Supreme Cavern True Origin Mysterious Charts 上方大洞真元妙经图
Paul PengSupreme Cavern True Origin Mysterious Charts
The original work bears no compiler’s name.
According to textual research, it was composed by Shi Yong (courtesy name Yaomin) of the Jin Dynasty or his disciples.
Supreme Cavern True Origin Mysterious Charts
It is included in the Numinous Charts category of the Dongxuan Section of The Daozang.At the beginning of the text is an anonymous preface, stating that in ancient times Yaomin discussed the Dao of the Great Cavern Perfected Origin with an “Immortal Lord,” and “Heaven displayed its charts, twelve in all.”
From this it is clear that the book claims to be divinely transmitted by an Immortal Lord, and originally contained twelve illustrations. The present version in The Daozang divides the twelve illustrations into two texts: the first five are included in Illustrations of the Wonderful Scripture of the Upper Cavern Great Perfected Origin, and the latter seven in Later Explanations to the Charts of Yin-Yang Ascent and Descent of the Upper Cavern Great Perfected Origin. The two texts should be combined as one.
The twelve illustrations are arranged in sequence as follows:
- Illustration of Emptiness and Non‑Being in Nature
- Illustration of the Dao’s Wonder in Obscurity
- Illustration of the Supreme Ultimate in Primordial Heaven
- Illustration of the Three Modes in Dark Being
- Illustration of Qi Movement
- Illustration of Yin‑Yang Ascent and Descent
- Illustration of the Four Images
- Illustration of the Five Elements in Rotation
- Illustration of the Eight Trigrams and Six Transformations
- Illustration of the Nine Palaces and Seven Stars
- Illustration of Cultivating Immortality and Refining Perfection
- Illustration of Subjects Paying Homage at the Golden Palace
Each illustration is first presented visually, followed by explanatory discourses that interpret the philosophical principles contained in the images.
Its teachings are generally based on the Commentaries on the Changes and the Laozi, outlining the formation and evolution of the cosmos, the principles of the rotation and movement of yin‑yang and the five elements, while incorporating Taoist doctrines of Qi and internal alchemy cultivation.
Both the images and their philosophy were deeply influenced by the chart‑based Yijing learning of Shao Yong, Zhou Dunyi and others of the Northern Song Dynasty. This work serves as valuable reference material for studying the relationship between Confucianism and Taoism during the Song and Yuan dynasties.
