The Celestial Bliss Scripture 元始天王欢乐经

The author is unknown. Judging from its content and linguistic style, the text is believed to have been compiled during the Northern and Southern Dynasties or the Sui-Tang period.

It consists of one fascicle and is included in theScripture Texts Categoryof theCave of Truth Divisionin theDaoist Canon(Daozang).

Purportedly preached by the Heavenly King of Primordial Origin to the Lord of the Nine Qi, the scripture proclaims that the mortal world is afflicted by various disasters such as floods, fires, and wars, with suffering rampant everywhere and the common people enduring great torment. The Heavenly King exhorts emperors, kings, queens, concubines, ministers, as well as pious men and women, stating:"Always resolve to embrace the orthodox Dao, make offerings to the Three Jewels, cultivate abundant karmic blessings extensively, build Taoist abbeys to deliver all beings, transcribe scriptures and sculpt sacred images, practice Daoist rituals and pay homage to the deities, receive precepts and observe fasts, practice charity and release living creatures, repent sincerely and make pious vows, and relieve the poor and the afflicted."

Those who uphold these practices shall be protected by the Heavenly King, who will dispatch one hundred True Persons, one hundred Heavenly Boys, one hundred Jade Maidens, one hundred Vajras, one hundred Divine Kings, and one hundred Generals to safeguard the kings and bless the people. This will bring about a state where"all heavens rejoice in bliss, the nation enjoys peace and tranquility, the sun, moon and stars abide by their respective paths, rivers and seas remain calm, wind and rain come in due season, all things thrive in prosperity, and universal joy prevails under heaven".