《一切道經音義妙門由起》

Emperor Xuanzong of Tang personally composed this preface to express his reverence for Daoist scriptures. He stated that the Great Dao (the supreme truth of Daoism) is profoundly mysterious and difficult to fathom, and even immortal classics like those from Mount Tortoise and the Dragon Han era remain largely inscrutable. Compounded by the passage of time, errors inevitably crept into transcribed texts—even precious scriptures like the Huangting Jing (Scripture of the Yellow Court) were often misread, akin to ancient transcription errors such as "swapping swallows for pigs" or "mistaking Lu for fish." This left later cultivators frequently bewildered in their studies.

To address this, Emperor Xuanzong summoned eminent Daoist masters from major temples and scholars from the two imperial academies to collaboratively examine the true meanings of the classics. They consulted numerous authoritative texts, including the Yupian and Shuowen Jiezi, ultimately compiling the 140-volume Yiqie Daojing Yinyi (Phonetic and Semantic Guide to All Daoist Scriptures)—a reference work clarifying pronunciation and meanings—to help practitioners correctly understand the scriptures and dispel confusion.

The second section, authored by Shi Chong and others, expounds on the nature of the Dao. Though formless and without shape, the Dao truly exists and nurtures all things. It has no concrete manifestation ("non-action and formlessness"), yet gives rise to all phenomena; seemingly void ("with feeling and fidelity"), it fosters life and governs the cycles of the seasons. Heaven and Earth unfold through the Dao, the sun and moon move by its principle, rulers govern nations through its wisdom, and states achieve peace by its virtue. The Dao is the origin and parent of all creation.

The text specifically identifies Yuanshi Tianzun (the Celestial Venerable of Primordial Beginning, Daoism's highest deity) as the embodiment of the Dao. The scripture's description of "form without form, image without substance" refers to the Dao's ineffable state. Though elusive and indistinct, it undeniably contains genuine essence ("its essence is utterly real, within it lies truth"). Yuanshi Tianzun represents the Dao's responsive manifestation—the crystallized quintessence of primordial Qi (vital energy), spontaneously formed through natural resonance.

This scripture expounds the Daoist teachings on divine manifestation and the salvation of sentient beings. In the primordial chaos before heaven and earth separated, the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning (Yuanshi Tianzun), the supreme deity of Daoism, first emerged—a time when even clan names did not yet exist. Later, to instruct humanity, the Celestial Worthy took on various forms, entering the womb of the Hong family and being born from the side of Mother Li—all of which carry profound symbolic meaning.

Divine beings manifest in five ways: the True Body represents the essence of the Dao (the Way); the Response Body appears as high deities like the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning and the Supreme Lord of the Dao (Taishang Daojun); the Dharma Body is the primal Qi (vital energy) that gives birth to all things; the Transformation Body manifests as independent figures like the Celestial Lord of Heavenly Treasure (Tianbaojun); and the Reward Body is achieved through long cultivation and accumulated merit, exemplified by immortals like Yue Jingxin. Though these deities bear different names, they share the same origin and all work to guide beings through master-disciple transmission.

For instance, Yin Xi (Laozi’s disciple) was sent to India to teach foreign peoples, while Guiguzi (a renowned mystic) spread teachings on Mount Kunlun—demonstrating that the compassionate salvation of beings knows no bounds. Just as playing a flute or plucking a zither follows its own rhythm, cultivation—whether through scholarly or martial means—must proceed step by step. Innate nature is the foundation, while circumstantial conditions serve as its function; only by harmonizing both can one attain the Great Dao.

Some mistakenly believe that immortality depends solely on an inborn "immortal bone," but this is absurd. In truth, the realm of immortals is vast beyond measure: the Jade Capital of Mysterious Metropolis (Xuandu Yujing) is where perfected beings roam, while jeweled terraces and celestial dwellings serve as sites of divine manifestation. There are also the Nine Heavens illuminated by the Seven Luminaries and the Daoist abodes of the Supreme Subtlety and Nine Numinosities—sacred realms that endure through countless kalpas (cosmic cycles).

The scripture concludes by emphasizing that establishing methods for salvation is of utmost importance. If a nation is in turmoil and Yin-Yang (the cosmic balance) is disrupted, cultivation must be undertaken to restore harmony. True practice requires forging virtuous connections, persevering without retreat, and benefiting both others and oneself—ultimately transcending the mundane to reach the realm of sages.

This scripture primarily discusses the classification of Daoist practitioners, their cultivation methods, and their social functions, while emphasizing the sacred nature of Daoist scriptures and their role in protecting the state and benefiting the people.

Daoist practitioners are divided into seven categories: The first are "Tianzhen" (those innately endowed with Dao-nature), the second are "Shenxian" (accomplished adepts), the third are "Youyi" (reclusive cultivators), the fourth are "Shanju" (mountain-dwelling practitioners), the fifth are "Chujia" (renunciants who leave secular life), the sixth are "Zaijia" (householder practitioners), and the seventh are "Jijiu" (ritual masters who conduct ceremonies). The first five types all withdraw from worldly affairs to focus wholeheartedly on cultivating the Dao, while the latter two, though remaining in society, also pursue Daoist methods with the mission of aiding the world and saving people.

The scripture particularly notes that in the regions of Jiannan and Jiangbiao (modern Sichuan and Jiangnan areas), these cultivation methods flourished. The term "Daoshi" (Daoist priest) derives from their dedication to propagating the Great Dao. Their ritual robes also reflect hierarchical distinctions—yellow and deep-red robes represent different levels of cultivation, symbolizing reverence for the Orthodox Unity Covenant (Zhengyi Mengwei Dao).

Daoist scriptures originate from sacred sources: some form through the natural coagulation of spiritual Qi, some contain sublime teachings spoken by sages at auspicious moments, some descend as celestial texts, while others are spiritual writings composed by successive generations of holy masters. These scriptures have been transmitted through various means, serving both to protect rulers and stabilize nations, as well as to deliver the deceased and benefit all beings.

Historical examples illustrate the scripture's claims: The Yellow Emperor (Xuanyuan) and Yu the Great achieved immortality and established golden ages through their devotion to Daoism, while Emperor Wu of Liang and King Xuan of Qi brought calamity and ruin to their states through slandering the Dao. Finally, the text alludes to the Tang imperial family (symbolized by the "Li tree") venerating Daoism and regularly studying its scriptures. However, due to the abundant use of coded language and special characters in these texts, the emperor specifically ordered officials to compile commentaries to make them more accessible.

This passage records the official roster of Tang Dynasty officials involved in compiling the Daozang Yinyi Miaomen Youqi (Phonetic Meanings and Origins of All Daoist Scriptures). It primarily documents the official titles and noble ranks of the editorial team led by Shi Chong:

Shi Chong served as Chief Commissioner (overall director), holding the titles of Silver and Blue Glorious Grand Master, Acting Vice Minister of the Household of the Heir Apparent, and Supreme Pillar of State. Lu Zizhen was appointed Deputy Commissioner with the rank of Propaganda Counselor and Probationary Senior Officer of the Right Militant Guard. Shi Gao acted as Administrative Clerk (responsible for practical affairs). Other participants included:

• Cui Shi (Silver and Blue Glorious Grand Master, Acting Secretariat Drafter concurrently Right Tutor of the Heir Apparent, Academician of the Institute for the Veneration of Literature, Supreme Pillar of State, Viscount of Anping County)
• Xue Ji (Gold and Purple Glorious Grand Master, Acting Minister of Rites, Academician of the Institute for the Veneration of Literature, Supreme Pillar of State, Duke of Jin State)
• Xu Yanbo (Silver and Blue Glorious Grand Master, Right Cavalier Attendant-in-Ordinary, Academician of the Institute for the Veneration of Literature, Acting General of the Left Feathered Forest Guard, Supreme Pillar of State, Duke of Gaoping County)
• Jia Yingfu (Silver and Blue Glorious Grand Master, Right Cavalier Attendant-in-Ordinary, Academician of the Institute for the Veneration of Literature, Acting General of the Right Feathered Forest Guard, Supreme Pillar of State, Marquis of Shouchang County)

The list continues with over twenty other officials including Zhu Yi, Qiu Yue, Lu Cangyong, Wei Liqi, Shen Quanqi, Li You, Zhang Qixian, Zheng Xi, Hu Hao, Zhu Qinming, and Xu Jian. Most served as academicians in either the Institute for the Veneration of Literature or the Institute for the Exaltation of Literature (Tang institutions responsible for canonical compilation), while concurrently holding important court positions. The majority bore the title "Supreme Pillar of State" (highest honorary military rank in Tang) and held founding nobility ranks (such as county duke or county marquis). These prestigious titles demonstrate the imperial court's exceptional regard for the Daoist scriptures compilation project, mobilizing numerous high-ranking scholar-officials to participate.

This passage presents the list of compilers and editorial notes from The Wondrous Origins of Daoist Scriptures with Phonetic Glosses and Definitions. It begins by enumerating the officials and Daoist priests involved in collating the Daoist scriptures:

Among the officials were Wang Ju, Yuan Banqian, Hu Xiong, and Chu Wuliang, all holding prestigious titles like "Silver and Blue Light Grand Master" (a high-ranking civil position in the Tang bureaucracy). Most served as academicians in the Chongwen Institute, the Tang dynasty institution responsible for managing books and classical texts. The Daoist contingent included several eminent priests (reverently addressed as "Great Virtues"), such as Zhang Wanfu from Taiqing Monastery, Yin Jingchong (Abbot of Xuandu Monastery), and Kou Yidai (Abbot of Dongming Monastery), representing major Daoist temples in the capital.

Together, they systematically organized existing Daoist scriptures, investigating the origins and transmission of each text while compiling phonetic annotations and definitions. However, historical upheavals had subjected these scriptures to repeated calamities: some were burned by tyrannical rulers during chaotic periods, while others were hidden by recluses in mountain caves, resulting in fragmentary preservation—less than one-tenth of the original corpus remained intact.

The current compilation bases its phonetic glosses on over two thousand scrolls of Daoist scriptures preserved in the capital's collections, accompanied by a catalog. Other readily comprehensible texts—including ritual manuals (Keyi), commentaries, and treatises—were not exhaustively annotated. For lost scriptures, efforts would continue to recover and complete them. Given the antiquity of these texts, their language often contains sacred Sanskrit loanwords (Buddhist terminology) and cloud-script talismanic writing (Daoist Fulu), making them nearly impenetrable to ordinary readers. During transcription, frequent errors occurred through additions, deletions, and corruptions, with some even inserting spurious doctrines into the texts.

This scripture primarily elucidates the essential characteristics of the Dao (the Way) and its central position in Daoist thought.

The introduction explains the purpose of compiling The Wondrous Origins of All Daoist Scriptures with Phonetic Glosses: during the collation of Daoist classics, it became apparent that interpretations varied among different schools, with many unresolved questions. Thus, this work was compiled as both a phonetic commentary and an introductory guide, comprising six sections totaling 113 scrolls. The editor humbly acknowledges the limitations of their own knowledge, stating that they have merely done their best to organize these precious scriptures.

The text then systematically cites various scriptures on the nature of the Dao:

The Daode Jing (Classic of the Way and Virtue) describes the Dao as the primordial source of heaven and earth, emerging from chaos—formless and imageless, yet eternally existent, the mother of all things. Though empty, its function is inexhaustible; it is the root of all beings, existing even before the Celestial Emperor. It cannot be seen, heard, or touched, having neither beginning nor end—the profound mystery underlying all things.

The Benyuan Dajie Jing (Scripture of the Original Vow and Great Precepts) records the perspective of the Taiji Zhenren (Perfected Being of the Supreme Ultimate): the essence of the Dao is "nothingness" (Wu), pervading boundlessly, yet if one seeks it, it is found within oneself.

The Taishang Taizhen Ke (Code of the Supreme and Most Perfect) states that the Dao manifests in three forms: the stillness of wisdom, the movement of divine spirit (Shen), and the flow of primordial Qi (vital energy). Qi gives rise to forms, Shen gives rise to physical bodies, and wisdom gives rise to sound—yet all are so subtle as to be nearly imperceptible.

The Shengxuan Jing (Scripture of Ascending to the Mysterious) declares that the profound mystery of the Great Dao originates from spontaneity (Ziran), preceding all existence. It creates heaven and earth from nothingness, embodying the supreme truth. Miraculous and ineffable, it is the ancestor of Qi and the foundation of heaven and earth.

The Taiping Jing (Scripture of Great Peace) holds that the Dao is the principle governing the movement of heaven and earth and the source of all life. The Xuanmiao Neipian (Inner Chapter of Mysterious Wonder) calls the Dao the progenitor of all Qi and the origin of all laws, supreme and unparalleled, existing before all things.

The Santian Neijie Jing (Scripture of Inner Explanations on the Three Heavens) concludes that the origin of the Great Dao begins with "Wu Xian" (that which precedes even "nothingness"), existing before the chaos of primordial undifferentiation.

This passage of scripture mainly expounds the Daoist understanding of the Dao (the Way) as primordial source and supreme principle, together with the relations of lineage and transmission within the Daoist pantheon.

It first describes the Dao as the source of all things in the universe, naturally transforming and generating within the void. It is both the first ancestor and ancestral head of heaven, earth, and the myriad things, and the father and mother that nurture all. The Nanhua Jing states that although the Dao truly exists and is trustworthy, it is without action (wuwei) and without form; it can be understood but not seen, transmitted but not directly given. Before heaven and earth took shape, the Dao already existed eternally; it transformed and generated spirits and deities and created heaven and earth.

It then introduces the highest deity system of Daoism: the Void Sovereign Jade Emperor of the Golden Citadel (Xuhuang Jinque Yudi), the highest deity of Daoism, dwells in the City of Seven Treasures on Mount Yujing of the Great Mysterious Capital (Taixuan Du Yujing Shan), the highest Daoist paradise, where the Limitless Void Sovereign Great Dao Lord (Wuji Xuhuang Dadao Jun), a high deity, governs, and where numerous Heavenly Venerables (Tianzun), emperors, kings, immortals, and perfected ones all observe fasts and uphold the law. The scripture specifically explains that the Void Sovereign Supreme Great Dao Lord (Xuhuang Taishang Dadao Jun) is the teacher of the Heavenly Venerables; “void” (xu) indicates his formless and qualityless essence, while “sovereign” (huang) manifests his luminous and brilliant virtue. He has several honorific titles—Void Nonbeing (Xuwu), Void Emperor (Xudi), Sovereign One (Huangyi), Emperor One (Diyi), and so on—which differ in name but are identical in essence.

Finally, it recounts the Supreme Dao Lord’s (Taishang Daojun) own account of his course of cultivation, explaining that his ability to rule the Three Realms (Sanjie) and govern the myriad spirits comes entirely from receiving transmission from the Void Sovereign Supreme Great Dao Lord and from cultivating classics such as the Lingbao Wupian, through which he attained the Dao. The scripture stresses that all who attain Dao rank must rely on transmission from a teacher, implying the importance of master-disciple lineage in Daoist cultivation.

In Daoist scriptures, the Supreme Dao Lord (one of the highest deities in Daoism) is revered as the sovereign who guides and enlightens all beings. Deities of past and future ages alike honor the Supreme as the master of all teachings. The Lingbao Wuliang Jing records: During the primordial kalpa of cosmic origin, the celestial realms manifested, creating the three luminaries (sun, moon, and stars) that became the foundation of heaven and earth. In the supreme realm, nothing surpasses the Dao as the fundamental existence, for the Dao itself is the ultimate reality.

The Zhengyi Jing explains: The Great Dao universally disseminates teachings, nurturing all existence, generating the myriad things, and establishing the order of heaven and earth. The sun, moon, stars, mountains, rivers, and seas are all governed by spirit-officials (deities overseeing nature), assisted by perfected beings (zhenren) and Daoist priests in their administration. Heaven and earth cooperate to produce and transform all things, all under the governance of the Celestial Worthy of the Great Unity (the deified North Star, also called the Northern Celestial Lord).

The Tianshi Qingwen Jing preserves this dialogue: The Zhengyi Perfected (Celestial Master Zhang Daoling) inquired of the Dao Lord: "I wish to understand the original source of the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning before attaining the Dao." The Dao Lord replied: "The Dao is fundamentally empty and formless, without ancestral lineage or root origin—it is absolute oneness. Since it is called 'Primordial Beginning,' how could there be anything more fundamental? Though the Dao transforms to generate all things, it remains supremely venerable, eternally abiding in the Three Pure Realms (Jade Pure, Upper Pure, and Great Pure heavens), transcending all celestial spheres. Thus it is called Celestial Worthy, or Jade Emperor, or Exalted Sovereign—these titles are all established in accordance with beings' capacity for understanding."

The Dongshen Jing states: The Great Dao descends through deities who respond to beings. Some deities have names without form, others have form without names, while some possess complete titles and functions—all are different manifestations according to beings' needs, yet essentially all are transformations of the Dao.

In the Lingbao Kaitian Jing, the Supreme Dao Lord describes: During the undifferentiated chaos before heaven and earth separated, there was neither light nor form, no ancestral lineage—only the Dao existing in silent spontaneity. Within this profound mystery, the pure true essence (zhenjing) alone existed, then differentiated as primordial qi descended, generating the qi of primordial unity. From this began transformations forming the three qi (mysterious, primordial, and beginning). What we call Primordial Beginning is the Dao's responsive manifestation—the coagulation of pure unity, utterly authentic and unadulterated, internally and externally pure. It responds naturally through qi's movement, appearing according to circumstance with jade-like and golden countenance (describing sacred iconography) as the root of all things—hence named "Primordial Beginning."

The Lingbao Zhaiyi records: In the past there was the Exalted Jade Emperor Celestial Worthy, in the future there will be the Supreme Ultimate Celestial Worthy, while presently the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning governs the teachings. These three Celestial Worthies are all different manifestations of the Dao, appearing with varying names and forms according to the needs of their respective eras.

This scripture recounts the manifestations and teachings of the Supreme Dao Lord (also known as the Supreme Great Dao Lord), the highest deity in Daoism, across different cosmic eras.

During the primordial Dragon Han era when heaven and earth first separated, he manifested in "formless" appearance within the Jade Pure Realm (the highest of Daoism's Three Pure Heavens), imparting the Great Cavern True Scripture (Dadong Zhenjing) to instruct sentient beings. He was then revered as the "Mystic Teacher of Ten Thousand Heavens" and the "Unsurpassed Dharma King." By the Extended Peace era, he adopted the name "Nameless" in the Upper Pure Realm (the middle level of the Three Pure Heavens), transmitting the Cavern Mystery Treasure Scripture (Dongxuan Baojing) to become the "Healing King" who delivered the Three Realms and the "Supreme True Venerable." During the Crimson Bright cosmic renewal, he manifested as "Brahma-Form" in the Grand Pure Realm (the lowest of the Three Pure Heavens), teaching the Cavern Spirit Scripture (Dongshen Xianjing) as the guiding master of the Ten Directions worlds.

The scripture further records that during the Inaugural Epoch era, he resided in the Primordial Yang Palace under the name "Emperor of Emptiness," systematically compiling the Three Caverns scriptures (collective term for the Dongzhen, Dongxuan, and Dongshen classics). When descending to the human realm, he became known as the Supreme Dao Lord.

The Great Cavern True Scripture supplements this account with descriptions of the Supreme Great Dao Lord's sacred origins: he was formed through the coalescence of Jade Dawn's vital essence (Jingqi) with auspicious purple mist, gestating within his mother's womb for 3,700 years before being born at Floating Summit Peak in Mount Yu-cha of Western Na-tian. Enfeoffed as the Purple Sovereign Immortal, he could summon myriad deities and ultimately became the supreme divinity presiding over the Numinous Pearl Jade Palace and the Sevenfold Purple Chambers.

The Scripture of Great Peace (Taiping Jing) clarifies that only "Celestial Immortal Great Beings" who embody true Dao can comprehend the Supreme True Meaning, which remains beyond ordinary human attainment. Other scriptures depict the Supreme Dao Lord's majestic processions in dragon-drawn chariots with retinues of immortals, as well as his eternal nature—having endured countless kalpas while remaining inseparable from the Lingbao scriptures and methods. These accounts collectively construct the sacred genealogy and pedagogical legacy of Daoism's supreme divinity.

This scripture recounts the sacred origins and teaching missions of Laozi (also known as Lord Lao the Most High). Laozi was no ordinary mortal but a divine being manifested from the primordial Qi of the cosmos.

In the primordial chaos before creation, three innate energies—"Mysterious (Xuan), Origin (Yuan), and Beginning (Shi)"—emerged from the void. After evolving for 810 trillion years, these energies condensed to form the Mysterious Jade Maiden (a sacred embodiment of the Dao Mother), who subsequently gave birth to Laozi.

Laozi describes himself as existing before the formation of the universe, dwelling in the formless era of the Great Beginning (Taichu) and roaming the vast emptiness. He has witnessed countless cosmic cycles and descended numerous times to transmit the Dao long before the separation of heaven and earth. While people believe Laozi only appeared during the Zhou dynasty, his name had already existed for immeasurable eons.

The scripture also records the story of Laozi converting the western barbarians (Hu) through Buddhism: At Louguan Terrace, he accepted Yin Xi as his disciple (bestowing upon him the title "Master Wenshi") before ascending to the Nine Heavens to pay homage to the Great Dao Lord of Jade Dawn (one of Daoism's supreme deities). Commissioned to spread teachings across eighty-one western kingdoms, he established Buddhism to enlighten the Hu people.

Furthermore, by age seven, Laozi had mastered the essential techniques of longevity and was revered as the Perfected Being of the Supreme Ultimate (Taiji). These accounts demonstrate that Laozi is the embodiment of the Dao—a disciple of the Most High Lord of the Dao and teacher of the Shangqing Perfected Beings—reflecting Daoism's cosmology of "the Dao generating all things" and the transmission lineage of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing).

This scripture recounts the legendary birth and spiritual achievements of the supreme Daoist deity Lord Lao (also known as Laozi).

The Mysterious Jade Maiden (Mother Li) was napping during daylight when she dreamed of sunlight streaming into her mouth. She swallowed a luminous sphere the size of a pellet and subsequently became pregnant. After eighty-one years of gestation, Laozi was born from her left armpit—already appearing as a white-haired elder at birth, hence the name "Laozi" (Old Master). Pointing to a plum tree (李, Li), he declared it would be his surname.

By age five, Laozi showed deep interest in cultivating the Dao (the Way). At twenty, his countenance shone like gold and jade, prompting him to leave home and wander sacred mountains. He comprehended the transformations of the Three Qi (Jing, Qi, and Shen) of heaven and earth, attaining unity with the Dao through meditation. Transcending worldly attachments, he achieved inner perfection. Guided by the Celestial Emperor, he received pivotal Daoist scriptures such as the Yu Yi Da Zhang and the Great Cavern True Scripture, gaining the ability to traverse all directions in flight.

The text emphasizes that the name "Laozi" embodies the manifestation of the Dao itself. Having perfected his virtue (De) and tirelessly taught sentient beings, he was revered as the "Supreme Lord Lao, Great Master of Mysterious Centrality." When Yin Xi asked his name, Laozi replied that his true name, forged through countless kalpas, was beyond full recounting—though in this world, he was known as Li Er (style name Boyang) or Lao Dan.

The scripture also describes how, during King You of Zhou’s reign, Laozi led twelve jade maidens, twenty-four immortals, and figures like Master Guiguzi, riding a white deer through Hangu Pass toward Mount Kunlun. These legends reflect Laozi’s exalted status as the incarnation of the supreme Daoist divinity, the Great One (Taiyi).

This scripture primarily addresses two key aspects: first, it describes the physical characteristics of the "Three Pure Ones" (Sanqing), the supreme deities of Daoism, and second, it enumerates the various incarnations and titles of Laozi across different historical eras.

Regarding the appearance of the Three Pure Ones (the highest deities in Daoism): these three sages can merge into a single entity. The most revered Lord Lao (Taishang Laojun) wears his hair in a natural topknot, with celestial radiance illuminating his neck, and is draped in a magnificent nine-colored brocade cloak. The other two sages wear seven-colored cloaks, all seated upon lotus thrones, with Lord Lao serving as their supreme master.

Following this, the scripture lists ten supreme honorific titles in Daoism: beginning with "Nature" (Ziran), followed by the Limitless (Wuji), the Great Dao (Dadao), the Ultimate Truth (Zhizhen), the Most High (Taishang), Lord Lao (Laojun), the Exalted Sovereign (Gaohuang), the Celestial Worthy (Tianzun), the Jade Emperor (Yudi), and concluding with the reverential title "Your Majesty" (Bixia).

The second part details Laozi's incarnations across different dynasties: starting from the era of Fuxi, Laozi appeared under various names as the teacher of emperors. During Fuxi's time, he was called Yuhuazi; during Shennong's reign, Dachengzi; under Zhurong, Guangchengzi; during Cangjie's time, Heijingzi; under Emperor Ku, Chijingzi; and during the Yellow Emperor's reign, Limuzi (also known as Dachengzi). Subsequently, through the reigns of Yao, Shun, Yu, Tang of Shang, King Wen of Zhou, King Wu, King Cheng, and King Kang, Laozi appeared under different names to serve as imperial teacher. By the time of King Zhao of Zhou, he resigned his post to journey west and teach foreign peoples, later reappearing as "Laozi" during Confucius' era.

The final passage depicts celestial realms: Lord Lao declares that throughout the ten directions exist countless heavenly worlds, with magnificent palaces and towers spanning both sky and earth. These celestial palaces are formed from condensed essences of sun, moon, stars, mountains, rivers, and clouds - featuring golden towers and jade pavilions, treasure halls and jade chambers, purple-hazed courts, star-cloud gardens, and dragon-phoenix courtyards. These splendid structures float in space alongside the sun and moon, creating myriad celestial landscapes.

(Note: The "Three Pure Ones" refer to the highest Daoist deities: the Jade Pure Primordial Heavenly Worthy (Yuqing Yuanshi Tianzun), the Supreme Pure Numinous Treasure Heavenly Worthy (Shangqing Lingbao Tianzun), and the Great Pure Dao and Virtue Heavenly Worthy (Taiqing Daode Tianzun); "Laozi" represents the earthly incarnation of Taiqing Daode Tianzun; the "Twelve Imperial Teachers" refers to the tradition of Laozi serving as mentor to twelve ancient emperors)

This scripture describes the multi-layered cosmic structure and divine abodes in Daoist cosmology. In each of the eight directions—southeast, south, southwest, and so forth—exists a great chiliocosm (a "great thousand-world" system), each with its specific name and characteristics. For instance, the "Great Chiliocosm of Primordial Blessed Fields" represents the southeastern world, while the "Great Chiliocosm of Wanli City" corresponds to the southern realm. All these worlds ultimately converge toward the supreme Mount Jade Capital (Yu Jing Shan), the highest celestial paradise in Daoism, situated at the center of the Mystic Metropolis of Emptiness.

Regarding the concept of the "great chiliocosm," the scripture explains: A thousand minor worlds form a small chiliocosm; a thousand small chiliocosms constitute a medium chiliocosm; and a thousand medium chiliocosms compose a great chiliocosm. This clearly stratified worldview demonstrates Daoism's grand perception of the universe.

The Mystic Metropolis' Mount Jade Capital, where the Supreme Lord of the Dao (one of Daoism's highest deities) resides, stands as the cosmic center. Upon this mountain lie the Seven-Jeweled City, Seven-Jeweled Palace, and Seven-Jeweled Mystic Terrace, where Seven-Jeweled Trees grow naturally—each tree's canopy alone can cover the entire celestial realm. In each of the eight directions exist over five hundred million layers of heaven and earth, an inconceivably vast number.

Other classics supplement further details about these sacred abodes: The Supreme Lord of the Dao cultivated his practice at Floating Summit of Western Yucha Mountain, seated beneath the Seven-Jeweled Qian Tree in deep contemplation; upon Celestial Summit Mountain in the Wanli City realm stands a nine-tiered terrace of seven jewels, where Lao Jun manifests in nine-colored radiance; in the highest heavens exist paradisiacal dwellings like the Golden Rampart Lodge; and the Celestial Venerable transmits sacred texts to deliver sentient beings at holy sites such as the Southern Cinnabar Cavern Solar Upper Observatory and the Bound Knot Cavern Numinous Observatory.

Together, these descriptions construct a richly layered, brilliantly luminous vision of the sacred cosmos, showcasing Daoism's imaginative conception of transcendent realms.

The Scripture of Pure Lands records that the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning (the supreme deity in Daoism) proclaimed: In the Pure Lands of the Ten Directions, every Buddha-realm has established various sacred Daoist temples. These include twelve types of temples: the Floating Cloud Temple, the Great Dao Temple, the Longevity Offering Temple, the Myriad Longevity Temple, the Flourishing Joy Temple, the Expansive Dao Temple, the Ultimate Truth Temple, the Flourishing Nation Temple, the Sage Awakening Temple, the Spirit Gathering Temple, the Blessing Recommending Temple, and the Dao-Virtue Temple.

The Supreme Scripture for Resolving Doubts describes how the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning once expounded the profound truths of the Dao together with the Supreme Lord of the Dao (an important Daoist deity) atop the layered terraces of the Harmonious Dawn Numinous Hall.

The Scripture of the Primordial Beginning's Transformations recounts that the Supreme Celestial Worthy, following the decree of the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning, descended to the Crimson Radiance Realm among the Ten Directions. In the Seven-Jeweled Hall of the Vermilion Sun Upper Temple, he extensively spread compassionate teachings to guide sentient beings.

The Scripture of Jade Characters, Lower Volume documents that the Great Numinous Hall resides in the Brahmā Heaven (one of the Thirty-Six Heavens of Daoism), the Temple of Governing Spirits is in the Primordial Cavern Heaven, the Cavernous Yang Temple is in the Harmonious Yang Heaven, the Strong Numinous Temple is in the Northern Radiance Heaven, and the Purple Yang Temple is in the Literary Ascension Heaven. Each of these celestial temples fulfills its own sacred function.

The Scripture of True Writings, Lower Volume mentions that the Primordial Yang Temple is located at the Cinnabar Numinous Abode of the Southern Supreme Emperor. On the twenty-third day of every month, Laozi (the founding figure of Daoism) conducts examinations here to assess the blessings, prosperity, and longevity of beings in both the celestial and human realms.

The Scripture of the Cavern of Truth describes that west of Mount Kunlun lies the Nine Numinous Halls, where the Queen Mother of the West (the foremost female immortal) and numerous perfected female immortals roam and cultivate. The Supreme Subtlety Temple is the abode of the Celestial Emperor of Supreme Subtlety, the Plain Numinous Temple is where the Golden Mother of the Nine Numinouses and the Three Primordial Ladies of Great Simplicity reside, the Clear Subtlety Temple is where the Primordial Heavenly King gathers the soaring primordial Qi (vital energy) and extols the Three Heavens, while the Moonlit Temple is where the Primordial Heavenly King transmits the Imperial Register of the Sage Kings.

The Scripture of the Spiritual Treasure’s Renunciation and Causality states that under the following circumstances, it is imperative to establish Daoist temples and guide sentient beings: when the movements of heaven, earth, sun, and moon become irregular; when the seasons are disordered and Yin-Yang is imbalanced; when war and calamities cause heavy casualties; when plagues spread and the people suffer; when rulers face disasters; when nations are on the brink of collapse amid widespread conflict; when new sovereigns ascend to govern the populace; when the world is in turmoil and the land unstable; or when children are born under afflictions and misfortunes. Whenever ominous signs and calamities arise, they should be resolved through the establishment of Daoist temples.

This scripture primarily discusses three key aspects:

First, it emphasizes the importance of establishing Daoist temples (places for Daoist practice) and delivering salvation to humanity. Whether for one's parents, oneself, spouse and children, subjects, ancestors, or for both the living and deceased—even to liberate souls from the hell realms (the "three paths" referring to the realms of hell-dwellers, hungry ghosts, and animals)—one should establish Daoist temples to deliver all beings. Such acts can eliminate natural disasters, stabilize the nation's fortune, protect emperors, dispel calamities, and liberate sentient beings, bringing blessings to both the living and dead. This merit is profoundly vast, enabling all people to find spiritual refuge.

Next, it recounts the origins of Louguan (a famous Daoist sacred site). Louguan was originally the residence of Yin Xi (styled Gongzhang, from Tianshui) during King Kang of Zhou's reign. Yin Xi, a man of extraordinary bearing, built a thatched tower here to observe celestial phenomena. When King Kang learned of this, he constructed a compound for him. Because Yin Xi frequently observed the heavens from this tower, the place became known as "Louguan" (Observation Tower).

Finally, it provides detailed descriptions of various forms of Daoist sacred sites. Whether in the Three Pure Heavens (residences of the Three Pure Ones: Yuqing, Shangqing, and Taiqing), the Ten Continents and Five Sacred Peaks, or the Grotto-Heavens and Blissful Lands, all are inhabited by sages. These sacred sites may be naturally formed, divinely created, or constructed over long periods. Places like the immortal mountains Penglai and Fangzhang, or the jade towers and golden palaces in heaven, all bear traces of the Celestial Worthy's (the highest Daoist deity) manifestations. When establishing Daoist temples, six suitable locations should be chosen: mountains, city walls, palace compounds, villages, secluded spots, or populated areas—all requiring support from emperors and ministers to arrange for Daoist priests (including female Daoists known as nüguan) to reside and maintain them.

Additional note: In celestial realms above the Four Brahma Heavens (the four higher levels among Daoism's Twenty-Eight Heavens), clothing is spontaneously formed from sublime qi, radiating nine-colored jeweled light. All things can transform according to their environment, with radiance illuminating both near and far.

This scripture depicts two principal scenes: the wondrous manifestations of nature, and the sacred Daoist monastic initiation ceremony.

The first part describes the miraculous phenomena of the Dao's natural workings. All things are spontaneously transformed from nine-colored radiance—dragons soar, phoenixes dance, mountains and rivers shift in endless transformations. Whether city structures, plants and animals, or ritual implements, all appear according to karmic conditions without fixed forms, manifesting and disappearing spontaneously. In the colorless celestial realm, the immortal sages' attire—their soaring cloud crowns, seamless nine-colored capes, emerald dragon robes—along with celestial palaces, chariots, fruits, and music, all emerge naturally in response to their thoughts.

The second part records a significant ceremony from the Lingbao Monastic Origins Scripture. On the fifteenth day of the seventh month during the Kaihuang era, the Supreme Dao at the Three Brilliance Altar of the Vermilion Yang Upper Temple in the Red Illumination Kingdom (a Daoist paradise) transmitted to the Limitless Celestial Worthy 13,500 volumes of the Three Caverns (Dongzhen/Dongxuan/Dongshen) Mahayana scriptures and 7,000 talismanic diagrams. At that time, 20,000 kings with their consorts, ministers, and subjects—men and women alike—vowed to cultivate the Dao. They bowed to the Celestial Worthy, renounced their kingdoms and families, pledged to enter monastic life, venerated the Three Caverns scriptures, and accumulated merit for future rebirths.

The Celestial Worthy commanded the Nine Earthly True Officials (immortal administrators of the terrestrial realm) to prepare the ritual platform, while the Four Heavenly Guardian Kings arranged the registers for immortal ordination, and the Three Heavenly True Kings bestowed certifications. The scene was filled with scattered flowers and incense, fluttering banners, resonating bells and chimes, and celestial music from ten thousand sources. The Celestial Worthy further instructed the Jade Purity High Sage (a senior immortal official) to confer monastic precepts and ceremonial protocols upon these kings, while the Four Guardian Kings robed them in ritual garments.

The scripture details the offerings for monastic cultivation: halls and pavilions, oil lamps and candles, ritual bells and implements, along with myriad fruits, delicacies, and rare treasures presented by celestial immortals and the populace. Additionally, the treasury's seven jewels, pearls, silks, robes, bedding, incense burners, dust whisks, ruyi scepters, alms bowls, sitting mats, and bathing vessels were all dedicated to sustaining the practitioners.

This scripture primarily discusses the requirements for supporting ordained Daoist priests, the cultivation principles for practitioners, and the extraordinary merits of monastic life.

It first mentions the need to provide newly ordained individuals with seven types of pure cloth (including ritual towels), attendants, carriages, gardens, residences, orchards, bamboo groves, and various material offerings. A true Daoist priest is one who remains wholly dedicated to spiritual cultivation whether walking, standing, sitting, lying down, or engaging in mental activities. This manifests through observing vegetarian fasts and precepts, performing prostrations and scripture recitation, offering incense and flowers, lighting repentance lamps, practicing charity and making vows, expounding scriptures and teachings, guiding sentient beings to awaken the bodhi mind, cultivating extensive merits, always prioritizing others before oneself, and remaining undisturbed by worldly affairs.

The text then employs striking contrasts to emphasize the exalted status of monastics: better to flay five hundred skins than damage one ritual robe; preferable to kill ten thousand ordinary people than harm one ordained practitioner; wiser to confront three thousand wild beasts than offend a monastic. This is because ordained practitioners are disciples of the Celestial Worthy (Tianzun), serving as bridges for transmitting the teachings and maintaining the crucial matters of life and death.

A special point is made that whether emperors, generals, ministers, or commoners, anyone who resolves to take monastic vows not only elevates nine generations of ancestors to heaven but also spares seven generations of descendants from hell. Those who persuade others to ordain gain 1,500 years of longevity per convert; persuading three or more ensures celestial immortality, with present-life abundance and infinite future blessings.

Finally, Daoist priests are classified into seven grades: the highest being Celestial Truth Priests (united with nature, internally and externally pure), followed by Divine Immortal Priests (capable of transformation and transcendence), Reclusive Wanderer Priests (concealing their light, dwelling beyond worldly concerns), and Mountain-Dwelling Priests (cultivating in seclusion with wisdom and virtue). Though their spiritual attainments differ, all qualify as Daoist practitioners.

(Note: The term "Mahayana" reflects Daoist borrowing of Buddhist terminology; "calculated lifespan" refers to longevity reckoning; "withdrawn and silent retreat" denotes hermitic cultivation methods)

This passage describes six distinct types of Daoist practitioners. First, it explains the meanings of "the fifth being ordained" and "the sixth being lay practitioners": Those who choose ordained life must renounce all worldly attachments and desires, distancing themselves from mundane clamor; while lay practitioners harmoniously coexist with secular society while maintaining inner virtue (De) and embracing the Dao.

The discussion then focuses on "libationer priests" (Jijiu daoshi, senior priests responsible for rituals in ancient Daoism), who humble themselves to deliver sentient beings from suffering, thereby earning reverence from all creatures between heaven and earth. These individuals neither bow to emperors nor pay homage to nobility, for they cultivate blessings transcending the Three Realms (Desire Realm, Form Realm, and Formless Realm), receiving offerings from beings across all realms. How is this possible? Because they follow Daoist teachings, wear priestly robes, uphold scriptural precepts, and guide sentient beings—enabling past, present, and future generations to permanently escape sorrow and enter eternal bliss.

The scripture Sandong Fengdao Kejie (Code and Precepts for Worshipping the Dao According to the Three Caverns) classifies priests into six ranks, all representing practitioners who transcend the mundane:

The first rank comprises "Celestial Truth Priests" (Tianzhen daoshi), who unite with the Dao and comprehend all phenomena with wisdom, like the legendary ancient sage Gaoxuan Huangren. The second rank includes "Immortal Priests" (Shenxian daoshi), who through accumulated merits across lifetimes gain shapeshifting abilities and celestial flight, exemplified by adepts like Du Chong and Yin Gui. The third rank consists of "Mountain-Dwelling Priests" (Shanju daoshi), who cultivate purity and simplicity in seclusion, following the model of ancient hermits Xu You and Chao Fu.

The fourth rank contains "Ordained Priests" (Chujia daoshi), who abandon worldly entanglements, transcend material desires, and attain spiritual freedom, like practitioners Song Lun and Peng Chen. The fifth rank involves "Lay Priests" (Zaijia daoshi), who mingle in society while keeping their hearts aligned with the Dao, exemplified by recluses like Huang Qiong and Jian Keng. The sixth rank features "Libationer Priests" (Jijiu daoshi), who embody compassion, skillfully teach sentient beings, and temper harshness, like Li Dong—a "teacher of a thousand households" who instructed numerous disciples.

They are called "priests" (daoshi) precisely because they abstain from worldly affairs to concentrate on cultivating the Dao. These practitioners all follow Daoist liturgical traditions, maintaining hearts and conduct distinct from ordinary people. They propagate profound teachings and preserve ancient customs—hence their refusal to bow to nobility, offering only ceremonial salutes even to emperors.

This scripture primarily addresses two aspects: the social status and behavioral norms of Daoist priests, and the regulations governing ritual attire for priests of different ranks.

First, it outlines the conduct expected of ordained Daoists: they should demonstrate loyalty and proper etiquette toward rulers, while maintaining respectful decorum when interacting with ministers, nobles, and officials—never currying favor with the powerful or chasing fame and fortune. Violators would have 360 days deducted from their predetermined lifespan (Daoism holds that each person has a fixed "allotted lifespan").

The text then traces the historical origins of Daoist priests' status: King Mu of Zhou revered the teachings of Huang-Lao (the Yellow Emperor and Laozi). Upon hearing of the virtuous immortal Du Chong, he honored him as teacher, established monasteries to receive recluses, and initiated Daoist traditions. These practitioners matched the virtue of ancient sages like Chao Fu and Xu You (legendary paragons of eremitism), so emperors treated them with ceremonial respect rather than as subjects, while feudal lords honored them without conferring official titles. Subsequent rulers—including King Ping of Zhou, King Zhao and King Zhuang of Qin, Emperor Wen and Emperor Wu of Han, and Emperor Wu of Jin—each ordained varying numbers of Daoist priests.

The second section details the ritual vestments for different priestly ranks:

• Zhengyi (Orthodox Unity) masters: black caps, yellow lower garments, and dark red ritual robes with 24 pleats
• Gaoxuan masters: black caps, yellow lower garments with 28 pleats
• Dongshen (Cavern Spirit) masters: black caps, yellow lower garments, and blue-green robes with 32 pleats
• Dongxuan (Cavern Mystery) masters: lotus crowns and yellow robes with 32 pleats
• Dongzhen (Cavern Perfection) masters: Yuanshi (Primordial Beginning) crowns, blue-green skirts, and purple outer robes (with blue-green lining)—24 pleats for outer garments, 15 for linings
• Dadong (Great Cavern) masters: Yuanshi crowns, yellow skirts, purple robes, and Shangqing-style five-colored cloud mantles
• Sandong (Three Caverns) lecturers: Yuanshi crowns, yellow robes, and nine-colored cloud mantles

The scripture emphasizes that priests—male or female—who don't wear the prescribed attire may not casually handle precious scriptures. Each type of ritual garment has divine protectors: from the five guardian warriors of Zhengyi robes to the twelve jade attendants of the highest Sandong vestments. Those who violate dress codes will find these protective spirits withdrawing, incurring a 2,400-day lifespan penalty from the underworld authorities.

This scripture primarily addresses the dress code for Daoist priests and presents the cosmological worldview and pedagogical history of Daoism.

Regarding priestly attire: Female Daoist practitioners (daonü) must prepare ritual robes before participating in scripture recitation ceremonies. After completing purification rites (zhaijiao) and transmission rituals, they must don formal vestments, hold bamboo tablets, announce their name and rank, bow to their master, and pay homage to the Supreme Venerable Sovereign (Taishang Laojun). Those who violate these regulations will not receive protection from guardian deities, their souls will be examined by the Five Directional Heavenly Emperors, and they will forfeit 1,200 days of lifespan.

The Zhengyi Jing (Orthodox Unity Scripture) records Taishang Laojun's teaching that Daoist ritual garments comprise seven distinct types corresponding to different cultivation stages and schools:

1. Novices wear flat caps with yellow cloaks

2. Zhengyi (Orthodox Unity) practitioners don lotus-shaped dark crowns with yellow skirts and deep red coarse robes

3. The Daode (Dao-Virtue) school wears yellow coarse robes with black headscarves

4. The Dongshen (Cavern Spirit) tradition wears black crowns with indigo coarse robes

5. Dongxuan (Cavern Mystery) practitioners wear yellow coarse robes with black crowns, paired with yellow skirts and lotus-patterned coronets

6. Dongzhen (Cavern Perfection) adepts wear purple cloaks (lined with indigo) and lotus jeweled crowns; female priests wear purple gauze robes with "flying phoenix qi" crowns

7. Three Caverns lecturers wear Shangqing (Highest Clarity) attire supplemented with nine-colored cloud-and-mountain patterned cloaks, Primordial Beginning jeweled crowns, jade rings, ceremonial tablets, and lion-embroidered shoes

Concerning cosmology: Through the Celestial Worthy's discourse with Lord Daojun, the scripture depicts the cyclical history of the cosmos. During the Dragon Han era, the Celestial Worthy manifested in formless embodiment to instruct beings—when heaven/earth, sun/moon, male/female, and life/death existed as fundamental patterns, yet lacked ritual norms and material necessities. Through Daoist teachings, people gradually awakened, with devotees attaining longevity.

Following cosmic dissolution and renewal during the Extended Peace era's chaos, the Crimson Luminary period saw celestial restoration. The Celestial Worthy reappeared as "Sovereign Without Name," instructing celestial beings through Lingbao (Numinous Treasure) scriptures. Devout men and women observing precepts achieved perfection—those incomplete still gained longevity, ascending posthumously to paradise before ultimate transcendence.

After another cosmic cycle through Five Kalpas of chaos until the Inaugural Epoch's Lingbao resurgence, this passage reveals Daoism's kalpic cyclical cosmology and its core belief in universal transcendence through spiritual instruction.

The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning (the supreme deity of Daoism) manifested amidst the azure yang qi of the cosmic dawn, establishing the teachings of Daoism, creating the celestial realms, widely disseminating scriptures, and guiding deluded beings to return to the true Dao. At that time, five-colored divine light radiated from the Worthy's mouth, illuminating all heavenly realms and distant lands, while simultaneously manifesting millions of emanations. Both men and women could behold the Worthy appearing within this radiant light. According to regional circumstances, the Worthy transmitted the "Five Authentic Texts of Numinous Treasure" and ten major scriptures, establishing precepts to instruct devotees.

People from all regions came bearing countless precious offerings—gold, silver, brocades, colored silks, jewels—to pay homage and receive the Worthy's teachings. The Worthy distributed all offerings to the poor, eliminating disparities between rich and poor so that all were equal and without resentment. Those whose virtuous deeds had previously earned them a place in the celestial registers gained the ability to ascend to the heavens, while initiates universally attained longevity of thirty-six thousand years. Yet by the first year of the Shanghuang era, celestial beings gradually grew lax, and the true Dao declined.

The Celestial Worthy prophesied that after his departure, in the distant future spanning half a kalpa (an immeasurably long time), men and women would corrupt their innate nature, disrespect scriptures, invent heretical methods, defile heaven and earth, indulge in sensual desires, and ultimately fall into the hellish realms, suffering in the cycle of rebirth. This scripture is now expounded precisely to deliver those who still retain virtuous hearts.

The Kuodizhi records that when Laozi journeyed west to convert the Hu people, he first arrived in the kingdom of Khotan. The king asked, "Who is this elder?" Laozi declared himself to be the Buddha. The king inquired, "If you claim to be the Buddha, what merits do you possess?" Laozi then expounded the Scripture of the Buddha to instruct the Hu people.

Huangfu Mi's Biographies of Eminent Men records that Yin Xi accompanied Laozi westward to the lands of the Rong tribes, crossing deserts to spread Daoism, composing the Scripture of the Buddha, before ultimately disappearing without a trace.

The Scripture of Golden Mysteries and Feathered Chapters records that the later sage, the Ninefold Mysterious Golden Tower Emperor (a high-ranking immortal), once descended to serve as the royal preceptor of the Zhou dynasty under the name Laozi, transmitting the secret method of the "Hidden Texts of the Eight Heavens" to King You of Zhou.

Laozi claimed to have mastered the cosmic laws of natural operation, transcending the Qi (vital energy) cycles of the Five Directional Emperors (the Green Emperor of the East, Red Emperor of the South, Yellow Emperor of the Center, White Emperor of the West, and Black Emperor of the North), and capable of harmonizing the principles of Yin-Yang transformation. He did not endorse the prevalent astrological and divination practices of his time. Foreseeing the decline of the Zhou dynasty, he departed with sacred texts to establish the Daoist tradition and teach humanity.

At Hangu Pass, he encountered Yin Xi (a key figure in Daoism), the guardian of the pass. As Laozi began to expound the Dao, mysterious scriptures flowed naturally from his mouth, transmitted to Yin Xi. Following their covenant, Yin Xi reverently received these teachings and later obtained the Eight Scenes Cloud Chariot (a celestial vehicle used by Daoist immortals), journeying with Laozi through the eight directions to cultivate body and mind in the Great Void (the cosmic origin). Laozi manifested seventy-two auspicious light-auras above his head, his form shifting in accordance with the Dao, until he finally ascended through the eight celestial realms. Such supreme Daoist methods are profoundly mystical and beyond verbal description. Later practitioners who fail to receive authentic transmission should neither fruitlessly ponder them nor exhaust themselves in secluded mountain retreats.

The Qusu Jueci Jing (Scripture of Winding Simplicity’s Decisive Words) records: The Nine Heavens Phoenix Scripts (sacred texts) are all condensed from the natural Qi of the Nine Heavens. These numinous writings manifest extraordinary signs in the void and, after enduring ninety thousand kalpas (cosmic cycles), were received by the Elder of Mysterious Metropolis (a high-ranking celestial official) from the cosmos and later transmitted to the Great Supreme Dao Lord (a high deity).

The Lingbao Lingshu Jing (Numinous Treasure’s Numinous Writings Scripture) states: The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning (the supreme deity) declared that, having observed all celestial realms from countless kalpas to the present, every supreme immortal of the Three Pure Realms (Jade Clarity, Upper Clarity, and Great Clarity), the Nine Palaces’ celestial officials, and the transcendent immortals of the Five Sacred Peaks attained liberation and realized the true Dao through the methods of the Lingbao scriptures.

The Lingbao Jinlu Jianwen Sanyuan Weiyi Ziran Zhenjing (Numinous Treasure’s Golden Register, Simple Texts, and Three Primes’ Dignified Rites of Spontaneous Truth Scripture) recounts: During the first year of the Shanghuang era, on the first day of the ninth month, when the Great Supreme Dao Lord journeyed to the Dragon-Rising Mountain in the Western Jade Kingdom, the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning suddenly descended on emerald-hued clouds. Phoenixes sang to herald his arrival, followed by celestial harmonies, while the Five Directional Elder Lords (five high-ranking immortals) paved the way, accompanied by the Supreme Ultimate’s immortal chariot and a host of perfected beings. At that moment, the skies cleared, the sun and moon paused, all beings were freed from the five sufferings (birth, aging, sickness, death, and separation), and the long night of samsara was dispelled—mountains and streams flattened within a single day and night.

The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning told the Great Supreme Dao Lord: "Today, we gather here to transcend the kalpic cycles—such joy is beyond words, the fruit of accumulated virtue and profound karmic affinity across lifetimes. Due to your unwavering devotion to the Great Dao, you have earned the title 'Exalted Sovereign' and the divine office of 'Great Supreme.' Yet as we celebrate, we grieve for future beings who will lack guidance." Thereupon, the Great Supreme Dao Lord rose, bowed, and entreated the Celestial Worthy to compassionately reveal teachings yet unheard.

The Celestial Venerable replied that the profound path of ascension recorded in the Dadong Zhenjing (Great Cavern True Scripture) can elevate the souls of seven generations of ancestors, bringing blessings to the entire family lineage. The Lingbao Dacheng Jing (Numinous Treasure Great Vehicle Scripture) universally delivers all beings in heaven and earth, bestowing grace upon both the living and the deceased. Those celestial scripts containing the profound mysteries of heaven and earth possess wondrous efficacy to commune with the divine and inspire spiritual resonance. The natural celestial writings within the Three Caverns (Dongzhen, Dongxuan, Dongshen) scriptures are all gateways to assist practitioners in ascending to the mysterious realms. Those who cultivate these scriptures can ride dragon chariots to ascend in broad daylight; those who devoutly venerate them may be spared from all calamities, with seven generations of ancestors ascending to heaven; those who encounter these scriptures and sincerely believe in them will forge auspicious karmic connections across lifetimes.

The Celestial Venerable addressed the Dao Lord, saying: "You now bear the great responsibility of teaching beings across the three realms. You must select individuals of profound wisdom, instructing them in the Three Vehicles (Great, Middle, and Small) of the Dao according to celestial protocols, so that all who aspire to the Dao may attain immortality. I now transmit to you the Lingbao Jinlu Jianwen (Numinous Treasure Golden Register Script), Sanyuan Weiyi (Three Primordials Dignified Ceremonies), and Ziran Zhenjing (Spontaneous True Scripture). These methods are supremely profound and must not be lightly disclosed." The Dao Lord reverently bowed and solemnly received the Celestial Venerable’s admonition.

At this moment, the Celestial Venerable commanded the Jade Attendant of Scripture Transmission (a celestial immortal overseeing scriptures) to stand at the left, while the Marshal of Ritual Supervision (a divine general overseeing transmission ceremonies) took position on the right. The Nine Heavens True King waved a nine-colored banner, circling three times as all celestial deities bore witness to this sacred transmission. The Dao Lord knelt facing south, while the Celestial Venerable stood facing north. The Jade Attendant of Scripture Transmission proclaimed the sacred liturgy, and the Marshal of Ritual Supervision guided the proceedings, holding the scriptures aloft. The Dao Lord performed nine prostrations, rising and bowing three times, and with utmost reverence received the Weiyi Ziran Zhenjing (Dignified Ceremonies of Spontaneous Truth).

The Yuanshi Chishu Zhenwen Shangjing (Primordial Red Script True Text Upper Scripture) records: At that time, the Great Lord of the Dao, the Jade Emperor, the Ten Directions’ Supreme True Sages, the great celestial saints, and the Perfected of Wondrous Practice, leading the Five Thearchs of the Directions and a host of divine immortals, were accompanied by sacred beasts such as the Mulberry Forest Thousand Perfected, lions, white cranes, tigers, leopards, dragons, and qilin. Celestial maidens scattered blossoms, golden boys wafted incense, the Five Elders (essences of the Five Phases) cleared the path ahead, and the gates of the Three Realms (Desire, Form, and Formless) opened wide. The immortals lingered upon the clouded path, summoning deities from all ten directions to journey together to the Supreme Clarity realm’s Great Mysterious Jade Capital, arriving at the Cold Numinous Cinnabar Hall and the Purple Tenuity Upper Palace. Clad in celestial feathered robes, they gathered beneath the golden palace of the Primordial Celestial Venerable, beseeching the transmission of the Yuanshi Lingbao Chishu Wupian Zhenwen (Primordial Numinous Treasure Red Script Five Sections of True Text).

Thereupon, the Primordial Celestial Venerable guided the assembly into the Jade Treasure Hall of the Great Void Golden Terrace, where a radiance of nine colors illuminated the chamber. Nine million numinous youths and jade maidens stood in attendance. Flying dragons and fierce beasts guarded the eight directions, while serpents danced with swords and tusked beings struck bells. Divine tigers roared toward the heavens, lions murmured softly, qilin danced, phoenixes harmonized—their songs serene and resonant. Celestial music played, banners unfurled, and the sound of jade chimes echoed through the clouds. The Five Elders of Supreme Sanctity and the Great Lord of the Dao all bowed in reverence.

This scripture recounts the sacred moment when the supreme deities of Daoism transmitted their profound teachings. The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning (Yuanshi Tianzun), the highest divinity in Daoism, convened the Five Directional Thearchs during the cosmic dawn to establish the laws of Yin-Yang. The Supreme Lord of the Great Dao (Taishang Dadaojun), another principal deity, persistently sought guidance until Yuanshi Tianzun finally resolved to bestow upon him the precious Five Authentic Scriptures of Numinous Treasure (Lingbao Wupian Zhenwen). However, it was decreed that these scriptures would initially circulate only among celestial realms, not to be lightly transmitted to the mortal world.

The text vividly depicts the solemn ceremony of transmission: Yuanshi Tianzun drew forth the radiant scriptures, glowing with nine lights and eight colors, from a brocade cloud-pouch, entrusting them to Taishang Dadaojun, the Jade Emperor (Yudi), and various Perfected Ones (Zhenren). Strict protocols were established for disseminating these sacred texts according to rigorous transmission guidelines.

The Daoist immortal Zheng Siyuan recounted his master's instructions: the Supreme Truth Scriptures of the Three Caverns of Shangqing (Shangqing Sandong Taizhen Daojing) were to be divided into three portions—one sealed within sacred mountain grottoes, one transmitted to qualified disciples, and one preserved for future generations of the lineage. He emphasized that these scriptures must never be casually imparted; suitable recipients had to be carefully chosen, and if none proved worthy, the texts should instead be concealed within the Five Sacred Mountains (Wuyue).

Finally, the scripture reveals that the Five Primordial Elders (Yuanshi Wulao)—five supreme deities—did not attain perfection through ordinary cultivation. Instead, they deliberately incarnated in human form or underwent trials by water and fire to instruct humanity. These beings reincarnate across ages, guiding practitioners to comprehend the Dao (the Way) progressively from fundamental to profound levels, exhorting all seekers to cultivate with diligence and sincerity. Such divine manifestations adapt to worldly changes, employing myriad circumstances to awaken Daoist aspirants.

This scripture primarily elucidates the path to Daoist immortality and essential cultivation methods. The "Four Extremity Perfected Ones" (Siji Zhenren), "Immortal Dukes and Kings" (Xiangong Xianwang), along with countless celestial beings like flying immortals, divine immortals, and earthly immortals dwelling within the Five Sacred Mountains and Nine Palaces—all achieved their status through accumulated merit in post-natal cultivation.

There are several pathways to immortal attainment: Some are naturally inclined toward Daoist practice from birth, establishing great virtuous deeds, widely bestowing kindness, and upholding precepts until their fame reaches the celestial courts to become Perfected Ones. Others reap the fruits of blessings accumulated in past lives, attaining immortality through karmic connections in this existence. Still others achieve it through venerating the Three Treasures (Dao, scriptures, and masters)—some ascending to the void in this very life, while others receive blessings in future incarnations. Some are reborn into noble or royal families, while others attain gradual immortality through "corpse liberation" (Shijie, feigned death transformation). All these achievements correspond precisely to the measure of one's accumulated merit, without the slightest discrepancy.

The Dongshen Jing (Scripture of the Cavern of Spirit) states that novice practitioners with insufficient capacity may suffer harm from knowing too much, while indolence invites calamity. A skilled teacher instructs disciples according to their innate capacities. Cultivation must progress step by step—scriptures and methods should be studied sequentially until merit reaches completion, when natural comprehension will follow.

Three essential cultivation principles are outlined:

First is "Cause" (Yin): Recognizing the indestructibility of spiritual nature through cycles of rebirth, understanding that life, death, suffering, and joy are all transient. Those who grasp this truth neither resent heaven nor blame others, facing all experiences with equanimity.

Second is "Condition" (Yuan): Aligning with the laws of karma, maintaining harmony in human interactions—neither harming others' interests nor being misled by external temptations, thus benefiting both self and others without generating deluded thoughts.

Third is "Diligence" (Qin): Practicing careful speech and conduct, strictly disciplining body and mind, seeking guidance with humility, nurturing virtuous connections while severing negative causes, maintaining correct views, and advancing unwaveringly. By liberating others, one perfects oneself, ultimately transcending the mundane to enter sagehood.

The Laozi Dejing (Classic of Virtue) states: Those of superior capacity diligently practice the Dao upon hearing it. An individual's cultivation achieves genuine Virtue (De); a household's cultivation overflows with virtuous blessings; a village's cultivation sustains enduring Virtue; a nation's cultivation brings abundant Virtue; universal cultivation spreads Virtue everywhere.

The Yujing Shan Jing (Scripture of Jade Capital Mountain) teaches: Daoist practice begins with purification rituals (Zhaijie), accumulating merit to form immortal karmic connections, ultimately enabling ascension to the supreme void. It further states: Continuous study leads to Perfected One status, while serene equanimity harmonizes Qi (vital energy) and blood, granting longevity surpassing ten thousand years.

The Scripture of Peaceful Aspiration states that the most crucial aspect of cultivating immortality is seizing time for practice while observing precepts to restrain desires. Great sages take scriptural precepts as their joy, treating these disciplines as precious treasures that safeguard their being. Yet ordinary people often regret beginning their studies too late, constantly lamenting their delayed awakening. When they finally open the scriptures to delve into profound principles, they suddenly realize they've grown old—clutching the sacred texts with profound emotion, only feeling anguish when death approaches. Therefore, I renounced worldly affairs in my youth to devote myself wholly to studying the Dao.

The Scripture of Laozi's Western Ascent records Laozi's teaching: "Supreme wisdom cannot be attained through personal effort alone—it requires karmic affinity accumulated from past lives. Each person's destiny and spiritual rank are connected to their previous cultivation. Only those in harmony with the Dao can attain it; virtuous individuals all possess foundations laid in former existences. If one neglected diligent study in past lives, this present life will again miss the opportunity. Without guidance from an enlightened teacher, how can cultivation doubts be resolved? The Great Dao appears subtle as a hair's breadth—who can fully comprehend it? Since the separation of heaven and earth, worldly changes have been as countless as Ganges' sands, with kalpas (cosmic cycles) passing beyond measure." I realized true learning means relinquishing attachments and following nature's flow. Do not measure the Great Dao with worldly concepts—transcend form to perceive its essence.

The Lower Scripture of Jade Characters records the Celestial Sovereign (a high-ranking Daoist immortal) paying homage to the Heavenly Venerable before declaring: "Since following the revolutions of sun and moon through endless rebirths, alternating between light and darkness, cycling through life and death, this body has continuously undergone formation, abiding, decay and emptiness. Having traversed heaven and earth, witnessing the transformations of radiance, such mysteries defy imagination. Since the Dragon Han Kalpa (a Daoist cosmic cycle), ninety-nine million nine hundred thousand kalpas have passed, with causes and effects perpetuating endlessly. I've been reborn in royal households and impoverished families; lived as privileged nobility and destitute commoners; received veneration and served as menials; endured manifold illnesses while also attaining wisdom's illumination, yet experienced foolish obscurity too. After tasting life's myriad conditions, through accumulated virtue across lifetimes—preserving scriptures, amassing good karma, and making sincere vows—my merit became complete. Recognized by the Three Realms (Desire, Form, and Formless Realms) and approved by the Five Directional Emperors, I now ride a jeweled chariot on auspicious clouds, ascending in daylight by the Heavenly Venerable's compassionate guidance. This decaying form transcends the Three Realms to join the ranks of immortals. The joy of serving before the Heavenly Venerable today is beyond words."

The Supreme Scripture of Karmic Retribution and Causality records the Most High Lord Lao (Taishang Laojun) instructing the Universal Salvation Perfected Being (Puji Zhenren): "During the Red Brilliance Kalpa's dawn, I once dwelled by the Fire Refinement Pool at the Solar Radiance Abbey on Southern Cinnabar Cavern's Floating Mountain..."

The Celestial Venerable of Primordial Beginning (Yuanshi Tianzun, the supreme deity in Daoism) expounded the scriptures and teachings at a grand Dharma assembly, delivering universal salvation to all beings across the celestial realms. At that time, the Four Great Brahma Kings, accompanied by countless retinues and people from various nations, reverently approached with incense and flowers to listen to the Dharma, each taking their place according to their designated directions. Responding to this auspicious occasion, Yuanshi Tianzun emitted ten rays of propitious light from between his brows, illuminating the infinite worlds in all ten directions, enabling all beings to hear the sacred teachings.

The assembly was arranged with utmost solemnity: in the east, ten Dharma platforms were adorned with a hundred kinds of precious jewels; in the south, ten platforms were embellished with ten thousand treasures; in the west, ten platforms were decorated with the seven precious gems; and in the north, ten platforms were adorned with five-colored jewels. In the northeast, ten platforms were entirely embellished with green jade; in the southeast, they were adorned with rubies; in the southwest, with bluish-white jade; and in the northwest, with various precious treasures. Above, ten platforms in the upper realms were adorned with countless treasures, while below, ten platforms in the lower realms were decorated with yellow jade. The entire assembly was further illuminated by tens of thousands of golden lamps and a thousand exquisite candles, their radiance intermingling, while all the majestic Dharma seats from the ten celestial realms shone with brilliance, lighting up the heavens and the earth.

The Lingbao Scripture on the Causes and Conditions of Renunciation records that reciting scriptures, making reverent offerings of incense, observing fasting and precepts, and constructing precious seats to invite masters to expound the Mahayana teachings—these virtuous deeds plant the seeds of merit (accumulating blessings) for kings, ministers, and others across three lifetimes. The Lingbao Ling Shu Jing states that the Ninefold Hall of Blessings in the Southern Crimson Palace (a divine abode) is a sacred site where the Lingbao scriptures are venerated and fasting and precepts are upheld. This scripture is supreme and unsurpassed, capable of delivering countless beings to salvation. Even when the heavens and earth crumble, the four seas dry up, gold and jade dissolve, and the myriad paths perish in the great kalpa (cosmic cycle), this scripture alone remains indestructible.

Other arts and techniques, miscellaneous and mundane methods, are all bound to the Six Heavens of Desire (the six realms of the desire realm) and will vanish entirely when minor kalpas arrive. Though the talismanic registers and scriptures of the Great Peace (Taiping) tradition from the Taiqing realm may circulate within the eighteen heavens of the form realm, they too will perish when the great kalpa arrives. Only the supreme teachings of the Yuqing realm—including the Three Caverns (Dongzhen, Dongxuan, Dongshen) scriptures, the divine Tiger Script, and the Golden Book and Jade Characters of the Lingbao scriptures—originating from Yuanshi Tianzun and existing in the formless realms beyond the twenty-eight heavens, remain imperishable even through the great kalpa. The Dharma and scriptures shall never fade away.

These scriptures primarily expound on the preciousness and mystical nature of Daoist classics, as well as their preservation in both celestial and earthly realms.

The most supreme Daoist scriptures are stored upon the Seven-Jeweled Mystic Terrace of Mount Jade Capital in the Great Canopy Heaven (the highest celestial realm in Daoism), where they remain eternally free from calamity. The Scripture of Original Practice records that the ten sections of the Lingbao True Texts—profound scriptures—are secret canons treasured by Lord Lao (Laojun) and will not be fully transmitted to the mortal world. Some scriptures are also hidden within the Five Sacred Mountains, though none are complete. Only in the Western Chamber of Tortoise Mountain and the Southern Cavern of Mount Wangwu are the full celestial scriptures preserved. These scriptures are opened only once every ten thousand kalpas, and perhaps in the future, there may be a chance to glimpse them. Practitioners must pray with utmost sincerity, maintain prolonged fasting, and await the arrival of great fortune to receive the complete celestial rituals.

The Catalog of Eternal Scriptures records that the Three Caverns (Dongzhen, Dongxuan, Dongshen) and Thirty-Six Divisions of True Scriptures amount to 2,628,220 volumes, all secretly stored upon the Mystic Terraces of the Three Pure Realms (Jade Pure, Upper Pure, and Supreme Pure), as well as within the three celestial palaces: the Palace of Great Existence, the Purple Tenuity Palace, and the Supreme Ultimate Palace. These scriptures radiate brilliant light, and each location is attended by thirty million immortal youths and jade maidens who offer incense and scatter flowers in reverence.

The Chart of Concealed Jia for Opening Mountains records that Daoist scriptures are hidden within thirty-two famous mountain stone chambers. Among them, nineteen chambers contain 1,695,831 volumes of scriptures, six chambers hold 15,203 chapters (not counted by volume), another six chambers only list scripture titles without recording their volumes, and one chamber stores wondrous scriptures, rare diagrams, the decrees of the Yellow Emperor and Lord Lao, as well as priceless texts like the River Chart and Luo Writings, all beyond enumeration.

The Upper Clarity Scripture of the Primordial Record states that the Daoist teachings are divided into three vehicles—upper, middle, and lower—each containing twelve categories of precepts and scriptures, totaling thirty-six divisions. The Lingbao Scripture on the Causes of Leaving Home records that in the first year of the Kaihuang era, the Nameless Celestial Worthy transmitted 13,500 chapters of the supreme Three Caverns Great Vehicle scriptures and 7,000 talismanic diagrams.

The Scripture of Celestial Sounds describes how celestial texts suddenly appeared in the void, spanning ten feet square, their characters glowing with radiant light, their eight corners emitting brilliance so dazzling that none could gaze upon them directly. The Scripture of Grand Tenuity states that the Three Sovereigns of Celestial Truth concealed the writings of the Eightfold Assembly in Mount Weiyu, while the Celestial Emperor of Grand Tenuity also stored a set in Tortoise Mountain. The Scripture of the Three Sovereigns records that the natural writings of the Three Sovereigns were all crafted from gold and jade: the Celestial Sovereign used black jade for slips and green jade for characters, while the Earthly Sovereign used yellow jade for slips.

This passage describes the sacred form, divine origins, and significance of Daoist scriptures.

Regarding the scripture's binding: The finest white jade forms the bamboo-like slips, adorned with red and yellow jade ornaments, fastened with golden hooks and locks, resting on jade stands and covered with pearl-embroidered cloth. They are perfumed with five rare incenses and decorated with ten celestial flowers. Jade boys and girls stand attendance holding whisks, while true officials and immortal functionaries (Daoist divine bureaucrats) guard them. Mythical beasts like lions, qilin, and phoenixes ward off evil, with the Azure Dragon and White Tiger of the four directions standing sentinel, while the Six Jia and Six Ding (Daoist guardian deities) form protective circles around these sacred texts.

The Dongzhen Taixiao Langshu Miaojing records: The Purple Tenuity's Blazing Radiance Divine Mystery Transformation Scripture wasn't humanly composed but spontaneously manifested in the void. After seven thousand years of Qi condensation, its characters became visible. The Great Micro Heavenly Emperor Lord (a high-ranking Daoist deity) inscribed its chapter titles on purple jade slips and its main text on golden slips, ultimately naming it The Purple Tenuity's Blazing Radiance Divine Mystery Transformation Scripture.

The Supreme Most True Code Scripture states: The key to achieving immortality through cultivation lies in proper scripture study. The diagrams and precepts within scriptures must be absolutely accurate, requiring repeated collation and instruction. The celestial writings (referring to sacred scriptures) have corresponding texts from beginning to end, existing in vast quantities. Just within the human realm—from cosmogenesis to cosmic dissolution—the Central Plains preserve 123,000 scrolls, while each barbarian region keeps 84,000 scrolls. Beyond these are countless unrecorded scriptures.

From the Three Sovereigns era through the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties, the supreme Laozi served as teacher, carrying 13,000 scripture scrolls during his earthly teachings—all concerning Neidan (internal alchemy) practice. All true scriptures originally condensed as characters in the void, later transcribed and disseminated when holy masters descended. Initially written on jade tablets and gold foil with seven treasures, later generations switched to bamboo, wood, silk, and paper.

The complete scripture catalog resides in the Purple Tenuity Palace atop Mount Jade Capital in the Great Mysterious Metropolis (one of Daoism's highest heavens), from where regional scriptures are distributed. Though completeness varies locally, all can aid Dao-realization. Those possessing complete texts attain the Dao more easily, while incomplete collections make achievement harder.