《高上玉皇满愿宝忏》

Through purification, abstinence, and service to the Celestial Emperor, one hopes to commune with the spirits in the subtle realm. Fragrance reaches the divine; as its scent curls and rises, prayers ascend to the heavenly court. Reverently burn and offer the incense of the Dao, the incense of De, the incense of wisdom, the incense of Wuwei (non-action), the incense of purity and stillness, the incense of naturalness, the wondrous incense of the Cavern of Truth, the incense that transcends the Three Realms, and the true incense of the Three Heavens. May its fragrance fill the Jade Towers and Capital of Jade, the immortal palace where the Celestial Emperor dwells, and extend throughout the entire Dharma Realm of the cosmos, offered everywhere in reverent worship.

The Lord who expounds this scripture is the Celestial Worthy of the Primordial Beginning. He embraces and brings forth the Jade Emperor Dao Lord Celestial Worthy. This revered deity is also known as the Celestial Worthy Who Descended to Spread the Sacred Teaching, the Great Celestial Worthy Jade Emperor Manifested throughout the Heavens, and the Supreme Sovereign of the Mysterious Firmament. The Jade Emperor’s father was King Guangyan Miaole, and his mother was Empress Baoyueguang. He is also honored as the Tathagata King of Pure Stillness and Natural Awakening, and as the Lord Emperor of the High, Empty, Clear, and Bright Heavens.

At this scripture assembly, a ritual gathering for expounding scriptures and asking about the meaning of the teachings, we respectfully submit our questions to the Jade Void Supreme Emperor, the August Sovereign of Heaven, the Golden Immortals of the Three Ages, the Mahayana Bodhisattvas, the countless supreme emperors of the ten directions, and the Five Sovereigns, forebears of Heaven and Earth. We also pray to the Four Perfected Ones, who hear cries and rescue the afflicted, act with compassion to relieve calamity, save the living and deliver the dead, and protect and bless all; to the Luminous Jade Maidens, all the Primordial Ladies, the Heavenly Immortals and Emperors, and the many Great Immortals; and to the True Lord Who Protects the Sage at the Northern Pole, the Dark Heaven Supreme Emperor, the Great Celestial Master Who Upholds the Teaching and Assists the Origin of the Three Heavens, and the Sovereign Emperor Who Opens and Guides the Nine Heavens and Responds with Divine Efficacy.

We also respectfully invite the Pure Yang Emperor Who Assists and Protects, the Compassionate Benefactor Perfected One Zhu, the Jade Toad Perfected One Bai, the Manifestly Efficacious and Broadly Benevolent True Lord Luo, and the patriarchs, Perfected Ones, and assembled immortals who transmit the Dharma and teach the scriptures in the Qingwei, Lingbao, Daode, and Zhengyi traditions; the celestial generals and ritual-register officers and soldiers serving the various departments of Thunder; the Great Flying Saints, the Kings of the Boundless Divine Realm, the Perfected Ones of Wondrous Practice, the Spirit Consorts and Jade Maidens, and the many Great Perfected Ones of the ten directions and the three realms of Heaven, Earth, and Water. May all the countless holy beings gathered at this ritual assembly accept together the sincere incense offered in reverence, and may they all receive this offering.

I, your servant, now submit the thoughts of a Daoist devotee residing in a certain place, county, and prefecture, and respectfully present all these earnest prayers. I presume to convey them to the Heavenly Court, looking up in hope that the Celestial Worthies will extend their great compassion and graciously hear the people’s petitions. With sincere incense, I offer reverence to all the holy beings.

I, a devotee who lives in a certain place in a certain county of a certain prefecture and practices the Dao, respectfully present my heartfelt wishes, presuming to make them heard in Heaven. I look up to the Heavenly Worthy, praying that he extend his boundless compassion and graciously accept my sincere supplication. This day is auspicious, and with utmost sincerity we have established an altar. We set out incense and flowers as signs of our devotion, and arrange lamps, candles, and offerings of fruit to express our reverence. We respectfully invite the Heavenly Worthy to leave his celestial palace for a time and descend to the ritual seat in the human world. May he look kindly upon our piety and clearly discern our wish to repay his grace with these humble offerings. May he take pity on our earnest supplication and accept this small act of reverence, as slight as grass or straw. In the presence of the Heavenly Worthy’s compassionate countenance, we shall recite the rite of repentance.

All those gathered at the ritual site should focus their thoughts, kneel, and perform the rites of repentance.

Proceed according to the liturgy.

I, a certain official holding a register of office, together with the Daoist disciples who have received ritual registers, respectfully address the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), the most perfect and true; the August Jade Emperor; the Imperial Father and Imperial Mother; the most holy and most true; the Three Treasures, the Three Realms, and all perfected spirits.

We have respectfully heard that in the Mysterious Garden of Seven Treasures, within the palace halls of the Jade Emperor, the circumstances of the Jade Emperor’s cultivation in his present life and the extraordinary deeds of his former lives were once recounted. Long ago, King Jingde prayed for a son but his wish was not granted. In a dream, Queen Yueguang received a spiritual response from the Lord of the Dao, and afterward conceived and gave birth to a son. The child was intelligent from an early age, and grew into a kind and generous man. He renounced the throne, entrusted the state to his ministers, and entered the mountains to cultivate the Great Dao. In time, he attained the rank of Jade Emperor and was honored as the Golden Immortal.

The Jade Emperor is supremely holy, compassionate, and merciful, with great vows. Such deeds have never before been known, and their vastness and depth are beyond description. With deep earnestness, we offer prayers and praise, and wish to dedicate this devotion universally to our deceased ancestors, living relatives, all beings in the world, and the departed souls dwelling in the long night. All present offer their utmost sincerity, take refuge, pay homage, praise the Jade Emperor by name, contemplate his sacred image, follow the teachings, and make their petitions in accordance with the scripture.

All present, the Jade Edict says:

The supreme Miro Heaven, the highest celestial realm in Daoism, is a wondrous and real domain. There stand distant, profound palaces of purple gold and the Taiwei Jade Clarity Palace, celestial halls where the supremely exalted and boundless holy beings are enshrined. The celestial realm stretches without limit, its light shining everywhere; it is still and profound, beyond the scope of ordinary things. Wondrous laws extend throughout the ten directions, revealing the pure, tranquil, eternal, and unchanging Dao. Its divine powers are boundless. We bow once each to the Great Heavenly Venerable Jade Emperor and the Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Vault, the celestial sovereigns revered in Daoism.

With sincere hearts, we take refuge and bow in reverence, praying that the Great Heavenly Venerable Jade Emperor and the Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Vault wield the power of the six divine faculties and release boundless light.

With sincere hearts, we take refuge and bow in reverence, praying that the Great Heavenly Venerable Jade Emperor and the Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Vault manifest in countless forms throughout the great celestial palaces of the ten directions.

With sincere hearts, we take refuge and bow in reverence, praying that the Great Heavenly Venerable Jade Emperor and the Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Vault ascend the radiant throne in the Hall of Great Light.

With sincere hearts, we take refuge and bow in reverence, praying that the Great Heavenly Venerable Jade Emperor and the Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Vault proclaim the way of purity, stillness, and liberation, so that all beings may understand how to free themselves from the bonds of affliction.

With sincere hearts, we take refuge and bow in reverence, praying that the Great Heavenly Venerable Jade Emperor and the Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Vault send forth a wondrous and majestic voice, making their message known throughout the worlds of the ten directions.

With sincere hearts, we take refuge and bow in reverence, praying that the Great Heavenly Venerable Jade Emperor and the Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Vault, through unhindered divine powers, guide beings of the celestial realms and the human world.

With sincere hearts, we take refuge and bow in reverence, praying that the Great Heavenly Venerable Jade Emperor and the Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Vault rescue all beings and grant them peace and joy.

With sincere hearts, we take refuge and bow in reverence, praying that the Great Heavenly Venerable Jade Emperor and the Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Vault widely practice benevolent teachings that aid the world, support the state, and save the people.

With sincere hearts, we take refuge and bow in reverence, praying that the Great Heavenly Venerable Jade Emperor and the Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Vault open the Daoist Canon and proclaim its wondrous and numinous chapters.

With sincere hearts, we take refuge and bow in reverence, praying that the Great Heavenly Venerable Jade Emperor and the Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Vault spread the teachings of the Orthodox Dao and widely proclaim the merits of the divine beings.

With utmost sincerity, we take refuge in and pay homage to the Great Heavenly Worthy, the Jade Emperor, Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Vault. May you guide the bodhisattvas so that they swiftly comprehend the Mahayana Buddhist teachings.

With utmost sincerity, we take refuge in and pay homage to the Great Heavenly Worthy, the Jade Emperor, Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Vault. May you protect all living beings as you would your own children.

With utmost sincerity, we take refuge in and pay homage to the Great Heavenly Worthy, the Jade Emperor, Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Vault. May you manifest in the form of a jade maiden to save living beings.

With utmost sincerity, we take refuge in and pay homage to the Great Heavenly Worthy, the Jade Emperor, Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Vault. May you manifest a rare and wondrous form that shines across the heavens.

With utmost sincerity, we take refuge in and pay homage to the Great Heavenly Worthy, the Jade Emperor, Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Vault. May you teach and transform the human and heavenly realms, making your path of instruction inexhaustible.

With utmost sincerity, we take refuge in and pay homage to the Great Heavenly Worthy, the Jade Emperor, Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Vault. May you spread the Dao’s teachings with great compassion and mercy. “Turning the Dharma Wheel” means the spread and ongoing transmission of the teachings.

With utmost sincerity, we take refuge in and pay homage to the Great Heavenly Worthy, the Jade Emperor, Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Vault. May you teach and transform through countless kalpas, manifesting great supernatural powers.

With utmost sincerity, we take refuge in and pay homage to the Great Heavenly Worthy, the Jade Emperor, Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Vault. May you manifest in response to the conditions in every direction and rescue living beings.

With utmost sincerity, we take refuge in and pay homage to the Great Heavenly Worthy, the Jade Emperor, Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Vault. May you spread the teachings far and wide and awaken living beings to enlightenment.

With utmost sincerity, we take refuge in and pay homage to the Great Heavenly Worthy, the Jade Emperor, Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Vault. May you cherish all living beings and radiate divine light everywhere.

With utmost sincerity, we take refuge in and pay homage to the Great Heavenly Worthy, the Jade Emperor, Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Vault. May you establish Heaven and Earth and bring the spirits to life.

With utmost sincerity, we take refuge in and pay homage to the Great Heavenly Worthy, the Jade Emperor, Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Vault. May you guard the Five Sacred Peaks, bringing peace to the nation and well-being to its people.

With utmost sincerity, we take refuge in and pay homage to the Great Heavenly Worthy, the Jade Emperor, Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Vault. We earnestly pray that, with compassion, you proclaim teachings that benefit all living beings.

With utmost sincerity, we take refuge in and pay homage to the Great Heavenly Worthy, the Jade Emperor, Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Vault. May you use your boundless power to save people from the suffering of birth and death.

With reverence and undivided attention, we take refuge and bow in worship. We beseech the Jade Emperor, the Great Heavenly Worthy, also honored as the High Emperor of the Mysterious Firmament, to compassionately reveal the teachings and benefit all beings.

With reverence and undivided attention, we take refuge and bow in worship. We pray that the Jade Emperor, the Great Heavenly Worthy, will rescue all people with boundless compassion and free them from the suffering of birth and death.

With reverence and undivided attention, we take refuge and bow in worship. We pray that the Jade Emperor, the Great Heavenly Worthy, will open wide the gates of skillful means and bring benefit to all beings.

With reverence and undivided attention, we take refuge and bow in worship. We pray that the Jade Emperor, the Great Heavenly Worthy, will expound the Jade Register liturgy—the canonical rules of Daoist purification rituals—and transmit the Lingbao teachings and methods.

With reverence and undivided attention, we take refuge and bow in worship. We pray that the Jade Emperor, the Great Heavenly Worthy, will aid those in danger and relieve their suffering, bringing benefit to both the living and the dead.

With reverence and undivided attention, we take refuge and bow in worship. We pray that the Jade Emperor, the Great Heavenly Worthy, will bestow blessings throughout the world and dispel harm and calamity.

With reverence and undivided attention, we take refuge and bow in worship. We pray that the Jade Emperor, the Great Heavenly Worthy, the High Emperor of the Mysterious Firmament, will extend his grace and protection.

With reverence and undivided attention, we take refuge and bow in worship. We pray that the Jade Emperor, the Great Heavenly Worthy, will bestow blessings throughout the world and dispel harm and calamity.

With reverence and undivided attention, we take refuge and bow in worship. We pray that the Jade Emperor, the Great Heavenly Worthy, will take pity on us and expound these profound and wondrous principles.

With reverence and undivided attention, we take refuge and bow in worship. We pray that this scripture will spread throughout the ten directions, the realms of every quarter, and protect all who uphold it.

With reverence and undivided attention, we take refuge and bow in worship. We pray that the Jade Emperor, the Great Heavenly Worthy, will guard and secure the land and deliver beings from the suffering of birth and death.

With reverence and undivided attention, we take refuge and bow in worship. We pray that the Jade Emperor, the Great Heavenly Worthy, was born before the great kalpas and has governed the transformations of all ages, past and present.

With reverence and undivided attention, we take refuge and bow in worship. We pray that the Jade Emperor, the Great Heavenly Worthy, now proclaims the wondrous scripture and compassionately holds all sentient beings in his care.

With reverence and undivided attention, we take refuge and bow in worship. We pray that the Jade Emperor, the Great Heavenly Worthy, will protect heavenly beings and people in this world from the suffering of the four signs and five declines—the signs of waning fortune that appear as the blessings of heavenly beings near their end.

With reverence and undivided attention, we take refuge and bow in worship. We pray that the Jade Emperor, the Great Heavenly Worthy, will shatter the great hells and rescue those burdened by grave misdeeds from suffering.

With reverence and undivided attention, we take refuge and bow in worship. We pray that the Jade Emperor, the Great Heavenly Worthy, will subdue fierce and wicked demons and protect the lands in every direction.

After the recitation of the precious invocations to the Jade Emperor and all the divine spirits, each person bows once.

We take refuge in the Great Heavenly Worthy of the Jade Emperor, the Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Vault—an honorific title of the Jade Emperor—in spirit, body, and life. We state once more: We, your disciples, have received grace through countless kalpas and have been instructed in generation after generation. Yet, in our ignorance and delusion, we have incurred grave sins and have never repented. Now, with our limited strength of heart, we earnestly and reverently ask for forgiveness and absolution. We take refuge in accordance with the sacred teachings, hoping only to remove obstacles and transgressions. May calamities disperse and blessings gather; may our wishes be fulfilled, and may we ultimately attain sagehood and true perfection.

We now begin the rite of repentance, first praying that the divine spirits descend and bear witness. May we receive their compassion, and may our sins at once be forgiven. We humbly pray that the world be purified like lapis lazuli, and that the nine-colored jeweled wheels gather here. May immortals ride in chariots adorned with gold and jade, flying here beneath ten splendid feathered canopies—the ornate feather parasols used by immortals. May numinous winds harmonize with music, while precious flowers form canopies and spread in every direction. May phoenixes sing and dragons and qilin play, all descending from heaven and appearing among humankind again and again, so that both heavenly beings and living creatures may rejoice and celebrate, and our sins may be dispelled. If our prayers are granted, our greatest wish will be fulfilled. We, together with your disciples, bow our heads in utmost sincerity, paying homage and giving thanks to the supreme Three Treasures of utmost truth—the Dao, the scriptures, and the masters honored in Daoism.

Precious Repentance Liturgy for Fulfilling All Wishes before the Supreme Jade Emperor, Volume One

Precious Repentance Liturgy for Fulfilling All Wishes before the Supreme Jade Emperor, Volume Two

Hymn of Praise

With reverent fasting and purification, we pay homage to the Celestial Emperor, hoping that our sincerity may secretly reach him. We summon the divine spirits with fragrant incense, whose rising smoke carries our offering upward. We respectfully present incense of the Dao, incense of De (Virtue and Power), incense of wisdom, incense of Wuwei (non-action), incense of purity and stillness, incense of naturalness, incense of wondrous, hidden truth, incense that transcends the Three Realms, and incense of the true Three Heavens. May its fragrance fill the jeweled towers and jade capital of the immortal realm, extend throughout the heavenly sphere and the Dharma-realm—the whole world of heaven and earth and all beings within it—and be offered everywhere in worship.

The Celestial Worthy Primordial Beginning, who proclaims the scriptures; the Celestial Worthy Dao Lord, who bore and presented the Jade Emperor; the Celestial Worthy of Dao and De, who transmitted the sacred teachings; and the Great Celestial Worthy Jade Emperor, Supreme Emperor of the Highest Heaven, whose manifestations fill the heavens. The Jade Emperor’s father, King Guangyan Miaole, and mother, Empress Baoyueguang; the Tathagata King of Pure and Natural Awakening; and the Lord Sovereign of the High, Void, Clear, and Bright Heaven.

In the scripture hall, we respectfully invite and address the Jade Void Emperor, the August Emperor of Heaven, the Five Elders Emperors, the Great Emperors of the Three Origins and Three Offices, the True Lords of the Four Sages of the Northern Pole, the Southern Dipper and Northern Dipper, the stars throughout the celestial circuit, and all the Perfected Immortals who guard the Northern Pole. We also invite the Golden Immortals and Mahayana Bodhisattvas of the past, present, and future; the immeasurable emperors, supremely holy in the ten directions; and the Perfected Ones who hear the cries of the world and rescue those in distress, who compassionately deliver people from calamity, who aid the living and release the dead, who protect the body with blessings, and who embody wondrous practice; the Jade Maidens of Night Radiance and the Jade Maidens of the Numinous Consorts; all the Primordial Ladies, the Heavenly Perfected August Ones, and all the Great Immortals.

We further respectfully invite the True Lord Celestial Master of the Great Dharma, who supports the Three Heavens and assists the Origin; the Imperial Lord of Broad Benevolence, who opens and transforms the Nine Heavens and administers blessings and prosperity; the Imperial Lord Chunyang Fuyou, who proclaims the orthodox teaching and awakens through admonition; the Jade Maidens of the Qingwei tradition; all the Primordial Ladies, the Heavenly Perfected August Ones, and all the Great Immortals; and the Primordial Lady Zixu Baoxian, head of the Qingwei tradition. We invite the revered masters and immortals of the Lingbao, Dao and De, Zhengyi, and Quanzhen traditions, who expound the scriptures and teachings, write works and transmit the Dao, clarify and spread the teachings, proclaim the liturgies, and guide people to transformation. We invite the celestial generals of the various bureaus of Thunder, the officials who administer registers of talismans, seals, and commands, the Flying Heavenly Spirit Kings of the ten directions, the True Lords of the Five Sacred Peaks, and the holy beings of the terrestrial and aquatic realms; the City Gods, plague gods, fire gods, local tutelary gods, and other divine beings; all the myriad spirits of the Three Realms and Four Courts; and the holy beings in the ten directions who respond and manifest their numinous power.

With pure incense, we make offerings to all the divine and holy ones. We respectfully pray that the heavenly court look upon us with compassion, descend among us, and bear witness. I, your servant, make this report, praying that our wishes may reach above, find resonance with the divine, and receive approval for the matters we have prayed for. Today is an auspicious day, and we have specially arranged incense and flowers, sincerely taking refuge. We have also prepared lamps, candles, and fruit, and offer them with generous devotion. We respectfully invite all the divine ones to leave their palaces in the heavenly court for a time and graciously descend to this ritual gathering in the human world. We humbly hope that you will recognize our devotion and accept our offerings, given in gratitude for divine grace; deeply understand our earnest prayers; and fulfill our small but sincere wishes. Now, in reverence before the divine, we proclaim the practice of repentance. The rite is performed.

Everyone in the ritual space devotes themselves wholeheartedly, kneeling in reverence to bow and repent, and following the liturgy.

The official responsible for the registers, your servant So-and-so, and the disciple So-and-so, who has received the registers and serves the Great Dao, approach with reverence and devotion. We respectfully submit our petition to the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), the Jade Emperor, the Imperial Father and Mother, the most sacred and most perfect deities, and all the numinous beings of the Three Treasures and the Three Realms.

We have respectfully heard that the Jade Emperor dwells in the Purple Gold Palace of Heaven and the White Jade Capital, in the realm of wondrous existence, above the lofty and mysterious true heavens. His merit is complete and his Dao cultivation perfected; his wondrous appearance surpasses all others, and he reigns above the heavens. His heart is vast, and his compassionate radiance shines throughout the Three Realms. He widely proclaims the teachings of the Dao, directly guiding beings who have lost their way. His honored station has no equal, and his Imperial Virtue is profound and wondrous. He is the revered ancestral teacher on whom the people of heaven and the true sages rely. He is supreme and most sacred, supremely compassionate and merciful; the great vows he has made are without precedent and inspire unending praise. We, your servants So-and-so and others, filled with reverence and sincerity, earnestly sing his praises. For our ancestors of the past, our living family members, all beings in the world, and the departed souls in the long night, we devoutly take refuge in the Jade Emperor, pay homage to him, and proclaim his honored name. We contemplate his sacred countenance, follow his teachings, and offer prayers in accordance with the scriptures.

All recite the “Proclamation to the Jade Emperor” once, and each person bows once.

With sincere hearts, we commit ourselves and pay homage, bowing our heads in praise of the Jade Emperor, the Great Heavenly Worthy, the Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Vault, whose divine power shines forth.

With sincere hearts, we commit ourselves and pay homage, bowing our heads in praise of the Jade Emperor, the Great Heavenly Worthy, the Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Vault, whose great compassion shines forth.

With sincere hearts, we commit ourselves and pay homage, bowing our heads in praise of the Jade Emperor, the Great Heavenly Worthy, the Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Vault, whose great joy and generosity shine forth.

With utmost sincerity, we turn toward the Great Heavenly Worthy, the Jade Emperor, Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Heavens, the highest celestial sovereign revered in Daoism. We respectfully bow low and praise his vast, patient light, which endures humiliation.

With utmost sincerity, we turn toward the Great Heavenly Worthy, the Jade Emperor, Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Heavens. We respectfully bow low and praise his impartial, selfless light.

With utmost sincerity, we turn toward the Great Heavenly Worthy, the Jade Emperor, Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Heavens. We respectfully bow low and praise his supreme majesty.

With utmost sincerity, we turn toward the Great Heavenly Worthy, the Jade Emperor, Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Heavens. We respectfully bow low and praise his impartial, selfless light.

With utmost sincerity, we turn toward the Great Heavenly Worthy, the Jade Emperor, Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Heavens. We respectfully bow low and praise his gentle, yielding light.

With utmost sincerity, we turn toward the Great Heavenly Worthy, the Jade Emperor, Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Heavens. We respectfully bow low and praise his free and unobstructed light.

With utmost sincerity, we turn toward the Great Heavenly Worthy, the Jade Emperor, Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Heavens. We respectfully bow low and praise his light, which benefits all beings.

With utmost sincerity, we turn toward the Great Heavenly Worthy, the Jade Emperor, Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Heavens. We respectfully bow low and praise his light, which brings people’s wishes to fulfillment.

With utmost sincerity, we turn toward the Great Heavenly Worthy, the Jade Emperor, Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Heavens. We respectfully bow low and praise his light, which awakens wisdom.

With utmost sincerity, we turn toward the Great Heavenly Worthy, the Jade Emperor, Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Heavens. We respectfully bow low and praise his auspicious light.

With utmost sincerity, we turn toward the Great Heavenly Worthy, the Jade Emperor, Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Heavens. We respectfully bow low and praise his light, which frees people from their bonds.

With utmost sincerity, we turn toward the Great Heavenly Worthy, the Jade Emperor, Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Heavens. We respectfully bow low and praise his light as a refuge for all beings.

With utmost sincerity, we turn toward the Great Heavenly Worthy, the Jade Emperor, Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Heavens. We respectfully bow low and praise the vast and wondrous light of his merit and virtue.

With utmost sincerity, we turn toward the Great Heavenly Worthy, the Jade Emperor, Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Heavens. We respectfully bow low and praise his light as a refuge for all beings.

With utmost sincerity, we turn toward the Great Heavenly Worthy, the Jade Emperor, Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Heavens. We respectfully bow low and praise the vast and wondrous light of his merit and virtue.

We reverently take refuge and pay homage, bowing low in prostration, and praise the Jade Emperor, the Great Celestial Worthy and Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Vault, perfect and whole, whose radiance shines everywhere (the Jade Emperor revered in Daoism).

We reverently take refuge and pay homage, bowing low in prostration, and praise the Jade Emperor, the Great Celestial Worthy and Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Vault, unobstructed and boundless in radiant brilliance.

We reverently take refuge and pay homage, bowing low in prostration, and praise the Jade Emperor, the Great Celestial Worthy and Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Vault, incomparable and peerless in brilliance.

We reverently take refuge and pay homage, bowing low in prostration, and praise the Jade Emperor, the Great Celestial Worthy and Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Vault, ruler of the heavens, ancient and exalted.

We reverently take refuge and pay homage, bowing low in prostration, and praise the Jade Emperor, the Great Celestial Worthy and Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Vault, wondrous and complete, pure and unstained.

We reverently take refuge and pay homage, bowing low in prostration, and praise the Jade Emperor, the Great Celestial Worthy and Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Vault, profound in wisdom, skilled in discernment and teaching.

We reverently take refuge and pay homage, bowing low in prostration, and praise the Jade Emperor, the Great Celestial Worthy and Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Vault, supreme among the Dao.

We reverently take refuge and pay homage, bowing low in prostration, and praise the Jade Emperor, the Great Celestial Worthy and Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Vault, teacher of the Three Realms—the domains of heaven, earth, and humanity—and ancestral sovereign of Hundun, the primordial state before the cosmos was differentiated.

We reverently take refuge and pay homage, bowing low in prostration, and praise the Jade Emperor, the Great Celestial Worthy and Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Vault, supreme among the Dao.

We reverently take refuge and pay homage, bowing low in prostration, and praise the Jade Emperor, the Great Celestial Worthy and Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Vault, teacher of the Three Realms and ancestral sovereign of Hundun.

We reverently take refuge and pay homage, bowing low in prostration, and praise the Jade Emperor, the Great Celestial Worthy and Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Vault, sovereign without equal.

We reverently take refuge and pay homage, bowing low in prostration, and praise the Jade Emperor, the Great Celestial Worthy and Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Vault, loving father of the Four Births—all beings born from the womb, from eggs, from moisture, or through transformation.

We reverently take refuge and pay homage, bowing low in prostration, and praise the Jade Emperor, the Great Celestial Worthy and Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Vault, holy and exalted above the highest heavens.

We reverently take refuge and pay homage, bowing low in prostration, and praise the Jade Emperor, the Great Celestial Worthy and Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Vault, a divine sovereign of great compassion and benevolence.

We reverently take refuge and pay homage, bowing low in prostration, and praise the Jade Emperor, the Great Celestial Worthy and Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Vault, sovereign of the Mysterious Vault who dwells in the Golden Palace of Heaven.

With utmost sincerity, we take refuge and bow in reverence, offering praise with our foreheads to the exalted and noble Great Heavenly Venerable Jade Emperor, the Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Firmament.

With utmost sincerity, we take refuge and bow in reverence, offering praise with our foreheads to the Great Heavenly Venerable Jade Emperor, the Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Firmament, whose wondrous and beautiful sacred form surpasses all the heavens.

With utmost sincerity, we take refuge and bow in reverence, offering praise with our foreheads to the Great Heavenly Venerable Jade Emperor, the Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Firmament, whose compassionate radiance shines throughout the Three Realms—the heavens, the human world, and the netherworld.

With utmost sincerity, we take refuge and bow in reverence, offering praise with our foreheads to the Great Heavenly Venerable Jade Emperor, the Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Firmament: the guide to the true sacred Dao and the teacher upon whom both humans and heavenly beings rely. May he widely proclaim the teachings of the Great Vehicle and guide those who have lost their way back to the True One. His merit and virtue are as vast as the empty sky, worthy of praise and acclaim without end.

All present recite the Jade Edict, a text praising the Jade Emperor, once; each person bows once.

With utmost sincerity, we take refuge in the Great Heavenly Venerable Jade Emperor, the Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Firmament, entrusting to him our bodies, minds, nature, and lives. We, his disciples, bow our foreheads and sing the praise of his merit and virtue, which are without end.

All present recite the Jade Edict once; each person bows once.

We sincerely take refuge in the divine, offering our body, mind, nature, and life to the Great Heavenly Venerable Jade Emperor, the Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Vault (an honorific title of the Jade Emperor). The disciples bow before the compassionate holy countenance and devote themselves to the wondrous Daoist teachings. We give our utmost to express the sincerity of ordinary people, hoping for a response; we also remember deeply the saints’ boundless grace.

We praise the seventeen radiances, looking up to the Lord of Heaven with every line; we honor the ten titles, taking refuge in the Heavenly Venerable with every invocation. Though different people recite these titles, they may not all understand their meaning; even if everyone chants them together, that does not necessarily mean they will see the Heavenly Venerable in person. Dao is the highest name; in its boundlessness, it is like Heaven itself. We aspire to practice in accordance with the teachings of the scriptures and to praise and proclaim them in keeping with their meaning.

The Lord of Heaven’s insight is wondrous beyond compare. We respectfully pray that, by personally praising the ten titles, the offenses recorded in our registers may be erased; by speaking one good deed aloud, every kind thought may arise in our hearts. Today, all of us look up together to the wondrous merits, and may we all receive the Dao’s protection at this assembly. May kindness, humility, wisdom, and eloquence grow as we wish, gradually reach perfection, and fulfill our aspirations. May these merits benefit the three realms in all ten directions, aid the beings of the six paths and four modes of birth, and help all sentient beings attain the supreme Great Dao together. We sincerely bow, pay homage to, and give thanks to the supreme, true Three Treasures of the Dao, the scriptures, and the master.

May the Jade Emperor grant eloquence in full measure, so that it grows as we wish, gradually reaches perfection, and fulfills our aspirations. May these merits benefit the three realms in all ten directions, aid the beings of the six paths and four modes of birth, and help all sentient beings attain the supreme Great Dao together. We sincerely bow, pay homage to, and give thanks to the supreme, true Three Treasures.

Precious Repentance of the Most High Jade Emperor for Fulfilled Wishes, Volume Two

Precious Repentance of the Most High Jade Emperor for Fulfilled Wishes, Volume Three

Taking Refuge

Through fasting and serving the Lord of Heaven, we hope to commune with the divine in the hidden depths. Fragrance connects us with the divine; carried upward by its rising scent, our offerings reach the heavenly realm. With reverence, we burn and offer the incense of the Dao, the incense of De (Virtue/Power), the incense of wisdom, the incense of Wuwei (non-action), the incense of purity, the incense of naturalness, the wondrous incense of the Cavern of Truth, the incense that transcends the three realms, and the true incense of the Three Heavens. May their fragrance fill the Jade Towers and Jade Capital of the heavenly realm, extend throughout the Dharma Realm beneath the dome of Heaven, and be offered everywhere in worship.

We respectfully address the Celestial Worthy Primordial Beginning, Lord of the Dao, who teaches the scriptures; the Celestial Worthy Lord of the Dao, who carried and presented the Jade Emperor; the Celestial Worthy of the Dao and its Virtue, who spreads the sacred teachings; and the Great Celestial Worthy Jade Emperor, Supreme Sovereign of the Mysterious Vault, who manifests throughout the heavens.

We address the Jade Emperor’s father, King Guangyan Miaole, and his mother, Empress Baoyueguang; the Tathagata King of Pure Stillness and Natural Awakening, and the Lord Emperor of the High, Empty, Clear, and Bright Heaven; the Jade Void Supreme Emperor, the August Emperor of Heaven, and the Five August Emperors who were invoked with questions at the scripture lecture; the True Person of Compassion who rescues from calamity, the True Person who hears cries and saves the suffering, the True Person who sustains life and delivers the dead, the True Person who protects the body with every blessing, and the True Person of Wondrous Conduct; the Jade Maidens of Night Light and the Jade Maidens of the Numinous Consort, together with all the Primordial Ladies; the Golden Immortals of the three ages—past, present, and future; the Mahayana Bodhisattvas; the immeasurable August Emperors of the ten directions; the Great Emperors of the Three Primes and Three Offices; the True Lords of the Four Saints of the Northern Pole; the Southern Dipper, the Northern Dipper, the stars throughout the heavens, and all the True Spirits who guard the Northern Pole; the August Celestial Person and all the Great Immortals; the True Lord Celestial Master, Great in the Dharma, who supports the Three Heavens, assists the teachings, and sustains the Primordial; the August Emperor who opens and transforms the Nine Heavens, oversees rank and fortune, and extends benevolence; the August Emperor who expounds the orthodox way, awakens through admonition, and is Pure Yang, trusted and blessed; and the Primordial Lady of the Purple Void, who protects the immortals and leads the Qingwei school.

We address the virtuous masters and assemblies of immortals throughout the generations in the Lingbao, Daoist, Zhengyi, and Quanzhen traditions, who transmitted the Dao, taught its doctrines, proclaimed its teachings, and delivered people from suffering; the generals of the various offices of Thunder, and the officials who command registers, seals, and tokens; the flying kings of the gods of the ten directions, the celestial soldiers and mighty warriors, and the hosts of immortal troops; the True Lords of the Five Sacred Peaks; the holy beings who govern the earth and water, the City Gods, the gods of pestilence and fire, the local deities, and all others; the myriad spirits of the Three Realms, the true sovereigns of the ten directions, and all the True Immortals summoned here by this ritual assembly.

With pure and fragrant incense, we offer our shared oblations. We respectfully pray that all the honored gods extend their compassion and graciously descend to witness and examine our sincerity. I submit this petition, hoping that our intentions may reach the heavens, our prayers receive a response, and our requests be granted. On this auspicious day, with sincere hearts, we reverently honor the True Immortals. We lay out fragrant flowers and take refuge in them, and make ample offerings of lamps, candles, and fruit. We respectfully invite you to leave your heavenly palaces for a time and come to the ritual altar among us, to look kindly upon our devotion and accept our humble offerings, like the duckweed and maidenhair fern presented in sacrifice. Please take compassion on the earnestness of our prayer. Trusting in the compassion of the honored gods, we proclaim the repentance rite—a ceremony of repentance and prayer for blessings performed through bowing, reciting scriptures, and other practices. Raising…

All those gathered in the Daoist sanctuary devote themselves with reverence, kneeling for a long time as they make ritual repentance.

In accordance with the rite

Your servants, the register recipients appointed to office, so-and-so, and the disciples who hold the registers and serve the Dao, so-and-so, respectfully and devoutly bow again and present this memorial to the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), the Most Perfect Ones, the Jade Emperor, the August Sovereign, the Emperor-Father and Empress-Mother, the Most Holy and Most Perfect, the Three Treasures (the Dao, the scriptures, and the masters), and all the perfected spirits of the Three Realms.

We have respectfully heard that in the Great Mystery Jade Capital above the Clear Tenuity Heaven, the Jade Emperor, knowing that the time had come, displayed six kinds of supernatural power and manifested his Dharma bodies, reaching throughout the ten directions. A boundless bright mirror reveals the many forms and images of living beings, reflecting them before the Heavenly Worthy. His vast and wondrous voice proclaims the truth throughout the ten directions and admonishes those burdened by sin. The Jade Emperor is majestic beyond compare and vast beyond measure, beyond the reach of words. He reveals the excellent wholesome causes accumulated through his original cultivation, made manifest through auspicious signs shining with light. The August Worthy, King of Great Might, Virtue, and Holy Radiance, is supremely holy, supremely compassionate, and possessed of great mercy and great vows. Such an event has never occurred before; its merit is beyond praise. We, your servants, so-and-so, with earnest hearts and utmost sincerity, pray and offer praise. For our departed ancestors, our living family members, all beings in the human world, and the wandering souls in the long night, we devote ourselves in reverence, take refuge and bow, recite the Jade Emperor’s sacred title, contemplate his honored form, follow the teachings, and offer prayers according to the scriptures.

The assembly recites the Jade Emperor’s Precious Petition once, with each person making one bow.

With sincere hearts, we return to the Dao and bow in homage. May we all be reborn and look up in worship to the Jade Emperor. Jade Emperor, Great Heavenly Worthy, Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Vault.

With sincere hearts, we return to the Dao and bow in homage. May we all gather before the Heavenly Worthy’s Dharma assembly. Jade Emperor, Great Heavenly Worthy, Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Vault.

With sincere hearts, we return to the Dao and bow in homage. May we bow our heads and behold the Jade Emperor’s manifested form. Jade Emperor, Great Heavenly Worthy, Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Vault.

With sincere hearts, we return to the Dao and bow in homage. May we behold in person the splendid sanctuary of the Heavenly Worthy’s Dharma assembly. Jade Emperor, Great Heavenly Worthy, Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Vault.

With sincere hearts, we return to the Dao and bow in homage. May we rejoice and leap for joy as we pay our respects together. Jade Emperor, Great Heavenly Worthy, Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Vault.

With sincere hearts, we bow in homage. May we behold in person the splendid sanctuary of the Heavenly Worthy’s Dharma assembly. Jade Emperor, Great Heavenly Worthy, Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Vault.

With utmost sincerity, we turn toward and pay homage. May everyone rejoice and join together in making obeisance, reverently honoring the Great Celestial Worthy, the Jade Emperor, Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Vault (a title of the Jade Emperor).

With utmost sincerity, we entrust our lives and pay homage. May we hang banners and canopies in accordance with the various Zhaijiao (purification ritual) liturgies, reverently honoring the Great Celestial Worthy, the Jade Emperor, Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Vault.

With utmost sincerity, we entrust our lives and pay homage. May we preserve purity and solemnity, and arrange offerings in abundance, reverently honoring the Great Celestial Worthy, the Jade Emperor, Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Vault.

With utmost sincerity, we entrust our lives and pay homage. May we practice and pay homage at the six periods of each day, offering prayers to all the perfected and sages, reverently honoring the Great Celestial Worthy, the Jade Emperor, Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Vault.

With utmost sincerity, we entrust our lives and pay homage. May all join in one voice to praise this unprecedented wonder, reverently honoring the Great Celestial Worthy, the Jade Emperor, Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Vault.

With utmost sincerity, we entrust our lives and pay homage. May we stand respectfully in attendance before the imperial presence and personally present our offerings, reverently honoring the Great Celestial Worthy, the Jade Emperor, Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Vault.

With utmost sincerity, we entrust our lives and pay homage. May we devote ourselves to upholding the precepts, quiet our minds, and turn toward the Great Dao, reverently honoring the Great Celestial Worthy, the Jade Emperor, Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Vault.

With utmost sincerity, we entrust our lives and pay homage. May we honor the Jade Emperor throughout countless kalpas, reverently honoring the Great Celestial Worthy, the Jade Emperor, Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Vault.

With utmost sincerity, we entrust our lives and pay homage. May we study and uphold the scriptures, as though in the Jade Emperor’s presence, reverently honoring the Great Celestial Worthy, the Jade Emperor, Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Vault.

With utmost sincerity, we entrust our lives and pay homage. May reverence arise within us as we contemplate the Jade Emperor’s sacred form in our hearts, reverently honoring the Great Celestial Worthy, the Jade Emperor, Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Vault.

With utmost sincerity, we entrust our lives and pay homage. May we praise the Jade Emperor’s name and behold his compassionate, sacred countenance, reverently honoring the Great Celestial Worthy, the Jade Emperor, Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Vault.

With utmost sincerity, we entrust our lives and pay homage. May reverence arise within us as we contemplate the Jade Emperor’s sacred form in our hearts, reverently honoring the Great Celestial Worthy, the Jade Emperor, Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Vault.

With utmost sincerity, we entrust our lives and pay homage. May we praise the Jade Emperor’s name and behold his compassionate, sacred countenance, reverently honoring the Great Celestial Worthy, the Jade Emperor, Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Vault.

With utmost sincerity, we entrust our lives and pay homage. May hearing the Jade Emperor’s name fill us with joy, and may we praise this unprecedented wonder, reverently honoring the Great Celestial Worthy, the Jade Emperor, Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Vault.

With utmost sincerity, we entrust our lives and pay homage. May we establish a ritual altar and present banners and fresh flowers as offerings, reverently honoring the Great Celestial Worthy, the Jade Emperor, Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Vault.

With utmost sincerity, we entrust our lives and pay homage. May we bring forth great compassion and recite the Jade Emperor’s sacred title, reverently honoring the Great Celestial Worthy, the Jade Emperor, Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Vault.

We sincerely turn toward and pay homage to the Great Heavenly Worthy, the Jade Emperor, the Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Firmament. We pray that we may make a long banner and write the Jade Emperor’s name upon it.

We sincerely pay homage to the Jade Emperor. We pray that we may write his name on objects that produce sound.

We sincerely pay homage to the Jade Emperor. We pray that our hearts may be filled with joy, so that we are moved beyond our control.

We sincerely pay homage to the Jade Emperor. We pray that we may behold his compassionate face, bow down before him, and praise him.

We sincerely pay homage to the Jade Emperor. We pray that we may rise from our seats and kneel for a long time before him.

We sincerely pay homage to the Jade Emperor. We pray that all the perfected beings—Daoist revered deities or those who have attained the Dao—may bow together and chant the Jade Emperor’s name in unison.

We sincerely pay homage to the Jade Emperor. We pray that all the perfected beings may bow together and chant the Jade Emperor’s name in unison.

We sincerely pay homage to the Jade Emperor. We pray that we may respectfully admire this scripture.

We sincerely pay homage to the Jade Emperor. We pray that the perfected beings may take their places in order and listen reverently to the Jade Emperor’s teachings.

We sincerely pay homage to the Jade Emperor. We pray that, upon hearing the Jade Emperor’s name, we may bow our heads to express our reverence.

We sincerely pay homage to the Jade Emperor. We pray that we may recite and uphold this scripture and honor the Jade Emperor’s name.

We sincerely pay homage to the Jade Emperor. We pray that all beings in the world may have the opportunity to encounter this scripture.

We sincerely pay homage to the Jade Emperor. We pray that we may put aside deluded thoughts and uphold this scripture.

We sincerely pay homage to the Jade Emperor. We pray that those with an affinity for immortality from past lives may encounter this scripture.

We sincerely pay homage to the Jade Emperor. We pray that we may put aside deluded thoughts and uphold this scripture.

With utmost sincerity, we entrust ourselves and offer reverence, hoping that we had the foundations for cultivating immortality in a former life and that in this life we have encountered this classic. We pay reverence to the Great Celestial Worthy of the Jade Emperor, the Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Firmament (an honorific title of the Jade Emperor).

With utmost sincerity, we entrust ourselves and offer reverence, hoping to put on clean, new garments, establish an altar, and recite the classic. We pay reverence to the Great Celestial Worthy of the Jade Emperor, the Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Firmament.

With utmost sincerity, we entrust ourselves and offer reverence, hoping to choose a quiet place and paint a sacred image of the August Lord. We pay reverence to the Great Celestial Worthy of the Jade Emperor, the Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Firmament.

With utmost sincerity, we entrust ourselves and offer reverence, hoping to practice devoutly day and night, gathering together each morning and evening for cultivation. We pay reverence to the Great Celestial Worthy of the Jade Emperor, the Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Firmament.

With utmost sincerity, we entrust ourselves and offer reverence, hoping to make offerings with respect, recite the August Lord’s name, gaze upon him, and bow in worship. We pay reverence to the Great Celestial Worthy of the Jade Emperor, the Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Firmament.

With utmost sincerity, we entrust ourselves and offer reverence, hoping to bow our heads and take refuge, then withdraw after respectfully bidding farewell. We pay reverence to the Great Celestial Worthy of the Jade Emperor, the Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Firmament.

With utmost sincerity, we entrust ourselves and offer reverence, hoping to make offerings with respect, recite the August Lord’s name, gaze upon him, and bow in worship. We pay reverence to the Great Celestial Worthy of the Jade Emperor, the Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Firmament.

With utmost sincerity, we entrust ourselves and offer reverence, hoping to bow our heads and take refuge, then withdraw after respectfully bidding farewell. We pay reverence to the Great Celestial Worthy of the Jade Emperor, the Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Firmament.

All recite together:

Great indeed is the supreme Dao! It knows no sectarian boundaries and is the foundation of ultimate truth. Above, it delivers the gods of the heavens; below, it rescues the souls of the dead in the underworld. It has no teacher or ancestral master above it; the Dao itself alone is its source and substance. The Elixir Terrace and Purple Palace, where immortals are said to dwell, as well as the Golden Gates and Jade Capital, the palaces of heaven, all fall under the Dao’s dominion.

The Dao conceals within itself this wondrous teaching, bestowing blessings widely upon all living beings. It dispels our many transgressions and lengthens our lives. The myriad gods come to pay homage, while demon kings escort and welcome us. May our merit flourish and our names be entered in the Yellow Registers, Daoist records that list merit and seek blessings and protection from calamity. Even through remote and endless kalpas, may we endure for a long time.

With sincere hearts, we take refuge in the Great Celestial Worthy Jade Emperor, the Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Vault, entrusting our bodies and minds, our nature and life, to the Emperor. We, disciples so-and-so, bow a hundred times toward Heaven and prostrate ourselves with all five limbs on the ground. Having done our utmost to praise the Emperor’s blessings, virtue, and mighty power, we also express our sincere prayers for the removal of calamities, and our repentance and apology for our offenses.

We know that our sins from past lives are grave. Relying on the merit and mighty power of the Supreme Sage and Great Emperor, we pray for the salvation of all beings. We should proclaim the Dao and its teachings in accordance with the scriptures’ instruction; here, we will temporarily draw upon passages from the scriptures for our prayers. Whenever we bow in homage, may everyone be united in heart and virtue. Again and again, we beseech the Emperor to look upon us with undivided compassion. We burn incense and lay out our wishes, earnestly asking the Emperor to keep all beings in mind. May the faithful close their eyes, quiet their minds, and recite the scriptures, setting aside scattered and deluded thoughts. May they focus on silently repeating the Emperor’s name and behold the compassionate, sacred countenance.

May all who come to pay homage enjoy long life. May everyone rejoice and gather together. May every request receive a response and every wish be fulfilled. May the prayers of all be clearly heard and answered, and may they remain under protection always. May the nation prosper for generations, its name commanding respect in every quarter. May the fruits of Daoist cultivation reach completion, and may thoughts of goodness continue to grow. We, disciples so-and-so and so-and-so, sincerely bow our heads and offer thanks to the Three Treasures of the Supreme, Void Emperor, the True and Perfect—Daoism’s highest revered Three Treasures.

Precious Repentance of the Supreme Jade Emperor for the Fulfillment of All Wishes, Scroll Three

Precious Repentance of the Supreme Jade Emperor for the Fulfillment of All Wishes, Scroll Four

Averting Sin

Through fasting and serving the Celestial Emperor, we hope our sincere devotion will secretly reach the unseen realms. With fragrant incense, we connect with the spirits; carried upward by its smoke, our wishes rise to the heavenly court. Reverently, we offer incense of the Dao, incense of De (Virtue), incense of wisdom, incense of Wuwei (non-action), incense of purity and stillness, incense of naturalness, wondrous incense of the Cavern of Truth, incense that transcends the Three Realms, and incense of the true Three Heavens. These names symbolize the virtues, stages of attainment, and pure merit of Daoist cultivation. May their fragrance fill the jeweled halls of Jade Capital, the palaces of the immortals, and spread throughout the entire celestial and Dharma realms, offered everywhere in worship.

The Celestial Worthy Primordial Beginning, who presides over the teaching of the scriptures; the Celestial Worthy Daoist Lord who bore and conveyed the Jade Emperor; the Celestial Worthy of Dao and De, who disseminates and expounds the sacred teaching; and the Great Celestial Worthy Jade Emperor, the Supreme Sovereign of the Dark Vault of Heaven, who manifests throughout the heavens—whose father was the king of the Radiant Splendor and Wondrous Joy kingdom and whose mother was the Empress of Precious Moonlight; the Tathagata, King of Awakening in Purity and Naturalness; and the Lord of Heaven, Sovereign of Clear Brightness in the High Void.

With reverence, at the scripture altar, we invite the Supreme Sovereign of Jade Emptiness, the Supreme Sovereign of Vast Heaven, the Five Elders, and all the Perfected Ones of compassionate mercy who deliver beings from calamity, answer their cries and relieve their suffering, sustain life and rescue the dead, protect the body with every blessing, and practice wondrous deeds; the Jade Maidens of Night Radiance, the Jade Maidens of the Spirit Consort, and all the Primal Ladies; the Golden Immortals and Mahayana Bodhisattvas of the past, present, and future; the sages of the ten directions and the countless sovereign lords; the Great Emperors of the Three Primes and Three Offices, divine beings who govern the realms of Heaven, Earth, and Water; the Perfected Lords of the Four Sages of the Northern Pole; the stars of the Southern Dipper, Northern Dipper, and the entire celestial sphere; and all the Perfected Immortals, Immortals, and the Celestial Emperor who assist the Northern Pole.

We also invite the Perfected Lord, Celestial Master of the Three Heavens, who supports the teaching and assists the Primal Origin with the Great Dharma; the Imperial Lord of the Nine Heavens, who brings enlightenment and oversees official rank with magnanimous benevolence; the Imperial Lord of Pure Yang, who expounds the Orthodox Way, awakens and transforms, and is blessed and aided (Lü Dongbin); the Perfected White One of Jade Toad, of Cave Mystery, who brings benefit to the world; and the Primal Lady of Purple Emptiness, who began the teaching of Clear Subtlety and protects the Immortals. We invite the virtuous masters and immortal beings of the Lingbao, Dao and De, Zhengyi, and Quanzhen traditions, who transmit the Dharma and compose books, pass on the Dao and teach its practice, elucidate the doctrines, and deliver people from the world; the celestial generals of the various offices of Thunder, the officials who administer ritual registers, seals, and commands; the Flying Kings of the Heavens of the ten directions, the celestial troops and mighty warriors, and the armies of the Immortals; the Perfected Lords of the Five Sacred Peaks, the sacred beings of Earth and Water, the City Gods, and the deities who oversee pestilence, fire, and other calamities; the Merit Officers and Talisman Envoys, the local Spirit Officials, and the myriad spirits of the Three Realms and the true lords of the ten directions. All Perfected Immortals who have responded and arrived at this ritual altar, please accept this stick of true incense and partake together of this offering.

We respectfully invite the heavens, in their compassion, to look down and bear witness. I hereby submit this petition, praying that my wishes may reach the celestial realm, and beseech you to grant what I have prayed for. Today is an auspicious day. I respectfully offer my sincere devotion, arrange incense and flowers, and take refuge in you with offerings. I have also set out lamps and candles in abundance, along with fruit, as offerings. I invite you to leave your celestial palaces for a time and descend to this earthly ritual altar, to witness my devotion and accept this humble return offering of duckweed and wormwood. I also beseech you to take pity on my earnest prayer and grant the wish of this lowly person. Relying on your supreme compassion, I begin to proclaim the repentance rite—a ritual expression of reverence and a plea for protection through reciting scriptures, bowing, repenting, and praying. I raise…

Everyone in the ritual hall gathers their attention and devotion, kneeling for a long time to perform the rites of repentance.

The rites proceed according to the liturgy.

I, the official responsible for talismans and registers, temporarily remain at this ritual altar in the human world. I look upon the sincere reverence in everyone’s hearts and accept their humble offerings of gratitude. I deeply sympathize with their earnest prayers and fulfill their small yet sincere wishes. Everyone looks up to the compassion of the Primordial One and proclaims the method of repentance. Raise the invocation—

Everyone in the ritual hall gathers their attention and devotion, kneeling for a long time to perform the rites of repentance.

The rites proceed according to the liturgy.

I, the official responsible for talismans and registers, together with the disciple of the Great Dao, So-and-so, and others, respectfully bow twice with devout hearts and submit this petition to the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), the Most High Jade Emperor, the Imperial Father and Mother, the most holy and most true, and all the true spirits of the Three Treasures and the Three Realms.

We have respectfully heard that in the wondrous land of Guangyan, the Holy Mother received a dream through the void, and the Lord of the Dao bestowed a child upon her in a state beyond clarity and obscurity. She was loving and gentle, and did not cling to the dignity and splendor of emperors. Patient, humble, benevolent, and tender, she did not fear the practice of cultivation through billions of kalpas. She attained ten honored titles and perfected every virtue. She is the most honored sovereign of the heavens and has also realized the perfect awakening of the Tathagata. Her merit is supremely high, beyond compare; her virtue is profound, beyond all others. She is a great sage, of great compassion, great mercy, and great vows, unlike any who came before. Her merit cannot be fully praised or described. With utmost sincerity, we respectfully pray and offer praise. We also wish to join our departed ancestors, living family members, all beings in this world, and the souls of the dead in the netherworld, devoutly taking refuge, bowing in homage, reciting her honored titles, contemplating her sacred image, following the teachings, and making our wishes according to the scripture.

Everyone recites the Precious Invocation of the Jade Emperor:

The supreme Taishang Miro Heaven, the wondrous and true realm vast beyond bounds, the distant and profound palace of purple gold; in the Taiwei Jade Clarity Palace dwells the holy one, supreme beyond measure. His radiance is vast, still and profound; he is the source of the wondrous Law, encompassing the ten directions. His Dao is pure and still, true and eternal; his divine powers are vast and boundless. The Great Celestial Worthy Jade Emperor, the Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Firmament.

Everyone bows once.

With one heart, we take refuge and bow in homage. May everyone understand the causes and conditions of sin and blessing. The Great Celestial Worthy Jade Emperor, the Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Firmament.

We sincerely turn toward and pay homage to the Great Heavenly Venerable Jade Emperor, the Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Firmament. May we from this day onward forever cease evil thoughts and faithfully uphold this scripture.

We sincerely pay homage to the Great Heavenly Venerable Jade Emperor, the Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Firmament. May the boundless karmic offenses accumulated over countless lifetimes be delivered from suffering.

We sincerely pay homage to the Great Heavenly Venerable Jade Emperor, the Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Firmament. May all forms of evil karma be extinguished.

We sincerely pay homage to the Great Heavenly Venerable Jade Emperor, the Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Firmament. May the offenses of the Five Grave Transgressions and Ten Evils—the most serious breaches of moral duty and other forms of wrongdoing—be extinguished.

We sincerely pay homage to the Great Heavenly Venerable Jade Emperor, the Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Firmament. May all offenses arising from evil karma be extinguished; may the offenses of evil karma as numerous as grains of sand be extinguished; and may the offenses accumulated since distant eons past be extinguished.

We sincerely pay homage to the Great Heavenly Venerable Jade Emperor, the Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Firmament. May the offenses rooted in our nature and born of ignorance—delusion and failure to understand the Way things are—be extinguished, and may the offenses of committing the Ten Evils be extinguished.

We sincerely pay homage to the Great Heavenly Venerable Jade Emperor, the Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Firmament. May the offenses arising from attachment to the Six Dusts—the external objects of sight, sound, smell, taste, touch, and thought—be extinguished, and may the offenses accumulated through the entanglements of the three forms of karma: body, speech, and mind—that is, actions, words, and thoughts—be extinguished.

We sincerely pay homage to the Great Heavenly Venerable Jade Emperor, the Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Firmament. May the offenses committed through willful recklessness be extinguished, and may the offenses accumulated without ever recognizing or repenting of them be extinguished.

With utmost sincerity, we take refuge in and pay homage to the Great Heavenly Worthy, the Jade Emperor, Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Vault. May the sins we committed in the past through ignorance and lack of understanding be erased.

With utmost sincerity, we take refuge in and pay homage to the Great Heavenly Worthy, the Jade Emperor, Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Vault. May the sins we have accumulated day by day and year by year be erased.

With utmost sincerity, we take refuge in and pay homage to the Great Heavenly Worthy, the Jade Emperor, Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Vault. May the sins we committed by abandoning moral duty and violating the truth be erased.

With utmost sincerity, we take refuge in and pay homage to the Great Heavenly Worthy, the Jade Emperor, Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Vault. May the sins we committed in our thoughts and intentions be erased.

With utmost sincerity, we take refuge in and pay homage to the Great Heavenly Worthy, the Jade Emperor, Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Vault. May the sins we committed by following heretical paths and abandoning the orthodox Way be erased.

With utmost sincerity, we take refuge in and pay homage to the Great Heavenly Worthy, the Jade Emperor, Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Vault. May the sins we committed by failing to honor our parents be erased.

With utmost sincerity, we take refuge in and pay homage to the Great Heavenly Worthy, the Jade Emperor, Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Vault. May the sins we committed by following heretical paths and abandoning the orthodox Way be erased.

With utmost sincerity, we take refuge in and pay homage to the Great Heavenly Worthy, the Jade Emperor, Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Vault. May the sins we committed by failing to honor our parents be erased.

With utmost sincerity, we take refuge in and pay homage to the Great Heavenly Worthy, the Jade Emperor, Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Vault. May the sins we committed by failing to honor the Three Treasures of Daoism—the Dao, the scriptures, and the masters—be erased.

With utmost sincerity, we take refuge in and pay homage to the Great Heavenly Worthy, the Jade Emperor, Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Vault. May the sins we committed by killing living beings and stealing be erased.

With utmost sincerity, we take refuge in and pay homage to the Great Heavenly Worthy, the Jade Emperor, Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Vault. May the sins we committed through illicit sexual conduct and lying be erased.

With utmost sincerity, we take refuge in and pay homage to the Great Heavenly Worthy, the Jade Emperor, Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Vault. May the sins we committed through domineering and violent conduct and evil deeds be erased.

With utmost sincerity, we take refuge in and pay homage to the Great Heavenly Worthy, the Jade Emperor, Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Vault. May the sins we committed through a lack of reverence be erased.

With utmost sincerity, we take refuge in and pay homage to the Great Heavenly Worthy, the Jade Emperor, Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Vault. May the sins we committed by speaking words that slander others be erased.

With utmost sincerity, we take refuge in and pay homage to the Great Heavenly Worthy, the Jade Emperor, Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Vault. May the sins we committed by looking at others with an improper gaze be erased.

With utmost sincerity, we take refuge in and pay homage to the Great Heavenly Worthy, the Jade Emperor, Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Vault. May the sins we committed by slandering others be erased.

With sincere hearts, we turn toward and pay homage to the Great Celestial Worthy, the Jade Emperor, the High Lord of the Mysterious Firmament—a reverential title for the Jade Emperor in Daoism—and pray that the fault of glancing furtively be dispelled.

With sincere hearts, we turn toward and pay homage to the Great Celestial Worthy, the Jade Emperor, the High Lord of the Mysterious Firmament, and pray that the fault of failing to feel reverence be dispelled.

With sincere hearts, we turn toward and pay homage to the Great Celestial Worthy, the Jade Emperor, the High Lord of the Mysterious Firmament, and pray that the fault of having unclean hands and violating taboos be dispelled.

With sincere hearts, we turn toward and pay homage to the Great Celestial Worthy, the Jade Emperor, the High Lord of the Mysterious Firmament, and pray that the fault of reciting scriptures with meat and pungent foods in one’s mouth be dispelled.

With sincere hearts, we turn toward and pay homage to the Great Celestial Worthy, the Jade Emperor, the High Lord of the Mysterious Firmament, and pray that the fault of an impure bed be dispelled.

With sincere hearts, we turn toward and pay homage to the Great Celestial Worthy, the Jade Emperor, the High Lord of the Mysterious Firmament, and pray that the fault of speaking and learning worldly language be dispelled.

With sincere hearts, we turn toward and pay homage to the Great Celestial Worthy, the Jade Emperor, the High Lord of the Mysterious Firmament, and pray that the fault of joking and laughing together be dispelled.

With sincere hearts, we turn toward and pay homage to the Great Celestial Worthy, the Jade Emperor, the High Lord of the Mysterious Firmament, and pray that all sins associated with the realm of hell be dispelled.

With sincere hearts, we turn toward and pay homage to the Great Celestial Worthy, the Jade Emperor, the High Lord of the Mysterious Firmament, and pray that all sins associated with the realm of animals be dispelled.

With sincere hearts, we turn toward and pay homage to the Great Celestial Worthy, the Jade Emperor, the High Lord of the Mysterious Firmament, and pray that all sins associated with distant peoples beyond the borderlands be dispelled.

With sincere hearts, we turn toward and pay homage to the Great Celestial Worthy, the Jade Emperor, the High Lord of the Mysterious Firmament, and pray that all sins associated with the realm of animals be dispelled.

With sincere hearts, we turn toward and pay homage to the Great Celestial Worthy, the Jade Emperor, the High Lord of the Mysterious Firmament, and pray that all sins associated with distant peoples beyond the borderlands be dispelled.

With sincere hearts, we turn toward and pay homage to the Great Celestial Worthy, the Jade Emperor, the High Lord of the Mysterious Firmament, and pray that all sins associated with heterodox teachings be dispelled.

All present recite the “Jade Emperor’s Eulogy” once.

With reverence, we take refuge with our hearts, bodies, nature, and life in the Great Heavenly Venerable Jade Emperor, the Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Vault. We reflect that we, disciples so-and-so and others, have turned against the Great Dao and strayed from the truth. The faults we have accumulated from birth until death all arise from our own wrongful conduct. Our karmic obstructions are boundless and too numerous to count; the errors committed over many lives and many kalpas are impossible to reckon or remember. How could we keep these faults concealed within our remorse? We must therefore rein in our unruly nature. In sorrow and grief, we plead and look up to the Holy Venerable for generous compassion. We openly confess every fault, one by one, and conceal nothing. We earnestly ask the Holy Venerable to grant us special pardon and show us mercy.

May the three karmic activities of body, speech, and mind, together with the seven emotions—joy, anger, sorrow, fear, love, aversion, and desire—be cleansed through praise. May the ten evils and five grave transgressions—the most serious misdeeds and crimes of extreme disloyalty and unfilial conduct—be repented and dispelled through prostration. May we henceforth become people of few faults, and carry our good deeds forward through generations to come; may we leave the ordinary world, behold the sacred realm, and unite with the Great Dao. May blessings reach all beings in the six paths and three destinies of rebirth, and grace extend to our ancestors through nine generations and seven generations. We rely wholly on the power of Jade Radiance to dispel the sins of the world, lessen remorse and faults, and attain perfection in goodness. With reverence, we bow our heads, pay homage, and give thanks to the unsurpassed True Three Treasures of the Void Emperor.

Scroll Four of the Precious Repentance Liturgy of the Most High Jade Emperor Who Fulfills All Wishes

Scroll Five of the Precious Repentance Liturgy of the Most High Jade Emperor Who Fulfills All Wishes

Removing Obstructions

We observe purification and serve the Supreme Emperor, hoping through sincerity to commune inwardly with the spirits. Fragrant incense connects us with the divine; borne aloft on its rising smoke, our offering reaches above. With reverence, we present incense of the Dao, incense of De, incense of wisdom, incense of Wuwei, incense of purity, incense of naturalness, incense of the wondrous Cavern of Truth, incense that transcends the Three Realms, and incense of the true Three Heavens. May these fragrances fill the Jade Towers and Capital of Jade, spread throughout the cosmic Dharma realm, and be offered everywhere to the gods.

The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning, who expounds the scriptures; the Celestial Worthy, the Dao Lord, who escorts the Jade Emperor; the Celestial Worthy of the Dao and its Virtue, who spreads the sacred teachings; and the Jade Emperor, the Great Celestial Worthy, the Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Vault, who manifests throughout the heavens and governs the ten thousand heavens. Also present are the Jade Emperor’s father, King Guangyan Miaole, and his mother, Empress Baoyueguang, as well as the Tathāgata, King of Pure and Natural Awakening, and the Lord-Emperor of the High, Empty, Clear, and Bright Heaven.

At this Dharma assembly, we respectfully invite the Supreme Emperor of Jade Void, the Supreme Emperor of Vast Heaven, the Five Elders, the Supreme Worthy, the Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Vault, King Guangyan Miaole, Empress Baoyueguang, the Tathāgata, King of Pure and Natural Awakening, and the Lord-Emperor of the High, Empty, Clear, and Bright Heaven. We also invite the Five Elder Emperors; the Realized Ones who compassionately rescue beings from calamity, answer cries for help, save the living and deliver the dead, protect the body with blessings, and practice the wondrous Way; the Jade Maidens of Night Radiance and of the Numinous Consort; and all the Female Lords. We invite the Golden Immortals and Mahayana Bodhisattvas of the past, present, and future; the immeasurable Emperors, most holy in the ten directions; the Great Emperors of the Three Origins and Three Offices; the Perfect Lords, Four Sages of the Northern Pole; the Southern Star, the Northern Dipper, and the constellations of the heavens; all the assembled Perfect Ones who attend the Northern Pole; the Great Immortals of Natural Spontaneity; and the Celestial Perfected Sovereigns.

We further invite the Perfect Lord, Celestial Master of the Three Heavens, who supports the teachings and assists the Origin through the Great Dharma; the Lord-Emperor who opens and transforms the Nine Heavens and oversees blessings and rank with broad benevolence; the Lord-Emperor of Pure Yang, who expounds the orthodox Way, awakens and transforms, and protects the teachings; the Perfect Man Bai of the Jade Toad, who benefits the world through the Cavern Mystery; and the Female Lord of the Purple Void, who established the teachings of the Pure Tenuity and safeguards the immortals. We also invite the Numinous Treasure, the Dao and its Virtue, and the Celestial Perfected Sovereigns; together with the successive generations of venerable masters and immortal assemblies from the Numinous Treasure, the Dao and its Virtue, Orthodox Unity, and Complete Perfection traditions, who transmitted the teachings, instructed disciples, spread the Way, and delivered beings. We further invite the Celestial Generals serving in the various offices of Thunder, the divine officials who oversee registers, seals, and commands of the ritual law; the Flying Celestial Kings of the ten directions, celestial troops and strongmen, and the armies of the immortals; the Perfect Lords of the Five Sacred Peaks; the holy assemblies who govern earth and water; the gods of cities, pestilence, and fire; the Merit Officers and Talisman Envoys, local Numinous Officials, the myriad spirits of the Three Realms, and the sovereign powers of the ten directions.

May all the Perfect Immortals who have responded to this Dharma assembly come and receive offerings together through this stick of incense. We respectfully invite you all, in your compassion, to look down upon us and bear witness. Your disciple respectfully submits this petition, praying that our intentions may reach you and our requests receive your gracious assent.

Today is an auspicious day, and your disciple reverently presents this sincere offering. We arrange incense and flowers as an act of taking refuge, and lay out lamps, candles, and fruit as offerings. We invite you all to leave your heavenly palaces for a time and descend to this human Dharma seat, to observe our devotion and accept this humble token of gratitude, as slight as duckweed and mugwort. In your compassion, please recognize our earnest prayers and grant the wishes of one so insignificant. Relying upon your great compassion, your disciple proclaims the teaching of repentance and begins the rites.

Those assembled at the altar each focus their minds and make vows, kneeling at length to bow and repent.

According to the ritual.

We respectfully invite the Immortal Officials who hold Dao registers and serve in official posts to leave the Heavenly Court for a time and descend to the ritual altar in the human realm. We ask you to look kindly upon the sincerity of those assembled and accept their thanks, expressed through modest offerings. Deeply understand their earnest prayers and grant their small but sincere wishes. Relying on your compassion, we proclaim the method of repentance.

Those assembled at the altar each focus their minds and make vows, kneeling at length to bow and repent.

According to the ritual.

I, a servant who upholds Daoist registers, together with the disciples who have received Dao registers and follow the Great Dao, respectfully bow twice with reverent hearts and submit this petition to the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), the Supreme Jade Emperor, the Imperial Father and Imperial Mother, and all the Perfected Spirits of the most holy and true gods, the Three Treasures and the Three Realms.

We have reverently heard that the honored gods dwell upon imperial thrones, high in the Heavenly Palaces. They can manifest in many forms throughout the ten directions, teaching the Dharma to all living beings. Still and composed, they respond to beings’ appeals and manifest accordingly; they come and go freely. They appear without restraint and divide into countless forms, transforming with perfect fluency in ways beyond measure. They give rise to skillful compassion and open paths that benefit living beings, rescuing those lost in delusion and suffering, and proclaiming the pure and wondrous Great Dao. These truths lie beyond worldly understanding, yet exist naturally. The Great Sages are supremely compassionate, with profound pity and vast vows. Their grace is unprecedented and worthy of praise beyond words. With earnest hearts and utmost sincerity, we praise them. For our deceased ancestors, living relatives, all people in the human realm, and departed souls in the underworld, we devote ourselves reverently to taking refuge and paying homage: we recite the gods’ names, contemplate their sacred forms, follow their teachings, and make prayers according to the scriptures.

The assembly recites:

The supreme, highest Heaven of Tai Shang Mile (the highest heaven in Daoist belief) is a wondrous and true realm. The purple-gold palaces stretch deep and wide; within the Taiwei Jade-Clear Palace dwells the supreme, limitless Holy One. Light shines forth in vast emptiness; profound stillness has no source that can be named. The wondrous vow.

The assembly recites:

The supreme, highest Heaven of Tai Shang Mile is a wondrous and true realm. The purple-gold palaces stretch deep and wide; within the Taiwei Jade-Clear Palace dwells the supreme, limitless Holy One. Light shines forth in vast emptiness; profound stillness has no source that can be named. The wondrous principles extend throughout the ten directions, clear and still, enduring without change. Divine powers are vast and boundless: the Jade Emperor, the Great Heavenly Worthy, the Supreme Emperor of the Dark Vault. Each person in the assembly bows once.

With single-minded devotion, we take refuge and pay homage, praying that we will be free of doubt and give rise to neither greed nor anger. We pay homage to the Jade Emperor, the Great Heavenly Worthy, the Supreme Emperor of the Dark Vault.

We reverently and sincerely take refuge in and pay homage to the Great Heavenly Worthy, the Jade Emperor, the Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Vault. May no lust or jealousy arise in our hearts; may we form no intent to kill or harm, and may worldly emotions not sway us. May mundane, distracting thoughts not arise, nor greed or envy.

May we not become absorbed in sensual pleasures or entangled in disputes; may hatred and favoritism not sway us, and may we not cling to distinctions and judgments. May we shed arrogance and attachment, still the mind and spirit, and clear our thoughts, so that the inner spirits may be calm and in harmony.

May our hearts be like the Great Void, boundless and empty, pure and clear within and without, broad and inclusive, rejecting nothing. May external evils not disturb the foundational Daoist teachings; may the true lineage of our cultivation remain intact and our numinous roots endure. May we neither fall into the mundane realm nor become ensnared in worldly nets. May the myriad demons not come to trouble us, so that we may hear the wondrous Dao.

We reverently and sincerely take refuge in and pay homage to the Great Celestial Worthy, the Jade Emperor, the Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Firmament. May we no longer sink into the ordinary world or be bound by worldly burdens.

We reverently and sincerely take refuge in and pay homage to the Great Celestial Worthy, the Jade Emperor, the Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Firmament. May no demonic obstacle come to trouble us, so that we may hear the profound and wondrous Daoist teachings.

We reverently and sincerely take refuge in and pay homage to the Great Celestial Worthy, the Jade Emperor, the Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Firmament. May we diligently protect and uphold the orthodox Daoist teachings and keep them from being lost.

We reverently and sincerely take refuge in and pay homage to the Great Celestial Worthy, the Jade Emperor, the Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Firmament. May body and mind be pure, and may we transcend every kind of suffering.

We reverently and sincerely take refuge in and pay homage to the Great Celestial Worthy, the Jade Emperor, the Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Firmament. May we encounter this scripture and receive the karmic affinity it offers.

We reverently and sincerely take refuge in and pay homage to the Great Celestial Worthy, the Jade Emperor, the Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Firmament. May we cast off long-standing habits and afflictions, along with the karmic burdens of the actions they have brought about.

We reverently and sincerely take refuge in and pay homage to the Great Celestial Worthy, the Jade Emperor, the Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Firmament. May we gather and focus our thoughts in accordance with the ritual procedures, and carry them out with reverence. “Ke” refers to the prescribed rules governing Daoist ritual.

We reverently and sincerely take refuge in and pay homage to the Great Celestial Worthy, the Jade Emperor, the Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Firmament. May everyone receive protection and deliverance, and may all hear the profound and wondrous Daoist teachings.

We reverently and sincerely take refuge in and pay homage to the Great Celestial Worthy, the Jade Emperor, the Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Firmament. May we personally serve and make offerings, and be forever freed from the cycle of rebirth.

We reverently and sincerely take refuge in and pay homage to the Great Celestial Worthy, the Jade Emperor, the Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Firmament. May everyone receive protection and deliverance, and may all hear the profound and wondrous Daoist teachings.

We reverently and sincerely take refuge in and pay homage to the Great Celestial Worthy, the Jade Emperor, the Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Firmament. May we personally serve and make offerings, and be forever freed from the cycle of rebirth.

We reverently and sincerely take refuge in and pay homage to the Great Celestial Worthy, the Jade Emperor, the Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Firmament. May we sever the roots of evil thoughts and deeds, and have our names entered in the registers of Xuandu, the immortal realm spoken of in Daoism.

We reverently and sincerely take refuge in and pay homage to the Great Celestial Worthy, the Jade Emperor, the Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Firmament. May we practice in accordance with this teaching and give rise to no deviant thoughts.

We reverently and sincerely take refuge in and pay homage to the Great Celestial Worthy, the Jade Emperor, the Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Firmament. May all distracting thoughts cease to arise, and may worldly concerns fall quiet at once.

We reverently and sincerely take refuge in and pay homage to the Great Celestial Worthy, the Jade Emperor, the Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Firmament. May we continue to cultivate every profound and wondrous good practice throughout measureless kalpas, spans of time beyond counting.

We sincerely take refuge in and pay homage to the Great Heavenly Worthy, the Jade Emperor, the Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Vault. May we attain the gate of liberation and respond to Him with pure faith. May our understanding, thoughts, conduct, body and mind, intentions, the fruits of our cultivation, and our retributions all be pure. May we also hold hearts of love and compassion. May we faithfully observe the precepts and devote ourselves to still contemplation of the Great Dao.

We sincerely pray that all beings honor and care for their parents, revere the Three Treasures—the Dao, the scriptures, and the masters—and remain loyal to their sovereigns. May they refrain from killing, stealing, and sexual misconduct; from jealousy, anger, resentment, arrogance, and deceit.

The assembly recites the Proclamation to the Jade Emperor, a hymn in his praise, once.

We sincerely take refuge in the spirits, in the body, and in nature and life. We pay homage to the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), the three highest deities revered in Daoism, and to the Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Vault.

We sincerely pay homage to the Great Heavenly Worthy, the Jade Emperor, the Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Vault. May we refrain from anger, resentment, arrogance, and deceit.

The assembly recites the Proclamation to the Jade Emperor once more.

We sincerely take refuge in the deities, in our own nature and life, in the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), the Jade Emperor, the Imperial Father and Mother, the most holy and genuine gods, and all the true spirits of the Three Treasures and the Three Realms.

We state once more: We, disciples, have not yet dissolved the conditions that hinder our cultivation, nor have we entirely overcome the demonic obstacles that obstruct it. How can ordinary people, blinded by ignorance, cultivate well in accordance with the wondrous Dao? External evils corrupt the spiritual root, seize the most precious treasures, and disrupt the wondrous Dao. When people become trapped in the net of worldly affairs, they sink into the ordinary world. How can they then clear their thoughts and gather their spirit? They are bound to be led by emotions and pursue external circumstances. Thus their original nature is lost, and countless demonic obstacles seize the chance to intrude. Only by relying on the primordial Venerable One’s compassionate protection can we receive instruction in the wondrous methods for removing these obstacles.

Therefore, we earnestly pray and, following the scriptures, confess our wrongs. May the venerable gods brush the dust from our hearts, so that the heart pearl—our innate clarity of mind and nature—shines bright and transparent. May they sweep away the veils that obscure our nature, so that the eye of wisdom may at once grow clear. May they bestow the sword of wisdom to cut away our faults, remove the obstacles of vexation, and help us remember our good deeds. May our mortal bodies become pure and our Dao attainment be brought to harmonious perfection. May blessings extend to both the unseen and visible worlds, and wisdom illuminate our perfectly radiant original nature.

May the gloom disperse and the sun shine bright; may the clouds part and the sky grow clear. May we enjoy freedom and ease for all time, never again to suffer the anguish of transmigration through the cycle of rebirth. We sincerely bow our heads, pay homage, and give thanks to the supreme Void Sovereign and the most genuine Three Treasures.

Scroll Five of the Supreme Jade Emperor’s Precious Repentance for Fulfilling Wishes

Scroll Six of the Supreme Jade Emperor’s Precious Repentance for Fulfilling Wishes

Averting Calamity

We observe purification and serve the Heavenly Emperor, hoping that our utmost sincerity will move the gods. With fragrant offerings, we touch the spirits and rely on fragrance as it rises to reach the heavens. We respectfully offer Dao incense, De incense, wisdom incense, Wuwei incense, purity incense, natural incense, wondrous Dongzhen incense, incense that transcends the Three Realms, and the true incense of the Three Heavens. May their fragrance fill the jade towers and capital of the immortals, spread throughout the cosmic realm of the Dharma, and be offered everywhere in worship.

The Heavenly Worthy of Primordial Beginning, master who expounds the scriptures and teaches the Dao; the Heavenly Worthy of Numinous Treasure, borne in attendance by the Jade Emperor; and the fragrances of wisdom, Wuwei (non-action), purity, naturalness, the wondrous Cavern of Truth, transcendence of the Three Realms, and the Three Realms of Truth. May these fragrances fill the Jade Capital’s jeweled halls, extend throughout the Dharma realm of the entire cosmos, and be offered everywhere in worship.

We respectfully invite the Heavenly Worthy of Primordial Beginning, master who expounds the scriptures and teaches the Dao; the Heavenly Worthy of Numinous Treasure, borne in attendance by the Jade Emperor; the Heavenly Worthy who brings the sacred teachings into the world and makes them known; the Great Heavenly Worthy, Jade Emperor, who manifests throughout the heavens; and the Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Firmament. We invite the Emperor’s father, King of the Land of Radiant Splendor and Wondrous Joy, and his mother, the Empress of Precious Moonlight; the Tathagata, King of Enlightenment, Pure and Natural; and the Lord of Heaven and Sovereign of High, Empty, Clear Radiance. We also respectfully invite the Jade Void Emperor, the Supreme Emperor of Hao-Tian, and the Five Old Emperors, who preside over the scripture assembly and open its inquiry; the Perfected Ones of Compassion who deliver people from calamity, of Hearing Cries and Saving the Suffering, of Sustaining Life and Delivering the Dead, of Protecting the Body with Ten Thousand Blessings, and of Wondrous Conduct; the Jade Maidens of Night Light and the Jade Maidens of the Numinous Consort, together with all the Princely Ladies; the Golden Immortals and Mahayana Bodhisattvas of the past, present, and future; the supremely holy, immeasurable emperors of the ten directions; the Three Great Emperors of the Three Origins and Three Officials; the True Lords of the Four Saints of the North Pole; the Southern Dipper and Northern Dipper; the stars throughout the heavens; the many Perfected Immortals who guard the North Pole; the Great Immortals of Naturalness; and the Heavenly Perfected Sovereigns.

We respectfully invite the True Lord, Celestial Master of the Great Dharma, who supports the Three Heavens and assists the Origin; the Imperial Lord, Director of Emoluments, who brings enlightenment to the Nine Heavens and extends benevolence; the Imperial Lord of Pure Yang, who expounds the teachings and awakens people through transformation; the Perfected Bai of the Jade Toad, who benefits the world through the Cavern of Mystery; and the Princely Lady of Purple Void, who opened the teachings of the Clear Tenuity tradition and protects the immortals. We invite the virtuous masters and assemblies of immortals in the Numinous Treasure, Dao De, Zhengyi (Orthodox Unity), and Quanzhen (Complete Perfection) traditions, who perform rites, transmit the Dao, write books, teach disciples, spread the teachings, and deliver people; the heavenly generals serving the various offices of Thunder; and the officials who oversee registers, seals, and commands. We also respectfully invite the Flying Heavenly Spirit Kings of the ten directions, the Heavenly Soldiers and Strongmen, the armies of the immortals, the True Lords of the Five Sacred Peaks, the holy beings of the earth and waters, the City Gods, plague gods, fire gods, and other deities; the merit officers and talisman messengers, the numinous officials of local domains, the myriad spirits of the Three Realms, the true sovereigns of the ten directions, and all Perfected Immortals who respond to this ritual assembly.

May all the revered deities and perfected immortals accept these offerings together through the fragrance of this incense. We humbly pray that Heaven will look upon us with compassion. We, your disciples, respectfully make this petition, hoping that our intentions may reach the heavens and that our prayers may be granted. On this auspicious day, we express our sincere devotion: we arrange incense and flowers in reverence and take refuge, and offer lamps, candles, and fruits in abundance. We respectfully invite you to leave your heavenly palaces for a time and descend to this earthly ritual assembly. Look kindly upon our devotion and accept our modest offerings. Recognize and take pity on our sincere prayers, and grant a response to the wishes of people as insignificant as we are. Under your compassionate grace, may the rites of repentance be proclaimed—rituals for repentance and blessings through scripture recitation, prostrations, and other observances.

Those gathered to establish the altar and perform rites of repentance, please remain for a while in this earthly ritual hall. Look kindly upon our sincere and reverent intentions, and accept these humble offerings as a token of gratitude. Deeply understand our earnest prayers and respond to our sincerity, small as grass. We look up to the most exalted and compassionate Holy One and proclaim the words of the repentance rite.

Those present each still their thoughts, kneel, and perform the rite of repentance, reciting the text while kneeling.

The ritual proceeds according to the prescribed forms.

I, your servant, charged with the office of Keeper of Registers, together with disciple so-and-so, who has received the registers and serves the Great Dao, respectfully report with utmost sincerity and reverence to the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), the Jade Emperor, the Imperial Father and Imperial Mother, all the most holy and perfected divine beings, and all the true spirits of the Three Treasures and Three Realms.

We have respectfully heard that the Jade Emperor was once the son of an emperor. Through arduous cultivation, he established wondrous achievements and saved countless living beings, undergoing more than three thousand kalpas of practice. Surely it was because his sacred body was extraordinary that he possessed the foundation for taking form in the womb. Though he manifested as a Dharma body, his source remained the Great Dao, from which he was transformed. His dignity is unequalled and supreme; his principles are mysterious and profound, and his imperial merit is vast and weighty. He is indestructible and unfathomable, at once holy and luminous, and supremely compassionate. He bears great compassion and mighty vows. No such deeds have ever been seen before, and no praise could fully express them.

With utmost sincerity and earnestness, we offer praise and prayers, and wish to dedicate this reverence to our ancestors who have passed away, our living relatives, all beings in the world, and wandering souls in the long night. With all our hearts, we honor and take refuge, bow in worship, proclaim the divine name, contemplate the sacred countenance, follow the teachings, and offer prayers in accordance with the scriptures.

The assembly recites:

Above the highest heaven of the Supreme One, the wondrous and true realm is deep and beyond measure. The purple-gold palace stands far away and elusive; the Taiwei Jade Purity Palace is majestic and supreme. The holy one, boundless and unsurpassed, shines forth with radiance; still and profound, vast beyond all bounds. Mysterious laws govern the ten directions; clear, still, eternal, and unchanging, his divine powers are without limit. The Great Celestial Worthy, Jade Emperor, Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Vault.

Each person in the assembly bows once.

With all our hearts, we take refuge and bow in worship. May every affliction be stilled, and may all beings everywhere attain deliverance. We bow in worship to the Great Celestial Worthy, Jade Emperor, Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Vault.

With all our hearts, we take refuge in the Great Celestial Worthy, Jade Emperor, Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Vault. Each person in the assembly bows once.

We reverently and sincerely take refuge in and pay homage to the Jade Emperor, the Great Celestial Worthy, the Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Vault (the Jade Emperor revered in Daoism), praying that all suffering may cease and that all people may find deliverance.

We reverently and sincerely take refuge in and pay homage, praying that the mountain spirits will protect us and cause fierce beasts to withdraw of their own accord.

We reverently and sincerely take refuge in and pay homage, praying that the winds and waves will immediately subside and that we may reach the shore safely.

We reverently and sincerely take refuge in and pay homage, praying that all evil bandits will disperse of their own accord.

We reverently and sincerely take refuge in and pay homage, praying that injustice may be redressed and shackles removed.

We reverently and sincerely take refuge in and pay homage, praying that all malign influences will depart, suffering will end, and illness will be cured.

We reverently and sincerely take refuge in and pay homage, praying that demons will be vanquished and spirits will lie dormant and cease their mischief.

We reverently and sincerely take refuge in and pay homage, praying that no calamity may come near.

We reverently and sincerely take refuge in and pay homage, praying that all serious illnesses may soon be cured.

We reverently and sincerely take refuge in and pay homage, praying that all evil ghosts and deities may completely disperse.

We reverently and sincerely take refuge in and pay homage, praying that we may pass safely through danger, reach the far shore of the Dao, and suffer no further calamity.

We reverently and sincerely take refuge in and pay homage, praying that our lives may be preserved, that we may survive disaster, and that all ill omens may be dispelled.

We reverently and sincerely take refuge in and pay homage, praying that all malign spirits that bring calamity may perish of their own accord.

We reverently and sincerely take refuge in and pay homage, praying that calamities caused by curses and poison spells may be dispelled.

We sincerely take refuge in and pay homage to the Jade Emperor, the Great Celestial Worthy, the Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Vault—the highest deity revered in Daoism. We pray that the calamity of wars breaking out everywhere may be dispelled.

We sincerely take refuge in and pay homage to the Jade Emperor, the Great Celestial Worthy, the Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Vault. We pray that the calamity of widespread epidemics may be dispelled.

We sincerely take refuge in and pay homage to the Jade Emperor, the Great Celestial Worthy, the Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Vault. We pray that the calamities of floods, droughts, crop pests, and locust plagues may be dispelled.

We sincerely take refuge in and pay homage to the Jade Emperor, the Great Celestial Worthy, the Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Vault. We pray that the calamity of famine in years of poor harvest may be dispelled.

We sincerely take refuge in and pay homage to the Jade Emperor, the Great Celestial Worthy, the Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Vault. We pray that the calamity of poverty and hardship may be dispelled.

We sincerely take refuge in and pay homage to the Jade Emperor, the Great Celestial Worthy, the Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Vault. We pray that the calamities caused by all kinds of serious illness, including scabies, ringworm, leprosy, and boils, may be dispelled.

We sincerely take refuge in and pay homage to the Jade Emperor, the Great Celestial Worthy, the Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Vault. We pray that sorrow, grief, pain, and distress may be dispelled.

We sincerely take refuge in and pay homage to the Jade Emperor, the Great Celestial Worthy, the Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Vault. We pray that the suffering of day and night without peace may be dispelled.

We sincerely take refuge in and pay homage to the Jade Emperor, the Great Celestial Worthy, the Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Vault. We pray that the calamities of unforeseen misfortune and evil befalling us may be dispelled.

We sincerely take refuge in and pay homage to the Jade Emperor, the Great Celestial Worthy, the Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Vault. We pray that the calamity of imprisonment and confinement may be dispelled.

We sincerely take refuge in and pay homage to the Jade Emperor, the Great Celestial Worthy, the Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Vault. We pray that the calamity of accidentally injuring ourselves may be dispelled.

We sincerely take refuge in and pay homage to the Jade Emperor, the Great Celestial Worthy, the Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Vault. We pray that the calamity of accidentally ingesting poison may be dispelled.

We respectfully and sincerely take refuge in and pay homage to the Great Heavenly Venerable Jade Emperor, the Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Firmament, praying to be spared disasters such as harm from tigers, wolves, venomous snakes, or accidental poisoning; wronged enemies and bitter foes; encounters with evil people; being slaughtered or dismembered; being pushed from a cliff; attacks by malevolent spirits; calamities involving water or fire; sudden violence from weapons; and premature death by accident.

Everyone recites the Jade Emperor’s Eulogy once, a text praising the Jade Emperor.

Once again, we respectfully and sincerely take refuge in and pay homage to the Great Heavenly Venerable Jade Emperor, the Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Firmament, praying to be spared sudden violence from weapons and accidental premature death.

Everyone recites the Jade Emperor’s Eulogy once more.

The disciples sincerely take refuge in body, spirit, and life with the Great Heavenly Worthy Jade Emperor, the Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Vault (the Jade Emperor). When we think of disciples such as so-and-so, we all have physical forms, yet possess little ability or virtue. For generations, it is difficult to escape calamities, and in lifetime after lifetime, misfortune is hard to avoid. All ordinary people have physical bodies and cannot escape the influence of the stars’ movements and the workings of fate. Moreover, as human beings, we cannot separate ourselves from destiny and karmic conditions. Heaven and Earth, too, have times of obstruction and decline; even the sun and moon undergo eclipses. When the Three Calamities and Eight Hardships, the Nine Afflictions and Ten Entanglements befall a person, they find no peace. When a year brings omens of disaster, the crops may fail.

The disciples have followed the teachings of the scriptures and devoted themselves to rites of repentance and averting calamity. With reverence, we pray that all calamities may be dispelled, that baleful stars may recede and disordered fortunes become favorable. May our prayers receive protection and deliverance; may fixed misfortune be transformed and past karmic conditions resolved. May all floods subside, all afflictions cease, lingering disasters be cleared away, and calamities be averted. May the disciples set out on the Great Dao and suffer no further disasters; though living in the dusty world, may all that they encounter bring good fortune and ease. May their household kin and all beings in the world enjoy long and peaceful lives, sound health, and lives that grow steadily more prosperous and abundant. The disciples sincerely bow their heads in gratitude to the supremely exalted Three Treasures of the Void Emperor and Perfect Truth, revered in Daoism.

Scroll Six of the Repentance of the Exalted Jade Emperor for Fulfilled Wishes

Scroll Seven of the Repentance of the Exalted Jade Emperor for Fulfilled Wishes

Accumulating Blessings

Through fasting and observance, we serve the Heavenly Emperor, hoping our sincerity will reach the spirits. Fragrant incense moves the divine, and its scent rises aloft. The disciples respectfully offer incense of the Dao, incense of De (Virtue/Power), incense of wisdom, incense of Wuwei (non-action), incense of purity, incense of naturalness, wondrous incense of the True Cavern, incense that transcends the Three Realms, and true incense of the Three Heavens. May its fragrance fill the jeweled towers and jade capital of the immortal realm, reach throughout the Dharma realm of the surrounding heavens, and be offered everywhere in worship.

The disciples make offerings throughout the Dharma realm of the surrounding heavens to the Heavenly Worthy Primordial Beginning, master who expounds the scriptures; the Heavenly Worthy Numinous Treasure, who carries the Jade Emperor; the Heavenly Worthy of the Dao and its Virtue, who transmits and expounds the sacred teachings; and the Great Heavenly Worthy Jade Emperor, Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Vault, who manifests throughout the heavens, as well as to the Emperor-Father, Radiant Majesty and Wondrous Bliss.

The presiding deities who expound this scripture are the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning, the Celestial Worthy of Numinous Treasure, who escorted the Jade Emperor, the Celestial Worthy of the Dao and its Virtue, who spread the sacred teachings, and the Great Celestial Worthy Jade Emperor, the Supreme Emperor of the Lofty Vault, who manifests throughout the heavens and rules the celestial realms. We also reverently invite the Jade Emperor’s father, King Guangyan Miaole; his mother, Empress Baoyueguang; the Tathagata King of Pure and Spontaneous Awakening; and the Lord Emperor of the High, Empty, Clear, and Luminous Heaven.

At the opening of the scripture assembly, a ritual gathering for expounding the scriptures, we first invite the Supreme Emperor of Jade Void, the Supreme Emperor of the Vast Heaven, the Five Emperors, and the Perfected Ones who compassionately save those in distress, answer calls for help, rescue the suffering, aid the living and deliver the dead, and protect the body with blessings. We also invite the Perfected Ones of wondrous practice, the Jade Maidens of Night Light, the Jade Maidens of Numinous Grace, and all the Primordial Ladies. We further invite the Golden Immortals of the Three Ages, Mahayana Bodhisattvas, the countless Supreme Emperors of the Ten Directions, the Great Emperors of the Three Origins and Three Offices, the Perfected Lords of the Four Sages of the North Pole, the Southern Stars and Northern Dipper, the stars throughout the heavens, the Perfected Immortals who guard the North Pole, the Great Immortals of Spontaneity, and the Celestial Perfected Sovereigns.

We also invite the Perfected Lord, Great Celestial Master of the Three Heavens, who supports the teachings and assists the Origin; the Emperor Lord of the Nine Heavens, who opens and enlightens the world and administers blessings; the Emperor Lord Pure Yang, who expounds the teachings and awakens the world, known as Fu You; the Perfected White One, Jade Toad of the Grotto Mystery, who benefits the world; the Primordial Lady Purple Void, who initiated the teachings of Clear Subtlety and protects the immortals; and ritual masters of the Numinous Treasure, Dao and its Virtue, Orthodox Unity, and Complete Perfection traditions. The scripture also invites the venerable masters of the Dao and the assembly of immortals who, through the generations, transmitted the Dao, taught its precepts, explained the teachings, and delivered people. We further invite the celestial generals serving the various offices of the Thunder Court, the officials who administer ritual registers, seals, and commands, the flying divine kings of the Ten Directions, celestial soldiers and strongmen, and the armies of the immortals.

We also invite the Perfected Lords of the Five Sacred Peaks, the holy beings of the terrestrial and aquatic realms, the City Gods, plague gods, fire gods, and other deities; merit officers and talisman messengers, local numinous officials, the myriad spirits of the Three Realms, and the rulers of the Ten Directions. All Perfected Immortals who are summoned by this ritual gathering are invited to receive the offerings of incense together.

We beseech all the deities to look down upon us with compassion. I, your disciple, respectfully submit this petition, praying that the deities respond and grant what has been requested. On this auspicious day, I sincerely arrange incense, flowers, lamps, candles, and fruit, and take refuge in and make offerings to the deities. I humbly ask them to leave their heavenly palaces for a time and descend to the ritual altar in the human world, to look kindly upon my reverence, accept these modest offerings, and recognize my earnest prayers, responding to this humble yet sincere heart. I, your disciple, rely upon the deities’ great compassion to proclaim the rite of repentance. Begin.

All those in the Daoist sanctuary devote themselves wholeheartedly, kneeling in reverence as they bow and repent.

In accordance with the rites

The official named So-and-so, who holds a Daoist register and the corresponding office, leads the register holders. The disciples of the Great Dao, named So-and-so and others, respectfully and devoutly bow once more, submitting their petitions and prayers to the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), the highest sages; the Supreme Jade Emperor; the imperial father and mother; all the most holy and perfectly true divine beings; the Three Treasures; the Three Realms; and all true spirits.

We respectfully hear that the Jade Emperor dwells in the supreme, boundless emptiness of the Northern Pole. He has perfected a pure Dao-body and cultivated austerities that are difficult to undertake yet he undertakes them. He relieves the suffering of the underworld and saves those in the world; he proclaims the teachings of the Orthodox Way and reveals divine powers. He supports the state and protects its people, bestowing wealth and even giving up his own flesh and blood. He opened the Daoist canon and expounded sacred scriptures, teaching the Mahayana way of the Bodhisattvas so that people might understand the wondrous, mysterious Great Dao of the Golden Immortals. He is the compassionate father, truly a great man: supremely holy and compassionate, possessed of great mercy and great vows. Nothing like him existed in ages past, and his praises can never be exhausted. With earnest hearts, we praise this wondrous Great Dao. The Jade Emperor is the compassionate father, truly a great man: supremely holy and compassionate, possessed of great mercy and great vows. Nothing like him existed in ages past, and his praises can never be exhausted. With utmost sincerity, we wholeheartedly revere and take refuge in him, bowing in worship, proclaiming the name of the revered deity, contemplating his divine form, following his teachings, and offering prayers in accordance with the scriptures on behalf of our departed ancestors, our living family members, all beings in the world, and the souls of the dead in the long night of the underworld.

All recite together:

The Most High, boundless Heaven of Miro; the wondrous existent, mysterious and true realm. The purple-gold palaces rise high and stretch far; the Taiwei Jade-Clear Palace is noble and majestic. The holy one, supreme beyond all limits, is vast and boundless, radiating light; still and profound, beyond measure. Mysterious principles govern the ten directions, pure and tranquil, constant and unchanging; divine powers are vast, deep beyond fathoming. The Great Celestial Worthy Jade Emperor, Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Vault.

All bow once.

We sincerely return our lives in reverence and worship, praying for peace, joy, and a good name that will spread far. The Great Celestial Worthy Jade Emperor, Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Vault.

We sincerely return our lives in reverence and worship, praying that women may give birth safely, with mother and child both well. The Great Celestial Worthy Jade Emperor, Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Vault.

We sincerely return our lives in reverence and worship, praying for quick and agile thought, understanding, and wisdom. The Great Celestial Worthy Jade Emperor, Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Vault.

We sincerely return our lives in reverence and worship, praying that women may give birth safely, with mother and child both well. The Great Celestial Worthy Jade Emperor, Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Vault.

We sincerely turn to and pay homage to the Great Heavenly Venerable Jade Emperor, the Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Vault (an honorific title for the Jade Emperor in Daoism), praying for quick and clear thinking, wisdom and discernment, and respect among others.

We sincerely turn to and pay homage to the Great Heavenly Venerable Jade Emperor, the Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Vault, praying for the help of influential benefactors, the favor of the ruler, and promotion to a higher position.

We sincerely turn to and pay homage to the Great Heavenly Venerable Jade Emperor, the Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Vault, praying for abundant wealth and never lacking food or clothing.

We sincerely turn to and pay homage to the Great Heavenly Venerable Jade Emperor, the Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Vault, praying that blessings extend to our descendants and endure through generations.

We sincerely turn to and pay homage to the Great Heavenly Venerable Jade Emperor, the Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Vault, praying for abundant harvests and peace and stability among the people.

We sincerely turn to and pay homage to the Great Heavenly Venerable Jade Emperor, the Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Vault, praying that the harm brought by inauspicious stars be transformed into good fortune.

We sincerely turn to and pay homage to the Great Heavenly Venerable Jade Emperor, the Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Vault, praying that this person’s merit and virtue be clear and unobstructed.

We sincerely turn to and pay homage to the Great Heavenly Venerable Jade Emperor, the Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Vault, praying that calamities and misfortunes be dispelled, and life be peaceful and at ease.

We sincerely turn to and pay homage to the Great Heavenly Venerable Jade Emperor, the Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Vault, praying that this person speak little yet earn others’ respect, and be treated with courtesy wherever they go.

We sincerely turn to and pay homage to the Great Heavenly Venerable Jade Emperor, the Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Vault, praying for an eminent position and the esteem of others, bringing honor and prosperity to the family.

We sincerely turn to and pay homage to the Great Heavenly Venerable Jade Emperor, the Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Vault, praying for good fortune and prosperity, with disasters and obstacles unable to intrude.

We sincerely turn to and pay homage to the Great Heavenly Venerable Jade Emperor, the Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Vault, praying for deep roots in the Dao and for good karmic ties formed in the past.

We sincerely turn to and pay homage to the Great Heavenly Venerable Jade Emperor, the Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Vault, praying that seeds of the Dao planted in the past (the causes and conditions for cultivating the Dao) be nurtured, and that blessings and merit be accumulated widely.

We sincerely turn to and pay homage to the Great Heavenly Venerable Jade Emperor, the Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Vault, praying to obtain an immortal elixir…

We respectfully and sincerely bow and pray to the Great Heavenly Worthy Jade Emperor, the Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Vault—the highest celestial deity revered in Daoism. May the Dao affinity we have planted in the past continue to grow, and may we widely practice good deeds and accumulate blessings and De.

We respectfully and sincerely bow and pray: may we obtain wondrous immortal elixirs and treasures as we wish.

We respectfully and sincerely bow and pray: may the blessings bestowed by Heaven arise naturally, growing ever deeper and more secure.

We respectfully and sincerely bow and pray: may our spiritual consciousness be reborn in a pure land, taking birth within a lotus.

We respectfully and sincerely bow and pray: may treasures of the celestial realms adorn and dignify our bodies.

We respectfully and sincerely bow and pray: may the Good-Speech Youth speak on our behalf to the Three Officials, deities who oversee the affairs of Heaven, Earth, and Water.

We respectfully and sincerely bow and pray: may our names be removed from the Black Register and blessings and longevity be entered for us in the Green Register, which records merits, faults, and allotted years.

We respectfully and sincerely bow and pray: may the assembled Immortals honor and praise us, and may our departed loved ones ascend to Heaven.

We respectfully and sincerely bow and pray: may disasters accumulated in the past be dispelled, and may every place we go be reached with ease and success.

We respectfully and sincerely bow and pray: may we be spared harm from thieves, and may our wishes be fulfilled.

We respectfully and sincerely bow and pray: may floods, fires, and sudden calamities vanish without a trace.

We respectfully and sincerely bow and pray: may our dreams at night be auspicious, and may illness leave us undisturbed.

We respectfully and sincerely bow and pray: may our wisdom and intelligence increase, bringing joy to those who see us.

We respectfully and sincerely bow and pray: may we have ample food and clothing, and may our descendants attain distinction and honor.

We sincerely worship and devote ourselves to the Great Celestial Venerable Jade Emperor (the Jade Emperor), praying that our close family—parents, siblings, spouses, children, and other relatives—may live in joy and harmony.

We sincerely worship and devote ourselves to the Great Celestial Venerable Jade Emperor, praying that the karmic retribution of the three evil realms may be dispelled and that we may be reborn as men.

We sincerely worship and devote ourselves to the Great Celestial Venerable Jade Emperor, praying for dignified and proper features and harmony within our family.

We sincerely worship and devote ourselves to the Great Celestial Venerable Jade Emperor, praying that the karmic retribution of the three evil realms may be dispelled and that we may be reborn as men.

We sincerely worship and devote ourselves to the Great Celestial Venerable Jade Emperor, praying for dignified and proper features and that we may one day become ministers who assist the state.

We sincerely worship and devote ourselves to the Great Celestial Venerable Jade Emperor, praying that in this life we may have the good fortune to encounter the Great Dao and earn the reverence of spirits and deities.

We sincerely worship and devote ourselves to the Great Celestial Venerable Jade Emperor, praying to attain the supernatural power of knowing past lives—the ability to know our own and others’ previous lives—and to receive the protection of all the gods.

We sincerely worship and devote ourselves to the Great Celestial Venerable Jade Emperor, praying that our nine clans—relatives on our father’s and mother’s sides, as well as our wife’s family—may receive blessings and enjoy long lives in this world.

We sincerely worship and devote ourselves to the Great Celestial Venerable Jade Emperor, praying that sentient beings may rely on wholesome teachings and be welcomed and protected by the Demon King.

We sincerely worship and devote ourselves to the Great Celestial Venerable Jade Emperor, praying to transcend the Three Realms—the Desire Realm, the Form Realm, and the Formless Realm—completely and ascend to Heaven in broad daylight.

All present recite the “Proclamation of the Jade Emperor” once together.

We sincerely take refuge in the gods, in the body, and in nature and life, and devote ourselves to the Great Celestial Venerable Jade Emperor. We recite again: “We, disciples so-and-so and others, wander in the cycle of rebirth in the mortal world, adrift…” (The text that follows here is unclear.)

All present recite the “Proclamation of the Jade Emperor” once together.

We reverently entrust our bodies, minds, nature, and life to the Great Heavenly Worthy of the Jade Emperor, the Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Vault. We also reflect that we, the disciples, drift and turn through the cycles of rebirth in the mortal world, rising and falling without certainty. If we do not cultivate and accumulate good causes, how can we gather blessings? Lofty merit and virtue surely come from those who cultivate the Dao and seek immortality. Nor can ordinary humans or heavenly beings readily bring the cultivation of good thoughts to perfect maturity. We have not yet reached the land of immortals; how, then, could we be born in heaven? Therefore, we presume to speak and specially beseech the Supreme Emperor.

In accordance with the teachings of the wondrous scriptures, we understand that blessings come through reciting the scriptures. Now, with sincere hearts, we burn incense and pray, hoping for the Supreme Emperor’s compassionate benevolence. May your grace spread everywhere like mist and dew, bringing exceptional good fortune to every household. May the kind and auspicious wind reach all nations and bring abundant blessings. May every kind of good fortune descend and our households prosper; may all Five Blessings be complete, and may life be peaceful and upright. May the Supreme Emperor’s grace be boundless and his blessings deep and abundant. Trusting in his compassionate mercy, may calamities be dispelled; we also pray for pity and forgiveness, and for our sins to be pardoned. May all share in lasting blessings and enter together into a state of benevolence and longevity, as if dwelling in a wondrous immortal realm, far from the turmoil of the mundane world. We reverently bow our heads, pay homage, and give thanks to the Three Treasures of the Supreme, Empty, August, and True.

The Seventh and Eighth Scrolls of the Precious Repentance for Fulfilling All Wishes to the High Jade Emperor

Attaining Perfection

By observing the fasts and precepts and serving the Supreme Emperor, we hope that our devotion may reach the spirits. By burning and offering fragrant incense to move the spirits, we rely on its rising smoke to carry our prayers up to heaven. We reverently offer incense of the Dao, incense of De (Virtue/Power), incense of wisdom, incense of Wuwei (non-action), incense of purity, incense of naturalness, wondrous incense of the Cavern of Truth, incense that transcends the Three Realms, and true incense of the Three Heavens. May its fragrance fill the Jade Capital and its jeweled halls, reaching throughout the Dharma Realm of heaven and earth, as an offering to all the spirits.

The Teaching Sovereign who expounds scriptures, Yuanshi Tianzun (Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning); the Celestial Worthy, Lord of the Dao, who embraced and sent forth the Jade Emperor; Daode Tianzun, who proclaims the sagely teaching; and the Great Celestial Worthy Jade Emperor, the High Emperor of the Mysterious Vault, who manifests in all heavens; the Jade Emperor’s father, King Guangyan Miaole (Radiant Solidity and Wondrous Joy), and mother, Queen Baoyueguang (Precious Moonlight); and also the Tathagata King of Pure, Natural Enlightenment (Qingjing Ziran Juewang Rulai) and the High Void Pure Bright Heavenly Lord and Emperor (Gaoxu Qingming Tianzhu Dijun).

At the scripture lecture (the Dharma seat for expounding scriptures), I reverently petition the Jade Worthy (Yuzun), Daode Tianzun who proclaims the sagely teaching, the Great Celestial Worthy Jade Emperor, the High Emperor of the Mysterious Vault who manifests in all heavens, as well as the Jade Emperor’s parents, the Tathagata King of Pure, Natural Enlightenment, and the High Void Pure Bright Heavenly Lord and Emperor. I also reverently petition the Jade Void Emperor (Yuxu Shangdi), Haotian Shangdi, the Five Elders Emperors, the Perfected One of Compassion who saves from adversity, the Perfected One who hears cries and saves from suffering, the Perfected One who aids the living and delivers the dead, the Perfected One of Myriad Blessings who protects the body, and the Perfected One of Wondrous Practice; the Jade Maiden of Night Light, the Jade Maiden Lingfei, and all Primordial Sovereign Ladies; the golden immortals and Mahayana bodhisattvas of the past, present, and future three ages; the infinite supreme sage emperors of the ten directions; the Great Emperors of the Three Primes and Three Officials; the Four Sagely Perfected Lords of the North Pole; the Southern Culmen and Northern Dipper, the stars of the entire heavens, and all the immortals and perfected ones who guard the North Pole; and the Great Immortal of Nature and the Celestial Perfected August Person (Tianzhen Huangren).

I also respectfully invite the Perfected Lord Celestial Master (Tianshi Zhenjun) of the Great Dharma, who supports the teaching and assists the Origin in the Three Heavens; the Emperor Lord of Great Benevolence, Controller of Emoluments, who opens transformation in the Nine Heavens; the Emperor Lord Chunyang Fuyou (Pure Yang, the Helper), who propagates the teaching and awakens transformation; the Perfected Bai Yuchan (Jade Toad) of Dongxuan (Cavern Mystery), who benefits the world; and the Primordial Sovereign Lady of Purple Void, who founded the Qingwei teaching and protects the immortals; as well as the virtuous masters and immortal assemblies of the Lingbao, Daode, Zhengyi, and Quanzhen traditions who transmit texts and confer the Dao, expound scriptures, propagate teachings, and save the world. I also invite the celestial generals of the various thunder bureaus, the official lords in charge of Fulu (talismans and registers), seals, and commands, the flying celestial kings of the ten directions, the heavenly soldiers and strongmen, and all immortal troops; and the Perfected Lords of the Five Peaks, the holy assembly governing the earth and waters, the City Gods (Chenghuang), plague gods and fire gods, merit officers and talisman envoys, local spirit officials, all spirits of the Three Realms, and the rulers of the ten directions.

May all the true immortals who have come in response to the Dharma feast accept the offering of this stick of true incense. I reverently pray that the Celestial Worthy in compassion will look down upon us. I hereby report this, praying that my wish may reach the heavenly hearing and that my prayer may be answered. Today is an auspicious day; with utmost sincerity I set out the ritual: arranging incense and flowers, I take refuge and pay homage; I broadly display lamps, candles, and offering fruits as offerings. I respectfully ask the Celestial Worthy to leave the heavenly palace for a time and descend to the human Dharma feast, to look down upon my sincere heart and accept these meager gifts of gratitude, as modest as duckweed and artemisia; I earnestly ask you to perceive and pity the supplicant’s earnest heart and to fulfill this tiny sincerity, as small as grass and mustard. Relying on the Celestial Worthy’s great compassion and great mercy, I proclaim the method of repentance. Raise [the ...].

Everyone in the ritual assembly is wholly focused and devout, offering ping and fan—herbs and vegetables used in sacrifice—to express gratitude. They pray earnestly, asking Heaven to recognize our sincerity, slight as grass and weeds, and to grant compassionately. Now, before the Most High Compassionate Lord, we proclaim the method of repentance.

Everyone in the ritual assembly gives their full attention, kneeling for a long time as they perform the rites of repentance.

In accordance with the ritual.

Your ministers, the registered officials, [name], and the disciples of the Great Dao who hold the registers, [name], respectfully bow twice with utmost sincerity and report to the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), the Supreme Jade Emperor, the Imperial Father and Imperial Mother, all the honored deities who are supremely sacred and true, and all the true spirits of the Three Treasures and the Three Realms.

We, your ministers, have heard that the Supreme Jade Emperor sits upright upon a radiant throne, and, in the assembly of the Primordial Heavenly Worthy, personally apprehends the Dharma Gate of Nonduality—a path of cultivation that returns to a single principle—and silently manifests the full six supernatural powers. Sublime and perfect, pure and unstained, the Jade Emperor guides all beings to salvation through many honored titles. Endowed with wisdom and eloquence, the Jade Emperor is revered as the compassionate father of the Four Kinds of Birth: womb-born, egg-born, moisture-born, and transformation-born beings. The Jade Emperor is the supreme numinous sage and the utmost sovereign of the Dao; the Imperial body is the body of the Dao, and its Dharma body is no ordinary form. The Jade Emperor is the Sacred Ancestor of Primordial Unity and the honored teacher of the Three Realms, supremely holy and compassionate, with great mercy and great vows. The Jade Emperor’s merit is without precedent, and praise for it can never be exhausted. We, your ministers, pray and praise with all our hearts and strength. May this devotion extend to ancestors who have passed away, relatives who are still living, all beings in the human world, and wandering spirits in the long night. The assembly gives its heart in reverence, takes refuge and pays homage, chants the honored titles, visualizes the sacred countenance, follows the teachings, and offers blessings in accordance with the scriptures.

The assembly chants:

Above, the Supreme Heaven of Miro; the wondrous presence and mysterious reality, vast and profound; the Violet-Gold Palace, lofty and boundless. Within the Jade Clarity Palace of Taiwei stands the holy and supreme one without limit. Heaven and earth open wide and shine with light; still and spacious, with nowhere to return or belong. The mysterious law gathers in all ten directions, deep and tranquil, constant and unchanging; its spiritual powers are vast and beyond measure. We pay homage and praise the Great Heavenly Worthy, the Jade Emperor, Supreme Sovereign of the Mysterious Vault. Each person bows once.

We, your ministers, sincerely entrust our lives and pay homage. May dark hair and rosy cheeks return, and may our appearance regain the freshness of youth. We pay homage and praise the Great Heavenly Worthy, the Jade Emperor, Supreme Sovereign of the Mysterious Vault.

We, your ministers, sincerely entrust our lives and pay homage. May the young and the children shine with vitality and be graced with beautiful countenances. We pay homage and praise the Great Heavenly Worthy, the Jade Emperor, Supreme Sovereign of the Mysterious Vault.

With utmost sincerity, we take refuge and pay homage, praying that we may be born in the vast palaces of the heavens in all ten directions, and reverently serve the Great Celestial Worthy, the Jade Emperor, Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Firmament.

With utmost sincerity, we take refuge and pay homage, praying that we may roam freely through sacred realms and hear the teachings of the Dao, and reverently serve the Great Celestial Worthy, the Jade Emperor, Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Firmament.

With utmost sincerity, we take refuge and pay homage, praying that we may be born in the vast palaces of the heavens in all ten directions, and reverently serve the Great Celestial Worthy, the Jade Emperor, Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Firmament.

With utmost sincerity, we take refuge and pay homage, praying that we may roam freely through sacred realms and hear the teachings of the Dao, and reverently serve the Great Celestial Worthy, the Jade Emperor, Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Firmament.

With utmost sincerity, we take refuge and pay homage, praying that we may cultivate and practice in accordance with the teachings, and ultimately ascend to truth and attain the Dao, becoming perfected immortals, and reverently serve the Great Celestial Worthy, the Jade Emperor, Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Firmament.

With utmost sincerity, we take refuge and pay homage, praying that we may cultivate diligently and uphold the teachings of the Dao, ultimately attaining the path of the immortals, and reverently serve the Great Celestial Worthy, the Jade Emperor, Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Firmament.

With utmost sincerity, we take refuge and pay homage, praying that the Jade Maidens, attendants of the deities, may descend bearing their ceremonial banners to welcome us, and reverently serve the Great Celestial Worthy, the Jade Emperor, Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Firmament.

With utmost sincerity, we take refuge and pay homage, praying that we may attain the power of knowing past lives, our own and those of others, and follow the Great Dao, and reverently serve the Great Celestial Worthy, the Jade Emperor, Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Firmament.

With utmost sincerity, we take refuge and pay homage, praying that through repeated cultivation we may continually advance until we reach the far shore of the Dao, and reverently serve the Great Celestial Worthy, the Jade Emperor, Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Firmament.

With utmost sincerity, we take refuge and pay homage, praying that we may cultivate the true and study the Dao, and fully understand the principles of life and death, and reverently serve the Great Celestial Worthy, the Jade Emperor, Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Firmament.

With utmost sincerity, we take refuge and pay homage, praying that we may roam freely and at ease, and become sages among the people, and reverently serve the Great Celestial Worthy, the Jade Emperor, Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Firmament.

With utmost sincerity, we take refuge and pay homage, praying that our virtue and wisdom may remain ever fresh, and that we may keep company with the perfected immortals, and reverently serve the Great Celestial Worthy, the Jade Emperor, Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Firmament.

With utmost sincerity, we take refuge and pay homage, praying that we may become perfected immortals in the Nine Heavens, and reverently serve the Great Celestial Worthy, the Jade Emperor, Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Firmament.

With utmost sincerity, we take refuge and pay homage, praying that the Taizhen ladies who attend the immortal court, together with the Jade Consorts of the immortal realms, may brush clean our seats for us, and reverently serve the Great Celestial Worthy, the Jade Emperor, Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Firmament.

With reverence and sincerity, we take refuge and bow in worship. May the myriad gods array themselves in order, and the divine beings of the heavens descend upon the ritual altar. We pay homage to the Great Heavenly Worthy, the Jade Emperor, the Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Heavens—the honorific title of the Jade Emperor.

With reverence and sincerity, we take refuge and bow in worship. May the guardian generals of the Three Realms—the heavens, earth, and human realm—and the Five Emperors come to welcome us. We pay homage to the Great Heavenly Worthy, the Jade Emperor, the Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Heavens.

With reverence and sincerity, we take refuge and bow in worship. May we dwell amid the radiance of five-colored auspicious clouds, shining with brilliant light. We pay homage to the Great Heavenly Worthy, the Jade Emperor, the Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Heavens.

With reverence and sincerity, we take refuge and bow in worship. When we ascend to the celestial palace, may the assembled immortals and perfected beings come to welcome us. We pay homage to the Great Heavenly Worthy, the Jade Emperor, the Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Heavens.

With reverence and sincerity, we take refuge and bow in worship. May we at once realize the highest and most wondrous Dao. We pay homage to the Great Heavenly Worthy, the Jade Emperor, the Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Heavens.

With reverence and sincerity, we take refuge and bow in worship. May the Five Emperors lend their support, and may we summon and command the immortals. We pay homage to the Great Heavenly Worthy, the Jade Emperor, the Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Heavens.

With reverence and sincerity, we take refuge and bow in worship. May divine officials heed our commands, and may we set Yin and Yang in motion and bring them into harmony. We pay homage to the Great Heavenly Worthy, the Jade Emperor, the Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Heavens.

With reverence and sincerity, we take refuge and bow in worship. May the many spirit officials honor us, and may the myriad gods revere and obey us. We pay homage to the Great Heavenly Worthy, the Jade Emperor, the Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Heavens.

With reverence and sincerity, we take refuge and bow in worship. May every kind of evil spirit keep away from our path, and may the hordes of demons be subdued and bound. We pay homage to the Great Heavenly Worthy, the Jade Emperor, the Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Heavens.

With reverence and sincerity, we take refuge and bow in worship. May we roam freely, at ease, and endure forever with the Dao. We pay homage to the Great Heavenly Worthy, the Jade Emperor, the Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Heavens.

With reverence and sincerity, we take refuge and bow in worship. May we attain a body of merit and virtue, sheltering all sentient beings. We pay homage to the Great Heavenly Worthy, the Jade Emperor, the Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Heavens.

With reverence and sincerity, we take refuge and bow in worship. May we attain a body endowed with spiritual powers, drawing every auspicious thing to gather around us. We pay homage to the Great Heavenly Worthy, the Jade Emperor, the Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Heavens.

With reverence and sincerity, we take refuge and bow in worship. May we attain a pure and pristine body, beyond the reach of every evil deed. We pay homage to the Great Heavenly Worthy, the Jade Emperor, the Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Heavens.

We take refuge in the Great Heavenly Worthy, the Jade Emperor, the Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Heavens.

With reverence and sincerity, we take refuge and pay homage, praying to attain a pure body, untouched by any evil karma. Homage to the Great Heavenly Venerable Jade Emperor, Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Vault.

With reverence and sincerity, we take refuge and pay homage, praying to attain a majestic and virtuous body, beyond the control of heavenly demons and heterodox paths. Homage to the Great Heavenly Venerable Jade Emperor, Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Vault.

With reverence and sincerity, we take refuge and pay homage, praying to attain a peerless body, so that the Lord’s praises may spread far and wide and all the gods may come to honor and protect us. Homage to the Great Heavenly Venerable Jade Emperor, Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Vault.

With reverence and sincerity, we take refuge and pay homage, praying to attain an indestructible body, unharmed by evil kalpas or great calamities. Homage to the Great Heavenly Venerable Jade Emperor, Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Vault.

With reverence and sincerity, we take refuge and pay homage, praying to attain a body embodying the Daoist canon, containing the Great Dao and the merit of the scriptures, so that the words we speak may inspire reverence and admiration in ghosts and spirits. Homage to the Great Heavenly Venerable Jade Emperor, Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Vault.

With reverence and sincerity, we take refuge and pay homage, praying to attain a compassionate body, whose benevolent power may benefit all beings who wander through the six realms of existence: heaven, humanity, asuras, animals, hungry ghosts, and hell. Homage to the Great Heavenly Venerable Jade Emperor, Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Vault.

With reverence and sincerity, we take refuge and pay homage, praying to attain a body embodying the Daoist canon, so that the words we speak may inspire reverence and admiration in ghosts and spirits. Homage to the Great Heavenly Venerable Jade Emperor, Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Vault.

With reverence and sincerity, we take refuge and pay homage, praying to attain a compassionate body, whose benevolent power may benefit all beings in the six realms. Homage to the Great Heavenly Venerable Jade Emperor, Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Vault.

With reverence and sincerity, we take refuge and pay homage, praying to attain a body embodying the Great Dao, free from fear and calamity wherever we may go. Homage to the Great Heavenly Venerable Jade Emperor, Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Vault.

With reverence and sincerity, we take refuge and pay homage, praying to attain the body of a good physician, bringing people peace and happiness through virtuous deeds and wondrous teachings. Homage to the Great Heavenly Venerable Jade Emperor, Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Vault.

With reverence and sincerity, we take refuge and pay homage, praying to attain a luminous body, constantly sheltered by the radiance of the Heavenly Emperor. Homage to the Great Heavenly Venerable Jade Emperor, Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Vault.

With reverence and sincerity, we take refuge and pay homage, praying to attain a free and unencumbered body, able to roam at will forever in the wondrous realms of the celestial palaces. Homage to the Great Heavenly Venerable Jade Emperor, Supreme Lord of the Mysterious Vault.

The assembly recites the Jade Emperor’s Proclamation once.

The disciples sincerely take refuge in the spirit, the body, and nature and life. They reverently honor the Great Celestial Venerable Jade Emperor, the High Emperor of the Mysterious Vault. We also reflect that we, the disciples whose names are listed, have not been diligent enough in seeking the Dao and have grown lax in cultivating the Real. Now, studying this scripture anew, we understand how precious it is to persevere in practice. Anyone who recites this scripture may receive the honored title of Perfected One; those who grasp its profound principles may hope to attain the Dao of immortality in its fullness. We bow again and again with reverence, praying to receive Heaven’s blessings.

With one heart, we vow to recite and proclaim the scripture together. In particular, we pray that obstacles be removed and faults resolved, so that we may investigate the mysteries and enter the realm of the Dao. We now respectfully perform a rite of averting misfortune and expressing gratitude, praying for the support of the Ancestor of the Dao. May the Dao’s Qi gather, allowing sunken souls to rise and soar. May Heaven’s blessings grow ever more secure, enabling us to travel through sacred realms and hear the sound of the teachings. May our spiritual consciousness transcend the eight directions and roam freely, radiant amid auspicious clouds of five colors. May we ultimately attain the fruit of the Dao and no longer be confined by mortal bodies. May the spirits of the Three Realms serve and protect us, welcoming and guiding us, and may the many spirits look upon us with reverence and submit. May our ancestors who have passed away, and our teachers and fellow cultivators still living, all enter the mysterious gate and together reach the far shore of the Dao. The disciples sincerely bow their heads in gratitude to the supreme, empty Emperor, the True One, and the Three Treasures.

The Eighth Scroll of the Precious Repentance of the High Jade Emperor, Who Fulfills All Wishes

The Ninth Scroll of the Precious Repentance of the High Jade Emperor, Who Fulfills All Wishes

Concluding Prayer

With fasting and reverence, we honor the Celestial Emperor, hoping that our utmost sincerity will reach the spirits and receive a response in the unseen depths. We move the spirits with fragrant offerings, sending the rising incense smoke up to Heaven. The disciples respectfully offer the incense of the Dao, the incense of De (Virtue/Power), the incense of wisdom, the incense of Wuwei (non-action), the incense of purity, the incense of naturalness, the wondrous incense of the Cavern of Truth, the incense that transcends the Three Realms, and the incense of the True Ones of the Three Heavens. These incenses symbolize the virtues and states of cultivation along the Dao. May their fragrance fill the Jade Towers and Jade Capital—the palaces of Heaven—and reach throughout the ritual realm of the cosmos, encompassing the whole world and all the heavens. We offer them everywhere in worship.

We respectfully present offerings to the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning, who proclaims the scriptures and teachings; the Celestial Worthy who escorts the Jade Emperor Dao Lord; the Celestial Worthy of the Dao and De, who spreads the sacred teachings; and the Great Celestial Venerable Jade Emperor, the High Emperor of the Mysterious Vault, who manifests in all the heavens. We also present offerings to the Imperial Father and Radiant Majesty of Wondrous Bliss, and throughout the Jade Towers and Jade Capital and the ritual realm of the cosmos.

The honored teachers who proclaim this scripture are the Celestial Worthy of the Primordial Beginning; the Dao Lord Celestial Worthy, who escorts the Jade Emperor; the Celestial Worthy of the Dao and its Virtue, who spreads the sacred teachings; and the Great Celestial Worthy, the Jade Emperor, Supreme Lord of the Lofty Vault of the Mysterious Firmament, who manifests throughout the heavens and rules the vault of the sky. The Jade Emperor’s father was the King of the Kingdom of Radiant Majesty and Wondrous Joy, and his mother was the Empress of Precious Moonlight. Also present are such revered deities as the Tathagata, King of Pure and Natural Awakening, and the Lord Sovereign of the High Void and Clear Light.

At this assembly for expounding the scripture, we respectfully invite the God of the Jade Void, the God of the Vast Heavens, the Five Elder Gods, and all the perfected beings who, with compassion, rescue those in distress, sustain life, deliver the dead, and protect all blessings. We invite the Maidens of Luminous Radiance and Numina, the Jade Maidens, and all the Primordial Ladies; the Golden Immortals and Mahayana bodhisattvas of the three ages—past, present, and future; the sacred beings of the ten directions and the countless sovereigns; the Great Emperors of the Three Origins and Three Offices; the Perfected Lords of the Four Sages of the North Pole; the Southern Dipper, Northern Dipper, and the stars throughout the heavens; and all the immortals and perfected beings who guard the North Pole.

We also respectfully invite the Perfected Lord, Great Celestial Master of the Three Heavens, who supports the teachings and assists the Primordial Source; the Imperial Lord of Benevolence, who opens and transforms the nine heavens and administers blessings and official rank; the Imperial Lord of Pure Yang, who expounds the teachings and awakens through admonition; the Perfected Bai of the Toad, benefactor of the world through the Cavern of Mystery; and the Primordial Lady of the Purple Void, who opened the teachings of the Clear Tenuity tradition and preserves the immortals. We invite the virtuous masters and immortal assemblies of the Lingbao, Dao and De, Zhengyi, and Quanzhen traditions, who transmitted the teachings, wrote books, instructed disciples, clarified the doctrines, and delivered people from suffering. We further invite the celestial generals of the various offices of Thunder, the officials who administer ritual registers, seals, and commands, the flying divine kings of the ten directions, the celestial troops and mighty warriors, and the armies of the immortals; the Perfected Lords of the Five Sacred Peaks, the holy beings of the earth and waters, the City Gods, Plague Gods, Fire Gods, and other deities; the merit officers and talisman messengers, local numinous officials, the myriad spirits of the three realms, and all the sacred beings of the ten directions.

May this ritual assembly connect with the sacred beings, and may all the true immortals come to the altar. With pure, true incense, we make offerings everywhere to the sacred beings. We respectfully pray that the Celestial Worthy will look upon us with compassion. I make this formal announcement, praying that my intentions may reach the heavenly court and that what I seek may be granted.

On this auspicious day, we sincerely present our devotion, arrange incense and flowers, and reverently take refuge. We set out abundant lamps, candles, and fruit as respectful offerings. We invite the Celestial Worthy to leave the heavenly palace for a time and come in person to this ritual altar in the human world, to look down upon the disciples’ reverent devotion and accept our meager offerings, as humble as duckweed and mugwort, together with our expression of gratitude. We earnestly pray that the Celestial Worthy will understand our heartfelt supplication and respond to this sincerity, small as a blade of grass. The disciples, relying upon the Celestial Worthy’s great compassion, now respectfully proclaim the rite of repentance. Begin recitation.

All those in the ritual hall each contemplate with sincere devotion, kneeling for a long time to perform the rites of repentance.

The ritual is carried out according to its prescribed form.

I, a minister charged with the registers of the ritual tradition, by command of the Great Dao, pray earnestly to express my humble sincerity, as slight as a blade of grass. I look up to the supreme and compassionate deities and proclaim the teaching of repentance.

All those in the ritual hall each contemplate with sincere devotion, kneeling for a long time to perform the rites of repentance.

The ritual is carried out according to its prescribed form.

I, a minister charged with the registers of the ritual tradition, lead the disciples who cultivate in accordance with the Great Dao, including disciple So-and-so. With reverence and devotion, we bow again and present our petition to the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), the Jade Emperor, the Imperial Father and Imperial Mother, the most holy and perfected deities, the Three Treasures and the Three Realms of Heaven, Earth, and Water, and all perfected spirits.

We have respectfully heard that the wondrous realm of truth is vast without limit, and the Miro Heaven is lofty and boundless. The Great Dao is wondrous and profound, its rank supreme, with nothing above it. It is tranquil and deep, constant and unchanging, truly beyond the reach of words; its divine powers are vast and its depths immeasurable, likewise beyond the full description of language. Its laws are majestic and expansive, still and without anything on which to depend. The Jade Emperor is the supreme deity, ruler of the Golden Gate and Mysterious Firmament, the heavenly palace. He delivers living beings from birth and death and brings transformation and nurture into motion throughout all ages. Most holy and compassionate, his mercy is boundless and his vows profound, beyond anything before. His grace inspires praise that words cannot exhaust.

With earnest reverence and admiration, we pray to and praise the Holy Lord. May this devotion extend to our ancestors who have passed away, our living relatives, all beings in the human world, and the wandering souls of the long night. With all our hearts, we reverently take refuge and bow, praise the Holy Lord’s name, contemplate his form, follow the teachings, and make our prayers in accordance with the scriptures.

The assembly chants:

Supreme Taishang Miro Heaven, wondrous realm of truth; distant and misty Purple-Gold Palace, Taiwei Jade-Clear Palace; supreme Holy Lord, without limit or peer. Holy radiance vast, shining in all directions; still and deep, its source beyond discovery. Wondrous laws govern the ten directions; pure, constant, vast, and boundless, with divine powers beyond measure. We reverently bow to the Jade Emperor, Great Celestial Worthy, Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Firmament.

All perform one bow.

With single-minded devotion, we take refuge and bow. May the people throughout the land rejoice in song, and may the nation enjoy peace and stability. We reverently bow to the Jade Emperor, Great Celestial Worthy, Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Firmament.

With single-minded devotion, we take refuge and bow to the Supreme Emperor of the Firmament.

All perform one bow.

We sincerely take refuge in and pay homage to the Great Celestial Worthy, the Jade Emperor, the High Lord of the Mysterious Vault (an honorific title of the Jade Emperor). May all the people of the realm live in peace and prosperity, and may they praise the country’s peace.

We sincerely take refuge in and pay homage, praying that the dark and distant Ninefold Underworld—the realm of the dead—may vanish at once; that beings in the hells may be reborn in the heavens; and that the various Daoist teachings may be widely expounded throughout the worlds in the ten directions.

We sincerely take refuge in and pay homage, praying for beautiful, dignified, and extraordinary features; for a clear, melodious voice that people are glad to hear; and that all who hear this fragrance may receive guidance and deliverance.

We sincerely take refuge in and pay homage, praying that our hearts never falter and that we develop unwavering resolve; that this body be endowed with fine appearance, spiritual powers, and wisdom; and that, on hearing these teachings, all may awaken within.

We sincerely take refuge in and pay homage, praying that this body be endowed with fine appearance, spiritual powers, and wisdom; that, on hearing these teachings, all may awaken within; and that all beings may be reborn in the heavens and enjoy peace and happiness.

We sincerely take refuge in and pay homage, praying that divine light shine forth everywhere and illuminate the entire Dharma Realm—all the worlds reached by Buddhist and Daoist teachings; that all names be erased from the registers of ghosts, and that beings may be reborn in the Pure Land.

We sincerely take refuge in and pay homage, praying for the country…