《黄箓斋十洲三岛拔度仪》

Intoning the Buxu (Pacing the Void)

The holy titles of the three Heavenly Worthies are then recited.

Opening Declaration

Incense is burned and a memorial submitted, reverently offering worship to the supreme sages of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), the exalted Perfected of the Ten Extremes, the compassionate Taiyi Heavenly Worthy Who Saves from Suffering in the Palace of the Eastern Pole, the Heavenly Worthies Who Save from Suffering of the Ten Directions, the Heavenly Worthy Who Expunges Sin in the Ninefold Darkness, the Heavenly Worthy of the Vermilion Mound Who Delivers Life, the divine officers of the Yellow Register purification ritual (Huanglu Zhai), the boundless immortals and sages, and all the divinities of the Ten Continents and Three Isles. By this stick of true incense, offerings are made universally to all the sages. We earnestly beg the sages, in their compassion, to cast down their illumination and clearly examine this matter.

Even the two Qi (vital energy) of Heaven and Earth, as they circulate, still wax and wane; human beings, endowed with the nature of the Five Constants, likewise cannot avoid drifting between life and death. From this it may be known that the causes and effects of birth and death are the fixed course by which living beings come and go in the cycle of rebirth. If one wishes to lengthen one’s years and endure forever, there is no way but to leave the dusty world and cultivate the Dao (the Way) so as to become an immortal. Thus the Ten Continents beyond the dust are all realms of long life, and the Three Isles in the sea are all lands where none grow old.

There, golden liquor and jade nectar may be drawn upon without end, and the garments of the immortals appear at the movement of a thought. Green-jade lotus roots and immortal peaches like ice and snow bear fruit even in the depth of winter; rare flowers and extraordinary fruits flourish through all four seasons. The scenery is mild as spring, and though sun and moon course on, there is no night. After the rain clears, the Palace of Lasting Joy is often revealed amid the crimson clouds; at dawn, between purple mist and rosy light, the Hall of the Sovereign of the Void stands open far away.

Some immortals drive carriages of yellow dragons; others ride in chariots of cinnabar phoenixes. At one long cry of the immortal crane, they cross the immortal mountains in an instant; when the great peng beats its wings and soars, it passes over the sea in the turn of an eye. They ride the void and travel the air, transcending the dusty world; they live at ease, unburdened by vulgar cares. Brocade valleys reflect the radiance of Yuyi (the spirit of the sun), and cinnabar-colored mist at night mirrors the clear glow of Jielin (the spirit of the moon). Jade maidens carry messages; golden lads present edicts. At times they attend banquets at the Jasper Pool; at times they join the immortal ranks of the Golden Portal. Immortal music sounds, as though shaking the cassia tree of the moon palace; sweet dew gathers in the cups, its fragrance blending with the peaches of the Queen Mother.

All of this is because the immortals have set aside glory, wealth, and rank, content with purity, stillness, and plainness, nourishing the mind and spirit (Shen) together with nature and temperament, and knowing the method of expelling the old and taking in the new. Further, by refining and nurturing the body and cultivating the true Dao, they awaken to the principle of transcending the ordinary and entering sagehood. Dwelling far from the dusty world, they have their names entered in the registers of the immortals. They roam and rest among the Three Mountains and wander the Ten Directions; feeding on auroral vapors and ingesting Qi (breathing in and out the vapors of dawn and the Qi of heaven and earth), they enjoy immortal longevity without end. Refining medicines and firing the elixir, they use the methods of cultivating the Dao to save and deliver the people of the world.

If any are willing to take refuge in the way of the immortals, they may receive the grace of salvation and deliverance. Now, expressly for the deceased so-and-so, we broadly perform the profound and wondrous purification liturgy (Keyi), uphold the ritual forms of the immortals, proclaim the splendid realms of the Ten Continents, and spread the mysterious ways of the Three Isles. Relying on this extraordinary bond of causes and conditions, we seek blessings in the unseen world for the departed. We respectfully invite the host of immortals to descend and examine, and the sages to send down their light, receive the departed, and guide them, so that they may ascend to the realm of joy. The ritual assembly, with sincere hearts, pays reverence and praises the merits of all the sages.

We reverently pay homage to the Great Sage, the Celestial Worthy Who Ascends into the Great Void.

The Ten Continents, overseas realms of the immortals, are beautiful in scenery and are where the immortals dwell. The Three Islands, legendary isles upon the sea, have towers and pavilions like fine jade, faintly visible and hard to discern. Looking westward, the Turtle Terrace, abode of the Queen Mother of the West, leads toward the Jade Realm; eastward it joins the Whale Sea and reflects the Fusang, the legendary divine tree of the east. The Pot Heaven, the grotto-heavens and blessed lands of the immortals, lies far at the edge of the sky, beyond the reach of ordinary people. Though life in the dusty world brings sorrow, it is all too easy to forget the Great Dao (the Way). May the deceased, through this sacred rite, transcend this realm, keep company with the Queen Mother of the West, and pay homage to the Vacuous Sovereign, a revered deity of the Dao.

The first is Yingzhou, a legendary island in the sea, lying amid the vast ocean and facing Kuaiji from afar. There stand chambers of fine jade and palaces of the perfected immortals, the dwellings of two immortal beings. Wondrous numinous herbs are auspicious signs for the myriad things. Vessels forged from the iron of Kunwu, a legendary divine mountain, are keen enough to cut flying jade; one who drinks the Jade Nectar, immortal wine like liquid jade, attains long life without aging. Green Mound shows faintly in the distant borderlands, and immortals lie hidden among the Emerald Waters.

Now we offer this solemn ritual of deliverance, praying that the deceased may ascend in flight to the immortal realm of Yingzhou. We reverently pray that the deceased may mount the path of clouds and gain the freedom and ease of original nature; that, looking back, they may take leave of the dusty world and bring this illusory life to its close. The ritual assembly—the Daoist priests and the faithful who take part in the rite—take refuge and pay homage, together praising merit and virtue.

The palace gates of Yingzhou join the many heavens; a spring light beyond the mundane world is untouched by the turning of the years. The five-colored azure fowl cry in the morning light, and the golden cinnabar phoenix drinks the vermilion cloud-Qi (vital energy). The mountains and waters of Green Mound and the Emerald Waters are strange and wondrous; the Jade Nectar is sweet, and the iron of Kunwu is hard. May the departed soul rise to that immortal realm, hear the Jing (scriptures) and their teachings in person, and awaken to the true principle.

The second Mysterious Continent lies in the Palace of Xun (the southeast among the directions of the Bagua, the Eight Trigrams), set amid the Northern Sea and facing the Gate of Heaven from afar, and for this reason it is called the “Door of Earth.” The mountains here are graceful and fair, and the voices of the wind gather together, so that myriad sounds seem to roll and echo like thunder. Zhi-grasses give off their fragrance, and immortal flowers carpet the paths. This is the capital seat of Taixuan, and the place where the Immortal Earl (a presiding officer of the immortal realm) conducts official business.

Gold is produced in the land, and white jade lies hidden within the stone. Human life is without end, and clothing and food are naturally abundant. The divine rite (the ceremony of offering worship to the deities) is now presented, with the prayer that the departed soul may transcend and ascend to this realm. Reverently it is prayed that flying immortals come to receive and guide the soul, so that in the blink of an eye it reaches the blessed lands and grotto-heavens; that its spirit-consciousness be clear and lucid, that it cast off its worldly disposition, and that it display the bearing of an immortal. All who take part in the ritual together take refuge and praise this wondrous liturgical model.

The Mystic Capital stands dominant over its region. It is the immortal capital where immortals make their abode, and its splendid lodges and towers are the dwelling places of the host of sages.

Jade Maidens (female attendants of the immortal realm) ride cranes to present memorials, and Golden Lads (boy attendants of the immortal realm) ride whales to convey the edicts.

Fields like fine jade yield precious jade beyond all price; spirit-jujubes flourish so richly that even brocade and embroidery cannot match their beauty.

It is prayed, in offering and conveying the divine rite, that the departed soul ascend to this realm, take leave of the dusty world, and cultivate the Dao (the Way) of pure stillness and Wuwei (non-action).

The third, the Long Continent, lies within the grotto abodes and looks down upon the Southern Ocean (the great sea of the south). Sweet springs flow there and are called the medicine of long life; the place is also named Qingqiu, the Green Mound, and it is truly a land of supreme bliss. Across five thousand li the scenery is unlike that of the ordinary world, and human life may extend to as much as thirty thousand years. Towers like purple jade are all places where the female perfected (female immortals) cultivate the Dao; yellow-silk talismanic writings (yellow Daoist documents of the Fulu, talismans and registers) record the secret methods by which the lofty sages refine the form (cultivating the body and transforming its shape). Above rises the Ridge of the Perfected Capital, and beside it lies the Palace of Guangli. The numinous rite is now presented, with the prayer that the departed soul ascend to this realm. Reverently it is prayed that, within the Grotto of Cinnabar Clouds, the soul constantly read the treasured scrolls of the Jing (scripture/classic), and that, atop Red Water Mountain, it worship from afar the ceremonial cortege of Yuqing (the realm in which the exalted deities of the Dao abide). All who take part in the ritual together take refuge and praise this wondrous liturgical model.

On the Long Continent the four seasons are like spring, and phoenix carriages and dragon towers show through, half-hidden, amid verdant clouds of Qi (vital energy).

Peach blossoms bloom along both banks, yet no one comes or goes; the fields are thick with zhi-herbs, and immortal cranes gather in flocks.

The company in the jasper towers has already dispersed, and the wind of heaven carries a chill; beside the Jade Bureau the tide withdraws into the sea, and the light of day upon the waters slowly darkens.

May this rite of deliverance enable the departed soul to pass beyond this realm and proceed to the palace halls of the Purple Void, there to pay homage to the Yuanjun, a venerated deity of Daoism.

This is the fourth continent, Liuzhou, a territory of three thousand li, the road so remote that it runs to nine hundred thousand stages. The Western Sea is clear and still, with no peril of waves in sight; the east wind blows gently, from time to time bringing the fragrance of purple wood. The retinues of immortals pass back and forth through it, with no need to cross the water by boat; the notes of the xiao flute break off and resume, of themselves forming a wondrous melody. Bright moonlight falls upon the steps, and the azure luan dances with light grace; on Mount Feixia, white cranes now and then arrive bearing immortals. Now we offer the sacrificial rite, praying that the departed soul may ascend to this realm. With reverence we pray: may the departed soul be as one who brings from Goulou—a place of elixir-refining in Daoist legend—a single pellet of numinous medicine, and by taking it attain long life; and may the soul, like Yuchuan, the style name of the Tang poet Lu Tong, depart riding the clear wind. The ritual assembly, the Daoists taking part in the rite, together take refuge and praise this wondrous liturgical model.

On the mountains of Liuzhou is the peak called Feixia, where immortals and men of letters number a million households. Auspicious herbs and lingzhi are all numinous medicines of a thousand years; emerald lotuses and the immortal nai, fruit trees of the immortal realm, blossom in all four seasons. Within curtains woven of cloud and mist, only the shoes of the immortals remain; beside the river of stars where the Cowherd and the Weaving Maid dwell, there is likewise no need to cross by raft. We wish to present this sacred rite, that the departed soul may ascend there; and when the day comes, one may return from planting peaches and take sesame as food.

The fifth continent, Yuanzhou, lies north of the great sea, with the gardens of the immortal realm at its center. There rise lofty jade lodges, the place of feasting in the immortal realm of the Purple Void. Sweet springs in the secluded ravines are as sweet as honey, and those who drink of them may go long years without aging; upon the numinous peaks grow strange and nameless herbs which, when worn, allow one to shed the mortal frame.

The fifth realm, that of Yuanzhou, lies north of the Cang Sea, and the gardens where immortals dwell stand at its center. Lofty jade halls rise there, places of feasting and repose within the immortal realm of the Purple Void. Through the dark ravines flow springs sweet as honey; those who drink of them may remain long in the human world. On the numinous peaks grow strange, nameless immortal herbs; those who wear them may cast off the mortal body and be remade. The grotto gates are never closed, and immortal guests wander at their ease. After one has finished reading the Huangting Jing (a Daoist scripture), clouds of Qi (vital energy) are seen rising from the bases of the pillars; startled awake from a pure and secluded dream, one does not realize that the sea has long since turned to mulberry fields, and that the affairs of the world have undergone vast change. Bells and drums in the celestial palaces answer one another, yet the boats, carriages, and horses of the human world cannot reach that place. Here time does not easily pass, and lifespan is without end. In the sacred rite of reverently commending the departed soul, we wish that it may ascend into this immortal realm. We pray that the departed soul, like a cicada shedding its shell, may leave the bodily form behind, and sigh that the dusty world is but an illusory floating blossom; that it may penetrate the secret canons in dragon script of the Three Caverns (Dongzhen/Dongxuan/Dongshen), and grasp the mysterious regulations transmitted by the true immortals. The ritual assembly together takes refuge and praises this wondrous gate of the teaching.

The blessed land of Yuanzhou is the dwelling of immortals and the Perfected. Crimson and vermilion radiance shines through the dark and far-reaching depths. Sweet springs in the dark ravines flow past emerald steps, and the jade halls of the Purple Void lie locked deep behind blue-green gates.

Every ten years the immortal crane returns to the ceremonial pillar, and the five-colored mysterious dragon swallows and draws in the fire-bell. May the departed soul attain deliverance, ascend into this immortal realm, put on the feathered robe in person, and be touched by the pure fragrance of the imperial censer.

The sixth realm, that of Shengzhou, floats upon the Eastern Sea, its mountain ranges joined to Penglai. Immortals dwell scattered among the verdant hills, and graceful scenery encircles them between screens of jade-green mountains. Luan birds wheel in flight and phoenixes call in harmony, while true immortals of heaven come and go among them; tigers roar and dragons intone, guarding the numinous traces in the mountains. Flowers and trees bloom in abundance, and wondrous trees stand side by side. The gates of the grotto residences remain closed all year, yet the clear tones of jade bells are often heard; lofty celestial terraces rise high, and again and again one hears the sound of jade chimes. When a clear wind rises, instruments among the clouds sound in answer; when the bright moon ascends, the sea mirrors half a disk of moonlight. Each of the four seasons has its own excellence, and a thousand years pass in calm and unhurried wandering. With reverence we commend the departed soul, wishing that it may ascend into this immortal realm. We pray that at dawn the departed soul may ascend the pavilion of Xuhuang (a venerated deity of the Dao) and burn the incense of the myriad wonders, and that at dusk it may ascend the hall of ritual music and pay homage to the honored images of the Three Treasures. The ritual assembly together takes refuge and praises the merit of the Dao and its methods.

The sovereign of Shengzhou is the Elder of Great Clarity (Taiqing), who commands the subtle workings of the mysterious and sets in motion the transformative nurture of heaven and earth.

Food and drink all descend from heaven, and glory, wealth, and rank are wholly unlike those of the human world.

The Three Flowers (Sanhua, a term of Neidan, or internal alchemy, denoting the refined essences of Jing, essence, Qi, vital energy, and Shen, spirit) naturally comprehend the wondrous meaning of chaoyuan (returning toward the source). What need remains for a hundred medicines to cure disease?

May the spirits who receive deliverance ascend to such a realm. Revolving the Heavenly Mainstay and fulfilling the Heavenly Ordinances, the one who governs this continent is the Elder of Great Clarity (Taiqing Weng); he commands the subtle celestial mechanism and turns the work of creative transformation.

Food and drink all descend from heaven, and glory, wealth, and rank are wholly unlike those of the human world.

The Three Flowers naturally comprehend the wondrous meaning of returning to the source. What need remains for a hundred medicines to cure disease?

May the spirits who receive deliverance ascend to such a realm, treading the void as they go.

Within the scenery of the seventh Ancestral Continent (Zuzhou), the land extends ten thousand li in every direction, and clouds and mist veil a thousand households. The sacred fungus named “Nourishing the Spirit” nurtures an auspicious Qi like that of the jade fields; the immortal medicine named “Undying” can restore life to withered bodies of the dusty world. Every illness can be cured, and those with a destined affinity will encounter it. To taste the divine herb is indeed to confirm the legend of Master Guigu’s longevity; in seeking the numinous youths, one need not await the immortal carriage of Junfang (the fangshi Xu Fu). The spirit sprouts grow several feet high, like immortal melons; divine waters fall in an instant, nourishing wondrous plants and trees. The rarities here surpass all the Ten Continents, and their essences are acclaimed as marvels across the Four Seas.

Reverently we present these offerings, that the spirits who receive deliverance may ascend to this realm. We pray that, clad in light feathered robes, they may in a moment fly beyond the immortal mountains; and that, by repeatedly reciting the Cavern Chapters (Dongzhang, Daoist scriptures) until the recitation reaches ten thousand times, they may at last accomplish the immortal Dao (the Way). The ritual assembly takes refuge and together praises this merit.

The scenery of the Ancestral Continent differs from the human world; emerald waters and green mountains encircle it on every side.

Immortal dwellings come flying from the vast azure sea; having gathered the numinous fungus, one returns, while white clouds drift at leisure.

When hungry, one eats yellow jasper, blending the immortal medicine in the golden cauldron; when thirsty, one drinks the sweet dew of the jade root, which reaches directly to the Jade Pass (Yuguan, a term of Daoist cultivation referring to the passes and apertures within the body).

May the spirits who receive deliverance ascend there, and at their ease climb the towers amid five-colored auspicious clouds.

The eighth station is the Continent of Flame. Its Qi (vital energy) belongs to the farthest reaches of the south, and the land stands guard over the Palace of Li, the palace-position symbolizing the south. Here the true fire blazes, its flames shooting straight into the heavens to a height of ten thousand zhang, while great waves surge onward for a thousand xun. Once the yin-souls of the dead have passed through refinement and deliverance, they may ascend; borne on the light of harmonious yang, they can obtain salvation.

Here there is a cloth called “fire-wash,” which can cleanse away dust and grime in fierce flame, and a strange beast called “wind-born,” which can grow its fur and plumage anew beneath heaps of firewood. The fire of the Great Elixir circulates, and the palace halls stand solemn and severe. The exalted sages and lofty perfected ones, resplendent in majestic radiance, all dwell here. The Continent of Flame communicates with the human world. Now the divine rite, the sacrificial liturgy offered for the deceased, is presented, with the prayer that the dead may ascend to this realm. It is humbly wished that the deceased, their substance refined, may receive the true life-delivering talisman conferred by Yumou, a divine title; that they may bring to completion the Golden Liquid Reverted Elixir, a Daoist term of cultivation for the perfected immortal elixir, and obtain the immortal art of restoring the soul. The ritual assembly together takes refuge and extols these merits.

The Continent of Flame alone communicates with the human world; sail a thousand li, and one may pass deep into the Han Palace. Steaming flames rise straight into the cloudy sky, and even birds in flight dare not approach; great waves encircle the shore, and giant turtles hold sway among the billows. The upper realm of Nanchang communicates with flowing fire, and the Floriate Pool of the Eastern Well joins the Great Void. May the deceased be delivered and arrive here, so that withered remains regain the vitality of an infant.

The ninth station is the Continent of Phoenix and Qilin. On the island stands the Mansion of the Cinnabar Forest, joining above the Palace of Azure Florescence and, though separated below by the vast sea, reaching afar into the heavenly realms. Here qilin come and go, and luan and phoenix fly together. The island produces an incense that can restore the souls of the dead and wash away defilement, and also numinous treasures as precious as refined gold-paste and the rejoining of zither strings. Immortals keep the elixir cauldron; when the medicines are fully refined, they transform into the immortal elixir. Weak Water encircles the whole continent, so that not even a feather can float upon it. All who can arrive here are exalted sage-immortals, and those who govern the place are lofty perfected ones of the celestial bureaus. Now the divine rite is presented, with the prayer that the dead may ascend to this realm. It is humbly wished that the deceased may pay court to the radiance of Yuyi, the Daoist name for the deity within the sun, so that body and mind manifest a penetrating golden light; and that they may ascend to the Palace of Gaoben Jielin, the Daoist name for the deity within the moon, and behold the jade countenance in person. The ritual assembly together takes refuge and extols this solemn and wondrous law.

Immortal mountains tower upon the Continent of Phoenix and Qilin, and the Weak Water is so light that not even a feather can be borne upon it. The fragrance of soul-returning incense travels for hundreds and thousands of li, and the glue decocted from qilin horn endures through a thousand years. When cloud and mist disperse, the Pavilion of Compassion seems dyed in cinnabar hues; when the sun rises, the Qian Forest, the trees of the immortal realm, shifts with emerald color. May the deceased be delivered and arrive in this realm, roaming freely among the immortal mountains of Fanghu, Yuanqiao, and their like.

The tenth place is the immortal realm of Jukuzhou (the Continent of Gathered Caverns). The mountains here are caverns where immortals dwell, and the palaces are called Dongxuan (the Cavern of Mystery). Numinous plants and trees bear immortal seedlings that can spare one from death, and within jade cauldrons is refined the purest golden liquor. Hearing the immortal music of this place, even withered bones can stand again; drinking the immortal elixir, a mortal’s frame can ascend to immortality. The people here esteem sincerity and simplicity, and their customs are plain and honest.

Jukuzhou within the gourd is an immortal realm of the same kind: its mountains are immortal caverns, and its palaces are Dongxuan; numinous roots put forth deathless seedlings, and jade cauldrons refine a liquor of golden essence (Jing). On hearing immortal music, withered bones rise again; on drinking the immortal elixir, mortal bones ascend as immortals. What is called “the sun and moon within the gourd” means that the gourd holds a world of its own, unbound by the succession of spring, summer, autumn, and winter; within the grotto-heaven, too, a cosmos forms of itself, complete with the order of ruler and subject, father and son. The people there are without greed or desire, and they neither come nor go in migration.

Now the purification ritual is offered, praying that the deities will deliver the deceased and raise them into this immortal realm. We reverently pray: in the snap of a finger one may reach immortal mountains ten thousand li away, without needing a reed to cross the water; lifting one’s gaze, one may behold the ninefold celestial gates, and traveling there upon flying shoes—shoes said in legend to be able to fly—is no hindrance at all. All assembled at the ritual altar together take refuge and praise the merit of the deities.

Ascending Jukuzhou, one climbs a ladder of clouds step by step; banners and standards of the cortege stand in dense, orderly ranks, guiding the procession upward.

There are the golden sands of Hukou and Linwu Cave, and also Wuling Stream, where peach blossoms bloom in full and flowing waters murmur.

An immortal elder once paid homage to the Northern Dipper and left cinnabar writings and talismanic seals; jade maidens pay court to the celestial court, so that the green of the mountains seems locked deep within cloud and mist.

We pray that the spiritual presence of the deceased may be delivered and ascend into this realm; the fair scenery of the immortal lands of the Ten Continents is worthy of being cherished for long.

Ascending Jukuzhou, one climbs a ladder of clouds step by step; banners and standards of the cortege stand in dense, orderly ranks, guiding the procession upward.

There are the golden sands of Hukou and Linwu Cave, and also Wuling Stream, where peach blossoms bloom in full and flowing waters murmur.

An immortal elder once paid homage to the Northern Dipper and left cinnabar writings and talismanic seals; jade maidens pay court to the celestial court, so that the green of the mountains seems locked deep within cloud and mist.

We pray that the spiritual presence of the deceased may be delivered and ascend into this realm; the fair scenery of the immortal lands of the Ten Continents is worthy of being cherished for long.

The first is Kunlun Island, encircled by the Weak Waters and also called Kunling. Looking far to the southeast, one may reach the immortal roaming-grounds of Shipu; looking far to the northwest, one comes upon the northern gate of the Grotto-Heaven (Dongtian). The wells on the island lead to the Spring of Dahuo, and the roads lead into the valleys south of the city. This is a place where true immortals gather and the host of sages come and go.

The continuous Jishi Mountains are the site of the Tortoise Terrace where the Queen Mother of the West dwells. Their form is like an overturned basin, sheer and extraordinary, and it also recalls the legend of King Mu of Zhou seeking the realm of the immortals. The place bears the name Xuanpu, and its summit is also called Langfeng. The city of Tianyong stands lofty, heaped within with ten thousand yi of gold; the Tower of Fanqi (Qi, vital energy) rises high, reflecting nine layers of green jade. Twelve palace towers adorned with flowing crystal remain closed day and night; eight thousand immortal peach trees, symbols of long life, bloom through all four seasons.

Kunlun Island joins above to the mansion of Xuanji and looks down below upon the lands of Xu and Hai. The Qi of the Five Phases (Wuxing: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water) circulates here, and the Six Qi (Liuqi, six kinds of natural vital energy) are harmonized here. This may be called a sacred realm of blessing and joy, and it is truly an immortal homeland of lasting peace and ease. Now, with sacred ceremonial offerings—Shenyi, the holy ritual objects presented in the ceremony—we make offering, wishing that the departed may ascend to this immortal realm. We pray that the gentle winds may fall still and the bodily form grow light as a leaf; that the brocade-like clouds and mists may part, and the feet tread upon five-colored auspicious clouds. The ritual assembly—Fazhong, the Daoist clergy taking part in the liturgy—together take refuge and proclaim the merit.

The Jishi Mountains of Kunlun stretch on, reaching toward the southeast; Xuanpu and the city of Tianyong rise high amid the green mountain mists.

This place lies far from Xianyang, and ordinary mortals can scarcely reach it; the palaces adjoin the immortal realm of the Queen Mother, as if they met the rippling waters.

To the north it borders the Spring of Dahuo and leads on to the cinnabar well; looking west toward the Golden City, it overlooks the emerald pool.

May the departed be delivered and ascend into this immortal realm, and on the terrace of Langfeng listen to the profound discourse of the Dao (the Way).

The second immortal island is called Fangzhang Island. Its peaks rise like tier upon tier of piled emerald jade, thrusting straight into the clouds. Its flowers blaze a brilliant red, like flowing clouds of cinnabar hue, and fold upon fold of mountain ranges stretches all around. Palaces built of gold, jade, and colored glass cluster on the island, their radiance outshining the stars. It is also the palatial residence of water spirits—flood dragons, whales, dragons, and mirage serpents—hidden deep beneath the vast sea.

This is the seat of the Controller of Destinies of the Three Heavens (the deity who keeps the registers of fate in the celestial realm), and the true dwelling of the Elder of the Nine Sources (a Daoist immortal). He governs the deities of all aquatic beings under heaven and examines the name registers of those in the human world who cultivate immortality. Golden liquor and jade marrow, once drunk, let one pass through ten thousand kalpas without ever feeling hunger. Auspicious immortal herbs and lingzhi, once worn, keep one unstained by the filth of the dusty world. The stone springs on the island flow through every season, undried for a thousand years; the mulberry trees flourish, evergreen for ten thousand years.

When immortals ascend to heaven, they go to the altar where the Exalted Perfected (venerable Daoist immortals) transmit Fulu (talismans and registers), receive the Fulu, and have their name registers sent up to the Most High (a deity venerated in Daoism). Their immortal ranks and graded offices are illustrious and honored, and the stations they occupy are pure and lofty. Now the divine rite is offered, with the wish that they may transcend and rise to this immortal realm. We humbly pray that the host of immortals will recommend them, so that they may mount the Golden Gate and enter the Jade Hall. If but a single thought finds communion, they can carry Mount Tai beneath the arm and cross the Northern Sea. The ritual assembly takes refuge and pays reverence, proclaiming merit and virtue.

Fangzhang Island in the sea gathers immortals and gods; its ground stands high and sheer, like another celestial realm.

Golden phoenixes ever nest among the palace towers in the hearts of the flowers; who can draw forth the jade ointment to water the immortal fields of lingzhi?

The towers and terraces gleam, crystalline and bright, opening the road to the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing, the three highest deities venerated in Daoism); merit and virtue are proclaimed.

Fangzhang Island in the sea gathers immortals and gods; its ground stands high and sheer, like another celestial realm.

Golden phoenixes ever nest among the palace towers in the hearts of the flowers; who can draw forth the jade ointment to water the immortal fields of lingzhi?

The towers and terraces gleam, crystalline and bright, opening the road to the Three Pure Ones; flowers and trees send forth their fragrance, and five-colored clouds and mists arise.

May the spirits who receive recommendation and deliverance ascend into this realm, and from then on need not look back in attachment to the karmic bonds of the dusty world.

The Third Pengqiu Island, a legendary isle of the immortals, measures more than five thousand li around, and its heights reach straight up to the Thirty-Two Heavens. To the north it looks far toward Mount Zhong, while its center joins the vast sea. Beyond the northern Amen Gate stand the palaces of the Imperial Lords of the Nine Heavens; amid the waves of the Bohai Sea rise the lands of Yunlai among the Three Isles. Flying immortals come and go there, and auspicious clouds of Qi (vital energy) fill the surroundings. The rings and pendants of the immortals chime as they move, and the ranks that face Heaven stand in orderly array; the faint notes of sheng and xiao carry the songs of banquet music. Youths from the Eight Seas scatter flowers and hold floral canopies, reverently escorting the carriages. Giant turtles bear stones upon their backs and pile them into peaks; immortal phoenixes wheel and dance, bringing flowers in their beaks as offerings. The sound of Buxu (the rite of pacing and chanting within Daoist Zhaijiao [purification ritual]) rings through the clouds, and colored clouds gather about the jasper peaks; the Brahma chimes echo low as the immortal officials who bear crimson standards return together to the Zifu (Purple Prefecture, abode of the immortals).

A year in the mountains is a hundred years in the human world. Gathering and eating atractylodes and fine greens, one need not practice the art of abstaining from grain; settling the heart, guarding the Shen (spirit), and cutting off desire, one likewise has no need of union between man and woman. Here there is no torment of cold or heat, nor any entanglement in fame and profit; one wanders free and at ease, in joy without end. Reverently we escort the sacred rite of the deceased, wishing that he may ascend to this immortal realm. We humbly pray that, where the flowers of awakening bloom, the scenery of the Ten Continents may remain forever in the fullness of spring, and that, on waking from yesterday’s dream, the mist and rosy clouds of the Three Isles may not yet have dispersed. The ritual assembly devoutly proclaims this merit.

The immortal isle of Penglai is charged with guarding the mighty waves, and the Great Emperor and the immortal ministers take their places among the host of sages.

Five-colored frost and snow shimmer with a pure sound like jade, and the stars and moon of the Nine Heavens shine upon the golden ao-turtle.

The reflection of the jasper terrace is steeped in the clear, cold light of heaven, and the radiance of the jade towers floats high upon the sea.

May the deceased ascend to this place and personally accompany the Queen Mother in enjoying the peaches of immortality.

The blessed lands and grotto-heavens—the immortal realms where divinities dwell—are in fact not far from the human world; immortals and sages who have attained the Dao (the Way) once lived amid ordinary life as well. Those who cultivate can resonate and commune naturally with the Dao; those who fail to see this clearly are bound by desire and worldly ties.

It is precisely because the exalted perfected—Gaozhen, an honorific in Daoism for lofty deities or realized perfected beings—harbor compassion that they reveal to the world immortal realms of purity, stillness, and emptiness, so that people may turn about, leave the toil of secular life, and return to the Great Dao. Now that we have the good fortune to encounter this extraordinary ritual assembly and to receive the rite for the deliverance of the dead, we ought to behold and reverently honor the Supreme Perfected, and no longer cling in delusion to the dusty world. At this moment, relying on the ritual power of wholesome merit that receives and guides the souls of the departed, those souls are enabled to leave forever the bonds of the mundane and to ascend far into the immortal realms. The ritual congregation—the Daoist priests and devotees taking part in the rite—together take refuge and extol the merit and virtue of the divinities.

How lamentable that human life is brief, like a young horse galloping past a crack in the door; fame and profit are like chains and reins, by which people bind themselves.

People do not understand that worldly causes and conditions are only a temporary meeting, yet they always take weary, restless toil for joy.

Now, of what use are glory, wealth, and rank? Kindness, affection, and kin, in the end, are as if they had never been possessed.

From this one sets out upon the immortal path; the Ten Continents and Three Islands—the legendary maritime realms of the immortals—are the true place of return.