The Shangqing Eight Dao Secret Sayings Diagram 上清八道秘言图

(Shangqing Badao Miyanyan Tu), author unknown.

Judging from its content, it should be a text of the Shangqing School (Supreme Clarity School) from the Six Dynasties period or the Sui-Tang dynasties. It consists of one scroll and is included in the Lingtu Lei (Spiritual Diagrams Category) of the Dongxuan Bu (Mysterious Grotto Section) within the Daozang (Taoist Canon).

The scripture content of this book is identical to that of the "Chapter on the Eight Dao Secret Sayings" (Badao Miyanyan Zhang) in Shangqing Nine True Middle Scripture (Shangqing Jiuzhen Zhongjing). However, since eight illustrations were added to the scripture, it was renamed Shangqing Eight Dao Secret Sayings Diagram.

The scripture expounds the method of practicing the "Eight Dao Secret Sayings." This method involves, on the days of the Four Seasons and Eight Festivals (the Beginning of Spring, Spring Equinox, Beginning of Summer, Summer Solstice, Beginning of Autumn, Autumn Equinox, Beginning of Winter, and Winter Solstice), engaging in cunsi (visualization meditation) on divine beings such as the Great Primeval Three Yuanjun (Taisu Sanyuanjun). It claims that practicing this method can enable one to summon divine truths and ascend to immortality.