《太上灵宝玉匮明真斋言功仪》

The officials, each according to his office, form ranks and lead the way as they ascend the purification altar (Zhai), recite the incantations for blessing the household, and offer incense to the five directions, beginning with the north.

They then offer incense at the altar table of the Upper Cavern and recite the incense-offering incantation. Each person, following the rite, bows in reverence to the Master, visualizes the Master, and proceeds according to the ritual method.

The incantation of the guardian deities is proclaimed, while the ritual drum is struck twenty-four times.

All recite an invitation to the Most High Lord Lao (Taishang Laojun) of the Unsurpassed Three Heavens, of the Three Qi (vital energy) of Mystery, Origin, and Beginning, summoning forth from within each person’s own body the Merit Officers of the Three and Five, the messengers of the left and right offices, the Dragon and Tiger Lords of the left and right, the Golden Lads who attend the incense, the Jade Maidens who transmit words, the direct talisman-officers of the Five Emperors, the incense officials on duty for the day, and other divine functionaries—thirty-six of each kind. They further summon the true officials and orthodox deities of the local earth and its territory to come swiftly and make report.

The chief officiant declares: I am now burning incense and, for a certain person, performing the Lingbao (Numinous Treasure) Great Zhai of the Jade Casket of the Ninefold Darkness for Illuminating the True and Transferring the Shen (spirit)—a purification rite for praying that the deceased be delivered and ascend to the spirit realm. When the rite is complete and the affairs are finished, we shall ascend the altar to present the memorial and burn the true writs; the deities will each return to their original posts. We shall then declare the merit and set forth a Jiao offering to the gods, so as to make this merit manifest. May the vital Qi of the orthodox truth of the Most High in the ten directions descend into our bodies, so that the memorial we submit may swiftly reach the throne of the supreme Jade Emperor.

Each person performs three bows and announces his or her own ritual office (the titles and designations used in Daoist ritual).

Disciples of the Three Luminaries of the Great Cavern of the Mysterious Capital of Highest Clarity (Shangqing), and unsurpassed ritual masters of the Three Caverns (Dongzhen/Dongxuan/Dongshen), perform the liturgical service of the Great Purification Rite of Illuminating Truth. Those of a certain sacred peak and a certain emperor, the Master, and the humble perfected minister So-and-so and others specially burn incense on this day, wishing, by the merit of this purification ritual (Zhaijiao), to pray upward that the emperor, the crown prince, the empress, and the imperial consorts receive blessings and added felicity, and that the state be secure and its destiny long-enduring.

They burn incense for the honored spirit of the emperor of a certain temple, praying that he may roam and feast in peace in the Jade Capital (Yujing, the celestial capital of the immortals in Daoism) and ascend to the Chenji (the abode of the Celestial Emperor). On this day they specially burn incense, and body, Shen (spirit), and nature and life together take refuge in the Most High Lingbao, the spontaneous, utterly true, and unsurpassed Great Dao (the Way). They especially beseech that mysterious celestial grace broadly bestow blessings, so that favor descends universally, immortal spirits are delivered, attain their ranks, and become perfected, serving and guarding the Lord of the Dao and wandering freely in the Unsurpassed Golden Portal, the Natural Palace of the Seven Treasures. May they forever accord with the Dao and resonate with the mysterious; may the emperor ascend before the utterly true Great Dao of the ten directions without limit.

They pay homage toward the ten directions, beginning from the east. When the homage is complete, all kneel at length, take refuge in the Great Dao, and repent.

Next they perform the “Repentance of the Three Karmas,” confessing faults of body, speech, and mind; afterward they perform the Three Invitations and the Three Salutations.

They then collect the True Writs and arrange them according to east, south, west, north, and center. The disciples raise the True Writs above the incense smoke; the ritual master faces the altar, knocks his teeth twelve times, and recites the incantation:

The Primordial Great Emperor and the Exalted Supreme Jade Emperor universally proclaim to the ten directions: neither above nor below is excluded, and the proclamation reaches throughout the limitless divine regions. The hidden numinous writs within the Thirty-two Heavens, the Qi (vital energy) condensed from the Five Writs, and the auspicious Qi of the eight directions circulate and shine. Today a great amnesty is sent down, broadly bestowing every kind of good blessing; the names of those with merit are entered in the immortal registers and recorded in the purple-chamber immortal rolls. Those who cultivate the purification rite and practice the Dao thereby receive blessing and protection, and the spirits are promoted. Dark passes become bright and peaceful, and light is opened even in the night of the underworld. They ascend beyond the Three Realms and in radiance serve the Void Sovereign. May the emperor’s foundation endure, and his lifespan and blessed fortune be without end; may the myriad perfected look down and protect, the four seas be at peace, baleful stars disperse, and all within and without the court be secure and tranquil. May what is requested be as announced and swiftly conveyed, like documents carried by the golden horse.

The True Writs are placed upon the imperial table, to await being burned afterward together with the memorial.

They announce their ritual ranks once more.

(The repeated passage at the end, “the seas at peace … may what is requested be as announced, the golden-horse courier route,” is the same as the incantation above.)

Place the Anzhenwen (the documents presented in the Zhaijiao [purification ritual]) upon the altar table, to await burning together with the memorial.

The ritual master’s name and rank are intoned once more

Disciples of the Great Cavern and Three Luminaries of the Mystic Capital of Highest Clarity, unsurpassed masters of the Three Caverns (Dongzhen/Dongxuan/Dongshen), who carry out the ritual service of the Lingbao Mingzhen Great Zhai—the Master of Such-and-Such Marchmount and Such-and-Such Thearch, the Shaozhao Perfected, your servant So-and-So, and others—respectfully petition once again the Celestial Worthy of the Primordial Beginning of the Most High Limitless Great Dao (the Way), the Most High Lord of the Great Dao, the Most High Lord Lao, the Celestial Worthy of Numinous Treasure who is spontaneous and supremely true, the Greatly Compassionate Celestial Worthy Who Seeks Out Cries and Relieves Suffering, the Five Elder Thearchs on High, the Venerable Scriptures of the Thirty-Six Divisions, the Great Ritual Master Within the Mystery, and the honored gods and numinous officials within the Three Realms and beyond who are able to respond.

We, your servants, have been fortunate to receive the grace of the Mysterious Gate and to encounter the teaching and transformation of the Dao and its methods. The Three Vehicles (a Daoist term for different approaches to cultivation) turn and transform, and the Five Qi (the five kinds of vital energy that constitute heaven, earth, and the myriad things) shine forth. The orthodox teaching is transmitted, universally saving beings of the unseen realms and of the present world. Both the human realm and the celestial realm benefit thereby, and both the living and the dead receive this grace.

The teaching of the Great Dao established the Keyi (liturgy) for the fundamental purpose of revealing the methods of the Dao and universally delivering all beings. Directed upward, it protects the state and assists the sovereign, so that the profound grace of the Dao and of De (Virtue/Power) is widely bestowed and the merits of the gods extend throughout heaven and earth. All beings, whether living or dead, constantly receive rescue and protection. How much more so now, when a clear command has been received—how dare we fail to report it upward?

The text of the statement is then read aloud.

In accordance with the sincerity that has been declared, this prayer is of profound significance and is intended for the broad salvation of all living beings. We reverently follow the rites of the Mysterious Gate, arranging and inaugurating the altar ground, burning incense and lighting lamps, reciting scriptures (Jing) and performing the liturgy of the Way. We respectfully pray for a numinous response and the proclamation of the true writs; through the Precious Scriptures of the Eight Assemblies (Daoist classics) we communicate with and announce to the Three Realms. In accordance with the appointed hours we practice visualization and concentrated mindfulness, reporting to the venerated gods and numinous perfected. Looking up in reverence to the floral canopies of the ten directions, our thoughts hasten toward the celestial realms of the eight quarters, hoping to receive the scrutiny of Heaven above and the universal bestowal of blessings.

The merit of the ritual service is now complete, and the prayer extends to all living beings. May the host of the perfected return in their carriages and gather in their feathered regalia within the Great Void; may the myriad sages turn their chariots homeward, so that auspicious light spreads through the Three Realms (the three tiers of heaven spoken of in Daoism). May that auspicious light shine down upon the dark, endless night and broadly deliver the souls of the dead held at the passes of the netherworld; may the wind of great compassion be widely put into effect, so that all beings may be released from suffering.

We follow the regulations of the Keyi (liturgy), exerting ourselves with sincere hearts and offering our prayers in silence. From a certain day of this month we have kept the retreat and established the Zhaijiao (purification ritual), performed the Way, and recited scriptures, until completion on a certain day. The Zhaijiao service has now come to an end. The celestial immortals and terrestrial immortals, the perfected persons and divine persons, the Five Marchmounts and Four Conduits (the gods of the Five Sacred Mountains and the great rivers of the four directions), the Nine Palaces and Five Emperors, the gods of the Three Rivers and Four Seas, the sun, moon, and constellations, together with the troops and mounts and the divine officers of the various heavens charged with supervising the retreat, attending the incense, scattering flowers, and transmitting words and presenting memorials, as well as the subordinate officers of the Numinous Guests, those who supervise the retreat and guard the perfected, and the perfected officers who inspect the four directions—all of whom had been commanded to come and protect the affairs of the retreat—should now, wherever they have rendered merit, be paid reverence separately, their merits set forth and their promotion recommended by means of a yellow-silk vermilion memorial (a memorial written in vermilion ink on yellow silk).

We fear that, in the advances and withdrawals of the rite, we may have offended against the statutory forms, and that we do not comprehend the profound meaning of the Mysterious Gate. We earnestly beg that our faults be pardoned, looking up to receive the grace of Heaven. The Ten Precepts of the Superior Grade of Wisdom (Daoist precepts), which were respectfully invited when the retreat was opened, are now, the retreat being finished, respectfully asked, together with the honored ones, to return to the celestial palaces; should a ritual service be held again hereafter, they will be respectfully invited once more. We respectfully submit this memorial and report, and await a reply.

The retreat we have performed is now concluded, and we once more declare its merit. We respectfully invite the gods of the various heavens to return to their respective celestial stations, and we present one yellow-silk vermilion memorial, placing it on the memorial table before us, and ask the deities to examine the text of the memorial.

The memorial is then read aloud:

Your servant, who holds an office of the Fulu (talismans and registers), respectfully submits this memorial and awaits a reply. The retreat we have performed is now concluded, and we once more declare its merit. We respectfully invite the gods of the various heavens to return to their respective celestial stations, and we present one yellow-silk vermilion memorial, placing it on the memorial table before us, and ask the deities to examine the text of the memorial.

The memorial is then read aloud:

I, your servant so-and-so, an insignificant Perfected Person, Master of such-and-such marchmount and such-and-such emperor, invested with rank and title in the registers of the Fulu (talismans and registers) and charged with performing the rites of the Numinous Treasure Great Zhai (purification ritual) of Illuminating Truth, knock my head and bow again. I submit this memorial upward to the Most High Limitless Great Dao (the Way)—the supreme and unsurpassed Dao—and beneath the Golden Portal of Utmost Perfection and Spontaneity.

We your servants received our bodily forms and were born down into the ordinary world. We know ourselves to be defiled and lowly, yet we have been fortunate to receive and serve the teaching of the Great Dao, to proclaim the doctrine and deliver the people of the world: below, succoring living beings, and above, reaching the state, assisting the government of the age, fulfilling our duties and our loyalty to the utmost, and making our resolve plain to both the netherworld and the human realm. Yet in the ritual service we have established no merit, and in our conduct we have repeatedly offended against the precepts of the Keyi (liturgy). Day and night we are fearful and dare not rest at ease. We your servants knock our heads, and knock them again.

On the day we received the teaching, we swore a covenant before the Three Officials—the Heavenly Official, the Earthly Official, and the Water Official venerated in Daoism—pledging to assist the state and establish merit, to uphold and spread the mysterious and wondrous teaching, so that the world would proclaim and practice the instructions and admonitions of the Dao, rescuing and raising up both the living and the dead and opening deliverance for all living beings. Now I reverently carry out the emperor’s sacred command and submit a memorial to the Great Dao, praying on behalf of the honored spirit of the emperor of such-and-such temple that he may realize the holy fruit, accomplish the true Dao, and ascend into the celestial bureaus. My heart is earnest as I lay this petition before the holy spirits; this perfect sincerity can move Heaven and Earth to respond.

I have been fortunate to be invested with the methods of the Jing (scripture/classic) and to have charge of the affairs of the Mysterious Gate. Reverently carrying out the imperial decree, my heart is filled with awe. I now respectfully lead a certain number of Daoist priests of the same teaching, take the tokens of faith issued from the inner storehouse, and, in accordance with the Keyi of the Mysterious Gate, establish a numinous altar at a certain place, modeled upon Heaven and Earth. The four bounds and eight directions of the numinous altar correspond to the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), the realm where the highest deities of Daoism dwell. We bring forth the True Writs of the Eight Assemblies, the scriptural texts of the Numinous Treasure, and write the precious characters within them, to serve as a covenant of faith between the deities of Heaven and Earth.

We your servants perform the Most High Numinous Treasure Great Zhai of Illuminating Truth of the Jade Casket of the Ninefold Darkness, for a certain number of days and nights. Knocking our heads and surrendering ourselves, we lay bare our hearts before the Great Yang and beneath the Three Luminaries—the sun, the moon, and the stars. We establish the covenant of the fast and its precepts, pray with utmost sincerity, and kindle lamps to keep the light continuing, so that the lamplight shines down upon the limitless worlds of the Ninefold Darkness and the obscure regions in the depths of the Nine Earths, opening brightness and illuminating the dark night.

In accordance with this fasting rite, we your servants repent and make amends for offenses on behalf of so-and-so, and we pray for blessings upon the Nine Mysteries, that is, the ancestral line, upon the kindred of successive generations, and upon the former spirits of the ancestral temple. The worldly causes and conditions they formed in former lives, and the many obstacles and entanglements they accumulated, we fear have not yet been fully brought to light, or else they still wander in the nether darkness. We earnestly beg to rely on Heaven’s grace to release them, so that they may depart from every defilement and attachment and suddenly awaken to the Dao of true constancy. May the Nine Provinces be at peace, and the tombs and ancestral temples secure. May their cloudsouls and Shen (spirit) receive refinement and deliverance, their viscera quicken with renewed life, they bathe in Yang Jing (essence), Yin defilement be removed, they be guarded by the Five Spirits, and they ride the light upward into the heavenly halls. Having enjoyed blessed affinity in life, may their grade in the Dao be raised step by step; may auspicious blessings extend to later generations, and grace long endure in the state.

May the emperor’s blessed fortune flourish and the succession of the realm stand firm; may the sagely court receive protection, and his lifespan be as enduring as Mount Song and Mount Heng. May the crown prince and the princes all obtain auspicious blessing; may the empresses, consorts, and princesses forever preserve fortune and good omen; and may the salaries and shares of blessing of officials within and without the court all be renewed. May the world be clear and at peace, the sun and moon bright, auspicious signs appear without cease, and demonic evils and wicked affairs be utterly destroyed. If what we pray for can be realized, we your servants will forever remember the grace and De (Virtue/Power) of the Great Dao.

When the rite has ended, we shall reverently burn the True Writs and scatter the ashes and the smoke. The summons of the celestial realm is bound by a time, and we your servants dare not delay. For the fasting rite we have performed, we respectfully invite the armies of the celestial immortals, of the divine immortals, of the flying immortals, of the Perfected, of the spirit-persons, of the sun, moon, and stellar lodges, of the Nine Palaces and the Five Emperors, of the Three Rivers and the Four Seas, and of the Five Marchmounts and the Four Waterways, each with nine hundred million myriads of riders. We further invite the officers on duty who supervise the fast throughout the Thirty-Two Heavens, the Golden Emperors who attend the incense, the Jade Maidens who scatter flowers, the direct-talisman officers of the Five Emperors, those who transmit words and present memorials, the mounted officers of the flying dragons, and the rest, together with the official retinue of the Numinous Treasure, the mighty spirits of the Three Treasures, and the true officials of the soil and the local domains of this place. All who are charged with supervising and protecting, with conveying summons, and with managing the affairs of the fast, and who have merit, are asked to make ready their baggage and, following me with this memorial, ascend to the Mysterious Capital, there to have their merits registered and receive rewards, to be advanced in rank and granted noble titles. True offices shall be conferred according to grade, and according to higher and lower standing all shall be brought to distinction, entirely in accordance with the rite of Great Perfection, so that no one is left out.

I your servant respectfully prostrate myself and knock my head, and present one yellow-silk vermilion memorial—a memorial written in vermilion upon yellow silk—submitting it upward to the Nine Heavens. I earnestly beg the Most High Limitless Great Dao, the Supreme Lord of the Great Dao, the Most High Lord Lao, the Unsurpassed Mysterious Elder, and the Celestial Worthies of the Numinous Treasure of Spontaneity of the Ten Directions, together with the host of great sages who have already attained the Dao, the lords of utmost perfection, and the Elders, to look down in compassion and examine it, and to command the Heavenly Officials and those who preside over divine offices to investigate with care and dispose of each matter separately. I earnestly beg the utmost sages to behold the utter sincerity of our hearts.

We your servants have not yet fully mastered the teaching we study, and we fear that our ritual deportment, in advancing and retiring, may not accord with the norms of the Upper Mystery. Should our conduct offend the statutes, or the rite prove in any way improper, we fear correction by the Four Offices and the enforcement of the law by the Five Emperors. For the many faults and offenses we have committed, we earnestly beg lenient pardon; and for every fault committed because we had not yet understood, we likewise beg to be spared punishment. We earnestly beg the Most High to examine and distinguish, and to look down in pity and grant forgiveness.

In my ignorance, I your servant respectfully command the direct envoys of the True Palaces, the merit officers of Zhengyi (Orthodox Unity), the emissaries of the offices of the left and the right, the officers of the divine decisions of Yin-Yang, the red-talisman officers of the code chariots, the officers who ride the relay post-horses of the Hard Wind to present petitions, and the flying direct mounted officers of the flying dragons, the divine dragons, and the celestial immortals—twenty-four of each—to set forth and attend to their duties.

I your servant have reverently, on behalf of so-and-so, performed the Numinous Treasure Great Zhai of the Ninefold Darkness and Illuminating Truth for the transfer of the spirit and for deliverance, and the matter has now come to an end. After the altar rite has been held, the divine offices transferred, and the spirit-positions of all the heavens restored to their original places, I again proclaim the merits and De, bow once more, and submit one yellow-silk vermilion memorial, delivering it to the Three Bureaus of the Most High—the bureau offices of the Officials of Heaven, Earth, and Water under the Most High—and respectfully await the response.

I, your servant so-and-so, am truly fearful and trembling. I knock my head and bow again, and respectfully make this known on high.

I, surnamed So-and-so, of such-and-such county in such-and-such prefecture, presently serve as abbot of such-and-such abbey.

With reverence I memorialize the supreme and unsurpassed Most High Heavenly Worthy of Numinous Treasure. Formless and nameless, he abides amid emptiness and spontaneity, the Most Venerable of the Utmost True Great Dao (Dao, the Way), dwelling above the jade steps of the seven-treasure Golden Portal.

Such-and-such year, such-and-such month, such-and-such day.

Then, after clicking the teeth three times, one makes the invocation, saying:

Your servant again, with reverence, memorializes the Most High Limitless Great Dao, the Three Venerables of the Most High (a collective designation for the honored deities of Daoism), and the Great Saints of the Ten Directions. Today your servant respectfully presents this memorial and asks that an edict command the Merit Officers and Registrars (divine functionaries charged with transmitting memorials) to take charge of the matter, convey the memorial before the throne, and ensure that it ascends to the celestial offices and that orders are passed down at the proper time. May your servant be permitted to still the breath and preserve the spirit (Shen), sending the memorial upward so that it is presented directly before the throne of the Most High Limitless Great Dao. What is requested should be conveyed on schedule; the deities summoned should arrive on schedule; what is reported should get through; and those who are to be transferred and delivered should attain this successfully. If officials of the lower realms intercept it with deviant Qi (vital energy), so that the memorial cannot be presented before the throne, let them be recorded and handed over to the local presiding divine offices to be punished according to statute, thereby making manifest the laws of the celestial court. Your servants respectfully await a response.

The memorial is then spread open and placed on the altar table, and the deities are visualized in the usual way. When the rite is finished, one rises, bows twice, gathers up the memorial, and places it in its case.

Next, the Golden Register Tablet of Life-Deliverance (a Golden Register document used for the deliverance of departed souls) is proclaimed.

The talismanic mandate of the Heavenly Worthy of Primordial Beginning, the White Tablet of the Golden Register (a document recording matters of life-deliverance), and the True Talisman for Relieving Suffering (fu, of the Fulu, talismans and registers):

Announcement is made to the limitless worlds of the ten directions, the Three Offices and Nine Bureaus, the one hundred and ten departments, the examining officers of the Five Emperors, the hells of the Ninefold Darkness, together with the mighty warriors of the vast heavens, the divine troops who carry out punishments, the Overseers of Records and of Destiny, the Overseers of Merit and of Slaying, the ox-headed jailers, and the great demons of the Three Realms:

This True Talisman for Relieving Suffering announces to the limitless worlds of the ten directions, the Three Offices and Nine Bureaus, the one hundred and ten departments, the examining officers of the Five Emperors, the hells of the Ninefold Darkness, together with the mighty warriors of the vast heavens, the divine troops who carry out punishments, the Overseers of Records and of Destiny, the Overseers of Merit and of Slaying, the ox-headed jailers, and the great demons of the Three Realms. Please deliver the departed souls who have been registered at the altar of the purification ritual (Zhaijiao) for commendation and deliverance and who ought to be delivered, so that they may leave the hells, forever bid farewell to the dark, endless night, and come to behold the light; let all sinful karma be erased, and let grievances and enmities be reconciled and released. May the departed souls, by means of the Wondrous Precepts of the Nine Truths (Daoist precepts) and the merit of deliverance, ascend to be born in the various heavens. The commands above are in every case to be carried out accordingly.

On such-and-such year, month, and day, proclaimed and put into effect at such-and-such altar.

After the document has been read, the ritual master clicks the teeth nine times and recites an incantation, saying:

The Supreme Sages of Primordial Beginning (the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning and the other highest venerable spirits [Shen]) and the lofty numina of the Jade Emperor are above. The Jade Writ, acting under its mandate, proclaims relief for the dead and deliverance for the living. The wondrous precepts of the Golden Register (the precept texts used in Daoist Zhaijiao [purification rituals]) rescue and protect the hosts of the unseen world; the precious talismans of the White Slips, together with the Mysterious Scripture (Jing) of the Nine Truths, can dissolve transgressions and bring grievances and debts to rest. The Perfected Who Saves from Suffering removes the punishments of the dead; the Lad Who Inspects Destiny enters their names of life in the registers of life and death; and the mighty spirits who guard the precepts lead them on to the lands of blessing. They are thus enabled to transcend the Five Sufferings, mount the cloud chariots, gain passage along the road of rebirth, and ascend in flight to the realm of Supreme Clarity.

When the incantation has been completed, the slip text is burned together with the memorial envelope containing the Perfected Writs. The two officiants charged with vocal praise then recite: “Mighty spirits who guard the precepts, lead them to the courts of blessing. Rise beyond the Five Sufferings, mount and ride the cloud carriage, gain passage through the turning of the wheel, and ascend in flight to Supreme Clarity.”

When the incantation has been completed, the slip text is burned together with the memorial envelope containing the Perfected Writs. The two officiants of vocal praise, the bearer of the staff, the attendants of the Cavern Altar (the altar table used in the ritual), those who carry the altar, and the master who oversees the retreat proceed together to the Gate of Heaven. After the memorial envelope, the Perfected Writs, and the White Slips have been burned, they return to their original places.

The Mountain Slip is then proclaimed (a document used to announce and petition the deities of the mountains and rivers):

“We now respectfully obey the sacred decree of the emperor and, at such-and-such a place, perform the Great Retreat of the Numinous Treasure Ninefold Darkness Jade Casket for the Transference of Spirits and the Illumination of the Perfected (a Daoist Zhaijiao rite held to deliver the souls of the dead and to pray for blessings), for a total of so many days and nights. The rites of practicing the Way have been completed, and the slip text is now sent to the Numinous Mountain. May the deceased become spirits and immortals, ascend in flight to Supreme Clarity, and become Perfected Ones of the Five Marchmounts; may their divine power prove efficacious, so that the registers of sin may be struck away and their names entered in the Nine Heavens. We respectfully ask that this slip be conveyed to the Numinous Mountain and transmitted by the Golden Dragon.”

Respectfully recorded on such-and-such a day of such-and-such a month in such-and-such a year of the Grand Year, by your servant of such-and-such office, at such-and-such a place.

Announcement Text

When the recitation is finished, the text is sealed in blue-green paper and tied to a dragon-shaped figure.

The disciple then takes incense in hand, faces the master, and, above the incense smoke, clicks the teeth twelve times and intones the incantation, saying:

Above the mysterious heights, brightness opens, and the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning (Yuanshi Tianzun) inspects the true spirits. The Supreme Sovereign, together with the Five Elders—venerated deities of Daoism—sends down the red writings in cinnabar script. The primordial Qi (vital energy) of heaven and earth holds comprehensive sway over the Three Origins (Sanyuan), the three realms governed by the Three Officials of Heaven, Earth, and Water. The host of spirits is summoned, and the immortals and perfected are urged to ascend. The exalted supreme deities issue talismanic mandates and proclaim them to the ten directions: the sun, moon, and stars, the numinous mountains of the Five Marchmounts (Wuyue), and the gods of the unseen realms above and below must all examine the registers of life and death of those living in the world. The divine clerks of the Three Gates of the Southern Heights receive and record the jade slips, engraving the names upon the cinnabar rolls, striking off charges and punishments, and enrolling them among the ministers of the Celestial Emperor.

When the purification retreat has been observed and the practice of the Dao (the Way) completed, report is made to the Nine Heavens, and the gods are asked to verify the name registers together, to eradicate the roots of transgression, and to release and deliver souls and spirits so that they may pass beyond the barriers of the underworld. At the close of the rite, the jade slips are sent to the numinous mountains. May confrontation and punishment in the Three Evil Paths—the hells, the hungry ghosts, and animals—cease; may the dead receive pardon through the long darkness; may grievances be dissolved and the underworld be at peace; may blessings continue and the fortune of the realm endure. May all the perfected hear the announcement made this day. We ask that a covenant be declared with the true officials by means of the dragon slips—documents of transmission adorned in dragon form or with dragon patterns—and we earnestly request that, in accordance with what has been announced, the golden dragons convey the writings.

When the incantation has been recited, the ritual officers bow once more.

The text of the water slip is then read:

Now, in careful obedience to the imperial decree, we perform at such-and-such a place the Great Retreat of the Numinous Treasure (Lingbao), the Jade Casket of the Ninefold Darkness for the Transference of Spirits and the Illumination of the Perfected, lasting so many days and nights. When the practice of the Dao is complete, the water slip is cast into the Water Bureau. May spirits and immortal perfected attain deliverance, and may the Three Origins abide together. We respectfully announce to the Water Emperors of the Nine Bureaus, the Twelve River Sources, the water gods of the Yangtze, the Yellow River, the Huai, and the Ji, and the great gods of the underworld: please strike off the registers of transgression and report the names upward to the Nine Heavens. We earnestly request that the documents be sent to the Water Bureau and transmitted by the dragon post.

On such-and-such a day of such-and-such a month, in such-and-such a year of the Great Year (Taisui), the subject of such-and-such rank respectfully announces at such-and-such a place.

Text of the announcement.

The exalted worthies—the Five Elders of the Primordial Beginning, the High Thearchs, and the rest—together with the Perfected of the Ten Directions and the numinous immortals of Taihua, are asked to heed this crimson script (a talismanic writing used in Daoism to convey the commands of the gods): the orders it transmits reach every place, however hidden and secluded.

We respectfully invite the deities above the Nine Heavens to send down the jade writ. Above, announcement is made to the sun, the moon, the Five Planets, and the Seven Primordials of the Northern Dipper; in the middle, to the Five Marchmounts and the numinous mountains of the four directions; below, to the rivers and seas, the twelve springs, the Water Thearchs of the Nine Bureaus, and the Great Gods of Juling. On this day we announce to all the gods and set forth every prayer.

Now, as the purification retreat is observed and the Way (Dao) is practiced, announcement is made upward to the Nine Heavens, asking the gods to examine the registers and records of names in full, to cut away the roots of sin, to turn the dark, endless night to brightness, and to deliver the souls of the dead, so that they leave the Three Paths (the three realms of suffering: the hells, hungry ghosts, and animals) and no longer endure the suffering of the long night; that enmities be dissolved, and that they may ascend to the heavens. When the rite of practicing the Way is finished, the slip will be cast into the numinous abyss, with the wish that blessings long endure and the imperial foundation continue.

We respectfully ask that, by means of the dragon slip, a covenant be announced to the Water Officials, praying that the vows set forth be fulfilled, and that the memorial be conveyed by the golden dragon.

(When the reading is finished, the assembled officials bow again.)

The text of the earth slip is then read:

Now, in respectful obedience to the imperial edict, the Great Retreat of the Numinous Treasure (Lingbao)—the Jade Casket of the Nine Darknesses for Transferring Spirits and Illuminating the Perfected—is held at such-and-such a place, lasting so many days and nights. When the rite of practicing the Way is finished, the slip will be cast into the numinous altar. We pray that the gods send down blessings, so that people may attain the Dao and become immortals, enjoy long life and deliverance from the world, and ascend in flight to Shangqing (a realm of Daoist immortals); and we further pray that the Central Yellow of the Nine Soils, the Yellow Gods of Wu and Ji, and the Five Thearchs of the Earth Bureau erase sins and punishments, so that the dead may enter the Central Palace. The slip is cast into the altar in order to register the names. We earnestly ask the gods to act according to what has been set forth, and that the memorial be conveyed by the golden dragon.

In the year of the Grand Year-Star (Taisui) such-and-such, in such-and-such a month and on such-and-such a day, the servant of such-and-such rank, so-and-so, respectfully announces at such-and-such a place.

When Heaven and Earth opened, primordial Qi (vital energy) differentiated into the numinous. The Three Origins (the Upper Origin, Middle Origin, and Lower Origin spoken of in Daoism) existed together, and the worlds of the ten directions were bright and pure. The Five Elders (the venerable deities of the five directions in Daoism) memorialized the celestial court and presided over death and life. The vermilion characters on the cinnabar writ record the scriptures transmitted by the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning (Yuanshi Tianzun). They make known to all the divinities beneath the dark netherworld and in the depths of the Nine Earths that today a memorial is submitted to the celestial realm, asking the assembled immortals to determine life and death. By cultivating the zhai (purification retreat) and practicing the Dao (the Way), this matter is reported upward to the Nine Heavens. The registers of names and the charts and records are surveyed and verified as a whole, the roots of sinful karma are cut away, the Nine Earths are made bright once more, and the souls of the dead are enabled to be transferred and delivered; the sufferings in the dark obscurity of Great Yin (Taiyin) are brought to rest, and the six paths of rebirth (the six destinations through which living beings cycle) are made peaceful and pure; enmities are dissolved and adversaries released, so that the souls of the dead may ascend to the various heavens.

When the rite of practicing the Dao is finished, the memorial slips are cast into the numinous altar. May blessings continue for hundreds of millions of generations, and may the emperor’s blessed fortune endure long. Let dragon slips (slips ornamented with dragon forms or dragon patterns and used for submitting memorials) be used to make a covenant announcement to the Earth Official (the deity who governs the underworld). May all that is prayed for be fulfilled as wished, and may the golden dragon convey the memorial.

After the incantation has been recited, the ritual officers bow once more and cast the memorial slips onto the altar or into the courtyard well, or bury them at the position corresponding to the relevant lunar station.

The entire chapter “Hymn of Casting the Dragon: Praying That the Perfected Ascend to the Purple Prefecture” is then chanted.

The titles of the ritual offices are next announced, the deities are invited to descend, and a jiao is established (an altar is set up for offerings and a rite of prayer is performed).

Those who hold ritual office and carry out the Lingbao Mingzhen Great Zhai—the Master of such-and-such marchmount and such-and-such sovereign, together with the petty-omen Perfected, your subject so-and-so, and others—kowtow and bow again before the divinities. Your subject respectfully performs for the emperor the Great Zhai of Transferring the Shen (spirit) (a retreat rite praying for the deliverance of the deceased).

We respectfully invite the great saints of the ten directions from the Upper Palace of Purple Tenuity in the Mysterious Metropolis of the Jade Capital, the Lords and Elders of Utmost Perfection, the flying immortals and Perfected, the jade lads and jade maidens, and the deities who divide and manifest in response to sympathetic stimulus, to descend to the jiao altar.

We respectfully invite the numinous immortals of Heaven and Earth, the supreme saints of the various heavens, the Lord of the Sun and the Lord of the Moon, the Imperial Lords of the Sun and Moon, the Perfected and divine immortals, and the jade lads and jade maidens, to descend to the jiao altar.

With reverence we invite the Great Emperor-Lord, the Celestial Sovereign Gouchen of the North Pole, the Lords of the Seven Stars of the Northern Dipper, the Lords of the Six Stars of the Southern Dipper, the Lords of the Six Stars of the Three Terraces, and the Lords of the Twenty-Eight Lunar Mansions, together with the Great Gods, Imperial Lords, and Perfected Ones (Zhenren) among the stars of the three hundred and sixty-five degrees of the entire heavens, to descend to the ritual altar (the altar platform on which the Daoist Zhaijiao, the purification ritual, is performed).

With reverence we invite the Lord of the Nine Qi (vital energy) of the Azure Emperor of the East, the Lord of the Three Qi of the Red Emperor of the South, the Lord of the Seven Qi of the White Emperor of the West, the Lord of the Five Qi of the Black Emperor of the North, and the Lord of the One Qi of the Yellow Emperor of the Center, together with the Perfected Ones of the Five Emperors and the Jade Lads and Jade Maidens, to descend to the ritual altar.

With reverence we invite the Lords of the Three Origins (the Three Origins are the deities corresponding to the Upper, Middle, and Lower Origins), namely the Heavenly Official of the Upper Origin, the Earthly Official of the Middle Origin, the Lord of the Seven Qi of the White Emperor of the Water Direction of the Lower Origin, the Lord of the Five Qi of the Black Emperor of the North, and the Lord of the One Qi of the Yellow Emperor of the Center, together with the Perfected Ones of the Five Emperors and the Jade Lads and Jade Maidens, to descend to the ritual altar.

With reverence we invite the Lords of the Three Origins, namely the Heavenly Official of the Upper Origin, the Earthly Official of the Middle Origin, and the Water Official of the Lower Origin; we further invite the Three Palaces and Nine Bureaus, the One Hundred and Twenty Departments, the Great Gods of the Five Sacred Peaks, the Ten Great Grotto-Heavens, the Thirty-Six Grotto-Heavens, the Twenty-Four Transformations, the Three Rivers and Four Seas, the Water Emperor of the Nine Rivers, the Twelve River Sources, the Perfected Ones of the Nine Palaces, the Twelve Immortal Lords, the Directors of Destiny of the Nine Heavens, the Elders of the Five Sacred Peaks, and the Envoys of the Nine Heavens, as well as the Great Gods who serve as deputies, in principal office, and as assistants to the Mandate; and we also invite the Celestial Immortals, the Earthly Immortals, the Flying Immortals, and the Divine Immortals, the Prince Lads and Jade Maidens, together with their troops, horses, and mounts, to descend to the ritual altar.

With reverence we invite the Perfected Officials who attend upon the scriptures (Jing) within the Three Caverns (Dongzhen, Dongxuan, and Dongshen) and the Four Supplements, the Immortal Dukes and Immortal Earls, the Immortal Ministers and Grandees, the Censors of the Nine Heavens, the Great Ritual Master of the Mysterious Center, the Celestial Master (Tianshi), the Successor Master, and the Continuing Master, together with the Three Masters of High Antiquity, the Scripture Master, the Register Master, and the Ordination Master; and we also invite the Awe-inspiring Spirits of the Three Caverns and the official subordinates of the Three Treasures to descend to the ritual altar.

With reverence we invite the official subordinates of the Numinous Treasure (Lingbao), the Commander of Immortals and Inspector of the Retreat, the Perfected Officials who bear the duty talismans, the generals and clerks who attend the incense, the Jade Lads and Jade Maidens, the Divine Generals of the Six Jia, and the Jade Maidens of the Six Ten-Day Periods, together with the Scripture Master, the Register Master, the Ordination Master, the Awe-inspiring Spirits of the Three Caverns, and the official subordinates of the Three Treasures, to descend to the ritual altar.

With reverence we petition on high the officers and attendants of the Lingbao (Numinous Treasure)—the divine personnel of the Lingbao zhai rite—together with the immortal officials charged with supervising the zhai, the perfected officials who hold the tallies and tokens and inspect merit, the generals and clerks who tend the incense fire, the Jade Lads and Jade Maidens, the divine generals of the Six Jia, the Jade Maidens of the Six Xun, the Jade Maidens of the Six Ding, the generals and clerks of the altars of soil and grain, and every numinous office, inviting them to descend to the jiaozuo (the ritual altar on which the jiao rite is performed).

With reverence we invite the Great Generals of the Twenty-four Dioceses who hold the tallies and supervise merit and who accompany the bearer, worn upon the person; the Ushers of the Four Divisions who supervise merit; the duty-emissaries of the superior immortals and superior numina; and the divine clerks of the Merit Officers of Zhengyi (Orthodox Unity), the Merit Officers of the Three Divisions, the Merit Officers Who Hasten the Qi (vital energy), and the Merit Officers of the Three and Five, inviting them to descend to the jiaozuo.

With reverence we invite the clerks of the Yin-Yang divine decisions who accompany the bearer, worn upon the person; the clerks of the regulation chariots and crimson talismans; the clerks who ride the relay horses of the gangfeng (firm wind) to transmit memorials and petitions; the mounted clerks of the flying dragons; the mounted clerks of the celestial perfected and flying immortals; together with the emissaries of the Upper Section, the Middle Section, and the Capital Offices, the gentleman-clerks, the Tiger-Brave mounted clerks who investigate treachery, the supervisors of the Capital Offices, the Heavenly Stalwarts and strongmen, and the celestial grooms and armored soldiers, inviting them to descend to the jiaozuo.

With reverence we invite the divine clerks charged with seizing and gathering in breaths, spirits and souls, ghosts and bewitchments, deviant Qi, essence-specters, and poisonous beings, together with the divine clerks who execute and eliminate deviant talismans and destroy illicit shrines, inviting them to descend to the jiaozuo.

With reverence we present our invitation, on behalf of Emperor So-and-so, to the divine generals of his natal destiny and the divine generals of his original chronogram—the divine generals who guard the natal destiny and the year and hour of birth—to the stellar clerks who govern the greater and lesser annual progressions and the natal destiny, and to the divine clerks who seize deviant Qi, essence-specters, and poisonous beings, execute deviant talismans, and destroy illicit shrines, inviting them to descend to the jiaozuo.

With reverence we present our invitation, on behalf of Emperor So-and-so, to the divine generals of his natal destiny, the divine generals of his original chronogram, the stellar officials who govern the greater and lesser annual progressions and the natal destiny, and the generals and clerks of the relay horses, inviting them to descend to the jiaozuo.

With reverence we present our invitation to the Four Offices and the Five Emperors, the perfected numina who respond to the myriad things, the offices of every rank throughout the Three Realms, the generals and clerks who guard the ritual altar, the spirits who keep watch over the void, the deities on duty for the day and for the tally, and the presiding spirits of this realm, inviting them to descend to the jiaozuo.

With reverence we present our invitation to the earth god of this locality and the perfected officials who administer the territory of this township, inviting them to descend to the jiaozuo.

Your servant respectfully addresses the Three Supreme Worthies (Taishang Sanzun, the three highest deities revered in Daoism), Haotian Shangdi, the Lord on High of Vast Heaven, together with all the superior sages of the ten directions, the Celestial Emperors and Celestial Lords of the Three Luminaries and the Nine Brilliances, and every perfected spirit within and beyond the Three Realms. May the gods broadly extend their compassionate grace, send down their radiance, and clearly examine this matter.

By good fortune your servant has received the residual blessings of a former life and been born into the present age, and has further been granted transmission of the numinous writs (the Daoist scriptures) and undertaken the practice of the Mysterious Teaching. My merit is as light as dust and dew, yet my faults are as heavy as hills and mountains; I ought to restrain myself and diligently examine and cultivate my conduct. Yet the methods of the Dao (the Way) also permit one to open the way for others and bring them deliverance, to assist the state, aid the sovereign, and propagate the transforming work of the Dao. Now, reverently carrying out the emperor’s sacred decree, your servant offers posthumous rites for a certain departed soul, presenting gold dragon-patterned silk (a silk textile woven with dragon designs) and incense and flowers as tokens of the offering. In accordance with the classics of the liturgy (Keyi), I devoutly establish a numinous altar and perform the Great Lingbao Zhai of the Ninefold Darkness, the Luminous Perfected, and the Jade Casket for Transferring the Spirit and Delivering the Dead (a major Daoist purification rite instituted to release departed souls and elevate their spirit-consciousness), lasting a certain number of days and nights. On a certain day at a certain hour, when the merit of the Zhai is complete and the rite comes to an end, the perfected writs will be burned, the altar ground dismantled, and the original offices restored.

Now the merit of the purification rite is declared once more, and a Jiao is established (an altar rite of offering to the gods) to set forth the merit that has been performed. May the sins of this departed soul be repented and its grievances and enmities released, so that it need no longer pass through the dark and bitter realms but may ascend to the heavenly halls; may its bodily form be purified at the Vermilion Mound and its spirit refined at Danhuo, and may it then go up in audience before the Taiji (Supreme Ultimate), rise in flight to the Nine Clarities, roam at ease in the company of the myriad thearchs, and dwell in peace among the host of the perfected.

May the imperial foundation endure and its blessings pass to later generations; may the destined course of the state be without end and its grand design stand firm for millions of years. May the ordinances of the realm be unified and the land enjoy lasting order and peace; may epidemics quietly subside, disasters and baleful dangers be removed, warfare not arise, and flood and drought bring no calamity. May the people of every community live in peace under the protection of the dragon spirits; may the Upper Bureau of Central Yellow (Zhonghuang Shangfu, the divine bureau concerned with the protection of the imperial tombs) remain secure, and the tombs enjoy lasting tranquility. May wind and rain arrive in their proper seasons, and may the people forever enjoy great peace.

May the Three Officials (the deities who govern Heaven, Earth, and Water) review the registers and record the merit of the purification rite, and may the Five Emperors turn their procession to examine this extraordinary blessing. May this matter further be reported upward to the various bureaus of Heaven and Earth and to the divine offices charged with the affairs of the underworld and the human world, so that blessings and auspicious signs may descend and be bestowed throughout the four seas. We, your servants, are devout and earnest, and our prayer reaches its utmost; we respectfully bow and offer obeisance once more.

Next, the memorial is burned.

Offering of Paper Money and Horses

The disciple petitions once more: the true spirits within and beyond the numinous altar are respectfully invited to descend. The purification rite performed by this disciple has now reached the fullness of its merit. This has truly depended upon the Three Treasures venerated in Daoism—the Dao (the Way), the Jing (scripture/classic), and the Master—together with the officers under their authority and the divine functionaries who preside over numinous response. They have sent down vast grace and answered this disciple’s earnest plea. The divine perfected have toiled in their comings and goings to convey the memorial. This disciple fears that the offering may have fallen short in ritual form and offended the precepts of the Keyi (liturgy), and also fears that the movements of bowing and rising may not have accorded with heavenly regulations. The matter is therefore stated once more, with a request for forgiveness.

The lofty perfected and supreme sages ascend into the Great Void, and the honored deities of the Three Realms each return to the domains under their charge. Among the attendant officers and the local divine functionaries, those who have not yet taken their seats are invited to receive this sincere and reverent offering. The officers of the Yin-Yang realms, and the orthodox deities within and without, assist the state, deliver the people of the world, establish merit, and bring benefit to all beings. May they drive away calamitous Qi (vital energy), sweep away demons and evil, bring peace to the world, and grant long life to the sovereign.

When the day of the Three Assemblies arrives—the appointed dates on which Daoism conducts rites of examination, appraisal, and promotion—further recommendations for advancement will be made separately. May the souls lingering in the various prisons and underworld courts, in the Three Paths and Six Destinies—the different realms of nether suffering and the destinations of living beings—and in the Ninefold Darkness, together with every kind of orphaned soul, avail themselves of this opportunity for recommendation and deliverance and proceed to a realm of peace, joy, and freedom. The disciples knock their heads to the ground and once more perform the rite of escort and farewell.

Next, the Hymn for Sending Off the Gods and the Hymn for Returning the Precepts are intoned. The dujiang—the ritual master responsible for intoning and guiding the rite—announces: “Let all officials resume their respective posts.” The gaogong—the ritual master who presides over the purification rite—and the dujiang each return to their duties and fulfill their responsibilities. The Twelve Vows are then intoned.

Then the incense burner is restored, bringing to a close the ritual procedures connected with the censer. The disciples are next led to follow the master in ascending through the Gate of Heaven and exiting through the Door of Earth. Afterward the Hymn for Dismantling the Altar and the Spell for Exiting the Door are intoned, and farewell is taken of the Three Masters—the teachers who transmit the methods of the Dao.

Finally the merit is dedicated, and the ceremony is complete.