《心香妙語》Vol. 1

In ancient times, people wore grass garments and ate wild fruits, dwelling in mountain caves, yet they lived to a hundred years and died natural deaths. After Suirenshi invented fire-making by drilling wood and cooking began, humans indulged in meat consumption. The practice of roasting food damaged internal organs, while unrestrained desires depleted their Jing (essence) and blood, leading to numerous illnesses. Many died prematurely without reaching their destined lifespan. During Zhurong's (the Fire God) reign over the world, witnessing people's suffering from diseases, he created healing methods using incantations, earning him the name "Zhurong the Reciter." This marked the origin of Zhuyouke (ancient shamanic healing arts), the precursor to modern wu (shamans). Their healing primarily relied on talismans and spells, with no formal petitions to celestial deities yet developed.

By the Jin and Han dynasties, the Celestial King (a Daoist deity) transmitted the Dadong Fulu (Great Cavern Talismanic Registers) to Emperor Wenchang, while Lord Lao (Laozi) bestowed the Mengwei Jinglu (Covenant Authority Scripture Registers) upon Celestial Master Zhang (Zhang Daoling). However, these still employed Fulu (talismanic registers). It wasn't until the Five Dynasties period when Master Guangcheng (Du Guangting) established the Jinting ritual system that formal petitions, memorials, and statements began being used to communicate with deities. During the Ming Dynasty, Masters Jin and Ning compiled the Lingbao Wenjian (Numinous Treasure Document Collection), while Lü Pu'an authored the Daomen Dingzhi (Daoist Ritual Standards). Although these texts combined Fulu with written documents, their petition sections remained incomplete.

Since childhood, while studying Daoist scriptures, I'd heard of the revered Xinxiang Miaoyu (Wonderous Words of Heartfelt Incense) and longed to encounter it. The edition printed in the Yiyou year contained only fragmentary remnants of earlier versions. In the summer of the Bingshen year, Tan Daoyuan brought me a tattered old book. Upon careful study, I realized this was the authentic Xinxiang Miaoyu. Its petitions were meticulously categorized and elegantly composed—truly a precious scripture for saving the world and delivering humanity. Unfortunately, this text was written in the first year of the Zhengde era (1506) of the Ming dynasty, over three hundred years ago. Worm-eaten and incomplete, even its author's name had been lost. That such an excellent work remains anonymous is profoundly regrettable.

I consider myself fortunate to have encountered this text in my later years. Though too aged to promote it widely, I couldn't bear seeing it vanish. Thus I personally transcribed and edited it, filling gaps and correcting errors, preparing it for publication to circulate throughout the world. This way, I may honor the original author's profound dedication.

The sincere devotion to the Dao in this mundane world has perfectly fulfilled my lifelong aspiration to revere the Great Way. Now that some achievement has been attained in my cultivation practice, I write these words to record my genuine devotion.

In the first month of the 20th year of Emperor Daoguang's reign (1840), Chen Fuxuan (Daoist name Hanpu), a sixty-eight-year-old recluse cultivating the Dao in Mianzhu (present-day Mianzhu City, Sichuan), inscribed this passage at the Jiezi Mountain Retreat of Zhenwu Temple (a Daoist temple dedicated to the Perfected Warrior Emperor).

This passage represents the reflections of a hermit monk after achieving progress in his cultivation. He mentions his decades-long yearning for the Great Dao (the supreme truth in Daoism) which has now borne fruit in realization. The name "Jiezi Mountain Retreat" for his dwelling carries distinct Daoist characteristics—using "jiezi" (a mustard seed, representing the tiniest of seeds) as a metaphor for how practitioners, though dwelling in confined spaces, can contain the vastness of heaven and earth's Great Dao. The author intentionally notes his age and hermitage location when signing, which was a common practice among ancient cultivators for recording their spiritual journey.