Taiping qingling shu

The Correct Guide to Great Peace (太平清領書, T'aiping Q'ingling Shu) was a sacred book written by an unknown author and consisted of 170 chapters. According to Xiang Kai's (襄楷) biography in the Hou Han shu (後漢書) it was offered to Emperor Shun (漢順帝), during his reign from 126-144. The emperor was adviced to put the book aside. Later on the Yellow Turban leader Zhang Jiao (張角) was said to have the book.

The book is commonly identified with the Taoist classic Taiping Jing (太平經).

Story of the Correct Guide to Great Peace
During the reign of Emperor Shun of Han a certain Gong Chong (宫崇) of Langye went to the palace and offered to the emperor the Correct Guide to Great Peace. A book of mystical learning containing 170 juan (卷) chapters which he and his master Gan Ji (干吉; or Yu Ji 于吉) had received at the Quyang Springs in Xiapi commandery.

The book was rejected. The Emperor was adviced that it was not a classic, but instead was heretical and inappropriate. Even when Xiang Kai recommended the book later on, it proved no more fruitful. However, later Zhang Jiao somehow had this book, but it is not known to what extant he used it.

Content and Look of the Correct Guide to Great Peace
Another translation given to us is "The Way [or Book] of Great Peace, with Dark Green Headings", by Rafe de Crespigny. The "Dark Green Headings" refers to the chapters of the book being written on pale-green silk with vermillion borders and dark green headings with vermillion titles; green and vermillion being colours of magical significance. The text itself relied heavily upon yin-yang and the Five Powers, with many references to shamanism.

Some sources suggest that the book was either the base of the important Taoist classic Taiping Jing, or that the Taiping Qingling Shu and the Taiping Jing are actually one and the same book.