《太上金櫃玉鏡延生洞玄燭幽懺》

This scripture recounts the Daoist cosmogonic myth and the origins of the classic Supreme Golden Cabinet and Jade Mirror Scripture for Prolonging Life, Illuminating the Mysteries of the Cavernous Profundity and Repentance. The main content unfolds as follows:

In the primordial era before the separation of heaven and earth, the cosmos existed in a state of undifferentiated chaos. Later, the Taiji (Supreme Ultimate) divided, separating the clear and turbid Qi (vital energy), all of which naturally evolved from the pre-celestial Dao-Qi (the primordial energy of the Dao). The scripture describes three crucial stages of cosmic creation:

1. Prior to the kalpic cycles of Longhan and Yankang: The Dao-Qi permeated all existence without concrete form, manifesting only as swirling, ethereal energy. By the Chiming kalpa, Yang energy began to emerge, initiating natural transformations.

2. The era of Yuqing Heaven (highest of the Sanqing [Three Pure Ones] realms): Over three hundred billion years, the fundamental laws of the cosmos took shape. During the Shangqing Heaven period spanning another seven billion nine hundred million years, the Great Elixir (cosmic essence) crystallized, giving birth to the sun, moon, and five planets. In the subsequent Taiqing Heaven era lasting five billion years, the structure of heaven and earth stabilized, deities manifested, and the Great Dao (the Way) commenced its operations.

The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning (Yuanshi Tianzun, supreme deity of Daoism) transmitted this scripture at the Jade Clarity Divine Empyrean Wonderland of Qingwei Heaven, containing supreme methods including the Mysterious Unity True Scripture and Numinous Treasure Golden Edicts. Since the creation of heaven and earth, the Dao Lord (manifestation of Yuanshi Tianzun) has descended to the human realm 11,520 times.

Now during the Yangjiu kalpa (period of great cosmic calamity), sentient beings suffer intensely. Moved by compassion, the Dao Lord entrusted this three-volume scripture to the Left Mystery Perfected Being (Zuo Xuan Zhenren) for delivery to Penglai Palace, where palace adepts engraved it on jade tablets. Witnessing humanity drowning in suffering, the Great Dao of Jade Dawn (another name for Yuanshi Tianzun) resolved to disseminate the scripture in the mortal world.

The text specifically states: It should only be transmitted to sincere Dao-seekers for personal protection, never to those burdened by heavy karma or unbelievers—lest it bring ancestral punishment. This scripture bears three titles: Golden Cabinet and Jade Mirror True Scripture, Cavernous Profundity's Lamp Illuminating Darkness Repentance, and Divine Treasure Secret Chapter. It assists practitioners in gathering spiritual Qi (energy); those who achieve cultivation may have their names recorded in immortal registers.

The scripture emphasizes that even ordinary people, through devout recitation, can liberate distant ancestors—the ultimate filial piety. Practitioners should cultivate this classic with secrecy and reverence.

This scripture passage discusses the merits and cultivation methods of the classic Supreme Golden Cabinet and Jade Mirror Prolonging Life and Illuminating the Mysteries of the Profound Grotto. The main content is divided into three parts:

I. Efficacy of the Scripture:

1. Salvation of ancestors: It can deliver suffering ancestral souls to the immortal realm (Zhuling Paradise)

2. Dispelling calamities: When living practitioners encounter disasters, devout recitation can eliminate natural disasters and neutralize poisons

3. Cultivation benefits: Practitioners who contemplate this scripture can eradicate karmic obstacles, accumulate merit, and ultimately attain Daoist immortality

4. Blessing descendants: It also extends blessings to ancestors and safeguards descendants for generations of prosperity

II. Cultivation Methods:

1. Preparation: Purify with fragrant water ablutions and observe seven days of fasting

2. Environment: Sit upright facing east in a clean chamber

3. Visualization steps:

• Knock teeth 36 times, close eyes and settle the mind
• Visualize being surrounded by three-colored clouds (azure, yellow, purple)
• Visualize the Big Dipper above the head and the Gang stars before you
• Visualize the Four Symbols (Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, Black Tortoise) guarding the four directions
• Visualize the left eye emitting sunlight (nine purple-red rays) and right eye emitting moonlight (ten yellow-white rays)
• Visualize these lunar-solar lights entering through the nostrils into the Golden Flower Palace in the brain

4. Incantation: Silently recite the "Mystical Essence Opening Scripture Mantra"

5. Formal recitation: Burn incense, kneel in reverence, and chant the scripture

III. Content of the Mystical Essence Opening Scripture Mantra:

This is a Qi cultivation mantra describing the circulation path of true Qi through vital points including the Dantian (energy center) and Crimson Palace, using Neidan (internal alchemy) terminology like "embracing the pearl and holding the jade."

Important Notes:

1. Practice must be performed with utmost sincerity, as guardian deities will offer protection

2. The scripture's merits are immeasurable, but actual efficacy depends on the practitioner's sincerity

This classic is said to have been transmitted by Lord Lao (Taishang Laojun) from the Seven Treasures Terrace on Mystic Metropolis Mountain in the Great Clarity Heaven.

This scripture describes a celestial dharma assembly presided over by the Supreme Dao Ancestor (Taishang Daozu), explaining how mortals can eliminate karmic obstacles through repentance. Here's the modern interpretation:

When the celestial immortals gathered, the Supreme Dao Ancestor lit natural sandalwood incense and addressed the assembly: "All beings in the mortal realm are born through their parents' pregnancy, receiving life from heaven, earth, sun and moon (the phrase 'taking the sun as hun-soul and moon as po-soul' indicates human spiritual energy originates from these celestial bodies). At birth, humans inherently possess the pure Qi of heaven and earth, but through desire they lose their original nature, committing various evil deeds—including lust, killing, theft, harsh speech, jealousy, disloyalty and filial impiety. These transgressions cause suffering in the cycle of rebirth (the 'three wretched paths' refer to hell, hungry ghosts, and animal realms) and provoke calamities by offending celestial bodies."

Then a Perfected Being named Universal Salvation (Pujiu Zhenren) rose to inquire: "How can these suffering beings attain liberation?" The Supreme Dao Ancestor revealed this method: "Sincere devotees encountering misfortune should first bathe and observe purification rituals (zhaijie), then make offerings of fresh flowers, pure water, fine incense, and lamps before the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing: Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning, Lingbao Heavenly Lord, and Supreme Venerable Sovereign). They must confess all past misdeeds—disbelief in the Dao, committing the Ten Evils (killing, etc.), Five Poisons (greed, anger, delusion, etc.), and Three Karmic Doors (evil through body, speech, and mind)—with genuine remorse."

The scripture concludes by listing six Celestial Worthy titles (beginning with Yuanshi Tianzun), instructing devotees to worship each sequentially. These deities respectively govern absolution, life protection, and disaster relief—through proper veneration, corresponding blessings can be obtained.

Note: The term "pǔ sàn" refers to humans losing their primordial simplicity; "three wretched paths" is a Buddhist concept adopted into Daoist rebirth theory; "Ten Evils/Five Poisons/Three Karmic Doors" represent Daoism's systematic classification of transgressions. The repentance ritual emphasizes physical/mental purity and immaculate offerings, embodying the Daoist principle of "heaven-human resonance."

This scripture is a confessional liturgy text from Daoist practice, consisting of two main sections:

The first section involves reverent prostrations to ten Daoist deities. These include the "Heavenly Worthy Who Oversees Life, Records Blessings, and Extends Longevity" (Jiansheng Zhulu Yanshou Tianzun), the "Numinous Treasure Heavenly Worthy Who Determines Fate and Examines Registers" (Dingming Jianbu Lingbao Tianzun), and several compassionate savior Perfected Persons (Zhenren) such as the "Great Compassionate Savior of Suffering Perfected Who Descends to the World" and the "Sound-Seeking Savior of Suffering Perfected." The text recommends devotees recite these sacred names 49 to 100 times daily with sincere devotion to receive divine protection, eliminate misfortunes, and prolong life.

The second section is the confession proper. The practitioner identifies as "Disciple-Subject So-and-So" and repents for accumulated transgressions from the beginningless kalpas (an immense cosmic timespan in Buddhist and Daoist cosmology) to the present. These include: disloyalty and filial impiety (toward rulers, parents, and teachers); familial discord (heeding slander from wives/concubines, mistreating in-laws); neighborhood conflicts (envy, sowing discord); societal offenses (bullying the weak, robbery and murder, framing others); harming living creatures (destroying nests, harming embryos and eggs); and various vices (theft, sexual misconduct, drunkenness, meat-eating, harsh speech, greed, and hatred). The confessant acknowledges these sins bring retribution—earning earthly hatred and postmortem hell-rebirth—and now fully repents before the assembly of Sacred Perfected (Daoist honorific for enlightened beings).

This scripture exemplifies the Daoist practice of "repentance for misfortune-dispelling," combining deity veneration with profound self-examination to dissolve karmic obstructions. References to "the Five Grains" (wugu, staple crops) and "six relations" (liuqin, extended family) reflect traditional Chinese concepts. The confession spans personal virtue, family ethics, and social morality, demonstrating Daoism's moral education function.

This scripture is a Daoist repentance ritual text, where devotees confess their transgressions to the celestial deities and seek forgiveness. Here's the modern interpretation:

I deeply understand the importance of virtuous conduct, yet in the past I have committed numerous wrongdoings. Today I openly confess all my transgressions without concealment, reverently beseeching the Sacred Perfected Ones (honorific title for Daoist immortals) for absolution.

Your disciple (self-reference) from beginningless time until this very day, having failed to recognize the true Dao, has committed manifold sins: harboring resentment toward Heaven and Earth, cursing wind and rain, despising cold and heat, defiling the Three Luminaries (sun, moon, and stars), slandering sages, belittling Dao and De (Virtue), disparaging scriptures, obstructing virtuous connections, offending immortal beings, defiling divine images, pointing carelessly at the sun and moon, spitting toward rainbows, polluting wells and stoves, swearing false oaths, breaking pledges, distorting the teachings of sages, and revealing celestial secrets. Today I confess all these fully, vow never to repeat them, and earnestly beg the Sacred Perfected Ones for pardon.

The ritual continues with reverent prostrations to the following deities in sequence:

1. The Three Pure Ones (Sanqing) - the supreme Daoist deities (Yuanshi Tianzun, Yuchen Daojun, and Taishang Laojun)

2. The Jade Emperor and other celestial rulers

3. The Great Emperors of the Purple Tenuity, North Pole, and South Pole

4. Deities of the sun and moon

5. The Five Planetary Lords of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water)

6. The Nine Luminaries including Rahu and Ketu

After completing the prostrations, the repentance continues: Your disciple from beginningless time, having strayed from the true Dao, has extensively created karmic offenses. Though dwelling between Heaven and Earth, I failed to feel gratitude; though bathed in the radiance of sun and moon, I remained unmoved. My heart lacked cultivation of the Five Constant Virtues (humaneness, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and faithfulness), while being entangled by the Six Defilements. Whether in this life or past existences, I have accumulated numerous transgressions: intentionally or unintentionally harming life, injuring others, breaking precepts by consuming meat, violating vows, harboring attachments and aversions, and nurturing flattery and other evil thoughts.

(Note: This represents a typical Daoist "repentance ritual" text where devotees purify body and mind through confessing transgressions and paying homage to deities. The mentioned "Three Luminaries," "Five Constant Virtues," and "Six Defilements" are all important Daoist concepts representing natural laws, moral principles, and sources of affliction respectively.)

This scripture describes a Daoist repentance ritual and purification method involving ritual bathing and fasting. The main content can be understood as follows:

It first depicts a person reflecting on past mistakes: previously preoccupied with worldly pursuits without discerning good from evil, ignorant of the Dao (the Way) of life and death. Now sincerely repentant, they seek divine forgiveness to dispel misfortunes and attract blessings.

Then Lao Jun (the Daoist honorific title for the Supreme Venerable Lord) instructs: all who recite this scripture must perform ritual bathing with fragrant water and observe fasting to commune with divine beings. The bathing method is specified as follows:

1. The fragrant water requires five sacred aromatics: costus root (qingmu xiang), white sandalwood (bai tan xiang), cymbopogon grass (mao xiang), aquilaria wood (chen xiang), and frankincense (xun lu xiang). If unavailable, peach tree bark and bamboo leaves may substitute.

2. During bathing, specific incantations are recited:

• Preparation: Face the moon while visualizing five-colored cloud qi filling the chamber
• Stirring the water: Recite "Supreme Mystic True Liquid..." mantra seven times
• Undressing: Recite "Five Dippers Adorn the Robe..." mantra
• Washing hair: Recite "Divine Palace Shakes Heaven..." mantra
• Donning headgear: Recite "Jade Clouds in Azure Mysteries..." mantra

3. Entering the bath requires stirring the fragrant water 36 times with a wooden dipper from five directions.

These rituals aim to achieve the state of "communing with truth and wandering as an immortal," enabling practitioners to connect with divine beings and attain longevity. The text concludes with paying homage to the "Supreme Orthodox Three Treasures" (Daoism's highest deities). The entire ceremony emphasizes physical and spiritual purification through specific movements, mantras, and visualizations for cultivation purposes.

This scripture outlines a complete Daoist ritual for purification through ablution and essential cultivation principles, comprising the following key components:

Purification Ritual:

1. The ritual master holds a water ladle facing an auspicious direction while reciting incantations, invoking sacred water from the Jade Pool (Yaochi) to cleanse body and mind. This purifies the five viscera (each corresponding to one of the Five Phases and housing its own deity) and clears the nine orifices (eyes, ears, nostrils, etc.). Through this process of unblocking Qi pathways and removing impurities, the practitioner ultimately prepares for celestial ascension.

2. During the ablution, one visualizes the radiance of the sun, moon, and stars (Three Luminaries) merging with the water. After washing, one drinks specially prepared Five-Fragrance Decoction (infused with five sacred spices). The practitioner then meditates on becoming immaculately pure while reciting protective mantras:

• Invoking the Yellow Emperor to guard bodily passages and the Green Emperor (Eastern Deity) to protect the soul
• Summoning celestial beasts to repel evil forces
• Cleansing impure blood and eliminating pathogenic Qi and parasites
• Refining the seven emotional poisons (corresponding to the seven corporeal souls) to generate auspicious violet Qi

3. When changing ritual garments, further incantations request protection from immortal attendants, blessings from scriptures and sacred objects, ancestral salvation, and the dispelling of misfortune for longevity.

Cultivation Principles:

1. Emphasizes "dual cultivation of internal and external practice":

• Internal cultivation: Purifying thoughts and strengthening Daoist resolve
• External cultivation: Maintaining proper conduct and strictly observing precepts
• Both ritual ceremonies (Zhaijiao) and memorial petitions must adhere to these standards

2. Expounds two primary virtues:

• Virtue of cherishing life: Assisting the sick, distressed, and impoverished while protecting all living beings
• Merit of constructive practice: Donating for temple construction, scripture printing, and public works maintenance

3. Warns against slandering scriptures, harming life, or sabotaging cultivation achievements—such actions lead to rebirth in wretched realms (six destinies of samsara) with little hope of liberation.

The scripture concludes by revealing its divine origin: personally transmitted by a high Daoist deity (Daojun) and disseminated by Lord Lao (Laojun) for human benefit. Devout recitation enables communication with celestial realms, secures divine protection, and liberates souls from infernal suffering.

Note: "Three Miserable Paths" refers to the hell, hungry ghost, and animal realms; "Purple Ultimate" denotes the highest celestial court.

This scripture elucidates how accumulating merit through spiritual practice can liberate ancestors and prolong life. The essential teaching states:

When practitioners cultivate their physical form and spirit according to this scripture, ancestors spanning millions of years in the Shangqing (Upper Clarity) realm—the highest Daoist paradise—can attain liberation, while living devotees will receive blessings. The most virtuous practices include: increasing prosperity, cherishing life, honoring parents, respecting teachers, aiding the impoverished, and resolving grievances.

By faithfully following this scripture, the living gain blessings and the deceased achieve deliverance. Lord Lao (Taishang Laojun) dispatches celestial officials to record practitioners' virtuous deeds, reporting them to the Yuqing (Jade Clarity) realm—one of the Three Pure Realms. Depending on cultivation depth, devotees may ultimately attain the state of Zhenren (Perfected Being). Those who encounter this scripture should diligently practice.

The text concludes with a gatha summarizing: The mysterious Primordial Lord (Yuanshi Laojun), parent to all beings, disseminates inconceivable teachings to universally relieve boundless suffering. Sincere recitation brings liberation across life and death. The supreme value of merit lies in paving the immortal path.

Hearing this gatha, the assembled celestial immortals praised in unison, prostrated before Taishang Laojun, and withdrew reverently.

Notes:

1. "Shangqing" and "Yuqing" represent two of the highest Three Heavens in Daoist cosmology

2. "Zhenren" denotes advanced adepts who have realized the Dao

3. "Gatha" refers to didactic verses that encapsulate core teachings