《玄都律文》

These thirteen items discuss the qualities of character that those who cultivate the Dao (the Way) ought to practice.

They comprise emptiness, which means forgetting the physical form and the self as though already dead; non-being, which means diminishing selfish thoughts and miscellaneous ideas while discarding hypocrisy and desires; purity, which means concentrating on accumulating and nourishing Shen (spirit) so that external things do not disturb the mind; stillness, which means harmonizing Shen and following the nourishment of the breath to render the inner heart stable and unmoving; subtlety, which means dwelling in deep seclusion without seeking to display merit or fame; scarcity, which means leaving wife and children to accompany the Dao alone; softness, which means regulating the breath to be even and gentle with the Qi (vital energy) fine and slow; weakness, which means relaxing the body and stretching the form in order to respond to all manner of affairs; humility, which means not coveting honor and glory but remaining content in poverty and humiliation; decrease, which means avoiding fullness with simple clothing and food; timeliness, which means according with the opportunities of Yin-Yang transformations, adapting at every moment and eliminating heterodox delusions; harmony, which means remaining unperturbed by hunger and thirst, cold and heat, the feelings of joy, anger, sorrow and pleasure, or by haste and delay, thus preserving peace; and frugality, which means cherishing Shen so that seeing, hearing, speaking and thinking do not excessively consume the mind and spirit, while at the same time drawing in one's sharpness and according with worldly conditions.

The precepts declare that these thirteen constitute the method of cultivating the Dao whereby chaos is returned to emptiness and non-being. Those who cultivate the Dao and guard authenticity should revere their teachers and the regulations, follow the injunctions of Heaven's Dao, profoundly enact the Dao of Wuwei (non-action), and cultivate emptiness, non-being, purity, stillness, subtlety, scarcity, softness, weakness, humility, decrease, timeliness, harmony and frugality. If cultivators of the Dao succeed in these, they will be able to refine Qi (vital energy) and nourish the physical form, transform body and mind, bring the people into harmony, the nation into peace and the family into auspiciousness; disasters will not arise, life-span will be extended, and both family and nation will flourish. Those who violate these precepts will receive punishment from Heaven.

According to the precepts, if a person does not set the mind on performing good deeds but instead only commits evil, being unfilial toward parents, serving teachers and elders without regard for the Dao (the Way) and righteousness, and lacking wholehearted loyalty to the sovereign, then those who practice goodness will receive the protection of Heaven, while those who do evil will surely suffer disasters sent down by Heaven.

A single good deed brings inner calm and bodily ease. Ten good deeds make one's Qi (vital energy) robust and vigorous. Twenty keep the body free from illness. Thirty allow one's wishes to be fulfilled. Forty bring a flourishing household with abundant wealth and honor. Fifty result in numerous descendants. Sixty enable escape from calamity. Seventy invite the protection of the deities. Eighty confer the advantages of favorable geography. Ninety elevate one's status to nobility with widespread fame. One hundred prompt Heaven to bestow blessings and De (Virtue/Power) as precious as treasures.

Two hundred good deeds bring fame in later generations. Three hundred result in great wealth for posterity. Four hundred produce persons of wealth and honor among descendants. Five hundred grant longevity to later generations. Six hundred yield loyal and filial persons. Seven hundred produce people of wisdom. Eight hundred bring forth those endowed with the Dao (the Way) and De (Virtue/Power). Nine hundred result in worthies and sages. One thousand produce both loyal and filial descendants and also immortals and realized persons (shenxian zhenren).

The original text contains several repetitions in the statements correlating numbers of good deeds with their corresponding blessings; the foregoing retains the meaning according to the original.

Those who perform good deeds receive the protection of Heaven. When a person commits one evil act, the mind grows uneasy and the body becomes weary; after ten such acts, Qi (vital energy) and blood turn weak; after twenty, illness readily arises; after thirty, the things one seeks often fail to go smoothly; after forty, circumstances grow rugged and the family estate declines; after fifty, the line of descendants may be cut off; after sixty, unexpected calamities frequently strike; after seventy, one suffers harm from thieves and evil spirits; after eighty, disasters of flood and fire befall; after ninety, one sinks into poverty and lowliness with nowhere to turn; after one hundred, Heaven and Earth inflict punishment that damages the body; after one hundred and fifty, one again suffers harm from thieves; after two hundred, descendants lose the clan’s ancestral transmission; after three hundred, descendants fall into poverty; after four hundred, descendants are reduced to slavery.

The hymn of precepts and statutes teaches that one must not deceive ghosts and spirits or slight and obscure the Dao (the Way) of Heaven. One must not call the false true or the true false. One must not call good evil or evil good. One must not call the crooked straight or the straight crooked. One must not call the filthy clean or the clean filthy. One must not call the wicked the orthodox path or the orthodox path wicked. One must not call the ugly beautiful or the beautiful ugly. One must not call the unreal real or the real unreal. One must not call what goes against principle what accords with it, or what accords with it what goes against it. One must not call error correctness or correctness error. One must not call the close distant or the distant close. One must not call east west or west east.

In the original text the phrase “people have three” is semantically incomplete, and several following passages merely repeat earlier material; the identifiable portions have therefore been rendered according to context. The original ten precepts contain some repetition together with textual corruptions and omissions, and have been collated and translated in the light of the surrounding meaning.

The thirteenth article is named “Those Deluded by Specters.” If one is harmed by this, one may lose one’s life and be unable to preserve it; the disaster will also extend to five generations of descendants. If descendants violate this article, it will injure their lives and reduce their lifespan; the supervising officials will also be demoted according to the severity of the circumstances.

One must always respectfully follow the teachings of the master, acting entirely according to the methods transmitted by the master, without lightly offending, and still less fabricating falsehoods, deceiving, or concealing. Violation of this article is punished by a reduction of four hundred days of lifespan, and the supervising officials will also be demoted.

Every day at dawn, noon, and after sunset, one should visualize the Qi (vital energy) of the five directions (cultivating through inner visualization). The azure Qi of the east transforms into the Green Dragon, the white Qi of the west into the White Tiger, the vermilion Qi of the south into the Vermilion Bird, the black Qi of the north into the Dark Warrior, and the yellow Qi of the center into one’s own body. In this way one attunes the Qi of the five directions and recites in coordination with vocal sounds. Violation of this article is punished by a reduction of three hundred days of lifespan, and the supervising officials will also be demoted.

At dawn one recites: “How subtle and vast you are! You are the essence and radiance of primordial Qi; how magnificent and beautiful, comparable to you! You are the soaring of the hun-spirit.”

One also recites: “How subtle and vast you are! You are the essence and radiance of primordial Qi; how magnificent and beautiful, bringing joy! You are the soaring of the hun-spirit. You are hidden within my chest, making my heart empty, bright, and expansive. Pure white like the bright moon, your radiance reaches the four directions. How flourishing are the zhi herbs (legendary immortal plants)! You need not worry about lacking grain. Exhale the old Qi and inhale the new Qi, and thereby one can communicate with the spirits.”

When reciting in the evening, one should pray thus: In the vast, remote, and awe-inspiring realm, I dwell together with the spirits; clothed in Jing (essence), I partake of Xuanwu (in the Daoist context, a spirit or mysterious Qi (vital energy)). Taking the Zhaoyao star as my horse and the Yuheng star as the spokes of my chariot, I come and go above and below without bounds, entering and exiting unbound by the hours. May all illnesses be eliminated, and Shen (spirit) and Qi be concentrated and firmly held; may Siming (the deity in charge of lifespan) record my name in the jade tablets and cinnabar writings, bound with golden thread and wrapped in white silk. Even after a thousand billion years, there need be no further doubts. May Taiyi (a revered Daoist deity) protect me, and the spirits support me; with a tranquil inner mind free of distracting thoughts, I face toward the auspicious land.

Those who wear the Falu (the Fulu (talismans and registers) granted by Daoism or serving as identity credentials), as well as those who have made a covenant with Heaven and Earth, who cultivate the Dao (the Way) with their own persons and love the Daoist methods, should all recite this hymn. If they do not act according to the regulations, five years are deducted from their allotted lifespan as a penalty, and the supervising officials are also demoted.

The statutes stipulate that recitation is forbidden on Wuchen and Wuxu days. In ordinary times one must rectify the mind and concentrate single-mindedly on guarding the Dao: the eyes do not look randomly, the mouth does not speak falsely, the heart does not entertain idle thoughts, the ears do not listen randomly. Violation of the precepts incurs a penalty of fifty years deducted from the lifespan. One must also settle the mind-Shen, firm the resolve, revere Dao and De (Virtue/Power), and respect teachers and elders. If one treats Dao and De lightly or fails to respect teachers and friends, disaster will befall the family and chaos and decline will afflict the state; two ji are deducted (in antiquity one ji equaled twelve years, thus twenty-four years), and the supervising officials are demoted for a thousand days. The “persons of Dao and De” referred to here include teachers, elders, and friends, who should be treated with respect according to ritual propriety.

The statutes further stipulate: Treat others with generosity and kindness, be loyal and filial, respectful and diligent in cultivation; be of a detached and compassionate nature, support and honor one’s parents, be sincere and trustworthy, and consider righteousness in one’s actions. If this is not observed, seven ji (eighty-four years) are deducted from the lifespan. One must not, in the name of ghosts and spirits, claim to be a deity or usurp divine titles; nor slander teachers and elders, defame the Daoist methods, indiscriminately sacrifice to the hundred ghosts, or depart from truth and confuse the orthodox Dao; still less may one independently establish other laws and fail to follow the teachings of the master’s school. Violators incur guilt and harm themselves, while the supervising officials have five years deducted from their lifespan.

The precepts stipulate that one should not eat after dusk, nor consume sacrificial offerings made to the deities. Violating this precept incurs the punishment of deducting one thousand days from one’s lifespan. There is no need to eat again in the evening hours; consuming offerings made to ghosts and spirits shall be judged as a violation of the precepts.

The Hundred Medicines Precept

The precept states: De (Virtue/Power) can eliminate disasters, and medicines can cure illnesses. If one does not understand how to abide by the precepts, governing a state will be difficult to sustain in lasting prosperity; managing a household will make it hard to have descendants; cultivating the self will invite punishments and calamities, the upright Qi (vital energy) will be unable to dwell in peace, and lifespan will decline. Therefore one must not handle affairs contrary to principle, nor speak recklessly in violation of the laws. Otherwise allotted lifespan will be reduced and the recorded years cut short; the deity overseeing faults will record the offenses, and the deity overseeing lifespan will strike the name from the register.

The precept further states: De (Virtue/Power) is the excellent physician who treats illness, and good deeds are the medicine that cures disease. If a person does not cultivate De (Virtue/Power) yet indiscriminately seeks medicines far and wide; if one harbors sins within yet continually requests zhangbiao (petition documents presented to the deities); even when praying upward, if conduct remains uncorrected, the sins will only grow more severe.

The Xuandu Lüwen states that a gentle temperament, the restraint of desires, and treating others with generosity, harmony, humility, and yielding constitute the foundation for accumulating Dao and De. Those who violate this precept will have five years deducted from their allotted lifespan, and the officials in charge shall also bear responsibility.

Each of the following good deeds is a kind of “medicine” for accumulating merit: honor Heaven and Earth; revere the sun, moon, and stars (the Three Luminaries); remain tranquil and free of excessive desires; treat others with kindness, forgiveness, humility, and without contention; cherish life and abhor killing; refrain from amassing excessive wealth; do not violate taboos; be honest, upright, trustworthy, and undeceiving; do not burn mountains and forests; when riding in a vehicle, willingly give a ride to those in need; keep the mind humble and the nature gentle; do not become arrogant; treat others generously while maintaining inner peace; do not delight in secret scheming; let speech and conduct accord with propriety; perform good deeds in secret and accumulate merit; practice moderation in daily life; do not spread gossip or accuse others; associate with the virtuous and stay far from lust; do not invite disaster or illness; give without seeking return; be willing to fulfill others’ wishes; yield kindness and righteousness to others; be compassionate and merciful; praise others’ strengths; keep the mind quiet and thoughts settled; wish blessings upon others; support the right path when encountering evil; do not interfere in others’ affairs; instruct the ignorant; admonish and teach the young and uninformed; dissolve chaotic thoughts; continue to bestow kindness even from a position of honor; cultivate filial piety toward parents and fraternal affection at home; help others obtain benefits; conceal others’ faults while proclaiming their good deeds; do your utmost to help others; delight in sharing food and drink; pity the poor and aid those in peril; and when eclipses of the sun or moon occur, strive to rescue them.

Speak modestly; keep the mind detached and at ease; do not leave old debts unpaid; visualize the deities and contemplate the Great Dao; be simple, honest, and upright; establish merit without slackening; do not argue over right and wrong; eliminate selfish feelings and desires; harbor no resentment even when insulted; do not take unjust wealth; yield the good to others and take the bad upon oneself; be willing to bear disaster oneself; praise the worthy, virtuous, and good; delight in recommending and promoting others; do not show off; rescue those who encounter calamity and hardship; do not mock others’ defects; do not boast of one’s own good deeds; admonish the deviant and correct disorder; endure toil without resentment; enlighten the confused and correct errors; conceal others’ faults; give alms when wealthy; promote those who surpass oneself; support and care for the elderly and the weak; relieve the poor and needy; vow not to curse others; keep oneself strict and pure; do not let wisdom and virtue recede; treat scholars with courtesy even from a high position; always speak good words; respect those of humble status; never slacken throughout life; be utterly sincere and faithful; do not curse livestock; leave integrity to others and bear grievance oneself; handle affairs fairly and treat people equally; keep proper measure in advancing, retreating, taking, and giving; do not hold old grudges; proclaim good deeds and conceal evil ones; heed admonition and accept instruction; yield much and take little; restrain anger; reflect upon oneself upon seeing the worthy; remain respectful and solemn even when alone behind closed doors; yield credit and help those who suffer; respect and support the elderly; appreciate those with merit; be honest, upright, and content with one’s lot; put the scriptures into practice after hearing them; exert effort to help others; pity the poor when wealthy; stay far from suspicion and avoid causing doubt; be content in poverty without resentment; revere and practice the sagely classics; delight in accomplishing merit; proclaim the teachings of the sages; constantly examine oneself in gain and loss; encourage others to study the methods of the Dao; be willing to worship the Three Treasures of Dao, Jing, and masters; and do good through speech.

The Xuandu Lüwen states that people fall ill because they have previously committed faults and sins, and have been obscured, constrained, and punished by the spirits of the underworld. Illnesses are not all caused by improper diet, wind-cold, or summer heat. Because the spirit-soul has been detained and punished, the Jing (essence) and Qi (vital energy) of the body cannot remain stable, and the physical body also becomes sparse, weak, and empty. People should restrain their desires and clothe and feed themselves according to the body’s needs: when wealthy and powerful they should not indulge their desires; when poor and humble they should not violate the precepts. In this way they will naturally refrain from violent acts outwardly and suffer few illnesses inwardly.

Baibing Lü

The Baibing Lü states that rather than waiting until disaster strikes before seeking to dispel calamities, it is better to take precautions beforehand; rather than treating illness after it arises, it is better to cultivate oneself and do good in daily life. Honor parents and teachers with filial respect, serve the ruler with loyalty and reverence, and associate with friends with sincerity and trustworthiness. Those who violate these precepts will have twelve years deducted from their suan (the count of lifespan in Daoist scriptures); the supervising officials will also bear responsibility due to this person’s illness.

A ruler may be unable to preserve the state, and a minister may be unable to preserve his life. Sages seek blessings before good fortune has appeared and cut off disasters before they occur. Disasters often grow gradually, and illnesses frequently begin from minute points. If small good deeds are not accumulated, it is difficult to achieve great blessings.

Those who do evil, even if they wish to protect themselves and eliminate disasters through prayers or by wearing Fulu (talismans and registers), if they are unwilling to reform from the heart, their sins cannot be eliminated; they will also have their lifespan deducted, and illness will enter the body.

One should constantly reflect on the faults and sins behind the illness. The Siguo shen (gods who oversee faults), Jieguo shen (gods who resolve faults), Siguo jun (lords who oversee faults), and Jieguo jun (lords who resolve faults) (Daoist spirits who inspect and resolve transgressions) will thereby resolve the various sins and evil deeds that have been committed, causing the illness to recede.

If a person is given to capricious shifts of joy and anger, this is a fault; failing to respect and love the elderly is also a fault; being lustful while lacking De (Virtue) is a fault; going against common reason and stubbornly clinging to one's own views is a fault; hating others, even hoping they die, is a fault; being greedy and base, acting evilly, is also a fault.

Arbitrarily changing one's mind yet considering oneself always right, fawning and flattering in a furtive manner, taking pleasure in others' misfortunes and persisting in wrongdoing, speaking duplicitously without keeping faith, relying on power to act tyrannically, cursing the wind and rain, bullying orphans and widows, inciting others to abort, using authority to coerce others, hiding in crevices to spy on people, borrowing things without intending to return them, departing from the proper Dao (the Way) and taking a deviant path, distorting others while portraying oneself as upright, mocking the differences among people, rejoicing when seeing others meet with disaster—these are all faults.

Ransacking birds' nests and destroying their eggs, being ignorant yet considering oneself wise, causing others to suffer loss through water or fire disasters, attributing all merit to oneself, inciting others to divorce their wives, doing something then blaming Heaven and resenting people, stirring up enmity among people and destroying mutual affection, liking to publicize others' faults, spreading misfortune and inciting slander, looking down on others by virtue of high status, wanting to possess whatever one sees, humiliating the noble because of one's own lowliness, abandoning the Dao and righteousness to seek profit, boasting of one's own De, being obsessively attached to things received, using private motives to disrupt public affairs, suppressing others to elevate oneself, secretly doing evil to harm people—these are all faults.

Speaking rashly and loving to chatter wildly, discussing others and slandering them, accusing others while insisting one is correct, picking at others' faults while claiming oneself faultless, using force to overpower others, unwilling to assist those who truly possess the Dao, always wanting to outdo others in speech, becoming angry then lamenting oneself and judging others, receiving goods without knowing gratitude for the gift, using heterodox arts to harm people, injuring others out of anger, hating others more than oneself, boasting when angry, treating people unequally in one's heart, considering oneself worthy and of De as true cultivation, unwilling to accept admonition, slandering those of merit, neglecting ritual propriety and being lax in due observances, treating others arrogantly by virtue of wealth and honor, liking to decide for oneself and proclaiming oneself just, envying the wealthy because of poverty, sitting in an improper squatting posture, spreading rumors to disrupt others' marriages, slighting the elderly and children, detesting talented people and humiliating them to their face, ruining others' success, delighting in obstructing the good and blocking others' paths, speaking viciously without being willing to reform, liking to mock others while concealing it—these are all faults.

Putting others in danger to preserve oneself, fanning disputes and slandering contrary to reason, having much hatred for others and little love, shifting responsibility onto others, coveting gains with a heart of deceit, seizing upon others' strengths or weaknesses to exploit them, acting tyrannically after drinking, always causing others to regret afterward, meddling in others' affairs, bestowing kindness while expecting repayment, loathing life and delighting in killing living beings, cursing insects and beasts, not repaying debts or stealing, vilifying the lofty and honored, loving to expose shortcomings and offending others, using poison or unpalatable things to harm others, deliberately causing people to suffer harm and misleading them, speaking unfaithfully, wanting to discuss others' shortcomings, repeatedly recalling others' former faults, using a knife to cut open fetuses or injure the body, being distant at heart yet intimate on the surface, mocking the blind, the deaf, and those who have lost their sight, talking about the foolish, instigating others to flog people—these too are all faults.

Unreasonably flogging others, instigating others to do evil, being overly suspicious and lacking trust, mocking those who are mentally deranged, speaking ugly and vicious words that wound, forcibly seizing others' property—these also constitute faults.

The Xuandu Lüwen (Statutes of the Mysterious Capital) says: If a person can eliminate these hundred kinds of illnesses, they can avoid disasters and worries, live a long life in the world, and their descendants will also receive blessings.

The Xuandu Lüwen also says: Carry out education and transformation among the people of the world so that they understand the principles of sin and blessing. If one violates the laws, illness will invade the body; one’s name will be entered into the penal register for seizing life, one will die from disaster, the name register will then be removed, and the life of the body will come to an end. The meaning of the scripture is that if a person has committed a sin, they should correct their faults, turn toward goodness, honor the laws of the Dao, and not dare to do things that invite punishment from humans and gods; in this way, half of the culpability can be remitted with leniency. As long as they no longer violate other laws, all faults can be pardoned, and they can thus attain longevity.

Institutional Statutes

The Xuandu Lüwen stipulates: The master-disciple lineages upon which Daoist priests, female officials (nüguan, female Daoist officeholders), Daoist laypeople (daomin), register recipients (lusheng, those who have received Fulu [talismans and registers]), and the common people rely should be succeeded according to clan seniority: when the father dies, the son inherits; when the elder brother dies, the younger brother continues; those not of the direct line may not inherit. If the son is young and unable to manage affairs, an adult may temporarily administer on his behalf, and when the son grows up, he is then to preside according to the original system. If there is no one who can succeed, one should trace the origin of the master-disciple lineage and belong to the original superior master’s school, and must not switch to another. Those who violate this statute shall have twelve years deducted from their allotted lifespan.

The Xuandu Lüwen stipulates: After the original master of Daoist priests, female officials, register recipients, and Daoist laypeople dies, they should trace the original master-disciple lineage, belong to the original superior master’s school, and must not switch to another. Those who violate this statute shall have twelve years deducted from their allotted lifespan.

The Xuandu Lüwen stipulates: After the original master of Daoist priests, female officials, register recipients, and Daoist laypeople dies, if the descendants are not suitable to succeed to the master’s position, or if the original master-disciple lineage is lost due to reasons such as war, and after investigation the original master’s school still cannot confirm the mutual relationship, they may all follow the superior master’s school and take another master; however, all should observe the teachings of the law. The master is the foundation of nature and life (xingming). If one does not revere and serve the master and treats the gods with disrespect, governing the state will be chaotic, governing the family will decline, and disasters will also extend to later generations.

The Xuandu Lüwen stipulates: The “heavenly tribute rice” paid by male officials, female officials, register recipients, and Daoist laypeople is important property of the heavenly realm and also an important credential in the life register (mingji, the roster that records an individual’s lifespan as well as fortunes and misfortunes); it must not be neglected or delayed, as fortune and misfortune are related to it. Payment on the seventh day of the seventh month counts as superior merit; payment in the eighth month counts as medium merit; payment in the ninth month counts as inferior merit; payment on the fifth day of the tenth month brings neither merit nor fault. All the rice paid must be sent to the local parish (benzhi, the Daoist administrative institution to which one belongs). Those who violate this statute will not have their life register recorded with the responsible officials; disasters will extend upward to seven generations of ancestors and flow downward to later generations. The head of the household shall have two hundred days deducted from their allotted lifespan, and each person in the household shall have twelve years deducted from their allotted lifespan.

The regulations determine the ranking of merits: payments submitted in the eighth month count as medium-level merit, those in the ninth month as lower-level merit; those submitted on the fifth day of the tenth month are neither credited as merit nor counted as fault. All funds and goods must be delivered to the affiliated zhi (the local Daoist administrative and religious institution). The name registers of violators must not be reported to the supervising officials or the personnel stationed at the zhi; their culpability implicates seven generations of ancestors above and extends to descendants below. The household head is penalized two hundred days of suan, and each person in the household is penalized two ji (units of penalty calculation in Daoist legal texts).

The regulations stipulate that male officers, female officers, and those in charge of affairs are responsible for managing household registers and the zhi, each holding different ranks and titles. If it belongs to a jia zhi, the households under its jurisdiction pay one hundred hu of rent rice, of which seventy hu are retained for public use within the zhi and thirty hu are forwarded to the Celestial Master’s zhi (Tianshi zhi); if two hundred hu of rent rice are collected, the entire amount should be sent to the affiliated zhi for use in arranging affairs. If the location is more than three hundred li from the affiliated zhi, it is permitted to arrange the affairs at home. Failure to proceed according to the regulations incurs a penalty of three ji of suan.

The regulations stipulate that upon the birth of a boy an upper kitchen is set up, and upon the birth of a girl a middle kitchen is set up. Doing so can increase the population, augment wealth, pray for official posts and protection, and also pray for the household members to pass the year in peace. The upper kitchen is used to pray for exemption from disasters and calamities, protection on distant journeys, and promotion; the middle kitchen is used to pray for the healing of illness as well as the elimination of official disputes, imprisonment, and similar misfortunes. The procedure for the lower kitchen is omitted in the original text. The relevant ranks and regulations are stipulated thus; violators are penalized one ji of suan.

The regulations stipulate that male officers, female officers, those in charge of affairs, and lusheng (personnel responsible for transmitting or managing Daoist name registers and fulu) report at the beginning of the year the number of people under their jurisdiction. If the total for the year is fewer than ten people, a kitchen of twenty-person scale is set up; if there are thirty or more people, a kitchen of twenty-four-person scale is set up. Even if the population reaches hundreds, thousands, or tens of thousands, at most a twenty-four-person scale kitchen is set up. When the population is fewer than twenty-four, one portion is set per person, up to a maximum of twenty-four people. Violators are penalized one ji of suan.

The following passage in the original text contains obvious errors, and some phrases cannot be accurately interpreted. The general sense is that the regulations stipulate a twenty-four-person scale kitchen for a population of thirty or more; even if the population is larger it does not exceed twenty-four portions, one per person, up to a maximum of twenty-four portions. Violators are penalized one ji of suan.

The regulations stipulate that male officers, female officers, those in charge of affairs, and lusheng, according to a certain category of violators listed in the original, if numbering fewer than ten people are calculated according to ten chi, and if twenty or more people according to another amount listed in the original; those granted clemency should pay and deliver the amount. If not handled according to the law, they are penalized one ji of suan. In the final article the phrases “tiao nan chuo fan ban,” “guo pi shi chi,” “guo si nai chi,” and similar expressions are suspected of textual corruption and cannot be accurately interpreted on the basis of the existing wording.

Male officials, female officials, and those in charge are required to provide kitchen meals, distribute cloth, and disperse rental grain on the days of the Three Assemblies (sanhui, Daoist gatherings or zhai assemblies held on specific dates). Recently, however, some officials have ordered the common people to contribute funds to supply these assemblies. Such practices do not conform to the ritual codes, and those who violate the statutes shall have twelve years deducted from their allotted lifespan.

The statutes stipulate that upon the birth of a boy one must prepare kitchen food sufficient for ten persons, one hundred sheets of paper for medium petitions, a pair of writing brushes, one ink stick, and a writing knife; upon the birth of a girl, kitchen food sufficient for five persons, one mat, one dustpan, and one broom. These items are to be submitted after one full month. If this is not done according to the law, each of the parents shall have twenty-four years deducted from their allotted lifespan, and the child shall likewise suffer a reduction. The Celestial Master's administration (Tianshi zhi, the Daoist parish or governing office) must not make prolonged demands for these items, nor take the opportunity to collect them extravagantly. The goods must not be diverted to other uses or concealed for private household consumption; otherwise the offense is grave and may even endanger one's life.

The statutes further state that male officials, female officials, those in charge, and the common people who follow the Dao each have rules they ought to observe. Recently some officials have shielded one another and failed to turn matters over to those in charge as prescribed; those in charge, for their part, have been unable to instruct and exhort according to the ritual laws and have instead accepted goods and wealth. Seeing this, the common people, lacking clear understanding, have supposed they may act as they please, coming and going at will and failing to observe the old regulations. Those in charge thereby incur the crime of encroachment, while the people incur the fault of rebellion and disobedience. Masters and elders should report the facts truthfully, and the Heavenly Offices (Tiancao, the celestial bureaus of Daoist cosmology) will certainly investigate. Those who violate the statutes shall each have twelve years deducted from their allotted lifespan.

When male officials, female officials, recipients of registers, and Daoist followers take part in the jiechu ritual, the head of the household ought to observe a fast and notify those invited the night before. Everyone invited must be properly attired and must not tread upon anything unclean; all must bathe and change into fresh clothing. They may not wear skirts, footwear, or outer garments that fail to accord with ritual propriety, so as not to show disrespect toward the Supreme True One (the highest true deity honored in Daoism). This is because the jiechu ritual involves the majesty of the heavenly officials and the descent of immortals, and is therefore no trivial matter. All participants must compose their minds and concentrate on visualization; they are not to chatter idly about mundane affairs. In the course of the ritual they must array themselves according to the rank of the ritual registers (fulu) they have received. Persons of the same rank are ordered by the sequence in which they received the registers; those who received the registers on the same day and occupy the same parish office place the senior person first. Should the office received be an outer office, even if of higher rank, it may not stand above the inner officials of the parish; if special arrangements are needed, the order may be set separately. Anyone who violates this ordinance is penalized one ji.

Male officials, female officials, and those who preside over the proceedings, when conducting the upper kitchen, middle kitchen, or lower kitchen, prepare specified amounts of offering wine and money: five sheng of wine and three hundred wen of cash per person for the upper kitchen; four sheng of wine and two hundred fifty wen of cash per person for the middle kitchen; three sheng of wine and one hundred wen of cash per person for the lower kitchen.

Each parish (Daoist administrative districts or institutions) is to collect and distribute the tribute rice levied from the people under its jurisdiction according to the rules: of every hundred hu of tribute rice, eighty hu remain in the local parish while twenty hu are delivered to the parish of the Celestial Master (Tianshi); rice amounting to one hundred hu collected at another parish is likewise treated, with eighty hu retained locally and twenty hu forwarded to the Celestial Master's parish. Remaining related tribute items are to be calculated and transmitted in the same fashion. In addition, two dou are to be set aside from every hu of rice and sent to the Celestial Master's parish for the use of messengers. If the rice fails to arrive, the officer in charge at the Celestial Master's parish incurs the penalty of gejie (that is, punishment according to the statutes). Only paper, brushes, and ink may be retained for the parish's clerical needs and need not be forwarded. All parties are to comply with these provisions; violators are fined three ji for each hu that is lacking.

The Xuandu Lüwen says: Male officials, female officials, presiding officers, and the common people, when encountering illness or calamity, if someone hurriedly comes seeking help, should humble themselves and exert every effort to provide aid. They must not seize the chance to entrust private affairs to others, still less recklessly claim that ghosts and spirits are causing hauntings in order to pander to the wishes of those seeking help; anyone who collects money or goods on this account shall have their culpability reckoned according to the amount received. Violation of this law is punished by a deduction of twelve years from one’s allotted lifespan.

The Xuandu Lüwen says: Male officials, female officials, presiding officers, and Daoist followers (the common people who practice Daoism), when at the beginning of the year they pray for peace for the whole family, or sincerely make vows on account of illness or various other matters, must state the vows clearly and establish written evidence. The presiding officer should submit a report on their behalf according to what is recorded in the vows; if they receive grace and blessings, once the term has expired they should pay according to the agreement, thereby declaring their merits and rewarding the assistance. They must not violate the oaths or betray the agreements; this offense is not light. If they have not received grace and blessings, they should explain the matter and cancel the promised rewards, and must not collect them by force. Even if someone dies during the year and the household population decreases, the rents and tributes must still be paid as usual. Everyone should honor and follow this law. Violation of this law is punished by a deduction of twelve years from one’s allotted lifespan.

The Xuandu Lüwen says: Male officials, female officials, and presiding officers, when aiding the common people, should examine the situation with care and must not act hastily, thereby allowing the matter to be defiled. They should educate the people with the principles of purity and Wuwei (non-action), and according to regular procedures verify and report the items that ought to be submitted. Everyone should honor and follow this law. Violation of this law is punished by a deduction of twelve years from one’s allotted lifespan.

The Xuandu Lüwen says: Male officials, female officials, and presiding officers, when aiding the common people, should examine the situation with care and must not act hastily, thereby allowing the matter to be defiled. When educating the people with the Dao (the Way) of purity and Wuwei, they should check the written statements they have made, ascertain the actual circumstances, and ensure that the views of the entire family, old and young, are in agreement, and only then carry out the instruction and provide aid according to the regulations. Violation of this law is punished by a deduction of two years from one’s allotted lifespan.

The Xuandu Lüwen says: Daoist priests, female officials, and presiding officers should punish the heterodox and the false, bringing clarity, peace, and tranquility to the four seas; they should receive the common people in accordance with ritual propriety and nurture all living beings. On the auspicious days of the Three Assemblies (the auspicious days when Daoism holds Zhaijiao (purification ritual) gatherings and reports to the heavenly officials), they should state the matters to the heavenly officials, educate the ignorant populace, disseminate merit and virtue, and enable mutual communication between the human realm and ghosts and spirits. Recently quite a few officials have slaughtered livestock for use in the Zhaijiao banquet feasts, which does not accord with the laws of the unseen world. Seeking living blessings by means of taking life actually takes one even farther from the true Dao of life. Those who violate this prohibition will have calamities extending to later generations, and the presiding officer is punished by a deduction of twelve years from one’s allotted lifespan.

The Xuandu Lüwen says: Male officials, female officials, presiding officers, and register-holders (lusheng, those who have received registers to enter the Dao and assume religious duties) should peacefully abide by the De (Virtue/Power) of Heaven. The jia, yi, bing, and ding places (here referring to locations related to Daoist offices or rituals, the specific meaning of which is unclear) each have their corresponding ranks and order. If the “jing” in a commoner’s household is spacious enough to reach eight (“jing” refers to a place for Daoist cultivation or the holding of rituals; the original meaning of this sentence is not easy to interpret with certainty), they will be far from the Dao of nurturing life. Those who violate this prohibition will have calamities extending to later generations, and the presiding officer is punished by a deduction of twelve years from one’s allotted lifespan.

The statutes stipulate that male officials (nanguan), female officials (nüguan), presiding officers (zhuzhe), and register-holders (lusheng, those who hold Daoist Fulu (talismans and registers) and assume related duties) shall establish Jing (Daoist precincts for cultivation, ritual, and sacrifice) in Jia, Yi, Bing, or Ding locations that accord with the directional position of Heavenly Virtue, arranging them according to rank and status. Jing used by commoner households measure eight chi in width and one zhang in length; medium-sized parishes (zhi) measure one zhang two chi in width and one zhang four chi in length; large parishes measure one zhang six chi in width and one zhang eight chi in length. The gate of the Jing faces east, and the incense burner is placed at the center. Those who violate these provisions shall have one ji (a period of twelve years) deducted from their allotted lifespan and shall be judged according to the Mengwei Lü (Statutes of the Covenant of Authority).

The statutes stipulate that when male officials, female officials, and presiding officers receive Fulu and obtain titles of office within a parish, the matter is comparable to assuming a royal throne; appointments and the filling of vacancies must be decided by the Tiantai (the Daoist governing authority). Recently, however, some have privately conferred offices on their own authority: some who received only a low-ranking parish office have promoted themselves to a major parish; others have transmitted the Fulu they themselves hold to other persons. None of these practices accords with the netherworld statutes (mingdian, the legal codes of the unseen realm). If a person is judged capable of filling a post, a memorial of recommendation should be submitted. Violators shall each have two ji deducted from their allotted lifespan.

The statutes stipulate that among male officials, female officials, and presiding officers, the head of Yangping Zhi may establish four Zhengyou Zhi (regular touring parishes); the heads of Lutang Zhi and Heming Zhi may establish three Zhengyou Zhi. Apart from these, all remaining parishes fall under the jurisdiction of the Celestial Master's Zhi (Tianshi Zhi). All who receive ritual offices shall be appointed according to the relative weight of their merit and in accordance with rank; they must not act hastily, nor may they seek positions in major parishes from one another. Violators shall have two ji deducted from their allotted lifespan.

The following statute is fragmentary; the surviving text consists only of a repeated passage: “From this point onward, all fall under the Celestial Master's Zhi. All who receive the Dharma shall be appointed according to the weight of their merit and in accordance with rank; they must not act perfunctorily, nor seek major parishes from one another. Those who violate the statutes shall have two ji deducted from their allotted lifespan.”

The statutes stipulate that Daoist priests (daoshi), female officials, presiding officers, and register-holders shall perform audience rites on the first and fifteenth days of every month. Each day they shall rise at the crowing of the cock, compose themselves with reverence and dignity, adjust their appearance, don cap and sash, and then perform the audience. Upon entering the parish they shall take their places in order of office, holding the hu tablet (the ceremonial tablet used in audiences) as they make obeisance; after the rites they shall review affairs according to established procedure. After leaving the parish they shall still pay respects to their master, performing the ritual of five prostrations, inquiring after the master's well-being, and only then withdrawing. Audience rites are not held on Wuchen and Wuxu days. Violators shall have one ji deducted from their allotted lifespan.

The statutes stipulate that if male officials, female officials, presiding officers, and register-holders forget to perform the audience through negligence, they shall be demoted one rank and have three years deducted from their allotted lifespan; if they deliberately fail to perform the audience, they shall be demoted three ranks and have seven years deducted from their allotted lifespan. Failure to pay audience to one's master is likewise subject to examination and punishment. What is referred to here is deliberate failure to pay respects; the statutes regard such conduct as showing contempt and as deceiving Heaven and Earth.

The Statutes of the Mysterious Capital (Xuandu Lüwen) stipulate that if the household of a male official, female official, register recipient, or Daoist follower is affected by an impure funeral, they must wait until after the next dark moon (hui) or new moon (shuo) before entering the parish office (the site where Daoists conduct rituals and manage Daoist affairs). If someone in the household is weeping in mourning, they must likewise wait three days. In the event of impurity, or while observing the three-year mourning period, they may not enter the parish office to perform homage rites or submit memorials and documents until one hundred days have elapsed. Those who violate this rule shall undergo examination and punishment and have twelve years deducted from their allotted lifespan.

Once Daoist devotees have sworn an oath to take refuge in the Daoist community until death, they must not harbor divided loyalties or hesitation, nor may they violate the Dao (the Way) and De (Virtue/Power), regret having entered the Dao, and return to secular life. Offenders shall undergo examination and punishment and have twelve years deducted from their lifespan; the statutes further warn that such an offense may invite severe calamity, even bringing disaster upon the entire family. Devotees must also refrain from sacrificing to illicit cults or evil spirits. Anyone who has violated these prohibitions should compose a written statement of the facts, confess at the Great Parish (a Daoist administrative office), and devote themselves wholeheartedly to repentance, thereby escaping calamitous punishment; those who knowingly persist in the offense receive the same penalty of a twelve-year reduction in lifespan.

After receiving the Dao, Daoist priests, female officials, and presiding officers (those who conduct Daoist affairs or rituals) must cultivate themselves inwardly while performing rites to avert disasters for others outwardly. They must not casually slander or harm ordinary people, nor employ various means to profit at others’ expense; still less may they gossip about one another, exclude others, or envy those who surpass them. Such conduct belongs to the foolish and is not the true intent of Daoist practice. Violators shall undergo eighty examinations and punishments, with the presiding officer determining the penalty according to the circumstances; alternatively, the offense may be redeemed with four liang of jade.

The regulations stipulate that Daoist priests (daoshi), female officials (nüguan), and register-holders (lusheng—those who have received Daoist Fulu, or talismans and registers) may receive and hold the Great Methods only when they have reached the age of eighteen.

Those who cultivate the outer methods may, from the moment they receive the Register of the One Hundred Fifty Generals (one type of Daoist Fulu), wear yellow ritual vestments and the corresponding caps and robes. Those who cultivate the inner methods, whose received registers fall within the range from the True Writ of Natural Ascent to Mystery and above down to the Great Cavern of Highest Clarity, should wear purple ritual vestments and Daoist robes, and be equipped with a hu tablet, shoes, and ku-zhe (an ancient garment of trousers and jacket). Only those who have received the Ten Precepts or higher may hold the hu (the tablet carried when paying court or performing rites). For morning and evening worship, audiences, as well as when holding assemblies or presenting memorials and petitions, they should fully prepare their ritual vestments, caps and robes, headscarves, Daoist garments, hu tablets, and shoes.

Violation of these regulations incurs a fine of eight liang of jade, with the penalty extending to three generations; the offender will also be subject to punishment by the Water and Fire Officials, carried out according to the Jade Codes.

The scripture explains that before the era of the Three Sovereigns the people were simple and pure and systems of ritual were not yet complete; at that time this handheld tablet was called a “ban,” with both ends flat. After the Human Sovereign it came to be called a “hu.” The shape of the hu symbolizes the regular square and round of Heaven and Earth; officials hold it so as constantly to keep Heaven and Earth in mind and to be of one body with the Dao. It should therefore be treated with reverence in accordance with ritual law.

The regulations further provide that Daoist priests, female officials, libationers (jijiu, a Daoist clerical title), and register-holders, having taken ritual office as their charge, should upon death have their funeral rites conducted at a jingyu (oratory), guan (abbey), or zhi (parish—Daoist temples and institutions of ritual office); they must not hold funerals or be buried in the homes of laypeople. The scripture states that if the dwelling-place of the deceased’s hun-spirit is allowed to become a polluted site, the Three Officials of Heaven, Earth, and Water will not grant the corpse exemption from interrogation and torment, and the deceased will moreover be sentenced to three years of penal labor in the river.

The male officials, female officials, supervisors, and register-students (those responsible for transmitting and registering Daoist Fulu (talismans and registers)) of parishes such as Yangping, Lutang, and Heming should instruct the people to write down and observe the liturgical regulations set forth above.

Recently, among officials, commoners, and Daoist followers in various places, some have independently founded their own methods without any teacher-lineage; some, living far from their original parishes and scattered throughout the land, privately confer titles upon one another, recruit the populace, instruct rural households, and arbitrarily exercise authority by granting favors or imposing punishments. There are also those who, though not far from their parishes, have remained isolated from them for many years, so that the rents, taxes, and goods contributed by the people have long gone unhandled and have been privately appropriated without being reported upward; they establish their own rules without following any transmission. These practices violate the netherworld statutes (Mingke, the precepts and laws of the underworld in Daoism), and the situations that have arisen are of more than one kind, presenting problems of many varieties.

Such actions make it difficult for the Orthodox Law to be clearly manifested, so that true and false cannot be distinguished; they also cause climatic disorders and the proliferation of demons and evils, bringing disasters and punishments upon people, which is truly lamentable. All this stems from the supervisors’ dereliction of duty in failing to proclaim the sagely teaching, leaving ignorant people anxious and bewildered, prone to credulity and confusion, unaware that the liturgical codes, rituals, and prohibitions each have their own stipulations, and ignorant of how each matter ought to be properly conducted.

Therefore these regulations should be clearly indicated one by one so that everyone may know them, and the teaching should be widely proclaimed; good should be rewarded and evil punished, people should exhort one another, and investigations should be carried out with care, so that those who are diligent and fulfill their duties indeed receive the corresponding merit. Those who violate the regulations shall have their names recorded by the Earth Officials (Diguan, officials of the Daoist netherworld who oversee related documents and supervisory affairs), reported upward through successive levels, and dealt with according to law; if the supervisors fail to pursue the matter, they shall share the same guilt as the offenders. These regulations must be made known to all, and everyone should conduct themselves in accordance with the Xuandu Kelü (the Statutes and Codes of the Mysterious Capital).

Statutes on Petitions and Memorials (Zhangbiao Lü)

Grave sins cause a person to suffer hardship, decline, and repeated calamities: childlessness, lingering illness, unfulfilled wishes, imprisonment, weak Qi (vital energy) and blood, poverty, and premature death. One may also become mad, deaf and mute, or have wicked retainers and rebellious children in the household, resulting in the ruin of the family estate, legal punishments, or even execution in the marketplace. Death may come through flood, fire, warfare, or banditry; fields and silkworm cultivation may be damaged, food and clothing insufficient, and official career unsuccessful. All these are regarded as consequences brought by sin. Divine clerks such as the Overseers of Faults (Sigou) and Overseers of Examinations (Sikao) investigate the offenses, and the master's household also handles them according to law; karmic sins from previous lives may cause disasters to extend into the present life.

When performing Shangzhang, the ritual of presenting petition documents to the heavenly realm, one must clearly record the relevant person's prefecture, county, village, age, gender, household population, residence, and affiliated master. The events described are verified, the specific circumstances listed according to ancient methods, and then submitted to the officials under the Celestial Master's (Tianshi) jurisdiction, to libationers (Jijiu), or to those responsible for instructing and managing the households. Memorials and petitions must be performed with rites according to the seasons of spring, summer, autumn, and winter, involving kowtows, bowing the body, raising the body, and slapping one's own cheeks a prescribed number of times, stopping once the count is reached. These rituals serve to present the memorials and petitions to the Heavenly Bureau (Tiacao), requesting the dissolution of faults, the release from culpability, the warding off of disasters, and the descent of blessings.

The statutes further state that when the Celestial Master (Tianshi) was at the Luoyang Jing, a Daoist ritual site, he followed the immortals westward to Chicheng in Shu Commandery. At that time people's hearts were turbid and the world chaotic and unjust, so the Celestial Master ascended the Heavenly Pillar, occupied the Heavenly Gate, and established the Way of Zhengyi (Orthodox Unity) Mengwei (Covenant Authority). His aim was to restore clarity to heaven, humanity, and the world, to punish the guilty and unjust, and to nourish all living beings. He established twenty-four zhi (parishes, the twenty-four administrative districts of Zhengyi Daoism) and arranged twenty-four offices including male and female positions, receiving the transformative influence of Xuan Yuan (the Mysterious Origin, the Dao) in order to educate later generations. Anyone who repents of their faults has the opportunity to be ranked among the Zhenren (True Persons). Three presentations of petitions are permitted each month, allowing people to reform themselves, cut off former faults, and eliminate disasters and illness; in emergencies, three presentations per month are likewise allowed.

The precepts stipulate that when entering the zhi (the place where a Daoist priest sets up an altar to conduct ritual affairs) to present a memorial and petition, one must first arrange one’s clothing and cap, don the ritual robes that accord with propriety, and sit upright. Inwardly visualize the vital Qi (vital energy) of the five directions, as well as the merit officers, clerks, soldiers, and other spirit officials within one’s own body, arranging them according to their respective directions; respectfully imagine them as having arrived at one’s side, standing in attendance to the left, right, front, and back, ready to provide protection at any moment. In the event of crisis, disaster, or illness, presenting memorials is permitted three times within one month.

The precepts stipulate that when entering the zhi to present a memorial, one must arrange clothing and cap, put on the ritual robes, and sit properly. Visualize the vital Qi of the five directions and the merit officers and clerks-and-soldiers within the body, placing each according to their directions, and respectfully imagine the deities arriving nearby, standing in attendance all around. In other words, when presenting a memorial at the zhi, one must banish distracting thoughts, settle the mind and Shen (spirit), and concentrate entirely on visualizing the deities.

The precepts stipulate that when entering the zhi to present a memorial, one should avoid the Wuchen and Wuxu days. If one has violated the ritual prohibitions through impurity, one must wait until after the last day or first day of the lunar month before presenting a memorial. The common people throughout the realm must not come to the zhi to pay homage to the master while carrying impure Qi. Those who violate this precept will have their lifespan reduced and will also bear the corresponding guilt; according to the statutes, the Officers of Faults and the Officers of Examination (spirit officials who supervise and assess transgressions) will all pursue their crimes.

The precepts stipulate that when entering the zhi to present a memorial, one must hold the body upright and advance according to the ritual paces; the ceremonial procedures on both sides must be solemn and respectful. Men and women must not stand intermingled, nor may they glance about, speak improperly, or lose proper measure in the pace of entering and withdrawing. If the presiding officiant and the relevant functionaries violate this, they will be demoted one rank; if they are not demoted, they will be fined three liang of jade and have twelve years subtracted from their lifespan.

A Daoist priest must not privately present memorials on behalf of those who do evil and act rebelliously. Those who are frivolous and dissolute, who engage in licentiousness and theft, who are violent and treasonous, who fail to honor parents and masters with filial piety, who do not observe the moral obligations toward rulers and kin, who do not revere the Dao (the Way) and De (Virtue/Power), who treat ghosts and spirits with contempt, as well as those who harm others, who practice treachery and deceit, who slander the worthy and good, who make slanderous accusations, who abandon their parents, who betray their masters, and who act contrary to what is proper and good—all such people belong to the category of the wicked and rebellious, and one must not present memorials for them. If this is violated, five years of lifespan will be confiscated; after death one will be delivered to Hebo (the water deity who governs the rivers) for punishment and forced labor, additionally fined eight liang of jade, and demoted two ranks.

The regulations hold that memorials submitted to the Heavenly Court (the divine bureaucratic offices of Daoist deities) should be plain rather than ornate, clumsy rather than clever, genuine rather than false, and direct rather than circuitous. The language ought to be clear and reasonable without becoming verbose; the attitude humble, the expression concise and lucid, and the intention thoroughly sincere. Only thus can one move Heaven and Earth, startle ghosts and spirits, enable the memorial to reach the Heavenly Offices (the official departments of the celestial realm), and obtain a swift response to the petitioned matters. Anyone who violates these rules will be investigated and punished by the officials charged with supervision and enforcement.

The regulations stipulate that when presenting a memorial one must choose the orientation according to the object of the request: to pray for the elimination of illness, face the Ghost Gate; to pray for the dispelling of calamity, face the Earth Door; to pray for longevity, face the Heaven Gate; to pray for wealth, honor, and profit, face the Earth Door; to eliminate gossip, disputes, and curses, face the Human Gate. To avert tiger afflictions, face the Yin direction; to avert snake afflictions, face the Si direction. Acting in concert with Tiangang (the stellar spirit or directional power invoked in Daoist ritual methods) is most auspicious and requires facing the Heaven Gate. The original text later repeats the orientations for seeking wealth, eliminating gossip, averting tigers and snakes, and coordinating with Tiangang.

The regulations prescribe that when presenting a memorial to seek wealth and nobility one should select a Heavenly Granary day, namely a Wuzi day; when seeking official rank one should select a Heavenly Mansion day and must not choose a self-punishing day. The days of Wu, You, Hai, and Chen all belong to the self-punishing days; Yin and Si punish each other, Xu and Wei punish each other, Zi and Mao punish each other, Shen and Yin punish each other, Mao and Zi punish each other, and Si and Shen punish each other. Violation of these rules for selecting days incurs reprimand and may result in fifty days of illness.

Those who request the presentation of a memorial, if they wish to relieve deceased ancestors of underworld interrogations, calamities, and culpability, or to pray for the elimination of illness and disaster arising from their own offenses together with a determination of good or ill fortune, should transact the matter at their affiliated original diocese (the local Daoist parish or administrative seat). If the original master is distant, they may go to a place of the same ritual lineage that follows the same teachings. If one is neither a disciple of the ancestral master of one’s own lineage nor belongs to the household registers and dioceses governed by a Jia Libationer (a Daoist official rank), the memorial presented cannot reach the Heavenly Offices. Officials of ranks designated Jia, Yi, Bing, Ding and below all serve as personnel who submit memorials and reports upward on others’ behalf. Those who administer three hundred households or more are called Disease-Treating Officials; those who administer three households or more are called Office Appointees; both are the principals in charge of their respective affairs.

The regulations further require that for cultivating blessings and extending lifespan, eliminating disasters, and treating or averting all manner of illnesses, one should face east when presenting the memorial; for releasing entanglements connected with graves, praying for mental clarity and illumination, and passing through calamities, one should face west. The final section again repeats these directional prescriptions, beginning with the words “when disaster, difficulty, and urgency strike,” and the wording appears to contain omissions or repetitions.

When disaster is urgent and one finds oneself in hardship, one should face north and present a memorial (submitting a written petition to the celestial court), praying to seek life from the realm of death, to eliminate evil harm, and to subdue heterodox spirits.

When cultivating the body and nurturing one’s nature, praying for a gentle and peaceful life of abundance and smoothness, or hoping that various wishes may be fulfilled, one should face south and present a memorial.

Whenever presenting a memorial, one must stand upright and use a zhou niu (a sacrificial animal used in offerings; the precise meaning of the term “zhou niu” is unclear) to examine one’s resolve. One must also swear a covenant with the officials and spirit soldiers of the celestial bureaus, pledging not to violate the precepts.

If it is Heaven’s intention to relieve calamity, even those who originally ought to suffer death will have their culpability reduced. Acting thus benefits the many; do not imitate the practices of others. Later generations of descendants will thereby receive blessings as well. All Daoist priests and female officials who hold Daoist offices, as well as laypeople living scattered among the populace and those newly entered into the Dao (the Way), must not associate in eating and drinking with households that behave with violence and license or that conduct heterodox sacrifices. Those households invite one another, drink wine and eat meat, gather men and women together, with old and young chatting and laughing, acting as they please; all of this is forbidden by these statutes. Do not, out of craving for food and drink, allow matters to go awry, lest impure qi (vital energy) come and go without cease and invite disaster. One should restrain the officials and spirit soldiers under one’s own command; if they are all regarded as having unclean reputations, one must take precautions in advance. Should one suffer harm as a result, do not resent or assign blame.

All Daoist priests and female officials who hold Daoist offices must not allow the people to repeatedly perform rituals of the kind called “inquiring, resolving, and purifying pollution” (dealing with so-called defilement or calamity by means of divination, exorcistic resolution, and the like). Nor may they, because of excessive taboos or in the name of “lü zhen” (the referent of this term is unclear), engage in fraud and deception, acting arbitrarily according to private inclination and seeing spirits at every turn. A mind that is not upright will ultimately never receive the grace of the Dao; heterodox and false affairs will only invite themselves, causing people to suffer in vain, and in the long run they bring no benefit to oneself. These practices are all forbidden by the liturgical statutes (keyi); can one still blame Heaven? (This passage is repeated once in the original text.)

Daoist priests and female officials must not allow the people to privately sacrifice to ghosts and spirits or slaughter pigs and sheep, nor may they use strange and demonic speech to delude people’s minds. These vain practices are all forbidden by the Daoist community; upon discovering such conduct, it must be firmly stopped. Those who violate the precepts have transgressed the registers (lu, the prohibitions recorded in the Daoist conferral of Fulu, or talismans and registers) and will have twelve years deducted from their allotted lifespan.

Here ends the Xuandu Lüwen (Statutes of the Mysterious Capital).

Note: The original textual collation indicates that the character gan should be a miswriting of gai; the character hui is suspected to be a redundant interpolation.