《上清靈寶大法(二)》Vol. 3

Shangqing Lingbao Dafa (Great Methods of the Shangqing and Lingbao), Scroll 3, Catalogue Part 4

The Wondrous Scripture of the Superior Grade on the Limitless Salvation of Humankind by the Primordial Beginning

Chapter of the Dongxuan Cavern (Chapter 20)

This scripture belongs to the superior-grade wondrous heads of the Dongxuan (Dongxuan) Lingbao Chapter. It comprises ten rounds of salvation (ten recitations to deliver the world), is paired with the hundred hidden rhymes of demons (the concealed sounds and rhyme-feet of a hundred kinds of obstacles), and embodies spontaneous separation and union (the splitting and joining of characters in accord with the rhythms of heaven and earth). The chapter contains twenty characters in total, though it may also be read as twenty phrases, depending on the teacher's transmission.

Red Script Chapter (Chapter 21)

This chapter is related to the Vital Qi True Incantation in the scripture. It contains sixty-four characters, the same count as the later Fanqi (Brahmic Qi) Chapter, and it is used in combination, together with talismans, qi, visualization, and other practices, rather than by chanting a single line alone.

The Mixed Cavern of the Red Script, the Supreme True of No-Nothingness. The Mixed Cavern (Hundong) is the Daodong Heaven, one tier of the Great Cavern Heavens. The Red Script is the vermilion cloud-seal writing, through which the Primordial Beginning (Yuanshi) gave rise to the heavens during the ancestral kalpa, the first aeon of time.

Opening the Three Luminaries Illumined, This Is the Root of Heaven. To "open and illuminate" is to manifest the Great Dao. The three lights of sun, moon, and stars are the foundation of the celestial realm.

Above, there is no further ancestor; the Dao alone is the body. Beyond the heavens there is no higher ancestral deity. The Dao itself is the fundamental substance.

The Five Scripts Open Wide and Broadly Plant the Spirits. The five kinds of cloud-script unfold their domains and widely spread divine beings.

Without Script, Nothing Shines; Without Script, Nothing Is Clear……Without Script, Nothing Is Born. This emphasizes that the cloud-seal script (the celestial writing) cannot be separated from light, clarity, formation, the deliverance of humankind, or generation and transformation. (Note: in practice, the ritual may pair this with visualizing the middle joint of the middle finger, according to the procedures of this method.)

Great Brahma Chapter (Chapter 22)

This is the Great Brahma (Dada), the substance of the Great Cavern (Dadong), that is, the root of the Brahmic Qi discussed in the Great Cavern scriptures. It is the heaven above heavens.

Yuluo Xiaotai, Jade Mountain Upper Capital. The Xiao Terrace is a seven-jeweled mystic platform, nine stories high, reaching close to the vast sky above. Above it lie realms such as the Supreme Great Luo of Ultimate Non-Being and Yuqing (Jade Clarity).

Vast and distant are the kalpa blades; they seem to be gone, yet remain. The calamities of the aeons are profound and distant, seeming neither to exist nor to not exist.

The Three Flowers Separate and Convene; the Great Existence Mystic Court, the Golden Gates and Jade Chambers. The three flowers part and gather to form the mystic court of Great Existence, along with celestial palaces and pavilions.

Dense Myriad Stars, Pure Frost. Jingshuang (Pure Frost) is the name of the two pools beneath the Hall of the Three Pure Ones. Their waters are clear and reflect the myriad heavens in their dense array.

Chapter of Brahmic Qi (Chapter 23)

This entire chapter contains sixty-four characters. Practitioners may swallow it, visualizing Brahmic Qi together with the incantation and drawing it into the body, in order to cure all illnesses.

The Great Circulation of Brahmic Qi, Revolving Through the Ten Directions. Brahmic Qi moves greatly, filling and circling the ten directions.

Those who recognize the Gen position above are the same Dao. Those who awaken to this understanding at the Gen (Gen) trigram position of the Bagua, or at the celestial gate that corresponds to the Gen trigram, share the same purpose as this Great Cavern teaching.

The chapter also contains honorific names of revered deities, such as the Divine Being Who Saves Humanity and Does Not Die, the Lord of Longevity of the Southern Pole, the Great Divine Sima Who Delivers the World, and the Elder Lord Han Who Loves Life. It further describes the present collation of the heavens, referring to the day in the Chiming Kalpa when the registers were opened and collated in the Fuli Kingdom. Jiao (collation) means comparing merit and offense by weight, and lu (recording) means noting the depth of merit and fault. (In other editions, these two lines appear under the Chapter of Summoning the Perfected.)

Chapter of Summoning the Perfected (Chapter 24)

Eastern Wuji Flying Heavenly Divine King, Great Sage of Long Life, Limitless Salvation of Humankind. The East corresponds to the Zhen (Zhen) trigram. This invokes the Divine King of Wuji Flight and other perfected beings to perform the rite of limitless salvation.

Note: This passage is in fact a catalogue of the chapter titles, character counts, directional correspondences, and key points of visualization for the chapters of the Scripture of the Superior Grade on the Salvation of Humankind. The bracketed annotations are ritual glosses by Lingbao masters from the Song and Yuan periods onward, and the names such as the Executor of the Southern Bureau and the Provisional Youth of the Shifu Office belong to the compilers' lineage. Actual practice must follow the complete text, its full ritual procedures, and the teacher's transmission of sound and rhythm. It should not be attempted from this catalogue alone.

Each of the nine invocation lines follows the same formula: Wuji Feitian Shenwang Changsheng Dasheng Wuliang Duren (Boundless Flying-Heaven Divine King, Great Sage of Long Life, Immeasurable Deliverer of Humankind). The south line corresponds to the Li trigram, the west line to the Dui trigram, the north line to the Kan trigram, the northeast line to the Gen trigram, the southeast line to the Xun trigram, the southwest line to the Kun trigram, and the northwest line to the Qian trigram. The upper line corresponds to the middle finger and is used on jia days when presenting offerings and performing rites of deliverance for the dead. The lower line corresponds to the middle joint of the middle finger and is used when summoning the Messenger of the Middle Joint.

These ten divine kings possess tremendous power. Whenever one needs to report to a divine king or dispatch Flying-Heaven envoys, one should recite the king's inner name (secret name).

The Perfect True Flying-Heaven Divine Kings of the Ten Directions and the great spirits of Changsheng Dusha Wuliang (Long Life, Worldly Deliverance, and Immeasurable Greatness) all ride together on flying clouds, in jeweled palanquins, green carriages, feathered canopies, and jade wheels. They are drawn by a vermilion phoenix and a five-colored dark dragon (for liver illness at the Chen position, write a talisman and swallow it). They raise nine-colored standards and ten numinous pennants. Nine phoenixes sing in front, eight luan birds chime in unison behind, and lions and white cranes call out in harmony (for lung illness, recite aloud). The Five Elders set out on the road (touching the middle joint of the middle finger), a host of immortals attends their wheels, and a hundred million carriages and ten thousand riders float through the air to arrive. They pour out light and turn their carriages back (for the four fingers' four joints, write a talisman and swallow it), and they oversee the true and direct the passage (at the Yin position, swallow it when hastening birth).

The Heavenly Assistant Ministers (assisting qi and minister qi) and the Great Divine Overseer of Birth, Han, Director of the Registers of the Upper Palace of Nanchang (at the Yin position, swallow it when hastening birth), hold the registers and grasp the talismans. All of them arrive before the Celestial Emperor and deliver whomever is to be saved. They strictly inspect the heavenly realms and proclaim the matter to all: the Three Realms, the Limitless Divine Realm, the Palace of the Springs and Bends, the Northern Capital of Luofeng, the Three Offices and Nine Bureaus, and the Twelve Sources of the Rivers. The river sources correspond to the twelve months, with the moon passing through the Eastern Well lodge.

Plain-Language Explanation

Ascending for a Named Person (for So-and-So)

For the ancestors of a named person over generations, and for all kin since countless kalpas: swiftly erase the registers of sin, eradicate the roots of evil, and do not allow them to be detained or forced into the company of ghosts.

(Dip the middle finger in black ink and write the phrase Gao Dao Gao Sanjie ("Announce the Dao to the Three Realms") and related texts on yellow paper, forty-eight characters in all.)

Key Points of the Rite

Following the talismanic command of Yuanshi (Primordial Beginning), promote the soul at the appointed hour. In the Northern Capital, the Cold Pool guardians protect the corporeal and ethereal souls and recommend a grade of salvation to restrain demons. In the Southern Palace, the dead souls are refined and transformed into immortals, and those reborn in human form receive salvation. Kalpa after kalpa they endure, turning with the wheel of kalpas and sharing the years of Heaven. They are forever delivered from the Three Paths, the Five Sufferings, and the Eight Calamities, transcend the Sanjie (Three Realms), and wander freely in Shangqing (Upper Clarity). As the command states, dispatch them by golden-dragon relay. (Sixty-four characters in all. Afterward, write the Jiuyou fu (Nine Shades Talisman). For external use, write on blue paper in vermilion ink.)

Year, month, and day, with the fawei (Dharma-rank holder), minister so-and-so, announced at an auspicious hour.

Chapter 25: Treasured Names

The Heaven of Shangqing

The Heaven of Shangqing is the realm of the Jade Perfected of the Heavenly Emperor, colorless and pure, where pure conduct (fanxing) dwells. Pure conduct refers to the heaven within the heavens of the Dao, which has no gate for entering or leaving, and whose true emptiness is unobstructed. Hence it is said: above the Three Realms, wandering freely in Shangqing.

The Right Tally of Ascent (Primordial Beginning)

The seal script of the Ascent Treasure Tally belongs to the methods of the Dadong (Great Cavern). Write sixty-eight characters in vermilion on blue paper, and recite the true script on the reverse.

The following are the honorific names of the heavenly emperors of each heaven (treasured names):

Romanization of rare characters is approximate.

These honorific names are used when reciting or writing the tally to address the heavenly emperors. They must correspond with the liturgical order (keyi) and the talismans, and must not be confused.

Thirty-Two Celestial Emperors of the Thirty-Two Heavens (Concealed Names)

Emperor Xiaomang of the Beginning Sovereign Heaven (Shiji Xiaomang Tiandi): Saluoluo King

Emperor Zhongfu Rongrong of the Grand Sovereign Heaven: Min Bakuang

Emperor Jiangyou of the Non-Thought Heaven: Ming Fanguang

Emperor Ruanle of the Upper Ye Heaven: Bobo Jian

Emperor Tanshi of the Non-Ultimate Heaven: Piaonu Qionglong

Emperor Duxiao of the Brilliant Court Heaven: Hui Jue Hun

Emperor Yuantong Yuandong of the Abyss Heaven: Fan Xing Guan Sheng

Emperor Miaocheng Chongwen of the Grand Literary Heaven: Na Yu Chou Ying

Emperor Lejin of the Grand Plain Heaven: Long Luo Jue Chang

Emperor Changrong of the Supreme Void Heaven: Zong Jian Guishen

Emperor Tengsheng of the Grand Shi Heaven: Miaomiao Xingyuan

Emperor Fandu of the Dragon Transformation Heaven: Yun Shang Xuanxuan

Emperor Jiayi of the Grand Ultimate Pingyu Heaven: Da Ze Fa Men

The heavenly names are written in red ink and the imperial taboo names (the secret names of the Celestial Emperors) in black ink. Each line of the scroll carries two lines of text.

The Thirty-Two Heavens and Thirty-Two Emperors

The heavens have concealed taboo names (hidden appellations that are not openly proclaimed) and hidden names (titles used internally).

Heavenly Void: the Celestial Emperor's golden gate and jade chamber. Void here is identical with the Great Cavern (the realm called "Great Cavern" in the Shangqing and Lingbao traditions).

There are also the Natural Numinous Seals (two seals), the hidden rhymes of the heavens (secret sounds), the sounds within the heavens, the honored ones of the heavens (the Supreme Emperor), the spirits of the heavens (such as Taiyi and the Siming and the gods below them), the great demons of the heavens, and the numinous ones of the heavens.

The Nine Harmonies and Ten Unions transform and elevate the Shangqing lineage. Its boundless mysteries are unfathomable; they spread divine perfection and universally deliver heavenly and human beings.

Chapter Twenty-Six: Receiving Deliverance

Today we rejoice and celebrate. To receive deliverance (to be ferried across, to pass through barriers), one passes through the barriers of the heavens.

At the Chen Shang (the direction or hour governed by the Chen earthly branch), one petitions to extinguish the Three Evils, sever the root of earth (the connections to the Yin Court and the Earth Gate), and fly across the Five Gates (the five passages of the human body, or of the Dharma principle), so that one's name is enrolled in the Grand Mystery.

The king of demons supervises and lifts one up, and one is not restrained at the gates of heaven.

Ghosts that have attained the Way at Chen Shang receive a contract from the Heavenly Venerable and an issued talisman. Demon kings of the Three Realms lift one to the heavenly gate and do not detain one there. One wears the talisman as a practice (the method of cultivating by wearing talismans).

(The barrier count is twenty-eight characters, intended to open the Five Passages.)

Dipper Offices and Life Protection

• East Dipper governs longevity (at Mao): The East Dipper holds the numbers of one's lifespan.
• West Dipper records names (at You): The West Dipper keeps the registers of names.
• North Dipper records deaths (at Zi): The North Dipper governs the registers of death.
• South Dipper ascends to life (at Wu): The South Dipper governs ascension and the bestowing of life.
• The Central Dipper, the Great Chief, oversees all the numinous beings. (At the middle finger, the middle joint: a talisman spell for preserving life and protecting destiny, which may be written and swallowed.)

Note: The names of the Celestial Emperors in this text are mostly transliterations or concealed character forms, and the versions differ from one another. The bracketed notes are the original annotations or cultivation details such as directions, hours, and body parts.

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Guarding the Perfected (Weizhen Zhang)

The Azure Emperor (Qingdi) guards the soul, located in the east at the mao position, above. The White Emperor attends the spirit, located in the west at the you position, above. The Red Emperor nourishes the qi, located in the south at the wu position, above. The Black Emperor circulates the blood, located in the north at the zi position, above. The Yellow Emperor dwells at the center and presides over the myriad spirits. Reciting incantations while pressing the middle joint of the middle finger can cure pain that wanders through the body, and rubbing the painful spot with the hand brings relief.

Guarding the Perfected (Weizhen Zhang)

The Demon King of the Azure Heaven is named Ba Yuan Chou Bo (mao, above). The Demon King of the Red Heaven is Fu Tian Dan Shi, "Bearing Heaven, Shouldering Stone" (wu, above). The Demon King of the White Heaven is Fan Shan Liu Mu, "Overturned Mountain, Six Eyes" (you, above). The Demon King of the Black Heaven is Jian Chou Lang Fu (zi, above). The Demon King of the Yellow Heaven is Heng Tian Dan Li, "Crosswise Heaven, Shouldering Strength." These are the Five Great Emperor Demons. To expel evil, use the middle joint of the middle finger; for pain, write a talisman and swallow it. They are the origin of the myriad spirits. They fly in procession with drums following, command the ghost soldiers, wave banners and beat the drums in rhythm, and roam through the great void. They call themselves "Brilliant Radiance," and their merit equals that of all the heavens. They ascend to ferry people across and strictly govern the Northern Fengdu (the Northern Yin Fengdu, the Daoist realm where ghosts are governed), receiving divine command to sweep away all misfortune. The Eight Majesties spit venom, and the Fierce Horses spread out in four directions. At the wu position above, the Eight Majesties spit poison; at the you position above, they cure injuries from every kind of poisonous insect, and one writes a talisman and affixes it to the afflicted spot. Heavenly Attendants (invoked at the middle joint of the middle finger) go before, and the Great Marshal bears his banner (at chen above, to repel evil spirits). He hurls fire ten thousand li (at yin above). Streams of bells surge in eight directions. Anyone who dares to defy or obstruct the Supreme Perfected, that is, the Dao's realized beings who hold back the multitude of evils, first meets the Golden Axe (write a talisman beneath the nail of the middle finger and affix it to ward off evil), and then the Great Heavenly Executioner punishes them (invoked at the base of the four fingers), slaying the ghostly spirits. Wind and fire never cease. Thousands are beheaded and tens of thousands cut down, so demons cannot intrude and ghosts cannot harm. The Three Officials and the Northern Fengdu inspect the ghost camps with clear discernment, allowing no concealment. The Golden Horse relays the proclamation endlessly, and all the myriad spirits listen. The Three Realms and the Five Emperors report upward to the Shangqing (Highest Clarity) heaven. These thirty-two characters are the command the divine lord received, to be used for major matters.

Chapter Twenty-Eight: The Jade Calendar of the Primordial Cavern (Yuan Dong Yu Li)

In the primordial cavern's jade calendar, during the eras of Longhan and Yankang (reign names the Daoist tradition assigns to the first kalpa of the Primordial Beginning), across vast and immeasurable aeons within primordial chaos, there was no form above and no abyss below. Wind and marsh pierced the void, and the metallic vault rode upon the heavens. Heaven above and earth below held neither darkness nor shadow, neither form nor image, and reached without limit or end. It was the great wilderness of Mingxie, the primordial qi of chaos.

Chapter 29: Liuhua Zhang (The Chapter on Flowing Transformation)

The Heavenly Worthy of Primordial Beginning (Yuanshi Tianzun) pacifies the four quarters and guards the realm. This method can cure palpitations of the heart: write the talisman (fu) well and swallow it. Lay out the five Vermilion Scripts (Chishu), written in ochre, and set them in place. Protect the calamitous cycles with the Jade Script and the Eight Majesties Dragon Script, so that the Heavenly Dao endures and the sacred breath (fanqi) fills the void.

(The sixty-four characters above form the general incantation. When performing the water-lustration rite, recite this incantation ten full times.)

Chapter 30: Shengxuan Zhang (The Chapter on Ascending to Profundity)

The primordial network circulates and unfolds, and the thirty-two heavens turn without cease. Light without form revolves through the ten directions, while the handle of the Dipper (Doubing) traces its measures, passes the Winnowing Basin lunar lodge, and corresponds with the Five Constants, that is, the Five Planets. The breath of the thirty-five divisions gathers in the Upper Primordial, the Eight Luminaries merge in the dark, and the breath enters the realm of utmost mystery.

Chapter 31: Qixuan Zhang (The Chapter on the Mysterious Confluence)

Mount Xigui (Xigui Shan, also called Dragon Mountain) is the root to which the Nine Heavens are bound, and the deep storehouse where the yellow qi gathers. It lies at the northwest corner of heaven, with a circumference of tens of millions of li, and it adjoins the realm of Jade Clarity. Its southeast connects to Yangxia, and above it joins the Divine Tiger Gate of the Clear Palace. Its northwest is the Cold Cavern wilderness, which rises to the court of the immortals of the Golden Gate. Its southern end reaches the homelands of Taidan and Fuli, where its qi merges with the light of Dongyang. Its northern end faces the star Gouchen directly and links with the Canopy of Flowers, and its qi flows through Guangling. At its center it faces Jade Capital (Yujing) directly, where the winds of the essential routes of the eight directions converge. Its peaks stand level with heaven and extend broadly for thirty thousand li.

It is enclosed by walls of welling gold and gates of knotted jade. Golden terraces, jade towers, and twelve divine palaces rise upon it. Naturally formed purple gates of flowing essence, golden-flowered palaces, and chambers of fine jade stand there as well. Caverns branch off on every side through its nine orifices, and clouds of purple qi arise on their own, woven with phoenix patterns in nine colors. On the cliffs of Luoling grow purple cassia groves, with lofty peaks and jade forests. Coral trees form the branches, and jade trees form the roots. The Qian tree bears fruit, the Red Child and White Ring appear there, the Three Flowers shine with light within the Vermilion Radiance, and the reverse fragrance drifts through the Great Mystery.

Eight breaths stir like a strong wind, and the jade flute sounds empty yet forms music. Dragons roar in the cloud towers, and phoenixes cry on the sheer peaks. Countless venomous beasts are arrayed, and long serpents coil by the thousands. The divine palaces stand in solemn order, and spirits and immortals crowd in profusion. This majestic primordial hall brings forth saliva at every contact. It is the wondrous transformation of the Primordial Beginning, and in truth the spiritual root of heaven.

Note: In the text, "Yuanshi" refers to the Heavenly Worthy of Primordial Beginning. "Yuqing" (Jade Clarity) is one of the realms of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing) of Shangqing (Highest Clarity). "Eight Majesties" and "Eight Luminaries" are names and realm-designations within Lingbao (Numinous Treasure) ritual. The Vermilion Scripts, Jade Script, and Dragon Script are the forms of Lingbao talismanic writing. The parenthetical remarks in the original are cultivation annotations, such as instructions on talismans, writing materials, and recitation counts. Where they bear on the sense of a passage, this interpretation has folded them into the explanation rather than listing each one separately.

Great Methods of the Shangqing Lingbao (II): A Vernacular Explanation

Chapter 32: Chapter of Accomplishment

A thousand harmonies and ten thousand convergences naturally bring the Dao to completion. (Recite this chapter when performing the hehe (harmonization) rite, and pair it with the mudra of "swallowing," formed by pressing the knuckles of both middle fingers together.)

Within the Perfected there are spirit lords: the Great Lords of Long Life, Prince Wuying, the Supreme Lords of the White Origin, the Director of Destiny Taiyi (Supreme One), Taokang, Heyan, and others. They hold talismans and registers, preserve life, and consolidate the root. Above, they dwell in the realm of Shangqing (Highest Clarity), coming and going through the "Flowery Chambers." They circulate through the eight obstructions (the eight orifices and pivots of the body) and through the most subtle places. Below, they keep watch over the human body, regulating the five breaths in the Niwan (Mud Pellet) Palace and the Jiang (Crimson) Palace and blending the hundred spirits. After ten revolutions the numinous returns, and all the myriad breaths become immortal together. (The whole chapter may serve as a "breath-circulating incantation." Recite it ten times, breathe toward the afflicted area, and take the middle joints of both middle fingers as the mudra.)

Chapter 33: Chapter of Drawing in Flowers

The Way of the immortals values life and ferries people across through countless methods of salvation. Above, it opens eight gates and sets the wheel of Dharma flying. Karmic retribution, precepts, and the causes and conditions of past lives are all universally received and opened, so that dead souls may be given life and bodies may receive birth. Its voice reaches up to the heavens. Above each heaven there are gates of life, and in the midst of them are empty caverns. The jade-song verses and the spirit writs of the demon kings are presented to the High Perfected.

First: The "Sound of Flying Through Emptiness" in the Desire Realm

The human way is dim and remote, the way of the immortals is vast and far-reaching, and the way of ghosts is one of decline. At the gate of human life, the Way of the immortals values birth, while the way of ghosts values ending. The way of the immortals is always auspicious; the way of ghosts is always perilous. The Highest Clarity is lofty and luminous, and mournful song rings across the great void. We wish only that the Way of the immortals be fulfilled and that the human way not be exhausted. In the Spring-Bend Mansion of the Northern Capital, myriad ghosts gather in crowds, desiring only to obstruct human allotted years and sever the gate of human life. O people, chant the Cavern Verses to gather in the Northern Luo and Fengdu, to bind and send off the demonic essences and to strike down the blades of the six ghosts. The heavens are vast and surging, and my Way flourishes with each passing day.

Second: The Chapter of the Demon Kings in the Form Realm

Lofty and widely raised, bright qi rises in four directions, and the pure conduct of the heavens circulates through the ten directions. (It may be copied repeatedly or written in seal script, or it may be used as a great talisman to pacify a dwelling.) Countless great spirits all arise from my body. I hold the Cavern Writ, and by reciting it ten thousand times one becomes immortal. The Way of the immortals values salvation, while the way of ghosts is bound to it. Heaven and earth are vast and hazy, and foul qi hangs thick. Though the three realms are blissful, to pass beyond them is what endures. When the body is ferried across into my realm, the form enters naturalness. The joy of this moment is owed only thinly to my grace. The Longhan kalpa surges vast; how could one tell the true from the false?

Note (to aid reading the scripture): "Niwan" and "Jiang Palace" are names of inner spirit chambers in the Daoist body. "Shangqing," "eight gates," and "wheel of Dharma" belong to the vocabulary of the Shangqing and Lingbao (Numinous Treasure) traditions. The "Chapter of the Demon Kings" does not refer to ordinary underworld kings. It is a chapter of hymns used in the heavenly stages of trial and salvation, a genre close to the Lingbao Wuliang Dujin Shangpin Miaojing (Numinous Treasure Scripture of Boundless Salvation, Superior Grade). The parenthetical notes in the original are performance instructions. In this vernacular rendering they have been folded into the sense of the sentences, and the mudra gestures have not been translated word by word.

To deliver them from the demonic afflictions within the realm, the scripture has taken the form of a cavern text, transforming and flying through the void to test whether your cultivation succeeds or fails. As for those who grow slack, falter, and remain undelivered, how many will mock you, saying that you cannot pass through this trial? For this reason, this hymn was composed.

Third, the Demon King of the Formless Realm sings:

Above the Three Realms lies the distant and sublime Great Luo Heaven (Dàluó Tiān). There, no material form exists, and the clouds rise high. Only the Primordial Heavenly Venerable (Yuánshǐ Tiānzūn) dwells in the realm of the great kalpa, governing all the heavens and administering my domain, while I receive the rule of the Mysterious Capital (Xuándū). I myself have entered the Jade Void Palace (Yùxū Gōng) and occupy the position of Supreme King, commanding the multitude of demonic hosts. I spread foul vapors throughout the air, so that those who can preserve the true Dao are few and those who are deluded are many. The path of the immortals is hard to uphold, while the path of the ghosts easily slips into perversity. In cultivating the human way, the key lies in the mind's intent and cannot be determined by external things. The path of the immortals values truth; the human path values empty show. If you are unwilling to cultivate the immortal Dao, how can you transcend the Three Realms? If desire keeps you tossing and turning among the Five Paths, what can I possibly do to you?

This hymn is the demonic sound sung by the Demon King above the Three Realms, within the void, and its melody accords with the cavern chapters. Recite it one hundred times and you are said to have passed the Barrier of the Southern Palace. Recite it one thousand times and the Demon King will protect and receive you. Recite it ten thousand times and you will accomplish the work of the Dao, ascend into the Great Void, deliver the Three Realms, and attain the rank of Elder Immortal. Upon hearing this marvelous sound, the Demon King will revere your form and, under his command, restrain the earth spirits (the spirits of the land), who will guard and escort you. They will draw you out of the earth gate and inform the Five Directions and Eight Calamities. Your seven generations of ancestors will be promoted and permanently released from the registers of the ghostly officials, and their souls will be delivered to the Vermilion Tomb (Zhūlíng), the Daoist place of refining and deliverance in the south, where they will be tempered and reborn. (The thirty-two characters written from the hour of Xu to the hour of Si are to be inscribed in black ink on yellow paper, and the local earth god and earth spirits are to be ordered accordingly.) This is called boundless universal deliverance, relieving the limitless. This text is hidden in the heavens and honored in common by all the heavens. If it is leaked or treated with contempt, one will fall into hell and bring calamity upon seven generations of ancestors.

Chapter Thirty-Four: Heavenly Treasure (Tiānbǎo Zhāng)

The Dao (Dào) says: The two preceding chapters are both sounds secretly kept by the sovereigns of the heavens and the supreme Demon Kings, and they are also words of the Great Brahma (the sacred language of the heavens), not ordinary worldly speech. Their language has no rhythmic, ornate melodies and no splendid, graceful phrasing, and so they are called mysterious, profound, and difficult to fathom. They are scriptures cherished by Heaven, hidden in the Purple Tenuity Upper Palace of the Mysterious Capital. According to the Mysterious Registers, they are transmitted only once every forty thousand kalpas. If a person who has attained the Dao brings golden treasures, swears an oath with sincerity, follows the ancient regulations, and announces a covenant over ten days, only then may the scripture be passed on to them.

Chapter Thirty-Five: Universal Protection (Pǔhù Zhāng)

The Dao says: Heaven and earth also have times of decline and ending, and the sun, moon, and five planets also have times of waning and fullness. The perfect sages also encounter cessation and exhaustion, and beginners also suffer illness and harm. Whoever encounters these calamities should, together with those of the same Qi, observe the fast in unison and burn incense and perform ritual bows six times a day, with undivided sincerity.

(Ten Recitations of the Scripture)

Recite the complete scripture ten times, and merit and blessing will manifest and descend at once, dispelling all manner of misfortune. This boundless text can universally liberate countless beings.

Chapter 36: On Yin Refinement

The Lord of the Dao (Daojun) says: For adepts who are new to the Dao, or whose immortal attainment is not yet complete, if the span of life has run out and the body must be left behind, the physical form returns to the Great Yin (Taiyin, the yin realm of the lunar palace). At the moment the spirit-soul (hunshen) passes through the Great Yin and is about to cross the boundary, fellow cultivators should burn incense for the departed and recite the scripture ten times to deliver the corpse. If this is done according to the method, the soul can rise directly to the Southern Palace (Nangong), the place where ascension is granted and the registry is received. Its merit from practice is then reckoned day by day, and it is reborn. Through successive cycles without end, it may complete the path to becoming an immortal.

Chapter 37: On Protection and Stability

The Lord of the Dao says: When the turning of heaven and earth nears its end, one should observe fasting (zhai), burn incense, and recite the scripture. When the stars are in disorder and the sun and moon lose their proper sequence, one should likewise observe fasting, burn incense, and recite. When the four seasons fall out of measure and yin and yang are out of harmony, one should do the same. When plague spreads and the people suffer death and loss, one should do the same. When teachers and companions reach the end of their lives, one should also do the same. The merit of fasting and recitation is exceedingly profound. Above, it can dispel heavenly calamities and protect sovereigns. Below, it can ward off poisons and harm and deliver living beings from the cycle of birth and death. The blessings received cannot be fully described, and so it is said that it universally delivers gods and humans beyond measure.

Chapter 38: On Words of Truth

The Lord of the Dao says: Whoever holds this scripture can perform its merit on behalf of heaven, earth, sovereigns, and the common people. On days of calamity, if one resolves to observe fasting, burn incense, and recite the scripture ten times, the heavenly powers will all record one's name, and myriad spirits will attend at one's left and right. An Adept (zhiren, one who has attained the Dao) may further become a minister of the Golden Gate (Jin Que), the palace gates of heaven. The heavens record each person's merit and fault without the slightest error, and the demon kings of heaven will also recommend one's person. Only one who has attained the Dao can fully comprehend these words of truth.

Chapter 39: On the Great Cavern

Among the heavens there is a great Brahma esoteric speech (yinyu, sounds not spoken openly to outsiders), containing boundless tones. The Lord of the Dao compiled the middle section of the Numinous Writ of Primordial Beginning (Yuanshi Lingshu), and its text is as follows:

Dan, Lou, A, Hui, Wu, Hu, Guan, Yin, Xu, Yan, Ming, Shou, Fa, Lan, Pu, Tan, Jia, Na, A, Yi, Hu, A, Liu, Yin, Hua, Du, Qu, Li, Xian, Pu, Yu, Zhen, Da, Luo, Da, Fan, San, Yan, Qing, Xu, Fei, Sa, Yu, Du, Ming, Mo, Shang, Men, Wu, Xing, Shang, Shou, Hui, Zhi, Liu, Xuan, A, Tuo, Long, Luo, Si, Xiang, Xu, Yuan, Nan, Yan, Dong, Fu, Yu, Mou, Shen, Shen, Fan, Xing, Luo, Kong, Jiu, Ling, Tui, Qian, Ze, Luo, Pu, Tai, Lu, Luo, Da, Qian, Miao, Mang, Jiu, Chou, Shao, Yao, Yuan, Zhan……

(The above are phonetic transcriptions of the Brahma esoteric syllables of the heavens recorded in the middle section of the Numinous Writ. Their exact sounds for the rarer characters are approximate. They must be used together with oral transmission from a teacher and with the fasting-recitation rites, and must not be altered arbitrarily.)

Plain-Language Interpretation

(Mantra syllables, meaning summarized)

Yun shang jiu du, fei sheng zi qian, na yu yu fu, moluo fa lun, and so on. These are esoteric Lingbao names chanted as sound, with each syllable corresponding to a heavenly level or divine name. In practice they are recited according to ritual procedure and need not be rendered word for word.

Chapter on Responsiveness (Ganying Zhang), Chapter Forty

The Daojun says: the esoteric sounds of the Great Brahma of these heavens, the immeasurable sounds, were written in ancient script, each character a zhang (about ten feet) in length and breadth. When Tianzhen Huangren (the True Perfected Sovereign) wrote these characters, he set them down as the correct sounds (zheng yin).

Anyone who knows these sounds and also maintains purification fasts while reciting them will be watched over by the Feitian Shenwang, the Flying Heavenly Kings. They descend to observe the practitioner's body, record their merit and diligent practice, and report it upward to the heavens. The myriad spirits pay homage, the earth spirits attend at the gate, and the Daxun Mowang (Demon King of Great Merit) protects and recommends them. Having attained the Shangxian Daobei (the Way of the Supreme Immortals), they may travel through the Three Realms and ascend through the Golden Gate.

This sound repels all harm, averts all calamity, delivers all beings, and accomplishes all aims. It is the natural sound of the True Perfected. Therefore, when it is chanted, the Flying Ones descend to observe, the Supreme Thearch chants from afar, the myriad spirits pay homage, the Three Realms attend, the crowd of demons bows its head, ghosts and spirits perish of themselves, and the jade chimes ring out (at the You hour, write these four characters and swallow them). The ten directions are purified, the rivers and seas grow still, the mountains swallow their mists, the myriad numinous beings are subdued, the immortals are gathered, heaven is free of foulness, and earth is free of demonic dust. The dark wisdom becomes clear and pure, and the great measure of the mysterious grows vast (at the Xuan hour, write the character "yi" on the talisman, which opens the heart).

Opening Remarks on the Scripture (Kaijing Yi)

Earnestly consider: the Lingbao Jing belongs to the Dongxuan division of the Three Caverns, and the twelve divisions are all gathered within it. The principles of the Duren Jing (Scripture on the Salvation of People) are profound and subtle, which is why perfected immortals who have already become True Persons can fully understand its chapters. Yet the teaching becomes manifest according to the age, and the Dao is practiced in accordance with the times. Although students may not be able to penetrate its hidden meanings, the subsequent sections on the stages of cultivation follow.

Note: The long opening passage, beginning with "Yun shang jiu du," consists of Lingbao Great Brahma esoteric names. These align with Buddhist Sanskrit sound-formulas and Daoist visualization names, and their emphasis is on sound, rhythm, and visualization, so they are traditionally not translated term by term. The chapter title "Responsiveness" (ganying) indicates that chanting this sound can communicate with the heavenly spirits and bring verifiable protection. The parenthetical instructions (when to write, swallow, or open the heart) are ritual prompts, and practice should follow the complete liturgy.

The scripture, if rendered in ordinary written language, is not as unintelligible as some foreign tongues. With careful reading according to sound principle, its general meaning can be grasped.

The text, from its opening through its middle sections, is divided into forty chapters. Each chapter has its own doctrinal content, and each doctrine has its own central point. What is discussed here is the initial portion of the Lingbao (Numinous Treasure) Dharma-gate. Practitioners who wish to advance along the Dongxuan (Three Caverns) immortal path or serve in a Lingbao ritual office should study this section first.

Some hold that one should first thoroughly grasp the original intent of each chapter, and only then can the seven warp and eight weft threads of the teaching be connected. Scholars who reflect on and examine the text with care will naturally attain its endless subtle meaning. The Tiantai lineage also incorporates this Dharma, with slight additions and revisions, and retitles it Da Jing Xunjie (Great Scripture Exegesis). "Xunjie" means an explanation and elucidation of the scripture's meaning. Take the Duren Jing (Scripture on the Salvation of Humanity): from Yan Dong of the Qi dynasty to Xue Youqi and others of the Tang dynasty, commentaries were produced in succession. Afterward, exegetical works became numerous, yet they cannot all be uniformly classed as "Dharma."

The forty chapters originally served as the beginning of the Dharma-gate, but the Tiantai lineage uses them as the Great Scripture Exegesis. Therefore, when classifying the work, one must follow its actual name, and this is not an attempt to distinguish similarities and differences.