《九天三茅司命仙灯仪》

Proceed with the ritual according to the established liturgy.

We humbly submit: when the Taiji (Supreme Ultimate) divided, the land of Huayang was endowed with graceful peaks; when the true immortals manifested their presence, the renowned mountain of Juqu became famed far and wide. The Golden Altar lies deep and secluded, connecting from afar with the Jade Cavern. Layer upon layer of mountains rise and fall, wreathed in mist and rich with green; ridge upon ridge of hills encircle one another, and where sunlight falls, the mountain colors turn crimson. Rare fragrant herbs give off their perfume, and the numinous lingzhi mushroom reveals its auspicious signs. Tigers roar and dragons chant, as though wind and clouds were breathing in and out; cranes soar, cinnabar light appears, and the carriages of the immortals pass to and fro among them.

Among them dwells a True Lord, who is none other than the Director of Destiny (Siming, the deity who oversees human lifespan and fate). He examines the merits and faults of immortals and mortals alike, and holds the balance of life and death, overlooking no subtlety and committing no error, however slight. He governs Red City, where the nine bestowals are recorded in his register; he assists Mount Qingyue, where his office extends over the Three Peaks. His sacred virtue (De) is generous and benevolent, displayed throughout the world, and he presides over the affairs of the three realms of Heaven, Earth, and Water. From ancient times to the present, people have all received his grace; far and near, all are bathed in his kindness.

In the twelfth month and in the third month of spring, people light the bright lamps of Heaven, and from every corner of the land, people offer incense and pay their respects with sincere devotion. All who take refuge in him and revere him receive his protection. Today we hold the lamp-praising ceremony. Your disciple, so-and-so, has long admired the true Dao (Way) and has for many years relied on the shelter of the Daoist community. Gazing up toward the Three Maos (here referring to the Three Mao True Lords), I have always kept a heart of reverence; I exhaust my sincerity in repaying the grace that safeguards my life.

Today falls on an auspicious day, and so we have established a pure fast and, with reverence, invite the true immortals, laying out a beautiful display of ritual propriety. We ask the Daoist priests to proclaim the meaning of the teachings through the scriptures, as though jeweled tallies and golden banners were descending from the celestial roads. With devotion, we light the immortal lamp that illumines the sacred image of the Three Mao Director of Destiny True Lords, shining throughout the Nine Heavens, so that its flame may continue the radiance of the three true immortals and match the brilliance of the sun and moon. May the wondrous qi (vital energy) of Dao-qi and Purple Yang spread and flow, harmonizing with the pure and gentle qi of the Crimson Palace (in Daoist belief, the dwelling of the immortals and perfected beings).

We humbly pray that auspicious flowers will bloom, so that good fortune begins from this day; we pray that the fruit of the Dao will be fulfilled, so that in this life we may attain blessing and longevity. May this small offering of sincerity long receive profound favor. We bow our heads in refuge and offer our devout praise.

We, with sincere hearts, take refuge in the Perfected Lord of Great Mystery, Wondrous Dao, Emptiness and Harmony, Sacred Protection and True Response (Taixuan Miaodao Chongxu Shengyou Zhenying Zhenjun), and in all the immortals and living beings. We offer our humble sincerity, hoping to receive the vast and lasting blessings of the divine. We bow our heads in refuge and sing our praises with reverence.

We, with sincere hearts, take refuge in the Perfected Lord of Great Mystery, Wondrous Dao, Emptiness and Harmony, Sacred Protection and True Response, and in all the immortals and spirit officials.

Respectfully we declare: from his youth the Perfected Lord held extraordinary aspirations. He left his father and went to the Northern Peak to cultivate the Dao (the Way). Later, when divine beings appeared in a dream to guide him, he journeyed to Xicheng to seek a master. He was able to ride a chariot drawn by divine tigers and personally attend an immortal who rode a flying wild duck. He took charge of the secretly transmitted texts and sacred registers, and received in person the oral instructions for refining elixirs and the arts of the immortals. Thus he could summon wind and thunder and command dragons and tigers. Divine light descended and auspicious Qi (vital energy) encircled him. In the morning he commanded the myriad spirits, so that ghosts and gods stood in awe and obeyed; at night he roamed the eight directions, soaring through the sky. He dwelt in the Nine Heavens and presided over the Five Peaks. For forty-two years of sacred governance, he protected the great fortunes of the state; the Qi of the Dao spread layer upon layer, sheltering all beings. All who prayed with sincerity were sure to receive his profound and wondrous grace.

Today, as we hold the Lamp-Praising Ceremony, your disciple, so-and-so, reverently follows the ritual norms of the immortals. We set out the solemn rites, enshrine the images clad in feathered robes and embroidered robes of rosy clouds, and prepare offerings of incense, flowers, lamps, and candles. With a sincere heart we entrust ourselves to the Supreme Minister of the Eastern Peak, Director of Destiny, Perfected Lord of Great Mystery, Wondrous Dao, Emptiness and Harmony, Sacred Protection and True Response. May the profound Dao be spread far and wide, and may the virtue of Emptiness and Harmony manifest in clear response; may the four seasons be temperate and the autumn harvest abundant. May the nation be prosperous and its loyal, upright people many, and may families be filial and harmonious. May scholars, commoners, artisans, and merchants all be content and joyful, and may all, whether high or low, worthy or unlearned, live in peace and nourishment according to their own circumstances.

We bow our heads in refuge and sing our praises with reverence.

We pay homage to the Perfected Lord of Emptiness and Harmony, Sacred Protection.

The Perfected Lord was lofty and bright by nature, and devoted his mind to grasping the profound words. From his youth he let down his hair and went to the Northern Peak to cultivate the Dao. Dwelling quietly in mountain forests and by the waters, he focused his thoughts on the path of immortality. He climbed mountains and crossed valleys, enduring every hardship, in search of a master's gate.

We pay homage to the Perfected Lord of Emptiness and Harmony, Sacred Protection.

His aspiration was lofty and expansive, and in stillness he sought the profound principles of the Dao (the Way). From his earliest, untutored years he let his hair hang loose and went to the summit of the Northern Mountain. Among forests, lakes, and marshes he quieted his heart, practiced in earnest, and concentrated his thought, seeking the Way of the immortals. He climbed high peaks and traversed deep valleys, enduring every hardship in his search for a master's gate; casting aside concern for his own body, he journeyed to steep and distant mountains and wandered in every direction. When his Dan (elixir) practice was accomplished, he followed his own nature and lived without constraint. Later he met an enlightened master and was granted a scripture of wondrous efficacy. He cut off his hair, knelt in prayer, and even endured the pain of wounding his hands and harming his body; he was content to wear a rope for clothing and felt no shame in hunger or cold. What he pursued was only the great Dao, and what he held to was only his true nature. His utmost sincerity reached the Supreme Emperor and moved Taixuan (the Great Mystery). Now, having respectfully received the Heavenly Mandate, he holds rank in Taiyuan (the Great Origin).

We, the assembled community, sincerely take refuge in the Perfected Lord of Wondrous Response, Protector of Virtue, of Supreme Dao and Tranquil Emptiness, Right Prohibitor and Registrar of Fates (Dinglu Youjin), and in all the immortals and spirit officials.

The Perfected Lord was by nature filial and upright, and was therefore honored with a place among the court gentlemen; his heart held benevolence and forbearance, and he diligently practiced the supreme and profound Way. Appointed by command in an earlier age, he held the office of Registrar of Fates, governing the ascent and descent of the perfected immortals on earth and observing the merits and faults of human beings. He administers the famed Mount Gouqu, the Golden Altar, and presides over its palaces, halls, cavern-dwellings, and immortal terraces. His bearing is solemn and majestic, and he shows no partiality: those who do good receive blessing, and those who do evil meet misfortune. The law of the Right Prohibitor is clear and discerning; those who transgress it may be punished in the open, or may bear retribution in secret. For those who take refuge in him with sincere hearts, the Perfected Lord will surely extend compassionate protection.

Now this disciple, N., following the rites of the immortals, respectfully observes the proper ritual and establishes the Lamp-Praise ceremony (zandeng yi). We set out images adorned with moon-shawls and robes of rosy mist, and prepare incense, flowers, lamps, and candles, and sincerely take refuge in the Perfected Lord of Wondrous Response, Protector of Virtue, of Supreme Dao and Tranquil Stillness, Right Prohibitor and Registrar of Fates. We humbly pray that the Perfected Lord will spread the compassion of the great Dao, and that the true immortals will look upon our good deeds; may past offenses committed unwittingly be pardoned, and may peace and good fortune be granted in our daily lives and in every undertaking and step. We pray for abundant harvests, for the quelling of banditry and unrest, for the people to dwell in peace and pursue their livelihoods in contentment, and for family and state alike to be at rest. With heads bowed, we take refuge and offer our devout praise.

We reverently bow before the Perfected Lord of Tranquil Stillness and Protector of Virtue.

The Most High issued a decree, and the heavenly perfected and immortals recorded the matter: a branch of the Ji clan passed down its descendants, who first became distant grandsons; the family lived in Xianyang, bearing the surname Mao, with their residence at the South Gate. His courtesy name was Jiwei, and by command he attained long life and immortality, holding the foremost place among the Registrars of Fates. We sincerely take refuge and offer our devout praise.

Reverently I pay homage to the True Lord Chongjing Deyou.

The Taishang (Most High, an honorific for the supreme deity of Daoism) has issued a decree, and the immortals and perfected beings of Heaven have recorded the matter. The True Lord descends from a branch of the Ji clan and is a descendant of the Ji line. His Mao ancestors lived in Xianyang, in the area of the South Gate. The True Lord's name is Jiwei. He was commanded to become an immortal of unending life, holding the post of Director of Records (Dinglu) and also overseeing the earthly immortals. He was charged with protecting those who possess the Dao (the Way) and with lengthening human life. He carries out his duties diligently and reverently, and wherever he goes he follows the statutes of the four directions. Palaces and temples, cavern-dwellings, mountains and forests, lakes and marshes, and the sources of rivers all fall within his jurisdiction. The True Lord is to govern Mount Gouqu in Danyang. May you serve diligently and oversee every movement and stillness.

We, your servants, sincerely take refuge in the True Lord Subtle and Wondrous Chonghui Renyou Shenying, Protector of Life of the Three Palaces, and in all the immortals and the many spirit officials.

The True Lord made his name known through integrity and virtue, and once served the Han house as Governor of Xihe. Having accumulated merit and become an immortal, he cultivated the immortal mountain at the northern cavern of Mount Liangchang. He holds authority over the Three Officials (Sanguan) as protector of life, and in accordance with the statutes he inspects the hundred ghosts and spirit-demons. Outstanding in talent and renowned in reputation, he instructs the young and beginners; fine and upright in character, he guides the female immortal officials. The True Lord commands Daizong (Mount Tai) and plants the Five Zhi (five kinds of numinous fungus) in its spirit caverns. He also presides over the rivers and seas, so that the water sources are full and the hundred grains can grow. He grants whatever is asked of him and accedes to whatever is prayed for.

Now this disciple, following the rites of the immortals and reverently observing the ritual norms, sets up immortal lamps and arranges offerings, sincerely taking refuge in the True Lord Subtle and Wondrous Chonghui Renyou Shenying, Protector of Life of the Three Officials. I humbly ask that this sincere heart reach the spirits and that the True Lord's grace respond in secret: grant the immortal name of the Three Officials' protection of life, and strike out the offenses recorded by the enemies of the Six Caverns. May rain and sunshine come in their proper seasons and the demons be destroyed; may numinous fungi and auspicious herbs reveal their omens, and may wheat and fine grain alike yield abundant harvests. May the myriad things be free from blight and disease, and the common people rejoice. The disciple bows in prostration, takes refuge, and offers sincere praise.

Reverently I pay homage to the True Lord Chonghui Renyou.

The True Lord was endowed by Heaven with exceptional gifts, with outstanding achievements and a pure and upright character. Later he returned to the right Way, his thought subtle and refined, his intentions sincere. The True Lord cut down the ghosts of the Six Heavens; his talent was extraordinary and his fame spread far. Appointed to oversee the affairs of the Three Officials, he protects the lives of all beings and establishes their immortal names. Reverently I pay homage to the True Lord Chonghui Renyou.

You are endowed with outstanding natural gifts, and the work you have accomplished is upright and pure. Although you returned to the true Way (Dao) somewhat late, you were able to probe deeply into the subtle and hidden, and your intentions were sincere. You cut down and punished the malign spirits of the Six Heavens, and for this your talent stood out and your fame spread. You were commissioned to preside over the Three Offices, protecting people's lives and establishing their merit and renown; you hold overall command of Daizong (Mount Tai), overseeing the registers of the dead and the records of the living.

You rank among the Earth Immortals and are an eminent immortal of the Nine Palaces. You counsel and instruct unenlightened youths, guiding people into the practice of the Dao, and you teach the female officials, conferring a range of subtle and marvelous spiritual methods. You govern and drive out the hundred ghosts, and oversee the inspection of malign spirits and spirit-demons. You patrol and survey the sources of waters and regulate the course of rivers and seas. You separately administer the Golden Grain (precious grain), and you store and register the Jade Nectar (the sweet dew that immortals drink); you supervise the planting of spiritual herbs such as dragon fungus, cavern grass, and night-shining grass. For a long time you have guarded the Northern Cavern of Liangchang, keeping the Yin Palaces (the palaces of the underworld) at peace.

The officiant conducting the offering ritual (jiao) turns his heart toward you in devotion and obeys your commission, praying to attain long life.

Ritual sequence: chanting of scriptures, proclamation of the memorial text, burning of offerings such as paper and silk, and dedication of the merit.