Introduction to the Morning and Evening Scriptures

Introduction to the Morning and Evening Scriptures

(Zao Wan Gong Ke Jing 早晚功课经)

The Chinese word for religion is Zong Jiao 宗教. It is made of two characters: Zong 宗, Ancestors, and Jiao 教, Teachings. Zong 宗, the Ancestors, designates the Root, the Source, the Origin, what is the primal, unaltered transmission of a higher frequency of vibration, whose positive power can foster spiritual transformation and elevation. Jiao 教, the Teachings, designates what has been elaborated by humans to give form to a container for the transmission and to structure the collective of practitioners over centuries, and that have in many religions become too limited, static, or dogmatic. The Teachings should only be of use to pass on the true content of the Ancestors. As the ancient masters of the Way used to say: “Wan Fa Gui Zong”（“万法归宗”), “Ten Thousand Methods Return to the Ancestors”.

Daoism relies on Three Treasures（San Bao 三宝): the Dao (道), the Scriptures (Jing 经) and the Teacher (Shi 师). The spiritual practitioner takes refuge in these Three Treasures on the path of cultivation, so as to unify with Heaven and Earth and merge with the Great Dao. To take refuge is called to Return to Rely on the Three Treasures (Gui Yi San Bao 皈依三宝).

Returning to rely on the Great Dao, one takes refuge in the Complete Reality that can’t be named, so vast that it contains everything, and so minute that nothing is outside of it. Because the Dao is beyond the relative reality of duality, only the heart-mind that is free from concepts can unify with it.

Returning to rely on the Scriptures, one takes refuge in a system of guidance that has been transmitted since ancient times, often directly channelled from Heaven, or delivered by masters of high level of realisation. The Scriptures offer a path of practice to attain the Great Dao – when ultimately there is nothing to attain, upright methods and energy transmissions are skilful ways for the conditioned heart-mind to break through the relative reality of duality. The Scriptures are a channel for the Complete Reality of Heaven to manifest on Earth and reach the Heart of Humanity.

Returning to rely on the Teacher, one takes refuge in a master who is ahead on the path of cultivation, and can offer guidance. The Teacher has crossed the river, and can tell the practitioner where the water is deep and where it is shallow, and how to overcome strong currents. The true Teacher holds a lineage of transmission, sealed by a spiritual energy field accumulated over countless generations of realised masters. The Teacher explains the Scriptures, so that they become concretely applicable in one’s life. The Teacher is the crucial link that embodies a Humanity unified with Heaven and Earth.

Daoism in China has never been only a philosophy, even though it contains profound philosophical views, nor a religion, even though it has been socially organised as a religion. Daoism is an entire system of guidance, whose purpose is to allow humans to unify with Heaven and Earth and return to One as the Source of the Universe. The practitioner of Daoism is a seeker who aspires to apply concrete methods of spiritual cultivation so as to truly transform and sublimate him or herself. Such a path is not only made of words on paper, or of concepts in the mind, but of sweat and blood, of efforts and commitment, of faith and life experience – that is to say, to actualise in reality what is contained in the Scriptures.

The most fundamental Scriptures of the Complete Reality Dagon Gate lineage (Quan Zhen Long Men 全真龙门) of Daoism – the most widely spread Daoist lineage in mainland China – are called the Morning and Evening Scriptures (早晚功课经 Zao Wan Gong Ke Jing). They are recited everyday at dawn and dusk in most Daoist Temples across China. During the Ming dynasty (1368-1644), high-level imperial musicians were ordered by the Emperor Yong Le 永乐 (who reigned between 1403-1434) to compose music for the recitation of the Scriptures in Wudang, thereupon producing a unique and refined composition, that is still transmitted nowadays as the Mysterious Gate Scriptures (Xuan Men Gong Ke Jing 玄门功课经). Their practice includes singing, reciting, and playing ritual instruments (Fa Qi 法器) such as the wooden fish, the bell, the cymbals, the gong, the drum, and also different types of flutes and string instruments.

The Morning and Evening Scriptures is a compilation of essential ancient Scriptures that offer guidance on self-cultivation, refining the Elixir and living as a virtuous human being, as well as Invocations of higher frequency energy-fields and of the lineage masters, and Incantations to purify and protect oneself, to practice sitting meditation, to refine the Elixir and cultivate the Dao. By singing, reciting or listening to the Scriptures, a channel between Heaven and Earth is established, through which merciful help from the higher dimensions can be obtained to receive insights and open wisdom, eliminate disasters, remove diseases, prolong life, and purify karma.

The Morning Scriptures are Yang, they call upon the power of the Infinite and Eternal Light. Singing and reciting the Morning Scriptures harmonises the Yuan Qi of the practitioner, and elevates not only his or her frequency of vibration but also the overall frequency of vibration of the planet.

The Evening Scriptures are Yin, and their power allows Yin-nature energy-fields to be released and to transform. They can be used to support the peaceful and auspicious return into the Wheel of Life of souls who already passed away, thus bringing peace, health and good fortune to the living.

While reciting the Scriptures according to the proper methods, the practitioner exercises and accumulates Qi, by increasing his or her lung capacity, and elevates the frequency of vibration of his or her energy-field. As the voice is expressed through singing and reciting and vibrates within the internal organs, the Heart will also express itself and be released, and after the practice one will feel very peaceful and still.

The Scriptures have their own powerful energy field. It is established by channelling the energy of the Higher dimensions. To this is added the accumulated energy fields of countless masters who have practiced the Scriptures over generations. By maintaining a daily practice, and after innumerable repetitions, the energy field of the Scriptures is imprinted in the energy field of the practitioner, who becomes endowed with positive powers and a deep understanding of the content beyond the mere words. To attain this result, strict requirements of Virtue and precepts must be maintained, as one’s voice and words become able to manifest reality. Furthermore, as the Scriptures are sang and recited by a collective of practitioners, they all must develop a capacity to unify and function as One. The energy field of the Scriptures is thus a collective unified field, whose power is much greater than the individual’s. Through practicing as a collective, the practitioner on the path of self-cultivation has the opportunity to melt his or her sense of self to unify and return to One.

The Scriptures are not only a powerful path of self-cultivation, they are also one of the methods of healing of the highest level. Operating through sound-waves, they manifest the subtle energy of the higher dimensions in third-dimensional material reality and radically transform the frequency of vibration of whoever is singing them or even just listening to them, whether it is human beings incarnated in a body or Yin-nature energy fields. By transmuting and purifying frequencies in the most profound and subtle ways, the link between causes and consequences can be totally eliminated, and karma purified. Diseases of the body and mind that cannot be healed by the hospital or Chinese medicine, or even by high-level Daoist medicine, can be healed, and disasters, difficulties and dangers can be removed.

A Scriptures Master (Jing Shi 经师) is a practitioner who has become proficient at singing and reciting the Scriptures according to the proper methods, who has gained a deep understanding of their content and meaning, and who has received a direct transmission from a lineage master to empower them. The level of efficiency of the Scriptures in terms of eliminating disasters, removing diseases and purifying karma is proportional to the level of cultivation of Virtue of the Scriptures Master. To become a Scriptures Master entails then not only mastering the Scriptures, but first and foremost a deep commitment to cultivate one’s heart of compassion, love, inclusivity, forgiveness and selflessness. Strict observance of the precepts and a deep aspiration to be of benefit to all living beings are essential. That is why the Morning and Evening Scriptures are called in Chinese Zao Wan Gong Ke 早晚功课, or Morning and Evening Merit (-Making) Session. Thus to become a Scriptures Master is to accomplish the foundational level toward becoming a High Priest (Gao Gong 高功).

In Daoism, a High Priest is a high-level practitioner of ceremony and rituals, whose Virtue is consummate, and who has a thorough understanding of the methods to establish a channel to communicate with the higher dimensions, including the secret transmissions of Hand-Seals (Jue 诀), Rituals (Fa 法), Incantations (Zhou 咒), Talismans (Fu 符), Prohibitions (Jin 禁), Qi (Qi 炁) and Arts or Skills (Shu 术). The High Priest thus has the ability to comply to the requirements so as to truly obtain the result of eliminating other people’s karmic afflictions, diseases and disasters, removing the influence of external energy-fields, and obtaining peace, well-being and good fortune. In that sense, a Daoist High Priest is a true shaman (Wu 巫).

For the first time in the History of Daoism, the Five Immortals Temple is offering an international course on the Morning and Evening Scriptures, so as to give an opportunity to all the students of Daoism worldwide to practice this high-level method of self-cultivation and healing, gain a deeper understanding of Daoist culture and principles, and establish the foundation toward becoming a High Priest, according to Destiny.

Written by Loan Guylaine Tran (Cheng Feng)