《太上靈寶十方應號天尊懺》

The second scroll of the Taishang Lingbao Shifang Yinghao Tianzun Chan (with the first scroll and scrolls three through nine missing from the original text) records:

After listening to the Supreme Dao Ancestor's teachings on the karmic retribution of good and evil, the Perfected Being of Wondrous Practice prostrated in reverence and praise. Filled with profound compassion, he inquired further: "Deluded beings, ignorant and unaware, remain submerged in worldly desires, unable to free themselves, continuously suffering through cycles of karmic retribution. May the Celestial Worthy compassionately reveal the path so that future generations of men and women may take refuge in virtuous ways and avoid falling into the three wretched paths of hell, hungry ghosts, and animals."

The Supreme Dao Ancestor expounded: "Throughout countless kalpas of rebirth, all sentient beings create karmic offenses through their sensory faculties (eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind) and emotional attachments. These obstructions accumulate like innumerable grains of dust, long amassed within body and mind. Yet with a single moment of genuine repentance, their original pure nature can be restored—just as a dust-covered mirror regains its brilliance when polished by a skilled artisan. The primordial spirit (Shen) of beings is inherently pure, but after entering the womb, it becomes obscured by the six roots (senses), six desires, six emotions, and six dusts (external phenomena), giving rise to deluded discrimination that veils their true nature, leading to suffering in the cycle of rebirth."

With compassion, the Dao Ancestor continued: "Throughout countless kalpas, I have manifested in the human realm—sometimes as sages, sometimes as ordinary people—using various means to teach sentient beings, transmitting scriptures and precepts to liberate them. Yet beings' merit remains shallow, making awakening difficult. The celestial saints constantly hope people will reform their evil ways and cultivate goodness, for virtuous actions attract benevolent spirits' protection. Those who fail to repent of their offenses will incur calamities from malevolent spirits. How lamentable that people only know to adorn their outward appearance with fine robes, yet remain ignorant of cleansing the karmic defilements within their bodies and minds."

(Note: Concepts like the "six roots and six desires" represent Daoism's systematic analysis of the causes of affliction. The six roots refer to the six sensory faculties—eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind; the six dusts denote the six external phenomena—forms, sounds, scents, tastes, touches, and mental objects; while the six consciousnesses indicate the corresponding cognitive functions. Their interaction generates attachments and afflictions.)

This passage from the Taishang Lingbao Shifang Yinghao Tianzun Chan presents a confession text regarding the karmic offenses of killing, where the Supreme Dao Ancestor expounds to Miaoxing Zhenren (the Perfected of Wondrous Practice) on the various acts of killing committed by sentient beings. The main content can be understood as follows:

The Supreme Dao Ancestor tells Miaoxing Zhenren: All sentient beings (including those of past and present existence), if they lack compassion and recklessly slaughter living creatures to satisfy their appetites, incur profoundly grave karmic offenses. People kill countless beings—whether for parents, themselves, descendants, relatives, or friends; whether to celebrate auspicious or inauspicious events when gathering in villages; or when making offerings to ancestors or thanking the Earth Deities (She Shen).

The text meticulously enumerates various acts of killing:

1. Slaughtering domestic animals: oxen, sheep, pigs, dogs, donkeys, horses, chickens, and other animals raised by humans.

2. Hunting wild beasts: deer, foxes, rabbits, tigers, leopards, wolves, and other mountain and forest creatures.

3. Killing birds: geese, ducks, crows, turtledoves, hawks, and other avian species.

4. Exterminating insects: snakes, scorpions, bees, ants, centipedes, and other crawling creatures.

5. Destroying aquatic life: turtles, fish, shrimp, crabs, clams, and other water-dwelling beings.

6. Harming tiny organisms: mosquitoes, flies, lice, fleas, and the like.

It also lists various methods of killing:

• Hunting (using falcons and hounds, setting mountain fires)
• Employing tools (setting nets and traps, using bows, arrows, knives, and staffs)
• Daily activities (accidentally trampling creatures while sitting, lying down, walking)
• Harming life during construction or farming
• Injuring beings while picking flowers and fruits or raising silkworms for silk
• Accidentally killing creatures when lighting lamps, burning fires, or pouring hot water
• Harming life while eating, bathing, or destroying bird eggs

Particular emphasis is placed on the gravity of killing during sacred times:

• Before the Celestial Venerables (Tianzun), the Great Dao (Da Dao), or true scriptures
• Under the light of the sun, moon, and stars
• During the Three Primes festivals (Shangyuan, Zhongyuan, Xiayuan), the Eight Solar Terms (beginning with the Spring Equinox), or days of purification (Zhaijie)
• When killing creatures during storms, rain, or gloomy weather

Through this exhaustive enumeration of killing acts, the scripture aims to make practitioners recognize the offenses they may unknowingly commit in daily life, thereby arousing a repentant heart. In Daoist practice, such detailed confession is an essential method for purifying body and mind while accumulating merit (De).

This passage discusses the karmic offenses committed by individuals who kill living beings, whether in sacred cultivation sites or daily life, and explains how to purify these transgressions through repentance.

The text first enumerates various forms of killing: slaughtering creatures at Daoist altars and ritual platforms; killing in states of anger, sorrow, or even during celebratory singing and dancing; taking life to prepare medicinal formulas; personally ending lives or killing with weapons; killing through warfare, vendettas, abuse of power, or misuse of wealth and authority; employing cruel methods like decapitation, dismemberment, skinning, plucking feathers, or burning; harming pregnant beings and terminating fetal life; and various other means including intimidation, poison, curses, suicide or inciting others to kill, even down to mere murderous thoughts or indirect causation through speech.

The scripture warns that if these offenses remain concealed in one's heart without sincere confession, they will perpetually bind the practitioner. Therefore, one must devoutly submit to the Dao (guiming) and sincerely venerate the various Celestial Worthies (Tianshi) to repent these transgressions.

Subsequently, the text lists over thirty titles of Celestial Worthies, including: the Primordial Celestial Worthy (Yuanshi Tianzun, the supreme deity in Daoism), the Worthy who liberates sentient beings, the Worthy who transcends samsara, the Worthy who instructs all creatures, etc. Each title is preceded by the phrase "zhixin xinli" - meaning to worship with utmost sincere faith. This represents the classic form of Daoist repentance rituals (chanfa), where one confesses transgressions through the reverent invocation of the Celestial Worthies' sacred names.

The core teaching of this passage is: recognizing the gravity of killing offenses and purifying the mind through systematic repentance and veneration of the Celestial Worthies. Daoism maintains that genuine repentance can eliminate karmic obstacles and bring spiritual renewal.

This scripture is a penitential text from the Daoist Taishang Lingbao Shifang Yinghao Tianzun Chan (Great Supreme Numinous Treasure Litany of the Ten Directions' Responsive Honored Deities). Its main content divides into two parts:

The first section involves devout prostrations to over ten Tianzun (Honored Deities) and Zhenren (Perfected Persons). Each deity possesses distinct titles and functions, such as:

• Tianzun of Serene Qi (governing mental purity)
• Tianzun of Profound Mystical Insight (embodying wisdom to perceive hidden truths)
• Tianzun of Nine Numinous Liberations (possessing nine spiritual emancipations)
• Tianzun of Compassion for Five Sufferings (specializing in delivering beings from five types of misery)
• Tianzun Who Delivers from Bondage (aiding liberation from worldly constraints), among others.

The second section contains the confession proper, where devotees repent before these Tianzun for transgressions committed by themselves and their ancestral lineages across lifetimes—particularly the karma of killing. Through the deities' compassionate blessings, they seek liberation for slain beings, resolution of karmic entanglements, and cultivation of virtuous affinities.

In the concluding "Confession of Three Karmas" segment, the Supreme Dao Lord (Taishang Daojun) instructs Perfected Miaoxing that beings remain trapped in woeful rebirths due to offenses committed through body, speech, and mind. Four bodily transgressions are specified:

1. Failing to acknowledge the nurturing grace of Heaven-Earth, sun-moon, and the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water)

2. Neglecting filial piety toward parents and teachers

3. Lacking loyalty to nation and ruler

4. Disbelieving in karmic retribution for good and evil

Such transgressions lead people to indulge in pleasures while unconsciously committing evils like killing, theft, and debauchery. Through confessing these offenses, the scripture aids practitioners in purifying body-mind and returning to the upright Dao.

The Taishang Lingbao Shifang Yinghao Tianzun Chan scripture enumerates various sins committed through thoughts, words, and deeds, primarily categorized into two types: sins of the heart (internal wicked thoughts) and sins of speech (verbal transgressions).

Regarding sins of the heart:

1. Indulging in drunkenness and debauchery, disrupting natural order—such evil thoughts torment the mind like an unquenchable fire.

2. The six sensory desires (of eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind) and the three delusions (greed, anger, and ignorance) ceaselessly grow.

3. Specific wicked thoughts include:

• Contemplating theft of sacred texts, temple offerings, or other holy objects.
• Plotting to seize state treasures or others' possessions (regardless of value).
• Harboring covetousness toward anything constitutes a thieving heart.
• Maintaining discriminatory likes and dislikes, inviting karmic retribution.

4. Other severe wicked thoughts:

• Disrespecting the Three Luminaries (sun, moon, and stars) or belittling sages.
• Scheming to harm virtuous individuals.
• Intending to injure living beings.
• Deceitfulness, fraud, and envy of the worthy.
• Instigating others to commit evil or undermining their good deeds.
• Sowing discord among family members.
• Violating precepts and indulging in desires.
• Superstitious adherence to heresies and stubborn self-righteousness.
• Selfishness, stinginess, and insatiable greed.
• Ingratitude and honeyed words masking malice.
• Contradictions between speech and actions, hypocrisy.
• Seeking divine help only in emergencies without genuine repentance afterward.

Regarding sins of speech:

1. Three common verbal transgressions people commit daily:

• Consuming meat and blood without remorse.
• Hurtful speech, gossip, and slander.
• Empty, extravagant words about heaven, earth, deities, scriptures, or sages.

The scripture particularly emphasizes that these sins may seem minor, but accumulated over time, they become as grave as calamities. It mentions the "Three Luminaries" (sun, moon, stars), the "six sensory desires," and the "three delusions" (greed, anger, ignorance)—fundamental obstacles in Daoist cultivation, analogous to Buddhism's three poisons. These must be overcome on the spiritual path.

This scripture consists of two main sections: the first part confesses various transgressions, while the second venerates multiple Celestial Worthy (Tianshi, supreme Daoist deities).

【Confession of Transgressions】

The text enumerates common human faults:

• Verbal offenses: cursing, malicious speech, false accusations, slander, blaspheming heaven and earth (reviling wind and rain), disrespect toward elders, mocking others
• Behavioral offenses: distorting truth (treating heresy as doctrine), deceiving people with sweet words, sowing discord, falsification and fraud
• Mental offenses: exposing others' flaws while boasting of one's merits, fostering resentment in others, hypocritical self-praise, suppressing virtuous people
• Insincere faith: reciting scriptures with duplicitous hearts, claiming spiritual merit without performing good deeds, slandering deities when prayers go unanswered

The scripture warns that such transgressions accumulate the "Three Karmic Offenses" (sins of body, speech, and mind). Like a boat sinking under accumulating weight, these misdeeds ultimately lead to spiritual downfall.

【Veneration of Celestial Worthies】

The text successively venerates 26 Celestial Worthies, each embodying distinct virtues and divine powers. Examples include:

• Yuanshi Tianzun (Primordial Celestial Worthy, one of Daoism's supreme deities): representing ultimate truth
• Benefactor of Virtuous Connections Celestial Worthy: aiding the formation of good karmic ties
• Destroyer of Delusions Illuminating Celestial Worthy: dispelling worldly afflictions
• Majestic Virtue Purifying Celestial Worthy: manifesting dignity and spiritual purity
• Mystic Compassion Saving Celestial Worthy: delivering beings through profound mercy

Each veneration begins with "With utmost sincerity and faith we bow," demonstrating devout reverence. These epithets reflect Daoism's multifaceted understanding of the Dao (the Way) and practitioners' hope to attain various forms of salvation through repentance.

(Note: Such confessional texts are typically used in Daoist repentance rituals, where devotees seek absolution and spiritual renewal through self-examination and deity veneration.)

This Repentance Scripture of the Celestial Worthy of Ten Directions Responding to Names (Taishang Lingbao Shifang Yinghao Tianzun Chan) is a Daoist penitential text primarily focused on making reverent confessions to the Ten Directions Celestial Worthies and Perfected Beings, seeking absolution from karmic transgressions.

The text first enumerates twelve Celestial Worthies and Perfected Beings, each embodying distinct salvific functions:

1. Celestial Worthy of Augmenting Expedient Means (assists in cultivating virtuous connections)

2. Celestial Worthy King of Sandalwood Virtue (pure as fragrant sandalwood)

3. Celestial Worthy of Pure Treasure Treasury (radiantly immaculate)

4. Celestial Worthy of Jeweled Eloquence (wisdom and persuasive speech)

5. Celestial Worthy of Illumination Pervading Dark Realms (light penetrating the underworld)

6. Celestial Worthy of Opening Sacred Power (activating divine potency)

7. Celestial Worthy of Void Appearance (vast as empty space)

8. Celestial Worthy of Immortal Essence Containing Purity (embodying celestial Qi)

9. Celestial Worthy of Five Clouds Soaring Traces (ascending like auspicious clouds)

10. Celestial Worthy Remembering Lost Multitudes (compassion for wandering beings)

11-14. Four Great Compassionate Perfected Beings (saving from suffering, eradicating sins, universal aid, and wondrous practice)

The subsequent confession section describes devotees recounting transgressions committed through countless kalpas of rebirth—physical, verbal, and mental misdeeds, along with ancestral karmic burdens. They beseech the Celestial Worthies for merciful deliverance from infernal torments (such as wind-blades testing the body, iron halberds piercing the heart, molten copper poured into mouths, tongue-extraction), purifying the six sense faculties.

The concluding "Chapter on Resolving Resentment" presents the Most High Lord of the Dao's (Taishang Daojun) teachings to the Perfected Being of Wondrous Practice, revealing the gravity of hatred-based offenses:

• Beings constantly accumulate evil karma through ignorance of virtuous paths
• Resentment proves futile yet is meticulously recorded by sin-inspecting deities
• After suffering in wretched realms, rebirth perpetuates cycles of vengeance
• Such karmic recurrence shadows beings like inseparable forms and reflections
• Practitioners should emulate sages—either through great relinquishment (abandoning status or life) or minor sacrifices (forsaking trivial gains) to dissolve enmity

The entire scripture emphasizes how sincere repentance coupled with celestial blessings can eradicate karmic obstructions, breaking vicious cycles of mutual retribution.

This scripture elucidates the various causes of human resentment and its detrimental effects. It teaches that:

Practitioners should sever selfish desires, maintain inner purity, and avoid contentious disputes with others - only then can resentment be dissolved. People often develop conflicts with those closest to them who should receive filial devotion and care, all due to accumulated grievances from past lives.

The scripture enumerates over twenty circumstances that generate resentment:

1. When parents and teachers make excessive demands of juniors, growing resentful at minor dissatisfactions; likewise when juniors resent elders for perceived lack of care

2. Resentment toward celestial deities, natural phenomena like wind, rain, heat and cold

3. Resentment concerning family property, food, clothing and other necessities

4. Resentment arising from competition for fame and profit, unfair transactions, or legal disputes

5. Resentment born of indulgence in wine and lust, gambling, right and wrong judgments, or unfair loans

6. Cruelty toward the weak, sick and poor through curses or beatings of people and animals

7. Stinginess, jealousy, harming others for personal gain, bullying the weak while fearing the strong, or giving short measure

8. Performing good deeds while expecting repayment, humiliating others to prove superiority, or exploiting laborers without regard for their suffering

9. Uttering vicious curses over trivial matters, wishing others quick deaths

Some harbor resentment so deeply that they carry it unrelieved to the grave, ultimately facing judgment and repayment in the underworld courts. These resentments bind people like unyielding ropes - without sincere repentance, liberation remains difficult.

(Note: This text belongs to the Daoist repentance scriptures category, teaching devotees to recognize resentment's dangers and dissolve karmic obstacles through contrition. The "Ten Directions Response-Title Heavenly Worthy" is a Daoist deity overseeing salvation, while "chan" refers to repentance texts.)

This scripture consists of two main sections:

The first half admonishes people to awaken early and relinquish resentment and attachments. The text states: It is truly heartbreaking to see sentient beings suffering through endless cycles of rebirth, constantly immersed in resentment and anger—these negative emotions only accumulate unwholesome karma. The scripture urges all to attain awakening quickly, repent and reform without delay, for only thus can one avoid being entangled by karmic retribution. When one abandons the discriminating mind that separates "self" from "other," resentment naturally dissolves.

The second half reverently lists the sacred names of the Thirty-Five Celestial Worthy (Tianzun, the highest deities in Daoism), each with distinct divine functions and virtues, including:

• Yuanshi Tianzun (the supreme deity representing cosmic origin)
• Pushi Xuande Tianzun (manifesting profound De/Virtue)
• Jiuqi Yisheng Tianzun (governing the vital Qi of life)
• Zhijie Yun Tianzun (resolving kalpic calamities)
• Bazhong Ku Tianzun (delivering beings from suffering)
• Changzheng Shinan Tianzun (constantly rescuing the world from disasters)

This passage embodies essential Daoist cultivation methods: through repentance of transgressions, releasing attachments, and devout veneration of the Celestial Worthy to receive blessings, one attains liberation from suffering and accumulates merit. When paying homage to each Tianzun, maintaining "zhi xin" (single-minded devotion)—the concentrated, reverent heart-mind—is fundamental to Daoist liturgical practice.

This passage is a penitential text from the Taoist scripture Taishang Lingbao Shifang Yinghao Tianzun Chan (The Repentance Ritual of the Celestial Worthy of the Ten Directions in Response to the Divine Name). Its main content involves reverent prostrations to various Celestial Worthies (Tianzun) and Perfected Beings (Zhenren) to seek the elimination of karmic obstacles.

First, it sequentially pays homage to seven sacred deities:

1. The Celestial Worthy of True Body Stability (who brings peace to body and mind)

2. The Celestial Worthy Who Relieves the Ten Sufferings (who delivers beings from ten kinds of hardship)

3. The Celestial Worthy Who Separates from Defilement and Attachment (who liberates beings from greed and clinging)

4-7. The Four Great Compassionate Perfected Beings (who rescue the suffering, eradicate sins, universally aid, and perform wondrous deeds for sentient beings)

Next, it expresses repentance: We sincerely take refuge in all the Celestial Worthies and holy beings of the ten directions. Today, on behalf of a certain person, their deceased parents and ancestors, teachers, relatives, as well as all beings suffering in the hells (the Nine Dark Regions) and the six realms of rebirth, we earnestly repent. We pray for the dissolution of past sins arising from hatred, so that all may attain liberation.

Finally, it makes a vow: Each person should examine themselves and refrain from creating unwholesome karma in the future, avoiding the endless cycle of mutual retribution across lifetimes. Whether trapped in hell or reborn in the human or heavenly realms, may all eternally sever the roots of evil, attain carefree joy, and no longer be bound by afflictions.

The passage concludes with reverence to the Three Supreme Treasures (Dao, scriptures, and teachers) of the Ten Directions.

This scripture exemplifies the Taoist practice of repentance to remove karmic obstacles and deliver the deceased, emphasizing the cultivation of virtue, cessation of wrongdoing, and the ultimate goal of liberation from the cycle of rebirth.

This passage is from the tenth volume of the Taishang Lingbao Shifang Yinghao Tianzun Chan, titled "The Chapter on Teachers and Parents." It expounds on how sentient beings should express gratitude toward their spiritual teachers and parents.

The Celestial Master (Tianshi) instructs the Perfected One of Wondrous Practice (Miaoxing Zhenren): All living beings in this world exist through the transformative power of the Dao and the nurturing care of their parents. Parents endure hardship to raise their children, yet as they grow, people become tainted by negative habits, drowning in desires, anger, and other afflictions, committing countless transgressions. Though such beings possess human form, they differ little from beasts.

Without relying on spiritual teachers (Daoist cultivation guides) to dispel delusions and attachments—imparting the Three Vehicles of the Great Dharma (the three stages of Daoist practice), precepts, scriptures, talismans (Fulu), purification rituals (Zhaijiao), and methods for longevity—and guiding practitioners step by step in cultivation, one cannot transcend the mundane and attain sagehood. Teachers possess the boundless grace of guiding sentient beings, while parents bear the profound kindness of giving life and nurture. Yet beings with shallow virtue often fail to appreciate these blessings. They show disrespect to their teachers, fail in filial piety toward their parents, and even harbor resentment, committing grave offenses. Neither contemplating how to liberate others nor repaying the debt of life, their karmic burden grows especially heavy.

Now, the penitent (referred to as "so-and-so") awakens and repents for transgressions committed from beginningless time until this very life: perhaps while seeking the Dao and studying its teachings, they transmitted scriptures and precepts to others yet lacked sincere reverence for their teachers; or perhaps before their parents, they lost the heart of reverence and care, forgetting the kindness of being nursed and raised. Such immeasurable sins inevitably invite retribution in unseen realms. Now, they beseech the vast and mighty power of the Celestial Master to cleanse their karmic obstructions and nurture virtuous roots. If deceased loved ones are reborn as humans, may their connection to the Dao grow firm, swiftly awakening to the true path and abiding in eternal peace.

(Note: The "Three Vehicles of the Great Dharma" refer to the three stages of Daoist practice; terms like "six emotions and six dusts" denote the desires and attachments arising from the six senses—eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind—in response to the external world.)

This is a liturgical text from the Daoist scripture Taishang Lingbao Shifang Yinghao Tianzun Chan, expressing devout homage to the Tianzun (Celestial Venerables, the highest deities in Daoism). The content consists of two parts:

The first part is a vow:

"Even if I were to fall into the evil paths [of rebirth], with single-minded devotion I surrender my life, earnestly and devoutly serving the Tianzun as my most revered teachers and parents." This expresses the commitment to take refuge in the Daoist path with utmost sincerity, honoring the Celestial Venerables as one's spiritual guides and parental figures.

The second part sequentially venerates thirty-five Tianzun titles, each beginning with the phrase "With utmost sincerity and faith I bow," indicating wholehearted worship. These Tianzun embody various divine aspects and functions, such as:

• Yuanshi Tianzun (Primordial Heavenly Venerable, one of the Three Pure Ones/Sanqing)
• Fuzixia Tianzun (Auspicious Radiance Heavenly Venerable)
• Dasheng Konghui Tianzun (Great Vehicle of Emptiness Wisdom Heavenly Venerable)
• Wanxing Yuanman Tianzun (Perfect Fulfillment of All Practices Heavenly Venerable)
• Fayun Liurun Tianzun (Dharma Clouds Nourishing All Heavenly Venerable)
• Yujing Chuihui Tianzun (Jade Capital Bestowing Grace Heavenly Venerable)

These divine titles represent different dimensions of the Dao—encompassing wisdom, compassion, salvation, and spiritual cultivation. By reciting these sacred names, practitioners express their yearning for Daoist supreme truth and demonstrate their devotion. The enumeration of these celestial aspects reflects Daoism's comprehensive understanding of cosmic principles through its pantheon.

This scripture consists of two main sections:

The first part is a repentance liturgy:

With utmost sincerity, we bow in reverence to the Compassionate Saviors of Suffering (Jiuku Zhenren), the Liberators from Sin (Bazui Zhenren), the Universal Benefactors (Puji Zhenren), and the Wondrous Practitioners (Miaoxing Zhenren). We take refuge in the supreme Celestial Worthy (Tianzun) of the Ten Directions and all enlightened sages. Today we vow to cultivate the supreme Dao (Wushang Dadao), relying on the compassionate power of the Celestial Worthy, praying that:

1. All our past and present teachers (whether already immortalized or not) may strengthen their devotion to the Dao (Daoxin), remain undisturbed by distractions, swiftly realize the eternal Dao (Zhenchang Dadao), and attain the state beyond birth and death.

2. All our parents from past kalpas, this life, and seven generations (whether deceased or still living) may transcend evil karmic ties, be liberated from suffering, enter the Dharma gate, ultimately transcend the mundane, and merge with the Dao (Yu Dao He Zhen).

The second part features a dialogue between Wondrous Practitioner (Miaoxing Zhenren) and Lord Lao (Taishang Daojun):

Miaoxing Zhenren inquired: How many types of hells exist? How are punishments weighted according to sins?

Taishang Daojun replied:

1. The virtuous: Those who accumulated merit (De) and good deeds during life, with their virtues recorded in the celestial court, will be directly reborn in blessed realms after death, bypassing hells.

2. The wicked: According to the severity of their sins, they will be assigned to different hells for retribution, including:

• The twenty-six hells of Fengdu and Mount Tai
• The eighteen hells of the Nine Darknesses (Jiuyou)
• The eight directional hells (wind and thunder in the east, fiery torment in the south, mountain of knives in the west, frozen ice in the north, etc.)
• The central axe-and-halberd hell
• Other specialized hells (the filth hell, prison heaven hell, etc.)

(Note: These "hells" represent the Daoist unique underworld punishment system, distinct from Buddhist hells. Daoism teaches that after death, beings receive different punishments or rewards based on their virtuous or wicked deeds during life.)

This scripture describes Daoist teachings on infernal punishment and redemption through repentance, comprising two main sections:

The first section depicts the terrifying visions of hell and karmic retribution:

1. It enumerates over a dozen hell realms (including the Nine Principal Hells and the Endless Hell), portraying scenes filled with mountains of blades, seas of fire, venomous creatures, and other tortures.

2. The condemned suffer ceaseless torment day and night, enduring cycles of "ten thousand deaths and rebirths" within a single day.

3. Those with grave sins first reincarnate as donkeys, oxen, or mules—beasts of burden slaughtered at human whim. Even if reborn human, they become deformed, impoverished, and disease-ridden.

4. These sufferings are emphasized as inevitable karmic consequences of past misdeeds, impossible to escape without genuine repentance.

The second section details the repentance ritual:

1. Devotees are instructed to kneel devoutly before the Ten Supreme Celestial Worthies (highest Daoist deities), including:

• Yuanshi Tianzun (Primordial Celestial Worthy, the supreme deity)
• Xuanyi Tianzun (representing the Dao's origin)
• Zhuyuanxiang Tianzun (embodying eternal truth)

2. Repentance involves seeking forgiveness for one's parents, relatives, and all sentient beings, with special emphasis on "the penitent" (referring to oneself) making sincere amends.

3. Through venerating these Celestial Worthies—each governing different divine functions (wisdom, tranquility, purification etc.)—practitioners pray for deliverance from infernal retribution.

(Note: This text exemplifies the Daoist concept of "moral retribution," asserting that devout repentance and worship of the Celestial Worthies can dissolve calamities. The phrase "utmost sincere devotion" (zhixin xinli) is standard ritual terminology denoting wholehearted reverence.)

This passage is a liturgical confession text from the Taoist scripture Taishang Lingbao Shifang Yinghao Tianzun Chan, involving reverent prostrations to various Celestial Venerables (Tianzun, the highest deities in Taoism) and confession of transgressions. Here is the modern interpretation:

With utmost sincerity, I pay homage to the following Celestial Venerables:

The Celestial Venerable of Purple Subtlety (residing in the Purple Tenuity Enclosure), the Celestial Venerable of Eternal Quiescence in the Great Void, the Celestial Venerable of Mysterious Transformations in Profound Darkness, the Celestial Venerable of Supreme Bliss, the Most Victorious Celestial Venerable, the Celestial Venerable of Dignified Serenity and Harmonious Radiance, the Celestial Venerable of Vast Virtue and Splendor, the Celestial Venerable of Pure Truth, the Celestial Venerable of Concealed Subtlety Within Harmonious Light, and the Celestial Venerable Who Transcends the Nether Realms.

Further prostrations are made to: the Celestial Venerable Who Delivers from Eight Calamities, the Celestial Venerable Who Rides Mists and Floats in Emptiness, the Celestial Venerable Who Concentrates Spirit to Generate Wisdom, the Celestial Venerable of Serene Appearance and Profound Quiescence, the Celestial Venerable of Ultimate Emptiness and Divine Response, the Celestial Venerable Who Ferries Across the Nether Sea, the Celestial Venerable of Soaring Form and Appearance, the Celestial Venerable Who Embodies True Reality, the Celestial Venerable Who Dispels Demonic Trials, and the Celestial Venerable Who Awakens to Kalpic Cycles.

Additional prostrations honor: the Celestial Venerable Who Governs the Mysterious Palaces, the Celestial Venerable Who Feasts Under the Fusang Divine Tree, the Celestial Venerable Who Pacifies Myriad Deities, the Celestial Venerable of Marvelous Power and Precious Truth, the Celestial Venerable of Southern Cinnabar Wisdom, the Celestial Venerable Who Reveals Hidden Mysteries, the Celestial Venerable Who Initiates Divine Transformations, and the Celestial Venerable of Hundredfold Majestic Virtues.

Finally, homage is paid to four Compassionate Perfected Persons (Zhenren, realized immortals): the Great Compassionate Savior from Suffering Perfected, the Great Compassionate Absolver of Transgressions Perfected, the Great Compassionate Universal Relief Perfected, and the Great Compassionate Marvelous Practice Perfected.

I (the devotee), together with my teachers, parents, relatives, and all sentient beings, confess the accumulated transgressions from beginningless time until today due to unawakened ignorance. Fearing rebirth in hell realms after death, I pray that through this repentance, all suffering may be eradicated and virtuous conditions increased. May the deceased attain liberation from the netherworld's prisons, obtain spontaneous joy, and forever transcend evil destinies. Prostrations are made to the true Three Treasures (Dao, scriptures, and teachers) of the ten directions.

The text concludes with vows of sincere repentance and aspiration toward virtue.

The Taishang Lingbao Shifang Yinghao Tianzun Chan scripture consists of two main sections:

The first section contains the teachings of the Supreme Dao Ancestor (the highest deity in Daoism) to the Perfected of Marvelous Practice (an accomplished immortal):

The Supreme Dao Ancestor instructs the Perfected of Marvelous Practice: In my previous discourses on the profound teachings, every transgression and blessing corresponds to specific levels, each cultivation path reveals essential methods, and all gates to practice have been fully opened. These teachings were given for the universal salvation of beings—plain in words yet clear in principle, coherent in language and consistent in meaning. Dispelling delusions, resolving doubts, transcending the mundane, and attaining sagehood—all are contained within these instructions, requiring only sincere and focused comprehension.

One should constantly contemplate all living beings, widely make great vows, and nurture the aspiration to aid the world and deliver others. Treat both ordinary people and celestial beings with equal compassion. Maintain purity in body, speech, mind, and intention, as well as in the senses (ears, nose, tongue, and faculties), remaining steadfast without regression. Whether in action or rest, practice altruism, putting others before oneself. Through continuous accumulation of merit (De) and repentance of transgressions, one can eradicate the roots of sin and allow virtuous thoughts to grow daily.

The second section comprises penitential verses venerating various Celestial Worthy (Tianzun, high-ranking Daoist deities), listing 26 distinct titles, each embodying specific virtues and vows. For example:

• Primordial Beginning Celestial Worthy (Yuanshi Tianzun, one of the highest Daoist deities)
• Celestial Worthy Who Penetrates the Hidden and Attains Principle (Tongyou Zhili Tianzun, comprehending the unseen and realizing truth)
• Celestial Worthy Riding Five-Colored Clouds (Wuyun Fujia Tianzun, descending on auspicious clouds)
• Celestial Worthy of the Seven-Jeweled Grove (Qibao Lin Tianzun, dwelling in a paradise adorned with seven treasures)
• Celestial Worthy Who Pities and Loves All Beings (Min’ai Yiqie Tianzun, embodying boundless compassion)

...

These titles reflect the richness of the Daoist pantheon, with each name encapsulating specific cultivation principles and vows to save beings.

The core message of this scripture lies in purifying body and mind through repentance, altruistic vows, and veneration of the Celestial Worthies, ultimately leading to transcendence and sagehood. Practitioners must maintain purity of heart, equanimity, and embody selfless conduct in daily life.

This passage is a liturgical text from the Daoist scripture Taishang Lingbao Shifang Yinghao Tianzun Chan, expressing devout reverence toward various Celestial Worthy (Tianzun) and Perfected Beings (Zhenren), while praying for the salvation of all beings and universal peace. Here is a simplified interpretation:

First, it lists fourteen Celestial Worthies, each with distinct honorific titles and attributes, such as:

• Haoling Lingxiao Tianzun (Celestial Worthy of Pure Qi Soaring to the Heavens)
• Taisu Fenxing Tianzun (Celestial Worthy of Primordial Differentiation)
• Zhixian Wanwu Tianzun (Celestial Worthy Whose Wisdom Precedes All Things)
• Danxia Shucai Tianzun (Celestial Worthy of Radiant Rosy Clouds)

Next, it venerates four Great Compassionate Perfected Beings:

• Jiuku Zhenren (Perfected Being Who Saves from Suffering)
• Taiji Zhenren (Perfected Being of the Supreme Ultimate)
• Puji Zhenren (Perfected Being of Universal Salvation)
• Miaoxing Zhenren (Perfected Being of Sublime Practice)

The scripture explains that a total of 1,200 prostrations are made to the Compassionate Celestial Worthies of the Ten Directions and 120 prostrations to the Compassionate Perfected Beings, with repeated bows and vows of refuge. Through these immeasurable virtuous deeds and sacred scriptures, the devotee (referred to as "so-and-so") today awakens the supreme Daoist resolve:

For the sake of teachers, parents, relatives, and friends—as well as all beings in the Three Paths of Suffering (hell realms), the Five Miseries, the Nine Dark Hells, the Six Realms of Rebirth, and even birds, beasts, and the tiniest creatures—the devotee makes these grand vows:

1. May the Great Dao (Dao) flourish, its teachings spread, and all people hear the true Dharma, awakening to enlightenment.

2. May Heaven and Earth endure eternally, sustaining all things; may the sun, moon, and stars move in harmony, shining forever.

3. May rulers govern with the Dao, fostering harmony between sovereign and subjects, ensuring national prosperity.

4. May peace prevail under Heaven, with malevolent forces pacified; may the Four Seas be tranquil and all peoples civilized.

5. May the seasons follow their course, bringing abundant harvests; may people live in prosperity, free from calamities.

6. May mountains and rivers display auspicious signs, the land remain fertile, the Five Phases (Wuxing) harmonized, and all things thrive.

7. May all spirits and deities awaken to the Dao, turning toward goodness and attaining true realization.

8. May the Dragon Kings of rivers, seas, and mountains cultivate compassion, benefiting sentient beings and advancing in spiritual practice.

9. May mountain spirits and mischievous beings abandon evil, embrace virtue, and achieve perfection.

10. May all animals awaken to spiritual awareness.

11. May all sincere devotees (practitioners) fulfill their aspirations.

This passage exemplifies the vast salvific vows of Daoism, encompassing cosmic harmony, national stability, natural balance, and the liberation of all beings—a tapestry of noble aspirations.

This passage is a confessional prayer from the Daoist scripture Taishang Lingbao Shifang Yinghao Tianzun Chan, expressing the practitioner's aspiration to transform body and mind through repentance. Here's a plain interpretation:

[Vows for Cultivation]

All who maintain steadfast devotion to the Dao—whether men or women—may enter the gate of cultivation. Female practitioners may be reborn as males (as Daoism considers male form more conducive to practice), attaining wisdom and liberation. Whether dwelling in mountain retreats or urban settings, sincere seekers will swiftly comprehend the Great Dao. May the gravely ill recover health, the deaf-mute and blind regain their senses, and the physically impaired move with ease.

[Vows for Karmic Purification]

May all beings awaken across lifetimes, abandoning evil thoughts and avoiding suffering. May all grievances dissolve: the ignorant gaining wisdom, the miserly learning generosity, the arrogant becoming humble, and virtuous deeds reaching fulfillment.

[Vows for Physical Transformation]

May beings realize the illusory nature of the flesh and attain true form:

• Relinquish the troubled body, gain dignified form
• Abandon the lustful body, attain joyful form
• Shed the sinful body, receive blessed form
• Forsake the imperfect (leaky) body, achieve liberated form
• Cast off the karmically entangled body, obtain carefree form
• Transcend the short-lived body, realize long-life form

[Vows for Mental Purification]

May beings awaken to their original mind:

• Emerge from ignorance, transform anger into joy
• Convert jealousy to harmony, folly to compassion
• Change violent impulses into mercy, greed into generosity
• Discard falsehood, preserve truth

[Vows for Emotional Refinement]

May beings purify emotions:

• Release shadowed moods, cultivate expansive spirit
• Turn sorrow into peace, desires into purity
• Abandon pretense, maintain sincerity

[Vows for Speech Purification]

May beings cleanse their words:

• Avoid gluttonous speech, chant true scriptures
• Refrain from undermining virtue, expound sacred teachings
• Shun divisive talk, speak compassionate and equitable words
• Forsake curses and gossip, offer praise and hymns

[Vows for Sensory Purification]

May beings refine their senses:

Eyes: Relinquish lustful gaze for wisdom vision, transform furious stares into merciful looks, avert from evil and behold goodness

Ears: Close to malicious words, open to kind speech, abstain from lewd sounds for purity, attentively hear sacred teachings

Nose: Inhale only pristine Qi

(Note: Daoism teaches that repentance purifies the "Three Karmas"—physical, verbal, and mental transgressions—transforming one's state of being to ultimately achieve cultivation. The recurring "relinquish...gain..." structure embodies the Daoist practice of "transforming defilement into purity.")

This passage is a penitential text from the Daoist scripture Taishang Lingbao Shifang Yinghao Tianzun Chan, expressing profound aspirations for all beings to transcend suffering and attain liberation. The main content can be understood as follows:

First, it prays that all beings may distance themselves from evil, delusions, and false thoughts, maintaining upright and focused minds. It then wishes for beings to be free from illness, afflictions, hunger, thirst, disasters, and extremes of heat or cold, abiding forever in peace and joy.

For those entangled in cycles of vengeance, debt, or emotional attachments, it seeks resolution of grievances so all may attain freedom. Similarly, it prays for those imprisoned or suffering judicial hardships to be liberated from peril.

Particularly striking are the transformative visions for hell realms: may hell's raging fires become cooling breezes; its frozen wastes turn to spring winds; its boiling oil cauldrons transform into lotus ponds; its mountain of blades become a peak of lotuses; its torture instruments change into ceremonial regalia; its fiery chariots become jeweled carriages; and its foul lands transform into fragrant mountains. May all karmic records in hell be erased, suffering beings liberated, and infernal officials elevated to become celestial functionaries and immortal companions.

The vow concludes with an eternal commitment: across countless lifetimes, even should heaven and earth perish, kalpas exhaust, or mountains and rivers shift, this resolve shall remain unshaken. It aspires for humans and celestials alike to revere and rely upon this path, jointly realizing the supreme Dao (Wu Shang Dao).

In the closing passage, the Perfected Being Miaoxing (Wonderful Practice), upon hearing these vows, bows in reverence and offers praise: "The Most Sacred Celestial Lord (Zhisheng Tianzun) opens the mysterious Dharma-gate, using great vows to ferry humans and celestials across. His profound merit brings joy to both life and death, preserves even demon kings, and ultimately leads all to accomplish the unsurpassable immortal path."

(Note: The term "mouyi" used in the text is a Daoist self-referential pronoun equivalent to "I"; "Ten Directions Pure Lands" refers to purified realms in all directions; the "Dharma-wheel" symbolizes the truth of the teachings; and the "supreme Dao" denotes the highest spiritual attainment.)

After the Celestial Venerable of the Primordial Beginning (Yuanshi Tianzun, one of Daoism's supreme deities) finished expounding this scripture, celestial music resounded in harmony as a host of perfected immortals and sacred beings escorted him back to the heavenly palaces. The ten directions of the universe became purified and majestic, while Realized Beings of Wondrous Practice (xiuxing youcheng de xianren), celestial emperors from various heavens, and other perfected immortals all rejoiced and paid reverence. They unanimously vowed to uphold and widely propagate this sacred text for the salvation of all beings.

Using precious dragon-patterned bamboo slips inscribed with phoenix-seal calligraphy, they enshrined the scripture in golden caskets and jade boxes, inscribing the title: "The Supreme Numinous Treasure Scripture of the Celestial Venerable's Responsive Manifestations in the Ten Directions (Taishang Lingbao Shifang Yinghao Tianzun Jingchan)." With utmost devotion, they paid homage to the Three True Treasures of the ten directions—the Dao, the Scriptures, and the Master-Teachers. This concludes the tenth volume of the liturgical scripture.

[Supplementary note] This passage depicts the sacred conclusion of Yuanshi Tianzun's scripture exposition. "Jingchan" refers to Daoist liturgical texts used for repentance of transgressions and supplication for blessings, typically containing both scriptural passages and penitential verses. The "ten directions" (east, south, west, north, etc.) symbolize the entirety of cosmic space.