Supreme Scripture of the Lotus Dharma 太上中道妙法莲华经

The author is unknown.

Judging from its content, it was probably compiled during the Northern and Southern Dynasties of Ancient China or the Sui and Tang dynasties.

Consisting of ten volumes, it is included in the Xu Daozang (Supplementary Taoist Canon), a continuation of the Daozang.

Supreme Scripture of the Lotus Dharma

Modeled after the Buddhist Lotus Sutra, this scripture is falsely attributed to the Primordial Lord preaching seventeen sections of Taoist doctrines to various perfected ones in the Great Luo Heaven, aiming to universally save all sentient beings. Its core tenet borrows the concept of karmic retribution, exhorting people to do good and abstain from evil. It proclaims that those who recite this scripture can cure illnesses and eliminate disasters; upholding the "Five Precepts and Ten Good Deeds" and accumulating merits will enable sentient beings to escape the "one path and five sufferings," while those who commit evil will "forever sink in the sea of bitterness." The term "Wonderful Dharma" in the scripture title signifies the boundless magical power of Taoism, and "Lotus" is a metaphor for purity and unblemished virtue—additionally implying that the nine-colored lotus serves as a "compassionate vessel" to ferry ordinary people away from the sea of bitterness and reach the other shore of enlightenment. Numerous nouns and terms in this scripture, such as the Seven Treasures, reincarnation, karma, Mount Sumeru, Trayastrimsa Heaven, lion's roar, Four Heavenly Kings, and vigorous diligence, are all derived from Buddhist scriptures, reflecting the profound influence of Buddhist thought on it. The scripture's emphasis on moral cultivation and universal salvation aligns with the fundamental philosophy of the Dao, integrating foreign concepts into Taoist teachings.