Taishang Shuo Zhuanlun Wudao Suming Yinyuan Jing — Spoken by the Most High Lord Lao

This is an anonymous scripture of the Daoist Canon (the Zhengtong Daozang, printed 1445). Its exact date is not established here — its vocabulary of the Three Treasures, the six paths of rebirth into animal and hell realms, kalpas, and hungry ghosts is Buddhist through and through, absorbed wholesale into a Daoist frame, a pattern typical of the karma-and-retribution literature that flourished across the medieval period. It belongs to a genre that runs alongside the far more famous Taishang Ganying Pian: a catalogue scripture, matching present-life fortune or affliction to a named cause in a former life, delivered by the Most High Lord Lao to an assembly of immortals beneath a fabulous tree between the two Buddhist holy cities of Kapilavastu and Shravasti.

The text is prose throughout — a sutra-style narrative frame around a long double catalogue (first of virtues that ripen into good fortune, then of faults that ripen into affliction, low rebirth, or hell), closing with a short verse of eight five-character lines and the scripture's own naming of itself, in the style of a Buddhist sutra's closing scene. One term is worth flagging for the reader: sānbǎo (三寶), "the Three Treasures," here names not the Daoist inner-alchemical triad of essence, breath, and spirit but the Buddhist Three Jewels — Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha — reverence for which opens the scripture's whole chain of causes.

Translated for the Good Works Library directly from the classical Chinese of the Daoist Canon, which is printed in full below the translation. To our knowledge, this is the scripture's first complete published English translation.

Translation

At that time, the Most High Lord Lao was in a hermitage in the kingdom of Kapilavastu, together with celestial immortals, earthly immortals, immortal youths, and jade maidens — twelve hundred and fifty in all. The nine months' long fast having just ended, he came forth from the sacred hall and went to the Jetavana, the Garden of the Solitary and Bereft, beneath the Jeta trees in the kingdom of Shravasti. Between the two kingdoms stood a great tree called Shijulei, one thousand eight hundred and sixty li in height, its branches and leaves spreading to cover six hundred and thirty li on every side. Upon this tree grew fruit by the thousands upon thousands of measures, sweet and fragrant to eat, its taste like honey. When the ripe sweet fruit fell, the people ate it, and all their illnesses healed of themselves, their eyes and ears growing clear and keen. I sat beneath this tree, and all the immortals gathered its fruit and ate it.

Zuoxuan Zhenren, the True Person of the Left Mystery, addressed the immortals, saying: "I observe that all the things of heaven and earth each have their karmic causes from past lives." The immortals came forward and made obeisance, kneeling upright and addressing the Celestial Worthy: "What are these karmic causes of past lives? These disciples wish to hear of them. We beg you to expound them fully, and to open and enlighten what we have not yet heard." The True Person answered: "Excellent! If there are those who delight to hear it, let them attend with a single mind and listen closely."

The Way said: A person's making of merit is truly like this tree — small at first, it gradually grows great, and its fruit gathered is without limit. If in this present life a person is born to greatness and honor, as emperor, king, ruler of a state, feudal lord, or regional governor, this person in a former life came from worshiping and doing obeisance to the Three Treasures. If in this present body a person is very wealthy, with goods and riches beyond measure, this person in a former life came from giving alms. If in this present body a person enjoys long life, free of illness, this person in a former life came from keeping the precepts. If in this present body a person is well formed, of clear and radiant complexion, foremost in bearing, with soft and graceful hands and feet, so that all who see them rejoice and never tire of the sight, this person in a former life came from enduring insult with patience. If in this present body a person is diligent, without laziness, this person in a former life came from diligence in accumulating merit and virtue. If in this present body a person is calm and composed, careful in word and deed, this person in a former life came from focused contemplation. If in this present body a person is intelligent, thoroughly understanding the scriptures and their teachings, praising the wondrous Dharma, and awakening the ignorant, so that all who hear their words seek their counsel and treasure their instruction, this person in a former life came from wisdom. If in this present body a person's voice is clear and resonant, this person in a former life came from chanting hymns to the Three Treasures. If in this present body a person is pure and unafflicted by illness, this person in a former life came from a compassionate heart.

The immortals addressed the Celestial Worthy, saying: "What is meant by a compassionate heart?" Zuoxuan Zhenren answered: "First, to love and think of all living beings as a mother loves her child. Second, to wish that all living beings in the world may each attain freedom and ease. Third, to understand the meaning of the Way, so that the heart is always joyful. Fourth, in all things, to commit none of the manifold evils. This is what is meant by a compassionate heart."

The Way said: If in this present body a person is beautiful, it is because in a former life they were respectful toward others. If in this present body a person is ugly, it is because in a former life they were given to anger. If in this present body a person knows nothing, it is because in a former life they did not study. If in this present body a person is stupid and benighted, it is because in a former life they did not teach others. If in this present body a person is mute, it is because in a former life they slandered others without cause. If in this present body a person is deaf and blind, it is because in a former life they disliked reading the scriptures and refused to hear them recited. If in this present body a person is a slave or servant, it is because in a former life they incurred debts and never repaid them, and also did not honor the Three Treasures. If in this present body a person is dark and unsightly, it is because in a former life they shut out the light. If in this present life a person is born among the people of the Naked Kingdom, it is because in a former life they wore scant clothing, exposed their body, and behaved indecently in a place of worship. If in this present life a person is born among the people of the Horse-Hoof Kingdom, it is because in a former life, having given alms and done good, they regretted it and begrudged the gift. If in this present life a person is reborn among river deer, muntjacs, or deer, it is because in a former life they frightened and startled others. If in this present life a person falls into rebirth among dragons, it is because in a former life they delighted in mocking and teasing others. If in this present life a person suffers festering sores or a leprous illness hard to cure, which no medicine heals, enduring pain past telling, it is because in a former life they whipped and beat living beings without cause. If in this present body a person is hated by others, whom people do not wish to see, and who brings no joy when seen, it is because in a former life they took no joy in seeing others. If in this present body a person is one whom others rejoice to see and hold in reverent regard, it is because in a former life they rejoiced upon seeing others. If in this present body a person repeatedly suffers arrest by magistrates, imprisonment, bodily restraint, and confinement in cangue and chains, it is because in a former life they without cause caged and bound living beings, not letting them go free. If in this present body a person has a harelip, it is because in a former life they sat fishing with a hook, tearing the fish's mouth. Such offenses as these — one cannot but be careful of them.

The Way said: If in the present age a foolish person hears others speak kind and good words but takes no joy in hearing them, and meanwhile spreads slander between people to confuse right and wrong, this person shall in a future life become a floppy-eared dog. If a person in the world hears the scriptures but does not take them to heart, they shall in a future life fall into rebirth as a donkey. If a person in the world is miserly and greedy, eating alone, they shall in a future life fall among the hungry ghosts; and when they attain birth again in the human world, they will either be alone without family, or be poor and starving, their clothing not covering their body, their food not filling their mouth. If a person in the world loves fine food, eating well themselves while feeding others poorly, after death they shall become a pig, a piglet, or a dung beetle. If a person in the world robs others of their wealth, or strips the clothes from the living, after death they shall fall into rebirth as a sheep, and people will in turn strip its skin while it lives, so repaying its old offense. If a person in the world delights in killing, spending their life catching fish, after death they shall become a mayfly on the water, born at dawn and dead by dusk. If a person in the world steals others' wealth without cause, after death, when they are born again into the world, they shall be born among slaves, servants, oxen, and horses. If a person in the world delights in violating other men's wives, without shame before the three lights of sun, moon, and stars, at death they go straight into hell, where the man embraces a pillar of molten bronze and the woman lies upon a bed of iron; when they attain birth again in the world, they must be born among chickens and ducks. If a person in the world is given to false speech, taking others' good deeds and turning them into slander, at death they go straight into hell, where molten bronze is poured into their mouth, their tongue is pulled out, and an ox is made to plow it; when they attain birth again in the world, they shall become an owl or a shrike, a bird of ill omen, and when people hear its cry none is not startled and afraid, all calling it an omen of calamity, cursing it with one voice until it is put to death. If a person in the world delights in wine and indulges in drunkenness, committing the thirty-six faults, at death they fall into the hell of Naraka; born again in the world, they shall be exceedingly stupid and know nothing. If a husband and wife in the world do not live in harmony, repeatedly quarreling and driving each other away, in a future life they shall fall into rebirth among turtledoves and pigeons. If a person in the world covets the strength of others, in a future life they shall take the form of an elephant.

The Way said: If a person in the world serves as magistrate or governor of a prefecture or district, drawing sustenance from the government and receiving salary and rank, and yet privately encroaches upon the people — whipping and beating them with rods, forcing them to deliver goods by compulsion, so that their complaints are never examined and their arrests allow no leniency — this person's offense is grave. At death they go straight into hell, where their spirit suffers a hundred torments for thousands upon tens of thousands of kalpas; when the offense is exhausted and they are born into the world again, they shall become a water buffalo, its nose pierced through, pulling carts and hauling heavy loads, beaten with great rods, to repay their old offense.

The Way said: If in this present body a person does not bathe, this person in a former life came from being a pig, a piglet, or a dung beetle. If in this present body a person is stingy and greedy, unyielding, given to mockery and loud complaint, this person in a former life came from being a vicious dog. If in this present body a person is fierce and stubborn, following only their own will, this person in a former life came from being a sheep. If in this present body a person's speech is not calm, unable to endure things patiently, this person in a former life came from being a macaque. If in this present body a person's body has a rank, fishy smell, this person in a former life came from being a fish or a turtle. If in this present body a person hastens toward evil and harbors a venomous heart, this person in a former life came from being a viper. If in this present body a person delights in fine food, killing living beings without a compassionate heart, this person in a former life came from being a jackal, wolf, tiger, or leopard. If in this present life a person is born in a border land among the Six Yi peoples, it is because in a former life they did not believe in the teachings of the Way. If in this present body a person's back is bent and hunched, it is because in a former life, when doing obeisance to the Three Treasures, they did not straighten their back. If in this present body a person is often ill and often needs the needle and the moxa, it is because in a former life they were a great physician who, treating others with needle and moxa — whether they recovered or worsened — took payment though it had no effect.

The Way said: If in this present body a person is composed and of refined bearing, upright in principle and rich in wisdom, expounding wondrous meanings with clarity, honored and esteemed by others, this person in a former life proclaimed and communicated true meanings, and came from among the heavens. If in this present body a person's learning is clear and penetrating, intelligent and free of greed, this person in a former life accumulated merit through measureless kalpas. If in this present body a person is fair and pure, of clear and distinct complexion, this person in a former life delighted in holding banners and flowers to offer up to the Three Treasures. If in this present body a person's body and breath are fragrant and clean, it is because in a former life their conduct was without fault and their speech without evil — hence it is so now. If in this present body a person dies by fire, it is because in a former life they delighted in setting fires, burning and killing living beings. If in this present body a person dies by drowning, it is because in a former life they without cause threw living beings into the water. If in this present body a person dies by hanging, it is because in a former life they without cause bound living beings with ropes. If in this present body a person dies attacked by a fierce tiger or a venomous snake, it is because in a former life they took payment to kill people without cause. If in this present body a person dies struck by heaven's thunder, it is because in a former life their conduct was full of evil — deceiving and cursing their elders, treating their parents with contempt, and defiling the three lights of sun, moon, and stars. If in this present body a person is alone into old age, without a son, it is because in a former life they secretly harbored malice and envy, begrudging others their children and grandchildren. If in this present body a person is short-lived from birth, injured in the womb or miscarried, dying young before fully coming into the world, they shall pass thousands upon tens of thousands of kalpas in the Three Paths of suffering before they can escape.

The Way said: If in this present body a person's eyes are impaired, it is because in a former life they habitually disliked reading the scriptures, and were rough in wiping at the eyes of the aged. If in this present body a person is a skilled craftsman, raising up palaces and works of fine craft, this person in a former life came from among the palaces of the heavens. If in this present body a person is clear of mind, understanding wondrous sound and music, this person in a former life delighted in hearing and receiving the scriptures and teaching others. If in this present body a person is blind and deaf, their six faculties incomplete, it is because they habitually treated other people and living beings with disrespect. If in this present body a person loses their parents early and is left alone, it is because in a former life they killed another's parents. To be born into separation, each scattered to a different land, to be of low and despised station, driven as a slave — this is because in a former life this person habitually acted as a robber, breaking into people's homes, or waylaying travelers on the road, seizing people, beating them, binding them, and selling them on, so that their parents grieved until their hearts were cut to pieces, dying with no relief. Now they repay their old offense; such is the reason.

Zuoxuan Zhenren said: "I have seen that from past lives onward, offense and merit are just as this. One may clearly take care because of it."

The Way said: Whenever a person performs meritorious deeds, they should personally carry out the offering of incense, blessed food, and the recitation of scriptures themselves, not merely inviting others to eat on their behalf while leaving their own vow unfulfilled. It is like borrowing another's meal — how could one thereby be filled oneself? One should reflect well and make merit through one's own giving.

Zuoxuan Zhenren said: "To burn incense and practice the Way, to fast and recite the scriptures, to light lamps and keep them burning, fulfilling one's vows as the constant rule of giving — by this one obtains blessing and attains wisdom, free of all hindrance; the spirits come to receive and escort such a one, the ten thousand evils are all dissolved, and the host of demons dares not oppose them. But the indolent person, who has no diligent heart, when illness comes upon them one morning and no good fortune attends them, only then wishes to burn incense, only then speaks of making merit — by then the manifold evils have already descended, the host of demons stand guarding before them, and vie to work every manner of calamity upon them. For this reason, one should always be diligent. Offense and blessing follow a person as shadow follows form and echo follows sound."

The Way said: To plant the field of merit is like the Shijulei tree — from how many roots was it first planted? The immortals came forward, made obeisance, and addressed the Most High, saying: "From a single root; small at first, it gradually grew great, and its fruit gathered is without limit."

The Most High said to the immortals: "To give one and receive ten thousandfold in return — are these words empty?" The Way then spoke this hymn:

The worthy delight in giving alms;
the spirits of heaven themselves uphold and guard them.
Give one and receive ten thousandfold —
peace, joy, and long life follow.
Today, give to a good person,
and their blessing cannot be measured.
All shall attain the way of the immortals,
and cross over and deliver all the ten directions.

The Most High told the immortals: "The people of the world, lacking wisdom, see with mortal eyes born to die, and do not know offense and blessing. I, with the eye of the Way, have seen countless kalpas past, down to this very day. The recompense of offense and blessing is as clear as viewing a jeweled pearl of crystal in the palm of one's hand — within and without, there is no room for doubt." The heavenly immortals then rose, arranged their garments, made obeisance, and addressed the Most High, saying: "You have expounded this meaning, but we have not yet fully understood it; we beg you to grant further instruction."

The Most High said: "This is named The Scripture on the Turning of the Five Paths, the Karmic Causes of Past Lives, and Their Recompense. If a good man or good woman is able to recite, chant, and spread it, their merit shall be measureless."

At that time, Zuoxuan Zhenren, together with the heavenly immortals, and the people of the world who heard this scripture expounded, were all greatly joyful. Each according to their causes rose up, circled around three times, bowed their heads in obeisance, and withdrew.

Colophon

This Good Works Translation was prepared for the Ethics and Response shelf of the Good Works Library. The English was translated independently from the classical Chinese text printed below. The scripture is continuous prose throughout — a sutra-style narrative frame around a long catalogue of matched causes and effects, ending in a short verse of eight five-character lines, which is here set as verse while the surrounding prose is kept as prose.

Before the claim below was written, a genuine translation-status check was performed: the two local bibliographies of Daoist texts in Western translation (Komjathy's Daoist Texts in Translation and the 2023 Purple Cloud survey) were searched by Chinese title, romanization, and keyword, and neither lists this scripture or an English translation of it. Two further web searches were run, for the Chinese title and for the romanized title, and turned up no published English translation. To our knowledge, this is the first complete published English translation of the Taishang Shuo Zhuanlun Wudao Suming Yinyuan Jing. We state this as the limit of our knowledge, not as a certainty.

A few notes on the text. Sanbao (三寶), "the Three Treasures," is the Buddhist Three Jewels — Buddha, Dharma, Sangha — not the Daoist inner-alchemical triad of essence, breath, and spirit; the scripture's opening chain of causes turns on reverence for these three. Several exotic place- and creature-names (the "Naked Kingdom," the "Horse-Hoof Kingdom," the "Six Yi peoples") are stock legendary or ethnographic labels from this genre and are given in plain English rather than transliterated. One compound animal-name in the source carries an embedded phonetic gloss ("龛 音答 耳狗") that could not be confidently identified with a known creature; it is rendered here simply as "a floppy-eared dog," and the source characters are kept unaltered below. A second passage, on the cause of impaired eyesight, breaks the surrounding grammatical pattern in the source itself and has been translated as literally as sense allows rather than smoothed into consistency.

Prepared for the Good Work Library by the Tianmu Anglican Church with AI-assisted translation and editorial work.

🌲

Source Text: 太上說轉輪五道宿命因緣經

Classical Chinese text of the Daoist Canon, in the Chinese Wikisource transcription. Presented complete for reference, study, and verification alongside the English translation above.

爾時，太上老君在迦維羅衛國精舍中，與諸天仙、地仙、仙童、玉女等一千二百五十人俱。九月長齋，一時訖，竟從神舍中出，往到舍衛國祇樹下給孤獨園。二國中間，有一大樹名尸俱類，高一千八百六十里，枝葉方圓覆六百三十里。其樹上有子數千萬石，食之甘香，其味如蜜。甘果熟落，人民食之，眾病自愈，耳目精明。吾坐樹下，是諸仙等取果食之。

左玄真人告諸仙等，吾觀天地萬物，各有宿命因緣。諸仙等即前作禮，長跪白天尊言曰：何等宿命因緣，此諸弟子願聞也。唯具演說，開化未聞。真人答曰：善哉，若有樂聞者，一心諦聽。

道言：夫人作福亦如此樹，小小漸大，收子無限。人今生在世，豪貴為帝王國主，諸侯方伯，此人先身從禮拜三寶中來。今身為人大富，財物無量者，此人先身從布施中來。今身為人長壽，無有疾病者，此人先身從持戒中來。今身為人端正，顏色潔白，暉容第一，手足柔奕，眾人見之，皆各喜悅，視之無厭者，此人先身從忍辱中來。今身為人精進，無有懈怠者，此人先身從福德精進中來。今身為人安詳，言行審諦者，此人先身從精思中來。今身為人聰明，達解經法，讚揚妙法，開悟愚蒙，人聞其言，莫不諮受宣明為珍者，此人先身從智慧中來。今身為人音聲清澈者，此人先身從歌詠三寶中來。今身為人潔淨，無有疾病者，此人先身從慈心中來。

諸仙等上白天尊曰：云何為慈心。左玄真人答曰：一慈念眾生如母愛子。二慈念世間一切眾生各得自在。三解道意，心常歡喜。四為一切不犯眾惡。此是為慈心也。

道言：今身為人姝美者，此人先身恭敬人故。今身為人醜陋者，此人先身喜嗔恚故。今身為人無所知者，此人先身不學問故。今身為人顓愚闇塞者，此人先身不教人故。今身為人瘖瘂者，此人先身無辜謗毀人故。今身為人聾盲者，此人先身不喜看經，不肯聽經故。今身為人奴婢者，此人先身負債不償，亦不禮三寶故。今身為人醜黑者，此人先身遮翳光明故。今身生在倮國人中者，此人先身輕衣裸露唐突精舍故。今身生在馬蹄人國中者，此人先身布施作福還悔惜心故。今身生麞麂鹿中者，此人先身意驚恐人故。今身墮在龍中者，此人先身喜相調戲故。今身生惡瘡癩疾難瘥，醫藥不治，苦毒難言者，此人先身無辜鞭打眾生故。今身為人所僧，人不欲見，見不歡悅者，此人先身見人不歡喜故。今身為人，人見歡喜敬念者，此人先身見人喜悅故。今身為人，數遭縣官擊閉牢獄，節核其身，枷鎖在體者，此人先身無辜籠罩繫縛眾生不得縱意故。今身為人兔缺者，此人先身坐釣魚口缺故。如此之罪，不可不慎也。

道言：今世愚人，聞人好言善語，心不樂聞，於中兩舌亂人非是者，此人後世當作龛 音答 耳狗。若世人聞經，心不聽採者，後生當墮驢中。若世人慳貪獨食者，後生墮餓鬼之中，得生出世，或為獨身，或為人貧窮飢餓，衣不蓋形，食不供口。若世人好食，自噉惡食施人者，後死當作猪豘蜣蜋之中。若世人劫奪人財物，生剝脫人衣服者，後死當墮羊中，人還生剝其皮，償其宿罪。若世人喜殺，一生捕魚者，後死為水上蜉蝣之蟲，朝生暮死。若世人無辜盜取人財物者，後死出世，當生奴婢牛馬之中。若世人喜淫人婦女，不避三光者，死逕入地獄之中，男抱銅柱，女卧鐵牀。後得出世，必生雞鴨之中。若世人好妄語，傳人善事以作惡言者，死逕入地獄，洋銅灌口，拔出其舌，以牛犁之。後得生世，當作鴟梟惡鳥，人聞其聲，莫不驚怖，皆言變怪，眾口呪之，必令其死。若世人喜酒耽醉者，犯三十六失，死墮泥犁之中。後生出世，愚癡甚無所知。若世人夫婦不相和順，數共鬥爭，更相驅遣者，後生墮鳩鴿之中。若世人貪人力者，後生當作象形。

道言：若世人為州郡令長者，稟食於官，奉於祿爵，或私侵於民，鞭打捶杖，逼強輸送，告訴無所考劾，擊錄不得寬縱。此人罪重，死逕入地獄之中，神經百痛數千萬劫，罪畢出世，當作水牛，貫穿其鼻，牽車挽重，大棒打之，償其宿罪。

道言：今身為人不沐浴者，此人先身從猪豘蜣蜋中來。今身為人慳貪，不讓譏辭多聲者，此人先身從惡狗中來。今身為人狠戾自用意者，此人先身從羊中來。今身為人言不安詳，不能忍事者，此人先身從獼猴中來。今身為人身體腥臭者，此人先身從魚鱉中來。今身為人趨惡行毒心者，此人先身從蝮蛇中來。今身為人好作美食，殺害眾生，無有慈心者，此人先身從豺狼虎豹中來。今身生在邊方六夷國中者，此人先身不信道法故。今身為人背傴者，此人先身禮拜三寶不申背故。今身為人疾病多有鍼灸者，此人先身作大醫師，為人鍼灸，或瘥或劇，而無功效，便取他物直之故。

道言：今身為人安序文身，直理多智，開暢妙義，人所尊貴者，此人先身宣通真義，從諸天中來。今身為人學問清徹，聰明不貪者，此人先身積福無量劫中來。今身為人潔白，花色了了者，此人先身常喜持旛華奉上三寶中來。今身為人身體口氣香潔者，此人先身行無有過，口無有惡，今故如此也。今身為人被燒死者，此人先身常喜放火，燒殺眾生之故。今身為人溺水死者，此人先身無辜以眾生投擲水中故。今身為人自縊死者，此人先身無辜以繩索繫眾生故。今身為人被遭惡虎毒蛇死者，此人先身無辜受貸殺人故。今身為人被天雷霹靂死者，此人先身為行多惡，欺罵長者，陵慢父母，污穢三光故。今身為人孤獨至老，無有兒子者，此人先身常陰懷惡憎，忌他人兒孫故。今身為人生而短命，胞胎傷墮，出世未已而早夭終，在三塗數千萬劫可得出也。

道言：今身為人眼目眇者，此人先身常不喜看經文，收拭老人眼目中來。今身為人巧匠，興造觀治工巧者，此人先身從諸天宮殿中來。今身為人明徹解了妙音者，此人先身常喜聽受經法教人中來。今身為人盲聾，六根不具者，此人常好狎人及眾生故。今身為人早失父母孤獨者，此人先身殺人父母故。生於分離，各異鄉土，為人下賤，奴婢驅使者，此人先身常好作劫賊，或破人家，或要路斷道，捉人打拍縛束轉賣，使人父母懊惱，肝心寸絕，至死無益。今償宿罪，如此之故。

左玄真人曰：吾見宿世以來，罪福如此，明可慎之。

道言：凡人作功德者，皆應身自行香福食及以轉經，不請人食，而不盡願者。如借人食，豈自得飽者乎。善思作福為惠也。

左玄真人曰：燒香行道，齋戒誦經，然燈續明，盡願以為常法布施。得福並達智慧，無所罣礙，諸神將接，萬惡皆消，眾魔不敢復當。懈怠之人，無有精進心者，一朝疾病，無有吉利，方欲燒香，便云作福，諸惡以降，眾魔守前，競來作諸變怪。以是之故，常當精進。罪福隨人如影響也。

道言：植種福田，如尸俱類樹，本種幾根也。諸仙等即前作禮上白太上言：本一根，小小漸大，收子無限。

太上語諸仙曰：施一得萬倍，言豈虛也。道乃頌曰：

賢者好布施，天神自扶將。施一得萬倍，安樂壽命長。今日施善人，其福不可量。皆當得仙道，度脫諸十方。

太上告諸仙人等：世人無智，生死肉眼，不知罪福。吾以道眼睹無數劫來，至于今日。罪福報應，由如掌中視寶珠瑠璃，內外無有狐疑。諸天仙人等即起，整頓衣服，作禮上白太上曰：演說斯義，未能解悟，願賜開諭。

太上曰：此名為《五道輪轉宿命因緣報應經》，若善男子善女人能誦詠宣傳者，功德無量。

是時，左玄真人與諸天仙人等，世聞人民聞說是經，皆大歡喜，因緣各起，圍遶三匝，稽首作禮而退。

Source Colophon

The Chinese text follows the Chinese Wikisource transcription of the Daoist Canon edition of this text (article 太上說轉輪五道宿命因緣經, revision of 11 November 2017), inspected from a witness copy captured on 8 August 2026. Chinese Wikisource transcriptions are published under CC BY-SA 4.0 and the GFDL; the text itself is ancient and in the public domain. The wiki header and license templates have been removed; the text is otherwise complete and unaltered.

🌲