"Daoism during the 6 Dynasties"

pp. 21-22 origin of universe (HY 1196, 1.2-3)

p. 21

Great Nothingness transformed into 3 aithers

xuan-qi (‘mysterious aither’)

they relied on each other to give birth to the Mysterious Subtle Jade Woman (of the Xuan-miao Nei-pian ‘Mysterious Subtle Inner Writing’ – fn. 34)

yuan-qi (‘primordial aither’)

s^i-qi (‘beginning aither’)

 

Lao-zi was born from the left side of the Mysterious Subtle Jade Woman.

p. 22

The Elder Lord transformed the distilled aithers into 9 continents, wherein he placed 3 men & 6 women.

pp. 25-26 origin of religion (HY 1196, 1.3)

p. 25

In the time of Fu Xi & Nu Wa, to each person was given a family-name for the San-dao (‘3 ways’).

 

In Qu (in Yan-zi valley) & Yue (south of Yan-zi valley) the Qin-yue Da-dao (‘Clear Concise Great Way’) was served.

p. 26

Control by the 6 Heavens arose.

p. 26, fn. 44 Tai-s^an Wu-ji Dao-dao (‘Great-Highest Without-Limit Grand-Way’), Wu-s^an Z^en-z^en Z^i Dao (‘Highest Proper Genuine Way’), & Tai-pin Qin-yue Z^i Dao (‘Great-Peace Clear-Concise Genuine Way’)

pp. 28-29 Yin Xi, "guardian of the western pass"

p. 28

Lao-zi "together with Yin Xi ... went west into" Kas`mir;

p. 29

"Laozi again went west into the kingdom of India ... The consort of the king was named Qingmiao (lit. clear and subtle), and ... Laozi caused Yin Xi to mount on a white elephant, ... a small yellow bird which flew into Qingmiao’s mouth, its form like that of a comet. ... [Yin Xi] was born from her right side ... and walked seven steps, ... saying "Both above and below the heavens, only I am worthy. ...""

p. 36 differences between Lao-zi & S`akya-muni (according to HY 1196, 1.9-10)

 

Lao-zi

S`akya-muni

governeth transformations of __

life

death

was born from __ side of mother

left

right

governing Registers of the __ Ledger

Azure

Black

p. 75 differences of orthodoxy from the haeresy Qin-s^ui Dao (‘Clear-Water Way’) founded by "illiterate" servant of the Caelestial Master (according to HY 1196, 1.7)

orthodox way founded by Caelestial Master :

feast-canopies, memorials, talismans

way founded by Caelestial Master’s servant :

burn incense to vessel of clear water; "they say that the Way is inside the water"

pp. 78-79 aedifices identical for each of the 24 z^i (‘parishes’)

p.

aedifice

78

"The exact center of the commandery is called the Hall of Venerating Emptiness, and ... there should be seven compartments and six partitions

... above the central two compartments a [second] level [called the] Platform of Venerating the Mysterious should be constructed; in the center of the platform should be placed an incense censer ... in which incense is constantly burned.

Three portals should be opened to the east, west and south,

79

and to the side of the portals should be placed windows.

There should be two horse paths.

Below the south portal of the edifice the Flying Standard should be done, and above the audience should be held. The descendants of the Celestial Master and those Daoists of the highest eight Grand Commanderies ... are allowed to ascend to the platform to hold audience. The remaining offices of large, middle and small, central and outer Libationers all hold audience from afar beneath the Grand Hall.

 

... to the north of the Platform of Venerating the Mysterious the hall of Venerating the Adepts should be ... with seven compartments ... and seven partitions;

to the east is the Chamber of Yang Adepts, and

to the west is the Chamber of the Yin Adepts. ...

 

To the south of the Mysterious Platform ... a gate room with five compartments and three partitions should be ...

The southern portion of the eastern gate of the gate room is the lodging for Libationers Who Propagate Authority, and

the western compartment of the gate room manages the lodging for the Libationers Who Inspect Ethers."

pp. 114-116 [above the di-xian (‘terrestrial adepts’) and the fei-xian (‘flying adepts’) are :-] the Ways of the Genuines (according to HY 426)

p.

114-5

115

115-6

HY 426

5b.6-10

5a.5-9

4a-b

__ Genuines of Highest Clarity

lowest

middle

highest

retinue : # of jade youths & of jade women, each

500

1,000

3,000

office

left & right da-fu (‘eminences’)

left & right ministers

Caelestial Imperials

colors of their knotted banners

5-colored

violet fur

2-colored

retinue : spirits

"various"

10,000 (+ 1,000 [lowest] Genuines)

"multitude" (+ 10,000 [lowest] Genuines)

going before them

9 phoinices singing

phoinices singing

phoinices singing song directed by them

going after them

8 simurG-s crying

music of tian-jun (‘heavenly wheels’) {cf. "wheels within wheels" (YH.ZQ>L 1:16)}

"mysterious wheels"

opening their way

white serpents

"mysterious dragons"

white tigres

escorting them

"the Great Ultimate"

the 5 Imperials

flying dragons

fly forth on __

"turned phosphors"

"the Great Void"

 

roam through __

"the Violet Chamber"

"the Cinnabar Skies"

 

p. 116 status of texts : already received or not-as-yet received (according to HY 1010)

text

status

HY 1010

Da-don Z^en-jin

Jiu-z^en Z^on-ji

Tai-wei Di-jun Fei Tian-gan S^a-jin

Sain-tian Z^en-fa

Ba-su Z^en-jin

z^en-gao ("in the world")

 

San-huan Nei-wen

"in the world, but not the genuine edition"

5.4a = 6-7

Tian-guan San-tu

San-wu S^un-xin

wei c^u-s^i ("not yet in the world")

9.5b = 10

Tai-dan Yin-s^u

"the genuine scripture has not yet been made manifest to the world"

 

p. 118 disadvantage in not studying full scriptural corpus; exception

p.

incomplete scriptural corpus

118

[according to HY 426, 6a.1-7] "if the writings which one obtains are not complete, whether on obtains a highest scripture, a middle book or a lower text, ... then [at the most] one can only become a flying adept. At the farthest one might reach the Great Ultimate, ... but one will not by oneself gain the three genuine of Highest Clarity."

119

[according to HY 426, 6b.3-5] "Only three scriptures from the "highest genuine" category, the Taishang yuyi benri wen, the Jielin benyue zhang and the Basu zhenjing itself, all texts which deal with the absorption of the celestial ethers of the sun, moon and stars, were exceptions to this rule; individual practice of any one of these three scriptures by itself would allow one to become a "Lower Primordial Genuine Being", the lowest grade of offices in Highest Clarity."

pp. 121-122, 131-134 scriptures of Jade Clarity

p.

this scripture

121

Yu-qin Yin-s^u (‘Jade-Clarity Hidden-Book’)

S^en-hu Z^i Da-fu (‘Spirit-Tigre Great-Talisman’)

[Jin-hu Z^en-fu (p. 120) ‘Golden-Tigre Genuine-Talisman’ (p. 130)]

121-122

Upon studying these "One will be given thirty thousand jade youths and jade women [each]".

131

"The "Hidden Book of Jade Clarity" has four juan ("scrolls", i.e. chapters) ["HY1345 and 1346 ... may have formed two juan of a single scripture" (p. 133, fn. 39)]; of old, the Highest of the highest jade August received it from the Jade Mystery Great August Lord."

 

"Every five thousand years it may be transmitted three times to the Jade Genuine Beings of highest Clarity".

132

"one person in ten million ... will be granted the transmission of this book; this is because he or she already has a jade name in the Mysterious Platform of the Great Highest ... Those who possess this book ... will be given three hundred jade youths and three hundred jade women; ...

133

the numinous of famous mountain will come to his or her chamber to discuss the Way and talk of virtues."

134

"When the Hidden Book of Jade Clarity should be transmitted, the the Great Ultimate each take one juan and present it to the Highest August, the Highest of the Highest, the Jade August and the Jade Mysterious four Lords of the Way, who confirm that [the recipient] is one who ... has a jade name and should become a Highest Genuine Jade Lord".

p. 132 "HY426 ... was to be transmitted three times every seven hundred years" (according to HY 426, 31.3). ["This became the standard period for the transmission of a text in catalogues like the Jiuzhen mingke contained in HY1303." (p. 132, fn. 36)]

pp. 120-121 the Way of the Great Highest in Jade Clarity (according to HY 426, 4b.5-8)

retinue : # of jade youths & of jade women, each [of a superior grade?]

2,000

office

Jade August

colors of their knotted spirit-banners

5-colored

retinue : [niddle?] genuines

1,000

retinue : adepts

"multitude"

going before them

caelestial wheels directed by them

going after them

simurG-s

escorting them

3 [highest?] genuines

soar through __

"the Nine Heavens"

[p. 122 roam through __

"the towers of the highest heights"]

p. 126 in orthodox S^an-qin : rewards (according to HY 426, 9a.2-6) of studying the Da-don Z^en-jin (‘Great-Cavern Genuine-Scripture’)

"Seven generations of ancestors of those who practice the methods [of the Da-don Z^en-jin] will be released from the demon name [rosters] ... by the Three Offices (sanguan) and transferred to the registers of the Adept Bureau. They will be freed from the net of difficulties, and caused to go to the Crimson Fire Cinnabar Hill Palace to receive training in the way of adepts (xiandao); when [their practice of] the way of adepts is completed, then they will be caused to support the Five Imperials as adepts of the Nine Palaces. ...

According to the established methods of the Four Ultimates, this is the only book which will allow one’s seven generations of ancestors to obtain adepthood".

pp. 139-142 later development of Jade-Clarity doctrines : HY 1312

p.

Jade Clarity

139

HY 426 & HY 1312 collectively constitute the Ba-su Z^en-jin, whereof only HY 1312 expoundeth the "Eight Unadorned" of the Genuine Scripture of the Eight Unadorned.

 

xuan-mu ba-men (‘Mysterious-Mother 8-Portals’) are read from bamboo slips in the 8 directions, by the rite’s officiant "as he or she requested various deities to descend and give him or her a chariot of phosphors and unadorned (su) clouds to ascend to the celestial regions."

140

tai-ji si z^en-ren (‘Great-Ultimate 4 Genuine-Beings’) each praesented one roll of the scripture Yu-qin Yin-s^u during its transmission.

141

"The Primordial Beginning [Yuan-s^i] ... bestowed the text upon the High Highest Jade August [Gao-s^an Yu-huan] and two other deities "within the void mystery;

it was then revealed on Western Turtle Mountain and mysteriously transmitted to the Western Majestic Mother [Xi-wan-mu]." [HY 1312, 3a6-8]

After this, the Western majestic Mother further had the text carved on the Numinous Mirror Human Bird Mountain in the Northern Primordial Heaven" [HY 1312, 1a8-b2].

142

The Western Majestic Mother revealed "the text to Lord Li of the Gold Tower,

who then further passed on the text to the Highest Minister Azure Lord Youth, a deity whose residence was in the eastern island paradises of the genuine beings".

 

There is "a group of twelve talismans to be written on the inner membrane of bamboo and ingested by the student on different days during the year [HY 1312, 8b10-17a1]. These talismans "came forth from within the Nine Voids, and shine on the Mountain of the Western Turtle, on top of the Mysterious Orchard, in the shade of the Gathered Stones; the Majestic Mother received them from the Nine Mysteries in order to draw to herself the essence of the flying floriate two phosphors" [HY 1312, 9a2-4]."

pp. 146-150 the original "Genuine Scripture of the 8 Unadorned"

p.

scriptures of the 8 (or 9) Unadorned

146

"Terrestrial adepts themselves also have a "Genuine Scripture of the Eight Unadorned" which discusses the ingestion of principal ethers [wan-qi] and the ways of exhaling and inhaling. Further, there is a "Scripture of the Nine Unadorned" which discusses the matters of summoning ghosts, employing essences, holding feasts and

147

inspecting one’s spirits [hun-bo]. These are no more than [a means for] walking on land through famous mountains and living long without death.

At the end of the ... "Genuine Scripture of the Eight Unadorned" are the "Celestial Wheel Highest Completion Yang Songs in Nine Stanzas", and

at the end of the of the "Scripture of the Nine Unadorned" are the "Phoenix Cry Dragon Roar Yin Songs in Eight Stanzas". ... The present "Great Highest Rush to the Asterisms Eight Unadorned Way of Practicing Highest Clarity" [i.e., HY426] is not [the foregoing scripture]; the whistles and songs of the terrestrial adepts await upon the wanderings of Highest Clarity." (HY 426, 13a10-b6)

 

" "terrestrial adepts" ... were the lowest type ..., those who gained long life and could wander the wilds of famous mountains ... for magical elixirs ..., but who were unable to ascend to the celestial regions and held no post in the celestial hierarchy."

149

"If one practices the hidden book of the eight Unadorned, then the Red August will descend to one’s person; however if one practices the outer methods of the Five Numinous [wu-lin], then the Red Spirits will come and transmit books." (HY 426, 13a3-6)

 

"The central practice of HY426 is the visualization of the five planets; each planet has a number of doors, ... and each of these doors is guarded by an Imperial (di) ... These Imperial guardians protect an August Lord of the Way [huan

150

dao-jun] and Lady [fu-ren] who reside in the center of the planet. ... those who practice the methods in HY426 can expect a visit from the central August Lord of each planet; the above planet specifically discusses the planet Mars, ... and therefore it is the Red August who is mentioned. However, as the text indicates, there is another meditation on the five planets that summons not the August Lords of the planets, but only the Imperials; in the case of the planet Mars, these would be the Red Spirits".

171

evocation for c^u-guan (‘bringing-forth of officers’), according to a commentary on the Ba-su Z^en-jin : "may the unsurpassed three heavens, the mysterious, primordial and beginning ethers and the great highest elder lord summon forth the void empty so-of-themselves

Flying Adept Merit Officers,

the Spirit Adept Emissaries,

the Left and Right Flying Dragons,

the Great Genuine Jade Women,

the Straight Talismans of the Five Imperials,

each thirty-six in number, from within my body, coming forth from the passes to inform the Genuine Officers and Proper Spirits of this land;

... I ... desiring ... that the Limitless Jade Imperial, the Utmost Genuine, the Highest of the Highest and the myriad sages will come" (HY 1313, 4b2-6).

 

"According to HY1196, the mysterious, primordial and beginning "three ethers" developed out of the Great Nothing [tai-wu], transforming themselves into the Mysterious Subtle Jade Woman, mother of the Great Highest Elder Lord".

pp. 203-207 editions of the "Hidden Book of Jade Clarity"

p.

commentary on the Da-don Z^en-jin

203

"All those who practice the "Returning Wind Mixing Union Great Cavern Genuine Scripture in Thirty Nine Stanzas" ... should first recite the "High Highest Demon Dispelling Spirit Wisdom" ...,

causing orchid ether to spread throughout and the myriad spirits [vide infra, p. 206] to settle into their positions,

tuning one’s jade voice so that its ether is harmonized and its resonance is clear." (HY 1344 4b1-5)

205

"All those who receive the "Stanzas of the Jade Clarity Hidden Book Cavern Phosphor Golden Mystery" but do not have the "Jade Imperial Hidden Inscription Inner Writing Carved in Stone" are not allowed to recite the "Stanzas of Golden Mystery". ... [On the other hand,] it is futile to posses the "Hidden Inscription Inner Writing" without receiving the "Cavern Phosphor Golden Mystery"; one would still have no means to subdue demons." (HY 1345, 8a4-8)

 

"The "Jade Imperial Hidden Inscription Inner Writing Carved in Stone", which comprises the first section of HY1345, is comprised of two sets of inscriptions written in celestial cloud-script. The northern wall of these inscriptions was engraved on the northern wall of each of the six palaces on Mount Fengdu". ["The names of these palaces conform to the names given in juan 15 of the Zhengao, but the Zhengao states that the subterranean palaces of the "cavern heaven" share the same names, while HY1345 gives different names for them" (p. 205, fn. 29)]

206

"These six were believed to "command the myriad ghosts (gui), and govern the life and death of all people on earth"." "In addition to the Six Palaces on top of Mount Fengdu, there were six other palaces in the "cavern heaven" [don-tian] ...; these palaces ... were responsible for maintaining the records of the myriad "spirits" [s^en], counterparts to the [myriad] ghosts mentioned above.

The second of the "hidden inscriptions" contained in HY1345 was written on the northern wall of each of these subterranean palaces, and together these two inscriptions supervised the entire hierarchy of both ghosts and spirits. Similarly, the possessor of HY1345 was to write these inscriptions on the northern wall of his or her dwelling, and also on cloth so that they could be kept on his or her person at all times."

207

"One should first fast on the day ["This day was determined according to the year in which one was born ..., and would come once every sixty days." (fn. 207)] of one’s root destiny [ben-min]. "Then, ... bow twice facing north. After this, visualize the Jade Imperial Rose-gem Primordial Lord, request that one’s seven generations of ancestors be freed ... and beg for spirit adepthood for oneself. When this is fisnished, ... recite the scripture (HY1346) ... three times, and then read the "High Highest Demon Dispelling Jade Imperial Spirit Wisdom"." (HY 1346, 9a2-6)

pp. 227-231, 235 bao-gen (‘embryonic root’), su-gen (‘residual root’)

p.

root

227

"The embryonic root is sundered eightfold,

The August Elder carves one’s name,

The knots of the nine [jiu-jie : "the nine months during which these knots are formed as the fetus develops." (fn. 53)] are undone,

The essences of the five poisons are subjugated." (HY 1346, 8a5-6)

228

"The Chinese interpretation of residual karma put much more emphasis on the karmic connections between ancestors and their descendants than on the links between the present and past lives of a single individual, and thus the embryonic root of a new life was more likely to be influenced by ... ancestors than by ... its own previous incarnations. However, .... in later ages of the world ..., ... the embryonic roots began to be congealed from impure ethers (qi), which made people susceptible to disease and death."

 

"Heaven and earth cross their movements,

the two images [= sun & moon (fn. 55)] join their genuineness,

the yin and yang let fall their ethers,

above responding to the Nine Mysteries.

Flowing cinnabar turns nine times, congealing ether into essence.

Essence transforms into spirit, and spirit becomes a person ...

When the fetus is knotted

229

together and receives transformation,

then there is fortune or misfortune, long life or early death ...;

all this is received from the residing root [su-gen].

When the ethers tied together are impure,

then the internal organs accumulate obstructions,

the six storehouses (fu) are overcome with harm, ...

the body does not receive the numinous

and deathly ethers enter through the openings." (HY 1371, 1b3-10)

 

"The body formed itself over a period of nine months which was modeled upon the Nine Heavens. During this period, the various ethers that congealed ... knotted themselves together ..., joining into four knots in each of the upper, middle and lower regions of the body, in all forming twelve knots. It these knots were formed from impure ethers, then this would result in obstructions throughout the body ... Thus, ... it was necessary to cut away the embryonic root and undo these twelve knots

230

that blocked the life-giving ethers which circulated throughout the body. ... variant rituals to undo these twelve knots can be found ... also in the" Tai-dan Yin-s^u and the Ci-yi Bao-jin.

 

"When ten thousand recitations have been completed,

then the body will shine with golden asterisms; ...

one will look down as cloudy wheels move to and fro,

and bells will

231

sound in the Great Sky.

One will be included in the ranks of the highest genuine." (HY 1346, 8b9-9a1)

 

"While one’s ancestors could not immediately ascend to the highest celestial realms ..., those who recited the Yuqing yinshu could at the very least cause them to be reborn as "fetal adepts" in the Southern Palace which was reserved specifically for the training of those who had ascended in this way."

235

"Above releasing seven generations of ancestors,

Plucking out the residing root;

Registers of life are handed over to the Southern Palace

The violet embryo is protected within the fetal prime." (HY 1347, 11b6-7)

p. 235 deities of scriptures

scripture

its main deities

HY 1345 & 1346

Lord of Great Tenuity

HY 426

Great Ultimate Four Genuine Beings

HY 1347

Daimon-Dispelling Great-King of Jade-Clarity

p. 237 the 3 texts which are the core of the San-qi (‘3 Wonders’) theory

Ci-yi Bao-jin (Feminine-One 5-Elders Pretious-Scripture),

Su-lin Jin,

Da-don Z^en-jin

p. 240 the 2 mountains each containing San-guan (‘3 Offices’) within them

mt. Fen-du

[according to the Xiao Z^en-jin, in HY 1333, 5a7-b9]

mt. Tai in S^an-don

pp. 241-243 a parallel passages between the Z^en-gao (HY 1010) and HY 1333

p. 241 [HY 1010, 18.13a9-b3 (dream by Xu Hui, youngest son of Xu Mi)] "Yufu (Xu Hui) dreamed that his body flew up, suddenly entering a room which had several couches ... this was the way of joining with the sun to raise light and turning around the five asterisms. He saw someone standing in the east with an open scroll in his hand; it appeared to contain diagrams which imaged the forms of mountains, with written commentary below them."

p. 241 [HY 1333, 11a8-9] "Twist rose-gem wheels,

Turn around the five asterisms;

Join with the sun to raise light,

Enter the moon and penetrate its darkness."

 

pp. 242-3 [HY 1333, 4b10-5a2] [p. 242] "The Great Highest Lord Elder supervises

the "Spirit Tiger Great Talisman",

the "Gold Tiger Genuine Talisman" and

the "Wisdom Unadorned Scripture" [HY 1333]

for the Great Highest Lord of the Grand Way.

p. 242 [HY 1010, 18.6a3-5] "Lord Wang was told to transmit [a certain scripture] to those who know the genuine, and

the Azure youth was told to transmit [this scripture] to those who accomplish the genuine."

He told Lord Wang to transmit them to those who know the genuine, and

told [p. 243] the Azure youth to transmit them to those who accomplish the genuine."

p. 243 "The Great Ultimate has four genuine beings, and the Elder Lord resides on the left. He wears the "Talisman of the Spirit Tiger" and the "Bells of Flowing Gold", and holds a knot of violet fur, and ties a kerchief of golden essence around his head."

pp. 264-267 Jin-hu Z^en-fu (‘Golden-Tigre Genuine-Talisman’)

p.

talisman

264

[according to HY 426, 7b8-8a2 :-] "The "Golden Tiger Talisman ..." was transmitted by the Jade Genuine

265

Guarantor August Lord ... . Those who receive this talisman subdue the ten thousand spirits and employ the thousand numinous; ... and they can mount the three unadorned clouds, rising on high to the Great Ultimate and being honored as Left Officials [gon] in Highest Clarity."

266

[according to HY 1326, 1a5-6 :-] "If one does not have a jade name in the rose-gem registers and a carved tablet in the Three Clarities, then one cannot possess the "Golden Tiger Inner Talisman" or hear the "Jade Manuscript" of the Great Highest." [this "Jade Manuscript" may be the "Hidden Book of Jade Clarity"]

267

[according to HY 1326, 1b8-2a4 :-] "Those who wear this talisman ... admonish the various sprites, rein in phosphor dragons ... . Once the rose-gem tones have been shaken, then jade floriate [women] serve at their side, golden genuine [youths] guard them, ...

the forms of the ten thousand ghosts are destroyed,

the heads of the nine demons are exploded and

the Six Heavens are cast down.

... the spirit gathers the five numinous,

on the left whistling for mysterious youths and

on the right subjugating golden asterisms."

pp. 268-269 [according to HY 1326 :-] the Xiao-mo Z^en-jin

p. 268

"This talisman is carved in the "Jade Tablets of the Wisdom Manuscript of Highest Clarity", and has seventy thousand words. ...

p. 269

Parts of it contain the secret names of the celestial demons, other parts reveal the inner names of the ten thousand spirits [cf. the S^in-gon book listing the names of the 10,000 buddha-s] ...; it is a commentary on the rose-gem tones."

pp. 271-273, 285 S^en-hu Da-fu (‘Spirit-Tigre Great-Talisman’)

p.

talisman

271

"Although the "Spirit Tiger Great Talisman" is later almost always paired with the "Golden Tiger Genuine Talisman", in the two instances in the Zhengao when this talisman is paired with another talisman it is the "Bells of Flowing Gold" [Liu-jin Z^i Lin], not the "Golden Tiger Genuine Talisman" ... . It might be added that this fact provides evidence ... that the "Golden Tiger Genuine Talisman" did not appear until the fifth century [Chr.E.].

 

[according to HY 426, 7b3-7 :-] "The "Spirit Tiger Talisman of the Great Highest" was transmitted to the Great Highest by the Great Highest Empty August Lord of the Way. The Great Highest Lord of the Way entrusted it to the Genuine August of the Three Heavens, causing him to transmit it to all genuine beings and the many offices of the Celestial Imperials. Those who have a genuine name in Highest Clarity all receive and wear

272

this talisman. However, if one has this talisman but does not possess the "Hidden Book of Jade Clarity", then one cannot become a genuine being of Highest Clarity, but only ... the highest genuine of the Great Ultimate."

273

[according to HY 1322, 5a7-b3 :-] "On the first day of the seventh month of the third year of the [Xin-nin] period (365 [Chr.E.]) ..., the Genuine Being of [Ton-bo] transmitted the following to the master of the Way Xu Yuanyou : ... "there will appear a master of the Way wearing seven colored method clothes and carrying a nine crooked staff in his hand. If you see him, then you should fervently request his way (dao), and he will certainly give you the "Spirit Tiger Highest Talisman". This is the Genuine Being of the Southern Mount; the Great Highest often causes him to periodically go down among the people".

285

[according to HY 1322, 1b7-2a1 :-] "When the Three Heavens began to establish the proper, then [the Spirit Tiger Great Talisman"] was entrusted to the Celestial Imperial Lord of Great Tenuity [by the Great Highest], causing him to subdue the Six Heavens, behead the ten thousand spirits, subjugate the mountains and summon the seas, bind the various sprites, coerce demons".

p. 270 there is also a "Spirit Tigre Hidden Writing", included in the Xiao-mo Z^en-jin (juan 2 of HY 1333).

pp. 288-290 Liu-jin Huo-lin (‘Flowing-Gold Fire-Bells’)

p. 288

[according to HY 1321, 8a9-b3 :-] "The "Fire-Bells of Flowing Gold" is the essence of the nine stars ["The Northern Dipper, including its two secret stars." (fn. 116)], and it is also named the "Round Light" ... .

p. 289

It was born before the Nine Heavens, binding ethers to form writing ... . Hanging its essence and suspending its reflection on the nape of the Great Highest, after ten thousand years it transformed into the "Five Bell Spirit Talismans" ... . It subjugates the demons which reach to the highest limits of the heavens, its spirit spreading through the courts of the nine clouds".

p. 293 the 3 caverns as categories of scripture

#

don- (‘cavern __’)

__ Jin (‘__ Scriptures’)

1st

-z^en ‘genuine’

Highest Clarity

2nd

-xuan ‘mystery’

Lin-bao ‘Numinous Treasure’

3rd

-s^en ‘spirit’

San-huan ‘3 August’

p. 295 [transformations of the 3 primordial Treasure-Lords into the 3 caverns, according to the "Scripture of the 3 August" (according to the Wu-s^an Bi-yao, 6.5a-7a) :-]

the __ Treasure-Lord

congealed into the __

its August

[Tian-bao] ‘Caelestial-Treasure’

Da-don (‘Great Cavern’)

Caelestial

Lin-bao ‘Numinous-Treasure’

Don-xuan (‘Cavern-Mystery’)

Terrestrial

[S^en-bao] ‘Spirit-Treasure’

Don-s^en (‘Cavern-Spirit’)

Human

in HY 318, the Spirit-Treasure Lord is named San-huan Don-s^en Tai-qin Tai-ji Gon (‘3-August Cavern-Spirit Great-Clarity Great-Ultimate Palace’)

p. 301 San-qi (‘3 Wonders’) scriptures of the S^an-qin

Da-don Z^en-jin (‘Great-Cavern Genuine-Scripture’)

Ci-yi Bao-jin (‘Feminine-One Pretious-Scripture’)

Su-lin Jin (‘Unadorned-Numinous Scripture’), also known as Da-you Miao-jin (‘Great-Having Subtle-Scripture’)

p. 304 uses for the method for middle-genuine & terrestrial-adepts [according to HY 303, 6a2-b1 :-]

"have audience with the spirits of the thousand mountains, ...

expel the stale beneath the seven flowers,

draw in the new above the three palaces,

perform the rites for the infant [c^i-zi],

meet with the genuine being [z^en-ren] and

honor the child [yin-er].

[These] three genuine are the imperial lords of the bodily dwelling. ...

Those who can excel at this way ... will be able to see the genuine beings of the three palaces and both see and mount cloud carriages with feathered canopies, a thousand mounts and ten thousand steeds."

pp. 305-306 the 3 ones [according to HY 303, 3a2-8 :-]

p. 305

"The three ones are

the mysterious genuineness of Great Tenuity,

the primordial diagram of Highest Clarity.

One is called "Cavern Genuine" [Don-z^en],

one is called "Subtle Scripture" [Miao-jin], and

one is called "Unadorned Numinous" [Su-lin].

 

The Eastern Sea Small Youth Lord stores them within the Gem Sky Room inside the Numinous Phosphor Walls; they are not transmitted to those who are not registered in the adept records. ...

 

If you can maintain them, then

a cloud carriage with a feathered canopy will come, and

you will be able to create wind and

p. 306

rain, violent lightning and deafening thunder."

p. 306 scriptures at mt. Son [according to HY 303, 8b :-]

Z^ou Yi-s^an "came to the central peak of China, Mount Song, where he met the Central Yellow Elder Lord; in the city of this deity located beneath this mountain he saw one hundred jade youths and one hundred jade women reciting

the "Great Cavern Genuine Scripture in Thirty Nine Stanzas"

[Da-don Z^en-jin San-s^i-jiu Z^an],

the "Subtle Scripture of Great Having in Twenty Four Stanzas"

[Da-you Miao-jin San-s^i-jiu Z^an] and

the "Great Highest Unadorned Numinous in Twenty One Verses"

[Tai-s^an Su-lin Er-s^i-yi Qu]."

pp. 322-323 the 3-fold classification of scriptures [according to HY 1303, 44a2-b8 :-]

p. 322

1st : "the "Inner Writings of the Three August, Celestial Script in Large Characters", the registers of the Nine Heavens and the way of the yellow and the white; these also allow one to seize the reins [of a celestial vehicle] in the mysterious sky".

p. 323

2nd : the " "Numinous Treasure Cavern Mystery" [scriptures], which also arose together with the Primordial Beginning; ... fasting in purity with orchid fragrance, the [Wu-c^en talismans, described in HY 671] ... . These also result in the descent of genuine beings and [allow one to] fly up to great Clarity".

 

3rd : "the scriptures of the Way of Highest Clarity, [such as] the "Great Cinnabar Hidden Book"". "Those who acquire [the scriptures of Highest Clarity] have their names included in the jade tablets and their nomenclatures registered in the Azure palace, ascending to the asterisms in broad daylight".

 

"These commentaries ... are kept secret in the palace of great having above the Nine Heavens."

Shawn Eichman : Converging Paths. PhD diss, U of HI, 1999.