The Ultra Supreme Elder Lord's Scripture of Precepts
During the Elder Lord's westward journey to Tin-Tzoc, and when He entered the western pass of Hahm-Goc, He imparted the two scriptures of Tao and Virtue (*) to Whun-Hey, who was the guardian of the pass.
(* The Scripture of Tao And Virtue [Tao Store 0691 & 0692] is known as two parts:1. The Scripture of Virtue
2. The Scripture of Tao )
Having received the scriptures, Whun-Hey asked further on how to keep one's body in purity to uphold the scriptures.
Thereupon, in addition, the Elder Lord decided to impart the important precepts to Whun-Hey, and suggested that all living beings should keep these precepts to cross the ocean of mundane realms.
He then said these verses in three chapters:
"Enjoy the holy teachings and let them be your companions;
Love the scriptures as if they were pearls and jade;
Keep the precepts to subdue the six desires;
Be mindful of Tao to expel the desires;
Let the Court of True Energy be pure and peaceful,
Calmly, the Divinity will enter into the still tranquility.
Both heavenly gods and demons will respect and protect such a practitioner,
And he will have great blessings in his every succeeding reincarnation.
If people can keep these precepts,
Flourishingly, their families and countries will be thriving;
Beneficially, the teachings of Tao(*) will become popular.
They will be reborn as heavenly or human beings according to their wishes,
And ethereally, they will enter into the Great Vehicle.
The farmlands of blessings originate from one's heart,
By gradual cultivation, the wheel of holy principles will rise up,
The practitioner's seven generations of ancestors will ascend to heaven,
And the practitioner himself will ascend to heaven in broad daylight.
(* "The teachings of Tao" means not only the Tao-religion, "Tao" may have other names in other religions )
The great Tao is omnipresent, mystical, and empty,
It never fails to respond to any thoughts (*),
Thus, by the aid of precept-keeping,
One can refine his physical body to become an Immortal of Reality,
He will obtain an indestructible diamond-like body,
will transcend all the sufferings of the Three-Realms,
and will be immune from the five kinds of pains in hells.
All these merits can be achieved by virtue of the Ultra Supreme One's scriptures,
Thus you should recite them silently and make obeisance to them with deep bowing."
(* How much more so one's deeds, which will naturally be balanced with the corresponding retributions. )
[Original commentary: After the recitation of these verses, the line of the teachings began to appear. Because the Elder Lord was going to impart the precepts, He told Whun-Hey to do the recitation silently and bow to receive the teachings.]
Having heard these verses, Whun-Hey bowed deeply and requested that he would receive the teachings of the precepts.
The Elder Lord said: "
The first precept: No Killing;
The second precept: No Stealing;
The third precept: No Sexual Misconduct;
The fourth precept: No False Speech;
The fifth precept: No Taking of Intoxicants.
These are the five precepts.
If any men or women can keep these five precepts and never violate any of them till the end of their lifetimes, they are recognized as the men and women with pure faith."
The Elder Lord said: "The precept against killing is: All living beings, including all kinds of animals, and those as small as insects, worms, and so forth, are containers of the uncreated energy, thus one should not kill any of them."
The Elder Lord said: "The precept against stealing is: One should not take anything that he does not own and is not given to him, whether it belongs to someone or not."
The Elder Lord said: "The precept against sexual misconduct is: If a sexual conduct happens, but it is not between a man and a woman who are married to each other, it is a Sexual Misconduct. As for a monk or nun, he or she should never marry or have sex with anyone."
(* According to this, masturbations, premarital sexual conducts, adulteries, prostitutions, having sex with prostitutes, homosexual sex, etc., are all Sexual Misconducts. )
[Original commentary: Even if a man and a woman are married to each other, if they have sex too frequently, that is also considered Sexual Misconduct.]
The Elder Lord said: "The precept against false speech is: If one did not hear, see, or feel something, or if something is not realized by his Heart, but he tells it to others, this constitutes False Speech."
The Elder Lord said: "The precept against taking of intoxicants is: One should not take any alcoholic drinks, unless he has to take some to cure his illness."
[Smoking, taking of drugs, and the likes, are also forbidden by this precept.]
The Elder Lord said: "These five precepts are the fundamentals for keeping one's body in purity, and are the roots of the upholding of the holy teachings. For those virtuous men and virtuous women who enjoy the virtuous teachings, if they can accept and keep these precepts, and never violate any of them till the end of their lifetimes, they are recognized as those with pure faith, they will gain the Way to Tao, will gain the holy principles, and will forever achieve Tao -- the Reality."
Thereupon, having heard and received these teachings, Whun-Hey bowed again and asked why the number is five.
The Elder Lord said:
"For example, the heaven has the five essences, so that it can rule myriads of divinities; the earth has the five elements, so that it can foster myriads of living beings; a human being has the five viscera, so that his divinities are dwelling inside. Likewise, there are five precepts, which can overcome all evils."
"The precepts are for guarding, namely, for preventing the losing. If the losing is not prevented, the three paths(*) will be crowded and the realms of heavenly and human beings will be underpopulated."
(* The three paths of animals, ghosts, and hell beings )
"Therefore, the number is five."
Whun-Hey said: "How great the precepts are! Why does the losing occur?"
The Elder Lord said: "If one gained them previously, they will not be lost; if one lost them but gained them again, they will not be lost too."
Whun-Hey said: "May I ask about their natures?"
The Elder Lord said: "Now I will tell you their natures in detail. Listen attentively, accept, uphold, and let all living beings know about these teachings."
Whun-Hey bowed again, and respectfully, he began listening to the teachings.
The Elder Lord said: "The five precepts exist since the very beginning of the cosmos, and come into being along with everything. One who keeps them will be blessed; one who loses them will be unfortunate. It is by virtue of these precepts that the sages in the past had achieved Tao."
"The deities of these precepts are twenty-five in number; the scriptural texts of five thousand characters (*) are their meanings."
(* Doe Dug Ging -- The Scripture of Tao and Virtue, consists of five thousand Chinese characters, so it is also called 'The Literature of five thousand characters'. )
The Elder Lord said:
"The five precepts correspond to the five planets in the heavens. If the heavenly principles lose their precepts, disasters will occur."
"The five precepts correspond to the five mountains on the earth. If the earth's principles lose their precepts, no plants will grow."
"The five precepts correspond to the five basic elements in the divine math."
[Original commentary:
The eastern Wood: Nine;
The southern Fire: Three;
The western Gold: Seven;
The northern Water: Five;
The central Earth: Twelve )
"If these five numbers lose their precepts, the Water and the Fire will weaken each other and the Gold and the Wood will impair each other."
"The five precepts correspond to the five emperors in an ordered world."
[Original commentary: (The five emperors are:)
The eastern Tai-Hoe, who represents the Wood;
The southern Flaming Emperor, who represents the Fire;
The western Sil-Hoe, who represents the Gold;
The northern Tziun-Yorc, who represents the Water;
The central Yellow Emperor, who represents the Earth. ]
"If the five emperors lose their precepts, one will die too early."
"The five precepts correspond to the five viscera in one's body."
[Original commentary:
One's liver represents the Wood;
One's heart represents the Fire;
One's lungs represent the Gold;
One's kidneys represent the Water;
One's spleen represents the Earth. ]
"If one's five viscera lose their precepts, he will become frenzied."
The Elder Lord said:
"When these five precepts are obeyed, those principles are obeyed synchronously."
"The precept of no killing, which belongs to the east, represents the vital energy. It keeps one alive and makes him grow up. If one kills, his liver will be harmed."
"The precept of no stealing, which belongs to the north, represents the Ultra-Yarm's essence. Its main faculties are keeping and storing. If one steals, his kidneys will be harmed."
"The precept of no sexual misconduct, which belongs to the west, represents the Lesser-Yarm's nature. It helps men and women keep their chastity. If one indulges in sexual conducts, his lungs will be harmed."
"The precept of no taking of intoxicants, which belongs to the south, represents the Fire -- the Ultra-Yeong's energy by whose virtue everything is constructed. If one consumes intoxicants, his heart will be poisoned."
"The precept of no false speech, which belongs to the centre, represents the Earth which has the virtue of honesty. If one commits false speech, his spleen will be abused."
"These five virtues support each others; none of them should be omitted or reduced."
[Original commentary:
In order to be born as a human being, one must have these five virtues. If one does not lose any of these five virtues, he will always have blessings and fortunes. Therefore, it is said that none of them should be omitted or reduced. ]
The Elder Lord said:
"If a life loses any one of these five virtues, it is not intact."
"Therefore, one should not kill, and further, should not even think of killing;"
"One should not steal, and further, should not even take anything unjustly;"
"One should not commit any sexual misconduct, and further, should not even think of lust;"
"One should not take any intoxicants, and further, should not take any intoxicants even under force;"
"One should not commit false speech, and further, should not even be leaking."
"If one puts these instructions into practice, it can be said that he is intact."
The Elder Lord said:
"Among those things that should be refrained from, lechery and taking of intoxicants can cause all the five kinds of evils."
"The goal of the precepts is to help living beings refrain from evils."
"In the evil ages, the men and women will be so libidinous that they may even violate the members of their own families. Those people will despise the transcendent holy knowledge, and will be cruel to each others, therefore they will lose the heavenly virtues."
"They will indulge in intoxicants, will quarrel with and fight against each others, and will even kill each others. They will cheat each others by false speeches and pretences. They will steal the properties of each others, and even steal from their own family members. They will kill other living beings for food or commodities."
"Such people will suffer in their present lifetimes because of their bad deeds, and later they will fall into the destinies of afflictions for long."
"If they also commit the five evil conducts, they will fall into the restless and unlimited sufferings."
[Original commentary:
Those who commit the five evil conducts will fall into hells and suffer from the five kinds of pains. The sufferings are restless, and the durations of the sufferings can not be measured by year. A scripture says: One eon is comparatively short for those who accept their retributions in the three evil paths ( of animals, hungry ghosts, and hell beings ). ]
"When they are released from such sufferings, they will be born in uncivilized places, their lives will be short, or they will be physically disabled."
"Their spouses will be ugly, adulterous, and greedy"
[Original commentary: These are the retributions of sexual misconducts.]
"They will be poor, homeless, and suffer from coldness; they will not be able to live peacefully; if they get any money or properties, those things will be stolen or robbed by others."
[Original commentary: These are the retributions of stealing. Their properties will be stolen or robbed to pay back their previous debts.]
"Their words will not be trusted by others, and seldom people will befriend them."
[Original commentary: These are the retributions of false speeches. Whether their words are true or not, others will not believe them. Since they are dishonest, how can they have any faithful friends?]
"Their minds will be unclear and obstructed, and they will be despised by others."
[Original commentary: These are the retributions of intoxicant-taking.]
The Elder Lord said:
"As for the men and women with pure faith, who keep the precepts, their present lifetimes will be peaceful and happy, and they will be free of worries."
"They will be respected by others."
[Original commentary: One who does not commit sexual misconducts will be respected by others.]
"Anyone who sees them will easily be delighted."
[Original commentary: Because they will no longer think of killing, other living beings that see them will not be frightened, instead, they will easily be delighted.]
"Others will often give benefits to them."
[Original commentary: Because they do not steal and do not take anything unjustly, others will be happy to give them many things.]
"Others will trust and admire them."
[Original commentary: Since they are free from false speeches, their words are always honest, so others will trust and admire them.]
"And their wisdom will be deep and subtle."
[Original commentary: Because they do not take any intoxicants, their minds will be peaceful and quiet, and further become deep and subtle.]
"They will dwell in the pure tranquility, and their four greatnesses will be complete and firm, so that they will be able to practice many holy teachings and achieve Tao -- the Reality."
Whun-Hey bowed again and said: "May I ask how to accept and carry out these teachings?"
The Elder Lord said:
"If any man or woman, having heard these teachings, arouses his faith and wishes to take refuge in the Three Treasures, he should vow by saying:
'Let my body take refuge in the great Tao, let my divinity take refuge in the great Tao, and let my life take refuge in the great Tao.
I, a man or woman named such and such, will abandon the worldly evils, and keep the righteous precepts. I will keep them till the end of my life and never violate any of them.'
Then, he should praise and recite the teachings (of the five precepts), and accept the precepts respectfully."
The Elder Lord said:
"If the man or woman, having accepted the precepts, wishes further to receive the holy scriptures or esoteric teachings, he should first practice the precept-keeping. When he can keep every precept firmly and purely, he will receive the further teachings."
"Then, day and night, with heartfelt respect, he should cultivate diligently, and should never be lazy at any day. In every month there are ten Righteous Days, and in every year there are three Abstinent Months, he should keep all the Abstinent Precepts in all these days."
"Then, when he has recited the scripture for ten thousand times, he will ascend to heaven in broad daylight."
"If he can also expound the omnipresent and wonderful knowledge to others, to greatly benefit all living beings including those in the three evil paths, and save them from sufferings, by such merits and virtues, his countless knots tied in his previous lifetimes will all be cut off, he will ascend to the Upper Pure And Pellucid Realm and will never retrograde or fall."
The Elder Lord said:
"A man or woman with pure faith, whether he is a lay person or a monk or nun, should accept and hold the scriptures and holy teachings. With the wish to become a divine immortal, he should recite the scriptures day and night to discover their wonderful and subtle meanings."
"He should eliminate the various clamors and sundries from his mind, regulate his Heart and tame his origin of thoughts."
"With a kind countenance and a gentle voice, he should persuade others to refrain from the five kinds of evil deeds, accept and keep the five precepts, and make offerings to the three treasures."
"In order to help others to achieve Tao, he should not discriminate between enjoyments and hardships."
(* In other words, he should not prefer enjoyments to hardships)
"If he can fully keep the great precepts, carry out ascetic practices, practice giving and forbearance diligently, and sacrifice himself to save others; If he can also renounce the world, live alone in a quiet place, hold his divinity firmly to reach the ultimate tranquility, and be unflappable even when he is facing difficulties, in such a way, he will certainly achieve the Non-Action."
Whun-Hey asked: "Are there any things that would encumber the upholding of the scriptures?"
The Elder Lord said: "Yes, there are thirteen of them."
Whun-Hey asked: "What are they?"
The Elder Lord said: "Listen attentively. These thirteen things are: the six defilements, the six consciousnesses, and their origin -- one's heart."
"Due to these encumbrances, one would be lustful, greedy, jealous, and spiteful; one would cheat, steal, lie, and swindle; one would commit loose speeches and provoke others; one would flatter and fawn, or would use his power to oppress others; one would even commit crimes together with a group of people."
"A person who commits these sins is not a person with pure faith. The net of heaven never fails, and one will never be able to escape from his retributions, whether he is alive or dead."
"Such a person, due to his lack of wisdom, will dishallow his supreme holiness and destroy his own virtuous roots, will hardly get any virtuous advices from virtuous friends, and will be reborn as animals or other inferior beings. He will be so lustful that he would have sex in public, and his heart will often be filled with fears and depressions. When he falls into hells, he will suffer from the five kinds of uninterruptible pains. He will often be reborn as inferior beings and suffer from many afflictions, will be disliked by other living beings, will hardly be saved, and will hardly see or hear the holy teachings during his repeating births and deaths."
"At the origin of all these, one thought arises, then it causes many other thoughts, in such a way, infinite thoughts and their correspondents are generated."
(Translated into English by Silfong Tsun)
(Last revised: Dec/19/2007)
The original Chinese Scripture :
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