《金箓三日九朝仪》

Golden true light and azure auroral vapors shine together across the triple heavens. Flying clouds rise into the cinnabar empyrean, and the divinities of all the heavens come riding in their carriages. Morning light brightens the horizon, and darkness disperses altogether. The radiance of the Nine Tenuities shakes the vast sky, and the five stars course and turn in their circuits. The spirits of the myriad heavens respond in sympathetic resonance, and the scene is spontaneous, mysterious, and wondrous. In places dark, obscure, and remote, forms scatter and change into hundreds and thousands of shapes. The Mysterious Pearl casts forth its brilliance, and auspicious Qi (vital energy) fills the altar ground. Both the netherworld and the human world receive this grace, and the waters of the Golden Spring pour in to wash and refine. The Demon King grows fearful at heart, and light and vision meet in the Three Fields—the upper, middle, and lower Dantian (energy center) within the human body.

Dispatching the Censer

Sound the ritual drum twenty-four times.

Most High Lord Lao, of the Qi of the Mysterious Primordial Beginning of the Unsurpassed Three Heavens, I ask you to send forth from within my body the Merit Officers of the Three and the Five (divine clerks who transmit documents), the official emissaries of the left and the right, the golden lads of the left and the right who bear incense, the jade maidens who carry words and scatter flowers, and the incense officers of the direct talismans of the Five Emperors on duty this day—thirty-six of each. I ask that, when they go forth, they compose their bearing and dress in full and proper array, with caps and sashes correctly set and the tassels of their robes hanging down.

I ask that they announce to the earth deity of the Mysterious Altar and to the spirits of this place: this morning I shall ascend the altar to practice the Dao (the Way), pay court to the Imperial Perfected, and reverently perform the purification liturgy. I ask the incense officers of the direct talismans of the Five Emperors on duty this day, thirty-six of each, to go forth, composing their bearing and dressing in full and proper array. I ask that they announce to the earth deity of the Mysterious Altar and to the spirits of this place: this morning I shall ascend the altar to practice the Dao, pay court to the Imperial Perfected, and reverently perform the purification liturgy. All that I pray and declare has been set down in full in the documents. May the Qi of the Dao of the Most High Supreme Perfected, together with the auspicious light of the Numinous Treasure, descend and flow into our bodies, so that the sincerity I have stated may be swiftly conveyed, reaching directly to the supreme sages, the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), of the Unsurpassed Great Dao of Supreme Perfection, and before the throne of the Jade August Thearch of the Golden Portal, Most Venerable of Vast Heaven.

Please proclaim the ritual master’s name and standing.

The ritual officers who hold office at the altar and all who take part in the ceremony respectfully announce together to the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning, of Emptiness and Spontaneity; the Most High Lord of the Limitless Great Dao (the Way); the Most High Lord Lao; and the Exalted Jade Emperor; as well as to the holy hosts of the ten directions who have already attained the Dao, the True Lords and immortal officials, the Thearch-Lords of the Thirty-two Heavens, the Supreme Thearch of the Jade Void, and the Great Jade Thearch. They announce as well to the Eastern Florescence, the Southern Pole, the Western Numen, and the Northern Truth, and to the Perfect and True Brilliant Sovereign Lord of the Dao of the Numinous Treasure, of the Upper Palace of Purple Tenuity upon the Golden Portal and the Seven-Treasure Jasper Terrace of the Jade Capital in the Mysterious Metropolis; to the Venerable Scriptures of the Thirty-six Divisions and the Great Ritual Master within the Mystery; and to the Upper Minister, the Upper Steward, the Upper Protector, and the Upper Tutor, the Twenty-four Perfected who bring down the teaching of Great Peace, Lord Wang the Chief Perfected of the Western Citadel, the Perfected of Grand Unity, the Upper Minister of the Eastern Marchmount, Lord Mao the Director of Destinies, and the two Perfected of Fixed Record and the Preservation of Life. They also make their prayerful announcement to the immortals who have attained the Dao in the famous mountains and grotto-heavens, to the officers of the Three Realms, and to all true numina.

We have heard that the single Qi (vital energy) of the Primordial Beginning—the original breath of which Daoism speaks—lies hidden and condensed. This is the beginning of Heaven and Earth mingling as one, and of the deep mystery of empty space. The Three Hua, the term Daoism uses for subtle, refined, and numinous Qi, flourish and gestate; this is the start of the myriad things forming as embryos while chaos has not yet divided. The Great Dao is mysterious to the utmost and hard to put into words, yet forms appear within it. Beyond it there is no ancestral origin; the Great Dao takes only itself as its root. It enfolds the two forms of Yin-Yang so as to harbor and nourish the bright spirits, and it commands the Nine Empyreans and presides over the transformations of all things.

The Great Dao brought forth the Qi of the Exalted Jade Emperor, filling the vast and boundless Brahma-heavens. Out of the source of Great Non-being and the Undifferentiated Cavern, the Red Script—the sacred writing that in Daoist scriptures symbolizes the laws of the celestial realm—unfolds and is revealed. The Great Dao puts into effect its broad and mysterious workings, and the separating, joining, and transforming of the myriad things all accord with spontaneity.

We have been fortunate to meet early the influence of the true Dao and to be born into a flourishing age. Availing ourselves of an auspicious hour, we have come to understand and to take part in this, and so may reverently serve the sacred chapters of scripture. Favored by the spirits’ illumination, we open our hearts and are able to consult and abide by the regulations of the higher vehicle. Whenever a prayer is to be offered, how dare we not announce it to the divinities? The intention of this Zhaijiao (purification ritual) and the Qingci—the prayer texts addressed to the gods in Daoist rites—are now carefully read aloud and submitted.

All that the Qingci sets forth is sincere and earnest supplication, and nothing in it departs from our original intent. We earnestly beg the Most High divinities to examine it, and each to show compassion and respond to our prayers.

We, your servants, have heard that the supreme and unsurpassed Venerable abides in profound and far-reaching stillness, setting in motion the unfathomable mystery of Yin-Yang transformation. A wondrous realm emerges in empty luminosity, forming the palace halls through which the sun and moon race in swift course. The Cinnabar Numen (the red spirit-deity) rises and dances, and white cranes fly with light grace. Before daybreak we pay court to the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning, rising early to entreat the divine command. The Red Lad (the red boy-deity) shines in radiance, drawing in the morning current that bestows grain; the Azure Elder (the azure elder-deity) sends forth brilliance, receiving the generative Qi (vital energy) of the Wood Palace. Auspicious Qi of three colors fills the chamber, and the hundred spirits gather before the incense burner. Reverently we convey our intent upon the incense smoke and perform the rite of purification and abstinence.

Today, on the morning of the first day, the sacred ritual assembly is held. We invite the ritual company present to join in offering this first stick of incense. May the incense smoke rise into the air and ascend directly before the throne of the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning of the empty, supremely true, and spontaneous Great Dao (the Way), as an offering. By the merit of this incense offering, we pray for the reigning emperor, that his sacred longevity be without limit. We respectfully wish that the emperor, through one heart and one De (Virtue/Power), commune with Heaven and enjoy ten thousand years of life; that he receive Heaven’s mandate and hold the tallies and covenants, his sagely brilliance and span of years lasting as long as the stars Ji and Yi; that he be blessed and meet with good fortune, his favor as firm as hills and mounds, his lifespan extended far beyond numberless kalpas. The Nine Provinces and the Four Seas, every land under Heaven, shall be brought into benevolence and long life; through a thousand autumns and ten thousand generations, great peace shall long be preserved. Now, as we burn incense, we take refuge in the venerables of the Dao and the great host of saints (the revered deities and holy assembly of Daoism), praying that, by the De of supreme truth, after attaining the Dao we may long abide in Heaven.

We, your servants, have heard that purple cloud-Qi shines with brilliance, and the great saints rejoice in the grand assembly of the Qian Grove (the forest garden of the immortal realm); auspicious light reflects the myriad forms, and the Jade Emperor (the supreme sovereign of the heavens) illumines the Orchid Chamber (the fragrant and elegant hall). Layer upon layer of darkness is thereby dispersed, and the myriad things flow into one another. We take refuge in the venerables of the Dao and the great host of saints, praying that, by the De of supreme truth, after attaining the Dao we may long abide in Heaven.

I have heard that an auspicious purple light appears, and the great sages gather at the assembly of Qianlin; propitious radiance holds within it all the phenomena of heaven and earth, and the Jade Emperor illumines the splendor of the Orchid Chamber. Layer upon layer of dark haze is lit up, and the myriad things merge and interpenetrate as one.

Now, on the morning of the first day, a ritual assembly is held. We respectfully invite the ritual masters and the faithful to concentrate their minds and offer incense twice. May the smoke of this incense rise into the sky and ascend directly in offering to the Supreme Sage of Jade Dawn, the Celestial Worthy of the Great Dao (the Way) of Spontaneous Numinous Treasure. May the merit of offering incense be presented above to the ancestors of the ancestral temple and the spirits of the altars of soil and grain. We pray that upon the Cinnabar Terrace they refine and transform form and substance, settle their Shen (spirit) at the Purple Pole, roam free and at ease, protect the ancestral temple, and nurture Jing (essence) and Qi (vital energy); that they attain the sacred realm, realize the Dao and become perfected, ascend to the Imperial Homeland, and enter the profound and mysterious realm. May blessings extend throughout the state, and grace be bestowed upon all under heaven.

Therefore we burn incense and, with our own hearts, take refuge in the Jing (scripture/classic) and the ritual methods, in the honored deities, and in the great host of sages, wishing that by the De (Virtue/Power) of Ultimate Truth we may, after attaining the Dao, ascend into the realm of the formless.

I have heard that the Mysterious Father and Mysterious Mother (the parents of the mysterious primal source, as they are called in Daoism) nurture Jing and Qi within the ancestral temple; they attain the sacred realm, realize the Dao and become perfected, ascend to the Imperial Homeland, and enter the profound and mysterious realm. May blessings extend throughout the state, and grace be bestowed upon all under heaven. Therefore we burn incense and, with our own hearts, take refuge in the Jing and the ritual methods, in the honored deities, and in the great host of sages, wishing that by the De of Ultimate Truth we may, after attaining the Dao, ascend into the realm of the formless.

I have heard that the Mysterious Father and the Mysterious Mother, in the palaces of Zi and Wu, transform and bring forth the child of the three Dantian (energy centers); true scenes and true crystals receive the Nine Qi (vital energy) and course between east and west. The jade nectar (fluids like the sweet dew of the immortals) spreads and moistens, and the elixir chamber (the bodily and mental abode in which Neidan, internal alchemy, is cultivated) ever endures.

On this morning of the first day the ritual assembly is held. The ritual company present is asked to gather mind and heart and raise three sticks of incense. May the incense smoke ascend into the void and be offered directly upward to the Great Sage of Undivided Primordium, the Lord of Spontaneous Transformation, the Celestial Worthy of the Dao (the Way) and De (Virtue/Power). May the merit of this offering of incense assist the spiritual presence of the deceased commended for deliverance. We humbly pray that the deceased may accord with the Dao of Wuwei (non-action), and that mind and Shen (spirit) may roam in the Grand Simplicity (the primordial realm before Heaven and Earth had yet differentiated); that in the true realm of Purple Tenuity they may join the supreme sages in shared participation in the Nine □; that in the jade palaces of the azure empyrean they may accompany the lofty immortals in wandering through the Three Realms; that in the empty □ they may listen to the music of the immortal terrace, and that in the realm of the Mysterious Origin □□ Qi.

May this blessing be left to later generations and transmitted from age to age; may fortune and celebration pass to the Inner Precincts, and may sons and grandsons continue for a hundred million years. Now, as incense is burned, from this moment we take refuge in the venerable masters and the host of great sages. By the De of Utmost Truth, once the Dao is attained one ascends into the formless and unites in truth with the Dao.

Rite of the Directions (a rite of reverent homage)

Repentance

Three Invitations (three acts of petition)

Three Salutations (performing homage three times)

Renewed Proclamation of Ritual Office (declaring once again one’s ritual function and title)

The ritual officers present and all who take part in the ceremony together respectfully submit a memorial to the supreme Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), the exalted sages of the ten directions, the Celestial Emperors and celestial perfected of the Jade Capital and its golden gate-towers, the honored teachers and holy assemblies of the ten directions, the officers of the Three Realms, and all deities possessed of awesome numinous power.

I have heard that when the heavens receive the scriptures (Jing), the sound of the scriptures spreads through all the heavens, and every heaven offers praise; divine beings ride plain carriages to open the way, and when they pass the barriers of the Three Realms, the gods of the Three Realms all come to listen. Though our capacities are ordinary, we have been fortunate to share in the work of spreading this profound teaching. We ought to settle mind and spirit (Shen) in the realm of the Dao (the Way), awaken to the clarity and stillness of the void so as to cultivate true nature, remain apart from the dusty world, and visualize the Qi (vital energy) of cinnabar florescence, so that body and mind grow light and rise. In performing a rite of covenant and oath, one must first establish merit and practice goodness. Therefore we expound the methods of the Dao in order to save and deliver the people of the world, and we vow to praise the celestial Dao and transmit its teaching. Now, having again received the command from on high, we respectfully preside over this ritual service.

We respectfully recall that since the passing of a certain Lingming—an honorific for the deceased—we have remembered a debt of nurture as vast as heaven, which can never be repaid. Cherishing the memory of his bearing, we purposely hold this rite in order to repay that kindness and to recommend and raise up the departed soul. We specially charge the company of Daoist priests respectfully to perform the Jade Register Retreat, a Zhaijiao (purification ritual) in which the Daoist tradition takes the jade register as its warrant to pray for blessings and recommend the dead, opening the rite that saves and delivers the departed soul so that it may ascend to the celestial courts. We respectfully ask the deities to protect the soul as it rises beyond the azure empyrean, to purify and refine form and spirit in the Cinnabar Court, to let the spirit roam the realm of clarity and stillness and awaken to the Dao of emptiness and nonbeing, and to have its name entered on the jade slips and its place established in the jasper palaces.

We further pray that the celestial Dao may long flourish and the succession of the royal house remain firm; that the sagely sovereign may possess the De (Virtue/Power) of Yao and Shun, and that the ministers who assist him may be as worthy as Gaoyao and Kui; that the ruler’s blessings and years may be long and the frontiers at peace. May all the people of the world receive this vast grace, and may living beings throughout the worlds of the ten directions and within the Ninefold Darkness alike obtain the blessed joy of birth, nurture, and transformation. In this way, above, the vast compassionate grace of the Celestial Worthies may be made manifest, and below, the sincerity with which we dedicate our lives and offer our prayers may be answered. We respectfully submit this memorial for Heaven to hear.

The Twelve Vows

First, may the Three Worthies—the three exalted deities venerated in Daoism—look down and grant their protection. Second, may the divine lords, the Five Elders, send down their light. Third, may divine radiance shine upon all. Fourth, may the nine Qi—the nine kinds of primordial vital energy—descend as auspicious signs. Fifth, may the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) accord with the movement of the times. Sixth, may efficacious talismans and registers (Fulu) soar aloft and display their power. Seventh, may Kan and Li—water and fire, Yin-Yang—join and bring the cycle to completion. Eighth, may the nine nights, the realm of darkness, give forth light. Ninth, may the mysterious altar—the altar where Daoist deities are enshrined and rituals are performed—prove numinously responsive. Tenth, may names and titles be entered in the heavens. Eleventh, may the spiritual presence of the departed be saved and delivered. Twelfth, may the blessings and fortune of the state long endure.

Returning the Incense Burner

Visualize the deities, and burn incense.

The envoys of the Incense Officials, the Dragon and Tiger Lords of the left and right (divine generals who guard the altar), and the various numinous officers who attend the incense should cause the place where this subject has just now ascended the altar at the morning court to practice the Dao (the Way) to bring forth of itself golden liquor, cinnabar and azure, and immortal herbs like lingzhi. The hundred numina and the host of the Perfected all converge here. The numinous officers attending the incense before the censer should likewise cause that place to bring forth of itself golden liquor, cinnabar and azure, and immortal herbs like lingzhi. May the immortal youths and jade maidens of the ten directions receive, guide, and wait upon the incense smoke, convey upward the sincere intent that this subject has just presented, and swiftly deliver it before the throne of the Most Perfect, Limitless Great Dao, the Upper Sages of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), and the Jade Emperor, Most Venerable Supreme Sovereign of the Golden Portal of August Heaven.

The morning-court ritual of the first day of the Jade Register Great Retreat is concluded.

Noon-Court Ritual of the First Day of the Jade Register Great Retreat

The ritual masters, each in accordance with the liturgical method, practice visualization and the retention of Shen (spirit).

The song of the Empty Cavern rises, and the Imperial Lords guard the altar. The Five Emperors examine and collate the registers of names, and the Three Officials receive the talismanic mandates. The portals of the four directions are all set in defense, driving out deviant demons and treacherous Qi (vital energy). Streaming bells cast fire, burning away the residual Yin filth. With golden writs worn upon the body, one refines and nourishes Jing (essence) and Qi, so that the countenance glows like lingzhi. Mysterious numina unite with pure Qi, and the heart and Shen set the Three Passes in motion (the crucial apertures through which the Qi mechanism of the human body circulates). Riding lions and mounting cranes, one drives dragons and phoenixes. Ten thousand stars guard the dwelling, and a thousand demons cannot intrude. The Qi of the Dao endures forever, and all immortals obtain peace.

Streaming bells cast fire, burning away the residual Yin filth. With golden writs worn upon the body, one refines and nourishes Jing and Qi, so that the countenance glows like lingzhi. Mysterious numina unite with pure Qi, and the heart and Shen set the Three Passes in motion. Riding lions and mounting cranes, one drives dragons and phoenixes. Ten thousand stars guard the dwelling, and a thousand demons cannot intrude. The Qi of the Dao endures forever, and all immortals obtain peace.

The rite of sending forth the censer is the same as before.

Please proclaim the ritual positions.

The presiding officiant of the altar that has been established, together with the officials, the Daoist assembly, and the others present at the altar, with hearts of reverence and utmost sincerity, jointly petition the Primordial Heavenly Worthy of Empty Nonbeing and Spontaneity; the Most High Dao Lord of the Limitless Great Dao (the Way); the Most High Lord Lao; and the Exalted Jade Emperor; the Great Sages of the Ten Directions who have already attained the Dao, the Lords of Utmost Perfection, and the Elders; the Imperial Lords of the Thirty-two Heavens; the Highest Thearch of Jade Vacuity and the Great Thearch, the Jade Emperor; the Perfected Lords of Eastern Florescence, the Southern Pole, Western Numinosity, and Northern Truth; the Lingbao Dao Lord, Most True and Luminous Sovereign, of the Golden Portal of the Jade Capital of the Mystic Metropolis, the Jasper Terrace of the Seven Treasures, and the Upper Palace of Purple Tenuity; the venerable Jing (scripture/classic) of the Thirty-six Divisions; the Great Ritual Master of the Mysterious Center; the Upper Minister, the Upper Steward, the Upper Protector, and the Upper Transmitter; the Twenty-four Perfected who transmit below the teaching of Great Peace; Lord Wang, Chief Perfected of the Western Citadel; the Perfected of Grand Unity; the Senior Minister of the Eastern Peak, Lord Mao, Director of Destinies; the two Perfected who Fix the Registers and Preserve Life; the divine immortals who have attained the Dao in the famous mountains and grotto-heavens; the official subordinates of the Three Realms; and all true numina.

I have heard that the two luminaries, sun and moon, hold within them the principle of emptiness and stillness: before the myriad things have yet appeared, a numinous and wondrous radiance already lies hidden within them. The Nine Empyreans gather the Brahma Qi (vital energy) of all the heavens, so that this subtle and exquisite Qi returns and unites with spontaneity. The Dao existed before the Heavenly Thearch appeared, silent, still, and standing alone; before the Great Beginning it was dim and elusive, formless, and impossible to name. It fuses the three mysterious colors and condenses them into a single Shen (spirit), and from this, transformation arises. The unsurpassed Qi of Jade Vacuity divides and comes forth, gathering into the Cavern Chapters; the primal origin of Great Nonbeing and Crimson Chaos first begins to move, circulating through the realm of the Brahma Heavens. Without the teaching of the scriptures, living beings cannot be delivered; and if one would reach the supreme realm, transcendence is likewise hard to attain.

By the fortunate causes accumulated in the past, we have been able to take part in hearing the mysterious Dao. We have opened and read the secret treasury of the Nine Radiances and glimpsed its numinous scriptures; we proclaim the luminous codes of the Three Caverns (Dongzhen/Dongxuan/Dongshen) and abide by the canonical teachings. Whenever we have a prayer to offer, how dare we fail to report it above? The green-memorial prayer used in the Zhaijiao (purification ritual) is now carefully read aloud and submitted.

What is presented is as the green memorial states: sincere and earnest, and not at variance with our original intent. We respectfully ask the Great Dao to bestow its grace, to examine our plea with clear discernment, and to grant each of our petitions in turn.

I have heard that above the empty, vast azure heavens, the Mysterious Mound reveals the cloud-seal script (the esoteric characters of Daoism); across the boundless expanse radiance circulates, and pure practice (pure cultivation) manifests the intent of celestial authenticity. The One Qi (vital energy)—the primordial energy that constitutes heaven, earth, and the myriad things—spirals upward, generating and nurturing the Nine Clarities (the lofty celestial realms of which Daoism speaks).

We keep to the appointed hours and cultivate with care, and even past noon we do not slacken. Whirling clear winds bear fragrant brilliance, lighting the towering gates of heaven; the crimson solar Jing (essence) rises and shines at the center of the Cinnabar Heaven (the celestial realm of which Daoism speaks). Feathered canopies turn with flowing splendor, and jade-hued radiance falls upon the Mysterious Altar (the place where Daoists set an altar and perform rites).

Reverently we convey our wishes by means of incense smoke and carry out the rites of purification and abstinence. Today, at the noon practice of the Dao (the Way) on the first day, we ask the ritual assembly here present to offer this first pinch of incense. May the incense smoke rise into the void and ascend directly, in offering to the Primordial Heavenly Worthy of the Empty, Utmost Truth, and Spontaneous Great Dao.

May the merit of this pinch of incense be offered upward to bless the reigning emperor, that the throne pass from generation to generation and the fortune of the realm be without limit. We respectfully wish that the imperial line continue for a thousand years, and that his De (Virtue/Power) and achievements compare with those of the Two Emperors of antiquity; that the foundation of the imperial enterprise stand firm, forever the root of countless generations; that the state grow daily more prosperous, long surpassing the legendary eight-hundred-year fortune of the Zhou dynasty. May the emperor hold the Mandate of Heaven and govern all under heaven, receiving that mandate in his own person; may he order the state so that its fortune endures and his achievements bring glory to the ancestors. May every auspicious omen arrive together, and celebrations of blessing come in abundance.

Therefore we burn incense and of our own will take refuge in the Venerable of the Dao and the host of great sages. May we, by the De of Utmost Truth, after attaining the Dao, preserve Heaven and long endure.

I have heard that the purple Jing (essence) and Qi (vital energy) are bright and abundant, and that from within the Three Lodges the Shen (spirit) of empty stillness arises; halls like fine jade cast forth their radiance, the ten directions come into accord, and the sacred realm leading to the Golden Bridge turns into view. Subtle mysteries illuminate all things, and the Great Dao (the Way), blended as one, manifests its profound wonder. It is now the first day, in the period before noon, that the ritual assembly is held. I ask the ritual congregation present to turn the mind to visualization of these two currents of Jing and Qi and of the sacred realm, to take up incense, and to offer it.

May the incense smoke rise into the void and ascend directly, in offering to the Most Holy of the Jade Dawn, the Celestial Worthy of the Spontaneous Numinous Treasure and the Great Dao (a venerated deity of Lingbao Daoism). May the merit of this offering of incense augment the spirit of the Empress, Mother of the Realm. Reverently we pray that she refine and transform form and substance, that her spirit roam the Eastern Florescence, that she nurture her spiritual and earthly souls and ascend to the Southern Pole; that she rise in flight to the Golden Portal and be enrolled among the exalted ranks of immortals; that she feast and wander in the Jade Capital and dwell at ease before the steps of the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Truth. May auspicious signs spread through the destiny of the imperial realm, and may the foundation of the dynasty long endure in abundance; may the descendants of the imperial house be like golden branches and jade leaves, their fair renown carried far, purple phoenixes and azure luan-birds descending to bring omens of good fortune; may the Nine Provinces be settled and clear, and the Four Seas quiet and at peace. Today, for this reason, we burn incense, take refuge in the venerable Jing (scripture) and the great assembly of sages, and honor the De (Virtue/Power) of the Supreme Truth, wishing that after attaining the Dao we may ascend into the realm without form.

I have heard that after chaos was opened, the clear Qi rose to become the round Heaven and the turbid Qi sank to become the square Earth; once the height of Heaven and the lowness of Earth were fixed, the human world and the celestial realm were likewise set apart. The purple celestial realm is fair, deep, and far-reaching, and jade-like Jing and Qi circulate in brightness. It is now the first day, at the noon hour, that the ritual assembly is held. I ask the ritual congregation present to turn the mind to visualization, to take up incense, and to offer it.

May the incense smoke rise into the void and ascend directly, in offering to the Great Sage of Undifferentiated Origin, the Celestial Worthy of Spontaneous Dao and De (a Daoist celestial worthy). May the merit of this offering of incense augment the spirits presented and honored by the former sages of the ancestral temple. Reverently we pray that Heaven and Earth again show forth their light, and that sympathetic communion and meeting take place within the Great Void; that the spirits be nourished in their original truth and rest at ease in the Yellow Chamber (the inner palace, or abode of the spirits, of which Daoism speaks); that in the realm of empty azure they cultivate true nature and ascend directly to the celestial realm of the Purple Pole. May auspicious signs descend upon the ancestral temple, and may blessings extend into the palace of the heir. Today, for this reason, we burn incense, take refuge in the venerable teachers and the great assembly of sages, and honor the De of the Supreme Truth, wishing that after attaining the Dao we may ascend into the realm without form.

Repentance—confessing one’s faults before the deities and praying for pardon—is followed by walking around the altar, summoning and commanding the demon-spirits, Buxu (chanting hymns of praise while treading in prescribed paces), homage to the scriptures (Jing), three opening invocations, and a further intoning of the titles of ritual office.

The ritual masters invested with office, together with the officers and the assembly present at the altar, reverently and with sincere hearts jointly present a memorial to the supreme Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), the highest sages of the ten directions, the Celestial Emperors and Celestial Perfected of the Jade Capital and the Golden Portal, the venerable masters and holy hosts of the ten directions, the official subordinates of the Three Realms, and all spirits of awesome power.

We, your servants, have heard that when the scriptural methods of Dongxuan (one of the Three Caverns: Dongzhen, Dongxuan, and Dongshen) came forth into the world, Heaven and Earth bowed their heads in reverent worship; and that when the Divine Empyrean promulgated the Fulu (talismans and registers), the dark underworld opened roads and cleared the passes for them. Long since enrolled among companions in the cultivation of the Dao (the Way), and blessed with the protection of the methods of the Dao, we ought by rights to uphold the way of the Yellow Court, cultivating in stillness and nourishing body and mind, and we ought likewise to study that wondrous teaching which is pure and still as sweet dew, putting away outward greed and craving. Now, respectfully obeying the command from above, we reverently perform the rite.

We earnestly beg that the intent of the Dao shine forth, clear and unobstructed, and that the Celestial Emperor look down, heed, and examine: that the precious registers of Jade Clarity be bestowed, and the bodily form refined and nourished with golden liquor; that the immortal texts of the Golden Portal be transmitted, and the name entered in the registers of the Cinnabar Terrace. We pray that blessings rest upon the divine presence of His Highness; that, holding the dragon-patterned talismanic seal and riding the phoenix carriage, he proceed directly into the immortal realm of purity, stillness, and emptiness, and ascend in flight to the land of the Great Vastness. May he be ranked among the perfected immortals, his name recorded in the Purple Registers; may he banquet and roam the immortal scenery at the Jasper Pool, dwell in the Flowered Portal, and there rest and nourish his spirit. May he realize the Dao of Wuwei (non-action) and rise beyond into the immortal realm. Thus may the compassionate teaching of the Celestial Worthy be made manifest, and the earnest petition of your servants be fulfilled. We respectfully submit this memorial.

The twelve vows are as follows. The first vow: may heavenly grace descend universally. The second vow: may the talismanic mandate be widely conveyed. The third vow: may the Mysterious Altar—the altar ground on which Daoism performs Zhaijiao (purification rituals)—be pure, solemn, and majestic. The fourth vow: may the ten thousand sages descend before the altar. The fifth vow: may the thousand perfected come to offer homage. The sixth vow: may all manner of primordial Qi (vital energy) gather, so that living beings may become immortals. The seventh vow: may the dead return to life and departed souls turn back. The eighth vow: may the dead be delivered and ascend into the Southern Palace. The ninth vow: may the sky be clear and the heavens bright and pure. The tenth vow: may the rivers and seas be at peace and all under Heaven tranquil. The eleventh vow: may living beings attain the Dao amid the cycles of rebirth. The twelfth vow: may they ascend in flight to the immortal realm of Upper Clarity.

The incense burner is returned as before. One leaves the hall, offers thanks to the masters, and retires behind the curtain. The noon audience of the first day of the Great Retreat of the Jade Register is concluded.

Evening audience of the first day of the Great Retreat of the Jade Register: may there be ascent in flight to Upper Clarity.

The rite of Returning the Incense Burner is performed once again, following the same procedure as before.

The assembly withdraws from the hall.

They bow to the Venerable Master and offer thanks.

They return within the curtained enclosure.

The noon audience of the first day of the Great Retreat of the Jade Register (Yulu Dazhai) comes to an end.

Evening audience of the first day of the Great Retreat of the Jade Register

In accordance with ritual propriety, all present bow to the Venerable Master and, as the rite prescribes, concentrate their thoughts and quietly visualize.

Divine light shines brightly, and auspicious Qi (vital energy) circulates all around. The lunar mansions Ji and Dou cast their radiance, and the palace halls of the immortal realm rest in peace and harmony. Jade-hued eyes hold true intent within them, and the precious altar is pure and upright. Night is turned into day, and the sequence of the zi and wu hours seems to revolve backward. The flowing pearls of Mount Taihua glitter with splendor, and the cinnabar phoenix soars through the mysterious void. Demonic powers are stilled and treachery is cleared away, and ascent proceeds step by step upon the auspicious Qi. The Perfected of Heaven gather from every quarter and come together before the Imperial Lord.

The rite of Dispatching the Incense Burner is performed, following the same procedure as before.

The liturgical titles of the deities are proclaimed in invitation and praise.

The ritual masters, the officials taking part in the altar rite, and the assembly devoted to the Dao (the Way), together and with sincere hearts, submit this memorial: to the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning, of Emptiness and Spontaneity; to the Most High Lord of the Limitless Great Dao; to the Most High Lord Lao; to the Exalted Jade Emperor; to the great sages of the ten directions who have attained the Dao, the lords of utmost perfection, and the elders; to the sovereigns of the Thirty-two Heavens, the Supreme Thearch of Jade Vacuity, and the Great Jade Thearch; to the perfected lords of Eastern Florescence, the Southern Pole, the Western Numen, and Northern Perfection; to the Supremely Perfected and Luminous Sovereign Lord of the Dao of the Numinous Treasure, of the Golden Portal of the Jade Capital in the Mystic Metropolis, the Jasper Terrace of the Seven Treasures, and the Upper Palace of Purple Tenuity; to the Honored Jing (scriptures) of the Thirty-six Divisions and the Great Ritual Master within the Mystery; to the Upper Minister, the Upper Steward, the Upper Protector, and the Upper Tutor; to the Twenty-four Perfected who descend to spread the teaching of Great Peace; to Lord Wang, Chief Perfected of the Western Citadel, the Perfected of Grand Unity, and the Upper Minister of the Eastern Marchmount, Controller of Destinies; to the two Perfected Lords Mao, Fixer of the Registers and Protector of Life; to the immortals who have attained the Dao in the famous mountains and grotto-residences; to the divine officials of every rank in the Three Realms; and to all perfected numina.

We, your servants, have heard that the brilliance of the three colors lies hidden and undisplayed, establishing within chaos the foundation of Heaven and Earth, and that the one spirit, darkly concealed and subtle, remains unknowable through millions upon millions of kalpas. The Great Dao penetrates successive realms of mystery; its principle is profound and minute, surpassing the boundless wastes. It has neither form nor thread, and seems at once to exist and not to exist. Holding the myriad images within itself, it condenses Jing (essence) and Qi (vital energy); moving through all the Nine Yangs, it opens the turning of the kalpas. It sends forth the Qi of secluded stillness and mysterious communion, and from on high looks down upon the cinnabar empyrean; it gives rise to the rich and elegant tones of emptiness, and inaugurates the Jade Calendar. Heaven, Earth, and the myriad things are brought into being by spontaneous transformation, and there is nothing that the Great Dao cannot make manifest.

We, your servants, have long possessed a destined affinity drawing us toward the immortal Dao, and we have been fortunate to encounter this numinous and wondrous assembly. Reverently reading the sacred chapters of scripture, we rejoice in our hearts and look from afar in longing toward the true Dao. Receiving the Qi of the Great Brahma and thereby coming into being, we cultivate with earnest diligence and proclaim the teaching. Whenever there is a prayer to be offered, how dare we not report it to the divine perfected? The intention of this Zhaijiao (purification ritual) has been written as a green memorial—the document presented to the deities in a Zhaijiao rite—and we now respectfully read it aloud and submit it.

Proclamation

All that the document sets forth is sincere and earnest entreaty. We respectfully beg the Great Dao to bestow its grace, to discern these prayers clearly, and to grant each of them in its turn.

We, your ministers, have heard that the Dao (the Way) was revealed through the Five Kalpas—the long cosmic ages since heaven and earth took form—its clear, bright radiance shining within the void; and that the methods of the Dao are divided into the Three Vehicles, paths of cultivation at different levels, manifesting in the hidden darkness their power to save all living beings. The Dao is ever pure and ever still, and is therefore called holy and called divine.

We reverently observe the rite of the pure fast and have come for the first time into the quiet of the night. At this hour the divine wind is hushed and soundless; the waters of the river’s source reflect the brilliance of the Eastern Well; the Heavenly River and the starry Han course in brightness, and the Stone Radiance breathes forth the dark, mysterious yin-soul. The assembled immortals meet and extend their shelter; the Nine Qi (vital energies)—the nine primordial breaths that constitute heaven, earth, and the myriad things—gather and hold mist and cloud within them.

We respectfully ask that the incense smoke convey our intention as we perform the fast liturgy. In tonight’s practice of the Dao, we invite the ritual assembly present to raise together this first stick of incense. May the smoke ascend into the void and be offered directly to Yuanshi Tianzun, the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning of the Empty, Utmost True, Spontaneous Great Dao—the supreme deity venerated in Daoism. By the merit of this incense we offer blessings above for the reigning emperor, that his fortune and longevity be without limit. We reverently wish that the emperor accord with the Dao and personally receive abundant blessings and emoluments; that his grace be rich as he receives the endless gifts of the Celestial Emperor; that his bearing be solemn as he is favored by the unceasing bounty sent down from Heaven. May he surely enjoy protection through hundreds of millions of years and long bear the blessed destiny of the Nine-Five sovereign; may the four seas turn their hearts to him, and may the eight directions rest in peace and submission.

Therefore we burn incense and take refuge in the Venerable Dao and the host of great sages. May people, relying on the De (Virtue/Power) of supreme truth, after attaining the Dao, abide forever in heaven.

I have heard that the Dao (the Way) is profound and without form, and that Shen (spirit) returns to the realm of the mysterious and the truly real; when a person suddenly forgets the body, the Dao appears amid utmost emptiness and stillness. Now, as all present concentrate in silent recitation, sincere hearts will surely call forth a response.

At this hour of sunset the ritual assembly is held. I ask the Daoists present to pinch the incense twice and raise it in offering. May the incense smoke rise into the air and be offered directly to the Jade Dawn, Most Holy Heavenly Worthy of the Spontaneous Numinous Treasure and the Great Dao. May the merit of this incense offering aid the departed soul whom we commend for deliverance. We pray that the departed refine and transform bodily form and substance, return to emptiness, gather the spirit, and merge into the Great Simplicity, Taisu (the primordial state at the beginning of heaven and earth).

May the departed be examined at the Cinnabar Terrace (where the immortals keep the registers of merit and fault) and, through accumulated good deeds, receive the highest rank; may their merits be reported at the Purple Palace (the abode of the immortals) and they advance in immortal rank. May blessings extend widely to protect the state; may they guard the heir apparent and bring peace to the world. May the hundred officials be pure and upright, so that every region flourishes and prospers; may they forever assist the imperial dynasty, so that favor and stipend grow ever more secure.

Therefore we burn incense and willingly take refuge in the Jing (scripture/classic) and its methods, in the honored deities, and in the host of great sages, reverently honoring the De (Virtue/Power) of the Utmost Truth. May the departed, having attained the Dao, ascend to the formless realm.

I have heard that accumulating merit across long kalpas depends on broadly delivering the beings of the human world and the celestial realms, and that advancement in immortal rank and grade depends on universally relieving the spirits of the netherworld and the human world. The true teaching ought to be propagated, and its profound and subtle achievements made clear.

Now, at the time of the evening practice of the Dao (the Way), the members of the ritual assembly present are each asked to offer incense three times. May the incense smoke rise into the air and ascend to make offering to the Great Sage of Primordial Unity, the Lord of Spontaneous Transformation, the Celestial Worthy of the Dao and the De (Virtue/Power), one of the highest deities venerated in Daoism. May the merit of these three offerings of incense be presented upward to the ancestors of the ancestral temples and the sages of successive ages, and may it protect the honored spirits of the state and the altars of soil and grain.

Reverently we pray: may we be promoted to the Jade Capital (the seat of the immortal realm) and ascend in flight to the Emerald Scenery; may we return to the original source and recover our original truth, and through nine cycles of cultivation become immortals; may we accord with the wondrous Dao, ascend to the realm of the True, and, joining with the Eight Chronograms (a Daoist designation related to the stars of heaven and the order of the seasons), come into communion with the Great Dao. In the Numinous Mansion (the inner spirit-mansion in which Shen (spirit) is preserved and Qi (vital energy) is nourished), may we hear the sounds of heaven; in the Muddy Pellet (a term of Daoist internal cultivation referring to the spirit-mansion in the head), may a seat be laid for the Imperial Lord. Taiyi (a Daoist deity) assists the Jing (essence) and Qi, and the Imperial Lord (a venerated deity) determines rank and lifespan.

We further pray to wear the Precious Registers—Fulu (talismans and registers) that record the names of divine perfected beings and ritual offices—to ascend in flight into the Golden Portal, to rest at ease in the jasper carriage (a jade vehicle of the immortal realm), and to rise directly to the Jasper Terrace. May blessings extend through the destiny of the state, and grace reach all under heaven.

Now, therefore, we burn incense and reverently take refuge in the Venerable Master, the host of Great Sages, and the De of the Most Perfected. May we, after attaining the Dao, ascend into the formless realm.

There follow the confession, three invocations, three acts of worship, and a further proclamation of the ritual office.

The officers of the ritual posts at the altar, together with the entire Daoist assembly, sincerely address the supreme Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), the exalted sages of the ten directions, the Celestial Emperors and celestial perfected of the Jade Capital and the Golden Portal, the master-teachers and holy hosts of the ten directions, the officials of the Three Realms, and all majestic spirits.

We, your servants, have heard that, within the rites of the Three Realms, the purification retreat is established and the covenant sworn three times, and that when the Qi (vital energy) of the Nine Yang is formed into talismanic script, it can communicate with the Nine Springs of the dark underworld. We, your servants, accumulated roots of goodness in former lives and early became heirs of the Daoist tradition. We ought to have washed away the afflictions of the dusty world, calmly maintained a purification fast of a thousand days, and, through ten thousandfold practice, received the illumination of the numinous light of the Nine Heavens. Having already made the vow to drink the elixir, how dare we forget the oaths written into the covenant bond? We, your servants, wish to relieve all living beings, deliver the people of the world, and accumulate merit and good deeds.

Now, carrying out the sacred command and commemorating the spirits, we reverently pray that the Supreme Emperor extend compassion and that the exalted perfected examine us with clarity. May grace descend from the Southern Pole, so that the deceased may refine their forms with golden liquor; may the edict be issued by the Eastern Flower, so that the Jade Perfected may assess and register them. May the deceased move to dwell in the Lang Gardens, rest in splendid residences, wander freely in the land of purity, and feast and roam in the realm of the void. Thus, above, the vastly compassionate and vastly merciful teaching of the Heavenly Worthies may be made manifest, and below, the sincere hearts of us, your servants, who take refuge and fulfill the command, may be answered. Respectfully we submit this address.

The first vow is that compassionate light shine universally; the second, that the sun of wisdom send down its brightness. The third vow is that heavenly grace universally save and deliver; the fourth, that one awaken and enter the Dao (the Way) of Wuwei (non-action). The fifth vow is that the Azure Flower bestow a blessed life-allotment; the sixth, that one feast and roam upon the Cinnabar Terrace. The seventh vow is that the Shen (spirit) and soul ascend into the Purple Pole; the eighth, that one come and go, lingering, in a phoenix carriage. The ninth vow is that blessings prolong the destiny of the state; the tenth, that one ascend to the immortal realm of Penglai. The eleventh vow is that the ten thousand perfected deities descend to inspect and bear witness. The twelfth vow is that one ascend the jasper steps.

Return the burner; the rite is the same as before. Give thanks to the masters. Return the curtain.

The evening rite of the first day of the Jade Register Great Retreat is complete.

The morning court rite of the second day of the Jade Register Great Retreat.

Each person pays homage to the master-teachers and, according to the method, performs meditative visualization.

The numinous light of the Five Stars shines upon the four directions and manifests a bright radiance in the Cinnabar Court (the Daoist altar). It embraces all things without boundary and accords with the Qi (vital energy) of the host of spirits; it also lies hidden within the bodily form, secluded and soundless, roaming through the channels of the five viscera. It raises its majestic power, radiant as the sun, and commands the Jia and Ding (the divine soldiers of which Daoism speaks). It can turn back calamity, wash away defilement, and disperse inauspicious Qi. The myriad demons are therefore struck with fear, while dragon and tiger surge into motion; purple clouds overlay one another, and every kind of primordial Qi gathers in a single place.

Beat the ritual drum twenty-four times.

O Most High Lord Lao of the Three Qi of the Mysterious, the Original, and the Beginning, of the Unsurpassed Three Heavens—the supreme deity venerated in Daoism—please summon forth from within this servant’s body the Three-Five Merit Officers, the official messengers of the left and the right, the Golden Lads of the left and the right who hold incense, the Jade Maidens who transmit words and scatter flowers, and the direct-talisman officers of the Five Emperors together with the incense officials on duty for the day, thirty-six of each kind. Command them, once they have come forth, to set their attire in order and dress with solemn dignity, caps and sashes complete and tassels hanging down.

Please convey this and present a memorial to the earth deity of the mysterious altar and to the spirits of every region: this servant, in the early morning of this day, ascends the altar to practice the Dao (the Way) and to pay homage to the Imperial Perfected. I respectfully submit this memorial: the sincere intentions to be set forth have all been written in the sealed document. May the auspicious light of the Numinous Treasure, the Dao-Qi of the Most High and Supremely Perfected, descend and flow into the bodies of this servant and those with me, so that we may practice the Dao and pay homage to the Imperial Perfected.

I respectfully submit this memorial once more: the sincere intentions to be set forth have all been written in the sealed document. May the auspicious light of the Numinous Treasure, the Dao-Qi of the Most High and Supremely Perfected, descend and flow into the bodies of this servant and those with me; and may the sincere intentions set forth in this servant’s memorial be swiftly transmitted and delivered directly before the throne of the Superior Sages of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing) of the Supremely Perfected, Limitless Great Dao, and of the Jade Emperor, Most Exalted Sovereign of the Golden Portal of Vast Heaven.

Please declare the ritual office.

The officials invested with their ranks, together with all who have assembled at the ritual altar, with one sincere heart respectfully address the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning, of empty non-being and spontaneous nature; the Most High Lord of the Dao (the Way) of the Limitless Great Dao; the Most High Lord Lao; and the Exalted Jade Emperor; together with the Great Saints of the ten directions who have already attained the Dao, the various lords of ultimate perfection, and the elders; the Imperial Lords of the Thirty-two Heavens, the Supreme Thearch of the Jade Void, and the Jade Thearch Grand Thearch; and the Lingbao Dao-lords of ultimate perfection and luminous sovereignty of Donghua, Nanji, Xiling, and Beizhen, of the Golden Portal of the Jade Capital in the Mysterious Metropolis, of the Jasper Terrace of the Seven Treasures, and of the Upper Palace of Purple Tenuity. They further respectfully address the Venerable Scriptures of the Thirty-six Departments, the Great Ritual Master within the Mysterious Center, the Supreme Minister and the Supreme Steward, the Supreme Guardian and the Supreme Tutor, the Twenty-four Perfected who descend to teach Great Peace, Lord Wang the Chief Perfected of the Western Citadel, the Taiyi Perfected, the Upper Minister of the Eastern Peak who controls destinies, and the two Perfected of Lord Mao, the Perfected of Fixed Registers and the Perfected Who Protects Life. The gods and immortals who have attained the Dao in the famous mountains and grotto abodes, the officials and spirit hosts belonging to the Three Realms, and all true spirits are likewise respectfully invited to deign to hear.

Your servant has heard that the Four Images (the four fundamental forces that constitute the workings of heaven and earth) are now hidden and now manifest within the vast void, that the radiance of the Nine Yang spreads abroad, and that wondrous Qi (vital energy) circulates through the realm of Brahma-splendor. Blue-green clouds of Qi stand arrayed layer upon layer, and the mysterious and subtle Jing (essence) lies deep and minute; they communicate with the Three Luminaries—sun, moon, and stars—and nourish the myriad things. At the beginning of Longhan (the remote kalpic age spoken of in Daoism), the celestial writings were opened, and the Qi of Primal Azure manifested its transformations. The scriptures of the Celestial Treasure descended into the world, and the divine and marvelous chapters thereby appeared; Jade Clarity, responding and transforming, delivered humankind, and the numinous seal-script (the sacred talismanic writing of Daoism) sent forth its light. The true pivot of mystery was disclosed, and the orthodox Dao was transmitted.

We, your servants, have been fortunate to take part in these mysterious ritual statutes and thus to follow the norms of high antiquity. Looking upward, we rely upon the compassionate countenances of the honored deities to come into communion; turning, we attend the morning rite. Visualizing the spoken teachings of the honored deities, we concentrate the Shen (spirit) in single-minded focus and carry out the proclamation of the ritual service. Whenever there is a prayer or petition, we dare not fail to report it above. The Qingci used in this purification liturgy, the prayer text presented to the deities in Daoist Zhaijiao (purification ritual), is hereby respectfully read aloud.

Reading of the Qingci

All that is set forth accords with what is written in the Qingci, and our earnest intent is in no way at variance with it. We earnestly beg the Most High to bestow grace, to examine clearly, and to condescend to grant our petition.

Your servant has heard... Whenever there is a prayer or petition, we dare not fail to report it above. The Qingci used in this purification liturgy is hereby respectfully read aloud.

Reading of the Qingci

All that is set forth accords with what is written in the Qingci, and our earnest intent is in no way at variance with it. We earnestly beg the Most High to bestow grace, to examine clearly, and to condescend to grant our petition.

We, your servants, have heard that the Dao (the Way) is without form or shadow. Its wondrous breath is still and silent, yet it shines throughout the whole of space. It seems at once to be and not to be; the Qi (vital energy) of the four quarters is clear, bright, and pure, vast and even. The host of demons bow their heads in submission, and the myriad sages descend into the hall.

We discern the hues of the sky and devote ourselves to visualization, offering homage to the deities at dawn. A clear wind comes to meet the morning; looking up, we behold the numinous radiance just as it rises. The Yellow Path—the celestial course along which the sun travels—reveals its light, and all yin and malign Qi lie hidden. Precious Dao-Qi appears upon the mysterious ritual seat, and auspicious mists rise high to Daluo Heaven, the highest heaven spoken of in Daoism.

Reverently we rely on the smoke of incense to convey our intentions, and we carry out the rites of fasting and purification. Today is the morning practice of the Way on the second day; we ask all who take part in the assembly to raise the first stick of incense. May this incense ascend into the void and directly offer sustenance to the Yuanshi Tianzun of the Empty, Utterly True, Spontaneous Great Dao, one of the supreme deities venerated in Daoism.

May the merit of raising incense in offering bring blessings upon the emperor of the present age. May his Mandate of Heaven endure through ten thousand years, and may the light of his De (Virtue/Power) shine upon the four quarters. May the red crow appear upon the roof, foretelling the flourishing of the virtue of Fire; may the divine horse appear in the river, confirming the auspicious signs set forth in the celestial writ. May the emperor be born in accord with the way of the spirits, master the Fanqi—the primordial Qi of which Daoism speaks—long bear the Mandate of Heaven, and receive the charts and registers bestowed by Heaven. May the imperial fortune prosper under the protection of August Heaven; may every auspicious omen be fulfilled in turn, and may vast blessings descend one after another.

Now, with the reverent burning of incense, we take refuge in the Venerable of the Dao and the holy assembly. May we realize the Dao and De of the Utterly True, and, having attained the Dao, we pray that the azure Heaven long endure.

I have heard that the supreme Dao (the Way) promulgates precepts and laws, and that the sacred Fengzhuan, the script of the Fulu (talismans and registers), descends from the celestial realm of Qingwei; the Primordial Celestial Emperor proclaims the teaching, and the Longzhang, emblems symbolizing sacred decrees, appear in the azure sky. The Dao universally brings deliverance to the netherworld and the human world, so that all beings alike receive blessing.

It is now the morning of the second day, and the ritual assembly is held. Each member of the ritual assembly present is asked to offer two sticks of incense. May the incense smoke rise into the sky and be offered directly to Yuchen Zhisheng Ziran Lingbao Dadao Tianzun, the Most Holy Heavenly Worthy of the Jade Dawn and of the Spontaneous Lingbao Great Dao, a venerated Daoist deity. May the merit of this incense assist the spirits commended for deliverance. We reverently pray that they may dwell in peace in the Yujing, the immortal capital of the heavens, and advance to the immortal ranks recorded in the precious canons; that they may come before Xuhuang, a venerated Daoist deity, and receive the Dao, ascend the jasper steps, and thereby attain perfection. May they forever wander free and at ease, and long abide in the realm of ultimate bliss; may they draw from the fount of immortal spirits in the Silver River and gather the celestial fragrant herbs of the Qiongpu, the garden of the immortals, so that grace soaks the four directions and their fragrant names are handed down for ten thousand generations. On this day we therefore burn incense and take refuge in the Treasure of the Jing (scripture/classic), the venerated deities, and the holy assembly. May they, relying on the utmost true De (Virtue/Power), after attaining the Dao ascend into the formless realm.

I have heard that the Dao ever responds to things and is ever clear and still; the light of its numinous clarity illuminates all, and it carries out every kind of good deed. The Dao is perfect and quiescent, and there is nowhere it does not reach; favor like sweet dew extends to all living beings, and even the hidden souls beneath the Nine Springs are delivered. The compassion of the Dao is vast and great, and its supreme De embraces the myriad things.

It is now the morning of the second day, and the ritual assembly is held. Each member of the ritual assembly present is asked to offer three sticks of incense. May the incense smoke rise into the sky and be offered directly to Hunyuan Dasheng Ziran Huazhu Daode Tianzun, the Great Sage of Primordial Chaos, the Spontaneous Lord of Transformation, the Heavenly Worthy of the Dao and the De, a venerated Daoist deity. May the merit of this incense assist the spirits commended for deliverance. We reverently pray that they may ascend on high to the Daluo Heaven, the highest heaven spoken of in Daoism, and commune with the realm beyond form; that, lightly raising their pure bodies, they may cultivate the true Dao in the Court of Flowing Fire; and that, flourishing like jade flowers, they may bear immortal fruit in the Hall of Langxiao. According with the numinous mandate of Heaven and the fortune of the time, they unite with the Dao of the void and give rise to numinous illumination. May the supreme holy ones turn their divine light upon them, and may the Divine Lord gather and draw up their forms and Shen (spirit), so that they may rise in transcendence, realize the eternal true Dao, and share the lifespan of Heaven and Earth. On this day we therefore burn incense and take refuge in the Treasure of the Masters, the venerated deities, and the holy assembly. May they, relying on the utmost true De, after attaining the Dao ascend into the formless realm.

Repentance

The Three Openings

The Three Salutations

Re-proclaiming Ritual Rank

The ritual masters who hold ritual rank, together with the officers assembled at the altar, respectfully address, with one shared sincerity, the supreme Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), the highest sages of the ten directions, the Celestial Emperors and celestial perfected of the Jade Capital and the Golden Gates, the venerable masters and holy multitudes of the ten directions, the officials of the Three Realms, and all august numina.

We, your servants, have heard that when the rite completes a full circuit of ten rounds, the Most Perfected may be summoned to descend into the Azure Empyrean; the Nine Darknesses (the depths of the netherworld) are opened and brought to peace, and conscious Shen (spirit) may then be delivered and ascend to immortality. We are fortunate to have bathed in the grace of the mysterious methods of the Dao (the Way), and to have reverently met this favorable occasion. We ought to transcend bodily form and worldly cleverness, and to grasp the principle by which body and mind alike forget all distinctions; keeping to stillness and attaining vacant luminosity, we cultivate body and spirit in the hope of being raised aloft. We long ago observed the Middle Covenant and received the Fulu (talismans and registers), vowing to spread the Great Law and to save the people of the world. Though the merit we have accumulated is only slight, we still hope in some small measure to assist the mysterious teaching. Now, charged once more with conducting this rite, we carry it out with reverence according to the liturgy.

We fear that our observance of the precepts is not strict, that our virtue is shallow, and that our learning and ability are insufficient. Should we have violated any liturgical statute, we earnestly beg forgiveness. We humbly pray that the holy perfected will pity our petition and examine this matter clearly, issue the talismanic mandate of the Azure Palace (the divine offices of the heavens), and open the rite for delivering and transforming the departed souls who have been commended, so that they may enter directly into the Grand Clarity (the pure celestial realm of which Daoism speaks), ascend to perfection, and realize the Dao. In this way, above, the Celestial Worthies’ teaching of great mercy and great compassion may be made manifest, and below, the sincerity of our prayer, offered with our lives given in refuge, may be answered. We respectfully submit this address and humbly beg that it be examined.

Our first vow is that numinous light shine downward; our second, that the moon of the Dao send forth its radiance; our third, that grace extend throughout the nine earths; our fourth, that sincere hearts reach upward to the nine heavens; our fifth, that the perfected numina gather together; our sixth, that the Qi (vital energy) of the Dao, its primordial energy, spread all around; our seventh, that the halls of heaven open; our eighth, that the hells be destroyed; our ninth, that mysterious merit be widely bestowed; our tenth, that one ride the light and soar into the void; our eleventh, that all under heaven feel gratitude for this grace; and our twelfth, that one unite with the Great Dao and attain the state of Wuwei (non-action).

Returning the Incense Burner

Retaining the Shen and Burning Incense

Envoys of the Incense Office, the Dragon and Tiger Lords of the left and the right, and all the numinous officers who attend the incense: we ask that you cause the place where we earlier ascended the altar at the morning audience to practice the Dao to bring forth of itself such immortal substances as golden liquor, cinnabar and azure essence, and the flowering tips of the numinous mushroom; and that the hundred numina and the host of the perfected meet and converge here, gathering before the incense at the incense-fire burner……

Envoys of the Incense Officers, Dragon and Tiger Lords of the left and right, and all the spirit officers who attend the incense: please cause the place where I earlier paid morning court and set up the altar to practice the Dao (the Way) to bring forth of itself golden liquor, cinnabar and azure, and blossoms of the numinous mushroom. The hundred numina and the host of Shen (spirits) all assemble before the incense burner. May the immortal lads and jade maidens of the ten directions receive and attend the incense smoke, convey upward the sincerity of what I previously presented, and swiftly deliver it before the Most True and Limitless Great Dao, the Supreme Sages of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), and the Jade Emperor, Most Venerable Sovereign of the Golden Portal of Vast Heaven.

The morning audience rite of the second day of the Jade Register Great Retreat has concluded.

The noon audience rite of the second day of the Jade Register Great Retreat.

All ritual masters, in accordance with the liturgical method, visualize the spirits and still their thoughts.

The Yellow Center regulates and circulates the primordial Qi (vital energy), cuts down demons and evil, obliterates their traces, stops the roots of wickedness, and severs the sources of demonic ways. Obeying the talismanic command of the Most High, it summons and subdues the Divine Lords. The myriad spirits thereupon descend, dispelling disaster and removing calamity. The five Qi and the three wheels interpenetrate, and the true wind reaches everywhere; the purple portals join with the jasper gates, and the six crossings turn without end. On the left it commands the Azure-Waisted; on the right it governs the mushroom lads. The spirits roam freely, driving the Nine Heavens. The Mysterious Altar operates through sympathetic response, riding Qi and traveling aloft through the void. The ten thousand perfected spirits descend universally, saving living beings without end.

The rite of issuing the incense burner is the same as at the morning audience.

Please announce the liturgical offices.

All officials invested with their ritual ranks, and all assembled at the altar, with sincere hearts together reverently invoke the Primordial Heavenly Worthy of the Void and the Spontaneous; the Most High Lord of the Limitless Great Dao (the Way); the Most High Lord Lao; and the Exalted Jade Emperor; the great sages of the ten directions who have attained the Dao; the lords and elders of utmost perfection; the sovereign lords of the thirty-two heavens; the Supreme Emperor of the Jade Void; the Jade Emperor, the Great Emperor; the Most Perfected and Brilliant Sovereign Lord of the Dao of the Numinous Treasure, of the Upper Palace of Purple Tenuity upon the Seven-Jewel Jade Terrace of the Golden Portal of the Jade Capital of the Mystic Metropolis—East Flower, South Pole, West Numen, and North Perfected; the Venerable Scriptures of the Thirty-Six Departments; the Great Ritual Master of the Mysterious Center; the Upper Minister and the Upper Steward, the Upper Protector and the Upper Tutor; the Twenty-Four Perfected of Great Peace who descend to teach; Lord Wang, Overseer of the Perfected of the Western Citadel; the Perfected of Grand Unity; the Upper Minister of the Eastern Marchmount and Controller of Destinies; the two Perfected Lords Mao, Settler of the Registers and Preserver of Life; the gods and immortals who have attained the Dao in the famous mountains and grotto-heavens; the officers of the Three Realms; and all perfected spirits.

Your servant has heard that when the Five Measures—the levels by which Daoism accounts for the generation and transformation of the cosmos—condense Jing (essence) and Qi (vital energy), the first signs of cinnabar light have already appeared; and that the Three Yang—the three stages in the movement of yang Qi—hold hidden a profound subtlety, whose origin before the endless kalpas can scarcely be traced. The Great Dao is a vast emptiness, without form, deep and still, and beyond description. It condenses the primordial Qi of the Brahma-numen—the original subtle vital breath—and in the age of Chiming, Red Brilliance, sets its divine transformations in motion, laying out the scripture in five chapters and extending it through the myriad phenomena and their hidden mysteries. The Lingbao scriptures issue from the esoteric meaning of the golden writings, and the phoenix calendar spreads them abroad; the Dongxuan scriptures manifest the radiance of the jade characters, and the dragon script settles and guards them. They can deliver living beings without measure and cause the heavenly realms to endure.

We, your servants, are fortunate to carry on the tradition of the immortal Dao and to have received the transmission of the ritual methods of Zhengyi (Orthodox Unity). Receiving auspicious blessing, we chant the precious scriptures, transmit Fulu (talismans and registers) in the famous mountains, and observe and cultivate the precious ritual forms. Whenever we have a prayer to offer, we dare not fail to convey it to the hearing of Heaven. We now respectfully read aloud and present the green memorial used in the Zhaijiao (purification ritual)—the document in a Daoist rite by which prayers are stated before the deities.

Proclamation of the Memorial

All that has been set forth above accords with the words of the green memorial: earnest and sincere, with nothing omitted or amiss. We humbly beg the Great Dao to bestow its grace, to examine us clearly, and to look with compassion upon our prayer.

Your servant has heard that the Golden Scriptures of the Taiji (Supreme Ultimate) are precious classics of the celestial realm, bearing the refined essences of sun and moon and truths both mysterious and profound. A jade-like radiance resembling purple clouds reflects the glory of the divine realms of the nine heavens. Dragons leap and tigers crouch; phoenixes soar and luan birds rise in dance. By day we welcome the true numinous beings, and at noon we come to the altar. The sunlight of high noon is bright and true; by measuring the shadow one knows that the sun stands at the meridian. The solar disc spreads its brilliance, still hanging high in the sky, not yet declined toward the west. We invite the holy perfected ones of the empty void within the dharma realm, gather the thick and abundant smoke upon the numinous wind, and reverently convey our intentions by means of incense, carrying out the ritual observances of fasting and purification.

The midday rite of forming ranks in the ritual arena has now arrived. Let the ritual assembly present raise this first stick of incense. May the incense smoke ascend, rising directly in offering to Yuanshi Tianzun, the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning, of the Empty Void, the Utmost Truth, and the Spontaneous Great Dao (the Way)—one of the highest deities venerated in Daoism. By the merit of raising this incense, we pray above for blessings upon the reigning emperor and wish him a sacred lifespan without end. We humbly pray that the emperor may long dwell within the ninefold palace and fully receive the five blessings; that, governing through Wuwei (non-action), he bring peace to the world and long preside at court over the affairs of government; and that he sit upright in the proper station, holding fast to the root, secure at the center like the Pole Star. May he long remain in the position of supreme honor and possess endless glory and blessed fortune. May the imperial mandate be renewed day by day, the foundation of the state stand lofty and firm, the four seas be brought to peace, and a heritage of ten thousand years be established. Now, as we burn incense, we take refuge in the Venerable of the Dao and the great host of sages, praying that, by the De (Virtue/Power) of the Utmost Truth, after attaining the Dao, we may beseech Heaven to endure forever.

Your servant has heard that the golden gates and jade chambers of the celestial realm store precious treasures. The imperial mandate is renewed day by day, and the foundation of the state stands lofty and firm, able to pacify the four seas and establish a heritage of ten thousand years. Now, as we burn incense, we take refuge in the Venerable of the Dao and the great host of sages, praying that, by the De of the Utmost Truth, after attaining the Dao, we may beseech Heaven to endure forever.

Your servant has heard that within the golden gate-towers and jade chambers are stored precious scriptures and the secret holdings of the gemmed cases; upon the jasper terraces and vermilion gardens appear the auspicious signs of cloud-writings and roseate seal script. Their brilliance illumines the nine heavens, and their light shines down upon the four quarters. Now, in the middle section of the rite of practicing the Dao (the Way), we respectfully invite the ritual assembly present each to take incense twice. May this incense smoke rise into the void and be offered directly to the Most Holy Heavenly Worthy of the Jade Dawn, of the spontaneously self-so Great Dao of Lingbao (Numinous Treasure). May the merit of these two sticks of incense be reported on high, to protect and bless the fortune of the state and the descendants of the royal house. We earnestly pray that the subjects of the four quarters turn their hearts and submit to transformation, and that the vassal domains of every region look up to benevolence and righteousness; that they cross mountains and seas to come and present tribute, and that the distant peoples of every tribe likewise devote themselves wholeheartedly to court audience. May the four quarters of the world all rest beneath the shelter of heaven and earth, sun and moon; may the hundred peoples of the four directions share the same caps and robes, rites and institutions, and a single measure of cart-tracks and writing; may every person be at peace, and each grow in natural accord. Now we burn incense and take refuge in the Scripture Treasure, the Venerable Treasure, and the host of great sages; may we, by the utmost true De (Virtue/Power), after attaining the Dao ascend into the realm of the formless.

Your servant has heard that the Heavenly Worthy of Primordial Beginning (Yuanshi Tianzun) set forth and revealed the charts and registers of the heavenly Dao, subtly laying open the root of Yin-Yang; that the guiding order of the Primordial Beginning circulates and transforms, making plain the source from which the myriad things arise and creative transformation proceeds. This principle is profound and without end; it cannot be exhausted, nor can it be fully set forth in words or by any measure. Now we burn incense and take refuge in the Scripture Treasure, the Venerable Treasure, and the host of great sages; may we, by the utmost true De, after attaining the Dao ascend into the realm of the formless.

Your servant has heard that the Heavenly Worthy of Primordial Beginning set forth and revealed the charts and registers of the heavenly Dao, subtly laying open the root of Yin-Yang; that the guiding order of the Primordial Beginning circulates and transforms, making plain the source from which the myriad things arise and creative transformation proceeds. This principle is profound and without end; it cannot be exhausted, nor can it be fully set forth in words or by any measure. Now, in the middle section of the rite of practicing the Dao, we respectfully invite the ritual assembly present each to take incense three times. May this incense smoke rise into the void and be offered directly to the Great Sage of Primordial Unity, Lord of Spontaneous Transformation, the Heavenly Worthy of the Dao and the De. May the merit of these three sticks of incense assist on high the spirits recommended for deliverance. We earnestly pray that Wuying refine the Qi (vital energy) and that Jiaole restore the spirits; that the Yellow Blossom wash clean the substance of the body and bring cool clarity to the viscera; that the Purple Portal give rise to immortality, and that body and spirit together be made whole. May they enter into union with the Imperial Perfected and thereby have their life-destiny sealed, and receive blessing and fragrant anointing from the Jade Maidens; may they lift their bodies and fly into the void, leaving behind the darkness of former days; may the souls of the dead be summoned from the long night, so that they may be released, delivered, and born anew. Now we burn incense and take refuge in the Master Treasure, the Venerable Treasure, and the host of great sages; may we, by the utmost true De, after attaining the Dao ascend into the realm of the formless.

Repentance

The Three Invitations (three acts of invitation within the ritual)

The Three Salutations (three acts of worship)

Renewed Declaration of Ritual Office (once more announcing the titles of the ritual master and the related personnel)

The Daoist officiants at the altar, together with everyone assembled, reverently address the supreme Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), the highest sages of the ten directions, the Celestial Emperors and celestial perfected beings of the Jade Capital and its golden towers, the honored masters and holy hosts of the ten directions, the officials of the Three Realms, and all deities possessed of awesome numinous power.

We, your servants, have heard that when the Five Emperors paid homage to the perfected sages, they devoted all their strength to cultivating body and mind, and that the Ten Heavens sent down the mandate of the Law to save living beings everywhere. We long ago received the mysterious mandate of Heaven and were fortunate to accept the Zhengao, sacred writings transmitted in Daoism. It is fitting that we should ride the great auroras, harness the cloud-Qi (vital energy), and send a clear whistle toward the Nine Empyreans, and that we should mount the white sun and ascend to the Three Luminaries, the celestial lights of sun, moon, and stars as Daoism describes them. Since we took our vows and received the Cinnabar Writs, the oath documents written in vermilion, and were further granted the completed methods recorded on the Yellow Silk, Daoist writings on yellow silk, we dare not betray our original resolve. Wishing to spread the great Dao (the Way) and reverently carry out its teachings, we therefore perform this rite with care.

We are anxious for the orphaned souls and stranded spirits, the dead who have found no rest and remain trapped in the dark underworld. From former lives down to the present life, they committed faults by acting on intentions that arose in them and by impulses of emotion. They failed to restrain themselves, and they did not first think of setting their own interests aside for the benefit of others. Some craved profit and never knew contentment, unable to keep a resolve to rest at peace in poverty; when goods lay before them they took them as they pleased, without checking the heart that seizes in greed. Some stinted their own possessions; others seized the possessions of other people. They thought only of amassing wealth for themselves and gave no thought to the hardship of others. This both violated the moral duty of extending oneself to others and betrayed the requirement to preserve true nature and uphold the precepts. We fear that these faults will bring guilt and retribution, yet we do not know whether the dead will ascend to Heaven or sink into perdition.

We are anxious, too, that the dead gave themselves over to indulgence and delusion, were dragged along by desire, toiled in pursuit of wealth, and rushed all day through the labors of the dusty world until they forgot the root. Such conduct may invite lasting calamity and accumulate every kind of sinful karma, causing the souls to sink to the source of the Winding River and remain trapped in the cold, dark underworld, unable to escape. We therefore beg the great Dao for compassion and ask the Supreme Perfected to issue a mandate, hoping the dead may be released from confinement in the lands of darkness and rely upon the generous pardon of Xuandu, the abode of the Daoist immortals.

We earnestly pray that this grace extend through the ten directions and benefit the myriad people. May the Red Dragon bear the precious seals, and the Cinnabar Phoenix transmit the Azure Registers, the Daoist documents that record divine mandates and statutes. May the demon hosts of the Three Realms be commanded, and the Nine Gates notified by decree. May golden tablets and jade talismans shine throughout the long night, and may vermilion writs and purple registers be issued to save the dead in the depths of the underworld.

We further earnestly entreat the Venerable Masters of the Three Heavens and the Teaching Lord of the Mysterious Center, a revered deity of Daoism, to assemble the numinous officers of the Three Caverns (Dongzhen, Dongxuan, and Dongshen), the collective name for the scriptures and methods of Daoism, and to command the clerks of the Nine Springs in the underworld. We ask that they also summon the Four Beginnings, the Three Primordials, and the Twenty-Eight Dioceses, the system of divine perfected beings and administrative centers in Daoism, together with the bureaus of talismanic seals, the official lords charged with inspection, the divine offices of the Five Marchmounts, and the altar commands of the Nine Provinces. May they bear the writs of pardon in the Fulu (talismans and registers), proclaim them to the offices of the underworld, summon the dead, and bring them together before the Imperial Lord. After nine prostrations, the dead will joyfully face east and receive new life; through the rite of universal salvation, they will ascend to the Southern Palace to refine and nourish their forms. May the sound of the Law resound through Heaven and Earth, set primordial Qi in motion, and bring luminous spirits (Shen) into being, so that every being possessed of numinous life may pass on to the rebirth it desires.

In this way, above, the compassionate teaching of the Celestial Worthies may be made manifest, and below, the sincere hearts of us, your servants, who take refuge and carry out the charge laid upon us, may be answered. We respectfully submit this memorial and make it known.

The first vow is that favor extend throughout heaven, earth, and all things; the second, that grace reach both the unseen realm of the dead and the world of the living. The third vow is that the Imperial Lord of Azure Florescence (Qinghua Dijun, a revered deity in Daoism who saves the souls of the dead) deliver and save life; the fourth, that the jade tablets (jade documents recording divine decrees or registers of names) be opened. The fifth vow is that the spirits descend and look down with favor; the sixth, that the altar ground and its steps commune with the divinities; the seventh, that the souls of the dead return to the realm of mystery; the eighth, that lingering souls may ascend and be released. The ninth vow is that the Four Offices (the divine offices in Daoism charged with the relevant affairs) carry out the commands; the tenth, that the Five Emperors (the Celestial Emperors of the five directions) oversee the living; the eleventh, that numinous light descend and shine; the twelfth, that every merit be brought to perfect fulfillment.

The return of the incense burner is the same as in the morning court ritual.

The midday court ritual of the second day of the Jade Register Great Retreat comes to an end.

The evening court ritual of the second day of the Jade Register Great Retreat.

The ritual masters, each in accordance with the ritual procedure, quiet the mind and enter into visualization.

The Golden Perfected descend from the void, and the divine tigers patrol the encampments. The Jade Emperor is clad in roseate light, and the spirits of all the heavens move at command. The divine carriages of the Nine Mornings turn back, and the myriad demons draw in their forms. The Qi (vital energy) of the Nine Subtleties races swift as smoke, and divine majesty subdues sprites and strange beings. Flowing gold hurls fire, clearing away and purifying every evil; divine light shines upon the long night, so that even the dark places forever keep the life of spring. The holy Dao (the Way) is vast without limit, and the ten directions are solemn and pure. It upholds and masters the cycles of kalpic fortune, so that all affairs proceed smoothly according to yuan, heng, li, and zhen, the four virtues of proper operation set forth in the Classic of Changes (Yijing).

Flowing gold hurls fire, and the hundred evils vanish together. Divine brilliance lights the night; the deep obscurity holds everlasting spring. The holy Dao is broad and boundless, and the ten directions are solemnly cleared. It preserves and regulates the cycles of calamity: yuan, heng, li, and zhen.

The dispatch of the incense burner is the same as in the morning court ritual.

Please announce and report the ritual positions.

Your servant [Name], together with the officials attending the altar and the assembly of the Dao (the Way), with sincere hearts respectfully memorializes upward to the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning of the Void and Spontaneity; the Most High Lord of the Dao of the Limitless Great Dao; the Most High Lord Lao; the Exalted Jade Emperor; the holy hosts of the ten directions who have already attained the Dao; the lords of supreme perfection and the elders; the Imperial Lords of the Thirty-two Heavens; the Supreme Sovereign of the Jade Void; the Great Jade Emperor; the Eastern Floriate, the Southern Pole, the Western Numen, and the Northern Perfected; the Supremely Perfected and Radiant Sovereign Lord of the Dao of the Numinous Treasure, of the Upper Palace of Purple Tenuity upon the Seven-Treasure Jasper Terrace of the Golden Portal in the Jade Capital of the Mysterious Metropolis; the venerable Jing (scriptures/classics) of the Thirty-six Divisions; the Great Ritual Master of the Mysterious Center; the Upper Minister, the Upper Steward, the Upper Protector, and the Upper Tutor; the Twenty-four Perfected who descend to transmit the teaching of Great Peace; Lord Wang, Chief of the Perfected of the Western Citadel; the Perfected of Great Unity; the Upper Minister and Director of Destinies of the Eastern Marchmount; the two Perfected Lords Mao, of Fixed Registers and of Preserving Life; the divine immortals who have attained the Dao in the famous mountains and grotto-abodes; the officers of the Three Realms; and all perfected numina.

Your servant has heard that within the Six Harmonies all lies hidden and unmanifest, and that the Primordial Ancestral Qi (vital energy)—the original vital energy from which heaven, earth, and the myriad things first arose—is concealed and fused within. The Qi of the Five Yang spreads through the four directions and discloses the origin of the Brahma-Treasure Heaven. Its radiance shines upon the dark and obscure; its light soars and flashes, reaching the farthest bounds of the nine directions, and it holds comprehensive command over the sun, moon, and stars. In the age of the Supreme Sovereign it opened the cycles of the kalpas, and within the Taiji (Supreme Ultimate) it responsively manifested numinous and wondrous charts. It differentiated the immortal realms of the grotto-heavens and, through sympathetic response, brought scriptural texts into being. It revealed divine, wondrous, and precious forbidden books, causing them to appear floating in the void and to congeal into talismanic script. Following talismanic mandates and the reckoning of the calendrical cycles, it records the methods for saving and delivering the people of Heaven.

We, your servants, are fortunate to have entered the ranks of those who cultivate perfection, and thus to have come into contact with the secretly transmitted ritual regulations. Bathing in the wondrous realm of the Yellow Florescence, we concentrate the Shen (spirit) and read the chapters of the scriptures. We open and survey the profound classics in the Purple Cases—the volumes in which the secret scriptures of Daoism are preserved—and we observe the regulations of Zhaijiao (purification ritual) and Keyi (liturgy). Whenever we have a prayer to present, how dare we fail to convey it upward to the hearing of Heaven? With reverence we have set down the intent of our purification and abstinence in a Green Memorial—the document by which, in the rites of Zhaijiao, one memorializes and addresses the gods—and we respectfully read it aloud and submit it.

Proclamation

What is memorialized is as set forth in the Green Memorial, expressing our earnest and sincere intent. We humbly beseech the Great Dao to bestow its grace, to examine us with clear insight, and to look down with compassion upon our prayer.

I have heard that the Jade Void Mysterious Palace (the wondrous celestial palace where immortals and perfected beings dwell) nurtures the hun and po essences of the Three Luminaries—the sun, the moon, and the stars—while the Golden Realm of Purple Clarity (the pure and exalted immortal realm) gathers the purest substance of the Yin-Yang pair of energies within the Nine Qi (vital energy; the nine kinds of primordial energy between heaven and earth). Cultivating the Dao (the Way) can bring one into communion with spiritual beings and into the realm of profound stillness, summon the true immortals, and call forth numinous responses.

We reverently choose this fine night and devote ourselves to performing an exquisite purification rite. The clouds draw back, the gloom veiling the sun and moon disperses, and the prospect in all four directions is bright and clear. The Northern Dipper turns, its handle pointing toward the Ji mansion, as if welcoming the sun, moon, and stars in resplendent radiance. Precious canopies invite the host of perfected beings to arrive in their carriages, and from the jade censer rises incense smoke of nine colors. Through this incense smoke we respectfully convey our reverence and carry out the rite of purification and abstinence.

Now, at sunset, we proceed with the ritual procession, and we ask the ritual assembly present to send forth this first pinch of incense. May the incense smoke rise into the air and ascend directly before the throne of the Heavenly Worthy of Primordial Beginning of the Void, the Supremely True, Spontaneous Great Dao, as an offering. By the merit of this pinch of incense, we pray blessings upon the reigning emperor and wish him a sacred longevity without end.

We humbly pray that the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) each stand in their proper order, that the qi of Yin and Yang be harmonized, and that the Six Pitch-pipes (the six pitch-pipes of antiquity, used to calibrate musical tones and symbolizing the seasonal divisions of heaven and earth) sound in accord. May clear skies and rain come in their season, so that the Seven Governors—the sun, the moon, Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth (the seven celestial bodies and their motions)—move as they ought; may the climate be neither scorching nor bitterly cold, so that the four seasons are tempered like a jade candle. May Yin and Yang proceed in due course and their virtuous influences join, and may the sun and moon together shed their light. May the roads of the world be peaceful and secure, and the harvests abundant. May the emperor endure as long as heaven, the Mandate of Heaven long remain, and blessings and felicity extend without end.

Therefore we burn incense and from this time take refuge in the Honored Dao and the great assembly of sages. By the De (Virtue/Power) of the Supreme Truth, after the Dao is attained, we pray that the Heavenly Dao long endure.

This servant has heard that, when Heaven and Earth bring forth the myriad beings, they leave behind methods for securing the household and bringing peace to the realm, and that, when Yin-Yang (yinyang) nurtures and transforms all things, it also establishes rites for relieving the dead and protecting the living. The deities of the various heavens jointly examine and verify the registers of names, and the myriad sages descend into the ritual. Now, availing ourselves of dusk to practice the Dao (the Way), we invite the ritual masters and all present to take up the second stick of incense. May the incense smoke rise into the sky and be offered directly to the Most Holy Jade Dawn, Heavenly Worthy of the Spontaneous Numinous Treasure Great Dao, a revered deity of Daoism. May the merit of this stick of incense be transferred to the Three Paths and Nine Nights (the bitter realms of the underworld) and the Six Paths and Four Modes of Birth (all beings in the cycle of rebirth), so that the roots of their evil karma are removed and they are freed from suffering. May they congeal the immortal embryo and return to primordial Qi (vital energy), ascending together into the heavenly realm of the Azure Empyrean; may they alter their form and substance, shed the old body, and at last ascend to the realm of the Vermilion Mound (the place where, in Daoist lore, the souls of the dead are refined and delivered). May the souls of the departed receive refinement and, through immortal transformation, be restored as human beings; may karmic retribution and debts of blame thereupon cease, and may grievances and enmities be reconciled and dissolved; may they transcend the Three Realms and roam at ease in the heavens of the Nine Clarities. Now, as we burn incense, from this moment we take refuge in the great assembly of sages honored by the teachings of the Jing (scripture/classic). May we, relying on the De (Virtue/Power) of the Supreme Truth, attain the Dao and ascend into the formless realm.

This servant has heard that the Great Dao manifests without words and thereby reveals to human beings the compassionate code of the law, and that the True Origin takes visible form as the myriad beings possessed of shape and thereby sends down methods for saving all living beings. These methods have been followed from ancient times to the present and are relied upon by both the human world and the celestial realm. Now, availing ourselves of dusk to practice the Dao, we invite the ritual masters and all present to take up the third stick of incense. May the incense smoke rise into the sky and be offered directly to the Great Sage of Primordial Chaos, the Spontaneous Lord of Transformation, the Heavenly Worthy of the Dao and the De, a revered deity of Daoism. May the merit of this stick of incense ascend to the spirits who are commended for deliverance. We reverently wish that they may forever bid farewell to the turmoil of the dusty world and depart the Realm of Form (the heavens of the desire realm that possess shape and appearance). May they form the immortal embryo and sever every obstruction, so that body and mind store primordial Qi, harmoniously fused and fully abundant; may Shen (spirit) be brought forth amid undifferentiated transformation, and innate truth be nourished in a realm both darkly mysterious and pure and clear. Returning to the primordial beginning and cultivating with wholehearted care, may they come to realize that the self and the myriad principles can all be forgotten; riding the radiance and roaming the realm of emptiness and stillness, may mind and spirit open and spread like a reflection cast upon the cloudy empyrean. May they guide the numinous carriage and wander and feast at ease in the Upper Capital of the heavens. Now, as we burn incense, from this moment we take refuge in the great assembly of sages honored by our teachers and masters. May we, relying on the De of the Supreme Truth, attain the Dao and ascend into the formless realm.

Repentance is performed. The invitation is offered three times. Worship is performed three times. The ritual rank is proclaimed once more—the Daoist title and identity upheld by the officiant.

We ministers who hold ritual rank, together with the officers assembled at the altar, sincerely address the supreme Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), the highest sages of the ten directions, the Celestial Emperors and celestial perfected of the Jade Capital and Golden Towers, the honored masters and holy assemblies of the ten directions, the officials of the Three Realms, and all deities possessed of awesome numinous power.

We ministers have heard that the Six Transgressions—six kinds of fault—can subdue demonic obstacles, and that one must therefore observe the ordinances of receiving the precepts, confessing guilt, making pledges, and welcoming and sending off according to rite. The Precepts of the Three Primes, the precepts observed during the periods of the Three Primes, set forth the rites for washing away bodily defilement and bathing the body clean. We have been fortunate to be steeped in the profound methods of the Dao (the Way), and thus to keep company with numinous perfected beings. It is fitting that we ingest the Qi (vital energy) of the Central Yellow, so as to nourish what is within and irrigate the Dantian (energy center); that we concentrate the Shen (spirit), visualize the Qi of Great Simplicity, and chew and swallow the Jade Fluid. Long ago we received and wore the registers of ascent to perfection, and we have also opened and transmitted the ritual texts that dispel defilement. We wish to save universally all beings sunk in the dark underworld, and we vow to spread the Dao of clarity and stillness. Now, having once more received a prayerful request, we reverently perform this ritual service.

We are now commanded to pray for a certain lonely soul and lingering spirit—a departed soul detained in the yin realm and not yet delivered. From past lives to the present life, he often erred through a single misguided thought, and often acted on emotion, offending even when he knew better. He failed to be sincerely kind and gentle, or to devote himself to cultivating a mild and good character. He disregarded the precepts of the Three Primes, at times caring only to contend and vent his temper; nor did he restrain a moment of anger, even going so far as to harm himself. He gave free rein to ferocious rage and bullied others, and used his advantage to overpower the weak. Harboring hatred, he spoke evil words. He thought only of accumulating faults without cease, and did not cultivate the Dao or keep the precepts. We fear that he remains entangled in karmic retribution, his prospects of rising or sinking still uncertain. We therefore look upward and beg the deities for deliverance and relief, and respectfully ask that he be rescued through the merit of this ritual. If old faults are not washed away and he does not reform and begin anew, how can he ascend into the realm of empty nothingness, pure and subtle? We earnestly beg that grace be sent down and protection secretly bestowed.

Please issue an edict commanding the Nine Phoenix Generals, the Five Numinous Lads, the officers who summon souls, the lords who dissolve defilement, the Lady of Rinsing and Washing, and the Jade Maidens of Yellow Blossom to bring the divine water of Great Mystery, the pure broth for refining the corpse, the golden liquor of sweet dew, the jade nectar of cloud marrow, and other pure substances of the immortals. Let these be blended with true Qi so that they flow into the fragrant bath, to bathe the departed soul, wash away the dust of toil, and sweep away every dark impurity. May his soul and Shen be clear, limpid, and upright, and his mind-nature and numinous consciousness full, bright, and pure. Let the Five Sprouts—five vital essences symbolizing living vitality—irrigate body and mind, so that the Eight Effulgences—the deities and essences within the body, as Daoism describes them—each rest securely in place. Let him once more set in order cap and sash, hairpin and ribbon, wear feathered insignia and ritual ornaments, tread the steps of the Nine Numina, and leave the world of the Five Turbidities. Let the sufferings of the Three Paths—realms of suffering such as hell, hungry ghosts, and animals—be removed, and sinful karma washed away; let the six viscera within the body flow freely, and fluids be generated. Let entanglement with the yin turbidity of the dusty world be cut off, corpse-defilement swept away, yin gloom and vexing heat forever dispelled, and cool clarity obtained throughout.

May he cast off the old and set forth the new, wash away flaws and polish clean the grime, ascend into the realm of lofty brightness and purity, nurture Shen and consciousness in the capital of mystery, subtlety, and refreshing clarity, forever take leave of the dusty world, and together mount the farther shore of the Dao. In this way, above, the compassionate and saving teaching of the Celestial Worthies is made manifest; below, it also accords with the sincerity of us ministers who take refuge and pray. Respectfully we submit this address, and beg the deities to take notice.

The “Ten Contemplations” consist in visualizing ten auspicious signs in succession. In the first, one visualizes the true scene unfolding and spreading out; in the second, two scenes swirling and tilting; in the third, three revered deities appearing and inspecting; in the fourth, the Qi (vital energy) of the four directions harmonizing and settling; in the fifth, five-colored talismanic script shining with brilliant radiance; in the sixth, six kinds of grace becoming manifest together; in the seventh, the Seven Chronograms—the seven stars of the Northern Dipper and other such stars—gathering to present auspicious signs; in the eighth, the Bagua (Eight Trigrams) each attaining their proper place and bringing smooth success; in the ninth, nine rays of light circling and revolving; and in the tenth, the hun and po souls ascending in flight.

The incense burner is then restored, and the morning audience ritual is held.

The evening audience ritual of the second day of the Yulu Great Zhai, a Zhaijiao (purification ritual) named for the Jade Register, comes to an end.

The morning audience rite of the third day of the Yulu Great Zhai.

Those performing the rites bow to the ritual master and, in accordance with the liturgy, practice visualization—concentrated contemplation as the ritual requires.

The edict of the celestial script that pardons sins is promulgated to Taiwei, the palace halls of heaven. The creative power of the Primordial Beginning causes the myriad things to grow, and numinous smoke swirls nine times. The eight effulgences and six circuits are all directed by the sacred revolution; on the left, the deities of the Red Quarter are welcomed and invited, and on the right, the palace gates of the Celestial Emperor are opened. The Southern Bureau of Donghua laves and refines with water, so that sin and evil may be washed away. The disk of the sun revolves, and the radiance of the moon flows on. Today is a grand celebration, and the myriad ways all return to the One. The orthodox Qi of the Mystery Altar—the altar ground where Zhaijiao rites are performed—protects the celestial realm so that it never declines. The Three Realms are informed throughout, and the dragon bearing the command rides the wind and speeds away.

The ritual drum is struck twenty-four times.

The Most High Lord Lao of the Three Qi of the Mysterious, the Primordial, and the Inaugural, of the Unsurpassed Three Heavens—a revered deity of Daoism—summons forth from within this servant’s body the Three-and-Five Merit Officers, divine functionaries who transmit documents and communicate with the realm of the gods; the emissaries of the officers of the left and right; the Golden Lads of the left and right who bear incense; the Jade Maidens who convey words and scatter flowers; and the duty talismans of the Five Emperors together with the incense officers on duty for the day, thirty-six of each. All the divine functionaries summoned set their robes and caps in order and dress in bright array. They then report to the earth deity of the Mystery Altar and the local gods: this servant now performs the morning audience ritual, ascends the altar to practice the Dao (the Way), and pays court to the Emperor and the Perfected. This memorial is respectfully submitted; the sincerity of all that is prayed for has been written in the memorial text. May the Qi of the Dao of the Most High and of Supreme Truth, together with the auspicious light of the Numinous Treasure, descend and flow into our bodies, so that what this servant memorializes may be swiftly transmitted and reach directly before the thrones of the Unsurpassed Great Dao of Supreme Truth, the Highest Sages of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), and the Jade Emperor, Most Venerable of Vast Heaven, of the Golden Portal.

Please announce and report your ritual offices.

The ritual officers present and all who attend the ritual assembly together, with sincere hearts, petition on high: the Heavenly Worthy of Primordial Beginning, of the Void and Spontaneity; the Most High Lord of the Dao (the Way) of the Limitless Great Dao; the Most High Lord Lao; and the Exalted Jade Sovereign; together with the great sages of the ten directions who have already attained the Dao, the lords and elders of supreme perfection, the imperial lords of the thirty-two heavens, and the Supreme Sovereign of Jade Vacuity; the Most High Lord of the Dao of the Jade Dao; the Most High Lord Lao; the Exalted Jade Sovereign; the great sages of the ten directions who have attained the Dao and the elders, lords of supreme perfection; the imperial lords of the thirty-two heavens; the Supreme Sovereign of Jade Vacuity; and the Great Thearch, the Jade Emperor; the Eastern Hua, the Southern Pole, the Western Numen, and the Northern Perfected; the Lingbao Lord of the Dao, Supremely Perfected and Radiant Sovereign, of the Upper Palace of Purple Tenuity, upon the seven-treasure jasper terraces at the golden pylons of the Jade Capital in the Mysterious Metropolis; the venerable Jing (scriptures/classics) of the thirty-six divisions; the Great Ritual Master of the Mysterious Center; the Supreme Minister, the Supreme Steward, the Supreme Guardian, and the Supreme Preceptor; the twenty-four perfected who descend to transmit the teaching of Great Peace; Lord Wang, Chief Perfected of the Western Citadel; the Perfected of Great Unity; the Senior Minister of the Eastern Marchmount and Director of Destinies; the two perfected Lords Mao, of Fixed Registers and of Protecting Life; and the gods and immortals who have attained the Dao in the famous mountains and grotto-mansions, the officers of the Three Realms, and all perfected spirits.

I, your servant, have heard that the Qi (vital energy) of the Seven Simplicities circulates back and forth, appearing as the Seven Yang and differentiating from them; the Qi of the Five Origins joins together, so that the stellar luminaries of the Five Wefts shine in splendor and move through the heavens. The pure essence (Jing) lies deeply stored in the obscure and the subtle, and also emerges into the high void, clear and bright; gathering the Qi of Brahma-excellence, it first puts forth the light of the brilliant radiance. Through long accumulation the name “Yankang” takes form, opening the course that illuminates hundreds of millions of kalpa-worlds, and this is recorded in the jade almanac of the Pure Numen. The essential florescence condenses into scriptures, setting forth the precious canons of the Yellow Emperor and Laozi and displaying the empty and wondrous talismanic seal-script. The divine power of the Eight Awes settles and stands guard, and the myriad treasures are generated from it.

We, your servants, are fortunate to be ranked within the Mysterious Gate (Daoism), our names entered on the purple registers. We partake of the spontaneous Dao of the Golden Pylons and, with quieted minds, recollect the supremely perfected; we have received the writings of the Great Existence stored in the brocade pouch and reverently observe the ritual norms. Whenever there is a matter to be memorialized, how dare we fail to report it upward? The prayer text of this Zhaijiao (purification ritual) is now carefully read aloud and submitted.

We earnestly petition the Great Dao (the Way) to act according to the intentions set forth in the memorial, to fulfill these sincere prayers, to grant them with compassion, and to look with favor upon each in turn. Your servant has heard that the Primordial Honored One—the honorific by which Daoism addresses the supreme deity—limpid and profoundly still, dwells in the Heaven of Pure Tenuity, a higher celestial realm spoken of in Daoism, and does not intervene among the myriad things out of any will to dominate. Comforting all living beings under Heaven, this deity accords with the mysterious workings of the celestial Dao and shows no partiality. May the Dao widely bestow the good causes of the wondrous Way and bring relief to the sufferings in the dark nether realms of Taiji (Supreme Ultimate). We, your servants, will visualize the deities at dawn and, on the following morning, perform the rites of the ritual assembly.

Purple auroras shine upon the sun, and the Azure Dragon constellation has just risen from Fusang, the mythical divine tree of the east. The brilliance of the red sun fills the sky, and the sun-chariot driven by Xihe has already reached the east. May clear winds and cloud canopies circle through the realms of immortals and perfected beings, and may clouds of Qi (vital energy) envelop the Great Void. Reverently we convey our intentions by means of incense smoke and observe the rites of purification and fasting. Today the ritual assembly is held on the morning of the third day. May the ritual practitioners present direct their minds as one and offer the first stick of incense.

May the smoke of this incense rise aloft and ascend directly to the Heavenly Worthy of Primordial Beginning of the Void, the Utmost Truth, and the Spontaneous Great Dao—one of the highest deities venerated in Daoism—to be offered in worship. May the merit of this incense offering be raised in prayer that the reigning emperor enjoy enduring blessings and long life. We respectfully wish that he receive a hundred blessings in full and that the affairs of state accord with the courses of the sun, the moon, and the five planets. Auspicious signs such as excellent grain and the vermilion herb appear time and again, symbolizing the harmony of the earth; sweet dew and the luminous star—an auspicious star—appear together as tokens that Heaven is sending down blessings. The dragon-horse comes from the farthest lands of the west, and phoenixes fly and gather to roost in the Purple Court, the imperial palace. May blessings of every kind arrive complete; may the Four Numinous Creatures—the dragon, the phoenix, the qilin, the spirit tortoise, and other auspicious beasts—all assemble; may precious portents appear in succession; and may harmonious and beautiful Qi spread through the four directions.

Now, as we burn incense, we take refuge in the honored ones of the Dao and the holy assembly. May all people, after cultivating and attaining the Dao by means of the De (Virtue/Power) of utmost truth, pray that Heaven long endure.

I have heard that the scriptures transmitted from the jade casket—the case in which the classics (Jing) of the Dao (the Way) are treasured—are the norms upheld alike by the human world and the celestial realm, and that the teaching set forth by the Golden Perfected, the true saints honored in Daoism, is the ferry-landing by which one passes beyond birth and death. An efficacy so subtle and without form can scarcely be exhausted, and a transformative nurture so vast and profound can scarcely be put into words.

It is now the morning of the third day, and the sacred rite is being held. May all you of the ritual assembly each take up two sticks of incense. May the incense smoke rise into the air and go directly to make offering to the Most Holy Heavenly Worthy of the Jade Dawn, of the Spontaneous Numinous Treasure Great Dao. May the merit of this offering of incense be dedicated to a certain departed soul.

We pray that this soul’s Nine Mysterious and Seven Ancestors—forebears of nine generations and of seven—together with kindred of every generation, may all ride the clouds and roseate mists, let Shen (spirit) roam the void, ascend to the true realm and awaken to the Great Dao, keeping company with the Nine Elders and the immortal perfected in free and easy wandering; that they may gather the mysterious and wondrous Qi (vital energy), cultivate true nature, join the roaming banquets of the immortal realm of the Ten Blossoms, and chant in joyful song. May they be released from the pursuit and forced service of the ghost officials, obtain deliverance, and ascend to the immortal realm of the Southern Palace; may they endure as the kalpas turn, and may the person of this present life likewise be saved. May blessings pass on to later generations, and gladness reach clan and kin.

Therefore we burn incense and of ourselves take refuge in the Venerable Scriptures and the great assembly of sages. May we, by the De (Virtue/Power) of the Utmost Perfected, after attaining the Dao ascend into the realm without form.

I have heard that the De (Virtue/Power) of the sages is generous and all-embracing, and so they established the Jade Calendar (a classic recording the methods of prolonging life), by which people may lengthen their years and increase their longevity; the compassion of the Great Dao (the Way) extends to all things, and so it has revealed the mysterious texts for the deliverance of the dead. The Great Dao sets Yin-Yang in motion and presides over the generation and transformation of the myriad things.

Today is the third day, and at dawn the ritual assembly is held. The ritual company present is asked, in due order, to perform the incense offering three times, wishing that the smoke of incense rise into the air and be offered directly to the Great Sage of Primordial Unity, the Lord of Natural Transformation, the Celestial Worthy of Dao and De (the Celestial Worthy of the Way and Virtue revered in Daoism). May the merit of this incense offering sustain the spirits recommended for deliverance.

We humbly pray that they be ranked among the true immortals, and that their primordial Qi (vital energy) return to Fanfu (the pure celestial realm spoken of in Daoism). May they quiet their spirits and journey afar, half-hidden amid the azure mists of graceful boughs and leaves; may they shake out their robes and ascend on high, listening to the exquisite music within the jade halls (the palace chambers of the immortal realm). May they pause upon cool watery shores and ride the immortal wheel along remote and secluded paths.

May layer upon layer of darkness open wide of a sudden, so that their destinies may partake in numinous transformation; may their clear, refreshed souls return to the root and meet the mysterious Dao, in a realm without bound or limit. Now incense is burned, and from this moment they take refuge in the venerable masters and the host of great sages, wishing that, by the De of Ultimate Truth, after attaining the Dao they may ascend into the formless realm.

Repentance

The Three Invocations (in the ritual, the invocations are made in three stages)

The Three Salutations (three acts of worship are performed)

Renewed proclamation of ritual office (the ritual master’s name and rank are declared once more)

The altar officials and the Daoist assembly present, with the utmost sincerity, jointly announce to the supreme Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), the highest sages of the ten directions, the celestial emperors and celestial perfected of the Jade Capital and Golden Towers, the venerable teachers and holy multitudes of the ten directions, the official hosts of the Three Realms, and all spirits and divinities.

We have heard that when the passes and apertures are opened seven times, the stars and constellations grow bright and stagnant radiance is restored; and that by gathering the Qi (vital energy) of the Nine Yangs—the harmonious breath of Yang—one can refine and deliver form and spirit and ascend to the celestial realms. From our early years we have aspired to refined cultivation and have been fortunate to hear the profound methods of the Dao (the Way). We ought to congeal the embryo-infant and nourish our original truth, according with the natural through stillness and settled concentration; to cause the mingled living Qi to return to our own persons and personally practice internal refinement. Yet we have not reached the realm of spiritual transformation and must still cultivate with diligence. We hope to guide and receive all living beings, and we also vow to propagate the Great Dao. What is more, delivering the departed and enabling them to ascend to the celestial realms is precisely what we ought to carry out.

From our early years we have aspired to refined cultivation and have been fortunate to hear the profound methods of the Dao. We ought to congeal the embryo-infant and nourish our original truth, according with the natural through stillness and settled concentration; to cause the mingled living Qi to return to our own persons and personally practice internal refinement. Yet we have not reached the realm of spiritual transformation and must still cultivate with diligence. We hope to guide and receive all living beings, and we also vow to propagate the Great Dao. Now, having received the command of the ritual law, we reverently perform this rite.

We now pray for the refinement and deliverance of a certain departed soul. From former lives to the present life, whether through a momentary impulse or driven by passion and desire, he fell into error. He was unable throughout to preserve purity and honesty, and he failed to observe with care the standards of gentleness and goodness. He did not sincerely examine himself, nor did he practice the precepts of attaining perfection. We are especially concerned that he may be reborn once more as a human and long remain sunk in the toils of the dusty world. In life he did not know how to preserve his life and cherish his Shen (spirit), so that his body died and decayed, and he never took thought for it. Sounds, sights, and desires caused him to stagnate and grow distant from his original true nature, so that living Qi was cut off and the roots of death congealed. We look up and seek the method of refinement and deliverance, that departed souls may universally obtain transcendence and ascent.

We humbly pray that the deities take pity on living beings and broadly bestow mysterious grace. We ask that an edict command the Nine-Light Lads—divine officers who govern the divine Qi of the nine lights—to descend, and that the Numinous Lords of the Five Elders, the celestial deities of the five directions, be invited. With crystalline blossoms of the five colors, lay out a ritual seat for the departed; with the Qi of the Nine Yangs, pour it into him. With flowing fire, wash his countenance, and then with Yellow Blossoms—the sacred yellow light, or floral essence, used in Daoist ritual—bathe him.

We further request the adamantine Qi refined a hundred times and the Jade Nectar of a thousand harmonies, the divine liquid that has undergone refinement. May the Primordial Sovereign spread mysterious Qi, and may Great White stream down radiance. May these powers open and communicate the origin of the womb and embryo, and loosen the knots and stagnations of body and spirit-soul; may Shen and form fuse together, refining and nourishing body and mind, cooling the viscera and bowels, and settling the souls and spirit. May his withered bones rise again and the dead return to life, turning Yin into Yang.

We further ask the Celestial Physician Merit Officers—divine officers of the heavens who oversee healing—to exert their divine power and disperse the divine medicines of Great Clarity, so that the form and soul of the departed may receive refinement, pass through immortal transformation, and be generated anew. May he, borne upon the Nine Qi, congeal his bodily form, and receive the Three Origins—the three original powers of Heaven, Earth, and humanity spoken of in Daoism—to nourish his form and substance. May the Three Passes, the five viscera, the six bowels, and the Nine Palaces all recover their earliest vitality, and may the root source return once more to its life-mandate. May the numinous Shen unite with the breath, so that embryonic breathing may arise; may even rotten bones and withered remains change their form and substance and receive deliverance.

In this way, above, the grace of the Celestial Worthies’ compassionate salvation may be made manifest, and below, it may answer the sincerity with which we take refuge and carry out the command. We respectfully submit this announcement to be heard on high.

First, may Heaven above be clear and luminous; second, may the sun and moon shine over all the earth; third, may auspicious stars appear; fourth, may a rain of sacred teaching fall like sweet, timely rain; fifth, may the confrontations and entanglements stirred by grievances and transgressions be laid to rest; sixth, may the sufferings and lamentations of all beings cease; seventh, may dragon-shaped talismanic writs take flight and become manifest; eighth, may phoenix-shaped talismanic seal-script stream with radiant light and, once opened, convey the petition upward so that it may be heard on high.

First, may Heaven above be clear and luminous; second, may the sun and moon shine over all the earth; third, may auspicious stars appear; fourth, may a rain of sacred teaching fall like sweet, timely rain; fifth, may the confrontations and entanglements stirred by grievances and transgressions be laid to rest; sixth, may the sufferings and lamentations of all beings cease; seventh, may dragon-shaped talismanic writs take flight and become manifest; eighth, may phoenix-shaped talismanic seal-script stream with radiant light; ninth, may the host of true numina gather and descend; tenth, may blessings extend to all beings in the dark netherworld; eleventh, may every soul receive deliverance; twelfth, may all beings steadily gain release and ascend.

When the incense burner is restored, one visualizes the divinities and, burning incense, prays and announces:

Messengers of the Incense Officials, Dragon Lords and Tiger Lords of the left and right (divinities who guard the ritual sanctuary), and all the Numinous Officials who attend the incense: I ask that, at the place where I earlier ascended the altar during the morning audience to practice the Dao (the Way), auspicious signs of golden liquid, cinnabar and azure, and numinous mushrooms spontaneously arise. May the hundred Numinous Officials and the host of perfected immortals assemble together before this incense burner. May the immortal lads and jade maidens of the ten directions receive and attend the incense smoke, and swiftly and directly convey the sincere intent of the memorial I previously submitted into the presence of the Most True and Limitless Ultimate Dao, the Supreme Sages of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), and the Jade Emperor, Most Venerable Sovereign of the Golden Portal of August Heaven.

The morning audience rite of the third day of the Jade Register Great Retreat is concluded.

Each person pays reverence to the ritual master and visualizes according to the liturgical procedure.

The Primordial Sovereign of the Void (a venerated deity of Daoism) gathers primordial Qi (vital energy) and abides at the center. The Three Realms are deep, hidden, and mysterious, and from them the vast vault of heaven is opened. Qi of seven revolutions and nine kinds of numinous subtlety mingle with the circling winds. The myriad spirits transform accordingly, and Heaven and Earth are thereby brought into communication. An auspicious day is chosen for the rite, and the myriad demons too submit with reverence. The light of morning shines brightly, secretly setting a mysterious power in motion. Holding tallies and raising banners, they scatter flowers through the Great Void, universally delivering the beings of the ten directions and freeing them from the fortunes of endless kalpas.

The rite of issuing the incense burner is performed together with the morning audience rite.

Please proclaim the ritual office.

The ritual master invested with office, together with the officials and all others taking part in the altar rite, respectfully present the memorial as one.

With reverence we respectfully invite the Primordial Heavenly Worthy of Void and Spontaneity, the Most High Lord of the Limitless Great Dao (the Way), the Most High Lord Lao, and the Exalted Jade Emperor, together with the great sages of the ten directions who have already attained the Dao, the lords of supreme perfection and the elders, the imperial lords of the thirty-two heavens, the Supreme Emperor of Jade Vacuity, and the Great Jade Emperor. We also respectfully invite the most perfected and brilliant sovereign Lords of the Dao of the Numinous Treasure—those of the Eastern Hua, the Southern Pole, the Western Numen, the Northern Perfected, the Mysterious Capital, the Jade Capital, the Golden Portal, the Jasper Terrace of the Seven Treasures, and the Upper Palace of Purple Tenuity—together with the venerable scriptures of the thirty-six divisions, the Great Ritual Master of the Mysterious Center, the Upper Minister, the Upper Chancellor, the Upper Protector, and the Upper Tutor, the twenty-four perfected who bring down the teaching of Great Peace, Lord Wang, Chief of the Perfected of the Western Citadel, the Perfected of Grand Unity, the Senior Minister of the Eastern Marchmount and Director of Destinies, the two Perfected Lords Mao who fix the registers and protect life, the divine immortals who have attained the Dao in the famous mountains and grotto-heavens, the officials of the Three Realms, and all true numina.

I have heard that the numinous light of the eight directions lies hidden, subtle and profound, joining with the colorless Great Obscurity, and that the Qi (vital energy) of the single Yang gathers without cease until, at the very beginning of Heaven and Earth, it congeals into chaotic Brahma-qi. From this the radiance of the upper realm first sprouts, answering to the name Kaihuang. Mysterious and wondrous Jing (essence) and Qi give forth their brilliance, forming the images of Heaven and Earth and spreading through all things. When the cycles of the five kalpas have run their full course, the Nine Empyreans and the eight directions come into being. The Primordial Heavenly Worthy then begins to seal the scriptures of the Heavenly Dao within the registers of the Purple Palace, while the Sovereign Person inscribes the celestial patterns and the statutes upon jade stanzas. In this way the kalpic cycles are held in order, the hosts of demons bow in respectful submission, and the world is at peace.

We are fortunate to stand in the company of the perfected immortals who have attained the Dao, and we have long received this mysterious grace. Following the methods of the teaching, we visualize the round images of the nine colors and swallow the saliva; we recite the numinous stanzas of the Three Unions and observe the Keyi (liturgy). Whenever we have a prayer to offer, how dare we fail to report it to the perfected? Seeking peace and security for the realm, we respectfully declare the intent of the purification rite and reverently read aloud and submit the green petition.

In this proclamation, all that has been reported above, and every earnest intention, has been fully set forth. We earnestly beg the Great Dao to extend its grace, to look clearly upon our prayers, and in compassion to grant them.

I have heard that to manifest the original truth of the Heavenly Dao (the Way) can save and deliver living beings who have passed through countless kalpas, and that to proclaim widely the mysterious teachings can bring boundless deliverance to suffering beings in the hells of the Ninefold Darkness. Whether in what is manifest or in what is hidden and subtle, all may find peace, and both the human world and the celestial realm depend upon such salvation. We reverently follow the Zhai rites (Zhaijiao, the purification ritual), so pressed that we have no leisure even to eat. The light of the sun wheels about and shines, just as noon has newly arrived; the radiance of day rises, and all together look up to the sunlight standing at the zenith. The sacred carriages turn, and purple cloud-Qi (vital energy) condenses in the sky into shapes like Fulu (talismans and registers). Reverently we convey our hearts’ intent by means of incense smoke, and carry out the rite of purification and abstinence.

Today is the noon practice of the Dao on the third day; may the ritual assembly here present take up the first stick of incense. May this incense smoke rise aloft and be offered directly to Yuanshi Tianzun of the Great Dao of Emptiness, Supreme Truth, and Spontaneity (one of the highest deities revered in Daoism). By the merit of this offering of incense, we pray that the blessed destiny of the reigning emperor be without end. May transformative teaching reach the eight directions, and may decrees and orders circulate through the four quarters. We pray for abundant harvests of the five grains and plenty year after year, and for the Kingly Way to be clear and bright, so that all under heaven may long enjoy Great Peace; that sun and moon display the auspicious sign of redoubled light, and that the stars and constellations move according to their constant measures; that the sea be calm and the Yellow River run clear, that cloud-Qi circulate and rain fall everywhere; that every region have cause for joy, and that the four seas be free of distress. Now we burn incense and of our own will take refuge in the Venerable of the Dao and the holy assembly, wishing to obtain the supremely true De (Virtue/Power); and after attaining the Dao, we pray that the Heavenly Dao long endure.

I have heard that the Yuluo Xiao Terrace (the immortal realm of which Daoism speaks) is the realm in which the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing) are transformationally born; and that the Dongxuan scriptural canon (one of the Daoist classics, of the Three Caverns—Dongzhen, Dongxuan, and Dongshen) is a scripture transmitted through five kalpas. The methods of the Dao are firm, true, and ever-abiding, upholding the Heavenly Dao without end. Today is the noon practice of the Dao on the third day; may the ritual assembly here present take up the second stick of incense. May this incense smoke rise aloft and be offered directly to the Supremely Holy Celestial Worthy of the Jade Dawn of the Spontaneous Lingbao Great Dao (the honorific title of Lingbao Tianzun). By the merit of this offering of incense, we pray protection for the blessed fortune of the state and for the imperial clan. We pray that names be entered on the azure slips and the Cinnabar Terrace of the immortal realm, so that lifespan be lengthened and the foundation of blessings made secure, and grace and emolument long enjoyed; that one accord with the Qi of Great Harmony and be nourished enduringly, preserving the true Qi (the Qi that is the source of life), so that it may long sustain body and mind. May sons and grandsons flourish, and may kin by marriage live in harmony. Now we burn incense and of our own will take refuge in the Venerable of the Jing (scripture/classic) and the holy assembly, wishing to obtain the supremely true De; and after attaining the Dao, may one ascend into the formless realm.

Your servant has heard that, at the very beginning of the movements of Heaven and Earth, the three true sages appeared together, and from this Dao (the Way) and De (Virtue/Power) became perfectly harmonious and freely penetrating. The method of Lingbao (Numinous Treasure) saves and delivers all living beings, so that the myriad kinds of primordial Qi (vital energy) endure without perishing, and hun and po, together with spiritual consciousness, grow clear and upright. Its efficacy is subtle and hard to fathom, yet when it appears it does so in but an instant.

Today, at noon on the third day, the Zhaijiao (purification ritual) is performed and the Way is practiced. The ritual assembly present is asked each to offer incense three times. May the incense smoke rise into the void and ascend directly, in offering to the Great Sage of Primordial Unity, the Lord of Natural Transformation, the Heavenly Worthy of Dao and De (a revered deity of Daoism). May the merit of these three offerings of incense aid the spirits recommended for deliverance. We pray that they may rest in a realm of clarity and brightness, and enter the domain of emptiness and wonder with ease and composure; that light may appear upon the cloud road, that they may pass beyond the Four Great Elements (the four basic elements that constitute all things in the world) and reach the realm where the immortals dwell; and that in the hollow void they may hear wondrous sounds and leave the remote regions of the Nine Darknesses (the depths of the underworld). May mind and Shen (spirit) radiate above the layered high heavens, and primordial Qi gather within the splendid immortal mansions; may body and mind unfold, open and at ease, free to stay or to depart, no longer constrained; freely flying and roaming, responding as they are stirred, and unrestricted by place or direction.

Now incense is burned; we take refuge in the honored masters and the great assembly of sages, and reverently honor the De of the Supreme Truth. May we, after attaining the Dao, ascend into the formless realm.

Repentance

Three Invitations

Three Salutations

Again Proclaiming the Ritual Offices

The officials and the assembly at the altar, with sincere hearts, jointly address the supreme Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), the highest sages of the ten directions, the celestial emperors and celestial perfected of the Jade Capital and the Golden Towers, the honored teachers and holy hosts of the ten directions, the official retinues of the Three Realms, and all awesome numinous powers.

We, your servants, have heard that if the dark night is to be opened to light, one must pass through eight times of concentrated contemplation, study, and recitation; and that when the souls of the dead receive refinement and deliverance, the Nine Mysteries—the nine generations of ancestors—may ascend, be transformed, and be born anew. We have been fortunate to encounter the teaching of the true scriptures (Jing) and to have early received transmission of the secret registers. It is fitting that we bathe in the mysterious clear waves of the immortal well, washing away stray thoughts and clarifying mind and spirit (Shen), and that we receive the shelter of the Dao (the Way) from the numinous tree, returning to the root and restoring our original nature. Although we remain involved in worldly affairs, how dare we slight the mind of the Dao?

We have respectfully accepted the covenant of our teachers’ lineage and bear the duty of proclaiming its teaching. Now, having received written orders, we reverently preside over the rite. We think of the lonely souls and detained spirits who, from past lives down to the present life, through the stirring of thought and the pull of feeling, committed faults in error; who were unable to contemplate the Dao with gentle reverence, and unable to keep themselves humble and cultivate their persons. Some, though they followed the orthodox Dao, often gave rise to hearts of arrogance and carelessness; some, occupying high position, often indulged their wills and grew proud and self-satisfied; some slighted and humiliated others; some boasted of themselves and relied upon their own strength. Clinging to vicious conduct and letting arrogant hearts run unchecked, they greatly contravened the custom of modesty and withdrawal, and fell short of the precepts of those who have attained the Dao.

We fear that their lives have already been overturned, yet they do not know whether after death they rise or sink; we are further anxious that, through transmigration across countless kalpas, they have long wandered without rest. Their souls drift unsettled and have not returned to the source; their mind-nature and understanding are dim and confused, still drawn and bound by deviant paths. Thinking of them sunk in realms of suffering and trapped in darkness, not yet freed, we look up and seek the grace of forgiveness, wishing that they may soon realize the hope of being born anew.

We humbly pray that a teaching of boundless compassion be carried out, rescuing the hidden souls of the long night, eliminating the roots of evil karma, so that drifting and scattered souls may each return to their proper place and, according to the deliverance they receive, all may ascend as immortals. We respectfully ask that the Five Elders and Numinous Lords be summoned and the Emperors of the Nine Heavens commanded; and we further address the Three Luminaries and the Nine Elders, the Grand Supreme Elder, the one thousand two hundred official lords, the hundred thousand myriad layers of the Qi (vital energy) of the Dao, together with Lord Han Who Cherishes Life of the Vermilion Mound Fire Bureau and the Upper Palace of Nanchang, Sima Yuanyang Who Delivers the World, the envoys of the Jade Casket who receive deliverance, the honored deities who prolong life, increase the count of years, and deliver from calamity, the Perfected who collate the registers, the Holy Mother who supervises birth, the Young Lord Wuying, the Honored Deity Baiyuan, Taokang, Heyan, Taiyi the Director of Destinies, and the other divinities.

We pray above for the divine model of the rites, wishing that the Nine Mysteries and the Seven Ancestors be reverent, peaceful, and compliant; that they receive guard, escort, and welcome; that they return to primal Qi and receive form anew; and that their names be entered in the registers and their lifespans determined. May auspicious vapors spread, closing the gate of death; may clouds of blessing flow forth, opening the gate of life. May the scriptures and methods gather at the numinous root, so that good fruits are brought to perfect completion. Thus, above, the teaching of the Celestial Worthies’ great compassion and great mercy may be displayed; below, the sincere hearts of us servants, who take refuge and revere the Dao, may be fulfilled. We respectfully submit this address and humbly request your gracious regard.

The first vow is that the dragon registers recording merit may appear on high; the second, that the phoenix tallies may bring auspiciousness; the third, that the spiritual root—the foundation of obtaining blessings through cultivation—may be brought to completion and good fruits achieved. In this way, above, the vast compassionate teaching of the Heavenly Worthies may be made manifest, and below, the sincerity with which we take refuge in the Heavenly Worthies may be answered. We respectfully submit this memorial for their hearing.

The first vow is that the dragon registers recording merit may appear on high; the second, that the phoenix tallies may bring auspiciousness; the third, that the various heavens may examine merits and faults and enter the names in the registers; the fourth, that celestial music may ring out in clear tones; the fifth, that the Three Officials—the deities who preside over Heaven, Earth, and Water—may record good deeds; the sixth, that all nine nights may receive illumination; the seventh, that enmities may be resolved and debts from former lives repaid; the eighth, that entanglements may be undone and calamities removed; the ninth, that evil demons may be subdued and divine protection and recommendation obtained; the tenth, that the souls of the deceased may be delivered and proceed to the realm of the immortals; the eleventh, that grace may be widely extended to all living beings; the twelfth, that merit may be vast and without measure.

The returning of the incense burner is the same as at the morning audience.

Noon Audience Rite of the Third Day of the Great Retreat of the Jade Register (the noon-audience ritual on the third day of the Yulu Dazhai).