《金箓早午晚朝仪》

When the rites are performed, each ritual master preserves Shen (spirit) and visualizes in accordance with the prescribed liturgy.

Golden true Qi (vital energy) and blue-green rosy radiance shine together across the Three Realms. Auspicious clouds soar above the cinnabar empyrean, and the host of celestial gods arrives riding in carriages. At dawn, as heaven’s light first appears, all darkness is wholly dispelled. Nine kinds of numinous light shake the vast sky, and the five planets course and revolve. The myriad immortals respond and come; the wondrous realm is of itself mysterious and remote. Profound, formless shadows disperse and manifest as hundreds and thousands of bodies. The Mysterious Pearl sends forth its brilliance, and auspicious signs descend upon the altar. Good fortune is welcomed and blessings and celebrations gather, as body and mind are washed and refined with the Golden Liquid. The Demon Kings likewise reverently comply, joining with the radiance of the sun and moon, and return to the upper, middle, and lower three Dantian (energy centers), the three sites within the human body for refining Qi and preserving Shen.

The ritual drum is struck twenty-four times.

The Most High Lord Lao of the Mysterious Primordial Beginning Qi of the Unsurpassed Three Heavens summons forth from this minister’s person the Three-Five Merit Officers (divine clerks who transmit documents), the official messengers of the left and right, the golden lads of the left and right who bear incense, the jade maidens who convey words and scatter flowers, together with the talisman officers on duty of the Five Emperors and the incense officials assigned to the day, thirty-six of each, to step forward. Those who step forward must be properly dressed and solemnly attired, wearing caps and bound sashes, with tassels and hanging ornaments. They announce to the earth god of the Mysterious Altar and the deities of this place: This minister now, in the morning, ascends the altar to practice the Dao (the Way), pays court to the Imperial Perfected, and reverently performs the ritual. All that is sincerely wished has been written in detail into documents, sealed, and submitted in memorial. May the Most High Utmost True Dao-Qi and the auspicious light of the Numinous Treasure descend and flow into our bodies, so that the sincerity of what I memorialize may swiftly reach the very presence of the Utmost True Limitless Great Dao, the Upper Saints of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), and the Jade Emperor, Most Venerable Sovereign of the Golden Portal of Vast Heaven.

Please announce the ritual office of the one performing the rites.

I, your servant So-and-so, stationed at the altar, together with the officials and all who take part in the rites of the ritual altar, respectfully announce with sincere hearts to the Dao (the Way) of empty void and natural spontaneity, utmost true and without limit; to the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning of the Grand Veil in the Holy Realm of Jade Clarity, the Supreme Lord of the Dao, and the Most High Lord Lao; to the Jade Emperor, Most Venerable of Vast Heaven, the Celestial Emperor of the Upper Palace of Purple Tenuity, the Great Emperor of the Northern Pole in the Central Palace of Purple Tenuity, and the Sovereign Earth Goddess, Empress of the Soil; to the senior Perfected Lords of the Numinous Treasure upon the seven-jeweled tiered terraces of the Jade Capital of the Mysterious Metropolis and in the Upper Palace of Purple Tenuity; to the all-embracing holy hosts of the heavens of the Golden Portal; to the Senior Minister, the Senior Steward, the Senior Guardian, the Senior Tutor, the Junior Guardian, the Junior Tutor, the Four Masters, the Five Emperors, the Twelve Immortal Ministers, the Venerable Jing (scriptures/classics) of the Thirty-Six Departments, the Great Ritual Master of the Mysterious Center, and the Great Ritual Masters of the Three Heavens; to the palaces of the sun, moon, and stars, the Bureau of the Dipper, the constellations that circle the heavens, and the stellar deities of the Silver River; to the natal-star lords of the emperor and the crown prince, the deities of the Five Sacrifices of the inner court, the officials who preside over them, and all the true spirits of the Three Realms. We respectfully pray that all of you will greatly extend compassion and look down to examine and bear witness.

We, your servants, have heard that the Nine Heavens above broadly bestow protection: though they do not speak, they answer the people of the world with good will. The Three Luminaries—sun, moon, and stars—send down compassion, showing that where sincere hearts enter into resonance, prayers receive a response. For this reason the sages of old established a grand exemplar and also set down in writing the regulations of the purification rites. We servants are persons of little account, yet we have been fortunate to take refuge in the true Dao. We never expected that, with only mediocre and shallow endowments, we should receive the emperor’s grace. Clad in Daoist robes and wearing star-crowns, we have many times received instruction at the master’s altar; we have been granted the methods of the elixir, bound by covenant in transmission and ordination, and have joined in studying the secret scriptures of the cavern chambers. We have vowed to pray for blessings and establish merit for the state, to ward off calamity and protect the people.

We deeply fear that our learning is insufficient and our attainment in the Dao shallow, and that in carrying out the teachings and precepts we may fall into fault. Yet the sun and moon look down upon us, and sacred favor descends in great abundance. We have not yet made the slightest contribution in return for a grace like that of Heaven and Earth, which cover and uphold all things; therefore worry and awe ever fill our hearts—how could we dare forget to fulfill our charge with reverence? Now we carefully present the intent of this petition, hoping that the prayer may achieve sympathetic response. The heart of the purification fast is already single and pure, and the announcement has been read aloud. We hope that our sincerity will ascend to the myriad saints and that our voices will spread through the ten directions. We earnestly beg the saints to examine what we have set forth and to bring our great vow to fulfillment.

The form of the Dao is dark, deep, and hard to fathom, honored beyond the Three Realms. The subtlety of the Dao is hidden and minute; it transforms and nourishes the myriad things while ever abiding in stillness. Precisely for this reason it opens Heaven and Earth and brings forth Yin-Yang; it has long endured from antiquity and also settles later ages in peace. Whenever the heart of the fast is sincere and reverent, resonance can be attained, and the response of the true spirits follows no fixed pattern.

This morning we perform the rite of practicing the Dao, and we ask the ritual assembly present to join in offering the first stick of incense. May the smoke of the incense rise and ascend, going directly to make offering to the Treasure of the Dao, utmost true and supreme—the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning of the Grand Veil, the Jade Emperor, Most Venerable of the Golden Portal, and all the supreme saints of the unsurpassed Grand Veil. We, your servants, take refuge with body, Shen (spirit), and nature and life, casting our five limbs to the ground, and we look up in reliance upon the Three Venerables of the Most High and the saints of the ten directions. By the merit of this stick of incense we offer prayers for His Majesty the Emperor: may His Majesty’s life be long, firm as the Southern Mountains, forever preserving the Mandate of Heaven; may he ever occupy the supreme station of the Northern Pole, sharing honor with the Three Venerables of the Most High and the saints of the ten directions, and enduring together with the Dao.

May the Three Numina protect and assist, so that the fortune of the dynasty continues through the generations; may the four seas be at peace, and may the institutions of all under Heaven be unified, all alike receiving moral instruction. May no worthy talent among the people remain buried in obscurity, and may the court obtain worthy ministers such as the Duke of Zhou and the Duke of Shao. May the people recover the customs of filial piety, fraternal deference, and loving kindness, and may the world enjoy a peaceful governance like that of the sage-kings of high antiquity. May warfare cease and the harvests be abundant; wherever decrees and moral instruction reach, the spirits of Heaven and the common people will alike rejoice in peace.

Now, as incense is burned, we your servants once again take refuge in our master and in all the great saints. May we, by the De (Virtue/Power) of the utmost truth, after attaining success in cultivating the Dao, preserve the Mandate of Heaven so that it long endures, and unite our own persons with the Great Dao.

The sun rises in the east, and cultivators of the Dao (the Way) attend upon those above with reverent hearts. Radiant and resplendent, they seem to mount the sunlight and ascend; whether in the obscure darkness or in the manifest realm, all are illumined in the morning ritual. The morning court service is now held, and we ascend the altar to practice the Dao. May all who take part each burn two sticks of incense, wishing that the incense smoke rise into the air and reach the upper realm, to make offering to the supreme and unsurpassed treasure of the Jing (scripture/classic), the Celestial Worthy of Numinous Treasure of the Jade Empyrean, the Celestial Emperor of the Purple Tenuity, and the perfected immortals and sacred hosts of the Yuyu Heavenly Palace.

With body, mind, and nature and life, we take refuge in the Three Supreme Worthies of the Most High (the three deities venerated in Daoism), the holy assembly of the ten directions, and the supreme and unsurpassed treasure of the Jing, the Celestial Worthy of Numinous Treasure of the Jade Empyrean, the Celestial Emperor of the Purple Tenuity, and the perfected immortals and sacred hosts of the Yuyu Heavenly Palace. May the merit of burning incense be respectfully offered in prayer for His Highness the Crown Prince: may His Highness be endowed with innate intelligence, and may his humane De (Virtue/Power) and his longevity increase day by day; in the Eastern Palace (the residence of the crown prince), may all things flourish as in spring, and may the people of the four seas sing with joy and come to pay court; within the Forbidden City, may there be purity, peace, and calm, the sun, moon, and stars shining, and His Highness’s dwelling secure. May worthy ministers be many at his side, and may the imperial house and the feudal domains grow ever more harmonious.

Therefore we burn incense and take refuge in the Master and the great sages. May we, by supremely true De, after cultivating the Dao and attaining the Dao, long abide in heaven and unite with the Dao in perfected truth (becoming one with the Great Dao).

The sky at dawn is clear and bright, just suited to expressing reverence toward Heaven. Morning light illuminates the ranks assembled for the court rite, and sunlight also brightens the Moon Hall. It is now early morning, and the ceremony of ascending the altar to practice the Dao (the Way) is held. All those present are asked each to offer incense three times. May this incense smoke rise into the heights and ascend directly, presented in offering to the Unsurpassed Supreme Perfect Master-Treasure, the Celestial Worthy, Mysterious Elder of the Five Numina, to the Great Emperor of Purple Tenuity and the Northern Pole, to the August Earth Spirit of Empress Earth, and to the boundless sacred host of the Grand Scarlet Heavenly Palace.

With body, Shen (spirit), and nature and life we take refuge, bowing low in prostration and relying upon the Three Venerables of the Most High and the sages of the ten directions. May the merit of this incense be dedicated to the ancestral spirits of the seven temples and the successive sages and worthies honored in the ancestral shrine. We respectfully wish that they may ride the dharma-carriage of the Nine Clarities (the sacred conveyance which, in Daoism, is said to be ridden by immortals and perfected beings), advance to the station of the Vacuous Sovereign, ascend to the Wondrous Court of Great Existence, and settle their spirits in the realm of the True.

May blessings endure for ten thousand generations and protect the descendants of the clan. Now, for this reason, we burn incense and of our own will take refuge in the Venerable Master and all the great sages. May everyone receive the De (Virtue/Power) of the Supreme Perfect; after attaining the Dao, may they ascend into the formless realm, become one with the Dao, and return to the realm of the True.

Worship of the Quarters: Homage is paid to the four directions.

Confession: Faults are stated, and their remission is prayed for.

Three Invitations: The divinities are invited to descend three times.

Three Salutations: Worship is performed three times.

Renewed Proclamation of Ritual Rank: The ritual master’s name and rank are proclaimed once more.

The named servant, So-and-so, together with all who take part in the rite at the altar, with hearts of sincere reverence respectfully announces to the Supreme Worthies of the Three Realms, the host of sages of the ten directions, the Celestial Emperors and Celestial Perfected of the Jade Capital and Golden Towers, the multitudes of the Perfected among the sun, moon, stars, and Dipper, the venerable masters and holy assemblies of the ten directions, the officers of the Three Realms, and every deity whose image is enshrined and honored upon the altar of the Zhaijiao (purification ritual).

We, your servants, have heard that the Dao (the Way) can assist the myriad immortals, rendering their spiritual illumination graceful and refined and bringing them into wondrous accord with realms profound, dark, and subtle; and that if a person performs even a single good deed, good fortune is thereby evoked, good conduct and blessed recompense answering one another as the shadow follows the form. The teaching and transformation of the Great Dao stand luminously clear, and the spirits’ discernment is vast without limit. Where there is resonance, communion follows; where there is a prayer, there is none that fails to meet with a response.

We, your servants, bow our heads and examine the aspirations we have long held, looking up to receive the protection of the power of the Dao. May it be as the sun shining upon the Ruo tree, driving off the gloom of the morning court assembly; may the offering of pine flowers be brought to completion, so that fragrance drifts from the altar of the rite. Earnestly we sacrifice to the supreme sages and carefully express the reverence within our hearts; we take our places in ranks before the steps of the Imperial Lords and, following the immortals’ Keyi (liturgy), perform a solemn ceremony.

Yet the three karmic activities of body, speech, and mind, together with every kind of worldly desire, have not yet washed clean the faults of successive lives; even as we look up to the sages of the Nine Blossoms and the Ten Extremities, we can only gaze upon the radiance of the holy assembly. We earnestly beg the holy ones to pardon our faults and to let grace spread far and wide. First we pray that the state may long remain secure and the sovereign’s sacred lifespan endure; that all under Heaven may praise a court possessed of the Dao, and that the people of the four seas may peacefully enjoy a governance of clarity, stillness, and Wuwei (non-action). We wish that warfare may cease and the five grains be abundant; we pray further that rain may wash away calamity, that the sovereign’s person may be at ease and in health, that the roots of goodness may grow yet deeper, and that the way of cultivating immortality may advance without cease.

We also pray universally that the imperial spirits and former sages honored in the ancestral temples of successive ages, together with our Three Masters and Five Friends and our Seven Ancestors and Nine Mysterious Forebears, may all comprehend the causes and conditions of former lives and open their bright, clear original nature; that they may roam freely above the Grand Aurora and ascend into the Precious Millet. Precious Millet is the name given in Daoist scriptures to a realm of the immortals.

We pray, further, that birds in flight, beasts that walk, grasses and trees, and the creatures of the waters—whether great or small, high or low—may all together receive the nurture of Heaven and Earth and, relying on the power of creative transformation, grow and multiply. May those who cultivate the Dao be as the stars circling the Northern Dipper and the constellations adorning the heavens, joyfully practicing amid mountains and forests; may the people plow the fields and dig wells, dwell in peace and delight in their work, and gladly hear songs carried along the roads and through the villages. May the state be tranquil, and may the mysterious and wondrous manner of the Dao flourish all the more.

In this way, the vast and compassionate teaching of the Celestial Worthies is made manifest, and it accords as well with the sincere hearts of us, your servants, who take refuge and fulfill our charge. With reverence we respectfully submit these prayers.

The Twelve Vows

Preserving Shen (spirit) and Burning Incense (visualizing the deities and offering incense)

Envoys of the Incense Officials, Dragon Lords and Tiger Lords of the left and right, and all the numinous officers who attend the incense: please protect the place to which I come at dawn to ascend the altar and practice the Dao (the Way), so that golden liquor, cinnabar and jasper, the efflorescence of the magic mushroom, and other numinous substances of the immortals may arise of themselves. The hundred spirits and all the Perfected gather here, before the incense burner. May the immortal lads and jade maidens of the ten directions come to attend, so that the smoke of orchid incense may carry the words I have just presented and cause them to ascend swiftly, all the way to the imperial presence of the Most Perfect, Limitless Great Dao, the Supreme Sages of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), the Most Venerable of Vast Heaven, and the Jade Emperor, Lord on High of the Golden Portal.

Hymn for Leaving the Hall, as above

Rite of the Golden Register (Jinlu) Morning Audience

Rite of the Golden Register Noon Audience

All you ritual masters at worship, preserve Shen and visualize in accordance with the liturgy.

The sound of song enters the realm of the Hollow Void, and the Imperial Lord sits at ease within the altar. The Five Emperors (the Celestial Emperors of the five directions) examine the registers of names, and the Three Officials (the Officials of Heaven, Earth, and Water) receive the talismanic mandates. Guards of every quarter defend the five gates, bind the deviant demons, and destroy treachery and evil. The ritual bells are sounded; flames are hurled forth and burn away all yin impurity. Golden scriptures are worn upon the body, and the bodily fluids are cultivated so that the countenance becomes as moist and lustrous as the magic mushroom. The mysterious numen unites with pure Qi (vital energy); the mind sets the three passes within the body in motion. Riding a lion and mounting a crane, one drives dragons and luan-birds. The myriad stars guard the dwelling, and a thousand demons cannot intrude. The Qi of the Dao endures forever, and the myriad immortals are at peace.

The ritual drum is struck twenty-four times.

The Mysterious Origin of the Unsurpassed Three Heavens: the bodily fluids are refined to completion, so that the countenance becomes as lustrous as the magic mushroom. The mysterious numen unites with pure Qi; the mind sets the three passes within the body in motion. Riding a lion and mounting a crane, one drives dragons and luan-birds. The myriad stars guard the dwelling, and a thousand demons cannot intrude. The Qi of the Dao endures forever, and the myriad immortals are at peace.

The ritual drum is struck twenty-four times.

Most High Lord Lao of the Unsurpassed Three Heavens, of the Three Qi of the Mysterious, the Primordial, and the Beginning: please summon forth from within my body the Three-and-Five Merit Officers (divine clerks who transmit commands), the official emissaries of the left and right, the golden lads of the left and right who bear the incense, the jade maidens who convey words and scatter flowers, and the direct talisman-officers of the Five Emperors together with the incense officers on duty for the day, thirty-six of each. The divine clerks who come forth must all set their robes and caps in solemn order, fully and properly dressed, with caps, belts, and hanging tassels.

Please report to the Earth God of the Mysterious Altar and to the deities of this place: I now perform the noon audience rite, ascend the altar to practice the Dao, and pay court to the Imperial Perfected. All sincere devotion and reverent intent have been written out in detail in the documents. May the supremely true Qi of the Dao of the Most High, together with the auspicious light of the Numinous Treasure (Lingbao), descend and flow into our bodies, so that the sincerity I have reported may ascend swiftly, all the way to the imperial presence of the Most Perfect, Limitless Great Dao, the Supreme Sages of the Three Pure Ones, the Most Venerable of Vast Heaven, and the Jade Emperor, Lord on High of the Golden Portal.

Please announce your ritual offices.

The minister in office, So-and-so, together with the officials and the Daoist assembly attending the ritual altar, respectfully and with the utmost sincerity jointly submit this memorial. We reverently invite the Great Luo Primordial Heavenly Worthy of the Holy Realm of Jade Clarity—the void and the spontaneous, the utmost true and limitless Great Dao (the Way)—together with the Supreme Lord of the Dao and the Most High Lord Lao. We reverently invite the Jade Emperor, Supreme Worthy of Vast Heaven; the Heavenly Sovereign Emperor of the Upper Palace of Purple Tenuity; the Great Emperor of the Northern Pole of the Central Palace of Purple Tenuity; Empress Earth, Sovereign of the Soil (the deity who presides over the earth); and the honored deities of the Upper Palace of Purple Tenuity upon the seven-jeweled tiered terrace of the Jade Capital of the Mysterious Metropolis.

We further reverently invite the perfected lords and elders of the Numinous Treasure, and the sacred hosts of the Golden Portal and the heavens of the Vast Expanse; the Senior Chancellor and Senior Steward, the Senior Protector and Senior Tutor, the Junior Protector and Junior Tutor, the Four Masters and the Five Emperors, and the Twelve Immortal Ministers; the Venerable Scriptures of the Thirty-Six Departments; the Great Ritual Master of the Mysterious Center and the Great Ritual Masters of the Three Heavens; the Perfected Lords of the palaces of the sun, moon, and stars, of the Dipper Bureau, of the constellations throughout the heavens, and of the stars of the Silver River; the natal-destiny star lords of the emperor and the crown prince; the divine official lords of the Five Sacrifices of the Inner Court (the five classes of deities worshipped within the palace); and the true numina of the Three Realms. We respectfully hope that all will broadly extend their compassion and look down to heed this supplication.

Your servant has heard that the crimson Qi (vital energy) of Cavernous Yang shines forth within the numinous charts, and that flying clouds and the cinnabar empyrean hang down like feathered canopies to cast their shade; that profound and subtle principles lie stored therein, and that the divine bearing of the Utmost True appears in solemn majesty at the moment of descent. Looking up to the sunlight, one finds it as mild as a day in spring; observing the rites of audience and greeting the daylight, a clear breeze comes from the celestial palace of Purple Tenuity. The hidden workings of the creative power of Heaven and Earth are thereby stirred into response, and the transformative teaching of the immortals and perfected of the Dao is thereby spread abroad. Auspicious radiance plays back and forth in the sunlight, and sounds as clear and ringing as jade resound through the clouds.

We, your servants, earnestly proclaim the teaching of the Dao and, with reverent sincerity, set forth our prayers. It is as though, lifting our eyes, we can behold the sages, and we know that their gracious regard is not far away. Your servant now respectfully carries out the imperial command and solemnly convenes a Golden Register ritual assembly (the Golden Register purification rite, a Daoist Zhaijiao, or purification ritual, for seeking blessings and averting calamity), praying that grace be widely bestowed and, with the utmost sincerity, wishing the sovereign complete peace and the destiny of the state lasting stability.

As the ranks take their places in order, the sound of the daytime clepsydra announcing the hour carries from afar; incense smoke rises in the warmth before the hall, and the spring wind is gentle and pleasant. We pray that the sages and perfected will examine and receive this rite, so that Heaven and the human realm, the unseen and the manifest, may all respond to one another. It is now the noon hour. We ascend the altar to practice the Dao, and we ask the ritual assembly present to gather their minds and offer incense. May this thread of incense smoke rise and ascend, to be offered directly to the utmost true and unsurpassed Treasure of the Dao—the Great Luo Primordial Heavenly Worthy, the Jade Emperor, Supreme Worthy of the Golden Portal, and the unsurpassed sages of the Great Luo.

We, your servants, take refuge with body, Shen (spirit), and nature and life, bowing in prostration, and rely upon the Three Venerables of the Most High (the three supreme deities venerated in Daoism) and the hosts of sages of the ten directions. By the merit of offering incense, we pray for His Majesty the Emperor: may the foundation of the state be firm and its blessed fortune flourish; may the sacred lifespan be long and without end, and the Way of the sovereign surpass the civilizing teachings of the age of Fuxi; may the Six Palaces be at peace.

Officials and loyal worthies from every region under Heaven, wherever they may be, all turn toward those who possess the Dao (the Way). They cross mountains and ford rivers to come and present tribute, arriving in an unbroken stream. Therefore, today we burn incense and take refuge in the Venerable Master and the great sages. We pray that, by the De (Virtue/Power) of the Utmost True, once our cultivation of the Dao has succeeded, we may long preserve the Mandate of Heaven, become one with the Dao, and attain the realm of the True.

In the daylight hours, orders are sent to convene the court assembly, and the Son of Heaven rejoices in his heart. We discern the sacred sovereign’s intention and attend to affairs with reverent care; through the rite of court audience we express our prayers. Now, at the noon hour, we ascend the altar and practice the Dao—mounting the ritual platform to perform the Daoist rite—and we ask all who take part in the ritual service to gather their minds and offer incense twice. May the fragrant smoke rise into the heights and be offered directly to the supreme, unsurpassed Jing (scripture/classic) treasures of the Utmost True in the upper realm—the Celestial Worthy of the Jade Empyrean Numinous Treasure, the Great Celestial Emperor of Purple Tenuity, and the hosts of perfected immortals and sages of the palace of Yuyu Heaven.

We take refuge with body, Shen (spirit), and nature and life all together, bowing our heads to the ground, and we rely on the protection of the Three Worthies of the Most High and the sage hosts of the ten directions. By the merit of burning incense, we respectfully pray for His Highness the Crown Prince: may the deity of Qinghua who governs destiny decree for him a golden slip that fixes auspiciousness and lengthens his span of years; may the True Ruler of the Nine Heavens send down blessings, and may the numinous light of the Three Luminaries—sun, moon, and stars—shine over all. May his days be peaceful and smooth, and his fortune and longevity ever deeper.

Therefore, today we burn incense and take refuge in the Venerable Master and the great sages. We pray that, by the De of the Utmost True, once our cultivation of the Dao has succeeded, we may long preserve the Mandate of Heaven and become one with the Dao.

The light of the myriad sages gathers as one, and its radiance shines upon all things. Grace descends like sunlight into places of darkness, while the brilliance of compassion looks upward toward the Qinghua world (the immortal realm of the East).

It is now the noon hour. The assembly ascends the altar to practice the Dao (the Way). The ritual clergy present are invited to offer incense in turn, three sticks each. May the smoke of the incense rise into the air and be offered directly to the supremely true and unsurpassed Teacher Treasure, the Five-Numinous Mysterious Elder Celestial Worthy; the Great Emperor of Purple Tenuity and the Northern Culmen; Houtu, the Sovereign Earth Spirit; and the boundless host of sages of the Palace of Great Cinnabar Heaven.

With reverence we take refuge through body, Shen (spirit), and nature and life, prostrating with the five limbs upon the ground, and we rely upon the Three Venerables of the Most High and the sages of the ten directions. May the merit of this offering of incense be transferred to the ancestral spirits of the ancestral temple and to the sagely kin of successive generations. We pray that they may ride the luan carriage, ascend to the realm of emptiness, behold the lion throne, and become honored guests of the pure and tranquil heavens; and that they may extend blessings to the state, so that the fortune of the nation may flourish and long endure.

Incense is now burned, and from this moment we take refuge in the revered Teacher and the assembled sages. By the De (Virtue/Power) of supreme truth, one who has attained the Dao ascends into the formless realm, unites with the Great Dao, and returns to the true.

The liturgy then proceeds through directional worship (Lifang, the ceremonial procedure of veneration); confession (Chanhui, the removal of faults and repentance of offenses); the commanding of demons (Mingmo, the summoning and subduing of demonic obstacles within the rite); the three invocations (Sanqi); the three prostrations (Sanli); and the renewed proclamation of ritual station (Chongcheng fawei, again declaring the ritual master’s name and rank).

Your servant So-and-so, present at the altar, together with the officiating officers, sincerely and with one heart memorializes the Supreme Worthies of the Three Realms (the three heavenly realms spoken of in Daoism), the exalted saints of the ten directions, the Celestial Emperors and Celestial Perfected of the Jade Capital and Golden Towers, the gods of the sun, moon, and stars, the venerable masters and holy assemblies of the ten directions, the officials of the Three Realms, and all the divinities enshrined upon the jiao altar.

We servants have heard that the empty, mysterious, and subtle revolution of the Dao (the Way) turns the one Qi (vital energy) and thereby brings forth the Three Powers—Heaven, Earth, and humanity—while the spontaneously and supremely true original substance disperses and transforms into the one Shen (spirit), and from this the myriad things are generated. Since the ancestral kalpa of Longhan (the remote kalpic cycles spoken of in Daoism), the gods have expounded the teachings and transmitted the Jing (scriptures/classics); when Chiming opened the light, they further established merit and aided living beings. The gods regulate the course of the Northern Dipper, so that the blue heavens shine bright as a jade candle. The immortals of the various heavens each attend to their own offices, and the spirits of the waters and of the land respectively oversee inspection and record-keeping. When sacrifice is offered with devotion, boundless blessings follow; the gods rescue living beings and shelter the myriad things.

We servants have received the scriptures and registers (the Daoist scriptures and the transmission of ordination registers), proclaim the methods of the Dao, and convey the will of the Celestial Worthies. Whoever practices them with a reverent heart will surely move the spirits and receive a response. We respectfully carry out Heaven’s mandate and pray that the altars of soil and grain may be secure; we set forth what we seek and reverently present fragrant offerings. With care we invite the gods to descend and pray that they may clearly examine our plea. We earnestly ask the gods to arrive and briefly abide at this altar, to bestow vast grace, and to protect the lasting prosperity of the state. We further wish that the stars may course smoothly and illuminate the world, that people’s destinies may flourish, that fortune, emolument, and lifespan may increase, and that daily life may be peaceful and at ease. In this way the vast and compassionate teaching of the Celestial Worthies is made manifest, and the sincere hearts with which we take refuge and accept the mandate are answered. We respectfully submit this memorial.

The Twelve Vows

Visualizing the Spirits and Burning Incense

Envoys of the Incense Officials, Dragon and Tiger Lords of the left and right (divine generals who guard the ritual space), and all the numinous officers who attend the incense: please cause the place where I earlier ascended the altar at the noon audience to practice the Way to manifest of themselves such auspicious signs as golden liquor, cinnabar and azure, and the efflorescence of the numinous mushrooms, and enable me to visualize the divinities and send the burning incense upward.

Officers of Incense, Dragon and Tiger Lords of the left and right, and all the numinous officials who attend the incense: please cause the place where your servant previously performed the noon court rite and ascended the altar to practice the Dao (the Way) to bring forth of itself immortal substances such as golden liquor, cinnabar and azure, and the blossoms of the numinous mushroom. The hundred spirits and the host of gods all gather here before the incense burner. We pray that the immortal lads and jade maidens of the ten directions come to attend, so that the smoke of orchid incense may carry the words your servant previously presented and swiftly convey them into the presence of the Most True and Limitless Great Dao, the Supreme Sages of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), and the Most Venerable Jade Emperor, Supreme Thearch of the Golden Portal of Vast Heaven.

Hymn on Leaving the Hall

Golden Register Ritual of the Noon Court

Golden Register Ritual of the Evening Court

Let all who bow in worship before the masters, according to the ritual method, still the mind and visualize.

Divine light shines bright and brilliant, and auspicious Qi (vital energy) circles and flows about. The starlight of the Ji and Dou lodges is clear and luminous, and the abodes of the numinous mushroom are at peace. Jade-eyed golden perfection is dignified and solemn; the precious altar is pure and of one essence. Night is turned into day, and the Yin-Yang turning of the hours of zi and wu is restored to its proper place. The flowing pearls of Mount Taihua scatter in flight, and the cinnabar phoenix wheels and soars. Evil spirits are stilled and treachery dispelled, as one strides above the clouds and mist. The perfected beings of the celestial realm gather on every side and come together to the place where the Celestial Thearch abides.

Sound the ritual drum twenty-four times

The Most High Lord Lao of the Three Qi—Mystery, Origin, and Beginning—of the Unsurpassed Three Heavens summons forth from within your servant’s body the Merit Officers of the Three and the Five, the official emissaries of the left and right, Splendor Flowing Pearl, Cinnabar Phoenix Flying in a Circle, and other divinities. May they still evil spirits and dispel treachery, striding aloft through cloud and mist; may the perfected beings of the celestial realm gather on every side and come together to the place where the Celestial Thearch abides.

Sound the ritual drum twenty-four times

The Most High Lord Lao of the Three Qi—Mystery, Origin, and Beginning—of the Unsurpassed Three Heavens summons forth from within your servant’s body the Merit Officers of the Three and the Five, the official emissaries of the left and right, the golden lads of the left and right who bear incense, the jade maidens who transmit words and scatter flowers, together with the directive talisman officers of the Five Emperors and the incense officers on duty for the day, thirty-six of each. All the divinities summoned forth must compose their bearing, dress with solemnity, set caps and sashes in full order, and let their robes and belts hang down. Please inform the earth god of the place where the mysterious altar stands, and the spirits of this region and territory: this evening your servant ascends the altar in court audience to practice the Dao, pays homage to the Thearch and the Perfected, and the sincere intent reverently offered has all been set down in the memorial. We pray that the Qi of the Way of the Most High and Most True, and the auspicious light of the Numinous Treasure, descend and flow into the bodies of your servant and the others, so that the sincere intent your servant has set forth may be swiftly conveyed into the presence of the Most True and Limitless Great Dao, the Supreme Sages of the Three Pure Ones, and the Most Venerable Jade Emperor, Supreme Thearch of the Golden Portal of Vast Heaven.

Please Declare the Ritual Offices

I, your servant So-and-so, together with the officials and all who stand with me at the altar, respectfully petition with the utmost sincerity and reverence: the Dao (the Way), empty and spontaneous, supreme and without limit; and, within the holy realm of Jade Clarity, the Celestial Worthy of the Primordial Beginning of the Great Canopy, the Most High Lord of the Dao, and the Most High Lord Lao; the August Jade Emperor of the Golden Portal, Most Venerable of Vast Heaven; the Celestial Emperor of the Upper Palace of Purple Tenuity; the Great Emperor of the Northern Pole of the Middle Palace of Purple Tenuity; and the August Earth Deity, Sovereign Earth; the Most Perfected Lords of the Numinous Treasure and the Elders of the Upper Palace of Purple Tenuity, upon the seven-treasure tiered terrace of the Jade Capital in the Mystic Metropolis; the all-pervading holy multitudes of the heavens of the Golden Portal; the Upper Chancellor, the Upper Steward, the Upper Guardian, the Upper Preceptor, the Junior Guardian, the Junior Preceptor, the Four Masters, the Five Emperors, and the Twelve Immortal Ministers; the Venerable Scriptures of the Thirty-Six Divisions, the Great Ritual Master of the Mysterious Center, and the Great Ritual Masters of the Three Heavens; the palaces of the sun, moon, and stars, the Bureau of the Dipper, the constellations that circle the heavens, and the stellar gods of the Milky Way; the lords of the natal stars of the emperor and the crown prince; the divine perfected officials who preside over the Five Sacrifices of the inner court; and the perfected spirits of the Three Realms. We respectfully beg you, in your compassion, to look down upon us and clearly observe all that is performed at the altar.

I have heard that movement gives rise to Yang and stillness gives rise to Yin (Yin-Yang), and that the subtle mechanism of the great Dao lies hidden within the Taiji (Supreme Ultimate). Ritual gives expression to reverence, and De (Virtue/Power) gives expression to flourishing excellence; the fully prepared rites are all set down in the canons of Daoist Keyi (liturgy). Heaven and Earth revolve without cease, and in this they manifest the grace of cherishing life. Dragon script and phoenix seal-characters shine in splendor, as brilliant as the stars, the sun, and the moon, and the carriages of the immortals seem to descend from the clouds. We set the court ritual in order, attend audience with reverence, present the offering rite, and declare our sincere hearts. Gracious light seems to descend upon the sacred carriage, and a rich fragrance drifts throughout the hall. The gods arrive in manifest radiance, look down, and partake of the sacrifice, passing over none of our earnest intent.

Now, reverently obeying the imperial edict, we perform the Golden Register Zhaijiao (purification ritual)—a grand Daoist ceremony for invoking blessings and averting calamity—so as to pray that good fortune may long endure. We have always cherished an earnest aspiration, and we have constantly preserved a sincere original resolve. The hundred numina and the host of the perfected come to assemble, and the ten directions and the Three Realms together approach the altar. The purificatory retreat is established in order to serve Heaven above, that we may behold the majestic bearing of the gods; when evening comes, we worship the evening moon and rejoice to see its light rise in brilliance. Crimson auroral rays and red cloud-mists stream upward, and auspicious stars and cloud-vapors shine upon one another in splendor. The ceremonial escort and the whole assembly step in measured unison, and the scene is solemn and grave. We respectfully ask the gods to examine the sincerity of this offering rite and to bestow abundant blessings.

This evening we hold the rite of the evening audience, ascend the altar, and practice the Dao. We ask the ritual assembly to raise the first stick of incense. May the smoke of the incense rise straight upward in offering to the supreme and unsurpassed Treasure of the Dao, the Celestial Worthy of the Primordial Beginning of the Great Canopy, to the Most Venerable Jade Emperor of the Golden Portal, and to all the holy perfected of the Great Canopy. We, your servants, take refuge with body, Shen (spirit), nature, and life, prostrating our five limbs upon the ground, and we look up in reliance upon the Three Venerables of the Most High and the sages of the ten directions. May the merit of burning incense be offered upward to the Jade Emperor and to all the holy perfected of the Great Canopy, and may it invoke blessings for His Majesty the Emperor.

We humbly pray that the Yin-Yang of Heaven and Earth may join in harmony and that the sun and moon may shine together; that Your Majesty may rest secure in the exalted station, with a lifespan as lasting as the Southern Mountains. May warfare cease and all under Heaven be at peace; may the whole world enjoy rich harvests and plenty, and may the people of the four quarters be healthy and long-lived. May chariot gauges and scripts be unified, and the state be tranquil. Now, with reverence, we burn this incense and take refuge in the Venerable Master and the great host of sages. May we, by the most perfected De, after attaining the Dao, long abide in Heaven and unite in perfection with the great Dao.

In the gathering dusk, incense smoke rises and colored clouds condense. With hearts of utmost sincerity we pay reverent homage at dawn, and through the night we remain ever alert. We pray that the sovereign enjoy health and long life, and we hope that the imperial clan will flourish in its numbers.

Tonight the evening court rite is held, and we ascend the altar to practice the Dao (the Way), worshipping and reciting scripture upon the altar according to the liturgical order. The ritual masters and devotees present are asked to take incense and offer reverence. May the incense smoke rise into the air and go directly in offering to the Unsurpassed Scripture Treasure of Supreme Truth (Jing), the Heavenly Worthy of Numinous Treasure of the Jade Empyrean, the Purple Tenuity Celestial Emperor, and the host of true immortals and sages of the Yuyu Heavenly Palace. With body, mind, and nature and life we take refuge in the sages; bowing low in prostration, we revere and rely upon the Three Venerables of the Most High and the holy hosts of the ten directions.

May the merit of this offering of incense serve to bless, with reverence, His Highness the Crown Prince: may his good fortune run deep, so that he becomes the heir apparent who brings glory to the imperial house; in assisting the sovereign to govern the state and command the armies, may he prove worthy of everyone’s hopes; in succeeding to the throne and settling the realm, may subjects far and near rest at ease. May the Crown Prince’s dwelling be mild with the warmth of spring, and the years of his palace halls long; may the imperial clan and the feudal domains celebrate together, and may worthy ministers able to assist at court be many; may the sons and grandsons of the royal house be safe and well, and may the state stand firm and enduring, like a city of metal walls and a moat of boiling water.

Now, as incense is burned, we take refuge in our masters and the great sages. May we, by the De (Virtue/Power) of Supreme Truth, after attaining the Dao abide forever in heaven and unite with the Great Dao so as to become the True.

As night descends, the hidden and the manifest of heaven and earth stand clearly apart; the sun sets behind the mountains, and people too should take their rest. May a fragrant breeze spread through the Purple Hall, and may the moon of wisdom hang high above the Pure Capital (the immortal realm of which Daoism speaks). Tonight the evening court ritual is held. We ascend the altar to practice the Dao (the Way), and we invite the ritual masters and the faithful to take part together, offering incense by taking it up three times. May the smoke of the incense rise into the air and go directly in offering to the Celestial Worthy of the Five Numina and the Mysterious Elder, the Supreme True and Unsurpassed Master-Jewel; to the Great Emperor of Purple Tenuity and the Northern Pole; to the August Earth Deity of Sovereign Earth; and to the boundless assembly of sages of the Palace of Great Scarlet Heaven.

We take refuge and make offering with our bodies, our spirits, and our nature and life, prostrating with all five limbs, and we rely upon the Three Venerables of the Most High and the sages of the ten directions. May the merit of this incense be dedicated to the ancestral spirits of the seven temples (the ancestral deities enshrined in the ancestral temples of successive generations), to the ancestral line (the clan’s inheritance and its sacrifices), and to the ranks of holy perfected beings. We respectfully pray that the sages ride the dragon chariots of the Three Realms and ascend into the pure, empty Brahma-realm; and that, borne in the phoenix carriages of the Nine Heavens, they enter together into the Millet Pearl (the tiny pearl by which Daoism symbolizes the mysterious realm of the Dao). May they bless the state and the household, so that auspicious fortune long endures.

Now, as incense is burned, we take refuge in the Honored Master and the great assembly of sages. May we, by the De (Virtue/Power) of the Supreme Truth, after attaining the Dao ascend into the formless realm, become one with the Dao, and become the true Dao.

Homage to the Directions

Repentance

The Three Invitations

The Three Salutations

Again Proclaiming the Ritual Stations

Your servant, holding the appropriate rank, together with the officials and all who have come to the altar to take part in the rite, with hearts of utmost reverence and sincerity, respectfully memorializes the Supreme Venerables of the Three Realms, the exalted saints of the ten directions, the Celestial Emperors and celestial perfected of the Jade Capital and Golden Gates, the perfected of the sun, moon, stars, and Dipper, the honored teachers and holy assemblies of the ten directions, the officers of the Three Realms, and every divinity whose image is enshrined and offered upon the Jiao altar.

We, your servants, have heard that the Dao (the Way) is supremely exalted and that De (Virtue/Power) is supremely precious; its subtlety and mystery accord with the realm beyond words. The Great Dao is vast and brings the myriad beings into being and growth. The sage is numinous and wondrous: response comes as swiftly as an echo, and there is also a hidden communion with the unseen. Heaven has nine tiers, august and far-reaching, and three times each day we make our reverent entreaty. Where sincerity is deep, the spirits come in their vastness to be present above.

We reverently carry out Heaven’s mandate and offer sacrifice with clear sincerity. We carefully observe the regulations of the Mysterious Gate and perform the morning, noon, and evening rites of court cultivation. In the Jiao liturgy, pine flowers and other pure offerings of the fast are set forth to express cleanliness and devotion, while mind and spirit hasten toward the Great Void. We look up to the crimson banners and standards and the jade chariot wheels of the celestial realm, their forms faint and elusive, and our gaze rests upon the layered heights of heaven.

We revere the Pure Metropolis (Qingdu, the immortal capital of heaven) and earnestly look up to the Purple Pole (Ziji, the dwelling of the Celestial Emperor). Reflecting on the veiling defilement brought by the Six Dusts—the external things that stain mind and spirit—we grow still more cautious and apprehensive. Tasting the profound mystery of the Three Caverns (Dongzhen, Dongxuan, and Dongshen), the classification of Daoist scriptures, we have long relied upon their teaching, sheltered as though beneath covering cloud. We beg the holy perfected to uphold and aid us, so that our prayers may be earnest and complete.

Our highest wish is that the sovereign’s life be as long as Heaven, and that the grace of the imperial court shine everywhere like the light of the sun. May distant sea-isles come one after another to present jade and silk, and may warfare on the borders cease forever. May the Six Palaces keep the fine models of ritual, honoring and revering the empress. May the renown of humane virtue spread through the four seas, and may the sacred virtue of the royal house grow illustrious from generation to generation. May loyal and worthy ministers assist in counsel, their achievements ever more conspicuous, and may the ministers who form the realm’s protective screen all receive blessing and emolument. We respectfully wish the sovereign good fortune, a myriad years of life, and peaceful well-being.

May Yin-Yang be in harmony, and wind and rain come in their proper seasons. May the five grains yield in abundance, and the people be secure and nourished. May songs of praise pass through the streets and lanes, and may people joyfully beat the earth in the ancient manner, restoring the simple ways of old. May fish swim in the rivers and birds fly among the clouds, and may all beings rest at ease in their nature of spontaneous growth. May the state gather auspicious signs in plenty, and may the transforming teaching of the Dao be carried forward and made glorious. In this way the great kindness and great compassion of the Celestial Worthies’ teaching may be made manifest, and the sincere hearts with which we, your servants, entrust our lives and honor the Dao may be answered. We respectfully submit this memorial to be heard on high.

The Twelve Vows

Preserve the spirits and burn incense (visualize the deities, and burn incense to pray and announce).

Messengers of the Incense Office, Dragon and Tiger Lords of the left and right, and all the numinous officers who tend the incense fire, we ask that the altar on which we, your ministers, have just performed the evening court rite may of itself bring forth golden liquid and lingzhi of cinnabar red and jade green. The hundred spirits and the host of the perfected all assemble here and come before the incense burner. May the immortal lads and jade maidens of the ten directions come to receive and attend, so that the orchid fragrance rising from the censer may carry the words of prayer we ministers have just offered and convey them swiftly and directly into the presence of the Most Perfect and Limitless Great Dao (the Way), the exalted sages of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), and the Jade Emperor, Supreme Sovereign of the Golden Palace of Vast Heaven.

Hymn of Leaving the Hall: the hymn of praise sung when one departs the hall.

Golden Register Evening Court Rite: the rite used for the evening court homage in the Golden Register Zhaijiao (purification ritual).