《洞玄灵宝千真科》

At that time, on the first day of the first month in the third year of Hao Chiwu, the Left Immortal Duke of the Taiji (Supreme Ultimate) ascended Mount Lao-Sheng and devoted himself single-mindedly to contemplating the Dao (the Way). At noon that day, thirty-three terrestrial immortal priests came to his dwelling and burned incense. Suddenly, music sounded in the heavens and ten thousand bells rang together. The Most High Lord of the Dao, together with the host of holy perfected ones, the Heavenly Perfected Sovereign, a thousand perfected ones borne in attendance, and immortal lads and jade maidens, all descended through the void. They transformed the appearance of the Immortal Duke’s dwelling, arranged solemn couches and seats, and the Most High Lord of the Dao took his place according to rank.

The Immortal Duke knocked his head upon the ground and remained prostrate. Only after a long while did he speak: “Through long kalpas I have been fortunate to love the great Dao and to revere the perfected. By the grace of the Compassionate Honored One you have descended upon this humble dwelling of mine, and a thousand perfected ones have gathered here as well; the joy in my heart is beyond words. I have long remained in a lowly station and have not yet attained thorough awakening, nor do I clearly understand what ritual norms Daoist priests and ordinary people dwelling in the world ought to observe in their daily rising and resting, their conduct, and their advancing and withdrawing. I earnestly beg your instruction.”

The Most High Lord of the Dao told him: “You possess merit. In a former life your name was already entered among the immortals of the left; now you merely borrow causes and conditions for a time and lodge yourself in the lower realm, so as to serve as a model for the many and to help propagate the great Dao.” He then ordered the thousand perfected ones to expound the codes and precepts (the Daoist norms of conduct and disciplinary rules). The thousand perfected ones respectfully assented and received the charge, and the Perfected One Who Protects Life began to proclaim the articles of the code:

In establishing institutions and framing ordinances, what matters is that they can truly be put into practice. Among those who live together, if anyone fails to keep the regulations, whether old or young, that person is not permitted to dwell with the community. All who live in common must follow the holy teaching, make their words and actions accord with proper norms, cut off evil conduct, and together uphold good deeds. As for urging others to do evil, that is explained in other articles of the code.

The Dongxuan Lingbao Qianzhen Ke (Code of a Thousand Perfected of the Cavern Mystery Numinous Treasure) says: The methods of cultivating the Dao (the Way) prize purity, stillness, and emptiness, and do not pursue fame or wealth. Only those who dwell at ease in a pure and quiet chamber may be called disciples of the immortals. Yet among my disciples, many hoard wealth and precious treasures, and keep oxen, horses, and male and female servants. Such conduct blocks the root of the Three Treasures—the Dao, the Jing (scriptures), and the master—and causes living beings to lose the eyes of the correct Way. Even if they can recite the scriptures and keep the precepts, they are all corrupting the teachings of the Dao.

The Dongxuan Lingbao Qianzhen Ke says: When a person of lofty virtue and distinguished reputation dwells in a place, a cunning disciple may be bent on attaching himself. This may be because sensual desire has not yet been cut off, or because he is pressed by power and authority and cannot act freely. Such cases should be handled according to the circumstances. One may first set him to hard tasks, or counsel him with gentle words; one may have him sit alone in stillness and forget distracting thoughts, or have him withdraw for a time; one may also transmit the scriptures and ritual treasures, and have him cultivate himself and remove his faults through fasting and abstinence. If he fears the master’s authority, others may be arranged to reassure and guide him. Teaching should be suited to the person and handled with flexibility. If he never reforms and shows no progress toward the good, to keep such a disciple is to corrupt the teachings of the Dao, and he should be kept at a lasting distance.

The Dongxuan Lingbao Qianzhen Ke says: If a disciple loves the correct teaching and is willing to hear in depth the great meaning of the scriptures, yet has not grasped it only because his capacity is dull (his understanding is still weak), then, since he already has a mind turned toward the good, he should be comforted and guided. One may first teach him the Three Precepts and the Five Precepts (precepts of different levels), to help him quiet and settle his mind. A master of high virtue and great repute is a model for living beings: if a disciple’s nature is proud, lead him toward humility; if his conduct is overbearing, help him restrain himself; if his temperament is timid, encourage him to be brave and to press forward. Since the master is as a parent to living beings, he should teach with all his heart, so that disciples accord with the teachings of the Dao and never turn back.

The Dongxuan Lingbao Qianzhen Ke says: If those who have left household life can uphold the Three Precepts, the Five Precepts, the Nine Precepts, the Ten Precepts, and even the Three Hundred Great Precepts, each precept is guarded by twenty-four beneficent spirits.

The scripture says: If those who have left the household can observe the Three Precepts, the Five Precepts, the Nine Precepts, the Ten Precepts, and even the Three Hundred Great Precepts and other such rules, then for every precept they keep, twenty-four benevolent spirits protect them. They also receive offerings from celestial beings and commit no evil deeds. If one does not believe in the precepts and deliberately violates them, the resulting karmic offenses implicate both the netherworld and the world of the living, and after death, upon rebirth, one falls into the path of blindness. Keeping the precepts brings blessings; breaking them brings guilt. Whether one is a renunciant or a householder, the ultimate principle shows no partiality, and merit and fault are judged alike.

The scripture says: When a person of high virtue and great prestige who presides over the assembly finds that someone under his charge has committed a minor fault, he should avoid giving rise to suspicion. He should not rebuke that person in the presence of the king, the royal consorts and their kin, ministers and chief counselors, the sons and daughters of laypeople, junior Daoist priests, jingren (Daoists who perform miscellaneous duties in the monastery), or anyone with whom he has an old grudge or a new resentment. When punishment is truly necessary, he should first call the person to a secluded place and explain the matter in private.

The scripture says: Only when someone can no longer be tolerated by the assembly should one inform everyone and impose punishment.

The scripture says: Those who have left the household should take simplicity and pure stillness as essential. When conduct violates proper norms, one’s actions easily stray onto deviant paths. Such improper conduct includes widely seeking offerings and wealth while boasting of one’s own abilities; insatiably amassing property, arranging marriages for others, and practicing divination and physiognomy; claiming to know a great deal; disturbing the assembly and associating with evil companions; ostensibly serving the orthodox teaching while forming factions with vicious laypeople; confusing the order of daily life and ritual rank; obtaining wealth by improper means and sharing a bed with laypeople; going out at night without carrying a light; and indulging in gambling games such as chuli and shuanglu, committing robbery and other evils, and acting willfully without self-restraint. Once one has entered the Dao (the Way) to cultivate it, one ought to follow the rules shared by the whole assembly. If one does not discipline oneself, one is destroying the Dharma of the Dao.

The Ke (Code) says: A Shangqing ritual master (a transmitter of methods in the Shangqing tradition) should not confer the great precepts upon others, should not accept anyone’s dependence upon him, and should neither take disciples nor instruct others. He should not join in commenting on other people’s affairs, must not go about alone in the dark of night, and should not draw near to those who hold heterodox views. In daily conduct he must follow the established regulations in every respect.

The Ke says: When a junior Daoist priest goes to pay his respects to a Daoist of reputation and virtue, he should first set his appearance in order, put his cap on straight and his shoes on properly, and walk with a steady, refined gait, then perform the rite of three bows. After bowing, he kneels upright and reports: “I, so-and-so, a junior Daoist priest, have not yet fully mastered the teachings, and so I have come from afar. I earnestly beg you, Great Virtue, to instruct me in deportment and ritual propriety, and to teach me how to set my cap and shoes in order and how to walk and bow with composure.” When he has finished, he bows three times again, kneels upright, and reports: “I, so-and-so, a junior Daoist priest, have not yet fully mastered the teachings, and so I have come from afar. I earnestly beg you, Great Virtue, to untie the knots in my heart. I will follow your instruction and will never go against it.”

The Great Virtue then explains to the assembly: “There is now a certain Daoist who, from his youth, has carried knots and entanglements in his heart that he himself cannot undo. Today he knocks his head and asks to repent: from birth until the present, every unwholesome act—giving way to anger and wrath, robbery and theft, greed and desire, and all the rest—he wishes today to correct one by one, and he dares not commit them again. He will go on studying the orthodox precepts and come to understand the teachings.” When this has been said, the priest carefully does as he has declared, then rises, performs three bows, and withdraws.

The Ke says: Anyone who disturbs the Daoist community, fails to follow the orthodox teaching, drinks until drunk and disorderly, or slights and insults those above and below without regard for rank should be fined in cash and rice, or in other goods. If he acknowledges the penalty on the spot and agrees to it, he may afterward perform three bows and withdraw.

The Ke further says: If someone who disturbs the Daoist community, fails to follow the orthodox teaching, drinks until drunk and disorderly, or slights and insults those above and below has already been penalized, yet later resists and refuses to pay, he is to be beaten with the staff, or his property is to be confiscated and used to support the Daoist community. He may also be set to hard labor: leveling the ground, cutting grass and trees, hoeing, and harvesting. If the Daoists of one place cannot carry out the punishment, the Daoists of the various places are to be summoned to deal with the matter together. If they still cannot settle it, he may be handed over to the king and dealt with according to secular law.

The regulations state: If someone does not abide by the orthodox law and, without authorization, goes to another Daoist monastery, seizing the chance to deceive Daoist priests and demand wine and meat; or arranges marriages and marries off those who keep the pure precepts, or buys and sells bondservants and other livestock; or, following worldly practice, commits an offense, is imprisoned, and then escapes guilt upon meeting with a pardon; or uses wealth to smooth connections and contrives to evade punishment; or seizes stolen goods belonging to others and seeks profit thereby—for each of these there are corresponding articles of the precepts, and the person should be punished according to the law.

The regulations state: All who reside permanently in the ritual precinct must eat, and those who take part in the purification rite (zhaiyi; the Daoist rites of fasting and prayer) should also receive offerings; all who come from the ten directions join in together. Striking the stone chime (qing) and ringing the bell are the signals for assembling the ritual congregation, and those who do not take part in the purification rite should not partake of that ritual meal. All join in establishing merit and virtue, and both Daoist priests and laypeople should observe this. If, out of resentment toward visitors, one shuts the gate and refuses them, everyone will regard such conduct as shameful. Someone asked: food is limited, yet visitors cannot be refused; without supernatural powers, how can one afford to provide for them? The reply was: host and guest should take turns supporting one another and together accumulate merit and virtue; Daoist priests and laypeople alike should observe this. If the food originally prepared is little and the visitors many, it may be divided equally, each eating somewhat less and yielding food to others. This is ordinary human feeling; visitors should not be turned away at the gate.

The regulations state: Before the law of the Dao (Dao, the Way) all are equal, with no distinction of near and distant kin or of noble and humble. All should dwell together as one assembly and look after one another in sincerity. But if everyone acts on private feeling and gives indiscriminately to whoever comes asking, the community will be harmed and the assembly thrown into disorder. Therefore each person should be careful.

The regulations state: At the ritual meal, if a layperson comes asking for food, the one in charge of the kitchen should first ask whether that person can keep the fast. If able to keep the fast, give food; if not, one should explain cause and effect in detail, so that the person understands the principles of guilt and blessing. This is not stinginess, but a wish to bring about a change of heart and awakening, and careful observance of the Daoist law; this is compassion of the highest importance. If one does not explain it, living beings will thereby incur guilt.

The regulations state: At the ritual meal five things are to be done: first, observe the sun’s shadow to determine the hour; second, ring the bell to assemble everyone; third, pass pure water for washing the hands, lay out towels and cloths, and arrange the seats; fourth, after the stone chime is struck, begin the meal; fifth, recite the meal incantation (shizhou; the spell chanted while eating) handed down by former masters. If these five things are not carried out in order, one has not entered the pure ritual meal, and it is called “stolen food.”

When the Daoist assembly shares the communal fast meal, each person’s portion should first be agreed upon, and only then is the bell struck to summon everyone. Hands are next washed with water, cloths are spread, and seats are arranged. The chime is then struck for the meal, and the food incantation transmitted by former masters is recited. If these five points of ritual are not observed, the meal does not count as a pure fast meal, but is called “stolen food.”

Each time the fast meal is taken, individual portions should be settled in advance and must not be increased or reduced at will. Taking too little counts as theft, and so does taking too much. During the meal one must not be greedy for extra fruit, vegetables, and the like; deliberately taking more is theft. When food is distributed, those in the upper seats should judge how much those in the lower seats need and must not take too much. The Scripture of Ascending to the Mystery says that those in the upper and lower seats should look after and consider one another.

The bearing and deportment of the Daoist assembly should be strict and orderly. Clean clothing and conduct in keeping with the norms can awaken wholesome thoughts in people of the world and will also be praised by the various heavens. If one’s appearance and manner are lax, and one fails to win the delight and approval of the assembly, one damages the teaching of the Dao (the Way), causes the treasure of the Dao to suffer loss, and cuts off the root of the way of compassion. If the shared ritual norms of the assembly are observed so that people look up to them with respect, the transformative teaching of Daoism can flourish widely, and the gate of the teaching will display something out of the ordinary.

As for the ritual procedures of fasting and precepts, persons of high virtue and standing should sit in front, restraining and reminding the assembly so that the fast ritual remains solemn and orderly and the host does not find the company discourteous or coarse. If members argue with one another, each clinging to a different view and showing no reverence or awe, not only will Daoists and laypeople be unable to distinguish good from evil, but the great sages of the ten directions will also perceive it in the unseen. The guilt and calamity thus incurred must be borne by each person individually.

The ritual codes stipulate that entering among the assembly, as well as sitting down and rising, all follow fixed forms of propriety. When a man sits, he first steps up onto the couch with his left foot and sets his shoes straight, close to the edge of the couch; he then steps up with his right foot, lightly braces himself on the couch with his hands, levels his body, and sits back in a steady posture. When getting down, he likewise braces himself lightly on the couch with his hands, reaches forward for his shoes, steps down first with the left foot and then with the right, and only then rises steadily. A woman steps first with the right foot, and both sitting and rising are carried out in this same way.

Before entering the hall, one should first arrange cap and clothing outside the door: the garments are worn correctly, the hu (the ceremonial tablet held in the hand when attending an audience or performing rites) and the hepi (Daoist vestments) are set in order, the body is composed, and the tablet is held upright. One then visualizes that within the hall are the Celestial Worthies of the Ten Directions (the venerable deities of the worlds of the ten directions), the sacred assembly of those who have attained the Dao (the Way), the reigning king, and the chief officers of the prefectural and county administrations, and only afterward enters the hall with composed ease.

When entering the hall, if there is an entrance on each of the east and west sides of the doorway, one should choose the entrance according to one’s own seat: those seated on the west enter by the west door, and those seated on the east enter by the east door. One must not cross paths while passing through the doorway.

Daoist dress consists of garments in the Chinese style, with a wrapped skirt and wide sleeves, distinct from secular costume, and it must not be worn mixed with the white clothing of laypeople. Gowns, fur robes, leather boots, and eating vessels with horn handles should all be kept plain; elaborately ornamented vessels of gold, silver, or bronze are not to be used. For morning and evening cultivation, and when paying reverence to the various holy ones, one should wear solemn ritual dress and perform the rites according to the order of ritual office. The Shangqing school wears purple robes and a sash; the Lingbao school ordinarily wears yellow; the Sanwu school wears crimson. On ordinary days one wears clothing made of fine silk, in plain hues such as those of the chaste tree and the locust, and one must not wear patterned damask, gauze, or brocade, lest one show off and beguile the worldly. A female Daoist must not wear hairpins and bracelets of gold and jade, nor adorn herself with heavy makeup: such practices both go against what entering the Dao requires and fail to accord with the principle of setting the mind aright.

Both Daoist priests and female officials should cultivate in purity and stillness. A priest must not take in girl attendants, and a female official must not take in boy attendants; each side should keep apart from the other, so that the mind remains pure and quiet, the eyes not seeing their forms and the ears not hearing their voices. The Laozi Jing (scripture) says: “Not seeing what may arouse desire keeps the mind from disorder.” If relations of this kind between men and women arise, they should be reported and exposed before the assembly; if those concerned still refuse to desist, the king has his own laws with which to deal with them.

The Keyi (liturgy) says: In the private quarters of a great abbey—the place where Daoist Zhaijiao (purification rituals), cultivation, or communal activities are held—one should keep body and mind quiet and solemn, not looking at appearances that ought not to be seen and not listening to sounds that ought not to be heard. The Laozi Jing (scripture) says: “If one does not look at things that arouse craving, the mind will not become confused.” If someone behaves improperly here, the matter should be reported to everyone; if, after being exposed, that person still refuses to stop, the king has laws with which to deal with it.

The Keyi says: The living quarters of a great abbey are often full of disorder, mostly because the venerable persons charged with management cannot exercise careful restraint, indulging their conduct without rules. It may also be that the gangwei—Daoist officers responsible for managing the abbey and maintaining order—do not issue teaching commands: though they dwell in a pure and honored place, their hearts are defiled, stingy, and greedy. They lead the younger generation with them onto the evil path, foster vicious deeds, block the root of cultivating the Dao (the Way), and leave those who firmly trust the correct Dao not knowing what they should follow.

The Keyi says: When everyone enters together the pure and honored ritual ground, they ought to advance together along the path of good. If one harbors anger and is quick to take life, one goes against the heart of great compassion. Raising oxen and horses inevitably involves beating them with the whip; releasing hunting dogs and keeping cats for the hunt are likewise done with the intention of killing. Now that the pure precepts are upheld, all such conduct ought to be forbidden.

The Keyi says: Although people differ in rank, high and low, the precepts do not become greater or lesser according to status. Some, though they uphold the precepts in the body, do not take the teaching of the precepts to heart, nor do they cultivate a character that is pure and selfless and that widely extends compassion. Raising oxen and horses inevitably involves the whip; releasing hunting dogs and keeping cats for the hunt means harboring the intention to kill. Now that the pure precepts are upheld, all such conduct ought to be forbidden.

The Keyi says: Although people differ in rank, high and low, the precepts admit no distinction of greater and lesser. Some, though they uphold the precepts in outward appearance, do not act inwardly according to the teaching of the precepts, and do not cultivate the De (Virtue/Power) of purity. Instead they adorn halls and chambers and draw in vicious persons, and what they do often breaks the law and turns against the Dao. Hearing the bell and seeing the rites of worship, they laugh aloud and burst in through the abbey gate; seeing honored persons of De cultivating the Dao, they slander them behind their backs. This is chiefly brought about by the managers themselves. How, then, can everyone be made to work with one heart and to follow the rules with one another? In this way, the moral climate of teaching will decay day by day.

The disciplinary rules say: If among a group one person behaves improperly, he may be called to a secluded place and admonished in these words: “True rank and immortal station are what the cultivator puts into practice. The Dao (the Way) has no fixed form; it becomes manifest only through the harmonious concord of the many. Cultivators of the ten directions together uphold the Great Dao and proclaim its teaching. Only by hearing the essential teachings, and by studying and cultivating, can one bring oneself to fulfillment. How can one do what would let others perceive one’s faults? At present your conduct is without fault in every respect; only this matter has been handled improperly and has not followed the correct Dao. Please correct it at once. After the moon wanes, it becomes full again; after the orchid withers, it grows fragrant once more. May you and I encourage one another and set things right together. If you still refuse to follow the teaching, the matter will be made known to the assembly.”

The disciplinary rules say: Disciples one has oneself raised and instructed must be admonished with particular strictness. If a disciple commits a grave fault, he may be rebuked with five stern statements: first, “I now rebuke you; you must leave this place”; second, “After you leave, you may not enter my room again”; third, “Even if I have no one else I can employ, I vow that I will not employ you”; fourth, “For as long as I live, do not come to me”; fifth, “I would rather see you fall into the three paths and five destinies (a term in the Buddhist and Daoist traditions for the evil destinies of rebirth) than speak with you again.”

Such rebuke is already enough to bring a person to submit, and one should not go on to do what exceeds the regulations. One must not unlawfully use instruments of punishment to beat, fit the cangue, or apply the rod, nor hang a person upside down or bind him with his arms reversed, nor beat and revile him day and night. None of these practices is found in the precepts; to act in this way would injure the root of compassion. If a master orders a disciple to buy wine and meat, to trade and peddle, or to herd oxen and horses, or even drives the disciple to commit illicit sexual acts, the disciple may say: “These are not acts advocated by the Celestial Worthy (Tianzun). I dare not remain my master’s disciple. If I am punished on this account, I may leave.”

The precepts state that some disciples behave badly and, even after receiving instruction, still do not know repentance. They show ten kinds of conduct: they do wrong without regarding it as shame; they see what is good yet do not do it; when they hear admonition they instead grow worse; their bearing is improper and does not accord with dignified ritual etiquette; they flaunt strength and arrogance and have no heart of reverence or solemn gravity; they treat people with cold cruelty and violence; they associate with those who are neither loyal nor trustworthy; they indulge in treacherous, deviant, and licentious affairs; they delight in killing; and they become drunk and muddled, unable to tell the noble from the base. Anyone who possesses these behaviors is a person who destroys the methods of the Dao (the Way).

If disciples do no evil, can strictly keep dignified ritual comportment, apply themselves diligently and endure hardship, enter the quiet chamber at dawn to sweep away filth and brush off dust, pay respects to their teachers three times—in the morning, at midday, and in the evening—follow what is arranged when they seek learning and practice, willingly take on duties, and do not fear toil, they will gradually accumulate learning and De (Virtue/Power) and become people of real attainment. Such disciples can inherit and spread the orthodox teaching and widely proclaim the methods of the Dao.

The precepts state that those who leave the household to cultivate the Dao are different from ordinary people. Once a Daoist monastery has been established and lodgings set up, laypeople or one’s own family members must not be allowed to stay there. If members of the Daoist community from various places come and pass through, they should be lodged in three grades according to the higher or lower quality of their virtuous conduct; in arranging precedence and accommodation, everything must accord with the corresponding rites.

The precepts state that every Daoist monastery should be carefully planned, with a separate pure and quiet courtyard established and given a name. When the community gathers on ordinary days, they take meals together or carry out the purification rites in the refectory. When a visitor from afar stays for a time, one should first ask where he wishes to reside. Visitors from various places should also weigh their own talent and virtue before requesting a suitable lodging. Those outstanding in talent and virtue may request the pure and quiet separate court; those without particularly outstanding virtuous conduct stay in ordinary quarters; those who feel their talent and virtue fall short may humbly request a lower room or a small chamber, but in due measure, without excessive self-effacement. If a person high in virtue voluntarily lets someone of lower standing choose a lodging first, one should decline and invite him to stay in a fitting place. If a visitor’s talent and virtue do not match the lodging assigned, he should be moved elsewhere or sent back.

The Daoist regulations (Ke) say: Those who have left the household life, taking the yellow robe and the blue headcloth as their outward marks, ought to be inwardly deep and lucid, their conduct pure as frost, mild and lustrous as jade, and clear as water. Generation after generation they should do good and accumulate De (Virtue/Power), do nothing that sullies their conduct, and strictly observe the orthodox precepts. Keeping the precepts is set forth in five analogies.

The first is like a wealthy household that suddenly bears a child blind in both eyes; after three months the eyes suddenly regain sight, and the whole family rejoices. A person without the restraint of the precepts is like one without eyes.

The second is like a mirror that, polished again and again, gradually grows bright. So too with one who keeps the precepts: merit is accumulated with every thought.

The third is like an infant that grows little by little. One who is able to keep the precepts can likewise rise gradually from a low place.

The fourth is like a hungry person who always longs for food; if food is never obtained, that person will surely starve to death. One who does not receive the precepts will long revolve in blind and benighted error.

The fifth is like a boat that can cross the great sea. One who is able to keep the precepts will surely cross the bitter sea of birth and death, that is, leave the suffering of the cycle of birth and death.

The Daoist regulations say: If kings, ministers, donors, and artisans can do what benefits the many, they may be supplied with food and drink; when they need firewood, this too should be explained to the community and provided.

The Daoist regulations say: Even persons of power, or wicked bandits, so long as they may harm the many, should also be supplied with food and drink. This is because they are people who are not good and may disrupt the assembly of the teaching—the community that cultivates the doctrine together—and food and drink are given so as to avoid their harming the many.

The Daoist regulations say: The permanent property—property held in common by the abbey or the community—must not be lent out and then diverted to personal use. If someone falls ill or meets urgent hardship, the matter should be explained to the community and help requested; after the matter has passed, it must be repaid twofold.

The Daoist regulations say: Property obtained unlawfully must not be used for almsgiving. The Immortal Lord (Xiangong) asked, “What is meant by unlawful property?” The Zhenren (Perfected) replied, “Oxen and horses, slaves and servants, weapons, clubs and staves, and the like all belong to this category.”

The Daoist regulations say: If famine coincides with warfare and everyone wishes to move to a place of abundance and peace, then, should some be able to remain and hold their ground, the community may bring out their private property and distribute it to those who stay and hold fast.

The Daoist regulations say: Property obtained unlawfully must not be given as alms. Property of this kind, as spoken of by the Zhenren, includes oxen and horses, slaves and servants, weapons, clubs and staves, and the like.

The precept says: When famine coincides with warfare, everyone wishes to go somewhere abundant and secure. If some are willing to remain and hold their ground, the private belongings of the others may be brought out and distributed to those who stay.

The precept says: Ritual objects, everyday utensils, the fashioning of divine images, and the copying of scriptures (Jing) each differ in weight. The Immortal Duke asked, “How are ritual objects, utensils, scriptures, images, and the like distinguished as weighty or slight?” The Perfected replied, “Bells, stone chimes, banners, flowers, incense burners, boxes, hangings, canopies, jeweled pennants, scripture wrappers, and the like belong to ritual objects and are relatively precious. Caps, shoes, tables, audience tablets, coarse-cloth clothing and bedding, skirts, short jackets, lined garments, and the like belong to everyday utensils and are relatively humble.

“If what one originally resolved to donate was precious, yet one later treats it as humble, one violates the code of the Five Punishments (the precepts of grave offenses spoken of in the scriptures). If what one originally resolved to donate was humble, yet one later treats it as precious, one does not break the precept.

“Divine images fall into three grades: images of the Celestial Worthies rank highest, images of the Perfected stand in the middle, and images of the various immortals and of the ritual masters of the Mysterious Center and the like rank lower. If, when resolving to donate, one has an image made at a precious grade but later reduces it to a lower grade, one commits the Ten Evils. If one raises a lower-grade image to a higher grade, one does not break the precept.

“Scriptures are likewise graded. The Shangqing scriptures belong to the Great Cavern and are the Greater Vehicle (scriptural methods of a higher level). The Dongxuan Lingbao scriptures, of the Three Caverns (Dongzhen/Dongxuan/Dongshen), belong to the Middle Vehicle; the Dongshen Sanhuang scriptures belong to the Lesser Vehicle. If one resolves to produce Greater Vehicle scriptures but later changes them into Middle or Lesser Vehicle scriptures, one violates the code of the Five Punishments. If one resolves to produce Lesser Vehicle scriptures but later remakes them as Middle or Greater Vehicle scriptures, one does not break the precept.”

The precept says: Stealing ritual objects or everyday utensils is a crime equal to the Five Rebellions (grave offenses of serious treason).

The precept says: Privately giving the food and drink of the permanent endowment (communal property for the shared use of a Daoist abbey or community) to others, or taking it back to one’s own home, is judged as theft.

The precept says: The goods of the permanent endowment belong in common to the ten directions and should be transmitted from generation to generation for shared use. One may not take them at will, nor decide on one’s own to distribute communal property to oneself or convert it to private ownership. Either act is a crime of the Five Rebellions.

The precept says: When a mother, a mother-in-law, sisters, and the like fall ill or meet urgent danger and need to be supported and rescued, one may give aid and does not break the precept. Even if another person’s child falls into water or into fire, the rescuer must do everything possible to save the child, even if lustful thoughts are in the rescuer’s mind; yet the rescuer must not take the occasion to violate that person.

The precepts stipulate that those who have left the household should dwell alone and sleep alone, neither associating with the secular world nor forming groups with it. They are to renounce affection and worldly splendor and live in transcendent purity and stillness. If they pursue sensual pleasures and disturb their observance of the precepts, people of the world will not respect them.

When walking or stopping along the road, if one meets a woman who has some request, or who begs food and drink of one, one may only stand more than ten paces away and speak from a distance. If one is to give her an object or food and drink, it should be set upon the ground, or held until she has gone away and she is then allowed to come and take it; it must not be handed to her in person. When one meets a woman on the road, one should also step aside from the path and let her pass first.

If, while one is alone, thoughts of lust arise, one should visualize the woman as a fierce tiger, a venomous snake, or a king. One may also imagine oneself plundered by bandits, or sitting in a house when the building catches fire and burns, or crossing the sea by boat when the vessel springs a leak and is about to sink. By contemplating with these six thoughts of fear and alarm, lust has no way to arise.

The abbey quarters, halls and sanctuaries, gardens, and fields occupied in common belong to the Three Treasures—the Dao (the Way), the Jing (scripture/classic), and the master. The sanctuary halls belong to the Celestial Worthies, and the residential quarters belong to the Daoist priests. When buildings are constructed, if the houses differ in rank and scale and a Daoist priest built them with his own funds, then both during his lifetime and after his death they may be disposed of by him himself. If no instructions are left after death, the buildings are given over to the disciples to dispose of. If they were built by white-robed youths (disciples who have not yet formally left the household), they too may dispose of them themselves. Those who have already been ordained and left the household, and whose names have been entered on a separate register, may likewise dispose of their own buildings themselves. The land, however, belongs to the Three Treasures and may not be otherwise disposed of. If the assembly has made some other agreement in advance, the matter is handled according to that agreement.

The scripture stipulates that if those who have only just entered the Dao (the Way) have not yet made their observance of the precepts complete, if they live attached to villages rather than residing in Daoist monasteries, if they lack the restraint of elders worthy of awe close at hand, and if they often associate with crafty people, they may be lured into sharing beds and seats with men and women, singing and sporting, and drinking wine and eating meat. When ordinary people see such conduct, they will instead look down on Daoism. Behavior of this kind corrupts the methods of the Dao and damages the faith and reverence of others. Elders of respected De (Virtue/Power)—virtuous Daoist seniors held in esteem—ought to tour and inspect, and punish according to the preceptual codes; if the matter cannot be brought under control, the king likewise has corresponding statutes.

The scripture stipulates that if those who have left the household to cultivate the Dao give the property of the Three Treasures (the Dao, the Jing [scripture], and the master) to officials or persons of power in order to seek private gain, they will cause ordinary people to give rise to fear and to a desire to curry favor. Even if something is built by this means, it is not equal to pure and quiet practice. Anyone who acts in this way should be judged as having misappropriated property.

Those who have left the household to cultivate the Dao should not mix with the secular world, should not seek fame or profit, and should not pursue merit through outward deeds. They should instead quiet the mind in reflection, enter a state of meditative concentration, and subdue external demons—the outer demonic obstacles spoken of in cultivation. Only this deserves to be called upholding the pure precepts, and it is the true root from which the methods of the Dao are nurtured.

Those who have left the household to cultivate the Dao ought to dwell in quiet seclusion, with their rooms empty and still. The scripture sets out ten matters that burden the person and ruin the Dao: occupying large tracts of waste land and establishing separate fields and residences; planting gardens and groves in pursuit of profit from the land; dealing in and stockpiling silk floss, grain, and cloth; keeping and buying and selling bondservants; raising all kinds of livestock; greedily amassing rare delicacies; becoming absorbed in amusement; adorning curtains and canopies with bronze ornaments; wearing strange and sumptuous clothing; and greedily seeking precious treasures. None of these ten things should be done. Those who cultivate the Dao ought earnestly to correct their faults, so that their practice is renewed day by day.

The code stipulates: If someone comes seeking help, this is because a purification rite (zhai) is held for the Three Treasures, the methods of the Dao (the Way) are transmitted, scriptures (Jing) are expounded and recited, or offerings are received for the turning and reading of scripture. All property obtained on account of the Three Treasures shall be handled according to the provisions of the Mingzhen Code and distributed by the method of the “twelve shares for the places of transmission.” As for property obtained apart from this, one may dispose of it at one’s own discretion and use it for almsgiving and relief; yet one must not accept unclean property, nor give unclean things as alms, for to do so is to violate the regulations and incur guilt.

The code stipulates: If disciples, concerned about cold weather, unsettled times, or famine, store silk floss, silk cloth, and grain in advance so as to aid others in emergencies, this is not prohibited.

The code stipulates: If someone brings implements, weapons, birds and beasts, or other items that do not conform to the regulations to give as alms, none of these are to be accepted.

The code stipulates: If someone takes silk cloth and grain intended for the support of others and stores them in reserve so as to give aid in emergencies, this is not prohibited.

The code stipulates: If someone brings implements, weapons, birds and beasts, or other items that do not conform to the regulations to give as alms, none of these are to be accepted.

The code stipulates: If someone sends slaves to be put to the service of others, they are not to be accepted at all; but if these persons are willing to keep a vegetarian diet and uphold the precepts, they may be accepted.

The code stipulates: If the dwellings of those who have left the household adjoin the sons and daughters of lay families, each side must securely close the doors at night; failure to close the doors violates the precepts.

The code stipulates: Those who have left the household would rather bear the charge of stealing bells or sacred images than speak of the private matters and disgraceful affairs within other people’s homes.

The precept states that monastics must dress and wear their shoes neatly, and must keep due measure in walking, sitting, rising, and in talk and laughter. If illness, intimidation or fright, or injury from being chased by wild beasts causes one’s bearing or dress to fall short of the rules, this need not count as a breach of the precepts; apart from such cases, doing so on purpose counts as a violation of the code.

The Immortal Lord asked, “What is a violation of the code, and what is a violation of the statutes?” The Perfected One replied, “An act not expressly set down in writing as a formal offense, if it is judged a violation of the code, is punished by the staff; an act not expressly set down in writing as a formal offense, if it is judged a violation of the statutes, is punished by the rod.” The staff penalty is beating with a staff; the rod penalty is beating with bamboo boards or switches of thorn.

The precept states that property found hidden in the wild must be turned over to the king. If the goods bear an epitaph or inscription stating that they are intended for meritorious works such as scriptures (Jing) and images or halls and shrines, the finder disposes of them as the inscription directs, applying them to almsgiving or to building and repair, and need not report the matter to the king. Failure to do so is a violation of the code of the ten evils. If ordinary articles are found by the roadside or in the wild, one should examine the marks on them and return them to their owner; if the owner cannot be found, they are delivered to the changzhu (the communal property of the monastery or temple). Otherwise one violates the code.

The precept states that in winter one bathes once every ten days. First an enclosed bath chamber about six chi square is prepared, a water trough and a stove are set in it, and hot water is brought in through pipes. Peach branches, cypress leaves, fragrant thoroughwort, bamboo leaves, and the like are also placed in the hot water, which is then strained through a basket filter. When all is ready, the kitchen drum is struck, and the monastics enter the bath in order of rank. Men and women may not bathe in the same room, nor share a bath chamber or bathing clothes with laypeople; failure to observe this is a violation of the code.

The precept states that monastics must not drink wine. One may not drink on the pretext of cold weather, nor by falsely claiming a pain in the abdomen. A change of complexion after drinking, or quarreling and fighting with others, is likewise not permitted. One must not share a bath chamber or bathing clothes with laypeople. Failure to observe any of these rules is a violation of the code.

The regulations of the Dao (the Way) stipulate that those who leave household life to cultivate the Dao must not drink wine. Some plead cold weather or a stomachache as an excuse, yet after drinking their complexion changes, and they may even quarrel with others and abandon the proprieties that distinguish high and low. Whether one is receiving offerings, attending a zhai feast, performing a zhangjiao (a ritual of submitting memorials and petitions to the deities), traveling about, or handling public or private affairs, drinking causes one to lose propriety and right conduct, sullies the reputation of the Daoist community, harms the methods of the Dao, and makes it impossible to spread the teaching. When accepting another’s invitation, cleanliness should come first; in both public and private matters one should remain dignified and solemn. All who violate these rules are to be dealt with according to the regulations.

If someone is truly ill, the illness is known to everyone, and medicine must be taken, this does not count as breaking the prohibition; the patient, however, should be made to leave the ritual precinct and must not enter the seats where the ritual service is held.

Some cite the Lingbao Jing (scripture/classic of the Numinous Treasure), “Wine is set at the Abbey of Floating Clouds; they drink aloft on the Terrace of Jade Clarity,” and take this to mean that the methods of the Dao permit drinking. A Zhenren (Perfected Person) replies that this is a misunderstanding. The Taiqing Jing (Scripture of Great Clarity) says that gold and jade are transformed into thirty-six kinds of liquid: gold turned to water is called golden liquor; red jade turned to water is called jasper liquor; white jade turned to water is called jade liquor, also known as jade fluid. The Dingzhi Jing (Scripture on Fixing the Will) says that there are five kinds of jade fluid, that drinking them does not intoxicate, and that cultivators of the Dao should constantly keep pure practice in mind. The immortals’ jade fluid spoken of here is not the wine of the ordinary world; therefore one cannot on this basis hold that the methods of the Dao allow drinking.

When monastics are traveling outside and see people fighting, or encounter a lack of filial respect for parents, a lack of affection among brothers, theft, participation in war, or the injuring and killing of people, they should return to the abbey, bathe in fragrant water (scented water used for purification), and then quietly contemplate the profound principles; they must not commit acts that violate the precepts.

When food is received at the zhai meal, it should be taken upon a clean hand cloth.

After the zhai meal, the mouth and teeth should be cleansed with a willow twig (a twig used for cleaning the mouth and teeth).

When a zhai rite is held, one should follow the arrangements of the presiding officiant and, according to the twenty-four Qi (vital energy)—the twenty-four rhythms of qi-transformation spoken of in Daoism—determine what is gained and what is lost in the ritual.

When a junior master (a Daoist of lower seniority) meets a dade (a Daoist of lofty De [Virtue/Power] and senior standing), and when one finds scriptures or sacred images behind oneself, one should attend and uphold them at one’s side and must not turn one’s back on them in neglect.

The precepts stipulate that, when scriptures (Jing) are transmitted and the precepts conferred, female officers (nüguan) may enter the abbeys of Daoist priests, and Daoist priests may likewise enter the abbeys of female officers. They must first request permission from their masters, who shall assign their places and inform the assembly, so that everyone knows and observes the strict regulations and precepts. One must not go alone to hear the teaching; two should travel together, enter the ritual hall directly, and must not enter private rooms, lest the rites be disturbed. They must depart on the same day and may not stay overnight; otherwise they violate the precepts.

This precept text further reiterates that, when entering the abbeys of female officers, one must likewise request the master’s permission, have the master make the arrangements and inform the assembly, and abide by the rules set out above.

Male and female Daoist officials (daoguan), each according to sex, take as master a Daoist official of the same kind; those who cultivate the methods of the Great Dao (the Way) take a qualified great ritual master (dafashi) as their teacher. Every ten days they must go to the master to hear and receive instruction. On the appointed day they should set their ritual robes in order and, with sincerity and reverence in their hearts, proceed directly to the master’s gate in a grave and respectful manner, without turning aside along the way. On arriving at the gate they first announce, “Disciple so-and-so has come to inquire after you.” When the master learns of this, he dresses properly, burns incense in the scripture-recitation chamber, and only then admits the disciple. Before the master the disciple unhurriedly performs three formal bows, then asks, “Has the master been well in daily life of late? Have body and cultivation suffered no harm?” If the master is well, he replies, “Worship and the recitation of scriptures have not been neglected.” If the master is ill, the disciple should attend him according to the circumstances.

If the disciple has committed a fault, the master first tells him, “You have done such-and-such an improper thing; you ought to receive the admonition of the precepts and correct yourself.” The disciple bows in thanks and says, “I have failed to restrain myself, and have troubled the master to admonish me.” He bows in thanks again and says, “From this day on, I dare not offend again.” If the day happens to be one of purification fasting and precepts (zhai), a fast-offering is prepared; if it is not a fast day, nothing further is arranged. When the disciple takes leave, he bows once more and says, “May the master take good care of himself.” The master admonishes him again: “Wherever you may be, diligently cultivate purification fasting and the precepts, guard yourself with caution, and do not give rise to a heart of pride and arrogance.” The disciple answers respectfully and withdraws, walking three steps before turning to depart, and must not enter any other room. After returning to the Daoist abbey (guan), he should tell the master’s instruction to everyone in the abbey and must not conceal it.

If a female Daoist official lacks the qualifications of a great ritual master and does not know how to transmit the methods, she may seek instruction and receive the teaching from a male Daoist official; if there is a female Daoist official of profound virtue, a male Daoist official may likewise go and seek instruction from her. The rules of ritual greeting, advancing, and withdrawing are the same for male and female Daoist officials.

Someone asks: If a Daoist priest or a female Daoist official is unreasonably bullied by laypeople, upon whom should they rely? The answer is: They may inform their parents and brothers, or ask influential persons in the village to protect them. If the Daoist priest or female Daoist official has indeed been at fault, the matter may be reported to the Daoist community, which deals with it according to the precepts; if they still do not submit, it is sent to the government offices for punishment.

Someone asks: When the Celestial Worthy (Tianzun) first attained the Dao, men were permitted to leave the household; from what time, then, could women enter the Dao? The answer is: Because people delighted in a pure faith, and because husbands and wives who cultivated the Dao together had achieved results, the Celestial Worthy permitted both men and women to leave the household. When a wife cultivates to the corresponding stage of attainment, she may be honorifically titled “Jinzhonghou Taifuren” (Grand Lady, Marquis of the Golden Center); women may also enter the Dao in succession. After the Jing (scriptures) and precepts have been transmitted, if a female Daoist official sees a man enter the Dao and receive the natural law of Laozi (ziran fa), she should pay him ritual respect and, according to the rules, guide and receive him, for this helps to continue the sacred teaching. If she sees that he has faults, she should care for and comfort him, and must not revile or slander him. Boys who have received the parish registers (zhilu) must also pay ritual respect to the female officials of the Great Cavern (Dadong), so as to show respect for the teaching.

Someone asks: When boys and girls observe the scriptures and precepts, and a royal command has permitted them to leave the household, according to what rite should they proceed? After ordination, must they still pay homage to their parents? The answer is: In order to continue the Daoist transmission and to spread, uphold, and protect the entry of men and women into the Dao, one should select persons who are upright, kind and gentle, intelligent, and possessed of a heart for the Dao. The master first examines them, and only when their conduct is confirmed to accord with the norms are they permitted to study. Once royal permission has been obtained and the laws of the time have been satisfied, one should, in a great abbey, prepare the mysterious altar (xuantan), set out the lanzuan (vessels placed on the altar for ritual use), and perform the ceremony according to the method of “Mingzhen bazui” (Illuminating the Perfected and Removing Sins).

The male and female disciples of Dao-heart preparing for ordination stand, separated by sex, on the two sides south of the altar, forming two rows; the officials supervising ordination and the others stand crosswise due south. The ritual master of the Great Cavern stands before them, sets out the table and mats, burns incense, and offers praise:

“Great Sage, Worthy of Heaven and Humanity, revered through all generations. Now the honored king has aroused a compassionate and good heart, causing the many to enter the orthodox Dao. That the many may enter the orthodox Dao truly depends upon the king’s grace. From this time they forever leave the entanglements of the secular world and long seek the sacred realm; they will surely obtain the benefit of the methods of the Great Dao, and together tend toward Wuwei (non-action).”

When the praise is finished, the ritual master tells the newly ordained: From this day you must ritually revere the holy perfected and leave secular ties of kinship. Each person performs three rites of homage, signifying farewell to the secular world. The first homage is to the king and sovereign lord, in thanks for his grace; the second is to the officials of prefecture and county, in thanks for permitting them to leave the household; the third is to parents living and deceased, in thanks for allowing them to leave the household and depart from the secular world.

When the three homages are complete, the ritual master bestows cap and robe upon one newly ordained person and says: “The transforming teaching of the sacred religion is vast without limit; it takes the stars as its cap and the sun and moon as its robe, models the movements of heaven and earth, does not let the four seasons fall out of order, widely delivers living beings, and seeks to transcend the Three Realms (sanjie).” The ritual master then has the whole assembly cry “good” together and snap their fingers three times; the Daoist priests already in the community likewise each cry “good” and snap their fingers three times. Afterward everyone puts on ritual robes. The officials, according to the rite, offer incense and process around the altar for three circuits, with the senior Daoist priests leading in front. When the rite and the praises are ended, a fast-offering is set out; when the fast is over, the assembly thanks the Daoist community.

Next, from elders to juniors they sit in order, and parents and brothers all come to perform the rites. Before their sons and daughters, the parents call themselves “disciples.” After the vows are made, the master blesses the ordained, wishing that they will surely attain the Dao and, together with their parents, enter the orthodox Dao.

Someone asks: After leaving the household, from childhood to old age, what stages of status are there? The answer is that there are five: from seven to eleven one is called “Puche daoshi” (Rush-Cart Daoist); from twelve to fourteen, “Zhuxie daoshi” (Evil-Halting Daoist); from fifteen to nineteen, “Chenshi daoshi” (Hastening-to-Bestow Daoist); from twenty to sixty, “Honghu daoshi” (Broadly Protecting Daoist); and from seventy to ninety, “Zhuchi daoshi” (Abbot Daoist).

Someone asks: What do the ways of the Three Vehicles (sancheng) respectively take as the aim of cultivation? The answer is: Practitioners of the Lesser Vehicle dwell secluded in mountains and forests, regulating and nourishing themselves and preserving their own persons; practitioners of the Middle Vehicle, once their own virtue has grown profound, also attend to rescuing living beings; practitioners of the Great Vehicle forget their merits, cast aside selfish intention, and make vast vows.

The scripture says that if one can persuade another person to leave household life, the merit is exceedingly great even when that person is one’s own child. Such merit is like merit that fills countless worlds as fine as dust; even if someone makes banners and jeweled canopies, hangs them up, and accumulates merit all the way to the realm of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), this still cannot equal the merit of persuading someone to leave the household.

The scripture further says that both monastics and householders may produce scriptures and sacred images. When a householder uses materials such as gold, wood, or copper, or paints and copies a sacred image in color and offers it with sincere devotion, this is called “making an image.”

If someone, with a heart of faith and reverence, donates fields, dwellings, and gardens, yet another person seizes them, the matter should be reported to the original donor, and householders should sell these properties. The text then goes on to say how such property ought to be disposed of.

Those who keep the retreat and cultivate the Dao differ from ordinary people of the world, yet in the face of death and illness they likewise have no fixed, unchanging way of proceeding. When someone falls ill, one should, in modest measure, follow the ritual procedure, reciting scriptures (Jing) and burning incense day and night without interruption. At life’s end one strikes the Chime of Impermanence—a ritual instrument reminding everyone that worldly affairs are impermanent—to attend the passing, and one handles matters according to the “Method of the Five Refinements for Generating the Corpse,” a Daoist rite concerned with funerary practice and salvation through refinement, so as not to lose all order on account of the illness.

Everyone in the abbey should take turns visiting the sick, look in on the kitchen, and see that the patient receives food and drink first. When illness is grave, a person often cannot see clearly the measure of their own life; as their store of blessings nears its end, they wish to flee and hide in one place after another. All such conduct comes of having earlier lacked merit on which to rely, so that arrangements are made only at the last moment in panic—and the result is merely to hasten death. One should sprinkle and sweep the lodging clean, open the rooms, and let spiritual friends who come and go—persons of virtue able to guide practice—set forth the principles of life, death, and allotted fate, reminding one another, and one should invite someone to expound the teaching of impermanence.

If the patient still has a chance of remaining in the world, one should judge whether their lifespan is already exhausted; if there is no longer any hope of recovery, they may be moved into the Hall of Transformation, a hall for housing the dying and performing the related rites. The Hall of Transformation may be built at the northwest corner of the abbey compound, as a separate courtyard, in the form of a hall of three bays and five purlins, with its door facing northwest. Upon a high seat in the hall one fashions an Image of Ascent into the Void, a sacred image expressing ascent to heaven: the figure sits upon a lotus, equal in height to an ordinary person, the left hand pointing toward the Gate of Heaven, with one Perfected (Zhenren) standing in attendance on each side.

If those attending the patient fear that breath is about to fail, they may move the person into the hall and place them behind the seat of the image. One uses a single intact length of yellow patterned silk as a banner, two zhang and four chi long, and ties the head of the banner to the patient’s hand. One has the patient set mind and intention aright, wishing to follow the two Perfected up through the Gate of Heaven and on to the Golden Portal, the dwelling of the Celestial Emperor. If the patient has not yet undergone responsive transformation—here meaning has not yet departed and ascended smoothly—one continues to establish fields of merit and accumulate virtuous deeds on their behalf; a man faces the Perfected on the left, a woman the Perfected on the right. Once a person has entered this hall, it is often hard to leave it in peace. At the verge of death all say they are not yet weary, and they cling especially to life; it is precisely for this reason that these arrangements are made. A gentleman who thoroughly understands the principles of fate does not treat remaining in the world or leaving it as an attachment.

When traveling away from home, one must choose companions with care. They should meet ten conditions: the first is to seek a kindred spirit; the second is that their views be upright; the third is that their minds and intentions accord; the fourth is that they care for one another in illness and hardship; the fifth is that they draw on each other’s strengths to make up for shortcomings and take one another as teachers; the sixth is that their bearing accord with proper norms; the seventh is that they act with caution and self-restraint; the eighth is that they know to bow respectfully upon seeing others; the ninth is that they treat people with thorough courtesy; and the tenth is that their advancing and withdrawing, and their deportment, accord with ritual propriety. Only when these conditions are met may they travel together.

Disciples who study the methods of the Dao (the Way), and guests who have just come seeking lodging, whether old or young, should all be properly settled. First arrange their lodging, then provide what they need; third, have them join the assembly in paying homage; fourth, teach them the rules and taboos of this monastery; and fifth, tell them what to avoid and what to heed in different places.

Laymen of pure faith who live at home (qingxinshi—laypeople who believe in Daoism and uphold pure precepts), if they wish to enter a Daoist monastery, take part in purificatory fasts to hear the teaching, or attend offering assemblies, should all remain clean, untainted by pungent things such as onions and garlic or by the smell of wine, and dress neatly. They should fasten their clothing properly, behave with humility, compose body and mind, and be modest and reverent. They first bow to the Celestial Worthies (tianzun—the deities venerated in Daoism), then to persons of high virtue and great prestige, and afterward to Daoist priests who have received the precepts. After entering the monastery, all should hold reverence in their hearts.

If fasting assemblies for expounding the scriptures (jing) are held each day, they are usually conducted in two periods. Those who come should go directly to the seats for worship, bow to the Celestial Worthies, and then sit down. When laywomen (shannüren—female devotees who cultivate at home) come to attend, they follow the same rules. One must not joke and laugh noisily or behave frivolously, nor apply rouge and powder or deliberately adorn the eyebrows and face. One should attend single-mindedly to a proper appearance, watch and listen to the wondrous teaching, and express reverence by offering incense and making vows, wishing to cultivate the Dao and attain the Dao together with everyone.

When laypeople lodge at a Daoist monastery, they must not sleep on the beds ordinarily used for sitting and reclining; they may sit and recline on beds set aside for guests. When sleeping, they must not remove their clothes and expose the body.

The liturgical texts say that no kindness is greater than filial reverence toward one’s parents and teachers: to provide for them in person, with a gentle and respectful manner and without lapse, is the greatest kindness. One may also exhort and urge them to do good; the merit of this is equal to providing for them oneself. When parents are old and poor, ill, or have died, and lack clothing and food, medicinal decoctions, tea, cakes, and the like, one should supply these needs and attend to their affairs to the best of one’s ability. If parents do not revere and trust the Three Treasures—the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha—one should counsel them with a kindly expression, so that they may gain the benefit of the true Dharma.

Someone asked: If laypeople wish to observe the purificatory fast (zhai), how should they be instructed? The answer: One may first teach them to keep the fast on the six fast days of each month—the first, the eighth, the fifteenth, the twenty-eighth, and the twenty-ninth. If they can go further, teach them to fast on the first, the fourteenth, the fifteenth, the twenty-third, the twenty-fourth, the twenty-eighth, and the twenty-ninth. Going further still, add fast days according to the dates listed in the scripture (jing). A further step is to observe the Ten Upright Fasts on the first, eighth, fourteenth, fifteenth, eighteenth, twenty-third, twenty-fourth, twenty-eighth, twenty-ninth, and thirtieth of each month. If they still wish to practice with greater diligence, they should keep the Fasts of the Three Primordials in the first, seventh, and tenth months. Beyond that, they should fast throughout the six months of the first, third, fifth, seventh, ninth, and eleventh.

Those who wish to keep the fast should first receive the precepts. Precept practice begins by restraining the three karmic activities of body, speech, and mind. Bodily karma has three forms: killing, theft, and sexual misconduct. Verbal karma has four: false speech, clever and embellished talk, tale-bearing that stirs discord, and harsh abusive speech. Mental karma has three: craving, anger, and delusion. These ten faults all arise from the three activities and must be guarded against from the outset.

Someone further asked: When the meal is taken in the fasting hall, in what order should it proceed? The answer: If it is the ordinary, permanently maintained fasting hall, one kitchen supervisor is placed in charge. The supervisor first inspects the vegetables and other foods prepared in the kitchen, regulating what is raw and what is cooked, together with color and aroma, until everything is in proper order. He then consults the sundial to determine the hour; if the day is overcast, he uses the water clock, a timekeeping device, to fix the formal time of the meal.

At that hour the bell is sounded to assemble those who will eat. Each person’s vessels are brought into the hall and set out in order according to the seats. When the bell has ceased and the procession and hymns of praise are finished, and everyone is seated, water is first passed around, and then rice and dishes are served in sequence. The senior seat first offers food to the former master: the kitchen supervisor kneels, bearing the food tray, and sets it before the former master’s place. The head of the seats strikes the qing once—a small percussion instrument used in ritual—and the presiding venerable offers a prayer. Its purport is this: the fast is established for the True of the Dao (the Way), the Seed of the Dao, the Father of the Dao, and the Mother of the Dao, and for the Perfected, divine persons, immortals, and sages; all cultivate the Dao together and share in food and drink, wishing for life everlasting without limit. When the prayer is finished, food is first placed before the former master and then distributed to those keeping the fast. As the dishes are served, their names are announced so that everyone knows them; what is not wanted need not be taken. When the food has all been distributed, the venerable strikes the qing and announces that the meal may begin.

During the meal everyone sits upright and quiet. There is no talking or laughter, no audible chewing or sipping of soup, no coughing, spitting, or sighing, and spoons and chopsticks must not be allowed to strike together. Those in the senior seats should eat slowly. Distribution proceeds in order and is repeated for three rounds, seniors first and juniors afterward. When the distribution is complete, the vessels are collected beginning from the junior seats. Food may be received only when it is time for the fast meal; before that time one must not ask for it. As the meal draws to a close, a portion of the food should be taken out and given to all living beings. Apart from the kitchen supervisor, no one may go to the kitchen to request anything.

If someone arrives late and misses the time of the meal, that person should eat outside the fasting hall. To force one’s way into the hall is to violate the rules of the fast meal. To rise, already full, before the others have finished eating is called disturbing those seated. If one keeps the fast regularly over a long period and no former master is present, the offering to the former master and the prayer on his behalf are omitted, though a prayer is still offered for the food given to living beings. After the meal, drinking water is distributed in turn, and then water for washing the hands. When the vessels have been put away, the qing is struck, the end of the fast meal is announced, and all may rest as they wish. The venerable carries his vessels out of the hall and returns to his room to wash. The kitchen supervisor inspects the kitchen and makes sure that no one remains inside. Anyone who breaks any of these rules must perform twenty prostrations in public as a penalty.

When laypeople establish a fast and make offerings, the rules for seating, rising, and receiving food are the same. When fruit is offered, however, it must not be refused, lest the lay hosts think that one is picking and choosing. After the meal, if fruit remains, it may be taken away once the assembly has agreed. The procedure is to strike the qing and announce: “Food left from the fast meal is entrusted to the host to dispose of freely.” If the assembly consents, it remains silent; if not, objections are raised. The announcement is made three times. If someone keeping the fast has aged or ailing parents or teachers who need care, that person may rise and state a wish to take a certain fruit home for them; once the presiding venerable in the senior seat agrees, it may be taken. Apart from this, all remaining food is given to the host to take home and dispose of as he sees fit.

Someone asked: During the meal, should a portion of food be set aside and given to all living beings? The answer: According to tradition, when the world first opened, the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning commanded the Perfected who practice the Dao to descend and teach people to taste all the herbs. Later the five grains were found, and only then could human beings live. Hungry ghosts and other beings have no capacity to plant grain, so at the meal one should take out seven grains of rice and bestow them on all living beings. This is called “Shennong rice,” and also “the rice of all beings.” The scripture says that if any living being receives even one of these grains, that being will be filled for a thousand days.

The ritual codes state: The conduct, speech, conversation, and laughter of those who have left the household life should all avoid inviting ridicule, censure, and suspicion. Those who enter the Dao (the Way) and cultivate its methods must not casually say that they “will kill” or “give rise to a mind of killing,” nor say that they “will commit sexual misconduct” or “give rise to lustful thoughts,” and still less say that they “will steal” or “give rise to a mind of theft.” All words and deeds that do not accord with the correct teaching ought to be avoided.

The ritual codes state: After a sage has departed this world, living beings remember and look up to him; through this, people’s minds may be settled, and living beings may give rise to hearts of reverence and faith. One may build halls and sanctuaries, palaces and gate-towers, terraces and pavilions, install and adorn sacred images, and model or paint the Celestial Worthies of the ten directions, the true immortals, and the holy assembly. These may be made of gold, bronze, or iron, or of clay or wood, or as paintings. One should proceed according to one’s own means, and also set out banners and standards, ceremonial regalia, musical instruments, and the like, offering all manner of offerings.

If, after many years without repair, they are damaged by insects and rodents, soiled by bird droppings, or broken by being struck by oxen and horses, then so long as one holds reverence and faith in the heart and either repairs them with one’s own hands or provides funds to engage craftsmen to clean, refurbish, and set them in place again, the merit still surpasses that of those who first built them. Why is this so? Because restoration can once more arouse people’s reverence and faith, and also carries on the foundation established by those who came before.

The ritual codes state: When one pays homage morning and evening to the Three Treasures (the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha; here referring to the objects of veneration), this may be done upon the bowing board used for worship. When performing the walking rite, one may spread a mat on the ground and make obeisance. If, while on the road, a situation arises that calls for obeisance and no mat is available, one may also bow directly upon the ground. When bowing directly upon the ground, as the hands meet the earth one may bend the fingers so that the backs of the fingers rest on the ground, lest the palms pick up dust; this is called “protecting purity.”

Making obeisance upon a high bed, a flat bed, a long bed, or a square bed does not in any case accord with ritual form, and seriously violates the rites of honor and reverence. Even when calling upon a person of exalted station in the world, one must still take care that one’s advances and retreats and one’s bearing conform to propriety—how much more so when one is received in audience by the holy perfected and pays court to the true immortals, yet makes one’s reports and prayers while upon a bed. Those who act in this way will be subject to scrutiny in the unseen realm, for a term of one hundred days.

The ritual codes state: Before the venerated images…

Worshiping before a revered image—a sacred statue or portrait—is the same as attending upon the Perfected and receiving the holy teaching. Even when facing ordinary officials of the secular world, people still dare not be negligent or lapse in courtesy; how then, when paying homage to the Eight Perfected and the Seven Sages, could one wear an arrogant expression? Some speak in loud voices, mock and disparage one another, glare at each other in anger, or lie on their backs and lean askew. All such conduct binds one to offenses under the precepts of the unseen realm, and it also causes laypeople, because of it, not to give rise to reverence and faith.

A household of the fast—a family preparing the fast and holding fasting rites—must, on the day before the fasting period begins, first erect a long pole before the gate and hang upon it the “Great Banner of the Ten Severances” as a mark of the doorway, showing that this place has cut off vain display and sundry affairs and maintains purity, quiet, and secluded dwelling.

Those who leave the household to cultivate the Dao (the Way) should at all times be loyal and upright, and in going out and coming in, in movement and in stillness, they should put uprightness first. First they make themselves upright; next they make their disciples and juniors upright; then they make upright the conduct of all ranks, high and low, within the abbey (a Daoist monastery); thereafter they make upright the communities of the teaching from distant places; and finally, by the correct Dao, they transform stubborn laypeople. One who can make oneself upright and set a standard for others can cause disciples to act according to ritual and regulation; one who can make the community within the abbey upright can cause seniors and juniors to comply with one another; one who can make distant believers upright can cause the right principles of the Dao to be praised; one who can transform the stubborn can cause them to increase broadly in wisdom and understanding. Only when these things are accomplished may one be called a Daoist priest.

If one’s own conduct is not upright, one will be hated by others, and disciples will not respect one but will instead look down upon their teachers and elders. Within the abbey there are often no prohibitions; senior and junior, noble and humble, fall into disorder, and good faith and rightness are not observed, so that people near and far alike feel disgust. To bully and deceive the ignorant only adds to one’s offenses, and one is also unable to extend widely authority, credibility, and kindly virtue. If one goes further and entices the younger members and the male and female servants of other households, schemes to take their wealth and goods as one’s own, or privately colludes with others in dealings, so that one’s conduct does not accord with the correct Dao and over a long time one takes crookedness as one’s normal state, such persons are people who evade the precepts and are vicious and harmful to others; everyone should guard against them and remain on alert. If they do not accept chastisement, the king has laws of his own by which to deal with them.

The precept stipulates that when monastics—those who have left the household to devote themselves wholly to Daoist cultivation—return to their secular homes, they may go to their parents’ residence if the parents are still living, but they must set up a separate bed and may not share a bed or sit together with laypeople. If the parents fall ill, they are permitted to remain at their side to support and care for them. If they have no parents, they may lodge in the guest hall and comfort the elders and juniors of the household. They must not grow angry or speak loudly, nor may they jest, startle others, or laugh and play as laypeople do. To mingle indiscriminately with men and women and stay overnight is to violate the precepts.

The precept stipulates that to remit one ji—an ancient unit of time, here reckoned as three hundred days—is equivalent to remitting three hundred days, and that to deduct ten suan, units of reckoning, is to deduct ten days.

The precept stipulates that when calling upon one’s master, the teacher who transmits the practice, and upon elders of virtue and repute, one must in every case perform the rite of three bows and then stand in attendance at the side. When the other person bids one to sit, one first pays respects and only then sits; if the other person goes on to ask about some further matter, one must rise and stand to answer. The period prescribed for all of this is one hundred days, and to deduct ten suan is to deduct ten days.

The precept stipulates that when calling upon one’s master and upon elders of virtue and repute, one must in every case perform the rite of three bows and then stand in attendance at the side. When the other person bids one to sit, one first pays respects and only then sits; if the other person goes on to ask about some further matter, one must rise and stand to answer. When standing, the body should be held upright, the feet placed together, and the hands kept composed and restrained.

The precept stipulates that when a disciple sprinkles and sweeps, the broom must be laid on the dustpan and the dustpan carried in both hands, tucked beneath the arm. Sweeping has five requirements. When gathering dust in order to sweep, one should screen it with the sleeve and sweep the dust off to one side. One should sweep away every trace, leaving neither stains nor anything unclean. One should not turn one’s back on an elder, lest one appear disrespectful. When clearing away soil and refuse, the dustpan should face oneself. After the sweeping is finished, the broom and dustpan should be returned to their original place. Not to do so is to violate the precept.

The precept stipulates that when a disciple presents an object to the master, one draws near and offers it if the master is standing, and offers it while kneeling with the torso held upright if the master is seated.

The precept stipulates that when entering the room of an honored person, one must first ascertain that the person is inside the room or in the storeroom. If no sound is heard, one gives a cough as a signal. If there is still no response, one withdraws. If the person asks a question, one should give one’s name and state one’s purpose, and one may enter only after permission has been granted. One enters only when the door is open and does not enter when it is shut. On passing through the doorway, one’s gaze should rest directly on the honored person; glancing aside to the left or the right violates the precept.

The precept stipulates that when a disciple is paying respects to the master and a guest arrives, one should at once wipe the bed mat, the pillow, and the bedding, and sweep the area before and behind the room. When this has been done, one reports to the master, who decides whether the guest is to be received. One enters only when the door is open and does not enter when it is shut. On passing through the doorway, one’s gaze should rest directly on the honored person; glancing aside to the left or the right violates the precept.

The admonition says: When a disciple is attending the master (his teacher and elder) and a guest arrives, he should at once wipe the bed mat, pillow, and bedding, and sprinkle and sweep before and behind the rooms. When the cleaning is finished, he reports to the master, and only when the master orders that the guest be invited in does he lead the guest inside.

The admonition says: When a disciple has a matter to report to the master, if the master or persons of high De (Virtue/Power) from the same monastery or from another monastery are all in the room, he should first set his robes and cap in order, go to the outside of the door, and knock gently three times, then wait a short while. If he hears no reply, he knocks three times more; if after nine knocks in all there is still no answer, he should withdraw.

The admonition says: When the master or a person of high De returns from afar and someone is first sent to the monastery with word of it, the disciple should set his robes and cap in order and go out of the monastery to receive him. While waiting to welcome him, he should be mindful of the surroundings and must not, without cause, suddenly block someone’s way or startle others.

The admonition says: If on the road one meets the master or a teacher one knows, one should step aside to the leeward side of the road and avoid the other’s shadow; one must not cross the road to stop him and converse. One should bow in greeting; if the other has something to say, one answers; if not, one withdraws.

The admonition says: When accompanying a respected elder in going out and coming in, one should carry his staff and footwear for him. When climbing to a height or passing a dangerous place, one should stay close beside him and attend to him; in offering courtesy one bows with hands clasped; if the other has something to say, one answers; if not, one withdraws.

The admonition says: When accompanying a respected elder in going out and coming in, one should carry his staff and footwear for him. When climbing to a height or passing a dangerous place, one should support and look after him at his side, and must not let go and follow from a distance. In caring for the elderly and the young, one should use a fitting manner for each.

The admonition says: When a disciple goes out, he should first report it; on returning, he should greet his teacher. He should also inquire after the well-being of seniors and juniors, and only then take up ordinary tasks.

The admonition says: When the community is in doubt, do not simply press them to agree; when the community is discussing a matter, one should examine it carefully; when the community makes arrangements on its own, one should accord with the common view; when the community goes out together, one should not forcibly go against what is ordinary and reasonable. In daily life one should be modest and yielding, and respect others.

The admonition says: In governing the community, the master and persons of high De should be generous and open-minded, hold to principle while accommodating others, restrain the community with loving-kindness, be reverent and diligent in their duties, and be solemn and respectful in morning and evening practice. Toward those above they should be impartial and without favoritism; toward those below they should give no cause for resentment. Only then may their De be called profound.

The admonition says: If one has oneself done good, one should share it with those of lower station, and not claim all the merit as one’s own.

The Dongxuan Lingbao Code of the Thousand Perfected says: Those who study the Dao (the Way) do not expose the faults of others, do not boast of their own abilities, do not refuse the counsel of others, and do not harbor resentment in the heart.

When a Daoist purification rite is held, after the patron of the fast has finished paying homage to the Three Treasures—the Dao, the Jing (scripture/classic), and the Master—the patron places incense in the censer, then clasps the hands and kneels at length before the ritual master. The ritual master three times arranges the incense sticks and recites an incantation, praying that the patron’s ancestors of seven generations may leave the long, dark realm of suffering and behold the light in person; that calamities may disperse and blessings descend; and that they may transcend life and death and become immortals. When the incantation ends, the offering of incense begins (passing and presenting the incense fire according to the rite).

At the midday meal of the fast, the incantation says: May the supreme Dao of the Two Mysteries and the four quarters be pure and still, and may the Thearch Lord Taiyi and the hundred spirits be at peace. May the grain received nourish the Three Palaces—the upper, middle, and lower Dantian (energy centers) within the body—and moisten the spleen; may body and mind receive the Qi (vital energy) of Great Harmony and savor the Five Sounds (tones corresponding to the Five Phases: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water). May the hun and po souls and the Qi of life be settled, the seven fluids within the body circulate, the passes and orifices of the whole body be harmonized, the five viscera shine with luster, the two Qi of Yin-Yang unite, and one at last ascend in flight to the realm of Shangqing (the immortal realm of which Daoism speaks).

When a purification rite is performed for another and food is offered, the incantation says: Today is an auspicious day; we observe the fast and pay reverence to the Most High. The midday meal is furnished by the kitchen officers of heaven; may the host’s blessings be without measure.

For the food offered to former masters, the incantation says: Today a fast is established and offered to the true spirits of the Dao, to the seed of the Dao, the Father of the Dao, and the Mother of the Dao, and to the Perfected, divine persons, immortals, and sages. May they cultivate the Dao together and partake of the food together, their longevity without end.

For the food bestowed upon all living beings, the incantation says: Diligently cultivate the methods of the Great Dao, and with a devout heart commune with the unseen realm. The true spirits descend, scatter demons and bewitchments, and destroy every kind of baleful sprite. May the ancestors of seven generations be born in the Southern Palace (the sacred realm of which Daoism speaks), and may you yourself ascend to Shangqing. May blessings extend to all without omission; this ritual food is given to every living being.

The liturgical texts record that the incantation recited while eating porridge is: “Today body and mind are pure and clear, and I partake of the fare of the immortals. After offering incense I eat porridge, wishing that my lifespan be prolonged.” Another passage says: “Qian, Yuan, Heng, Li, Zhen (the five virtues in the Yijing, or Classic of Changes, that express the operation of the heavenly Dao, the Way), may my person become a great Dharma King. When the millet porridge enters the belly, may it render the five viscera cool and pure.” The incantation recited while rinsing the mouth is: “With a willow twig I cleanse mouth and teeth, wishing that both eyes be bright. May I obtain one branch to offer to the great Dao. The Dao lodges in the tree, and the tree bears many fragrant names; may I serve the Three Jewels (Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha) with body and mind.”

The liturgical texts say that those who leave the household to cultivate the Dao differ in aspiration from people of the world. Being fellow disciples of the same tradition, they should shield one another: conceal others’ faults and praise others’ good deeds; bestow kindness on one another, so that people near and far all commend them and, because of this, believe all the more in the teachings of the Dao.

A discourse says that good people under Heaven are few, while those who are not good are many. People today love to find fault, slandering and envying one another. They do not know to examine their own errors, but insist on blaming others. Even when others have a little good conduct, they still rush to defame them. Unwilling themselves to correct their faults and turn toward the good, they wish instead to spoil good deeds and keep company with evil. Thus those who ruin the teachings of the Dao are precisely people of this kind. The Venerable of Great Virtue gives a stern warning on this point.

The liturgical texts say that stealing objects used in fashioning images of deities is an offense equal to the Ten Evils (grave evil deeds). If one carries the stolen things back to another person’s house, meets along the way someone concerned in the matter and tells that person how it came about, yet in the end still keeps the things as one’s own, one will suffer the protracted examination of the Eight Gates (in Daoist teaching, the interrogation and punishment of the underworld) and, through myriad kalpas, will be unable to escape.

The liturgical texts say that one who steals the vegetarian offerings presented to the Daoist assemblies of the ten directions, or who, while serving as the person in charge of those offerings, privately appropriates them, will fall into the Fire-Pit Hell and emerge only after myriad kalpas; thereafter one must also enter Fengdu (the underworld spoken of in Daoism), undergo sixty years of judicial punishment, and long remain a hungry ghost.

The liturgical texts say that if there are people who wound others with malicious words and who band together with vicious fellows, one should constantly keep away from them. Even if one meets them by chance and truly cannot avoid them, one must still speak gently and compliantly and remain watchful within; if one cannot do so, grave misfortune will follow.

The liturgical texts say that all who cultivate the Dao, if their bearing and demeanor do not accord with proper form, thereby violate the liturgical precepts. These admonitions are told to you; you must discern them with care. The Immortal Lord, in obedience to the liturgical precepts, performed the bows and salutations and then withdrew.