《太上灵宝玉匮明真大斋忏方仪》

The East

We who perform the rites now burn incense and, gazing upward in reverence, invoke the Limitless Most High Celestial Worthy of Numinous Treasure (Lingbao) of the East, together with the great sages who have already attained the Dao (the Way) and the most perfected honored spirits (Shen); the Unsurpassed Mysterious Prime Elder Lord of the Mysterious Origin of Grand Clarity, of the Unsurpassed Three Heavens and the Limitless Great Dao (a venerated deity of Daoism); the Most High Elder, Imperial Lord Lao; the Imperial Elder, Supreme Perfected Heavenly Lord of Azure Numinosity; the Heavenly Lord’s Elder, Lord of the Nine Elders’ Immortal Metropolis; and the Nine Elder Lords, together with the one thousand two hundred official lords of the hundred-thousand-myriad layers of the Qi (vital energy) of the Dao; the Great Spirit of Azure Blossom, Elder of the Eastern Extremity beneath the Jade Majesty of Grand Clarity (the great spirit of the Azure Blossom world of the East); the Senior Minister and Marshal, Lord Azure Lad; the Latter Sage Thearch of the Golden Portal; the Divine Person of True Yang and Primordial Azure; the Nine Immortal Lords of Numinous Treasure; the Azure-Spirit Jade Maidens and the Four Perfected who preside over immortality; and all the honored numinous beings of the limitless world of the East.

We repent of the many faults we have committed in former lives and in this present life. Now, through the rites of prayer and confession, we earnestly beseech these honored deities to wash away these faults, so that our physical form may be purified, our spirit-consciousness may ascend into the azure heaven, and we may at last rise to the ranks of immortals and perfected ones, with blessings extending throughout the celestial realms. We also pray that the destiny of the nation may long endure, that the sovereign may enjoy boundless longevity, and that all the people of the world may share together in great peace. After we have attained the Dao, we shall ascend into the formless realm and become one with the Great Dao.

The South

We who carry out the rites now specially burn incense and respectfully offer thanksgiving to the Limitless Most High Celestial Worthy of Lingbao (Numinous Treasure) of the South (a venerated deity of Daoism); to the host of great sages who have already attained the Dao (the Way) and the honored lords and deities of supreme perfection; to Lord Lao of Cinnabar Numinosity, the Red Thearch of the Upper South of the Limitless Great Dao; to the Jade Maidens of Great Harmony, the Sima of Longevity, the Great Deity Who Cherishes Life, and Elder Lord Han; to the Lord of World-Salvation of the Southern Pole, who oversees destiny and keeps the registers; and to the flying celestial divine beings, the immortals who open the way to renewal and rebirth, the immortals who record the living in the Jade Almanac, the Lord of Myriad Blessings Who Saves the World, the Lord of Myriad Salvations and Myriad Lives, and all the honored spirits of the limitless world of the South.

We repent of the various faults and errors we have committed in past lives and in this life. Now, through this confession and acknowledgment of wrong, we earnestly beg the deities to cleanse these faults from us. May body and mind be pure, as lustrous and clear as Cinnabar Mound; may our spirit-consciousness dwell in the Crimson Watchtowers (the immortal palaces of which Daoism speaks). May we travel freely along the roads of heaven and rest among the clouds; may our rank be raised so that we become exalted Perfected Ones (high-ranking immortals who have attained the Dao), with blessings spread far and merit grown great. May the imperial foundation stand secure and the sagely sovereign enjoy long life; may all beings, whether in the netherworld or in the human world, enter a state of longevity, peace, and happiness. After attaining the Dao, may we ascend into the formless realm, become one with the Dao, and become Zhenren (Perfected Persons).

May blessings spread far and merit grow great. May the imperial foundation stand secure and the sagely sovereign enjoy long life; may all beings, whether in the netherworld or in the human world, enter a state of longevity, peace, and happiness. After attaining the Dao, may we ascend into the formless realm, become one with the Dao, and become Zhenren.

The West

We who carry out the rites now specially burn incense and respectfully offer thanksgiving to the Limitless Most High Celestial Worthy of Lingbao of the West; to the host of great sages who have already attained the Dao and the honored deities of supreme perfection; to the Supreme Thearch of Ultimate Taiji (Supreme Ultimate) of Western Florescence, of the Limitless Great Dao; to the Jade Perfected of the Golden Hall and the Immortal Mother of Tortoise Terrace; to the Thearch-Lord, Supreme Minister and Latter Sage of the Golden Watchtowers; to the Celestial Master (Tianshi) of Mysterious Antiquity, Lord of the Dao of the Myriad Sages; to the Perfected of the Western Pole who presides over all Perfected and all immortals; to the immortal Jade Maidens and the Supreme Perfected of Western Numinosity; and to all the honored spirits of the limitless world of the West.

We repent of the various faults and errors we have committed from hundreds of millions of kalpas ago, from the beginningless beginning, down through past lives and this present life. Now, through this confession and acknowledgment of wrong, we earnestly beg the deities to cleanse them all away together. May we refine and nourish bodily form together with Shen (spirit) and Qi (vital energy) in the Jade Capital (an immortal realm), and gather true nature in the Great Simplicity (the pure primordial realm of which Daoism speaks); may we ascend on high to the fruit of the Dao and forever enjoy the blessings of the thearch’s abode. May our fortune be as firm as Mount Song and Mount Hua, and our lifespan as long as the vast sea; may every region under heaven follow the transforming teaching, and may distant lands in the four directions share the same customs. May the state be peaceful and secure, the people joyful, and all at last enter a realm of blessing and happiness. After attaining the Dao, may we ascend into the formless realm, become one with the Dao, and become Zhenren.

The North

Today we specially burn incense and reverently address the Limitless Most High Lingbao Heavenly Worthy of the North (the supreme Lingbao honored deity of the North), the great sages who have already attained the Dao (the Way) and all the most true honored deities, the Most High Lord Lao of the Limitless Great Dao, the Most High Elder, the Exalted Lord of Jade Dawn, the True Duke of the North Pole, Lord of the Dao of the Myriad Sages, the True Person of Great Yin, and the True Person of Wondrous Practice, together with the Lord of Great Yin, Director of Destiny and Keeper of the Registers of the Dead, who governs the allotted lifespans and name-rolls of the departed, the Great Divine August True Person, head of the Chief Bureau of the Director of Fate, who reckons longevity and presides over life and death, the divine immortals and jade maidens, and all true spirits of the limitless world of the North. We burn incense in homage and present our words of confession for our faults.

We repent of every defiling attachment accumulated since beginningless ages, through the cycles of rebirth and in the passage from leaving one body to receiving another, attachments born of the five desires, the six passions, the four dusts, and the three karmas, together with the causes and conditions that turn and continue without cease. From this day forward we confess and seek pardon for them all as one, praying that these karmic burdens be washed away. We pray that the departed in the dark realms may be delivered and ascend to the heavenly realms; that the true Dao may be brought to completion and blessings and protection obtained; that the years granted by Heaven may be long and the sovereign’s foundation flourish and endure; that the netherworld and the human world alike receive grace, and that all things prosper; and that all eight directions under Heaven may universally receive excellent teaching. We pray that, after we attain the Dao, we may ascend to the formless realm and unite in truth with the Dao.

Northeast

Today we specially burn incense and reverently address the Limitless Most High Lingbao Heavenly Worthy of the Northeast (the supreme Lingbao honored deity of the Northeast), the great sages who have already attained the Dao and all the most true honored deities, and the Flying Heaven Divine Kings of the Limitless Great Dao. We pay homage and present our words of confession for our faults, praying that demonic obstacles be dispelled and baleful spirits subdued, so that we may ascend to the formless realm and unite in truth with the Dao.

We of this assembly now specially burn incense and, raising our heads in reverence, offer ritual thanks to the Limitless Supreme Lingbao Celestial Worthy of the Northeast (the Celestial Worthy venerated by the Lingbao tradition), to the holy multitudes who have already attained the Dao (the Way) and the most perfected honored deities, to the Flying Celestial Divine Kings of the Limitless Great Dao, to the Worthy and Perfect Commander who dispels demons and regulates spirits, to the spirit-person of myriad salvations and myriad lives, the Divine Emperor and Upper Mysterious Lord Lao, and to the perfected, the jade maidens, and all true spirits of the limitless worlds of the Northeast.

We repent that, since millions upon millions of kalpas, in past lives and in this life alike, the ingrained habits accumulated through the three karmas of body, speech, and mind (the karma created by actions, words, and thoughts), the ten entanglements, the six passions, and the Four Great Elements (the four constituents that make up the human body) have tangled with one another, so that we have been cast about from one existence to another and have not gained liberation. Now, through this repentance and acknowledgment of fault, we earnestly beg that these burdens of sin be cleared away all at once, that we may cross the ford of the five obstructive burdens, be removed from the name-registers of the Ninefold Dark underworld, enter the cloud-road of life-giving Shen (spirit), and ascend in flight along the bright great way of the heavens.

May we refine and transform body and mind within the Dao of spontaneity, roaming free in lasting peace and joy; may auspicious portents be transmitted to later generations and grace extend even to emperors and kings. May the rulers of the world lead in great peace, so that places of darkness and obstruction likewise become clear and tranquil; may the transformative influence of the Daoist teaching spread widely and the grace of wisdom be bestowed upon all. May everyone together receive this mysterious favor and forever obtain vast blessings.

After attaining the Dao, we ascend into the cloud-road of life-giving spirit and fly up along the bright great way of the heavens; within the Dao of spontaneity we refine and transform body and mind and roam in lasting joy; we transmit auspicious portents to later generations and extend grace to emperors and kings; we bring peace to the world and clarity and calm to places of darkness, cause the manner of the Dao to spread afar and the grace of wisdom to reach all, so that everyone together receives mysterious favor and forever obtains vast blessings. After attaining the Dao, we ascend into the realm of the formless and unite with the Dao as the true and real.

The Southeast.

The ritual officiants now burn incense, reverently inviting and giving thanks to the Limitless Supreme Lingbao Heavenly Worthy of the Southeast, together with the great sages and supremely perfected venerable deities who have already attained the Dao (the Way): Lord Lao of the Southern Heights; the Cinnabar-Numinous Imperial Elder, Perfected Being of Long Life of the Upper Prime; Elder Han, Lord Who Cherishes Life, Deliverer of the World, Director of Fate and Recorder of Destiny; the Perfected Who Raises the Dead and Restores Life; the Great Deity Who Refines the Bones and Restores Form; the Jade Maidens of Great Harmony; the Perfected of Myriad Blessings; the great sage Divine Kings Who Fly through Heaven in the Southeast; and all true numinous beings throughout the limitless worlds.

From countless kalpas down to this day, in the course of casting off this body and receiving birth anew, we have committed all manner of faults and inadvertent offenses. Now, through repentance, we confess these wrongs before the divine perfected and pray that every fault be wholly washed away, so that defilement and affliction disperse like smoke and body and mind become pure, as when clouds scatter and the sky clears. May our bodily forms be raised and ranked among the grades of Qinghua (the Azure-Florescence realm of the East, symbolizing the abode of the immortals). May we follow the Eight Emperors in cultivating the true Dao, ascend into the Nine Heavens, and join the mysterious and wondrous realm. May auspicious blessings spread far and wide, the foundation of the state remain forever secure, the sovereign’s undertakings flourish, and Heaven and Earth abide in peace and tranquility.

May the beings of the Ninefold Darkness (the depths of the netherworld), and the beings in the Six Destinies (the six destinations of rebirth), the Five Sufferings, and the Three Paths (realms of suffering such as the hells, hungry ghosts, and animals), all transcend the causes and conditions by which they cling to and entangle one another, and together realize the joy of carefree freedom. After attaining the Dao, may they ascend into the formless realm and unite with the Dao to become perfected.

Southwest

The ritual officiants now burn incense, reverently inviting and giving thanks to the Limitless Supreme Lingbao Heavenly Worthy of the Southwest, together with the great sages who have already attained the Dao…

Note: The “Southwest” passage of the original is here clearly incomplete or textually corrupt. Its opening merely repeats the sentence pattern of the Southeast passage, after which only “the Six Destinies, the Five Sufferings and the Three Paths… unite with the Dao and become perfected” remains. The divine perfected named for the Southwest, and the content of the repentance, therefore cannot be fully restored.

We now specially burn incense and, with reverence and upturned gaze, offer thanks to the Limitless Supreme Heavenly Worthy of the Numinous Treasure (Lingbao Tianzun) of the Southwest (a venerated deity of Daoism); to the Great Saints and Supremely True Honored Deities who have already attained the Dao (the Way); to the Elder of the Celestial Sovereign, the Limitless Primordial August True Lord of the Southwest; to the Lord of Generative Qi (vital energy) of the Cavern Spirit, the Great Yang, and the host of deities; to the Great Flying-Heaven Deities of Long Life and Deliverance of the World; and to all the divine immortals, jade maidens, and true spirits of the limitless world of the Southwest.

On behalf of a certain person we offer repentance: from the beginningless beginning until today, across many lifetimes, there have been all manner of faults and errors. Now, through this purification ritual, we repent and give thanks, and we pray that these faults be washed away altogether. May this person’s hun and po souls, having undergone refining and deliverance, leave the dark yin realm, and may their spirit-consciousness ascend to the cinnabar palaces of the immortal realm; may they mount to Zhuling (the immortal realm of which Daoism speaks) to roam and feast, and soar through the vast and lofty Great Expanse. May the Nine Saints and the Seven Perfected ride forth together in their carriages; may auspicious signs descend upon the palaces, and may the imperial fortune of the sovereign be prolonged. May the sovereign enjoy long life and the four seas be at peace; may places of darkness see the light again, and may all living beings become clear in understanding and rest secure. After attaining the Dao, may they ascend to the formless realm, become one with the Dao, and return to the True and Real.

The Northwest

We now specially burn incense and respectfully offer thanks to the Limitless Supreme Heavenly Worthy of Lingbao of the Northwest, to the Great Saints and Supremely True Honored Deities who have already attained the Dao, to the True August Elder of the Supreme Thearch of the Great Dao, and to the Supremely True Limitless Flying-Heaven Divine Kings and Duxianxiang (so the original reads; this is suspected to be a divine title or a designation). We further offer thanks to the Limitless Supreme Heavenly Worthy of Lingbao of the Northwest, to the Great Saints and Supremely True Honored Deities who have already attained the Dao, to the True August Elder of the Supreme Thearch of the Great Dao, to the Supremely True Limitless Flying-Heaven Divine Kings, to the Lingbao Honored Deity of the Supreme Saints Who Ferry Beings into Immortality, to the divine immortals and jade maidens, and to all the honored deities and true spirits of the limitless world.

On behalf of a certain person we offer repentance: from the beginningless beginning until this day, there have been countless faults and errors. Now, through this purification ritual, we repent and give thanks, praying that these faults be entirely washed away. May this person’s bodily form leave the barrier passes of the dark underworld, and may their spirit-consciousness ascend to the palaces of the heavenly realm; may they ride in carriages adorned with fine jade, attain the rank of immortality, and set forth driving flying jasper. May they join the company of the numinous rites of the ancestral temples of the true immortals, and enjoy a lifespan equal to Heaven. May the great work of Heaven and Earth long endure in accordance with the Dao; may the sovereign’s years be as lasting as the Five Marchmounts, and may the sovereign’s grace extend over all nations. May the living be at ease and content, and the dead rest in peace and hold to what is right; may all sentient beings possessed of awareness and life alike arrive at the realm of blessing. After attaining the Dao, may they ascend to the formless realm, become one with the Dao, and return to the True and Real.

The lifespan of the Lord on High is as enduring as the Five Sacred Mountains, and the emperor’s grace is bestowed widely upon the world. All beings may dwell in peace and ease; both the living and the departed are given security. Every sentient being that possesses awareness and life arrives together at the realm of blessing. After attaining the Dao (the Way), one ascends into the formless realm, unites as one with the Dao, and becomes a true body.

The Upper Realm

We now burn incense and reverently bow in worship and offer thanks, toward the upper realm (the heavens), to the Boundless Most High Celestial Worthy of the Numinous Treasure, and to the great sages who have already attained the Dao and all the most perfected honored deities.

We pay homage to the unsurpassed Great Dao, the Three Worthies of the Most High, and the sovereign lords of the Thirty-Six Heavens; to the Luminous Divine Lord of the Most High Great Dao of Wuwei (non-action); and to the Jade Emperor, the various lords, and the Elders. We also pay homage to the supremely exalted Worthy of Cavern-Illumination and Universal Radiance; to the lofty Worthy of Primordial Beginning, of the Mysterious Prime Great Dao, formless and nameless; to the heavens of Jade Clarity, Supreme Clarity, and Great Clarity; to the Three Realms and the Eight Brahma-heavens (the various celestial realms spoken of in Daoism); and to the honored deities of Primordial Chaos and Empty Mystery, of Empty Prime and the Self-So, of the Most High Prime Root, of Dark Stillness and Mysterious Penetration, of the Source of Great Wisdom, of the Luminous Authority of Zhengyi (Orthodox Unity), and of the Awesome Spirits of the Three Caverns (Dongzhen/Dongxuan/Dongshen).

We further pay homage to the Prime Sovereign Jade Emperor of unsurpassed Wuwei, the Dao within the Dao; to the Compassionate Father and Holy Mother of responsive true Jing (essence); to the True Lord of Immeasurable Dao and De (Virtue/Power); to the Sagely Lord of Dao and De Who Gives Life to the Myriad Beings; to the Lord of Myriad Qi (vital energy) and Myriad Primes; to the Lord of Myriad Blessings and Myriad Longevity; and to the celestial spirits of the vast primordial flood of the countless ways. We pay homage to the Lord of the Three Qi, the Unsurpassed Mysterious Prime of the Mysterious Prime of Great Clarity; to the Central Yellow Zhengyi Lord of Great Clarity and Great Mystery; to the Upper Zhengyi, the Prime Unity, and the Three Most Perfected Worthies; and to the lords of the Great Prime, the Great Beginning, the Great Inception, the Great Simplicity, the Great Ceremony, the Great Peace, the Great Mystery, the Great Antiquity, and the Great Wellspring.

We pay homage to the Lord of the Immortal Capital of the Nine Elders; the Lord of the Nine Qi of the Jade Register; the Most High Lord of Jade Perfection, the Five Immortals, and the Nine Numina; the Twelve True Lords; the Twenty-Four Divine Lords; the Thirty-Six True Lords of Great Clarity; the Lord of the Five Qi; the Lord of Generative Qi of the Yin Intestines; and the Most Supreme Lord of Great Unity. We pay homage to the Divine Treasure Lord of Prime Unity, Great Thearch of August Heaven; the Celestial Treasure Lord of True Treasure and Numinous Treasure; the Prime Treasure Lord of Prime Shen (spirit) and Prime Perfection; the Heavenly Sovereign Lord Lao; the Yellow Divine Lord Lao of the Southern Pole; the Great Sage of the Bronze City, the Central Yellow Lord Lao; the True Lord of Great Harmony, Most High Sovereign; and the Heavenly Perfected Sovereign Person; together with the Celestial Master (Tianshi) Lords, the Three Teachers of high antiquity; the Father and Mother of the Dao and of De; the lords of the sun and moon; the great deities of the stellar lodges and the Three Luminaries of all the heavens; the Royal Father and the Royal Mother; the lords of the Five Stars and the Nine Stars; and every honored spirit of the boundless worlds above.

We repent: from the beginningless past until this day, the faults and errors we ourselves have committed through misdeeds and negligence are measureless and without bound. Now, by means of this purification-and-repentance rite (the ceremony of holding a retreat and performing liturgical confession), we sincerely repent and give thanks, praying that every transgression may be removed.

May we leave the darkness that is like the long night and enter the realm of light; may the Ten Perfected uphold and recommend us, and may the Five Emperors declare our case and watch over us. May we bathe in the Pool of Flowing Fire, ascend the gate-towers of Cavern Yang, pass beyond the underworld, and fly up to the celestial capital; may we ride the Eight Phoenixes, flying back and forth, and feast and roam among the Nine Rosy Clouds. May we go up to court at the Taiji (Supreme Ultimate) and have our names enrolled in the Purple Clarity (a designation for the heavenly dwelling place of immortals and perfected beings); may we leave fair blessings to our children and grandchildren, so that the foundation of each generation long remains secure.

May the netherworld and the human world alike be peaceful and at ease, and may the mountains and seas enjoy peace and prosperity; may every sentient being that possesses awareness and life enter the realm of longevity and happiness. After attaining the Dao, may one ascend into the formless realm, unite as one with the Dao, and become a true body.

In the lower realm (where the earthly regions, the waters, and the like abide), we, your servants, today specially burn incense and reverently offer thanks to the Limitless Most High Celestial Worthy of Numinous Treasure of the lower realm, together with the great sages who have already attained the Dao (the Way) and the venerable gods of supreme truth.

We also give thanks to the Limitless Great Dao of the lower realm, and to the Lofty Sovereign of Numinous Treasure of the Cavernous Abyss of the Dark and the Yellow, the Five Emperors of the Nine Lands and the Four Offices, the Twelve Immortal Lords, the Perfected of the Four Offices of the Great Numinous Yellow Mother, the Primal Lords of the Nine Earths of Central Yellow Sovereign Earth, the Perfected of the Nine Offices, the Lords of the Eight Scribes and the Nine Mysteries, the twelve officers who assist the mandate of the Four Great Rivers and the Five Marchmounts, and the deputy elders of the Nine Rivers and the Eight Seas. We further address our prayers to the divine immortals and Perfected beings of the Thirty-Six Grotto-Heavens, the Ten Great Grotto-Heavens, the Seventy-Two Blessed Lands, and the three hundred and sixty famous mountains, and to those of the immortal realms of Kunlun, Changli, Guangsang, Guangye, and the Linong Axis of the Earth. The Water Emperor of the Nine Rivers, the Twelve Stream Sources, and all the supremely true divinities of the numinous grottoes, rivers, and marshes are likewise among those to whom we pray.

We repent of every kind of fault and error we have committed from countless millions of kalpas past down to this very day; these faults are measureless and boundless. Now, through this confession and acknowledgment of guilt, we earnestly implore all the gods together to cleanse away our offenses, so that the registers of sin may fall into the courts of the underworld and blessings may be strewn upon the Cinnabar Prefecture (the abode of the immortals). May the sunlight shine upon us, the substance of our bodies be pure, and our spirits be refined; may we ride the winds of the Three White Essences, travel beneath the canopies of carriages of the eight luan birds, and ascend into the true heaven of the immortals, to feast and dwell at ease in the Imperial Homeland; may we pay homage to the Five Elders in the august palaces and proceed to the Purple Towers for audience with the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing). May we ascend to the true realm and gather in joy in the Jasper Capital (the immortal realm).

We pray that the sovereign may personally receive great blessings and that the foundation of the imperial dynasty may long stand firm; that the passes of the dark netherworld may open wide and grow bright, and that all beings may be restored to life. May the transforming influence of the Dao and of De (Virtue/Power) ever flourish, and may prosperity and blessed fortune long endure; may the Five Marchmounts rest secure and the four seas be at peace. May living beings everywhere under heaven together receive the protection of the mysterious and wondrous gods. After attaining the Dao, may we ascend into the formless realm and unite in truth with the Dao.