《太上济度章赦》

“Petition for Long Life and Release from Calamity” is a prayer used in the Seven Luminaries purification ritual, which is directed toward the Sun, Moon, and five planets. The Daoist priest conducting the rite calls himself “your servant” as he submits a report to the Celestial Court, praying on behalf of the ritual’s sponsor for a longer life and freedom from misfortune and calamity.

The priest respectfully submits that he has received his Daoist office and resolved to proclaim the Daoist teachings. Anyone who makes a sincere request, he says, should have it formally presented to the Celestial Court. In keeping with the purpose of the ritual, he reports that the vast heavens hold the courses of the Sun, Moon, and stars, which observe the good and ill fortune, blessings and misfortunes of the human world. A person’s fate has its allotted span, fortune, official rank, and punishments and calamities. The Six Jia and Three Origins move through the years and months, while the Three Calamities and Nine Afflictions arrive with the days and hours. Without the aid of the divine to support the weak and dispel calamity, how could one’s lifespan be increased?

The priest therefore respectfully submits a petition on behalf of a certain ritual sponsor, presenting it to the Three Heavens, the collective name for the Daoist celestial realms. He asks the Celestial Emperor to extend abundant grace and issue a powerful decree, notifying the Sun, Moon, and stellar lodges; the Jade Pivot and Jade Balance, ancient instruments for observing celestial phenomena or a system of stellar offices; the Three Heavens’ Mysterious Bureau, the twelve celestial regions corresponding to earthly territories, the sixty-year cycle of the Sexagenary Cycle, and the divine officials who preside over them all. He asks them to remove calamities inherent in the sponsor’s preordained fate, resolve misfortunes encountered in the current year, turn the two fortunes and three periods toward good, and ensure that the Eight Trigrams and Nine Palaces encounter no baleful stars, so that calamities recede and auspicious signs follow.

The priest further asks numerous divine lords and their officers to lend their aid. The Lords Above the South, of Lifespan, of Cinnabar Register, of the Crimson Palace, of Dispelling Calamity, and of Purifying Defilement are to destroy baleful stars, see the sponsor through afflictions, and increase their lifespan. The Lord of Great Harmony and True Unity Who Cherishes Life, the Lord of Fortune, and the Lord Who Settles Nobility are to harmonize the fortunes of the year and transform inauspicious stars. The Lord Who Releases Punishment and Overcomes Affliction, the Lord Who Prolongs Life and Increases the Allotted Years, the Lord Who Petitions for Life and Cherishes Life, and the deities who restrain punishments and baleful forces are to extend the sponsor’s years and lifespan and hold those forces in check. The priest also prays to the Lord of Ten Thousand Blessings, the Lord of the South Pole, the Lord of Fate, the Lord of the Great White Star, the Lord Who Settles Names in the Jade Register, and the Lords of the Treasuries of Wealth and Official Rank, asking them to add the sponsor’s name to the register of the living and remove it from the register of the dead. He asks the Lord Who Seizes Souls and Controls Spirits, Lord Zhou Yu, the Jade Register Maiden, and others to settle the soul and spirit and protect the Shen and Qi. Finally, the Celestial Bureau Lords Who Release Calamity and Remove Misfortune, the Lords of Life-Giving Qi of the Five Directions, the Lords Who Increase Fate and Prolong Life, and the Six Jia Generals are asked to dispel calamity and evil influences and preserve the sponsor’s life.

The priest prays that the sponsor’s fortunes and fate be harmonious and their body safe and well. Wherever they travel, dwell, or come and go, may the auspicious spirits of rank and support—the Lu and Ma—watch over them, and may no star of calamity or force of punishment assail the celestial region assigned to them. The text also explains how stellar calamities may be countered through the Five Phases’ cycles of overcoming: when Jupiter brings calamity, Venus overcomes it; when Saturn brings calamity, Jupiter overcomes it; when Venus brings calamity, Mars overcomes it; and when Mercury brings calamity, Saturn overcomes it. The final prayer asks that the Five Phases be harmonized and the Four Images—the stellar lodges of the four directions or the four classes of Yin-Yang phenomena—be brought into accord, so that the root of fate is firm and life long, aid is granted and calamities averted, and the life-cherishing De of the Way of Heaven spreads ever more widely.

At the end, the priest states that, following the prescribed liturgy, he has carefully dispatched Merit Officers, official envoys, and various divine scribes who convey petitions. Riding phoenixes, cloud dragons, wind, divine dragons, flying dragons and tigers, and other sacred mounts, they will carry the petition submitted for the sponsor to the Three Heavens’ Celestial Bureau. He asks that the Celestial Court receive it and grant a response.

The Daoist priest sincerely receives the teachings and resolves to help deliver people from suffering. Knowing that his talents are limited and his De is slight, yet having long benefited from generous blessings, he wishes to repay deep kindness with his small measure of devotion. Now, in keeping with the householder’s wishes, he respectfully submits this petition: The householder, a certain person, has inherited the family estate and has worked diligently to plan and build a home. The construction is not yet settled, and the site has been disturbed by filling, excavation, and relocation. The householder fears having violated taboos.

Moreover, the stars move across the heavens, and the spirit forces thought to affect fortune and misfortune shift with the seasons and directions. Even when an auspicious day and hour are chosen, there may still be an inauspicious clash; fixing the orientation and arranging the construction also raise fears of inviting calamity. The householder therefore hopes to appease the earth spirits, turn to the Celestial Emperor, pray for blessings and good fortune, and avert hardship and danger in advance.

With reverence, a petition is now submitted to the Three Heavens, the Daoist levels of the celestial realm. May the supreme Sovereign of the Pole bestow auspiciousness, and may the Azure Heaven look down in witness. In particular, may the Dao Qi of Jade Clarity and the wondrous light of Lingbao descend and fill the residence built by the householder, a certain person, illuminating within and without and reaching far and near. May countless blessings arrive and many demons and evil influences be driven away; may the true spirits who guard the residence each rest in their proper place. May any spirits offended by taboos turn to benevolence. May the family endure for generations and receive mysterious blessings year after year.

On behalf of the householder, we respectfully summon the Lords Who Thank the Earth, Regulate the Earth, Release the Earth, Pacify the Earth, Stabilize the Ground, and Secure the Residence, as well as the Lords Who Protect the Five Directions and Release Merit and Avert Loss, five of each. We also summon one hundred and twenty officials and generals of various kinds to release and make amends for taboos offended by disturbing the ground during the construction of the residence, both before and after. We further summon the Great Generals Tai Sui and Tai Yin, together with one hundred and twenty spirit forces, including the Official Tally, Poisonous Fire, Hanging Guest, and Gate of Mourning, and ask that they all be reconciled and dispersed. If any spirits of the directions have temporarily withdrawn because of excavation and construction, they are asked to return to their former places.

We further summon one Yang Direction Lord, one Lord Who Secures the Heights, one Right Commandant, and one Lord Who Secures Stones and Earth, each leading one hundred and twenty officials and generals to inspect the officials, officers, and troops, and to gather in the ghosts of the Earth Lords, forbidding them to trespass upon the local community. We ask the Physician Spirit Lord and the Great Spirit to protect the residence. We also summon the Three Generals and their three hundred thousand officials and soldiers to disperse the Earth Qi of the Five Directions and old unclean influences, and to block evil spirits so that they cannot intrude.

We further summon eleven each of the Generals of the Five Sacred Peaks, the Divine Generals of the Six Jia, the Great Generals Who Secure Residences in the Five Directions, the Great Generals Who Guard Residences, the Great Generals Who Protect Residences, and the Great Generals Who Stabilize Residences. May they secure and protect the home, drive out evil spirits, and eliminate sudden calamities, disasters, and every kind of misfortune, forbidding them to harm those who live there.

May the householder, a certain person, enjoy peace and well-being in all affairs from this day forward; may the residence be bright and clean, and the household tranquil. May thieves and financial losses stay far away; may water and fire disasters and disputes with the authorities cause no disturbance. May ghosts and evil influences be destroyed, illnesses dispelled, and pestilential miasmas never arise. May livelihood prosper, studies bring achievement, wealth and honor endure, and the family remain healthy and safe. May these blessings serve as proof that the prayers have been answered.

I, your servant, am naturally of limited ability, yet have been fortunate enough to be chosen for service and allowed, despite my inadequacy, to take my place among the ranks. I am often ashamed of my lack of learning. I have not yet grasped the mysterious Dao, yet I have repeatedly submitted petitions to the Heavenly Court. I know I am being presumptuous and only hope that the Celestial Worthy will mercifully forgive me.

In accord with the matter for which the purification rite has been offered, I respectfully reflect that the sponsor of this rite, so-and-so, lives amid the dust of the world and must toil to make a living. It is hard to avoid being burdened by the five desires and seven emotions—the desires and feelings of ordinary people—and all kinds of faults easily accumulate. Thus one may be struck by pernicious influences such as cold and heat, dryness and dampness; then, when fate turns against one, epidemic Qi may suddenly take hold, leaving one in peril. If the Celestial Emperor did not look upon him with compassion, how could he have the chance to turn danger into safety? I respectfully submit this petition to the Three Heavens—the upper, middle, and lower heavens of Daoist teaching—and earnestly ask the Celestial Worthy to embrace him with profound De, bestow mysterious grace, and especially send down the pure, upright original Qi of the Jade Clarity realm and the wondrous light of Lingbao. May these fill so-and-so’s body and home, strengthen the upright Qi, drive away pernicious influences, dispel calamities and resolve misfortune, preserve his life, and extend his years.

For this purpose, I respectfully petition the Nine Yi Lords of the Northern Palace, the Lord of the Northern Dark Celestial Pivot, the Lord Who Turns Qi and Resolves Misfortune, and the Lord of the Earthly Office Who Supervises Qi, asking each to send five attendants; each official general to send one hundred and twenty officers and soldiers; the five Transformation Officials of the Northern City; one Great Physician of the Celestial Market; four hundred thousand Qi soldiers of the Five Plague Divisions; and ten million Great Soldiers Who Resist Heaven. May they subdue the epidemic poison and cut off the plague Qi.

I also petition the Nine Yi Lords of the East and their eighty-one officials and lords to cut off the green plague poison; the Lords of the Eight Man Peoples of the South and their sixty-four officials and lords to cut off the red plague poison; the Lords of the Six Rong Peoples of the West and their thirty-six officials and lords to cut off the white plague poison; the Lords of the Five Di Peoples of the North and their twenty-five officials and lords to cut off the black plague poison; and the Lords of the Three Qin Peoples of the Center and their twelve officials and lords to cut off the yellow plague poison.

I further petition the Great Hu Lao Lord, the three generals who guard the household, the generals of the three divisions on the left and right, the Red Yang soldiers, the Lord Who Turns Qi and Resolves Misfortune, and the Lord Who Commands the Qi of the Five Plagues. Together with thirty thousand officers and soldiers each, and in concert with the local community deities and the gods of village, town, well, and settlement, may they capture, remove, and subdue the plague demons.

I also petition the Great General Who Patrols the Central Palace, the Great General of Military Riders in Chariots of the Ritual Office, the Great General of the Tiger Braves of Beacon and Flame, the Great General Who Watches Heaven and Dares to Act, the Great General Who Blocks the Way, the Great General of Beacon and Flame, the Great General of Swift Cavalry, the Great General Who Cuts Down the Tiger Braves, the Great General of the Dragon-Tiger Net, the Great General Who Pursues and Captures Those Who Fly, and the Great General Who Swallows Heaven and Cuts Off Earth—one of each. May they lead seven hundred thousand officers and soldiers to cut off the five kinds of plague spirits and prevent illness from afflicting the neighboring households.

I further petition the soldiers who Shake Heaven and Move Earth, numbering one hundred thousand; the Lord Who Attacks Heaven; the Lord of the Hu and Yue Cavalry; and one official each among the spirit officials who determine Yin and Yang, the officials who collect and consume Qi, those who collect and consume spirits, those who collect and consume ghosts, and those who collect and consume poison. May twelve hundred Red Yue Great Hu Lords who wield weapons, the Envoys of Merit of the Three-Five Original Destinies, fifteen generals who strike and pierce the Kui and Gang constellations, and ninety-six soldiers of the Vajra Eight Fiends join in capturing the plague ghosts and sweeping away epidemic Qi, so that illness does not spread from person to person or bring calamity upon the community.

May so-and-so’s illness be dispelled and its root cured. May the Celestial Physician support his body and the spirit medicine nourish him. May all in his household, young and old, high and low, alike receive auspiciousness and blessings.

I, your servant, call myself lowly in station and shallow in understanding. Yet I have long received Heaven’s profound grace and have been entrusted with the teachings of the Mysterious Gate. I therefore vowed to save and guide the people of the world, earnestly praying on their behalf and hoping to assist the teaching of the Heavenly Dao, so that all may receive its blessings.

Now the sponsor of the purification rite, a certain person, has fallen on hard times and suffered the intrusion of baleful spirits. As a result, they cannot sleep or eat in peace, their spirit is disoriented, and they have fallen ill. Medicines have brought no relief. The illness may be entangled with grievances from past deeds; it has lingered and proved difficult to resolve, and its strange symptoms continue to worsen. If they do not appeal to the numinous and mysterious deities, how can they receive grace and aid?

I respectfully submit this memorial and present it to the Three Heavens, the celestial realms honored in Daoism. I earnestly beseech the deities to extend their compassion and especially to send down the Dao Qi of Jade Clarity, the numinous energy of the Jade Clarity realm, and the wondrous light of Lingbao, the sacred radiance of the Lingbao teachings. May these fill the body and home of the sponsor of the purification rite, a certain person, purifying both inside and out and making every doorway shine. Wherever this numinous light falls, may baleful spirits withdraw, illness be cured, and life be prolonged.

I also respectfully beseech the divine officials who sever baleful influences, the merit officers, the clerks who summon spirits and guard the body, the messengers who sever baleful influences, the generals who protect the body, the inspectors and talisman officers who detect baleful influences, the clerks who behead baleful spirits and punish the wicked, and the messengers who summon spirits. May they drive out possessing spirits and capture the malevolent. I further beseech the great generals who preserve life, prolong life, expel baleful influences, behead baleful influences, and deliver people from calamity, together with their many officials, generals, and soldiers, to dispel disaster and drive out possessing spirits.

I also respectfully beseech the divine generals and troops: Lord Anping Shoushi, Lord Supreme Overseer of Qi, Lord Wuding of the Tiangang Great Army, Lord Supreme Heaven-Born, General Gaitian, and the Five Lakes General of the High Banner and Great Drum. May they summon the clerks who seize and devour ghosts, those who seize and devour Qi, and those who seize and devour spirits, to capture every baleful spirit that commits evil and afflicts the people. I further ask the deities Lord Zhonggong Wucao, Lord Qingxuan, Lord Sui Jia, Lord Tai Jia, Lord Zhuyin, the Generals of the Five Heavenly Lords, Lord Yangming, and others to lead their subordinates in seizing and destroying possessing spirits and ghosts, leaving none to escape.

I earnestly beseech the true officials and clerks and soldiers of every division in the sponsor’s locality, together with the deities of the altars of land and grain, the local earth, the mountains and forests, and the household spirits who guard the home, to work together. May they search out the baleful spirits, escort them to the celestial prison, and eliminate them in accordance with Heaven’s laws.

In addition, I respectfully beseech the medical officials who govern Yin-Yang to treat the root of the illness, and Lord Taihe Zhenyi Haosheng to dispel the calamities brought by inauspicious stars. May the sponsor of the purification rite, a certain person, enjoy good health; may baleful spirits vanish and illness be cured; may food and medicine be well balanced; may the family be safe and the home purified; may daily life proceed smoothly and plans meet with success. May good fortune and stability endure for a long time, as proof that this prayer has been answered.

May the sponsor of the fast, so-and-so, enjoy bodily peace and harmony; may evil spirits be destroyed, illness cured, food and drink agree with the body, and the family remain safe and well, with peace and quiet at home. May daily life proceed smoothly, plans come to fruition, and stability and good fortune endure. Let this serve as proof that the prayers to avert calamity have taken effect.

Petition for healing illness, dispelling misfortune, and increasing blessings

I, your servant, am dull in nature and shallow in learning. By good fortune, and thanks to blessings formed in former lives, I was able to enter the ranks of those who cultivate the Dao. I vow to work diligently to save and guide all beings, repaying the grace of Heaven and Earth, which give life and nurture all things. In keeping with the intent of the fasting rite, I respectfully submit this petition. I deeply consider that the sponsor of the fast, so-and-so, has fallen into misfortune and distress, and is utterly weakened in body and spirit. The three karmic actions and ten evils—the misdeeds of body, speech, and mind, together with other kinds of wrongdoing—and burdens from past karma may have brought about these hardships. The six luminaries and five planets—the Sun, Moon, and stars used in ancient divination to determine fortune and misfortune—may have strayed from their proper courses, leading to an accidental offense against the direction of a stellar deity. The sponsor has suddenly fallen ill, can neither sleep nor eat in peace, and has found no relief from medicine. The illness has dragged on, bringing fear and unrest day and night, with no recourse to turn to. Without the protection of the divine, how could peace and health be restored?

I respectfully offer this memorial and submit it to the Three Heavens, the three celestial realms of Daoist belief. I earnestly ask the divine powers to bestow their abundant mercy and grace, and to send down the Dao Qi of Jade Clarity, the primordial energy of the Jade Clarity realm, together with the wondrous radiance of Lingbao. May these pour into the body, mind, and home of the sponsor of the fast, so that the Qi of calamity disperses and numinous light shines forth, and the present illness soon subsides, restoring health and peace.

I respectfully pray on behalf of the sponsor of the fast to the following divine powers and their attendants: one Lord Yangzhi and one hundred and twenty Officers of Destiny, who are charged with helping those still suffering from serious illness recover as soon as possible; one Lord Xuyu and one Lord Chitian Shiqi, together with one hundred and twenty officers and generals under each, who are charged with healing those weakened by long illness; one Lord Shoushen Shangming and one hundred and twenty officers and generals, who are charged with restoring clarity of spirit and dispelling nightmares; and one Lord Chixing and one Lord Santian Weiyu, together with one hundred and twenty officers and generals, who are charged with stopping conflicts and misfortunes that arise among family members in times of distress.

One Lord Jiekao, one Lord Duming, one Lord Yisuan, one Lord Zhuyang, the Great General Youluo, and the Great General Dishao, together with one hundred and twenty officers and generals, are charged with subduing evil spirits and driving away the Qi of calamity left by past events. Five each of Lords Huolong, Shanzhou, and Shuoming Dafu, together with one hundred and twenty officers and generals, are charged with overseeing medical affairs. Twelve hundred Jade Maidens of Jie Ming and twelve hundred Jade Maidens of Yuexuan are charged with preserving wondrous medical prescriptions and the Great Immortal’s Bright Hall. A further twelve hundred Jade Maidens are charged with treating illness according to prescription, while twelve Great Physicians of the Central Palace are charged with selecting remedies and preparing medicines.

Twelve each of the Heavenly Physicians, Official Physicians, and Great Physicians, along with other medical officers, are charged with entering the viscera, channels, and joints to administer treatment and set the numinous Qi in motion. Twelve officers of the Celestial Bureau and the Upper-Peace Great Physicians, together with fifteen Merit Officers for Healing Illness, are charged with going to the Phoenix Palace of Great Clarity to obtain the five-colored divine medicines. May the Officials of Harmony, the Wood Officials who treat the sick, the Metal Officials who carry medicines, the Water Officials who carry needles, the officials in charge of decoctions and heat treatments, the Earth Officials who oversee moxibustion, and the Officials of Harmonious De each put their skills to use and accomplish their work with success.

May the Lords of Life-Giving Qi of the East, South, West, North, and Center—who are respectively Azure, Red, White, Black, and Yellow—each command their officers and troops to drive away evil forces and heal the sick. One each of Lord Nanchang Zhuyang, Lord Huanglao, Lord Tianhun, and Lord Dippo are charged with restoring life. Twelve hundred Jade Maidens and twelve hundred Jade Calendars Plain Maidens are charged with aiding the sponsor of the fast through danger and calamity, and extending their years of life.

May the sponsor of the fast, so-and-so, enjoy good health; may calamity disperse and evil spirits depart; may misfortune and disputes come to an end, illness be removed, and life be secure. May medicine take effect, daily movements and activities proceed without hindrance, and destiny unfold in good fortune. Let this serve as proof that the prayers have been answered.

Provide support and dispel calamities, freeing people from hardship and extending their lives. May the health and vital energy of the sponsor of the retreat, a certain person, be sound; may disasters and misfortune dissipate, and spirits and malign influences depart; may calamities and lawsuits be brought to an end, illnesses be cured, and life made secure. May medicines prove effective, every step be safe, and the person remain free from demonic disturbance, with a favorable destiny. Let these be signs of the rite’s efficacy.

Memorials for transmitting Daoist methods, seeking blessings, repenting and giving thanks for transgressions, and conducting ordination rites

Your servant has been fortunate to receive Heaven’s grace, yet is of limited ability. Having received the lineage of teachings transmitted by my masters, I hope to guide later students and carry on the cultivation traditions of those who came before. I now presume to present this memorial, humbly giving thanks for Heaven’s nourishing grace. In accordance with the wishes of the sponsor of the retreat, I respectfully submit this petition: I have considered that the Jade Regulations of Nüqing, the Daoist precepts and laws, set extremely strict requirements for selecting those who transmit the teachings, while the Golden Code of the Supreme Ultimate, an important body of Daoist rules, is especially cautious about guaranteeing such transmissions. If those who transmit and receive the teachings fail to practice the Dao, both master and disciple may violate the precepts.

The disciple, a certain person, now cultivates purity and sincerely seeks the Dao, wishing to study the highest methods. Yet, on careful examination, several obstacles remain. Perhaps the Shen and Qi are difficult to preserve, affecting the length of the person’s life in cultivation; perhaps their bodily constitution is unsuited to the ranks of the Daoist tradition; perhaps lawsuits concerning the graves of the Nine Mysteries and Seven Ancestors—the ancestors and forebears of the lineage—have not been resolved; perhaps debts and resentments carried from past and present lives, and enmities formed in them, remain unsettled. Or perhaps trials arising from the sins of past and present lives still cling to the person, or transgressions committed deliberately or inadvertently in the past have yet to be expiated. Without relying on the discernment, refinement, and pardon of the divine beings, how can the person’s wishes be fulfilled?

I therefore respectfully submit one memorial, sending it up to the Three Heavens, and earnestly beseech the divine beings to bestow their grace and show compassion for this sincere intention. May they specially send down the Daoist Qi of Jade Clarity and the wondrous radiance of the Numinous Treasure, infusing the five viscera and six bowels of the disciple, a certain person, so that upright Qi shines brightly, the heart of the Dao opens, numinous light extends everywhere, and deluded thoughts and karmic burdens dissolve. I further pray that the disciple’s nature and life be protected, and that the gods of the Three Realms and Ten Directions be informed to remove calamities, trials, and lawsuits, and release the disciple from transgressions and sins. May the disciple’s name be entered into the mysterious registers of the immortals and inscribed on the Green Register.

Your servant respectfully petitions the supreme Lords of the Nine Heavens, the Lords of the Thirty-Two Heavens, the Lords of the Five Elders, the gods of the Palace of the Sun and the Court of the Moon, the Five Planets and Four Luminaries, the Southern Dipper, Northern Pole, and stellar officers of the constellations, as well as the Three Provinces and Five Masters, the celestial officials of the Three Officials and Nine Offices, the numinous beings of the Four Caverns, the gods of blessed lands and grotto-heavens, the deities of the Five Sacred Peaks and Four Rivers, the officials of Earth and Water, and the gods of the Three Realms. I beseech them all to come together at the Mysterious Altar, the ritual ground where Daoist rites are performed, and bear witness to this ordination.

I also pray that the immortal officials of the Six Departments of the Numinous Treasure, the gods of the Three Realms, the mysterious offices and immortal courts in every place, and the divine generals and immortal officials who attend the Mysterious Altar, uphold the scriptures, protect the Dao, and bring down the perfected beings—together with the offices of the Nine Heavens’ Lords of Destiny, the Azure Mystery Yellow Registers Court, the Jade Clarity Divine Empyrean Jade Court, the Highest Clarity Court of Tongchu, the Mysterious Numinous Court of the Jade Pivot, the Northern Dipper’s Mysterious Model Court, the Numinous Treasure Court of the Ten Thousand Commands, and the Universal Salvation Court of the Nine Heavens—may all dispatch the generals, divine officials, jade boys, and jade maidens appropriate to the methods transmitted on this occasion to come and provide protection. May all the officials, generals, and lords swiftly manifest, accompany the incense, await their assignments, and assist in transmitting and proclaiming the teachings.

May the disciple, a certain person, swear an oath before the myriad numinous beings and make a covenant before the assembled sages; may the disciple diligently advance, study the Dao and approach the perfected, and devote the heart to upholding these methods. May the disciple save the living and deliver the dead, assume an office among the immortals, unite the heart with the Mysterious Tradition, attain penetrating wisdom, and help people with compassion. May demonic obstacles and trials cease, and may numinous efficacy and blessings descend ever more abundantly, the disciple’s reputation grow ever greater, and people from near and far turn toward the disciple. When merit and practice are complete and the Dao is accomplished, may the disciple ascend bodily to become an immortal, spread the true tradition for ages to come, and bring honor to the lineage, through endless kalpas, always revering the Mysterious Origin—the Dao’s honorific title in Daoism. May the petitions submitted be fulfilled as requested, making the sages’ wondrous transformations manifest.

I am a lowly and incapable servant, with limited understanding. Every day I receive the grace of Heaven and Earth, which shelter and nurture me, and I continue to strive in my cultivation. Now I have received a talismanic mandate and the teachings, and I carry out the teaching of De, aiding and rescuing the people. Whenever someone comes to take refuge and seek help, it is only right that I submit a petition on their behalf.

In keeping with the request made through this Zhaijiao purification ritual, I reflect that spring plowing and autumn harvest are the ordinary course of farming. Yet now a prolonged drought has brought no rain, and the blazing sun scorches the earth. This is the result of a change in the flow of Qi. If rain does not come in time for sowing, how can anyone hope for a good harvest? The irrigation ditches are parched as though burned by fierce flames. The people of the villages grieve and sigh: how are they to make it through the year? Famine is plainly at hand. It seems that the many wrongs accumulated by living beings have led the spirits who govern the land to impose punishment, while the Celestial Emperor has been unable to attend to the people’s suffering.

I respectfully submit this petition to the Three Heavens, the three tiers of the heavenly realms in Daoism. I beseech the revered gods of Dao and De to grant their favor and respond with compassion. In particular, may they issue an edict to the ten directions and the Three Realms, the domains of Heaven, Earth, and their divine offices: pardon the people’s manifest and hidden transgressions, and show compassion for the hardship caused by disrupted farming and impending famine. Send sweet rain without delay, so the crops may grow.

I further beseech the divine offices that govern thunder and the officials who command wind and rain, along with the mighty and numinous holy dragon gods of streams, marshes, and grottoes, the City Gods, the gods of mountains and rivers, and the deities honored in the rites to the soil and grain. May each act with compassion according to their office. Command the Wind Earl and the Rain Master to summon wind and rain, and direct the Lord of Thunder and the Mother of Lightning to send down nourishing rain everywhere, restoring life to the withered plants and trees.

I also respectfully invite the Lord of Righteous Qi, Celestial Elder; the Perfected One of the Riverbank; and one each of the Lords of the Nine Seas, Nine Rivers, and Nine Rivers of the Northern Darkness, together with their one hundred and twenty officials and generals. They govern the Qi of water and its springs, and summon clouds and rain. I also invite the twelve hundred Jade Maidens of the sea and the thirty-six Lords of the Rivers, the sons of Lü, who govern the rising of watercourses and the swift arrival of wind and rain.

I further respectfully invite one each of the Lords of the Four Continents and Nine Valleys, the Lord of the Numinous Terrace and Hanming, the Lord of the Nine Provinces and Dark Obscurity, the Lord of the Nine Rivers and Northern Darkness, and the Lord of the Nine Lords, along with one hundred and twenty officials and generals under each, and the twelve hundred Jade Maidens of the lakes. They govern the summoning of the River Lords’ messengers and, together with the Azure Water Emperor, the Water Emperor of the Nine Rivers, the Twelve Stream Maidens, the ghosts and gods of the Water Bureau, the River Peace clerks, and others, bring rain in accordance with the talismanic mandate. I pray that these divine offices descend promptly upon every region and command thunder and lightning, raising wind and forming clouds. Let fine rain fall first along the rivers, then let heavy rain spread across the countryside, so that sweet showers arrive in season as rain at precisely the right time.

May the yellowed crops turn green again, and the level fields become verdant. May the crops send up ears and bear grain, the harvest be abundant, and disaster be dispelled. Let joy spread across the plains, and may the elders and the aged hear the good news. May the matter reach a happy conclusion, receiving the grace of Heaven and Earth, which gives life to all things. Above all, may the grains be plentiful, all regions of the realm find peace and well-being, and locusts vanish and evil spirits remain hidden.

May the people have enough to eat and warm clothes to wear, and may farmers live in comfort. May they care for their parents above and raise their children below, flourishing for generations to come. If these prayers are fulfilled, it will be clear proof that Heaven’s grace has been bestowed.

For seeking offspring.

I am lowly in status, like grass, trees, dust, and mud. Though I have received the teachings of the Orthodox Way and have been fortunate to practice the true tradition, I have not a single merit worthy of record, but many faults that deserve to be recorded. I have received Heaven’s gracious protection and rely upon its abundant blessings. Now I bow reverently nine times, sincerely take refuge, and presume to state my petition, praying that it be heard above.

I offer this prayer in accordance with the purpose of purification and abstinence. I reflect that the bond of affection between father and son is the foundation of human relations, while distinction between husband and wife is a principle endowed by Heaven. If one’s fate conflicts with the stars of solitude or an adverse cycle, if one encounters the star of widowhood, if the fates of husband and wife clash or oppose one another, or if they fall under harmful punishments and collisions—so that offspring are not forthcoming and the family has no heir—then, as the years advance, how can one receive the favor of the Yellow Court, the realm where the spirits of Heaven dwell, without petitioning the dark vault of Heaven?

I therefore respectfully submit this memorial to the Three Heavens, the celestial realms spoken of in Daoism. I beseech the Great Virtue to bestow abundant life-giving power and boundless compassion, and to issue a special decree notifying the Celestial Registry, the office that oversees celestial records and destinies: resolve together every conflict and opposition in the present-life and past-life fate charts of [name]. I further pray that the Dao Qi of the Jade Clarity realm and the wondrous light of Lingbao be bestowed and infused into the body and spirit of [name]’s wife, Lady [surname], so that her daily life may be peaceful, her fetal Qi may gather and settle, she may suffer no illness, and her Qi and blood may be more balanced than usual. May her ten months of pregnancy reach their full term, and may she give birth to a boy, so that this prayer may be fulfilled and blessings and celebrations may follow one another.

I respectfully petition Lord of Destiny, Lord of Records, Lord of Birth and Deliverance of the Southern Dipper, Lord of Star Deliverance and Qi Transmission of the Eastern Dipper, Lord of Soul Deliverance and Fetal Formation of the Western Dipper, Lord of Soul and Blood Transmission and Bone Consolidation of the Northern Dipper, and Lord of Soul Deliverance, Human Formation, and Voice of the Central Dipper. These divine lords oversee the formation and consolidation of the fetus’s soul. I also pray to the Lady Who Bestows Birth, the Celestial Maidens Who Bestow Birth, the Maidens Who Open the Channels and Turn the Bones, and the Maidens Who Turn the Stars and Guide the Fetus—five of each, together with their twelve attendants apiece. They oversee the harmonizing of Yin and Yang and the formation of the fetus. I further ask five Ladies Who Guide the Fetus to go to the palaces of the Five Directions and Five Dippers, and pray that the true Qi of the Five Directions protect the pregnant body, harmonizing Qi and blood and allowing the fetus to form and settle.

I also petition the Lords of the Five Phases, Lord Pure White and Dark Luminosity, and Lord of the Written Calendar, one of each, together with their one hundred and twenty officials and generals apiece. They oversee the descent of Qi and the formation of the fetus, drive away evil, protect what is right, resolve the harm caused by conflicts between the couple’s fates, and bring about the formation of a male fetus. I further petition five Great Lords of Supreme Harmony, Lords Who Generate Qi through Yin and Yang, and Lords of Red and White of the Three Origins of the Dantian, together with their one hundred and twenty officials and generals apiece. They oversee the free flow of blood and Qi and the union of Yin and Yang Qi, gathering more Yang Qi and securing a male fetus. I also ask two Clerks Who Decide the Yang Spirits and two Jade Maidens of the Male Spirits, together with the divine officials of the Jiazi cycle, to help the true fetus gather and consolidate its Yang Qi. If a girl has already been conceived, may the fetus be transformed into a boy.

I beseech you to let [name]’s wife, Lady [surname], conceive and carry the pregnancy safely, with no harm to her daily life, and for the fetus to be pure Yang and become a boy. May she be free of dietary prohibitions, carry the pregnancy to its full term, and surely give birth to a boy. May the birth proceed smoothly at an auspicious time, with mother and child both safe and whole; let this be proof that the prayer has been answered.

The Wenchang Petition for Blessings and Official Emoluments (used when praying for an official position and its rewards)

I know that my abilities are meager and my conduct wanting. How could I be entrusted with a weighty responsibility? By the grace of Heaven, if I am able to have a child, I sincerely ask that I be granted a healthy boy. May the birth go smoothly on an auspicious day and at a propitious hour, with mother and child both safe, as proof that this prayer has been answered.

The Wenchang Petition for Blessings and Official Emoluments (used when praying for an official position and its rewards)

I know that I am shallow and unworthy. Though I have received Heaven’s favor, I fear that I may thereby bring down punishment like thunder. I sincerely ask Heaven to extend its grace widely and look upon me with compassion. In keeping with my vow to observe purification, I respectfully submit this petition: my duty is only to follow Daoist teachings. I may neither take it upon myself to disobey them nor alter them; I can only practice and carry them out according to the prescribed order of sacred liturgy.

I know well that promoting the worthy and appointing the talented is constrained in part by one’s personal circumstances and timing, and is also connected to one’s own cultivation. If the accumulated goodness of one’s ancestors has yet to bear fruit, and one has committed many faults, past and present, then conduct that fails to meet the proper standards makes it difficult to attain honor and success. Without the support of the Celestial Emperor, how could one fulfill the people’s hopes? I respectfully submit this petition to report to the Three Heavens, the Daoist celestial court above. I sincerely ask the Greatly Compassionate One to extend blessings broadly and issue a special decree, conveying it to the officials of the Mysterious Court, the administrative bureau governing the Daoist divine realm. May they dispel the inauspicious influences of the stars affecting a certain person, harmonize their fortune, remove obstacles and burdens, record their good deeds and merits, and increase their accomplishments and rank, so that their ancestors and clan may share in the honor.

I respectfully pray that one Lord Fuzi Jun, one hundred and twenty officials and generals, and the divine beings Dongjing Qingming Jun and Yangliao Li, among others, descend together to a certain person. May they bestow a gentle, pure, inspired, and auspicious Qi, spreading it through that person’s five viscera, four limbs, and every joint of the body. May they settle the person’s Shen, protect their true Qi, drive out the Three Corpses and destroy the Nine Worms—harmful yin spirits and parasites within the body, according to Daoist cultivation beliefs—so that the person may turn from death toward life, avoid calamity and welcome good fortune, gain clarity of mind, and rise above ordinary people.

I further pray that one Lord of the Five Classics and Nine Qi, together with one hundred and twenty officials and generals, oversee the fullness and clarity of wisdom, so that a certain person may gain exceptional insight. I also ask that one thousand two hundred Heavenly King Maidens, dressed in blue and commanding the assembled officials, grant the person seals and insignia, symbols of office and authority, so that their affairs may proceed smoothly with the divine realm; and that one thousand two hundred Jade Register Maidens, dressed in red, enter the person’s name in the Jade Register and inscribe their allotted years in the Cinnabar Book.

If a certain person is just entering official service and hopes to oversee granaries, handle money, manage markets, command soldiers, or take charge of a school, each of these offices has its own yin and yang divinities in charge. I sincerely ask that the petition be conveyed to the local manifest divinities and upright Earth Gods, who may secretly assist this person in obtaining the rank and emoluments they seek, along with the virtue appropriate to them.

If a certain person hopes for promotion after the major examination, the stars in Heaven are in charge. I sincerely ask that this prayer be conveyed to the Ziwei and Taiwei enclosures, the celestial regions of the star officials, and to the stellar divinities associated with human offices: the dukes and ministers, generals and chancellors, the Court of Judicial Review, the Secretariat, Wenchang, the Three Terraces, the Southern Dipper, the Northern Dipper, Dongbi, the Kui Mansion, the Feathered Forest, the Rampart, Shimen, and the Generals. May all the stars manifest auspicious signs and radiate their essence and brilliance, enabling this person to rise swiftly through the ranks and enter the central government offices or important frontier posts. May they enjoy the honor of repeated promotions and generous rewards, serve the country with loyalty, pass down an untarnished name to their family, and receive blessings, emoluments, and longevity in full, as proof that this prayer has been answered.

This chapter is used to pray for long life and to avert disasters and misfortune.

I, your servant, have received the blessings accumulated by my ancestors and was born in a prosperous age. I have been able to uphold Daoist registers and talismans, receive the transmission of the teachings, and study the way of cultivating the true. All this has depended on the protection of the gods, and I have no way to repay them. I therefore venture to set forth my humble understanding and respectfully ask the honored gods to examine it. In accordance with the original purpose of the Zhaijiao (purification ritual), I submit this petition: all people hope for long life, and the gods of highest virtue cherish the desire to preserve life. When a person’s allotted fortune runs afoul of forbidden powers, their body and life may fall into hardship, and illness may take advantage of the moment. How, then, can their years be assured?

A certain person has inherited the blessings and virtue accumulated by their ancestors and bears the responsibility of sustaining the family line. They have come especially to pray for a long life and to extend their allotted years. May their life be peaceful and smooth, free from obstruction and calamity; may their descendants prosper, and may their household grow wealthy and esteemed. Without the compassionate protection of the wondrous workings of the unseen, how could they enjoy their later years in peace? I respectfully present this petition and memorial it to the Three Heavens—the three celestial realms of Daoist teaching. I humbly ask that Heaven’s grace spread widely and benevolently, and that a special decree be issued to command the offices of the dark bureaucracy in the Three Realms and Ten Directions, which oversee these matters in the divine world, to drive away ill-omened stars and dispel discordant Qi. May grievances and transgressions be resolved at once, and body and mind be restored to health. May the person encounter no minor misfortune through the four seasons and eight seasonal divisions, dwell continually in good fortune, enjoy blessings and longevity, live to the age of one hundred, and remain in sound health.

I respectfully pray to the Celestial Bureau for the Lord Who Relieves Hardship and Removes Calamity, the Lord Who Increases the Count and Extends Longevity, the Lords of Life-Giving Qi in the Five Directions, the Generals of the Six Jia, and the other gods. May they oversee the dispelling of disasters and dangers, increase the years of life, and banish evil influences. I also pray to the Lord of Great Harmony and True Unity Who Cherishes Life, the Lord of Myriad Blessings, the Lord Who Dissolves Punishments and Saves from Hardship, the Lord Who Increases Longevity and Extends Life, the Lord Who Grants Life and Cherishes the Living, the Lord Who Protects Life and Generates Vitality, the Lord Who Removes Punishments and Repels Malignant Forces, and the others. May they cut away punishments and malignant forces and add years to the person’s life.

I further pray to the Lord of Myriad Blessings, the Lord Who Directs Qi, the Lord Who Relieves Hardship, the Lord of the Southern Heights, the Lord of Fate who governs human lifespans, the Lord Who Records Destinies, the Lord of the Great White Star, the Lords Who Seize Souls and Spirits, the Lord of the Treasury of Wealth, the Lord of the Treasury of Rank, and the Lord of the Jade Register Who Determines Names. May each lead five subordinate officials and one hundred and twenty generals and officers to remove the person’s name from the register of the dead and add it to the register of the living. I also pray to the Lord Who Removes the Affliction of Childbirth, the Lord Who Cuts Off Inauspicious Signs, and the Lord Who Breaks [the corrupted character], along with their subordinate officials and officers. May they lift away calamities and rescue the person’s life.

I again pray to the Lord of the Eastern Dipper Who Governs the Count of Life, the Lord of the Western Dipper Who Records Names, the Lord of the Northern Dipper Who Sends the Dead Below, the Lord of the Southern Dipper Who Raises the Living, and the Great Chief of the Central Dipper. May they lead their officials and generals to deliver the person from calamities associated with the Five Phases and increase their years. The sixty Jiazi deities and their subordinate officials and soldiers shall be responsible for resolving the danger that comes when one’s yearly fortune is running out and one’s allotted years are exhausted, and for eliminating calamities caused by the decline of one’s destiny. May the Five Emperors of the Five Directions each ride the true Qi of their own direction, carry their tally, and travel to the Palace of the Jade Register among the constellations of the Twenty-Three Heavens. May they inspect the registers of destiny and add years to the life of this person.

I also pray to the Great General Who Extends Life, with his twelve hundred soldiers, to dispel calamity and increase longevity; and to the Lord of the Bright Hall, the Lord of Nanchang, the Lord of the Vermilion Mound, the Lord of the Yellow Elder, the Lords of the Heavenly Soul and Earthly Po, and the gods who rescue life and extend its years: the Lord Who Raises Life, the Jade Maiden of the Cauldron Granary, the Jade Maidens of the Five Planets, the Jade Maiden Who Revives Life, the Jade Maiden of the Jade Register, and the others. May they deliver the person from danger to their lifespan, add years, and extend life. May all the officials and lords of these divisions join in their protection, remove the twenty-four kinds of hardship, and lengthen the person’s years.

Thus, may this person’s destiny proceed smoothly, calamities recede, blessings and rank flourish, and their years stretch long. May they be free of hardship and disaster, surrounded by good omens and celebrations, with descendants continuing for generations and the family name shining brightly. Let this serve as proof that the prayer has been answered.

Petition of Repentance for Clear Skies (used to pray for the rain to stop)

I am of meager ability and ordinary, dull nature. Though I hold a military post, I struggle to handle the affairs submitted to me. I often examine my heart and reflect on my faults, hoping to promote the Great Dao and follow the patterns of Heaven, achieve some merit, and assist Heaven and Earth in nurturing all things. In accordance with the wishes I expressed during purification, I respectfully submit this petition:

I reflect that farmers depend entirely on the seasons and weather to grow grain. The autumn harvest and spring plowing also depend on the advantages of the land. People hope for favorable winds and timely rains so that the Five Grains may yield a good harvest each year. Now, fields in the countryside lie close to ponds and lakes; when heavy rain falls for days on end, the rising waters become fierce and difficult to withstand. It has rained continuously for more than ten days, flooding the fields and washing away or drowning many rice seedlings. The harvest is in danger, and the people may face hunger for months to come. If the rain does not stop, the skies do not clear, and the floodwaters do not recede, how can the crops yield a good harvest? This depends entirely on Heaven’s grace, and I beg for its compassion.

I respectfully present this memorial and report it to the Three Heavens (the celestial realms in Daoist belief). I beg the sovereign lords, in their benevolence and care for life, to show compassion for the people and issue a special decree instructing the local village shrines and the offices of the mysterious bureaucracy throughout the land to disperse the rain clouds and clear the skies. Then farmers may tend their fields diligently, the Five Grains may flourish, the land will no longer suffer from flooding, and the people will be spared famine and live in peace. All this depends on Heaven’s grace.

I respectfully summon the Lord of Correct Qi in Heaven, with one hundred and twenty officials and generals and seven hundred thousand soldiers; and the Northern Mysterious Lord of the Nine Seas, with one hundred and twenty officials and generals and twelve hundred Jade Maidens of the River. They are charged with gathering the clouds, stopping the rain, and summoning the wind to clear the skies. I also request the officials of springs and waterways and the attendant clerks of the Eight Seas and Nine Rivers, who oversee the waters of rivers and seas, to clear blocked channels and guide the currents of the rivers. I beg them to make the heavy rain stop at once throughout the four borders, disperse the dark clouds, and let the red sun shine brightly, so that people in the fields may rejoice and those who till the land may be at ease.

May all sit and watch the harvest gathered, with heaps of white rice filling the threshing grounds. This is truly due to Heaven’s protection, and we must be grateful for the life-giving blessings it bestows. I further beg that a decree be issued and transmitted to the Four Seas, the Four Great Rivers, and the streams, springs, deep pools, and caverns, to the Dragon Gods and other deities dwelling there. Let it inform the gods in charge of the winds, thunder, and rain for this season of the year: together, let them still the winds and waves, gather up the rain clouds, and disperse the dense clouds so the sky grows bright. May sunlight shine across the fields, the rice ripen fully, and the crops fill the granaries, so that the people may enjoy a peaceful, abundant year. Let this serve as proof that the prayer has been answered.

The “Memorial for Averting Fire Disasters” is a Daoist ritual performed to ward off and dispel fires.

I was born in humble circumstances, like scattered gravel and useless straw, yet by good fortune I was admitted to official service and entrusted with the work of delivering people from suffering. I pray with all sincerity, begging Heaven to show compassion. In keeping with the intent of the purification rite, I respectfully submit: People honor their parents above and raise their children below, relying on houses for shelter. Homes stand side by side, providing an essential foundation for daily life and sustenance. They truly receive Heaven’s great kindness and should also be granted the Emperor’s compassion.

Not long ago, news suddenly arrived of an unusual celestial phenomenon: a heavenly body was said to be about to fall near the eaves, with the prospect of triggering a fire. On hearing this, everyone was filled with alarm and did not know how to respond. I privately judged that, if the disaster were near at hand, it would occur within a few days; if farther off, it would be no more than ten days or half a month. I fear the flames may spread and destroy the houses, reaching neighboring homes in succession and extending into the countryside. If we do not appeal to Heaven…

How can grace be bestowed upon those below? I respectfully submit this petition in a single copy, to be presented to the Three Heavens. With reverence, I pray that Heaven extend its benevolence widely and send down the wondrous power of transformation and nurture. May it issue a special decree informing all divine offices throughout the region to drive the fire away from a certain person and transfer it elsewhere, so that disaster does not occur and the flames do not spread to harm the people.

For this purpose, I, your servant, respectfully petition the Nine Seas Northern Dark Lord, the Heavenly Elder Lord of Righteous Qi, the Lord of the Military Star, the Lord of Wandering Capitals, the Lord of the Bright Star, the Lord Who Punishes Calamity, and the Lord of Heavenly Prosperity, one of each. I also petition the one hundred and twenty officials and generals under their command; the one thousand two hundred Jade Maidens of the River; the one hundred thousand Yellow-Robed Soldiers and Officials led by the Great General Who Covers Heaven; and the seven hundred thousand troops of the Supreme Heavenly Lord. I pray that they take charge of this matter, set the Star Bi in motion, raise Yin Qi, and dispatch the Six Ding and Six Jia to destroy the spirits of fire disasters and drive away the demons of fire essence. May they also mobilize the essence of the Northern Black Emperor’s Yuzi, the righteous Qi of Ren and Gui, and the water virtue of Great Yin to prevent the fire, so that the flames are immediately extinguished.

I further ask that the Wind Earl and Rain Master be informed to send rain and put out the fire, and that the local deities be ordered to drive away the fire demons and send them swiftly far from the area. May the flames move elsewhere and vanish; may the village and community be at peace, the household and its kin remain undisturbed, and the house stay intact. In this way, may Heaven’s grace be made manifest.

“Petition for Repenting of Offenses, Protecting the Fields from Locusts, and Praying to Avert the Remaining Locust Plague”: This is the title of a petition used in a ritual assembly to ward off locust disaster and protect farmland, repenting of offenses and praying for the lingering locust damage to be eliminated.

I am a lowly person in this mortal world, born among the common folk and of humble station. Fortunate to have lived in a flourishing age, I received the teachings of the true Dao, studied the true Dao, and inherited its teachings. I have spread the Great Dao and helped deliver people from suffering. I vow to make amends for my faults, establish merit, and carry on the Dao’s teachings for the benefit of the people.

In keeping with the intent of purification and prayer, I reflect on sowing in spring and harvesting in autumn, and hope for abundant harvests year after year. Now pestilence afflicts the land and calamities descend from Heaven; I fear a year of famine is approaching. Locusts and other pests have suddenly multiplied in great numbers, while baleful, savage forces run rampant. Trees have been stripped bare, and crops in the fields are being devoured. If I do not plead with all sincerity, intercede for the people, and pray to avert these calamities, how can I protect the grain and keep it from damage and infestation?

I respectfully submit this memorial, asking that the matter be reported to the Three Heavens, as they are called in Daoism. I humbly pray that the heavenly realm extend its great compassion, look down upon this plea, and grant its request. May it issue a special decree and inform all divine offices within this territory to drive away the locusts and dispel the baleful forces, so that the pests are carried elsewhere by fierce winds and transferred to another region by torrential rain. May the remaining pests also be wiped out, leaving no eggs or young behind. Then the crops in the fields may put forth ears and grow, and ripen in due season.

I respectfully petition the Lords of the Four Fields, the Lords of the Five Fields, and the Lords of the Nine Fields, as well as the divine lords who govern local territories, mountains and rivers, and the soil and grain; Lord Yun Yuan, Lord of White Silkworms and the Five Grains, the Five Dou Lords of the Great Fields, and the Six Lords of Abundance, two of each. I also petition each of these divine lords’ officials and generals, one hundred and twenty in all; and twelve each of the Lords of Earth’s Livestock, the Lords of Heaven’s Armor, and the Kings of the Five Thousand, with one hundred and twenty officials and generals apiece. These deities govern the abundance of the fields and the ripening of the Five Grains. They can also drive away stem borers and locusts, chase off rats and sparrows, help the rice seedlings flourish, and make the pests flee.

I also petition the gods of the soil and grain, the mountains and rivers, and the city walls and moats to protect the fields in succession, so that the crops may put forth ears and bear grain, while the locusts and other pests depart and move beyond the borders. Let this serve as proof that the prayer to avert calamity has taken effect.

This is a standard format for petitions to avert calamities, used across various kinds of memorials.

Protecting the Silkworms.

Respectfully submit this petition and invite one Lord of Abundance, one Lord of Offering Food, and one Lord of a Thousand Marshes, together with one hundred and twenty officials and generals of each rank; also invite the Mysterious Men and Women, Divine Men and Women, Pure Men and Women, and Jade Men and Women from the Immortal Palace, as well as twenty-four immortal officials of the silkworm chamber and immortal officials of silk and floss. Ask them to tend the mulberry trees and silkworms, protect the cocoons, drive away mice that cause losses, and multiply the harvest.

Protecting the Fetus

Respectfully submit this petition and invite the Jade Men and Women, the immortal officials of the silkworm chamber, and the immortal officials of silk and floss—twenty-four in all. Ask them to tend the mulberry trees and silkworms, protect the cocoons, drive away mice that cause losses, and multiply the harvest.

Protecting the Fetus

Respectfully submit this petition and invite two each of the Lord Who Settles the Fetus, the Lord Who Protects the Fetus, the Lord Who Supports the Frail and Overcomes Adversity, the Lord Who Brings Ten Thousand Blessings and Dispels Misfortune, the Holy Mother Who Protects the Fetus, the Jade Maiden of the Celestial Physician, the Officials Who Protect the Fetus and Bring Forth Life, and the Holy Mothers Who Protect the Fetus and Bring Forth Life. Ask them to oversee the protection of the pregnancy, keep the fetus from illness and injury, ensure the ten months pass safely, and make labor proceed smoothly and birth come quickly. Also invite two each of the Celestial Physician’s Great Birth Officials, the Nursing Mother Who Opens the Milk Channels, the Lord in the Middle of the Celestial Gate, the Lord of the Celestial Physician Who Assists Birth, and the Child Who Hastens Birth, together with one hundred and twenty officials and generals of each rank. Ask them to harmonize Yin-Yang, stabilize the Qi of the fetus, remove all obstacles to labor, and enable the birth of a boy.

Then invite the Lord of Benevolent Life in the Nine Heavens, the Great God Who Oversees Birth, the Holy Mother Who Guards the Birth Chamber, the Perfected Lord Who Administers Records and Registers, the Child Who Transmits the Fetus and Responds to Dreams, the Great God of the Three Origins Who Protects the Fetus, and the attendant officials and talisman clerks of the sixty-year cycle. Ask them to protect the fetus and preserve life, and to settle the hun and po souls. When labor begins, ask them to spare the pregnant woman from calamity.

Ensuring a Male Child

Respectfully submit this petition and invite the Lord of the Yang Immortals Who Protects the Hun Soul, the Lord of the Yin Immortals Who Protects the Po Soul, and the Lord of Celestial Spirit and Yang Birth. Ask them to keep the Qi and Blood circulating freely and ensure the mother and child feed safely. Then invite five each of the Lord of Great Sovereignty and Ten Thousand Blessings and the Lord Who Dispels Afflictions, together with one hundred and twenty officials and generals of each rank. Ask them to nurture the Qi of life and drive away harmful spirits.

Driving Away Thieves

Respectfully submit this petition and invite five each of the Five Yang Lords, the Lord Who Repels Calamity, and the Lord Who Dispels Afflictions, together with one hundred and twenty officials and generals of each rank. Ask them to nurture the Qi of life and drive away harmful spirits.

Driving Away Thieves

With reverence, we submit this petition and invite one Lord of the Five Yangs, one Lord Who Drives Away Calamity, and one Lord of the Starry Camp; five Lords of the Heavenly Seat, five Lords of Fierce Victory, and five Lords of the Eastern and Western Great White Stars; one hundred and twenty officials and generals; five hundred thousand soldiers of the Lords Who Shake Heaven and Move Earth and the Great Army of the Nine Qi; twelve hundred Red-Robed Men of the Sun and twelve hundred White-Robed Women of the Moon; and one hundred thousand soldiers each of the Crimson-Robed Great Army of the Sun and Moon and the Generalissimo Who Upholds Heaven. We ask them to pursue robbers and drive out bandits, keeping them far from our doors so that the community may live in peace.

Protecting the Six Domestic Animals

With reverence, we submit this petition and invite one Lord of the Six Domestic Animals, one Lord of Heavenly Yang, one Lord of Heavenly Measure, one Lord of Heavenly Rest, and one Lord of the Black Water Cycle, together with one hundred and twenty officials and generals. They oversee the breeding and raising of the Six Domestic Animals, ensuring that the livestock thrive and remain unharmed, and drive away epidemics and malign influences.

We further invite one Lord of the Great Origin of the Year Star, one hundred and twenty officials and generals, and one hundred thousand soldiers of the Circuit of Heaven. They oversee the punishment of offenses arising when sacrifices at shrines and temples harm ghosts and spirits, or when people kill the Six Domestic Animals without authorization.

Resolving Disputes and Hauntings at Graves

With reverence, we submit this petition and invite the Lord of the Nine Earths, the Great Origin Lord, the Lord of the Capital, the Lord of the Literary Youth, the Lord of the Earthly Armor, the Lord Who Examines Qi in the Nine Mysteries, and one Lord each of the ranks of Minister and Grandee, together with one hundred and twenty officials and generals. We ask them to subdue the ghosts and spirits that cause trouble over disputes concerning graves, so that the living may be at peace.

We further invite one Lord of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water), five Lords of Great Graves, and five Lords of Small Graves, together with one hundred and twenty officials and generals. We ask them to lift the ancestors’ retribution, settle the graves and their fengshui, drive away malign influences left from the past, and quell hidden calamities and disputes.

We also invite five each of the Lord of Great Mystery, the Lord of the Capital, the Lord Who Punishes Calamity, and the Lord of the Great White Star in the Central Constellation, together with one hundred and twenty officials and generals. We ask them to subdue and settle family disputes with ghosts connected to graves, bringing the conflicts to an end and restoring harmony.

Quelling Quarrels and Slander

With due care, memorialize upward and summon one Lord of the Five Classics, five Great August Lords of the Clear and Numinous Six Bells, and 120 officials and generals under each, who oversee the suppression of quarrels and disputes, the removal of upheaval and misfortune. Then summon 100,000 soldiers of the Supreme Lord of Clear Mystery, five Lords of the Six Southern Bells, one Supreme Perfected Lord of the Southern Bells and 120 officials and generals, as well as the twelve officials of the Lord of Great Yin. They are to apprehend those who stir up discord and forbid false accusations and insults. Then summon one Lord of Left Kindness and Right Goodness, 120 officials and generals, and 1,200 Immortal Flower Jade Maidens, who are to put an end to disputes and gossip and dispel losses and calamities. The great divine officials of the Five Directions are to lock the mouths of evil people so they can no longer speak, thereby bringing all disputes to an end.

Eliminating Lawsuits

With due care, memorialize upward and summon one Lord of the Crown and Sash, one Lord of the Green Bird, one Lord of the Four Lookouts, one Lord of the Eight Gates, and one Left Child Lord of the Northern First Office, together with the officials, generals, and divine officials under their command. They are to lock the mouths of evil people so they can no longer speak, thereby bringing all disputes to an end.

Eliminating Lawsuits

With due care, memorialize upward and summon one Lord of the Crown and Sash, one Lord of the Green Bird, one Lord of the Four Lookouts, one Lord of the Eight Gates, and one Left Child Lord of the Northern First Office. Also summon 120 officials and generals, 120 officials who collect punishments and lead the connected clerks, and 3,700 Eight-Armor Zhou Zhao women. They oversee lawsuits and official business at the county seat, making it all vanish. Then summon one Lord Who Inspects Evil and 120 officials and generals, who are to put a stop to slander and defamation and quiet the public discussion. Also summon fifty great officials and clerks of the Five Emperors of the Five Directions, along with the official generals, clerks, and soldiers of the Lord Yangfu of the Chopping Axe, the Great General Who Breaks the Market, the Great General Who Breaks the Prison, the Great General Who Strikes Free, the Great General Who Unties Afflictions, the Great General Who Scatters Affairs, the Great General Who Quells Lawsuits, and the Seven Divisions of Great Officials. They are to transform official affairs and eliminate them completely.

Reversing Curses

With due care, memorialize upward and summon one Lord Who Turns Things Over and 120 officials and generals, who are to undo curses and dispel incantations. Also summon the military hosts and the officials, generals, and clerks of the Seven Divisions of Great Officials, who are to transform official affairs and eliminate them completely.

I respectfully submit this petition on behalf of one person, requesting that the Lord of the Overturning Altar and his 120 officers and generals intervene to resolve injury, curses, and grievances, and bring the parties to reconciliation. I also request the Great Generals of the Azure Dragon and White Tiger, together with the Four Sha, Heavenly Sha, Earthly Sha, and Thirty-Six Sha who oversee the year, month, day, and hour, each to lead 120 officers and generals in restraining curses and dissolving enmity.

If someone invokes the Wood deity to cast a curse in the east, the region of Wood, at a particular year, month, day, and hour, may the deity of Metal Qi undo and dispel it. If someone invokes the Fire deity to curse in the south, the region of Fire, may the deity of Water Qi undo it; if someone invokes the Metal deity to curse in the west, the region of Metal, may the deity of Fire Qi undo it; if someone invokes the Water deity to curse in the north, the region of Water, may the deity of Earth Qi undo it; and if someone invokes the Earth deity to curse in the center, the region of Earth, may the deity of Wood Qi undo it. This is the use of the Five Phases’ overcoming relationships to dissolve curses.

May the Lord of the Celestial Dipper and the Five Phases command a million soldiers of the Red Emperor. For curses cast by invoking the Water deity in the north, the region of Water, may the deity of Earth Qi undo them; for curses cast by invoking the Earth deity in the center, the region of Earth, may the deity of Wood Qi undo them.

I further request that the Heavenly Office Marshal and his 1,200 officers and generals seize the ghosts and spirits associated with sacrificial temple images; that the Lords of Nanchang and Dongguan each lead 120 officers and generals to seize the ghosts and spirits who cast curses in wooded places and at community altars; and that the Lord of Prosperity and Balance lead 120 officers and generals to seize the ghosts and spirits summoned when sorcerers cast curses before the stove. May the Lord of the Eight Trigrams command 100,000 soldiers, and may the Lords of Repaying Merit and Breaking Evil each lead 120 officers and generals to seize the ghosts and spirits who cast curses by making human figures and images of things. I also request that the Great Forehead Lords of the Five Directions each lead 120 soldiers to seize the ghosts and spirits who cast curses through spoken words and ritual cries.

May the various officials and lords swiftly eliminate evil deities and improper shrines, as well as harm done through sworn pacts or the technique of yansheng—using magic to suppress or injure others—and acts of greed and violence that entrap and harm the living.

If someone plots curses in secret, may the Heaven of Limitless send 100,000 heavenly soldiers to seize the ghosts and spirits who defy Heaven’s order, establish shrines to cause trouble, practice yansheng, and greedily entrap and harm the living. Let them be escorted to Feng Prison, the underworld prison in Daoist belief, so that those who cause harm bear the consequences of their own actions. At the same time, may the departed souls be rescued and enabled to ascend.

Removing Madness and Deviant Spirits

I respectfully petition the Supreme Central Palace in Heaven to dispatch five hundred thousand soldiers under the command of the Five Camps’ colonels. I also request one Lord Xuanggong and his one hundred and twenty officials and generals; five Supreme Heavenly Lords, each with one hundred and twenty officials and generals; and Lord Maosheng of the Nine Rivers, Supreme in Heaven, commanding one million soldiers. Together, may they seize Lu Liang spirits and demons, along with the ghosts that sing and shout wildly and conjure strange disturbances.

I further request twenty-four Lords of the Great Ancient Canopy, five Lords of Heavenly Music, and one Lord each of Guiding Qi, Earth Essence, Breaking Rebellion, the Qi of Heaven, Earth, and Water, and the Heavenly Mystery of Opening and Closing. I request five Lords of Examining Poison, each with one hundred and twenty officials and generals; and Lord Earth-Hole, commanding one hundred thousand soldiers in blue, to deal specifically with the mad spirits who shout and clamor, behave wildly, and have lost their senses.

I also request twelve able officers of the Heavenly Palace and one hundred and twenty soldiers; twelve Generals of the Red Chariot, commanding one hundred thousand officers and soldiers; and the valiant, able officers of Lord Heavenly Eminence, together with the one hundred thousand soldiers commanded by the Generals of the Five Heavenly Lords. I further request one Lord Taijia, Lord Zhuyin, Lord Mendu, Lord Right Xuandu, and Lord Yangming, each commanding one hundred and twenty officials and generals.

I pray that these divine generals join forces to seize evil spirits and destroy ghost bandits. May they unite with the local True Officials, the gods of the soil and grain, mountains and forests, Meng Zhang, and the many gods who guard the household, and exterminate the offenders together, leaving none of their kind behind.

Preventing Robbery and Theft

I respectfully pray to Heaven for one Lord of the Ten Thousand Dimensions and one Celestial Battle Lord facing the Tai Bai Star in each of the east and west. May each command 120 officers and generals. I also pray for the Lord of the Nine Heavens, Qianyuan, and the Lord who Shakes Heaven and Moves Earth, commanding 500,000 soldiers of the Nine Qi and 100,000 heavenly soldiers to track down and capture thieves, robbers, and plunderers, leaving none to escape. I further pray for the Great Forehead Lords of the Five Directions, each commanding 100,000, to investigate plots of robbery and plunder and consign the evildoers to the netherworld. I also pray for the Lord of the Nine Yi in the east, the Lord of the Eight Man in the south, the Lord of the Six Rong in the west, the Lord of the Five Di in the north, and the Lord of the Three Qin in the center. May each send twelve divine generals to guard the well and drive away robbers.

Blessing the Home and Driving Away Emptiness and Loss

I respectfully pray to Heaven for one Lord of Peaceful Qi, one Lord of Great Mystery, one Red-and-White Sand Lord, one Lord of Primordial Qi, and one Lord of Heavenly Mystery. May each command 120 officers and generals to contain unexpected calamities, keep the home peaceful, dispel ill fortune, and seize and bind gu-spirits—evil beings that practice gu sorcery or cause disturbances. I pray for the yellow-robed soldiers of the Lord of Heavenly Prosperity and for the Lord of Tai Bai, each commanding 100,000, as well as 120 officers and generals of the Celestial Dipper, to capture baleful spirits that bring calamity, dispel misfortune, and drive it away. I pray for one Azure Dragon Lord, commanding 120 officers and generals; and for the Heavenly Officials of the Five Blessings, the twelve earth deities and their generals, and the three generals who guard the home, together numbering 300,000, to drive away emptiness and loss—the evil influences that deplete a household’s possessions—and protect the prosperity of the family’s livestock. I pray for the five Broadly Virtuous Heavenly Officials to drive away all kinds of baleful forces, subdue evil ghosts, and put an end to their disturbances.

Protection on Long Journeys

I respectfully pray to Heaven for one Lord of Ten Thousand Miles and one Northern Horse Lord. May each command 120 officers and generals, together with 1,200 Jade Maidens of the Bright Hall, to protect those traveling far, ensure a safe and unhindered journey, make their undertakings succeed as hoped, keep them from encountering robbers, and shield them from calamity.

Blessing a Move to a New Home

I respectfully petition Heaven on behalf of the ritual patron to appoint one Great Divine Lord of the Commandery and Districts, who oversees commanderies and counties; one Immortal Official Who Brings Rest and Regulation, who governs repose and adjustment; and one Lord Who Removes Filth, who is responsible for cleansing impurity. Each is to be accompanied by 120 officers and generals. They oversee the avoidance of inauspicious prohibitions when moving house, ensuring the safety of the household and the security of its possessions and livestock.

Resolving Resentments and Transgressions

I respectfully petition Heaven on behalf of the ritual patron to appoint one Lord Who Releases Guilt, one Lord Who Clears Faults, one Lord Who Lifts Punishments, and one Lord Who Removes Banishment. Each is to be accompanied by 120 officers and generals. They oversee the reconciliation of enmities and faults, and the removal of criminal liability and penal banishment.

Praying for Snow

I respectfully petition Heaven on behalf of the ritual patron to appoint one Lord of Hanming at the Numinous Terrace and one Lord of Xuanming of the Nine Provinces. Each is to be accompanied by 120 officers and generals, and together they oversee and command the River Lords, the water deities. Also appoint one Lord Lü Who Removes Banishment, accompanied by 120 officers and generals, to reconcile resentments and transgressions and remove scrutiny and penal banishment.

I respectfully petition Heaven on behalf of the ritual patron to appoint one Lord of Hanming at the Numinous Terrace and one Lord of Xuanming of the Nine Provinces. Each is to be accompanied by 120 officers and generals, and together they oversee and command the River Lords. Let the thirty-six Lords Lü, the twelve Stream Maidens of the Water Emperor, and the deities of the Water Department together raise clouds and bring down snow. I also petition for one Lord of Northern Mystery of the Nine Rivers, one Lord of the Nine Valleys of the Four Continents, one Lord of the Nine Seas of the Four Continents, and one Messenger of Floating Clouds. Each is to be accompanied by 120 officers and generals. Let them descend together and direct the Earl of Wind, the Master of Rain, and the local altar’s principal deity to raise the wind and gather snow.

The officials petitioned in the memorials above may be added or omitted according to the circumstances, to fulfill the ritual patron’s wishes. One must also know to submit a formal request for authorization to the relevant Office of the Mysterious Realm, the administrative bureau of the Daoist heavens. For example, to pray for rain, one must request an edict and issue orders to the Water Palace of Fusang, the Divine King Who Grants Grain, the Water Commissioner of Penglai, the Water Official in Charge of Fate, the Four Seas and Nine Rivers, the Water Palaces of the Three Primordial Powers, the Four Rivers and Five Lakes, the Twelve Han Zhen, and the springs, sources, pools, and caves. They are to distribute rainfall according to the season of the current year. Then command the Dragon Deities, the Earl of Wind, the Master of Rain, the Lord of Thunder, the Mother of Lightning, the local altar deities of the Nine Provinces, and the gods who govern each territory to work together, raising wind, clouds, thunder, and lightning, and bringing rain at the proper time.

The Upper and Middle Scrolls of the Most High’s Petition for Deliverance and Granting of Amnesty

Petition for Breaking Open Fengdu, Opening the Path to Life, and Releasing the Souls of the Dead

Your subject, N., of humble station, respectfully bows his head twice and submits this petition with deep reverence and apprehension. My abilities are modest and my origins lowly, yet, through the good fortune and blessings of former lives, I was able to join the ranks of those who cultivate the Dao. My merit and virtue are slight, and my offenses grave, yet I have received forbearance and escaped punishment. I vow to cultivate diligently in hopes of repaying this kindness. Now that I have undertaken the task of responding to a prayer, how could I dare fail to submit a report?

I respectfully set forth what I have been charged to convey. I reflect that the Three Officials and Nine Offices—divine administrations governing the realms of Heaven, Earth, and Water and their related affairs—the Northern Capital of Luofeng, the Daoist underworld, and the Six Grottoes and Ten Palaces are all checkpoints in the netherworld. There, the souls of the dead endure trials by water and fire and are held fast between life and death, suffering for a long time. Though beings receive the consequences of karma they have heedlessly created themselves, Heaven is also compassionate and should show them pity. Without a pardon, how could they escape the suffering of their offenses?

I respectfully submit this petition to be presented in the Three Heavens, the Daoist celestial realm. I humbly pray that the Heavenly Worthy, in compassion, will grant the Dao Qi of Jade Clarity, the energy of the Jade Clarity realm, and the wondrous radiance of Lingbao. May this light illuminate the ten directions and open the netherworld of the Nine Earths, so that the deceased N., the Nine Generations of Ancestors and Seven Forebears, relatives from many kalpas past, beings of the Six Paths and Four Births, and all manner of wandering souls may bathe in wondrous Qi and suddenly awaken to the goodness inherent in them. May debts of resentment and offenses accumulated in the past immediately dissolve.

I respectfully request that the flying messengers of the ten directions and the Jade Youths and Maidens of Deliverance from Suffering of the ten directions go beneath the Golden Towers and Jade Steps of the Three Heavens to request the descent of the primordial talismanic command and the true talisman of deliverance from suffering. May they convey the command to the gods and spirits of the ten directions and Three Realms, and to the divine administrations that govern Heaven, Earth, and Water and keep the registers of offenses in Yin and Yang. May the Three Offices and Nine Prefectures, the One Hundred and Twenty Bureaus, the inner and outer palaces and grottoes of the Northern Capital of Luofeng, the Avici Hell of Uninterrupted Torment, the great and small Iron Enclosures, the Twelve River Sources, the Office of Winding Springs, the Nine Netherworlds and Five Sacred Peaks, the officials who oversee the examination of offenses, the Five Sufferings and Three Paths, all the great hells, the Offices of the Five Roads, and the netherworld bureaus that enforce the law all receive the illumination of the talismanic radiance.

May the iron city collapse and punishments cease; may shackles fall away and confinement be lifted. May the furnaces of coals and copper pillars become forests; may the pools of boiling water and ice become lotus ponds; may the ash rivers and burning coals turn into cool, peaceful ground; and may the mountains of knives and trees of swords become jeweled trees. May the prisons of raging fire and the layers of adamantine mountains be extinguished and dissolved. May interrogations and punishments cease, enmities be reconciled, the roots of evil karma be removed, and all registers of offenses be erased. May the deceased N. be pardoned, and may this pardon extend to the countless imprisoned souls trapped throughout the netherworld, so that they may leave their place of suffering and attain freedom, and all souls sunk in stagnation may be released.

I further pray that the Heavenly Worthy issue an edict commanding the Green Palace, one of the divine administrations, to open the Purple Yang Jade Casket and proclaim the title of the Compassionate Worthy who manifests in response. May this title spread throughout the ten directions, leading all beings to take refuge; may the gates of deliverance be opened wide and relatives from many generations be saved. May wholesome affinities spread like clouds and rain, and may numinous responses appear everywhere, so that all beings may share in the grace of being nurtured and transformed, as proof of the response. I earnestly ask the Most High to dispense grace according to each one’s need, and to show compassion by granting deliverance.

I am ignorant and limited, and therefore respectfully rely on the Two Offices’ Direct Messengers; the Zhengyi Merit Officers; the left and right official envoys; the Yin-Yang spirit scribes; the ritual carriage officers bearing red talismans; the officers who ride the post stations in the strong wind; the mounted post officers who deliver petitions; the flying dragon riders; the phoenix riders who present petitions; the cloud-dragon riders who submit petitions; the wind-swift riders who deliver statements; the divine dragon riders who escort petitions; and the two flying dragon and flying tiger riders assigned to petitions. May they carry and deliver this petition.

I, on behalf of the retreat sponsor N., respectfully submit the petition titled “Petition to Break Open Fengdu and Open the Path to the Dao,” and send it to the Celestial Offices of the Three Heavens. I humbly pray that Heaven’s grace descend in reply. Your subject respectfully bows his head twice and submits this petition with deep reverence and apprehension.

Your servant’s surname is [name], and your ancestral home is [province, prefecture, county, township, and village]. I burn incense and cultivate the Way at [palace or temple], [retreat (a place for Daoist practice)].

I respectfully submit this memorial to the Most High, Formless and Nameless, the Empty and Spontaneous, Utmost True Great Dao, Supreme Mysterious Venerable One, beneath the Jade Steps adorned with seven treasures of the Golden Gate.

On [year, month, day], your servant respectfully submits this memorial at [place].

This format is generally used to fill in the surname and place of origin of the person submitting the memorial, the palace, temple, or Daoist sanctuary, and the place where incense is burned and cultivation is practiced. It then respectfully names the honored deity to whom the memorial is addressed and records the date and place of submission.

When writing a memorial, use yellow paper and cinnabar ink. The paper should be one chi and one cun six fen high, with each line one cun two fen wide. Use single sheets, writing only one line on each sheet, with seventeen characters to a line. On the back of the first sheet, write two lines, leave the third line blank, then write the title of the memorial, followed by: “Your servant, so-and-so, is sincerely apprehensive and fearful; I bow my head to the ground and prostrate myself twice.” Do not fill this line to the full seventeen characters; stop at a suitable point.

Write the words “I now submit” on the fourth line, one cun below the title. Starting with this line, arrange seventeen characters on each line. Indent the following lines slightly as prescribed, leaving half a line blank at the beginning; do not let the writing run through to the end of the line. For urgent dispatches, the names of the officials involved must be written together as a single character and must not be split apart. Inauspicious characters such as “ghost,” “ill-omen,” “death,” and “bandit” must not appear at the beginning of a line; auspicious characters such as “immortal,” “person,” and “life” must not appear at the end. These rules ensure that the document conforms to the prescribed form and serves as a valid warrant.

Continue the main text with: “With gratitude, we beseech the Most High to distinguish our petitions and grant compassion.” Then list the divine officials responsible for conveying the memorial: the two Direct Envoys, the Zhengyi Merit Officer, the Left and Right Official Messengers, the Historians of Yin-Yang Divine Instructions, the Historians of the Red Talisman of the Ritual Carriage, the Courier Officials Riding the Strong Wind, the Historians Who Convey Memorials by Relay Horse, the Dragon-Riding Officials, and the various mounted officials who present, submit, speak, receive, and transmit memorials. Assign two officials to each category, and state that they have been ordered to set out and deliver the memorial. Then give the name of the person presiding over the purification ritual and the text of the memorial being presented. State that it is submitted to the Three Celestial Offices—the Daoist administrations of the heavens—and pray that celestial grace will bring an inquiry and response. End with: “Your servant is sincerely apprehensive and fearful; I bow my head to the ground and prostrate myself twice, respectfully making this known.”

Write the words “making this known” one character lower than the preceding line, leaving three blank lines between them and “prostrate myself twice.” Then write the servant’s surname and the name of the associated prefecture, county, township, village, temple or monastery, or Jing—the place where Daoist practitioners cultivate and reside—as well as the place of ritual practice. Begin halfway across the line and continue to the edge of the paper. Leave three more lines blank, then write the “Address to the Great Dao,” the honorific title presented to the deities. This includes “the Most High Mysterious Venerable One, the Supreme Great Dao, true, natural, empty, without form or name,” and the address “Your Majesty beneath the jade steps of the Seven Treasures of the Golden Palaces.” Write only four cun and eight fen on the back. Leave three more lines blank; beginning halfway across the line, write the year, month, day, and place where the memorial is presented, continuing to the edge of the paper. Leave the space after the date blank.

The memorial must be written on the same day, and the “Address to the Great Dao” must not be completed later. Therefore, reserve the time of day, the dot at the end of the “Address to the Great Dao,” and the character “ear” in the phrase “making this known.” The “straight stroke” mentioned here is left unwritten for now and added only when the memorial is checked.

After sealing the memorial, write on the outside: “With the Great Dao’s protective offices, complete with title and rank: the memorial petition of Your servant, so-and-so, respectfully sealed in a square envelope.” Then write: “Respectfully, respectfully submitted to the gates of the Three Heavens.” Beneath this, enter the ritual master’s title and name, followed by “respectfully sealed again,” and place the memorial inside the envelope. The memorial envelope should be one chi two cun long and one cun eight fen wide, wrapped three times with tightly drawn blue cord. Affix paper seals over the knot and at both ends of the cord. Then place it inside a square envelope of blue paper, inscribe it following the format used for the previous envelope, and finally wrap it in a cloth bundle. This is the method for sealing and packaging a memorial.

I consider myself slow and inept by nature, with dull abilities. Now, by good fortune, I have been entrusted with the duty of delivering souls. I dare not neglect my report, and respectfully ask you, my superior, to be broad-minded and understanding as you hear my statement. I submit this report in accordance with the actual circumstances: my duty is to carry out the Daoist ritual directives, and in principle I may not depart from them. I have therefore selected a day this month to begin, and will respectfully establish a sacred altar at a certain place, performing the rites in the proper order according to the authentic liturgical procedures.

I reflect that the Nine Hells and Six Caverns, the Three Officials, Beifeng—the divine office that governs the underworld—and other such places each have officials who inspect and verify the souls of the dead in the hidden passages and gates of the netherworld. Without a proclamation issued from the heavenly realm, how could these divine offices be made to protect the souls and forms of the deceased? I therefore respectfully submit this petition to the Three Heavens, the celestial palaces of the upper realm, and beseech their compassionate mercy. May they especially send down the Dao Qi of Jade Purity and the wondrous light of Lingbao to illuminate the underworld and brighten the lands below. In this way, the deceased person in question, along with the Nine Generations of Ancestors and Seven Forebears, kin from countless kalpas, beings of the Six Paths and Four Births—that is, all beings caught in the cycle of rebirth—and every kind of wandering spirit may escape the depths of suffering and release their bonds, coming to the sacred altar to receive salvation and ascend.

I respectfully make this request: summon twelve Great Generals of the Plain Carriage and White Horses, with their one hundred and twenty officers and generals; twelve Envoys of the Nine-Dragon Talisman Command, with their one hundred and twenty officers and generals; twelve Maidens of Great Mystery, with their one hundred and twenty officers and generals; and twelve Direct Talisman Officials of Great Mystery, with their one hundred and twenty officers and generals. Let them all ascend to the Golden Gates and Jade Steps of the Three Heavens to request the descent of the Heavenly Treasure Register of Supreme Pardon and Deliverance, a celestial talisman-register used to pardon sins and deliver the dead.

May the Treasure Register also be proclaimed throughout the Ten Directions and Three Realms; the Boundless Spirit Lands; the Northern Capital of Luofeng; the Offices of the Springs and Bends; the Three Officials and Nine Offices; the one hundred and twenty bureaus; the offices governing Yin, Yang, Water, and Fire; the inner and outer palaces and caverns; the Thirty-Six Hells; the Avici Hell of Uninterrupted Suffering; the great and small Iron Enclosures; the Ponds of Flame and Pools of Ice; the Four Rivers and Five Sacred Peaks; the sources of the Twelve Rivers; and the examining officials of the Five Emperors, clerks of the Six Palaces, mighty heavenly warriors, and divine troops who carry out punishments. Let it also be announced to the spirits who govern punishments, merit and fault, registers, lifespans, investigations, offenses, prisons, and right and wrong; to the Four Bright Guest Lords, the Chief of the Heavenly Gate Court, the Ten Palaces and Six Caverns, the great demons of the Five Emperors, the Great God of Mingling and Lengling, the Metropolitan Offices of the Five Roads, the Nether Terrace and its hidden bonds, the ghost officials of the Long Night, and the countless offices of the underworld. Let them all be informed and ordered to comply.

Here, at the place where the altar is established, I issue the talismanic command, ordering the assembled gods to guard and escort the souls. Let the souls named above immediately be freed from every suffering, leave the hells, and part forever from the darkness of the Long Night, so that they may see the light. May their black registers—the records of sins in the underworld—be burned, their roots of karma dispersed and dissolved, and may they come to the sacred altar to pay homage, undergo refinement and deliverance, and receive new life. Let this serve as proof of the efficacy of this deliverance.

I know myself to be foolish and clouded, slow by nature and lacking understanding, yet I rashly accepted a position of responsibility in the Daoist tradition, relying entirely on Heaven’s profound grace. Now I can only recite the memorial text again and again, as a small expression of my boundless sincerity, and offer the liberation and renewal of departed souls as proof of my devotion.

With sincere intent, I respectfully submit this memorial: My duty is to undertake Daoist ritual services, and I ought to fulfill it without daring to refuse. I respectfully select a day in the current month to establish a sacred altar at a designated place and, in accordance with ritual rules and order, carry out the practice with reverence. I fear that as the souls and spiritual consciousness of the departed travel back and forth, they may be obstructed on roads, at passes, or at ferries. Without Heaven’s decree, how can the paths of the netherworld be opened? I therefore respectfully prepare this memorial and submit it to the Three Heavens, praying for their compassion and mercy. May they specially send down the Dao-Qi of Jade Purity and the wondrous light of Lingbao, opening the roads of the netherworld and filling them with unending radiance. May the deceased person named above, along with the Nine Mysterious and Seven Ancestral generations, relatives from lives throughout the kalpas, beings of the Six Paths and Four Births, and all departed spirits in the netherworld, leave their former abodes and come to the altar, where their offenses may be dispelled, their passage through the netherworld made clear, and they may pay homage to the perfected sages and receive liberation and transformation.

I respectfully summon the Great Dark One’s Direct Talisman Bearers, the envoys of Taiyi, the Direct Talisman Bearers of the Five Emperors, the mounted messengers of the Ten Heavens, and the golden dragons of Xuandu, the relay messengers of the Jiaolong, and the twelve relay messengers each of the Jade Dragons and Flying Dragons, together with one hundred and twenty officers and generals. May they ascend together to the golden gates and jade steps of the Three Heavens and request the descent of the Eastern Florescence Azure Official’s decree of the Nine Dragons, the treasured purple-yang insignia, the life-giving Qi of the Five Directions, and the precious talismans of the Ten Heavens. May these decrees and numinous energies illuminate the depths of darkness, brightening the long night, and convey their commands to the heavenly prisons and earthly hells, the water offices and courts of the underworld, the bureaus of the netherworld, its local earth gods, the Six Paths of the Spring Bend, the Nine Layers of Northern Fengdu, the Three Officials and Nine Nether Regions, the Five Sacred Peaks and Ten Palaces, the land officials of the Nine Provinces, the Grotto-Heavens and Blessed Lands, and officials of every rank who oversee judgments. May they also notify the Elder of Aoli, the Assistant of the Mound and the Lord of the Tomb, the River Lord and River Affinity, the officials beneath the earth, the revered spirit of the year’s virtue, the gods of mountains, forests, springs, ravines, and streams, the spirits of passes along the netherworld roads, the deities who receive offerings, the City Gods, local districts, and all earth gods of community shrines and temples, together with every other official deity in charge.

May they all obey Heaven’s talismans and proclamations, dissolve grievances and bonds, remove the burden of sin, open the roads and clear all obstructions, and release the departed souls named above. May these souls compose their appearance and proceed in proper order to the altar, hear the Dao teachings, pay homage to the perfected sages, receive precepts and talismanic decrees, and gain the merit of the Zhaijiao purification ritual. May they encounter no danger or obstruction in the darkness, pass safely through the gates of the netherworld, and remain at ease and untroubled. When summoned and guided, may they be free of restraint, with the talismanic decree serving as their warrant.

I know that my understanding is shallow and my abilities dull and inadequate. Yet I presume to expound and clarify the liturgy, carrying out and spreading the wondrous teachings of the Mystery. Mindful of the lofty reach of the sacred might, I respectfully present my small measure of sincerity above, and humbly beg for compassionate attention.

I respectfully follow the command of the teaching. My duty is only to receive and carry out its teachings; by all reason, I cannot refuse or disobey. I now select a certain day in a certain month to begin, and solemnly establish an altar of the Mystery at a certain place. In accordance with orthodox liturgy, I will perform the rites in sequence. I worry that the realm of the dead is vast and its shadowed paths bleak and bewildering. Without the power to summon and gather departed souls, how could the authority of the divine tiger be made manifest? I therefore respectfully follow the secret method of the Great One Divine Tiger and proclaim the sacred writ and talismanic command of the Great One, Dark Mystery, and Jade Register Divine Tiger—the sacred document and talismanic command used to summon departed souls. I establish the precious register and, according to the altar’s rules, select the proper hour. I command the Divine Tiger to summon the deceased person known as [name], together with the Nine Mysteries and Seven Ancestors, kin from generations past, and beings of the Six Paths and Four Births—all who undergo rebirth. Let them appear and meet their living relatives, thereby displaying the numinous response of the gods.

I respectfully prepare this memorial and submit it in homage, sending it up to the Three Heavens, the upper realms spoken of in Daoism. I humbly hope for compassion and mercy, and ask that the Jade Clarity Dao Qi and the wondrous light of the Numinous Treasure be specially bestowed to illuminate the passes of the netherworld, so that the summoning may proceed without obstruction. May the sacred writ and talismanic command shine brilliantly, and may the officials of the underworld respectfully heed the order.

I respectfully summon the Dark Pattern of the Northern Dipper, the Inner Zhen of the Divine Tiger, the mighty left-hand force, and the other divine immortals; the generals who command the hundred joints; the talismanic officers who govern the three souls; and the many officials and functionaries of the divine bureaus. I also summon Dark Earl, the Martial Luan of the female right-hand force, the Dark Bureau that raises the dead and gathers hun and po, the officials who control flying talismans and jade registers, and the soul-pursuing messengers of the upper, middle, and lower divisions. Let them pursue and summon the three souls of the deceased’s ancestors.

I further summon the three Jade Maidens of the Upper Origin, Middle Origin, and Lower Origin to pursue and summon the souls of those who died through injury, illness, plague, or other such causes. I summon the Jade Talisman Maidens to pursue and summon those who died from shock, punishment, hanging, drowning, fire, difficult childbirth, and other such causes. I summon the Jade Maiden of the Tortoise Zhen, Plainly Holding, to pursue and summon those who died from poison, curses wrought by evil arts, the calamities of war and pillage, execution under the king’s law, or attacks by wild beasts. I summon the Jade Maiden of the Ninefold Numinous Nether Terrace to pursue and summon guilty souls confined in the underworld. And I summon the Jade Maiden of the Zhengyi Six Jia Hidden-Heaven Spirit Talisman for Prolonging Life to descend swiftly, receive and carry out the talismanic command, and gather po and summon hun.

I also respectfully summon the Great General of the Cinnabar Heaven’s Left Guard, the Way-Opening Youths of the Five Directions, the Dao Lords of the Ten Directions, the Merit Officers of the Six Paths, the soul-pursuing messengers of the Three Realms, and all the divine generals who seek hun and gather po, bringing departed souls together. Let them descend as one and summon the souls named above on my behalf, so that the souls may gather their spirit and restore their Qi, enabling them to return to the world of the living. Let them raise the banners and make their forms appear, communicate through dreams, and enter them. In this way, the Daoist rite will be made manifest above and the grieving relatives comforted below. May the departed souls also receive refinement and deliverance, accept the talismanic command, hear the scriptures and teachings, have their offenses erased, be entered into the registers of true status, and ascend in due time. Let these serve as proof of the rite’s efficacy.

I am lowly and insignificant, as small as an ant, yet I have received the duty of proclaiming the Dao and De and saving living beings. How would I dare neglect the rites for delivering people? I humbly beg the deities to hear my plea. In accordance with the teachings, on a certain day of a certain month, at a certain place, I reverently established the Mysterious Altar, where Daoist purification rituals are performed, and carried out the divine rites in their proper order. I fear that the souls of the departed being delivered are confined by the locks of the netherworld and entangled in its dark impurities. To make their forms clear and pure, they must rely on the cleansing waters of a divine spring. I therefore respectfully submit this memorial to the Three Heavens, the threefold celestial realm of Daoist teaching, and beg for compassionate grace: send down the Dao Qi of Jade Clarity and the wondrous radiance of Lingbao, infuse the Orchid Pool, and make its waters shine, so they may bathe the departed souls.

May the deceased person, together with the Nine Generations of Heaven and Seven Generations of Ancestors, their kin through countless kalpas, beings of the Six Paths and Four Births, and all manner of wandering spirits, wash away their gloom and filth. May their bodies and souls become clean and clear, their five viscera and six bowels transparent and pure, untouched by worldly grime.

I reverently invite the Jade Maidens of the Eastern Well, the Lady of the Flower Pool, the Jade Maidens of Washing and Cleansing, the Officials of Bathing, and one each of the Sun and Moon Youths, along with one hundred and twenty officials and generals who dispel defilement from each of the Five Directions, to descend together. May they transform the Yellow Flower Pool of the Eastern Well and the flowing marsh of the Western Field; draw from the numinous treasures of the King’s Fertile Stone Essence, Yellow Flower Divine Water, the righteous Qi of the Five Directions, the finest essences of the Sun and Moon, sweet dew and golden fluids, and cloud-rich jade nectar; and use them to bathe and refine the souls being delivered, washing away sins, obstructions, and afflictions, purifying the impure Qi of the womb, and clearing away debts of resentment and sorrow.

I further invite the Eastern Azure-Spirit Primordial Elder, the Southern Cinnabar-Spirit True Elder, the Western White-Spirit Yellow Elder, the Northern Five-Spirit Dark Elder, and the Central Yellow-Spirit Dark Elder. May each nourish the departed souls with the Azure Fluids of Nine Qi, the Cinnabar Radiance of Three Qi, the Pure Elixir of Seven Qi, the Dark Nourishment of Five Qi, and the Yellow Essence of One Qi, so that their souls may be settled and their five viscera born anew.

I also invite the numinous powers of Vajra, tempered through a hundred refinements; Jade Liquids, harmonized a thousand times; the flowing radiance of Great White; and the scattered essence of the Primordial Sovereign. May they release pent-up distress, sweep away impurity, purify body and mind, and brighten wisdom.

Finally, I invite the Divine Officials of the Heavenly Physicians, the Numinous Officers of the Bureau of Medicine, the Three and Five Merit Officers, the Heavenly Physician Scholars, the Minor Officials of Stone Needling, and the Numinous Youths who Apply Medicine. May they spread the Nine-Turn Essence of the Mushroom and the divine medicines of the Five Colors through the meridians and viscera, curing the illnesses of Qi and blood circulation that afflicted the departed in life. May their longstanding ailments be removed and their chronic illnesses healed; may their spirits return to their former state and their limbs become pure, so they may undergo transformation and be reborn. Let this serve as proof that the rites have taken effect.

Though I belong among the Daoist immortals and perfected beings, I have not been able to assist in the wondrous work of transformation. I have therefore resolved to uphold Daoism and strive to deliver living beings from suffering. I respectfully state the purpose of this purification and fasting rite: since I have accepted the duty of serving the teaching and delivering people, I ought to do all I can and must not decline. I hereby set the date of this month for its commencement, and the place where the sacred altar will be solemnly established, so that the rites and offerings may be performed in due order.

I have seen the souls lingering at the dark gates and on the shadowy roads, the dead trapped in hardship and suffering all manner of misfortune. Some were burned by fire or drowned in water; some died through weapons or murder; some were injured by falling trees or stones; some suffered execution by the blade. Some endured hunger and cold for a long time; some were poisoned. Some were killed by thieves; some were devoured by snakes or tigers; some suffered harsh punishments under the law; some were struck by thunderbolts. Some died when carts overturned or horses fell; some hanged themselves or threw themselves into rivers; some became stranded in foreign lands; some died in battle while serving in the army. Some were seized and struck by ghosts and spirits; some were tormented by those who bore them grudges. Some suffered sores, lameness, deafness, muteness, or blindness; some contracted miasmatic illness, plague, paralysis, or other diseases. Some died in childbirth; others died young from illness. Still others have long carried resentment, grief, and anger, never receiving the blessings of the mysterious Dao or pardon and reprieve.

These lonely, suffering spirits who remain stranded are countless. Some dwell in mountains and forests; others hide in the wilderness. With nowhere to turn, they wander in exile and are truly deserving of compassion. They hope to receive the blessings of the Yellow Register Retreat, a Daoist purification rite for delivering the dead. They plead at the gates of the underworld, longing to be delivered.

Though I have received jade talismans and proclaimed a great amnesty, I still fear that its merit has not yet reached throughout the netherworld. I therefore respectfully follow the boundless Great Dao of Deliverance and have chosen a night this month to hold the Grand Offering of the Mysterious Capital, a great Daoist offering ceremony. I will set out pure offerings upon a jade mountain and summon the souls of the dead who met with violent deaths across the nine regions, the ten directions, the six paths, and the four kinds of birth, together with countless spirits, to partake of the offerings and receive refinement and deliverance. May they escape suffering and attain immortal life. Without the Great Dao’s compassion, how could these souls ever be freed? I respectfully submit a memorial to the Three Heavens, beseeching them to show mercy and send down the Qi of the Jade Clarity and the wondrous light of Lingbao. May these fill the ten directions and illuminate the nine wilds, reaching upward to the highest realm and downward to the lowest place. May they guide all beings to the ritual feast, cleanse their sins, resolve their enmities, and transform the souls of the dead through refinement.

I respectfully summon the Great Brahma Spirit Officials of Jade Clarity and the Green Mysterious Spirit Officials of the Yellow Register who deliver the suffering, together with their merit officers, thirty-two Jade Boys and thirty-two Jade Maidens, and one hundred celestial attendants. May they ascend together to stand beneath the jade steps of the Golden Gate of the Three Heavens and request the compassion of the Primordial Sovereign and auspicious sweet dew. Let them carry the precious banner of Heaven’s grace and pardon. When the banner descends, may incantations scatter the sweet dew, transforming the offering feast for the dead and filling the boundless void. May the dew nourish the gathered souls and make the offerings abundant, so that every spirit summoned in response may eat and drink its fill.

By the authority of the talismanic decree of the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning, the Golden Register and White Slips, the True Talisman for Delivering Suffering, the Spirit Talisman of Long Life, the Supreme Treasure Register for Ascending to Heaven, and the talismanic decree of the Nine Dragons of the Azure Palace of Eastern Florescence, together with the protection of their radiant treasure, may the sunken souls of the netherworld be rescued. Regardless of whether they belong to the six paths or the four kinds of birth, let them all receive refinement through the Yellow Register. May those not yet delivered be delivered, those not yet reborn be reborn, those not yet raised up be raised up, and those not yet transformed be transformed. May the talismanic decrees take effect for them, allowing them to return from Yin to Yang and ascend beyond the human and celestial realms. Let this serve as proof that their deliverance has been accomplished.

The Nine Refinements are a liturgical text for nine refining rites that help the souls of the dead leave the shadowy realm and ascend to become immortals.

My cultivation has not yet reached the depths of the mysterious, and my virtue is insufficient to accord with the subtlety of the Great Dao. Yet I have repeatedly made memorial petitions on behalf of others at their request. Whenever I think of the responsibility I have taken on, I feel fearful and unsettled. Now, relying on the Dao’s vast grace, I pray for forgiveness and protection. I respectfully act in accordance with the intent of the Zhaijiao purification ritual. My duty is simply to receive and uphold the teachings, so propriety does not allow me to decline. I therefore select a day this month to begin, and will respectfully establish a mystic altar at the appointed place, carrying out the rites in sequence.

I am deeply concerned that the souls named above have long been sunk in darkness, unable to encounter the light of the world of the living. Without the refining power of the Yellow Radiance, how could they ascend to the azure heavens and attain true immortality? I respectfully select a night on the appointed day to follow the rites of the Great Lingbao Method and the Scripture for Deliverance from Boundless Suffering. I will open the Five Documents and perform the Nine Refinements. First, I will present a memorial and report to the Three Heavens. I beseech the gods, in their compassion, to send down in particular the Dao Qi of the Jade Clarity—the primordial energy of the Dao from the realm of Jade Clarity—and the wondrous light of Lingbao, filling the mystic altar and making it shine brilliantly. May the souls named above bathe in this numinous light, wash away the darkness within their hearts, and have their forms refined by water and fire, so that both inside and out they may be purified.

I respectfully submit another petition to the Three Heavens, beseeching the gods, in their compassion, to send down in particular the Dao Qi of the Jade Clarity and the wondrous light of Lingbao, filling the mystic altar and making it shine brilliantly. May the souls named above bathe in this numinous light, wash away the darkness within their hearts, and have their forms refined by water and fire, so that both inside and out they may be purified.

I respectfully petition the following divine beings: the Venerable God of Deliverance from the Southern Palace; the Great Lord of Long Life at the South Pole; the Great God Sima, Director of Deliverance from the World; the Perfected Lord Han, Elder of Nurturing Life; the Southern Director of Destiny and Registrar of Life; the Venerable God who Extends Life, Adds Years, and Delivers from Calamity; the Perfected Lord of Boundless Deliverance who Restores the Body and Raises the Dead; and the Perfected Lord of the Southern Palace who Delivers Souls to Ascend. May they register the lifespan of the deceased person named above in golden script and establish their name on a jade tablet.

I also petition the following: the Immortal Officials of the Great Unity who Save from Suffering, of the Golden Palace’s Transformation, of Zhu Ling who Deliver Destinies, of Freedom and Joy, and of Perfected Precious Flowers; together with the immortal officials of the Jade Bureau of Refinement, the Lingbao immortals, jade boys and jade maidens, generals and messengers, and merit officers and clerks. May they proceed together to the jade steps before the Golden Palace of the Three Heavens and request the descent of the Primordial Lord’s talismanic command, the Golden Register and White Writ, the numinous talisman of long life, the jade characters of inner sound, the true writings in red script, and other ritual objects and documents. May they also present the precious proclamation of the Life-Giving Yellow Register and descend upon the ritual altar.

This petition is made on behalf of the deceased person named above: may the filth of Fengdu, the underworld ruled by the Daoist dead, be broken, and the darkness in the soil of the Yellow Springs swept away; may the roots of karma be cut and the registers of sin burned. Help the soul fly across the Five Gates of the underworld and destroy the Three Corpses, the spirits believed to dwell in the human body, record its misdeeds, and obstruct cultivation. Establish a ritual bridge to heaven so that the soul may pass through the realm of clouds. Then open the precious well of Yellow Radiance and establish the divine court of flowing fire. Temper the soul with Yang energy and dispel the darkness, so that it may ascend to the Vermilion Palace, enter a realm of luminous clarity, regain the protection of the myriad gods, and receive the Nine Qi, the nine primordial energies that constitute all things in Heaven and Earth. May the soul don the ritual robe for ascending to heaven, ride the precious lotus carriage straight to the heavenly gate, and pay homage at the Golden Palace. May it thereafter roam freely, unite in truth with the Dao, never again suffer the anxieties of reincarnation, and forever enjoy a state of light and peace.

The Fengdu Pardon Petition is a prayer for the remission of sins used in the Mingzhen purification ritual.

I, your servant, live in a troubled age, yet have the good fortune to encounter a flourishing era. I have received and wear Daoist registers, taken part in cultivating the mysteries, transmitted scriptures and awakened to the Dao. I have vowed to deliver and transform all people and to uphold the teachings, hoping in this way to make amends for my failings and establish merit. I dare not forget to submit petitions and prayers on behalf of any who come to take refuge and pledge their allegiance. In accordance with the purpose of the purification ritual, I respectfully state: I reflect that the Three Officials and Nine Offices, the One Hundred and Twenty Bureaus, the Six Caverns and Ten Palaces, the Thirty-Six Prisons, and the hidden realms of the Iron Enclosure, the Springs and Bends, the River Source, the Five Sufferings and Three Paths, the Nine Depths and Five Peaks are all governed by divine officials who administer laws and examine transgressions.

Deluded beings do not understand the true Dao. They incur resentments and accumulate karmic offenses, harbor evil and commit wrongdoing, until their names are entered in the Northern Fengdu, the underworld in the north. Their souls return to the shadowy realm, where they are confined in prisons below, held for a long time and made to endure bitter suffering, with little hope of release. Without a special pardon granted through mysterious power, how could they escape the retribution brought on by their offenses? I respectfully submit this petition, presenting it to the Three Heavens and beseeching the great and virtuous to extend their life-giving compassion. May they, through boundless mercy, specially send down the Dao Qi of Jade Purity—the pure, numinous energy spoken of in Daoism—and the wondrous light of Lingbao. May these illuminate the ten directions and the Three Realms, bringing light to the gates and dark roads of the underworld, so that the departed souls burdened with offenses may be purified at once.

May the souls named above leave the dark valleys and behold the morning sun; may they open their hearts to goodness, recognize their former lives, repent of their wrongs, cultivate virtue, escape suffering, and ascend to rebirth. On behalf of the deceased so-and-so, I respectfully request one officer bearing a true spirit-summoning talisman and one youth bearing a true spirit-summoning talisman. I also reverently invite the Great Ultimate True Talisman to convey this message to the compassionate Taiyi Celestial Worthy Who Rescues the Suffering, in the Palace of Eternal Joy in the Eastern Pole. May the Celestial Worthy respond to this summons, send down divine might and the light of wisdom, and shine throughout the worlds in the ten directions.

May every prison in the layered underworld and the Northern Capital’s freezing pools be transformed into a realm of light. May the iron city be shattered and the shackles undone; may all the offenses of the deceased so-and-so be pardoned, resentments dispelled, and both sides reconciled. May light appear throughout the prisons. I beseech the Most High Holy Worthy to summon the Flying Heavenly Kings of the ten directions, the Perfected Ones Who Rescue the Suffering, the youths who rescue the suffering, and the Jade Maidens of Azure Mystery. May they go everywhere among the prisons of the underworld, sending down the compassionate rain of the Dao and bestowing precious nectar. May ice and snow melt and the cold prisons grow warm; may the raging flames be quenched and knives and swords turn into jade trees. May the chill vanish in an instant, and the boiling broth and copper pillars become cool. May the ox-headed jailers give rise to kind thoughts, and may the copper serpents and iron dogs forever cease their evil deeds. May the offices of the underworld remove the records of the deceased’s trials, and may the clerks burn the registers of karmic retribution.

May all prisoners condemned to various forms of penal labor also receive transformation through the Daoist teachings. May their confinement in the prisons of the underworld end, and may they be guided to the Southern Palace. I earnestly pray and reverently beseech the Celestial Worthy to grant the grace of deliverance and salvation.

I was once a lowly person in the mortal world, a tiny creature among the wild grasses. Through the Dao’s shaping and instruction, I was able to enter the ranks of those who cultivate the Dao. Since I have directly benefited from the Dao’s fulfillment, how could I dare forget the kindness and fail to repay it? I vowed to rescue the spirits of the dead who have sunk into suffering, hoping thereby to accumulate merit. I carefully follow the original intent of fasting and purification; my duty is only to carry out the teachings, and by right I cannot decline. I therefore respectfully choose a day in this month to begin, and at a designated place solemnly establish a Mystic Altar for Daoist purification rites, proceeding in order through the prescribed liturgy.

I reflect that the spirits of the dead dwell deep in the dark springs, traveling the shadowy paths of the netherworld, surrounded by Yin energy and beset by karmic obstructions and the stains of sin. The souls of living beings fall into the frigid underworld, their awareness returning to the depths of darkness; gloom hangs over them, murky and foul, spreading everywhere. Though talismanic writs have been issued, a Mystic Altar established, and the rites performed according to the prescribed procedures, and though the talismans have been used to summon the spirits of the dead, I still fear they remain trapped in the netherworld and cannot come forward to pay their respects. If they are not bathed in the divine spring, how can their bodies and souls be cleansed?

I therefore respectfully submit a petition to the Three Heavens, the upper celestial realms. I earnestly beseech the great and virtuous ones to extend their virtue of cherishing life, and, with boundless compassion, especially to send down the Dao Qi of the Jade Clarity realm and the wondrous light of Lingbao. May this light illuminate the Orchid Pool, used for ritual bathing, and transform it into mysterious pure water, so that the deceased person may bathe and purify the body, cultivate virtue, wash away grime and dust, clear the darkness and obscurity within and without, and dispel the burning anguish of body and spirit. May they thereby appear before the perfected immortals, hear the teachings of the Dao, be delivered from mortal existence, and ascend to the wondrous realm of the immortals.

I respectfully pray that five spirit youths from each of the Five Directions, one hundred and twenty officers who dispel defilement, and one Washing Lady and one Yellow Flower Jade Maiden each descend at the appointed time. May they bring the Yellow Flower Divine Water, the Pure Elixir for Refining Corpses, the Sweet Dew and Golden Fluid, the Cloud Fat and Jade Nectar, and other wondrous purifying liquids, and pour them into the Orchid Bath to bathe the deceased person, wash away the burdens of the mortal world, and remove karmic obstructions. May the five viscera and six bowels all become pure and clear, and the nine openings and four limbs likewise become clean and bright.

I further pray that the great generals who command water and fire, together with the true gods and numinous beings—the Stone Radiance Water Mother, the Flowing Essence Jade Maiden, the Nine Radiances Youths, the Fire Bell Spirit Youths, the Azure Mystery Soul Refiners, and others—bring the true fire from the Court of Flowing Flame at Vermilion Mound in Nanchang, where the Daoists refine and deliver souls, and the true water from the Marsh of Flowing Waters and Yellow Flowers at the Eastern Well, the divine pool of water. May water and fire descend together to refine and cleanse the deceased person, dispelling defiling Qi and transforming and clearing accumulated stains. May they receive deliverance in perfect purity, ascend to immortality at the appointed time, and forever enter the realm of Wuwei, free from the cycle of rebirth.

My endowments are meager and my abilities limited; I have nothing of merit. Fortunately, by the deep kindness of my master, I was able to glimpse the subtle and mysterious Dao. I have also received the radiance of imperial power, yet do not know how to repay it. I wish to carry out acts of deliverance on a wide scale, making manifest the merit of aiding life and nurturing creation, so that the departed spirits may no longer undergo the cycle of rebirth.

I respectfully carry out the intentions of the Zhaijiao (purification ritual). As an official of the Daoist tradition, my duty is to uphold and receive its teachings and methods; I should follow them and dare not disobey. I respectfully select a day this month to begin, and at a certain place establish a sacred altar for the Daoist rite. Following the ritual procedures handed down by the spirits, I shall cultivate and perform them in due order.

I reflect with deep concern that the departed souls named above have long been sunk in the underworld, and now have the good fortune to behold the light of the world of the living. If rites to restore life and return them to existence are not performed, how can they transcend and ascend, and attain freedom? I respectfully submit one memorial to the Three Heavens, the triple celestial realm of Daoist teaching. I humbly pray that the vast-hearted Great Dao, in its virtue of cherishing life and boundless benevolence, will specially send down the Dao Qi of Jade Clarity and the numinous radiance of the Lingbao, illuminating the dark and empty void and shining upon the ritual altar as well. May the departed souls named above bathe in this numinous light, enjoy peace and ease, and roam freely through the power of refinement and deliverance.

I respectfully petition on their behalf the deities of the Upper Palace at Nanchang: Lord of Destiny, Lord of Records, Lord of Longevity, Lord of Augmented Years, Lord Who Delivers from Calamity, Lord Who Delivers People from Death, Lord of Eternal Life at the South Pole, Marshal Lord Who Delivers from the World, Venerable Lord Who Cherishes Life, and the Immeasurable Lord Who Returns Bones to Life and Delivers People. I pray that these deities carry out the refinement and deliverance. May the deceased person named above first enter the Yellow Flower jeweled well, then the divine court of flowing fire, where their body is washed and cleansed of defilement, their Yin Qi dispelled, and impurities refined away. May they then be nourished by the true Qi of the Nine Heavens and infused with the numinous radiance of the Five Emperors, so that breath and body are made whole and body and spirit restored. Thereafter, may they ride a carriage through the blue heavens, board the vehicle of ascent, and enter the Great Clarity Heaven; ascend through the Gate of Heaven, bearing the tally and credential, and from then on never return to the cycle of rebirth. May they remain forever at ease, receive transformation, and attain new life, as proof of the rite’s efficacy.

Memorial for Transferring and Delivering Departed Spirits: for a Daoist ritual service to transfer and deliver departed spirits.

Thanks to the blessings of my ancestors, I was born in a prosperous age. I was able to receive and wear registers of the teachings, rise through the ranks of the Dao, study and transmit the classics, and receive the Dao’s methods. When I reflect on how shallow my cultivation is, I feel deeply ashamed. Though I have often enjoyed freedom and ease, and have been renewed through the transforming power of the Dao, I do not know how to fully grasp its subtle and mysterious principles. Instead, I have taken these experiences as proof that my cultivation has borne fruit.

Chapter on Relocating and Delivering the Souls of the Dead (used in ritual venues for relocating and delivering the souls of the dead)

Thanks to the blessings of my ancestors, I was born in a prosperous age. I was able to receive and wear registers of the teachings, rise through the ranks of the Dao, study and transmit the classics, and receive the Dao’s methods. When I reflect on my shallow cultivation and my failure to understand the subtle and mysterious principles, I feel deeply ashamed. My faults have accumulated, yet I have little merit. Still, I have received the nourishing and life-giving grace of Heaven and Earth, and so I am able to preside over liturgies for delivering the souls of the dead. From now on, I must devote myself even more diligently to cultivation, in the hope of repaying this grace. I now respectfully submit this document to report the relevant matters to the celestial realm.

I respectfully act in accordance with the wishes of the person sponsoring the rite. My duty is to uphold the teachings, and by rights I cannot decline. I have carefully selected a day this month to begin, and will respectfully establish a ritual altar at a certain place, carrying out each practice in accordance with the orthodox liturgy.

I reflect that the Three Offices and Nine Departments, the Six Caverns and Ten Palaces, and the underworld divine offices of Spring Bend and River Source, Northern Feng and Eastern Dai, all investigate people’s good and evil deeds, overlooking nothing, however small. The beings of this troubled world do not know how to cultivate themselves and examine their conduct. Pulled along by the six faculties—the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind, which perceive the outer world—the three forms of action of body, speech, and mind, the five desires, and the seven emotions, they lose their way and sink into delusion, racing on without rest. In the end, their souls return to the netherworld and their spirits pass through its dark gates. They are then entangled by old grievances, summoned to face questioning in the underworld offices, and confined for a long time in darkness. How pitiable they are! If the highest sages did not act with compassion, how could deluded beings be spared the suffering of sinking into the depths?

Therefore, I respectfully present one memorial, sending it up to the Three Heavens. I earnestly beseech the exalted deities of Dao and De to extend their compassionate protection, and especially to send down the Dao Qi of Jade Purity, the vital energy of the Jade Purity realm, and the wondrous light of Numinous Treasure, illuminating Yudan, Huanming, Zelei, and the other celestial realms. May the deceased person, upon seeing this sacred radiance, recognize their destiny, abandon evil and turn toward the good, leave suffering behind, and be reborn in the higher realms.

For this purpose, I respectfully petition the Most High to send down the wondrous light of the treasure, illuminating Yudan, Huanming, Zelei, and the other places. May the deceased person, upon seeing the light, recognize their destiny, turn from evil to good, and rise to the higher realms, free from suffering.

I also respectfully summon twelve Radiant Light Youths of the Most High’s Twelve Yang Gates, one Celestial Dao Merit Officer, nine Zhengyi Merit Officers of the Nine Heavens’ Cloud Road, and one hundred and twenty boys and girls of the Upper Palace of Nanchang, charged with supporting, receiving, and escorting souls. Carrying the Most High’s talismanic command to relocate the spirit, may they open and guide the spirit banners, receive and escort the soul being delivered, and bathe it in the light of Yang. May the soul ascend to the celestial realm along the Cloud Road, roam freely through the vast emptiness, and never again sink or fall.

Memorial for Cleansing the Blood Lake

(A memorial text for purifying the Blood Lake Hell; used at Blood Lake ritual sites)

I am a lowly person from the mortal world, as insignificant as a small creature in the wilds. Through error, I have been admitted to the ranks of the ritual clergy and entrusted with the work of rescuing and guiding the dead. I can scarcely repay the grace of Heaven and Earth, which bring forth and nurture all things; I can only hope to proclaim the benevolent intent to transform and nurture all beings. When anyone takes refuge in the Dao and its teachings, how could I dare not report it to the heavens? With a heart made reverent through fasting, I respectfully submit this memorial.

I think with deep concern of the deceased, who over many lifetimes formed numerous grievances and accumulated many offenses. Every kind of desire and emotion can also easily invite calamity. This person died in the calamity of childbirth, and their spirit and soul fell into the netherworld. The underworld offices of Beifeng and Dongdai have recorded their name, while the hells of Xiashi, the Blood Lake, and other places examine their body and spirit. They have endured suffering for a long time and remain unable to escape. When we consider the source from which beings are born, who among them did not arise through the division of ancestral Qi, the vital energy that is the source of life? This person brought calamity upon themselves through reckless deeds and the karma they created; this is truly pitiful. The Emperor’s grace extends to all. Surely, then, he will also show compassion to this person.

I respectfully submit this memorial to the Three Heavens, the threefold celestial realm spoken of in Daoism, and earnestly ask the Celestial Worthy to bestow grace upon the netherworld and examine this matter closely. May he especially send down Jade Clarity Dao Qi and the wondrous light of Lingbao, illuminating the ten directions and brightening the long, dark night. May the shadowy realm become radiant, and the Blood Lake become a place of purity. May all who have sinned recognize the causes and consequences of their former lives, abandon evil deeds and turn toward the good, escape suffering, and receive a new life.

I respectfully ask Heaven to dispatch one official bearing the talisman of the flowing radiance of the Three Qi, one official bearing the talisman for cleansing the Blood Lake, and twenty-four officers and generals for each. May they proceed beneath the golden gates and jade steps of the Three Heavens and request the descent of the Jade Primordial Talisman of True Radiance of the Three Qi and the True Talisman for Cleansing the Blood Lake. May they transmit the talismanic command to the Northern Capital’s Great Iron-Enclosed Mountain of Luofeng, the Avici Hell of Xiashi, and the Blood Lake Hell, so that the talisman’s light may shine forth and the netherworld be filled with light once more. May the deceased person and all those who died in childbirth, remain imprisoned in hell, and have not yet escaped, be pardoned. May their records of offenses be swiftly erased, the roots of their evil karma removed, their grievances resolved, and their minds opened to clarity. Having received this talismanic command, may they leave the paths of the netherworld and come to the Mystic Altar, the site where Daoist rites are performed, to hear the scriptures and learn the teachings. May their bodies be restored to wholeness, and may they be reborn according to the arrangements of their causes and consequences.

I also consider that the deceased was stained with blood, and that body and spirit are defiled, making it difficult for them to approach the pure light of Heaven. I respectfully ask Heaven to dispatch one officer of each of the Five Emperors of the Five Directions who removes defilement, along with twenty-four Jade Maiden messengers for each; the four great generals Jiufeng, Pòhuì, Díhuì, and Mièhuì, who break, cleanse, wash away, and destroy defilement, each accompanied by twenty-four officers and generals; and one Lord of the Eastern Well, accompanied by twenty-four officers and generals. I also ask that the Lady of the Washing Chamber and the Yellow Flower Jade Maiden each be sent, along with one hundred and twenty Immortal Flower Jade Maidens, to descend together. May they bring Yellow Flower Divine Water, Refined Corpse Plain Broth, Sweet Dew and Golden Essence, and Cloud Fat and Jade Nectar, blend them into fragrant orchid bathwater, and bathe the deceased person. May they wash away the defilement and bloodstains left by the calamity of childbirth, making the person radiant within and without, and purifying body and spirit. May the roots and dust—the body and mind together with the external world—and the stains of karma all be cleansed.

I also consider that the deceased endured intense pain at death, their Qi and blood were damaged and their body weakened, and they have not yet found peace. I respectfully ask Heaven to dispatch one Divine Physician Official, one Sacred Officer of Medicines, one Merit Officer for Healing Illnesses, and one Imperial Physician, to descend together and treat the deceased with wondrous healing arts. May they grant the deceased the essence of the sun and moon, Jade Fungus and Golden Nectar, and divine elixirs of the five colors, relieving every kind of suffering. May Yin and Yang be harmonized, blood and Qi flow smoothly, and the meridians recover. May the spirit and soul become clear and upright, enabling the deceased to pay audience to the True Sages, receive their guidance and deliverance, and be reborn in the human or celestial realms, forever free from sinking into lower states and dwelling at peace in a radiant realm of freedom.

May the light of the divine spirits be vast and brilliant, and their wisdom and grace reach in every direction. May the sea of karma grow still, and the waves of the Blood Lake subside. May humankind and all beings be nurtured and transformed. May warm sunlight shine upon the Three Destinies—the realms of hell beings, hungry ghosts, and animals—and may the wind of benevolence and virtue blow throughout the eight directions.

This ritual petition was used during the “Fast of Five Refinements for Returning the Dead to Life” (a Daoist rite to deliver the deceased and pray that they regain a body and receive new life), performed for the officiant’s deceased master. In it, the Daoist presiding over the rite recounts the master’s life, cultivation, and transgressions before the celestial deities, asking them to pardon his sins, protect his corpse, and guide his soul into an immortal realm.

Your servant considers himself fortunate to have inherited karmic affinities from a former life and to have taken part in the wondrous teachings. He vowed to extend deliverance widely and hopes to do all he can to assist the generation and transformation of all things. Yet his transgressions are grave and his merits slight, and he still humbly begs Heaven for mercy and forgiveness. Your servant now makes this petition on behalf of his late master, so-and-so. His master was born in such-and-such year, month, day, and hour. In life, he received and wore such-and-such scripture and register, was appointed to such-and-such post in accordance with such-and-such method, and belonged to such-and-such sanctuary, where he practiced the Dao. But his foundations in cultivation were still shallow and he had not completed the ranks of immortality; he could not leave the world behind and soar through the air.

The master passed away on such-and-such date in such-and-such year, at the age of such-and-such. In accordance with the grades and regulations for immortal deliverance in the Three Caverns (the Daoist system of scriptures and transmission), numinous seals have already been placed throughout his clothing and upon his bedding to protect his corpse. In addition, following the method of the Scripture of the Five Refinements for Returning the Dead to Life and the jade characters of the true text in the treasured scriptures, deities have been stationed in the five directions to guard and protect his spiritual consciousness. When an auspicious day has been chosen, he will be moved for burial, and his corpse entrusted to the offices of the Earth Court. Before the burial, a favorable day must also be awaited so that his corpse may be entrusted to the Earth Court. Your servant fears that the master’s merits in life may not have been complete, and that this could obstruct his ascent. Therefore, on such-and-such day this month, at such-and-such place, he respectfully performs the wondrous Lingbao Fast of Five Refinements for Returning the Dead to Life, lasting two days and nights. He prays that his master be supported and guided, regain a body and receive new life, and wander through the vast heavens.

Your servant serves at the Golden Palace in Heaven, and his bond with his master was like that between father and son. His heart is filled with grief and apprehension. As a devoted son, he bears a deep father-and-son affection and respectfully performs the fast according to the prescribed order of Daoist rites. Your servant reflects on the celestial laws of the Three Offices and Nine Courts, the one hundred and twenty bureaus, the Four Poles’ bright statutes, and the Three Grades’ Cavern Laws. They shine like the sun and moon and command awe like thunder. Those who cultivate the Dao and seek the Real can easily incur guilt through transgression. Without pardon, they may fall into the netherworld—a fearsome prospect.

The master was born in an age of clarity and upheld the Daoist teachings, yet he did not understand the methods of cultivating the Real and mastering the celestial radiance. Though he aspired to benefit the world and help others, he at times violated the observances of fasting on festival days and keeping the prohibitions. He also fell short in studying the scriptures, receiving and upholding registers, and performing the morning and evening services. In addition, he submitted petitions to Heaven many times and established jiao rites and fasts; perhaps in doing so he offended divine officials, and his transgressions were entered into the registers of the Celestial Court. His faults in life had not yet been pardoned, nor had his debts in the netherworld been cleared, when he suddenly passed away and entered the silent realm of darkness. Without the Great Dao’s compassionate and far-reaching work of deliverance, how could later cultivators quickly ascend to such exalted realms?

Therefore, your servant respectfully submits one vermilion petition to the Three Heavens, praying that the High Sages grant their favor and the Utmost Real show compassion. May they send down the Qi of Jade Clarity and the wondrous radiance of Lingbao to cover the master’s soul and corpse, erase his faults and release him from guilt, so that he may follow the radiance and ride the Qi straight up into the Void. Your servant also prays that all divine officials and perfected beings throughout the ten directions and three realms pardon the master’s transgressions from past and present lives in the three forms of karma—body, speech, and mind—as well as those arising from desire, and all the sins he committed since beginning his study of the Dao. May he be released with leniency, his name transferred to the Purple Register, and, transformed, receive life anew.

Your servant respectfully petitions the three numinous officials who extinguish the evil paths through Lingbao, the four numinous officials who sever the roots of the earth, and the five numinous officials who deliver those burdened by accumulated ties, together with the one hundred and twenty officials and generals under their command. May they descend together to remove the master’s suffering in the three evil paths, cut off the roots that lead to the underworld, deliver him through the five gates, place his name among the ranks of the Great Mystery, and send him upward in radiance as a spirit to ascend to the Limitless. If the master’s soul is sinking in the Three Paths, Five Sufferings, Six Heavens, or Nine Depths, may the deities deliver him and raise him to the higher realms.

Your servant also respectfully invites the twelve courier officials of the Golden Dragon of the Dark Capital, the messengers bearing the Nine Dragon tally and command of the Eastern Florescent Green Court, one Merit Officer of the Nine Heavens, and ten flying messengers of the ten directions, together with their subordinate officials and generals. May they proceed to the Golden Palace and jade steps of the Three Heavens and request the descent of the talismanic command of the Primordial Beginning, the Gold Register and White Writ, the numinous talisman of longevity, the Eastern Florescent Green Palace’s Nine Dragon command, the talisman for ascending to the Real and receiving deliverance, and the true talisman for leaving birth and death. May they also ask the treasured proclamation of the Upper Palace of Nanchang to announce this petition to the Three Offices and Nine Bureaus, the Five Emperors and Four Departments, and the many courts of the underworld. If the master has committed offenses, public or private, and has not yet been released, may the merit of this immortal-deliverance fast secure his pardon as well. If old grudges and karmic debts among his ancestors of three generations, ancestors of nine generations, and distant kin have entangled him in disputes with the netherworld, may the good deeds he performed in life be recorded, and may he be forgiven without delay. May his record of guilt be changed, his name written on a jade tablet, and his rank advanced among the immortals, so that he may stride high through the celestial realm.

Your servant further respectfully invites the Nine Heavens, the Thirty-Two Heavens, the Five Elder Emperors, the offices and courts of the various heavens, the Northern Dipper and Southern Dipper, the sun, moon, and five planets, and all the perfected beings of the Celestial Court to send down their true Qi and guide the master. May they cleanse his faults, raise him into the realm of the Dao, restore the immortal office to which he was appointed, return his Qi to the Mysterious and Wondrous Realm, and lead him up the ranks to become a perfected being, never again to undergo reincarnation.

Finally, may the true spirits and righteous deities of such-and-such sacred peak and mountain, where the master was registered, together with the nine Earth Officials, protect his corpse within their respective jurisdictions, avert calamity, and bring peace to his grave. May his body remain secure and his spirit and soul be guarded, with his po remaining undispersed. May they bear command tally and talisman so that his bones and flesh revive, his body and spirit reunite, and he may wander and soar upward to become an immortal. All of this is to be carried out in accordance with the intent of the Scripture of the Five Refinements for Returning the Dead to Life. May the master receive the Mysterious Grace forever, and may this serve as proof of its efficacy.

Petition for the Deliverance of an Immortal Soul, to Be Used When a Fellow Disciple or Friend Has Died: A petition for delivering an immortal soul when a fellow disciple or friend has passed away.

I was enrolled among the divine ranks of the military office and permitted to take part in the affairs of the gods. I journeyed through immortal realms, soared into the heavens, and attained immortal status. All of this accords with the purpose of the Scripture of the Five Refinings of the Living Corpse. I will forever receive its mysterious grace as proof and confirmation.

Petition for the Deliverance of an Immortal Soul, to Be Used When a Fellow Disciple or Friend Has Died: A petition for delivering an immortal soul when a fellow disciple or friend has passed away.

I was enrolled among the divine ranks of the military office and entrusted with overseeing rites of deliverance. The favor I have received far exceeds my station. Examining my own heart, I understand the source of this charge. I vow to spread the benevolence of Dongfu and, unseen, to aid Heaven and Earth in their virtue of nurturing all things. I still pray that Heaven will look kindly on my sincere devotion. In respectfully presenting this petition according to the purpose of the Zhaijiao rites, I acknowledge that my duty is only to receive and uphold the teachings; by rights, I cannot refuse.

I deeply reflect that a certain person was fortunate, through causes and conditions from a former life, to receive the protection of the mysterious Daoist tradition, wear Fulu, practice its arts, receive the scriptures, and study the cultivation of the Dao. Yet his time in the human world was brief, and he had not yet understood the essential points and mysteries of cultivation. When establishing purification rites, he often violated their rules; when bowing and presenting petitions, his conduct at times fell short of the proper reverence. He broke purification vows and violated precepts, indulged his habitual actions and followed his impulses, often going against Heaven’s natural order and harmony while yielding instead to personal desires. On the Three Primal Days and Five Festival Days, appointed times for worship and cultivation in Daoism, he failed to perform his observances with care. On Jiazi and Gengshen days, traditionally set aside in Daoism for examining one’s good and evil deeds and repenting of one’s faults, he never confessed or sought forgiveness. His faults have been entered in the Black Register, and his name recorded in the offices of the Dark Court, the celestial administration.

He did not sit upright, shed his mortal body, immediately leave his form behind, ascend as a spirit, and command primordial Qi. When the appointed time of his passing arrived, his body passed through Taiyin, the underworld or realm of darkness, and the direction of his ascent or descent could not be known. In the blink of an eye, ten days or half a month had passed. The disciple says that my intention…