金公妙典 — Good Works Translation from Classical Chinese
The Golden Patriarch's Wondrous Canon (金公妙典, Jīngōng Miàodiǎn) is a spirit-writing revelation channeled through a human medium at Wuying Lingshan (無影靈山, "Shadowless Spirit Mountain"). The Golden Patriarch (金公祖師) is an emanation closely linked to Ji Gong (濟公), the eccentric Living Buddha who serves as one of Yiguandao's primary spirit-communicators. The text's date is given as the ninth day of the fourth month in a 丙寅 (Fire Tiger) year, at the hour of the Dragon (7–9 AM).
The Canon unfolds in four movements. The first is prophetic verse: Ji Gong arrives laughing, Maitreya descends, cities burn, and the Mother weeps in Anyang Palace. The second shifts to an intimate, urgent voice — the Ancestor speaks directly about cosmic rearrangement, the blood-letter written from a bitten finger, and the consequences of missing this chance. The third returns to martial couplets: a single blade cleaves the darkness, ten thousand nations return to one, and the Cloud City opens for eight hundred li of light. The fourth and final movement is the Ancestor's grief — separated from his brothers by a swarm of demons, weeping his eyes blind on Shadow Mountain, begging his children to see the blood-letter and awaken.
This is the first English translation. The Chinese source text is from the 善書圖書館 (Morality Books Library) at taolibrary.com. Translated by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026.
The Canon
The ninth day of the fourth month, year of the Fire Tiger, hour of the Dragon.
The Golden Patriarch, borrowing a vessel at Shadowless Spirit Mountain,
fully narrates the Wondrous Canon of the Future.
Born beneath white clouds, below white clouds —
within the White Lotus Cave, transformed as the White Elder.
Emerging to meet the White Immortal Mother,
she exchanged me into White Amitābha.
Ha ha!
Lively and flowing, passing down the teaching —
every word becomes a verse, giving rise to ten thousand threads.
From the Western Heaven descending to the lower realm,
Maitreya the Ancestor today displays his majesty on Spirit Mountain.
All Buddhas, immortals, and gods are brought along,
every kind of treasure, colors fresh and bright.
The heartfelt true words I dare not leak,
for fear my children's hearts would freeze with dread.
The three disasters and eight calamities — let them come as they will;
understand but half a sentence and return to Former Heaven.
Immortal robes and cloud-shoes are already made;
soon my children will wear them at their sides.
At the head of the Hare and the tail of the Tiger, no human form remains;
in the Dragon year, the Dragon month — clear sky revealed.
By the fifth watch, heaven is dark and dim;
a great serpent rises, trailing smoke of war.
Sweeping clean the world of all its evil factions —
Śākyamuni's Dao is concluded, all return complete.
Now the True Dao stands between two dispensations:
red flowers fall to earth, white flowers bloom fresh.
The hawk turns in flight above Spirit Mountain;
before Shadowless Mountain, clear sky appears.
Heaven's dome reveals the True Buddha Ancestor —
Maitreya enters the world to save the children.
Front and back connected in mysterious meaning,
three hearts manifest their response on this side.
In Anyang Palace too the image appears;
the Old Mother weeps — her tears never dry.
Our Ancestor's heart also aches with sorrow,
like boiling oil poured upon a fire.
Soon great upheaval at Zhuxian Town;
within Yanshan City, smoke of war rises.
Nanjing and Tianjin form their ranks;
Xi'an and Chang'an — the tiger ascends the mountain.
In Shanghai the imperial dragon also appears;
the Nine Dragons General moves the hearth.
Our Ancestor holds the helm, shaking heaven and earth;
the Old Mother, heart of the ship, protects the good.
Soon water and fire arrive together —
seven times seven days of darkness, heaven collapses.
Spirits and strange beings all appear;
one point of the finger — turned to ash and smoke.
Only because I, in Anyang Palace, have arranged everything —
the Active Ancestor now again descends to the mortal realm.
Think back to those years in the Palace of Non-Action,
a thousand words were spoken —
but now, the gap of a hair — who can bear the response?
Now the Sovereign Mother exchanges all eight trigrams:
old matched with old, young matched with young — Qian and Kun not disordered.
Plucking sun and moon, exchanging stars and constellations,
changing palaces and passages —
the great becomes small, the old becomes young — the time has come.
The Meaning of Coming from the West —
if you see through it, come forward to receive the carriage.
Miss this one chance: one hundred and eight thousand kalpas of distance.
Tearing the silk robe, biting the middle finger, writing a blood-letter —
only for suffering upon suffering, I come to complete the Gathering.
In the Bright Cave, good immortals who do not come to find the Ancestor:
when the time comes, the Five Thunders are commanded to blast them from the high mountain.
In the Western Heaven, all the Buddha-Ancestors who do not return to the Root —
their bodies and flesh will be turned to ash and smoke.
When the astral winds rise, all spiritual natures will be scattered;
the great sea stirs — and all are drowned.
Within the golden embers, one coal — just one spark —
burns mountains and rivers and trees to ash and smoke.
What was broken is mended, what was mended breaks — now comes the turning;
touching stone, transforming it to jade, raising golden mountains again.
Bearing the imperial edict, supervising the heavenly seal, coming to the Eastern Land —
miss the Golden Patriarch's court, and ten thousand kalpas cannot undo it.
The treasure carried on one's person — the Golden Palace, the Jade Eye —
touched and activated: afterward, pure blessings for one hundred and eight thousand ages.
First entrusted to sons and daughters: two tiles of covenant.
The ancient contract from the West is brought again to this side.
The rice flies off, the chaff falls away — dazzling the eyes;
day and night they watch for the Old Ancestor — why does he not return?
How many fragrant disciples ceaselessly invoke me!
In all twelve hours they burn long incense, always paying their respects.
Before and after, after and before — I have already accomplished it;
Former Heaven and Latter Heaven — only I encompass them both.
At the mouth of Nine Rivers, miracles appear — incense smoke unceasing;
reaching through heaven, penetrating earth — the White Ancestor, the Third Elder.
Ten scriptures and ten thousand scrolls — one word cannot exhaust them;
a thousand transformations and ten thousand changes — I come to hold authority.
I am in truth the Yellow Madman, now arrived!
Pulling forward, pulling back — bewildering the worthy and good.
Leaking heaven's mechanism, revealing the sage's intent — heedless of mortal feelings,
silently, without a word — a whole and undivided sphere.
Everyone, let me have my tea!
Speaking plain words to tell you:
whoever sees through the Meaning of Coming from the West
shall return with me, one body, to the Ancient Home.
Ha ha!
A single blade cleaves open the Black Gold Cave;
one fist smashes open the Great Urn City.
East, west, south, north — the sound of Hūṃ rings out;
from Qin's head to Lu's tail, all return to the Holy Root.
Ten thousand nations return to one, seated in the Buddha Hall;
the Three Realms of gods and humans, sealed by their own mouths.
Raising the name and title ten thousand zhang high,
Bianjing gathered in one sweep, returned to the Western Palace.
Both banks of the Yellow River — mysteriously pointed out;
horses die, people perish, falling into the pit of calamity.
Opening the boat, ferrying across, reaching the shore;
one pole pushes all the way to the Central Capital.
The Dharma Gate is sealed, never to open again —
then the Eight Hundred display their radiance.
The Cloud City opens for eight hundred li;
bright lamps hung high — escape the disaster stars.
Palace-guarding spirits lock the Yin-Yang Mirror;
altar-guarding incense and Buddha-lamps welcome.
Without speech, without words, the True Scripture is chanted;
graceful and easy, passing the years in peace.
New hands, new moon, from this opening forth —
all together, hand in hand, ascending the Nine Lotuses.
The sun rises and moves toward the west;
meeting Elder Brother and Second Brother,
three persons in one place meet face to face —
they cry aloud with grief, weeping for Amitābha.
Weeping and weeping, the sky grows dark;
suddenly a swarm of demons arrives,
rushing at us three, tearing us apart —
weeping to heaven, stamping on earth, nowhere to grope.
Our Elder Brother wept his way to the Eastern Capital.
Our Second Brother wept his way to the western slope of the village river.
Left behind — this foolish, clumsy ancestor — with nowhere to turn,
fell by myself into the Central Plain, the Imperial Court, the Golden Pavilion.
Above, no father; below, no mother; household scattered.
Old with old, young with young — two partings, two reunions.
On Great Spirit Mountain, of all the Buddha-Ancestors — not one to be seen;
the assembled gods and bodhisattvas — still no trace.
The heavenly soldiers and generals have all descended to the world;
the twenty-eight mansions and the Two Mothers — tears streaming from both eyes.
Wuji, in the Imperial Palace, weeping in pain without ceasing,
and calling to me on Spirit Mountain — my heart cut as by a knife.
Hurriedly I knelt in the Spiritual Treasure Hall;
the Old Mother, with a burden of a thousand jin, commanded me to carry it.
The Active Ancestor, hearing one word, trembled with fear;
his spiritual nature, frightened, fell upon the slopes of Spirit Mountain.
He cried out: "All Buddha-Ancestors! Quickly, come to the rescue!
Whoever comes first to guard the carriage — I seal you as Great Luo!"
He cried to the Western Heaven: "All sisters!"
Again he wept: "All bodhisattvas, quickly follow!"
"If all the stars do not come to guard and drive —
I, the White Ancestor, shall turn my iron face, and escape will be difficult."
In the Eastern Land, brothers and sisters — hard to save, hard to ferry;
the fragrant disciples do not turn their heads — they still say they have met demons.
How maddening — so many demons, their hearts too cruel,
using wine, lust, wealth, and pride to bewitch so many children.
Watch as the black wind rises, piercing heaven, penetrating earth,
sweeping clean the people of the great earth — not one seedling left.
All children — seeing this blood-letter — quickly recognize the Ancestor!
Soon the great ship departs, returning home across the Western River.
The Old Ancestor on Shadow Mountain has wept both eyes blind,
always thinking of the children — too grieved to eat.
Day and night, moment by moment, invoking — heart and spirit unsettled;
a thousand hardships and ten thousand sufferings — one brush cannot capture them.
Speaking to this point, the Golden Brush stops — no more to say.
All children — seeing this blood-letter — quickly awaken!
Colophon
The Golden Patriarch's Wondrous Canon (金公妙典) is a spirit-writing revelation channeled at Shadowless Spirit Mountain (無影靈山). The Golden Patriarch (金公祖師) is an emanation of Ji Gong (濟公活佛), the eccentric Living Buddha who serves as one of Yiguandao's primary celestial communicators. The text weaves apocalyptic prophecy with the Mother's grief and Ji Gong's characteristic humor — pausing mid-revelation to demand his tea — before closing with the most desperate plea in the Yiguandao canon: the Ancestor on Shadow Mountain, weeping both eyes blind, begging his children to awaken.
Good Works Translation from Classical Chinese. Translated by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026. Thirteenth Yiguandao text in the Good Work Library, tenth original translation. Source: 善書圖書館 (Morality Books Library), taolibrary.com.
Compiled and formatted for the Good Work Library by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026.
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Source Text: 金公妙典
Chinese source text from the 善書圖書館 (Morality Books Library) at taolibrary.com. Presented here for reference, study, and verification alongside the English translation above.
金公妙典本文
丙寅四月初九日辰時
金公祖師借竅在無影靈山罄述末來妙典
生在白雲下白雲 白蓮洞內化白哥
出來遇著白仙母 與我換成白彌陀
哈哈
活潑流通往下傳 出口成章生萬端
西天下界彌勒祖 今日靈山顯威嚴
諸佛仙神都帶到 各樣寶貝顏色鮮
有心真話不洩漏 怕的兒女心膽寒
三災八難隨自便 瞭解半句回先天
仙衣雲鞋都造就 不久兒女穿身邊
卯頭虎尾無人樣 龍年龍月見青天
天到五更昏昏暗 一條大蛇起狼煙
刮刷世界諸惡黨 釋迦了道俱皈完
如今正道兩不管 紅花落地白花鮮
鷂子翻身靈山上 無影山前現青天
乾天露出真佛祖 彌勒出世救兒男
前後相連玄妙意 三心顯應到這邊
安陽宮中也顯像 老母哭的淚不乾
我祖也是心酸痛 好比火上滾油煎
不久大鬧朱仙鎮 燕山城內起狼煙
南京天津作了隊 西京長安虎登山
上海皇龍也發現 九龍將軍把灶搬
我祖掌舵驚天地 老母船心護善男
不久水火就來到 黑暗七七塌了天
精靈古怪齊出現 用手一指化灰煙
止
只因吾 安陽宮 安排已就
有為祖 至如今 又來臨凡
想當年 無為府 千言說就
到如今 差毫分 誰感應擔
現當今 無皇母 八卦齊換
老配老 少配少 不亂乾坤
摘日月 換星斗 改宮過度
大變小 老變少 到了時年
西來意 識透了 前來接駕
錯過了 這一回 十萬八千
斷羅袍 咬中指 血書來寫
只為的 苦中苦 我來收圓
明洞內 好神仙 不來找祖
到至時 命五雷 轟下高山
西天裡 諸佛祖 不來歸本
把身體 與骨肉 化成灰煙
罡風起 把靈性 俱都衝散
大海水 動一動 俱都淹完
金燼內 火炭子 只要一點
把山川 合樹木 燒成灰煙
治了壞 壞了治 今時來轉
點石頭 化成玉 又長金山
領御旨 督天印 東土來轉
錯過了 金公院 萬劫難翻
隨身寶 點來了 金闕玉眼
到後來 享清福 十萬八千
先交與 兒和女 瓦礪兩塊
從西方 古合同 又帶這邊
飛了米 去下糠 閃的瞪眼
晝夜裡 盼老祖 何不回還
有多少 眾香子 把我連念
二六時 焚長香 常常問安
前與後 後與前 我已造就
有先天 合後天 惟吾包含
九江口 顯靈驗 香煙不斷
又通天 又徹地 白祖老三
有十經 合萬卷 一言難盡
有千變 合萬化 我來掌權
我本是 黃瘋子 今時來到
前拉後 後拉前 迷住賢良
洩天機 漏聖意 凡情不管
默默的 不言語 囫圇一團
大眾讓我來喝茶
出言白話向你說
那個識破西來意
與我同體歸古家
哈哈
單刀破開烏金洞 一拳打開大甕城
東西南北吽聲叫 秦頭魯尾皈聖杗
萬國歸一佛殿坐 三曹神人親口封
拉起名號高萬丈 汴京一收回西宮
黃河兩岸玄來點 馬死人亡墜劫坑
開船擺渡登了岸 一篙撐到中京城
閉住法門永不要 纔顯八百放光明
雲城顯開八百里 明燈高掛躲災星
護宮神鎖陰陽鏡 鎮壇寶香佛燈迎
不言不語真經念 灑灑陀陀過年平
新手新月從開放 大眾攜手九蓮登
止
太陽出來往西落 遇見大哥並二哥
三人一處見了面 大放悲聲哭彌陀
哭著哭著天色晚 忽然來了一群魔
沖俺三人分了手 哭天頓地無處摸
俺大哥 哭到了 東京而去
俺二哥 哭到了 鄉河西坡
閃下了 蠢笨祖 無有投奔
自落在 中原地 皇庭金閣
上無父 下無母 居家夫散
老老老 少少少 兩離分合
大靈山 諸佛祖 不見一個
眾神聖 合菩薩 還無下落
有天兵 合天將 俱都下世
二八宿 合二母 兩眼淚梭
無極 在皇宮 痛淚不止
倒叫我 在靈山 心如刀割
急忙忙 踐跪在 靈賓寶殿
老娘親 千斤擔 教我擔著
有為祖 聽一言 唬的膽戰
把靈性 自唬在 靈山地坡
哭了聲 諸佛祖 速速打救
那一個 早護駕 封你大羅
哭了聲 西天裡 眾位姊妹
又哭了 眾菩薩 趕緊跟者
如若是 諸群星 不來護駑
我白祖 放鐵面 難以了脫
東土裡 兄合女 難挽難渡
眾香子 不回頭 還說遇魔
可惱的 許多魔 心腸太狠
用酒色 合財氣 迷住兒多
眼看著 黑風起 通天徹地
刮刷了 大地人 一苗不擱
眾兒女 見血書 速速認祖
不久間 大船開 還鄉西河
有老祖 在影山 雙眼哭瞎
常常的 想兒女 飯難餐著
晝夜裡 時刻念 心神不定
費千辛 並萬苦 一筆難羅
說到此 停金筆 不往下講
眾兒女 見血書 急忙惺覺
止
Source Colophon
Chinese source text from the 善書圖書館 (Morality Books Library) at taolibrary.com. The text is classified under 一貫道經典 (Yiguandao Classics). The site states: 歡迎轉載，上傳，翻印，流通 — "Welcome to reprint, upload, reproduce, and circulate." Free distribution of morality books (善書) is a spiritual practice in the tradition.
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