protection of life scripture

The Exalted One’s Profound Protection of Life Scripture

太上護命妙經Tai Shang Hu Ming Miao Jing

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Please do not lay this scripture upon the floor where it may be damaged, do not carry it

inside a bathroom, and do not treat it lightly or with disregard.

Translation by Stuart Alve OlsonCopyright © 2012

Printed and distributed by the Sanctuary of DaoPhoenix, Arizona

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PrefaceThis short scripture was most likely composed during the Tangdynasty (618 to 907 CE). The primary message and wisdomto be obtained from it is the realization of the dual mystery ofthe Dao—being is just non-being and non-being is just being.When a person attains this wisdom, it is called “illumination,”and illumination cuts off all delusion, the Six Roots (the or-gans, functions, and consciousnesses of the eyes, ears, nose,tongue, body, and mind), and all wrong influences. Therefore,great spiritual beings thus surround and protect this scripturefrom all negative forces and spirits, whom wish to destroy itbecause it reveals the wisdom of the dual mystery of Dao thatallows people to attain the “naturally-just-so” and illumina-tion, namely to attain the mind of Dao.

Because this scripture reveals true sagely wisdom, peopleare encouraged to distribute it, read, recite, and even carry itupon their person for protection. Since the scripture is pro-tected by a great host of spiritual beings, the person reading,reciting, and carrying the scripture will likewise be protected.

The scripture is attributed to the Exalted One (Lao Zi),who introduces and explains the basis of the scripture. Heav-enly Worthy (Jade Purity, the Heavenly Worthy of PrimordialCausation and main deity of the Three Pure Ones) spoke thisscripture at the Palace of the Five Luminaries in the Forest ofthe Seven Treasures. The Forest of Seven Treasures is a

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metaphor for the Three Origins and Four Images that residein the human body—namely, Primordial Essence, Qi, andSpirit, and the four Yi Jing images of Qian (1, Heaven), Kun(5, Earth), Li (7, Fire), and Kan (3, Water)—the SevenTreasures. The Palace of the Five Luminaries is a metaphor forthe transmuted and illuminated essences of Earth, Metal,Water, Wood, and Fire within the human body—the Five El-ements. Basically, this means these spiritual places all existwithin the Mind of Dao, which is to say the Original Spiritof every human being.

Hence, those who are illuminated see this forest andpalace; those who are not illuminated cannot see them. Thisscripture, then, is a powerful means by which the spirits pro-tecting it can come to the aid of mortals to become illumi-nated and thus end their suffering and delusion—to becomeimmortal.

Peace in the Way,Sanctuary of Dao Staff

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[Full title]

The Exalted One’s Profound Spiritual Treasury of the Secret Grotto and Mysterious Ascension

for the Purpose of Protecting Life Scripture太上洞玄靈寶昇玄消災護命妙經

Tai Shang Dong Xuan Ling Bao Sheng Xuan Xiao Zai Hu Ming Miao Jing

[The Exalted One introduces the scripture]Bowing to take sanctuary with the multitudes of the profound Dao with an utmost heart and reverence of the dual mysteries of the True, now with one heart the mind is made reverent.

稽首歸依眾妙道. 至心恭敬二玄真. 今運一心心所禮.Ji Shou Gui Yi Zhong Miao Dao. Zhi Xin Gong Jing Er Xuan Zhen.Jin Yun Yi Xin Xin Suo Li.

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The coarse understanding of the scriptures and reason forthe scriptures is [to know] “emptiness is form, form is justemptiness,” and this is keeping to Original Nature. Being is non-being, non-being is being; as form is emptiness, all these are equal.

粗識此經經所因. 空色色空存本性. 有無無有色空均.Chu Shi Ci Jing Jing Suo Yin. Kong Se Se Kong Cun Ben Xing. You WuWu You Se Kong Jun.

The winds of wisdom come from the strength of the Heavenly Worthy. Sweep clean the boundaries of the mindso there is no more earthly dust. Only seek the light of thespirit and constantly support and protect it. Making this[teaching] known is to immediately guard the minds of people, and when making this known, their minds will be guarded immediately, and without fail their mortal body will obtain an immortal body.

慧風出自天尊力. 掃除心界不遺塵. 唯願神光常擁護. 證明今日守心人. 今日守心何所證. 不失凡身得道身.Hui Feng Chu Zi Tian Zun Li. Sao Chu Xin Jie Bu Yi Chen. Wei YuanShen Guang Chang Yong Hu. Zheng Ming Jin Ri Shou Xin Ren. Jin RiShou Xin He Suo Zheng. Bu Shi Fan Shen De Dao Shen.

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At the time when the Heavenly Worthy of the PrimordialCause was dwelling in the Forest of the Seven Treasures at the Palace of the Five Luminaries together with anincalculable gathering of sages, they all produced unlimitedrays of light, illuminating countless worlds to observecountless living beings undergoing countless sufferings and distresses.

爾時. 元始天尊. 在七寶林中. 五明宮內. 與無極聖眾. 俱放無極光明. 照無極世界. 觀無極眾生. 受無極苦惱.Er Shi. Yuan Shi Tian Zun. Zai Qi Bao Lin Zhong. Wu Ming Gong Nei.Yu Wu Ji Sheng Zhong. Ju Fang Wu Ji Guang Ming. Zhao Wu Ji Shi Jie.Guan Wu Ji Zhong Sheng. Shou Wu Ji Ku Nao.

Winding about in this world, circling through life anddeath, drifting within the current in a river of love, [livingbeings] fall into a sea of desires, sinking into a sluggish state of sound and form, confused by being and non-being—about the non-existence of emptiness and theexistence of emptiness, about the non-existence of form and the existence of form, and about the non-existence of non-being and the existence of being and non-being.They are befuddled about the beginnings and endings of things, and are unable to illuminate themselves, and so in the end they are completely confused.

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宛轉世間. 輪迴生死. 漂浪愛河. 流吹慾海.沉滯聲色. 迷惑有無. 無空有空. 無色有色.無無有無. 有有無有. 終始暗昧. 不能自明.畢竟迷惑.Wan Zhuan Shi Jian. Lun Hui Sheng Si. Piao Lang Ai He. Liu Chui YuHai. Chen Zhi Sheng Se. Mi Huo You Wu. Wu Kong You Kong. Wu SeYou Se. Wu Wu You Wu. You You Wu You. Zhong Shi An Mei. BuNeng Zi Ming. Bi Jing Mi Huo.

[Jade Purity, the Heavenly Worthy of Primordial Causation, nowspeaks]The Heavenly Worthy then spoke, “All of you living beingsfollow [the idea] that there is no being within being, noemptiness within emptiness, no form within form, and novoid within the void. Yet, being is not always non-being,and emptiness is not always non-emptiness; form is notalways form, and emptiness is not always emptiness.Emptiness is empty, yet emptiness is not a fixed emptiness.Form is form, yet form is not a fixed form. Form isemptiness and emptiness is form. If they are able to knowemptiness as non-emptiness, know form as not-form, thisthen is called ‘illumination,’ and is the initial penetrationinto the wondrous sound.

天尊告曰. 汝等眾生. 從不有中有. 不無中無.不色中色. 不空中空. 非有為有. 非無為無. 非

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色為色. 非空為空. 空即是空. 空無定空. 色即是色. 色無定色. 即色是空. 即空是色. 若能知空不空. 知色不色. 名為照了. 始達妙音.Tian Zun Gao Yue. Ru Deng Zhong Sheng. Chong Bu You Zhong You.Bu Wu Zhong Wu. Bu Se Zhong Se. Bu Kong Zhong Kong. Fei You WeiYou. Fei Wu Wei Wu. Fei Se Wei Se. Fei Kong Wei Kong. Kong Ji ShiKong. Kong Wu Ding Kong. Se Ji Shi Se. Se Wu Ding Se. Ji Se ShiKong. Ji Kong Shi Se. Ruo Neng Zhi Kong Bu Kong. Zhi Se Bu Se.Ming Wei Zhao Liao. Shi Da Miao Yin.

“Knowing the laws of non-emptiness, contemplation withinthe grotto is unhindered, and all beings can enter the gate of the profound, and fully realize the ‘naturally-just-so’—leaving all nets of doubt, and unattached to perceptions of emptiness. The Six Roots will be completely clear, andobstructions from all wrong influences will be cut off.識無空法. 洞觀無礙. 入眾妙門. 自然解悟.離諸疑網. 不著空見. 清淨六根. 斷諸邪障.Shi Wu Kong Fa. Dong Cha Wu Ai. Ru Zhong Miao Men. Zi Ran JieWu. Li Zhu Yi Wang. Bu Zhuo Kong Jian. Qing Jing Liu Gen. Duan ZhuXie Zhang.

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“Thus, I have spoken this profound scripture and call itProtecting Life. It can cross over all living beings and soshould be transmitted to the entire world, freely circulatedso it may be read and recited. Then the Flying HeavenlySpirit Kings, the Diamond Warriors who destroy demonicinfluences, the Spiritual Youth who protects the teachings,the True Person who rescues those from suffering, and theGolden-Eyed Beasts, each of the hundreds of millions ofthem all protect this scripture. Hence, wherever offerings aremade [to this scripture] they will ward-off distress and givesupport to the weak; they will cross over every living beingand cut off all clinging and attachments.”

吾即為汝. 說是妙經. 名曰護命. 濟度眾生.傳教世間. 流通讀誦. 即有飛天神王. 破邪金剛. 護法靈童. 救苦真人. 金睛猛獸. 各百億萬眾. 俱侍衛是經. 隨所供養. 捍厄扶衰.度一切眾生. 離諸染著.Wu Ji Wei Ru. Shuo Shi Miao Jing. Ming Yue Hu Ming. Ji Du ZhongSheng. Chuan Jiao Shi Jie. Liu Tong Du Song. Ji You Fei Tian ShenWang. Po Xie Jin Gang. Hu Fa Ling Tong. Jiu Ku Zhen Ren. Jin JingMeng Shou. Ge Bai Yi Wan Zhong. Ju Si Wei Shi Jing. Sui Suo GongYang. Han E Fu Shuai. Du Yi Qie Zhong Sheng. Li Zhu Rang Zhuo.

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At this time the Heavenly Worthy spoke this verse:

爾時. 天尊即說偈曰.Er Shi. Tian Zun Ji Shuo Jie Yue.

“Using the eyes, you cannot see me. Using the ears, you cannot hear me.I am cut off from all limitations, so I am called the ‘Profound Dao.’”

視不見我. 聽不得聞. 離種種邊. 名為妙道.Shi Bu Jian Wo. Ting Bu De Wen.

Li Zhong Zhong Bian. Ming Wei Miao Dao.

End of The Exalted One’s Profound Spiritual Treasury of the Secret Grotto and Mysterious Ascension for the Purpose of Protecting Life Scripture.

太上洞玄靈寶昇玄消災護命妙經終.Tai Shang Dong Xuan Ling Bao Sheng Xuan Xiao Zai Hu Ming MiaoJing Zhong.

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About the Sanctuary of DaoThe Sanctuary of Dao is an educational, spiritual, and literaryorganization dedicated to the preservation and propagation ofDaoism. In its literary function, materials on Daoism are pro-duced and distributed, along with in-depth commentaries tohelp people apply the Daoist scriptural teachings to their livesand practices. Offering spiritual services to its members andthe public in the form of lectures, ceremonies, meditation ses-sions, and retreats, the Sanctuary of Dao also provides teach-ings through an array of courses and materials on a wide rangeof Daoist subjects. Other main goals include developing anenvironment in which people may learn valuable Daoist teach-ings and practices, as well as to procure a location that providesan ideal setting for full-time Daoist practitioners to pursuespiritual cultivation.

Please visit our website at sanctuaryofdao.org for moreinformation.

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