《太上洞真安灶经》

The Most Venerable Supreme Primordial (Taishang Yuanshi Zhizun, a revered deity of Daoism), riding in a splendid carriage drawn by a qilin and adorned with plumes, descended to the altar of gold and silver on Mount Kunlun and took his seat upon a dais of myriad treasures. At that time, the gods and immortals of the ten directions and the three realms all came to pay homage. The Divine Mother of the Hearth (Chuimu Shenmu) presented a memorial, saying:

“Through the blessed affinity of a former life, I have been fortunate to hold charge in the human world, serving in office under the Northern Emperor (Beidi). I am also an official of the Controllers of Destiny of the Five Emperors (Wudi Siming, the divine post that oversees stove affairs and the registers of fate among humankind), and by command of the Celestial Bureau (Tiancao, the administrative offices of the heavenly realm) I serve as an envoy on duty. The change, in the human world, from raw food to cooked food is under my charge. The good and evil, the merits and demerits, of the people of the world I record in the registers; at each month’s end and each month’s beginning I also report the relevant matters upward. When ordinary people offend me through worldly feelings and worldly conduct, many are punished on that account. I respectfully await the sacred command.”

The Supreme (Taishang) said:

“The zhai (homestead) is a place that shelters one’s dwelling; the wu (house) is where people live; the shi (chamber) is a place of rest; and the she (lodging) bears upon good and ill fortune. People of the world know only how to raise lofty houses and carve and ornament their walls, pursuing splendor as they please, yet they do not know that the Stove Lord, Controller of Destiny (Siming Zaojun), guards the central hall of the home, delights in purity and stillness, and protects the common people.

“If ordinary people can carefully tend and cherish the kitchen stove, they must not allow implements of copper and iron, such as knives and axes, the feathers of birds and the hair of beasts, unclean firewood, or filthy water to soil the stove. Should these taboos be violated, the household may be thrown into unrest and members of the family may suddenly fall ill.

“The rite of sacrifice to the stove should be performed each month, on a chosen auspicious day and a favorable night. One may fill a cauldron with clean water, set out pure cloth and fragrant herbs, arrange the offering table and burn incense, present wine and fruit, and summon the lords of the Controllers of Destiny of the Five Emperors and the Divine Maidens of the Six Gui (Liugui Shennü, deities associated with sacrifice to the stove). During the rite one should conduct oneself as though facing the true deities, and recite the incantation:

“Supreme spirits of the Northern Emperor, Divine Maidens of the Six Gui. Today I myself set forth this sacrifice and invite the deities to preside. The divine water is clear and pure; incense and lamp-fire are prepared together. I look up to the carriages of the deities, that they may descend upon this place of offering.”

“When the incantation has been recited, dip a willow branch in the water and sprinkle it over the sacrificial mats. Then recite again:

“Pure food offerings are arrayed before you; the fine dishes can scarcely all be told. Five aromatics are blended into pure water, and the fragrant willow branch sprinkles it throughout the seats.”

By reciting the scripture over and over and setting one’s prayers before the holy perfected, one may bring a whole family to this: fathers kind and sons filial, husbands and wives in harmony, elder brothers friendly and younger brothers respectful, with old and young each keeping their proper order and carrying on from one another. Even when the household meets with setbacks, these can turn to harmony and joy; the family flourishes, kin remain secure, and food, drink, and daily life stay peaceful and sound. In this way one need not fear that spirit-powers and evil ghosts will stir up calamity and harm people.

One must take special care to avoid loud clamor and words that break taboo and so invite disaster, and also to keep clear of filth and rank, strong-smelling things, lest they violate the prohibitions. Otherwise one may draw in ghosts and summon demons, and instead bring calamity upon oneself.

Thereupon the scripture solemnly proclaims the sacred decree and once more intones a verse:

The Dao (the Way) and life protect and sustain one another, and life likewise protects and sustains the Dao. To settle the dwelling is to settle one’s own person; to cherish one’s own person is to revere the Great Dao. If one can take refuge in Siming (the deity who governs human lifespan and the good or ill fortune of the household), no evil influence will have a way to intrude. Chuimu (the deity who protects food and drink and the work of the stove) and the Six Gui deities (deities associated with Yin-Yang numerology) are all mysterious protective deities of the life of eating and drinking. When one is quiet and compliant, one can accord with the true Dao; when one attains long life, one is no longer troubled by aging and decline.

At this, the Supreme Lord finished expounding the scripture. The immortals of the Three Realms, together with Chuimu and the Divine Mother, were all willing to receive the sacred decree and to observe it forever.