Shangqing Taishang Kaitian Longjiao Jing (The Dragon Pride Scripture of Opening Heaven by the Supreme Oneness of the Shangqing School)
Author unknown.
Compiled approximately during the Northern and Southern Dynasties (420–589 CE).
Volume 6 of Yunji Qiqian (Seven Lots of the Cloud Satchel) quotes Siji Mingke (The Bright Precepts of the Four Poles): "In ancient times, the Yellow Emperor visited True Lord Ningfeng at Qingcheng Mountain and received Lingbao Longjiao Jing (The Numinous Treasure Dragon Pride Scripture)—this is precisely the present text."
The existing version consists of five scrolls, included in the Zhengyi Section of the Daozang (Taoist Canon).
The scripture is divided into thirteen chapters, with Chapter 1, Huangdi Wen Ningjun Jue (The Yellow Emperor’s Query to Lord Ning’s Formula), serving as the outline of the entire work.
Falsely attributed to True Lord Ningfeng expounding Taoist doctrines to the Yellow Emperor, it outlines the Taoist theory of cosmic genesis.
It states that the "Jade Emperor" is the formless Supreme Dao, manifesting as the Holy Lord of the Precious Treasure of the Jade Pure (Yuqing Tianbao Shengjun), the True Lord of the Numinous Treasure of the Shangqing (Shangqing Lingbao Zhenjun), and the Immortal Lord of the Divine Treasure of the Taiqing (Taiqing Shenbao Xianjun). These manifestations generated the Three Pure Realms and the Thirty-Six Heavens, and preached the Three Grottoes and Thirty-Six Scriptures to enlighten humans and deities.
Mortals who practice the true scriptures of the Three Grottoes can ride qi, control dragons, ascend to the Jade Pure Realm, and return to their original source.
Drawing heavily on various early Shangqing scriptures to elaborate its theories, the text reflects the theological cosmology of early Taoism.
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