《無上祕要》Vol. 38

The Section on Purification and Abstinence

The Perfected of the Supreme Ultimate said: “Purification and abstinence are the foundation of learning the Dao (the Way). Whether reciting, collating, or copying scriptures; writing talismans; inscribing registers; making Golden Elixirs; visiting a master to ask questions; making obeisance; receiving scriptures; healing illness and dispelling calamities; or summoning Perfected Ones—in all such practices, purification is essential. Purification is revered by the Most High, protected by Lord Lao, and relied upon by all the sages. There are many methods of purification, which you, the faithful, may receive and practice.”

The Perfected of the Supreme Ultimate also said: “If people maintain pure purification and stillness for a long time, concentrate deeply on the mysteries, recite scriptures and repent of their transgressions, and burn incense and make obeisance, they will see flying celestial beings arrive and immortal boys and jade maidens descend to their sides. They may hear voices in the air praising them, see light and shadow fall upon them, or hear the sound of gold and jade, or of the eight kinds of music. All these are signs that the Dao is about to be attained. Be diligent—be very diligent! The Most High will not fail you. The trouble is that you are not steadfast, do not give your all, or do not persevere to the end. That is why the immortal Dao is difficult to attain.”

(The above is from the Scripture of Hidden Commentary on the Supreme Ultimate in the Cavern Mystery.)

The Perfected of the Supreme Ultimate also said: “Always keep purification in mind and chant the scriptures; practice great compassion, putting others before yourself; promote goodness and transform evil; sever all worldly ties; extinguish thoughts and preserve emptiness; let your heart be like the Great Mystery, seeking only the Dao. Only then can you be said to know how to speak of the Dao of the immortals.”

(The above is from the Scripture on Settling the Will and Dispelling Demons in the Cavern Mystery.)

The Most High Laozi said: “Among the Daoist practices, none takes precedence over purification. There are many methods of purification, alike in their essentials though differing in details. The most weighty in merit and virtue is the Supreme One’s Lingbao Purification. Few in the world are able to study it; those who do are all people of the Great Vehicle, blessed by merits accumulated in previous lives and close to becoming immortals. There is also the Three Heavens Purification, a method similar to Lingbao.”

The Immortal Lord said: “The Three Heavens Purification is a method received from the Three Heavens’ masters of the Dao. It is called the Scripture of Essential Teachings, and is of the next rank. The celestial books are vast and wondrous, beyond the understanding of worthy people in the world. Those able to fathom them are all supreme immortals and Perfected Ones, mysteriously united with the Most High. Thus, neither lesser immortals nor celestial beings can glimpse the meaning of their texts. They may see them, but do not understand them—so what more is there to say?”

The Most High Laozi said: “By maintaining pure purification, reciting scriptures, cultivating virtue, and establishing merit, the immortal Dao will come of itself. Why must one hide in the mountains and wilderness? One need only avoid alluring desires and leave behind defilement and disorder. The mountains and forests are not the sole preserve of those who possess the Dao; people in the world often misunderstand this.”

The preceding passage is from the Dongxuan Qingwen Shang Jing:

The Immortal Lord (an immortal) climbed Laboring Flourish Mountain. In a quiet chamber, he observed purification rites and devoted himself to contemplating the Dao. At noon that day, thirty-three terrestrial immortals who were Daoist practitioners arrived together. They sat in order, burned incense, and bowed before the scripture. When the ritual was complete, each returned peacefully, as usual, to his own immortal realm.

The Immortal Lord said: “The Celestial Master once taught that on the first and fifteenth days of each month, if one observes purification rites in a quiet chamber and recites the Dao scriptures one has received, along with accounts of the immortals, one can become a subject of the sacred age to come. Is it not a joyful thing to be born in such an age?”

The preceding passage is from the Dongxuan Zhongsheng Nan Jing:

The Celestial Worthy said: “The Dao is supremely honored, its methods are most profound, and the human body is precious as well. Therefore, the Dao has transmitted its methods, precepts, and scriptures to save people in body and mind. Once body and mind have been saved, one can ascend and unite with the Dao. Those who cultivate the Dao should practice diligently, observe purification rites, uphold the precepts, quiet their minds, and remain silently undisturbed. They should keep their thoughts clear and direct their attention wholly toward the Dao, without giving rise to a second thought. They should clear away the accumulated grime and distracting thoughts within body and mind, and take no food after noon, so that inside and out they become pure, empty, and clear, and remain in harmony with nature.

“On days of purification, one should pinch incense and make a wish, allowing the wish in one’s heart to rise to the Four Heavens. The inspecting spirits and the awe-inspiring gods of the Ten Divisions will then descend at once to patrol and observe, listen to the sacred teachings, and reflect your inner state. If you uphold the precepts and practice in accordance with the Dao, your merit will be recorded; the blessings and calamities sent down by the heavens will also appear immediately. The Dao does not fail those who cultivate it.

“The Celestial Worthy also said: When people perform purification rites and cultivate in accordance with the Dao, the emperors of the Four Heavens all arrive riding flying clouds, green canopied carriages, and jade chariots of the Eight Luminaries. Perfected Ones and Jade Maidens attend them on either side, holding flowered banners to guide the way. Phoenixes sing at the front, while the Celestial Music follows behind; white cranes and lions cry out in harmony. The gods burn incense and scatter flowers as they come through the air to pay homage, cultivate in accordance with the Dao, and listen to the sacred teachings. When the Heavenly Kings descend, all the spirits come to pay their respects as well.”

The preceding passage is from the Dongxuan Zhihui Dajie Jing:

At that time, the Lord of the Dao Most High was at the Cypress Mound Lodge in the Upper Hall of Southern Cinnabar Cave-Yang. After bowing reverently, he asked:

“The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning looked back upon the merit and karmic affinities accumulated in his previous lives. After passing through billions of kalpas, he finally encountered an age of enlightenment and met the enlightened Celestial Worthy. In the past, I received the Celestial Worthy’s elevation, yet I feel unworthy of the position of the Highest Perfected. I also received instruction in the divine scriptures of the Three Treasures, was granted the Great Precepts, and was taught the sacred sounds of the Dharma. This boundless and profound kindness fills me with gratitude beyond measure. Since receiving this instruction, I have observed purification rites for a long time in the empty mountains, receiving and following the precepts of the Dharma without daring to slacken. Now my cultivation of the Dao has made progress, and I am able to reveal the methods of the Dharma and save celestial beings and humans, enabling all men and women to see the path of cultivation.”

The preceding passage is from the Dongxuan Zhihui Zuigen Jiejing:

The Dao scripture says: “Long ago, there was a Daoist who observed purification rites and recited scripture. An ordinary person was hired to work for him.”

A Daoist priest practicing cultivation encountered a devout follower in the fasting hall (a place where Daoist practitioners observe precepts and fasting). Seeing the follower still maintaining his fast at noon, the priest invited him to share a meal. After eating, the priest said to the follower, "The merit of fasting with me is immense. If you can persist until tomorrow noon without breaking the fast, you will avoid the hardships of this present life. But if you break it, your efforts will be in vain." The follower reverently accepted the teaching and departed.

By evening, when he returned home, his wife had been waiting to dine with him. The husband recounted the priest's admonition, but his wife, failing to understand, grew angry. Unable to withstand her insistence, the follower broke his fast and ate with her. Later, after his death, the heavens appointed him to oversee a thousand-year-old tree spirit on Mount Shu, where he subsisted on the tree's offerings. The tree flourished exceptionally, and one summer, three virtuous sages devoted to Daoist cultivation passed by and rested beneath its shade. The sages sighed, "Though the shade is cool, it's already noon—where can we find food?" A voice then emerged from the tree: "I shall prepare a meal for you; do not worry." Shortly after, food appeared, and after eating, the sages marveled, "We’ve wandered in search of the Dao—is this not the natural Way right before us?" They then asked the tree, "Might the revered spirit reveal itself to us?"

The voice replied, "I am no immortal who can guide others to enlightenment." It then disclosed its name and address, recounting the past: "I was once urged by a priest to observe fasting, but my wife caused me to break it, leaving my merit incomplete. Thus, I was punished to guard this tree spirit with no means of liberation. The heavens, considering I had fasted for half a day, now grant me a midday meal daily. Though I lack nothing in food and clothing, I remain bound here. I beg you, sages, to deliver a message to my family: if they can observe a three-day fast on my behalf, I may ascend to heaven." Deeply moved by his sincerity, the three sages sought out his home and relayed his plea. His family immediately arranged the fast, inviting priests to burn incense and recite scriptures for three days in repentance. True to his word, the man ascended amid the clouds, receiving an appointment as a wandering immortal (a lower-ranking celestial being in Daoism) in the highest heavens.

Thus, the merit of fasting is of utmost importance. This man, having fasted only half a day, endured but a single day of punishment before achieving immortality. It shows the heavens measure merit and fault with perfect precision, leaving no discrepancy. For cultivators, even half a day of steadfast fasting surpasses an entire year of lax practice.

Plain-Language Interpretation

Those who cultivate the Dao should diligently observe fasting and purification, seeking to attune themselves to the unseen. Those who put their practice fully into action may ultimately gain the opportunity to ascend and transcend the ordinary world.

(The above is from the Wondrous Scripture of the Original Conduct of the Cavern Mystery.)

The Immortal Lord of the Left of the Supreme Ultimate once practiced in seclusion on Mount Tiantai, observing fasting and purification, seeking to dispel his offenses through repentance, burning incense, and asking forgiveness. With single-minded devotion, he longed for the true Dao for a hundred days. During this time, divine beings seemed to appear faintly above the empty mystery: clouds and rosy mists shone brilliantly, now visible and now indistinct, sometimes flying and sometimes gathering. Their light and shadows played across the fasting hall in winding patterns. The Immortal Lord felt his suffering penetrate to the depths of his heart, and his longing for the pristine Dao reached far into the distance. He therefore studied the profound teachings and devoted himself to practice with even greater resolve. Before his fasting period had reached a full year, he had already attuned himself to the highest sages. Holy perfected beings descended and bestowed their attention upon his secluded chamber. On the night of the Gengyin day in the first month of the year, flying clouds and crimson skies suddenly appeared, along with a jade carriage and jeweled canopy adorned with the Eight Luminaries. Their radiant light illuminated all around, and streams of brilliance shone forth. In the Great Void, incense was burned and flowers scattered; they floated through the air, accompanied by more celestial carriages and riders than could be counted.

(The above is from the Wondrous Scripture of the Dharma Wheel of Encouragement and Admonition on the True One of the Cavern Mystery.)

Categories of Fasting Required Before Receiving and Upholding Teachings

• Jade Scripture of the Divine Tiger of the Most High, Cavern Truth: The master and disciple observe fasting together for ninety days, thirty days, or seven days. A separate true talisman of the Golden Tiger requires the recipient to fast for seventy days beforehand.

• Jade Scripture of the Inner Landscape of the Yellow Court of the Most High, Cavern Truth: The recipient observes fasting for nine, seven, or three days before receiving the scripture.

• Hidden Writ of the Inner Benediction of the Hundred Spirits of the Golden Origin for Dispelling Demons, Cavern Truth: The master and disciple observe fasting together for eighty or twenty-seven days.

• Hidden Book of the Divine Wisdom for Subduing Demons, Lofty and Supreme, Cavern Truth: Anyone receiving a hidden writ from the Jade Purity must first observe pure fasting for seventy days.

• True Scripture of the Green Characters for Returning the Years and Delivering Life in the Golden Chamber, Cavern Truth: The master and disciple each observe fasting for nine or three days.

• Thirty-Nine Chapters of the Great Cavern True Scripture, Cavern Truth: The master and disciple observe fasting together for one hundred days. The upper-grade fast lasts seventy days, and the lower-grade fast lasts thirty-nine days.

• Scripture of the Jade Registers of the Eight Luminaries of the Golden Origin, Cavern Truth: One must first observe pure fasting for three years, seventy days, or one hundred and forty days.

• Wondrous Scripture of the Great Presence of the Plain Spirit, Cavern Truth: The recipient observes a fasting ritual before the gods for one hundred or thirty days.

• Central Scripture of the Nine Perfected Ones, Cavern Truth: The person transmitting the teaching and the person receiving it observe fasting together for twenty-four days, with one additional day before and after the ritual before the gods.

• Primordial Scripture of the Hidden Writ of the Great Elixir, Cavern Truth: This passage gives no specific number of days; the original text likely sets out fasting requirements elsewhere.

Note: In this text, “fasting,” “pure fasting,” “fasting together,” and “fasting before the gods” all refer to preparations before Daoist practice. These may include purifying body and mind, abstaining from meat and alcohol, and reciting scriptures in a quiet place. “Dispelling offenses” and “repentance” refer to reflecting on one’s wrongdoing and asking the gods for forgiveness. “Jade registers,” “hidden writs,” and “true talismans” are esoteric texts or talismans used when receiving scriptures and teachings. The higher the rank of the teaching, the longer the required period of fasting often is.

This passage comes from the Daoist Canon text Wushang Miyao (Supreme Secret Essentials). It is an annotation to the catalogue of scriptures in the Three Caverns (Dongzhen/Dongxuan/Dongshen), explaining how many days the teacher and disciple must observe purification before each scripture is transmitted. The points below are explained in plain language.

At the time of transmission: Each person observes purification for seven or ten days, followed by one day of “announcing the purification,” a formal day for making a report and offering an invocation.

The Scripture on the Transformation of the Divine Origin through Violet Measure and Flame Light of the Three Caverns

The recipient must observe pure purification with the teacher for three days.

The Upper Scripture of the Golden Root in the Violet Book of the Azure Essentials of the Three Caverns

Teacher and disciple observe purification together for seven hundred days, or for nine days or three days.

The Scripture of the Feathered Immortals’ Flight of the Great High One of the Three Caverns

The transmitter must observe pure purification for one hundred or thirty days.

The Scripture of the Feathered Immortals’ Flight of Returning to the Origin and the Nine Perfected Ones of the Three Caverns

The transmitter observes pure purification for three months.

The Scripture of the Three Charts of the Celestial Pass and the Seven Stars’ Shifting Courses of the Three Caverns

Teacher and disciple observe purification together and make the formal announcement for seven days.

The Scripture of the Three Heavens’ Orthodox Method for Eliminating the Six Heavens of the Three Caverns

When a man receives the scripture, he presents a written document but does not make an offering. When a woman receives it, she makes an offering but does not present a written document. Both men and women observe purification for seven or three days.

The Scripture of the Eight Pure Ones of the Three Caverns

Teacher and disciple both observe pure purification for seven days.

The Imperial Chapters in the Jade Writ of Lang of the Great Empyrean of the Three Caverns

Teacher and disciple observe pure purification for ninety or nine days.

The Scripture of the Great Precept on Wisdom and Contemplating the Body of the Three Caverns

Teacher and disciple observe purification together for three days.

The Scripture of the Forty-Four Prescriptions in Yellow Silk of the Three Caverns

The teacher and disciple each observe purification for forty-five days.

The Scripture of the Inner Perfected Ones of the Five Emperors and the Nine Crimson Insignia of the Three Caverns

Disciple and teacher observe purification together for forty or seven days.

The Scripture of the Eight Effulgences in Golden Truth and Jade Light, and the Flight of the Three Caverns

Teacher and disciple observe purification together for ninety days.

The Instructions and Formulas in Plain Silk of the Great High One of the Three Caverns

Teacher and disciple observe purification together for three days, followed by another seven days of purification.

The Scripture of Yellow Qi and Yang Essence, Concealed in Heaven and Hidden in the Moon, of the Three Caverns

Teacher and disciple observe purification together for ninety, twenty-seven, or three days.

The Scripture of the Primordial Register of Mount Guishan, the Ninefold Numinous and Greatly Wondrous of the Three Caverns

Teacher and disciple observe purification together for one hundred or seventy days.

The Scripture of the Great High One’s Jade Register: The Three Origins’ Dissemination of the Three Caverns

To receive this text, one must observe purification for ninety days, or observe it together with the teacher for seventy or twenty-seven days.

The Scripture of the Central Record of the Nine Elixirs’ Higher Transformation of the Embryonic Essence of the Three Caverns

Teacher and disciple observe purification together for ninety or thirty days.

The Upper Scripture of the Golden Book of the Jade Pendant and Golden Clasp of the Supreme Ultimate of the Three Caverns

The title appears in the original text, but the specific purification period may be given later. Since the passage here seems to end after “Jade Pendant and Golden Clasp,” the full scroll should be consulted for the relevant number of days.

Notes

“Pure purification” and “purification together” generally involve abstaining from meat and pungent foods, avoiding impurities, and keeping one’s thoughts clear. Some practices may also require solitude or the burning of incense. These are ritual preparations before transmitting a scripture.

“Purification together” means that teacher and disciple observe the purification period at the same time, a rule signifying that transmission and reception form a unified act and must be treated with due solemnity.

The prescribed periods vary greatly, from three days to seven hundred. This reflects the differing status and degrees of secrecy assigned to the various scriptures within the Daoist tradition.

The following is a plain-language reading of this passage from the Wushang Miyao (Supreme Secret Essentials) on the transmission of Daoist scriptures and rules for fasting. Scripture titles and technical terms are retained for comparison with the original.

General explanation

The phrase “teacher and disciple fast together” appears repeatedly. It means that the teacher and disciple observe a fast together: they abstain from meat and pungent foods and purify body and mind. Depending on the relevant scripture’s ritual procedures, this may also include abstaining from sexual activity and avoiding ordinary tasks. “Days” refers to the number of consecutive days spent fasting. “Or thirty days” means that the period may be shortened to thirty days as prescribed. “Formula” refers to a method, section, or stage of transmission in the scripture; “three formulas,” for example, means that it is divided into three. “Each report and fast” generally means that the teacher and disciple make their declarations and observe the fast separately, which differs slightly from “fast together.”

Fasting rules in each scripture

The Scripture of the Seven Sages of the Cavern of the Real, Returning Heaven through the Nine Heavens

The teacher and disciple fast together for one hundred days, or thirty days.

The Scripture of the Cavern of the Real, the Most High’s Plain Memorial, Elixir Talismans, and the Six Jia of Numinous Flight

The teacher and disciple fast together for ninety days, or thirty days.

The Scripture of the Cavern of the Real, the Seven Mornings of the Upper Register of the Three Blossoms, Precious Radiance, Jade Writings, and Numinous Radiance (three formulas in all)

The recipient of the scripture must fast together with the teacher for seven days.

The True Scripture of the Dragon Writings and Eight Numinous Powers, Hidden in the Cavern of the Real (two formulas)

The teacher and disciple fast together for sixty days, or thirty days.

The Purple Writings and Elixir Chapters of the Inner Reality of the Divine Tiger of Jade Clarity, from the Cavern of the Real (two formulas)

The teacher and disciple fast together for fifty days.

The Hidden Scripture of Jade Clarity, from the Cavern of the Real (four scrolls, eight formulas)

The teacher and disciple fast together for thirty days.

The True Writings of the Upper Origin, Secret Characters in a Golden Book, from the Cavern of the Real

The teacher and disciple fast together for twenty-seven days.

The Scripture of the Cavern of the Real, the Three-Five Ordered Progression of the True Scripture of Great Clarity, Elixir Characters, and Purple Writings (three formulas in all)

The teacher and disciple fast together for nine days.

The Upper Register of Cangyuan in the Scripture of the Cavern of the Real, the Way of the Purple Tenuity and the Beginning of Azure

The teacher and disciple fast together for one hundred days.

The Yellow Writings of the Great Tenuity, from the Cavern of the Real (eight scrolls)

The teacher and disciple fast together for nine days.

The Purple Characters of the Cavern of the Real, the Jade Emperor’s Nine Refinings, the Eight Ways of the True Ones, and the Golden Immortal’s Register of Destinies in the Three Origins and Flowing Pearls Scripture (four formulas, eight scrolls in all)

The teacher and disciple each declare and observe a fast for ninety days, or thirty days.

The True Scripture of Jade Essence, the Cavern of the Origin, the Three Qi, the Golden Chapters, the Supreme Ultimate, and the Green Radiance, from the Cavern of the Real (four scrolls, two formulas)

The teacher and disciple each declare and observe a fast for ninety days.

The Purple Writings of the Five Emperors’ Yellow Registers, the Jade Register of the August Sovereign, from the Cavern of the Real (three scrolls in all)

The teacher and disciple fast together for thirty days.

The Method of Returning to Youth and Gathering Blossoms in the Scripture of the Cavern of the Real, the Elixir Radiance and Dao Essence of the Azure Sprout’s First Birth (three scrolls in all)

The teacher and disciple each fast together for ninety days.

The True Scripture of the Three Blossoms, Precious Radiance, and Returning Years, the Green Characters for Delivering Life from the Golden Chamber, from the Cavern of the Real

The teacher and disciple fast together for twenty days.

The Jade Scripture of Flowing Radiance, the Cavern of the Real, and Dissolving the Form and Transforming through Flight

The teacher and disciple fast together for ninety days.

The Chapter on Transcendent Life in the Upper Mystery and Empty Birth, Received by the Jade Emperor of the Purple Void at the Center of the Morning, from the Cavern of the Real

The teacher and disciple fast together for one hundred days.

Reading notes

The fasting periods range from nine to one hundred days. They generally correspond to a scripture’s rank, number of scrolls, and number of formulas; texts concerning upper registers and registers of destiny often require longer periods.

“Cavern of the Real” refers to the Dongzhen division of the Shangqing tradition. Names such as Jade Clarity, Great Tenuity, and Purple Tenuity in scripture titles are generally names of celestial realms or ranks in the Daoist hierarchy, and may be retained as they are.

These rules specify personal conditions for receiving a transmission; they are not summaries of the scriptures’ teachings. Actual practice also requires observing the relevant scripture’s rules on pledges of faith, transmission ceremonies, and other matters.

This passage from volume 47 of The Supreme Secret Essentials is a comparison of scripture titles and purification requirements. It lists several Daoist scriptures of the “Three Caverns” (Dongzhen) category and specifies how many days disciples must observe purification before transmitting scriptures, studying or reciting them, or performing rites.

Scripture Titles and Required Days of Purification

One

With their master’s guidance, disciples must observe communal purification—together maintaining ritual purity and precepts—for ninety days before undertaking anything related to:

The Morning Chart of the Eight Radiances, Purple Phoenix, and Scarlet Writ of the Three Caverns, in two volumes.

Two

Disciples must observe individual purification according to the ritual, either alone or facing the altar, for ninety days, or at least thirty days, before undertaking anything related to:

The Golden Writ of the Flying Empyrean and Severing the Origin in the Precious Cavern of the Three Caverns.

Three

Disciples must observe individual purification for twenty-seven days before undertaking anything related to:

The Numinous Writ in Purple Script of the Jade Register of the Female One and the Five Elders, a Precious Scripture of the Three Caverns.

Four

Disciples must observe individual purification for ninety days before undertaking anything related to:

Eliminating Demons and Wisdom of the Three Caverns, in seven volumes.

Five

Disciples must observe individual purification for ninety days, or thirty days, before undertaking anything related to:

The Scripture of Feathered Flight: Flying by Taking the Steps of the Heavenly Net and Treading the Seven Primordial Ones, with White Feathers and Black Quills, of the Three Caverns.

Six

Disciples must observe individual purification for ninety days before undertaking anything related to:

The True Instructions of the Three and Nine Plain Words, the Jade Essence of the Way’s Essence, and the Eight Methods of Concealing Oneself in the Earth: The True Scripture of the Eight Plain Forms, Absorbing the Yellow Radiance of the Sun and Moon (also known as The High Scripture of the Eight Altars and Four Gates), in eight volumes; and The Three Instructions of the Imperial Chapters in the Jade Writings of the Lang Library of the Great Empyrean, in ten volumes.

Seven

Disciples must observe individual purification for one hundred days, or thirty days, before undertaking anything related to:

The Eight Methods of the Elixir Radiance and the Way’s Essence for Concealing Oneself in the Earth of the Three Caverns.

Eight

Disciples must observe individual purification for eighty days. (This item follows directly after the preceding scripture title and belongs to the same category of requirements in the volume.)

Notes for reading the original:

“Three Caverns” (Dongzhen) refers to a category of Daoist scriptures associated with the Shangqing tradition, many of which belong to the Dongzhen section of the Daoist Canon.

“Master’s disciples” refers to disciples who received precepts and scriptures within a recognized lineage. “Master” here means the teacher who transmits instruction according to ritual procedure.

“Communal purification” and “individual purification” both involve ritual observance and maintaining purity. Communal purification generally means keeping the fast together; individual purification generally means observing it alone according to the liturgy, facing the altar.

Terms in the titles such as “purple script,” “golden writ,” and “jade register” are conventional names for types of Daoist texts and talismanic writings; they are retained here in their original form.

This is a plain-language explanation of the passage’s main point: which scripture is involved, and how many days of purification must come first.