Page 434 - The Encyclopedia of Taoism v1_A-L

DUREN JING 395

and to saving those suffering in the world or in the hells. The scripture is re-
lated by the Most High Lord of the Dao (Taishang daojun :;tJ:i11!tt), who
recounts his own ordination and receipt of the scripture from the supreme
deity of Lingbao, the Celestial Worthy of Original Commencement (Yuanshi
tianzun jfJ§!:::R~; see *sanqing) in a previous world-age. Through mindful
recitation of the text, preceded by a simple meditation procedure, adepts are
invited to participate in the ordination and salvation of the Most High Lord
both to ensure their own salvation and that of their ancestors, on whose behalf
they also recite.
The scripture describes in poetic language the miraculous effects of the
Celestial Worthy's ten recitations of the scripture which radiated throughout
the Thirty-two Heavens (*sanshi'er tian); the origins of the Lingbao scriptures
in the ethers of previous kalpa-cycles (*jie); and the various gods resident
within the body and in the macrocosm who participate in the salvation of
the individual. Among the gods of the macrocosm are the Demon kings of
the Three Realms (sanjie mowang -= W Jl.I, adapted from the Buddhistlord
of the third realm, the tempter Mara) who test aspirants for transcendence
as they ascend bur allow to pass those who can properly recite the text.
The salvific power of the text resides in the fact that it contains "the inner
names of the [celestial] emperors and the sounds of the secret rhymes of all
the heavens, as well as of the taboo-names of the demon kings and the secret
names of the myriad spirits." The names of the gods and demon kings parallel
Chinese transcriptions of Buddhist names and terms. The "secret rhymes,"
also known as the "secret language of the Great Brahma" (*dafan yinyu), said
to be the languages of the Thirty-two Heavens, are similarly constructed.
The words of this language prove to be powerful talismans that, through
demonstrating the practitioner's knowledge of the unseen realms, are able to
rescue ancestors from the hells, avert disaster, protect the realm, and ensure
the deliverance of the practitioner.
Foremost among the days prescribed for recitation of the Scripture on Sal-
vation are the days of the Three Primes (*sanyuan) associated with the Three
Offices (*sanguan, of Heaven, Earth, and Water). These are the fifteenth day of
the first, seventh, and tenth lunar months, days when the assemblies of gods
in the Three Offices meet to assess the life and death records of all humans,
the living and the dead. Similar assemblies of the high deities to inspect one's
personal records occur on other days when the scripture should be recited-the
eight nodal days of the year (bajie j jp, namely, equinoxes, solstices, and the
first day of each season) and the days of one's "natal destiny" (*benming).
The earliest surviving commentary on the Duren jing is that of Yan Dong f$.
*, composed ca. 485. It is now to be found in the Duren shangpin miaojing sizhu
llAJ: rI'b j!I)~ IZ9 ~ (Four Commentaries to the Wondrous Scripture of the