《地府十王拔度仪》

Offerings are made universally to the boundless and countless holy assembly, and the incense smoke drifts up to Daluo Heaven (the highest celestial realm in Daoist cosmology). We beseech the innumerable sages and perfected ones of all the heavens, together with the spirits of the sun, moon, and stars, the Mysterious Masters (revered teachers in the transmission of Daoist methods), the founding masters of the scriptures and registers, and the many high perfected ones of the Celestial Bureaus (exalted divine beings of the heavens), to exert the power of great compassion and deliver this departed soul. May this ritual achieve inconceivable merit.

Offerings are made universally to the boundless and countless holy assembly, and the incense smoke passes through the gateways of the underworld, drifting toward the offices of Fengdu and Daiyue (places in Daoist lore that govern the realm of the dead) and the bureaus that examine the sins and karmic burdens of departed souls. May the awesome spirits of the Earth Offices, present in all the dark prisons and hells, exert the power of great compassion and deliver this departed soul. May this ritual achieve inconceivable merit.

Offerings are made universally to the boundless and countless holy assembly, and the incense smoke spreads across Fusang (the legendary land of the sacred eastern tree). We beseech the spirits of the Yangtze, the Yellow River, the Huai, the sea, and the Ji, the gods of thunder, lightning, and rain, the dragon gods, and the water-dwelling perfected ones of the valleys of the Ten Continents and Three Isles (legendary immortal realms across the sea), to exert the power of great compassion and deliver this departed soul. May this ritual achieve inconceivable merit.

We invite the perfected ones to descend and enter the Keyi (liturgy) of the ritual.

Heaven is high and distant, and Earth lies low; through this, the myriad things come into view. The sun and moon alternate in their courses, and through this, the four seasons succeed one another. All that lives must in time come to an end, and all that begins must in time conclude. Seeing that not even mountains, forests, lakes, and marshes can hide the myriad things away, we know that form and lifespan alike cannot escape dissolution. Heaven sees clearly, and the work of creation shows no favoritism toward any being. In life, people differ in rank and station, but in death there is no high or low.

A human life is like an illusion, and it is not secure. The body is composed of a temporary gathering of matter, barely holding together as limbs and a hundred parts. It is like a spring dream on a pillow, or a spark struck from stone, or a candle snuffed out by a fierce wind, or a bubble rising on the water: in an instant it scatters, and its forming and its decay lie within a single moment. The body returns to dust, and the spirit-souls return to the underworld. Only the perfected person (zhiren) who has attained the Dao (the Way) can rise beyond the realm of mystery, move beyond the ordinary, and calmly observe all of past and present. Such a person returns after a thousand years and marvels that the city walls still stand; once suddenly awakened, they know that even the universe cannot confine them. Those who cannot realize these truths for themselves will in the end return to dust like everyone else.

Now, the officiant of this Zhai (purification ritual) holds the rite on behalf of the deceased, seeking their salvation. Fearing that the departed accumulated boundless sins and karmic debts while alive, the officiant takes refuge in the Orthodox Dao, opens the precious scriptures, reverently faces the High Perfected (the venerable deities of Daoism), and praises the sacred titles and names.

The Greatly Sagely Celestial Worthy of the Three Treasures

At that time, the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning, in the Golden Hall of the Palace of Lasting Joy on Mount Yujue in the Land of Xina Jade, expounded to all beings the scripture concerning death, the ten great hells, the causes and conditions of sin and merit, and the unending cycle of retribution. In order to save the Perfected One of Wondrous Conduct, the Celestial Worthy caused him to receive radiant light and descend into the Nine Obscurities (the depths of the underworld), where he widely delivered the souls of the dead so that all might be released. Now, through repentance, we form this good affinity, and each of us offers sincere petition, praising together in one voice.

We pay reverence to the Supreme Daluo Heaven, to the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing) of the Three Realms, and to the Celestial Worthies of the Three Treasures.

In the original, the passage from "returns to dust together" to "praises the sacred titles" appears twice; the two occurrences have been merged in the translation above.

The sacred names of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), the highest deities venerated in Daoism, carry boundless merit. They can deliver the souls of the departed and also protect the living. Today a memorial rite is held for a deceased person, with the wish that they ascend swiftly. First, five portions of incense for the underworld are burned as an offering to the Three Pure Ones, the supreme sages, inviting them to descend to the ritual space. Then a master of great virtue and high standing is invited to preside over the rite, and the assembled congregation is asked to join in praising this inconceivable merit.

The Incense of the Dao, the Incense of De (Virtue), the Incense of Wuwei (Non-action), the Incense of Liberation, and the Incense of Natural and Subtle Return to Life. The smoke rises slowly, bells and pendants chime softly, and only the voice of the master chanting in praise can be heard. Once the precious censer is opened, heaven and earth seem to settle into stillness, and in a moment, a strange light appears.

With the lighting of the first stick of incense for the underworld, the deceased is called to return their soul, and an offering is made into the air to the Honored One of Jade Dawn (an honorific for the Great Dao Lord of Jade Dawn). May the venerable deity send down the unobstructed power of great compassion, so that the deceased may ascend swiftly and together we may accomplish inconceivable merit.

With incense burned in reverence, we invite the King of the Dharma: you are the sovereign of the Heaven of Qingwei, the Most High Honored One of Jade Purity and Primordial Beginning (one of the highest deities revered in Daoism). You give rise to heaven, earth, and all things.

Together we praise this inconceivable merit.

With incense burned in reverence, we invite the King of the Dharma: you are the teaching master of the Heaven of Yuyu, the Most High Great Dao Lord of Jade Dawn. You transmit the scriptures, teach and transform living beings, and hand down ten thousand methods of practice.

Together we praise this inconceivable merit.

With incense burned in reverence, we invite the King of the Dharma: you are the teaching master of the Heaven of Taichi, the Most High Venerable Lord of the Five Numinous Powers and the Mysterious Elder. You nurture and transform the three powers of heaven, earth, and humankind, and set the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) in motion.

Together we praise this inconceivable merit.

The Primordial Celestial Venerable (Yuanshi Tianzun) said to the Perfected One Miaoxing: Beyond the northern sea, more than a hundred thousand li away, lies a realm called Dongyin. In the land of Shuodan Yujue dwells a sovereign whose title is "Celestial Lord of the Five Numinous Powers, the Dark Emperor of the Black Heaven" (the Daoist sovereign of the north), who governs countless holy beings of the northern quarter.

In that realm stands a great mountain called Mount Fengdu, which reaches up to the Terrace of Langfeng and measures more than fifty thousand li around. Beneath the mountain are six cavern-palaces known as the Palaces of Shadowed Heaven (Yinjing Tiangong), where the Water Emperor of Taiming, the Celestial Lord of Northern Yin, and the Great Emperor of Fengdu govern the underworld. The Direct Envoys of the Heavens, the Numinous Lords of the Five Dippers, the divine lords of the Eastern, Southern, Western, Northern, and Central Dippers, the Earth Masters of the Nine Unions, and the Great Spirits of the Five Peaks all hold office here, each overseeing his own affairs and assisting the Ten Perfected Lords in governing the underworld. The great hells in each place examine the good and evil the dead performed in life and interrogate their souls. All who die must pass through these places one by one.

At that time, among the assembly was a Perfected One named Miaoxing, who gazed up at the Celestial Venerable and composed these hymns to deliver the dead. They are proclaimed today to express repentance and remembrance.

The Celestial Venerable Who Saves from Suffering (Taiyi Jiuku Tianzun)

Burn incense and make offerings to the Perfected Lord Taisu Miaoguang of the first palace of the underworld, whom people call King Qinguang. In the hells of this palace, long serpents spit flames and iron dogs belch thick smoke. On the seventh day after death, the deceased arrive first at this palace. The Celestial Venerable, compassionate and full of pity, saves these departed souls and frees them from the path of the shadowed realm, and so he proclaims this verse of praise:

The Celestial Venerable of the Jade Treasure, Sovereign on High (Yubao Huangshang Tianzun)

Vast and boundless, the sea of suffering is truly sorrowful; the evil deeds were all sown by one's own hand.

The hun and po souls have already entered the Office of Destiny; the gates of darkness are shut fast, and none can say when they will open.

A long serpent spits flames, its blazing fire like a great conflagration; iron hounds belch thick smoke and rush forward in swarms.

The assembly reverently bows and listens in stillness to the hymns of praise to the Three Treasures (the Dao, the Jing [scriptures], and the Master). May these hymns spread everywhere, so that the departed souls may all be released from the Springs Terrace (the underworld).

Together with the assembly, they chant in praise: Inconceivable merit and virtue.

At this moment, the Perfected One (Zhenren), having heard this hymn, leaps with joy, lifts his face to bow in thanks to the Celestial Worthy, and then recites a verse of praise:

The Celestial Worthy Who Rescues from the Nine Depths (the venerable deity who saves the souls of the dead in the dark realms and removes the burden of their sins)

The power of the Holy Worthy is vast and boundless, beyond all measure. He enables the departed souls to leave the dark prison and no longer endure interrogation and torture. A ray of auspicious light comes to guide them, and the souls follow it up to the Vermilion Steps (the stairs before the palace).

Together with the assembly, they pray that this departed soul be delivered, so that he may be reborn in the Land of Utmost Bliss.

They burn incense in offering to Yinde Dingxiu Zhenjun (True Lord of Hidden Virtue and Fixed Repose), ruler of the Second Palace of the underworld, who is commonly known among people as King Chujiang. In this palace are hells of mountains of knives, trees of swords, flames, and ice. When a person has been dead for two sevens (fourteen days), they must come to this palace. The Celestial Worthy, taking pity on the souls, rescues them from the path of the dark realms, and so the assembly recites a verse of praise:

The Celestial Worthy of Mysterious Perfection and Myriad Blessings (a Daoist honorific title)

Living beings create all kinds of evil karma; who can turn their hearts toward goodness and instead cultivate the field of blessings? The mountains of knives and trees of swords cause suffering, and boiling cauldrons and raging fires cook them without restraint. Because of ignorance (wumíng: folly and delusion), beings deceive their own hearts, and a single improper thought brings down guilt. You should take refuge in the supreme Great Dao, and in time you will be reborn early in the heavenly realms.

Together with the assembly, they chant in praise: Inconceivable merit and virtue.

At this moment, the Perfected One, having heard the hymn, is filled with joy, bows low before the Celestial Worthy, and then recites a verse of praise:

The Celestial Worthy Who Saves the Suffering in the Ten Directions (the venerable deity who delivers suffering beings throughout the ten directions)

The long night is sorrowful, and the sufferings borne by all beings are hard to endure. Relying on the compassionate Worthy to grant deliverance, in an instant the burning torment of affliction turns to coolness.

Together with the assembly, they pray that this departed soul be delivered, so that he may be reborn in the Land of Utmost Bliss.

Burn incense and make offerings to the Third Palace of the Underworld, the True Lord Dongming Pujing (Perfected Lord of Penetrating Light and Universal Stillness). People call him King Song Di. In the hells of this palace, departed souls are forced to swallow burning coals and poisons, and their bodies are slaughtered and cut apart. According to ritual teaching, the deceased must come to this palace in the third seven-day period after death. The Celestial Venerable, moved by great compassion and unable to bear the suffering of these souls, proclaimed a verse.

The Celestial Venerable of Supreme Wonder and Ultimate Perfection

In the dark and deep Underworld, the roots lie buried layer upon layer;

Through the endless night, only cries of agony are heard.

The jailers force you to swallow poisonous burning coals,

And the ox-headed demon guards slaughter and cut your body.

The karmic causes you created in past lives have piled up, layer upon layer,

And after death you endure each bitter sorrow one by one.

Now that you hear the supreme Dao proclaimed,

This departed soul may swiftly leave the cold, dreary prison.

Response: "Inconceivable merit and virtue."

At this time, the Perfected One (Zhenren), having heard the verse, gave rise to a compassionate heart, praised the Celestial Venerable, and composed a verse in turn.

The Celestial Venerable of Zhuling, Deliverer of Lives

The Celestial Venerable proclaims the teaching, full of great mercy and compassion,

And even beings who have created evil karma may all be freed.

Auspicious light of five colors opens the road,

And from this day all will meet the Celestial Venerable together.

The Celestial Venerable of Zhuling, Deliverer of Lives

The Celestial Venerable proclaims the teaching, full of great mercy and compassion,

And even beings who have created evil karma may all be freed.

Auspicious light of five colors opens the road,

And from this day all will enter together the realm of Wuwei (non-action).

Response: "May this departed spirit be delivered and reborn in the Land of Utmost Bliss."

Burn incense and make offerings to the Fourth Palace of the Underworld, the True Lord Xuande Wuling (Perfected Lord of Mysterious Virtue and the Five Spirits). People call him King Wuguan. In the hells of this palace, departed souls must carry sand and haul stones without ever resting. According to ritual teaching, the deceased must come to this palace in the fourth seven-day period after death. The Celestial Venerable, with great compassion, extended his pity widely to rescue and deliver all beings, and proclaimed a verse.

The Celestial Venerable of Mysterious Supremacy and Jade Dawn

The six caverns of Fengdu are a deep and gloomy realm of the dead,

And the lonely souls trapped within are truly sorrowful.

Souls who have created evil karma sink into the Underworld,

While those whose good works are complete rise to Heaven.

The departed souls carry sand and haul stones without pause,

And the churning long river is like boiling soup.

Listen with single-minded attention to this compassionate, supreme teaching:

Now these sweet-dew words of the Dharma enter hungry and thirsty bellies like sweet dew.

Response: "Inconceivable merit and virtue."

At this time, the Perfected One, having heard the verse, bowed to the Celestial Venerable, praised his boundless merit and virtue, and chanted a verse once more.

The Celestial Venerable of the Dharma Bridge and Great Deliverance

The Celestial Venerable (Tianzun) saves and delivers living beings with immeasurable power. The merit and grace of this are beyond comprehension.

At this time, the Perfected One (Zhenren), having heard this hymn, bowed to the Celestial Venerable, praised his boundlessness, and chanted another verse:

The Celestial Venerable of the Great Crossing of the Dharma Bridge

The Celestial Venerable saves and delivers living beings with immeasurable power, welcoming the departed souls in the underworld with white tablets and cinnabar writs.

All the sins of the departed souls are pardoned. From this day forward they will suffer no more punishment, and they are at once raised to a higher realm.

The merit and grace of this are beyond comprehension.

Offer incense to the Most Sacred Radiant Spirit Lord (Zuisheng Yaoling Zhenjun) of the Fifth Palace of the Underworld. People call him King Yanluo, the Great King. He is a chief assistant to the Lord of the Northern Yin (Beiyin Tianjun), governing all the great hells; his office shares its name with the Nine Obscurities (Jiuyou) and ranks alongside the Five Dippers. Five weeks after a person's death (that is, on the thirty-fifth day), the deceased should arrive at this palace. The mirror of karma reveals the deceased's deeds in life, and judgment and retribution are received according to their causal conditions. The Celestial Venerable, compassionate and pitying toward living beings, bestows help universally and delivers the departed souls, and therefore chanted a verse:

The Celestial Venerable, Supreme Sage Who Delivers the Immortals

Living beings are benighted and confused, not understanding the root cause of life; they are lost in the sea of desire, and their minds are put to the wrong use.

Even if they pile up gold, silver, and treasures like mountains, these cannot help a person escape death. At the moment of dying, only one's own karma goes along with them.

The Three Evil Paths (the hells, the realm of hungry ghosts, and the realm of animals) are distant and hard to reach, and the departed souls can hardly free themselves; in the endless long night, their spirits are suffering interrogation and torture.

May the departed souls in the hells be liberated in an instant, and may they single-mindedly revere the greatly merciful and compassionate Celestial Venerable.

The merit and grace of this are beyond comprehension.

At this time, the Perfected One, having heard these compassionate words, bowed in homage to the Celestial Venerable, made his petition, and chanted another verse:

The Celestial Venerable Who Refines the Realm of Elixir with Fire

The karmic obstacles of living beings arise from their own thoughts; to attain liberation, one must still rely on countless causes and conditions.

I bow to the Emperor of Emptiness and the Supreme Dao (the highest, unsurpassed Dao). A single precious verse is worth more than a thousand pieces of gold.

May this merit be dedicated to deliver this departed spirit, so that he may be reborn in the Land of Supreme Bliss (the pure and peaceful realm spoken of in Buddhism). Karmic obstacles arise from one's own thoughts; to attain liberation, one must still rely on countless causes and conditions.

I bow to the Emperor of Emptiness and the Supreme Dao. A single precious verse is worth more than a thousand pieces of gold.

May this merit be dedicated to deliver this departed spirit, so that he may be reborn in the Land of Supreme Bliss.

Offer incense to the Precious and Solemn Illustrious Perfected Lord (Baosu Zhaocheng Zhenjun) of the Sixth Palace of the Underworld. People call him King Biancheng, the Great King. In the hells of this palace there are punishments such as tongue-pulling and chest-cutting: the tongue is pulled out with golden nails, and the chest is split open with an iron axe. Six weeks after a person's death (that is, on the forty-second day), the deceased should arrive at this palace, where they suffer interrogation, torture, and all kinds of agony day and night. The Celestial Venerable, compassionate and pitying toward living beings, chanted a verse especially for all the afflicted departed souls.

The Celestial Venerable (Tianzun) Who Cherishes Life and Delivers Lives

Mountains of knives and forests of sword-trees rise like a forest of iron, and beings who have created evil karma suffer and lament within them. The pleasures of the human world are as fleeting as lightning, but in the underworld one may sink and suffer for a thousand kalpas. When the Court of Yin examines transgressions, no hidden circumstance can be concealed, and punishments such as tearing out the tongue and cutting open the chest bring pain too great to bear. The Celestial Venerable eliminates your countless sins; may you, in the future, bow in gratitude to the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing, the three highest deities honored in Daoism).

...joy; on the road through the underworld, a thousand kalpas of eternal submersion.

When the Court of Yin gives its reckoning, nothing can be hidden; tongues are torn out and chests cut open, in pain beyond endurance.

For you, countless karmic debts are extinguished; in the time to come, bow your head in thanks to the Three Pure Ones.

Chorus: and inconceivable merit and virtue (De).

These lines are chanted repeatedly, followed by praise of this inconceivable merit and virtue.

At that time, the Perfected One, having heard this hymn of praise, reverently prostrated and addressed the Celestial Venerable, then recited another verse.

The Celestial Venerable of the Golden Gate, Manifested Body

The compassionate and venerable deity expounds the causes and conditions of delivering beings, leading them aboard the Dharma boat (a metaphor for the teaching that rescues beings from suffering). Through the rite of salvific refinement, the bodies of the deceased are transformed into forms pure and wondrous. Know that the power of the Sage Venerable is vast and without limit.

Chorus: May this departed soul be received, and be reborn in the Land of Utmost Bliss.

Burn incense and make offerings to the Mysterious and Wondrous True Lord of Mount Tai, who presides over the Seventh Palace of the underworld. This deity, by decree of the Supreme Emperor, assists in governing the Northern Yin (the netherworld); by day the deity dwells at the Eastern Peak, and by night enters the realm of the dead. When a person has died and the seventh "seven-day period" (in traditional funerary belief, each seven days marks a stage) arrives, the departed soul must go to this palace to be examined, to have its karmic conditions determined, and to have its sins and blessings weighed. The Celestial Venerable delivers the departed souls so that all may ascend; for the sake of all beings, this verse was composed.

The Celestial Venerable of Great Numinous Void Sovereignty

Misfortune and fortune in the human world do not arise without cause; all of you have planted with your own hands the roots of good and evil. If your hearts hold only filth and wicked thoughts, then when your lifespan is exhausted you will become lonely, wandering ghosts. When the wind of karma blows, beings turn endlessly between birth and death, and the sorrow of ten thousand kalpas is unbearable to hear. The Celestial Venerable eliminates your countless sins; may you, in the future, reverently bow to the Great Primordial Sovereign.

Chorus: and inconceivable merit and virtue (De).

At that time, the Perfected One, hearing this wondrous sound, gave rise to the supreme aspiration to seek the Dao (the Way), bowed to the Celestial Venerable, and recited another verse.

The Celestial Venerable of Carefree Joy

The long, unending retribution of the five kinds of suffering holds beings trapped like prisoners; the lofty and compassionate deity exerts every effort to rescue and support them.

Soon the sweet dew (a sweet, sacred water symbolizing purity and salvation) was sprinkled everywhere, and countless souls lost in the underworld were lifted out of their mire-like suffering.

May this merit be offered to deliver this departed soul, that they may be reborn in the Land of Ultimate Bliss.

We burn incense in offering to the True Lord of Supreme Rectifying Deliverance, ruler of the Eighth Palace of the underworld, whom people call the King of Equality. In this palace, sinners clasp bronze pillars and lie upon iron beds. They arrive here one hundred days after death, and souls weighed down by grave offenses are held in its prisons. The Celestial Venerable, boundless in compassion, pities all beings and delivers sinful souls, and he spoke a verse.

Celestial Venerable of Boundless Great Splendor.

The officials of the underworld wield their brushes and bark their commands, their might terrifying; the wretched scenes of beating and torment are unbearable to hear.

If a person has done not a single good deed in a hundred years of life, the faults of their departed soul are as many as grains of sand and dust.

The passes of the realm of shades are not yet cut off from the world of the living, so on whom can their kin rely to rescue the soul?

May the departed soul be freed from the confinement of the underworld and be reborn, reverently drawing near the greatly compassionate Venerable.

Let us chant in unison the inconceivable merit.

At that moment, the Perfected One, having heard this verse, bowed in gratitude to the Celestial Venerable and chanted another verse.

Celestial Venerable Who Grants Rebirth According to Vows.

The Void Sovereign (an honorific title in Daoism for the highest divinity), with a single thought of compassion, looks with care upon all beings; the souls in the hells all hear the vast sound of the true Dharma.

In an instant the souls rise beyond the Three Realms (the realm of desire, the realm of form, and the formless realm), and are forever free of the dark prisons of night and the forests of swords.

Chant in unison: May this merit be offered to deliver this departed soul. After bowing in thanks to the Celestial Venerable, the Perfected One chanted another verse.

Celestial Venerable Who Grants Rebirth According to Vows.

The Void Sovereign, with a single thought of compassion, looks with care upon all beings; the souls in the hells all hear the vast sound of the true Dharma.

In an instant the souls rise beyond the Three Realms, and are forever free of the dark prisons of night and the forests of swords.

Chant in unison: May this merit be offered to deliver this departed soul, that they may be reborn in the Land of Ultimate Bliss.

We burn incense in offering to the True Lord of Flying Demon Transformation, ruler of the Ninth Palace of the underworld, whom people call the King of the Metropolis. In the hells of this palace, sinners suffer punishments such as sawing apart and boiling in cauldrons; they die and live again, enduring torment hundreds and thousands of times without respite. Souls reach this palace one year after death. The Celestial Venerable carries out his teaching, universally aiding all beings, opening wide his compassion to relieve suffering and dispel calamity, and he spoke a verse.

Celestial Venerable of the Jade Void and Bright Sovereign

Once the gates of the netherworld are shut, light is never seen again; all is dark and bewildering, and the road ahead stretches far.

The human world and the netherworld are divided by Yin-Yang, so how could the living send word across? Fengdu (the underworld court of Daoist belief) is cut off from the mortal realm, and the two cannot communicate.

Officials in tall caps and vermilion robes oversee the punishments, while ox-headed jailers guard the boiling cauldrons (huo, large vessels of antiquity, often used to symbolize the punishments of the underworld).

I reverently bow before the compassionate Celestial Venerable and pray that you will come to deliver the souls from suffering; may the departed receive salvation and enter the realm of the immortals.

Chorus: Merit beyond conception.

Then the Perfected One, having heard this hymn, was filled with both awe and joy, and praised the boundless merit. He bowed before the Celestial Venerable and again chanted a verse.

Celestial Venerable Who Rides Merit to Transformation

The Celestial Venerable's power is beyond conception, and all the heavenly spirits gladly rely upon the Venerable.

Bearing the white tablet and the true talisman, the Venerable descends into the hells, and with majestic radiance leads the way for the wandering souls. (The white tablet and true talisman are credentials in Daoist ritual that represent sacred decrees and spiritual power.)

Chorus: May this boundless merit be dedicated to the departed soul. I bow before the Celestial Venerable and chant another verse.

Celestial Venerable Who Rides Merit to Transformation

The Celestial Venerable's power is beyond conception, and all the heavenly spirits gladly rely upon the Venerable.

Bearing the white tablet and the true talisman, the Venerable descends into the hells, and with majestic radiance leads the way for the wandering souls.

Chorus: May this boundless merit be dedicated to this departed soul, and may they be reborn in the Land of Utmost Bliss (a Buddhist term for a pure and peaceful paradise).

Incense is burned in offering to the Tenth Official of the Netherworld, the True Lord of Five Numinous Powers and Majestic Virtue. In the human world he bears the title King of the Turning Wheel (the tenth of the Ten Kings of Hell). Souls of every kind who suffer for their sins arrive at this palace only after the Great Auspicious Sacrifice (the ritual in ancient funeral rites marking the end of the mourning period) has been held after their deaths. The Celestial Venerable, in compassion, takes pity on them and delivers the souls, and so chants a verse.

Celestial Venerable of the True Sovereign of the Dongshen (Three Caverns)

The Sovereign of the Void proclaims the teaching and makes the truth clear, universally guiding to salvation those beings who have an affinity for it.

When cultivation and merit are fulfilled, one ascends to the lofty Formless Realm (the heaven free of form, desire, and attachment); but those whose sins are deeply rooted fall into the netherworld.

May the departed souls dwell in peace in a place of ease and joy, within the Hall of Golden Blossoms; and after many kalpas, may they come to know the field of blessings (the path of accumulating virtue and doing good).

May all spirits in the dark realms be freed, parting the thick mists to see the blue sky.

Chorus: Merit beyond conception.

Then the Perfected One, having heard this hymn, was filled with admiration and again chanted a verse.

Celestial Venerable of Precious Blossoms and Perfect Fulfillment

The Celestial Venerable pities and aids the lost beings, so that the souls in the Nine Depths of darkness may all be released from suffering.

May the departed souls ascend straight to the Southern Palace (one of the dwellings of Daoist immortals), all be delivered, and together enter Wuwei (Non-action), the state of accord with the Dao and freedom from contrivance.

Chorus: May this boundless merit be dedicated to this departed soul, and may they be reborn in the Land of Utmost Bliss.

The Celestial Venerable said: All beings are lost after death, and may the souls in the Nine Depths of darkness all be released from suffering.

They ascend directly to the Southern Palace (Nangong, the celestial realm where Daoist immortals dwell). All receive deliverance together, gathering universally and entering the realm of purity, tranquility, and Wuwei (non-action).

We pray that this merit may be transferred to the departed souls, so that they may be reborn in the land of utmost bliss.

The Celestial Worthy (Tianzun) said: After death, all beings pass through the underworld, where their hun and po souls are held captive in Fengdu (the realm of darkness in Daoist legend) and suffer all manner of torment, enduring constant beatings. Some are cut apart on mountains of knives, some are scorched on bronze pillars or roasted on iron beds, and some endure boundless anguish from fire, bitter cold, and more. Now, on your behalf, I recite this precious verse, sending forth countless sounds that spread through the ten directions and resound through the nine earths (the depths beneath the ground), so that the interrogations suffered by the departed souls may all be lifted. Once the soul and spirit (Shen) have been refined and delivered, they ascend directly to the Southern Palace, there to dwell in a realm of joy through life after life.

Having just proclaimed the Celestial Worthy's verse and the titles of the Ten Kings, the Perfected Lords, our merit is now complete. We dedicate it to the deliverance of the departed, so-and-so, that they may be reborn in the heavenly realm. We pray that through this supreme merit, all transgressions may be erased, and that they may swiftly leave the dark places and reach the path of rebirth. We also pray that blessings may spread to the living, and that joy may come to their households. May all sentient beings ascend the path of liberation.

The scripture recitation and the reading of the memorial are now concluded, and all merit is dedicated together.