《玄坛刊误论》

I am Wuweizi Zhang Ruohai. From childhood I studied within the Daoist tradition, specializing in incense-burning cultivation and Zhaijiao (purification ritual), and I took as my own responsibility the study of the zhai codes of the Three Caverns (Dongzhen/Dongxuan/Dongshen)—Daoist Jing (scripture/classic) together with Zhaijiao Keyi (liturgy). In the past I merely followed what had been handed down; when I met with doubtful or mutually contradictory points, and there was no one well versed in the subject whom I could consult, I had no way to check and correct them.

One day a man wearing rainbow robes and a cape of clouds came here, saying that he had come from the region of Tiantai and Siming. His manner was mild and upright, his gaze dignified and grave. He would not give his name, calling himself only “Master Yunguang,” and was clearly a recluse who had risen above the dust of the world. He was learned in Confucianism and Buddhism, and also thoroughly versed in the teachings and Keyi of the Daoist Three Caverns. I therefore set aside the business at hand and paused to keep company with him.

The master said that he had traveled throughout Xianyang, Luoyang, the rivers and lakes, Ou and Min, and Long and Shu, and had also visited immortal altars and numinous mountains. Whenever he saw the old Zhaijiao rites, he could not help finding that the order of the steps had been reversed. The rites you have learned likewise contain errors; are you willing to accept what is correct and amend them?

I replied, “My understanding is shallow, and I am very willing to follow good instruction.” With these words I bowed, rejoicing that I might seek teaching from the master. Every error he pointed out I recorded on the sash of my robe. Concerning errors in the rites of the Mysterious Altar, twenty items in all were set down; these matters had never been discussed in detail by worthies of former times, so I intended to arrange them and make them known to the public. Those who observe the statutes of the Three Heavens—the celestial realms of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing) revered in Daoism—may call this essay A Treatise on Correcting the Errors of the Mysterious Altar, in the hope that people will not cling to delusion and turn against right principle.

“On Entering the Jing Chamber, Section One” discusses the rules to be observed when entering the jing chamber, the quiet room in which Daoist priests perform Zhaijiao, cultivation, and other rites.

Master Yunguang said: Whenever a Zhaijiao (purification ritual)—the Daoist rites of praying for blessings and sacrificing to the deities—is held, Daoist priests should, three days before the ceremony begins, enter the fasting hall and the Jing chamber (the place where the Zhaijiao is performed and where one cultivates stillness of mind). They should bathe and cleanse the body, gather in mind and spirit, and still distracting thoughts; they should not come into contact with anything defiled, nor listen to pipes and song. They should set body and mind in order, concentrate with single-minded attention, and think only of the ritual procedures of the Zhaijiao.

Nowadays some Daoist priests go ahead of time to the residence of the one who presides over the Zhaijiao, yet they may not achieve quiet clarity free of stray thoughts, and in ordinary life they seldom offer silent worship. Even if they ascend the altar at short notice and have indeed not touched anything impure, the regulations of the teaching still require that the standards of ritual propriety be explained to them. Even granting that they already possess moral cultivation within, they must also display a grave and dignified bearing without. As for those who lack these qualifications, one must still less allow them to mingle in the ceremony. How can one remain amid the dust of the world in the morning and mount the steps of the sacred altar that evening? This, too, should lead them to examine themselves: do you consider this proper?

If, in a Daoist temple, it is impossible to prepare three days in advance, one or two days beforehand is also acceptable. When a lay household holds a fast and cultivates at home for a day and a night, this is likewise reasonable on the same principle.

Wuweizi bowed his head to the ground and replied, “I respectfully receive your instruction.”

A Further Discussion of the Section on Entering the Jing Chamber, the Second: a renewed exposition of the chapter on entering the Jing chamber, ranked as the second section.

Wuwei Zi addressed the master, saying: “As for entering the pure chamber (jingshi)—the dedicated place where Daoist priests observe purification and cultivate the mind in stillness—many people today merely follow old precedent. If the heart is truly sincere and reverent, why must these ritual procedures be arranged in advance?”

Master Yunguang said: “This is nothing more than vulgar Daoist priests deceiving vulgar people; it does not accord with sound principle. When the state performs the suburban sacrifice and the temple sacrifice, the officials who preside over the purification fast, from the Minister of Ceremonies all the way to the Grand Commandant, must first observe four days of dispersed fasting and three days of strict fasting. After receiving the precepts and swearing their vows, they may not offer condolences at funerals or visit the sick, may not perform music, may not adjudicate documents concerning punishment and killing, and may not carry out punishments; they may not approach anything defiling, nor enter the rooms of their wives and concubines.

On the night before the sacrifice, they must spend the night at the fasting lodgings of the Department of State Affairs; the next day the censors clear the roads. On the way to the suburban altars and ancestral temples, the Office of the Imperial Insignia marks the boundaries and prevents monks, mourning sons in funeral dress, and funeral processions from passing, lest they offend the fasting officials or profane the exalted deities. If even the suburban and temple sacrifices are treated in this way, how much more so when one serves the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), the highest deities venerated in Daoism?”

Wuwei Zi said: “If one lives in an official residence, one must of course do this. But if one lives in a Daoist abbey, where the priests each dwell in their own pure chambers, must one still wait until the time of the fast to enter a separate pure chamber? Would that not be to belittle and demean oneself?”

The master said: “It is not so. The pure chamber in which a Daoist priest ordinarily lives is merely a room for sleeping and dwelling; it is not the place for entering purification and paying court to the Perfected. The halls established in the abbey—the Hall of Refined Contemplation, the Hall of Concentrated Spirit, the Hall of Contemplating the Subtle, the Hall of Preserving the Perfected, and the like—are the places for entering the pure chamber to cultivate. If one cultivates directly in the room where one lives, of what use are those specially established halls?”

Wuwei Zi said: “What you say is indeed reasonable. From this day forward, how would I dare not comply and put it into practice?”

Discourse on Precepts, Appointment, and Rank, the Third: the third essay, discussing such matters as receiving the precepts and appointment to office.

Master Yunguang said: Before the precepts are proclaimed, the ritual offices assigned, and the purification ritual (Zhaijiao) begun, if one is to enter the pure chamber (rujing; a preparatory abstinence of three days of quiet cultivation), the oath of the precepts should be administered on the first day; if one enters the pure chamber for only one day, the oath of the precepts should be administered at dawn on that same day. At the appointed time the Daoist assembly gathers in the ritual hall (fatang). The Master of the Mysterious Center (Xuanzhong fashi) presides over the Lingbao Ziran Chao (Rite of the Numinous Treasure’s Natural Audience), and the Gaogong master (Gaogong fashi; the Daoist priest who presides over the ritual services) proclaims the oath of the precepts. All must purify their minds, devote themselves wholly to the affairs of the retreat, and abide by the essential purpose of the teachings and precepts.

The six ritual offices are then assigned, so that each person attends to their own duty and nothing is omitted. When the proclamation of the precepts and the assignment of offices are complete, the Inspector of the Retreat (jianzhai) posts the roster of offices in the retreat hall (zhaitang).

What is seen in practice today, however, is otherwise. The Daoists performing the retreat gather on the same day and come before the Master of the Mysterious Center only at night. The patron of the retreat (zhaizhu) submits the written petition; after the master has reported it to the deities, they ascend the altar and carry out the rites. Only after the rite of “Repeated Thanksgiving” (chongxie) has been completed do they move to the cavern altar (dong’an; the table at which the related rites are performed) to proclaim the precepts and assign the offices. This is to perform the purification ritual first and only afterward to assign the offices—an inversion and disorder far too serious.

Only after Wuweizi carefully examined this set of rites did he perceive that the old arrangement of the ritual was in error. From now on, one may therefore act in accordance with the correct rites.

Fourth Section: A Further Discussion of the Proclamation of the Precepts

With reverence and solemn stillness, Wuweizi again addressed the master: “That the precepts are proclaimed and the offices assigned only after the Repeated Thanksgiving, as is done today, is truly an inversion and disorder far too serious.” Only after Wuweizi carefully examined this set of rites did he recognize the error in the former arrangement of the ritual. From now on, one may act in accordance with the correct rites.

Wuweizi stood in respectful attention and once more addressed the master: “Nowadays Daoist priests proclaim the precept text only after the repeated thanksgiving, and this practice has long been established. If it were changed all at once, I fear it would draw criticism.”

The master said, “What sort of talk is this? If a practice does not conform to the proper regulations, why follow old precedent? Sit down, and I will explain. The rite of audience with the Perfected is the same as the sacrificial liturgy of the state, though the incense, vegetables and fruit, and sacrificial wines employed differ. Seven days before the sacrifice, the Grand Commandant assembles the officers of purification at the Department of State Affairs, conducts the rites of purification and admonition, and announces that on a given day of a given month a sacrifice will be held at a given temple, requiring each person to fulfill his duties. Should anyone fail to do so, the state has its own punishments. Where there has been dereliction, investigation and penalty likewise come only after the sacrifice has ended. I have never heard of the officers of purification having their oath of the precepts supplied only after the sacrifice is over.

“Today, when Daoist priests ascend the altar, once the repeated thanksgiving is finished a ritual service has already concluded, yet they deliberately proclaim the precept text once more so that people may hear the words of the precepts. This, too, does not accord with the intent of purification and abstinence. The precept text sets forth the precepts to be observed when one first enters the Dao and receives ordination, yet the sequence has been mistaken: it is added only after the Zhaijiao (purification ritual) has ended, reversing what should come first and what should come later. Most likely, people of former times never corrected it and, following an erroneous Keyi (liturgy), left later generations to continue using this faulty version. Although some say that eminent worthies of the Daoist tradition once collated it, I do not believe them. It is like a prince or noble appointing an official: how could one wait until the official had already taken up his post and begun his work before handing him the document of appointment?

“You need only take this reasoning and discuss it with those who understand the matter. There will surely be people who agree with what in it accords with reason, and who will argue the case on principled grounds for me.”

When Wuweizi heard this reasoning, he realized at last that his earlier view had been mistaken.

On Dispatching the Incense Burner, Section Five: the fifth section, discussing the Keyi segment known as “dispatching the incense burner” (falu).

Master Yunguang said that “Falu” means the high priest (gaogong), censer in hand, offers incense to the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing)—the three highest deities venerated in Daoism—and announces in a memorial the purpose of establishing the purification retreat. The liturgical text first invokes “the Unsurpassed Three Qi (vital energy) of Mystery, Origin, and Beginning, the Limitless Great Dao (the Way), the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning, the Most High Great Lord of the Dao, the Most High Lord Lao, before the Jade Majesty of Spontaneity,” and then continues: “Your servant, now commissioned by a disciple of the Great Dao, Official So-and-so, named Such-and-such, establishes such-and-such a retreat for such-and-such a matter.” This is the priest paying a personal audience to the Ancestor, the Primordial Sovereign. Above the Three Pure Ones there is no higher deity, so there is no need to name other sages and perfected beings as well.

Nowadays, however, Daoists who perform retreats invoke “the Unsurpassed Three Heavens, the Three Qi of Mystery, Origin, and Beginning, and the Most High Lord Lao,” and further call forth from within their own bodies the Three-and-Five Merit Officers and the Emissaries of the Left and Right Offices. This amounts to asking Lord Lao to summon the spirits (Shen) inside the priest’s body. The liturgical text also says that the local earth god should be summoned and told to prepare his ceremonial appearance at once and come to receive commands. Yet the priest sets up the altar according to the regulations of the Three Heavens, and when he ascends it he is already above the Three Heavens, facing the revered deities and presenting his memorial. How, at that moment, can he still rely on the spirits within his body and summon the earth god besides, to certify his merit? It is truly unsuitable. Can an earth god ascend the altar of the Three Pure Ones? To tell him, moreover, to “prepare his ceremonial appearance,” as though one feared the secret matters of the rite might leak out, is truly ridiculous.

What is more, a Daoist who has received the registers is not even permitted to allow spirits of the rank of the Sheling of the Nine Provinces—divine officers in charge of local earth-altar shrines—to enter the sacred temple, for fear of disturbing the proper order between human beings and ghosts and spirits. Now, however, the earth god is summoned to ascend the altar of the Three Pure Ones—how is he to be settled there? It is as if a minister, while in audience with his sovereign, had his attendants summon street clerks and petty market officials and bid them enter within the palace steps to bear witness to the minister’s achievements. How could that possibly be fitting?

Wuwēizi respectfully accepted the instruction, so ashamed that sweat streamed down his back, and only then understood where those former practices had gone wrong.

On Directional Repentance, Section Six (the sixth essay discussing the ritual method of directional repentance)

Master Yunguang said: When the ritual master offers the “incense of the ten directions,” he first summons the true Qi (vital energy) that comes from the ten directions, causes it to rise from below, and then brings it before the Supreme Worthy of Shangqing (Upper Clarity).

When one presents a memorial to the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), one does not at the same time praise the honorific titles of the other celestial worthies, in order to revere the Three Pure Ones. This is like the principle that one realm cannot have two sovereigns, and the seat of honor cannot have two who stand supreme. Nowadays, those who practice the zhai (purification rites), after reciting the purification text and offering incense three times, go on to worship the deities of the ten directions and also perform confession and repentance of faults. This is not appropriate.

When a Daoist priest enters the jing (enters the quiet chamber to practice Daoist methods), he should take the Lingbao Ziran Chao as the foundation of the various purification liturgies. Because the various purification methods all come from the Dongxuan Lingbao division of the Three Caverns (Dongzhen/Dongxuan/Dongshen), it is called the ancestor of the purification liturgies.

One pays ritual homage to the Lingbao Tianzun of the Ten Directions (the Numinous Treasure Heavenly Worthies of the worlds of the ten directions), and at times rites of repentance and the acknowledgment of faults are performed as well. These rites should not be held on the altar ground, but conducted in the ritual hall. The repentance texts, some written on paper and some carved on wooden boards, are placed before the incense tables of the ten directions. They should not be recited at will while homage is paid in sequence, as a means of praying and making invocations to the Heavenly Worthies of the lower direction.

In addition, some rites also include homage to the sun, moon, and stellar lodges, the grotto-palaces of the Five Marchmounts, the Three Rivers and the Four Seas, the Water Emperors of the Nine Rivers, and the upper direction, the lower direction, and the Scripture Treasure, each accompanied by a repentance text. This is known as the “Twenty Directions.”

Later, others forced far-fetched interpretations upon these practices: when chanting the liturgy of homage, they bowed nine times to the east, three times to the south, seven times to the west, and five times to the north, three times to each of the four intermediate directions, thirty-two times to the upper direction, and twenty-four times to the lower direction. Such a practice is gravely at odds with proper ritual form. To place homage to the Heavenly Worthies of the ten directions and to the sun, moon, and stars before the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), the highest deities venerated in Daoism, might still be barely acceptable; but to pay homage to the gods of the Five Marchmounts and of the water palaces is highly improper. To honor the Five Marchmounts while failing to honor the Five Marchmounts beyond the seas likewise betrays a narrowness of vision.

It is like a minister who has a matter to report to his sovereign. If the matter concerns the prime minister, he should wait until court is dismissed and then present it at the prime minister’s residence. How could he, while in audience with the sovereign, suddenly turn and address the prime minister? The Three Pure Ones are as the emperor, and the Heavenly Worthies of the ten directions as ministers; the order of rank between high and low is no different in heaven from that in the human world. Therefore, to recite repentance texts directed toward the various quarters while paying homage to the Three Pure Ones is, in principle, unfitting.

After withdrawing, Wuwēizi pondered this carefully and found that these words drew a clear distinction between the exalted and the lowly and were thoroughly sound. How could he dare not to abide by them?

Chapter Seven: On Discarding Complexity in Favor of Simplicity

Wuwei Zi consulted Master Bai: “I already understand the reasoning behind the Fangchan rites you described. But if this practice is kept up over a long period, will people be willing to follow it?”

The Master said: “Ritual takes reverence as its foundation; it does not lie in elaboration. The Fangchan texts were composed by later generations. Although their wording is elegant and rich in allusions, and the performance involves many movements of bowing and rising, advancing and withdrawing, it is not fitting to keep the exalted perfected and the holy assembly waiting while they listen again and again to the prayers and confessions of the human world.

“In former times, when Ji Wenzi presided over a sacrifice, the rite continued until the candles were lit. Those in charge of the sacrifice stood leaning for support. Although reverence remained in their hearts, their bearing had already grown slack. Later, when Zilu took part in a sacrifice, it began at first light and ended in the later morning. Confucius exclaimed, ‘Who says that Zhongyou does not understand ritual?’ This shows that a rite arranged with brevity can still express reverence.

“Nowadays, when a three-day ritual assembly is held, there are eleven morning and evening services in all, yet the Fangchan occupies nine of them. The patron of the retreat and the retreat officers—those who preside over the Zhaijiao (purification ritual) and manage the rites—stand performing the liturgy for so long that they grow exhausted and lean upon the altar mats. How can they bear it? Would it not be better simply to write out the confession text and read it through once?”

Wuwei Zi asked again: “Could one read it once in each of the nine services?”

The Master said: “If the confession text truly must be recited, then among the nine services over three days one may choose, after an important rite of thanksgiving has ended and the court has withdrawn, to recite it two or three times. One need only change the confession text, and not read the same piece over and over within the three days. In this way one neither prolongs the ritual session—the services of the rite—nor wearies the retreat officers excessively. If one proceeds in this manner, what objection can there be?

“Moreover, ritual neither descended from Heaven nor arose from the earth; it is simply devised by weighing human feeling. So long as fullness and brevity are properly balanced, who can say that this is unsuitable?”

Wuwei Zi bowed with hands clasped and replied: “I am willing to proceed in this way.”

Master Yunguang said: With reverence held within and the rite performed in silence, there is no need to add elaborate ceremonial wording. Whether one bends or straightens the body, kneels or rises, there must be reverence in the heart, and the outer posture must be respectful as well, so that the inner mind and outward bearing answer one another. This may also be called “prostrating the five limbs upon the ground” (wuti toudi).

“Qishou” is a single bow, with the forehead touching the ground; “dunshou” is likewise a single bow, with the head touching the ground; “zaibai” means bowing twice. Thus, when one says “qishou, dunshou, zaibai” in succession, the whole should amount to four bows.

“Chenghuang chengkong” was originally a rite in its own right: holding the jian (the ceremonial hand-tablet), one bends and prostrates twice, then, still bearing the tablet, kneels upright for a moment, and afterward prostrates twice more before the rite comes to an end. Nowadays those who practice the purification rites (zhai) often recite “chenghuang chengkong, qishou, dunshou, zaibai,” yet in fact they bow only three times, concerned merely with making up the number of bows. In this way they do not express reverence by prostrating the whole body; and as people simply copy one another, the rites fall seriously short. Master Wuwei (Wuweizi) said: “From now on, this ritual procedure ought to be observed.”

Master Yunguang said: What is called the “Jing” (scripture/classic) is the teaching spoken by the Most High (Taishang); people ought to receive it and faithfully uphold it. The original purpose of upholding the scripture is to put its meaning into practice in one’s own cultivation, or to apply it in governing the state.

The performance of Zhaijiao (purification ritual) and the recitation of scripture should properly take place within the ritual hall. The ritual hall is the main hall of a Daoist abbey; behind the hall a lecture hall is set up, with the precious scriptures placed in the center, the Ritual Master of the Mysterious Center (Xuanzhong Fashi, the station of the transmitting master venerated in Daoism) arrayed on the left, and the Celestial Master (Tianshi, the station of the master venerated in Daoism) arrayed on the right. If the ceremony is held in a palace or a private residence, offerings to the Three Treasures—Dao (the Way), Jing, and Shi (the Master)—are arranged behind the altar, and this too may serve as a ritual hall; on each side of the ritual hall is set a lion seat (the seat from which the ritual master expounds the scripture).

Each time, after one has ascended the altar, paid homage, and withdrawn, the Gaogong (the ritual master who presides over the Zhaijiao) and the retreat officers should open the scripture within the hall; the Dujiang (the master who assists in expounding the scripture) and the scripture attendants (those who serve the scripture and assist in the rite) then ascend their seats and explain the meaning of the scripture, so that those who have not yet understood may receive instruction. What the Shijing Jianwen (Brief Text on Attending the Scripture) calls “the seats guarding both sides of the lion seat” refers precisely to this arrangement.

Those who perform Zhaijiao today often, once the morning audience and the presentation of the memorial have ended, chant the liturgy and recite scripture directly upon the altar; this practice is without justification. Before the scripture is opened, incantations must also be recited, yet these were originally only what the ritual master visualizes and intones in silence. Now the Daoist assembly, without waiting for the master to finish his silent recitation, chants them aloud—is this not contrary to the original practice?

Wuweizi has respectfully kept this excellent instruction in mind and treasured it, not daring to forget it.

On the Command to Establish the Altar, Chapter Ten (the tenth essay, discussing the establishment of the altar by edict)

Master Yunguang said: What is called “commanding the altar” was originally a rite of commanding water: one invites the true Qi (vital energy) of the five dragons of the five directions to descend into the water, so as to dispel defilement. At the numinous altars of monasteries and the blessed lands where immortals dwell, rites of prohibition and command need not be performed, for spirit officers already stand guard there—what evil impurity would remain to be cleared away? It is only that preparing the supplies for Zhaijiao (purification ritual), together with the coming and going of personnel, may bring in some foul Qi, so that a rite of dispelling impurity is sometimes required.

If an altar is set up and a retreat undertaken within a residence, the full rite of releasing prohibitions should be carried out; one need only pray that the true Qi of the Five Youth Lords of the five directions descend. Those who perform retreats today often say that the Azure Youth Lord of the East stands ninety million zhang in height, with a retinue of ninety million, and that the divine lords of the south, west, and north are likewise fixed according to the Qi of each direction. If that is so, why must their stature and the number of their attendants be prescribed? To perform the complete rite of releasing prohibitions, one need only pray for the true Qi of the Five Youth Lords of the five directions to descend. They further say that flying immortals, divine immortals, the sun, moon, and constellations, the Three Rivers and Four Seas, and troops and horses each number in the hundreds of millions—why must these quantities be spoken of in such profusion?

There is also the claim about the ritual ruler, that it can cover a three-tiered building and circle the altar three times. Since the mysterious altar of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing) has already been established, would one still, at the last moment, dispatch spirit officers to roof a hall? It is further said that a net of heaven is spread above and a net of earth laid out below. On the altar of the Three Pure Ones, why spread nets yet again? All such crude and improper words ought to be deleted.

Hearing this, Wuwēizi suddenly understood. He bowed with clasped hands and received the teaching.

On the Grades of the Jiao Altar, Chapter Eleven (discussing the ranks and regulations of the jiao altar, the eleventh chapter)

Master Yunguang said: “Jiao is another name for sacrificial rites. To offer meat is called ji; to offer vegetarian food is called jiao. Whenever a zhai rite is held, one must make offerings first to the exalted deities of the upper realm of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), next to the Perfected of the Ten Extremes, and thereafter, in descending order, to the Five Emperors, the Three Officials, the immortals, the numinous officers, and the rest. For three consecutive days and nights, incense, lamps, banners, and flowers are arrayed, and places are set in sequence for the offerings. This being so, why wait until the day the retreat disperses and then use wine to perform a jiao for the numinous officers? To do so before the zhai rite ends would violate the hierarchy of rank; to do so after it ends would hinder the ceremony of sending the deities off in the divine procession.

The Celestial Perfected and the various gods have already received the offerings in the zhai rite; why should the numinous officers receive a further jiao of wine? It is enough, early on the morning when the retreat disperses, to set before the places of the numinous officers the offerings and tea belonging to the jiao rite. Those conversant with the scriptures need not be puzzled by this.”

Wuwuzi said: “Using wine to perform the jiao rite has been customary for a long time. Can it be abolished at a single stroke?”

The Master said: “When a jiao is established separately, it has its own corresponding Keyi (liturgy), which differs from the method of the zhai from the outset. If wine and meat are not used, what is there to doubt? Yet the numinous officers within the zhai altar have received offerings of fragrant food for three days. How can they not depart with the divine retinue, but remain and refuse to leave, thereby marring the zhai rite? Such behavior would be improper even toward ordinary people. One should act in keeping with what is reasonable, and not credit the opinions of mediocre persons.”

Wuwuzi accepted the teaching and declared that he would remember it and observe it forever.

Item Twelve, “On Three Hua and Four Nights,” is the chapter that discusses “three hua and four nights.”

Master Yunguang said: Whenever a purification rite (zhai) is held, what is called the “performance of the Dao (the Way) at the nine times” means three days and three nights. If one further adds the rites of reciting merit and of presenting the memorial (submitting a memorial to the celestial court), the whole should come to eleven audiences.

What are called the “nine audiences” begin on the first night and continue through the fifth watch of the following day and the hour of the zhai; the second and third days each have three audiences, making nine audiences in all. On the third night one further audience is performed, called the “rite of declaring merit” (the rite of stating one’s meritorious deeds). At the fifth watch on the fourth day, the “rite of presenting the memorial and receiving grace” (the rite of presenting the memorial and giving thanks for grace) is held. Taken together, these amount to eleven audiences.

Those who hold purification rites today have already carried out the eleven audiences of ritual in sequence, yet they still do not distinguish the ritual forms of “declaring merit” and “receiving grace.” On the fourth day they go on to recite the Wushang Zhai Ci (the Statement of the Supreme Purification Rite), calling it “proclaiming the dispersal of the zhai,” so that the whole becomes twelve audiences. This way of proceeding is far too repetitive.

Wuweizi said: My knowledge is shallow and I am muddled and ignorant. I am grateful to receive the instruction you have bestowed.

On Chanting the Dao and Ascending the Altar, Chapter Thirteen

Master Yunguang said: Whenever a purification rite is held, before ascending the altar at each audience, should the ritual master and the official formation (the ranks of Daoist officials taking part in the rite) stand at the Mysterious Center (a specific position within the altar space)?

Wuweizi said: My knowledge is shallow and I am muddled and ignorant. I am grateful to receive the instruction you have bestowed.

Master Yunguang said: Whenever a purification retreat is held and the morning court rite is performed, the ritual masters and the officials in charge of the ceremony should form ranks before the Master of the Mysterious Center. After the Gaogong master (the officiant who presides over the rite and is responsible for invoking the deities) has made the opening declaration, the Dujiang (the one who leads the chanting of the ritual texts) should intone: “All in the ritual arena, each apply your mind, take refuge in the Three Treasures—the Dao (the Way), the Jing (scripture/classic), and the Master—offer praise, and perform the rites according to protocol.”

What is meant by “each person directing the mind” is that the ritual masters and the retreat officials should concentrate mind and spirit upon the place of utmost mystery, focus the spirit and visualize the sacred and solemn realm, and silently recollect and quietly sustain the contemplation. It is not that everyone should vie with one another to recite aloud in unison.

Those who conduct purification retreats today do not understand the purpose of the Dujiang’s chanting this line, nor do they follow the rule of concentrated visualization and quiet application of thought. They merely chant merits in a loud voice, and they do not even distinguish higher from lower among the ranks of the sacred perfected.

When ascending the numinous altar, one should originally enter through the Earth Door (the entrance in the altar space that symbolizes the earthly realm) and proceed upward along the altar steps to the height. When the morning rites are finished, one should descend through the Heaven Gate (the exit that symbolizes the heavenly realm). Those who conduct purification retreats today enter the altar through the Earth Door and also leave through the Earth Door, never passing by the Heaven Gate at all. This not only brings punishment from the Lingguan (the divine generals who guard the altar), but also draws the ridicule of those who understand the ritual regulations.

Wuweizi bowed his head in reverence, carefully recorded this clear instruction, and respectfully undertook to carry it out.

Chapter Fourteen: Recitation Before and After the Retreat Porridge (the fourteenth chapter: regulations concerning recitation before and after the retreat meal)

Master Yunguang said: Whenever one enters the hall and takes a seat, before either eating the meal of the Zhai (purification retreat) or drinking its gruel, one should first perform the purification—the rite of cleansing body, mind, and the ritual space—and then offer incense, burning it in reverence. After the headcloth has been smoothed and one’s appearance set in order, the offerings are arranged. The Dujiang, the Daoist priest who assists in presiding over the Zhai rite, then strikes the ritual chime three times. Once the ritual master has silently finished the Chusheng Zhou, the invocatory spell of the Zhai rite, the chime is struck twice more, and only then does the meal begin. When the meal is over, the chime is struck three times again. The Dujiang next recites the various hymns of praise and dedicates the merit, offering the merit of the rite in prayer for the benefit of all. Only after the hymns have been recited do the Zhaiguan, those who preside over or take part in the Zhai rite, rise.

Nowadays some who observe the Zhai, after finishing the meal or the gruel, go on to recite dedications of merit, running from the supreme Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), the exalted deities of the Daoist tradition, all the way through the Five Emperors and the Three Officials down to the titles of the perfected immortals, the divine immortals, and the numinous officers. This goes too far. Each time the Zhaiguan ascend the altar to present their court memorials, their bearing is invariably cautious and their caps and robes in order; facing the Chenji, the exalted seat of the sovereign or of the Celestial Emperor, they still fear that their demeanor may fall short. How, then, while sitting upright and eating one’s fill, can one recite the names of the highest sages and the celestial perfected, and claim that by this merit one makes a dedication and bestows blessing on the household for whom the Zhai is offered? Day and night one pays court and cultivates according to the rites—where, in the end, does the merit reside? One should wait until the meal is finished before reciting the names of the sages and the perfected. They think only of vying for superiority with the Buddhists, and do not fear thereby drawing down the punishment of Heaven.

Only then did Master Wuwei suddenly awaken to his former error. He bowed low and gave thanks.

Chapter Fifteen: On the Words in the Heart of the Zhai Sponsor (the fifteenth essay, on the prayers held in the heart of the one who sponsors the Zhai)

Master Yunguang said: In any Zhai (purification) liturgy lasting one day and two nights, three days and three nights, or seven days and seven nights (Zhaijiao, the Daoist rite of fasting and petition), the written petition should be changed each day. Although the purpose of the rite remains the same, the wording should differ each time, and one must not recite the same text again and again.

When the rite begins, the first petition should explain the general meaning of the rite and the reason it is being held, and it should not yet present the specific prayer. The second petition then expresses the intent of the prayer. The final petition first apologizes for having repeatedly addressed the sacred presence and presumptuously disturbed its hearing, and then expresses gratitude for the blessings received. Nowadays, some who conduct these rites read out a single petition over and over, regardless of how long the rite lasts. Would this not disturb the sacred hearing and hinder its review?

Consider an earthly emperor. When a subject submits a memorial, and the same matter must be reported twice, can the subject simply copy the old text word for word? If this is improper even toward a person, how much less is it proper before the Three Treasures (the Dao, the scriptures, and the masters revered in Daoism)! Wuweizi (Master Awakened to the Subtle) bowed his head to the ground and vowed to follow this clear instruction.

Chapter 16: On the Rules of Teaching and Transformation

Master Yunguang said: The rules of teaching and transformation are the standards left behind by the sages. "Teaching" means instruction, and "transformation" means change. By proclaiming the teachings of the Supreme One, both the human world and the heavens receive broad instruction and transformation. Once this transformation has spread, corresponding rules must be established, that is, standards of conduct and institutions. Once these rules are established, there are regulations and precepts (Keyi-style codes of ritual and discipline) to restrain outward behavior. Once the regulations are established, prohibitions are also needed to restrain the heart and mind. Once the prohibitions are established, there is dignified deportment (solemn and fitting bearing). Such deportment inspires reverence in people and also gives them something to follow.

When deportment is complete, whether one bows or looks up, walks or stands still, one should be composed and orderly. One should also preserve a true and sincere mind and cultivate the Dao with reverence. When ascending the altar to pay homage and present petitions, and when prostrating and touching the head to the ground, no movement should be flawed. Only then does one accord with the rules of teaching and transformation.

To promote the profound teaching and accord with the principle of emptiness and non-being, how could one fail to examine the scriptures and classics, and instead act on one's own ideas? Wuweizi bowed his head and accepted the instruction.

Chapter 17: On the Use of Music in Conducting Zhai Rites

Master Yunguang said: Whenever a purification fast is held and one cultivates the Dao (the Way) in order to worship the gods, this is called “chaoli” (court ritual). Once the rites have been performed, the music ought also to be made ready. Wuxizi kowtowed and accepted the charge.

On the Grades of Music Used When Performing the Purification Fast (Seventeen)

Master Yunguang said: Whenever a purification fast is held and one cultivates the Dao in order to worship the gods, this is called “chaoli” (court ritual). Once the rites have been carried out, the music ought also to be fully provided. In ancient times, when music was played at the Circular Mound (the round altar for sacrifice to Heaven), the gods of Heaven descended in response; when music was played at the Square Marsh (the square altar for sacrifice to Earth), the earth spirits (deities of the earth) rose in response. Striking the drums can harmonize the winds of the eight directions, and performing music can set the four seasons in proper order. Rites accompanied by music serve to join Heaven and Earth and to reach and move the gods and spirits.

I have carefully consulted the scriptures of the immortals: the immortal sages of the various heavens on Jade Capital Mountain (the celestial mountain of Daoist legend) perform the Grand Music of the Balanced Heaven (the magnificent music of the celestial realm), strike the yun’ao (a musical instrument of the immortals), blow the crimson xiao flute, sing the songs of the luan and dance the dances of the phoenix, raise colored banners and feathered regalia, burn incense and offer flowers, and, pacing to the rhythm of buxu (the walking rite of Daoist priests when worshipping the gods), chant hymns of praise as they circle in procession around the Celestial Worthy (Tianzun). This is the rite in question.

The ascending songs (the musical hymns sung during sacrifice) of today’s suburban offerings and ancestral-temple rites all praise and recount the virtuous conduct of the ancestors, and contain nothing else. Ordinary lyrics are unfit to be sung in the ceremonies of the court—how much less before the Jade Emperor, the Supreme Lord?

Wuxizi said: Nowadays every kind of miscellaneous music is widely arrayed in the palace halls, and the songs of Ba and the dances of Yu are mixed in among them as well. If even short folk poems can circulate, how could they fail to be brought into the buxu rite?

Master Yunguang said: When an emperor holds a banquet to entertain his ministers, this is called “a display of kindness and favor”; even then, the amusement of watching mixed performances is arranged, and songs of Ba together with dances of a slower tempo may all be presented. But the musical hymns of the suburban offerings and the ancestral temple are without exception solemn and elegant—how could coarse and inferior content be allowed to enter them? Still less, before the Supreme Lord and the Celestial Perfected (the true sages of the heavenly realm), is it fitting to use ordinary worldly speech.

When Wuxizi had understood the principle, he withdrew.

On the Grades of the Open-Air Altar (Eighteen)

The original text provides no main text after this heading.

Wuweizi asked Master Bai for instruction, saying: “A building has been raised upon the altar, called the Terrace of Myriad Wonders (Zhongmiao Tai), also known as the Terrace of the Void Sovereign (Xuhuang Tai). Master Du has already discussed this matter in full. Yet the altars set up in the Daoist temples (gongguan) of antiquity were all open to the sky, and the altars that the state now establishes in the four suburbs are likewise open-air. Although the institutions were later changed, I still feel that this does not accord with ancient practice. Please instruct me.”

Master Bai replied: “I have no objection to Master Du’s discussion. It is only that state sacrifices at the altars are held on fixed days; if rain soaks the participants and mars their ceremonial bearing, the rite cannot proceed. The altar halls of Daoist temples today are for the most part built and repaired through the labor and contributions of the community or the faithful. If rain makes it impossible to hold the rite, does this not heap a great deal of extra toil upon the zhai host, the person who presides over the Zhaijiao (purification ritual)? So long as the mind is pure and sincere and can reach the deities above, why worry that the eaves might stand in the way? An open-air altar and a roofed altar hall do not conflict with each other.”

Wuweizi listened and carefully took this in, then said: “What you have said truly speaks to my own mind.”

On the Merit of Sitting and Standing, Chapter Nineteen

Wuweizi asked Master Bai for instruction, saying: “In the Daoist temples of the present day, the Three Worthies (venerated deities of Daoism) sit together in a single hall, and even the Three Officials (the Official of Heaven, the Official of Earth, and the Official of Water) and the Five Emperors (the Celestial Emperors of the Five Directions) are all fashioned as seated images. If they could all be enshrined in the form of figures standing in attendance, that would indeed better accord with my wishes.”

On the Merit of Sitting and Standing, Chapter Nineteen

Wuweizi addressed the Master, saying: “In the Daoist temples (gongguan) of today, the Three Venerables—the three honored deities worshipped in Daoism—sit together in a single hall, and even the Three Officials and the Five Emperors are all sculpted as seated images. If they were all changed so as to stand in attendance, would that accord with ritual propriety?”

The Master said: “Whether divine images sit or stand is not difficult to explain in terms of ritual principle. Each temple has its own courtyards and halls, just as an emperor in the human world has his private chamber, while the Three Dukes and the Four Ministers each have their own halls. As for the officials of every rank who conduct affairs, each attends to his own post; since they are not attending a court audience, why must they all stand with hands clasped in respect? But when the emperor holds court and the officials form ranks and step forward, could one still have the chancellor and the Three Dukes sit facing one another? The principle of the rites of sitting and standing lies precisely here.

“Wooden carvings and clay sculptures of divine images in the temples, however, once completed, cannot easily have their seated or standing posture altered. If, on the other hand, the divine images of an entire altar are rendered in painting, they should all be depicted standing in attendance. Only then does the arrangement accord with the rites distinguishing high and low, while also taking human feeling into account.”

Wuweizi bowed his head to the ground and received the teaching.

On the Ritual Grades of the Zhai Banquet, the Twentieth (Chapter Twenty: on the ceremonies and ritual system of the purification banquet)

Wuweizi said to a gentleman surnamed Bai, “Nowadays, when the emperor holds a banquet, all the officials may take their seats. Why, then, before the ritual feast of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing—the three deities revered in Daoism: Yuqing, Shangqing, and Taiqing), must people remain standing the whole time with hands clasped in respect?”

Mr. Bai replied, “When ministers enter court, the master of ceremonies arranges the order of rites according to rank; the rites of paying court to the Three Pure Ones are the same. Both are court audiences, not attendance at a banquet. Once the purification meal has been set out, one withdraws from the place of audience and then eats—what is improper in that? Only when facing the three revered deities should one still stand in attendance. Check this against the records in the Tongjian, and what I say will be clear.”

Wuweizi departed in silence.

Someone said to Wuweizi, “Zhaijiao (purification ritual—the Daoist observance of fasting, setting up altars, and offering prayers) has been handed down for a long time. Now that you point out the improper elements mixed into it, this does indeed accord with the distinction of right and wrong. Yet people of shallow insight and coarse speech and conduct will likely still cling to mistaken claims and refuse to trust proper instruction. The multitude is accustomed to following old precedent, and over time comes to treat what is wrong as normal; what you advocate will, I fear, be hard to put into practice.”

Wuweizi replied, “My views come from accomplished men of the Dao (the Way), and I have also consulted broadly learned gentlemen. Since they all consider them fitting, why should I mind what others say? So long as they accord with tianzhen (natural authenticity, as Daoism understands it), why worry about worldly opinion? I hope those of discernment will look into this clearly and not reproach without cause.”

This piece was written on Shangyuan day in the eighth year of Tianfu (Shangyuan being the fifteenth day of the first month), at the Ziji Palace in Changsha. The author set the text down in writing and passed it on to fellow practitioners, hoping thereby to correct errors, so as not to be criticized by those of discernment, and also to free the cultivators of this tradition from ignorance and rigid adherence.