《太上慈悲道场消灾九幽忏》Vol. 3

With utmost sincerity, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Boundless Form, the Celestial Worthy of Emptiness and No Form, the Celestial Worthy of Immeasurable Longevity, the Celestial Worthy Who Constantly Preaches the Dharma, the Celestial Worthy Who Widely Bestows Wealth, the Celestial Worthy Who Universally Bestows the Dharma, the Celestial Worthy Without Equal, the Celestial Worthy of Immeasurable Radiance, the Celestial Worthy Who Perfects All Beings, the Celestial Worthy Taiyi Who Rescues from Suffering, the Celestial Worthy Who Grants Long Life and Preserves Life, the Celestial Worthy of Universal Compassion Who Protects the Nation, the Celestial Worthy of Ease and Joy, the Celestial Worthy Who Grants Rebirth According to One’s Wishes, the Celestial Worthy Without Bounds, and the Celestial Worthy of an Ocean of Merit.

With utmost sincerity, we pay homage to the Greatly Compassionate Perfected One of the Sun Canopy, the Greatly Merciful Perfected One of the Pure Moon, the Greatly Compassionate Rescuer from Suffering, and the Greatly Merciful Remover of Sin.

May the donors and assembly gathered at this ritual today join in entrusting themselves and making this prayer: May the Unsurpassed Celestial Worthy of Lingbao in the northwest, together with all the honored spirits and sacred perfected ones, celestial and terrestrial immortals, great perfected ones, perfected rescuers from suffering, young attendants and young attendants of the Original Realm, and all true sages of the past and future who fill the ten directions and the depths of the mysterious void, grant their protection.

May the power of the Dao, the power of merit, the power of supreme goodness, the power of celestial immortals, and the power of spiritual abilities enable the person leading this repentance, [name], to cleanse through this rite of repentance the grave sins accumulated over immeasurable kalpas, forever dispel karmic obstacles and afflictions, cease to undergo the retribution of suffering, attain the fruition of the Dao, and reach the state of Wuwei (non-action).

Make one bow.

Third Section: Do Not Break the Purification Fast.

Today, all those gathered at the Daoist sanctuary quiet their thoughts and bow before the Compassionate Venerable One, a compassionate deity, confessing the sins they have committed by breaking the fast. The leader of the confession gathers his mind, kneels upright on the ground, and listens reverently to the scripture.

From the time they are born until this day, all living beings have often been miserly and grasping, lost in desire, drinking wine and eating meat, and indulging their appetites without restraint. They nourish their muscles and accumulate flesh and blood through food, continually giving rise to afflictions and illness and allowing their karmic offenses to deepen. Living beings also undergo birth, aging, illness, and death, and suffer the assaults of heat, dampness, cold, and wind. Their bodies ache and feel unwell, and they are often beset by all kinds of harmful influences. Impermanence follows them at every moment, day and night without pause. Though their bodies and minds differ, they wander on through the cycle of rebirth and, even after countless eons, find it hard to escape.

Living beings often break the fast and show no reverence for its observance. When they grow old and frail and are beset by illness, the toil and suffering of a lifetime are all due to their long habit of eating meat and other impure foods. These foods set the five viscera and six bowels to tormenting one another. They also offend the true sages, and karmic force strikes the body like wind, eventually causing it to decay and shortening life.

I neither drink nor eat. I hold fast to the Great Dao and follow nature; my transformations are boundless, and I live forever. I constantly expound the teachings of the scriptures to guide and deliver living beings. Yet they are deluded and confused, unable to believe and accept them, and I am therefore often troubled on their behalf and cannot rest. So, in the name of the fast, I help living beings dispel illness and suffering. What is more, the sages among the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), the highest divine beings revered in Daoism, attained the truth of the Great Dao long ago and have all observed the fast for ages without ever growing lax. The Six Fasts, Ten Observances, Eight Seasonal Festivals, Three Primal Festivals, the fast on one’s birth-year Jiazi day, the Three Assemblies on Gengshen days, and other fast assemblies can all protect and save living beings; their wondrous efficacy is beyond reckoning. These are means by which the Compassionate Venerable One draws living beings near, encourages all to cultivate the Way, and keeps them from demonic calamities.

Although you know the names of these fasts, you feel no reverence for them; and even when you do feel reverence for a time, you often transgress. Some mix meat and other impure foods with fasting food, cooking defiled things in the same pot. They do not purify themselves, yet treat the fast with contempt. Some eat after noon and keep their minds impure. Some slander the most true Way, calling it falsehood and delusion. Some harbor favoritism and aversion. Such foolishness gives rise to many ways of breaking the fast.

Some break the Great Perfect Fast, the Golden Register Fast, the Divine Incantation Fast, the Yellow Register Fast, the Bright Truth Fast, the Natural Fast, the Three Primal Fast, the Smearing-and-Ash Fast, the Cavern Deity Fast, and other observances. Some of these rites are held for the state; others are performed to deliver the departed, save those sinking into suffering, or commemorate loved ones. Some people attend only because they see others doing so. Some begin with reverent faith, but later regret their participation. The scripture says that this makes their karmic offenses even deeper, and that the suffering they will face in the future is immeasurable.

When food is distributed at a fast assembly, offerings should be shared equally among ordained male and female practitioners and others who cultivate the Way. Whatever the number, the portions should be distributed to everyone, without favoritism. The fast also embodies a spirit of generosity. One should not judge people by whether their clothing is fine or poor, but allow all ordained practitioners to receive offerings equally. To select recipients or vary the portions is to show contempt and lack reverence; this is called breaking the fast.

When a fast rite is held, divine images are made, or other offerings are prepared, anyone who privately appropriates the funds or goods involved, even if they are worth more than a single coin, must, the scripture says, repay twice their value. If they do not repay it, they will suffer the retribution of grave illness, disfigurement, and an inability to find a place in the human world. Even if they are reborn as human beings, they may have to sleep outdoors, suffer constant illness, become deaf and weak of sight, or be left with a disabled body.

If someone uses fasting food to make offerings to ordained practitioners, or offers painted images, divine statues, banners, canopies, and other such things, yet lacks reverent faith and instead turns back in regret, the resulting karmic retribution is too extensive to recount. After death, they may be reborn as hungry ghosts: their necks thin as cords, their bellies as large as suspended drums, iron wheels weighing on their backs, and blazing fire scorching them at their sides. Even clothes laid over them burn like a mountain of fire. When they eat, their food turns into pus and blood.

Even while still alive in the human world, they may suffer from demonic illness and become bedridden, their bodies rotting and stinking until others recoil from them. After a long illness, their flesh wastes away and their sinews and bones grow weak. Once they fall into hell, it is difficult for them to be reborn in the heavens. Even if they are eventually born among humans, they may be deaf or blind, constantly ill, and disfigured, living in worse conditions than ordinary people, with even their relatives treating them as though they were castoffs. Husbands and wives may part before their time, while orphans and widows must depend on others. They may spend their whole lives in poverty, low status, hunger, and cold, with ugly appearances, barely retaining human form. All these offenses arise from breaking the fast. If they do not repent, they will continue sinking through rebirth. So the Compassionate Venerable One spoke a verse to guide those who had not yet awakened.

Those who break the fast in this life will be reborn as hungry ghosts after death. When hungry, they can swallow only raging flames; when thirsty, they can drink only molten copper. Their bodies are burned and scorched, and they must tread on blades sharp as frost. They suffer without pause, day and night, with no end. Even if they have a chance to escape this suffering, they will be reborn as animals such as dogs and horses. Such people are hungry, cold, poor, and lowly—how could they ever have a peaceful and fulfilled life?

I am now moved by compassion and pity for living beings. Though I have endured calamities through the ages, my wisdom remains inexhaustible. I have therefore established this great bridge of Buddhist and Daoist teaching to save living beings who are ignorant and unenlightened. I bow low before the supreme Dao and pay reverence to the Taiji Palace of free and untroubled ease.

The assembly gathered at the ritual altar today is fortunate to hear this hymn, this scripture, and this repentance text. Those who have committed such deeds must each bear the corresponding consequences. Today, let everyone make a vow and set their hearts upon it, dedicating their merit to the Three Holy Ones, the revered deities of Daoism, and praying never again to incur this kind of offense. Wherever living beings may be in the Six Realms, the six destinations of rebirth, or among the Four Births—womb-born, egg-born, moisture-born, and transformation-born—whether they are suffering now or have yet to receive their karmic punishment, they should confess and repent as people do today, and pray to find liberation through this practice.

The presiding penitent, [name], bows before this repentance text to pray for peace and to commend the deceased to salvation. Prostrating with the whole body, they make their vow with sincerity. I bow before the compassionate and revered deities, and respectfully pay homage to the true sages.

With sincere reverence, I bow before the Celestial Worthy of Jade Purity Who Brings Blessings; the Celestial Worthy Who Hears Sounds and Relieves Suffering; the Celestial Worthy of Boundless Taihua; the Celestial Worthy of Golden Countenance and Wondrous Form; the Celestial Worthy Whose Form Pervades Empty Space; the Celestial Worthy of Great Power in the Ten Directions; the Celestial Worthy Who Preserves Life for a Thousand Years; the Celestial Worthy of Inexhaustible Efficacious Response; the Celestial Worthy Who Manifests a Visible Form; the Celestial Worthy Who Responds to Those with Affinity; and the Celestial Worthy Who Reveals Himself by Taking Form.

With single-minded reverence, I bow to the Celestial Worthies Dongming, Zongzhen, Jinque, Longde, Huanzhao, Dongxu, Duwu, Aoyi, Wanyuan, and Baosheng; to the Supreme Celestial Worthy of the Great Luo Heaven; the Celestial Worthy Who Opens the Way and Delivers All Beings; the Celestial Worthy Who Grants Long Life and Preserves Life; the Celestial Worthy Taiyi Who Rescues from Suffering; the Celestial Worthy of Universal Compassion Who Protects the Nation; the Celestial Worthy of Ease and Joy; the Celestial Worthy Who Grants Rebirth According to One’s Wishes; the Celestial Worthy of Boundless Reach; the Celestial Worthy of the Ocean of Merit and Virtue; and all the Celestial Worthies of the Four Fulfillments.

With single-minded reverence, I bow to the Perfected Ones Fajie and Luntian, and the Perfected One of Great Compassion Who Rescues from Suffering; to the Celestial Worthy of the Ocean of True Virtue, Great Compassion, and the Extraction of Sins; to all the Celestial Worthies of the Four Fulfillments; and to the Perfected Ones Fajie and Luntian, the Perfected One of Great Compassion Who Rescues from Suffering, and the Perfected One of Great Compassion Who Removes Sins.

“Reverently bow with single-minded devotion” is a formula used in Zhaijiao purification rituals and repentance liturgies. It expresses focused reverence in paying homage to the listed divine beings and Perfected Ones.

May all those assembled at the Daoist sanctuary today, together with the donors who make offerings, join in seeking the aid of the Supreme Celestial Worthy of Lingbao in the northwest, the revered deities and holy beings, the mighty spirits and immortals of Heaven, Earth, and Water, the perfected ones and young attendants, as well as the immortals dwelling in famous mountains and grotto-heavens, and all holy beings associated with rivers, their sources, and ancient sites. May all the true sages throughout the ten directions and the subtle, empty realms—whether appearing in wondrous forms, as perfected ones, jade boys, jade maidens, or Dharma bodies—protect the one who presides over this repentance, so-and-so, with their compassionate wish to deliver all beings, the power of the Dao, and the hearts of perfected ones and young attendants.

May the three generations and nine generations of ancestors of the one who presides over this repentance, so-and-so, and their own past, future, and present selves, be freed from boundless offenses and karmic entanglements. If they have ever committed the offense of breaking a purification fast, may they sincerely repent today and pray to attain universal liberation through the power of the Dao.

From this day onward, may they purify their heart and cleanse their body before the holy perfected ones, and respectfully observe the rites of purification. May the merit thereby gained raise up their nine generations of ancestors and rescue those sunk in suffering below; may it extend to themselves, all their family and dependents, and beings of the six paths and four forms of birth, so that all may reach the far shore of liberation through attaining the Dao. May all attain universal liberation through the power of the Dao. From this day onward, may they purify their heart and cleanse their body before the holy perfected ones, and respectfully observe the rites of purification; may this merit raise up their nine generations of ancestors and rescue those sunk in suffering, extending to themselves, all their family and dependents, and beings of the six paths and four forms of birth, so that all may reach the far shore of the Dao.

(Bow once.)

Section Four: Do Not Violate the Scripture’s Precepts.

Today, everyone in the Daoist assembly should gather their minds and act with sincere devotion, bowing in reverence and taking refuge in the Compassionate Venerable One, the compassionate deity. They should repent for the sins they have committed by violating the scriptures and precepts. The leader of the repentance rite, a certain person, gathers his thoughts, kneels upright on the ground, and listens attentively as the scripture is proclaimed:

All living beings have the three forms of karma—of body, speech, and mind—and the six faculties: eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind. From the distant past through this present life and this very day, people have committed countless sins: theft, sexual misconduct, stinginess and greed, anger, delusion, frivolous speech, lies, cruel words, and sowing discord. These sins bind themselves around the body, leaving people unable to attain liberation.

The precepts in the scriptures clearly set out various paths of practice. Their numbers differ, as do their levels of stringency. All are meant to admonish and guide living beings, removing and reducing deeply rooted karmic obstructions. There are three precepts, five precepts, six precepts, seven precepts, eight precepts, nine precepts, ten precepts, twelve optional precepts, fourteen precepts for guarding the body, twenty-four precepts, twenty-seven precepts, and thirty-six precepts. There are also the forty lower-grade precepts, sixty middle-grade precepts, and eighty-one upper-grade precepts of the Dongxuan Cavern; the one hundred and eighty precepts; the three hundred Upper Clarity precepts for contemplating the body; and the seven hundred and twenty precepts of the Dongshen Cavern. Each has its own level, guiding beings who are lost in delusion.

Those who uphold the precepts can receive blessings without limit, while those who fail to observe them must endure karmic retribution without limit. The scriptures and teachings of the Three Caverns—Dongzhen, Dongxuan, and Dongshen—have already spread among humanity, yet some beings still cannot bring themselves to believe and accept them. How much harder, then, is it for them to accept the precepts?

The precepts are like a fortress and dwelling for living beings. Jade youths and maidens, Vajra deities, divine kings, and mighty warriors come to guard them, offering protection on either side. Observing the precepts can avert calamities and misfortune, preserve life, and extend one’s years. The compassionate light of the perfected sages shines upon the practitioner, and the heavens rejoice. Weapons, fire and flood, tigers and wolves, insects and snakes, illness, imprisonment, ghosts and bandits, hunger and cold, and every kind of trouble can all be dispelled. Those who pray for a boy receive a boy; those who pray for a girl receive a girl. They may also gain wealth and rank, intelligence, and a dignified appearance, and earn the respect of others. These blessings are beyond conception.

In a future rebirth, one may be born in a pure land of the heavenly palaces, dwelling among flower terraces and jeweled trees. Clothing and food will be provided naturally, and one will enjoy the wondrous offerings of the heavenly kitchens. Riding cloud canopies and dragon chariots, one will travel freely for pleasure, continually hear the teachings of the scriptures, and stand in attendance beside the Compassionate Venerable One. Through successive rebirths, one will ultimately encounter the true and authentic Dao.

If all living beings can uphold the precepts, the precepts will be like a precious sword, able to cut through everything; like a Dharma boat, able to ferry all across; like a blazing fire, able to burn everything away; and like pure water, able to cleanse everything. Those who uphold the precepts can prevent faults and put an end to evil conduct, discipline body and mind, subdue demonic obstacles, and establish a spiritual connection with divine and holy beings.

Some of you living beings have received the precepts yourselves; others have seen them bestowed upon someone else. Yet you show them no respect and place no faith in them. You are often arrogant, repeatedly defile and violate the precepts, and accumulate offenses. You even slander them, treating them as words of jest, and never take care to protect them. Your words and actions contradict each other. When copying scriptures, you are careless; when bowing and reciting, you are lazy and inattentive. The text is disordered and inconsistent, and you do not follow the scriptures.

Some of you read the Great Clarity Canon, the Upper Clarity Canon, or the Jade Clarity Canon, either reciting them yourselves or watching others recite them, yet treat this as an occasion for disrespect and mockery. You give no reverent thought to the texts and insult the words of the sages. Even when you praise the Great Dao, you feel no wish to make offerings, and you do not devote yourselves single-mindedly to protecting the scriptures. Some use poor paper and ink when making copies, bind them shoddily, and attach crooked cords and scroll rods, causing the texts to become soiled or pages to fall out. Others annotate or alter the meaning of the scriptures, creating obstacles through their ignorance, without any reverence in their hearts.

These offenses cause karmic obstructions to take deep root. If they are not cleansed through repentance, the chance of liberation will be lost. While alive in this world, one may be afflicted by grave illness, with a weakened body and faint breath, crude speech, no understanding of rites and music, and no ability to distinguish when to advance, retreat, accept, or refuse. At the end of life, one may find it difficult to ascend to a pure land. Sinful karma can cast one into dark and painful realms, where suffering never ends and rebirth is difficult. One must also endure all kinds of punishments, repaying each debt incurred through one’s offenses, groaning in pain as flesh and bone are injured. Bound by karmic obstructions, one must suffer alone the punishment of climbing the high branches of sword trees, and the torment of boiling cauldrons that press one down into the scalding liquid. This continues until one’s sins have been exhausted. All of this comes from violating the precepts, and violation of the precepts begins with disbelief in the scriptures and teachings.

Then the Compassionate Venerable One spoke this verse:

Those who violate the scriptural precepts in this life will fall into the Hell of Blades and Needles after death. Blades and needles will pierce both sides of their bodies, subjecting them to unbearable pain. These karmic sufferings arise from having failed to believe in the Orthodox Way in a past life. Thus, the Compassionate Venerable One proclaimed this verse:

Those who violate the scriptural precepts in this life will fall into the Hell of Blades and Needles after death. Blades and needles will pierce both sides of their bodies, and the pain will be unbearable. They will also suffer on a mountain of blades before being cast into a cauldron of boiling broth. They will be unable to die, and must endure countless kalpas before they can be reborn.

All those gathered in today’s ritual assembly should, as the scriptures teach, become alert and fearful. The sins we ourselves have committed by violating the scriptures and breaking the precepts are boundless, immeasurably grave, and difficult to reckon. In a future life, or even in this life, we may suffer the corresponding consequences. Today, let us sincerely devote ourselves to making prostrations, openly acknowledge our offenses, and repent. May all beings in the Four Births and Six Realms—the various forms of life and destinations in the cycle of rebirth—share an understanding of the law of cause and effect and each attain liberation.

The principal of repentance, a certain person, bows before this liturgy of repentance to pray for peace or to dedicate merit to the deceased. With the five parts of the body touching the ground, he makes his vow with a single-minded heart. He bows in homage to the Compassionate Venerable One and reverently pays respect to all the True Sages.

With sincere reverence, we bow in homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Bestows Blessings from Jade Purity.

With sincere reverence, we bow in homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Hears the Cries and Rescues from Suffering.

With sincere reverence, we bow in homage to the Celestial Worthy of Boundless Great Florescence.

With sincere reverence, we bow in homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Radiance of Sun and Moon.

With sincere reverence, we bow in homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Attained the Dao Above.

With sincere reverence, we bow in homage to the Celestial Worthy of Merit and Virtue.

With sincere reverence, we bow in homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Hears the Cries and Rescues from Suffering.

With sincere reverence, we bow in homage to the Celestial Worthy of Boundless Great Florescence.

With sincere reverence, we bow in homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Radiance of Sun and Moon.

With sincere reverence, we bow in homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Attained the Dao Above.

With sincere reverence, we bow in homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Mountain of Meritorious Treasures.

With sincere reverence, we bow in homage to the Celestial Worthy, King of All Treasure Mountains.

With sincere reverence, we bow in homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Ten Virtues Above.

With sincere reverence, we bow in homage to the Celestial Worthy of All Wisdom.

With sincere reverence, we bow in homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Power of Dao-Wisdom.

With sincere reverence, we bow in homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Nature of Dao and Things.

With sincere reverence, we bow in homage to the Celestial Worthy Whose Merit and Virtue Pervade All.

With sincere reverence, we bow in homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Joy of the Dharma.

With sincere reverence, we bow in homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Transmits and Transforms.

With sincere reverence, we bow in homage to the Celestial Worthy of Good Precepts.

With sincere reverence, we bow in homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Spreads the Teachings.

With sincere reverence, we bow in homage to the Great One, the Celestial Worthy Who Rescues from Suffering.

With single-minded devotion, I pay reverence to the Celestial Worthy Who Preserves Life and Prolongs Longevity, the divine being who protects life and safeguards one’s years.

With single-minded devotion, I pay reverence to the Celestial Worthy of Universal Compassion and Protection of the Nation, the divine being who bestows compassion widely and protects the nation.

With single-minded devotion, I pay reverence to the Celestial Worthy of Freedom and Joy, the divine being who grants people ease and peace.

With single-minded devotion, I pay reverence to the Celestial Worthy Who Grants Rebirth According to One’s Vows, the divine being who helps the deceased attain rebirth in accordance with their wishes.

With single-minded devotion, I pay reverence to the Celestial Worthy Without Boundaries, the divine being whose Virtue and power are vast and without limit.

With single-minded devotion, I pay reverence to the Celestial Worthy Whose Merit and Virtue Are Like an Ocean, the divine being whose merit and virtue are deep and boundless as the sea.

With single-minded devotion, I pay reverence to the Perfected One Who Rescues and Guides, the Perfected One who aids and guides sentient beings.

With single-minded devotion, I pay reverence to the Perfected One Who Delivers from Suffering, the Perfected One who rescues sentient beings from hardship.

With single-minded devotion, I pay reverence to the Celestial Worthy Who Grants Rebirth According to One’s Vows.

With single-minded devotion, I pay reverence to the Celestial Worthy Without Boundaries.

With single-minded devotion, I pay reverence to the Celestial Worthy Whose Merit and Virtue Are Like an Ocean.

With single-minded devotion, I pay reverence to the Perfected One Who Rescues and Guides.

With single-minded devotion, I pay reverence to the Perfected One Who Delivers from Suffering.

With single-minded devotion, I pay reverence to the Perfected One of Great Compassion Who Rescues from Suffering, the Perfected One who aids sentient beings in hardship through great compassion.

With single-minded devotion, I pay reverence to the Perfected One of Great Mercy Who Delivers from Sin, the Perfected One who frees sentient beings from the consequences of their transgressions through great mercy.

Today in this ritual sanctuary, the leader of repentance and the assembly together look reverently toward the northwest, toward the Supreme Celestial Worthy of Numinous Treasure, as well as all the honored deities, sages, immortals, perfected beings, attendants, and all true sages who respond and manifest throughout the mysterious and void realms of the ten directions. May they join in bringing forth the power of the Dao and awaken their hearts of compassion.

May the leader of repentance’s parents from all three lifetimes, their parents in this life, and they themselves and all their family members be released through today’s repentance from every kind of wrongdoing committed in the past through breaking precepts and violating the scriptures. From today onward and into the future, should they wear dark caps and yellow-brown robes, becoming the Dharma bodies of male or female officials, may they uphold the precepts together in accordance with the Dharma; proclaim the precepts and receive precepts and registers together at the altar; receive instruction in the precepts from the same teacher; be examined and guided at the same place; recommend one another; and together deliver living beings. May they recite the scriptures and keep the precepts, or become attendants to male or female officials, vowing forever to observe the precepts, devoutly maintain the incense offerings, remain constantly vigilant and self-disciplined, teach the disciples of the Dharma lineage, fulfill the vows they have received, and cultivate the supreme Great Dao.

May living beings be saved through good deeds and wisdom, using skillful means to leave behind the defilements of the world. May they devoutly maintain the incense offerings, remain constantly vigilant and self-disciplined, teach the disciples of the Dharma lineage, fulfill the vows they have received, and cultivate the supreme Great Dao. May all living beings hear and witness the Dao’s teachings, rejoice in their hearts, realize the state of Wuwei (non-action), and take refuge in the Great Dao. One bow.

Taishang Cibei Daochang Xiaozai Jiuyou Chan, Scroll Six

Taishang Cibei Daochang Xiaozai Jiuyou Chan, Scroll Seven

Compiled by Ge Xuan, Left Immortal Duke of the Supreme Ultimate

Chapter One: Purging Rebellion Against Parents

Assembly gathered in the ritual sanctuary today, each of you, collect your thoughts and bow before the compassionate deities, repenting for the sins of defying your parents and failing in filial devotion. The leader of repentance, so-and-so, composed in spirit, kneels respectfully and listens to what the scripture says: All living beings come into being under the light of the sun and moon and grow as the seasons turn; their bodies, hair, and skin all come from their parents. The Pujing says that whatever the circumstances through which parents formed their bond, one should understand the weight of their kindness and moral duty, and know how to repay the grace of their nurture.

The Venerable One said: When a person’s body is upright, its shadow is naturally upright; when the body is crooked, its shadow is crooked too. When a person’s voice is clear, its echo is naturally distinct; when the voice is muddled, the echo is muddled as well. The same principle applies to filial conduct.

If a family honors its elders and treats its brothers and sisters with affection, the young and old in the household will live in peace and happiness. The people of the world will respect them, and the spirits will protect them. Their filial and loving ways will be passed down through the generations, becoming a precious blessing for the family. But if unfilial conduct continues from one generation to the next, family members will grow resentful toward one another. Though they are called parents and children, they will live like enemies. Those who defy and neglect their parents will attract children who do the same. Parents and siblings will keep their money separate and eat separately; though they live in the same courtyard, they will grow vegetables in separate plots, and though they share the same fields, they will divide the grain among themselves. They will hide the tastiest food and eat as if sneaking a meal. Though they have human form, they are worse than birds and beasts. They will receive no protection from the spirits, and misfortune will follow them throughout their lives. After death, they will fall into hell and suffer every torment, enduring for ages before they can be reborn. The scripture also says that those who defy their parents will be reborn as the baolao bird. Before the young birds grow up and fly from the nest, they must peck at their mother together. They will then be reborn as humans, and those who gather as defiant people will become parents and children to one another, harming and despising each other. No suffering in the world is deeper than this.

Without a father, a person could not be born; without a mother, a person could not grow. Heaven and Earth nurture all things, and a person takes form within the mother’s body. The father’s and mother’s vital essences join, and the mother carries the child for ten months, bearing its weight and finding it difficult to sit or lie comfortably. As labor approaches, she is filled with fear and worry, as if her life might end at any moment. During childbirth, she endures agony within and without, crying out in pain as body and mind are put to the test. Her body trembles, and she is overcome with terror. When the child is born, the mother’s joy is beyond measure. She settles the child safely and tends to it at her side for three months, constantly afraid that evil influences might harm it.

When the child is hungry, it depends on its mother for food; when thirsty, it depends on her milk. The scripture says that the child drinks a total of eight hu and four sheng of its mother’s milk—ancient measures of capacity—and that the mother carries and cares for the child for more than a thousand days. She washes away its filth, gives it the dry place, and bears the discomfort of dampness herself, saving the best for the child. Without a father, the child could not be born; without a mother, the child could not be raised.

Long ago, during the Kaihuang kalpa, a period in Daoist reckoning of the cycles of the world, the Venerable One saw a man whose parents were old and frail, while their son went from morning to night without visiting them. The parents lived alone in an empty room, neglected like strangers. They had too little food and clothing and suffered from hunger and cold. Their hands and feet were covered with sores, their hearing had failed and their eyesight was dim. They could only lie on a crude bed and mat, enduring a wretched life. The old people were so thin and weak that ants and lice crawled over them; mosquitoes and other insects bit them, keeping them awake all night. They could only let out long sighs.

Seeing that their son was unfilial, they leaned on their canes and went to find him, humbly trying to tell him of their suffering. But he glared at them, shouted and cursed, then turned back into the house and walked away with one hand against the wall. His parents beat their chests and wept bitterly until their eyes were red and swollen, lamenting again and again: “We would have been better off dying sooner.”

The mother said to her elder son: “When you were little, who would have raised you if not for me? I fed you and protected you. I carried you for ten months like a heavy burden, and even breathing or walking was harder than usual. At times I could not bear the heat or cold, and could neither sit nor lie comfortably. My abdomen ached, my chest felt tight, my hair fell out, and my body grew thin until I could hardly eat. In the month before you were born, I was often afraid I would not survive. On the day you came into the world, my life was like a candle in the wind; pain pierced my limbs and every vessel, and fire seemed to burn my internal organs. When you were finally born, joy and fear came together. The many kinds of suffering cannot be told.

“Until you were three, I carried you day and night. I could not even keep myself clean when sitting or lying down, and I had no regular time to sleep or eat. I watched your face and paid attention to whether you were hungry or full. Whenever you fell ill, your parents’ hearts were cut like knives. When I heard that you were suffering, I could not eat; my mouth grew dry and my heart was consumed with worry as I tried every way to pray for your well-being. Gold and silver, clothes and toys—I was willing to give them all if only you would be safe. As a child, wherever I went, you followed me; you could not eat or sleep without me. If you did not see me for a day, you would refuse to eat all day; if you did not see me for a night, you would cry until you could not sleep. How did you grow up and suddenly become my enemy? Now that I have you, I would have been better off never having you. I only hope to die soon and be parted from you.”

Later, this son committed grave offenses through his defiance and lack of filial piety. After death, he fell into the northern Fengdu hell, the underworld prison described in Daoist teaching, where he endured every kind of suffering through countless deaths and rebirths. His torments defy description. The Venerable One then spoke a verse for those who had yet to awaken.

Good deeds bring good results; the consequences of evil deeds ultimately return to their source in evil karma. Those who did not know how to show kindness and filial respect while alive will sink into suffering for a long time after death, enduring all manner of hardship and passing back and forth through the gates of the Eighteen Layers of the Underworld. Unless they encounter the Three Days of Absolution in our Daoist tradition, they will never hear of an opportunity for salvation and rebirth. They may even be reborn as birds that toil in hardship, whose flesh and bones are devoured by their young. Only after their karmic retribution has been exhausted can they be reborn as human beings, perhaps even meeting their descendants again.

All those gathered at the Daoist altar today should awaken deeply upon hearing this passage from the scripture. Reflecting on your past and present lives, you may have committed the sin of defying and failing to honor your parents; in the future, you may suffer such retribution. You should strive to cultivate goodness and resolve to repent. May all beings enduring karmic retribution find liberation. The principal penitent, [name], respectfully recites this repentance text to pray for peace and to dedicate merit to the departed. Prostrating with all five limbs touching the ground, the penitent focuses on this vow, bows before the compassionate and venerable deities, and reverently pays homage to the true sages.

With single-minded sincerity and reverence, I bow before the Celestial Worthy of Jade Clarity, Who Bestows Blessings. May all beings enduring karmic retribution find liberation. The principal penitent, [name], respectfully recites this repentance text to pray for peace and to dedicate merit to the departed. Prostrating with all five limbs touching the ground, the penitent focuses on this vow, bows before the compassionate and venerable deities, and reverently pays homage to the true sages.

With single-minded sincerity and reverence, I bow before the Celestial Worthy of Jade Clarity, Who Bestows Blessings.

With single-minded sincerity and reverence, I bow before the Celestial Worthy Who Hears the Cries and Rescues from Suffering.

With single-minded sincerity and reverence, I bow before the Celestial Worthy of the Mysterious Highest Jade Purity.

With single-minded sincerity and reverence, I bow before the Celestial Worthy Who Saves All in the World.

With single-minded sincerity and reverence, I bow before the Celestial Worthy of the True Light of Brahma Qi.

With single-minded sincerity and reverence, I bow before the Celestial Worthy of Wondrous Sound and Freedom.

With single-minded sincerity and reverence, I bow before the Celestial Worthy of the Supreme Dharma, Free and Unhindered.

With single-minded sincerity and reverence, I bow before the Celestial Worthy of the Mysterious Capital and Ten Thousand Longevities.

With single-minded sincerity and reverence, I bow before the Celestial Worthy, King of Everlasting Joy.

With single-minded sincerity and reverence, I bow before the Celestial Worthy Who Excels Above All and Rescues from Suffering.

With single-minded sincerity and reverence, I bow before the Celestial Worthy Who Constantly Increases Supreme Goodness.

With single-minded sincerity and reverence, I bow before the Celestial Worthy of Gathered Radiance and Golden Blossoms.

With single-minded sincerity and reverence, I bow before the Celestial Worthy of Purple Clarity Who Transcends Souls.

With single-minded sincerity and reverence, I bow before the Celestial Worthy of Wondrous Dharma and Skillful Means.

With single-minded sincerity and reverence, I bow before the Celestial Worthy Who Brings Forth All Things.

With single-minded sincerity and reverence, I bow before the Celestial Worthy of the Jade Sea of Dharma.

With single-minded sincerity and reverence, I bow before the Celestial Worthy Who Manifests and Responds to All Encounters.

With single-minded sincerity and reverence, I bow before the Celestial Worthy of Harmonious Qi Who Embraces All Beings.

With single-minded sincerity and reverence, I bow before the Celestial Worthy of Perfected Realization and Complete Illumination.

With utmost sincerity, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Manifestation and Responsive Guidance, who appears in visible form and teaches beings according to their needs; to the Celestial Worthy of Harmonious Vitality and Nurturing Life, whose peaceful Qi nourishes all beings; to the Celestial Worthy of Realized Attainment and Perfect Radiance, who has attained the fruit of the Dao and whose wisdom shines in perfection; to the Celestial Worthy of the Golden Body of the Great Luo Heaven, who possesses the noble Dharma body of a Celestial Worthy of the Great Luo Heaven; to the Celestial Worthy of the Intent of the Great Dao, who embodies the purpose of the Great Dao; to the Celestial Worthy of Cultivating the Wondrous Practice, who cultivates the subtle and wondrous Dao; to the Celestial Worthy of Deep, Constant Stillness, who is profoundly tranquil, enduring, clear, still, and free from action; to the Celestial Worthy of Great Might and Virtue; to the Celestial Worthy of Universal Radiance and Wondrous Efficacy, whose light shines everywhere and whose wondrous workings are without limit; to the Celestial Worthy of Constant Resonance and Response, who continually connects with beings and responds through transformation; to the Celestial Worthy Taiyi, Savior from Suffering, the revered deity who delivers beings from hardship; to the Celestial Worthy of Long Life and Preservation of Life; to the Celestial Worthy of Universal Compassion and Protection of the Nation; to the Celestial Worthy of Ease and Joy; to the Celestial Worthy Who Guides Beings to Rebirth According to Their Wishes; to the Celestial Worthy Without Boundaries; and to the Celestial Worthy of the Ocean of Merit and Virtue.

With utmost sincerity, we pay homage to the Perfected of Donghua, the Perfected of the Five Emperors, the Greatly Compassionate Perfected Who Saves from Suffering, and the Greatly Merciful Perfected Who Removes Sin. The practitioners gathered at today’s Daoist ritual site also pay homage, with utmost sincerity, to the Perfected of the Five Emperors, the Greatly Compassionate Perfected Who Saves from Suffering, and the Greatly Merciful Perfected Who Removes Sin.

Today, at the Daoist altar, the donor and the assembly present look up and pray to the Unsurpassed Celestial Worthy of Numinous Treasure of the North, along with the revered gods, holy perfected ones, Great Perfected Ones, great immortals, great youths, and all the perfected and holy beings—whether manifest or hidden—who dwell throughout the ten directions and fill the realm of mystery. They ask these beings to use cinnabar blossom water, the sacred water of purification, to cleanse the sins committed from countless kalpas until the present by the repentance petitioner, a certain person, and their relatives across three generations.

Among these sins may be acts of defying one’s parents or failing in filial duty, committed but not yet met with retribution. Through this repentance, may these sins now be erased, and may the corresponding retribution no longer be suffered. From this day forward, may they, in every life, honor their parents as they honor Heaven, Earth, and the sovereign, and revere them as they revere the stars, the sun, and the moon. May they be loyal to the state and filial at home; may they show compassion and follow the good in their dealings with both human and nonhuman beings; may they recognize and correct their former faults and come to understand the Great Dao without delay. They bow once.

Chapter Two: Vowing to Repay Loving Kindness: The second chapter, on vowing to repay loving kindness and benevolence.

Those gathered at the sacred altar today each devote themselves to taking refuge in the Compassionate Venerable One, the compassionate deity, and listen to teachings on repaying compassionate kindness and understanding cause and effect. The leader of the repentance rite gathers his thoughts, kneels respectfully, and listens to the scripture.

All living beings are caught in the cycle of birth and death, lingering in the shadowy underworld through successive lives. I now release a vast radiance that illuminates the five directions and the ten lands, so that beings who suffer may all be delivered. Only those who defy their parents cannot ascend to a blessed realm. You should know that the kindness of parents is profound and boundless; even if one’s body were shattered to pieces, one could never repay it in full.

If you steadfastly practice goodness, honoring and caring for your parents in outward conduct and embracing compassion in your heart, you should regard not only your birth parents as family but all living beings as parents, brothers and sisters, kin, children, and those who need care and protection. Do not harm other lives or eat their flesh. Whether beings come from past lives, future lives, or this present life, help them in every way as you would your own relatives. This is called repaying kindness.

Men and women who wish to accumulate merit and repay the nurturing kindness of Heaven and Earth, the sovereign, their teachers and honored ones, and their birth parents should do so in order: first repay Heaven and Earth, then the sovereign, their teachers and honored ones, and their birth parents, and then all beings on Earth and their own family members. After people are born from their mother’s womb, whether one year, ten years, a hundred years, or even a hundred and twenty years have passed, they should build up merit in advance. On each first seventh day—the seventh day after a loved one’s death, and other days of repentance and memorial observance that recur every seven days—they should carry out the practices in sequence and repeat them in turn. Even after many years have passed, the merit they create should follow this same order.

The rites for cultivating merit include: first, making sacred images; second, copying scriptures; third, making a forty-nine-foot banner, arranging for forty-nine ritual masters or participants, preparing vegetarian food, establishing a sacred altar, and respectfully inviting scriptures and sacred images. The ritual master lights forty-nine lamps according to the prescribed rites; those with sufficient means may add more. The lamps may also be arranged in the shape of a wheel and kept burning continuously for three days and three nights, seven days and seven nights, or forty-nine days and nights. One should sincerely bow and repent for the sovereign, one’s teachers and honored ones, the relatives of one’s teachers, one’s parents, siblings, and all one’s family members; pray for blessings and good fortune, repay compassionate kindness, make offerings with all one’s heart, and voice praise and admiration.

After repenting for every transgression, one must reform, begin anew in goodness, diligently observe vegetarian discipline and precepts, and turn toward acts of compassion. Offerings should be used to help the poor and lowly, people with disabilities or illnesses, the lonely and elderly, prisoners, the hungry, and other living beings. Those who lack kindness should be urged to sow good causes. When travelers from afar urgently ask for help in hardship, one should aid them, relieve their distress, and provide food and clothing so their needs are met.

One should also renew one’s vows to love and honor one’s parents and elders. Those with means may commission sacred images and copy scriptures to rescue the departed who have sunk into the Three Evil Paths and the Five Sufferings—the many torments of hell, the hungry ghost realm, and the animal realm—so that they may escape suffering and be reborn according to their wishes. All this is called repaying compassionate kindness.

If men or women have, during their lives, slandered the Three Treasures—the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha—or been disloyal or unfilial toward the sovereign, their teachers and honored ones, or their parents, or have committed grave offenses such as the Five Rebellious Sins, and fear falling into hell after death and suffering the consequences of their deeds, they should vow to copy scriptures of repentance for the sovereign, their teachers and honored ones, and their parents. Even if they copy only a single sentence or verse, they should bow and recite the sacred name. Whether they practice for one person, two people, or more, they can all accumulate merit. The scripture says that after death such people may avoid entering hell and suffering the consequences of their former offenses, and instead be reborn in Heaven and enjoy peace and happiness.

If men and women can, on the Three Primordial Festivals and the Eight Seasonal Festivals—important Daoist festivals and days of ritual observance—bow and recite sacred names, repent of sins and dispel misfortune, and make vegetarian offerings at home or by visiting a sacred altar where deities are enshrined and rites are performed, they should prepare pure offerings such as fragrant incense, flowers, and fruit, and diligently practice with sincere devotion day and night. By praying for blessings, protection for the peace of the country and its people, and deliverance for all beings on Earth, they can cleanse their own Ten Evil Deeds and acts of defiance, as well as the offenses already committed or not yet atoned for by their parents and ancestors across nine generations.

If, on these days, they explain the meaning of the scriptures and guide the ignorant, inspiring in them loyalty and filial devotion, as well as a wish to save all living beings, the merit gained through such practice is especially sublime. The Compassionate Venerable One then spoke a verse for those who had not yet understood.

All people in the world should cultivate filial piety. They should revere and cherish Heaven and Earth as they would their parents. In the end, they can attain the fruit of the Dao, and their subtle, excellent conduct will grow day by day. I now proclaim this profound teaching; its merit is supreme.

Then the Compassionate Venerable, the compassionate divine being, spoke this verse to those who had not yet awakened:

All people in the world should cultivate filial piety. They should revere and cherish Heaven and Earth as they would their parents. In the end, they can attain the fruit of the Dao, and their subtle, excellent conduct will grow day by day. I now proclaim this profound teaching to save beings sunk in suffering. Beings bind themselves to one another through cycles of gratitude and resentment, repaying one another day and night in an endless turning, like the passage of the kalpas. I have established this great bridge of the Dharma to guide you across the river of desire and attachment. The Three Caverns scriptures (Dongzhen, Dongxuan, and Dongshen), the classifications of Daoist scriptures, are truly subtle; they enable those with an affinity for them to transcend and ascend.

Today, the repentance leader, So-and-so, and the assembly have followed the scriptures’ teachings and understood the many causes and conditions involved in repaying kindness. They have reflected on how they should repay it and vowed not to act in defiance or transgression. Today, to pray for peace and commend the deceased, everyone respectfully pays homage to this text of repentance, prostrating with all five limbs on the ground and making vows with one mind. All bow before the Compassionate Venerable and reverently pay homage to the true sages.

With sincere reverence, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Jade Purity, who bestows blessings from the realm of Jade Purity.

With sincere reverence, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Hears the Cries and Relieves Suffering, who hastens to relieve those who call for help.

With sincere reverence, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Mysterious Supreme Jade Ch’en.

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

With sincere reverence, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy, King of All Wisdom.

With sincere reverence, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Numinous Transformations of Great Purity.

With sincere reverence, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Pure Conduct and Right Contemplation.

With sincere reverence, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Preaches the Dharma in the Nine Depths, the realm of the Nine Depths.

With sincere reverence, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Reveals Radiant Divine Powers.

With sincere reverence, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Manifests Transformations in Every Direction.

With sincere reverence, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Golden Form and Sublime Radiance.

With sincere reverence, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Emptiness, Stillness, and Right Contemplation.

With sincere reverence, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Transforms Those Destined for Deliverance throughout the Three Realms.

With sincere reverence, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Responds to Names by the Hundreds of Millions.

With sincere reverence, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Responds to Vows and Rescues Beings.

I sincerely and reverently pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Precious Substance and the Dharma Sea.

I sincerely and reverently pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Saving Life, the Purple Palace.

I sincerely and reverently pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Bringing Illumination and High Conduct.

I sincerely and reverently pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Boundless Benefit to All Beings.

I sincerely and reverently pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Supreme Heaven, Precious Substance, and the Dharma Sea, of Sublime Excellence.

I sincerely and reverently pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Saving Life, the Purple Palace.

I sincerely and reverently pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Bringing Illumination and High Conduct.

I sincerely and reverently pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Boundless Benefit to All Beings.

I sincerely and reverently pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Supreme and Sublime Excellence.

I sincerely and reverently pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Precious Majesty.

I sincerely and reverently pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Sea of Hidden Treasures.

I sincerely and reverently pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Benevolent Response.

I sincerely and reverently pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Great One, Savior from Suffering, the revered deity in Daoism who delivers those in distress and rescues the souls of the dead.

I sincerely and reverently pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Long Life and Preservation of Life.

I sincerely and reverently pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Universal Compassion and Protection of the Nation.

I sincerely and reverently pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Boundlessness.

I sincerely and reverently pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of an Ocean of Merit and Virtue.

I sincerely and reverently pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Ease and Joy.

I sincerely and reverently pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Rebirth According to One’s Wishes.

I sincerely and reverently pay homage to the Perfected One of Wondrous Awakening.

I sincerely and reverently pay homage to the Perfected One of Compassion and Wisdom.

I sincerely and reverently pay homage to the Greatly Compassionate Perfected One, Savior from Suffering.

I sincerely and reverently pay homage to the Greatly Merciful Perfected One, Remover of Sins.

Today, in the Daoist sanctuary, the donor and assembly together reverently invite the Unsurpassed Numinous Treasure Celestial Worthy of the North, along with all the honored spirits, holy perfected beings, great perfected ones, Celestial Immortals, Terrestrial Immortals, Child Attendants Who Relieve Suffering, and all true sages who respond and manifest throughout the mysterious and empty realms of the ten directions.

May the water of the Jade Pool cleanse body and mind. With the unobstructed power of the Celestial Worthy and the holy assembly, may the person leading the repentance, [name], set their heart on returning to all the true sages, form many kinds of wholesome affinities, receive boundless blessings, and see every wish in their heart fulfilled.

From this day onward, may the person leading the repentance vow to do all they can to repay these compassionate acts of grace. May the grievances and enmities accumulated over past lifetimes, along with offenses both great and small, be resolved. May departed teachers, parents, paternal uncles, aunts, brothers, the person themselves, their family, and relatives and old friends by marriage from three generations be freed from birth and death and attain liberation. May those still living accumulate merit, perform good deeds, and repay these acts of grace.

May the power of repentance reach all living beings, women and men alike. May all be transformed by the influence of the wondrous Daoist Way and take refuge in the Great Dao. Perform one bow.

Chapter Three: Explaining and Dispelling the Burdens Left from Past Lives.

All those gathered at this Daoist altar today should each quiet their thoughts and reverently face the Compassionate Venerable One, the compassionate deity. They should repent and dissolve the many sins left over from the past. The leader of this repentance rite, so-and-so, composed himself in body and mind, knelt upright on the ground, and listened closely to what the scripture says:

All living beings are born through the union of their parents. Their parents love one another, hold and nourish their children, and accompany them as they gradually grow. Before children can distinguish right from wrong, they are easily drawn into sensual desire, and the roots of their sinful karma deepen. Unless repentance and the teaching of scripture and precepts gradually guide living beings onto the right path, they will remain long in the grip of ignorance, hatred, and craving, bound to the world.

Parents can give birth to me and raise me, but they cannot bring me to true fulfillment. Later, my revered teacher taught me scripture and precepts, enabling me to escape affliction. Thus I know that my teacher’s kindness surpasses my parents’. The scripture tells of some who, after reaching adulthood, fail to understand the depth of their teacher’s kindness. Instead, they insult their teachers and elders, provide them with nothing they need, refuse to serve them food or clothing, treat them as strangers, and even plot to harm them. Such conduct is like that of children who defy their parents, and will ultimately bring retribution.

Others uphold fasting and precepts, yet use their status to bully the weak, their wealth and privilege to oppress the lonely and poor, and their influence to trample on the lowly and vulnerable. When serving as officials, they devote themselves to harsh exploitation, impose cruel punishments at will, enrich themselves at public expense, and act without regard for reason. They seize the blessed land of the Three Jewels—the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha; here, the religious teachings and the Daoist community—and dwell in their pure precincts. Some build sacred images, copy scriptures, construct spirit temples, kitchens, or hold Zhaijiao purification rituals. Yet while serving as stewards, they steal communal property, inflate prices in transactions, and embezzle the community’s funds or donors’ money.

Some live together with their parents, siblings, and other relatives, yet deceive and rob one another. Others shift boundary fences to encroach on their neighbors’ land, seize fields and gardens, or use official duties and influence to take other people’s shops. In business, they use false weights and measures, give too little in length or quantity, conceal small amounts, manipulate calculations, and deceive buyers. They pass off inferior goods as fine ones, short goods as long, and use every means to cheat others for a small gain. They burn down other people’s homes, falsely accuse and frame the innocent, envy the wealth and status of others, believe words that sow discord, and take out their anger on their parents. When lending money, they demand excessive interest; they covet possessions, seize them by force, and refuse to repay their debts, intending to default. Some kill living beings without cause, use illicit sex in sacrificial rites, bully officials and common people, expose others’ faults, act arrogantly and disrespectfully, and deceive both superiors and subordinates. They take the possessions of those who have left home to cultivate the Way, break into graves and steal coffins, set fishing traps, and capture living creatures in rivers, lakes, seas, and all kinds of waters.

Such sins are too numerous to count. Whenever living beings commit even one of these offenses, they must bear a corresponding severe retribution. Their actions implicate millions upon millions of ancestors and entangle their parents, themselves, and their extended families. If deceased relatives and beings from past lives meet misfortune because of these deeds, they will fall into hell after death and endure punishments such as being crushed by grinding wheels. They may suffer for ten thousand kalpas before being reborn; even if reborn as human beings, they may not live to adulthood or may spend their entire lives alone. These karmic conditions are all determined by deeds from the past.

All those gathered at this Daoist altar today should understand, as the scripture says, that the sins and blessings, good and evil deeds of living beings bring about matching retributions, returning again and again like a turning wheel, following them like a shadow, and echoing like a sound. Everyone should quiet their thoughts and practice in accordance with these teachings. If you waste your time, grow old and fall ill, and at last die, what means will you have to escape sinking into suffering when your karmic retribution comes?

Now we perform this rite of repentance. May all beings, living and dead, those who have committed offenses in the past and those whose retribution has yet to arrive, receive the nourishment of the Buddha’s teaching, be saved everywhere, and be entirely freed. The leader of this repentance rite, so-and-so, bows before this text of repentance to pray for peace and to transfer merit to the deceased. Prostrating with all five limbs touching the ground, they make their vow wholeheartedly, bow to the Compassionate Venerable One, and reverently pay homage to the true sages.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Bestowing Blessings in the Jade Clarity Realm (the revered deity who bestows blessings in the Jade Clarity realm).

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Hears the Cries and Relieves Suffering (the revered deity who hears living beings cry for help and comes to their aid).

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Mysterious Supreme Jade Hall.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Boundless Wondrous Teachings.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of True Stillness and Compassion.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Flowing Gold and Purple Pole.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Kindly Lights the Dark Night (the revered deity who illuminates the long, shadowy night).

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Deliverance from Suffering, the Numinous True One.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Precious Radiance in the Nine Nights (the revered deity whose precious light shines through the dark nights of the Nine Hells).

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Wondrous, Flaming Radiance.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Precious Pearl of the Highest Grade.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Great Compassion Who Relieves Suffering.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Supernatural Power and Penetrating the Abyss.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Brightness in Motion and Vast Illumination.

The Most Venerable One.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Precious Pearl of the Highest Grade.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Great Compassion Who Relieves Suffering.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Supernatural Power and Penetrating the Abyss.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Brightness in Motion and Vast Illumination.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Manifests Boundlessly.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Highest Truth.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Enriches with Light.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Responds to Wisdom.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Wondrous and Strange.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Divine Authority.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Abides Forever.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Whose Radiance Flows Throughout the Dharma Realm.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Grants Long Life and Preserves Vitality.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Taiyi Who Relieves Suffering (the revered deity who aids those in distress within the Taiyi tradition).

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Universal Compassion and Protection of the Nation.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Boundless.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of an Ocean of Merit and Virtue.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Freedom and Joy.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Guides the Departed to Rebirth According to Their Wishes (the revered deity who protects the dead and helps them attain rebirth as they wish).

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I pay homage to the Perfected One of Wise Appearance (the Perfected One endowed with wisdom).

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I pay homage to the Perfected One of Insightful Wisdom (the Perfected One who observes through wisdom).

With utmost sincerity and reverence, I pay homage to the Greatly Compassionate Perfected One Who Relieves Suffering.

With sincere hearts, we respectfully pay homage to the Perfected One of Great Compassion who rescues beings from sin (a revered deity who delivers beings from the consequences of their offenses).

The Venerable One in charge of this day.

With sincere hearts, we respectfully pay homage to the Perfected One of Wisdom’s Manifestation (a revered deity who embodies wisdom).

With sincere hearts, we respectfully pay homage to the Perfected One of Wise Contemplation (a revered deity who observes and illuminates through wisdom).

With sincere hearts, we respectfully pay homage to the Perfected One of Great Compassion who Relieves Suffering (a revered deity of great mercy and compassion who aids those in distress).

With sincere hearts, we respectfully pay homage to the Perfected One of Great Compassion who rescues beings from sin.

The repentance master of today’s ritual assembly (the person presiding over the repentance rites) and all those gathered here look up together in prayer to the Unsurpassed Celestial Worthy of Numinous Treasure of the North, and to all the revered deities, sages, great perfected adepts, great Perfected Ones, great youths, and countless immortal beings and holy assemblies. May all the responsive and transformed true sages throughout the Ten Directions, filling the realm of the Mysterious Void, come and listen.

May the fragrant water of cinnabar blossoms (scented water used for ritual purification) wash away defilements of the heart and offenses of speech. I, the repentance master, on behalf of my ancestors through all generations, my birth parents, uncles, brothers, children, and all relatives by marriage—whether living or deceased—confess their offenses. From past kalpas through this present life and this very day, may they be forgiven for every offense committed in body and mind and for all the karmic burdens left by their actions. Because of their karma, they have suffered its consequences; some may be imprisoned or fallen into the hells. May they accept this confession, be purified soon, escape the evil paths, and form wholesome connections. May they cease wandering through the Five Destinies (the five realms of rebirth), attain freedom and ease everywhere, share the same Dharma gate, be reborn in the realm of everlasting bliss, realize the principle of Wuwei (non-action), and ascend together to the Great Dao. One bow.

Chapter Four: Seeing Karmic Retribution

All those gathered at today’s ritual assembly, each with a focused and single-minded heart, look up and bow to the Compassionate Worthy. They confess their offenses and proclaim the causes of karmic retribution. May those who confess realize the principle of Wuwei and ascend together to the Great Dao. One bow.

Chapter Four: Seeing Karmic Retribution

Those gathered today in the sacred hall should each focus their minds and bow before the compassionate deities, confessing their wrongs and explaining the causes of karmic retribution. The presiding penitent, So-and-so, steadies his mind, kneels with his forehead to the ground, and listens carefully to the scripture:

Any being who destroys images of the true sages or the Three Caverns (Dongzhen, Dongxuan, and Dongshen), the three categories of Daoist scriptures, will suffer leprosy in this life. After death, they will fall into hell and endure countless kalpas before being reborn as a wild animal. Even if they are born human again, their tongue will be ulcerated. Those who slander people who have left home to cultivate the Dao will suffer worm-eaten sores in this life; in a future life, they will have been born among the six kinds of domestic livestock. Those who destroy sacred temples or mysterious altars will lose their eyebrows and beards and suffer bodily sores in this life; in a future life, they will have been born as venomous snakes. Those who show no reverence for the images and true likenesses of the Heavenly Worthies and the Great Dao will be dull-witted in this life and have been born into a poor and lowly family in a future life. Those who do not believe in the predestination and retribution taught by the scriptures and the Daoist teachings will be deaf and blind in this life and have been born as birds or beasts in a future life. Those who do not believe in the causes and consequences of sin and blessing will become servants in this life and have been born in a remote land in a future life. Those who slight people who have left home to cultivate the Dao will be lame in this life and have been born as pigs or dogs in a future life. Those who defile blessed grounds belonging to the Three Treasures—the Dao, the scriptures, and the masters—will be ugly in this life and have been born amid filth in a future life. Those who commit sexual misconduct with people who have left home to cultivate the Dao will be lonely and without support in this life and have been born in a filthy latrine in a future life. Those who steal the property of the Three Treasures will be poor in this life and have been born as servants in a future life. Those who steal communal property belonging to a Daoist temple will suffer wind disease in this life and have been born as livestock in a future life. Those who steal offerings from the four assemblies of believers will lose their minds in this life and have been born with a feeble intellect in a future life.

Those who eat fruits and vegetables offered to the Three Treasures will suffer wasting thirst in this life and have been born as starving tigers or venomous snakes in a future life. Those who steal food offered at purification rites will be struck by lightning or killed by ghosts in this life, and have been born as snakes in a future life, before falling into the realm of hungry ghosts after death. Those who steal ritual robes or implements will have no clothes to cover their bodies in this life and have been born as starving dogs in a future life. Those who steal scriptures, divine images, or their garments will suffer illness in this life, then fall into hell after death and remain there through countless kalpas without release. Those who break purification fasts or violate precepts will suffer throat ailments in this life and have been born deaf and blind in a future life. Those who kill living beings will suffer prolonged illness and a shortened life in this life, and have been born among the six kinds of domestic livestock in a future life. Those who eat meat or come into contact with impure foods will be poor and sickly in this life. Those who indulge in alcohol and give free rein to sexual desire will become mentally deranged and lose their resolve in this life. Those who mock or ridicule people who have left home will come to have an appearance like that of a macaque.

Deformed hands and feet result from showing no reverence for the Three Sages, the three revered figures of Daoism. Impaired vision results from disbelief in the scriptures and the Daoist teachings. A curled, shrunken tongue results from destroying scriptures. Losing one’s voice and being unable to speak results from slandering people who have left home to cultivate the Dao. A blocked nose and loss of smell result from delighting in wine, meat, and the five pungent vegetables, such as scallions and garlic. Bodily sores result from destroying the true sages. The loss of eyebrows and beards results from failing to gaze upon and honor revered images. Turned-out lips, exposed teeth, and a sunken nose result from disrupting rites and ritual contests at sacred grounds. A bent back, protruding breastbone, hunched posture, and short legs result from making a noisy disturbance, behaving rudely, and slighting others. Madness, demonic afflictions, and a confused mind result from disbelief in karmic consequences and refusal to do good. Sores and swellings all over the body, along with an ugly appearance, result from insulting others without cause. Red eyes and a crooked mouth result from mockery, arrogance, and rude conduct. Dullness and an impaired mind result from lying and deceit. Being robbed and having one’s possessions seized result from failing to repay debts.

Being swept away by water results from using nets to catch aquatic creatures. Being swallowed by a venomous snake results from killing or harming living beings. Being burned by fire results from hunting or setting fire to forests. Being devoured by a tiger results from plotting in secret and harboring malice. Going hungry and cold, with no clothes to cover the body, results from stealing food offered at purification rites. Separation from one’s parents, spouse, and children results from jealousy, adultery, disrupting others’ harmony, and breaking apart loving relationships. A shaven or severed head of hair, sunken eye sockets, and a long nose result from hunting and killing living beings.

The scripture says that the bodies and misfortunes people experience in this life all stem from sins committed in past lives. After death, they undergo the suffering of retribution in hell; in the next life, they must continue to bear the consequences. The cycle goes on without end.

The Compassionate Venerable said to Pujì: “You should devote yourself wholeheartedly to faith and clearly explain these principles to later generations, so that people may understand their own karmic offenses, the retribution arising from causes and effects in past lives, and the many conditions that shape them. The assembly gathered at today’s altar is just as the scriptures say: every kind of retribution results from deeds performed in a former life and is borne in this life. Everyone should awaken to this and reflect carefully. Do not say that hell is unreal or that heaven is merely an empty notion. You should sincerely and earnestly give rise to faith and treat this matter with gravity. May all living beings follow the teachings and enter the Dharma gate. It is like crossing a perilous, deep road: one needs steps and a ferry to help. Without such means, how could one make the crossing?”

A certain presiding penitent, seeking peace and the deliverance of the deceased, reverently performs this penitential text. Prostrating with all five limbs touching the ground, the penitent makes a wholehearted vow, bows before the Compassionate Venerable, and pays homage to the true sages.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, we bow in homage to the Celestial Worthy of Jade Clarity, who bestows blessings; the Celestial Worthy who hears calls and rescues those in suffering; the Celestial Worthy of the Jade Hall above the Mysterious Heights; the Celestial Worthy who universally opens the way through Daoist transformation; the Celestial Worthy who rescues beings from the sea of suffering; the Celestial Worthy who opens the way to deliverance according to each being’s circumstances; the Celestial Worthy who teaches all without limit; the Celestial Worthy who universally opens the way through Daoist transformation; the Celestial Worthy who rescues beings from the sea of suffering; the Celestial Worthy who opens the way to deliverance according to each being’s circumstances; the Celestial Worthy who teaches all without limit; the Celestial Worthy, sacred king who delivers the world; the Celestial Worthy of contemplative practice; the Celestial Worthy, source of merit and virtue; the Celestial Worthy who shines universally; the Celestial Worthy of the true rank; the Celestial Worthy, source of the Dharma; the Celestial Worthy, King of Great Perfection; and the Celestial Worthy above the Dharma.

With single-minded sincerity and reverence, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Full Moon.

With single-minded sincerity and reverence, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Guides People Through Cause and Effect.

With single-minded sincerity and reverence, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Lofty and Mysterious Void.

With single-minded sincerity and reverence, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Lofty Clarity and Primal Radiance.

With single-minded sincerity and reverence, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Jade Clarity and Empty Brightness.

With single-minded sincerity and reverence, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Turns and Transmits the Dharma.

With single-minded sincerity and reverence, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Transformation and Creation.

With single-minded sincerity and reverence, I pay homage to the Lofty Celestial Worthy, the Master.

With single-minded sincerity and reverence, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Illumination.

With single-minded sincerity and reverence, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Turns and Transmits the Dharma.

With single-minded sincerity and reverence, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Transformation and Creation.

With single-minded sincerity and reverence, I pay homage to the Lofty Celestial Worthy, the Master.

With single-minded sincerity and reverence, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Taiyi, Savior from Suffering (a revered Daoist deity who saves those in distress).

With single-minded sincerity and reverence, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Grants Long Life and Preserves Life.

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

With single-minded sincerity and reverence, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Ease and Joy.

With single-minded sincerity and reverence, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Fulfills Wishes and Guides Souls to Rebirth.

With single-minded sincerity and reverence, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Boundless Reach.

With single-minded sincerity and reverence, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Ocean of Merit and Virtue.

With single-minded sincerity and reverence, I pay homage to the Perfected One of Central Yellow.

With single-minded sincerity and reverence, I pay homage to the Perfected One of Universal Transformation.

With single-minded sincerity and reverence, I pay homage to the Greatly Compassionate Perfected One Who Saves from Suffering.

With single-minded sincerity and reverence, I pay homage to the Greatly Merciful Perfected One Who Removes Sin.

Today, the repentance leader and assembly at this sacred gathering reverently pray to the Supreme Celestial Worthy of the Numinous Treasure of the North, together with all the honored gods, sages, perfected beings, and attendants. May they extend throughout the ten directions and reach the farthest realms of mystery, wherever they may be manifest or concealed, and together shine forth with compassionate light to offer salvation.

I, the repentance leader, pray that from the immeasurably distant ages of the past through this present life and this very day, my ancestors of nine generations, the grandfathers of three generations, uncles, aunts, brothers, and all my kin and relatives by marriage may receive deliverance through compassionate light. I fear that in the past or future they may fall into the evil paths, remain in dark and hidden places, and suffer many torments. I also fear that relatives still living in this world may be afflicted by karmic consequences and beset by illness. Therefore, we should repent together, praying that all transgressions be eliminated and that everyone may find peace and happiness.

From this day forward, whenever I see living beings, I will regard them as I regard myself. When I encounter wrongdoing, I will resolve to repent and change; when I encounter wholesome conditions, I will earnestly learn from them. I will understand karmic cause and effect and practice in accordance with the teachings. May I never lose my human form in any life, and may all living beings in the future be reborn together in the Land of Bliss and receive together the wondrous transformation of the Dao. I bow before and take refuge in the supreme True Dao. One bow.

The Eighth Scroll of the Supreme Taishang’s Compassionate Altar of the Dao, Repentance for Dispelling Calamities in the Nine Dark Realms

Compiled by Ge Xuan, Immortal Lord of the Left of the Taiji.

First Section: Deliverance from the Sufferings of the Fengdu Hells

Everyone at today’s sacred gathering, each of you focus your mind and reverently face the compassionate gods, praying for deliverance from the sufferings of the Fengdu Hells. I, the repentance leader, kneel and bow, reverently listening to what the scripture says: the hells cannot be said to certainly exist, nor can they be said to be wholly nonexistent. Perfected Universal Savior said, “Why do we say that the hells do not truly exist?”

The Merciful Venerable said: If sentient beings do not give free rein to the three forms of karma—body, speech, and mind—and do not let the six sense faculties—eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind—chase after desire; if they commit no grave deeds such as the Ten Evils or the Five Rebellions, then after death they will not enter Luofeng, the legendary realm of the underworld, or the prisons of the Nine Hells. They can go straight to heaven and dwell there in freedom and ease. This is called “not existent”: karmic offenses and the suffering of hell are not inevitable.

Why, then, is it also said that they are “not nonexistent”? If sentient beings give free rein to the three forms of karma and the six sense faculties, committing countless grave deeds such as the Ten Evils and the Five Rebellions, then after death they will enter the Nine Hells of Fengdu, where they will be examined and their records checked one by one. They will endure every kind of suffering and pass through ten thousand kalpas before being reborn. This shows that karmic offenses and the suffering of hell do exist. Once we know they are not empty, we should seek to repent.

A single day of self-examination, awakening, and sincere repentance can erase even offenses accumulated over ten thousand kalpas. Repentance truly has this power. Why is this so? Long ago, there was a person born ignorant and foolish who committed all kinds of offenses. One day, he sat quietly and reflected, then came to his senses. When he saw the signs of the Five Declines—the omens of decay that appear before a celestial being’s death—he was terrified and took refuge in the Three Jewels: the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha. At once, the signs of decline and the roots of his offenses disappeared, and his life was extended.

The scriptures make this clear. We can therefore understand that repentance can keep sentient beings from entering hell and enduring all manner of suffering. If a person does not encounter a virtuous teacher who can guide them toward goodness and cultivation, their bad karma will grow ever heavier. They know only how to wash the grime from the surface of the body, not how to brush the dust from the heart. In the end, when life is over, they fall into hell and suffer the consequences of their offenses. By then, regret and fear come too late: body and mind are shattered, the soul scattered, and the wind-blades stand before them. They can no longer repent. What can they do in the face of such suffering?

You sentient beings, do not rely on youth and strength. Do not cling to wealth, precious things, or your loved ones; do not sink into pleasure and abandon yourselves, forgetting the pain of death. When the appointed time comes, everyone will perish, rich or poor, old or young. Life is like a lamp in the wind or a spark struck from stone—how could it last? It is like lightning in the daytime or dew at dawn—how could it endure? When the Five Messengers, who are said to summon people to face death, and the demon of impermanence, who embodies death, arrive, even the young and strong, however beautiful they may be, cannot resist them.

Then what will a splendid, spacious mansion mean to you? How could a fine carriage and fine horses go with you? Your wife, children, and relatives will no longer be your support, and the ornaments of the Seven Treasures will become playthings for others.

The Compassionate Venerable One said: Long ago, during the Red Radiance Kalpa, an age spoken of in Daoism, I saw a living being. He was intelligent by nature and able to restrain his afflictions. He also had wealth, but would not give alms to the poor. When his life ended, he was reborn as an animal, becoming a red fox, and suffered the fitting consequences of his actions.

You should be vigilant. Do not wait until you personally endure such suffering before regretting it too late. For example, in the human world, someone summoned before the authorities over a minor matter may feel terrified even if the offense is not serious. Their family, too, will grieve and fear, trying every possible way to seek help. The suffering of beings in hell is far more severe. Hundreds of millions of different hells are all governed within this one celestial realm.

In the north, beyond the Northern Heaven, far away in a boundless region of darkness, there is a world called the “Nation of the Five Qi, Dark Heaven, Cavern of Yin, Northern Solitary Expanse.” There dwells the Dark Emperor, Lord of the Five Qi and Five Spirits, who resides in the north and commands the demons of the underworld.

Below this nation lies a vast, desolate, boundless dark sea. Its waters are turbulent and unfathomably deep. In the sea stands a great mountain, reaching up to the blue heavens and descending to the wind springs. It is called Mount Luo of Northern Fengdu. The mountain is 1,060,000 li high, 500,000 li around, and extends 150,000 li beneath the water. At the water’s edge, at the foot of the mountain, is a great cavern called the Heaven of Yin Radiance. The nation where it lies is called Great Yin.

Within the Water Emperor’s domain are thirty-six lesser prisons, each enclosed by an iron wall with nine tiers. The plants and trees in the prisons grow from naturally formed, poisonous vapors. Their branches and leaves are like sharp swords. Venomous insects and ferocious beasts, raging flames and black winds torment the prisoners without pause, day and night. The place is dark and lightless, filled with poisonous vapors and bloody radiance, foul and stinking; the sun, moon, and stars cannot shine there.

There are also thirty-seven prison kings, each ruling one prison. In every prison stand seventy layers of blade forests, along with countless iron railings. Fires rage and cross one another above and below, while the condemned are tormented like fish frying in a pot. The walls are made of iron, with a gate on each of the four sides. Before every gate stand four enormous bronze dogs, each forty li long. At times they roar, shaking the iron city. Their teeth are like forests of swords, their claws razor-sharp, and their appearance terrifying.

There are also countless iron birds, each more than a zhang tall, with bronze beaks and iron claws. They fly with outstretched wings, their eyes like shooting stars and their feathers like iron arrows. Each arrowlike feather is wrapped in flame. Their cries thunder like storms, and fire pours from their mouths and between their feathers. These savage creatures gnaw at the prisoners’ marrow, causing indescribable agony, as though the pain pierced their hearts and livers. Such torment lasts through countless years. The prisoners wish to die, but cannot; they wish the pain would stop, but it does not.

Assembly gathered today at the Daoist altar: the hells described in the scriptures truly exist, and their suffering is boundless and unceasing. Today we perform this rite of repentance, bowing and reciting the confession text. May its merit extend to every hell, freeing the condemned who are suffering there.

The leader of repentance, So-and-so, performs this rite of repentance for peace and the deliverance of the departed, prostrating with all five limbs touching the ground and listening with single-minded attention. With joined palms, we pay homage to the Compassionate Venerable One and reverently bow before all the perfected and holy beings.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy of Jade Clarity, who dwells in the realm of Jade Clarity and bestows blessings.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy Who Answers Cries and Relieves Suffering, who hears calls born of distress and goes to provide aid.

With utmost sincerity, prostrate yourself fully, with all your heart intent on listening. Bow before the compassionate noble one; respectfully pay homage to the true sage.

With utmost sincerity and reverence, bow in turn to the Celestial Worthy of Jade Clarity; the Celestial Worthy Who Answers Cries and Relieves Suffering; the Celestial Worthy, Supreme Sage Who Guides Immortals to Transcendence; the Celestial Worthy of Unsurpassed Ultimate Truth; the Celestial Worthy of Wondrous, Deep Golden Light; the Celestial Worthy Whose Merit and Virtue Are Complete; the Celestial Worthy Whose Lamp of the Dao Shines Ever On; the Celestial Worthy of the Precious Boat That Carries Beings Across; the Celestial Worthy of the Ever-Clear Sea of the Dao; the Celestial Worthy Appointed to Govern Lifespans and the Registers of Destiny; the Celestial Worthy of Boundless Reach; the Celestial Worthy Who Frees Beings from the Ten Sufferings; the Celestial Worthy Who Protects the Nation; the Celestial Worthy Who Manifests in Response; the Celestial Worthy, King of Treasures; the Celestial Worthy Taiyi, Savior from Suffering Who Frees Beings from the Ten Sufferings; the Celestial Worthy Who Protects the Nation; the Celestial Worthy Who Manifests in Response; the Celestial Worthy, King of Treasures; the Celestial Worthy Taiyi, Savior from Suffering; the Celestial Worthy Who Grants Long Life and Preserves Destiny; the Celestial Worthy of Universal Compassion Who Protects the Nation; the Celestial Worthy of Freedom and Joy; the Celestial Worthy Who Grants Rebirth According to One’s Vows; the Celestial Worthy of True Union with the Dao; the Celestial Worthy of the Sea of Merit and Virtue; and the Perfected One of the Azure Mystery, the Perfected Ones of the Three Heavens, the Perfected One of Great Compassion Who Saves from Suffering, and the Perfected One of Great Mercy Who Removes Sin.

The repeated homage to the Celestial Worthies and Perfected Ones is a ritual of reverence within a penitential liturgy. “With focused sincerity” means to be wholehearted and earnest; “prostrate yourself fully” means to bow with the body lowered to the ground.

Today, in the ritual hall, the penitents and the assembly together look up and pray to the Most High Celestial Worthy of the Numinous Treasure of the Northeast, along with the honored gods and holy perfected beings, the Great Perfected Ones, the spirits who teach and transform living beings, the immortals, and the Youths Who Rescue from Suffering. May they shine their subtle light everywhere, illuminating the prisons of Mount Luoshan and reaching throughout the Ten Directions and the realm of the Mysterious Void, saving all living beings. May the nine generations and seven branches of the ancestors of the deceased belonging to the presiding penitent, together with their parents across the three ages—past, present, and future—their uncles, brothers, and other family members, wherever they are confined in dark places and suffering punishment and pain, soon be released through the power of repentance, the power of merit, and inconceivable power, and enter the Way of Wuwei (non-action). Bow once.

It is further prayed that among the family members of the three generations mentioned above, all who are confined in dark places and suffering punishment and pain may soon be released through the power of repentance, the power of merit, and inconceivable power, and enter the Way of Wuwei. Bow once.

Section Two: The Thirty-Seven Prisons

Today, all those gathered in the ritual hall should each focus their minds, turn toward the compassionate honored gods, and declare the names of the Thirty-Seven Prisons. The presiding penitent, so-and-so, gathers their spirit and kneels to listen respectfully: Fengdu’s Mount Luoshan is arranged to the east, west, south, and north, and has thirty-six prisons in all. There is also one prison called Northern Fengdu’s Mount Luoshan, which rules over the Avici, or uninterrupted, prison. Pujì said, “The east, west, south, and north together make thirty-six prisons. Please declare their names.”

The Compassionate Venerable says: In the east are the nine prisons called Tianyi, Jiantian, Pingtian, Xutian, Huangtian, Jiutian, Yuanzheng, Xingzheng, and Taizhen. In the south are the nine prisons called Liuhuo, Huowan, Huojian, Feihuo, Shaojiao, Huoxiang, Ranshen, Yuanping, and Jinfa. In the west are the nine prisons called Tieche, Tiema, Tieniu, Tielü, Tiezhui, Tiechuang, Tiezhang, Tieqiang, and Tieli. In the north are the nine prisons called Xuansha, Beixuan, Nüqing, Hebo, Youxuan, Leijie, Lüling, Fenniao, and Bingchi. These hells are assigned to govern beings according to the karma they have created.

At the center is another prison, reserved for beings who have committed the grave offenses known as the Ten Evils and Five Rebellions. Inside are instruments of punishment such as knife mountains and sword trees, boiling water and burning coals, molten copper pillars, iron plows and iron pellets, iron awls and iron mills, iron mortars and iron mountains, iron nails and iron forks, and iron stocks and chains. There are also iron birds, rivers of ash, snow mountains, ice wells, pits of fire, butchering and dismemberment, and punishments involving strangling, sawing, and flaying. Their names are too numerous to count.

A mirror hangs in the prison, revealing the sinners’ bodies and their karma. Everything that appears in it is perfectly clear. A short stay there feels like passing through an entire kalpa. After enduring death and rebirth ten thousand times, the suffering defies description. The punishments in all other hells are nothing compared with those here. The ruler of this prison commands all the other hells, which is why it is called the “General Capital.” “A” means great and uninterrupted; “bi” means obstructed and without respite. “Uninterrupted” means that there is no break and that no one can surpass it. Hence the name “Avici, the Uninterrupted Hell.” There, karmic winds torment the sinners’ bodies and minds, killing them a thousand times and shattering their bodies. When the karmic wind blows again, they revive at once and suffer punishment anew.

The Great Emperor of Fengdu, the deity who governs the underworld, commands two hundred and forty offices and oversees fifty thousand attendants. He investigates and punishes sinners, examines the weight of their karma without overlooking even the smallest detail, and reports their good and evil deeds.

For example, an iron chariot glows red in the fierce flames, with fire raging inside it without cease. From a distance, sinners see a yaksha and mistake it for a beautiful woman. Their desire arises, and as they approach, they are instantly burned to ashes. The iron ox’s hair, head, horns, and tail are all like sharp blades. Seen from afar, it appears to be a golden lotus; when sinners draw near, flames consume them and their bodies vanish. The iron horse and iron donkey are the same: their hair is sharp as knives, and yakshas lead them over for sinners to ride, whereupon the sinners are burned away. Iron tools such as the iron grater are equally sharp and dangerous, wreathed in blazing fire and edged with blades. Their dreadful scenes are impossible to recount in full. Living beings can only hear of these punishments; they cannot witness them with their own eyes. Whoever falls into this place may be unable to escape for ten thousand kalpas.

Do not regard hells and heavens as empty fabrications. Yin and Yang, death and life, are linked to one another, like dreaming and waking. Death is like entering a dream; life is like waking from one. What one does in a dream is no different in essence from what one does while awake. What one does and undergoes after death is also connected to life. The joys of a dream and the pains of waking both arise from one’s own actions.

Living beings should reflect on this and seek liberation as soon as they can. The best way to seek liberation is through repentance. After repenting, one must also correct one’s faults, renew oneself, and cultivate goodness. To be born in China, receive a human body, and have the chance to cultivate good results are all exceedingly rare. The light of the sun and moon shines everywhere, without distinction between bright and dark. Living beings are neither blind nor deaf: they can hear of good and evil, and they can see the sun and moon. Yet if they fail to awaken, they are like vines clinging to a tree; when the tree falls, the vines lose their support.

All those gathered at today’s ritual altar, having heard the scripture describe the suffering that follows from evil deeds, should feel reverence and fear, diligently perform prostrations and repentance, and beseech compassion. May we never again fall into hell in any life, and may all beings in the three evil realms of hell, hungry ghosts, and animals attain liberation.

The repentance officiant, So-and-so, performs prostrations before this repentance text to pray for peace and dedicate merit to the deceased. Touching the ground with all five limbs, with a single-minded vow, the officiant bows before the Compassionate Venerable and pays homage to all the holy immortals.

I sincerely and reverently pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Bestows Blessings in the Jade Clarity Realm, the Celestial Worthy Who Hears Cries and Rescues the Suffering, the Supreme Sage Who Guides Souls to Immortality, the Most High Celestial Worthy of Numinous Treasure, one of Daoism’s revered deities, the Celestial Worthy of Lofty Splendor Beyond Compare, the Celestial Worthy of Compassionate Love, the Celestial Worthy of Everlasting Compassion as Vast as the Sea, the Celestial Worthy Beyond Coming and Going, the Celestial Worthy Who Universally Shelters All Beings, the Celestial Worthy Who Brings Good Fruit to Beings of the Six Realms, the Celestial Worthy of Numinous Transformation in Great Clarity, the Celestial Worthy of Constant Stillness in Highest Clarity, and the Celestial Worthy Who Preserves Life and Protects Destiny.

I sincerely and reverently pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Universally Shelters All Beings, the Celestial Worthy Who Brings Good Fruit to Beings of the Six Realms, the Celestial Worthy of Numinous Transformation in Great Clarity, the Celestial Worthy of Constant Stillness in Highest Clarity, and the Celestial Worthy Who Preserves Life and Protects Destiny.

I sincerely and reverently pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Taiyi Who Rescues the Suffering, the Celestial Worthy of Universal Compassion Who Protects the State, the Celestial Worthy Who Grants Freedom and Joy, the Celestial Worthy Who Guides Beings to Rebirth in Accord with Their Wishes, the Celestial Worthy Without Bounds, the Celestial Worthy Whose Merits and Virtues Are Vast as the Sea, and the Perfected Ones of Orthodox Unity, the Perfected Ones Who Attend the Scriptures, the Greatly Compassionate Perfected Ones Who Rescue the Suffering, and the Greatly Merciful Perfected Ones Who Remove Sin. “Perfected One” is an honorific for those who have attained spiritual realization through cultivation.

Today, the donors and assembly gathered at the ritual site together respectfully invite the Supreme Celestial Worthy of Numinous Treasure from the Northeast, along with all the honored spirits and sacred perfected beings, cultivators of the Great Dao, perfected persons, Dragon Gods, worthy sages, and young attendants. May all the true sages who extend throughout the Ten Directions and fill the realm of the profound void, through the power of compassion, the power of the repentance rite, the power of merit, and their inconceivable power, aid the parents, in-laws, and living and deceased family members of the person seeking repentance, so-and-so.

For relatives who have passed away and may now be suffering in hell, may they be liberated through today’s bowing before the repentance rite. We further pray that the compassionate honored spirits proclaim the power of goodness and help them escape the various karmic punishments in Fengdu—the Daoist realm of the dead—and the Avīci, or uninterrupted, hell, the deepest hell where suffering never ends: wounds from the knife mountains and sword trees; boiling in cauldrons and over burning coals; scorching on iron beds and copper pillars; crushing by blade wheels and fiery chariots; tongues pulled out and plowed, iron pellets swallowed, and molten copper poured into the mouth until flesh and bone dissolve; ground to powder by stone mills, limbs torn apart, or tormented in rivers of ash and filth; skin split by brine or freezing ice, or torn by tigers, wolves, eagles, and dogs; clawed, beaten, slashed, and stabbed beneath knife mountains; roasted in pits of fire; or crushed between two enormous stones.

May they also escape the dark hell of the Many-Together, and the tortures of having flesh stripped away, being cut, sawn apart, strangled, nailed and dismembered, beaten with iron rods, or hung upside down and butchered, so that they no longer cry out and suffer in anguish. May they escape the great and small Iron Encircling Mountains, the thirty-seven cities, and the gloomy places where the sun, moon, and stars cannot be seen, as well as the Eight Cold and Eight Hot Hells. “A-pop’o, A-p’op’o, A-chacha, A-luoluo” are names of hells listed in the scriptures, or cries uttered by those enduring the cold. May all beings in hell no longer endure the countless torments of slow mutilation, having their tendons pulled and entrails torn out, or their flesh and bones stripped away; may all their karmic punishments be erased.

May the kings of the prisons and their attendants also receive the benefit of the Dharma, attain a higher station, and gain good rewards. For all our family members, whether our kin or those who were not originally related to us, may they, after death, whether or not they enter these hells, by virtue of the merit of repenting today for their wrongdoing, ascend to Heaven and take refuge in the Great Dao. After saying this, bow once.

The Compassionate Venerable said: If a person commits many sins through the body, speech, and mind—for example, slandering the Mahayana Buddhist teachings, being disloyal to the emperor, mocking monastics, insulting the Dharma body, destroying sacred images, or seizing or damaging the permanent communal property offered to temples and monasteries—they will fall into the Nine Dark Hells, the deepest and most shadowed realm of the underworld, and endure the corresponding sufferings. The Three Officials of Heaven, Earth, and Water govern the Nine Courts. Officials in each court conduct interrogations and investigations, then send the offenders to Fengdu, the legendary underworld.

Pujì asked: “Does one offense bring one examination and punishment, or do a hundred offenses bring a hundred examinations and punishments?”

The Compassionate Venerable said: Sinners are subjected to punishments such as iron beds and copper pillars. Their suffering is unbearable: their bones are broken and their sinews scorched, as they pay for sexual misconduct. They are also chilled to the bone and driven to lie on an icy river, to pay for robbing others of their possessions. They may be forced to swallow molten copper, have their tongues pulled out, and be plowed across the body; evil birds peck at their eyes. Some are placed among trees of swords, or crushed in stone mortars and millstones until they are ground to powder. These punishments repay the sin of knitting the brows and glaring at others, using one’s eyes to offend them. As hungry ghosts, they must wander among cauldrons of boiling broth and take red-hot iron pellets for food when hungry, to repay the sin of breaking purification fasts and violating precepts. Each examination and punishment is assigned according to the offense committed, so there can be no mistake.

At today’s ritual assembly, the petitioner, So-and-so, longs all the more for the Compassionate Venerable and wishes to use the merit of good deeds and cultivation to repent for the sufferings in the Nine Dark Hells. May all who are now enduring karmic retribution there be released. Whether seeking peace or performing rites for the deceased, the petitioner, So-and-so, bows before this penitential text, prostrates with all five limbs touching the ground, listens with single-minded reverence, and kowtows to the Compassionate Venerable, respectfully paying homage to all the holy immortals.

With sincere devotion, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Jade Clarity Who Bestows Blessings; with sincere devotion, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Hears the Cries and Relieves Suffering; with sincere devotion, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy, Supreme Sage Who Guides Immortals to Salvation; with sincere devotion, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Brilliant Talent and Clear Understanding; with sincere devotion, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Boundless Wisdom; with sincere devotion, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Natural Primordial Perfection; with sincere devotion, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Unimpeded Divine Power; with sincere devotion, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Whose Luminous Marks Open the Darkness; with sincere devotion, we pay homage to the Celestial Worthy, Bright and Pure King of the Dharma.

With sincere devotion, I pay reverence to the Heavenly Worthy of Natural Primordial Truth.

With sincere devotion, I pay reverence to the Heavenly Worthy whose divine power meets no obstruction.

With sincere devotion, I pay reverence to the Heavenly Worthy whose radiant light opens the darkness.

With sincere devotion, I pay reverence to the Heavenly Worthy, whose Daoist power is exalted and whose radiance is pure and clear.

With sincere devotion, I pay reverence to the Heavenly Worthy, compassionate and kind, who saves those in distress.

With sincere devotion, I pay reverence to the Heavenly Worthy, who delivers living beings, frees them from suffering, and grants them new life.

With sincere devotion, I pay reverence to the Heavenly Worthy whose radiance illuminates the Nine Hells, the realm of the dead.

With sincere devotion, I pay reverence to the Heavenly Worthy who delights in practicing the Great Dao.

With sincere devotion, I pay reverence to the Heavenly Worthy who benefits living beings through the Dao and its teachings.

With sincere devotion, I pay reverence to the Heavenly Worthy revered by the ten thousand perfected sages.

With sincere devotion, I pay reverence to the Heavenly Worthy of supremely wondrous radiance.

With sincere devotion, I pay reverence to the Heavenly Worthy Taiyi Who Relieves Suffering, the Daoist deity who delivers departed souls and removes their suffering.

With sincere devotion, I pay reverence to the Heavenly Worthy who grants long life and protects life.

With sincere devotion, I pay reverence to the Heavenly Worthy who extends loving-kindness everywhere and protects the nation.

With sincere devotion, I pay reverence to the Heavenly Worthy, carefree, at ease, peaceful, and joyful.

With sincere devotion, I pay reverence to the Heavenly Worthy who fulfills wishes and guides people to a blessed rebirth.

With sincere devotion, I pay reverence to the boundless Heavenly Worthy.

With sincere devotion, I pay reverence to the Heavenly Worthy of Merit.

With sincere devotion, I pay reverence to the Heavenly Worthy who extends loving-kindness everywhere and protects the nation.

With sincere devotion, I pay reverence to the Heavenly Worthy, carefree, at ease, peaceful, and joyful.

With sincere devotion, I pay reverence to the Heavenly Worthy who fulfills wishes and guides people to a blessed rebirth.

With sincere devotion, I pay reverence to the boundless Heavenly Worthy.

With sincere devotion, I pay reverence to the Heavenly Worthy whose merit and virtue are as vast as the sea.

With sincere devotion, I pay reverence to the Perfected One of the Supreme Ultimate, an honorific for an enlightened Daoist.

With sincere devotion, I pay reverence to the Perfected One of Liberation.

With sincere devotion, I pay reverence to the Perfected One who saves those in distress with a heart of great compassion.

With sincere devotion, I pay reverence to the Perfected One who removes the burden of sin with great compassion.

Today, the donors in the ritual hall—the people who fund or preside over the rites—and the assembly together reverently invoke the Supreme Celestial Worthy of Numinous Treasure of the Northeast, along with all the honored gods, sages, great perfected beings, great youths, and all the true sages throughout the ten directions who fill the realm of mystery and emptiness. May they release their perfect light, illuminating every dark prison, dispelling its suffering and destruction, and bringing purity to every place.

May all suffering souls be delivered into new life and reach the Land of Ultimate Bliss. May mountains of knives and trees of swords become forests of precious trees; may cauldrons of boiling water and fires of charcoal turn into lotuses. May the ox-headed jailers become good friends, and may all ghosts and spirits cease to give rise to evil thoughts. Because the assembly today bows and repents, may all the prisons of the hells be pardoned. May the beings of the Six Paths and the Four Births—all six realms of rebirth and the four modes of birth, from womb, egg, moisture, and transformation—realize Wuwei (non-action) and ascend to the true and upright Dao (the Way). One bow.

On Pardon for the Hells and Deliverance of Hungry Ghosts and Animals, Fourth Section

Today, each member of the assembly in the ritual hall focuses their vows and turns reverently toward the compassionate honored gods. May they give rise to compassion and an impartial heart, so that beings in the prisons of the hells may be elevated and freed, and all beings of the Six Paths and the Four Births may realize Wuwei (non-action) and ascend to the true and upright Dao (the Way). One bow.

Today in the ritual hall, everyone gathers their attention and looks up to the Compassionate Venerable One. They awaken a spirit of compassion and hold an impartial heart, praying that all the officials and attendants in the hells may be raised to a higher realm, and that beings in the realms of hungry ghosts, animals, and other evil paths may be saved.

The repentance leader, a certain person, kneels with hands joined and settles their mind, sincerely repenting. In the hells are ox-headed jailers, rakshasas (fierce ghostly beings), yakshas (a kind of ghostly being), and countless evil ghosts, trapped there for a long time and unable to escape the cycle of rebirth. They dwell in an endless sea of suffering and a dark prison, with nowhere to rest, surrounded by unbroken gloom. There, too, are copper dogs, iron birds, iron horses, iron snakes, iron donkeys, iron oxen, foul-smelling turtles, ferocious beasts, poisonous insects, and many other malign creatures. All these beings endure the fruits of suffering together because they committed unwholesome deeds in life, and their karmic retributions are entangled with one another.

I now bow and repent, raising a vast compassionate vow. By the power of good deeds, the power of the Dao, and the power of merit, I pray that all the officials and attendants in the hells may be raised to a higher realm and leave those places of suffering. May they gradually enter the realm of heavenly immortals, draw near to the Great Dao, and, according to their own causes and effects, be reborn as human beings. May all poisonous and harmful creatures also vanish.

Beings in the realm of hungry ghosts endure hunger and thirst for a long time. Their appetites are so fierce that they seem ready to swallow an entire mountain, yet they cannot even hear the names of water or food and can only consume pus, blood, and filth. Whenever they move, their limbs and joints feel as though they are on fire. Their bellies are like great hanging drums, and their necks are thin as taut strings. I now bow and repent, raising boundless vows. By the power of merit, inconceivable power, and the power of salvation, I pray that these hungry ghosts and their retinues may all be reborn in human form, taste every kind of delicacy, and obtain food according to their wishes.

Beings in the animal realm are many in kind. They lack knowledge and freedom, and are often whipped, tortured, slaughtered, and boiled. Some have long legs, while others are covered in scales; some fly and others walk; some have fur and others shells; some have horns and others hooves. Some are large and others small; some are eaten by people, while others are not. Fish and insects in the water, as well as beings born from the womb, from eggs, from moisture, or through transformation, are included among them. May they, through the power of today’s ritual hall, the power of the repentance rite, and the power of merit, be reborn in the human realm.

A certain repentance leader prays for peace and seeks to guide the deceased, fearing they may fall into evil karma. Through today’s repentance, they therefore pray that all beings may be liberated. The repentance leader, a certain person, prostrates with all five limbs touching the ground, devotes their heart to making a vow, bows before the Compassionate Venerable One, and reverently pays homage to the true sages.

All present reverently worship the Celestial Worthies of Jade Clarity Who Bestow Blessings, Who Hear the Cries and Relieve Suffering, Who Guide Immortals to the Highest Sagehood, Who Raise Beings Through the Nine Ranks, Who Nourish All Living Things, Who Clear Stagnation, Who Turn the Wheel, Who Are of Precious Jade, Who Confer the Fruit of Realization, Who Relieve Misfortune, Who Respond and Transform, Who Possess Mysterious Wisdom, Who Proclaim and Spread the Way, Who Are Supremely Wondrous, Who Open the Way to Life, Who Manifest in Transformation, Who Assign the Circumstances of Rebirth, the Nine Pure Ones of Jade Void, the Great One Who Relieves Suffering, Who Preserve Life and Protect Destiny, Who Bestow Freedom and Joy, Who Grant Rebirth According to One’s Vows, Who Show Universal Compassion and Protect the Nation, Who Are Boundless, and the Ocean of Merit and Virtue; as well as the Perfected Ones of Universal Deliverance and Wondrous Practice, the Greatly Compassionate Perfected One Who Relieves Suffering, and the Greatly Merciful Perfected One Who Removes Sin.

“To worship with single-minded reverence” means to pay homage with complete focus and sincerity. “Perfected One” is an honorific in Daoism for someone who has attained the Dao.

Today, the donors and assembly gathered at this ritual site together look up in prayer to the Supreme Celestial Worthy of Numinous Treasure in the northeast, and ask all the revered gods and holy perfected ones to bestow their compassion and protection. All present reverently worship the Perfected One of Wondrous Practice and the Greatly Compassionate Perfected One Who Relieves Suffering.

With utmost sincerity, we respectfully pay homage to the Perfected One of Great Compassion, who frees beings from guilt.

May the donors and all those gathered at today’s ritual assembly together look up in supplication to the Most High Celestial Worthy of the Numinous Treasure in the northeast, and to all the revered gods and holy Perfected Ones, immortals of the earth, the immortals of the Five Sacred Peaks, water immortals and immortals of the caverns and abysses, the worthy sages of the numinous altars and state shrines, and the Dragon Gods and Earth Gods of every region. May all the immeasurable holy Perfected Ones who extend throughout the ten directions and fill the realm of the mysterious void bring forth the power of compassion, the vast power of vows, the power of ritual repentance, the power of merit, and boundless, limitless strength.

May these powers enable the nine generations of ancestors, parents, and relatives across three lifetimes of the principal petitioner, so-and-so, to be delivered from suffering. However many times they may have left one body and been reborn, if they remain unliberated in the realms of hell, hungry ghosts, or animals, may the merit of this repentance help them attain deliverance, be reborn, and live in freedom. May the wondrous power of this Daoist rite also reach all living beings, so that together they may receive the subtle influence of the Dao and ascend to the Great Dao.

One bow.

Fifth Section: Harm Caused by Gestation.

All who attend today’s ritual center their thoughts and take refuge in the Supreme Venerable Spirit-Treasure Savior from Suffering of the Ten Directions, the honored deity in Lingbao Daoism who rescues those in distress. They repent and ask forgiveness for harming others through pregnancy and childbirth, and for the calamities and obstacles brought about by such harm.

The person leading the repentance gathers their spirit, kneels upright on the ground, and listens with sincerity, rousing the intent to repent. Harm to others through pregnancy and childbirth may have been passed down through generations, perhaps because the ancestors worshiped ghosts and spirits, were deeply influenced by worldly customs, carried on deluded practices, and repeatedly strayed from the right Way. These offenses accumulated over time like a mountain, bringing severe punishment in their wake. In recent years, many things have gone badly; illness and suffering have beset the family, calamities have followed one after another, disturbing dreams have recurred, and strange phenomena have appeared in succession. Since the time of the ancestors, calamities and trials have never ceased.

These misfortunes may be connected with the three generations of great-grandparents, the seven generations of ancestors and nine generations of forebears, parents across three lifetimes, and relatives on both sides of the family. Their graves may be restless, and among them may be ghosts facing lawsuits and trials, baleful stellar spirits, and evil ghosts, all entangled with one another in an unbroken chain. The cause may also be that, when graves were built or moved, structures erected, repairs begun, or marriages arranged, inauspicious dates and times were chosen and taboos violated. Or digging pits and building burial mounds may have disturbed and harmed the spirits of the land, causing both the living and the dead to face trials, their souls to be confined, and calamities to descend again, even reaching later generations. The offenses committed in defiance of what is right are too many to recount one by one.

Now one should diligently cultivate the Way, bow in repentance, and dedicate the resulting merit to the Three Sages—the three holy beings venerated here—in the hope of gaining release through them. To seek peace and make offerings for the deceased, the person leading the repentance bows before this penitential text, prostrates with all five limbs touching the ground, makes a vow, and sincerely awakens the intent to repent. They bow before the Compassionate Venerable One and reverently pay homage to the True Sages.

With sincere reverence, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Sacred Realm of Jade Clarity.

With sincere reverence, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy, the Supreme Sage Who Guides Immortals to Deliverance.

With sincere reverence, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Golden Palace and Jade Treasure.

With sincere reverence, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Formed from the Three Primordial Essences.

With sincere reverence, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Divine Transformation and the Dao’s Course.

With sincere reverence, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Nine True Ones of Natural Spontaneity.

With sincere reverence, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy.

With sincere reverence, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Golden Palace and Jade Treasure.

With sincere reverence, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Formed from the Three Primordial Essences.

With sincere reverence, I pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Divine Transformation and the Dao’s Course.

With sincere hearts and reverence, we pay homage to the Heavenly Worthy of Natural Ninefold Truth, the Heavenly Worthy of the Wondrous Assembly of Golden Clouds, the Heavenly Worthy of the Radiant Dharma King, the Heavenly Worthy of Golden Form and Deep Clarity, the Heavenly Worthy Manifest in a Hundred Billion Bodies, the Heavenly Worthy of Natural Golden Truth, the Heavenly Worthy of Awakening to the Truth through the Dongxuan Cavern, the Heavenly Worthy Who Presides over the Registers of the Three Origins, the Heavenly Worthy of Stillness throughout the Three Caverns, the Heavenly Worthy of Supreme Mystery and Wondrous Excellence, the Heavenly Worthy of Bright Movement and True Response, the Heavenly Worthy Who Frees Us from Four Delusions, the Heavenly Worthy of the Great One Who Rescues from Suffering, the Heavenly Worthy Who Preserves Life and Protects Destiny, the Heavenly Worthy of Universal Compassion Who Protects the Nation, the Boundless Heavenly Worthy, and the Heavenly Worthy of the Ocean of Merit and Virtue, as well as the Perfected Ones of Stillness and Purity, of Stillness and Wisdom, of Great Compassion Who Rescues from Suffering, and of Great Mercy Who Releases Us from Sin.

“Pay homage with reverent devotion” means to bow in worship with utmost sincerity and reverence. “Heavenly Worthy” and “Perfected One” are sacred honorific titles venerated in Daoism. The final homage is repeated to the Heavenly Worthy of the Ocean of Merit and Virtue and the four Perfected Ones, expressing reverence for them.

Today, within this ritual precinct, the leader of the repentance rite and all those gathered together look up and beseech the Supreme Celestial Worthy of Numinous Treasure of the Northeast, along with the revered gods, holy perfected beings, Great Perfected Ones, and Great Youths. They also beseech all the true and holy beings, manifest or hidden, from past and future, who are spread throughout the Ten Directions and fill the realm of the mysterious void. By the compassionate heart of the Great Dao, the power of Wuwei (non-action), and the power of merit and supreme goodness, may they deliver the souls of the three generations of ancestors of the repentance leader, [name].

Some of these souls died in disasters such as famine, war, weapons, arrest, and torture, or perished in prison. Some were attacked by tigers and wolves or venomous creatures, assailed by spirits of wood and stone, burned by fire, or drowned. Some took their own lives, hanged themselves, or died in an epidemic; some suffered all manner of poisoning, while others died of sores, terrible illness, madness, freezing, or starvation. Some died suddenly, were killed by evil ghosts, or lost their unborn children in childbirth. Some were pecked at by birds, owls, or foxes, or harmed by livestock. These departed souls are confined in heavenly prisons and hells, carrying sand and stones, moving mountains and hauling earth, filling rivers and blocking seas. Day and night they endure sorrow and hardship, with no chance to rest, suffering every affliction.

Some souls also lie in graves that have been dug up, their coffins destroyed and their bones damaged. Their bodies are scattered and exposed in the wilderness; their heads and bodies are separated, leaving them unable to be gathered and buried. Their souls drift without a place to depend upon. May today’s meritorious deeds deliver the souls of the dead from the three ages and from the distant past. If their bones lie in water, let the water be their burial place; if in fire, let fire be their burial place; if on the earth, let the open air be their burial place. If they were devoured by insects or beasts after death, let that be their burial place. If their remains lie upon wood or stone, let wood or stone serve as their resting place. If they died by blade or spear, let them transform into swords and weapons and find peace.

May the repentance leader, [name], from this day onward be free of adversity, illness, and pain. May frightening dreams cease, and may every strange and ominous sign come to an end forever. May the ancestors’ souls and their graves enjoy lasting peace and constant good fortune. May the household flourish; may its women and men be healthy and long-lived, blessed with prosperity and official rank, with descendants continuing the family line and generations enjoying wealth and honor. Looking up to the mysterious grace, may they receive the Great Dao’s protection for a long time. Bow once in reverence.

The Eighth Fascicle of the Supreme One’s Compassionate Liturgy for the Elimination of Calamities in the Ninefold Abyss

The Ninth Fascicle of the Supreme One’s Compassionate Liturgy for the Elimination of Calamities in the Ninefold Abyss

Compiled by the Supreme Ultimate’s Left Immortal Lord, Ge Xuan, an immortal in Daoist legend

Chapter One: Praying for Blessings and Protection for the State

All of you gathered today in this ritual sanctuary should each cultivate sincerity and look up to the compassionate divine beings. On behalf of all living beings, I will explain how to pray for grace and blessings for the state and its households. The presiding master of the repentance rite should kneel, join his palms, and listen carefully to what I say:

If the ruler suffers calamity, the stars move out of order, warfare becomes frequent, the winds and rains are out of balance, crops fail, the people fall ill, or the state is unsettled; or if disasters and ill omens arise when troops are raised or government affairs are carried out, you should report them to me. You should widely cultivate merit: copy scriptures, paint images of the deities, build Daoist temples, and guide people into the Dao. You may also give from the state treasury, along with treasures, gold, silver, pearls, jade, coral, amber, palace furnishings, gardens, fields, and houses, as offerings to the Three Treasures—the Dao, the scriptures, and the masters—and as a way to accumulate De. Use these resources to save living beings, aid those in hardship, release prisoners, establish purification rites, erect a hundred high platforms, expound the profound and wondrous principles of the Mahayana, and encourage the people of the state to come and hear the teachings. The merit accumulated through giving, repentance, and helping living beings is vast beyond imagination.

If emperors and ministers give free rein to violent anger, indulge in depraved desires, kill the innocent indiscriminately, pursue only their own pleasure, and cruelly oppress the people, they will bring calamities upon themselves and suffering upon the populace. The sun and moon will grow dim; ominous stars will draw near the ruler’s seat; floods and droughts will ravage the land; strange manifestations, insects, and locusts will appear; the people will rebel; and treacherous men will rise up one after another.

When this happens, the emperor and people throughout the realm should summon the Dharma bodies of the Three Caverns—the divine forms embodied in the Three Caverns of Daoist scriptures—as well as the ritual assembly. With no limit on the number of participants, they should go together to sacred altars, temples, mountains, waters, caves, and sites of holy traces. They should establish ritual sanctuaries on a wide scale, hang banners and canopies, scatter flowers, burn incense, and light lamps. Day and night, they should perform Daoist rites and repent, diligently carrying out the observances at all six periods without slackening. At the same time, they should make generous gifts of wealth and treasures to aid all living beings. Then, through the power of the Dao, I will display great divine powers and help dispel the calamities, so that disaster will immediately subside.

If the Five Planets—called Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth in ancient times—move out of order within a state, the dark luminaries, believed to bring calamity, take up confused positions, the Twenty-Eight Lunar Mansions stray from their corresponding regions, the sun and moon show anomalies, or Yin-Yang falls out of balance, you should command Han Jun Zhangren, the Southern High Minister of Destiny, and Sima, the Long-Life Lord of the Eight Directions of the Celestial Circuit, along with the other divine beings, to regulate the celestial pivot—the order of the heavenly movements and stars—so that the stars return to their proper places and the calamities vanish.

If there is a severe drought and the people thirst for want of water, command the Dragon Kings to summon thunder and bring rain, ending the drought. If torrential rains persist, floods surge to the heavens, and the unceasing downpour submerges the people, command the Jade Maiden of the River, the Northern Mysterious Lord of the Nine Seas, and the officials of the Righteous Qi to gather in the water Qi, disperse the clouds, and stop the rain, so that the floodwaters recede without causing harm. All Dragon Deities and spirits should also keep benevolent thoughts.

If foreign demons, evil spirits, malicious ghosts, or monstrous beings enter the state’s borders and seek to make people ill and suffer, you should drive them out together and allow them no place to remain.

The compassionate divine beings possess profound authority and virtue. They can bring lasting peace to the state, renew the emperor’s virtue, and let the people live in an age of benevolence and longevity, with the state at rest in the realm of Huaxu, the legendary ideal land of peace and joy. Yin-Yang will be harmonious, the sun and moon will shine brightly, all under Heaven will be tranquil, officials and people will be healthy and content, the borders will be secure, and the Five Grains will flourish.

Puji said: Among the people of the world, some are rich and some poor, some noble and some lowly. All hope that the sun and moon will shine forever, that the four seas will be at peace, that the people will live in health and happiness, that the borders will be secure, and that the five grains will yield abundant harvests.

Puji also said: The people of the world differ in wealth and status. Even those who wish to cultivate the Way may not know how to distinguish among practices or choose one, and may only be able to focus on a single task. Yet they worry that calamities may still befall them. They waver between advancing and retreating, unsure what to do. Do the merits of aiding living beings and dispelling calamities also differ in degree?

The Compassionate Venerable replied: The key to saving people, protecting life, and relieving hardship is wholehearted sincerity; when giving money, the amount does not matter. Broadly speaking, there are five ways to do good.

First, create an image of me, whether my true form or an emanated form—that is, one of the different appearances I assume to teach living beings. The blessings and merits thereby accumulated can endure for many kalpas, and their results are inexhaustible. Why is this so? The thoughts of living beings are in turmoil and difficult to settle. When they see my true countenance, reverence arises in them. Once reverence has arisen, the numinous spirit will descend to protect and bless them. If they can focus their minds and visualize me, they may attain the fruit of Wuwei (non-action).

Second, copy the scriptures and teachings, especially the Three Caverns (Dongzhen/Dongxuan/Dongshen), the main divisions of Daoist scriptures and the important texts within them. The blessings and merits accumulated in this way can endure for a long time, and are vast and boundless. The scriptures guide those who are ignorant and confused, and awaken the Dao-heart in living beings, leading them from confusion to understanding, and from understanding to the cultivation of the true Dao. The sages and perfected beings of every age cultivated the Way and ultimately attained its fruit.

Third, establish Daoist temples to guide people, and build halls for worship. The merit is immeasurable and beyond comprehension. Let people leave home to cultivate the Way and reside in temples as their caretakers; use scriptures, divine images, and instruction to guide living beings and inspire them to develop the Dao-heart. When one person awakens, that awakening can inspire many others. This also benefits the state and transforms the people, spreading the Great Dao and its teachings to great benefit.

Fourth, establish purification rites and cultivate the Way, perform rites of repentance and recite scriptures, praise the divinities, and burn incense in reverence. These acts can accumulate immeasurable blessings and merits. Purification cleanses body and mind, while the Daoist teachings help people reach understanding and awakening. Cultivating the Way, confessing faults, performing rites of repentance, and praying for protection can move the heavens, dispel calamities, and bring blessings, benefiting both the living and the dead.

Fifth, give generously and widely to accumulate immeasurable fields of merit—good deeds that nurture blessings. The resulting rewards are vast and profound. Money and possessions sustain the lives of living beings and are among the hardest things to part with. If one can give wealth without reluctance, cultivate merit widely, and aid living beings, one can lessen greed and miserliness within oneself, and avoid robbery and conflict in the world. The living and the dead will receive its benefits, as will both the human and heavenly realms.

These five ways of accumulating blessings should all be practiced gradually, according to one’s ability, to keep the state safe and the household at peace, and to help living beings escape the suffering of rebirth. The scriptures say this is like sweet rain falling: every place it reaches is nourished. Living beings each benefit and grow according to their nature and capacity. Rites of repentance and seeking forgiveness are the same.

Today, all those gathered at the ritual altar who hear these scriptures should encourage living beings to cultivate every kind of merit. Such merit is beyond comprehension. I, the presider of this repentance rite, from immeasurable kalpas ago until this day, have never heard teachings that explain the various kinds of merit in this way and clarify the methods of the Dharma through analogy. Today, as I perform this rite and recite the text to pray for peace for the living and dedicate its benefits to the dead, I have gained a profound understanding. I therefore prostrate myself fully, listen with undivided attention, bow before the Compassionate Venerable, and reverently pay homage to the true sage.

With single-minded devotion, I reverently pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Blessings from the Jade Clarity Realm (the revered deity who bestows blessings in the Jade Clarity Realm).

With single-minded devotion, I reverently pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Hears Cries and Rescues from Suffering (the revered deity who hears all beings calling for help and goes to save them).

With single-minded devotion, I reverently pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Radiant Sovereign of Jade Void.

With single-minded devotion, I reverently pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of the True Form of the Supreme Ultimate.

With single-minded devotion, I reverently pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Natural True One.

With single-minded devotion, I reverently pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Has Received the Prophecy (the revered deity who has received the Dao’s transmission and prophecy).

With single-minded devotion, I reverently pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Transforms Qi.

With single-minded devotion, I reverently pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Dragon Virtue. With single-minded devotion, I reverently pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of the True Form of the Supreme Ultimate.

With single-minded devotion, I reverently pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Natural True One.

With single-minded devotion, I reverently pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Has Received the Prophecy.

With single-minded devotion, I reverently pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Transforms Qi.

With single-minded devotion, I reverently pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Dragon Virtue.

With single-minded devotion, I reverently pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Auspicious Manifestation.

With single-minded devotion, I reverently pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Lofty Virtue.

With single-minded devotion, I reverently pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Great Mystery.

With single-minded devotion, I reverently pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Joyful Wandering.

With single-minded devotion, I reverently pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Eight Extremities.

With single-minded devotion, I reverently pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Knows the Truth.

With single-minded devotion, I reverently pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Five Qi.

With single-minded devotion, I reverently pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Great Void.

With single-minded devotion, I reverently pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Clear Emptiness.

With single-minded devotion, I reverently pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Golden Countenance.

With single-minded devotion, I reverently pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Responds and Descends.

With single-minded devotion, I reverently pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Jade Capital.

With single-minded devotion, I reverently pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Protects and Responds.

With single-minded devotion, I reverently pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Great One Who Rescues from Suffering (an important Daoist deity who saves the suffering and delivers the dead).

With single-minded devotion, I reverently pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Preserves Life and Protects Destiny (the revered deity who grants longevity and safeguards life).

With single-minded devotion, I reverently pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Universal Compassion Who Protects the Nation (the revered deity who extends compassion to all and protects the nation).

With single-minded devotion, I reverently pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Ease and Joy.

With single-minded devotion, I reverently pay homage to the Celestial Worthy Who Guides Beings to Rebirth According to Their Wishes (the revered deity who receives and guides beings to rebirth in accordance with their wishes).

With single-minded devotion, I reverently pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Boundlessness.

With single-minded devotion, I reverently pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of the Ocean of Merit and Virtue.

With single-minded devotion, I reverently pay homage.