《金箓斋启坛仪(杜光庭集)》

The Ritual for Opening the Altar of the Golden Register Retreat (Jinlu zhai qitan yi) is a one-juan liturgical text on the ceremony of opening the altar for the performance of the Golden Register Retreat (Jinlu zhai), an important Daoist purification ritual (zhai). It was compiled by Du Guangting of the late Tang and Five Dynasties and is included in the Orthodox Daoist Canon (Zhengtong Daozang), in the Dongxuan division of the Three Caverns, under the category of ritual protocol (weiyi). The material given consists of the title of the work, its author, and the section heading “Xushi” (Prefatory Account).

The Most High (Taishang, Daoism’s honorific title for the supreme deity) established the Simplified Texts of the Three Primordials, in order to extend compassionate deliverance far and wide, so that both the netherworld and the human world receive grace and both the living and the dead obtain benefit.

The Golden Register Retreat of the Upper Primordial (Shangyuan Jinlu Zhai, the Daoist purification rite instituted for rulers and emperors to pray for blessings and avert disaster) is a ceremony performed for the sovereign of the state, with the aim of stabilizing the country and protecting the people: above, it dispels heavenly disasters; below, it averts earthly calamities; it resists the cycles of catastrophe, brings peace and solemn stillness to mountains and rivers, subdues demons, and cleanses baleful and deviant defilement.

If the Five Planets depart from their proper courses, the Qi (vital energy) of the four seasons becomes abnormal, heaven and earth grow unsettled, comets or eclipses appear in the sun and moon, or if there occur the collapse of heaven and earthquakes, the drying up of rivers, the crumbling of mountains, floods and droughts, damage to crops by borers and locusts, the spread of epidemics, the outbreak of warfare on every side, harassment by violent forces, drowning and scorching caused by water and fire, as well as thunder in winter, snow in summer, the appearance of comets, and other such calamitous portents, then at famous mountains and grotto-abodes, ancient sites and sacred regions, one should prepare a complete set of pledges and ritual provisions, follow the canons of Daoist Keyi (liturgy), and perform the Precious Retreat of the Golden Register. The patron of the retreat should bow to Heaven and acknowledge fault, examine himself and take responsibility for his errors, yearn for the Great Dao (the Way), and pray to the deities; in this way baleful Qi may be expelled and disastrous transformations dispelled. Yet only through utmost sincerity and assiduous toil, the full exertion of mind and strength, and wholehearted offering can one move the divinities to respond.

The scriptures say that the Great Vehicle of Lingbao (the classics and teachings of the Lingbao Daoist method) universally delivers beings in heaven and in the human world, so that all receive blessing and both the living and the dead are graced. The August Script in Great Characters (the sacred talismanic writing revered in Daoism) can communicate with the gods and summon down numinous response. The precious scriptures of the Three Caverns (Dongzhen, Dongxuan, and Dongshen) and the spontaneous celestial writs are all methods by which one transcends this body and ascends into the mysterious realm. Those who cultivate these scriptures may ride dragon carriages and ascend to heaven in broad daylight; those who practice the scriptures may escape the eight difficulties, be spared every kind of suffering, and enable seven generations of ancestors to ascend to heaven; those who see the scriptures and can devote themselves to them in faith form good affinities in this life and the next. If one wishes to cultivate the retreat and practice the Dao, one should clearly observe the complete ritual norms and establish a Keyi that resonates in communion with Heaven above.

The concrete regulations of the rite are set out below.

Altar of the Golden Register

The outer altar is four zhang and five chi wide and two chi high; the middle altar is three zhang and three chi wide and two chi high; the inner altar is two zhang and four chi wide and two chi high. The three-tiered square altar has a total height of six chi, taking as its model the number of Kun (the yin number symbolizing Earth).

The principal altar is opened with ten gates and uses 12 long zuan (bamboo or wooden boundary markers set around the altar ground) and 8 short zuan; the middle altar uses 18 long zuan and 8 short zuan. A further 8 Bagua (Eight Trigrams) zuan are placed outside the altar at the four corners and the four cardinal directions. In all, 38 long zuan are used, each 1 zhang long and buried 9 chi in the ground, together with 30 short zuan, each 7 chi long and buried 6 chi in the ground. The three altars together use 68 zuan, each with a circumference of 8 cun.

The long zuan are dyed black and white respectively, each with five colored bands; each short zuan has three. Making the zuan requires 2 sticks of ink: ink is applied first, then lacquer, calling for 10 jin of lacquer and 150 bundles of miscanthus grass, which are tied into bundles and fixed in place. One hundred sheets of fine and coarse paper are wrapped around the bases of the bamboo, and the bamboo is then coated with ink and lacquer to form the zuan. Where bamboo is unavailable, wood may be used instead, with a diameter of 7 cun. On the long zuan, vermilion lacquer and black lacquer are each applied in five places; on the short zuan, each is applied in three places. The heads of the zuan are carved in the shapes of lotuses, lions, dragons, cranes, and other sacred beasts, and decorated with five-color painting.

A crimson rope 75 zhang, 4 chi, 7 cun, and 7 fen long is used to bind the bamboo zuan in two layers around the altar, without blocking the altar gates. Twenty-two placards are prepared, each 3 cun 2 fen wide and 7 cun 4 fen long. With 142 nails 2 cun long, the placards are fastened to zuan of copper, iron, or bamboo, according to the material chosen at the time. Another 22 nails, 3 cun long, are used to nail the placards to the gate eaves and at the sealed zuan.

The Hai position (northwest) is the Gate of Heaven, written in ink on a blue-green placard; the Si position (southeast) is the Door of Earth, written in red characters on a yellow placard; the Yin position (northeast) is the Gate of the Sun, written in blue-green characters on a vermilion placard; the Shen position (southwest) is the Gate of the Moon, written in white characters on a black placard.

These four gates are set on the outer altar.

In the east is set the “Qinghua Yuanyang Gate,” written in cinnabar on a blue-green placard; in the south, the “Dongyang Taiguang Gate,” written in yellow ink on a red placard; in the west, the “Tongyin Jinque Gate,” written in black ink on a white placard; and in the north, the “Yinsheng Guangling Gate,” written in blue-green ink on a black placard.

In the northeast is set the “Tongling Jinshang Gate,” in the southeast the “Shiyang Shengyuan Gate,” in the southwest the “Yuanhuang Gaochen Gate,” and in the northwest the “Jiuxian Fanxing Gate.” All four are written in white ink on yellow placards.

Above is set the “Daluo Feifan Gate,” written in blue-green ink on a black placard and placed at the Hai position; below, the “Jiuling Huangzhen Gate,” written in yellow ink on a red placard and placed at the Si position. The placard texts of these ten gates are installed at the inner altar (the altar within the ritual space).

In addition, placard texts are set at each of the positions of the Bagua (Eight Trigrams). The Zhen palace (east) corresponds to the “Qi (vital energy) of Dongqing,” written in blue-green ink on a yellow placard and placed at the Mao position; the Li palace (south) corresponds to the “Qi of Dongyang,” written in cinnabar on a white placard and placed at the Wu position; the Dui palace (west) corresponds to the “Qi of Shaoyin,” written in white ink on a blue-green placard and placed at the You position; and the Kan palace (north) corresponds to the “Qi of Dongyin,” written in black ink on a red placard and placed at the Zi position.

The Xun palace (southeast) corresponds to the “Qi of Fanxing,” the Kun palace (southwest) to the “Qi of Fanyang,” the Qian palace (northwest) to the “Qi of Fantong,” and the Gen palace (northeast) to the “Qi of Fanyuan.” All four directions are written in yellow ink on black placards and are placed respectively at their own directional corners.

The placard texts of the Eight Trigrams above are installed at the various directional positions marked out on the main altar (the principal altar at which the Keyi (liturgy) is performed). Together with the placard texts of the ten gates mentioned earlier, they come to twenty-two placards in all.

In the original text, the passage concerning the “Daluo Feifan Gate,” the “Jiuling Huangzhen Gate,” and “the ten gates to the right” is repeated; this is presumably a duplication produced in manuscript transmission or printing. The reading here is arranged according to the later statement that the total is twenty-two placards.

Also prepare two liang of cinnabar and three sheng of red earth, to be used for dyeing miscanthus grass; one and a half liang of malachite green, ten liang of white lead powder, one liang of minium (yellow lead), three cakes of ink, five ge of lacquer, and five writing brushes. In the outer altar, lay sixteen mats, each four chi square; the clean quilts and felt cushions required are to be supplied by the sponsor of the zhai altar. In the middle altar, lay twelve mats, each five chi square; the clean felt cushions and quilts are likewise to be supplied by the sponsor. Narrow, elongated banquet mats should also be prepared and laid in a continuous circuit around the entire outer perimeter of the altar ground.

At the center within the altar, install a high seat for the offering of the scriptures (Jing). Beside the high seat place one more table, and set out incense and fire on its southern side. Prepare five further tables, to be placed respectively at the four sides of the altar ground, at the four gates, and at the center. Inside the scripture hall, place three additional tables, furnished with three sets of incense burners and incense implements.

Also prepare five sheets of blue-green paper, and with cinnabar write on them the True Writs of the Five Directions (Daoist talismanic writings representing the five directions of east, south, west, north, and the center), placing one on each of the five tables. The text of the True Writs is given in the upper juan of the Jade Instructions (Yujue). Secure the True Writs of the Five Directions by pressing them down with five golden dragons. Prepare five incense burners and five incense boxes, and set them at the front of the tables. In all, the altar requires seven tables, together with seven sets of incense burners and incense boxes. Also prepare five lacquered boxes to hold the patterned silks of the Five Directions (silk fabrics bearing the corresponding patterns), and place them beneath the incense tables of the five directions. Set up one further table, and place the patterned silk of the zhai patron’s natal destiny (the silk fabric symbolizing the birth date and destined affiliation of the sponsor of the rite) on the left side in front of the Seat of the Three Treasures (the seat for offering the Three Treasures of the Dao (the Way), the scriptures, and the masters).

Method of Lighting the Lamps

In spring, light nine lamps, or alternatively ninety or nine hundred; in summer, light three lamps, or alternatively thirty or three hundred; in autumn, light seven lamps, or alternatively seventy or seven hundred; in winter, light five lamps, or alternatively fifty or five hundred. In a “level month” (a designation of the month; the original text does not further specify what it refers to), light twelve lamps, or alternatively one hundred twenty or one thousand two hundred.

The lamps discussed above are to be set out as prescribed in the Jing (scripture/classic). In the past, however, when the tradition was handed down from master to disciple, nine further groups of lamps were arranged according to the directions, four lamps in each group, thirty-six in all, and placed outside the altar. Nowadays one should follow the Jing, and make suitable arrangements in light of the participants’ high or low station and the season in which the ritual is held.

A tall lamp must also be set up. Its post, one zhang and nine chi in length, stands upon the ground; nine lamps are lit upon the post, and it is placed in the inner altar. Near the seat of the Three Treasures (the seats at which Dao (the Way), the Jing, and the Master are honored), six further lamps are set out and arranged outside the altar. Nowadays one should follow the Jing, and make suitable arrangements in light of the participants’ high or low station and the season in which the ritual is held.

A tall lamp must also be set up. Its post, one zhang and nine chi in length, stands upon the ground; nine lamps are lit upon the post, and it is placed in the inner altar, close to the northwest of the seat of the Three Treasures, so as to illuminate the Bureau of Eternal Night in the Ninefold Darkness (the depths of the underworld).

In addition, one hundred and fifty-six lamps are placed in the central courtyard, and each night seven candles must also be lit.

For any ritual held to dispel calamity and relieve adversity, patterned silks of the five colors (silk fabrics bearing decorative patterns) are used. For the Son of Heaven these are reckoned by the bolt; for the princes and dukes, by the zhang; for the common people, by the chi. To the east, nine portions of blue-green patterned silk are used; to the south, three portions of deep red; to the west, seven portions of white; to the north, five portions of black; and in the center, twelve portions of yellow. Dukes and marquises use the color associated with their benming (natal destiny), with one zhang added for each year of age.

On the benming day (the day whose stem-and-branch designation corresponds to the year of birth), the Son of Heaven must also use purple patterned silk, one bolt each year; the feudal lords use purple patterned silk, one zhang each year; and the common people use plain silk, one chi each year. Cash is prepared according to the color associated with the benming. The original text then repeats the regulation for the purple patterned silk used on the benming day: one bolt a year for the Son of Heaven, one zhang a year for the feudal lords, and one chi a year for the common people. The cash is twenty-four thousand, or twelve thousand, or two thousand four hundred; the rice is twelve hu, or two shi and four dou; and the oil is one hundred and twenty jin, or twelve jin.

Five golden dragons must also be prepared, each weighing one liang. The Son of Heaven uses gold of the highest grade, the princes and dukes gold of the second grade, and the common people gold of the lowest grade. When the ritual is concluded, the golden dragons are cast into the mountains or into the water.

The number of persons for holding a ritual assembly is fixed, according to the Taizhen Yi, as follows: the Son of Heaven uses twenty-eight persons, the princes and dukes use sixteen, and commoners use fourteen. This is so prescribed because those who truly possess a mind of the Dao (the Way) are few and can hardly bear the responsibility of cultivating blessings and De (Virtue/Power); if those who diligently cultivate the Dao are many, arrangements should still be made with discretion according to noble or humble status.

If fourteen persons hold a ritual assembly of three days, one must prepare four sheng of blended incense, three hundred pellets of fragrant charcoal, and three sheng of freshly colored five-colored flowers, placed in a box; after the recitation of the Jing (scripture/classic) and the chanting are finished, the flowers are scattered. One must also prepare four hand towels, hung in front of the purification hall; prepare fragrant hot water, one hu for each person, with two bath towels hung in front of the chambers. The latrine must be kept clean and tightly screened, and must not be left open and exposed. After the purification rite ends, a memorial must be written on five chi of yellow silk.

As for the number of days of the ritual assembly, the scriptures say: nine days in spring, seven days in autumn, three days in summer, and five days in winter; and twelve days at the alternation of the four seasons. Another view holds that the number of days may be arranged at people’s discretion according to circumstances; yet even if it is held for only three days and three nights, the entreaty must still be made with a sincere and earnest heart. The scriptural text again lists the rule of nine days in spring, seven days in autumn, three days in summer, five days in winter, and twelve days on the days of the four seasons, and says that the specific arrangements should be weighed according to circumstances and carried out according to one’s capacity. After the purification rite ends, the casting of dragons, the distribution of ritual objects, and the other rites must be carried out in accordance with the scriptural text.

The above are the articles and procedures required for the rite. If anything is lacking, one should consult the relevant scriptures; matters for which there are clear regulations must not be lightly omitted.

When the purification period has reached its term, one proceeds according to the rite prescribed separately. After the purification rite ends, the True Writs (documents used in Daoist ritual) are burned. Three days later, only when the memorial has been presented with obeisance and thanks have been fully offered are the placards taken down and the altar ground dismantled. The entire rite comes to an end at this point.

Suqi Yi (the invocation rite held on the night before the purification retreat)

When the installation and arrangement are complete, everyone takes position in order according to the nobility or humility of status. All bathe and perfume themselves with incense beforehand, change into clean ritual robes (Daoist ceremonial clothing), and select footwear and seats upon the altar that accord with the liturgical rules. Every arrangement must be carried out according to regulation. The assembly lines up before the Mysterious Master (the revered deity or ritual master invoked in Daoist ceremony), declares office and rank item by item, and each undertakes the affairs for which they are responsible.

The chief cantor (the person who presides over the rite of scripture recitation) sounds the chime to inform the assembly, and within and without the altar all at once fall into solemn silence. The patron of the purification presents the wording of the prayer: sometimes a high minister entreats on behalf of the state, sometimes the sovereign issues a command; in every case a representative performs the obeisance on their behalf. The ministers and officials seal the wording in a case and present it; after the ritual master receives the wording, he declares it to the divinities. The procedures are all carried out according to the ordinary rite.

One then recites the Hymn of the Three Refuges, then recites the Huaxia Zan, then recites the Hymn Inviting the Three Masters, and afterward circumambulates to the Earth Door restricted altar (the area within the altar ground where a ritual boundary has been established).

Next, recite the incantation for entering the sanctuary. Next, ascend to the Heavenly Gate of the central altar. Next, offer incense to the five directions: by day, begin with the east; by night, begin with the north. Next, offer incense at the sovereign’s altar table. Next, recite the secret incantation for offering incense. Next, offer incense toward one’s own ritual station. Next, pay homage in due order to the venerable masters and, following the ritual method, visualize the masters as they manifest. The specific procedure accords with the Lingbao Ritual. Next, strike the ritual drum twenty-four times, continuing as far as the Earth Door, and impose ritual prohibitions upon the altar ground.

Next, recite the incantation for entering the sanctuary once more. Next, ascend to the Heavenly Gate of the central altar. Next, offer incense to the five directions: by day, begin with the east; by night, begin with the north. Next, offer incense at the sovereign’s altar table. Next, recite the secret incantation for offering incense. Next, offer incense toward one’s own ritual station. Next, pay homage in due order to the venerable masters and, following the ritual method, visualize the masters as they manifest. The specific procedure accords with the Lingbao Ritual. Next, strike the ritual drum twenty-four times.

Next, perform the Dispatching of the Censer—the rite in which incense is burned and the deities are invited to descend. Each person announces his or her own ritual office, that is, the title or identity held in the Daoist rite. After their offices have been declared, they carry out the service of the Golden Register Great Retreat. We, your servants So-and-so and the others, on this day expressly burn incense and reverently perform the purification rite, offering prayers for the altars of soil and grain—the state—for the ancestral temples and forebears, the former sage emperors, the empress, the crown prince, the princes and princesses, officials within and beyond the court, the common people of the realm, and all birds, beasts, and minute living creatures. May all return to their own persons, return to the divinities, and return to the source of life, and turn toward the Unsurpassed Most High Celestial Worthy of Lingbao of the Ten Directions without Limit, the supreme deity venerated in Daoism.

We pray universally that heaven and earth be clear and at peace, that the sun and moon move true in their courses and shine bright, that all lands live in harmony, that all beings enjoy health and ease, that the Ninefold Darkness—the depths of the underworld—be brought to rest, and that the gloom of the long night receive light. May we ourselves attain the Dao (the Way) and realize perfection, transcend the Three Realms, and roam at ease in the Unsurpassed Golden Portal and the Purple Tenuity Palace of the Seven Treasures, the celestial palaces of the immortals spoken of in Daoism, forever united with the Dao. For the aspirations set forth above, we pray for a subtle and mysterious response, and that they be conveyed upward before the throne, into the presence of the Most Perfect and Limitless Great Dao.

Next, pay reverence to the ten directions, beginning with the north. Next, kneel at length and make confession.

We, the assembly, with utmost sincerity take refuge in our own persons, in the deities, and in our nature and life, and take refuge in the Most High Heavenly Worthy of Numinous Treasure, boundless and limitless throughout the ten directions. Now we set up an altar and perform the purification rite, offering worship and repentance, so as to confess and remove the transgressions of the honored spirits in the ancestral temple.

The reigning emperor, the empress, the crown prince, the princes and princesses, and the civil and military officials have, from the remote and beginningless kalpa-ages down to this day, produced by body, mind, and mouth karmic deeds beyond measure and without bound. Now, in the first watch of the night, we ascend the altar to perform the purification rite, worship, and repent, and we earnestly beg that every transgression, whether great or small, be washed away together.

We pray that the ancestral temple remain at peace and the imperial foundation endure; that His Majesty enjoy a myriad years of life and all under Heaven be tranquil; and that everyone beneath the sky enter a state of long life and peaceful joy. May both the netherworld and the human world receive blessings, and may all living beings be touched by grace. May the three karmas of body, mouth, and mind be pure and at peace, and the six modes of sensory consciousness—the perceptions and discriminations of eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind—be settled and still. May all beings together ascend to the realm of blessing and joy, and together accord with the truth of the Great Dao (the Way).

The assembly, with utmost sincerity, prostrates to the Correct and True Three Treasures (the Dao, the Jing [scripture/classic], and the Master).

They then recite the hymn of invocation and praise three times, and again perform the three salutations.

Thereupon the assembly circumambulates, reciting the True Writs of the Five Directions—the Daoist prayers corresponding to east, south, west, north, and center—beginning in the east and continuing through to the center, then returning to their original places. Incense is offered; the ritual titles are again announced and reported, and the corresponding True Writs are proclaimed. If the rite celebrates the Imperial Birthday, the first section is recited; if it answers disastrous anomalies of the stars and constellations, the second section; if it concerns hauntings by ghosts and spirits, illness, and pestilence, the third section; if it concerns floods and incessant torrential rain, the fourth section. The ceremony follows the procedure for announcing the purification laid down in the Jade Instructions (Yujue). Up to this point only the True Writs are recited, and the general incantation is not yet chanted; the general incantation is reserved for the dispersal of the altar, when the officials join the assembly and recite the incantation aloud together.

Eastern True Writ

In the east are nine Qi (vital energy)—the nine kinds of Qi that constitute the heavens of the east—the place where the Azure Heaven begins. Amid the jade-green clouds and roseate mists is Yulei, and in their midst stands an elder. He has overall charge of the charts, documents, and registers, commands the primordial Qi, and enables people to raise the body and become immortals.

Southern True Writ

The south is the Cinnabar Heaven, where the Red Emperor dwells in the Jade Hall. There a great deity is called the Red Sovereign. Above, fierce flames rise and smoky vapors stream; the three Qi—the three kinds of vital energy that constitute the heavens of this direction—burst forth in light. The divine immortals receive their mandate from Heaven, accord with the turning of the age, and correspond with the Qi of the sun.

Western True Writ

The West is the Pure Heaven, and the White Emperor has charge of its seven celestial gates. The light of the Metal Spirit shines brightly, and harmonious Qi (vital energy) spreads across the region of Mount Taihua. White stones rise high, wreathed by the seven primordial Qi—the Qi of heaven and earth, as spoken of in Daoism. There dwells the great deity, the Sovereign Elder of First Birth, who holds overall command of the Qi of the lungs, takes charge of surveying the Nine Heavens, examines and verifies the charts, registers, and name-lists, and dispatches and summons the superior immortals.

Northern True Writ

The North is the Mysterious Heaven, where five kinds of primordial Qi move back and forth. Present there are the Black Emperor and the Twin Sovereigns of Taiwei. The Black Emperor holds overall command of the talismanic mandates and refines and nourishes the immortal spirits and the Eight Awes—the awe-inspiring spiritual Qi spoken of in Daoism. The spirits in his service wear blue-green skirts, with feathered ornament and robes patterned with the guolong and the phoenix. Summoned and promoted by command of the Supreme Thearch, they may proceed to the jade steps.

Central True Writ

The Center governs the myriad spirits and is the seat of the Sovereign of the Celestial Origin. The Five Elders came forth at the beginning, and the Exalted Worthy of Central Yellow dwells among them. The spirits of the Center command the primordial Qi and watch over the perfected spirits, preside over all living beings, have charge of the mysterious charts and registers and of the name-rolls entered in advance in the jade writs, and set the primordial Qi in motion and assist it. Summoned and promoted by command of the Supreme Thearch, they may proceed to the jade steps.

Central True Writ

The Center governs the myriad spirits and is the seat of the Sovereign of the Celestial Origin. The Five Elders came forth at the beginning, and the Exalted Worthy of Central Yellow dwells among them. The spirits of the Center command the primordial Qi and watch over the perfected spirits, preside over all living beings, have charge of the mysterious charts and registers and of the jade-writ name-rolls, and set the primordial Qi in motion and assist it, making this known to all the myriad spirits.

Declaring the Ritual Office Anew

The gaogong—the Daoist priest who presides over the rites of Zhaijiao (purification ritual)—declares his ritual office and carries out the service of the great Golden Register assembly. Master So-and-so of Such-and-such Marchmount, Perfected So-and-so of Such-and-such Thearch, your servant So-and-so and others, carefully and solemnly submit a memorial of address to the Supreme Limitless Great Dao (the Way), the Supreme Lord of the Great Dao, the Supreme Lord Lao, the Unsurpassed Mysterious Elder and the Numinous Treasure Heavenly Worthies of the Ten Directions, the host of great sages who have already attained the Dao, the lords and elders of utmost perfection, the venerable Jing (scriptures) in thirty-six sections, the Great Ritual Master within the Mystery, the Lord Celestial Master (Tianshi), the Senior Minister and the Senior Steward, the Four Bureaus and the Five Thearchs, the officials of the Three Realms, and all perfected spirits.

Your servants have heard that the Great Dao manifests its light, that the Three Vehicles—the different levels of cultivation spoken of in Daoism—turn and transform, and that the highest sages send down their teaching. The Three Registers—the system of ritual registers in Daoist Zhaijiao—set forth precepts and liturgical rules, so as to assist the world, give peace to the people, save the age and carry out the teaching, preserve and settle the realm, and uphold the sovereign. Whenever a prayer is set forth with a sincere heart, it ought by right to be submitted in memorial. Now that the intent of the petition is being carried out, how dare one fail to lay it before the hearing of Heaven?

The text of the prayer is then read aloud.

The emperor has long enjoyed the protection of spirits and deities. Meeting an age of prosperity, he received the Mandate of Heaven and ascended the throne, inheriting the sagely tradition in the governance of the realm, and he hopes to promote the profound style of the Dao (the Way) so that the people may live in peace. Yet he still worries that the people have not been fully settled and that the teaching of De (Virtue/Power) has not been adequately carried out; at times rewards and punishments are not fitting, and penal law loses its proper measure; at times the operation of Yin-Yang falls out of order, and the climate of the four seasons is likewise unharmonious. For this reason, we ministers exhaust our sincere hearts and pray upward for a response from the divinities.

We hold that between Heaven and Earth there are divinities who preside over creation and transformation, and true spirits and numinous officials who govern the Three Realms (heaven, earth, humanity, and the order of their deities). The divine clerks of the various celestial offices record good deeds and expose evil deeds, judge offenses and register merit; whether in the unseen world or the human world, nothing is omitted. Matters great and small are reported one by one in documents and submitted to the Mysterious Capital (the celestial realm where the revered deities of Daoism reside). The Celestial Worthy compassionately examines and extends protection, and the host of sages bestows bright and manifest grace. Prayer is like a shadow following form and an echo answering a sound: where there is stimulus, there is sure to be a response.

Therefore we ministers reverently establish the altar and carefully perform the purification rite, settling mind and Shen (spirit), cleansing away stray thoughts, and transforming conduct and disposition. In accordance with the Shangyuan Jinlu Jianwen Mingzhen Kepin—a Keyi (liturgy) text concerning the Upper Prime Golden Register purification rite—at such-and-such place and such-and-such abbey, by command of the emperor and according to the established ritual norms, we set up the imperial altar. The surroundings of the altar correspond to the eight directions of heaven and earth and are arranged according to celestial patterns and the configuration of the land. We unroll the Nine-Radiance Precious Store (the precious Jing [scripture/classic] of Daoist liturgy), set forth and display the true writs, and invite the true deities to descend, so as to pray for what is wished.

We ministers respectfully prepare golden dragons, jade discs, painted life-silks (colored silk used in the offering rite), oil lamps, candles, incense, and fresh flowers, all furnished according to regulation. Burning incense, we carry out the rite of the Way and pour forth our sincerity; lighting lamps, we sustain the brightness and illuminate places of darkness. Respectfully following the method of the purification rite, we first present this memorial.

We earnestly invite the Three Venerables of the Most High, the host of sages of the ten directions, the Unsurpassed Treasures of the Jing, the Great Ritual Master within the Mystery, the Perfected of Lingbao, and the officials of the Three Realms to descend, inspect, and review the matters we set forth. We earnestly request that an edict command the various offices of inspection, the awesome spirits who protect and uphold the scriptures, and the true officials of the soil to unite in heart and effort, jointly guarding the altar, sweeping away defilement within and without, and rendering the altar pure; subduing demons and destroying evil influences. May our minds and Shen be settled, our thoughts and wishes able to communicate in response, the memorial smoothly ascend, and the merit of the purification rite be brought to completion, free of obstruction.

Although we ministers uphold the Way of the Utmost True and take part in cultivating the Great Dao, we dwell amid the Five Turbidities (in Buddhist and Daoist texts, the defiled conditions of the worldly realm), and our conduct is still stained by the Six Dusts (external realms that stir mind and spirit). The cultivation of body and mind is not yet harmonized, and the six kinds of affective consciousness have not yet been gathered in. We therefore rely on prohibitions and precepts to restrain body and mind and, carefully following the purification liturgy, proclaim the precepts and ritual norms, so that all who jointly take part in the rite observe the teachings of rule and measure. At dawn tomorrow we shall again, according to the method, continue the rite of the Way and present a further memorial. This we respectfully submit.

Next, three hymns of wisdom are chanted, and the assembly processes around to the east, offering one bow for each hymn.

Next, the verse “Each person prostrates, casting head and body to the ground” is chanted, and reverence is paid in mind to the ten directions—the four sides, the four corners, and above and below—with one bow toward each direction, beginning from the north.

Next, “Salutation at the feet” is proclaimed. The assembled officials rise and then kneel in proper posture, after which the ritual regulations to be observed when receiving the precepts are explained.

Next, the precepts are proclaimed.

Next, the twelve vows are made.

Next, the incense burner is set in place once more.

The above is the sequence of ritual procedures in the Jinlu zhai qitan yi (Ritual for Opening the Altar of the Golden Register Retreat).