《太上洞玄灵宝众简文》

Written by Master Lu Xiujing (Lu Xiujing, a Daoist of the Southern Dynasties and compiler of Daoist scriptures) of Jianji.

Once a person has received the Lingbao (Numinous Treasure) covenant oath (the vow sworn upon entering the Dao and receiving the precepts), the order of entry into the Dao is already established; the transmission and reception of the tablet texts and the practice of the related rites must likewise proceed step by step. For both the Middle Covenant and the Great Covenant, a Dragon Tablet must be cast. After that, the Three Origins Jade Tablets must also be cast at the Eight Nodes and on the jiazi days. Only by following these rites may one ascend the mountains in the four seasons and carry out the practice of the True Writs. The Mingzhen yujue (Jade Instructions of the Luminous Truth) explains these regulations in detail.

Yet among later students, some are dull and negligent, shallow in aspiration and understanding. When they meet a ritual rule, they do not examine it carefully but carry it out as they please, and so they make errors, reverse the earlier and later order of the steps, and never realize where they have gone wrong. Seeing such people fall into error, I am often pained, and I fear that this will damage the teachings of the Daoist tradition. I have therefore respectfully followed the old canons to arrange the order of the rite of casting the tablets, set out the items in sequence under the headings jia and yi, and annotated the rules within them, in order to help the unenlightened understand and to establish standards that my disciples can follow. These contents are not written casually for just anyone.

The Zhenyi ziran jing jue (Instructions of the Scripture of True Unity and Naturalness) says: After disciples receive the writings, they must cast ten golden rings and make their declaration to the spirits of the ten directions, thereby establishing a pledge not to divulge the scriptural teachings. They then present ten golden rings to their master, release a golden dragon, and cast it into the clear, cool abyss, as a token of trust in their ascent to immortality.

This ritual procedure is used upon first receiving the Lingbao du ziran quan gong jing (Lingbao Scripture of the Palace of Covenants for Deliverance and Naturalness). After the scripture has been collated and checked, five repeated obeisances should be performed, and yellow silk (yellow silken cloth) inscribed with the text of the petition should be handed over together with the scripture. This is called the "Middle Covenant," and it signifies the pledge not to divulge the teachings. A Dragon Tablet must also be cast: ten golden rings are forged together into the shape of a dragon, the tablet text is wrapped in blue-green silk thread, and it is cast into the clear depths. The text of the tablet follows the Yujue (Jade Instructions), and a declaration is made to the Water Official; the specific ritual text is as follows.

The Mingzhen ke (Regulations of the Luminous Truth) says: When one receives and upholds the ten wondrous scriptures of the True Writs of the Lingbao of the Three Heavens, three golden dragons must be used, cast respectively into the water bureau, the numinous mountain, and one's dwelling, three places in all, as tokens of trust in one's study of immortality. If these rites are not performed, the Three Officials (the divine bureaus of Daoism that oversee heaven, earth, and water) will seize and register the person's lifespan records, and the aspiration to become an immortal cannot be fulfilled.

This is an important ritual of ascending the altar and establishing a covenant. When wearing the True Writs in Red Script and holding the two-ringed command staff, one should prepare three golden dragons and twenty-seven golden rings and cast them into the three places of mountain, water, and dwelling. This announces the covenant to the Three Officials, the deities who govern Heaven, Earth, and Water, and requests that the charges be removed from the name registers in which human lives are bound and recorded. If what is sought is not granted as hoped, the ritual is still carried out according to the prescribed rules.

After the covenant ritual is concluded, jade slips are to be cast at the three places of mountain, water, and dwelling, three times at each place. At the first casting, one golden dragon and nine golden rings are used each time; on the latter two occasions only golden dragons are used, not golden rings. In all, nine jade slips, nine golden dragons, and twenty-seven pairs of golden rings are employed. What the Jing (scripture/classic) calls the “jiazi days of the eight nodes” is only a general indication of suitable days. In practice the casting of slips must be set for an auspicious day and may not be chosen at random. If a jiazi day falling among the eight nodes cannot be met, another jiazi day may be selected.

The Jade Instructions say that casting the jade slips of the Three Origins on a jiazi day among the eight nodes can cancel the old ledgers of offenses and report one’s name to the celestial realm. Every matter is to be repeated three times, so that the Three Officials of Heaven, Earth, and Water entrust the record to one another and the celestial realm verifies it. In this way the myriad deities will protect one with reverence, and a thousand demons will be unable to harass.

When dragons are cast for the Middle Covenant, only the water-slip text addressed to the Water Emperor is used. For the Great Covenant, three golden dragons are used to establish the covenant with the Three Officials, and all three slip texts are employed.

The gist of the water-slip text is this:

“The Primordial Numinous Treasure informs the Water Emperor: the Numinous Treasure So-and-so Emperor, gentleman or woman (the religious office or form of address retained in the original), together with the Daoist priest So-and-so, aged so many years and born in such-and-such a month, wishes to seek the Dao (the Way) of the immortals and long life without death, and to cause the Three Origins—the Three Origins of Heaven, Earth, and Water—to endure forever. We pray the Water Emperors of the Nine Bureaus, the deities of the Twelve River Sources, and the great hidden numinous deities of the Jiang, the seas, the Huai, and the Ji to expunge the charges, report this matter to the Nine Heavens, and grant permission to proceed to the Water Bureau. Please transmit the document by means of the golden dragon.”

At the end one must note the year, month, and day, together with the place where the announcement is made.

Wrap the silver wooden slips, inscribed in cinnabar, in blue-green paper and bind them with blue-green silk. Have the golden dragon bear the slips and cast them into the depths of the Three Rivers. At the outset, fasten the slips together with nine golden buttons; once they have been cast, one may depart and need not wait until the surface of the water is completely still.

The casting of the slips should be carried out at a clear, secluded, and deep watery abyss. At the beginning of the rite, face east, knock the teeth three times, take up incense, and light the incense burner.

Recite the invocation: “Taishang Laojun of the Mysterious Primordial-Beginning Qi (vital energy) of the Unsurpassed Three Heavens, I ask you to summon forth from within my body the Three-and-Five Merit Officers (the divine clerks of the Daoist tradition who transmit and present memorials), the emissaries of the offices of the left and right, the incense-bearers of the left and right, the mounted officers of the relay dragons, the Jade Lads who attend the incense, the Jade Maidens who convey words, and the Direct Talisman-Envoys of the Five Emperors (talismanic messengers acting on the mandate of the Five Emperors), thirty-six of each, to come forward, transmit, and report to Lord Lao upon the Soil of this place and to the True Officials of the Earth in the four directions of this place. I now solemnly burn incense and make this report, wishing that the orthodox and true numinous Qi of the ten directions descend into my body, so that my report may ascend and be delivered directly before the Jade Emperor, the Unsurpassed, Supremely True, Great Holy Venerable God.”

Then turn toward the north, knock the teeth three times again, finish reading the text of the water slips, and recite the incantation:

“Five Elders of the Primordial Beginning, Exalted Worthies of the Supreme Thearch, Supremely True Ones of the Ten Directions, Numinous Transcendents of Taihua: the proclamations issued in cinnabar script penetrate everywhere, and there is no dark or hidden realm they cannot reach. May they ascend to the Nine Heavens, and may the jade writ be sent down. Inform the sun, the moon, and the five planets, and the Seven Origins of the Northern Dipper; further report to the Five Sacred Peaks and the numinous mountains of the four directions; and downward inform the rivers and seas, the twelve sources of water, together with the Water Emperors of the Nine Bureaus and the great spirits of the underworld numina.

Today I report upward and set forth every wish: I request that the jade slips be cast and that offenses and charges be expunged. Whether ancestors of a thousand and ten thousand generations, or kin of the nine degrees of relationship, if they are bound to one another through the karma of offenses—and this includes myself as well—may all be granted expungement, and may the roots of offense be cut off. Please enter the registers of names in the Water Bureau and report them to the Supreme Thearch. May the parents and ancestors of seven generations leave the Eight Difficulties, ascend to the Nine Heavens, and have clothing and food arise of themselves. May all karmic offenses disperse and be released, so that the host of spirits may hear. Please form a covenant and bear witness with the Water Officials by means of the golden buttons; as for the wishes set forth, I earnestly request that they be carried out accordingly and conveyed by the golden dragon.”

Finally, take up incense three times more and return the incense burner to its place.

The Incense Official envoys and the Dragon and Tiger Lords of the left and right—divine generals who guard the incense fire and transmit documents—hold up the incense case fastened with golden knobs and report the covenant to the Water Official. Let what has been set forth above be carried out, and let the golden dragon transmit the documents.

Then pinch the incense three times and place it back in the incense burner.

Incense Official envoys, Dragon and Tiger Lords of the left and right, and envoys who bear the incense: now, within the hall of purification, golden liquor, cinnabar Jing (essence), the blossoms of the zhi, and the hundred numinous beings arise of themselves and gather before this incense burner. May your servant attain the Dao (the Way) and become an immortal, may the whole family receive blessing and protection, and may grace extend throughout the world. May the jade lads and jade maidens of the ten directions stand in attendance amid the incense smoke, convey the words I speak, and deliver them directly before the desk of the Most High Jade Emperor of the Golden Portal.

The method transmitted by the Primordial Numinous Treasure for announcing oneself to the Five Marchmounts and the numinous mountains, and for the removal of sins and the pursuit of immortality, is addressed to the Master of such-and-such an Emperor: My name is So-and-so; I was born in such-and-such a year and am now so many years of age. If I fall under the jurisdiction of the Red Emperor, let my name be struck from the registers at Mount Huo. May I obtain spiritual powers and become an immortal, live long without dying, transcend the dusty world, ascend in flight to Shangqing, and become a Perfected of the Five Marchmounts. I earnestly beg the most divine and most numinous deities to erase my registers of sin, enter my name in the Nine Heavens, and grant me leave to go to the numinous mountains. May the golden dragon transmit the documents.

The Grand Year being such-and-such a jiazi year, in such-and-such a month, on such-and-such a day, and at such-and-such an hour, the name is removed at Mount Huo under the jurisdiction of the Red Emperor. May I obtain spiritual powers and become an immortal, live long without dying, transcend the dusty world, ascend in flight to Shangqing, and become a Perfected of the Five Marchmounts. I earnestly beg the most divine and most numinous deities to erase my registers of sin, enter my name in the Nine Heavens, and grant me leave to go to the numinous mountains. May the golden dragon transmit the documents.

The Grand Year being such-and-such a jiazi year, in such-and-such a month, on such-and-such a day, and at such-and-such an hour, the announcement is made at such-and-such a marchmount. If the announcement is not addressed to a marchmount deity, write instead such-and-such a mountain of such-and-such a commandery and such-and-such a county.

The documents above are to be written in cinnabar on slips of silver wood, wrapped in blue paper, bound with blue silk, fastened with nine golden knobs and one golden dragon, and then buried at the mountain corresponding to one’s natal destiny. All other matters are to be carried out according to the rite set forth above.

Next, at the mountain corresponding to one’s natal destiny, face east, click the teeth, and open the incense burner according to the rite.

Click the teeth nine times more; after the wooden slip has been read, recite the incantation, saying:

The spirits of the Mysterious Heights open forth the radiance, and the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning oversees the true Dao (the Way). The Lord on High, the Five Elders, and the Red Writs and Cinnabar Texts together govern the foundation of Heaven and Earth and preside over the Three Primordials—the three realms under the jurisdiction of the Three Officials of Heaven, Earth, and Water. They regulate primordial Qi (vital energy), assemble the host of spirits, and urge the immortals to ascend. The spirits of the Lofty Heights issue talismanic mandates and proclaim them throughout the celestial realms of the ten directions: the sun, moon, and stars, the numinous mountains of the Five Marchmounts, and the great deities who govern the underworld above in the world and below upon the earth are all to inspect the registers of life and death of all living beings.

The three celestial gates of the upper realm of the south are charged with receiving the jade slips, entering names in the cinnabar writs, striking names from the registers of sin, and enabling people to be raised as ministers of the celestial court. May the ancestors of successive generations and the kin of the nine clans all receive liberation, and no longer suffer the five paths of transmigration and the eight calamities; may they leave the three evil paths, and may their hun and po souls ascend into the Nine Heavens. May the hardships of life and death be opened and delivered, so that they endure through ten thousand kalpas. Today this matter is announced above; may the myriad spirits all hear it. We respectfully invite the ministers of the imperial court.

May the ancestors of successive generations and the kin of the nine clans all receive liberation, and no longer suffer the five paths of transmigration and the eight calamities; may they leave the three evil paths, and may their hun and po souls ascend into the Nine Heavens. May the hardships of life and death be opened and delivered, so that they endure through ten thousand kalpas. Today this matter is announced above; may the myriad spirits all hear it. We respectfully request that the golden knob serve as the token and that a covenant be made with the true officials; we earnestly ask that the matter be carried out as stated, and that the documents be transmitted by a golden dragon.

Then pinch incense three times, and arrange the incense burner once more according to the method described above.

The Lingbao Method of the Primordial Beginning for Announcing to the Soil Sovereigns of the Nine Earths, Extinguishing Sins and Seeking Immortality

I, So-and-so, your servant, Master of the Red Emperor of the Numinous Treasure (Lingbao), aged such-and-such years and born on such-and-such a day of such-and-such a month, now have my name and register recorded in the Nine Heavens, under the charge of the Southern Dipper.

Here, “Red Emperor” refers to those whose natal destiny belongs to si or wu; “destiny tied to the Nine” refers to those born in the first or second month; and “the Southern Dipper holds the register” is written according to the direction to which one’s natal destiny belongs. Those born in other months should compose the text in the same manner by analogy.

I wish to gain spiritual powers, become an immortal, live long and transcend the world, and ascend in flight to Shangqing (Supreme Clarity). I earnestly petition the Central Sovereign, the Nine Earths, the Yellow Spirits of wu and ji, and the Five Emperors of the Soil Bureau to strike out my register of sins, enter my name upon the register of Great Mystery, summon me to the Central Palace, accept the documents, and record my name. Let the golden knob serve as the credential, and let the golden dragon transmit the documents.

On such-and-such a day of such-and-such a month in such-and-such a year of the Taisui (Grand Year), this text is presented in such-and-such a village of such-and-such a township of such-and-such a county of such-and-such a commandery.

First write the vermilion script on a tablet of silver wood, wrap it in blue-green paper, bind it with blue-green silk, and fasten on nine gold knobs and one gold dragon. Then, following the method already described, bury it in the central-palace sector of the residence (the center of the house).

Next go to the center of the courtyard, click the teeth, burn incense, and dispatch the incense burner; the whole rite is performed according to the method given above.

Then, facing the Wang (the divine seat, or the deity being worshipped), click the teeth twelve times. After the text of the tablet has been read, recite:

“Heaven opens and earth spreads wide; the nine Qi (vital energy) divide their numinous power. The Three Primes share one tally; the ten directions are mysterious and pure. The Five Elders, the Supreme Thearchs, open the True and lead forth life. Cinnabar writing and vermilion script: the supreme essence of the Primordial Beginning. Announced universally to all below, the august spirits of the nine lands. Today I announce above, that the myriad immortals may fix the registers of life. I wish to attain immortality; I ask that my jade name be submitted. Great August Sovereign of the Earth Bureau, strike off and remove my crimes and punishments. Present the tablet to the upper palaces and enter it in the registers. Announced universally to all below, the august spirits of the nine lands. Today I announce above, that the myriad immortals may fix the registers of life. I wish to attain immortality; I ask that my jade name be submitted. Great August Sovereign of the Earth Bureau, strike off and remove my crimes and punishments. Present the tablet to the upper palaces and enter it in the resplendent blue-green registers. May I soon soar aloft, numinous together with heaven and earth. For the nine ancestors and the kin of my line, may decayed bones flourish anew. May their souls ascend to the Southern Palace and receive transformation in the courts of the immortals. The mandate announced today, all the gods alike shall hear. I ask that the gold knobs stand as tokens of the covenant of utmost sincerity. I ask that it be as I have announced, transmitted by courier of the gold dragon.”

The general sense of this incantation is that one reports to the gods of the heavenly realm and the spirits of the nine lands, praying to attain immortality and be entered in the registers of the immortals, and asking the deities of the underworld to remit one’s offenses; at the same time one prays that the souls of ancestors and kin may ascend to the realm of the immortals. At the end, the gold knobs serve as tokens of the sworn covenant, and the gold dragon is asked to carry the memorial.

One then takes incense between the fingers and, again according to the method already given, restores the incense burner.

Whoever receives the Lingbao Du’er Meng (the covenant rite of receiving ordination in Lingbao Daoist practice), and whoever afterward cultivates the jade tablets, should use seventy-four gold rings and thirteen gold dragons. Only after these rites have been completed may one use the tablets of the vermilion script in accordance with cultivating the True Writs at the eight nodes.

The Great Characters of the Vermilion Script of the True Writs of the Five Directions

The nine Qi of the East (the nine kinds of primordial Qi of the East): “First August of the Azure Heaven; Bixia and Yulei; within them an elder, who comprehensively collates the charts and registers, gathers Qi, and raises up immortals.”

The True Writ of the East consists of twenty-four characters in all. It is usually written in blue-green on a white thorn slip on the day of Beginning of Spring in a year that accords with one’s own natal sexagenary year. The Bixia and Yulei, and the elder within, of whom the text speaks, are divine perfected beings who preside over collating the registers of the immortals, gathering primordial Qi, and raising and delivering people to immortality.

The ritual document may be worded as follows:

“Disciple of the Most High Dongxuan (Cavern of Mystery), Master So-and-so of such-and-such mountain, on the day of Beginning of Spring in such-and-such year, month, and day, submits this slip in such-and-such commandery, county, township, and hamlet.”

The rites of the natal sexagenary year and of the eight nodes are all carried out according to this format.

The South is the Cinnabar Heaven, the red celestial realm of the south, where the Red Emperor dwells in the Jade Hall. There a great god named the Red Sovereign resides. His divine light rises upward and spreads like smoke, and the Three Qi (vital energy: the three primordial energies that constitute heaven, earth, and the myriad things) blaze forth in radiance. The immortals act upon command, accord with the turn of the seasons, and respond to the Qi of the sun.

The True Writ (zhenwen) of the South comprises thirty-two characters in all. On one’s own benming jiazi day (the sexagenary day corresponding to the year of one’s birth) and on the day of the Beginning of Summer, two copies should be written in cinnabar on white bamboo slips.

The Center holds comprehensive sway over the myriad spirits. The Yellow Heaven dwells above and is the source of primordial Qi. The Five Elder Gods first came into being from here. The Exalted and Venerable Sovereign of the Center dwells in the center, governs the workings of Qi, inspects the perfected immortals, presides over the host of immortals, keeps the records of the mysterious charts and registers, the slips of former lives, and the jade writs, stirs the ascending Qi, and makes all of this known to the gods at large.

The True Writ of the Center comprises forty characters. The Exalted and Venerable Sovereign of the Center governs the workings of Qi, inspects the perfected immortals, presides over the host of immortals, keeps the records of the mysterious charts and registers, the slips of former lives, and the jade writs, stirs the ascending Qi, and makes all of this known to the gods at large.

The True Writ of the Center comprises forty characters in all. On one’s own benming jiazi day, and on the days of the Spring Equinox, the Summer Solstice, the Autumn Equinox, and the Winter Solstice, it should be written in yellow on white bamboo slips.

The West is the White Heaven, the white celestial realm of the west, where the White Emperor dwells at the Seven Gates. Golden divine light shines brightly, and Mount Taihua spreads numinous Qi. White stone rises lofty and steep, and the Seven Qi (the seven vital energies of the west) gather like smoke. Above is the great god, the Sovereign Elder of First Birth, who presides over the Qi of the lungs, takes charge of examining and collating the Nine Heavens, inspects and verifies the charts, registers, and records, and issues commands summoning the superior immortals.

The True Writ of the West comprises forty-eight characters in all. On one’s own benming jiazi day and on the day of the Beginning of Autumn, it should be written in white pigment on white bamboo slips.

The North is the Mysterious Heaven, the dark and profound celestial realm of the north, within which the Five Qi revolve. There the Black Emperor and the Twin Sovereigns of Grand Tenuity (Taiwei) preside over the talismanic mandates. Immortals cultivate the Eight Awes (the ritual dignities, or divine powers, spoken of in Daoism), wear blue-green skirts, and belong to the feathered class of perfected immortals. Their robes bear patterns of dragons and phoenixes. They are selected and recommended by the Supreme Thearch and are able, upon command, to come before the jade steps.

The True Writ of the North comprises forty characters in all. On one’s own benming jiazi day and on the day of the Beginning of Winter, it should be written in black pigment on white bamboo slips.

The ritual method for casting and sending the bamboo slips of the True Writs of the Five Directions is as follows. On the respective corresponding days, write the bamboo slips in the five colors, proceeding according to the method set out above. Then ascend the mountain. First face east, click the teeth, recite the incantation, burn incense, and perform the dispatching of the incense burner; all the remaining steps follow the method given above. Next, click the teeth twelve times and recite the incantation, saying:

The Lofty Numinous Ones of the Mysterious Heights and the Venerable God of Primordial Beginning—the supreme deities of Daoism—preside above. Great sage divinities come and go on their rounds of inspection, and hosts of perfected immortals descend into the hall. The Three Luminaries, that is, the sun, moon, and stars, shed their radiance, and auspicious clouds coil about from the four quarters. Report is made to the celestial court, the registers are examined, and the records kept within the Nine Heavens are reckoned.

Today I pray with a sincere heart and submit my name-slip to the Numinous Mountain. The cinnabar writing in vermilion characters—the sacred document written with a cinnabar brush—is a true text generated of itself. I report to the Five Emperors and ask them to enter my name in the Jade Register. The myriad gods jointly inspect and watch over me, and the sun and moon stand as clear witnesses. I wish to be delivered and to live, and to become a divine immortal. May the mysterious radiance of heaven, earth, and the stars shine upon my body; may the Three Officials and the Nine Bureaus—the divine offices governing Heaven, Earth, Water, and related affairs—together with the great gods of the Five Marchmounts, all hear. I will make a general report to the spirits without bound, requesting that the root of my offenses be cut away. The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning opens wide the gate of expedient means and rejects none of my petition. May the hidden souls of my ancestors be blessed and naturally delivered; may I forever leave the Three Paths and Five Sufferings—the hells and every kind of torment—and the Eight Difficulties, the obstacles to cultivation or to hearing the Dao (the Way). May I shine with the same light as the sun, moon, and stars, enter the Purple Dawn, the realm of the immortals, pass through the cycles of transmigration without perishing, and at last perfect myself as a flying immortal.

When the recitation is finished, and after the name-slip has been read through, cast it into a sheer cliff, then scatter incense upward toward the Numinous Mountain.

Next, click the teeth three times, face one’s Benming—the destiny affiliation corresponding to the year, month, day, and hour of one’s birth—and recite the incantation:

The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning inspects and watches over me; my immortal name has already been registered. The sinful karma recorded by the Three Officials and the Nine Bureaus will all be erased. Scatter incense toward the Five Emperors, and make the matter known to the Great Void, the vast celestial realm. I earnestly beg the gods to fulfill the prayer I have set forth, so that I may endure through myriad kalpas.

Then lean the body back and scatter incense upward toward the Numinous Mountain.

Next, click the teeth three times again, face one’s Benming, and recite the same incantation:

The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning inspects and watches over me; my immortal name has already been registered. The sinful karma recorded by the Three Officials and the Nine Bureaus will all be erased. Scatter incense toward the Five Emperors, and make the matter known to the Great Void. I earnestly beg the gods to fulfill the prayer I have set forth, so that I may endure through myriad kalpas.

Then raise the head and swallow nine mouthfuls of Qi (vital energy).

Next, following the method already given, recite the incantation, scatter incense, and put away the incense burner.

On the Eight Nodes—the four seasonal commencements, the two equinoxes, and the two solstices—on Jiazi days, on one’s Benming day, and on the days when the spirits of the Five Directions are on duty, one and the same ritual is used.