《北极真武普慈度世法忏》

On the day of the Zhongyuan Festival in the first year of Longhan (a Daoist system for dating cosmic calamities), the Supreme Red-Texted Lord and the Celestial Worthy, Manifestation of the Golden Palace, summoned the assembled sages to the Hall of the Purple Tenuity in the Mysterious Heaven of the North Pole. There they examined the good and evil, merits and faults, and lengths of life of beings throughout the Three Realms and the vast thousandfold worlds. They also reviewed the sins and blessings of men and women in every region, the terms of their karmic recompense, and the consequences of life and death together with the causes and conditions carried over from previous lives.

At that time, a Perfected One named Miaoxing stepped out of the ranks, bowed before the Celestial Worthy, and said: “Ordinary people in the age of decline do not understand how to cultivate or study. Their greed, anger, and delusion, along with their attachments, never cease. They say one thing aloud and think another in their hearts, while ignorance and affliction cloud their minds; day by day, they accumulate many offenses. Some suffer illness or imprisonment, and find that nothing goes smoothly and their wishes are hard to fulfill. After death, they fall into various hells and endure karmic retribution. By what means, then, can they be delivered?”

The Celestial Worthy said, “Well said! At the beginning of the Longhan Kalpa, in the distant past, I was called the Perfected One of Great Beginning. In the middle period of the Three Sovereigns, I was called the Perfected One of the Great Origin; in the late period, the Perfected One of Great Simplicity. During the Kaihuang Kalpa, I descended into the human world and became Xuantian, the eighty-second incarnation of the Sacred Ancestor Xuanyuan. I cultivated the True and attained the Dao. Taking pity on ordinary people, deluded and ignorant, who piled up evil deeds and committed sins, I saw that they had no hope of becoming immortals. So I once taught ten precepts for cultivating the True, to save and guide living beings. Now, if you can follow these wondrous teachings, you can escape the retribution brought by sinful karma.”

Miaoxing asked, “Please transmit to us the sacred text of the ten precepts and proclaim it among the human and heavenly realms, so that everyone may practice in accordance with it and make progress each day.”

The Celestial Worthy compassionately instructed them: “Miaoxing, it is truly rare that you should seek such a wondrous teaching on behalf of living beings. The body is the source of affliction, and faults arise along with thoughts. The Dao is like a boat that carries people across; repentance can free them from suffering. Even sins piled as high as mountains can be erased if one repents sincerely. If you uphold these precepts throughout your life, you may hope to ascend among the immortals.

“First, do not secretly plot against others or benefit yourself at their expense. Second, do not kill living creatures to satisfy your appetite. Third, do not engage in illicit sex and corrupt your true nature, or profane the sacred Lingqi, the original vital energy on which life and cultivation depend. Fourth, do not undermine the achievements of others or sow discord among friends and family. Fifth, do not boast of your abilities or elevate yourself, and do not falsely accuse or slander the good. Sixth, do not drink to excess or violate dietary prohibitions by eating meat. Seventh, do not be insatiably greedy, hoard wealth, and refuse to give. Eighth, do not associate with people of corrupt character or live in filthy, disorderly places. Ninth, do not be disloyal or unfilial, and do not break faith or act without benevolence. Tenth, do not speak carelessly in jest, and do not let your conduct stray from the right path.

“If you follow my teachings with single-minded devotion, you will enjoy peace in this life and be spared hardship. If, on the designated days for fasting and reciting scriptures—such as the Three Yuan and Five La days, the Jiazi and Gengshen days, and the days of the Three Assemblies and Ten Abstinences—you arrange incense and flowers in a temple or at home, repent and bow with sincerity, and vow to follow my teachings, correct past faults, and cultivate good deeds for the future, your name will be removed from the register of sins and entered in the records of immortals. You will receive blessings and good fortune while alive, and ascend after death.”

Miaoxing then bowed his head and gazed up at the Celestial Worthy, vowing to take refuge forever. He would spread these precepts throughout the human world and pass on the practices of repentance and bowing. All should worship with focused reverence, each placing their faith in them with sincerity.

At the start of the repentance rite, the assembly first offers praises with reverence and performs the Three Refuges, taking refuge in the Dao, the scriptures, and the master.

The register used for the scripture and repentance rites is spread across the seats, and its merits are praised: the living thereby receive blessings and good fortune, while the dead are delivered and ascend to Heaven. Miao Xing then bows reverently, gazes up toward the honored deities, vows to take refuge forever, and pledges to spread this repentance rite among the people so that its observance may continue. The assembly worships with focused reverence, each person holding a heart of respect and faith:

At the start of the repentance rite, the assembly first offers praises with reverence and performs the Three Refuges.

The register used for the scripture and repentance rites is spread across the seats. As the praises are sung, the assembly wholeheartedly takes refuge and pays homage:

The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning, of Emptiness and Spontaneity;

The Celestial Worthy of Numinous Treasure, the Dao Lord of the Jade Court;

The Celestial Worthy of the Dao and its Virtue, the Most High Lord Lao.

During the “Pacing the Void” rite, a Daoist purification ritual in which chanting is accompanied by ceremonial steps, the assembly sings:

The Taiji divides and transforms; from it, Heaven and Earth take shape, with their heights, depths, thickness, and thinness.

At this time, Perfected Miao Xing said to the assembled immortals:

In ancient times, my patriarch, the True Originator Who Responds and Manifests Through Myriad Kalpas, the Former Sage of the Golden Gate of Great Peace, the Lord of the Great Dao, the august master of the Dao’s mysteries, was also the foundation of the Three Powers: Heaven, Earth, and Humanity. Before the Taiji—the primordial state before Heaven and Earth took shape—Heaven and Earth were empty, still, and without form. From this arose the source of the Dao, and the mother of primordial Qi came into being as an undifferentiated whole. The atmosphere was vast and chaotic; the signs of all things still lay in the embryo, containing a true and subtle nature that arose spontaneously. This was called “divine illumination,” and, for lack of a better name, “August Sovereign of Emptiness.”

The August Sovereign of Emptiness silently governed the mysterious transformations of creation, setting the Great Dao in motion and bringing order to the world. One Qi divided into three, called the Mysterious, the Primordial, and the Beginning. The three Qi blended and gradually emerged, becoming the origin of all phenomena and the root of all transformations. People did not know where it came from, so they called it “Primordial”; they did not know where it began, so they called it “Beginning.” Thus it was named the Celestial Worthy of the Primordial Beginning. The three Qi generated one another, and the nine Qi joined together, bringing forth the various heavens and forming the Three Realms. People did not know how vast it was, so they called it “Supreme”; they did not know how lofty and remote it was, so they called it “High.” It was the first to transcend the Limitless, and so was reverently called “Venerable”; it governed all things without selfishness or self-interest, and so was called “Lord.” Amid the vast kalpas, it opened the way for transformation and instruction, saving all beings of Heaven and the human world.

We reverently honor the teaching patriarch, the True Warrior Lord of Blessings and Virtue, whose numinous response calms Heaven at the North Pole and aids the sages, and the Supreme Emperor of the Dark Heaven, adviser to the Master of the Jade Void. Endowed with extraordinary spiritual power, he had already made his achievements renowned. Once Heaven and Earth’s transformations had unfolded, his virtue too became manifest. He set aside his exalted status in the Kingdom of Pure Joy and cultivated the pure and true Dao on Mount Wudang. After undergoing eighty-one transformations, he was called the Venerable Lord; after forty-two years of cultivation, he became the Dark Warrior. He was ranked between the stars Xu and Wei and held the essences of Water and Fire. Revered in the Ren and Gui directions, he was assisted by the generals Jia and Geng. He made his rounds in the lower world and enforced his commands with authority in Heaven. His miraculous manifestations were repeatedly witnessed, and accounts of them are also found in the Qisheng.

His spiritual mysteries are deep and difficult to fathom; his vastness and depth have no end. After ascending in ancient times, he proclaimed his vows, declaring that all living beings, whether good or evil, should be saved. He also wished the people of the world to cultivate the Dao and together attain its wondrous fruit. He helped the sick recognize the path of renunciation, and enabled those with clouded sight to discern treachery. He sent down grain to relieve the hungry and used Fulu to dispel epidemics; he drove away demons and spirits and settled old grievances. Appearing at sea, he rescued those in peril; by granting dates, he enabled people to continue their family lines. After witnessing a spiritual response, Sichang gave up killing; Yuan Yan understood the teaching and released living creatures. Youyi received a long spear and used it to drive back fierce foreign troops; Tiangang bore arrows and destroyed rebellious enemies. Those who serve him sincerely find their requests answered; those who heed his counsel can also turn danger into safety.

We, his ministers, are fortunate indeed to be able to proclaim the teachings of the immortal lineage. With reverence, we read these precious scriptures, receive the numinous light of the divine, bow our heads in refuge, and offer our wholehearted homage.

With single-minded reverence, we bow in homage to the Lord of the Dharma, the Jade Void Marshal and Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Heaven (Zhenwu Dadi).

With single-minded reverence, we bow in homage to the Holy Father, the Great Emperor of Bright Truth.

With single-minded reverence, we bow in homage to the Holy Mother, the Immortal of Jade Truth.

With single-minded reverence, we bow in homage to the Holy Master, the Great Emperor Fengqian.

With single-minded reverence, we bow in homage to the Primordial Lady of Purple Mystery of the Western Land.

With single-minded reverence, we bow in homage to the Heavenly Worthy, Incarnate in the Golden Gate.

With single-minded reverence, we bow in homage to the Heavenly Worthy, Manifesting Responses from the Mysterious Origin.

With single-minded reverence, we bow in homage to the Heavenly Worthy, Spiritually Transforming in the Great Purity. With reverence, we bow in homage to the Holy Master, the Great Emperor Fengqian.

With single-minded reverence, we bow in homage to the Primordial Lady of Purple Mystery of the Western Land.

With single-minded reverence, we bow in homage to the Heavenly Worthy, Incarnate in the Golden Gate.

With single-minded reverence, we bow in homage to the Heavenly Worthy, Manifesting Responses from the Mysterious Origin.

With single-minded reverence, we bow in homage to the Heavenly Worthy, Spiritually Transforming in the Great Purity.

With single-minded reverence, we bow in homage to the High and Lofty Heavenly Worthy of Jade Truth.

With single-minded reverence, we bow in homage to the Heavenly Worthy, Auspiciously Manifested by Sunlight.

With single-minded reverence, we bow in homage to the Heavenly Worthy, Manifested in Response through the Star of Martiality.

With single-minded reverence, we bow in homage to the Heavenly Worthy, Manifested in Response through the Emptiness Star.

With single-minded reverence, we bow in homage to the Heavenly Worthy, Manifested in Response through the Danger Star.

With single-minded reverence, we bow in homage to the Heavenly Worthy, Manifested in Response through Tianyi.

With single-minded reverence, we bow in homage to the Heavenly Worthy, Manifested in Response through Taiyi.

With single-minded reverence, we bow in homage to the Heavenly Worthy, Manifested in Response through the Star of the Celestial River.

We reverently take refuge in the Emperor of Mystery (the Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Heaven), entrusting our bodies, spirits, and lives to him and to the holy beings of heaven who manifest their numinous responses. We reflect deeply on how ordinary people in this world are caught amid the turmoil of worldly life. They do not understand the karma they have created in the past, and they seldom inquire into the causes and conditions of former lives. Since ancient times, the ways of purity and simplicity have swiftly faded. As worldly customs have grown increasingly shallow, people have also been influenced by trends of adornment and instruction.

We sincerely take refuge in the Dark Emperor (the Great Emperor Zhenwu of the Northern Pole), entrusting our bodies, spirits, and lives to him. We pray that the Dark Emperor will manifest his power and appear among the holy beings throughout the heavens, taking compassion on the people of this world. We reflect that people are caught up in the turmoil of the earthly realm, unaware of the karma they accumulated in former lives and rarely considering the causes behind what they encounter in this life.

Since the world departed from the age when Heaven and Earth first emerged from primordial chaos, simple honesty has quickly faded. As customs grew ever more corrupt, artificiality and deceit arose one after another. People secretly devise sinister plots and lay traps to harm others and other living things; they pursue evil and undermine the right path, conceal what is true and follow what is wrong. They boast of themselves and show disrespect to their elders and those of virtue, indulge in sensual pleasures and fine foods, and even greedily consume what is impure. They are avaricious and give free rein to their desires, and their dealings with others are often foolish. The Five Constants of Confucian teaching—benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness—are thrown into disorder; the proper distinctions within human relationships gradually fall away. Their nature grows clouded, and their actions repeatedly go astray. The Seven Emotions—joy, anger, sorrow, fear, love, dislike, and desire—rise up in contention, while the Ten Karmic Deeds, arising from body, speech, and mind, continue to accumulate.

People haggle over the tiniest gains, yet for this they wander through the cycle of rebirth over vast ages. The consequences they suffer mostly stem from the deeds they have accumulated; every event, too, has its cause. If they do not encounter a favorable condition, how can they confess their wrongs and dispel the obstacles carried over from former lives?

We respectfully receive the teaching of the scriptures: “Misfortune and good fortune have no fixed gate; people bring them upon themselves. The retribution for good and evil follows one like a shadow follows the body.” We faithfully follow what is said in the First Precept for Cultivating the True: “Do not secretly devise sinister plots or harm other things to profit yourself.”

We are deeply troubled that the disciple N. has, from former lives through this present life, boasted of being superior to others, relied on schemes and concealed stratagems; agreed to someone’s face, then slandered them behind their back; appeared gentle while harboring malice within. The heart has been cruel and ruthless, accumulating hatred and wrongdoing. The people have been treated with contempt, as though they were weeds to be cut down; affairs of state have been disrupted, and order and discipline allowed to decay. Rewards have gone to those who did not deserve them, while the innocent have been punished. The disciple has eyed public funds and provisions with intent to seize them, coveted rank and position, and secretly formed plans to harm others. The wealthy and powerful have been flattered, while the lowly and poor have been oppressed; crooked people have been appointed and the upright cast aside. The disciple has concealed personal rights and wrongs while relentlessly criticizing the faults of others, shifted personal blame onto others, claimed the kindnesses others have shown as their own, framed people for wrongdoing, and spread evil.

These are karmic deeds committed in past lives and in this life. While alive, the disciple has incurred resentment and slander, and suffered disaster and hardship without apparent cause; after death, the disciple will fall into hell and endure long suffering. When the suffering of hell is over, the disciple will be reborn and then enter the lower realms. When the retribution for evil deeds has been repaid, the disciple will return to the world and be born again. The karmic consequences of past deeds still leave lingering misfortune, and their retribution is not yet complete. Now that we have heard the teachings of the scriptures, we are truly filled with dread. We face the holy and exalted one and respectfully confess our wrongs. Each person stands in reverence, sincerely bowing in homage.

With utmost sincerity, I bow in reverence to the Celestial Worthy of the Great Beginning and Formlessness, who symbolizes the origin before anything has appeared, without form or image.

With utmost sincerity, I bow in reverence to the Celestial Worthy of the Great Void and the Infinite, who symbolizes the vast, boundless emptiness without limit.

With utmost sincerity, I bow in reverence to the Celestial Worthy of the Great Mystery and Serene Stillness, who symbolizes a profound, subtle realm of silence.

With utmost sincerity, I bow in reverence to the Celestial Worthy of the Great Origin and Preservation of Simplicity, who symbolizes maintaining the original source and returning to simplicity.

I bow in reverence with respectful and utmost sincerity.

With utmost sincerity, I bow in reverence to the Celestial Worthy of the Great Beginning and Formlessness; the Celestial Worthy of the Great Void and the Infinite; the Celestial Worthy of the Great Mystery and Serene Stillness; the Celestial Worthy of the Great Origin and Preservation of Simplicity; the Celestial Worthy of the Great Emptiness and Naturalness, who symbolizes a spacious, natural realm; the Celestial Worthy of the Great Change and Undifferentiated Unity, who symbolizes the state before the myriad things divide, when all is still undifferentiated and one; the Celestial Worthy of the Great Image That Can Condense, who symbolizes forms gradually gathering and becoming manifest; the Celestial Worthy of the Great Antiquity That Can Be Named, who symbolizes an ancient existence that can be spoken of; the Celestial Worthy of the Great Being and Constant Dao, who symbolizes real existence and the everlasting Dao; the Celestial Worthy of the Great Spirit and Empty Clarity, who symbolizes a numinous, lucid realm; the Celestial Worthy of Great Purity and Wuwei (non-action), who symbolizes purity, stillness, and non-action; the Celestial Worthy of the Great Truth and Expounding of the Teachings, who symbolizes explaining the true Dao and teaching all beings; the Celestial Worthy of the Great Vastness and Flowing Spirit, who symbolizes a distant, mysterious expanse in which the numinous flows; the Celestial Worthy of Great Splendor and Manifest Auspiciousness, who symbolizes radiant brilliance and the appearance of good fortune; the Celestial Worthy of the Great Dawn and Perfect Illumination, who symbolizes the complete and universal radiance of sunlight; the Celestial Worthy of the Great Firmament and Circling Colors, who symbolizes light and color moving through the high heavens; the Celestial Worthy of the Great Celestial Center and Establishment of the Pole, who symbolizes residing at the center of heaven and establishing its order; the Celestial Worthy of the Great Subtle Heaven and Broad Transformation, who symbolizes widely spreading instruction throughout the celestial realm of Taiwei; the Celestial Worthy of the Great Origin and Flow to the Boundless Extremities, who symbolizes the source spreading to the furthest reaches; the Celestial Worthy of the Great Principle and Opening of the Teachings, who symbolizes clarifying principle and initiating instruction; the Celestial Worthy of the Great Wisdom and Realization of the Realm, who symbolizes understanding the realm through wisdom; the Celestial Worthy of Great Stability and Concentration of the Spirit, who symbolizes calming the mind and focusing the spirit; the Celestial Worthy of Great Brightness and Purity, who symbolizes clarity and purity, and a return to original simplicity; the Celestial Worthy of the Great Elder and Broad Meaning, who symbolizes proclaiming profound and expansive principles; the Celestial Worthy of Great Radiance and Broad De (Virtue/Power), who symbolizes light shining everywhere and De extending widely; the Celestial Worthy of Great Simplicity, Fulfilled Principle, and Heavenly Purity, who symbolizes preserving simplicity, understanding principle, and returning to innate, natural purity; the Celestial Worthy of the Great Elder and Broad Meaning; the Celestial Worthy of Great Radiance and Broad De; the Celestial Worthy of Great Simplicity and Fulfilled Principle; the Celestial Worthy of Great Splendor and Blended Simplicity, who symbolizes refinement joined with undifferentiated simplicity; and the Celestial Worthy of Great Learning and Attainment of the Profound, who symbolizes learning deeply and understanding the mysteries.

The repeated phrase “with utmost sincerity, I bow in reverence” expresses devout worship. In rites of repentance, chanting the titles of the Celestial Worthies pays them homage; through the Daoist meanings contained in these titles, it also expresses reverence for the origin, naturalness, stillness, and transformative power of the teachings.

With single-minded devotion, bow in reverence to the Celestial Worthy who awakens the Heavenly Dao, “Supreme Authority, Awakener of Heaven”; the Celestial Worthy who nurtures and transforms all things and brings peace, “Supreme Peace, Transforming the Myriad”; the Celestial Worthy who embraces the profound realm of the Dao as one, “Supreme Mystery, Embracing the One”; the Celestial Worthy who sets the mechanisms of change in motion, “Supreme Mechanism, Turning Change”; the Celestial Worthy whose radiance flourishes at dawn, “Supreme Dawn, Lush Radiance”; the Celestial Worthy whose clarity is like the River of Heaven, “Supreme Spirit, Clear River”; the Celestial Worthy who is pure and wondrous, “Supreme Purity, Spirit of the River”; the Celestial Worthy who bestows blessings and long life, “Supreme Blessing, Broad Longevity”; the Celestial Worthy who is exalted and vast, “Supreme Sovereign, Vast Completion”; the Celestial Worthy who shines like red vital essence, “Supreme Emperor, Red Essence”; the Celestial Worthy whose harmony contains wondrous principles represented in images, “Supreme Harmony, Lush Images”; the Celestial Worthy who brings all things into harmony, “Supreme Harmony, Joining All”; the Celestial Worthy who grants longevity through De (Virtue/Power), “Supreme De, Bestowing Longevity”; the Celestial Worthy who moves within the true and wondrous Dao, “Supreme Practice, True Wonder”; and the Celestial Worthy who transmits the teachings of Taiji (Supreme Ultimate), “Supreme Ultimate, Transmitting the Teaching.”

“Facing the altar in wholehearted reverence” means bowing to the divine with a focused and devout heart. The phrase “Celestial Worthy of Images” in the text appears to be a remnant of damaged wording, so its meaning cannot be determined from this passage.

Afterward, once again bow with single-minded devotion to the Celestial Worthy who brings all things into harmony, “Supreme Harmony, Joining All”; the Celestial Worthy who grants longevity through De, “Supreme De, Bestowing Longevity”; the Celestial Worthy who moves within the true and wondrous Dao, “Supreme Practice, True Wonder”; and the Celestial Worthy who transmits the teachings of Taiji, “Supreme Ultimate, Transmitting the Teaching.”

The ritual of bowing and reciting the names of the Celestial Worthies and High Sages is now complete. Let us gather our minds in single focus once more and turn our gaze toward the divine palaces where the gods dwell. We take refuge in all the perfected immortals of the Palace of True Celebration of the First Harmony beneath the Purple Sovereign, the Office of the First Harmony for Transferring and Reviewing Records, and the Sanctuary of Blessing and Protection at the Northern Pole.

Today, the assembly gathered for ritual in this Daoist sanctuary reverently bows to the teaching’s sovereign, the True Lord of Numinosity, Response, Blessing, and Virtue, who Pacifies Heaven and Protects the Sage at the Northern Pole—the Emperor of the Dark Heaven, Assistant to the Worthy of the Jade Void, also known as the Great Emperor Zhenwu. We respectfully pray that divine radiance shine upon the immortal palaces, auspicious signs appear in the blue sky, the human world be clearly observed, and blessings be bestowed far and wide.

Today we confess on behalf of a certain person his earlier transgression of the first grade of precepts: secretly plotting against others and harming living beings to pursue personal gain. Sins committed in past and present lives, and calamities accumulated over many lifetimes, may implicate one’s ancestors and kin. Such evil deeds include harming life in the hope of escaping notice, using one’s power to destroy living beings, acting against what is right, seeking profit through flattery and wicked schemes, and envying the worthy while injuring others for one’s own benefit. Outwardly mild and proper, inwardly one conceals a perverse and malicious heart—a truly troubling thing. Some send those who have done wrong to be punished, while deliberately ruining their chances of advancement; some push people into wells and then throw stones down upon them. Others oppress orphans and widows and treat the weak and helpless with cruelty. They wear smiles while hiding knives, as though shooting secret arrows from their eyes. These offenses have been entered one by one in the records. The evil deeds have grown weighty, disturbing the registers of the divine offices, and the investigation will not cease.

Now, through the power of confession, we beseech the gods for pardon. We humbly ask the High Perfected to bestow their grace and command the Office of the First Harmony for Transferring and Reviewing Records, the Sanctuary of Blessing and Protection at the Northern Pole, and the palaces and offices of the Three Primes and Nine Courts to direct their immortal officials and divine functionaries to act. May the celestial officials who oversee the records, the immortal officials, numinous officials, true lords, and assisting officers who conduct inspections extend their compassion and pardon these offenses in full.

The disciple seeking repentance, a certain person, together with the assembly gathered at this altar, will uphold Daoist ritual precepts, enter the Dao, and cultivate the precepts for ascending to perfection. We will follow the Dao of Wuwei (non-action) and practice diligently. From this day forward, we resolve to remain loyal and steadfast, to be humble and yielding, to cherish all things and show compassion for life, and to regard others as we regard ourselves. We will make the mind empty and still, yet inwardly full, harboring no thought of harming others. We will gather the breath and settle the spirit, and repay kindness with gratitude, as the sparrow once did by bringing a ring. We now openly declare these offenses as an act of repentance.

We respectfully pray that the Celestial Officials grant registers that extend our years, and that the ledgers of the underworld erase the records of our offenses. May body and mind be healthy, our fortunes smooth, our intentions free and at ease, and our spirit clear. May the departed souls of seven generations of ancestors forever receive blessings, and may the harmful causes of obstacles and afflictions accumulated over many lifetimes be wholly removed. May all people continually honor the Orthodox Dao and forever follow the teachings of the Mysterious Gate. We dedicate the benefits of this merit everywhere: may the mountains stand firm and the fortune of the realm endure; may the people look up to the Dao and turn toward it, and may distant peoples come to pay homage. May everyone enjoy long life, evergreen as the Southern Mountain, and may the world be at peace, like stars gathered around the Northern Pole. May all sentient beings ascend the path to liberation.

Scroll One of the Repentance Liturgy of the Northern Pole’s True Warrior, Universally Compassionate and Delivering the World

Scroll Two of the Repentance Liturgy of the Northern Pole’s True Warrior, Universally Compassionate and Delivering the World

Walking in Emptiness (a Daoist ritual hymn accompanied by chanting and measured steps)

At this time, Perfected One Miaoxing said to the assembled immortals: “Carefully consider the account in the Scripture of the Original Conduct of the Cavern of Truth. The Jade Emperor is the ancestor of primordial Qi, the original energy that forms Heaven, Earth, and all things, and the source of the transformation and creation of all things. In stillness, he manifests as a sage: the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning. In activity, he manifests as a divine being: the Jade Emperor. He resides in the Hall of Radiant Illumination in the Palace of Jade Clarity, governing the heavens and transforming and nurturing the myriad beings. He is the sovereign of all things and the source of creation and transformation: in Heaven, he is the honored one among the sages; in the world, he is the master of the myriad teachings.

Laojun is the Great Dao manifested in embodied form. He has countless names and is the supreme sage within the Cavern of Truth. He has no fixed form: when dispersed, he becomes Qi; when gathered, he becomes a person. At times, within the Great Void, he gathers into his true form, his body vast and boundless, his appearance majestic and complete, with nothing above to cling to and nothing below to rely upon. At times, he appears above the cloudlike splendor, his body golden, attended by exalted perfected beings and revered by the hundred spirits. At times, he sits upright within a lotus, wearing the exquisite crown of the Seven Luminaries and a nine-colored robe, with a round halo behind his neck whose light shines over Heaven and Earth. He dwells amid jeweled terraces, golden halls, and curtains of pearls and jade, receives the homage of the myriad emperors, and is guarded by divine troops.

He also manifests with a golden face and jade-like features, dressed in yellow and wearing an embroidered mantle; or in plain garments and a black cap, riding a white horse with a red mane. At times, he descends to govern the celestial realms in all ten directions and oversee living beings. Dwelling in the palace of Purple Tenuity and Gouchen, he becomes the Great Celestial Emperor. He can also change with spring, summer, autumn, and winter, taking on forms without limit. This is because he returned to the Qi of the Golden Gate and was refined anew by the essence of Flying Mystery and Spirit Communication; thus, he transformed into the True Warrior.

The True Warrior’s divine powers are free and unimpeded. He manifests in response to the beings who call upon him: he can appear white or black, square or round, bent or extended, long or short, old or young. He can transform into one or into ten thousand. His transformations range in every direction, and his body has no fixed appearance. From ancient times to the present, age after age, he has expounded the teachings, guiding beings in the nine realms and delivering them without limit.

Across many lifetimes, we have formed many karmic connections. We are fortunate to draw near to the orthodox teaching, study and understand the scriptures, form wholesome ties, and respectfully uphold the teachings of the exalted perfected ones. We now know where to take refuge. With one mind, we make our vow: to take refuge and offer reverent homage.”

Reverently bow to the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning, who is void and natural (one of the highest deities venerated in Daoism).

Reverently bow to the Dao Lord of Jade Dawn, the Celestial Worthy of the Numinous Treasure (one of the Three Pure Ones in Daoism, the Celestial Worthy of the Numinous Treasure).

Reverently bow to the Most High Lord Lao, the Celestial Worthy of the Dao and Virtue (one of the Three Pure Ones in Daoism, the Celestial Worthy of the Dao and Virtue).

Reverently bow to the Supreme Emperor of the Dark Heaven, Master and Minister of the Jade Void (an honorific title of the Great Emperor Zhenwu).

Reverently bow to the Great Emperor Mingzhen, the Sacred Father.

Reverently bow to the Transcendent of Qiongzhen, the Sacred Mother.

Reverently bow to the Great Emperor Fengqian, the Sacred Master.

Reverently bow to the Primordial Lady of Purple Mystery in the Western Realm.

Reverently bow to the Celestial Worthy Who Manifests in the Golden Palace.

Reverently bow to the Great Emperor Mingzhen, the Sacred Father.

Reverently bow to the Transcendent of Qiongzhen, the Sacred Mother.

Reverently bow to the Great Emperor Fengqian, the Sacred Master.

Reverently bow to the Primordial Lady of Purple Mystery in the Western Realm.

Reverently bow to the Celestial Worthy Who Manifests in the Golden Palace.

Reverently bow to the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Mystery, Manifest and Responsive.

Reverently bow to the Celestial Worthy of Numinous Transformation in the Great Clarity.

Reverently bow to the Celestial Worthy of Lofty Jade Truth.

Reverently bow to the Celestial Worthy Who Opens Auspiciousness with Sunlight.

Reverently bow to the Celestial Worthy Who Manifests in Response to the Military Star.

Reverently bow to the Celestial Worthy Who Manifests in Response to the Void Star.

Reverently bow to the Celestial Worthy Who Manifests in Response to the Danger Star.

Reverently bow to the Celestial Worthy Who Manifests in Response to the Heavenly One.

Reverently bow to the Celestial Worthy Who Manifests in Response to the Great One.

Reverently bow to the Celestial Worthy Who Manifests in Response to the Star of the Year.

We sincerely take refuge in body, spirit, and life, and pay homage to the revered divine beings and perfected ones through whom the Dark Emperor (the Great Emperor Zhenwu of the Northern Pole) manifests and responds to the world. We respectfully receive the teachings of the Most High (a Daoist honorific for the Dao):

People live between Heaven and Earth, and differ in good and evil; all this arises from the karmic ties formed in their past lives. When one does good, good results follow; when one cultivates blessings, blessings arrive—as surely as a shadow follows the body and an echo answers a sound. The awakened can see the Great Dao, while the lost sink into the world of dust. The distinction between good and evil is like a precious pearl reflecting all things, or a bright mirror revealing black and white.

If one cultivates the Ten Good Deeds, the gods of Heaven will be moved to protect and shelter one’s family, allowing later generations to prosper, clothing and food to come naturally in abundance, and life to be long. If one commits the Ten Evils, baleful spirits will descend and attach themselves; illness and suffering will cling to one. One will also continue to be reborn in the cycle of life and death, enduring the corresponding karmic retribution.

As prescribed by the Second Precept for Cultivating Perfection, one must not kill living beings to satisfy one’s appetite. I, your disciple, examine myself with care. In the past I acted against my nature, erring in every thought. I craved only rich, delicious food and the pleasure of eating, so I hunted wild animals in the mountains and forests and captured birds in the open country: I pursued and shot them in the hills with bow and arrow, and set nets to catch them beneath the water. Some killed living beings under the pretext of preparing medicines or making offerings to the gods; others did so to ingratiate themselves with officials and curry favor with the powerful. When cooking, preparing, and roasting this meat, did they ever consider that living beings may be reborn in the lower realms? How could they know that humans and animals do not share the same cycle of life and rebirth? Perhaps relatives were reborn as animals through karmic retribution; perhaps relatives by marriage were born into suffering because of their offenses. Now we eat their flesh, thinking only of nourishing our own bodies. We do not recognize them, nor do we feel compassion for them. The more living beings we kill, the more our deeds accumulate as offenses.

These evil deeds, committed in this life, have already brought illness and shortened our lives. After death, we will fall into hell and suffer for a long time. When that suffering has run its course, we will be reborn in the lower realms; only after the retribution there has ended will we be born again among humankind. Because the lingering consequences of past karma still remain and our retribution is not yet complete, we now hear what the scriptures say and feel deep fear and anguish. Therefore, we look up to the perfected ones and, in their presence, respectfully confess our wrongs. With undivided hearts we take refuge in them and bow in reverence.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy who reaches upward to the source that has no beginning; to the Celestial Worthy who reaches upward to the boundless realm; to the Celestial Worthy who reaches upward to the realm without interval; to the Celestial Worthy who embodies the root of the Dao, which embraces all things; to the Celestial Worthy who accords with the Dao of the Great Beginning and the Primordial Origin; to the Celestial Worthy who is in harmonious communion with primordial Qi; to the Celestial Worthy who understands that the principles of all things are rooted in emptiness and stillness; to the Celestial Worthy who brings all things into being without acting against their nature; to the Celestial Worthy who comprehends the highest principles; to the Celestial Worthy who teaches through silence; to the Celestial Worthy who clearly understands principle and Qi; to the Celestial Worthy who inherits the Dao of the Primordial Origin; to the Celestial Worthy who follows the Dao of utmost softness; to the Celestial Worthy who understands the Dao of stillness and carries on its lineage; to the Celestial Worthy whose guiding principle is the Dao without interval; to the Celestial Worthy who shines forth and benefits all beings; to the Celestial Worthy whose guiding principle is the Four Whites; to the Celestial Worthy who penetrates the numinous, wondrous Dao of the Primordial Origin.

To the Celestial Worthy who shines forth and benefits all beings; to the Celestial Worthy whose guiding principle is the Four Whites; to the Celestial Worthy who penetrates the numinous, wondrous Dao of the Primordial Origin; to the Celestial Worthy whose numinous mystery is lofty and profound; to the Celestial Worthy who proclaims and expounds scriptural teachings; to the Celestial Worthy whose light of Primordial Yang shines everywhere; to the Celestial Worthy, noble as the constellation of Purple Tenuity; to the Celestial Worthy who realizes a realm beyond words and thought; to the Celestial Worthy who attains the five ranks of fruition; to the Celestial Worthy who ascends to the realm of the Limitless; to the Celestial Worthy who reaches the divine through the wondrous Dao; to the Celestial Worthy who upholds laws and principles; to the Celestial Worthy who attains a state of lasting security, free from peril; to the Celestial Worthy who aspires to the Dao of great attainment; to the Celestial Worthy whose grace is boundless; to the Celestial Worthy who delights in purity, stillness, and peace.

The phrase “with single-minded devotion, I bow in worship” is repeated throughout to express reverent devotion. “Xiyi” refers to the Dao’s subtle realm, imperceptible to ordinary awareness. Most of the other titles praise the Celestial Worthy through the realms, virtues, and teachings of the Dao.

With utmost reverence, bow before the Celestial Worthy Who Makes Daily Progress in Learning, honoring and emulating the spirit of continually expanding one’s knowledge and cultivation; bow before the Celestial Worthy Who Esteems Great Accomplishment Above, admiring the state in which learning and virtue attain perfection.

With utmost reverence, bow before the Celestial Worthy Whose Grace Is Boundless, honoring the virtue of limitless benevolence; bow before the Celestial Worthy Who Delights in Pure Tranquility, honoring the state of peaceful stillness; bow before the Celestial Worthy Who Makes Daily Progress in Learning, honoring the spirit of continual study and steady advancement; bow before the Celestial Worthy Whose Clarity Is Unencumbered, honoring a clear mind free from burdens; bow before the Celestial Worthy Who Encompasses Being Through Nonbeing, honoring the principle by which nonbeing encompasses being; bow before the Celestial Worthy Who Establishes Vast Virtue, honoring the spirit of cultivating broad and profound virtue; bow before the Celestial Worthy Who Exalts the Teachings and Their Methods, honoring the merit of promoting the teachings; bow before the Celestial Worthy Who Practices the Orthodox Way, honoring the spirit of following the principles of the right path; bow before the Celestial Worthy Who Transforms Without a Trace, honoring the state of transforming all things without leaving a trace; bow before the Celestial Worthy Who Teaches People to Let Go of Being, honoring the teaching that one should release attachment to material things; bow before the Celestial Worthy Whose Virtue Is Endless, honoring the state of inexhaustible virtue.

The phrase “with single-minded sincerity, pay homage” is used repeatedly to signify bowing before the Celestial Worthies with focused reverence. “Celestial Worthy” is an honorific title for revered deities in Daoism.

After bowing and reciting the names of the Heavenly Venerables and the Highest Sages, let everyone gather their minds and gaze from afar toward the divine palaces where the spirits reside. Take refuge in the perfected immortals of the Purple August Palace of the True One, the Palace of Celestial Celebration; the Office of Yuanhe and the Relocation of Registers; and the Northern Pole Court of Blessing and Protection. Today, all those gathered at this ritual altar devoutly bow before their religious master, the Perfected Lord of the Northern Pole, Who Stabilizes Heaven and Assists with Good Fortune, the Miraculous and Responsive Lord of Blessings and Virtue, the Marshal of the Jade Void and August Emperor of the Mysterious Heaven. They pray that the Great Emperor Zhenwu manifest auspicious signs, ride forth on dragon and phoenix, and clearly perceive and respond to the pleas of the human world, saving and protecting all beings.

Now, on behalf of the disciple So-and-so, we repent the offenses against the second grade of precepts committed in the past: taking life and treating living creatures as delicacies. Sins committed in past or present lives, and calamities left behind from former kalpas, may implicate ancestors and relatives. Violations of the precept against killing include ordering others to kill; slaughtering animals for one’s own use when entertaining guests; killing by kneading or trampling with one’s feet; taking part in a killing after seeing it with one’s own eyes or hearing of it with one’s own ears; and killing deliberately or causing harm by accident. If one acts with cruelty and brutality, harms the innocent, and does so only out of greed for lavish food and a taste for the flesh and blood of animals, offenses accumulate one by one. The resulting evil karma grows heavy, disturbs the affairs overseen by the spirits, and is continually investigated and recorded.

Now, through the power of repentance, the disciple begs for pardon and release. May the Highest Perfected Ones issue a gracious decree, commanding the examiners, clerks, soldiers, officers, and other divine officials and record keepers of the Mysterious Offices to show boundless compassion and forgive these offenses. The disciple So-and-so, together with the assembly of Daoists seeking repentance, will observe the Mysterious Regulations—the Daoist precepts and ritual standards—and uphold the precepts for entering the Dao and attaining perfection. They will secretly perform good deeds and offer broad aid to all beings. From this day forward, they will cherish compassion and resolve to cultivate goodness; undo knots of resentment, remove barriers, and free beings from the nets that bind them. They will care for every living creature and keep the intention to help it ever present. They will regard all beings as one body with themselves and will not indulge the desire to kill or harm.

The disciple now confesses these offenses with sincerity and repents wholeheartedly, praying that the spirits grant protection and commendation through golden writings, and bestow peace and blessings through jade tablets. May the offenses of deliberate killing and accidental injury be erased, and the resentments and entanglements accumulated over many lifetimes be resolved. May those reborn as humans escape the burdens of karma, and may every debt incurred through wrongdoing be fully cleansed. May the underworld and the human world alike find peace. Hereafter, may we always serve the Most Perfect and follow the Mysterious Teachings forever. May these merits and benefits extend to all, so that every being may attain the dignity of blessedness.

We further pray that the state may be honored and prosperous, and the imperial family’s branches may flourish; that dukes and lords may fulfill their duties diligently, and officials remain steadfast and loyal. May appointments to office be made impartially, and those who participate in governing work with one heart. May policies bring peace to the people and aid to all. May all sentient beings ascend together to the shore of the Dao, the realm of liberation through attaining the Dao.

The Northern Pole’s True Warrior’s Universal Compassionate Rite of Repentance for Saving the World, Volumes Two and Three.

Walking Vacuity (a hymn chanted while walking in Daoist ritual).

At this time, Perfected One Miaoxing said to the assembled immortals: “Among the Three Treasures—the Dao, the scriptures, and the masters—is an important golden book. The One Qi (the primal vital energy underlying all things) divides into the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), the three supreme deities revered in Daoism, whose names are Taichu, Mingxing, and Xuanji. Within primordial chaos, before Heaven and Earth had separated, the Vacuous Sovereign (a revered Daoist deity) divided and established the Five Kalpas, named Longhan, …”

At that time, Perfected Master Miaoxing said to the assembled immortals:

“The Three Treasures, the three foundations honored in Daoism, contain a vast golden book. Primordial Qi divides into the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), appearing as the Great Beginning, the Dark Vastness, and the Mysterious Ultimate. When chaos first opened, the Vacuous Sovereign divided the cosmos into five kalpas, or stages of cosmic time: Longhan, Chiming, Shanghuang, Yankang, and Kaihuang.

“In that age, the light of Heaven had not yet separated, and clear Qi and turbid Qi remained undifferentiated. The Three Elders each bestowed primordial Qi, transforming it into the Four Numina, the spiritual beasts of the four directions, to keep those directions in balance. The Four Numina circled the six realms above and below, while the sun and moon moved among them, and all things came into being.

“Black Tortoise was formed from the Qi of the Celestial One. He was also the manifestation of the Great Yin Celestial One of the Five Numina, the Old Lord. The Red Inscription of Primordial Chaos records that the Dark Emperor is an honorific title of the Great Emperor Zhenwu. He is a manifestation of the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning and another form of the Supreme Ultimate (Taiji). In the age of the Upper Three Sovereigns, he descended into the world as Perfected Master Taishi; in the age of the Middle Three Sovereigns, as Perfected Master Taichu; and in the age of the Lower Three Sovereigns, as Perfected Master Taisu. In the time of the Yellow Emperor, he again came down to the human world to offer his aid.

“Early in the Kaihuang kalpa, in the first year of Ziyun, on the third day of the third month of the Jiachen year, at the hour of Gengwu, the Dark Emperor responded to the essence of the sun and entered the womb of Empress Shansheng of the Kingdom of Jingluo. She carried him for fourteen months. This was one of the eighty-two transformations of the Most High. Jingluo was an immortal kingdom overseas, beneath the constellations Kui and Lou, corresponding above to Longbian Fandu Heaven. The Dark Emperor was born from his mother’s left side. At his birth, a wondrous fragrance filled the air, auspicious clouds appeared, and the earth turned golden.

“At seven, the Dark Emperor gazed up at the heavens and observed all things below, understanding them completely. He devoted himself to the Dao, aligning his heart with the Great Void. He wished to serve Heaven and bring abundant blessings to all people. At fifteen, he took leave of his parents and received from Lord Zixuan instruction in the supreme Dao of Non-Polarity. He crossed the Eastern Sea, passed through the celestial regions of the constellations Yi and Zhen, and came to Mount Wudang to cultivate the Dao for forty-two years. When his practice and merit were complete, he ascended by day. The Jade Emperor invested him with the title Black Tortoise.

“Five hundred years later, he gathered the true essences of Kan and Li, symbols of water and fire and of Yin-Yang, returning to the root and restoring his life. Above, he became an aide to the Three Heavens; below, one of the Great Sages of the Ten Heavens. At last, through countless kalpas, his name was made manifest, equal to Heaven, Earth, the sun, and the moon. This was the culmination of his merit and achievement.

“We understand cause and effect, remember his benevolence, and receive his blessings. From the opening of Heaven and Earth through the end of each kalpa and its renewal, he has tirelessly labored to nurture and transform all things. We look up to him as he orders and brings all things to completion. May we, like the creeping vine turning toward the light and the sunflower following the sun, devote ourselves to revering and honoring him. With utmost sincerity, we therefore make our vow, bowing our heads before the perfected gods honored in Daoism.”

I reverently bow before the Celestial Worthy of the Primordial Beginning, one of the highest deities revered in Daoism and a symbol of the source of the cosmos.

I reverently bow before the Celestial Worthy of Numinous Treasure, the Dao Lord of Jade Dawn, one of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing) and the master of the scriptures and teachings of Numinous Treasure.

I reverently bow before the Celestial Worthy of the Dao and its Virtue, the Most High Old Lord, one of the Three Pure Ones, associated with Daoist moral teachings and the Dao De Jing. With focused reverence and a single-minded heart, I pray to these supreme perfected immortals, bowing low and offering my sincere homage.

I reverently bow before the Celestial Worthy of the Primordial Beginning.

I reverently bow before the Celestial Worthy of Numinous Treasure, the Dao Lord of Jade Dawn.

I reverently bow before the Celestial Worthy of the Dao and its Virtue, the Most High Old Lord.

I reverently bow before the Great Emperor of the Dark Heaven, preceptor and minister of the Jade Void—that is, the Great Emperor Zhenwu, guardian deity of the north.

I reverently bow before the Great Emperor, the Illuminator of Truth, Holy Father.

I reverently bow before the Immortal of the Jade Truth, Holy Mother.

I reverently bow before the Great Emperor Fenggan, Holy Preceptor.

I reverently bow before the Primordial Lady of Purple Mystery in the Western Realm.

I reverently bow before the Celestial Worthy, Manifestation of the Golden Palace.

I reverently bow before the Celestial Worthy, Manifestation of the Dark Origin.

I reverently bow before the Celestial Worthy of Numinous Transformation in the Great Clarity.

I reverently bow before the Celestial Worthy of the Lofty Jade Truth.

I reverently bow before the Celestial Worthy who brings auspicious signs through the light of the sun.

I reverently bow before the Celestial Worthy, Manifestation of the Martial Star.

I reverently bow before the Celestial Worthy, Manifestation of the Emptiness Star.

I reverently bow before the Celestial Worthy, Manifestation of the Danger Star.

I reverently bow before the Celestial Worthy, Manifestation of the Heavenly Unity.

I reverently bow before the Celestial Worthy, Manifestation of the Great Unity.

I reverently bow before the Celestial Worthy, Manifestation of the Star of the Hour (the Star of the Hour is Mercury).

I reverently bow before the Celestial Worthy, Manifestation of the Martial Star.

I reverently bow before the Celestial Worthy, Manifestation of the Emptiness Star.

I reverently bow before the Celestial Worthy, Manifestation of the Danger Star.

I reverently bow before the Celestial Worthy, Manifestation of the Heavenly Unity.

I reverently bow before the Celestial Worthy, Manifestation of the Great Unity.

I reverently bow before the Celestial Worthy, Manifestation of the Star of the Hour.

We sincerely take refuge in body, spirit, and life, and pay homage to the Mysterious Heaven Supreme Emperor (Xuantian Shangdi), who manifests his numinous power and responds to the needs of the world, and to all the revered holy perfected ones.

We have heard that the Great High One once taught: From the moment living beings enter the world, their kind intentions are often disturbed by external sights and sounds. They become immersed in all manner of desire and attachment, so that good deeds are obscured while bad habits and harmful ties continue to accumulate. If they can restrain their agitation and return to stillness, turning the mind and spirit inward in awareness, they will understand that emptiness is not found in sights and sounds, and that thoughts clinging to sights and sounds are ultimately empty as well. They must not transgress through lust, and should comprehend the Way of the six Qi within themselves—the six vital energies that compose the human body. They should regularly examine body and mind and remain alert to their own faults. When they read the precepts in the scriptures, they should always be reverent and cautious, so as not to stray into deviant realms and cause themselves to fall onto evil paths.

The Third Precept for Cultivating the Real says: “Do not ruin your true nature through illicit sex, defiling and slighting your numinous Qi.” Now a certain disciple lets his monkey mind run wild with desire and his horse mind gallop in every direction. When his ears hear flutes, strings, and drums, he is delighted and becomes absorbed; when his eyes see fine adornments such as pearls, kingfisher feathers, gold, and jade, he cannot stop thinking about them. He covets worldly splendor and delights in rare, ingenious, and dazzling things. Amid noise and indulgence, he cannot remain peacefully at home; intoxicated by song, dance, and music, he cares only for pleasure in the streets and lanes. He pays no heed as his spirit is gradually depleted, exhausting his physical strength until he is utterly worn out. Like leaves falling from a tree and its roots drying up, he eventually vanishes into ashes. Illness consumes him and his breathing grows labored; then, afflicted by fulian, a contagious wasting disease, he dies unjustly. Human relationships are shattered as a result. After death he sinks into the gates of the underworld, nearly beyond deliverance, left only to lament in vain.

What has been described above is the karma created in past lives and the retribution still borne in this life: while alive, one meets calamity and is rejected by others; after death, one falls into hell and suffers for a long time. Once these sufferings have run their course, one is reborn, yet still falls onto an evil path. When the retribution of that path ends, one returns to the human world. Because of the karma created in the past, its lingering misfortune has not yet been exhausted, and its retribution is not yet complete. Now, having heard what the scripture says, we are inwardly shaken with fear and unease. We look up toward the holy perfected ones and respectfully confess our errors. With single-minded reverence, we take refuge in and pay homage to all the sages.

With utmost sincerity, I pay reverence to the Celestial Venerable in whom the utmost Dao gathers in emptiness and stillness; the Celestial Venerable whose utmost spirit is one with the void; the Celestial Venerable who is supremely pure, clear, and tranquil; the Celestial Venerable who is supremely primordial and brings forth the myriad beings; the Celestial Venerable who is peaceful, inwardly containing stillness and composure; the Celestial Venerable who is precious and breathes in and out the empty Qi; the Celestial Venerable whose voice rises above the remote and obscure; the Celestial Venerable who responds to all things and transforms in accordance with the moment; the Celestial Venerable who is gentle and unobstructed; the Celestial Venerable whose numinous subtlety depends on nothing external; the Celestial Venerable whose numinous subtlety is hidden deep within and does not show outwardly; the Celestial Venerable who is strong and ceaselessly brings life forth; the Celestial Venerable who is full yet seems empty; the Celestial Venerable who is harmonious, open, and aligned with the constant Dao; and the Celestial Venerable who eternally manifests radiance.

With utmost sincerity, I pay reverence to the Celestial Venerable who is full yet seems empty; the Celestial Venerable who is harmonious, open, and aligned with the constant Dao; the Celestial Venerable who eternally manifests radiance; the Celestial Venerable who acts justly; the Celestial Venerable who is deep and steadfast, holding fast to the root; the Celestial Venerable who teaches through compassion; the Celestial Venerable whose fine words spread in all directions; the Celestial Venerable who is benevolent and guides others toward goodness; the Celestial Venerable who devotes himself to giving and teaching; the Celestial Venerable who skillfully plans and handles difficult affairs; the Celestial Venerable who peacefully maintains equanimity; the Celestial Venerable who is trustworthy and resolute, never wavering; the Celestial Venerable whose learning surpasses that of ordinary people; the Celestial Venerable who justly assists the myriad beings; the Celestial Venerable who is broadly wise and skilled in governance; the Celestial Venerable whose laws and standards reach far; the Celestial Venerable who follows change and enables the myriad beings to return to their original nature; the Celestial Venerable who is supremely good and does not contend with others; the Celestial Venerable who teaches without demurring; and the Celestial Venerable who sees the faintest signs and approaches sagehood.

“With focused sincerity, I make obeisance” is a phrase used in Zhaijiao (purification rituals) and liturgical rites of repentance to express wholehearted reverence, bowing, and worship. Here, a series of honorific titles praises the Dao nature and De (Virtue) of the Celestial Venerable.

With single-minded reverence, worship the Celestial Worthies titled “Supreme Eminence Who Does Not Depart from Heaven,” “Supreme Vision Without Desire,” “Supreme Sage Whose Grace Extends Far,” “Supreme Virtue, the Great Mystery,” and “Celestial Worthy Who Departs.” Then, with the same single-minded reverence, worship “Supreme Vision Without Desire,” “Supreme Sage Whose Grace Extends Far,” and “Supreme Virtue, the Great Mystery,” and finally worship the “Celestial Worthy of Supreme Truth and Everlasting Joy.” These honorific titles are the names of the Celestial Worthies praised during worship. “With single-minded reverence, pay homage” means to worship with a focused and respectful heart.

After completing our reverent homage and recitation to the Heavenly Worthy and the exalted sages, we now gather our minds and gaze from afar toward the divine palaces where the immortals dwell. We take refuge in the perfected immortals of the Purple Sovereign’s Palace of Heavenly Unity and True Blessing, the Office of Primordial Harmony and Transference, and the Northern Pole Sanctuary of Protection and Sageliness. All those assembled at today’s altar reverently bow before the lineage’s founder: the Perfected Lord Zhenwu, numinously responsive and blessed with Virtue, who calms Heaven’s Pole, protects the sacred, and assists with the orderly flow of events—also known as the Supreme Emperor of the Dark Heaven, the Master and Chancellor of the Jade Void (the Great Emperor Zhenwu).

We respectfully invite the Divine Lord to rise into the air with sword in hand, his carriage surrounded by banners and ceremonial guards. May he fulfill his great vows and save the boundless multitude of living beings. We now repent, on behalf of the disciple [name], for the offenses against the precepts of the third grade described earlier: corrupting one’s true nature through sexual misconduct, and defiling and slighting numinous Qi, the vital essence of life. These offenses may have carried over from past lives into this one, bringing harm from the past; they may also implicate ancestors of earlier generations and kin and in-laws of later generations.

Some see a beautiful person and give rise to covetous, improper thoughts. Some prey upon the poor and weak, seize others, or injure them. Some sow discord between mother and child, or rob men and women of one another. Some drive wedges between those close and those distant, causing the worthy and good to be misled. Some profane the sun, moon, and stars, or defile and offend the sages; they turn from the right path and recklessly devise evil schemes. Such acts deplete true Qi and leave the spirit dim and clouded. Offenses accumulate one by one until wrongdoing is full. They disrupt the duties of the divine authorities and are therefore continually investigated and recorded.

Now, through the power of repentance, we earnestly hope the divine powers will show mercy and command the true officials who examine good and evil, the offices that conduct inspections, and the great deities who oversee the correction of offenses, the execution of punishments, and the recording of merit and fault to extend their compassion and pardon these transgressions. The repentant disciple [name] and all the ritual participants gathered at this altar vow to uphold the precepts of the Daoist tradition, cultivate the Dao, and seek the truth. In all their conduct, they will be humble and gentle, committing no crooked, deceitful, or wrongful acts. From this day forward, they will harbor no covetous attachment within and will commit no transgressive or reckless deeds outwardly. They will regard others as they regard themselves, and esteem love of virtue above love of beauty. They will cherish and protect original Qi, the innate vital essence of life, and dare not deceive in the slightest. They will cleanse their true hearts, dispel every distracting thought, and keep themselves upright.

We now openly acknowledge our faults and respectfully state our repentance. We earnestly ask the deities of Heaven, Earth, and the waters to calm their wrath and release the upper, middle, and lower Three Corpse Spirits within the human body—spirits that, according to Daoist teaching, are also connected with keeping watch over people’s faults—from liability for these offenses. May the body be healthy and the breath settled; may our aims be fulfilled and our wishes come to pass. May the wondrous teachings spread far and wide and bestow enduring, abundant blessings. May the divine powers remain numinously responsive, protecting all the people. May we always honor the utmost truth of the Dao and follow the teachings of the Daoist tradition forever, using this merit to benefit and adorn all things.

May the state prosper and flourish, and may its people live in peace and stability. May they sit in safety, free from the suffering of conflict and upheaval, and travel without fear or worry. May everyone live and work in peace, with deceit and betrayal of one’s ancestors no longer found among them. May Heaven grant them long life, and may they never again suffer sudden terrors like those caused by a spooked horse. May all sentient beings ascend together to the far shore of the Dao.

Perfected One Miaoxing told the assembled immortals: Long ago, before the Great Nonbeing—the primordial state before Heaven and Earth took shape—Primordial Celestial Worthy already existed. Endowed with the Qi of nature, the source from which all things are formed, he was empty, still, and profound, his realm beyond measure. Even when Heaven and Earth were destroyed and the cycles of catastrophe came to an end, the Celestial Worthy’s true body endured forever, undiminished. At times he dwelt above Jade Capital; at others he came to the wilderness of Qiongsang to transmit the secret Dao. This was called “opening a kalpa to save people.” Such openings of kalpas took place more than once.

In the first year of the Longhan era, the Most High manifested in multiple forms and descended to the Great Fortune Hall Kingdom at the center, where he transmitted the True Writings in Red Script, sacred Daoist characters, and taught the people, enabling them all to attain long life. Later, in the Southern Pole Kingdom of Crimson Radiance, he transmitted the True Writings refined by fire. For this reason, that place was called the Court of the Cavern of Yang, and it contained a pool of flowing fire. Anyone who underwent the refinement of the body would have a body that turned golden. There, too, stood the Hall of Zhu Ling, which governed the generation of all things.

The Most High also came to the Kingdom of Fuli in the Emerald Firmament of the Eastern Pole. In a forest of azure-green trees, he wrote the True Writings, whose characters appeared purple. When wind passed through the forest, it made the trees ring with sound. Birds that ate the leaves developed colored patterns on their bodies; people who obtained the birds’ feathers could fly. The local people lived long, never died, and enjoyed ease and freedom, untouched by troubles.

He also came to the Kingdom of Xina Jade in the World of Weilu at the Western Pole. At Mount Fuluo, he transmitted the True Writings and taught the local people. Golden essence arose spontaneously in the jade pool, its golden light shimmering and reflecting. After drinking the water, people’s bodies began to shine with golden light, its radiance reaching to the sky.

In the northern Kingdom of Yudan, the Most High transmitted the True Writings at the Monastery of Cavernous Clarity and taught the people. There was a numinous spring in the cold pool, whose water flowed without end. Those who drank it could live forever.

The people in all five regions received the teachings of the Most High’s Lingbao, and thus attained long life. The Most High then charged the Five Venerable Emperors with guarding the five directions, carrying out the Great Dao and establishing its teachings, so that all living beings might dwell in harmony and peace.

We have reverently heard that the Celestial Worthy and the other supreme sages spread their vast and compassionate teachings and created Heaven and Earth, distinguishing the Three Powers of Heaven, Earth, and humanity. They enabled us to be reborn as human beings, yet we do not know where life comes from. As we look up to read the scriptures and teachings, we deeply feel the grace we have received. With sincere devotion, we therefore bow with our whole bodies, prostrate ourselves before the High Perfected Ones, take refuge, and pay them reverent homage.

With sincere devotion and reverence, I bow before the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning, the Void and Natural One, one of the highest deities venerated in Daoism; before the Dao Lord of Jade Dawn, the Celestial Worthy of Numinous Treasure, one of the Three Pure Ones who presides over Numinous Treasure; before the Supreme Lord Lao, the Celestial Worthy of the Dao and Its Virtue, one of the Three Pure Ones often associated with Laozi; before the Supreme Emperor of Dark Heaven, the Master and Minister of the Jade Void, also known as the Great Emperor Zhenwu; before the Great Emperor, Sagely Father of Luminous Truth, and the Immortal Lady, Sagely Mother of Jade Truth; and before the Great Emperor, Sagely Master Fengqian, the Primal Lady of Purple Mystery of the Western Realm, the Celestial Worthy Who Manifests in the Golden Palace, the Celestial Worthy of Manifest Response to the Primal Mystery, and the Celestial Worthy of Numinous Transformation in the Great Clarity, all honored titles of Daoist deities.

Once more, with sincere devotion, I bow before the Great Emperor, Sagely Master Fengqian; the Primal Lady of Purple Mystery of the Western Realm; the Celestial Worthy Who Manifests in the Golden Palace; the Celestial Worthy of Manifest Response to the Primal Mystery; and the Celestial Worthy of Numinous Transformation in the Great Clarity. I also bow before the Celestial Worthy of the Lofty Jade Truth, the Celestial Worthy of Auspicious Radiance from the Sun, and the Celestial Worthies who manifest through the stellar deities Wuqu, Xuxing, Weixing, Tianyi, Taiyi, Chenxing, and others. “With focused devotion, I pay homage” is a reverential phrase used in Zhaijiao purification rites and penitential worship, expressing wholehearted and respectful obeisance to the deities.

We reverently take refuge, in body, spirit, and the cultivation of nature and life, in the Supreme Emperor of the Dark Heavens and all the revered divine beings and perfected sages. I, your disciple, respectfully receive the teachings handed down by the Most High: people may understand the Dao or lose their way; their words may be sincere or empty and false. Human actions have three aspects—body, speech, and mind. Their inner root lies in the heart, while what appears outwardly is often expressed through speech. Even if evil thoughts arise in the heart, as long as they are not spoken, evil deeds have not yet come to light. But even when the heart holds no such intent, inventing cunning words with one’s mouth gradually deepens one’s karmic offenses.

These transgressions all arise from harmful speech: sowing discord among good people, slandering others, deceiving them with convoluted and ornate words, and spreading false and mistaken claims. To take no heed of the correct teachings, to neglect reciting the scriptures of the immortals, and then to use words to conceal one’s faults—this is called corruption. If one refrains from creating offenses through speech, keeps the mind intent on speaking little and with care, avoids harmful words, and instead uses speech to praise good deeds, one can remain close to the teachings of the scriptures and repay good acts by praising what is good.

In accordance with the precepts in the fourth section of the Precepts for Cultivating Perfection, one must not ruin another person’s achievements or drive friends apart and sow discord among relatives. I, your disciple, since receiving life, have likely given rise to suspicion many times and harbored jealousy in secret, seeking my own benefit without regard for the harm done to others. I have looked only for others’ faults and refused to see their strengths, secretly watching for their mistakes. I have been angered by others’ success and pleased by their failures, resentful that I myself have accomplished so little.

I have persuaded other people’s relatives to travel far away to Yan and Qi, and urged friends to go to Wu and Yue. I appeared kind and spoke sweetly, while inwardly behaving one way to a person’s face and another behind their back. I secretly plotted disloyal acts and quietly passed words on to others. I heard rumors from travelers and spread them without thought; I glimpsed something through a crack in a wall and passed it along. I claimed that what did not exist did, and made what was false seem true. I recklessly slandered those less capable than myself and deliberately belittled those who were talented. I also cut off people’s connections and brought about resentment.

These past deeds have already come to pass in this life, leaving me alone in sorrow and beset by every kind of distress. After death, I may fall into hell and suffer for a long time. When that suffering has ended and I am born again into the world, the lingering calamities left by past karma may still not have been cleared away, and retribution may not yet be complete. Now that I have heard what the scriptures say, I am truly filled with fear. I reverently stand before the perfected sages and sincerely repent. May all people each summon their sincerity and pay homage with devout hearts.

I sincerely pay homage to the Celestial Worthy who is the one Qi, blended and undivided, from which all things come into being.

I sincerely pay homage to the Celestial Worthy who is the beginning of the life of all things.

I sincerely pay homage to the Celestial Worthy whose conduct is gentle and compassionate.

I sincerely pay homage to the Celestial Worthy who restrains desire and prizes frugality.

I sincerely pay homage to the Celestial Worthy who remains humble and yields to others.

I sincerely pay homage to the Celestial Worthy who devotes himself to the Dao and follows things as they naturally unfold.

I sincerely pay homage to the Celestial Worthy whose name can be spoken.

I sincerely pay homage to the Celestial Worthy who reflects again and again, observing with care.

I sincerely pay homage to the Celestial Worthy whose nature is not fixed and unchanging.

I sincerely pay homage to the Celestial Worthy who is spiritually lucid, awakened, and perceptive.

I sincerely pay homage to the Celestial Worthy who gathers good thoughts and guides good deeds.

I sincerely pay homage to the Celestial Worthy who responds to circumstances and gives things their form.

I sincerely pay homage to the Celestial Worthy who bears vessels and contains all things.

I sincerely pay homage to the Celestial Worthy who discerns what is right and carefully upholds it.

I sincerely pay homage to the Celestial Worthy whose actions benefit living beings and aid the people.

I sincerely pay homage to the Celestial Worthy who gathers good thoughts and guides good deeds.

I sincerely pay homage to the Celestial Worthy who responds to circumstances and gives things their form.

I sincerely pay homage to the Celestial Worthy who bears vessels and contains all things.

I sincerely pay homage to the Celestial Worthy who discerns what is right and carefully upholds it.

I sincerely pay homage to the Celestial Worthy who has inherited the constant Dao.

I sincerely pay homage to the Celestial Worthy who receives an authentic endowment and takes shape.

I sincerely pay homage to the Celestial Worthy who nourishes the family through good deeds.

I sincerely pay homage to the Celestial Worthy who brings blessings and benefit to the community.

I sincerely pay homage to the Celestial Worthy who protects the state through governance.

I sincerely pay homage to the Celestial Worthy whose words are kind and whose influence resonates in harmony.

I sincerely pay homage to the Celestial Worthy who bestows favors without taking pride in his achievements.

I sincerely pay homage to the Celestial Worthy who does not trample on or harm the myriad things.

I sincerely pay homage to the Celestial Worthy who casts aside three attachments and cuts off three desires.

I sincerely pay homage to the Celestial Worthy who handles matters calmly, without haste or agitation.

I sincerely pay homage to the Celestial Worthy who holds to the center within and keeps faith.

I sincerely pay homage to the Celestial Worthy who becomes a model for all.

I sincerely pay homage to the Celestial Worthy who casts aside three attachments and cuts off three desires.

I sincerely pay homage to the Celestial Worthy who handles matters calmly, without haste or agitation.

I sincerely pay homage to the Celestial Worthy who holds to the center within and keeps faith.

I sincerely pay homage to the Celestial Worthy who becomes a model for all.

I sincerely and reverently pay homage to the “Heavenly Worthy Who Unites the Talisman and Soars to Heaven.” “Unites the Talisman and Soars” means that the talisman and its seal fit together and rise heavenward. The title praises the Heavenly Worthy for being in accord with the Dao and for whose divine power reaches the heavenly realm.

I sincerely and reverently pay homage to the “Heavenly Worthy Who Stands Alone as the One Teaching,” praising the Heavenly Worthy’s teaching as uniquely supreme and established on its own.

I sincerely and reverently pay homage to the “Heavenly Worthy Who Dwells Amid the Four Greats,” praising the Heavenly Worthy for dwelling among the Four Greats. In Daoist scriptures, “Four Greats” refers to the basic elements or vast categories that make up Heaven, Earth, and all things.

I sincerely and reverently pay homage to the “Heavenly Worthy Who Contains the Four Principles,” praising the Heavenly Worthy for embodying four principles in a single being.

I sincerely and reverently pay homage to the “Heavenly Worthy Who Knows the Three and Upholds Them,” praising the Heavenly Worthy for clearly knowing three matters and keeping faithfully to them.

I sincerely and reverently pay homage to the “Heavenly Worthy Whose Goodness Brings Five Fruits,” praising the Heavenly Worthy for attaining five kinds of fruit through good deeds.

I sincerely and reverently pay homage to the “Heavenly Worthy Who Is the Source and Possesses the Four,” praising the Heavenly Worthy as the fundamental source, endowed with four virtues and powers.

I sincerely and reverently pay homage to the “Heavenly Worthy Who Dwells in the Seven Goodnesses,” praising the Heavenly Worthy for abiding in seven kinds of virtue.

I sincerely and reverently pay homage to the “Heavenly Worthy Who Abides in Four Forms,” praising the Heavenly Worthy for possessing four incarnations or manifestations.

I sincerely and reverently pay homage to the “Heavenly Worthy Who Benefits and Has Three Powers,” praising the Heavenly Worthy for benefiting living beings and possessing three abilities.

I sincerely and reverently pay homage to the “Heavenly Worthy Who Leaves Nothing Without Life,” praising the Heavenly Worthy for widely bestowing vitality, allowing all things to live.

I sincerely and reverently pay homage to the “Heavenly Worthy Who Contains the Myriad Forms,” praising the Heavenly Worthy for embodying, in a single being, all things throughout Heaven and Earth.

The assembly has completed its prostrations and recitations. Now, with single-minded sincerity, we gaze toward the palaces and offices where the deities reside and place our lives in the hands of the perfected immortals of the Purple Emperor’s Heavenly Unity Palace of True Auspiciousness, the Office of Primordial Harmony and Transfer, and the Northern Pole Hall of Blessing and Protection. Today, all those gathered at this ritual altar bow devoutly before the Master of the Teaching, the True Lord of Numina and Responsive Blessings, the Perfected Lord of Virtue Who Stabilizes Heaven and Protects the Northern Pole, Assists the Sage, and Brings Harmony to All—His Majesty the Dark Heaven of the Jade Void. We pray that the divine turtle will bear the deity here, that auspicious cranes will descend upon the hall, and that the deity will save and aid ordinary people, bringing blessings to all.

Today, on behalf of disciple So-and-so, we repent the offenses he previously committed against the fourth-grade precepts: harming other people’s undertakings and sowing discord between friends and family members. These offenses may have arisen in past lives or this one, and the calamities they leave behind may also entangle ancestors, parents, clan members, and friends. People, coveting profit, forget what is right and destroy the achievements of others. They betray kindness and sever bonds, driving relatives and friends apart. They secretly create danger and lay traps; at times they stir up conflict for no reason, and at times they sow discord with flattering, deceptive words. They spread false reports, feign sincere affection, and think only of their own schemes. All these are offenses that obstruct others. Each is recorded in detail; their evil deeds have accumulated to the full, disturbing the offices of the deities, whose divine officials continually investigate and keep account.

Now, relying on the power of repentance, we respectfully pray for Heaven’s grace. We ask that commands be issued to Heaven, Earth, the Four Seasons and Five Phases—Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water—the Six Pitch Pipes and Seven Stars, and all divine offices, immortal bureaus, and officials who oversee merit and fault. May they extend compassion widely and pardon these offenses. The repenting disciple So-and-so and the ritual community gathered at this altar observe the Daoist precepts, cultivate the Dao and seek the truth, and vow not to speak or act falsely or deceitfully. From this day forward, may our words be free of fault and our deeds diligent in cultivating goodness. May we regard others as ourselves, showing no favoritism because they differ from us. May we yield credit to others and to the capable, and never boast of our own good deeds. May those above and below live in harmony and achieve their undertakings together; may all be at peace within and without, and may friends, relatives, and strangers no longer be divided from one another.

Here the disciple openly acknowledges his offenses and sets forth his repentance, praying that the Celestial Worthy issue a gracious decree and that the Golden Palace, the palace of the Heavenly Emperor, transmit a sacred edict. May people recognize their faults and repent, and may hardship be released and calamity dispelled. May the worlds of Yin and Yang correspond in harmony, and may all beings, in every posture and action, have clear consciences. May the dead in the netherworld also be delivered, and may all who have a bond of affinity receive aid. May all beings ever honor the supreme true Dao and follow the wondrous teachings of Daoism forever.

May the merit of this rite bring universal benefit and adorn the world: may the stars each follow their courses, and may rain and sunshine come in season. May the five grains yield abundant harvests, untouched by destructive frost or the blighting of plants and trees. May all things grow in accord with the seasons, with neither drought nor flood. Wherever the light of Heaven reaches, may the transforming power of the Dao prevail and the people live in harmony. May all sentient beings ascend together upon the path to liberation.

The titles of scrolls four and five of the Repentance Rite of the Northern Pole True Warrior for Universal Compassion and Deliverance. This is followed by “Pacing the Void” (a hymn chanted while taking ritual steps in Daoist purification ceremonies).

At this time, Perfected One Miaoxing told the assembled immortals, “All things beneath the heavens should be guided by the Great Dao, bringing peace and harmony to the world. May all sentient beings reach the shore of liberation.”

At this time, Perfected Person Miaoxing said to the assembled immortals, “The treasured scriptures of the Three Caverns (Dongzhen, Dongxuan, and Dongshen) are the supreme Dao passed down by the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing)—the Jade Purity, Highest Purity, and Great Purity realms revered in Daoism. Thus, Lord Lao said: ‘Long ago, I received these scriptures from the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning. Seven hundred million kalpas have passed since then. Heaven and earth have undergone formation and destruction; all things have undergone growth and decline. Only my Great Dao endures forever. Even now, I still cultivate the Great Dao above the Auspicious Clouds. I once transmitted the Jade Purity’s Mysterious Texts to the Perfected Lord at the Heaven of Measureless Longevity. Later, I transmitted them to the Great Lord of the Blue Lad, and, following the rank system of the Nine Heavens, decreed that they be transmitted only once every ten thousand kalpas. Since the Kaihuang era, these scriptures have been passed down to later students. They should be transmitted to those truly suited to receive them, for a period of nine thousand years. They may be passed on to three people; sometimes the interval is forty years, sometimes nine. Whenever a suitable person appears, transmission is permitted according to one’s judgment.’

“Now the age is in decline, and people’s hearts are shallow. The need to save and aid living beings is especially urgent. Therefore, one should begin with purification and fasting, making the accumulation of hidden acts of goodness one’s priority: redeem the offenses of the nine generations of ancestors and free living beings from calamity. Only afterward should one turn to oneself, accumulate merit and spread De, follow the laws of Heaven, and seek deliverance. For this purpose, Daoism has twenty-seven forms of purification ritual and thirty-six kinds of offering ritual (services performed at an altar to pray for blessings and avert calamity).

“The three forms of register purification are: the Golden Register purification, used to harmonize Yin-Yang and protect and secure the state; the Jade Register purification, used to strengthen the state, instruct the people, and ensure their peace; and the Yellow Register purification, used to deliver the nine generations of ancestors and seven lines of forebears, freeing them forever from the suffering of the dark underworld.

“The seven forms of purification are as follows. First, the Bright Truth purification, used to deliver wandering souls and resolve all kinds of grudges. Second, the Natural purification, performed universally for living beings, with the aims of repenting offenses, dispelling calamities, and learning the ways of immortals through cultivation. Third, the Three Offices purification, used to repent one’s violations of the precepts and escape the scrutiny and punishment of the Three Officials, the deities who govern Heaven, Earth, and Water. Fourth, the Eight Seasonal Nodes purification, used to repent offenses committed by one’s ancestors and those entered against oneself in the underworld’s register of crimes. Fifth, the Cavern Spirit purification, which prizes cleanliness and simplicity and takes the healing of illness and removal of calamity as its meritorious work. Sixth, the Earth-and-Ashes purification, whose merit lies in hardship and strict observance of the precepts, and which is used to repent and pray for blessings. Seventh, the Instructional purification: at its highest, it takes stillness, emptiness, simplicity, and quietude as its methods of practice; next come breath regulation and the use of ingestive practices as steps into the path. Its foundation lies in cleansing the heart and mind, repenting, and renewing oneself. Its general principle is to put others before oneself. When merit and virtue are complete, one may ascend to Heaven in broad daylight.

“We, your servants, have been fortunate to encounter the sacred teaching and hear the true Dao, yet we have not been able to make our resolve firm and put it faithfully into practice. We can only serve with all our hearts, make our vows with single-minded devotion, and bow in worship with complete sincerity. We bow our heads and take refuge, directing our hearts toward reverent homage.”

With single-minded reverence, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning, Emptiness, and Natural Spontaneity (one of the highest deities revered in Daoism).

With single-minded reverence, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy of Numinous Treasure, Lord of the Jade Hall (one of the Three Pure Ones, Sanqing).

With single-minded reverence, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy of the Dao and its Virtue, the Most High Lord Lao (one of the Three Pure Ones, Sanqing, revered as the deity of Dao and Virtue).

With single-minded reverence, I bow in worship to the Supreme Emperor of the Dark Heavens, preceptor and minister of the Jade Void (the Supreme Emperor of the Dark Heavens, also known as the Great Emperor Zhenwu).

With single-minded reverence, I bow in worship to the Great Emperor, the Sagely Father of Luminous Truth.

With single-minded reverence, I bow in worship to the Immortal High One, the Sagely Mother of Jade Truth.

With single-minded reverence, I bow in worship to the Great Emperor, the Sagely Master Fengqian.

With single-minded reverence, I pay homage to the Supreme Emperor of the Dark Heavens, preceptor and minister of the Jade Void.

With single-minded reverence, I bow in worship to the Great Emperor, the Sagely Father of Luminous Truth.

With single-minded reverence, I bow in worship to the Immortal High One, the Sagely Mother of Jade Truth.

With single-minded reverence, I bow in worship to the Great Emperor, the Sagely Master Fengqian.

With single-minded reverence, I bow in worship to the Primordial Lord of Purple Mystery in the Western Realm.

With single-minded reverence, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy, Manifest Incarnation of the Golden Palace.

With single-minded reverence, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy, Manifest Response of the Dark Origin.

With single-minded reverence, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy of Numinous Transformation in the Great Clarity.

With single-minded reverence, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy of the Lofty Jade Truth.

With single-minded reverence, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy who Brings Auspiciousness to Light.

With single-minded reverence, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy, Manifest Incarnation of the Martial Star (the revered deity manifested from the Martial Star).

With single-minded reverence, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy, Manifest Incarnation of the Void Constellation (the revered deity manifested from the Void lunar mansion).

With single-minded reverence, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy, Manifest Incarnation of the Rooftop Constellation (the revered deity manifested from the Rooftop lunar mansion).

With single-minded reverence, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy, Manifest Incarnation of the Celestial One.

With single-minded reverence, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy, Manifest Incarnation of the Great One.

With single-minded reverence, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy, Manifest Incarnation of the Morning Star (the revered deity corresponding to the planet Mercury).

We respectfully take refuge, in body, spirit, and our nature and life, in the honored sovereigns who manifest the numinous power of the Mysterious Heaven: the Great Emperor Zhenwu of the Northern Pole and the honored deities who are his manifestations. We respectfully receive the teachings of the Most High: beings in the world often do not understand the causes they planted in past lives, nor do they cultivate good deeds and accumulate wholesome fruits. Their minds are obscured by ignorance, which blocks their understanding of principles that were once clear. Without confessing their faults, how can they awaken and understand?

Though the heavenly realm and the human world differ, their states are connected; though sages and ordinary people are distinct, the underlying principles are the same. The realms of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), the highest heavens revered in Daoism, and the Celestial Worthies of the Ten Directions can also be attained only through cultivation. All practitioners can accord with the sacred Dao. People fall into the evil paths because, while alive, they commit harmful deeds through the three karmic actions of body, speech, and mind, and bring these misdeeds to light.

If we can root out evil thoughts in our hearts and refrain from harsh speech; avoid discussing others’ faults or boasting of our own strengths; vow not to spread the faults we witness in others; cherish our words and speak less; refuse to become absorbed in lavish, gaudy things; and turn back in repentance with reverence and faith, then in this life we can receive the wholesome reward of honored standing and an illustrious name. As we make our way through the world, we can also bring peace to both people and spirits.

The precepts in the fifth section of Cultivating the True state that one must not display one’s talents or boast of oneself, nor disparage the worthy. We disciples deeply fear that our sincerity is not pure enough: relying on our forceful temper and confidence in our own clever schemes, we suppress those who have yet to understand the principles. We boast of our literary talent as though it were fine jade and the Celestial River, and display our writing like waves in a vast sea of words. We describe our achievements in cloudlike, radiant colors, exaggerating them until they seem to illuminate the mountains. Relying on physical strength, we bully the weak and ordinary; relying on the vigor of youth, we overpower those older and more mature. With crafty words, we slander the worthy; in conversation and laughter, we mock the good. We exploit our position and act with force, lacking gentleness of character; we use low status to oppress the honored and the humble to offend the respected, the small to bully the great, and those below to defy those above. When pleased with ourselves, we boast without end, yet refuse to examine our own conduct. Gradually, our secret acts of slander and backbiting multiply, while biased praise and blame follow one after another.

Because of karmic causes accumulated in the past, in this life we are scolded by others and meet obstacles at every turn. After death, we fall into hell and endure suffering for a long time; when our hardships have run their course, we are reborn in the evil paths. Only after the retribution in those paths has ended do we return to the human world. Yet because our past karma remains unresolved, we must still bear the disasters left in its wake; its retribution has not ceased. Hearing what the scripture teaches now truly fills us with fear and awe. Before the sacred and honored ones, we humbly offer ourselves in repentance and pay reverence with utmost sincerity, each of us respectfully putting these teachings into practice.

Reverently pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Beyond Beginning and Source, the revered deity who transcends all beginnings and origins and whose source cannot be traced.

Reverently pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Wuwei and All-Accepting Action, the revered deity who acts through Wuwei and can undertake all things.

Reverently pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Beyond Law and Speech, the revered deity who cannot be explained through words or rules.

Reverently pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Beyond Words and Discourse, the revered deity who cannot be discussed in words.

Reverently pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Beyond Sight, the revered deity who cannot be seen.

Reverently pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Beyond Hearing, the revered deity who cannot be heard.

Reverently pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Shelters Every Vast Expanse, the revered deity who offers complete protection wherever the land may stretch.

Reverently pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Reaches Every Subtlety, the revered deity who penetrates even the finest details.

Reverently pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Answers Every Appeal, the revered deity who responds to every heartfelt plea.

Reverently pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Illuminates Every Hidden Place, the revered deity who perceives even the darkest and most concealed places.

Reverently pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Transforms All Things, the revered deity who brings every kind of change to completion.

Reverently pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Reaches Every Distance, the revered deity who can arrive no matter how far away a place may be.

Reverently pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Understands Every Principle, the revered deity who can comprehend every principle.

Reverently pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Stillens Every Desire, the revered deity who quiets desires and calms the mind.

Reverently pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Accomplishes Every Good, the revered deity who can bring every kind of good deed to completion.

Reverently pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Whose Light Shines Everywhere, the revered deity whose radiance reaches every place.

Reverently pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Supports Every Practice, the revered deity who protects all forms of spiritual cultivation.

Celestial Worthy.

Reverently pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Understands Every Principle, the Celestial Worthy Who Stillens Every Desire, the Celestial Worthy Who Accomplishes Every Good, the Celestial Worthy Whose Light Shines Everywhere, and the Celestial Worthy Who Supports Every Practice.

Reverently pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Advances Every Accomplishment, the revered deity who can help every kind of achievement progress.

Reverently pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who May Be Petitioned Every Day, the revered deity to whom one may pray each day.

Reverently pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Reaches Every Direction, the revered deity who can arrive in every direction and place.

Reverently pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Harmonizes Every Matter, the revered deity who can bring all kinds of affairs into harmony.

Reverently pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Upholds Every Precept, the revered deity who can observe all kinds of precepts.

Reverently pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Fulfills Every Plan, the revered deity who can bring plans to fruition.

Reverently pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Establishes Every Accomplishment, the revered deity who can establish all kinds of achievements.

Reverently pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Reveals Every Virtue, the revered deity who can make every kind of virtuous conduct manifest.

Reverently pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Bestows Grace on All People, the revered deity who grants blessings to everyone.

Reverently pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Carries Out Every Righteous Deed, the revered deity who can enact anything in keeping with righteousness.

Reverently pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Answers Every Question, the revered deity who can respond to any question.

Reverently pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Teaches Every Teaching, the revered deity who can explain all matters of instruction and guidance.

Reverently pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Turns Every Opportunity, the revered deity who can adapt to and transform every circumstance and change.

I sincerely pay reverence to the Celestial Worthy “Whose Deeds Reach Everywhere.” This means that the Celestial Worthy’s De (Virtue/Power) extends in all four directions, reaching every place.

I sincerely pay reverence to the Celestial Worthy “To Whom Every Mystery Returns.” This means that all subtle and wondrous principles ultimately return to the Celestial Worthy.

I sincerely pay reverence to the Celestial Worthy “Whose Name May Be Invoked Everywhere.” This means that the Celestial Worthy’s name reaches everywhere, and there is no place where it cannot be invoked in reverence.

I sincerely pay reverence to the Celestial Worthy “To Whom All May Be Offered.” This means that nothing in the world is unfit to be offered to the Celestial Worthy.

I sincerely pay reverence to the Celestial Worthy “Whose Power Is Efficacious Through Every Transformation.” This means that no matter how things change, the Celestial Worthy’s divine powers remain efficacious.

Above this Celestial Worthy is another, the Celestial Worthy “To Whom Every Mystery Returns.”

I sincerely pay reverence to the Celestial Worthy “Whose Name May Be Invoked Everywhere.”

I sincerely pay reverence to the Celestial Worthy “To Whom All May Be Offered.”

I sincerely pay reverence to the Celestial Worthy “Whose Power Is Efficacious Through Every Transformation.”

The Heavenly Worthy and all the sacred perfected ones: the prostrations and recitations are now complete. Let us focus our minds and pay our respects once more, gazing from afar toward the dwellings of the immortals. We bow in homage and entrust our lives to the immortals of the Purple Emperor’s Celestial One True Celebration Palace, the Yuanhe Registry and Transfer Office, and the Northern Pole Court of Protection and Sainthood.

All those gathered today for this Daoist ritual assembly sincerely bow in homage to the sect’s patriarch, the True Lord of Perfect Martial Response, Blessed Virtue, Protection of the Sages, Assistance in Following the Way, and Stabilization of Heaven at the Northern Pole—also known as the Supreme Emperor of the Dark Heaven, Divine Minister of the Jade Void (the Great Emperor Zhenwu). We earnestly ask the True Lord to descend amid auspicious light and blessed Qi, compassionately rescue living beings, bestow blessings, resolve enmities, and pardon sins and punishments.

Today we offer repentance on behalf of the disciple so-and-so for offenses against the fifth grade of precepts committed in the past: displaying one’s talents and boasting of oneself, then falsely accusing and slandering good people. These offenses may have been inherited from past lives or committed in this life; they may also leave calamities for descendants and entangle ancestors, clan members, and relatives. Some, relying on a little cleverness, bully those who are generous and mild-mannered; relying on their own skills and abilities, they mock and disdain those of ordinary gifts. They flaunt their success and act arrogantly, showing no regard for others. At times, unwilling to submit to those in power, they grow resentful; at other times, they speak ingratiatingly while mocking other people. They value only themselves, as though no one else were present; they think too highly of themselves and indulge in bullying others. Their offenses have accumulated one by one, their wrongdoing is now full to overflowing, and they have disturbed matters governed by the spirits. As a result, they are continually investigated and their deeds recorded.

Now, through this repentance, we respectfully pray that the Heavenly Worthy show mercy and command the embroidered-robed emissaries, the great gods who keep the registers, the Yin-Yang officials of the eight directions and nine provinces, the spirit officials of every bureau and office, and all the enlightened spirits to extend their compassion widely and pardon these offenses.

The disciple so-and-so seeking repentance, together with all the ritual assembly, will observe the precepts of the Mysterious Gate and enter the Dao to cultivate perfection. From this day onward, we will carefully follow the precepts and will not contend to be first. We will conduct ourselves with reverence and courtesy, blending our light with the world (restraining our sharpness and living peacefully among others). We will not boast or compete with others over ability. When we see good conduct, we will study it diligently, as though we have yet to catch up. We will remain humble and yielding, cast off pretense, treat others with honesty and generosity, and put aside thoughts that lead to perversity and wrongdoing.

Having openly acknowledged our faults and repented with sincere hearts, we pray that the grace of the Celestial Emperor spread throughout the human world, and that the might and virtue of August Heaven reach both above and below. May none of the four seasons bring hardship; may every household enjoy peace and good fortune. Whether walking, standing, sitting, or lying down, may we remain free of shame in our hearts and rely on the spirits’ protection. Under the spirits’ scrutiny, may we dare not conceal our actions.

May all people continually honor the Most Perfect and forever follow the teachings of the Mysterious Gate. May the merit of this rite benefit all and adorn the world. May the five grains yield abundant harvests, and may every kind of produce serve its proper purpose. May drought and locust plagues be entirely dispelled, and may we be spared the calamities of flooding. May everyone have enough food and clothing, with no more hunger or cold. May millet, foxtail millet, and rice flourish, and may all living beings be mindful of the blessings they receive. May all sentient beings reach the shore of the Dao together, leaving suffering behind and attaining liberation.

Perfected One Miaoxing said to the assembled female immortals: “Long ago, while the female immortal Wang Miaoxiang of Mount Jiuyi was making a devout pilgrimage, she suddenly experienced a wondrous vision. One day, auspicious clouds filled the courtyard and light illuminated the altar hall. Banners and ornate canopies shaped like cranes drifted down from the sky. A celestial official, dressed in feather robes and wearing a jeweled crown, entered the hall, sat down, and said to Miaoxiang: ‘I am Emperor Shun, ruler of the ancient Youyu clan. After the labors of governing the world, I came to this mountain to cultivate the Great Dao. I have often wished to guide those who come after me to understand the Dao, but until now I have found no one to whom I could impart it.

“‘The Dao is within the human heart, not in external things; it is within you, not in someone else. The Mysterious Scripture says that cultivating the Dao within oneself makes one’s De true. Recently, the spirit office that oversees the underworld reported that you have upheld the Dao without wavering and observed the Mysterious Precepts. If you still receive no confirmation, it would be as though the Dao had abandoned humanity.

“‘The Mysterious Scripture also says that one who is always skilled at helping all things never abandons any of them. The Dao’s bounty extends everywhere, enabling all things to fulfill their nature and giving everyone hope of deliverance. Yet people’s blessings are slight and their Dao Qi is insufficient. They cannot study with single-minded diligence, and before their cultivation is complete, they grow lax and give up halfway. In this way, people abandon the Dao themselves; it is not the Dao that abandons them. The Highest Sages and Perfected Ones pity living beings, who endure the succession of kalpas and cycle between Yin and Yang, with life following death and change coming swiftly. Thus, even in troubled eras such as the Yang Nine and Six Hundred, they diligently descend to teach and save people, and are especially concerned for those in the world who seek the Dao.

“‘Yet people often seek the Dao only intermittently. Though they keep it in their hearts, scarcely one in ten thousand truly puts it into practice. The Celestial Perfected Ones take pity on worldly people. They often conceal their traces and transform their forms among humanity, offering guidance wherever they go so that people may awaken. If you wish for longevity, you should understand the Three-Oneness, the Daoist cultivation teaching concerning the Jing, Qi, and Shen within the body. If you can keep to the One, the One will guard you in turn. Through cultivation, Jing can transform into an infant; the infant can then become a Perfected One, and the Perfected One can return to the “also-child.” This is the One of the Perfected One.

“‘False Dao merely nourishes the body, while true Dao nourishes the spirit. When the spirit is pure, it can commune with the Dao, concealing itself or appearing at will. Shen can make the body soar and can even move mountains. If the body turns to dust, how could it know the Great Dao? What the eyes see and ears hear, and what ensnares you through sights and sounds, all leave you with faults. The fragrances and flavors coveted by the nose and mouth, too, become sources of harm. The body is the root of affliction: aches and itches, cold and heat, all torment people. Thoughts in turn burden the body. If you do not quickly cast off sorrow and distress, your will and vitality will be depleted, and your life will not endure.’

“The assembly said: ‘We respectfully contemplate the Highest Sages and are grateful for their compassion toward the people of the world, their broad teachings and precepts, and their guidance and deliverance of living beings. We should observe the precepts, devote ourselves to cultivation, and honor this profound kindness. We feel both ashamed and grateful. Now, with one mind, we make our vow: we bow with our whole bodies, prostrate ourselves before the Compassionate Venerable One, and respectfully pay homage to the True Sage.’”

Reverently worship the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning, of Emptiness and Natural Spontaneity, one of the supreme deities of Daoism.

Reverently worship the Celestial Worthy of Numinous Treasure, the Daoist Lord of the Jade Dawn, one of the Three Pure Ones.

Reverently worship the Celestial Worthy of the Dao and Its Virtue, the Most High Lord Lao, one of the Three Pure Ones.

Reverently worship the Emperor of Mysterious Heaven, Benevolent Might and the Lord of the Law, the Great Emperor Zhenwu, guardian deity of the north.

Reverently worship the Great Emperor, Holy Father of Illuminated Truth.

Reverently worship the Holy Mother, Transcendent Immortal of Jade Truth.

Reverently worship the Great Emperor, Holy Master Fengqian.

Reverently worship the Primordial Lady of Purple Mystery from the Western Realm.

Reverently worship the Holy Mother, Transcendent Immortal of Jade Truth.

Reverently worship the Great Emperor, Holy Master Fengqian.

Reverently worship the Primordial Lady of Purple Mystery from the Western Realm.

Reverently worship the Celestial Worthy, Incarnation in the Golden Palace.

Reverently worship the Celestial Worthy of Manifest Response, the Mysterious Origin.

Reverently worship the Celestial Worthy of Numinous Transformation in the Great Clarity.

Reverently worship the Celestial Worthy of Auspicious Illumination by Sunlight.

Reverently worship the Celestial Worthy of Responsive Transformation of the Martial Star.

Reverently worship the Celestial Worthy of Responsive Transformation of the Void Star.

Reverently worship the Celestial Worthy of Responsive Transformation of the Danger Star.

Reverently worship the Celestial Worthy of Responsive Transformation of Tianyi.

Reverently worship the Celestial Worthy of Responsive Transformation of Taiyi.

Reverently worship the Celestial Worthy of Auspicious Transformation of the Star Chen.

We disciples sincerely take refuge in body, spirit, and life, and honor the Mysterious Heaven—the Great Emperor Zhenwu of the North Pole—and the revered deities who manifest in response to devotion. We respectfully receive the teachings of the scriptures. The Most High says: “Purification and fasting are the foundation of cultivating the Dao and the bridge that leads to its teachings. Those who wish to cultivate the Dao should clear their minds, observe purification and fasting, and uphold the precepts with reverence. If they remain upright and sincere at all times, deviant thoughts and delusions will naturally disperse.”

Living beings have left the realm of purity and become absorbed in eating meat and other rich foods, thereby violating the precepts. This is like hungry ghosts devouring corpses, their bellies scorched by raging fire, never able to eat their fill; or like flies fighting over rotting filth, mistaking its stench for fragrance. In the end, they defile the Three Palaces—the body’s dwelling places of Jing, Qi, and Shen—and the six viscera, allowing the corpse soul, the yin soul bound to the physical body, to thrive and grow content in a state of degradation.

You should cut off the roots of desire and enter the realm of true purity: do not sow the causes of suffering, commit evil deeds, give rise to deviant views, or stray onto heretical paths. You should value the precepts as you would the laws of the world: anyone who intends to break the law fears the punishment of iron and wooden shackles. Uphold the precepts with the same focused care, keeping them always in mind as if standing before someone you deeply respect. If you maintain your inner resolve with upright seriousness, quiet distracting thoughts, and listen attentively to the teachings, you will understand the Orthodox Way and become my disciples.

The precepts in the sixth section of Cultivating the True say: “Do not drink to excess, and do not eat any of the various forbidden foods.” We disciples, upon examining ourselves, see that we have often indulged our desires and given ourselves over to pleasure. We drink as if swallowing like whales, chasing intoxication day and night. We crave flavors as if they were poison, and often love only meat and other pungent foods. We call wine the immortal’s brew, while seeking the delicacies of noble households. We sink into pleasures of the palate, choosing only rich and sweet foods. We have been drunk countless times, gradually letting ourselves go until we lose all restraint. We have also greedily eaten the Five Pungent Foods—strongly scented vegetables such as scallions and garlic—and the Six Forbidden Foods, seeking only to fill our stomachs.

These foods give off foul vapors and leave people intoxicated and bereft of their senses. Their behavior becomes wild and confused, and their speech turns licentious and unrestrained. Most especially, on days when we ought to observe purification and fasting for ritual offerings, we instead entertain thoughts of harming living creatures. We care only to satisfy our appetites, heedless of our conduct. In secret, we come and go through streets and filthy places, acting without restraint and visiting places that are improper. Once our conduct has violated the precepts, any rites we perform afterward are merely empty forms.

These past misdeeds have already become manifest in this life: we are shallow in character and base in our conduct. After death, we will fall into hell and suffer for a long time. When that suffering has run its course, we will be reborn in an evil realm; when its retribution is exhausted, we will return to the human world. The karma we created in the past still leaves misfortune in its wake, and its retribution is not yet complete. Now that we have heard what the scriptures teach, we disciples are deeply alarmed. Before the holy and revered ones, we respectfully repent with wholehearted devotion, taking refuge and bowing in worship.

With sincere devotion, I respectfully bow to the Celestial Worthies Lingyuan Xuzhan, Lingshi Xiangxian, Lingchang Danji, and Lingda Wuwei, and take refuge in and have faith in all the Celestial Worthies.

With sincere devotion, I respectfully bow to the Celestial Worthies Lingyuan Xuzhan, Lingshi Xiangxian, Lingchang Danji, Lingda Wuwei, Lingwei Wuben, Lingneng Hehan, Lingtong Wuji, Lingyi Tongshen, Lingyu Guan Miao, Lingzang Wanhua, Lingdang Liyong, Lingqi Zhizhu, Lingchang Weiming, Lingyan Ruimiao, Lingguang Jiwu, Lingyin Yan Miao, Lingwen Puchang, Lingshu Jiji, Lingfeng Chuanrui, Lingyun Yinyang, Lingzhang Zaohua, Lingzhou Shidi, Lingchao Wanlü, Lingguang Faxing, Linghua Wusi, Lingzhuan Wuya, Lingyong Buqiong, and Lingqing Youxing.

“Bowing in wholehearted reverence” means offering salutations to the Celestial Worthies with undivided attention and sincere respect. “Taking refuge and offering faith” means turning to them and placing one’s faith in them. The “Qi” in the text refers to the primordial vital energy as understood in Daoism.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I bow before the Celestial Worthy whose spiritual wisdom never fades and who never grows weary; before the Celestial Worthy whose spiritual root is deep and firmly established; before the Celestial Worthy who acts without delusion or arbitrary contrivance; before the Celestial Worthy whose wondrous spirit is unimpeded and inexhaustible; and before the Celestial Worthy whose innate nature contains blessings and auspiciousness.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I bow before the Celestial Worthy whose spiritual wisdom never fades and who never grows weary; before the Celestial Worthy whose spiritual root is deep and firmly established; before the Celestial Worthy who acts without delusion or arbitrary contrivance; before the Celestial Worthy whose wondrous spirit is unimpeded and inexhaustible; before the Celestial Worthy who dispels attachment to self and discriminating thought; before the Celestial Worthy whose wondrous activity moves in response to changing things; before the Celestial Worthy who restores the spiritual root to its original life; before the Celestial Worthy whose insight is vast and all-encompassing; before the Celestial Worthy who is abundant and overflowing like a spiritual spring; and before the Celestial Worthy who holds boundless benevolence.

“Offering reverent homage with a devoted heart” is a phrase used for bowing in purification and repentance rites. It means paying homage to the Celestial Worthy with utmost sincerity.

The reverence and invocations to the Celestial Worthies and Supreme Sages have come to an end. We now turn our attention once more in reverence toward the palaces where the spirits dwell, and entrust our lives to the perfected immortals of the Palace of True Celebration under the Purple Emperor and Celestial Unity, the Office of Primordial Harmony and Transfer, and the Sanctuary of the Northern Pole’s Protection of the Sage. Today, all gathered at the ritual altar devoutly bow before the presiding teacher, the True Lord of the Northern Pole who Stabilizes Heaven, Protects the Sage, Assists the Favorable, and Answers Prayers with Blessings and Virtue—also known as the Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Heaven, Preceptor and Minister of Jade Void (the Great Emperor Zhenwu).

May the armored divine guards march in front, and the guardian generals follow behind, spreading blessings far and wide and extending their grace to the people. We now repent on behalf of the disciple so-and-so for transgressions against the Six Grades of Precepts: excessive drinking and consuming various repellent foods.

These offenses may be bound up with past and present lives, or may have left calamities from former ages of tribulation. They may extend upward to one’s ancestors and downward to one’s relatives. One has indulged in drunkenness, neglected one’s inner resolve, and failed to restrain oneself; feasted and sought pleasure without limit, even appearing naked and behaving without propriety. One has delighted in cooking unusual delicacies, without recognizing the wrong of eating impure things; one has deliberately killed sentient creatures for the sole purpose of enjoying the flavor of meat. One has boasted while drinking, slaughtered livestock, and shown contempt for the High Perfected, making severe punishment difficult to escape. The charges will be set out one by one. Evil deeds have accumulated to their full measure, disturbing the offices of the spirits and drawing continual scrutiny and record.

Now, through repentance, we respectfully look to the Celestial Worthies for grace, and ask them to command the underworld officials who administer punishment in the Nine Courts of Karmic Paths, the clerks who keep the registers, the attendants of the spiritual offices, and the great gods who enforce the law to show abundant compassion and forgive these offenses together. The repentant disciple so-and-so and all those gathered at the altar will uphold the Mysterious Precepts—the rules and rites of Daoism—and observe the precepts for entering the Dao and attaining perfected status. They will remain pure and no longer take pride in defiled, worldly pursuits; they will still their spirits and clear away distracting thoughts, restrain themselves, and preserve their Shen and Qi. They will drink in moderation and refrain from craving impure foods.

May we remember the regret of being the one sober person among a crowd of the drunk, and use it as a measure of self-discipline. May we follow the proper ways of caring for life and attending to the dead, and honor the elderly. We now confess our offenses openly and repent for each one. May grace fill Heaven and Earth and descend like rain and dew; may the guilt brought on by confusion and excess be pardoned, and our sincere resolve to reform be clearly recognized. May kindness reach all the people, granting everyone health and peace; may light shine into humble homes and dispel darkness and fear forever.

May we serve the Most Perfect always and follow the Mysterious Teachings forever. May the merit and benefit of this rite of repentance extend to all sentient beings, bringing stability to the state and peace to the people; may officials act with integrity and roads remain open, with all mutual oppression and conflict brought to an end. May all sentient beings reach the shore of the Dao and be freed from suffering and hardship.

The Perfected Man Miaoxing said to the assembled immortals: In ancient times, the Highest One manifested as the Venerable Heavenly Lord of Stillness and Old Age, spreading teachings in the five directions and liberating beings throughout the human and heavenly realms. He appeared before Heaven and Earth, nurturing the myriad things. He dwells in the Jade Capital in the upper realm, as sovereign over all the gods, and in the Purple Tenuity in the lower realm, as patriarch of the flying immortals. He can transform himself in a thousand ways, appearing and disappearing in turn, adapting to the times and responding to the myriad things; his whereabouts are impossible to fathom.

He once taught the Yellow Emperor Xuanyuan the Daoist arts on Mount Kongtong, instructed Emperor Ku in the Land of Virtue, gave Yu the Great the secret of long life, and revealed to Yin Xi the meaning of the Dao De Jing. Accounts of his cinnabar books in purple script, scriptures on ascending to the Mysterious and taking flying steps, and teachings on jade, stone, and golden light, as well as wondrous existence and numinous caverns, are too numerous to recount. Since high antiquity, in the eras of the Yellow Emperor, Emperor Ku, and Yu the Great, these rulers all encountered divine beings and received Daoist methods and Fulu (talismans and registers). So much time has passed that the related accounts can no longer be traced in the classics and histories. In the Zhou dynasty, Laozi left through Hangu Pass to the east and entered Jibin to the west. He appeared in a form elusive and difficult to discern, expounding teachings both subtle and profound. Thus Daoist teachings spread widely in the West and also reached China.

At birth, Heaven gives each person Shen (spirit), Earth gives each person Jing (essence), and the harmonious Qi (vital energy) of Heaven and Earth gives each person the breath that constitutes life. If people can nourish their Jing, cherish their Shen, and guard their Qi, they may attain long life within and bring peace to the state without.

A minister should be loyal to the ruler and wish for the ruler’s long life; children should care for their parents and worry as they grow old; disciples should never forget their teacher’s kindness. The body comes from one’s parents, moral cultivation is formed through the instruction of a true master, and the ruler sustains one’s livelihood. Knowing that rulers, parents, and teachers will eventually grow old, and having no way to repay them, one should study diligently, practice goodness, and seek out wise teachers and extraordinary arts to deepen one’s own cultivation. This is the teaching that the ancient emperors gave to those who cultivated goodness: be sincere in word and deed, examine and reproach yourself, cleanse your thoughts and correct your conduct, so as to reach Heaven; remember the kindness of Heaven and Earth, and repay it through your actions. With such single-minded and unflagging dedication, one can cultivate oneself into an immortal.

We were born through transformation and received the kindness of Heaven and Earth, which cover and support us. We have been favored by rulers and elders, raised through our parents’ toil, and fortunate enough to receive teachings and scriptures. How could we forget our roots? Therefore, we burn incense and bow in gratitude for these deep kindnesses, make our bodies and minds upright, act with reverence and sincerity, make our vows with single-minded devotion, and bow down in refuge to the Three Treasures of the true and right—the three treasures revered in Daoism.

With focused devotion and reverence, pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning, Void, and Nature, one of the highest deities revered in Daoism.

With focused devotion and reverence, pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Numinous Treasure, the Jade Emperor Daoist Lord, one of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), who embodies the Great Dao of Numinous Treasure.

With focused devotion and reverence, pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Dao and its Virtue, the Supreme Lord Lao, one of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), who venerates Laozi as a deity.

With focused devotion and reverence, pay homage to the Dark Martial Emperor, the Jade Void Master and Minister, also known as the Great Emperor Zhenwu, a revered Daoist deity.

With focused devotion and reverence, pay homage to the Great Emperor, Sagely Father of Bright Truth.

With focused devotion and reverence, pay homage to the Transcendent of Jade Truth, Sagely Mother.

With focused devotion and reverence, pay homage to the Great Emperor, Sagely Master Fenggan.

With focused devotion and reverence, pay homage to the Primordial Lady of Purple Mystery in the Western Realm.

With focused devotion and reverence, pay homage to the Celestial Worthy, Incarnate Form of the Golden Palace.

With focused devotion and reverence, pay homage to the Great Emperor, Sagely Master Fenggan.

With focused devotion and reverence, pay homage to the Primordial Lady of Purple Mystery in the Western Realm.

With focused devotion and reverence, pay homage to the Celestial Worthy, Incarnate Form of the Golden Palace.

With focused devotion and reverence, pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Manifest Response, the Mysterious Origin.

With focused devotion and reverence, pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Numinous Transformation in the Great Clarity.

With focused devotion and reverence, pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Lofty Jade Truth.

With focused devotion and reverence, pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Sunlight and Auspicious Manifestation.

With focused devotion and reverence, pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Responsive Transformation, the Military Advisor Star, a revered deity manifested from that star.

With focused devotion and reverence, pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Responsive Birth, the Empty Lodge, the deity associated with the Empty Lodge lunar mansion.

With focused devotion and reverence, pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Manifest Transformation, the Danger Star, a revered deity manifested from the Danger lunar mansion.

With focused devotion and reverence, pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Responsive Transformation, the Heavenly One.

With focused devotion and reverence, pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Responsive Transformation, the Great One.

With focused devotion and reverence, pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Responsive Transformation, the Morning Star, the deity associated with the planet Mercury.

We reverently take refuge in body, spirit, and life. We honor the supreme Dark Heaven Supreme Emperor, the northern guardian deity venerated in Daoism, and the many Heavenly Worthies who manifest their numinous power and respond to the needs of the world.

We respectfully hear the Most High, a title for the supreme divine being in Daoism, instruct us: living beings dwell in the dusty world, but how many days make up a hundred years? In the blink of an eye, a lifetime passes like the time it takes to eat a meal. Life is like a spark struck from stone or a flash of lightning—how could it last long? It is like a moth flying into a flame and bringing about its own destruction. Unable to understand this, people become entangled in distress. Their hearts are always grasping and covetous; no matter how high they pile up their possessions, they still feel they do not have enough. They make plans for a thousand years from within a single day’s life. At birth, people bring not a single coin; at death, they take not a single coin with them. Once the body dies, all things return to emptiness. Endless stinginess and greed ultimately prove illusory.

While alive, people accumulate possessions and refuse to give them away. Can this really protect them from floods, fires, and thieves? If they scheme and plot against others, can they really escape the retribution of their descendants falling into poverty and dying out? At death, heroes and nobles alike vanish in an instant. Fine carriages and tall horses are no longer theirs, and their grand, splendid homes pass into other hands. What good are the grief and sighs of relatives and friends?

We humbly follow the precepts in the seventh section of Cultivating the True: do not seek without limit or accumulate wealth without sharing it. Reflecting on ourselves, we often worry too much and covet distant gains, intent only on storing up more possessions; our greed has no bounds. We seize what belongs to others, seeking to enrich ourselves and impoverish them. We take fields and houses, caring only to strengthen ourselves and disregarding the weakness of others. In markets and trade, we exploit opportunities for profit and quarrel over petty gains. From morning to night, we calculate, afraid that what we have gained will not be enough. We rush about pursuing business everywhere, yet remain unsatisfied.

Grain piles up and rots in the storehouse, but we will not spare even a little to feed the hungry. Money fills the rafters, but we will not give the smallest amount to help those in need. We are miserly even in supporting our own family—how could we show compassion for the poor? Even after stripping others of all their possessions, we remain insatiable, clutching our purses ever more tightly.

The karma created by these actions—the consequences that follow from what we do—wears people down with worry and exhaustion in this life and may even bring them harm at the hands of thieves. After death, they fall into hell and suffer for a long time; when that suffering ends, they are reborn in a lower realm. Only after the karmic consequences in the lower realms have run their course do they return to the human world. Yet the karma they created in the past leaves further misfortune behind, and its retribution is not over.

Now that we have heard what the scriptures teach, we are filled with awe and fear. Before the holy lord, we respectfully confess our transgressions, with undivided devotion, and take refuge in and pay homage to him.

With one mind, sincerely and reverently, I bow in homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Vast Image Accomplished in Emptiness (the Celestial Worthy who brings forth a grand image from the void).

With one mind, sincerely and reverently, I bow in homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Boundless Great Flower (the Celestial Worthy whose vastness is like the void and cannot be measured).

With one mind, sincerely and reverently, I bow in homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Void Enfolding Wondrous Stillness (the Celestial Worthy who, like the void, contains the realm of subtle and serene stillness).

With one mind, sincerely and reverently, I bow in homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Void, Clear and Profoundly Settled (the Celestial Worthy who is lucid and clear as the void and abides in deep meditation).

With one mind, sincerely and reverently, I bow in homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Void, Pure as the High River of Heaven (the Celestial Worthy whose purity is like that of the distant celestial river).

With one mind, sincerely and reverently, I bow in homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Void, Embodying Non-Action (the Celestial Worthy who, through the principle of the void, embodies Wuwei, without contrivance or fabrication).

With one mind, sincerely and reverently, I bow in homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Void, Abiding in Non-Action (the Celestial Worthy who dwells in the realm of the void and Wuwei).

With one mind, sincerely and reverently, I bow in homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Void, Whose Talisman Accord with the Utmost Unity (the Celestial Worthy whose talisman, through the void, accords with the Way of Utmost Unity).

With one mind, sincerely and reverently, I bow in homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Void, Unimpeded in Principle (the Celestial Worthy who comprehends the principle of the void without obstruction).

With one mind, sincerely and reverently, I bow in homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Void, Whose Hidden Store Is Ever at Work (the Celestial Worthy who is concealed within the void and whose wondrous efficacy is constant).

With one mind, sincerely and reverently, I bow in homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Void, Embodying Non-Action.

With one mind, sincerely and reverently, I bow in homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Void, Abiding in Non-Action.

With one mind, sincerely and reverently, I bow in homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Void, Whose Talisman Accord with the Utmost Unity.

With one mind, sincerely and reverently, I bow in homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Void, Unimpeded in Principle.

With one mind, sincerely and reverently, I bow in homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Void, Whose Hidden Store Is Ever at Work.

With one mind, sincerely and reverently, I bow in homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Void Containing the Dharma Realm (the Celestial Worthy who, like the void, contains the entire Dharma Realm—that is, all worlds and existence).

With one mind, sincerely and reverently, I bow in homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Void, Unbound by Forms (the Celestial Worthy constrained by no fixed form).

With one mind, sincerely and reverently, I bow in homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Void Valley’s Wondrous Benefit (the Celestial Worthy who is empty and still like a valley, and brings about subtle benefits).

With one mind, sincerely and reverently, I bow in homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Void, Revealing Pure Light (the Celestial Worthy who manifests pure radiance).

With one mind, sincerely and reverently, I bow in homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Void, Transmitting the Great Brahma (the Celestial Worthy who spreads the pure way of the Great Brahma).

With one mind, sincerely and reverently, I bow in homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Void, Revealing the Dharma (the Celestial Worthy who discloses the Daoist Dharma from the realm of the void).

With one mind, sincerely and reverently, I bow in homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Void, Expounding Wondrous Principles (the Celestial Worthy who proclaims subtle and wondrous principles).

With one mind, sincerely and reverently, I bow in homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Void, Upholding Wondrous Writings (the Celestial Worthy who preserves and brings forth subtle and wondrous scriptures).

With one mind, sincerely and reverently, I bow in homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Void Cavern, Sending Forth Flying Writs (the Celestial Worthy who makes sacred writings fly through the mysterious realm of the void cavern).

With one mind, sincerely and reverently, I bow in homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Void, Whose Song Stirs Sound (the Celestial Worthy whose song, ethereal as the void, stirs forth resonant sound).

With one mind, sincerely and reverently, I bow in homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Void, Whose Resonance Flows Like Bells (the Celestial Worthy who makes pure, subtle melodies flow like the sound of bells).

I bow in homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Void, Expounding Wondrous Principles.

With one mind, sincerely and reverently, I bow in homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Void, Upholding Wondrous Writings.

With one mind, sincerely and reverently, I bow in homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Void Cavern, Sending Forth Flying Writs.

With one mind, sincerely and reverently, I bow in homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Void, Whose Song Stirs Sound.

With one mind, sincerely and reverently, I bow in homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Void, Whose Resonance Flows Like Bells.

With one mind, sincerely and reverently, I bow in homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Void Valley, Answering Sound (the Celestial Worthy whose sounds echo and answer within the empty valley).

With one mind, sincerely and reverently, I bow in homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Void, Illuminating the Numinous Realm (the Celestial Worthy who shines upon the wondrous spiritual realm).

With one mind, sincerely and reverently, I bow in homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Void, Bringing Forth the Ten Thousand Transformations (the Celestial Worthy who brings all things into being from the void).

With one mind, sincerely and reverently, I bow in homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Void, Bright as the Great White Star (the Celestial Worthy who is lucid and radiant like the planet Venus).

With one mind, sincerely and reverently, I bow in homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Void, Proclaiming Pure Sound (the Celestial Worthy who expounds pure and wondrous sounds).

Reverently worship the Venerable Celestial Worthy of the Wayfarer, pure and lofty as the open sky; reverently worship the Venerable Celestial Worthy of Empty Form, who transcends illusion and clings to nothing; reverently worship the Venerable Celestial Worthy of Empty Wisdom, whose wisdom has no bounds or limits; reverently worship the Venerable Celestial Worthy of Empty Mystery, wondrous beyond compare; reverently worship the Venerable Celestial Worthy of Empty Talent, endowed with vast ability and deep virtue; reverently worship the Venerable Celestial Worthy of Empty Stillness, pure and tranquil, attached to nothing.

Reverently honor the Venerable Celestial Worthy of No Realm; reverently worship the Venerable Celestial Worthy of Empty Mystery, wondrous beyond compare; the Venerable Celestial Worthy of Empty Talent, endowed with vast ability and deep virtue; and the Venerable Celestial Worthy of Empty Stillness, pure and tranquil, attached to nothing. Reverently worship the Venerable Celestial Worthy of Empty Unfixed Response, whose manifestations take no set form; the Venerable Celestial Worthy of Emptiness Returning Without Obstruction, who returns to empty stillness with nothing impeding him; the Venerable Celestial Worthy of Emptiness Coming to Dissolve Thoughts; the Venerable Celestial Worthy of Emptiness Accomplishing All Things, who can accomplish anything; the Venerable Celestial Worthy of Emptiness Unobstructed by Form, who knows that all phenomena are empty without hindering the manifestation of things; the Venerable Celestial Worthy of Emptiness Embodied in Utter Nothingness, whose essential nature reaches the utmost void; and the Venerable Celestial Worthy of the Empty Teaching, Clear and Void, pure and still.

The rites of reverence and recitation to the Celestial Worthy and all the exalted sages are now complete. The assembly again turns its full attention in reverence toward the divine palaces, entrusting itself to the assembled immortals of the Purple Emperor’s Palace of Heavenly Unity and True Auspiciousness, the Office of Primordial Harmony and Transference, and the Northern Pole Sanctuary of Blessing and Sainthood.

Today, the assembly at this altar devoutly bows before the patriarch, the True Lord of Blessed Virtue, the numinous and responsive Zhenwu, who stabilizes Heaven at the Northern Pole and aids the sacred, bringing things to harmony; the Assistant Minister of the Jade Void and the Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Heavens—that is, the Great Emperor Zhenwu. We pray that, with the tortoise and snake beneath his feet and phoenixes drawing his chariot, he will extend his compassion widely and relieve the suffering of ordinary people in the world.

Today, on behalf of disciple So-and-so and all those taking part in the repentance rite, we devoutly bow before the Great Emperor Zhenwu and pray for his compassionate aid. We earnestly ask him to grant repentance for the offenses described in the seventh grade of precepts: unrestrained greed and hoarding wealth without willingness to give. If these offenses have continued from past lives into this one, they leave calamity for future generations, implicating ancestors above and harming kin below.

Taking other people’s property as one’s own, coveting what belongs to others and claiming it for oneself; scheming in secret and resorting to deceit. Some trade in the marketplace but deny that property plainly exists; some hide their wealth to make their household prosperous, yet disguise their spending by presenting falsehood as truth. Their wealth is beyond counting, but they begrudge even the smallest sum. They focus only on greedy accumulation and satisfying selfish desires, unaware that excessive wealth can bring harm upon them. Their offenses have been fully set forth, their misdeeds have grown grave through accumulation, and they have disturbed the officials of the underworld; therefore, they are continually investigated and entered into the records.

Now, relying on the power of repentance, we hope for the descent of Heaven’s grace. We earnestly ask that orders be issued to the divine officials who record merit and correct wrongdoing, the Yin and Yang officials who keep the registers of good and evil, the spirits who administer Heaven’s laws, and all the gods who inspect merit and fault: extend compassion widely and pardon these offenses together.

The repentant disciple So-and-so and the ritual community gathered at this altar vow to uphold the precepts of the Mysterious Tradition and enter the Dao to cultivate the True. From this day forward, we will practice contentment, keep to upright conduct, sow seeds of goodness early, and refrain from coveting petty gains. We will store wealth according to our means, without worrying that our storehouses will be empty; learn where enough is enough, and stop pursuing excessive gain; and help those in urgent need promptly, rather than begrudging relief in order to increase our own wealth. We now openly confess these offenses and earnestly ask to repent and atone.

May Heaven and Earth extend their protection widely and shine upon all beings, covering all things without neglecting any. May one household enjoy the blessings of prosperity and peace, and may young and old, high and low, live in harmony and tranquility. May Heaven’s aid be more than an empty promise, so that people may live securely and have enough to eat and wear at all times. May blessings increase like the rising sun, flow without end, and spread far and wide, bringing relief to everyone.

May the assembly always honor the Orthodox Way and follow the teachings of the Mysterious Tradition forever. May these merits benefit and adorn all things, spanning the realms of the unseen and the human world, and deliver both the living and the dead, bringing peace to the Ninefold Abyss and dispelling the Eight Calamities. May they escape the perilous paths of darkness and ascend to the immortal realm of the Vermilion Palace; receive the great kindness of deliverance and guidance, and be bathed in benevolent grace, so that all beings may be nourished. May all sentient beings ascend to the far shore of the Dao.

At that time, the Perfected One Great Mystery met the Most High as he descended at the Grotto-Heaven of Golden Florescence and asked what was meant by “teaching without words.” The Most High replied:

Heaven has its own height and distance; Earth has its own depth and weight. The sun and moon shine, and the stars gleam, all without words. When the right way is followed, the myriad things grow of themselves. The movement of Yin-Yang and the changing of the seasons are not deliberately arranged by the myriad things. Rain and dew fall in their appointed time, not with the specific purpose of nurturing plants and trees. When the spirits respond to one another and Yin-Yang is in harmony, the myriad things grow naturally.

The Dao is to keep vital essence within and let Shen (spirit) dwell in the heart. The inner mind is still and untroubled, peaceful and at ease, open and formless, silent and soundless. In this way, the court can be called to stability, and the offices of government to clarity and calm. No one withdraws to the mountains and forests to escape the world; no one flees to the fields to avoid taxes and labor. There are no burdensome corvée duties or unjust punishments, and all under Heaven revere the ruler’s virtue. Distant lands, too, value the moral teachings of the Central Plain, and come to submit after translating them from one language to another. This is not achieved by going door to door to persuade people, but by putting sincerity into practice throughout the realm, so that people understand of themselves.

Rewarding the good and punishing the wicked are the work of government orders; their effective implementation depends on utmost sincerity. However clear the orders may be, they cannot be carried out by themselves: sincerity must be their foundation. When sincerity emerges from within and reaches the hearts of the people, this is “teaching without words.” The sage rules from above, cherishing the Great Dao and speaking little, yet his beneficence reaches everywhere. Teaching without words is boundless.

Therefore, when a ruler contemplates the spirit-filled way, he does not let his mind and spirit become disturbed, nor does he confine his understanding to the four directions immediately before him. If he holds to sincerity, rain and wind will come in their proper seasons, and the Five Grains will yield abundant harvests. The ruler commands respect but does not readily resort to punishment; his laws are simple and do not burden the people. Prisons stand empty, and the customs of all under Heaven return to simplicity and unity. Auspicious clouds rise, a brilliant star appears, a yellow dragon descends, and a phoenix of good omen arrives. Sweet springs well up, fine grain grows, and even the waves of the sea grow calm.

If one defies the Way of Heaven and brings harm to the myriad things, portents will appear: the sun and moon will be eclipsed, the Five Planets will stray from their courses, the seasons will fall into disorder, daylight will grow dim while night shines bright, mountains will collapse and rivers dry up, thunder will sound in winter, and frost will fall in summer. The state, too, will be thrown into turmoil. This is because the principles governing Heaven and Earth are connected with the human world.

The sage shares virtue with Heaven and Earth, shines with the same brightness as the sun and moon, communicates with the spirits, and accords with the cycles of the four seasons. Keeping Heaven’s intent in his heart and following Heaven’s primal Qi (vital energy), he maintains emptiness, stillness, and harmony. Without leaving his hall, he can govern the world; he can transform common ways and lead everyone toward goodness. This is teaching without words.

We, your ministers, were born in an age of clarity and rejoice in a time of peace and prosperity. We have received the ruler’s beneficence and the nourishment of Heaven and Earth; grateful for these gifts, we have no means to repay them. We reverently uphold the true teachings and dare not neglect our devotions. Now, in reverent presence before the awe-inspiring light of the divine, we devote ourselves to making obeisance.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I pay homage to the Heavenly Worthy of Primordial Beginning, the Void and the Natural Way, one of the highest deities revered in Daoism.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I pay homage to the Jade Empyrean Lord, the Heavenly Worthy of Numinous Treasure, one of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), who embodies the Way of Numinous Treasure.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I pay homage to the Most High Lord Lao, the Heavenly Worthy of the Dao and Its Virtue, one of the Three Pure Ones, revered as the ancestral teacher of the Dao and Virtue.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I pay homage to the Dark Heavenly Emperor, the Jade Void Master and Minister, also known as the Great Emperor Zhenwu, guardian deity of the north.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I pay homage to the Sagely Father, the Great Emperor of Luminous Truth.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I pay homage to the Sagely Mother, the Transcendent Immortal of Jade Truth.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I pay homage to the Sagely Master, the Great Emperor Fenggan.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I pay homage to the Primordial Lord of Purple Mystery of the Western Realm.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I pay homage to the Heavenly Worthy, Manifestation of the Golden Tower.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I pay homage to the Heavenly Worthy of the Manifest Response of the Mysterious Origin.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I pay homage to the Heavenly Worthy of Numinous Transformation in the Great Clarity.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I pay homage to the Heavenly Worthy of Lofty Jade Truth.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I pay homage to the Celestial Lord of Auspicious Illumination, Radiant as the Sun.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I pay homage to the Heavenly Worthy, Manifestation of the Golden Tower.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I pay homage to the Heavenly Worthy of the Manifest Response of the Mysterious Origin.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I pay homage to the Heavenly Worthy of Numinous Transformation in the Great Clarity.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I pay homage to the Heavenly Worthy of Lofty Jade Truth.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I pay homage to the Heavenly Worthy of Auspicious Illumination, Radiant as the Sun.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I pay homage to the Heavenly Worthy manifested by the Star of Martial Song.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I pay homage to the Heavenly Worthy manifested by the Star of Emptiness.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I pay homage to the Heavenly Worthy manifested by the Star of Danger.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I pay homage to the Heavenly Worthy manifested by the Star Tianyi.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I pay homage to the Heavenly Worthy manifested by the Star Taiyi.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I pay homage to the Heavenly Worthy manifested by the Star of the Year.

We sincerely take refuge in body, spirit, and life, and reverently honor the venerable gods and sages through whom the Dark Heaven (the Great Emperor Zhenwu) manifests and responds.

We respectfully uphold the scriptures. The Most High teaches that when the highest sages transmit the Great Dao, they accord with our nature and convey a truth that transcends words. When they teach virtue, they use words to help the confused understand the principles. When they transmit scriptures, they also use written characters, enabling people in later generations to cultivate the Way. When morality declines in the latter age, those who wish to cultivate must rely on the teachings of the scriptures. A “scripture” is an enduring, unchanging principle and the proper path that all beings follow in daily life. If there were no scriptures in the lower world, it would be like walking without a road or leaving home without a doorway: how could anyone reach their destination?

At the beginning of the Primordial Heavenly Worthy’s teaching, in the azure heavens at the start of the Longhan kalpa, within the land of Fuli, he wrote scriptures to deliver all beings. The characters were each a zhang square, with eight corners radiating light. He made a covenant with the heavens in all ten directions that this scripture would aid and save the generations for ten thousand ages. He then stored it in a treasure chamber, placing Yulang in charge of it. The scripture’s divine power is beyond the grasp of ordinary senses: though its form could not be seen, the blind thereby gained sight; though its principles could not be heard, the deaf thereby came to hear them.

Thus, when the teachings of the scriptures arose, people in the world gained the chance to be delivered. If the scriptures were to disappear, it would be like pulling up the signposts and losing the road, leaving people to grope their way forward. Only those who have realized the Great Dao may transcend words and forms; those who have yet to fathom its mysteries still need the true scriptures. To be saved through reliance on the scriptures is like boarding a great ship: one is not overwhelmed by the waves and eventually reaches the far shore of the Dao. In this way, all beings can hear the true Way, purify their hearts, transform their spiritual nature, understand their original nature, and advance toward awakening.

We solemnly follow the eighth precept of Cultivating the True: do not associate with people lacking virtue, and do not dwell in polluted surroundings. We, your disciples, reflect on ourselves and find that we are often clouded by selfish desires and that our habits change with our surroundings. We have violated the instructions to live in harmony with our kin and to be filial and loving, and we have overstepped rules and laws. We have kept company with frivolous, overfamiliar people, yet have not tempered ourselves through the words and conduct of good teachers and friends. We have gathered for socializing, feasting, and idle talk; our words and deeds have been useless, and at times we have used the strong to oppress the weak. We have been unwilling to associate with upright and principled people, yet have delighted in the company of the foolish and ignorant. As a result, relatives and friends, both within and beyond our households, have fallen into conflict; suspicions and resentments have arisen one after another, until all was turned upside down in confusion and defiled by impurity.

The karma we created in the past and our conduct in this life have left us benighted and unable to establish ourselves, and we are often rejected. After death, we fell into the hells and endured suffering for a long time. When that suffering came to an end, we were reborn in evil realms; only after the retribution in those realms had ended were we born again among humankind. Because of the force of our past karma, its lingering misfortune still afflicts us, and our retribution has not yet run its course. Now that we have heard what the scriptures teach, we are deeply shaken with fear. We therefore turn toward the holy ones, offer our respectful repentance, and wholeheartedly take refuge and bow in devotion.

With sincere reverence, we honor the Celestial Worthy of Great Fusion of Being and Nonbeing, symbolizing the state in which being and nonbeing have yet to separate and remain fused as one.

With sincere reverence, we honor the Celestial Worthy of Beginning and Transformation through Being, symbolizing the beginning of the generation of all things and the unfolding of change.

With sincere reverence, we honor the Celestial Worthy of Being and De Accordant with the Origin, symbolizing De in harmony with the source.

With sincere reverence, we honor the Celestial Worthy of Names Establishing the Beginning, symbolizing how all things receive names and order is thereby established.

With sincere reverence, we honor the Celestial Worthy of Things Taking Form, symbolizing the generation of things and their appearance as images.

With sincere reverence, we honor the Celestial Worthy of the Uncarved Becoming Vessels, symbolizing how the simple essence manifests as concrete objects.

With sincere reverence, we honor the Celestial Worthy of Images Existing Before Form, symbolizing how images are already implicit, though concrete forms have not yet appeared.

With sincere reverence, we honor the Celestial Worthy of the Hidden Movement of the Mechanism, symbolizing how the principles of generation and change operate unseen.

With sincere reverence, we honor the Celestial Worthy of Being Upright and Attaining the One, symbolizing the attainment of the Dao through steadfastness and alignment with the source of the One.

With sincere reverence, we honor the Celestial Worthy of Words Establishing Principles, symbolizing how words can be used to establish reasoned principles.

With sincere reverence, we honor the Celestial Worthy of Being and Desiring to See the Subtle, symbolizing the apprehension of mystery through the desire to seek it.

With sincere reverence, we honor the Celestial Worthy of Being Moved and Embracing All, symbolizing how all things are included through resonance.

With sincere reverence, we honor the Celestial Worthy of Being True Beyond Explanation, symbolizing how the true Dao is difficult to express in words.

With sincere reverence, we honor the Celestial Worthy of Being and Qi’s Constant Harmonious Flow, symbolizing how primordial Qi, the source of the generation and movement of Heaven and Earth, is always able to harmonize and flow freely.

With sincere reverence, we honor the Celestial Worthy of Being Able to Let Thoughts Go, symbolizing the capacity to set thoughts aside and forget them.

With sincere reverence, we honor the Celestial Worthy of the Myriad Things Sharing in Heaven, symbolizing the connection between all things and the Way of Heaven.

With sincere reverence, we honor the Celestial Worthy of Being and the Greatness of the Way’s Principles, symbolizing how principles formed in accordance with the Dao are broad and complete.

With sincere reverence, we honor the Celestial Worthy of Being and the Mind’s Constant Change, symbolizing how thoughts are unfixed and ceaselessly changing.

With sincere reverence, we honor the Celestial Worthy of Being and Understanding through the Constant, symbolizing that grasping the constant Dao makes it possible to understand things.

With sincere reverence, we honor the Celestial Worthy of Being and Taking Nonbeing as the Basis for Action, symbolizing acting with nonbeing as one’s foundation—that is, without clinging to contrived human action.

With sincere reverence, we honor the Celestial Worthy of Awe-Inspiring Power and Great Accomplishment, symbolizing a dignity that commands reverence and achieves greatness.

With sincere reverence, we honor the Celestial Worthy of Being and the Mind’s Constant Change; with sincere reverence, we honor the Celestial Worthy of Being and Understanding through the Constant; with sincere reverence, we honor the Celestial Worthy of Being and Taking Nonbeing as the Basis for Action; with sincere reverence, we honor the Celestial Worthy of Awe-Inspiring Power.

With sincere reverence, we honor the Celestial Worthy of Generating Life Without Weariness, symbolizing the tireless nurturing of all things.

With sincere reverence, we honor the Celestial Worthy of Accomplishment Without Self-Reliance, symbolizing achieving things without taking pride in or relying on one’s achievements.

With sincere reverence, we honor the Celestial Worthy of Understanding and Responding to the Three Directions, symbolizing penetrating the three directions and being able to respond to them.

With sincere reverence, we honor the Celestial Worthy of Wisdom Shining Forth from Within, symbolizing wisdom becoming clear from within oneself.

With sincere reverence, we honor the Celestial Worthy of Transforming the People through De, symbolizing teaching and transforming people through virtuous conduct.

With sincere reverence, we honor the Celestial Worthy of Receiving Without Claiming Nobility, symbolizing receiving something without treating it as a mark of one’s own distinction.

With sincere reverence, we honor the Celestial Worthy of Greatness That Can Travel Afar, symbolizing boundless greatness able to move onward into the distance.

With sincere reverence, we honor the Celestial Worthy of Changing While Preserving the Root, symbolizing countless transformations while remaining true to the foundation.

With sincere reverence, we honor the Celestial Worthy of Resolute Action through Firm Purpose, symbolizing setting a firm intention and carrying it out steadfastly.

With sincere reverence, we honor the Celestial Worthy of Teaching Without Words, symbolizing the wordless teaching of setting an example and following nature.

With single-minded reverence, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy, whose Dao body is free from entanglement.

With single-minded reverence, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy, who does good without seeking reward.

With single-minded reverence, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy, who remains steadfast even in the smallest matters.

With single-minded reverence, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy, who possesses knowledge yet does not cling to distinctions and understanding.

With single-minded reverence, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy, who is compassionate and offers people a place of refuge.

With single-minded reverence, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy, whose trustworthiness can be passed down.

With single-minded reverence, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy, whose balanced and harmonious presence is beyond compare.

With single-minded reverence, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy, who is strong and can move freely through transformation.

With single-minded reverence, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy, in whom being and nonbeing intermingle.

With single-minded reverence, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy, who has power yet does not wield it recklessly.

The Celestial Worthy whose balanced harmony is beyond compare.

With single-minded reverence, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy, who is strong and can move freely through transformation.

With single-minded reverence, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy, in whom being and nonbeing intermingle.

With single-minded reverence, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy, who has power yet does not wield it recklessly.

The rites of worship and praise to the Heavenly Worthies and the Most High Sages have been completed. Now let us gather our minds as one and gaze from afar toward the palaces where the immortals dwell, taking refuge in the perfected immortals of the Purple Emperor’s Palace of Celestial Unity and True Celebration, the Office of Yuanhe’s Heavenly Transfer, and the Northern Pole Sanctuary of Blessing and Protection.

Today, all those gathered at this Daoist altar respectfully bow before the religious founder, the True Lord of Numinous Response and Blessed Virtue, who Calms Heaven at the Northern Pole and Brings Aid and Harmony—also known as the Dark Heavenly Emperor, Assistant to the Worthy of Jade Void (the Great Emperor Zhenwu). May the Heavenly Worthy complete his teaching and descend with numinous response, dispel evil, uphold the righteous Way, survey the six directions of the cosmos, and protect all people everywhere.

Now, on behalf of the disciple So-and-so, we repent the offenses committed against the Eighth Precept: associating with people of poor character and living in disorderly, filthy surroundings. These offenses may have continued from past lives into the present, and their lingering consequences may reach far into the future: affecting ancestors above and relatives below. Often, on the impulse of the moment, one makes friends rashly, violating reason and harming the righteous Way. Relying on one’s strength, one delights in showing off courage, competing for power, and flaunting one’s might. At times one abandons a peaceful, suitable home and refuses to dwell there; at times one forsakes the proper road and refuses to follow it. One’s conduct is often shameful, yet one still raises one’s arms in boastful display. Who would still claim that rotten wood can be carved? Before our eyes, we see only withered roots ready to perish.

Each offense has been recorded; evil deeds have accumulated to the full. They have disturbed the offices where the spirits administer their duties, and the investigation and recording have not ceased. Now, through the power of repentance, we respectfully beseech the Heavenly Worthy to show mercy and command the Great Gods of the Left Office of Yang Officials, the Right Office of Yin Officials, and the Central Office of Inspectors, together with the Examining Officials and Clerks, the Examining Officers of Soldiers and Scholars, and the officials who enforce prohibitions and determine offenses, to extend their compassion and pardon and forgive these offenses.

We, the assembled Daoist practitioners seeking repentance on behalf of the disciple So-and-so, follow the precepts of the Mysterious Gate and have entered the Dao to cultivate the true. We should be free of desire and not cling to our own opinions. From now on, we should choose to associate with people whose virtue surpasses our own; choose our friends with care, avoid low and improper places, and follow only the central and upright Way. When we hear good words and see good deeds, we should receive them with humility and dare not become self-righteous. When we notice our own faults, we should correct them at once and, above all, observe the rites of balance and impartiality. Now we openly declare our faults and sincerely repent.

May blessings and prosperity increase, and may calamities not arise. In seeing, hearing, speaking, and acting, and in all comings and goings and daily activities, may we constantly follow the utmost true Way and forever abide by the teachings of the Mysterious Gate. May the merit of this practice bring universal adornment to all; may its teaching spread widely like rain and dew, and may the winds of benevolence carry far, leading everyone onto the righteous Way and bringing worldly schemes of evil to an end. May all sentient beings ascend together to the shore of the Dao—the far shore of liberation attained through cultivation.

The teaching of the Pole Star truly benefits the world. Its virtue is majestic and reaches everywhere; its teaching spreads across the four directions like sweet rain, and the breeze of benevolence carries far. Everyone turns toward the right path, and evil schemes are thereby stopped. All sentient beings can together reach the farther shore of the Great Dao.

The Eighth Scroll of the Repentance Rite for Universal Compassion and Deliverance by the Perfected Warrior of the North Pole

The Ninth Scroll of the Repentance Rite for Universal Compassion and Deliverance by the Perfected Warrior of the North Pole

Pacing the Void (a hymn chanted in Daoist Zhaijiao purification rituals)

At this time, Perfected Miao Xing said to the assembled immortals: “Long ago, I heard the Most High—an honorific for the supreme deity in Daoism—teach the subtle mysteries. In the state before form and name, before Heaven and Earth were divided, when chaos was deep and vast, I opened Heaven and Earth and dispersed the numinous Qi. From the Great Luo Heaven, the Three Realms were born—the three realms of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing). From them came the Nine Emperors, the mysterious source of the Three Treasures: the Dao, the Jing, and the Master. Then the Thirty-Six Sections appeared as the mysterious foundation of the Three Realms. Afterward, the thirty-two heavens and thirty-two emperors secretly joined in opening and transforming the myriad things. Below them, the Three Realms were divided, while their influence reached across the Northern Dipper constellation, the paths of the twenty-eight lunar lodges, and the five planets, bringing the celestial patterns into view.

The pure and harmonious Qi of the five directions rose to form Heaven; the heavy and turbid Qi settled below to form Earth. Human beings arose between Heaven and Earth. Thus Heaven, Earth, humanity, and the myriad things all came into being. The bright, harmonious, and upright Qi gave rise to the Primordial Sovereign, holy queens, immortal consorts, and jade maidens. The firm and valiant Qi gave rise to heavenly warriors, spirit troops, and divine officers. The Qi of Yin-Yang and the Five Phases gave rise to men and women. The mixed and disordered Qi gave rise to birds and beasts. All things receive the same primordial Qi, yet take on different forms; as their processes of transformation differ, so too do the natures they inherit. Their cycles of birth, death, and change keep the workings of creation turning without end, all through Heaven and Earth’s shaping and molding.

Now, as I reverently recite the scriptures, I deeply feel the weight of the responsibility I bear. Birds and beasts, too, receive the same primordial Qi, yet have many different forms and natures. They differ as they transform; their cycles of birth and death keep the workings of creation turning without end, all through Heaven and Earth’s shaping. Through this, I explain the principles and help people awaken to them. Looking back, I came to understand the causes and conditions of my own life, and so arrived at this point. Fortunate to have been born human, I can recognize my faults and distinguish right from wrong. Therefore, I reverently bow before the Celestial Worthy and pray for pardon and forgiveness. All of you should bow with focused devotion, each with reverence and faith in your heart.”

With focused devotion, bow before the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning, who is naturally one with the Void.

With focused devotion, bow before the Celestial Worthy of Numinous Treasure, the Dao Lord of the Jade Dawn.

With focused devotion, bow before the Celestial Worthy of the Dao and its Virtue, the Most High Lord Lao.

We sincerely venerate the Celestial Emperor of Mysterious Heaven, the Master of Jade Void (an honorific title of the Great Emperor Zhenwu).

We sincerely venerate the Great Emperor Mingzhen, the sacred father; the Transcendent of Jade Truth, the sacred mother; the Great Emperor Fengqian, the sacred teacher; and the Primordial Lady of Purple Mystery from the Western Realm.

We sincerely venerate the Celestial Worthy Manifesting in Incarnate Form at the Golden Palace; the Celestial Worthy of Responsive Manifestation of the Mysterious Origin; the Celestial Worthy of Numinous Transformation of Great Clarity; the Celestial Worthy of Supreme Jade Truth; the Celestial Worthy Who Brings Auspicious Signs in Sunlight; the Celestial Worthy Who Manifests in Response to the Military Star; and the Celestial Worthy Who Manifests in Response to the Void Star.

We sincerely venerate the Celestial Worthy of Numinous Transformation of Great Clarity; the Celestial Worthy of Supreme Jade Truth; the Celestial Worthy Who Brings Auspicious Signs in Sunlight; the Celestial Worthy Who Manifests in Response to the Military Star; the Celestial Worthy Who Manifests in Response to the Void Star; the Celestial Worthy Who Manifests in Response to the Danger Star; the Celestial Worthy Who Manifests in Response to Taiyi; the Celestial Worthy Who Manifests in Response to Tianyi; and the Celestial Worthy Who Manifests in Response to the Chen Star.

With reverence, we dedicate our bodies, consciousness, nature, and life to the exalted sages and perfected ones who manifest the numinous power of Mysterious Heaven and respond through transformation (divine beings who display their spiritual might and transform themselves to save others). We reverently uphold the precious scripture. The Most High (an honorific title for the supreme divine beings in Daoism) imparted this teaching, saying: “Three…”