《太上正一朝天三八谢罪法忏》

The Mysterious Sovereign (Xuanhuang, the supreme deity) spreads his teachings and broadly delivers those who have lost their way. Zhengyi (Orthodox Unity), the Daoist school of that name, established the rites of repentance so that people might confess their transgressions and wash away the stain of their sins. Who is without fault? The practice of repentance allows a person to mend their ways and begin anew.

Your servant, a follower of the Dao, burns incense today and bows a hundred times, reverently reporting to the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), the Supreme Sages, the High Perfected of the ten directions, the Great Celestial Venerable the Jade Emperor of Vast Heaven, the High Sovereign of the Mysterious Vault, the Great Emperors of the Three Offices of Heaven, Earth, and Water, as well as the Three Heavens Grand Master who Upholds the Teaching and Assists the Origin, and the other ancestral masters, together with all the True Lords, Perfected Ones, divine officials, divine generals, and spirits of the Three Realms. I humbly beg that you send down your numinous light and observe my repentance today.

I recall that from beginningless time until this present life, I have often given rise to evil thoughts without realizing it, entangled by the six sense faculties of eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind. I have indulged the three karmas of body, speech, and mind (action, words, and thought) without being aware of it, and have thereby accumulated the Ten Evils. Intent only on chasing worldly desires, how could I have imagined that my transgressions would be recorded in the registers of the underworld? Now, searching my own heart, I am struck with fear; examining myself, I am also deeply alarmed.

Today, on the occasion of this festival, I respectfully follow the teachings and liturgical rules of the Celestial Master (Tianshi), bowing a hundred times to Heaven and sincerely repenting of my faults. I beg the High Perfected to take pity, and the Great Dao to show compassion: understand my ignorance, forgive and pardon my transgressions, and strike out the karmic obstacles I have accumulated in the past, so that my ancestors may no longer be held back in the realm of darkness. Open for me the gate of turning toward goodness and correcting my faults, so that my heart may become clear and my true nature shine forth. May my cultivation be crowned with complete merit, my practice of the Dao flow without hindrance, my conduct be peaceful and harmonious, and my family and relatives be safe and fortunate.

Your servant gazes up toward the sacred and perfected ones of the celestial court, my heart earnest and uneasy, unable to restrain itself. With a single sincere heart, I respectfully perform the three prostrations.

The Most High, the Boundless Great Dao (the supreme and limitless Dao).

Homage to the Dao (the Way), supreme and boundless.

With sincere heart I pay homage to the thirty-six venerable Jing (scriptures), and to the Great Master of the Mysterious Center.

In former times the Ancestral Celestial Master (Tianshi) dwelt on Mount Yuntai in Langzhou. In the bingshen year, the ninth day of the ninth month of the third year of Yongshou, the Most High sent envoys to bestow upon him a jade tablet. It conferred the honorific titles "Great Master of the Three Heavens Who Upholds the Teaching and Assists the Primal" and "Perfected One of Zhengyi (Orthodox Unity)," and announced the day of his ascent to heaven. At midday, celestial officials in vermilion robes holding ceremonial tablets appeared, together with others in gauze robes bearing letter cases. Twenty-four immortals arrived, accompanied by dragons, tigers, deer, and cranes, surrounded by azure banners, crimson tallies, colored clouds, and violet mist. Heavenly incense was rich in the air, and immortal music swirled around them. Two Jade Maidens led the Celestial Master and his wife, Lady Yong, onto a precious carriage, and they rose into the clouds and arrived at the Grand Mysterious Capital Bureau.

At that time more than three thousand six hundred disciples were studying under the Celestial Master. They revered their teacher but had no way to follow him. Torn between grief and joy, they called out his name and begged to be entered in the register of immortals. The Celestial Master permitted only the Immortal Maiden Wang and the Immortal Zhao to accompany him, because their karmic burdens from former lives were purified and their merit from cultivation was complete. He then passed on to his successor the Fulu (talismans and registers), the seal, the sword, and the scriptures of the Three Caverns (Dongzhen, Dongxuan, and Dongshen) that the Most High had bestowed, along with the Keyi (liturgy) for repenting transgressions and delivering the departed. The Successor Master lived in seclusion, practicing the methods handed down by his predecessor, repenting his faults and accumulating merit. The scripture goes on to say that on the fifteenth day of the first month of the second year of Guanghe, his karmic burdens from past lives were purified and his merit was complete. At his ascent to heaven, he in turn passed on the Fulu, the seal, the sword, the scriptures of the Three Caverns, and the related Keyi that the Most High had bestowed. The Successor Master then ascended to heaven by imperial decree on Mount Yangping, and transmitted this body of ritual to the Lineage Master and the Hidden Lineage Master.

Those who study the Dao and cultivate immortality, though devoted to seeking the Way, often still carry many karmic obstructions accumulated over past lives. Practitioners may be diligent or negligent, but the Great Dao shows no favor to those near or distance to those far. Beings therefore wander through the Three Realms and the five wheels, and the six faculties of sense and mind, the six roots, go on to commit the ten evils. Faults accumulated in past lives become obstacles to cultivating the Dao in this one.

The six roots are the eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind. The many karmic deeds produced through the six roots are like grass and trees putting forth branches and leaves, flowering and bearing fruit, gradually multiplying and spreading. If one can cultivate practice so that the six roots return to rectitude and purity, all sinful karma will gradually be eliminated.

Consider further the three kinds of evil karma. Killing, stealing, and sexual misconduct are done by the body and arise from the body root. Greed, anger, and delusion are done by the mind and arise from the mind root. Duplicitous speech, abusive language, frivolous talk, and lying are done by the mouth and arise from the tongue root. Together, the karma of body, mind, and mouth forms the ten evils. They are like snakes and scorpions that store venom to defend themselves, harming anyone who provokes them, and evil karma likewise grows ever greater as it is passed along. If one can cultivate practice and cut off these evil acts with wisdom, the sinful karma of the ten evils can be purified.

In former times the Ancestral Celestial Master devoted himself to practicing the cultivation of the Real, the repentance and deliverance rites, and the authentic liturgical texts of the Mysterious Ancestor that the Most High had transmitted. As a result, his karmic obstructions from past lives were swiftly dispelled, his attainment of the Dao was complete, the spirits of his ancestors were delivered, and he himself was able to ascend. How much more is this needed now, when customs have grown shallow and people's faults are many! If you wish to bring body and mind into harmony with the Dao, you must remove obstacles and karmic burdens. You should therefore follow the "Three-Eight Confession" rite to repent the faults accumulated in past lives. Repent sincerely, bow to heaven one hundred times, and with utmost sincerity take refuge in the Great Heavenly Venerable Jade Emperor and the Supreme Sovereign of the Mysterious Vault, each making your own vow, with one day standing for one year. Vow to cut off the three poisons and the ten evils, and vow to practice one thousand three hundred kinds of good deeds. In this way you may perhaps enter step by step through the gate of the immortal Dao and ascend in due order along the road to the heavens. You should transmit this to one another and practice it with all your strength. The Great Dao is compassionate and responds according to the hearts of beings. When transgressions are repented, sin diminishes, and when blessings are cultivated, fortune increases. Therefore people today should take refuge in the Great Dao and pay homage with sincere hearts.

We sincerely take refuge in the divine powers, take refuge in our own selves, and entrust our nature and life (xingming) to them. We bow a hundred times to Heaven and repent our transgressions with single-minded devotion. Looking back from past lives to this one, the karmic obstructions I have created through greed, anger, and delusion (the Three Poisons) run deep, and the burden of sin I have accumulated through the Ten Evils is heavy.

Among the grave sins of the body that I have committed, the first is killing. By nature I have been fierce and cruel, killing at will. I have practiced harsh punishments and tyranny and harmed the lives of all beings. I have shot at birds in the sky and chased beasts on the ground. I have destroyed the nests and dens of birds and animals and disturbed creatures lying dormant. I have scalded them with boiling water and burned them with fire. I have harmed unborn young and caused them to miscarry. I have cooked the young of animals and broken birds' eggs, merely to satisfy my appetite. I have also made offerings to wicked spirits, and even plotted killings and incited others to kill. Whether I killed deliberately or by accidental harm, I caused living beings to turn through the cycle of rebirth, destroying one another in turn.

From this day forward, I vow to repent of these sins and beg for forgiveness. I vow to enter, together with all beings, the gate of compassion and salvation, and to sever forever the evil karma of killing. May the souls of my ancestors be delivered, and may they be forever spared the retribution of being hung upside down, butchered, and cut apart. May your disciple receive this grace and obtain the blessing of long life in both Heaven and the human world, may body and spirit (shen) alike reach a wondrous state, and may I become one in truth with the Dao (the Way). For this reason, I take refuge and offer my sincere homage.

Next, following the ritual described above, bow ten more times and recite the Jade Proclamation.

With utmost sincerity, we take refuge in the divine powers, entrusting our bodies, minds, and very lives (xing ming) to the spirits. Facing Heaven, we bow one hundred times and earnestly repent of our faults. We further recall that from past lives down to this present one, the three poisons of greed, anger, and delusion have run deep within us, and the obstacles created by the ten evil deeds are likewise profound.

The second great sin of the body is theft. It means harboring deceit and scheming plots, stealing and plundering, and acting in secret; abandoning public justice to follow private gain, concealing things in the open and cheating in the dark. We have stolen the property of our parents, of rulers, of the Three Treasures (the Dao, the scriptures, and the masters), and of the Five Surnames (referring to particular groups or families named in the scriptures). Gradually we grew worse, lost in our delusion. When seizing, robbing, or plundering the goods of others, we showed no regard for kindness and righteousness, nor any reverence for the spirits. We felt no sorrow for the owners who lost their belongings, but rejoiced only that we had succeeded in our gain.

From this day forward, we sincerely repent, hoping that these transgressions may be pardoned and dissolved. May we and all living beings walk together upon the path of integrity and restraint, and sever the act of theft forever. May the spirits of our ancestors be delivered, no longer suffering the retribution of being beaten with golden hammers and iron rods. May the disciples receive grace, and may they obtain the blessings of wealth and honor in both Heaven and the human world. May body and mind alike reach a state of subtle wonder, become one with the Dao, and return to the true and real. Now, on this basis, we take refuge and offer our sincere worship.

Ten Prostrations of the Jade Proclamation: Recite the Jade Proclamation and perform ten prostrations.

(The passage that follows repeats the opening words of refuge, repentance, and worship, and then again marks "Ten Prostrations of the Jade Proclamation.")

We sincerely take refuge in the divine powers, entrusting our bodies, minds, and very lives to them. Facing Heaven, we bow one hundred times and repent with all sincerity. Looking back from past lives to this present one, I have accumulated the heavy karmic obstructions of the three poisons: greed, anger, and delusion. I have also committed many transgressions.

In the karma of the body, I have committed grave offenses. The third of these is sexual misconduct: my nature was turbid and my desires unrestrained, and I indulged in lust. Love, hatred, and jealousy arose in my heart; I disrupted ritual propriety, made no distinction between close and distant kin, and deliberately broke the prohibitions. I also frequently entertained wrongful thoughts and idle fantasies, so that my Jing (essence) and Qi (vital energy) grew depleted and my Shen (spirit) became clouded and confused. In my ignorance I gave myself over to excess, craved pleasure without restraint, led others astray, and profaned the three radiances of the sun, moon, and stars. Men failed to keep faithfulness, and women failed to keep chastity; they wandered along crooked paths, lost the right Dao (the Way), sank into desire, and slowly drifted into the abyss of craving.

From this day forward, I vow to repent of these transgressions, and I hope that my karmic offenses may be pardoned and dissolved. May I and all living beings enter together through the gate of purity and forever cut off the causes of sexual misconduct. May the spirits of our ancestors be delivered and forever spared the retributions of ice, halberds, and frost-edged blades. May your disciples receive grace, and may they, in Heaven and on Earth alike, have their blessings fulfilled as they wish. May body and spirit alike reach a wondrous state and, united with the Dao, become true. For this reason, I take refuge in the divine powers and bow in utmost sincerity.

In accordance with the ritual, bow ten times to the Jade Proclamation (Yugao, the Daoist liturgical text).

We sincerely take refuge in the divine powers, that our blessings may be fulfilled as we wish, that body and spirit may reach a wondrous state, and that we may be united with the Dao and become true. For this reason, I take refuge in the divine powers and bow in utmost sincerity.

In accordance with the ritual, bow ten times to the Jade Proclamation.

We sincerely take refuge in the divine powers, offering up our bodies, minds, nature, and life (xingming) together. We bow to Heaven a hundred times and repent our faults with utmost sincerity.

We further reflect that from our former lives to the present, we have accumulated the heavy karmic evils of the "Three Poisons" and the obstructions of the "Ten Evils." The first of the great sins of the mind is greed. Greed drives people to run about in every direction, miserly and unwilling to give. In grasping for gain they forget righteousness, their craving never ceasing; they scheme for profit through cunning devices, and even resort to strange arts and deviant paths. For their own benefit they harm others and injure living beings; they take too much, levy double, and forcibly seize the property of others. Greed is as hard to fill as a mountain valley, so they pursue profit by every possible means: they borrow money and do not return it, and when entrusted with the safekeeping of goods, they claim them lost. Relying on power, they oppress others, evade responsibility, and practice deceit. Thus they fail the lives and possessions of others, and fail as well in gratitude and righteousness.

From this moment on, we repent of these faults and pray for pardon and the removal of their consequences. We vow, together with all living beings, to enter the gate of generosity and giving, and to cut off forever the evil karma of stinginess and covetous seeking. We pray that the souls of our ancestors may be delivered, and forever spared the retribution of the iron beds, bronze pillars, and other punishments of the hells. We pray that we, your disciples, may receive your grace, so that in Heaven and in the human world alike we may obtain ease, peace, and blessing. May body, mind, and spirit (shen) all reach a wondrous state and become united with the Dao (the Way). Today we therefore take refuge and offer our sincere homage.

Ten Bows of the Jade Proclamation: Recite the "Jade Proclamation" ten times, performing ten bows. At the end of this repentance text, the prayer that follows the section on the karma of greed and the "Ten Bows of the Jade Proclamation" are repeated; one should recite and bow in the order of the original scripture.

We, your disciples, sincerely take refuge in the divine powers and entrust our bodies, minds, and lives entirely to the Dao (the Way). We bow to Heaven a hundred times and repent with all sincerity. We reflect that this disciple, from former lives down to the present one, has accumulated deep karma through the Three Poisons (greed, anger, and delusion), and that the obstacles brought by the Ten Evils are also heavy.

The second great sin of the mind's karma is anger. When the fire of anger blazes, karmic force drifts like the wind, leading people to rely on strength to bully the weak and to stir up the many to oppress the few. They treat elders with arrogance, look down on those of low station, and envy the worthy and capable. Some give free rein to their rage even before the sun, moon, and stars, and even before their parents and teachers. They work servants harshly, or fly into a temper over some small matter that does not suit their wishes. Their words are more venomous than the sting of bees and scorpions (poisonous creatures such as wasps and scorpions), and their hearts are as treacherous as blades in the wind. Outwardly they create enmity; inwardly they harbor resentment. Now we repent of all of this together and humbly beg for pardon and its dissolution.

May I and all living beings enter together through the gate of joy and forever cut off the karma of anger. May the souls of our ancestors be delivered, and may they be forever spared the retribution of flying spears and drifting halberds (the wars and calamities symbolized by hurled weapons). May we, your disciples, receive your grace and, whether in Heaven or among humankind, obtain the reward of a dignified bearing and complete blessings and virtue, with body and spirit (Shen) alike made subtle and refined, until at last we unite with the Dao in true realization.

Therefore, we, your disciples, now take refuge in the Daoist teachings and pay homage with utmost sincerity.

(Recite the Jade Proclamation ten times while bowing.)

We respectfully and sincerely take refuge in the divine powers, entrusting our bodies, minds, nature and life (xingming) to them. Facing Heaven, we bow one hundred times and, with single-minded devotion, repent our faults.

Looking back, I, your disciple, have from former lives to the present accumulated heavy karmic obstructions of the Three Poisons (the evil karma created by greed, anger, and delusion), and have been hindered by the Ten Evils (the ten wrongful deeds described in Buddhism). Above all are the faults of the mind: foolishness and ignorance; lack of filial piety and loyalty; lack of benevolence and righteousness. I have treated the Three Treasures (the Dao, the scriptures, and the masters) with arrogance and held the Three Lights, the sun, moon, and stars, in contempt. I have openly practiced deceit and falsehood while secretly plotting harm. I have defied the principles of Heaven and the ways of Earth, acting against reason, indulging myself, and behaving with arrogance and willfulness. I have disrupted ritual propriety and the moral order of human relationships, been lewd and defiled, and knowingly done wrong, committing evil deliberately.

Outwardly, I have not kept to the rules of integrity and prudence, while inwardly I have harbored violent thoughts. I have drawn close to wicked and impure things and slighted my clan and kin. My conduct has been reckless and unrestrained, harsh and perverse, and I have been immersed in illusory and demonic matters. Now I repent with sincerity, hoping that these transgressions may all be pardoned and erased.

May I and all sentient beings enter together through the gate of wisdom, and may the evil karma born of ignorance be forever cut off. May the spirits of my ancestors be delivered, and may they be forever spared the retribution of the hells, such as the Mountain of Knives and the Forest of Swords. May your disciple receive grace, and whether in Heaven or among humans, may I gain intelligence, wisdom, and blessings. May both body and spirit (Shen) reach a state of wonder and, in union with the Dao (the Way), become one with the true. For this reason I now take refuge, and with undivided heart bow in worship to the Dao.

Next, perform the ten prostrations before the Jade Proclamation (Yugao).

We, with sincere devotion, take refuge in the divine powers, offering body, mind, nature, and life together, and bow to Heaven one hundred times, earnestly repenting of our faults.

Reflecting further on myself, from past lives through this present one, the karma created by the three poisons of greed, anger, and delusion is deep, and the obstacles formed by the ten evils are heavy. Above all, my offenses of speech are grave. First, I have spoken divisive words: my language has been perverse, I have slandered good people and repeatedly deceived and misled others; I have argued with twisted reasoning and offended against the Three Jewels (the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha); I have disparaged the Mahayana teachings; I have complained of summer's heat and resented winter's cold, scolded the wind and cursed the rain; I have incited lawsuits and undermined proper rules; I have used words to cheat, scheme, and extort; I have stirred up quarrels and brought about disputes; I have praised people to their faces and defamed them behind their backs; I have said one thing with my mouth while thinking another in my heart; I have boasted of my own abilities and publicized the faults of others; I have secretly stirred up clans and factions to cause trouble; my words and conduct have been improper, neither loyal nor trustworthy. From this day forward, I am willing to repent of all of this, and I hope these offenses may be pardoned and cleared away.

May I and all living beings together enter the gate of the Three Vehicles (the different paths leading to cultivation and liberation), and may we forever cut off the evil karma of divisive speech. May the departed spirits of my ancestors be delivered, and may they be forever spared the retribution of swallowing fire and eating charcoal; may your disciple, receiving grace, obtain auspicious and pure blessings, whether in the heavens or in the human world. May body and spirit (Shen) both reach the subtle realm, unite with the Dao (the Way), and return to the true realm. Therefore, I now take refuge and bow in sincere devotion.

Ten bows to the Jade Proclamation (bow ten times while reciting the Jade Proclamation).

We respectfully take refuge in the divine powers (shenming), take refuge in our own selves, and take refuge in nature and life (xing and ming). We bow a hundred times toward Heaven and sincerely repent our faults.

I reflect that from my former lives until this one, the karma I created through the three afflictions of greed, anger, and delusion has been deep, and the obstacles brought by the Ten Evils have been heavy. Among the great sins of speech that I have committed, the second is abusive and insulting language. Because of these offenses, I fell for a long time into the realm of animals, and have only now been reborn as a human being.

The foul and wicked words I have spoken have permeated Heaven and Earth like a rank, fetid odor; my filthy utterances have offended the true spirits and caused them distress. I have disturbed the common people, frightened and coerced the simple and the weak, slighted my elders and superiors, and humiliated ordinary folk. I indulged myself in drunkenness and feigned madness, craved fragrant and delicious food, and harmed living creatures to make them fare for my mouth and belly. I also incited quarrels and killing, never keeping compassion in my heart. In this way I made countless enemies, and freely inflicted insult and injury.

From this day forward, I sincerely repent and beg that these offenses may be pardoned. May I, together with all living beings, enter the gate of expedient means (the teachings that guide beings toward cultivation), and forever sever the karma of abusive speech. May the spirits of my ancestors be delivered, and be forever spared the retribution of burning, scorching, and charring. May this disciple receive blessing and protection, and in Heaven and in the human world obtain fortune, longevity, and peace, and fulfill their merit. May body and spirit (xing and shen) attain a state of wonder, unite with the Dao (the Way), and return to the true. Therefore I take refuge in the divine powers and sincerely pay homage.

Ten Prostrations of the Jade Proclamation

We respectfully take refuge in the divine powers, take refuge in our own selves, and take refuge in nature and life, bowing a hundred times toward Heaven and sincerely repenting our faults. I reflect that from my former lives until this one, the karma I created through the three poisons of greed, anger, and delusion has been deep...

(Note: the original repeats the opening passage here and breaks off at "sincerely pay homage." "Ten Prostrations of the Jade Proclamation" means bowing ten times in accordance with the Jade Proclamation.)

We sincerely turn to the divine and entrust our bodies, minds, and lives to the deities. We bow to Heaven a hundred times and repent with utmost sincerity. We reflect that from past lives through this one, the three poisons of greed, anger, and delusion have run deep in us, and the karmic obstacles of the ten evils weigh heavily. Among the great sins of speech, the third is frivolous talk: ornate, untruthful words that stir up impure thoughts. Our speech has violated propriety and ritual, and our conduct has been flippant and dissolute. We have pleased others with coquettish manners and excessive servility. Our voices have been showy and our phrasing seductive, our words lewd and irreverent. We have used embellished language to stir up feelings and sung in lilting tones to arouse improper thoughts in others. We have also turned black into white and confused right with wrong. With false and flowery words we have deceived and misled the ignorant, leaving those who heard us bewildered. Blind to hidden virtue and to the law of cause and effect, we have unknowingly accumulated boundless, countless faults. From this moment we repent sincerely, hoping that all our transgressions may be forgiven.

May we and all living beings enter the gate of praising the true path and forever cut off the karma of frivolous speech. May the souls of our ancestors be delivered, and may they never again suffer the retribution of the hells, such as the cauldron of boiling water and the furnace of burning coals. May we, your disciples, receive your grace and attain liberation in both Heaven and the human world, and may we accomplish the blessed reward of a high immortal. May body and spirit alike reach a wondrous state, becoming one with the Dao (the Way) and returning to what is true. Now, on this basis, we take refuge and bow to the Dao with sincere hearts.

Jade Proclamation: ten bows.

We sincerely turn to the divine and entrust our bodies, minds, and lives to the deities. We bow to Heaven a hundred times and repent with utmost sincerity. Once more we reflect that from past lives onward… and so we take refuge and bow to the Dao with sincere hearts.

Jade Proclamation: ten bows.

We take refuge with sincere devotion in the divine powers, in our own selves, and in life itself. We bow a hundred times toward Heaven and repent our faults with utmost sincerity. Let us reflect further: from former lives down to this present one, this disciple has accumulated heavy karmic obstacles created by the Three Poisons (greed, anger, and delusion), and has amassed a great many of the Ten Evil deeds.

The fourth great sin of the mouth is false speech. It means embellishing words in order to act against propriety, and using clever, persuasive arguments against one's own conscience. It means showing no respect for rulers, fathers, teachers, and friends, nor for Heaven, Earth, and the divine powers. It means fabricating groundless claims, deceiving and bewildering one another, and deliberately stirring up unrest; concealing one's own shortcomings while belittling the strengths of others; treating treachery as strategy and falsehood as the normal course of things; swearing oaths as testimony in order to slander others while deceiving one's own conscience; and cursing others to prove one's own uprightness, with no regard for the unseen divine powers. It means indulging freely in showy, ornate speech, and suspecting and distorting the true state of things. It also means that, when faced with the good words and teachings of the sages of old and with the scriptures (Jing) of the Great Dao, one refuses to recite and practice them and instead often disparages and rejects them.

From this day forward, I vow to repent of all this and pray that my offenses be pardoned and dissolved. May I, together with all living beings, enter the gate of sudden awakening and forever cut off the karma of false speech. May the departed souls of my ancestors be delivered, and may they be freed forever from the retribution of having their entrails pierced and their tongues plowed. May this disciple receive blessing and protection, and may we recover our original nature in Heaven and in the human world and obtain the natural fruits of blessing. May body and spirit alike reach the profound and mysterious state, and may we unite with the Dao (the Way) and become true. For this reason we take refuge and bow in sincere devotion.

Ten Bows of the Jade Proclamation

At this time, the Celestial Master (Tianshi) once more addressed the immortal seekers who study the Dao: "Living in the dusty world, people easily commit faults in their every action, and their offenses are boundless and immeasurable, too many to recount one by one. During the hundred bows toward Heaven, you have already confessed your offenses in full, and the great sins of the Ten Evils have been laid out one by one. Next, recite the Jade Proclamation and perform ten bows."

At this time, the Lineage Master (Xishi, a transmitter of the Way of the Celestial Masters, or Tianshi) addressed the immortal adepts who cultivate the Dao (the Way):

Living in the dusty world, people can hardly avoid error in their conduct and thoughts. Their faults are too many to count, and difficult to recount one by one. When one performs a hundred prostrations to Heaven, one has already confessed one's transgressions, and the ten gravest offenses are disclosed again, each in turn. As long as a single thought turns toward cultivation and amendment, one can return to purity. It is like a bright mirror covered in dust: when a skilled person polishes and washes it with medicines, and the grime is gone, the mirror shines again. The dissolving of sinful karma and the arising of blessings follow the same principle.

The holy multitudes of the heavens and the true immortals who transmit the teachings often urge people to repent diligently. "Repentance" (chan) means concealing none of one's past faults; "remorse" (hui) means never repeating one's former mistakes. The mouth recounts the transgressions and the body bows and kneels, but the heart must also reflect and reproach itself, correct its faults, and turn toward goodness. Then the benevolent spirits of the ten directions of the heavens will protect such a person together, and the true spirits of the Three Realms will uphold them as one.

If a person neither reflects nor reforms, and neither confesses nor repents, the roots of their sins will gradually tangle and accumulate, growing deeper with time. The offices in the realms of Yin-Yang that oversee guilt and blessing will examine their wicked deeds, and ghosts and demons will trouble them. Illness will resist cure, calamities will strike one after another, public and private affairs will often be obstructed, and demonic hindrances will appear without end.

Those of later ages who are fortunate enough to practice this method will be able to reach the Three Officials and Five Emperors and the Nine Bureaus and Four Departments (the divine offices of Daoism that govern Heaven, Earth, Water, and related matters). These deities will examine a person's aspirations and diligence, record their merits and pardon their faults, so that illness is healed and the work of the Dao is accomplished. Officials will be promoted, prisoners will be freed, no kind of hardship will be able to harm them, and their lifespans will lengthen while body and mind rest in peace. If one repents on behalf of the deceased and continues the practice, their punishments can be reduced and their names struck from the black registers, allowing their souls to ascend to the Purple Palace (the realm of the immortals in Daoism).

In times of famine, flood, fire, drought, or locusts, of widespread plague, war, and plunder, performing repentance and obeisance according to the liturgy (Keyi) and praying for relief will bring peace to the land and prosperity to the people. When a pregnant woman suffers a difficult labor, or a household is haunted by spirits and plagued by repeated misfortunes, offering incense and performing repentance, obeisance, and prayer can bring safety to mother and child and tranquility to the home.

If a person diligently practices repentance rituals, then in studying the Dao they will attain it, and in seeking immortality they will become immortal. If someone performs repentance and prayer for a specific matter, what they seek will be fulfilled and what they undertake will succeed. Whether in Heaven or among humankind, in this life or the next, they will receive limitless blessings, and the fruits they realize will not be illusory.

Thus the Lineage Master resigned from office, devoted full attention to cultivation, and inherited the lineage of the immortal Way. On the first day of the eighth month of the sixth year of Zhengshi, the Master ascended to Heaven by decree at Mount Yangping. This authentic ritual method was handed down to later generations so that those who are fortunate enough to encounter it may deliver themselves and others, and so that all beings may receive blessings and celebration. Finally, the Master bowed in homage and gratitude to the Three Treasures of the Supreme Void Sovereign and True Perfection (the highest Three Treasures revered in Daoism).

The first occurrence of "入" (ru) should read "人" (ren); it has been corrected to "人" in accordance with the context.