The Celestial August Jade Scripture
Abbreviated as The Jade Emperor Scripture, the author is unknown.
Judging from its content and wording, it was seemingly compiled between the Tang and Song dynasties.
It consists of three scrolls and is included in the Scriptures of the True Greatness section, Original Texts category of the Daoist Canon.
The entire text is divided into five fascicles.
The first, Fascicle of Divine Powers in the Clear and Subtle Heavenly Palace, fictitiously depicts the Primordial Lord of Heaven expounding the story of the Jade Emperor’s cultivation and attainment of Buddhahood at the grand Dharma assembly in the Clear and Subtle Heavenly Palace.
It proclaims that the Jade Emperor was originally a prince of the Kingdom of Radiant Solemnity and Wonderful Bliss. After ascending the throne, he governed the state with sound policies. Later, he abdicated the throne, entered the mountains to cultivate the Dao, attained the status of Golden Immortal, became one with the Dao, and wielded eminent divine power and glory. The Jade Emperor manifested great divine powers, transformed his celestial body into countless incarnations, and preached the way of purity, tranquility and naturalness for liberation to beings in the ten directions.
The second, Fascicle of the Supreme Bright and Perfect Great Divine Incantations, states that the Jade Emperor transmitted five great divine incantations to the Five Old Emperors of the Five Directions.
These incantations are the wonderful words of the Primordial Lord and the true imperial edicts of the Jade Emperor, capable of “controlling the secrets of heaven above, inspecting the Five Spirits in the middle realm, and commanding the earthly spirits below”. In fact, these divine incantations are the Genuine Scripts of the Numinous Treasure Red Book produced during the Six Dynasties, with only slight textual variations.
The third, Fascicle of the Jade Emperor’s Merits and Virtues, extols the merits and virtues of upholding and reciting the Jade Emperor’s scriptures and incantations.
It says that those who recite the scripture “shall have all their sins and karmic obstacles forever eliminated, their bodies and minds purified, and ascend to heaven after death”. The fourth, Fascicle of Protection by Heavenly Immortals, and the fifth, Fascicle of Manifestations of Karmic Retribution, also propagate the merits of scripture recitation.
They assert that those who uphold the scripture will be protected by the Emperors of the Ten Directions and their divine generals, and attain thirty kinds of supreme wonderful merits; those who slander or disbelieve in the scripture will suffer various kinds of evil retributions.
Since the Song and Yuan dynasties, this scripture has been widely circulated. It is one of the essential texts recited by Taoist priests during fasting and sacrificial rituals as well as daily Taoist practices, with numerous engraved editions and commentaries.
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