《五显灵观大帝灯仪》

With reverence we burn incense and make offerings to the divine beings of the Great Emperor of the Five Manifestations, the Numinous Observer (Wuxian Lingguan Dadi): the Great Marshal Dutian Weimeng, King Xiancong Zhaoying Furen Guangji; the Great Marshal Hengtian Dubu, King Xianming Zhaolie Fuyi Guangyou; the Great Marshal Tongtian Jinmu, King Xianzheng Zhaoshun Fuzhi Guanghui; the Great Marshal Feitian Fenghuo, King Xianzhi Zhaoyou Fuxin Guangze; and the Great Marshal Dantian Xiangmo, King Xiande Zhaoli Fuai Guangcheng. We offer to them together Minister Shi, Assistant of Numinous Power; Minister Bian, Assistant of Compliance; General Zhou, Aide of Response; the two Directors Wang and Nian; the two Grand Commandants Huang and Wang; Court Administrator Linghu; the Youth of Good Fortune; the True Officials of the Earth; the Duty Officers of the Day; the immortal consorts and kin of the rear palace; and all the numinous powers who serve the deities in the Lingshun Division of Rites. We ask all of you to receive this sincere offering of incense together.

The deities are revered for their wisdom and often manifest in the human world. They became divine because of their fairness and uprightness, and their renowned names have endured through the generations. Now we open the Hall of the Five Penetrating Deities, so that people may be led out of the six paths of delusion that cloud the mind. With the true incense of heaven and earth, wind, fire, and water, we make offerings to all the deities.

The deities are revered for their wisdom and often manifest in the human world. They became divine because of their fairness and uprightness, and their renowned names have endured through the generations. We open the Hall of the Five Penetrating Deities to lead people away from the six paths of delusion that cloud the mind. Among heaven and earth, wind, fire, and water, divine power flows without obstruction, and the sacred virtues of benevolence, righteousness, wisdom, trustworthiness, and love extend their blessings far and wide. We pray that all beings may awaken, turn their hearts, and understand the principle within. We look up to the radiant and illustrious majesty of the deities, and so we solemnly perform this lamp ritual. If we follow the deities with sincere hearts, they will look upon us and respond. Whether in movement or in stillness, we rely on their protection. Gazing from afar at their resplendent countenances, we pour out the devotion and reverence in our hearts, respectfully inviting the deities to descend and observe this sincerity.

We are ordinary mortals who keep and uphold the teachings of the Keyi (liturgy). Having received the deities' grace in sheltering us completely, how could we dare forget to serve them with reverence? Now we have chosen an auspicious day and respectfully set out pure offerings. We humbly ask for the deities' protection: may the silver lamps light up our household gate, so that our home is bright from this day forward; may the precious incense swirl around us and keep our family and kin in lasting peace and harmony.

We devoutly take refuge in the Great Marshal of the Capital Heaven, Awesome and Valiant, the King Who Manifests Wisdom, Responds with Clarity, Sustains Benevolence, and Extends Relief (a divine title, meaning a king renowned for keen intelligence, efficacious response, benevolence, and wide-reaching aid).

You see even the finest details and never show partiality; your rewards and punishments are exact to the smallest measure. You bestow kindness upon the people, and in judging merit and fault you overlook no subtle point. Your divine majesty reaches upward to the celestial court and downward to the realm of the dead. You bring blessings to the human world in radiance, and you protect the people in serenity. The Nine Provinces revere you, and all within the Four Seas turn to you for refuge. Those who do good enjoy boundless blessings, while those who do evil draw calamity upon themselves. The retribution for good and evil answers like an echo, its verification plain, as a shadow follows a form.

Now, a certain person, who has long served your sacred image with reverence and often recites the related scriptures (jing), has specially presented a modest offering to express their respect. We humbly beseech your divine chariot to descend and secretly grant pure, abundant, and auspicious protection. May your divine majesty look upon the human world and bestow still more of the benevolence that nurtures all things. May their clan flourish, and may their household be peaceful and harmonious. We bow our heads in refuge and sing your praises with devotion:

The Great Emperor of Numinous Insight is a deity of noble virtue. With the Five Penetrations and the sagely wisdom of the worthies, you broadly rescue the people. You relieve disasters, ward off misfortune, and display great divine power. May you look upon the human world and grant health and prosperity forever.

We devoutly take refuge in the Great Marshal of the Horizontal Heaven's Capital Division, the King Who Manifests Brilliance, Shines with Valor, Sustains Righteousness, and Broadly Protects (a divine title, meaning a king renowned for clear discernment, conspicuous loyalty and righteousness, and wide-reaching protection).

With reverent heart I look up to the Great Emperor: You see clearly and are never deluded; your countenance is solemn and majestic, and your virtue (De) is lofty and towering. You constantly bestow kindness that reaches all beings, and you teach the world through the way of goodness. In compassion you rescue living beings, and your divine might spreads through the Three Realms. You bring good fortune to those who do good, and let those who do evil meet calamity because of their faults. When mortals pray sincerely, they will surely receive a response.

Now I (name), foolish by nature and dwelling in the dusty world, respectfully prepare incense and lamps and invite the divine image. I humbly beg the Great Emperor to disperse the darkness that clouds people's hearts, so that disasters recede and light appears. Extend your gracious mercy, and let auspicious qi (Qi) rise like billowing smoke and clouds. Whether of high or low station, may all share in joy and blessing, and may the whole body be touched by your favor. I bow my head and take refuge, offering sincere praise:

Radiant Great Sage, Illustrious and Fierce Sovereign! You reward the good and punish the wicked, and with good faith you protect the ruler. Your divine power reaches up to the Northern Dipper, and your might covers the eight directions. We beg you to send down blessings, and ever open the way to good fortune for the world.

All those present sincerely entrust their lives to you: Grand Marshal of the Golden Eye That Penetrates Heaven, Sovereign of Manifest Rectitude, Illustrious Compliance, Trusted Wisdom, and Broad Benevolence.

With reverent heart I declare: One who is upright will not stray onto a crooked path. You constantly bestow kindness and nourish all things; when mortals pray, you respond and shelter the people with your grace. Your heart is set on marvelous strategies and subtle plans, and you accomplish good through comforting, relieving, and treating others with generosity. The orders you issue accord with the law, and you conduct affairs with fairness. You are both sage and spirit (Shen), rewarding and punishing with clear discernment, so that nothing is overlooked, even what lies close at hand. You can exercise both civil and martial accomplishment, and the rise and fall of the age depend on your support. From ancient times to the present, people have revered you, and good and ill fortune are made manifest through your divine might.

Now I (name) respectfully set up the divine image and sincerely invite the deity, wishing thereby to express earnest reverence and to solemnly hold a jiao (Zhaijiao) ritual (a Daoist rite in which an altar is set up and offerings made to seek the protection of the gods). I humbly beg the Great Emperor to ensure that those in trade accumulate wealth, and that those who serve in office or study under a teacher achieve their aspirations early; may the household be peaceful and auspicious, and may relatives be healthy and at ease. I bow my head and take refuge, offering sincere praise.

Manifest Righteousness, Great Sage, and Radiant Compliance, Numinous Spirit: this is a deity who is wise and upright, and who answers with manifest power to protect and bless. Resourceful and eloquent, he bestows kindness widely upon the people. He relieves poverty with material goods and promotes benevolence and virtue (De). He shelters all beings, so that the myriad things are heartened and each finds its proper place.

We, the assembled devotees, sincerely take refuge in the Grand Marshal of Flying Heaven, Wind and Fire, the King of Broad Beneficence, Manifestly Upright, Radiantly Protective, and Trustworthy.

This deity is upright and unyielding, a spirit of loyalty and righteousness from former ages. He is honest and without deceit, a sage who manifests his power in the present age. He enriches the land and nourishes the people. His numinous might reaches throughout the Three Heavens (the heavenly realms of Daoism), and his merit and virtue extend across the Six Directions (the four quarters of heaven and earth). When people revere him as though he stood before them, they dispel calamity and receive good fortune. When they pray to him, their requests are answered, misfortune scatters, and auspiciousness arrives. All who receive his protection are blessed by his saving grace. So long as one prays with sincerity, a hundred blessings may be prolonged.

Now the faithful cleanse their minds, examine themselves, and cultivate virtue. They light bright silver lamps and burn fragrant seal incense (incense shaped into the form of seal-script characters). Gazing up, we await the deity's descent and beseech him to look upon our sincerity. May the deity protect us all, so that everyone receives the grace of his aid. So long as we pray with sincerity, a hundred blessings may be prolonged. May our affairs, public and private, always go smoothly and bring joy; may we be free from reproach in the performance of our duties; may our lives be lengthened and our bodies be healthy and at peace. We bow our heads in refuge and offer this hymn with reverence:

Manifestly Upright, Radiantly Protective, Sage King of Broad Beneficence, you bestow kindness and spread virtue, bringing good fortune to all things. What calamity could you not remove? What blessing could you not cause to flourish? May the deity grant radiant light and blessings, so that the four seasons are peaceful and their order harmonious.

We, the assembled devotees, sincerely take refuge in the Grand Marshal of the Cinnabar Heaven Who Subdues Demons, the King of Wide Accomplishment, Manifestly Virtuous, Radiantly Beneficial, and Compassionately Trustworthy.

I humbly reflect that the Great Emperor (the Great Emperor of the Five Manifestations, Wuxian Lingguan Dadi) has long been known for extending his kindness to all beings and bringing benefit and relief to the common people. His grace spreads widely over all living things, and he is able to dispel calamities and ward off misfortune. In the midst of his laughter and conversation, his divine might stills the winds and quiets every sound; wherever he calmly makes his rounds, the four seas are clear and at peace. In golden halls and jade chambers his immortal bearing appears; his divine image stands upright upon a carved carriage, drawn by a splendid steed of unhurried grace. His countenance is benevolent, his bearing majestic; in his hand he holds a golden brick, and his feet rest upon a fiery chariot.

At times he sends down auspicious omens and reveals his virtuous kindness (De); at times he sends down misfortune and displays his awesome authority. Since he has already manifested his divine powers, we ought to turn our hearts to him in reverence and offering. Now we are fortunate to live in the human world and to have been born in China; year after year, through the four seasons, we depend on the divine grace that nourishes us, and day and night we receive the spirits' vast protection. We therefore respectfully set forth our modest sincerity and give thanks for his profound kindness. We humbly pray that the Great Emperor will arrive riding a crane, with his starry carriage and attendants advancing in orderly procession. May everyone, from the elders to the youngest, dwell always in places of peace, and may relatives both near and far enjoy lasting safety and smooth fortune. We bow our heads and take refuge in him, praising him with utmost devotion:

The Great Emperor manifests virtue (De) and bestows benefit far and wide; loving and trustworthy, he delivers all beings. He comforts the people and rescues all creatures, carrying out benevolence through a single, unwavering virtue (De). If anyone sincerely prays, they should practice devotion and make offerings in order to seek peace. We reverently invite him, hoping that the five blessings may descend together.

Afterward, the scripture (Jing) is chanted, and the merit accumulated beforehand is transferred through dedication (huixiang, the wish that merit be directed toward the desired end).