《太一救苦天尊说拔度血湖宝忏》

At that time, the Heavenly Worthy Who Saves from Suffering (Jiuku Tianzun, the venerable deity of Daoism who delivers the souls of the dead) sat upright on a nine-colored lotus throne, his majestic radiance illuminating the ten directions. The various Heavenly Worthies, the Perfected Ones who save from suffering, and the assembly of immortals were discussing those who die from the Blood Lake and from childbirth, along with the sinful karma and causal conditions connected to them.

Then the Perfected One Miaoxing stepped out from the ranks, knelt for a long while, and reported to the Heavenly Worthy: "Just now I surveyed the Desire Realm (the world of beings bound by desire), and I saw the many hells of Mount Luoshan in Fengdu. There is the hell called the Nine Obscurities (Jiuyou). Beyond it are the Twenty-Four Hells, the Thirty-Six Hells, and the One Hundred and Eight Hells; the Avici Hell (the hell of the most extreme suffering); the Eighteen Hells of Blades on Mount Dai; the Great and Small Iron Encircling Mountain Hells of Uninterrupted Torment; the Hells of the Five Lakes, Four Seas, and Nine Rivers; the Hell of Yellow Waves and Flowing Sands at Mengjin; and the eighty-four thousand dark prisons of transformed manifestation. Whenever an amnesty is granted, all these places receive grace in accordance with compassionate intent, and those who suffer there obtain relief. Yet few people know that there is also a Blood Lake Hell.

"The Blood Lake Hell lies south of the Great Iron Encircling Mountain, forming a separate great prison called the Hell of Uninterrupted Torment. Within this prison is yet another, the Gorge-Stone Prison. Northeast of the Gorge-Stone Prison lies the place called the Blood Lake, twelve thousand li in length and eighty-four thousand li around. At the bottom of the lake is a gate named the Gate of Hidden Waves, governed by the Great Spirit of the Blood Lake. This hell is further divided into five places: first, the Prison of Blood; second, the Prison of Cold Blood; third, the Prison of Blood Pollution; fourth, the Prison of Blood Resources; and fifth, the Prison of the Blood Lake.

"Within this hell are five further prisons, which is why it is also called the Gorge-Stone Hell of Uninterrupted Torment. Among the great and small Iron Encircling Mountains are held the souls of those who died bloodied, together with a multitude of defiled spirits. The ghosts who devour the fetal yellow orbs bring accusations before the Three Officials (the deities governing Heaven, Earth, and Water). The spirits Qinggu and Heichi seize the souls and drag them to the depths of the ninth earth. The Celestial Wolf and Celestial Hound unleash their devouring power, and even the Six Jia and Six Ding cannot grant protection. These souls suffer for hundreds of millions of kalpas, with no appointed time of release.

"Those who fall into this hell include souls in the world who died in childbirth or from bloody injuries. The scriptures say that these retributions are connected to causes of karma such as cruelly harming others in life, damaging the myriad beings, lacking filial piety and loyalty, lacking benevolence and righteousness, indulging in lust, and losing the clarity of the mind. For this reason they sink into the Three Evil Paths (the realms of hell, hungry ghosts, and animals), and their forms and spirits are scattered. They also receive retribution for grievances from former lives, meeting the calamity of the blood corpse, or losing their lives in childbirth.

"Among them are those whose unborn child fell away and whose mother died in a faint; those whose mother lived while the child died young; those where mother and child both perished, dying together before the child's sex could be told; those whose child died just as it took form; and those who fell ill and died near the time of delivery, who fell from a height while pregnant, who were poisoned by taking medicine in error, or who died of carbuncles or dysentery. There are also those who died of uterine hemorrhage or of strangury and similar ailments; those who carried a child yet could never give birth; those who died within a month after giving birth; and those who lost their lives to blood disorders. Some were wounded by blades and died young before their allotted years; some died in war, their souls scattered across fields of arrows and stones; and some ended their lives through foul illness or were put to death for breaking the king's law.

"These multitudes who died bloodied have defiled bodies and clouded spirits (Shen), their whole bodies reeking of rankness and their forms unclean, and through thousands of lives and countless kalpas they have no time of release from the prison. Dark and bitterly cold, their pain runs deep, and their karmic retribution is especially grievous. The Gorge-Stone Prison is unbearable to behold: layers of iron mountains encircle it, blades and swords cross one another densely, and towering mountains loom and lean, with only a single opening in their midst, while black mist and gloom fill the surroundings. Poisonous fluids flow everywhere, soaking the sinners within, boiling body and mind until flesh and bone rot away, in agony beyond endurance. Through hundreds of millions of kalpas the sinners never see light, and neither the grace of Heaven nor its talismanic decrees can reach them. Officials of the underworld beat them day and night without pause, gnawing their marrow, devouring their hearts, turning over their corpses, and hurling their bodies about. Among all the hells, the Blood Lake Hell is the most grievous; once one enters this gate, when will release ever come?"

At this time, the Celestial Worthy of Taiyi, Savior from Suffering, proclaimed for all beings the True Talismans of the Supreme One and other sacred Fulu (talismans and registers), and had them issued into the depths of the dark hells, reaching as far as the Xiashi Blood Lake (the underworld prison described in the scripture). The talismans released light everywhere and illuminated the gloomy places. The iron cities were shattered, and the Blood Lake dried up; the River of Ashes turned into a pool of green jade, and the Xiashi rocks became cool, refreshing seats.

The sins that mortals accumulate will in time bring retribution, and old enmities may carry over into this life and become the bond between mother and child. Who would have imagined that a woman who dreamed of bears while pregnant, hoping her child would one day achieve great things, might see the child die young after birth, or even become a malign bond that harms the mother? While the child is still small, where will its soul go? Some mothers and children die one after the other following childbirth, and some perish together before delivery. Their bodies are defiled and their consciousness is clouded, these souls of women who died in childbirth, trapped in the Blood Lake. May they, whether already born or not yet born, receive the blessing of a safe delivery; and may they, before and after rebirth, receive the grace of Heaven and Earth's transforming nurture.

Furthermore, all living beings with blood and qi (vital energy) have their own source of life, and are by nature connected to one another. Harming a fetus or destroying egg-born life leaves behind suffering and grievance. These may be regarded as arising from evil causes in past lives, or as karmic retribution in this one: some women, not long after conceiving, feel the fetus stirring abnormally, as though an unseen ghostly qi had gathered and were poisoning the organs; others suffer what the scripture calls the "dark feeding of the yellow ball," an affliction that pains them to the liver and bowels. Some take medicine to end their own lives, and some die of illness; after death they lie buried in the underworld, and their suffering is pitied by no one. May their qi and blood be harmonious, and may they soon leave the realm of darkness; may their souls be clear and upright, and ascend to places of blessing and celebration.

There are also those who were slain in struggles over land and cities, and those who schemed to become kings and hegemons and in the end died in battle. They had meant to put on armor and join the army, to take prisoners and report victories, but, isolated and without aid, their strength exhausted, they perished by the blade, and their bones were left in the wilderness. Their homeland is far away, and they receive no sacrificial offerings; on battlefields covered with ice and snow and drenched in continual rain, only the cries of the fallen are heard at night. Though they were loyal to their country, they lost their lives without fault; some could not escape their allotted fate, and others died of their wounds. Such departed souls are truly pitiable. May the souls of the fallen men in the Blood Lake prison see auspicious clouds open the gate to rebirth, and sink no more into dimness and confusion; may divine power gather their scattered spirit-qi and let them be reborn into households of loyalty and righteousness.

There are also those long tormented by strange illnesses. Their misfortune may be tied to causes from former lives, yet good and evil retribution ought to be clearly distinguished. The scripture says that such people either slandered the Three Treasures (in Buddhism, the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha, or the corresponding Three Treasures in Daoist contexts) or once harmed living beings, and so suffer the evil fruit. Some are afflicted with leprosy, their skin ulcerating; some suffer from carbuncles and abscesses, their veins running with pus. The sick moan without cease, and after death they too become wandering souls in the underworld, their appearance fearful to behold, and in death still less pitied. Some die of vomiting, diarrhea, and similar illnesses, and their remains give off a foul, fetid odor. If they are not delivered, how can they ascend? May the souls in the Blood Lake prison who died of chronic disease, carbuncles, dysentery, leprosy, and all kinds of sores be restored to healthy form and soon be made pure in body and mind; and under the light of wisdom, may they all receive the protection and support of the Three Treasures.

Still others died for breaking the king's law. The statutes were clearly laid out, yet their hearts were crooked and obstinate, and they fell into punishment without realizing it. Perhaps they did not know to fear harsh penalties, but could not restrain a moment's anger, and in the end died from killing or wounding in brawls, or from violent robbery. During punishment their souls were shackled, and in death their heads were severed from their bodies; after the execution, flesh and blood lay in ruin. Their corpses were abandoned in the wilds, while their souls were held captive in the underworld. Their karmic bonds are not yet resolved, and the qi of their resentment remains. May all souls in the Blood Lake prison who died for breaking the king's law hear the sacred text of deliverance, so that body and spirit may be joined again; and receiving the Fulu of the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning, may their evil karma be dispelled in an instant.

Therefore, the Celestial Worthy of Taiyi, Savior from Suffering, sent forth nine-colored auspicious light to shine on all the hells, pardoning the offenses of the dead and releasing every sinful soul who had fallen into the Blood Lake through the calamities of childbirth, so that they might leave their suffering behind and see the sun again. Then people burned incense, took refuge with body and mind, prostrated themselves with the five limbs touching the ground, and single-mindedly paid homage to the holy assembly of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing).

All should bow in reverence.

With sincere devotion, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning of Jade Purity (Yuqing Yuanshi Tianzun), one of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing) of Daoism, who symbolizes the origin of all things.

With sincere devotion, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Numinous Treasure of Upper Purity (Shangqing Lingbao Tianzun), one of the Three Pure Ones, who is venerated through the Lingbao Jing (Numinous Treasure scriptures).

With sincere devotion, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Dao and De of Great Purity (Taiqing Daode Tianzun), one of the Three Pure Ones, who is none other than Taishang Laojun.

With sincere devotion, we pay homage to the Jade Emperor, Great Emperor of Highest Heaven (Haotian Yuhuang Dadi), the deity who governs the celestial realm.

With sincere devotion, we pay homage to the Great Emperor of the Northern Pole of the Purple Tenuity (Ziwei Beiji Dadi), the deity who oversees the warp and weft of heaven and earth, and the sun, moon, and stars.

With sincere devotion, we pay homage to the Heavenly Sovereign Great Emperor of the Purple Tenuity (Ziwei Tianhuang Dadi), a venerated Daoist deity.

With sincere devotion, we pay homage to Houtu, Sovereign Earth Spirit (Houtu Huang Diqi), the goddess who governs the earth.

With sincere devotion, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Supreme One Who Saves from Suffering (Taiyi Jiuku Tianzun), the deity who delivers departed souls and rescues beings from affliction.

With sincere devotion, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthies of Jade Treasure Sovereign on High, Mysterious Truth of Ten Thousand Blessings, Supreme Subtlety and Utmost Ultimate, Mysterious Upper Jade Dawn, Saintly Deliverer of Immortals, Cherisher of Life Who Delivers Lives, Great Numinous Void Sovereign, and Immeasurable Great Splendor.

With sincere devotion, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthies of Mysterious Upper Jade Dawn, Saintly Deliverer of Immortals, Cherisher of Life Who Delivers Lives, Great Numinous Void Sovereign, Immeasurable Great Splendor, Jade Void Bright Sovereign, True Sovereign of the Cavern Spirit (Dongshen), Flowing Light Who Saves from Suffering, Jade Talisman Who Pardons Sins, Great Compassion Who Receives and Guides, Golden Tower Transformed Body, Nine Depths Who Lifts Sins, Vermilion Mound Who Delivers Lives, Nine Qi Who Brings Forth Spirit, Compassionate Vessel on the Sea of Suffering, Dharma Bridge of Great Deliverance, Compassionate Light Who Lifts and Delivers, and the Celestial Worthy of Lamplight Universally Illuminating the Compassionate Vessel on the Sea of Suffering.

These "sincere homages" (zhixin chaoli) mean that the one performing the rite must bow to each Celestial Worthy with focused attention and heartfelt reverence. Titles such as "Nine Depths Who Lifts Sins" and "Vermilion Mound Who Delivers Lives" express the wish, found in Daoist liturgy (Keyi), to lift the sins and sufferings of departed souls and guide them toward deliverance.

With sincere heart, I pay homage to the Heavenly Venerable (Tianzun) of the Great Bridge of the Dharma, who ferries all beings across by the bridge of the true Dharma.

With sincere heart, I pay homage to the Heavenly Venerable of Compassionate Light Who Delivers the Departed, who rescues departed souls with the light of compassion.

With sincere heart, I pay homage to the Heavenly Venerable of Lamplight Shining Everywhere, whose radiance illuminates all things.

With sincere heart, I pay homage to the Heavenly Venerable of Sun and Moon Universally Bright, whose light, like the sun and moon, shines on all beings.

With sincere heart, I pay homage to the Heavenly Venerable of Flowing Light Manifest in the Pure Realm, whose streaming radiance appears in the realm of purity.

With sincere heart, I pay homage to the Heavenly Venerable of Talisman Light Penetrating the Darkness, whose Fulu (talismans and registers) light pierces the deepest gloom.

With sincere heart, I pay homage to the Heavenly Venerable, Sage King of the Turning Wheel, the sacred lord who governs the cycle of rebirth and delivers all beings.

With sincere heart, I pay homage to the Heavenly Venerable of the Nine Lights of Refining and Deliverance, who refines and delivers departed souls with nine kinds of radiance.

With sincere heart, I pay homage to the Heavenly Venerable Who Purifies the Elixir Realm by Fire, who cleanses the realm of the elixir through fire.

With sincere heart, I pay homage to the Heavenly Venerable Who Sweeps Away Dimness and Obscuration, who clears away darkness and veils.

With sincere heart, I pay homage to the Heavenly Venerable of Clear Water Who Delivers Souls, who liberates spirits through the power of pure water.

With sincere heart, I pay homage to the Heavenly Venerable Who Purifies the Elixir Slips by Fire, who cleanses the elixir slips through fire.

With sincere heart, I pay homage to the Heavenly Venerable of the Spiritual Wellspring Moistening All, who nourishes everything with a wondrous, numinous spring.

With sincere heart, I pay homage to the Heavenly Venerable of Jade Eyes Who Refines the Form, who transforms physical substance with clear and penetrating wisdom.

With sincere heart, I pay homage to the Heavenly Venerable Who Refines the Blood-Corpse by Fire, who transmutes the blood-corpse through the art of fire.

With sincere heart, I pay homage to the Heavenly Venerable Who Drains the Blood Lake, who sweeps away the suffering of the blood lake.

With sincere heart, I pay homage to the Heavenly Venerable of Lingbao Who Washes Away Impurity, who cleanses defilement by the power of Lingbao.

With sincere heart, I pay homage to the Heavenly Venerable of Pure and True Intent, who is pure, clear, and sincere.

With sincere heart, I pay homage to the Heavenly Venerable of Divine Power and Wondrous Salvation, who rescues beings through marvelous spiritual power.

With sincere heart, I pay homage to the Heavenly Venerable Who Refines the Blood-Corpse by Water, who transmutes the blood-corpse through the art of water.

With sincere heart, I pay homage to the Heavenly Venerable of Golden Radiance Who Protects Souls, who illuminates and guards departed spirits with golden light.

With sincere heart, I pay homage to the Heavenly Venerable Who Dissolves Grievances and Karma, who releases beings from enmity and karmic obstruction.

With sincere heart, I pay homage to the Heavenly Venerable of the Flowing Dharma-Clouds, whose power spreads like clouds and rain to nourish all beings.

With sincere heart, I pay homage to the Heavenly Venerable of Luminous Guidance for Souls, who leads departed spirits toward the light.

With sincere heart, I pay homage to the Perfected Ones of High Attainment (Gaozhen), the deeply accomplished divine immortals of Daoism.

With sincere heart, I pay homage to the Heavenly Venerable of Golden Radiance Who Protects Souls, who illuminates and guards departed spirits with golden light.

With sincere heart, I pay homage to the Heavenly Venerable Who Dissolves Grievances and Karma, who releases beings from enmity and karmic obstruction.

With sincere heart, I pay homage to the Heavenly Venerable of the Flowing Dharma-Clouds, whose power spreads like clouds and rain to nourish all beings.

With sincere heart, I pay homage to the Heavenly Venerable of Luminous Guidance for Souls, who leads departed spirits toward the light.

With sincere heart, I pay homage to the Heavenly Venerable of the Wondrous Fruit of High Perfection, who has realized the profound and wondrous fruit of attainment.

With sincere heart, I pay homage to the Heavenly Venerable of Divine Light Spread Far and Wide, whose sacred radiance covers and illuminates all.

With sincere heart, I pay homage to the Heavenly Venerable of Carefree Joy, who dwells in ease and peaceful happiness.

With sincere heart, I pay homage to the Heavenly Venerable Who Opens the Light of the Elixir Vista, who unveils radiance and reveals the vision of the crimson clouds of the elixir.

With sincere heart, I pay homage to the Heavenly Venerable of the Radiant Elixir Heaven, who causes the Elixir Heaven to shine forth in brilliance.

With sincere heart, I pay homage to the Heavenly Venerable of Profound Stillness and Dharma-Clouds, who shelters all beings beneath deep, tranquil clouds of the Dharma.

With sincere heart, I pay homage to the Heavenly Venerable of Bright Illumination by the Grace of the Dao, who lights the way for all beings through the benevolence of the Dao (the Way).

With single-minded devotion, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Compassionate Radiance Who Delivers from Suffering, praying that the light of compassion will shine down and deliver beings from affliction.

With single-minded devotion, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Mysterious Vermilion Light, praying that the subtle and profound vermilion radiance will descend.

With single-minded devotion, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Compassionate Grace Who Uproots Suffering, praying that suffering will be uprooted through compassion and grace.

With single-minded devotion, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Delivers from Calamity and Responds to Change, praying that disasters will be dispelled and that beings may accord with change.

With single-minded devotion, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Radiance of the Wondrous Dao, praying that the light of the wondrous Dao will shine universally.

With single-minded devotion, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Torch of Wisdom, the Great Perfected, praying that the torch of wisdom will illuminate the darkness.

With single-minded devotion, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Opens the Way to Rescue Suffering Souls, praying that the gate of deliverance will be opened and the suffering souls of the departed rescued.

With single-minded devotion, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Solemn Purity Beyond Compare, praying for protection through the power of incomparable solemnity and purity.

With single-minded devotion, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy, True Sage Who Saves from Suffering, praying that the True Sage who saves from suffering will descend.

With single-minded devotion, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Ten Thousand Stillnesses and the True Origin, praying that all realms may return to purity and stillness, and that the true origin (zhenyuan, the fundamental primal Qi that life and cultivation hold most dear) may be settled.

With single-minded devotion, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Torch of Wisdom, the Great Perfected, praying that the torch of wisdom will illuminate the darkness.

With single-minded devotion, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Opens the Way to Rescue Suffering Souls, praying that the suffering souls of the departed will be rescued.

With single-minded devotion, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Solemn Purity Beyond Compare, praying for protection through the power of solemnity and purity.

With single-minded devotion, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy, True Sage Who Saves from Suffering, praying that the True Sage who saves from suffering will descend.

With single-minded devotion, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Ten Thousand Stillnesses and the True Origin, praying that all realms may be pure and still, and that the true origin may be settled.

With single-minded devotion, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Universal Compassion and Immeasurable Bestowal, praying that compassion will be bestowed universally and that grace beyond measure will be granted.

With single-minded devotion, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Supreme Spirit and the Sun of Wisdom, praying that lofty, subtle, and luminous wisdom will shine universally like sunlight.

With single-minded devotion, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of the True Stairway Out of Suffering, praying to obtain the stairway that removes affliction and leads to liberation.

With single-minded devotion, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Extols the Radiance of the Realm of the Dharma, praying that the splendor of the Dharma realm will be made manifest.

With single-minded devotion, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Cloud-Splendor Who Reveals the Form, praying that an auspicious sacred form, like radiant clouds at dawn, will appear.

With single-minded devotion, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Grasps the Real and Refines the Subtle, praying to grasp the true Dao and cultivate its refined and subtle methods.

With single-minded devotion, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Compassionate Clouds and Dharma Rain, praying that compassion will cover all like clouds and that the Dharma rain will moisten all things universally.

With single-minded devotion, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Bright and Radiant Sunlight, praying that the sun will shine brightly and clearly in all directions.

With single-minded devotion, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Molds the Hun-Soul and Establishes the Po-Soul, praying that the souls of the departed will be molded and settled, and that the hun and po souls will have a place of return.

With single-minded devotion, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Complete Form and Transformation, praying that body and spirit (Shen) may be made whole, transformed, and renewed.

With single-minded devotion, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Broadly Delivers Those Sunk in Perdition, praying that beings sunk in suffering will be widely rescued.

With single-minded devotion, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Responds and Transforms in the Ten Directions, praying that the Celestial Worthy will manifest in response to the needs of beings in all ten directions.

With single-minded devotion, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Shade of Compassionate Clouds Upon Those Who Bow, praying that the clouds of compassion will shelter those who offer homage.

With single-minded devotion, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Ever Moistened by Dharma Rain, praying to be constantly nourished by the Dharma rain.

With single-minded devotion, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Resolves Grievances and Looses Knots, praying that enmities will be dissolved and entanglements released.

With single-minded devotion, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Severs Karmic Obstructions, praying that karmic obstructions (hindrances accumulated through past actions that impede cultivation and liberation) will be cut away.

With single-minded devotion, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Shade of Compassionate Clouds Upon Those Who Bow, praying that the clouds of compassion will shelter those who offer homage.

With single-minded devotion, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Ever Moistened by Dharma Rain, praying to be constantly nourished by the Dharma rain.

With single-minded devotion, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Resolves Grievances and Looses Knots, praying that enmities will be dissolved and entanglements released.

With single-minded devotion, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Severs Karmic Obstructions, praying that karmic obstructions will be cut away.

With single-minded devotion, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Pure Stillness of Body and Spirit, praying that body and mind will be pure, still, and at peace.

With single-minded devotion, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Bathes Beings in the Celestial River, praying to be washed and bathed as though by the waters of the Celestial River, so that body and mind are made clean.

Reverently I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy (Tianzun) of Yellow Radiance Who Purges the Body (the venerable deity who cleanses the impurities of the physical form).

Reverently I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Free Passage Through the Three Realms (the venerable deity who lets the realms of Heaven, Earth, and humanity communicate without hindrance).

Reverently I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Guards the Souls Without Obstruction (the venerable deity who protects the hun and po souls so that their movement is not blocked).

Reverently I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Restores the Bones and Raises the Dead (the venerable deity who revives remains and allows the departed to live again).

Reverently I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Empty Yellow Who Expounds the Teaching (the venerable deity who propagates the teachings of the Dao, the Way).

Reverently I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Purges Blood Impurity (the venerable deity who removes bloody defilement and foul Qi, vital energy).

Reverently I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Shehun of the Azure Emperor (the Azure Emperor governs the east; the meaning of "Shehun" follows the wording of the scripture).

Reverently I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Yihun of the White Emperor (the White Emperor governs the west; the meaning of "Yihun" follows the wording of the scripture).

Reverently I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Nourishes Qi, of the Red Emperor (the Red Emperor governs the south; the venerable deity who nurtures primordial Qi).

Reverently I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Opens the Blood Flow, of the Black Emperor (the Black Emperor governs the north; the venerable deity who keeps the blood vessels unobstructed).

Reverently I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy, Central Sovereign of the Yellow Emperor (the Yellow Emperor dwells at the center and commands the four directions).

Reverently I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Gives Birth to Shen, of the Jade Emperor (the venerable deity who causes the Shen, spirit, to arise).

Reverently I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Makes the Form Whole, of the Five Emperors (the venerable deity who restores the body to completeness).

Reverently I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Great Compassion and Utmost Breadth (the venerable deity whose mercy is vast and boundless).

Reverently I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Manifests the Subtle Dao (the venerable deity who reveals the profound Great Dao).

Reverently I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Opens the Path of Karma (the venerable deity who clears the karmic path along which the departed travel and guides them past obstructions).

Reverently I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Universally Shining Light (the venerable deity who illuminates all things with radiance).

Reverently I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Dharma Bridge Who Bestows Grace (the venerable deity who receives and saves living beings by means of the bridge of the Dharma).

The phrase "zhi, Celestial Worthy of Great Compassion and Utmost Breadth" in the scripture appears to be an omission from copying or typesetting; judging from the context, what follows may have been a further homage to the Celestial Worthy of Great Compassion and Utmost Breadth.

Reverently I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Manifests the Subtle Dao.

Reverently I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Opens the Path of Karma.

Reverently I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Universally Shining Light.

Reverently I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Dharma Bridge Who Bestows Grace.

Reverently I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Boundless Sacred Power (the venerable deity whose divine power is vast and without limit).

Reverently I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Ascends into the Formless (the venerable deity who guides the departed into the formless realm).

Reverently I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Illuminates Everywhere with the Three Lights (the three lights are the sun, the moon, and the stars; the venerable deity whose radiance shines throughout).

Reverently I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Flowing Sweet Dew (the venerable deity who nourishes with sweet dew and causes it to spread).

Reverently I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Turns Back the Light and Opens Its Brilliance (the venerable deity who reverses the light and unlocks its splendor).

Reverently I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Calms the Voice and Rescues from Suffering (the venerable deity who relieves affliction with a soothing voice).

Reverently I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Perfected Jeweled Throne (the venerable deity who sits upon the complete and perfect jeweled throne).

Reverently I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Grants Rebirth According to Vows (the venerable deity who receives living beings and brings about their rebirth in accord with their wishes).

Reverently I pay homage to the Perfected One (Zhenren) of Great Compassion and Great Mercy Who Relieves Suffering.

Reverently I pay homage to the Perfected One of Great Compassion and Great Mercy Who Delivers and Saves.

Reverently I pay homage to the Perfected One of Great Compassion and Great Mercy Who Bestows Great Kindness.

Reverently I pay homage to the Perfected One of Great Compassion and Great Mercy Who Relieves Suffering.

With reverence and sincerity, I pay homage to the True Person (Zhenren) of Great Compassion who delivers all beings. With reverence and sincerity, I pay homage to the True Person of Great Compassion who bestows kindness widely.

With reverence and sincerity, I pay homage to the True Person Wanfu. With reverence and sincerity, I pay homage to the True Person Wandao. With reverence and sincerity, I pay homage to the True Person Yuluo. With reverence and sincerity, I pay homage to the True Person Zhending. With reverence and sincerity, I pay homage to the True Person Guanmiao. With reverence and sincerity, I pay homage to the True Person Miaoxing. With reverence and sincerity, I pay homage to the True Person Cibei.

With reverence and sincerity, I pay homage to the True Person Taiji (Supreme Ultimate). With reverence and sincerity, I pay homage to the True Person Jiuhua. With reverence and sincerity, I pay homage to the True Person Badu, who rescues and delivers the souls of the departed. With reverence and sincerity, I pay homage to the True Person Puci. With reverence and sincerity, I pay homage to the True Person Taisu. With reverence and sincerity, I pay homage to the True Person Ciyin. With reverence and sincerity, I pay homage to the True Person Taimiao. With reverence and sincerity, I pay homage to the True Person Cihui.

With reverence and sincerity, I pay homage to the Celestial Master (Tianshi) of Zhengyi (Orthodox Unity), the Celestial Master of the Zhengyi tradition. With reverence and sincerity, I pay homage to the Celestial Master Yanjiao. With reverence and sincerity, I pay homage to the Celestial Master Qixuan. With reverence and sincerity, I pay homage to the Celestial Master Kaihua. With reverence and sincerity, I pay homage to the Celestial Master Jinxian. With reverence and sincerity, I pay homage to the Celestial Master Huashen. With reverence and sincerity, I pay homage to the Celestial Master Pushe. With reverence and sincerity, I pay homage to the Celestial Master Pujiu. With reverence and sincerity, I pay homage to the Celestial Master Banan. With reverence and sincerity, I pay homage to the Celestial Master Jiusi. Immortal Celestial Master.

With reverence and sincerity, I pay homage to the Celestial Master Huashen. With reverence and sincerity, I pay homage to the Celestial Master Pushe. With reverence and sincerity, I pay homage to the Celestial Master Pujiu. With reverence and sincerity, I pay homage to the Celestial Master Banan. With reverence and sincerity, I pay homage to the Celestial Master Jiusi.

At this point, the True One Who Rescues from Suffering (Jiuku Zhenren) said: "Let us now continue the confession of faults. All the good men and women below the altar, together with the departed souls being delivered, from past lives up to this present one, have committed many transgressions in the course of living as women.

After marriage and the establishment of a household, there are faults committed, knowingly or unknowingly, while managing domestic affairs and earning a living: the fault of reciting scriptures (Jing) with unclean hands and mouth; the fault of breaking the fasts and precepts and of disbelieving in Yin-Yang (yin-yang) and the retribution it brings; the fault of drinking to excess and clouding the mind and spirit (Shen) in drunkenness; the fault of insisting only on one's own rightness while criticizing the rights and wrongs and the merits and failings of others; the fault of using a large scale or large measure to take more than one's due and keeping it for oneself; the fault of using a small scale or small measure to give others less than their due; the fault of ignoring the taboos of the sun, moon, and stars and other celestial timings, and indulging in lust during particular seasonal periods; the fault of causing a fetus to fall away or miscarry while bearing and raising children; the fault of resenting having too many children and therefore drowning or abandoning them; the fault of pouring dirty water into rivers without permission; the fault of cursing wind and rain and loathing cold and heat; the fault of wasting grains while washing rice; the fault of treating grain and vegetables with contempt; the fault of cutting cloth and making clothes carelessly; the fault of killing deliberately or accidentally, of inciting others to kill, or of causing death by suicide; the fault of pouring hot water on the ground and harming small creatures such as insects and ants; the fault of treating parents-in-law, parents, paternal uncles, and brothers with disrespect; the fault of summoning ghosts and spirits without cause, of cursing, or of falsely accusing others through oaths; the fault of refusing to give to the lonely, the poor, and those who come begging; the fault of insatiable greed and discontent after attaining wealth and rank; the fault of harming sentient life while plowing, planting, and digging the earth; the fault of keeping geese and silkworms without moderation; the fault of raising livestock only out of greed for money.

Now, having confessed each of these one by one before the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing, the three supreme deities revered in Daoism), may you be washed clean of the stains of sin in every lifetime and remain pure and unblemished in every generation. May the sins you have accumulated be removed forever, and may you receive the blessings of peace and well-being. May you turn firmly toward the right Way (Dao), and so repay the grace of Heaven and Earth in giving you life. Let everyone bow with reverence and single-minded devotion."

Bow with single-minded devotion to: the Underworld Official (an official of the netherworld administration) of the Lord of the Fengdu Bureau, the Mysterious Celestial Supreme Emperor.

Bow with single-minded devotion to: the Underworld Official in Charge of Granting Birth (an underworld official who oversees birth) of the Sun Palace in the Left Bureau of Fengdu.

Bow with single-minded devotion to: the Underworld Official in Charge of Recording Death (an underworld official who oversees death) of the Moon Palace (Taiyin Palace) in the Right Bureau of Fengdu.

With sincere devotion, I pay homage to the ghost officer of Fengdu (the Daoist realm of the underworld) who oversees the Cauldron-Boiling Hell, judges transgressions, and examines the souls of the departed.

With sincere devotion, I pay homage to the ghost officer of Fengdu who oversees the Wind-and-Thunder Hell, judges transgressions, and examines the souls of the departed.

With sincere devotion, I pay homage to the ghost officer of Fengdu who oversees the Bronze Pillar Hell, judges transgressions, and examines the souls of the departed.

With sincere devotion, I pay homage to the ghost officer of Fengdu who oversees the Fire-Shadow Hell, judges transgressions, and examines the souls of the departed.

With sincere devotion, I pay homage to the ghost officer of Fengdu who oversees the Slaughter-and-Dismemberment Hell, judges transgressions, and examines the souls of the departed.

With sincere devotion, I pay homage to the ghost officer of Fengdu who oversees the Vajra Hell, judges transgressions, and examines the souls of the departed.

With sincere devotion, I pay homage to the ghost officer of Fengdu who oversees the Fire-Cart Hell, judges transgressions, and examines the souls of the departed.

With sincere devotion, I pay homage to the ghost officer of Fengdu who oversees the Slaughter-and-Dismemberment Hell, judges transgressions, and examines the souls of the departed.

With sincere devotion, I pay homage to the ghost officer of Fengdu who oversees the Vajra Hell, judges transgressions, and examines the souls of the departed.

With sincere devotion, I pay homage to the ghost officer of Fengdu who oversees the Fire-Cart Hell, judges transgressions, and examines the souls of the departed.

With sincere devotion, I pay homage to the ghost officer of Fengdu who oversees the Mingling (Dark-Cold) Hell, judges transgressions, and examines the souls of the departed.

With sincere devotion, I pay homage to the ghost officer of Fengdu who oversees the Universal Plunder Hell, judges transgressions, and examines the souls of the departed.

With sincere devotion, I pay homage to the ghost officer of Fengdu who oversees the Fire-Pit Hell, judges transgressions, and examines the souls of the departed.

With sincere devotion, I pay homage to the ghost officer of Fengdu who oversees the Filth-and-Excrement Hell, judges transgressions, and examines the souls of the departed.

With sincere devotion, I pay homage to the ghost officer of Fengdu who oversees the Gorge-Stone Hell, judges transgressions, and examines the souls of the departed.

With sincere devotion, I pay homage to the ghost officer of Fengdu who oversees the Blood-Lake Hell, judges transgressions, and examines the souls of the departed.

With sincere devotion, I pay homage to the ghost officer of Fengdu who oversees the Great Iron Encircling Mountain, judges transgressions, and examines the souls of the departed.

With sincere devotion, I pay homage to the ghost officer of Fengdu who oversees the Lesser Iron Encircling Mountain, judges transgressions, and examines the souls of the departed.

With sincere devotion, I pay homage to the ghost officer of Fengdu who oversees the Interval Hell, judges transgressions, and examines the souls of the departed.

With sincere devotion, I pay homage to the ghost officer of Fengdu who oversees the Uninterrupted Hell (Avici), judges transgressions, and examines the souls of the departed.

With sincere devotion, I pay homage to the ghost officer of Fengdu who oversees the Lesser Iron Encircling Mountain, judges transgressions, and examines the souls of the departed.

With sincere devotion, I pay homage to the ghost officer of Fengdu who oversees the Interval Hell, judges transgressions, and examines the souls of the departed.

With sincere devotion, I pay homage to the ghost officer of Fengdu who oversees the Uninterrupted Hell (Avici), judges transgressions, and examines the souls of the departed.

With sincere devotion, I pay homage to the ghost officers of Fengdu who oversee all the great hells, judge transgressions, and examine the souls of the departed.

At that time, the Heavenly Worthy Who Saves from Suffering (Jiuku Tianzun, the revered deity of Daoism who delivers departed souls and releases them from affliction) spoke once more to the Perfected Miaoxing: "I now proclaim this penitential scripture (a text used for worship, repentance, and the salvation of the dead) throughout all lands under heaven and in the worlds of the ten directions. Whenever there are believers in the Great Dao (Dao), whether men or women, on the Three Origins and Eight Festivals (important Daoist festival days), on the Five Offering Days (Daoist days of fasting), on the fast days of the Three Fu periods, or on a birthday or the anniversary of a death, let them arouse a heart wholly sincere in its devotion to the Dao. When they encounter difficult childbirth or any other kind of calamity, they may proclaim the relevant causes and conditions, so that all who suffer are universally delivered. Let them burn incense and pay homage, and all those revered as the Great Heavenly Worthies, Perfected Ones, and Celestial Masters (Tianshi) will see their souls ascend to the heavenly realms, free and at ease."

Then the Heavenly Worthy Who Saves from Suffering chanted:

Marshal the True Qi (Qi, the primordial vital energy), gather the divine powers, and with sacred talismanic decrees summon the gods. The Six Heavens are dark layer upon layer, and in Fengdu (the principal city of the Daoist underworld) lie the nine tiers of the shadowy prisons. The officials who keep the registers of the underworld, together with the Three Officials (the Officials of Heaven, Earth, and Water) and the spirits of the Nine Bureaus, all come to take part. The many spirit-officials in charge of recording transgressions join together to deliver the souls of those who suffered the bloody ordeal of childbirth, freeing them from the torments of the Three Paths (the three realms of suffering: hell, hungry ghosts, and animals).

The Jade Origin Talisman sends forth its radiance and shatters the Blood Lake Prison (a prison of the underworld said in tradition to be connected with the bloody ordeal of childbirth). In the furnaces of charcoal, green lotuses arise; swords and blades turn into forests; pools of fire become warm springs; and the boiling cauldrons are transformed into gardens in springtime. Thus the departed souls escape the long night of their anguish and are reborn into the Land of Supreme Joy.