《太上說通真高皇解冤經》

The Scripture of the Supreme High Sovereign's Liberation from Grievances recounts the following story:

The Supreme Dao Lord (one of the highest deities in Daoism) gathered with numerous sages beneath the Eightfold Qilin Forest at the Seven Treasures Terrace. Arrayed in orderly formation with majestic ceremonial regalia, they expounded the essential teachings of the Dao. The Dao Lord sat in serene stillness as if upon the Jade Capital's immortal mountains, radiating nine-colored light that illuminated both the Halls of Blessing and the realms of hell.

Within the Halls of Blessing, virtuous men and women dwelt in carefree contentment, living with untrammeled freedom. Yet in the hell realms, hungry ghosts and destitute spirits suffered ceaseless torment day and night: their human forms lost, bodies festering, forced to swallow flames when hungry and drink molten copper when thirsty. They trod upon mountains of blades, bore iron staves upon their backs, their bodies streaming with blood as wails pierced the heavens.

At this moment, a Perfected Person (one who has attained cultivation) named Guangxin rose and bowed before the Dao Lord, inquiring: "What transgressions did these deceased souls commit in life to endure such suffering?"

The Supreme Venerable Sovereign replied: "These sufferers in life showed no reverence for the Three Treasures (Dao, scriptures, and teachers), insulted the divine luminaries, and committed the Ten Evils and Five Heinous Crimes: disloyalty and inhumanity, cruelty and filial impiety, harming living beings and slaughtering creatures. When their karmic blessings were exhausted and lifespans concluded, they must bear these retributions."

Moved by compassion, Guangxin sought to deliver these tormented souls. The Dao Lord then transmitted this Scripture of Liberation from Grievances, declaring: If virtuous men and women can concentrate their minds in purified chambers observing fasting precepts (abstaining from meat), burning incense and reciting this scripture six times daily, they may assist these souls' transcendence—resolving past enmities and elevating suffering spirits to liberation.

Finally, Guangxin rejoiced and praised, composing verses extolling the Dao Lord's boundless merit: The Great Dao Lord is like a ferryboat, delivering beings across the bitter sea of life and death. When karmic obstructions dissolve, blessings manifest spontaneously.

Having heard the scripture, the entire assembly reverently paid homage, vowing to faithfully uphold this sacred text.