《玉音法事》

The Yuyin Fashi is a collection of ritual texts used in Daoist liturgy (Keyi), included in the Zhonghua Daozang in the category of lamp rituals, repentance rites, memorials, and petitions. This volume lists liturgical sections such as Pacing the Void, Receiving the Precepts, the Three Openings, Hymns of the Fast, Burning the Petition, Presenting the Slip, Immortal Music, Scattering Flowers, Taking Refuge, Opening the Scripture (Jing), and Hearing the Scripture.

In the jiao banquet (a ritual assembly in which an altar is set up to perform sacrificial rites), there is no need to distinguish modes of chanting such as the “ju character” and the “he character”; one begins chanting directly from the character yuan.

The item “Prelude to Scattering Flowers” notes that the small annotation “yin” beneath the character “san” belongs to “niao xian gong.” This is a marking in the original text for characters used in chanting or in the liturgy.

When taking refuge, one sincerely takes refuge in the scriptural treasures of the ten directions (the various scriptures and canonical treasures of the ten directions), praying that living beings and the departed may have their minds opened, comprehend the principles, and be able to uphold and transmit the scriptures; one sincerely takes refuge in the teacher treasures of the ten directions (the masters and preceptors of the ten directions who transmit the teaching), praying that living beings and the departed may all ascend the Dharma bridge (the path of cultivation leading to the true teaching) without obstruction.

After hearing the scripture, one prays that living beings and the departed may eliminate all karmic offenses and that their roots of goodness may grow; one also prays that they may forever cut off clinging and delusion and constantly return to the correct Dao (the Way).

The prayer of the Hymn for Rising from the Seats asks that the causal conditions for doing good be established for living beings; if one can thereby awaken, one then receives in reverence the profound grace of the Daoist tradition. In the liturgy, whenever a fasting rite has concluded, the “Hymn to the Dao” is chanted.

According to the account in the Zangjing Jiaoyi Juan (Scroll of the Offering Ritual in the Canon), whenever Daoist liturgical texts are chanted, the Daoist priest in charge of the qing (ritual chime) raises the chime to open the sound. When the final line is reached, the assembly of Daoists silently recites the name of the Tianzun (Celestial Worthy) three times, though it may also be recited five, seven, or nine times. When a yangjiao (yang offering) is performed, they recite “Changsheng Baoming Tianzun” (Celestial Worthy of Long Life Who Preserves Destiny) or “Fusheng Wuliang Tianzun” (Celestial Worthy of Boundless Blessings and Life); when a yinjiao (yin offering) is performed, they recite “Taiyi Jiuku Tianzun” (Celestial Worthy of the Great Unity Who Saves from Suffering).

The “Huaxia Zan” (Hymn of Huaxia) is also called “Sisheng Huaxia” (Huaxia in Four Tones). In explaining the character hua, the Yupian mentions “Huaxia,” saying that Hua and Xia lie three thousand five hundred li apart, an expression of the great distance of the road. When this rite is performed today, the sound begins at Sizhen Tang (Hall of Contemplating the True); the chant proceeds slowly through the corridors and halls and ends after one has ascended the hall and altar. This, too, seems to take its meaning from the remoteness of the journey.

The melody changes, and the “Huaxia Zan” is sung. The Five Masters are invited, and the sound begins again. The “Yunyu Song” (Hymn of the Cloud Carriage) is chanted. The Five Masters are escorted forth, and the sound begins again.

The Zhaijiao (purification ritual) has been completed, in reliance upon the Mysterious Grace. When the “Huaxia” rite is performed today, the sound begins at Sizhen Tang; the chant proceeds slowly through the corridors and halls and ends after one has ascended the hall and altar. This, too, seems to take its meaning from the remoteness of the journey.

The melody changes, and the “Huaxia Zan” is sung. The Five Masters are invited, and the sound begins again. The “Yunyu Song” is chanted. The Five Masters are escorted forth, and the sound begins again.

The Zhaijiao has been completed. Receiving the Mysterious Grace from above, we bow with sincere hearts and respectfully send off the Mysterious Master, the Celestial Master (Tianshi), and the Masters of Scriptures, Registers, and Transmission.

The “Yunyu Song” is chanted. The cloud chariot does not linger, and the conveyance of the immortal crane cannot be detained. Should a Zhaijiao be held again in days to come, the honored masters will once more be respectfully welcomed and invited.

The talisman envoys are invited to enter. With reverence one invites the direct-talisman spirits of the Three Realms, the Four Duty Merit Officers, the numinous officials who present memorials above, the divine generals together with their clerks and soldiers, and the orthodox gods of the soil.

The Buxu Ci (Lyrics of Pacing the Void) is chanted. The Santu Song (Hymn of the Three Paths) is chanted. Recitation continues to the final line of the Doujing (Scripture of the Dipper). Worship is offered to the heavens of the ten directions. Worship is offered to the Ten Luminaries (ten celestial deities). The vocal model of the rite of sincere homage within the liturgy is raised. The thirteenth item and those that follow are the same in sequence. The lamps are extinguished, and the rite of the Dipper stations is raised.

Incense is pinched and offered three times. After the divine titles have been changed, incense is offered three times. With a sincere heart, incense is pinched and presented the first time, the second time, and the third time. The fragrance ascends to the Palace of Hunyuan, the Grotto-Heavens, and the Abyssal Springs, pervading the Three Realms of Hunyuan, the immortal mansions of the grotto-heavens, and the water bureaus of the abyssal springs. Offerings are made there to the honored deities, and the incense transforms into splendid jeweled clouds that cover them above.

Offerings are made to the Honored Ones of the Three Realms of Hunyuan. Offerings are made to the Lords of the Immortal Mansions of the Grotto-Heavens. Offerings are made to the Lords of the Water Bureaus of the Abyssal Springs.

Here ends the middle fascicle of the Yuyin Fashi (Jade-Tone Ritual Procedures).

When incense is raised to open the scripture, it is taken up twice and offered to the Yuanquan Palace, the Palace of the Abyssal Spring, in the Hunyuan Dongtian, the Grotto-Heaven of Primordial Origin. Clouds of incense spread throughout the grotto-heaven immortal mansions and the abyssal-spring water palaces of the Three Realms of Hunyuan, turning into a splendid precious canopy of clouds with which offerings are made to the gods: the venerable deities of the Three Realms of Hunyuan, the immortal lords of the grotto-heaven immortal mansions, and the water lords of the abyssal-spring water palaces.

Here ends the middle fascicle of the Yuyin Fashi (Jade Sound Liturgy).

Text for Opening the Scripture

The assembly of the Dao (the Way) straightens and sits upright, raises incense, and offers reverent praise, then performs the Three Refuges, taking refuge in the Dao, the Jing (scripture/classic), and the Master. Seats are then laid out; praises are intoned and, according to the ritual procedure, a memorial is read, inviting the recitation of scripture.

Yunzhuan, cloud seal script—the cloud-vapor-shaped seal characters of Daoism—appear within the Great Void. This is the moment when the great kalpa of heaven and earth first opens. Now far and now near, now sinking and now floating, the characters wander through the five directions, more than a zhang in length. The Tianzhen Huangren, the August Person of Celestial Perfection, a legendary immortal perfected being, takes up the brush and writes, setting forth the Dongzhang, the cavern chapters, which are the secret writings of Daoism, and also inscribes spirit talismans. The Yuanshi Tianzun, Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning, descends, and the sacred true writ thereby appears: what can be seen stands plainly present, and what cannot be seen is likewise deep and unfathomable. Grave illness can heal of itself, and those caught in the toil of the dusty world can also be aided. Whether in the dark realm or the human world, and whether living or dead, all may by this means ascend to the capital of the immortals.

After this great vow is made, one ascends here to the scripture seat and respectfully prays, on behalf of a certain person, for prolonged life and bodily health. During this time, may all be auspicious and as one wishes. It is humbly hoped that the Donghua Dijun, Thearch Lord of Eastern Florescence, will enter additional years in that person’s lifespan account, and that the Nanji Xianweng, Immortal Elder of the Southern Pole, will extend that person’s life; that blessings will be as deep as the sea and life as long as the mountains. For this cause, one recites the Fusheng Wuliang Tianzun, Celestial Worthy of Blessings Arising Beyond Measure; the Yanfeng Yisuan Tianzun, Celestial Worthy Who Prolongs Offerings and Increases the Reckoning of Years; and the Changsheng Baoming Tianzun, Celestial Worthy of Longevity Who Preserves Life. The merit is immeasurable and inconceivable.

Liturgy for Opening the Scripture

The precious scripture is reverently recited, and the recitation of scripture is completed. The Buxu, Pacing the Void—a hymn of praise in Daoist ritual, intoned in time with walking or with the rhythm—is then chanted at a rapid pace. The biaobai, the ritual master who reads aloud the prayer text in the ceremony, offers praise of the scripture.

The Precious Scriptures of the Three Caverns (Dongzhen/Dongxuan/Dongshen) are sacred models jointly venerated by all the heavens. They condense the wondrous Qi (vital energy) of the Flying Mystery and take form as the sacred chapters of the Great Brahma heavens. Their meaning runs through human life in the world, and their wording is transmitted forever. Heaven and earth are divided and set in place by them, and the sun and moon move in accordance with them. When ghosts and spirits revere them, they attain transformation and free passage; when people uphold them, they welcome peace and good fortune. Thus one who recites the scriptures seems, in bodily form, to rise into the Crimson Empyrean (the red cloud-heavens), and one who hears them seems, in person, to soar into the Azure Void (the blue sky). Both the human world and the heavenly realms depend upon them, and the growth and transformation of the myriad things likewise take them as their support. They are the bridge by which all beings proceed toward the correct Dao (the Way), and the gateway through which the host of perfected immortals enter the realm of the Dao. Scriptures so inconceivable as these are surely the scriptural treasury of the Great Vehicle.

Just now, the True Scripture of the Most High was recited for today’s patron of the rite, So-and-so. The scripture case was opened and its profound meaning set forth, the sound ringing through the Three Heavens; the scroll was taken in hand and chanted, the voice reaching the Nine Earths. May the Golden Lads Who Attend the Incense—immortal youths who tend the incense fire—form characters of incense in heaven, and may the Jade Lads Who Oversee the Scriptures—immortal officials in charge of the scriptural texts—present the scripture upon the slips and registers of the heavenly realm. By this means may the faults of past lives be removed and blessings descend this day; may both the living and the departed receive the grace of peace and security, and may all animals and plants be mindful of the virtue of birth, growth, and nurture.

May all beings, riding upon the benefit of this good merit, obtain dignity and purity of body and mind. May the Three Paths—the three realms of suffering: the hells, hungry ghosts, and animals—suffer no longer, and may the Nine Nights—the realms of suffering in the dark underworld—endure bitterness no more. Whether kindred near or far, whether beings are quick of spirit or dull, may all alike board the boat of the Six Perfections—the way across suffering formed of six methods of cultivation—and together reach the shore of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), the highest heavens venerated in Daoism. The ritual assembly devoutly hears the scripture and offers praise.

Next, “Hearing the Scripture” is intoned; the scripture scroll is then put away, and the hymn for concluding the seated rite is sung.

Next, “Heretofore” is intoned.

The merit accumulated by the recitation just performed is offered upward, beseeching the true sages to protect and bring peace. May all together rely upon this good merit and realize the unsurpassed Great Dao. All the faithful pay reverence together.

Then the dedication of merit is performed.

In heaven the Cloud River—the Milky Way and the celestial realms—turns, condensing true Qi into scriptural text; the earth opens the lang cases—scripture caskets made of jade—revealing numinous and wondrous chapters, so that the scripture is handed down through the ages. The merit of the scripture takes part in creation and transformation, benefiting both the human world and the heavenly realms.

Just now the True Scripture of the Most High was recited, beseeching protection and peace. May all together rely upon this good merit and realize the unsurpassed Great Dao. All the faithful pay reverence together.

Then the dedication of merit is performed.

Clouds of Qi (vital energy) move between the Celestial River, condensing true Qi—the primordial energy of Prior Heaven—and thereby forming the Jing (scripture). The earth opens a jade-like treasure casket, revealing numinous chapters and sending them forth into the world. The efficacy of these scriptures may partake in the creative transformations of heaven and earth, benefiting both the human realm and the celestial realms.

Before this, we chanted the True Scripture of the Most High, invoked the sacred titles of the Celestial Worthies, and with our voices praised the merit of the ritual, thereby accumulating immeasurable and surpassing merit. Now, setting forth the petition on behalf of so-and-so, we respectfully pray as follows……

Huanglu (Yellow Register) Text for Opening the Scripture

The assembly of the Dao (the Way) sits in due order, raises its voice in reverent praise, and then performs the rite of the Three Refuges (taking refuge in the Dao, the Jing, and the masters).

Seats are then laid out, the scripture is chanted in praise, and, according to the rite, the memorial is read aloud and the opening of the scripture is invoked.

On the lofty precious terrace amid the turning of the kalpas, clouds of incense coil about, covering it like a white canopy. The mysterious Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning perceives all things without obstruction. The great sages of the various heavens assemble all at once. When the scriptures and registers of Lingbao (Numinous Treasure) are opened, the underworld offices of Fengdu suspend their hearings. The Golden Registers and the White Slips (documents used in Daoism to record merit and fault and to confer precepts), together with the Wondrous Precepts of the Nine Perfected, are all fords and bridges that ferry people out of suffering and can deliver the beings of the Three Realms.

Now, ascending into the scripture altar and turning the immortal scriptures in recitation, one should form this vow: Today, for so-and-so, patron of the Huanglu retreat, we offer memorial rites for the spirit-soul of a certain deceased person, that it may ascend into the realm of the immortals. We respectfully pray: May the Celestial Palace of Zhuling (the place where, in Daoist teaching, the dead are delivered) liberate the deceased in nature and life, so that they may be born by transformation in the Golden Portal (the palaces of the celestial realm). May the deceased be free and joyful, in accord with the Dao of Wuwei (non-action); may they be reborn as their hearts desire and attain ease and freedom.

Let the ritual assembly present, with one voice, invoke for this cause and condition: the Celestial Worthy of Great Unity Who Saves from Suffering, the Celestial Worthy Who Uproots Sins in the Ninefold Darkness, the Celestial Worthy of the Great Deliverance of the Bridge of the Law, the Celestial Worthy Who Soars Beyond the Three Realms, and the Celestial Worthy of Carefree Joy. Their merit is inconceivable.

Ritual for Opening the Scripture

The honored title of Xuhuang (the Void Sovereign) is invoked, and the precious scripture is turned in recitation until the recitation is complete.

Voices are raised to intone swiftly the Buxu (the melody of praise used in Daoist ritual), and the biaobai (the ritual master who presides over the ceremony and reads aloud the prayer texts) leads the assembly in praising the scripture.

Lingbao Praise of the Scripture

In reverent praise, its merit is inconceivable.

Ritual for Opening the Scripture

The honored title of the Void Sovereign is invoked, and the precious scripture is turned in recitation until the recitation is complete.

Voices are raised to intone swiftly the Buxu, and the biaobai leads the assembly in praising the scripture.

Lingbao Praise of the Scripture

Since the opening of the kalpas in remote antiquity, Yuanshi (the venerable deity of Daoism) has transformed and brought forth the myriad heavens, intoning ethereal songs within the Biluo (the azure celestial realm) and causing the Zixu (the lofty void) to display scenes of flourishing grace. He brought to illumination the Three Luminaries (the three lights of sun, moon, and stars) and universally nurtured divine spirits; he set forth the five chapters of scripture in order to uphold and regulate the destiny of the kalpas. At times he sat upright upon the back of a lion; at times he entered within a precious pearl. The myriad sages came before the hall, and the host of the perfected sat in ordered ranks in attendance. All of this belongs to the cadences long concealed in the various heavens, not to the ordinary words of the world. These are chapters of numinous subtlety that manifest of themselves, and for this reason they are called profound and mysterious.

Recited once, the scripture can stir a response from all the heavens; lauded ten times, it can restore vital force even to withered bones. The blessed recompense it brings is beyond reckoning, and its deliverance of living beings has no end. Now the deceased, so-and-so, has come to the close of his allotted span and dwells in Taiyin (the dark realm of the shades). One may suppose that his cultivation of the immortal ranks is not yet complete—yet how could his spirit-soul be no more than briefly extinguished? He still has the karmic retribution of the five sufferings and eight hardships to repay, and has not yet become a true immortal of the thousand harmonies and the ten thousand unions. At this moment incense ought to be burned and the scripture recited, in the continuing hope that his remains may revive and the dead be born again.

We earnestly beseech Yuanshi to send down a talismanic mandate, commanding the Demon Kings to proclaim and chant the chapters of the scripture, so that they may ascend to the various heavens and be announced throughout the Three Realms. Let the deceased soar upward and pass through the Five Households (the barrier gates of the underworld), and let his spirit-soul unite with the hundred spirits. Root out the sources of evil karma and swiftly erase the ledgers of transgression; rescue those on the verge of death, restore life to those whose vital force has been cut off, advance them in due season, and render their spirit-souls limpid, bright, and upright. Let him take in his own hands the Fulu (talismans and registers—the credentials and ordinances of Daoism), preserve his life, and regain vital force. Through ten revolutions of the scripture, numinous nature is turned back, so that the hun and po souls of the dead undergo refining transformation and, in the end, may all leave the dusty world and responsively become immortals.

We also pray that this teaching universally aid the kindred of a hundred million kalpas, together with the hidden souls who suffer in the lower realms, so that all may rise into the ranks of the immortals, no longer be long pressed into service by the officials of the ghosts, forever depart from the Three Paths (the three evil destinies of hell, hungry ghosts, and animals), the five sufferings and the eight hardships, pass beyond the Three Realms, and wander in freedom in Shangqing (the celestial realm of Daoism).

We further pray that so-and-so, who today serves as patron of the purification retreat, together with the members of the household, may encounter the scriptural teaching and become persons of blessing; that light may radiate from their bodies, and that demonic and deviant forces may not encroach upon them. May the myriad spirits come forward to pay homage, and may their names be entered in the registers of Shangqing. The ritual assembly listens to the scripture and offers praise with devout sincerity.

Dedication of Merit upon Reciting the Scripture of Salvation (Duren Jing)

We pray to Yuanshi: May we encounter the scriptural teaching and become persons of blessing; may light radiate from our bodies, and may demonic and deviant forces not encroach upon us. May the myriad spirits come forward to pay homage, and may our names be entered in the registers of Shangqing. The ritual assembly listens to the scripture and offers praise with devout sincerity.

Dedication of Merit upon Reciting the Scripture of Salvation (Duren Jing)

The Numinous Writ of the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning (Yuanshi Tianzun) holds within it the profound rhymed purport of all the heavens. When the assembly recites it with one voice, a single line can wipe away the sins piled up through ten thousand kalpas; when every mouth sounds as one, the departed souls in the Ninefold Darkness can be freed from tenfold suffering. Just now all present recited the Highest Wondrous Scripture of Limitless Salvation (Wuliang Duren Shangpin Miaojing), invoked the holy titles of the Celestial Worthies, and praised the merit of the ritual. This immeasurable and supreme merit is offered to So-and-so, patron of the Yellow Register Retreat (Huanglu zhai, a Daoist purification rite, Zhaijiao, held to deliver the dead and to pray for blessings), and prayers are made according to his or her wish.

It is prayed that the six faculties (eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind) be pure, so that one may ascend to the land of the common world; that, having heard the scripture (jing), one’s mind and nature become perfectly complete and luminously clear; and that, together with the assembly, one enter the realm of the precious pearl and realize the fruit of the Dao (the Way).

After the Scripture of Salvation has been recited and beheld, the merit is transferred in dedication (the merit of reciting the scripture is offered to a designated recipient).

The middle section of the Numinous Writ can rescue departed souls from the sufferings of the Three Paths (the three evil destinies of hell, hungry ghosts, and animals); this chapter is of the highest grade and can raise and transfer the souls amid the Nine Nights. Just now all present recited the Highest Wondrous Scripture of Limitless Salvation, invoked the holy titles of the Celestial Worthies, and praised the merit of the ritual. This immeasurable and supreme merit is offered to the retreat patron So-and-so, and prayers are made according to his or her wish.

It is prayed that the departed souls ascend into the Vermilion Palace (the palace halls of the immortal realms spoken of in Daoism), by the power of the Hidden Rhymes of the Hundred Demons; and that the retreat patron cherish life and cultivate the way of the immortals, and together with the seven ancestors (the ancestors of seven generations) be raised, transferred, and delivered.

It is prayed that, by the true talisman of the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning, the departed souls receive refinement and deliverance; and the listeners are asked to join in praising the merit of the ritual. This immeasurable and supreme merit is offered to the retreat patron So-and-so, and prayers are made according to his or her wish.

It is prayed that the departed souls ascend into the Vermilion Palace, by the power of the Hidden Rhymes of the Hundred Demons; and that the retreat patron cherish life and cultivate the way of the immortals, and together with the seven ancestors be raised, transferred, and delivered.

It is prayed that, by the true talisman of the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning, the departed souls receive refinement and deliverance; and that, having heard the hidden words of the Great Brahma (in Daoist scriptures, the lofty and pure celestial realms), they be transformed into immortals.

It is prayed that the perfected immortals examine them and bestow deliverance, and that the sages extend their compassion; that the departed souls, having passed through refinement and deliverance, obtain new life; and that even the bones of other surnames become, like kin, beings bound by affinity, and together receive deliverance.

It is prayed that souls already delivered continue to receive refinement and deliverance, and at last be transformed into immortals; and that lives not yet born may obtain new birth and remain far from the evil paths.

The holy titles of the Celestial Worthies of the twenty directions are raised and chanted in the rite of repentance.

Celestial Worthy of Numinous Treasure of the East; Limitless Supreme Lord Celestial Worthy of Numinous Treasure of the East.

Celestial Worthy of Numinous Treasure of the South; Limitless Supreme Lord Celestial Worthy of Numinous Treasure of the South.

Celestial Worthy of Numinous Treasure of the West; Limitless Supreme Lord Celestial Worthy of Numinous Treasure of the West.

Celestial Worthy of Numinous Treasure of the North; Limitless Supreme Lord Celestial Worthy of Numinous Treasure of the North.

Celestial Worthy of Numinous Treasure of the Northeast; Limitless Celestial Worthy of the Northeast.

Celestial Worthy of Numinous Treasure of the West; Limitless Supreme Lord Celestial Worthy of Numinous Treasure of the West.

The Celestial Worthy of Numinous Treasure (Lingbao Tianzun) of the north is the Limitless Supreme Lingbao Tianzun of the North, the honorific title of Lingbao Tianzun. The Lingbao Tianzun of the northeast is the Limitless Supreme Lingbao Tianzun of the Northeast; the Lingbao Tianzun of the southeast is the Limitless Supreme Lingbao Tianzun of the Southeast; the Lingbao Tianzun of the southwest is the Limitless Supreme Lingbao Tianzun of the Southwest; and the Lingbao Tianzun of the northwest is the Limitless Supreme Lingbao Tianzun of the Northwest. Above and below there is likewise a Lingbao Tianzun in each direction, their honorific titles being the Limitless Supreme Lingbao Tianzun of the Upper Direction and the Limitless Supreme Lingbao Tianzun of the Lower Direction.

The rite of repentance and homage to the Celestial Worthies of the Five Stars consists in bowing in sequence and praising five classes of honored deities. The Celestial Worthy of True Light Universally Shining is the Most Perfect Great Sage, the Imperial Lord in the Sun, of the Solar Palace (the celestial palace in which the sun resides). The Celestial Worthy of Wisdom-Light Brightly Shining is the Most Perfect Great Sage, the Imperial Lord in the Moon, of the Lunar Palace (the celestial palace in which the moon resides). The Celestial Worthy of Flowing Light Radiantly Shining comprises all the true governors (the stellar deities) of the Southern Chronograms, the Northern Dipper, the Xuanji, and the host of constellations. The Celestial Worthy of Cavern-Abyss Samādhi is the Great Emperor of the Cinnabar Grove of Fusang of the Water Bureau. The Celestial Worthy of the Scriptural Treasures of the Ten Directions represents the thirty-six divisions of the most perfect and unsurpassed honored scriptures (Jing).

The rite of repentance and homage to the Celestial Worthies of the Five Sacred Peaks is the worship of the true governors (the presiding deities) of the Five Peaks. Among them are the Celestial Worthy of Cavern-Abyss Samādhi, that is, the Great Emperor of the Cinnabar Grove of Fusang of the Water Bureau, and the Celestial Worthy of the Scriptural Treasures of the Ten Directions, that is, the thirty-six divisions of the most perfect and unsurpassed honored scriptures.

The honored deities of the Five Peaks are as follows. The Celestial Worthy of the Senior Minister of Eastern Florescence is the True Lord of the Azure Emperor of Mount Tai, the Eastern Peak. The Celestial Worthy of Smelting and Refining of the Southern Palace is the True Lord of the Vermilion Emperor of Mount Heng, the Southern Peak. The Celestial Worthy of the Virtue of Western Numinous Treasure is the True Lord of the White Emperor of Mount Hua, the Western Peak. The Celestial Worthy of the General Inspection of the Northern Origin is the True Lord of the Black Emperor of Mount Heng, the Northern Peak. The two Celestial Worthies of the Yellow Emperor of the Center are the True Lord of the Yellow Emperor of Mount Song, the Central Peak.

The directional order of worship by day and by night is as follows. When the chanted liturgy is performed in the daytime, one begins from the east and proceeds in this order: east, south, west, north, northeast, southeast, southwest, northwest, above, and below. When the chanted liturgy is performed at night, one begins from the north and proceeds in this order: north, northeast, east, southeast, and south.

Pay homage toward the southwest, the west, and the northwest, and toward the directions above and below.

Unison chant for the Qingjiao ritual service:

All the disciples, with utmost sincerity, take refuge in the Azure Emperor of the East, the White Emperor of the West, and the Cinnabar Emperor of the South, and chant the salutations in sequence. Beginning from the north, they continue in the following order: the north, the northeast, the east, the southeast, and the south; the southwest, the west, and the northwest; and the directions above and below.

Unison chant for the Qingjiao ritual service:

All the disciples, with utmost sincerity, take refuge in the Azure Emperor of the East, the White Emperor of the West, the Cinnabar Emperor of the South, and the deities of the northern underworld, together with the Limitless Great Dao (Wuji Dadao; Dao, the Way), the Most High Heavenly Worthy of Numinous Treasure (Taishang Lingbao Tianzun), and the Heavenly Lord of Brahma-Qi (Fanqi Tianjun; Qi, vital energy)—the celestial worthy who presides over Brahma-Qi—of the four corners and of the directions above and below, as well as the gods and immortals of the ten directions and the host of spirit-officials (Daoist divine functionaries). When the worship is complete, they repent with sincere hearts.

Unison chant for the Huanglu ritual service:

All the disciples, with utmost sincerity, take refuge in the Azure Emperor of the East, the White Emperor of the West, the Cinnabar Emperor of the South, and the deities of the northern underworld, together with the Limitless Great Dao and the Most High Heavenly Worthy of Numinous Treasure of the four corners and of the directions above and below. They further take refuge in the Great Yin Black Emperor of the realm of Dongyin Shuodan Yujue and of the void northern bounds—the worthy deity of the northern yin realm—the Numinous Lords of the Five Qi, the Great Emperor of Fengdu, the Perfected Lords of the Ten Kings of the Earth Office, the lords who preside over the passes of the underworld, and all gods, immortals, and spirit-officials. When the worship is complete, they repent with sincere hearts.

Salutations chanted to the ten directions:

The Limitless Most High Heavenly Worthy of Numinous Treasure of the East and the Heavenly Lord of the Nine Qi—the worthy deity who presides over the Nine Qi of the East—the Great Emperor of the Divine Capital of the East, the Perfected Lords of the Ten Kings of the Earth Office, the lords who preside over the passes of the underworld, and all gods, immortals, and spirit-officials. When the worship is complete, they repent with sincere hearts.

Salutations chanted to the ten directions:

To the Limitless Most High Heavenly Worthy of Numinous Treasure of the East, the Heavenly Lord of the Nine Qi, and the gods, immortals, and spirit-officials of the East, nine bows are made.

To the Limitless Most High Heavenly Worthy of Numinous Treasure of the South, the Heavenly Lord of the Three Qi, and the gods, immortals, and spirit-officials of the South, three bows are made.

To the Limitless Most High Heavenly Worthy of Numinous Treasure of the West, the Heavenly Lord of the Seven Qi, and the gods, immortals, and spirit-officials of the West, seven bows are made.

To the Limitless Most High Heavenly Worthy of Numinous Treasure of the North, the Heavenly Lord of the Five Qi, and the gods, immortals, and spirit-officials of the North, five bows are made.

To the Limitless Most High Heavenly Worthy of Numinous Treasure of the Northeast, the Heavenly Lord of Brahma-Qi, and the gods, immortals, and spirit-officials of the Northeast, two bows are made.

To the Limitless Most High Heavenly Worthy of Numinous Treasure of the Southeast, the Heavenly Lord of Brahma-Qi, and the gods, immortals, and spirit-officials of the Southeast, two bows are made.

Bow toward the southwest, paying homage to the Limitless Supreme Lingbao Tianzun, Celestial Lord of Brahma-Qi (vital energy)—an exalted divine title of Lingbao Tianzun—together with the immortals and spirit officials of the southwest (two bows, that is, bowing twice).

Bow toward the northwest, paying homage to the Limitless Supreme Lingbao Immortals and the various spirit officials (two bows).

Bow once more toward the southwest, paying homage to the Limitless Supreme Lingbao Tianzun, Celestial Lord of Brahma-Qi, together with the immortals and spirit officials of the southwest (two bows).

Bow toward the northwest, paying homage to the Limitless Supreme Lingbao Tianzun, Celestial Lord of Brahma-Qi, together with the immortals and spirit officials of the northwest (three bows, that is, bowing three times).

Bow upward, paying homage to the Limitless Supreme Lingbao Tianzun, the Sovereign Lords of the Thirty-Two Heavens, and, within the Purple Tenuity Golden Portal of the Jade Capital of the Mysterious Metropolis, the Three Realms of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing)—the threefold celestial realms in which a company of Daoist deities dwell—together with the Twelve Celestial Lords of Qi, and the immortals and spirit officials above (twelve bows).

Bow downward, paying homage to the Limitless Supreme Lingbao Tianzun, the Earth Sovereigns of the Nine Layers—deities who govern the nine strata of the earthly realm—the Four Offices and the Five Emperors, the Twelve Immortal Ministers, the Perfected of the Nine Palaces, the immortal jade maidens and the gods of the limitless worlds, together with the immortals and spirit officials below (twelve bows).

The whole assembly chants in unison a hymn of homage associated with the Five Stars.

With sincere hearts we take refuge in the Palace of the Sun and the Bureau of the Moon, paying homage to the host of luminaries of the Jade Pivot—the Northern Dipper and the multitude of stars—the true stellar deities who travel the orbits of the heavenly bodies, and also the Great Emperor of Fusang of the Water Bureau, the Divine King of Yanggu, the True Governors of the Water Bureau, the Most True Scriptural Treasures (Jing), and all immortals and spirit officials. When the homage is complete, we repent with devout hearts.

The assembly begins to chant the hymn of homage to the Five Stars.

Pay homage to the Most True Great Sage of the Solar Palace, the stellar lord within the Sun, the Perfected Bright Sovereign, the Lad of Great Radiance, and the Jade Maiden of Cinnabar Aurora, together with the immortals and spirit officials of the Solar Palace (three bows).

Pay homage to the Most True Great Sage of the Lunar Palace, the sovereign lord within the Moon, Lady of Pure Blossom, the Lad of Round Radiance, and the Jade Maiden Who Scatters Brilliance, together with the immortals and spirit officials of the Lunar Palace (seven bows).

Pay homage to the Southern Asterism, the Northern Pole, the host of luminaries of the Jade Pivot, the Three Platforms and the Seven Stars, and the Twenty-Eight Lunar Mansions, together with the lads and the Jade Maidens Who Scatter Brilliance in the stellar zones of the three hundred sixty-five degrees encircling the whole heavens, and the immortals and spirit officials of the Lunar Palace (seven bows).

Pay homage to the Southern Asterism, the Northern Pole, the host of luminaries of the Jade Pivot, the Three Platforms and the Seven Stars, and the Twenty-Eight Lunar Mansions, together with the great stellar deities in the stellar zones of the three hundred sixty-five degrees of the circuit of heaven, and the immortals and spirit officials of the stellar palaces (nine bows).

Pay homage to the Great Emperor of Fusang of the Water Bureau and the Divine King of Yanggu, together with the Water Emperors of the Three Rivers, the Four Seas, and the Nine Rivers, and the immortals and spirit officials of the Water Bureaus of the Twelve River Sources (twelve bows).

The supremely exalted thirty-six venerable Jing (scriptures), together with the treasure stores of the heavens and the orthodox teaching distributed throughout the ten directions, are all guarded by the various spirit offices and spirit officials. Three prostrations are performed.

In the reverent chant addressed to the Five Marchmounts, we, with hearts of utmost sincerity, take refuge in the True Lords of the Five Emperors of the Five Marchmounts (the five famous mountains) and their five peaks, in the Flying Immortals and Perfected, and in the gods who have attained the Dao (the Way) within the grotto-heavens of the famous mountains, together with the various spirit officials. When the worship is complete, we repent with sincere devotion.

In the raised chant of the Five Marchmounts, nine prostrations are offered to the Azure Emperor True Lord of the Eastern Marchmount, Mount Tai, to the Flying Immortals and Perfected, and to the gods who have attained the Dao within the grotto-heavens of the famous mountains, together with the various spirit officials.

Three prostrations are offered to the Red Emperor True Lord of the Southern Marchmount, Mount Heng, to the Flying Immortals and Perfected, and to the gods who have attained the Dao within the grotto-heavens of the famous mountains, together with the various spirit officials.

Nine prostrations are offered to the White Emperor True Lord of the Western Marchmount, Mount Hua, to the Flying Immortals and Perfected, and to the gods who have attained the Dao within the grotto-heavens of the famous mountains, together with the various spirit officials.

Three prostrations are offered to the Red Emperor True Lord of the Southern Marchmount, Mount Heng, to the Flying Immortals and Perfected, and to the gods who have attained the Dao within the grotto-heavens of the famous mountains, together with the various spirit officials.

Seven prostrations are offered to the White Emperor True Lord of the Western Marchmount, Mount Hua, to the Flying Immortals and Perfected, and to the gods who have attained the Dao within the grotto-heavens of the famous mountains, together with the various spirit officials.

Five prostrations are offered to the Black Emperor True Lord of the Northern Marchmount, Mount Chang, to the Flying Immortals and Perfected, and to the gods who have attained the Dao within the grotto-heavens of the famous mountains, together with the various spirit officials.

Twelve prostrations are offered to the Yellow Emperor True Lord of the Central Marchmount, Mount Song, to the Flying Immortals and Perfected, and to the gods who have attained the Dao within the grotto-heavens of the famous mountains, together with the various spirit officials.

In the worship of the ten directions, with a heart of utmost sincerity we take refuge in and bow in worship to the Limitless Supreme Lingbao Heavenly Worthy of the East.

With a heart of utmost sincerity we take refuge in and bow in worship to the Limitless Supreme Lingbao Heavenly Worthy of the South.

With a heart of utmost sincerity we take refuge in and bow in worship to the Limitless Supreme Lingbao Heavenly Worthy of the West.

With a heart of utmost sincerity we take refuge in and bow in worship to the Limitless Supreme Lingbao Heavenly Worthy of the North.

With a heart of utmost sincerity we take refuge in and bow in worship to the Limitless Supreme Lingbao Heavenly Worthy of the Northeast.

With a heart of utmost sincerity we take refuge in and bow in worship to the Limitless Supreme Lingbao Heavenly Worthy of the Southeast.

With a heart of utmost sincerity we take refuge in and bow in worship to the Limitless Supreme Lingbao Heavenly Worthy of the Southwest.

With a heart of utmost sincerity we take refuge in and bow in worship to the Limitless Supreme Lingbao Heavenly Worthy of the Northwest.

With a heart of utmost sincerity we take refuge in and bow in worship to the Limitless Supreme Lingbao Heavenly Worthy of the realm above.

We sincerely worship and take refuge in the Limitless Supreme Celestial Worthy of Numinous Treasure of the Northwest.

We sincerely worship and take refuge in the Limitless Supreme Celestial Worthy of Numinous Treasure of the upper direction.

We sincerely worship and take refuge in the Limitless Supreme Celestial Worthy of Numinous Treasure of the lower direction.

The chime-master then strikes up the chime. After the assembly has made its obeisance, all rise, kneel upright together, and take refuge in repentance.

We of the ritual assembly, with utmost sincerity, surrender our bodies, surrender our spirits (Shen), and surrender our lives to the Supreme Lingbao Celestial Worthy of the Limitless Great Dao (the Way) of the Ten Directions. I have heard that the sacred teaching of Hunyuan—the state in which Heaven and Earth have not yet divided and the body of the Dao remains an undifferentiated whole—takes constant clarity and constant purity as its foundation. The supreme venerables of the upper realm accept a sincere heart; a response does not come only when a purification fast and a covenant oath are performed. Yet if one would enter into resonant communion with the superior sages, one must first wash clean even the slightest faults. Following the ritual order of the scriptures (Jing), we beg their indulgence and ask leave to repent.

At such-and-such an hour today, we burn incense and pay court to the True Holy Ones, revering the Holy Perfected and making confession. The principal of today’s jiao rite, so-and-so, together with the whole household, old and young, from former lives down to this present life, has incurred every kind of fault in the three karmas of body, mind, and mouth (deeds, thoughts, and speech) and in the six sense-roots (eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind)—faults beyond counting and beyond the telling. All of these we pray may be removed, and we beg to receive pardon. May the superior sages of the ten directions together look down, examine, and illumine us, and may the immortals of the Three Caverns (Dongzhen/Dongxuan/Dongshen)—the deities venerated in Daoism—jointly bestow the blessing of long life. May calamity sink into the Nine Earths, and may blessing arise from the ten directions. With utmost sincerity we knock our heads upon the ground and ritually give thanks to the Unsurpassed, Orthodox, and True Three Treasures (the Dao, the scriptures, and the masters).

Worship of the Eleven Luminaries (the sun, the moon, and the nine stellar deities venerated in Daoism):

We sincerely take refuge and worship the Solar Imperial Lord of the Sun Palace.

We sincerely take refuge and worship the Lunar Sovereign of the Moon Palace.

We sincerely take refuge and worship the Eastern Stellar Lord of Wood De (Virtue/Power).

We sincerely take refuge and worship the Southern Stellar Lord of Fire De.

We sincerely take refuge and worship the Western Stellar Lord of Metal De.

We sincerely take refuge and worship the Northern Stellar Lord of Water De.

We sincerely take refuge and worship the Central Stellar Lord of Earth De.

We sincerely take refuge and worship Rahu of the initial node.

We sincerely take refuge and worship the Stellar Lord Ketu of the final node.

We sincerely take refuge and worship the Tianyi Stellar Lord of Purple Qi (vital energy).

We sincerely take refuge and worship the Taiyi Yuebei Stellar Lord.

Next, the one who strikes the chime gives the signal. Everyone rises and bows, each taking refuge and confessing with a devout heart.

The ritual master and the assembly wholeheartedly take refuge in body, Shen (spirit), and the rites, and pay homage to the Stellar Lord of Jiaozhong and Jidu, the stellar deity who governs the luminaries of Jiaozhong, Ketu, and related stars. With one heart they take refuge and reverently honor the Stellar Lord of Tianyi and Purple Qi (vital energy), the stellar deity associated with the Tianyi and Purple Qi luminaries. With one heart they take refuge and reverently honor the Stellar Lord of Taiyi and Yuebei, deity of the Yuebei luminary.

Next, the one who strikes the chime again gives the signal. Everyone rises and bows, each taking refuge and confessing with a devout heart.

The ritual master and the assembly wholeheartedly take refuge in body and Shen, and entrust their lives to the Supreme Saint of Zongxiao, Stellar Emperor Lord of the Eleven Luminaries, the exalted deity who commands the eleven stellar luminaries. He holds the pivot of the great Dao (the Way) and assists in presiding over teaching and transformation; he sets Yin-Yang in motion and governs the generation and transformation of the myriad things. Whatever is prayed for is sure to receive a sympathetic response, and even what is dark, hidden, and most subtle is in every case illuminated and scrutinized.

At the appointed hour today, incense is burned to pay court to the true saints, to honor the holy worthies, and to confess offenses. The patron, so-and-so, who takes part in today’s offering rite, the Zhaijiao (purification ritual), together with the whole household, old and young, from former lives down to the present life, fears that faults have accumulated and brought on disaster, or that, in the conduct of body, mind, and mouth, and in the six faculties—eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and intention—there have been all manner of errors and offenses, numberless and without limit. They pray that all of these be removed and that they receive generous pardon.

They pray that the Solar Emperor bestow grace and the Lunar Sovereign grant blessing; that the De (Virtue/Power) of Wood and the radiance of Metal confer protection, and that the rays of Yinghuo and the light of the Water luminary bring auspicious signs; that the De of Earth give shelter, so that people may be safe and free of care; and that Rahu and Ketu dispel calamity and bring good fortune. They wish that the Stellar Lord of Tianyi Purple Qi add to their lifespan, and that the Stellar Lord of Yuebei not shine upon their own destiny-station. They wish that misfortune sink into the Nine Earths and that blessings rise from the four directions. The ritual master and the assembly wholeheartedly knock their heads and ritually thank the Unsurpassed Correct and True Three Treasures revered in Daoism: the Dao, the Jing (scripture/classic), and the Master.

Homage is offered thirteen times.

They pay reverence to the Unsurpassed Daluo Heaven, the supreme celestial realm in which the exalted deities of Daoism dwell, and earnestly ask that the stellar lords not shine upon their own destiny-station, so that misfortune may sink into the Nine Earths and blessings rise from the four directions. The ritual master and the assembly wholeheartedly knock their heads and ritually thank the Unsurpassed Correct and True Three Treasures.

Homage is offered thirteen times.

They pay reverence to the Celestial Worthy of the Primordial Beginning, of the Unsurpassed Daluo Heaven and the Holy Realm of Jade Clarity. They pay reverence to the Most High Jade-Dawn Great Lord of the Dao, of the Unsurpassed Daluo Heaven and the Holy Realm of Supreme Clarity. They pay reverence to the Most High Teaching Lord of the Primordial Origin, of the Unsurpassed Daluo Heaven and the Immortal Realm of Great Clarity. They pay reverence to the Most High Celestial Worthy of Numinous Treasure of the East, within the Exalted Heaven of Nine Qi. They pay reverence to the Most High Celestial Worthy of Numinous Treasure of the South, within the Exalted Heaven of Three Qi. They pay reverence to the Most High Celestial Worthy of Numinous Treasure of the West, within the Exalted Heaven of Seven Qi.

We reverently bow in worship to the Supreme Heavenly Worthy of Numinous Treasure (Taishang Lingbao Tianzun) of the north, in the Exalted Heaven of the Five Qi (vital energy). We reverently bow in worship to the Supreme Heavenly Worthy of Numinous Treasure of the northeast, in the Exalted Heaven of the Blazing Qi. We reverently bow in worship to the Supreme Heavenly Worthy of Numinous Treasure of the southeast, in the Exalted Heaven of the Blazing Qi. We reverently bow in worship to the Supreme Heavenly Worthy of Numinous Treasure of the southwest, in the Exalted Heaven of the Blazing Qi. We reverently bow in worship to the Supreme Heavenly Worthy of Numinous Treasure of the northwest, in the Exalted Heaven of the Blazing Qi. We reverently bow in worship to the Supreme Heavenly Worthy of Numinous Treasure of the upper region, in the Exalted Heaven of the One Qi. We reverently bow in worship to the Supreme Heavenly Worthy of Numinous Treasure of the lower region, beneath the nine tiers of layered Yin.

The chime master then raises the chime, the assembly performs the rite, and each person devoutly takes refuge in the honored deities.

We reverently bow in worship to the Supreme Heavenly Worthy of Numinous Treasure of the upper region, in the Exalted Heaven of the One Qi. We reverently bow in worship to the Supreme Heavenly Worthy of Numinous Treasure of the lower region, beneath the nine tiers of layered Yin.

The chime master then raises the chime, the assembly performs the rite, and each person devoutly takes refuge and repents.

I, your servant, together with the ritual assembly (the Daoist clerics taking part in the rite), sincerely take refuge and offer body, mind, nature, and life entirely to the honored deities of golden countenance and jade form in the Three Realms of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing; the immortal realms where the venerated deities of the Dao dwell), and to the sages and perfected ones of the Ten Extremes and the Ten Floriate Heavens, within the pistil pylons and gem palaces. I have heard that when heaven and earth were opened and the myriad things turned in transformation, rites were born of the Taiji (Supreme Ultimate). The Great Dao (the Way) preceded heaven and earth and nurtures and transforms all things in the human world; without form and without appearance, it can only by a forced name be called the “Great Dao.” We respectfully ask the greatly compassionate and merciful honored deities to look down upon us, bestow their grace, and widely extend their favor.

Tonight we, your servants, burn incense and come to court before the divine perfected, pay reverence to the holy worthies, and set forth our repentance. The host who sponsors today’s jiao offering, So-and-so, together with the whole household, old and young, from former lives down to the present life, fears having accumulated faults that bring on calamity; or, in the acts of body, mind, and mouth, and in the six sense-roots (eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and intention), having committed many offenses whether unwitting or deliberate, faults immeasurable and boundless. We earnestly beg that all of them be cleared away together, so that everyone may receive pardon.

We humbly pray that the supreme sages of the Three Pure Ones bestow abundant auspiciousness, and that the lofty perfected of the Ten Extremes (the high-ranking divine perfected who dwell in the ultimate realms of the ten directions) bring vast blessings. May calamities sink into the Nine Earths, and may good fortune arise from the ten directions. We, your servants, sincerely kowtow, paying reverence and giving thanks to the supreme and unsurpassed Orthodox and True Three Treasures (the Dao, the Jing [scripture/classic], and the Master).

The Four Concluding Vows.

May the Great Dao (the Way) be widely propagated, and the scriptures of Daoism circulated far and wide. With sincere hearts we prostrate ourselves before the true and orthodox Three Treasures—the Dao, the Jing (scripture/classic), and the Master.

May all under heaven be peaceful and secure, and the movements of Yin-Yang harmonious and well ordered. With sincere hearts we prostrate ourselves before the true and orthodox Three Treasures.

May the reigning emperor enjoy sacred longevity without end, radiant as the sun and the moon. With sincere hearts we prostrate ourselves before the true and orthodox Three Treasures.

May the patron who sponsors today’s purification rite have the six sense-faculties pure and the five blessings complete. With sincere hearts we prostrate ourselves before the true and orthodox Three Treasures.

We pray that by this merit the deceased may be delivered and enabled to ascend to heaven, and that the living may receive blessing and good fortune.

May all sentient beings be far removed from every kind of suffering and together reach the realm of Wuwei (non-action). With sincere hearts we prostrate ourselves before the sacred host of the ten directions who have attained the Dao.

May the pure assembly—Daoists devoted to pure cultivation—who take part in this scripture-expounding gathering have their minds opened and clarified, grasp the meaning of the scriptures, and receive the aid of the power of the Dao. With sincere hearts we prostrate ourselves before the sacred host of the ten directions who have attained the Dao.

We take leave of the Three Treasures.

The hour has passed, and the Qi (vital energy) of night is clear and pure. The fragrance of incense fills the void, and the sound of the great bell has ceased. The Dao returns to the Golden Portal, the abode of the immortals, and the scriptures are put away in the jade cases, the jade caskets in which the classics are treasured. With sincere hearts we prostrate ourselves before the sacred host of the ten directions who have attained the Dao.

We take leave of the Three Treasures.

The hour has passed, and the Qi of night is clear and pure. The fragrance of incense fills the void, and the sound of the great bell has ceased. The Dao returns to the Golden Portal, and the scriptures are put away in the jade cases. We bow our heads in farewell to the supreme Treasure of the Dao.

The fragrance of incense drifts away on the wind and rises to the Grand Clarity (Taiqing), the pure and empty celestial realm of which Daoism speaks. The names of all present are registered on golden tablets and inscribed in jade slips. The Golden Lad attends above, and the Jade Maiden comes forward to announce them. We bow our heads in farewell to the supreme Treasure of the Scriptures.

The ritual space has been brought to perfect completion, and the rite has ended. May all sentient beings reach the farther shore of liberation. We bow our heads in farewell to the supreme Treasure of the Masters.

May you sentient beings do no evil, accept in faith and practice the orthodox Dao, ever dwell in the Central Land—in the Daoist sense, a secure place suited to cultivating the Dao—and not fall into distant regions of danger and hardship. Receiving the grace of the Great Dao, may you no longer be summoned by Fengdu, the underworld, to answer and confront. With sincere hearts we prostrate ourselves and offer thanks to the sacred host of the ten directions who have attained the Dao.

The ritual master gathers in mind and Shen (spirit) and, in silence, visualizes and meditates upon the Great Dao.

Taking refuge in the orthodox Dao, we turn and bow in worship to the true masters. By this solemn merit, blessing extends to the patron of the rite, with the wish for long life. If the rite is one for the shades—a Daoist Zhaijiao (purification ritual) held for the deceased—one says: “May this merit aid the deceased and assist their transcendence and ascent.”

Recite with sincere hearts, voices in harmony.

Let each of those assembled stand in reverence:

With a sincere heart, one bows in reverence to the Supreme Ultimate Great Dao (Dao, the Way), the supreme and unsurpassed Great Dao. When the altar is set for Zhaijiao (purification ritual), worship should follow the orthodox path: one turns to pay respects to the ritual master, and the ceremony must be solemn, so that blessings flow to the patron of the retreat and longevity is wished upon the patron. If a Youjiao—a Zhaijiao for the deliverance of the souls of the dead—is held for the deceased, one wishes that blessings shelter the departed so that they may ascend.

With a sincere heart, one regulates and corrects the tone of the voice.

All those present each maintain reverence.

With a sincere heart, one bows to the Supreme Ultimate Great Dao—this is used in the retreat-banquet rite.

With a sincere heart, one bows to the Supreme Ultimate Great Dao—this is used in the banquet rite of the three-audience Zhaijiao.

With a sincere heart, one bows to the Orthodox and True Three Treasures—the Dao, the Jing (scripture/classic), and the Master—burns incense and offers praise, proclaims the memorial petition and the incantations, and performs the merit of food offerings.

With a sincere heart, one takes refuge in the Dao-treasures of the ten directions, the methods of the Dao and the scriptures that pervade the ten directions, wishing that living beings and the souls of the dead arouse the mind of merit-dedication, take refuge, and pay reverence to all.

With a sincere heart, one takes refuge in and pays reverence to the Solar Thearch of the Sun Palace. This is intoned when worshipping the Eleven Luminaries, the eleven deities of the sun, moon, and stars.

With a sincere heart, one takes refuge in and pays reverence to the deities who guard the lamps. This is intoned.

With a sincere heart, one begins to take up incense and then offers incense three times. This is intoned.

With a sincere heart, one devotes one’s life in worship to the Limitless Supreme Numinous Treasure Heavenly Worthy of the East. This is intoned during the liturgy of the East.

With a sincere heart, one devotes one’s life in worship to the Five Elders, the venerable deities of the five directions of the celestial realm. This is intoned.

With a sincere heart, one bows and respectfully invites the Youths of the Five Directions. This is intoned.

With a sincere heart, one takes refuge in and pays reverence to the Heavenly Lords of the Nine Qi (vital energy) of the East, the celestial deities transformed from the nine kinds of primordial Qi of the East. This is intoned according to the liturgical sequence of the ten invocations.

With a sincere heart, one pays court and performs ritual repentance—worship and confession. This is intoned.

With a sincere heart, on behalf of the patron of the retreat, one performs the rite of summoning the dead, inviting the souls of the deceased to the altar to receive deliverance. This is intoned.

Daoist musical compositions by the Daoist Sovereign Emperor of the Song dynasty:

Ten Pieces of the Music of Jade Clarity

The great earth seems to rest in the heavens, joining the celestial realms in the sky; the myriad things flourish and spread through the eight directions. The workings of creative transformation proceed, yet one does not know who presides over them. Crimson auroral light and cinnabar-colored clouds veil the pure and tranquil capital of the immortals.

From the azure void comes formless immortal music, like a precious pearl as tiny as a grain of millet; power from the ten directions surges in and fills all without remainder. On hearing the scriptural teaching, joy and gladness arise beyond what words can express; nine-colored dragons soar, bearing the Carriage of the Eight Effulgences, the conveyance of the immortal realm.

Feather-robed youths breathe in and out, dispersing inauspicious vapors; the vapors swirl before the green palace halls. Creative transformation is not obtained from outside the body; the root lies in oneself, and from one’s own root one may reach the Three Heavens, the celestial realms of Daoism.

Scenes of the imperial immortal realm appear one after another; on the Jade Continent, tiered towers and terraces rise, and purple clouds drift. When the three-and-eight golden locks are opened—an image of the rite that opens the barriers of the celestial realm—the Limitless Void Sovereign, the supreme deity of the heavens, is above.

Fulu (talismans and registers) fashioned of white jade descend from the Purple Court (the palace courts of the celestial realm). Splendid banners are raised three times to summon the host of spirits.

One breaks off the branches and chews the stamens of the kongqing flower (the immortal medicine or numinous herb of which Daoism speaks); the whole body then gives forth a golden light that illuminates the sun, moon, and stars.

Beneath Lianchang Terrace the waves surge and churn; only lofty immortals who have attained the Dao (the Way) can pass. Lesser immortals of shallower cultivation cannot catch up, and can only hear from afar the eight luan (the eight bells on the immortal carriage) chiming in harmony.

Clouds of the five colors gather into an encampment, dense and swirling; gate after gate of the grotto-abodes opens, revealing doorways like fine jade. Which Daoist priest can send upward a vermilion memorial (a petition written with a vermilion brush and presented to the celestial court)? Jade maidens fly the documents on, so that they arrive directly before the supreme Celestial Emperor.

The Three Primes of the Upper Effulgence (three kinds of primordial Qi, vital energy, of the celestial realm, or exalted deities) display a wondrous radiance. The Crimson Palace (the palace where immortals and perfected beings dwell) has long borne the name-registers of the immortals. One further guards and preserves the “Female One” (an inward method of inner guarding in Daoist cultivation) within the Great Undifferentiated (the primordial state before the cosmos had yet differentiated), riding an ethereal cloud-chariot and driving an immortal carriage bright with feathered ornament.

Within the Lodge of True Yang, primordial Qi circles back and forth, secretly rising and descending among the Three Palaces (the upper, middle, and lower Dantian, energy centers, within the body, or the three palace compounds of the celestial realm). Those who have attained the Dao are no longer entangled in the worldly matters of birth and death; keeping one another company, they ascend the golden terrace.

The Three Blossoms of Great Simplicity (the pure primordial Qi of which Daoism speaks) arise of themselves, and in the void a radiance like the hibiscus burns bright and clear. In the crimson chambers and golden rooms (the palace halls of the immortal realm) empty precious thrones are set out, and the Youth of Taiwei (a celestial immortal lad) comes down to receive them.

Ten Songs of Shangqing (Upper Clarity)

In the heaven of Purple Clarity grow splendid groves; red fruits hang from vermilion branches, and the green leaves flourish thickly. Chew the flowers in full bloom, and one may live long without aging; looking down from heaven upon the human world, one sees only the sun and moon succeeding one another as time slips away.

The Primal Lady (a female immortal deity), taking the Eight Qi (the eight directions, or eight kinds of primordial Qi) as her title, is called Azure Numen. She wears a brocade cape and crimson skirts and dwells in the Jade City. She holds the talismanic mandate of the Celestial Emperor and oversees the registers of the Dao (documents recording the names and offices of Daoist priests), cleansing living beings of worldly entanglements and granting them relief.

The Lofty Supreme August Person (an exalted deity of Daoism) holds a banquet in the Purple Empyrean Palace, often gathering fragrant herbs and drawing in the Eight Qian (numinous trees or immortal herbs of the immortal realm). His flesh, within and without, is crystalline and transparent, like liuli glass; his radiance shines upon the Three Paths (the dark realms where living beings suffer), so that sufferings of every kind are dispelled.

The four Perfected of the Palace of the Nine Suns entertain their guests in the immortal city on Mount Guangxia. They strike the bells and play the zither, offering immortal wine; throughout the azure void all is harmonious joy, a springtime scene all its own.

Mount Fujue rises in linked tiers of peaks, and the White Jade Capital towers among them; the Tower of Golden Radiance and the Tower of Solar Radiance shine upon each other in brilliant splendor.

Five True Divinities condense into a fully rounded, pearl-shaped primordial Qi (vital energy); their bodies are pure as jade, and their features are as young as an infant’s.

Beneath the Peak of Elegant Radiance lies the Capital of the Five Numina, where the Divine Lord of Primordial Radiance holds the pivot of transformation and creative power.

True Fire possesses the power of creation and transformation. It can smelt away the five poisons and free a person from dark and perilous paths. The “True Fire” spoken of here is the marvelous firing phase of cultivation, not ordinary flame.

The sunlight blazes fiercely, as though in nine rings of radiance; within the palaces of the Six Abysses, the Purple Primordial Lord sits enthroned.

The Purple Primordial Lord wears a crown of rosy clouds and a mantle of brocade, seated calmly at ease; auspicious vapors drift past, revealing characters of red talismanic script.

Fresh primordial Qi, rich and emerald green, mantles the purple sky; the Spirit of Azure Essence rides a feather-decked carriage and summons the Primordial Youths.

The carriage drives grandly against the wind for three thousand li; after seven turnings, the incense smoke reaches everywhere.

In the Pool of Flowing Ripples precious great lotuses arise; the blossoms open ten zhang wide, reflecting the pool’s waters and springs.

Immortals who smell the fragrance of the flowers and drink the water of the pool know neither hunger nor thirst; their bearing is light and graceful, like immortals standing upon golden lotus leaves.

A mountain of rosy clouds, ten thousand ren high, stands in the realm of Jade Vacuity; the divine officials of the Four Bureaus, crowned and sword in hand, guard the Numinous Capital.

The perfected immortals bow together and strike up the music of heaven; at their waists they wear the untrammeled talismans and registers (Fulu) conferred by the Immortal Sovereign.

Ten Poems of the Music of Grand Clarity

The Primordial Lord of Great Unity (the exalted deity who commands the host of immortals) presides over the ranks of immortals, and crimson light and deep-red radiance illumine the fields where numinous mushrooms grow.

When the merits of cultivation are brought to completion, one may meet them and have one’s name inscribed in the registers of the immortals; how could it be merely like the immortal Hongya, who laughs and pats a person on the shoulder?

At midnight five segments of pure incense are burned, and heavenly beings and jade maidens can smell them from afar.

The fragrance unites with primordial Qi, and the two respond to each other across the distance; crimson ceremonial retinues and rainbow banners descend from five-colored auspicious clouds.

The Primordial Lord of Taiji (Supreme Ultimate) rides a carriage adorned with kingfisher plumes; the myriad demons hasten to obey the commands of the divine talismans.

Nine dragons stride forward and together bow their heads in homage; often they may be seen exhaling pearls of fire in the sky.

In the Palace of the Stamen Pearl, seven-character poems are chanted, and the titles of the twelve Perfected Lords appear one by one.

Clouds and vapors throng about the azure dragon as it departs.

The Primordial Lord of Taiji rides a carriage adorned with kingfisher plumes; the myriad demons hasten to obey the commands of the divine talismans.

Nine dragons stride forward and together bow their heads in homage; often they may be seen exhaling pearls of fire in the sky.

In the Palace of the Stamen Pearl, seven-character poems are chanted, and the titles of the twelve Perfected Lords appear one by one.

Clouds and vapors throng about the azure dragon as it returns to the Bureau of Fire, while the wind follows the white tiger as it leaves the dark sea.

Light shines brightly within the Golden Portal, and the Lord of the Latter Sage appears; flowing Jing (essence) and Qi gleam with radiance and condense into cinnabar clouds.

This work, the Jade-Sound Liturgy (Yuyin Fashi), first describes the realm of the immortals and their cultivation, and then, in the “Ten Lyrics of the White Crane,” sings of the white crane’s numinous power and auspicious signs.

If the Most High Lord of the Dao (Taishang Daojun), a revered deity of Daoism, had not transmitted it in person, how could such jade texts—sacred Daoist scriptures—exist in the world?

The peaks of Yuanjing rise into the clouds, and the dwellings of the immortals stand far off amid the glow of rosy vapors. Nine layers of cloud Qi (vital energy) suddenly shift, now gathering, now dispersing. The carriages of the immortals drift lightly, and their traces cannot be followed to the end.

Within the Eastern Well (Dongjing), a constellation, the bright radiance of the moon is held. Hosts of dragons rise and turn the golden jar—here a vessel that contains the immortals’ Jing (essence) and Qi. The immortals bathe and purify themselves, though no one knows in what age this began. One sees only a luster like glass, transparent and clear, so pure that it seems one could see through to the bones.

The Three Fords (Sanjin), waterways or crossings in the immortal realm, lead far toward the dwelling of the Celestial Emperor. Rivers join red cloud-mist, and the mist reaches on to the edge of heaven. The Jade Numen Immortal Mother often roams and rests here. Guards stand about her in strict array, and the chariots of the sun and moon follow in attendance.

The Jade Lodge of the Nine Numina adjoins Mount Kunlun. Mountain ranges bar the way, and the Flowing Net (Liugang)—rivers or boundary realms within the immortal world—is hard to cross, so ordinary mortals cannot draw near. The immortals entrust the Purple Orchid with a message: why exhaust heart and spirit so in the dusty world?

The numinous consorts on either side conduct the rite according to the days Jia and Geng, refining and nurturing essence amid the Eight Scenes (Bajing) of the Linlang palaces. When the banquet of Changyang ends, where do they return? The work of casting flame and smelting the golden liquor has already been accomplished.

Ten Lyrics of the White Crane

The white crane is formed through embryonic transformation and cries above the Nine Heavens. Snow-white plumage and a cinnabar-red crown set each other off in bright contrast. People of the world should not mistake it for the immortal crane returning to the ornamental pillar. It is an auspicious sign of an age of great peace, and for hundreds of millions of years it will descend without cease.

On the Jade Terrace (Yaotai), dwelling of the immortals, the night wind is calm, and the dark has only just begun to part. The white crane lifts its head to peck and drink, and its startled cry carries the freshness of dew. It once lingered by the shore of the Taiye Pool, yet in the end it could not return. In a former life long ago, it had transformed into a qilin.

The numinous crane flies lightly down from the Realm of Great Clarity (Taiqing), the pure and empty heaven spoken of in Daoism. Between jade towers and golden halls the dawn wind is gentle. It stands proudly alone and keeps no company with parrots, often giving a cry that shoots straight into the clouds and leaves the dusty world behind.

The Three Mountains and the blue-green sea are not far. Bearing auspicious signs, the white crane comes to the Pure Capital (Qingdu), dwelling of the Celestial Emperor, descending from above the purple empyrean. Its feathers are white as frost and snow, and its nature is pure as ice and jade. Deep in the Jasper Pool (Yaochi) it pecks at numinous sprouts.

When the essence of metal and fire is pure, the bearing of the white crane appears. It long accompanies the Queen Mother (Wangmu, the Queen Mother of the West) at banquets by the Jasper Pool. At night a jade-altar Zhaijiao (purification ritual) is held, the Daoist rite of setting an altar to pray to the gods. Deities and immortals descend, and the white crane flies past Mount Gou—the mountain linked in legend with the immortal Prince Qiao—yet people of the world have no way of knowing.

In the palaces amid five-colored clouds, the sound of Buxu, the celestial music Daoist priests sing as they pace while reciting scripture, draws out long. The Northern Dipper turns across the vault of heaven, and the long night is not yet over. The white crane flies in to bring tidings of good fortune. Its clear cry drifts away together with the fragrance of Returning-Wind incense.

From the Nine Marshes (Jiugao), deep and distant waters, the white crane gives one long cry. Through vast ages it has shed the embryo and exchanged its bones, becoming light, numinous, and clear.

Ordinary people of the Liao Sea region do not know that on the Great Canopy Heaven (Daluo Tian) there is one who truly understands.

The white crane’s feathers are pure white and bright, reflecting the color of frost; the vermilion of its crown is sharply defined, more vivid than deep-red cinnabar. It has cultivated for one thousand six hundred years. Its Shen (spirit) and Qi (vital energy) have gradually taken form, and it often flies and calls in the company of the jade immortals.

When the banquet at Penglai disperses, the immortals withdraw in turn. The carriages of the immortals drift light and airy, and the white crane flies along with them. In an age of great peace, people often see an auspicious sign such as the white crane; what need is there for the Yuefu—the court Music Bureau, the institution in charge of music—to compose poems expressly in praise of its robe of golden feathers?

Within the secluded palace of heaven, auspicious mists disperse and fragrant winds never cease. The immortals withdraw in turn; the carriages of the immortals drift light and airy, and the white crane flies. In an age of great peace, people often see auspicious signs such as these; what need is there to have the Yuefu specially sing of its robe of golden feathers?

The celestial palace lies far and deep. Auspicious mists part, fragrant winds do not cease, and the white crane still circles in the sky. Its rare and beautiful form is quite unlike the cranes of Qingtian, a place famed for the cranes it produces. Surely the immortals are arriving one after another.

Ten Lyrics of Scattering Flowers

Crimson standards lead the way through the air, and celestial flowers fall in showers. The exalted perfected—Gaozhen, immortals of profound cultivation—are pure and free of stain. Though the petals fall one by one, they do not cling to their robes.

The immortals spiral upward along eight tiers of steps, steps as splendid as fine jade, while a thousand blossoms lift brocade-like trails of color. Green flowers and purple immortal fruits set one another off, their radiance so gorgeous it can scarcely be named.

The calyxes are pale gold; the petals, pure white, even, and jade-like. Celestial winds follow the immortals’ carriages, and the fragrance of flowers fills the ninefold city of heaven.

The flowers are soft and graceful, circling in the air; their colors are richly varied as they fall about the seats. Fair hours in the immortal realm never grow old—where else is one to seek a celestial capital such as this?

Pure immortal companions chant celestial songs, and everyone praises their beauty. Myriad flowers rise as offerings, dancing down from heaven.

Precious leaves unfurl in gardens like fine jade; wondrous branches grow within Ziwei, the stellar palace corresponding to the dwelling of the Celestial Emperor. Butterflies cannot pluck these flowers. They drift long beside the seats, flying together with the colored luan.

In the immortal realm, immortal flowers bloom only once in three thousand years. Now a Golden Register assembly is held—the Jinlu Zhaijiao (purification ritual), a Daoist rite for seeking blessings and averting calamity—and the immortals come together.

Before the seats, immortals who arrive riding the wind are welcomed, and incense lamps are set upon the precious altar. I have only a single devoted heart, and nothing I can offer; I can only scatter petals like fragments of brocade toward the clouds.

Blue-green hues of the flowers reflect one another, while red and yellow shift from pale to deep in interwoven change. Even the creative power of nature would seem to marvel; these patterns are not deliberately carved, but arise of themselves.

Before the offering table in the cavern, smoke rises from the censer, giving forth the fragrance of Wuwei (non-action) and of the Dao (the Way) and De (Virtue/Power). All issue from a single source, and there is no breath that differs. The fragrance wells forth, exceptionally sweet.

Heaven and Earth were divided out of Taiji (the Supreme Ultimate, the origin of the cosmos) into high and low, thick and thin, and the light, clear Qi (vital energy) rose to become Heaven. If a person can cultivate the supreme Dao (the Way), then with this very body they may become a true immortal. When the merit of cultivation has accumulated to three thousand, and the fortune of the times meets forty thousand years, the Dantai (the place where the immortals keep their classics) opens its precious scriptures, transmitted by the gods themselves by word of mouth.

The Three Heavenly Lords of the Great Brahma (the exalted deities who govern the heavenly realms of the Great Brahma) and the Venerable Five Elders of the Vacuous Sovereign (the exalted deities of the heavenly realms of the five directions) are so mysterious that they are already hard to glimpse—how could words ever tell them fully? The jeweled throne draws near the golden hall, and rose-colored light… (a sentence is missing in the original text here). The Dantai opens its precious scriptures, transmitted by the gods themselves by word of mouth.

The Three Heavenly Lords of the Great Brahma and the Venerable Five Elders of the Vacuous Sovereign are mysterious and hard to glimpse, nor can words exhaust them. The jeweled throne is set upon the golden hall, and rose-cloud crowns shine upon the jade veranda. Ten thousand true immortals come to audience with the Celestial Emperor, and flying birds tread the foundation of the heavenly realm.

A form hazy as fine mist gently trails a thin immortal robe. The immortal ascends borne on auspicious vapor, lightly following the colored phoenix in flight. Several times he has kept company at the banquets of the jasper chambers, then suddenly points toward the Dongtian (the blessed lands where immortals dwell) and turns back; standing on the shore of Fusang (the legendary place where the sun rises), he flies high toward the brilliance of the sun.

He ascends by treading the Bugang (the steps paced in Daoist ritual) among the clouds, as the wind of heaven comes whistling. The hems of his robe lift and pass beyond the handle of the Northern Dipper; whisk in hand, he bows toward the Canqi stars. Lions hold red seal-ribbons in their mouths, and qilin lead the kingfisher-green carriages. He has flown throughout the eight quarters of heaven and earth, and has many times seen the branches of spring put forth their buds.

The hair at his temples is blue-green; he wears a tall cinnabar headcloth, and sashes like azure rose-clouds wind about his feathered robe. At dawn he hastens to the Yangde Lodge; at night he comes to the Yuehua Gate. He circulates the fire of the whole heaven and, lying hidden, keeps Lu Ji in store; though the jade chambers cannot detain him, he still flies toward the Nine Heavens.

Once, in the Yan’en Hall, at midnight they welcomed the descent of the Nine Sovereigns. Six true immortals stood arrayed to left and right, and yellow mist encircled the palace corridors. Deep within the palace the gods are honored, and immortal soldiers guard the ritual ground. Now the filial grandson carries on the former resolve, as if it were close at hand, facing the Nine Heavens.

Once, in the Yan’en Hall, at midnight they welcomed the descent of the Nine Sovereigns. Six true immortals stood arrayed to left and right, and yellow mist encircled the palace corridors. Deep within the palace the gods are honored, and immortal soldiers guard the ritual ground. Now the filial grandson carries on the former resolve, as if it were close at hand, facing the numinous light of the gods.

He cultivates the methods of cultivating the true recorded in the precious registers, the Fulu (talismans and registers)—the classics of Daoist talismans—and with a heart of pure sincerity presents a memorial to Heaven above. Before the people he is as if treading on thin ice and as if approaching a deep abyss; laboring day and night, he prays for peace throughout the world. May the myriad beings be freed from sickness and calamity, and may the Three Chen (the sun, moon, and stars, as Daoism calls them) bring auspiciousness. The sound of the Buxu chanting has already reached the heavenly realm, and next they intone the Dongxuan Zhang (a chapter of Daoist scripture).

The sacred land of Shenzhou lies deep and winding, and the Altar of Myriad Wonders rises lofty and solemn. Immortal guests clad in crane-feather robes come riding the wind, and celestial officials descend from heaven in shoes shaped like wild ducks. Jade cups hold fine wine; the precious casket is opened and the treasured cinnabar scriptures are taken out. With a heart of utmost sincerity, for what does one pray? That the four seas remain forever peaceful and at rest.

Water is sprinkled to drive the baleful spirits from the demon palaces, and lamps are lit to brighten the dark underworld. Above the Nine Heavens the wind falls silent, and heaven and earth in the four directions grow clear and luminous. The immortal airs of Vermilion Mound Palace are chanted, and one roams the White Jade Capital. With a heart of utmost sincerity, for what does one pray? That the state long remain secure, prosperous, and flourishing.

The ancient chanting of Huaxia comes through, and the voices of the assembly rise and fall. The sound is pure, rarefied, and lofty, returning to Dao (the Way) and De (Virtue/Power); the melody winds and turns, in accord with the tones of gong, shang, and the rest. Agarwood and sandalwood drift through the halls, and upon the towers the moonlight is cool and the dew fresh. With a heart of utmost sincerity, for what does one pray? That the crops be abundant, every year plentiful, and disasters dispelled.

A text further descended during the Xuanhe years:

In a long, drawn voice one chants the jade tones, praying that the state long remain secure, prosperous, and flourishing.

The ancient chanting of Huaxia comes through, and the voices of the assembly rise and fall. The sound is pure, rarefied, and lofty, returning to Dao and De; the melody winds and turns, in accord with the tones of gong, shang, and the rest. Agarwood and sandalwood drift through the halls, and upon the towers the moonlight is cool and the dew fresh. With a heart of utmost sincerity, for what does one pray? That the crops be abundant, every year plentiful, and disasters dispelled.

A text further descended during the Xuanhe years:

One chants at length the Jade Tones of the Golden Portal Buxu. Buxu are hymns of praise chanted while pacing in the Daoist Zhaijiao (purification ritual).

Primordial Qi (vital energy) arising from the Beginning Azure overspreads heaven and earth, and golden incense smoke condenses into vermilion clouds. The deities of the Flying Dawn take the chariot reins in hand and come before the Jade Emperor to bow in homage. The Jade Emperor’s heart is broad and at ease, and he bestows upon me the supreme numinous chapters. This is the Great Dao that is never extinguished; the myriad heavens all honor my authority. I move through the realm of the hollow void and the formless, yet the immortals of the lower world do not fathom its depth.

Two Buxu lyrics

The latter was composed because, while the Imperially Annotated Daodejing—the Jing (scripture/classic) of the Dao and De—was being expounded, immortal cranes came flying and gathered.

The Qi of the Primal One gives birth to the myriad things, long before heaven and earth and the two modes of Yin-Yang appear. Within the precious mound a golden horse gallops, and true incense gushes forth like jade lotuses in bloom. Immortals rise into the air, guiding dragon reins, while Brahma-tones lead the immortal chariot of the spirit mushroom. May one, through the long and endless kalpa of Everlasting Spring, roam the Heaven of No Form. Those who have only just entered the true Dao find these principles hard to grasp; therefore this lyric is used to admonish immortals still in cultivation.

The lofty perfected (Gaozhen—immortal perfected beings who have attained the Dao) set forth the great Dao and De (Virtue/Power), leaving a teaching of five thousand characters. In explaining the meaning of the Jing (scripture/classic), I am ashamed that my learning is shallow; I can only devote my utmost sincerity to seeking out the profound and mysterious principles within it. Banners of rainbow hue solemnly guard and uphold the sacred canon, and singing like immortal music carries up to the cloud-chariots. Auspicious cranes unfold their bearing in the sky, and a fortunate wind disperses the summer heat and fretful gloom. The vault of heaven is stirred to respond, and we wish that the fortunes of the realm may long endure, flourishing for hundreds of millions of years.

Ten Lyrics on Pacing the Void of the Jade Capital (Yujing Buxu Ci)

I bow and pay homage to the Most High (Taishang, the Daoist honorific for the supreme divine venerable), burn incense, and turn toward the empty Dao. Brilliant radiance revolves as I turn, and the wheel of the methods (Falun, the wheel symbolizing the turning of the Dao’s methods) also turns three times. The Mysterious Origin (Xuanyuan, the root-source of the Dao) causes the four quarters to flourish, and numinous, wondrous blessings descend upon kings and nobles. Seven generations of ancestors are able to ascend to heaven, appearing in radiant splendor. I chant aloud, my voice penetrating the vast heavenly realms, and the music of heaven likewise delights me. With the same fragrance I honor supreme De, which none of the immortals of the lower realm can equal. Mysterious visualization makes the mind and Shen (spirit) lucid and awakens one to subtle principles, while multitudes of immortal perfected ride the void and roam. When the chant reaches the line “numinous blessings reach kings and nobles,” the character hou is to be omitted and left unsung.

I circle about and step onto the cloud-road, travel by riding the void, and enter the mysterious ritual statutes. I intone the Venerable Sovereign One (Diyi, a revered deity of Daoism), and the hundred vessels of the whole body naturally come into harmony. Stooping, I summon the lads of the Eight Seas; raising my hands, I lead the lofty immortals. The heavens scatter fragrant flowers, and a pure, numinous wind rises at its leisure. The aspirations of former lives settle the root of life, and thus a lofty ceremonial bearing may be displayed. Before the Most High, joy is endless, and ten thousand kalpas seem only just to have begun. Mount Xuandu rises sheer and majestic; it is Sovereign One (Huangyi, a revered deity of Daoism), jointly honored by the ten directions. The Terrace of Heavenly Treasure towers into the clouds, its light shining until even the sunlight glitters in response. In the jade forest the blossoms are bright and abundant, and the red fruits are vivid and dazzling. One often thinks of ingesting primal essence (Yuanjing, the Jing [essence] and Qi [vital energy] of the origin of Heaven and Earth) and of refining and nurturing the vital fluids, so as to consolidate the bodily form. Golden radiance spreads through Purple Tenuity (Ziwei, the palaces of heaven), and the profound and wondrous realm of the Great Vehicle brings transcendence and ease.

The rhymes of the preceding piece all belong to the zhen rhyme, and there is no character that needs to be omitted. Therefore, when the memorial is presented in the morning, the whole piece is to be chanted continuously, without pause.

Practitioners of cultivation should visualize the Most High (Taishang, the supreme deity of the Dao, the Way) above and below, letting resplendent numinous light illuminate the Dantian (energy center, the site of inner refinement in the lower abdomen). Looking to the left, they welcome Yuyi (the deity who symbolizes the sun); looking to the right, they carry Jielin (the deity who symbolizes the moon). They regulate their practice by the six perfections, so that their conduct accords with the pure Dao, and their De (Virtue/Power) grows without cease as the days and months pass. Blessings and merit accumulated in the past bring corresponding good fruits; thus, when they hear the Jing (scripture/classic), it is as if they heard the words of someone close to them. Born with a capacity that transcends the mundane world, they delight in reciting profound and subtle chapters.

They bring the breath back to emptiness, stillness, and harmony, exhaling and drawing in Jing (essence) and Qi (vital energy) radiant as rosy clouds. Through fetal breathing (taixi, a method of regulating the breath into stillness, as if breathing like a child in the womb), they settle every pass and orifice of the body and, with a quiet mind, inquire into three wondrous methods. The Niwan (a term of Neidan, or internal alchemy, for an important site within the head) manifests a bright numinous scene, and in the end they become immortals of Golden Florescence. Even the demon kings listen and obey with reverence, and so they are able to attend audience with the gods of the various heavens. All of this begins with fasting and abstinence, the accumulation of merit, and the forming of good affinities from past lives. They ascend in flight, mount the void, pass beyond the Great Void, and keep company with the exalted Perfected.

Driving their carriages, they roam freely through the worlds of the ten directions, now and then resting at Xuanjing E (a secluded place in the immortal realms). They look up at the Jieren Terrace towering into the clouds and look down upon cloud-gauze woven of purple clouds. Wandering at ease in the capital of the Most High, they sit together with companions of the Dao upon lotus blossoms. Through unceasing study and cultivation they become zhenren (Perfected Persons); the mind is at peace, and the body’s Qi and blood are harmonized. They forever enjoy life without end—among the thousand kinds and myriad things, what is worth craving?

The ancestral master of the Great Dao abides in a realm of mystery and stillness; when he ascends to immortality, Wuying (the title of an immortal Perfected) accompanies him. The Young Lord presents the spirit-delivering Fulu (talismans and registers that aid attainment of the Dao and the deliverance of souls), and Taiyi (a revered deity of the Daoist tradition) holds the Dongzhang (Daoist scriptures). The sheli (here a precious numinous object) shines with golden radiance, and a dragon carriage suddenly comes to receive him. The Celestial Worthy (Tianzun) looks toward the cloud chariot and, drifting lightly, rides the void in flight. Fragrant flowers fall like flying snow; dense clouds of Qi surround the mysterious towers and pavilions.

I pay homage before the Golden Portal, the palace gates of the celestial realm, and, cradling my head in my hands in the ancient gesture of worship, wander freely through Yujing (Jade Capital), the celestial capital spoken of in Daoism. Soaring qian trees encircle the Garden of Circular Radiance, and the Forest of Seven Treasures shines in brilliant splendor. Of celestial beasts there are three hundred kinds, and the lions stand incomparably tall. Flying dragons wheel about, chanting and roaring; divine phoenixes cry in measured rhythm. A numinous wind brushes the wondrous blossoms, and a pure fragrance drifts forth, refreshing the heart. Without the endowment of a lofty immortal, how could one give one’s heart so wholly to this immortal realm?

The Nine-Dragon Chariot, the celestial carriage drawn by nine dragons, is set in order, and one rides the void in free and easy roaming. The celestial realms of the eight directions seem as near as the palm of the hand, and the Six Harmonies—heaven, earth, and the four quarters—can hardly be called distant. The assembled perfected, realized beings who have attained the Dao (the Way), recite the Dongxuan Jing (Scripture of the Cavern of Mystery), while Taishang, the revered deity of Daoism, sings a pure and wondrous song. Fragrant flowers scatter on the wind, and jade tones, the exquisite music of the heavens, resound through the Purple Empyrean, the lofty heights of the celestial realm. The Five Sufferings vanish at once, and the Eight Difficulties recede with the sound of the scripture. How beautiful is the garden of Lingbao (Numinous Treasure)! From it arises the great Dharma Bridge, the gateway that leads all beings toward liberation.

Within the Palace of the Celestial Perfected Sovereign of Unity, a palace of the heavens, all is auspicious, harmonious, and radiant, immortals and numinous beings shining upon one another. The Dharma Wheel and its guiding principles turn and give forth light, spiraling into the void and returning to the formless. Xuhuang, a revered deity of Daoism, plays the yun’ao, a jade instrument of the celestial realm, while the assembled perfected recite the Dongjing (Cavern scriptures). Lofty immortals stand in solemn reverence, hands joined in praise, wishing that through kalpas without end they may still hold fast to the true Dao and abide in lasting peace.

The Supreme Perfected, the highest of realized beings, depend on nothing; at times they go riding upon flying dragons. After prolonged purification and fasting, they assemble in Xuandu, an immortal realm of Daoism, sounding jade and striking jasper bells. The immortals of the Ten Blossoms gather as one, and purple mist condenses into palaces. Precious canopies are arrayed around Taishang, and the perfected hold lotuses in their hands. The immortal host scatters flowers and sets forth its vows, grasping tallies of authority to summon the demon kings. When the dharma drums sound, the host of immortals assembles, and numinous songs answer one another. If one acts without clinging to “permissible” or “impermissible,” mind and spirit can commune with the hidden, subtle, and mysterious realm.

The foregoing is an explanation of the Yujing Buxu Shi Shou (Ten Poems on Pacing the Void of the Jade Capital). According to the Taishang Yujingshan Buxu Jing (Scripture of Pacing the Void on the Jade Capital Mountain of the Most High), Ge Xuan, Left Immortal Elder of the Taiji (Supreme Ultimate), transmitted the scriptural teachings to his disciple Zheng Siyuan on Mount Tiantai, and Zheng Siyuan in turn transmitted them to Ge Xuan’s grandnephew Ge Hong, whose sobriquet was Baopuzi.

Zheng Siyuan said that, as death drew near, Ge Xuan told him: “The Shangqing Dadong Daojing (Great Cavern Scripture of Highest Clarity) that I have received must be transmitted to the younger members of our own family, copied and passed on from generation to generation. One who has truly attained the Dao (the Way) must not seal away the secret methods of the Heavenly Dao. It should be understood that the secret classics kept in the langhan—the jade casket in which scriptures are treasured—are precious precisely because they circulate.” The opening of the scripture records that the great sages, Celestial Worthies, emperors and kings, lofty immortals, and Perfected all observed purification and upheld the teachings, honored the name of the Most High Void Sovereign, burned incense and scattered flowers, and circled the Mysterious Terrace of the Seven Treasures three times. After they had recited the Kongdong Dage Zhang (Chapters of the Great Songs of the Empty Cavern), the Most High expressed his approval, and the assembly then sang the Buxu. The merit of this ritual service is profound, vast, and subtle, and cannot be fully told.

According to the purification rite recorded in the canon, when a purification of three days and nine audiences is held, all ten poems are chanted at each audience and sung through according to the ritual sequence. Before the circling of the altar begins at each audience, the assembly first performs a kowtow in homage to the Most High; when the final line is reached, they chant “shan” together, and each bows once. The lead chanter then leads the assembly in circumambulation, treading the gang steps—walking according to the ritual pacing—and chanting in response, while the assembly advances slowly in the ding gang step. When the final line is reached, all chant “shan” together, and each bows once. Thereafter, each time a poem is completed, they likewise chant “shan” together, and each bows once.

If, on an ordinary occasion, three audiences are held in a single day, the ten songs may be divided among the three audiences and sung through in that way. The assembly still advances slowly in the ding gang step; when the final line is reached, they chant “shan” together and each bows once; and thereafter, each time a poem is completed, they likewise chant “shan” together and each bows once.

It is further said that if, as on an ordinary day, the audience rite is held three times, the ten poems can be chanted to completion across those three audiences. In the first round one chants as far as “I bow my head in homage to the Most High”; when the recitation reaches the final line, everyone together sings “Shansheng” (“the sound of goodness”), and each person makes one bow. The second round begins with “Circling, I tread the cloud-net” and continues with “Towering is the Mountain of the Mysterious Capital,” the two being taken together as a single poem; when the recitation reaches the final line, everyone together sings “Shansheng,” and each person makes one bow. Both are in oblique-tone rhyme, and so they may be combined and chanted on a single occasion. The third round sings “Looking up and down, I visualize the Most High”; when the recitation reaches the final line, everyone together sings “Shansheng,” and each person makes one bow. This is precisely what is used for the morning audience. The remaining six poems are apportioned to the noon audience and the evening audience, with one poem chanted in each round. In this way all ten poems can be chanted within the three audience rites, which accords with the complete ritual of paying homage and reciting the Yujingshan (Jade Capital Mountain).

When chanting the Buxu (hymns of praise sung in Daoist Zhaijiao, purification rituals), if even one poem is lacking, then, it is feared, at the time of ascending the altar to present the audience memorial and to pray, sincere devotion will be hard to keep single-minded, and it will likewise be hard to elicit a response from the supreme sages and lofty perfected (venerable immortals).

When one holds a jiao banquet (a Daoist rite of setting up an altar for sacrifice and prayer) and ascends the altar to practice the Dao (the Way), one must especially, while circumambulating the altar to present the audience of the Yujingshan, visualize the golden towers and jasper palaces (the palaces in which immortals dwell), together with the features and bearing of the sages and perfected. Only then may one pray for grace and blessing, dispel disaster and adversity, and deliver the deceased. What we now see of these teachings handed down by the Immortal Elder was spoken orally by Lord Zheng. The intention was presumably to pass them on to later generations, so that those who come after might carry out the rite accordingly. Since the classics already contain a record of them, they ought not to be stored away and left untransmitted; they have therefore been reverently carved and printed, to be shared with all. What is essential is to keep a reverent heart and to be free of doubt, in the hope of obtaining the protection of the sages and perfected and of sharing together in the blessing.

Kongdong Lingzhang (Numinous Stanzas of the Hollow Cavern; title of the piece).

Light shines on high, and the essential purport drifts freely through to what is mysterious and wondrous. The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning opens the realm of perfect fulfillment and sets forth five chapters of scripture, sending them down. Crimson celestial writs and precious Fulu (talismans and registers) circle amid yellow clouds of Qi (vital energy). Mighty deities of the eight directions keep close guard, and numinous beasts attend the Perfected. Splendid radiance adorns crowns and hair, and fragrance cast forth again and again brushes the dust away. Gorgeous scenes gather upon the lofty hills, and the procession wheels through the heavens of the ten directions. In a loud voice they chant the Cavernous Numinous Chapters and, pacing the Dipper steps, enter the realm of mystery. Withered souls ascend into the yang realm, and corpses reduced to ash are restored as human beings. The Divine Kings prolong the nature and life of all beings, so that they may ride the void and mount the clouds and mist in ascent. Those who worship and recite the Cavern Chapters can endure together with the turning of the kalpas.

The passage above, on Radiant Illumination and the Ancestral Office, is the Cavernous Numinous Chapters of the Scripture of the Dao (the Way), transmitted by the Celestial Thearch Lord. Each of the Thirty-two Heavens has one chapter; in some, every line has four characters, and in others, five. See the Lingbao (Numinous Treasure) Cavernous Numinous Chapters in the Dongyuan division (Dongxuan, Mystery Cavern).

Hymn on Upholding the Precepts

The Dao is the root of impartiality and Wuwei (non-action). All things and affairs can become fields for cultivating blessings and accumulating De (Virtue/Power). There is no fixed path for establishing merit; each person may act according to his or her own original vow. Make oneself humble, empty, and clear, and so respond to living beings; when the heart holds no partiality, one can treat all things equally. The Great Sage honors the supreme teaching.

In some editions this hymn is written in lines of five characters. See the Lingbao Cavernous Numinous Chapters in the Dongyuan division.

Hymn on Upholding the Precepts

The Dao is the root of impartiality and Wuwei. All things and affairs can become fields for cultivating blessings and accumulating De. There is no fixed path for establishing merit; each person may act according to his or her own original vow. Make oneself humble, empty, and clear, and so respond to living beings; when the heart holds no partiality, one can treat all things equally. The Great Sage honors the supreme teaching, which is also like rain descending from heaven and moistening all things everywhere. No high mountain fails to be covered by it, and low-lying places thereby gather into deep abysses. The great sea becomes king of the hundred rivers precisely because it can contain both dragons and fish. Through ten thousand kalpas one can still preserve wisdom and wondrous efficacy—how could this be limited to the span of a human life? Those who uphold the precepts without slackening form good affinities generation after generation. Those who single-mindedly contemplate the teaching of the Great Vehicle will in the end realize the true purport of the Great Dao.

Three Opening Hymns

Take the cultivation of the methods of the Dao as one’s companion, and regard the scriptures as precious as pearls and jade. Uphold the precepts and restrain the six kinds of sensory consciousness and desire; with wholehearted mindfulness of the Dao, dispel what the heart craves. When the mind is plain and detached, upright Qi settles and is at peace; when Shen (spirit) and thought are pure and still, there is silence without disturbance. Even the celestial demons join in reverence and protection, and generation after generation one obtains great blessings.

Families and the realm flourish, and vitality fills every place; the scriptural teaching shines, and the methods of the Dao prosper. Heaven and the human world together cherish this aspiration and rise, faint and far, into the realm of the Great Vehicle. Following the original mind, one establishes fields of blessing, and the wheel of the Law slowly ascends. Ancestors of seven generations are reborn in the heavenly halls, and I myself shall ascend in broad daylight.

The Great Dao is vast and profound; whatever the heart intends, there is nothing with which it cannot accord. By refining the bodily form, one enters the ranks of the immortals and the Perfected and at last achieves a body as firm as diamond. One transcends the hardships and perils within the Three Realms and leaves the places of the Five Sufferings of the hells; I myself shall also ascend in broad daylight.

The vast and profound Dao (the Way) of Dongxuan (the Cavern of Mystery—Daoism’s name for the mysterious great Dao) responds to whatever thought arises in the mind. By cultivating the bodily form, one may enter the ranks of immortals and perfected beings and at last achieve a firm, indestructible adamantine body. It ferries beings beyond the sufferings of the Three Realms and brings release from the five sufferings of the hells. All of this is ascribed to the scriptures (Jing) transmitted by the Most High (Taishang, the Daoist honorific for the supreme deity and for his methods of the Dao); one should recite them with a quiet mind and bow in reverence.

Hymn for Opening the Hall

In studying the Dao one should cultivate with diligent toil, gather in the thoughts of the mind, and apply a heart of pure sincerity with the utmost faithful conviction. Burning incense, one turns toward the Most High; true Qi (vital energy—the true primordial energy spoken of in cultivation) mingles with the fragrance of the incense smoke. One wishes only to open the vast realm of the Dao, so that the seven ancestors may leave the bitter realm of darkness.

Hymn for Spreading the Retreat

In cultivating the Dao, establishing the purification retreat comes first; only through diligent practice can one ascend to the Golden Towers (the palaces of heaven). Therefore a great bridge of the Law is set up, broadly delivering beings of every kind. By this one repays the kindness and virtue accumulated in former lives, so that the mind of the Dao arises in transcendence, the body flies up to the Mysterious Capital (the celestial capital of immortals in Daoism), and the seven ancestors are all liberated as well.

Hymn of the Greater Study of Immortality

In studying the way of the immortals, one must cut off vain and distracting thoughts, fixing the mind so that one thought follows another and accumulates day by day. Confused thoughts coming and going disturb the spirit (Shen); when mind and spirit are restless, there is nothing one does not undergo and nothing by which one is left untouched. Lessen stray thoughts and let the mind rest in emptiness, stillness, and ease—clear, quiet, and solitary—entering the realm of empty stillness. Recite the scriptures as earnestly as one seeks food and drink when hungry and thirsty, and hold to one’s resolve as firmly as metal and stone. Only then can one preserve one’s own person and fly up to the mysterious way of the immortals; the Five Numina (the spirit-deities of the five directions in Daoism) will, by means of talismans and registers (Fulu), guide and deliver you.

Hymn of the Lesser Study of Immortality

In studying the way of the immortals, conduct in cultivation is what matters most; observe the precepts and restrain desire and the inner mind. Let the mind be empty, still, and peaceful, so that upright Qi may dwell securely within it, and immortals and sages will naturally come in response. If one does not believe the principles set forth by the methods of the Dao, why dwell in mountains and forests to cultivate?

Hymn for Burning the Petition

Both the human world and the celestial realm hold many obstacles and entanglements, yet the great Dao truly pities all beings. The great Dao has sent down liturgies (Keyi) and teachings of salvation, so that all beings may repent of their sinful karma. Offenses pervade the courts of the underworld, and the guilt bound up with evil deeds has already reached the hearing of Heaven. One should state one’s faults frankly, pray for the protection of gods and perfected beings, concentrate the mind and quiet the intention, and thereby move and communicate with sages and worthies. Reverently honor the Three Treasures (the Dao, the scriptures, and the masters), and pray to obtain long life. Burn the text of the prayer so that it reaches the upper realm, and memorialize one’s name before the Jade Emperor.

The Mountain Slip

When praying to the true spirits, one ascends the Purple Marchmount (the numinous mountain so called in Daoism) and presents the register of one’s allotted life to the numinous mountain. Jade maidens shake the ritual bells, sending forth Brahma tones; golden lads offer incense smoke. The name is written down and announced to the Nine Earths (the subterranean realms), and the register of names is entered among the Three Heavens (the celestial realms). May one long enjoy inexhaustible longevity and at last become an immortal and perfected being of high rank.

The Water Slip

The Celestial Worthies have left the precepts, and the Most High expounds the true scriptures. In practicing the methods of the Dao one must be diligent and single-minded; merit is prized for the sincerity with which the mind is applied. Reverently invoke the Three Treasures, burn incense, and report to the hundred spirits. Write the name upon the slip and cast it into the Water Bureau, so that one’s merit may ascend to the Upper Clarity (Shangqing, a celestial realm of Daoism).

The Celestial Worthy bequeathed a vast method, broadly delivering the departed souls of the nether darkness. When the meritorious practice of performing Zhaijiao (purification ritual) and accumulating blessings and De (Virtue/Power) is about to reach fulfillment, one notifies the Court of the Springs (the Water Bureau) by means of a dragon tablet (a slip bearing decrees or documents of merit). All seven generations of ancestors can thereby ascend in transcendence and hear the true Jing (scripture/classic) expounded by the Most High. In carrying out the methods of the Dao (the Way), one must be diligent and single-minded; in accumulating merit, what is precious is sincerity and reverence. With a devout heart one invokes the Three Treasures (Dao, Jing, and the master), burning incense to report to the hundred spirits. One writes the name upon the document and delivers it to the Water Bureau, and the merit can then ascend to the Shangqing (the abode of Daoism’s exalted deities).

The Celestial Worthy bequeathed a vast method, broadly delivering the departed souls of the nether darkness. When the meritorious practice of blessings and De accumulated through the Zhaijiao is about to reach fulfillment, the dragon tablet then notifies the Court of the Springs. All seven generations of ancestors can be liberated, and every kind of fortunate reward follows in turn. One writes the name upon the document and delivers it to the Water Bureau, and the merit can then ascend to the Shangqing.

Earth Tablet

The merit of the Zhaijiao has already been brought to completion, and documents of talismanic mandate are presented upward to the numinous altar. Earnest intention is written upon a jade disc, and a golden dragon serves as messenger to convey the documents. With a devout heart one looks up to the Central Bureau (the divine bureau situated at the center), entrusting one’s life in reverent homage and bowing with clasped hands toward the Yellow Circle (the circular region symbolizing the celestial realm). Both the living and the dead will obtain peace and ease, and there will come a day when they may pay court to the Celestial Worthy.

The Chart of the Opening Prime of Vermilion Brightness (a Daoist classic, or a chart-register of the celestial realm) is opened, and the Qi (vital energy) of Harmonious Yang communicates upward with the spirits. Upon the Jade Mound stand graceful jasper palaces; by reciting again and again, one may dwell securely in the realm of the Dao. Were there no Yellow Register (a Daoist document used in Zhaijiao and in the deliverance of the dead), how could the root of suffering be removed? As one moves through the performance of the rite and recites the Cavern Chapters (Daoist scriptural texts), five-colored auspicious clouds come of themselves to protect and bless.

One sets the ceremonial retinue in order and invokes the Mysterious Pole (the supreme celestial realm), entering the Central Heaven in accord with the turn of the times. Aloft in the void one offers the precious sincerity of the heart, nourishing oneself through subtle practice and study. Within the Palace of the Sun a harmonious Qi spreads forth, and from the quiet courtyard rises the incense smoke of prayer. The efficacy of the Earth Tablet is hard to fathom, and the blessings and grace it sends down are without limit.

The Celestial Worthy of the Primordial Beginning promulgates the instructions of the Zhaijiao Keyi (liturgy), and the Exalted Perfected (exalted deities who have attained the Dao) expound the wondrous method of the Dongshen (Cavern of Spirit, one of the Three Caverns: Dongzhen, Dongxuan, and Dongshen). Writings in cinnabar flash with radiance, and characters in jade record pure sincerity. With a devout heart one invokes the Nine Heavens and establishes the Zhaijiao so as to reach the myriad spirits. One writes the name into the document and delivers it to the Earth Bureau, and then the body may fly upward to pay court at the Yuqing (one of the highest celestial realms of Daoism).

Hymn of Wisdom

Wisdom arises from the primordial beginning; its light shines clear and surpasses the ten directions. Condensing the empty void, it stands towering above the mysterious empyrean, and all the heavens receive the fragrant grace it sends forth. Its subtlety is hard to conceive: though response is stirred from the realm of emptiness, true correspondence can be achieved. Being, in the end, is not clung to as being; non-being is not a total absence of anything.

Wisdom constantly contemplates itself; this is the first thing to be done in studying the Dao. Letting heart and spirit roam freely through the remote and mysterious realm, one naturally gathers in Shen (spirit) and Qi. The Celestial Worthy constantly bestows protection, and the Demon Kings likewise give their pledge of safeguarding. An adamantine body shines with brilliant light, standing transcendent before the Most High.

Wisdom arises from the precepts, and the true Dao (the Way) takes the precepts as its foundation. The Three Treasures—the Dao, the Jing (scripture/classic), and the Master, whom Daoism reveres—therefore flourish, and the exalted immortals likewise honor and transmit the precepts. Living beings set out upon this boat of deathlessness and, in the blink of an eye, can cross over to a vast and boundless realm. When the precepts are proclaimed, the gods of all the heavens bow in reverence to the Dao.

Hymn of Bathing in the Eastern Well

The waters of the Heavenly River pour into the Eastern Well, and within the well the Jing (essence) of the Stone Radiance and the Water Mother gathers and condenses. Perfect, harmonious radiance brushes the numinous sun, moon, and stars, while mysterious luster reflects a lofty, bright, and pure realm. The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning (a deity revered in Daoism) parts the successive layers of endless night, and celestial beings are born together with the moon. Living beings bathe beside the Orchid Pool, while a dragon bears upon its back the long well-rope and the water jar. Golden lads sprinkle fragrant water, and jade maidens stir the Qi (vital energy) of the five stars. Caps and sashes display the pure radiance of jade; through refinement and deliverance, the five immortal forms are brought to completion. Fragrance issues from the body, the myriad spirits descend to guard and bless, one receives the light, and ascends to the lofty realm of clarity and purity.

Spell of Pure Water for Ferrying Souls

The venerable deity of the Dao and of De (Virtue/Power) stands towering and majestic, and the cultivation of merit and virtue is already complete. The venerable deity descends to receive and guide the souls of the departed, and the revered Master, together with the Three Treasures (the Dao, the Jing, and the Master), likewise upholds them. With a compassionate heart, dharma-water is bestowed to wash away confusion and ignorance, so that the departed souls may forever cross over to the realm of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing)—Daoism’s highest pure and tranquil immortal realm—and ever take leave of the Five Turbidities (a term common to Buddhism and Daoism, referring to the defiled conditions of the human world).

Hymn of the Celestial Perfected and the Six Penetrations

The Celestial Perfected (perfected beings of the heavenly realms) possess six kinds of spiritual penetration; if ordinary people create good causes, they can receive the benefit. For the sake of these living beings, the venerable deity proclaims the precepts and admonitions, so that people are no longer without shame or conscience. The secret words of the Celestial Worthy are now being expounded. Those who hear them should faithfully accept them and each take refuge, bowing in worship to the Unsurpassed Venerable One.

Hymn of Returning to Life (for the ritual of refinement and deliverance)

Birth and extinction follow one another like a turning cycle, yet the long-lived chun tree endures without changing its trunk and branches. Quiet the mind and fix one’s thought solely on the Dao of Ultimate Truth; accord with the course of transformation and slip free of the net. Constantly recite the jade stanzas, and the mysterious sound reaches straight above the clouds and roseate mists. One may then forever enjoy years without end—why reckon how many years and kalpas there are?

Hymn of Metal and Wood

The Fusang (the divine tree of the east) opens a numinous course of transformation, and Metal and Wood put forth fresh green shoots. Wondrous efficacy circulates through the Metal Mother (a female immortal deity associated with the Queen Mother of the West); Yin-Yang join in harmony, and flowers open of themselves. Shen (spirit) and Qi condense in the Primordial Palace, and numinous things gleam against the crimson clouds. Thereby one may enter the path of cultivating the Dao in the human world, and the register of names may also be continued among the immortals.

The Vermilion Mound Bureau lies in the Vermilion Mound Heaven of the south, and within the Cinnabar Heaven stands the Court of Flowing Fire. The Celestial Worthy of Jade Pupils refines and transforms the bodily form, restoring it to life. Praise to the Great Sage, the Celestial Worthy of Jade Pupils Who Refines Substance.

The Pool of Yellow Blossoms lies in the eastern region of the Well lunar mansion, where Stone Radiance and the Jing (essence) of the Water Mother are found. Yellow Blossoms cleanse the bodily form and the hun and po souls, so that they regain life. Praise to the Great Sage, the Celestial Worthy of Yellow Blossoms Who Purges Form.

The Realm of Lasting Joy at the Eastern Pole is the land of ultimate bliss in the east, and the abode of the Venerable Shen (spirit) of Azure Blossoms is called the Court of Blessings. When the Celestial Worthy of Great Unity Who Saves from Suffering hears a cry for help, he delivers the suffering souls and enables them to be reborn. Praise to the Great Sage, the Celestial Worthy of Great Unity Who Saves from Suffering.

Seven-Character Ancient-Style Flower Scattering

The stars of the Southern Dipper shimmer in many colors, and the Northern Dipper turns in its course; the host of stars shines brilliantly, and the moonlight is bright. The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning issues the sacred command, and all receive the registers together; the Lord of the Dao (the Way) opens the altar and transmits the teaching, and all beings come to take refuge.

In the Grotto of Lesser Existence grow spirit herbs of a thousand years, and on Mount Jade Capital stand immortal peaches of ten thousand years. At the gate-towers of the Nine Dragons gather the true sages who have attained the Dao, and beside the Terrace of the Eight Immortals the songs of Pacing the Void are heard.

Jade maidens beside the Three Perfected Lords hold flower stems, and a pair of youths bear a golden censer. Pearls are strung upon their moon capes, and nine-colored ribbons hang from their bodies; their cloud robes drift with fragrance, and the scent passes through the light, thin hems of six-zhu gauze.

Five-Character Flower Scattering

Riding a carriage that races as if the reins had been cast loose, one ascends to Ziqing, the lofty heavens of the immortal realm; the carriage of Yuanshi flies as swift as lightning. Mount Langfeng towers high above the Three Heavens, and even when one bends to look down, it can still be seen. The Jade Gate stands open, bright and spacious, and the jade groves grow dense and green. If one were not born with immortal bones, how could this long-cherished wish ever be fulfilled?

The realm of True Brightness shines with solemn radiance, joining the light and shadow of the sun, the moon, and the other celestial bodies, as one roams and feasts at will. So rare a gathering makes one forget the passage of time; only once in a thousand years does one catch such a glimpse. The Three Palaces, the celestial halls of which Daoism speaks, give forth a brilliant luster, their glory shining clear like Yuyi, the deity of the sun. The immortals race upon the wind in throngs, then suddenly rise into the air to gather the pure, numinous herbs of the immortals. This makes my form display a gold that is clear through and through, my immortal bearing radiant as fine jade, enduring long after heaven and earth.

The mind accords with Taixu, the vast and boundless void—still, empty, and with nothing left to think. Within the mysterious realm there is a supreme joy, plain and serene, at last returning to Wuwei (non-action). Keeping company only with friends of true rectitude, one wanders lightly and freely in every direction. Receiving the nurturing transformation of the great Dao (the Way), one condenses pure, orthodox Qi (vital energy), cultivates the bodily form, and becomes a true immortal. Heart and aspiration accord with Yuanzong, the root of the great Dao, returning to the source and following what is natural.

Diyi assembles in the Final Palace, and flowing radiance rises from the realm of Danxuan. Yuanying and Taojun chant the verses of long life. Purple mist curls among the hundred passes, the many apertures and gateways of the human body, while the immortal carriage rides the wind across the vast emptiness. The carriage advances unhurriedly; the Eight Scenes, the vistas of the eight directions in the immortal realm, wind and stretch on, and one does not feel the cloud-road to be far. In a moment, one has already roamed through all the heavens.

At Fusang (the place where the sun rises) the first light ascends, and the feathered canopy (the ornate canopy borne when immortals set out) catches the glow of dawn. In a moment one reaches the immortal realm of the West and wanders at ease in the dwelling of the Queen Mother of the West (the Golden Mother). The emerald ford runs deep into broad waters, and bright radiance falls upon the lotuses. The Palace of Azure Jade stands lofty and resplendent, its brilliance like jade blossoms spread out in dazzling array. True Qi (Zhenqi, the innate primordial vital energy) fills the Crimson Palace (the dwelling of the immortals) and of itself makes the thoughts of the heart pure and free of evil.

The spirits bend down in compassion for the cultivators of the human world and sigh at the turbidity of the dusty realm. The jasper terrace towers ten thousand ren high, shining alone beyond Daluo Heaven (the supreme celestial realm of Daoism). The clouds of the Three Simplicities often gather their radiance and ascend of themselves. Feathered youths, driving the bright aurora, come and go, rising and descending, their forms drifting and hard to fathom. Luan and phoenix sound forth refined music, roosting and soaring at the summit of the Crimson Grove. The Jade Void (Yuxu, the pure and vacant immortal realm) knows no division of day and night; its numinous scenes are bright and clear. So long as the mind is set upon the Capital of the Most High (the supreme sacred realm), one understands that all the heavens appear small.

The Grove of Azure Splendor blazes with light, and a numinous wind stirs the branches of the jade trees. The three luminaries—sun, moon, and stars—make no distinction between winter and spring; primordial Qi remains ever verdant and serene. Turning one’s head, one may draw near to Jielin (the deity within the moon); raising one’s eyes, one may draw near to Yaoluo (the radiance of the stars). Huoluo (the title of a Daoist divine general) holds command over the Six Heavens, and the flowing bells (a Daoist ritual implement, or divine bells) overawe the hundred demons. With blessings stretching on without end, who would still say that a human lifespan can match the longevity of the chun tree?

Lofty feeling does not seek luxury; whatever one encounters shines forth of itself. The highest joy does not depend on pipes and flutes, song and dance; sounds like gold and jade grow clear and pleasing of themselves. At times one ascends the Terrace of Luminous Truth and holds a feast in the Hall of Feathered Radiance. Secluded, far-off mists condense into jade clouds, and a fine numinous fragrance drifts thinly about. Celestial beings and the immortal realm are remote and vast, and the joy and peace within them cannot be measured.

Thereupon I set out from Taiwei Heaven (a stellar palace in the celestial realm) and reverently paid homage to the Venerable Sovereign of the Void (Xuhuang Zun, a celestial deity venerated in Daoism). Riding the Carriage of the Eight Effulgences (Bajing yu, the splendid chariot in which immortals travel), I slowly entered the Gate of Heaven. After ascending to the Court of Jade Dawn, I respectfully gazed up toward the Purple Veranda and ventured to ask: at the close of the Dragon-Han age (Longhan, the time of an ancient kalpic turning as spoken of in Daoism), how were Heaven and Earth opened and established?

The honored deity gladly paused his pleasure-roaming among the clouds and explained the matter to me in plain words. I was fortunate to hear principles of the utmost refinement and subtlety, and only then could I behold the root of creative transformation. The two Qi (qi, vital energy) of Yin-Yang (yinyang)—the two fundamental energies that constitute Heaven, Earth, and the myriad things—spread among all beings, and the work of generation and change never ceased. Once I had grasped its root, I was able to take part in the turning by which Heaven and Earth mold and cast the myriad things.

In that vast realm of emptiness and stillness, all that I encountered were things pure, clear, and truly real. They were limpid and bright, holding within them the Qi of primal harmony; their breaths communicated with one another, and they drew near in intimacy. Crimson trees bore cinnabar fruit, and purple auroral mists flowed with azure fluids. By means of these numinous wonders, one may preserve an innocence like that of an infant and, for long ages, pass beyond the constraints of bodily form and spirit-consciousness (Shen, spirit).

Emperor Zhenzong of the Song composed “Ten Lyrics on Scattering Flowers at the Palace of Radiant Response to Jade Clarity” (Yuqing Zhaoying Gong)

Where are the most flowers scattered? Higher still in Heaven lies Daluo Heaven, the Great Canopy Heaven. The flowers there are extraordinary to begin with, and all the more so when auspicious dew and propitious clouds mingle with them.

On the summit of Mount Kunlun stands the Turtle Terrace, where rare flowers bloom through all four seasons. If the host of immortals did not go there to pay court to the Jade Emperor, how could the world ever see these flowers?

The flowers of Heaven open both morning and evening, unlike the flowers of the human world, which must wait for spring. Celestial beings often pluck these heavenly blossoms and, time after time, offer them within the Layered City (Cengcheng, a palace of the celestial realm).

On the jasper terrace, night dew nourishes the flowers and trees until they gleam; draped in a moon-cape (yuepei, the shawl worn by female immortals in Daoism), one pays homage to the true deities—precisely at such a moment. Immortal flowers sometimes descend from the sky, blown into the jade empyrean, and are offered to the exalted divinities.

Five-colored immortal flowers descend upon the Grotto-Heavens (Dongtian, blessed lands where immortals dwell). Looking upward, one sees them dancing lightly in the air. Do not suppose that the mirror-bright scenes of the immortal realm are merely something ordinary to possess; from the human world, such scenes are as a rule separated by hundreds of millions of years.

Immortals gather blossoms from the immortal palaces and, in the early morning, scatter them upon the Precious Terrace. Within the Jade Watchtowers (Yuque, the palaces of the Celestial Emperor), spring never grows old, and the blessings borne by the Jade-Pivot Charts (Xuantu, registers symbolizing the Mandate of Heaven and auspicious fortune) are likewise inexhaustible.

Immortals ride luan birds through the mid-air, lower their gaze upon the true immortal lodges, and hold reverence and devotion in their hearts. From Penglai they gather countless fresh flowers and scatter them in an immortal realm set apart. There the springtime of the immortal realm never ages, and the blessings received by the Jade-Pivot Charts are without end.

The feathered guest—an immortal who cultivates the Way—rides a luan bird through the open air and looks down upon the immortal lodges below, his heart reverent and circumspect. From Penglai he has gathered many fresh flowers and scatters them before the solemn halls and the imperial seat of the immortal realm.

The flowers and grasses of Shanglin have already opened before spring arrives, while the orioles in the deep valleys do not yet know that spring has come. These flowers are not left for ordinary mortals to pluck at will; all of them are offered to the deities of the blessed lands, to welcome the descent of the perfected immortals.

Within the grotto-heavens, the Thirty-Six Heavens are all bathed in spring. From ancient times the immortal realm has differed from the dusty world where mortals dwell. Once the precious flowers have been gathered, where are they to be sent? Naturally they are taken to the palaces and offered to the exalted perfected—the noble immortals.

Immortal officials and the musicians of the celestial realm come and go frequently, admiring together the spring scenery of Penglai and Langyuan, the legendary immortal gardens. They often pluck fragrant blossoms and, at dawn, present them in audience before the Lord on High, wishing that the blessings of the blessed lands may reach all the common people.

Songs of the Perfected of Taiji (Supreme Ultimate) and the Great Void: Eight Hymns on the Three Paths and the Five Sufferings

Heaven, Earth, and humanity—the Three Powers—and all things in the world each have their allotted term of flourishing and decline, of survival and extinction. The end and the beginning of the myriad things must pass through the reckoning of kalpas; when blessings are exhausted, even Heaven and Earth will be overthrown. Living beings travel back and forth among the Five Paths—the various destinations of rebirth in transmigration—bitterly undergoing birth and death; they also turn about within the Three Paths—places of suffering such as the hells, the hungry ghosts, and animals—and calamity follows in their wake.

Those of eminent virtue ought to receive this warning with care, restraining their dispositions and cutting away desire. The foolish do not put their faith in the methods of the Dao (the Way), and so they often bring guilt and suffering upon themselves. My anxious concern for the people of the world never ceases, and so today I solemnly admonish them again and again: if one wishes to escape these disasters, one should turn toward and honor the Jing (scripture/classic) of the Most High.

Sin and blessing are not brought by any other power; they are indeed incurred by one’s own conduct. Those of eminent virtue therefore watch their words and deeds with care, wishing to sever every evil bond. They clear away distracting thoughts and devote themselves wholly to the Dao, until the mutual dependence of misfortune and fortune is brought entirely to rest; they spread the Great Dao so as to settle the world, and in the end they are able to behold the reality of the Great Dao.

Lust and jealousy are the root that invites disaster, and also a great affliction that ruins the person. If the heart harbors these feelings and lets them grow, one fears they will at last bring an early death and harm. To know evil and yet not correct it—how could this be what the Great Dao approves? To hold poisonous thoughts while fasting and keeping oneself upright day after day draws from me a long sigh.

The teaching of causes and conditions from former lives is indeed well founded; yet those who have lost the root and drift about in the world suppose that they have no destined lot. They all wish at once to see the outcome with their own eyes, and once the matter has passed, they call it remote and without basis. Those of eminent virtue understand the Daoist teaching and sorrowfully pity the stubborn and the foolish. Their hearts are ever occupied with those people’s sufferings; they urge them earnestly, and for this reason they are deeply troubled.

A human life must eventually run out, like the flame in a lamp: when the oil is spent, the fire goes out. The Four Great Elements (the four basic components of the human body: earth, water, fire, and wind) gather only for a time, and the Five Constituents (the five material factors that make up a person) come together only through temporary borrowing. In the prime of life, one should study diligently and seek a method by which the self may endure. When one's fortune is exhausted and the body parts from the consciousness (shen, spirit), one falls darkly into hell. It is precisely out of fear of this end that the Highest Sages (saints who have attained the Dao) sought the Great Way (Dao), so as to escape this calamity.

Cultivating immortality and studying the Dao is the most urgent task. One must uphold the precepts and restrain desire and the movements of the mind. Let the mind be empty, still, and at peace, and let upright qi (vital energy) settle within; immortals and sages will then come to meet you of their own accord. If you do not believe what the scriptures (Jing) teach, why not withdraw to the mountains and forests to cultivate the Way? Virtuous people delight in studying the scriptures and precepts, treating them as their own treasure. When first beginning to study, one always feels it is too late; when cultivating body and mind, one regrets not having acted sooner. By the time one is ready to probe the profound and mysterious principles, the years have suddenly grown old. Holding the scrolls in hand, one sighs at having reached the very limit, only to face the suffering and anguish of death. Therefore, while I am still young, I leave the dusty world behind and devote myself wholly to studying the Dao.

Recorded in the Scripture of the Great Precepts of Wisdom and Original Vow (Zhihui Benyuan Dajie Jing).

Offering Text for the Consecration Ceremony in the Hall of a Daoist Temple

Offering of Congee

The fragrant congee presented at dawn can wash away the dust of the mundane world. May those who receive this offering use it to remember the Great Way (Dao) and long for the truth.

The merit of this offering of morning congee is an immeasurably excellent cause for good. We respectfully pray that the Emperor may enjoy boundless longevity and that the foundations of the state may be secure. For the sake of this good affinity, we reverently invoke:

The Great Sage and the Primordial Celestial Venerable (Yuanshi Tianzun), the Supreme Lord of the Great Way (Taishang Dao Jun), and the Supreme Lord Lao (Taishang Laojun), whose merit is immeasurable and beyond conception.

When the Zhaijiao (purification ritual) is held and the hymns are chanted, all those present should show reverence:

With utmost sincerity, we bow to the Supreme Limitless Great Way (Dao),

With utmost sincerity, we bow to the Thirty-Six Divisions of Venerable Scriptures,

With utmost sincerity, we bow to the Great Master of the Mysterious Center.

Then be seated upright according to the rite.

Offering Text

The exquisite offerings prepared in the kitchen are presented above to the Celestial Venerables, in the middle to the Perfected Sages, and below to all the masters, as a universal offering.

When the ritual is concluded, recite "Fusheng Wuliang Tianzun" (Celestial Venerable of Boundless Blessings).

"Fusheng Wuliang Tianzun, Fusheng Wuliang Tianzun, Fusheng Wuliang Tianzun, Fusheng Wuliang Tianzun, Fusheng Wuliang Tianzun."

The Mantra for Giving Out the Offering Portion (Shi Chusheng Zhou)

Diligently cultivating the methods of the Great Dao (Dao), one concentrates the mind so as to commune in resonance with the unseen netherworld. When the true deities descend, demons, monsters, and evil spirits disperse, and the host of demons all lose their forms and perish. Ancestors of seven generations are enabled to be reborn in heaven, and the faithful together with their dependents are likewise able to ascend in flight to the Shangqing (Highest Clarity) heavens. Blessings extend everywhere without exception, and these foods of the zhai (purification rite) are also bestowed upon all living beings.

Recitation after Intoning the Hymn for Concluding the Seated Rite

The merit accumulated through the cultivation of the zhai up to this point is an immeasurable and supremely excellent good cause. We respectfully wish the emperor a sacred lifespan without limit and the firm stability of the state’s destiny. As a superior good karmic connection, we recite as follows……

When the Patron Establishes the Zhai: Recitation after Intoning the Hymn for Concluding the Seated Rite

The merit accumulated through the cultivation of the zhai up to this point is an immeasurable and supremely excellent good cause. We respectfully wish the emperor a sacred lifespan without limit and the firm stability of the state’s destiny. As a superior good karmic connection, we recite as follows……

When the Patron Establishes the Zhai and the Three Treasures Are Intoned, the Rite Is the Same as Above

Text for Presenting Offerings

Among all good deeds capable of accumulating blessings, the giving of food holds first place. May those living in this world enjoy peace and happiness, may the deceased ascend to heaven, and may those who in the future are reborn in the Pure Land naturally have clothing and food in full sufficiency. Therefore we present offerings, dedicating them universally to all the heavens. Fragrant, pure, and exquisite offerings are presented above to the Celestial Worthies (Tianzun), offered in the middle to the true sages, and bestowed below upon all living beings, as a universal offering. May blessings flow to the host who established the zhai, as the waters of rivers converge into the sea.

When the zhai rite comes to an end, the honorific titles of the Celestial Worthies are intoned; the rite is the same as above.

The Incantation for Distributing Offerings to Living Beings, and the Discourse on Concluding the Seated Rite

Inconceivable merit is vast and boundless as the sea. The Most High Worthy (Taishang Zun—an honorific in Daoism for the supreme deity), hearing the invocation, swiftly arrives at the ritual sanctuary and inspects the immeasurable good merit accumulated in this cultivation of the zhai.

The merit accumulated through the establishment of the zhai up to this point is an immeasurable and supremely excellent good cause. We now transfer this merit and blessing, wishing that today’s zhai host, So-and-so, enjoy health of body and advancement in official rank, and that all four seasons of the year be auspicious and as desired. We respectfully pray: may the merit of the zhai be entered in the registers, may the fruit of the Dao be brought to accomplishment, and may the Most High Worthy inspect the immeasurable good merit of this cultivation of the zhai.

The merit accumulated through the establishment of the zhai up to this point is an immeasurable and supremely excellent good cause. We now transfer this merit and blessing, wishing that today’s zhai host, So-and-so, enjoy health of body and advancement in official rank, and that all four seasons of the year be auspicious and as desired. We respectfully pray: may the merit of the zhai be entered in the registers, may the fruit of the Dao become a support to one’s own person, so that one’s lifespan be as long as that of the tortoise and the crane, and may one receive blessings vast and profound. As a superior good karmic connection, we recite “the Celestial Worthy of Limitless Salvation” (Duren Wuliang Tianzun), and thereby praise this inconceivable merit.

Hymn for Sending Off the Holy Ones

The divine spirits ride in carriages of five-colored auspicious clouds, soaring aloft and chanting hymns amid the nine empyreans. In the turn of an eye they rush into the heavens and depart far away, while upon the altar of the jiao (offering rite) the fragrance of incense remains rich and heavy. Wondrous and mysterious grace extends throughout heaven and earth; fortune and emolument are scattered across mountains and rivers. Gazing afar toward the path traveled by the immortals, they ascend in carefree freedom to the Daluo Heaven (Grand Veil Heaven).

Hymn of Donning the Vestments

Cloud Shoes (cloud-patterned shoes worn in the rituals of Daoist priests)

The cloud shoes tread the clouds like flying wild ducks and ascend the altar of the Nine Heavens. At a single stirring of the mind, one may roam the Three Realms and ride the wind back and forth among the Five Han. May I today step into these shoes, rise aloft, and pay homage to the Celestial Emperor.

Star Crown (a Daoist cap adorned with star images)

The crown of the Seven Stars shines bright, as if drifting down from heaven. Receiving it follows set ritual forms and regulations, and a destiny fixed from former lives links one with the immortals. May I today put on this crown and long preserve a great span of life like that of the giant chun tree.

Daoist Skirt (the skirt worn in Daoist ritual)

The splendid six-panel skirt is of a style all its own, the matching garment to the feathered robes of celestial beings. The flying skirt passes over the precious hall; the loose sash lightly brushes as one walks the golden steps. May I today tie on this skirt and drift lightly toward the Jade Pool.

Cloud Sleeves

The bright, plain-colored cloud sleeves match the skirt above and below. They are woven from the silk of Fusang’s silkworms and seem still to carry the fragrance of the Moon Palace. May I today put them on and feast and wander in the Yuqiong Palace.

Feathered Robe (ceremonial dress symbolizing the status of an immortal)

This is the clothing worn by the immortals of the upper realm, and the natural dress of guests of the celestial realm. The garment is light and exquisite, weighing only six zhu; wearing it, one seems to sense the fragrance of the Moon Palace. May I today put it on and feast and wander in the Yuqiong Palace.

Feathered Robe

This is the clothing worn by the immortals of the upper realm, and the natural dress of guests of the celestial realm. The garment is light and exquisite, weighing only six zhu, and when worn it corresponds with the Three Luminaries—sun, moon, and stars. May I today reverently don this robe and roam at ease in the realm of eternal life without death.

Worship at the Altar

The altar platform is divided into three tiers, its faced surface like jade; the Bagua (Eight Trigrams) are arrayed in the four directions. In the ritual, skirt and cape shut out impurity, and the ritual robe protects the body and clears away dust. May I today ascend the altar and go forward to pay court homage at the dwelling of the Supreme Thearch.

Audience Tablet (the jade tablet held when paying court homage)

This is flawless fine jade of the Western Terrace, polished and used in serving the Three August Ones. Setting body and mind aright can dispel deviant thoughts; holding it with concentrated devotion enables one to reach the azure heaven above. May I today hold the audience tablet and, upon the jade steps, worship the Vacuous Sovereign (a venerated deity of Daoism).