《真誥》Vol. 3
About this page. The original text of 《真誥》 Vol. 3 (Taixuan 太玄部, 20 volumes) is shown in Classical Chinese as transmitted in the Kanripo (Kyoto University) edition. An English interpretation of the 12 passages on this page accompanies it: select a passage or press “Interpretation” to show it. All texts in English
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Source textInterpretation
This scripture records the description of Lady Lingzhao within the Daoist celestial hierarchy. Lady Lingzhao was the daughter of Dao Lord Li Qingbin of the Northern Primordial Mysterious Middle, younger sister of Grand Guardian Jade Youth Li Lingfei, and was enfeoffed as the Eastern Palace Lady of Numinous Radiance, overseeing the Thirteenth Vermilion Lodge of Fangzhang Terrace. She wore purple brocade robes, carried the Divine Tiger Talisman (Shenhu Fu), and held a Flowing Gold Bell, accompanied by two maidservants appearing around twenty years old, while the Lady herself seemed no more than thirteen or fourteen.
One maidservant was named Yinhui, and both wore cyan damask garments, holding two red jade boxes tied with cyan ribbons. The boxes bore white jade labels inscribed "Supreme Chapter" (Taishang Zhang) and "Supreme Text" (Taishang Wen). The Lady wore a cyan jade sash resembling the seal pouches of mortals, concealing a scripture nearly five zhang long and three to four chi wide.
At their parting, the Lady composed and recited a poem describing celestial scenes: the Cloud Ramparts (heavenly palaces) connecting with the heavens, the Seven Qi (seven primordial energies) radiating divine brilliance, jade fans opening to morning chimes, and the Nine Tones (celestial music) resonating through the Crimson Pivot (heavenly axis). Purple mists rose from vermilion gates, while incense smoke wafted between emerald windows. Four celestial chariots waved tiger banners as azure carriages soared through the dark void. Canopies of splendor swirled with clouds, and phoenix-drawn chariots were steered by six dragons (celestial beasts). The poem warned that worldly turbidity pollutes the spirit (Shen), and only those of virtuous character (De) could maintain purity.
The record concludes by noting that Lady Lingzhao transmitted this poem on the night of the twenty-second day of the eighth month. Before departing, she admonished: "Do not let the heart be disordered, nor the spirit (Shen) unrestrained. Cultivation must follow the natural way (Wuwei), lest calamity arise and true nature be lost forever." She also foretold her rebirth into the Xu family, promising to return again, urging disciples to practice diligently without cease.
The text adds that King Ling of Zhou had thirty-eight sons, among whom Crown Prince Jin was the famed Immortal Wangzi Qiao, while his third daughter, Guanxiang, was deeply cherished. This likely illustrates the connection between celestial beings and earthly royalty.
This passage records the cultivation achievements and poetic exchanges of several Daoist immortals. Song Jizi was the younger sister of Prince Qiao (the crown prince of King Ling of Zhou, a famous Daoist immortal), who followed her brother in learning the path of ascension and liberation. They later entered Mount Weishi together for cultivation. After thirty-nine years of incense meditation practice (a cultivation method involving burning incense to communicate with deities), she ultimately attained the Dao and became an immortal official of the Purple Purity Palace, enfeoffed as the True Lady of the Eastern Palace (a female immortal official overseeing celestial affairs).
The text mentions that seven members of Prince Qiao's family attained the Dao (five men and two women), including his elder brother Meishou. These records likely originated from the handwritten texts of Yang Xi (a renowned Daoist master of the Eastern Jin dynasty).
The following section presents poetic dialogues between female immortals. The Lady of Righteous Heroism (a Daoist female immortal) chanted: "Riding the clear wind, I roam the eight directions, feasting in the Eastern Florescence Palace while the Queen Mother of the West observes the scenery from the long corridor. Yet bound by lingering worldly ties, I temporarily remain in the mundane realm of the Azure Waves."
The Lady of Purple Tenuity (another high-ranking female immortal) responded: "Soaring on whirlwinds to the ninth heaven, I pause upon Three Excellence Mountain. Only those with attachments linger and gaze—the truly liberated should be pure as the Azure Waves' waters. Why strain? Better to directly cross the Mystic Well (symbolizing the immortal gateway to ascension)."
The poem of the True One of Tongbai Mountain states: "Resting in my golden courtyard sanctuary, I watch luminous mushrooms bloom upon the peaks at night. Chanting immortal verses yet not carefree, composing winter poems still burdened—only by severing worldly ties can one resonate with heaven and earth."
The Pure Numinous True One sang: "At dawn I wander the Transcendent Mountain of Sublimity, by dusk I rest in the Hall of Lofty Radiance. Guiding my steed past numinous peaks, I hold no nostalgia for the Azure Waves' mundane world. The Mystic Well plunges three fathoms deep—my celestial steed needs no ferry. In an instant traversing ninety thousand li, all eight dimensions lie before my eyes. Where attachment exists, perfection cannot dwell, and heavenly opportunities are missed."
The True Lady of the Central Office (Song Jizi mentioned earlier) concluded: "Dragon banners flutter in the Great Void, flying wheels patrol the Five Sacred Peaks. Unfettered wandering knows no difference—songs of the underworld arise from resonance. The unattached surpass the burdened, yet meeting itself creates connection. Why seek the distant Azure Waves? The Mystic Well lies within reach. Strolling the mountain paths of Sublimity, I already gather karmic ties from four seas. Better yet to transcend enlightened understanding—three kalpas (Daoist term for immense time spans) pass as a single instant."
These poems reveal progressive stages of cultivation: the sublimation from "having attachments" to "complete detachment," employing symbolic imagery like the Azure Waves (mundane world), Mystic Well (gateway to ascension), and Three Excellence Mountain (immortal realm) to form a complete metaphorical system of Daoist practice.
The Zhengao (Declarations of the Perfected) records several poetic verses by Daoist immortals that reveal their insights into the two cultivation states of "dependence" (you dai) and "non-dependence" (wu dai).
The Lady of Radiant Numen, Li Furen (a female immortal), chanted:
When cultivators meet, joy arises naturally;
When they part, no sorrow lingers.
Our forms roam the mysterious void,
Every encounter forged by heaven's design.
The Consort of Jiuhua (another female immortal) composed:
One rides a celestial chariot from Western Sacred Mountain,
Traversing between the realms of dependence and non-dependence.
Sometimes gazing upon the Five Sacred Peaks,
Othertimes cleansing in the Milky Way's flow.
Abandoning wheels to seek the vessel of emptiness—
Wherever I wander, the Dao's essence lingers.
A mustard seed holds Mount Sumeru (the Buddhist cosmic mountain),
For scale holds no distinction, far and near share one source.
Others approach through clinging to dependence,
While I draw near the Great Dao through non-dependence.
The Perfected of Southern Peak from the Great Void sang:
The non-dependent dwell in the realm of supreme nothingness,
The dependent linger at the edges of supreme being.
Great and small are but one wave,
Far and near converge in a single meeting.
Playing the zither beyond the nine heavens,
Commanding the eight directions' Qi—
How could one not drink deeply of the spiritual elixir?
Surveying the Nine Provinces' splendor,
Being and nonbeing both accord with heaven's mystery—
These two states inherently embrace each other.
The Azure Lad of Fangzhu (a Daoist immortal youth) intoned:
Reclining upon Eastern Sacred Mountain,
My spirit wanders the eight directions.
Looking down, hills seem mere mounds—
How could the Five Peaks appear lofty?
Numinous mountains echo the abyss,
Great and small sustain each other,
Long and short share one measure.
The great chun tree's lifespan, though vast,
Still vanishes like morning dew.
Better to follow heaven's course,
Letting my heart-mind roam the void.
Finally, the Lady of Purple Primordium from the Southern Pole chanted:
Riding whirlwinds through the Great Void,
The Eight Radiances soar to celestial purity.
Gazing beyond the Purple Dawn,
Looking down upon the netherworld's depths.
My spirit dwells in mysterious clarity,
Neither clinging above nor below.
The non-dependent transcend dualities,
The dependent seek no gain.
Formless, one escapes life and death;
Embodied, one nurtures vitality.
When the Eastern Host (possibly the Lord of Eastern Florescence) sings aloud,
Why should these states contend?
Drifting in jade-brocaded chariots,
Morning journeys to the Vermilion Fire Palace,
Evening feasts by the Luminous Night Pool.
Floating clouds reflect rosy light,
Eight dragons weave through celestial heights.
When I wander non-dependent,
The dependent still chase my path.
At grand gatherings, fair ones rest—
The two states debate their claims.
Yet being and nonbeing are never fixed,
Each finds its destined home.
(Original note: These verses may have been chanted during the immortals' initial descents, though high-ranking beings like the Lady of Purple Primordium rarely descend in mixed company—likely an omission in recording. The "dependence" concept is more associated with the Lady of Righteous Heroism rather than the Consort of Jiuhua.)
This scripture records poetic exchanges between several perfected immortals (high-ranking deities in Daoism) and the mortal Official Xu (Xu Mi), primarily describing celestial realms and insights into spiritual cultivation.
The Lady of Cloudy Forest (a female immortal) composed a poem for Official Xu on the evening of the ninth day of the ninth month. The verses depict an immortal pausing her celestial chariot to gaze back at the mortal world, yet finding no kindred spirit to journey with. She laments having to wait until springtime to share her heartfelt thoughts, expressing longing for an earthly confidant. The Lady of Right Heroism repeatedly chanted this poem.
The Lady of Purple Tenuity (a high-ranking female immortal) sang two celestial poems: The first paints a scene of the immortal realm—tortoise-shaped palaces towering in splendor, hosts of immortals feasting and making music in the nine-layered heavenly courts, where jade flutes and golden nectar (immortal wine) delight the spirit. The second describes a celestial dawn, with the Green Lord (an immortal lord of the east) summoning her to rise, as the assembled immortals arrange to meet in the highest heavens.
The poem by Mysterious Mound Purple Tenuity (possibly an alternate name for the Lady of Purple Tenuity) recounts the experience of ascending to the immortal realm: treading crimson clouds, with divine light illuminating the immortal platform, regaining youthful countenance after absorbing solar and lunar essences. She observes that worldly conflicts bring no benefit to nurturing life, subtly suggesting that only through Daoist cultivation can one attain transcendence.
On the evening of the sixth day of the ninth month, the Lady of Cloudy Forest again composed verses for Lord Xu (Official Xu), describing her chariot riding through purple mists while grasping the primordial Qi of heaven and earth. She emphasizes how comprehending the essence of the Dao (the Way) can dissolve a thousand sorrows, and how finding true companions on the path makes further searching unnecessary. The phrase "reverting to childlike countenance" refers to the Daoist practice of restoring youthful vitality through cultivation.
Through these depictions of celestial realms and cultivation experiences, the poems reveal to Official Xu the wondrous state of attaining immortality through spiritual practice, encouraging his wholehearted pursuit of the Dao. The verses frequently employ celestial imagery like "golden pipes," "jade flutes," and "jade nectar," alongside cultivation terminology such as "nourishing the form" and "breath regulation," embodying the Daoist ideal of pursuing longevity through dedicated practice.
The "Zhen'gao" records several revelatory poems bestowed upon Xu Changshi (Xu Mi) and his fellow cultivator Xi Hui by Daoist transcendents (Lady Ziwei and Lady Yunlin Youying) during the ninth lunar month:
On the sixth day of the ninth month at dusk, Lady Ziwei constructed a jade chamber from radiant clouds, depicting celestial scenes: dawn light piercing through iridescent mists, the jade chamber floating amidst cloud-wreathed peaks. Practitioners who cultivate the Dao may observe the Three Luminaries (sun, moon, and stars) in celestial phenomena while journeying spiritually through the Great Void. The Golden Elixir (Jindan) glows in the formless emptiness, as winds from eight directions billow embroidered banners, with the Four Divine Creatures (Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise) manifesting among jade-green trees. Canopies shade fragrant orchids while purple chariots with emerald drapes pass by. She emphasizes that sincere devotion connects with the divine, advising against attachment to external forms and urging heartfelt comprehension of the true essence symbolized by the Jade Pond's elixir.
On the Double Yang Festival (ninth day of the ninth month), Lady Yunlin Youying describes celestial wonders: the Purple Void Heaven radiates crystalline clarity, with immortal palaces encircling the Crimson River (Milky Way). Countless transcendents gather in the Shangqing realm, their cloud-wrapped towers soaring majestically. Eight dragons draw chariots straight to Vermilion Pools as feathered canopies brush against cloud banks. Wind chimes sway the stars, golden bells scatter jade blossoms. Seven reins guide the chariot through nine heavenly layers, roaming freely without returning home. She rhetorically questions why seekers remain earthbound when they could retreat to eastern immortal realms to nourish primordial Qi (Xiantian Yuanqi) and harmonize the Great Harmony energy (balanced Yin-Yang convergence).
That same day, Lady Ziwei again manifests to Xi Hui, portraying twin luminaries (sun and moon) illuminating the Mysterious Heaven amid crimson clouds. Immortals ride winds to gaze upon jade terraces, where azure banners meet the Eastern Florescence Emperor (Donglin Di) paying homage to the Supreme Void Sovereign (Taixu Huang). During celestial banquets, they share phoenix marrow and immortal wines while heavenly music resonates. Brocade banners summon divine beasts, incense smoke coils around carved beams. Recalling earlier days before attaining the Dao, she now transcends worldly honors, her spirit merged with the Mysterious Realm.
On the eighteenth night of the ninth month, Lady Yunlin Youying bids farewell with celestial visions: departing through dawn's purple mists, she glimpses the heavenly Red City between glances. Eastern auroras illuminate all, as the Seven Luminaries' (sun, moon, and five planets) radiance intertwines. Fragrant winds echo through the void, celestial music arising in rhythmic harmony. The scene concludes with immortals dancing beneath the Northern Dipper's court (the "Gourd" being its epithet), their azure-feathered banners fluttering gently.
Note: Terms like "Eight Winds," "Four Divine Creatures," and "Great Harmony" represent core Daoist concepts of natural energies and divine systems; "Eastern Florescence Emperor" and "Supreme Void Sovereign" are exalted Daoist deities; "phoenix marrow" and "nectar" denote transcendent sustenance; "azure-feathered banners" and "brocade streamers" belong to celestial regalia. These revelation poems convey, through resplendent imagery, the cultivator's transcendence of worldly dust and union with the celestial Dao.
This scripture records poetic verses and dialogues from numerous Daoist immortals. The verses transmitted by Lady Righteous Luminescence (a female Daoist immortal) on the night of the ninth month's twenty-fifth day describe the state of cultivation: The celestial canopy (immortal chariot) drifts with clouds, while the immortal rests with clear discernment between right and wrong, unattached to worldly affairs, maintaining a pure heart-mind, abiding in ultimate stillness as innocent as an infant. This stands in stark contrast to the mundane life mired in defilements, sorrow, and afflictions.
On the twelfth month's third day, Lady Righteous Luminescence admonished practitioners: Do not worry about virtuous deeds going unrewarded—what truly merits concern is whether accumulated blessings are insufficient. Spiritual practice is like sowing seeds in a field of merit, where all phenomena interconnect through universal principles.
Xu Mu (a Daoist practitioner) reverently replied to Lady Righteous Luminescence, pledging to uphold these teachings through diligent cultivation with his modest virtues, while expressing profound admiration for the immortal sages.
Subsequent passages record cultivation verses from multiple Perfected Persons:
The poetry of Great Lord Azure Lad (an immortal title) reveals: To transcend life and death, one must sever attachment to the physical form—otherwise, one sinks into cyclic rebirth.
The Perfected Person of Grand Void employs metaphor: The Shen (spirit) governs the body as a charioteer steers his carriage; when the physical form decays, consciousness scatters—yet ordinary people fail to comprehend this truth.
Perfected Lord Wang of Western Citadel elucidates: Consciousness resembles a ferryboat that must eventually part from the shore of corporeality; hesitation alone binds one to the wheel of rebirth.
Perfected Lord Wang of Lesser Mystery laments: Straying from the true Dao plunges one into life-and-death's bitter sea—when the three Hun-souls lose their bearings, vitality wanes daily while one remains oblivious to returning to the Source.
These verses collectively emphasize transcending bodily attachments and refining spiritual consciousness, embodying the Daoist cultivation ideal of "simultaneous perfection of form and spirit" (xingshen jumiao).
This passage records the poetic exchanges of several Daoist immortals from the Shangqing (Highest Clarity) tradition (predecessor of the Maoshan school) during a celestial gathering at the Jade Terrace. It primarily depicts scenes of divine assemblies and insights into spiritual cultivation.
The opening describes how during the previous autumn equinox, four celestial lords gathered at the Jade Terrace (Yaotai) to recite poetry. Here "Jade Terrace" signifies an immortal abode, while the "Four Lords" refer to high-ranking celestial officials. During the banquet, they performed sacred music like the "Mystic Harmony of Grand Shao" — melodies capable of harmonizing the Qi (vital energy) of heaven and earth.
On the fifteenth day of the tenth month, Lady Right Hero (a female immortal title) expounded essential cultivation principles. The text then portrays the magnificent spectacle of immortal processions: four-colored banners illuminating the sky, vermilion carriages traversing sacred peaks, and jade canopies veiling seven-hued auroras. With mere flaps of their wings, these beings ascend directly to the ninth heaven, where pure celestial tones resonate across the nine layers, and the sound of jade chimes (a ritual instrument) fills the Great Void (Taixu). Feasting and chanting among the sun, moon and stars, they become oblivious to time's passage — even a thousand years pass unnoticed.
On the seventeenth day, Lady Cloud Forest (another female immortal) presented poetry to Xu Mi (a Jin dynasty Daoist figure, also called Lord Xu). Her verses describe holding a jade canopy in her left hand while treading the seven stars in flight, her body radiating purple light. At advanced cultivation stages, she explains, practitioners can instantly transform their forms, with protective deities surrounding them on all sides. She admonishes cultivators to diligently study the Shangqing scriptures (core texts of the Shangqing tradition), undistracted by worldly concerns.
Lady Purple Tenuity (feminine embodiment of the Big Dipper deity) composed verses on the eighteenth day depicting the immortal realm: ascending the palaces of Mystic Truth (Xuanzhen), strolling hand-in-hand through cloud banks. Incense smoke permeates the Eight Luminances (Bajing, eight radiant realms in Daoist cosmology) while celestial winds stir crimson-cloud waves. Gazing down at Xiao Ridge's contours, one hears jade flutes harmonizing with phoenix cries in the clouds. She emphasizes that cultivators should ride pure Qi to roam the cosmos — why cling to mundane landscapes? Golden tally in hand, one can command heavenly troops to subdue myriad demons. The verses lament how ordinary minds, mired in worldly dust, seldom grasp the true Dao.
Two poetic works transmitted on the twentieth day continue depicting the resplendent golden palaces and purple purity of celestial courts, where the Queen Mother of the West (Xi Fei) descends with her retinue. The term "turbid dust" symbolizes the mortal realm, while "beauty's courtyard" metaphorically represents the cultivator's dwelling — suggesting sincere practice naturally attracts immortal resonance. The conclusion observes that worldly nobility cannot attain the authentic person's (Zhenren) state, implying cultivation prioritizes inner refinement over external status.
These poems employ radiant imagery like "jade brilliance," "purple radiance," and "vermillion splendor" to manifest Daoism's transcendent ideals through sumptuous immortal gatherings. Recurring terms like "Seven Luminances," "Eight Luminances," and "Nine Distances" reference sacred spatial dimensions within Daoist cosmology.
This passage is from the Daoist classic Zhengao (Declarations of the Perfected), recording dialogues and poetic exchanges between celestial beings and human practitioners. Here is a modern interpretation of its sections:
The first section contains admonitions from Lady Youying of Cloudy Forests (a female Daoist immortal) to Xu Mu (styled Chief Clerk). The gist is: Though precious objects may attract covetous eyes from passersby, this is ultimately a matter of one's own destiny. Like a cup stolen by a servant boy—while regrettable, it serves as a warning. Through unseen observation, the thief has now been apprehended, demonstrating how misdeeds inspire fear while guiding the virtuous toward understanding. Though the immortals remain silent, mortals should comprehend these spiritually potent teachings. Xu Mu respectfully replies that having long been mired in worldly affairs, his transgressions accumulated over years. Grateful for this celestial opportunity, he now earnestly receives the instruction, diligently cultivating day and night without slackening.
The second section presents a poem by the Lady of Southern Peak (another female immortal) to Xu Mu. It depicts celestial scenery: in spiritually vibrant valleys, immortals wearing coarse robes appear as if clad in splendor while practicing in secluded spots. They ascend to heavenly courts amid rosy clouds, looking down on worldly turmoil, urging liberation from earthly attachments through cultivating the Three Dantian (energy centers) to prolong life.
The third section is a poem by Lady Zhao-Ling Li to Xu Yu (Xu Mu's son). It describes immortals riding flying chariots to lofty terraces, holding celestial treasures while adorned in radiant garments. Though briefly visiting the dusty world, they cover their noses against foul odors, advising adepts to transcend mundanity and soar to the Great Void.
The final section portrays dawn meditation: breathing with the morning glow, spirit-journeying through the Great Void to observe worldly vexations. Mentioning the "Three Blooms" (likely immortal herbs or cultivation stages), it urges seekers toward the profound Dao.
Through immortal perspectives, these verses contrast celestial purity with earthly defilement, emphasizing transcendence of material desires and diligent practice. Recurring imagery of "flying wheels" and "reining chariots" reflects the Daoist ideal of "mounting the wind to soar"—the mystical art of flight through cultivation.
This passage records the words and deeds of several Daoist immortals (advanced practitioners), primarily featuring the poetic works of Lady Youying and Lady Yunlin, along with the story of Xue Lü's Daoist cultivation.
Lady Youying composed a poem expressing transcendent realization: "Playing the jade ao (a celestial musical instrument) brings you joy, as the sovereign abides between existence and non-existence, I vow to maintain this middle path of sublime emptiness." She then chanted further: "Riding light and shadow to roam the land of sages, I rein in my steed beneath the eastern gardens (celestial orchards)."
In her poem addressed to the Chief Secretary (a fellow cultivator) on the fourteenth day of the twelfth month, Lady Yunlin described: "Savoring subtle phrases with delicate care, the gentle cadence flows with grace, melodies harmonize perfectly, words shine clear to inspire admiration. Such praise is well-founded, for the Profound Mystery (referring to abstruse Daoist teachings) grants me peaceful understanding of its true meaning."
The text particularly documents Xue Lü's cultivation story: Xue Jihe once sought authentic Daoist practice at the northern cliffs of Zhongshan (a sacred cultivation site), but failed all seven trials. As the younger brother of Elder Xue of Changli, his failure stemmed from indulgence in sensual pleasures that disrupted his cultivation, with his heart obstructed by vulgar attachments, stubborn as unyielding stone. Yet this man possessed inherent kindness and gentle temperament, showing particular fondness for playing the xiao (a Daoist practice of transcendental whistling) and plucking the mysterious zither strings—thus achieving spiritual communion through music.
The Elder of Changli hailed from the Yan-Dai region during King Wu of Zhou's era. After repeated petitions to Lord Lao (the deified Laozi), the Lord permitted Xue Lü to continue practice at Zhongshan's northern cliffs, hoping he might comprehend the subtle Dao, dissolve obstructions, and swiftly ascend to the realm of emptiness. The passage concludes with this warning: "Should one indulge desires without restraint, even a hundred trials will end like Xue Lü's failure. Daoist cultivation requires reverent adherence to the master's guidance to attain accomplishment."
This passage records dialogues and poetry exchanges among various Daoist immortals, discussing cultivation insights and celestial visions.
Lady Youying (a female Daoist immortal) proclaimed on the night of the sixteenth day of the twelfth month: Practitioners must cultivate both inner and outer qualities—their inner resolve should be as steadfast as the swallow's fortitude, while their outward demeanor remains as gentle as the swallow's docility. Hearing the north wind should awaken compassion, while beholding the morning sun expands one's spiritual horizons. Those who comprehend these principles may unite with the Dao; those blinded by desire forfeit the chance to wander with immortals—a truly lamentable fate. Here, the cultural essence of Yandai (modern Hebei region) serves as metaphor for the practitioner's mental state.
The text then enumerates eight immortal titles: Great Primordial Perfected (Taiyuan Zhenren), Right Luminary Cloud Forest King's Lady (Yunlin Youying Wang Furen), Purple Void Primordial Lady of Southern Peak (Nanyue Zixu Yuanjun), Nine Florescence True Consort (Jiuhua Zhenfei), Clear Numinous Perfected (Qingling Zhenren), Purple Yang Perfected (Ziyang Zhenren), Paulownia and Cypress Perfected (Tongbai Zhenren), and Luminous Numinous Lady Li (Zhaoling Li Furen).
On the seventeenth night, the Numinous Consort from the Eastern Florescence Upper Chamber of Fangzhu Palace (a celestial realm) chanted an immortal poem: It depicts the jade palace's purple cassia trees, vermilion blossoms, lunar palaces, and jade pools. The verses describe immortals riding dawn's radiance, soaring on qi currents while absorbing heaven-earth energies, attended by jade maidens bearing ceremonial silks. Southern breezes carry divine fragrances as celestial beasts dance—a majestic vision of the immortal realm. The closing reference to "small fish yet uncooked in the cauldron" (as recorded by Yang Jun regarding an eastern crimson qi vision) hints at the need to consult the Director of Destinies (Siming, the fate-governing immortal).
Through these immortal dialogues and poetry, the text manifests the Daoist pursuit of unity with ultimate truth and the imagined splendor of celestial realms.
This poetic passage describes the sacred hymn chanted by the Left Lady of Supreme Mystery from Taiwei in the Northern Ting Palace, brimming with Daoist celestial imagery. The verses depict the abode of immortals: establishing divine halls in the formless realm of Great Nothingness, riding phoenixes to ascend upon purple mists, traversing the boundless silence of dawn skies. Within this celestial realm, hidden lingzhi mushrooms bloom on Phoenix Mounds while dragon embryos take shape beside jade groves.
The poem speaks of eight precious jades surrounding pristine halls, where langhua blossoms flourish in jade palaces, and exquisite celestial flowers glow brilliantly among cliffs. Immortals ride cloud-borne ao instruments through the void, as eight winds swirl around emerald heavens and divine children scatter golden radiance like flowing metal. The Taiwei celestial realm unveils its jade tables as the Three Primes (heaven, earth, water) manifest. The Purple Sovereign waves his sleeves in admiration while luminous brilliance shines like the morning star.
On the seventeenth night of the twelfth month, the Great Primordial Perfected Lord Siming Jun (deity overseeing destiny) transmitted this poem, said to be an immortal melody chanted within the Azure Lad's inner chambers and frequently recited in divine chorus. Commentary notes that the "profound mystery" takes the eight winds as its pivot, uses heaven and earth as its screen, regards the four seas as wine vessels, and compares the nine continents to chaff—forging all creation through the tempering of Yin-Yang energies. Mythical creatures like the Ninefold-Absolute Beast can conceal themselves within mustard seeds, displaying the treasures of Jade Dawn (Yuchend) and the numinous power of the Taiwei heavens.
The passage concludes by noting that when celestial beings descend, only this poem manifests while other contents remain hidden, demonstrating the arcane nature of divine transmission. The annotator Yang Jun specifically recorded that these explanations clarify the profound phrases within the Secret Text of the Divine Tiger.
This passage records a dialogue from the Zhengao (Declarations of the Perfected), a Daoist classic, documenting the response of a Chief Administrator (a high-ranking Daoist title) to the teachings of Lady Youying (a Daoist female immortal). The essence is as follows:
Though I revere the immortals in my heart and yearn for their divine teachings, I am acutely aware of my insignificance—like faint starlight unable to rival the sun and moon, or a minor star unworthy to join the grandeur of the Northern Dipper. The gulf between the immortal and mortal realms is vast, and whenever I reflect on this, I feel lost, uncertain how to conduct myself. True mentors diligently refine their guidance, and genuine care is marked by concern over one’s laxity. Just as the Yijing (Book of Changes) emphasizes ceaseless self-renewal, and Confucius lamented the dangers of scholarly complacency.
Since receiving your instruction, I have cleansed my heart daily, renewing myself through fasting and purification. These teachings reveal both the sublime state of attaining the Dao (the Way) and the root of karmic obstacles—indulgence corrupts one’s foundation, while stubborn vulgarity erodes De (Virtue/Power). Such guidance is more precious than the acupuncture of the famed physician Bian Que or the remedies of the legendary healer Lu Yi. Like Zizhang inscribing sage teachings on his sash or Ximen Bao wearing tokens for self-reflection, I use external disciplines to restrain my inner self, aligning my nature with the Dao’s principles.
I engrave these pure teachings in my heart, treasuring them in my core, and adhere to them reverently without deviation. I aspire to dissolve the "Five Obstacles" (hindrances in cultivation) and traverse the abyss of the "Seven Trials" (tests of practice). In time, I hope to wander freely in the Eastern Mountains, build a retreat in Dragon Forest, and join companions who ride clouds and cranes, robed in feathered garments as true adepts. The "Five Fungi" (rare mushrooms of longevity) mentioned here are treasures for prolonging life, while the waters of Canglang hold the secret of immortality. This is the vow I earnestly pursue day and night, never daring to deceive the divine.
In humble conclusion, I beseech the immortals for even a glance of acknowledgment. The text notes that this is the Chief Administrator’s reply to Lady Youying’s poetic instruction dated the 28th day of the seventh month, possibly concerning a traveler surnamed Xue, and was likely written around mid-December. The passage was transcribed and preserved by a scribe named "Yi."
Source text: Kanripo 漢籍リポジトリ（KR5d0036）; Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0 · Report an error / feedback