《三寶萬靈法懺》Vol. 23
About this page. The original text of 《三寶萬靈法懺》 Vol. 23 (Qing Daoist texts 清代道教文獻, 24 volumes) is shown in Classical Chinese as transmitted in the Kanripo (Kyoto University) edition. An English interpretation of the 19 passages on this page accompanies it: select a passage or press “Interpretation” to show it. All texts in English
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Source textInterpretation
This passage comes from the Daoist scripture Three Treasures Myriad Spirics Repentance Ritual, expounding principles of mental cultivation. It opens with praises to the "Dao Mother of Primordial Emptiness" (a supreme Daoist deity symbolizing the primordial source of creation), extolling her embodiment of cosmic principles, her power to deliver beings from kalpic calamities, and her status as the root of all existence.
The central section emphasizes that Dao cultivation requires sincere luminosity, like sunlight and rain nourishing all things. Practitioners should maintain benevolent hearts and humble reverence, comprehend true principles, guard their foundation, and avoid self-indulgence. The scripture's profound teachings are articulated with crystalline clarity—earnest contemplation renders them applicable, benefiting beings throughout the ten directions while cultivating one's own being.
Through the metaphor of Kun (the Earth hexagram from the Book of Changes representing receptive earth energy), the conclusion illustrates how the earth embraces all things without rejecting impurity. Just as relationships between rulers and subjects, husbands and wives should accord with celestial patterns, human conduct should follow natural flows rather than cling to selfish obstinacy. Harboring resentment or envying the virtuous plants seeds of misfortune. True nobility lies in expansive tolerance and timely adaptation—this alone aligns with the Dao of heaven and earth.
The text repeatedly stresses eliminating selfish thoughts and maintaining tolerant equanimity as essential foundations for cultivation. By illuminating the operations of cosmic principles, it demonstrates how humans should emulate nature's receptivity and adaptability, thereby avoiding calamity and attaining blessings.
This scripture primarily critiques narrow-mindedness and envy while expounding on the proper mindset and responsibility of Daoist practitioners.
The text begins by pointing out that those who indulge their selfish desires, harbor resentment, and envy others behave with the pettiness of small-minded women—far from the conduct befitting a true man of virtue. Genuinely virtuous individuals (including virtuous women) possess broad, compassionate hearts capable of embracing all things. Just as descendants of dragons and phoenixes (symbolizing noble lineage) sustain the ancestral temples and ensure the continuity of family rites, so too should a true man of integrity act with openness and honor, setting a national example, preserving family teachings, and improving social customs.
Holding onto personal grudges leads to minor consequences like family decline and major disasters that endanger the world. Such behavior drives the virtuous into seclusion and distances noble individuals, causing heaven and earth to close off, all things to wither, and affairs to descend into chaos. These severe consequences stem from the poison of jealousy, creating a state of obstruction between heaven and earth—a dire situation that must serve as a warning.
The scripture then expresses sincere repentance: with utmost sincerity, it confesses before heaven and prays for the enlightenment of the people. Finally, it lists the sacred titles of over twenty Celestial Worthies (high-ranking Daoist deities), many of which are associated with virtues such as "Great Compassion" (Dabei), "Accomplishment of Meritorious Deeds" (Chenglie), and "Guidance of the World" (Xunshi), embodying the Daoist ideals of tolerance, righteousness, and unyielding integrity. Notably, the titles emphasize the noble resolve of female deities (such as "Celestial Worthy of the Great Virtue of Female Sages"), forming a stark contrast with the earlier criticism of petty, narrow-minded behavior.
Venerable Celestial Lord of Great Compassion, Wisdom, Blessings, and Vast Reach—the one whose great compassion and wisdom spread blessings and virtue far and wide.
Venerable Celestial Lord of Great Compassion Who Can Guide the Worthy—the one whose great compassion can instruct and transform virtuous women.
Venerable Celestial Lord of Great Compassion, Upright Conduct, and Radiant Splendor—the one whose great compassion is upright and brilliantly clear.
Venerable Celestial Lord of Great Compassion Who Brings Elders and Juniors to Fulfillment—the one whose great compassion brings those of the elder and younger generations to the right fruition.
Venerable Celestial Lord of Great Compassion and the Three Bonds—the one whose great compassion embodies the Three Bonds and Five Constant Virtues.
Venerable Celestial Lord of Great Compassion, Great Cultivation among All Peoples—the one whose great compassion cultivates merit and virtue among all people.
Venerable Celestial Lord of Great Compassion and the Three Harmonies within Thunder—the one whose great compassion embodies the three harmonizing energies within thunder.
Venerable Celestial Lord of Great Compassion, Proper Relationships, and Harmony—the one whose great compassion brings proper relationships and social bonds into harmony.
Venerable Celestial Lord of Great Compassion, Grace, and Spiritual Efficacy—the one whose great compassion bestows grace and spiritual responsiveness.
Venerable Celestial Lord of Great Compassion and Spirit-Blessed Benefit—the one whose great compassion brings wondrous, spirit-filled aid.
Venerable Celestial Lord of Great Compassion, Virtue, and Wisdom—the one whose great compassion embodies refined virtue and wisdom.
Venerable Celestial Lord of Great Compassion Who Upholds the Scriptures and Attains Sainthood—the one whose great compassion attains sainthood through upholding the scriptures.
Venerable Celestial Lord of Great Compassion, Complete in Benevolence, Filial Piety, and Righteous Relations, with a Mother’s Kindness, Blessings, and Sainthood—the one whose great compassion is complete in benevolence, filial piety, and righteous relations, and is saintly in maternal kindness and blessings.
Venerable Celestial Lord of Great Compassion and the Great Integrity of the Sacred Gate—the one whose great compassion embodies the great integrity of the sacred gate.
Venerable Celestial Lord of Great Compassion, Universal Benevolence, and Fierce Sainthood—the one whose great compassion universally bestows benevolence and virtue with fierce holiness.
Venerable Celestial Lord of Great Compassion, Grace, and Refined Virtues among All—the one whose great compassion bestows grace and refined virtues upon all.
Venerable Celestial Lord of Great Compassion, Sacred Blessings, and Chastity—the one whose great compassion embodies sacred blessings and chastity.
Venerable Celestial Lord of Great Compassion, Sacred Grace, and Chastity—the one whose great compassion embodies sacred grace and chastity.
Venerable Celestial Lord of Great Compassion, Sacred Virtue, and Chastity—the one whose great compassion embodies sacred virtue and chastity.
Venerable Celestial Lord of Great Compassion, Sacred Hidden Virtue, and Chastity—the one whose great compassion embodies sacred, hidden virtue and chastity.
Venerable Celestial Lord of Great Compassion, Spiritual Efficacy, and Virtuous Exhortation—the one whose great compassion uses spiritual efficacy to encourage virtue.
Venerable Celestial Lord of Great Compassion, Spiritual Merit, Refined Virtue, and Universal Beneficence—the one whose great compassion embodies spiritual merit, refined virtue, and universal beneficence.
Venerable Celestial Lord of Great Compassion Who First Completes the Teaching, Fulfills Filial Virtue, and Receives Heaven’s Grace—the one whose great compassion first completes the teaching and fulfills filial virtue, bringing harmony and grace from Heaven.
Venerable Celestial Lord of Great Compassion Who Then Transforms and Completes the Younger Sibling’s Way, Attaining Sainthood and Broad Blessings—the one whose great compassion then transforms and completes the younger sibling’s way, bringing sainthood and abundant blessings.
Venerable Celestial Lord of Great Compassion and the Great Vow Held in the Heart—the one whose great compassion holds a great vow in the heart.
Venerable Celestial Lord of Great Compassion Who Attains Fruition through Emptiness—the one whose great compassion attains fruition through emptiness.
Venerable Celestial Lord of Great Compassion Who Embraces Heaven and Becomes True—the one whose great compassion embraces Heaven and becomes real.
Venerable Celestial Lord of Great Compassion, Whose Great Vow and Power Reach Completion—the one whose great compassion brings the great vow and its power to perfect fulfillment.
Venerable Celestial Lord of Great Compassion, Whose Vast Remembrance of Filial Devotion Brings Virtue to Fruition—the one whose great compassion brings virtue to fruition through deep remembrance of filial devotion.
Venerable Celestial Lord of Great Compassion and the Immortal Fruition of the Lineages—the one whose great compassion embodies the immortal fruition of the lineages.
Venerable Celestial Lord of Great Compassion, Who Completes the Eightfold Sequence of Vows—the one whose great compassion fulfills the vows of the eightfold sequence.
Venerable Celestial Lord of Great Compassion and the Merits of the Twelvefold Sequence—the one whose great compassion embodies the merits of the twelvefold sequence.
Venerable Celestial Lord of Great Compassion and the Nineteen Great Sequences—the one whose great compassion embodies the nineteen great sequences.
Venerable Celestial Lord of Great Compassion, Who Perfectly Enacts the Twenty-Four Sequences—the one whose great compassion perfectly enacts the twenty-four sequences.
Venerable Celestial Lord of Great Compassion, Great Wisdom, and Sainthood through the Twenty-Seven Sequences—the one whose great compassion attains sainthood and great wisdom through the twenty-seven sequences.
Venerable Celestial Lord of Great Compassion, Great Virtue, and Vow-Power through the Thirty-Two Sequences—the one whose great compassion embodies great virtue and the power of vows through the thirty-two sequences.
Venerable Celestial Lord of Great Compassion, Who Attains Sainthood and Ascends to Fruition through the Thirty-Three Sequences—the one whose great compassion attains sainthood and ascends to fruition through the thirty-three sequences.
Venerable Celestial Lord of Great Compassion, Who Transforms into the Spirit of Wood and Bears Witness within the Ranks—the one whose great compassion transforms into the spirit of wood and bears witness among the ranks.
Venerable Celestial Lord of Great Compassion, Who Takes the Form of Birds and Soars Greatly—the one whose great compassion takes the form of birds and soars high.
Venerable Celestial Lord of Great Compassion, Who Takes the Form of Mountain Spirits—the one whose great compassion takes the form of spirits of the mountains.
Venerable Celestial Lord of Great Compassion, Who Takes Form to Sing the Way—the one whose great compassion takes form to sing of the Dao.
Venerable Celestial Lord of Great Compassion, Who Takes Form to Teach through Poetry and Attains Great Fruition—the one whose great compassion takes form to instruct through poetry and attains great fruition.
Venerable Celestial Lord of Great Compassion, Who Takes Form to Teach Heaven’s Lessons Far and Wide—the one whose great compassion takes form to spread Heaven’s teachings widely.
Venerable Celestial Lord of Great Compassion, Who Enters Wood through Transformation—the one whose great compassion transforms and enters wood.
Venerable Celestial Lord of Great Compassion, Who Takes Form in Hidden Parables of the Gourd Kind—the one whose great compassion takes form in hidden parables associated with the gourd.
Venerable Celestial Lord of Great Compassion, Who Fulfills Virtue and Universally Delivers Beings—the one whose great compassion fulfills virtue and delivers all beings.
This scripture enumerates the sacred titles of various "Great Compassion Celestial Worthy (Dabei Tianzun)" figures in Daoism, all of whom embody profound merciful divinity. Each honorific reflects distinct cultivation attainments and teaching virtues. For instance, "Great Compassion Celestial Worthy Who Attains Buddhahood and Returns to Fruition" refers to those who achieve enlightenment through practice, while "Great Compassion Celestial Worthy Who Illuminates Scriptures and Comprehends Truth" denotes mastery of classics and wisdom. "Great Compassion Celestial Worthy Who Expands Lineage and Accomplishes Sacred Principles" represents those who widely disseminate Daoist teachings to realize sagehood.
The latter portion transitions into confessional liturgy, where disciples examine their shortcomings: their cultivation lacks the diligence of female practitioners (Kundao), while their stubborn arrogance exceeds celestial principles (Qian Tian). They fail to maintain the Middle Way, harboring resentment at minor inconveniences and disparaging others when encountering setbacks—their restlessness surpassing even that of palace women. They envy beauty and reject harmonious relationships, behaviors that undermine national pillars and harm ancestral sacrifices. Like axes felling fine timber or slander wounding sages, their selfish desires cut deeper than blades.
Through contrasting the ideal state represented by the Celestial Worthies' titles with practitioners' actual failings, this scripture creates stark juxtaposition to guide self-reflection and virtuous cultivation. The mention of "Kundao" (female practitioners) and "Qian Tian" (yang celestial principles) reflects Daoism's philosophy of Yin-Yang balance.
This scripture primarily expounds on the principles of repenting sins and cultivating goodness through spiritual practice. It first points out that when human hearts harbor malicious thoughts that violate heavenly principles and human decency, they damage one's original Shen (the innate spiritual nature within the human body according to Daoist belief), and such evil deeds will ultimately rebound upon the perpetrator. The scripture admonishes people to sincerely repent and cleanse their minds of distracting thoughts, for only then can they achieve success in cultivation.
The subsequent verse section, presented in poetic form, emphasizes how malicious intentions obscure spiritual clarity—harming others ultimately harms oneself, as all such misdeeds incur karmic retribution in unseen ways. Only by timely repentance and purifying the mind's defilements can one witness the fruits of spiritual practice.
The eulogy portion further explains that cultivation requires abandoning selfish thoughts and understanding the principle of universal oneness. Neither the wise nor the foolish should engage in contention, for only through such harmony can families, nations, and lineages flourish in peace.
The final two sections contain Daoist Bao Gao (hymns praising deities), extolling the divine majesty and meritorious virtues of the Celestial Rulers (high-ranking Daoist deities) and the True Lord of Myriad Blessings and Personal Protection. It mentions that these celestial saints emanated from the Xu Huang (the supreme Daoist divinity), possessing boundless power to relieve suffering and aid the distressed. The True Lord of Myriad Blessings resides in the jade palaces of the celestial realm, compassionately aiding the world and protecting sentient beings as though guarding himself. These deities can eliminate calamities, resolve difficulties, and abundantly bestow blessings upon devotees.
This scripture teaches that practitioners of the Dao must take utmost sincerity as their foundation, rejecting all hypocritical and deceitful behavior. The Great Dao (the fundamental truth of the universe) is inherently pure and perfectly sincere, yet people generate all manner of cunning and scheming minds. Those who play tricks and engage in deception may appear to be fooling others, but in reality, they are only obscuring their own spiritual awareness.
The true Dao is bright and open, with nothing that cannot be spoken plainly. Only what can be spoken openly is worthy of the heavens and earth. The path of utmost sincerity is not only the way of sages and worthies but also the proper path for ordinary people. Just as one must pass through a gate to enter or leave, how can a person rely on deceit? The sages constantly examine themselves, never presuming to judge others, acting only in accordance with the awareness of their true heart. This awareness allows them to discern right and wrong in others while maintaining reverence for the heavens, which observe their every action. Why create obstacles for one’s own spirit, layering on disguises to make oneself inscrutable? In truth, everyone understands deep down—the game of "concealing the bad and displaying the good" is transparent to those with clear vision.
The ancient sages punished evildoers most severely for hidden malice—those who appear openly wicked can be guarded against, but those who harm others in secret are far more dangerous. It is like setting a trap for someone while pretending to be their friend. The stories of Confucius executing Shao Zhengmao or Emperor Shun putting the Four Evils to death serve precisely as warnings.
Flowery words and false kindness used to deceive the world corrupt social customs, wound human hearts, and disrupt the Qi (vital energy) of heaven and earth. Therefore, practitioners of the Dao must take utmost sincerity as their root. Once a deceitful thought arises, it gives birth to countless transgressions—a sin beyond remedy, one that even heaven will not forgive. We must repent sincerely before the celestial realms, gazing upon the divine with reverence, daring not the slightest disrespect.
The passage concludes by invoking the sacred names of twelve Celestial Worthy (high deities in Daoism), including the Primordial Dao Mother of the Undifferentiated Origin (Hunyuan Daomu Wu...).
The following is a plain-language explanation of this passage of honorific titles for the Celestial Worthies in the Repentance Liturgy of the Three Treasures and Ten Thousand Spirits. The original mostly strings together honorific titles and praises of merit. The explanations below convey each title in turn, retaining special names and adding brief clarifications where needed.
Celestial Worthy of Great Compassion, Whose Being Encompasses Heaven’s De — A Celestial Worthy of great mercy and compassion, whose very being contains the De of Heaven.
Celestial Worthy of Great Compassion, Radiant Awakening, and Compassionate Countenance — A Celestial Worthy who, in great compassion, shines with awakened insight and comforts living beings with a kind face.
Celestial Worthy of Great Compassion, Who Cultivates Goodness with a Gentle Countenance — A Celestial Worthy who urges people to cultivate goodness and has a gentle, agreeable expression.
Celestial Worthy of Great Compassion, Who Cultivates the Dao with a Dignified Countenance — A Celestial Worthy who guides people in cultivating the Dao and bears a solemn, dignified appearance.
Celestial Worthy of Great Compassion, Who Guides People Toward Goodness — A Celestial Worthy who leads living beings toward goodness.
Celestial Worthy of Great Compassion, Who Guides People in Cultivating the Elixir — A Celestial Worthy who guides people in practicing Neidan (internal alchemy, the Daoist method of inner refinement).
Celestial Worthy of Great Compassion, Who Brings the Elixir Way to Life Among the Grass and Fields — A Celestial Worthy who enables the Elixir Way to take root and flourish in the countryside and among ordinary people.
Celestial Worthy of Great Compassion, Who Makes the Wood of the Dao a Supporting Beam — A Celestial Worthy who supports the path of cultivation like a beam that holds up a roof.
Celestial Worthy of Great Compassion, Who Gives Wood and Brings Its Growth to Fruition — A Celestial Worthy whose gifts of grace are like the growth of a tree, ultimately bearing fruit.
Celestial Worthy of Great Compassion, Who Reveals the Fruits of Merit and Leads People to Goodness — A Celestial Worthy who makes the fruits of merit visible and inspires people to follow goodness.
Celestial Worthy of Great Compassion, the Wooden Beam — A Celestial Worthy who protects and sustains the path of cultivation like a strong wooden beam.
Celestial Worthy of Great Compassion, the Great Pillar Who Supports Cultivation and Attainment of the Dao’s Fruit — A Celestial Worthy who supports spiritual practice and attainment like a massive pillar.
Celestial Worthy of Great Compassion, Who Breaks with Stinginess on the Great Way, Gives Freely, and Gains Goodness — A Celestial Worthy who overcomes miserliness on the Great Way, gives generously, and thereby gains good fruit.
Celestial Worthy of Great Compassion, Who Gives Half and Aids Others, Attaining Great Fruit by Heaven’s Will and Saving Living Beings — A Celestial Worthy who gives and helps others, thereby attaining great fruit through Heaven’s agency and saving living beings.
Celestial Worthy of Great Compassion, Whose Heart Is Steadfast and Whose Merit Is Resplendent — A Celestial Worthy whose heart is wholly devoted to great compassion and who accomplishes glorious merit.
Celestial Worthy of Great Compassion, Who Descends in Flight to Instruct and Transform Living Beings — A Celestial Worthy who descends through the air to teach and guide living beings.
Celestial Worthy of Great Compassion, Who Manifests as a Colorfully Clad Maiden — A Celestial Worthy who takes the form of a colorfully dressed immortal maiden, or a female attendant.
Celestial Worthy of Great Compassion, Who Ascends in Flight at Mount Hua as a Colorfully Clad Maiden and Attains Merit — A Celestial Worthy who ascends at Mount Hua and attains merit in the form of a colorfully clad maiden.
Celestial Worthy of Great Compassion, the Maiden of Mount Hua Who Completes Her Work of Cultivating the River — A Celestial Worthy who, as the Jade Maiden of Mount Hua, works to repair and guide the river and brings the task to completion.
Celestial Worthy of Great Compassion, Who Cultivates the Fruit of the Dao and Attains Buddhahood Through Trials Along the Sandy Road — A Celestial Worthy who endures hardship on the sandy road and, through obstacles and trials, cultivates the fruits of attainment and follows the path to Buddhahood.
Celestial Worthy of Great Compassion, the Holy Maiden of Mount Hua Whose Merit Is Complete Through Cultivation of the Dao — A Celestial Worthy who is a holy maiden cultivating the Dao at Mount Hua, with merit and attainment brought to completion.
Celestial Worthy of Great Compassion, Who Assists at Putuo in Cultivating the Sea Way and Completes Great Deeds — A Celestial Worthy who assists in cultivating the sea way at Putuo, the sacred site of Guanyin, and completes great deeds.
Celestial Worthy of Great Compassion, Who Builds Great Bridges and Convenient Roads for All, Becomes a Sage Through the Ages, and Cultivates Noble Virtue — A Celestial Worthy who builds bridges and useful roads for everyone, becomes a sage remembered through the ages, and cultivates noble virtue.
Celestial Worthy of Great Compassion, Who Seals the Mountain and Grants Noble Rank — A Celestial Worthy who seals and honors the mountain, granting rank in recognition of merit.
Celestial Worthy of Great Compassion, Who Attains Chan at Mount Tai and Aids the Cultivation of the Dao — A Celestial Worthy who attains Chan at Mount Tai and helps living beings cultivate the Dao.
Celestial Worthy of Great Compassion, Who Enters Chan at Mount Song and Helps Bring the Dao’s Fruit to Attainment — A Celestial Worthy who enters Chan at Mount Song and helps others attain the fruits of the Dao.
Celestial Worthy of Great Compassion, Who Performs the Feng and Shan Sacrifices, Nurtures the Sacred Grove, and Is Honored for Abundant De — A Celestial Worthy who performs the Feng and Shan rites, tends the sacred grove, and receives worship for abundant De.
Celestial Worthy of Great Compassion, Who Cultivates the Dao, Clears Away Obstacles and the Suffering of “Flames,” and Spreads Merit Everywhere — A Celestial Worthy who cultivates the Dao, removes obstacles and the suffering of “flames” (or karmic hindrances), and spreads merit widely.
Celestial Worthy of Great Compassion, Whose Name and Virtue Spread Everywhere Like the Wind — A Celestial Worthy whose reputation for virtue travels far and wide like the sound of the wind.
Celestial Worthy of Great Compassion, Who Assists in Great Deeds and Makes the Fruits of the Dao Manifest — A Celestial Worthy who helps bring deeds to completion and reveals the fruits of the Dao.
Celestial Worthy of Great Compassion, Who Accomplishes Great and Beautiful Deeds Through Virtuous Governance — A Celestial Worthy who accomplishes great and admirable works through virtuous governance.
Celestial Worthy of Great Compassion, Who Spreads Goodness and Makes Right Conduct Clear — A Celestial Worthy who performs good deeds everywhere and clarifies the proper way to act.
Celestial Worthy of Great Compassion, Whose Great Work Is Complete, Nurturing and Illuminating Like a Vast Forest — A Celestial Worthy whose accomplishments are complete, nurturing like a great forest and shining with clear light.
Celestial Worthy of Great Compassion, Who Guards Against Evil, Keeps Evil Far Away, Acts Uprightly, and Aids All — A Celestial Worthy who guards against evil, avoids it, acts with integrity, and helps all living beings.
Celestial Worthy of Great Compassion, Who Establishes a Great Teaching Through Personal Example — A Celestial Worthy who establishes a great teaching by embodying it.
Celestial Worthy of Great Compassion, Whose Vast Instruction Upholds Those Who Pass Through Many Kalpas — A Celestial Worthy whose far-reaching teachings protect beings through many kalpas, or long ages.
Celestial Worthy of Great Compassion, Who Honors Women’s Virtue and Accomplishments — A Celestial Worthy who praises women’s virtue and achievements.
Celestial Worthy of Great Compassion, Whose Conduct as a Woman Is Widely Renowned — A Celestial Worthy whose exemplary conduct as a woman is widely known.
Celestial Worthy of Great Compassion, Whose Martial Achievements Shine Forth and Whose Chaste Conduct Brings Women to the Dao — A Celestial Worthy whose martial accomplishments are celebrated and whose example of women’s fidelity leads them to the Dao.
Celestial Worthy of Great Compassion, the Martial Woman — A Celestial Worthy embodying courage and strength in a woman.
Celestial Worthy of Great Compassion, of Courage and Fidelity — A Celestial Worthy who is courageous and steadfast in fidelity.
Celestial Worthy of Great Compassion, Whose Great Martial Glory and Women’s Righteous Achievements Shine Throughout the World — A Celestial Worthy whose martial glory is great and whose women’s righteous accomplishments are celebrated throughout the world.
Celestial Worthy of Great Compassion, Who Accomplishes Great Martial Deeds and Attains the Dao, While Women Ascend to Higher Birth and Their De Matches That of Their Spouses — A Celestial Worthy who accomplishes great martial deeds and attains the Dao, while women ascend to a higher birth and their De is equal to that of their husbands—or to that of Heaven and Earth.
Celestial Worthy of Great Compassion, Whose Light Shines Everywhere — A Celestial Worthy whose great compassion illuminates all.
Celestial Worthy of Great Compassion, Whose Power and Virtue Blaze Everywhere — A Celestial Worthy whose great compassion is fierce and far-reaching, with power and virtue made manifest.
These titles are recited in sequence in the repentance liturgy. They chiefly describe the compassionate guidance of living beings, cultivation of the Dao and attainment of its fruits, building bridges and helping the world, and the moral teachings associated with women’s virtue and martial fidelity. They are recited with wholehearted reverence during worship and repentance.
This scripture enumerates the numerous honorific titles of "Great Compassion Celestial Worthy" (Dabei Tianzun) in Daoism, each reflecting the deity's distinct virtues and divine functions. Every title contains the phrase "Great Compassion," signifying these celestial worthies all embody the compassionate quality of aiding sentient beings.
These appellations can be broadly categorized into several types: those highlighting both civil and martial excellence (such as "Cultivated in Letters and Martial Arts" or "Martial Merit Fully Cultivated"), those exemplifying moral integrity (like "Cultivating Merit to Complete Virtue" or "Upholding Righteousness to Assist Merit"), those demonstrating transcendent powers (including "Illuminating the Cosmos" or "Great Revelation of Hidden Realms"), and those specifically protecting women (such as "Perfecting Women's Virtue" or "Radiantly Illuminating Feminine Grace").
Particularly noteworthy is the frequent appearance of characters like "integrity" (jie), "chastity" (zhen), and "virtue" (de) in these titles, reflecting Daoism's emphasis on moral cultivation. Simultaneously, titles containing "martial merit" or "mighty valor" reveal the tradition's balance of strength and gentleness in spiritual practice.
The "Jade Register" (yuban) refers to Daoist immortal records, while "liberating people from distant suffering" indicates freeing beings from the cycle of rebirth, and "transcending worldly attachments through the grand register" denotes assisting practitioners to rise above mundane existence. These honorifics all encapsulate Daoism's ultimate ideal of transcending life and death to attain immortal perfection.
Heavenly Worthy of Great Compassion, Who Relieves Suffering and Bestows Blessings
Heavenly Worthy of Great Compassion, Whose Title Is Inscribed in Golden Script
Heavenly Worthy of Great Compassion, Whose Righteous Deeds Bring Blessed Reward
Heavenly Worthy of Great Compassion, Whose Awe-Inspiring Name Resounds, and Whose Great Deeds Reach to the End of the Age
Heavenly Worthy of Great Compassion, Who Shines Upon the Original Shen (spirit)
Heavenly Worthy of Great Compassion, Who Refines the Body and Ascends as a Sage
Heavenly Worthy of Great Compassion, Who Greatly Aids the Home and Brings It to Sagehood
Heavenly Worthy of Great Compassion, Who Aids Meritorious Deeds and Cultivates the Dao (the Way)
Heavenly Worthy of Great Compassion, Who Aids Nourishment, Rewards the Ancestors through the Great Dao, Repays De (Virtue/Power), Extends Heaven’s Sacrifices, Preserves Heaven’s Name, and Offers Universal Blessings
Silently hold these sacred titles of the Heavenly Worthies in your heart, and contemplate them with reverence. If there are those who have not heard them, do not cast them aside. We disciples, in life after life, are fortunate to meet them again and again through every age of tribulation. What was once veiled like mist is today bright as the sun and moon. We fear that obstacles may return in the days ahead, and hope only that from now on the light will shine without cease. Though envy has been cut off, deluded thoughts quickly fade away. Utmost sincerity can restore one to sagehood; great radiance can transform one into a spirit. All faithful women and virtuous men can reach sagehood; now they may confirm the ancient teaching and return to Heaven. The Great Dao is impartial; let our hearts be sincere and free of differences. Let one thought remain from beginning to end: why should it change along the way? If I deceive others, others will deceive me. Before dealing with things, I must first attend to myself. As the old saying goes, human feelings are as thin as sheets of paper; I say that worldly affairs float by like drifting clouds. Why insist that every matter is real? We should recognize that feelings are all illusory. If I begin by treating others sincerely, the world will have no need for deceit. The sage’s foresight can complete the clarity of great wisdom. Even in darkness, if one can give up self-interest and refuse to exploit it, how could one harbor deceit and act wickedly? Heaven will not tolerate it; how could I escape its judgment? If I do not forgive myself, everyone will know. As was said of old, the doors stand wide open, and all can see my heart. I hope Heaven will grant broad pardon, and that I may show compassion and give others room for reflection. Only when I find peace and calm can I begin a flourishing undertaking, ascend to the Great Dao, and afterward receive abundant blessings.
Verse:
Whether Yin or Yang, woman or man,
May firmness and gentleness work together, free from suspicion.
May we meet in brightness everywhere;
How could we scheme and torment our hearts?
Heaven’s clear, true gaze allows no concealment.
Though I have reflected deeply, I have not yet forgiven myself.
From now on, I will cleanse my heart and hide nothing;
May I never again conceal the truth, defy what is right, or incur further fault.
Praise:
The Three Treasures Myriad Spirits Repentance scripture emphasizes the practitioner's need for constant self-reflection and maintaining an upright, luminous heart. It states: only with inner luminosity can one discern right from wrong—the slightest selfish thought makes one unworthy to follow ancient sages. If one's conscience is clear, why fear external accusations? But what truly demands vigilance are acts of deceiving others. Superficial faults may seem minor, yet one must remember the Ten Directions' divine beings oversee all in secret. Don't self-soothe—even ancient sages maintained reverent caution, let alone us who act under divine scrutiny in hidden matters. Such "covering ears to steal bells" behavior fools no one but first brings inner retribution upon oneself.
The Precious Declarations of the Celestial Realms praises the heavenly deities: We devoutly bow to the boundless celestial beings across the Ten Directions and Three Realms. These sacred ones manifested from the primordial Xu Huang (Daoism's supreme source), attaining Dao-fruits through great virtuous cultivation. Appearing in supremely sacred forms with revealed titles to save beings, this is both heaven's mandate and their innate spiritual nature. Their boundless salvific merit transcends description. We honor these compassionate Celestial Sovereigns (Tianzun deities) who deliver from calamities—Dharma-protecting Tianzun bestowing immeasurable blessings.
The Myriad Blessings Precious Declarations extols the Guardian of Blessings Perfected Being: We reverently worship this Perfected One, graced by the Jade Palace's (celestial court) favor to shower blessings upon earth. Holding high rank in heavenly court rituals, he spreads auspicious fortune throughout the cosmos. Compassionately answering cries of suffering, he awakens beings' virtuous hearts; delivering creatures with benevolence, he manifests vast mercy. Promoting myriad blessings means expanding the Heavenly Emperor's grace—protecting beings as oneself. All places receive his favor; all people feel his shelter. This greatly compassionate Perfected One's divine power shines brightly, responding universally to save beings.
The final gatha states: Immeasurable sins pile mountain-high—who could bear such karma? Only by firm resolve can one face it. Chapter 69 specifically discusses evil's consequences: The Dao Ancestor says sin's magnitude depends on one's heart-mind—heaven responds accordingly. The Dao's justice isn't arbitrary but mirrors human deeds. Why cling to evil, courting infamy? Correct amendable faults promptly; offset irreparable ones with good deeds. Must one do evil to feel at ease? Know that heaven combines vast forbearance with meticulous scrutiny.
A Plain Language Interpretation of the Rite of Repentance to the Three Treasures and All Spirits
On Delayed Retribution and Self-Discipline
There are cases in which retribution comes late, yet still presses closer moment by moment and step by step. Delay does not make it disappear. Since this is so, why not discipline yourself first? Why wait for Heaven to discipline you?
Even when Heaven’s retribution has come right to your doorstep, some people still refuse to repent and instead throw themselves into wrongdoing with even greater effort. Why not put that effort first into encouraging others and guiding them toward the good?
Devoting Oneself to Evil: From Petty Thief to Great Bandit
For some people, devoting themselves single-mindedly to evil and seeming to have gone as far as they can still does not feel like enough:
- They will not stop petty theft until they become great bandits.
- They will not turn back from minor deceit until they become notorious scoundrels.
If they still refuse to stop, they will go on to ruin and destruction, meeting an untimely end. They will have reached the end of their own wishes—what could they possibly hope to gain?
The Sanyuan Jing (Classic of the Three Origins) says that some people show no reverence for Heaven, Earth, the sun, the moon, or the Three Lights; are unfilial to their parents, uncles, and other close kin; lack integrity and loyalty; deceive and mislead others; and are as venomous as a snake’s fangs and a tiger’s jaws, with hearts as sharp as an awl or knife. They scheme constantly, speak artfully, and profit at others’ expense. Even the sixteen great evils described by the Thunder Office’s Jade Pivot still cannot satisfy their appetite for devoting themselves to evil.
Make Precepts the First Priority: Repent with Awe
Now this precept should be established with due care as the foremost among the many thousands of precepts. Who would dare fail to feel inwardly awed and tremble with apprehension, correcting a mistake the moment they make it? If they continue to err without changing, that is what is meant by “the clause of persisting in error.”
We now offer this thought of repentance to the heavens, bowing with reverence and placing our trust in them with single-hearted sincerity. We gaze upon and pay respect to the following honored titles:
- Greatly Compassionate, Primordial Mother of the Dao, Supreme One Who Transforms and Sets the Cosmos in Motion, Heavenly Worthy
- Greatly Compassionate, Heavenly Worthy of High Merit and Original Intention
- Greatly Compassionate, Heavenly Worthy Who Establishes Virtue Through the Highest Merit
- Greatly Compassionate, Vastly Great, Whose Dao Affinity Is Single-Hearted and Whose Body Is the Sage, Heavenly Worthy
- Greatly Compassionate, Heavenly Worthy Who Practices Broadly and Uses Expedient Means, Slays Insects, and Receives the Two Arrows and Blessings
- Greatly Compassionate, Heavenly Worthy Whose Filial Virtue Is Exalted and Who Gives Support
- Greatly Compassionate, Heavenly Worthy of Majestic Loyalty
- Greatly Compassionate, Heavenly Worthy Whose Majestic Loyalty Moves Others
- Greatly Compassionate, Heavenly Worthy of the Great Righteousness of the Last Woman
- Greatly Compassionate, Heavenly Worthy of Enduring and Unfinished Loyalty
- Greatly Compassionate, Heavenly Worthy of the Highest Loyalty in the Celestial Capital
- Greatly Compassionate, Heavenly Worthy Who Receives What Heaven Has Bestowed, Preserves Integrity, and Remains Chaste
- Greatly Compassionate, Heavenly Worthy Who Upholds Goodness as the Standard
- Greatly Compassionate, Heavenly Worthy Who Recommends the Good, Raises Their Rank, and, by Extending Honor to Others, Yields Their Own Virtue
- Greatly Compassionate, Heavenly Worthy Who Upholds Abundant Blessings and Protects the State
- Greatly Compassionate, Heavenly Worthy Who Preserves a Failing Life, Completes a Great Name, Nurtures Great Integrity, Reveals Great Reward, and Sets an Example for the Ancestors
- Greatly Compassionate, Heavenly Worthy of Broad Merit and Beneficent Virtue
- Greatly Compassionate, Heavenly Worthy Who Bears Heavy Responsibilities and Possesses Solitary Virtue
- Greatly Compassionate, Heavenly Worthy of Fine Virtue
- Greatly Compassionate, Heavenly Worthy of Loyal Service and Great Merit
- Greatly Compassionate, Heavenly Worthy Who Makes Great Achievements a Model of Integrity
Note: Phrases in the text such as “slays insects, receives the two arrows, and enjoys blessings” differ across editions; some read “slays insects, two lives” or “receives blessings.” They should be checked against the manuscript tradition. Many of these divine titles invoke merits such as loyalty, filial piety, integrity, righteousness, recommending the good, and honoring others. The repentance text uses their veneration to set these virtues against the injunction not to devote oneself to evil.
This scripture enumerates the sacred titles of multiple Tianzun (Celestial Venerables, the highest deities venerated in Daoism), each epithet reflecting distinct divine attributes and salvific functions. Most titles begin with "Great Compassion" (Dabei), emphasizing the deities' fundamental nature of merciful salvation, while the subsequent honorifics highlight their various virtuous accomplishments.
For instance, "Great Compassion Tianzun Who Preserves Heaven as a Chaste Mother" refers to the Celestial Venerable safeguarding cosmic order, while "Great Compassion Tianzun of Shared Virtue and Blessing Between Mother and Child" is the deity protecting the blessings of maternal bonds. "Great Compassion Tianzun of the Orthodox Divine Ancestral Virtue" represents the primordial virtue of orthodox deities. Some titles relate to spiritual cultivation, such as "Great Compassion Tianzun Whose Practice Attains the Golden Elixir (Jindan)," signifying the deity associated with achieving alchemical perfection through practice. Others connect to natural forces, like "Great Compassion Tianzun of Solar Radiance," symbolizing the power of the sun, and "Great Compassion Tianzun Who Bestows Virtue Through the Stars," representing celestial blessings.
Several Tianzun oversee specific salvific roles: "Great Compassion Tianzun of Vast Guidance" is responsible for universal deliverance, "Great Compassion Tianzun of Didactic Instruction" governs moral teaching, and "Great Compassion Tianzun of Dharma Guidance" presides over the transmission of spiritual methods. The concluding titles, such as "Great Compassion Tianzun of Lineage Transmission" and "Great Compassion Tianzun of Illuminated Continuity," relate to the perpetuation of Daoist lineages and the spreading of divine light.
Collectively, these sacred epithets demonstrate the multifaceted dimensions of the Daoist pantheon—encompassing compassionate salvation, cultivation and realization, nature worship, and pedagogical transmission. Each title carries profound religious significance and specific devotional functions within the tradition.
This scripture enumerates the honorific titles of multiple Tianzun (Celestial Venerables, the highest deities in Daoism) and describes the mystical resonance experienced when hearing their sacred names. These appellations predominantly reflect their salvific functions:
Tianzun such as "Great Compassion Ancient Origin Tianzun" represent teachers from different temporal dimensions; "Great Compassion Divine Guardian of Physical Form Tianzun" and "Great Compassion Divine Stabilizer of the Greater Body Tianzun" fulfill protective roles for living beings' physical vessels; "Great Compassion Nation-Governing Longevity Tianzun" and "Great Compassion Bestower of Blessings Tianzun" govern national prosperity and longevity; "Great Compassion Transformer of Evil Tianzun" and "Great Compassion Universal Converter of Wickedness Tianzun" specialize in redeeming malevolence; while "Great Compassion Expansive Cultivator of Filial Piety and Flourishing Virtue Tianzun" advocates for filial devotion.
The latter portion depicts the wondrous spiritual resonance when devotees sincerely listen to these sacred names—like spring thunder awakening all creation, with vegetation flourishing exuberantly, springs murmuring melodiously, and mountain valleys echoing harmoniously. Trees appear exceptionally verdant after rain, blossoms dance with ethereal grace in gentle breezes—scenes so sublime they would delight even divine beings.
Yet the author introspects: When human hearts erect barriers like fenced enclosures, or accumulate the "thick frost of worldly dust" (a metaphor for minds obscured by mundane distractions), how can one truly comprehend the profound teachings of the Tianzun? The phrase "accumulated dregs thick as monastic robes" symbolizes consciousness burdened by secular defilements.
A Plain-Language Interpretation
Why do harmful thoughts pile up, while wholesome thoughts are so hard to accumulate? If a thought is devoted solely to wrongdoing, then a thousand schemes will ultimately come to nothing. Giving money to others is not as good as first transforming yourself; teaching others is not as good as first changing yourself. If even your own body and mind are difficult to renounce and preserve, why commit further wrongs? What could you accomplish? Heaven is generous and kind, still granting me the chance to devote myself more diligently to cultivation, so that I may ascend to the Hong Hall and the Palace of Great Transformation, shine light everywhere, and spread the Dao’s teachings far and wide.
Verse
Only those who can enter Heaven are true and upright people. This has been so from ancient times to the present.
Do not say that traveling everywhere to teach the Dao cannot win people’s trust. Look at that group of immortals who studied the Dao in the past: with a single immortal elixir, they became great sages; ten years of achievement made them peers among the immortals. Many practitioners in worn-out monk’s robes, too, were honored at court as rulers capable of bringing peace and order to the realm.
How could anyone keep adding evil to evil and still escape the cycle of rebirth? It is truly impossible.
Hymn of Praise
The vast and radiant power of retribution displays its divine might. How could it allow demons and spirits to run rampant through the courtyard? In the bright light of day, one should examine one’s own heart: how dare one behave as recklessly as a pack of foxes? Though evil in face and bearing, with strange traces and bizarre forms, they still retain the sincerity of sages and worthies of old. But now, with beautiful emotions and finery adorning their voices and appearance, they hide blades in smiles, like tigers concealing weapons.
Precious Invocation to the Heavens
With focused sincerity, I bow in homage to the boundless heavens of the ten directions and the Three Realms! They first took firm shape in the August Void, then came into being through the Taiji (Supreme Ultimate). Through great deeds and great practice, they realized the fruit of the Dao and ascended; supremely sacred and divine, they manifest under their names and forms to save and deliver. Truly, this is bestowed by Heaven and also rooted in the numinous source. Their boundless compassion that aids all—how could words possibly describe it? Great in compassion and vows, supremely sacred and kind: the True Sovereign of the Heavens, who delivers from calamity and rescues through tribulation, the immeasurable protector of blessings among the myriad perfected ones.
Precious Invocation for Ten Thousand Blessings
With focused sincerity, I bow in homage! Honored at the Jade Palace, I bring celebration throughout the mortal realm. In the court assembly, I hold the fourth place in the ranks; auspicious blessings carried by the luan bird spread through the Dharma realm of the great thousand worlds. With compassion, I heed the cries of those in distress and rescue them, ever deepening the resolve to benefit and sustain others. I aid the living and lift the decayed through acts of benevolence, further broadening the virtue of compassion. To magnify ten thousand blessings is to magnify the Emperor’s blessings; to protect the multitudes is to protect each as one’s own. Everywhere, people receive grace; everyone bears its favor. Great in compassion and vows, supremely sacred and kind: the True Lord of Ten Thousand Blessings and Bodily Protection, who opens the teaching of the Jade Scripture at the Golden Palace.
The Venerable Heavenly Worthy Who Reveals the Marvelous Treasure and Divine Power of the Ten Thousand True Ones
Verse:
Having established one’s foundation and attained the Dao, one still fears that one’s original body will be ruined. Once the original body is ruined, how can one succeed? Turning from the true back to the false, how can one be saved? The walls collapse and the courtyard falls; the great pillars topple.
The Seventh Classification of the Fallen Grounds Within the Tradition
The Dao teaches: Once palace walls have been built, one must take even greater care to repair and cultivate oneself, so that one may be strong and whole. If anything is in disrepair, it should naturally be restored and reinforced. How much more so when the damage is severe—how could it fail to invite the contempt of others? Moreover, the body is the outward expression of the Dao’s appearance. It should be made a model that inspires reverence in all. When a magnificent palace stands tall, those who pass a temple feel filial respect; when the halls of the imperial court rise high, passersby feel reverence. How can one treat oneself with contempt and thereby lead others to look down on one?
Among Confucians, if one’s clothes and headwear are untidy, one’s speech and laughter frivolous, or, worse, one indulges in pointless amusements; worse still, if one holds office without following the Dao, neither upright nor honest, these are reasons to invite contempt. In Buddhism, the founding masters and others were like the empty, pure void, yet later their institutions became places that harbor filth, causing living beings to withhold their reverence. This does not mean that monks are inherently corrupt; rather, monks have corrupted their roots from one generation to the next. It is also said that Daoism is the collective name for the Three Teachings and the very ground of refuge, yet Daoists demean themselves and invite ridicule. Their appearance alone seems solemnly marked by the Dao, while inwardly they harbor filth. Some are insincere both within and without; their faults are too numerous to detail. Their evil deeds and words, their countless ugly ways, admit no forbearance. Some even turn against their own kind, slandering and rejecting one another. Yet the writings honoring the Most High (Laozi) are enough to offer inspiration. How much more does the Most High extend beyond written works, transmitting the heart and imparting the teaching’s intent? Why, then, do people not study these in depth, but instead allow them to be reduced and lost?
Today, it is not others who have corrupted our tradition; we have corrupted it ourselves. Mencius said, “Only after one has insulted, ruined, and attacked oneself will others insult, ruin, and attack one.” Is this not true? A Buddhist scripture says, “Do not give rise to the mind through what you dwell in.” What does this mean? How much more so when one dwells in what is unlawful? With utmost sincerity, I offer reverent obeisance to all the heavens. Allow me to repent and confess; forgive these faults and offenses.
The Greatly Compassionate Heavenly Worthy, Mother of the Dao, Origin of the Primordial, Limitless in Transformative Operation
The Greatly Compassionate Heavenly Worthy Who Holds Reverence in the Heart
The Greatly Compassionate Heavenly Worthy Whose Heart Knows No Contempt
The Greatly Compassionate Heavenly Worthy Whose Sincerity Reaches Sacred Reverence
This scripture enumerates a series of titles of Daoist Celestial Venerables (the highest deities revered in Daoism), primarily showcasing divinities representing different cultivation states and merits. These titles all bear the prefix "Great Compassion," emphasizing the benevolent and salvific nature of these deities.
The initial group of Venerables—such as "Attendant of Precepts and Teachings," "Manifest Responder," and "Unseen Observer"—represent the deities' functions of overseeing humanity and answering prayers. The middle section features titles like "Golden Immortal of Great Awakening" and "Three Spirit Immortal Transformation," demonstrating the progressive stages of cultivation from initial realization to advanced immortal attainment. Here, "Golden Immortal" refers to highly accomplished immortal beings, while "Three Spirits" likely denotes the cultivation achievements of the Three Treasures: Jing (essence), Qi (vital energy), and Shen (spirit).
The latter portion introduces Venerables with Buddhist-influenced titles such as "Potala" and "Tara," reflecting Daoism's integration of Buddhist cultivation states. The "Alchemical Cultivation" series focuses on Neidan (internal alchemy) practice, with titles like "Perfected Achievement of Dao Fulfillment" and "Nature and Principle" representing different stages and verification standards in alchemical cultivation. Terms like "cauldron" refer to the alchemical furnace, while "spring and stone" metaphorically indicate the bodily apertures through which essence and energy circulate.
Collectively, these Celestial Venerables' titles form a complete cultivation system—from initial aspiration to perfect realization—encompassing multiple dimensions of practice including precepts, mind cultivation, and alchemical arts. Ultimately, they all return to the fundamental Daoist spirit of boundless compassion and universal salvation.
The following is a plain-language explanation of this passage of honorific titles for the Celestial Worthies in the Repentance Liturgy of the Ten Thousand Spirits of the Three Treasures. The original text names and praises a series of Celestial Worthies associated with Great Compassion. Each line is the title of one deity or a condensed allusion to a story. Here, “Elixir” often refers to Neidan (internal alchemy), achievements in Daoist cultivation, or an image of attaining the Dao; it does not simply mean a pill.
Celestial Worthy of Great Compassion, Elixir Accomplished, the Old Monk Gains the King
A Celestial Worthy of great kindness and compassion, symbolizing an aged practitioner who, upon accomplishing the Elixir Way, receives a royal title or the protection of a king.
Celestial Worthy of Great Compassion, Attendant at the Imperial Court, Elixir’s Marvelous Workings
A Celestial Worthy who stands beside the Imperial Pole, near the Celestial Emperor, and whose Elixir methods work wonders.
Celestial Worthy of Great Compassion, the Elixir Spreads Throughout the Daoist Enclosure
A Celestial Worthy whose Elixir Way extends widely and protects the walls of the Daoist tradition: its sacred grounds and teachings.
Celestial Worthy of Great Compassion, the Confucian Sage, Elixir Cultivation, and the Inherited Lineage
A Celestial Worthy who embodies the sage virtue of the Confucian tradition, carries on Elixir cultivation, and continues its lineage of transmission.
Celestial Worthy of Great Compassion, Aiding the Sage Through Elixir Practice
A Celestial Worthy who assists the sacred Way and brings Elixir practice to completion.
Celestial Worthy of Great Compassion and Sagely Virtue
A Celestial Worthy whose virtue accords with sagehood and whose sacred virtue is complete.
Celestial Worthy of Great Compassion, Sagely Cultivation and the Elixir Edict
A Celestial Worthy whose sacred cultivation is accomplished and who attains the Dao as though receiving an Elixir edict—a command from Heaven.
Celestial Worthy of Great Compassion, Aiding the Sage Through Cultivation, Merit, and the Elixir Edict
A Celestial Worthy who assists the sage in cultivation and accumulates merit in accord with the Elixir edict.
Celestial Worthy of Great Compassion, Singing of Loyalty with a Cinnabar Heart
A Celestial Worthy who expresses loyalty through song, with a heart as steadfast as cinnabar.
Celestial Worthy of Great Compassion, Embracing the Fundamental Vitality, Sharing the Longevity of the Divine Tree, and Transforming into Childlike Filial Piety
A Celestial Worthy who embraces the primal essence and preserves unity, lives as long as Heaven and Earth—the “divine tree” being an image of longevity—and transforms into a state of childlike filial virtue.
Celestial Worthy of Great Compassion and Shared Filial Piety
A Celestial Worthy united with the Way of filial piety and who widely inspires filial conduct.
Celestial Worthy of Great Compassion, with a Cinnabar Resolve and Thoughts of the Floating World
A Celestial Worthy whose resolve is as steadfast as cinnabar and whose thoughts are devoted to rescuing those who live in the transient world.
Celestial Worthy of Great Compassion, Aiding the Sage to Accomplish the Elixir
A Celestial Worthy who assists the sacred Way and helps bring Elixir practice to completion.
Celestial Worthy of Great Compassion, Learning the Elixir
A Celestial Worthy who diligently studies and cultivates the Elixir, entering the Dao through it.
Celestial Worthy of Great Compassion, Attaining the Elixir Through Great Learning
A Celestial Worthy who attains the Elixir through extensive learning in the Dao.
Celestial Worthy of Great Compassion, the Great Elixir Accomplishes the Work
A Celestial Worthy whose Great Elixir is accomplished and whose work in the Dao is complete.
Celestial Worthy of Great Compassion, the Female Elixir
A Celestial Worthy who cultivates the Elixir as a woman and achieves the Female Elixir.
Celestial Worthy of Great Compassion, the Loyal Woman United with the Elixir
A Celestial Worthy who attains the Dao through the union of a woman’s steadfast loyalty with the Elixir Way.
Celestial Worthy of Great Compassion, Attaining the Elixir Through Sagely Faith
A Celestial Worthy who attains the Elixir through a heart of sagely faith.
Celestial Worthy of Great Compassion, Sagely Faith, the Elixir Chicken’s Transformation, and the First Companion’s Attainment
A Celestial Worthy associated with the “Elixir chicken’s transformation” in the context of sagely faith, and with the first companion’s attainment of the Dao. This is a title drawn from a specific story of spiritual response in the repentance liturgy.
Celestial Worthy of Great Compassion, Sagely Faith, the Bird Elixir’s Verification, and the Second Companion’s Attainment
A Celestial Worthy associated with the verification of the “bird Elixir” through sagely faith, and with the second companion’s attainment of the Dao. As above, this is a fixed allusion within the repentance tradition.
Celestial Worthy of Great Compassion, Broad Cultivation and Instruction in the Elixir
A Celestial Worthy who widely cultivates the teachings and instructs others in the Elixir Way.
Celestial Worthy of Great Compassion, Sagely Cultivation, Vast and Trustworthy Faith, and the Child’s Transformation into a Revered Father of Aged Virtue
A Celestial Worthy whose sagely cultivation is grounded in vast, sincere faith, and who, through the virtue of a child, becomes a revered father known as “Aged Virtue.” The title condenses the image of filial virtue growing from childhood into adulthood and earning an honored name.
Celestial Worthy of Great Compassion, Sagely Cultivation, the Accomplished Master, and the Child’s Elixir
A Celestial Worthy whose sagely cultivation reaches the rank of master and who also embodies the pure, childlike virtue of the Elixir.
Celestial Worthy of Great Compassion, the Great Elixir Accomplished, Attending the Appointment with Sword at Side and Lightly Equipped
A Celestial Worthy whose Great Elixir is accomplished and who goes to an appointed gathering lightly equipped, with a sword at the side.
Celestial Worthy of Great Compassion and Reverence for the Elixir
A Celestial Worthy who guards the Elixir with reverence and honors the Dao.
Celestial Worthy of Great Compassion, Revering the Sacred Decree and the Sacred Elixir
A Celestial Worthy who reveres the sacred decree and is protected by the sacred Elixir.
Celestial Worthy of Great Compassion, Sagely Cultivation and Loyal Devotion to the Elixir
A Celestial Worthy whose sagely cultivation and loyalty are united in the Elixir Way.
Celestial Worthy of Great Compassion, the Loyal Sunflower Illuminating the Elixir
A Celestial Worthy whose loyalty is like a sunflower facing the sun, illuminating the cinnabar heart.
Celestial Worthy of Great Compassion, the Sacred Elixir’s Verification, with Red Breath Issuing from the Tongue
A Celestial Worthy whose sacred Elixir is verified, with red breath issuing from the tongue as a sign of attaining the Dao.
Celestial Worthy of Great Compassion, Blood Emerges and Reveals the Elixir
A Celestial Worthy who reveals the Elixir’s light through the shedding of blood and attains the Dao through bodily hardship.
Celestial Worthy of Great Compassion and the Empty Elixir
A Celestial Worthy who accords with the Dao through emptiness and enters the Elixir through the void.
Celestial Worthy of Great Compassion, the Empty and Subtle One Who Sings Poetry as the Ancient Elixir Transforms of Itself
A Celestial Worthy who is empty, numinous, and subtle, and whose ancient Elixir transforms of itself through the singing of poetry, bringing realization of the true.
Celestial Worthy of Great Compassion, the Sacred Elixir of Accomplished Fruition
A Celestial Worthy whose fruit of the Dao is accomplished and whose sacred Elixir is complete.
Celestial Worthy of Great Compassion, Singing of the Elixir as the Red Sun Rises
A Celestial Worthy who sings of the Elixir and praises the Dao like the rising red sun.
Celestial Worthy of Great Compassion, Transforming into a Radiant Vision
A Celestial Worthy who manifests radiant visions and displays wondrous powers.
Celestial Worthy of Great Compassion, the Elixir Transforms into a Radiant Vision
A Celestial Worthy whose accomplished Elixir transforms into a radiant vision, making the scene clear and distinct.
Celestial Worthy of Great Compassion, Attaining the Elixir in the Sacred Palace
A Celestial Worthy who attains the Elixir in a sacred palace, an abode in the realm of immortals.
Celestial Worthy of Great Compassion, the Principle of the Sage
A Celestial Worthy who orders the sacred teachings and accords principle with sagehood.
Celestial Worthy of Great Compassion, the Sage of the Dao, Learning Accomplished
A Celestial Worthy whose learning in the Dao of the sages is brought to completion.
Celestial Worthy of Great Compassion, the Cinnabar Chicken and Plain Dog, Sagely Faith and Loyal Devotion to the Elixir
A Celestial Worthy associated with the allusion of the “cinnabar chicken and plain dog,” in whom sagely faith and steadfast loyalty unite with the Elixir. This is a conventional title of spiritual response in repentance liturgies.
Celestial Worthy of Great Compassion and Red-Blooded Sainthood
A Celestial Worthy of sincere, heartfelt sacred virtue.
Celestial Worthy of Great Compassion, the Plain Sage and Floating Cloud
A Celestial Worthy who is unadorned and pure, like a floating cloud untouched by stain.
Celestial Worthy of Great Compassion, Red Gold and Attainment of the Dao
A Celestial Worthy of the color of red gold who attains the Dao and becomes perfected.
Celestial Worthy of Great Compassion, [Missing Character] the Sage A Celestial Worthy who serves the sage through words and proclaims and spreads the sacred teachings.
Celestial Worthy of Great Compassion, Attaining the Elixir and Following the Sage’s Words in Mutual Confirmation
A Celestial Worthy who, after attaining the Elixir, follows the sage’s words and confirms realization through their correspondence.
Celestial Worthy of Great Compassion, the Elixir’s Marvelous Workings in the Sacred Palace
A Celestial Worthy whose Elixir methods are wondrous within the sacred palace.
This entire passage is not a narrative scripture but a list of names recited in worship during the repentance liturgy. “Elixir chicken,” “bird Elixir,” and “child’s faction” are condensed references to specific cases in repentance texts. To identify which volume or section of ritual each corresponds to, one would need to consult the surrounding hymns and an annotated edition of the Repentance Liturgy of the Ten Thousand Spirits of the Three Treasures. If you provide a few lines before and after this passage, each Celestial Worthy can be matched to a specific story.
General Meaning of the Scripture
The text first lists several honorific titles of Celestial Worthies associated with the Daoist arts of the Elixir (internal alchemical methods for refining the Golden Elixir, realizing the Dao, and attaining immortality), such as “Greatly Compassionate Celestial Worthy Who Studies the Elixir and Realizes the Dao” and “Greatly Compassionate Celestial Worthy Who Transforms with Grace, Forms the Elixir, and Takes on Criticism to Fulfill the Work.” These titles suggest that the holy ones of the heavens descend in response to their age and manifest in response to people’s needs. People should gaze upon them with reverence and respect, rather than evade the matter with ordinary distinctions between appearance and emptiness.
The text then explains that each tradition has its own halls and paths, while both side paths and orthodox ways establish their own doors and windows within the lineage of the Dao. If people do not take their own foundations seriously, their tradition will inevitably collapse. It also stresses that sages, Buddhas, and Laozi—the Daoist—share the same mind. The “emptiness” embodied by the Most High, often a title for the Most High Lord Lao, and by sages and worthies is one in principle. Yet later students often build walls between traditions: a difference of a thousand li can turn a hair’s breadth into a separation of ten thousand li. A window before one’s eyes can hide the mountain range; how could a thin sheet of paper over the eyes allow clear sight? If it is already hard to make headway within one’s own tradition, how can one expect to enter through someone else’s? Therefore, one should repair one’s foundations until they stand firm like a rocky shore, and not let them crumble. The Great Dao must not be treated as something insubstantial, and the spirits cannot be kept hidden. At the end, the text prays that the disciples’ ordinances be forgiven and the accumulated karma of all people be accepted. Only merit can atone; repentance should be met with leniency. Whether people enjoy peace ultimately depends on their own lot.
Verse
What each person does shapes the life they lead. Are the causes and conditions of sin and blessing ordinary things?
Heaven’s retribution for wrongs is written on the face; the consequences remain with those who suffer them.
What has ever collapsed and lasted forever? Only what is cultivated and built up can stand secure.
Do not let your body invite the scorn of others; establish firm foundations and you will avoid their harm.
Eulogy
The essentials must be established, with upright principles and enduring norms;
the design must be broad and far-reaching, like the walls of the sages’ gate.
The hope of attaining the Dao is vast as the ocean, but all fear that the roots may be wounded,
as people everywhere take up axes to hack at them.
Why should the wondrous medicine of the Elixir tradition be tasted only by Chan Buddhists?
It is also kept within the household of the sages and Confucians.
Who is the student? Each person can examine this for themselves:
Let each one stand firm and strong.
End-of-Volume Mark
Greatest High, Emptiness Sovereign: Repentance Rite of the Three Treasures, the Ten Directions, the Three Realms, and the Myriad Spirits, for Protecting Life, Ordering the World, Bringing Blessings to Light, Benefiting the Hidden, Dispelling Calamities, and Gathering Auspiciousness — Emptiness Sovereign, Scroll Twelve, Upper Part, Twentieth-Third Section (End).
With sincere hearts, we take refuge and bow in reverence to the countless heavens throughout the ten directions—all directions, such as east, south, west, and north—and the three realms of desire, form, and formlessness. Since time immemorial, you have taken shape and settled in the Primordial Void, the original realm of emptiness revered in Daoism, and come into being within the Taiji (Supreme Ultimate), the source before Heaven and Earth were divided and Yin and Yang distinguished. Through great merit and great deeds, you realized the fruits of the Dao and ascended. Supremely holy and divine, you manifest under sacred names to save living beings. This authority was bestowed by Heaven and also springs from your own numinous root; your boundless aid cannot be fully expressed in words. Great in compassion and vows, supreme in holiness and mercy: Lords of the heavens, who dispel calamities and deliver beings through tribulations—the Celestial Worthy of Boundless Blessings and Protection for the Myriad Perfected.
Precious Invocation of Myriad Blessings
With sincere hearts, we take refuge and bow in reverence. Favored by the Jade Gate, the palace gateway of Heaven, you spread blessings and grace throughout the mortal world. You hold the fourth rank in the court’s ceremonial order, and your gracious blessings fall across the vast realm of the Dharma. With compassion, you answer the cries of the suffering, further opening your hearts to benefit people and aid all things. You deliver beings from life and death, extend benevolence without weariness, and deepen the virtue of compassion. To spread myriad blessings is to spread the Emperor’s blessings; to protect all beings is to protect your own body. Everywhere, people receive your favor; everyone is touched by your grace. Great in compassion and vows, supreme in holiness and mercy: the Perfected One who teaches through the Jade Scripture and protects the body with the myriad blessings of the Golden Palace, whose wondrous treasure and divine power flow forth to the Myriad Perfected—the Manifesting Celestial Worthy.
Source text: Kanripo 漢籍リポジトリ（KR5i0077）; Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0 · Report an error / feedback