《太上大道三元品戒谢罪上法》

The Celestial Worthy (Tianzun) said: When cultivating this supreme method, one should regularly, on the three days of the fifteenth of the first month, the fifteenth of the seventh month, and the fifteenth of the tenth month, bathe and purify the body at the three times of early morning, noon, and midnight, and cleanse the body with five kinds of incense.

When preparing to bathe, face the southwest and, with a golden ladle, stir the fragrant water, beginning from the southeast and turning it leftward thirty-two times. Close the eyes and visualize sunlight above the left eye and moonlight above the right eye, with the five stars suspended over the head like a jeweled necklace; five-colored auspicious clouds encircle the whole body. The Azure Dragon, the White Tiger, the Vermilion Bird, and the Dark Warrior (guardian spirits of the four directions), together with lions and white cranes, take their places on the left and the right; immortal youths hold towels, jade maidens scatter flowers, and flying immortals come riding to stand guard at one’s side.

Then knock the teeth twenty-one times and recite the invocation: “The vault of heaven is clear and bright, the air is pure and lucid, and five-colored radiance shines from on high. The sun and moon send forth their light, illuminating and pouring into my body. The saliva of the spirits washes within me; fragrance rises, and Jing (essence) and Qi (vital energy) are refined and nourished. Brilliance shines forth, reflecting Shangqing (the higher celestial realm spoken of in Daoism). The Qi of body and mind is not soiled by dust and grime; the mansions of the five viscera receive numinous Qi. Offenses are removed from the Three Paths (three realms of suffering and evil destinies), and calamities disperse from the Nine Darknesses (the obscure netherworld). The roots of evil are severed, and blessings arise of themselves. Today I solemnly make a vow and pledge it before all the deities; may my person receive deliverance and ascend to the court of the Celestial Emperor.”

After the recitation, tilt the head upward and swallow the saliva thirty-two times, thereby washing and refining the Five Spirits (the deities who govern the five viscera). When the bath is finished, dress neatly. Knock the teeth twelve times more and recite: “The five turbidities have already been cleared away, and the Eight Effulgences (celestial scenes in Daoism) have already become manifest. Today I receive refinement and deliverance; offenses are extinguished and blessings arise. May I long keep company with the Five Emperors (the celestial emperors of the five directions revered in Daoism), purify the heart and cultivate the true, and draw near to the deities of the upper realms.”

Then leave the bath, enter the quiet chamber, and practice the Dao (the Way) according to the ritual method. After entering the chamber, face east, burn incense, knock the teeth thirty-two times, and pray, saying:

The supreme and unsurpassed Taishang Laojun of the Three Qi (vital energy) of the Mysterious Primordial Beginning of the Three Heavens (a revered deity of Daoism) summons the Three-Five Merit Officers within my body (divine clerks who transmit documents and carry out summonses), the official messengers of the left and the right, the incense-bearing dragon-mounted postal clerks of the left and the right (divine clerks who carry incense and convey messages), the jade lads who attend the incense, the jade maidens who transmit words, the direct emissaries of the Five Emperors (divine clerks who act on the commands of the Celestial Emperors of the five directions), and the incense officials on duty for the day (the incense officials presently serving their turn)—thirty-two of each—to come forward.

All the divine clerks who have been summoned are to ready their garments and open the passageways of the true officials and orthodox spirits of this land and of the territory under its jurisdiction. I am now about to burn incense and practice the Dao (the Way), setting forth and praying for the wishes of the heart, desiring that the orthodox and true Qi of the ten directions enter our bodies, so that the matters announced in prayer may be swiftly conveyed and ascend before the Celestial Worthy of the Infinite and the Most True God Emperor of the Supreme Great Dao.

I, a disciple of the Unsurpassed Dongxuan Lingbao, Master of such-and-such a mountain, your servant so-and-so, was, through the karmic conditions of past lives, born amid the transforming work of the Dao (the Way). I was further favored with the elevation and guidance of Master so-and-so, a ritual master of the Three Caverns (Dongzhen/Dongxuan/Dongshen), so that I might leave dull ignorance and come into contact with the Jing (scripture/classic) and its methods. This profound kindness is truly beyond any repayment.

Yet from childhood I have lived in the secular world. Mind and Shen (spirit) have contended with one another, and I have been clouded by worldly dust. My offenses are grave, yet I have never perceived them, allowing karmic guilt to grow along with me until it has accumulated like mountains and seas. From past lives down to the present day, I do not know whence these conditions arose, nor through how many kalpas they have passed. Now my offenses implicate Heaven and Earth—on what registers, after all, are they recorded? I have been investigated and seized by the Three Officials (the deities who govern Heaven, Earth, and Water), and have even been sent to labor in the underworld. Although I have striven in cultivation, I have met with no response. The true spirits do not descend; instead I am harassed by swarms of demons, so that my thoughts cannot be made single and my Shen and Qi (vital energy) are scattered and disordered.

I constantly fear that, once I die and am consigned to the dark abyss, I shall be trapped through ten thousand kalpas, with never a day of release. Therefore, on this greatly auspicious day of celebration of the Three Yuan (the Upper Yuan, the Middle Yuan, and the Lower Yuan), I reverently purify body and mind, burn incense, and repent, declaring the offenses accumulated and committed in past lives and in this life: the hundreds of millions of transgressions that Heaven will not forgive, that Earth will not pardon, that the deities will not pity, and that ghosts and spirits will not let pass. What I have violated includes the one hundred and eighty precepts belonging to the Three Yuan, the one hundred and twenty bureaus (administrative offices) of the Three Officials and the Nine Offices, and the charges recorded by the investigating officers of Yin-Yang, of water and fire, and of the left, right, and central palaces.

Now, burning incense, I take refuge, together with my body, my spirit-soul, and my nature and life, in the Limitless Heavenly Worthy, the Most High Lord of the Dao, the Supreme Thearchs of the Thirty-two Heavens, the great sages of the ten directions, the elders among the lords of Ultimate Perfection, the Divine Kings who fly through the heavens, the celestial immortals, the flying immortals, the divine immortals, and the earthly immortals, the Perfected and jade maidens of the Five Marchmounts, the sun, moon, and constellations of all the heavens, and the Xuanji Yuheng (the stars that symbolize the movements of the celestial bodies). I also take refuge in the limitless numinous officers of the ten directions upon the earth, the Five Emperors of the Three Realms, the one hundred and twenty bureaus of the Three Officials and the Nine Offices, and the host of deities and the officers of every bureau of the Three Rivers, the Four Seas, the Nine Rivers, and the Eight Extremities, earnestly begging them to bestow their grace widely and to pardon and efface every offense I have committed in past lives and in this life.

May the merit of this offering of incense uproot the roots of sin, strike the records from the registers of the underworld, and utterly destroy the criminal entries in the black ledgers of the Right Bureau, so that I may be transferred into the azure register of long life in the Left Bureau of the Southern Palace, become a divine immortal, transcend the dusty world, and forever enjoy blessings and longevity without end. After attaining the Dao, may I ascend into the realm of the formless and unite with the true Dao.

Face east and perform nine bows, then kneel upright and say:

“I, your servant so-and-so, now entrust my life to the Boundless World of the East (the vast and limitless sacred realm of the East, as spoken of in Daoism). I reverently honor the Supreme Numinous Treasure Celestial Worthy (Taishang Lingbao Tianzun), the great host of sages who have attained the Dao (the Way), and the supremely perfected honored gods, together with the Boundless Great Dao of Mysterious Origin of the Unsurpassed Three Heavens of Grand Clarity (Taiqing), the Mysterious Elder of Heaven, the Supreme Lord Lao (Taishang Laojun), the Supreme Elder, the August Sovereign Lord Lao, the August Elder, the Upper Perfected of the Azure Numen, the Everlasting Lords of the Various Heavens, the Imperial Elders of the Various Heavens, the Great Thearch Lord, the Great Thearch Elder, the Lord of the Immortal Capital of the Nine Elders, the Elder of the Nine Qi (vital energy), and the many other honored gods. I also revere the Qi of the Dao in its hundreds, thousands, and myriads of layers, the one thousand two hundred official lords, and, beneath the Jade Majesty of Grand Clarity, the Great Deity of Azure Florescence, Elder of the Eastern Pole; Lord Azure Lad, the Senior Minister Sima; the Imperial Lord, Latter Sage of the Golden Portal; the Divine Person of True Yang and Primordial Azure; the Nine Immortal Lords of Lingbao; the Jade Maiden of Azure Harmony; the Jade Lad who presides over the immortals; and every divinity of the Boundless World of the East.

“I earnestly beg all of you, in your vast compassion, to forgive me and to pardon the many faults I have committed from former lives down to this present life. I have failed to revere the great sage honored gods of the various heavens and all the divinities of the Boundless World of the East, and I have failed to revere the natural order of the sun, moon, and stars, the four seasons and the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water), wind, rain, thunder, and lightning, clouds, mists, and the seasons of the year. I, in my humble station, have failed to revere my teachers and my elders, and I have failed to revere the Five Marchmounts, the Four Waterways (the rivers governed by three classes of important water deities), the Three Rivers, the Four Seas, the Nine Rivers, and the Eight Extremities, as well as the Perfected, the immortals, the jade maidens, the various numinous officers of the eastern quarter, the earth gods of the Three Realms, the Three Officials and the Nine Bureaus, and every divine being.

“I have deceived my teachers and turned my back on the Great Dao. I have defiled and slighted the celestial scriptures (Jing), stolen sacred writings, and altered the sounds and meanings of the holy scriptures. I have transmitted the highest teachings while craving private gain, and privately passed on the methods of the Dao without keeping the sworn covenant. I have plotted rebellion and done what is disloyal, unkind, unfilial, unloving, and inhumane. I have defied my ruler and my father, harmed living beings, seized others’ property, violated the wives of other men, set flesh and blood against one another, and carried on licentious relations among my own kin. I have envied those who surpassed me, contended for merit and fame, said one thing while thinking another, and slandered the worthy. I have drunk wine and eaten meat, disturbed the Five Spirits (Shen, the deities within the body that correspond to the five viscera), hurled insults and curses, and stirred up trouble for no reason. On auspicious days of purification and abstinence I have let joy and anger run unchecked; I have bullied orphans and widows, slighted the elderly, humiliated the poor, and attached myself to powerful magnates who stood in favor.

“Sins such as these are too many to list one by one. Accumulated through successive ages, they are tangled and hard to undo. Now I burn incense and entrust my life toward the east, and I earnestly beg you, in your compassion, to pardon me and to absolve the offenses named above, committed from former lives across millions of kalpas down to this present life. Grant me the chance to begin anew, so that from this day I may mend my ways, reverently keep the precepts, and never dare to offend again.

“I beg that my charges and the roots of my evil deeds be struck from the earthly tablets, from the crime registers of the Three Officials, and from the black ledgers of the Right Palace, and that my name be entered in the azure registers of the Left Bureau. Today is a day of auspicious blessing. I set forth all my wishes one by one, carefully confess and repent of my own accord, and entrust my life to the Celestial Worthy (Tianzun). May the immortals form with me a true bond of goodness, so that in ages to come, life after life, I may flourish in peace and long enjoy the blessings of the spontaneous Dao.”

After this has been completed, one removes the headcloth, kowtows, and strikes oneself with the hands, ninety times for each, and then stops. When the thanksgiving toward the east is finished, one rises, moves to the left, bows once toward the southeast, and then kneels upright and says: “I pray that the gods and the immortal perfected may descend, so that I may unite with the true Dao (the Way) and form a wholesome affinity. May this good affinity continue from life to life without end, and may I long enjoy the blessings of the spontaneous Great Dao.”

After this has been completed, one removes the headcloth, kowtows, and strikes oneself with the hands, ninety times for each, and then stops. When the thanksgiving toward the east is finished, one rises, moves to the left, bows once toward the southeast, and then kneels upright and says:

“I, so-and-so, now entrust my life to the Most High Celestial Worthy of Numinous Treasure (a venerated deity of Daoism) of the boundless world of the southeast; to the host of great sages who have already attained the Dao; to the supremely perfected venerable gods; to the Old Lord of the Upper South; to Laozi of the Cinnabar Numen; to the Perfected of Longevity of the Upper Prime of the Southern Pole; to the Marshal Who Delivers the World; to the Controller of Destiny (who governs the length of human life); to the Controller of Records (who governs the registers of names and of merit and fault); to Lord Han Who Cherishes Life; to the Great Sage and Divine King Who Raises the Dead, Restores Life, Refines the Bones, and Returns the Spirit (Shen); to the Lord of Myriad Blessings; to the Elder of Myriad Blessings; to the Jade Maidens of Great Harmony; and to all the divinities of the boundless world of the southeast. I pray for grace. The rite of thanksgiving follows the same procedure as the homage paid toward the east.”

When this has been spoken, one kowtows and strikes oneself with the hands, twelve times for each, and then stops. When the thanksgiving toward the southeast is finished, one rises, moves to the left, bows three times toward the south, and then kneels upright and says:

“I, so-and-so, now entrust my life to the Most High Celestial Worthy of Numinous Treasure of the boundless world of the south; to the host of great sages who have already attained the Dao; to the supremely perfected venerable gods; to the Red Emperor of the Upper South of the Limitless Great Dao; to Laozi of the Cinnabar Numen; to the Jade Maidens of Great Harmony; to the Marshal of Longevity; to the Lord Who Cherishes Life; to the Controller of Destiny; to the Controller of Records; to the Lord of Deliverance of the Southern Pole; to the Perfected Who Fly Through the Heavens; to the Divine King Who Opens Deliverance and Receives Those Born into Life; to the Lord of Deliverance, the immortal who records births in the Jade Register; to the Lord of Myriad Blessings, Myriad Deliverances, Myriad Births, and Myriad Qi (vital energy); and to all the divinities of the boundless world of the south. The rite of thanksgiving follows the procedure set out above.”

When this has been spoken, one kowtows and strikes oneself with the hands, thirty times for each, and then stops. When the thanksgiving toward the south is finished, one rises, moves to the left, bows once toward the southwest, and then kneels upright and says:

I now take refuge in the Supreme Celestial Worthy of the Numinous Treasure of the Boundless World of the Southwest, together with the Great Sages who have already attained the Dao (the Way), the Supremely Perfect Venerable Gods, the Elder of the Celestial Sovereign, the Primordial Perfected Lord of the Southern Extremity, the host of Great Numinous Spirits of Cavern-Yang, the Divine Kings of the Flying Perfected of Generating Qi (vital energy), the Immortal Jade Maidens, and all the divinities of the Boundless World of the Southwest. I earnestly beg you all to bestow your grace and accept the confession of my offenses that I offer in accordance with the ritual method set forth above.

After these words are spoken, kowtow and strike yourself with your hands, twelve times each. When the confession toward the southwest is finished, rise and circle to the left, face west and perform seven bows, then kneel upright and say:

I respectfully request the Divine Kings, the Immortal Jade Maidens, and all the divinities of the Boundless World of the Southwest to bestow their grace and accept the confession of my offenses that I offer in accordance with the ritual method set forth above.

After these words are spoken, kowtow and strike yourself with your hands, twelve times each. When the confession toward the southwest is finished, rise and circle to the left, face west and perform seven bows, then kneel upright and say:

I now take refuge in the Supreme Celestial Worthy of the Numinous Treasure of the Boundless World of the West, together with the Great Sages who have already attained the Dao, the Supremely Perfect Venerable Gods, the Supreme Thearch of Western Florescence, Great Mystery, and Utmost Extremity of the Boundless Great Dao, the True Mother of the Jade Immortals of the Golden Hall, the Thearch-Lord, Latter Sage and Supreme Minister of the Golden Portal, the Celestial Master (Tianshi) of Mysterious Antiquity, the Lord of the Dao of the Myriad Sages, the Perfected of the Four Extremities, the Immortal Jade Maidens, and all the divinities of the Boundless World of the West. I earnestly beg you all to bestow your grace and accept the confession of my offenses that I offer in accordance with the ritual method set forth above.

After these words are spoken, kowtow and strike yourself with your hands, seventy times each. When the confession toward the west is finished, then circle to the left, face the northwest and perform one bow, then kneel upright and say:

Disciple So-and-so today takes refuge in the upper realm, committing his life to it, and pays homage to the boundless and limitless Supreme Lingbao Heavenly Worthy, a revered deity of Daoism, together with the great sages and the supreme true venerable deities who have already attained the Dao (the Way). He pays homage to the Supreme Gods of the thirty-two heavens that extend above and below, through the center, and throughout the four quarters and eight directions, and to the kings and elders within the Supreme Great Dao of Wuwei (non-action).

The disciple pays homage to that supreme and unsurpassed Great Dao: it is without beginning or end and without bound or limit; it illuminates all things and discerns all; it is vast and profound, pure, still, and formless, and it is so of itself. He also pays homage to the innumerable venerable deities within the Qi (vital energy) of the Dao, to the Primordial Qi, and to the source of great wisdom that is deep, still, mysterious, and all-penetrating, and he pays homage to the Way of Zhengyi Mengwei, the lineage and covenant tradition of Zhengyi (Orthodox Unity), and to the divine lords within the Great Dao.

The disciple further pays homage to the various lords and elders of the Dao and of De (Virtue/Power), to the Supreme Lord of the Dao and De, the Lord of Myriad Lives, the Lord of Myriad Qi, the Lord of Myriad Origins, the Lord of Myriad Blessings, and their elders; to the deities of the heavens of dark primordial vastness; and to the Newly Manifested Lord Lao, the venerable deities of the Great Dao of the Three Heavens of Taiqing (Great Clarity), and the various elders.

The disciple pays homage to the Supreme Lord Lao, the Lord of Taiqing, the Lord of Taixuan, and the Central Yellow Lord of Zhengyi, together with the lords and elders of the Great Origin, the Great Beginning, the Great Primordial, the Great Plainness, the Great Void, the Great Unity, the Great Ceremony, Great Peace, and the Great Abyss. He also pays homage to the Heavenly Thearch Lord, the Lord of the Immortal Metropolis of the Nine Elders, the Lord of the Jade Registers, the Lord of the Nine Qi, and other deities. The venerable deities named above are exceedingly numerous and cannot be counted.

The disciple pays homage to the Lords of the One Thousand Two Hundred Officials and their elders, to His Jade Majesty of Taiqing, and to the Supreme Jade Perfected Lord, as well as to the Five Immortal Lords, the Nine Numinous Lords, the Twelve Perfected Lords of Taiqing, the Twenty-Four Divine Lords, and the Thirty-Six Perfected Lords of Taiqing, and to the divine lords and elders of the Five Qi, the Generative Qi, the Great Unity, and the rest.

The disciple pays homage to the Great Supreme Thearch of August Heaven, the Supreme Primordial Lord, the Lord of Divine Treasure, the Lord of True Treasure, the Lord of Heavenly Treasure, and the Lord of Numinous Treasure, together with the lords and elders of Primordial Shen (spirit), Primordial Truth, Primordial Numinosity, the August Elder, the Southern Pole, the Yellow Deity, the Yellow Elder, Great Harmony, and others. He pays homage to the Supreme August True Lord of the Dao, the Celestial Masters (Tianshi) of high antiquity, and the Three Masters, and to the venerable deities honored as the source of the myriad Dao, the myriad De, and Heaven and Earth.

The disciple pays homage to the deities of the source and gathering place of the gods and immortals. He pays homage to the King Father of the East, the Queen Mother of the West, the Lord of the Sun, the Lady of the Moon, the Lords of the Five Stars, the Imperial Consorts of the Five Stars, the Perfected Lords of the Nine Stars, the host of immortals and perfected beings, the Holy Father and Holy Mother, the Jade Maidens of the gods and immortals, and all the deities throughout the Limitless world of Miluo Heaven.

The disciple earnestly entreats the venerable deities to bestow their grace and, in accordance with the ritual forms set forth above, to accept this confession of fault.

After the rite has ended, one kowtows and strikes oneself with the hands, three hundred and twenty times each, and then stops. When the confession of offenses to Heaven above is complete, one next moves to the left, faces the solar office in the northeast, performs three bows, kneels upright, and says:

“I, your servant So-and-so, now commit my life to the Lady of the Lord of the Sun, the Lad of Great Radiance—August Splendor and Cavernous Brightness—within the Sun, the Jade Maiden of Cinnabar Clouds, and all the immortals of the solar palace. I pray that you will forgive the offenses I have committed since birth, and the guilt of having offended Heaven’s majesty and brought upon myself calamities of life and death, and that you will pardon and dispel them all together, so that my body and mind may be clear, pure, and radiant, as bright as the sun, that I may long enjoy inexhaustible blessings and longevity, and that I may naturally come to receive my share of good fortune.”

When this has been spoken, one kowtows and strikes oneself with the hands, thirty times each, and then stops. In this way the rite of confessing offenses to the solar palace is completed. One next moves to the left, faces the lunar palace in the southwest, performs seven bows, kneels upright, and says:

“I, your servant So-and-so, now commit my life to the Lady of the Lord of the Moon, the Water Mother of Stone Radiance, the Lad of Round Light, the Jade Maiden of Scattered Splendor, and all the immortals of the lunar palace. I pray that you will forgive the offenses I have committed since birth, and the guilt of having offended Heaven’s majesty and brought upon myself calamities of life and death, and that you will remit and dispel them all together, so that my body and mind may be clear, pure, and radiant, as bright as the moon, that I may long enjoy inexhaustible blessings and longevity, and that I may naturally come to receive my share of good fortune.”

When this has been spoken, one kowtows and strikes oneself with the hands, seventy times each, and then stops. When the confession of offenses to the lunar palace is complete, one next moves to the left, faces north, performs nine bows, kneels upright, and says:

“I, your servant So-and-so, now commit my life to the stars and lodges of all the heavens; to the Jade Pivot and the Jade Balance (the celestial bodies and stellar offices that symbolize the Northern Dipper); to the seven stars of the Northern Dipper; to the nine stars of the Three Terraces; to the Ladies of the Five Stars; to the Twenty-Eight Lodges; and to the great deities throughout the stellar regions that encircle the whole circuit of heaven in three hundred and sixty-five degrees, the Perfected Sovereigns among the stars, the Ladies and Numinous Consorts, and the immortal jade maidens. I pray that you will forgive the offenses I have committed since birth, and the guilt of having offended Heaven’s majesty and brought upon myself calamities of life and death, and that you will remit and dispel them all together, so that my body and mind may be clear, pure, and radiant, as bright as the stars, that I may long enjoy inexhaustible blessings and longevity, and that I may naturally come to receive my share of good fortune.”

“Kowtowing and striking oneself” is a gesture of worship in the rite: it means to kowtow and to beat one’s own body. “Committing one’s life” means devoting body and mind in refuge and service. Designations such as “solar office” and “lunar palace” refer to the sun, the moon, and the systems of deities worshipped in the rite. In the final section of the original text one sentence of the prayer is repeated; above, it has been rendered once according to the sense.

After the rite has ended, one kowtows and strikes one’s own body, each three hundred and sixty times. When the confession of offenses to the Star Palace (the place where the stellar deities dwell) is complete, one turns to the left, faces east toward Mount Tai (Taishan), the Eastern Peak, bows twice, and then kneels in prolonged prayer:

“Disciple So-and-so now entrusts this life to the Great Deity, the Azure Emperor of Mount Tai, the Eastern Peak, to the Flying Immortal Perfected (Zhenren), to all the gods and immortals and the various Numinous Officials (Lingguan), and to every spirit of the famous mountains and great marshes. I earnestly beg forgiveness for the offenses this disciple has committed since birth, and above all for the grave crimes of having offended the Great Deity of the famous mountain of the Eastern Peak. May all these offenses be pardoned, the records in the registers of sin deleted, and this name entered in the register of immortals, so that the disciple may associate with the Great Deity and enter the Dao (the Way) of spontaneity.”

When the prayer is finished, one kowtows and strikes one’s own body, each twenty times. Then, facing south, one bows twice and kneels in prolonged prayer:

“Disciple So-and-so now entrusts this life to the Great Deity, the Red Emperor of Mount Heng (Hengshan), the Southern Peak, to the Flying Immortal Perfected, to all the gods and immortals and the various Numinous Officials, and to every spirit of the famous mountains and great marshes. I earnestly beg that this disciple’s offenses be pardoned according to the rite of confession offered to the Eastern Peak.”

Then, facing southwest, one bows twice and kneels in prolonged prayer:

“Disciple So-and-so now entrusts this life to the Great Deity, the Yellow Emperor of Mount Song (Songshan), the Central Peak, to the Flying Immortal Perfected, to all the gods and immortals and the various Numinous Officials, and to every spirit of the famous mountains and great marshes. I earnestly beg that this disciple’s offenses be pardoned according to the rite of confession offered to the Eastern Peak.”

Then, facing southwest, one bows twice and kneels in prolonged prayer:

“Disciple So-and-so now entrusts this life to the Great Deity, the Yellow Emperor of Mount Song, the Central Peak, to the Flying Immortal Perfected, to all the gods and immortals and the various Numinous Officials, and to every spirit of the famous mountains and great marshes. I earnestly beg that this disciple’s offenses be pardoned according to the rite of confession offered to the Eastern Peak.”

Then, facing west, one bows twice and kneels in prolonged prayer:

“Disciple So-and-so now entrusts this life to the Great Deity, the White Emperor of Mount Hua (Huashan), the Western Peak, to the Flying Immortal Perfected, to all the gods and immortals and the various Numinous Officials, and to every spirit of the famous mountains and great marshes. I earnestly beg that this disciple’s offenses be pardoned according to the rite of confession offered to the Eastern Peak.”

Then, facing north, one bows twice and kneels in prolonged prayer:

“Disciple So-and-so now entrusts this life to the Great Deity, the Black Emperor of Mount Heng (Hengshan), the Northern Peak, to the Flying Immortal Perfected, to all the gods and immortals and the various Numinous Officials, and to every spirit of the famous mountains and great marshes. I earnestly beg that this disciple’s offenses be pardoned according to the rite of confession offered to the Eastern Peak.”

When the confession to the Five Peaks is complete, one turns left again, faces north, bows twelve times, confesses to the Water Official, and prays:

“Disciple So-and-so now entrusts this life to the Great Emperor of Fusang, to the Flying Immortal Perfected of Yanggu (the Valley of the Rising Sun), to all the gods and immortals and the various Numinous Officials, and to every spirit of the famous mountains and great marshes. I earnestly beg that this disciple’s offenses be pardoned according to the rite of confession offered to the Eastern Peak.”

After the worship of the Five Marchmounts (the deities of the famous mountains of the five directions) has ended, one then moves toward the left, faces north, and bows twelve times, making a penitential confession to the Water Official (the deity who governs the waters and the offenses connected with them):

“I, your servant So-and-so, now entrust my life to the Great Emperor of Fusang, Divine King of the Yang Valley; the Great Gods of Pure Coolness of the Cavern Source and the Cavern Abyss; the Water Emperors of the Three Rivers, the Four Seas, and the Nine Rivers; the River Earls and River Marquises of the twelve Huai and Ji waterways; the officials of two-thousand-shi rank within the rivers; the Lady of the Clear River; the immortals of the Water Bureau; and all the various numinous officers. I earnestly beg you to forgive the many offenses I have committed from former lives down to this day, offenses too numerous to count, and above all the grave crimes of having offended the Water Official. I earnestly beg the gods to pardon me. Today I burn incense and repent before the Great Gods, returning both heart and body, praying that my life may be preserved, that every root of guilt may be removed, that the implications and wrongful accusations recorded against me in the indictment registers of the Water Bureau may be struck out, and that my name may be entered in the Register of Long Life and the Rolls of the Immortals, so that I may long enjoy inexhaustible blessings and longevity and unite in truth with the Dao (the Way).”

When the prayer is finished, one knocks the head and strikes the body, two hundred and eighty times each. After the penitential confession to the Water Official is complete, one again faces north and bows three times, making a penitential confession to the Divine Scriptures of the Three Treasures (the classics, and the deities of the scriptures, venerated in Daoism). Kneeling upright, one says:

“I, your servant So-and-so, now entrust my life to the Unsurpassed Great Dao of the Most High; the thirty-six honored scriptures, supremely true and without superior; the numinous writings of the Three Treasures; the immortal charts, registers, talismans, and seals (Fulu, talismans and registers); the spontaneous celestial writs; the golden books and jade characters; together with the Jade Lads and Jade Maidens who attend the scriptures and the mighty gods of the Three Divisions. I earnestly beg forgiveness. The rite of penitential confession is to be carried out according to the ritual procedure used in confessing to the Eastern Marchmount (the deity of Mount Tai).”

When the rite is finished, one knocks the head and strikes the body, three hundred and sixty times each.

When the rite of fasting and abstinence is complete, the merit is proclaimed. All the officers taking part in the rite face east together and kneel upright, click their teeth twenty-four times, announce one by one the official titles they have received, then perform the qishou prostration and bow again, submitting a memorial of announcement:

“The Unsurpassed Great Dao of the Most High, the Lord of the Great Dao of the Most High, Lord Lao of the Most High, the Elder of the Most High, the Mysterious Elder of the Unsurpassed, the Limitless of the Ten Directions…”

Great Dao (the Way), Celestial Worthies and assembled sages of the Dao and of De (Virtue/Power), Great Emperor of Supreme Perfection, Heavenly Emperor, Lord Celestial Master (Tianshi), and Great Ritual Master of Lingbao (Numinous Treasure) who oversees the purification ritual (Zhaijiao):

We are by origin ordinary, ignorant people of humble station, yet we delight in the methods of the Dao and long to become immortals. Having been graciously granted ritual office, and thus enabled to rise in flight and enter the realm of the Nine Mysteries, we exert ourselves to the utmost; even if what we can offer is slight, we wish to serve with all our hearts and to support one another.

Now, on a certain day and at a certain hour of this month, in a certain commandery, county, and village, we establish an altar for the purification ritual, burn incense, and recite the Jing (scripture/classic), visualizing the divinities and devoutly invoking the Perfected, through a succession of days and nights. At a certain hour we perform the rite of practicing the Dao and pray for the pardon of our sins. When the rite has ended, we wish that the flying immortals of Shangqing (Supreme Clarity) and of the Three Caverns (Dongzhen/Dongxuan/Dongshen), together with the celestial immortals and terrestrial immortals, the heavenly troops of the five directions, and the jade lads and jade maidens who attend the scriptural texts and the incense, the subordinate officials of Lingbao, the assembled Perfected who oversee the purification ritual, and the true officials and numinous immortals who inspect the Five Marchmounts, the Four Waterways, and the four quarters, may all return to their true palaces, have their immortal ranks raised, receive further noble titles, be promoted in the official ranks of the imperial court, and be granted true offices according to their respective grades, all of it carried out in accordance with the rites of Taizhen (the Great Perfection).

We also ask that, in seeking the Dao, we may obtain the Dao, and in seeking immortality, we may become immortals; and that we may divide and transform our bodies and travel throughout the seventy-four regions. When the Three Primes—the Three Officials of Heaven, Earth, and Water—descend, may the green carriages, the vehicles in which immortals ride, come down, so that we may fly up to Shangqing and leap through the Nine Heavens, sharing the radiance of the sun and moon and revolving together with the Three Treasures: the Dao, the Jing, and the Master.

We earnestly beg the Most Holy to look upon our sincere devotion. Our study of the methods is not yet complete, and we are still insufficiently familiar with the rules and ceremonial procedures of the purification ritual; in advancing and withdrawing, our conduct inevitably violates the norms, and so we are scrutinized by the Four Offices and held by the Five Emperors. We have a thousand faults and ten thousand transgressions, and we earnestly beg forgiveness and pardon. Take pity on us, who have not yet awakened, and do not send down punishment.

As for the true officials of the five bodily parts within us—divine Perfected who correspond to the body and hold office within it—we wish that, according to their respective merits, they may proceed to the Mysterious Capital to receive their posts. When the matter is completed, we ask that they return into our bodies, ascend together with us, and fly through the Great Void. We cautiously submit this memorial and respectfully await the reply of the celestial realm. In fear and trembling, we knock our heads and bow twice.

After the rite of thanksgiving has concluded, turn to the left, return to the western side, and then offer incense three times toward the east, reciting:

“Emissaries of the Incense Officials, Dragon and Tiger Lords of the left and right, and relay-dragon mounted officers who bear the incense, please cause natural Golden Liquid (Jinye)—a celebrated substance in Daoist cultivation symbolizing pure and refined Qi (vital energy)—to arise in my quiet chamber and purification hall, so that the elixir Jing (essence) may meet the hundred spirits and the blossom of the numinous mushroom (the essence of the lingzhi, herb of the immortals) before this incense fire. May I attain the Dao (the Way) and become an immortal; may my whole family receive blessings and protection; and may those above and those below alike obtain grace. May the jade boys and jade maidens of the ten directions stand guard beside the incense smoke, convey upward the words of my prayer, and deliver them directly before the Limitless (Wuji) Supreme Great Dao.”

The Celestial Worthy (Tianzun) said: “This is the superior method of sincere confession and thanksgiving for offenses according to the grades of the Three Origins (Sanyuan)—the highest method of sincerely repenting of one’s faults and giving thanks before the deities of the Three Origins. In the Palace of the Three Origins, one silently visualizes one’s own bodily form and spirit-consciousness (Shen), concentrates on reflecting upon the root of one’s offenses, and cultivates the superior Way of attaining immortality. One who cultivates the Dao should perform this three times a year. When performing it, one ought to focus with the whole heart and exert mind and strength to the utmost; body and mind together endure the hardship, and one must not pause or grow lax. Only thus can one come into resonant communion with the various heavens: the deities of the Three Origins will expunge the charges from the Black Register (the register that records offenses); the Northern Emperor (Beidi)—the deity in Daoism who presides over the underworld and the registers of the dead—will remit the register of the dead and allow the person to be reborn; the Three Officials (Sanguan)—the Official of Heaven, the Official of Earth, and the Official of Water—will recommend the student of the Dao according to the merits of cultivation; and the Great Mystery (Taixuan) will record him in the roster of superior immortals.

“One who seeks the Dao cannot achieve resonant communion without undergoing hardship, nor elicit a response without a heart of utter sincerity; without diligence there is no gain, without accumulating merit one cannot attain the Dao, without establishing one’s resolve one cannot overcome difficulties, and without single-minded concentration one cannot accomplish anything. One should first let the body toil, and in the end cause the spirit to rejoice; at last one reaches Wuwei (non-action) and truly enters the realm of the natural (ziran).

“Those whose offenses lie deep and heavy cling to treasures and worldly pleasures, valuing only a moment’s glory—how could they know that these will in the end disperse? Ultimately they still return to suffering, and may even plunge the Three Palaces (here referring to the Palaces of the Three Origins) into affliction, sinking for a long time through ten thousand kalpas, not knowing when they might return. Therefore the worthy and the foolish each have different pursuits and aspirations: the foolish value the beginning before their eyes, while the worthy value the final refuge. Folly and wisdom differ so greatly—how could they be spoken of in the same breath?”

The Celestial Worthy said: Those who cultivate the Dao (the Way) should, on an auspicious day among the Three Primes—the Upper Prime, the Middle Prime, and the Lower Prime—cleanse the body with fragrant water and bathe the five Shen (spirits, the five deities within the body). In this way the breath becomes clear and limpid and the bodily form upright and correct, while the spirit grows fresh and lucid and gathers until it condenses into the True. The body is untouched by filth, and the breath is unstained by dust; the Three Passes (the important vital gateways within the body) are pure, empty, and luminous, no evil Qi (vital energy) can intrude, and the Three Divisions and Eight Effulgences (the deities and inner landscapes within the body) can also appear with clarity.

Then, through fuyu (regulating the body according to the methods of cultivation) and daoyin (methods of nourishing life by regulating the breath and moving the limbs), one causes the Five Mansions (the five visceral sites within the body) to generate Jing (essence) and Qi, so that inside and outside are both full, and in the end all can become immortals. Cultivators of the higher grade can ascend in flight, riding divine light and traveling upon the clouds; those of the middle grade can transform and conceal themselves, departing the bodily form whether sitting or standing; those of the lower grade, though they undergo extinction (departure from the flesh body), can still give rise to light reborn within the body. Through fuyu and daoyin, causing the Five Mansions to generate Jing and Qi so that inside and outside are replete, all can ultimately become immortals. Those of the higher grade ascend in flight and ride the clouds; those of the middle grade transform, conceal themselves, and leave the form; those of the lower grade, after extinction, are reborn as a Wheel-Turning Sage King (the ideal sage king who rules the world). Though the bodily form perishes, the transmission is never cut off, and in the end they too can become immortals.

This method is profound and mysterious, and its finer points are difficult to set forth in full. I now tell it to you; you must cultivate it with diligent and attentive effort. The Lord of the Dao bowed his head and paid ritual homage, reverently receiving these essential words.

The Celestial Worthy (Tianzun) said: All who study diligently yet have still not attained the Dao (the Way) do so because they themselves bear the resentments, adversarial bonds, and karmic offenses accumulated in former lives. These faults are recorded and examined by the Three Officials (Sanguan, the divine offices that govern Heaven, Earth, and Water), and they are also pursued by the investigating officers of the Nine Bureaus and the one hundred and twenty offices. So long as the root of evil has not been removed, deviant demons intrude and set the Five Spirits (Wushen, the spirits within the body that govern body and mind) against one another. People therefore commit faults without knowing it; guilt and defilement accumulate day by day, and the bright spirits and true numina leave the body. Even if one encounters many methods of cultivation, so long as the root of sin remains unresolved, one merely wastes one’s effort and will have gained nothing by the time of death.

Now we have come to the great celebration of the Three Primes (Sanyuan, the festivals of the Upper Prime, the Middle Prime, and the Lower Prime), an auspicious day on which the springs of life are opened. The divinities of all the heavens return, and the host of sages assemble together to examine merit and fault in the registers of life and death. The methods of the Dao universally bestow compassion, protecting the people and nurturing the myriad beings. Yet if someone’s name is seen to have been entered in the register of the dead, it is held that he will in the end be entangled by his karmic offenses and can never be released. Even if such a person cultivates and studies, it is hard for him to benefit—truly a cause for sorrow.

Now the Purple Yang Jade Casket (Ziyang Yuji, the jade case in which the methods of the Dao are treasured) is opened, and the “Supreme Method of Sincere Confession of Faults according to the Grades of the Three Primes” (Sanyuan Pin Cheng Xieguo Shangfa, the supreme method of sincerely repenting offenses at the seasons of the Three Primes) is transmitted, in order to save and deliver those who cultivate, to bring their merit to completion, and to proclaim the various articles of the heavenly liturgical statutes. Scholars who have not yet attained the Dao, whether their merits and faults be many or few, should all sincerely receive this great method and, according to the method, repent and acknowledge their faults, so that the entries on the register of sins are erased and their names are enrolled in the register of immortals.

From this a new beginning is made, and it is announced universally to all the heavens: whether high or low, far or near, great or small; whether endless and inexhaustible, dark and hidden, or places without sound or trace—all lie within this source of great wisdom, secluded and mysterious, penetrating without obstruction. Of the Three Palaces, the Nine Bureaus, the one hundred and twenty departments, and all the spirits, there is none that does not carry out this method of the Dao.

Thereupon the great sages of all the heavens, the venerable deities of the Limitless, and the Supreme Lord of the Dao stood solemnly together, raised their hands to proclaim it to the assembly, and snapped their fingers in approval. At that time the Celestial Worthy broadly bestowed the grace of pardon. Among the men and women of all the heavens who were beginning to study the Dao, all reverently practiced this great method and were forthwith saved and delivered, becoming divine immortals, ascending into the void in broad daylight, and entering the palaces of the Celestial Emperor. Those who harbor good intentions and have faith in this method, so long as they practice it with reverence, can all likewise be saved and delivered, leaving the cycle of birth and death and no longer suffering the hardship of servitude in the underworld. When their merit is complete, they attain the way of immortality, their rank equal to that of the flying celestial immortals, roaming freely through the ten directions.

The Celestial Worthy said: On the most auspicious days of the Three Primes (Sanyuan)—the Upper Prime, the Middle Prime, and the Lower Prime—one cultivates the method of sincere confession and the seeking of pardon according to the grades of the Three Primes, repenting with a sincere heart and acknowledging one’s faults in accordance with the rites of the Three Primes. The Three Officials and the Nine Bureaus then separately register and examine the ledgers of transgression, while the Five Emperors act as sponsors and recommenders for the practitioner, so that the practitioner’s name is entered among the various heavens. The assembled Perfected rejoice, and the myriad spirits grant pardon; grievances and oppositions formed in the past disperse, and the roots of guilt are thoroughly released.

Once the Three Assemblies (Sanhui)—the rites of fasting, purification, prayer, and thanksgiving that correspond to the Three Primes—have communicated and reached on high, the scrutiny and pursuit of accountability by the one hundred and twenty departments under the Three Palaces and the Nine Bureaus likewise cease. The charges are struck from the Black Slips (Heijian), the registers that record transgressions; the roots of sin from former lives are cut off; and one’s name is entered in the Left-Contract Green Register (Zuoqi Qinglu), the ledger that records the names of practitioners. At that time the myriad numinous beings attend and protect one, the offices of the Three Realms come forth to receive one, demons and malign spirits submit, and calamities of every kind do not come to disturb one. The genuine truth of the Dao (the Way) arises of itself, and in the end one attains immortality.