The Shangqing Scripture of Golden Truth, Jade Radiance, and the Eight Sceneries' Ascension
It is one of the early classics of the Shangqing School (a major school of Taoism), presumably compiled during the Eastern Jin Dynasty (317-420 CE).
- Shangqing Dadong Zhenjing Mu (Catalogue of the True Scripture of the Great Cavern of Shangqing) records an entry titled "One Scroll of the Supreme Hidden Book of Golden Truth and Jade Radiance";
- Taoist texts such as Wushang Miyao (The Supreme Secret Essentials) cite Dongzhen Jinzhen Yuguang Bajing Feijing (The Cavern of Truth Scripture of Golden Truth, Jade Radiance, and the Eight Sceneries' Ascension) — all of these references refer to this very scripture.
The extant version consists of one scroll and is included in the "Zhengyi Section" (the core section of the Taoist Canon focusing on orthodox rituals and doctrines) of the Daozang (Taoist Canon). Additionally, five Dunhuang manuscripts of this scripture exist, copied in the first year of Ruyi during the reign of Empress Wu Zetian of the Tang Dynasty (692 CE), and their content is largely consistent with the version in the Daozang.
This scripture is attributed to Qingtong Jun (the Youthful Lord, a high-ranking Taoist deity holding the position of "Prime Minister" in the celestial hierarchy) as its compiler, and it is said to have been transmitted by Zhenren Tongbai (the Perfected One of Tongbai Mountain) to Xu Yuanyou (also known as Xu Mai), a Taoist practitioner of the Eastern Jin Dynasty.
The scripture contains three sections on Taoist practices:
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The Method of the Eight Secret Essentials for Cultivating the Scripture of the Eight Sceneries' AscensionThis method prescribes that on the eight solar terms (key days in the traditional Chinese lunar calendar marking seasonal changes), practitioners should enter a secluded room to perform cunsi (focused visualization), pay homage to the divine beings of the "Eight Sceneries of the Heavenly Palace," and thereby summon true deities, attract divine presence, and achieve ascension to immortality.
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The Method of Reciting Chapters and Placing Talismans for Cultivating the Scripture of the Eight Sceneries' AscensionThe procedure involves first reciting Jinzhen Taikong Zhi Zhang (The Chapter of Golden Truth and the Great Void), then visualizing and paying homage to the Five Emperors (a group of Taoist deities governing the five directions: east, south, west, north, and center). Next, practitioners write five talismans — each corresponding to one of the five directions, with the power to summon spiritual beings, attract true divinity, and subdue demons — and place these talismans at the five directions of an incense altar. Practicing this method enables the summoning of true deities and the subjugation of demons.
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The Method of Cultivating the Huoluo Seven Origins TalismanThis practice requires practitioners to first visualize divine beings and recite incantations, then write the "Huoluo Seven Origins Talisman" (a powerful Taoist talisman associated with the seven celestial origins) and wear it on their person. By practicing this method, one can summon the celestial officials of the supreme true immortals, subdue all demons, and ascend to heaven in broad daylight.
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