidance from an enlightened master, fully mastering the teachings of the Three Caverns (Dongzhen, Dongxuan, and Dongshen scriptures), is like a great wealthy man in the world—owning vast lands and estates, thousands of servants, and inexhaustible riches, with the poor of the world working for him, living without want, traveling with carriages and attendants, and freely giving alms to the needy.

This scripture primarily discusses the relationship between one's worldly status (wealth or poverty, nobility or lowliness) and their past-life cultivation, karmic retribution for good and evil deeds, while exhorting people to practice the Dao and cultivate virtue.

It first explains disparities in human destiny: Though wealth and poverty may appear as worldly distinctions, they all stem from karmic causes formed in previous lives. Those who cultivated Daoist practices in past incarnations are naturally well-provided in this life (specifically in the Central Plains region). Those who accumulated virtuous deeds (De) previously enjoy great wealth and nobility now, with blessings extending to their descendants. Those who were destined for immortality but failed to ascend still manifest as exceptionally prosperous in this life. As for impoverished yet devoted Daoist practitioners, their current material lack results from prolonged past-life cultivation that avoided worldly contamination. Those suffering extreme poverty—dying without possessions or livestock—are paying for grave past offenses: failing to accumulate virtue (De), rejecting scriptures, and lacking faith in the teachings. Such individuals often reincarnate as livestock or servants. Only those with celestial origins become Daoist priests or nobles—identities impossible to attain without past-life merit.

The text then critiques contemporary attitudes: Many wicked people today reject the true Dao (Zhengyi). Even when others embrace the teachings, fools mock them, deriding cultivators as madmen, questioning the purpose of mountain retreats, or falsely accusing them of demons disguising as virtuous acts. The scripture exposes human ignorance—people fail to recognize the impermanence of wealth and life's brevity, unaware their bodies are consumed by the "Three Thieves" (referring to the Three Corpses, parasitic entities in Daoist physiology that hasten death). Obsessed with material accumulation and familial attachments, they choose sin over scripture study and immortality practices, ultimately enslaved by desires, wasting their fleeting years. In truth, only Dao cultivation grants eternal life, enabling communion with celestial beings.

Finally, it issues prophetic warnings: During the Ren-Shen year (a specific 60-year calendar cycle), epidemics will arise—twenty-three diseases specifically punishing the wicked. Only those who embrace the teachings, revere the Three Masters (scripture master, register master, and ordination master), and widely heal illnesses will be chosen by celestial beings. When a nation follows the Dao, using the Three Caverns scriptures (Dongzhen, Dongxuan, Dongshen) to educate its people, but rulers remain ignorant while wickedness flourishes among the populace, hundreds of ghosts will wreak havoc. At such times, male and female Daoist practitioners (daoshi and nüguan) must widely disseminate the true teachings.

This scripture primarily explains how Daoist priests harness divine power to exorcise evil spirits and cure illnesses, while also addressing the karmic connections from practitioners' past lives. The text states that when one, two, or three households simultaneously suffer from disease or misfortune, they may invite a grand master well-versed in the Three Caverns (Sanqing, the collective term for Daoist scriptures) to recite scriptures over five time periods spanning a day and two nights. By employing the "Way of Nine and One" (a cultivation method) and the "Qi of Three and Five" (the genuine energy of the Five Phases), they can mobilize the power of deities from all ten directions to expel demons. At such times, celestial armies including four hundred thousand crimson-bow warriors and thirty-nine thousand mighty guardians of the nine provinces will descend to assist. Even the Great Demon Kings and minor ghost kings will heed the summons, aiding the priest in healing illnesses and dispelling calamities.

The scripture emphasizes that true Daoist priests are envoys descended from the celestial realm. All worldly distinctions—wealth or poverty, nobility or baseness, beauty or ugliness, virtue or wickedness—stem from karmic causes in past lives: dignified features result from constant virtuous thoughts in previous existences, great wealth from generous charity, and high status from diligent cultivation of merit. Those who become Daoist masters attain this vocation through long accumulation of wisdom and devotion to the Great Dao (the supreme vehicle)—none of this is achieved by chance. Priests who resolve to retreat to mountain forests, sever worldly desires, and devote themselves wholly to cultivation are already nearing the path to immortality.

Finally, it warns humanity: the masses of the world wander in ignorance, unaware of impending death like walking corpses. After attaining immortality through the Dao, priests should urge others to study the essential teachings of the Three Caverns. When encountering deluded individuals who cling to desires and refuse cultivation, they will regret their choices too late—once floods and wars arrive, malevolent ghosts will rampage and slaughter, with only cultivators receiving divine protection.

When Daoist practitioners (Daoist priests) perform rituals and recite scriptures to help people overcome calamities, all those who are saved—whether they are great demon kings, minor ghost kings, or ordinary men and women—will come together to assist the priest. Through this collective effort, the sick are healed, legal disputes are resolved, and all kinds of wishes are fulfilled.

Should there be malevolent spirits that refuse to submit, bringing baleful Qi (vital energy) to harm the living, the great demon kings (referring to high-ranking guardian deities) will immediately split their heads into sixteen pieces, executing them without mercy, strictly following the decrees personally proclaimed by Lord Lao (the supreme deity of Daoism).

The scripture specifically warns: In the world today, there exists a type of evil spirit called "Red-Browed Black-Flame," numbering four hundred and eighty thousand. They roam freely, specifically targeting evildoers for slaughter. When Daoist priests and female practitioners (nuns) arrive to aid those in need, the minor ghost kings must promptly report to the great demon kings, who will dispatch divine soldiers and fierce generals to assist in the salvation of beings. This ensures that illness-causing Qi dissipates and all misfortunes are dispelled.

On the day when all matters are successfully resolved, these guardian deities will be promoted in rank. However, if any evil spirit dares to defy these commands—whether they be great demon kings or minor ghost kings—they will be cut into ten thousand pieces without pardon. This is the severe mandate recorded in the ninth volume of the Taishang Dongyuan Shenzhou Jing (Scripture of the Divine Spells from the Abyss by the Most High).