《离明瑞象灯仪》

Reverently we have heard: the Great Dao (the Way) stands clear and manifest, and even without words it answers good intentions; if only a person prays with care and a sincere heart, the prayer is sure to receive a spiritual response. With caution we kindle incense in reverence to the gods, and devoutly we submit our memorial and make our invitation: the Great Sage of the South, Perfected Lord of the Three Qi (vital energy) of Fire-Virtue, Yinghuo, Enforcer of the Law (the divine lord who governs the fire-virtue of the south and the enforcement of law); the Perfected Lord of the Red Emperor of the Cinnabar Heaven and the Supreme Dao; the Lord of the Southern Palace who enforces the law, prolongs longevity, and keeps the registers; the Imperial Lord Suiren, Ancestor of Fire (the legendary progenitor of fire); King Xuanming of Shangqiu, Director of Fire; the Great God Ebo, Director of Fire; the Divine Lord of the Great Fire of the Ximu station; the True Official Zhurong, who assists the Flame Emperor in the work of fire; the Divine Lord Huilu; the six immortal officers of the left and the six immortal officers of the right; the Numinous Consort who presides over fire within the Palace of Li-Brightness; General Song of the Flowing-Metal Fire-Bell; the envoys of fire-calamity of the five directions; the divine lords of the fire-mules, fire-horses, fire-bows, and fire-arrows; and every awesome numen belonging to the Department of Fire. We respectfully invite all these holy gods, in compassion, to descend and look down, and to examine our prayer with clarity; may this stick of incense serve as a universal offering to them all.

The envoys of fire-calamity of the five directions, the divine lords of the fire-mules, fire-horses, fire-bows, and fire-arrows, and every awesome numen belonging to the Department of Fire: we respectfully invite all these holy gods, in compassion, to descend and look down, and to examine our prayer with clarity; may they, by means of this stick of incense, together receive the offering. (The liturgical text is abbreviated here, and the rite turns to the prayer of supplication.)

Reverently we say: the primordial Qi of heaven and earth circulates and moves, and the work of creation exerts its subtle power, like a potter shaping clay, without partiality. The birth and growth of the myriad things all depend upon “Bright Li” (the Li trigram among the Bagua (Eight Trigrams) in the Classic of Changes, symbolizing brightness and fire). The roots of grasses and trees rely upon it to flourish and grow, and living beings of every kind receive its nurture. Sages take the transformations of nature as their model, and the noble issue ordinances to govern the people. In ordinary times of settled dwelling, one should hold fast to the correct Dao and not change it lightly; when benefit is met with, one should also examine one’s faults and correct them.

We venture to pour out our sincere hearts and respectfully ask the Dao of Heaven to listen. Now, in accordance with the Keyi (liturgy), we light lamps and candles, so that the lamplight seems to shine in heaven. Today we establish a jiao—a Zhaijiao (purification ritual), the Daoist rite of prayer for blessings and the averting of disaster—to seek peace and safety. The faithful, so-and-so and others, have lately seen the warning sign of a fire’s burning, and therefore take refuge in the divine office that governs punishment. We respectfully invite the stellar officials and companions of the Dao to come to the jade altar (the altar ground where the rite is performed), and we look upward, awaiting the descent of the divinities from the heavenly realm. Reverently, beneath the divine light of the Stellar Lord Yinghuo, we set forth our wishes, minute as ants, hoping that our sincerity may reach upward and that all may receive abundant grace. The ritual assembly together gathers its sincere intent and intones the honorific titles of the holy gods.

With one voice we respectfully invite: the Celestial Worthy of the Southern Cinnabar Who Records Longevity.

With reverence and a single heart, we take refuge in the Utmost True Great Sage of the South, the Star Lord Yinghuo Who Enforces the Law—the deity of the Southern Fire De (Virtue/Power), also called the Star Lord Yinghuo—together with the immortals of the Li Palace and the various Lingguan (spirit officials).

We, your servants, have heard that the mysterious and wondrous Dao (the Way) holds what is subtle and fine, and that all living beings receive its grace. With sincere hearts the ritual assembly directs its contemplation and praises the sacred titles of the holy ones.

(The assembly chants:) The Celestial Worthy of the Southern Cinnabar Who Records Longevity (a venerable deity invoked in prayer for lengthened years and increased life).

With reverence and a single heart, we take refuge in the Utmost True Great Sage of the South, the Star Lord Yinghuo Who Enforces the Law, together with the immortals of the Li Palace and the various Lingguan.

We, your servants, have heard that the mysterious and wondrous Dao harbors pure and refined Qi (vital energy), which gathers as the orthodox Qi of the Southern Cinnabar; the De of Li brightness (the Li trigram symbolizes light and fire) nurtures the myriad things and commands the majestic spirit of the Flame Emperor. We revere the True Lord of the Southern Fire De, Yinghuo Who Enforces the Law: his De accords with pure Yang Qi; among the host of stars his station is exalted; he assists the celestial realm and secretly protects all living beings. He holds the authority of creation and transformation and silently carries forward impartial teaching; he patrols the heavens, manifests stellar signs, and appears or withdraws each in its proper season. Of all beings illuminated by him, who would dare forget reverence?

Today we set up a jiao and kindle the lamps—a Zhaijiao (purification ritual), a Daoist rite of prayer and offering. We, the faithful, so-and-so and others, were born in a land shaped by the sovereign’s moral teaching, and our destinies are bound to the stars. We fear that our advances and retreats, our conduct and our pauses, may have gone against the Dao of Heaven, and that our ordinary actions may have fallen short; therefore we constantly examine and correct ourselves, holding awe in our hearts. Now, through Daoist priests, we convey our sincerity, hoping that the deity will send down radiance and look with favor upon the human world.

The ancients said that the Star Lord can shift his palace and withdraw from his lodge. We pray that the Star Lord pardon our faults, erase our transgressions, and look down upon this present prayer. May the people receive protection, disasters be dispelled, and misfortunes avoided; may every household be illuminated and widely obtain grace and blessing. May elders and juniors alike be safe and harmonious. We bow our heads, take refuge, and offer devout praise.

(The assembly chants:) The Star Lord of the Southern Fire De:

The bright fire of Li nourishes De; the Fire Lodges (the stellar lodges corresponding to the Fire De of the South) harbor divine spirits. Divine might stills disasters and prodigies, and the myriad things therefore flourish. With a power like thunder he cuts down what is evil; he binds the Nine Uglies and destroys the hosts of demons. He carries out the majestic commands of the celestial realm and guards the laws of the Dao of Heaven. All living beings look up and take refuge, wishing long to preserve peace.

With reverence and a single heart, we take refuge in the Supreme True Lord of the Dao, the Red Emperor of the Southern Cinnabar Heaven (the venerable deity of the Southern Cinnabar Heaven), the Divine Lord of Great Fire and Ximu (a stellar deity associated with the Great Fire and the Ximu stellar station), the immortals of the Li Palace, and the various Lingguan.

I have heard that Heaven and Earth fashion bodily form and spirit, appointing the Yinghuo star (what the ancients called Mars) to preside over the Palace of Liming; and that the Qi (vital energy) of Yin-Yang, mutually steaming and transforming, brings forth the myriad things, causing Zhuming (the deity symbolizing the south and the De (Virtue/Power) of fire) to govern the Palace of the Jade Pupils. Divine powers discern calamity and good fortune within the turns of fate and shine upon good and evil; all things receive their light, and sentient beings likewise rely upon this radiance. Whatever is prayed for meets with a response.

Today an altar is set up and a jiao is performed—the Daoist rite of erecting an altar to worship the gods, pray for blessings, and avert disaster—and lamps are lit in prayer. The faithful, so-and-so and others, reflect that in ordinary times their food and clothing are secure and their livelihood sufficient, yet they have many faults; they fear that fortune may turn toward decline and the moment prove unfavorable, so that calamity descends. They therefore look upward and beg Heaven for protection, and by this means confess their faults and pray for grace. May the fires governed by Huilu (the god of fire) be removed, and the disasters brought by Bifang (the legendary bird of conflagration) be driven away; may the people of the villages escape the harm of burning, and may adjoining houses be spared the invasion of spreading flames. May every person dwell in peace, and may the myriad things display vitality. The assembly bows in refuge and offers sincere praise.

Respectfully inviting the Red Emperor, Supreme Perfected Lord of the Dao (the Way) (the exalted deity of the southern virtue of fire)

The Red Emperor manifests in due season and receives the De of the Cinnabar Heaven (the heaven of the south). He wields the statutes of Heaven and exercises the authority that pertains to them; he guards the fenye (the earthly regions corresponding to the stars) and goes before holding the liuling (a ritual implement used in Daoist ceremony). Brandishing banners, he patrols ten thousand li, investigates treachery and wickedness, and corrects faults. May he guard with firmness and display his majesty, and also show compassion to living beings and the divine perfected. We forever cherish a heart of refuge and reverence, and pray that blessings and grace long endure.

With sincere hearts we entrust our lives to the Perfected Lord of the South who enforces the law, prolongs longevity, and administers emolument and fortune; to the six immortal officials on the left; and to the deities of the Fire Bureau and the host of numinous officers.

I have heard: the Red Emperor, the deity who governs the south and the De (Virtue/Power) of Fire, bears the auspicious tokens of Heaven’s mandate and accords with the grand fortune in which the Virtue of Fire is due to flourish. August Heaven loves and protects the myriad things, and the season is precisely summer, when all beings grow in unimpeded prosperity. May the blessed fortune of the nation grow still more abundant, in harmony with the Three Qi (vital energy) of Liming—the three primordial energies associated with the Li trigram, with brightness, and with the Virtue of Fire. The myriad things manifest and grow, just at the season of luxuriant fruiting; the hundred beings thrive in glad vigor, all nourished by the Qi of the Bing-Ding Virtue of Fire.

We look up to the deities whose brightness shines clear, and bowing low we present hearts of utter sincerity, reverently offering humble sacrifices, and we invite the wind-horses—the ceremonial equipage upon which the divinities ride—to pause and remain. Today we set up the altar and perform the Jiao, lighting lamps to pray and invoke blessing. The faithful, So-and-so and others, reflect that they have been fortunate to receive, together with all living beings, the transforming instruction of Heaven and Earth, yet in ordinary days they have busied themselves only with making a living—could they truly have accumulated no faults? Now, knowing that dryness readily gives rise to the calamity of fire, they make bold to entreat Heaven above. Therefore we array the rites of the Jiao and respectfully welcome the descent of the deities, hoping the divinities will look down, perceive our sincerity, and bestow peace and blessing. The nature of fire is to rise; may there forever be no anxiety that flames will suddenly surge upward and brew disaster. May all people dwell securely therein and constantly obtain smooth fortune and joyful auspiciousness. May the swallows nest safely upon the curtains, and may the fish in the ponds also be spared being implicated. We knock our heads and take refuge, devoutly offering praise.

Intone the Perfected Lord Who Enforces the Law and Prolongs Life

The Orthodox Qi of Liming—the great and proper primordial energy that Liming represents—is held in the sole charge of the deity who enforces the law. The divinity manifests warnings and day by day inspects the human world. Majestic and illustrious, upright and impartial, the deity punishes those who do evil and bestows blessing on those who do good; from this, people’s hardship and smooth fortune are determined. May our utter sincerity ascend before the deity; we hope that, once moved to sympathetic response, the divinity will in turn bestow compassionate grace. May the efficacy of the methods of the Dao (the Way) long protect the multitude and enable them to pass through hardship and danger.

With utmost sincerity we entrust our lives to the Fire Ancestor, Sovereign Lord Suiren, the legendary forebear who taught people the use of fire; to the Great Deity Ebo, who presides over the administration of fire; and to the six immortal officials on the right, the host of gods and immortals of the Palace of Li, and all the Numinous Officials.

I have heard that fire by nature rises and burns, and that once people go against the inherent propensity of nature they may bring calamity upon themselves. Heaven dwells high above; yet if people commune with it in sincerity, their prayers can ascend. To think of the condition of living beings, who through a single deluded stirring of thought invite disaster, is truly a cause for anxiety. The ignorant and foolish know neither reverence nor awe; they offend the divine offices charged with calamity and punishment, and so they meet with chastisement. Great fires burn fiercely—alas, jade and stone are destroyed together. Some suffer burned foreheads and blackened bodies, and neighbors, seeing them, hurry to their rescue. Unseen, we have relied upon the protection of the gods and spirits, and have fortunately escaped the disaster of being swallowed by raging flames. Therefore we reverently serve the true divinities, offering a modest expression of the gratitude in our hearts.

Today we set forth a Zhaijiao (purification ritual) to offer prayers concerning lamps and fire. The faithful devotee So-and-so and others lead the assembly, purified by abstinence and standing in solemn reverence, in turning their hearts toward the Dao (the Way) of creative transformation. Together they hold fast to sincerity and pray for blessing and protection. May scorching afflictions disperse as if they had met ice and snow, and may the sufferings of summer heat and dryness be laid to rest. May people’s daily lives be secure, and may they enjoy coolness, peace, and happiness. May the lands of the four directions have no fear of dogs barking in alarm; may every household, as if hearing the cock crow, calmly welcome the dawn. May the myriad things remain far from illness, and may calamity be spared from burning.

We bow our heads in refuge and offer devout praise.

Imperial Lord Suiren, the Fire-Kindling Ancestor

Auspicious signs shine forth in the Dan’gang, which Daoism understands as the Gang-qi of the stars, their Qi (vital energy), and the Ancestor of Fire answers by transforming into a true divinity. You hold the mandate of Heaven, and the people regard you with awe and careful reverence. In the south lies the Ji mansion (a constellation), and through it the myriad things flourish. The wondrous efficacy of sweeping away the inauspicious and driving out evil is profound and cannot be fully told. You comprehensively preside over the transformations of all things and grasp the pivot on which Heaven and Earth turn. Both families and the state rely upon your protection. May you long stand guard, so that the world may be pure and at peace.

With one heart we devote our lives in refuge to the True Official Zhurong Who Assists the Flames, the Divine Lord Huilu, Generals Bing and Ding, the Envoy of the Fire Bell, the immortals of the Li Palace, and all the Lingguan (spirit officials and divine generals of the Daoist pantheon).

Your servant has heard that the cycle of Fire presides over the seasons of Heaven, and that all things depend upon it to grow and be nourished; the divine spirit of Yang Qi (vital energy) dwells at the pole of Heaven, and the myriad kinds of beings are likewise transformed and brought forth from it. Looking upward, one observes the waxing and waning of the celestial patterns; looking downward, one examines the flourishing and decline, the order and disorder, of the earth. The movements of Heaven and Earth follow no fixed course, and human beings can scarcely glimpse the first signs of change in the allotted measures of Qi; the paths of the stars each differ—who can fully fathom the profound mysteries within them that foretell good and ill fortune? How much more, dwelling beneath the radiance of the sun and moon, dare one forget reverent service? Gazing from afar upon the majestic light of the divinities, I respectfully pray for abundant blessings.

Today an altar is set up and a Jiao is held (an altar is established and a Daoist ritual of prayer for blessings is performed), and lamps are lit in supplication. The devotee So-and-so, together with all the devotees assembled at the altar, reflects within: our endowments are meager and our natures dull; we know only how to pursue profit in order to make a living, and do not understand how to examine ourselves and keep far from wrongdoing. Now we have purposely swept clean the dusty chamber and, with sincere hearts, set forth our wishes, looking up and begging the gods, in their broad kindness, to pardon us, and thereby to make good the faults of many lifetimes. May families and dwellings be harmonious and at peace; may neighbors and fellow villagers be spared an unbroken succession of unexpected calamities; may the three meals of each day be safe and free of care, and may we forever remain cautious, guarding against misfortune before it arises; may day and night be secure, and life as firm as solid rock. May all receive the impartial illumination of the gods and the grace of supreme benevolence. We bow our heads, take refuge, and offer devout praise.

Invoke the Perfected Official Zhurong, Assistant of the Flame

Looking up in reverence to the Flame Emperor, whose divine majesty blazes in awe: you are the ancestral god who holds the seed of fire and bestows blessings upon the people. The watchfulness of the gods is close at hand, and their warnings are bright and plain. May people cultivate good conduct and refrain from evil deeds. We observe the fast and, with sincere hearts, offer sacrifice, praying that peace and blessings be bestowed upon all. Wherever divine majesty holds sway, none dare fail to offer reverent service. With sincere hearts we commit our lives to you, praying for protection, peace, and health.

The Assembly Recites the Divine Incantation

The Cinnabar Heaven of the South is governed by crimson numinous Qi. Divine majesty burns in fierce flame, carrying out teaching and transformation without partiality. The fire dragon soars aloft, shedding light without bound; the fire horse leaps up, wheeling across ten thousand miles; the fire eagle, swift and sudden, spreads its wings and advances; the fire bell sounds a single peal, and its great resounding voice…

The Cinnabar Heaven of the South is the exclusive domain of the Crimson Spirit (the deity who governs the Fire De [Virtue/Power] of the South). Its majestic light blazes fiercely, and in carrying out its teaching it treats all alike. The fire dragon rises in flight, and its radiance shines without bound; the fire horse leaps into motion, wheeling and galloping across ten thousand li; the fire eagle flies with swiftness, beating its wings forward, and nothing can stand in its way. When the fire bell is shaken, its resonant sound carries far; when the fire ladle is sent forth, smoke rises wherever it reaches; when the fire sword sweeps down, the host of demons respectfully submit; when the fire cord is raised, the hundred evils bind themselves. When the fire banner is unfurled, the command at once grows solemn; when the fire staff (a ceremonial object symbolizing divine authority) points from afar, who would dare resist the command?

The vast grace of the Southern Fire De extends to all things, so that life may be nurtured and preserved. Should anyone defy the command and turn away from the proper Dao (the Way), they will bring on the calamity of blazing fire, with fierce flames scorching the sky. The deities clearly discern good deeds and overlook none; they also lessen offenses and remove faults.

Verse for Blessing the Lamps

In former times, by command of the Heavenly Worthy (an honorific for exalted deities in Daoism), the charge was received to garrison the fire realm of the South. Now, by edict of the Heavenly Worthy, upon hearing of good deeds, the descent of auspicious fortune is bestowed. When a household venerates the incantation of the Heavenly Worthy, the deities of the Fire Bureau will not send down calamity; when a household has the Heavenly Worthy’s incantation, the force of fire restrains its power; when a household has the Heavenly Worthy’s incantation, fire anomalies conceal themselves; when a household has the Heavenly Worthy’s incantation, the host of demons perish of themselves; when a household has the Heavenly Worthy’s incantation, calamities and hardships disperse of themselves; when a household has the Heavenly Worthy’s incantation, wealth and goods grow ample and flourish, and the household enjoys peace and well-being.

Chanting the Scripture and Proclaiming the Memorial

Chanting the scripture means reciting the text of the Jing (scripture/classic). Proclaiming the memorial means reading aloud the written petition presented to the deities.

Taking as our caution the lesson of qutu xixin—bending the chimney and removing the firewood beside the stove, so as to prevent fire in advance—we dare not forget the warnings of those who came before. If there has been any offense, we willingly accept punishment and beg pardon, and we will pray with hearts of utmost sincerity. Now the blaze has subsided, the smoke and flames have dispersed, and the people may dwell in peace.

The lamp-blessing ritual performed earlier is of immeasurable merit. With reverence we now dedicate and offer this wholesome cause to the True Lord Yinghuo, Enforcer of the Law of the Fire Virtue of the South (the divine lord who governs the Fire Virtue of the South), to the Fire Bureau of the Cinnabar Heaven, and to all immortals and the various spirit officials (lingguan). May we, by the merit of this lamp ritual, offer it universally in return to the gods. We earnestly beseech the gods to bestow blessings and graciously accept our sincere devotion.

Once again we respectfully present the wholesome cause of the fire’s cessation to the True Lord Yinghuo, Enforcer of the Law of the Fire Virtue of the South, to the Fire Bureau of the Cinnabar Heaven, and to all immortals and the various spirit officials. May the merit of the lamp ritual be offered universally in return; we earnestly beg that blessings be granted and our sincere hearts graciously received. May Huilu, the god of fire, dispel calamity, so that people may forever be spared the suffering of scorched heads and burned brows; may Bifang, the legendary deity or monster of conflagration, efface transgressions, so that every household may always dwell in peace. May burning and fire-disaster no longer intrude, and may the blessings of health, ease, and tranquility descend together; may scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants each be secure in their calling, and may all things receive the bounty of blessing.

This is a superior wholesome affinity. All should single-mindedly invoke the Celestial Worthy of the Southern Cinnabar Who Records Longevity (Nandan Jishou Tianzun) and the Celestial Worthy Who Dispels Calamity and Resolves Adversity (Xiaozai Jie’e Tianzun). Their merit is vast, measureless and boundless, beyond all conception.