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Heterodox arts and heretical sects, with numerous factions standing in opposition, incite and bewilder the human mind; they must be refuted.

Wang Dongting said: "At present, the orthodox Way is obscured, while evil cults rise like swarms of bees. I observe that there are many lay practitioners who have mistakenly entered unorthodox paths and side tracks, remaining obstinately deluded and unwilling to awaken. Recently, I have heard that within our Central Plains, religious sects are numerous. Let me briefly list them: there are the Qingjing Sect (Pure and Quiet Sect), Dacheng Sect (Great Vehicle Sect), Jindan Sect (Golden Elixir Sect), Yaochi Sect (Jade Pool Sect), as well as the Yao Sect, Yizhi Sect (One Finger Sect), Xiantian Sect (Pre-Heaven Sect), Dazhi Sect (Great Wisdom Sect), Laojun Sect (Lord Lao Sect), Zuishang Yicheng Sect (Supreme One Vehicle Sect), and various other unorthodox schools, which I shall not enumerate in full here. They all essentially teach people to eat vegetarian food and chant scriptures, calling this 'cultivating good fruits'; to abstain from killing and release living beings, calling this 'accumulating merit'; to contemplate after death one will surely become an Immortal or True Person, returning to Langyuan (a mythical fairyland), or become a Buddha, returning to the Western Heaven. Through such means, they bewilder the human mind and corrupt social customs. The Imperial Heaven is enraged; how could the government, knowing of this, tolerate it?

In the past, lay devotees and ordained monks and Daoists fabricated ritual manuals, performing star-expiation rites for the sick, praying to the Dipper stars to extend the life of the elderly, or holding memorial services for the dead to deliver their souls. When disasters struck, they held jiao altars to protect the locality. But these heterodox methods possess no such magical power; they are merely large-scale schemes to defraud people of money. Even households of princes, nobles, and scholars have been deceived, believing these to be matters passed down through generations, without investigating whether they do not understand the principles or recognize their illusory nature.

Furthermore, some lure others into ordination, shaving their heads and changing their attire to learn the rules of Shamen (Buddhist monastics), calling this 'taking refuge in Buddhism.' Some establish Zen forests, creating a stir by gathering monks from all directions, using moxibustion on the crown of the head, practicing 'Daqi' and running incense (ascetic practices), issuing documents and robes, calling this 'receiving precepts from a Master.' Some wait until old age and death to burn their bodies, calling this 'transforming into a Buddha.' Some pose koans and investigate phrases, sitting in meditation with focused minds, blindly cultivating, calling this 'practicing the Way.' Some manipulate qi circulation, visualize internal scenes, swallow saliva, ingest breath, maintain stillness, and gaze at the nose, calling this 'learning the Dao.' Some are busy all day soliciting donations to build temples and monasteries, actually seeking personal gain. Some swallow the essence of the sun and absorb the radiance of the moon, focusing thoughts on longevity and eternal youth. Some perform Bagang Ludou (walking the Big Dipper pattern), write talismans, and chant spells to capture demons and monsters, deceiving people out of their silver and money. Some use the five metals and eight stones, discussing furnace alchemy to refine gold and silver, swindling people's capital. In the dark of night, they gather men and women, enter empty rooms, stand naked, press their navels together to exchange qi, claiming this is transmitting the Dao. Some utilize women as cauldrons to collect the first menstruation blood (Red Lead) to condense elixirs, hoping only to ascend to heaven during the day.

These myriad heterodox arts are too numerous to list completely; they all engage in unjust acts, truly harming heaven and injuring reason, confusing the world and deceiving humans. Even if you manage to escape the net of secular law, you know it will be difficult to escape karmic retribution. It would be better to abandon these pursuits, engage in proper occupations, and return to the orthodox path—how joyful that would be! I only hope that all devout men and women in the world will understand these drawbacks, recognize their falsehood and error, and thus avoid falling into these traps."