Daoist Moral Code: Escape Karma, Attain Celestial Bliss

The Supreme Mysterious Grotto Lingbao Scripture of the Supreme Precepts for Eliminating the Root of Sins through Wisdom (Taishang Dongxuan Lingbao Zhihui Zuigen Shangpin Dajie Jing), one of the ancient Taoist Lingbao Scriptures, was probably compiled in the late Eastern Jin Dynasty to the early Southern Dynasties (c. 4th–5th centuries CE).

It was already recorded in Lu Xiujing’s Catalogue of Lingbao Scriptures (Lingbao Jingmu). The original text consists of one scroll; in the current Daozang (Taoist Canon), it is divided into two scrolls and included in the Dongxuan Bu (Section of the Mysterious Grotto) and Jielü Lei (Category of Precepts and Rules).

The first scroll contains five sets of precepts preached by the Primordial Heavenly Lord (Yuanshi Tianzun) to the Supreme Dao Lord (Taishang Daojun), namely: "The Supreme Precepts of the Ten Good Karmic Conditions," "The Fourteen Precepts for Cultivating One’s Person," as well as "The Supreme Ten Precepts," "The Ten Evil-Eliminating Precepts for Eradicating the Root of Sins," and "The Twelve Observance-Worthy Precepts."

Among these, the latter three are collectively known as "The Three Ranks of Wisdom Precepts of the Primordial Tianzun."

"The Fourteen Precepts for Cultivating One’s Person" promotes Confucian patriarchal ethics such as loyalty, filial piety, compassion, and benevolence. "The Supreme Ten Precepts" stipulate prohibitions against jealousy, drinking alcohol, sexual misconduct, abandoning or despising the elderly, the ill, the poor, and the humble, slandering virtuous people, amassing wealth without giving alms, killing living beings to worship gods, speculating on scriptures arbitrarily, and betraying teachers’ kindness and righteousness. These two sets of precepts exerted a significant influence on later Taoism.

The second scroll mainly elaborates on the three lifetimes of karmic connections and the retribution for sins and blessings. It exhorts all beings to practice the Dao, uphold the precepts, repent of their sins, eliminate karmic obstacles from past lives, and seek prosperity and blessed rewards in future lives.

At the end of the text are two eulogies: The Supreme Wisdom Eulogy of Eternal Joy (Taishang Zhihui Changle Song) and The Supreme Wisdom Eulogy of Misery and Spirits (Taishang Zhihui Kushen Song), praising the joy of the blessed halls in all heavens and lamenting the suffering of the Nine Nether Hells.