《雲笈七籤》Vol. 3

In ancient times, there was no teaching. Teaching began to emerge gradually from the time of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors. To “teach” is to inform and instruct. Teaching includes words, principles, and meanings, as well as their transmission and inheritance. When people hear words and come to understand, teaching makes the principles clear; once the principles are understood, the words themselves can be forgotten.

Where there are people who transmit teachings and people who receive them, there must be teachers and pupils. The teaching discussed here is divided into five kinds: the teaching of Nature, the teaching of the Divine, the teaching of Truth, the teaching of Return to the Common Way, and the teaching that instructs the world. All five begin from the same root, the “One Truth.” Each has its own emphasis: some speak of the root, while others apply expedient methods in response to worldly affairs.

The teaching of Nature arose before Primordial Qi—the source energy that existed before Heaven and Earth took shape. At that time, the undivided simplicity remained unseparated: profound and still, vast and empty. There was no teacher to expound it and no pupil to receive instruction; there was no beginning or end, no words or principles. From this arose the transformations of Primordial Qi and the creation of the Divine. From it, Heaven and Earth took shape, covering and supporting all things; from it, the sun and moon shone and moved in their courses. The rulers of antiquity understood this principle and governed through Wuwei (non-action). The teaching that arose from this non-action is the teaching of Nature.

The teaching of the Divine appeared after the undivided simplicity had dispersed and the Divine had manifested. Heaven and Earth are the greatest instruments of creation, and the power of the Divine is vast beyond measure. The Divine blends Primordial Qi and sets it flowing through all things; following the Supreme Dao, it shapes the myriad beings. It purifies the clear Qi to establish Heaven and gathers the turbid Qi to form Earth. It spreads wondrous power to bring the world into being, then uses the Qi of true harmony to form human society. The beginnings of Yin-Yang transformation are impossible to fathom, and no one can see through the nature of spirits and ghosts.

The teaching of Truth takes the Supreme and Empty Sovereign as its teacher and is transmitted by the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning. Its profound and refined mysteries were kept hidden in the Nine Heavens, then put into practice among humankind by sages of successive generations. In Heaven, the Celestial Worthy expounded the teaching in the heavens of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), proclaimed the True Vehicle—the path leading to the true Dao—and guided beings toward the steps to immortality. In the human world, Fuxi received the Yellow River Diagram, Xuanyuan received auspicious signs, Gaoxin received the Heavenly Scripture, and Yu the Great received the Luo River Writing. The four sage kings received revelations from the spirits, and the Five Elders appeared by the river. Thus arose the enduring teachings represented by the Three Tombs and the Five Canons.

The teaching of Return to the Common Way was intended by the Great Sage and Emperor of Mysterious Origin, Laozi, as a means of governing the state and the family. He widely spread numinous writings and true instructions throughout the human world…

The meaning of the lines “To spread the teaching in Heaven above, so that Heaven and earth below may return to simplicity and accord with the Sovereign” is not entirely coherent. There may be missing text or corrupt characters. The general sense seems to be that spreading the teaching in Heaven is intended to restore simplicity both in Heaven and among humanity, bringing all into accord with the Great Dao.

Confucius lamented the decline of De (Virtue) and explained the Way of benevolence and righteousness to guide the customs of his time. He hoped to use ritual and wisdom to save a troubled age, but the customs of sincerity and simplicity had already grown far removed from people. Alas, the sages established teachings out of a wish to save the world and benefit all beings. If one can grasp the true purpose of these teachings, one can connect with the sages’ intentions. Connected with their intentions, one can forget the distinction between expedient means and ultimate reality, and cease clinging to words and writing. Only then can one accord with what cannot be spoken; in the mind, there are no fixed images to begin with.

The Origins of Daoism

A study of the scriptures and talismans and proclamations of the Daoist tradition shows that they arose from the Three Origins (the Daoist triad of Heaven, Earth, and Water). From the underlying source, they manifested in various forms and gave rise to the Five Virtues. When the Three and Five came together, they formed the Eight Convergences (here referring to eight types of Daoist script). The writing of the Eight Convergences was condensed from wondrous Qi (vital energy). Its eight-cornered characters radiated light and gathered in the air, becoming cloud seal script. The Great Perfected held the brush, while the Jade Consort smoothed the writing surface; they wrote in gold and made tablets of white jade. These scriptures were kept secret above the heavens, stored in the Mysterious Terrace of Seven Treasures. Those who possessed the Dao could see them; those who did not could not. These were naturally formed books of Heaven, not creations of Cangjie.

The Lingbao scriptures now in circulation are said to have been transmitted by the Heavenly Perfected One to the Yellow Emperor at Mount Emei. The Heavenly Perfected One also transmitted them to Emperor Ku at the Terrace of Nurturing Virtue. Yu the Great received a divine revelation and found the scriptures on Mount Zhong; King Helü of Wu, meanwhile, once glimpsed them on Mount Gouqu. Later, Ge Xiaoxian, Zheng Siyuan, and others passed them on from master to disciple in an unbroken line.

The Scripture of the Dao and De by Laozi belongs to the Mahayana category and is one of the Three Auxiliary Scriptures, texts that support the cultivation of the Dao. It has not yet been placed among the Three Caverns, the three major divisions of Daoist scriptures. Most people who study the Dao today learn only superficially: they can recite the Scripture of the Dao and De, but do not understand the true Daoist scriptures. They therefore claim that Daoism began with Zhuang Zhou, or that it began with Laozi, the Historian of the Pillar. It is truly pitiful to think of them as people who have lost their roots and become strangers in a foreign land. With only limited knowledge, they make wild guesses and arrive at such mistaken conclusions.

Why do I say this? It is said that the Lord Lao was born at the end of the Yin dynasty and grew up at the beginning of the Zhou dynasty. He entrusted his spirit to the Mysterious and Wondrous Jade Maiden, who carried him for eighty-one years. He was later born from beneath her left arm under a plum tree. At birth, his hair was already white, so he was called “Laozi,” meaning “Old Master.” He pointed to the plum tree as his namesake and took the surname Li. His appearance was extraordinary: his brows and eyes were handsome, his complexion a warm yellow, and his head bore horns like the sun and moon. He could tread the numbers five and grasp the number ten; his ears had three openings, and his nose had two column-shaped bones. When Zhou De declined and people successively lost the Dao, Laozi left the world and traveled westward on the twenty-fifth day of the twelfth month in the thirty-third year of King Ping of Zhou. Riding a blue-green ox beneath a low-hanging canopy, he passed through the pass as purple Qi gathered above it, leaving behind the True Scripture of the Dao and De.

Yin Xi, the border official said to have been on duty when Laozi left the pass, thus understood that Daoist classics and teachings were not limited to the five thousand words of the Daode Jing. The Primordial Heavenly Worthy and Lord Lao are indeed distinct: they belong to different eras and differ in both title and status.

The difference in their titles and status can be explained by beginning with the Three Realms. The first is the Realm of Desire, which has six levels of heaven. The Jing on Deliverance from the Inexhaustible (Duren Jing) starts with Great Sovereign Yellow Zeng Heaven and lists the six heavens in sequence. People in the Realm of Desire live for ten thousand years. If, during their lives, they avoid bodily transgressions such as killing, stealing, and sexual misconduct, they may be reborn in these heavens and no longer be tainted by the six desires.

The second is the Realm of Form, which has eighteen levels of heaven. Its inhabitants live for hundreds of millions of years. If, throughout their lives, they avoid the faults of greed and anger, they may be reborn there.

The third is the Formless Realm. Its inhabitants’ lifespans are measured in billions of kalpas. If, throughout their lives, people refrain from abusive speech, divisive speech, falsehood, and frivolous talk, they may dwell in this realm in their next life.

When virtuous men and women have brought their merit and practice to completion, they may be worthy of ascending to the four higher heavens. The Queen Mother—usually understood as the Queen Mother of the West—will welcome them and escort them there. These four heavens are the Great Void, Supreme, Everlasting, and All-Pervading Heaven; the Great Śakra, Jade, Abundant, and Ascendant Heaven; the Heaven of Dragon Transformation and Brahma Crossing; and the Great Ultimate, Peaceful, and Nurturing Heaven. Together they are called the Heavens of the Seed People. They lie above the Three Realms, beyond the reach of the Three Calamities.

Above the four Heavens of the Seed People are the Three Pure Ones realms; above the Three Pure Ones realms is the Great Luo Heaven. The Primordial Heavenly Worthy dwells in the Great Luo Heaven, where he carries out his work of transformation and proclaims the teachings.

The Origins of the Three Caverns in Daoism

The beginning of the Dao arises from “the Prior to the Beginning.” It takes on form and responds to the world, emerging from the “Wondrous One.” The Wondrous One divides into the Three Primordials; these transform into the Three Qi, which in turn give rise to the three powers of Heaven, Earth, and humanity. As these three powers develop and flourish, the myriad things come into being in their fullness.

The Three Primordials are: first, the Primordial of the Primordial Void of the Undivided Cavern; second, the Primordial of the Primordial Void of Red Mixture; and third, the Primordial of Dark Stillness and Mysterious Communion. The Heavenly Treasure Lord is generated from the Primordial of the Primordial Void of the Undivided Cavern; the Numinous Treasure Lord from the Primordial of the Primordial Void of Red Mixture; and the Divine Treasure Lord from the Primordial of Dark Stillness and Mysterious Communion.

The manifested teachings of the Three Treasure Lords each become a sovereign of transformation, ruling from the Three Pure Ones realms. These realms are the Jade Clarity, Supreme Clarity, and Great Clarity heavens, also known as the Three Heavens. The Three Heavens are the Heaven of Clear Tenuity, the Heaven of Remaining Yu, and the Great Red Heaven.

The Lord of Heavenly Treasure (Tianbaojun), one of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), dwells in the Realm of Jade Clarity, also known as the Heaven of Clear Subtlety. The Qi he governs is primordial Qi.

The Lord of Numinous Treasure (Lingbaojun) dwells in the Realm of Highest Clarity, also known as the Heaven of Remaining Yu. The Qi he governs is original Qi.

The Lord of Divine Treasure (Shenbaojun) dwells in the Realm of Great Clarity, also known as the Heaven of Great Redness. The Qi he governs is mysterious Qi.

The Scripture on the Nine Heavens Giving Birth to the Spirits says that although these three titles are different, their source is one and the same. Each of the three Lords of Heaven serves as the patriarch of a teaching and as a revered deity of one of the Three Caverns (Dongzhen, Dongxuan, and Dongshen).

The “Three Caverns” are Dongzhen, Dongxuan, and Dongshen. The Lord of Heavenly Treasure expounded twelve divisions of scripture and serves as the patriarch of Dongzhen. The Lord of Numinous Treasure expounded twelve divisions and serves as the patriarch of Dongxuan. The Lord of Divine Treasure expounded twelve divisions and serves as the patriarch of Dongshen. Together, the Three Caverns comprise thirty-six revered scriptures. The first, Dongzhen, belongs to the Greater Vehicle; the second, Dongxuan, to the Middle Vehicle; and the third, Dongshen, to the Lesser Vehicle.

The Three Caverns together make up seven divisions: Dongzhen, Dongxuan, and Dongshen, along with three supplementary collections of scripture—Taixuan, Taiping, and Taiqing. Taixuan supports Dongzhen, Taiping supports Dongxuan, and Taiqing supports Dongshen. These three supplementary collections, combined with the scriptures of the Three Caverns, make up thirty-six divisions. The Scripture of the Zhengyi Covenant and Authority, an important scripture of the Zhengyi (Orthodox Unity) tradition, is then added to connect and encompass these works. Together they are known as the Seven Divisions. Hence the phrase “the revered writings of the Three Caverns and the mysterious teaching of the Seven Divisions.”

The Seven Divisions further branch out into thirty-six divisions, named in order: first, fundamental texts; second, divine talismans; third, jade instructions; fourth, numinous diagrams; fifth, genealogies and registers; sixth, precepts and regulations; seventh, ritual forms; eighth, methods; ninth, various arts; tenth, biographies; eleventh, hymns and recitations; and twelfth, petitions and memorials. Each of the Three Caverns has twelve divisions, making thirty-six in all.

The “Three Qi” are mysterious, original, and primordial Qi. Primordial Qi is blue and dwells in the Heaven of Clear Subtlety; original Qi is yellow and dwells in the Heaven of Remaining Yu; mysterious Qi is white and dwells in the Heaven of Great Redness. Together they are called the “Three Qi of Mystery, Origin, and Primordiality.” The mysterious, original, and primordial Qi transform and give rise to the Qi formed by the union of Yin and Yang. This united Qi then transforms and gives rise to Heaven, Earth, and humanity. Thus the Daodejing says: “The Dao gives birth to one; one gives birth to two; two give birth to three; and three give birth to the myriad things.”

From the Jade Capital of the Mysterious Metropolis downward, there are thirty-six heavens in all. Twenty-eight lie within the Three Realms, and eight lie beyond them. The Three Realms within are the Realm of Desire, the Realm of Form, and the Formless Realm. The lowest six heavens belong to the Realm of Desire, and the next eighteen belong to the Realm of Form…

The four heavens of the fourth celestial realm are called the Formless Realm. The Desire Realm, the Form Realm, and the Formless Realm together comprise the Three Realms, with twenty-eight heavens in all. Among them, the heavens are surpassingly beautiful, and their inhabitants have dignified, splendid appearances. From the heavens of the Desire Realm upward, people live for a very long time. The ground is paved with gold, the steps are built of white jade, and pearls, jade, and other treasures arise naturally. Though life there is joyful, it remains subject to birth and death.

Above the Three Realms are four more heavens, called the “Heavens of the Seed People,” also known as the “Heavens of the Holy Disciples” or the “Four Brahma Heavens.” The celestial beings there have already escaped birth and death, and the Three Calamities cannot reach them.

Above these lie the “Three Realms,” the realms of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing). Each realm is divided into left, central, and right palaces. Every palace has offices such as Immortal King, Immortal Lord, Immortal Minister, Immortal Elder, and Immortal Counsellor, as well as a Celestial Master, the Most High Lord Lao. The Taiqing Realm has nine immortals, the Shangqing Realm has nine perfected beings, and the Yuqing Realm has nine sages, making twenty-seven in all.

The ranks of the nine immortals, in order, are: Superior Immortal, High Immortal, Great Immortal, Mysterious Immortal, Heavenly Immortal, True Immortal, Spirit Immortal, Numinous Immortal, and Ultimate Immortal. The titles in the realms of the perfected and the sages follow the same sequence: Superior, High, Great, Mysterious, Heavenly, True, Spirit, Numinous, and Ultimate.

The highest heaven is called Daluo. It lies above Xuandu Yujing. There stand the Purple Tally Golden Towers and the Seven-Treasure Qian Trees, among which qilin, lions, and other beings come into existence by transformation. The Heavenly Worthies of the three ages—past, present, and future—dwell and rule there.

The twenty-eight heavens of the Three Realms, the four heavens above them, the Three Pure Ones’ realms beyond those, and the highest Daluo Heaven together make thirty-six heavens, all governed by the Three Venerables. Thus the scripture says: “Above the Three Realms lies the boundless, ethereal Daluo Heaven. Above it there is no root of the Form Realm; its cloud banks rise high and majestic, and it is the abode of the Heavenly Worthy of Primordial Beginning through the ages of cosmic calamity.”

The Heavenly Worthies of the three ages are the Heavenly Worthy of Primordial Beginning in the past, the Most High Jade Emperor Heavenly Worthy in the present, and the Golden Tower Jade Dawn Heavenly Worthy in the future. The Most High is a disciple of the Heavenly Worthy of Primordial Beginning. Since the half-kalpa of the High Sovereign, the Heavenly Worthy of Primordial Beginning has passed the throne to the Heavenly Worthies of the three ages.

The Heavenly Worthy also has ten titles: first, Natural; second, Limitless; third, the Great Dao; fourth, Utmost Reality; fifth, the Most High; sixth, Lord of the Dao; seventh, Lofty Sovereign; eighth, Heavenly Worthy; ninth, Jade Emperor; and tenth, Your Majesty.

The Record of the Eastern Meng Grotto of Left One states:

The Youth of Qinghua in the Eastern Sea said, “I was fortunate to be planted within the Gate of the Dao; this is the fruit of a karmic bond formed through long ages of kalpas in the past…”

I respectfully receive the Most High’s auspicious charge and temporarily take up my post at Qinghua Palace, the name of an immortal palace. Purple clouds cover the palace above, while the sun and moon shine all around. Immortals, Jade Maidens, and Perfected Ones of wondrous practice stand guard at my sides. I shall enjoy the bliss of the natural order and, by command, ascend to the rank of the deathless. Lord Bishang leads and oversees those who study the Way of the immortals.

By command, I welcome the precious scriptures kept in the Golden Chamber and Jade Casket of the eastern hall within the Palace of the Most High Sage of Great Peace. There are three hundred scrolls of precious scriptures, nine thousand chapters of jade instructions, and countless written proclamations. They could not all be read even over countless kalpas, and within them are found both wondrous principles and essential methods. The most important teachings in these scriptures begin with Zuoyi; they are all matters I must regularly put to use in carrying out my duties. I gladly wish to relieve the suffering of living beings, so that all may return together to the source of the Dao. Living beings are constrained by the dust and impediments of the world, and are truly difficult to save. The Most High, moved by great compassion, commanded me to guard these teachings closely and to receive and guide living beings in accord with the proper moment, without slackening. I keep this command firmly in mind and dare not forget it for even an instant.

Now I have formally taken responsibility for recording the names of those who study the Way of the immortals. All who receive the immortal Way and aspire to become Perfected should vow to spread it, assist others, and bring good deeds to completion. The prohibitions concerning the Heavenly Treasure are strict; it must not be transmitted lightly. When it is transmitted, the recipient must truly be a suitable person. One must also first report the matter to the Most High and wait for an auspicious sign before proceeding.

Among the three hundred scrolls of precious scriptures, the teachings of Zuoyi come first. I wish to save living beings far and wide, but have yet to meet someone suitable. Though many seek to study, few truly accord with the Great Dao. If I bring the scriptures out, I fear the calamity of divulging the Heavenly Treasure; if I keep them sealed away, I fear the guilt of delaying and severing the transmission of the Way. For a long time I held these concerns in my heart. After years of fasting and reflection, I went with Lord Qing Tong, the Upper Minister, to seek out the titles of the precious scriptures.

The catalogue of Zuoyi scriptures is also called the “Catalogue of Dongmeng,” the “Chapters of Deathlessness in the Three Heavens,” the “Wondrous Instructions for Wisdom and Long Life,” the “Precious Chapters by Which the Highest Saints Receive and Save the Living,” the “Jade Almanac of Continuing Goodness in the Source Cavern,” and the “True Writ of the Female One in the Mixed Cavern.” These catalogues are collectively called the “Registers.”

An examination of their highest grade shows that it is called the “Register of Deathlessness,” also known as “Purple Characters and Azure Writ,” “Azure Register and Purple Chapters,” “Purple Book and Recorded Writings,” and “Jade Slips and Azure Talisman.” The next grade is the middle grade, called the “Register of Long Life,” also known as “Yellow Register and White Slips,” “Jade Tablets and Golden Chapters,” “Jade Book and Golden Characters,” and “Golden Writ and Jade Talisman.” The lowest grade follows, called the “Register of the Death Rolls,” also known as “Cinnabar Chapters and Dark Tablets,” “Black Slips and Vermilion Writ,” “Red Entries and Stone Records,” and “幽符” — “Netherworld Talismans of Relegation.”

Knowing the names of the lowest-grade registers allows one to enter the middle grade; knowing the names of the middle-grade registers allows one to rise to the highest grade. Merely recognizing these titles can already raise one’s rank—how much more so for those who truly understand them and put them into practice?

—Brief Record of the Lingbao

The scripture says: The origins of the scriptures and methods reach back so far that they are coeval with the Void, beyond all calculation. Whenever a kalpa, or vast cosmic cycle, comes to an end, Heaven and Earth change. Such processes lie beyond the reach of human imagination.

In the distant past, there was a kalpa called Longhan. At that time, a sage known as the Venerable Celestial Worthy of Brahma Qi appeared in the world. He taught living beings through the methods of the Lingbao scriptures and saved countless people. The teachings he transmitted spread throughout the vast thousandfold world. The Longhan cycle lasted through 99,999 kalpas. When its allotted destiny ran out, Heaven sank and Earth split; the four seas merged into one, Heaven and Earth collapsed, and all light vanished. Another hundred million kalpas passed before Heaven and Earth were opened anew. This kalpa was called Chiming. A great sage, the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning, appeared and taught living beings through the Lingbao methods, bringing them to prominence and flourishing, as described above. After Chiming had lasted for two kalpas, Heaven and Earth were destroyed again and lost their light. Five more kalpas passed before they were opened anew.

In the first year of Kaihuang, the Lord of the Great Dao, Taishang, entered the womb in the Western Kingdom of Green Na Jade, gestating within the family of Hong. After 3,700 years, he was born in that kingdom, beside the land of Danxuan on Mount Fuluo in Yucha. He was named Qidu, with the courtesy name Shang Kaiyuan. As he grew older, he realized that the time had come to seek the Dao. With lofty aspirations, he sat in stillness beneath a withered mulberry tree and meditated with complete focus for one hundred days. The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning then descended and transmitted to him the Great Vehicle methods of the Lingbao tradition and ten wondrous scriptures. At that time, the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning still resided at Changle Lodge in that kingdom, where he broadly expounded the Great Dao to the people of the age and the beings of the celestial realms. The number of those who received the Dao’s teachings was beyond counting. Later, the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning and the Lord of the Dao traveled through many lands, proclaiming the teachings wherever conditions were right. When their work of teaching was complete, the Celestial Worthy entrusted the scriptures and methods to the Lord of the Dao and bestowed on him the title “Taishang.” The Lord of the Dao then widely proclaimed the scriptures and registers—the texts and records of cultivation—so they would be passed down to later generations.

By then, the Great Dao had spread throughout the ten directions; only the region around Wanli City had not yet heard its teachings. Yet the living beings of that land were destined to encounter the Dao. Tradition relates that in the time of the ancient Emperor Ku, Taishang sent the Three Heavenly True Sovereigns with the Five True Texts of the Lingbao to present them to the emperor. Emperor Ku received them with reverence and honored them for many years, allowing the registers of the teachings to circulate in the world. As he was about to become an immortal, he sealed the scriptures away on Mount Zhong, which lies beyond the Ruoshui River in the northwest and rises fifteen thousand li high. After Yu of the Xia took the throne, he climbed famous mountains and traveled throughout the four quarters. Crossing the Ruoshui River, he ascended Mount Zhong and found the five Lingbao True Texts sealed away by Emperor Ku. Earlier scriptures, however, say that Taishang bestowed these texts at Fangzhang Mountain in the Eastern Sea. In the first year of Han’an, Taishang descended once more to the eastern side of the mountain and transmitted the scriptures to the Celestial Master Zhang Daoling. Zhang Daoling received and practiced these teachings, taught living beings, and successfully saved the people of an entire kingdom.

Emperor Ku (the legendary sovereign of high antiquity) sealed away the True Writings of the Numinous Treasure. Only later, when people upheld the scripture and practiced according to its methods, did it begin to circulate in the world.

Yu the Great practiced its teachings alone and did not pass the scripture on to the people. In this way, he attained the powers of a great immortal. He cut through Longmen, cleared the channels of the four great rivers, managed the waterways, and brought peace to the realm. After completing these great deeds, he used a false corpse to make it appear that he had died, though in truth he had not. Thus the wise praised his deeds, while the Perfected knew that he was wondrous and extraordinary. Before Yu became an immortal, he had sealed away the scripture and concealed it for protection at the Northern Peak and in the Chamber of Dongting at Mount Baoshan.

During the reign of King Helü of Wu, Helü went on an excursion to Mount Baoshan. He saw someone in the mountain and asked, “Who are you?” The man replied, “My surname is Shan, and my name is Yinju.” Helü said, “Since you live in the mountains, you must have witnessed strange things. Try to fetch something for me.” Shan Yinju agreed, entered Dongting, and traveled through the underworld and the heavens. After journeying fifteen hundred li, he reached his destination. There he saw a stone city. Not daring to enter rashly, he fasted and purified himself outside the city for three days before going in. The city gates stood open, and inside, a scroll of plain silk bearing strange writing lay on a jade table. He immediately bowed, lifted the book in both hands, and brought it out to Helü.

Helü summoned his ministers to examine it together, but none could read the seal script on the book. He therefore sent an envoy to ask Confucius for help. The envoy suddenly made up a story, saying, “As the King of Wu was resting in his palace, a red bird suddenly flew down and dropped a book before the hall. His Majesty could not understand its meaning, so he sent me to consult Confucius.”

Confucius looked grave and did not answer. After a long while, he said, “I have heard a children’s rhyme: ‘The King of Wu goes sightseeing at Lake Zhen; the elder Longwei, Shan Yinju, goes north to Mount Baoshan and enters the numinous chamber, then goes into Dongting to steal Yu’s book. The great writing of the Heavenly Emperor must not be revealed; this text is to be transmitted for a long time, beginning in the first of the hundred and six cycles. If anyone forcibly takes it away, the land of his house will be ruined.’ If this is that book, I can identify it. As for a red bird carrying a book, I have heard nothing of the kind.”

Only then did the envoy admit his falsehood and apologize, saying that events had indeed unfolded as Confucius described. Confucius then said, “This is the True Writings of the Five Talismans of the Numinous Treasure. Long ago, Yu the Great obtained them at Mount Zhong and then sealed them away in the Chamber of Dongting.”

The envoy returned and reported this to Helü. Helü held the scripture in great reverence, but he was extravagant and arrogant by nature, scorned the laws, and could not abide by the rules of the Daoist tradition. So the True Writings flew up into the sky and vanished without a trace. Later, his son Fuchai succeeded him, climbed Mount Lao, and found the scripture again. He respectfully enshrined it, and from then on it was passed down through the generations…

Records passed down through the generations tell that during the Chiwu era of Sun Quan, ruler of Wu in the Three Kingdoms period (238–251), a man named Ge Xuan, courtesy name Xiaoxian, lived in Langya. Xiaoxian was the son of Minister Ge. The minister’s name was Xiaoru, and he did not father Ge Xuan until he was eighty years old.

Ge Xuan was often associated with accounts of spiritual efficacy. At thirteen, he was already devoted to the study of Dao and De, and was upright in conduct. He was recommended on the grounds of filial piety and incorruptibility, but did not take office. Later, he gave up wealth and official rank, resolved to draw close to mountains and rivers, and entered Mount Tiantai to cultivate the Dao. He reflected with deep concentration and gained profound insight. In less than a year, he had made contact with Heaven. The Most High, a revered Daoist deity, sent three perfected sages to descend and transmit the Lingbao Jing to him.

The first Perfected One called himself “The First Perfected One of the Most High, the Mysterious One.” His name was Yuluoqiao. The second called himself “The Second Perfected One of the Most High, the Mysterious One,” and was named Guangmiaoyin. The third called himself “The Third Perfected One of the Most High, the Mysterious One,” and was named Zhen Dingguang. Before the three Perfected Ones descended, the Most High had also appointed the Perfected One of the Supreme Ultimate, Xu Laile, to serve Xiaoxian as a “Master of the Three Caverns,” a Daoist master entrusted with transmitting the scriptures and teachings of the Three Caverns (Dongzhen/Dongxuan/Dongshen).

The scriptures Xiaoxian received comprised twenty-three scrolls. Another ten scrolls came through oral instruction, revelations, and questions he put to his teachers, making thirty-three scrolls in all. Xiaoxian transmitted the Daoist teachings to Zheng Siyuan, and also to his elder brother, Lord Hai’an, tutor to the Crown Prince, whose courtesy name was Xiaoyuan. Xiaoyuan passed them on to his son, the General of the Guards, Ti. This General was the father of Baopuzi (Ge Hong). After Baopuzi swore an oath of allegiance to Lord Zheng, Lord Zheng transmitted the teachings to him at Mount Luofu. After Lord Zheng died, the teachings passed to his nephew, Lord Hai’an. Later, at the end of the Long’an era, his great-grandnephew Cao Fu transmitted them to the Daoist masters Ren Yanqing, Xu Lingqi, and others. From then on, records and transmissions continued from generation to generation. The various lineages gradually branched out and multiplied without end.

This is a general response within the turning of the great cycles: when the roots are in place and conditions secretly come together, events arise from them. This is the intention of the divine beings, and those who sincerely seek the Dao may understand it from this account.

Preface to the Scripture on the Manifestations of the Three Treasures

The original source of all things rests upon the True Root, the fundamental reality of all things. The True Root is pure and still, profound and tranquil. Its nature is constant and unchanging, without signs of coming or going; its name has remained unchanged from ancient times to the present. It has no form or name, and is the root of all things. The Scripture of the Three Origins calls it “the true parents of all living beings.”

We are born when conditions converge, and for a time we dwell in our parents’ womb. The numinous awareness of living beings originally arises from the True Parents. But our nature is subtle and hidden, so we cannot yet perceive it. Confused by the afflictions of the world, we acquire physical form. With form come all manner of attachments. Thus living beings wander through the Five Paths, the five destinations of rebirth, and find it difficult to return to the source… The original text is incomplete here.

All things share a nature that is connected to one another, and the luminous nature is originally the same in all. Everyone has wisdom, yet in the end people have failed to return to their true nature.

The sages, moved by compassion like that of a loving father, cherish all beings as they would an infant. They offer help according to each person’s needs, enabling them to escape suffering and attain the joy of Wuwei (non-action: following the Dao without forcing anything). For this reason, the Three Caverns (Dongzhen, Dongxuan, and Dongshen, the three main divisions of Daoist scriptures) and the many methods of cultivation are taught in ways suited to the different inclinations of living beings. The key to liberation is awakening. Once awakened, one can cultivate in accordance with the teachings, leave behind worldly ways, quiet the mind and spirit, and return to Wuwei, thereby attaining the art of long life.

If a wise person can explain the meaning of the scriptures to others and help those long lost in confusion to understand again, how could the merit and virtue of such an act be measured? I have not yet formally donned Daoist robes; I have only studied the classics and sought to trace their underlying principles, hoping to help living beings attain liberation. My own understanding of the path to liberation remains unclear, so I have tried to describe how the Three Treasures—the Dao, the scriptures, and the teacher—came to manifest, and to explain several scriptures and address some doubts. I offer this only as a reference for those who follow the Dao and write on these subjects. I would not dare stray from the right path. If any of my arguments contradict the teachings or contain errors, I ask readers to examine them carefully.

A Brief Account of the Celestial Worthy Lord Lao’s Names and Deeds Across the Kalpas

At the beginning of the kalpa when the darkness was opened and sages and worthies arose, Lord Lao took residence in the Heavenly Palace of the Jade Emperor of Great Permanence at Fusang, and transmitted the Daoist teachings to the Great Emperor of Fusang. Lord Lao’s title was “Lord of the Great Dao, Supreme Above All, Without Limit.” He was also called “The Most High, Utmost Truth, True Person of Orthodox Unity,” and “The Supreme Emperor of Emptiness, Original Beginning, Celestial Worthy.” Above Original Yang, he was further known as the High Lord of the Dao, Supreme Emperor of Emptiness, in the Heaven of Clear Subtlety, Supreme Above All, Without Limit.

At that time, Lord Lao manifested his form, his divine light clear and bright, illuminating the hidden darkness. The Perfected Person Pangu had earned merit through his accomplishments and was summoned to the heavens. He paid his respects to the Emperor of Emptiness, Original Beginning, and requested instruction in the 375 scrolls of the Inner Scripture of Numinous Treasure. The High Lord of Emptiness, Supreme Above All, then bestowed upon him the 36 scrolls of the Inner Scripture of the Three Sovereigns.

Following these scriptures, the Perfected Person Pangu performed magical arts and brought forth their wondrous effects, opening Heaven and Earth and giving life to all things. He traveled throughout Heaven and Earth, bringing the Orb’s manifestations to realization. After 16,000 cycles of the sun and moon, the sun, moon, and stars shone brightly, and the primal Qi of the celestial bodies arose. Thus appeared 555 billion layers of Heaven and Earth. The worlds in all ten directions jointly put into practice the teachings of Dao and De, and later the Sovereign of Heaven began to arise.

At that time, Lord Lao descended to the Palace of the Three Mysterious Vacuities and bestowed the 14 chapters of the Inner Scripture of the Sovereign of Heaven upon the Sovereign of Heaven, helping him govern the world. After 360,000 years, the Sovereign of Heaven ascended to immortality in broad daylight and rose to the Palace of the Three Mysterious Vacuities. After the Sovereign of Heaven came…

When the Earthly Sovereign arose, the Supreme Ultimate Old Lord, a revered Daoist deity, taught him the fourteen chapters of the Earthly Sovereign’s Inner Scripture. After receiving the scripture, the Earthly Sovereign used it to govern the world for 360,000 years. He then ascended to heaven in broad daylight and entered the palace of the Jade Emperor in the Upper Su’s Void Heaven, where all the emperors came to pay him homage. After the Earthly Sovereign departed this world as an immortal, the Human Sovereign arose. The Supreme Ultimate Old Lord taught him the fourteen chapters of the Human Sovereign’s Inner Scripture. The Human Sovereign governed the world by means of this scripture for 360,000 years, then became an immortal in broad daylight and ascended to the palace of the Jade Emperor in the Great Su’s Void Heaven, where he enjoyed the natural longevity of an immortal. From then on, 999,990,000 years passed before the Five Emperors arose. Each of the Five Emperors governed the world for 36,000 years.

After the Five Emperors, the Central Emperor, the Heavenly Sovereign Lord, appeared. He initiated the descent of the Supreme Lord Lao and the Supreme Ultimate Perfected One to Mount Kunlun, and received the fourteen chapters of the Heavenly Sovereign’s Inner Scripture. With this scripture, the Heavenly Sovereign Lord governed the world through the Dao for 36,000 years. He became an immortal in broad daylight and ascended to the Great Clarity Heaven. After he became an immortal, the Earthly Sovereign Lord arose. When the Earthly Sovereign Lord appeared, the Supreme Lord Lao and the Supreme Ultimate Perfected One again descended to the world, this time to Mount Liugang, and taught him the fourteen chapters of the Earthly Sovereign’s Inner Scripture. Using this scripture, the Earthly Sovereign Lord governed the world through the Dao for 36,000 years, then became an immortal in broad daylight and ascended to the Supreme Ultimate Void Emperor Heaven.

After the Earthly Sovereign Lord became an immortal, the Human Sovereign Lord arose. During his reign, the Supreme Ultimate Perfected One and the Supreme Lord Lao descended to Mount Nanhou and taught him the fourteen chapters of the Human Sovereign Lord’s Inner Scripture. With this scripture, the Human Sovereign Lord governed the world through the Dao for 36,000 years, then became an immortal in broad daylight and entered the palace of the Supreme Ultimate Southern Vermilion Heaven.

After the Three Sovereigns of the Middle Era, the Old Lord waited another 999,900 years before transmitting the Dao’s teachings to the descendants of the Human Sovereign Lord, so they could govern the world and cultivate the Great Dao. The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning and the Perfected Ones also descended to the human world. After this, the Five Dragons arose. The Heavenly Perfected Emperor and the Supreme Lord Lao descended to the Land of Kai Ming and taught the Five Dragons the fourteen chapters each of the Numinous Treasure’s True Writings: The Three Sovereigns’ Inner Scripture. After receiving these scriptures, the Five Dragons governed the world through the Dao for 12,000 years, then became immortals in broad daylight. At this time, Gan…

After dew descended, all living beings began to take shape within it. From then on, Yin and Yang alternated in their workings, giving rise to the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water) and the four seasons. The birth and death of all living beings arose from this process as well.

In those days, people lived in accordance with their original nature, simple and unknowing. They ate raw meat and drank blood, and made no distinction between men and women. In summer they lived in trees; in winter they dwelt in caves. After another 360,000 years, the Divine Person clan arose. Its members had extraordinary appearances, like the Perfected Pangu, who was also known as Pangu. He was the inheritor of all beings and things in the age before the kalpas.

The Divine Person observed his own form and used it as a model to distinguish Heaven and Earth, the sun and moon, the stars, Yin and Yang, the four seasons, the Five Phases, the Nine Palaces, the Bagua (Eight Trigrams), the Six Jia, and the mountains, rivers, and seas. Yet he could never determine the principles governing these things. So, in the first year of the Yuanjing era, on the first day of the seventh month, he ascended to Taiji Heaven and reported his difficulties to the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning. The Celestial Worthy then bestowed on him the Inner Scripture of the Three Sovereigns and the Scripture of the Five Numinous Treasures. Lord Lao descended and taught these scriptures to the Divine Person. After returning to the lower world, the Divine Person followed the diagrams in the scriptures to divide Heaven and Earth and name the myriad things.

The High Perfected One from the previous kalpa renewed creation and established the order of this age. The achievements of the sage emperors who came before were thereby obscured, as though everything had begun anew. Yet people gathered together knowing only this Pangu, unaware that before the creation of Heaven and Earth as it is now described, there had been another Pangu.

After governing the world through the Dao for 19,999 years, the Divine Person ascended in broad daylight, reached Mount Kunlun, and entered Great Clarity Heaven. There he was invested with the title “Heavenly King of Primordial Beginning.” Later, the Queen Mother descended to the human world to cultivate the Dao on Bird-and-Human Mountain. After the Perfected Pangu ascended to immortality, the Fuxi clan arose.

When the Fuxi clan arose, the Great Spirit of Taiji Heaven saw that the clear and turbid Qi had separated. In the first year, the spirit reported this to the Great Lord Lao. Lao Jun transmitted to Fuxi the fourteen chapters of the Inner Scripture of the Heavenly Sovereign, as well as the Numinous Treasure Diagram and the Five Thousand Words on the Dao and its De. Following the scriptures, Fuxi used the Dao to transform the world, distinguishing the various kinds of living beings and honoring humanity as the noblest. He began to distinguish men and women, husbands and wives, fathers and sons, brothers, and clans. These teachings were said to be the work of the Scripture of the Five Thousand Words of the Numinous Treasure.

After governing the world through the Dao for 6,000 years, Fuxi ascended to Heaven in broad daylight. In the heavenly realm he was known as the “Heavenly Perfected Auspicious Star.” After Fuxi, the Sui Ren clan arose. When the Sui Ren clan arose, the Perfected One of Jade Void saw that the clear Qi…

In the first year after Heaven and Earth had just separated into clear and turbid realms, the Supreme Lord Lao (Taishang Laojun), one of Daoism’s highest deities, descended upon Danhu Hill and transmitted to Suiren the fourteen chapters of the Inner Scripture of the Earth Sovereign, the Five Thousand Writings of the Lingbao, and the Dao De Jing. After receiving these scriptures, Suiren invented the use of fire and began turning raw food into cooked food. This was the efficacy of the Lingbao teachings and methods.

Suiren governed the realm through the Dao scriptures for six thousand years. Later, he ascended in broad daylight from Mount Danhu and entered the Left Palace of Taiji, where he was given the title Perfected One of Jade Emptiness. After Suiren, the Zhu Rong clan rose to prominence. In the first year of Tianhan, the Supreme Lord Lao descended upon Mount Heng in the Southern Marchmount and Mount Penglai, and transmitted the Inner Scripture of the Human Sovereign, the Five Thousand Writings of the Lingbao, the Dao De Jing, and other texts to Zhu Rong. By studying the Inner Scripture of the Human Sovereign, Zhu Rong learned where the seven treasures, including gold and jade, could be found. He then smelted earth to make gold and worked stone to make iron, fashioning tools such as knives, axes, saws, and chisels. These benefited all living beings and spared people the labor of doing such work with their fingernails.

Zhu Rong governed the realm through the Dao and De for six thousand years. Later, he ascended in broad daylight to the Upper Palace of Nanchang in Taiji, where he was given the title Greatly Accomplished Perfected One. From the time of Fuxi and Suiren onward, each received a mandate to govern for six hundred years and passed that charge to their descendants. It was handed down from generation to generation for a total of six thousand years. After Zhu Rong, the Shennong clan rose to prominence.

When Shennong rose to prominence, the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning and the Supreme Lord Lao descended upon Mount Xingma in the first year of Tianjing. They transmitted to Shennong the Five True Writings of the Lingbao, the Inner Scriptures of the Three Sovereigns, and the Dao De Jing. Following the texts, Shennong sought to prepare elixirs for all living beings and relieve the people’s suffering. But at that time, elixirs could not yet be used to save living beings on a broad scale. So he consulted the Inner Scriptures of the Three Sovereigns, summoned the exalted parents from the previous cosmic era and the Great Perfected Ones of Heaven, and asked about how Heaven and Earth had formed at the beginning of that era. After learning the full account, he carried the Lingbao True Writings on his back and traveled across Mount Baihui, tasting every kind of plant. Bitter ones kept him alive; sweet ones killed him. Thus, in a single day, he lived a hundred times and died a hundred times. Later, in the valleys of Mount Nongshi, he found the five grains and the five pungent plants. He brought them back and taught the people to cultivate them, replacing food obtained at the cost of taking life with crops, and teaching people to eat grain.

At that time, the people had long lacked grain, and their five organs had already been damaged. Shennong therefore consulted Daoist medical formulas once again, distinguishing among plants, trees, minerals, and other substances. He compiled prescriptions to treat the people’s illnesses.

The measures and weights used for trade, such as the cheng, chi, dou, and hu, along with the equipment needed for exchanging goods, were all arranged and supplied by Shennong. Riding a cloud chariot, he traveled throughout the world and adapted to local conditions, ensuring that every place had whatever it needed.

Shennong governed the world through the Dao for two hundred years. He later ascended to immortality in broad daylight at Mount Dashì, rose to the Great Sovereign Heaven, and received the title “Perfected One, Sovereign of Emptiness of the Numinous Treasure.” His rule passed to his descendants and lasted for a total of 522 years.

Afterward, the Xuanyuan clan rose to power. On the fifth day of the tenth month of the first year of the Sovereign Age, the Lord Lao descended on Mount Emei and bestowed the Lingbao Jing and the “Five Talismanic True Writings” (a classic of talismanic texts in the Lingbao tradition) upon the Yellow Emperor. When the Yellow Emperor climbed Mount Nanhui, the divine being Zhu Ling also transmitted to him the Inner Scripture of the Three Sovereigns.

After pacifying Chiyou, the Yellow Emperor pondered how to use the Dao of wondrous transformation, but could not grasp it. He therefore took Guang Chengzi as his teacher. Drawing on the Inner Scripture of the Three Sovereigns, Guang Chengzi summoned the Great Sage Perfected Ones of the High Heavens and the Perfected Immortals of Creation and Transformation from the previous kalpa, asking them to explain how Heaven and Earth had formed and changed, how they operated, and what had taken place in that earlier kalpa.

At that time, the Heavenly Worthy of Primordial Beginning and the assembled Perfected Immortals descended together and said to the Yellow Emperor: “If you wish to understand how Heaven and Earth changed in the previous kalpa, you can consult the Scripture of the Five Talismanic True Writings of the Great High Dark Elder, Lord of the Numinous Treasure. The foundations and workings of Heaven and Earth’s formation and transformation all derive from this scripture. It adorns Heaven and Earth and encompasses the myriad things and all living beings; its teachings on merit and virtue are complete. The scripture records the names and forms of all kinds of things, as well as the different classes of living beings.”

Then the Primordial Lord Lao explained the scripture’s meaning to the Yellow Emperor. The Yellow Emperor pondered and examined its words in depth, and on that basis planned and built city terraces, palaces, and houses; made garments and headdresses; and taught people to distinguish brilliant colors. He also made boats and carts to ease travel by water and land, and fired pottery and made tripods and other implements for people throughout the world to use for food and drink. He further developed astronomy, established rites and music, and enabled artisans of every kind to perform their duties and help educate the people. All these achievements were said to derive from the workings of the three grades of Lingbao scriptures.

On the twenty-ninth day of the seventh month, the renzi day, in the third year of the Sovereign Age, the Celestial Perfected Emperor descended. He transmitted to the Yellow Emperor the Diagram of the Six Ren Divination Board, the “Six Jia Three Origins Dunjia,” and the method for arranging the divination board. He caused the power of these arts to spread throughout the world and pass down to later generations.

The Yellow Emperor governed the world through the Dao for 120 years. He later ascended to Heaven in broad daylight at Mount Dinghu, rose to the Taiji Palace, and received the title “Central Yellow Perfected One.”