《洞真太上金篇虎符真文经》

The Golden Tiger True Talisman on the right was transmitted by the Heavenly Emperor Lord of Taiwei to the Emperor Lord of the Golden Palace. Written in cinnabar on white silk and placed in a purple brocade pouch, it is worn at the crown of the head while walking. In this way one can command the spirits of heaven and earth and cause the immortals to offer reverence. The Jade Flower Spirit holds a kerchief for the wearer, heavenly soldiers guard the body, and the spirits of the mountains and peaks bow their heads in obedience. Reciting as well the Mighty Spirit invocation and the Jade Essence chapter enables one to slay the Nine Demons and cause a thousand kinds of demonic evils to vanish. This is a forbidden talisman secretly transmitted by the Shangqing school and is not given to ordinary people of the world. Those who wear it can fly and ascend to the Shangqing realm.

The Inner Invocation of the Golden True Mighty Spirit of the Upper Radiance of Taiyuan is used to summon and dispatch spirit soldiers and to slay and extinguish evil souls. When reciting the invocation one should enter a room, burn incense, and knock the teeth thirty-six times; one may then sit or lie down and recite:

“Ward off the Poison King of Qian; Zhen gathers the Luo banners. The Eight Immortals hold the battle-axes; the High God and the Five Spirits. The Great Mystery lets fall its radiance; the Seven Dawn stars guard the courtyard. The talisman of the Yellow True One shines brilliantly; fire-bells flash and fly. The spirit tiger rises up; poisonous blades strike in every direction. Purple Bo and the patterned rites leap in the four directions, raising their heads and sounding long cries. The Nine Heavens, Six Heavens, and Four Heavens shine with light. Without, mysterious Qi (vital energy) encircles; within, the commanding general leads the troops. On the left, awesome power is displayed; on the right, patrols are conducted. Advance with wind; campaign with fire. Command the slaying of ten thousand demons and the cutting off of the heads of a thousand Jing (essences). The Golden True One opens and shakes with majesty, gathering and binding the forms of the Nine Demons. The land of Northern Feng collapses and sinks; all that is destroyed is overthrown. I wear the true talisman and command the myriad spirits. The Three Primes report to the True Spirits; mysterious power unites with the sincere intent of the Emperor Lord. Receiving the command of the Supreme Deity of Taiwei, I fly and ascend to the realm of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing).”

Here “Shangqing” and the “Three Pure Ones (Sanqing)” refer to the higher heavenly realms of which Daoism speaks. The “inner invocation” is the prayer recited by the practitioner after burning incense and knocking the teeth inside a chamber.

The “Taiyuan Shangjing Weishen Neizhu” method belongs to the restricted Jing (scripture/classic) secretly transmitted within the Shangqing school. The “Piqian Duwang” named in the text is the inner designation of the great ghosts of the Six Heavens; “Zhenshi Luojing” is the concealed name of the Demon King of the Northern Emperor; and “Sitian Jiaojing” is the soul-name of the ghost ministers of Northern Feng. Should one come to know the names of these three ghosts and Shen (spirit), then hundreds and thousands of monsters will scatter and flee, myriad ghosts will conceal their traces, the nine kinds of demonic evils will be unable to probe or invade, and no manner of evil influence will be able to cause harm.

Whether dwelling alone in mountain forests or present in government offices, temples, and other sites where ghosts and spirits congregate, one may follow this method without burning incense or entering a quiet chamber. There is also a practice of wearing a talisman: the graphs are written with orpiment (a yellow mineral pigment) upon blue silk. The silk measures three chi in length and one chi two cun in width, or it may be cut into a square of one chi two cun on each side. A following passage in the Jing is fragmentary and repetitive; it then instructs that decorative borders be added around the four sides of the talisman silk, which is wrapped in red brocade and worn at the right side of the waist.

When one is to establish a Zhai (purification ritual) and enter the chamber, to hold audience with or feast the Shen of the eight directions and nine heavens, or to perform rites for subduing demonic evils, summoning numinous Shen, and commanding authentic spirits, this talisman is worn while the actions are carried out. Great caution is required: it must never be worn in the presence of a corpse or any filthy object, for that would constitute a transgression equal to leaking the secret methods, and the ancestors of seven generations would all suffer interrogation and punishment in hell.

The closing phrase “Taishang Shenhu Yujing Shenhu Neizhen Fu” is evidently the title of the ensuing section of Jing or of a talisman heading.

The Divine Tiger True Talisman (a Daoist Fulu (talismans and registers) possessing the functions of suppressing evil and eliminating demons) was transmitted by the Great True Parents of the Nine Heavens. The Great True Elder transmitted it to the Little Lad of the Eastern Sea, and the True King of the Nine Heavens then transmitted it to the Most High Lord of the Dao. The Most High Lord of the Dao has always treasured this talisman, concealing it in the Jade Chamber of the Qiong Palace in the Numinous Capital of Taiwei, guarded by giant beasts, defended by venomous dragons, and with seven thousand divine tigers protecting the Golden Gate. Three hundred Golden Dawn Jade Lads and three hundred Pure Numinous Jade Maidens each serve and guard this numinous text.

The mysterious and wondrous radiance of the divine talisman illuminates the empty void, purple mists and clouds scatter across the Purple Court, its majestic power shakes the distant domains of the Nine Directions, and its divine light brilliantly manifests in the Shangqing realm. Its wondrous principles emerge from nature itself, thoroughly penetrating the formless realm. On the talisman, mottled patterns reveal the form of the divine tiger, with the golden tiger running through its true meaning; it takes wisdom as its emblem and the elimination of demonic evils as its foundation.

The profound intentions and mysterious phrases within it are difficult to explain in complete detail. Some of its contents record the hidden names of the heavenly demons, while others mark the inner names of the hundred gods. Reciting its sections startles numerous spirits; chanting its chapters subdues thousands upon thousands of demons and evils.

When the Three Heavens (the three-layered heavenly realms spoken of in Daoism) first established their ordinances, these two divine talismans were bestowed upon the Heavenly Emperor Lord of Taiwei, enabling him to command the Six Heavens with majestic power, behead ten thousand demons, capture the spirits of mountains and seas, bind the host of spirits, subdue demonic obstacles, eliminate disasters and curses, and cause the Five Stars to change their movements.

The Heavenly Emperor Lord of Taiwei received the Demon-Eliminating Talisman and the Wisdom Divine Golden Talisman, wearing them as he traveled through the Shangqing realm, riding a light and numinous carriage soaring through the air, touring by wheels in the Taiwei realm, clearly and brightly resting at the Lodge of the Great True, and pausing before the steps of the Jade Emperor. In stillness he unites with heaven and earth; in action he shines together with the Seven Luminaries (the seven celestial bodies or star-lords). He commands the Nine Mysteries, grasps the numinous and wondrous pivotal mechanism, governs the ten thousand dharmas, and unifies hundreds of millions of ordinances into one.

He arouses a hundred kinds of yang Qi (vital energy), causing them to generate thunder and lightning; he circulates a thousand kinds of yin Qi, causing them to emit majestic power. Divine rosy clouds drape over and illuminate the Golden Gate, and the Heavenly Pass of Daoism responds and opens of itself. He commands the Eight Scenes (the eight kinds of luminous scenes or spirits spoken of in Daoism) to ascend on high, and drives the divine tigers to soar into flight. The host of immortals open the way for him, the Seven Stars swiftly shift; the mysterious and wondrous radiance flows in profound circulation, presenting hundreds of millions of transformations. He perceives the boundless realm, tours and observes the margins of the heavenly realms, and looks down upon the World of Five Turbidities (the filthy world in which sentient beings are submerged), admonishing the living beings caught in aging and the cycles of birth and death. Such divine wonder is truly subtle, numinous, and extraordinary.

The Taiwei Heavenly Emperor Lord (an honored deity of the heavenly realm) said to the Upper Minister Qingtong Lord and the Western City Wang Lord:

The Shangqing Great Wisdom Text for Dispelling Demons True Jing is a precious chapter of the Taiji (Supreme Ultimate) heavenly realm, as well as a treasured secret formula secretly transmitted by the high perfected ones. The true poems of the spirit-souls it records are scriptures cherished by the Tai Zhen of the Nine Heavens. Cultivating the wisdom texts within it can drive away defilements; the methods of dispelling demons can bind evil specters; the true Fulu (talismans) can subdue demonic beings.

All those whose names are listed on the jade tablets and purple registers, and who qualify to cultivate the superior vehicle methods, will not be invaded by various demonic evils nor tested by the ten thousand demons. One may say that myriad calamities cannot harm them, and various trials cannot shake them; this is all the power of the divine tiger in subduing demons, as well as the wondrous efficacy of this true Jing.

Now I transmit it to you, so that it may be passed on to later generations of students of the Dao who have the prospect of cultivating into Perfected Persons, but they must observe the regulations established by Tai Zhen: it may be transmitted only three times within seven hundred years, and must not be given to unsuitable persons. If this true text is leaked rashly, the transmitter will suffer punishment like wind-knives, bringing calamity upon seven generations of ancestors.

If a person’s name is listed in the golden register of Donghua and the green-character register of Shangqing, and they obtain this true Fulu, thirty-six jade youths and jade maidens will attend and guard them. Such a person can undergo dangers, cross mountains and seas, summon spirits and subdue ghosts and monsters, and can also be granted governance over numinous mountains. Wherever they go, hundreds and thousands of demonic evils will submit, ten thousand kinds of demonic creatures will be bound, a host of immortals will escort and protect them, and their body will emit an extraordinary radiance. After practicing for fewer than seven years, true spirits will naturally descend upon their dwelling place, riding flying carriages and cyan-green vehicles, and they will fly up in broad daylight.

Those who receive this method should perform a purification fast of ninety days before the true Jing; they may also fast for thirty days or seventy days. They must prepare ten liang of high-quality gold as a token of faith to offer to the divine perfected ones; prepare ninety chi of brocade silk to make an oath of alliance with the Nine Heavens; and prepare thirty chi of cyan silk to express sincerity.

Only those who truly love the Great Dao (the Way), yearn to become perfected, concentrate on cultivating the mysterious principles, and who do not stint on material goods, holding money lightly while treasuring the Dao, may hear of this method. If they inwardly greedily desire wealth while outwardly pretending to be devoted to the Dao, the Shen (spirits) have long known it; such people are not to be given the transmission, and the scripture should be sealed away in a jade casket and placed in the Golden Palace. After the transmission ceremony is completed, the scripture should also be deeply concealed in famous mountains.

When wearing the “Upper Divine Tiger Talisman” (a Fulu used in Daoism to awe and suppress evil spirits and hauntings), the talisman paper takes cyan as its background, with the talismanic writing done in yellow. If one is to go to the Five Sacred Peaks, or is in the midst of danger, or in a place where ghosts and sprites haunt, one should perform the Great Invocation of the Majestic Shen: knock the left-side teeth thirty-six times, then recite the following invocation:

“The mysterious and wondrous sound of the Nine Heavens commands and unifies the harmony of Yin-Yang; it overall governs the dark and secluded realms, opening the wondrous divine radiance; it transcends all obstructions and leaves no traces. Sanlan Luobo, revolving the plain light so that the scene becomes complete; the pearl radiance is lush and abundant, the cinnabar brightness overall commands the heavenly mandate. Limi Jie’a, containing and hiding the brightness, shining forth and arriving; it descends into the home, filling the household with abundance. Bole Chengwu, deploying and directing the heavenly demons; subduing and transforming them, cutting off their seed; causing their bodily forms to be annihilated in the Nine Luo. The tiger transforms and displays its divine might, capturing, subduing and controlling all evil hauntings, slaying both great and small demonic evils so that they all perish. The time of the demons is cut off, disasters are extinguished, and the Qi of Great Harmony is preserved. Riding the radiance to drive the empty void, ascending the flying rosy clouds, entering and exiting the court of the Celestial Emperor, long preserving the wondrous numinous root.”

After finishing the recitation, swallow Qi (vital energy) thirty-six times, and the ritual then ends.

Those who have not received the Upper Divine Tiger Talisman must not casually speak this invocation. The words and phrases in the invocation are all the inner taboos (secret unpublished names) of the Great Demons of the Nine Heavens; reciting it once can shake the Nine Heavens, causing the myriad ghosts to be controlled, a thousand Jing (essences) to lose their sight, and a hundred Shen (spirits) to come and receive orders. Speaking it without having been transmitted it will result in the loss of hun and po souls. The Most High Invocation for Extinguishing Demons has the same rule, which one should understand and carefully observe.

In addition there are the Extinguishing Demons Talisman and the Divine Tiger Talisman, recorded in the Xiaomo Jing (Scripture of Extinguishing Demons), all of which are the hidden sounds (secretly transmitted sounds or phrases) of the Demon Kings of the Nine Heavens. When wearing the Fulu and reciting the invocation to suppress and control evil spirits, if one can simultaneously swallow one talisman, the effect is even better.

On the first day of the seventh month in the yichou year of Xingning 3, the Tongbai Zhenren transmitted the talisman to the Xu clan. The Fulu are recorded in the Xiaomo Jing, all being the hidden sounds of the Demon Kings of the Nine Heavens; when wearing the talisman and reciting the invocation to carry out suppression, swallowing one at the same time is better.

On the first day of the seventh month in the third year of Xingning, a yichou year, the True Person of Tongbai transmitted to Xu Yuanyou these words: In the years jiashen, yihai, renchen, and guisi, on the first of the ninth month, the seventh of the seventh month, or the eighth of the fourth month, Daoist priests are bound to appear. Clad in ritual vestments of seven colors and grasping a nine-curved staff, they may be found near a numinous altar or else begging alms among ordinary people; sometimes they recite scriptures and verses, sometimes they sing songs of wild abandon.

If you encounter them, you must earnestly inquire of them concerning the Great Dao (the Way). They will certainly transmit to you the Divine Tiger Upper Talisman. This Divine Tiger Upper Talisman is a Daoist Fulu (talismans and registers). The True Person of Nanyue spoken of here is an emissary whom the Most High Lord Lao frequently dispatches into the human world to observe the resolve of those who study the Dao.