《金箓十回度人三朝转经仪》

The Gaogong (the Daoist priest who presides over the ritual) kneels and addresses the altar:

Your disciple, So-and-so, respectfully once more submits this address to the True Lord, Great Ritual Master of the Mysterious Center of Lingbao (Numinous Treasure); to the lords who are the Scripture Master, the Register Master, and the Ordination Master of Lingbao; to the Lord Celestial Master (Tianshi) of Zhengyi (Orthodox Unity); and to the Lady Master, the Successor Master, the Lineage Master, and the True Lord, Great Ritual Master Who Supervises the Retreat of Lingbao. The ancestral masters received the methods of the Dao disclosed in the age of Chiming (Red Brilliance). A lineage as precious as a millet pearl has been transmitted from generation to generation; they are the patriarchs of this tradition. We earnestly beg the Venerable Masters, in their compassion, to look down and take heed.

Your disciple has heard that when the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning proclaimed the scripture (Jing), a single recitation brought it to fulfillment; the host of perfected and numinous beings then recited the scripture ten times, inspecting and delivering all from the east down to the regions below, opening the way and expelling harm in every place without exception. The power of the scripture can prolong life and can also transform and bring forth the myriad things. Now, as we are about to proclaim and perform the scriptural teaching, we first report to the Venerable Masters.

Your disciple now leads the officers and the assembly of the ritual to ascend the altar and recite the first through the fourth rounds of the Taishang Dongxuan Lingbao Wuliang Duren Shangpin Miaojing (the Most High Wondrous Scripture of the Upper Chapters on the Limitless Salvation of the Numinous Treasure of the Cavern Mystery, Dongxuan). We reverently pray that a myriad years of life may stretch on without end and that the fortune of Heaven may long endure. Relying on the Venerable Masters compassionately to preside over the altar, may this disciple’s sincere devotion ascend on high, may we receive the mysterious grace, and may all sentient beings share alike in the benefit. Your disciple awaits only the Masters’ command to proclaim and perform the scriptural liturgy. Presuming to address the Venerable Masters, I pray with the utmost reverence in my heart. I now lead the assembly to ascend the altar and reverently carry out the rite.

The assembly chants Daoist hymns and guides the procession to the front of the altar, where all stand in order.

The ritual: inviting the Divine Kings.

With this memorial we respectfully address the Boundless Flying Celestial Divine Kings of the Ten Directions, the Great Saints of Longevity, the Lords of Limitless Salvation (the exalted deities who preside over saving the living and rescuing beings from calamity), the Flying Celestial Envoys of the Ten Directions, the Jade Maidens of the Ten Heavens, and all the spirit-immortal officials of the Ten Directions, humbly begging you to look down upon us with compassion and examine our plea.

Respectfully we declare: the scripture cases are now opened and the profound meaning of the scriptures (Jing) is set forth, and the scriptures will be recited according to the ritual order of the eight directions. To oversee the cultivation of the true and the salvation of all beings, we first knock in petition before the deities of the ten directions and ask them to preside over teaching and transformation. May you holy ones turn your sacred carriages and descend to the ritual arena. Each time the rite is opened, we must rely on your support and protection; without compassionate protection, clear illumination and discernment could hardly be attained. The scriptures are the means by which beings are delivered and transformed; may recitation and praise accomplish the merit of salvation. With devout hearts, the ritual assembly performs the purification rite and respectfully invites the deities.

Performing the retreat.

Cloud carriages.

Scattering flowers.

With this document we again address the Boundless Flying Celestial Divine Kings of the Ten Directions, the Great Saints of Longevity, the Lords of Limitless Salvation, the Flying Celestial Envoys of the Ten Directions, the Jade Maidens of the Ten Heavens, and all the spirit-immortal officials of the Ten Directions.

We have heard that the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning sent down the scriptures at the beginning of the Chiming kalpa, and that the Divine Kings, receiving their charge, accepted the command amid the songs sounding in the void of the Biluo heaven. The deities together ascended into the Precious Millet-Pearl and personally received the purport of the jade-toned decree. Thereafter they carried out the talismanic mandates of the celestial realm, overseeing the merit of scripture recitation and the work of delivering all beings. Thus the deeply hidden mysteries were fully revealed, and the merits and faults of those who study the Dao (the Way) could not escape the deities’ clear scrutiny. The great merit of salvation has been manifest since high antiquity, and later ages ought likewise to continue opening this grace ever more widely.

Now, in obedience to the celestial edict, we reverently hold the Golden Register Great Retreat (a Zhaijiao, or purification ritual, of relatively high rank in Daoism), expressly to pray for a sacred longevity of ten thousand years and for the heavenly Dao to endure forever. We respectfully invite the deities to come from heaven astride the vermilion phoenix and the dark dragon, riding cinnabar carriages and green palanquins down to the ritual arena. May the deities bestow instruction in words like gold and jade, so that the Ten-Turn Scripture Rite (a liturgy of reciting scriptures and performing rites in successive stages) may long have a standard to follow; may the celestial edict go forth and be promulgated universally to the myriad spirits. Upward, we exalt the vast and luminous teaching of the heavenly Dao; downward, we answer the earnest prayers of the many. These matters have been written into the opening memorial, which we now respectfully proclaim.

Proclaiming the memorial.

After the memorial has been read aloud, the deities are respectfully invited to examine and take note. We earnestly wish that the deities pervade the ten directions and accord with the creative work by which Heaven and Earth generate and transform the myriad beings; that they deliver and liberate all living beings of the Three Realms, and bring to fulfillment the merit of protecting and blessing them and of recommending them for advancement. Leading the assembly, we ascend the altar and cultivate the methods of the scriptures.

Huaxia Yin: the assembly ascends the altar and offers incense

Xinli (rite of faithful worship)

All bow in worship to the masters and revered ones, and visualize in accordance with the ritual procedure.

The lofty immortal realms of the Nine Heavens manifest auspicious radiance. The brilliance ripples through the Great Void and illuminates the True Realm and the Palace of Purple Tenuity. It reaches upward to the Central Sovereign, and the hundred spirits descend. All beings are enabled to uproot the sources of suffering and escape affliction, and the Eight Difficulties are thereby removed. Ancestors of seven generations are elevated and delivered together, and blessings and virtue are deep and vast. May we become immortals, our bodies riding the light of the Eight Effulgences and ascending in flight together.

The ritual drum is sounded twenty-four times

O Unsurpassed Mysterious Origin, Most High Lord of the Dao, we ask you to summon forth from within our bodies the Three-and-Five Merit Officers (the divine functionaries within the body charged with transmitting documents and communicating with the deities).

The ritual drum is sounded twenty-four times

O Unsurpassed Mysterious Origin, Most High Lord of the Dao, we ask you to summon forth from within our bodies the Three-and-Five Merit Officers, the messengers of the offices of the left and right, the Golden Lads who attend the incense, the Jade Maidens who convey words, together with the direct talisman officers of the Five Emperors and the incense officers on duty for the day—thirty-two of each kind. We ask them to transmit and report what is memorialized here: your servant now prays with a sincere heart that the Most High bestow the life-generating Qi (shengqi, vital energy—the sacred breath that brings forth life and sustains and protects) from the orthodox and true realms of the ten directions, so that it may flow into our bodies and cause what your servant reports to be conveyed swiftly, arriving directly before the supreme throne of the Most Venerable Lord of Primordial Beginning of the Unsurpassed Thirty-two Heavens.

Please proclaim the ritual offices.

Disciple So-and-so, with a heart of utmost sincerity, joins in respectfully inviting the following venerable deities:

The Most High Limitless Great Dao (the Way), the Primordial Heavenly Worthy of Vacuity and Spontaneity (a revered deity of Daoism, symbolizing the origin of the cosmos), the Supreme Sovereign of Wondrous Non-Being; the Lofty Sage of Mysterious Augustness, the Most High Jade-Dawn Lord of the Great Dao, the Heavenly Worthy of the Numinous Treasure (the Heavenly Worthy venerated by the Lingbao tradition), the Supreme Sovereign of Wondrous Being; the Elder Lord of the Mysterious Prime amid the myriad transformations of chaos, the Heavenly Worthy of Dao and De (Virtue/Power)—that is, the Most High Lord Lao—the Supremely Perfect Supreme Sovereign; the Jade August Supreme Sovereign of Vast Heaven; the Great Dao Lord, Compassionate Father of Primordial Yang, and the Great Dao Lord, Jade Mother of the Numinous Treasure; the Heavenly August Supreme Sovereign of the Southern Pole, the Great Emperor of Purple Tenuity of the Northern Pole, the Heavenly Worthy of the Vermilion Mound Who Saves and Delivers Lives, and the August Earth Spirit of Sovereign Soil (the goddess who governs the earth); the Most High Heavenly Worthies of the Numinous Treasure of the Limitless Ten Directions, together with all the holy assemblies who have already attained the Dao and the supremely perfected immortals.

We further respectfully invite the Sovereign Lords of the Thirty-Two Heavens, and the celestial immortals and perfected of Eastern Florescence, the Southern Pole, Western Numinosity, Northern Perfection, and others of the heavenly realm; the Supremely Perfected Heavenly Worthies of Bright Mandate of the Numinous Treasure and the Supremely Perfected Dao Lords of Bright Augustness of the Numinous Treasure, of the Jade Capital of the Mysterious Metropolis, the Golden Gate-Towers, the Jasper Terraces of the Seven Treasures, and the Upper Palace of Purple Tenuity; the Upper Minister, the Upper Chancellor, the Upper Protector, and the Upper Preceptor, the Great August Supreme Sovereign of the Mysterious Center, and all the lofty perfected; the venerable Jing (scriptures/classics) of the Thirty-Six Divisions, and the Great Ritual Master of the Mysterious Center; the Five Emperors, the Three Officials, the Four Offices, and the Nine Bureaus; the sun, the moon, and the Five Planets, the Southern Chronograms and the Northern Dipper, the Twenty-Eight Lunar Mansions, the Jade Pivot and the Jade Balance (the stellar officials of antiquity who observed celestial phenomena), and the assembled stellar deities; the Supremely Perfected Great Spirits of the Limitless Ten Directions; the Spirit Kings Who Soar through Heaven, the Lords of Boundless Longevity Who Save Humankind, the August Person of Heavenly Perfection, and the Perfected One of Wondrous Practice; the Three Masters of the Numinous Treasure, the Great Ritual Master Who Inspects the Retreat, and the Five Emperors Who Attend the Scriptures; the Jade Lads and Jade Maidens, the Jade Gentlemen Who Keep the Classics, and the attendants of the scriptures of the Three Caverns (Dongzhen/Dongxuan/Dongshen); the official subordinates of the Numinous Treasure, the Five Emperors of the Three Realms, the Demon Kings of Great Merit, and the officials of the Three Realms; together with every true spirit able to respond and descend.

We earnestly beg you all, with hearts of vast compassion, to look down and examine.

I have heard that the profound and elusive Dao cannot be transmitted in words, while the pure, quiescent, and subtle scriptures make the principles within them manifest through doctrinal meaning. When one probes their mysteries, they seem faint and hard to fathom; when one applies their efficacy, it reaches everywhere and penetrates freely.

I, an ordinary mortal, have been able reverently to recite the scriptures of the Heavenly Treasure. In the early morning I perform one rite of practicing the Dao, reciting the mysterious scriptures four times, and by this bring merit to completion. The ghosts and spirits of heaven and earth will surely discern my devout and concentrated intent; and I hope that every quarter—east, west, south, and north—may hear this subtle sound of the scripture.

I knock my head to the ground in worship and take refuge in the Limitless Great Dao.

With wholehearted sincerity I take refuge in the Scripture Treasure of the ten directions, the Daoist classics (Jing). May all beings open their minds, grasp the meaning of the scriptures, and be able to receive, uphold, and recite them.

With wholehearted sincerity I take refuge in the Dao Treasure of the ten directions, the Great Dao (the Way). May all beings arouse the mind of dedication, turning the merit gained through cultivation back toward all, and offer sincere reverence.

With wholehearted sincerity I take refuge in the Teacher Treasure of the ten directions, the masters who transmit the Dao and confer its methods. May all beings mount the bridge that leads to the orthodox teaching, meeting no obstruction along the way.

Hymn of Karmic Destiny. Ritual verses praising the causal bonds of former lives; the specific wording is given in another text.

Liturgy for Attending the Scriptures and Opening the Recitation. A liturgy (Keyi) for serving the classics and beginning the rite of recitation; the detailed liturgical text is given separately.

Chant for Arranging the Seat. Verses intoned while the ritual seat is laid out.

Stilling the Mind in Accordance with the Rite. Quieting the mind and visualizing as the ritual requires.

Click the teeth thirty-two times, and visualize five-colored clouds of Qi (vital energy) filling the entire room. Imagine divine guardians such as the Azure Dragon, the White Tiger, the Vermilion Bird, and the Dark Warrior protecting the altar.

Then recite the “Hymn of Karmic Destiny” once more, perform the rite of attending the scriptures and opening the recitation, lay out the ritual seat, and, following the liturgy, still the mind in visualization.

Click the teeth thirty-two times again, and visualize five-colored clouds of Qi filling the chamber. The Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, Dark Warrior, lions, white cranes, and phoenixes divide the watch over the four directions. The Golden Lads and Jade Maidens, together with the Five Emperors, the immortals and spirits, and the troops and horses—each with nine hundred million myriads of riders—encircle and guard the purification hall. When these rites are complete, the recitation of scripture begins.

Spell of Mysterious Profundity for Opening the Scripture

Cloud-seal script, the writing of Daoist talismans and registers (Fulu), emerges in the Great Void, taking its origin at the beginning of the vast kalpa. Now far and now near, now sinking and now floating, it circles among the five directions, its extent no more than a little over one zhang. The Heavenly True August Person, a divine figure of Daoist legend, takes up the brush in accordance with Heaven’s will, setting forth the Cavern Chapters, the chapters of the Daoist scriptures, and then writing the numinous talismans. The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning descends into the human world, and the sacred True Writ thereby appears. When manifest, it is clear to see; when hidden, it is deep and hard to discern. Grave illness can thereby be healed, and those sunk in the toil of the dusty world can be supported. Beings in the dark underworld will thereby have a refuge, and from this they may ascend to the capital of the immortals.

In the original, liturgical pieces such as the “Hymn of Karmic Destiny,” the “Liturgy for Attending the Scriptures and Opening the Recitation,” and the “Chant for Arranging the Seat” appear more than once, and a passage of the opening spell is also repeated. The ritual order is retained here, while the repeated portions are not translated again.

Invitation to Turn the Wheel of the Teaching. A respectful request that the orthodox teaching be proclaimed and transmitted.

The Master Inscribes the Scripture. The ritual master writes the name or title of the scripture.

The scriptural text says: “In former times, within the Heaven of Initial Azure … ascending in flight to the Supreme Clarity (Shangqing).” The expression “and so on” indicates that part of the wording has been omitted here.

Visualize the Thirty-Two Heavens—the thirty-two layers of heaven spoken of in Daoism—and see clouds of Qi (vital energy) in many colors crossing and curling about one another. Amid the clouds stand palaces and towers, and the celestial emperors wear crowns and caps, their robes clearly visible.

Next, visualize the deities, beginning with Taihuang Huangzeng Heaven, one layer among the Thirty-Two Heavens. For each heaven visualized, click the teeth once and bow once in the mind, thirty-two times in all. When this is finished, close the eyes and quietly visualize three-colored clouds of Qi rising from the three Dantian (energy centers)—upper, middle, and lower—fine as silken threads and gradually leaving the body. The Qi grows denser, first winding about the whole body, then about the seat and the armrest table, until everything around is covered by it. The Qi then swells and spreads beyond the altar ground, circling on every side, and after a while merges as one with heaven and earth.

Next visualize the Azure Dragon emerging from the liver and standing on the left; the White Tiger emerging from the lungs and standing on the right; the Vermilion Bird emerging from the heart and standing in front; the Dark Warrior emerging from the kidneys and standing behind; lions, twelve in all, emerging from the lower Dantian beneath the spleen and arrayed to left and right; and white cranes, nine in all, emerging from the Niwan—the upper Dantian at the crown of the head—and circling the four directions.

Then visualize the Six Harmonies between the eyebrows, the space that symbolizes heaven, earth, and the four directions. The sun and the moon appear respectively from the two eyes, each moving nine chi away from the face and transforming into round images of light in nine colors, their radiance penetrating within and without and clearly visible. Then silently recite the secret incantation so that others cannot hear it. When the incantation is finished, visualize eight streams of azure Qi from the east entering the liver, eight streams of red Qi from the south entering the heart, eight streams of white Qi from the west entering the lungs, and eight streams of black Qi from the north entering the kidneys. During the visualization one must be concentrated and sincerely reverent.

Then recite this chapter from the second through the ninth time, no longer reciting the Great Preface of the Lord of the Dao (the Way), but beginning from the main text of the chapter. The tenth time is recited according to the rite of the first time, including the recitation of the preface and the visualization.

The recitation of the scripture is complete.

Hymn on Leaving the Seat

Attending the scripture liturgy and dedicating the merit are to be arranged separately.

Hymn of Wisdom

The master and the zhai officials—the officiants who preside over the Zhaijiao (purification ritual)—together turn toward the east, take up incense, and bow once more.

This servant respectfully considers: having passed the eight tiers of steps, we have only just opened the assembly for the Jing (scripture/classic); the memorial has reached the ninefold gates of Heaven, and the Sovereign Lord attends the scripture assembly in person. We respectfully invite the Limitless Supreme Lingbao (Numinous Treasure) Celestial Worthy of the East, the Limitless Flying-Heaven Divine King, Great Saint of Long Life, and Immeasurable Lord Who Saves Beings of the East (the venerable deity of salvation in the East). Occupying the Zhen position of the East, he presides over spring and nurtures the myriad things with the primordial Qi (vital energy) of heaven and earth. Beneath the trees of the Qianlin he has many times proclaimed the subtle teachings of the golden mouth, and within the pearl no larger than a grain of millet he has personally transmitted the secret seals of Yujing, the Jade Capital (the capital of the heavens).

We earnestly ask the venerable deity to descend and inspect, clearly perceiving the sincere hearts of those who perform the Zhaijiao (purification ritual). May the Lord on High record the merit and, through the court audience, report this matter; may the Sovereign Lord of Eastern Florescence (Donghua Dijun) preside over the examination of merit and fault and, with the divine brush, assign a rank to this affair. A memorial is now prepared and is to be read aloud with due reverence.

The dispatch for proclaiming the memorial. The memorial is burned.

The scripture attendant announces: the second round of the scripture-opening Keyi (liturgy) is performed.

The scripture seat is laid out, and verses of praise are chanted.

We respectfully request that the wheel of the Law be turned and the meaning of the scripture expounded.

The ritual master inscribes the title of the scripture.

The assembly completes the recitation of the scripture.

The verse of praise for dismissing the seat is chanted.

The scripture attendants dedicate the merit.

The Hymn of Wisdom is recited, and, following the ritual sequence, one proceeds to the south.

This servant respectfully considers: the scriptural chapters within the jade coffer have been opened, and the merit of expounding the scripture has already been proclaimed; now we come once more before the jade steps. Heaven inclines to hear the prayer; the celestial will turns and bestows blessing, and the petition must be presented three times. We respectfully invite the Limitless Supreme Lingbao Celestial Worthy of the South, the Limitless Flying-Heaven Divine King, Great Saint of Long Life, and Immeasurable Lord Who Saves Beings of the South (the venerable deity of salvation in the South). Having attained the Dao (the Way), his heart within is clear and luminous; facing the light, he governs the affairs of the world. When he sends the teaching down to the world, he will surely cause the Great Dao to flourish; watching over those who cultivate perfection and saving all living beings, he will not, one trusts, fail the prayers of those who hold the Zhaijiao.

We earnestly ask the venerable deity to examine this sincerity and to record the merit of reciting the scripture. May the imperial court be secure and honored, so that the sovereign may enjoy blessing and joy; may the sovereign’s foundation be vast and endure from generation to generation. A memorial is now prepared and is to be read aloud with due reverence.

The dispatch for proclaiming the memorial. The memorial is burned.

The scripture attendant announces: the third round of the scripture-opening Keyi is performed. Each of the rites that follow is the same as in the second round.

Following the ritual sequence, one proceeds to the west, offers incense, and bows twice.

This servant respectfully holds that the words left by the Three Sovereigns (the three former sages venerated in Daoist ritual) allow one to know something of the inherent nature of the Great Dao (the Way); so long as sincere devotion does not cease, it must be possible to move and commune with the heart of Heaven.

With reverence I pray and invite the Boundless Supreme Lingbao Celestial Worthy of the West, together with the Boundless Flying-Heaven Divine King of the West, the Great Sage of Longevity, and the Lord of Immeasurable Deliverance of Beings (venerated deities of Daoism). These two divine worthies have perfected their merit and virtue and occupy Lizé (the station symbolizing blessings joined one to another); they must already have communed with the heart of Heaven.

In former times, when the Fuli Jing Assembly (the legendary ritual assembly at which the Lingbao scriptures were expounded) was held, the host of deities descended like fine rain and dense mist; now that the Lingbao Zhai altar (purification altar) has been established, hosts of deities must likewise come, riding flying clouds and drifting through the void. I respectfully wish that this merit be reported to Xuandu (the celestial realm of immortals spoken of in Daoism) and that good deeds be recorded in the Palace of the Pure Numinous. May sacred virtue flourish ever more and endure as long as Heaven and Earth; may the fortune of the realm be vast and as exalted as Mount Song and Mount Hua.

A memorial (a written prayer presented to the deities) is now at hand and will respectfully be read aloud.

Proclamation of the Memorial: the memorial is read aloud.

Incineration: the memorial is burned so that it may ascend to the deities.

The Scripture Attendant proclaims the fourth round of the Keyi (liturgy) for opening the Jing.

The order of the ritual is the same as in the second round.

Turning toward the north, one offers incense and then makes two bows.

This servant respectfully holds that the jade characters and dragon script (the sacred writing of the Daoist scriptures), having been recited four times, have now set forth all their wondrous meanings; the jasper carriages and feathered canopies (the splendid vehicles and plume-adorned canopies of the immortals) likewise gather at this moment upon the numinous altar.

With reverence I pray and invite the Boundless Supreme Lingbao Celestial Worthy of the North, together with the Boundless Flying-Heaven Divine King of the North, the Great Sage of Longevity, and the Lord of Immeasurable Deliverance of Beings. The benevolence of the divine worthies is like Heaven. The north belongs to Kan; in the Classic of Changes, Kan is called the “hexagram of Toil,” with the meanings of hardship and of passing through danger. The divine worthies have received the Heart-Seal of the Millet Pearl (the seal of the mind-method transmitted in Daoism), and their principle runs through the Three Vehicles (a Buddhist term referring to three paths of cultivation). They broadly propagate the lineage tradition of Lingbao, and their grace extends to all living beings.

I respectfully wish that the divine worthies enter names of merit upon golden slips and record good deeds in jade writs. May the host of stars shine in brilliant concert within the Purple Tenuity Enclosure (the stellar region where the Celestial Emperor dwells), adding the blessings of long life and well-being; may the Six Dragons descend upon the Yellow Path (the course traveled by the heavenly bodies) and widely bestow the grace that transforms and nurtures the myriad things.

A memorial is now at hand and will respectfully be read aloud.

Proclamation of the Memorial: the memorial is read aloud.

Incineration: the memorial is burned.

Thrice Hearing the Jing: the scripture is recited aloud three times more.

Offering of Vows: prayers and vows are made.

May the host of stars shine in brilliant concert within the Purple Tenuity Enclosure, adding the blessings of long life and well-being; may the Six Dragons descend upon the Yellow Path and widely bestow the grace that transforms and nurtures the myriad things. A memorial is now at hand and will respectfully be read aloud.

Proclamation of the Memorial: the memorial is read aloud.

Incineration: the memorial is burned.

Thrice Hearing the Jing: the scripture is recited aloud three times more.

Offering of Vows: prayers and vows are made.

Restoring the Censer as Before: the incense burner and the arrangement of the altar are returned to their original state.

Immortals, immortal officials, Golden Lads and Jade Maidens, the Five Emperors, the divine immortals and perfected beings of the Five Sacred Peaks, the orthodox spirits of the Three Qi (vital energy)—the orthodox deities who represent the three primordial energies of Heaven, Earth, and humanity—the Dragon and Tiger Lords of the left and right, celestial immortals, terrestrial immortals, and the Five Numinous Incense Officials: please now summon and draw in the pure and upright Qi of the ten directions. The pure and upright Qi spontaneously transforms and gives rise to golden liquor, cinnabar, jasper, and lingzhi. A hundred numinous officials and the many perfected immortals will all assemble here before the incense burner.

May the immortal lads and jade maidens of the ten directions guard the incense smoke, carry upward the words I previously prayed, and swiftly deliver them before the throne of the Most Venerable Supreme Lord of Primordial Beginning of the Unsurpassed Thirty-Two Heavens.

Visualize the Four Numina—contemplating, as the rite requires, the numinous beasts of the four directions—and let each return to its corresponding place among the five viscera and the heavens of the ten directions, then mount the clouds and depart. Next, visualize the three-colored cloudy Qi and swallow it into the lower Dantian (energy center), the middle Dantian, and the upper Dantian; click the teeth three times, then swallow the saliva three times. These are the steps of visualization and of circulating Qi in Daoist ritual.

Guided by the altar director, the assembly of the lower altar comes before the Celestial Perfected of the Curtain. The Celestial Perfected of the Curtain mounts the clouds and departs. Next, visualize the three-colored cloudy Qi and swallow it into the three Dantian; click the teeth three times, then swallow the saliva three times.

Guided by the altar director, the assembly of the lower altar comes before the curtain to offer thanks to the masters.

The ritual master offers incense and performs the salute twice more.

I, your servant of the appointed rank, So-and-so, with reverence and a sincere heart, respectfully address the Perfected Lord, Great Ritual Master of the Mysterious Center of Lingbao (Numinous Treasure); the Scripture Master Lord, the Register Master Lord, and the Salvation Master Lord of Lingbao; the Celestial Master (Tianshi) Lord of Zhengyi (Orthodox Unity); the Lady Master, the Successor Master, and the Lineage Master Lords; the Perfected Lord, Great Ritual Master Who Supervises the Retreat of Lingbao; and the ancestral masters of the lineage in which the charts were opened in the age of Crimson Brilliance and the millet pearl was transmitted and received. I earnestly beg the masters, in their compassion, to look down and regard this disciple’s gratitude.

Earlier I led the officers and the assembly present to ascend the altar and recite, from the first time through the fourth, the Wondrous Scripture of the Upper Chapters on Limitless Salvation of the Most High, of the Dongxuan (Cavern Mystery) Lingbao. Now it has fortunately been brought to full completion. I specially pray that sacred longevity long endure and that the Dao (the Way) of Heaven remain forever. Looking upward, I rely on the masters’ grace, who aid in secret and protect in silence. I respectfully bow in thanks to the masters, and I also earnestly beg them to help me complete the ritual sequence that remains.

When the scripture scrolls are placed in the langhan—precious book cases adorned with jade—and on the day the rite ends and the divine carriages return, this disciple will surely repay the masters’ kindness and keep it engraved in the heart, promote the Lingbao Keyi (liturgy), and widely bestow compassionate teaching. We disciples have presumed upon the masters’ majestic authority, and our hearts are fearful and uneasy.

The rites performed earlier are hereby respectfully announced.

Recite “Excellent.”

In the Golden Register Retreat (Jinlu zhai), a Daoist Zhaijiao (purification ritual) for seeking blessings and deliverance, both the morning audience and the noon audience include the “Scripture-Turning Rite,” that is, the recitation of scriptures (Jing) together with ritual bows. The ritual master and those taking part stand in order in the Hall of the Masters and begin the service.

The chief officiant kneels and reports:

“Your servant, So-and-so, once again respectfully reports to the Perfected Lord, Great Ritual Master of the Mysterious Center of Lingbao (Numinous Treasure); to the Lords who serve as Scripture Master, Register Master, and Ordination Master of Lingbao; to the Lord Celestial Master (Tianshi) of Zhengyi (Orthodox Unity); to the Lords who are the Female Master, the Successor Master, and the Lineage Master; to the Perfected Lord, Great Ritual Master Who Oversees the Retreat of Lingbao; and to the patriarchs of the lineage that established the Chiming transmission of the teaching and passed on the millet-pearl line of the law. We respectfully beg the masters to look down and examine us with compassion.

“Your servant has heard that the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning, a revered deity of Daoism, inaugurated the methods of the Dao (the Way) and established teaching and transformation. The true writs he transmitted can harmonize Heaven and Earth and bring peace to the human world, and can also protect the tranquility of the state and the well-being of families. To deliver living beings without number is the merit of this supreme scripture.

“Your servant again comes before the masters’ ritual seat and respectfully asks that this rite of scripture recitation be opened. Your servant will now lead the assembly up to the altar to recite the Wondrous Scripture of the Uppermost Grade of Limitless Salvation of the Numinous Treasure of the Cavern Mystery (Dongxuan) of the Most High (Taishang Dongxuan Lingbao Wuliang Duren Shangpin Miaojing), from the fifth recitation through the eighth, respectfully praying for long life for the person of honor and praying that Heaven long abide in peace. We look up to the masters to bestow the mandate to preside over the rite, so that the sound of the recitation may spread throughout the Three Heavens and reach as far as the Nine Earths. May grace be vast and deep, extending to all living beings, so that every being may receive its benefit.

“We servants await only the masters’ gracious command, and will proclaim and perform the scriptural teaching according to the rite. Venturing to report to the masters, we pray with sincere hearts. We now lead the assembly up to the altar and respectfully carry out the rite.”

The assembly then chants the “Dao Yin,” comes before the altar, and stands in order. In sequence they ascend the altar, offer incense, and perform the rite of faith; each bows to the masters and, following the rite, quiets the mind in contemplation.

The Qi (vital energy) of the Supreme Mysterious Unity—the highest and most mysterious Qi of the Dao (the Way)—is exhaled and inhaled as Jing (essence) by the Nine Emperors, nine exalted deities. Moving according to the transformations of three, five, and seven, it can see into the dark and hidden realms. The radiance of the sun and moon shines downward and reaches directly to the Spirit Court; its light fills the six directions, above and below and the four quarters, and brings Taiyi Huangning, the exalted deity Taiyi, to peace and clarity. The Golden Portal of the Imperial Lord, the palace of the Celestial Emperor, stands firm and does not incline. The Five Elders, the Celestial Emperors of the five directions, carry out the talismanic mandate, so that Heaven and Earth may be brought to completion together. May this power of the Dao keep me from death and enable me to perfect the true spirit; may it drive back and restrain every evil influence, so that all calamity is brought to rest. May I ascend to audience with the Celestial Sovereign and turn old age back into youth. The Great Emperor has already issued his command, and the hundred Shen (spirits) all reverently obey.

Sound the ritual drum twenty-four times.

The Unsurpassed Mysterious Prime, the Most High Lord of the Dao, summons the Three-and-Five Merit Officials within the bodies of us, your servants—divine clerks charged with transmitting documents—together with the envoys of the offices of the left and right and the Golden Lads who attend the incense. The Great Emperor has already issued his command, and the hundred spirits all reverently obey.

Sound the ritual drum twenty-four times.

The Unsurpassed Mysterious Prime, the Most High Lord of the Dao, summons to come forward, thirty-two of each, the Three-and-Five Merit Officials within the bodies of us, your servants, the envoys of the offices of the left and right, the Golden Lads who attend the incense, the Jade Maidens who convey words, and the incense officers of the Five Emperors who hold the duty talismans of the day—divine officers on duty who bear the talismans and preside over the incense rites. They are asked to transmit the matters to be reported. I, your servant, now pray and petition on behalf of so-and-so, wishing that the Most High will send down and bestow the orthodox and true living Qi of the ten directions—the living Qi of the correct Dao that comes from the ten directions—and cause it to flow into the bodies of us, your servants, so that what I report may swiftly ascend and reach directly before the throne of the Most Venerable Primordial Supreme God of the Unsurpassed Thirty-Two Heavens.

Please announce the ritual office.

We ministers invested with ritual office, so-and-so and others, with one and the same sincere heart, jointly submit this memorial to the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning of the Supreme Limitless Great Dao (Dao, the Way), of emptiness and spontaneity (a revered deity of Daoism), the Supreme Sovereign of Wondrous Non-Being; to the Celestial Worthy of Numinous Treasure, Mysterious Sovereign and Lofty Sage, Supreme Lord of the Great Dao of the Jade Dawn (the revered deity of the Lingbao tradition), the Supreme Sovereign of Wondrous Being; to Lord Lao of the Mysterious Prime, of chaos and myriad transformations, the Celestial Worthy of the Dao and the De (De, Virtue/Power; the honorific title of Laozi after his deification), the Supreme Sovereign of Utmost Truth; and to the Jade Emperor, Supreme Sovereign of Vast Heaven.

We further address the Lord of the Great Dao, Compassionate Father of Primal Yang; the Lord of the Great Dao, Jade Mother of Numinous Treasure; the Heavenly August Supreme Sovereign of the Southern Pole; the Great Emperor of Purple Tenuity of the Northern Pole; the Celestial Worthy of Vermilion Mound Who Delivers Life (the revered deity who presides over the deliverance of life); the August Earth Spirit, Sovereign of the Soil (the goddess who governs the great earth); the Limitless Supreme Celestial Worthies of Numinous Treasure of the ten directions; the hosts of great sages who have already attained the Dao, and the elders who are lords of utmost truth; the imperial lords of the thirty-two heavens; and the Utmost True Bright Sovereign Lords of the Dao of Numinous Treasure in Eastern Florescence, the Southern Pole, Western Numinosity, Northern Perfection, the Mysterious Metropolis, the Jade Capital, the Golden Portal, the Jasper Terrace of the Seven Treasures, the Upper Palace of Purple Tenuity, and other such places; the lofty perfected, including the Senior Minister, the Senior Steward, the Senior Guardian, the Senior Tutor, and the Great August Supreme Sovereign within the Mystery; the Venerable Scriptures of the Thirty-Six Departments (Jing, scripture/classic), and the Great Ritual Master within the Mystery; the Five Emperors, the Three Officials, the Four Bureaus, and the Nine Offices; the sun, the moon, and the five planets, the Southern Asterisms and the Northern Dipper, the Twenty-Eight Lunar Mansions, the Rotating Mechanism and the Jade Sighting-Tube (stellar officials and celestial signs that symbolize the movements of the heavenly bodies), together with the divine perfected of the stars in every quarter; the utmost true great deities of the ten directions without limit, the Divine Kings Who Fly through Heaven, the Lords of Boundless Longevity Who Save Humanity, the August Person of Heavenly Perfection, and the Perfected of Wondrous Practice; the Three Masters of Numinous Treasure, the Great Ritual Master Who Supervises the Retreat, the Five Emperors Who Attend the Scriptures, the jade lads and jade maidens, the jade gentlemen who preside over the scriptures, the scripture attendants of the Three Caverns (Dongzhen, Dongxuan, and Dongshen), the official host of Numinous Treasure, the Five Emperors of the Three Realms, the Demon Kings of Great Merit, and the official host of the Three Realms, together with all true spirits who come in response.

We respectfully beg all of you to bestow compassion widely and to descend and examine this petition.

Your servant has heard that the precious pearl five zhang in height is the surpassing manifestation of the divine wisdom of the Celestial Worthy, and that the sacred realms of the ten directions are brought into being by transformation from the vast and boundless Brahma-Qi (Qi, vital energy; the pure primordial energy spoken of in Daoism). If grace is to shine upon every quarter, it must be broadly proclaimed by means of scriptural texts and ritual observances.

Your servant’s immortal rank and cultivation are not yet complete; how could I bear the weighty charge of propagating the wondrous teaching of the Great Vehicle? Yet by fortunate affinity from a former life, I have been able to hear the scriptures of the highest grade. Now I wish, at the noon audience, to open once more the secret treasury. Looking up in reverence to the holy spirits who dwell on high in heaven, I first make known my sincere intent. May the principles of the hidden and the subtle be made clear, and may the numbers five, six, seven, and eight be set forth in full throughout; may the transforming teaching, like a wind that moistens all things, extend its merit to the positions of Qian, Kun, Gen, and Xun (which respectively represent Heaven and Earth and the four directions). Your servant bows with forehead to the ground and takes refuge in the Limitless Great Dao.

At this point the feelings of the heart must first be conveyed to Heaven above, so that what is hidden and obscure is made clear, and the numbers five, six, seven, eight, and so on are reckoned in order. Receiving the moistening and edifying influence of wind and Qi (vital energy), may merit increase in the four directions of Qian, Kun, Gen, and Xun of the Bagua (Eight Trigrams). With the forehead bowed to the ground, one takes refuge in the Limitless Great Dao (the Way).

With utmost sincerity one takes refuge in the Scripture Treasure of the ten directions, wishing that all beings may have their minds opened, grasp the meaning of the Jing (scripture/classic), and be able to receive, uphold, and recite it.

With utmost sincerity one takes refuge in the Dao Treasure of the ten directions, wishing that all beings may give rise to the mind of dedication, transfer merit to all, and sincerely believe, revere, and pay homage.

With utmost sincerity one takes refuge in the Master Treasure of the ten directions, wishing that all beings may everywhere ascend the bridge of the methods for cultivating the Dao and go forward without obstruction.

Hymn of Karmic Destiny

The scripture attendant proclaims: the fifth round of the scripture-recitation rite begins.

Chanting accompanies the laying out of the scripture seat.

In accordance with the Keyi (liturgy), the mind is stilled and visualization is maintained.

The Mysterious Repository Spell for Opening the Scripture is recited (the spell that invokes the profound meaning of the scriptural text).

The deities are invited to turn the Wheel of the Law (the deities are invited to proclaim the orthodox teaching).

The revered master inscribes the title of the scripture.

The recitation of the scripture is completed.

Chanting accompanies the putting away of the scripture seat.

The scripture attendant performs the dedication of merit (transferring the merit of the scripture recitation to all beings).

Hymn of Wisdom

The revered master and the Zhai official (the official who presides over the Zhaijiao, or purification ritual) together turn to the northeast, offer incense, and bow again.

This subject respectfully memorializes: the scripture has been expounded and recited for five rounds, in keeping with the measure of the numbers of Heaven. So long as sincerity remains in the heart, Heaven above can surely discern the human heart. We respectfully invite the Limitless Most High Lingbao Celestial Worthy of the Northeast, and the Limitless Flying-Heaven Divine King, Great Saint of Long Life and Lord of Measureless Salvation of the Northeast. These exalted deities guard the Grand Empyrean and dwell in honor in the Gen quarter (the northeast). They arrive in person, bringing the Qi of great harmony and accomplishing the work by which the myriad things are generated and grow. They set the Northern Dipper in motion and pass through the Ji lunar mansion, possessing the wondrous efficacy of revolving and of saving and transforming the Five Constants (the orderly operation of the Five Phases). We humbly pray that the merit performed here be recorded and reported upward, so that blessings gather in the realm below. May the stars move in accord with the correct Dao, so that blessings of every kind descend one by one; may the state be steadied and protected, so that the lands of the four directions all come to submit and pay court. The memorial is now prepared and will respectfully be read aloud.

The covering dispatch that transmits the memorial (the document used to convey the memorial) is read aloud.

The memorial is burned and transformed.

The scripture attendant proclaims: the sixth round of the scripture-recitation rite begins.

The ritual sequence that follows is the same as before.

They turn to the southeast, offer incense, and bow again.

Your servant respectfully states: The jade rollers—jade scrolls symbolizing the scripture rolls of Daoism—are unrolled and rolled up again, secretly according with six, the yin number; the Golden Perfected, deities of Daoism, chant the scripture (Jing), and their voices resound through the Three Heavens. We respectfully entreat the Limitless Supreme Heavenly Worthy of Lingbao of the Southeast, together with the Limitless Flying-Heaven Divine King, Great Saint of Long Life, Immeasurable Lord Who Saves Humankind, of the Southeast. The Lord Who Saves Humankind dwells in the Palace of the Four Azures, occupying the quarter of doubled Xun. In former times, in the kingdom of Fuli, he personally received the mysterious methods of the Dao (the Way); now, in the Divine Empyrean Heaven, he specially presides over the work of salvation. We earnestly request that, as the scripture is recited in rotation six times, this merit be presented upward to the various heavens. May the Great Saint Taiyi of Tiangang afford protection, so that every kind of auspiciousness may gather; may auspicious luminaries such as Chunwei, the Quail’s Tail, and the Star of Longevity shine upon us, so that blessings reach every place. A memorial is now prepared and is here respectfully proclaimed.

The memorial and the notification—the written announcement used in the rite—are read aloud.

The memorial is burned.

The attendants of the scripture intone the seventh round of the Keyi (liturgy) for opening the scripture.

The remaining sections of the rite are the same as those above.

They proceed to the southwest and prepare to proclaim the memorial.

The memorial and the notification are read aloud.

The memorial is burned.

The attendants of the scripture intone the seventh round of the Keyi for opening the scripture.

The remaining sections of the rite are the same as those above.

They proceed to the southwest, offer incense, and bow twice.

Your servant respectfully states: When the scripture has been recited in rotation seven times, the ten thousand spirits may be summoned, and at this point the rite is complete; the Three Heavens—the threefold celestial realms of which Daoism speaks—manifest nine kinds of radiance, as if one personally beholds the numinous light. We respectfully entreat the Limitless Supreme Heavenly Worthy of Lingbao of the Southwest, together with the Limitless Flying-Heaven Divine King, Great Saint of Long Life, Immeasurable Lord Who Saves Humankind, of the Southwest. The Lord Who Saves Humankind holds the place of honor in the position of Kun and extends teaching and transformation to the human world. Gazing afar and surveying all around, he constantly receives and guides those who cultivate the Dao and study its methods; concentrating his thought and exhausting his strength, he subtly elucidates the meaning of the scripture. We earnestly request that this good merit be reported to the Void Sovereign, a venerated deity of Daoism, and that the achievement be recorded in the Heaven of Initial Simplicity. May the Dao in the human world long flourish, so that names may be removed from the registers of ghosts; may celestial light descend and shine, so that the field of the body—a person’s mind and body, the inner place of cultivation—may ever radiate clarity. A memorial is now prepared and is here respectfully proclaimed.

The memorial and the notification are read aloud.

The memorial is burned.

The attendants of the scripture intone the eighth round of the Keyi for opening the scripture.

The remaining sections of the rite are the same as those above.

They proceed to the northwest, offer incense, and bow twice. (At this point the original text continues with phrases such as “celestial light shines downward…,” which appear to be a repetition of the prayer of supplication in the preceding passage, or a case of misplaced slips.)

The memorial and the notification are read aloud.

The memorial is burned.

The attendants of the scripture intone the eighth round of the Keyi for opening the scripture.

The remaining sections of the rite are the same as those above.

They proceed to the northwest, offer incense, and bow twice.

I respectfully call to mind that the Brahma-Qi (primordial vital energy) circulates and turns without cease, and that the scripture has already been recited eight times; the Demon Kings commend the practitioner, and merit is reported upward to the many heavens. With reverence I pay homage to the Limitless Supreme Numinous Treasure Celestial Worthy of the Northwest, and to the Limitless Flying-Heaven Divine King of the Northwest, Great Saint of Long Life and Lord of Immeasurable Salvation. These two venerable deities accord with the natural Dao (the Way), receive and uphold the Dao of Heaven, and move without rest. They harmoniously transform and nurture the myriad beings, establish the teaching, preserve and nourish the mind of the Dao, foster the people of the world, and from first to last take the deliverance of living beings as their foundation.

I pray that the name be written into the Golden Register (the Daoist roll for seeking blessings and recording merit) and entered under Wangqing. May the Qi of the Dao be preserved and nourished and true Jing (essence) cultivated, so that divine spirits come to protect and aid; may the gate of Heaven be opened and the door of Earth closed, so that deviant Qi cannot intrude. The memorial (the document by which one reports to the deities of the celestial realm) is now prepared and shall respectfully be read aloud.

Proclaiming the Memorial (the ritual segment in which the memorial is read aloud)

Incineration (burning the memorial so that it ascends to the celestial realm)

Thrice Hearing the Scripture (reciting the scripture three times)

Stating the Vow (declaring the prayer)

Returning to the Censer (returning before the incense burner in the course of the rite to continue the observances)

The foregoing is recited again, as follows: “Entered under Wangqing. May the Qi of the Dao be preserved and nourished and true Jing cultivated, so that divine spirits come to protect and aid; may the gate of Heaven be opened and the door of Earth closed, so that deviant Qi cannot intrude. The memorial is now prepared and shall respectfully be read aloud.”

Proclaiming the Memorial

Incineration

Thrice Hearing the Scripture

Stating the Vow

Returning to the Censer as Before (returning before the incense burner according to the previous procedure)

Immortal spirits and immortal officers, Golden Lads and Jade Maidens, divine immortals and Perfected of the Five Emperors and the Five Sacred Mountains, orthodox deities of the Three Qi (the orthodox spirits who represent the three kinds of primordial vital energy), the Dragon Lord and the Tiger Lord of the left and the right, celestial immortals and terrestrial immortals, and the incense officers of the Five Numina: we ask that the orthodox Qi of the ten directions (the pure and upright vital energy that comes from the ten directions) be summoned, so that golden liquor, cinnabar and jasper, and the bloom of the magic mushroom (the wondrous immortal medicines and auspicious numinous mushrooms of which Daoism speaks) may arise of themselves. May the hundred numinous officers and all the true deities assemble together before this incense burner. We pray that the immortal lads and jade maidens of the ten directions receive and guide the incense smoke, convey upward the words I have already reported, and swiftly deliver them before the desk of the Most Venerable Supreme Lord of Primordial Beginning of the Unsurpassed Thirty-Two Heavens.

The altar director (the ritual master who presides over the ceremony) leads the assembly from the upper altar down to the lower altar, proceeding before the curtain to thank the master.

The ritual master offers incense and performs homage once more.

The ritual master on duty, So-and-so (the ritual master who presides over the ceremony), devoutly petitions the Perfected Lord, Great Ritual Master of the Mysterious Center of the Numinous Treasure (Lingbao); the Lingbao Lords Scripture Master, Register Master, and Ordination Master; the Lord Celestial Master (Tianshi) of Zhengyi (Orthodox Unity); together with the Lady Master, the Successor Master, and the Lord Lineage Master; and the Perfected Lord, Great Ritual Master Who Supervises the Retreat of Lingbao. He also respectfully invites the ancestral masters of the lineage of the Opening of the Charts in the age of Chiming (Red Brilliance) and of the transmission of the Millet Pearl. He earnestly begs all the venerable masters, in their compassion, to look upon and discern the sincerity of this disciple.

Earlier this disciple led the ritual officers and the assembly up onto the altar and recited the fifth through the eighth times the Wondrous Scripture of the Uppermost Grade of Limitless Salvation of the Numinous Treasure of the Cavern Mystery of the Most High (Taishang Dongxuan Lingbao Wuliang Duren Shangpin Miaojing), which has now fortunately been brought to a smooth completion. He respectfully asks the masters, in their compassion, to take note of this disciple’s gratitude. This disciple performs the present ritual in order to pray that sacred longevity long endure and that heaven and earth abide forever. Relying on the masters’ grace for protection in the unseen realm and for aid given in secret, this disciple respectfully bows in thanks and also hopes that the ritual may be perfectly completed. When the scriptures are placed in the jade casket and the scrolls are put away, that will be the day the jade carriage returns. This disciple will keep the masters’ kindness in mind, repay their grace, and promote the Lingbao Keyi (liturgy), so that compassionate teaching may be practiced far and wide. We disciples have presumed to disturb the pure solemnity of the masters; our hearts are uneasy and filled with the utmost awe.

What follows: “xianglai” means previously, or earlier; “nianshan” is the part of the ritual in which texts of goodness are recited or virtuous deeds are praised. The Jinlu Shihui Duren Wuchao Zhuanjing Yi is the noon-audience scripture-turning Keyi of the Golden Register tenfold salvation. The Jinlu Shihui Duren Wanchao Zhuanjing Yi is the evening-audience scripture-turning Keyi of the Golden Register tenfold salvation. “Shitang xuli” means that the ritual masters stand in order in the Hall of the Masters. “Fashi” means to perform the ritual. “Gaogong guiqi” means that the Gaogong (the ritual master who presides over the principal sections of the Keyi) kneels to make the petition.

The priest in his appointed ritual office—the Daoist who presides over the ceremony—once again respectfully petitions the Perfected Lord, Great Ritual Master of the Mysterious Center of Lingbao; the Lingbao Lord Scripture Master, the Lord Register Master, and the Lord Ordination Master; the Lord Celestial Master (Tianshi) of Zhengyi (Orthodox Unity); the Female Master, the Successor Master, and the Lord Lineage Master; the Perfected Lord, Great Ritual Master Who Oversees the Purification Retreat of Lingbao; and the patriarch who revived the tradition by opening the charts in the Red-Bright era and transmitting the teaching of the Millet Pearl. We earnestly beg all the venerable masters to look down upon us with compassion.

Your servant has heard that the root chapters of Lingbao gather within them the secret tones of the hundred demons, and that the wondrous scripture of the highest grade proclaims the mysterious efficacy of revolving the scripture ten times. Now, performing the rite once more according to the scriptural codes and liturgical procedures (Keyi), I respectfully look up and beg the masters’ protection. I hereby report that I shall lead the Daoists assembled here to ascend the altar and recite in succession the ninth through the tenth revolutions of the Wondrous Scripture of the Highest Grade of Limitless Salvation of the Most High Lingbao of the Cavern Mystery (Dongxuan), reverently praying and offering praise for myriad years of long life, so that the Dao (the Way) of Heaven may long endure. All depends upon the masters’ compassion to preside over the altar and stand as guarantors of the rite. May the sound of the recitation resound through the Three Heavens and be heard throughout the Nine Earths, so that all sentient beings alike may share in its benefit. We await the masters’ gracious permission, that the scriptural liturgy may be carried out. We, your servants, presume to address the masters, praying with the utmost sincerity of heart.

Your servant once again reverently prays and offers praise for myriad years of long life, so that the Dao of Heaven may long endure. All depends upon the masters’ compassion to preside over the altar and stand as guarantors of the rite. May the sound of the recitation resound through the Three Heavens and be heard throughout the Nine Earths, so that all sentient beings alike may share in its benefit. We await the masters’ gracious permission, that the scriptural liturgy may be carried out. We, your servants, presume to address the masters, praying with the utmost sincerity of heart.

Lead the assembly onto the altar and reverently perform the rite.

In chant, guide everyone to the front of the altar, and have them take their places in order.

Ascend the altar in sequence and offer incense.

Perform the ritual salutation.

Following the liturgical procedure, let each person pay homage to the masters and visualize their forms.

The Jade Tones (sacred sounds) gather in the primordial Qi (vital energy), and a numinous wind collects the incense smoke. Within the purple void, numinous Qi flourishes, assisting and guarding the myriad immortals. Through a thousand harmonious unions, and with the ten thousand paths responding to one another, the true Dao is naturally brought to fulfillment.

Strike the ritual drum twenty-four times.

O supreme and unsurpassed Mysterious Primordial Most High Lord of the Dao (the Way; Xuanyuan Taishang Daojun), a revered deity of Daoism, please summon the divine officers: the Merit Officials of the Three and Five within the bodies of us, your servants, the messengers of the left and right offices, the Golden Lads who attend the incense, the Jade Maidens who transmit words, and the direct-talisman officers of the Five Emperors together with the incense officials on duty for the day—thirty-two of each kind.

Please convey and report on our behalf: your servant now, for a certain matter, sincerely prays that the Most High bestow the pure and authentic Qi (vital energy) of life from the ten directions, so that it may flow into our bodies and the matter we report may swiftly ascend and be presented directly before the exalted presence of the Supreme Emperor of Primordial Beginning of the Unsurpassed Thirty-two Heavens. Finally, announce the ritual titles and names of the deities who are served.

I, the servant charged with conducting this ritual, respectfully and with a sincere heart submit this memorial, praying to the Limitless Great Dao (the Way), the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning, the Celestial Worthy of Numinous Treasure, and the Celestial Worthy of the Dao and De (Virtue/Power), together with the Jade Emperor of Vast Heaven, the Celestial Sovereign Emperor of the Southern Pole, the Great Emperor of Purple Tenuity of the Northern Pole, the August Earth Spirit of Sovereign Earth, and the other venerable deities. I also respectfully invite the gods of the Three Realms, the Five Emperors and the Three Officials, the Four Directorates and the Nine Bureaus, the sun, moon, and stars, the thirty-six divisions of the honored Jing (scripture/classic), the official hosts of the Numinous Treasure, the Celestial Perfected August Person, the Perfected of Wondrous Practice, the Great Ritual Master Who Oversees the Retreat, and the jade lads and jade maidens who attend the scriptures, along with all the gods, perfected beings, and numinous spirits, to look down together in compassionate inspection.

I respectfully hope that the venerable deities will bestow their kindness and look down upon this ritual. I have heard that the Brahma-script scriptures and registers in the void, though they pass through long kalpas, are at times hidden and at times revealed; the wheel of the Law opens the mysteries within them and has the power to pervade heaven and earth and to encompass the cosmos. Now, recited with the mouth and realized in the heart, it is truly so that when the sound goes forth, a response is received.

I am dull and ignorant, shallow in talent and virtue, and originally have nothing to commend me. By good fortune I have met with the conditions that allow me to encounter these scriptures and study them. Now, at this nighttime presentation of the memorial, the rite of reciting the scriptures has been completed for the second time. Yin and Yang (Yin-Yang) each have their proper bounds, and the odd and even numbers of Yin-Yang have been fully examined; reaching upward to the heavenly realm and downward to the earthly realm, this grace indeed spreads widely over both the noble and the humble. I respectfully bow my head and take refuge in the Limitless Great Dao.

I sincerely take refuge in the treasure-house of scriptures (Jing) of the ten directions, wishing that the minds of all living beings may be opened and enlightened and that they may comprehend the meaning of the scriptures. The distinctions of Yin-Yang and their cyclical reckonings have all been examined to the utmost; reaching upward to the celestial realms and downward to the human world, grace extends broadly to every station, high and low. I respectfully bow my head to the ground and take refuge in the Limitless Great Dao (the Way).

I sincerely take refuge in the treasure-house of scriptures of the ten directions, wishing that the minds of all living beings may be opened and enlightened, so that they may receive, uphold, and recite the scriptures.

I sincerely take refuge in the Treasure of the Dao of the ten directions, wishing that all living beings may arouse the resolve to dedicate merit (turning the merit gained through cultivation toward living beings or toward the aim of one’s vow) and together offer worship in sincere faith.

I sincerely take refuge in the Treasure of the Masters of the ten directions, wishing that all living beings may ascend the Bridge of the Law (a metaphor for the path of cultivating the Dao), meeting no obstruction along the way.

Hymn of Former Destiny: a liturgical section in praise of the karmic conditions of past lives.

The Scripture Attendant announces and intones: the ninth round of the rite of opening the scripture is performed.

Chanting while the scripture seat is laid out.

In accordance with the liturgy, quiet the mind and hold the visualization.

Recite the Incantation of the Mysterious Repository for Opening the Scripture.

Respectfully invite the deities to turn the wheel of the Law (to proclaim and expound the orthodox teaching).

The master writes out the title of the scripture.

The recitation of the scripture is completed.

Chanting while the scripture seat is removed.

The Scripture Attendant reads aloud the text of merit-dedication.

Recite the Hymn of Wisdom.

The master, together with the Zhai officers (ritual functionaries who assist in presiding over the Zhaijiao, the purification ritual), proceeds to the altar place of the upper direction, offers incense, and bows again.

Your servant respectfully submits that the numinous and wondrous scriptural chapters within the Empty Cavern have been brought to completion through nine rounds of revolving recitation, and that the sound of the scripture coming from amid the clouds resounds through the ten directions. We respectfully invite the Limitless Supreme Celestial Worthy of Numinous Treasure of the Upper Direction, and the Limitless Divine King of the Flying Heavens, Great Sage of Longevity and Lord of Boundless Salvation, of the Upper Direction (titles of venerated Daoist deities).

These two venerated deities guard the realm of Yuanluo, the Circular Net, and extend grace that covers all broadly. The precious pearl blazes with radiant light, as though one heard with one’s own ears the golden mouth proclaiming the scripture; amid towering layers of cloud, they regularly attend at the Jade Capital (the celestial metropolis) to the hearing and conduct of heavenly affairs. We earnestly beg the venerated deities to descend in manifest glory and to send down excellent commands and grace. May Yin and Yang, cold and heat, proceed in proper measure, and may the myriad beings suffer neither calamity nor illness; may the sun, moon, and stars each rest in their proper places, and may auspicious signs appear for the state. The relevant memorial has been prepared and is now read aloud with care.

The liturgical procedure preceding the reading of the memorial.

The memorial is burned.

The Scripture Attendant announces and intones: the tenth round of the rite of opening the scripture is performed. What follows prays that the venerated deities descend in manifest glory and send down grace; that Yin and Yang, cold and heat, be brought into harmony and the myriad beings be free of calamity and illness; and that the sun, moon, and stars each rest in their places and the state display auspicious signs. The memorial has been prepared and is now read aloud with care.

The liturgical procedure preceding the reading of the memorial.

The memorial is burned.

The Scripture Attendant announces and intones: the tenth round of the rite of opening the scripture is performed.

A hymn of praise is chanted while the scripture seat is laid out.

Respectfully invite the deities to turn the wheel of the Law.

The master raises the scripture scroll in preparation for recitation.

Visualization is practiced according to the method set out above.

The scripture says: “Formerly, within the Heaven of Primordial Azure…” The recitation of the scriptural text continues from this point.

Chanting while the scripture seat is removed.

The Scripture Attendant reads aloud the text of merit-dedication.

Recite the Hymn of Wisdom.

Proceed to the station of the lower direction, burn incense, and bow once more.

Your servant respectfully offers incense and recites the Jing (scripture/classic), intoning it ten times from beginning to end, thereby praying for grace and seeking protection, and expressing a sincerity in which inner and outer are as one. I respectfully entreat the Limitless Supreme Celestial Worthy of the Numinous Treasure of the lower direction, and the Limitless Flying Celestial Divine King of the lower direction, Great Sage of Longevity and Lord of Boundless Salvation: May you govern the Nine Provinces and the four quarters and cast your light over all under Heaven. In directing affairs both great and small, the transforming work of the Dao (the Way) must be received, upheld, and proclaimed, so that it reaches every place; nor can the universal deliverance of celestial beings and all living beings be separated from the wide propagation of the merit of the Jing. I earnestly beg that lasting grace be bestowed and pure blessings conferred. All beings, whether formed or formless, manifest or unmanifest, are asked to be entered together in the register of merit, that they may universally receive transformation and nurture. A memorial is now prepared and shall respectfully be read aloud.

The memorial is read aloud, and the transit writ is presented.

The documents are incinerated.

The scripture attendants intone and proclaim, and the whole assembly praises the Jing.

The Jing is heard three times.

The ritual master gathers the Jing and intones in praise:

Those who attain the Dao by gathering the Jing, whether formed or formless, should all be clearly entered in the register of merit and universally receive transformation and nurture. A memorial is now prepared and shall respectfully be read aloud.

The memorial is read aloud, and the transit writ is presented.

The documents are incinerated.

The scripture attendants intone and proclaim, and the whole assembly praises the Jing.

The Jing is heard three times.

The ritual master gathers the Jing and intones in praise:

Gathering the Jing and attaining the Dao causes celestial beings and all living beings universally to receive blessings. The Unsurpassed Mysterious Primordial Great Dao—the supreme Dao revered in Daoism—extends a grace vast and without bound. We pray that the sovereign may bring peace to the state and that the destiny of the nation may long remain tranquil; that all under Heaven may long enjoy great peace, and that the people of the world may long enjoy clarity and stillness. All together bow their heads and take refuge in the Limitless Great Dao.

The ritual master clicks the teeth thirty-six times, bows in the mind toward the ten directions, and then withdraws. Facing east, he bows three times in the mind, closes his eyes, and silently recites the incantation:

I, your servant So-and-so, have respectfully recited the Yuanshi Duren Shangpin Miaojing, the Wondrous Scripture of the Upper Chapters of Salvation of the Primordial Beginning, ten times, and the recitation is now complete. I pray that a dragon carriage be dispatched, that the celestial gods descend, and that the divine generals of the Six Jia be set to service, so that the ancestors of seven generations may be raised up and ascend in flight, and that I myself may ascend into the realm of Shangqing, Highest Clarity.

When the incantation is finished, click the teeth three times and swallow the saliva in the mouth three times. Then face north, bow three times in the mind, close the eyes, and recite the incantation:

Celestial Perfected of the Supreme Sovereign, please cause me to ascend into the numinous realm. I shall keep myself pure, observe the purification fast, bathe, and cultivate refinement, and recite the efficacious scriptures, so that the ancestors of seven generations may be delivered and released in ascent, and I myself may attend court in the Great Void. May my years be lengthened and my life long endure, and may my name be entered in the register of the immortals.

When the incantation is finished, click the teeth nine times and swallow the saliva in the mouth ten times.

In accordance with the regulations of the rite, put away the documents of ritual office—the term “guan” referring to the official writs or certificates of office used in the ritual.

When I, the servant, have finished reciting the Jing (scripture/classic), I ask that the Three-and-Five Merit Officers, the messengers of the Left and Right Offices, the Golden Lads who attend the incense, the Jade Maidens who transmit words, together with the direct-talisman officers of the Five Emperors, the incense officers on duty for the day, and the other divine clerks—thirty-two of each—who were earlier summoned out from my body return into the bodies of myself and those with me. Afterward, swallow the salivary fluid ten times.

The Rite for Recalling and Settling the Officers and Generals

When I, the servant, have finished reciting the Jing, I ask that the Three-and-Five Merit Officers, the messengers of the Left and Right Offices, the Golden Lads who attend the incense, the Jade Maidens who transmit words, together with the direct-talisman officers of the Five Emperors, the incense officers on duty for the day, and the other divine clerks—thirty-two of each—who were earlier summoned out from my body return into our bodies, settle once more in their own palace chambers, and not fall into disorder. When they are summoned again in the future, they will still come according to established custom.

The ritual master concentrates in visualization until the divine clerks have returned to their palace chambers; he then clicks his teeth three times and swallows the salivary fluid three times.

The Vow

Set the incense burner in place again according to the original rite.

May the immortal spirits and immortal officers, the Golden Lads and Jade Maidens, the Five Emperors, the divine immortals and Perfected of the Five Marchmounts, the orthodox deities of the Three Qi (vital energy; the orthodox deities who preside over the three kinds of primordial Qi of Heaven and Earth), the Dragon and Tiger Lords of the left and right, the celestial immortals and the earthly immortals, and the incense officers of the Five Numina summon the orthodox Qi of the ten directions, so that the golden liquid, the elixir medicines, and the azure lingzhi arise of themselves. May the hundred numina and the host of Perfected gather here and descend before the incense burner. May the immortal lads and jade maidens of the ten directions also attend and guard the incense smoke, convey the words I previously entreated, and cause them to reach, swiftly and directly, the exalted presence of the Most Venerable Supreme Lord of Primordial Beginning of the Unsurpassed Thirty-Two Heavens.

Giving Thanks to the Deities before Descending from the Altar

I, So-and-so, a servant of such-and-such rank, with sincere heart once more submit a memorial to the Divine Kings Who Fly in Heaven of the Limitless Ten Directions, the Great Saints of Long Life, the Lords of Immeasurable Deliverance of Humanity, together with the flying celestial messengers of the ten directions, the jade maidens of the ten heavens, and all the immortal officers and their subordinates of the ten directions. I earnestly beg all of you to extend your vast compassion, . . .

The original text is unfinished after the words “we all look to your vast compassion,” and therefore the translation also stops here.

The ritual master presiding over the ceremony, with the utmost sincerity, respectfully petitions the Limitless Flying-Heaven Divine Kings of the ten directions, the Great Saints of Long Life, the Lords of Limitless Salvation, the Flying-Heaven envoys of the ten directions, the Jade Maidens of the Ten Heavens, and all the divine immortals and their official retinues throughout the ten directions. We earnestly beseech the holy ones to extend their compassion widely and to examine all things with clear discernment.

Earlier, reverently receiving the Mandate of Heaven, we solemnly performed the Great Golden Register Retreat, a form of Daoist Zhaijiao (purification ritual), and recited ten times the Wondrous Scripture of the Upper Chapters of Limitless Salvation of the Numinous Treasure of the Cavern Mystery (Dongxuan) of the Most High. The rite has now been brought to completion, and we respectfully invite the holy ones to examine and witness it. With sincere hearts we come to bow in thanks.

Reflecting that we are not bodies of immortals and perfected ones, and that ordinary flesh and blood still bear defilement; that in proclaiming the cloud-seal script—the special characters used in Daoist Fulu (talismans and registers) and in scriptures—we may not have brought hand and heart into accord; and that reciting the celestial writings has been no more than what is uttered by the mouth and taken in by the ear. In visualization, the contemplative practice of Daoist cultivation, errors were hard to avoid, and the sound of scripture recitation was inevitably noisy and confused. We have not attained the realm of hidden, profound wisdom and penetrating clarity, and may instead have committed the faults of rashness and slack irreverence. We earnestly beseech the holy ones to bestow loving-kindness as spring nurtures the myriad things, and to be magnanimous and forbearing. The memorial of thanks is now reverently read aloud.

Reading of the memorial

The memorial having been read, the holy ones have surely examined and taken note of it. We respectfully pray that the sacred heart be generous, embracing heaven, earth, and the myriad things; that it not send down the punishments of axe and halberd, but instead bestow shelter and grace; that the scriptural teaching spread widely throughout the world, and that the grace of the Dao (the Way) shine upon the realm. All of the ritual altar, with devout hearts, now respectfully escort the holy ones in farewell.

The altar director (the person charged with guiding the sequence of the altar rite) leads the assembly down from the altar to offer thanks before the curtain: May the holy ones be generous and forbearing, not sending down punishment but instead granting protection; may the scriptural teaching spread widely throughout the world, and the grace of the Dao shine upon the realm. The assembly of the altar pays devout respect and now respectfully escorts the holy ones in farewell.

The altar director leads the assembly down from the altar to thank the master before the curtain.

The ritual master offers incense and performs two further bows.

I, your servant So-and-so, once again respectfully submit this memorial to the Perfected Lord, Great Ritual Master of the Mysterious Center of Lingbao (Numinous Treasure); to the Lords who are the Scripture Master, the Register Master, and the Ordination Master of Lingbao; to the Lord Celestial Master (Tianshi) of Zhengyi (Orthodox Unity); to the Lady Master, the Successor Master, and the Lineage Master; and to the Perfected Lord, Great Ritual Master Who Supervises the Retreat of Lingbao, together with the ancestral masters of the lineage that transmits the Opening of the Charts in Red Brilliance and the Millet Pearl. I earnestly beg the honored masters, in their compassion, to look down and examine this, and to accept my thanks.

Before this I petitioned the masters many times, and I have received their favor as they have exalted the Jing (scripture/classic) and disclosed the teachings. Now that the rite has been brought to full completion, I have come expressly before the masters’ seats to express my gratitude. Earlier I led the officers and the assembly up to the altar and recited the ninth through the tenth revolutions of the Wondrous Scripture of the Upper Chapters of Limitless Salvation of the Most High, of Dongxuan (Cavern Mystery) and Lingbao; all of this has now been finished. Only by relying on the masters’ grace and De (Virtue/Power) has this good vow been fulfilled. Having done my utmost to express what is in my heart, I come to the Hall of Mystery to bow in thanks.

I further reflect that I have not yet truly penetrated the Great Dao (the Way), and so I cannot exhaust its mysterious and profound principles; nor has my learning reached the realm of the ultimate Dao. I am truly ashamed that I have not yet attained clarity and stillness, emptiness and luminous brightness. I earnestly beg the masters to bestow their grace widely, to grant blessing and protection, to take pity on the shallowness of my learning, and not to punish me. May both household and realm receive this grace, and may the living and the dead alike obtain blessing; may meritorious good be brought to completion, and may the myriad beings grow and come to fulfillment.

We venture to set forth these words, our hearts still clinging to the masters and unable to bear parting from them. At this moment we look up toward the steps of Heaven and, with sincere hearts, kowtow in farewell.

To cultivate the Retreat is to hold the purification rite and to practice and offer the methods of the Retreat. The cloud carriage is a carriage amid the clouds; in the ritual it means the carriage in which divinities and immortals ride. “Heretofore” means earlier, or previously. To hold the good in mind is to vow to do good and to keep a good intention. The Evening Audience and Revolving Recitation of Scripture for the Ten Revolutions of Salvation of the Golden Register is, within the Golden Register Zhaijiao (purification ritual), the evening rite of court audience together with the revolving recitation of scripture.