The Shangqing Mingjian Yaojing 上清明鉴要经

The author of The Essential Scripture of Clear Mirror for Shangqing is unknown.

Judging from its content and wording, it seems to have been compiled by Taoist priests of the Shangqing School during the Southern and Northern Dynasties, or the Sui and Tang dynasties.

It is a one-volume work and included in the "Zhengyi Section" of the Taoist Canon (Daozang).

This scripture compiles seven medical and ritual texts, whose content can be divided into two parts. The two texts, The Scripture on the Method of Making a Bright Mirror and The Scripture on True Person Taoists Polishing Mirrors, discuss the Dao of bright mirrors.

It claims that hanging a nine-cun (ancient Chinese unit of length, approximately 30 cm) bright mirror on the left, right, or behind oneself can allow one to see ghosts and gods, achieve shape-shifting, and ward off evil spirits to eliminate harm. It can also sharpen one’s eyes and ears, enable one to predict good and bad fortunes of the world in the future, or even see through one’s five viscera. The book details the methods of making and using bright mirrors.

The other five texts—Laozi’s Hundred-Flower Powder: The Prescription for Avoiding Weapons and Transcending the World, The Immortal’s Divine Wine Prescription, The Immortal’s Pillow Prescription for Eliminating All Diseases, Laozi’s Talisman and Prescription in the Pillow, and Laozi’s Divine Secret Prescription from the Jade Box: The Scripture on Growing Ganoderma—are all immortal medicinal prescriptions.

It is stated that preparing pills, powders, medicinal wines, or medicinal pillows using herbal or mineral medicines according to the formulas, or growing ganoderma and taking them in accordance with the methods, can help avoid weapons, dispel disasters, cure diseases, drive away evil spirits, restore youth, and achieve longevity.