List of Lingbao texts explained

The following list is a list of the works contained in the Lingbao Canon as listed by Lu Xiujing in his catalogue of the Lingbao School, China, in 437 CE.[1]

NumberIndexEnglish title Pinyin title
122Perfected Script in Five TabletsWupian zhenwen
2352
3Numinous Stanzas of the Void CavernsKongdong lingzhang
41439Stanzas on Ascending to Mystery and Pacing the VoidShengxuan buxu zhang
5318Stanzas of the Life-giving Spirits of the Nine HeavensJiutian shengshen zhangjing
6671Text of the Self-generating Five Talismans of CorrespondenceZiran wucheng wen
797Inner Sounds and Jade Graphs of the HeavensZhutian neiyin yuzi
8457Great Precepts of the Upper Chapters on the Roots of SinZuigen shangpin dajie
9177align=cleftGreat Precepts of Wisdom from the Upper ChaptersZhihui shangpin dajie
10 (lost)Bamboo Slips on the Golden Registers of the Higher PrimeShangyuan jinlu jianwen
111411Code of the Luminous PerfectedMingzhen ke
12177Scripture on Wisdom and Fixing the WillZhihui dingzhi jing
13Upper Chapters on the Basic EndeavorBenye shangpin
14346Blame and Blessings of the Wheel of the LawFalun zuifu
151Scripture of Upper Chapters on Limitless Salvation Wuliang duren shangpin[2]
1623Salvation as Recorded by the Spirits of the Various HeavensZhutian lingshu duming
17369Scripture on Salvation through Extinction and the Fivefold RefinementMiedu wulian jing
18456Precepts of the Chapters of the Three PrimesSanyuan pinjie
191407Charts of the Twenty-four Life-giversErshisi shengtu
20388Preface to the Five Talismans of LingbaoLingbao wufu xu [3]
21425Concealed Commentary and Treasured Instructions of the Supreme UltimateTaiji yinzhu baojue
22330Essential Explanations of the Perfected ScriptZhenwen yaojue
23Explanations of the Self-generating Scripture of Perfect UnityZhenyi ziran jingjue
24532Instructions on Retreats and the Dignified LiturgiesFuzhai weiyi jue
25344Upper Chapters on the Original Vows and Great Precepts of Devil-destroying WisdomXiaomo zhihui benyuan dajie shangpin
261114The Questions of the Transcendent DukeXiangong qingwen
271115Trials of the SagesZhusheng nan
28 (lost)Esoteric Tradition of the Activities of the Divine TranscendentsShenxian zhenqi neizhuan
29 (lost)Activities of the Transcendent DukeXiangong qiju jing

Notes and References

  1. Bokenkamp, Stephen. "Lingbao," in Encyclopedia of Taoism, Fabrizio Pregadio, ed., (London: Routledge, 2007), 665.
  2. Translated by Stephen Bokenkamp in Early Daoist Scriptures, (Berkeley: University of California, 1997), 405-432.
  3. Partially translated by Stephen Bokenkamp in "Death and Ascent in Ling-pao Taoism," Taoist Resources 1.2 (1989), 1-20.