《诸师真诰》

True Declarations of the Various Masters

Title of the Primordial Most Venerable

With undivided heart I take refuge and offer reverent homage. Above the Three Realms, Fanqi—the sacred primordial Qi (vital energy) that constitutes the celestial realms—spreads and fills every quarter; its height is unsurpassed, the Heaven within Heaven. The Xiao Terrace of Yuluo and the Upper Capital of Jade Mountain tower there, and the Golden Portals, the palaces of Heaven, are secluded, deep, vast, and remote, pure and luminously clear. The Mysterious Primordial One Qi, the original vital energy, precedes primordial chaos; within the precious pearl the mystery is profound and far-reaching, more than words can exhaust. It manifests the three luminaries—sun, moon, and stars—and by transformation gives birth to the many heavens. The spirits of celestial perfection number in the hundreds of millions, endless and inexhaustible. They set the stars and the Dipper in motion, pass through the Winnowing Basket mansion, and turn in continuous cycles, so that the Five Constants—the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water), or the constant norms by which Heaven and Earth operate—are brought into harmony. The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning stands majestic, presiding over the grand law, the source of the myriad Dao (the Way). He is the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning of the Great Canopy and Jade Clarity, of empty non-being and natural spontaneity, of the supremely true and wondrous Dao.

Title of Supreme Clarity

With undivided heart I take refuge and offer reverent homage to the Lord of Numinous Treasure, who dwells in the realm of Supreme Clarity. Since the first kalpa of the cosmos, he has brought forth more than ninety-nine thousand currents of Fanqi and manifested the Red Writs—the celestial divine scriptures of Daoist tradition—in six hundred and sixty-eight chapters. By the crimson celestial script within chaos he opened the Nine Heavens, and with the Cavern-Jade Calendar that records the kalpic revolutions of the Primordial Beginning he divided the Five Kalpas. The warp of Heaven and the weft of Earth—the guiding framework of the operation of Heaven and Earth—are vast and profound, the source of creative transformation; he holds the pivot on which Yin-Yang turns, and is the ancestor of thunder. He is the Dao Lord of the Jade Court, the Celestial Worthy of Numinous Treasure, of great compassion and great vows, great holiness and great mercy.

Title of Great Clarity

With undivided heart I take refuge and offer reverent homage. Adapting to circumstances in every quarter, he establishes the teaching, and through the course of the kalpas he saves living beings; he has served as teacher to emperors, kings, and feudal lords, his titles changing as the occasion requires. He established the Dao of Heaven, the Dao of Earth, and the Dao of humanity, concealing his identity as a sage and appearing as an ordinary person; he commands one thousand two hundred official lords and embraces myriads of millions of layers of Fanqi. His teaching runs through past and present, and he left behind the five thousand words of the Daodejing, the Scripture (Jing) of Dao and De (Virtue/Power); presiding over Yin-Yang, he enacts thunder by the numbers nine and five. He is the Most High Lord Lao, the Celestial Worthy of Dao and De, of great compassion and great vows, great holiness and great mercy.

(As listed in the scripture, the “Title of Great Clarity” is repeated once: the earlier passage reaches only as far as “establishing the Way of Heaven, and Earth,” while the later passage supplies “the Way of Earth and the Way of humanity,” together with the remaining content.)

With wholehearted and single-minded sincerity I take refuge and pay reverent homage: the Unsurpassed Heaven of Miluo (the highest of all celestial realms), the Realm of Wondrous Being and Mysterious Truth (the subtle and genuine realm). There stand the boundless palaces of purple and gold, the Jade Clarity Palace of Taiwei. Here is a supreme holy one who transcends all emptiness yet whose light is inexhaustible; silent and vast, he cannot be limited by any ancestral source, and by a mysterious ordinance he holds the ten directions in his sway. The Dao (the Way) of true constancy is deep and lucid, and his spiritual powers are vast without bound. The True Elder of the vault of heaven is perfectly subtle, pure, and still, complete in wisdom and eloquence, the most revered within the supreme Dao.

He is the teacher of the Three Realms and the ancestor of the Undifferentiated Primordial (Hunyuan), the holy lord whom none can surpass and the compassionate father of all beings; a sage above the high heavens, he treats others with great compassion. He is fully endowed with ten honored titles, his whole being perfected in myriad De (Virtue/Power), universally delivering countless beings and uprooting the suffering of birth and death. He is the teacher of all the Buddhas, the king of the host of sages, and the ancestor of the Most High (Taishang). The scripture repeatedly praises him as the holy lord whom none can surpass, the compassionate father of all beings, the sage of the high heavens, and the one of great compassion and benevolence, and extols the perfection of his De and his universal deliverance of beings.

His honored title is: Most High, Opener of Heaven and Holder of the Talisman; Governor of the Calendar Who Embraces the True; Embodying the Dao in the Golden Towers; Cloud Palace of the Nine Vaults; Governor through the Ages of the Myriad Daos; Great Hall of Wuwei (non-action) and Penetrating Illumination; Great Celestial Worthy, Jade Emperor of Vast Heaven; High Thearch of the Mysterious Firmament (that is, the full title of the Great Celestial Worthy, the Jade Emperor).

Title of the Heavenly Emperor

With wholehearted and single-minded sincerity I take refuge and pay reverent homage: the central pivot of the stellar domain of Purple Tenuity (Ziwei), the celestial palace of Gouchen. Within the Precious Garden of Ninefold Light, above the Mysterious Capital of the Five Qi (vital energy), he receives the Qi of the Primordial Beginning and assists the subtle workings of creation and transformation. He commands the two poles of Heaven and Earth and, together with the Three Powers of Heaven, Earth, and humanity, governs the myriad things. He holds authority over war and arms and widely bestows great De; he regulates the order of the stars’ revolutions so that the constant norms of the Heavenly Dao are not lost. He symbolizes lofty majesty, and his true primordial source is vast and profound.

This honored deity of great compassion and great vows, of great holiness and great mercy, is the Heavenly Emperor and High Thearch of the Upper Palace of Gouchen.

Title of the Star Lord

With wholehearted and single-minded sincerity I take refuge and pay reverent homage: the celestial gate-towers of Daluo Heaven, the stellar palace of Purple Tenuity. He occupies the lofty station of the North Pole and sits upright above the middle of heaven. In Buddhist honored titles he is called the Blazing Golden Wheel; in Daoism he is called the Mysterious Worthy of the Jade Dipper. He presides over the xuanji and the yuheng (ancient instruments for observing celestial phenomena), harmonizes the movements of the Seven Governors—the sun, the moon, and the five planets—and holds overall the guiding principles of the patterns of Heaven and the configuration of Earth.

I reverently take refuge and bow in worship before the palace towers of Daluo Heaven (the palaces of the Great Veil Heaven) and the Purple Tenuity stellar palace (the stellar palace at the center of the northern sky). You dwell in honor at the lofty station of the North Pole, holding your place at the center of mid-heaven. In the Buddhist tradition you are called the “Blazing Golden Wheel,” and in the Daoist tradition you are revered as the “Mysterious Worthy of the Jade Dipper.” You preside over the Xuanji and the Yuheng (ancient instruments for observing celestial phenomena), so that the sun, the moon, and the five planets each follow their own courses. You hold together the norms of Heaven and the order of Earth, and you regulate the movements of the sun and moon. The stars are arrayed in sequence, and the four seasons succeed one another at their proper times. Within the Yellow Path (the ecliptic) and the Purple Enclosure (stellar regions of the sky), the myriad phenomena take you as their master, and all the heavens are under your rule. Of great compassion and great vows, of great holiness and great mercy, you are the Teaching Lord of the Myriad Stars, the Primordial Sovereign of the Limitless, the Great Emperor of Purple Tenuity and the North Pole in the Central Heaven.

Title of Houtu (Sovereign Earth)

I reverently take refuge and bow in worship before Houtu in the Nine-Glory Jade Towers and the Seven-Treasure Imperial Chamber. You receive Heaven’s mandate and wield authority over the Yin-Yang of the great earth. Dao (the Way) and De (Virtue/Power) exalt you, making you generous and vast; your De is stored up in yielding compliance and upright steadfastness. Modeling yourself on Vast Heaven (the immense heavens) and taking the earth as your foundation, you nurture the Kunyuan (the life-giving virtue of the earth). You cause the myriad things to take on form and to grow and multiply, and you extend a motherly benevolence. Great mountains, rivers, and seas all rely upon you, and no mountain or stream fails to submit. Of great compassion and great vows, of great holiness and great mercy, you are Houtu, the Sovereign Earth Goddess, who receives Heaven’s mandate and models herself upon it (the goddess who governs the earth).

Title of Shenxiao (Divine Empyrean)

I reverently take refuge and bow in worship before the exalted deity in the Lofty Supreme Divine Empyrean Prefecture and the Palace of Concentrated Spirit and Radiant Illumination. Gathering the Primordial Ancestral Qi (the original vital energy of the cosmos), you manifest your true body. In accord with the principle of the wondrous Dao in its emptiness and non-being, you open the transformation of the myriad things. Dwelling above the Nine Heavens, you govern all the heavens; holding comprehensive command of every pole of the ten directions, you preside over the transformations of all things. You issue golden talismans and send forth light to relieve suffering, bestow grace, and shelter and nurture living beings. Your favor is as vast as Heaven, and your benevolent virtue extends through the long ages of kalpas. Of great compassion and great vows, of great holiness and great mercy, you are the Perfected King of Jade Clarity, the Great Emperor of Longevity of the South Pole, the Heavenly Worthy and Primordial Sage Who Governs Heaven.

Title of Jiuku (Salvation from Suffering)

With a sincere heart I entrust my life and pay homage to the Taiyi Jiuku Tianzun (Heavenly Worthy of Great Unity Who Saves from Suffering) of the Qinghua Changle World, in the Miaoyan Palace at the Eastern Pole. Within the palace, fragrant groves are adorned with the seven treasures; the Heavenly Worthy sits upright upon a nine-colored lotus throne, surrounded and attended by hosts of perfected immortals, while hundreds of millions of auspicious rays radiate all around. He is a venerable deity of Shangqing Lingbao (Highest Clarity and Numinous Treasure), manifested in response to the transformation of the Qi (vital energy) of the Mysterious, the Origin, and the Beginning. Through endless kalpas of calamity he has bent down in compassion to relieve all living beings, universally bestowing upon the vast world a teaching as sweet as dew. By the wondrous Dao (the Way) he manifests his true body, appearing in an auspicious form of purple gold; according to the conditions and responses of living beings he goes to their rescue, and his vows are vast without bound. Greatly holy and greatly merciful, of great compassion and great vow, he appears throughout the ten directions under many titles to deliver all beings; across hundreds of millions of kalpas he has saved beings beyond number, and when he hears a cry for help he goes at once in response. He is the Taiyi Jiuku Tianzun, the Qingxuan Shangdi (Supreme Emperor of Azure Mystery).

The Kehan Title

With a sincere heart I entrust my life and pay homage to the Kehan Zhangren (Venerable Elder Kehan), who dwells in the lofty upper Cinnabar Empyrean and presides over the Yuanshang Prefecture. Amid vermilion officials of Shen (spirit) and crimson palace towers, the radiance of Shen has been nurtured since the beginning of the great kalpa; the precious trees of the Qian Grove display an auspicious form in the realm of Taiqing (Great Clarity). He sets in motion the creative transformation of Heaven and Earth and carries out nurture through compassion; he sends down true Jing (essence), which circulates like the tuoyue (an ancient bellows, a figure for the power by which Heaven and Earth move and bring the myriad things into being). He lessens deadly peril so that people may return to life, and he spreads the De (Virtue/Power) of the one origin of Heaven and Earth; he forms the hun and po souls, restoring vitality to every kind of being in the dark underworld. He sends forth the Qi of bright Yang and opens passage everywhere through the realms of Yin. Of great compassion and great vow, greatly holy and greatly merciful, he is the Kehan Zhangren of the Azure City of the Nine Heavens, and also the Zhuling Duming Tianzun (Heavenly Worthy of the Vermilion Mound Who Delivers Life).

The Puhua Title

With a sincere heart I entrust my life and pay homage to the unsurpassed King of Yuqing (Jade Clarity) in the Yingyuan Prefecture of the Nine Heavens. He transforms his bodily form so that it fills the ten directions; he proclaims the great Dao, seated upright upon the nine phoenixes. Above the Thirty-Six Heavens he consults precious caskets and collates writings of jade; as early as one thousand five hundred kalpas ago he already occupied the station of true rectitude and directed the vast work of creation. In his hand he holds a ruyi of golden light, and he expounds the Yushu Baojing (Precious Scripture of the Jade Pivot). Those who do not yield to his teaching are reduced to fine dust; the commands he issues are as swift as wind and fire. With a pure heart he proclaims his great vows, and with the power of wisdom he subdues all demons. He holds overall command of the Five Thunders and turns his mind upon the Three Realms; he is the father of all living beings and the teacher of the myriad spirits. Greatly holy and greatly merciful, supreme sovereign and ultimate Dao, he is the Jiutian Yingyuan Leisheng Puhua Tianzun (Heavenly Worthy of Universal Transformation by the Sound of Thunder, Who Responds to the Origin of the Nine Heavens).

With wholehearted devotion I take refuge and offer worship: dwelling in the Lofty Jade Empyrean Prefecture (a divine mansion in the Daoist heavens), he holds supreme command over the Thunder Cavernous Abyss and the Five Thunders, and he moves and transforms throughout the Three Realms. He is the father of all living beings and the teacher of the myriad spirits, the unsurpassed sage and the compassionate one—the Heavenly Worthy of Universal Transformation, Whose Thunder-Sound Responds to the Origin of the Nine Heavens (Jiutian Yingyuan Leisheng Puhua Tianzun).

The Leizu (Thunder Ancestor) Title

With wholehearted devotion I take refuge and offer worship: dwelling in the Lofty Jade Empyrean Prefecture and the Palace of the Thunder Cavernous Abyss. Within the Three Precincts he differentiates true spirits, and throughout the Nine Heavens he carries out teaching and transformation. His radiance reaches beyond the Daluo Heaven, and his numinous powers are vast and beyond all measure. He relieves floods and droughts in the human world and drives away the insect blights and locust plagues of the calamities of successive ages. He has made a vast vow to benefit and rescue all living beings. He is the sagely, luminous, and compassionate Great Emperor, Thunder Ancestor of the Nine Heavens, of great compassion and great vows, and he is also the Heavenly Worthy Who Removes Calamities and Saves All Beings.

The Taiyi (Great Unity) Title

With wholehearted devotion I take refuge and offer worship: dwelling in the Lofty Langxiao Prefecture and the Purple Tenuity Jasper Palace. His radiance is grand and flourishing, and true Qi (vital energy) gathers in the Taiji (Supreme Ultimate). From the Golden Portal—the palaces where immortals dwell—he sends forth subtle and wondrous Qi, and amid the vastness of primordial chaos he manifests a mighty creative transformation. After worldly customs have declined and grown thin, he restores them to plain simplicity, and he presides over the turns of kalpic destiny. His grace spreads between Heaven and Earth, instructing and nurturing the people. He is the sagely, luminous, and compassionate Great Celestial Emperor Taiyi of the Purple Tenuity Jasper Palace of the Shangqing (Upper Clarity), of great compassion and great vows, and he is also the Heavenly Worthy Who Preserves and Regulates Kalpic Destiny.

The Dongyuan (Cavernous Abyss) Title

With wholehearted devotion I take refuge and offer worship: dwelling in the Lofty Taixiao Realm and the Office of the Cavernous Abyss of the Six Heavens. His auspicious form is stately and solemn, and he manifests light in the Biluo heaven—the celestial realm spoken of in Daoism. His true body is vast, and he bestows subtle and wondrous grace upon all living beings. He subdues the demonic spirits of the Five Prefectures, cleanses miasma and pestilence from the four directions, enables the people to dwell in peace and enjoy long life, and governs and teaches through clarity, stillness, and Wuwei (non-action). He is the Great Emperor of the Cavernous Abyss of the Six Heavens, of great compassion and great vows, sagely, luminous, and compassionate, and he is also the Most High Taiyi Heavenly Worthy Who Subdues the Hosts of Demons.

The Liubo (Six Waves) Title

Precious Invocation of the Imperial Lord, Sovereign of the Six-Wave Heaven

With a sincere heart I take refuge and bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy in the upper realm of the Purple Empyrean and in the palace of the Six-Wave Heaven. He manifests a luminous and wondrous form, descending upon the heavens with a compassionate countenance; his abode is vast and profound, and he bestows blessings and grace upon the human world. He wards off the disasters of mighty floods and rescues those scorched by raging fire; he transforms and nurtures the myriad beings, and holds comprehensive sway over the governance of all that exists in heaven and earth. Great in holiness and great in mercy, great in compassion and great in vows—the Imperial Lord, Sovereign of the Six-Wave Heaven, Celestial Worthy Who Universally Bestows the Moistening Grace of the Dharma.

Precious Invocation of the Supreme Emperor of the Vermilion Mound, Investigator of the Nine Heavens

With a sincere heart I take refuge and bow in worship to the Celestial Worthy in the Bureau of Purple Mystery and Radiant Splendor and in the Palace of Destiny-Preservation of the Nine Heavens. The supreme Great Dao (the Way) spreads forth its light and presides over the Brahma-Qi (vital energy) of the ten directions—the pure primordial breath that constitutes heaven and earth; the true and constant Dao manifests the mysterious and wondrous, and reverses the declining, thin customs amid a vast calamity. He inspects and records the affairs of the many heavens, notes deeds of merit, and strikes evil conduct from the registers of names; his grace permeates the myriad beings, marking blessings and emolument for those of merit so that their names ascend into the rolls of heaven. Great in holiness and great in mercy, great in compassion and great in vows—the Investigator of the Nine Heavens, Supreme Emperor of the Vermilion Mound, Celestial Worthy of Wondrous Transformation Who Responds to the Origin and Preserves Destiny.

Precious Invocation of the Great Sage Marici

With a sincere heart I take refuge and bow in worship to the Dharma-King Teacher in the land of Western India, who manifests the wondrous form of true emptiness within the light of great wisdom, and who is also the supreme and unsurpassed Heavenly Mother, sovereign of the Mysterious Origin. When she sends forth golden light, the sun and moon lose their radiance before it; when she whirls the precious pestle, ghosts and spirits blanch with fear. She manifests numinous traces in the dusty world and guards the sacred carriage as it travels through Jambudvipa (the human world). When living beings meet with calamity, they need only call upon her name; the Great Being hears their cry and comes to relieve their suffering. Great in compassion and great in vows, great in holiness and great in mercy—the Heavenly Empress of Sagely Virtue and Vast Light, the Great Sage Marici.

Precious Invocation of the Great Emperors, the Three Officials

The three sages, at their very root, arise alike from the Taiji (Supreme Ultimate). They receive the mandate of Heaven amid a vast calamity and obtain veneration of immeasurable rank. Dwelling respectively in such celestial realms as Purple Tenuity, the Clear Void, and Cavernous Yin, they preside over the affairs of the Three Realms, bestow blessings according to people’s merits and faults, pardon transgressions, dispel calamities, and widely bring relief to the living and the dead. Their virtue and majestic bearing stand high above the heavens, and their grace extends throughout the Three Realms. Great in compassion and great in vows, great in holiness and great in mercy—the Great Emperors, the Three Officials of the Three Primes and Three Grades, Celestial Worthies of the Three Palaces and Nine Bureaus Who Respond to Supplication.

He pardons transgressions, relieves disasters and afflictions, and broadly delivers both the living and the dead. His Dao (the Way) and De (Virtue/Power) stand supreme over all the heavens, and his grace extends throughout the Three Realms. Of great compassion and great vows, great holiness and great mercy, are the Great Emperors of the Three Primordials, the Three Ranks, and the Three Officials—the Heavenly Official, the Earthly Official, and the Water Official, who govern the Upper, Middle, and Lower Primordials—together with the Responsive Celestial Worthies of the Three Palaces and Nine Bureaus.

Proclamation of the Fire Official

The Fire Official belongs to the divine order of the Four Primordials and Four Ranks, and is charged with examining, verifying, and confirming affairs related to fire. He sets in motion and assists the firm, vigorous Qi (vital energy) of the Dao of Qian, and his De accords with the brightness symbolized by the Li trigram. He dwells in the Cinnabar Heaven of Great Yang, commands the Left Bureau, and keeps the name registers in which births are inscribed. When the De of fire flourishes, the Flame Emperor presides over its weighing and measure. His merits take part in assisting the transformations of the Three Primordials, and the operations of Qi fall in the fourth month of the lunar calendar.

Riding a crimson dragon, he patrols the southern quarter of the heavens and illuminates the palace of Yinghuo (Yinghuo being Mars). His light shines upon Zhuling and reveals the Cinnabar Terrace, and it also lends resplendent glory to the bureau of Wenchang. His radiance is brilliant and shines in all four directions. Of great compassion and great vows, great holiness and great mercy, are the True Lord Flame Emperor, Crimson Sovereign and Upper-Rank Fire Official of the Three Qi; the Great Emperor of Cavernous Yang; and the Celestial Worthy of Southern Cinnabar Who Records the Span of Life.

Proclamation of the Mysterious Heaven

The Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Heaven is the teaching master who transmits the methods of the Six Heavens of Primordial Chaos. He cultivated perfection and attained the Dao, saving multitudes of deluded beings, universally bestowing grace upon living creatures, and removing disasters and obstructions. He has assumed transformation bodies eighty-two times and is the patriarch of the Three Realms; great in mercy and great in compassion, he saves from suffering and relieves distress.

He is the teaching master of the Three Methods. He cultivated perfection and attained the Dao, saving multitudes of deluded beings, universally bestowing grace upon living creatures, and removing disasters and obstructions. He has assumed transformation bodies eighty-two times and is the patriarch of the Three Realms; great in mercy and great in compassion, he saves from suffering and relieves distress. He commands the various departments of the Three Primordials and serves as Inspector of the Nine Heavens. He is the Great General of the Left Heavenly Gang and of the Right Wall of the Northern Pole. Guarding the celestial realm and aiding whatever proceeds in accord with the Dao, he manifests the numinous response of Zhenwu. He broadly bestows De and blessing and increases and prolongs auspicious fortune; benevolent yet firm and upright, he assists the turning of cosmic transformation. He is a True Lord, and also a deity who governs the world and confers blessings. He is the Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Heaven, Master-Minister of the Jade Void, and the Celestial Worthy, incarnation of the Golden Portal, who subdues demons, ends the kalpa, and relieves suffering.

Proclamation of the Ancestral Celestial Master (Tianshi)

He was originally a man of the south. Later he traveled upstream to the capital of Shu (the area of present-day Chengdu in Sichuan). He first obtained the Yellow Emperor’s Nine Tripods Elixir Scripture, and afterward twice attended Lord Lao at the Jade Bureau. From a thousand scrolls of classics he grasped the essentials of cultivation, and he soon mastered the art of tuna (the practice of regulating the breath and circulating Qi (vital energy)). After he had fully completed the Fulu (talismans and registers—the documents by which the Daoist teaching confers ritual office and credentials), he received the ranks of the Mengwei and perfected the Linjue (Daoist ritual formulas). He distinguished the orthodox Dao (the Way) from heterodox paths, seized authority over the Futing parish, and brought his teaching to Xianquan. Cultivating De (Virtue/Power), he achieved the Great Elixir, and the realm of his practice stood level with the Seven Governors (the sun, moon, and five planets in the heavens).

Of great compassion and great vows, of great holiness and great mercy: Great Ritual Celestial Master (Tianshi) who upholds the teaching of the Three Heavens, assists the Mysterious, and embodies the Dao; Supreme Minister of Grand Mystery of the Thunder Ministry and Great Ritual Lord of All Heaven; True Lord of Zhengyi (Orthodox Unity), of Penetrating Mystery, Divine Transformation, Quiescent Response, and Manifest Protection; Lofty and Brilliant Great Emperor, boundless throughout the Six Harmonies; Celestial Worthy Who Subdues Demons and Protects the Dao.

Invocation of Patriarch Lu

He was born in the Han dynasty and received his title in the Jin dynasty. He spread Qi to drive out baleful spirits, and he once swallowed a tiger in order to save a life. He had charge of the Dongzhen (Cavern of Perfection) methods of the Jade Empyrean and transmitted the Jing (scriptures) of the inner teaching of the Mysterious Chamber. He directed the punishments of the Thunder Bureau and could also act at his own discretion in the affairs of the Commander’s office. He was invested with the office of Celestial Master and promoted to Right Minister of the Heaven of Purple Tenuity. He oversaw Baoyang Palace and presided over the Teaching of Primordial Origin.

Of great compassion and great vows, of great holiness and great mercy: Supreme Emperor, Pure Sovereign of True Origin, True Lord of Universal Grace of the Great Void; Celestial Worthy and Arbiter of Destiny of the Precious Registers of the Nine Heavens.

Invocation of Patriarch Wei

The Primordial Emperor set forth the work of teaching and transformation and manifested the true body of wondrous existence. Light shone like the full moon, revealing a compassionate countenance; the pure, still, and mysterious manner of that teaching opened the orthodox teaching. Dao and De were held in such honor that he may be called a holy ancestor, and his De was so profound that he may stand beside the Medicine King. He governed the thunder of the Three Realms and examined the registers of emolument of all living beings.

The Patriarch, great in compassion and benevolence; Dharma King illumined by imperial radiance; Supreme Perfected who presides over the immortals of the Southern Marchmount; Primordial Lady of Purple Vacuity, lofty, primordial, and pure, Upper Guardian of the Golden Portal and Arbiter of Destiny of the Nine Heavens.

Invocation of the Immortal Duke

He attained the Dao (the Way) at Tiantai (the name of a mountain) and brought his cultivation to perfection on Mount Hezao. In his early years he received the transmission of the Perfected One of Donghua, and later he propagated the teaching in Western Shu. Summoned by edict into the Jade Capital and Golden Palaces (the celestial palaces where immortals dwell), he was ranked among the immortal assembly of Taiji (Supreme Ultimate). With compassion he rescued beings sunk in suffering, and by grace he universally aided afflicted souls.

He inherited the ancient and simple ways of the Getian clan and made the methods of the Dao renowned at Goulou (a place name). Cinnabar still remains there today, and he once also wandered in Kuocang. Later he stayed on Mount Luofu in pure cultivation, and on Mount Yusi he studied and arranged the golden scriptures. Of great compassion and great vows, great holiness and great mercy: Immortal Duke of the Left Palace of Taiji, of the Jade Capital of the Most High in Eastern Hao; Inner Minister of the Celestial Mechanism in the Mysterious Bureau of Thunder; True Lord of the Jade Void and Purple Numen, Universal Transformation, Mysterious Stillness, the Constant Dao, Void Response, and Sincere Protection; Great Compassionate Emperor of Silkworm Grace and Broad Salvation; Heavenly Worthy of Measureless Salvation of Beings.

Proclamation of the True Lord

Primordial Ancestor of the Undifferentiated Origin (the primordial Dao of the cosmos), the one Qi (vital energy) divided and transformed, and the true numen was manifested. Long before remote kalpas he had ceaselessly cultivated and accumulated the supreme methods of the Dao. The hardship and completeness through which his practice passed far exceeded the ordinary in depth and breadth. However many the various methods, he had traversed them all. He rescued people from disaster and delivered them from peril, removed harm and swept away demonic evil. His merit extended to all beings, and his name was entered in the immortal registers of heaven. All the perfected immortals revered and exalted him, and therefore it was fitting that he be granted a noble immortal rank.

Of great compassion and great vows, great filial piety and great humaneness: Chief Immortal and Grand Historian of the Nine Provinces, Emissary of Lofty Brilliance; Supreme Minister Who Subdues Demons at the Celestial Pivot of the Grand Bureau of Thunder; Mysterious Response of the Ultimate Dao, Divine Merit and Wondrous Salvation; True Lord who oversees the offices of the Nine Heavens and Taiyi’s fixing of destiny and the recording of birth; Chief Investigating Censor and Collator of the Three Heavens, Grand Master of Remonstrance who memorializes on all affairs; Great Emperor of Celestial Medicine; Ancestral Master Who Saves Beings; Heavenly Worthy of Pure Brightness and Universal Transformation.

Proclamation of the Huagai

The Exalted Sages of Jade Clarity (Yuqing) and the Supreme Perfected Ones of the Vacuous Sovereign are the Immortal Lords of Primordial Origin. They manifest in response to circumstances and conditions and divide into numinous bodies. Upholding true nature and realizing the Great Dao (Dao), they have brought both merit and cultivation to completion. They command thunder and lightning, protect the state and settle the people, assist others in practicing the way of loyalty and filial piety, remove karmic offenses, and prolong life.

The Ancestral Master of the Ornate Canopy is the teaching lord of the human world and the celestial realm. His honorific titles include Grand Immortal of the Golden Portal and Supreme Minister of the Three Bureaus of Thunder; Perfected Lord (Zhenjun) Who Confers Protection, Manifests Numinous Power, Responds Supremely, and Guards the State; High Minister in Charge of the Emoluments of the Nine Heavens, Lofty and Mysterious Supreme Thearch, and Teaching Lord of the Wondrous Dao; and Teaching Lord of the Three-and-Five Who Soars through Heaven. Further honorifics are Grand Immortal of the Golden Portal and Supreme Minister of the Three Bureaus of Thunder; Perfected Lord Who Confers Protection, Manifests Numinous Power, Responds Supremely, and Guards the State; High Minister in Charge of the Emoluments of the Nine Heavens, Lofty and Mysterious Supreme Thearch, and Teaching Lord of the Wondrous Dao; Perfected Lord of the Great Void, of Upright Protection, Wondrous Numen, and Surging Response, Who Advances in the Flying Paces of the Three-and-Five; Immortal Minister of the Southern Pole Who Registers Births, the Mysteriously Luminous Supreme Thearch; Teaching Lord of Attained Sincerity, Perfected Lord of the Nine-One Upper Clarity, of Manifest Protection, Stirred Numen, Sincere Response, and Wondrous Reach; Immortal Minister of the Northern Pole Who Examines and Verifies, the Greatly Luminous Supreme Thearch; and Celestial Worthy (Tianzun) of Transformation Bodies throughout the Three Realms.

Zitong Invocation

The deity of Zitong dwells in the Jade-True Celebration Palace in the realm of the Thearch Who Does Not Presume. He has manifested ninety-eight traces of transformed embodiment and displayed hundreds of millions of divine and extraordinary transformations. Riding a luan bird, he spreads the teaching everywhere, rescues living beings according to the wishes of their hearts, dispels kalpic calamities, and allows life to continue. Supremely filial and supremely humane, he extends his merit across the Three Teachings of Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism. Neither arrogant nor greedy for pleasure, he wholeheartedly fulfills his charge of overseeing the bureaus of Heaven, Earth, and Water. His merit cannot be measured, and his divine authority and numinous efficacy cannot be fathomed.

Of great compassion and great vows, of great sageliness and great mercy: the Perfected Lord, Sovereign of the Nine Heavens Who Assists the Primordial and Opens Transformation, Charged with Emoluments and the Examinations for Office; the Great Thearch of the Seven Bends, Numinously Responsive, Who Preserves Virtue and Broadens Humaneness; and the Celestial Worthy Who Discourses on the Scriptures (Jing) and Expounds the Teaching, Dispels Calamities and Carries Out Transformation, and Renews Life for an Enduring Destiny.

The merit of the Three Water Officials cannot be measured, and their divine authority and numinous efficacy cannot be fathomed. They are those of great compassion and great vows, of great sageliness and great mercy: the Perfected Lord, Sovereign of the Nine Heavens Who Assists the Primordial and Opens Transformation, Charged with Emoluments and the Examinations for Office; the Great Thearch of the Seven Bends, Numinously Responsive, Who Preserves Virtue and Broadens Humaneness; and the Celestial Worthy Who Discourses on the Scriptures and Expounds the Teaching, Dispels Calamities and Carries Out Transformation, and Renews Life for an Enduring Destiny.

Invocation of the Three Mao Perfected Lords (The original lists only the title and does not include the main text.)

The deities of heaven take the Dao (the Way) and De (Virtue) as their foundation. Immortals, sages, and Perfected Ones (Zhenren) are exemplars and teachers for the human world. The virtue of honoring one’s parents and loving one’s brothers can reach upward to the gods; grace and blessings extend throughout the family and the state. A Perfected One once lived in seclusion on Mount Heng, and there he awakened to the Dao. He later dwelled on Mount Juqu, in the area of present-day Mount Mao, and afterward ascended to heaven. He presides over the famous mountains of Daizong (Mount Tai), Mount Heng, and Mount Huo, and also governs cavern-heavens and blessed lands such as Chicheng and Huayang.

He directs the operations of Yin-Yang and the transformations of cosmic epochs, and he also oversees thunder, rivers, and lakes. Recognizing the outstanding aptitudes of his two younger brothers, he transmitted to them the secret methods of attaining the Dao and becoming immortal. All three were entered in the registers of the gods and immortals, sharing the glory of titles conferred by jade tablets. Their virtue extends over both the unseen realm and the human world, and their benevolence reaches all living beings. They come in response to sincere resonance and vow to carry out vast and far-reaching practices.

The True Lord of Great Primordial Wondrous Dao, Penetrating Emptiness, Holy Protection, and True Response; the Supreme Perfected Earth Immortal, True Lord of Fixed Registers and Right Prohibitions, Penetrating Stillness, Virtuous Protection, and Wondrous Response; the Utmost Perfected Earth Immortal, True Lord of Life-Protection under the Three Offices, Penetrating Kindness, Benevolent Protection, and Divine Response; and the Heavenly Worthy of Responsive Transformation, the Three Mao who serve as Directors of Destiny of the Nine Heavens—all are entered in the registers of the gods and immortals, sharing the glory of titles conferred by jade tablets. Their virtue extends over both the unseen realm and the human world, and their benevolence reaches all living beings. They come in response to sincere resonance and vow to carry out vast and far-reaching practices.

Proclamation of Primordial Lady Magu

Primordial Lady Magu is perfectly integrated and penetrating, clear and serene, settled, and responsive with kindness and benevolence. She once manifested her wondrous form on Mount Kunlun and revealed sacred traces in the cavern-heaven of Mount Qingcheng. Passing through the land of Wu and crossing the land of Cai, she is skilled at answering earnest prayers and entering into resonance with people. She once tossed rice and transformed it into elixir, and she often manifests her transformations in a spirit of play.

She leads the host of immortals and embraces the myriad things. Cultivating body and mind through the Nine Harmonies, her meritorious practice surpasses the ultimate realms of the ten directions. She is Primordial Lady Magu of True Stillness, Penetrating Response, Benevolent Protection, and Wondrous Salvation—great in compassion, great in vows, great in holiness, and great in mercy.

Proclamation of the Immortal Elder of Hongya

The primordial Qi (vital energy) of the Great Beginning—the original breath that constitutes Heaven, Earth, and the myriad things—differentiated into the true primordial origin, and from it the Five Phases (Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth) were conceived and took form. He was teacher and exemplar to the ancient Shennong, and he received the true secret of the Lingbao (Numinous Treasure) Great Dao (the Way) between Heaven and Earth. From antiquity to the present he has often manifested, at every moment sending forth numinous light. Riding Xuejing, he came to the Western Ridge; in the Kaiyuan era he marked the ground and uttered a long whistle, a sound that shook the imperial crown and made Zhanlu Hall appear pure, still, and supremely transcendent. He transmitted the methods of the Dao to Daoists clad in feathered robes, so that the vast light of the sun of the Dao continues without end. His grace extends throughout the world, and his compassionate mercy is bestowed upon all living beings.

Great in compassion and great in vows, great in filial piety and great in humaneness: Master Hongya, Immortal Earl of Qingcheng, Scripture Master of Jingming (Pure Brightness), True Lord of Responsive Manifestation.

Invocation of the Five Patriarchs of Quanzhen (Complete Perfection)

The Great Dao was founded first, and Xuanyuan (an honorific title of the Dao) expounded and spread the teaching. The transformative teaching of Daoism has passed from ancient times to the present, and he took “Donghua” (Eastern Florescence) as his title. He was once a general of the Han dynasty, and later lived in seclusion on Mount Zhongnan, where he formed a bond with the immortal Dao. Whenever the destined kalpas turned, his manifestations always transcended their age, and he often appeared in the human world as well. He inspired outstanding figures of the Tang dynasty and brought them to understand the secret essentials of immortal cultivation. Manifesting by means of a flying sword, the selling of medicine, and other forms, he awakened the world and carried out his teaching in endlessly varied ways.

He possessed the noble character of a chancellor of the golden court, and the courage to resign the precious seal of office without hesitation. Later, wearing robes of rosy clouds, he ascended to Heaven and became the ancestral master jointly venerated by the northern and southern schools of the Dao. Heaven then brought forth yet another outstanding figure, so that the Great Dao spread throughout the four seas. He opened seven golden lotuses, and from them the transmission of the immortal Dao reached the ten directions. The principle of longevity is still widely handed down today, and the subtle and marvelous Great Dao extends across the world. He propagated the supreme Dao and broadly saved and delivered foolish and bewildered beings.

The patriarchs of Quanzhen: Imperial Lord Donghua of the Purple Palace, Who Assists the Mystery and Establishes the Ultimate of the Great Dao; Imperial Lord Zhengyang (Upright Yang), Who Opens Awakening, Transmits the Dao, and Bequeaths the Ultimate; Imperial Lord Chunyang (Pure Yang), Who Expounds the Orthodox, Warns and Transforms, and Confers Aid and Protection; Imperial Lord Haichan (Sea Toad), Who Illumines Awakening, Magnifies the Dao, and Purely Protects; and Imperial Lord Chongyang (Double Yang) of Quanzhen, Who Opens Transformation and Assists the Ultimate. The Five Patriarchs expounded the Great Dao and are honored as Celestial Worthies (Tianzun).

Invocation of the Ancestral Yuanjun (Primordial Sovereign)

The Celestial Venerable of the Primordial Beginning (Yuanshi Tianzun) brought forth primordial Qi (vital energy) by transformation, and the Qingwei lineage transmits the orthodox tradition. Their Dao (the Way) is vast, lofty, and luminous, enabling people to realize that the inner heart accords with the body of the Dao; their nature is firm, vigorous, pure, and upright, endowed with the nature of Shen (spirit). Within Wuwei (non-action) they can wield the might of thunder and lightning, and beyond formed heaven and earth they embrace the myriad things. Their principle rises to what is unsurpassed, gathering the true sources of the four lineages; profound and more profound still, they comprehend alike the subtle meanings of the Three Vehicles (the principles of cultivation at different levels, or along different paths, in Daoism). They elucidate and propagate the great Dao, benefiting and relieving all living beings.

The Qingwei ancestral master of Dongzhao Palace: the Primordial Sovereign (Yuanjun) of Unitary Radiance, Primordial Supreme Attendant of the Imperial Presence at the Golden Portal, who illumines and condenses the wondrous Dao, protects the immortals, and penetrates transformation (Yuan Shang Shichen Jinque Zhaoning Miaodao Baoxian Tonghua Yihui Yuanjun).

Declarations of the Seven Perfected of the North

The Dao existed before the one Qi, when heaven and earth had not yet divided; in the world there appeared the Seven Perfected of the North. The Seven Perfected awakened to principles that transcend the ordinary order of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water), and mastered the formula of the nine reversals and the return (in the cultivation of Neidan, or internal alchemy, the method of refining Jing, or essence, and Qi, and of returning to the root and restoring the origin). Like sweet springs they moisten the myriad things, reviving what has withered and bringing all things back to spring.

They manifested their immortal forms in the realm of Jin and, through a four-line oral formula, accorded with the great Dao; in Weizhou they manifested transformations and, by sitting in stillness for ten years, became Perfected Persons. The traces of ink upon the walls were no ordinary matter, and their bearing, like bamboo in the snow and pines beneath the moon, was likewise unlike that of others. The Two Wells preserve a record of karmic affinities across many lifetimes; for a time they displayed spiritual powers and accomplished the work of teaching and transformation. (Here the source text repeats the passage from “the formula of return” through “their bearing was likewise unlike that of others”; what follows continues the sense of that text.)

They once cultivated for six years at Panxi and for seven years at Longmen. When their practice of the Dao was complete, their fame reached the sovereign of that time; the sovereign bestowed a cinnabar talisman, enabling them to preside over the affairs of immortals and the perfected. Upon the rocks they discoursed on mysterious principles, and they also flew upon clouds of Qi like the canopy of a carriage. The sovereigns of the Yuan dynasty repeatedly summoned them to inquire of the Dao; at the appointed times they sent down sweet rains and brought relief to the people.

In their early years they studied deeply the principles of the Changes; in their later years they perfected the formulas of divine immortality. After setting forth the diagrams of the trigrams, they at last achieved the ultimate Dao. Qingjing Sanren, the Unattached One of Pure Quiescence, investigated the mysterious principles and attained the Dao; through a hundred million kalpas she alone has guarded the immortal way of Penglai. Compassionate in relieving suffering, they are the ancestral masters of the Quanzhen (Complete Perfection) lineage.

Danyang, Perfected Lord of Embracing the One, Wuwei, and Universal Transformation; Changzhen, Perfected Lord of Concentrating Shen, Mysterious Stillness, and Stored De (Virtue/Power); Changsheng, Perfected Lord of Assisting Transformation, Venerating the Mysterious, and Illumining De; Changchun, Perfected Lord of Complete De, Spirit Transformation, and Luminous Response, Presider of the Teaching; Yuyang, Perfected Lord of Embodying the Mysterious, Vast Compassion, and Universal Deliverance; Taigu Guangning, Perfected Lord of Penetrating the Mysterious to the Wondrous Ultimate; and Qingjing, Primordial Sovereign of Profound Constancy, Mysterious Emptiness, and Accordant Transformation—these seven are Celestial Venerables who truly unfold the great Dao.

By true principle one awakens to the Great Dao (the Way) and widely spreads its teaching in the South. The Nine Sovereigns (nine deities venerated in Daoism) once manifested their traces on Mount Tiantai, and from there the lineage of the Dao was transmitted until it reached Patriarch Liu. The patriarch gathered the wondrous principles of the immortal path, precious as jade blossoms, and composed the elixir book Wuzhen; he then transmitted the methods of the Dao to the Perfected of Xinglin, who compiled the chapters of Huanyuan. The lineage reached Mount Jizu, and from this the essentials of the elixir path were also set down in writing.

The Perfected One was born in Huizhou, innately brilliant and of extraordinary insight. After taking only a small amount of elixir medicine, he displayed wondrous transformations, his power without limit; with a lift of the hand he could raise clouds and send rain, and he could also save the people of the world. His De (Virtue/Power) shone forth over the South Sea, and he won a precious and splendid reputation. The transforming work of the Dao reached distant lands, and people were deeply nourished by his mysterious teachings. Mount Longhu, Mount Fuluo, Mount Wuyi, Yulong Palace, and other places all preserve traces of his transmitting the Dao and converting others. He traveled from place to place to preach the Way, leaving behind many Daoist scriptures (Jing); he became foremost among the immortals and set a model for later generations. He made a vast vow and was compassionate and kindly; he is a holy patriarch: Perfected Ziyang of Wuzhen, Perfected Cuixuan of Xinglin, Perfected Zixian of Daoguang, Perfected Cuixu of Niwan, and Perfected Ziqing of Qiongguan.

Invocation of Celestial Master (Tianshi) Xujing

White Snow: the elixir dissolves. Yellow Sprout: what was long accumulated remains. The holy patriarch of compassion and benevolence: Perfected Ziyang of Wuzhen, Perfected Cuixuan of Xinglin, Perfected Zixian of Daoguang, Perfected Cuixu of Niwan, and Perfected Ziqing of Qiongguan.

Invocation of Celestial Master Xujing

“White Snow” and “Yellow Sprout” are technical terms in Daoist elixir methods, used to name the medicines or the stages of alchemical cultivation. This invocation praises the Celestial Master: his writings gleam like the stars, and he received from Lord Lao the mysterious formula of the “Three-Fives Flying Paces.” Holding the talismans and registers (Fulu) of the Jade Bureau, he inherited the Zhengyi (Orthodox Unity) aim of slaying deviance, transmitted by the patriarchs of the Han. By this his name could be entered in the registers of the Purple Prefecture (the dwelling of immortals); he presided over the methods of thunder, drove out sickness and pestilence on Mount Qingcheng, and swept away demonic and deviant Qi (vital energy) in the human world. His methods of the Dao are lofty and far-reaching, mysterious and profound, enabling one to pass beyond Taiji (the Supreme Ultimate) and ascend to Purple Tenuity, to gather the Three Floresences and hold court with the Five Qi. He could accord with the transformations of things, discern the myriad beings, bring errant thoughts to rest, and keep Shen (spirit) and Qi guarded within. This patriarch is the thirtieth-generation Celestial Master, titled True Lord Xujing Chonghong Who Awakens to the Dao, and honored as the “Celestial Worthy Who Transforms and Spreads the Mysterious Wind.”

Invocation of the Attendant in the Imperial Presence (Shichen)

The supreme Divine Empyrean Jade Clarity Thunder Bureau (the celestial bureau presided over by the deities of thunder) derives its radiance from the differentiation of the Primordial Unitary Qi (vital energy) and gathers the numinous elegance of the Lord Peak. The Great Dao (the Way) circulates the Qi of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water), and the deities attend the temple of Huizong. It commands thunder and rain, relieves drought, and removes calamities; between the raising of a hand and the setting down of a foot it regulates clear and cloudy skies, stabilizes the state, and protects the people. Its merit endures through a hundred million kalpas, and it is worthy to be the ancestral master of the teaching, rescuing bewildered beings through the beneficence of virtue. This deity is the loving father of all living beings, titled the Perfected Lord of Empty Void, Penetrating Wonder, and Numinous Wisdom.

Eulogy of the Thunder Perfected

In the supreme Divine Empyrean Bureau there is a venerable deity who enforces the law, known as the Venerable Law-Enforcer of the Mysterious Capital. He propagates the teaching and is a Great Perfected; he is also the Attendant Censor beside the Jade Emperor, directing the investigations and corrections of the Nine Heavens. He is the compassionate father who expounds the Daoist teaching and the true master who saves the world and delivers people. He superintends the Three Realms and commands the myriad spirits, ranking as Senior Minister of the Jasper Capital, and is honored as the Perfected Lord of Primordial Unity and the Wondrous Dao Who Universally Saves, and as the Celestial Worthy Who Expounds the Teaching in the Sound of Thunder.

Eulogy of Celestial Lord Xin

The Floriate King of Supreme Clarity who dwells on high in the Emerald Empyrean, the Azure-Florescence Great Emperor of the Eastern Pole who registers births, and the fierce officers of Yang-crystal in the Fire Bureau of Nanchang who are charged with penetrating illumination, salvation by refinement, and the enforcement of the law, divide authority among themselves and determine the rules and standards. All are senior officers of Prior Heaven and Penetrating Mystery in the Taiji (Supreme Ultimate) of the Jade Bureau of the Mysterious Capital. Taiyi Mulang is the Commander-in-Chief of Prior Heaven. The Perfected Lord of the Office of Examination of the Nine Heavens, who presides over the origin, stores blessings, and fixes destinies, is responsible for examining good and evil, storing blessings, and determining fate; the Great Deity of the Iron Brush Who Inscribes the Statutes holds the law. The Great Commander-in-Chief of Radiant Stillness Who Penetrates Heaven and Expounds the Teaching commands wind, clouds, thunder, rain, lightning, frost, snow, and hail; his awesome radiance dazzles like silver teeth, and he superintends the Three Realms. These divine offices are all under the Great Commander of the Thunder of the Thirty-Six Heavens, the Azure Emperor Celestial Lord, honored as the Celestial Worthy of the Judgment Bureau of the Five Thunders of Taiyi, who by the Primordial Unitary Qi regulates the myriad spirits.

Eulogy of Celestial Lord Deng

The Perfected King of Jade Clarity who dwells on high in the Divine Empyrean, the Vermilion Mound Great Emperor of Longevity of the Southern Pole, and the Imperial Lord of the Nine Dragons of the Great Yang have received the office of the Azure Emperor Celestial Lord who commands the thunder of the Thirty-Six Heavens. Receiving the Primordial Unitary Qi so as to regulate the myriad spirits, the Azure Emperor Celestial Lord presides over the Judgment Bureau of the Five Thunders of Taiyi and is honored as Celestial Worthy.

Eulogy of Celestial Lord Deng

The Jade Clarity True King of the Exalted Divine Empyrean, the Vermilion Mound Great Emperor of Longevity at the Southern Pole, the Nine-Dragon Imperial Lord of the Great Yang, the Perfected Who Receives Refinement in the Upper Palace of Nanchang, the Great Immortal of the Supreme True Thunderbolt, the Envoy of the Mysterious Capital, the Nine Doubts, the Nine Yi, Penglai, and the Azure Waters, the Commander-in-Chief of the Three Realms of Upper Clarity, the True Lord of Wondrous Transformation Who Responds to the Origin and Protects Destiny, Investigating Commissioner of the Nine Heavens, the Great Deity of the Swift-Fire Ordinances, the Grand Marshal of Radiant Wonder Who Spans Heaven and Unfolds the True, the deity charged with sending wind and hastening rain, slaying evil and destroying illicit temples, and clearing the affairs of pools and caverns in every place, the Director-General who commands the thunder of the Three Primes and the Eighty-One Heavens, the Heavenly Lord Flame Emperor, and the Heavenly Worthy of Universal Transformation of the Taiyi Thunder-Sound, differentiated from the single Qi (vital energy) of the ancestral kalpa of the Primordial Beginning.

Eulogy of Heavenly Lord Zhang

The Jade Clarity True King of the Exalted Divine Empyrean, the Great Emperor of Cavernous Yin Who Preserves Life at the Southern Pole, the Divine Lord of the Sunrise Valley, the Ordinances of the Pure Capital, the Commissioner of the Waters of Penglai, and the Grand Marshal of Inspection of the Nine Heavens commands, as Director-General, the thunder of the Thirty-Three Heavens and oversees the departments of thunder, cloud, lightning, and rain. He is the Heavenly Lord of the Jade Bureau charged with presenting memorials and resisting demonic evil; he is also the True Governor of the Cavern Abyss who examines the registers of names throughout the Three Realms; and he is the envoy who destroys those guilty of the Five Rebellions and who rewards good and punishes evil. These honorific titles and official charges are repeated once in the original text. He is the True Lord of Swift-Flying Retribution, the Heavenly Worthy of Broad Response of the Five Thunders of the Great Unity, who from the single Qi of the Primordial Beginning commands the myriad spirits.

Eulogy of Marshal Zhao

Marshal Zhao’s numinous powers are vast and his sagely virtue is illustrious. His form condensed at the beginning of the Great Brahma, and he manifests transformations throughout the endless world. Holding whip and lasso, he rides a fierce tiger and subdues demons and specters. Flying through the Three Realms, he strikes fear into ghosts and spirits, and in the space of a breath he shakes heaven and earth. His awesome light is brilliant, and no prayer fails to be granted. He discerns what is hidden and minute with proven efficacy, and every request meets with a response. He delivers the people from sickness and suffering, protects the peace of household and realm, endlessly propagates the methods of the Dao (the Way), and long upholds the tradition of the Mysterious Gate. This Great Divine Lord is of great compassion and great vows, of great holiness and great mercy; he assists the Heavenly Dao, his sagely virtue is vast, wishes are auspiciously fulfilled, and all is harmonious and at peace.