The Upper Section of Shangqing Suling 上清素灵上篇

The Upper Section of Shangqing Suling

Also known as Xuan Dan Shang Jing (The Supreme Scripture of the Mysterious Elixir).

It is an early classic of the Shangqing School (a major school of Taoism), presumably compiled during the Eastern Jin and Southern Dynasties (c. 317-589 CE). This text was already cited in Deng Zhen Yin Jue (The Secret Instructions for Ascending to Perfection), a work by Tao Hongjing (a renowned Taoist scholar and alchemist of the Southern Dynasties).

Consisting of one scroll, it is included in the "Zhengyi Section" (the core section of Taoist scriptures focusing on orthodox rituals and doctrines) of the Daozang (Taoist Canon). Its content centers on the "Cunsi" (Visualization) method dedicated to the Nine Palaces Divine Lords residing in the human head—a key practice in early Taoist inner cultivation that involves meditatively visualizing divine beings within the body to achieve spiritual transcendence.

Notably, the textual content of this work is identical to that of Tai Shang Dao Jun Shou Yuan Dan Shang Jing (The Supreme Scripture of the Taoist Lord of the Dao Guarding the Original Elixir), a chapter recorded in Dong Zhen Tai Shang Su Ling Dong Yuan Da You Miao Jing (The Wondrous Scripture of the Great Existence from the Mysterious Origin of the Pure Spirit of the Supreme Dao in the Cavern of Truth). It is therefore inferred that this text was adapted by Taoist practitioners during the Southern and Northern Dynasties (c. 420-589 CE) through excerpting and reworking the aforementioned scripture. For further details, please refer to the entry of the latter scripture.