《高上大洞文昌司禄紫阳宝箓》

The Highest Great Cavern Wenchang Controller-of-Emoluments Ziyang Precious Register

Upper Scroll of the Highest Great Cavern Wenchang Controller-of-Emoluments Ziyang Precious Register

A devotee of the Dao, so-and-so, dwelling in such-and-such a place, states: My birth fell in such-and-such a year, month, day, and hour. According to the destiny of my natal fate, I stand under the illumination of a certain star-lord of the Northern Dipper. Today, with a devout heart, I come before my ordaining master, the patriarch of the teaching, the Great Perfected Celestial Master (Tianshi), to receive in homage one copy of the Highest Great Cavern Wenchang Controller-of-Emoluments Ziyang Precious Register, to wear it upon my person and reverently uphold it.

I swear to honor the orthodox teaching, to restrain my words and conduct and cultivate body and mind; to increase my talent and open the capacity to discern principle clearly; to dispel demonic obstacles and drive away baleful influences; and to seek distinction through the civil examinations, and thereafter advancement in official rank and emolument. After receiving the register and wearing the talisman (Fulu), I dare not lightly divulge the mysterious scriptures (jing). Should I break this oath or harbor resentment toward my master of the Dao, it shall be as if I had forsaken the covenant, and I shall be dealt with according to the liturgical precepts (Keyi) and statutes of the Upper Palace of Wenchang.

The Chapter of Wenchang’s Opening of Transformation in the Nine Heavens (a section recounting the transformative teaching of the Thearch Wenchang)

At that time, the Sovereign of Opening Transformation throughout the Nine Heavens, the Celestial Worthy of Limpid Perfection, Correct Contemplation, and Precious Light (a revered deity of the Dao), in the year Chongguang Chifenruo, in the month when the sun traveled through Quail’s Tail, and on the day when the full moon stood in the Eastern Wall, descended to the Tower of Harmonious Sincerity and Response and the Jade Void Altar of Mysterious Assembly on Baoping Mountain in the capital of Shu, and told the Perfected Liu Ansheng, immortal attendant of the Phoenix Bureau:

“Formerly, by the jade edict of the Supreme Thearch, I was placed in charge of the Cassia Register (the roll recording merit, fame, emolument, and rank). I assist men of letters, advance the eminent and noble, and also recommend the worthy and those of virtue—De (Virtue/Power)—so as to aid an age of clarity and good order. For this reason I came to preside over the Celestial Offices (the bureaus of the heavenly realm) and to have sole charge of the Office of Emoluments, examining the registers of the Earth Bureau and determining nobility and baseness, and likewise weighing the merit and De of the Water Bureau and bearing responsibility for recommending the worthy and talented. Selection and appointment throughout the Three Bureaus of Heaven, Earth, and Water all fall under my unified direction.

In every year of selection I join with the Three Primordials and the Three Officials, the Five Thearchs of the Five Directions, the Three Chronograms and the Five Dippers, and the host of stellar officers in common oversight, examining the seasons of Heaven and the cycles of Qi (vital energy). I also command the Directorates of the Celestial Offices for Fixing Destiny and Fixing Nobility, together with the Heaven Bureau, the Earth Bureau of Mount Tai, the Earth Bureau of Northern Fengdu, and the Thearch-Lord of Fusang of the Water Bureau, to assemble at the Grand Commandery of Wenchang for Opening Transformation throughout the Nine Heavens. There they determine the astral correspondences of the regions of the Nine Provinces, and assess the leading names and ranks due for promotion and selection, the grades of the emolument registers, and the relative standing of the Three Emoluments, the Three Nobilities, and the Three Worthies.

At the same time, the conduct and fortunes of their ancestors, parents, families, and themselves, generation after generation, must also be examined: whether there have been great hidden De and acts of filial piety; whether resentments and enmities, debts, evil karma, and calamities have accumulated; whether there are offenses under divine censure, lawsuits arising from tombs, karmic roots left by curses, together with the roots of suffering and demonic obstructions. These are then set alongside destiny according to the Five Phases (Wuxing: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water), and the years and portions of blessing that are due are calculated and recorded, each one fixed in turn.

If a family has, through successive generations, accumulated great merit, hidden De, and filial conduct, and the foundation of its De is deep, then even if its destiny is adverse it may, by merit and De, overcome its allotted fate, increase its emolument and its years of life, enter the selection of the noble, and be entered in the emolument register. If merit and De are profound, yet grievances, debts, and calamities have not yet been cleared away, the emolument rank is first registered and the name entered in the register of the worthy; only after blessings have accumulated to fullness and karmic offenses have diminished can one truly receive the emolument.

If a person’s fate would originally have brought name and rank, honor, and emolument, yet he has not accumulated hidden De, established great merit, or practiced such virtues as loyalty and filial piety, then his emolument should be reduced, his noble station withdrawn, and his name struck from the register. Only after he establishes De, practices good, and accumulates blessing and felicity is he registered anew in the roll of the noble, his emolument increased and his reputation brought to fulfillment.

If a literatus or a worthy person can understand his allotted fate, repent of his faults, advance in De, and cultivate his studies, yet, although his destiny is illustrious and noble, his hidden merit is insufficient, or he is bound by karmic conditions and entangled by grievances and debts, and is further hindered in his advancement by ghosts and deviant spirits while demons cloud his mind, I then transmit to him the Precious Register of the Great Cavern of the Upper Palace of Wenchang (a Daoist Fulu—talismans and registers—of the Wenchang divine lineage), to help dispel demonic obstructions and to awaken and nourish body and mind.”

This scripture (jing) was originally treasured in the Jade Clarity Holy Realm where the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning dwells, within the Golden Portal and Jade Chamber of the Heavenly Palace of Vast Kalpas, sealed in a pouch of cloud-brocade. It was later transmitted to the Great Lord of the Dao (Yuchen Dadaojun), and then by the Most High Lord Lao imparted to the Emperor of Purple Tenuity and the Primordial Sovereign of Great Unity, and thereafter passed to the Yellow Emperor Xuanyuan and transmitted to Emperor Yao, Great Shun, and Great Yu. Great Yu in turn passed it to Liu Yue, and after that, in succession, to Wang Jing, Peng Taiji, Deng Yuan, Liu Yi, Liu Dongzhen, Wang Yuan, Peng Xiao, Liu Xiyue, Lan Gongqiao, and Peng Dezhi. From then on, many sages and perfected immortals who had attained the Dao received, upheld, and transmitted this scripture-register.

Those who have good affinities from former lives and have accumulated blessings and felicity, should they wish to seek a teacher and receive the transmission, must sincerely and reverently state their request, observe the prescribed rites and standards, and offer gold, silk, and other ritual pledges as tokens of the covenant. A master who transmits this register must already have received and upheld such Daoist scriptures and registers as the Three Caverns and Four Supplements (Sandong Sifu) and the Golden Registers of the Nine Heavens before he may, according to the ritual protocols, transmit them and deliver others. If one’s moral attainment and seniority are still shallow and one’s meritorious achievements have not yet become manifest, one must not casually call oneself a master or rashly divulge the numinous text.

Receiving and upholding this precious register and cultivating in accordance with it can dissolve the knots of grievance accumulated over successive lifetimes, settle litigation connected with tombs and the calamities of former days, cut off the roots of evil karma, and destroy the demonic obstacles that bring suffering. It can also cause the malign spirits that spy upon people to hide and withdraw, the ghosts that obstruct literary fortune to flee and scatter, the demonic beings that disturb mind and nature to disappear, and the baleful influences that impede an official career to be thwarted.

If a person’s destiny is unfavorable and his emolument and station are lowly, once he obtains this secret text, so long as he reverently upholds it without slackening, is diligent in burning incense and paying homage, and often keeps in mind the scripture and the oral formulas, he can dispel heavenly disasters and avert earthly calamities, increase blessings, emolument, and years of life, cut off the harassment of evil demons, and make mind and spirit (shen) clear and literary talent manifest.

If nobility has not yet appeared in one’s fate and one’s career in letters and affairs has not yet unfolded, one should revere the precious register and cultivate according to its methods, taking the help of others as the essential task—removing poisons and harms, treating illness, and saving lives. After rescuing three hundred and sixty people and thereby accumulating great merit, one can raise one’s emolument and station, be entered among the company of the noble and on the register of the worthy; in time one will assist an age of clarity and good order, become a minister of high station, and blessings and emoluments will extend to sons and grandsons, bringing glory to the family.

If one can cultivate the wondrous methods in the scripture-register, keeping body and mind ever pure and spirit and vital energy (qi) pure, upright, and luminous, then in old age one may obtain the fruits of the practice of refining the form through the Great Yin (nourishing and refining the bodily form by means of the yin qi within the moon), attain the Way of liberation by the corpse (the Daoist teaching of casting off the ordinary body to become an immortal), no longer fall into the cycle of rebirth, ascend to the realm of the immortals, and become a Perfected Person.

All who are pure, sincere, and faithful and who receive and uphold this register will have the author memorialize the Golden Portal of the Jade Emperor and have them registered in the offices of the Three Primes among the posts of emolument, the noble registers, and the rolls of the worthy, so that in the end their body and mind will not be clouded by dullness and obscurity, and they may be entered on the noble registers to assist an age of clarity and good order. What follows will set forth the graded ranks, examined and determined by the Nine Heavens, of the posts of emolument, noble stations, and worthy stations in the three classes of the Celestial Offices, the Earth Administration, and the Water Administration.

Within the Heavenly Bureau of the Upper Prime (the administration of the celestial realm), the Yuefu Office of Emoluments is divided into three departments, and each department is further divided into upper, middle, and lower grades.

The first department is the Section of Celestial Emoluments. The upper grade consists of the Heavenly Officials of Purple Tenuity (Ziwei), the middle grade of the Dipper Officials of Grand Tenuity (Taiwei), and the lower grade of the Stellar Officials of Lesser Tenuity (Shaowei).

The second department is the Section of Human Emoluments. The upper grade comprises ranks such as king, duke, minister, and marquis; the middle grade, ranks such as regional lord and supervisory governor; and the lower grade, the hundred officials together with titles that carry no fixed grade.

The third department is the Section of Underworld Emoluments. The upper grade consists of the officials of the Yuefu, the middle grade of the officials of Dengdu and the Dipper officials, and the lower grade of the Stellar Officials of Lesser Tenuity.

The scripture (jing) then lists the Section of Human Emoluments and the Section of Underworld Emoluments once again, and in that listing places the officials of Fusang in the lower grade of the Section of Underworld Emoluments.

The Earth Bureau of the Middle Prime (the administration of the terrestrial realm) is under the charge of Dengdu, which keeps the registers of nobility. It is divided into three sections, each with three grades.

The first department is the Upper Nobility Section: filial conduct is placed in the upper grade, preservation of integrity in the middle grade, and hidden virtue in the lower grade.

The second department is the Middle Nobility Section: benevolence is placed in the upper grade, well-being and righteousness in the middle grade, and virtuous conduct in the lower grade.

The third department is the Lower Nobility Section: the worthy and accomplished are placed in the upper grade, ancestral virtue in the middle grade, and literary learning in the lower grade.

The Water Bureau of the Lower Prime (the administration of the watery realm) is under the charge of Fusang, which recommends the worthy. It is divided into three sections, each with three grades.

The first department is the Upper Worthies Section: supreme filial piety is placed in the upper grade, great loyalty in the middle grade, and kindness and benevolence in the lower grade.

The second department is the Middle Worthies Section: those worthy in well-being and righteousness are placed in the upper grade, those worthy in ritual and law in the middle grade, and those worthy in wisdom and discernment in the lower grade.

The third department is the Lower Worthies Section: those worthy in steadfast conduct are placed in the upper grade, those worthy in talent and learning in the middle grade, and those worthy in allotted destiny in the lower grade.

Here, “emolument,” “nobility,” and “worthiness” refer respectively to the rankings of blessing and stipend, honor, and worthy talent within different orders, such as the celestial realm, the human world, and the underworld. The upper, middle, and lower grades mark the levels within each kind of register of names.

All these grades—the entries and ranks within the Wenchang Keyi (liturgy)—are used to examine and record the people of the world. Those who enter them have their ranks of emolument registered, their nobility and distinction confirmed, and their names entered on the roster of the worthy. I will dispatch the Immortal Officials of the Evolving Registers, who preside over genealogical records, to assist and sponsor good deeds, so that divine scrutiny becomes all the clearer. I will also dispatch the host of assisting deities, who aid the affairs of the celestial realm, to remove demonic obstructions, bestow the celestial chapters and jade writs—the sacred writings of heaven—and guard the body-field, the foundation within body and mind where Jing (essence) and Qi (vital energy) are cultivated and nourished. Auspicious signs will appear in dreams, and the True Qi of the Central Sovereign, the primordial true Qi of which Daoism speaks, will descend to awaken and nourish body and mind. The deities commissioned to settle the will and increase wisdom will likewise settle the hundred passes throughout the body, making the ears keen and the eyes bright, talent grow, and spiritual nature fully penetrating. All of this is carried out according to the statutes of the Wenchang Keyi.

The Category of the Celestial Unfolding Genealogy of Wenchang

The Sacred Pronouncement of the Imperial Lord, the imperial edict of the Imperial Lord Wenchang

The Upper Minister and Acting Grand Preceptor of the Golden Portal—the Upper Minister and Acting Grand Preceptor within the Golden Portal of the celestial realm—together with the deity charged with settling the will and increasing wisdom, settles the hundred passes throughout the body, making the ears keen and the eyes bright, talent grow, and spiritual nature fully penetrating, all carried out according to the statutes of the Wenchang Keyi.

This deity holds several divine offices at once. He is a senior assisting minister of the celestial court, charged with inspecting and administering the underworld prisons of the three realms of heaven, earth, and water. He has charge of the divine talismans and written warrants of the Five Marchmounts and the Four Waterways, commands the stars of the various heavens, and examines and confirms the registers of merit, renown, and emolument. He is also the exalted deity who keeps the rosters of flying immortals, oversees creative transformation and the cycle of rebirth, and saves beings from suffering and distress. He can command the host of spirits, bring universal relief to every suffering, support good deeds, uproot sins and faults, dissolve disasters and calamities, and prolong life. The scriptures further call him the Unsurpassed Emperor of the Heaven of Joy without Pride, the Great Celestial Lord of Lasting Joy, Eternal Protection, and Numinous Response, and by other titles, describing him as appearing in person upon Purple Cloud Crag, holding a ruyi scepter, and compassionately aiding the world.

The Imperial Lord (Dijun) is surnamed Zhang and named Ya, corresponding to the Zhang lunar mansion in the heavens (the name of a stellar lodge). Tradition holds that he was born in the early Zhou period in the land of Haohui, and his sacred birthday is the third day of the second lunar month.

Within Hunyuan (the primordial state before heaven, earth, and the myriad things had yet differentiated), his parents emerged from the same source as heaven and earth, and the bone and flesh within the womb were differentiated from one and the same primordial Qi (vital energy). He presides over the creative transformations of heaven and earth, sees into boundless realms, spreads the great Dao (the Way), and rescues and protects the ethical relations of the human world. When numinous light descends, a hundred blessings arrive with it; evil obstructions are driven out, and upright Qi endures.

Let the supplications above be carried out at once in accordance with the ordinances of Wenchang!

The Celestial Worthy (Tianzun) of Manifest Felicity, Compassionate Protection, Stored Truth, and Extended Felicity; the Great Sage Primordial Lady (Yuanjun), Longevity Mother of Eternal Life; the Primordial Lady of Illuminating Virtue, Accumulated Felicity, Compassionate Excellence, and Stored Auspiciousness; the Primordial Lady of Luminous Excellence, Void Harmony, and Cavernous Subtlety; the Perfected Lord (Zhenjun) of Succeeding Virtue, Wenchang, and Extended Felicity.

Let the supplications above be carried out at once in accordance with the ordinances of Wenchang!

The Celestial Worthy of Manifest Felicity, Compassionate Protection, Stored Truth, and Extended Felicity; the Great Sage Primordial Lady, Longevity Mother of Eternal Life.

Primordial Lady (Yuanjun) of Illuminating Virtue, Accumulated Blessings, Compassionate Propriety, and Stored Auspice; Primordial Lady of Manifest Propriety, Void Harmony, and Cavernous Subtlety; True Lord (Zhenjun) of Succeeding Virtue, of Wenchang, and of Extended Blessings; Celestial Lord (Tianjun) of Wenchang’s Quiescent Response; True Lord of Flourishing Virtue and of Wenchang, Controller of Emolument (Silu); Celestial Lord of Wenchang’s Succeeding Blessings; Celestial Lord of Pure Perfection, Wondrous Tranquility, and Wenchang’s Myriad Longevity; the Four Palace Ladies of Virtuous Purity of the Sacred Palace; Perfected (Zhenren) of Wenchang’s Accumulated Blessings; Celestial Lord of Wenchang’s Accumulated Blessings; Perfected of Wenchang’s Inherited Blessings; Celestial Lord of Wenchang’s Inherited Blessings; Great Deity of Mount Ling, Zhang Zhongsi; Mountain God of the Northern Gate of Shu, Zhang Zhongzi; Great Deity of Mount Jian, Zhang Xun; Mountain God of Mount Jian in Shu, Zhang Xiaozhong; Mountain God of Mount Jinma, Zhang Lie; Liu Ruyi, King of Zhao; Marquis of Wenchang’s Continuing Response; Duke of Wenchang’s Manifest Response; Duke of Wenchang’s Received Response; Duke of Wenchang’s Precious Numen; Lady of Wenchang’s Fulfilled Joy; Lady of Wenchang’s Wondrous Response; and Princess of Wenchang’s Gentle Constancy.

The foregoing are the eighty-one immortal officials of the sacred official administration—the system of divine officers governed by the Wenchang pantheon. They command troops and generals and, together with the precious registers, protect, uphold, and bring beings to deliverance and transformation.

Divine Ranks of Wenchang’s Assisting Aides

Assisting Deity, the Duke of Heroic Kindness; Lady of Manifest Response and Concerted Kindness; Lady of Joy; Lady of Wenchang’s Wondrous Response; Princess of Wenchang’s Gentle Constancy; Duke of Divine Succession Who Furthers Excellence; Duke of Divine Succession Who Furthers Kindness; Lady Who Assists Blessings; Lady of Tranquil Compliance; Grand Commandant of Wenchang Who Revives the Realm; the two Commandants of Wenchang, of the Left and of the Right; the two Generals of Wenchang, of the Left and of the Right; Great General of Wenchang Who Fulfills Wishes; the two Counselors-in-Chief of Wenchang, of the Left and of the Right; the two Vice Directors of Wenchang, of the Left and of the Right; the two Grand Scribes of Wenchang, of the Left and of the Right; the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers of Wenchang; the Presidents of the Six Ministries of Wenchang; Censor-in-Chief of Wenchang; True Lord Supreme General of Wenchang; True Lord Second General of Wenchang; True Lord Noble Minister of Wenchang; True Lord Controller of Destiny (Siming) of Wenchang; True Lord Controller of Emolument of Wenchang; True Lord Controller of the Center of Wenchang; True Lord Controller of Nobility of Wenchang; and True Lord Controller of Literature of Wenchang.

This passage lists the deities who assist Wenchang within the Wenchang pantheon, together with their official titles. Designations such as Controller of Destiny and Controller of Emolument refer respectively to the offices charged with allotted lifespan, salary and emolument, and related duties.

The Immortal Official of Wenchang Who Settles Martial Affairs, the Immortal Official of Wenchang Who Determines Noble Rank, the Immortal Official of Wenchang of Kuixing, the Immortal Official of Wenchang Who Releases Stellar Influences, the Immortal Official of Wenchang Who Responds to Auspicious Omens, and the Immortal Official of Wenchang Who Descends upon the Bedchamber.

The Immortal Official of Wenchang Who Settles Martial Affairs, the Immortal Official of Wenchang Who Determines Noble Rank, the Immortal Official of Wenchang of Kuixing, the Immortal Official of Wenchang Who Releases Stellar Influences, the Immortal Official of Wenchang Who Responds to Auspicious Omens, and the Immortal Official of Wenchang Who Descends upon the Bedchamber.

The Immortal Official of Wenchang for Examinations and Recommendations, the Immortal Official of Wenchang Who Inspects Hidden Merit, the Immortal Official of Wenchang Who Determines What Is Granted and What Is Withheld, the Immortal Official of Wenchang Who Increases Blessings and Emolument, the Four Duty-Rotation Merit Officers of Wenchang, the Merit Officers of Wenchang Who Transmit and Present Memorials, the Youth of Wenchang Who Keeps the Cassia Register, the Great General of Wenchang Who Attends the Bedchamber, the Lady of the Mountain King, Marquis of Illumined Transformation, and the Immortal Official who presides over the Jade-Blossom Court of the Eight Effulgences.

The Earth God of the Phoenix Cabinet, Marquis of Numinous Response.

The assisting divinities named above stand solemn and majestic. They manifest their true numina and descend, guarding the body and mind of those who cultivate the Dao (the Way), and in all matters they act in accordance with the statutes and ordinances of Heaven.

Bai Gui, Mountain God of Jianmen; Lian Jie, Mountain God of Feiyue on the western frontier; Bai Hui, God of the Snow Mountains of the Western Regions; Gong Yuanchang, Mountain God of Jianmen; Hao Jian, Mountain God of Qingli; Yi Min, Mountain God of White Turtle Mountain; Wei Lian, Mountain God of the Great Min Mountains; Lord Xiyi, Mountain God of Qingcheng; Peng Yuan, God of the Minshan Grotto-Heaven; He Ji, Mountain God of Minshan; Cao Ying, Mountain God of Great Emei; Yu Guan, Mountain God of the Lesser Min Mountains; Li Shanyou, Mountain God of Emei; Wang Xuanfu, Mountain God of the Wu Mountains; Zhang Wei, Mountain God of Fenzhang; Wang Xiushui, Mountain God of the Grand Headquarters; Li Ruoshui of the Stone Rhinoceros Dragon Cavern; and Liu Chengzhi, Dragon God of the Pool of the Prefect of Guankou.

Wang Xuanfu, Mountain God and Metropolitan City God of Western Shu; Zhang Wei, Mountain God of Fenzhang; Wang Xiushui, Mountain God of the Grand Headquarters; Li Ruoshui of the Stone Rhinoceros Dragon Cavern; Liu Chengzhi, Dragon God of the Pool of the Prefect of Guankou; Wei Gao, Metropolitan City God of Western Shu; Du Qichang, God Who Commands the She Altar of Yizhou; Deng Wen, Head of the She Altar of Jiannan in Western Shu; Du Yu, Metropolitan She God of Western Shu; Zhang, She Lord of the Western Garrison of Western Shu; and Dugu Zheng, Mountain God of Phoenix Mountain.

The local gods of the Shu region are Duan Xiu; Gou Pantian, Dragon God of the Min Mountains; Jian Zao, god of Fulong Pool at Guankou; Jing Boren, Dragon God of the Qingyi; Xiao Fu, Mountain God of Yuesui; Zhang Shuhe, Mountain God of Beimen Mountain; Bai Guimin, Dragon God of the Western Sea; Jing Yuan, Dragon God of Dongting; Tang Feng, Mountain God of Junshan; Peng Xian, Water God of Haohai; Yu Qishu, local god of the Shu region; Sun Heshu, local god of Qiongzhou; Cui Xuan, the Jianxiao god of Shu; Xuan Anxing, god of the King of Posuoba; Bai Zhiyi, the Jianxiao earth god; Kang Chaowang, earth god of the villages along the Han River; Gongsun Chang, god of Jurao settlement; He Laisun, god of Baxi settlement; Bai Zhijian, god of Baima settlement; Su Gongchang, god of Ju settlement; and Quan Li, Mountain God of Qiqu Mountain.

The spirits of Qiqu Mountain, Phoenix Mountain, and the other mountains who assist and accord with the Dragon Gods number forty-five divisions in all, and each commands its own troops in carrying out its affairs.

Chapter on the Jade Writs of the Celestial Documents of Wenchang

Dipper Document of Wenchang of the Southern Dipper

Taiji (Supreme Ultimate), the origin of the cosmos in Daoist teaching, transforms in wondrous ways, and the True Writs, talismanic characters possessed of sacred power, contain principles of profound mystery. They preside over the celestial patterns of Heaven and uphold the configurations of Earth; they govern the watery mansions and, together with the Three Primes—the Three Officials of Heaven, Earth, and Water in Daoism—carry out the work of teaching and transformation. The Purple Court, abode of the immortals, issues weighty commands, and Heaven and Earth alike proclaim and enact them. Visualized within the mind, they bring about whatever one wishes; the jade seal and the talismanic writs take effect together. This document is set down in hidden language, and the principles of the Three Powers—Heaven, Earth, and humanity—are all contained in it. When rites and music arise, primordial chaos unfolds from them. It reaches through to Daluo Heaven, the highest celestial realm in Daoism, enabling one to ride upon radiance and tread the void. Those of the highest wisdom are able to study it and to use it in instructing the shallow and untutored. Reverently and urgently, let it be carried out in accordance with the statutes and ordinances of the Jade Writ Wheel-Palm!

Jade Writ for Responding to the Treasure and Subduing Demons

This Jade Writ should be worn before the eyes and installed within the land altar, an altar set up on dry ground. On a day suited to the duty-watch of the Dingjia spirits, sandalwood incense is used to bring the spirits down and to engrave the talismanic characters.

The position of zi surges upward to meet the position of wu and serves as the Upright Gate; the palace of shen is added to the position of you, and going out and coming in take this as what is to be honored. Reverently and urgently, let it be carried out in accordance with the statutes and ordinances of the Jade Writ Wheel-Palm!

Jade Writ for Responding to the Treasure and Subduing Demons

This Jade Writ should be worn before the eyes and installed within the land altar. On a day suited to the duty-watch of the Dingjia spirits, sandalwood incense is used to bring the spirits down and to engrave the talismanic characters.

When the Zi position stands above and clashes with the Wu position, this is called the “Duanmen” (Principal Gate). When the Shen position is joined with the You position, one’s coming and going take on a noble air. When the Chen position comes seeking the Xu position, the configuration is “Kuigang Zhengyuan” (the Orthodox Origin of Kui and Gang). When the Mao position stands above and communicates with the Yin position, this is the “Tianyuan Dilun” (Heavenly Origin and Earthly Wheel). If the Si position is found within the Chou position, one can attain free passage both inwardly and outwardly. If the Hai position is obtained within the Wei position, the two forces of latency and reversal can coexist.

The foregoing is a secret oral formula and incantation, drawn from the Writ of the Supreme Truth of Wenchang’s Three Qi (vital energy). One who obtains it should fast, purify the mind, and cultivate Qi, abandoning the false and returning to the true, neither saying one thing while meaning another nor failing to cut off every deviant thought. In this way intelligence and talent will naturally increase, and literary grace and ability will find expression. The Yue Zhang Heavenly Seal may be worn and upheld; it should be treasured and treated with reverence. It is said to ward off malignity, expel deviance, and dispel every demonic obstruction.

This is the Jade Writ of Wenchang’s Heavenly Heart, a secret writ treasured by Heaven above, guarded by the myriad spirits (Shen) of Xuandu, and carried out throughout the Three Realms.

The Yue Zhang Jade Writ of Wenchang’s Upper Palace can, above, restrain the root of Heaven; in the middle, inspect the stars; and below, survey earth and water. It can communicate with the hidden dark and reach through to the obscure unseen realm. It can open the heart of humaneness, remove dullness, and drive out demonic and deviant Qi; it cuts away the Three Corpses (the spirits which, as Daoism teaches, lodge in the human body and record a person’s faults) and destroys the Nine Worms (the worm-evils within the body spoken of in the Daoist cultivation tradition). Goblins and wraiths will hide themselves, and drought and flood will not bring disaster. One who receives and upholds this writ without slackening can ascend to immortality in broad daylight.

Chapter on the Vital Qi of Wenchang’s Central Sovereign

Talisman Diagram of the Vital Qi of the Central Sovereign’s Nine Paths and the Director of Destiny

The destiny allotted at birth differs from person to person, and so do innate endowment and inborn nature. Some are outstanding in talent and conspicuous in literary grace because of the blessed felicity brought by causal conditions of former lives; others are dull and bewildered, which is said to result from the karmic causes of former lives. Those who examine merit and practice are only one or two in a hundred; those able to enter deeply into the mysterious Dao (the Way) are scarcely two or three in a thousand. If one sincerely turns toward the Dao, studies writings, and investigates profound principles, one should wear the talisman diagram of vital Qi and recite the Huoluo True Words. In this way one will naturally resonate with Wenchang, so that immortal officials and divine clerks guard one’s person, wisdom increases, and literary talent shines forth; one may then obtain official salary and achieve renown.

Those born in Zi or Chou years, if they resolve to study literature and pursue profound principles, may command the Numinous Officials of the Eight Learnings of Tiangang to attach themselves and protect body and mind.

Those born in a Yin year, if they study literature and advance in profound principles, may command the True Officials of the Majestic Might of the Northern Bureau to attach themselves and protect body and mind.

Those born in a Mao year, if they comprehend literature and investigate profound principles, may command the Immortal Earl of the Station for Settling the Shen and Nurturing Acuity to attach himself and protect body and mind.

Those born in the Year of the Dragon aspire to study and cultivate the profound principles. By decree, the Perfected Huiye Wen is commanded to attach to their body and mind.

Those born in the Year of the Snake study the Jing (scriptures/classics) and devote themselves to the profound principles. By decree, the Immortal Courtier and the Immortal Elder Renji Weiguang are commanded to attach to their body and mind.

Those born in the Year of the Dragon aspire to study and cultivate the profound principles. By decree, the Perfected Huiye Wen is commanded to attach to their body and mind.

Those born in the Year of the Snake study the Jing and devote themselves to the profound principles. By decree, the Immortal Courtier and the Immortal Elder Renji Weiguang are commanded to attach to their body and mind.

Those born in the Year of the Horse study the Jing and inquire broadly into the profound principles. By decree, the Grand Historian Baoyi Dingguang is commanded to attach to their body and mind.

Those born in the Year of the Goat study diligently and come to understand the profound principles. By decree, the Minister of the Six Conducts of Taihua is commanded to attach to their body and mind.

Those born in the Year of the Monkey enter the luan altar and advance into the gate of the Mystery. By decree, the Perfected Minister who oversees Original Destiny in full is commanded to attach to their body and mind.

Those born in the Year of the Rooster study literary composition and turn toward the profound principles. By decree, the Embroidered-Robe Envoy of Donghua is commanded to attach to their body and mind.

Those born in the Years of the Dog and the Pig thoroughly understand the Jing and expound the profound principles. By decree, the King of Righteous Succor Who Rescues through Wenchang is commanded to attach to their body and mind.

Around the Beginning of Spring, the Qian position presides; around the Beginning of Summer, the Li position presides. Around the Beginning of Autumn, the Xun position presides; around the Beginning of Winter, the Kan position presides. The Qian, Li, Xun, and Kan spoken of here are corresponding names for the directions of the Bagua (Eight Trigrams) and for changes in the seasonal atmosphere.

Those mentioned above who understand the profound principles and inquire into what is hidden and subtle must not fail to examine their roots. Only then can one understand how people differ in what they are endowed with: status and rank stand higher or lower, and the allotment of destiny runs deeper or shallower. The state of mind, for its part, should be clear, limpid, and settled. If, on account of one’s own merit and practice, one feels ashamed and lacking, then nothing one seeks will fail to be fulfilled as one wishes. This ought to be carefully pondered.

Huoluo True Words of Wenchang for Generating Qi (vital energy), Uniting Form, and the Original Destiny of the Supreme Perfected

Om li li na, a xi xi hong hong, he he kui a, tiao kou ban bodhi duo. Shi dong zha nan, ji xu kong xun, qiang gu ding yue, booming and booming, rainbow-gleaming and rainbow-gleaming. Flashing and flickering, the radiant script is splendid and pure; fix the will and bind it swiftly; the seven stars, the aperture Yao. Draw near the Yellow Spirit of the capital; mahaprajna; ding ding du lü; in exhalation and inhalation, gather in the true primordial. Hun—booming and booming, rainbow-gleaming and rainbow-gleaming. Flashing and flickering, the radiant script is splendid and pure; fix the will and bind it swiftly; the seven stars, the aperture Yao. Draw near the Yellow Spirit of the capital; mahaprajna; ding ding du lü; in exhalation and inhalation, gather in the true primordial. True Elder of the Undifferentiated Primordial, penetrate and awaken to the mysterious mechanism. Quickly, as the statutes command!

Wenchang: Chapter on Settling the Resolve and Increasing Wisdom

Divine Incantation of Wenchang, Controller of Emolument, for Securing Noble Status, Pacifying Shen (spirit), and Increasing Wisdom

On the north bank of the Eastern River and to the south of the Western Grove, there is a divine king named Hua, who bears the command of the Primordial Sovereign.

May Wenchang, the stellar deity who presides over literature and official distinction, stand guard and bestow protection, granting me the opportunity of noble eminence. May the Eight Assemblies, the numinous gatherings that concentrate literary Qi (vital energy), revive writing, and may the Nine Lights shine upon Confucian learning.

May Taiyi, a revered deity of Daoism, settle sound counsel for me, and may the Jade Maidens assist my writing; may the many Dragon Maidens and the deities of the scholar’s studio help me bring my compositions to completion. May the million Great Officials, officers of the celestial realm, steady my mind and spirit and hold the essential pivot, so that body and mind commune with the divine and I become clear, thorough, and spiritually awakened.

United with the great Dao (the Way) and responsive to the proper moment, I find that ten thousand pieces of writing can all be lucid and bright. I shall ascend to Heaven to present my writings, looking up in reverence and aligning myself with the classics (Jing) of the celestial realm. May I proclaim counsel and strategy and, without strenuous effort, help bring about peace; on an auspicious day may I receive the Fulu (talismans and registers), peruse memorials and petitions, and carry the methods of practice into effect.

May the divine generals of the Eight Awes strengthen my courage; may Dragon Radiance mount the void and ascend, making my hearing acute and my sight clear, increasing wisdom, so that understanding opens suddenly and obscurity is dispelled. May my heart be at ease and my resolve made plain, penetrating the myriad transformations; may I obtain the discernment of the gods and the protection of Heaven, so that literary thought gains their aid.

May I be suited to take up the fortune of noble distinction, so that salary and rank may grow, enabling me to accomplish a great undertaking, with literary brilliance and renown ever more flourishing. May the Blue Dragon Maiden, a goddess of the dragon kind, gather numinous excellence, uphold and proclaim the Qi of orthodox Yang; when the Jade Stanzas, sacred scriptures, are recited a single time, the Nine Heavens open brightness for me.

May the myriad transformations open in sudden clarity, presided over and assisted by the divinities, so that I establish merit and attain the lofty state of loyalty and worthiness.

Let all be carried out in accordance with the statutes and commands!

The jade chapter discussed above is titled the “Divine Incantation of the Nine Heavens for Opening Transformation, Settling the Spirit, and Benefiting Wisdom.” It is a precious text derived from the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning and the methods of the Great Cavern of the Dao (the Way). Its language is not bound by rules of rhyme and meter, nor does it rely on ornate and intricate phrasing for its effect; its deeper meaning is difficult to fathom, and its wonders are hard to put into words. Ordinary people have no means of hearing it, nor can it be transmitted to them, and for this reason it is to be kept hidden in the Purple Yang jade case (a precious Daoist scripture box) and in a pouch of cloud-patterned brocade.

According to tradition, the Primordial Ancestor of the Nine Dragons, the Dao Lord of the Three Primes and Great Simplicity, once presided over a covenant oath before the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning and requested to receive and wear this incantation. He afterward transmitted it to the Lady of the Upper Prime and the Lady of Cloud Blossoms, who in turn taught it to worthy scholars of the world versed in Confucian learning. Those who wear and recite this incantation with reverence and care receive the blessing of distinguished literary brilliance and of divine scrutiny and recognition. They rise to eminent ranks attained through selection, assist the ruler in carrying out the Dao of governing the state, broadly revive letters and education, and proclaim the teaching of the orthodox Dao. This incantation may long serve as a treasure for protecting the person, and it should be practiced in accordance with the teachings of the religion.

Upper Scroll of the Precious Register of Purple Yang of the High Supreme Great Cavern Wenchang, Controller of Emoluments

Middle Scroll of the Precious Register of Purple Yang of the High Supreme Great Cavern Wenchang, Controller of Emoluments

According to the statement of a certain devotee of the Dao residing in a certain place, his time of birth was a certain year, month, day, and hour, and by the correspondence of his natal destiny he comes under the illumination of a certain star-lord of the Northern Dipper. On that day he therefore went with reverence to the gate of his ordaining master, the Lord of the Teaching, the Great Perfected Celestial Master (Tianshi), bowed and received one copy of the Precious Register of Purple Yang of the High Supreme Great Cavern Wenchang, Controller of Emoluments, took refuge in the methods of the Dao, and wore and upheld it.

He vows to honor the Imperial Lord and the true deities, to observe the precepts of the Keyi (liturgy), to advance diligently in literary study, and to accumulate good deeds without cease; to comprehend the mysterious principles of the Most High, to dispel demonic obstructions, to be entered in the noble register of Wenchang (a sacred roster symbolizing literary fortune and success in official rank), and to attain distinguished rank and fame; and he resolves to aid the people of the world, bring peace to the populace, preserve his own person, and benefit the myriad beings. Should he violate the liturgical covenant, he is willing to offer himself in apology before the Three Officials of Heaven, Earth, and Water (deities in Daoism who administer the affairs of heaven, earth, and water), and all shall be dealt with according to the statutes and ordinances of Daoist Keyi.

Chapter of the Precious Chart of Wenchang’s Inspection and Review

The Precious Chart of Wenchang, a sacred diagram-register associated with the cult of Wenchang, is said to have condensed into patterned writing, when Heaven and Earth first separated out of chaos, from the primordial Qi (Yuanqi, original vital energy) of the Most High Jade Emperor of Grand Primordial Origin. Cinnabar-red clouds and azure clouds spontaneously appeared as chapters. It issues from the Heavenly King of Primordial Beginning and shares a common source with other scriptures (Jing), though under a different name. It was secretly stored on the Terrace of the Mysterious Luan of the Dragon Net in the Shangqing heavens, and set in the Watchtower of Phoenix Splendor and Ninefold Radiance at Purple Yang.

The Imperial Person of Wenchang, the Dao Lord of Mysterious Primordial Origin, the Master, is the sovereign who presides over the charts and watchtowers of Wenchang. He commanded this precious chart to bring forth men of letters and worthy talents, so that they might assist an enlightened political order and the kingly Way, and so that outstanding ability, together with rites, music, and the patterned heritage of culture, might flourish from generation to generation. Those who wear and receive the precious chart are said to gain the protection of mysterious Qi descending as spirit: their literary grace becomes pure, refined, and beautiful, their talent and discernment become penetrating and lucid, the light within naturally reaches everywhere, and no obstacle can obscure it. Golden Lads, Jade Maidens, celestial officials, and divine clerks in service of the chart, three hundred and sixty in all, accompany the talisman and guard the one who wears and receives it. You should uphold it with reverence.

The Golden Lads, Jade Maidens, celestial officials, and divine clerks who serve the Precious Chart of Wenchang each number three hundred and sixty guardians. The Wenchang clerks of the Three and Five who fix destiny, fix the heart, fix the resolve, and fix intention each number three hundred and sixty guardians. The divine clerks of Wenchang number three guardians. The Wenchang clerks of the Three and Five who fix destiny, fix the heart, fix the resolve, fix intention, fix keen perception, fix wisdom, and fix courage likewise each number three hundred and sixty guardians.

Here du marks a heading or a count of persons. Titles such as “Three and Five who fix destiny, fix the heart, fix the resolve, and fix intention” are the official names of divine clerks, and they express the idea, within Daoist Fulu (talismans and registers), that divine clerks uphold and protect life, mind and resolve, and wisdom.

Of Wenchang’s Harmonizing Spirit Officers, Uniting Spirit Officers, Penetrating Officers, Discernment-Opening Officers, Comprehensive Knowledge Officers, Evil-Repelling Officers, Obstacle-Removing Officers, Generating-Qi Officers (the spirit officers who govern the Qi [vital energy] of generation and growth), Literary Composition Officers, Nature-Opening Officers, and Emolument-Registering Officers, each kind numbers three hundred and sixty, and all come forth under command.

Wenchang’s Auspicious Spirit Officers Who Respond in Repose number three hundred and sixty; the Dragon Maiden Officers Who Assist the Worthy number three hundred and sixty; and the Jade Maiden Officers Who Assist Literature number three hundred and sixty. There is one Jade Consort, a water officer who assists literature; eight Taiyi envoys of the Yellow Spirit Jade Seal; eight Jade Maidens of Yuezhang Who Encircle Heaven; one strongman of the seal of the Eight Effulgences Yaohua Court; and eight Jade Maidens of the spirit kings who govern the sword. All of them come forth under command.

The foregoing are the spirit officers summoned by the jade talisman of Wenchang’s Precious Chart. The jade talisman is conferred upon the disciple so-and-so, and they are placed under the Golden Lads, the Jade Maidens, the immortal officials, and the spirit scribes. On the Three Yuan days (the purification days of the Upper Yuan, the Middle Yuan, and the Lower Yuan), one should cleanse the heart and bathe, and with sincere intent hold a Zhaijiao (purification ritual) and offer sacrifice, praying for peaceful repose and auspicious fortune, while declaring one’s name and registering one’s liturgical rank. All of this is to be carried out in good faith according to the covenant.

Section on the Jade Talisman of Wenchang, Overseer of Emoluments

There is one True Lord of the Heavenly Bureau of the Upper Yuan who oversees emoluments, one True Lord of the Heavenly Prefecture of the Upper Yuan who oversees emoluments, and eighty-one officers of the Heavenly Prefecture of the Upper Yuan who oversee heavenly emoluments.

The Celestial Bureau of the Upper Prime (the upper administrative office of the celestial realm) has eighty-one officials who administer celestial emoluments and eighty-one officials who administer the increase of celestial emoluments; eighty-one officials who administer salaries in the human world and eighty-one officials who administer the increase of salaries in the human world; eighty-one officials who administer ranks and titles in the celestial realm and eighty-one officials who administer the increase of ranks and titles in the celestial realm; eighty-one officials who administer ranks and titles in the human world and eighty-one officials who administer the increase of ranks and titles in the human world; eighty-one officials who administer blessings and emoluments in the netherworld and eighty-one officials who administer the increase of blessings and emoluments in the netherworld; and eighty-one officials who administer ranks and titles in the netherworld and eighty-one officials who administer the increase of ranks and titles in the netherworld.

The Jade Talisman of the Directorate of Emoluments set forth above, the Fulu (talismans and registers) that governs blessings and emoluments, is conferred upon Disciple So-and-so to wear, to receive and uphold, and to cultivate. The disciple should revere the Perfected Lord of Wenchang Who Directs Emoluments (the divine lord who governs literary fortune and salary) and recite and intone the Jade Stanzas of Purple Yang of the Great Cavern. In this way one can call forth a response from immortal officials and divine functionaries, increase wisdom, gain a thorough command of learning and talent, benefit literary composition, and advance in emolument and rank. All of this accords with what the covenant declares.

The Section of the Golden Slips of Wenchang for Establishing Nobility

The Perfected Lord Who Establishes Nobility, sovereign of the opening and transformation of the Initial Azure Heaven, and the Perfected Lord Who Establishes Nobility, sovereign of the opening and transformation of the Grand Azure Heaven, are able to call forth a response from immortal officials and divine functionaries, increase wisdom, gain a thorough command of learning and talent, benefit literary composition, and advance in emolument and rank. All of this accords with what the covenant declares.

The Section of the Golden Slips of Wenchang for Establishing Nobility

The Perfected Lord Who Establishes Nobility, sovereign of the opening and transformation of the Initial Azure Heaven; the Perfected Lord Who Establishes Nobility, sovereign of the opening and transformation of the Grand Azure Heaven; the Perfected Lord Who Establishes Nobility, sovereign of the opening and transformation of the Initial Cinnabar Heaven; the Perfected Lord Who Establishes Nobility, sovereign of the opening and transformation of the Grand Cinnabar Heaven; the Perfected Lord Who Establishes Nobility, sovereign of the opening and transformation of the Initial White Heaven; the Perfected Lord Who Establishes Nobility, sovereign of the opening and transformation of the Grand White Heaven; the Perfected Lord Who Establishes Nobility, sovereign of the opening and transformation of the Initial Mysterious Heaven; the Perfected Lord Who Establishes Nobility, sovereign of the opening and transformation of the Grand Mysterious Heaven; and the Perfected Lord Who Establishes Nobility, sovereign of the opening and transformation of the Central Great Brahma Heaven.

The Earth Bureau of the Middle Prime (the earthly administrative office that governs the affairs of the human world and the netherworld) has thirty-six officials who administer noble persons of the upper grade, thirty-six officials who administer noble persons of the middle grade, and thirty-six officials who administer noble persons of the lower grade.

The Zhongyuan Earth Bureau (the divine office which, in Daoism, governs the souls of the dead and the affairs of the underworld) maintains several classes of noble functionaries, thirty-six in each class: imperial sages, princes, dukes, nobles of the middle rank, nobles of the lower rank, together with marquises, earls, viscounts, barons, court gentlemen, grand masters, and others of the kind. There are, in addition, clerks charged with the enfeoffment of parents, with offices and noble ranks, with descendants’ inheritance of privilege, with the enfeoffment of wives, with the name-registers of wealth and honor, and with the affairs of aristocratic officials; each of these classes likewise numbers thirty-six persons.

The Wenchang Judge in charge of the Emolument Register (the divine official who administers Wenchang’s register of salaries and fortunes), together with the Recorder, is responsible for entering the rolls. They fix a roster of one thousand two hundred nobles of the upper rank, in which those who receive ordination through the register may be enrolled.

The foregoing are the titles recorded in the Golden Slip for Establishing Nobility. The Perfected Lord and the immortal scribes should transmit them in accordance with the Keyi (liturgy). When Disciple So-and-so reverently upholds and cultivates the practice, his name can be written into the golden slip and entered in the Zhongyuan Register for Establishing Nobility, where he is ranked in the upper grade. He thereby obtains honor for his person and the enjoyment of emolument, attains distinction in merit and fame, and serves his sovereign and both parents with loyalty and filial piety, so that grace and favor pass down to later generations. All of this is to be carried out in accordance with the covenant.

Wenchang Jinxian Yuce Pin (The Graded Jade Register of Wenchang for Advancing the Worthy)

The Water Bureau of the Lower Origin (the Daoist water office said to govern the affairs of the Lower Origin) presents the senior nobles of the highest-grade Keyi (liturgy), together with their attendant officials, one hundred and twenty in all; it presents the middle-grade nobles and their attendant officials, one hundred and twenty in all; and it presents the lower-grade nobles and their attendant officials in the number fixed by the allotted ranking.

The Water Bureau of the Lower Origin presents the nobles of the upper, middle, and lower grades within the highest-grade Keyi, with their attendant officials, one hundred and twenty for each grade. It likewise presents the nobles of the upper, middle, and lower grades within the middle-grade Keyi, one hundred and twenty for each grade, and then the nobles of the upper, middle, and lower grades within the lowest-grade Keyi, again one hundred and twenty for each grade.

The Water Bureau of the Lower Origin also presents the Worthy Female Officials and Spirit Consorts, and the Worthy Dragon Maidens and Spirit Consorts, each accompanied by one hundred and twenty attendants.

The foregoing is the liturgical text for offering the Jade Tally of Virtue and Worth. The officials of the Water Bureau and the Dragon Maiden consorts serve as its guardians. The registered disciple (one who has received Daoist Fulu, or talismans and registers, and thereby entered the Daoist community), so-and-so, should diligently wear and uphold it, advance in De (Virtue), establish meritorious deeds, assist in the governance of the imperial court, and make a name that shines throughout the world. The Water Bureau of the Lower Origin offers the Worthy Dragon Maiden consorts and their one hundred and twenty attendants.

The foregoing is the liturgical text for offering the Jade Tally of Virtue and Worth, guarded by the officials of the Water Bureau and the Dragon Maiden consorts. The registered disciple, so-and-so, should diligently wear and uphold it, advance in De, establish meritorious deeds, assist in the governance of the imperial court, and make a name that shines throughout the world, observing it in accordance with the covenant oath and the rules of the Keyi.

Grade of the Golden Register of Wenchang for Dispelling Demons

Among the officers of merit and divine functionaries in the Golden Register for Protecting the State and Dispelling Demons:

The first Officer of Merit, Fu Xing, commands ten thousand soldiers;

the second Officer of Merit, Xun Ming, commands ten thousand soldiers;

the third Officer of Merit, Fei Zhixin, commands ten thousand soldiers;

the fourth Officer of Merit, Pang Jie, commands ten thousand soldiers.

The fifth Merit Officer (gongcao), Lu Liu, leading ten thousand generals and soldiers, comes to deliver and transform; the sixth Merit Officer, Song Bing, leading ten thousand generals and soldiers, comes to deliver and transform; the seventh Merit Officer, Gao Yi, leading ten thousand generals and soldiers, comes to deliver and transform; the eighth Merit Officer, Zhao Lu, leading ten thousand generals and soldiers, comes to deliver and transform; the ninth Merit Officer, Zhao Qi, leading ten thousand generals and soldiers, comes to deliver and transform; the tenth Merit Officer, Wang Shi, leading ten thousand generals and soldiers, comes to deliver and transform.

In the Golden Seal-Script for Dispelling Demons set forth above—Fulu (talismans and registers) used to eliminate demonic obstacles—the Merit Officers and immortal scribes descend together to protect the disciple So-and-so, guarding the heart and Shen (spirit) so that the fundamental nature remains clear and bright. May his office and emolument increase day by day, and may every affair proceed smoothly and without obstruction. By the true Qi (vital energy) of Great Harmony, let disputes be pacified and calamities removed; by the immortal troops of the Great Cavern, let demonic obstacles be crushed and evil driven out, grievances and karmic debts dissolved, and the root of suffering cut off. May his literary virtue grow ever more manifest, his talent and reputation rise to prominence, and may he enter the registers of the eminent, assisting an age of clarity and brightness—all to be carried out in accordance with the codes, laws, and commands of Wenchang.

Chapter on the Evolution of the Primordial Guideline of Wenchang

The calamities of the Upper Palace of Purple Tenuity are met by the immortal troops of the Great Cavern, who crush demonic obstacles and drive out evil, dissolve grievances and karmic debts, and sever the root of suffering. May literary virtue grow ever more manifest, talent and reputation rise to prominence, and may one enter the registers of the eminent, assisting an age of clarity and brightness—all to be carried out in accordance with the codes, laws, and commands of Wenchang.

Chapter on the Evolution of the Primordial Guideline of Wenchang

The numinous writ, a sacred document, of the Wenchang Taiji (Supreme Ultimate) Commander-in-Chief of the Upper Palace of Purple Tenuity can, above, uphold and restrain the course of the kalpas and proclaim the secret workings of Heaven; in the middle, ride the luan in flight, carry out teaching and transformation, relieve the people of the world, and settle the populace; and below, protect the body and preserve life, pass through disaster and peril, and lengthen years and increase longevity. Those who come to understand it can realize the sacred realm and perfect themselves as Zhenren.

Chapter on the Jade Pivot of the Eastern Wall of Wenchang

The Qiongyao Jade Text of the Charts and Documents of the Eastern Wall

The Five Cycles converge in radiance, and the Eastern Wall manifests its charts and documents. Born before Heaven and Earth, they accord with Heaven and Earth, joined like paired jade discs and linked like pearls and jade. Pure, orthodox, and original generative Qi circulates and gathers, transforming into a revolving chariot. Exalting the teaching of letters and bringing martial affairs to rest, one reaches through to the Mysterious Capital, the immortal realm spoken of in Daoism. Recluses beneath the Shaowei stars dwell, for the most part, in the abodes of gentlemen. I, your servant, now study documents, registers, and records, and wish to enter upon the path of the immortal Way (Dao). With the heart clarified and the true preserved, I contemplate the mysterious principle. This is a wish-fulfilling precious book.

An-gui, heng-gui, zhe, tiao-gui, ta-gui, qin-gui, yin-gui, fu—quickly, quickly, let it be enacted in accordance with the oral edict and the statutes and ordinances of the Great Marshal of All Heaven!

The diagrams and texts listed above, together with the Jade Writings of Qiong (Qiongyao yuwen), correspond above to the natural Dao (the Way) of the Nine Heavens. They are secret talismanic writings (fulu) stored in the Wenchang Office. When carrying them out, follow the verbal edict of the Marshal of the Vast Expanse, and execute it at once!

The diagrams and texts listed above, together with the Jade Writings of Qiong, correspond above to the natural Dao of the Nine Heavens. They are the secret writings of the Wenchang Office. One who obtains them can open a spiritual perception (Shen) that discerns the principles of things and can increase intelligence and talent. The constellations send down their radiance, bringing auspicious omens and vitality, and all obstacles and inauspicious matters are eliminated. All of this is to be carried out according to the statutes and ordinances of the Great Cavern Wenchang Liturgical Code (Dadong Wenchang Keyi).

Section on the Cavalry Guards of the Wenchang Palace Bureau

The heavenly mounted attendants and armored soldiers (celestial cavalry and armored troops) commanded by the Great General Who Establishes the Standard of the Great Cavern Precious Register of Wenchang: ten thousand divine officers.

The heavenly mounted attendants and armored soldiers commanded by the Great General Who Oversees Merit of the Great Cavern Precious Register of Wenchang: ten thousand divine officers.

The heavenly mounted attendants and armored soldiers commanded by the Great General of the Mounted Guard of the Great Cavern Precious Register of Wenchang: ten thousand divine officers.

The Nine Heavens open and transform, and Wenchang governs the affairs of the great kalpas. A single Qi (the primal energy that circulates through the cosmos) flows without rest, and the profound work of creation moves along with it. The myriad spirits receive their commands and rise up in splendor. The jade talismans and golden registers (sacred talismanic writings made as talismans of jade and inscribed in gold) subdue and destroy plague and calamity. They devour demons and cause strange and malevolent forces to perish. Their might shakes the universe, and through ten thousand kalpas none can withstand it.

Then the Nine Heavens open and transform, and Wenchang governs the affairs of the great kalpas. A single Qi circulates without rest, and the profound work of creation moves. The myriad spirits receive their commands and rise up in splendor. The jade talismans and golden registers gather in and destroy plague and calamity, devour demons and eat ghosts, and cause strange and malevolent forces to perish. Their might shakes the universe, and through ten thousand kalpas none can withstand it. Heed my edict and answer the summons; the Azure Statutes (the ordinances followed by the divine powers) have their constant rule. Do not violate the oath, or the divine light will appear at once. Swiftly, swiftly, act in accordance with the statutes of Wenchang!

One hundred twenty officers who govern what is upright and uphold what is upright;

One hundred twenty officers who dispel demons and suppress demons;

One hundred twenty officers who gather in plague and devour plague;

One hundred twenty officers who gather in demons and devour demons;

One hundred twenty officers who gather in poison and devour poison;

One hundred twenty officers who gather in ghosts and devour ghosts;

One hundred twenty officers who gather in spirits and devour spirits;

One hundred twenty officers who gather in Qi and devour darkness;

One hundred twenty officers who gather in the heterodox and devour the heterodox;

One hundred twenty officers who gather in essence (Jing) and devour essence.

One hundred and twenty officials who subdue demonic evils and drive them off to be devoured; one hundred and twenty officials who subdue anomalies and drive them off to be devoured; one hundred and twenty officials who subdue wicked things and drive them off to be devoured; one hundred and twenty officials who subdue and drive off jing-sprites to be devoured; one hundred and twenty officials who subdue and drive off demonic evils to be devoured; one hundred and twenty officials who subdue and drive off anomalies to be devoured; one hundred and twenty officials who subdue wicked things and drive them off to be devoured; one hundred and twenty officials who subdue and drive off pestilential vermin to be devoured; one hundred and twenty officials who slay baleful influences and destroy illicit shrines; one hundred and twenty divine physician-officials who heal the sick and save lives; one hundred and twenty officials charged with relaying memorials by post-horse; one hundred and twenty officials who ride flying dragons.

All the foregoing officials are subordinate to the Bureau of the Right Palace. By command they hold such offices as Commissioner for Establishing the Standard and Supervising Merit, Grand General of the Cavalry Guard, and Armored Troops of the Celestial Stables; they are divine functionaries who seize evil and expel pestilence. They guard the disciple So-and-so, so that the body possesses radiance and the mind possesses the discerning power of numinous clarity, extinguishing every evil obstruction and driving away all inauspiciousness, so that pestilence cannot encroach and demons vanish without a trace; whatever the disciple prays for is likewise accomplished according to wish. They assist in governance, causing the imperial influence to spread widely and the transformative teaching of the orthodox Dao to be promulgated. All of this is carried out by transmitted command in accordance with the statutes fixed in the Purple Yang Golden Regulations under the authority of the Sovereign of Wenchang.

On this day the disciple So-and-so, with a heart of reverence, respectfully proceeds to the gate of the Ordination Master and Lord of the Teaching, the Great Perfected Celestial Master (Tianshi), to receive in homage the scriptures and registers of the Most High (the scriptures and ritual registers transmitted in Daoism), devoting the body to assisting in governance and promulgating the transformative teaching of the orthodox Dao, all carried out by transmitted command in accordance with the statutes fixed in the Purple Yang Golden Regulations under the authority of the Sovereign of Wenchang.

On this day the disciple So-and-so, with a heart of reverence, respectfully proceeds to the gate of the Ordination Master and Lord of the Teaching, the Great Perfected Celestial Master, to receive in homage the scriptures and registers of the Most High and to devote the heart to reverent service. After receiving the registers and wearing them, one dares not be diligent at the outset and negligent afterward, nor dare one carelessly divulge the numinous writings; if these vows are violated, it is as if one had betrayed the covenant. All is carried out in accordance with the Mysterious Statutes and Ordinances (the precepts and laws of Daoism).

Precious Register of Purple Yang of the Lofty Supreme Great Cavern Wenchang, Director of Emoluments, middle fascicle

Precious Register of Purple Yang of the Lofty Supreme Great Cavern Wenchang, Director of Emoluments, lower fascicle

According to the statement of So-and-so, a devotee of the Dao residing in a certain place: the year, month, day, and hour of his birth are such-and-such a year, month, day, and hour, and, according to the correspondence of his natal destiny, he receives from above the illumination of a certain star-lord of the Northern Dipper. On this day he therefore went in devout reverence to the threshold of his ordaining master, the Teaching Lord, the Celestial Master (Tianshi), the Great Perfected, and received by ritual homage the Gaoshang Dadong Wenchang Silu Ziyang Baolu, the Exalted Great Cavern Precious Register of Wenchang, Controller of Emoluments and Purple Yang—the Fulu (talismans and registers) used in the Daoist conferral of registers. He has dedicated himself to the Dao, wears and practices this register, and sincerely hopes to open a clear and lucid true nature and to penetrate to an awakening of his original mind; to study and reflect without slackening, so that word and conduct accord with the correct Way; and steadily to advance in De (Virtue/Power) and in learning, raising his talent and intelligence, so that when his reputation is achieved he may assist the emperor in carrying out the strategies of governing the realm, and when his stipend proceeds smoothly he may proclaim a pure and upright moral teaching; that he may help the sovereign attain an order of rule like that of Yao of Tang and Shun of Yu, and make the people’s lives as settled as in the time of King Cheng and King Kang of Zhou; that grace and honor may reach his ancestors, and blessings extend to later generations. He vows to cultivate diligently and to practice this register, long assisting an age of great peace. Should he violate the vow, he is willing to be dealt with according to the statutes issued by the lords of the Nine Heavens.

Wenchang, Azure Heaven: Grade of Nurturing the Shen (spirit)

This corresponds to the Qi (vital energy) of the Four Yang at the season of the Spring Equinox.

First Jade Stanza of the Purple Yang of the Great Cavern of Wenchang, under the Dominion of the Green Empyrean of the East

Purple Yang opens the jade casket, and the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning manifests the golden insignia. The gate of the Great Cavern is opened, the Palace of Azure Florescence appears, and the radiance of Taiyi, the Great One, shines forth bright and clear. Azure Jing (essence) and Qi circle among the seven stars of the Northern Dipper, and the myriad primordial energies join in assisting Wenchang. Cangjie makes manifest the Dao of literary teaching; Zhuanxu assists the Mandate of Heaven; the power of Wenchang reaches through in succor, without end.

Each morning at dawn, even the voice and set the breath aright, and recite this jade stanza nine times. This can nourish the primordial spirit and cause one’s name and station to rise to an honored grade.

One merit officer of the Green Empyrean who nurtures the spirit, under the dominion of the Azure Heaven of the East that opens transformation, together with six clerks, and the celestial outriders of the Great Cavern and ten thousand armored soldiers, are commanded to descend and protect and uphold him.

Wenchang, Yang Heaven: Grade of Assisting Letters

This corresponds to the Qi of the Six Yang at the season of the Beginning of Summer.

Second Jade Stanza of the Purple Yang of the Great Cavern of Wenchang, under the Dominion of the Cyan Empyrean of the Southeast

The wind of the Great Cavern wheels and stirs; the Qi of dragon majesty unfolds the six Qi. Purple Yang spreads out the jade tablets, determines the grades of honor, and descends upon the Three Primordials (the three realms of Heaven, Earth, and Water in Daoism). It drives away the obstructions of Yin demons, and opens and makes manifest the transmission of an upright nature. This Jing (scripture) will be handed down as a treasure through an age of flourishing.

The returning wind of the Great Cavern (Dadong) stirs and shakes, and dragon majesty sets the six Qi (vital energy) circulating abroad. Purple Yang (Ziyang) spreads open the jade slips, settles the noble station, and sends down the Qi of the Three Origins. It drives off the obstructions of Yin demons, so that true nature may be opened and made known. This scripture brings a precious allotment of fortune: it can reach through and bring relief, and long remain without fault.

Each morning, when the mind and spirit (Shen) are calm and the breath is upright, recite this jade chapter nine times. It can increase literary ability and help one enter the examination ranks of the worthy and talented.

The sovereign of opening and transformation in the Yang Heaven of the southeast, the Azure Empyrean (Bixiao), dispatches one Merit Officer (gongcao) of Auxiliary Literature, six subordinate officials, and the celestial outriders of the Great Cavern together with ten thousand armored soldiers, to come and give protection.

Wenchang Grade of Luminous Truth of the Fiery Heaven

This corresponds to the single Yin Qi that first arises at the summer solstice.

Third Purple Yang Jade Chapter of the Wenchang Great Cavern under the Cinnabar Empyrean Sovereign of the South

The Nine Blossoms spread forth subtle and wondrous Qi, and the Great Unity (Taiyi) assists the Cinnabar Origin (Danyuan). They open the teaching of the celestial Dipper, so that numinous light shines upon those of supreme worth. The imperial heart takes the precious slips as its credential, and a person’s spirit-nature accords with the dragon registers. They gather the manifestations of central harmony, so that literary fortune may be preserved and enlarged.

Each morning, nurture the mind and Shen and harmonize the breath, and recite this jade chapter nine times. It can open a clear and luminous nature, making one intelligent and penetrating and able to bring good talents into play.

The sovereign of opening and transformation in the Fiery Heaven of the south, the Cinnabar Empyrean (Danxiao), dispatches one Merit Officer of Luminous Truth, six subordinate officials, and the celestial outriders of the Great Cavern together with ten thousand armored soldiers, to come and give protection.

Wenchang Grade of Penetrating Mystery of the Vermilion Heaven

This corresponds to the three Yin Qi at the Beginning of Autumn.

Fourth Purple Yang Jade Chapter of the Wenchang Great Cavern under the Luminous Empyrean Sovereign of the Southwest

Radiance is established and gathers over the wilds of the eight directions, and the luminous slips assist the Central Sovereign. The Dantian (energy center) unfolds numinous Qi, and Cloud Blossom (Yunhua) fosters the light of wisdom. Qilu wields the power to cut away demonic obstacles, and the True Ruler opens the celestial chapters. Literary grace and talent help accomplish great undertakings, reaching through to bring relief and causing them to flourish for a long time.

Each morning, tend the mind and Shen and regulate the breath, and recite this jade chapter nine times. It can penetrate profound and mysterious principles, and the light of Shen appears of itself.

The sovereign of opening and transformation in the Vermilion Heaven of the southwest, the Luminous Empyrean (Jingxiao), dispatches one Merit Officer of Penetrating Mystery, six subordinate officials, and the celestial outriders of the Great Cavern together with ten thousand armored soldiers, to come and give protection.

Wenchang Grade of Human Worthies of the Vast Heaven

This corresponds to the four Yin Qi at the autumn equinox.

The Fifth Purple Yang Jade Chapter of the Wenchang Great Cavern, under the Sovereign of the Jade Empyrean of the West

The Qi (vital energy) of Purple Yang spreads across Taihao—the name of a sovereign of high antiquity, and also a name for the Qi of the East—and its beautiful essence is naturally deep and rich. After the Moon Mother conceives and brings forth the Jing (essence) of Metal, the power of the Mysterious Heaven further fills the heart of the sovereign. Taizhen, a perfected immortal, sets feathered wings in motion through song and dance; Yin and Yang (Yin-Yang) join their two Qi, and the Yin Qi blends layer upon layer. The Dao (the Way) of literary teaching thereby flourishes, and red lingzhi mushrooms grow in abundance through the jade groves.

Each morning, keep the mind peaceful and set the breath in order; recite this jade chapter nine times, and one may enter the register of the worthy and at last awaken to the Great Dao.

The Sovereign of the Jade Empyrean, who presides over the opening of transformation in the Vast Heaven of the West, dispatches one Merit Officer for Entering the Worthy, six subordinate officers, and ten thousand chariot cavalry and armored soldiers of the Great Cavern Heaven to come and protect and sustain the practitioner.

Wenchang: the Grade of Establishing Virtue in the Obscure Heaven

This corresponds to the Qi of the six Yin at the seasonal node of the Beginning of Winter.

The Sixth Purple Yang Jade Chapter of the Wenchang Great Cavern, under the Sovereign of the Supreme Empyrean of the Northwest

The deep and secluded Qi of the North is called the Hidden and Profound; those of outstanding literary talent rest at ease within the Supreme Empyrean. Heaven above opens a broad work of teaching and transformation, and the Purple Tenuity Enclosure—the celestial region of the stellar officials—sets aright the dipper-handle of the Kui star of the Northern Dipper. The Primordial Father, a revered deity of Daoism, gives birth to the Jing of Ren Water, and from this Wenchang sends forth the wondrous tones of the cavern-heavens. Nine dragons proclaim the registers of the noble and eminent, and the mysterious working grows ever more far-reaching.

Each morning, harmonize the Shen (spirit) and set the breath in order; recite this jade chapter nine times, and one may establish the root of virtuous conduct, with talent, wisdom, and strategy surpassing those of ordinary people.

The Sovereign of the Supreme Empyrean, who presides over the opening of transformation in the Obscure Heaven of the Northwest, dispatches one Merit Officer for Establishing Virtue, six subordinate officers, and ten thousand chariot cavalry and armored soldiers of the Great Cavern Heaven to come and protect and sustain the practitioner.

Wenchang: the Grade of Responding to Nobility in the Mysterious Heaven

This corresponds to the Qi in which the single Yang first arises, at the seasonal node of the Winter Solstice.

The Seventh Purple Yang Jade Chapter of the Wenchang Great Cavern, under the Sovereign of the Purple Empyrean of the North

Xuanyi, the Dao of the primal origin, spreads abroad the Qi of the Primordial Beginning; it is numinous, subtle, and all-penetrating, and the functioning of Shen is vast. It promotes literary teaching and assists a flourishing turn of fortune; it opens martial readiness and subdues the armies of demons. Yin and Yang unite in harmony and generate a Qi of divine excellence; the bearing of the eminent is renewed day by day. The Qi of pure Yang takes part in the transformative nurture of Heaven and Earth, reaching through to aid Heaven and humanity together with the myriad beings.

Each morning, even the voice and calm the breath; recite this jade chapter nine times, and one may meet the moment of selection for noble eminence, receive the aid of the divinities, and gain swiftness of literary thought.

One Yinggui Gongcao (merit officer who answers to honor) of Zixiao (Purple Empyrean), sovereign of opening and transformation of the Northern Mysterious Heaven (Xuantian, the honored deity of the northern celestial realm), together with six subordinate clerks and the celestial outriders and ten thousand armored soldiers and generals of the Great Cavern Heaven (Dadong tian), are commanded to descend.

Wenchang: the Biantian Grade for Advancing Emolument

This section corresponds to the Qi (vital energy) of the three yang as they first arise at the solar term Beginning of Spring.

Eighth Purple-Yang Jade Chapter of Wenchang of the Great Cavern, under the Langxiao Sovereign of the Northeast

At the summit of Mount Kunlun, generative transformation comes forth, and three deities guard Fengdu of the north (the nether region of the north). Langxiao (Gem Empyrean) alone holds the office of sovereign, opening transformation and giving instruction, and assisting the fulfillment of meritorious work. The yang talisman of the Great Cavern—the yang Fulu (talismans and registers) of the Great Cavern method—manifests its form and substance, and the Qi of purity and quiescence gives birth to purple radiance. Through cultivation, the Brahma-treasures are spread abroad and relief is extended to all, so that the fortune of the state long endures and flourishes.

Each morning at dawn, with the mind at peace and the breath regulated, recite this jade chapter nine times. One’s grade in the registers of emolument can thereby be raised, one’s name made known in the world, and aid brought to the many.

One Jinlu Gongcao (merit officer who advances emolument) of Langxiao, sovereign of opening and transformation of Biantian (the Transforming Heaven) in the northeast, together with six subordinate clerks and the celestial outriders and ten thousand armored soldiers and generals of the Great Cavern Heaven, are commanded to descend.

Wenchang: the Juntian Grade for Accomplishing Success

This section corresponds to the alternation of Yin-Yang Qi through the four seasons: at times two yang and five yin, at times two yin and five yang.

Ninth Purple-Yang Jade Chapter of Wenchang of the Great Cavern, under the Shenxiao Sovereign of the Center

Juntian (the central celestial realm) is the mother of Taiji (Supreme Ultimate), and the center guards the pivot of the Dipper (the hub of the Northern Dipper). The eight primals (the primordial Qi of the eight directions) are transformed and born as a single Qi, and the nine ways gather in the central records. Following the course of transformation, literary teaching flourishes and the residual grace of the sovereign’s De (Virtue/Power) in government is made manifest. By this literary teaching a new great undertaking is opened, all living beings are universally aided, and benefit comes to the imperial house and the state.

Each morning at dawn, even the voice and set the breath right, and recite this jade chapter nine times; the efficacy of cultivation will then appear, and many wishes can also be fulfilled.

One Chenggong Gongcao (merit officer of accomplished success) of Shenxiao (Divine Empyrean), sovereign of opening and transformation of Juntian at the center, together with six subordinate clerks and the celestial outriders and ten thousand armored soldiers and generals of the Great Cavern Heaven, are commanded to descend.

The foregoing are the nine grades of the Purple-Yang Jade Chapters of Wenchang of the Great Cavern. Each morning at dawn one should calm the mind and settle the will, and regulate…

Listed on the right are the Nine Grades chapters of the Dadong Wenchang Ziyang Yuzhang. Each morning, with a calm mind and a will held single and undivided, one evens the voice and the breath and respectfully bows to the True Lord Wenchang Silu (the deity who governs literary fortune and official emolument), reciting each chapter nine times. In this way one can move and communicate with the various heavens and call down divine officers—the merit officers and immortal scribes of the Nine Empyreans who determine nobility and oversee emoluments, together with the armored troops of the celestial grooms—to descend and protect one’s person, clear away obstacles, allow literary talent and moral conduct to be put into practice, bring reputation into prominence and achievement to completion, and assist the sovereign in carrying out moral instruction. All of this is carried out according to the statutes and commands of Ziyang.

Wenchang Responding-in-Sleep Eight Diagrams Chapter

The Celestial Master Xujing (Xujing Tianshi) said: This scripture is presided over by the True Lord Wenchang Silu of the Unsurpassed Celestial Bureau (the deity in heaven who governs literary fortune and official rank). In a former kalpa the True Lord paid respects to the Dao Lord of the Three Primes and Great Simplicity, the Lady of the Upper Prime, and the Lady of the Upper Palace of Numinous Blossoms, and received this register from them. The register is called the Precious Ziyang Register of Wenchang Silu for Assisting Letters and Responding in Sleep. In the past it was secretly kept in the Jade Chamber of the Golden Portal of Great Existence in the heaven of Jade Clarity, placed inside a cloud-brocade pouch of Purple Yang, and attended by the Venerable Spirits of the Nine Heavens who store up blessings.

The armored troops of the celestial grooms guard this register. The True Lords of Destiny and of Emoluments, together with the officers of the various heavens who preside over bestowal and deprivation, the fixing of nobility, and the accomplishment of merit, jointly protect this mysterious scripture. They clearly examine and select Confucian scholars so that they may accord with the fortune of the times, assist the sovereign’s plans, and help the world move toward great peace. For this reason every age has treasured the register.

One who receives this text does not inherit it in vain: related scenes must first appear in sleep, or unusual signs must appear by day, as omens. These are the responses gained after receiving the register. If verification appears in a dream, one will surely enter the ranks of the eminent.

The Record of the Director of Emoluments says: The dream omens shown in the eight diagrams above sometimes appear among everyday signs and sometimes appear in dreams. All are auspicious portents, foretelling that one will surely be selected for high rank. Ten kinds of omens are briefly listed here to illustrate the indications that precede events.

During the reign of Emperor Dezong of the Tang, Yao Wei, a descendant of Yao Chong, was diligent in study and skilled at writing, yet his great ambitions long went unfulfilled. One day he met the fangshi He Da. He Da, a great-great-grandson of He Zhizhang, transmitted this precious register to Yao Wei. Before receiving the register, Yao Wei dreamed of a white cat inside his pillow. After receiving it he opened the precious register and looked, and indeed there was an image of a jade cat corresponding to the dream omen. That year Yao Wei passed the jinshi examination, and later his office rose to that of an imperial attendant.

During the Guangzheng reign of the Later Shu, Gao Qingsun of Mianzhou dreamed that he was riding on the back of an ox and striking its horns. He told the dream to Hu Daoyuan, a Daoist priest of Yuju Abbey. Hu Daoyuan congratulated him, saying, “This year you are certain to pass the jie examination (the local examination in the civil-service system). The graphs for ‘knife’ and ‘ox,’ taken together, can be parsed as the character jie; that you dreamed of this is precisely an auspicious sign.” Later events turned out just as he had said, and Gao Qingsun ranked among the foremost in the examinations.

In the Tang dynasty, Gao Qingsun of Mianzhou dreamed that he was riding on an ox’s back and striking its horns, and so told the dream to Hu Daoyuan, a Daoist priest of Yuju Abbey. Hu Daoyuan congratulated him, saying, “This year you are certain to pass the jie examination, because the graphs for ‘knife’ and ‘ox,’ taken together, can be parsed as the character jie; this dream is an auspicious sign.” It later proved true, and Gao Qingsun achieved excellent results in the examinations.

In the time of Emperor Zhaozong of the Tang, there was a scholar named Zhu Huan, whose talent and learning were outstanding. He received this register—a Daoist Fulu (talismans and registers)—from his kinsman Zhu Daoyuan. Zhu Huan dreamed that he slew five tigers; the following year he passed the jinshi examination, and later attained a pure and pivotal office close to the central organs of the court.

During the Jingde era of Emperor Taizong of the Song, Zhou Liangfu received this register from Liu Ruozhuo, a Daoist priest of Laizhou. He dreamed that he was chasing a herd of deer, only to be trampled by the herd and die upon the road; when he awoke he found it astonishing. That same year he passed the examinations, and later rose to the post of regional commander (an official who directed the military and civil affairs of a territory).

In the time of Emperor Shenzong of the Song, Su Shi of Meizhou received this register from Huang Ruoshui, a recluse of Dongmuyi Mountain in his native place. Su Shi’s father, Su Xun, dreamed that a large ghost’s head appeared among the bamboo slips in a book chest, and woke in alarm. That year both of the Su brothers passed the examinations.

One night Su Shi’s second son, Su Dai, dreamed that he had beaten three people to death. Taking this for an inauspicious omen, he told his elder brother Su Mai. Su Mai congratulated him, saying, “Congratulations—you have the prospect of being selected among the Three Yuan; it must be you.” It later proved true.

Huang Shu of Hongzhou, whose courtesy name was Yafu, dreamed of a black dog guarding his feet. He had received this register under Master Qi, and so regarded the dream as an auspicious sign. That year he passed the examinations, and later served as Grand Master for Palace Counsel and Assistant Minister of the Court of Judicial Review.

Chao Gongwu, courtesy name Zizheng, one year on the night of the Shangyuan Festival, in his sleep beat three scholars who shared his study to death in a fit of anger. Officers bound him and delivered him to the authorities concerned. When he reached the prison, he saw that his elder brother, Chao Gongsu, courtesy name Zixi, had already been bound there before him. He woke in alarm and did not speak of what he had seen in the dream. Later, on reaching Baofeng in Lizhou, he met the Daoist priest Lu, who brought out this precious register—a scripture of Fulu (talismans and registers) transmitted within Daoism—and showed it to him. When he read the “Chart of Omens in Sleep,” he found in it the portent of “striking three people in anger.” He then held a Zhaijiao (purification ritual), a Daoist rite of sacrifice and prayer for blessing and the averting of harm, and received this precious register. Later, both he and his elder brother indeed passed the examinations with high rankings.

Before Grand Preceptor Pang Wu had yet risen to prominence, he once traveled to Fenglin Hermitage west of Luoyang, met a Daoist priest named Meng Ji, and drank with him. That night he dreamed that he had beaten three people to death in anger, which exactly matched the portent in the dream. He therefore held a Zhaijiao and received this precious register. Later, both he and his elder brother indeed passed the examinations with high rankings.

Before Grand Preceptor Pang Wu had yet risen to prominence, he again traveled to Fenglin Hermitage west of Luoyang and drank with the Daoist priest named Meng Ji. That evening, when the wine was at its height, he stayed in the hermitage. In his sleep he was bitten by a white horse and felt severe pain; on waking he told Meng Ji. Meng Ji said, “You have fulfilled one of the portents in the Eight Charts.” He then brought out this precious register, showed it to him, and transmitted the register to him. That year Grand Preceptor Pang Wu passed the civil examinations. In less than fifteen years he rose to become a minister at the head of government, and both father and son were enfeoffed as Grand Preceptors.

In the closing years of the Jianyan era, Liu Haoran of Qiongzhou studied in his youth in pursuit of official rank. Once, in a dream, the True Lord of Emoluments (the deity who oversees official salaries and rank) bestowed on him the Register of Wenchang, a Daoist Fulu (talismans and registers) connected with the god Wenchang and with literary fortune. After waking, he wrote down what he had seen in the dream, then went to Mount Longhu to pay his respects to the thirtieth-generation Celestial Master (Tianshi) and request transmission of this register. The Celestial Master brought out the Fulu and showed it to him, saying, “This register is not meant for you yourself to win fame. You should pass it on, so that its benefit reaches three men of high standing.” After Liu Haoran received the Fulu, he still could not fully grasp its meaning.

During the Shaoxing era, Liu Haoran practiced the ritual registers of the Three Caverns (the Fulu transmitted through the Daoist Three Caverns, Dongzhen, Dongxuan, and Dongshen). The talismans and medicinal substances he used all proved efficacious. He could also send forth his spirit and submit memorials—presenting petitions to the celestial realm through Daoist ritual—and foresee people’s misfortunes and blessings, auspicious and inauspicious outcomes. For this he was praised by the scholar-officials and the powerful of the time.

Yu Yunwen of Longzhou, whose courtesy name was Binfu, heard of Liu Haoran’s reputation and came to visit him. Liu Haoran said to him, “In middle age you will rise to prominence and honor, and you are certain to become a chief minister. You may receive this register, and by means of it support literary fortune and advance your undertakings.” Yu Yunwen asked, “What register may I receive?” Liu Haoran then transmitted this register to him.

A year later, while sleeping in the Kuabie Studio, Yu Yunwen dreamed that he struck three people and woke covered in sweat. Later he opened the Fulu and examined it, and found that this omen was recorded there. After another year, he placed first among the Three Yuan in the civil examinations, and afterward he became prime minister.

Any scholar possessed of talent and virtue who, before receiving this register—the Fulu (talismans and registers) and documents of ritual office conferred by Daoism—encounters portents in dreams should take a master and seek to receive this register, so as to accord with the will of Heaven, and will surely obtain recompense in rank and scholarly fame. If one still hesitates and doubts and is unwilling to believe and revere it, the deities who preside over bestowal and deprivation will punish that person’s spiritual nature, diminish lifespan together with fortune and emolument, and bring it about that in the end nothing at all is accomplished.

If these dream portents appear after the register has been received, renown will likewise be achieved. Dream portents that appear before reception of the register are the better omens; those that appear afterward are of a lesser grade.

To revere and serve this register can assist literary composition and study, and give rise to nine currents of Wenchang Qi (vital energy associated with the Stellar Lord Wenchang and with literary fortune). Injustices and lawsuits accumulated in the past will be cleared of themselves; calamities left by the ancestors will not extend to later generations; deities cannot strip away talent and intelligence, demonic obstructions cannot hinder ability, destiny will receive protection, baleful stars cannot inflict harm, and evil sha cannot display their power. Thereby one may settle mind and resolve and open the intellect, receive from the deities an increase of keen wisdom, rise to distinction in the examination lists, and have fortune and emolument extend even to sons and grandsons.

If one slights this numinous text, or presumptuously shows it to unsuitable persons, the Three Officials—deities in Daoism who govern the three realms of Heaven, Earth, and Water—will record the offense, and the punishment received will not be light.

End of the lower scroll of the Gaoshang Dadong Wenchang Silu Ziyang baolu (Precious Register of Ziyang, Wenchang Controller of Emoluments, of the Great Cavern Most High).

Ritual Words for Requesting the Register

The ritual words of the Gaoshang Dadong Wenchang Silu Ziyang baolu.

On a certain day of a certain month in a certain year, a disciple devoted to the Dao (the Way), named so-and-so, whose native place and residence are such-and-such, was born at a certain hour on a certain day of a certain month in a certain year. This disciple’s natal destiny lies under the care of a certain Star Lord of the Northern Dipper. Today, with a heart of reverence, the disciple comes before the Ordination Master and the Teaching Lord, the Great Perfected Celestial Master (Tianshi), to bow and receive one copy of the Precious Register of Ziyang of the High Supreme Great Cavern of Wenchang, Overseer of Emoluments, and reverently to uphold and cultivate it.

This book of jade seal-script and jasper (a precious Daoist scripture of Fulu (talismans and registers)) has its root in the Taiji (Supreme Ultimate). The golden terrace and the cassia register (the celestial roster recording merit, fame, emolument, and rank) are all under the charge of the Imperial Lord Wenchang. It contains mysterious and subtle principles and gathers essential brilliance and numinous excellence; therefore it can correspond with the workings of creation and, amid the waxing and waning of Yin-Yang, accord with the way of Wuwei (non-action). Though it displays no outward trace, it can resonate and bring an efficacious response. It spreads teaching and moral transformation and assists the way of ruler and minister; its merit stands loftily manifest at the Golden Portal (the celestial court), and it presides over the emolument registers of the Celestial Bureaus (the offices of heaven). It also nobly administers the jade charts, making plain to the world the standards by which noble rank is measured. It sets forth models for others to follow, holds together the guiding norms of literary instruction, and judges promotion and demotion with fairness and without partiality. From ancient times to the present, people have relied upon it.

The disciple reflects that, born into an age of clarity and brightness and fortunate enough to encounter the true wind of the Daoist teaching, the disciple therefore knocks the head in sincere allegiance and wishes to wear and revere the secret canon of the Nine Heavens, so as to increase literary talent and wisdom, hoping to comprehend the subtle words and meanings within it through which a single principle runs. The disciple hopes soon to realize ambitions that soar above the clouds, and wishes to seal this covenant as bright as the white sun. Looking up to the revered master to bestow transmission and ordination, the disciple will carefully observe the practice of cultivation and, praying with a heart of utmost sincerity and earnestness, respectfully presents these words.

The school of the Celestial Master has examined the tokens of faith brought by the disciple so-and-so and confirms that the disciple has come to enter the Dao and to state the wishes of the heart, seeking to receive one copy of the Precious Register of Ziyang of the High Supreme Great Cavern of Wenchang, Overseer of Emoluments, to revere and uphold it for life, and requesting to receive the precious taboo-name of the True Master, the talismanic diagrams, the scriptures (Jing), and the oral instructions for cultivation, so as to practice according to the prescribed rules. Today a covenant is announced before Heaven and Earth, and an oath is sworn to the Three Officials (the Official of Heaven, the Official of Earth, and the Official of Water). In accordance with the Keyi (liturgy), the rite of breaking the tally and dividing the ring is performed (a rite symbolizing the covenant between the two parties and the relationship of transmission), and the transmission is conferred according to Daoist regulations. What is delivered is as follows:

One copy of the Register, in three scrolls altogether: the upper, the middle, and the lower.

The chapters are: the Opening and Transformation of the Nine Heavens; the Genealogical Lineage of Celestial Unfolding; Reserve Aides and the Arrayed Deities; Celestial Stanzas and Jade Writs; the Central Sovereign Generating Qi (vital energy); Settling the Will and Increasing Wisdom; Inspecting the Precious Charts; the Jade Talisman of the Controller of Emoluments; the Golden Slips That Establish Honor; the Jade Tablets for Advancing the Worthy; the Golden Seal-Script for Dispelling Demons; the Evolution of the Primordial Framework; the Eastern Wall and the Armillary Sphere; Palace Clerks and Mounted Guards; the Azure Heaven Nurturing Shen (spirit); the Yang Heaven Assisting Literary Culture; the Fiery Heaven Illuminating the Perfected; the Vermilion Heaven Penetrating the Mysterious; the Vast Heaven Admitting the Worthy; the Dark Heaven Establishing De (Virtue/Power); the Mysterious Heaven Responding with Honor; the Transforming Heaven Advancing Emolument; the Harmonious Heaven Completing Merit; and the Eight Charts of the Responsive Chamber.

The ritual article is one sealed packet of the covenant contract and ring-tally of alliance with the Perfected, a credential used for swearing a covenant and for confirming a master–disciple relationship or a relationship of cultivation.

What follows sets out the cultivation tenets and ritual curriculum of the Zhengyi (Orthodox Unity) school.

The honorific titles of the Ancestral Master, the Mysterious Master, and the Perfected Master are as follows. The Ancestral Master is the Great Emperor of Compassionate Response, sovereign of the opening and transformation of the Nine Heavens, and the Heavenly Worthy of Great Compassion, Renewed Life, and Everlasting Destiny. The Mysterious Master is the Great Emperor of Trustworthy Grace, who in the Celestial Administration oversees the affairs of water and land and has general charge of the two registers of cassia honor and official emolument. The Perfected Master is the King of Manifest Culture, Most Sage of Great Accomplishment, the Sovereign Person of Wenchang, and the Dao (the Way) Lord, Mysterious Sage of the Nine Heavens.

The ritual names of the three masters of scripture, register, and ordination are recorded as follows. The Scripture Master is the True Officer of the Southern Bureau of the scriptures and registers of the Three Caverns (Sandong) of the Supreme Clarity, and High Honored One of the Jade Bureau. The Mysterious Master is the Great Emperor of Trustworthy Grace, who in the Celestial Administration oversees the affairs of water and land and has general charge of the two registers of cassia honor and official emolument. The Perfected Master is the King of Manifest Culture, Most Sage of Great Accomplishment, the Sovereign Person of Wenchang, and the Dao Lord, Mysterious Sage of the Nine Heavens. The Scripture Master is further identified as the True Officer of the Southern Bureau of the scriptures and registers of the Three Caverns of the Supreme Clarity, Senior Minister of the Jade Bureau, Great Ritual Master of All the Heavens, Zhang Zhengchang, the forty-second-generation Celestial Master (Tianshi) in succession to the Han. The Register Master is the True Arbiter enforcing the law of the Taiji (Supreme Ultimate) for the scriptures and registers of the Three Caverns of the Supreme Clarity, the Perfected who receives the teaching of the Lingbao (Numinous Treasure), Great Ritual Master of All the Heavens, Zhang Yuchu, the forty-third-generation Celestial Master in succession to the Han. The Ordination Master is the Perfected of Mysterious Transformation who receives the teaching of the Lingbao and holds the precious registers of the Three Caverns of the Supreme Clarity, Immortal Arbiter enforcing the law of the Southern Bureau, Great Ritual Master of All the Heavens, Zhang Yuqing, the forty-fourth-generation Celestial Master succeeding to the teaching.

The ritual names of the masters attending the altar are listed by office only, with no personal names supplied: the Supervising Ordination Master, the Sponsoring Master, and the Covenant-Witness Master.

This Wenchang esoteric scripture holds authority, within the Nine Heavens, over the recording and evaluation of emoluments and scholarly honors; the Numinous Chapters of the Great Cavern (Dadong), in turn, set forth the principles by which the True Immortal of Qiqu governs and edifies. The scripture discloses what is hidden and subtle through the Five Scripts in Cloud Seal Script (Daoist seal characters shaped like cloud Qi (vital energy)), and manifests its radiance through the Octagonal Golden Writing. When the Imperial Lord is present, the light shines with brilliant clarity; the spirits seem as if right before one’s eyes. To cultivate it is to penetrate ultimate principle; to comprehend it is to accord with truths that are mysterious, profound, and subtle. It can help one advance in learning and bring merit and renown to light in the world, yet the praise it deserves cannot be fully told, and the profound meanings it contains are hard to put into words.

The disciple, sincere in intention and upright in mind, cautious in self-cultivation and obedient to the teachings of the sages, still cannot manage to commit few faults or incur little blame; having taken refuge in and upheld the orthodox Dao (the Way), he has yet to realize the realm of constant purity and constant stillness. The disciple respectfully prays: may he be entered upon the Cassia Register that records merit, fame, salary, and rank, and have his name listed in the Rui Palace (the immortal palace of Daoist legend); may a single thought commune with the true Dao, so that he thoroughly grasps the intent of the classics; may the Three Primes (the Upper, Middle, and Lower Primes spoken of in Daoism) determine a noble station and place him among the highest examination ranks. The disciple carefully keeps the covenant oath and will long treasure these teachings as his own; should he betray his original vow, he willingly accepts punishment according to the statutes.

Ritual Words of the Precious Register of Purple Yang of the Most High Great Cavern Wenchang, Controller of Emoluments