Dadao Series — Book 1
English Edition · 大道心燈
◆ Prefaces ◆
The Great Dao Series, Volume One
The Great Dao Series, Volume One
◆ Decrees & Forewords ◆
The Great Dao Series, Volume One — The Lamp of the Great Dao
序一
The Primordial Lord of Limitlessness, the Lord of Primordial Chaos, the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning
序二
The World-Honored One, Teacher of Humans and Gods, Śākyamuni Buddha
序三
The Ancient Buddha of the Southern Sea
凡例
The Holy Emperor Wenheng of the Southern Heaven
◆ Main Text ◆
第一回 感恩與回饋
Ancient Buddha of the Southern Sea
第二回 大道與天德
Primordial Dao Ancestor, Heavenly Worthy of Dao and Virtue
第三回 天道奧義
Ancestor Hongjun
第四回 心德
Master of Penetrating Heaven, Heavenly Worthy of Numinous Treasure
第五回 念正
Manjusri, Heavenly Worthy of Widespread Dharma
第六回 修身
The Infinite of the Void, the Venerable Mother of Mount Li
第七回 徹理
The Infinite of the Void, the Venerable Mother of Earth
第八回 修心
Ancient Buddha of the Southern Sea
第九回 大道心燈
Ancient Buddha of the Southern Sea
第十回 以和為樂
The Holy Emperor of the Southern Celestial Literary Balance
第十一回 悟心
The Sage of the Void (Namo, the Ancient Buddha of Heaven and Humanity of Supreme Virtue of the Void)
第十二回 闡理
Ancient Buddha of the Southern Sea
第十三回 境轉與轉境
Ancient Buddha Daoji of Nanping (Living Buddha Jigong)
第十四回 教化
Star Lord Nan Gong Liu
第十五回 三教合心
Emperor Nan Gong Fu You
第十六回 藩籬
Namo Manjushri Bodhisattva
第十七回 磨難
Namo Samantabhadra Bodhisattva
第十八回 消業
Namo Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva
第十九回 普渡
Namo Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva
第二十回 收圓之條件
Namo Maitreya Bodhisattva
第廿一回 任務與修持
Namo Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva
第廿二回 心念
Namo Akasagarbha Bodhisattva
第廿三回 念識
Ancient Buddha of the South Sea
第廿四回 業因
Ancient Buddha of the South Sea
第廿五回 善惡因緣
Xuantian Shangdi (Emperor of the North Pole)
第廿六回 懺悔
九天司命真君 Zhenjun, Lord of Destiny of the Nine Heavens
第廿七回 消災解厄
北斗星君 Beidou Xingjun, Lord of the Northern Dipper
第廿八回 行善錫福
南斗星君 Nandou Xingjun, Lord of the Southern Dipper
第廿九回 化性
文昌梓潼帝君 Wenchang Zitong Dijun, Emperor of Literature and Culture
第三十回 戒律
下元水官大帝 Xiayuan Shuiguan Dadi, Great Emperor of the Water Official of the Lower Realm
第卅一回 求道
齊天大聖 Qitian Dasheng, the Great Sage Equal to Heaven
第卅二回 善德齊家
精忠武穆王 岳元帥 Jingzhong Wumu Wang Yue Yuanshuai, Marshal Yue Fei, the Loyal and Martial King
第卅三回 孝道
中元地官大帝 Zhongyuan Diguan Dadi, Great Emperor of the Earth Official of the Middle Realm
第卅四回 廣結善緣
南無阿難陀菩薩 Namo Anantuo Pusa, Namo Ananda Bodhisattva
第卅五回 福慧雙修
上元天官大帝 Shangyuan Tianguan Dadi, Great Emperor of the Heaven Official of the Upper Realm
第卅六回 圓滿
南海古佛 Ancient Buddha of the South Sea
◆ Postfaces & Praises ◆
跋
Holy Emperor Wen Heng of the Southern Heaven
◆ Decree ◆
完書繳旨
Immortal Maiden Ma, Before the Throne of the Unborn Sovereign Mother
◆ Prefaces ◆
The Lamp of the Great Dao — Editor’s Note
The Lamp of the Great Dao — Recommendation Preface
◆ Decrees & Forewords ◆
懿旨
Presiding Master Xuantian Shangdi
序一
July 10, 1991 — the twenty-ninth day of the fifth lunar month, Year of the Metal Goat (Xinwei), Wednesday
序二
Opening the teaching for human life — the Buddha-dharma rests within the heart; the Heavenly Mind returns wholly to the Great Dao, the sacred work proclaimed.
序三
On the Southern Continent, Heaven's book is composed; within the sea, the pearl of truth returns to suchness.
凡例
On the Southern Continent, the book is begun to teach and transform all beings; the Heavenly Dao is impartial — virtue is its very nature.
◆ Main Text ◆
第一回 感恩與回饋
July 13, 1991 — the 2nd day of the 6th month, Xinwei year (Saturday)
第二回 大道與天德
July 17, 1991 — the 6th day of the 6th month of the Xinwei year (Wednesday)
第三回 天道奧義
July 17, 1991 — the 6th day of the 6th month of the Xinwei year (Wednesday)
第四回 心德
July 20, 1991 — the 9th day of the 6th month of the Xinwei year (Saturday)
第五回 念正
July 24, 1991 — the 13th day of the 6th month of the Xinwei year (Wednesday)
第六回 修身
July 24, 1991 — the 13th day of the 6th month of the Xinwei year (Wednesday)
第七回 徹理
July 27, 1991 — the 16th day of the 6th month of the Xinwei year (Saturday)
第八回 修心
July 31, 1991 — the 20th day of the 6th month of the Xinwei year (Wednesday)
第九回 大道心燈
July 31, 1991 — the 20th day of the 6th month of the Xinwei year (Wednesday)
第十回 以和為樂
August 3, 1991 — the 23rd day of the 6th month of the Xinwei year (Saturday)
第十一回 悟心
August 7, 1991 — the 27th day of the 6th month of the Xinwei year (Wednesday)
第十二回 闡理
August 7, 1991 — the 27th day of the 6th month of the Xinwei year (Wednesday)
第十三回 境轉與轉境
August 10, 1991 — the 1st day of the 7th month of the Xinwei year (Saturday)
第十四回 教化
August 14, 1991 — the 5th day of the 7th month of the Xinwei year (Wednesday)
第十五回 三教合心
August 14, 1991 — the 5th day of the 7th month of the Xinwei year (Wednesday)
第十六回 藩籬
August 17, 1991 — the 8th day of the 7th month of the Xinwei year (Saturday)
第十七回 磨難
August 21, 1991 — the 12th day of the 7th month of the Xinwei year (Wednesday)
第十八回 消業
August 21, 1991 — the 12th day of the 7th month of the Xinwei year (Wednesday)
第十九回 普渡
August 24, 1991 — the 15th day of the 7th month of the Xinwei year (Saturday)
第二十回 收圓之條件
August 28, 1991 — the 19th day of the 7th month of the Xinwei year (Wednesday)
第廿一回 任務與修持
August 28, 1991 — the 19th day of the 7th month of the Xinwei year (Wednesday)
第廿二回 心念
August 31, 1991 — the 22nd day of the 7th month of the Xinwei year (Saturday)
第廿三回 念識
September 4, 1991 — the 26th day of the 7th month of the Xinwei year (Wednesday)
第廿四回 業因
September 4, 1991 — the 26th day of the 7th month of the Xinwei year (Wednesday)
第廿五回 善惡因緣
September 7, 1991 — the 29th day of the 7th month of the Xinwei year (Saturday)
第廿六回 懺悔
September 11, 1991 — the 4th day of the 8th month of the Xinwei year (Wednesday)
第廿七回 消災解厄
September 11, 1991 — the 4th day of the 8th month of the Xinwei year (Wednesday)
第廿八回 行善錫福
September 14, 1991 — the 7th day of the 8th month of the Xinwei year (Saturday)
第廿九回 化性
September 18, 1991 — the 11th day of the 8th month of the Xinwei year (Wednesday)
第三十回 戒律
September 18, 1991 — the 11th day of the 8th month of the Xinwei year (Wednesday)
第卅一回 求道
September 21, 1991 — the 14th day of the 8th month of the Xinwei year (Saturday)
第卅二回 善德齊家
September 25, 1991 — the 18th day of the 8th month of the Xinwei year (Wednesday)
第卅三回 孝道
September 25, 1991 — the 18th day of the 8th month of the Xinwei year (Wednesday)
第卅四回 廣結善緣
September 28, 1991 — the 21st day of the 8th month of the Xinwei year (Saturday)
第卅五回 福慧雙修
October 2, 1991 — the 25th day of the 8th month of the Xinwei year (Wednesday)
第卅六回 圓滿
October 5, 1991 — the 28th day of the 8th month of the Xinwei year (Saturday)
◆ Postfaces & Praises ◆
跋
October 5, 1991 — the 28th day of the 8th lunar month, Xinwei year (Saturday)
◆ Decree ◆
完書繳旨
October 5, 1991 — the 28th day of the 8th lunar month, Xinwei year (Saturday)
◆ Prefaces ◆
編輯誌
A book’s power lies in its ability to benefit generations yet unborn. The virtues of goodness cultivated in the human world bring genuine growth to the vast multitude of humanity. Such blessings arise from one’s own recognition and effort, expanding knowledge and wisdom immeasurably. A truly excellent book lifts the spirit and blesses all people.
推薦序
That sentient beings may enter the sacred hall to cultivate is no accident — it is the fruit of virtuous seeds planted in former lives, guided by the compassion of immortals and Buddhas, and drawn forth by the hand of merit. Though human life is fleeting, one can use this precious, brief existence to lay foundations that endure for ten thousand ages and elevate one's destiny beyond measure. This is possible only through seeds of virtue sown within the Latent Cause, so that in this life one may step upon the true path of practice.
◆ Decrees & Forewords ◆
懿旨
July 6, 1991 — the twenty-fifth day of the fifth lunar month, Year of the Metal Goat (Xinwei), Saturday
序一
The Primordial Beginning in peace establishes and guards the Great Dao; the Heavenly Worthy takes up the brush to join the heart's assembly.
序二
Teaching for humans and gods — the three realms are gathered, the circle completed; the universe, the void, all things awakened to goodness.
序三
The ancient Dao of human life was purely and wholly good; the Buddha awakens the principle-brush to accompany this virtuous work.
凡例
Its writings awaken the world, transmitted through a thousand ages; its measure preserves and extends the sacred heart of salvation.
◆ Main Text ◆
第一回 感恩與回饋
From the Southern Court, the gate of teaching opens wide; across the seas of waves, the lotus of Dharma rides.
第二回 大道與天德
At the dawn of creation, yin and yang divided; the ancient primordial souls were pure and good.
第三回 天道奧義
When primordial chaos first opened, human hearts were pure and good; Jun reveals the original spirits descended from Heaven.
第四回 心德
Upon Spirit Mountain's wondrous scene, mortals cultivate; precious virtue depends upon the heart's own quest.
第五回 念正
Manjusri reveals the Great Way's luminous virtue; the Dharma spreads wide, its teaching carried ever forward.
第六回 修身
Mount Li's landscape, its breath renewed; the Old Mother descends, her goodness poured.
第七回 徹理
Earth's boundless virtue nurtures all beings; the Mother's compassion helps spiritual children flourish.
第八回 修心
Namo — the lotus opens to birthlessness; upon the sea adrift, one's true nature comes to light.
第九回 大道心燈
The Great Way cultivates the heart, redeeming the spirit's flame; ignite the heart-lamp, awaken — and know life's aim.
第十回 以和為樂
The Southern Hall opens its gates, safeguarding all who live; Heaven's Way, impartial, calls each soul to give.
第十一回 悟心
True and false, life takes ten thousand shapes; amid the dust of the world, the heart never strays.
第十二回 闡理
The Southern Sea delivers the deluded, near and far; the Ancient Buddha descends to wake the world from its slumber.
第十三回 境轉與轉境
Virtue's grace protects all living things; impartial as the Buddha, heart and mind he brings.
第十四回 教化
Guarding the southern lands, delivering the lost from their deep; from the palace, teaching rings to wake the sleeping sheep.
第十五回 三教合心
Southern virtue sparks the Dao's transforming grace; the palace gleams with brilliant, shining face.
第十六回 藩籬
Manjushri's radiant wisdom lights the way through delusion's ocean;
第十七回 磨難
Samantabhadra delivers all beings, awakening the heart's deepest wisdom;
第十八回 消業
The Lamp of the Great Way awakens all who wander in delusion;
第十九回 普渡
Till not one soul remains in hell shall I rest in Buddhahood;
第二十回 收圓之條件
Amitabha transforms the heart through heartfelt devotion;
第廿一回 任務與修持
Gazing upon the sacred hall — auspicious breath pervades;
第廿二回 心念
Through the boundless void, the Buddha-Dharma resounds afar;
第廿三回 念識
A southern bulwark guards and shields the sacred isle;
第廿四回 業因
Cultivate the Way, cast off faults, and erase karmic seeds;
第廿五回 善惡因緣
Mysterious, wondrous, illusory — all arising comes to rest;
第廿六回 懺悔
From the Nine Heavens the Way of Heaven nurtures bonds of goodness; Heaven's compassionate heart reveals all virtues.
第廿七回 消災解厄
From the Northern Heaven the Way is spread, the holy teaching proclaimed; the Dipper measures merit as beings learn the Dao.
第廿八回 行善錫福
From the Southern Heaven the teaching opens, books of goodness proclaimed; the Dipper measures virtuous deeds and bestows blessings without end.
第廿九回 化性
Wen Chang opens the teaching, proclaiming it to all living beings; shining through the degenerate age, transforming nature with radiant clarity.
第三十回 戒律
Descending to the Southern Jambudvipa, He inscribes the Heavenly scroll; the Primordial One establishes peace, the heart joyful and serene.
第卅一回 求道
With hearts united we seek the Way to deliver all beings; Heaven's virtue awakens from the soul's deep sleep.
第卅二回 善德齊家
With sincerity I unfold the Heavenly Way and proclaim its truth; loyal and devoted, bright virtue shines with sincerity.
第卅三回 孝道
In the Central Land the people cherish virtue deep and true; from Heaven the Primordial One transforms their nature, pure and new.
第卅四回 廣結善緣
Amitabha — the beings call upon His name; how precious to hold Him ever present in the heart.
第卅五回 福慧雙修
Supreme virtue springs from the heart, refined through principle's gaze; the primordial mind, from its first dawn, reveals itself in countless ways.
第卅六回 圓滿
The Southern Path is opened wide, proclaimed for all to hear; the heart receives its truth with joy.
◆ Postfaces & Praises ◆
跋
Devoted assembly writes in the Southern Land;
Heaven’s Way, impartial, enters its flourishing time.
◆ Decree ◆
完書繳旨
The Lamp of the Mind is lit, the sacred work is done;
The disciples’ toiling hearts have meritorious light outshone.
◆ Prefaces ◆
編輯誌
So it is with the Great Dao Series of Heavenly Scriptures. Within the world’s religious traditions, they systematically dissolve the veils of delusion one by one. For sentient beings who find religion’s teachings insufficient, these volumes spare them thirty to fifty years of ignorant searching, and accelerate their walk upon the path of truth.
推薦序
Every sentient being is bound by the web of karma spun in former lives. Yet though the Buddha's dharma is boundless, it cannot save those who have no affinity with it; though Heaven's rain falls abundantly, it cannot nourish grass that has no root. One must plant seeds of virtue now for the benefit of the future, broadly forging karmic bonds of goodness with all beings. Such bonds are not formed in a single day — they are tested again and again, and easily shattered, making genuine progress most difficult to achieve.
◆ Decrees & Forewords ◆
懿旨
At Xingshan, through the Sacred Gate, Heaven's Script is writ; the principle-brush gives voice to Chen Sheng — Heaven's word, a sacred gift.
序一
Descending to Xingshan, He bestows Heaven's decree; the Lamp of the Great Dao — a single Dao is composed.
Preface Two
Preface Three
凡例
Holy decree — the book is composed, and rules for the mortal realm are proclaimed; the Emperor's virtue towers high, the Great Dao is our reliance.
◆ Main Text ◆
第一回 感恩與回饋
Ancient wisdom proclaimed anew, the Great Dao strides forth; the Buddha transforms the world, spreading wondrous tales aloft.
第二回 大道與天德
Five thousand years of Dao transmit through the ages; the Ancestor's virtue guards and blesses all stages.
第三回 天道奧義
Ancient waters return in tide to the Great Dao; the Ancestor urges all beings to awaken to the Chan within.
第四回 心德
Heavenly immortals and ancient sages gather to assist; the Venerable ascends the stage to wake all souls from unrest.
第五回 念正
The Heavenly Worthy descends to teach the rectitude of thought; practicing goodness, ferrying the worthy across.
第六回 修身
Of self-cultivation and virtuous ways she tells; awakening the world, blessing pure souls' cells.
第七回 徹理
Her supreme grace pervades the world; the Venerable descends to reveal truth's depth untold.
第八回 修心
Ancient virtue calls us to seek within; the Buddha is forged by heart-cultivation, not from without.
第九回 大道心燈
Heaven shows no favor, yet transmits what is just and true; return to your original place, and Heaven's path pursue.
第十回 以和為樂
Sacred writings spread the teaching far and wide; weigh virtue's worth, and let your heart be your guide.
第十一回 悟心
Ascending the stage to expound truth, the deluded to save; awaken the heart in the world, the teaching to convey.
第十二回 闡理
The Lamp of the Great Dao expounds principle's truth; return to the Source, and upright qi springs forth.
第十三回 境轉與轉境
Lively he spreads the Dharma far and wide; transforms the heart, delivers those who hide.
第十四回 教化
The willow meets the spring and sprouts anew; the Star Lord descends, the true Dao to impart to you.
第十五回 三教合心
Fu sees the world has sunk in deep decline; protects the multitudes who learn the sages' line.
第十六回 藩籬
Boundless merit rests upon each soul's own sincere devotion.
第十七回 磨難
The wise and virtuous perfect their nature through patient understanding.
第十八回 消業
The world grows cold, yet the inner nature quietly transforms.
第十九回 普渡
The wondrous sutras cast their light upon the heart and mind.
第二十回 收圓之條件
Maitreya bestows true virtue — the nature is sincere.
第廿一回 任務與修持
Sorrowful, the hearts of mortals shift and fade.
第廿二回 心念
From emptiness, the heart's incense blooms like a lotus star.
第廿三回 念識
From the sea's deep heart, the lotus of truth blooms in style.
第廿四回 業因
Cling to self-views, and karmic barriers multiply by deeds.
第廿五回 善惡因緣
Heaven's grace and Earth's virtue run deep beyond all measure.
第廿六回 懺悔
The Lord of Destiny guards each home and saves all beings; the True Lord declares these words of repentance.
第廿七回 消災解厄
Starlight dissolves disaster and bestows auspicious fortune; the Lord reveals the means to resolve calamity.
第廿八回 行善錫福
Starlight sparkles and the heart-lamp blazes bright; the Lord descends to form affinities, uniting all hearts at their primal source.
第廿九回 化性
The Emperor of Zitong descends to spread the Great Way; ascending the dais, He awakens those who wander lost.
第三十回 戒律
The Water Official saves all beings, awakening them with precepts; the Great Emperor's boundless grace cultivates goodness without end.
第卅一回 求道
The Great Way's Heart-Lamp turns the tide of Heaven's plan; the sacred teaching, earnestly sought, restores our heavenly nature.
第卅二回 善德齊家
Marshal Yue's loyal heart echoes through a thousand ages; the King-Commander leads all in promoting virtue and goodness.
第卅三回 孝道
The Earth Official forgives transgressions and dispels all harm; the Great Emperor speaks of filial piety to keep the heart-lamp's flame.
第卅四回 廣結善緣
Buddha-light shimmers, merit fathoms deep; the Bodhisattva descends to compose these verses of the heart.
第卅五回 福慧雙修
The Heaven Official bestows blessings — fortune and wisdom cultivated as one; the Great Emperor sets forth in writing, the true Way laid open for all.
第卅六回 圓滿
Within the boundless sea, the Great Way flows; the vessel of salvation now sets sail.
◆ Postfaces & Praises ◆
跋
Sacred letters awaken souls and guide the true;
He weighs each deed, and righteous principles shine through.
◆ Decree ◆
完書繳旨
Merit and rank bestowed on Xingshan’s faithful band;
Embody Heaven’s Way, awaken — True Nature stands at hand.
◆ Prefaces ◆
編輯誌
Grounded in the Buddhist teaching of New Consciousness-Only, this work brings great benefit to all humanity. No matter where on earth you dwell, transformation begins in daily life. Only thus can wholesome existence flourish. When the whole world is gathered as one sphere, every day must be lived beautifully — that is the true meaning of human life.
推薦序
By planting seeds of virtue in this present life, when the hour of karmic convergence arrives, the roots of goodness may flourish. Through wholesome affinities one cultivates virtue; through virtue one deepens practice, and thereby enters the refuge of the sacred teachings. On the path of cultivation, good karmic bonds will spread far and wide, sprouting and growing — virtue has already taken root as an auspicious sign, and from here one may bring forth an abundance of meritorious conditions.
◆ Decrees & Forewords ◆
懿旨
The Great Dao universally transformed becomes one's own charge; guiding countless beings, all sharing one heart from the first.
Preface One
序二
The propagation of the Great Dao must follow correct principle and righteous conduct. To teach and transform sentient beings, one must take the Great World of Unity as the goal and the Lotus Buddha Land as the refuge, so that all beings may have a clear standard to follow. In teaching sentient beings — the three realms, the four births, the five relationships, the six destinies — especially in the Dharma-Ending Age, one has already drifted far from the Buddha-dharma.
序三
Tonight I descend to Xingshan Hall to compose a preface for The Lamp of the Great Dao. Heaven's teaching holds all ten thousand people as the heart's priority. The principles within the heart should flow and transform without cease. Because the Mother Empress descended the Imperial Edict, commanding the principle-brush Chen Sheng to serve as principal author — the transmitter of Heavenly Sound and Truth — the teaching of principle is used to awaken sentient beings in the Dao hall. May humanity no longer build walls around itself, binding its own spirit, for that is a prison from which there is no escape.
凡例
Descending to Xingshan, the Dao gate is opened; He instructs and encourages all students to cultivate truth once more.
◆ Main Text ◆
第一回 感恩與回饋
The Lamp of the Great Dao inscribes the Heavenly Script; the brush of principle writes with sincere karmic gift.
第二回 大道與天德
The Great Dao and Heavenly Virtue open the gate of goodness; in the Hall of Xingshan, our original hearts are sincere.
第三回 天道奧義
The Heavenly Dao expounds principle, pervading the great truth; its profound meaning awakens the world and ferries across the deluded.
第四回 心德
The Lamp of the Great Dao ignites transformation's flame; the heart-virtue's fragrance awakens nature's radiant claim.
第五回 念正
A human being is a vessel of the heart — whether one's thoughts remain righteous depends entirely upon oneself. If one can establish the heart, one must ensure that 'the heart is correct, thoughts are correct, the body is correct, and actions are correct' — only then are the four correctnesses in order. Indeed, one's sojourn in this world spans but a few fleeting decades. At every moment one dwells amid the restless heart-monkey and wayward horse of the mind, utterly unable to tether one's own racing thoughts — like a wild gallop spanning a hundred thousand leagues.
第六回 修身
Born into this world, a human receives existence from Heaven and Earth, brightness from the sun and moon, standing as the chief among all living spirits. If one is merely busy by day and blind by night, never settling the heart to cultivate one's spiritual nature, then one can hardly speak of cultivating the self. Without self-cultivation, one commits transgressions through the body. But if one enters the path of cultivation, transformation surely becomes possible. Thus, cultivating the self stands as one of life's great imperatives.
第七回 徹理
Those who cultivate the self must first understand principle, for only then can they establish a firm foundation. The criterion demands enlightenment, so that one comprehends principle without straying from the righteous path. When principle is thoroughly penetrated and illuminated, one can plant one's root nature upon 'principle' as the bedrock, so that every action accords with the righteous Way. Through self-cultivation, one wields principle with effortless mastery, rectifying one's person and conduct without deviation — this is the great essential of human relations.
第八回 修心
The heart shifts and thoughts race, galloping to the four quarters. One who cultivates the heart can trace it back to its original nature. Recognize the original heart, and all is seen as unborn. Seeking one's true nature, one walks the path toward Heaven. The root of heart-cultivation is realized within one's own nature, and from that realization one continues the practice. Yet sentient beings are all blinded by delusion and confusion, consumed by the pursuit of worldly gain, never busy with the pursuit of heart-nature.
第九回 大道心燈
The Way of Heaven is selfless, cycling through ten thousand generations, having already passed through countless great and small cosmic epochs. In the most ancient age, the heart-nature was purely good, free from evil or wickedness, for people's hearts were incomparably kind. By the medieval period, hearts had begun to harbor both good and evil, driven by selfish motives. By that era, the original Pre-heaven nature had already been lost; the knowledge of the heart-nature was obscured, no longer as in the ancient age.
第十回 以和為樂
The Sage proclaims: in harmony lies true delight; the Emperor's heart of compassion, virtue's neighbor bright.
第十一回 悟心
Human beings, born into this world, eagerly strive to survive and busily rush through life, all blinded by the routine of daily existence. Rarely do they find even a fleeting moment of clear and luminous heart-nature. Yet humans are the masters of the heart's expression — able to seal the heart, expound the heart, and comprehend the heart — all shaped by one's former affinities and the karma of this present life. The teaching of immortals, Buddhas, and good books also bears great merit. This is humanity's blessing.
第十二回 闡理
The Confucian Sage Teaching — taking Confucianism as its ancestor, the divine as its method — in theory and practice possesses correct doctrine, and only thus can it establish a foundation without deviation. It must inspire belief and allegiance, relying on 'principle' to convince all under Heaven, valid across all four seas without contradiction. Within belief there must be a correct direction, providing a firm foundation for righteous action.
第十三回 境轉與轉境
Human life is bitter and brief; all are submerged in material desires, unaware of how to awaken. Life is constantly turned by circumstances, unable to turn circumstances in return. Lost in the sea of suffering, one toils and stumbles — sometimes tasting bitterness and pain in deluded states, often trapped within one's own mental confines, unable to transform one's circumstances. If one could but transform circumstances through transforming the heart, one would surely become the heart's own master.
第十四回 教化
In human life, beyond daily schooling and formal education, there is also the influence of social education and mass media. Yet today's education fails to promote heart-nature cultivation, failing to instill morality and ethics. Though technology advances a thousand li daily, able to beam distant scenes through screens —
第十五回 三教合心
Imperial virtue, towering high, proclaims the Way; the noble one lives the Dao each passing day.
第十六回 藩籬
Those who lead a place of practice serve as helmsmen of the Dharma vessel. Since each soul carries different karmic ties, their spiritual achievements naturally differ as well. Those who truly deliver beings must understand the web of cause and effect. As it is said, 'When one harbors a sincere vow, Heaven shall surely assist.' Yet this also depends upon each person's virtue and innate spiritual endowment.
第十七回 磨難
When practitioners walk the path within the place of practice, they inevitably encounter hardships and perplexities. Some trials are sent by Heaven to temper their resolve, enabling them to seize the moment and forge the Way — thus attaining the supreme Dharma voice. Others arise from one's own mindset and actions, summoning further tests. From Heaven's perspective, nothing refines cultivation more truly than fire.
第十八回 消業
Each being's trials are shaped by unique karmic affinities, and the problems that arise, along with the karmic debts that surface, differ for every soul. These take the form of: illness striking the body, discord within the family, setbacks in business, money entirely depleted, karmic creditors pressing close, and obstacles of every kind — all causing one's aspiration toward the Way to falter. Little do they know: this is precisely the work of karma being dissolved.
第十九回 普渡
Among the three realms of Heaven, Earth, and Humanity, only virtue and cultivation endure. Through goodness, one ascends to the Pure Land; through evil, one falls into the underworld. When one is born into this world and cultivates meritorious deeds within a single lifetime, awakens both body and mind, and perfects one's spiritual nature — then no evil causes shall be sown for the life to come. But if one beholds the suffering of beings in hell,
第二十回 收圓之條件
Heaven's 'Three Realms Universal Salvation' is governed by the Unborn Sovereign Mother, assisted by all celestial hosts. Among four hundred million Buddha-children, the mission is to rescue 9.6 billion original spiritual children and guide them home to the Dragon Flower Pure Land. In establishing this new method, the Unborn Sovereign Mother's original intention is clear: to bring every lost child home.
第廿一回 任務與修持
Regarding the retribution of karmic causes and conditions in this mortal life, every soul bears a different karma, which in ceaseless succession gives rise to karmic reckoning and blessed virtue. Yet the people of this world know not whence they came at birth, nor whither they go at death. How, then, can they resolve it? How can they fulfill it? And so karma begets further evil across the ages — coming and going, going and coming, in endless rounds.
第廿二回 心念
The karma of three lifetimes awaits cultivation in this present age. Born into the world, all souls are charged with passing the torch to generations hence. In the mortal realm, stirred by the first movement of good and evil thoughts, manifold karmic ties unfold - some virtuous, some unwholesome. Those who do good reap blessings and enjoy this life; those who do evil invite calamity and suffer therein. The very existence of humankind rests upon a truth most profound concerning the movements of the heart-mind. When the first thought arises, the fruit has yet to sprout - be watchful, and karmic conditions shall find no root.
第廿三回 念識
Born into this world, we operate through the Six Consciousnesses of eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind, setting in motion all karmic conditions. Yet among humanity, what is employed extends far beyond these six. Through them, action flows forth, weaving the karmic ties of life upon life. The origin of all that is good or evil, wholesome or calamitous, lies within the thought-consciousness of humankind.
第廿四回 業因
As for cultivators of the Dao within the sacred precincts of religion, all among them carry innate vows of goodness and karmic ties to virtue. Through these bonds, appealing in silence to Heaven, they borrow the brush of immortals and buddhas to transmit the sacred words and meanings, or to hand down the scriptures, grasping the original intent handed down by the sages. Yet since each soul's capacity for understanding differs, and wisdom and karmic causes vary from person to person, their conduct and comprehension of the original truth are all unlike.
第廿五回 善惡因緣
The writings of the Confucian Sacred Hall are Heaven's expedient method for responding to the age, broadly opening the gate of universal salvation to guide all beings in cultivation. In this Dharma-ending age, one cultivates the heart and awakens to one's nature, performing the work of merit in this present life. Thus: above, one seeks the Buddha-Wisdom and the ultimate truth; below, one transforms sentient beings through cultivation as one's sacred charge. This accords with Heaven's 'Three Realms Universal Salvation' and contributes one's portion of effort to the Completion of the Circle.
第廿六回 懺悔
In this world, people are so consumed by the busyness of daily life that they rarely pause to examine the nature of their own hearts. What has Heaven bestowed upon all living beings? And what do beings give in return? Day after day, people scheme and deceive one another, pursuing personal gain and creating countless karmic grievances. Thus they bind themselves to the endless wheel of cause and effect across lifetimes — and cannot break free.
第廿七回 消災解厄
Born into this world, beings are entangled in karma and cannot escape. But if one can sincerely repent one's former faults, one can bring forth the bright heart within, wash away the dark heart until it gleams clean, and transform it into a radiant red heart. Then in this life one will create no more evil — disaster and calamity will keep their distance, goodness will flower, fortune will arrive, and one will enjoy the fruit of blessing, never falling into the abyss of wrongdoing.
第廿八回 行善錫福
Virtue of goodness is the very root from which the human heart first stirs. Through doing good, people receive blessings — and it all begins with a single thought: the first awakening of the heart, which turns toward goodness and plants a virtuous seed. This primordial movement springs from the heart's original nature and is called 'the root of goodness.' When goodness is transformed into action and bears fruit, life itself becomes a garden of good causes — creating for this present existence a field of rich affinities and abundant fortune.
第廿九回 化性
Heaven, Earth, and Humanity — the Three Powers stand together. Humanity dwells between Heaven and Earth, at the head of all creation, transmitting through countless generations the moral order of human relationships — to regulate the family, govern the state, and bring peace to all under Heaven as a world of Great Unity. Now, with the advance of civilization and the flood of information, the wisdom of beings in this age has greatly expanded. All people hold their own views and beliefs, their own conceptions and convictions.
第三十回 戒律
Religion, in its mission of enlightening and teaching all beings, carries innate prerequisites. In ancient times, the sages of the Five Religions did not establish 'religion' as rigid doctrine — it was later followers who forcibly added their own interpretations, creating the system of religious precepts we know today. Doctrines may provide later practitioners with a path to follow, and have created for future ages the diverse religious beliefs available for humanity to choose from.
第卅一回 求道
Heaven universally transforms all through one unifying principle, guiding many beings with good affinities into the path of cultivation. The essential task is to seek the true essence of the Way within one's heart-nature. Many seek, and many aspire to genuine practice. Throughout this journey, Heaven nurtures all beings to advance in virtue — those who seek the Way and cultivate themselves are truly Heaven's chosen ones.
第卅二回 善德齊家
The Heavenly Way spreads its teaching to save the hearts of humanity, hoping all original spirits can return to their source and transcend. In this age of decline, people's hearts have grown cold and conscience is hard to find. Heterodox and evil teachings flood forth, luring human nature into deep delusion. Therefore Heaven repeatedly sends saints, immortals, and buddhas to establish lineages and transform the people, proclaiming 'Heavenly sounds transmitting truth' to educate hearts and save all beings.
第卅三回 孝道
Human ethics and morality have been handed down through the ages, teaching people's hearts to look far ahead and reflect upon the present. From ancient ancestors to this very day, our existence is owed to an unbroken chain of transmission — branches and leaves supporting each other, spring and autumn alternating, and in a blink another spring of life arrives. Human life passes swiftly, like the cycle of seasons: spring's sprouting, summer's growing, autumn's harvesting, winter's storing — such is one year's journey.
第卅四回 廣結善緣
The Buddha saves those with karmic ties, rescuing countless souls; awaken your heart and mind in this very life.
第卅五回 福慧雙修
The Heavenly Way manifests its teachings in the human world. All beings share in virtue and goodness of heart, capable of creating a Pure Land on earth. Yet now people's hearts have strayed from the true path. Heaven manifests its teachings to awaken the human heart — to deliver beings from delusion and darkness. We live in the degenerate age of the final Dharma, when heterodox and heretical teachings surge forth. Arguments that appear righteous but are false proliferate — they mimic truth, but upon reflection prove hollow.
第卅六回 圓滿
The writing of Great Way's Lamp of the Heart: thirty-six chapters now draw near their close. Looking at the Holy Hall of the Confucian Ancestral Teaching — this is truly a groundbreaking undertaking, offering practitioners a means to break through every barrier and a standard to guide their steps. Reflecting on this period, the tireless efforts and sacrifices of all practitioners are at last bearing fruit. That the practitioners of this Dharma hall have been granted such a karmic opportunity is already a rare and wondrous blessing.
◆ Postfaces & Praises ◆
跋
The Sage reveals this colophon — the work is done;
Through Heaven’s grace the book is finished and its merit won.
◆ Decree ◆
Completion of the Scripture and Return of the Imperial Decree
◆ Prefaces ◆
編輯誌
This first volume of the Great Dao Series illuminates the causes and conditions of goodness, opening the wisdom of all sentient beings. It bears witness to the Buddhist realization of 'illuminating the mind and seeing into one’s true nature, opening
推薦序
Thus one shall surely be guided onto the upright path and will not fall into the three evil destinies. Yet if one has merely entered the gate of religion but cannot reach the perfection of one's spiritual fruits, then one must 'establish oneself and establish others; advance oneself and advance others' — walking hand in hand as companions on the Way, harmonious and serene, fully integrated. In the cultivation that lies ahead, this will create the finest and most wholesome karmic conditions.
◆ Decrees & Forewords ◆
懿旨
Tonight, from the Realm of Limitlessness and the Void, the Imperial Edict descends. It is decreed that the Fortunate Spirit of this hall shall receive the celestial chariot beyond fifteen li; the City God of this hall shall receive it beyond ten li. All remaining gods and mortals shall form ranks in proper order to welcome the arrival — let none falter in reverence!
序一
Alas! The Heavenly Dao unfolds and human life begins. The three teachings — Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism — were originally bestowed from the Pre-heaven to universally transform the multitudes. But now the Age of Dharma Decline has arrived. People's hearts have been steeped in Western customs and ways, causing the ancient culture to wither and fade. The Heavenly Heart, beholding this, commands the High Realized Ones of the three realms to descend into the world and expound the teachings, hoping to restore the Pre-heaven spiritual nature of all people.
序二
Therefore the former words declare: sentient beings of the Dharma-Ending Age must await Maitreya's appearance in the world — his descent — before there is a chance to become Buddhas and sages. But should we merely wait for Maitreya's descent, leaving the multitudes of religious practitioners in this age to sink or swim on their own? The Heavenly Heart does not permit this, nor can it bear to destroy them without first teaching them, lest jade and stone perish together.
序三
When the heart cannot open, pain follows. Then, using every means, it undermines the unity and cohesion of the Dao hall, reducing it to a tray of loose sand. Sentient beings sink deeper into excess with each passing day, until now it is most difficult to restore the noble age of the ancient sages. This fills the Mother Empress with profound sorrow. She has sent immortals and Buddhas again and again to descend into the world, composing texts and expounding the teachings, hoping for the Great Dao's universal transformation, that all may together receive and propagate Heaven's mandate.
General Rules
◆ Main Text ◆
第一回 感恩與回饋
The Lamp of the Heart shines bright upon all lands; the Pure Land awaits where the heart firmly stands.
第二回 大道與天德
Awakening the primordial spirits to return to the Realm of Principle; returning to the void, the spiritual nature shines clear.
第三回 天道奧義
In the human world, cultivating truth returns to the Limitless; the spiritual nature fulfilled proclaims the wondrous truth to all.
第四回 心德
Teaching the stubborn, ferrying the deluded across; riding the lotus home in freedom, without a flaw.
第五回 念正
Within the practice of righteous mindfulness, numerous heart-demons arise to disturb. Thus the effort required for righteous mindfulness is exceedingly great. Within one's thoughts dwell many perplexities — causes from former lives and conditions yet to unfold — all affecting the uprightness of one's mindfulness, and influencing one's heart-nature as well. Moreover, within the heart-nature one cannot attain 'stillness of heart.' Sometimes racing outward, sometimes submerged in silence, one obscures the original good nature — hidden, then lost without trace.
第六回 修身
The ancients said: 'A drum unw struck does not sound; jade uncarved does not become a vessel; a person who does not learn does not know righteousness.' From this we see the importance of self-cultivation. When the self is cultivated, the family can be established. When the family is established, harmony and joy follow. Yet even this is not enough — one must understand that self-cultivation is only the very first lesson of human life. From righteous mindfulness and a good heart, the self is cultivated; along this path, wise teachers and guides will appear to lead one toward maturity.
第七回 徹理
One who cultivates 'principle' must first invest considerable effort. Principle is a 'road,' universally valid across all four seas — a correct rule spanning ancient and modern times, only then can it harmonize with Heaven and Earth and align with the righteous Way. If principle becomes biased, seemingly right yet actually wrong, then it departs from the 'correct' framework. When principle proves effective and method proves practicable, it stands as a universal standard across all four seas.
第八回 修心
This causes one's original nature to be polluted day after day, layered with dust day after day, so that the original nature not only loses its clarity and brightness, but piles up karmic offenses life after life. All because within the heart-nature one cannot grasp this truth: What is human life in this world for? What is one truly pursuing? All are blind! Busy beyond measure — truly making the immortals and Buddhas sigh in helpless lament!
第九回 大道心燈
Heaven above, in its compassion, sent sages to establish teaching, to transform people's hearts and restore them to the original Pre-heaven state. Now we have entered the age of technology. The people's wisdom has greatly expanded. There is growing awareness of teaching and transformation — but only among those with good knowledge, who can still comprehend the Heart of Heaven. As for ordinary humanity, teaching is still in progress, with only modest effect thus far.
第十回 以和為樂
Descending to teach goodness, wielding principle's pen; cultivate together, all you fellow students, again and again.
第十一回 悟心
If good teachers appear to guide, one can also achieve inner comprehension and insight. From ancient times to the present, worldly affairs are full of trials — all trials upon the 'heart-nature.' External conditions forge life's various tribulations, which then arise once more within this very heart. The heart can undergo ten thousand transformations. Amidst the stirring of thought, it can cause the heart-monkey to leap and grasp across a hundred thousand leagues — this is what is called inconceivable.
第十二回 闡理
If 'principle' has flaws, even correct words struggle to convince sentient beings. One cannot guide the faithful, and the immortals and Buddhas grieve. Such an approach makes it exceedingly difficult for people to find their way back to truth. Moreover, true 'principle,' though said to be universal across all four seas, must be adapted to each nation's conditions and customs. What convinces people here may clash with customs there.
第十三回 境轉與轉境
But if one cannot transform circumstances, one is swept along by them, the heart aching beyond endurance. 'Circumstances turning' and 'turning circumstances' — this is something that must be examined in every human life. Following material desires, drifting with the current, busy in daily routines, for the sake of survival one sends the heart racing outward, never holding it steady — often acting in ways that later provoke deep reflection.
第十四回 教化
This karmic condition may be said to rest upon sentient beings' blessings. Yet all are deluded in championing the new and discarding the old, casting aside ancient customs and upright traditions. Worshipping technology as it dominates the world, morality declines — and restoring the ancient atmosphere of integrity grows ever harder. In this Dharma-Ending Age, immortals and Buddhas frequently descend to the sacred hall, manifesting in every direction, wholly devoted to the culture of heart-nature, principles, and moral teaching, striving to restore the ancient clarity.
第十五回 三教合心
Descending, composing this precious book of good; in verse, calling the multitudes, as sages would.
第十六回 藩籬
Though all have taken virtuous vows, if the mind remains restless and the nature clouded, the power of those vows is greatly weakened. To vow 'to proclaim Heaven's teachings' is indeed a supreme calling — yet not all can fulfill it. What then divides the successful from the rest? It is the constancy of perseverance. When a good thought first stirs, the will is already declared.
第十七回 磨難
Without such trials, no foundation of the Way can be built. Without testing, how can spiritual power be revealed? One must pass through the furnace of trials to discover one's true level. Those who succeed through trials bear fruit that is more genuine, more real. If one relies only on descendants to lift one upward — should descendants sustain their faith across the ages — the ancestor may indeed benefit from their merit.
第十八回 消業
If beings could see this, they would feel deep gratitude, and immortals and buddhas would rejoice to assist in forging the Dharma fruit. Karmic bonds from countless lifetimes must be untangled before true fruit can ripen. Such extraordinary karmic affinity can only arise from great virtue cultivated across many lifetimes. Among the practitioners now gathering in the place of practice, those who possess such merit and conditions — sentient beings should reflect deeply.
第十九回 普渡
In this age, where material gain reigns supreme, only religious practitioners understand the punishments of the underworld. Most beings neither know nor believe in the retribution of cause and effect. Hell's origin lies in darkening one's conscience, in wrongdoing, in harming others for gain — all born of greed's blinding fire.
第二十回 收圓之條件
The age has entered its final glorious era. Two thousand years have passed since Shakyamuni's nirvana. The first millennium was the age of Orthodox Dharma; the second, the age of Semblance Dharma; the third, the age of Degenerate Dharma. Time grows short. If one waits only for Maitreya's descent to convene the Dragon Flower Assembly — the great gathering of all schools — the conditions for 'gathering in' must be prepared now.
第廿一回 任務與修持
When shall the soul find the grace to 'behold stillness within the turning' and 'perceive the turning from within stillness'? Truly, human life is steeped in sorrow. Sentient beings endure affliction, yet drift upon the current of their dispositions, perceiving not their own suffering. Rather, they mistake suffering for delight, embracing it as though it were sweet draught — creating grave obstacles to the very purpose of life. The immortals and buddhas, beholding this, are filled with lamentation!
第廿二回 心念
Before the mind's conceiving has borne any fruit, at the very first stirring of thought, the heart has already set its course and the seed is already sown. Karmic causation thereupon unfolds. Therefore, among people, one must sow good affinities far and wide, that one may walk in good conditions and establish a field of blessed merit. Moreover, the thoughts of the human heart can lead one to become a buddha or an immortal; they can also plant the seed that plunges one into hell - all springing from that first, fateful stirring of thought.
第廿三回 念識
All that we seek in daily life for survival - within the realm of thought-consciousness, the deeper causes run yet further. Through the exercise of thought-consciousness, only when it accords with the righteous Way and righteous principle can there be the original intent of blessed virtue. Otherwise, left to unfold without restraint, how few among sentient beings can employ their thought-consciousness to walk in right thought?
第廿四回 業因
Such conditions give rise to all the contentions now rife within the sacred halls. From the cultivator's vantage: wholesome vows and affinities can accomplish the hall's work of transformation, guiding sentient beings into the stage of practice. Merit and fruit can indeed be abundant and affirmed. Yet in the eagerness to welcome souls broadly and recruit disciples, one may be tempted to employ any manner of means.
第廿五回 善惡因緣
The Confucian Divine Teaching: one must enter the sacred hall through the guidance of virtue. Through this awakening instruction, one ceases to create evil karma and fall into the wheel of rebirth, bringing suffering upon the next life. If human existence be nothing but a breathless scramble for survival in the present, then one cannot still the mind to first take measure of what this heart-life has accomplished.
第廿六回 懺悔
The Nine Heavens — it is hard for ordinary beings to fathom such virtue, for it is closer to daily life than anything else. Without the fire-virtue of Siming, how could one kindle the warmth and light needed each day? Those in the world rarely grasp the boundless grace of the Nine Heavens' Fire Lord, unaware that Siming is with them at every moment, treating rich and poor, high and low, with perfect equality.
第廿七回 消災解厄
So the question stands: can disaster truly be dispelled? Can calamity be resolved? This is not something the immortals and buddhas can accomplish on one's behalf — it depends entirely on each being's own practice and self-purification. If one can possess a 'red heart,' this life will surely overflow with good deeds and blessings of virtue. But beings have yet to understand: how does one attain a 'red heart'? How does one cast away the 'black heart'? Let this be explained.
第廿八回 行善錫福
All beings are drawn to goodness and repelled by evil. Everyone cherishes the fruit of goodness, and the blessings of virtue are an essential part of life's cultivation. The choice between doing good and doing evil depends on whether one can let go and see clearly within. The distinction between 'good and evil' rests upon a single thought — and that one thought determines the entire divergence between future fortune and misfortune.
第廿九回 化性
In this degenerate age, though knowledge may awaken the world and transform hearts, yet amid material comfort, the human heart drifts toward extravagance and cunning. How, then, can beings be awakened? Only through the power of religion to teach and enlighten through principle. Taking 'principle' (li) as the starting point, one finds that many ancient maxims, even today, resist easy adaptation to the needs of modern society.
第三十回 戒律
It is essential that practitioners, within the framework of precepts, practice with vigilance and self-discipline. For precepts, held within the heart, enable practitioners to eliminate their faults and transform themselves into exemplary models of cultivation. Religious precepts serve to stabilize both hearts and society — they should rightly be promoted and observed by all.
第卅一回 求道
Karmic affinities are rare and precious; opportunities are hard to come by. Only through merit accumulated across past lives can one obtain them. The Universal Salvation of the Three Realms begins with the Human Realm. To attain the Heavenly Way in this life means seeds of latent cause were planted across countless lifetimes, enabling one to receive it now. Most possess abundant virtue, yet few truly cultivate and refine themselves in earnest.
第卅二回 善德齊家
Yet though the speakers are earnest, the listeners pay little heed. Beings are lost in worldly distractions and cannot escape life's entanglements, creating karmic obstacles and troubles. Some stem from past karma; others are born in this life, leading delusion deeper into delusion. When will they ever break free? How pitiable, how lamentable! The Heavenly Way places all people first. Among the Three Realms of Heaven, Earth, and Humanity, cultivation always begins with the Human Realm.
第卅三回 孝道
Seen from the perspective of a human life, it confirms just how brief our existence truly is — a cause for deep reflection. As the years turn, each year adds one to your age, yet each year also takes one away from your remaining time. Each year gained is a year less to live.
第卅四回 廣結善緣
Human existence — a sorrowful descent into delusion; return to your true nature and deliver your body and spirit.
第卅五回 福慧雙修
These karmic conditions lure beings deeper into delusion, following deviant paths. They also manifest as disputes and chaos among the various sects and lineages. For those born between Heaven and Earth, the question is: can they follow the true path? The most urgent task for beings today is to uphold true principle without deviation or distortion — this is of vital importance to all human faith and cultivation.
第卅六回 圓滿
Heaven opens its teaching to enable beings to cast aside obstacles and difficulties through cultivation. In the conditions and methods of practice, a brand-new opportunity is bestowed upon the Holy Hall — and all the immortals and buddhas rejoice to behold this. Every undertaking has its beginning and its end. These karmic affinities are the fruit ripened from lifetimes past, and now they reach their fulfillment.
◆ Postfaces & Praises ◆
跋
He comes to Xingshan Hall to teach and guide the band,
Encouraging their hearts in harmony, sincere and hand in hand.
◆ Decree ◆
完書繳旨
Tonight I bear the gracious command of the Unborn Old Mother, carrying the decree to proclaim it. Let gods and mortals prostrate in reverence!
◆ Prefaces ◆
編輯誌
the witness of awakening to enlightenment and attaining fruition. For those who sincerely wish to ascend and transcend, this witness shows the way to return authentically within a single lifetime, reaching fulfillment and passing beyond all realms.
推薦序
The Great Dao arose, yin and yang found their place, the myriad stars pay homage to the Dao, and the Heavenly Mind is accomplished. Through the human Way, karmic bonds weave through the world, and life unfolds. Drawing upon Heaven, Earth, the sun, the moon, and the stars, one follows the true course and attains the Great Dao. Heaven's compassion is without limit — this is the growth of 'returning to transcendence and attaining perfection.' People stand in the world, and generation after generation life continues unceasingly — this is the deepest wish of Heaven above.
◆ Decrees & Forewords ◆
懿旨
Before the Throne of Limitlessness, the Immortal Maiden Dong Shuangcheng
序一
Observe the Southern Continent: the Republic of China, Taiwan Province — the Southern Heaven's directly governed Daoist hall, Taoyuan Xingshan Hall. Since its founding, six years have passed. Devoting itself to proclaiming Heaven's transformation without reserve, it has achieved genuine results in teaching and saving the world, guiding people to elevate through faith, and to enter from the cultivation of the Heavenly Dao into the realm of perfect clarity.
序二
Heaven's universal transformation — once more 'using Confucianism to open the teaching, using Buddhism as the refuge, using Daoism as thestandard' — advocates the unity of the three teachings, practicing without partiality or deviation. This is the correct path. In the present age, humanity has entered a realm of extreme extravagance and extreme deceit. Therefore, in Heaven's great compassionate virtue, wishing to stem the tide, it seeks to bring about a clear and bright world for the sentient beings of the Dharma-Ending Age, and to elevate the growth of faith.
序三
Now I guide the principle-brush, through the method of teaching, to illuminate principle and awaken people's hearts — pointing directly at the corruption and decline of these times, and turning again toward the Great Dao of humans and gods, to bring about a clear and bright world in this declining age. I spread the Dao and descend principle, hoping all the students of Xingshan will unite as one heart, devoting themselves to the universal transformation through virtuous books.
凡例
First: The Lamp of the Great Dao is composed in reverent reception of the Imperial Edict of Limitlessness and the Jade Edict of Heaven's Vastness, proclaimed for the writing of this book. It addresses the sentient beings of the present world who are drowning in the bitter sea, their hearts so deeply defiled that they have reached the limit — for the elevation and purification of human nature.
◆ Main Text ◆
第一回 感恩與回饋
The Great Dao arose at the very beginning, yin and Yang found their rightful place, the myriad stars pay homage to the Dao, and the Heavenly Mind is accomplished. Through the Human Way, karmic bonds weave through the world to form all of creation. Drawing upon Heaven, Earth, the sun, the moon, and the stars, one follows the true course and attains the Great Dao. Heaven's compassion is boundless; the heart of mercy opens wide, and all assemble at the Dragon Flower Assembly to comfort the Divine Mother. Humans dwell in this world and stand firm, thus life continues unceasingly from generation to generation.
第二回 大道與天德
Alas! All humans born into this world are formed by the yin and yang of Heaven and Earth. From ancient times to the present, across countless lifetimes, how rare are those who truly know Heaven, feel Heaven, and align their virtue with Heaven's! Now we have entered an age of decline — people's hearts are no longer as they were in antiquity, and the cultivation of virtue no longer attains the ancient pure goodness. All have been stained and defiled, the spiritual platform layered with impurities that cannot be washed clean even by the waters of Dharma.
第三回 天道奧義
Heaven, Earth, and Humanity — the three powers stand in formation, creating the world. The Heavenly Heart is compassionate, illuminating all beings with spiritual brightness and pure clarity. Those who can return possess the conditions of the Pre-heaven; this cannot be spoken of in generalities. If one can serve Heaven, one must also submit to Earth; if one can serve humanity, one must also save all sentient beings. This is a principle unchanged through a thousand ages.
第四回 心德
Heaven's grace is vast and boundless; virtue matches the great Earth. In ancient times, the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors won hearts through virtue alone, awakening sentient beings to their heart-nature, investigating principle and tracing the source to find their way home. Now we have entered the era of the Dragon Flower's Three Assemblies. The Divine Mother's virtuous grace stands at the gate, gazing longingly for her spiritual children to return — yet they cling to delusion and refuse to awaken, causing the Mother's heart to weep with bitter tears. How few are the spiritual children who find their way back!
第五回 念正
Amidst thought after thought, the heart holds to its uprightness; yet the causes of disturbance are not merely one or two. In present worldly life, all manner of incidental thoughts arise and transform one another. Through these transformations, the heart finds no stability. Therefore, righteous mindfulness requires establishing a firm and sustained effort before it can become truly rooted. The method lies within each person's own heart-thoughts: to act from the four beginnings of virtue, to dwell within the four correctnesses.
第六回 修身
Only then can one firmly establish this stage of self-cultivation. Moreover, one who cultivates the self can nourish the spiritual nature. Through the refining of the spirit, self-cultivation becomes easier; one will not deviate into distortion. In all affairs, there must be determination rooted in 'correctness.' When determination dwells within correctness and manifests outwardly, self-cultivation bears its fruit.
第七回 徹理
Furthermore, applying principle to cultivate the self and nourish the nature establishes the fundamental basis of human relations. Walk the golden mean — square and round, without bias or leaning. This is the correct framework of principle. If deviation or crookedness creeps in, then principle can guide people but also mislead them. It is said: expounding principle and teaching the Dharma is humanity's essential duty. Applied to the spiritual path: 'With principle, one may walk the whole world; without principle, one cannot take a single step.'
第八回 修心
The world has not awakened. To speak of this is to make immortals and Buddhas shed tears together — truly lamentable, truly sorrowful! Now, the heart is the original master-vessel within the body. Within thought-consciousness, the eyes and ears serve as the outermost gateway-consciousnesses. Through them one observes and hears, transmitting impressions into the conscious mind. From there, the heart-nature sends commands outward — to the hands, feet, nose, mouth, and body — giving rise to action.
第九回 大道心燈
As for those entangled in evil karma with treacherous hearts — they simply refuse to pay heed. This creates a great barrier to Heaven's universal transformation. From the perspective of such beings, their original nature remains purely good without evil, but their conduct has already departed from the righteous path. It is precisely difficult for them to turn back, and difficult to return to the original Pre-heaven state.
第十回 以和為樂
The Sage's Gate gives priority to principle in its teaching. The Confucian Divine Religion delivers and transforms sentient beings, grounding itself in divine revelation and Confucian learning. Yet within the heart-nature of sentient beings, there remains an inability to fully resolve life's deepest questions: Why have I come to this world? Why was I born? What should I do with this life? None of this has been clearly understood. Whenever immortals and Buddhas descend, every sentient being feels a response. From that response, one should discern: how ought one to act? How ought one to cooperate?
第十一回 悟心
Every arising of heart, every movement of thought — all are set in motion by my heart, all are employed by my heart. Yet can this heart-monkey be bound? Can it be tethered? Truly, it is difficult! Human thought is most easily entangled by external conditions. From the perspective of the human heart, although this function exists, it remains trapped within the physical body, unable to take actual action or produce real effect.
第十二回 闡理
The words established by past sages could convince good people, and thus the masses found their refuge. Through 'principle,' the heart awakens. If principle accords with local geography, customs, and conditions, resonating across all nations — only then is it correct and without error, becoming 'right principle.' Principle itself is neither correct nor deviant; it is shaped by the 'mind and conduct' of those who use it.
第十三回 境轉與轉境
If one could see through and release all that binds, and yet still suffers unknowingly — one must simply let the heart go. Only then can material circumstances be transformed into mental landscape, adapting to the environment without being disturbed. But human life is full of helplessness and confusion. If only one could produce a remedy for this ailment, one would never again be trapped by circumstances.
第十四回 教化
Viewed from the present: sentient beings' blessings are indeed complete. In former times, to travel to distant lands required horse and carriage. Today, modern conveyances shorten the distance between people, shrinking life's distances. Yet paradoxically, people have grown further apart in spiritual elevation, communication, and moral understanding.
第十五回 三教合心
Religious dharma halls initiate teaching and spread truth, guiding people to abandon evil and embrace goodness, to reform from wrong and return to right. 'Lay down the butcher's knife, and that instant you become a Buddha.' All this steers sentient beings toward goodness, and through principle reminds the virtuous. This is the purpose for which Heaven established religion. Religion takes teaching and spreading correct principle as its central mission, awakening deluded beings to practice goodness.
第十六回 藩籬
Heaven already knows this and assists according to the strength of one's vows and the firmness of one's resolve. Those who now helm the Dharma vessel — can they offer their hearts without partiality? Can they lead without distinguishing between Former Heaven and Later Heaven sects? Such distinctions are merely human constructs, nothing more.
第十七回 磨難
But if descendants falter and abandon the path midway, the foundation crumbles. Even if descendants complete the merit and bless their ancestors, this is achievement through borrowed conditions — not something forged by one's own hand. When descendants' merit in the Way combines with one's own earnest cultivation, the two conditions strengthen each other, and the foundation stands firm.
第十八回 消業
For some, when karmic cause and effect arrive, the trial surpasses what ordinary endurance can bear. This stems from lifetimes of torment by karmic creditors — generation after generation, the resentment unresolvable. When creditors have received their warrant to collect, even immortals and buddhas find it hard to shield one's physical form. They can only counsel restraint, to prevent further entanglement.
第十九回 普渡
If beings cannot break through this barrier, know that hell has already expanded to receive the multitudes of sinners. Not because Heaven lacks compassion — but because beings refuse to see the law of cause and effect. Bodhisattvas fear the cause; beings fear only the effect. Thus 'Universal Salvation' is proclaimed to awaken the sleeping. Heaven's universal transformation also demands three conditions.
第二十回 收圓之條件
The hour of gathering in grows ever clearer. Yet because the merit and virtue of each original spiritual child differs, the original timetable cannot hold. The precise moment depends on the hearts and conduct of the original children — whether they hasten or delay it. For Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism, the concept of gathering in carries a particularly urgent call to awaken the world.
第廿一回 任務與修持
If only sentient beings could comprehend that in this life they labor without rest for livelihood, swept along by worldly pursuits — when, then, shall they find even a single breath of respite? When might they take counsel for themselves and bring forth the fullness of their God-given talents? This is what all humanity must understand: for what cause have they come into this life? For what purpose? There are three sacred missions and tasks:
第廿二回 心念
At the first arising, the heart-thought has already sprouted. Karmic conditions have emerged, though the fruit is not yet formed. Yet among people, the causes of good and evil must arise from this very source. Good and evil, intertwined through lifetimes, become the quality of one's karma across rebirths. All reincarnation springs from this single thought. To receive blessing and enjoy it in this life is surely because the seeds planted in lives past were wholesome, enabling one to taste the fruit of blessing in this life and the life to come.
第廿三回 念識
Thus are sentient beings left with no refuge for their hearts, and the evil karma of past lives springs forth therefrom. Immortals and buddhas, within their thought-consciousness, respond with goodness, with uprightness, justice, and selflessness. Yet sentient beings turn in circles within their own thoughts and views, unable to consider another's perspective, far less to contemplate the welfare of all beings under Heaven. How grievously difficult!
第廿四回 業因
Though still called 'wholesome vow,' the original intent has already been lost - the result being harm to others with no benefit to oneself, and the planting of evil karma's source for ages hence. Concerning cultivators whose thoughts have strayed: their conduct likewise deviates, and when displayed outwardly, it causes fellow practitioners to follow blindly, knowing not the way. Further agitation leads to the soliciting of devotees and disciples, merely to adorn one's own facade.
第廿五回 善惡因緣
Only through this still reflection can one reduce the occasions for creating evil karma in this life. Therefore, the original intention of the sacred hall's open teaching lies precisely herein. Within the teaching, practical instances of cause and effect are employed to expound the truth. Through citing verifiable cases for instruction, one can surely instill in the hearts of the faithful a sense of reverence, that they dare not do evil.
第廿六回 懺悔
The three daily meals upon the hearth, the light of the lamp, and the primal lamp within the heart — all are governed by the fire-virtue of the Nine Heavens' Siming. Nothing in daily life escapes the watchful eye of one's own 'Three Corpse Spirits.' Every household falls under the jurisdiction of Siming; every word and deed is overseen by Zhenjun, the True Lord of Destiny of the Nine Heavens — the Kitchen God.
第廿七回 消災解厄
The 'red heart' is goodness itself — the outward sign of blessed virtue. It fills one with kindness, radiates a gentle energy, and manifests as a benevolent countenance. The immortals and buddhas rejoice to behold it; even ghosts and spirits pay reverence. How does one come to possess this red heart? In daily life, one serves both oneself and others, acting not from self-interest but from compassion for all beings.
第廿八回 行善錫福
Goodness springs from the heart's original source; evil arises from the same wellspring. When virtue grows day by day and accumulates to fullness, the origin of goodness transforms into blessings. In this life, one will enjoy the reward of deep blessings and may even accomplish the fruit of the Way. From within blessings, one may further seek wisdom — possessing both, this life will surely achieve great and noble things.
第廿九回 化性
Therefore, Heaven opens new methods of teaching, striving to give beings immersed in delusion a path to follow. Can beings, then, devote their hearts to the stage of 'transforming nature'? Only thus can one transcend this life. Human beings are born of the yin and yang of Heaven and Earth; in its primordial state, the spiritual nature is purely good, without a trace of evil. But having descended into the mortal world, it is ensnared by material desires, and through lifetimes of transmigration,
第三十回 戒律
For the practitioner, precepts serve as a compass — a standard to follow. Through this compass, beings engaged in cultivation have a clear target for emulation and learning. The goal is that beings use their very lives as the crucible of practice — that they not violate the precepts. Yet there exists a trap: 'cultivation without vigilance of precepts.' From the practitioner's perspective, precepts are precisely the standard by which one holds oneself accountable.
第卅一回 求道
Some guides draw people in through personal connections, creating a sense of obligation that prevents them from entering genuine practice. Measuring merit by the number of followers is a grave error. Heaven's compassion makes no distinction among religions, hoping to deliver all original spirits back to their source. Now universal transformation has entered a new phase.
第卅二回 善德齊家
Teach the human world to practice the Five Cardinal Relationships and Five Constant Virtues, reviving the human heart as the vanguard of moral education. Educating all beings begins with fulfilling human ethics and morality, entering the realm of completing the Way. When one fulfills human ethics, the family becomes harmonious and joyful, the heart peaceful and serene, and everyone prioritizes the family over self — then the family can truly be regulated.
第卅三回 孝道
A newborn child grows old in the blink of an eye; after old age and death, new life springs forth once more. The span of a human life is but the twinkling of an eye. How can one transcend this mortal life? How can one leave behind a shining legacy for generations to come? It all depends on the virtue of the ancestors! Such karmic affinity requires that ancestors themselves possess virtue, before they can bring forth outstanding descendants.
第卅四回 廣結善緣
Broadly form good affinities through practice in this life; grasp the wondrous principle to anchor your heart.
第卅五回 福慧雙修
Elucidating through principle involves subjective and differing perspectives, making it difficult to maintain a truly objective standpoint. Truth, if followed, is eternally without contradiction. But when people argue from personal viewpoints, it breeds division and opposition. In cultivation, one must use wisdom to discern: does this accord with the 'true path'? Does this accord with 'true principle'?
第卅六回 圓滿
Through the power of karmic affinity, though the publication of this book encountered its share of trials, all were able to unite their hearts and work as one, devoting themselves wholeheartedly to the Great Way. As a response to the vow made for the guidance of all beings, this shared aspiration has been fulfilled. From beginning to end, the causes and conditions of this Heavenly book were carried by a common vision — and thus it was accomplished in all directions.
◆ Postfaces & Praises ◆
Colophon
◆ Decree ◆
The Gracious Decree Is Opened and Read
◆ Prefaces ◆
編輯誌
The Heavenly Dao is impartial, revolving through ten thousand generations across countless cosmic cycles. In the most ancient age, hearts were purely good — without evil or malice. As people’s minds were incomparably kind, the world knew peace. By the medieval period, however, hearts had grown mixed: good and evil side by side, selfishness stirring delusion. The original Pre-heaven nature was lost, and the light of heart-knowledge dimmed, no longer bright as in ages past.
推薦序
From ancient times to the present, those who could sense Heaven's embrace, Earth's upholding, the Sun's radiance, the Moon's brightness, and the constellations and Five Elements pervading Heaven and Earth — how blessed they were! But when people fail to recognize Heaven's grace and through ignorance commit evil, sinking ever deeper, dark energy fills the cosmos. The celestial immortals and Buddhas, grieved by this lack of virtue, vow to descend into the world, establishing teachings in every direction and opening halls everywhere, illuminating beings through the Dharma, earnestly hoping that sentient beings who have lost their way will turn back.
◆ Decrees & Forewords ◆
懿旨
From Limitlessness, the Imperial Edict arrives at Xingshan; the Great Dao universally awakens the Chan heart.
序一
My heart is greatly rejoiced. Now I compose a preface for The Lamp of the Great Dao, urging all sentient beings to awaken to the true Dao and spread it far and wide. Thereby to accomplish 'the operation of the Heavenly Dao,' 'the universal transformation of the Great Dao,' 'the bright illumination of the Lamp of the Heart,' and further 'the proclamation of the Human Dao' — this shall surely save and transform the four assemblies, establishing them upon the path of return to Heaven.
序二
One must cultivate 'the perfection of the Human Dao, the illumination of the Earthly Dao, the clarity of the Heavenly Dao' — returning to the world of the Great Dao in Unity. It is not far off! Heaven sends the Great Dao to universally transform the ten thousand people. Making the Dao one's heart, making the heart seal the heart — when Dao and heart are sealed as one, the spiritual nature will naturally shine forth. Now I compose a preface for The Lamp of the Great Dao, wishing to save humans and gods so that together they may return to the Land of Ultimate Bliss.
序三
I come to compose this preface, praying that all sentient beings may deeply realize the essential teaching of The Lamp of the Great Dao, and thereby return to the Sacred Realms of Limitlessness and the Void — to comfort the Mother Empress's compassionate hope, to fulfill the heartfelt wish of the spiritual children, and together to return to the realm of carefree joy, pure and without flaw!
凡例
Second: The Old Mother of Limitlessness, beholding this, specially commanded the Ancient Buddha of the Southern Sea to guide the principle-brush Chen Sheng, to awaken the world through principle — serving as the great bell to rouse the age, dispelling corruption and exalting clarity, teaching and transforming the human realm. Sentient beings — do not sink, do not be deluded; join hands and together proceed to the Sacred Assembly of the Principle Heaven.
◆ Main Text ◆
第一回 感恩與回饋
From ancient times to the present, those who could sense Heaven's embrace, Earth's upholding, the Sun's radiance, the Moon's brightness, and the constellations and Five Elements pervading all of creation — how blessed they were! Alas, when people fail to recognize Heaven's grace and through ignorance commit evil and sink ever deeper, dark energy fills the cosmos. The celestial immortals and Buddhas, grieved by this decline in virtue, vowed to descend into the mortal world — establishing teachings in every direction, opening halls everywhere, illuminating through the Dharma, earnestly seeking to lead all beings back from their wandering path.
第二回 大道與天德
And so within the heart, contradictions arise from time to time, doubts multiply endlessly, and one knows not why one was born, why one came to this life, or how to face the present world. The heart often feels hollow and empty, the spirit lacks nourishment, and ever more extravagant and deceitful mentalities emerge without end. It is not that Heaven above lacks compassion — those who can be taught shall be fully supported.
第三回 天道奧義
Heaven's great virtue is called 'giving life'; Earth's great virtue is called 'nourishing life'; humanity's great virtue is called 'releasing life.' Serving Heaven and Earth — this is the virtue and goodness of human relations! To return and walk its Way, to match Heaven and Earth — one must first unite with fellow humans. United with humanity, one must then serve the spirits. Spirits and ghosts — these are the correct or deviated aspects of spiritual essence. Cultivate correctness and one becomes divine; deviate from correctness and one becomes a ghost.
第四回 心德
The gods and Buddhas of all heavens, unable to bear the Mother's tears, manifest great compassion and descend once more to the mortal world. They use principle to persuade and awaken the spiritual children, that they may understand the depth of the Mother's longing. Once again descending to the sacred hall, they study and discuss the Dao through principle, expounding its essence — hoping the spiritual children will awaken and return, bringing joy to the Mother's heart. Sincerely moved, they once again guide sentient beings to board the vessel of compassion and swiftly return home, assembling at the Dragon Flower Gathering.
第五回 念正
Once the effort of righteous mindfulness is firmly established, putting it into practice will surely bear fruit. Thus it is said: 'The arising of thought takes place before the heart-mind.' Before a thought has arisen, before the heart has stirred and consciousness has moved — whether one will be upright or biased depends entirely upon one's karma from former lives and the accumulated karma of this present life. If one can remain 'upright,' achievement is certain. Even before manifesting outwardly, uprightness will already be revealed within the heart-nature.
第六回 修身
It is said: 'To cultivate the self, one must first understand principle and discern things, comprehend Heaven and Earth, and revere the spirits.' Religious cultivation is the first step in establishing teaching and transformation. The benevolent guidance of religion is the foremost requirement of human relations. Everything flows from this. Those who can teach and guide the deluded must themselves possess virtuous nature. If one has not yet reached this level, one must practice diligently — learning and applying, again and again putting it into action.
第七回 徹理
An ancient saying goes: 'Principle is just and impartial; only when square and round are correctly formed is clarity achieved, establishing humanity as supreme.' Therefore, upholding principle in practice creates a standard valid across all four seas. Principle is the foundation of all cultivation. A practitioner who approaches religious enlightenment through principle will surely discern the orthodox from the deviated, rather than using supernatural powers to lead people into delusion. To do so would inevitably lead to an irredeemable predicament.
第八回 修心
Thus are good and evil karmic connections formed. From these karmic connections, life after life is woven — the karmic web of gratitude and resentment. If one can create a wholesome trend, it is Heaven's great fortune. If one creates evil karma, it makes all the immortals and Buddhas of the heavens weep with sorrow. One must first teach beings to understand 'the arising of good and evil,' applying rational judgment — this is conveyed through the eyes and ears into the mind's intention.
第九回 大道心燈
Heaven above, in establishing teaching, also wishes to save these stubbornly deluded beings. One must observe whether the seeds of karmic affinity have ripened, and determine what methods to employ. Teaching and guiding such stubborn beings is far harder than guiding the good and kind. One must double one's effort and dedication before any fruit can be borne, borrowing conditions to forge causes and effects.
第十回 以和為樂
Within the heart-nature, understanding is already possible. Yet in the pace of practice, because each person occupies a different vantage point, views diverge — creating layer upon layer of obstacles and confusion. On this point of debate, who is right and who is wrong? None can say with certainty. As the saying goes: 'The public says the public is right; the old woman says the old woman is right.' If immortals and Buddhas were to view things from the standpoint of sentient beings, it would surely be a complete muddle.
第十一回 悟心
Moreover, this very function is the source of the heart's infinite transformations. When thought moves, the heart turns — and one has already set out on the journey beyond the ordinary. To tether the heart-monkey requires deep and sustained effort. Amidst life's frantic striving, can one pause and steady the heart? How very difficult! One needs the power of chan ding — meditative concentration — before the heart-monkey can be held fast.
第十二回 闡理
Consider present-day sentient beings: sometimes a matter is viewed from different angles. People see it as departing from 'principle,' yet the starting point was driven by 'just and good intentions,' seeking to accomplish good ends — yet it proves hard to harmonize with the group. Behavior arising from 'good intentions' has nonetheless deviated from the majority's view, and one's conduct stands apart.
第十三回 境轉與轉境
The transformation of mental state lies in disregarding the changes of material circumstances. Though circumstances remain unchanged, the heart has already transformed — and all affairs resolve naturally. One is no longer 'turned by circumstances.' Thus: 'The heart can transform while circumstances stand still; circumstances may shift while the heart remains unmoved.' Such a state has already left behind life's suffering and confusion. One can surely 'awaken the heart' and find life's even path.
第十四回 教化
People in the world are blinded by self-interest, consumed by their own pursuit of fortune, never considering how to promote the welfare of all, how to revive moral customs. Thus they remain deluded, their inner hearts unable to shine forth. People suspect and distrust one another. The slightest provocation sparks disputes over profit, breeding mutual harm.
第十五回 三教合心
Through the good path, teaching guides sentient beings to cultivation as their refuge, cultivating the heart-nature as its goal. In the Middle Kingdom, from ancient times, Confucius established the Apricot Altar to spread correct principle — not founding a religious sect. Later generations forcibly appended interpretations, naming 'schools' as 'religions.' In Confucius's time, where were religious sects? Was Confucianism a 'religion'? No indeed! It was transmitted as a 'school of thought.'
第十六回 藩籬
Within the place of practice, one must 'unite with Heaven's boundless virtue,' embracing all schools without partiality, setting a standard to guide all beings. Never insist that one school is greatest or highest. Thus we say: the highest may possess the humblest wisdom; the lowliest may harbor the keenest insight. Whoever awakens to this truth transcends the cycle of birth and death.
第十七回 磨難
To inspire all beings with unwavering confidence in cultivation, the upper beam must be straight, and the lower beam will follow. Thus, building the foundation of the Way must be one's own work to be truly real. Yet good karmic affinities must guide the way, enabling descendants to achieve ever greater things within the place of practice. This process unfolds through the furnace of trial.
第十八回 消業
If karmic creditors — those owed debts from past lives — can grasp the principle that 'enmity should be released, not bound,' then the confusion and torment will ease considerably. Diligently cultivate merit and dedicate it to help karmic creditors cross over from suffering. Mutual cultivation, mutual encouragement — this is what Heaven most delights in. Trials reach beyond the mind alone.
第十九回 普渡
It is the religions that awaken and transform the human heart — this is the true face of hell. If you doubt it, look upon the present world. The difference between living in heaven and living in hell lies in the divide between inner heart and outer circumstance. A heart of righteousness ascends to heaven; a heart of sin descends to hell. This truth stands unchanged across the ages.
第二十回 收圓之條件
Heaven's decree flows through immortals and buddhas with swiftness, and the messages arrive without delay. The conditions and conduct of practitioners in the Central Land more readily meet Heaven's requirements — a testament to their deep karmic affinity. Regarding the Unborn Sovereign Mother's care, distinctions indeed exist. As it is said:
First: The Repayment of Karmic Debts Across Lifetimes:
第廿二回 心念
Were there no karmic conditions of good and evil, cause and effect could scarcely take root, nor could the seed come to fruit. If, from the very first arising of thought, one can set it upon the righteous path, then in the future one shall walk in good causes and bear good fruit. In lives to come, good conditions shall yield good fruit - this is the mark of blessed virtue. Let sentient beings constantly turn their thoughts toward wholesome karmic conditions, lest evil fruit be wrought as retribution in this life or the next.
第廿三回 念識
Should one establish wholesome and correct views in carrying out affairs, yet after a brief blaze of enthusiasm the fire cools - such fleeting ardor leads to inability to sustain practice, to a will that falters. One must strengthen the cultivation of wholesome thought, using thought-consciousness to consolidate the wisdom of past experience as a foundation for future conduct. This is the dividing line between blessing and calamity.
第廿四回 業因
Were one to create no evil causes, all would be well. But should evil causes be wrought, how shall one proceed in the days to come? In the still of night, search thy heart: Art thou ashamed before Heaven and Earth? Art thou ashamed before the Great Dao? Though the outward form arose from a wholesome vow, within that vow evil seeds were sown - surely the disciples and the faithful have been led astray, entering a realm of transgression without end.
第廿五回 善惡因緣
In observing the suffering endured across lifetimes of karmic conditions, all is conveyed through hardship, testing of the heart, and calamity to awaken the world. If blessed virtue and merit are fortified through blessing, sentient beings shall have a path to follow. Concerning the concrete examples of karmic retribution and the suffering of rebirth, their teaching can be broadly effective. In this, the painstaking instruction of the Buddhist and Daoist patriarchs and the immortals and buddhas has not been spent in vain.
第廿六回 懺悔
Therefore, to those who do good, He sends down auspicious fortune; to those who do evil, He brings disaster and misfortune. If beings would but examine their conduct at every moment, they would have no need for Siming's oversight. But all beings are lost in the pursuit of fame and gain — and in this age of technological progress, when every human affair is measured in money, the heart knows nothing but the weight of coin.
第廿七回 消災解厄
When practiced over time, the 'red heart' gradually reveals itself. All one's actions come into harmony with Heavenly principle and moral virtue; ghosts and spirits extend their protection, and misfortune retreats. The 'black heart,' by contrast, acts only for self-interest while harming others. This is the ingrained habit of ordinary beings. Though some might call it 'merely human nature,' it is in truth the great stumbling block upon the path of life.
第廿八回 行善錫福
The cause of supreme goodness lies in virtue cultivated in ages past. 'Supreme virtue' does not seek recognition for its own virtue; 'middle virtue' holds fast to virtuous deeds; 'lower virtue' performs small kindnesses yet never forgets its own merit. Lower virtue can only yield limited fortune, unable to deepen further. True goodness must be practiced through 'non-action' (wu wei) — without expectation of reward — only then can one possess the greatest blessings.
第廿九回 化性
It is bound and entangled by cause and effect, unable to break free from its fetters. Again and again, the self-nature sinks into the whirlpool of the world's endless cycle. Day after day the same revolution — when will it ever cease? I urge all beings to kindle that bright lamp within the heart, illuminating one's original nature in all directions, that beings may discover within their own self-nature what self-nature truly is.
第三十回 戒律
The ancient sages and former worthies established precepts as the path to the goal of cultivation. On the road of return, beings must in their daily lives remain vigilant and self-motivated — only then can they govern themselves, walk step by step toward the journey of the immortals and buddhas, and learn from what the saints did when they walked the earth, taking them as models and inspiration.
第卅一回 求道
In this era, beings are called to understand their heart and awaken their nature through seeking the Way. Those who cling to the notion that a single gesture grants registration in Heaven and erasure from Hell's records are truly mistaken. The Heavenly Way establishes teachings to deliver beings through principle. If returning to the Way merely required one gesture to ascend, then the karmic cycles of countless lifetimes would have nothing to verify.
第卅二回 善德齊家
When those above are upright, those below follow. Only when the upper leads with integrity can the path proceed without deviation, advancing steadily along the way of family. Why worry about lacking proper conduct in human relationships? The way of family must begin with elders setting the example, then through quiet influence combined with teaching by word and deed — one family becomes regulated, and harmony fills the home.
第卅三回 孝道
Ancestral lineage is the supreme principle of family heritage. From ancient times to the present in China, this continuous thread of transmission rests upon 'filial piety.' The Chinese people have carried filial piety forward through the ages — but in our modern era, it has been shaken by the currents of the times, and the practice of filial piety has drifted from its former ways. Fortunately, there are still many filial children and worthy descendants who keep the flame alive.
第卅四回 廣結善緣
Plant virtue in goodness and let it flourish far; then fulfill the realization of your self in this very life.
第卅五回 福慧雙修
Those who cultivate the Way — their essential task is whether they can deliver themselves back to their origin. The practitioner must possess great wisdom to evaluate all matters on their facts and merits. In this degenerate Dharma age, each being's karmic affinities and past karma differ. To enter a place of practice in this life requires not only great karmic affinity but also the right frame of mind above all else.
第卅六回 圓滿
The undertaking began amid adversity; the work is completed in perfection. Along the way, many external difficulties arose — all because each person's viewpoint and reasoning differed. Yet all beings were able to break through barriers and reach consensus. This is the most wondrous achievement of this book. In achieving perfection, every matter must begin from its root and end with the original aspiration held firm throughout — thus a response from Heaven is surely received.
◆ Postfaces & Praises ◆
跋
Xingshan Hall has completed the heavenly scripture of The Great Dao’s Lamp of the Mind. This book was forged through the devoted efforts of the lofty saints of the Three Realms, who descended celestial sounds to bring it into being. As a sacred hall that governs the exposition of principles in its writings, it speaks to the cultivators of this age and to those blessed with wholesome roots. Its teachings accord with the present era, with human relations and the moral order. This endeavor offers religious practitioners a compass to guide their return to the Way.
◆ Decree ◆
完書繳旨
Reverently received:
◆ Prefaces ◆
編輯誌
Heaven, in its compassion, sent forth sages to establish teachings, guiding people’s hearts back to their Pre-heaven origin. Now we have entered the age of technology. People’s wisdom has greatly expanded, and understanding of spiritual teaching grows. Those with good knowledge can still embody the Heart of Heaven, and through instruction and guidance, their teaching bears real fruit.
推薦序
People blindly champion modern technological civilization and dismiss spirituality as superstition. Heaven above, unable to bear the drowning of sentient beings, sends both the Dao and tribulation together, hoping to restore the primordial purity of the spiritual nature. In this age of technology, people do not know how to nurture the luminous clarity of the spirit, and so cannot return to their original home — thus humanity is trapped in the endless cycle of reincarnation. What can be done?
◆ Decrees & Forewords ◆
懿旨
The Lamp of Heaven's Script — a single volume is composed; transforming the four quarters, together beneath Heaven's gaze.
序一
Sentient beings are lost in delusion, and so their hearts are bound and constrained — how difficult it is for them to find a place of return to truth. To attain the elevation of returning to truth, one must first illuminate the nature within the mind; illuminating the nature, one returns to the mind of the Dao; entering the Heavenly Mind, one returns to the original and primordial true suchness. Speaking of cultivation from the minds of sentient beings: one must in this very life set one's goal. Otherwise, immersed in worldly scenes and unable to break free, how can one ever escape the suffering of endless reincarnation? Now I specially descend to compose this First Preface, to awaken all sentient beings.
序二
The World-Honored One, Teacher of Humans and Gods, Śākyamuni Buddha, composes the preface at
序三
The Ancient Buddha of the Southern Sea composes the preface at
凡例
Third: This book is composed with the assistance of the High Realized Ones of the three realms, earnestly seeking to provide a standard for cultivation within the Dharma-Ending Age, so that beings may awaken to the path that leads home, no longer sinking in the bitter sea.
◆ Main Text ◆
第一回 感恩與回饋
The sage knows Heaven and feels its virtue; the worthy knows Heaven and reveres its virtue; the commoner knows Heaven and fears its virtue; the deluded knows Heaven as having no virtue at all. All living things survive within this world, sheltered by Heaven and sustained by Earth. The sun, moon, and stars take their places and shine their light, showing no favoritism between good and evil, rich and poor.
第二回 大道與天德
Immortals and Buddhas have taught again and again, yet the speakers are earnest while the listeners turn a deaf ear — like 'a duck listening to thunder,' not a spark of understanding. Hearts have reached such a pass that the Heavenly Heart has grown weary. Even so, Heaven cannot abandon the salvation of sentient beings for all their waywardness! Heaven's great virtue is beyond compare. The Great Dao moves in the way of nature — the simplest, most evident truth of life, yet the world does not comprehend it. This is why religion advocates the proper operation of the Way; the Great Dao proceeds ever on the straight and central path.
第三回 天道奧義
When ghosts and spirits attain correctness, all deviation must be abolished. Then virtuous grace can flow, and one must teach sentient beings to understand principle. 'Principle and Dao' — the path, the road. Walk it, attain it, and one must dwell in the state of neither excess nor deficiency — this is the true Center. This Center is the very foundation of Heaven and Earth. In the human world, excess and deficiency are both deviations from the Middle Way, which forms humanity's universal principle of justice.
第四回 心德
Heart-virtue: cultivate yourself, awaken yourself. Be not deluded by worldly scenes. Expound the way of goodness; bestow through virtue. Merit and virtue are: public spirit, the exercise of one's heart-nature, teaching the deluded to awaken for the benefit of all. Virtue manifests within the heart-nature; sincere outwardly, it is the Dao's justice without partiality. Heart-virtue can endure for ten thousand ages without decay. What the world cultivates as virtue includes: physical virtue, upright virtue, public virtue — yet alone 'heart-virtue' is missing.
第五回 念正
Filling the within and manifesting without, the countenance takes on a benevolent aspect. There are many who, through righteous mindfulness and a wholesome heart, have transformed their originally fierce and ferocious features into a compassionate and gentle countenance. And speaking of outward manifestation: when one bears a good countenance, immortals and Buddhas rejoice to behold it, and all people delight in its presence. Such is the difference in heart-thought — between 'upright' and 'biased' lies an immense chasm.
第六回 修身
Only then can the human world gradually give rise to virtue, and only then can the teaching be expounded and spread. Therefore, the first requirement of self-cultivation must begin with righteous mindfulness. Without righteous mindfulness as a foundation, one's thoughts go astray, one's actions become perilous — evil fruit will surely follow. For the practitioner: when thoughts arise, guide them toward correctness; act from upright thoughts, and only then will good conduct emerge.
第七回 徹理
Today, dharma halls stand everywhere, each taking principle as its orthodox framework. Practitioners should make principle their standard; otherwise they merely echo what others say, leading the blind while unaware of it. Therefore, 'expounding the teaching through principle' must accord with the ethical standards of our present age. If religious leaders take principle as their foundation and foremost teaching, and sentient beings embody it in their lives, then return to the Source will be within hope.
第八回 修心
This is what people today mean when they say: think first with the brain before acting. What should be done? What should be set aside? If one can cause all sentient beings, at the very first stirring of heart-and-thought, to plant seeds of wholesome intention, and from those seeds to generate wholesome actions — then human life will have a beautiful future. Everything turns upon the heart's first movement.
第九回 大道心燈
It all depends on these beings' heart-nature — how to bring forth the goodness hidden deep within. All people possess a good nature; it lies within the storehouse consciousness. Within the storehouse consciousness, many karmic conditions remain hidden and unmanifested — like a video recorder, capturing every deed of a lifetime. Select and play them back, and all is revealed.
第十回 以和為樂
Nor is the view from the immortals' and Buddhas' perspective necessarily correct either. Therefore, in any matter, do one's utmost to fulfill it — and leave the results to Heaven above! Heart-cultivation in the good hall lies in initiating teaching and wholesome transformation, expounding truth as the guide. It is not about clinging to divine authority, nor being awed into fear by displays of spiritual power — that is already delusion, not reasoning from principle.
第十一回 悟心
Is it so? Not necessarily. One must hold the heart steady with determination, thoroughly awaken to the heart's true function — then the heart-monkey can become obedient and be tamed. This means observing the heart inwardly, for the bright heart easily reveals itself. But one must make a resolute determination before there can be true mastery and holding. Otherwise, when troubles arise, the heart-monkey is shaken loose again, and all effort is in vain.
第十二回 闡理
Good intentions drive action, creating either correctness or deviation in principle itself, varying with each person's angle and viewpoint. Deviation and correctness are not decided by others' gaze, nor dictated by national custom. Yet when the outcome — despite 'just' guidance — causes principle to deviate in one's conduct, one must bear the consequences alone.
第十三回 境轉與轉境
Transforming mental state means seeing through affairs without being shaken — letting go of the heart so it is not turned by material circumstances. But if the mental state is constantly besieged by hardship, one is entangled by affairs, body and mind surrounded and confined, buffeted by circumstances. One cannot break free from bondage's limitations. This plight afflicts all sentient beings, breeding endless troubles.
第十四回 教化
In teaching: one must illuminate how to be a true person — how to uphold righteousness even before profit, how to benefit others and oneself alike, and further benefit the masses and the nation. As the first lesson of education, one must begin with practical matters of human life, precisely by leading with moral principles.
第十五回 三教合心
In the time of Shakyamuni Buddha, it was the same. When the Buddha walked the world, he did not establish religion as primary, nor did he consider 'Buddhist' as noble. All was about how to cultivate and how to keep precepts. Later transmitters forcefully named it 'Buddhism.' Down to the present, Buddhism has evolved into many lineages — today comparatively more readily accepted by people.
第十六回 藩籬
In ancient times, Shakyamuni held up a flower and smiled, transmitting to Mahakasyapa. Today, each being's affinity differs, and so do the paths to awakening. It is not confined to any sect or school; no single immortal or buddha holds the exclusive key. One must look within and ask: have I truly put in the work? Only then can the essence of truth be illuminated.
第十七回 磨難
Those who cultivate yet never face trials cannot know how they would fare, nor how deep their cultivation truly runs. The testing ground brings smooth paths and rough passages, reversals and illnesses, all designed to reveal one's true attitude. Since each being's karmic affinity, habitual patterns, and circumstances differ, so too do the fruits of their testing.
第十八回 消業
They also manifest in one's surroundings — 'sometimes withholding what is sought, denying what is asked.' Bewildering phenomena multiply, and resentment lingers. Even immortals and buddhas cannot arrange relief, for cause and effect must be borne by the one who created them. No buddha can shoulder another's karma. Each being sowed their own seeds; each must taste their own fruit. No one can take another's place.
第十九回 普渡
Those who have never experienced it dismiss it as superstition — yet by the time they truly encounter it, the human form is already lost, and repentance comes too late. Had one known, why act so in the first place? In the present world, vivid scenes appear in dreams and in living examples to awaken sentient beings. The King of the Underworld sends warnings constantly. The deluded remain deluded; the awakened, awakened.
第二十回 收圓之條件
Christianity and Islam are farther from the Central Land. Not because Heaven shows favoritism — but because spiritual manifestations are fewer, and qualified ministers are scarce, so the message arrives more faintly. This is not Heaven's lack of compassion; it is the reality of geography. The original sages established teachings suited to their lands, and later successors could not guide them back to the true path.
第廿一回 任務與修持
Sentient beings have fallen into the mortal realm for over sixty thousand years — how far they have wandered from the Path! Can they fathom why such tribulations abound? They watch as others, with but modest effort, attain wealth and ease; yet no matter how fiercely they strive, their wishes remain unfulfilled. Resentment festers, and they curse Heaven and blame their fellow man — never knowing that the burdens of this life were forged by the accumulated deeds of ages past.
第廿二回 心念
When evil stirs in thought, the heart has already moved - yet the cause is not formed, nor has the fruit ripened. If at that very moment one can quench the evil thought, one may dissolve the evil karma of countless lifetimes and avert its fruition. But if, when the evil thought arises, the heart has moved and one does not extinguish it, but rather adds fuel to the flame - thus the evil thought becomes cause, and its karmic fruit shall assuredly be harvested, whether in the next life or in this very one.
第廿三回 念識
The guiding of thought is the central theme. Within the righteous Way, one must further uphold wholesome thought, that the roots of good karmic conditions may grow deep and unshakeable. From then on, every wholesome movement shall surely bring forth the supreme joy of Dharma. Sentient beings, within karmic conditions, must discover this Dharma-joy, strengthening the drive of blessed virtue, thereby accomplishing both this life and the life to come.
第廿四回 業因
One's own faults remain uncast away. Though one speaks of guiding souls through virtuous karma, one must needs awaken them at every turn. Is such conduct in harmony with the Great Dao? Is it in harmony with the bonds of humanity? Is it in harmony with the work of salvation? A cultivator who stands as 'teacher' - upon first entering the Dao, their wholesome vow was sufficient to attain the supreme fruit. Why then does attainment remain beyond reach? What is the cause?
第廿五回 善惡因緣
Through such illustrative examples to expound the teaching, sentient beings have gradually come to understand the concrete instances of cause and effect. Yet the people of this world know not that the suffering and hardship they encounter in this life is likewise bound to karmic conditions of previous existences. In this life, one meets the trial of karma. Concerning many concrete instances, human beings rarely observe with subtlety. Some, with an attitude of disbelief, reject these teachings as absurd fables.
第廿六回 懺悔
All merit, all good affinities, all moral virtue are cast aside. People create boundless negative karma without even knowing it, forging chains of cause and effect that stretch across lifetimes. To create karma yet never awaken — Heaven cannot bear to punish without first teaching. That is why, from time to time, immortals and buddhas manifest in the world, and religions arise to enlighten — all to awaken the innate goodness and conscience sleeping within every being.
第廿七回 消災解厄
To seek only one's own gain while ignoring the welfare of others — how can such a one embody Heaven's Way and serve all beings? Selfishness, persisted in over time, slowly transforms the original red heart into black. The black heart casts a dark, lifeless light upon the face. Ghosts and spirits behold it with contempt. When fortune fades and luck runs low, calamity descends.
第廿八回 行善錫福
To transcend this life and repay the karmic debts of countless lifetimes, one must walk through life with a pure and unblemished heart. For those of supreme virtue, hidden merit is truly added. When supreme virtue is practiced without clinging, blessings naturally follow. Supreme virtue does not grasp at virtue, and so fortune is ever at hand. Middle virtue clings to virtue, performing good deeds regularly — blessings exist but must be continually renewed.
第廿九回 化性
How should one return to the original position of one's nature? The original nature knows neither good nor evil — it is not judged by external temptations or actions, but has existed since before the natural order began. After death in this life, it takes residence in another realm; after death there, it transmigrates once more. This cycle repeats without end. From whence does human life arise? Its origin is certainly bound up with the accumulation and depletion of one's own merit and transgression.
第三十回 戒律
Step by step, walking forward, taking the words and teachings of the immortals and buddhas as one's guide — not regarding precept as rigid law, but regarding violation of precept as cause for correction, and taking precept itself as one's teacher. Yet if one views everything only through the lens of 'am I breaking a rule,' one is constantly making mistakes and constantly correcting; in correcting, sometimes transgressing again. Forever leaping in and out, one can never settle the heart into true stillness.
第卅一回 求道
What one should seek is the true essence of the Way. All beings see others' faults yet fail to examine their own. If one only looks at others' shortcomings without self-reflection, then others merely serve as a mirror. In seeking the Way, do not look outward — outside the self there is no Way. The true Way is found only within one's own self-nature.
第卅二回 善德齊家
When a family is harmonious, hearts connect with one another. Family harmony is the wellspring of a well-ordered home. Husband and wife embody the Way of yin and yang. To regulate the family, husband and wife must support each other, harmonize, and uphold the proper framework. They must work together wholeheartedly for family harmony, serving as models for their children.
第卅三回 孝道
Regarding the continuation of lineage and the inheritance of filial piety, great clans affirm this through ancestral hall worship — this is the very source of 'drinking water, remembering its source.' Observe the water dripping from the eaves: drop by drop it falls to the same spot, never missing, and over time it wears through stone. These dripping drops from the eaves mirror the tireless efforts of our ancestors, whose diligence allows us descendants to behold this day.
第卅四回 廣結善緣
When sentient beings in this world can enter a place of practice and cultivate the Way, it is because of the seeds of goodness planted in past lives. All are guided by immortals and buddhas, drawn forth through virtue and kindness. Though human life is brief, within this fleeting span one can lay an eternal foundation of merit and elevate one's fortune toward transcendence — all thanks to the latent seeds of goodness planted long ago, enabling one to step onto the path of cultivation in this life.
第卅五回 福慧雙修
All human beings place hope in this present life — that through cultivation they may return to Heaven. But each person's karmic affinities differ. Some lack prajna (transcendent wisdom), and find it hard to enter any favorable state. Since practitioners follow different religious traditions and teachings, each person's harvest will differ. The results of their return are equally varied.
第卅六回 圓滿
A matter cannot be judged by its present appearance alone — it must be measured by whether it brings lasting benefit to all beings. Moreover, its causes and consequences cannot be assessed in a brief span of time. It may take a year, two years, or even ten or twenty before the flower blooms and the fruit ripens — only then will its true worth and benefit be revealed.
◆ Postfaces & Praises ◆
跋
Throughout the writing, all the disciples shared one devoted heart, giving their utmost for the salvation of beings. Now the book is complete, fulfilling the first of the vows I championed on behalf of the brush-master, Scholar Chen. Yet this is but the very beginning. Henceforth, they must still shoulder great responsibility: to embody Heaven’s Way and proclaim Heaven’s transformation to the world — this is the shared duty of all the disciples.
◆ Decree ◆
完書繳旨
The Unborn Sovereign Mother, Great Heavenly Worthy, proclaims in Her gracious decree:
◆ Prefaces ◆
編輯誌
But for those entangled in evil karma, with hearts full of cunning — such ones turn away in disdain. And so arises a great barrier to Heaven’s universal transformation. Though the original nature of such beings remains purely good, their conduct has strayed far from the righteous path. It becomes exceedingly hard for them to turn their hearts back, and nearly impossible to recover the gateway to the Primordial Pre-heaven.
推薦序
When collective karma arrives, the suffering of the moment passes like clouds before the eye — gone in an instant, and soon forgotten. How hard it is to truly awaken and take it as a warning! People blindly believe that disaster will never touch them again. Yet when collective karma comes, can Heaven save them? Can the gods save them? Can other people save them? None can! Each person's karma was determined long ago; the fruit of retribution has now arrived — even the immortals and Buddhas are powerless to reverse it!
◆ Decrees & Forewords ◆
懿旨
Bearing the Imperial Edict, it is opened and proclaimed. Gods and mortals, prostrate yourselves!
序一
The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning composes Preface One at
序二
Directly under the Southern Heaven — Taoyuan Xingshan Hall
序三
Directly under the Southern Heaven's Sacred Hall — Taoyuan Xingshan Hall
凡例
Fourth: If one has petitions, one may report them to Heaven above, dedicating merit from the reprinting of The Lamp of the Great Dao. The Southern Heaven shall measure and fulfill one's vows, in accordance with Heaven's virtuous grace.
◆ Main Text ◆
第一回 感恩與回饋
Heaven's great virtue is called 'giving life'; Earth's great virtue is called 'nurturing life.' Heaven begets and Earth nourishes. Among all creatures, humans are the most spiritual — yet they know not how to cultivate merit and invite virtue, to repay Heaven and Earth's boundless grace, or to feel the shelter of their benevolence.
第二回 大道與天德
The operation of the Great Dao is supremely just and fair, neither biased nor partial, never interrupted by the karma of past lives — all remains equitable and unbiased. Its movement follows the principle of naturalness. How sad that people do not grasp this truth! It is the most straightforward matter in all of life, yet it demands the heart's deepest contemplation. Therefore religion upholds the righteous operation of the Way; the Great Dao moves ever along the center, straight and true.
第三回 天道奧義
When joy, anger, sorrow, and pleasure have not yet arisen, this is called the Center. When they arise and all hit their proper measure, this is called Harmony. The Center is the great foundation of all under Heaven; Harmony is the universal path reaching everywhere. This 'not yet arisen yet hitting the mark' — the not-yet-arisen is the original nature, neither deviated nor biased, naturally in perfect balance, matching the correct Way. It is the primordial root-nature, eternally still, unmoving — beyond good and evil, beyond sound and scent.
第四回 心德
Heart-virtue is not something external — it already exists within the heart-nature from the very beginning. It is not acquired through cultivation, nor is it obtained merely by doing good deeds. It is truly the innate virtuous nature — the originally unmoving original spirit. Without this heart-virtue, the world could not exist. The Three Character Classic declares: 'At the beginning of life, nature is originally good.' This innate goodness IS virtue itself — not something obtained from without.
第五回 念正
There are those in the world who originally possess a compassionate and benevolent countenance, yet through the shaping influence of their environment, they lose their kind brows and gentle eyes. They squander what in this very life could have been cultivated to return to the Ultimate Void. Their thoughts shift, replacing their original goodness, and they take on a countenance of utter wickedness and cruelty. This is to be swept into the next turning of the wheel, the next life — losing one's very self. From the perspective of Heaven above: another Buddha-child has been lost.
第六回 修身
If one can strengthen and practice good thoughts, there will surely be accomplishment — one can become a beacon that does not falter. One who cultivates the self can unite all things and worldly affairs with oneself, dissolving the distinction between 'you' and 'I.' Through one's own example, one spreads the teaching — this is the practitioner's first step. Yet people in the world say: 'Cultivate what? That is the practice of fools.' In the world, such ignorance is all too common.
第七回 徹理
Without principle as a foundation, all words are hollow. Principle must not only suit the present age but also serve as the standard of 'the great way of human relations' — only then can it be correct and without error. The methods of expounding the teaching may vary, yet the principle is one. Deluded sentient beings find awakening difficult; they must first be taught to understand principle so their conduct does not stray — only then do they fulfill the principle of expounding truth.
第八回 修心
The heart governs a person's conduct. 'Heart' and 'nature' belong to one body yet have different origins: 'When the heart moves and thoughts turn, the storehouse consciousness has not yet stirred; when the heart moves and thoughts turn, the conscious mind is already active.' From the heart, commands issue forth, becoming the primal force behind all karmic conditions. First arises the initial stirring of good or evil thought. Then through action — body, speech, hands, and feet — it becomes human conduct.
第九回 大道心燈
There will be revealed a lifetime of wind, frost, snow, and rain — the causes and conditions that formed karmic retribution. When the 'storehouse consciousness' has not yet ripened, it cannot be activated (for it has not been selected and brought to awareness). At that point, one is not yet entangled by karmic cause-and-effect, nor bound by karmic grievances. Before this, how should one proceed regarding one's original root nature?
第十回 以和為樂
The Confucian Divine Religion can establish a standard for all people, delivering and transforming sentient beings so they understand principle without deviating from truth — only then is it correct. The Sage Hall differs from ordinary temples that aid the world, for the Sage Hall bears the great responsibility of Heaven's universal transformation and salvation. 'Delivering through principle' is precisely the proper way. If one clings only to the awesome displays of immortals and Buddhas without teaching through principle, results will be hard to achieve.
第十一回 悟心
The work of awakening the heart lies in this: at the very moment of thought's arising, grasp the source. Do not allow discriminating mind. Do not allow opposing mind. Tether the heart-source — the heart-monkey — and let all entanglement cease. When all sources are free from pulling and dragging, then there is no discrimination, no opposition. Humans receive life from Heaven and Earth's yin and yang, are illuminated by sun and moon's universal light. Life's endless continuity all unfolds within yin-yang's interplay.
第十二回 闡理
If one can create 'good karmic connections' for sentient beings, though seeming to 'depart from principle,' one never truly abandons principle. Though theoretically there may be deviation, the accomplishment grows from just and wholesome intentions. Therefore, principle's universality across all four seas is not determined by personal correctness or public opinion alone, but by whether good or evil motivates the movement of thought and action — only then is it truly correct.
第十三回 境轉與轉境
In aiding the world: one finds that all matters are obscured by this very delusion. Everything in human life follows the same pattern — unable to 'take the heart out and set it down.' No matter how much one teaches, it proves futile. The mental state governs all, yet one remains deluded and confused by it. How, then, does one take the heart out and set it down?
第十四回 教化
The ancient sages and worthy scholars took the Confucian 'Great Unity' chapter as the standard for the world, holding the vision of a Great Unity society as humanity's goal and refuge: 'Not only caring for one's own parents, not only raising one's own children; the young are nurtured, the capable employed, the old find their rest.' 'Honor the elderly, extending this to all; cherish the young, extending this to all' — each contributing to society in their own way.
第十五回 三教合心
Speaking of Dao: Laozi, the Supreme Dao Ancestor, at Hangu Pass, riding backwards upon a one-horned green ox, left behind the five thousand characters of the Dao De Jing. Though the Dao gate may have declined in this age, those who revere Dao's sacred beings are even more numerous than before! Yet among the Three Teachings, for the sake of sectarian rivalry, they have reached the point of mutual attack — making all saints, immortals, and Buddhas weep.
第十六回 藩籬
Helmsmen and practitioners alike must tear down the fences they have built, honoring the teaching of goodness as the true way to transform the world. Yet most beings are drawn to spectacular wonders rather than quiet truth, tempting leaders to erect barriers to attract followers. Within sects, disputes over trifling matters become the norm.
第十七回 磨難
The questions are as diverse as the beings who face them. In essence, five categories: 'Mentality, Body, Wisdom, Speech, and Response.' These form the criteria. Should one fail, the next round targets the weak point — creating yet another chance to grow stronger.
第十八回 消業
In the teaching of cause and effect, the natural law is clear: good deeds and accumulated virtue may ease a portion of karmic debt. Yet many karmic debts cannot be cleared through merit alone — one must bear the burden personally until the karma is fully spent. The tragic examples visible in today's world serve as solemn warnings to all sentient beings.
第十九回 普渡
On 'Universal Salvation' — observe the human world today: a single day of cultivation here surpasses a thousand days in the underworld! Seize this life. Form good affinities broadly. Draw close to virtuous practitioners. Open the door to merit in this life. Connect with immortals and buddhas through worship. Then practice giving, weaving karmic bonds of goodness.
第二十回 收圓之條件
For those who strayed, understanding and forgiveness are appropriate. Yet what they transmitted also holds merits that surpass even the three Eastern teachings. Christianity brought universal love to the world, its righteous moral light shining in every direction — this is its true strength.
第廿一回 任務與修持
In the Lower-Cycle Jiazi year — the seventy-third year of the Republic — the great reckoning of three lifetimes' karma draws near. Karmic creditors from every past existence come to collect, some bearing divine writs of retribution. The souls know not how to clear their ancient debts, and hardship is piled upon hardship. Some, tormented by trial, give rise to wayward thoughts — all because they understand not how to settle the accounts of many lifetimes.
第廿二回 心念
Thus, when the latent cause stirs within, one acts according to one's own thinking, and the outcome is sealed by one's own doing. When this thought first moves, cause, condition, and retribution have all already taken root. One need only await the ripening of conditions for karmic fruit to manifest. At such a time, both self and others shall suffer affliction, and the future becomes nothing but harming others to one's own detriment.
第廿三回 念識
Sentient beings who accomplish within wholesome karmic conditions shall not be afflicted by evil. Concerning this, one must understand the way. Otherwise, when trials arise, one cannot release one's grip or see with clarity; what one must bear in the future shall surely be the fruit of evil conditions. And what one endures in this life shall be likewise. When one person leads in goodness, all beings feel its resonance and are moved, answering the calling to accomplish wholesome karma together.
第廿四回 業因
After a season of practice, through receiving praise and commendation, one gradually succumbs to arrogance, pride, and self-importance. This in itself is not yet grave. But if within the heart-nature these poisons begin to stir and break forth, they shall surely drive thought into deed. In every situation where one harms others for personal gain - therein the seed of hell is surely sown.
第廿五回 善惡因緣
They know not that all the fortune and misfortune, the good and evil of this life, were planted in previous lives and across the ages, only to meet the convergence of conditions in this world and bring forth the fruit of karmic retribution. Concerning the blessed fruit of virtuous blessing in this present life: the fortune that sentient beings enjoy is deeper than in former times. What Heaven previously manifested through miraculous powers has, viewed in the present age, been largely withdrawn.
第廿六回 懺悔
Cultivate good virtue and karmic merit in this life; do not heap up boundless karma only to regret it too late. When beings are lost in delusion, they place themselves at the center of all things and make profit their sole aim, forgetting that beyond themselves stretches a vast ocean of fellow beings. One person's heart is like another's; one heart's truth is another's truth. When every action serves only self-interest, conscience is smothered and good thoughts cannot take root.
第廿七回 消災解厄
Some claim that 'cause and effect goes unanswered.' But the law of cause and effect is immutable — it does not fail. The timing, the merit, the ancestral virtue, the deeds of past and present lives — all are woven together. As time and space unfold, conditions ripen into fruit. It is not that retribution has ceased; rather, in this present age, 'the reckoning of cause and effect has been shortened sixteenfold.'
第廿八回 行善錫福
Lower virtue performs small kindnesses yet never forgets its own merit — this is deliberate, self-conscious goodness, and so its fortune is limited. If one does not continue, it will be interrupted and fortune will run dry. Yet even this remains a root of goodness. From lower virtue, if one progresses steadily, one will eventually practice virtue without self-consciousness, rising to middle virtue — and the approach to supreme virtue draws near.
第廿九回 化性
Otherwise, if there were no connection, why would beings need to perform meritorious deeds and practice goodness? Within the self-nature, one's own cultivation and one's innate conditions determine the outcome: the good accumulate merit and virtue; the evil diminish their conduct. Thus 'good and evil' naturally create the distinction between Heaven and Hell. The merit and karmic obstacles of human beings are what form the seeds of rebirth and transmigration.
第三十回 戒律
Furthermore, regarding precepts: no one else can impose them upon you. One must demand observance of oneself — only then does one truly accord with the precepts of faith and cultivation. Here lies the distinction between 'precept' (jie) and 'law' (lv): 'precept' is the inner commitment one takes upon oneself in faith; 'law' is the outer standard of enforcement. Together, they form the framework by which religious belief and cultivation are sustained.
第卅一回 求道
Why could the ancients become sages and worthies? Because they examined their own faults rather than others'. One should bring forth one's own shortcomings and sincerely repent. Heaven does not reject those who repent their sins. Thus the sages corrected their faults and did not repeat them — and this is precisely how ordinary people too can become worthies and sages.
第卅二回 善德齊家
Today's couples, surrounded by material temptations, delight in comparing themselves to others, breeding frustration and resentment. They fail to ask why others seem blessed with good spouses while they struggle. It all traces back to the karma of past lives!
第卅三回 孝道
The teaching passes down: 'Drop by drop, look at the eaves — filial children beget filial children, rebellious children beget rebellious children. If you honor your parents with sixteen liang, your descendants will return to you one jin.' This principle of karmic return in filial piety established the succession of China's filial tradition. As it is said: 'If you wish to know what kind of child you will have, look at how you honor your own parents.' This is the very root of the Chinese people, descendants of Yan Di and Huang Di.
第卅四回 廣結善緣
People in the present world spend their days lost in the pursuit of material comfort, never pausing to consider how to transcend this life. Busy and deluded, deluded and busy again, they can scarcely find a single moment to draw breath. The immortals and buddhas grieve to see this. They hope that beings can, amid their hectic lives, quiet the spiritual nature within their hearts and truly reflect: Is human existence truly nothing more than an endless scramble for survival?
第卅五回 福慧雙修
Consider present-day practitioners: each person's past affinities and karmic causes are different. Though one may be guided onto the path of cultivation, there is no guarantee that all will succeed in returning. Only those who follow the correct path and possess great wisdom have hope of achievement. This demands an enormous commitment before the goal can truly be reached!
第卅六回 圓滿
Thus, beings should expand their vision to the scale of the universe, and only then can they harmonize with the Great Way. If one clings to the division of 'you and me,' narrow-mindedness will breed endless disputes. Such a perspective brings no fortune to any being. One must take the long view without growing cold, looking both ahead and behind — only then is the path correct. To seek perfection in all things is to harmonize with the Way.
◆ Postfaces & Praises ◆
跋
The Great Dao’s Lamp of the Mind is now going to print. When this book goes forth, may it spread the teaching far and wide. It is hoped that cultivators, on the path of practice, will first examine whether their own conduct is righteous, whether they are truly fulfilling the Dao. Only when conduct is in accord with principle can one fulfill the Dao — thereby cultivating self-nature within human relations, refining the mind and transforming one’s very temperament. This nature is not gained by seeking outward; it comes from examining oneself, changing oneself, and so refining one’s disposition.
◆ Decree ◆
完書繳旨
The Xingshan Daoist Hall, established in embodiment of Heaven’s Way, has expounded the principles and saved beings across the four directions for six years now. Gods and mortals alike have devoted themselves, embodying Heaven’s Way. The Mother is deeply gratified. Now Scholar Chen, the brush-master, has completed The Great Dao’s Lamp of the Mind to proclaim Heaven’s teaching to the world. It has already revealed the first light of dawn to humanity, providing a Bright Lighthouse as a guiding beacon.
◆ Prefaces ◆
編輯誌
Heaven’s teaching seeks to save even these stubbornly lost souls — depending on whether the seeds of their karmic affinity have ripened, and what skillful means might guide them. Those who teach such obstinate beings find the task far harder than guiding the good and kind. They must redouble their effort to bear fruit, relying upon karmic conditions to bring about wholesome cause and effect.
推薦序
Deeds of virtue and deeds of calamity arise from one's own actions. With a heart of gratitude and reciprocation, one can sense the great virtue of Heaven and Earth, and surely achieve fulfillment in this very life. Otherwise, how could one possibly understand or master these things in the life to come? One cannot. Therefore, 'gratitude and reciprocation' is the key to comprehending Heaven and Earth's great virtue, to acting in harmony with virtue, and to avoiding the realm of calamity.
◆ Decrees & Forewords ◆
The Imperial Edict Is Opened and Read
序一
Directly under the Southern Heaven — Taoyuan Xingshan Hall
序二
The Divine Calendar of the Xinwei Year, fifth month, twenty-ninth day
序三
The Divine Calendar of the Xinwei Year, fifth month, twenty-ninth day
凡例
Fifth: Wherever this book is kept, there shall be protection from immortals and Buddhas. It must not be casually cast away or discarded, lest one offend the immortals and Buddhas.
◆ Main Text ◆
第一回 感恩與回饋
In the highest antiquity, humanity's virtue was in harmony with Heaven, so human nature was purely good without evil. In the middle antiquity, humanity grew somewhat distant from Heaven; Heaven was revered from afar, and hearts were half good, half evil. In the later age, humanity grew yet more distant from Heaven; hearts became extravagant and deceitful, the age of clarity was no more. Thus human hearts sank into delusion and descended, forgetting how to feel Heaven's grace.
第二回 大道與天德
In this present generation, dark winds have gradually clouded the atmosphere, obscuring the light and causing the world's collective karma and disasters to continue without end. The storms now afflicting the mainland are rare in a hundred years. Sentient beings do not fathom the underlying principle, merely saying that the natural order has gone awry. Little do they know! Human hearts have reached the extreme of treachery, and Heaven above sends this as a wake-up call to all beings.
第三回 天道奧義
All is like the brightness of light, the clarity of water — transparent, without blemish, possessing the virtuous signs of the Pre-heaven. Yet it is said: these virtuous signs correspond to the name of the Great Dao. Even so, they neither increase nor decrease with the original spirits, nor differentiate by original nature. All have their proper station and origin. Thus one must elevate the heart-nature to its original countenance, bringing the spiritual nature to a state neither increasing nor decreasing.
第四回 心德
Good people and evil people share the same root nature. It is the differences in environment that shape different heart-natures. Thus the presence or absence of virtue creates a vast gulf between them. If humanity could quiet their hearts, they would find their virtuous nature identical, their heart-nature equal. This originally shared virtuous nature, through the different circumstances each person creates in their environment, leads to different encounters. Destiny and fortune likewise diverge.
第五回 念正
The effort of righteous mindfulness must be established moment by moment within the heart-mind; otherwise, forming a countenance of compassion and benevolence is difficult indeed. When a practitioner's demeanor is wholesome, immortals and Buddhas are pleased, and people gladly associate with them. This quality of righteous mindfulness determines whether one can create abundant karmic connections with goodness. If one can remain ever mindful, never forgetting, one will surely be able to guide all good thoughts as their point of departure.
第六回 修身
They fail to realize: if no one in the world cultivated, what kind of society would it become? What kind of world? Moreover, 'the difference between humans and beasts is very slight indeed.' It is only because humans possess the spiritual intelligence of wisdom that they can think and transform things. Yet sometimes things can also transform humans. Because people neglect cultivation, the material world comes to transform them. This process arises from 'not knowing and ignorance.'
第七回 徹理
Otherwise, if one obsesses over miraculous displays without reflecting on how the saints, immortals, and Buddhas of past ages lived in harmony with the Great Dao's truth — after their passing, their virtue became humanity's model. If sentient beings can emulate their virtue to become gods, sages, and saints, then in this present life they should once more take the Great Dao's truth as their guiding standard, following in the footsteps of saints and spirits to cultivate this self — what joy that would bring!
第八回 修心
If this conduct benefits sentient beings and society, it is called 'the public good.' If one benefits oneself while also extending goodness to others, life holds a beautiful promise. But if 'good thoughts are suppressed and evil thoughts arise,' seeking only self-interest while harming the many — the evil deeds created will become karmic seeds that sprout, and in the future one will reap the bitter fruit oneself.
第九回 大道心燈
That is: first establish prevention within the storehouse consciousness. If one can dedicate merit through huixiang beforehand, then in future karmic retribution, good responses will already be in motion. And then? Even if evil fruits must be endured, they can be greatly diminished. Thus huixiang possesses great power. Yet sentient beings do not know how to proceed! Through life after life they stumble along, blind and busy, coming and going without rest.
第十回 以和為樂
One must let sentient beings feel that cultivating the heart and nourishing the nature can carry them beyond this life — only then is the premise of teaching firmly established. Furthermore, they can sense the manifestation of spiritual power, keeping immortals and Buddhas ever present in the heart, so that one's nature settles and one's heart grows firm. The work of aiding the world and delivering beings will then be abundant in fruit. Good believers become students of the Sage's Gate, swelling the ranks of new strength. More hands make lighter work.
第十一回 悟心
Also within the pull of discriminating mind. If one can utterly eliminate discrimination and opposition, then the arising of heart and movement of thought will be free from entanglement and condition-triggered arising. The transformation of thought can restrain the heart-source and open up the 'world of heart.' All sentient beings create karmic offenses through the turning of their heart-thoughts. Every stirring of heart and thought is karma, is cause.
第十二回 闡理
Expounding principle and teaching does not arise from personal viewpoint or individual theory. If it accords with what immortals and Buddhas have established as the guiding standard, naturally one will not run counter to the Way. The immortals and Buddhas verify various theories, expounding them within good books after careful and thorough deliberation — taking the Great Dao as the foundation and human relations as the correct measure.
第十三回 境轉與轉境
When affairs arrive, 'why not step back one pace and reflect?' Better yet: 'step back a full chi and see the whole affair' — its origin, its outcome. One can then discern where the confusion lies, where the crux of the problem rests. If one can marshal principle and affairs together with wisdom, one will surely face matters with clarity. Transforming the mental state — what harm could there be in that? If the heart refuses to transform, that would truly be strange!
第十四回 教化
Today's education focuses solely on self-interest — teaching skills for personal gain alone! What is missing is benefiting others and teaching others. Thus: religion, through faith, fills the gaps of social education, supplements the limits of national law. Religion teaches sentient beings: in elevating one's heart-nature, one also benefits society.
第十五回 三教合心
This is not what immortals and Buddhas wish to see. Why not dissolve these barriers? Celebrate others' strengths, remedy one's own weaknesses, promote heart-nature cultivation, teach and transform sentient beings — taking unity and harmonious joy as the ultimate goal. The growth of humanity's 'original nature and spiritual nature' is a human necessity.
第十六回 藩籬
Thus a vicious cycle of karma is born — each cause must be repaid by the one who sowed it. Successors, ignorant of the truth, fail to see that virtue should be unified, all schools joined in strength to guide beings toward awakening — not merely competing for larger congregations while deepening divisions.
第十七回 磨難
What is tested is the mentality; what is ground is body and mind. Everything depends on the attitude one brings and the quality of mind one employs. Trials are calibrated to the depth of each person's roots, producing different questions and different answers for different souls. How, then, should wisdom and heart be brought to bear?
第十八回 消業
The finest method for preventing karmic causes is this: 'See clearly, let go.' Though only six words, living them is harder than any trial. When trouble arrives, affliction flares; the fire of ignorance rises, blocking the awakening of prajna — wisdom — and may even obscure one's innate conscience, leading to unwholesome deeds.
第十九回 普渡
Immortals and buddhas will come naturally to receive and guide your cultivation. With unbroken karmic affinity, verify with the heart, cultivate with the heart, and the path home becomes clear. Advance with courage. Resolve every question. Add faith, and a mighty force arises — ensuring this life enters the good Way without retreat.
第二十回 收圓之條件
Today, 'Three Teachings Share One Root, Five Teachings Share One Source.' Each religion carries both strengths and weaknesses. If we can synthesize what is finest in each and release what is limited, forming a unified standard for all five teachings — this fulfills Maitreya's primary intention in descending to the world, and the essential condition for inheriting the Lotus Flower Buddha Land.
第廿一回 任務與修持
Such souls, in this very hour unable to bear their measure of wisdom and blessing — should they meet the grace of virtuous teaching and come to understand the turning wheel of cause and effect, they ought to dedicate merit to aid their deliverance from tribulation. Yet some among the wronged harbor hatred so fierce, so beyond all soothing, that they will not rest until their debtor shares the selfsame fate.
第廿二回 心念
The heart stirs, thoughts arise - eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, mind awaken.
第廿三回 念識
Within thought-consciousness: if one can suppress evil thought, one must surely deepen the investigation of heart-nature. Otherwise, wholesome thought cannot display its power, but is overmastered by consciousness - and herein lies the very root of evil karma. Sentient beings, within thought-consciousness, walking in the righteous Dharma, acting with wholesome thought - thus can human life be fulfilled and beautiful.
第廿四回 業因
Let the cultivator's heart take solemn heed: be not arrogant, proud, nor self-important, nor driven by one's own sense of superiority. Even if one exhausts every effort, if it benefits not others, it serves not the Dao. The Great Dao is called 'righteous guidance' - to benefit both self and others, this alone accords with the righteous Path. To benefit oneself alone while harming others is to defy the righteous Way. The road of return to Heaven is sealed; the road to hell opens of its own accord.
第廿五回 善惡因緣
The ancients could ride the clouds and traverse the mists; today, people sit in airplanes and fly yet farther across the real world. The ancients could possess heavenly hearing; today, people can, from vast distances, transmit through electronic images and telephone for communication and connection. The ancients journeyed on foot or horseback; today, people travel by motorcycle or automobile, and moreover enjoy climate control and moving music for their delight.
第廿六回 懺悔
So can one truly avoid creating offense and harboring resentment? It is most difficult! That is why the immortals and buddhas ceaselessly present real examples to teach all beings — to help them reduce the causes of karma. For each sentient being who lessens even a fraction of karmic creation, a corresponding wave of goodness arises. Among those who create karma, some do so knowingly, and some do so without awareness — there is a distinction between them.
第廿七回 消災解厄
What in former lives could only be perceived through direct experience can now be witnessed in this very lifetime. The settling of karmic accounts across the human world is truly fearsome. There is the difference between planting good seeds and reaping good fruit, and planting evil seeds and reaping bitter fruit. 'Each person bears what they have sown; each person is filled by what they eat.' No one can stand in another's place.
第廿八回 行善錫福
Heaven delights in such progress. When virtue is established, one draws far from evil. For each person who turns away from evil, one more soul joins the ranks of goodness. The two are but opposite sides of the same coin, existing only within the 'square inch' of the heart. The field of fortune must be cultivated within one's present human life — only then can it truly bear fruit. This is the fundamental practice of being human.
第廿九回 化性
When good merit is full and blessings complete, if one does not further transcend one's heart-nature, then even within blessings one gains no wisdom — and in countless lifetimes one loses oneself once more. Thus, beings who only know how to plant fields of fortune, without seeking to transcend their heart-nature, are merely sowing seeds of rebirth. To truly ascend — how exceedingly difficult that is!
第三十回 戒律
'Precept' is the gateway through which beings enter religion — the standard that corrects and awakens one to one's own faults. Within precept, one must not transgress. Precept provides the practitioner with vigilance and purpose in cultivation of the heart, serving as the guide toward becoming an immortal or buddha. Precepts differ according to each religious tradition and lineage.
第卅一回 求道
All beings say that saints, immortals, and buddhas are far beyond reach, not knowing they themselves are seeds of buddhahood. It lies only between awakening and delusion. The awakened are sages and saints; the deluded are merely ordinary beings. After seeking the Way, external merit is essential, and internal attainment must also be cultivated — one should nourish inner virtue through outer service.
第卅二回 善德齊家
This life's karmic debts must be resolved and completed. If one can approach the family with joy and gratitude, thanking Heaven for bestowing such a spouse — this is a blessing 'hard to find even with a lantern.' It is one's own good fortune. There is only this much, so what is there to fight for? What to crave? What to quarrel about?
第卅三回 孝道
Filial piety never fails in this life. Human existence takes 'filial piety' as its foundation. Thus 'among all virtues, filial piety comes first' — teach filial piety to your children, practice it toward your parents. This is a lesson every person must learn. 'Pining for wife and children while growing distant from parents' — this departs from the true path of filial piety. How much you honor your parents in this life determines how much your descendants will care for you in return.
第卅四回 廣結善緣
Every sentient being is entangled by the karmic consequences of past actions. 'The Buddha's Dharma is vast, yet it cannot save those without affinity; Heaven's rain is bountiful, yet it cannot nourish rootless grass.' In this life, one must first plant seeds of virtue for the future. By broadly forming good affinities, one weaves bonds of goodness with all beings — but good affinities do not bear fruit overnight.
第卅五回 福慧雙修
The Heavenly Way unfolds its meaning; all the stars orbit around the Way. Humanity, standing in goodness, is made chief of all creation — all depending on whether in this life one can cultivate and enter the state of 'illuminating the heart and seeing into one's nature.' If one cannot reach this level, one merely plants seeds for cultivation in future lives. Whenever the immortals and buddhas reflect upon this, their hearts are filled with deep compassion!
第卅六回 圓滿
Each person's past karma and cultivation differ; their vows and missions also differ; their wisdom and viewpoints are equally hard to align. Thus, many different opinions will arise. Who is right and who is wrong? Who is correct and who is mistaken? These must not be decided by any single person's angle. Judgment should rest upon the causes that came before and the results that followed — only then can there be a resolution that all can accept.
◆ Postfaces & Praises ◆
跋
Let wholesome energy and wholesome presence fill one’s surroundings. Reflecting on what lies before and behind, one takes up the Great Dao and walks it, gradually revealing the radiance of ‘mind’ shining forth as the light of the ‘lamp’ — then one can transcend the self and no longer sink in the six realms of rebirth. Heaven’s universal transformation across the Three Realms begins with the Human Realm first. Reflect on how precious the human form is, and how difficult it is to illuminate mind and nature.
◆ Decree ◆
完書繳旨
That all the disciples could share one devoted heart and give their utmost for the Great Dao, bringing a Pure Spring of Purification to the future of religious faith in the human world — such devotion is truly worthy of commendation. The Mother specially awards 120,000 merits, to be bestowed upon the disciples by the Chairman of Xingshan Hall. Furthermore, the merits of the Xingshan deities and Buddhas are promoted by three ranks.
◆ Prefaces ◆
編輯誌
The Buddha taught the law of karmic retribution across three lifetimes: If you wish to know the causes of your past, behold what you receive now. If you wish to know the fruit of your future, behold what you create today. Yet can sentient beings of this present age truly answer: Whence did I come? Whither shall I go? Can I master my own fate and destiny? Alas — they cannot. Ignorant of life’s deepest truths, they remain unable to understand.
推薦序
Heaven reveals its teachings so that all sentient beings may cast aside obstacles and hardships through cultivation. Within the conditions and methods of practice, Heaven grants the sacred hall a completely new opportunity — and this all the immortals and Buddhas behold with joy. In all things there is a beginning and an ending; such karmic connections are the fruit of many lifetimes of cultivation, and now they have come to fulfillment.
◆ Decrees & Forewords ◆
Reverently Received
序一
The Divine Calendar of the Xinwei Year, fifth month, twenty-ninth day
凡例
Sixth: If there are errors or omissions, they are the fault of transcription. We pray that the virtuous and worthy will not discard this book through neglect, to their own loss.
◆ Main Text ◆
第一回 感恩與回饋
People blindly champion modern technology and call spirituality superstition, unaware that the heavenly timing has reached a moment of dire urgency! Heaven above beholds this, unable to bear the drowning of sentient beings, and sends both the Dao and tribulation together, hoping thereby to restore the primordial purity of the spiritual nature.
第二回 大道與天德
The good and evil qi of sentient beings, gathering together, bring forth collective karma. This is not because the seasons have fallen out of order, nor because the Great Dao has deviated from its course — it is precisely and truly the karmic conditions of human good and evil that are at work. The operation of the Great Dao is beyond human power to control, yet through the good qi of human conduct, one can increase blessings and virtuous karma, and even turn the tide of Heaven and Earth's creative transformation.
第三回 天道奧義
The Heavenly Dao: the ancients called it natural law. Today, people delight in ranking and saying 'who is greatest, who is highest.' But the profound meaning of the Heavenly Dao is not in such divisions. The Heavenly Dao is the natural law of human nature — the most ordinary thing, least worthy of debate. Yet worldly people love to take nature's simple truths and distort them through projection and human artifice, turning them into something impossibly remote.
第四回 心德
Each person's destiny differs — not because Heaven above lacks compassion. In the Pre-heaven, heart-nature and virtuous nature are perfectly equal; what is bestowed is entirely the same. It is not that some receive more while others receive less. Heaven is supremely just — its gift to all beings is identical. The difference lies only in how, across many lifetimes, each being's good and evil karma has increased or diminished.
第五回 念正
Therefore, if at the outset one cannot establish the wellspring of good thoughts and a correct heart, one may turn to the teachings of the wise and virtuous, to good books — reflect upon them constantly, practice them continually — and gradually a countenance of kind brows and benevolent features will emerge. If the aspiration for goodness takes the lead, one must first straighten the heart from which good thoughts arise and act accordingly. Even before the seed has sprouted, one can already transform the first stirrings of one's countenance and expression.
第六回 修身
Thus: principles and affairs are difficult to fully fathom. If one can understand principle and probe to the depths of comprehension, then one transforms things rather than being transformed by them. Understanding this, one should reflect: humans stand as chiefs among all creation — this is precisely what distinguishes them from beasts. Life after life, through accumulated karma, if one cannot cultivate the self, one cannot transcend oneself. For future growth, this becomes a great obstacle indeed.
第七回 徹理
Expounding principle begins with learning and follows the natural way. Within the heart-nature lies an entire universe. Those who follow nature find the true path — naturally, without deviation or perversion. Those who defy nature violate its laws, inevitably losing the true path and falling into error. Consider 'principle' applied to the cultivation of heart-nature: Heaven is supremely just, its principle selfless, like the natural functioning of one's own being — all operating in harmony without contradiction.
第八回 修心
When the time ripens, the evil fruit will be borne by oneself. This is the origin of the endless cycle of gratitude and resentment across lifetimes. The arising of thoughts in sentient beings — it is precisely this pattern of behavior and action. From what a person does and creates, future blessings or calamities are determined. This is the great divide between suffering and joy!
第九回 大道心燈
The Buddha speaks of cause and effect across three lifetimes: 'If you would know the causes of past lives, behold what you receive in this life. If you would know the fruits of lives to come, behold what you create in this life.' Can sentient beings today understand: whence do we come? Whither do we go? Can they master their own destiny and destination? No indeed! Not knowing these things in the present world, it is hard to fathom, and impossible to grasp.
第十回 以和為樂
If hall affairs rest upon just a few shoulders, the burden grows heavy. But distribute the responsibilities and gather them into an unbreakable force — then achievement is certain. Moreover, one can mobilize the power of all sentient beings, and the hall's fortune will rise like the sun at its zenith. After hall students enter, first teach them to understand 'principle,' then instruct them in 'propriety and etiquette.'
第十一回 悟心
Good and evil follow one like shadows. Doing good or evil — all arises from this heart-thought. How then does one transform the ordinary heart into the Dao heart? This surely depends on one's cultivation in this life. If one lacks karmic affinity with virtue, this life is wasted once more. If one cannot awaken the heart but instead piles up more karmic offenses — but if one can reflect inward and restrain the source, the heart-monkey, then all affairs will surely find accomplishment.
第十二回 闡理
Expounding truth to teach, passing it on to ages yet to be; one must clearly grasp the truth to set the spirit free.
第十三回 境轉與轉境
When material circumstances arrive, meet them with a transformed mental state. All material circumstances are merely formed through conditions. How does one lighten their weight? In human life, one can enjoy many comforts — and even without them, still live happily, feeling content and blessed. But one must possess sufficient wisdom to turn the tide, remaining untouched amid circumstances and environment alike.
第十四回 教化
Knowledge and learning can benefit oneself — but one must also benefit others with a broad and generous heart, just as Buddhism advocates 'great compassion without conditions, great sympathy as one body.' With this spirit, one delivers and transforms all beings. As the Great Unity chapter teaches: 'Not only caring for one's own parents, not only raising one's own children' — this is the very essence of Confucian education.
第十五回 三教合心
The Three Teachings' sages did not take sectarian identity as primary. It was later transmitters who, to attract followers, again and again proclaimed their own religion supreme while denigrating others' faiths — thus creating discriminating mind, planting seeds for future retribution, unable to tolerate others, creating sin unknowingly.
第十六回 藩籬
When such karmic causes take root, escape from evil's entanglement becomes impossible, and return to the heavenly realms is blocked. Confined to the underworld, the fault lies in clinging to the distinctions of this life, leading the deluded ever deeper into delusion. The calamity is self-made, beyond any prayer. Let it be known: Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam — five petals of a single flower.
第十七回 磨難
These are precisely the lessons the immortal teachers and buddhas have always taught — combined with each person's own understanding of their karmic conditions. From this, answers to every test emerge. As for the tribulations that beings face — each person's habits, words, and problems differ. In tribulation, no two journeys are alike.
第十八回 消業
One must, in quiet times, forge a fierce resolve to view all matters with lightness and detachment — thus cutting the root of trouble at its source. Most people, when trouble comes, cannot hold an 'ordinary mind' of calm to trace events from cause to consequence. Instead, vexation multiplies. When the mind is restless, trouble grows; when the mind is still, trouble dissolves.
第十九回 普渡
Thus are sentient beings guided and introduced, then taught step by step, one step at a time. Once good affinity is planted, gradually discard temper and impatience. Day by day, year by year, slowly wear away one's faults. When the outer is complete, cultivate the inner — understand the meaning of life and death — and return to the original root.
第二十回 收圓之條件
The conditions for gathering in demand that every school, sect, and religion break free from ingrained habits. Do not remain complacent in isolation. Do not attack one another. Only then will the causes for descending into hell not be planted. Those who lead must act with complete impartiality and selflessness, creating lasting merit for all beings and disciples, enabling them to
第廿一回 任務與修持
But if retribution be pressed beyond all measure, it becomes the seed of evil karma in the life to come. The Buddha proclaimed: 'Grievances should be dissolved, not bound.' If the wronged can be guided to walk the Path, and one who has offended can 'repay hatred with virtue,' then no dedication of merit need be made — Heaven itself has ordained their release from suffering. Thus must all souls understand: what they endure in this life is the fruit of blessings and karma amassed through ages uncounted.
第廿二回 心念
Forms, sounds, scents, tastes, touches, dharmas array - drawing the Six Consciousnesses inward to be stored.
第廿三回 念識
Thought-consciousness arises thus: eye, ear, nose, tongue, and body - the first five consciousnesses. Through the meeting of sense-roots with dust-objects, perception enters the sixth consciousness of mind to be received. Thence it is transmitted to the seventh consciousness of Manas for discrimination and judgment. Then it enters the eighth consciousness of Alaya to be stored away. When karmic conditions converge, all karmic retribution is accomplished.
第廿四回 業因
Arrogance, pride, and self-importance are faults commonly seen among sentient beings. This is precisely the failing of incorrect thought-consciousness among those who presume to teach. Those who transmit the Dharma perceive not these shortcomings, but force interpretations and accept all without question. Therefore must teaching proceed according to principle, must issue forth from righteousness, lest one lead the blind while knowing it not.
第廿五回 善惡因緣
Such conditions as these! Concerning the karmic blessing of present-day sentient beings, it may be said to be quite profound - far surpassing the living conditions of even the greatest emperors of old. All are the fortune attained by sentient beings and the gift bestowed by Heaven. If one can make good use of this blessing, one should devise far-reaching plans for the welfare of all beings, lest one's karmic blessing be exhausted and evil causes be created for the life to come.
第廿六回 懺悔
Those who knowingly transgress bear double the karmic weight; the evil fruit returns upon them twofold. Those who transgress unknowingly carry a lighter burden — yet even so, cause and effect must be answered. Thus Heaven provides teaching and warning, that beings might practice 'repentance' for their karmic offenses and find a path of redemption.
第廿七回 消災解厄
The root of disaster lies in the entanglement of karmic causes ripening into retribution. Yet when one enjoys blessings through good virtue and good affinities, one should seize the moment to accumulate hidden merit and virtue. When evil karma arrives, this store of merit becomes the capital for dispelling disaster. But this capital must first be built through charitable giving and the dedication of merit — only then can calamity be averted.
第廿八回 行善錫福
If one waits until after death to practice goodness, the human form is already lost. Whether one can again do good depends on one's own karmic destiny. If in this life one lays a foundation for goodness, then in future lives the seeds of virtue will frequently arise. These good seeds must constantly dwell in one's thoughts. Though goodness has not yet manifested in full action, the first stirring begins — and by continually thinking of good, one gradually transforms one's very energy and countenance toward the good.
第廿九回 化性
To transcend this life, one must seek repentance within oneself, seek to perceive one's original nature through the observance of precepts, and seek to correct one's faults in daily life. All beings seek the manifestation of 'principle,' but 'principle,' when fair and selfless, is none other than 'the Way' (Dao). Yet beings view all things from their own personal angles, failing to see events from an objective standpoint that grasps the full chain of causes and consequences.
第三十回 戒律
'Law' is that which imposes consequences when precepts are violated. All beings have a natural tendency to be lenient with themselves, to excuse their own faults, and frequently to settle for half-measures. But where there is law for violating precepts, one will not repeat the same fault. When violation incurs correction, it awakens one for the future and prevents the same error — something that would otherwise be nearly impossible to change.
第卅一回 求道
If one only speaks of cultivating inner virtue, that merely amounts to self-cultivation — it will be difficult to escape the cycle of rebirth. Within rebirth, beings already possess good virtue, but without prajna (wisdom), they can only accumulate good deeds across lifetimes. It is only through good virtue combined with prajna, guiding the inner nature through 'investigating things,' that one can perceive one's original nature — not through a single gesture alone.
第卅二回 善德齊家
In marriage, people tend to see each other's faults while ignoring their own, endlessly demanding the other change. One must understand: between husband and wife, harmony is most precious and happiness is what matters. Do not try to change your partner — first ask how you can change yourself. As a wife, strive to be a virtuous spouse, a good mother, and a dutiful daughter-in-law.
第卅三回 孝道
Otherwise, if you only shower your children with material comforts — playing the role of a 'modern filial parent' — the care you receive from your children and grandchildren in the end may well fall short of your expectations. It would be better to teach your children from the very start to take filial piety as their foundation, so that you may witness your descendants practicing it. All beings may look around them and find many real examples to serve as models.
第卅四回 廣結善緣
In this present life, plant seeds of virtue first; when future conditions ripen and opportunities arise, the roots of goodness will flourish. Cultivate virtue through good affinities, then continue your practice, entering the refuge of religion. On the path of cultivation, good affinities must be broadly woven, and from them virtue will sprout. Once virtue has taken root in goodness, one can use it to accomplish excellent karmic connections.
第卅五回 福慧雙修
It is not that the immortals and buddhas lack compassion. In the present world, 'humanity's greatest enemy is not others or external things — it is oneself.' Through one's own dissoluteness, one indulges and excuses oneself, until one loses the original nature entirely. Can beings constantly awaken themselves, encourage one another, examine their hearts in honest self-reflection, and transform their temperament?
第卅六回 圓滿
When perfection is sought in any matter, it harmonizes with the Way. When one harmonizes with the Way, one fulfills the Way to its utmost. 'When the Way of Humanity is complete, the Way of Earth is complete, and the Way of Heaven too is complete.' The harmony of Heaven, Earth, and Humanity is manifested here. If every matter is brought to perfection, there will be no disputes, no division of 'you and me,' and no troubles shall arise.
◆ Postfaces & Praises ◆
跋
This is the very reason for composing The Great Dao’s Lamp of the Mind. It is hoped that all sentient beings and the true cultivators of every religion may seal heart to heart, illuminate the mind and transform disposition. In these writings, do not cling to a single perspective; instead, observe from the whole. Viewed from a more objective vantage, one will surely gain much.
◆ Decree ◆
完書繳旨
Henceforth, you must all the more uphold harmony and joy, each fulfilling your duties in the universal transformation, guiding the original spirits to return, achieve, and transcend, so as to comfort the Mother’s compassionate heart. Do not let the Mother gaze until her eyes are strained, weeping often and sighing that the original spirits do not return. I hope the disciples can deeply understand what the Mother’s loving compassion yearns for. The writing of The Great Dao’s Lamp of the Mind is complete — let gods and mortals bow in gratitude!
◆ Prefaces ◆
編輯誌
Why have we come into this life? Why are we born? Why do we walk this earthly path? We must help sentient beings understand cause and perceive fruition, holding this teaching as a mirror. By borrowing the worldly and false, we cultivate the true and return to our origin — only then do we cease creating karmic debts for lives to come. If the heart’s darkness is not yet brightened, how can one ignite the Lamp of the Great Dao? How very difficult!
推薦序
What is round can unite things without harming them; sharp corners and straight edges would damage what they touch. Cultivating the Dao is the same — if one can first soften and round oneself, one can then bring one's true nature to completeness without obstruction. This is the essential teaching of 'completing the circle' within the Dao. And so: if you can be complete, if I can be complete, if everyone can be complete — then completeness upon completeness, and one's true nature becomes 'perfectly whole.'
◆ Decrees & Forewords ◆
懿旨
Her Imperial Majesty, the Great Heavenly Empress of Limitlessness, thus declares:
凡例
The Holy Emperor Wenheng composes the preface at
◆ Main Text ◆
第一回 感恩與回饋
In this age of technology, sentient beings are all lost in the pursuit of wealth and immersed in the pleasures of entertainment. They do not know how to make their spiritual nature clear and luminous, and so cannot return to their original home — thus humanity remains trapped in the endless cycle of reincarnation.
第二回 大道與天德
Only then can there be true encouragement to guide the social atmosphere toward goodness. The operation of the Great Dao is natural — the four seasons and eight solar terms stand in clear order, the myriad stars have found their proper positions, neither partial nor contrary, harmonizing yin and yang to form the universe. This is an unchanging principle through the ages. In Heaven and Earth's creation, all has its destined measure. When shall disaster descend? When shall blessings descend? All depends on the collective actions of sentient beings.
第三回 天道奧義
Leaving humanity with the feeling of 'a twelve-foot Vajra — unable to reach its head.' This is the great error of our age. If humans could understand natural law, and from nature comprehend the subtle elucidation of the Heavenly Dao and its profound meaning, what disputes would remain in the human world? All conflict arises from the selfish heart at work — the habits of self-exaltation, glory-seeking, boasting, arrogance, and petty self-importance.
第四回 心德
Through the turning of space and time, extremely great differences have arisen. When sentient beings face adversity, they blame Heaven and resent others — never knowing that Heaven has bestowed the same virtuous nature upon all. What blocks them is their own virtue being exhausted, causing calamity to follow. Prosperity, by contrast, comes from virtue being augmented — thus one has blessings to enjoy.
第五回 念正
Thus it is said again: a correct heart and good thoughts must be constantly guided and constantly illuminated. When one person cultivates good thoughts and a correct heart, it influences the surrounding environment. When every person emanates thoughts of correctness and goodness, it forms a benevolent qi capable of transforming approaching calamity. Over the past twenty years on the Penglai Immortal Island, through the guidance of righteous thoughts among the religious practitioners, dark qi has been transformed into clarity and light.
第六回 修身
If half a nation's people cultivate, its benevolent qi will be abundant, and disasters and evil calamities will surely keep their distance. If the people do not cultivate, then calamity draws near. This depends upon self-cultivation and the direction of one's thoughts. If one cultivates only for oneself without teaching and guiding others toward goodness, it creates a scattered, declining tendency — the evil seed of spiritual lethargy. Human life is constrained by precisely this.
第七回 徹理
Cultivate the self and order the family — the root of being; keep your thoughts upright and true.
第八回 修心
The Way of Heaven establishes teaching to instruct sentient beings in 'understanding good and evil, cause and effect.' From 'the first stirring of thought, teaching transforms and changes,' one can create blessings for all beings and for one's own future. This too is the purpose of teaching. Yet this is not the ultimate goal. One must guide sentient beings to proceed step by step, in proper order — each step firmly placed before advancing further.
第九回 大道心燈
Why have we come to this life? Why are we born? Why do we act as we do? One must cause sentient beings to understand cause and know effect, holding this as a mirror, borrowing the false to cultivate the true and return to the Source. Only then will one not create karmic offenses for the next life. If the heart's darkness remains unlit, how can one ignite the radiance of the 'heart-lamp'? How very difficult!
第十回 以和為樂
Advancing and retreating in proper order; elders and juniors clearly distinguished — these are the foundations of principle. Then in cultivation, help them discern what is 'right' and what is 'wrong.' Guide them through 'good and evil karmic conditions' with wholesome knowledge, step by step, until subtle transformation takes hold. Then advance to cultivating the heart-nature — and they will surely understand the way of being human. Merit and fruit will gradually reach completion.
第十一回 悟心
Only through determined effort does one find the standard and purpose for this life. The human heart undergoes ten thousand transformations — how does one subdue it? Using old methods achieves only temporary adjustment. But if one can constantly turn the heart inward in reflection, without seeking the 'human heart' in outward pursuits, then one can ignite the 'light of Buddha-nature' within the heart-nature.
第十二回 闡理
Heaven and Earth's ultimate principle is just and vast; creating blessing and grace, the Great Way's gate is cast.
第十三回 境轉與轉境
If one does not vie with others for superiority, if one can live with simple detachment — is this not a joyful thing? Why haggle over every inch with others! All of life's affairs are merely borrowed — borrowed to see, borrowed to use, borrowed to possess. Which of them do you truly own? Which can you hold forever? When impermanence arrives, how much can you carry away? How very difficult!
第十四回 教化
With such a vision of 'Great Unity — the Lotus Buddha Land,' why worry it cannot be realized? Why worry sentient beings cannot be delivered home? Teaching must make clear: this age is no longer the past. It is not enough for only oneself to flourish — all around must flourish, all compatriots must thrive, and society itself must become better!
第十五回 三教合心
The Great Unity chapter says: 'Not only treating one's own parents as parents, not only treating one's own children as children.' Does this mean one's own parents are parents while others' parents are not? Such discriminating mind abandons justice. Consider: if one can face others' parents, relatives, and children with equal respect — one person holds this heart, one heart holds this principle — it benefits all sentient beings.
第十六回 藩籬
The five sacred founders brought their teachings to establish peace on earth. Yet after ages of transmission, the original teachings have faded. Religious wars continue to ravage the world, and extremists strike down opponents in the name of 'holy war' — sacrificing themselves in ignorance of the equal truth all religions teach. The original intent has been twisted beyond recognition.
第十七回 磨難
In tribulation's course, one must see how great a burden you are meant to carry — for that determines how much pressure will be placed upon you. Since each person's endurance and their tests differ, no single standard can apply. In the grinding, variations are countless. Yet one great principle holds: 'Refine the mind, temper the nature.'
第十八回 消業
The deepest source of all trouble is the 'mind.' The mind must be tamed daily, kept from agitation and wandering, so that when events arrive one is neither flustered nor led to create evil causes. The method for subduing the mind is the 'ordinary mind.' Though it sounds simple, when trouble comes, the ordinary mind is the first thing to be lost.
第十九回 普渡
Heaven above, hell below — only this mortal shell. Why be bound by it, creating karma for this very life? Use this body to cross over. Turn your nature inward in pure simplicity. Clear all the bad karma of the human world. Grant yourself the power to repay every karmic debt and
第二十回 收圓之條件
Otherwise, one wanders into boundless realms of sin. Those in charge must open their hearts wide, embracing the strengths of all traditions. Abandon self-serving bias, and the path between religions will proceed aright, drawing sincere seekers and disciples. Those who come to participate will truly find
第廿一回 任務與修持
If blessed virtue be wisely employed and tenderly guarded, so as to benefit both self and others, then shall one's blessing endure without ceasing, and happiness prove inexhaustible. When karmic retribution draws near, one must repay with a heart of repentance and offering; one may also repay with joy and willingness, adding the fruit of merit in return. Through the compassionate mediation of immortals and buddhas, both the living and the departed shall find benefit, and the fulfillment sought shall be achieved in full.
第廿二回 心念
Thoughts turn, karmic seeds are known - the Eight Consciousnesses transmit and store within their vault.
第廿三回 念識
Thus arises the projection or manifestation of cause and effect, forming karmic causes and wholesome conditions - all determined by what the first six consciousnesses have done. Within the Manas consciousness, it is the deeds of the present that serve the function of judgment. If one cannot transcend the entanglement of heart-nature, therein lies the divide between Bodhi-wisdom and the darkness of affliction.
第廿四回 業因
Faults that manifest arise wholly from the patterns of conduct in daily life. They were not brought from one's primordial nature; they are acquired through contamination by worldly habits in the present existence, stirred forth by circumstance and environment. The ancients declared: 'After one year of cultivation, the Buddha stands before thine eyes. After two years, the Buddha is at the horizon's edge. After three years, the Buddha has vanished utterly.' If such faults be not cast away, how can the work of this life be brought to fulfillment?
第廿五回 善惡因緣
When evil fortune arrives as trial, it is the planting of previous lives and accumulated ages. Speaking of the present: 'The past is gone, but the future may yet be shaped.' Sentient beings, not understanding the principle, oft blame Heaven and their fellow men, knowing not that 'If difficulty faces me, I must act,' and 'My fortune, I alone must resolve.' Do not flee from it. Face it with courage. One should bear it oneself, dissolve the hardship, endure the misfortune, and complete the dissolution of karmic obstacles.
第廿六回 懺悔
When karmic retribution arrives, dedicate merit to settle the karmic debt, and in this very life one can elevate one's nature. Repentance addresses the karma that beings have created — the evil causes that now ripen into suffering. In the stillness of a clear night, look into your own heart: what karmic seeds have you planted in this life and in lives beyond counting? They have ripened now into this present trial — and must be fully resolved.
第廿七回 消災解厄
If one waits until evil karma has already manifested before seeking to dispel disaster, one can only resolve a small fraction of it. Let this be clearly understood: 'Plant no evil cause, and no evil fruit shall come.'
第廿八回 行善錫福
The creation of evil follows the same pattern — it too grows from thought to action. One should therefore constantly examine oneself, using good virtue to cultivate the field of fortune. The human heart takes fairness as its root. If one makes goodness one's foundation, one will not stray from the right path. Virtue is what all people should possess and pursue. When virtue is deep and abundant, karmic causes cannot come to trouble one. Through the dedication of merit, both the living and the departed benefit, and all rejoice together.
第廿九回 化性
The full picture of any matter must be understood through the substance of the Dao as its foundation. Only then can one perceive whether a matter will succeed or fail. If one views things solely from a personal angle — can one truly be correct? 'Transcending the heart-nature' means this: within every matter, identify each person's strengths and let them guide the outcome, until one reaches 'a heart at peace' — only then can one be truly satisfied and wholeheartedly convinced.
第三十回 戒律
The precepts of faith must be faithfully observed; violations of the sacred rules must never be permitted.
第卅一回 求道
If one gesture could truly lead to Heaven, then people would need neither external merit nor internal attainment — a mere gesture would free them from Yama's bonds, and they could do as they pleased without consequence. Let everyone consider: does this reasoning hold? The karmic obstacles of countless lifetimes must be fully repaid in this life, in accordance with the law of cause and effect.
第卅二回 善德齊家
And as a husband, ask how you can become a wise father, a good spouse, a filial son. Then the family will naturally be harmonious and joyful. In modern times, most families are nuclear, making it harder to live with elders — yet visits should be regular. If one can live with elders and fulfill filial duty, 'a family with an elder has a treasure' — what a rare blessing!
第卅三回 孝道
Parents toil a lifetime, amassing property and wealth to pass on to their descendants — yet how many truly feel grateful for their parents' labor and carry forward their parents' grace? It is rare indeed! Some divide their property among children and grandchildren, yet in old age can scarcely get a full bowl of food. Is this the kind of descendant you want? Alas — if only you had known it would come to this, why did you not act differently from the start?
第卅四回 廣結善緣
This will surely guide life onto the right path and keep one from falling into the three evil destinies. If one merely enters religious practice but cannot reach the stage of complete merit, then one must 'establish oneself before establishing others; attain understanding before helping others attain it.' Advance hand in hand as companions on the Way — harmonious and serene — and in future cultivation you will create the finest karmic affinities.
第卅五回 福慧雙修
One must use one's own attainment to help others attain; combine one's own strength with the strength of many, and together create the realm of an illuminated heart. Only then can one invest deep effort into the heart-nature, realize life's impermanence, and by transcending oneself reach the state of enlightenment — gaining true and lasting benefit. Elevation and transcendence — this too is the foundation of all achievement.
第卅六回 圓滿
Within this perfection, employ the strength of your own heart — do not compete, do not grasp — and you shall accomplish the supreme Way. All beings should know: a perfected life can perfect the family; a perfected family can perfect its surroundings; perfected surroundings perfect the neighborhood; perfected neighborhoods perfect the nation; perfected nations — and among religious lineages, all perfected — then the world is at peace, complete and without deficiency.
◆ Postfaces & Praises ◆
跋
The principles within The Great Dao’s Lamp of the Mind must be contemplated again and again — do not read them carelessly. With an impartial heart, examine each chapter thoroughly, and there will be much to harvest. One must internalize the true essence of this book from one’s own standpoint. After understanding, put it into practice in daily life — then the realm of awakening is not far off.
◆ Decree ◆
完書繳旨
The Unborn Sovereign Mother promulgates Her gracious decree at
◆ Prefaces ◆
編輯誌
One must endure many trials and pass through the verification of the heart to reach the supremely good and perfect. How shall the Lamp of the Great Dao shine forth? Performing outward acts of merit is necessary, but such acts bring only blessings and karmic reward — they cannot transcend the nature of the heart. Indeed, one may easily lose oneself again amidst the favorable circumstances that fortune brings, creating yet deeper karmic entanglement for lives still to come.
推薦序
May all sentient beings find fulfillment in all things. Within fulfillment there is harmony and joy; within completeness one discovers one's true nature. Fulfillment is the essential and indispensable path for every practitioner. The Lamp of the Great Dao closes with the theme of fulfillment. I pray that all sentient beings in the future may in every matter find fulfillment and wholeness. The family will be blessed, and the practice of the Dao will be blessed! Therefore, one must earnestly strive.
◆ Decrees & Forewords ◆
懿旨
The Mother dwells in the Sacred Land of the Principle Heaven; the universe and all its myriad realms lie within Her dominion. She observes how Xingshan's Sacred Gate devotes itself to universal transformation, sharing the Mother's burdens and revitalizing the mission of the Dao. Having previously received the Edict to compose Records of Karmic Retribution for Good Deeds, then A Lamp on the Dark Path, and further A Life of Brightness — three Heavenly Books in all — the work of teaching and transformation has already borne fruit.
凡例
Directly under the Southern Heaven — Taoyuan Xingshan Hall
◆ Main Text ◆
第一回 感恩與回饋
Heaven is compassionate and merciful. Even though the sentient beings of today do not know the grace of Heaven's covering and Earth's bearing, Heaven still repeatedly sends forth immortals and Buddhas to save beings through karmic affinity, to dissolve the stubbornness of the world, and to guide all back to perfect virtue. Yet now, apart from those practitioners in the sacred halls who can still awaken, the deluded multitudes lack all gratitude and fail to cherish their blessings, pursuing only self-interest by any means necessary.
第二回 大道與天德
As Heaven may adjust its positioning in response to Earth's transformations, so Earth's transformations are tied to human conduct. Heaven's fortune has already shifted; the karmic weight placed upon humanity is not slight — the people of today are truly blessed. When human life understands that the Great Dao is nature's own operation, and that human life mirrors the Great Dao in having its proper order and rhythms — this is the most essential truth of the Great Dao's operation.
第三回 天道奧義
One should apply natural law to daily life for contemplation and realization. The Heavenly Dao is naturally and originally complete; without seeking, it is already self-sufficient and full. Heaven's operation is likewise: the sun rises in the east and sets in the west — daily so, monthly so, yearly so. Natural law never deviates from correct principle.
第四回 心德
This difference between the two is accumulated across many lifetimes — what is there to resent? The ancients said: past lives are vast and unknowable; we know only this present life. Since we cannot change that, we fail to understand: we should meet Heaven above with gratitude and repentance, grateful for the opportunity to temper our heart-nature. We should ask: how can we eliminate karmic faults, so that calamity may keep its distance?
第五回 念正
In today's world, wars, natural disasters, and tribulations continue without cease. Only the Treasure Island sends forth a benevolent qi that reaches the heavens — thus able to turn the wind of decline into a wind of virtue, to divert disaster and invite auspiciousness. Righteous mindfulness and a good heart — these two mutually sustain one another. With righteous mindfulness, a good heart naturally follows; with a good heart put into earnest practice, there arises a benevolent qi that shields and protects the body.
第六回 修身
Religion can guide people toward self-cultivation. Different karmic conditions create different affinities for good and evil, and the connections within cultivation also vary. Yet looking across all the world, the Middle Kingdom is a nation of propriety and righteousness, and its cultivation tradition is all the more distinguished from other lands. Moreover, Buddhism has been transmitted to the world with correct principles, and thus can skillfully guide sentient beings to practice cultivation of the self.
第七回 徹理
Examine yourself and improve each day; create no evil karma, lest you lose your human form.
第八回 修心
This is the reason for the celestial scripture 'The Lamp of the Great Dao' — to teach sentient beings how to act, how to cultivate step by step, ascending ever higher. It establishes the foundation for initiating teaching and advancing toward the Dao, no longer entangled by karmic causes and evil fruits, no longer yielding thoughts of retreat. Now Heaven's universal transformation has entered a wholly new stage, different from the old ways of expounding the teaching.
第九回 大道心燈
One must endure many trials and heart-seal confirmations before attaining the highest perfection. How does one ignite this 'heart-lamp' to shine? Practicing external merit is a necessary condition, but this pertains only to blessings and karmic fruit — not only can it not transcend the heart-nature, it may even cause one to lose one's way amid favorable karmic circumstances, creating yet more karmic debt for the next life.
第十回 以和為樂
Human nature gradually harmonizes, then through 'mind-seal to mind-seal' the cultivation deepens. All hall students can prioritize hall affairs. Even where viewpoints differ, one can face them with 'a heart of tolerance' and interact with 'a heart of harmonious joy.' Then the hall is truly blessed! It is what sentient beings and immortals and Buddhas rejoice to see — perfect harmony and joy — and from this, elevation and growth naturally follow.
第十一回 悟心
If one can thoroughly understand one's own faults — toward all sentient beings, one has been casting the heart outward. If one does not contain the heart within, the original heart is already lost. Hindrances arise constantly, and letting go seems impossible. This creates 'yin-yang opposition' and forms the opposition of affairs. With inner darkness prevailing and the original heart lost — where can one go to find oneself again? All paths seem difficult!
第十二回 闡理
Principle transforms the hidden mystery, delivering all; through wisdom's growth and experience, spirits uplift.
第十三回 境轉與轉境
Ah, human life! Human life! Truly it is but a dream — a very long, long dream. And when one awakens, one has already been transported to another realm. What do sentient beings seek? What do they scheme and struggle for? When karma ripens, all good and evil are borne by oneself alone. None can take another's place. Each reaps what each has sown.
第十四回 教化
Teaching's karmic bonds are wondrous and true; their effects are real in all they do.
第十五回 三教合心
If you show three parts respect to others, others will return three parts — perhaps more. Without discriminating mind, one creates no future karmic debt. Yet regarding today's hells, many cultivators forget the saying: 'Before hell's gate, monks and Daoists are thickest!' If one holds such an attitude, one may never truly awaken.
第十六回 藩籬
How does one discern whether helmsmen and leaders walk the upright path or the crooked one? Even among unorthodox schools, if one cultivates with good intent and righteous principle, achievement is possible and Heaven will affirm it. But within a righteous school, should one walk a devious path — can such a one ever return? Reflect upon this, and the answer is clear.
第十七回 磨難
The body is ground, the heart endures; through pain the difficult questions arise.
第十八回 消業
The fire of ignorance adds fuel to the flame. All karma arises from this. The teaching is clear: the 'ordinary mind' means maintaining a cool head when facing every situation, pausing to ask: how should I act? How should I proceed? There must be careful reflection, so as not to act from irritation and create yet more trouble.
第十九回 普渡
Rectify your original nature — then spiritual light shines forth of its own accord. Immortals and buddhas, seeing this, pour their blessing through your whole being. The seed of the Way within has begun to sprout, drawing on the original endowment. Then act outward: accumulate good merit and hidden virtue. Establish yourself, then lift others. Walk long without betraying your first heart. When merit and fruit are full, transformation and return become possible.
第二十回 收圓之條件
Only then will selfish motives cease to mislead beings through distorted teachings, leading them into an endless sea of suffering, creating sin unknowingly. Those who inherit and transmit must guide with good intent and righteous thought when teaching later generations. This is the correct principle, and only through it can one receive Heaven's hidden aid. This is the first lesson of gathering in.
Second: The Fulfillment of the Heaven-Endowed Mission:
第廿二回 心念
Pushing outward, they give rise to manifest deeds; in times to come, karmic fruit shall be divided into good and ill.
第廿三回 念識
The Manas consciousness encompasses only the thoughts and functions of this present life. The Alaya consciousness is the great storehouse of all - encountering conditions, it brings forth fruit. In itself neither good nor evil, it contains both wholesome and unwholesome seeds. One may accomplish supreme Bodhi and transcend oneself - but how then to reveal the true suchness of Buddha-nature? Here one enters the deepest mysteries of human thought.
第廿四回 業因
When karmic causes arrive, endure them with patience; carry all to completion with sincerity and truth.
第廿五回 善惡因緣
None can evade or stand in another's place. Heaven shall also lend secret aid, surely granting sentient beings room to turn. Heaven cuts off no person's road. If one flees and dares not bear the fruit of karma, one can never alter the existence of that karmic fruit. Even if escape be found in this life, in the next one must repay both principal and interest together - truly, the loss exceeds the gain a thousandfold.
第廿六回 懺悔
The Buddha said: 'All the evil karma I have created in the past, born from beginningless greed, hatred, and delusion, through body, speech, and mind — I now repent and confess it all.' If one repents with genuine sincerity, evil karma dissolves; if one repents with utmost devotion, the bitter fruit is swiftly resolved. This is the power of true repentance — to face one's errors with an open heart and transform them.
第廿七回 消災解厄
That is the heart of the matter. As for the karmic trials that arise, each being must bear their own karmic causes. The suffering must be endured personally — no other can take one's place.
第廿八回 行善錫福
Deep and abundant virtue is not attained in a single leap — it is accumulated drop by drop within the world. Beings often envy those who are blessed, not knowing that blessings come precisely from the steady accumulation of good deeds. Take the virtuous as your model; take the immortals and buddhas as your inspiration. Step by step, walk with firm and steady footing, and one day blessings and virtue will be full to overflowing.
第廿九回 化性
'Beings seek principle but do not seek the Way.' Though principle may be correct, one must not only observe one's own faults — one must refine them until they dissolve without trace. For the Way is found in the low places, not in the high. In the lowly, the Way pervades all things; the heights are distant and unreachable. Human beings are at most seven feet tall, and few are even that. The Way of Heaven remains for most beings difficult to grasp and comprehend.
第三十回 戒律
Cultivation is a great and total transformation; only thus can one ascend and achieve the Way.
第卅一回 求道
In seeking the Way, one first receives and then cultivates — this is Heaven's great compassion. Without the initial gesture, deluded beings could not perceive their inner nature. But to say one gesture alone leads to Heaven is the attachment of those who cling to form, believing that without this gesture they have not received the Way. They do not realize that attaining the Way comes from one's own investigation and inquiry.
第卅二回 善德齊家
One must transmit and inherit within the human Way, letting every detail return to the original source. Dwell in goodness, walk in goodness, share a heart of goodness, practice virtue, unite as a family of goodness — then the home becomes a place where all are drawn to practice the Way. Yet within the human Way, beings struggle to fulfill their duties, knowing only 'self first' while forgetting that 'fulfilling one's responsibilities' is what truly matters.
第卅三回 孝道
Those who have failed in filial piety will in the future be troubled by unfilial descendants — this is how the debt of unfilial conduct is worked out. The ancients said: 'Offering a single bean to your parents while they live far outweighs a whole pig's head offered after they are gone.' To care for the end and honor the distant past — once parents have passed, that precious scene of parent and child together can never be restored. How deeply sorrowful! This is the deficiency in humanity's practice of filial piety that must be transformed.
第卅四回 廣結善緣
Broadly forming good affinities is an essential condition for religious cultivation. All beings possess a good nature; all possess Buddha-nature — it is simply that they have not yet awakened or realized it. Those who practice within religion, if from past lives to this very day they have formed abundant good affinities with all beings, will find that the broader these connections, the greater their power. As the saying goes, 'With many helpers, any task is easier' — thus the karmic affinity of virtue is accomplished.
第卅五回 福慧雙修
Sentient beings are lost in the pursuits of the present world. Speaking of fortune and blessings, people today already live no less comfortably than the ancient emperors. Karmic conditions are so favorable that blessings come easily — yet precisely because they come easily, they are also easily squandered. Can one truly cherish what one has been given? What is easily gained is also easily lost.
第卅六回 圓滿
Perfection can unite all things; perfection does no harm (for sharp edges and corners wound what they touch). Cultivating the Way is the same: first perfect yourself, and then you can perfect your self-nature without obstacle. The essential meaning of 'completing the cycle' (shou yuan) within the Way lies here as well. It creates this truth: you can be complete, I can be complete, everyone can be complete — completeness upon completeness, fullness upon fullness — and the self-nature achieves 'perfect wholeness.'
◆ Postfaces & Praises ◆
跋
Tonight I descend to write the colophon for the heavenly scripture of The Great Dao’s Lamp of the Mind. I pray that all sentient beings may awaken to their self-nature and grow. Through wholesome learning and growth, one can fulfill oneself and also benefit all beings, so that everyone may ascend and return, transcend. I urge all of you to devote your hearts to this effort, that light may shine upon yourselves and upon all humanity. Let us encourage one another!
◆ Decree ◆
完書繳旨
Southern Heaven Direct-Governed Sacred Hall, Taoyuan Xingshan Hall
◆ Prefaces ◆
編輯誌
One must pass from mere knowing into discernment, from discernment into wisdom, and from wisdom into the awakening of prajna. Through wisdom comes the accumulation of lived experience, enabling one to realize that all of worldly life is impermanent and fleeting — thoroughly awakening to the path of practice one must walk in this life, growing oneself and benefiting others. Thus does humanity proceed through the teaching of Consciousness-Only.
推薦序
What begins amid adversity is completed in fulfillment. Though many external forces intervene, they arise only because each person sees from a different angle. If all sentient beings can break through their walls and forge a common understanding, this is the greatest wonder of this book. Within fulfillment, one begins every undertaking with sincerity and carries it through with one original heart — and Heaven and Earth will surely respond.
◆ Decrees & Forewords ◆
懿旨
Now, by memorial from the Southern Heaven, it is reported that the training spirit of the principle-brush Chen Sheng has been accomplished. The Mother observes that through former lives, Chen Sheng has embodied Heaven and walked the Dao, fulfilling the great vow. Now the Heavenly Book The Lamp of the Great Dao is specially descended to Xingshan Daoist Hall for composition. The Ancient Buddha of the Southern Sea is appointed Lead Celestial Master, to guide Chen Sheng in illuminating through principle and transmitting the book by the Golden Finger.
凡例
The Divine Calendar of the Xinwei Year, fifth month, twenty-ninth day
◆ Main Text ◆
第一回 感恩與回饋
Thus cause and effect become intertwined, and the original virtuous nature grows stained and obscured. With only self-interest as their guide, people neither fear karmic retribution nor reflect upon life, nor do they face others with gratitude. This creates a world of treachery and extravagant delusion. Combined with the karmic conditions of human nature, good and evil remain perpetually entangled. If people cannot feel Heaven's grace and give back to humanity, there can be no realm of clarity and brightness.
第二回 大道與天德
Heaven's grace does not increase, Heaven's virtue does not diminish — all has its cause, and is not something we can manipulate. When a person possesses virtuous merit and blessings, it must relate to Heaven's operation. Thus 'the Great Dao and Heavenly Virtue' are what humanity ought to revere. Heaven gives birth to all people, Earth nourishes all people, yet humanity has no way to repay this grace. And the transgressions of countless lifetimes must be resolved in this very life.
第三回 天道奧義
It is absolutely not the case that today the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, only to reverse tomorrow — that would violate nature's correct principle. The Great Dao is cultivated within naturalness, practiced in spontaneity. But later generations added legs to the snake — superfluous elaborations — casting a veil of obscurity and mystery, causing practitioners to shrink back in fear and hesitate to advance.
第四回 心德
Each person's heart-nature and virtuous karma, shaped by worldly influences, become different — giving rise to many adversities, all truly self-summoned. Those who cultivate virtue and nourish nature must restore virtue to its original state. Sentient beings are fundamentally equal, with no distinction. Thus: immortals and Buddhas have brought virtue to its utmost, and so achieve; sentient beings' virtue is exhausted, and so they fall. The difference lies only in the virtue each has cultivated.
第五回 念正
The heart is sovereign over all the body's affairs; blessings and calamities are forged in the crucible of cause and effect.
第六回 修身
It teaches people to understand human relations and transform evil customs. Proclaimed across the four seas without deviation, its standard lies in 'cultivating the self.' Likewise, Daoism approaches self-cultivation in its own way. In ancient times, immortals and sages would frequently manifest their transformations to guide sentient beings. Now we have entered the Dharma-Ending Age. Though the process of cultivation differs from former times, it still does not depart from its essential framework.
第七回 徹理
Self-cultivation asks your deepest care; embrace not ignorance's obstacles there.
第八回 修心
Heaven is compassionate. From within the hearts of sentient beings, each must ignite their own 'heart-lamp.' Sentient beings do not perceive the light within their hearts — it lies hidden within, unseen. If it were manifested outwardly, it would rival the great radiance crowning the saints and Buddhas. The only trouble is that sentient beings do not know how to kindle the 'heart-lamp!' The saints, immortals, and Buddhas also reached their state through cultivation — it was not achieved in a single leap!
第九回 大道心燈
One must transform from 'knowing' to 'discerning,' from 'discerning' to 'wisdom,' from 'wisdom' to the achievement of 'wisdom-awakening.' For humanity, 'wisdom' is the accumulation of experience, through which one realizes that all of life is impermanent and fleeting, thoroughly awakening to the path of cultivation one should walk in this present life, for one's own growth and benefit.
第十回 以和為樂
If one practices in this way, it extends beyond religious affairs alone to family, neighbors, and all one's dealings. Through heart-cultivation, one influences the surroundings, creating a harmonious benevolent qi. Everyone will wish to be in one's company.
第十一回 悟心
Clearly awaken to the heart's own arising; the moment thought moves, its imprint appears.
第十二回 闡理
Returning in perfection, transcending all that was; revealing Buddha-nature's boundless, shining cause.
第十三回 境轉與轉境
Thus, are material circumstances not also formed through borrowed conditions? If one can do deeds that benefit life and give back to sentient beings, one will surely create favorable circumstances. Material circumstances and mental state are intimately linked. If one can see through and let go, all disputes and hardships dissolve, and one binds and limits oneself no more.
第十四回 教化
Grow yourself, transform ignorance's veil; receive blessings, and welfare shall prevail.
第十五回 三教合心
As long as orthodox lineages transmit truth — whatever you perceive, greet it with a joyful heart and praise. How wonderful is 'rejoicing in others' merit!' Otherwise, blindly rejecting others, you too will be rejected. Cause and effect, spinning on: you reject others, and in return you are rejected — how would that feel?
第十六回 藩籬
Those who follow a religion must build their merit upon 'Right Thought, Right Goodness, Right Virtue, Right Mind, Right Conduct.' Heaven sees their uprightness and opens the way home. In this very life, let them teach all beings with these Five Rights, clinging to no lineage, distinguishing no sect — for cultivation is cultivation, wherever it takes place.
第十七回 磨難
Every obstacle demands reflection; every problem traces back to its root.
第十八回 消業
In the trial process, some causes arise from karmic obstacles, while others spring from one's own conduct and habitual patterns — both carry significant weight. Therefore, one must first settle the mind through 'concentration and stillness,' achieving through patient endurance. To treat trials as a method of 'eliminating karma' — this is the right way.
第十九回 普渡
Repaying the karmic debts of countless lifetimes;
第二十回 收圓之條件
Within the lineage of gathering in, one must first shed one's own faults and temper, guiding all beings with an equal heart. Do not insist on the size of one's place of practice, the number of disciples, whether Former Heaven or Later Heaven, nor the rank of any immortal or buddha. As long as one rectifies one's own heart and mind,
第廿一回 任務與修持
Heaven establishes its teachings to benefit all beings, each with divine purpose — as the ancient saying declares: 'Heaven has born me with talents that must needs be put to use.' Say not that your strength is small. Each soul's karmic ties across lifetimes differ; each one's cultivation and merit vary. Born into this world in human form, one surely carries tasks and missions all one's own — it rests entirely upon each person's conduct and deeds.
第廿二回 心念
In the discourse of good and evil, sentient beings perceive not how formidable is the stirring of arising heart and moving thought. From the movement of thought, driven by virtuous merit, a field of blessing is formed; driven by evil karma, it becomes calamity and affliction. It is fervently hoped that sentient beings in this present life will not sow seeds of evil karma with others across lifetimes, lest they invite the bitter fruit of retribution in this life or those to come.
第廿三回 念識
Humanity, confined to religious cultivation alone, can scarcely fathom how the functions of the human body operate in their wholeness. One must enter the pure consciousness of the Tathagatagarbha - that is, the ninth consciousness of Amala. What the religious scriptures of the past conveyed was difficult to understand with clarity. Yet in the present time and space, human life can surely accomplish the fruit of the Dao.
第廿四回 業因
Resolved and dissolved, the soul ascends; both yin and yang find benefit through mortal cultivation.
第廿五回 善惡因緣
The causes and conditions of good and evil are an immutable principle. In this life, whatever good cause one plants, in the life to come one shall receive that blessed virtue. In this life, whatever evil cause one plants, in the next life one shall receive that evil calamity - without the slightest deviation! When cause and effect cannot be altered, one must first employ virtuous karma to dissolve evil karma. Only when merit and transgression can be balanced may one once more create blessed virtue.
第廿六回 懺悔
On the first and fifteenth of each lunar month, and on the twenty-fourth of the twelfth month — before Siming ascends to Heaven to report — before the kitchen hearth (or, in modern homes, before the stove) — write down in a bowl every evil deed of the past year. Vow sincerely never to repeat them. The deeper the sincerity, the more powerfully the Kitchen Lord will respond.
第廿七回 消災解厄
Even so, the immortals and buddhas will offer hidden assistance in dispelling disaster, guiding beings spiritually so they cease creating the causes of evil — for this is the true purpose of disaster-dispelling. Some calamities have precedent karmic causes; others were not created in this life but were planted across countless lifetimes, some are shared karma borne collectively, and some are the immediate retribution of deeds in this very life.
第廿八回 行善錫福
It is said: 'When you give, you receive; what goes in the light returns in the dark.' Thus, when goodness is complete, it creates fortune for all of life. 'Doing good and bestowing blessings' is what all beings pursue. To bestow blessings, one must first practice goodness — and to receive blessings, one must first ask oneself: How much have I truly given? How much have I accomplished? When hidden virtue is full, fortune and wealth will surely descend like rain.
第廿九回 化性
Beings stand upon the earth and walk — one must seek the true Way in the low places. Within this true Way, one cultivates the essential conditions for 'transforming nature.' To transform nature means that in every affair, one must accord with the Way and fulfill it utterly. All Five Cardinal Relationships must be lived in harmony with the Way. If one turns against the Way, misfortune and illness will surely be visited upon the body.
第三十回 戒律
Though the body does not violate the precepts, why fear the difficulty of the pass? The heart, if steadfast, will carry one through.
第卅一回 求道
How subtle and wonderful is the human body! It can walk, move, and speak — all flowing from the Great Way as its source. Contemplate within yourself the true essence of the Way, united with Heaven's great virtue and the goodness of all things — within lies profound truth. After awakening, even dreams at midnight bring joyful laughter, and one is filled with gratitude for Heaven's exquisite creation.
第卅二回 善德齊家
Fulfilling one's duties is not merely about comfortable living and endless enjoyment. One must lead with filial piety, benevolence, and goodness as the guiding light — only then can the family be led onto the path of morality. With morality and virtue uplifting the family, wayward descendants will not arise. Dwell in goodness, teach through goodness, guide by virtue — why worry that the family will not prosper?
第卅三回 孝道
All human beings are prone to error. Why not begin right now — practice filial piety toward your parents with your own actions, then teach your children to follow suit. Only then will your children, when they marry, respectfully honor their in-laws, practice filial devotion, bring harmony among siblings, and prevent strife between in-laws. 'Why fight over property? What is gained is lost.' When impermanence arrives, can any of it be carried along?
第卅四回 廣結善緣
When one person attains the Way, all attain it together. Supporting one another, we work as one to bring forth the flourishing of religion. In our present world, Buddhist and Daoist practitioners have gradually begun to break down sectarian walls and embrace other traditions. This is precisely the magnanimity of heart and breadth of vision required for true religious cultivation — integrating the strengths of the Five Religions, embracing what is finest and releasing what is wanting. Within each school's teaching lies the vision of the Lotus Buddha-land.
第卅五回 福慧雙修
Between gain and loss lies the division of yin and yang, the duality of all things. Set aside this discriminating mind — do not let it draw you back into the cycle of rebirth. Duality and opposition — yin against yang, strong against weak, sun against moon — all operate within the Five Elements, making it hard to transcend and draw forth the heart-nature. Can you break free from this cage? Turn inward and let your true nature shine!
第卅六回 圓滿
Perfect completion and wholeness fulfilled — this is the achievement; all sentient beings must cultivate this.
◆ Postfaces & Praises ◆
跋
Holy Emperor Wen Heng of the Southern Heaven, descending to write the colophon at
◆ Decree ◆
完書繳旨
The 28th day of the 8th month, Xinwei year, in the Heavenly Calendar
◆ Prefaces ◆
編輯誌
If within a religious community one’s ideological attachment has grown inflated, harmony becomes impossible. If the measure of success is one’s own views and the crowd of devotees — whether the incense burns grandly and mystical displays dazzle — then one has already abandoned the righteous path of cultivation, merely gathering followers to adorn one’s gates. For religious practitioners, principle must guide them back into the Dao.
推薦序
A matter should not be judged by present appearances alone, but by whether it brings lasting benefit to all sentient beings. Its causes and consequences are not answered in a brief season — it may take a year or two, or ten or twenty years, before the flowers open and the fruit ripens, bringing forth wholesome and beneficial results.
◆ Decrees & Forewords ◆
懿旨
During the class sessions — every Wednesday in the Hall of Limitlessness, the method of 'Golden Finger, Heavenly Sound' shall be used; every Saturday in the Hall of the Presiding Deity, the 'Peach Brush Transmits Truth' shall be employed. Together, thirty-six chapters are composed with the participation of the celestial gods, immortals, and Buddhas of all the Heavens, expounding the wondrous elevation of the spirit. Moreover, the book shall be completed and submitted on the fifteenth day of the tenth month of the Xinwei year, and promulgated for the benefit of the world.
◆ Main Text ◆
第一回 感恩與回饋
The sages established teachings to illuminate through principle, and sentient beings are saved according to their karmic affinity. Heaven established, Earth set up — thus the human heart, once enlightened, must know Heaven and Earth's virtuous nature before it can establish the foundation of human life! Human nature must know of Heaven and Earth's covering and bearing. Consider this: the head represents Heaven, the feet represent Earth. Humans stand with head to Heaven and feet upon Earth, relying on the ground beneath to walk. Without this, could one walk at all?
第二回 大道與天德
Consider: Heaven has its virtue, Earth has its virtue, and when humanity joins its virtue to theirs, the three powers are complete and in harmony. When Heaven sends calamity upon humanity, it is not from cruelty — it is the collective karma of human perversion of virtue, sent as tempering to dissolve karma and awaken the world to clarity. People know that blessings that follow one are natural; when evil karma descends, they blame Heaven and resent others. Yet blessings and calamities are summoned by people themselves.
第三回 天道奧義
Within the Great Dao, 'virtue' is also of supreme importance. Without virtue, it is like 'having no deposits in the bank' in this life — how can one withdraw and enjoy? Speaking plainly: one who can cultivate virtue must cultivate virtue, truly and earnestly cultivate virtue. 'Virtue can illuminate the spiritual nature' — virtue is the origin of all blessings. Without virtue, there is no blessing; it is like having no currency at all. Then how shall one cultivate virtue?
第四回 心德
Immortals and Buddhas, in their compassion, do not rest content in their own attainment. They descend to the world to teach sentient beings to cultivate this heart-virtue. When heart-virtue takes external form, it becomes: upright virtue, public virtue, hidden virtue. Thus one possesses 'blessings and virtue,' and fortune follows. Further cultivating 'wisdom-awakening' for elevation, with both proceeding together, return to Heaven becomes attainable.
第五回 念正
Correct your errors and cultivate in this very moment; all karmic conditions are of your own making.
第六回 修身
Those who cultivate can gradually integrate the methods of both Buddhism and Daoism, gathering them into a unified standard. In the present-day 'Heavenly Dao,' all Dao companions can hold to this standard, spreading and proclaiming it in all directions. Through human effort, all unfavorable difficulties can be transformed. Cultivating the self requires discarding all harmful habits and uprooting all patterns of evil thought.
第七回 徹理
Transform base habits and nature's flaws; grow upward to receive virtue's rewards.
第八回 修心
Heart-cultivation shows in what the body does; as heart and thought turn, so conduct is formed.
第九回 大道心燈
Further, through the teaching of religion — good halls, good books, wise companions supporting one another — one can adjust one's own footsteps. Then, from 'heart-nature,' seek the possession of 'awakening-nature.' This 'awakening-nature' does not differ between good people and evil people. It is not achieved through external conditions; it exists because sentient beings possess an innate heavenly endowment — the original root nature.
第十回 以和為樂
In such company, one can surely attract more virtuous people, all transforming together in goodness. This is using oneself to deliver and transform others, while also establishing one's own merit and virtue as a firm foundation.
第十一回 悟心
Know the root of goodness within being human; harbor no evil thought, and your form is secure.
第十二回 闡理
First cultivate human relations, then influence those around — through subtle transformation, all becomes correct without deviation. 'Teaching' through principle gives a standard to follow. Its principle must accord with present-day human relations, only then can it teach in harmony with the Dao. Advancing further still, one unites the Dao with principle and the human heart — only then does discussing principle have foundation, only then can it avoid deviation and distortion.
第十三回 境轉與轉境
Circumstances turn, heart turns — turning each in turn; transformation flows, and through the ages burns.
第十四回 教化
Transform the human world, uplift and guide; new blessings bloom from technology's pride.
第十五回 三教合心
The Three Teachings share one origin; the Five Teachings share one source — all due to regional and karmic differences, not about who is greatest or best or most popular. These competitive notions have departed from the true path, even acting contrary to the Way. What delights immortals and Buddhas is that all live in harmony, crossing the same river in one boat, devoting themselves to Heaven's universal transformation.
第十六回 藩籬
When barriers rise, obstacles multiply; selfish thoughts have taken root, hard to uproot.
第十七回 磨難
Hardship and misfortune come and go; fate plays its games — do not force the current.
第十八回 消業
Every human being is dissolving karma every single day — from the first breath to the final one. Everything encountered in daily life is part of this work: fathers and sons, wives and daughters, kin and friends, all surrounding circumstances — every relationship and affinity is a chapter in the book of karma dissolving. Do you doubt it? Reflect, and see: what are daily words and disputes about, if not the unfolding of karma?
第十九回 普渡
Fulfilling the mission entrusted by Heaven;
第二十回 收圓之條件
Working wholeheartedly together for the Great Way — thus outer conditions harmonize. Combined with inner cultivation, never view things solely from one's own vantage point, nor measure all people and events by one's personal standards. This is the most critical principle, lest contradictions arise and suffering be prolonged.
第廿一回 任務與修持
Each soul's entrusted mission differs from all others. At whatever station one stands, there are duties particular to that post. Consider this simple example: as the head of a household, one bears the duty and obligation to care for wife and children, to nourish and honor one's parents with filial devotion — this is the essence of responsibility.
第廿二回 心念
Now, when thought stirs, if one can hold it fast and not let it sprout - the Buddha said: Fear not the arising of thought; fear only the tardiness of awakening. Walking this path, one shall surely reap its reward. May all sentient beings establish themselves at this very root of thought, transforming the failings of the past and correcting them. Only by rooting out every deficiency and error can one ascend toward true accomplishment.
第廿三回 念識
The foundation of the Amala consciousness is also the origin of becoming immortal or buddha. From this it is clear that a human life holds abundant wholesome fruit, and Buddha-nature can be made manifest. Through inner cultivation alone, this can still be attained. But if there is only inner work and no outer realization, there is no wholesome merit to sustain the practice, and the path of life shall be beset with obstacles.
第廿四回 業因
Immortals, buddhas, and masters gracious come to aid; the soul is turned toward the heavenly school.
第廿五回 善惡因緣
There are also cases when merit and transgression cannot be balanced: the karmic retribution of cause and effect must be repaid by oneself alone. Good and evil possess an absolute reckoning. The Buddha declared: 'Commit no evil; practice all good.' Though but eight brief characters, within their meaning lies insight of the utmost depth. What is good? What is evil? In simple terms: that which benefits the welfare of all beings under Heaven is the root of good.
第廿六回 懺悔
Repent for past karma with a heart utterly pure and sincere; before the Buddha, let all together practice repentance.
第廿七回 消災解厄
Heaven constantly presents real examples to awaken the world, hoping that all beings will take heed. The immortals and buddhas, in their compassion, also give advance warnings. Yet beings persist in going their own way. When karmic retribution arrives, it is already too late for regret. Human beings may ask: what truly caused the karma that now confronts them? The answer is not always simple.
第廿八回 行善錫福
Do good and blessings will surely come; three years of blessing-giving, and virtue shall stand as your guardian.
第廿九回 化性
To transform nature requires clear and penetrating understanding; the whole process is genuine and true.
第三十回 戒律
As long as one firmly holds to observance and does not overstep — however many the precepts, the heart remains at peace and untroubled.
第卅一回 求道
'Heaven has born me with talents that must be used.' Heaven's gifts to all beings are perfectly fair, showing no favoritism. All beings are equal. If someone were missing an eye, a hand, or a foot — that would be unfair. What one has or lacks is the result of one's own deeds across lifetimes, weighed and measured to form one's karmic retribution.
第卅二回 善德齊家
Good virtue and good affinities are cultivated by each person; teaching refines the self and passes the torch to the next generation.
第卅三回 孝道
Wealth and possessions are merely borrowed for a time — used and then returned. Only by being filial to parents, respectful of parents, and setting the example yourself can your children follow in kind — repaying you drop by drop. Is this not better than leaving behind property and wealth for future generations? Trust that 'filial piety' never fails in the moral order of this world — and so it is for all of humanity!
第卅四回 廣結善緣
If one can embrace tolerance, one can open one's heart wide. Between different religious traditions, there will be no quarreling or grasping — this is the fortune of all beings, and what Heaven delights to see. Yet among religious lineages, if one builds high walls to attract and hoard followers, friction and conflict will inevitably arise. Over time, barriers multiply, and troubles grow.
第卅五回 福慧雙修
After illuminating the heart and awakening to your nature, if you can hold fast to your original aspiration without wavering, a divine decree will be issued, and you shall break free from the bonds of rebirth, roaming in boundless freedom. Thus, to set an example for all beings, you must first guide them through their bottleneck before any achievement is possible. If you remain attached to the enjoyment of worldly blessings, wisdom (prajna) will be hard to manifest, and you will be unable to bring forth the inner radiance of your heart-nature.
第卅六回 圓滿
In the human world, all matters must be brought to perfection; for elevation and transcendence, this is the goal to seek.
◆ Postfaces & Praises ◆
跋
Southern Heaven Direct-Governed Sacred Hall, Taoyuan Xingshan Hall
◆ Prefaces ◆
編輯誌
Broadly creating good karmic bonds is an essential condition of religious practice. All sentient beings possess a good nature; all carry Buddha-nature within — it is merely not yet awakened, not yet realized. If the practitioner, across accumulated lifetimes and in this present life, forms good karmic connections with all beings, the broader the reach, the greater the power. Then truly, many hands make the work light — and the causes and conditions of virtuous merit are accomplished.
推薦序
Within this fulfillment, one can employ one's own heart-power — not competing, not seizing — to accomplish the supreme Dao. Sentient beings should know: a fulfilled life leads to a fulfilled family; a fulfilled family leads to fulfilled surroundings; fulfilled surroundings lead to a fulfilled community; a fulfilled community leads to many fulfilled communities; a fulfilled nation leads to all nations and factions in fulfillment — then the world is at peace, perfect and without lack.
◆ Decrees & Forewords ◆
懿旨
The Mother observes how the gods and mortals of Xingshan together embody the Great Dao, upholding and supporting the Confucian Sacred Teaching, proclaiming Heaven's transformation on behalf of the Celestial Court.
◆ Main Text ◆
第一回 感恩與回饋
The Earth attracts through gravity; Heaven upholds all above through its virtue. Every person treads upon the Earth to live, standing tall between Heaven and Earth. Heaven does not add calamity, nor does it bestow blessings — it is through the exercise of human morality and one's own actions that all distinctions arise.
第二回 大道與天德
When there are blessings to enjoy, calamities must also be faced. When calamities must be faced, one must rely on virtue to dissolve them. Through virtue, karma is dissolved and calamity averted — and blessings will surely follow. This triangular relationship stands firm: karmic cause is thus, karmic reward is thus, virtuous karma is thus — all intimately, inseparably connected.
第三回 天道奧義
Natural law: 'Virtue' is the root of humanity, the mother of all conditions. In high antiquity, the celestial immortals, sages, and Buddhas cultivated virtue to refine the body, teaching humanity to cultivate body and nourish nature. Among their teachings: 'With virtue, one can command fire; without selfishness, one can ascend to Heaven.' Dao without virtue becomes demonhood; Dao with virtue leads to Buddhahood (sagehood, immortality).
第四回 心德
Thus one may face the loving Old Mother. Sentient beings who follow this heart-virtue establish a foundation in this human world without deviation. Heart-virtue's true spiritual brightness — this alone gives one a foundation to stand upon. Otherwise, the wheel of reincarnation turns without end. When can one return to Heaven and transcend? When the heart's attachments cannot be broken through, why not temporarily quiet the heart and reflect?
第五回 念正
Virtue is wrought by the heart, creating hidden merit; wholesome thoughts can turn evil far away.
第六回 修身
Through wholesome transformation, one teaches and guides all beings, illuminating their original spiritual nature so they may develop correct thinking — only then can one establish self-cultivation as the first step. If one who cultivates the self is still irritable and ill-tempered, how can one speak of cultivation? If one cannot cast off all one's faults, how can there be a path of cultivation?
第七回 徹理
Consider carefully: food enters through the mouth, passes down the esophagus into the stomach and intestines, following a natural progressive sequence without obstruction, promoting metabolism — this is precisely the essence of principle, the most just and ultimate truth. Principle ought to teach the deluded to understand, transforming knowledge into wisdom, empowering oneself, then using that wisdom to benefit all sentient beings, so that all the earth may flourish in accordance with principle.
第八回 修心
Know good from evil, sow no dark karma; preserve this life, and calamity stays far.
第九回 大道心燈
The Great Way's foundation: all beings with feeling; entering the human world, seeds of blessing sowing.
第十回 以和為樂
If this truly comes to pass, one transforms benevolent qi into benevolent karmic bonds. The heart-nature of all humanity brightens as in its original state — then the good work is accomplished. If among the good students some cannot yet understand principle, it is only because perspectives differ. One must reflect upon one's own conduct: does it accord with Heaven's principle and conscience? Does it approach perfection?
第十一回 悟心
Heart stirs and thought turns — all people share this; not seeing the source, they sow karma's seed.
第十二回 闡理
Principle applied to human relations: through teaching, one awakens to whence life comes and why it flows endlessly. One can verify through 'principle' in the natural world, and discern where it ultimately returns. Only when 'principle' is deeply rooted in the human heart can it inspire belief. Only then does the 'principle' expounded truly accord with the foundation of faith.
第十三回 境轉與轉境
If you can see the hidden angles clear; this is no common wisdom can appear.
第十四回 教化
All sentient beings may receive grace; promote morality, and it shall embrace.
第十五回 三教合心
Heaven's timing is urgent; there is no time to waste. Why do sentient beings still find time to boast and attack one another? Truly making immortals and Buddhas sigh! One should work through sentient beings' karmic affinities. Wherever one's connections lie, let one cultivate there. All depends on each person's karmic web. One must also bless and respect each person's choices.
第十六回 藩籬
Alas, suffering surrounds us all; unable to break through, we cannot find the way out.
第十七回 磨難
Strive to break through the pass; let merit and virtue grow through patient cultivation.
第十八回 消業
When beings understand the dissolution of karma, they can forge fortune through wisdom.
第十九回 普渡
Using this mortal frame to cultivate the true, restoring the original self;
第二十回 收圓之條件
Because each person's angle differs, confusion multiplies, closing off original wisdom and obscuring the self-nature. When the self-nature grows dim, it is tied to one's own karmic entanglements. Trials press in, confusion deepens, and trust erodes — thus
第廿一回 任務與修持
Furthermore: as a husband, raising sons and daughters, one has the duty to provide for wife and family; as a wife, one has the obligation to tend to one's husband, serve one's parents-in-law, and nurture and educate the children. Each person fulfills their own tasks; each person bears their own charge. None may take another's place — and even were one willing to stand in another's stead, the individual must also consent.
第廿三回 念識
Thought-consciousness divides into four movements: the arising of heart and the stirring of thought form the framework.
第廿四回 業因
In days to come, attainment shall be proclaimed; Heaven bestows the seal of wondrous fruit.
第廿五回 善惡因緣
That which harms the creatures of the world is the mark of evil. Before acting, one must first settle the distinction within one's heart-nature. Good and evil are separated by but a single thin membrane. To know the good yet not do it: one surely plants an unwholesome seed in the life to come. To do evil yet recognize it and reform: one surely plants a seed of good in the life to come. The gulf between the two is vast beyond measure. The original meaning of the discourse on good and evil lies precisely herein.
第廿六回 懺悔
Unite the great power of the assembly; together help all beings wash away their karmic sins.
第廿七回 消災解厄
Therefore one cannot know how to prevent it, how to avert it, or how to cease creating evil. It is essential that beings examine their own hearts: has my 'red heart' been polluted? To resolve calamity, one need not depend on the instruction of immortals and buddhas — one can resolve it oneself. As the saying goes: 'My difficulties I must solve myself; my calamities I must dispel myself.'
第廿八回 行善錫福
Let every thought arise without selfish seeking; Heaven's grace will bestow, and the heavens themselves will lend their aid.
第廿九回 化性
Thoroughly penetrate the Buddha-nature within the substance of mind; deeply realize the seeds of nature and attain the wisdom of insight.
第三十回 戒律
Thus, beings will differ according to their faith and their environment of cultivation. Whether one can achieve perfection depends on the standards set by each tradition — this is not easy to judge with certainty. One must take the precepts of one's own faith and lineage as the guide. Only thus can precepts achieve their full effect. If human beings do not transgress the precepts, they will surely benefit and flourish. One must strive with all one's heart!
第卅一回 求道
If someone had an extra eye or hand or foot, would that not be even more unfair — making them a freak set apart from all others? Would you want that? Immortals and buddhas possess the same spiritual body as all beings; they have no extra limbs. Thus Heaven is perfectly fair and just.
第卅二回 善德齊家
Abundantly accumulate hidden virtue to shelter your descendants; with fortune and virtue, later generations will surely flourish.
第卅三回 孝道
In filial piety, begin with yourself first, then guide your wife to practice filial piety as well. A wife is honored through her husband; if she can practice filial piety, the family will be well ordered. Do not so indulge your wife that you neglect your parents. If you abandon your parents and turn away from them, even if it is called 'karmic retribution,' you have already failed in the human Way. If the human Way is broken, the family cannot be regulated, and afterward you will surely suffer the consequences of unfilial conduct. Was it worth it?
第卅四回 廣結善緣
If within a religion one's own 'ideology' becomes inflated, harmony becomes impossible. If one judges solely by personal bias and the number of followers, obsessed with whether incense burns brightly and spectacle abounds — one has already strayed from the true path of cultivation, concerned only with swelling one's own ranks. True religious practitioners must use principle to guide beings into the Way.
第卅五回 福慧雙修
The heart-lamp is hard to kindle at first, and one will gradually drift from the illuminated state. How, then, to transcend? After seeking fortune, one must also seek wisdom. To use wisdom to cultivate fortune, and through wisdom to increase fortune — this is the standard of cultivating the Way. In this life, you will surely achieve.
第卅六回 圓滿
When you succeed as a human being, achieve wholeness; in the life to come, great bonds of goodness shall follow.
◆ Postfaces & Praises ◆
跋
The 28th day of the 8th month, Xinwei year, in the Heavenly Calendar
◆ Prefaces ◆
編輯誌
When one person awakens, all people awaken together. Supporting one another, we labor as one for the flourishing of the spiritual path. In our present world, Buddhist and Daoist practitioners have begun to break down the walls between traditions, opening to embrace other paths. This is the very breadth of heart and openness of mind that cultivation demands — integrating the finest qualities of the five religions, taking the best from each and discarding what is wanting. Each school and lineage thus embraced, one may behold the Lotus Buddha-realm unfold in this very world.
推薦序
Composed by Chan Master Lixin Guangming for the second edition of the first volume of the Great Dao Series
◆ Decrees & Forewords ◆
懿旨
This has already been accomplished. Now, through the promulgation of this Edict, the Mother specially encourages all the gods and mortals of Xingshan to receive this sacred mission anew, devoting themselves with all their strength to the completion of Heaven's sacred task. When the book is finished, the Mother shall bestow Dao fruits as reward for sharing Her concerns and toils. I trust the gods and mortals of Xingshan will receive Heaven's mandate once more, to continue upon the path of the Dao.
◆ Main Text ◆
第一回 感恩與回饋
Blessings and calamities each follow accordingly — all summoned by people themselves, not sent by Heaven and Earth. When one awakens to this principle and understands Heaven and Earth's virtue, clarity comes. People of the world, not knowing that Heaven and Earth are impartial, become deluded by desire, creating boundless karmic transgressions that are most difficult to transform!
第二回 大道與天德
The Great Dao initiated the formation of the universe. Yin and yang were distinguished — from one principle came two forces, then the three powers stood in formation, the four images were divided, the five elements manifested — one principle dispersing into ten thousand forms, ten thousand forms returning to one principle. Contracted, it hides within the subtlest particle; expanded, it fills the six directions. The seven emotions and six desires must be overcome by the eight virtues: filial piety, brotherly love, loyalty, trustworthiness, propriety, righteousness, integrity, and a sense of shame.
第三回 天道奧義
Within the Heavenly Dao, virtue is never absent — the two proceed together without contradiction. Awakening to life's impermanence, within a mere several decades, after subtracting eating, sleeping, and childhood, the time truly available for cultivating the heart's virtue is already limited. One should seize the precious time of life. Applying principle with luminous wisdom is the true opportunity, serving as guidance on life's journey — the bright and original nature.
第四回 心德
Recite 'Heaven's compassionate loving Old Mother, guide and teach me' three times. Then report your name, birth date, residence, and describe in detail your petitions and difficulties. Search your heart, reflect on past and future — and you shall connect with the Old Mother's spirit, naturally awakening to truth. Your heart shall naturally find harmony with the Old Mother's heart.
第五回 念正
Heart-virtue accomplishes the awakening of countless spirits; it begins with the very first stirring of thought.
第六回 修身
When thoughts first arise, discern good from evil; correct your conduct, and virtue shall pervade.
第七回 徹理
The great virtue of Heaven and Earth, in nurturing all living beings and all creation, lies in principle being correct and without bias. The four seasons follow their order — this is the great principle of yin and yang between Heaven and Earth. The Way must fulfill its proper guiding function; otherwise the seasons fall out of order and human relations surely suffer calamity. If practitioners understand principle without deviating from truth — the Way of Heaven is inherently selfless — then it is the great fortune of all sentient beings, the great fortune of religion, and the great fortune of cultivation!
第八回 修心
The heart is the wellspring, the body its vessel; the body's every act, the heart commands.
第九回 大道心燈
Spreading to lift all spirits on high; returning, transcending — perfection draws nigh.
第十回 以和為樂
In dealing with others, be harmonious and glad; let not emotion's tide make accord go bad.
第十一回 悟心
Penetrate the inner mechanism's art; faith transforms, and karmic barriers depart.
第十三回 境轉與轉境
To turn circumstances asks for mastery true; to turn the heart is no mere technique to do.
第十四回 教化
Let each person face life with a grateful heart. You are grateful to me, I am grateful to you — forming a web of mutual gratitude. Society can then overflow with an endless current of benevolent qi, and we can return to the ancient sage-realm. The purpose of religious teaching will have been fulfilled. Why not let sentient beings set aside selfish hearts and bring forth the public heart — caring for self and others alike? What say you?
第十五回 三教合心
Whoever has karmic affinity with a particular lineage can fulfill through it the sacred mission Heaven has entrusted. Then how could sentient beings fail to be delivered? Moreover: if all the world's beings belonged to your single lineage, all others gone — could you alone teach and transform everyone? That would only create isolation and division.
第十六回 藩籬
Demolish the fences, erase all distinctions; it is only stubborn rigidity that prevents harmony.
第十七回 磨難
Trials are meant to bestow 'wisdom' for the great responsibilities ahead. Through fire, beings shed their old selves and are reborn, rising to accomplish great works. Those who fail the test and cannot pass the grinding face elimination. Yet for those who remain, another trial comes with new teaching at the right moment, correction at the precise time.
第十八回 消業
Joyfully and gladly one embraces all; fortune and wisdom flourish for ages to come.
第十九回 普渡
These four together bring great achievement; universal salvation, the vow fulfilled.
第二十回 收圓之條件
The seeds of hell are sown — truly making immortals and buddhas sigh! In the first stage of gathering in, one must grind the heart and nature clear before the original self-nature can return. When the self-nature shines bright, insight arises. Always maintaining the 'original heart' — this is what enables one to become immortal, buddha, sacred being, and
第廿一回 任務與修持
If the tasks entrusted to one cannot be fulfilled, if responsibility goes unmet, this is a dereliction of duty — and in the life to come, one must return to settle what was left undone. Therefore, one ought to complete these duties with joy in this very life. Why defer until the next? For then time and space shall have shifted, and life will be transformed — can one truly take hold of it? Can all accounts be settled? It is far from certain!
第廿三回 念識
Entering mind and storehouse consciousness, they separate - the karmic fruit of humankind.
第廿四回 業因
Let all who walk the Path of cultivation constantly search their hearts, feeling no shame before Heaven, Earth, and conscience. Let 'harm no other' be the foundation - this is what cultivators of the present age must embody, and the attitude that all teaching must uphold. Otherwise, without awareness of self, one misleads sentient beings, and the transgression is grievous indeed. One must cultivate goodness, commune with immortals and buddhas, and reflect upon oneself without ceasing - only then can right views be established and all leading astray be forever avoided.
第廿五回 善惡因緣
This transformation of heart-nature opens yet another time and space. Whether all accounts can be fully settled remains yet another question. Through lifetimes uncounted, when shall one be free? Alas! The sentient beings of humanity truly suffer! They suffer so grievously that immortals and buddhas alike shed tears! And within this present 'discourse on good and evil,' it concerns the Buddha-nature - the nature of goodness - inherently possessed by every sentient being.
第廿六回 懺悔
All the evil deeds of former lives — let true repentance now dissolve them utterly.
第廿七回 消災解厄
Sentient beings labor to dispel disaster, yet karmic obstacles press upon them on every side.
第廿八回 行善錫福
Good begets good — behold the process unfold; when done with sincerity, the truth never fails.
第廿九回 化性
One who transforms nature arrives at clarity; dwelling in nature, unmoving — a wonder within wonders beyond all wonder.
第卅一回 求道
At the origin of the Great Way lies the source of humanity. One need not seek the Way outward — one must seek within to find it. If one seeks the Primordial Way externally while having no Way within, how can the Way arise? Therefore, in seeking the Way, first reflect upon yourself: find peace amid the rising and falling of the heart, and tame the mind through quiet contemplation.
第卅二回 善德齊家
To regulate the family requires self-cultivation; only through long, steady practice can one's resolve endure.
第卅三回 孝道
With a heart of remorse, reform your former faults — a filial child is something you can choose to become.
第卅四回 廣結善緣
If one clings to principle in practice, yet every person's perspective and standpoint differs, disputes will inevitably arise. One must let principle return to the Way. Those who harmonize with the Way will surely perceive the true essence. Even when harmonizing with principle, one must deepen inquiry and contemplation — seeing a thing's origin reveals its end as well, broadening one's vision and understanding. One must also bring wisdom to bear on every situation.
第卅五回 福慧雙修
When blessings are complete, further accumulation is needed; wisdom and awakening must be won through effort.
第卅六回 圓滿
Cultivate yourself and regulate your family, blessing generations yet to come; noble and worthy descendants shall surely arise.
◆ Prefaces ◆
編輯誌
Composed by Chan Master Lixin Guangming for the second edition of The Lamp of the Great Dao
推薦序
Mid-Autumn, Year of the Fire Rooster (Dingyou), August 2017
◆ Decrees & Forewords ◆
懿旨
Do not fail the Mother's intention.  Reverently received, do not neglect it.  Bow your heads and give thanks.
◆ Main Text ◆
第一回 感恩與回饋
When collective karma arrives, the suffering of the moment passes like clouds before the eye — gone in an instant, soon forgotten. How hard it is to truly awaken and take warning! People blindly believe disaster will never touch them again. Yet when collective karma comes, can Heaven save? Can the gods save? Can people save? None can! Each person's karma was determined long ago; the fruit of retribution has now arrived — even the immortals and Buddhas are powerless to reverse Heaven's decree!
第二回 大道與天德
The Confucian Four Rectifications and Four Non-rectifications serve as the standard for human correction and emulation. Cultivate even one of these, and the remaining eight virtues follow. The Heavenly Virtue of ancient and modern times never deviates from this principle. Within the human body, Heavenly Virtue operates naturally. After food enters the mouth, it flows naturally down the throat into the stomach, then the small intestine absorbs and digests it.
第三回 天道奧義
The Great Dao operates by convincing through virtue. King Wen and King Wu of the Zhou dynasty established foundations lasting centuries — all through cultivating virtue. Human life is the same: whichever family has virtue, that family will have blessings. Blessing and virtue proceed hand in hand, using virtue to benefit all under Heaven. The entire world today is likewise: virtue gaining the world — this is universal principle.
第四回 心德
The heart is the master governing all the body's affairs; in the human world, blessings and calamities are set in motion by its will.
第五回 念正
Even should disaster and calamity descend, if immortals and Buddhas behold one with compassion, they can transform its harm. Because benevolent qi fills the body and immortals and Buddhas offer their protection, danger is transformed into safety — this can be witnessed time and again. Therefore: with upright thoughts and wholesome intentions ever present, all people rejoice to see, immortals and Buddhas rejoice to see. It is hoped that all sentient beings will take this as their starting point in life. From this day forward, try it and you shall understand; you shall be able to verify it for yourselves!
第六回 修身
When unwholesome thoughts arise, cut them off at once — in this lies blessings and virtue.
第八回 修心
Thoughts stir, intention moves, conveyed to the heart; blessings or calamity — born of one's own intent.
第九回 大道心燈
The heart-lamp breaks through the ancient darkness; revealing Buddha-nature, Heaven's virtue shines.
第十回 以和為樂
Breeding future hatred, sowing future strife — why create such karma and darken one's life?
第十一回 悟心
Within the human heart, if one can constantly reflect and question — the more one asks, the truer it becomes; the more one observes, the clearer it grows. The 'heart-lamp' radiates brilliance in every direction. If within the heart one can behold the original, one will surely awaken thoroughly in this life. But — what does one do with this heart? Then the heart-lamp's light will not endure; thought has already shifted, plunging the heart back into darkness — sometimes bright, sometimes dim.
第十三回 境轉與轉境
Only by entering deep does one discern; it was not as it seemed from the turn.
第十五回 三教合心
Religion teaches: praise with joy, encourage with sincerity. Each additional person who takes on the mission — praise! It creates accumulation: one fewer person doing evil, one more doing good. Imperceptibly increasing the number who spread the teaching — this is what Heaven rejoices to see. The Three Teachings' gates should never attack or reject one another.
第十六回 藩籬
One must transform one's perspective and turn the heart; then no unwholesome karma need be created.
第十七回 磨難
Only then do the conditions set by Heaven find fulfillment, and the gates of trial open wide. May all beings understand: the process of tribulation is the highest gift — an opportunity to transcend, a foundation for all future growth. Yet most lack this very condition for achievement. How, then, can they hope to return?
第十八回 消業
When karmic obstacles arrive, fear is not the answer; the real danger lies in lacking the wisdom to see through.
第十九回 普渡
Sentient beings do not understand: why have they come? Why were they born? What must they do? Lost in the daily grind, they cannot cross over in this life. Speaking of universal salvation: if this life remains a mystery, the suffering of beings must be resolved by comprehending the tasks at hand:
第二十回 收圓之條件
Gathering in must illuminate its purpose; universally transforming beings demands devoted effort.
Third: The Restoration of Truth Through the Provisional Body:
第廿三回 念識
Consciousness-seeds stir the heart into motion; thought enters the mind to be arranged.
第廿五回 善惡因緣
Within this nature of goodness, because times, spaces, and circumstances differ, each person's viewpoint likewise differs. Therefore, every matter carries both praise and blame, both ruin and honor intermixed. As long as one feels no shame before Heaven, Earth, and one's own conscience, one may live in peace and comfort. In truth, if one can handle all matters to the utmost goodness, without creating distinctions among problems, then there is complete and perfect fulfillment.
第廿六回 懺悔
We implore the grace of the Master to shield us; turn aside the karmic debts of countless past lives.
第廿七回 消災解厄
Every remedy has been tried; still the suffering endures, unchanged from before.
第廿八回 行善錫福
A sincere heart moves Heaven and Earth to bear witness; blessed with goodness and virtue in fullness — truly, a noble soul.
第廿九回 化性
How shall we create a splendid future? Perceive the nature, awaken to awareness, and return to the foundation of the Way.
第卅一回 求道
The path of seeking the Way is truly wondrous and sublime; yet understand that it is first a personal ascent.
第卅二回 善德齊家
Embrace and uphold religious faith; perfect harmony and happiness will swiftly follow.
第卅三回 孝道
If you can offer ten parts of reverence, your children and grandchildren will all return the same in kind.
第卅四回 廣結善緣
If one can guide oneself into a peaceful, harmonious state of mind, then spirit and body can be distinguished, and one's true nature will shine forth. Then seek to deliver and transform all beings. Proclaiming one's true nature means that in every matter, the heart harmonizes with the Way, and one does not quarrel over principle. Within principle, one guides right and wrong with discernment. If one harmonizes with the Way, the radiance of one's own spirit will naturally manifest — do not seek it outward.
第卅五回 福慧雙修
Cultivate both together in the human world, and all sentient beings shall benefit.
第卅六回 圓滿
I pray that in all matters, all beings may achieve perfection. Within fullness there is harmony and joy; within perfection, the self-nature stands revealed. Perfection is an essential and indispensable stage of cultivation for all practitioners. Great Way's Lamp of the Heart concludes with the teaching of perfection. I pray that all beings, in the days to come, may find perfection and wholeness in all things. The family shall be blessed; the Way shall be blessed! Therefore, you must all strive with every ounce of your being.
◆ Prefaces ◆
編輯誌
Mid-Autumn, Year of the Fire Rooster (Dingyou), August 2017
◆ Decrees & Forewords ◆
懿旨
The Empress of Limitlessness bestows Her Imperial Edict at
◆ Main Text ◆
第一回 感恩與回饋
Grateful for the grace of Heaven and Earth that covers and bears us, all sentient beings of feeling;
第二回 大道與天德
It forms nourishment that sustains the whole body, expelling impure waste outward through the bowels — a perfectly natural process of operation. If there is even slight deviation, the body must suffer, must bear affliction, and it becomes most difficult to maintain a healthy form.
第三回 天道奧義
Do people not most love the 'God of Fortune and Virtue'? On the 2nd and 16th of each month, they surely bow and pray, loving fortune and virtue. If one truly possesses fortune and virtue within oneself, using it from the heart without seeking externally, fortune and virtue will naturally follow. Conversely, if one has no fortune and virtue within, can praying to the 'God of Fortune and Virtue' bring protection? It cannot!
第四回 心德
If one can correct errors and cultivate — all karmic conditions are of one's own making.
第六回 修身
Righteous conduct is the foundation's call; as the heart turns, blessings or calamities befall.
第八回 修心
This very function may lead sentient beings to feel that cultivating the Dao is nothing remarkable — just this and nothing more — and cast it aside like a worn-out shoe. Then how should one truly cultivate the heart? And how does one kindle the heart-lamp? It all depends upon how sentient beings choose and decide!
第九回 大道心燈
Bright light passed down, generations flourish; a lifetime of happiness, boundless as ocean.
第十回 以和為樂
When all is fulfilled and whole, the world admires; weave good connections, and all is inspired.
第十一回 悟心
Within the heart there is already the radiance of Buddha-nature. It is only a matter of how one applies it! If one understands what the heart does and how it is used, not letting it be entangled and thus squandering this life — O heart, O heart! If one can subdue the heart, one will surely achieve in this life and return to the original state. May all humanity and sentient beings find their 'original heart of self' and return and transcend!
第十三回 境轉與轉境
Human life calls one to elevate heart-nature and conduct, achieving growth and transcendence, further benefiting sentient beings. One who shares one's own attainment has already benefited — and thus escapes the karmic debts of future lives. One can cultivate this very body, returning without hindrances of heart. What say you? Ha ha! Everyone, you must work hard!
第十五回 三教合心
One must maintain contact and mutual respect — only then can one truly help Heaven deliver more worthy souls home. Though we say 'helping Heaven,' since 'Heaven speaks no words,' it is truly about creating conditions for one's own ascent to Heaven — gathering provisions and foundation for the journey!
第十六回 藩籬
If one can grasp that Heaven's teachings have passed through millennia of change, and now ten thousand schools flourish together — each teaching according to the affinities of time, place, and person — then wherever one's affinity lies, that is where one must cultivate! Affinity opens the door to progress and to wholehearted service. Do not insist on greatness or priority of lineage.
第十八回 消業
With a sincere heart one turns the tide; immortals and buddhas lend great aid in dissolving karma.
First: Repay the karmic debts of countless lifetimes.
第二十回 收圓之條件
Distinguishing the various systems; elevating all to create the Great Unity.
第廿一回 任務與修持
All sentient beings know this body to be a provisional vessel. Yet though it be called 'provisional,' in this present life it is a reality most tangible and true — governed by the Six Consciousnesses of eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind. It is a form wrought from the Four Great Elements: earth, water, fire, and wind. Should the wind of breath cease, life cannot endure — it hangs upon the span of a single breath.
第廿三回 念識
Four movements, all interconnected; each bears relation, none can be parted.
第廿五回 善惡因緣
The causes and conditions of good and evil were planted in former lives; in this present moment, they have already arrived.
第廿六回 懺悔
Thus the Kitchen Lord, Siming, declares to the world: to repent is to dissolve karma, and repentance demands a heart utterly true — a heart that can move Heaven and Earth. Then evil karma will surely be dispelled. May all sentient beings throughout the world repent with genuine hearts, dissolve the karmic veils of the past, and walk in purity through this present life — returning at last to the Land of Utmost Bliss.
第廿七回 消災解厄
To resolve calamity, create no new evil — then no disaster shall descend upon you.
第廿八回 行善錫福
Then use fortune and virtue to benefit all beings. To benefit all beings is to benefit oneself. Sometimes former karmic causes are still being resolved, debts not yet cleared, and virtue not yet full — at such times, do not lose heart and do not abandon your aspiration. Redouble your efforts, and surely virtue and fortune will be fulfilled.
第廿九回 化性
Sentient beings may look upon their surroundings and understand that these are no idle words. In every affair, if one can fulfill the 'Way,' one will surely accord with 'principle.' The Way and principle support and complete each other — thus one transforms nature. If beings insist only on contending over 'principle,' 'to contend over principle is to contend oneself to death.' Therefore it is said: 'principle' (li) sounds like 'separation' (li), while the Way alone is the true and orthodox path — neither leaning to one side nor the other.
第卅一回 求道
One's name is recorded upon entering the gate, yet many tasks of cultivation still remain to be fulfilled.
第卅二回 善德齊家
If one pursues only material comfort without teaching the path of goodness, 'when full and warm, one craves excess' — one sinks into pleasure, deluding heart and body, raising degenerate descendants. In family life, teach descendants to walk the path of goodness, so that virtuous descendants may arise and bring lasting prosperity. A verse to encourage all beings:
第卅三回 孝道
Filial children beget filial children; rebellious children beget rebellious children.
第卅四回 廣結善緣
Broadly form good and excellent karmic ties; offer others convenience and plant fields of merit.
第卅五回 福慧雙修
In dual cultivation, take heed: when fortune arrives in excess, misfortune lurks close behind.
◆ Decrees & Forewords ◆
懿旨
Directly under the Southern Heaven — Taoyuan Xingshan Hall
◆ Main Text ◆
第一回 感恩與回饋
Growing in this space, may auspicious fortune and blessings be bestowed;
第二回 大道與天德
Reflect carefully: the human body is a small celestial circuit; the universe of Heaven and Earth is a great celestial circuit. The principle of operation mirrors the body's own design. If people could understand this operation of the Great Dao, Heavenly Virtue would naturally be present. Applied to personal cultivation: fully absorb the nourishing, expel the unsuitable — this is the body's natural function.
第三回 天道奧義
From where did humanity descend to this world? Few understand the words of old.
第四回 心德
Virtue is self-created by promoting good deeds; wholesome thoughts can turn evil far away.
第六回 修身
Good and evil distinguished bear their future fruit; what one endures and repays is self-created.
第九回 大道心燈
'Awakening-nature possessed' — from awakening-nature, one reverses observation outward, turning back from consciousness to heart, issuing commands from the heart outward once more: to the eyes, nose, ears, tongue, and body in their functioning. Then brightness appears, and a wholesome, pure environment is established. Using 'awakening' to replace 'consciousness' and then acting outward, one surely attains understanding and can seek yet further within the heart-nature.
第十回 以和為樂
Long-accumulated hidden merit overflows; walk blamelessly, and an immortal you'll grow.
第十五回 三教合心
Three Teachings transmit, ten thousand spirits to save; though teachings differ, the same spirit they gave.
第十八回 消業
The convergence of karmic conditions is precisely this. Can you grasp it? If one can bring this heart to all actions, many disputes dissolve. What this life inherits was sown in the last; in this life, receiving karma's fruits with a joyful heart — then karmic debt can swiftly dissolve. Thus sentient beings will surely feel:
Second: Fulfill the Heaven-endowed mission.
第二十回 收圓之條件
Conditions differ in many ways; reviving the ancient, saving all — the five teachings in harmony.
第廿一回 任務與修持
Sentient beings do not perceive that life ought not be a ceaseless striving for mere survival. Were one to still the mind, wisdom would spontaneously arise. 'One mind undisturbed' gives rise to divine reflection, and one may awaken to the ultimate truth and original nature of existence. Pursuing this way with steadfast perseverance, enduring through the long reaches of time, benevolent and righteous qi shall suffuse the whole body, and auspicious signs of radiant light may manifest.
第廿三回 念識
If one can add the cultivation of wholesome merit and virtue, the supreme fruit of the Dao can be accomplished - truly wondrous to behold. Yet one must not cling to the notion that all one's deeds are meritorious and virtuous, for this is not the mindset a Bodhisattva ought to possess. This belongs merely to worldly application.
第廿五回 善惡因緣
Retribution, good or ill, is real as it stands; evil fortune, when corrected, transforms into blessed reward.
第廿七回 消災解厄
If karmic retribution has already taken form, repent with sincerity and dedicate merit to transform the cause.
第廿八回 行善錫福
We, the Lords of the Southern and Northern Dippers, wish to lend you our aid, giving you confidence to practice and share good virtue. We pray that all human beings may have virtue and fortune in full abundance — and moreover, may give without selfishness, without calculation, and without any seeking at all. Then true fortune and virtue will be complete. What do you say, dear beings?
第廿九回 化性
If beings can understand this, then in all matters one must 'seek principle within the Way' and 'seek the Way within principle.' When the Way is fulfilled, one naturally accords with the Way. When the Way of Humanity is fulfilled, the Way of Earth is returned, and the Way of Heaven is restored — then transforming nature becomes effortless. Do not seek only within 'principle'; seek rather within the 'Way.' Thus, one draws near to the heart of 'transforming nature.'
第卅一回 求道
Those who proclaim themselves greatest under Heaven have lost sight of the equality among all religious traditions.
第卅二回 善德齊家
Refrain from killing and release life — embody Heaven and Earth's compassion for all living things.
第卅三回 孝道
If you do not believe it, just look at the water dripping from the eaves — drop by drop, never a single one astray.
第卅四回 廣結善緣
Help one another in harmony and joy; in days to come, wealth and virtue shall surely grow.
第卅五回 福慧雙修
Let wisdom grow greater than fortune — then no evil karma is created, and one harmonizes with Heaven's virtue.
◆ Decrees & Forewords ◆
懿旨
The Divine Calendar of the Xinwei Year, fifth month, twenty-fifth day
◆ Main Text ◆
第一回 感恩與回饋
Reciprocating the great blessings of the human world, the stars and galaxies of the cosmos together bring virtue;
第二回 大道與天德
It is precisely like the process of spiritual cultivation: the practitioner discards one's own faults and harmful habits — faults and karmic obstacles — while taking in fully all that nourishes. This is surely beneficial! The operation of the Great Dao is likewise: rejecting the harmful, transforming and refining, making all pure and clean, clear and bright — restoring the natural flow of operation.
第三回 天道奧義
Heaven and Earth's great virtue is giving life; nurturing all things is no trivial matter.
第四回 心德
Heart-virtue accomplishes the nature of all spirits; the human heart's first arising of thought — this is the beginning.
第六回 修身
All sentient beings possess Buddha-nature. Buddha-nature is what all sentient beings must inherently have — it requires no seeking from without. To enter into Buddha-nature by 'beginning with self-cultivation' will surely bring accomplishment. The departure from this declining age is no longer far! I hope all Buddha-children can enter through this into the world of awakening-nature. Then return to the Source will be within hope.
第九回 大道心燈
To cross over this life and return to one's original position — this is precisely the ultimate goal of delivering all sentient beings: taking 'the Universal Salvation of the Three Realms' as the most vital milestone. 'The Lamp of the Great Dao' expounds the Dharma to sentient beings through 'cultivating the heart.' May they deeply awaken — all immortals and Buddhas rejoice to assist.
第十回 以和為樂
Put yourself in the other's place. Exchange perspectives and ask: if I stood in their situation, at their angle, what then? Heart compared to heart — and many disputes dissolve, many troubles vanish. On the path of cultivation, this removes countless obstacles and fosters unity and harmonious joy. This is one of life's greatest delights!
第十五回 三教合心
Each saves those with affinity who seek the shore; every faith is welcome, forevermore.
第十八回 消業
No evil seeds shall be planted for the next life; no further trouble need arise. One can complete the Way of this very life. It is hoped that 'all sentient beings may joyfully dissolve their karmic obstacles' and 'gladly complete the clearing of karmic debts,' so that 'the path of cultivation lies smooth and level before them.'
Third: Use the false to cultivate the true, and restore the original self.
第二十回 收圓之條件
Many distinctions yet remain; each a different facet of gathering in's great work.
第廿一回 任務與修持
In this life, each soul has tasks to carry; each bears a mission all its own.
第廿三回 念識
The mind-consciousness receives and transmits to the Manas for judgment, entering the Alaya for storage, guiding the Amala to reveal true suchness and manifest the Buddha-nature within. In this life, one can surely transcend the wheel of reincarnation and attain the state of awakening. With this truth, all sentient beings are heartily encouraged!
第廿五回 善惡因緣
One must not turn good reward into evil fruit; in one human lifetime, such is exceedingly rare to find.
第廿七回 消災解厄
In this present age, religions advocate repentance as the path to dissolve karma. Take the defiled heart and wash it clean; let the virtue of giving purify the blackened heart. Bathe the true heart in the waters of merit, with sincere repentance — and disaster dissolves, the red heart is restored. With this power to resolve calamity, joined to a wholehearted acceptance of karmic trial, disaster and suffering swiftly depart.
第卅一回 求道
Attachment and rigidity make transformation difficult; delusion and obstacles prevent all progress.
第卅二回 善德齊家
Abundantly accumulate hidden virtue — may every generation of descendants surpass the last.
第卅三回 孝道
When a person practices filial piety, Heaven will not fail them. Heaven will also bless filial sons and grandsons, so that they never lack food or clothing. But you must practice with a true heart — not with false pretense, going through the motions, or putting on a mere show. With sincere and genuine devotion, reflect on where the branches came from while the leaves still flourish today! What must you do? Serve your parents with wholehearted sincerity. Only when you are without fault in filial piety are you truly a filial descendant.
第卅四回 廣結善緣
Such is the way of the human world; so it is with the gathering of good affinities.
第卅五回 福慧雙修
I pray that all beings may possess both fortune and wisdom — cultivating them together, so the path of cultivation becomes smooth and level. Otherwise, cultivating wisdom without cultivating fortune means one's life will surely be ground down by karmic obstacles, and the journey will be so rough and difficult that one loses heart. I hope all beings can cultivate fortune and wisdom in harmony.
◆ Decrees & Forewords ◆
懿旨
Presiding Master Xuantian Shangdi
◆ Main Text ◆
第一回 感恩與回饋
Transforming our very essence to become excellent, elevating the Buddha-nature of all beings to perfection.
第二回 大道與天德
The Great Dao is the root of all sentient spirits; accomplishing the transcending nature of pure clarity.
第三回 天道奧義
The Heavenly Dao's profound meaning is the root of virtue; protecting life — humanity should understand truth.
第四回 心德
This is precisely the duty and practice that all Buddha-children and spiritual children should uphold. All ten thousand dharmas arise from the heart; the heart gives birth to ten thousand dharmas. A single thought of correctness breaks ten thousand evils. When the heart constantly holds the Old Mother in remembrance, abundant signs and responses will surely follow. I hope all Buddha-children and spiritual children deeply understand: when a single thought arises, the three thousand great thousand worlds take notice. I pray that all Buddha-children and spiritual children deeply embody this principle and cultivate with dedication in this present life.
第十五回 三教合心
Unite your hearts, divide not you and me; praise one another, and all shall agree.
Fourth: Transcend through the technology of this era.
第二十回 收圓之條件
In the human world, it is through 'self-nature and virtue' that one grows — established through merit, creating one's own ascent, perfecting one's return. The return is no longer far. After life's final accounting, one returns to the Unborn and joins the Dragon Flower Assembly. At that time, Maitreya...
第廿一回 任務與修持
To bring it to fulfillment is the great endeavor — then in the next life, no karmic debts shall linger.
第廿五回 善惡因緣
To see through attachment and so cultivate the heart - then one can transform and achieve a wondrous result.
第廿七回 消災解厄
Human beings pray that the immortals and buddhas will dispel disaster and resolve calamity. The immortals and buddhas pray that human beings will repent with true sincerity — first resolving their own disaster and calamity, and then the immortals and buddhas shall serve as mediators. Then all shall be perfectly harmonious and filled with joy!
第卅一回 求道
'When nature is bright, Heaven is clear; when the heart is still, Earth is at peace.' Thus one harmonizes with the Great Way, and the Great Way comes alive. When all investigate things, the true essence of the Way illuminates the heart and transforms the nature. The true Way emerges, genuine awakening is achieved, and the distinction between the spiritual body and the physical body becomes clear — one has transcended the state of ordinary sentient beings.
第卅二回 善德齊家
I pray that every family may bring forth virtuous descendants, whose legacy flows on for endless generations.
第卅三回 孝道
The Twenty-Four Filial Exemplars of ancient times have been passed down to the present day. People of the world should carry them forward. Heaven's rewards often arrive through adversity, accompanied by many wondrous signs. These signs are manifestations of Heaven, meant to awaken all beings. Sometimes Heaven's wondrous signs defy scientific logic and are hard to verify. One should reflect with a sincere and earnest heart — 'true sincerity can open even gold and stone.' Thus you will attain it!
第卅四回 廣結善緣
Karmic bonds and retribution — cultivate goodness; Heaven will graciously bestow blessings in return.
◆ Decrees & Forewords ◆
懿旨
Once again receiving the Jade Edict of Heaven's Vastness, it is decreed that the Fortunate Spirit of this hall shall receive the celestial chariot beyond ten li; further, the City God of this hall shall receive it beyond five li. All remaining gods and mortals shall form ranks in proper order to welcome the arrival — let none falter in reverence!
◆ Main Text ◆
第一回 感恩與回饋
Deeds of virtue and deeds of calamity arise from one's own actions. With a heart of gratitude and reciprocation, one can sense the great virtue of Heaven and Earth, and surely achieve fulfillment in this very life. Otherwise, how could one possibly understand or master these things in the life to come? One cannot! Therefore, 'gratitude and reciprocation' is the key to comprehending Heaven and Earth's great virtue, to acting in harmony with virtue, and to avoiding the realm of calamity.
第二回 大道與天德
If one can understand what obstacles remain; naturally growing to protect and preserve the form.
第三回 天道奧義
Principle, virtue, and nature — practice them always; hidden merit accumulates and blessings arise.
第四回 心德
You must not fall into the vortex of 'walking Spirit Mountain' and 'spirit-channeling practices' — for in the future you will surely enter a state of suffering impossible to reverse! This is something to guard against with the utmost care! If you cannot use truth's accomplishment to elevate yourself, you will only remain confined within the cycle of reincarnation. And you will find it impossible to understand how to grow and transcend — simply lacking the 'wisdom' to break through!
第十五回 三教合心
Support each other, never attack; guide and uplift, on Heaven's path we'll track.
第十九回 普渡
These are the four great tasks laid before every soul in this life. None may escape them. If one can practice and awaken to these truths, the effect of universal salvation will ripple far and wide without obstruction. It is hoped that all will understand: what must be done in this life? What virtue practiced? What merit completed? What body transcended? What fruit perfected? May hell at last be emptied — such was Ksitigarbha's great and boundless vow.
第廿一回 任務與修持
Through cultivation, transform and ascend; without attainment, the Truth remains unseen.
第廿五回 善惡因緣
Concerning every matter, if one can act according to righteous principle, set goodness in motion and spread it far - public justice dwells within the human heart. The effect, because each person's viewpoint differs, gives rise to manifold answers. Praise and blame, honor and disgrace, are not determined by individual view alone. That which can stand before all the world is the true and righteous standard. As for merit and fruit, these are judged and determined by Heaven.
第卅三回 孝道
The Way of filial piety is the foundation of being human; father and son transmit it — the very root of humanity.
第卅四回 廣結善緣
Reflect deeply upon your daily work and conduct. Within the heart of every matter, one can draw inferences from a single example. Look to the past and look ahead, and the truth will reveal itself. Draw forth the spiritual heart and Buddha-nature within. People say immortals and buddhas are hard to find — yet they do not realize that every day, an immortal or buddha walks beside them. Have you discovered this yet? If you have, the immortals and buddhas will rejoice for you, for you have already entered the stage of 'transforming your nature.'
◆ Decrees & Forewords ◆
懿旨
Heaven's Vastness Imperial Envoy — the Immortal Elder Xu
◆ Main Text ◆
第二回 大道與天德
Heavenly Virtue's compassion and care draw near; sentient humanity should awaken and understand.
第三回 天道奧義
One must personally possess fortune and virtue. The question is: can one bring forth one's own fortune-virtue and heart-nature? Then blessings will follow, and virtuous karma will be achieved! Living in the world with fortune and virtue, there is a bright future ahead. The Heavenly Dao is thus; the Human Dao is likewise. The Heavenly Dao's profound meaning lies precisely in using natural blessings and virtuous karma to exercise and act — there is surely a correct path!
第十五回 三教合心
One must first deliver oneself before delivering others — achieving 'establishing oneself, then establishing others.' Therefore: 'When the root is established, the Way grows' and 'Achieving oneself, one achieves others' — how could one not rejoice? No more future evil karma shall be created. Humanity should elevate and transcend — surely able to return, transcend, achieve perfection, ride beyond — this is the true Way!
第廿一回 任務與修持
In lives to come, another turn awaits — alas, once more to enter the dusty world of suffering.
第卅三回 孝道
The cardinal bonds and moral principles must be put into practice; generation after generation, their fragrant legacy flows ever deeper.
第卅四回 廣結善緣
Without waiting for Heaven's command, you can awaken to the Heavenly mechanism and lift yourself higher. I pray that all human beings may soon 'transform their nature,' achieving self-perfection and delivering all sentient beings.
◆ Decrees & Forewords ◆
懿旨
For the Great Dao I arrive at the Sacred Hall; the Lamp of the Heart's incense is a fragrance unlike any other.
◆ Main Text ◆
第二回 大道與天德
Why have we descended to the human world? To correct our errors and amend what is wrong.
第廿一回 任務與修持
How, then, to bring forth the fullest purpose of this body? One must comprehend how to employ the provisional form as the vessel of cultivation, completing in this life the return to the Original. In this very existence, one must perform outer merit and cultivate inner realization. When the inner is perfected and the outer is complete, when both merit and realization are fulfilled, the return shall surely be at hand. One must set in motion the power of accumulated virtue, allowing the radiant energy of goodness to guide one's true nature — restoring the Primal Great Dao, and returning to the Ultimate Origin, to investigate the very source of all.
第卅三回 孝道
Human morality honors the constant bonds; filial children beget filial children.
◆ Decrees & Forewords ◆
懿旨
Together embodying Heaven's virtue, they compose the Book; the Jade Edict is bestowed with radiant glory.
◆ Main Text ◆
第二回 大道與天德
The Great Dao and Heavenly Virtue begin with oneself, and then there are results. Otherwise, Heaven's grace cannot reach those without goodness; Heavenly Virtue cannot save hearts devoid of virtue. Good and evil are distinguished precisely here. The human heart is thus, the Heavenly Heart is thus — how fortunate then are the people! How fortunate is Heavenly Virtue!
第卅三回 孝道
Rebellious children beget rebellious children; drop by drop, behold the water from the eaves.
◆ Decrees & Forewords ◆
懿旨
Bearing the Jade Edict of Heaven's Vastness, it descends and is opened for reading. Gods and mortals, prostrate yourselves!
◆ Main Text ◆
第卅三回 孝道
Teach your children and descendants to practice filial piety in this way, and Heaven will surely reward them. With 'true sincerity,' after passing from this life, you will return to the heavenly realm through having fulfilled filial piety. I pray that all beings may practice filial piety and fulfill the Way — bringing honor to your parents, never leading them astray or bringing them shame. I urge all beings to take 'filial devotion to parents' as the foundation of this life. We vow to assist all beings in practicing filial piety, to pardon their transgressions, and to dispel their calamities.
◆ Decrees & Forewords ◆
The Jade Edict Is Opened and Read
Reverently Received
His Imperial Majesty, the Great Heavenly Emperor of Vast Heaven, the Lofty Emperor of Mysterious Spirit, thus declares:
We reside upon the Throne of Supreme Honor, holding authority over the rise and fall of the three teachings — Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism. We observe the Southern Continent: the Southern Heaven's directly governed Sacred Hall — Taoyuan Xingshan Hall — whose Dao mission has flourished and expanded since of old. Our heart rejoices! Now the Mother Empress has bestowed The Lamp of the Great Dao, one volume of Heavenly Book, for the universal transformation of all sentient beings. We hereby issue an additional Jade Edict to confirm and facilitate its propagation.
Its purpose is to embody 'the operation of the Great Dao and the illumination of the Lamp of the Heart,' granting to the deluded sentient beings of today a pure and clear spirit, understanding the gateway of 'cultivating the nature and principle,' and attaining the realm of 'luminous and clear spiritual nature.' Thus they may return to the original nature of the Heavenly Infant and together proceed to the Sacred Realm of the Principle Heaven, returning to the heavens of Limitlessness and the Void.
To broadly save and transform the nine billion original spirits and lead them home — this is the compassionate hope of the Mother. There must be practical efficacy in elevating the thoughts and understanding of humanity, so that in both life and faith there may be a genuine transcendence of body, mind, and spirit, establishing a firm and unshakeable foundation. Only then can there be true benefit, and one will not be condemned to cycle back into the depths.
Our Imperial Heart is greatly pleased. We specially command the Ancient Buddha of the Southern Sea to serve as Lead Celestial Master, guiding the principle-brush Chen Sheng in illuminating through principle, awakening the stubborn of the world, and opening the gates of the Dao. With united hearts and combined strength, in solidarity and purpose, purging the turbid and exalting the clear — together bearing the Heavenly Mandate's transmission of truth, to bring about a clear and bright world in this declining age. All who have opened the teaching, work together, and do not sink further into delusion.
Do not fail Our intention.  Reverently received, do not neglect it.  Bow your heads and give thanks.
His Imperial Majesty, the Great Heavenly Emperor of Vast Heaven, the Lofty Emperor of Mysterious Spirit, bestows His Jade Edict at
Directly under the Southern Heaven — Taoyuan Xingshan Hall
The Divine Calendar of the Xinwei Year, fifth month, twenty-fifth day