《太上九天延涤厄四圣妙经》

With reverent respect I invite the Four Marshals of the North: they can subdue the hosts of demons and are sacred venerables of boundless power. Their long hair hangs loose and they grasp precious swords; their bearing is martial and majestic, and a million celestial soldiers constantly guard them. Marshals Tianpeng and Tianyou can drive out the fierce and the wicked, while Perfected Lords Yisheng and Zhenwu can bestow auspicious fortune. I now pray with devout sincerity, inviting the Shen (spirits) to descend upon the ritual altar, so that every calamity and adversity may disperse of itself.

With a heart of utmost sincerity I take refuge and pay homage. Before the seat of Marshal Tianpeng, six dragons attend as guards, and nine tigers keep watch within the passes. He manifests a fierce form of three heads and six arms, commands the Seven Governors—the sun, the moon, and the five planets—together with the Shen of the eight directions, and puts forth vast dharma-power. Once the imperial bell resounds, the myriad sages descend together; when the battle-axe is lightly brandished, the demon hosts are shattered and destroyed. The radiance of his Shen is illustrious, and he constantly rescues all living beings; his true nature is lofty and solemn, and he has vowed forever to exalt the orthodox Dao (the Way). He can burst the corpses of evil demons apart across a thousand li and cut down every kind of ghost and monster.

O Shen of great compassion, of great and vast vow, of sacred loving-kindness, who penetrates the celestial realms and may be invoked for protection—who prolongs auspiciousness and washes away adversity! May you protect me so that I remain far from disaster, and uphold the peace of body and mind. Great Marshal of the Eighty-One Armies of Tianpeng of the North Pole, Perfected Lord Who Protects the Nation and Dispels Demons, who has realized the true fruit, Celestial Worthy whose dharma-power, like clouds, universally covers all beings.

With utmost sincerity I entrust my life and offer homage: in the Heaven of Wondrous Being (Miaoyou Tian, the celestial realm spoken of in Daoism), on the right side of the Hall of Penetrating Brightness, he is the deputy commander who leads the hosts of the Celestial Dipper (Tiangang), and he is ranked among the feudal lords of the lower world. He pities ordinary people who, through ignorance and delusion, lose their original truth. Looking up to the radiance cast by the sagely and luminous honored form, he composed a preface on that account. He praises and unfolds the profound rhythmic purport of the many heavens, and sets forth and proclaims the immortal chapters of the Great Brahma realm. Stooping in compassion toward hearts that devoutly revere the Dao (the Way), he greatly bestows the power of protection: clouds of Qi (vital energy) rise with his footsteps, and the great sea seems to flow with his body. Of great compassion and great vows, of great holiness and great mercy—he who gives passage to the heavens and is prayed to for shelter, who prolongs auspiciousness and washes away calamity, and who nourishes body, mind, and life—the Great Marshal Tianyou of the Northern Pole, the Celestial Emperor of Universal Transformation, the Celestial Worthy who has realized the fruit, of Balanced Harmony and Responsive Goodness.

With utmost sincerity I entrust my life and offer homage: he established merit in the imperial court and holds rank in the heavenly court. He has overall charge of dispatching the Three Caverns and the Five Thunders (Sandong Wulei; the Three Caverns are Dongzhen, Dongxuan, and Dongshen—in Daoism, the scriptural methods together with the commands of thunder), wields the balance of the eight heavens and the nine earths, and grasps the pivot on which creation and transformation turn. He commands the many generals and officers of the immortals and the perfected. There is no evil spirit he cannot cut down; what ghost or monster would dare to resist? He subdues powerful demons and drives off uncanny prodigies that flash like meteors. His radiance shines upon the sun and moon, and his majestic power shakes heaven and earth. Of great compassion and great vows, of great holiness and great mercy—he who gives passage to the heavens and is prayed to for shelter, who prolongs auspiciousness and washes away calamity, and who upholds and protects body, mind, and life—the Great Marshal Yisheng Heisha of the Northern Pole (the Assisting Saint, the Black Killer), the True Lord Who Stores Felicity and Protects De (Virtue/Power), the Celestial Worthy who has realized the fruit and roams the Three Realms.

Note: In the original of the second paragraph, the passage from “there is no evil he does not slay” to “his majesty shakes heaven and earth” appears twice, and it is interrupted by wording suspected of corruption or omission, such as “da, the officers of the perfected immortals.” The rendering above follows the complete sense.

With utmost sincerity and reverence one takes refuge and offers worship: this venerable deity corresponds to the Xu and Wei lunar mansions (northern constellations), and his spiritual nature was nurtured by the Qi (vital energy) of Ren and Gui. He took form from the Golden Portal, the palace of the celestial realm, and dwells in honor at the very height of the Jade Void—the pure and mysterious realm of which Daoism speaks—where mystery reaches its utmost.

Could his charge be only to assist the orthodox Dao (the Way) and to root out evil? Born of the Dao of Zhengyi (Orthodox Unity), is he merely to destroy demons and defend the state? He can shelter all beings when a kalpa comes to its end, and bring order to bear when a new kalpa begins; he protects living beings and also commands the host of immortals. Brave and resolute, complete in ability, he joins awesome spiritual power with virtue, and holds great compassion and great vows—a deity supremely holy and supremely compassionate. People pray that he may carry their petitions up to Heaven’s hearing, bestow blessings and remove misfortune, so that body and life may be peaceful and at ease.

The scripture afterward praises him under several honorific titles—Great Marshal Zhenwu, Holy Protector of the North Pole; Primordial Sage and Benevolently Mighty Emperor of the Mysterious Heaven; Incarnation of the Golden Portal; and the Heavenly Worthy Who Attains the Fruit, Ends the Kalpa, and Relieves Suffering—all of which refer to this venerable deity Zhenwu.

I most sincerely take refuge and pay reverent homage: to the highest heavenly realm within the Initial Azure Heaven (one of the Nine Heavens spoken of in Daoism), and to the supremely true, subtle, and wondrous palaces within the Pure Capital Gates (the pure palaces of heaven). Receiving the illumination of five-colored light, this is a ritual assembly rarely met with. I respectfully attend the profound and wondrous sacred decree of the Nine Heavens Extending Auspiciousness (a prayer that heaven send down good fortune); the Four True Saints may be relied upon. I rejoice to meet the Imperial Elder come from the Metal Direction (the West), who once again opens for the beings of the dusty world the causes and conditions for eliminating karmic obstacles.

By good fortune the Primordial Worthy (the supreme honored deity) has bestowed talismanic writs and, before the assembly, entrusted the secret incantations, opening for the world an expedient path for seeking auspiciousness and manifesting the divine majesty with which the Great Dao (the Way) resonates with the myriad things. What calamity cannot be removed? What blessing cannot descend? Practice according to the mind of one’s vow and pray with a sincere heart, and the gods and spirits will respond.

The sages of the numinous assembly of great compassion, great vast vows, great holy De (Virtue/Power), and great benevolence, together with the supreme sages of the ten directions in the “Chapter on Cleansing Calamities” (the scriptural section on eliminating disasters), the Imperial Lords of the various heavens, the Three Officials and the Five Emperors, the sun, moon, and stars, the Northern Dipper and the Southern Asterisms, the Perfected and the divine immortals, the Most True Great Sages, the Elders of the Nine Heavens, the ranked sages of the Celestial Offices, the spirits of one’s birthday and original destiny, the stars that govern the limits of fortune, the numinous youths and strong warriors of the departments of the Four Saints, the spirit-kings and fierce generals, and also the immortal Perfected, the Elders of the Nine Heavens, the ranked sages of the Celestial Offices, the spirits of one’s birthday and original destiny, the stars that govern the limits of fortune, the numinous youths and strong warriors of the departments of the Four Saints, the spirit-kings and fierce generals, the soldiery of the North, the majestic deities who hold the ritual registers, the lords of the Five Marchmounts and the Four Waterways, the divinities honored in rites of sacrifice, and all true spirits who inspect and bear witness in the scripture assembly:

I earnestly beg you holy and true ones to heed this slight yet sincere intention of mine. May your sacred carriages descend to the human world, dispel calamity, and record good deeds. In all that is prayed for and all that is practiced, may poisonous harm be cut away and life protected, so that the myriad beings each receive their power and their blessings. May I, with one heart together with all sentient beings, take refuge and pay reverent homage.

Incantation of Arcane Profundity for Opening the Scripture

Between heaven and earth there are true primordial Qi (vital energy) and the myriad phenomena; in the human world Dao and De are honored. The writings of heaven set forth the principles of the eight directions, and those who awaken thereby eliminate the root of deviant thoughts. Cultivate with concentrated diligence, and one can reach the Cinnabar Gates (the dwelling places of the immortals); turn toward the Dao with devotion, and one can ascend to the Purple Clarity (the heavenly realm). Auspicious clouds and propitious Qi spread through the eight directions, and auspicious mists wind about within the immortal capital. The principles of the Three Vehicles (methods of cultivation at different levels) are profound and vast, yet the true nature innate in human beings remains clear and ever present. Now I seek the highest and most wondrous methods of the Dao, wishing to find my way out of delusion.

The Wondrous Scripture of the Most High on the Four Saints of the Nine Heavens Who Extend Auspiciousness and Cleanse Calamity

At this time, Yuanshi Tianzun, the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning (a revered deity of Daoism), was upon the palaces of the Jade Capital and the Spirit Terrace in the Heaven of Primordial Azure, sending forth radiance of five colors. Each color differed from the others, shining through within and without, so that everything became bright and clear.

The Celestial Worthy summoned the heavens of the ten directions, the sun, moon, and stars, the Three Officials and the Four Saints, the Northern Dipper and the Southern Asterisms, the Perfected and the divine immortals, the supremely true great deities, together with the lords of the four quarters and of above and below, of mountains, peaks, rivers, and waterways, and innumerable living beings. All together they expounded the wondrous Dao (the Way) of Wuwei (non-action). Golden light shone through the day, and purple clouds of Qi (vital energy) circled their bodies; the rain of the teaching was widely bestowed, and the numinous wind fanned in every direction. Golden lads held the ritual insignia, and jade maidens offered incense; luan birds and phoenixes called to one another, and consorts and queens performed music. Before the throne, the hundred spirits of earth and wood likewise listened in silence to this profound principle.

At that time, seated below was a Heavenly Lord named the White Emperor of the West, Heavenly Lord of the Seven Qi. Holding a memorial tablet, he knelt at length and addressed the Celestial Worthy: “Your servant sees that people in the world dwell in the prison of fate, and their circumstances are not the same. Some wear brocade and eat rare delicacies, living amid golden halls and jade chambers, carved beams and lofty roofs. Others beg in the morning and still forage for food at night; their clothes do not cover their bodies, and they can only take shelter in shrines, with nowhere left to turn.

“Some, though born among humankind, are bent and hunchbacked, covered with sores and scabs, scorned by others, and afflicted by cold and hunger. Still others are blind, deaf, or unable to speak, their hands and feet curled or lame, their bodies incomplete. Some are of humble station, suffering the whip and torment, enduring every hardship, yet with nowhere to appeal. Others lean on their power to oppress those below them, and use their strength to bully the weak. Your servant does not understand: by what causes and conditions do these differing circumstances come about? Your servant is dull and has not yet grasped this, and earnestly begs the Celestial Worthy to reveal the wondrous principle, so that those who do not yet understand may awaken.”

The Celestial Worthy said: “Well asked. The White Emperor raises this question with good reason. Return to your seat, concentrate your Shen (spirit) and preserve the true, and I shall explain it for you.” Here the scripture turns to the Celestial Worthy’s reply.

The Celestial Worthy said: “Well spoken. The White Emperor (a revered deity of Daoism) raised this question precisely so that everyone might understand the principle within it. Sit down once more, concentrate on visualization, and settle your mind and spirit. I shall explain it to you.

When people come into the world, from childhood to old age and from vigor to decline, they commonly cling to the empty splendor of fame and profit, covet ease and enjoyment, and rush about without cease, giving no thought to the dangers they may meet. They may thereby entrap the worthy and the good, giving free rein to the three karmas of body, speech, and mind (bodily action, speech, and thought) to create deeds, and causing the six faculties (eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind) continually to give rise to afflictions. When the six faculties and the nine knots (nine kinds of affliction that bind the human heart) pull upon one another, calamity is invited. Thus, where there is a body there is entanglement; where there is entanglement, karma is created; and where there is karma, there is a corresponding retribution. Once cause, effect, and karmic retribution are understood, what matters is cultivation, from which self-examination and awakening arise.

The circumstances of living beings differ. Poverty and humble station often interact with karmic causes from the past; wealth, honor, and high station are likewise related to what was accumulated in former lives. Good and evil stand clearly apart as two different paths, yet the deluded commonly heed only what is before their eyes and turn to one side. Those who do good ought to receive good recompense; those who do evil fall into evil karma. The causal relation between the past and the present life is, in general, just this.”

The Celestial Lord asked further: “At times people are beset by illness, with life hanging in peril; they meet disaster and decline, and suffer the harassment of evil ghosts and the harm of demons. By what wholesome method should these afflictions be driven away?”

The Celestial Worthy replied: “People of the world do not know that the body is like a thing in the wind or a flame upon a candle, that life is illusory, brief, and ever changing. They merely follow habit and delay—how can this last? They contend for wealth and precious treasures, thinking only of themselves while harming others; they say one thing with the mouth and think another in the heart; they indulge desire and envy others. Thus they invite the injury of demons, lose their support, meet unexpected harm, and vainly endure all manner of suffering. Our tradition of the Dao (the Way) itself has four divine generals. If one silently recites their Jing (scriptures) with utmost sincerity, a response can be obtained.”

The Celestial Lord said: “Who are the four divine generals? I earnestly beg the Compassionate Worthy to write out clearly their names and their deeds.”

The Celestial Worthy (Tianzun) said: In the north there are four divine generals—Tianpeng, Tianyou, Yisheng, and Zhenwu. They command the celestial armies and dispatch officers and functionaries of every quarter. In times of urgent peril, one may recite their names with single-minded concentration, and they will send down their divine majesty, arriving the moment they are invoked. Their numinous light shines brilliantly and their awe-inspiring power presses upon all, so that demons conceal their forms and evil Jing (essence) hides away, and every calamity is thereby dispelled.

At that time the Celestial Worthy, taking pity on all living beings, transmitted this divine mantra of the Four Saints, by which one prays for the protection of the spirits, prolongs auspicious fortune, and eliminates disasters and afflictions.

Tianpeng Mantra:

Tianpeng, Tianpeng, Slaying Youth of the Nine Mysteries. The Five Stalwarts and the Metropolitan Office; Gaodiao, the Northern Elder. The Seven Governors and the Eight Numina; the Supreme White Ferocity. The long-skulled great beast holds the imperial bell in its hands. The three spirits of the white owl drive the Kui dragon. The Divine King of the Mighty Sword cuts away evil specters so that no trace of them can be found. Purple Qi (vital energy) towers to heaven; cinnabar clouds surge upward, their radiance blazing fiercely. Devouring demons, they stand with bodies set crosswise and travel by drinking the wind. A blue tongue and green teeth: the four-eyed elder. The strongmen of heaven are fierce and valiant, garrisoning the south and resisting baleful evil; the Tianzou, roused to fierce might, garrison the north and grasp sharp blades. Three hundred thousand celestial soldiers guard my person through the surrounding layers of the heavenly realms. They smash corpse-ghosts a thousand li away and drive out all that is inauspicious. If any petty ghost dares to show itself, a great axe cleaves the demon’s form. The Flame Emperor scorches it with blazing blood, and the Northern Dipper sets its bones afire; the gods of the Four Brilliances destroy its remains, and the god Tianyou annihilates its kind. With one flourish of the divine blade, the myriad ghosts scatter of themselves. Quickly, quickly—carry this out in accordance with the statutes and ordinances!

Tianyou Mantra:

Tianyou (a protective divine general of Daoism) holds the honored rank of the feudal lords. Above, he assists the Northern Emperor; below, he tours and oversees the Nine Provinces. Four arms grow from his shoulders, and three heads rise upon his neck. Clad in golden armor, he wields halberd and spear. Clouds and mist surge up with his footsteps, and the great sea seems to rush along with his body. Crimson light lies deep and dim; purple Qi (vital energy) stretches on without end. Mighty winds roll forward layer upon layer, and dense fog howls and churns. True Qi coils and circulates, and the stars circle and revolve. Hosts of spirits come to pay homage, and he tours the Five Sacred Peaks. Golden lads play music, and jade maidens lift their voices in song.

His name is entered at the Golden Portal (the abode of the Celestial Emperor), and his divine station guards Fengdu (the netherworld as spoken of in Daoism). Blue-green birds, lions, and the flood-dragons of the vast sea all await his command. Three hundred thousand troops and horses accompany him on his rounds. Meeting demonic evil, he cuts it down; encountering ghosts and monsters, he subdues them. If people fall into disaster, he sends down blessings, while evil hauntings have nowhere to hide. Wherever he descends, blessings follow, and calamity and sorrow are washed away. Ignorant little ghosts, should they dare linger and refuse to withdraw—one glance from me, and they are made prisoners of the underworld forever. Quickly, quickly, in accordance with the statutes and ordinances!

The Black Killer Incantation:

Black Emperor of the North (deity of the North), Taiwei and the Six Jia (divine names linked with the star officials of heaven and the Six Jia divine generals), spirit-lords of the Five Emperors, radiant as sun and moon: your might shakes heaven and earth. You can deploy Fulu (talismans and registers), seize and bind ghosts and spirits, seal the ghost gate, mobilize divine generals, and bestow divine Qi, and you arrest and drive out the Five Plagues (the evil deities that cause epidemics). Clerks and soldiers assist on the left and the right. The Three-Five Generals, together with the Lord of Thunder and the thunderbolts, set out as one. Lightning flashes swift, wild winds race, and swords and blades fall like rain. The ceremonial retinue masses like clouds. Holding the Emperor’s bell and wearing the crown of Kunlun, they tour the world under heaven and hunt down ghosts and spirits.

The altar-commanders of every place in the Nine Provinces (deities who govern the local soil-altars) and the soldiers and generals who receive sacrifice may not disobey. If any evil being bares its fangs and brandishes its claws, the Quelling Star binds its hands, and the Northern Dipper gathers in its soul. The Three Terraces and the Seven Stars (stellar deities) take up swords and cut down its body. Even if the offense is not grave, it is to be punished with severity, and the calamity will extend to its descendants. Evil Jing (essence) and wangliang (ghosts and monsters of the mountains and streams) are not permitted even to hear this spell-command. Whoever hears my incantation shall have head broken and brain split, shattered like fine dust. Quickly, quickly, in accordance with the statutes and ordinances!

Divine Incantation of Zhenwu (the True Warrior)

The primordial Qi (vital energy) of the Highest Heaven transformatively gives birth to divine generals, who bear the Three Terraces stars upon their heads (symbolizing protection and authority). Their unbound hair resembles the rounded fullness of the celestial images, manifesting the awesome numinous power of Zhenwu (the northern deity venerated in Daoism). They assist the Great Dao (the Way); turtle and snake are joined as one; their bodies stand vast as mountains and peaks; and the Qi of the four directions is clear and luminous. Golden light dazzles; their eyes gleam; their teeth are sharp as forests of swords; and in their hands they wield the Seven Stars sword.

Heavenly demons, heterodox paths, and ghosts, goblins, and sprites, on seeing me, dissolve into blood and water and finally turn to purple dust. Kuigang (names of asterisms, here referring to an upright, firm, and vigorous Qi) is my very substance. The celestial talisman then manifests, protecting the peace of heaven and earth. The water deities of the Jiang, the He, the Huai, and the Ji, the gods of the Five Sacred Peaks, and the Chenghuang and Sheling (local guardian deities and earth gods) all respectfully await my command. I direct the spirits and set the regulations in order—who would dare to restrain or obstruct me?

The Supreme Thearch has issued a decree to rescue all living beings. If any petty ghost causes mischief, seize it, bind it, and escort it here for presentation. Quickly, quickly, carry this out in accordance with the statutes and ordinances!

The Celestial Worthy spoke further: Living beings dwell in an age filled with greed, anger, and delusion—the three poisons—and the ten kinds of evil conduct, the ten evils. They constantly suffer every manner of harm from monstrous sprites and bewitching essences, evil ghosts and deviant gods, poisonous insects and fierce beasts, as well as from warfare, flood and fire, instruments of punishment and imprisonment, sickness and pain, and so they cannot find peace. In former times I transmitted a wondrous teaching and universally delivered living beings. I bestowed talismanic diagrams, Fulu (talismans and registers), and divine incantations upon those who cultivate the methods of the Dao (the Way), and I dispatched the Great Demon Kings of the Three Heavens to take their stations throughout the human world, rescuing living beings and enabling them to live in security.

Ordinary people fail to keep the purificatory fasts and precepts, and they violate the rules of discipline. They go against the principles of Heaven and fail the Earth; they do not understand causes and conditions, nor can they distinguish good from evil. They neither draw near the teachings of the sages nor come into contact with the Dao of the immortals. Little by little they fall under the influence of deviant winds and act according to every kind of vexation. Knowing full well that something is evil, they still commit it in secret, indulging body and mind and harming life. The Dao of Heaven is not remote. Like a bright mirror or clear water, good and evil, gain and loss, are all perfectly plain, and each receives its recompense. For this reason, poisonous winds, malign Qi (vital energy), and the demons of the Six Heavens fill the human world. Killing and violence never cease, and the casualties caused by deviant winds number in the tens of thousands each day, beyond all counting.

I sent the Divine Kings of the Ten Extremes of the heavens down into the human world, broadly delivering and supporting living beings so that they might obtain peace and auspicious fortune, yet people often do not know of this. Henceforth, if people of the world can take refuge in the Great Dao, devoutly revere the orthodox methods of the Dao, repent of their faults, and pray for gracious protection, so as to avert calamity and lengthen life; and if there is no other way to resolve a disaster, or if, when building a new house or breaking ground for construction, they have offended a directional taboo—what folk custom calls a forbidden orientation—they may light seven lamps in the center of the courtyard, set out five kinds of fresh fruit of the season, burn various celebrated incenses, and with sincere hearts face north and recite this Jing (scripture/classic). Then, writing the numinous talismans of the Four Saints in cinnabar and affixing them to the four corners inside the house, they will obtain good fortune, and the Sovereigns of the Four Heavens together with the Marshals of the Four Saints will also descend to protect and bless them.

This wondrous scripture can subdue the calamities one seeks to avert, bring to fulfillment what is sought, cause the wishes one sets forth to reach the hearing of Heaven, and secure approval for the matters one prays for.

The four Holy Perfected are as follows. The first is the Great Marshal Tianpeng of the North Pole, who can extend auspicious fortune and eliminate calamity, protecting a person’s body and life. The second is the Deputy Marshal Tianyou of the North Pole, who can extend auspicious fortune and eliminate calamity, nourishing a person’s body and life. The third is the Perfected Lord Yisheng Chuqing Baode, who assists the holy, stores felicity, and protects De (Virtue/Power), and who can extend auspicious fortune and eliminate calamity, safeguarding a person’s body and life. The fourth is the Emperor Lord Zhenwu, Holy Protector of the North Pole (the northern guardian deity venerated in Daoism), who can extend auspicious fortune and eliminate calamity, rendering a person’s body and life stable and peaceful.

The Celestial Worthy says: Reciting the names and Jing (scripture) incantations of these four Holy Perfected is greatly efficacious. If one encounters calamity or misfortune in a given year or month, one should face north, burn incense, concentrate the Shen (spirit), quiet the mind, and bow and recite with a sincere heart; the calamity will then disperse.

If the body is beset by many illnesses and has still not recovered after medicine is taken, one should likewise face north, concentrate the Shen, quiet the mind, and bow and recite with a sincere heart; pure calm will return of itself.

If locusts cause harm, or if there is drought or flood, one should likewise face north, concentrate the Shen, quiet the mind, and bow and recite with a sincere heart; conditions will of themselves turn to stability and peace.

If calamities and misfortunes cling to one in succession and are hard to escape, one should likewise face north, concentrate the Shen, quiet the mind, and bow and recite with a sincere heart; they will of themselves turn to auspiciousness and safety.

If evil Jing (essence) makes mischief, invading and doing harm, one should likewise face north, concentrate the Shen, quiet the mind, and bow and recite with a sincere heart; it will of itself be driven out.

If the dwelling is not at peace and wealth and goods are continually depleted, one should likewise face north, concentrate the Shen, quiet the mind, and bow and recite with a sincere heart; peace will of itself be restored.

If one suffers the calamity of imprisonment and endures cruel punishment, one should likewise face north, concentrate the Shen, quiet the mind, and bow and recite with a sincere heart; the celestial immortal troops and the Four Holy Generals will protect one’s person.

This scripture is a secretly transmitted classic of our Daoist tradition, and also a profound and mysterious canon of the Supreme Lord. When one’s own natal day arrives—the birthday corresponding to the year of birth—or on the various zhai days, days set aside for purification offerings, prayers for blessings, and cultivation, one should make body and mind pure and still. One may pray for parents, brothers, oneself, or other relatives. One may personally perform the worship and recitation, or invite a Daoist priest of Zhengyi (Orthodox Unity) to preside. The number of participants may be three, five, or seven, up to a maximum of forty-nine. All should recite the scripture with sincere hearts before the deities. At that time, spirit lads, stalwart warriors, divine kings, fierce generals, and the troops of the North will act according to the prayers and respond to that sincerity.

At this point the Celestial Worthy proclaims the “Comprehensive Incantation of the Four Saints”:

In the North there is a divine general, a numinous worthy dispatched by the Supreme Lord. His hair hangs loose and he holds a precious sword. He commands the four directions and the realms above and below, so that heaven and earth alike hear his orders.

Blades fall like rain and weapons flash with light. Meeting deviant demons, he slays them; seeing the good, he returns them to the correct Dao (the Way). Should one encounter peril and calamity, one ought to recite and uphold this incantation with a sincere heart.

Flying spears and hurled fire reach straight to Ziwei, the region where the imperial stars of heaven reside. If disaster attends the palaces of a person’s body and allotted life, even crisis can turn to good fortune, and sun and moon shine together. Reciting at this moment, one receives compassionate protection.

Generals of the Three and Five, the dharma-protecting divine generals named in the scripture, please protect my body. Golden light gathers thickly and thunder roars. Those who oppose me will be put to death; those who keep clear of me may be preserved. Kin within and outside the household will all remain safe, peaceful, and pure.

Tiangang and Kuixing, names of stellar lodges, command three hundred thousand troops. Venomous dragons, fierce beasts, the metal jing (essence) of the vast sea, together with the stellar deities Tanlang, Jumen, Lucun, Wenqu, Wuqu, Lianzhen, Zuofu, and Youbi, all come to slay the deviant and shatter demons. The true light of the divinities descends at once, and the myriad ghosts conceal themselves. Carry this out swiftly and do not linger. The whole family flourishes in auspiciousness and ascends into the formless realm.

Reverently obeying the commands and statutes of the Most High Emperor of Primordial Chaos, a venerated deity of Daoism: act at once!

Write the “Comprehensive Talisman of the Four Saints” in cinnabar on yellow paper and wear it on the body, and it will prove efficacious.

The Ancestor of the Dao (the Way) said: The Four Holy Marshals—the four marshals in Daoism who guard the celestial realm and command the divine troops—have long stood watch before the hall of the Jade Emperor, governing the demons and evils of the Three Realms. Each year they descend into the human world to observe how people do good and accumulate virtue. They bestow auspicious prosperity, uphold the Celestial Emperor’s blessed fortune, shelter all living beings, cut off the roots of evil thoughts and evil deeds, and increase people’s blessings, emoluments, and lifespan.

If people of the world apply themselves with wholehearted sincerity and reverence, keep body and mind pure, and respectfully worship and recite this Jing (scripture/classic): recited once, it nourishes and protects the bodily form; twice, it brings clarity, stillness, and peace; three times, body and mind, within and without, are settled and harmonious; four times, divine troops stand guard; five times, demons and ghosts withdraw far away; six times, the body is kept far from illness and pain; seven times, one comes to behold the true light. Recited a hundred times, it brings the protection and commendation of the Three Realms; a thousand times, one long enjoys auspicious blessing; ten thousand times, one may dwell in the palaces of the immortals and become one with the Dao.

This Jing is the path of cultivation and also the stairway by which one enters the Dao. Inwardly it nourishes and protects true nature; outwardly it wards off karmic obstacles. In stillness one realizes stillness; within the mysterious one enters a still deeper mystery. Thereupon the immortal sages of all the heavens, having heard this wondrous teaching and received this true text, rejoiced and exulted with a joy beyond all measure. The Heavenly Lord stepped forward, paid homage, offered thanks to the Celestial Worthy, and presented a hymn of praise:

The supreme great Dao is exalted and fundamental, embracing and nurturing all the heavens. The great Dao is originally at peace and originally pure and still, and thereby brings sages and immortals to completion.

(In the scripture the passage “embracing the yellow and returning, obtaining the true text…” appears more than once, and the end of the hymn likewise contains repeated wording; the above follows the reading where the sense runs continuously.)

The supremely exalted Dao (the Way) is honored as the root of all things, embracing and nurturing the heavens. Originally peaceful and still, it is thereby able to bring sages and immortals to attainment. It holds yellow in its embrace and turns the purple Qi (vital energy), passing in and out of the azure and the dark, mysterious realm. With a compassionate heart, the Celestial Worthy (Tianzun) expounds and proclaims this true scripture. The wondrous principles within it are hard to put into words and hard to perceive, like Kun below and Qian above. It is uncarved and favors neither side. If one can comprehend and apply its principles, one may ascend to a vast and boundless world. The primordial stellar force (Yuan’gang) gives birth to the myriad things and sets heaven and earth in motion; the great Dao, through Wuwei (non-action), meets no obstruction and rests at ease in clarity and stillness.

We are now fortunate to have received this numinous and wondrous classic, personally proclaimed by the supreme sages. Should anyone grasp the meaning of the scripture, then even through long kalpas they may still enjoy enduring longevity, with fortune and emolument secure, abiding in clarity and stillness and forever walking the path of cultivating the Dao.

The Celestial Worthy said to the immortals of the heavens: “We vow that this scripture shall be transmitted. If anyone cultivates it with sincere diligence, calamities may be removed and blessings welcomed; they will long receive the protection of immortals and Perfected Ones, their descendants will continue without end, and generation after generation will all be able to behold the Celestial Worthy.”

When the sages had finished speaking, the assembly received the wondrous teaching and departed by carriage and astride cranes, with phoenix palanquins and cloud chariots attending them. They bowed in thanks to the Celestial Worthy, took their leave, and withdrew.

The Most High Wondrous Scripture of the Four Saints of the Nine Heavens for Extending Auspiciousness and Dispelling Calamity (Taishang Jiutian Yanxiang Di’e Sisheng Miaojing)