佛祖歷代通載 21.98

21.98

老子出靈寶三洞偽（第九化云。太上老君以中皇元年三月一日。於玉清天金闕上宮。撰集靈篇以為寶經三百卷。符圖七千章。玉訣九千篇。老君於上三皇時出為萬天法師。又號玄中法師。當龍漢元有。授上三皇洞真經一十二部。以無極之道。下教人間其時人壽九萬歲。於中三皇時。號有古先生。當赤明元年。授中三皇洞玄經一十二部。行無上正真之道。以化於人。其時人壽六萬歲。於下三皇時。出為師號金闕帝君。當開皇元年。授下三皇洞神經一千二部。以太平之道化人。其時人壽一萬八千歲。夫洞真洞玄洞神名一十二部。合為三十六部尊經也）。

The fabrication that Laozi produced the Lingbao Three Caverns: (The ninth transformation says: On the first day of the third month of the first year of Zhonghuang, the Most High Lord Lao, in the Upper Palace of the Golden Portal in the Jade Purity Heaven, compiled spiritual scriptures to make three hundred rolls of precious scriptures, seven thousand sections of talismanic charts, and nine thousand chapters of jade instructions. In the time of the Upper Three Sovereigns, Lord Lao emerged as the Dharma Master of the Myriad Heavens, also styled Dharma Master of Xuanzhong. In the Yuan-you era of Longhan, he transmitted the twelve sections of the *Dongzhen jing* to the Upper Three Sovereigns, using the Way of the Boundless to teach the human realm below, when human lifespan was ninety thousand years. In the time of the Middle Three Sovereigns, he was styled Master Yougu; in the first year of Chiming, he transmitted the twelve sections of the *Dongxuan jing* to the Middle Three Sovereigns, practicing the supreme, correct, and true Way to transform human beings, when human lifespan was sixty thousand years. In the time of the Lower Three Sovereigns, he emerged as a teacher styled the Sovereign of the Golden Portal; in the first year of Kaihuang, he transmitted the twelve sections of the *Dongshen jing* to the Lower Three Sovereigns, transforming human beings with the Way of Great Peace, when human lifespan was eighteen thousand years. The Dongzhen, Dongxuan, and Dongshen each comprise twelve sections, together forming the thirty-six sections of venerable scriptures.)