《雲笈七籤》Vol. 6

The Daomen Dalu says: “Cavern” in the “Three Caverns” means penetrating through. The teachings of the scriptures that illuminate the mysterious and grasp what is subtle fall into three categories when taken together; hence they are called the “Three Caverns”: first, Dongzhen; second, Dongxuan; third, Dongshen. They express three profound meanings and include scriptures and documents such as the numinous writings of the Eight Assemblies. Among them are sacred scripts such as phoenix seals, dragon writings, golden scrolls, and jade characters. Those who practice these scriptures can thereby attain insight, while those who study and learn from them can use them to return to the source.

The Yujing Yinzhu says: “The scriptures and talismans of the Three Caverns are the guiding principles of the Dao.” The Benji Jing says: “If the scriptures comprise all twelve divisions and accord with the teachings of the Three Caverns, they constitute the True Teaching.” Dongzhen signifies purity and singularity without admixture; Dongxuan takes its name from unobstructed circulation; and Dongshen is characterized by functions too profound to fathom. They are called “Caverns” because all three enable people to penetrate through. Although the teachings of the Three Caverns differ in rank, their mysterious principles interconnect.

Dongzhen is wondrous, secret, profound, pure, and unmixed; hence its name, “True.” Dongxuan has the power to generate Heaven and Earth, with transformations that flow freely without obstruction; hence its name, “Mysterious.” Dongshen can summon and subdue ghosts and spirits, with effects that are difficult to fathom; hence its name, “Spirit.” All three teachings enable ordinary people to reach the realm of sages and accord with the path of the Mahayana, so together they are called the “Caverns.”

The origins of the Three Caverns, however, each have their own source and manifestation. The Dongzhen teaching takes the Lord of the Heavenly Treasure as its master; this is its manifestation in the world. Its source is “the Qi of the Primordial High Jade Emperor of the Great Nonbeing of the Undivided Cavern.” The Dongxuan teaching takes the Lord of the Numinous Treasure as its master, and its source is “the Qi of the Supreme Jade Void of the Primordial Nonbeing of the Red Mixture.” The Dongshen teaching takes the Lord of the Divine Treasure as its master, and its source is “the Qi of the Supreme Jade Void of the Primordial Nonbeing, Mysteriously Communicating in Silent Stillness.”

Others say: “‘Heaven’ represents the meaning of the mysterious; ‘void’ represents the meaning of the subtle; and ‘spirit’ represents freedom from all entanglement.” This explains that the teachings of the Three Caverns are transmitted according to different levels. Practitioners advance from their first entry onto the immortal path, step by step reaching the realm of sages, as their level of cultivation rises. Beginners enter the ranks of the immortals and attain a state free of entanglement, so the initial teaching is called Dongshen, or Divine Treasure. Next, their wisdom gradually advances and they enter the intermediate realm, so the middle teaching is called Dongxuan, or Numinous Treasure. Upon reaching a higher realm, their wisdom and capacities become unobstructed, so the highest teaching is called Dongzhen, or Heavenly Treasure.

All three Lords are collectively called “Treasure Lords.” “Treasure” means worthy of reverence, while “Lord” carries the meaning of governing the people. This indicates that they are revered by all beings…

The revered deities are also called the “Lord of the Heavenly Treasure of the Dongzhen,” who dwells in the Jade Clarity realm; the “Lord of the Numinous Treasure of the Dongxuan,” who dwells in the Upper Clarity realm; and the “Lord of the Divine Treasure of the Dongshen,” who dwells in the Great Clarity realm. These three places are the wondrous realms of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing). They are the source of the Three Caverns (Dongzhen, Dongxuan, and Dongshen) scriptures, and the foundation on which the Three Treasures of Daoism—in this passage, the Three Pure Ones themselves—rest.

The name “Jade Clarity” evokes jade’s purity and freedom from impurity. “Upper Clarity” suggests continual ascent and progress to higher levels. “Great Clarity” conveys openness and vastness, harmony, and serene peace. When practitioners first enter the realms of the immortals, their wisdom and abilities gradually become clear and well developed. They then ascend to higher realms and ultimately accord with the genuine, unadorned Dao. The three realms and their names were therefore established to mark the initial stages of cultivation.

They are collectively called the “Three Pure Ones” because these pure realms of the immortals are free from contamination and defilement. The palaces within them govern countless affairs, gather Qi (vital energy), and form clouds. They manifest in changing ways according to different conditions, in forms that can never be fully enumerated.

The Three Caverns scriptures originally share a single source in the Qi of the Dao. The Dao’s Qi is one, but it divides into three categories according to its different functions. This arrangement guides people of the ordinary world in cultivating toward immortality, leading them gradually from the mundane to realization of the Great Dao. Since levels of cultivation differ in succession, there are three names. The scriptures also have different titles: the Dongshen is called the “Three Sovereigns of the Dongshen,” the Dongxuan the “Numinous Treasure of the Dongxuan,” while the Dongzhen has several titles. Some are named for their teachings; others for features of their manifestation, such as color or sound. These titles cannot all be explained by ordinary reasoning; they were simply established to suit different circumstances.

On the origins of the scriptural teachings, the Scripture of Karmic Retribution and the Scripture of Manifestations record the Celestial Worthy as saying: “I transform the worlds in every direction through the Qi of the Dao. From one kalpa to the next, I teach in accordance with the conditions of each age. In the first year of the Longhan era, I was titled the ‘Formless Celestial Worthy,’ also known as the ‘Lord of the Heavenly Treasure.’ I manifested in the Jade Clarity realm and proclaimed the twelve divisions of the Dongzhen scriptures, teaching the Mahayana Way to the nine sages of the celestial realm.”

The Jade Latitude says that the Dongzhen scriptures were transmitted by the Lord of the Heavenly Treasure. It also says that the Primordial, Lofty Jade Emperor issued three hundred scrolls of the Upper Clarity Dongzhen scriptures, nine thousand texts of the Jade Instructions, and seven thousand chapters of talismans and diagrams. These were kept hidden in the Great You Palace above the nine heavens. Later, the scriptures were transmitted to Lord Blue Youth, the Senior Minister, and sealed away in the Jade Flower Palace. In the first year of the Yuanjing era, another collection was sealed in the mountains of Xicheng.

In addition, the Great Emperor commanded the Great Emperor of Fusang and the Spirit King of Yanggu to transmit thirty scrolls of the Instructions for Solitary Practice and three hundred scrolls of the Upper Scriptures, and to circulate them in the world. The Youth of Little Xiangcheng also taught the Yellow Emperor Xuanyuan the Scripture of the Seven Origins and Six Cycles for Traversing the Celestial Net.

In the first year of Emperor Wu of Han, the Queen Mother of the West, a female immortal, and the Lady of the Upper Origin, a female immortal deity, together transmitted to the emperor the Twelve Matters of the Shangqing Tradition from the Lingfei Liujia. The Perfected Taiyuan, Mao Ying, received from Lord Wang of Xicheng the Scripture of the Jade Pendant and Golden Dangling Ornaments Winding Around the Jade Disc. The Perfected Su Lin, a Senior Minister of Xuanzhou, received the method of the Three Ones from Juanzi. During the reign of Emperor Ping of Han, the Perfected Wang Bao received thirty-one volumes of the Precious Scriptures of the Shangqing from Lord Wang of Xicheng.

During the reign of Emperor Cheng of Jin, these scriptures circulated in Jiyu. After Lady Wei of Mount Heng, Wei Huacun, obtained them, she passed them on to her son. He transmitted them to Yang Xi of Maoshan, who passed them to Xu Mai. Xu Mai also took Bao Jing, Governor of Nanhai, as his master and received the various Shangqing scriptures. Xu Mai’s younger brother Xu Mi, and Xu Mi’s son Xu Yufu, likewise received such scriptural teachings as the Three-Day Orthodox Method and the Curved Silk Phoenix Script.

The Celestial Worthy said: “In the first year of Yankan, I was titled the Heavenly Worthy Without Beginning, and was also called the Lord of Lingbao. I manifested in the Shangqing realm and expounded the twelve divisions of the Dongxuan Jing to teach the Nine Perfected of the celestial realm the path of intermediate cultivation.” The Yuwei says that the Dongxuan Jing came from the Lord of Lingbao and was transmitted by the High and Supreme Great Sage.

It is said that the Heavenly King of Primordial Beginning once told the Queen Mother of the West: “The golden registers and jade books in the Purple Tenuity Palace of Great Simplicity record the titles of the Lingbao writings and the True Writings. They comprise twelve wondrous scriptures, arranged in thirty-six fascicles.” The Covenant Regulations of the Four Poles says: “The Dongxuan Jing appears only once in every ten thousand kalpas.” One copy of the scripture is now sealed away on Mount Laosheng.

Long ago, the Yellow Emperor visited Mount Emei and sought out the Celestial Perfected Emperor, from whom he obtained the Lingbao Scripture of the Five Sprouts. He then went to Mount Qingcheng to visit Perfected Lord Ning Feng and received the Lingbao Scripture of the Dragon Walk. Later, the Perfected King of the Nine Heavens descended to the Terrace of Cultivated Virtue and transmitted the Lingbao Celestial Writings to Emperor Ku. Emperor Ku cultivated according to them and attained the Dao, then sealed the scriptures away on Mount Zhong.

Yu the Great once received a response to the command of the Most High at Yangming Grotto-Heaven. The Most High sent down an envoy in embroidered robes to transmit the Five Lingbao Talismans, which were used to control floods and issue proclamations summoning the myriad spirits. Yu later attained the Dao and became the Perfected of the Purple Court of the Taiji. He expounded such scriptures as the Scripture of Great and Small Kalpas, the Divine Incantation of Zhongshan, and the Eight Powers for Summoning Dragons. These scriptures are still in circulation today.

At that time, the Perfected of the Taiji, Xu Laile, descended with three other Perfected Ones to Mount Tiantai in the first month of the year Jimao and transmitted the Lingbao scriptures to Ge Xuan. Ge Xuan passed them to Zheng Siyuan, who entrusted the Lingbao scriptures and the scriptures of the Three Caverns to Ge Xuan’s cousin Shaochuan Xi. Shaochuan Xi passed them to his son, the Military Protector Xi Ti. Xi Ti in turn passed them to his son Xi Hong. Xi Hong was also...

Ge Hong (styled Baopuzi) once went to Maiji Mountain, paid a visit to Siyuan, took an oath of initiation, and received the scriptures. Later, on the third day of the third month in the second year of Jianyuan under the Jin (344 CE), he entrusted the scriptures to his disciples, including Anhaijun Wangshi, at Mount Luofu. Afterward, Sun Chaofu passed them on to the Jin dynasty Daoist priests Ren Yanqing and Xu Lingqi, and the scriptures began to circulate. The texts now in circulation are those received by the Yellow Emperor, Emperor Ku, Yu, and Ge Xuan; the twelve sections of scripture have not all yet been transmitted to the world.

The Celestial Worthy said: “In the years of Chiming, I manifested under the name Celestial Worthy of Brahma Form, also known as the Lord of the Divine Treasure. In the Taiqing realm, one of the heavens described in Daoism, I expounded the twelve sections of the Dongshen Jing to teach the nine immortals of the heavens to practice the Lesser Vehicle Way.”

The Yuwei records: “The Dongshen Jing was composed by the Lord of the Divine Treasure and transmitted by the Perfected Person of the Western Numinous Realm. These scriptures are kept in the Jade Repository of the Heaven of Minor Presence. Their catalogue is called the Three Sovereigns Texts of Minor Presence. The scriptures originally came from the Heaven of Great Presence. They are books transmitted by the Three Sovereigns of high antiquity, passed down by immortals, and kept in famous mountains.”

In the past, the Yellow Emperor traveled east to Qingqiu and, passing Mount Feng, met the Perfected Person of the Purple Palace and received the Inner Texts of the Three Sovereigns. Huang Luzi and the Lord of the Western Peak had also learned arts for restraining tigers and leopards. The Perfected Person Jie Xiang received talismans for controlling tigers, while the Eight Might Envoys received texts for commanding tigers and leopards.

Also, during the Yongkang era of Emperor Hui of Jin, Bao Jing was practicing purification and quiet contemplation in Lord Liu’s stone chamber on Mount Song when the celestial writings of the Three Sovereigns suddenly appeared, carved into the stone wall. Bao Jing offered four hundred feet of silk in exchange and received these writings from Xuan. He later passed them on to Ge Hong. The texts that the Pot Master transmitted to Fei Changfang also included the Dongshen scriptures. The scriptures found in the stone chamber differ somewhat from the Three Sovereigns Texts now in circulation.

After Master Lu Xiujing obtained these scriptures, he passed them on to Sun Youyue, who in turn transmitted them to Tao Hongjing. The twelve sections of scripture in the heavens have not all been revealed. What circulates today was transmitted by the Yellow Emperor, Huang Luzi, the Lord of the Western Peak, Bao Jing, and Baopuzi.

After the Three Caverns scriptures descended into the world, there came to be practices of the Greater, Middle, and Lesser Vehicles, as well as methods for the initial, middle, and final stages, all used to teach and transform people. The term “Three Caverns” refers to the subtle doctrine of the One Vehicle and the mysterious words of the Three Radiances, three celestial realms or luminous states in Daoism. Whoever can understand these principles may ascend to the realm of the Highest Sages; whoever can grasp them may rise to the rank of the Highest Perfected. Dragon script and phoenix seal script, mysterious writing found in Daoist scriptures, make the highest principles clear, while jade tablets and golden books point the way to the essential methods of returning to the Origin. Thus, the Yujing Yinzhu says: “The Three Caverns scriptures and talismans…” The original text ends here.

The Dao is the guiding principle that gathers all things under its rule, the wondrous source of the Great Void—the boundless expanse of emptiness—and the foremost classic revered by the Highest Perfected, those of elevated rank in Daoism. How could such teachings be heard by those who are only intermediate immortals? The Zhengyi Jing also says that the wondrous methods of the Three Caverns pass through and encompass one another, all returning to the Dao of the One Vehicle.

The Ranks of the Three Caverns

The Baisu Zhenjing says: “The Dao of the Highest Ones has three kinds; the Dao of the Highest Perfected has seven; the Dao of the Middle Perfected has six; and the Dao of the Lower Perfected has eight.” They are listed below.

The Hidden Book of Jade Clarity, the Great Talisman of the Divine Tiger, and the True Talisman of the Golden Tiger.

These belong to the Dao of the Highest Ones. By cultivating and practicing these true ways, one can become a Perfected One of the Highest Ones, rank among the Highest Perfected, and become a Lord of the Jade Emperor.

The Supreme One’s Text on Yu Yi’s Flight to the Sun; the Supreme One’s Chapter on Jie Lin’s Flight to the Moon; the Supreme One’s Hidden Book of the Eight Baisus on Flight to the Dawn; the Upper Scripture of the Great Celestial Net on the Flight of the Imperial Lord of Taiwei; the Thirty-Nine Chapters of the Highest Great Cavern True Scripture; the Upper Scripture of the Purple Writings of the Numinous Book of the Golden Gate; and the Central Scripture of the Yellow Emperor’s Eight Ways and Nine Truths.

These belong to the Dao of the Highest Perfected. By cultivating all these methods together, one can become a Perfected One of the Upper Origin in Shangqing.

The Upper Scripture of the Hidden Book of Great Cinnabar for Paying Homage to the Perfected; the Divine Talisman of the Jade Emperor; the Writings of the Phoenix Perfected on the Orthodox Methods of the Three Heavens; the Writings of the Nine Truths’ Ascent to the Mystery; the Scripture of the Three Origins; the Chapters of the Four Perfected; the Supreme One’s Golden Tablets; the Upper Scripture of the Jade Characters of the Grotto Chamber of Fangzhu; the Numinous Flying Talisman of the Six Jia; the Secret Talisman of Lingbao; the Inner Writings of the Three Sovereigns; the Great Characters of the Celestial Script; the Purple Book of Qingyao; the Formula and Verses of Qusu; and the Scripture of the Three and Five in Their Proper Sequence.

These belong to the Dao of the Middle Perfected. By cultivating all these methods together, one can become a Perfected One of the Middle Way in Shangqing.

The Plain Words of the Nine Transformations and Ten Changes of Shangqing; the Eight Arts of the Cinnabar Radiance Dao Essence Hidden in the Earth; the Three Charts of the Heavenly Pass; the Jade Book of the Dark Sovereign; the Cavern Scripture of the Seven Transformations and Seven Rotations of the Divine Continent; the Scripture of the Stone Essence, Jade Horse, and Water Mother in the Central Direction of Purple Deliverance; the Many Writings of the Dragon Book of Jade Eyes of the Crimson, Green, and Yellow Ways; the Five-Phase Secret Talisman of the Central Chapter of Plain Memorials; and the Five Books of the Jade Maidens of the Five Emperors in the Upper Origin.

These belong to the Dao of the Lower Perfected. By cultivating all these methods together, one can become a Perfected One of the Lower Origin in Shangqing.

The Heavenly King of the Primordial Beginning said to the Queen Mother of the West: “The Lingbao True Writings listed in the Golden Register and Jade Book of the Supreme One’s Purple Tenuity Palace comprise ten marvelous scriptures and thirty-six volumes. These scriptures were transmitted by the Lord of Lingbao and compiled by the High and Supreme Great Sage. Their specific contents are found in the Lingbao…”

The commentary on this passage says that the annotations and explanations of the Lingbao Jing comprise twenty-one scrolls. Fifteen had already circulated publicly, while six remained undisclosed. Master Meng says that the ten-scroll Xia Yu Shixian Gong, written by the High and Mysterious Great Master, together with the five-scroll Xiuxing Yaoyong, made thirty scrolls in all. When six of these scrolls were brought together as one work, they formed the version circulating at the time. The following section also included ten scrolls of Neijiao, that is, writings of the Shengxuan type, which likewise circulated among the people at the time.

The Taixuandu Siji Mengke records that the Dongxuan Jing appears only once in every ten thousand kalpas. For this reason, one copy was sealed away on Mount Tai and another on Mount Laoshen. The Celestial King of Primordial Beginning once told the Queen Mother of the West that the ten wondrous scriptures treasured by the Most High—the Ziwei Jingge, the Yushu, and the Lingbao Zhenwen—had not all been transmitted to the world. Even what the Queen Mother of the West received may not have exhausted their contents. The scriptures stored in the Five Sacred Mountains were likewise incomplete. Only those kept in the Western Chamber of Guishan, on Mount Wangwu, and in the Southern Grotto Heaven were relatively complete.

According to tradition, the Yellow Emperor climbed Mount Emei, paid a visit to the Celestial Perfected One, and asked to be taught this method. In the time of Emperor Ku, the Perfected King of the Nine Heavens arrived at the Terrace of Nurturing Virtue in a carriage drawn by nine dragons and transmitted the method to him. Emperor Ku later sealed the scriptures away on Mount Zhong. The scriptures obtained through Xia Yu’s spiritual response also appeared, in circumstances said to be extraordinary. This is only a brief account.

The Zhenyi Ziran Jing says that the Supreme Ultimate Perfected One Xia Yu had attained the sacred realm and the true Dao, and that the Most High ordered the Lingbao Ziran Jing to be copied. The scripture separately describes the events of lesser and greater kalpas. The Jingqishan Shenzhou and the Bawei Zhaolong Shenjing say that when a lesser kalpa arrives, one must flee from great floods. The scriptures also say that the three Perfected Ones, including Xu Laile, transmitted the teachings to Immortal Lord Ge Xuan at noon on the first day of the first lunar month in the year Jimao, at Mount Shangyu in Kuaiji. Ge Xuan, whose courtesy name was Xiaoxian, later transmitted them on Mount Tiantai to Zheng Siyuan, Zhu Falan, and Shi Daowei. Daowei in turn transmitted them to Sun Quan, ruler of Wu, and others.

Before ascending and transforming, Immortal Lord Ge instructed that the Three Caverns of true scriptures he had received be divided into three portions: one for his disciples, one to be stored in a famous mountain, and one to be entrusted to his family and descendants. He also transmitted the scriptures to his younger paternal cousin Shaochuan Xi. Xi passed them to his son Ti Jun, an Imperial Guard commander; Ti Jun passed them to his son Hong. Hong later went to Mount Maji, where he swore an oath of transmission with Siyuan and received the teachings. Hong was known as Baopuzi.

On the third day of the third month in the sixth year of the Jianyuan era, Baopuzi transmitted the teachings on Mount Luofu. Toward the end of the Long’an era, he transmitted them again to the Daoist priests Ren Yanqing, Xu Lingqi, and others. The teachings were passed down from generation to generation and had continued without interruption up to that time.

Legend says that at noon on the Bingwu day, the seventh day of the seventh month in the first year of the Kaihuang era, the Heavenly King of Primordial Beginning sent three jade youths of Heaven to transmit the teachings of the Lord Emperor. Those whose names appear in the White Slips and Green Registers—the Daoist records that signify the status of those who have attained the Dao—are naturally able to understand this method.

Later, the Master of Emptiness transmitted these teachings to Tang Yao. A sage emperor who succeeded Tang Yao ordered the King of the Lesser Heaven to compile and disseminate them. The Lord of the Blue Youths said that, since Tang Yao’s time, seven thousand people had obtained this ancient classic. Some ascended to the mysterious realms; others transformed their bodies and vanished, or traveled in secret to guide and deliver others. Their numbers are too many to record one by one. Those who attained the Dao all treasured the scripture in repositories on the Five Sacred Peaks.

The scripture explains the rulers who guide and teach through the Three Kalpas, and also discusses the Kaihuang Kalpa. In this kalpa, this profound and wondrous classic brought Heaven and Earth into being. The great sage who responds to the Dao and appears amid the Primordial Azure is called the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning, sometimes also known as the Lord of the Way Most High. He is the ruler who teaches and transforms the human and heavenly realms. These matters could be explained in detail according to the liturgies and commentaries of the Three Treasures, but I will not elaborate here.

The Hidden Commentary on the Jade Scripture says that the celestial writings of the Three Sovereigns are sometimes called “Dongshen,” sometimes “Dongxian,” and are also known as the “Jade Register of the Most High.” “Dongxian” means that this teaching enables practitioners to penetrate the Dao and ascend to the immortal realm of Great Clarity. In “Jade Register,” “register” carries the sense of urging and supporting: it refers to encouraging and assisting those who diligently practice so that they may become immortals.

The Writings of the Three Sovereigns are divided into three parts. The fourteenth chapter of Dongshen says: First is the Writing of the Heavenly Sovereign. Here, “writing” carries the sense of aspiration: Heaven leads people to look up at the celestial writings, understand and awaken inwardly, and resolve to practice diligently without showing off. Second is the Inner Record of the Earthly Sovereign. “Writing” here means clarity: one studies inwardly, brings one’s intentions into focus, remembers and upholds the right way without confusion, and spreads what one has learned to deliver those who are receptive, until one’s deeds and practice are complete. Third is the Writing of the Human Sovereign. “Writing” again means clarity: people observe the patterns of the land below, model themselves on Earth and take Heaven as their guide, settle their inner selves, and widely deliver others, ultimately returning together to the Mysterious Gate. These are all explanations of the scripture’s meaning.

It is called the Scripture of the Three Sovereigns because the Three Sovereigns received and practiced it in different eras. The Scripture of the Eight Emperors likewise teaches in response to different regions. This is like a scripture from the Lingbao tradition that was transmitted and treasured separately by the Five Emperors, and was therefore called the Writings of the Five Emperors.

The preface and catalogue by Bao Nanhai say that in ancient times this scripture was first bestowed upon the Three Sovereigns, and so it was called the Writings of the Three Sovereigns. The sixth chapter of Dongshen also says that immortals call it the “Sovereign Writing,” regarding it as traces of writing left by birds and beasts before the Three Sovereigns, and as the beginning of written characters. The third chapter further says that the Sovereign Writings and Imperial Books arose naturally from emptiness, with characters formed from Qi gathered in the air. The original text breaks off at “origin.”

In the age of the Three Sovereigns, each of them received a portion of the classics. Taken together, these became the Way of the Three Origins and the Three Powers.

Volume Thirteen says: “The Three Origins and Eight Convergences” formed writing naturally. The characters hung in the air above Mount Fangzhang, appearing one by one. Volume Fourteen says: “Gain and loss depend on people.” This classic will never disappear. Sages and perfected beings alike regarded it as a treasure and kept it sealed away in the Taiji Palace.

The Preface and Catalog says that the Minor Three Sovereigns Text came from the Greater Three Sovereigns Text. The Greater Three Sovereigns Text was a classic received by the ancient Three Sovereigns: one volume for the Celestial Sovereign, one for the Terrestrial Sovereign, and one for the Human Sovereign, three volumes in all. These books were handed down from the age of the ancient Three Sovereigns. Their characters look like talismanic script, seal script, and archaic writing, and the number of characters varies from text to text. The Divine Treasure Lord transmitted the work, and the Perfected Man of the Western Numinous Realm compiled it. The classic was kept in the Jade Repository of Minor You Heaven. The immortals passed it down and stored it in stone chambers in famous mountains throughout the land. Most copies, however, were incomplete; only Mount Emei in Shu Commandery preserved the full text.

Long ago, the immortal Zhi Qiong once showed two volumes of the Sovereigns’ Text to Yi Qi. Unable to understand them, Yi Qi returned the books. Later, Wang Gong diligently cultivated the Way and obtained the classic. He then passed it on to worthy and learned people, allowing it to circulate down to the present day.

The preface to the Greater Text consists of fourteen sections, describing the order and essential principles of celestial patterns. The eleven volumes recorded in the lower scroll of the Minor You Classic were assembled by deriving, classifying, and arranging ritual procedures according to the classic’s contents, making fourteen volumes in total. The version recorded by Master Meng today is the one handed down in the mountains, and still consists of eleven volumes. Both versions circulate in the world.

The Baopuzi says that long ago, the Yellow Emperor traveled east to Qingqiu. When he passed through Mount Feng, he paid a visit to Master of the Purple Palace and received the Three Sovereigns’ Inner Text. During the Jin dynasty, Bao Jing studied the Way on Mount Songgao. In the second year of Yongkang under Emperor Hui, while observing a purification retreat in Lord Liu’s stone chamber, he suddenly saw the characters of the Three Sovereigns Text appear carved on the stone. He therefore followed the classic’s instructions and, using four hundred feet of silk, made a covenant with the mysterious realm and received the classic. He later passed it on to Ge Hong. From the Preface to the Three Sovereigns Classic, we can see that the text Bao Jing obtained in the stone chamber differed from the version circulating in the world. Ge Hong may have received both versions.

The text Master Lu obtained at that time was first passed to his disciple Sun Youyue and consisted of only four volumes. Sun Youyue later passed it to Master Tao, who reorganized its branches and gradually expanded it to eleven volumes. This is the version handed down in the mountains.

The Incantation Text for Commanding and Summoning says that when the Three Sovereigns governed the world, each received one volume of the classic to rule the realm. When an emergency arose, they summoned the ghosts and spirits of Heaven and Earth…

The writings transmitted by envoys sent under imperial command are called the Three Mounds. Later, eight emperors succeeded the Three Sovereigns in governing the people. Each passed down one volume, making eight in all, called the Eight Cords. During the reign of these eight emperors, evil spirits fled in every direction. The Yellow Emperor compiled relevant texts to put an end to evil.

Preface to the Seven Sections

The “Seven Sections” is a comprehensive body of texts that encompasses Daoist teaching. It brings together the orthodox scriptures of the Daoist tradition, covers many arts and disciplines, and gathers a great number of writings. Even those who have mastered the Six Classics and excel at debate may not be able to exhaust its principles; even those familiar with the theory of the Five Periods can hardly compare with it. No one who enters this sea of teachings fails to return to the Real; everyone who crosses these compassionate waves can leave delusion behind.

The Seven Sections are ordered as follows: first, the Cavern of the Spirits Section; second, the Cavern of Mystery Section; third, the Cavern of the Real Section; fourth, the Great Clarity Section; fifth, the Great Peace Section; sixth, the Great Mystery Section; and seventh, the Orthodox Unity Section. The meaning of the first three sections has already been explained above in connection with the Three Caverns. What follows explains the remaining four.

“Great Clarity”: Master Meng says, “The Qi of the Great Dao condenses and forms it. It is clear, empty, vast, and expansive; hence it is called Great Clarity.” This name derives from the realm toward which the scriptures point. I think this section may also have been named for the realm it supports: it supports the Cavern of the Spirits Section, whose realm is Great Clarity. That may not be what the name means, however. This scripture teaches the arts of the Golden Elixir, and those who cultivate and ingest the elixir can ascend far away to Great Clarity; hence it is also called “Great Clarity.”

In “Great Peace,” “great” means utmost, while “peace” means harmony and stability. The phrase describes the free passage of Heaven and Earth in all directions, their return to unity, and the circulation of an upright and harmonious Qi. The Scripture of Great Peace says, “Now the Qi of harmony and peace has begun to circulate.” Here, “peace” also carries the sense of stability. The Scripture of Great Peace further says, “If one wishes to restore the way of Great Peace in ancient times, one must first stabilize the central Qi.” It also says, “When the Qi of Three and Five is harmonized, the sun and moon remain bright; this is called Great Peace.” The Erya says that “brightness” can mean bringing something to completion. This may also be understood as follows: when a wise ruler governs the world, brings all things to fulfillment, and gives stability to all living beings, this is Great Peace. Some explain that Great Peace occurs when the stars of the Three Steps are properly aligned; others say it occurs when the Auspicious Star appears. These explanations describe Great Peace by reference to particular events. The point here is that when this scripture circulates in the world, it can bring the customs of the world into accord, lead all states to follow a common order, and ensure that rulers are wise and all things remain within their proper measure. This may be called Great Peace.

“Great Mystery”: Master Meng says that this means “the Metropolis of Great Mystery.” I think that since the Lord Lao has already withdrawn to the Land of Great Peace, it is unclear what place “Great Mystery” refers to here. Could it instead refer to gathering in outward traces and returning to the source, or to repeatedly letting go until one reaches the state of “the mystery within mystery,” and then using the name “Great Mystery” to express it? This scripture is called the Great Mystery, and the name should express reverence for the principle of mystery… (The original text ends here.)

It is called “Great Mystery” because it takes the Mystery as its foundation. There is also a view that it originated in the Mysterious Capital, but all seven divisions of scriptures use this name; it is not unique to this chapter.

In the Zhengyi tradition, the Scripture of Alliance and Authority says: “Correctness is used to govern what is deviant and false; the One is used to gather and govern the myriad things.” It also says: “Methods bring together what has become dispersed; texts distinguish and order things.” Here, it says that living beings have left the root, and so they are called “the departed.” Thus the text continues: “Return from the place of dispersion and go back to the root; unite with the true and abandon the false. These things can be accomplished only through the methods.”

To “gather and govern the myriad things” means to encompass and draw everything together, enabling living beings to return to the real. The scripture therefore says: “When all who study the Dao awaken, their desires diminish. As desire diminishes, they draw near to the Dao. The foundation of the Dao lies in the precepts.” The Text on Governing Deviance says that living beings have shallow natures and are far from the Great Dao. The Great Dao is compassionate, so it established laws and precepts to teach and guide living beings, lead them onto the right path, and open their minds. It makes the two divided halves into one, so that their unity will not be broken; ultimately, they accord with the constant Dao and return to the real. For this reason, it is called the “Methods and Texts of Correct Unity.”

“Division” means a category or class. The three divisions together are called the “Great Correct Unity.” The name “Correct Unity” on its own is used because the three divisions assist the great methods of the Three Caverns. The “Great Correct Unity” encompasses and explains the teachings of the Three Vehicles and distinguishes them from deviant paths; hence the word “Correct.”

Four Auxiliary Traditions

First, Great Purity: its central teaching is the Great One.

The Scripture of the Lord Lao’s Discourse on Establishing Abundance says that the subtle teaching comes from the Heaven of Great Purity. The Scripture of the Lord Lao’s Secret Prophecy says: “The Dao’s generation is truly subtle. If a person cannot sincerely understand it, yet, having understood it, does not slacken in practice, they can ascend to Great Purity.” The Nine Lords’ Elucidation of the Essentials of the Dao says that the central scripture of Great Purity was transmitted by the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning. It came from Lord Lao and was passed on to the Primordial Lord and the Nine Sovereign Perfected Ones. It was transmitted from generation to generation without interruption, all to illuminate this sovereign.

The Zhengyi Scripture says that the Scripture of the Golden Liquids of Great Purity, and of Celestial Patterns and Earthly Principles consists of forty-six scrolls. Most of its teachings concern the essential methods of the Golden Elixir; it also records rituals for determining the times and days. These matters will not be examined in detail here. According to the Record of the Black Register, in the first year of the Han’an era, the Most High gave these forty-six scrolls of scripture to the Celestial Master. They have been transmitted continuously ever since.

Second, Great Peace: its central teaching is the Three Ones.

The first chapter of Part A of the Scripture Spoken by Lord Lao says that those who study the Dao and put this book into practice can seek out the root; the root’s central teaching takes the Three Ones as its principal doctrine. The Jade Latitude says: “‘Great Peace’ is the title for the proper Dao followed throughout Heaven and Earth and the four directions.” Today, in the nine provinces and eighty-one regions of the World of Wanli, apart from the Six Heavens… the divine beings of the upper realm explain the ancient Dao in detail, so that the state may be at peace… The original text breaks off here.

The fourth section of Part Ding of the Ningchangju Qingle says: “If you want to know how effective my Daoist methods can be, entrust them to a wise and virtuous ruler and have him put them into practice. Then Heaven and Earth will respond. This is their clearest effect and proof.” The first section of Part Jia also says: “Recite my book, and calamities will not occur. These are the writings the sages of antiquity used to discern gain and loss.”

Books fall into three categories. The first is called “Books of the Divine Dao,” the second “Texts Examining Affairs,” and the third “Records of Empty Ornament.” “Books of the Divine Dao” are pure and unified, never departing from truth. They hold fast to the root, accord with Yin-Yang, and follow the same Dao as the spirits and divine beings. “Texts Examining Affairs” investigate the similarities and differences among things. Even when they contain doubts or errors, they do not depart from the facts. “Records of Empty Ornament” have strayed far from the root. Their contents are disordered and cannot be relied on regularly; they may only be recorded now and then, which is why they are called “Records of Empty Ornament.”

It also says: “To set great disorder right, achieve great merit, and uphold upright De is called Great Peace.” If these methods are passed down, the age will be one of Great Peace. Thus the scripture says: “The response appears; once the matter is complete, it is withdrawn.” It also says: “A sage ruler governs the world and carefully puts these writings to use. Any ruler who, while on the throne, treats this scripture lightly…”

Accounts differ about the number of volumes in this scripture. The Ten Books of Jia and Yi now in circulation comprise 170 volumes in all, while the Zhengyi Jing currently in use says that the Taiping Dongji Jing comprises 144 volumes. Today, the transmission of this scripture is nearly exhausted. Both works discuss the art of governance and also touch on the attainment of spiritual realization, the cultivation of causes, prohibitions, and various methods.

As for the 140-volume Dongji Jing, the Zhengyi Jing records that in the first year of the Han’an era, the Most High personally transmitted it to the Celestial Master (Tianshi), who then passed it down. As for the Ten Books of Jia and Yi, the Hundred and Eighty Precepts records that during the reign of King Nan of Zhou, Lao Jun transmitted them to Gan Ji, a man from Langya, in Linqiong County, Shu Commandery.

Afterward, this scripture again vanished from view. A story passed down in recent times says that it was kept in a stone casket on Haiyu Mountain. From the Song and Liang dynasties onward, those who went looking for it could not find it. Whenever anyone went to retrieve the scripture, the place was shrouded in wind and rain, with thunder and lightning raging. After the founding of the Chen dynasty, people again went searching several times, but the wind and rain on the mountain remained as before. After Emperor Xuan ascended the throne, he took an interest in Daoist arts and ordered the Taiping Daoist priest Zhou—whose personal name was Zhixiang—to retrieve the scripture. The priest was by nature upright and pure, beyond the power of words to describe. He accepted the command and went to the mountain to fast for seven days. Just as he was about to retrieve the scripture, before he could open the stone casket, the morning clouds…

In the mountain wilderness, darkness fell and clouds and mist shrouded the slopes. After paying his respects, the master (the ritual master) continued onward. Only when the sky cleared did he order several dozen attendants to join their efforts, kneel together, and retrieve the case containing the scriptures. Yet no matter what they did, they could not open it. The case opened only after the ritual master gathered in his breath, revealing this scripture inside.

The group asked to escort the scripture back to Taiyi. The emperor then prepared a formal reception and welcomed it in person, enshrining it at Zhizhen Abbey. The scripture emitted a brilliant light, and people from across the realm came to behold it. The emperor ordered the ritual master to establish an altar and expound the text at Zhizhen Abbey, hoping thereby to bring peace to the realm. People of the time said that all under Heaven was at peace. From then on, the scripture’s teachings spread widely. Because the ritual master had obtained this scripture, the emperor called him the “Ritual Master of Great Peace.” This is how Master Zangjing received his teacher’s instruction and inherited the Daoist tradition.

The third category is the Great Mystery, whose guiding principle is “Repeated Mystery”: contemplating the mysterious again and again, and moving beyond attachment.

This classic was spoken by Lord Lao, so its text calls it the utmost Dao of “mystery upon mystery.” Accounts differ, however, on how many scrolls it comprises. The Scripture of Orthodox Unity says that the Scripture of the Great Mystery of the Dao has 270 scrolls. The Jade Latitude, as transmitted today, contains only 135, and these are not all from the original text. The rest did not survive, perhaps because the time was not yet ripe for them to circulate. The scripture’s central teaching takes “mystery” as its ultimate aim. The Scripture of the Great Mystery says: “That which is nothing, and beyond nothing, is called the Dao; the principle of the Dao is supremely mysterious.” The Perfected Le says that the five thousand words of the Dao De Jing are a classic expressing this very state.

According to an old account, the Dao De Jing has three scrolls. The Jade Latitude says that its scriptural text was kept in a secret repository and included in the Great Clarity, though this explanation is also unclear. According to the preface to The Scripture of the Western Ascension, the text was divided into two parts and transmitted by Heshang Gong to Emperor Wen of Han. Another account says that Yin Xi obtained two scrolls of the Plain Book, making five scrolls altogether. Since the text speaks of three periods, Master Xuanjing divided its contents into three sections, each with its own guiding principle. The first consists of the two scrolls of the Dao De, with “Dao and De” as its foundation. The second is The Scripture of the Western Ascension, founded on “desirelessness”; hence it teaches the need to uphold elevated wisdom, the wondrous source, and the True One. The final section expounds the True One at length and takes it as its foundation.

The transmission of these classics began with the five scrolls given to Yin Xi, and the collection gradually grew over time. There is no need to discuss each text individually here. In general, the Scripture of Orthodox Unity records that the Most High personally transmitted the 270 scrolls of the Scripture of the Great Mystery to the Celestial Master. Judging by the dates, the scripture was received in the seventh month of the first year of the Han’an era. It was passed down through the generations thereafter and survives to this day. Some portions have been lost or damaged as the times changed and they returned once more to the Heavenly Repository, the celestial storehouse of scriptures.

Fourth, Zhengyi (Orthodox Unity) takes True Unity as its guiding principle.

The Scripture of Zhengyi spoken by the Most High—here referring to the Most High Lord Lao—was said by the Celestial Master Zhang Daoling to be a teaching he had received from the Most High Lord Lao. It was called a “newly revealed Daoist teaching” because people tire of old things and delight in new ones. “Newly revealed” was simply a different name; its substance remained the same. The Zhengyi method was studied to dispel falsehood and delusion. It continued to use the old scriptures and carried on the teachings handed down from before, without altering the texts. It taught people to become immortals, using methods from high antiquity.

Wang Chang feared that later ritual masters would change the teachings, so he compiled records and transmissions in a work called the New Rites of Zhengyi. The Celestial Master said: “In later generations, men and women will surely alter my methods. They will crave wealth and sensual pleasures and refuse to give generously. You will take the many agonies of hell as everyday occurrences. Each of you must be especially careful.”

The Scripture of Zhengyi says that the Zhengyi method consists of one hundred volumes. The catalogue of Master Meng today also lists one hundred volumes, though it is unclear whether they are all part of this scripture. The scripture gives a general account of the functions of the Three Vehicles, the different levels of Daoist practice; hence it says, “Zhengyi sets forth the Three Vehicles in full.” Wang Chang’s New Rites consists of forty volumes, but they have not yet been arranged in order. After Wang Chang followed his master and ascended to the Mysterious Realm, much of the material at the time was transmitted orally as secret instructions. Only the volume titles were written down, and the work had not yet been organized.

The account of the Zhengyi method’s origins in the Jade Latitude states that, long ago, on the seventh day of the seventh month in the first year of the Kaihuang era, at noon on a bingwu day, the Heavenly King of Primordial Beginning sent a Jade Lad to transmit the text of white tablets and azure registers to the Sovereign Lord. This method manifested spontaneously. The Master of Emptiness and Nonbeing then transmitted it to Tang Yao. Later, the Emperor Lord of the Later Sage ordered the Heavenly King of Lesser Being to compile and proclaim this scripture. The Azure Lad said: “From then on, seven thousand people obtained this text. Some rode flying dragons and ascended to the Mysterious Realm; others vanished, transformed, and quietly withdrew. They cannot all be recorded here. Those who attained the Dao treasured the scripture and devoted themselves to cultivation on the Five Marchmounts, building up sincere devotion and spiritual response. Only then could they obtain the text ahead of others. It is supremely subtle, and whether one obtains it depends on one’s circumstances. At times the scripture appeared in the regions of the He and Luo Rivers; at other times it circulated as a precept scripture or a text of methods and arts. In every case, it arose from circumstances and brought its fruit to completion.”

At the end of the Han dynasty, the Celestial Master Zhang Daoling devoted himself to cultivation on West Mountain, and the Most High personally descended. On the first day of the fifth month in the first year of the Han’an era, the Most High bestowed on him the Orthodox Methods of the Three Heavens, the orthodox registers and teachings of the Celestial Masters tradition, and appointed him Celestial Master. He also bestowed on him the Scripture of Essential Methods and Teachings of Zhengyi Rites and Arts. On the seventh day of the seventh month that same year, he bestowed on him the Wondrous Scripture of Zhengyi’s Covenant and Authority, along with secret instructions on the Three Actions and Six Penetrations, making him once again a ritual master of the Three Heavens and a Perfected Person of Zhengyi. According to the Scripture of Zhengyi, the administrative center…

The Catalogue of Transformative Texts records 930 volumes of orthodox scriptures and 70 volumes of talismans and diagrams, making 1,000 volumes in all. The Hundred Volumes of Zhengyi entrusted to the Celestial Master (Tianshi) are included in this total. When the teachings flourish again in the future, the source of the Dao (the Way) and the order of its ranks and honors will naturally be made clear in detail.

A scripture says: “The true scriptures are profound and subtle, and no other writings can compare with their language. They comprise 364,000 chapters. Though orthodox teachings are numerous, none depart from Zhengyi. Zhengyi expounds the primordial Qi (vital energy) and carries out its teachings, taking the Five Thousand Words as its foundation. The most genuine, essential, and wondrous methods are found in the Three Caverns (Dongzhen, Dongxuan, and Dongshen).” The “Three Caverns” are the Daoist system for classifying scriptures.

This teaching has been transmitted for a long time. As for when it began to flourish, that was during the Han dynasty. After the Celestial Master ascended to heaven, he transmitted this teaching to his descendants and disciples, including the Successor Master and the Lineage Master, as well as the gods and spirits of heaven and all devoted believers, both within and outside the tradition, so that they could practice and pass it on. Many people transmitted the Dao through the generations; they are not listed here one by one. This text, too, has therefore been handed down to the present.

According to the Section on Regulations, Charts, and Precepts in the Zhengyi Scripture: the Scripture of Great Clarity supports the Cavern of the Spirit section, and works from the Golden Elixir onward belong to the path of the Immortals; the Scripture of Great Peace supports the Cavern of Mystery section, and the Ten Works of Jia and Yi onward belong to the path of the Perfected; the Great Mystery supports the Cavern of Truth section, and the Five Thousand Words onward belong to the path of the Sages. The texts of the Zhengyi teachings take the Dao De Jing as their guiding principle, esteem the Three Caverns, and explain all three vehicles in full.

The Scripture of Great Peace says that “support” means “father.” Here, the phrase “the Three Great Ones support the Three Caverns” means that the Three Great Ones and the Three Caverns assist and complete one another in their functions, enabling people to develop understanding and attain insight, just as a father begets and nurtures children. Sentient beings are dull in their innate capacities and deficient in their endowments. When they hear profound teachings, they often cannot understand them. Further explanation and support are therefore needed to help them gradually become clear. This is the meaning of “assisting and bringing to fulfillment.”

The Twelve Sections

The Twelve Sections of scripture are subtle teachings that run through the three vehicles, and they form the guiding outline that encompasses the seven divisions. Those who investigate them can recognize the truth; those who study them can grasp their meaning. They are indeed a ferry and bridge that help people escape birth and death, and a road leading to the Great Dao. Thus the Zhengyi Scripture says: “Each of the three vehicles has twelve sections of practice.”

The principles of the Twelve Sections run through all three vehicles. Here, the middle vehicle is used as an example; the other two can be understood by analogy. The Twelve Sections are:

First, foundational texts; second, divine talismans; third, jade instructions; fourth, numinous diagrams; fifth, registers; sixth, precepts and laws; seventh, ritual conduct; eighth, methods; ninth, various arts; tenth, records and biographies; eleventh, hymns of praise; and twelfth, memorials and petitions.

“Foundational texts” refers to writings of the Three Primordials and Eight Assemblies, as well as accounts of the origins of the primordial beginning; all these belong to the foundational texts. The Lady of Purple Tenuity said: “The Three Primordials and Eight…” (The original text ends here.)

This book was assembled and compiled because it contains scriptures held by the Highest Perfected Ones of the Supreme Ultimate, whom Daoism venerates as the highest perfected immortals. These scriptures are the beginning and foundation of the teachings, and the starting point for the transmission of scriptures.

Written characters are the beginning of the teachings and the source of their principles; they are also the starting point for attaining truth and the foundation of the myriad methods. The word wen (“pattern” or “writing”) carries the sense of distinction and order: it can distinguish the two principles of Heaven and Earth and differentiate the various forms of the teachings. It can explain the order of all things and express the deepest principles, just as the grain of wood may also be called its “pattern.”

The term “Perfected Writings” has twelve meanings and encompasses the Three Vehicles—the Buddhist paths of hearers, solitary realizers, and bodhisattvas. “Middle Cavern,” by contrast, does not mean that it encompasses the Three Vehicles.

Divine talismans are writings such as dragon scripts and phoenix seal-script, and also include talismanic texts marked by miraculous signs. Here, “divine” means that their significance is difficult to fathom; “talisman” takes its name from the matching of tally halves. Divine talismans are miraculous writings with inconceivable powers that can benefit living beings. People put their faith in them as they would in matching tally halves, which verify one another.

Jade Instructions are like the commentaries in which the Lord by the River explained the Laozi, or the texts transmitted by the Historian at the Pillar; they are also like explaining Golden Books through Jade Instructions. “Jade” signifies purity without defilement. “Instruction” means words that are precise and certain, enabling people to understand clearly and leaving them without confusion.

Numinous diagrams include, for example, the images of the Five Emperors in Containing the Radiance and the diagrams depicting the forms of the Three Ones. “Numinous” means mysterious and subtle; “diagram” means to depict and measure. Such diagrams therefore render mysterious forms in images and pass them down to later generations.

Genealogies and records include the contents described in Generating the Spirits and the accounts of the Five Emperors set out in The Three Lords Establish the Foundation. “Genealogy” refers to lines of descent; “record” means a written account. Sages recorded these matters as part of the teachings and also documented their origins, so that later generations could write them down and preserve them.

Precepts and rules include such injunctions as the “Six Emotions” and the “Ten Evils.” “Precept” carries the meanings of release, distinction, and cessation: precepts loosen the bonds of wrongdoing, distinguish good from evil, and prevent evil acts. “Rule” carries the meanings of leading, uprightness, and inspiring caution: it measures offenses, judges them fairly without distortion, and instills reverence.

Ritual comportment includes the rules governing purification and abstinence, formal ordinances and precepts, and the rites followed when requesting scriptures. “Awe” means solemn dignity that inspires reverence; “comportment” refers to rules that must be observed and to ritual forms suited to different circumstances.

Methods include practices such as visualizing the Three Ones, maintaining the Primordial One, subduing the po souls, and gathering in the hun souls. “Method” refers to a prescribed place; “procedure” means rules and steps. The point is that cultivating oneself and regulating body and mind require corresponding methods and standards.

Various arts include techniques such as refining elixirs and minerals, transforming the body, and concealing one’s presence. “Various” means many kinds; “art” means a method. These are preliminary practices on the path to the supreme Dao.

Records and biographies include chapters such as The Original Work of the Lord of the Dao and The Former Deeds of the Sovereign Man. “Record” means an account, and “biography” means a transmission. In other words, they set down the foundations of things…

The Seven Tablets in a Cloudy Satchel says that scriptures of the eulogy type mainly praise and sing. Examples include New Eulogies to the Five Perfected and Ancient Verses of the Nine Heavens. A “praise” sets out principles and facts; a “eulogy” sings of virtuous deeds. The Book of Songs says that eulogies describe and celebrate great virtue. A ji (short verse expressing a principle) can also mean “rest”: lines of four or five characters are concise to read, as if allowing the mind and spirit a brief pause.

Scriptures of the memorial type include documents used to make prayers during the Six Retreats and to submit petitions at the Three Assemblies. A “memorial” expresses; a “petition” gathers. It means setting forth what is in one’s heart and presenting it above, thereby reaching the Great Dao.

The “section of shared teachings” classifies scriptures by their content and is also called “division by section”: scriptures with similar meanings are grouped together. The twelve divisions have points in common, but each also has its own distinctions. The specific categories are assigned according to what they share, as explained earlier.

Among the twelve divisions, only the “Original Text” has both a shared and a distinctive aspect. All twelve consist of written texts and are foundations for reaching the meaning of the teachings, so they are collectively called the “Original Text.” “Original Text” is also another name for a scripture; this is its shared aspect. Within the Original Text, however, there is a distinct division: the “Five True Writings.” These have the power to bring Heaven into being and establish Earth, and are the foundation of all teachings. This is the distinctive aspect of the Original Text. One cannot call all twelve divisions “Jade Instructions” and single out one division as the distinctive “Jade Instructions”; the same principle applies to the other divisions.

Another explanation holds that continuous prose is the foundation of verse, and so is called the “Original Text.” The other scriptures of the Two Vehicles can also be understood in this way by comparison.

The Original Text is the foundation from which all things arise, so it comes first. Once all things have come into being, they need support and care. The discussion therefore proceeds to spirit talismans, the Eight Assemblies, cloud-script, the Jade Characters of the Three Origins, and related subjects. Without becoming familiar with and studying these talismanic writings, one cannot put them to use; Jade Instructions are therefore also needed to explain their meaning and methods.

Living beings are ignorant and slow to understand, and cannot grasp the teachings by listening alone, so images are provided to help explain them. Once the achievements of the sages have been revealed, their origins and transmission must also be traced and recorded. Otherwise, people may think they are inventions. Hence genealogical records are also needed.

The five types of content described above have established roles in bringing all things into being and caring for them. To support the completion of cultivation, one must also distinguish and guard against evil teachings and faults in written texts; this is why precepts are established. Those who cultivate the Dao leave worldly life, become monastics, and enter the Dao. Having joined the ranks of the Three Treasures—the Master, the scriptures, and the Dao—they should maintain proper appearance and conduct. The discussion therefore turns to deportment. After one’s conduct has been set in order, one must use purification rites and liturgy to repent for past misdeeds and cleanse old offenses. Once one’s appearance and conduct are proper and the roots of past karma have been purified, one should go further and study methods for attaining the Dao and becoming perfected. This requires an account of the subtle principles of Daoist arts, together with plain records and discussions that describe the sages’ experiences in cultivation.

Learning is transmitted in sequence and pursued step by step. Once a person has achieved success in their studies, their reputation is passed down through bamboo and silk—the bamboo strips and silk manuscripts used for writing in ancient times. The account therefore next describes the order of transmission. From living beings to the completion of cultivation, these matters all deserve praise, so the discussion proceeds to hymns of praise.

The various teachings mentioned earlier mostly take the form of longer prose passages. The hymns discussed here, by contrast, express their meaning in verse—short, rhythmic lines. Their words are concise and heartfelt. Once the merit of cultivation is complete, one must use them to declare and set forth one’s practice and achievements, just as accomplishments are reported after a purification retreat. The final topic, therefore, is memorials and petitions: documents that present requests to the divine. The eleven divisions discussed earlier concern cultivation beyond the world; the memorials and petitions that follow are used to dispel calamities in the world. Rituals such as “the Three Origins’ Burning Expiation” and “the Zi-Wu Petition for Life” belong to this category.

The Thirty-Six Divisions

Each of the Three Vehicles—the three classes of teaching distinguished by levels of cultivation—has twelve divisions, making thirty-six in all. If considered in terms of how they encompass one another, it is generally said that the Great Vehicle includes all thirty-six divisions, the Middle Vehicle includes twenty-four, and the Small Vehicle has only twelve. Why are they divided this way? The Great Vehicle can include the Small Vehicle, and practitioners of the Great Vehicle may also study the Small Vehicle teachings in order to attain a comprehensive understanding. The Small Vehicle, however, cannot encompass the Great Vehicle, so it has only twelve divisions. The Middle Vehicle follows the same principle. This account describes how the Three Vehicles teach and transform living beings within the realm.

Viewed instead through the Three Caverns, the Three Caverns bring together the Three Vehicles discussed above and return them to the One Vehicle. Thus, within the Three Caverns there is only one Great Vehicle. The Three Vehicles are then drawn out from within the Three Caverns to show that the One Vehicle encompasses everything.

Another explanation appears in two different scriptures. The first is the Ritual of the Natural Purification Retreat of Lord Lao of the Great Mystery Division. It says that scriptures fall into three categories: first, heavenly scriptures, cultivated by the Celestial Perfected; second, earthly scriptures, cultivated within the Grotto-Heavens; and third, human scriptures, practiced by people in the world. These three kinds of teaching run through and connect with one another; together they are called the Three Vehicles. Each of the Three Vehicles has twelve functions, which intersect and interconnect, and together are called the Thirty-Six Divisions.

The twelve categories are: first, Wuwei (non-action); second, action; third, non-action with action; fourth, action with non-action; fifth, continuing attachment; sixth, severing attachment; seventh, neither continuing nor severing attachment; eighth, division into stages; ninth, non-severance; tenth, knowing the subtle; eleventh, knowing what is manifest; and twelfth, adapting to the circumstances at hand. If one also takes into account the application of the hidden and the manifest, there may be said to be seventy-two divisions.

The first three categories of scriptures cited here clearly concern teachings, while the twelve items that follow concern the practice of cultivation. The second explanation sets out twelve categories as expounded in Zhengyi (Orthodox Unity). The first is “where both mind and trace …”.

The first category is Wuwei (non-action) in both mind and conduct. The second is also Wuwei, but the mind is inactive while conduct involves action. The third is the opposite: the mind is active while conduct is inactive.

The fourth is to leave one’s family and live among people. The fifth is to bring one’s family into the mountains, rivers, lakes, and marshes. The sixth is to leave the world and keep apart from other people. The seventh is to live in harmony with the secular world without appearing unusual, in other words, to “blend with the light and share the dust.” The eighth is to cut off desire. The ninth is not to make a deliberate effort to cut off desire outwardly, yet to reach that state naturally. The tenth is to roam through the air. The eleventh is to dwell beneath the earth. The twelfth is to live in heaven.

Each of the Three Vehicles has these twelve forms, making thirty-six divisions in all. “Three Vehicles” is a Daoist term for different levels or paths of cultivation. The explanation of this passage has already been given above, in connection with the classifications concerning ranks and religious functions.

However, the titles and wording of the two scriptures differ, and should be understood as explanations grounded in distinct doctrinal contexts. Most of the material listed in the Taixuan focuses on the mind; the Zhengyi discusses both the mind and outward conduct. Yet the eighth of the Taixuan’s twelve items is presented through sections and specific examples. It concerns outward conduct, but does not explicitly explain the classification of the twelve divisions of scripture.

Yunji Qiqian, juan 6