The Cultural Sovereign's Edict of Unseen Virtue 文昌帝君阴骘文

A morality-instruction text promulgated in the name of Emperor Wenchang.

The termYinzhi(hidden virtues) originates fromThe Book of History·The Great Plan: "Heaven alone bestows hidden blessings upon the people". Its original meaning refers to "silent determination"; later, it was widely interpreted as follows: although Heaven does not speak, it observes the good and evil deeds, merits and faults of humans in the unseen realm and metes out rewards and punishments accordingly.

In the name of Emperor Wenchang, this book states: "Refrain from all evil deeds and practice all kinds of good. Never shall inauspicious stars afflict you, and always shall auspicious deities protect you. Rewards will manifest in your own lifetime in the near term, and in the lives of your children and grandchildren in the long run. May countless blessings converge upon you and thousands of propitious omens gather around you—are these not attained through the practice of hidden virtues!" It calls on people to "perform extensive hidden virtues, so as to align with the firmament above" and "extend timely kindness at all moments, and accumulate various forms of hidden merits".

The so-called "hidden merits" advocated in the text include, besides religious practices such as "worshipping the true Dao and revering the Dipper" and "paying homage to Buddhas and reciting scriptures", many acts of social morality that can be practiced in daily life. Examples include "clearing thorns and brambles that block the road, removing tiles and stones that obstruct the path", refraining from poisoning fish and shrimp, abstaining from slaughtering farm cattle, not discarding written papers recklessly, and avoiding scheming for others’ property.

Though concise in form—comprising merely over 560 characters—this text enjoyed extraordinary popularity. It circulated extensively from bustling metropolises to remote rural areas. Under its influence, civil organizations such as theSociety for Honoring Written Characters and the Society for Releasing Living Beingsemerged among the folk. Even literati and scholar-officials composed copies of this text to promote benevolent conduct.

A great number of annotated versions of this text have been produced. The more important ones includeAnnotations on the Treatise on the Hidden Virtues of Emperor Wenchang,Illustrated Annotations on the Treatise on the Hidden VirtuesandTreatise on the Hidden Virtues with Pictorial Evidence.