《無上祕要》Vol. 6

Book Nine of the Essentials of the Supreme Mystery: “The Rank of the Celestial Officials’ Rise and Fall” and “The Rank of the Assembly of the Many Saints” — A Plain-Language Interpretation

The Rank of the Celestial Officials’ Rise and Fall

If a Highest and Supreme Jade Clarity True Emperor (a sovereign at the highest level of the Jade Clarity realm) violates any provision of the public precepts, then:

• Their name is removed from the imperial register, and their Dao rank is stripped away.
• They are demoted to the central palace of Great Clarity.
• After one hundred years, they may be granted a higher title again according to their rank.

If an Upper Clarity Perfected One neglects their immortal duties, shirks their post, abandons their true responsibilities, or divulges precious instructions (secret teachings), or grants a position to someone who is not truly qualified, then:

• Their name is removed from the register of Upper Perfected Ones.
• They are demoted to become the chief of the Five Sacred Peaks’ commanders.
• After one thousand years, they may be granted a higher title again according to their rank.

If someone holding the rank of Lady of the Upper Origin or the title of Primordial Sovereign neglects their duties in the imperial administration (their responsibilities in the celestial court), fails in their proper affairs, grants ranks contrary to protocol, behaves improperly at court assemblies or banquets, carelessly divulges celestial treasures (secrets of the heavens), or grants a position to someone who is not truly qualified, then:

• Their name is removed from the register of True Emperors.
• They are deprived of their station in Purple Void.
• They are placed in Central Mysterious Clarity and Subtlety, to wander as a free-roaming celestial official.
• After seven hundred years, they may be granted a higher title again in accordance with their diligence.

If someone holding the title of Immortal of Great Clarity neglects their administrative duties, delays or neglects immortal affairs, abandons their true responsibilities, divulges celestial statutes (heavenly laws), or transmits ranks to those who are not entitled to them, then:

• Their name is removed from the register of True Immortals.
• They are demoted to become the chief of the Five Sacred Peaks’ commanders.
• After two thousand four hundred years, they may be granted a higher title again in accordance with their diligence.

If someone holding the title of Flying Immortal of the Five Sacred Peaks fails to take charge of official affairs, neglects their immortal administration, or treats Daoist writings lightly, then:

• They are removed from the register of orthodox immortals.
• They are demoted to become the chief of the Three Officials’ commanders.
• After two thousand four hundred years, they may be granted a higher title again in accordance with their diligence.

If someone holding the office of Commander of the Five Emperors, Four Administrations, and Three Officials fails to oversee their proper administration, becomes negligent, neglects the celestial statutes, abandons official duties, or imposes corrections and penalties unjustly, then:

• They are stripped of their rank among the True Ones.
• They are demoted to a clerical position in the general administration.
• After three thousand six hundred years, those who have been diligent may be granted a higher title again according to their good conduct.

If someone holding an office governed by the Jade Register of the Upper Perfected Ones—such as a gate supervisor, Jade Gentleman, feathered immortal attendant, chief administrator of the Upper Palace’s statutes, attendant who leads immortals among the True Ones, director of prohibitions, administrator of the immortal feathered registers, or official superintendent—fails to carry out their duties, neglects proper affairs, or disregards celestial statutes, then:

• They are stripped of their Jade Register of the Upper Perfected Ones.
• They are assigned as clerks to the Three Officials and made to command the ghost soldiers.
• After seven thousand years, those who have been diligent may be granted a higher title again according to their good conduct.

(The above comes from The Clear Statutes of the Four Extremes.)

The Rank of the Assembly of the Many Saints

The High Saintly Lord said: The first day of the first month, the third day of the third month, the fifth day of the fifth month, the seventh day of the seventh month, the ninth day of the ninth month, and the eleventh day of the eleventh month are the days on which the many saints assemble during the year.

On the sixth day, Heavenly Virtue joins in harmony. The Seven Sages settle the registers, and the Five Emperors record names. The Western Tortoise inscribes the records, and the Lord of Donghua compiles the texts. On this day, the Celestial Origin joins in celebration; the Four Offices marshal their troops; the Most High displays his canopy; the Jade Void turns its carriage around; the Nine Emperors gird themselves; the Seven Sages gather in spiritual assembly; and countless perfected beings and myriads of immortals all rise to their places in the Golden Court. The Three Luminaries escort the carriage, the Seven Origins shine brightly, Heaven and Earth are cleansed, and the Ten Realms are made still and pure.

The emperors of the Nine Heavens dispatch envoys to oversee the perfected. The Seven Sages of the Most High send the Left Immortal who settles the registers. The Queen Mother of the Western Tortoise commands the Five Elders and the Four Worthies; the Azure Youth of Donghua dispatches the Jade Officer who leads the immortals. Flying immortals from each division ride feathered carriages and cloud steeds, circling the Ten Heavens. They secretly inspect the Five Sacred Peaks and famous mountains, seeking those who have attained the Dao in the Caverns of the Origin, wandering immortal officials, and later students of the Way, and enter their names in the registers.

Some have not yet ascended in the flesh, or have no name in the mysterious registers, yet practice austerities and cultivate diligently. Their sincerity surpasses that of the Jade Void and moves the Jade Emperor. On this day, those who cultivate should fast in purity and burn incense, cast aside every distracting thought, and aspire to accord with Heaven’s heart. They should focus their thoughts, contemplate earnestly, and practice the numinous texts. If the Five Emperors recommend them, their names will be inscribed in the White Tablets and Azure Registers. The Four Extremities will then descend and bestow the highest truth upon them.

But if on this day anyone treats the heavenly treasures lightly or divulges the mysterious texts, committing the Seven Harms against their own person, they will be investigated by the Four Offices. Those whose names appear on the White Tablets will be struck from the Azure Registers and returned to the registers of the spirits.

This passage comes from the Jing of the Seven Sages of the Origin of the Cavern of Truth.

The auspicious dates and times in the twelve months

Gathering of the perfected

On these twelve auspicious days, the Five Planets (Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth) and the Central High Sovereign, the Great Perfected Dao Lord, ascend to the Pure Realm to pay court to the Supreme Dao Lord of the Nine Mysteries. A thousand perfected beings and the thirty-six Heavenly Emperors also assemble, along with all perfected beings from the flying immortals of Great Clarity and above. They gather at the Upper Palace of the Supreme Ultimate to discuss the diligence or negligence of those in the world who seek the Dao, record the jade names of those who study the perfected, engrave them in the Golden Pavilion, and enter them in the Pistil Registers, the celestial rolls of the immortals.

This passage comes from the Jing of the Eight Essentials of the Cavern of Truth.

A Plain-Language Interpretation of the Wushang Miyao

The Divine Venerables of Primordial Beginning, Numinous Treasure, and the Five Elders, the emperors of the various heavens, and the Perfected Ones of wondrous practice regularly assemble in the first, third, fifth, seventh, ninth, and eleventh months—six months of the year—at the Palace of Numinous Metropolis in the Highest Three Heavens and the Terrace of Primordial Yang and Purple Tenuity. There they review the celestial origin and calculate the cycles of destiny. The emperors of the various heavens, the envoys of the Great One, the offices of the sun, moon, and stars, and the Three Offices dispatch officials below to investigate the great spirits of the Five Sacred Peaks and Four Great Rivers, as well as the gods of rivers and seas. They travel throughout the world, scrutinizing everyone’s merits and faults and selecting the Seed People—those chosen to survive the tribulations of an age and attain the immortal Dao. During these months, all under heaven and on earth is solemn and orderly; people observe purification and precepts and honor the celestial immortals. Those who study the Dao should perform purification rites according to the liturgy in these months. Their merits and virtues are recorded under the names of the Three Offices and Five Emperors.

The Great Assembly of Sages of Primordial Beginning and Numinous Treasure in the Northwestern Heaven, the Perfect and True Venerable Spirits, the Supreme Emperor of the Limitless Great Dao, and the True Sovereign Elder regularly assemble on the first day of each month at the Upper Palace of Purple Tenuity on Jade Capital Mountain, northwest of the Numinous Treasure Metropolis. They observe purification and pay homage to Heaven, while reviewing the records of the merits and faults of people and spirits on earth. On that day, they command the Northern Dipper to descend and, together with the Three Offices, summon and investigate the four divisions of inspectors. They travel throughout the world, scrutinize the people, list good and evil deeds according to their severity, and submit their reports to the heavenly court. If on this day someone sincerely performs the proper purification rite and does not violate the regulations, the Three Offices remove their offenses and record their name in the Numinous Metropolis, where the myriad spirits protect them; they may become one of the Seed People. If they commit evil and wrongdoing, their name is transferred to the Earth Office.

The Great Assembly of Sages of Primordial Beginning and Numinous Treasure in the Northern Heaven, the Perfect and True Venerable Spirits, the Supreme Lord Lao, the Great Dao without Limit, and the Perfected Ones of wondrous practice of Numinous Treasure regularly assemble on the eighth day of each month at the Terrace of Yin Origin on Jade Capital Mountain, north of the Numinous Treasure Metropolis. They observe purification and pay homage to Heaven, while reviewing the registers of the people on earth and the records of their allotted years and life spans. On that day, they command the Northern Dipper’s Office of Death Spirits to descend and travel throughout the world with the Office of the Eight Directions. They oversee the severity of people’s good and evil deeds, merits, and faults, make a record, and report it above. If someone commits evil and wrongdoing on this day, they are transferred to the Earth Office. If they hold fast to their resolve, observe purification, and do not violate the regulations, the Three Offices erase their offenses, and the Three Heavens enter them in the register of immortals. The celestial gods and terrestrial spirits are then instructed to attend, guard, and protect them, and the myriad calamities cannot harm them.

The Great Assembly of Sages of Primordial Beginning and Numinous Treasure in the Northeastern Heaven, the Perfect and True Venerable Spirits, the Perfected Ones of wondrous practice, the Supreme Emperor of the Limitless Great Dao, the Divine Emperor of Ten Thousand Deliverances and Ten Thousand Lives, and the Supreme Mysterious Elder Lord regularly assemble on the fourteenth day of each month at the Terrace of Communication with the Mysterious on Jade Capital Mountain, in the Numinous Treasure Metropolis. (The scripture seems incomplete at this point; judging from the context, this is the northeastern assembly site.)

This scripture describes the sacred Daoist ritual where divine beings oversee and assess human merits and transgressions. It explains how on specific days each month, various celestial deities gather in the heavenly realms to examine the good deeds and faults of both cultivators and ordinary people.

On the fifteenth day of every month, the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning (Yuanshi Tianzun, the supreme deity in Daoism) and numerous exalted gods—including the Supreme Lord Lao (Taishang Laojun) of the Great Dao of Limitless Purity from the Three Highest Heavens, the Heavenly Emperor of Azure Numen (Qingling Shangzhen Tian Dijun), and others—convene at the Jade Palace of Azure Splendor (Qinghua Yubi Gong) on Mount Lingbao Tai Xuan Du Yujing. On this day, all divine beings throughout heaven and earth descend to the human realm to inspect and evaluate the merits and faults of cultivators and common people. Those who sincerely observe purification rituals (zhai, Daoist practices for purifying body and mind) on this day will receive recommendations from the Five Directional Heavenly Emperors and protection from the deities of the Three Realms, shielding them from calamities. Those who violate precepts, however, will be handed over to the Earthly Officials (Diguans, underworld judges) for punishment.

On the eighteenth day of each month, exalted deities from the southeastern heavens—such as the Supreme Lord Lao of the Limitless Dao (Wuji Dadao Nanshang Laojun) and the Jade Maiden of Great Harmony (Taihe Yunü)—gather at the Cinnabar Terrace of Cavernous Numen (Dongling Dantai) on Mount Lingbao Tai Xuan Du Yujing. On this day, emissaries are similarly dispatched to inspect the human world, recording the good and evil deeds of the people. Those who devoutly study the True Scriptures of Numinous Treasure (Lingbao Zhenjing) will gain recognition from the divine beings.

The text mentions "registering names in the immortal records" (jiming xianji), referring to the enrollment of accomplished cultivators in the celestial roster, and "advancing in rank" (jinzhi), indicating that spirits and deities are promoted based on their merits. The entire ritual reflects the Daoist concept of "heaven-human resonance" (tianren ganying), emphasizing that divine beings periodically assess human virtue and wrongdoing. Practitioners must accumulate merit through fasting, precepts, and cultivation to align with the celestial order.

A Plain-Language Interpretation of The Essentials of the Supreme Mystery

General overview: Practicing the Way, observing purification, and having one’s name entered in the registers

If a person can burn incense and practice the Way, observe purification and abstinence, make vows and recite prayers, and avoid violating ritual prohibitions, the Director of Destiny—the god who governs the span of human life—will enter their name in the Register of the Living and instruct the Earth Deities to protect them. Their blessings and good fortune will grow day by day, and their wishes will be fulfilled. If they violate ritual prohibitions, their name will be removed from the Register of the Living and entered instead in the register of the Ghost Officials, the underworld authorities.

The Great Assembly of Saints of the Southern Heaven of Primordial Beginning and the Numinous Treasure (the twenty-third day of the month)

The Great Assembly of Saints of the Southern Heaven of Primordial Beginning and the Numinous Treasure, the Supremely True Venerable Spirits, the Boundless Great Dao, the Southern Upper Red Emperor, the Old Master of Cinnabar Numinousity, the Jade Maiden of Great Harmony, the Director of Life and Longevity, the Directors of Destiny and Registers, the Lord who Delivers the World at the Southern Pole, the Lord of Ten Thousand Blessings, and others assemble in heaven on the twenty-third day of every month at the Numinous Treasure’s Great Mystery Capital on Jade Capital Mountain, in the Hall of Numinous Power and Primordial Yang. They observe purification and pay homage to Heaven, gathering to inspect and assess the heavenly people’s allotments of fortune and the length of their lives, and to distinguish good from evil.

On that day, they command the Eight Divine Envoys of the Great One to descend to the world and, together with the Three Officials of Heaven, Earth, and Water, summon and examine people. They travel throughout the world, investigate people’s good and evil deeds, and submit their findings. If someone on that day cultivates and honors the true scriptures of the Numinous Treasure, burns incense and practices the Way, observes purification, makes vows and recites prayers, and avoids taboos, then the Directors of Destiny and Life and Longevity enter their name in the Register of the Living, extending their allotted years and lengthening their life. Their name is also recorded with the Earth Official, who assigns guardians to protect and assist them, distinguishing them as one of the good people. If someone violates ritual rules or breaks the precepts, their allotted years are erased and their life shortened.

The Great Assembly of Saints of the Southwestern Heaven of Primordial Beginning and the Numinous Treasure (the twenty-fourth day of the month)

The Great Assembly of Saints of the Southwestern Heaven of Primordial Beginning and the Numinous Treasure, the Supremely True Venerable Spirits, the Boundless Great Dao, the Heavenly Emperor and Elder, the Primordial True Lord of the Southern Pole, Numinous Power of the Grotto Yang, and others assemble in heaven on the twenty-fourth day of every month at the Numinous Treasure’s Vermilion Palace in the Great Mystery Capital on Jade Capital Mountain. Together, they inspect and assess the registers of punishments and penalties kept by the Three Officials and Nine Offices, the Five Sacred Peaks, Northern Feng and Mount Tai, and the Twenty-Four Peaks, as well as the severity of the duties imposed on ghosts, spirits, heavenly beings, and humans.

On that day, they command the Northern Dipper deity to descend to the world and, together with the Three Officials, summon and examine the northern regions, investigate wrongdoing, and travel throughout the world to review the various offices. They also examine the good and evil deeds of the people and submit their findings. If someone on that day cultivates and honors the true scriptures of the Numinous Treasure, burns incense and practices the Way, observes purification, and upholds the teachings, then the Northern Dipper deity reports their good deeds to the celestial court. Their name is recorded in the Upper Palace, their record of offenses is erased, and they may become one of the Seed People: a good person protected by the Dao and able to attain the immortal Way. If someone violates ritual rules or breaks the laws, they will be condemned to serve the ghosts permanently.

The Great Assembly of Saints of the Western Heaven of Primordial Beginning and the Numinous Treasure (the twenty-eighth day of the month)

The Great Assembly of Saints of the Western Heaven of Primordial Beginning and the Numinous Treasure, the Supremely True Venerable Spirits, the Boundless Great Dao, the Golden Pendants of Western Florescence, the True Mother of the Jade Immortals, the Imperial Lord who is the Supreme Minister and Sage of the Golden Palace, the Perfected Ones of the Four Extremes, and others assemble in heaven on the twenty-eighth day of every month at the Numinous Treasure’s Palace of Seven Treasures in the Golden Palace on Jade Capital Mountain. They observe purification and pay homage to Heaven, gathering to assess and examine … (the text continues in the original volume).

Note: The text as a whole belongs to the Numinous Treasure tradition of Daoist purification rites and beliefs about monthly purification days, including the twenty-third, twenty-fourth, and twenty-eighth days of the month. It emphasizes that cultivating the scriptures, burning incense, and observing purification on these days lead Heaven to record one’s good deeds, extend one’s life, and provide protection; violating the precepts leads to a reduction in one’s allotted years, entry in the ghost register, or service to the ghosts. Many of the specialized titles come from the Numinous Treasure scriptural tradition and the practices of inspection and assessment associated with the Southern Dipper, the Northern Dipper, and the Three Officials.

A Plain-Language Interpretation of The Supreme Secret Essentials

First passage (roughly describing the sun, moon, and stars and the Great One’s review of merit)

The sun, moon, and stars move according to their respective measures. The names of those who attain the Dao are reported to the authorities above. The Great One (Taiyi), a revered Daoist deity who presides over creation and the assessment of merit, checks the celestial bodies’ courses through the heavens against the calendar and examines the good and bad deeds of those who study the Dao. On that day, the stars and constellations, along with the Jade Pivot and Jade Balance (ancient astronomical instruments, also referring to the order of the celestial phenomena), gather in solemn assembly at the Gate of Heaven. Those who study the Dao and can practice purification, uphold the precepts, and keep their thoughts on the immortals and the Dao are recommended by the Great One. Their names are entered in the registers of the immortals, and they may become “seed people”—believers protected by the Dao and with the hope of attaining immortality. Those who violate the rules and commit offenses are reported by the Three Officials, who govern Heaven, Earth, and Water and examine merit and fault, and remain sinners for all time.

Second passage (Lower Primordial Lingbao, the twenty-ninth day of the month)

The great assembly of saints of the Lower Primordial Heaven of the Primordial Beginning Lingbao, the Perfected and Venerable Gods, the myriad immortals of the boundless Great Dao’s Lower Primordial Mysterious Yellow Cavernous Abyss and Cavernous Numina, and the Perfected Ones of the Five Emperors and Four Offices regularly assemble on the twenty-ninth day of each month at the Yellow Chamber in the Jade Capital of the Great Mystery, in the High Emperor’s Heaven. They observe purification and pay homage to the celestial Perfected Ones. They review and calculate matters concerning the Five Sacred Peaks, the Four Great Rivers, the river and sea water deities, and the earth’s numinous spirits and ghosts, as well as the severity of the registers of offenses committed by the people. On that day, they send the Central Great One down to travel throughout the Five Sacred Peaks and the Three Officials’ Water Palaces, together with the Three Officials, the Nine Offices, and the Nine Departments of Crime Investigation. They set the affairs of ghosts in order, oversee people’s merit and faults, determine the reasons for and severity of the offenses in the registers, and present their findings for that day. Those who honor and practice the Lingbao True Scripture, burn incense and perform the Dao, and observe purification and uphold the precepts are protected by the Three Officials and Nine Offices. Their good deeds are reported, their offenses are erased from the registers, and their names are entered in the Three Heavens. The spirits and deities guard them, and a thousand calamities cannot reach them. Those who violate the rules and prohibitions have their names transferred to the Earth Official and remain sinners for all time.

Third passage (Upper Primordial Lingbao, the thirtieth day of the month)

The great assembly of saints of the Upper Primordial Heaven of the Primordial Beginning Lingbao; the Perfected and Venerable Gods; the boundless Great Dao; the Lords and Elders of the Great Dao of Supreme Non-action above, below, in the center, and in the four directions and eight quarters; the greatest, most honored and supreme, without limit, without end, and without bounds; the immeasurable multitude of the most upright and true, who illuminate and examine all things and possess cavernous insight; the source of great wisdom, where the Dao’s Qi has no beginning and the vast expanse has no end, and which is formless chaos, empty, spontaneous, the supreme primordial root, darkly still and mysteriously penetrating; the divine Lord of Zhengyi Alliance Authority, the Supreme Great Dao of Non-action, the Dao within the Dao; the Lords and Elders of the myriad and countless virtues of the Dao, numberless in the tens of thousands of millions, from the uncreated beginning; the parents of Heaven and Earth, from whom the immortals emerge and among whom the immortals gather—among them the Eastern King Father, the Western Queen Mother, the Sun Emperor and Lady Moon, the Perfected Lords of the Five Planets, the Imperial Consorts of the Five Planets, the Perfected Lords of the Seven Stars of the Jade Pivot and Jade Balance, and the great celestial officials and deities among the immortals—regularly assemble on the thirtieth day of each month at the Yellow Chamber of the Seven Mysteries in the Great Mystery Lingbao Jade Capital. (The scripture may punctuate “Seven Mysteries” and “Yellow Chamber” differently; here the phrase is read as the site of the assembly in the Jade Capital.)

Note: The final phrase in the original has been punctuated differently in various copied versions—for example, whether “Seven Mysteries” is read together with “Yellow Chamber” or with “Jade Capital.” This plain-language rendering follows a common reading in the Daoist Canon. Many specialized honorific titles are retained in their original form to make comparison with the source easier.

A Plain-Language Reading of The Supreme Secret Essentials

The Purification Offering at the Palace of Precious Purple Tenuity, and the Celestial Assembly’s Reckoning of Kalpas

At the Palace of Precious Purple Tenuity, a purification offering is performed to pay reverence through ritual observance. The perfected beings and myriad emperors of Heaven, together with the gods and deities of Heaven and Earth, assemble to review and calculate the great and lesser kalpas, as well as the great and lesser cycles of one hundred and six (periodic calamities in the workings of Heaven and Earth). They distinguish good from evil and record the names of those who study the Dao and are destined to attain immortality.

On this day, the Taiyi dispatched from above and the Taiyi dispatched from below descend from the heavens. The stars of the heavens, the sun and moon, the Celestial Pivot, the Northern Dipper, and other celestial bodies also descend in solemn array. Together with the Five Emperors, the Five Sacred Peaks, the Four Great Rivers, the water deities of the Yangtze, Yellow, Huai, and ocean waters, the Nine Offices that expose treachery, and the Three Officials, they examine and summon the gods of the earthly realm. They travel throughout the world, oversee people’s good and evil deeds, and weigh the gravity of their merits and faults before submitting their names to Heaven.

On this day, those who cultivate and uphold the Lingbao True Scripture, observe the purification rites and precepts, burn incense, and recite the Dao will be recommended by Taiyi and their good deeds reported. Their names will be entered in the Register of Immortals, and the Earth deities will be commanded to protect them. Those who violate the ritual regulations and break the precepts will instead be transferred to the Earth Official and condemned to remain forever among the guilty.

One’s Birth Day

On a person’s birth day—the day corresponding to the earthly branch of their birth year—the officials and troops within their body make an account of their merits and faults, while the Three Heavens investigate and assess their gains and losses. Those who regularly observe the purification rites and burn incense on their birth day will have their good deeds recorded by the Taiyi Envoys and reported to the Three Heavens’ August Emperors. They will then be appointed Perfected Beings Who Inspect Heaven.

Gengshen Days and the Three Corpses

The Northern Emperor of the Upper Palace of Great Mystery regularly uses Gengshen days to restrain the Three Corpse spirits of the people under Heaven. They draw up lists of people’s offenses and report them to the imperial lord. On this day, those who observe the purification rites and precepts, and contemplate the spirits throughout the day and night, prevent the Three Corpses from ascending to Heaven to report their faults. The officials of the Earth Division will instead report their good deeds to the imperial lord. Taiyi will rejoice, enter their names in the Left Covenant, and grant them lasting status among the Seed People.

Jiazi Days and the Eight Seasonal Nodes

The Perfected and Supreme Spirit of the Upper Palace of Great Mystery regularly sends the Great Envoy of the Central Platform of Taiyi down on Jiazi days to travel throughout Heaven and Earth, inspecting and checking the scattered branches of the divine order, as well as the various spirits and ghosts of the common world. Those who observe the purification rites and burn incense on such a day will have their good deeds recorded by the Great Envoy of the Central Platform and reported to the Three Heavens’ August Emperors. They will then be appointed to inspect Heaven and govern the ghosts and spirits of the earthly realm.

The Eight Seasonal Nodes—the Beginning of Spring, Spring Equinox, Beginning of Summer, Summer Solstice, Beginning of Autumn, Autumn Equinox, Beginning of Winter, and Winter Solstice—are the days of the Eight Great Assemblies and celebrations in Heaven. On these days, the great saints and revered spirits of the heavens, along with the Perfected Beings of wondrous practice, gather at the Upper Palace on Mount Jade Capital, the Mysterious Metropolis of Lingbao, to pay court to and celebrate the perfected beings of Heaven. Those who uphold the precepts and observe the purification rites, travel about, and recite the scriptures will be accompanied by heavenly perfected beings and mighty spirits as they journey throughout the world, the four seas, the eight extremities, the Five Sacred Peaks, and famous mountains. They will examine the merits and faults of students of the Dao and the common people, weigh their gravity, and report their findings to Heaven.

On that day, all the stars in the heavens, the sun, moon, and constellations, the cosmic order represented by the celestial pivot (a symbol of the heavens’ movements), and the deities of the earth will all be solemnly moved and stand in reverent order.

All who practice purification (observing ritual fasting and quiet cultivation according to liturgical rules), keep the precepts (observing Daoist commandments), and wholeheartedly revere and follow the Daoist scriptures on the celestial order will be recommended by the Five Emperors (revered deities who govern the heavenly regions of the five directions) and their names reported to the heavenly court. The court will also enter their names in the Jade Register (a celestial roster recording those whose names are entered for deliverance and ascent), designating them “seed people” (those protected by the Dao and eligible for deliverance and ascent during a great calamity or the final age). It will then issue orders to inform the Three Officials of the lower realm—the Heavenly, Earthly, and Water Officials, who oversee merit and correct transgressions—and the other spirits and deities: they are to guard these people’s homes and doorways, keep the interior and exterior in order, and prevent every kind of calamity from invading.

Those who have attained the highest level in their study of the Dao will be met by the divine officers who receive and escort beings across the Three Realms. Immortals will guide them upward, and in heaven they will become perfected beings (a term for those who have attained the Dao and become immortal).

If anyone does evil or violates the precepts, the examining office (the divine bureau responsible for investigating and assessing transgressions) will investigate their offenses and report them to the head of the Earthly Official’s bureau, who will demote them to “guilty people” (those recorded as guilty and stripped of the status that brings divine protection).

From the Scripture of the Jade Chapters of the Five Elders of Primordial Beginning of the Cavern Mystery.

This text belongs to the celestial bureaucracy’s writings on purification and the precepts, the registration of names, and the Three Officials’ assessment of conduct. Its tone is administrative, issuing orders and maintaining registers, and differs from the aims of pure internal alchemical cultivation. The translation retains terms such as “recommended by the Five Emperors,” “seed people in the Jade Register,” and “the Three Officials’ protection” to help readers compare it with the meanings of the original liturgy.