《太上慈悲九幽拔罪忏》

At that time, the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning (Yuanshi Tianzun) traveled throughout the worlds of the ten directions, visiting everywhere from the heavens above to the human realm below. He arrived in the land of Great Fortune Hall and saw the Dao Lord of the Void Sovereign (Xuhuang Daojun), who was grieving with compassion for all beings in the lands of the ten directions, and for the good men and women who were weary and sorrowful. The Celestial Worthy immediately manifested himself in many forms, appearing wherever circumstances called. From his mouth he sent forth five-colored jade light, illuminating the ten directions and making every place bright and clear.

At that time, the male and female devotees and the disciples of the other four assemblies were gripped by fear and distress day and night. They mourned and sighed, gazed up at the Celestial Worthy’s sacred countenance, and paid homage with their heads bowed to the ground. They crawled forward on their elbows and knees. All kinds of birds and beasts did the same. Beings everywhere looked up from the four directions, but the Dao Lord had vanished without a trace, and no one knew where he had gone.

Moved by compassion for all beings, the Dao Lord of the Void Sovereign then manifested himself in many forms and descended to the human realm. Seated upright on the divine throne of Jade Radiance, he kept all beings in his thoughts and, as before, expounded the Dao and taught the people. All sentient beings, birds, and beasts came before his throne, bowed in homage, and approached step by step. When they saw the Dao Lord again, they were joyful and reverent, and conducted themselves with care.

At that moment, a perfected one named Universal Deliverance (Pujie)—someone who had cultivated the Dao and attained its realization—stepped forward from among the assembly below the throne. He bowed in homage and addressed the Celestial Worthy: “I wish to hear your guidance. How can men and women, and all beings in the ten directions, obtain blessings while alive and be reborn after death? What causes and conditions should they cultivate and sow in order to fulfill their wishes?”

The Celestial Worthy told the assembly, “You may sit down again and quiet your minds for reflection. I will explain the various karmic conditions to you.”

The Celestial Worthy said, “The worlds in the ten directions each have their own heavens. If men and women regularly pay homage to the Responding Celestial Worthies of the Ten Directions—the Celestial Worthies who manifest under their names in response to the prayers of living beings—they can receive blessings during life and a favorable rebirth after death.”

Then Perfected One Pujiu and the four assemblies of disciples attending the ritual gathering—monastic and lay followers alike—knelt together and listened intently to the Celestial Worthy’s teaching.

At that time, the Celestial Worthy first spoke of the realm of Hualin, governed by the Eastern Azure Numinous Primordial Elder, the Cang Emperor, and the Nine Qi Heavenly Lords, the divine authorities of the East. There is a realm there called the Land of Stillness and Limitless Peace, solemn and tranquil. If someone wishes at the end of life to be reborn there, they should pay homage to the Responding Celestial Worthy of the East, kneel, and repent. In this way, they can dispel as many karmic obstacles as grains of sand in the Ganges, accumulate immeasurable good deeds, and, by refining the body and clarifying the spirit, attain the state of ascending to perfection and realizing the Dao. All should offer their homage with single-minded reverence. Let us pay homage now.

Each person in the assembly paid homage with reverence:

With single-minded reverence, we pay homage to the Compassionate Three Treasures Celestial Worthy.

With single-minded reverence, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Hears Cries and Relieves Suffering.

With single-minded reverence, we pay homage to the Eastern Jade Treasure August Celestial Worthy.

With single-minded reverence, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Universal Compassion and Protection of the Nation.

With single-minded reverence, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Great Forbearance and Unobstructedness.

With single-minded reverence, we pay homage to the Eastern Numinous Flower High Minister Celestial Worthy.

With single-minded reverence, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Expounds Transformation in the Pure Palace.

With single-minded reverence, we pay homage to the Eastern Jade Treasure August Celestial Worthy.

With single-minded reverence, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Universal Compassion and Protection of the Nation.

With single-minded reverence, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Great Forbearance and Unobstructedness.

With single-minded reverence, we pay homage to the Eastern Numinous Flower High Minister Celestial Worthy.

With single-minded reverence, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Expounds Transformation in the Pure Palace.

With single-minded reverence, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Wondrous Treasure of the Immortals.

With single-minded reverence, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Harmonious Emptiness at the Ultimate.

With single-minded reverence, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Accumulates Goodness in the Nine Heavens.

With single-minded reverence, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy, the August True Elder.

With single-minded reverence, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Numinous Hidden Radiance.

With single-minded reverence, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Jade Youth of the Golden Gate.

With single-minded reverence, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Focused Mind and Mysterious Response.

With single-minded reverence, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Great Deliverance in the Numinous Capital.

With single-minded reverence, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Mysterious Numinous Supreme De.

With sincere hearts and reverence, we pay homage to the Most High Celestial Worthy of the Great Void.

With sincere hearts and reverence, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Perfect Communion and Sublime Perfection.

With sincere hearts and reverence, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Illuminating Clarity and True Reality.

With sincere hearts and reverence, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Precious Victory and Primordial Harmony.

With sincere hearts and reverence, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Precious Treasury and Perfect Ultimate.

With sincere hearts and reverence, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Dark Clarity and True Stillness.

With sincere hearts and reverence, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Fulfilled Wisdom.

With sincere hearts and reverence, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Supreme Minister of Golden Radiance.

With sincere hearts and reverence, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of True Practice and Illuminated Causes.

With sincere hearts and reverence, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Majestic Radiance and the Precious Realm.

With sincere hearts and reverence, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Fulfilled Wisdom.

With sincere hearts and reverence, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Supreme Minister of Golden Radiance.

With sincere hearts and reverence, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of True Practice and Illuminated Causes.

With sincere hearts and reverence, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Majestic Radiance and the Precious Realm.

With sincere hearts and reverence, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Opening the Way to Faith and Understanding.

With sincere hearts and reverence, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Insightful Understanding and Illuminated Wisdom.

With sincere hearts and reverence, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Supreme Height in the Purple Void.

With sincere hearts and reverence, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Openhearted Universal Illumination.

With sincere hearts and reverence, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Abundant Source and Far-Reaching Grace.

With sincere hearts and reverence, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of True Awakening Who Imparts Teachings.

With sincere hearts and reverence, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of True Wisdom Shining to the Utmost.

With sincere hearts and reverence, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Sublime Treasure Who Guides the Immortals Across.

With sincere hearts and reverence, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Purple Sun and Num inous Response.

With sincere hearts and reverence, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Boundless Sublime Intent.

With sincere hearts and reverence, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Golden Light and Benevolent Grace.

With sincere hearts and reverence, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Dark Emptiness and True Practice.

With sincere hearts and reverence, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Gracious Emptiness Who Delivers Beings to Liberation.

With sincere hearts and reverence, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Majestic Dark Awakening.

With sincere hearts and reverence, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Universal Numinous Response.

With sincere hearts and reverence, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Void Emperor Who Sends Down Illumination.

With sincere hearts and reverence, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Sublime Perfection, True Grandeur, and Dark Awakening.

With sincere hearts and reverence, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Universal Numinous Response.

With sincere hearts and reverence, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Void Emperor Who Sends Down Illumination.

With sincere hearts and reverence, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Sublime Ultimate and True Source.

With sincere hearts and reverence, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Dark Response and Gracious Illumination.

With single-minded devotion, we pay homage to the Heavenly Worthy of Precious Form and True Yang, the Heavenly Worthy of Concentrated Spirit and Clear Illumination, the Heavenly Worthy of Dharma Clouds and Universal Nourishment, the Heavenly Worthy of Vacant Clarity and Far-Reaching Vision, the Heavenly Worthy of Perfected Dharma Form, the Heavenly Worthy of Sublime Intent and Dignified Bearing, the Heavenly Worthy of the Mysterious Subtlety of the Fundamental Origin, and the Heavenly Worthy of Transcendent Truth and Silent Illumination, as well as the True Person of Great Compassion and Great Mercy Who Saves from Suffering, and the True Person of Great Compassion and Great Mercy Who Bestows Great Benevolence. Recite the names of the True Person Who Saves from Suffering and the True Person Who Bestows Great Benevolence alternately three times.

After paying homage to the Three Treasures—the Dao, the Jing, and the Teacher, revered in Daoism—we proceed to confession.

With single-minded devotion, we entrust our lives to the Three Treasures, ever-present throughout the ten directions. We confess the offenses we have committed through our failings over countless past lives. Foolish and obscured, we have failed to reflect on our past wrongs. At times, we have formed harmful causes and followed the whims of our own hearts. Anger has blazed within us like a roaring fire, leaving us unable to distinguish beauty from ugliness. Our thoughts have been sharp and cold as blades, heedless of whether others were strong or weak. As the days accumulated into months and years, we failed to confess our wrongs in time or repent sincerely. We therefore fear the torments of hell: icy pools, pillars of fire, trees of swords, and cauldrons of boiling broth. In the cold, pain pierces the heart and lungs; in the heat, the body is scorched, sinews and bones are broken, and the bowels rot. We humbly ask for compassion to wash away and dispel the roots of these offenses.

The Celestial Worthy said: “If a good man or good woman committed offenses while alive but also cultivated blessings, about eight-tenths of the merit from those blessings can be counted as their own. These blessings may then be used to offset their offenses. Only after the accounts are settled can one know what, if anything, remains.

“If someone performed many meritorious deeds in the past, then, by a reckoning in sevenths, that person can receive only one-seventh of the merit. Only after merit and wrongdoing have been offset, and blessings remain, can that remainder be counted as one share of true blessing. If good deeds and merit are not enough to offset the offenses, the deceased will pass through the Three Destinies—the hells, the realm of hungry ghosts, and the realm of animals—and endure all manner of suffering. In a single day and night, it will be as though they die and are reborn ten thousand times, undergoing every kind of torment.

“To cultivate blessings for the deceased, on the day they are near death, their relatives and friends should invite ritual masters from every direction. They should gather with the deceased’s living male and female relatives, the faithful, and those familiar with the ritual sanctuary to burn incense, repent, receive precepts, and recite scriptures. They may first take garments worn by the deceased and place them before the incense altar, then repent and receive precepts on the deceased’s behalf. Within the first three weeks after death—that is, by the twenty-first day—they should also establish a separate, pure place and arrange a ritual sanctuary. They should light lamps to keep the flame burning, praise and recite scriptures, circumambulate and bow, ring bells, and pray with sincerity.

“This is done to cultivate merit in a timely way. The newly deceased are about to set out on a new journey; through this auspicious connection, they may come to understand the way ahead and be reborn in the Land of Ultimate Bliss. Those who died earlier may thereby be delivered, while the living may also receive blessings. When the repentance ritual is complete, everyone should bow with focused attention and reverence.

Each person bows respectfully:

With one mind, we pay reverence to the Celestial Worthy of Wondrous Joy and Awe-Inspiring Radiance.

With one mind, we pay reverence to the Celestial Worthy Who Universally Illuminates the Netherworld.

With one mind, we pay reverence to the Celestial Worthy Whose Dharma Affinities Are Without End.

With one mind, we pay reverence to the Celestial Worthy Who Responds Wherever Called.

With one mind, we pay reverence to the Celestial Worthy of Right Wisdom and Mysterious Emptiness.

With one mind, we pay reverence to the Celestial Worthy Whose Radiance Flows Like the Sun of Wisdom.

With one mind, we pay reverence to the Celestial Worthy of Resplendent Jade Blossoms.

With one mind, we pay reverence to the Celestial Worthy Who Surveys Afar Amid Floating Fragrance.

With one mind, we pay reverence to the Celestial Worthy Whose Flying Clouds Spread Broadly Over All.

With one mind, we pay reverence to the Celestial Worthy Who Universally Delivers, the Medicine King.

With one mind, we pay reverence to the Celestial Worthy of Wisdom and Understanding Vast as Sea and Sky.”

With sincere hearts, we pay reverence to the Celestial Worthy of Compassionate Joy.

With sincere hearts, we pay reverence to the Celestial Worthy Who Flies on Clouds and Covers All.

With sincere hearts, we pay reverence to the Celestial Worthy of Universal Deliverance, the King of Medicine.

With sincere hearts, we pay reverence to the Celestial Worthy of Benevolence and Understanding, as Vast as Sea and Sky.

With sincere hearts, we pay reverence to the Celestial Worthy of Compassionate Joy.

With sincere hearts, we pay reverence to the Celestial Worthy of the Void Emperor’s Universal Aid.

With sincere hearts, we pay reverence to the Celestial Worthy Whose Lamp of the Dharma Shines Brightly.

With sincere hearts, we pay reverence to the Celestial Worthy of the Highest Great Void.

With sincere hearts, we pay reverence to the Greatly Compassionate Celestial Worthy Who Rescues from Suffering.

With sincere hearts, we pay reverence to the Celestial Worthy Who Abides in Supreme Joy.

With sincere hearts, we pay reverence to the Celestial Worthy of Mysterious Harmony and Wondrous Treasure.

With sincere hearts, we pay reverence to the Celestial Worthy of Wuwei and Settled Wisdom.

With sincere hearts, we pay reverence to the Celestial Worthy of Mysterious Emptiness, Dignity, and Stillness.

With sincere hearts, we pay reverence to the Celestial Worthy of Benevolent Measure, Who Responds to All Things.

With sincere hearts, we pay reverence to the Celestial Worthy of Dignified, Plain Virtue.

With sincere hearts, we pay reverence to the Celestial Worthy of the Utmost Mysterious Void.

With sincere hearts, we pay reverence to the Celestial Worthy Who Wondrously Upholds the Natural Way.

With sincere hearts, we pay reverence to the Celestial Worthy of Compassionate Deliverance.

With sincere hearts, we pay reverence to the Celestial Worthy Who Responds to All Things.

With sincere hearts, we pay reverence to the Celestial Worthy of Dignified, Plain Virtue.

With sincere hearts, we pay reverence to the Celestial Worthy of the Utmost Mysterious Void.

With sincere hearts, we pay reverence to the Celestial Worthy Who Wondrously Upholds the Natural Way.

With sincere hearts, we pay reverence to the Celestial Worthy of Compassionate Deliverance.

With sincere hearts, we pay reverence to the Celestial Worthy of the Nameless, Precious Form.

With sincere hearts, we pay reverence to the Celestial Worthy Whose Dharma Clouds Cast Their Shade.

With sincere hearts, we pay reverence to the Celestial Worthy of Vast Transformation Through Compassionate Grace.

With sincere hearts, we pay reverence to the Celestial Worthy of the Mysterious Ford, Who Moistens All.

With sincere hearts, we pay reverence to the Celestial Worthy of Cloudlike Harmony and Accumulated Goodness.

With sincere hearts, we pay reverence to the Celestial Worthy of Great Benevolence, Deep and Still.

With sincere hearts, we pay reverence to the Celestial Worthy Who Opens Wide the Gates of Precepts and Samadhi.

With sincere hearts, we pay reverence to the Celestial Worthy Entrusted with the Dharma Treasures.

With sincere hearts, we pay reverence to the Celestial Worthy Whose Divine Light Penetrates the Hidden Realms.

With sincere hearts, we pay reverence to the Celestial Worthy Who Exalts the Immortals and Opens the Way to Transformation.

With sincere hearts, we pay reverence to the Celestial Worthy Who Greatly Proclaims the Orthodox Dharma.

With sincere hearts, we pay reverence to the Celestial Worthy of Boundless Universal Deliverance.

With sincere hearts, we pay reverence to the Celestial Worthy of the Dharma Bridge and Widespread Aid.

The repeated phrase “with sincere hearts, we pay reverence” means to honor each Celestial Worthy with single-minded devotion and respect. “Celestial Worthy” is an honorific title for revered deities in Daoism; the titles that follow praise their virtues, such as compassion, deliverance, teaching, and protection.

With reverence, I pay homage to the Heavenly Venerable Who Encompasses All in a Treasury of De (Virtue and Power), whose virtue is profound and far-reaching, embracing all things.

With reverence, I pay homage to the Heavenly Venerable Who Responds and Appears through Skillful Adaptation, who manifests in response to circumstances to save and deliver beings. I pray to the Heavenly Venerable for deliverance.

With reverence, I pay homage to the Heavenly Venerable Who Widely Relieves Beings by the Bridge of the Dharma, who uses the Dharma as a bridge to deliver beings far and wide.

With reverence, I pay homage to the Heavenly Venerable Who Encompasses All in a Treasury of De.

With reverence, I pay homage to the Heavenly Venerable Who Responds and Appears through Skillful Adaptation.

With reverence, I pay homage to the Heavenly Venerable of Majestic De and Great Compassion, endowed with awe-inspiring virtue and boundless compassion.

With reverence, I pay homage to the Heavenly Venerable of Blazing Radiance and Numinous Splendor, whose brilliant light shines with wondrous power.

With reverence, I pay homage to the Heavenly Venerable of Vermilion Origin, Luminous and Profound, whose radiance is clear and whose mysteries are beyond compare.

With reverence, I pay homage to the Heavenly Venerable of Vermilion Light and the Dharma as Foundation, whose splendor shines forth and whose foundation is the Dao’s teaching.

With reverence, I pay homage to the Heavenly Venerable Who Gathers Wisdom and Life into Constancy, bringing them together and making them enduring.

With reverence, I pay homage to the Heavenly Venerable of Elixir Spirit, Stillness, and Wisdom, whose elixir spirit is pure and clear, bringing stillness and giving rise to wisdom.

With reverence, I pay homage to the Heavenly Venerable Who Delivers Beings through Majestic Light, saving them from suffering with awe-inspiring radiance.

With reverence, I pay homage to the Heavenly Venerable Who Manifests from the Golden Palace in Heaven. The Golden Palace is a celestial hall; manifestation means appearing in different forms to save beings.

With reverence, I pay homage to the Heavenly Venerable of Freedom and Joy, who releases beings from constraint and brings them peace and happiness.

With reverence, I pay homage to the Heavenly Venerable Who Refines the Elixir Realm with Fire, whose refinement of the elixir realm by fire symbolizes the ritual refining and deliverance of the dead.

With reverence, I pay homage to the Perfected One of Great Compassion and Great Mercy Who Saves from Suffering, who compassionately aids those in distress.

With reverence, I pay homage to the Perfected One of Great Compassion and Great Mercy Who Bestows Abundant Grace, compassionate and generous in granting blessings.

With reverence, I pay homage to the Perfected One of Great Compassion and Great Mercy Who Removes Calamities, who compassionately dispels misfortune.

With reverence, I pay homage to the Perfected One of Great Compassion and Great Mercy Who Brings Stillness and Wisdom, who compassionately brings people peace and increases their wisdom.

With reverence, I pay homage to the Perfected One of Great Compassion and Great Mercy Who Relieves Suffering, who compassionately aids those in distress.

With reverence, I pay homage to the Perfected One of Great Compassion and Great Mercy Who Guides Beings to Higher Rebirth, who compassionately leads beings toward an upward course of rebirth.

After paying homage to the Three Treasures—the Dao, the Jing (scripture), and the teacher—I repent once more.

With reverence, I entrust my life to the Perfected One of Great Compassion and Great Mercy Who Brings Stillness and Wisdom, present throughout the ten directions.

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

With reverence, I pay homage to the Perfected One of Great Compassion and Great Mercy Who Guides Beings to Higher Rebirth.

After paying homage to the Three Treasures, I repent once more.

With reverence, I entrust my life to the eternally abiding Three Treasures and Heavenly Venerables throughout the ten directions. I repent for the karmic offenses created through faults and errors over countless lifetimes. We were born from our parents’ wombs: some rich, some poor; some honored, some lowly; some good, some wicked; some female, some male. Yet we do not understand the principles of rebirth, nor can we clearly discern life’s beginning and end. Although we have already repented, we fear that something may have been overlooked. May all resentments, enmities, and wrongs be cleansed and resolved together.

The Celestial Worthy said: “If a good man or good woman hopes, at the end of life, to be reborn in the pure and beautiful realms of the Ten Directions, they should purify body and mind, wash away defilement, and dress properly. They should bring forth their own wealth, burn fragrant incense, and invite a ritual master to lead rites of repentance. They should hang banners and canopies, offer praise and chant hymns, make offerings to the Three Jewels—the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha—and recite revered scriptures. All these solemn rites should be carried out in accordance with the teachings. The true Dharma and wisdom are inconceivable.

“One should contemplate the physical body of sentient beings: it comes from emptiness and returns to emptiness. It is only a temporary gathering of causes and conditions, and in the end returns to stillness and extinction. The body is composed only of the four great elements: earth, water, fire, and wind. Whether the body is coming together or falling apart, one should diligently cultivate the Way. In this way, one can be rescued and delivered, dwell wherever one wishes, and surely increase the fruits of one’s merit and virtue. With a sincere heart, one can escape the hells, naturally enjoy peace and happiness, and behold the Great Dao.

“At that time, the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning said to the Lord of the Dao Above, ‘You and the Perfected One Who Universally Saves should travel through the Ten Directions and seek out disciples who wish to be reborn in the blissful lands of the Ten Directions. Those realms are vast beyond measure and countless. The Celestial Worthies, Lords of the Dao, holy beings of the heavens, and all pure realms are likewise endless and impossible to describe fully.

“‘Before the assembly, I will explain the wondrous realms within and beyond the Three Worlds, and name the flying Perfected Ones and realized holy beings in the various lands, for the four groups of beings who have not yet made their own destination clear. I will also briefly describe the causes and conditions associated with them. Those who can devote themselves to reverence and practice, complete their merit and virtue, give generously, and persevere without slackening will be reborn in pure realms and no longer remain confined in the prisons of the underworld.’ All beings wished to take refuge. They bowed their heads in reverence, then withdrew.”

Taishang Cibei Jiuyou Bazui Chan (Repentance of the Most High’s Compassionate Deliverance from the Sins of the Nine Hells), Volume One

Taishang Cibei Jiuyou Bazui Chan, Volume Two

At this time, the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning proclaimed to Perfected One Pujie: “In the east are the Azure Spirit, Primordial Elder, Cang Emperor, and the Nine Qi Heavenly Lord. That place is the realm of the Flowery Forest, the land of the Limitless: solemn and pure, graced with kindness and peace.” After speaking, the Celestial Worthy continued with the Heavenly Lord of Brahma Qi in the southeast. That place is the realm of Green Clouds. There is a Perfected One there whose title is True Peace. His dwelling is the land of the Limitless, wondrously still and solemn.

If, at the end of life, someone wishes to be reborn in that land, they should purify body and mind, observe fasting, and ask a ritual master to conduct the rites. They should respectfully bow to the Celestial Worthy Who Responds to the Invocation in the southeast and kneel for a long time in repentance. In this way, they can dispel karmic obstructions as numerous as the sands of the Ganges and gain boundless wholesome causes. By refining the body and clarifying the mind and spirit, they can ascend to perfection and realize the Dao. Everyone should come to the ritual altar and ask the ritual master to conduct the rites: bow to the Celestial Worthy Who Responds to the Invocation in the southeast and kneel for a long time in repentance, seeking to dispel boundless karmic obstructions, accumulate wholesome causes, refine the body, clarify the mind and spirit, ascend to perfection, and realize the Dao. Everyone should be utterly sincere and reverent. The bows begin now.

Everyone respectfully bows:

With utmost sincerity, we bow to the Celestial Worthy Who Loves Life and Delivers Souls in the southeast.

With utmost sincerity, we bow to the Celestial Worthy Who Broadly Fans the Winds of Compassion.

With utmost sincerity, we bow to the Celestial Worthy Whose Dharma Body Appears in the World.

With utmost sincerity, we bow to the Celestial Worthy Who Is Unhindered and at Ease.

With utmost sincerity, we bow to the Celestial Worthy Who Skillfully Expounds the Marks of the Dharma.

With utmost sincerity, we bow to the Celestial Worthy Who Increases Blessings and Understanding.

With utmost sincerity, we bow to the Celestial Worthy of Skillful Means and Expedient Guidance.

With utmost sincerity, we bow to the Celestial Worthy of Utmost Stillness and Clear Radiance.

With utmost sincerity, we bow to the Celestial Worthy of Unequaled Wisdom.

With utmost sincerity, we bow to the Celestial Worthy Who Responds to the Invocation of Great Tenuity.

With utmost sincerity, we bow to the Celestial Worthy Who Penetrates the Mystery and Settles the Marks.

With utmost sincerity, we bow to the Celestial Worthy Who Perceives the Hidden and the Manifest.

With utmost sincerity, we bow to the Celestial Worthy of Brahma Radiance Who Expounds the Teachings.

With utmost sincerity, we bow to the Celestial Worthy of Peaceful Joy and Supreme Reward.

With utmost sincerity, we bow to the Celestial Worthy Who Ascends to the Mysterious and Reaches the Utmost.

With utmost sincerity, we bow to the Celestial Worthy of Wondrous Light and Precious Triumph.

With utmost sincerity, we bow to the Celestial Worthy of Central Harmony and Great Grace.

With utmost sincerity, we bow to the Celestial Worthy of the Single Vehicle and the Utmost Void.

With utmost sincerity, we bow to the Celestial Worthy of the Mysterious Tradition, Born in Response.

With utmost sincerity, we bow to the Celestial Worthy of Boundless Awe and Transformative Power.

With utmost sincerity, we bow to the Celestial Worthy Who Proclaims Radiance and Wondrous Awakening.

With utmost sincerity, I pay reverence to the Celestial Worthy of the Mysterious Spirit, Vast Banquet, and Response to Heaven.

With utmost sincerity, I pay reverence to the Celestial Worthy of Boundless Might and Transformative Power.

With utmost sincerity, I pay reverence to the Celestial Worthy Who Proclaims Radiance and Wondrous Awakening.

With utmost sincerity, I pay reverence to the Celestial Worthy of the Mysterious Spirit and Vast Banquet.

With utmost sincerity, I pay reverence to the Celestial Worthy Who Reflects with Golden Light and Protects the Soul.

With utmost sincerity, I pay reverence to the Celestial Worthy of Western Spirit and Gracious Illumination.

With utmost sincerity, I pay reverence to the Celestial Worthy Who Manifests Reality at the Four Extremities.

With utmost sincerity, I pay reverence to the Celestial Worthy of the Mysterious Real and the Nine Elders.

With utmost sincerity, I pay reverence to the Celestial Worthy of the Ten Blossoms of the Supreme Sage.

With utmost sincerity, I pay reverence to the Celestial Worthy Who Shines Throughout the Four Void Realms.

With utmost sincerity, I pay reverence to the Celestial Worthy of the Seven Radiances of the True Origin.

With utmost sincerity, I pay reverence to the Celestial Worthy of the Two Pure Ones and Luminous Spirits.

With utmost sincerity, I pay reverence to the Celestial Worthy Who Expounds the Teachings at the Golden Gate.

With utmost sincerity, I pay reverence to the Celestial Worthy of the Supreme Summit of Great Florescence.

With utmost sincerity, I pay reverence to the Celestial Worthy, the Emptiness Emperor of the Vast Void.

With utmost sincerity, I pay reverence to the Celestial Worthy of Mysterious Light Who Saves the World.

With utmost sincerity, I pay reverence to the Celestial Worthy of the Ninefold Void and Great Purity.

With utmost sincerity, I pay reverence to the Celestial Worthy of Spirit Radiance and the Eight Luminaries.

With utmost sincerity, I pay reverence to the Celestial Worthy of the Seven Awakenings Who Illuminates Doubt.

With utmost sincerity, I pay reverence to the Celestial Worthy of the Radiance of the Three Pure Ones.

With utmost sincerity, I pay reverence to the Celestial Worthy of Spirit Radiance and the Eight Luminaries, in the Heaven of Great Cavern and Scenic Florescence.

With utmost sincerity, I pay reverence to the Celestial Worthy of the Seven Awakenings Who Illuminates Doubt.

With utmost sincerity, I pay reverence to the Celestial Worthy of the Radiance of the Three Pure Ones.

With utmost sincerity, I pay reverence to the Celestial Worthy of Great Cavern and Scenic Florescence.

With utmost sincerity, I pay reverence to the Celestial Worthy of the Supreme True Suchness.

With utmost sincerity, I pay reverence to the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Harmony and Precious Victory.

With utmost sincerity, I pay reverence to the Celestial Worthy of Settled Light, Destiny, and Blessings.

With utmost sincerity, I pay reverence to the Celestial Worthy of Luminous Florescence and Pure De.

With utmost sincerity, I pay reverence to the Celestial Worthy of Wondrous Treasures and Pure Light.

With utmost sincerity, I pay reverence to the Celestial Worthy of True Illumination and the Utmost Void.

With utmost sincerity, I pay reverence to the Celestial Worthy of Blended Harmony and Numinous Response.

With utmost sincerity, I pay reverence to the Celestial Worthy of Great Harmony and Supreme Eminence.

With utmost sincerity, I pay reverence to the Celestial Worthy of the Utmost Void and Wondrous Numinous Power.

With utmost sincerity, I pay reverence to the Celestial Worthy of Precious Florescence and Primordial Brahma.

With utmost sincerity, I pay reverence to the Celestial Worthy of the Pure Treasury and Hidden Radiance.

We sincerely pay homage to the Realized One of great compassion, who saves those in distress and delivers them from suffering. We sincerely pay homage to the Realized One of great compassion, who bestows blessings widely. We alternate between these acts of homage three times.

After paying homage to the Three Treasures of Daoism—the Dao (the Way), the Jing (scriptures), and the Master—we proceed to confession.

With utmost sincerity, we take refuge in the Three Treasures that abide eternally in the ten directions, and confess the offenses committed through our own actions.

We sincerely pay homage to the Realized One of great compassion, who bestows blessings widely.

After paying homage to the Three Treasures, we proceed to confession.

With utmost sincerity, we take refuge in the Three Treasures that abide eternally in the ten directions, and confess the offenses committed through our own actions. From the moment we are born, our bodies are made up of many parts: our heads are rounded like the heavens above, and our feet tread upon the earth below. Our flesh and blood are impure and worldly, and our bones and blood carry a foul odor. Our bodies cannot shield us from the stars and are constantly exposed to wind and rain. Thus we accumulate all manner of wrongs in this life and cannot avoid committing offenses in the netherworld. Now, through the wholesome affinity of this rite of homage and repentance, we beseech the removal of these offenses.

The Celestial Worthy says: If a good man or good woman, for someone who has died, commissions scriptures or sacred images and provides a ritual meal and offerings on the hundredth day after death, the anniversary, or a later memorial day, the merit gained may still be slight, even if much has been spent. This is because the heart is lax and the work careless: leftover food is used for the ritual meal, and spare money for making images; when giving, one gives reluctantly, then pauses after only a short time. Even if the display is grand and its purpose sounds noble, the actual merit remains slight. Some ritual meals include meat and fish; some people give while harboring doubts. In such cases, only a third of the merit is gained.

This is like having a garment cut out but never sewing it, while hoping someone will wear it—without knowing when that might happen. A task begun but left unfinished cannot bring its merit to completion. If someone commissions scriptures or sacred images, provides a ritual meal, or gives property to a ritual master, but even one part is withheld, concealed, or mishandled, the resulting blessing cannot be complete. Why do such a thing? It only wastes property and squanders the original good intention. The living may thereby invite calamity, and the dead may incur guilt.

The deceased may even fall once more into hell and suffer punishment in the netherworld: pain that strikes the body, hunger and cold, and prolonged torment that leaves no chance of survival. Iron staffs pierce the heart, and fiery pellets scorch the mouth; every kind of punishment must be endured in turn. There is nowhere to flee and nowhere to hide. Calamity may also reach seven generations of ancestors and nine generations of descendants. One cannot expect to remain unharmed or simply hope for a good outcome. Even later remorse cannot readily erase earlier wrongs.

This is because good deeds, when accumulated, bring good results, while accumulated wrongdoing brings retribution. It is like a shadow following the body or an echo following a sound: good and evil, right and wrong, are ultimately impossible to escape, and purity and impurity will be revealed. All of you, men and women, should give sincerely, observe pure abstinence, and repent devoutly. Do not seek only a good name and then claim to have merit. If you have a fine reputation but your actions are insincere, the guilt you incur will be just as grave.

Good men and faithful women should earnestly receive these teachings. In this way, the souls of the dead may be released and calamities dispelled. Now let us all bow our heads in refuge and pay reverent homage.

All present respectfully bow in reverence.

With sincere hearts, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy, Patriarch Who Guides and Delivers, the divine being who leads all beings out of suffering.

With sincere hearts, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Empowered Ascension, the divine being who protects all beings as they rise to higher realms.

With sincere hearts, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Mysterious and Subtle Virtue, named for the subtle virtue of the Dao.

With sincere hearts, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Great Hua, Manifesting in Accord with the Times, who appears in response to the course of the times.

With sincere hearts, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy, August Jade Emperor, the revered divine Jade Emperor.

With sincere hearts, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Radiant Light and Precious Splendor, the divine being of luminous, precious radiance.

With sincere hearts, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Exalted, Mysterious Vision, lofty, subtle, and far-reaching.

With sincere hearts, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Central August One, True and Ultimate, who dwells at the center and accords with the true Dao.

With sincere hearts, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Primal Cavern and Jade Dawn, the revered divine being of primordial Dongzhen and the Jade Dawn.

With sincere hearts, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Exalted Great One, the supreme divine Great One.

With sincere hearts, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Utmost Clarity and Emptiness, supremely luminous and still.

With sincere hearts, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Jade Void, Manifesting the Sacred Form, who reveals a sacred presence in the realm of Jade Void.

With sincere hearts, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Central August One, True and Ultimate.

With sincere hearts, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Primal Cavern and Jade Dawn.

With sincere hearts, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Exalted Great One.

With sincere hearts, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Utmost Clarity and Emptiness.

With sincere hearts, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Jade Void, Manifesting the Sacred Form.

With sincere hearts, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Gathers the True Ones in the Primal Cavern, the revered divine being who presides over all the perfected ones and dwells in the Primal Cavern.

With sincere hearts, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Appears in Responsive Radiance, manifesting wherever light shines.

With sincere hearts, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Whose Flowing Light Illuminates the Hidden Realms, whose radiant gaze reveals the unseen underworld.

With sincere hearts, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Reaches the Distant and Deep Abyss, penetrating the depths of remote and hidden places.

With sincere hearts, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Whose Golden Countenance Manifests, whose golden, sacred appearance is revealed.

With sincere hearts, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Manifests Form and Spreads Shadow and Light, revealing a body and dispersing its radiance.

With sincere hearts, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Whose Radiance Flows in All Directions, spreading light until every quarter is bright.

With sincere hearts, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Cavernous Origin and Profound Resonance, who perceives the primordial source and responds with deep resonance.

With sincere hearts, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Exalted Mystery, Gathering the True Ones, lofty and subtle, presiding over all the perfected ones.

With sincere hearts, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Pure, Bright, and Sacred Treasure, pure, radiant, and precious.

With sincere hearts, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Seven Pure Qualities of Golden Light, endowed with the virtues of the Seven Pure Qualities of Golden Light.

With sincere hearts, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Jade Emperor, True and Ultimate, the Jade Emperor at the utmost height of truth.

With sincere hearts, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Mysterious Supreme and Grand Tenuity, the subtle and exalted divine being of Grand Tenuity.

With sincere hearts, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Penetrating Wisdom and Empty Serenity, all-perceiving and wise, empty, still, and unobstructed.

With sincere hearts, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Illumined Insight and Flowing Reflection, discerning the workings of things and casting a flowing, radiant gaze.

With sincere hearts, we bow in reverence to the Celestial Worthy of the Seven Pure Qualities of Golden Light.

With sincere hearts, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Jade Emperor, True and Ultimate.

With sincere hearts, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Mysterious Supreme and Grand Tenuity.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I bow in homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Hollow Presence of the Grotto of Blessings; the Celestial Worthy of the Bright Mechanism and Flowing Reflection; the Celestial Worthy Who Seeks the True and Enters the Great Grotto; the Celestial Worthy Who Gathers the Spirit and Meets the Sage; the Celestial Worthy of the Mysterious True One of Great Unity; the Celestial Worthy of Pure Fulfillment and Precious Radiance; the Celestial Worthy of the Great Vehicle and Auspicious Virtue; the Celestial Worthy of Resplendent Brightness and Supreme Eminence; the Celestial Worthy Who Universally Bestows Mysterious Illumination; the Celestial Worthy of Jade-like Luster and Flowing Radiance; the Celestial Worthy of the Upper Flower and Primordial Unity; the Celestial Worthy of Seven Transformations and Primordial Harmony; the Celestial Worthy Who Opens and Transforms Through the Five Kalpas; the Celestial Worthy of Hidden Radiance and Secret Splendor; the Celestial Worthy Who Realizes the Utmost in the Pure Capital; the Celestial Worthy of Spiritual Transformation and Grotto Emptiness; the Celestial Worthy Who Transcends Emptiness and Enters the Subtle; the Celestial Worthy Who Prolongs Life and Preserves Vitality; the Celestial Worthy of Bright Radiance at the Northern Pole; the Celestial Worthy of Mysterious Emptiness and the Supreme Ultimate (Taiji); the Celestial Worthy of the Empty Sovereign of the Purple Court; the Celestial Worthy of the Golden Countenance Who Responds with Blessings; the Celestial Worthy of the Jade Blossoms and Ten Virtues; the Celestial Worthy of Mysterious Subtlety and Hidden Radiance; and the Real Person of Great Compassion and Great Mercy Who Saves from Suffering, together with the Real Person of Great Compassion, Great Mercy, and Great Beneficence.

Here, “with wholehearted reverence, I bow in homage” means worshipping the gods and Real Persons with sincere and respectful hearts. The “Three Treasures” are the Dao (the Way), the scriptures, and the masters, which Daoism venerates. After paying homage to the Three Treasures, the rite proceeds to confession.

With utmost sincerity, we take refuge in the Three Treasures (Dao, scripture, and teacher), which abide eternally in the ten directions. We repent for the transgressions created by our bodily actions. People are born into different degrees of wealth and status, occupy positions high and low, and receive Qi and fortune in differing measure; their circumstances in life are far from alike.

Some are of noble standing and live in grand mansions, wearing the distinguished purple robes of office. Their homes have walls adorned with silver, chambers scented with pepper, vermilion terraces, and railings decorated with jade. Others hold lowly positions, their hair loose and feet bare as they hurry about behind others, greeting and escorting them. Their speech carries little force, and their conduct is constrained by their station.

Some are wealthy, wearing light, warm furs and riding sturdy horses. They live in quiet, elegant rooms and enjoy fine food. Their voices ring like great bells, and their hearts seem as vast as the sea. Others are poor and beset by hunger and cold, unable to attend to every rule of propriety. Their words and actions may contradict one another, and they often lack order in what they do.

Amid such circumstances, people commit all manner of bodily karma—karma brought about by physical actions. How can they always keep to the right path? So many transgressions have already been committed; who can remain free of wrongdoing at all times? Though we have repented in the past, we still fear our repentance was not thorough enough. At this moment, with sincere hearts, we all hope that our karmic offenses may be cleansed and dispelled.

The Celestial Worthy said, “Well spoken, just as you have said. To protect the world and care for all living beings, to raise questions with skillful means, seek guidance on difficult matters, and inquire into each point as needed—this is truly rare. I praise this matter again and again as wondrous beyond comprehension. Now tell all living beings: listen attentively and practice accordingly, and you will attain liberation.

“If, after the parents of a good man or good woman have died, their children can provide the necessary provisions and daily necessities, give away family wealth, pay respects to and recite the scriptures, and seek repentance to cleanse every kind of fault, they will be reborn in the heavens.

“If someone copies scriptures, makes divine images, establishes offerings, or observes a fast, and then keeps for themselves any surplus from the funds used for these purposes, they will have to repay ten times the amount after ten years for anything worth even more than a single coin. If they still fail to repay it, they will suffer severe illness and disfigurement, sleep out in the wilderness like a bird roosting in the open, and eventually be cast aside among the living, with no hope of ever escaping their suffering. Even if they are reborn, they will be deaf, blind, or afflicted with various illnesses, and their bodies will often be impaired.

“If they misappropriate ritual items such as banners or flowers, they must repay seven times the amount every seven years. If they still fail to repay it, they will be imprisoned, confined behind bars and put in shackles. Bound day and night, their bodies will grow ever thinner, and their pleas will never end.

“If they misappropriate property donated to a Dharma Master, they must repay five times the amount every five years. If they still fail to repay it, they will suffer poverty and hardship, with poor clothing and food. They may be reborn as oxen or horses and repay the debt through labor, or as pigs or sheep and pay it with their lives. They may also lose their family while young, have no one to depend on, and be forced to rely on others, unable even to meet their own basic needs.

“All these debts of injustice are brought about by failing to honor one’s parents. All of you, men and women, listen attentively, diligently cultivate merit, uphold the precepts, and devote yourselves fully to carrying out these teachings.” The assembly bowed and withdrew.

Taishang Cibei Jiuyou Bazui Chan, Scroll Two

Taishang Cibei Jiuyou Bazui Chan, Scroll Three

At this time, the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning explained to Perfected One Pujue the Lord of the Brahma Qi of the Southeast and the boundless lands of the realm of Bixia. There, all was pure and still, solemn and wondrous. When he had finished, the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning spoke of the Lord of the Three Qi of the Southern Brahma Treasure, Changyang, and the Vermilion Emperor, along with the realm of Brahma Heaven. There dwelt a Perfected One named Zhenlao. The kingdom where he lived was boundless, dignified and transformative, solemn and sublime.

If, on the day of death, someone wishes to be reborn in that kingdom, they should purify body and mind, observe fasting and cultivate in purity, invite a ritual master to preside over the rites, offer reverence to the Southern Responding Title Celestial Worthy, and kneel for a long time in repentance. In this way, they may be freed from karmic obstacles and sins as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, gain immeasurable wholesome causes, refine and transform their bodily form, and clarify their spirit, ultimately attaining the rank of the Perfected and awakening to the Dao. All should offer reverence with utmost sincerity. The bowing begins now.

All present bow reverently:

With utmost sincerity, I pay homage to the Southern Celestial Worthy of Mysterious Truth and Ten Thousand Blessings.

With utmost sincerity, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Great Treasure of the High Perfected.

With utmost sincerity, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Mysterious Harmony and Great Deliverance.

With utmost sincerity, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Purple Enclosure, Who Bestows Blessings.

With utmost sincerity, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Supreme Grace and Vast Compassion.

With utmost sincerity, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Mysterious Harmony and Great Deliverance.

With utmost sincerity, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Purple Enclosure, Who Bestows Blessings.

With utmost sincerity, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Supreme Grace and Vast Compassion.

With utmost sincerity, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Dark Stillness and Hidden Source.

With utmost sincerity, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Cloud Light and Upright Virtue.

With utmost sincerity, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Reveals the Image of Returning to Simplicity.

With utmost sincerity, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Settled Spirit and Silent Illumination.

With utmost sincerity, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Primordial Lord of the Purple Pole.

With utmost sincerity, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Mysterious Truth and Wondrous Treasure.

With utmost sincerity, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Reaches in All Four Directions Without Obstruction.

With utmost sincerity, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Sixfold Discernment and Empty Stillness.

With utmost sincerity, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Luminous Radiance and Resplendent Beauty.

With utmost sincerity, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Perfect Radiance and Brilliant Splendor.

With utmost sincerity, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Golden Reflections and Flowing Truth.

With utmost sincerity, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Mysterious Upper Purple Void.

With utmost sincerity, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Wondrous Apex of the Great Tenuity.

With utmost sincerity, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Numinosity, Light, and Emptiness.

With utmost sincerity, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Supreme Radiant Emperor.

With utmost sincerity, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Empty Clarity and Penetrating Mystery, of the Mysterious Upper Purple Void.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy of Supreme Subtlety, the Great Empyrean.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy of Numinosity, Light, and Emptiness.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy of the Supreme Radiant Emperor.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy of Empty Clarity and Penetrating Wisdom.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy of the Mysterious Treasure, Who Transforms and Spreads.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy of Clarified Spirit and the Treasure of the Kalpa.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy of Wondrous Wisdom, Enduring and Constant.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy of the Mysterious Virtue of the Five Numina.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy of the Six Perfections, Who Brings Them to Stillness and Resolution.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy of the High Primordial, Supreme Minister.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy of Universal Light and Vast Salvation.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy of Mysterious Stillness and Supreme Height.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy of Radiant Splendor and Primordial Harmony.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy of Vast Clarity and the Treasure of Manifest Form.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy of Wise Emptiness, Unimpeded.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy of Harmonious Vitality, Far-Reaching and Unhindered.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy Who Holds Light Within and Embodies Ten Thousand Good Deeds.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy Who Wanders in Emptiness and Abides in Joy.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy of Dignity, Solemnity, and Supreme Virtue.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy of Bright Clouds and Penetrating Wisdom.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy Who Rides the True Dao and Transforms Through Its Teachings.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy of Numinous Transformation and Wondrous Insight.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy of Luminous Virtue and the Bright Emperor.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy Who Penetrates the Mysterious and Dispels Obstruction.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy of Penetrating Wisdom.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy Who Rides the True Dao and Transforms Through Its Teachings.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy of Numinous Transformation and Wondrous Insight.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy of Luminous Virtue and the Bright Emperor.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy Who Penetrates the Mysterious and Dispels Obstruction.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy Whose Virtue Is Replete and Supreme.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy of the Void Emperor, Who Expounds the Sages’ Teachings.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy of Mysterious Darkness and Vast Fortune.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy of Compassionate Forbearance and Deliverance.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy of the Central Pole and the Nine Elders.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Numinousity and Supreme Sainthood.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy of the Central Emperor, the Great One.

I sincerely bow in reverence to the Celestial Worthy of Pervading Brahmic Qi, whose Qi fills heaven and earth; the Celestial Worthy, Great Protector of the Yellow Court; the True Person of Great Compassion and Mercy Who Rescues the Suffering; the True Person of Great Compassion, Mercy, and Beneficence; and all the great Celestial Worthies. After paying homage to the Three Treasures—the Dao, the scriptures, and the teachers—we proceed to repent our transgressions.

With sincere hearts, we take refuge in the Three Treasures, ever abiding throughout the ten directions, and repent the sins we have committed in our hearts. Ever since we developed a mind that makes distinctions, we have gradually sorted things into north and south, east and west; prized what is refined and despised what is plain; favored wealth and status and resented poverty and low rank. We have acted only on our own preferences, without weighing right and wrong or the gravity of things. We have sought gain and forgotten kindness, distanced ourselves from our kin while showing affection to outsiders. At the sight of splendid adornments, we have craved more without end; hearing plain and simple words, we have found them grating, as though hearing them from an enemy. Our sins have piled up like mountains, while our merits are scarcely visible. Fearing that our names will be entered in the underworld offices of the north and our lifespans cut short by the Southern Palace, we repent before the Dao and plead for forgiveness.

The Celestial Worthy said: If a good man or woman, from birth until death, destroys honored images or damages Daoist sanctuaries, or deprives cultivators and monastics of clothing, property, or the implements they need for practice, thereby causing them harm, their lifespan will be shortened. Therefore, they should repent before the Dao and plead for pardon.

The Celestial Worthy says: If a virtuous man or woman, from birth until death, destroys revered images and damages sacred sites; strips practitioners or those who have left home of their religious status and the means to practice; violates all manner of precepts; eats meat, pungent foods, and blood; harbors thoughts of the Five Grave Transgressions—serious crimes against filial duty and human relationships; uses the tongue as the root of wrongdoing; slanders the Three Treasures—the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha; grows angry with loving parents; looks down on the poor; abandons her husband and follows her wife; pursues private gain, forsakes the right way, and takes up a deviant path; shows little affection for kin of the same clan but places great value on friends; uses the property of the Three Treasures without shame; accumulates debts and often refuses to repay them; kills and steals; does not believe in the way of justice; does evil in secret and turns away from the light; deceives the living and slanders the dead; insults the good and affronts the virtuous; indulges in lust without restraint; and does not put an end to the malicious intent to harm others in secret—then all such offenses are recorded in the registers of the underworld. If one does not perform a penitential rite, how can they be erased and cleansed?

If virtuous men and women remain filial in heart and are steadfast morning and evening, they may, for the sake of their parents, the Nine Generations of ancestors, friends, relatives, and siblings—or for their own sake—give alms, invite a ritual master to lead rites of repentance, prepare pure and fine offerings, and adorn the sacred site with dignity and cleanliness. On auspicious days such as the Eight Seasonal Festivals, the Three Primal Festivals, the Five La Festivals, the Ten Days of Abstinence, the Seven Primordial Festivals, the day marking one’s birth-year cycle, New Year’s Day, or a Gengshen day, they should observe abstinence. In this way they can overcome the Eight Difficulties and dispel countless calamities; reconcile all adversaries, turning resentment into gratitude; free the departed from suffering so that, in time, they may ascend to Heaven; end the pains of the hells and calm the floods in the dark gates of the netherworld; bring understanding to the ignorant and cure many illnesses; and travel and go about their affairs throughout the four seasons without meeting calamity.

All of you, men and women, should each act with care and keep a sense of reverent caution in your hearts. Do not grow weary or slack, and you will receive good fruits. Through this occasion, once the rites of repentance are complete, you should purify your hearts, observe abstinence, and bow with reverence.

All present bow with reverence.

With utmost sincerity, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Threefold Plain Cavern Spirit.

With utmost sincerity, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Great Compassion for Suffering.

With utmost sincerity, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Radiant Rosy Clouds.

With utmost sincerity, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Central Mystery and Orthodox Unity.

With a single, sincere and reverent heart, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy of the Yellow Chamber Cave, Yan.

With a single, sincere and reverent heart, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy of Mysterious, Primordial Nonbeing.

With a single, sincere and reverent heart, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy of Mysterious Subtlety and Great Treasure.

With a single, sincere and reverent heart, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy of the Nine Elders of the Yellow Court.

With a single, sincere and reverent heart, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy of Awe-Inspiring Power, Who Delivers Souls.

With a single, sincere and reverent heart, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy of Great Radiance, Subtlety, and Great Treasure.

With a single, sincere and reverent heart, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy of the Nine Elders of the Yellow Court.

With a single, sincere and reverent heart, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy of Awe-Inspiring Power, Who Delivers Souls.

With a single, sincere and reverent heart, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy of Great Radiance and Bright Qi.

With a single, sincere and reverent heart, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy of Mysterious Truth and the Supreme Radiance.

With a single, sincere and reverent heart, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy of the Great Sovereign and Supreme Wonder.

With a single, sincere and reverent heart, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy of Numinous Origin and Precious Life.

With a single, sincere and reverent heart, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy of Flowing Radiance and Communion with the Dao.

With a single, sincere and reverent heart, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy of Flying Blossoms and Auspicious Goodness.

With a single, sincere and reverent heart, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy of Settled Form and Prolonged Harmony.

With a single, sincere and reverent heart, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy of Returning to the Origin and the Utmost.

With a single, sincere and reverent heart, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy Who Answers with Flying Radiant Images.

With a single, sincere and reverent heart, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy of Selfless, Wondrous Embodiment.

With a single, sincere and reverent heart, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy of the True Countenance of the Six Perfections.

With a single, sincere and reverent heart, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy of the Dao’s Rising Dragon Form.

With a single, sincere and reverent heart, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy of the High Perfected, Who Contemplates the Wondrous.

With a single, sincere and reverent heart, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy of Transformation and Prolonged Truth.

With a single, sincere and reverent heart, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy of Wondrous Joy, Unexcelled.

With a single, sincere and reverent heart, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy of the Primordial Sovereign and the One Qi, the vital energy of the origin.

With a single, sincere and reverent heart, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy of Mysterious Emptiness and Primordial Purity.

With a single, sincere and reverent heart, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy of the True Elder and Auspicious Blessings.

With a single, sincere and reverent heart, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy of Azure Truth and Wondrous Awakening.

With a single, sincere and reverent heart, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Essence and the First Elder.

With a single, sincere and reverent heart, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy of Mysterious Emptiness and Primordial Purity.

With a single, sincere and reverent heart, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy of the True Elder and Auspicious Blessings.

With a single, sincere and reverent heart, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy of Azure Truth and Wondrous Awakening.

With a single, sincere and reverent heart, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Essence and the First Elder.

With a single, sincere and reverent heart, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy of Mysterious Harmony and Pure De.

With a single, sincere and reverent heart, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy of the Vast Void and Boundless Wisdom.

With a single, sincere and reverent heart, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy of Illuminated Truth and the Four Extremities.

With utmost sincerity, the disciple pays homage to the Heavenly Worthy of Numinous Response in Accord with Nature, praying to receive a numinous response from Nature.

With utmost sincerity, the disciple pays homage to the Heavenly Worthy of Accumulated Blessings and Harmonious Heaven, praying to gather blessings and good fortune and to welcome harmony; to the Heavenly Worthy of Widely Spreading Compassion and Goodness, praying that compassionate and virtuous deeds may be widely practiced; to the Heavenly Worthy Who Guides and Protects the Myriad Spirits, praying for the guidance and protection of the myriad spirits; to the Heavenly Worthy of Magnanimous Compassion and Broad Deliverance, praying to promote compassion and deliver beings far and wide; to the Heavenly Worthy of Enlightened Sovereignty Who Rescues the Good, praying to discern virtuous deeds and offer rescue and protection; to the Heavenly Worthy Who Opens the Way to Blessed Deliverance, praying to reveal the path of deliverance and guide people toward a way of blessing and goodness; to the Heavenly Worthy Who Bestows the Light of Compassionate Protection, praying for light and compassionate shelter; to the Heavenly Worthy of Wondrous Wisdom and Skillful Means, praying to aid living beings through wondrous wisdom and skillful means; to the Heavenly Worthy of Illuminating the Six Directions, praying that the heavens, earth, and four quarters may all become clear and accessible; and to the Heavenly Worthy Who Opens the Way to Deliverance from Anxiety and Peril, praying to save those facing distress and danger.

With utmost sincerity, the disciple pays homage to the Heavenly Worthy, Great Emperor Who Ascends to the Realms of Truth, praying that practitioners be guided to ascend into the realm of truth; to the Heavenly Worthy of the Eight Assemblies of Divine Chapters, praying that the teachings contained in the wondrous scriptures may be made manifest; and to the Heavenly Worthy of Great Cinnabar and the Three Essences, the Heavenly Worthy of Primordial Harmony and Precious Form, the Heavenly Worthy of Supreme Truth and Lofty Eminence, the Heavenly Worthy of Flowing Light and Ten Thousand Transformations, and the Heavenly Worthy of Penetrating the Mystery and True Stillness, praying for the protection of all these revered divinities.

Once again, with utmost sincerity, the disciple pays homage to the Heavenly Worthy of Primordial Harmony and Precious Form, the Heavenly Worthy of Supreme Truth and Lofty Eminence, the Heavenly Worthy of Flowing Light and Ten Thousand Transformations, and the Heavenly Worthy of Penetrating the Mystery and True Stillness. With great compassion, the disciple also pays homage to the Perfected One Who Rescues from Suffering and the Perfected One of Great Beneficence, praying to relieve suffering, save those in hardship, and extend grace to all. The rites of homage to the Perfected One Who Rescues from Suffering and the Perfected One of Great Beneficence are repeated.

After paying homage to the Three Treasures—the Dao, the scriptures, and the masters—the rite of repentance begins.

With utmost sincerity, we take refuge in the Three Jewels (Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha), which abide throughout the ten directions. We sincerely repent of the wrongs in our thoughts: because our understanding was shallow and our temperament stubborn, foolish, and unruly, we acted as we pleased and always believed ourselves to be right.

Our greed knew no bounds, and we never stopped being miserly. When we saw good deeds, we felt envy and resentment; when we heard of wrongdoing, we thought we could do the same. Even after amassing ten million in wealth, we still claimed to be poor and deprived. Though our wrongs had become many, we always thought our actions were only natural. From beginning to end, we failed to notice them and remained unaware of ourselves. As they accumulated day after day and year after year, month after month, we never confessed or washed away these wrongs. How, then, could they be removed? Now, with sincere hearts, we repent before the Dao (the Daoist deities and scriptures), hoping that our karmic burdens will be cleansed and swept away.

The Heavenly Venerable said: “Good men and good women, the causes and conditions formed by every action bring corresponding consequences. Listen carefully as I explain them one by one:

Those who commit sexual misconduct will suffer on iron beds that injure the body and against copper pillars that scorch sinew and bone. Those who rob or steal will freeze in icy mountains, the cold piercing to the bone. Those who spread rumors and sow discord will suffer having their tongues torn out, swallowing fire, and molten copper poured into their mouths. Those who kill living beings will be buried beneath hot ashes and burned by raging flames. Those who glare at others with an evil gaze will suffer as iron plows till their backs, vicious birds peck out their eyes, trees of swords pierce their bodies, and millstones grind them like grain. Those who violate the rules of abstinence will fall among the hungry ghosts, pass repeatedly through boiling broth, and, when starving, swallow red-hot iron pellets as food. Those who destroy sacred images and Daoist sanctuaries will lose their eyebrows and hair, break out in sores over their bodies, and have their flesh rot all over. Those who entice monastics to abandon the life of cultivation will breathe fire from their mouths, develop sores in their eyes, and ooze pus from their bodies, with nowhere to hide. Those who slander monastics will lose the power of speech, have their throats close up, go blind, and suffer split lips.

Those who distance themselves from or abandon their parents may be born with intellectual disabilities, deafness, short stature, and no understanding of life and death. Their marriages may also break apart after they wed. Those who fail to repay their debts may be reborn as oxen, horses, pigs, sheep, birds, beasts, eagles, or dogs. Those who slight their brothers may become servants, living out their lives in poverty and low status; they may also die young, widowed or orphaned, or become frail and sickly.

These consequences are close at hand. Good men and women, each of you should reflect on your own conduct and listen to these teachings with sincerity, resolving forever to put an end to past transgressions. When you have completed your repentance, follow these teachings and withdraw.”

The following words, “The Primordial Beginning contemplates,” belong to the subsequent ritual text: “The Heavenly Venerable of the Primordial Beginning contemplates with focused attention, listens to the teachings with reverence, and resolves forever to put an end to past transgressions. When repentance is complete, he follows the teachings and withdraws.”

At this time, the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning, a revered deity in Daoism, preached to Perfected One of Universal Salvation: “The Brahma realm inhabited by the Southern Celestial Lord of the Three Qi, the Brahma Treasure, Flourishing Yang, Cinnabar Spirit, True Elder, Red Emperor, is called the Land of Limitlessness. It is upright and majestic. Having finished this teaching, the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning then expounded the Luminous True Realm, inhabited by the Celestial Lord of Brahma Qi in the southwest. There is a Perfected One there, and the realm is called the Land of Qiongguang Limitlessness. It is adept at saving and delivering beings, and its aspect is majestic.

“If someone at the approach of death wishes to be reborn in that land, they should purify themselves, observe ritual abstinence, respectfully invite their master, bow to the Celestial Worthy whose title is associated with the southwest, and kneel for a long time in repentance. In this way, they can dispel karmic hindrances as numerous as the sands of the Ganges and gain immeasurable wholesome causes. Their body and mind will become clear, their spirit pure, and in the end they will ascend to perfected status and awaken to the Dao. All are to focus their minds and act with reverence. Now let us worship together.”

Everyone bowed reverently in turn.

With sincere hearts, they worshipped the Celestial Worthy of Great Numinous Emptiness, Emperor of the Southwest.

With sincere hearts, they worshipped the Celestial Worthy of Harmony, Goodness, and Stillness.

With sincere hearts, they worshipped the True One who Awakens to the Dao. All are to focus their minds and act with reverence. Now let us worship together.”

Everyone bowed reverently in turn.

With sincere hearts, they worshipped the Celestial Worthy of Great Numinous Emptiness, Emperor of the Southwest.

With sincere hearts, they worshipped the Celestial Worthy of Harmony, Goodness, and Stillness.

With sincere hearts, they worshipped the Celestial Worthy of Reverent Love and Prolonged Radiance.

With sincere hearts, they worshipped the Celestial Worthy of Great Illumination and Brilliant Radiance.

With sincere hearts, they worshipped the Celestial Worthy of Universal Salvation of All Beings.

With sincere hearts, they worshipped the Celestial Worthy of Luminous Virtue and Cinnabar Splendor.

With sincere hearts, they worshipped the Celestial Worthy of Radiance Reaching Everywhere.

With sincere hearts, they worshipped the Celestial Worthy of Mysterious Pivot and Wondrous Response.

With sincere hearts, they worshipped the Celestial Worthy of the Seven Origins, Faithful and Benevolent.

With sincere hearts, they worshipped the Celestial Worthy of Upright Form and Opening the Wondrous.

With sincere hearts, they worshipped the Celestial Worthy of the Seven Luminaries and Prolonged Spirit.

With sincere hearts, they worshipped the Celestial Worthy of Complete Formation and Opening Transformation.

With sincere hearts, they worshipped the Celestial Worthy of Clear Radiance in the Four Caverns.

With sincere hearts, they worshipped the Celestial Worthy of Opening the Hidden and Primordial Ultimate.

With sincere hearts, they worshipped the Celestial Worthy of Emptiness, Mystery, Brightness, and Brahma.

With sincere hearts, they worshipped the Celestial Worthy of the Most High, Hidden and True.

With sincere hearts, they worshipped the Celestial Worthy of Numinous Capital, Complete Formation, and Opening Transformation.

With sincere hearts, they worshipped the Celestial Worthy of Clear Radiance in the Four Caverns.

With sincere hearts, they worshipped the Celestial Worthy of Opening the Hidden and Primordial Ultimate.

With sincere hearts, they worshipped the Celestial Worthy of Emptiness, Mystery, Brightness, and Brahma.

With devotion, I bow in reverence to the Heavenly Worthy of the Supreme Hidden Truth, a supreme Daoist deity whose title means “dwelling in the mysterious realm of truth.”

With devotion, I bow in reverence to the Heavenly Worthy of the Gathered Blessings of the Spirit Capital, a deity who gathers auspicious signs and brings good fortune.

With devotion, I bow in reverence to the Heavenly Worthy of the Spirit’s Universal Protection, a deity who protects all beings through numinous power.

With devotion, I bow in reverence to the Heavenly Worthy of the Seven Luminaries in the Floating Heavens, a deity associated with the radiance of the sun, moon, and stars.

With devotion, I bow in reverence to the Heavenly Worthy Whose Cloudlike Light Shines in the Four Directions, a deity whose brilliance illuminates all around.

With devotion, I bow in reverence to the Heavenly Worthy Who Preserves Life and Protects the Soul, a deity who sustains life and safeguards the soul.

With devotion, I bow in reverence to the Heavenly Worthy of the Perfect Ultimate in the Empty Heavens, a deity who penetrates the void and is perfect beyond measure.

With devotion, I bow in reverence to the Heavenly Worthy Who Opens and Transforms Through the Dharma Wheel, a deity who teaches and transforms beings through the Dao’s methods.

With devotion, I bow in reverence to the Heavenly Worthy of Radiant Vermilion Splendor, a deity whose brilliance shines like rosy clouds.

With devotion, I bow in reverence to the Heavenly Worthy, Great Emperor of Diffusing Light, a deity whose radiance spreads everywhere.

With devotion, I bow in reverence to the Heavenly Worthy of the Jade Wheel in the Mysterious Garden, a deity associated with the immortal realm of the Mysterious Garden and the image of a jade wheel.

With devotion, I bow in reverence to the Heavenly Worthy Whose Enduring Spirit Shines Afar, a deity whose spiritual light remains and reaches into the distance.

With devotion, I bow in reverence to the Heavenly Worthy of the Purple Court Where Sages Gather, a deity who dwells in the sacred realm where perfected sages assemble.

With devotion, I bow in reverence to the Heavenly Worthy of the Many Perfected Masters of the Dao, the assembly of perfected sages skilled in the Dao’s methods.

With devotion, I bow in reverence to the Heavenly Worthy Who Widely Spreads Mysterious Transformation, a deity who broadly carries out profound teachings.

With devotion, I bow in reverence to the Heavenly Worthy of the Spirit Source’s Universal Nourishment, a deity whose numinous source nourishes all beings.

With devotion, I bow in reverence to the Heavenly Worthy Who Honors Truth and Expounds the Teachings, a deity who reveres the true Dao and proclaims its teachings.

With devotion, I bow in reverence to the Heavenly Worthy Who Brings Peace and Transformation in the Great Void, a deity who steadies and teaches beings in the boundless realm of the Great Void.

With devotion, I bow in reverence to the Heavenly Worthy Whose Radiance Shines on the Dwelling of Truth, a deity who illuminates and resides in the realm of truth.

With devotion, I bow in reverence to the Heavenly Worthy Who Preserves Light and Shines Through to Clarity, a deity who safeguards light and penetrates all things with clear radiance.

With devotion, I bow in reverence to the Heavenly Worthy of the Eight Vistas and Returning Dawn, a deity associated with the vistas of the eight directions and the return of morning light.

With devotion, I bow in reverence to the Heavenly Worthy of Perfect and All-Embracing Teachings, a deity who teaches with complete and unobstructed understanding.

With devotion, I again bow in reverence to the Heavenly Worthies Who Bring Peace and Transformation in the Great Void, Whose Radiance Shines on the Dwelling of Truth, Who Preserve Light and Shine Through to Clarity, and of the Eight Vistas and Returning Dawn.

With devotion, I bow in reverence to the Heavenly Worthy of Perfect and Wondrous Transformation, a deity who teaches beings through profound and wondrous means.

With devotion, I bow in reverence to the Heavenly Worthy of the Great and Utmost Brightness, a deity whose light reaches its utmost degree.

With devotion, I bow in reverence to the Heavenly Worthy of the Spirit Source’s All-Encompassing Reach, a deity whose numinous source extends everywhere.

With devotion, I bow in reverence to the Heavenly Worthy Who Holds Light Within and Shines Clearly, a deity who contains radiance within and shines with clarity.

With devotion, I bow in reverence to the Perfected One of Great Compassion and Mercy Who Saves Those in Distress, a perfected being who rescues those who suffer through compassion.

With devotion, I bow in reverence to the Perfected One of Great Compassion, Mercy, and Generous Grace, a perfected being who protects all beings through compassion and abundant kindness.

Then I again bow in reverence to the Perfected Ones Who Save Those in Distress and Who Offer Generous Grace, and bow once more to the Perfected One Who Saves Those in Distress. This repeated invocation and bowing is ritual language in a penitential liturgy, expressing reverence as the divine perfected beings are honored in sequence.

With utmost sincerity, we pay homage to the Greatly Compassionate and Greatly Merciful Perfected One.

After paying homage to the Three Treasures (the Dao, the scriptures, and the masters), we proceed to repent.

With utmost sincerity, we take refuge in the Three Treasures, ever abiding throughout the ten directions, and repent for the countless offenses committed through speech: deceiving the worthy and misleading the sages; slandering the Great Dao and despising our kin; discussing others’ faults and boasting of our own correctness; complaining about wind and rain, and resenting the bitter heat and cold; calling what exists nonexistent, and passing off the coarse as fine; sowing discord among good people and spreading foolish words. These offenses all arise from the mouth and are the root of sinful karma; their number is boundless. Today, before the Celestial Worthies of the ten directions, we cleanse our intentions, pray with sincerity, devote ourselves to repentance, and earnestly ask that all these offenses be wiped away.

The Celestial Worthy said: If a good man or good woman resolves to repent on behalf of Heaven and Earth, the sovereign, their parents, all living beings, their relatives, and themselves, they may cultivate blessings in advance for each year of their life, from birth up to the present day. They may also undertake the practice in periods of seven days: one set of seven, then two, three, and four, up to seven sets of seven; or continue for one hundred days or a full year, then repeat the cycle and carry on for as long as they wish. The meritorious acts should be arranged in order. First, create sacred images. Second, copy scriptures. Then make a banner forty-nine feet long, hold a Zhaijiao purification ritual for forty-nine participants, establish a ritual site, and respectfully invite the images of the various divine beings, the ritual masters, and those taking part in the incense rites. Light forty-nine lamps to illuminate the heavens. The lampstand should have three tiers, broad at the bottom and narrow at the top, turning like a wheel. Offer incense and flowers, according to your means. The rites may last three days and three nights or seven days and seven nights. Pray sincerely and repent with reverence. Before the Three Treasures, proclaim the merits, and recount the faults of departed relatives, repenting on their behalf. Keep the words plain and avoid exaggeration; conduct the rites with care and completeness, so that the resulting blessings may be made manifest.

Next, redeem and save lives in whatever ways you can, from a hundred creatures to a thousand, according to your means. Show compassion also to the poor and lowly who lack clothing and food; to those who wander in hardship with nowhere to live; to the sick and frail, the lonely and elderly, prisoners, and the hungry; and to people in remote regions who are ignorant and lack understanding. Help them as far as you can, whether they are good or bad, and give them the chance to form wholesome connections. If travelers come from afar and seek refuge in urgent need, help them through their hardship and provide for the lonely and distressed, so that all may live in security and happiness. This practice can also deliver departed spirits, and its blessings and merits are especially great.

Finally, you may copy or print the thirty-six revered scriptures for your departed parents and relatives from generations past. The number may be one, ten, a hundred, or even a thousand, according to your means. In this way, the spirits of the dead may be delivered, and the blessings and merits gained will be immeasurable. This benefits those who are alive and brings peace to the departed. All of you, men and women, should listen carefully and each put these teachings into practice.

All should bow with reverence and worship sincerely Hongzhen Duwu Tianzun, the revered deity who proclaims the true Dao and delivers living beings; Zongyu Zhongxian Tianzun, the revered deity who governs the assembled immortals; Fam­ing Lingjian Tianzun, the revered deity who illuminates and observes all things through the principles of the Dao; Taixiao Yaojing Tianzun, the revered deity who shines across the vast heavens; and Jielang Chongming Tianzun, the revered deity who gathers light and makes it shine more brilliantly.

All should worship sincerely Qizhen Xuansu Tianzun, the revered deity who opens the true Dao and reveals its mysterious, original reality; Hunhua Biansheng Tianzun, the revered deity who nurtures all things and brings about their transformation and growth; Sixuan Huiji Tianzun, the revered deity who comprehends the mysterious and returns to stillness; Lingguang Haoying Tianzun, the revered deity whose numinous, radiant light shines with pure brilliance; Huaguang Liuzhao Tianzun, the revered deity whose splendor flows forth and illuminates; Fay in Yanchang Tianzun, the revered deity who proclaims and spreads the wondrous sounds of the Dao’s teachings; Ningxu Shanji Tianzun, the revered deity who gathers the spirit in emptiness and rests in stillness; Fanyuan Zhenyi Tianzun; We ibao Jide Tianzun, the revered deity who accumulates virtue and treasures; Fugan Lingzhao Tianzun, the revered deity whose numinous radiance shines forth through the resonance of blessed virtue; Cibei Huizhao Tianzun, the revered deity who protects living beings with compassion and grace; and Wuliang Xianghao Tianzun, the revered deity endowed with immeasurable beauty of form and virtue.

All should worship sincerely Fanyuan Zhenyi Tianzun, Weibao Jide Tianzun, Fugan Lingzhao Tianzun, Cibei Huizhao Tianzun, Wuliang Xianghao Tianzun, as well as Guangxian Kaidu Tianzun, the revered deity who reveals the light, opens the way, and delivers living beings; Zhengjue Ningyao Tianzun, the revered deity whose light of right awakening gathers and shines forth; Falun Yun zhuan Tianzun, the revered deity who sets the Dao’s teachings in perpetual motion; Puzhao Dongxu Tianzun, the revered deity who shines everywhere and penetrates the mysterious principles of emptiness; Guangji Qunyou Tianzun, the revered deity who widely aids living beings; Neiguan Zhenji Tianzun, the revered deity who turns inward to contemplate and realize the ultimate state of the true Dao; Xuanzong Zhongbao Tianzun, the revered deity of the many precious treasures belonging to the mysterious Dao tradition; and Xuwu Zhengji Tianzun, the revered deity who embodies the highest realm of the great Dao of emptiness.

Here, “zhixin chaoli” is a common expression of reverential worship in Zhaijiao repentance rites. It means bowing before a revered deity with undivided sincerity and reverence.

With sincere devotion, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy whose wisdom-light shines everywhere.

With sincere devotion, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy who brings order and stability to the laws and penetrates the hidden mysteries.

With sincere devotion, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy whose precious wheel turns without end.

With sincere devotion, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy who abides in the wondrous realm of the Mysterious and True and returns to stillness.

With sincere devotion, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy who is wondrously profound and skillful in using expedient methods.

With sincere devotion, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy who observes all equally and realizes the True and Eternal.

With sincere devotion, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy whose light returns and illumines the precious realm.

With sincere devotion, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy who brings harmony and stability and is able to endure.

With sincere devotion, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Great Mystery and Numinous Radiance.

With sincere devotion, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy who observes all equally and realizes the True and Eternal.

With sincere devotion, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy whose light returns and illumines the precious realm.

With sincere devotion, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy who brings harmony and stability and is able to endure.

With sincere devotion, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Great Mystery and Numinous Radiance.

With sincere devotion, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy who is exalted and wondrously subtle, and bestows blessings through the Dao.

With sincere devotion, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy whose wondrous insight awakens and radiates precious light.

With sincere devotion, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy who extends loving kindness far and wide and protects the nation.

With sincere devotion, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy whose sacred light shines everywhere.

With sincere devotion, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy who skillfully uses expedient methods to deliver living beings.

With sincere devotion, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy who acts without contrivance yet adapts to all things.

With sincere devotion, I pay homage to the supreme Celestial Worthy in the upper realm of Jade Dawn.

With sincere devotion, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy who oversees the registers of fortune and governs the span of life.

With sincere devotion, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy whose meditation and wisdom are complete and who enables living beings to ascend to new life.

With sincere devotion, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Lofty Jade Radiance.

With sincere devotion, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy, Great Emperor of the Morning Light.

With sincere devotion, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy who governs the registers of destiny and prolongs life.

With sincere devotion, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy who surveys destiny in its entirety and subdues the demons of fate.

With sincere devotion, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of the True Jade Capital.

With sincere devotion, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Upper Holy Cinnabar Terrace.

With sincere devotion, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy who guides people to enlightenment in the Dao and holds the jade tablets.

With sincere devotion, I pay homage to the True Worthy of Great Compassion, Great Mercy, and Deliverance from Suffering.

With sincere devotion, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy who surveys destiny in its entirety and subdues the demons of fate.

With sincere devotion, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of the True Jade Capital.

With sincere devotion, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Upper Holy Cinnabar Terrace.

With sincere devotion, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy who guides people to enlightenment in the Dao and holds the jade tablets.

With sincere devotion, I pay homage to the Perfected One of Great Compassion, Great Mercy, and Deliverance from Suffering.

“Paying homage with single-minded devotion” is a phrase used in Daoist worship rites. It means saluting the divine with focused reverence. Titles such as “Celestial Worthy,” “True Worthy,” and “Perfected One” are honorifics for sacred and exalted beings.

With utmost sincerity, bow in reverence to the Greatly Compassionate and Greatly Merciful Perfected One, and with utmost sincerity, bow in reverence to the Greatly Compassionate and Greatly Merciful Perfected One Who Saves from Suffering. Alternate between the two, bowing three times to each. After reverently honoring the Three Treasures—the Dao, the scriptures, and the masters revered in Daoism—proceed to repent.

With sincere hearts, we take refuge in the Three Treasures that abide eternally in the ten directions, and once again repent for the offenses of speech. From long ago until today, we have committed many offenses through speech, too many to count: competing to win arguments and prizing clever eloquence; mocking those above us or slighting those below; inventing falsehoods and passing them off as truth; making promises lightly, giving free rein to our emotions, and slandering others at will; criticizing the teachings of the sages and disparaging true scriptures; using ornate words to hide our faults and mislead others; and craving delicacies and eating meat. All these failings are offenses of speech. Today, before the Celestial Worthies of the ten directions, we cleanse our hearts and repent, and beseech them to remove these offenses altogether.

At this, the Lord of the Dao said to the Celestial Worthy, “These tiny specks of dust before us are so numerous they cannot be counted. Would you call them many?” The Celestial Worthy replied, “Very many.” The Lord of the Dao asked again, “Are the merits accumulated today through making scriptures and images, ceremonial banners and standards, redeeming lives destined for slaughter, and giving alms, also many?” The Celestial Worthy replied, “Very many.” These merits are as numerous as dust particles and cannot be measured; among them, the karmic conditions are especially excellent and foremost of all.

Once the scriptures, images, and banners have been made, an altar should be set up. For seven days and seven nights, chant praises, recite scriptures to untie knots, scatter flowers, burn incense, and sound bells and chimes, so that all adversaries and those bound by past grievances may be reconciled and freed from suffering. Family members, as well as friends near and far, within and beyond the household, may also come to the altar. Together, they should rejoice, repent, and give alms, without calculating gains or losses; in this way, their offenses can be removed. Their ancestors of seven generations, as well as their parents, can also leave the hells and ascend to heaven.

Men and women among the faithful are exhorted to observe purification, bow in reverence, receive the precepts, and keep their hearts steadfast. They should treat others with patience, gentleness, and humility, and make offerings to the Three Treasures and to monastics. They should abstain from meat and impure foods, burn incense, light lamps, redeem lives, and release animals. They should carry out all these good deeds with the same care they would give to themselves, without making distinctions. Good men and faithful women, listen carefully to the Daoist teachings and put them into practice. Then bow your heads in reverence and withdraw.

At that time, the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning, a revered deity in Daoism, addressed Perfected One of Universal Salvation: “In the southwest is the Heavenly Lord of Brahma Qi, a celestial deity who governs Brahma Qi. The place where he dwells shines with true light. It is a boundless land, a realm of skillful deliverance, majestic and extraordinary.

“When he had finished speaking, the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning continued, describing the Heavenly Lord of the Seven Qi of the Western White Emperor, the Radiant Old Sovereign of the Bright Spirit, whose seven-gem golden gate faces west. This celestial deity governs the seven Qi of the west. His dwelling is a realm where golden light appears, inhabited by Perfected Ones. It is called the Land of the Limitless Dharma Treasure, and it possesses the merit of benefiting living beings in a majestic and extraordinary way.

“If, at the end of life, someone wishes to be reborn there, they should purify body and mind, observe a fast, and ask a ritual master to lead the rites of worship. They should recite the name of the corresponding Celestial Worthy of the West, kneel for a long time, and repent, thereby eliminating karmic obstacles as numerous as the sands of the Ganges and gaining immeasurable seeds of goodness. After refining the body and purifying the heart and spirit, they will be able to ascend to the realm of the immortals and Perfected Ones and realize the Great Dao. All should sincerely take refuge and pay reverent homage.”

All present paid reverent homage, each in turn:

Sincerely, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Great and Wondrous Ultimate of the West.

Sincerely, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of the August Sovereign Who Determines Fortune.

Sincerely, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Governs Birth and Protects Life.

Sincerely, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Connects with the Mysterious and the Assembly of Sages.

Sincerely, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Golden Light of the Ten Sages.

Sincerely, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Abundant Grace and Transformation.

Sincerely, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Boundless Universal Deliverance.

Sincerely, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Great Pervasion and Spiritual Response.

Sincerely, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Bestows Understanding and Freedom from Obstruction.

Sincerely, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Whose Divine Might Resounds Afar.

Sincerely, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Four Brightnesses, Clear and Luminous Throughout the Caverns.

Sincerely, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of True Emptiness and Discerning Wisdom.

Sincerely, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Mysterious Void and the Supreme Unity.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I bow in homage to the Celestial Worthy of Sovereign Power in Transformations.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I bow in homage to the Celestial Worthy of Peaceful Joy and Wuwei (non-action).

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I bow in homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Subdues Demons and Dispels Distress.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I bow in homage to the Celestial Worthy Whose Radiance Illuminates the True Form.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I bow in homage to the Celestial Worthy of Jade Radiance Above the Mysterious.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I bow in homage to the Celestial Worthy of Golden Brilliance and Flowing Light.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I bow in homage to the Celestial Worthy of Divine Radiance and All-Penetrating Insight.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I bow in homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Flying Elixir, Illuminating the Ultimate.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I bow in homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Mysterious Above, Whose Power Is Unfathomable.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I bow in homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Great Emperor, Mysterious and True.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I bow in homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Primordial Sovereign, Who Transforms All Things.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I bow in homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Great Luo, Perfect and Ultimate.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I bow in homage to the Celestial Worthy Whose Precious Light Shines Everywhere.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I bow in homage to the Celestial Worthy Whose Jade Spring Flows and Nourishes.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I bow in homage to the Celestial Worthy of Supreme Purity, Peace, and Harmony.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I bow in homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Luminous Pearl, Opening All Mysteries.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I bow in homage to the Celestial Worthy of Equality and Vast Compassion.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I bow in homage to the Celestial Worthy of Jade Purity, Mysterious and Radiant Above.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I bow in homage to the Celestial Worthy Whose Jade Spring Flows and Nourishes.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I bow in homage to the Celestial Worthy of Supreme Purity, Peace, and Harmony.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I bow in homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Luminous Pearl, Opening All Mysteries.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I bow in homage to the Celestial Worthy of Equality and Vast Compassion.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I bow in homage to the Celestial Worthy of Jade Purity, Mysterious and Supreme.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I bow in homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Golden Tablets and the Treasury of the Law.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I bow in homage to the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Harmony, Reverence, and Love.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I bow in homage to the Celestial Worthy of Clear Wisdom and Emptiness.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I bow in homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Jade Emperor of the Elixir Grotto.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I bow in homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Seven Luminaries, Divine and True.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I bow in homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Mysterious Subtlety of Heaven’s Radiance.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I bow in homage to the Celestial Worthy of Golden Reflected Splendor.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I bow in homage to the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Yang, Who Measures and Transforms.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I bow in homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Mysterious Capital, Chief of All the Saints.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I bow in homage to the Celestial Worthy of Compassionate Grace and Ten Thousand Virtues.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I bow in homage to the Celestial Worthy of Radiant Spirit and the Sea of Wisdom.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I bow in homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Supreme Wonders of a Thousand True Ones.

With sincere devotion, we pay reverence to the Celestial Worthy of Flowing Pearls and Radiant Light; the Celestial Worthy of Compassionate Grace and Myriad Good Deeds; the Celestial Worthy of Radiant Spirit and the Ocean of Wisdom; and the Celestial Worthy of the Supreme Wonder of a Thousand Perfected Ones. With sincere devotion, we pay reverence to the Celestial Worthy of Flowing Pearls and Radiant Light; the Celestial Worthy of the Primal Cavern of the Treasure Grove; the Celestial Worthy of the High Immortals and other Sages; the Celestial Worthy of Congealed Spirit, Tranquility, and Wisdom; the Celestial Worthy of Mysterious Truth and Abundant Grace; the Celestial Worthy Who Preserves Life and Grants Longevity; the Celestial Worthy of Cavernous Spirit and Mysterious Radiance; and the Perfected Ones of Great Compassion and Great Mercy, Who Rescue the Suffering.

After paying reverence to the Three Treasures—the Dao, the scriptures, and the teachers revered in Daoism—we proceed to confess our wrongs.

With one heart, we take refuge in the Three Treasures that abide eternally in the ten directions, and confess the wrongs we have committed in this life. At times we have harbored ill intentions and thought carelessly, giving rise to greed, anger, and delusion. We have acted in licentious and unrestrained ways, appeared sincere while concealing deceit in our hearts, and said one thing while thinking another. We have envied the virtuous and harmed living beings. The transgressions arising from the six senses and the three forms of action—body, speech, and mind—are countless, whether committed deliberately or unwittingly. Now, before the Celestial Worthies of the ten directions, we take refuge, confess our wrongs, and express our remorse, praying that all these transgressions may be erased.

The Celestial Worthy says: If good men and good women have committed countless transgressions, they should now take refuge, confess their wrongs, and express their remorse before the Celestial Worthies of the ten directions, praying that all these transgressions may be erased.

The Celestial Worthy said: If good men and women commit various kinds of wrongdoing during their lives—for example, failing to repay what they owe others and making enemies; seizing and plundering without restraint, driven by endless greed; misappropriating the Three Treasures (the Dao, the scriptures, and the teachers of Daoism) or stealing public property; or doing evil for the sake of romantic and sexual pursuits, disputes in their community, or the interests of themselves or their friends, whether they act themselves or order others to act—they do not understand that good deeds bring good results. They know only how to persist in wrongdoing. Their offenses are too numerous to count and too many to describe all at once.

You, the male and female souls of the deceased, and their living relatives and dependents, should establish a Daoist ritual site after the death. During the first, second, or third seven-day period, and through the seventh seven-day period after death, you may make twenty-one silk banners, each seven feet long, in colors such as blue, yellow, azure, and green. Before the revered images at the ritual site, prepare incense and flowers, hang the banners and canopies, and make offerings to the Celestial Worthy and the scriptures and teachings.

Carry out these rites with sincere effort, according to your means: copy scriptures, paint revered images, or give alms and make offerings to those who have left home to cultivate the Dao. For three days and three nights, or seven days and seven nights, you may recite scriptures, practice ritual reverence for the Dao, praise the Dongzhang (Daoist liturgical texts), and circumambulate the ritual seat in worship. Relatives should also go together to the ritual site. Each should act with sincerity and give generously on behalf of the deceased, making offerings to those who have left home to cultivate the Dao. Pray that the deceased be rescued from suffering and raised to heaven. Through these acts, seek to atone for offenses and repent together, so that the deceased may face no further hindrance and attain peace and freedom.

If those taking part grow lax, performing meritorious acts without sincerity or full effort, the deceased’s offenses may bring even greater suffering, with no end to their deliverance. All of you, men and women, must listen carefully, sincerely restrain yourselves, and not hesitate. The workings of cause and effect described above are too many to recount. But if the merit of these good deeds is brought to bear, the deceased may reach the Southern Palace, where Daoist divinities carry out their offices, have their names removed from the register of offenses, leave behind the suffering of confinement in the underworld, receive blessings and good fortune, and be reborn wherever they wish. All should turn their hearts and minds back, take refuge, and repent.

The assembly bowed in reverence.

With reverence and sincerity, the disciple pays homage to the Celestial Worthy of Longevity, who governs life and allotted fortune.

With reverence and sincerity, the disciple pays homage to the Celestial Worthy of Purple Extremity and Flowing Rosy Clouds, the Celestial Worthy Who Treads Across the Great Void, the Celestial Worthy of Boundless Spiritual Response, the Celestial Worthy of Flowing Gold and Purple Extremity, the Celestial Worthy of Vast Capacity and Preserved Truth, the Celestial Worthy of Cinnabar Radiance Surpassing the Highest, the Celestial Worthy of the Mysterious Terrace and Empty Response, and the Celestial Worthy of Deep Realization, Emptiness, and Boundless Response.

With reverence and sincerity, the disciple pays homage to the Celestial Worthy of Flowing Gold and Purple Extremity, the Celestial Worthy of Vast Capacity and Preserved Truth, the Celestial Worthy of Cinnabar Radiance Surpassing the Highest, the Celestial Worthy of the Mysterious Terrace and Empty Response, the Celestial Worthy of Deep Realization and Emptiness, the Celestial Worthy of the Luminous Splendor of the Mysterious Pearl, the Celestial Worthy of the Bright White Dharma King, the Celestial Worthy of Golden Radiance in the Supreme Ultimate, the Celestial Worthy of Sunlit Flowing Radiance, the Celestial Worthy of the True Countenance of the Azure Heavens, the Celestial Worthy of Golden Radiance and Compassionate Grace, the Celestial Worthy of the Precious Aspect of Primordial Spirit, the Celestial Worthy of Brilliant Illumination in the Grotto of Bright Rosy Clouds, the Celestial Worthy Who Extends the Years and Increases Longevity, the Celestial Worthy of Compassionate Clouds and Universal Response, the Celestial Worthy of Perfected Extremity and Great Compassion, and the Celestial Worthy of the Purple Canopy Returning to the Mysterious.

With reverence and sincerity, the disciple pays homage to the Celestial Worthy of Compassionate Clouds and Universal Response, the Celestial Worthy of Perfected Extremity and Great Compassion, the Celestial Worthy of the Purple Canopy Returning to the Mysterious, the Celestial Worthy Who Transforms and Saves at Jiangling, the Celestial Worthy of the Deep and Constant True Qi, the Celestial Worthy of Spiritual Communication and Auspicious Blessings, the Celestial Worthy of the Bright Scenery of Brahma Heaven, the Celestial Worthy Who Saves the Suffering Wherever It May Be, and the Celestial Worthy Who Opens the Way to Transformation and Salvation.

“Paying homage with wholehearted devotion” is a reverential expression used in Zhaijiao purification rituals and rites of repentance. It means to bow in worship with focused and sincere reverence. The passage pays homage to each Celestial Worthy in turn, praying for compassionate relief from suffering, the salvation of departed souls, and blessings and longevity.

With one heart, I respectfully bow in worship to the Venerable Celestial Worthy of the Lofty Jade Void.

With one heart, I respectfully bow in worship to the Venerable Celestial Worthy of Golden Truth and Wondrous Treasure.

With one heart, I respectfully bow in worship to the Venerable Celestial Worthy of Radiant Sovereignty and Pure Simplicity.

With one heart, I respectfully bow in worship to the Venerable Celestial Worthy of Bright Splendor and True Ultimate.

With one heart, I respectfully bow in worship to the Venerable Celestial Worthy of Wondrous Ultimate and Exalted Goodness.

With one heart, I respectfully bow in worship to the Venerable Celestial Worthy of True Stillness and Realization of Emptiness.

With one heart, I respectfully bow in worship to the Venerable Celestial Worthy who Exalts the Immortals and Protects Life.

With one heart, I respectfully bow in worship to the Venerable Celestial Worthy of Lofty Truth and Wondrous Fruition.

With one heart, I respectfully bow in worship to the Venerable Celestial Worthy who Exalts and Opens Great Wisdom.

With one heart, I respectfully bow in worship to the Venerable Celestial Worthy, King of Healing, who Extensively Gives Aid.

With one heart, I respectfully bow in worship to the Venerable Celestial Worthy who Exalts the Immortals and Protects Life.

With one heart, I respectfully bow in worship to the Venerable Celestial Worthy of Lofty Truth and Wondrous Fruition.

With one heart, I respectfully bow in worship to the Venerable Celestial Worthy who Exalts and Opens Great Wisdom.

With one heart, I respectfully bow in worship to the Venerable Celestial Worthy, King of Healing, who Extensively Gives Aid.

With one heart, I respectfully bow in worship to the Venerable Celestial Worthy of the Supreme Origin’s Transformations.

With one heart, I respectfully bow in worship to the Venerable Celestial Worthy whose Majestic Radiance Reaches Afar.

With one heart, I respectfully bow in worship to the Venerable Celestial Worthy of the Mysterious Tradition who Delivers the World.

With one heart, I respectfully bow in worship to the Venerable Celestial Worthy who Flourishes and Upholds the Dharma Treasure.

With one heart, I respectfully bow in worship to the Venerable Celestial Worthy of Wondrous Accomplishment, Wisdom, and Understanding.

With one heart, I respectfully bow in worship to the Venerable Celestial Worthy who Reveals the True Gateway of Stillness.

With one heart, I respectfully bow in worship to the Venerable Celestial Worthy of Dragon Might and Brahma’s Deliverance.

With one heart, I respectfully bow in worship to the Venerable Celestial Worthy of the Primordial Chaos, the Supreme Ultimate.

With one heart, I respectfully bow in worship to the Venerable Celestial Worthy of Brilliant Radiance and Great Splendor.

With one heart, I respectfully bow in worship to the Venerable Celestial Worthy of the True Source and Supreme Wonder.

With one heart, I respectfully bow in worship to the Venerable Celestial Worthy of Mysterious Brightness and Brahma’s Practice.

With one heart, I respectfully bow in worship to the Venerable Celestial Worthy of Jade Truth and Hidden Resonance.

With one heart, I respectfully bow in worship to the Venerable Celestial Worthy of Great Brightness who Delivers Living Beings.

With one heart, I respectfully bow in worship to the Venerable Celestial Worthy of Great Compassion and Great Mercy, who Saves and Shines upon Great Splendor.

With one heart, I respectfully bow in worship to the Venerable Celestial Worthy of the True Source and Supreme Wonder.

With one heart, I respectfully bow in worship to the Venerable Celestial Worthy of Mysterious Brightness and Brahma’s Practice.

With one heart, I respectfully bow in worship to the Venerable Celestial Worthy of Jade Truth and Hidden Resonance.

With one heart, I respectfully bow in worship to the Venerable Celestial Worthy of Great Brightness who Delivers Living Beings.

With one heart, I respectfully bow in worship to the Realized One of Great Compassion and Great Mercy, who Saves from Suffering.

With one heart, I respectfully bow in worship to the Realized One of Great Compassion, Great Mercy, and Great Wisdom.

With one heart, I respectfully bow in worship to the Realized One of Great Compassion and Great Mercy, who Saves from Suffering.

With single-minded reverence, we bow before the Greatly Compassionate and Greatly Merciful Perfected One of Great Benevolence.

With single-minded reverence, we bow before the Greatly Compassionate and Greatly Merciful Perfected One Who Rescues Those in Suffering.

With single-minded reverence, we bow before the Greatly Compassionate and Greatly Merciful Perfected One of Great Benevolence.

After bowing to the Three Treasures revered in Daoism—the Dao, the scriptures, and the masters—we continue by reciting the text of confession.

With single-minded devotion, we take refuge in the Three Treasures that abide eternally in the ten directions, and confess the sins we have committed in this life through our failings. Sometimes we do evil without realizing it at all; we persist in doing wrong while believing ourselves to be in the right. This is because our innate nature and understanding are shallow and limited, our minds sink into love and desire, and our bodies are trapped in a deep sea of cravings. Once life comes to an end, we fall for a long time into shadowy passes, with no end to our confinement in sight, suffering every kind of anguish. Without the power of the Dao’s teachings, what else could save these wandering souls?

The Celestial Worthy said: “Listen carefully. Whenever someone has just died, from the day of their death onward, you should give away possessions and respectfully recite this repentance scripture. During the first, second, and third seven-day periods, the best practice is to perform various meritorious deeds for the deceased. Having just left the human world and entered the nether realm, the deceased depend on the karmic conditions accumulated through good deeds to receive aid and deliverance.

Performing meritorious deeds within the first three seven-day periods is the next best practice. There are twelve kinds of merit: first, making images of the gods; second, copying and printing scriptures; third, observing vegetarian discipline and keeping the precepts; fourth, making banners and offering flowers; fifth, burning incense and lighting lamps; sixth, establishing a ritual space for religious ceremonies; seventh, buying living creatures to release them; eighth, practicing generosity; ninth, providing aid widely; tenth, removing miserliness from the heart; eleventh, giving with compassion; and twelfth, maintaining an impartial heart.

At that time, the Celestial Worthy explained these twelve kinds of blessings and the karmic conditions involved in accumulating merit. If virtuous men and women follow these methods to perform posthumous rites and arrange meritorious deeds for the deceased, their filial devotion will surely reach the heavenly offices, and the deceased will surely be able to leave the hells forever, dwell in freedom and peace, and remain in a blessed hall, with clothing and food naturally abundant, until they attain the True and awaken to the Dao.

Why is this so? The merit accumulated by helping and guiding the deceased is of the greatest importance. In the past, someone once gave a single coin as an offering to support the daily needs of a temple, thereby accumulating immeasurable blessings. A child once offered a handful of earth, which later turned into cinnabar. These are all karmic consequences following their causes, like a shadow following a body. Just as a clear mirror reveals a person’s appearance, making beauty and ugliness plain, so too does the principle of deeds and their consequences hold true. Therefore, performing acts of merit for the deceased out of filial devotion brings the greatest merit. All of you, men and women, should consider this carefully: there is no better way to repay your parents for raising you than to rely on the sacred teachings. Tell all the worthy ones that each should practice accordingly.”

The Supreme One’s Compassionate Repentance for Delivering the Guilty from the Ninefold Netherworld, Volume Five

The Supreme One’s Compassionate Repentance for Delivering the Guilty from the Ninefold Netherworld, Volume Six

At this time, the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning spoke to the Perfected One Who Saves All: “In the west are the Seven-Treasure Golden Gate, the Lord of the Seven Qi, the August Elder of Radiant Light, the realm of Golden Light, and the Land of Limitless Infinity. There, blessings are complete, and all is splendid and wondrous.” After speaking, the Celestial Worthy went on to describe the Lord of Brahma Qi in the northwest and the realm of the Wondrous Dao. There dwells a Perfected One named the Perfected One Who Relieves Suffering. His abode is the Land of Limitless Infinity, where many perfected immortals dwell amid splendor and wonder.

If, at the end of life, someone wishes to be reborn in that land, they should purify body and mind, observe fasting and abstinence, and ask a ritual master to lead the worship. Facing northwest, they should recite the corresponding Celestial Worthy’s name and kneel for a long time in repentance. In this way, they can dispel karmic obstructions as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, accumulate immeasurable good causes, purify body and mind, and clarify their spiritual consciousness, ultimately ascending to the ranks of the perfected and awakening to the Dao. Everyone should focus their minds, entrust themselves to the Dao, and pay reverent homage.

Each person respectfully pays homage:

Wholeheartedly paying homage to the Celestial Worthy of Boundless Taihua in the northwest.

Wholeheartedly paying homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Ever Proclaims the Fruits of the Dao.

Wholeheartedly paying homage to the Celestial Worthy of Wondrous Joy in the Jeweled Clouds.

Wholeheartedly paying homage to the Celestial Worthy of Bright Benevolence and Clear Stillness.

Wholeheartedly paying homage to the Celestial Worthy of Wondrous Understanding of the True Source.

Wholeheartedly paying homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Manifests in Many Forms to Respond.

Wholeheartedly paying homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Illuminates the World.

Wholeheartedly paying homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Manifests His True Body.

Wholeheartedly paying homage to the Celestial Worthy of Wondrous Understanding of the True Source.

Wholeheartedly paying homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Manifests in Many Forms to Respond.

Wholeheartedly paying homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Illuminates the World.

Wholeheartedly paying homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Manifests His True Body.

Wholeheartedly paying homage to the Celestial Worthy of Boundless Wisdom.

Wholeheartedly paying homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Takes Form in Response to All Things.

Wholeheartedly paying homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Manifests His Visible Body.

Wholeheartedly paying homage to the Celestial Worthy of Wondrous Attainment in the Highest Grade.

Wholeheartedly paying homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Subdues Evil and Destroys Wickedness.

Wholeheartedly paying homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Transforms and Saves Beings Without Limit.

Wholeheartedly paying homage to the Celestial Worthy of Ever-Changing Dragon Virtue.

With utmost sincerity, I pay reverence to the Heavenly Worthy of Vast and Constant Compassion; the Heavenly Worthy of Radiance Shining Across the Great Void; the Heavenly Worthy of the Cave-Void and Floating Radiance; the Heavenly Worthy of the Boundless Dharma Body; the Heavenly Worthy Who Constantly Cultivates Pure Practice; the Heavenly Worthy Who Saves All Beings from Suffering; the Heavenly Worthy Who Responds to Change and Is Beyond Constancy; the Heavenly Worthy Who Expounds Profound Meaning; the Heavenly Worthy of Great Compassion and Magnanimity; the Heavenly Worthy Who Goes Where Conditions Call and Responds Accordingly; the Heavenly Worthy Who Cultivates Merit Through Pure Practice; and the Heavenly Worthy Who Dwells in Hidden Stillness.

With utmost sincerity, I pay reverence to the Heavenly Worthy of Great Compassion and Magnanimity; the Heavenly Worthy Who Goes Where Conditions Call and Responds Accordingly; the Heavenly Worthy Who Cultivates Merit Through Pure Practice; the Heavenly Worthy Who Dwells in Hidden Stillness; the Heavenly Worthy Who Sees All Clearly Without Obstruction; the Heavenly Worthy Who Travels in a Jade Chariot, Transforming the World; the Heavenly Worthy Who Brings Grace to Those in Peril; the Heavenly Worthy of the Radiance of the Sun and Moon; the Heavenly Worthy of the Stillness of the Great Beginning; the Heavenly Worthy of the Six Supernatural Powers and Unimpeded Reach in All Directions; the Heavenly Worthy Who Brings Every Wish to Fulfillment; the Heavenly Worthy Who Responds to Birth and Rebirth; the Heavenly Worthy Who Proclaims the Dharma and Leaves Teachings in Writing; the Heavenly Worthy Who Constantly Transmits Wondrous Transformation; the Heavenly Worthy of Constantly Gathered Joy; the Heavenly Worthy Who Abides Forever to Protect the World; the Heavenly Worthy Who Widely Bestows Wondrous Grace; the Heavenly Worthy of Wondrous Transformation; the Heavenly Worthy of Constantly Gathered Joy; the Heavenly Worthy Who Abides Forever to Protect the World; the Heavenly Worthy Who Widely Bestows Wondrous Grace; the Heavenly Worthy Who Embodies the Dao in Tranquility; and the Heavenly Worthy of the Boundless Eye of the Dao.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Ever Enriches Heaven with the Dharma’s Grace (the Celestial Worthy who continually uses the Dharma’s blessings to nurture living beings).

With utmost sincerity and reverence, pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Untroubled Freedom and the Ten Virtues (the Celestial Worthy who cultivates freely and spreads the Ten Virtues).

With utmost sincerity and reverence, pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Opens the Way to Boundless Deliverance (the Celestial Worthy who opens wide the path of transformation and saves countless living beings).

With utmost sincerity and reverence, pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Expounds the Dharma and Delivers Beings According to Their Affinities (the Celestial Worthy who explains the Dao’s teachings and transforms living beings in accordance with their affinities).

With utmost sincerity and reverence, pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Majestic Bearing and Profound Stillness (the Celestial Worthy whose bearing is dignified and whose heart is pure and tranquil).

With utmost sincerity and reverence, pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Purifies and Disciplines the Self (the Celestial Worthy who strictly maintains purity and cultivates the self).

With utmost sincerity and reverence, pay homage to the Celestial Worthy, King of Wisdom and Power (the Celestial Worthy endowed with wisdom and strength, whose authority and virtue are manifest).

With utmost sincerity and reverence, pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Skillfully Understands the Nature of Things (the Celestial Worthy who skillfully comprehends the nature of all things).

With utmost sincerity and reverence, pay homage to the Perfected One of Great Compassion and Great Mercy Who Rescues Those in Distress (the Perfected One who aids living beings in suffering with compassion).

With utmost sincerity and reverence, pay homage to the Perfected One of Great Compassion, Great Mercy, and Great Benevolence (the Perfected One who benefits living beings through compassion and boundless grace).

Then, in turn, pay homage again and again to the Perfected One of Great Compassion and Great Mercy Who Rescues Those in Distress and the Perfected One of Great Compassion, Great Mercy, and Great Benevolence, expressing reverence and praying for rescue from suffering, blessings, and deliverance.

After paying homage to the Three Treasures—the Dao, the scriptures, and the teachers—proceed to repentance.

I sincerely take refuge in the Three Treasures—the Dao, the scriptures, and the masters—which endure forever throughout the ten directions. We repent for the sins committed through the six faculties of eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind. From the moment we are born into bodily form, we are affected by the impurities of the mundane world: our eyes pursue every kind of color, our noses crave every kind of fragrance, our ears become absorbed in every kind of sound, and our mouths delight in every kind of flavor. The whole body is thereby clouded, and sins of every kind become entangled and multiply. Our accumulated transgressions are recorded in the registers, so that we encounter calamities in life and suffer pain after death. We must rely on the merit of the assembled sages to cleanse away the suffering of the Nine Depths, the farthest reaches of the underworld. Today we purify body and mind and dedicate our lives to the Celestial Worthy. We openly repent for the karmic ties we have created, hoping to receive good fruits in the future.

Then the Celestial Worthy said again to the Dao Lord: “From now on, create various scriptures and rites of repentance for all the living and the dead, with each kind of merit arranged in its proper order. If any being receives this scripture, sprinkles fragrant water to cleanse the place, purifies body and mind by bathing, puts on clean and fresh clothes, burns incense and lights lamps, arrays banners, flowers, and jeweled canopies around the scripture altar, makes obeisance and offerings, and, with a joyful heart, kneels and joins their palms, keeping pure, focused, and diligent, then receives, observes, practices, and recites this scripture with reverence from beginning to end, those who have not yet heard it will hear it, and those who have not yet seen it will see it.

“If a good man or good woman gives of their wealth and asks a ritual master to lead the rites of repentance, even if they donate heaps of gold as vast as Mount Kunlun and enough to fill heaven and earth, the merit, great as it is, still falls short of skillfully teaching someone a single line of scripture or one verse. The truths spoken in the scripture can become a personal treasure that endures for a long time. Gold, though precious, cannot protect a person throughout life; this scripture may seem small, yet it concerns the destination of life and death. All of you, men and women, do not let foolishness and stinginess make you hoard gold, cherish your possessions, and neglect the cultivation of merit. You will only harm yourselves and gain nothing. This brings distress and leaves people in torment for a long time.

“If you cultivate these merits widely, the sins accumulated in this life and in past lives can all be erased. Wherever you are, you can be at ease and content, and you may be reborn according to your wishes in the Pure Lands of the ten directions, the pure and sacred realms. If monastics make offerings to the Three Treasures, their merit is all the more inconceivable.”

After hearing the scripture, the assembled beings bowed and paid their respects. They gazed up at the Celestial Worthy’s countenance, then bowed low and knelt forward, raising their fists and joining their palms. Reverently they upheld the Great Dao, cultivating it with devotion day and night, sincerely repenting, and bowing in homage to the Three Treasures that endure forever throughout the ten directions.

All should stand upright in reverence and solemnly, and focus their minds as they bow to the Heavenly Venerables.

With focused devotion, bow to the Heavenly Venerable of Broad Grace and Dharma’s Nourishment, praying that grace be widely bestowed and all beings nourished.

With focused devotion, bow to the Heavenly Venerable of Luminous Precious Blossoms.

With focused devotion, bow to the Heavenly Venerable of the Pure Practice of Immortals and Sages, praising the pure and noble cultivation of the immortals and sages.

With focused devotion, bow to the Heavenly Venerable of True Purity and Wondrous Function.

With focused devotion, bow to the Heavenly Venerable of Immeasurable Wondrous Practice.

With focused devotion, bow to the Heavenly Venerable Who Saves the Suffering Through the Ages, praying that suffering beings be helped at all times.

With focused devotion, bow to the Supreme Heavenly Venerable of the Cavern of the Numinous.

With focused devotion, bow to the Heavenly Venerable Who Hears the Cry and Saves the Suffering, praying that upon hearing beings call for help, this Venerable will go to their aid.

With focused devotion, bow to the Heavenly Venerable of Boundless Universal Salvation, praying that beings everywhere be saved.

With focused devotion, bow to the Heavenly Venerable Who Encourages the Accumulation of Merit, praying that beings be guided to cultivate goodness and build up virtue.

With focused devotion, bow to the Heavenly Venerable Who Never Treats Others with Contempt, praising the virtue of always showing respect and never looking down on beings.

With focused devotion, bow to the Heavenly Venerable of Flowing Light and Mysterious Subtlety.

With focused devotion, bow to the Heavenly Venerable Who Constantly Admonishes and Encourages through Goodness, praying that beings be continually admonished and encouraged with kind words.

With focused devotion, bow to the Heavenly Venerable of Pure and Sacred Deliverance, praying that beings be transformed and guided through the pure Way.

With focused devotion, bow to the Heavenly Venerable of Boundless Names.

With focused devotion, bow to the Heavenly Venerable Who Compassionately Remembers the Myriad Beings, praying that countless beings be met with merciful care.

With focused devotion, bow to the Heavenly Venerable, King of Majestic Awe and Virtue, praising this Venerable’s majesty and virtue.

With focused devotion, bow to the Heavenly Venerable Who Constantly Admonishes and Encourages through Goodness, praying that beings be continually admonished and encouraged with kind words.

With focused devotion, bow to the Heavenly Venerable of Pure and Sacred Deliverance, praying that beings be transformed and guided through the pure Way.

With focused devotion, bow to the Heavenly Venerable of Boundless Names.

With focused devotion, bow to the Heavenly Venerable Who Compassionately Remembers the Myriad Beings, praying that countless beings be met with merciful care.

With focused devotion, bow to the Heavenly Venerable, King of Majestic Awe and Virtue, praising this Venerable’s majesty and virtue.

With focused devotion, bow to the Heavenly Venerable Who Protects the Realm and Prolongs Its Fortune, praying that the nation be safeguarded in peace and its fortunes endure.

With focused devotion, bow to the Heavenly Venerable of Immeasurable Manifestations.

With focused devotion, bow to the Heavenly Venerable Who Constantly Cultivates Wondrous Practice, praising the continual cultivation of wondrous and wholesome deeds.

With focused devotion, bow to the Heavenly Venerable Who Constantly Saves and Liberates, praying that beings be continually aided and set free.

With focused devotion, bow to the Heavenly Venerable Who Protects Life in the Depths of Darkness, praying that life in the netherworld be safeguarded.

With focused devotion, bow to the Heavenly Venerable Whose Body Is Ever Formless, praising this Venerable’s eternal, intangible form.

With focused devotion, bow to the Heavenly Venerable Whose Deeds Are Unimpeded, praising this Venerable’s ability to act without obstruction.

With focused devotion, bow to the Heavenly Venerable Who Is Ever Free of Defilement and Attachment, praising this Venerable’s constant purity, untouched and unentangled by worldly dust.

With focused devotion, bow to the Heavenly Venerable Who Proclaims the Great Meaning of the Dao, praising this Venerable for spreading the profound purpose of the Great Dao.

With focused devotion, bow to the Heavenly Venerable Who Travels Through the World.

With focused devotion, bow to the Heavenly Venerable of the Numinous Treasure and Cavernous Depths.

With focused devotion, bow to the Heavenly Venerable Who Broadly Gathers and Transforms All Evils, praying that every kind of harmful karma be gathered in and transformed.

With focused devotion, bow to the Heavenly Venerable Who Broadly and Everlastingly Shelters and Protects, praying for the widespread and enduring protection of all beings.

I sincerely and reverently pay homage to the Celestial Worthy who fears nothing, to the Celestial Worthy who never abandons compassion, to the Celestial Worthy of all evils, and to the Celestial Worthy who widely offers protection.

I sincerely pay homage to the Celestial Worthy who fears nothing; who never abandons compassion; who is ever humble and gentle; who always abides in a clear and tranquil state; who quietly contemplates the Taiji (Supreme Ultimate); who rescues beings from suffering in the Ninefold Abyss, the depths of the underworld; who is serene and dignified; who shows no sign of pride; who constantly keeps in mind the salvation of the world; who is immeasurably pure; who regards the Four Births—beings born from wombs, eggs, moisture, and transformation—as equals; whose wondrous transformations are boundless; whose might and De (Virtue/Power) are vast; who is united with the Great Nonbeing, the primordial realm without form or image; who can always prevail without contention; who contemplates the subtle principle of stillness and silence; who is calm and humble; who is free and inscrutable in the depths of mystery; who constantly responds to those who invoke him; and who is unburdened and unbound.

I sincerely pay homage to the Greatly Compassionate and Merciful Perfected One who saves those in distress, and also to the Greatly Compassionate and Merciful Perfected One who widely bestows kindness. I then repeatedly pay homage to the Perfected One Who Saves Those in Distress and the Perfected One of Great Grace, praying that they compassionately deliver us and bestow their kindness and aid.

After paying homage to the Three Treasures—the Dao, the scriptures, and the masters—we proceed to repentance.

With utmost sincerity, we take refuge in the Three Treasures, eternally abiding throughout the ten directions. Now we again repent for the offenses committed through the six faculties—eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind—as they indulged in craving and attachment. Our cravings and attachments have taken deep root, and many karmic offenses have accumulated. Even after confessing each one, we still fear that our repentance has not been complete. These offenses may entangle people in the net of karma or bind them in enmity.

The eyes crave beautiful faces; the mouth craves precious delicacies; the ears delight in the music of strings and bamboo. The mind gives rise to love and hatred; the hands kill living beings; the feet tread the path of theft. All kinds of offenses accumulate upon us. Five doubts remain unresolved: a person may be entangled in the net of karma or bound to others by enmity; the eyes crave beautiful faces, the mouth craves fine delicacies, and the ears delight in the music of strings and bamboo; the mind gives rise to love and hatred, the hands kill living beings, and the feet tread the path of theft. These offenses all accumulate within us.

The Five Emperors and Four Offices, divine authorities charged with inspecting and recording good and evil in the human world, investigate offenses without overlooking any. The Dark Office, the bureaucracy of the underworld, continues its examination and verification through the long, shadowed night. Since these offenses all arise from our own deeds, how could we escape repaying them? Now, through repentance, may these karmic offenses be dissolved. May we forever sever all enmities and adversaries, life after life.

The Celestial Worthy said: If a good man or woman receives this scripture of mine but harbors doubt and refuses to honor and protect it, or even slanders or treats it with contempt, they commit grave transgressions. For example, they may open the scroll with unclean hands, or recite it while eating meat and fish; chat during recitation or let their mind wander during prostrations; claim to have finished reading before reaching the end; divulge sacred teachings, deceive and mislead others, or become arrogant and allow their devotion to falter.

Some also destroy images of the Celestial Worthy and sacred altars, fail to honor banners and flowers, or neglect to light lamps and candles. They make light of vegetarian offerings, mock elders and worthy people, defile the ritual ground, oppress the poor and weak, disrespect their teachers, or fail to care for their parents. They revile the sun, moon, stars, and other Three Luminaries, and despise the energies of Heaven and Earth and the four seasons. They hear of good deeds but do not practice them, and see evil deeds yet follow them. Those who accumulate such offenses will suffer retribution in the future.

Such people may lose their eyebrows and hair, develop sores all over their bodies, lack food and clothing, and be reduced to a lowly status. After death, they may fall into hell and remain there for a long time, unable to escape. In a single day, they may undergo countless cycles of life and death, repeatedly face judgment in the underworld, and struggle to encounter a pure realm. Even if they are later reborn, they may lose the chance to take human form and instead become livestock such as oxen, horses, pigs, or sheep—despised while alive and slaughtered for food after death. Or they may become birds such as kites, doves, or crows, with feathers yet often beset by calamities and ill omens. Or they may become scaled creatures such as fish in ponds and marshes, unable to respond to changing conditions and consumed only by the fear that their waters will dry up. Or they may become insects or vinegar gnats, which appear briefly in the heat and die as soon as the cold arrives.

Because of such retribution, they will be far removed from the wholesome conditions that arise within the cycle of rebirth, and the chance of escaping rebirth will be exceedingly remote. Even their ancestors and descendants may sink into suffering alongside them. What good will it do to seek spiritual cultivation and repent only when that time comes?

All the men and women gathered here should reflect: Since you have been fortunate enough to receive a human body, you should honor the Great Dao, cherish filial respect, uphold moral integrity, and maintain purity through fasting. Be devout day and night, and reverent each morning and evening. In this way, you can secure peace and well-being in this life, ascend to Heaven on the strength of your past lives, avoid ill-fated encounters, and meet with good results. Through this rite of cleansing and repentance, receive the teachings earnestly and listen attentively; bow down and take refuge in the Three Treasures that abide forever—the Dao, the scriptures, and the teachers.

The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning explained to Perfected One of Universal Salvation: “In the northwest is the Celestial Lord of Brahma Qi, a heavenly deity who governs the Brahma Qi of that direction. His realm is mysterious and subtle, and the land where he resides is vast and boundless, complete with every kind of splendor and benefit.” Having finished, the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning then described the realm of perfected reality presided over by the Celestial Lord of the Five Qi, the Mysterious Elder of the Five Spirits of Dongyin, Shuodan, and Yujue in the north. There dwells a Perfected One named Savior of Suffering. His land is boundless and its splendor surpasses all others; he is able to save and deliver living beings.

If, at the end of life, someone wishes to be reborn in that land, they should purify themselves, fast with sincere devotion, respectfully invite a master, observe the rites, and kneel facing north before the Celestial Worthy who answers to that title, confessing their faults. In this way, they can be freed from sins and obstacles as numerous as the sands of the Ganges and gain immeasurable wholesome causes. In the end, they will refine and purify body and form, clarify mind and spirit, ascend to perfected reality, and comprehend the Great Dao. All should focus their minds, take refuge, and pay homage.

All present respectfully bow in reverence:

With utmost sincerity, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Mysterious Supreme Jade Dawn in the north.

With utmost sincerity, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Encourages Transformation Through Wholesome Affinities.

With utmost sincerity, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Ascends to the Wondrous Realm.

With utmost sincerity, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Tirelessly Appears in Transformative Forms.

With utmost sincerity, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Whose Mysterious Subtlety Is Beyond Measure.

With utmost sincerity, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Most Subtle Qi of Gentleness and Yielding.

With utmost sincerity, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Golden Splendor and Radiant Light.

With utmost sincerity, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Enters the Wondrous Realm.

With utmost sincerity, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Tirelessly Appears in Transformative Forms.

With utmost sincerity, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Whose Mysterious Subtlety Is Beyond Measure.

With utmost sincerity, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Most Subtle Qi of Gentleness and Yielding.

With utmost sincerity, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Golden Splendor and Radiant Light.

With utmost sincerity, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Widely Transforms the Three Realms.

With utmost sincerity, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Abides in the Realm Without Name or Form.

With utmost sincerity, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Refines and Transforms Body and Form.

With utmost sincerity, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Transcends the Dusty World in Pure Stillness and Silence.

With utmost sincerity, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Whose Vast Heart Embraces All Things.

With sincere and reverent devotion, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy of the Clear Stillness of the Mysterious Capital, who dwells in the Mysterious Capital, serene and profound.

With sincere and reverent devotion, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy of Scattered Radiance in the Firmament, whose brilliance fills the celestial expanse.

With sincere and reverent devotion, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy of Constant Discernment Without Doubt, who always distinguishes clearly and is free of uncertainty.

With sincere and reverent devotion, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy of Responsive Skillful Means, who adapts to circumstances and guides living beings through skillful methods.

With sincere and reverent devotion, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy of Numinous Truth and Wise Stillness, wondrous and true, wise and serene.

With sincere and reverent devotion, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy Who Transforms Through the Four Pure Practices, teaching living beings through pure conduct.

With sincere and reverent devotion, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy of Limitless Forms and Images, who manifests forms without end.

With sincere and reverent devotion, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy of the Boundless Sea of Meaning, whose principles are deep and vast as an immeasurable ocean.

With sincere and reverent devotion, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy of Realizing the Vajra and Wise Stillness, who personally realizes the firm, indestructible principle and abides in wisdom and serenity.

With sincere and reverent devotion, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy Who Transforms Through the Four Pure Practices.

With sincere and reverent devotion, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy of Limitless Forms and Images.

With sincere and reverent devotion, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy of the Boundless Sea of Meaning.

With sincere and reverent devotion, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy of Realizing the Vajra.

With sincere and reverent devotion, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy, King of Oceanic Wisdom, whose wisdom is vast as the sea.

With sincere and reverent devotion, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy of Constant Kindness and Broad Salvation, who continually rescues living beings through kindness and compassion.

With sincere and reverent devotion, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy Who Universally Leads Beings into Wondrous Joy, guiding them into a realm of sublime peace and happiness.

With sincere and reverent devotion, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy of Luminous Flowing Jewelflowers, who radiates light like precious flowers.

With sincere and reverent devotion, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy, Universal Bridge of Deliverance, who serves as a bridge for all beings to cross beyond suffering.

With sincere and reverent devotion, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy of the Vast Vehicle and Daoist Wisdom, who guides living beings through expansive teachings and the wisdom of the Dao.

With sincere and reverent devotion, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy of Constant Stillness and Wondrous Contemplation, who abides in serenity and possesses the wisdom of sublime contemplation.

With sincere and reverent devotion, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy of Realized Stillness and Wondrous Forms, who realizes the realm of stillness and manifests sublime forms.

With sincere and reverent devotion, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy of Boundless Exhortation and Transformation, whose merit in guiding and teaching living beings is immeasurable.

With sincere and reverent devotion, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy of the Wordless Luminous Form, who transcends speech and manifests a radiant, wondrous form.

With sincere and reverent devotion, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy of Gathered Clarity and Constant Emptiness, settled and clear, ever abiding in the realm of emptiness.

With sincere and reverent devotion, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy Who Brings About Blessings and Joy, who skillfully enables living beings to attain blessings and peace.

With sincere and reverent devotion, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy Who Broadly Proclaims the Dao and Virtue, promoting the Dao and Virtue universally.

With sincere and reverent devotion, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy of the Unobstructed Mind, whose mind is open and free of hindrance.

With sincere and reverent devotion, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy of Peerless Empty Stillness, whose realm of empty stillness has no equal.

With sincere and reverent devotion, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy Who Skillfully Realizes the Dao and Wisdom, who excels at realizing the Great Dao and wisdom.

With sincere and reverent devotion, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy Who Skillfully Destroys the Four Demons, who excels at overcoming the four kinds of demonic obstacles.

With sincere and reverent devotion, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy Who Skillfully Ends Birth and Death, who excels at relieving the suffering of living beings caught in the cycle of birth and death.

With sincere and reverent devotion, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy of Wondrous Light, True Nature, and Peerless Empty Stillness, whose true nature is wondrously luminous and whose realm of empty stillness has no equal.

With sincere and reverent devotion, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy Who Skillfully Realizes the Dao and Wisdom.

With sincere and reverent devotion, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy Who Skillfully Destroys the Four Demons.

With sincere and reverent devotion, I bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy Who Skillfully Ends Birth and Death.

The repeated phrase “with sincere and reverent devotion, I bow in worship” expresses heartfelt reverence toward the Celestial Worthies. The “Four Demons” are four kinds of obstacles described in spiritual cultivation; “birth and death” refers to the suffering of living beings caught in the cycle of birth and death.

Reverently pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Wondrous Light, the Celestial Worthy of Boundless Sacred Power, the Celestial Worthy of Flying Elixir Illuminating the Ultimate, the Celestial Worthy of the Profound Source and Its Spontaneous Function, the Celestial Worthy of Golden Perfection and Responsive Essence, the Celestial Worthy of the Sign Beyond Birth and Death, the Celestial Worthy of the Supreme Dao Manifesting in the World, the Celestial Worthy Who Is the Treasury of Merit and Virtue, the Celestial Worthy Who Constantly Upholds the Orthodox Dao, the Celestial Worthy of Unobstructed Stillness and Dharma, the Celestial Worthy of Vast Compassion, the Celestial Worthy Who Vows to Uphold the True Dao, and the Celestial Worthy of Constantly Blending Insight and Benevolence, as well as the Greatly Compassionate Perfected One Who Saves from Suffering and the Greatly Compassionate, Greatly Benevolent Perfected One. Pay homage to the Perfected One Who Saves from Suffering and the Greatly Benevolent Perfected One three times each.

After paying homage to the Three Treasures revered in Daoism—the Dao, the scriptures, and the masters—proceed to confession.

We sincerely entrust our lives to the Three Treasures, ever abiding in the ten directions, and confess grave offenses such as violating the bonds of human relationships and failing to honor our parents. All then bow before the Greatly Compassionate, Greatly Benevolent Perfected One.

After paying homage to the Three Treasures, proceed to confession.

We sincerely entrust our lives to the Three Treasures, ever abiding in the ten directions, and confess grave offenses such as violating the bonds of human relationships and failing to honor our parents. Living beings are born into the cycle of rebirth, taking shelter in their mothers’ wombs. Pregnancy is arduous and difficult to bear; the mother’s breathing is troubled, and the parents are often anxious, fearing harm may come to the child. Labor is harder still, and the child is not easy to care for. Our parents raise us with such deep kindness—how, then, should we repay them?

Some have failed to honor their loving parents and have instead committed grave acts of rebellion. They insult and defy their parents to their faces; if they are angry in their presence, how could they obey them when they are absent? Stubborn in temperament and limited in understanding, they keep their distance from friends and grow only more arrogant. They do not offer fine food to their parents—what can they say of propriety and upbringing? They merely betray their parents’ toil; how have they fulfilled their duty of filial respect? We beg that these wrongs be confessed and cleansed.

The Celestial Worthy says: If a good man or woman failed to fulfill their duties of filial piety while alive and wishes to make amends after death, they may expound and proclaim the true scriptures to wash away their sins. After hearing this wondrous scripture, they should resolve firmly to read, recite, and practice it. They should keep themselves clean and burn incense, carefully rectifying their speech and their thoughts. They should bathe, wash their hair, and choose pure food and clothing. At all times they should be vigilant, allowing no lapse in their practice, so that their Daoist resolve may grow continually and they do not become negligent.

They should also keep joy and reverence in their hearts, gladly observe a vegetarian fast, cultivate themselves in stillness, endure hardship and uphold the precepts, give alms and do good, and make offerings to monastics who practice the Dao. They should take refuge in the Three Treasures—the Dao, the scriptures, and the teachers—release animals to save their lives, rescue the souls of the dead, care for the elderly, show compassion for the poor, attend to orphans and widows, help the weak and disadvantaged, and honor their parents and elders. They should hold compassion for all living beings and treat them equally.

On the Three Primordial and Eight Festival days, important Daoist observances, as well as on Jiazi and Gengshen days, auspicious days associated with one’s birth year, birthdays, and similar occasions, they may solemnly arrange images of the gods and set out incense and offerings. Before the assembled holy beings, they should repent their sins and cleanse themselves of wrongs accumulated over many lifetimes. In this way, the deceased may be delivered, and the living may receive blessings and good fortune without end.

If anyone shows contempt for the true sages of Heaven, slanders efficacious scriptures, wantonly harms living beings, is consumed by greed and desire, serves as a disloyal minister or an unfilial child, indulges in lust, or speaks falsely, they should openly confess before the Dao and recite a text of repentance. Then their good deeds may be entered in the vermilion register, which records virtuous acts, and their faults struck from the black register, which records sins. They should bow before the Celestial Worthies whose titles answer to the ten directions and kneel in repentance, thereby dispelling immeasurable karmic obstructions and attaining immeasurable good causes. All present should sincerely dedicate themselves and pay reverent homage.

Each person should pay reverent homage:

With utmost sincerity, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Valiantly Cuts Through Delusion.

With utmost sincerity, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Majestic Virtue and Renewed Radiance.

With utmost sincerity, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Increases Longevity and Wisdom.

With utmost sincerity, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Vast and Profound Wisdom.

With single-minded reverence, I bow in worship to the Heavenly Worthy of Boundless Supreme Goodness (the Heavenly Worthy who embodies boundless virtue and goodness).

With single-minded reverence, I bow in worship to the Heavenly Worthy of All-Encompassing Awareness and Gratitude (the Heavenly Worthy who is fully awakened and mindful of benevolence).

With single-minded reverence, I bow in worship to the Heavenly Worthy of Subtle Thought and Far-Reaching Insight (the Heavenly Worthy whose thoughts are refined and whose understanding is profound).

With single-minded reverence, I bow in worship to the Heavenly Worthy of Tranquility, Harmony, Gentleness, and Kindness (the Heavenly Worthy who is peaceful and serene, gentle and benevolent).

With single-minded reverence, I bow in worship to the Heavenly Worthy Who Forgets His Own Merits and Helps All Beings (the Heavenly Worthy who does not dwell on his own achievements and saves living beings).

With single-minded reverence, I bow in worship to the Heavenly Worthy of Numinous Mystery and Quiet Contemplation (the Heavenly Worthy who is wondrous and profound, and who observes in stillness).

With single-minded reverence, I bow in worship to the Heavenly Worthy of Subtle Thought and Far-Reaching Insight, Manifest in the Qing Palace (the Heavenly Worthy who appears in the Qing Palace, whose thoughts are refined and whose understanding is profound).

With single-minded reverence, I bow in worship to the Heavenly Worthy of Tranquility, Harmony, Gentleness, and Kindness.

With single-minded reverence, I bow in worship to the Heavenly Worthy Who Forgets His Own Merits and Helps All Beings.

With single-minded reverence, I bow in worship to the Heavenly Worthy of Numinous Mystery and Quiet Contemplation.

With single-minded reverence, I bow in worship to the Heavenly Worthy Manifest in the Qing Palace (the Heavenly Worthy who appears in the Qing Palace).

With single-minded reverence, I bow in worship to the Heavenly Worthy of All-Pervading Light, Acceptance, and Awareness (the Heavenly Worthy whose light shines everywhere, who is accepting and awakened).

With single-minded reverence, I bow in worship to the Heavenly Worthy of Wondrous Responsiveness and Skillful Adaptation (the Heavenly Worthy who responds with subtlety and makes skillful use of changing circumstances).

With single-minded reverence, I bow in worship to the Heavenly Worthy Who Follows the Myriad Changes in Their Time (the Heavenly Worthy who adapts to every change and acts in accordance with the moment).

With single-minded reverence, I bow in worship to the Heavenly Worthy of Refined Sincerity and Utmost Devotion (the Heavenly Worthy whose sincere and devoted heart resonates with all things).

With single-minded reverence, I bow in worship to the Heavenly Worthy of Subtle Sovereignty and Empty Stillness in Action (the Heavenly Worthy who acts through subtle sovereign power, remaining empty and still).

With single-minded reverence, I bow in worship to the Heavenly Worthy of Everlasting Perfection Without Defect (the Heavenly Worthy who attains perfection forever, with nothing lacking).

With single-minded reverence, I bow in worship to the Heavenly Worthy of Infinite Joy (the Heavenly Worthy whose joy has no bounds).

With single-minded reverence, I bow in worship to the Heavenly Worthy of Constant Stillness and Immovability (the Heavenly Worthy who is eternally serene and peacefully unmoving).

With single-minded reverence, I bow in worship to the Heavenly Worthy Who Commands and Sustains Life (the Heavenly Worthy who governs life and makes it endure).

With single-minded reverence, I bow in worship to the Heavenly Worthy Who Manifests Majestic Forms and Images (the Heavenly Worthy who reveals forms of majestic virtue).

With single-minded reverence, I bow in worship to the Heavenly Worthy of Supreme Merit and Virtue (the Heavenly Worthy who possesses the highest merit and virtue).

With single-minded reverence, I bow in worship to the Heavenly Worthy, King of the Treasury of Wisdom (the Heavenly Worthy who contains vast wisdom).

With single-minded reverence, I bow in worship to the Heavenly Worthy of Empty Stillness, Peace, and Purity (the Heavenly Worthy who is serene, peaceful, pure, and undefiled).

With single-minded reverence, I bow in worship to the Heavenly Worthy Who Subdues Demons and Saves All Beings (the Heavenly Worthy who vanquishes evil spirits and delivers living beings).

With single-minded reverence, I bow in worship to the Heavenly Worthy Who Spreads Teachings Without Limit (the Heavenly Worthy who disseminates teachings far and wide, reaching everywhere).

With single-minded reverence, I bow in worship to the Heavenly Worthy Whose Light Shines Throughout the Eight Extremities (the Heavenly Worthy whose radiance extends to the farthest reaches in all directions).

With single-minded reverence, I bow in worship to the Heavenly Worthy Who Urges Practice Without Backsliding (the Heavenly Worthy who encourages cultivation and keeps people from turning back).

With single-minded reverence, I bow in worship to the Heavenly Worthy Who Spreads Teachings Without Limit.

With single-minded reverence, I bow in worship to the Heavenly Worthy Whose Light Shines Throughout the Eight Extremities.

With single-minded reverence, I bow in worship to the Heavenly Worthy Who Urges Practice Without Backsliding.

With single-minded reverence, I bow in worship to the Heavenly Worthy Who Forever Transcends Attachment and Desire (the Heavenly Worthy who is forever free from craving and desire).

With single-minded reverence, I bow in worship to the Heavenly Worthy Who Turns Through Myriad Changes (the Heavenly Worthy who sets change in motion and responds to every circumstance).

With single-minded reverence, I bow in worship to the Heavenly Worthy of Profound Mystery and Deep Stillness (the Heavenly Worthy who understands the subtle and mysterious principles and is deeply still).

With single-minded reverence, I bow in worship to the Heavenly Worthy Who Remains True to the Supreme Dao (the Heavenly Worthy who holds fast to the highest Dao and never wavers).

“Zhi xin chao li” (“with single-minded reverence, I bow in worship”) is a formula of homage used in repentance liturgies. It expresses the act of paying reverence to a Heavenly Worthy with undivided, sincere devotion.

We sincerely venerate the Celestial Worthy whose divine might forbids evil; the Celestial Worthy forever beyond life and death; the Celestial Worthy who is not confined to any realm of the Dharma; the Celestial Worthy who spreads the wondrous teaching far and wide; the Celestial Worthy whose wisdom is vast and reaches in every direction; the Celestial Worthy who is dignified, serene, and at ease in the world; the Celestial Worthy who is silent and practices Wuwei (non-action); the Celestial Worthy who is the root and source of the Three Realms; the Celestial Worthy who diligently cultivates and teaches the people; the Celestial Worthy who is still and profound, adept at entering wondrous realms; the Celestial Worthy whose bearing and conduct are dignified and refined; the Celestial Worthy who is adept at opening the mysterious source of the Three Realms; the Celestial Worthy who diligently cultivates and teaches the people; the Celestial Worthy who is still and profound, adept at entering wondrous realms; the Celestial Worthy whose bearing and conduct are dignified and refined; the Celestial Worthy who is adept at opening the mysterious pass; the Celestial Worthy who continually extends salvation far and wide; the Celestial Worthy who upholds the Orthodox Law with solemn majesty; the Celestial Worthy who restores consciousness to stillness; and the Celestial Worthy who widely bestows grace and compassion.

We sincerely venerate the Perfected One of great compassion, who saves the suffering and rescues those in distress; and the Perfected One of great compassion, who widely bestows grace. We alternate in venerating the Perfected One Who Saves the Suffering and the Perfected One of Great Grace in this way, three times.

After venerating the Three Treasures—the Dao, the scriptures, and the teachers—we proceed to confession.

We sincerely take refuge in the Three Treasures, eternally abiding throughout the ten directions, and confess the crimes of committing the five grave acts of rebellion and filial impiety. This is because our body, hair, and skin are received from our parents and should not be harmed as we grow; moreover, propriety and ritual have their proper observances… We then confess again.

We sincerely take refuge in the Three Treasures—the Dao, the scriptures, and the masters—that abide eternally throughout the ten directions. We repent the grave sins of the Five Rebellions and filial impiety. The human body is born of our parents and ought to be cherished, never harmed. Conduct and etiquette, too, each have their proper standards. Yet we often fail to observe these principles through improper thoughts and actions, forgetting family bonds and moral duties. We distance ourselves from our kin and abandon our relatives; we slight our elders and treat those younger than us poorly. We may even grow estranged from one another, with relatives turning against relatives. Some hate and despise one another; others harbor deep resentment. Having committed such wrongs, how can we cleanse ourselves through repentance?

Then the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning, a revered Daoist deity, said to the Dao Lord of the Void Emperor: If good men and women, from ages long past up to the present, have committed offenses through the Three Karmic Actions of body, speech, and mind, and transgressed the Five Rebellions, their accumulated sins mounting like mountains, yet have had no chance to repent and cleanse themselves and have encountered no wholesome conditions; if they have also let their speech run wild, deceived their own hearts, strayed from the right path, slighted the Three Treasures, slandered the scriptures of the sages, sworn carelessly by heaven, invoked the spirits in curses, rebuked the wind and rain, offended the sun, moon, and stars—the Three Luminaries—and failed to honor their parents and elders or revere Heaven and Earth, then they remain deluded from life to life, bound by karmic offenses through many ages. Even when they encounter scriptures, teachings, and rites, they do not know how to repent and cleanse themselves. Seeking to escape and enter a pure realm, they instead stray onto an evil path.

If you good men and women are willing to contribute your family wealth, invite a ritual master to lead a rite of repentance, observe a purification fast and enter stillness, cleanse your bodies and cultivate your thoughts, bow in earnest prayer, burn incense and perform the Dao rite, scatter flowers as offerings, and support a pure and solemn ritual space, then you may state the purpose of your observance and bow before the names of the Celestial Worthy. You may do this to remember your ancestors and deliver the deceased, to dispel calamities and pray for blessings, on behalf of your seven generations of departed ancestors and nine generations of forebears, your parents and siblings, relatives and old friends, yourself and your household, or all beings in the netherworld and throughout the Three Realms.

In this way, the deceased may be liberated, calamities quietly dispersed, the nine generations of ancestors raised to higher realms, and parents delivered and brought to peace. Relatives and friends may prosper, households live in harmony, beings in the netherworld receive compassion, and all living beings be freed from suffering. The Celestial Worthy’s vast compassion will protect all beings, with blessings extending everywhere. If you cultivate steadfastly and deepen your wholesome ties, this compassionate grace can reach far in all eight directions; past karmic obstacles and lingering misfortunes can also be released. Listen carefully, and do not neglect or defy these instructions. Men and women should encourage one another and remain constant to the end, ensuring that their words and actions, within and without, accord with the teachings. Practice diligently in this way, then bow and withdraw.

The Supreme High Compassionate Repentance for Deliverance from Sin in the Ninefold Darkness, Scroll Seven

The Supreme High Compassionate Repentance for Deliverance from Sin in the Ninefold Darkness, Scroll Eight

At this time, the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning spoke to the Perfected One Who Saves All: “In the north lies the realm of True Stability, governed by the Heavenly Lord of the Five Qi of the Profound Old One of the Five Spirits, Dongyin Shuodan Yujue. It is a country without limit, with a majestic aspect that delivers living beings.” After saying this, the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning spoke again of the realm of Everlasting Joy in the northeast, governed by the Heavenly Lord of Brahma Qi. There is a Perfected One there named Lord of Wondrous Sound and the Infinite. His dwelling is likewise the realm of True Stability, a country without limit, displaying the majestic aspect of delivering living beings. Then the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning spoke once more of the Heavenly Lord of Brahma Qi in the northeast and the realm of Everlasting Joy. He mentioned a Perfected One there named the Country of Wondrous Sound and the Infinite, surrounded by…