《高上玉皇本行集經》Vol. 6

When the Great Emperor Haotian (a revered deity in Daoism) finished listening to the scripture exposition, he respectfully sought permission from the Jade Emperor to explain the extraordinary benefits of this classic to all cultivators and celestial beings. With compassionate heart, the Jade Emperor opened the gateway of expedient means, proclaiming the celestial statutes from the Jade Repository Liturgy (Yugui Ke) and the profound essentials of the Numinous Treasure Method (Lingbao Fa).

The Jade Emperor revealed: "Listen attentively, for I shall explain the merits of reciting this scripture—its miraculous functions to rescue from calamities, liberate departed souls, and benefit all sentient beings." The assembled immortals and perfected beings bowed reverently, unanimously praising how hearing this eternal and indestructible wondrous teaching today would surely bring blessings to all celestial realms and universally aid the Three Realms, with even beings in the hells and hungry ghost paths receiving grace.

Key terms explained:

• "Three Defilements" refers to the three堕落 pathways of sensual desire, emotional attachment, and greed
• "Five Sufferings" denotes the fivefold afflictions of mind, spirit, form, essence, and soul
• "Serene Perpetual Abiding" indicates the supreme state of pristine purity and unchanging eternity

The Jade Emperor particularly emphasized: "If anyone can practice filial piety toward parents, revere the Three Treasures (Dao, scriptures, and masters), remain loyal to rulers, and uphold the precepts—abstaining from killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, envy, hatred, arrogance, and deceit—while sincerely maintaining purification practices and reciting this scripture with devout heart, I shall dispatch divine messengers to traverse the Dharma Realm, spreading these merits throughout the ten directions."

(Note: This passage primarily describes the extraordinary merits of reciting the Jade Emperor Scripture, particularly emphasizing that moral cultivation forms the foundation for receiving the scripture's protection. Later sections mention sending eastern deities to safeguard practitioners, though space limitations prevent full elaboration.)

This scripture describes how the Jade Emperor (the supreme deity in Daoism) commands the venerated deities of the ten directions (east, southeast, south, southwest, west, northwest, north, northeast, zenith, and nadir) to descend with their celestial armies to protect practitioners of this sacred text.

First, the Sovereign Lord of Eastern Florescence (Donghua Dijun), the deity presiding over the eastern immortal realm, descends with azure-armored divine troops to offer protection. Next, the Fusang Emperor (Fusang Dadi), the solar deity governing the southeast, arrives with his retinue. In the south, the Vermilion Mound Emperor (Zhuling Dadi), the primary deity of the southern fire palace, leads crimson-armored divine soldiers to safeguard the practitioner. The southwest is protected by the Supreme Elder of Mount Hua (Taihua Yuanlao), the venerated deity of that direction.

The west is guarded by the White Emperor of Luminous Numen (Haoling Huanglao), descending with white-armored troops. In the northwest, the Celestial Emperor of August Heaven (Huangtian Dadi) arrives with his divine host. The north is under the protection of the Purple Tenuity Emperor (Ziwei Dijun), the deity of the North Star, leading black-armored divine soldiers. The northeast is secured by the Heavenly Lord of Soaring Emptiness (Chongxu Tianjun) and his retinue.

From the zenith (celestial realm), the Celestial Emperor (Tianhuang Dadi) and the Ancient Sage of Kunlun (Kunlun Canglao) descend with yellow-armored divine troops. From the nadir (earthly realm), the Heavenly Lord of Harmony (Laihe Tianjun) arrives with divine armies from sacred mountains and grotto-heavens to offer protection.

The scripture concludes by clarifying that all these deities act upon the Jade Emperor’s decree to safeguard those who devoutly recite and practice this text. As long as practitioners uphold precepts and cultivate sincerity toward the Dao (the Way), the ten directional deities will take turns protecting them, bestowing supreme merit.

A special note explains that the Sovereign Lord of Eastern Florescence refers to the Lord King (Dongwang Gong, the Eastern King), distinct from the Five Sacred Peaks’ emperors. While both the Fusang Emperor and the Vermilion Mound Emperor belong to the fire palace, they govern the southeast and due south, respectively.

This scripture describes the sacred celestial hierarchy under the Jade Emperor's governance of heaven and earth. The four cardinal directions each have their sovereign rulers: the East governs the generation of all beings, the South presides over growth and nourishment, the West oversees restraint and harvest, while the North manages storage and conservation. These four primary orientations are called the "Four Cardinal Directions."

The four intermediate directions (southeast, southwest, northwest, northeast) also respectively assume responsibilities for generation, nourishment, restraint, and storage. Each direction has corresponding palaces and deities: the East houses the Great Unity Palace (Taiyi Gong), the South the Luminous Palace (Liming Gong), the West the Grand Splendor Palace (Taihua Gong), and the North the Mysterious Darkness Palace (Xuanming Gong). The southeast contains the Pure Serenity Palace (Qingning Gong), the southwest the Azure Spirit Palace (Qingling Gong), the northeast the Vast Wilderness Palace (Guangmo Gong), and the northwest the Abundant Blessings Palace (Guangli Gong).

The upper realm governs celestial affairs while the lower realm oversees terrestrial matters, with these palaces not fixed to specific locations. The Jade Emperor commands all Golden Immortals (equivalent to Buddhist bodhisattvas), the Fourfold Assembly and Eightfold Retinue from the ten directions to descend to the human world, protecting devotees who recite this scripture.

Specifically, the Jade Emperor summons: celestial perfected beings, flying heavenly kings, the Three Officials (Heavenly Official, Earthly Official, Water Official), the Four Saints (Heavenly Commander Tianpeng, Heavenly Protector Tianyou, Assisting Sage Yisheng, Protecting Sage Yousheng), the sun and moon luminaries, the Nine Stars (the five planets of Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth plus the four lunar mansions of Yuebo, Ziqi, Luohou, and Jidu), the Five Dipper Star Lords (Northern, Southern, Eastern, Western, and Central Dippers), the twenty-eight lunar mansions and all celestial bodies, along with Buddhist and Daoist guardian deities like the Vajra Warriors—all leading their retinues to descend and protect scripture reciters.

Simultaneously, he commands: demon-subduing warriors (specialized in vanquishing evil spirits), the Four Heavenly Gate Kings (guardian deities of the celestial gates), the Five Sacred Peaks' mountain deities, the Four Great Rivers' water gods, deities of all major mountains, rivers and seas, as well as local earth gods, ditch spirits, and even various mighty ghost kings—all to protect scripture reciters. Thus, devotees may find safety even in perilous places, causing all evil spirits and heterodox paths to either cower in fear, conceal their forms, or flee far away.

This passage reveals the vast pantheon of Daoist deities, demonstrating the Jade Emperor's power to mobilize celestial and terrestrial divine forces to uphold orthodox teachings and subdue demonic influences.

This scripture expounds the miraculous efficacy of reciting the Gaoshang Yuhuang Benxing Jijing (Supreme Jade Emperor's Scripture of Original Deeds). The nature deities of the Five Sacred Mountains (Mount Tai of the east, Mount Hua of the west, Mount Heng of the south, Mount Heng of the north, and Mount Song of the center) and the Four Great Rivers (Yangtze, Yellow River, Huai River, and Ji River), along with the twelve river sources (including the nine rivers dredged by Yu the Great, as well as the Ru, Han, Huai, and Si rivers), will all be spiritually transformed. The demon kings guarding the underworld, various malevolent entities (such as celestial demons, terrestrial demons, fiendish ghosts, and demonic women), and heretical teachings will all be subdued and awed by the scripture's power.

The text particularly emphasizes that those who recite this scripture will not only cause evil spirits and heretics to retreat in fear, but will also make blood-sacrifice deities (those worshipped with animal offerings) in mountains, forests, altars of soil and grain, and temples spontaneously vanish. The five plague-spreading demon marshals, malicious spirits, wind kings, water monsters, calamitous dragons, evil deities, earth essences, wood specters, as well as the "Five Emptinesses and Six Drains" (referring to various baleful stars and malignant influences), nightmares, heretical curses, and gu poison will all be naturally eradicated. All the reciter's heartfelt wishes will be fulfilled.

The scripture further explains that even if one cannot fully observe Daoist liturgical protocols (Keyi) to establish purification rituals (Zhaijiao), as long as they maintain physical and mental purity, strictly uphold precepts, and devoutly revere this scripture, their merit will be equally inconceivable. Such practitioners will attain serene self-possession and be called "sages among humans," their wisdom and virtue (De) continuously growing until they ultimately equal realized adepts (those who have achieved cultivation). The efficacy of this Jade Emperor scripture is so vast that those who perform rituals according to its liturgy and devotedly recite it will naturally attain immeasurable merit.

This scripture elucidates the paramount importance of sincere faith and disciplined cultivation. Those who genuinely believe in and revere the Dao's teachings, without irreverence or defilement, shall receive the protection of divine beings. Practitioners who maintain purity through precepts, like those observing ritual fasts, equally gain celestial guardianship. Indeed, upholding precepts and reciting scriptures alone—even without formal fasting—can yield equally vast merit. Such individuals transcend worldly bonds, embodying carefree harmony, and are revered as earthly sages. Their sublime virtue (De) and wisdom remain undiminished, indistinguishable from the perfected beings (zhenren) of heaven.

Upon hearing this truth, the Great Emperor Haotian (one of Daoism's supreme deities) paid reverent homage before the Jade Emperor's throne and intoned a hymn of praise. He extolled the Dao as supreme—formless and nameless, enduring eternally through countless kalpas (cosmic cycles). On this auspicious day of celestial clarity, sacred winds blew radiantly as the pure Qi of the Nine Heavens released its essence. The Jade Void Palace (abode of immortals) shone with crystalline light, while celestial clouds blazed across the firmament. The Jade Emperor expanded his teachings universally, delivering salvation to beings of heaven and earth alike.

The hymn continues: When the Three Primordial Qi (of Heaven, Earth, and Water) are complete, and Yin-Yang energies nourish life, even withered trees revive and minute creatures receive transformative nurture. Pregnant beings birth smoothly; departed souls return to the Three Pure Realms (Sanqing, highest Daoist paradise). Forged in the Southern Palace (purgatorial paradise for refining souls), they ascend as immortals. On this supremely auspicious occasion, the Five Directional Thearchs illuminate all existence, summoning every divinity—celestial and terrestrial deities, sources of rivers, sacred peaks (Five Mountains and Four Waterways), immortals of cavern-heavens, and the supreme venerable ones—to bear collective witness.

The text concludes by emphasizing: This scripture embodies the Jade Emperor's decree, protecting reciters and practitioners as they cross the sea of suffering to liberation, shielded from calamity. All divinities must uphold this mandate. Though the Dao is formless, nameless, and beyond sensory perception, it endures perpetually. In this moment of celestial clarity, divine winds, and flowing Nine Heavens Qi, the Dao's profound mystery stands revealed.

This passage describes the supreme status of the Jade Emperor (one of the highest deities in Daoism) and the extraordinary merits of the Gaoshang Yuhuang Benxing Jijing (Supreme Jade Emperor's Scripture of Original Deeds).

The text begins by depicting how the Jade Emperor manifests divine radiance in the Jade Void and Jade Purity (the highest celestial realm among the Three Pure Ones' domains). His luminous presence illuminates the Supreme Mystery realm, representing an unsurpassable, transcendent state. Seizing this auspicious occasion, the Jade Emperor delivers universal salvation to all celestial beings and sentient creatures. The reference to "Three Origins and Two Aspects" signifies how this sacred scripture encompasses the Dao of Heaven, Earth, and Humanity, containing the essence of Yin-Yang duality while governing the cyclical patterns of life and death for all existence.

The "Ten Verses on Withered Trees" section exuberantly praises the scripture's boundless merits, declaring that merely hearing this text can bring illumination to all things, even brightening the darkest realms. The Five Directional Emperors and numerous perfected immortals gather to witness this Dharma assembly. The concluding verses repeatedly extol the scripture's inconceivable power.

Then the Great Emperor of Vast Heaven (an honorific title of the Jade Emperor) proclaims to the assembly: This wondrous Dharma of the Jade Emperor represents the supreme teaching secretly treasured by all celestial sages—a truth beyond verbal expression, profoundly subtle and unfathomable, constituting the fundamental principle of divine beings. It protects nations and delivers beings from the cycle of life and death. Hearing this teaching, all assembled sages attain sudden enlightenment.

The text particularly emphasizes this scripture's priceless nature as the ultimate method for achieving immortality and perfection. The phrase "where paths end and the Dao terminates" indicates the highest stage of spiritual cultivation.

Finally, the Great Emperor of Vast Heaven offers a gatha (a metric hymn common in Buddhist and Daoist texts) in praise:

The Jade Emperor's virtues are boundless,

His mysterious principles unfathomably deep.

Existing before Heaven and Earth's formation,

He operates creation through all ages.

Now revealing this wondrous scripture,

He shows compassion for all living beings.

This represents the most supreme teaching,

The peerless merit among all merits.

This scripture is proclaimed as the most exalted vehicle,

With no other classic comparable.

The Jade Emperor is the Great King of Radiant Light,

Whose majestic virtues are rare in this world.

He subdues all demonic forces,

Making them surrender wholeheartedly;

Eradicates the gravest karmic obstructions,

Purifying all sentient beings.

Should anyone hear this scripture,

Or reverently chant the Jade Emperor's name,

Or worship with sincere devotion,

All karmic offenses will be eliminated.

Even the Ten Heinous Crimes

And the Five Rebellions (including disobeying parents)—

If one sincerely invokes the Jade Emperor's name,

These sins vanish instantly with each recitation.

This scripture expounds upon the myriad merits and protections gained through reciting the Gaoshang Yuhuang Benxing Jijing (Supreme Jade Emperor's Scripture of Original Practice). It enumerates various calamities and sufferings encountered in human existence: the four sufferings of birth, aging, sickness, and death; the five signs of celestial decline (when heavenly beings exhaust their karmic rewards); the torments of the three lower realms (hell, hungry ghosts, and animals); as well as earthly misfortunes like famine, poisoning, black magic, wrongful imprisonment, and warfare.

Whether facing fierce beasts in mountain forests, venomous dragons in rivers, thunderstorms and tempests, floods and fires, thieves and robbers, poisonous insects and gu sorcery, or even the hidden mischief of demonic entities—all such disasters will naturally dissipate through sincere recitation of this true scripture. Chronic illnesses, nightmare afflictions, and threats of untimely death will be eliminated by the scripture's merits, granting practitioners peace and liberation.

The text further states that reciting this scripture fulfills all manner of aspirations: wealth, status, offspring, and more. Celestial and earthly deities—including the Eleven Luminaries (the sun, moon, and nine planetary deities), the Thirty-Two Heaven Lords, the Twenty-Eight Lunar Mansions, jade maidens, and immortal officials—will come to offer protection. Nature's guardians like river and sea dragon kings, wind and fire deities, as well as household, mountain, forest, and well spirits will extend their shelter.

Practitioners will enjoy abundant clothing and food, prosperous descendants, words that carry weight, and universal respect. Families seeking children will, after reciting this scripture, receive immortal beings reborn as their offspring, bringing honor to their lineage—with seven generations of ancestors elevated to celestial realms. Such blessings extend to parents and kin, ensuring perpetual household harmony untouched by misfortune.

Finally, the scripture emphasizes these are true and unfailing merits. All should listen attentively, for through this classic's compassionate power, sentient beings may attain liberation in Shangqing (the highest Daoist realm of Supreme Purity).

This scripture primarily recounts how the Jade Emperor (the supreme deity in Daoism), responding to the request of the Heavenly Emperor of the Vast Heaven (an early celestial sovereign), extensively expounds the manifold merits and benefits of reciting the Gaoshang Yuhuang Benxing Jijing (Scripture of the Original Acts of the Exalted Jade Emperor). Upon hearing this, the Celestial Worthy (referring to the Jade Emperor) was greatly pleased and thus reiterated that these teachings are not mere repetition but are emphasized because beginners in Daoist practice and those with shallow spiritual roots often have unstable virtuous inclinations, requiring repeated admonitions to solidify their commitment to goodness.

The Celestial Worthy addressed all devotees: Those who sincerely recite this scripture and reverently invoke the sacred name of the Jade Emperor are individuals with profound karmic connections to the Dao, having accumulated merit in past lives. This scripture is supremely noble and profoundly mysterious, capable of universally delivering beings across celestial and human realms. With wholehearted reverence and devotion, practitioners can bring peace to their households and nations, dispel calamities, resolve difficulties, and avert inauspicious omens. If rulers and ministers uphold its teachings, their states will enjoy tranquility, borders will be secure, and the people will thrive in contentment. Those who possess this scripture will be revered by celestial beings and should treasure it as a sacred secret.

The phrase "when the cycles of celestial movement complete their course" subtly alludes to the arrival of specific cosmic periods (such as the Gengzi year), when the true Dao will flourish magnificently. Once this Jade Emperor scripture spreads widely, all cultivators will adhere to the orthodox teachings, and those of heterodox paths will naturally cease spreading false doctrines—just as prolonged gloom eventually gives way to sunlight, so too will erroneous claims dissipate.

The subsequent fifth chapter, The Divine Responses of Retribution, records: The Four Immortal Worthies—the Realized Being of Compassionate Deliverance from Calamity, the Realized Being Who Answers Cries to Relieve Suffering, the Realized Being Who Saves Lives and Transcends Death, and the Realized Being of Myriad Blessings and Personal Protection—collectively petitioned the Celestial Worthy: In the Dharma-Ending Age, some individuals, though having virtuous karmic connections from past lives to encounter this scripture, are obstructed by negative karmic hindrances and remain mired in doubt. The Celestial Worthy would reveal to them the hellish retributions awaiting such disbelievers in this life and future existences. Here, it is particularly noted that those who, despite their virtuous roots, doubt the scripture due to karmic obstructions, commit especially grave offenses. "From beginning to end" refers to the continuum of their disbelief, "present existence" denotes the current life, and "future" indicates subsequent rebirths.

This scripture passage expounds on the profound significance of the Jade Emperor's Essential Scripture of Original Conduct (Gaoshang Yuhuang Benxing Jijing), illustrating how different attitudes toward this sacred text yield diametrically opposed karmic consequences.

The text observes that in this world, there exist wicked individuals of violent temperament and cruel conduct who show no reverence toward Daoist deities, even slandering them with malicious words. Such people would ordinarily fall into the Five Uninterrupted Hells (the most severe realms of Daoist cosmology, featuring endless torments like mountains of blades, forests of swords, plowing through molten mud, boiling cauldrons, and frozen ice). Yet if they encounter devotees reciting this scripture—who skillfully guide them to abandon evil thoughts and embrace faith in the sacred text—their accumulated sins can be completely eradicated.

Two illustrative cases are presented: The first concerns a townsman named Wang Cheng, a stubborn man who habitually disparaged Daoism. Suddenly stricken blind, he met a Daoist priest who instructed him to recite the Jade Emperor Scripture. Though Wang initially protested that his blindness prevented reading, he eventually commissioned a scribe to transcribe the text and devoted himself to pious recitation. In a dream, he saw the priest surgically healing his eyes with a blade—and awoke with restored vision.

The second case involves Zhao Xiufu of Fuyang, who mocked Daoist priests chanting the Jade Emperor Scripture within a temple. The scripture sternly warns that those who harbor malice toward its devotees, spewing insults or slander, incur grave sins condemning them to the great hells without hope of deliverance.

Through these contrasting examples, the passage underscores the proper reverential attitude toward Daoist scriptures: while vilification invites severe punishment, sincere repentance and devout faith in the sacred text can purify transgressions and grant salvation.

A man once dreamed of two figures arriving at his gate—one dressed in green and the other in purple robes—riding horses and sternly rebuking him: "Your arrogance and insolence have led you to disparage the Jade Emperor's Scripture (an essential Daoist classic). By the Jade Emperor's decree, we are here to seize you!" Terrified, the man begged for mercy: "I was ignorant and foolish, and now I deeply regret my actions. I implore you, noble envoys, to show compassion and spare me."

The two envoys replied, "If you vow to sculpt a sacred statue of the Jade Emperor and recite the Jade Emperor's Scripture with sincere devotion morning and evening, your sins may be absolved, and your blessings increased." The man hastily agreed. The envoys then led him to a city engulfed in flames, where mountains of blades covered the ground. Tormented souls boiled in cauldrons of oil, burned in fiery furnaces, were crushed in stone mortars, or sawed apart. Men clung to scorching bronze pillars, while women lay upon red-hot iron beds. Others had molten copper poured down their throats or their tongues plowed by iron blades—their agonized wails unbearable to hear.

"These are the punishments for those who reject the Great Dao (Dao) and wallow in suffering," the envoys warned. "Unless you repent wholeheartedly, once you fall here, there will be no escape." With that, they sent him back, and he awoke in a cold sweat.

If men or women encounter this scripture yet show no reverence—touching it with filthy hands, reciting it in unclean places like beds, joking vulgarly while reading, or treating it as mere entertainment—they will plunge into the Avīci Hell (the "uninterrupted" hell) upon death, never to be liberated. Their ancestors in Fengdu (the Daoist underworld) will be tortured because of them, and their descendants will suffer calamities. In hell, they will endure endless kalpas (eons) of torment. Even if the sacred teachings repeatedly rescue them, slightly lessening their sins, and they barely escape hell, they will be reborn as hungry ghosts, deprived of even a drop of water for millennia. After exhausting that retribution, they will enter the animal realm. And when that karma is spent, even if reborn human, they will dwell in barbarous lands as women, plagued by poverty and sickness, trapped between life and death—all due to the sin of disrespecting the scripture.

This account warns that those who profane sacred texts not only condemn themselves to eternal hell but also bring suffering upon ancestors and descendants, with sins never lightened across countless kalpas. Thus, scriptures like the Jade Emperor's Scripture must be treated with utmost reverence, never defiled. The rebirths as hungry ghosts, animals, or savages are all karmic consequences for scorning this sacred text.

This scripture recounts a karmic retribution tale:

In Xiangzhou lived an innkeeper named Liu Man who made his living slaughtering livestock. One day he fell gravely ill and was seized by black-clad underworld officers bearing the warrant of the Great Emperor of the Eastern Peak (Dongyue Dadi), the deity governing the underworld. Though Liu begged to bid farewell to his family, the officers refused, dragging him across desolate wilderness.

On the journey, they encountered a flower-adorned neighbor (already deceased) who, learning that Liu had regularly performed Zhaijiao (Daoist purification rituals) honoring the North Star Deity, rushed to plead his case in the underworld. The officers brought Liu before a grim palace where slaughtered pigs, sheep, geese and ducks appeared in human form demanding vengeance. In desperation, Liu continuously invoked the full sacred name of the Jade Emperor (Yuhuang Dazun, the supreme Daoist deity), emitting crimson light from his mouth that liberated these wronged spirits.

The underworld judge declared that due to his sincere devotion to the Jade Emperor, Liu would be returned to life. But the officers then showed him the "Karmic Retribution Pool" (revealing one's earthly sins), filled with rotting food symbolizing his slaughterhouse crimes. Again chanting the sacred name, Liu purified the filth with crimson light, astonishing even the prison guards.

After revival, Liu converted his property into a Daoist temple, donating all wealth to venerate the Jade Emperor. This story illustrates: killing inevitably brings retribution, but sincere repentance and devotion to the supreme deity can bring deliverance. The scripture emphasizes that Jade Emperor scriptures must never be treated lightly—these accounts are neither empty words nor scare tactics.

Those who devoutly enshrine the sacred image of the Jade Emperor and recite the Jade Emperor Scripture (Yuhuang Jing) without interruption throughout their lives will have their sins immediately absolved upon sincerely chanting his holy name. As for those who disparage the scripture, the retribution they will suffer needs no elaboration.

Some may initially accept and believe, but later grow negligent and disrespectful. At this point, the Virtuous and Wicked Boy Attendants will report to the Three Officials (Heavenly Official, Earthly Official, and Water Official), recording their misdeeds in the Black Register and reducing their lifespan in the Blue Book. After death, they will be imprisoned in the dark underworld, endlessly tormented in the three wretched paths of hell, hungry ghosts, and beasts, with no hope of liberation. Alternatively, they may suffer retribution in this very life: afflicted with sores, leprosy, or festering ulcers, enduring day and night in sorrow and pain; or meeting with sudden calamities, imprisonment, poisoning, suicide, or death by tiger, wolf, or venomous snake; or being pursued by vengeful spirits, encountering murderous villains in the mountains, being pushed off cliffs, or falling prey to demonic entities; or perishing in floods, fires, or violent conflicts. Due to the sin of disrespecting the scripture, they meet with untimely deaths—are these bitter consequences not lamentable?

Those who first believe but later grow contemptuous commit an even graver offense. Not only will they be confined in the Fengdu Hell after death, but they will also suffer extremely severe retribution while still alive. The Black Register records faults, the Blue Book records merits—both are governed by the Three Officials. Twelve years make one cycle (ji), six years make one reckoning (suan). Unintentional errors are lighter, but deliberate transgressions are heavier. Those who first accept but later scorn not only abandon their practice midway but also betray their initial virtuous intent—such betrayal is worse than the previous offenses. How could they escape manifold retribution?

There was once a Daoist priest named Shen Fuchu who was arrogant and irreverent. He carelessly damaged the Jade Emperor Scripture without repairing it, even tearing pages to wipe tables. One day, drunk, he dreamed of heavenly soldiers burning him with fire. Unable to endure the agony, his body split open, his tongue stretched over a foot long, and after days of wailing, he died. This is the immediate retribution for disrespecting the scripture.

Therefore, one should sincerely uphold this scripture without entertaining wicked thoughts. If one can remain free of distractions and sever worldly attachments, all sins will dissolve, and calamities and demonic obstacles will naturally vanish. The merit of this scripture is inconceivable—it is the supreme wondrous method, truly the king of all scriptures, capable of bestowing immense benefit. Yet beware: it must not be casually transmitted to the unworthy.

This passage recounts two miraculous stories related to the Gaoshang Yuhuang Benxing Jijing (Scripture of the Original Acts of the Supreme Jade Emperor), highlighting both the scripture's sacred power and the taboos surrounding its transmission.

The first story tells of Huang Defu, a devout Yuan dynasty cultivator who financed the printing of a thousand copies of the Yuhuang Jing (Jade Emperor Scripture). One night as he recited the scripture's final chapter, a sudden tempest arose, revealing a towering thunder deity over ten feet tall from the Department of Thunder Ministries (Leibu), wielding a radiant giant brush. The deity sternly warned that printed scriptures must never be casually given away—recipients must first demonstrate their ability to recite the entire text flawlessly before receiving transmission. From then on, Huang strictly followed this divine injunction, validating the scripture's admonition that "those not genuinely cultivating should never receive it lightly."

The second incident occurred in Taiping Prefecture: Hunter Sun Shou set fire to coastal grasslands, yet one patch remained mysteriously untouched. Upon digging, he discovered the ancient tomb of a maiden surnamed Li from the second year of the Eastern Han's Yanping era (107 CE). The woman's face appeared lifelike in her coffin, and the Yuhuang Jing stored in a wooden case by her head remained perfectly preserved—revealing that the scripture's spiritual power had repelled the flames. Sun reverently retrieved the scripture and provided the maiden with a new coffin.

The passage concludes by explaining that when celestial beings in the Desire Realm face the "Five Decays and Four Signs" (omens of heavenly rebirth), single-minded recitation of this scripture can naturally bestow celestial blessings and liberate them from the Triple Realm's cycles. Because the Dao is eternal, those who uphold the scripture unite their hearts with the Dao, thereby sharing its permanence. Both stories demonstrate the Yuhuang Jing's inconceivable protective power—yet also emphasize that it must be treated with utmost reverence and practiced according to proper methods.

This scripture passage expounds the inconceivable meritorious power of the Gaoshang Yuhuang Benxing Jijing (The Supreme Jade Emperor's Scripture of Original Actions). The text declares this scripture to be supremely exalted, unparalleled by any other classic, possessing the great virtue-power (De) that manifests majestic authority—capable of awing malevolent spirits and commanding reverence from ghosts and deities. Just as withered wood can sprout anew and blossom, even inanimate things benefit from the divine incantation's merit (referring to the previously mentioned Great Luminous Perfected Divine Mantra), let alone humankind, the most spiritual of all creatures. Sincere devotion to this scripture will undoubtedly bring auspicious rewards.

To verify this claim, the scripture records a true account: When scholar Yan Ne was visiting friends, his wife Lady Li suddenly died without apparent illness. That same day, while passing Cang Lake, Yan Ne astonishingly saw his wife walking on water toward him. Weeping, she explained she had already died and urged him to seek help from a certain Master Yan in Beiyan Village who possessed extraordinary arts. Upon finding this schoolteacher surnamed Yan, Yan Ne was initially refused assistance until his desperate pleas moved the master to reveal the truth: the culprit was General Wang buried beneath the western pillar of their home. Master Yan instructed that only by urgently establishing an altar for ritual purification (Zhaijiao) and reciting the Jade Emperor Scripture could his wife be revived.

Returning home, Yan Ne immediately summoned Daoist priests to perform the rites. Halfway through the scripture recitation, his wife opened her eyes; by its completion, she could sit up and speak. She conveyed General Wang's gratitude for Yan Ne's merit-making, confirming his burial beneath the western pillar and offering his buried sword as recompense. Subsequent excavation indeed uncovered the general's remains and sword, which Yan Ne reburied with full honors. This verifies the scripture's promise to "eliminate beings' most severe sufferings" and "grant longevity to those fated to die young."

The passage concludes by emphasizing that without prior cultivation (planting the roots of Dao in past lives) and extensive merit accumulation (sowing fields of blessing), people cannot even hear this scripture's name, much less behold it physically. "Planting the roots of Dao" resembles establishing a tree's foundation, while "sowing fields of blessing" ensures harvests like diligent farming. Lacking such karmic foundations, one cannot hope to know the scripture's name, let alone receive its extraordinary blessings.

This passage discusses the preciousness and transmission requirements of the Gaoshang Yuhuang Benxing Jijing (Supreme Jade Emperor's Scripture of Original Conduct). The scripture states that without accumulated cultivation foundations from past lives, it is difficult to encounter this classic in one's present existence. Those who devoutly seek the Dao in this life do so because they planted seeds of spiritual practice in previous incarnations. Such karmic connections from past lives are exceedingly rare—those without profound roots seldom maintain this opportunity.

According to the transmission protocols of the "Three Caverns Authentic Standards" (the highest scriptural system in Daoism, comprising the Dongzhen, Dongxuan, and Dongshen divisions), this scripture is transmitted only once every eighty thousand kalpas (Daoist cosmology divides cosmic cycles into eight phases, with eighty thousand years constituting one kalpa). Preserved by the Supreme Perfected Ones of Qingdu (the highest celestial realm) within the Jade Capital's Golden Towers (celestial palace), its profound mystery and value make it nearly inaccessible to ordinary people. Only those with innate immortal bones from past lives—destined to become Perfected Immortals of the Nine Heavens—may encounter this scripture.

The text provides an illustrative account: County Captain Ma Jing devotedly recited the Yuhuang Jing (Jade Emperor Scripture) for fifteen years without weariness. One night, an armored deity appeared, informing him that a female Daoist practitioner named Li Xiaqing in Yankang Palace possessed the authentic version. The next day, Ma Jing sought her out and indeed found Li Xiaqing. She revealed she had secretly safeguarded the scripture for years with none knowing of it. Since the deity had directed him, she retrieved the text and had Ma Jing kneel to receive it. Upon comparing versions, Ma Jing discovered omissions in his previous recitation copy. This verifies how "those with innate immortal bones encounter the true scripture."

Finally, the Celestial Worthy (supreme Daoist deity) solemnly praises the scripture in gatha verse (Buddhist/Daoist metrical verse). The passage emphasizes the scripture's sacredness—requiring special karmic affinity and strict transmission rituals for access, never to be carelessly disclosed.

This scripture employs a series of astonishing metaphors to illustrate how the Gaoshang Yuhuang Benxing Jijing (Supreme Jade Emperor's Scripture of Original Conduct) is as rare and precious as impossible natural phenomena.

The text enumerates twelve utterly inconceivable occurrences: lotuses suddenly growing in rivers, crows' feathers turning white, turtles growing hair that can weave clothing, the moon melting icy frost, mosquito legs serving as bridges, sparrows lifting great mountains in their beaks, a single leaf supporting Mount Kunlun, leeches growing ivory-like tusks, tumbleweed leaves covering the entire world, owls and crows nesting together, rabbits growing horns that serve as ladders, mice climbing these horns to devour the moon, donkeys with apple-red lips dancing merrily, and flies draining entire vats of wine until drunk.

The passage concludes by clarifying that these impossible images all serve to emphasize the scripture's supreme rarity. The Dao (cosmic truth) is inherently present within all beings, and sacred scriptures have always existed between heaven and earth. What makes them appear extraordinarily precious is that few inheritors can comprehend their profound meaning as perfectly as the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning (Yuanshi Tianzun, the highest Daoist deity). Practitioners are thus reminded to treasure this rare spiritual treasure when fortunate enough to encounter it.

This scripture expounds the manifold merits of reciting the Jade Emperor's Supreme Scripture of Original Conduct. It first reveals that without truly comprehending the mysteries of the Jade Emperor, encountering this scripture would be as meaningless as never encountering it at all.

After the Celestial Worthy (Taoism's supreme deity) finished delivering the verses, he instructed the fourfold assembly of disciples: "Should any mortal recite this scripture, they shall attain the 'Meritorious Virtue Body'." Here, "merit" (gong) refers to benefiting all beings, while "virtue" (de) denotes bestowing kindness upon them—with "sentient beings" encompassing all living creatures. The scripture cites the case of Li Wei from the Song Dynasty, who daily recited the scripture at his grocery store counter. Beneath this counter, a hen incubating eggs failed to hatch any chicks for two months. One night, he dreamed of a crowd bowing before him, explaining they had attained human rebirth from avian existence through the merit of his recitations. Upon waking, he found all eggs had become empty shells.

Reciting this scripture also confers the "Divine Penetration Body," attracting all auspicious signs. "Divine penetration" (shentong) means unimpeded spiritual access wherever consciousness reaches, while "auspicious signs" indicate fortunate and propitious events. During the Tang Dynasty, Sima Qiaoqing vowed to copy the scripture in his own blood to repay his deceased mother's nurturing kindness. Upon completing just one volume, two lingzhi mushrooms miraculously grew in his courtyard, exuding sweet nectar daily. He was later appointed governor of Yangzhou and enjoyed lifelong prosperity.

Furthermore, reciters attain the "Purified Body" immune to all evil karma. When Lu Kangcheng served as capital magistrate during the Tang, he encountered a deceased clerk carrying documents that foretold his name appearing on next year's casualty list during impending warfare—unless he recited the Jade Emperor Scripture. Later, when rebel leader Zhu Ci forced him to take office, Lu refused unto death. As he closed his eyes reciting the scripture, arrows miraculously couldn't harm him, compelling the rebels to release him. These accounts demonstrate the inconceivable merits of reciting this sacred text.

Those who frequently recite the Sutra of the Original Acts of the Most High Jade Emperor (Gaoshang Yuhuang Benxing Jijing) attain a body of majestic virtue (Wei De), which repels all demonic disturbances. Here, "majestic virtue" does not refer to intimidating others through anger, but rather to a natural aura of dignity. "Heavenly demons (Tianmo)" denote demonic obstructions from celestial realms, while "heterodox paths (Yi Dao)" refer to mountain spirits, tree goblins, and similar entities. "To tremble in fear (She)" means being frightened into submission.

There was a man named Tan Zhou who revered the Daoist teachings and often recited the Jade Emperor Sutra. One day, while traveling with his servant to visit a friend, darkness fell before reaching their destination, so they lodged at an inn. As soon as they lay down, the doors and windows shook violently, as if robbers were breaking in. Startled, Tan Zhou immediately began reciting the Jade Emperor Sutra aloud. The lamp had already gone out, but in the dim light, he vaguely saw an official in court robes holding a ceremonial tablet standing respectfully by his bedside—the noise ceased at once. At dawn, he tried to question the innkeeper but found no opportunity. Only when hurrying on the road did his servant reveal: the bed they slept in had once been used by a woman who hanged herself, and her ghost often haunted the place at night. Tan Zhou then realized the official was the local earth god (Tudi Shen) secretly protecting him, which was why the demons dared not approach.

Devotees who recite this scripture also attain an incomparable body (Wu Deng Zhi Shen), earning praise from heaven and reverence from myriad spirits. "Incomparable (Wu Deng)" means peerless. During the Sui dynasty, a man named Murong Wenyuan fell ill and was seized by ghostly envoys, taken to a king's palace. The ruler on the throne asked what virtuous deeds he had performed in life, to which Wenyuan replied that he recited the Jade Emperor Sutra morning and evening. The king rose in astonishment, pressed his palms together in praise, and invited him to recite the sutra on the spot. When Wenyuan finished one scroll but suddenly forgot the words, a jade maiden wearing a phoenix coronet and rainbow robes knelt before him, holding the scripture he had been reciting. As the recitation concluded, yellow clouds billowed in the courtyard, and a brocade-clad youth descended from heaven to announce an edict: due to Murong Wenyuan's great merit in upholding the scripture, he was to be returned to life immediately. The king complied, sending him back to the mortal world—and his illness was cured.

Reciters of this sutra further achieve an indestructible body (Jian Gu Zhi Shen), impervious to even the greatest calamities. This stems from their unwavering devotion to the Dao, making their form solid and unbreakable. During the Duanping era of the Song dynasty, a scholar named Liu Tianze diligently recited the Jade Emperor Sutra without fail. In the year Bing Shen, when bandit chaos arose...

This passage recounts the miraculous effects of reciting the Jade Emperor Scripture (Yuhuang Jing) along with several documented cases.

One man named Liu, when confronted by bandits, immediately knelt and kowtowed for mercy while silently reciting the Jade Emperor’s Sacred Edict (Yuhuang Baogao). Though the bandits struck at him multiple times, their blades seemed blocked by an invisible force. Terrified, they assumed he was an immortal and let him go. This demonstrates that those who uphold and recite this scripture are revered even by ghosts and spirits.

A devotee of this scripture becomes like a treasury of Daoist dharma, their words carrying the power of Dao and De (Virtue). During the Tang dynasty, a man named Lü Wenzhan recited the Jade Emperor Scripture over ten thousand times. In his old age, when his teeth had all fallen out, he prayed sincerely—and miraculously, new teeth grew back. Whenever the local governor faced droughts or floods, he would summon Lü to pray for rain, and each time, the prayers proved effective. One night, as Lü was reciting the scripture, he suddenly saw a group of celestial beings clad in dragon robes and holding jade tablets kneel before him. Startled, Lü hastily returned the bow. The deities said, “We are heavenly lords from the upper realms. Seeing golden light piercing the heavens here, we thought the Jade Emperor had manifested—only to realize it was the merit of your scripture recitation.” After praising him, they departed.

Those who recite this scripture cultivate a body of compassion, benefiting all beings of the six realms (as described in Buddhism: devas, humans, asuras, animals, hungry ghosts, and hell beings). In the Tang dynasty, Li Qiuyi was an avid hunter. One day, the underworld officer Jiao Ce captured him and brought him before Yama, the King of Hell. Yama declared that Li must repay his karmic debt for killing living beings, and the slain animals came to demand retribution. Li quickly explained that he had recited the Jade Emperor Scripture a hundred times. After verifying this, Yama said, “This scripture holds supreme merit, capable of absolving all sins.” He then had Li recite it on the spot to liberate the trapped souls. After just three pages, the vengeful animals vanished. When the underworld officers escorted Li back to the world of the living, he offered to donate three hundred strings of coins, but they refused. Only when he vowed to copy five copies of the scripture was he released—and he later fulfilled his promise.

There was an elderly Confucian scholar whose name has been lost to time. One night, while crossing a river, he called out to the ferryman, but the boatmen were all drunk and asleep. So he sat quietly and began reciting the Jade Emperor's Edict (a scripture dedicated to the Jade Emperor). On the opposite bank, a fisherman was angling by the river when he spotted two shadowy figures emerging from the water. One whispered, "That old gentleman on the shore has been calling for a boat for ages—you should go fetch him." The other replied, "He’s reciting scriptures right now—we can’t approach." After a long while, the first figure spoke again: "It’s safe now. If we miss this chance, we’ll have to wait another three years." But the second insisted, "He hasn’t stopped chanting. He’s surrounded by divine protection—we can’t touch him." By the fifth watch of the night, the two shadows sank back into the water. Realizing they were water ghosts, the fisherman quickly rowed over and warned the scholar: "Just now, when you were calling for the boat, two water ghosts wanted to harm you, but they couldn’t get close because you were reciting scriptures. What were you chanting?" The scholar replied, "I regularly recite the Jade Emperor’s Precious Edict. Even when walking alone at night, I never stop." Only then did the fisherman ferry him across.

Tan Yingqian spent decades behind closed doors reciting the Scripture of the Jade Emperor, never tiring of it. At the time, a plague had broken out following a period of war. Whenever Tan visited the homes of the sick and chanted the scripture, the afflicted would recover immediately. Marauding soldiers passing by his house would exclaim, "This old man is extraordinary!" They warned each other not to disturb him and even left him offerings of food and money.

During the Sui dynasty, Zhao Juyi often recited the Scripture of the Jade Emperor. One day, he suddenly collapsed as if dead. When he arrived in the underworld, the King of Hell declared, "The sin of killing is the gravest—you slaughtered pigs and sheep and deserve punishment." Just as the demonic attendants were about to drive five long nails through his tongue and limbs, a golden light burst forth from Zhao’s body, illuminating the entire underworld. The King of Hell hastily bowed and said, "So you are under the Jade Emperor’s protection!" He immediately released Zhao back to the living world, even dispatching underworld officials to escort him. Upon awakening, Zhao renounced killing, adopted a vegetarian diet, and lived to the age of ninety-eight before passing away peacefully.

These stories illustrate a key principle: those who regularly recite this scripture receive the protective radiance of the Jade Emperor (in Daoist belief, deities emit golden light to shield devotees), much like being perpetually bathed in sunlight. Ordinary people, obscured by karmic obstructions, cannot perceive this divine light. But those who uphold the scripture with a clear and tranquil mind naturally resonate with the celestial realm.

This recounts several miraculous stories of those who recited the Jade Emperor Scripture (Yuhuang Jing). The first tells of a man from Chang'an named Gao Chun, who had slandered his elders and was punished in the underworld by having his tongue pulled out. However, because he had once devoutly recited the Jade Emperor Scripture at Huangtong Temple, his tongue emitted a radiant light over twenty feet high, sparing him from harm. After verifying his meritorious deeds, the underworld officials allowed him to return to life. Upon revival, Gao Chun immediately devoted himself to Daoist practice, and another witness to the event, a man named Ju Yi, also took up vegetarianism and spiritual cultivation from then on.

The scripture particularly emphasizes that those who recite it attain great freedom, allowing their souls to roam the celestial realms at will—such as the Three Pure Realms (Sanqing Jing) and the Jade Capital's Golden Towers (Xuandu Yujing Jinqué), the highest paradises in Daoism. The merits of reciting this scripture are beyond measure, enabling practitioners to reach a state of liberation where "the five aggregates are empty, and the four marks are extinguished."

Next is the story of Ren Zixin from Jiading, who had long recited the Jade Emperor Scripture. Once, while passing Lake Dongting, he ignored local warnings and boldly entered the fearsome Dragon King Temple. Confident in his recitation of the Primordial Azure Wondrous Scripture (Shiqing Miaodian) and his adherence to the Three Heavens' Pure Precepts, he was unharmed. Instead, the Dragon King sent an honor guard to welcome him with great ceremony. The Dragon King, transformed into a nobleman in red robes and a golden crown, invited Ren Zixin to his underwater palace. There, they found jade towers beside the Jade Pond, adorned with precious trees and exotic flowers, resembling the immortal paradise of Penglai. The Dragon King’s entire family knelt reverently as Ren recited the scripture, and afterward, they offered him gold and jewels, which he politely declined. Half a month later, when Ren returned home, his family informed him that envoys from the Dragon Palace had arrived ten days earlier bearing lavish gifts in gratitude for Master Ren’s recitation, which had delivered blessings and salvation.

This scripture recounts several miraculous accounts of those who devoutly recited the Gaoshang Yuhuang Benxing Jijing (Scripture of the Jade Emperor’s Deeds), along with the proper methods for cultivating this sacred text.

The passage begins with a wondrous scene: A man carrying rare treasures arrives, claiming to have been sent with offerings, then vanishes into Mount Qingcheng without a trace. It then details the cultivation method: Taoist priests or dedicated practitioners must establish an altar (a sacred space for rituals) in a pure and quiet place, wearing fresh, clean robes. At midnight, when all is silent, they should sit upright facing east, tap their teeth nine times, and then recite the scripture. At this moment, celestial deities descend, jade maidens (immortal attendants) arrange the altar, countless divine beings assemble, protectors from the Three Realms (Desire Realm, Form Realm, and Formless Realm) stand guard, and the Five Emperors (guardian deities of the five directions) come forth to receive them.

The scripture emphasizes that such sincere recitation earns reverence from the gods, while those who treat it with disrespect will incur severe karmic consequences. It cites the Tang Dynasty example of Li Xiu, who, while in mourning, transcribed the scripture in his own blood. When he completed the first volume, his brush emitted five-colored divine light. By the tenth volume, the brush remained undamaged, his courtyard was often filled with celestial fragrance, and rare flowers would mysteriously appear before his desk. During silent nighttime recitations, he seemed to witness countless divine generals bowing in reverence.

Another method involves closing the eyes in quiet contemplation, visualizing (cunxiang, meditative visualization) this scripture. The practitioner may feel enveloped in five-colored auspicious clouds, their body radiating light as they ascend to the celestial palaces, where immortals (xianzhen, perfected beings) welcome them, granting all wishes—whether for elixirs or divine treasures. The text clarifies that not only those who recite at altars receive great benefits; even silent meditation on this scripture aligns one’s heart with the Jade Emperor (one of Taoism’s highest deities), earning divine reverence and fulfillment of all aspirations.

Finally, the scripture recounts the story of an elderly man from Raozhou’s Yinshan, who recited it for decades. When a neighbor’s fire spread to a thousand homes, his own house remained unharmed, surrounded by countless divine guardians. In his nineties, an immortal bestowed upon him a golden elixir (jindan), and after consuming it, he ascended to immortality. The scripture concludes that past, present, and future Golden Immortals (jinxian, the highest realized beings) and the Ten Directions’ Great Sages (enlightened ones of all realms) all attained the supreme Dao through this practice—hence the Jade Emperor is revered as the Teacher of All Heavens and King of Sages. Sincere cultivation of this scripture brings boundless blessings.

This scripture expounds the supreme merits of devoutly practicing the High Jade Emperor's Essential Conduct Scripture (Gaoshang Yuhuang Benxing Jijing). The Jade Emperor is revered as the "Teacher of All Heavens" and "King of All Sages," holding the most exalted position.

The scripture records two verified accounts: When Qiu Duan of Anlu faithfully recited this text, his neighbor's house caught fire—all other Buddhist scriptures were destroyed, yet this scripture and the Jade Emperor's image remained unscathed. Daoist priest Zhou Qixuan vowed to transcribe one hundred copies of this scripture during his lifetime. After passing away before completion, his voice descended from the celestial realm seven years later, instructing disciples to fulfill his vow—through the merit of scripture practice, he had already ascended to the Shangqing (Upper Clarity) Heaven.

The scripture reveals that ordinary practitioners who sincerely and single-mindedly cultivate this text will receive protection from the Five Directional Thearchs, with celestial beings awaiting their command, divine officials serving their needs, myriad spirits paying reverence, and all deities submitting—while malevolent forces retreat. After death, they will be reborn in the Vermilion Palace of the Southern Heaven (Zhu Ling Fu, the Daoist realm for soul purification), undergo refinement, then ascend to Shangqing Heaven to eternally abide with the Dao.

Furthermore, the scripture teaches: Those who enshrine the sacred image of the Jade Emperor in pure surroundings, maintaining reverent offerings day and night with incense, flowers, lamps, and fruits while bowing and reciting the scripture, will obtain thirty extraordinary merits. "Qianqian" signifies sincere single-minded devotion within, while "Jiji" describes majestic solemnity without.

During the Tang Dynasty, there was a man named Wang Fajin who had been devoted to Daoist cultivation since childhood. His household enshrined an image of the Jade Emperor (the supreme deity in Daoism), before which he would piously offer incense and recite scriptures daily without fail. One day, a youth dressed in azure robes suddenly descended from the heavens and said to him: "The Jade Emperor has witnessed your sincere devotion to the Dao and specifically commanded me to fetch you." Wang Fajin felt his body become weightless as he ascended into the sky, arriving directly in the celestial court. He promptly kowtowed in reverence to the Jade Emperor, who bade him rise and bestowed upon him a jade cup filled with divine nectar. The Emperor also transmitted to him the complete liturgy of the "Lingbao Pure Fast" (an important zhaijiao ritual in Daoism), instructing him to bring it back to the human world for dissemination. The Jade Emperor concluded: "We shall summon you again during the Year of the Dragon and Tiger (a Daoist calendrical designation)." Later, Wang Fajin indeed attained the Dao and ascended to immortality in the Ren-Chen year.

The scripture then enumerates thirty blessings and rewards for cultivating this text:

1. Receiving praise and reverence from immortals

2. Enabling deceased ancestors to ascend to celestial realms

3. Resolving calamities accumulated over lifetimes

4. Unobstructed passage wherever one travels

5. Protection from banditry and theft

6. Fulfillment of all aspirations

7. Avoidance of flood and fire disasters

8. Spontaneous dissolution of unforeseen misfortunes

9. Auspicious and peaceful dreams at night

10. Immunity from disease and illness

11. Growth in wisdom and intelligence

12. Inspiring joy in all who meet you

13. Abundant clothing and food without worry

14. Prosperity and nobility for descendants

15. Affection from all relatives

16. Harmonious relations throughout the clan

17. Elimination of retribution from the Three Wretched Realms (hell, hungry ghosts, and animals)

18. Rebirth as a male in the next life (ancient belief held males were more suited for cultivation)

19. Possessing dignified and majestic features

20. Becoming an important state minister

21. Rebirth as an imperial prince

22. Earning admiration even from spirits and deities

23. Attaining the power of remembering past lives (sùmìngtōng)

24. Receiving protection from all divine beings

25. Blessings extending to nine generations of kin

26. Longevity and well-being in the mortal world

27. All sentient beings benefiting from one's virtuous deeds

28. Even demon kings offering protection and welcome

29. Certainly transcending the Three Realms of Desire, Form, and Formlessness

30. Ultimately achieving daytime ascension to immortality

Additional explanations of key terms are provided: "Praise and reverence" refers to receiving admiration and respect; "unobstructed passage" means encountering no barriers wherever one goes; "power of remembering past lives" denotes the ability to thoroughly comprehend memories of previous existences; "divine protection" indicates the guardianship and remembrance by celestial beings; "nine generations" encompasses all direct lineage from great-great-grandparents to great-great-grandchildren.

This passage expounds upon the immeasurable merits of the Jade Emperor's Essential Scripture of Original Conduct. The scripture reveals that all sentient beings within the six realms of rebirth (referring to the six forms of existence: celestial beings, humans, asuras, animals, hungry ghosts, and hell-dwellers), as well as all living creatures, rely upon the benevolent power of this sacred text for salvation.

The Celestial Worthy (one of Daoism's supreme deities) instructs disciples from the fourfold assembly: This scripture possesses the power to shatter the Iron Encircling Mountains (the metallic perimeter of Buddhist hells), dry up the sea of suffering, destroy the great hells, deliver all tormented sinful souls, subdue malevolent demon kings, and safeguard the nation's peace. It can eradicate evil spirits, cure grave illnesses, neutralize deadly poisons, ward off wicked individuals, tame ferocious beasts, and nullify dark sorcery. All celestial deities revere this scripture profoundly, and its virtues are beyond exhaustive description.

Those who commit evil deeds drown in the sea of suffering during their lifetime and fall into hell after death. Yet merely hearing this scripture can shatter the shackles of hell and liberate them from suffering. The "deadly poisons" mentioned here include gu sorcery and nightmare-inducing witchcraft (malicious occult practices), while "heretical paths" refer to bewitching arts like demonic spells and charms that delude human minds.

The scripture recounts a true account: Zhang Zheng from Yuzhou, a devout cultivator of the Great Dao (Dao), regularly recited the Jade Emperor's Scripture. When gravely ill, four ghostly enforcers seized his soul. In the underworld, he encountered a Daoist priest who had transmitted scriptures during his lifetime, dressed like an immortal statue from a Daoist temple. The priest rebuked the enforcers for wrongful arrest and brought Zhang before King Yama. The underworld ruler personally descended his throne to greet them. Upon learning Zhang had recited the Jade Emperor's Scripture for years, King Yama urgently consulted the register of life and death, discovered the mistake, immediately released Zhang, and severely punished the four enforcers. As the priest escorted Zhang back, he showed him the blazing horrors of hell.

This story demonstrates that reciting the Jade Emperor's Scripture not only dispels calamities but secures divine protection, commanding respect even in the underworld. Wherever the radiant virtue of this scripture reaches, all misfortunes dissolve. No wonder it's revered as "the master of all celestial beings and sage kings," regarded by all heavenly and earthly deities as the supreme sacred treasure.

The scripture describes a man named Zheng witnessing terrifying scenes in hell: people scorched and wailing on iron beds amidst charcoal fires, and three disheveled women kowtowing to him in hunger-begging desperation. When Zheng began reciting the Jade Emperor's Scripture (Yuhuang Jing), the ox-headed and horse-faced demon guards knelt reverently, allowing the tormented souls to ascend to liberation. A Daoist priest then struck Zheng with a staff, reviving him and curing his illness.

Hearing this account, the assembled immortals and sages rejoiced, praised the marvel, and paid homage to the Jade Emperor before chanting hymns. The hymns extol the supreme Dao (embodied in the Jade Emperor's Scripture) as having no origin yet containing ultimate truth—capable of elevating celestial beings while delivering hell's suffering souls. Rooted in the Dao, this scripture is treasured in the celestial realms: the Purple Mansion of Cinnabar Terrace (abode of immortals) and the Jade Capital's Golden Towers (Jade Emperor's palace). Reciting it erases karmic offenses, prolongs life, and commands even demon kings' reverence. Its immeasurable merits secure immortal registry (in the Yellow Register/Huanglu), granting deathless transcendence across kalpas.

The concluding Jade Emperor's Mind-Seal Marvel Scripture (Yuhuang Xinyin Miaojing) reveals essential cultivation principles: humanity's three supreme "medicines" are Shen (spirit), Qi (vital energy), and Jing (essence)—the foundational triad. Practitioners must enter a state of profound quiescence, simultaneously perceiving Wu (the mysterious void) and embracing You (manifest existence). This encapsulates Daoist Neidan (internal alchemy) practice, emphasizing breath regulation and mindful refinement of Jing-Qi-Shen.

This scripture describes the process and states of Neidan (internal alchemy) cultivation in Daoist practice—refining one's Jing (essence), Qi (vital energy), and Shen (spirit) through breath regulation, visualization, and other methods.

The practitioner can swiftly attain the state of "harmonious wind circulation" (where internal Qi flows cyclically, balancing Yin-Yang). After a hundred days of cultivation, spiritual efficacy manifests, silently resonating with celestial deities. After twelve years (one cosmic cycle), one may ascend as an immortal. Those who understand the principles grasp it easily, while the ignorant struggle to practice. The cultivator must walk guided by celestial light, nurturing pure Qi through breathwork, allowing energy to circulate between the Xuanpin (the Dantian, or energy center).

During practice, the state is subtle yet continuous—firm as deep-rooted trees. Every person possesses Jing, which must unite with Shen; Shen must unite with Qi; and Qi must unite with the body's true nature. Without attaining this "truth," all is mere illusion. At advanced stages, the Yuanshen (primordial spirit, one's spiritual essence) can penetrate stone, fly and transform, remain unburned in fire and unsunken in water. Shen depends on the body for existence; Jing relies on Qi for fullness—evergreen as pine and cypress, never withering.

Jing, Qi, and Shen share the same essence, profound beyond words. They manifest when gathered and vanish when scattered. When the seven orifices become interconnected, each emits light, illuminating the Golden Court (upper Dantian) like sacred sun and moon. Upon attaining the Dao, one preserves it eternally—the body naturally light and vigorous, filled with Taihe (supreme harmony) Qi, bones translucent as cold jade. Achieving the Golden Elixir grants spiritual communion; failing leads to decline. The Elixir resides within, not as mere matter. Reciting the scripture ten thousand times unveils its profound truths.

The concluding section extols the Jade Emperor as the sovereign of the Golden Palace and Mysterious Heavens, teacher of all buddhas and sages, ruler of ten thousand heavens. He expounds the wondrous teachings of three scrolls and five grades, embodying seventeen great radiances and thirty virtues, delivering all beings and governing past and present. It closes with an incantation invoking the Primordial Heavenly Lord (Yuanshi Tianzun) cultivating thunder, the union of sun and moon, the revolutions of stars, and the fusion of the Five Qi (energies of the Five Phases).

This scripture consists of two main sections: the first half contains cultivation instructions, while the latter half comprises a repentance and dedication text.

The initial portion describes miraculous phenomena during cultivation: when practitioners circulate the energies of heaven and earth, they generate thunderous might capable of vanquishing evil spirits and demonic entities. The five lights (wuming, representing five wisdoms or energies) intermingle, radiating myriad beams of brilliance. After completing the practice, one must gather these energies into the body with each breath, unifying the five organ spirits (wuling) into one, thereby attaining longevity. The subsequent phrases like "囁唎[口順]⬤" are secret mantras (zhenyan) used in Daoist cultivation, possessing specific vibrational frequencies for mobilizing energies.

The latter section presents a penitential prayer to the deities: devotees reverently confess that despite their utmost efforts in scripture recitation and ritual observance ("dragon-text phoenix-seal" refers to sacred texts, while "crane-carriage phoenix-chariot" denotes divine vehicles), they remain concerned about potential shortcomings during practice. These may include distracted concentration, mispronounced verses, misinterpretations, improper attire, unclean practice spaces, or careless handling of scriptures—all forms of disrespect. They earnestly beseech the Jade Emperor (Supreme Sovereign of Mysterious Heaven) and celestial venerables to pardon these transgressions, allowing the merit of their devotions to reach the heavenly realms. The text concludes by enumerating the sacred titles of Daoism's highest deities—the Three Pure Ones (Yuqing, Shangqing, and Taiqing), the Jade Emperor, and various divine beings—invoking their power to eliminate karmic obstacles and universally deliver sentient beings.

Note: The "Three Treasures" mentioned refer to the Dao, scriptures, and masters; the "Thirty-Six Sacred Scriptures" denote the canonical collection of Daoist texts; "Great Master of Mysterious Center" typically indicates Lord Lao (Laozi). These specialized terms hold particular significance within Daoist belief systems.

This passage describes several key scenes and vow contents from the Gaoshang Yuhuang Benxing Jijing (The Supreme Jade Emperor's Original Deeds Scripture), one of Daoism's most exalted classics.

The text first extols the inconceivable merits of scripture recitation: chanting this sacred text brings unimaginable miraculous effects. Celestial beings will welcome the reciter to heavenly palaces with banners and ceremonial regalia, offering golden cups filled with immortal nectar (yu ye). Practitioners may attain the fruition of immortal state, transcending worldly existence to enjoy eternal bliss. Here, the ritual involves threefold prostrations with praises to the "Great Sage Jade Emperor, Fulfiller of Vows, Supreme Celestial Worthy."

Next comes the ceremony of taking refuge in the Three Treasures (Dao, scriptures, and master): When taking refuge in the Dao, one prays that all beings may harmonize body and mind with the Great Dao; when taking refuge in the scriptures, one prays that all may attain great spiritual powers through recitation; when taking refuge in the master, one prays for complete cultivation leading to celestial ascension.

The core section depicts the Supreme Celestial Worthy (Yuanshi Tianzun, Daoism's highest deity) at the Jade Mountain Capital of Yu-luo Xiao Terrace, expounding the supreme wondrous Dao to the Five Elderly Celestial Sovereigns, the Three Origin Emperors, and numerous immortals. Suddenly, radiant light spanning ten thousand zhang coalesces into written characters and patterns. When the Four Perfected Ones (Savior from Suffering, Hearer of Cries, Deliverer from Death, and Guardian of Blessings) inquire about this phenomenon, the Celestial Worthy explains it manifests the auspicious signs arising from the grand vows made by the Crown Prince (referring to the Jade Emperor) from the Wonderful Bliss Land in the Kingdom of Luminous Dignity.

Finally, the text enumerates the Jade Emperor's seven great vows: May celestial beings live in harmony; may light illuminate the Three Realms; may ancestors swiftly realize Dao-fruits; may kin and friends increase in wisdom and blessings; may Eastern scholars attain sagehood; may Western monastics instantly awaken to the Dao; may all realms partake in the Wonderful Bliss World. These vows were recorded by the Upper Origin celestial officials holding inkstones and the Five Elders wielding brushes, as commanded by the Supreme Celestial Worthy.

This scripture presents the Forty-Four Great Vows of the Jade Emperor (the supreme deity in Daoism), expressing grand aspirations for universal salvation and world purification. The content can be summarized in several dimensions:

Regarding practitioners' vows: The vows wish that all beings may never fall into degeneration (8th Vow), hear wondrous teachings (14th Vow), maintain purity of body and mind (16th-17th Vows), and attain focused concentration (18th Vow), ultimately realizing the Dao through self-cultivation (19th Vow). Notably, it mentions female practitioners transforming their feminine form (9th Vow), reflecting the Daoist practice of "Severing the Crimson Dragon" (a neidan technique for women to transform physiological characteristics).

World-transforming visions: The vows envision a harmonious natural world where animals become auspicious qilins and phoenixes (25th Vow), vegetation transforms into fragrant osmanthus and orchids (26th Vow), terrain becomes perfectly level (33rd Vow), and the entire world becomes adorned with treasures (35th-36th Vows).

Interpersonal relations: The vows advocate forbearance and tolerance (29th Vow), taking others' faults as one's own responsibility (20th Vow), resolving enmities (21st Vow), and maintaining natural relations with both intimates and strangers (22nd Vow). They emphasize social harmony where the humble remain content (23rd Vow) and the noble maintain stability (24th Vow).

Cultivation realms: The vows depict celestial paradises with heavenly music (37th Vow), auspicious clouds (38th Vow), abundant immortal fruits (39th-42nd Vows), perfect climate (43rd Vow), and eternally full "radiant pools" (44th Vow) - a neidan term symbolizing internal alchemical refinement. The references to "flourishing Dantian" (40th Vow) and "radiant pools" (Huachi) are key neidan concepts, denoting the lower energy center's cultivated state and mouth-generated nourishing fluids respectively.

The Forty-Fifth Vow expresses the wish that one's garments remain eternally intact, never wearing out or tearing. The Forty-Sixth Vow speaks of receiving perfectly measured sustenance—neither lacking nor excessive. The Forty-Seventh Vow hopes that all birds' songs may harmonize with nature's rhythms. The Forty-Eighth Vow yearns to witness divine dragons at play and qilin (Chinese unicorns) circling, dancing freely across the heavens.

The Forty-Ninth Vow prays that the Jade Emperor's compassionate light may illuminate all who seek help, granting every sincere request. The Fiftieth Vow describes the Jade Emperor's majestic virtue (De) as boundless, commanding universal reverence. The Fifty-First Vow exhorts newly immortalized cultivators to transcend their limitations. The Fifty-Second Vow encourages those yet to attain the Dao to advance courageously.

The Fifty-Third Vow teaches practitioners to relinquish worldly attachments when learning the Dao to become disciples of the Celestial Worthy. The Fifty-Fourth Vow states that healers too may ascend to immortal ranks. The Fifty-Fifth Vow emphasizes propagating divine merits and expanding orthodox teachings. The Fifty-Sixth Vow advocates abandoning selfish bodily attachments to permanently sever greed and stinginess.

The Fifty-Seventh Vow expresses the enlightened state where "my vow becomes others' vows, and others' vows become mine." The Fifty-Eighth Vow reveals the profound truth that "vowing and vowlessness are fundamentally one."

Then the Celestial Worthy praised in verse: The Jade Emperor's merits (De) are vast as the cosmos, his vows deep as oceans. Through countless kalpas of cultivation, he attained supreme enlightenment. All realms of the ten directions take refuge in him as master of immortals and sages. Golden Boys (attendant youths) gather rainbow silks, while Jade Maidens receive precious treasures.

Celestial dragons constantly offer protection, yet even perfected beings (Zhenren) cannot fully comprehend these mysteries. I now briefly explain them—listen attentively.

Hearing this verse, the Five Directional Thearchs (rulers of the cardinal directions), Three Primes Sovereigns (heavenly, earthly and water officials), Four Great Perfected Ones, and the assembled immortals rejoiced. After bowing in reverence, they respectfully withdrew.

Finally appears the First Divine Incantation of the Eastern Quarter: The Nine Qi (fundamental energies) of the East circulate within the Azure Origin Heaven, governed by the Azure Spirit Primordial Elder (Eastern Celestial Worthy) and the Nine Qi Heavenly Lords. Perfected beings record these truths with brushes, infusing cultivators with the Wood Phase's (Five Phases) exquisite energy (Jingqi) to unite them with the Great Dao.

This scripture records Daoist talismanic incantations (Fulu) and sacred texts used to treat ailments of the five viscera. It contains divine incantations and corresponding golden talismans (Jinzhang Lingfu) for the four cardinal directions, specifically addressing liver, heart, spleen, and lung disorders.

The Southern Sacred Text describes deities like the Vermilion Numinous Cinnabar Heaven (Chiling Dantian) and the Cinnabar Numinous True Elder (Danling Zhenlao) who govern the three Qi energies of the southern celestial realm. These deities oversee human lifespan and blessings. When combined with golden talismans, this incantation treats heart-related ailments. The method involves inscribing the talisman with cinnabar on yellow paper, then burning and ingesting the ashes for efficacy.

The Central Sacred Text speaks of deities such as the Yellow Numinous Primordial Elder (Huangling Yuanlao) who command the twelve celestial realms (corresponding to the twelve earthly branches). These deities record human merits and faults while guarding the spleen. The corresponding golden talisman treats spleen disorders through the same inscription and ingestion method.

The Western Sacred Text describes the White Numinous August Elder (Haoling Huanglao) and other deities governing the seven Qi energies of the western heavens. They stabilize human ethereal and corporeal souls (Hun and Po) while protecting the lungs. The matching golden talisman follows identical usage protocols for lung ailments.

These incantations all emphasize achieving the state of "union with Dao and return to authenticity" (Hui Dao He Zhen) — the cultivation goal of harmonizing with the Dao and reverting to original purity. Each incantation connects with specific deity systems, embodying the Daoist health preservation principle of "correspondence between heaven and humanity" (Tianren Xiangying).

This passage documents the healing talismans (fulu) and scripture-recitation rituals from the Gaoshang Yuhuang Benxing Jijing (The Supreme Jade Emperor's Scripture of Original Actions). It first presents two golden talisman designs, corresponding to treatments for lung and kidney ailments respectively. The prescribed method involves inscribing the incantations with cinnabar on yellow paper, burning the talisman, and consuming the ashes—reportedly bringing immediate recovery.

Next comes the Divine Incantation of the Five Northern True Texts, describing the properties of the Northern Water Virtue (De) Qi: "The northern direction contains five mysterious forms of Water Virtue Qi, governed by the Five Numinous Elder Lords (Wuling Xuanlao, the Northern Water Virtue Star Lords) and the Five Qi Celestial Sovereigns." These deities hold dominion over life and death, safeguard the Water Virtue essence corresponding to the kidneys, and assist practitioners in harmonizing with the Dao.

The latter section details liturgical (keyi) requirements for reciting this scripture: both ordained Daoists and lay devotees, regardless of gender, may practice it, provided they maintain devout concentration. When establishing the Jade Emperor's altar (Huangtan), one must select a south-facing main chamber (northern orientation in traditional architecture)—the location could be a temple, monastery, or household space, provided it remains clean and dignified.

Reciters must begin purification rituals (zhai) one month in advance, bathing in spice-infused "fragrant water," donning entirely new garments, and using fresh bedding while dwelling in solitary quietude for physical and spiritual purification. Before formal ceremonies, participants must purify the altar with incense, sprinkle consecrated water to dispel impurities, and submit memorials to the celestial court. At midnight, the scripture holder should grasp a ceremonial tablet (hu, a ritual implement), self-identify as "your subject" (chen), and recite dedicatory verses. Three bell strikes accompany specific invocations: the first dispels malignant forces, the second repels baleful stars, and the third liberates beings from hell realms. The ritual concludes with obeisance to the Jade Emperor, hanging of scripture banners while chanting spells—these banners summon myriad divine protectors and eradicate demonic impurities. Any deviation from the liturgy invites retribution. The recurring phrase "urgently, urgently, according to statute and ordinance" (jiji rulüling) underscores the ritual's solemnity and thaumaturgical potency, embodying the sacred authority of Daoist ceremonial practice.

This scripture meticulously records the Taoist ritual procedures for worshiping the Jade Emperor (Yuhuang Shangdi). At the commencement of the ceremony, the Taoist priest kneels facing north and strikes the drum three times (first striking the small bell once, then twice, and finally three times).

The priest then kneels for an extended period while striking the wooden fish and reciting seven divine incantations. Upon reaching the phrase "directly reaching the Three Heavens," they stand to perform one bow toward the celestial realm. Following this, they burn the memorial for receiving the imperial presence, perform three bows, offer incense with five bows, then sequentially recite the Gathering Spirits Incantation and the Opening Verse while holding the ceremonial tablet (hu) to pay respects. Kneeling, they chant various proclamations (with three bows per proclamation), perform repentance and vows (one bow each), and worship the Three Treasures (Dao, Scripture, and Master) with three bows.

Next comes the recitation of the Mysterious Essence Incantation, followed by the Miluo Proclamation with nine full prostrations. The priest strikes bells and drums while chanting the Opening Hymn, praises the sacred name three times with three bows, then offers incense with five bows. After knocking the teeth nine times, they begin reciting the scripture's upper volume (either kneeling facing north or seated facing east), striking the qing stone chime whenever encountering honorific titles like "Celestial Worthy" (Tianzun) or "Jade Emperor." Upon completing the upper volume, they stand for one bow, chant the Closing Hymn, strike bells and drums while praising the sacred name three times with three bows. After a brief rest, they trim candles, offer incense with five bows, and chant the Opening Hymn to commence the middle volume.

Similar rituals accompany the completion of the middle volume. After finishing the lower volume, they recite the Heart Seal Marvelous Scripture nine times with nine bows, followed by the Supplementary Text ten times with ten bows. The ceremony concludes with the Golden Light Incantation, five incense bows, and kneeling with the ceremonial tablet to recite the dedication and repentance text (bowing each time a sacred name appears). The entire ritual culminates with taking refuge in the Three Treasures through three bows and five final bows upon scripture completion.

The banner-lowering incantation states: "The banner suspends the precious name, universally benefiting without bounds; all deities guard and protect, eliminating sins and absolving faults; when scriptures conclude, banners descend as cloud banners return to heaven; each follows the sacred decree without delay—urgently and immediately as commanded by the Jade Emperor's divine order." On the first and fifteenth days of each lunar month, practitioners must report the number of scripture recitations and names of donors. The ritual is suspended during Wudays (earthly branch days considered inauspicious for Taoist activities).

The Gaoshang Yuhuang Benxing Jijing (Scripture of the Jade Emperor's Primordial Acts) emphasizes that when reciting this scripture, one must not arbitrarily omit the liturgical procedures (Keyi), as doing so may incur divine censure. For devout followers who are unable to recite it themselves, they may request others to perform the ritual recitation on their behalf—the merit (De) thus obtained remains equal.

This scripture employs the throne of the Jade Emperor in the celestial court as a metaphor for the sovereign role of the human heart-mind. Just as the Jade Emperor governs all spirits without speaking, yet the cycles of the seasons, the movements of the sun and moon, and the orderly patterns of wind, rain, thunder, and lightning persist, so too does the human body function naturally—every gesture, step, and breath operates in harmony, all governed by the heart-mind. Thus, the heart-mind is likened to the "imperial throne" of the body. By acting in accordance with one's innate nature, one aligns with the natural Dao. Through the practice of "embracing non-being while preserving being" (a Neidan term: maintaining emptiness while holding to substantiality), the true self can dwell permanently within the heart.

The annotations of this scripture have already been thoroughly elucidated by the Grand Chancellor and Emperor Wen (likely referring to Wenchang Dijun, the Deified Lord of Culture). Therefore, this commentary simply follows their explanations to clarify that the method of cultivating the heart-mind aligns with the original intent of the Jade Emperor's practice.

In the summer of the Yichou year, when floods ravaged the southern regions, the disciples of this Daoist altar vowed to widely propagate this scripture, hoping to universally deliver beings before calamities arrive. Hence, these words were written as a postscript, reverently recorded by Liu Shouyuan of the Hongjiao Office.