《上清靈寶大法(一)》Vol. 26

The scriptures taught by the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning number 360 divisions. Among them are 36 revered scriptures, and the Great Method of Shangqing Lingbao is regarded as the foremost scripture, the foundation of all methods. It reaches upward to Dongzhen, runs through Dongxuan in the middle, and extends downward to Dongshen; this is why it is called the “Great Method.”

How the Precious Scripture Descended into the World

Long ago, the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning expounded this scripture in the Heaven of Beginning Blue and transmitted it to the Dao Lord. He later bestowed the Great Brahma Sound in the Heaven of Great Elixir, and the Dao Lord compiled it into a preface. When the work was complete, the Dao Lord ascended to Heaven and enshrined the scripture in the Upper Palace of Purple Tenuity, in the Jade Capital of the Mysterious Metropolis. This scripture is supremely precious and may be transmitted only by sages.

Later, the Queen Mother of the West asked the Heavenly Emperor to send the scripture down to the human world to help people survive the calamity of the Jia-Shen year. Thus the scripture was passed down. It contains the hidden songs and sounds of the emperors of the heavens and the most numinous demon kings. It also explains the cycles of cosmic calamity, the secret names of the gods, the union of Yin-Yang, and the principles by which primordial Qi generates and nurtures life. Its meaning is profound and cannot be explained in full. Those who realize the Dao will naturally see its deepest truths clearly.

In Heaven, the scripture is transmitted only once every 40,000 kalpas; in the human world, it is transmitted once every 40 years. If anyone carelessly reveals it or treats it with disrespect, calamity will befall nine generations of their ancestors, leaving them trapped in the netherworld for a long time. How could one fail to exercise caution?

Why the Inner Sounds Appeared

The Celestial Worthy set up his seat at Baileng in the World of Red Radiance and expounded the scripture. At that time, dense clouds and mist darkened Heaven and Earth, and they did not disperse for three days and three nights. The Five Elders, the Emperors, reported to the Celestial Worthy: “We serve at your seat today, yet have never seen anything like this. In the past, when the Celestial Worthy taught the Dao, mountains and seas grew calm, and Heaven and Earth became solemn and clear. Today, however, all is dark and obscure, as though Heaven and Earth themselves were alarmed. We are troubled and do not know the reason.”

The Celestial Worthy replied: “Today, auspicious signs have appeared throughout the heavens, and numinous responses have arisen of their own accord. The jade characters shine brilliantly, veiling Heaven and Earth, so that everyone gathered here has closed their eyes and waits. A short while later, the natural Brahma Qi suddenly opened, and the darkness vanished at once. Five-colored light illuminated the ten directions. Numinous scriptures appeared everywhere in the sky, their characters each a zhang tall, their colors vivid, with eight corners streaming light. Their radiance was so dazzling that no one could look directly at them.”

The Celestial Worthy proclaimed to all the gods and spirits: “This numinous scripture consists of eight sections. Its written characters have no fixed forms, and its meaning is profound. You will find it difficult to investigate in detail. Therefore, I have commissioned the Perfected One of Heavenly Truth, the Immortal Perfected of Daoist legend, to annotate the book and explain the meanings and pronunciations of its characters. I then bestowed it upon the Lord of the Dao. The entire book contains 256 characters. The Lord of the Dao arranged these characters into a text; this is the Hidden Words of the Great Brahmā. After composing a preface, the Lord of the Dao appended it after the two chapters.

The Perfected One of Heavenly Truth once descended to the human world during the time of the Yellow Emperor. He went to Mount Emei and taught the Yellow Emperor the method of the Three Ones and Five Sprouts. He then ascended to heaven.”

The Sections at the Beginning and End of the Scripture

The scripture spoken by the Celestial Worthy consists of two chapters, a first and a second, each with a preface. The Hidden Words of the Great Brahmā also has a preface at the beginning and another at the end; both were composed by the Lord of the Dao. Here, the prefaces at the beginning and end of the original text are separated, the sections are delineated, and the text is classified according to the Daoist Canon edition. Including the section titles, the entire text contains 4,574 characters.

Preface by the Supreme Lord of the Dao Before the Two Chapters

From “The Dao says: Long ago, in the Heaven of Primal Blue” to “face east and recite the scripture,” a total of 1,595 characters.

First Chapter of the Precious Scripture of the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning

From “Primordial Beginning, the Cavern Mystery” to “enumerated in the Highest Clarity,” a total of 1,278 characters.

Second Chapter of the Precious Scripture of Primordial Beginning

From “The Jade Register of the Primal Cavern” to “calamity will reach the seventh-generation ancestors,” a total of 786 characters.

Preface by the Supreme Lord of the Dao After the First Chapter of the Two Chapters

From “The Dao says: These two chapters” to “one will then fully understand the words of the Dao,” a total of 440 characters.

Preface to the First Part of the Hidden Words of the Great Brahmā

From “Among the heavens” to “the middle section of the Numinous Scripture,” a total of 19 characters.

Correct Pronunciations of the Hidden Words

From “Danlou Ahui” to “in stillness and quietude, delivering people,” a total of 256 characters.

Preface to the Second Part of the Hidden Words of the Great Brahmā

From “The Lord of the Dao: These among the heavens” to “the vastness is mysterious upon mysterious,” a total of 180 characters.

The Jade Dawn Explains the Ten Recitations of the Scripture

When explaining the scripture, the speaker summons beings from the ten directions—the four cardinal directions, the four intermediate directions, above, and below—boundless and measureless in number. As the heavenly beings and people of the worlds in the ten directions hear the teachings of the scripture, various responses appear at once.

At the first recitation, the Most Perfect Great God of the East comes flying through the air. (In the village of Antai Hall, those who are deaf or suffer from ear ailments hear and receive wholesome words; hearing opens throughout the world.)

At the second recitation, the Most Perfect Great God of the South comes flying through the air. (In the realms of Wanli and the world of Abandoned Worthies, the blind regain their sight.)

At the third recitation, the Great True Deity of the West comes through the air. (In the land of Futang Yuanyan, the deity travels throughout the world; even those who are mute can speak.)

At the fourth recitation, the Great True Deity of the North comes through the air. (In the fields of Yudan, people who are lame or ill can rise and walk; the world is purified.)

At the fifth recitation, the Great True Deity of the Northeast comes through the air. (In the villages of Fují, those who have been ill for a long time and plagued by disease recover their health; people throughout the world regain their former bodies all at once.)

At the sixth recitation, the Great True Deity of the Southeast comes through the air. (For those without fields of blessing, white hair turns black; in an age of wise and enlightened rule, lost teeth grow back.)

At the seventh recitation, the Great True Deity of the Southwest comes through the air. (In the villages of Yanfu, the elderly and benevolent grow young and strong again; in a peaceful and pure age, young people become robust.)

At the eighth recitation, the Great True Deity of the Northwest comes through the air. (In the fields of Fude, women become pregnant, and birds and beasts bear young; in an age of wise and enlightened rule, all offspring, whether already born or not yet born, grow and come into the world safely.)

At the ninth recitation, the Great True Deity above comes through the air and descends into the palaces of the heavens. (The Qi of Earth’s treasury manifests, and gold and jade reveal their forms.)

At the tenth recitation, the Great True Deity below comes through the air. (The deity goes deep into the nine layers of the earth, inspecting the thirty-six palaces of Fansi and Gao; the withered bones in the palaces and offices of Heaven and Earth are all restored to life, rise, and become living people.)

Chapter on Expounding the Mystery

The Venerable Master said: “‘The Dao of the Supreme, Immeasurable, Highest Scripture’ is the ‘Supreme Dao of the Great Cavern, Returning Wind, Harmonizing and Delivering People.’ In ancient times, the Primordial Azure Heaven was the Jade Sovereign, Ascending to Victory Heaven. ‘Great Fuli’ is the hidden inner name of the Celestial Emperor, a name not disclosed publicly. The azure firmament is like the network of channels in the Primordial Azure Heaven, just as the human body has its own channels. The Dao Lord of Jade Dawn first expounded this Dao, so this chapter is called ‘Expounding the Mystery.’”

Chapter on Opening the Cosmic Cycle

The Venerable Master said: “The phrase ‘Primordial Beginning’ is used to summon the deities of the ten directions. This scripture was proclaimed at the time when the cycle of this kalpa was opening, the celestial text was appearing, and the teaching was being spread. Before proclaiming it, the deities of the ten directions were summoned, just as the tenfold turning in the Great Cavern Scripture summons the ten directions and calls the immortal officials three times. Those summoned include the Five Sacred Peaks and the Three Offices. Since this scripture was proclaimed by the Primordial Beginning Supreme Emperor, this chapter is called ‘Opening the Cosmic Cycle.’”

Chapter on True Response

The Venerable Master said: “The passage from ‘At once they proceed to their seats’ to ‘the five colors billow in profusion’ describes the naturally existing True Spirits in the celestial realms and divine palaces of the Great Cavern’s ten directions. Responding to the Celestial Worthy’s summons, they gather at the assembly of Great Fuli, ascend the Treasure Terrace of the Kalpa Blade, and listen as the Celestial Worthy expounds the scripture and its teaching. This chapter is therefore called ‘True Response.’”

Chapter on Establishing the Ultimate

The master said, “After seven days and seven nights, the assembled perfected beings—the immortals—came to attend before the seat. This is a sign that the celestial mechanism is turning within and that spiritual power is responding without. The auspicious sign called ‘stopping the wheel’ means that the wheel of a cart temporarily ceases to turn.

“In inner cultivation, one should concentrate on contemplation for seven days, unaware of day or night. By contemplating the mind until there is no mind, one can see the mind of the true origin. By contemplating the form until there is no form, one can recognize the original, primordial form. Clinging to neither mind nor form, one can enter the Dao without form and behold the sacred realm of Jade Clarity in serenity and stillness. This is the Way of ascending in broad daylight. The method of entering meditation has already been explained in this chapter; hence its title, ‘The Culmination of Meditation.’

‘Returning to the Origin’

The master said, “The scripture says, ‘The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning sits upon the mystic throne … and all attain long life.’ This describes the principle behind the Supreme Deity Primordial Beginning’s discourse. The method of ten transformations is established according to the numbers of generation and brought to completion through the Five Phases. Those who cultivate this Way can ride flying dragons and mount immortal cranes in broad daylight, ascend to Jade Clarity, receive the books of the immortals, and become immortal lords. Understand this teaching, and you can live long without dying; put it into practice, and you can realize these ten great merits.

“‘Mystic throne’ refers to the precious seat on which the dharma body of the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning sits. The ‘lion’ symbolizes his spiritual power. In inner cultivation, the Six Qi and the Eight Obscure Realms turn toward the heart and transform into a lion in the lower Dantian (energy center). The left is associated with green, the right with white, the front with red, the rear with black, and the center with yellow; thus the lion appears in five colors. This was explained in detail in this chapter, which is why it says, ‘through this, the Five Phases are formed.’ Hence the chapter is titled ‘Returning to the Origin.’

‘The Mysterious Origin’

The master said, “The scripture’s passage from ‘The Dao declares …’ to ‘rejoice in the peace of the Great Peace’ describes the auspicious signs that appear after the Five Phases have been generated, as well as the ten occasions on which all beings are delivered. Each time, ten classes of great spirits from the ten directions are summoned to come together. Because the merit is immense and beyond measure, it can compel the transformation of lands, and may even bring the danger of localized collapse. A precious pearl is therefore suspended, and beings are delivered according to the varying degrees of refinement and rank in the grades of the Dao, corresponding to levels in the mysterious realm. Humans of heaven and other beings look up at the pearl, but cannot enter the subtle realm of the millet pearl. The true sages ascend along with the teaching, entering the mystery within mystery. Once they have been delivered, the Dao Lords and humans of heaven can preserve the lifespans allotted to them by nature.

“Everyone must put twelve kinds of good intention into practice to embody the principle of treating one another as equals and loving those of different lineages as one’s own kin. The humans of heaven mentioned here are those who came from the ten directions to the Great Fuli Land, after the men and women of the entire city had wholeheartedly turned toward and revered them. ‘Millet’ is one of the smallest grains among the five cereals and here symbolizes the most minute aspect of all things. The ‘millet pearl’ refers to the source of mysterious transformation, and to nature and life. This is the meaning conveyed by this chapter’s title and place in the sequence.”

‘Expounding the Brahma’

The master said, “The scripture’s passage from ‘the teaching of the Dharma begins’ to ‘all are delivered from the world’ describes the universal deliverance of humans of heaven and other beings …”

From this time onward, the scriptures and teachings spread widely to instruct and save all people. If anyone in a country hears this scripture expounded, even without having formally received instruction or obtained the teaching, they can still be saved so long as they have begun to seek the Dao and pursue its study, sincerely yearn for the Great Dao, and perform at least one of these four acts: putting the teaching into practice, honoring it, venerating it, or paying it reverence. The scriptures and teachings circulate throughout the heavens, where all follow these four practices; hence the name “Expounding the Brahma.”

Chapter on Revealing the Secrets

The master said: “‘The Dao says’ does not refer to ordinary speech in the human world. It refers to the upper and lower chapters of the scripture spoken by the Celestial Worthy. These contain the inner names of the hundred spirits in the Great Cavern Scripture, as well as the secret names of the Celestial Emperor—names of sacred and revered beings not lightly revealed—and the hidden names of demon kings and the myriad numina. Hence the title ‘Revealing the Secrets.’”

Chapter on the Highest Sages

The master said: “The highest sages have become Perfected Ones,” through “the white bones become human again,” describes how the great divine beings of heavenly truth have attained the status of Perfected Ones of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), and how their inner De and the scriptures and teachings resonate with one another. Only by penetrating the mysteries, probing the hidden depths, and becoming familiar with the scripture’s chapters can one understand the secret names in the Great Cavern Scripture. Only then can one comprehend how distant heavens answer one another in song and how the myriad emperors pay their respects.

The passage beginning with “the sun and moon” also describes a method of profound stillness, attained through meditative cultivation. In this state, one can see the forms of various unruly ghosts, spirits, and demonic essences, and command or question them. If one has not yet perfected the power of stillness and cannot subdue them, one should practice the “Nine Palaces Method of Penetrating Vision,” a method of contemplating the Nine Palaces to perceive the unseen realms.

Chapter on the Highest Learning

The master said: “The person of highest learning,” through “cannot be brought to life again,” describes a person of highest learning who is attended by the Five Emperors, to whom the Three Realms bow, and who can also answer the distant heavens in song and receive the respects of the myriad emperors. Such a person cannot be compared with ordinary practitioners. Saving someone who is near death and restoring flesh to white bones are also powers that cannot be attained gradually through the successive ranks of cultivation.

Ordinary students can only subdue the earth spirits and bind demonic essences, thereby escaping death; they cannot bring someone back to life.

Chapter on Encouraging the Dao

The master said: If one recites this chapter carelessly, the deities may guard the doors, but without transmission from a master, without purification and bathing, and while violating the prescribed rules for visualization and cultivation—treating the text as ordinary speech and mixing it with worldly words—one will invite calamity. Better not to recite it than to recite it in this way, lest one fail to obtain blessings and instead incur guilt. If one makes offerings to the scriptures and teachings, honors them, and pays them reverence, one will receive good fortune; hence the title “Encouraging the Dao.”

Chapter on Praising the Mysterious

The master said: This scripture is supremely precious and mysterious, and the highest De it contains is beyond words. Among the scriptures of the Cavern of Mystery, it penetrates deeply into the Daoist teachings of the Great Cavern Scripture. It therefore stands above the scriptures of the Three Caverns and surpasses the many teachings in its mystery, unmatched in the Jade Capital.

In the Great Luo Heaven stand Jade Capital Mountain, the Golden Gate, the Seven-Treasure Jade Terrace, and the Upper Palace of Purple Tenuity. There is also the Hall of the Jade Capital.

There are thirty-six seats, each surrounded by flying eaves that rise ten thousand li high, enclosing an area of five thousand five hundred li. Within each seat is the Supreme Jade Void Palace of the Bright Emperor. The Lord of the Dao, the Numinous Treasure and Most True Bright Emperor, presides over this scripture alone in the palace. Ten thousand Perfected Ones and sages pay homage there three times each day. It is the source of the ten thousand Ways, mysterious and lofty, with no virtue equal to it and no power surpassing it. Hence it is called “Praising the Mysterious.”

Chapter on Cultivating Through Recitation

The master said, “From the passage beginning ‘Roaming and feasting in the Jade Capital,’ the scripture speaks of the benefits of reciting and cultivating.” The master also said that anyone who receives this scripture need only recite it with focused attention ten times to experience its wondrous efficacy. This is also a way to repay one’s ancestors.

At birth, our innate spiritual nature is originally undimmed, yet through long ages of kalpas we continually cycle through rebirth. We may be born in any of the four regions, fall into one of the six realms, take birth as one of the four kinds of beings, or dwell within the three realms. All sentient beings have once been our parents. Therefore, those who study the Dao should embody two great virtues. The first is compassion: do not kill or harm living beings, lest you mistakenly harm rulers, teachers, and parents from past lives. The second is purity: do not indulge in sexual desire, lest you offend and defile the Three Masters who once instructed and transformed you in Daoist precepts and teachings, or the Dharma bodies of those who have left home to cultivate. In this way, you also avoid offending rulers, teachers, and parents from past lives.

Thus, those who study the Dao and cultivate through reciting scriptures should first honor their ancestors through the generations, so that all their departed souls may be delivered and rise to the Vermilion Palace. According to the ranks and procedures for refining and delivering souls at Vermilion Mound, the dead who undergo corpse liberation by day—that is, cultivators whose bodies remain behind as they shed their form and depart—or who return to bodily form in the Great Yin, can, after seven years of refinement, take their place among the ranks of the immortals. Their descendants, too, can be delivered. If a departed soul is rescued and brought up to the Vermilion Palace, it must undergo nine years of refinement; afterward, transformed and reborn, it can become a noble person.

If someone is endowed with spiritual clarity, has not lost their original nature, delights in studying the scriptures, and completes their merits and virtues, they can become an immortal, ascend to the Golden Tower Heaven of Highest Clarity, and be granted leave to roam and feast in the Jade Capital of Great Luo.

Those who delight in studying the scriptures often have an undimmed spiritual nature from past lives and deep stores of merit and virtue; as a result, the benefits of recitation are especially pronounced. Even if they do not come from a noble family, after nine years they will certainly attain corpse liberation. If they do not covet rank and status, after nine years they can ascend to the Golden Tower. By contrast, those who pursue status, whose minds are clouded and who are bound by karmic forces, may fall once more into suffering, even after exhausting much of their good fortune. Those who study the Dao, however, keep their minds clear and desires few, enjoy a favorable destiny, diligently study the scriptures, and face no karmic obstacles; they are certain to fulfill the Dao of immortality.

Chapter on Higher Learning

The master said, “Those who study and cultivate at the highest level … roam through the Great Void.” The preceding passage spoke of receiving and transmitting the scriptures, reciting them, and coming to understand them.

Those who investigate subtle and profound truths may be called scholars of the highest learning. They practice and recite the scriptures, but this alone cannot deliver countless generations of their ancestors. As for themselves, however, they can be delivered and ascend to the Southern Palace. When people seek learning, pay homage to a master, receive the scriptures, and recite them, they can prolong their lives. When their allotted years are spent and their destiny reaches its end, they can also cultivate the Way of Corpse Liberation. Corpse Liberation means that the hun and shen temporarily leave the body. Such people pass through no hell; instead, they regain their bodies and roam through the Great Void.

The Way of Corpse Liberation takes several forms. One is the “Method of the Great Cavern’s Five Stones for Stabilizing Life”: after the body departs this world and decays, the five viscera spontaneously revive. Once the allotted lifespan is fulfilled, Taiyi unites with the shen, and the practitioner receives the form of a true immortal, accepts the books of the Supreme Dao, and takes up residence in a grotto-heaven. When merit and virtue have fully accumulated, the practitioner ranks among the High Perfected. Another is the “Way of the Great Lord of Long Life, Who Holds to the Nine True Ones in the Central Scripture”: when the body’s lifespan ends, the corpse rests in deep darkness, while the mind and intent guard the body’s hundred passes. The five viscera spontaneously revive. Once the allotted lifespan is fulfilled and shen and body unite, the practitioner ascends through the Ten Heavens, accepts the books of the Supreme Dao, and enters the ranks of the immortals. When merit and virtue are complete, the practitioner ranks among the Perfected Ones.

Some people wear the rings of the Nine True Ones on their bodies, hold the talismans of the golden registers in their hearts, receive and uphold various wondrous scriptures, make their achievements known throughout the Three Heavens, align their virtue with the Five Constant Virtues, and bring their shen and Qi to full completion. If their merit and virtue are not yet complete when their allotted years end, they still receive a fitting destination according to their rank: those who undergo Corpse Liberation in broad daylight are of the highest grade, while those who do so at midnight are one grade lower. In Corpse Liberation, the immortal’s complexion does not change, the fingernails do not turn blue, and the eyes do not grow dim. The hun and shen of such immortals temporarily depart; when their lifespan ends, they enter the Great Yin and then regain their bodies in the Palace of Vermilion Mounds. They pass through no hell but roam the Great Void, travel throughout the Ten Heavens, and accept the books of the Supreme Dao. Once their practice is complete and their work in the Dao is perfected, after thirty, seventy, or one hundred and twenty years, an encounter that inspires them may reunite their underworld body with their hun and shen. They then ascend through the Three Heavens and are admitted to the ranks of the immortal Perfected according to their grade.

There are also the High Sages and High Perfected, who understand the conditions of the world and reveal to people their final destination. They ascend secretly to the realm of Highest Clarity, leaving behind only such things as their crowns and swords. As for those below the rank of Great Clarity who have not attained the level of the Eight Grades of talisman and elixir methods, if they rely on miscellaneous practices such as averting calamity and escaping the world, or use a staff and shoes in place of the body to undergo Corpse Liberation, they cannot return to their homeland and are certain to be seized by the Three Officials. They do not belong to the same ranks as the four classes of Corpse Liberation immortals described above.

Chapter on Subtle Illumination

The Master said: This scripture is subtle and profound. It concerns the life and death of all beings and can bestow grace upon them. Those at the highest levels, the High Perfected and High Sages, can be delivered and safeguard the cycles of tribulation, ensuring that Heaven endures for a long time. In the middle ranks, and among all…

The immortals in Heaven can preserve the lifespan Heaven has bestowed upon them. They all receive salvation and transformation, and, once enlightened, can guide others in turn. They can save countless souls in the underworld and relieve the sufferings of the dead. In this way, both the living and the dead receive its blessings. Its principles are clear, subtle, and profound, surpassing those of many scriptures. The ritual procedures for each chapter of this scripture are explained below.

The Oath of Transmission

The honored master said: “If someone recites lightly the scriptures treasured by Heaven, they will be made to serve the ghost officials—underworld officials who carry out orders—for a long time. Anyone who transmits this scripture, if they are a person of the Dao, must bring gifts such as gold and silk and swear an oath in all sincerity before transmitting it. If they disclose the scripture carelessly, calamity will befall their nine generations of ancestors. Ordinary people, moreover, are forbidden to receive it. This is a scripture treasured by Heaven and kept secret in Xuandu, the celestial capital of the Daoist heavens. If it is disclosed or treated lightly, will the harm fall only upon the nine generations of ancestors? The transmitter will also be made to serve the ghost officials for a long time.”

The Three Officials of the Northern Bureau are responsible for commanding and employing ghosts. As stated above, reciting the scripture carelessly brings calamity upon oneself, while disclosing it carelessly brings calamity upon one’s ancestors. Understand the constraints imposed by the oath, guard your words carefully, and practice and recite according to the prescribed rites: this is the ladder leading to realization.

The Mysterious Arrangement

The honored master said: “The Five Emperors who attend upon the scripture remain beside the person who receives it…” This refers to the transmission of the scripture by an oath-bound master. Each of the Five Emperors dispatches twenty-four Jade Boys and Jade Maidens to guard the sacred text. They are also commanded to enforce prohibitions and protect the recipient by burning incense. If anyone discloses the text, one Jade Boy or Jade Maiden will be punished. They will then report directly to the Five Emperors, who will submit the matter to the Most High, a revered Daoist deity. Thus the gods of the Five Phases, the four seasons, the Nine Palaces, and the twenty-four solar terms—two hundred and forty in all—attend upon and guard the Five Emperors. If the scripture were not transmitted by an oath-bound master, how could there be such rites of protection and prohibition?

The Three Primordial Periods

The honored master said: “When the scripture speaks of ascending to Shangqing, it means that during the Upper Origin period in the first month, one should save the souls of one’s ancestors; during the Middle Origin period in the seventh month, one should save oneself; and during the Lower Origin period in the tenth month, one should pray for peace in the state and safety for the people. On the days of the Eight Seasonal Nodes, one should dispel calamities throughout the Nine Lands and avert the misfortunes associated with those nodes. When reciting the scripture, face the appropriate direction and follow the arrangement of the Nine Palaces. In this way, one makes one’s merit manifest and follows the Five Emperors’ transformation of the Nine Lands, thereby becoming a perfected one of the Nine Palaces.

“The arrangement of the Nine Palaces is as follows: three on the left and seven on the right; nine above the head and one beneath the feet; two and four at the shoulders; six and eight at the feet; and the body in the central fifth palace. This is the Shangqing Way of the Nine Origins and Sudden Descent. On one’s natal day—the day one was born, when one’s life-force first arose—reciting the scripture can settle the hun and po souls, preserve life, bring peace, harmonize and rectify the five organs, and gather the various forms of Qi within the body.

“Next, reciting the scripture on the paired Primordial Life day corresponding to one’s natal day can also free one from suffering and distress, allowing the body to…”

When a practitioner receives the name Guangming, whether as a Dharma name or ritual name, the merit of cultivation will be protected by the guardians of the Three Realms. The Five Emperors will come to welcome them, and the myriad spirits will pay homage. The practitioner’s name will be recorded in the heavens. When their merit is complete, they can ascend to Shangqing.

“Day of birth” here means the sexagenary designation of the day on which someone was born. For example, if someone was born on a Jiazi day, Jiazi is their day of birth. “Primary destiny” refers to a day associated with their natal destiny, such as a Jiawu day. Shangqing lies above the Four Brahma Heavens. Among the Three Pure Ones’ heavens, Taiqing has twelve heavens, where the Nine Immortals reside; Shangqing has twelve heavens, where the Nine Perfected reside; and Yuqing, the highest, has twelve heavens, where the Nine Sages reside. Together, they make up thirty-six heavens. Shangqing lies above Taiqing and below Yuqing.

Chapter on Practicing the Dao

The master said: “The chapter ‘The Day for Practicing the Dao in the Dao’s Words’ explains these matters clearly. The visualization practices, incantations, and instructions used in ritual arts are all collected in this chapter.

“The Three Qi are the Mysterious Qi, the Azure Primordial Qi, and the Yellow Beginning Qi, corresponding respectively to black, azure, and yellow. The Three Qi arise from the One Qi; the Three Qi give rise to the Nine Qi; and the Nine Qi give rise to the myriad Qi. The sovereign of the Three Qi, and the revered deity of the One Qi, is the Primordial Beginning Emperor. The ancestral deity of the Nine Qi is the Azure Youth Dao Lord, and the mother of the myriad Qi is the Western Primordial Mother.

“Human beings dwell within the Three Qi, and the transformations of body and mind correspond to the Three Ones’ spirits. The Three Ones’ spirits embody the ever abiding Highest Dao; the Highest Dao, in turn, is the root and source of the myriad Qi.”

Chapter on Secret Incantations

The master said: “When reciting ‘Supreme Mysterious Origin,’ face east. When presenting a petition to Taiqing, address only the Five-Spirit Elder Lord and summon the spirits of the body—the deities who guard it. When presenting a petition to Shangqing, address only the Lord of the True Origin, the Most High Lord Lao. When presenting a petition to Yuqing, address only the Most High Dao Lord.

“The statements and petitions made by the officiant, identified as ‘I, your servant,’ and the intentions expressed in reciting the scriptures, as well as the summons for the spirits of the body to appear, are all set out in this chapter. Scriptures are recited facing east because the east symbolizes longevity and is the direction revered by all the Celestial Worthies. All numinous-treasure talismanic texts should be written and drawn in seal script facing east, to draw in the Qi of the thirty-two heavens and bring spiritual powers swiftly into manifestation. Therefore, every practice of the Dao should begin facing east and continue that way until it is complete.”

Chapter on Dongxuan

The master said: “‘Primordial Beginning, Dongxuan’ through ‘separation and union arise naturally’—these twenty-four characters form the opening of the chapter on Dongxuan.

“‘Origin’ is the source of the myriad Dao; ‘beginning’ is the origin of the myriad Qi. ‘Cavern’ refers to wondrous resonance and the manifestation of efficacy; ‘mysterious’ refers to transformations that are difficult to fathom. ‘Numinous’ means that what is sought can manifest; ‘treasure’ is the foundation of the immortals, the perfected, and the sages. These six characters are the source of the myriad Dao and the origin of the myriad Qi, ultimately returning to the Great Cavern, where the wondrous and numinous efficacy…”

When responding to change, the scene is difficult to fathom. Seeking wondrous transformations and precious methods belongs to the opening chapter of the highest and most marvelous teachings, Chapter Ten.

The Scripture for Delivering Humanity (that is, the Wondrous Scripture of Primordial Beginning for Delivering Humanity, of Limitless Scope and the Highest Grade) has already explained the purpose of this section. The “hidden rhymes of the hundred demons” in its chapters sometimes separate and sometimes join together. They are neither forced into rhyme by human effort nor arranged according to fixed rules of prosody; they form naturally.

The “hundred demons” include five of the Great Demon Emperors of the Nine Heavens. They have merged with the Supreme Lord, Primordial Beginning, and are descendants of the imperial lineage of the Primordial Qi of Jade Purity: the King of Jade Purity of the Divine Empyrean, the King Who Quells Demons of Jade Purity of the Purple Empyrean, the King Who Preserves the Radiance at the Center of the Cinnabar Empyrean, the King of the Womb of Cavernous Illumination of Jade Purity of the Azure Empyrean, and the King of Wondrous Transformation of the Jade Empyrean. After them come the Kings of Jade Purity of the Great Empyrean, the Radiant Empyrean, the Azure Empyrean, and the Lang Empyrean; they too are Great Demon Emperors.

There are also the Great Demons of the Nine Heavens, the Great Demons of the Three Heavens, the Great Demons of the Three Realms, the Great Demons of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), the Great Demons of the Five Emperors, and the Great Demons of the Five Heavens, as well as the Demon Kings of the various heavens and the demons of the Brahma Heaven’s numinous lords. Further down are the celestial ministers of the Three Provinces, the demons of Great Mystery, and demons such as the Comparable Demons, the Non-Demons, the Numinous Demons, the Constraining Demons, and the Spirit Demons. Even the Great Demons of the Six Heavens have their hidden tones and rhymes contained in the second chapter. The sounds of the hundred demons of Cavern Mystery naturally form patterns through their joining and separating. They are mysterious, profound, and difficult to fathom; only the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning can fully understand and explain them. For this reason, the Scripture for Delivering Humanity is also called the “Cavern Mystery Red Writ.”

The Master says: “‘Mixed Cavern Red Writ’ means that, before there was form or writing, characters had already arisen from jade characters, preceding the Great Brahma. When the Red Radiance opened the chart, they became the Red Script; before that, they were concealed within the Mixed Cavern, which is why they are also called the ‘Red Writ.’ The Red Writ consists of sixty-four characters, whose meaning has already been explained in the Inner Landscape section of the Ze Pin. This is the Way formed by the blending of the jade characters of the Great Cavern. It is also discussed in the Inner Practice, so there is no need to repeat it here.”

The Great Brahma Chapter

The Master says: “This chapter speaks of the Great Brahma and continues through ‘the myriad forms, purified and clear.’ The Great Brahma is the essence of the Great Cavern. Above the various heavens lies the Great Luo Heaven, where an Emperor Lord resides. There is also the Yuluo Xiaotai, whose seven treasures are fashioned within the void and mystery. This terrace has nine tiers and rises high above the expanse of space. It is built in the White Jade Capital, stands atop Jade Mountain, and occupies the highest realm. It is the Mysterious Capital where the Primordial Beginning of Jade Purity, the Jade of the Great Luo, resides and rules.

“The Mysterious Capital is remote and vast, and cannot be surveyed across the passage of kalpas. It is as though it exists and does not exist, and its location cannot be fixed. Above it are the Hall of Three Blossoms, the Palace of Separation and Ease, the Palace of Great Being, the Palace of Wondrous Court, and the Palace of Gold…”

The Jade Chamber, the Jade Emperor’s dwelling, stands in solemn array; the Upper Pavilion, a residence in the Shangqing immortal realm, is pure and still. In their inner meaning, the two pools refer to the Nine Palaces of the Niwan, the nine divine palaces within the head. The Jade Emperor’s palace is where the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning resides. The Nine Palaces described in the Shangqing scriptures also have a clear purpose: the teaching here is the way of attending inwardly at court before the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning.

Chapter on Brahma Qi

The master said, “‘The Great Brahma Qi for Delivering People Without Limit’ is the secret essence of the Great Cavern of Truth Scripture. It encircles the ten directions; in other words, its aim is to deliver and save beings through ten acts of deliverance. It is the root from which the Five Phases arise.

“Among its deities is the august Lord Di Yi, who delivers people from death. The Lord of Longevity of the Southern Pole is the Red Child above, who divides into nine Perfected Ones. The Great Divine Marshal Sima, who governs deliverance from the world, is the deity Taiyi. Lord Han, the Elder Who Cherishes Life, is the Perfected Elder within the heart. The Southern High Lords of Destiny and Records, together with the Lord Who Restores the Corpse and Raises the Dead, dwell in the Lower Origin; the Elder Wei, who Prolongs Life and Adds Years, dwells in the Middle Origin; and the Lord Who Delivers from Calamity and Raises to Life assists Taiyi in the Upper Origin. Together, these deities govern the Qi of the Nine Heavens, and the Qi of the Nine Heavens in turn converges in Taiwei, the center of the celestial realm. The Brahma Qi of Taiwei is the lofty Qi of the Cavern of Mystery; it is also the smoke-like Qi that drives away evil and impurity. When it enters a practitioner’s body, it enables that person to attain immortality at once. The teaching that one may attain the Dao after three years of practice is explained in this chapter.”

Chapter on Summoning the Perfected

The master said, “Today the registers are being verified, and the ceremony is exceptionally solemn. At the beginning of the Crimson Bright kalpa, an age when the cosmos was first brought into being, the heavens opened the charts and registers in the Great Fuli Land of the Heaven of Primordial Blue and examined them. The Divine Kings of the Heavens and the Great Sages presided together. The charts and registers of each heaven were presented before the Emperor Xuan, who determined the weight of each person’s offenses and blessings and recorded the depth of their merits and faults.

“Jade Clarity has the Eight Visions Hidden Mystery Net Chart; Highest Clarity has the Twenty-Four Qi, Eight Visions Mystery Chart. These are charts opened by the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning, along with the primordial charts of Brahma Qi of the Heavens. As for the registers, the Upper Origin has the Golden Register’s bamboo slips, the Middle Origin the Jade Register’s bamboo slips, and the Lower Origin the Yellow Register’s bamboo slips. There are also the Precious Chart of the Jade Clarity Flying Transformation Mystery Register and the Morning Chart of the Highest Clarity Azure Truth Purple Register. Below Great Clarity, and throughout the heavens, there are charts and registers as well—so many, numbering in the tens of millions, that they cannot be listed one by one. All these charts and registers must be presented before the Primordial Supreme Emperor for verification.

“The Great Sages of the ten directions hold exalted ranks equal to the Supreme Emperor, yet they still receive commands from the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning. The Five-Colored Mystery Dragons are not dragons with physical form; they are formed from the wondrous, exalted Qi of the Five Phases. The Nine-Colored Emblems refer to tokens in nine colors: blue-green, yellow, red, white, dark blue, azure, green, crimson, and purple…”

The Feathered Formation Festival refers to the making of the Tenfold Spirit Banner among the Five Spirit Brocades. The flying clouds are light and pure; flying blossoms and jade-like clouds ride in carriages of cinnabar jade and chariots of green jade. Above is a canopy of dark feathers in five colors, and below is a forest of jade ornaments inscribed with a hundred characters. They may ride crimson phoenixes or sit upon dark dragons in five colors. The Five Elders clear the way for them, while the gathered immortals guard the carriage shafts. After the gods descend, they return in their carriages to the front of the hall, where they inspect the perfected beings throughout the heavens and broadly check and register the lists of those to be saved. The chancellors of the heavens keep the registers and records; Han Si Zhangren is responsible for registration and the assignment of ranks; and the Great God of the Nine Heavens oversees the reception and guidance of the living and the salvation of the dead. Together they go before the Supreme Emperor of the Primordial Beginning. According to each person’s character, all who are due to be saved are universally delivered. What follows is the rite for rigorously verifying the proclamations of the heavens.

Proclamation to All Realms

The master said: “Proclaim this throughout the Three Realms, reaching even the deepest places, so that all the ghosts may hear.” The Three Realms are the boundless divine realm of the Upper Origin, the Office of the Spring-Bend in the Middle Origin, and the Northern Capital of Luofeng in the Lower Origin. The Three Officials are the Purple Tenuity Office of the Celestial Official of the Upper Origin, the Azure Blossom Sun Terrace Office of the Earth Official of the Middle Origin, and the Clear and Cold Office of the Water Official of the Lower Origin. The Nine Offices are formed by dividing each official’s administration into three, making nine in all. They govern the registers on the left and right, as well as investigations concerning water and fire.

The Twelve River Sources refer to the rivers belonging to each of the twelve celestial divisions. Their waters converge in the boundless sea of the mixed waters, then ultimately flow into the source of the outpouring waters. This releases the ancestral and parental lineages from their offenses and also cures the illnesses of relatives across generations, going back through countless kalpas. The records of offenses are erased and the roots of evil destroyed. The dead are no longer detained; their souls ascend at the appointed time, without being forced back among the ghostly multitudes. The waters of the Twelve River Sources flow into the Celestial River, whose source is at the Eastern Well. The Eight Radiances of the sun and moon can refine Golden Immortals; the yellow waters of the Eastern Well are the principal waters of the Pool of Divine Blossoms. They may be used for bathing, renewing both body and mind. These matters are described in the Scripture of the Three Paths of the Upper Clarity and Their Ordered Progression; this is also the place where souls and spirits are refined and delivered. The forty-eight characters above form the proclamation to the Three Realms.

Talismanic Proclamation

The master said: “The talismanic proclamation of the Primordial Beginning lets the souls of the dead roam freely in the Upper Clarity.” The Three Paths of Suffering refer to the three karmic destinations of hell, hungry ghosts, and animals; they also refer to the places of service governed by the Celestial, Earth, and Water Officials. The Five Sufferings are aging, illness, death, entering the tomb, and severance. Other hardships include water and fire, wind and blades, the laws of the ruler, famine, and pestilence, as well as cauldrons of boiling water, furnaces of burning charcoal, dismemberment, and icy pools.

“Punishment by beating, sexual desire, romantic love, and greed” are forms of suffering. Combined with the “Three Paths” (the three realms of suffering as described in Daoism), and with the “Five Sufferings,” they make eight kinds of hardship in all. These sixty-four characters are a talismanic decree issued by the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning. The precise wording of the two talismanic decrees can be found in the Methods of the Yellow Register Retreat.

Chapter on Precious Taboo Names

The master said: The Heaven of Highest Clarity lies in the realm of Brahma’s purity. “Brahma’s purity” is the Way within the Way, Heaven within Heaven, and the most mysterious within the mysterious. Here, in unobstructed True Emptiness, it lies above the Three Realms, below Jade Clarity, and above Highest Clarity.

In this realm there is a Celestial Emperor called the Jade Perfected Celestial Emperor, also known as the August Jade Emperor, the Supreme Sovereign of the Mysterious Vault. He governs the realm of formless Brahma’s purity, also known as the Heaven of Seed People. The taboo names and titles of the Celestial Emperors of the thirty-two heavens below are concealed and unseen. Their numinous writings, hidden cadences, and jade sounds include what are called the secret taboo names of Celestial Worthies, the hidden sounds of celestial demons, the inner names of the Heavenly Bright Spirits, and the wondrous sounds of celestial spirits. They are subtle and mysterious beyond anyone’s full understanding.

These names and sounds can harmonize and transform one another. They have boundless numinous power and profound meaning, and transform in inexhaustible ways in the realm of Highest Clarity; hence they are called “precious taboo names.” Because the Celestial Emperor’s taboo names are written in sequence on a warrant, they can also be used to deliver people in limitless numbers.

Chapter on Receiving Deliverance

The master said: Today is worthy of celebration, for we are about to go to the Gate of Heaven. These twenty-eight characters form a written warrant for reporting to the gate and presenting a petition. When a soul that has attained the Dao receives a warrant bestowed by a Celestial Worthy, it uses the talisman to notify the demon kings of the Three Realms. The demon kings then recommend the soul’s passage to the Gate of Heaven and may neither detain nor obstruct it.

The titles of the Celestial Emperors of the thirty-two heavens are concealed within the warrant for ascension. The Jade Emperor’s inner text also contains the text of the Human Emperor: sixty-eight characters in all, making a total of three hundred and thirty-nine characters.

Chapter on the Five Phases

The master said: The Eastern Dipper, a star deity venerated in Daoism, governs the span of life, so that none of the myriad gods exceeds their appointed role. These deities were born in the Crimson Brightness and emerged through the Five Calamities. They govern the five directions and deliver celestial and human beings.

Chapter on Protecting the Perfected

The master said: The Green Heaven Demon King and other deities protect Highest Clarity and sweep away evil demons. They are also commanded to have demon spirits and ghosts lead the way. These deities who carry out the command are all eminent gods of Jade Clarity.

“Divine Lord” refers to the Grand Minister of Supreme Mystery. The thirty-two characters above are the command received by the Divine Lord from the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning; they can also serve as a spell to awe evil spirits. If someone feels afraid or fainthearted, they may click their teeth thirty-two times, visualize themselves transformed into the Divine Lord, and recite the spell ten times. In this way, the myriad demons will flee and the hordes of monsters will vanish.

Chapter on the Jade Calendar

The Master said: “The Jade Calendar of the Primordial Cavern records the laws governing the natural evolution of kalpas. It provides the structure and outline for the main text of the Great Cavern.

“‘Jade Calendar’ refers to a calendar that records how Heaven and Earth pass through the Five Kalpas, bring forth and transform the myriad things, and continue to change throughout billions of kalpas. ‘Great Cavern’ refers to the state of undivided chaos. During the Dragon Han and Yan Kang kalpas, the Great Cavern had not yet divided: above were thirty-six Qi, and below, thirty-six marshes. These were all vapors—of metal, water, strong winds, Brahma marshes, and the like—with neither color nor light.

“When the Red Light Kalpa arrived, the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning began to open the charts of destiny. Following the laws of the kalpas, he opened and set the measures of Heaven and Earth, allowing the myriad things to take shape through natural change. Only then did the True Writings of the Red Script come into being.

“‘Measure’ means one degree per day. ‘Kalpa’ is divided into great and small kalpas. In a small kalpa, when Yang Qi reaches its peak nine times, it turns into Yin Qi. After Yin Qi reaches its peak one hundred and six times, it turns back into Yang Qi. Floods and fires strike in alternation, renewing the beings and things between Heaven and Earth.

“This is how a great kalpa unfolds: in the Jade Clarity Heaven stands Wanchang Terrace, made of precious jades and other treasures. It is ninety thousand li high and sixty thousand li wide. Each day, as the sun and moon travel one degree, the heavenly beings ascend the terrace, sing hymns from the Cavern Chapters, gather the morning essences of the sun and moon, and pluck precious branches of kongqing to brush away the light of the sun and moon. They then cast the fruits of kongqing—fine mustard-seed jewels—into the City of the Western Origin. Each time their robes brush against the precious stones, they carry away some kongqing and mustard-seed jewels. A great kalpa is complete only when the jewels cast into the western city have filled it.

“During this time, Heaven and Earth are struck by calamities of water, fire, and wind. Filth is swept away, and disasters spread throughout the cosmos. The worlds below the Three Realms are destroyed. Then the Dragon Gate comes together, and the Bird Mother delivers the world. Once the calamities have passed, the heavenly beings of the Seed-People Heaven descend to assist the sage ruler in governing the world and restoring peace. From the Dragon Han and Yan Kang kalpas through the opening of the charts in the Red Light Kalpa, this canon has been handed down through billions of kalpas.

Chapter on the Transformative Transmission

The Master said: “The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning set Heaven and Earth in order, allowing the laws of the myriad things to unfold. From the very beginning of opening the charts, he bestowed the Five True Writings, also called the True Writings of the Red Script, to stabilize the Five Directions. He commanded the Five Emperors of the Five Directions to govern affairs, set change in motion, and bring forth and nurture the myriad things. They guard the course of the kalpas and save living beings, preserving Heaven and Earth for the ages. Even when kalpas bring calamity, Heaven and Earth will not be destroyed, and the three secret essentials will remain as they are.

“By means of the Qi of the Great Brahma Jade Characters, the heavens are covered and linked together. From then on, the laws of the myriad things in the Three Realms are able to unfold.

“These sixty-four characters, together with the thirty-two characters of this chapter, are the highest decree of Heaven and Earth, the Brahma sound of Lingbao, and the foundational chapter of the teachings of the Cavern Mystery. They may be applied as needed to stabilize and protect, ward off calamity, or govern affairs, and their efficacy will quickly manifest. Practitioners should visualize the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning in their hearts, recite this chapter aloud, summon Qi from the northwest, and form the corresponding hand seal; then they can reach the Jade Clarity realm. This concludes the explanation of the Section on Mysterious Writings.

“Chapter on Ascending to the Origin.”

The Primordial Framework—the ordering principle that governs the movements of the celestial bodies—circulates and operates, allowing Primordial Qi to enter a realm of mysterious profundity. The “Primordial Framework” is the framework of the Primordial Cavern and the order of the Undifferentiated Cavern. It circulates through the thirty-two heavens, revolving through realms of five colors and extending throughout the ten directions in an endless cycle. Turning leftward from the Dipper constellation, it passes through the Winnowing Basket constellation and follows the paths along which the sun and moon move. It divides into the vast transformative work of the Five Emperors and partitions the heavens into thirty-five divisions: thirty principal divisions and the thirty-two heavens, together comprising thirty-five divisions of Qi.

These energies circulate in the Upper Origin, revolving through the realm beyond color and subtly joining with the breath of the Eight Scenic Heavens of Jade Clarity. This is Qi entering the state of “heaven within heaven, mystery within mystery.” In the human body, the Primordial Framework is the Muddy Pellet Palace, the seat of the spirits in the head. Qi operates day and night, Qi and blood flow throughout the body, and the cycle is governed by the Upper Origin. The three sections, eight scenes, twenty-four energies, Jade Clarity Palace, and Muddy Pellet Palace all circulate within it. The spirits of the True Female and the One Male unite, and the eight scenes together form thirty-two energies. The Qi of the Three Origins gathers in the Mysterious Palace of the Upper Origin, flows downward to the heart sac and eight vessels, and subtly joins with the eight scenes of the Lower Origin.

There is a Diagram of the Mysterious Framework, which can be used to gather the Qi of Heaven and cultivate the way of circulating breath. Further details appear in this chapter.

Chapter on Joining with the Mystery

The Master said: The Great Sovereign of the Mystery assists the Myriad Immortals. The Great Sovereign of the Mystery is the Queen Mother of the West, mother of the myriad energies of the Lower Origin and the spirit of Harmonious Prolongation. She is the Dao Lord of the Supreme Emperor and the sacred perfected one of the August Sovereign, residing in the Palace of Great Rosy Mists in the Western Origin. She chants the “Numinous Chapters of the Empty Cavern,” causing the myriad energies to arise and endure without cease.

In her left hand she holds the golden truth and jade radiance; with her right she casts forth the flowing-gold fire bell. The bell resounds through the thirty-five heavens, and the heavens answer with the jade tones of the Cloud Encampment. This sound gathers the highest Primordial Qi; numinous winds assemble and dispel the smoke of evil influences, while purple clouds flourish and the Myriad Immortals of the Great Void come to assist and pay homage.

This is the secret of “the Great Cavern’s Returning Wind and Unification.” “Cloud Encampment” does not mean a camp where clouds gather; “encampment” refers to continuous circulation and instantaneous transformation. The mystery lies in the bright, flowing radiance of golden truth and in the bell’s sound, like the jade tones of the Cloud Encampment, gathering Primordial Qi as numinous winds assemble the smoky vapors. The sixteen words “numinous winds assemble the smoke” are closely guarded by the heavens and must not be revealed lightly. They are concealed in the first chapter of the Great Cavern True Scripture. Practitioners may seek clues in them, examine their meaning closely, and thereby accord with the mysterious truth.

Chapter on Becoming Perfected

The Master said: A thousand kinds of harmonizing and ten thousand methods of uniting ultimately return to preserving life and nurturing the root. Follow this secret and blend the methods a thousand times, completing the process ten thousand times, and you will naturally become perfected. In the process of becoming perfected…

The Great Lord of Long Life is the foremost deity among the Nine Perfected Spirits. Lordling Wuying is the liver deity and governs the Hun; the Venerable Spirit Baiyuan is the lung deity and governs the Po. The Supreme Deity Taiyi governs the spirits, while the Director of Destiny governs Qi. Taokang and Heyan govern Jing. Together, the five deities command the Five Talismans and Five Registers, protecting the root of human life and enabling it to grow. Once the five deities blend together, the hundred spirits arise from them.

Chapter on Saluting the Flowery Radiance

The master said: When spirit and Qi move upward and reach the Upper Clarity, all Qi can ascend to immortality together. The Upper Clarity is the heart’s place of splendid radiance. Taiyi contains a lotus and naturally takes this form. The Primordial Lord Taiyi dwells within it, as though living in a chamber of lotus flowers. Before the heart opens, the Qi of Cinnabar Radiance lies hidden in the meeting place of the channels in the darkness of the eight directions; these channels ultimately converge in the heart.

The heart’s subtle, hidden depths can communicate with primordial Qi. They are also where breath circulates and springs gather. This is like the branching veins of plants: the pathways along which blood flows through the human body, and the channels through which nutritive Qi and defensive Qi travel in the body’s meridians. To harmonize the five Qi is to regulate the refined breaths of the five deities. The five deities govern the subtle blood vessels and meet in the depths of darkness. In this way, the hundred spirits pass through successive transformations and return to spiritual clarity. A person can then harmonize the myriad Qi and attain immortality.

At the end of the heart is water called “Spirit Water.” When Spirit Water is taken, demons and spirits who see it behold it as they would the red sun.

These seven deities are all the Dipper deities within the Mysterious Cinnabar Taiyi. They also manifest the original form of the Yellow Great Emperor within the human body. They are the Great Lord of Long Life; the Yang-bright Lordling Wuying; the Yin-essence Venerable Spirit Baiyuan; the Venerable Deity Taiyi of the Northern Pole; the Perfected Elder, Director of Destiny; the Great Lord Taokang of Cinnabar Nine and Cinnabar Origin; and the Great Spirit Yaoguang, Mysterious Darkness Heyan.

Chapter on the Three Realms

The master said: The path of cultivating immortality places great importance on life. In ascending through the air, the Realm of Desire lies lowest. The Six Heavens fall within the Realm of Desire; those who cultivate three hundred meritorious deeds are born in this heaven. The Realm of Form has three kinds of pure practice. Only those whose deeds of body, mind, and speech are pure can be born there. In the Formless Realm, one must keep the deeds of body, mind, and speech pure and remain unaffected by the six objects of sense in order to be born there. When defilements and karmic obstacles have both been cleared, one can be born in the Heaven of the People. Beyond it, one can realize the Great Cavern of natural Wuwei.

The “Song-Chapter of the Three Realms” is a musical piece sung by the Demon King as he flies through the air. Before this, he had acted in accordance with the command of Jade Clarity. “Great Demon King A” is the Demon King’s self-designation.

Chapter on Revering the Form

The master said: “The Demon King reveres the form…” The expression “the Seventh Ancestor Elder” refers to… (The source text ends here.)

This chapter is not one of the two principal scriptures discussed earlier. The thirty-two characters in the text, from “Demon Kings” to “renewed life,” are an edict addressed to the earth spirits, commanding them to respectfully welcome scholars who recite the scripture.

Chapter on Heavenly Treasures

The Master said: “The passage in the scripture from ‘The Dao says’ to ‘entrust it to him’ means that this classic is a treasure of Heaven and must not be passed on to worldly people. According to the Mysteries’ Code—the secret precepts of Daoism—it is transmitted to the Celestial Perfected only once every forty thousand kalpas. If someone brings a valuable gift, makes a sincere vow, and follows the old custom of making an oath before the Ten Heavens, then the scripture may be transmitted to that person.

“The old custom is this: anyone who is truly a perfected person of a certain rank, whether among the ordinary or the transcendent, has already passed through forty thousand kalpas. As for the Ultimate Perfected, the schedule follows the immortal ranks of the Vermilion Palace: they observe the covenant regulations of the Great Perfected and transmit the scripture once every forty years.”

Chapter on Universal Deliverance

The Master said: “The passage in the scripture from ‘Heaven and Earth’ to ‘universally deliver without limit’ means the dispelling of every kind of ill omen. This scripture is immeasurable; it can deliver all beings without end.”

Chapter on Yin Refinement

The Master said: “Those who have studied the Dao only a short time and made little progress may wish to become immortals at once. This matter has already been discussed in the earlier ‘Chapter on Learning.’ The method of refining and delivering corpse forms—transforming and releasing the bodies of the dead through Daoist ritual—is described in the Scripture on the Five Refinements of Living Corpses of the Numinous Treasure. The ‘Chapter on the Nine Refinements of Transformation and Generation’ explains its essential points and helps the dead ascend through deliverance.”

Chapter on Protection and Stabilization

The Master said: “The passage in the scripture from ‘The Dao says: Heaven and Earth’ to ‘universally deliver Heaven and humanity’ concerns the method of protection and stabilization. It has already been discussed in the earlier chapters.”

Chapter on the Utmost Words

The Master said: “The passage in the scripture from ‘The Dao says: whoever possesses this scripture’ to ‘the utmost words’ speaks of this scripture’s immeasurable spiritual power and boundless merit. It can bring forth profound and mysterious transformations and can also respond to sin and fortune. Ordinary people do not know its true meaning. Worthy people diligently cultivate it and penetrate its highest principles. Only when they attain the Dao will they fully understand the scripture’s supremely wondrous words and the purpose of its efficacious responses.”

Chapter on the Great Cavern

The Master said: “This is the middle section. The sounds of the Great Brahma’s jade characters among the heavens, and the sounds of the immeasurable hidden words of the Thirty-Two Heavens, are all transformations of the primordial ancestral Qi, the original Qi of the cosmos. They are secret and forbidden chapters in the numinous scriptures. The Dao Lord Yuchen arranged them, and the Celestial Perfected Sovereign wrote them down. Hidden in these chapters are the secret names of the Great Cavern and the sounds that opened the charts in the Five Kalpas. Their source is given in the Scripture of the Jade Characters of the Inner Sounds of the Heavens. Their hidden, subtle meanings may be examined by following their guiding principles. Take the utmost care not to reveal them to ordinary people. Anyone who violates the laws of Heaven cannot escape its punishment. They should be cultivated in silence.”

Chapter on Mysterious Response

The Master said: “Those who can understand these sounds and meanings will grasp the profound and far-reaching principles of the Mysterious. Simply reciting these sounds brings about a mysterious response.”

Chapter on the Sovereign Perfected

The Master said: “The chapter titles in the Supreme Wondrous Scripture of Original Beginning on Immeasurable Deliverance were all set forth by the Dao Lord. The title ‘Original Chapter’ was given by the Celestial Perfected Sovereign.”

The four phrases beginning “also of the highest rank, utterly natural” comprise sixteen characters and summarize the general intent of this scripture, as explained by the August Immortal (a perfected immortal in Daoist legend). The Five Directions’ True Writings, spoken by the assembled Perfected Ones, are concealed within this scripture.

From “the undivided cavern” to “deliver people” is the main text spoken by the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning. From “today” to “the heavens” records the purpose of deliverance, as received by the Dao Lord Yuchen, a revered Daoist deity. From “proclaim universally” to “Shangqing” is the edict issued by the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning. It records the missions entrusted to the spirits and the actions they are to undertake; the Dao Lord recorded it here.

From “Shangqing” to “Brahma conduct” is also the main text spoken by the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning. From “the thirty-two heavens” to “receiving deliverance” is the Dao Lord’s account of related material; “rejoicing in receiving deliverance” refers to the joy and gratitude expressed after deliverance. From “passing through the barriers” to “the Gate of Heaven” records the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning’s passage through the barriers, as written down by the Dao Lord. From “Eastern Dipper” to “demonic essence” concerns the aid and protection proclaimed by the Dao Lord, and the sweeping away of demons and evil influences. It manifests the divine might of the Great Spirit of Yuqing.

From “the Three Officials” to “Shangqing” are the talismanic mandates received on the day they were commissioned by the Spirit Lords, the High Perfected Ones, the Grand Minister of Taixuan, and the Northern Emperor of the Five Numinous Powers. These are the words issued by the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning, recorded by the Dao Lord. From “the primordial framework” to “the gate of life” is the main text spoken by the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning. The passage beginning “the Most High Perfected One” below it gives the central teachings of the Great Cavern, an important scripture and method of Shangqing Daoism, transmitted by the Dao Lord.

The “Songs of the Three Realms” were spoken by the Demon King and written down by the August Immortal. The “Middle Section of Hidden Phrases” was compiled by the Dao Lord from the main text of the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning. The material from “above the Three Realms” to “the immeasurable mystery upon mystery” was all spoken by the Dao Lord and recorded by the August Immortal.

The thirty-two characters from “commanding and regulating the earth spirits” to “renewed life” are an edict of the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning, also recorded by the Dao Lord.

The “two chapters” are as follows: the first runs from “Primordial Beginning, Cavern Mystery” to “words arranged in Shangqing”; the second runs from “Primordial Cavern, Jade Register” to “words joining with the High Perfected Ones.” The “Song of the Three Realms” does not belong to these two chapters; it was spoken by the Demon King. The remaining passages called “Daoist words” were all recorded by the Dao Lord and do not form part of the teachings of these two chapters.