Phonetic and Semantic Explanations with Jade Essentials for the Supreme Pure Great Cavern True Scripture
Compiled by Chen Jingyuan of the Northern Song Dynasty.
It consists of one scroll and is included in the "Yuyue Lei" (Jade Essentials Category) of the Dongzhen Bu (Great Cavern Section) within the Daozang (Taoist Canon).
The scroll opens with a preface written by the author himself. In the preface, Chen states that he became a Taoist monk in his childhood to seek the Dao, and returned to Maoshan (Feather Mountain) in his old age, desiring to recite the Shangqing Dadong Zhenjing (Supreme Pure Great Cavern True Scripture).
Due to the errors and corruptions in the characters of the original scripture, he notes: "Thus, I compared the versions used by senior practitioners and the copies preserved at Maoshan with the Yinshu (Hidden Texts), then compiled these phonetic and semantic explanations, along with notes on similarities and differences, to roughly resolve doubtful points." This confirms that this work is a collated and explanatory version of the Shangqing Dadong Zhenjing.
In terms of content, the work first records the Miemo Shenhui Yuqing Yinshu Neizhu Yinwen (Inner Prayers and Hidden Texts of the Jade Purity Hidden Book on Demon-Quelling Divine Wisdom), followed by the sequential listing of the nineteen chapters of the scripture. The author then selects individual characters or phrases from the scripture, annotates their pronunciations and meanings, and collates their textual characters.
This is the earliest surviving version of the Shangqing Dadong Zhenjing, and it can be used to correct the textual and structural errors in the six-scroll version of the Shangqing Dadong Zhenjing included in the "Benwen Lei" (Original Text Category) of the Dongzhen Bu within the Daozang.
✨ Recommended Taoist Talismans
Discover powerful talismans for your spiritual journey
