《太上洞玄灵宝消禳火灾经》

At that time, the Celestial Worthy of Numinous Treasure (Lingbao Tianzun, a revered deity of Daoism) came to the Garden of Lofty Virtue atop the Altar of the Golden Immortals. There, together with the assembled immortals, he held a purification assembly and expounded the Most High Mysterious Prime, the Limitless Ultimate Dao (the supreme and most wondrous Great Way). Suddenly he saw fierce fires raging in the world below. The flames spread, and whole stretches of houses were burned to ashes.

When the assembly ended, the gods formed an orderly escort, and the attendants urged departure. The Earl of the Wind (Fengbo, the deity who governs the wind) swept away the dust, and two deities who opened the way sprinkled water to purify the road. Accompanied by his retinue, the Celestial Worthy arrived in the heavenly realm of Chiming, the Vermilion Bright Heaven. The Divine Lord of Vermilion Numinosity (Chiling Shenjun, the divine lord who governs the Fire Department) led the gods and subordinate officials of the Fire Department in ranked formation. They set out a solemn ceremonial guard, offered a hundred kinds of rare fragrances together with cinnabar blossoms and purple zhi, and arrayed vermilion banners and deep-crimson insignia along both sides of the road, respectfully welcoming the Celestial Worthy.

The Celestial Worthy asked, “You have received the Three Qi (Sanqi, the three forms of vital energy that constitute heaven, earth, and all things), you dwell in the Cinnabar Heaven, and you are charged especially with matters of good and evil. How do you carry out rewards and punishments?”

The Divine Lord of Vermilion Numinosity bowed his head and memorialized in reply: “Your servant, by Heaven’s mandate, is in charge of…” At this point the original text shifts to a description of the welcoming procession—“rare fragrances, cinnabar blossoms and purple zhi, vermilion banners and crimson insignia, solemnly arrayed to left and right, greeting and bowing before the Way”—which repeats what has already been said, and the sense of the sentence appears unfinished.

The Celestial Worthy said, “You belong to the Three Qi (vital energy) of the spiritual realm and hold rank in the Cinnabar Heaven, charged especially with examining good and evil. How do you carry out rewards and punishments?”

The Divine Lord of the Red Spirit bowed and memorialized, “Your servant, by Heaven’s mandate, presides over the Fire Office and governs the generation of living beings and the growth of all things. Fires that break out each year, sometimes spreading and burning, are calamities that arrive according to the movements of Qi. They are not hidden and without cause, nor are they wholly without fault. We simply apportion lighter or heavier punishments according to people’s good and evil, both to awaken the foolish and to let retribution appear in due time.

“All who fail to revere Heaven and Earth and the sun, moon, and stars (the ‘Three Luminaries’), who are unfilial and disloyal, who deceive others and tamper with measures of volume, weight, and length, whose minds are treacherous and whose conduct is false and cunning, who deliberately exploit the common people, who cruelly plunder wealth, and all who do evil and do not believe in retribution according to cause and effect—for every one of them there are deities charged with inspection who patrol the human world and record each case in turn. Once the facts are verified, they memorialize the Heavenly Court to inflict punishment and dispatch the divine generals of the Fire Bureau to descend, so that these people may correct their faults and begin anew.

“If anyone comes to understand reverence, reflects on past wrongs, and does good so as to accumulate De (Virtue/Power), we order the deities under our charge not to encroach upon them. Today your servant is fortunate to behold the Celestial Worthy, and wishes to proclaim the orthodox Dao (the Way) for this region.”

(“Fire Office” and “Fire Bureau” refer to the offices and divine generals in the Daoist pantheon who oversee matters of fire and carry out punishment by fire. The scripture links fires to human good and evil and to the retribution of the Heavenly Dao.)

The Celestial Worthy (Tianshi Zunshen) said: "Your divine might is resplendent and your commands are strict and orderly. Crimson clouds of qi (vital energy) and red light blaze fiercely, and the flames illuminate the Three Realms (in Daoist teaching, the realm of desire, the realm of form, and the formless realm). From the Altar of the Golden Immortals and the Garden of High Virtue, I have seen all manner of evil causes, and so I have come here to deliver living beings. Now I proclaim a divine mantra for you and send it forth to be handed down.

"If you can correct your faults, accumulate good deeds, and sincerely uphold the scriptures and teachings, then when calamity strikes, you should dispel the sins of those who recite this mantra and bring them peace. If a certain fenye (a region of the earth corresponding to a particular star constellation) meets with the Yang Nine misfortune (a calamitous year as reckoned by the ancients), or if Yinghuo (Mars) moves into an unfavorable position, you should likewise protect those who can recite this mantra; I will surely grant timely pardon, so that the disaster subsides of its own accord.

"If fire spirits or fire demons presume to enter people's homes and cause all kinds of misfortune, you should likewise restrain them on behalf of those who can recite this mantra, and not allow them to harm the people."

Then the Dao mantra was proclaimed:

In the south lies the Cinnabar Heaven, the domain governed by the Red Spirit. Majestic divine light and raging flame work their transformations without partiality.

The fire dragon soars, its radiance shining without limit. The fire horse leaps, wheeling and galloping across ten thousand li.

The fire hawk sweeps swiftly by, wings beating onward, and nothing can bar its way. The fire bell rings out, its resounding voice carrying far into the distance.

Once the fire gourd is unleashed, smoke and mist rise wherever it goes. When the fire sword descends, the host of demons bow their heads in submission.

When the fire cord is raised, a hundred kinds of evil are bound of themselves. When the fire banner stirs, commands are carried out with solemn discipline.

The fire tally (the tally or ritual implement held by the Fire Deity) points from afar. Who would dare defy it? Its abundant virtue reaches all things, allowing life to be nurtured and preserved.

Should there be defiance of command and an overturning of the proper Way, the calamity of blazing fire will scorch heaven and earth. Heaven observes good deeds and overlooks none; sins and faults will all be diminished and erased.

The Lord of the Red Spirit bowed low in thanks and offered a gatha (a verse expressing praise or aspiration), saying:

In the past, I received the teachings of the Celestial Venerable and was charged with guarding the hot lands of the south. Now, by the Celestial Venerable's decree, whenever I hear of good deeds, I send down auspicious blessings. If a household keeps the Celestial Venerable's mantra, the host of the Fire Deity's retinue will bring no calamity. The fire will restrain its might and its blaze, the fire spirits will withdraw of their own accord, the demons will vanish by themselves, and misfortune will naturally be dispelled. When a household keeps the Celestial Venerable's mantra, its wealth will be abundant and flourishing, and its home will be safe and peaceful.

After this gatha (verse for recitation) was recited, the Celestial Venerable's procession appeared faintly and hazily, then returned to the Jade Capital (Yujing, the celestial capital). The Lord of the Red Spirit and his subordinates looked up toward the heavenly light and bowed their heads to the ground, respectfully seeing the Celestial Venerable off.