《老君音诵诫经》

Lord Lao said: Elaborate techniques of the Dao (the Way) cannot truly enable one to attain the Dao, and the true Dao is not elaborate. By cultivating in accordance with these teachings and precepts, all male and female Daoist officials, upon seeing the sincere liturgical precepts that I recite and expound, will naturally attain some realization in their hearts. They may assemble the faithful and fellow practitioners, arrange my precepts according to the proper rules into a separate chapter, and present it upward to show their sincere acceptance; thereafter they must understand and carefully observe them, putting them into practice in accordance with the precepts.

Lord Lao said: When Daoist officials and lusheng (those who have received the transmission of Daoist Fulu [talismans and registers]) first receive the precepts, they must perform eight bows facing the precept Jing (scripture), standing upright before the scripture. The master or a fellow practitioner holds the Jing and recites it according to the ritual of “Bayin Yue”; the recipient bows down to listen to the recitation of the scripture and to comprehend its meaning. After the recitation reaches the end of the scroll, they perform eight bows again, and only then is the ritual concluded. If one does not understand the method of musical recitation, one may simply recite it aloud. The precepts and the Jing must complement one another, and in daily practice one should be respectful and cautious. If one wishes to transmit them to fellow practitioners or disciples, this too must be done according to the regulations, and they must be understood and carefully observed.

Lord Lao said: Daoist officials and lusheng must not copy the Jing without authorization. It is not permitted to omit characters, write incorrectly, or add or delete even a single character without authorization when copying; nor is it permitted to excerpt only a portion. If, when copying the precept text, one writes only two or three sheets of paper without including the beginning of the scroll, thereby leaving the chapters of the precepts incomplete, disaster will befall oneself. This set of Keyi (liturgy) precepts and admonitions of mine has officials in charge of canonical affairs who supervise along with the Jing. One should understand and carefully observe them.

Lord Lao said: In the first year of Han’an I transmitted the Dao to Zhang Ling (an important figure in Eastern Han Celestial Master [Tianshi] Daoism)… [here the original text is suspected of having disordered bamboo slips or repetition] one must not excerpt without authorization; if when copying there are omissions or errors, additions or deletions of text, or if one writes only two or three sheets without the beginning of the scroll, rendering the liturgical rules incomplete, disaster will reach oneself. This set of Keyi (liturgy) precepts and admonitions of mine has officials in charge of canonical affairs who supervise along with the Jing, and one should understand and carefully observe them.

Lord Lao said: “In the first year of Han’an I transmitted the methods of the Dao (the Way) to Zhang Ling (that is, Celestial Master Zhang), establishing him as successor Celestial Master (Tianshi) to assist the state and support the nation’s destiny. Zhang Ling considered the world’s sufferings to be profound and felt it difficult to preside over the teachings in the mortal realm for long, so he requested to ascend to heaven. I therefore encouraged him and bestowed upon him the elixir for ascending to heaven together with wine that had been refined many times. Zhang Ling thus mounted the clouds, rose into the sky, and entered the heavenly palaces.

Since Zhang Ling’s ascent the office of successor Celestial Master has long remained vacant, with no one formally taking it up. I once commanded the true officials of the soil in every prefecture, commandery, and county (deities charged with local affairs) to record the allotments of Qi (vital energy), govern matters of ghosts, and register the household registers of the people; living libationers (Daoist officers) were not to be allowed to govern the populace by means of chaotic techniques.

Later some Daoist officials and libationers, being ignorant, transmitted errors among themselves, fabricated administrative registers and talismanic contracts (Fulu, talismans and registers, together with credentials) on their own, altered the Jing (scriptures) and methods, and threw the pure orthodox tradition into confusion. They claimed there were three hundred and sixty kinds of talismanic contracts and decrees capable of conferring longevity. Theories about ghosts and spirits proliferated and bewildered the people; they conferred official titles, talismanic contracts, and name-lists upon others and thereby collected gold, silver, and goods. In governing the people they also intimidated and coerced them, teaching them to make vows and offerings: some demanded bolts of cloth, calves, servants, and garments; some required a whole bolt of silk each year, while even those of shallow merit had to contribute one or two liang of silk. All manner of claims and names of illnesses were too numerous to count.

They further falsely asserted that Zhang Ling had handed down the Yellow-Red arts of the bedchamber (cultivation techniques involving sexual union of men and women) and transmitted this art to other couples, thereby corrupting public morals and damaging and defiling Daoism. Certain libationers even declared that after a father dies the son inherits the office, rendering Daoism still more chaotic and polluted.

The Dao is noble and De (Virtue/Power) is precious; offices should be transmitted only to the worthy and capable. If descendants are not worthy, how can they inherit the predecessors’ enterprise? Some sons of libationers conduct themselves improperly, act perversely, violate ethical norms, and behave wildly, disturbing the methods of the Dao—how then can they succeed to the office? The so-called iron-tablet clauses of ‘when the father dies the son succeeds’ are merely the procedures of recent worldly systems of official ranks.

I have not at present established a formal office of successor Celestial Master in the world. To allow Daoist officials to transmit ignorantly among themselves and to fabricate administrative registers on their own is incorrect. All Daoist officials and libationers should select the worthy, capable, and enlightened and confer offices upon them; they must no longer follow the old saying of ‘when the father dies the son succeeds,’ lest Daoism fail to shine forth. When I say this, am I claiming that I, Lord Lao, have already died and that descendants should inherit my title as Lord Lao Celestial Master? The Heavenly Dao is impartial and grants offices only to the worthy and capable. Daoist officials and libationers should discern carefully and act in accordance with the decrees.”

The Lord Lao (Taishang Laojun) said: I have heard from the Earth-Stabilizing Spirit of Mount Song that the people of the earth have long been without suitable Daoist officials to instruct them. Those in the world who cultivate goodness and seek blessed rewards instead obtain false scriptures; even when they practice according to these there is no result. They hope to obtain a truly wise and proper teaching. Therefore the office of Linked Celestial Master (Xi Tianshi) should be established in the world as the standard for instruction.

Kou Qianzhi of Shanggu lives in seclusion on Shaoshi Peak of Mount Song studying the methods of the Dao, carefully cultivating and organizing the teachings. He deeply understands the conditions of humans, ghosts, and spirits, can elucidate the principles, and acts in accordance with nature, yet this is still not sufficient to serve as Linked Celestial Master. I therefore traveled east on inspection and personally examined you. Do you know of this matter? My time has not yet arrived; I should not appear in the world. Kou Qianzhi, you deeply understand the conditions of humans, ghosts, and spirits, can elucidate the principles, and act in accordance with nature, yet this is still not sufficient to serve as Linked Celestial Master. I therefore traveled east on inspection and personally examined you. Do you know of this matter?

Kou Qianzhi, you ought to assume the formal office of Linked Celestial Master, instruct the people, assist the state and support the national fortune, diligently administer the methods of the Dao, and abolish the old arts of yellow and red. All categories of Daoist officials, libationers (jijiu, Daoist offices responsible for teaching affairs and ritual services), as well as those responsible for examining the Daoist community and managing Fulu (talismans and registers) credentials, must no longer collect gold, silver, or property from the people, nor impose complicated assignments and requirements of kneeling and bowing upon the people. Henceforth all such practices are completely forbidden; instead, follow the new method of the Recitation of the Precepts in Musical Tones (Yueyin Songjie) that I have transmitted. Those false and deceptive scriptures, methods, and Keyi (liturgies) of the past are not to be continued in use.

Kou Qianzhi received the instructions. After two nights and three days, he carefully investigated the hidden and secret matters of the netherworld. Lord Lao summoned him. Kou Qianzhi stepped forward and said: “I have received your protection, yet I am foolish and incompetent and unable to make any progress. If you do not bestow upon me the divine medicine of longevity, I cannot command ghosts and spirits; how then could I instruct the wicked to become good, eliminate disasters, calm strange omens, and take on the role of a model teacher? I earnestly beg you to pity me and preserve my life. Only after Lord Lao appears in the world, the divine medicine takes effect, and the Qi (vital energy) of the Dao enters my body will I dare to accept the office of Linked Celestial Master. Please record my sincere heart.”

Lord Lao said: “I have you receive the office of inner administration among the celestial officials, to oversee all inner and outer officials, to preside over the true duties, a status that may be equivalent to that of Linked Celestial Master. I permit you to decline once. My teaching of the Recitation of the Precepts in Musical Tones has never been transmitted since the first rectification and change of Heaven and Earth; now the time has come and it ought to be promulgated. You should receive it, teach people to observe the precepts and regulations of the teaching, and have the Daoist officials, those who govern the people, and the libationers put it into practice accordingly. After these instructions are observed, I will order the true earth officials of the Nine Provinces and Four Seas to report the household registers and name lists. If Daoist officials, libationers, and Daoist people have merit in upholding the law, suitable persons will be selected from among them and their names registered in the registers of Wenchang Palace. If Daoist officials or libationers are not familiar with the methods of instruction, or if someone inquires about the arts of nourishing life or difficult matters, you should help to adjudicate, explain the principles, and carry them out according to the statutes.”

The Command Text of the Recitation of the Precepts in Musical Tones of the Most High Lord Lao says:

“I see that nowadays many people of the world commit evil: fathers are not loving, sons are not filial, ministers are not loyal. Since the times are thus, pestilence and poisonous harm will descend, and the wicked will all die. Therefore I have gone far from the human world to Mount Kunlun. In the world the wicked slaughter one another; many die, and among them there are also innocent good people who suffer injustice. I pity their suffering and therefore often come eastward to the human world to protect the good.

The true earth spirits of the Nine Provinces and Four Seas and the subordinate officials of the Five Peaks all gathered together and each reported the local customs and conditions of good and evil. They said that nowadays people of the world commit evil, doing only things that bring about death, while those who cultivate goodness are few. The custom of falsehood and deception flourishes in the world; some distort the scriptures and methods of the Dao, confusing the people, claiming that Lord Lao is about to govern the world and that Li Hong is about to appear, whereupon the world falls into turmoil and rebels are numerous.

Those who falsely assume the name of Li Hong appear year after year. Some stir up talk of ghosts and spirits; even in the daytime people see them, and they use this to confuse the people. The ignorant believe it true, and deceivers invent all sorts of claims, establishing their own titles, setting up official positions, gathering crowds, and disturbing the localities. Many call themselves Liu Ju, and not a few call themselves Li Hong. I am greatly angered: that these wicked people should act so often in my name! Why are the ignorant of the world so muddled?

The place I govern is on Mount Kunlun. On the mountain, towers, terraces, and halls join one after another, filled with gold, silver, precious treasures, and all kinds of fragrant woods; orchids and cassia form groves; rare beasts, phoenixes, and flocks of birds dwell among them; divine dragons and fine horses are even raised as household livestock. Immortals and jade maidens all gather there. When I go out, I ride the clouds and drive dragons; with one exhalation and inhalation I can travel ten thousand li. Heaven and Earth, the people, and ghosts and spirits all obey my commands. Why would I need to be the lord of a single city on the earth? I have no desire for this at all.

If I ought to appear in the world, I would then put Heaven and Earth in order, abolish the old scriptures and institutions, remove erroneous content, and establish a new correct Way. Those whose destiny allows longevity I will grant divine medicine, causing them to ascend as immortals, cross over the world, and follow at my side. If the wicked can reform and turn toward goodness, upon encountering me they too can all extend their years. If kings and Sons of Heaven govern the people with merit, they will be allowed to remain securely in their positions; if their governance is improper, they will be replaced by worthy sages. After the people are at peace, I will further select them to be raised as immortals and settled on Mount Kunlun.

When I appear in the world, I will ride a carriage of nine dragons. The nine dragons have nine-colored markings on their bodies; the carriage has twelve layers of feathered canopies, made of sandalwood and catalpa, decorated with gold, silver, pearls, jade, and all manner of rare and precious objects, too many to describe fully. I will summon the true officials of the world, the spirits of the seas and peaks, the Earl of Wind and the Master of Rain, and command ten thousand ghosts; I will tilt the celestial net and contract the earth veins, causing Heaven and Earth to turn with me; I will grasp the sun and moon, making Heaven and Earth bright and dark through day and night. Immortals and jade maidens will attend in carriages; the music of bells and drums will fill the void; a hundred beasts, phoenixes, and flocks of birds will fly in the sky above. Heaven and Earth revolve; human and ghost soldiers are boundless and endless. Seeing my awesome light, there is none who does not prostrate in reverence.

Yet those fools engage in groundless deception; everyone wants to do things of disloyalty, gathering fugitives and those who rebel and cause disorder, even slaves and menial laborers, falsely claiming to be Li Hong. How could I be born among these lowly and filthy people to do such rebellious and wicked things? The people of the world are treacherous and deceitful, reciting forged books, destroying the classics, causing how many people to harm one another! Is this not grievous?

I transmit these recitations of the precepts so that people of the world may all hear them, think them over carefully, and strive to cultivate goodness. Those who cultivate goodness and accumulate merit will have the chance to meet True Persons, extend their lifespan, and increase their blessings. You should be cautious and discerning, and carry them out in accordance with the statutes.”

Lord Lao said: When I originally established the Celestial Master (Tianshi) and conferred the parish offices, registers, and talismanic covenants of the Daoist teaching, was there ever a statute that demanded money from people? This is comparable to how the government establishes offices and confers official titles. Now I proclaim this new statute, which should be followed and observed. From now on, one must not arbitrarily assign and transmit them, nor claim that after common people make vows they should deliver money and goods, handling the matter in imitation of the rites for conferring offices and parish registers. Common people have no wealth; they merely make vows for their households, hoping for a year of peace and abundance in the family kitchen, or pray for the elimination of disasters, healing of illness, and protection for men, women, old and young. All such pretexts for extracting wealth from them must cease. Only when conducting the collation-and-storage ritual (the ceremony of checking and storing scriptures, registers, and documents) may one collect one-third of the fee; the fee is calculated according to local market prices. If a household kitchen (setting up an altar and performing rites) is established and an assembly of people is summoned, it should be held at home and then dispersed; if needed, one may afterwards visit the master to handle healing and similar matters. When common people fall ill, each has a fixed allotted lifespan; as long as they maintain the incense fire and concentrate on submitting petitions in prayer, it may be possible to communicate with the above. Each year common people need contribute only thirty sheets of paper, one writing brush, and one inkstick, to be used for parish petitions and for salvation. If a Daoist official has an impure mind and does not follow the orthodox teaching, the people may switch to a master of the new statutes of the orthodox method and the pure and upright instruction. These regulations should be clearly and carefully observed, as in the statutes.

Lord Lao said: After a libationer (the Daoist official responsible for presiding over teaching affairs and rituals) has been promoted in merit, if the descendants are of pure and upright conduct, intelligent and perceptive, and familiar with the affairs of ghosts and spirits, they may go to an enlightened master to receive the conferral of office, parish registers, and talismanic covenants, inheriting the father’s position. If the descendants act perversely, no different from ordinary people, and do not observe the statutes and covenants, all officials should jointly deliberate and submit a memorial to the heavenly offices (the celestial bureaucracy), permitting the people to receive instruction elsewhere. These regulations should be clearly and carefully observed, as in the statutes.

Lord Lao said: If Daoist followers make vows and set up a kitchen to perform rites in their homes without a master presiding, the master should immediately halt the rite, have the people prepare the necessary items according to market prices, then hold the assembly rite, and afterwards disperse.

Lord Lao solemnly warned that if Daoist followers do not study the Keyi (liturgy) and its regulations, and if they cannot diligently offer incense, they cannot eliminate disasters and illnesses, nor easily resolve anxieties connected with travel, troubles involving government authorities, and various unusual or strange occurrences. Anyone wishing to request protection and state their wishes must first make a report. Why is this so? Because merely installing a shrine at home to seek blessings is not in accordance with proper procedure. From now on, whenever Daoist followers have a request, they must first prepare the offerings required for the kitchen gathering and only then present their petition. If they wish to set up an altar to state their case and pray for their desires, they should report each of the matters they seek one by one. In this way they can obtain blessings; there is no other path. They should clearly understand and cautiously follow this, treating it as they would a legal ordinance.

Lord Lao said that Daoist officials (those in Daoism responsible for religious administration and Keyi), upon receiving their official appointments and positions, take charge of Fulu (talismans and registers) affairs. The offerings provided should be determined according to the financial abundance or scarcity of each household. If one wishes to hold a gathering ritual, the number of participants may be decided independently; three or more people is sufficient. If the scale can be enlarged, more may also be arranged. The various dishes and offerings used in the gathering may be combined and shared in common; if this cannot be done, there is no need to force it. They should clearly understand and cautiously follow this, treating it as they would a legal ordinance.

Lord Lao said that the kitchen gathering (a gathering ritual for presenting offerings and praying for wishes) is divided into the Upper Zhai and the Middle Zhai. The Upper Zhai lasts seven days, while the Middle Zhai lasts three days. The number of people may be arranged as one wishes; three or more is sufficient, and the scale may also be expanded. The various dishes and offerings in the gathering may be combined and shared in common; if this cannot be done, there is no need to force it. They should clearly understand and cautiously follow this, treating it as they would a legal ordinance.

Lord Lao said: When holding a Chu Hui (a Daoist ritual of vegetarian offerings and prayers for blessings), the highest form of zhai (fasting) requires seven days of abstinence, the intermediate form three days, and the lowest form at least from the preceding evening. During the zhai one should eat a vegetarian diet for one day, consuming three sheng of rice daily, while abstaining from sexual activity, the five pungents (onions, garlic, and other strongly aromatic vegetables), raw vegetables, and all meats. One should diligently perform good deeds, remain at home, and refrain from any conduct that does not accord with the zhai.

If defilement from mourning or recent childbirth makes it inconvenient to keep the zhai while attending the gathering, one should face the incense fire and make eight bows. Those of profound virtue and diligent cultivation should occupy the seats of honor; the host prepares the offering plates and sets them at the head of the table, while other guests each provide their own. Even those who do not follow Daoism may be invited to take part, without any need for concern.

Some ignorant people in the world, imagining that differences in belief give rise to contrary thoughts, refuse to observe the zhai and treat the Great Dao with contempt. The Keyi (liturgical regulations) do not insist upon this. The host should maintain a respectful and solemn heart; should anyone at the feast become angry without reason, the supervising Daoist official will later handle the matter as appropriate, and one ought to ponder the profound significance involved. All who share a common heart in seeking blessings and protection may participate without worry. After returning home, the host must burn incense, keep vigil by the incense fire throughout the night, and make three bows toward it, praying: “The Chu Hui prepared by the household of so-and-so is to request gracious blessings for a certain matter; may we obtain the protection of Dao Qi (vital energy).” This is to be performed with caution and sincerity, and the ordinances must not be violated.

Lord Lao further said: According to ritual propriety the Chu Hui should present the dishes in three servings: first the light fare, then the wine, and finally the rice. Since most people today cannot manage three separate presentations, the wine may be served first, limited to five sheng. This is to be performed with caution and sincerity, and the ordinances must not be violated.

Lord Lao said: After male and female followers of the Dao receive the zhilu (the registers of official ranks granted by the Daoist tradition), they should kowtow to the heavenly officials and submit memorials in prayer. Those whose hearts and minds are sincere and compliant will not be deluded by various evil influences. One ought to understand that this is like those who hold office and serve in the secular world: having official duties upon them, how could followers of the Dao deceive or offend them?

Among the Daoist officials (those holding positions within Daoism) and libationers (a clerical title in Daoism), ignorant and uninformed people transmit practices to one another, arbitrarily inscribing zhilu for themselves, and casually claiming they can summon and wear a thousand divisions of generals and clerks-soldiers. Such confused and false reports of invocations mean that the clerks, soldiers, and guards mentioned actually have no foundation. One should only wear the zhilu that one has formally received, which specifies a certain official rank. Only those who truly communicate with the spirits and attain the Dao will encounter immortal officials. Recipients of office registers do not obtain as many as five or three clerks and soldiers at one time for their dispatch. How then could those foolish people on earth, imitating such practices, possess hundreds or thousands of layers of generals, clerks-soldiers, and guards? From now on, one should cease following those former practices and no longer act in that way. Cautiously and clearly carry this out, in accordance with the statutes and ordinances.

Lord Lao said: When inviting guests to assemblies, people should become accustomed to dressing neatly and with dignity, just as when attending a court audience in the hall of the Son of Heaven, showing mutual respect and solemnity. Cautiously and clearly carry this out, in accordance with the statutes and ordinances.

Lord Lao said: Followers of the Dao serving their household masters (teachers responsible for instructing and managing the Daoist community) should do so as commoners serve officials; when speaking they should refer to themselves as “followers of the Dao.” Cautiously and clearly carry this out, in accordance with the statutes and ordinances.

Lord Lao said: Disciples who have received the zhilu and whose hearts are sincere should understand the proper rites when paying homage, just as officials and clerks in the secular world perform ceremonies; the ritual protocols are identical. Cautiously and clearly carry this out, in accordance with the statutes and ordinances.

Lord Lao said: When Daoist officials and libationers confer positions, zhilu, and Fulu (talismans and registers) upon others, they should confer only what corresponds to the recipient’s allotment of the Dao. After receiving and wearing the registers, if one no longer diligently cultivates, violates the liturgical precepts and constraints, and acts in a contrary manner, it is like officials and clerks violating the ritual institutions. Cautiously and clearly carry this out, in accordance with the statutes and ordinances.

Lord Lao said: Daoist officials known as Jijiu (libationers, the grassroots preachers and administrators of Daoism) grant offices to people and transmit Fulu (talismans and registers, used in Daoist rituals for prayer, exorcism, and healing). They should act in accordance with the laws of the Dao (the Way). After receiving and wearing the Fulu, if one is not diligent in practice, violates precepts and covenants, behaves perversely and improperly, harbors treachery and resentment, commits unlawful acts, and moreover spreads forged Kelü (Daoist precepts and ritual regulations) among the people, employing various means to deceive and confuse others so that the world no longer believes in Daoism, then this violates the laws of the Dao.

When someone in a Daoist household falls ill or faces a crisis, arbitrarily changing the Dao one follows should be handled according to regulations. Ignorant people, however, take it upon themselves to change their faith, bringing rice and firewood to other homes to treat the sick in the belief that this will bring recovery, only to invite death instead. After a patient recovers, some claim that this is a blessing and grace conferred by the Dao, asserting that there are spirits in the Dao, and they proclaim this to the world. Upon hearing this, some people, because of funerals or disasters, seek help from county officials, while others change their faith and convert to Daoism. As a result the number of believer households gradually increases, but some newly initiated Jijiu act erratically and against the law, indulging in lust, stealing, taking life, displaying base character, and using coercion and intimidation to flaunt supernatural powers and profit from Daoism.

These people sometimes falsely claim to have seen Lord Lao (the deity venerated in Daoism) and assert that they have received a calling, having heard such divine oracles, thereby causing resentment to accumulate in the hearts of the common people. Some Daoist officials also say: “I, like other masters, serve the household heads (the believers under their administration). Why then do people not revere and salute me as they do other masters? Those masters can bring people temporary peace; if someone wishes to switch to a worthy master, they say the Kelü are hard to violate.” Such people may likewise falsely claim to have seen Lord Lao and heard oracles, causing the people to harbor resentment. Such cases should be investigated and verified.

If believers gather and hold a Chu Hui (a religious assembly involving communal cooking and food offerings), one should listen to the accounts given by the common people, and the relevant Daoist officials should jointly submit a memorial. The people should be allowed to apply to change the Daoist official to whom they are affiliated, but they may not arbitrarily leave their original jurisdiction or privately change affiliation. All of this must be carried out cautiously and clearly in accordance with the laws.

Lord Lao said: I observe the ignorant people of the world and see the libationers (Daoist officials who preside over sacrifices and transmit the methods of the Dao) together with those responsible for instructing the households, leading the common people in submitting petitions and memorials and presenting documents that have undergone zhai refinement. These range from as few as three or five to as many as a dozen or more. Although the petitions are numerous they are chaotic and without order; of the thousands upon thousands sent upward not a single one truly arrives. Why is this so? Because the true officials of the earth (divine officers in charge of local affairs) and other supervisors, fearing they might be implicated, suppress the documents, delaying and withholding them.

I command everyone to recite the hymns together, express sincerity, and admonish all the divine officials. The regulations for petitions and memorials should be as clear and orderly as documents presented to officials in the living world, so that matters may be successfully conveyed upward. Those Daoist officials who do not understand these principles neither study the composition of petitions and memorials nor learn from those who are knowledgeable and thoroughly familiar with the regulations.

When worldly Daoist officials perform the transfer and deliverance of the deceased across the stellar realms (rituals in Daoism for praying for the salvation of departed souls), they often write twenty or thirty documents, elaborating the matter with many ornate phrases. All of this is inferior to cautiously cultivating goodness, observing zhai and maintaining personal discipline, practicing with diligence and hardship, and offering worship with incense. Accumulating one hundred days of merit in order to transfer the souls of deceased parents is the matter of primary importance. Submitting a single dedicated petition each month that explains the merits of zhai observance and cultivation surpasses hundreds or thousands of persuasive documents written for the deliverance of the deceased across the stellar realms. If the merits of zhai observance and cultivation fail to reach above, there can be no communion with the divine.

First observe zhai and accumulate merit, and only then submit petitions for the deliverance of the deceased across the stellar realms. Do not intermingle impure items, nor mix offerings such as rice, silk, paper, and writing brushes with the materials used for writing. This is to follow the assembly rites of the ancient worthies, burning incense in prayer so that the deceased may obtain liberation. Most importantly, do not merely occupy yourself with performing stellar-crossing rituals for the deceased. Complicated methods of the Dao do not necessarily communicate; the methods of the Dao that truly communicate are not complicated. From now on one must attentively comprehend and recite these words of sincerity, and cautiously and clearly put them into practice.

Lord Lao said: The practice of burning incense and making prayers for Daoist officials, Lusheng (Daoist believers who have received the Fulu (talismans and registers)), and ordinary men and women is as follows. After entering the Jingshi (the quiet chamber arranged as an altar for cultivation), they face east and pray earnestly. First they offer three sticks of incense and perform eight bows; then they remove their headcloth or cap, kowtow nine times, and slap their cheeks three times. After completing this three full times, they announce: “Male official Jia Yi, today at this hour burns incense and respectfully reports his wishes.”

They then pinch the incense with their fingers and place it into the censer, saying at the same time “incense offering completed,” after which they again perform eight bows, remove the headcloth or cap, kowtow nine times, and slap the cheeks three times. After completing this three full times, they announce once more: “Male official Jia Yi, today at this hour burns incense and respectfully reports his wishes.” They then place the incense into the censer and say: “May the faults committed by Jia Yi since the age of seven be eliminated, and may he enjoy long life and extended years.”

They next offer incense again and pray: “May the three lineages and five ancestors of so-and-so, the parents of seven generations, as well as the deceased of earlier and later times, all be delivered from suffering and dwell in a realm of joy.” After that they offer incense once more and pray: “May all members of the household be safe and unharmed, and may the family’s wealth flow in and out smoothly.” They offer incense again to pray for promotion in official career, and offer incense yet again to pray that disputes of gossip among county officials and illnesses be eliminated and healed.

For each wish that is prayed, one stick of incense is offered. If praying on behalf of others, one may also offer ten, twenty, or thirty sticks of incense, according to the wishes being sought. On Zhai days (days of observing fasting and precepts), incense is to be burned at six double-hours, namely the Yin, Wu, Xu, Hai, Zi, and Chou hours; on non-Zhai days, incense is burned in the morning and evening.

On Chen days and Si days, at midnight one faces north to repent of faults, kowtows to Heaven and Earth one hundred and thirty-six times, and slaps the cheeks three times; three hundred kowtows are taken as the regular practice. Those who possess profound accumulated karmic blessings can quickly move the spirits to respond; those whose blessings are shallower will take eight years to attain immortality. One should understand this clearly and carry it out with caution, as stipulated by the ordinances.

At the end of the scripture it is again reiterated: Facing Heaven and Earth one repents of faults, kowtows one hundred and thirty-six times, slaps the cheeks three times, and takes three hundred kowtows as the regular practice. Those with profound karmic blessings can quickly move the spirits to respond; those with shallower blessings will take eight years to attain immortality. Be sure to understand this clearly and carry it out with caution, as stipulated by the ordinances.

Lord Lao said: On the days of the Three Assemblies (the days when Daoist communities hold gatherings and registration ceremonies), the people of the Dao (the Way) are to go to their master to complete their registration. When first registering in the registers (the Daoist rolls), they should stand in the prescribed position before the quiet chamber, facing south with their backs to the north, and each perform eight bows, nine kowtows, and nine slaps of the cheeks. They then bow again and prostrate themselves on the ground to request registration. When registration is complete, they again salute their master in congratulation. This should be clearly understood and carefully carried out in accordance with the ordinances.

Lord Lao said: Daoist officials who serve as libationers (the office responsible for transmitting the teachings and administering affairs) must, in their practice, go among the people. Whether coming or going, they are to keep the body upright, face forward, and walk straight ahead without looking to the left or right. When they arrive at a household of the common people, they must not give way to anger, scold, or find fault with the food and drink; they must not disdain the bedding, the dwelling, or the crowding and disorder of many people, and still less may they discuss rights and wrongs. They must not concern themselves only with going first to the houses of the wealthy and noble, but should follow the etiquette of the people, going first to poor and humble households to teach them how to seek blessings, and to explain clearly and prepare in full the relevant regulations. This should be clearly understood and carefully carried out in accordance with the ordinances.

Lord Lao said: Male and female register-holders (those already entered in the Daoist rolls) and people of the Dao, if they have male or female servants in their households, must not address them as “slave” or “maidservant,” but should call them directly by name. If they commit a fault, they must not be beaten or scolded at will; one should first explain according to reason, telling them: “You have done this thing; by rights you ought to receive a beating with the staff, so that you may accept the punishment.” If punishment is to be pursued, the servants should also acknowledge their fault and accept the penalty, and ought not to harbor resentment. When Daoist officials and people of the Dao converse, they must not discuss matters of death; this is a great taboo for the people of the Dao. This should be clearly understood and carefully carried out in accordance with the ordinances.

Lord Lao said: In the world there are those who inherit the Daoist faith of their fathers and ancestors yet establish a practice of their own, offering incense in the home; there are also those who inherit from their forebears the office of libationer. The common people, not understanding these rules, assume that when a father dies, the son simply succeeds to his office…

Those Daoist followers and common people who have not returned to the orthodox Dao (the Way), if they mix with illicit shrines and heterodox paths, causing the masses to be influenced by heterodox teachings, their words and deeds inconsistent, yet they claim to follow the Dao; when they see other officials governing Daoist followers and presiding as libationers (jijiu, a Daoist office responsible for Zhaijiao purification rituals), they again perform rites of homage and say, “I am a Daoist follower and wish to return to orthodoxy,” yet they fear that this might implicate the spirits and invite disaster. For such people, they may be invited to participate in a Daoist assembly; after three invitations, once their sincerity of intention is confirmed, if they still do not heed, then they should not be invited again. If such people harbor treachery and never change, they are not true people of Heaven (tianmin, common people educated by the Celestial Dao), and it is better to invite common people who do not follow the Dao.

Why is this said? They likewise are people of Heaven, living under the unified governance of the Dao. Since their affiliations differ, it is also good to let them participate in assemblies together; how can they be equated with those followers of the Dao who have no master transmission and harbor heterodox thoughts? Daoist officials and libationers should have them participate in assemblies together; according to these circumstances, common people may also be invited as guests. However, such matters are easily mishandled and should be carefully weighed. If they are invited as guests yet then dealt with according to penal statutes, that is not appropriate. One should carefully and clearly discern, and act in accordance with the statutes and ordinances.

Lord Lao said: When Daoist followers pray for blessings and set up a kitchen for sacrifice, they must first observe a fast. The fast is divided into upper, middle, and lower grades, which may be chosen by oneself; on the following day an assembly should be held. The guests invited that day reside in the host’s home. Everyone together prays for the matter requested, and only after obtaining the joint guarantee of the assembled officials of the government office may they proceed; they should not depart separately. Between cockcrow and sunrise, all should be included in the offering kitchen (the vegetarian food offered during the sacrifice), in order to welcome the immortal officials. Only when setting up a kitchen for deceased ancestors may the time extend from early morning until noon.

Common people, according to the vows they have made, go to the government office to handle them, whether in commanderies and counties, or in the fiefs of dukes and marquises, ministers and high officials, as well as earls, viscounts, and barons, they may according to their own wishes set up a kitchen and seek a zai (original terminology whose specific referent is unclear). When the common people’s minds are at peace, their places of residence are peaceful, and wind and rain come in due season, they may freely set up a kitchen, with no pre-established restrictions. Nowadays there is no limit on the number of people; not setting up a kitchen need not cause difficulty, so long as one sincerely and diligently offers incense. One should carefully and clearly discern, and act in accordance with the statutes and ordinances.

(The original text has several phrases suspected of textual error or omission, especially at “qiu zai” and similar places; the above is as far as possible a direct translation according to context.)

Lord Lao (Taishang Laojun) said: The layers of Dao Qi (vital energy of the Way) are innumerable. Since the opening of heaven and earth and the Yellow Emperor’s governance of the world, immortals and sages have existed among humankind. In later times, however, human hearts gradually grew insincere, the methods of the Dao declined, and the scriptures (Jing) themselves became disordered. Later generations further fabricated immortal scriptures and diagrams under assumed names, each person establishing a separate set of methods, so that the world’s classical formulas numbered in the hundreds of millions of billions, herbs numbered in the tens of thousands, and medicines became countless.

People of later ages enjoy cultivating the Dao and pursuing longevity, yet they follow these methods and obtain no results. Why is this? It is because the ignorant possess only shallow understanding and fail to grasp the subtleties of the great Dao of longevity. The oral instructions and essential points transmitted among the immortals and sages are often not written down in books. Without practicing Zhai (fasting and purification) to cultivate merit, concentrating the mind in recitation, stabilizing the heart-mind and Shen (spirit) so as to communicate with the spirits, how could one possibly summon the immortal officials who arrive riding the wind and dragons, or obtain the opportunity to be received and guided in ascent to heaven?

Those who indeed experience efficacy after taking herbal and mineral medicines do so because immortals report on their behalf to the heavenly court; the court then dispatches immortals, jade youths, and jade maidens to descend, protect, and assist them, and bestows the divine medicines under the charge of the heavenly officials, which are blended into the medicines in precise amounts. A single herb or a single person’s medication possesses corresponding potency; the efficacy of one person’s taking of medicine is also related to the practice of ingesting Qi, and the underlying principles of both are the same. How can people of the present age possibly comprehend these principles? Without the descent and assistance of immortals, how could one ever climb the ladder of Taiqing (Highest Clarity, the lofty heavenly realm of Daoism)?

Nevertheless, taking medicines according to formulas can itself eliminate illness, extend life to one’s natural span, resist noxious Qi, and spare a person from the harm of epidemics. After completing one’s lifetime, one may still, through regulating diet, nourishing body and nature, establishing merit, and setting up Zhai together with the cultivation of jing (the rituals and sites of Daoist fasting, purification, and quietude), dissolve faults and remove culpability.

All who wish to cultivate and study the Dao of longevity should jointly seek out and recite the methods of precept texts and the accumulation of merit, and should cultivate through incense offerings, Zhai fasting, and practice. Once meritorious practice is complete and the sympathetic response reaches the heavens, longevity may then be realized.

The Baopuzi, the Daoist classic written by Ge Hong, collects the worthies of former generations and the various classical formulas, arranging them into Inner and Outer Chapters in order to exhort people to seek immortality and cultivate the Dao, thereby enabling them to understand that longevity is attainable and thus awakening human minds. These texts continue the scriptures left by previous ages; they are not arbitrarily invented and do not incur the fault of unauthorized alteration of scriptures or of false proclamation. In compiling scriptures to exhort immortality, merits and demerits are borne by the author; if there is merit, in a future life one may obtain the stairs of ascent as an immortal.

Those who cultivate the Dao should no longer rely upon the forged scriptures and precepts of earlier people. The many classics that people of today study and recite may perhaps benefit the self, or bring immediate wealth and honor, or leave blessings for descendants, yet they may not necessarily serve as the stairs for longevity and ascent as an immortal. Those who wish to seek the Dao of longevity should first read the Five Thousand Words (the Daodejing), which is the most important scripture. One must understand the principles contained therein and carefully put them into practice, in accordance with the statutes and ordinances.

Lord Lao said: Outside the Jingshe (the place where Daoists perform Zhaijiao (purification rituals) and cultivate), an additional fence or enclosing wall should be erected according to the size of the location, with the gate facing east. After the Jingzhu (the person who presides over Jingshe ceremonies) has entered the Jingshe, all others, including disciples, must remain outside. During incense-offering rituals, the Jingzhu must not eat or drink, wear shoes, or casually sit, rise, or converse inside the Jingshe; these are all regarded as major taboos when seeking blessings. To prevent ordinary people from entering the Jingshe and taking items, everything inside should be bound with cords. These rules must be carefully observed and the ordinances must not be violated.

Lord Lao said: When someone in the household of a Daoist official (Daoist clerical personnel) or Daoist believer (those who follow the Dao) dies, a Jiehui ritual (to dispel the impurity brought by mourning for the deceased and their family) should be held after seven days. The family may take out the possessions left by the deceased to hold a gathering, with the amount depending on each household’s circumstances. Neighbors and local people may also be invited to participate, and there is no need to organize a grand banquet for the deceased. After the ritual is completed, if one still wishes to hold another gathering, it may be decided independently; if one has the means it may be done, but if not there is no need to force it, provided incense is offered with sincerity. These rules must be carefully observed and the ordinances must not be violated.

Lord Lao said: When holding a zhai gathering and burning incense for the deceased, one Daoist official stands in the center of the Jing altar (the ritual platform where Daoist ceremonies are performed) facing east. The lüsheng (Daoist priests who have received the registers) and the host also face east, each performing eight bows, nine kowtows, and nine cheek-strikings; these rites are completed for three full cycles and then cease. Afterward each bows once more and earnestly petitions. If there are many participants, they may also perform the rites and kowtow while seated.

The host reports the title and name of the Daoist official and announces them to the Boundless Great Dao (Wuji Dadao, the supreme Dao venerated in Daoism). Everyone pinches incense three times with their fingers, then inserts it into the incense burner while reciting: “May the sins of the deceased so-and-so be released.” They burn incense and offer prayers. The others in turn come before the altar and earnestly pray and offer incense in the same manner; after all have finished, the Jing master (the Daoist priest who presides over the Jing altar ritual) presents a petition (submitting a memorial to the deities).

The remaining people should salute the host from their places and kowtow facing east. After the petition has been presented, the zhai gathering is held. After the assembly disperses, the Jing master enters the Jing chamber to report and pray, seeking wishes and blessings on behalf of the host and describing the circumstances of the occasion; the host kowtows facing east. When the ritual concludes and the guests depart, the guests perform eight bows facing the Jing altar and then return home.

The host must complete three rounds of incense burning within a single night. This is to be carefully and clearly carried out in accordance with the statutes and ordinances.

Lord Lao said: When someone in a Daoist household falls ill, the family may inform the master and invite the master to come to the home to address the matter. The master first has the household member light incense inside the Jing (the quiet chamber used for religious rituals); the household member remains outside the Jing, facing west, with hair unbound, kowtowing while confessing all the faults and sins they have committed. These must be fully disclosed without concealment, while praying for forgiveness. If even a single fault is not clearly accounted for, if the mind is insincere, or if there is no faith in the ritual methods, how then can the submitted petition documents take effect?

The master must also present a separate document explaining that a certain Daoist household member seeks help for a particular reason. The patient personally must likewise confess their faults. Only when all sins have been fully accounted for can the master obtain a favorable spiritual response; if anything remains omitted, the master will receive no good induction or reply. During confession, Fulu (talismans and registers) may be used at the same time to receive and transmit the documents.

The Daoist household submits petitions three times a day for three consecutive days. If after three days the illness has still not lessened, further petitions may be submitted, praying for the lifting of punishments upon deceased ancestors. During the day members of the sick household face the Jing chamber and kowtow; at night they face north, kowtowing toward Heaven and Earth in confession, without any interruption. Should the household, out of fear, propose using money or arranging kitchen banquets to make their prayers, the master must not comply on that account. If the household is truly able to prepare a banquet, they may, according to the regulations of Keyi (liturgy), invite three, five, ten, or more people and hold a gathering according to the number of participants. During the gathering, guests, hosts, and the patient all perform the rites according to propriety, kowtowing and burning incense while praying for aid. After the gathering ends, the guests, upon returning home, should also burn incense and kowtow on behalf of the patient, performing this three times in a single night, with the same rites used when praying for the patient’s salvation. These practices must be followed with care and must not violate the precepts.

The Supreme Lord Lao (Taishang Laojun) said: If those who follow the Daoist teachings fail to observe carefully the precepts and liturgical methods (Keyi), and commit faults such as sexual misconduct or the taking of life, they should investigate the illicit goods, convert them into a monetary equivalent, and return it to the common people; they should then use their own money to purchase kitchen implements. A master or elder may submit a memorial on their behalf, requesting that the related culpability be released.

When conducting this kind of repentance ritual, the host, in the presence of the guests, should face the incense fire and perform the rites: kowtow eight times, then slap the cheeks thirty-six times; after completing three rounds, bow again. Then pinch incense with the fingers, insert it into the censer, and announce: “So-and-so reports to the Supreme Great Dao (the Way). I, so-and-so, am an ordinary mortal who has erred through ignorance. I wish, in accordance with the liturgical codes, to set up a shrine and petition a certain divine official regarding this matter. I have previously also made requests; now, following the codes, I return the illicit goods and use my own money to purchase kitchen implements, and I ask the guests present to bear witness. From this day forward, my life and death are entrusted to the Dao; I dare not take my former conduct as a precedent. I earnestly request to be included within the scope of pardon, to receive grace, and thereby to live. May the Qi (vital energy) of the Dao take pity on me. I shall carefully observe and not violate the liturgical statutes.”

The Supreme Lord Lao said: Among male and female Daoist officials, some have long engaged in disordered conduct. Some who serve as libationers (jijiu, clerical officers in Daoism) have diligently held office generation after generation, yet they are greedy for wealth and defiled. Even after they themselves die, their successors continue to demand money under that name and keep the illicit funds for themselves. The evil deeds of these people have long accumulated, yet they falsely claim that the scriptures and precepts permit it. All such persons will fall into hell; those whose crimes are severe will further be reborn as insects and beasts, taking a long time to repay their karmic debts.

Therefore I have established new orthodox liturgical statutes and ordinances, requiring the relevant leaders to implement them accordingly, so that people may believe in the methods of the Dao, understand human sentiment, purify themselves, and accord with the Dao. The pure Qi of the Supreme will protect the multitude, enabling the people to begin anew: to correct past faults and cultivate future conduct, all taking the new liturgical statutes as the standard. You must carefully observe them and must not violate the decrees.

Note: The statements in the scripture concerning “libationers,” the extortion of money, and karmic rebirth as retribution illustrate the disciplinary punishments in Daoist precepts against embezzlement and abuse of office by Daoist officials. Some phrasing in the original is repetitive; the above has been translated coherently according to its general meaning.

Lord Lao said: The primordial Qi (vital energy) of the Dao (the Way) has thousands upon thousands of layers. The worthies of antiquity and the sages of later ages who cultivated the path of longevity all encountered immortal officials; each person obtained one layer of Dao-Qi, and after ascending to heaven and being delivered, they did not record these experiences in the scriptures. The teaching of the bedchamber—the arts in Daoism by which husband and wife cultivate according to specific methods—is connected with the Huangchi Jingqi (Scripture and Covenant of the Yellow and Red), comprising one hundred and twenty methods in all. The teaching of pacing the courtyard—the cultivation method of walking according to ritual in the courtyard—likewise contains not a single phrase that contradicts these methods.

Ever since Zhang Daoling, founder of the Way of the Celestial Masters (Tianshi), ascended to heaven, only the Jing (scriptures) have circulated in the world. Who, after all, are those who can explain these scriptures? Who, after all, are those who attain longevity and become flying immortals? The most essential guiding knacks of cultivation all lie in the oral transmission of the master. The teachings recorded in the scriptures can make a person’s mind and intention upright. If someone opens the mind, faithfully receives the scriptures, practices them with concentrated devotion, offers incense, and cultivates with diligence, they can communicate with the true spirits, associate with immortals, and also have the opportunity to obtain the crucial secret essentials.

Now people of later generations deceive and slight the Great Dao. They falsely claim to honor the gods while embellishing the scriptures, altering their meanings, arbitrarily fabricating regulations, and inventing all manner of spurious methods without cause. This has gradually become a prevailing custom, and they further transmit them to people throughout the world. Men and women wear the covenantal tokens (faqi, tokens indicating that one has received methods or registers), foolishly transmitting them to one another. Unable even to deliver themselves, they instead lead disciples and confuse the common people. There are many such persons, and thus they bring down calamities, defile the Daoist teaching, and destroy the root of cultivation.

I solemnly declare: the methods of the Yellow and Red—here referring to cultivation methods related to the bedchamber arts—are abolished. Practice instead the pure and distinctive methods, so that they accord with the Dao. Henceforth, if male and female Daoist officials and those who have received the registers (Fulu, talismans and registers) wear the Yellow and Red covenantal tokens, those who wear them shall not obtain good fortune. If anyone is not cautious, the true officials of the local earth, the officials of the quietude-parishes (Jingzhi guan, divine officials responsible for the affairs of Daoist parishes), as well as the supervising officers and envoys, will all register and investigate. I shall cause them to suffer calamities and punishments, and after death they shall fall into hell. Even if they are reborn as insects, beasts, livestock, or sheep, it will still be difficult to repay their karmic debts.

I see that worldly husbands and wives practice the methods of the Yellow and Red, yet not a single one acts according to the fundamental essential canons of the heavenly officials; they devote themselves only to filthy deeds, violating the taboos of the oratory-parish officials of the Daoist parishes. Even the heavenly officials, immortals, and jade maidens do not violate the laws of the parish chambers. The methods of the Yellow and Red are greedy and defiled; in the Daoist teaching there has long ceased to be any truly orthodox teaching of this kind. Foolish people transmit them among themselves, and none of them have grasped the correct way within them. If there are people of purity and simplicity who, because of confusion in the scriptures and precepts, err unwittingly, I do not wish on that account to let them suffer calamity, nor do I wish them to receive harsh punishment. Therefore I first establish a clear admonition and remove this category of teaching.

However, among the fundamental scriptures and covenants of seeking life through the bedchamber, there remain more than one hundred methods that are not among those prohibited. If husband and wife wish to cultivate them, they should go and consult a pure and upright master and practice according to the methods indicated by the master; choosing one that they themselves prefer, the transmission of a single method is sufficient.

Now the world is defiled, the spirits of ordinary people are in flux, and karmic sins are difficult to eliminate; that is why these admonitions exist. Cultivating the Dao must take fasting, precepts, and meritorious practice as the starting point, washing away sins and dissolving faults, and only thereafter can one communicate with the true immortals. Male and female Daoist officials should strive at fasting and precepts, seek out and recite these admonitory texts, and establish merit through incense offerings; the way of the immortals is not distant. Observe them carefully, and do not violate the precepts.

Laojun said: Ever since the Lineage Celestial Master (Xi Tianshi) ascended to immortality, the genuine official posts have long stood vacant, the methods of the Dao (the Way) have fallen into decline, and the hearts of the people have grown turbid. Daoist officials of later generations at every rank were ignorant and benighted; they passed things on among themselves and arbitrarily created titles of zhi, registers (lu), talismans (fu), and contracts (qi), causing the seasonal order to lose its proper pattern, so that these could no longer serve as a reliable standard.

I originally established the twenty-four zhi (administrative and cultivation jurisdictions of Daoism). Above they correspond to the twenty-eight lunar lodges; below they correspond to the twenty-four solar terms of Yin-Yang. I conferred them upon diligent libationers (jijiu, Daoist officers) so that they might instruct and govern the households of the people. Daoling (Zhang Daoling, founder of the Way of the Celestial Masters) put the methods of the Dao into practice, first preaching in a single prefecture of Shu. He appointed male and female Daoist officials according to mountains and rivers, land, commanderies and counties, and, following the designations I had set out—zhi, offices (guan), oratories (jing), huts (lu), pavilions (ting), and residences (zhai)—had them jointly instruct the households and exhort people to do good. The name Yangping Mountain corresponds above to the Horn lodge; the other mountains follow analogously.

Later, certain Daoist officials, not understanding the conditions of the netherworld (the realm inhabited by ghosts and spirits), continued to apply the covenant methods of Shu and unauthorizedly established zhi offices. Their decrees stated: “Now so-and-so is appointed to the zhi-qi office of Heming and Yuntai zhi, temporarily registered at this zhi, charged with instructing the households; this must be verified against the documents of the zhi officers. When the world is at peace, they shall be returned to their original zhi.” Yet the memorials of the earth gods throughout the Nine Provinces were originally submitted by the true spirits who serve as local earth-zhi officers. Now when Daoist officials present memorials they request that the lord-officials of the Shu zhi residences be summoned. This is as if heaven stood at opposite poles and earthly boundaries were cut off from one another, humans and ghosts remaining far apart and unable to communicate. I originally issued only the zhi names and commands that correspond to the stellar lodges, so that people might instruct the households. When Daoling established names for mountain, river, land, and residence zhi, did he mean that once the empire was at peace people should be sent back to their original zhi?

Henceforth, men and women throughout the prefectures and counties who wear office registers (documents recording a Daoist officer’s duties and name-list) should go before their masters and revise the designations of their residence-zhi and zhi-qi. In accordance with the present new regulations, only the original lodge-officer titles are to be restored, taking “zhi” as the office designation, and the twenty-four zhi are to be conferred. Those who receive the Zhonghua contract-command should, when issuing appointments, say: “Appoint Jia-Yi as Zhengzhong officer, True Qi of the Horn-lodge zhi.” When presenting memorials according to the regulations of the Neck, Root, Room, and other of the twenty-eight lodges, they may call themselves only “your subject” and must not style themselves “Perfected.” Officers outside the spirit registers must not use “zhi” as an office title. The names of the Shu residence-zhi are likewise no longer to be followed.

If descendants of the Lineage Celestial Master are still living and diligently observe the teachings of the zhi while instructing the people, they must not borrow the titles of other Daoist officer-libationers. When conducting ritual affairs and presenting memorials they must not use only the identity title of the Lineage Celestial Master, but should employ their office titles, with ranks equal to those of other Daoist officers. They must carefully observe this and not violate the statutes.

In the original text the passage from “the name Yangping Mountain” to “must not style themselves Perfected” is repeated; the above follows the source in merging the duplicated content.

Lord Lao said: Those who serve as Daoist officials (daoguan), parish administrators (zhengzhi), and libationers (jijiu) should recommend people of goodness and ability, receive disciples, and confer upon them parish offices, registers of precepts (chenglu), talismans and contracts, and other Daoist ranks and credentials. Recommending one worthy and good person can erase ten years of transgression, and the seeking of immortality will also be more swiftly accomplished. Recommending one treacherous and wicked person, by contrast, adds ten years of transgression. Such a person, even if seeking immortality and blessings, will in the end obtain nothing.

When ordinary people devote themselves to the gate of the Dao (the Way) and wish to become disciples, one should first observe their temperament. After three years of examination, once it is confirmed that their words and deeds are honest and consistent, that they can cultivate and carefully observe the religious law and teachings, that they diligently practice goodness, and that their resolve does not recede or stray onto deviant paths, only then may one confer the registers of precepts and receive them as disciples. This should be clearly discerned and carefully followed, as the ordinances prescribe.

Lord Lao said: After Daoist office-holders such as Inner Officials (zhongguan), those of Orthodox Qi (zhengqi; Qi, vital energy), those of Hereditary Parishes (suzhi), and libationers have been authorized to confer official registers and registers of precepts upon others, their register-recipients (lusheng, disciples who have received registers) must not privately confer the registers of precepts upon anyone else. If a register-recipient has no duty of commanding household congregations, yet has received an order of transmission…

Lord Lao said: After Daoist office-holders such as Inner Officials, those of Orthodox Qi, those of Hereditary Parishes, and libationers have been authorized to confer official registers and registers of precepts upon others, their register-recipients must not privately confer the registers of precepts upon anyone else. Those who do not command household congregations and who have received the registers of the Inner Parishes should serve in the office of libationer of dispersed Qi of the Inner Parishes. If they are Upper Numinous Officials and do not command household congregations, they serve in the office of libationer of dispersed Qi among the Outer Officials.

Those who serve as Outer Official libationers and govern household congregations, when assemblies are held, should sit below those who hold the One Hundred Fifty Registers. When Inner Official libationers govern household congregations, if their sons or junior disciples succeed to the parish office, they too should serve as Inner Officials. When libationers of dispersed Qi belonging to Inner Official Hereditary Parishes submit petitions on behalf of the people governed by their fathers, these should be called “petitions of inherited-administration Qi.” When libationers of other offices submit petitions on behalf of the people, these should be called “petitions of self-administration Qi.”

Those who seek the way of long life, if they cultivate and deliver only themselves, neither instructing the people nor commanding household congregations, may likewise receive directly the Inner Official Highest Immortal Red Heaven Seventy-Five Generals Register. Even so, their standing remains above that of Outer Parish libationers. This should be clearly discerned and carefully followed, as the ordinances prescribe.

Lord Lao said: If the deceased ancestors and great-grandparents of Daoist officials and Daoist laypeople still suffer condemnation in the netherworld and have not been released, calamity and blame will yet involve their descendants. If fasting, purification, and the cultivation of merit have not met the required standard, and if the petitions submitted are written incorrectly or their statements are untrue, then even repeatedly claiming to have achieved “ten communications” or “a hundred communications” will be of no help in the matter. One must first, through fasting, purification, and cultivation, move and communicate with the divine Shen (spirits); only afterward may one carefully follow the procedures, as the ordinances prescribe.

Lord Lao said: For Daoist officials and Daoist followers, if ancestors, deceased parents, and others have been demoted in the netherworld and their offenses have not yet been absolved, this will also implicate their descendants. In such cases, even if the fasting, purification, and cultivation of merit have not been successfully conveyed, or if the memorials are improperly written or incorrectly worded, it is of no help to claim that they have already gotten through ten times or a hundred times. One must first achieve thorough spiritual communication through fasting, purification, and the cultivation of merit, and only then submit the memorials, so that the case of the deceased may be set forth and they may be delivered.

The merits of the zhai (purification) practice and the written memorials need not be piled up repeatedly. Excessive complexity will disturb the Celestial Offices (Tiancao, the heavenly agencies that oversee divine affairs); better not to hold the zhai ritual at all than to do this. After one hundred days of zhai merit have been completed, on the day when memorials are submitted, one may also invite worthy persons and hold a banquet feast according to the number of attendees, thereby delivering the deceased, harvesting blessings, and advancing benevolence and virtue. If one is unable to prepare these, it is sufficient for the master to submit the memorials on one’s behalf, so as to transfer and deliver the deceased.

If one is a Libationer (Jijiu, a Daoist office that presides over sacrificial rites), one may pray for this daily; after one hundred days of zhai merit have been completed, one then requests the master to submit the memorials. This should be followed with care and clarity, and the regulations must not be violated.

End of the Scripture of Lord Lao’s Recited Precepts (Laojun Yinsong Jie Jing)

Collation notes: (#1) There may be a textual lacuna here. (#2) The phrase “fang you dang” may be superfluous. (#3) “gong” (攻) should perhaps be read as “gai” (改). (#4) “fang” (放) should be “fang” (仿). (#5) There may be a textual lacuna here.