《無上祕要》Vol. 49

The Supreme Essentials, Scroll 65: On Single-Minded Devotion

(A modern-language interpretation)

The Perfected Lord said: Those who devote themselves to the mysteries and hold their aspirations high do not waver, even if mountains and rivers collapse. Those who keep to the Dao and preserve what is true do not neglect their practice, even through cold and heat, hunger and thirst. This is the utmost in single-minded sincerity.

Some harness the wind and seize the moment; others use talismans to treat illness. They exhaust every method yet refuse to take the easy way. The Dao of ancient times is not necessarily the Dao of today. If understanding falls short by even a hair’s breadth, a hundred flaws will appear. To whom are these words addressed? Everyone who hears them should use them to examine themselves and discipline their thoughts.

The Perfected Lord also said: In ancient times, when Zhuang Bowei was young, he was devoted to the Way of long life. At fixed hours, he would face northwest, half close his eyes, hold the Hand-Sealing Mudra, and visualize Mount Kunlun. He kept this up for twenty-one years. Later, he took elixirs and went into the mountains to practice the Dao, continuing to use this method. About ten years later, as he sat with his eyes closed, he suddenly saw Kunlun. He continued visualizing it without pause, and at last saw an immortal. The immortal transmitted to him the formula of Liquid Gold, and he attained the Dao. This was the result of sincerity moving what is beyond, brought about by the power of the Dao.

The Lord of Settled Registers said: In ancient times, someone loved the Dao but did not know how to seek it. Morning and evening, he simply knelt and bowed before a dead tree, repeating, “I beg for long life.” He did this without fail for eighteen years. One day, the dead tree suddenly blossomed, and its flowers held a sap as sweet as honey. Someone told him to eat it, so he consumed both the flowers and their sap. As soon as he had finished, he became an immortal. Such was the sincerity of his devotion: even dead wood could produce purple blossoms and sweet dew. How much more could the spirits of the Three Blossoms and the Five Mushrooms bring forth? Yet people refuse to enter the mountains again and again to wash away their impurities. It is truly lamentable.

In ancient times, Master Fu loved the Dao from a young age. He spent seven years in a stone chamber on Mount Huo. The Elder Lord of the Supreme Ultimate came to visit him, gave him a wooden drill, and ordered him to bore through a stone slab about five feet thick, saying that he would attain the Dao once he had pierced it. He drilled day and night. After forty-seven years, he broke through the stone and received the formula for the divine elixir. He ascended to the Great Clarity and became a Perfected One of the Southern Marchmount. This is a model for those with resolve. You should keep it in mind.

In ancient times, Liu Shaoweng went to Mount Hua many times to pay homage to the mountain. After twenty years of this, one day he suddenly met the Elder of the Western Marchmount, who transmitted the immortal Dao to him.

In ancient times, someone went to the river every morning to bow before its waters. He did this for ten years…

I. The Lord of the River, Zuo Ci, and the Zhengao

The Lord of the River and the River Earl then met him and gave him ten pairs of white jade disks, teaching him a method for walking underwater without drowning. This man attained the Dao at Mount Zhong. When Zuo Ci first arrived, he too devoted himself wholeheartedly to paying reverence to the numinous mountain many times. After about five years, he grasped the profound meaning of the Dongxuan. The above account comes from the Zhengao.

II. A Qiuceng: Bathing in Light, Making a Vow, and Becoming Male Through Self-Immolation

(from the Dongxuan Yujue Jing)

At that time, in the Abishi district near Danhuo in the Southern Garden, there lived a virtuous man named Wang Fudu, who diligently pursued the Dao. He had a daughter named A Qiuceng. She was about sixteen. While bathing in a bathhouse with fragrant water, she saw light shining from her body and spreading through the room. Astonished, she went outside, climbed a tree, and looked south. There she saw the Dao’s perfected divine beings, their radiance brilliant and their faces as bright as the sun. Joy filled her heart. She clasped her hands and paid homage from afar, naming herself Qiuceng. She said that she was fortunate to encounter this moment and behold the Heavenly Worthy in person. She wished to dedicate herself to the ten directions and to the Heaven among heavens, and asked to receive the precepts and follow the teachings of the Dharma, to uproot her evil roots, swiftly attain rebirth through the turning wheel, and be transformed into a male body. She hoped that, after ten thousand kalpas, she might become a flying immortal.

The Demon Kings of the Five Emperors saw that she had made a great vow and feared she would surpass the demonic realm. They therefore appeared as five old men and came to her, saying: “We have been sent by the Venerable Deities of the ten directions to transmit the sacred Lingbao scriptures. Our path is now being put into practice, and it must be founded on benevolence, love, and filial devotion. We hear that your father intends to marry you off. Once a promise has been made, it cannot be broken, so you should first comply. If you disobey your father’s instructions, it will be difficult to complete the immortal path.”

Qiuceng replied: “In my former life I was unfortunate, lacking the destined conditions and failing to complete my merit and virtue; as a result, I was born female. Morning and evening I regret this, and I vow to guard my single-minded resolve. My purpose is firm, arising naturally. My birth came through my parents, but my life belongs to the Heaven of the ten directions. Truly, rather than disobey my father, I would follow my own destiny.”

Seeing that her resolve was upright and could not be shaken, the demons withdrew.

Qiuceng herself said: “The Dao is lofty and far-reaching, and I have no means to attain its full realization.” She gathered firewood, climbed onto a wall, and set herself alight, hoping that her body would scatter into dust and that she might, for a moment, attain full realization of the Heaven among heavens. She threw herself into the fire, but seemed to have no substance; her body was as if tossed into empty space. In an instant, her female body had transformed into a male one, and she went straight before the Dao.

III. The Chapter on the Soft and the Weak (Laozi)

Laozi said: “Of all things under Heaven, nothing is softer and weaker than Qi (vital energy); of all things in Qi, nothing is softer and weaker than the Dao. Because the Dao is soft and weak, it can encompass Heaven and Earth and run through the myriad things.”

Selected passages from the Essential Secrets of the Most High: A Plain-Language Interpretation

I. From the Scripture of the Western Ascension

Strength grows out of softness, and vigor out of weakness. Yet most people in the world cannot say clearly where all things return to their roots, or where they ultimately come from.

Thus it is said: “Being” takes “nonbeing” as its mother; “nonbeing” takes “emptiness” as its mother; and “emptiness” takes the Dao (the Way) as its mother. “Naturalness”—being so of itself, without contrivance—is the root of the Dao.

II. From the Scripture of Wondrous Truth

Water is soft in nature and seems weak, yet it can penetrate all things. It is calm, clear, and yielding, and its heart does not stir with deluded grasping.

Its De (Virtue/Power) accords with Heaven and Earth, and its bounty reaches all things. It can contain what is vast and seep into what is minute. Metal and stone cannot stop it; mountains and ridges cannot block it. It avoids what is solid and moves toward what is open, flowing down from high places. It surges on without end, breaking through obstacles and carrying stones faster than the wind. Boundless in its breadth, it cultivates the far-reaching Dao. The Dao begins without form or image, and in the end all things gather into rivers and seas. Water rises as clouds and descends as rain, circulating above and below and giving everywhere. It disappears and returns, dies and is reborn.

Therefore, the sage sets aside the burdens of hearing and sight and directs the heart toward water: holding to softness and receptivity, leaving the heights and going low, not clinging to what is beautiful but willingly dwelling in humble places. The sage accepts disgrace as the earth accepts grime and the sea takes in filth; calm and free of desire, empty as though without a self, changing without being bound to any fixed form. Thus the sage can share the beginning and end of Heaven and Earth.

III. From the Dao Classic of Laozi

Knowing what is strong and masculine, yet holding to what is soft and feminine, one is willing to be the valley of the world. As the valley of the world, one’s constant De never departs, and one returns to the softness of an infant.

Knowing what is bright and pure, yet holding to what is dim and obscure, one is willing to be the model for the world. As the model for the world, one’s constant De does not go astray, and one returns to the boundless.

Knowing what is glorious, yet holding to what is humble and disgraced, one is willing to be the valley of the world. As the valley of the world, one’s constant De is complete, and one returns to the uncarved block, the unworked simplicity of the “uncarved block.”

When the uncarved block is divided, it becomes separate vessels. The sage makes use of it and becomes a leader. Thus, the “great carving” does not cut or injure: the shaping of great De does not damage the nature of things.

IV. From the Dao Classic of Laozi

The softest thing in the world can move freely through the hardest. “Nonbeing” can enter where there is no gap. From this I understand the benefit of Wuwei (non-action).

The teaching that does not rely on words and the benefit of Wuwei are rarely attained by anyone in the world.

“Reversal” is the movement of the Dao; “weakness” is its function. The myriad things under Heaven are born from “being,” and “being” is born from “nonbeing.”

Nothing in the world is softer and weaker than water. Yet nothing surpasses it in attacking what is hard and overcoming what is strong, and nothing else can take its place.

Thus the soft overcomes the hard, and the weak overcomes the strong. Everyone in the world knows this, yet few can put it into practice. Therefore the sage says: Only one who can bear a nation’s humiliation is fit to be called its ruler; only one who can bear a nation’s misfortune is fit to be called the king of the world. Straight words often sound like their opposite.

When alive, the body is supple; after death, it becomes stiff. Plants and trees are tender as they grow, but dry and hard once they wither and die. Thus hardness and strength belong to the realm of death, while weakness and softness belong to the realm of life. For this reason, an army that relies on force often fails to win, and a tree that grows too thick and strong is easily broken. The strong occupy the higher position; the weak occupy the lower.

The above is quoted from the Dao De Jing.

On Emptiness and Stillness

Bring the mind and spirit to a state of utmost emptiness, and devote yourself to preserving profound stillness. As all things grow and change together, I observe how they return to their source. Though the myriad things are diverse, each returns to its root. Returning to the root is called stillness; stillness is called returning to life’s original nature; returning to one’s nature is called the constant Dao. Knowing the constant Dao is called wisdom. Failing to know it and acting recklessly brings misfortune.

One who understands the constant Dao can be all-embracing. Being all-embracing, one can be impartial; being impartial, one can become the master of all people. As master of all people, one can accord with Heaven. To accord with Heaven is to accord with the Dao. In accord with the Dao, one can endure for a long time and remain free from danger throughout life.

The above is quoted from the Dao Jing.

Laozi said:

First, forget the body and do not cling to it. Be calm and practice Wuwei (non-action). This is called “emptiness.”

Second, reduce selfishness, cast off distracting thoughts, abandon falseness, and dispel desire. This is called “non-being.”

Third, gather the spirit and concentrate the mind, keeping yourself from becoming entangled with external things. This is called “purity.”

Fourth, return the spirit to its original state, regulate the breath, and remain settled without acting rashly. This is called “stillness.”

Fifth, dwell in a quiet, secluded place and do not display your fame or achievements. This is called “obscurity.”

Sixth, leave wife and children and live alone in the company of the Dao. This is called “solitude.”

Seventh, harmonize the breathing, making the breath smooth and fine. This is called “softness.”

Eighth, relax the body and stretch out the limbs, using this state to respond to all affairs. This is called “weakness.”

Ninth, reject honor and glory beyond what is deserved, be content with poverty, and take pleasure in enduring humiliation. This is called “humility.”

Tenth, avoid excess and do not seek abundance; keep clothing and food plain. This is called “diminution.”

Eleventh, act in accord with Yang Qi, adapt yourself as things change, and dispel evil. This is called “timeliness.”

Twelfth, be neither hungry nor cold, neither pleased nor angry, neither sorrowful nor joyful, neither hurried nor slow. This is called “harmony.”

Thirteenth, conserve sight, speech, hearing, and thought; guard the spirit so it does not dissipate, and gather Shen (spirit) within. This is called “conservation” (cherishing and sparing).

These thirteen principles return together to the state of undifferentiated chaos, taking emptiness and non-being as their essential foundation. Cultivation must reach the utmost extent one can attain; only then is the Dao of Wuwei complete. Even if one matter remains beyond one’s understanding, it is still best to remain empty and still. If one can practice and comprehend these principles, the spirit will naturally become settled, harmonious Qi will flow freely, and it will enter the Five Viscera, nourishing the sinews and bones. As Qi is refined through cultivation, the body changes with it. When the cultivator joins with the Qi of Heaven and Earth, the body can become light and rise aloft, traveling far until the end of its lifespan. These principles can be used not only to cultivate oneself, but also to govern the world and all its states.

The above is quoted from the Jing of Emptiness and Non-being.

On Dwelling in the Mountains

The Most High said: There are ten rules for dwelling in the mountains. First, one must not govern the people or instruct the populace.

Plain-Language Interpretation of The Supreme Secret Essentials

1. Ten Essentials for Practicing the Dao in the Mountains

Second. Do not associate with the powerful and distinguished in pursuit of fame and profit.

Third. Do not continue practicing wicked incantations, forbidden arts, or similar methods.

Fourth. Do not sell medicines or practice medicine in exchange for other people’s money.

Fifth. Keep your distance from secular people. Do not share a bed or sit together with men or women, young or old, from the secular world, and do not drink wine at the same table with them.

Sixth. At the six appointed times—dawn, midday, sunset, the hour when people settle for the night (the Xu hour, about 7–9 p.m.), midnight (the Zi hour), and cockcrow (the Chou hour)—pay respects to the Heavenly Worthies of the ten directions, confess your offenses, and dispel harmful karma.

Seventh. After midday, do not eat foods containing grain essence. All foods that contain it are forbidden. Do not use saliva to swallow medicinal foods such as Jade Zhi, Shisong Shu, Huangjing, Yunying, Lingfei Powder, or goji berries. This prohibition applies at all times.

Eighth. When entering the mountains to gather herbs, snap your fingers once every three steps and clear your throat once every ten steps. With each step, keep the Dao in mind and visualize divine beings beside the mountain paths, imparting immortal arts to you.

Ninth. If you have attained only a little share of the Dao and have not yet fully understood it, do not show off or look down on those who have attained less.

Tenth. Remember the kindness of your parents, who raised you, and never forget it.

These ten rules are called the essentials for practicing the Dao in the mountains.

The above is from the Scripture of Ascending to the Mysterious.

2. The Three Heavens Zhengyi Invocation for Ascending a Mountain and Practicing the Rites

Whenever practitioners of the writings of the Six Heavens and the orthodox methods of the Three Heavens travel through the Five Sacred Mountains or cross rivers and marshes, they should perform the invocation of the Three Heavens Zhengyi. It is used to subdue and destroy evil, test and summon spirits, and bring the immortals near.

Before beginning the ascent, stand outside the mountain and first click your teeth together nine times. Close your eyes and visualize five-colored clouds surging together from all directions, covering the whole mountain, with yourself within their vapor. After a long while, see the immortal officials of the Five Sacred Mountains, along with the mountain’s peaks, forests, trees, grasses, marshes, birds, beasts, and all beings, coming to pay their respects to you.

Look upward and recite:

The Lord on High sets forth on a journey; the day is auspicious, the hour propitious. Jade radiance covers me, and Taiyi supports and escorts me. Baiyuan guards my left, and Yuanying assists my right. The Eight Emperors and Nine Perfected Ones meet me as I ascend and walk in good fortune. The Dao guides me and sends me on my way; its radiance shines with mine. As I walk through the Five Sacred Mountains, the gathered immortals welcome me. As I enter and leave rivers and seas, the myriad roads open wide. I command and direct the Six Ding; I turn and marshal the Five Phases. The Three Heavens have issued their command: sweep away every evil. Cut down, clear away, and cleanse all defilement; flowing gold extinguishes calamity. The orthodox rites are pure and unobstructed, stern as the frost of power. Radiant essence gleams brightly; the dragon carriage rises high. Green feathers stream, and brocade robes fly. Wherever I turn and wherever I go, all is auspicious and prosperous. The myriad Perfected Ones come to pay their respects, and together they ascend to the Jade Capital.

When the invocation is complete, draw in and swallow the Qi thirty-six times.

The above is from the Scripture of the Orthodox Methods of the Three Heavens of the Cavern of Truth.

The Essential Secrets of the Supreme

The Perfected of the Supreme Ultimate said: “When a Daoist wishes to withdraw to a secluded life in the mountains, they should first receive the teachings and undertake their practice, respectfully serve their master, and cultivate various good works to bring the mountain spirits into accord. Mountains have spirits whether they are large or small: great mountains have great spirits, and small mountains have small spirits. If the mountain spirits are offended, people cannot feel secure there. Without understanding the highest methods or cultivating goodness and merit, on what grounds could one enter the mountains and make a home there?”

(From the second scroll of the Scripture of Questions on the Caverns of Mystery.)

The Daoist scripture says: “Those who study the highest methods should keep the spirits in mind and contemplate the Dao, settle their intentions in mountain retreat, observe purification rites and recite scriptures, deliver the Seven Generations of Ancestors, and seek immortality for themselves. They must practice the highest method of the ‘True Text in Red Writing of the Five Elders.’ According to the old text, they should first click their teeth twelve times and recite:

“Numinous powers on high in the Mysterious Heavens, revered spirits of the Primordial Beginning: great sages, come and linger; all the perfected, gather before the celestial hall. The Three Luminaries spread their radiance; auspicious clouds array themselves on every side. The highest powers examine the registers and cast lots among the Nine Heavens. Today I declare my wish and submit my petition to the numinous mountain. The red writing in cinnabar, the natural True Text: I report it to the Five Emperors, and have my name recorded in the jade registers. May the myriad spirits shine upon me like the sun and moon. I openly declare my wish to transcend the world and become immortal; may Heaven, Earth, and the stars shine upon my body. May the Three Offices and Nine Courts, and the great spirits of the Five Sacred Peaks, be told of this everywhere without end, and may the roots of my sins be erased. May the Primordial Beginning open wide; may none fail to accept my words. May the shadowy souls of the Seven Generations of Ancestors receive blessings of their own accord. May I forever leave behind the Three Paths and Five Sufferings; may I escape the Eight Difficulties and shine together with the Three Luminaries. May the Purple Dawn turn without end, and may I attain the flying-immortal state.”

“After reading the petition, cast it into a sheer ravine, then scatter incense over the numinous mountain.

“Next click your teeth three times and, facing the direction of your birth sign, recite:

“May the Primordial Beginning look down and shine upon me. My name has been entered among the immortals; may the Three Offices and Nine Courts erase all my sins. I scatter incense to the Five Emperors and pledge this covenant to the Great Void. May all that I have declared endure through the myriad kalpas.”

“When finished, raise your head and swallow the nine Qi breaths. Then stop.”

(From the Jade Instructions on the Red Writings of the Caverns of Mystery.)

Lord Lü’s oral instructions say: “On the day you enter the mountains, before you come within a hundred paces, first walk backward seven steps, then climb the mountain with your feet turned around. The mountain spirits will not harm you; the host of evil forces will flee in submission, and all poisons will hide themselves.”

(From the Declarations of the Perfected.)

The Perfected of Great Origin said: “If, in this life, one can remain detached and keep one’s aspirations far-reaching, valuing only one’s own body, and move beyond the reach of worldly troubles, there will be no place of death. Thus, the students of antiquity held mysterious tallies in mountain ranges and concealed their gleaming mirrors amid swirling mists, while they clarified their spirits in the mountains.”

The terms “True Text in Red Writing of the Five Elders,” “clicking the teeth,” “Three Offices and Nine Courts,” “Seven Generations of Ancestors,” “submitting a petition,” and “swallowing the nine Qi breaths” all belong to Shangqing and Dongxuan ritual language for entering the mountains, pledging covenants, and seeking immortality. They connect with Lord Lü’s protective instruction to “walk backward seven steps, then climb with your feet turned around,” and with the Perfected of Great Origin’s discussion of valuing the body and living in the mountains. Together, these passages concern the preparations and prohibitions observed by Daoists before undertaking mountain cultivation.

A Plain-Language Reading of The Supreme Secret Essentials

1. Cultivating the True Self in a Mountain Retreat

(From the “Scripture of True Traces”)

Some people settle in a courtyard among mountain cliffs or beside a secluded valley, where they nurture their true nature. They let their hair down and climb to distant heights, using the methods of warp and weft to regulate the Qi of “my life.” Radiance shines around them as they absorb the spiritual forces of the five directions. They follow the nine paths, moving and roaming among them, until they ascend to the realm of “nonbeing.”

They cleanse the body, gather the mind, put an end to anxious thoughts, and sever worldly ambitions. They close themselves away and preserve the three Qi, plumbing the depths of wondrous essence. In this way, they can reverse the decline of old age and return to the state of an infant. Thus they enter the Dao, attain immortality, realize the Dao, and become perfected.

2. On Going Against Custom

Laozi said:

Those who preserve what lies beyond Heaven and Earth abandon the body yet keep their life. Therefore, the noble person does what good people do not do, lives as long as those who do not live long, takes joy in what others do not enjoy, does what others do not do, believes what others do not believe, and follows paths others do not follow. In this way, Dao and De become complete.

Laozi said:

The teachings and principles set out in scriptures and precepts may flourish brilliantly, but this is not as good as keeping to what is subtle. Knowing how to reckon with emptiness is not as good as turning toward what is rare and obscure. Achieving much quickly is not as good as proceeding slowly. What rises must fall; what flourishes must decline. The sage cuts off cleverness and acts without striving, speaks without saying anything, and acts without imposing anything. Who can understand this?

The ordinary is not as good as the extraordinary; abundance is not as good as little. Those who are deemed worthy are hard to follow, and those who are deemed benevolent are hard to emulate. If one has little to rely on, one can understand nonbeing and know the pivotal workings of the Dao. When emptiness is carried through to its end, what need is there to fly off as an immortal? The Great Dao is vast and open, enclosing and governing all things. If one can see that what is deemed right may turn out to be wrong, and examine the words of the scriptures closely, who could keep pace with such understanding?

(From the “Scripture of the Westward Ascension”)

3. From the Dao Scripture of Laozi

(In the style of the Dao De Jing)

Everyone is bustling about, as if attending a grand sacrificial feast or climbing a spring terrace to admire the view. I alone am quiet and unconcerned, with a heart not yet stirred, like an infant who has not learned to smile. I have no ties; it is as though I have nowhere to return.

Everyone seems to have more than enough; I alone seem to have lost something. How foolish my heart is—so muddled and indistinct. Ordinary people are bright and sharp; I alone seem dull. Ordinary people are discerning and exacting; I alone am dim and unresponsive. I drift in a haze, dark and still, as though I had nowhere to settle.

Everyone takes the “I” to be real; I alone am stubborn and dull, like a rustic. I alone differ from other people: I value seeking nourishment from the “Mother,” the source of the Dao.

4. The Perfected of Taiji said

Those who are perfected study and practice the Dao. They take what others cannot take, endure what others cannot endure, give up what others cannot give up, learn what others cannot learn, and dwell where others cannot dwell. They accomplish their work without seeking fame, and their work of transforming living beings has no end.

Brief notes on terminology

“Five spiritual forces” and “nine paths” commonly refer in cultivation contexts to deities associated with the directions and stages of ritual practice. Here, they can simply be understood as absorbing Qi and following successive stages.

“Closing oneself away and preserving the three Qi” means withdrawing into seclusion and cultivating three kinds of fundamental Qi, such as essence, Qi, and spirit.

“Seeking nourishment from the Mother”: the “Mother” is a metaphor for the source of the Great Dao. Just as an infant depends on its mother for food, this means returning to the root, restoring one’s life, and receiving nourishment from the source.

This text comes from a Daoist cultivation work. Its central teaching is that when reciting scriptures and incantations, one should be focused, complete, and accurate. It cites the Scripture of the Assembly of the Many Courts of Shangqing as its authority. The following is a paragraph-by-paragraph rendering in plain language.

In the Taiji Palace, the myriad perfected beings attain the radiance of the Lingbao scriptures. When teaching people in the human world to become immortals, one must never sink to the level of ordinary beings or treat scriptures and incantations lightly.

When reciting, silently recite the scripture to yourself. As you sit quietly in the daytime, listen only for the Celestial Worthy’s summons. You will often see that the scriptures and incantations you recite warn people. If you suffer calamities such as slander or harm that extends to another person’s lifespan, these all result from disrespect in recitation.

(The following also draws on the meaning of a scripture from the fifth year of a certain reign:) While alive, do not let yourself be deprived of food or drink, and do not let worldly affairs disturb you. Though you may rise and sit in the middle of the night, recall the scriptures and incantations you recited in the past. Reflect on the approaching calamity of the age, and on the disasters destined for your own life and the lives of others.

Sit upright through the deepest part of the night, staying awake until dawn. Recite aloud, so that others are startled awake—but using this practice to strike at the heavenly stems and omens, to wield ropes, or to speak of “placing food” and the like is a perversion of scripture recitation. Even when visiting a tomb, you should teach well and recite your scriptures and incantations. Reflect on what you have understood; as you wait and recall the scriptures, commit their meaning carefully to memory. Make no mistakes, for an error brings change.

As you move from thoughts of yourself to thoughts of others, and from thoughts of your own body to thoughts of others, envision the various heavens as the scriptures and incantations are recited. If you make a mistake, you may suddenly harm living beings. Your recitation will lose its regular cadence, and those around you will never be at peace. In the four seasons, when thoughts are obstructed, mixed, or unrestrained, do not leave your thoughts unfinished or fail to recite. Once you have entered this path, think of all the merit of living beings and bestow its rewards upon them. Recite your scriptures and incantations with focused, earnest attention. Be diligent and refine your concentration; let each thought follow continuously upon the last, without turning your thoughts elsewhere.

From thoughts of yourself to thoughts of others and of their bodies, let not the slightest error enter any thought. Do not make a mistake: the moment you do, the heavens will rebuke you.

If you cultivate scriptures and incantations with an empty mind, failing to listen, and recite them incorrectly, the heavens will punish you for your errors. As you recite, keep your mind and intention focused and still; diligently concentrate on the scripture. You must not turn your thoughts to other things, wander in thought, or let your mind stray to your body. Bring your attention directly to the recitation. Let your meditative mind be still and quiet, and let each thought follow continuously upon the last. Do not make even the slightest error in the scripture you recite. An error as small as a hair’s breadth will make you unable to escape even after ten thousand kalpas.

Whenever you recite scriptures and incantations, do not leave them half begun or half finished, or mistake the beginning for the ending and the ending for the beginning. When you undertake a recitation, keep your attention on it without wavering. Let each thought follow the last, and teach with diligent care. Do not let your attention split, for a divided mind scatters, and what is scattered cannot be brought to completion. At the time of recitation, extend your kindness to all beings and to the empty isles; the meaning is to offer aid single-mindedly to all. Take care, while reciting, to renew your own concentration. Each person should set their mind to the practice, urge others to diligence, and arrange to recite together.

While reciting, hold the thought that all living beings share one body. Whoever recites scriptures and incantations should support others in doing so. As you recite, look up toward the various lords of heaven above, who praise you. If you can do this, the heavens will look kindly upon you and protect you.

If a living being recites scriptures incorrectly, they may suddenly harm the heavenly beings, bringing about their own ruin. This does not mean only that the physical body will be wrongly destroyed: they will be swept into the Great Void like a mad person. Or the Buddha may turn into a demon teaching, bringing about their ruin. Even after hundreds of thousands of years, they will never rise beyond this fate; for a thousand ages and ten thousand kalpas, they will sink in hell.

Some beings have human forms but do evil in their hearts. They recite scriptures in their minds and speak incantations aloud, while directing their thoughts to another person’s scripture. The Buddha sees your heart and may cause your ruin, plunging you into the hell of the plough, from which there is no way to return to the world.

When reciting a scripture, you must seek to understand its meaning. As you recite, reflect on the profound and wondrous principles. Recite the text in full and grasp its meaning completely; do not make an error. Even the slightest verbal or ritual error will bring punishment from the heavens. Do not recite a scripture incorrectly or fail to reflect on its meaning. Words recited with even the slightest error are useless; they bring no real benefit and will never lead to the immortal Way.

When someone recites with the scripture held in mind, seeks out its profound meaning, and explores its many wonders until they grasp it fully, that meaning is far-reaching, and in time they will attain the effects of the immortal Way.

The above is from the Scripture of the Assembly of the Many Courts of Shangqing.

Note: The original contains damaged and corrupted characters, such as “the myriad perfected beings attain the radiance of the Lingbao # scripture,” “no real benefit,” and “the heavens’ names, seven attain.” The plain-language rendering resolves these passages from context and customary Daoist rules for scripture recitation, without adding meaning. Proper names have been retained: Taiji Palace, the dwelling place of Daoist immortals; Celestial Worthy, a title for a high-ranking divine being; the heavens, the host of celestial deities; and the Scripture of the Assembly of the Many Courts of Shangqing, a text associated with the Shangqing tradition. The text’s overall message is that recitation requires undivided attention, completeness from beginning to end, and accuracy in every word, along with insight into the teachings. Otherwise, the heavens will punish the reciter and the Way of immortality will remain out of reach. If one regards all beings as a single body and looks up to the heavens in reverence, the heavenly beings will protect and watch over them.