《三皇内文遗秘》

The Remaining Secrets of the Inner Writings of the Three Sovereigns is a Golden Palace Divine Chapter (a Daoist term for a venerable and sacred scripture), said to be the secretly transmitted writings of the Three Sovereigns. In Heaven it unites with the Heavenly Dao (the Way), commanding the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water), employing the host of spirits (shen), and ruling over all phenomena. On Earth it is embodied as De (Virtue/Power), governing all things, subduing goblins and monsters, and slaying evil spirits. Therefore it is regarded as the supreme method for warding off evil and achieving victory, as well as a scripture that leads to the marvelous and immortal Dao.

The scripture contains the principles of Yin-Yang change, enabling practitioners to be spared from external calamities. When living in mountains, caves, or wild forests, cultivating oneself and seeking out rocky valleys, without this scripture, goblins and monsters often harm people's lives. Even in towns, residences, halls, and houses long abandoned by human traces, lingering essences and evils may remain, to say nothing of deep mountains, secluded valleys, and remote woodlands. Those who seclude themselves in the mountains and practice quiet cultivation, if they do not possess this scripture, are as if placing themselves in a dangerous situation. This scripture is now transmitted in order to distinguish the heterodox from the orthodox, so that later generations seeking immortality may avoid disasters and unexpected injuries or deaths.

In the Bingwu year, on the Chrysanthemum Festival, the Purple Tenuity Daoist wrote this preface.

Inner Text of the Heavenly Sovereign, Upper

Heaven produces cloud-dragons; the root of the Dao rises and soars. Orthodox Qi (vital energy) expands, illuminating the Grand Purity (Taiqing, the Daoist heaven of emptiness and clarity). It assists the orthodox Dao, making worldly affairs upright and harmonious. By practicing the Six Jia Cavern Origin (a mysterious Daoist cultivation method), one can transcend the physical form and ascend into the Nine Heavens, with blessings extending to one's descendants, and the practice of immortality gradually coming to fruition. Next it speaks of the Human Sovereign: If a person reveres the Dao of long life, practices the Six Ding and Nine Qi (Daoist terms for spirits and qi methods), holds a secret and sincere intention, and reveres it, then ultimately there will be good fortune. The Hao Emperor (an ancient title of the Heavenly Emperor), by his honored name, knows the marvelous principles of the Dao, causing the body to remain long at peace. Upon hearing these true words, one should constantly maintain purity and stillness.

The above consists of eighty characters in all; silently recite them once each day in order to seek the Dao of long life; it can also enable descendants to obtain together intelligence, wisdom, and clarity.

May blessings extend to seven generations of ancestors, so that fortune and grace may reach all sentient beings. This is the exalted Supreme One (Taiyi, the highest deity of the Dao), the authentic Jade Writ, which can slay demons and evil spirits and cause people to unite in harmony with Jade Purity (Yuqing, the pure immortal realm of Daoism). Immortal methods originate from the orthodox Dao, and the names of those who cultivate them are recorded in Highest Clarity (Shangqing, one of the immortal realms of Daoism). The merits of sages endure without decline, and once the arts are accomplished one can comprehend the principles within. The flourishing great enterprise is protected by the host of immortals, and thus one is commanded to write the Golden Writ, using this text to set the time limit for transmitting the method.

The above fifty-six characters should be silently recited seven times at the change of the four seasons and on the eight festival days when sacrificing to household ancestors; they must not be written in the black register. Intelligent and enlightened persons should not tell this to others, lest it be carelessly leaked.

The scripture conceals this method without revealing it, in order to prohibit casual dissemination.

The meaning of the above six characters is: After transmitting the Inner Scripture of the Three Sovereigns (Sanhuang Neiwen), if the master does not cultivate meritorious practice within ten days, the heavenly spirits will not attach themselves; if the transmission does not accord with the regulations, the recipient should not accept it. One must transmit strictly according to the Dharma and must not allow people to treat it lightly.

After receiving the method of the Three Sovereigns, one constantly wanders with Jade Purity, and fierce and evil matters are subdued and eliminated; one may dwell long in mountain halls, with azure clouds accompanying left and right. The Six Gui (Liugui, day names according to the heavenly stems and earthly branches of the Daoist calendar) protect the true spirit; if a person treasures this method, the Six Jia (Liujia, protective spirit generals in Daoism) will guard the body. Do not take lightly the oath I have established; one will surely ascend into Supreme Clarity (Taiqing) and extend one’s lifespan. Jade spirits assist the physical form, enabling one to pass through myriad kalpas and become an immortal, constantly dwelling in the Cinnabar Heaven. The Five Sacred Peaks (Wuyue), Four Waterways (Sidu, the four great rivers), mountain-and-river grotto palaces, cinnabar caves, gods of soil and grain (Sheji, deities in charge of land and the five grains), springs and sources, together with the host of spirits, will all array themselves in protection; the Earl of Wind, the Master of Rain, and the stars will also support this formula.

The above eighty characters constitute the oath text: those who receive the method will surely ascend into Supreme Clarity, extend their lifespan, with Jade spirits assisting the physical form, passing through myriad kalpas to become immortals and constantly dwelling in the Cinnabar Heaven; the Five Sacred Peaks, Four Waterways, gods of soil and grain and other spirits, as well as the Earl of Wind, Master of Rain, and stars, will all protect and uphold this method.

The above eighty characters should be recited three times each on the Six Jia days and the Six Gui days, whereupon the Five Sacred Peaks, Four Waterways, gods of soil and grain and other spirits will provide protection and assistance.

All mysterious and wondrous words have been secretly transmitted by the Sovereign Spirits. They should be written on silk (zengsu, silk fabric) and stored in grotto-heavens (Dongtian, immortal realms or grotto palaces of Daoism). The meritorious cultivation returns to the Supreme Truth (Taizhen, the most authentic Dao), and blessings continue through a thousand springs; even when infinite years have passed and seas and mountains have turned to dust, these writings must still be kept secret. In this way five-colored auspicious clouds will cover and shine upon them, the common people will revere them, and a flourishing destiny will arise. By holding fast to and receiving the pure teaching, one can extend years and increase longevity.

The above fifty-six characters indicate that after receiving and wearing the Sanhuang Neiwen (Three Sovereigns Inner Writings), one must further transcribe it in seal script and deposit it for safekeeping in a remote mountain cave. It must not be known to others if it is to be preserved for a long time.

The Nine Immortals of the Numinous Peaks (the nine perfected immortals of the sacred mountains), the Cinnabar Flames burning brightly, and the stellar deities He Kui and Tian Gang (Daoist star gods) protect and sustain this mysterious scripture. Reckless disclosure will diminish one’s lifespan, with calamity reaching even beneath the Nine Springs, and the body itself will be shattered. The Golden Script (sacred characters) must never be discussed casually. Always remain cautious.

The above thirty-seven characters mean that after receiving the Sanhuang Neiwen, casually speaking of it to others or leaking the scripture will bring disaster upon nine generations of ancestors, harm the body, and forever close off any further encounter with the Golden Script. The mysterious words total three hundred and fifteen characters.

In the Dihuang Neiwen (Earth Sovereign Inner Writings), when a realm accords with the laws of Heavenly Dao (the Way), the peoples of the four seas will submit. The bodily form becomes light and drifting, as though dwelling in the Jade Void (Yuxu, the clear empty immortal realm of Daoism). One can ward off evil and protect the Shen (spirit), passing through ten thousand kalpas without anxiety. The blessing extends to other living beings and lands, which likewise receive its grace, dispel inauspicious disasters, and enjoy vast fortune and De (Virtue/Power). One should be sincere and respectful, keep the covenant, cultivate with utmost sincerity, protect and nurture the spirit, and live out one’s years in peace. Turn toward the Great Dao, abandon the mundane, and diligently practice the methods recorded in the immortal registers. Mountains and rivers, the Five Sacred Peaks and Four Waterways, and all directions of southwest and northeast lie within its reach.

The above sixty-four characters, if silently recited once while walking in mountain valleys or lodging by riverbanks, can resist fierce beasts, flood dragons, venomous snakes, essences and evils, wangliang spirits, and every kind of monster.

The Secret Seal of the Earth Sovereign (the secret seal formula of the Dihuang Neiwen) can harmonize Heaven and Earth. The blessings of the True Words of the Three Sovereigns can even illuminate the Nine Springs. Sentient beings and the smallest creatures all fall under the governance of the Supreme Mystery (Shangxuan, the highest Heavenly Dao). Yin-Yang mutually generate and transform, and all things possess numinous nature; every aware kind accords with the principles of the Dao. Sincere cultivation holds the hope of flying ascent. With steadfast power one may communicate with the unseen realms without seeking what is improper. In studying these methods one must concentrate and hold firm, without giving rise to doubt. Mountains, rivers, and waters all receive protection. To revere the Writings of the Three Sovereigns is a rare path of cultivation.

The preceding eighty characters, when livestock (domesticated animals) as well as all forms of life born from wombs, eggs, moisture, or transformation encounter disaster, if silently recited once in secret, allow deceased beings to attain liberation and living beings to find peace. Do not let others know of or hear this true utterance.

Rivers, seas, great rivers, ponds, and water sources are found everywhere. Humans and spirits conduct their affairs according to the principles of the five directions. The jade writings of the Great Deity of the Bright Stars and the High Emperor can eliminate dangers and protect the nation and its people. The dragon spirits of famous mountains and great rivers can gather in calamities and drive away hardships. Mountain peaks, river channels, famous mountains and hills, as well as Taiyin and Gangzhou, all have yellow dragons arrayed in sequence. As long as one prays according to one’s wishes, a response will be obtained. The spirit of Yangming assists from the side. Whether a Daoist or a layperson, as long as one knows to revere these words, the family will be free of worry and demonic heterodox qi (vital energy) will not linger.

The preceding eighty characters should be copied out neatly, with the name written on them, and buried among the ancestral graves as a document informing the Nine Mysteries (nine generations of ancestors). Write them in black ink on white paper, then seal the outside with black paper, also writing the name.

People seeking to survive in the world must practice this method of the Dao (the Way). Even through kalpic calamities one can remain stable and prosperous and will certainly enjoy longevity. If one can properly uphold it, there will surely be auspiciousness and success. Reciting it ten thousand times, jade maidens will descend to welcome one. The emperor should keep this method secret, inform the Nine Mysteries (nine generations of ancestors), write it in black ink on white paper, seal the outside with black paper, and also write the name. Practicing this method, the nation will be at peace.

The above forty characters speak of the talismanic writings of the Three Sovereigns. Reciting them one hundred times can bless the practitioner with attainment of the earthly immortal realm and longevity. Do not let fellow practitioners of the same altar become aware, lest the efficacy fail to be achieved. The mysterious utterances total two hundred sixty-four characters.

Inner Writings of the Human Sovereign, Lower Section

Raise the eyes, beginning from the heavenly eye (the site of visualization and inner vision in Daoist cultivation); in the heart there are bright stars and the moon. Cultivating the work in youth, the radiance illuminates heaven and earth. The earthly spirits (earth deities) confer it through the Dipper, the forest shakes the earthly door. Xun, Kan, Li, and Wu are the human gates; Kun, Si, Dui, and You are the heavenly gates; Qian, Si, Kan, and Zi are the ghost gates. Gen and Wu form the head; Jia, Yi, Bing, Ding, Geng, Xin, Ren, Yuan, Bing, Shang, Xin.

The above fifty-seven characters, when performing sacrificial Zhaijiao (purification ritual) of setting up an altar to pray to the gods, should first be copied out once and burned. The twenty directions listed by the Bagua (Eight Trigrams) can cause external evil influences not to dare invade and enable the deities to guard the gates. Do not let others see or read this text.

Riding the Qi of Tiangang (a star in the Big Dipper) and Kuixing, those in the forests obtain vitality while the sorrowful extend their years. The Nine Heavens, Nine Earths, Nine Humans, Nine Destinies, Nine Perfected, Nine Daos, Nine Arts, Nine Lives, Nine Subtleties, Nine Mysteries, Nine Essentials and Nine Completions total one hundred and seventeen in all; transcending the heavenly realms, Zhang Tiangong Liangshi wuming.

The foregoing fifty-nine heavens, nine earths, nine humans, nine destinies, nine perfected, nine daos, nine arts, nine lives, nine subtleties, nine mysteries, nine essentials and nine completions likewise total one hundred and seventeen; transcending the heavenly realms, Zhang Tiangong Liangshi wuming.

The above fifty-one characters. Anyone wishing to enter mountain forests and watery marshes in order to subdue evil sprites and goblins may write these characters in black ink on white silk, burn them and cast them into water. Let no one else know of it.

“命龙神九建除满平定房上明神知要屈命句扶明火三人光九天等神大出六鬼苍爻远命上拜必炎三石九王奸出勿勿必明三乾勿九九九天化九牛二人鱼罪世白无九同明出命左右。”

These seventy-four characters are written with orpiment on stone or tile and buried at the four corners of the dwelling. Let no one else know. The text states that this summons the gods of wealth and official emolument.

“四石山狐出命昌门矣也女安於即言中耶聊六左扉九天九天九天成焉三矣此苍矣。”

These thirty-four characters are written in the manner of a single seal-script graph with cinnabar on white paper. Burn them daily on an empty stomach, mix the ashes with water and ingest. If the spirits speak, an auspicious omen is auspicious and an inauspicious omen is inauspicious. One may also treat illness by exhaling Qi, and there is no disease that cannot be cured.

The mysterious words total two hundred and sixteen characters and conclude here. These Inner Texts of the Three Sovereigns must be carried on the person by those who cultivate the Dao; only then can they communicate with the spirits. Those who have not yet received the Dao registers (daolu, the credentials and ritual offices conferred by the Daoist tradition upon its priests) must not put them into practice of their own accord; they should bury them in the rocky valleys of famous mountains so as to avoid heavenly condemnation.

This method was originally something the master refused to transmit, fearing the leakage of heavenly secrets. Fellow students must speak of the matter as little as possible, lest they slander the numinous writings and invite disaster: while alive they may suffer punishment under the laws of the realm, and after death they may fall into the hells. Be sure to remain cautious and keep it strictly secret.

This seal is carved from the heartwood of jujube wood that has been struck by lightning, on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, on a Jiazi day in spring, or on a Bingwu day in summer.

Anyone who receives and holds this seal should, in the deep stillness of night on a Jiazi day, place the seal in a clean room. Using pancakes, cypress-leaf decoction, and salted fermented beans as three plates of offerings, one presents the offerings, performs two bows, offers incense, and then reports as follows:

“Today, disciple so-and-so reports to the Lord of the Dao, August Heaven, and the envoy of Taiyi (Great Unity). The disciple now wears this precious seal, wishing that internally there be no illness and that externally all evil influences may be cut off; to rescue and protect the celestial and the human realms, to drive away goblins and withdraw evil; that whatever is sought may naturally proceed smoothly and accord with the Dao (the Way).”

Incense is offered, the report is made three times, two further bows are performed, and the report is complete.

One then recites:

“Precious seal of Taiqing (Great Clarity), wishing that internally there be no illness and that externally all evil influences may be cut off; to rescue and protect the celestial and the human realms, to drive away goblins and withdraw evil; that whatever is sought may naturally proceed smoothly and accord with the Dao.”

Incense is offered, the report is made three times, two further bows are performed, and the report is complete.

The Taiqing Huangshen Seal is square in design, measuring four cun eight fen on each side and one cun two fen in thickness. The Small Yuezhang Seal is likewise square, measuring four cun eight fen on each side and one cun two fen in thickness. The Jiulao Xiandu Seal measures three cun two fen in both length and width and eight fen in thickness, with its seal-script inscription arranged in two rows.

The Shangqing (Highest Clarity) Jiulao Xiandu Seal, when worn while climbing mountains, is said to cause wolves, tigers, and goblins to submit of their own accord, and to render rivers, winds, and rains smooth and peaceful. This seal can command the immortal officials and spirit soldiers of the grotto-heavens. Wolves cannot harm the wearer, tigers cannot harm the wearer, water cannot drown them, and even in great peril they may turn danger into safety. When ordinary people wear it, they may prolong life and increase longevity, subdue evil ghosts, and prevent all manner of disasters from causing harm. For treating children’s night crying and convulsions as well as various adult illnesses, the seal may be burned to ash and taken mixed with frankincense decoction; it is said to take effect immediately. It may also be used to hasten childbirth and expel a stillborn fetus; wearing it can stabilize a pregnancy. A woman without children who wears it may conceive. This seal can also dissolve curses and injustices and confer intelligence; the text states that all these uses prove efficacious. After obtaining this seal one should treat it with reverence and never treat it lightly.

Taishang Huangshen Yuezhang Inner Method

Lineage of transmission and ritual school.

The commanding marshal Yuanbo is of auspicious appearance, wearing a fire crown, clad in golden armor, holding a precious sword, and dressed in vermilion robes and vermilion shoes.

Taixuan Fushi Zhang (Great Mystery Talisman-Envoy Seal)

The invocation incantation is: Xuan Ying Lie Hong.

The invocation Fulu (talisman).

When visualizing the generals and their attendants, one must be cautious and never treat them with disrespect.

Taishang Huangshen Yuezhang Inner Method

Lineage of transmission and ritual school.

Commanding General Yuanbo wears a fire crown symbolizing auspicious fortune, is clad in golden armor, holds a precious sword, and is dressed in red clothing and red shoes.

Chapter of the Tai Xuan Talisman Envoy

Invocation Spell: Xuan Ying Lie Hong.

Invocation Talisman

Visualize the general and his attendants descending from the Northern Dipper (Beidou) and arriving before one’s eyes.

Form the Mao mudra (a Daoist hand seal) with the left hand and hold the talisman in the right; gaze upon the general, inhale, then blow onto the talisman. Secret incantations may also be employed while concentrating on visualizing the talisman.

The secret seal of the Yellow Spirit Yue Zhang (a secretly transmitted Daoist sealing method) can subdue all manner of evil spirits and also address demons, disasters, and emergencies. When paying respects to kings and ministers, it is said to make them joyful; the matters one seeks can likewise proceed according to one’s wishes. It may be carried at the waist or in the sleeve at ordinary times, and it is said that yin soldiers will protect and assist. It must not be casually transmitted to unsuitable persons, lest one incur heavenly punishment that extends to nine generations of the family, by which time regret will come too late.

Yue Zhang Spell:

The Yellow Spirit Yue Zhang of the Most High Lord Lao can chop down the ghosts, spirits, officials, and soldiers of heaven and earth; who dares to resist? The Year Star of the East, the Great White Star of the West, the Chen Star of the North, the Yinghuo Star of the South: the Great Sage transforms, annihilates ghost essences, executes thieves, and subdues ten thousand soldiers. Immortal youths, jade maidens, and the spirits of heaven and earth—who dares to resist?

The Year Star of the East, the Great White Star of the West, the Chen Star of the North, the Yinghuo Star of the South: the Great Sage transforms, annihilates ghost essences, executes thieves, and subdues ten thousand soldiers. Immortal youths, jade maidens, and the spirits of heaven and earth. The Zhang star drives away and subdues all manner of evil qi; the Jing star and Liu star transmit orders to the Jiao star, causing evil qi to subside. Chi mei receive the command and assemble in the imperial court.

The gods of the Three and Five govern evil qi, remove the names of the dead from the death registers, and record the names in the registers of life. The Gangwu spirit annihilates evil influences, and the Yi spirit manifests. Celestial immortals descend and bestow the Yue Zhang upon the disciple.

Swiftly, swiftly, in accordance with the statutes and commands of the Most High Lord Lao.

Seal Spell:

Yellow Spirit Heavenly Zhang, seal of the Yellow Spirit of the imperial court, subdues ghost essences. The Eastern Dipper lodge holds the tally, commanded by the Year Star; the Southern Dipper governs lifespan and drives back ten thousand soldiers; the Western Dipper manages Kui and Shao, subduing ghost essences; the Northern Dipper binds evil essences and reports to the imperial court.

The Yellow Spirit chops down ghosts and demons and disperses evil qi; the Great Kui of the Central Dipper and the Yinghuo Star also come to assist. The Jiao star and Kang star govern evil qi, causing the host of spirits to gather; the Zhang star is like fire, removing toxins and driving back ten thousand soldiers. The Great Sage transforms into a spirit, sweeping away killing qi; the Niu star, Ji star, and Dou star protect the body.

The Gangwu High God together with the Longevity Star and the Five Stars confer protection. The envoy of the Heavenly Emperor chops down evil essences. The Most High bestows upon me, so-and-so, the Yellow Spirit seal.

Swiftly, swiftly, in accordance with the statutes and commands.

Ghost-Killing Spell

The Most High Lord Lao taught me to slay the evils of the Five Stars, and the envoy of the Heavenly Sovereign comes to behead the wicked Jing (essence) goblins. The Most High Lord Lao bestowed upon me (the ritual practitioner) the seal of the Yellow Shen (spirit). Respectfully obey the ordinance and execute it immediately.

Incantation for Slaying Ghosts

The Most High Lord Lao taught me to slay ghostly evils and granted me a divine method. I call upward to the Jade Maidens to subdue inauspicious things. When climbing mountains, even the rocks split open; wearing the seal, with the Floral Canopy (Huagai, symbolizing the protective covering of the spirits) overhead and treading the Kui-Gang (the pacing of the Northern Dipper stars), I am supported on the left by the Six Jia Shen and guarded on the right by the Six Ding Shen. Ahead stands the Yellow Shen, behind is Yue Zhang (a protecting deity); Shen generals lead troops on campaign, unafraid of the powerful and influential. First slay the evil ghosts, then behead Ye Guang (a ghostly evil). All Shen will submit; what ghost dares to resist? Respectfully obey the ordinance and execute it immediately.

Plague Command Incantation

I command the Green Plague Ghost of the East—the Jing of rotting wood; the Red Plague Ghost of the South—the Jing of blazing fire; the White Plague Ghost of the West—the Jing of apertured metal; the Black Plague Ghost of the North—the Jing of the abyssal pool; the Yellow Plague Ghost of the Center—the Jing of filthy soil. They arise with the succession of the four seasons and the transformations of the eight nodes, riding the flourishing Qi (vital energy) of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water). The Shen failed to cultivate within and instead transformed into evil Jing without; the five poisonous Qi invade the human body, causing sudden chills and fevers and unrest in the five members. You Nine Ugly Ghosts, I already know your names; you must depart at once and not linger. Respectfully obey the ordinance and execute it immediately.

Note: The Ancestral Celestial Master (Tianshi) Zhang Daoling, in the fourth year of Han’an, battled the Demon Kings of the Six Heavens in the land of Shu, recovered the Twenty-Four Parishes (the dioceses of Zhengyi (Orthodox Unity) Daoism), and held a covenant assembly beneath the Yellow Emperor Altar on Mount Qingcheng. He restored brightness to the human world so that ghosts and evils concealed themselves in dark places; he ordered the Demon Kings of the Six Heavens to lead their hosts back to the Northern Capital and the Ghost Commanders of the Eight Divisions to flee with their troops to the Western Regions, after which the poisonous Qi of the Five Phases dissipated. He further split stones to form covenants, carved images of heaven, earth, sun and moon, placed them on sheer cliffs, and sealed the ghost encampments with divine seals so they could not communicate with one another.

Now that the divine talismans are published, the faithful should offer incense and flowers in a purified room and thereby naturally expel plagues, ward off evils, and attract blessings and good fortune. So long as the heart holds utmost sincerity, one can communicate with the divine. The Zhengyi Original Altar of Dragon-Tiger Mountain hereby makes this announcement.

Ge Hong (styled Baopuzi) said that the ancients all wore this seal, which could ward off tigers, leopards, and all manner of mountain beasts. One stamped the seal upon mud and then placed the stamped mud one hundred paces away in each of the four directions—east, south, west, and north—so that tigers and wolves would not approach the enclosed area. If fresh tiger tracks were seen upon the road, stamping the seal in the same direction as the tracks caused the tiger to depart; stamping against the tracks caused the tiger to arrive.

This method was not limited to tigers and wolves. For the spirits worshipped in temples amid the mountain forests, said to be able to send down calamity or bestow blessing, the same seal could be stamped upon lumps of mud set out in the four directions, after which their traces could no longer appear. Tradition relates that there was once a place called Stone where a large turtle in a pond had become a spirit and was causing harm. The Daoist Dai Bing stamped several hundred pieces of mud with the seal and, from a boat, cast them into the pond. After a long time a great turtle more than one zhang in length floated motionless to the surface, while smaller turtles lined themselves upon the water. Those who had suffered from the affliction were thereby set at peace. The place is now known as Turtle Pond.

If one swallows this talisman and visualizes in the mind the Red Child (the spirit who protects the practitioner) standing guard, the breath is to be regulated twenty-four times. The talisman may be drawn five cun high and four cun wide, executed in twenty-four strokes. In this way it is said that all kinds of birds and fierce beasts will flee; if one wishes them to halt they halt, and if one wishes to command them they obey. The talisman is not only effective against tigers and leopards; it is also highly efficacious when used to seal a ghost temple.

The Most High (the Daoist honorific for the supreme deity) said: Those who wish to command ghosts and spirits should first take two liang each of ghost-arrow and ghost-yue, dry them separately in the shade, grind them to a fine powder, mix the powder with mulberry sap, and form pills the size of wutong seeds. Every morning seven pills are taken on an empty stomach and washed down with pure water; another seven pills are taken before going out. After this has been done continuously for forty-nine days it is said that all manner of ghosts and spirits, the Eight Officials, the Six Ding, and the Jade Maidens will come to pay homage, and even lions and tigers will submit to command. Once the forty-nine days are completed, no more is to be taken.

Each time the pills are taken, one inhales a mouthful of qi from the prosperous direction and recites the incantation, saying:

According to the Jing (scripture), the purified Jing (essence) of the medicinal substances can enable a person to see the forms of ghosts and spirits, command the Eight Officials and Six Ding (divine officers and generals in Daoism), drive ghosts and spirits, and swiftly communicate with the deities; it can also extend life, confer immortality, allow ascent to heaven in broad daylight, and flight up to Shangqing (the celestial realm described in Daoism). The concluding phrase “Jiji ru lüling” is a common command in talismanic spells, indicating that the ordinance should take effect immediately.

“Wangfang” refers to the direction currently in season and at the height of its vigor: east in spring, south in summer, west in autumn, and north in winter. The Jing states that if employed to ward off evil and treat illness with sincere intention of mind, there will be a corresponding response.

Protective Talisman

True Form Talisman of the Five Sacred Mountains

The True Form Talisman of the Five Sacred Mountains is a Fulu (talismans and registers) that depicts the forms of the Five Sacred Mountains. The following introduces, for each of the Five Sacred Mountains, its direction, Dongtian (grotto-heaven) title, location, auxiliary mountains, and the affairs over which it presides.

Eastern Sacred Mountain Taishan is the guardian mountain of Yanzhou, titled “Pengxuan Dongtian,” located in Tai’an Prefecture. Culai Mountain and Changbai Mountain are its auxiliary mountains. The Eastern Sacred Mountain was enfeoffed as “Tianqi Dasheng Rensheng Di.”

Southern Sacred Mountain Hengshan is the guardian mountain of Jingzhou, titled “Zhuling Dongtian,” located in Hengshan County. Qianshan and Huoshan are its auxiliary mountains. The Southern Sacred Mountain was enfeoffed as “Sitian Zhaosheng Di,” presiding over important water-control affairs.

Western Sacred Mountain Huashan is the guardian mountain of Yongzhou, titled “Zongxian Dongtian,” located in Huayin County. Difei Mountain and Nüji Mountain are its auxiliary mountains. The Western Sacred Mountain was enfeoffed as “Jintian Shunsheng Di,” presiding over affairs of the wings.

Northern Sacred Mountain Hengshan is the guardian mountain of Bingzhou, titled “Zongxuan Dongtian,” located in Quyang County of Dingzhou. Fengshan and Baodu Mountain are its auxiliary mountains. The Northern Sacred Mountain was enfeoffed as “Antian Yuansheng Di,” presiding over the ripening of the five grains and fruits.

Central Sacred Mountain Songshan is titled “Sizhen Dongtian,” located in Dengfeng County of Henan Prefecture. Shaoshi Mountain and Wudang Mountain are its auxiliary mountains. The Central Sacred Mountain was enfeoffed as “Zhongtian Chongsheng Di,” presiding over affairs of the land, mountain ridges, and valleys.

The “True Form Talisman of the Five Sacred Mountains” mentioned in the Jing consists of Fulu corresponding respectively to the eastern, southern, western, northern, and central Sacred Mountains; the names, titles of enfeoffment, and official functions of each mountain embody Daoist belief in the mountain spirits.