《灵宝九幽长夜起尸度亡玄章》

Above the vast and boundless Three Heavens (the lofty celestial realms), a mysterious radiance illuminates the sky. Immortals part the clouds and mists and appear, and jade maidens descend from portals of numinous wonder.

The fan yin (sacred sounds of scripture recitation) linger long and far, and banners of the five colors flutter in abundance. When the month draws to its end, one looks down and surveys the Three Realms (the celestial realm, the human world, and the underworld), yet the realm of Zhongyuan (the Middle Prime) is not at peace.

No voices of praise are heard—only sorrowful weeping. Once a person has left this life, there is no remaining; life is so brief—whom, then, can one blame?

In former lives no merit or virtue was cultivated and stored up; when one’s store of blessing is exhausted, misfortune follows close behind. The three hun and seven po (the souls of the human body as taught in Daoism) scatter and drift, vast and without limit, not knowing where they may find anything to rely on.

Those who practice the methods of the Jing (scripture/classic) and observe the Three Treasures (Dao, the Way; the scriptures; and the Master) will each face the destiny that is theirs. They establish purification rites and practice giving widely, yet the Five Yin (the five constituents that make up the body and consciousness) will in the end return to a corpse. Retribution comes sooner or later; so long as one prays with utmost sincerity, there will at last be a response. If, just when the dead have newly passed away, one performs rites of deliverance for them as early as possible, they may ascend into the lofty celestial realms.

The disciple, facing east, performs three bows, wishing to remove the karmic offenses accumulated through the cycle of birth and death over thirty thousand kalpas (spans of immense duration).

The Unsurpassed Terrace, profound and without bound; halls amid the clouds, lofty and vast. Raising one’s gaze toward the Daluo Palace (a palace of the higher celestial realms in Daoist teaching), one sees only the dwellings in which immortals reside.

In Lüfu (the human world) there are many wicked people, and the wicked often die first. When Heaven’s punishment descends, it cannot always distinguish good from evil; at times the good and the wicked suffer calamity together. All this is because good deeds have not been accumulated, and so the hun and po drift away to the remote wastes of the eight directions. Disaster comes to a head, death arrives suddenly, and even the strong cannot escape.

Each person’s karmic conditions (karmic affinities and allotted fate) draw that person away, and even parents cannot prevent it. At the thought of the suffering borne by the dead, grief wells up in the heart, and the five viscera are all wounded. Over the head lies no more than seven feet of yellow earth; the grave mounds stretch on without end, and even the strong cannot escape.

Each person’s karmic conditions draw that person away, and even parents cannot prevent it. At the thought of the suffering borne by the dead, grief wells up in the heart, and the five viscera are all wounded. Over the head lies no more than seven feet of yellow earth; how vast and desolate the grave mounds are. Ancestors stand thirty-six generations apart, and the ancestors of seven generations are likewise scattered each from the other.

May one be freed from the Five Paths (the five destinations of living beings in the cycle of rebirth) and follow the holy perfected in roaming the ten directions.

The disciple, facing north, performs six bows, wishing to remove the karmic offenses accumulated through the cycle of birth and death over thirty kalpas.

In the realm of Zhongyuan there are many wicked people, and the wicked often die first. Life passes away like a candle flame suddenly extinguished, and the hun and po return to the vast emptiness. Karmic conditions are left to be drawn along by the deeds of former times—how can suffering and joy remain constant? The foolish are unwilling to do good, and only after death does grief fill the heart.

How pitiful is the parting of life from death! The wailing and crying tear at the very heart and bowels. Heaven and earth are vast, yet life and death stand on opposite sides—who can bear such pain?

The Great Sage (a venerable sacred being in Daoism) takes pity on all living beings and commands the Kings of the Five Paths (Wudao Wang, deities who govern the destinations of the dead): “Each of you, bring the registers of life and death and come to the Hall of Eternal Night.”

He also summons the Lord Who Oversees Killing (the divine official who governs slaughter and records the guilt attached to it) and the Ox-Head of Mount Tai (an ox-headed divine official of the underworld of Mount Tai), and orders the Clerks of the Three Paths (Santu, underworld officials of the three evil destinies) to transmit the command by dragon relay, making it known throughout the ten directions.

The deceased have already suffered enough and ought to be sent as soon as possible to the Southern Palace (Nangong, the place in Daoism where departed souls are delivered and given rest). There, clothing and food are supplied by the celestial kitchen, and in life after life they may meet with a land of peace and joy.

This passage of the scripture (Jing)—the words of summoning, of transmitting the command, and of sending off the dead—is chanted once more, expressing the prayer that the officials of the underworld examine the name-registers of the deceased, release them from suffering and distress, and enable them to receive deliverance without delay.

The disciple faces west and bows three times, praying that the sinful karma accumulated by the deceased through the cycle of birth and death over the past twelve kalpas may be dissolved.

The Three Heavens (Santian, the celestial realms spoken of in Daoism) are lofty, far-reaching, and vast, towering without limit. Of all offenses under heaven, none is greater than failing to fulfill loyalty and failing to fulfill filial piety.

If, because of sinful karma, one passes through ten thousand kalpas and sinks into the eternal night, one will for a long time be unable to return to life. Karmic causes accumulated by the ancestors generation after generation may also bring calamity in the present life. Now, just as the years of one’s allotted span are drawing to a close, the hun and po souls seem to scatter and rush away in every direction. Parents, wife, and children are parted from the deceased—on what, then, can the spirit (Shen) rely?

Life is cut off as a mountain collapses; the souls depart as water flows east, and can hardly be recovered. Thinking of the suffering borne by the dead, sorrow fills the heart and grief overwhelms.

Beneath the tomb encircled by pine and cypress they lie long in silence, and none knows when they may return.

The disciple faces the southeast and bows three times, praying that the sinful karma accumulated by the deceased through the cycle of birth and death over the past eighteen kalpas may be dissolved.

The joys of the heavenly halls are endless, yet the human world of Jambudvīpa is filled with every kind of desire. What fault, after all, did the deceased commit in a former life, that they should lose their lives so swiftly? Whither will their souls drift, and into which prison of the underworld will they fall?

Parents, wife, and children are parted from the deceased as when a house is destroyed, and reunion is hard to come by again.

Within the long reaches of the Three Paths (the three evil destinies of hell, hungry ghosts, and animals), where, in the end, do the souls of the deceased come to rest? Ordinary people cannot see these things, yet the mere telling of them is enough to strike the eye and wound the heart.

We wish only that the deceased may be reborn in the Southern Palace and, life after life, enjoy the blessings and favor of the celestial realm.

The disciple faces north and bows three times, praying that the sinful karma accumulated by the deceased through the cycle of birth and death over the past thousand kalpas may be dissolved. We wish only that the deceased may be reborn in the Southern Palace and, life after life, enjoy the blessings and favor of the celestial realm.

Where does a person’s destined fate begin, so that in this life one may encounter the pure and tranquil Dao (the Way)? Through karmic conditions one receives the teaching of an enlightened master and is granted profound and wondrous precious methods.

Why are the roots of sinful karma so deep and heavy that one cannot peacefully enjoy a natural span of years? In the very prime of life, existence is suddenly cut short—why does one depart the world so early?

The hun and po souls enter the long, endless night, and the Shen (spirit) wanders through the Five Paths (the five destinations through which sentient beings revolve according to the force of karma). The Four Great Elements that constitute the human body (earth, water, fire, and wind) disperse at this moment, and beings must again undergo the sufferings of the Six Realms (the places of rebirth, such as heaven, the human realm, asura, animal, hungry ghost, and hell).

Again and again they cry out in grief, and the pains of former days linger about the heart. Why not perform a rite of deliverance for the dead? Wealth is nothing more than something outside the body.

One establishes a Zhaijiao (purification ritual; a Daoist ceremony for praying for blessings and delivering the dead), sets store by the giving of alms, and vows that in life after life one may receive the protection of teachers and elders.

The disciple faces north and performs nine bows, praying that the offenses of birth, death, and transmigration across thirty kalpas may be removed.

Everyone wishes to seek the Dao, yet the mind that seeks the Dao is not sufficiently single-minded. When jealousy and hatred arise in the heart and give birth to three kinds of deviant thought, one falls into the “City of Fox-Doubt” (a condition symbolizing suspicion and being lost).

Reckless words crowd the mouth, and only then is the Ninefold Darkness (the deep and shadowy underworld) stirred. The hun and po of the dead enter evil paths—on what day can one hope to ascend to Taiqing (the clear, bright, and lofty realm spoken of in Daoism)?

How pitiable: the dead suffer, and the grave mounds and groves lie in gloom. Today a rite of deliverance is held for the deceased, wishing only that they may obtain a life to come.

The disciple faces north and performs twelve bows, praying that the offenses of birth, death, and transmigration across forty-nine kalpas may be removed.

No blessings were accumulated in former lives, and this life is often met with hardship and decline. How, then, is the suffering of the dead to be borne? Driven by the course of transmigration, they revolve among the Five Paths.

It is like a current pouring into the sea: once it has gone, when can it return? From this moment wife and children are scattered apart, and father and mother do not know where he now is.

In the dark, long night, graves are heaped layer upon layer. The living weep day and night, hoping only that the dead may live again.

How pitiable: the dead suffer; life vanishes so swiftly that it fills one with sorrow.

The disciple faces south and performs three bows, praying that the offenses of birth, death, and transmigration across thirty kalpas may be removed.

Why are the living at ease, and why do the dead suffer? Beneath the shadowy grove, one is suddenly buried under thick earth.

At the bottom of the long and deep Yellow Springs, where will the Shen of the deceased go? Wife and children, parents and kin, part from this moment, and in the end the Seven Ancestors (the ancestors and the forebears of the clan) are implicated as well.

A person’s breath scatters with the wind and dust—and what then governs the hun and po? The dead cannot return to life; they lift their gaze to heaven, yet see no pillar on which to rely.

A chicken made of tile will not crow, and a person made of wood will not speak. How pitiable: where, in the end, have a person’s spirit-consciousness and hun and po gone? Wife and children, parents and kin, part from this moment, and in the end the Seven Ancestors are implicated as well.

Breath scatters with the wind and dust; what, then, governs the hun and po souls? The dead cannot live again. One looks up to heaven, and heaven too has no supporting pillar.

A chicken molded of clay will crow no more, and a person carved of wood will not speak. How sorrowful this is, stirring the feelings; how grievous, as if it wounds the liver and the bowels.

In establishing the Zhaijiao (purification ritual)—the Daoist rite for seeking blessings and delivering the dead—and in saving the deceased, where should the heart’s concern be placed? One wishes only that the dead may regain life, ascend as immortals and attain the Dao (the Way), and that the seven ancestors (the forebears traced through seven generations) may also be delivered.

The disciple faces south and performs twelve bows, praying to remove the sinful karma accumulated through the cycle of birth and death over seventy-two kalpas.

Worldly people are dull and confused, turning right and wrong upside down; how can they recognize the truth? They do not understand the kindness of their parents, nor the duty between ruler and subject.

They do not grasp the principle of being born and dying, nor distinguish old matters from new. Clinging to ignorance until their span of life ends, their hun and po souls then sink away.

The hun and po are cast separately into the Five Paths (the five destinations of birth and death) and enter a dark, boundless long night. One hears only the sounds of mourning, and sees no one rejoicing.

If there is no ritual master who understands allotted destiny and can guide the dead, then once a person dies, the spirit has nowhere to belong. Today a rite of deliverance is held for the deceased, in the hope that the hun and po of the dead may rise again.

May the deceased, from this day, form an embryo anew and, in the turning of an eye, ascend in flight. May they ever be received in audience with the Taishang (the honorific for the supreme deities of Daoism), and may sorrow disperse at the Northern Gate.

If one wears the ritual covenant yet turns against the master, the ancestors of seven generations remain, generation after generation, in darkness and without support.

The disciple faces northwest and performs twelve bows, praying to remove the sinful karma accumulated through the cycle of birth and death over thirty kalpas.

Those who delighted in killing in a former life have short lives in this one, and still resent the gods. When the arrogant speak words that forsake the master, they pass through ten thousand kalpas, trapped in the Jiuyou (the Ninefold Darkness, the netherworld).

In a coming life they are reborn as vicious beasts, and only after hundreds of millions of years might they change form and become beings of the good. Dying an early death in this life, they undergo every one of the Five Sufferings (the sufferings of birth, old age, sickness, death, and the like).

The hun and po return to heaven and earth; where, then, does the spirit arise again? The Great Sage feels deep compassion for this. How sorrowful it is, stirring the feelings.

Careless discussion of the methods of the Dao, and speech that is mixed and clamorous, harms the people. Today a rite of deliverance is held for the deceased, in the hope that he may regain a human form.

May the seven ancestors return to the Southern Palace, and within the Three Heavens (the three layers of heaven spoken of in Daoism) may nine dragons come to receive them.

In what follows, the line “the disciple facing west—nine—where is one born?” is incomplete in meaning; a textual omission is suspected. After it the text still says: Where do the hun and po arise again? The Great Sage feels deep compassion for this. How sorrowful it is, stirring the feelings.

Careless discussion of the methods of the Dao, and speech that is mixed and clamorous, harms the people. Today a rite of deliverance is held for the deceased, in the hope that he may regain a human form.

The ancestors of seven generations return to the Southern Palace, one of the dwelling places of the immortals, and the Three Heavens, the lofty celestial realms, send nine dragons to welcome them.

The disciple performs nine bows toward the west, wishing to remove the karmic offenses of the deceased in the cycle of birth and death over the past thirty kalpas.

The terraces of the Nine Heavens stretch high and far, and the City of the Purple Phoenix rises lofty and majestic. How pitiable that the beings of the Three Realms suffer every hardship, as sorrow and calamity descend together.

I lament and ask the foolish people of the world: why do you not seek long life? They do not believe the teachings of the Great Sage. Suddenly they die, and the Four Great Elements—earth, water, fire, and wind, which constitute the human body—disperse with them.

All day they create evil karma, yet they do not realize that their lives are about to collapse. After death they suffer the punishments of hell, the boiling cauldron and the sword trees; even when they plead in anguish, no one shows them pity.

Today we hold a ritual of deliverance for the deceased, wishing only to instruct and transform him so that he may obtain a human body once more.

The disciple performs nine bows toward the east, wishing to remove the karmic offenses of the deceased in the cycle of birth and death over the past three kalpas.

The karmic causes and conditions of destiny from former lives are linked within and without. Daluo Heaven, the lofty celestial realm where the revered deities of the Dao (the Way) dwell, stands vast and majestic. Within it are those who live long and never die, seated upright for hundreds of millions of years.

We carry out the method of deliverance, wishing only to instruct and transform the deceased so that he may obtain a human body once more.

The disciple performs nine bows toward the east, wishing to remove the karmic offenses of the deceased in the cycle of birth and death over the past three kalpas.

The karmic causes and conditions of destiny from former lives are linked within and without. Daluo Heaven stands vast and majestic. Within it are those who live long and never die, seated upright for hundreds of millions of years.

We carry out the method of deliverance, wishing only to instruct and transform the deceased so that he may obtain a human body once more.

We revere the teachings of the methods of the Dao and of the masters of the Dao; yet through the long darkness of generation after generation, we are still drawn and bound by the Five Paths and Three Mires—the various destinations and realms of suffering in the cycle of rebirth—and by the Ninefold Darkness, the depths of the netherworld.

How can sinners such as these, having passed through the Water Kalpa, one of the great calamities, ever become immortals? That they die an untimely death today is entirely due to the karmic conditions of former lives.

Do not envy those of talent and wisdom, or you will shorten your own life. When the time of the Daoist ritual assembly arrives, the slaying ghosts will not pardon the sinner.

If one has not accumulated good deeds in the past, it is hard to receive grace even when seeking help in a crisis. We establish a zhai, a purification feast, to deliver the deceased, and through almsgiving open the gate of cultivating the Dao.

The disciple performs three bows toward the west, and the deceased may then obtain liberation.

Heaven and earth endure according to the constant Dao. The three luminaries—sun, moon, and stars—shine brightly. The Five Phases (Wuxing: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water) move in accord with the four seasons, and the mysterious celestial Dao cycles without cease.

What offense, after all, has the deceased committed, that in a moment he falls into the cold netherworld? He does not know that he already has a wife, nor can he recognize his father and brothers.

The Four Great Elements suddenly disperse. The body perishes, and only a name remains. On what can the hun and po souls rely? And from where does the spirit (Shen) arise?

Today we hold a deliverance for the deceased, wishing that he may obtain a human body once more.

The disciple performs nine bows toward the west, wishing to remove the karmic offenses of the deceased in the cycle of birth and death over the past ten thousand kalpas. On what can the hun and po souls rely? And from where does the spirit arise?

Today we hold a deliverance for the deceased, wishing that he may obtain a human body once more.

The disciple performs nine bows toward the west, wishing to remove the karmic offenses of the deceased in the cycle of birth and death over the past ten thousand kalpas.

The Four Noble Truths—the four truths taught in Buddhism—run through the path of cultivating the Dao (the Way). The Six Perfections—giving, observance of the precepts, patience, vigorous effort, meditative concentration, and wisdom—enable one to transcend the mundane world. If one cannot restrain the three poisons of greed, anger, and delusion, what use is there in wearing the advanced Fulu (talismans and registers) of the Three Caverns (Dongzhen, Dongxuan, and Dongshen)?

In serving one’s teacher, one ought to be single-minded in sincerity and reverence, and must not presume oneself to be always right; otherwise one cannot ride the nine dragons and ascend as an immortal. If one dies with such an attitude, a brief lifetime will end in ruin, turning endlessly through the five paths of rebirth.

When the heart holds two intentions and hesitates without resolve, how can one pass through calamity? Today a ritual of deliverance for the dead is performed, in the hope that he may behold the Immortal Duke.

The disciple faces west and makes nine bows, praying that the karmic offenses of the deceased, accumulated through the cycle of birth and death over thirty thousand kalpas, may be removed.

Everyone hopes for long life, yet if one is foolish and ignorant, long life is of no benefit. One who wears the Fulu while envying the teacher remains, generation after generation, cut off from the sacred Dao.

Even if one wishes to ascend in flight, one cannot be raised into the Jade Register, the roster of the immortal realm. Dying an untimely death with such a mind, one will after death be entered in the register of the Nine Darknesses, the depths of the underworld.

The hun and po souls and the Shen (spirit) rush about in every direction; when will the long night ever end in release? What plans can one make while still alive? One knows only how to crave wealth.

Once one has left this world, one must pass through the long ages of heaven and earth. Who realizes that one may become as insensible as wood and stone? Today a rite of deliverance is held for the deceased, in the hope that his calamities and offenses may be cleared away.

The disciple faces west and makes twelve bows, praying that the karmic offenses of the deceased, accumulated through the cycle of birth and death over three thousand kalpas, may be removed.

Celestial beings continue to descend into the world to teach and transform, yet the foolish do not know to inquire into the Great Dao. Everyone attends only to securing a livelihood and providing for oneself, greedy for what can be gained before one’s eyes.

They envy one another and contend for merit and fame, boasting, striving to be first, and competing to prove their superiority. They slight their teachers and neglect their friends, and even through ten thousand kalpas they cannot become immortals.

After death they fall into the Nine Darknesses, and generation after generation they are sunk in the abyss of the long night. Their souls rush through the five paths, undergoing the underworld sufferings of the boiling cauldron and the mountain of knives.

Greedy for the immediate gain and support before their eyes, they envy one another and contend for merit and fame, boasting and striving to be first. They slight their teachers and neglect their friends, and through ten thousand kalpas they cannot become immortals. After death they fall into the Nine Darknesses; generation after generation they are confined in the abyss of the long night, their souls rushing through the five paths and suffering the torments of the boiling cauldron and the mountain of knives.

Today a rite of deliverance is held for the deceased, in the hope that the deceased may be reborn in the celestial realm, that every karmic offense may be eliminated, and that he may come, free and at ease, before the Most High Dao Ancestor.

The disciple faces east and makes three bows, praying that the karmic offenses of the deceased, accumulated through the cycle of birth and death over ninety kalpas, may be removed.

The four talismans are the root of cultivation, and the Six Perfections all contain a mysterious radiance. One who receives the methods of the Dao yet harbors a heart without humaneness will have one’s lifespan damaged and cut short.

If the heart hesitates and will not settle, how can one avoid dying young? One who serves the teacher yet treats the teacher as an ordinary person, without due reverence, will bring disaster upon oneself.

Stingy and greedy, unwilling to provide for teachers and elders, one will meet famine and calamity generation after generation. One who rashly divulges the secret essentials will, after death, fall into the boiling cauldron and suffer.

Today a rite of deliverance is held for the deceased, with the wish that he may soon be reborn in heaven. May women in the life to come become noble ladies, and men become dukes and kings.

The disciple faces south and performs three bows, so as to eliminate the sinful karma accumulated by the deceased in the cycle of birth and death over ten kalpas.

When the deceased has just passed away, the living should establish merit on his behalf. If rites of deliverance are often performed for him every month, he can be freed from the assaults and the pull of the Five Paths (the five destinations of rebirth).

Holding rites on the Six Zhai (purification) Days and the Ten Upright Days—days in Daoism suited to fasting, purification, and the doing of good—as well as on days that fall on three or seven, can remove great calamities. On Gengshen days and Jiazi days, the Zhenren (Perfected Ones, immortals who have attained the Dao (the Way)) likewise all comply.

Today a rite of deliverance is held for the deceased, with the wish that he may ride in a chariot of nine dragons. Whether in life or after death, may he encounter the Taishang (the Most High); generation after generation, may he meet the immortals.

The disciple faces north and performs nine bows, so as to eliminate the sinful karma accumulated by the deceased in the cycle of birth and death over a thousand kalpas.

A person of virtuous conduct accumulates every kind of good deed, and by accumulating goodness one can attain the Dao and become an immortal. If after death a person has not been delivered, how can the hun and po souls ascend?

One who did no good in a former life will linger before the gates of hell. Ask what the offense was, and it turns out to have been rash speech and careless words.

Forever sunk in the Ninefold Darkness (the deep and obscure underworld), one does not know on what day one may again rise to immortality. Long trapped in the Three Paths (three evil destinies of suffering), one is dragged along by the Six Thieves (a figure commonly used in Buddhist and Daoist texts for the six desires that disturb body and mind).

Today we together deliver the deceased, so that by practicing the Way he may return to the natural Dao. In accordance with the ritual numbers three, five, seven, and nine, we hold the Zhai rite, establish a Zhai altar, and widely sow fields of merit (accumulating good works).

The disciple faces south and performs nine bows, so as to eliminate the sinful karma accumulated by the deceased in the cycle of birth and death over forty kalpas.

A human life is like the seed of the five grains: once sown, it turns in the cycle and comes to birth. Seeds differ as thick or thin, and good and evil each manifest their own results.

Folly and wisdom differ as heaven and earth, and human constitutions likewise divide into the strong and the frail. Just as iron may be soft or hard and water clear or turbid, so some people are greedy and unruly, while others are worthy, good, and steadfast.

The living think only of enjoying pleasure, and do not see the glory that the dead receive. In the long night of darkness, when will the calamities of rebirth come to an end? The Supreme Sages pity all living beings, lamenting and grieving over the bitterness of the human world.

The disciple faces east and performs three bows, so as to eliminate the sinful karma accumulated by the deceased in the cycle of birth and death over six kalpas.

Yanfu (the human world) is not a land of blessing. Sinners harm one another and are born in succession. Unaware that life is brief, they think only of contending for rank and fame.

Harboring selfish thoughts, they envy the worthy and the good, and seek only the splendor before their eyes. They do nothing but beg others for support, yet do not know that the great limit is at hand.

If one is bent on rushing to advance and on gaining profit at once, one will draw down the punishment of the gods and spirits. In the turn of an eye one enters the dark and far-reaching netherworld. How dim it is beneath the Yellow Springs!

Alas for the foolish of the world: how can the human body remain for long? Those who do good, attain the Dao (the Way), and become immortals can pass through myriad generations without decline or extinction.

The disciple faces west and performs three bows, and by this dispels the karmic offenses of the cycle of birth and death since the three kalpas.

The Nine Darknesses (Jiuyou, the deep reaches of the netherworld in Daoist teaching) are filled mostly with the wicked; the good do not dwell there. Hills and groves are no place where dragons abide, and there are no divine fish in the water of a well.

Without blessings from a former life, one cannot partake of the Heavenly Kitchen (Tianchu, the fare of the celestial realm). To speak lightly of the Dao and of the master is to have death arrive very soon.

The hun and po souls wander through the Five Paths (Wudao, the five destinations of rebirth), and the spirit returns to emptiness. In the long and profound Nine Darknesses, one must pass through myriad kalpas and endure the sufferings of the Three Paths (Santu, the evil destinies of hell, hungry ghosts, animals, and the like).

Today a rite of deliverance for the dead is held for the deceased, in the hope that he may follow the Longfu (a numinous bird symbolizing the guidance of the dead toward ascent) and depart.

The disciple faces north and performs seven bows, and by this dispels the karmic offenses of the cycle of birth and death since myriad kalpas.

To keep long watch beside the coffins is to have death arrive very soon.

The hun and po souls wander through the Five Paths, and the spirit returns to emptiness. In the long and profound Nine Darknesses, one must pass through myriad kalpas and endure the sufferings of the Three Paths.

Today a rite of deliverance for the dead is held for the deceased, in the hope that he may follow the Longfu and depart.

The disciple faces north and performs seven bows, and by this dispels the karmic offenses of the cycle of birth and death since myriad kalpas.

Keeping long watch by the coffins, one seems to behold the Purple Court (Ziting, the palaces of the immortal realm). To practice the methods of the Dao and seek the way of the higher immortals, one must first meet an enlightened master for guidance.

Wearing upon the body the Yuanji Covenant (Yuanji qi, a Daoist talismanic tally or token), one ought to be versed in the various scriptures (Jing). Even if skilled in many arts, one can still cultivate the techniques of the Dao.

Yet how bitter is the suffering of the dead: once they have died, they lose the rank and fame of their lifetime. Today a rite of deliverance for the dead is held for the deceased, in the hope that all of them may ascend to Phoenix City (Fengcheng, a citadel of the immortal realm).

The disciple faces north and performs three bows, and by this dispels the karmic offenses of the cycle of birth and death since myriad kalpas.

The lifespan of the immortals extends through myriad kalpas, yet the foolish know nothing of this. To wear a talismanic covenant while the heart holds no compassion only casts one into the peril of losing one’s life.

To stir up gossip and pass judgment on others soon invites death—who can bear the consequences in one’s place? A fierce tiger cannot be bound, and a divine dragon submits to no restraint.

These numinous beasts wait only for the worthy and the sage; they will not let the foolish ride them. Pitiful are the dead in their suffering, their spirits rushing and turning through the Five Paths.

Today they are to be delivered, so that they may ascend into the realm of the immortals and rest long in peace within the Dao of Wuwei (non-action).

The disciple faces west and performs seven bows, thereby eliminating the karmic offenses of life and death accumulated over thirty thousand kalpas.

Human life ends at last in death, and nothing in the world can endure forever. Even the worthy and the sage depart by the method of “shijie” (what Daoism calls shedding the bodily form and ascending in transformation), and rise into the heavenly realm.

Those whose karmic offenses are deep and heavy will surely have their lifespan cut short; those who do good may have their lifespan lengthened. Whether rich or poor, noble or humble, blessings are sometimes abundant and sometimes meager; they are not the same for everyone.

Those whose karmic offenses are deep and heavy will surely have their lifespan cut short; those who do good may have their lifespan lengthened. Whether rich or poor, noble or humble, blessings are sometimes abundant and sometimes meager; they are not the same for everyone.

How can those who are vicious and obstinate, and who do not believe in the Dao (the Way), ever see the Immortal King? The Great Compassionate One holds all living beings in mind, and this fills the heart with sorrow.

When the words above have been fully spoken, all present each pay respects to the Jade Emperor (Yuhuang, the celestial deity venerated in Daoism).

The disciple faces northwest and performs nine bows, thereby eliminating the karmic offenses of life and death accumulated over a thousand kalpas.