《無上祕要》Vol. 24

The “Account of the Transmission of Scriptures by the Assemblies of Sages” describes who transmitted scriptures of different levels and the order in which they were passed down.

The Yellow Emperor said: The scripture of the Great Cavern Jade Clarity was practiced only by the high perfected beings in Heaven—exalted divine beings in Daoism—and was not transmitted to people on earth. The scriptures of the Cavern Mystery Highest Clarity, however, were to be transmitted below at the proper time and entrusted to people devoted to seeking the Dao and diligent in their studies. The texts of the Cavern Spirit Three Sovereigns were brought into the world to teach later generations, bring change into order, assist the state, and help the people. The above is from the Scripture of the Cavern Spirit.

The High Supreme Lord told the Upper Minister Lord Green Youth: The writings of the various heavens, and the sounds of the thirty-six realms and the nine lands, are scriptures that arose from the void in ancient times; their sounds came into being naturally. From the emperors who are perfected beings in the heavens to those who study the immortal Dao, cultivate, and attain the Dao, all have received these sounds in the vast emptiness, borne the scriptures, and roamed through space. The above is from the Scripture of the Cavern Truth, “Revelation of Foreign Lands Beyond the Heavens.”

The Qi of the Nine Origins and Orthodox Unity—the primordial vital energy in Daoist teaching—coalesced into verses expressing sorrow and joy, appearing above the Mysterious Terrace. Each character was ten feet square, radiant and brilliantly clear; its light shone throughout the nine heavens. The Venerable of the Highest Clarity Mysterious Capital obtained this scripture in space, then transmitted it in a mysterious way to the Great Lord of the Supreme Dao, using true script in phoenix characters, a legendary sacred writing system. The Great Lord transmitted it to the Perfected One of the Supreme Ultimate, who in turn passed it to the Great Lord Green Youth of Fangzhu in the Eastern Sea. The above is from the Scripture of the Cavern Truth, “Supreme Scripture of the Phoenix Terrace and Plain Silk.”

The True Talisman of the Divine Tiger, a Daoist esoteric text of the Divine Tiger talisman and register tradition, was transmitted by the Father and Mother of the Nine Heavens of Great Truth. The Venerable of Great Truth passed it to the Youth of the Eastern Sea; the True King of the Nine Heavens then transmitted it to the Lord of the Supreme Dao. The above is from the Cavern Truth, True Talisman of the Divine Tiger.

The High Supreme Jade Emperor transmitted the scriptures to the Heavenly Emperor of Taiwei, who passed them on to the Later Sage, the Lord of the Way of Great Peace. The above is from the Cavern Truth, “Hidden Writ of the High Supreme Spirit and Wisdom.”

The Upper Minister Lord Green Youth said: The Venerable of the Nine Heavens and the Jade Youth of the Three Heavens together transmitted the scriptures to the Lord of the Great Emperor. The Great Emperor passed them to the Lord of the Primordial Origin at the Southern Pole; the Lord of the Primordial Origin passed them to the Queen Mother of the West; she passed them to the Heavenly Emperor of Taiwei; the Heavenly Emperor passed them to the Sage Lord of the Golden Gate; and the Sage Lord of the Golden Gate passed them on to the Upper Minister Lord Green Youth. Green Youth then transmitted them to Lord Wang of the Western City, entrusting him to deliver them to those who studied the Dao and were destined to become perfected beings in the future. The above is from the Cavern Truth, “True Formula of the Three Primordial Elements and the Jade Essence.”

The Book of Lang from the Great Empyrean consists of precious, jade-like writings from the Nine Heavens Immortal King’s “Song of Flying through the Empyrean.”

The Wushang Miyao (Supreme Secret Essentials): A Plain-Language Interpretation

Origins and Transmission of the Scriptures

These scriptures are supreme secret writings from above the Nine Heavens. At the beginning of the creation of Heaven and Earth by the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning (Yuanshi Tianzun), one of the highest Daoist deities and a symbol of the source of the cosmos, they arose naturally within the dark, empty depths of nonbeing. The Jade Emperor of the Void received these scriptures in the realm of the Nine Mysteries. After enduring countless eons, he passed them to the King of Great Truth, who in turn passed them to the Perfected of Great Florescence.

The Lord of Long Life of the Three Heavens, the Perfected of Great Harmony, Laozi of Donghua, the Lord of Prohibitions and Director of All Affairs at the South Pole, the Vice Censor of the Western Terrace, the True One of the Northern Emperor, the Prince of the Nine Spirits, the Consort of the Great Spirit, the Jade Youth of Red Essence, Master Dark Valley, Red Pine of Mount Heng in the South, Wang Qiao of Mount Zhong, the Perfected of Purple Yang, Lord Wang of the Western City, Master Central Emperor, Zhao Boxuan, and others all cultivated and received this scripture.

(From the Dongzhen Taixiao Lushu Jing)

The Precious Scripture of the Golden Bell, the Hidden Book of the Great Firmament, and the Mysterious True Cavern of the Two Flying Lights

This scripture was passed down from the Most High Lord of the Great Dao, the High Sage Jade Morning. It was handed in succession through the Jade Youth of the Three Heavens, the Queen Mother of the Western Tortoise, the Three Primordial Lords of Purple Essence and Great Simplicity, the Yellow Emperor of the Central Realm, and the Great Emperor, to the Lord of the Celestial Emperor, the Lord of the Great Tenuity Emperor, the Lord of Prohibitions of the Upper Origin at the South Pole, and the Lord of the Golden Gate of the Celestial Heaven and Highest Clarity.

(From the Dongzhen Yupei Jindang Jing)

The Scripture of the Inner Writings of the Six Jia of Numinous Flight

The August Sovereign of the Nine Capitals of Great Truth and the Four Perfected of the Supreme Ultimate received this scripture from the Most High Lord of the Dao, the High Sage Jade Morning.

(From the Dongzhen Lingfei Liujia Neiweng Jing)

The Central Record of Embryonic Essence

The Elder of the Nine Heavens said: The Central Record of Embryonic Essence, the transformation of the Nine Elixirs above, was passed by the Lord of the Great Emperor to the Lady of the South Pole. She passed it to the Lord of the Great Tenuity Emperor, who passed it to the Lord of the Golden Gate, the Sage of Later Ages. He passed it to Lord Azure Youth, the Chief Minister above. Lord Azure Youth then arranged and compiled it, putting the sections in their proper order, and entrusted it to the Perfected of the Western City.

(From the Dongzhen Taijing Zhongji Jing)

The Scripture of Eight Arts for Passing Through Essence and Hiding on Earth by Means of the Elixir Radiance

The Most High Lord of the Dao, the High Sage Jade Morning, received this scripture in the realm of the Nine Mysteries. Only after seven thousand years did he pass it to the Perfected of the Supreme Ultimate. The Great Spirit of Donghua, Azure Youth of Fangzhu, the Divine King of Fusang Yanggu, the Perfected of Pure Emptiness, and others made a solemn covenant in Highest Clarity, breaking gold as a pledge. Those who carry this text within them can conceal themselves in the eight directions; those who practice its arts can ride the void and travel through the air. It must be transmitted personally, mouth to ear, and must not be passed on indiscriminately.

(From the Dongzhen Danjing Tongjing Yindi Bashu Jing)

General Overview

The precious scriptures of Highest Clarity comprise three hundred volumes, nine thousand sections of Jade Instructions, and seven thousand talismanic diagrams.

The Supreme Secret Essentials — A Plain-Language Interpretation

I. The Way of Primordial Antiquity

These chapters all come from the Most High Jade Emperor, inheriting the writings of nature and the Way of Primordial Antiquity.

The Way is secretly enshrined above the Nine Heavens, in the Palace of Great Being, written in jade script and passed down to the Lord Azure Lad, Chief Minister.

(From The Scripture of the Seven Transformations and Seven Changes of the Dongsu Realm, Dancing in Heaven)

II. The True Scripture of the Eight Su

The True Scripture of the Eight Su is the Way of the Jade Emperor of Mysterious Clarity.

The Heavenly Emperor, Sovereign Above, bestowed this book upon the Lord Emperor of Taiwei, the Dao Lord of Purple Essence of the Three Origins, and the Lord of Primordial Age, True Yang. After receiving the book and putting it into practice, the three lords attained the Way and passed it to the Lord Dao Above All. The Lord Dao Above All transmitted it to the sage of later ages, Lord Li. Lord Li passed it to the Perfected One of the Great Void and Red Pine of the Southern Pole, who were to transmit it below to those who studied the Way and whose names had long been inscribed in gold.

The Way of consuming the august radiance of the sun and moon: Primordial Beginning transmitted the scripture to the Most High Jade Emperor, the Kings of the Nine Heavens, and the Elders of the Nine Heavens in the midst of the empty mystery. He inscribed its text on Mount West Turtle and transmitted it in secret to the Queen Mother of the West. The Lord of the Great Way Above All received it in the Nine Mysteries and transmitted it to the Great Emperor of Fusang. The Emperor Lord of the Golden Gate received it in the Northern Origin and transmitted it to the Lord Azure Lad, Chief Minister. The Great Emperor passed it to the Perfected Ones of the Four Poles. The Way of Primordial Antiquity is passed down from Qi to Qi, and from perfected being to perfected being.

(From The True Scripture of the Eight Su of the Great Way Above All, Dongsu)

III. The Supreme Scripture of the Mysterious Elixir

The three lords—the Heavenly Emperor of the Great Sovereign and the Heavenly Emperor of Taiwei—once received the Supreme Scripture of the Mysterious Elixir from the Lord of the Great Way Above All. They put it into practice and attained the Way, thereby ascending to take their places among the perfected of the Jade Emperor. On the day they were about to rise to the heavens, the Great Sovereign transmitted the scripture to the Queen Mother of the West; the Lord Heavenly Emperor Above All transmitted it to the Sovereign of the Primordial Origin at the Southern Pole; and the Lord Heavenly Emperor of Taiwei transmitted it to the Sage Lord of the Golden Gate. The Sage Lord passed it to the Lord Azure Lad, Chief Minister, who passed it to Juanzi.

(From The Supreme Scripture of the Mysterious Elixir of the Lord Heavenly Emperor of Taiwei, Dongsu)

IV. The Treasure Writings and the Scripture of the Plain Spirit

The Treasure Writings of the Most High were passed to the Lord of the Great Sovereign → the Lord of the Great Sovereign passed them to the Lord Heavenly Emperor → the Lord Heavenly Emperor passed them to the Lord Heavenly Emperor of Taiwei → the Lord Heavenly Emperor passed them to the Emperor Lord of the Golden Gate → the Emperor Lord of the Golden Gate entrusted them to the Lord Azure Lad of the Eastern Sea.

(From The Wondrous Scripture Below of the Plain Spirit, Dongsu)

V. The Nine Reds

The Nine Reds are the Qi of the Nine Heavens, formed into jade script from flying, mysterious feathered writings. The Elder of Primordial Beginning transmitted them to the Lord of the Great Way Above All; the Heavenly King of Primordial Beginning transmitted them to the Sovereign of the Primordial Origin at the Southern Pole; the Lord Above All transmitted them to the Great Emperor of Fusang; and the Great Emperor transmitted them to…

Note: This chapter is largely written in the style of a Daoist Canon catalogue. Its focus is on recording the lineages of transmission for each scripture—who passed it to whom, and which scripture it derives from—rather than describing stages of cultivation. Figures such as Lord Azure Lad, Lord Li (understood here to refer to Laozi), Red Pine, and the Queen Mother of the West often appear in Daoism as sacred figures who transmit or preserve scriptures.

Passage One (from the Dongzhen Scripture of the Nine Red-Ban Talismans and Inner Reality)

The Heavenly Emperor of Taiwei transmitted the teachings to the Later Sage, the Imperial Lord of the Golden Palace. The Imperial Lord of the Golden Palace transmitted them to the Azure Lad, the High Minister. The Azure Lad transmitted them to the Primal Lord of the Southern Pole. The Primal Lord transmitted them to Master Hongya, who in turn transmitted them to the Perfected of Taiji. This lineage passed down Qi (vital energy)—the primordial breath, or Dao Qi—from one generation to the next.

Passage Two (from the Dongzhen Upper Scripture of the Phoenix Terrace and Curved Plain Silk)

The so-called “Song of Joy and Sorrow in the Phoenix Writings of the Nine Heavens” is a numinous text formed from the natural Qi of the Nine Heavens in realms such as the Mysterious Mound of Supreme Reality. It appears as an extraordinary vision amid the empty mystery. After ninety thousand kalpas, the Elder of the Mysterious Capital received this scripture at the Great Numinous Realm and transmitted it to the Lord of the Great Dao Above. The Lord transmitted it to the Perfected of Taiji, who then transmitted it to the Azure Lad of Fangzhu in the Eastern Sea.

Passage Three (from the Dongzhen Scripture of the Hidden Writings of Jade Clarity)

In ancient times, the Lady of the Primal Beginning transmitted the hidden writings to the Jade Maiden of Great Harmony, who in turn transmitted them to Lord Young Yang.

Passage Four (from the Dongzhen Scripture of the Yellow Writings of Great Tenuity)

The Immortal King of the Mysterious Capital once received a scripture from the Three Elders of Taiwei. The Jade Lord of the Western Citadel received a scripture from the Queen Mother of Turtle Mountain.

Passage Five (from the Dongzhen Scripture of the Purple Writings of the Azure Essentials)

The Lords of the Azure Essentials and Purple Clarity also have other titles. The wondrous instructions in the Purple Writings of the Primal Emperor that they received are the essential teachings of the scriptures, the secret treasure of the Nine Heavens, and the hidden writings of the Eight Assemblies. The Jade Emperor commanded the High Lord Who Oversees All Immortals to compile and gather them into a collection of scriptures, with purple-light silk writings and golden tablets as its sections. They all derive from the Dao of the High Sovereign of Mysterious Antiquity and were composed and collected by the High Sages.

The transmission proceeds through the Lord of the Azure Essentials: the Lord passed the writings to the Sovereign of the Upper Void and the Lord of the Nine Spirits. The Lord of the Nine Spirits passed them to the Lord of the Great Numinous Cavern of Radiance, the High One of Great Simplicity. That Lord passed them to the Primal Lord of the Southern Pole; the Primal Lord passed them to the Heavenly Emperor; the Heavenly Emperor passed them to the Heavenly Emperor of Taiwei; the Heavenly Emperor of Taiwei passed them to the Later Sage, the Imperial Lord of the Nine Mysteries; and that lord passed them to the Azure Lad, the High Minister.

The Azure Lad also studied the Great Law of the Three Gates of the Nine Heavens and the Supreme Emperor’s Upper Volume, then transmitted them to the Heavenly Emperor. The Heavenly Emperor passed them to the Primal Lord of the Southern Pole; the Primal Lord passed them to the Heavenly Emperor of Taiwei; the Heavenly Emperor of Taiwei passed them to the Imperial Lord of the Golden Palace. The Imperial Lord of the Golden Palace entrusted them to the Azure Lad, the High Minister, charging him to teach those in later generations destined to become Perfected.

Note to aid in reading the lineage: The names in the text mostly belong to transmitters within Daoist immortal genealogies, such as the Azure Lad, the Primal Lord, and the Imperial Lord of the Golden Palace. “The passage above is from such-and-such scripture” indicates which classic in the Dongzhen tradition is cited for that passage in the Wushang Biyao. Terms such as “Eight Assemblies” and “Three Gates of the Nine Heavens” classify levels of secret writings and structures of the heavenly realms in the Daoist canon. Here, they are recorded only as scripture titles and sequences of transmission; their meanings are not further explained.

Related Scriptures from the Wushang Miyao (Supreme Secret Essentials)

1. The Origins and Transmission of the Jinzhen Yugang Bajing Feijing (Scripture of the Eight Radiances and Flights of Golden Truth and Jade Light)

The Jinzhen Yugang Bajing Feijing first came into being at the beginning of the Primordial Radiance, above the Nine Heavens: mysterious light flowed and turned, appearing and disappearing; mysterious essence gathered in a luminous haze, casting its glow upon the Jade Palace. After more than seven thousand kalpas, the scripture grew ever clearer, hanging high above the Empty Mystery and within the Great Void. Its full extent is beyond human understanding, and it cannot be destroyed; it endures forever.

Thus, in the first year of the Jianshi era, the Venerable of the Nine Heavens received this scripture in the Empty Mystery and transmitted it in sequence to the Heavenly King of Primordial Beginning, the Vastly Generative Supreme Great Dao Lord of Great Perfection, the Youth of Azure Truth, the Five Venerable Immortals of Highest Reality, the Thirty-Nine Emperors, the Master of the August Sovereign, the Lord of the Ten Thousand Beginnings, the Threefold Origin Lord of Purple Purity of the Upper Prime of the South Pole, the Queen Mother of the Western Tortoise, the Threefold Origin Lord of Great Simplicity, the Lady of Great Truth, and the Master of the August Sovereign; from there it was transmitted to the Lord Emperor of Purple Purity. The Heavenly King of Primordial Beginning also transmitted it to Master Yellow Stone. The Three Heavens’ Jade Youth and the Supreme Great Dao Lord transmitted it to the Youth of the Eastern Sea and the Lady of Purple Tenuity. The Emperor Lord of the Ninefold Mystery, the Latter Sage, entrusted it to the Lord of the Azure Youth, the High Minister, the Four Perfected Ones of the Great Ultimate, and the Lord King of Western City. Such precious instructions were all transmitted orally, from one Highest Perfected Being to another.

(The above is from the Jinzhen Yugang Bajing Feijing in the Dongzhen section.)

2. The Transmission of the Tianguan Santu Qixing Yidu Jing (Scripture of the Three Diagrams of the Heavenly Pass and the Seven Stars’ Changing Courses)

The Great Emperor Lord often kept such precious texts secret and did not transmit them. He transmitted them to the Heavenly Emperor Lord, who passed them to the Lord of the Upper Prime of the South Pole; that Lord passed them to the Heavenly Emperor Lord of Great Tenuity, who passed them to the Sage Lord of the Golden Tower. The Sage Lord entrusted them to the Lord of the Azure Youth, the High Minister, commanding him to instruct those destined to attain the Way of immortality.

(The above is from the Tianguan Santu Qixing Yidu Jing in the Dongzhen section.)

3. The Lineage of the August Emperor Lord of the Eight Heavens and the Void

The August Emperor Lord of the Eight Heavens and the Void received the scripture from the Supreme One of the Ninefold Void and transmitted it to the Emperor Lord of Jade Purity. That Emperor Lord passed it to the Great King Who Dispels Demons; the Great King passed it to the Lord of the Five Constants, the Highest Perfected Being; that Lord passed it to the High Jade Emperor. The Jade Emperor passed it to the Great Emperor, who passed it to the Supreme Great Dao Lord. The Great Dao Lord passed it to the Heavenly Emperor Lord of Great Tenuity, who passed it to the Emperor Lord of the Ninefold Mystery, the Latter Sage, of the Golden Tower. That Emperor Lord entrusted it to the Lord of the Azure Youth, the High Minister.

4. The Hidden Writings Worn by Primordial Beginning

The hidden writings of the Ninefold Radiance of the Jade Terrace in the Heaven of Yulin Changyu, Jade Purity, together with the inner texts of Golden Mystery, were worn on his person by the Master of Primordial Beginning and transmitted to the Perfected One of Yuluo.

The hidden writings of the Dawn of Original Spirit in the Heaven of Guanling, Longluo, Chonglong, and Lili, High Peach, Jade Purity, together with the inner texts of Golden Mystery, belong to the same system of secret transmission.

Notes for readers:

• Nine Heavens refers to the highest layers of the Daoist celestial realm.
• Kalpa refers to an immensely long cycle of cosmic transformation; scriptures often use the term to describe teachings transmitted through the ages without perishing.
• Heavenly King of Primordial Beginning / Great Dao Lord / Highest Perfected Being are common titles for supreme divinities and ranks of perfected immortals in these scriptures.
• Dongzhen is the Dongzhen section of the Daoist Canon, which contains many scriptures associated with the Shangqing and Lingbao traditions.
• Lord of the Azure Youth, the High Minister is a messenger of transmission who frequently appears in these scriptures, entrusted with passing secret texts to people in the present age who are destined to receive them.

The text as a whole explains the origins of various secret scriptures and the sequence of divine and perfected beings through whom they were transmitted orally. This establishes their sacred source and legitimate lineage.

Passages from Essential Secrets of the Supreme (Wushang Miyao): A Plain-Language Interpretation

The following text comes from the Dongzhen scripture Scripture of the Lofty Golden Mystery and Feathered Chapters (Gao Shang Jin Xuan Yu Zhang Jing), and continues the instructions given by the Lord of the Great Dao Above to the True Lord of the Northern Pole.

Hidden Books of the Heavens and Their Transmission

The hidden book worn by the Nine Elders of the Jade Clarity Immortal Metropolis was transmitted to the Venerable Guangling.

The hidden book of the Golden Mystery, the “Nine Poles of the General Dawn,” belonging to the Jade Clarity Heaven of Emerald Firmament and Empty Song, was worn by the Lord of Lofty Origin of Jade Clarity and transmitted to the Lord of the Southern Pole, the Primordial Exalted.

The hidden book of the Golden Mystery, the “Turning Roots of the Abundant Radiance,” belonging to the Jade Clarity Heaven of Motanlou and Yiyin, was received by the True King of the Nine Heavens and transmitted to the Lord of the Great Dao Above.

The hidden book of the Golden Mystery, the “Mysterious Radiance and Dawn’s Peace,” belonging to the Jade Clarity Heaven of Fudao, Gaihua, and Fuluo, was received by the Three Primordial Lords of Great Simplicity from the King of Heaven, the Primordial Beginning, and transmitted to the Jade Maiden of Great Harmony.

The hidden book of the Golden Mystery, the “Joined Radiance and Dawn’s Mandate,” belonging to the Jade Clarity Heaven of Beiweiyequ and Chumo, was received by the Great Emperor of Fusang from the True King of the Great Firmament and transmitted to the Lord Emperor of Heaven of Taiwei.

The hidden book of the Golden Mystery, the “Equal Radiance and Dawn’s Mysterious Script,” belonging to the Jade Clarity Heaven of Chongrong, Yuyu, and Dishang, was received by the Queen Mother of the West from the Senior Master, Emperor Above the Northern Pole, and transmitted to the Supreme True Lord of Red Essence.

The hidden book of the Golden Mystery, the “Lofty Dragon Smoke,” belonging to the Jade Clarity Heaven of Danlü and the Dharma Heaven of Cha Baolun, was received by the Imperial Lord of the Nine Mysterious Golden Towers, the Posterior Sage, from the Lord of Pure Radiance, Emperor of the Void of Lofty Origin, and transmitted to the Lord of the Blue Lad, Chief Minister Above.

Here, “hidden books of the Golden Mystery” refers to secret scriptures kept in the various heavens of Jade Clarity and written in the Golden Mystery script. “Worn” means carried and safeguarded on one’s person, and cultivated according to their teachings.

The Lord of the Great Dao Above Instructs the True Lord of the Northern Pole

The Lord of the Great Dao Above said to the True Lord of the Northern Pole:

“I received the Mysterious Radiance Way of the Nine Stars from the Primordial Beginning long ago. It has endured seven hundred million kalpas. Through the formation and dissolution of heaven and earth, and the birth and death of all beings, this Way alone has survived. I still cultivate it above the Cloud Radiance, and continue my practice at every seasonal turning. This Way is supremely subtle and wondrous; I also cherish meeting others and guiding those who study the Dao.

“If, in a future life, a beginner can fly only like a small bird, and knows nothing of the way to seek out the hidden depths and walk through empty space, how could they enter the gate of the layered heavens and behold the beginning and end of heaven and earth? Without this Way, you will be cut off from the realm of the Nine Dawns, and your companions will no longer travel with you. Even with a mysterious name in the imperial registers and exceptional powers of ascent, you would be able only to harness a cloud dragon and gaze down upon the Five Sacred Peaks, attaining nothing beyond freedom from death.

“If you hope to tread the Northern Dipper, walk the Way of the Dawn’s Radiance, or soar into the Jade Clarity of radiant splendor, that cannot yet be expected. You should instead help direct the cycles of the kalpas, hold authority over the Ten Heavens, examine and select the registers of the mysteries, and govern and judge the ranks of the immortals. This is how you should practice.”

A Plain-Language Interpretation of The Supreme Secret Essentials

[1]

Whoever obtains this method can govern all kinds of living beings. I now pass it on to you in confidence. Keep it secret and practice according to its instructions.

Zhen Gong once received oral instructions and written documents beneath the radiant blossoms of Lianbo Huachen Heaven, in the Heaven of Boundless Life. The tokens of transmission were a golden ram and a silver goose. He practiced according to what he had received and passed it on to Lord Qing Tong of Fangzhu.

(This passage comes from The Scripture of Returning to the Origin and Flying through the Nine Ways.)

In ancient times, the Lord of the Great Dao received The Scripture of Flying through the Heavens, The Record of the Nine Perfected Ones’ Ascent to the Mysteries, and other works, including precious teachings written in purple and characters in green gold. From these he obtained the way of surpassing the open sky, treading the void, and floating amid the celestial radiance. He learned it in the Upper Palace of Mysterious Clarity from the Perfected Lord of the Dao, the Emperor of Emptiness. Later, the Lord of the Dao passed its essentials to the Lord of the Shangqing; that lord passed them to the Lord of Great Primordial Simplicity, who passed them to the Lord of the Celestial Emperor of Taiwei. The Celestial Emperor practiced this true and secret teaching and passed it to Lord Huang Jing of the Morning Center. Huang Jing passed it to Lord Zi Ling of the Imperial Beginning, who passed it to Lord Huang of the Central Yellow. Lord Huang passed it to the Great Director of Destiny, Gaochen, the Supreme Minister of the Golden Watchtower and Jade Protector, and to the Nine Subtle Perfected Ones of Great Truth. The Great Lord Qing Tong taught this text to those destined to become Perfected Ones.

(This passage comes from The Scripture of the Supreme Lord of Shangqing on Flying through the Heavens.)

[2]

The Six Heavens’ Text of the Primordial Beginning, the Beginning of the Blue, and the Orthodox Method of Shangqing Qingwei: The Primordial Beginning passed it to the Nine Heavens’ Father and Mother, Mr. Wan Shi.

The True Book of the Three Heavens, also called The Golden Sun’s Cavern Spirit Text: It originated from the Jade Chapters of the Three Heavens and was passed to Mr. Huang Shang.

The Register of the Many Texts of the Supreme: The Supreme passed it to the Lord of the Golden Watchtower. The Talisman of the Three Primordials’ Mysterious Terrace Proclaiming the Six Heavens was passed to the Mysterious Elder of the Supreme.

The Orthodox Method of the Three Heavens: It was passed to the True King Yu Jue.

The Upper Primordial Chapter of the Three Heavens, Nine Subtleties, Mysterious Capital, Great Truth, Yin-Yang, and Spirit Registers: The Elder of the Great Emperor received it from the Supreme Lord of the Great Void.

The Threefold Text of the Winding True Qi of the Spiritual Capital of Taiwei: The True King of the Nine Heavens passed it to the Elder of the Supreme.

The Mysterious Flowing Purple Pole True Origin Lord of the Nine Elders’ Immortal Capital received the Talisman for Driving Away Tigers and Leopards from the Jade Youth of the Three Heavens. The Elder of the Nine Qi received it from the Emperor Above the Mysterious, Hidden Yin Mound.

The True Book of the Imperial Lord Huangxi of the Heavenly Emperor’s Qinghe Palace: The Primordial Lord of the Supreme passed it to the Yellow Emperor (Xuanyuan).

The True Book of the Jade Flying Heaven of the Purple Tenuity Mysterious Palace: The Primordial Heavenly King of the Great Clarity passed it to the Queen Mother of the West.

The True Book of the Ten Thousand Immortals Opening Heaven of the Immortal Earl of Mysterious Isle: The Youth of the Eastern Sea passed it to a person who had attained the Dao. The text’s wording, “transmitted and received,” may mean that it was given to someone with the proper affinity.

Note: The passages above are mostly transmission lineages commonly found in the Daoist Canon: who received which scripture, talisman, or title from whom. These lineages establish a method’s legitimate succession and clear origins. Figures such as Lord Qing Tong, Lord Huang, and the Queen Mother of the West each have their own roles within the Daoist system. Titles of scriptures and talismans, such as The Scripture of Flying through the Heavens and the Talisman for Driving Away Tigers and Leopards, are often associated with cultivation traditions involving visualization, ascent to the heavens, and the control of spirits and ghosts.

A Plain-Language Reading of the Supreme Secret Essentials

I. The lineages through which the scriptures were transmitted, as recorded in the various scriptures

According to the Scripture of the Correct Teachings of the Three Heavens of the Cavern of Truth, a person of the Dao obtained the scripture called The Perfect One Who Flies with the Numinous Light, the Great High Minister of Heaven at Kunlun Terrace, the celestial platform on Mount Kunlun, and bestowed it upon those who had attained immortality and the Dao. Another text, the Profound Accomplishment, Clear Heaven, Supreme Emperor Above the Emperors, was a high and sacred book from Penglai, transmitted to Ning Feng.

According to the Scripture of Yellow Qi and Yang Essence of the Cavern of Truth, the Primal Lord of the Upper Origin at the South Pole received the scripture from the High and Supreme One in the heavenly realm after taking an oath of allegiance. The lord transmitted it to the Celestial Emperor of Taiwei, who passed it to the Queen Mother of the Western Tortoise. She transmitted it to the Emperor of the Golden Tower, who entrusted it to the Minister of State, the Lord Azure Lad, instructing him to pass it on to later students.

According to the Scripture of Great Admonitions for the Wisdom of Observing the Body of the Cavern of Truth, the Great Admonitions for the Wisdom of Observing the Body were expounded and recited by the Heavenly King of Primordial Beginning and the High Sage Lord of the Great High One, who ascended together to the hall of the Cavern of Truth. They transmitted them to the Celestial Emperor of Taiwei and the lords and kings of the high immortals of Taiji. They were passed on orally from one person to another and never written down.

According to the Scripture of Tranquil Resolve of the Cavern of Mystery, the precious and true chapter “The Great Vow of the Dao’s Practice and the Highest Admonitions” appears among the hidden scriptures of wisdom. The August Sovereign of the Great High One transmitted it to the Lord of the Great High Dao; the Lord passed it to the Emperor of Taiwei, who passed it to the Ninefold Subtlety Perfect One. The Perfect One transmitted it to the Great Ritual Master of Taiji and to the lords and kings of the high immortals of Taiji. It was not expounded to intermediate immortals, those of the middle ranks.

According to the Scripture of the Dharma Wheel of the Cavern of Mystery, the Perfect Man, Mysterious Unity of the Great High One, said: “In ancient times, the August Sovereign of the Great High One transmitted the Wondrous Scripture of the Dharma Wheel of the Great High One’s True Unity and Admonitions to the Lord of the Great High Dao. The Lord passed it to the Celestial Emperor of Taiwei, who passed it to the Later Sage, the Emperor Above of the Golden Tower. The Emperor Above ordered it entrusted to those who had attained the state of perfected beings, including the Immortal Ministers, Immortal Lords, and Immortal Kings. It was not transmitted to intermediate immortals.”

II. The prescribed intervals for transmitting scriptures

The precious scriptures of Shangqing, numbering three hundred scrolls, together with nine thousand chapters of jade instructions, the essentials for cultivation, and seven thousand chapters of talisman diagrams, were all governed by the old regulations: they could be transmitted only once in ten thousand kalpas, an immensely long period. After the Six Heavens were withdrawn and the Three Dao teachings were made clear and correct, the cycles of fate accelerated and the Supreme Dao was due to be practiced. The regulations were therefore changed to allow transmission once every seven hundred years. If, during those seven hundred years, someone possessed a sincere heart, the appropriate physical and spiritual endowment, and a name in the celestial registers of Shangqing, the scripture could be transmitted to them according to the rules of the oath.

III. Special provisions for transmitting the feathered scripture

Those connected by fate with the Nine Paths of Ascending to the Mystery through the Great High One’s Flying Feather Scripture were subject to the old rule of six transmissions in three thousand years. If a suitable person appeared, however, the entire teaching could also be transmitted all at once in a single day. Under the regulations of the Nine Heavens, a copy was to appear only once every ninety thousand years. The Lord of the Great High Dao also gave instructions to Azure Lad and others.

Note: This text compiles passages from various scriptures of the Caverns of Truth and Mystery concerning who transmitted each scripture to whom, whether it was put into writing, whether transmission to intermediate immortals was restricted, and the prescribed intervals for transmission. It serves to help Daoist practitioners understand the origins of the scriptures and the rules governing their transmission. The phrase “the above is drawn from [a given scripture]” identifies the source of the passage.

Interpretive translation of the Wushang Miyao (Supreme Secret Essentials)

Lord Tong said: The Nine Heavens have prohibitions and precepts that are often transmitted only once in ten thousand kalpas—a kalpa being an immensely long cycle of cosmic transformation. Now the cycles of cosmic destiny have turned and converged, and Qi (vital energy) has returned to Shangqing (the realm of pure Qi among the Three Pure Ones). The time is right for the Dao’s transmission to take place at the Golden Terrace, the celestial pavilion where the Dao is passed on. According to the esoteric regulations, if a suitable person appears within seven hundred years, the teachings may be heard and transmitted three times.

The Taishang Feather Scripture: Treading the Steps of the Celestial Net, the inner names of the Nine Dawn Lords and the Lady of the Nine Stars, the High and Empty Way of Treading the Hidden and Transforming Steps, and the prohibitive scripture of the High Emperor Jade Emperor are governed by these rules. According to the regulations of the Nine Heavens, they emerge once in ten thousand kalpas. Since the era of the Primordial Sovereign, the cycles have been reckoned by their numbers, and the cosmic interval has grown shorter. The August Sovereign has issued a command for the Lord of the Great Dao of Highest Supreme to transmit these teachings to later students who are destined to become perfected beings: within nine thousand years, they may be heard and transmitted three times. If a suitable person appears during those nine thousand years, the whole transmission may be given at once. Once the transmission period has ended, the teachings must not be brought forth again.

(From the Dongzhen: Feather Scripture of Returning to the Origin and Flying through the Nine Paths)

If, within a hundred years, there is a perfected being among the higher students who has not yet encountered this text, it may be transmitted to two people.

(From the Dongzhen: Jade Register Scripture of the Three Origins)

The Dongzhen: Scripture of the Three Diagrams of the Heavenly Pass and the Shifting Courses of the Seven Stars emerges once every seven hundred years. According to the clear regulations of the Four Poles, it may be transmitted to three people within each seven-hundred-year period.

(From the Dongzhen: Scripture of the Yellow Silk and Forty-Four Directions)

According to the old scriptures from the beginning of the August Sovereign’s era, transmission took place once in ten thousand kalpas. After the Three Heavens established the Orthodox Way, the rule was changed: the teachings could be transmitted three times in seven thousand years. If a suitable person appeared within seven hundred years, they could also be transmitted three times.

(From the Dongzhen: Marvelous Scripture of the Great Being of the Highest Supreme and Plain Numinous Spirit)

At first, one person could be taught and the teachings publicly transmitted every three hundred years; after that, another person could receive them only after a further seven hundred years.

(From the Dongzhen: Central Scripture of the Nine Perfected Ones)

According to the clear regulations of the Four Poles, the teachings may be transmitted three times within seven hundred years. If a suitable person appears within a hundred years, they may be transmitted a second time.

(From the Dongzhen: Supreme Scripture of the Treasured Perfected Ones, on the Transformations of the Primordial Beginning)

The four scrolls of the Jade Clarity Hidden Text were once received by the High Jade Emperor from the Jade-Profound August Emperor, Lord of the Dao. These were secret scriptures treasured by the Jade Emperor and entrusted to the Four Perfected Ones of the Supreme Ultimate for safekeeping. They may be taught three times within five thousand years, to perfected beings of Shangqing. If three suitable people appear in a single year, they may also be taught then. Once the period has ended, the teachings must not be transmitted again.

(From the Dongzhen: Scripture of the Hidden Texts of the Highest Supreme)

According to the regulations, a person whose physical constitution and innate qualities suit the title of an immortal, and whose name is inscribed in the registers of the August Emperor, may receive the teachings within seven thousand years. If such a person appears now, the teachings may be transmitted to three people within seven hundred years.

(From the corresponding Dongzhen scripture catalogues)

The text lists the names of various secret Dongzhen scriptures—scriptures of the Shangqing tradition concerned with visualization and attaining immortality—and records the regulations governing their transmission: how often they may appear, how many people may receive them, whether the complete transmission may be given at once, and whether they must remain concealed once the permitted period has ended. These rules reflect the early Shangqing tradition’s strict practice of keeping scriptures and teachings secret, transmitted only once in ten thousand kalpas and withheld once the term has expired.

Source: Dongzhen Jiudan Shanghua Taijing Zhongji Jing

The Great Jade Chapters and the Nine Truths’ Luminous Precepts, transmitted by the Supreme One’s Pure Spirit, are given only to those whose bodily signs accord with the true Dao. According to the old scriptures from the beginning of the Shanghuang era, they were originally transmitted once every myriad kalpas. After the Three Heavens restored the proper order, the rule was revised: they could be transmitted once every seven thousand years. If a suitable person appeared within seven hundred years, they could also be transmitted three times.

Source: Dongzhen Ciyi Neishen Baoyuming Jing

The Nine Reds are jade inscriptions formed from the Qi of the Nine Heavens and the Flying-Profound Feathered Writ. Their Dao is exceedingly subtle. According to the regulations, they are transmitted once every seven thousand years.

Source: Dongzhen Jiuchi Banfu Neizhen Jing

The numinous writings manifest wondrous signs amid the empty and mysterious. After ninety thousand kalpas, the Venerable of the Mysterious Capital received them in the Great Void. Later, the Lord of the Azure Lad transmitted them to people who, in former lives, had jade names and were destined to become immortals. They may be transmitted three times within seven hundred years; if someone worthy of receiving them appears within a hundred years, they may be transmitted to two people.

Source: Dongzhen Gaoshang Qusu Shangjing

In ancient times, the Lady of Highest Origin imparted the hidden writings to the Jade Maiden of Great Harmony. Seven hundred years later, they are to be imparted to someone who accords with the true Dao and understands the principles of the mysterious.

Source: Dongzhen Yuqing Yinjing

According to the regulations, the Dongzhen Gaoshang Jinxuan Yuzhang Jing may be transmitted within seven hundred years to someone suited to becoming an immortal.

The Four Perfected Ones said: “According to the Luminous Precepts of the Four Poles, within seven hundred years it is to be transmitted to three people who are destined to attain perfection.”

Source: Dongzhen Shendan Luxing Lingjiu Jing

According to the mysterious regulations, the Dongzhen Qingyao Zishu Jing may be transmitted three times within seven hundred years. Under the old regulations, it could be transmitted only once every myriad kalpas. After the Six Heavens were removed, the Three Paths were rightly illuminated, the cycles of time pressed forward, and the Highest Dao was due to be put into practice, the regulations were revised so that it could be transmitted once every seven thousand years. If, within seven hundred years, someone of utmost sincerity whose bodily signs accord with the mysterious appears, it may be transmitted according to a sworn covenant.

Source: Dongzhen Gaoshang Yuanshi Daozhang Jing

The Hymn of the Three Heavens was secretly stored by the Primordial Beginning of the Three Heavens in the Chamber of the Three Purities and the Jade Room of Nine Turns. It is transmitted once every thousand years.

The Lord of the Azure Lad said: “Since the time of Tang Yao, seven thousand people who obtained this text have been able to ride flying dragons and ascend into the mysterious, or spread their great wings and soar aloft. Some entrusted their bodies to transformation and withdrew into flight through the air. The number of such people cannot be fully recorded. According to the statutes of the Three Heavens, it appears once every seven hundred years.”

Source: Dongzhen Santian Zhengfa Jing

A Plain-Language Reading of The Supreme Secret Essentials

The Scripture of the Lang Writings of Tai Xiao, of the Dongzhen Cavern: Since the age of ten thousand kalpas, it has been transmitted only to the King of Great Truth.

The Perfected One of the Great Void said: This is a numinous text of the Most High and a wondrous path for ascending to the stars. Within seven hundred years, it may be transmitted to no more than three people.

Lord Wang, the High Minister, said: Within a hundred years, it may be bestowed on two people.

The Most High said: The Way of cultivating the Five Stars, from the time it was first transmitted, may be passed on to three people within seven hundred years. When that period ends, it must be concealed in the Five Sacred Mountains and must not be brought forth again.

(From the Perfect Scripture of the Eight Su, Dongzhen Cavern)

The Way of Racing to the Sun and Moon: Treasured by the Four Perfected Ones of the Nine Sovereigns of the Supreme Ultimate of Shangqing, this is the jade text of the Mysterious and Empty Primordial Lord. It may be transmitted to one person every three hundred years; only after a further seven hundred years may it be transmitted to another.

(From the Scripture of Dongzhen on Binding the Luminous Spirits and Racing to the Moon)

All such books of the Most High have fixed rules for transmission: within seven hundred years, they may be passed on to no more than three people. After that, they must not be brought forth again.

(From the Upper Scripture of Golden Writings and Jade Characters, Dongzhen Cavern)

According to the rules, within seven hundred years, if there is someone with a golden name in Donghua and purple characters in Shangqing, joined in perfection, the scripture may be transmitted to three people. If no one has this innate spiritual endowment, it must be hidden in the Jade Palace and never revealed, even over ten thousand kalpas. The Purple Writings in vermilion characters and the hidden sounds of the Moon’s Soul may be transmitted to one person within a hundred years, provided that the person’s golden name appears in the Register of the Emperor’s Chart.

(From the Scripture of Dongzhen on the Three Ways of Yellow Qi and Yang Essence Moving in Accord)

The talismans for summoning spirits, bringing forth the Perfected, and opening the Seven Primordial Powers: according to the rules of antiquity, they may be transmitted once in ten thousand kalpas. Now, if a suitable person appears, they may be transmitted to three people within seven hundred years.

(From the Scripture of Dongzhen on the Eight Scenes of the Golden Perfected One’s Jade Radiance)

The text on attaining the Dao and returning to Heaven through the Nine Heavens: recorded in the Jade Palace by Lord Zuo of the Five Elders’ Immortal Capital, it may be transmitted once in ten thousand kalpas, in accordance with the clear rules of the Four Extremities.

(From the Scripture of Dongzhen on the Seven Sages’ Primordial Record and Returning to Heaven through the Nine Heavens)

Concealed above the Nine Heavens in the Palace of the Numinous Capital of Taiwei, it may be transmitted once in ten thousand kalpas, in accordance with the clear rules of the Four Extremities. If someone bears the characters of the Mysterious Chart and has an immortal destiny written into their bones, it may be transmitted to three people within seven hundred years.

(From the Scripture of Dongzhen on the Yellow Writings of Taiwei)

The Perfected One of the Supreme Ultimate of the Most High said: After receiving this scripture, a Dao student may transmit it to one person every forty years. Someone who has already extended their life may transmit it to one person every four hundred years; someone who has attained the status of an earthly immortal, every four thousand years; and someone who has attained the status of a celestial immortal, every forty thousand years.

Note: The transmission periods differ from scripture to scripture, but they all emphasize secret transmission, careful selection of recipients, and strict time limits. The teachings must not be disclosed carelessly.

A Plain-Language Reading of The Supreme Secret Essentials

First passage (from the Scripture of the Five Appellations of the Cavern Mystery)

The teachings at the level of the supreme, hidden stillness and the Most High’s ultimate truth may be transmitted to only one person once every forty thousand kalpas—an immense span of cosmic time, with a kalpa often understood as one cycle of the world’s creation and destruction. Only the recipient may fully master the transmission rites and procedures of the Most High’s Great Numinous Teaching.

Second passage (from the Scripture Explaining the Essentials of the Cavern Mystery’s True Writings)

The Great Lord of the Most High Dao said: “In ancient times, I received this teaching from the Heavenly King of Primordial Beginning, one of Daoism’s highest Celestial Worthies. I then transmitted it to the kings of immortals, the noble immortals, and the perfected beings of the highest truth. I did not transmit it to lesser immortals. Without the Mystic Charts and Imperial Tablets and a Jade Name in the Highest Clarity—that is, a place in the registers of the celestial bureaucracy and a name entered among the immortals—one may not see or hear it. This is a forbidden book of the Nine Heavens; it, too, may be transmitted only once every forty thousand kalpas.”

Third passage (from the Scripture of Cavern Mystery Wisdom)

The Scripture of Cavern Mystery Wisdom says: “It may be transmitted only three times in the course of one thousand years.”

Fourth passage (from the Scripture of the Cavern Mystery Dharma Wheel)

The Scripture of the Cavern Mystery Dharma Wheel says: “Every scripture ordained by the Nine Heavens appears in the world and is transmitted only once every forty thousand kalpas.”

Fifth passage (from the Scripture of the Cavern Mystery and the Nine Heavens)

The Celestial Worthy told the Flying Celestial Spirit: “According to the Standard of Clarifying the True, a transmission may be carried out only once every forty thousand kalpas. To violate the prohibition and pass it on today demands the utmost caution.” He also said: “You may follow the method of sworn covenant: transmit it only when a suitable person is encountered within seven hundred years.”

Sixth passage (from the Scripture of Cavern Mystery and Settling the Will)

The Scripture of Cavern Mystery and Settling the Will says: “It is transmitted three times in one thousand years.”

Seventh passage (from the Scripture of Cavern Mystery and Spontaneity)

The Perfected One of the Great Void told the Left Immortal Lord of the Supreme Ultimate: “Under the Great Teaching of the Most High, one person may receive it in forty thousand kalpas. After receiving the scripture and attaining perfection, I have transmitted it to fifty-four people. In five cases, the recipients also passed it on to their sons.”

Eighth passage (from the Scripture of the Cavern Mystery and the Yellow Register’s Brief Text)

According to the Great Ordinances for Clarifying the True, a transmission is conducted only once every forty thousand kalpas. It also says: “If a qualified person is found within four hundred years, that person may receive the transmission.”

Note: This passage lists the transmission intervals and limits on recipients found in several scriptures of the Cavern Mystery tradition: one person every forty thousand kalpas, three transmissions in a thousand years, or transmission within seven hundred or four hundred years if a suitable person is found in accordance with the covenant. It also stresses conditions involving forbidden books, imperial tablets, and names registered in the Highest Clarity, reflecting the reverence and ritual prohibitions surrounding secret scriptures in the early Daoist canon.