The Pure Heart Mantra
Supreme Tai Shang and the Three Tai Stars,
Responding to changes without cease.
Expel evil and bind goblins,
Guard life and protect the body.
Wisdom becomes clear and pure,
Mind and spirit remain tranquil.
The Three Souls abide forever,
The Seven Po souls never perish or scatter.
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The Pure Heart Mantra is derived from The Sublime Scripture of the Three Primes for Bestowing Blessings, Pardoning Sins, Relieving Calamities, Dispelling Disasters, Extending Life, and Protecting Vitality. Devout recitation of this mantra is believed to bring great blessings and accumulate corresponding merits.
The Treatise on the Response of Heaven states: “Fortune and misfortune have no fixed gate; they are brought upon oneself by man.”
Heaven and Earth have deities who record transgressions, as well as the Divine Lords of the Three Tai and Big Dipper, who hover above humans to note their sins and deduct their lifespan (calculated in “ji-suan,” a unit of celestial reckoning). The Three Corpse Gods, acting as “envoy deities” of the immortal realm, reside within the human body, monitoring every thought and action. In other words, each person’s fate is governed by a corresponding star. It is said that the Three Tai constellation consists of six stars, with two stars per “Tai”: the Upper Tai oversees life, the Middle Tai manages merits, and the Lower Tai controls blessings and official rank.
Taoism has long held the belief that “the liver stores the Soul (Hun), and the lungs store the Po (corporeal soul).” Humans have Three Souls, which correspond to the Three Tai Stars. When a person, through wisdom, controls their six desires and seven emotions and attains inner calm, the Three Souls—Tai Guang (Embryonic Light), Shuang Ling (Bright Spirit), and You Jing (Hidden Essence)—can remain permanently anchored in the body. With the Souls intact, the Po souls (which belong to yin energy) will not disperse, and thus the person will not easily lose their life.
The core purpose of the Pure Heart Mantra is to eliminate distractions and calm the mind, thereby transforming the “ordinary mind” into the “Taoist mind.” This mantra is recited by Taoist priests when entering the hall to chant scriptures, and it is also suitable for lay practitioners. Although there are countless approaches to cultivation, they all ultimately converge on one essence: cultivating the mind.
The Blessings Obtained
By nature, the human mind is inherently pure and tranquil. However, as people later lose sight of their original mind, they generate all kinds of delusions, random thoughts, and transgressions, causing their minds to lose their innate purity, clarity, and freedom from defilement.
The Supreme Tai Shang revealed the Pure Heart Mantra to save all sentient beings. Those who recite this mantra with sincerity can obtain numerous blessings:
- Purify the defiled mind and awaken the innate wisdom to perceive the universe and human affairs.
- Attain mental peace and tranquility, enabling comprehension of the supreme, authentic Tao taught by the Supreme Tai Shang.
- Expel evil spirits and goblins, protecting life and the body.
- Ensure the Three Souls never leave the body.
- Prevent the Seven Po souls from being lost or destroyed.
The Essence of the Mantra
Out of compassion, the Supreme Tai Shang seeks to save ordinary sentient beings. He expounds the Pure Heart Mantra for all living creatures, observing the changes of all things in the world with his omnipresent power and boundless mercy. He provides appropriate methods to eliminate delusions, defilements, sins, and transgressions from sentient beings’ minds, allowing them to attain physical and mental purity. This awakening reveals their innate infinite wisdom, enabling them to always maintain a calm and tranquil mind, unperturbed by worldly troubles. Thus, they can wholeheartedly recite the sacred scriptures and mantras revealed by the sages, comprehend the operation of the Tao, practice diligently, and ultimately unite with the Tao to achieve enlightenment.
In daily life, those who are able should devoutly recite this mantra and Taoist scriptures, while actively doing good deeds to accumulate blessings and karmic affinity. In this way, they can unlock their innate wisdom and creativity, practice diligently, and eventually attain complete merits to join the ranks of immortals.
Explanation of the Scripture
From Annotations on the Scripture of the Three Officials: “Human nature is inherently pure—what need is there to ‘purify’ it? It is because ordinary people lose their original mind, accumulate numerous transgressions, and their minds are no longer their true minds. Therefore, the Supreme Tai Shang revealed this Pure Heart Mantra to help people cleanse their minds, rediscover their innate wisdom, and calm their minds and spirits. Only then can they chant scriptures and comprehend the true meaning of the Supreme Tai Shang’s teachings. The Tai Stars (Three Tai Stars) govern all living beings, remaining ever pure and responsive—just like the inherent conscience of humans. If people can embody this, evil spirits will not dare to intrude. Life will be safeguarded by oneself, the body protected by oneself, and wisdom will naturally become clear and pure. The Soul (Hun) belongs to yang; if the Soul never leaves the body, a person will not die and will unite with the Tao. The Po (corporeal soul) belongs to yin; if the Po never perishes or scatters, the body will remain intact, and one will undergo the transformation of ‘returning to yang and renewing the bones.’”
(Annotations on the Scripture of the Three Officials was annotated by Nie Shihao from Gangan, Yuzhang Prefecture (present-day Xingan County, Jiangxi Province). The woodblock edition was printed in the 2nd year of the Guangxu reign of the Qing Dynasty (1876) and is now collected in the Tianjin Library.)
“Supreme Tai Shang and the Three Tai Stars, Responding to changes without cease”
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Supreme Tai Shang: The term “Tai Shang” (Supreme) originally means “the highest.” In Taoism, it refers to one of the “Three Pure Ones”—the Heavenly Venerable of Dao and Virtue, who resides in the Great Pure Realm and is revered as the founder of Taoism.
- From Annotations on the Sublime Scripture of the Primordial Infinite Salvation for All Beings: “Tai Shang refers to the Supreme Lord of the Jade Dawn (Yuchen Gaoshang Dadao Jun), a disciple of the Primordial Heavenly Venerable and the teacher of the Heavenly Lord of the Great Mystery (Taiwei Tiandi Jun). He resides in the Jade Dawn Palace of the Upper Pure Realm (Shangqing Shangyuan Yuchen Gong).”
- From The Inner Methods of Taiji Rituals for Refining the Dead: “All methods and all talismans originate from Tai Shang. Tai Shang is the supreme—nothing surpasses Him. He embodies the wonderful power of natural creation.”
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Tai Stars: Refers to the Three Tai Stars of the Big Dipper constellation, namely Xujing (Void Essence), Liuchun (Six Purity), and Qusheng (Crooked Life). They are in charge of prolonging life, bestowing blessings, and dispelling disasters, collectively known as the Three Tai Stars (or the Three Tai Divine Lords). The Upper Tai governs life, the Middle Tai manages merits, and the Lower Tai controls records of blessings. This line means that the most revered Taoist deity “Tai Shang” (i.e., the Tao itself) is omnipresent, responding to changes without pause and observing the transformations of all things in the world.
“Expel evil and bind goblins, Guard life and protect the body”
Following the previous line (“Supreme Tai Shang and the Three Tai Stars, Responding to changes without cease”), this line implies that Tai Shang (the Tao) responds to all beings and is everywhere. Those who sincerely practice the Tao will naturally receive protection for their body and mind, and no evil spirits or goblins will dare to invade them.
“Wisdom becomes clear and pure, Mind and spirit remain tranquil”
- Wisdom: Refers to the ability to recognize, analyze, judge, handle matters, and innovate. From The Pure Scripture of the Supreme True Tao on Wisdom Dispelling Demons: “A wise person acts with their heart and speaks with their mouth; in every movement of their body, they take practicing the Tao as their starting point. They begin well and end well, never deviating from their original intention. They refine their mind day by day, making steady progress in doing good deeds, and their merits are renewed constantly. Those who cannot achieve this are not truly wise.”
- Clear and pure: Understandable and undefiled. This line means that to accomplish anything well, one must keep their mind tranquil and focus on one goal—only then will wisdom become bright and open, and spiritual powers become vast.
From The Mahayana Wonderful Forest Scripture: “The mind is like a bright mirror, free from attachments. It illuminates all phenomena, clearly and purely, without obstacles.” If one’s mind is pure and undefiled, they can perceive the entire world clearly and unobstructedly, without any hindrances.
“The Three Souls abide forever, The Seven Po souls never perish or scatter”
- Three Souls: According to The Cloudy Satchel (Yunji Qiqian), a classic Taoist text: “Humans have Three Souls: the first is Tai Guang (Embryonic Light, governing life), the second is Shuang Ling (Bright Spirit, governing wealth and official rank), and the third is You Jing (Hidden Essence, governing misfortunes and decline).”
- Seven Po souls: According to The Cloudy Satchel: “There are Seven Po souls, namely Shigou (Corpse Dog), Fushi (Hidden Arrow), Queyin (Sparrow Yin), Tunjian (Swallowing Shame), Feidu (Non-Poison), Chuhui (Eliminating Filth), and Choufei (Stinking Lung).”
The “Three Souls and Seven Po” are the general terms for the soul (Hun, yang) and corporeal soul (Po, yin) in Taoism. From The Can Tong Qi (The Kinship of the Three): “The yang spirit is called the Soul (Hun); the yin spirit is called the Po.” This line means that humans should master the techniques to control the Three Souls and regulate the Seven Po souls, in order to nourish their innate vitality and subdue ghosts and spirits.
