《东厨司命灯仪》

We now burn incense and light the lamps to make offerings to the Stove Lord, Director of Destiny of the Eastern Kitchen for this rite (the deity who oversees a household's stove fire and food), the Stove Lords of the Five Directions and the Five Emperors, the Consorts of the Five Emperors' Stove Lords, the Spirit Stove of the Heavenly Kitchen, the Divine Stove of the Earthly Kitchen, the Thirty-Six Stove Lords, the divine lords of the new stove and the old stove, the Divine Mother of Cooking and Rinsing (the spirit who oversees boiling and washing), the General of Water Transport, and all the spirits associated with the taboos of the stove. May this sincere incense be used to make offerings to all the deities together.

We respectfully submit: Heaven is the master of the hundred spirits, able to send calamity upon the wicked and bestow blessings upon the good. The Stove God is the master of the household, correcting faults and inspecting transgressions. The duties of the Stove God are by no means slight, and so they call for even greater reverence. Today is an auspicious day, and we present our sincere devotion. The cassia wine has not yet been poured into the golden cup, yet orchid incense already burns in the precious censer. We hope the spirits will perceive this, so that the prayers of humans and deities may reach one another.

Now the Jiao officiant, one who has built a new kitchen stove and had the chimney entirely repaired, fears having offended the spirits who govern the stove. They therefore respectfully offer this petition, expressing their intent to settle the dwelling and give thanks to the deities. May this sincere heart ascend to the divine realm and receive the silent assent of the spirits. The spirits seem to be right before us, yet no one can see them. In sacrifice, one should act as though the spirits are truly present, bowing with reverent and diligent sincerity. Having devoutly set forth these words of petition, we also present offerings as clean and respectful as tender water plants freshly gathered. All those assembled for the ritual take refuge in the deities and offer their praises with sincere hearts.

Raising the Sacred Names

We burn incense and light the lamps to make offerings to the Stove Lord, Director of Destiny of the Eastern Kitchen for this rite, the Green Emperor Stove Lord of the East (Jia and Yi, Wood), and all the spirits of the stove household associated with taboos.

I have heard that the Divine Lord of Destiny (Siming, the spirit who oversees human merits, faults, and the registers of fate) acts upon the command of the Celestial Sovereign, and that the Stove God bears weighty responsibilities, holding the authority by which fortune and misfortune among the people lean upon one another. The Stove God's transformations are manifold and cannot be fully told. In Heaven, these spirits serve as envoys of the Seven Primes, reporting every matter of the human world to the celestial court each day. Every stove has a spirit name corresponding to it, and the Stove Gods of the five directions are sometimes called the Five Emperors. They divide their duties among different offices and take turns presiding over the affairs of Yin-Yang. Whether a person is good or evil depends on their own cultivation; the rights and wrongs of the world are all recorded impartially.

Now, the officiant of the Jiao ritual, N., respectfully invites the sacred presence and reverently offers incense and wine. May the spirits see with their own eyes and hear with their own ears, reporting people's faults truthfully; what should be recorded, let it be recorded, and what should be struck out, let it be struck out, in the broad bestowal of Heaven's grace. We bow our heads in refuge and offer our sincere praise:

The Azure Spirit divides the primal Qi, and the Azure Emperor descends in majesty. Above, he receives the decree of the Celestial Sovereign; below, he examines the moral order of human affairs. He records merits and virtues and registers transgressions; he rewards good deeds and reports names to Heaven. Day after day he holds the brush and writes, never pausing for a moment. Reverence for the spirits brings blessings; reckless conduct invites disaster. We sincerely repent our faults and pray that the spirits grant us peace.

We burn incense and light lamps to make offerings to the Stove Lord of Destiny of the Eastern Kitchen, to the Red Emperor Stove Lord of the southern Bing-Ding quarter, and to all the spirits in the household who oversee taboos.

I have heard that among the six spirits who receive sacrifice and record people's names, the Stove God is the most honored. People must prepare three meals every day, and this too is bound up with the mandate of Heaven. Yet when we reflect on our daily conduct, people today do not all act rightly. Now, the officiant of the Jiao ritual, N., is still entangled in worldly affairs, ...

It is said that among the six spirits recorded as receiving sacrifice, the Stove God (Zao Shen) is the most honored. People must prepare three meals every day, and these matters too are connected with Heaven. Looking back on one's daily conduct, it is likely that not everyone today acts with propriety.

The official presiding over this offering (jiao, 醮), here named only as so-and-so, lives amid worldly life and is also attached to family and ties of affection. In everyday life, he lights fires and cooks in the kitchen, steaming food in pots and cauldrons, always boiling water and using fire. When roasting meat, rank and gamy odors clash; when washing rice and cooking, grain may be scattered and wasted. He handles knives and axes without knowing restraint, and in burning grass and firewood he cannot avoid contact with impurity. He has mistakenly burned fish scales and animal hair, and deliberately thrown dung and straw into the stove. After drinking, he has shouted loudly, drawn spirits into his clamor, and recklessly chanted spells; he has bared his body before the stove and made a great din in the kitchen. These faults can hardly be exhausted in a word or two, and his offenses are beyond counting.

Now the one who has arranged this offering burns incense, presents wine, offers water and flowers, and carefully sets forth words of self-reproach, sincerely seeking extraordinary blessings. He wishes only that good fortune may continue through many generations, and that his sacrifices may not fall short of those of Yin Zifang, who prospered through his skillful offerings to the Stove God. He also hopes not to incur guilt for offending Heaven, lest he be like Wangsun Jia, whose attempt to curry favor with the stove spirit came to nothing. He therefore bows his head again in prayer and offers reverent praise:

Cinnabar Numinous True Qi (Qi, 炁; red spiritual energy), Red Emperor, Venerable Spirit, whose seat lies in the Li direction (south), you govern the stove hearth. You are able to send down blessings and joy, and skilled at driving away calamity. You can bind the Nine Ugly Ones (nine categories of malevolent spirits) and burn away demons and goblins. Those who defy you will be punished; those who revere you will live. I carry out this decree, and all people must abide by it.

Incense is burned and lamps are lit as offerings to the Stove Lord and Director of Destiny of the Eastern Kitchen, to the White Emperor Stove Lord of the western Gengxin quarter, and to all the spirits of the stove household who oversee taboos.

I have heard that when offerings are made to the ancestors in summer, the sacrificial goods and rites must be prepared according to what the ancient ritual codes record. Cinnabar refined and transformed into a yellow substance, and the uses of metal vessels, are likewise attested in the Han-dynasty texts. Every household has a hearth, so how could people fail to be careful in sacrificing to the Stove God? The divine bureaus of Heaven record and receive what people report to them, and all the more so when the faults of the human world accumulate day after day and month after month and may invite calamity. From the old to the young, faults do not arise from only one kind of person; from the subtle to the conspicuous, they are truly hard to exhaust in a single statement.

Now I, the Jiao official (the officiant who presides over Daoist Zhaijiao purification rituals), dwell in the dusty world, living in this cramped household. Ignorant of the Stove God's prohibitions, it is no wonder that the home is full of all sorts of trivial matters such as powder and rouge. I have brought ruin and decay upon myself, and I constantly fear the disasters of being scalded by fire or having my head burned and my brow scorched. Since I have received the vast grace of the spirits and been pardoned and forgiven, how dare I forget to express my reverence with this humble rite and to turn my heart toward devotion?

May all manner of malevolent spirits be swept away, so that the Five Blessings may descend. May divine protection be present, so that demons and evil influences do not intrude. May those fierce plague-demons pass by my gate without entering the house; may those violent and savage villains be heard but never seen. May such portents as the humming of the steamer and the crying of the axe be cut off, and may strange occurrences such as dogs and foxes behaving seductively and drawing near human dwellings be stopped. With head bowed to the ground, I take refuge and offer my sincere praise:

Great Sage of the Radiant Spirit, Venerable Deity of the White Emperor, you receive the celestial talismans and the commands of Heaven, and you lead the host of spirits. Your office concerns the human world, and above you also serve the Nine Pure Realms (the high heavens of Daoist cosmology). You dwell in the mansion of the Dui direction and nurture all beings. You cause people to forsake evil and turn toward good; you pardon offenses and leave behind your grace. You disperse the myriad calamities and send down a pure, far-reaching wind of auspiciousness.

I burn incense and light lamps to make offerings to the Stove Lord, Director of Destiny of the Eastern Kitchen of this very sound, to the Black Emperor Stove Lord of the northern Ren and Gui, and to all the spirits of the stove household who oversee its prohibitions.

It is said that ordinary people regard food and drink as the foundation of life, yet without a stove, how could food be cooked? The Stove God (Zao Shen) is an official of the celestial court who oversees human fortune and misfortune and keeps a record of people's merits and faults. Therefore, in accordance with the Daoist liturgy (Keyi) and purification ritual (Zhaijiao), an altar is reverently set up to enshrine the Stove God.

Today, the officiant, so-and-so, is troubled that the household is uneasy and the family anxious, and that many transgressions have accumulated. Not even the smallest good deed has been done in ordinary days, and a thousand words could hardly express it all. Now that they have examined themselves and turned back to reflect on their words and conduct, they will surely turn misfortune into blessing. We pray that the Stove God will sweep away all that is inauspicious, so that the household may always enjoy good fortune and celebration, and drive off danger and strange occurrences, so that the family may live long lives. We bow our heads in devotion and sincerely sing this praise:

Venerable Mysterious Elder of the Ren-Gui direction, Great Sage of the Celestial Spirits and General of the Earthly Spirits, we invite you to stand in attendance together at our side and carry out our commands. The deity's body rises a thousand zhang, and with both hands holds up Heaven and Earth. The rivers and seas are the deity's dwelling, and the spirits within fire are subdued by the deity's power. May the deity hear our sacred incantation and grant the human world lasting peace.

We burn incense and light lamps as offerings to the Stove Lord and Director of Destinies of the Eastern Kitchen (the Stove God who governs the kitchen and the fortunes of the household), the Yellow Emperor Stove Lord of the Central Palace and the Wu-Ji direction, and all the host of spirits of the stove household who preside over taboos.

I have heard that divine offices are established among humans, and their most direct function is to draw near to the common people and protect them; and since they receive their mandate from the Celestial Court, they are honored posts that carry out the decrees of the Celestial Emperor. He is called "Director of Destiny" (Siming) because he governs the allotted fates of human beings, and his duty is no light one. He is called "Lord of the Office" (Fujun) because he ranks among the venerable deities, and his title is truly esteemed. The Director of Destiny, Lord of the Office, oversees matters of the kitchen and also holds authority over affairs within and outside the household.

Now, I, the officiant (jiaoguan) so-and-so, live between Heaven and Earth and receive the gaze of the spirits, yet I have not understood the proper rules of reverence toward the divine, nor known how to conduct myself with caution. When drunk, I have gone about naked and behaved with disrespect. In speech, I have invoked the spirits carelessly and muttered incantations at random. I have let the smell of raw meat and rank food taint the space before the deities, and have added firewood with unclean hands. Day after day these acts have become ordinary habit, and all have been recorded in secret by the spirits. My good deeds are so few as to be almost nonexistent, while my faults have piled up like mountains.

Therefore I pray that the hundred spirits will together protect me, and that all manner of good affinities will lend their help and support. May pure and upright true Qi (Qi, the primordial vital energy spoken of in Daoism) descend from the five directions, sweeping away demons, malign influences, and ill omens. May auspicious winds blow through every household, so that divine grace spreads far and wide.

Bowing my head in reverent refuge, with a heart full of devotion, I offer this praise:

August Spirits, Huang-Lao, Sovereign of Wu and Ji, you dwell in the central position and govern the eight directions. You command all things in the world and keep them from overstepping the bounds of law. You reward good deeds and punish evil ones, bestowing extraordinary blessings. Should any demon or malign force cause trouble, let it be sent beneath the earth to perish. Protect the household in peace, and banish calamity forever.

Then the scriptures (Jing) are chanted, the memorial (shuwen, a document that presents petitions to the spirits) is read aloud, and the merit is dedicated onward (huixiang, transferring the merit gained from chanting to others or applying it to one's prayers).