《金箓大斋宿启仪》

In the Eastern Heaven of the Nine Qi (炁), the Azure Heaven (the eastern celestial realm formed from nine kinds of primordial Qi), dwells the Great Deity of the Bright Star, whose radiance illuminates the east and penetrates the nine layers of the heavenly gates. He turns the light of the sun to sweep away filth and baleful Qi. The Youth of Opened Brightness guards my chariot, subduing demons and restraining malevolent spirits so that they submit to the Sovereign Lord. I uphold the Orthodox Dao (the Way) and the Red Writ in Jade Script (sacred Daoist talismanic writing), obey the commands of the Nine Heavens, and send divine dragons to carry my documents. May all under heaven be at peace, and may I ascend and become an immortal.

In the Southern Heaven of Cinnabar (the red celestial realm of the south), three Qi circulate and shine, and the star Yinghuo lights up the sun. There dwell the Red Essence and the Youth of Opened Brightness, who command the fire soldiers and guard the Three Palaces. They cut down baleful spirits, bind demons, and sever the Qi of evil. The divine might commanded by the Northern Emperor (the chief deity of the northern heavens) blazes in all eight directions like beacon fires, and the Flowing Bells (a Daoist ritual implement) flash in turn, so that no malign spirit dares to defy them. May the Orthodox Dao spread and prosper, may I receive merit of the highest rank, and may I help keep the heavens at peace and endure through countless kalpas.

In the Western Heaven of the Seven Qi (the western celestial realm formed from seven kinds of primordial Qi), the star Taibai spreads its refined light, illuminating the Golden Gate and reaching even into the realms of darkness. There dwells the Red Sovereign, known as the Imperial Spirit. He protects the soul and steadies the body and mind, guards my form, and cuts off evil at its root, so that the legitimate rule of the true kingly Way shines forth. May the palaces stand orderly and solemn, and may the Three Radiances (the three celestial lights of sun, moon, and stars) appear together. May I be united with the Way of nature and ascend to the Purple Court (the heavenly realm where immortals reside). The Jade Characters of Lingbao (the scriptures and talismanic writings of the Lingbao tradition) bestow grace widely upon living beings, and their merit reaches all things, bringing peace to heaven and earth.

In the Northern Heaven of Mystery (the black celestial realm of the north), five Qi swirl, and the star Chenxing shines brightly, lighting up Taiwei (the celestial region of the star officials). The Black Spirit, the venerable deity, wears the feathered robe of the flying immortals and guards the Five Gates, inspecting spirit-demons and seizing baleful beings. Should any malign creature trespass or probe, it is cut down and destroyed. The commands conveyed by the Jade Talisman reveal the might of the divine and perfected beings of the eight directions, closing the gates of evil and opening the path of the true Way. May divine light shine upon my body, so that the Three Radiances of sun, moon, and stars appear through me in full clarity. May I rise into the sky and ride the clouds and Qi, and may my whole body ascend to immortality.

Note: The word "West" appears twice in the original text in succession. The above has been merged into a single passage of interpretation, and its content follows the latter of the two passages.

The Wu-Ji earth Qi (vital energy) of the center harmonizes all the various Qi and holds command over the mysterious true Qi. Zhenxing—that is, Saturn—sends forth its radiance, and the light streams across the Nine Heavens. May the Kaiming Youths open the obstructed gateways, so that the proper Dao (the Way) is made bright and freely open; may light shine upon my body, and the three luminaries of sun, moon, and stars illuminate it through and through. I may then mount the void and ride the radiance, raising my whole body in flight to ascend as an immortal.

The Wu-Ji earth Qi of the center harmonizes all the various Qi and holds command over the mysterious true Qi. Zhenxing sends forth its radiance, and the light illuminates the Nine Heavens. The Kaiming Youths number twelve in all. They contain the Qi of the Primordial Beginning and yang Jing (essence); like vermilion vapor they rise upward, shining through all under Heaven and upon us as well. May every kind of evil influence disperse, and may the countless ghosts and demons be subdued. The divine incantation of the Central Mountain extends throughout the world and is efficacious of itself; the numinous spirits of the Five Directions settle and stand guard, so that the human body may fly up and ascend as an immortal.

Sound the ritual drum twenty-four times.

Most High Lord Lao of the Unsurpassed Three Heavens and of the Three Qi of Mystery, Origin, and Beginning, I ask you to summon forth from within my body the Merit Officers of the Three and the Five, the official emissaries of the left and the right, the dragon-mounted courier officers of the left and the right who bear incense, the Golden Lads who attend the incense, the Jade Maidens who transmit words and scatter flowers, together with the direct-authority officers of the Five Emperors and the incense officials on duty for the day—thirty-six of each kind. All the divine officers summoned forth must set their attire in strict order, dress with solemn dignity, arrange their robes and caps properly, and let their cap-tassels hang down. I further ask that official notice be given to the earth gods of the Mysterious Altar and to the spirits of this locality.

I now, before the Zhaijiao (purification ritual) begins, perform the Suqi—the preliminary announcement made before the formal purification rite—establish the ritual altar, and carry out the ceremony. I respectfully set down in a document, one by one, the matters I sincerely wish to report. May the Dao-Qi of the Most High Supreme Truth and the auspicious light of Lingbao descend and flow into our bodies, so that the sincerity of what I present in memorial may be swiftly conveyed, reaching directly into the presence of the Limitless Great Dao of Supreme Truth, the exalted sages of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), and the Jade August Thearch, Highest Emperor of Vast Heaven.

Please declare and report the ritual office—that is, the name, title, identity, and the like of the one performing the rite—and write it in full into the document. May the Dao-Qi of the Most High Supreme Truth and the auspicious light of Lingbao descend and flow into our bodies, so that the sincerity of what I present in memorial may be swiftly conveyed, reaching directly into the presence of the Limitless Great Dao of Supreme Truth, the exalted sages of the Three Pure Ones, and the Jade August Thearch, Highest Emperor of Vast Heaven.

Please declare and report the ritual office.

I, a subject invested with ritual office, now specially burn incense, and by the merit of this incense offering I wish to bless, on high, the firm foundation of the state and the emperor’s long and sacred life, so that a humane and generous ethos may spread widely, and all under Heaven may be governed with robes hanging loose and hands folded in repose, in peace and stability.

May this blessing extend to the regional princes, the feudal lords, local officials, and the gods of the soil. May it also extend to our Three Masters and Five Friends (teachers and companions in the cultivation of the Dao (the Way)), to all who study the Dao in whatever age they live, to adepts dwelling in seclusion among mountain valleys and rocky caves, to disciples and Libationers (jijiu, office-holders in the Daoist tradition), and even to the officers and soldiers of the three armies, the common people, and all the people of the world, together with birds and beasts, grasses and trees, insects and fish, and every being possessed of spiritual life, so that all may entrust their bodies, their Shen (spirit), and their lives to the Most High Lingbao (Numinous Treasure) of the Ten Directions, the Spontaneous, Supreme True, and Limitless Great Dao (the supreme Dao venerated in the Daoist tradition).

In particular, I pray that all beings be pardoned for the many faults committed through the three activities of body, speech, and mind and through the six faculties (eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind), so that all may draw near to the orthodox teaching and together receive the profound grace of the Great Dao. May those who cultivate the Dao attain its true realization and sing the praises of Great Peace; may all together enjoy humane virtue and long life, free and at ease under the governance of Wuwei (non-action); and may they forever accord with the Great Dao. May the subtle response called forth by this prayer ascend with the sound of the voice into the presence of the Supreme True and Limitless Dao.

Hymn of Rising Reverence

Chant the ten true aspects of the Dao, and sing the praises of Great Peace; together enjoy humane virtue and long life, free and at ease under the governance of Wuwei; forever accord with the Great Dao. May the subtle response called forth by this prayer ascend with the sound of the voice into the presence of the Supreme True and Limitless Dao.

Hymn of Rising Reverence

Chant the ten directions.

Perform the ritual observance down to the feet; each person kneels upright, takes refuge, and repents.

We, your servants of the ritual assembly—the Daoist priests taking part in the rite—with utmost sincerity devote our bodies, our spirits (Shen), and our lives to the Most High Celestial Worthy of the Numinous Treasure of the Limitless Great Dao (Dao) of the Ten Directions, earnestly imploring the Celestial Worthy to extend compassion widely, so that profound grace may descend upon all.

We, your servants, have heard that the Primordial Ancestral Qi (Qi) of Undifferentiated Origin—the original vital energy of the cosmos—takes purity and stillness as its root, and that the ritual documents of the Golden Register, the liturgical texts (Keyi) used in the Great Golden Register Retreat, can scarcely move and communicate with the gods and spirits unless they pass through purification, fasting, and covenant oaths. To communicate with the highest sages, one must first wash away even the slightest flaws. Therefore we, your servants, wish to exhaust our sincere hearts and reverently perform the offering.

Yet we fear that our wisdom has sunk into delusion, and that our understanding has been stained by confused and scattered thoughts. The true realm in which essence (Jing), Qi, and Shen fuse as one is still barred by karmic obstacles heaped up like mountains; the vain notions born of body, mind, and speech cause a heart once calm as still water to ripple in an instant. The faults accumulated in our everyday actions are boundless and beyond all measure. We look up and beg the Celestial Worthy’s pity, and hope for forgiveness bestowed from above, so that when we present memorials and make our responses we may be free of demonic obstruction, and when we preserve the spirit and practice visualization we may accord with the Great Dao. May the host of the perfected assemble where the Celestial Emperor dwells; may the destiny of the imperial court endure for millions upon millions of years; may the teaching flourish, so that the renown of Daoism spreads far and near; may both the netherworld and the human realm receive auspicious blessing and bathe in the radiance of the holy sun. May the imperial house enjoy peace and well-being, and may the state enjoy lasting order and enduring peace.

We, your servants of the ritual assembly, with utmost sincerity knock our heads to the ground, paying homage and giving thanks to the Unsurpassed Orthodox and True Three Treasures—the Three Treasures venerated in Daoism: the Dao, the scriptures (Jing), and the masters.

We, your servants, with utmost sincerity devote our bodies, our spirits, and our lives to the Most High Celestial Worthy of the Numinous Treasure of the Limitless Great Dao of the Ten Directions, earnestly imploring the Celestial Worthy to extend compassion widely, so that profound grace may descend upon all.

We, your servants, have heard that the Primordial Ancestral Qi of Undifferentiated Origin takes purity and stillness as its root, and that the ritual documents of the Golden Register can scarcely move and communicate with the gods and spirits unless they pass through purification, fasting, and covenant oaths. To communicate with the highest sages, one must first wash away even the slightest flaws. Therefore we, your servants, wish to exhaust our sincere hearts and reverently perform the offering.

Yet we fear that our wisdom has sunk into delusion, and that our understanding has been stained by confused and scattered thoughts. The true realm in which essence, Qi, and spirit fuse as one is still barred by karmic obstacles heaped up like mountains; the vain notions born of body, mind, and speech cause a heart calm as water to ripple in an instant. The faults accumulated in our everyday actions are boundless and beyond all measure. We look up and beg the Celestial Worthy’s pity, and hope for forgiveness bestowed from above, so that when we present memorials and make our responses we may be free of demonic obstruction, and when we preserve the spirit and practice visualization we may accord with the Great Dao. May the host of the perfected assemble where the Celestial Emperor dwells; may the destiny of the imperial court endure for millions upon millions of years; may the teaching flourish, so that the renown of Daoism spreads far and near; may both the netherworld and the human realm receive auspicious blessing and bathe in the radiance of the holy sun. May the imperial house enjoy peace and well-being, and may the state enjoy lasting order and enduring peace.

We, your servants of the ritual assembly, with utmost sincerity knock our heads to the ground, paying homage and giving thanks to the Unsurpassed Orthodox and True Three Treasures.

The Three Opening Hymns (Sanqi song) are three sections of invocatory praise recited during the ritual. The Three Salutations (Sanli) consist of performing obeisance three times. The renewed proclamation of ritual office (Chongcheng fawei) is the act of once again declaring the Daoist titles and identities of the officiant presiding over the rite, or of the assembled priests.

I, your servant [Name], together with the ritual assembly officiating at the altar—the Daoist clergy who preside over the purification rite—and the rest, filled with utmost sincerity, jointly and respectfully submit this memorial to the Heavenly Worthy of Primordial Beginning of the Great Canopy, the Limitless Great Dao (the Way) of Empty Void, Spontaneity, and Supreme Truth; the Most High Lord of the Dao; the Most High Lord Lao; the Jade Emperor, Supreme Sovereign of Vast Heaven; the Great Heavenly Sovereign Emperor of the Upper Palace of Purple Tenuity; the Great Emperor of the Northern Pole of the Central Heaven of Purple Tenuity; and the August Earth Spirit of Sovereign Earth; and also to the Floriate of the East, the Pole of the South, the Numinous of the West, and the Perfected of the North; to the Dao Lord, Luminous Emperor of the Supreme Truth of the Numinous Treasure, of the Upper Palace of Purple Tenuity upon the tiered terrace of the Seven Treasures at the Golden Portal of the Jade Capital in the Mysterious Metropolis; to the various Lords and Elders of Supreme Truth; and to the host of great sages of the ten directions who have already attained the Dao; to the Senior Minister, the Senior Steward, the Senior Guardian, the Senior Preceptor, the Junior Guardian, and the Junior Preceptor; to the Four Offices and the Five Emperors; to the Twelve Immortal Ministers; to the Venerable Scriptures (Jing) of the Thirty-Six Divisions; to the Great Ritual Master of the Mysterious Center and the Great Ritual Masters of the Three Heavens; to the Stellar Lord of the imperial seat in the Purple Tenuity Enclosure, and the Stellar Lords of the imperial seats in the Supreme Tenuity Enclosure and the Lesser Tenuity Enclosure; to the Stellar Lord of the Emperor’s natal destiny, and the stellar preceptors and stellar stewards who shine upon the imperial seat; to the Stellar Lord of the Crown Prince’s natal destiny and the stellar luminaries that shine upon the palace enclosure; and to all the awesome spirits among the official hosts of the Three Realms.

We servants are fortunate, through causal affinities from former lives, to have been born in a time when the methods of the Dao flourish. We have comprehensively arranged and collated the scriptural registers, and we vow to transmit and spread them according to the liturgical methods of the immortals; for the security of the state and the peace of the household, we wish to assist the transforming work of the Dao. Now, in accordance with the ritual order, we hold the overnight opening purification rite at the jade altar—the purification altar likened to precious stone—and, following the precious scriptures, we reverently make our petition. The sound of pendant jade is clear and harmonious; the bells and drums are solemn and in due order. We respectfully invite the Heavenly Emperor to come in person to inspect and witness; Heaven’s hearing is not far off.

We further pray that the celestial gods and perfected spirits set their commands in order and dispatch divine officials and divine generals to sweep away calamitous vapors and baleful influences, to cut off the traces of wickedness, to guard the purification altar, and to lead blessings and felicity to descend. May we servants, in our daily cultivation, though we do not proclaim it, still move and commune with the spirits and the luminous, so that the thoughts of our hearts accord with the true Dao. May the myriad phenomena display their radiance, and may light shine throughout the imperial pivot—the place of the sovereign and the central axis of the realm. May the Three Vehicles—methods of cultivation at different levels—open their profound principles, so that the hidden, subtle, and mysterious methods of the Dao may be clarified and transmitted within the precious liturgy (Keyi).

Wondrous divine teaching is vast and boundless, and the numinous light shines bright and clear. Tomorrow morning the rite of practicing the Dao will be held, and at that time we shall continue to set forth our prayers. We respectfully submit this memorial that it may be heard on high.

The Ten Recitations

Visualizing Shen (spirit) and Burning Incense (while performing the rites, one contemplates the deities and burns incense to offer a prayer)

Emissaries of the Incense Officers, Dragon and Tiger Lords of the left and right, and all the numinous officers who attend the incense: please guide me to the jasper altar where the Suqi (nocturnal announcement) was previously held—the altar ground on which the Zhaijiao (purification ritual) is performed. There, of themselves, will arise such auspicious treasures of the immortals as golden liquor, cinnabar red and jade green, and the flowering essence of the sacred mushroom, and the hundred numinous beings together with the host of the Perfected will all gather in that place.

Before the offering of incense and fire, I respectfully pray that Heaven may see into the sincerity of my heart, keep the emperor at peace, and cause the state to flourish. May immortal music sound in proper sequence, and may the immortals descend before the hall upon jasper chariots and beneath feathered canopies. May blessings gather in the capital and favor extend throughout the world. May the immortal youths and jade maidens of the ten directions come to attend. Let the smoke of orchid incense carry the sincerity I have already declared, so that this prayer may swiftly reach the presence of the Most Perfect and Limitless Great Dao (the Way), the Supreme Sages of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), and the Jade Emperor, Highest Sovereign of Vast Heaven.

Hymn for Leaving the Hall (the hymn recited when the rites have ended and one departs the hall)