Scripture of the Inner Secret True Treasury 无上内秘真藏经
Paul PengScripture of the Inner Secret True Treasury
The author is unknown.
It was probably compiled from the late The Northern and Southern Dynasties to the Sui and Tang dynasties.
Consisting of ten volumes, it is included in the Benwen (Scripture Text) category of The Dongzhen Section in The Daozang.
Scripture of the Inner Secret True Treasury
The Dunhuang manuscript P2467 excerpts eight volumes of this scripture, and a short passage is also included in Volume 95 of Yunji Qiqian (Seven Slips of the Cloud Satchel). The entire text is divided into thirteen chapters: Manifesting the Dao Chapter, Distinguishing the Three Treasures Chapter, Distinguishing the Four Truths Chapter, Kindness and Grace Chapter, Liberation Chapter, Distinguishing Characteristics and Clarifying Textual Divisions Chapter, Universal Illumination Chapter, Manifesting Merits and Virtues Chapter, Manifesting Precepts and Practices Chapter, Wonderful Virtue Chapter, Assembling Immortals Chapter, Clarifying Practices Chapter, and Ultimate Chapter.
Falsely attributed to dialogues between Yuanshi Tianzun (the Primordial Lord) and various immortals on Lingjie Mountain, the scripture comprehensively and systematically expounds the theory of The Dao cultivation. Its doctrines are largely based on the Taoist thought of purity, tranquility, and non-action, integrating the Mahayana Buddhist theory of emptiness and extinction, and repeatedly elaborating on the profound meaning of "True Treasury" and the wonderful Mahayana Dharma.
The scripture states: "The nature of all sentient beings is pure and tranquil; the celestial true Dao is hidden within it, which is named the True Treasury." This True Treasury refers to the state of being neither internal nor external, neither born nor extinguished, pure, tranquil, and extinct. All sentient beings possess this True Treasury, hence they have the true Dao-nature, infinite dharmas, and embody the Three Pure Ones realms. However, sentient beings are deluded, failing to believe that they possess the True Treasury within themselves—thus they suffer boundlessly and cannot attain liberation; some seek the Dao externally, falling into Hinayana, and ultimately find it difficult to attain the Dao.
Therefore, when sentient beings seek the Dao, they should look inward for the True Treasury within their own bodies to achieve liberation of both body and mind—this is the Mahayana Dao. This wonderful Mahayana Dharma requires not only "separating from all characteristics, all practices, all contemplations, all wisdom, separating from the mind of emptiness and existence, separating from the true reality"; but also advancing further to a state where "there is no separation, nor non-separation; no practice, nor non-practice; no contemplation, nor non-contemplation; no emptiness, nor non-emptiness; no truth, nor non-truth", until reaching the realm where "the true Dao is extinct, and extinction has no extinction to extinguish". This is the core theory of "rejecting both existence and non-existence" in the Chongxuan (Twofold Mystery) philosophy of Taoism during the Sui and Tang dynasties.
