《元始天尊说梓潼帝君本愿经》

At that time, the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning was in the Golden Portal of the palace of the Heaven of Pure Subtlety. He summoned the imperial lords of the various heavens and countless holy hosts, ascended the Precious Throne of Jade Splendor, and sent forth a great radiance that shone through every world. Seeing that living beings had met with calamity and were enduring measureless affliction, tossed again and again through suffering in the dusty world and cycling through birth and death, he sighed and said, “Pitiful living beings—who has brought these sufferings upon you?”

Then a Perfected One named Ciji rose from his seat, stepped out beyond the ranks, and knelt before the Celestial Worthy to report: “My virtue is shallow, yet I have received the protection of the Great Dao (the Way) and so have been able to escape suffering. Yesterday I saw the Venerable Jade Emperor examining the charts and register-books of the heavens, reckoning the course of the calamity, and commanding Beiyin Heisha, Duomu Yuanli, and the demon kings of the various heavens to go and inspect the human world, to stir up war and spread pestilence, so that countless people were slaughtered and the world was left with almost no survivors.

“Now I see living beings in distress: fathers and sons, brothers, husbands and wives, men and women parted from one another, corpses lying everywhere, wailing and weeping, with no one able to protect their own kin. Then heavenly disasters descend on a vast scale, and ghosts and monsters appear in broad daylight. Even those who by rare chance escape these calamities can hardly, in the end, get free. I do not understand what evil deeds these beings have committed, or what faults they have incurred, since distant kalpas, that they should meet with such retribution. Is this not grievous? I earnestly beg the Celestial Worthy, in compassion, to instruct me and resolve my doubts.”

The Celestial Worthy replied, “Since past lives, these beings have not revered the Three Treasures—the Dao, the Jing (scripture/classic), and the Master, which Daoism venerates—nor have they been filial to their parents. They have also given themselves to illicit lust and greedy desire, deceit, and jealous hatred. Evils of every kind have accumulated day by day and grown ever more severe. Therefore the Jade Emperor reckoned the destiny of the kalpa, so that the world met with upheaval. Grievous as these disasters are, they are also the result brought about by their own actions.”

At this time, the Perfected Ciji (Ciji Zhenren) and all the holy beings kowtowed together and said to the Heavenly Worthy: “When we think of this matter, our hearts truly cannot bear it. We hang our heads and furrow our brows in sorrow, yet we are powerless to save them. We only hope that the Heavenly Worthy will arouse a heart of compassion, open a path of expedient means, extend his golden arm, and deliver them from sufferings like burning in fire and drowning in water, so that humankind will not be brought to extinction. At the risk of our lives we earnestly beg the Heavenly Worthy to deign to hear us.”

The Heavenly Worthy then rested his hand upon the table, sat upright, concentrated his Shen (spirit), and remained silent for a long while before replying: “Of late, in the land of Shu, there is a great deity whose honorific title is the Imperial Lord of Zitong (Zitong Dijun). He assists Vast Heaven; his exalted station is equal to that of Taiyi; he is enthroned at the Southern Pole, and his grace and De (Virtue/Power) extend throughout the ten directions. He presides over the cycle of reincarnation of the Primordial Origin and governs worldly official careers and emoluments; he examines the affairs of the Six Registers and gathers in the forms and Qi (vital energy) of the Five Marchmounts. Through hundreds of millions of kalpas he has manifested more than ninety kinds of transformation bodies. He keeps the common people constantly in mind and exerts himself to the utmost. Precisely for this reason, the Jade Emperor bestowed a ruyi upon him and commissioned him to ride a luan to transmit the command, teaching and transforming the human world and manifesting his traces throughout the realm.

“This calamity of the final age truly cannot be directly removed. If it is to be dissolved, the Imperial Lord of Zitong may perhaps be able to do so. I shall summon him here and have him save and deliver the beings of the final age, so that humankind will not be extinguished.”

At this, the Perfected Ciji and the holy beings of the various heavens once more bowed in thanks and, after paying their respects, returned to their places. The Heavenly Worthy ordered the Banner-Bearing Jade Maiden (the attendant maiden who holds the banners and flags of the ceremonial regalia) to call out three times toward the “Heaven of Unarrogant Joy.” Suddenly the Imperial Lord of Zitong arrived from the northwest, attended by an aura like five-colored clouds and roseate mists. With composed bearing he advanced at a slow pace, bowed twice to the Heavenly Worthy, and said: “Today is an auspicious day, and the Heavenly Worthy has established this dharma feast (the banquet at which a Daoist ritual is held). Your servant, being busy teaching and transforming living beings, has only now come to attend the assembly. I respectfully beg the Heavenly Worthy, in his compassion, to forgive me.”

The Celestial Worthy (Tianzun) said: Human beings are born of the transformations of Heaven, Earth, and Yin-Yang. The Five Phases (the five basic elements that constitute the myriad things) shape the body, and only when the two Qi (vital energy) of Yin-Yang conjoin does the human form come into being. Yet people do not know how rare it is to obtain a human body, nor how difficult it is to be born in a land of peace and happiness. Instead they are greedy and deceitful without end, and at last they bring calamity upon themselves. Thus warfare breaks out on every side, epidemics spread, and disasters such as fire and flood follow one upon another—all of this is connected with that. Now the various Imperial Lords (Dijun), together with the countless holy hosts of Heaven above and Earth below, have all petitioned me, hoping to put an end to this calamity. I therefore specially entrust the matter to you; you must do your utmost.

At this the Imperial Lord of Zitong (a deity venerated in Daoism) bowed in thanks, received the Celestial Worthy’s command, and was about to withdraw. The Celestial Worthy asked again, “Imperial Lord, we are now in the final kalpa, and the force of the kalpa is vast. You are to put an end to it—by what means can this be done?”

The Imperial Lord of Zitong bowed once more and stepped forward, saying to the Celestial Worthy, “Through the calamities of successive lifetimes, your servant once bore the myriad fires in his own body, and was later demoted and banished to the land of Shu. At all times I have been cautious and fearful, anxious that I am not equal to the task, continually reflecting on my faults, and not daring to betray Heaven’s grace. Your servant holds that, to end this calamity, one must first set people’s hearts aright: teach sons and daughters to be filial to their parents, teach ministers to be loyal in their duties, teach brothers to be affectionate and respectful, and teach husbands and wives to live in harmony; teach those in high position to treat their subordinates with true feeling, and teach those who preside over affairs to act with impartiality. If one can lead people to practice in this way, perhaps the calamity may be somewhat allayed.”

At this moment the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning (Yuanshi Tianzun, a revered deity of Daoism) lowered his gaze upon the assembly and exclaimed in praise: “How wondrous! The Imperial Son (the Imperial Lord of Zitong) has taken pity on all living beings and recounted these causes and conditions, awakening understanding in people’s hearts. If the people of the world can persist in carrying out these teachings, calamities can be dispelled, the state will flourish in peace, people will enjoy great longevity, the myriad things will accord with their own natures, the five grains will yield abundant harvests, and songs and folk ballads will spread along the roads. Should anyone violate these teachings, the disasters of war and plague will follow one upon another, corpses will cover the wilds and withered bones will rise into mountains, and in the end humankind itself will perish. You must strive to put them into practice!”

Thereupon the Imperial Lord of Zitong bowed in thanks and, riding the Qi (vital energy) of five-colored clouds and rosy mists, withdrew toward the northwest.

At that time the Perfected One of Compassionate Deliverance, having heard these words, leapt with joy and chanted a hymn of praise from his seat:

“Alas for you living beings, in whom cunning, greed, and anger are intertwined. You busy yourselves all day long, yet these vices only blaze more fiercely; turmoil never ceases, and you do not know how to discipline yourselves. Thus you bring on the calamities of the final age, and humankind is about to sink into ruin. The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning then took pity on all sentient beings and, in order to rescue them from the sufferings of the final age, commanded the Imperial Lord of Zitong to come and instruct them. With his brush he manifested samādhi (the cultivated state of mature concentration that enters the wondrous realm), and in clear, orderly fashion he taught people first to set the mind within aright. When people are deluded by the dusty world, he can guide them onto the proper path, and blessings and official rank will follow in turn.”

When the Perfected One of Compassionate Deliverance had finished his chant, the four assemblies (the four kinds of listeners present) rejoiced without measure and, with one voice, exclaimed in praise: “Truly, this is something never before heard.”

Middle Grade of the Lingbao Chapter on Dispelling Calamities, Rectifying the Mind, and Numinous Response

The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning sat upright upon the Jade Flower throne, drawing in his radiance and sitting in concentrated stillness. The brilliance of precious jade reflected from one to another, and true Qi (vital energy) circulated all around; bells and drums sounded together, divine winds flowed and intermingled, the purport of the Dao (the Way) was profound and subtle, and the atmosphere was warm and peaceful, like spring. All the golden immortals, together with the four assemblies and the eight divisions, held banners, streamers, and jeweled canopies and stood in attendance beside the Celestial Worthy.

At this time, Heavenly Lord Yuanzai Kongsheng, Perfected One Jichen Bazui, who rescues the submerged and uproots transgression, and the Lord of the Eastern Dai Peak Office (the divine lord in charge of the sacred bureau of the Eastern Peak, Mount Tai) each rose from their seats, knelt long before the Celestial Worthy, and said, “What merit and virtue did we cultivate in former lives, that we should be able to take part in this ritual assembly and hear your teaching with our own ears? Our hearts are filled with gratitude and joy. Yet we are dull and unenlightened. Having heard this Jing (scripture/classic), although joy has arisen in our hearts, in the end we have still not truly understood it.

“We earnestly believe that it is because human hearts are not upright that this calamity has been brought about. Had the Celestial Worthy not extended his vast golden arm, sent forth a great light, displayed great numinous powers, and commanded the deities who patrol the world each to return to their stations, then even now there might be no leisure to attend to anything else. The great kalpa has already descended and the disaster is immense, while the Nine Heavens are using teaching and transformation to set human hearts right. We fear that action will be too slow. We beg the Celestial Worthy to bestow compassion and point out to us the principles we have not yet understood.”

At this moment the Celestial Worthy (Tianzun) sighed deeply and said to the assembled immortals and perfected ones: “Alas—have you still not understood the fundamental principle?

“From the moment a person is born, a good nature takes root in the heart, and from it arise the virtues of filial reverence toward parents and affectionate regard among brothers. The four good dispositions—compassion, shame and dislike of wrong, deference and yielding, and the sense of right and wrong—are all fully present, and the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) become the norms of human conduct. Loyalty and trustworthiness sprout in the heart, while gentleness and humility can be handed down from generation to generation. This is what it is to be human. Human beings are not of the same kind as grasses, trees, birds, and beasts; whoever bears a human form ought, by nature, to be like this.

“Yet the customs of the age grow more corrupt day by day, and human hearts are no longer simple and pure. Cunning, treachery, hypocrisy, greed, jealousy, cruelty, and the stirring up of disorder—every sort of evil—are instead what people vie with one another to practice. Thus, when they see the Three Treasures—the Dao (the Way), the Jing (scripture/classic), and the Master—they do not know how to revere them; facing the sun, moon, and stars, they show no ritual courtesy. They shout at wind and rain, and they blame Heaven and resent Earth. They treat their parents as strangers and regard their brothers as enemies. In reproaching others they are especially severe, yet toward themselves they are always indulgent. When they see others doing good, they conceal it and say nothing; when others fall short, they slander them by every means they can. When they see others doing evil, they instead rejoice, envy them, and imitate them, fearing only that their own evil is not yet enough.

“The rich and noble are arrogant, extravagant, and unrestrained. They treat the worthy and capable with haughtiness, slight their teachers and elders, stride about with heads held high, and look upon the poor and lowly as mere weeds. They do not understand cultivating goodness and accumulating De (Virtue/Power), nor do they perform, in secret, good deeds that benefit others. They recklessly waste the myriad things, scheme after profit in the marketplace, and never know contentment. The poor and lowly, for their part, flatter and curry favor, are greedy and quick to anger, and complain against ghosts and spirits. They do not understand the causes and effects of former lives, nor can they rest content in their proper station and keep to themselves; instead they turn to licentiousness and theft and violate the order of status and ritual, and in the end they still do not know repentance.

“Therefore evildoers fill the world and wicked ghosts run rampant. Slander and evil deeds follow one upon another; defamation, malicious injury, and venomous words spread in every direction. Government falls into disorder, the common people suffer hardship, the resources of mountains and rivers grow scarce, and ghosts and spirits find no peace. Resentful Qi (vital energy) gathers and surges straight up to Heaven. When the way of the world has come to this, how can it fail to change? The charts and registers of Heaven’s mandate—documents recording Heaven’s mandate and the cycles of kalpic calamity—must therefore be examined. Now the cycle of calamity has reached the end of one period.

“The great kalpa that follows from this will throw the sun and moon out of their proper course and throw Yin-Yang into disorder. Demons will patrol the world, bands of rebellious people will rise one after another, and the disasters of war and pestilence will not cease. Even if some chance to escape for a time, in the end they will hardly avoid calamity. By then dried bones will be piled like mountains and fresh blood will flow like water; humankind will be wiped out, leaving not even descendants behind. To rescue all of this—how could that be easy!

“Therefore I command the Imperial Lord of Zitong (Zitong Dijun), the deity who governs literary fortune and protects scholars, to proclaim the teaching throughout the Nine Heavens, to ride a luan and descend to the human world, and to relieve the people, so that all may cleanse their thoughts, cast off distracting cares, and enter upon the path of goodness. Children are to be filial to their parents, and ministers loyal to their ruler; brothers are to be affectionate and respectful toward one another, and husbands and wives harmonious and compliant. Those in high position are to treat their subordinates with feeling and rightness, and to conduct the affairs of government with impartiality—free of greed, of jealousy, of treachery, and of falsehood. If these principles can be practiced continually, so that the customs of the world turn toward goodness because of them, then ghosts and spirits too will look up in reverence, and Heaven and Earth will be at peace. The elderly may enjoy long life, children may be nurtured, the state may be tranquil, the five grains may yield abundant harvests, and a declining age may return to simplicity and purity. This being so, could the great kalpa of the final age still remain on its own?

“If I were to display divine power and reach down my hand to save people, I could indeed save them for a time; but if human hearts are not set right, how can such rescue endure? It is therefore better first to rectify human hearts, and the great kalpa will of itself be dispelled. The spirits who patrol the world will then stand in awe and withdraw—how would they still dare to do evil at will? All of you must listen with concentrated reverence, and give rise to no other thoughts.”

At this, Yuanzai Kongsheng Tianzhu, the Perfected One Who Saves the Sunken and Uproots Sin—the perfected one charged with delivering those sunk in perdition and removing sinful karma—and the Lord of the Eastern Dai Marchmount, principal deity of Mount Tai, the Eastern Peak, both joyfully paid their respects, then silently returned to their places.

At this time, the Celestial Worthy (Tianzun) again addressed the four assemblies present (everyone gathered) and said: “I will now set forth once more, in detail, the causes and conditions involved. All of you must listen carefully.

Among the myriad things, human beings are the most spiritually endowed, and the heart is the master of the whole body. When the heart is calm and settled, it commits no faults and does not crave desire; it is unmixed with falseness and free of worry and distracting thoughts. Words spoken in this way are naturally gentle and modest, and actions taken are naturally fair and upright.

Toward one’s parents, one need not deliberately require oneself to be filial, yet one is naturally filial; toward the ruler, one need not deliberately require oneself to be loyal, yet one is naturally loyal; toward one’s brothers, one need not deliberately require oneself to be affectionate and respectful, yet one is naturally affectionate and respectful; between husband and wife, one need not deliberately require oneself to be harmonious and compliant, yet one is naturally harmonious and compliant. Such a person neither harshly reproaches others nor yields to external things for private gain, but simply acts according to original nature, so that all that is done accords with the middle way. For a person like this, what is there still in the heart that must be deliberately calculated?

Thus, in that age the realm was clear and peaceful, the people secure and prosperous, and the ways of the world as simple and pure as in high antiquity. Now we live in the latter age. Although ordinary people must strive to observe these principles, so long as they do not go against them or grow lax, and so long as the mind never retreats and remains mindful thought after thought, the blessings they receive in recompense can likewise be like this. How could a great kalpa (calamity) make such blessings disappear?”

The Celestial Worthy then said:

How numinous and wondrous is this spark of original nature in the heart—neither stirred nor alarmed;

Free of distracting thoughts and worry, yet supremely keen and lucid.

The principle of Heaven stands clear and manifest, and the nature of goodness takes root from it.

Once falseness is mixed in, body and mind are harmed.

Yield to what is natural and return to the correct Dao (the Way), and every kind of blessing arrives together.

Revere and carefully guard this original nature; may all hear and receive it together.

After the Celestial Worthy had finished the verse, the hosts of celestial perfected beings, countless immortals, and the deities of the mountains, peaks, rivers, and seas all rejoiced and leaped with delight, praising this as a teaching never before heard.

This Jing (scripture) belongs to the “Original Texts” category of the Dongzhen division within the Three Caverns (Dongzhen/Dongxuan/Dongshen), and its title is the lower section of the Lingbao Xiaojie Zhengxin Baoying Zhang (the Chapter on Numinous Treasure Dispelling Calamities, Rectifying the Heart, and Karmic Response).

At this time, Baohe Yinghua, the True Person (Zhenren) of Preserving Harmony and Responsive Transformation, bowed before the Dao (the Way) and said, “I still do not know what further merits this scripture (Jing) possesses beyond the removal of calamities. I earnestly beg the Celestial Worthy (Tianzun), in his compassion, to expound at length upon its benefits for the four assemblies, Śakra, the gods and immortals of the various heavens, the spirits of the mountains and rivers, and all living beings between heaven and earth and in ages yet to come.”

The Celestial Worthy then said to the True Person Baohe Yinghua, “Well spoken. If the kings, sovereigns, and assisting ministers of the various states uphold this scripture, promote the principles within it, practice them personally and persevere in them, and thereby instruct and transform the world, then naturally the customs of the people will grow sincere and generous, governance will be clear and upright, the common people will live in peace and contentment, the five grains will yield abundant harvests, and the myriad things will flourish.

When people, in ordinary times and with nothing pressing upon them, can reflect quietly with sincere hearts and recite this scripture with single-minded devotion, they may naturally pray for long life for their parents, distinction for their descendants, prosperity for the family estate, and health of body, and the matters they seek will be fulfilled as they wish.

If someone enters the mountains and forests or the rivers and seas and meets with violent winds or fierce beasts, provided that person repents and sincerely keeps this scripture in mind, the mountain spirits will naturally give protection and the River Earl will stand guard; the fierce beasts will withdraw and the winds and waves will subside. If someone stands amid the ranks of battle or encounters enemies, provided that person repents and keeps this scripture in mind, evil persons will naturally lay aside their hostility and deadly weapons will be avoided, so that no harm is suffered and safety continues as before.

If a woman meets with danger in childbirth, or hopes to obtain offspring, provided she repents and keeps this scripture in mind, she will naturally come through safely and smoothly and give birth to sons and daughters endowed with blessings and virtue; the children, too, will be intelligent and wise, and will be held in honor.

If someone recites this scripture for the assembled spirits in a shrine, the ghosts and spirits who hear it can leave the path of ghosts and gain a greater share of heavenly blessings. Daoist priests, practitioners, and devout men and women may also set aside a pure and quiet room, change into clean new clothes, paint an image of the Sovereign of the Nine Heavens, and prepare incense, flowers, lamps, fruit, and pure water as offerings. Clearing away distracting thoughts and setting their minds aright, they sit in stillness and recite the scripture. In this way, the ghosts and spirits nearby who hear the text can leave the ghostly path and attain the fruit of immortality; hungry ghosts can escape the torment of hunger and thirst, receive deliverance, and proceed to the Southern Palace; and animals, upon hearing it, can also leave the animal realm and be reborn as human beings. When grasses and trees hear this scripture, those already withered can revive and grow still more abundant. Birds on the wing, fish in the depths, and every kind of animal and plant, together with all sentient beings born from the womb, from the egg, from moisture, or by transformation, can receive the transformative teaching of the Dao.

Wherever this scripture is present, and for all who revere and uphold it, countless beings from the ten directions—great sages who fly through the heavens, True Persons Who Rescue from Suffering, vajra warriors, the troops and horses of gods and immortals, fierce beasts of golden essence, and others—will come to protect and sustain them. The merits that arise from this cannot be told to the end.”

Thereupon the Perfected Person Baohe Yinghua bowed his head and addressed the Celestial Worthy: “Everyone has now heard of the merit of this scripture (Jing). If there are people in the world who harbor doubt and refuse to believe, or even slander it without cause; who do not choose a clean place in which to enshrine the scripture, and who presume to recite or transmit it (to read it aloud or pass the text on) without keeping the fast and the precepts—what retribution will such people receive? I earnestly beg the Celestial Worthy to instruct us further.”

At that time the Celestial Worthy said: “Alas, what you ask is truly out of the ordinary! The merit of this scripture cannot be measured, and the corresponding retributions are hard to set forth one by one. Whether people of the world revere and practice the text, or give rise to doubt and slander it, the blessings and the blame they incur each differ in weight. If all of this were explained in full detail, ordinary people might, through heterodox views, grow still more doubtful. I now proclaim this scripture in order to rescue the people of the final age (the time when the kalpa declines toward its end). Whether a person doubts or believes can be known simply by listening to their words and observing their deeds; as for nature and life, and for misfortune and fortune, how could these be made clear household by household?

“I only wish that people of the world, in serving their parents, will be filial from the heart and not merely go through the motions; that in serving their ruler they will be loyal in sincerity and not merely put on an appearance of loyalty; that in relating to their brothers they will be genuinely affectionate and mutually respectful, and not merely friendly and deferential on the surface; that husband and wife will live in true harmony and mutual accord, and not merely act as if they were concordant; that in treating subordinates they will not seem deep in feeling on the outside while harboring no true affection within; and that in handling affairs they will not pretend to be impartial while being unjust at heart.

“If one can act according to these principles, then even if one has doubted the scripture or once slandered it, one may still be said truly to have believed the teaching. If one cannot, then even if one keeps the fast and the precepts and reverently recites the scripture, one still cannot be counted as truly believing. The good continually do good, and the wicked continually do evil; as days and months accumulate, the spirits of Heaven and Earth examine them and send down misfortune or fortune. All of this has its own cause and effect—why should I say more?”

Thereupon the Perfected Person Baohe Yinghua, together with the host of celestial immortals, offered praise and chanted a verse (a hymn of praise expressed in poetic lines):

“How vast and profound, within the Jade Star; tracing the river back to its source, all accords closely with this principle.”

Having slaughtered hundreds of millions of living beings, and bearing karmic guilt of great weight, I prostrate in repentance before the Supreme Celestial Worthy, a remorse beyond what words can express.

Thereupon the Celestial Worthy gave rise to a heart of compassion. Throughout the Nine Heavens he enlightened and transformed living beings, so that all their transgressions might be washed away.

So long as the mind is kept pure for a long time, whether one once doubted or once believed, may all beings return to the correct Way (Dao).

I now bow before the Supreme Celestial Worthy and sincerely declare my repentance. May tens of millions of living beings no longer be deceived or destroyed.

At that time, the Perfected Being Who Preserves Harmony and Transforms in Response (the perfected one who carries out the Celestial Worthy’s teaching and manifests according to conditions), together with the assembled immortals, finished reciting this gatha (a hymn of praise expressed in rhymed verse). They then bowed in reverence to the Celestial Worthy, withdrew, and received the teaching in faith and put it into practice.

When the recitation of the scripture (Jing) was complete, they purified their thoughts, knelt long upon the ground, and repented according to the rite performed before.

The Compassionate Worthy of Qiqu (the compassionate honored deity of Mount Qiqu, namely the Imperial Lord Wenchang) is the principal honored one of teaching through compassion. My life was nurtured jointly by a loving father and a loving mother.

When children become sages and worthies, they too are filial and loving; when grandchildren inherit ancestral Virtue (De), they too are loving and reverently filial.

The Qi (vital energy) of harmony in one family stretches on without end: ten thousand generations like spring, the bright moon shining without cease.

The radiance of compassion universally illumines living beings throughout the heavens, fine even as dust, and fills all of heaven and earth.

I and all living beings are born alike, receiving the Qi of heaven and earth—just as the Imperial Lord Wenchang, at the beginning when heaven was opened and earth was set in place, already dwelt with living beings in the harmony of one family, harmonious Qi stretching on without end, ten thousand generations like spring, the bright moon shining without cease.

The radiance of compassion universally illumines living beings throughout the heavens, fine even as dust, and fills all of heaven and earth.

I and all living beings are born alike, receiving the Qi of heaven and earth, just as the Imperial Lord Wenchang was at the beginning when heaven was opened and earth was set in place.

Sages and worthies are not sages and worthies from birth, nor are ordinary people fated to remain ordinary. We have wandered lost through the turning of lives until now, and only at last have we awakened.

May I honor the teaching of the Compassionate Worthy of Qiqu, fulfill loyalty and filial piety to the utmost, and always keep a heart of compassion.

May I not, through the karma of speech (faults created by words), treat deities and other people with arrogance; may I not, through the karma of the body (faults created by actions), bring trouble upon my parents.

May I not, through the karma of the mind (faults created by thoughts), deceive heaven and earth; may I not, through evil thoughts in the heart, draw disaster down upon my descendants.

May I begin with filial conduct and hidden merit (good deeds performed in secret, without seeking any return), and do my utmost to practice every kind of good that aids people and benefits living things.

I repent the stains of every sin accumulated over many lifetimes, and take refuge in the light of the Great Compassionate Worthy of Qiqu.

In seeking descendants, in seeking rank, fame, and stipend, and in seeking a means of livelihood, I do not beg of others, but exert myself in my own person.

The Master of Wenchang at Qiqu whom I revere has passed through age after age of the world, and has always treated others with forbearance.

May you bestow a single ray of light that accords with our wishes, and take pity on living beings who repent with sincere hearts.

When repentance is finished, one should next make vows.

May father and mother together receive the blessed fruit of long life, living as long as the tortoise and the crane, their white hair shining in the light of compassion.

May I myself enjoy great auspiciousness, serving my parents above and raising my children below, free of sorrow, hardship, and affliction.

May our descendants catch the cassia fragrance of the clouded cliffs (the fragrance of cassia conveying the wish for success in the examinations, official rank, and glory), and may they flourish and prosper together with their own children and grandchildren.

When fathers are loving and children filial, the whole household is harmonious as spring. May our hearts be bright and clear, and may we not fail the teachings of the Compassionate Honored One (the compassionate honored deity).

May we be personally received and led by the honored deity of the Seven Bends (Qiqu, the sacred site in the cult of the Imperial Lord of Zitong), who guides us to ascend to the true realm and enter the holy gate.

Whether we relinquish this life or receive a life to come, may we all attain right and universal knowledge (perfect, all-pervading wisdom); until future ages, may all together realize perfection.

The vow has now been completed; what follows should be praise.

May the whole household be harmonious as spring, with hearts bright and clear, not failing the teachings of the Compassionate Honored One.

May we be personally received and led by the honored deity of the Seven Bends, who guides us to ascend to the true realm and enter the holy gate.

Whether we relinquish this life or receive a life to come, may we all attain right and universal knowledge; until future ages, may all together realize perfection.

The vow has now been completed; what follows should be praise.

The compassionate honored lord of the Hall of Cassia Fragrance teaches living beings with a vast teaching and washes clean the roots of sinful karma.

The roots of sinful karma are transformed into the fragrance of cassia blossoms, and the roots of goodness are nurtured into the fruit of long life.

May the flesh and blood of one family be free of affliction, and may the descendants of the Seven Bends together receive protection.

We universally vow that, from this life through lives to come, we may long cultivate the Dao (the Way) and attain the Dao before the Cliff of Purple Clouds.

May the Imperial Lord guard and uphold us at every step and in every thought; through life after life, may we receive the protection of Heaven.

The ordinary body may change, and form will in the end disperse; yet so long as the true heart remains firm, it is as unmoving as metal and stone.

After the worship is completed, one may offer prayers as one wishes and dedicate the merit (transferring the merit of the good deeds one has cultivated to others or to all living beings).