《太上太清天童護命妙經》

The Wondrous Scripture of the Celestial Youth's Life-Protecting Power from the Supreme Clarity of the Most High

This scripture is a vital life-protecting text of the Shangqing (Highest Clarity) tradition, transmitted by the Daoist priest Liang Wuzhen of Mount Maoshan (a sacred Daoist mountain). It describes the state in which practitioners receive all-encompassing divine protection from celestial and earthly spirits:

The text begins with the voice of Lord Lao (the deified Laozi): "The August Heaven created me, the Earth supports me, the sun and moon illuminate me, the stars and constellations glorify me. All divine immortals come to assist me—the Star Lord of Fate (Siming) bestows blessings, the Great One (Taiyi) entrusts me with great responsibility, the Jade Radiance Daoist Sovereign (Yuchen Daojun) summons me, the Three Officials (Heavenly, Earthly, and Water Officials) grant their protection, the Five Thearchs of the Directions guard me, the North Star stands sentinel for me, the Elder of the South Pole aids me, and the Seven Stars of the Dipper assist me."

Golden Boys and Jade Maidens (attendant deities) attend to me, while the Six Jia and Six Ding (protective generals) await my command. The gates of Heaven and Earth open for me; mountains, rivers, and seas yield their paths. Wind, rain, thunder, and lightning obey my orders. The Eight Trigrams (Bagua) and Nine Palaces (cosmological model) revere me; Yin-Yang and the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) take me as their sovereign. My destiny is recorded in the mystical texts of the Supreme Clarity (Taiqing) celestial realm, and the Qi of my Three Dantian (energy centers) circulates ceaselessly.

Practitioners who uphold this scripture will attain:

• Divine nectar and jade elixirs (immortal medicines) at their disposal,
• The essence of the sun and moon, granting celestial longevity.

All wishes will be fulfilled; every request will be answered. Before me stands the Vermilion Bird (southern divine phoenix), behind me the Dark Tortoise (northern divine turtle), with the Azure Dragon to my left and the White Tiger to my right (guardians of the four directions). Above me is the Canopy of Blessings (protective aura), and beneath my feet stand the powers of the Dipper. Divine radiance inspires awe in all directions—those who draw near to me will thrive, those who despise me will suffer, those who plot against me will perish, and those who hate me will meet ruin.

The scripture further mentions:

• Three thousand six hundred guardian deities, including the Spirit Youths, Divine Maidens, and Vajra Demonslayers, constantly accompany the practitioner, holding talismanic credentials as they journey together.
• The Most High Lord Lao governs the heavens, bestowing great auspiciousness.
• Twenty-four numinous talismans (Fulu) are included for use in harmony with astrological cycles (the phrase "urgently, urgently, as the law commands" is a common Daoist incantation closing).

This Numinous Text of the Celestial Youth's Life-Protecting Power from the Supreme Clarity of the Most High was transmitted by the Golden Tower Perfected (high-ranking celestial beings) to both cultivators and lay devotees. Reciting it three to seven times daily at dawn—or even a hundred times—invokes the protection of:

• The Ten Directions' Immortal Perfected,
• The Three Primes' Generals (Heavenly, Earthly, and Water Officials),
• The Four Marshals of the Saints (protective deities), leading countless divine troops.

Golden-essence beasts stand guard externally, while all ghosts and malignant spirits dare not approach. It has the power to dismantle shrines of evil, cure illnesses, and dispel calamities. Regular morning and evening recitation ensures peace and safety.

(Note: Some obscure deity names, such as "𩵄魒䰢魁魓𩲃𩳐星," are retained as specialized Daoist astral deity titles and remain untranslated.)

This scripture passage recounts the miraculous efficacy of the Taishang Taiqing Tiantong Huming Miaojing (The Supreme Wondrous Scripture of Heavenly Youth Protecting Life) and a supernatural event from the late Sui to early Tang period:

First, the text explains the scripture's functions: Regular recitation can sharpen one's hearing and vision, strengthen the body, and prolong life. Writing twenty-four sacred talismans (fulu) to carry as amulets can ward off evil and avert disasters; swallowing these talismans can cure illnesses. It particularly emphasizes that the talismans must be written with cinnabar on auspicious days like Jiazi or Gengshen, with sincere devotion being most crucial. After wearing them, one must practice their teachings diligently.

The passage then records a miraculous account: In the 13th year of the Sui Daye era (617 CE), the Supreme Lao Jun (Taishang Laojun, the highest Daoist deity) dispatched the deity of Mount Huo to deliver a prophecy to Duke Li Yuan of Tang about his impending heavenly mandate. On the 23rd day of the second lunar month in 618 CE (the first year of Emperor Gaozu's Wude reign), an elderly man with white hair and beard appeared at Yangjiao Mountain in Jinzhou. Dressed in white robes with a black hat and riding a white horse (with red hooves and tail), he told local villager Ji Shanxing: "Go inform the Tang emperor that with sagely governance now attained, the nation shall endure long." With these words, he ascended skyward.

On the 27th day of the fourth lunar month that same year, the elder reappeared. When Ji questioned how to prove this encounter, the elder replied: "When you reach the capital, someone will present a stone turtle as verification." On May 5th, Ji reported this to Jinzhou governor He Xiaoyi and later met Prince Li Shimin. During subsequent sacrificial rites arranged by the prince, the elder manifested again. Upon reaching the capital on May 19th, Qiongzhou official Zhang Da indeed presented a stone turtle inscribed with the prophecy: "The realm at peace, descendants flourishing, for ten thousand generations, ten thousand years"—fulfilling the prediction exactly.

Emperor Gaozu Li Yuan, overjoyed, ordered a temple built at the apparition site. Later, the elder revealed his identity to Ji: "I am the Supreme Immortal, called Lao Jun—the sacred ancestor of your emperor." He further prophesied that a withered juniper tree in Bozhou would revive, symbolizing universal peace. On December 7th, Lao Jun appeared again, announcing the tree's revival and confirming the Tang dynasty's enduring mandate, adding that a million divine troops would assist in suppressing Liu Heita's rebellion the following April.

This passage recounts a series of miraculous events and historical developments at the sacred Daoist mountain Maoshan (located in present-day Jiangsu province):

During Emperor Gaozu's reign in the Tang dynasty, Yangjiao Mountain was renamed Longjiao Mountain (Dragon Horn Mountain) after its withered juniper trees miraculously revived. The local Daoist temple was bestowed the name "Qingtang Guan" (Temple Celebrating the Tang). In the Longshuo era of Emperor Gaozong, the Supreme Elder Lord (Tai-shang Lao-jun, one of the Three Pure Ones—Sanqing—in Daoism) manifested his divine presence here. Based on this apparition, people created a "Sacred Image" (Rui Xiang), establishing the site as the foremost "Fudi of Earth's Lungs" (one of the Daoist-recognized Grotto-Heavens and Blissful Realms).

Since ancient times, this has been a sacred site for cultivating immortality: During the legendary Gaoxin era, Master Zhan Shanggong achieved the Dao and ascended here as an immortal. In the Eastern Jin dynasty, Xu Changshi and his son built a residence for cultivation and both achieved ascension, leaving behind relics like an alchemical well. During the Liang dynasty of the Southern Dynasties, the renowned hermit Tao Hongjing ("Tao the Recluse") constructed the Zhaozhen Terrace here and compiled Daoist scriptures. In Emperor Xuanzong's Tang era, Daoist Master Li Xuanjing built the Sacred Image Hall here.

On the thirteenth day of the fourth month in the third year of the Daguan era (1109 CE) of the Northern Song dynasty, a temple attendant named Liang Wuzhen was drawing water from the Dragon-Nurturing Pond before the hall when he suddenly saw an immortal with white beard and hair, dressed in feathered robes and riding a white horse, descending amidst purple clouds. Recognizing this as the Supreme Elder Lord, Liang immediately prostrated himself. The Elder Lord, noting Liang's diligent devotion yet lack of true transmission, specially bestowed upon him the "Jiaju Tiantong Huming Miaojing" (Enhanced Heavenly Youth Life-Protecting Marvelous Scripture), instructing him to recite and cultivate it with single-minded focus.

Subsequent miracles followed: auspicious mushrooms grew locally, the previously illiterate Liang suddenly gained literacy and prophetic abilities to foresee fortunes. Three days before his ascension, he drew twenty-four talismans (Fu) and cast them into the pond—sick persons drinking the talisman water were miraculously healed. To this day, devotees' sincere prayers at this site continue to receive responses.

The text concludes by noting these accounts originate from the "Hunyuan Shengji" (Sacred Chronicles of Primordial Chaos), which documents the origins of the Sacred Image and numerous miraculous events.

This passage serves as the colophon to the Taishang Taiqing Tiantong Huming Miaojing (The Supreme Marvelous Scripture for Life Protection from the Great Clarity Heaven Youth), documenting the transmission lineage of this sacred text.

The general meaning conveys that this scripture was recorded for transmission to later generations. In the jiazi year of the Shaoxing era (1144 CE) during the Southern Song dynasty, it was reverently transcribed by Fu Xiao, the Mingzhen Tongwei Dashi (Great Master of Illuminating Truth and Penetrating Subtleties) who served as Du Daozheng (Chief Rectifier of the Dao) at Maoshan—the ancestral temple of the Shangqing (Highest Clarity) tradition in Daoism.

Key technical terms to note:

1. "Du Daozheng" refers to a senior Daoist bureaucratic position in the Song dynasty's religious administration system

2. "Mingzhen Tongwei Dashi" was an honorific title bestowed by the imperial court upon eminent Daoist masters

3. "Fu Xiao" is the religious name of this Daoist priest

4. "Shaoxing jiazi" indicates the 14th year of Emperor Gaozong's Shaoxing reign period (1144 CE)

This colophon demonstrates that this life-protecting scripture was systematically compiled and transmitted by Fu Xiao, a prominent Shangqing master at Maoshan during the Song dynasty, reflecting the orderly transmission of Daoist scriptures through established lineages.