《要修科仪戒律钞》Vol. 4

Avoid the Snake hour (the double-hour of Si), and align with the power of the Celestial Dipper; this brings great good fortune. Violating this precept incurs a penalty of one hundred days’ life.

The precepts stipulate that petitions submitted to the gods to cultivate blessings and prolong life, dispel calamities, or cure illness should face east. Petitions seeking release from penalties connected with graves, the opening of the mind, the removal of misfortune, or passage through hardship should face west. Violating this precept brings one hundred days of illness. When illness is critical and death seems almost certain, petitions should face north. Petitions for self-cultivation and the preservation of life, or to increase one’s prospects for comfort and prosperity, should face south.

The precepts stipulate that when submitting a petition to confess wrongdoing, all members of the household, young and old alike, must first face north and confess before the Thirty-Two Heavens, the Daoist celestial realms. The whole household should let their hair hang loose, cross their hands, and face north, stating their transgressions at the beginning of the petition. Violating this precept incurs ten days of illness.

When choosing a day to cultivate life and seek comfort and prosperity, one should face south when submitting the petition.

The precepts stipulate that when submitting a petition to confess wrongdoing, all members of the household, young and old alike, must first face north and confess before the Thirty-Two Heavens. The whole household should let their hair hang loose, cross their hands, and face north, stating their transgressions at the beginning of the petition. Violating this precept incurs ten days of illness.

When choosing a day…

The precepts stipulate that petitions seeking wealth should be submitted on a Celestial Granary day or a Wuzi day; petitions seeking official rank should be submitted on a Celestial Treasury day, avoiding days that conflict with one’s own birth sign. Wu, You, Hai, and Chen are all days of punishment. Yin conflicts with Si, Xu with Wei, Zi with Mao, Shen with Yin, Mao with Zi, and Si with Shen. Violating this precept brings censure and a penalty of fifty days’ illness.

The precepts stipulate that the first and fifteenth days of each month, the last day of the month, and the Wuchen and Wuxu days are suitable only for worship and the practice of reciting scriptures. Petitions and formal appeals must not be submitted on these days. Violators will be censured by the Water Official and penalized with sixty days’ illness.

The precepts stipulate that Wuxu and Wuchen are auspicious days for submitting petitions that recount one’s merits. On the day of a great celebration, no petitions on other matters may be submitted. Violating this precept brings censure and a penalty of one hundred days’ illness.

Miscellaneous transgressions.

The precepts stipulate that Daoist priests, female Daoist practitioners, prefectural and county officials, and ordinary people who follow the Dao must submit petitions according to their respective status and rank. They must not be mixed together in a single submission. Anyone who violates this rule will suffer illness for fifty days. When submitting a petition at a purification assembly, Daoist priests and female practitioners must hold a court tablet, wear a brown robe and ritual vestments, and put their appearance in order. Petitions offered to cure someone must likewise not be submitted together with people of a different status. Violators will also suffer illness for fifty days.

When submitting a petition to cure someone, the host must not kill an animal and serve it to the Daoist priest. If the priest knowingly and deliberately eats it, both the master and the host will be punished, and each will lose two cycles from their allotted years of life. While the petition is being prepared, no one in the household, adult or child, may shout or make a disturbance, lest they startle the chickens and dogs and unsettle the ritual Qi. Violators will lose one cycle from their allotted years of life. Once the petition has been completed, its documents must not be left casually in a layperson’s home, since they bear the titles of the Most High. They should be burned after one year and ten months. Violators will lose one cycle from their allotted years of life. Anyone who submits a petition while under the influence of alcohol will suffer illness for a thousand days and lose five years of life.

The precepts stipulate that one must not perform a petition ritual during strong winds or heavy rain, or when wind or rain continues for an extended period. Violators will suffer illness for one year.

The precepts stipulate that Daoist priests must not perform petition rites on behalf of the people while afflicted with the six illnesses—that is, the six kinds of disease meant here. Violators will lose three cycles from their allotted years of life.

If deaths and calamities repeatedly befall a household, one may submit a wooden tablet—a wooden document bearing prayers for averting misfortune—to free the deceased from ill fortune and address penalties associated with the grave.

The precepts stipulate that Daoist priests and female practitioners must not drink alcohol, eat meat, or consume the five pungent plants—usually onions, garlic, Chinese chives, scallions, and asafoetida—when submitting a petition. Violators will lose one cycle from their allotted years of life. Petitions concerning major stars and other related matters should be offered at midnight, using five lamps and a wooden tablet.

The precepts stipulate that Daoist priests and female officials must not drink wine, eat meat, or consume the Five Pungent Foods—usually scallions, garlic, Chinese chives, Chinese onion, and asafoetida—when submitting a memorial. Anyone who violates this rule is punished with one tally of a ji (the specific duration or quantity meant by “one ji” is not explained here).

If the memorial concerns a “Great Star Deity” or a similar matter, the ritual should be performed at midnight, using five lamps and talisman paper in five colors, with the writing done in ink mixed with incense, to suppress evil influences. The lamps must remain lit until the oil is exhausted. If the word “heard” appears in the memorial, perform two bows after writing it. If it falls at the end of the text, it may be placed on the next line and then submitted.

Once a memorial has been written, if a minor matter occurs afterward, it must not be submitted even after a year has passed. If the fine print has not yet been written, however, it may still be submitted within a month. The fine print must be set at the prescribed distances from the edges: three cun and five fen at the top, four cun and five fen in the middle, and five cun at the bottom. These measurements must not be exceeded. Some people now say to leave one cun and five fen, but that is an invention and is not recorded in the ritual laws.

If the memorial refers to the position of Tai Sui, the calendrical deity, and the sheet of paper has been filled to the edge, it must not be submitted. If space remains, writing may continue. If two lines are needed, they may continue onto a full sheet of paper. Errors in the characters or uneven writing may be dealt with only according to the ritual procedures of the Celestial Emperor. A short memorial must not exceed three characters; the length of a long memorial is determined by its contents.

When submitting a memorial, one may bow four times in total, before and after. After reading it, matters concerning Tai Sui must be treated with particular care: keep the mind upright and follow the ritual rules. When reading the fine print, kneel upright and recite in a low voice, allowing the sound to come only from the mouth. The ritual rules do not prescribe reading with the memorial supported on a writing board. The fine print must be read in a single breath.

Inner officials may submit a spoken memorial in accordance with court ritual; outer officials may not.

The Wei Tradition says that a memorial submitted in an emergency may be signed in red ink. The other procedures are the same: the rules do not prescribe reading with the memorial supported on a writing board, and the fine print must be read in a single breath. Inner officials may submit a spoken memorial in accordance with court ritual; outer officials may not.

The Wei Tradition says: When submitting a memorial to the heavenly realm in an emergency, write its title and signature in vermilion ink. If the memorial is not one for expelling ghosts, write the name of the libationer in vermilion ink—the Daoist official who presides over purification rites and transmits Daoist teachings. When treating illnesses attributed to harmful forces, write on blue paper, since the officials of the Three Offices—the divine officials serving Heaven, Earth, and Water—revere the color blue. If the illness is attributed to a qi-inflicting ghost, make a ghost-striking memorial and write it in vermilion on blue paper.

Once the memorial is complete, place it in a mortar in the quiet chamber, where Daoists cultivate and perform rites, together with two fen of genuine cinnabar, and pound them to a fine powder. Mix the powder with honey and form it into a pill, which the patient should swallow all at once. At dawn, enter the chamber, face north, bow twice, and then take the medicine. It is said that this can save even someone gravely ill and near death. Do not let anyone see or learn of this method. For other illnesses, one may also write a memorial for the patient, burn incense, and write facing north. If the patient is critically ill and enters the chamber, burn incense on all four sides and set incense offerings at each of the four points.

Brush and Inkstone for Submitting Memorials

The Wei Tradition says: When writing memorials, the brush and inkstone must be reserved for this purpose and not used with other brushes and inkstones. Turn the inkstone counterclockwise forty-nine times while grinding the ink; do the same whenever grinding ink again.

Writing Desk

The Code of Xuandu says: A memorial must be submitted using a curved-legged desk. Without one, a memorial cannot be submitted. Violation of this rule incurs a penalty of twelve years deducted from one’s allotted lifespan. The desk used for submitting memorials must be two chi and four cun long, one chi and two cun wide, and eight cun high, with curved legs. Violation of this rule incurs a hundred-day illness ordeal, a disease penalty described in Daoist precepts.

Those Who Write Talismans

The Code of Xuandu says: Each talisman has its own incantation and command; they must not be interchanged. Violation of this rule incurs a hundred-day illness ordeal. The source text here also repeats the words “writing, one chi, eight cun high, curved legs,” but this repeats the desk dimensions given above. The surviving text does not fully explain the specific requirements for those who write talismans.

The Xuandu Lü says: Each type of authorized talisman has its own incantation and command. Anyone who violates the regulations will suffer a hundred days of illness as punishment. The wooden board used to write talismans must be one chi and eight cun long, with six cun at the top and one chi and two cun at the bottom. When making Fulu (talismans and registers), the incense must be lit with fire; charcoal from the cooking stove must not be used. Anyone who violates this rule will suffer ten days of illness as punishment.

The Sanjing says: The Celestial Elder asked, “Why choose a day marked Wu-Xu to make Fulu?” The Three Sovereigns replied, “Xu is the Gate of Heaven, and Wu belongs to Earth, symbolizing a ruler who resides at the center. The Celestial Emperor often emerges through the northwest Gate of Heaven on Wu-Xu days to make his inspection. Thus, making Fulu on this day will please the Celestial Emperor and bring the reward one seeks. Since Wu belongs to Earth, it also symbolizes receiving an official rank, being enfeoffed as a marquis, and enjoying the revenues of a fief. As for wearing Fulu at noon, noon symbolizes the sun’s vital essence and a radiance like pure gold. Wearing it symbolizes receiving a golden seal and purple sash and attaining high office.”

On Storing Memorials: An Old Text

The Taizhen Ke says: After submitting a memorial on someone’s behalf, if you must then submit other, lesser memorials, wait until the rites—such as burning incense and bowing—are complete. Roll up the memorial, place it in its case, and carry it out. When presenting a separate, major memorial, take it out all at once and register it according to the rules. A memorial that is to be burned must be burned after bowing before the altar table. If the rite is performed elsewhere, take the memorial back and return it. The relevant persons must be named and identified on the memorial. Copies must be sealed away and neither disclosed nor left where insects or mice can damage them. They must never be sold for profit. Anyone who violates these rules will be punished by command of the Most High.

Memorials record the titles of true officials, the names of spirits and ghosts, and the secrets of numinous deities; they must not be treated with disrespect. Every kind of memorial has an approved master copy. When making copies, write neatly and carefully proofread and check them; no one may use them without authorization. Old copies must state the relevant matter. Faulty copies that are not used to petition divine officials must be disposed of, and laypeople must not keep old memorial copies in their homes. Violators will be punished according to the Five Penalties.

The Taizhen Code says: When submitting memorials, documents should be checked with care. I, so-and-so, hold a ritual rank belonging to such-and-such a district. In accordance with the ritual code, I practice the Dao, proclaim the Qi of the Dao, summon the True Officials, and protect the people. Memorials already submitted should be burned if they are meant to be burned. Those not meant for burning should be sealed and stored in a cabinet. Since these documents have accumulated in considerable numbers, the code forbids discarding them carelessly. We also fear they may be gnawed by insects or mice, soaked and ruined by water, or lost. For these reasons, we have always carefully observed the regulations and have not dared to violate their intent.

Now, in accordance with the ritual code, we perform the scheduled rite of severing and depositing—that is, the periodic burning and disposal of memorials. From such-and-such a year, month, day, and hour through such-and-such a date this year, there are a certain number of memorials. We now burn them in the purified precinct of such-and-such an altar, so that their smoke rises to Heaven and clouds descend, spreading auspiciousness and dispelling misfortune. We respectfully invite two direct envoys, Zhengyi meritorious officers (messengers in the Zhengyi tradition), two Zhonghu Ben ceremonial officers of the district, two Wubo guards under the seal, twelve commandants, five meritorious officers, clerks, assistant scribes, and minor attendants, and five Golden Light youths, as well as two central-section postal supervisors for memorials and two attendant emissaries. Let them all gather to oversee the rite, jointly verify the documents, burn away the old accumulation, and welcome and receive the clear, bright, renewed Qi.

We pray that my foolishness, shallowness, and failure to attend to everything may be forgiven. We ask that the documents copied and stamped before this day be permanently entered in the Heavenly Repository, where celestial documents are kept, and that all documents submitted hereafter and presented above be spared from sinking into the Cold Pool, a symbol of documents abandoned and unable to reach their destination. We ask the assembled divine officials to bear witness, reward those who have earned merit, and report their achievements in accordance with the registers of the Celestial Capital, so that I may prove worthy of the efficacy and trust bestowed upon me. May the Most High extend his grace, and so forth.

The number of memorials handled in each rite of severing is not fixed. Each year may bring abundance or scarcity, and ritual services may be performed or suspended. During periods of suspension, the number is smaller; during periods of active observance, it gradually accumulates. When it reaches one hundred memorials, a rite of severing is performed. As stated above, the tenth month of each year marks the end of a cycle.

End of Volume Eleven of the Collected Essentials of Ritual Codes and Precepts to Be Observed.

Volume Twelve of the Collected Essentials of Ritual Codes and Precepts to Be Observed

Compiled by the Daoist priest Zhu Faman of the Three Caverns.

First: The Occasion of Feeding the Worthy

When the teachings of the sages arose, the customs of Daoism flourished, worthy people appeared, and sagely virtue grew ever more abundant. Once the principle of resonance between things had become clear, the rite of feeding the worthy also came into view.

The Taizhen Code says: When illness or calamity strikes a household, a public or private meal offering may be arranged. This is called “feeding the worthy”—setting out a vegetarian meal to honor virtuous people. Pure and virtuous Daoist priests may be invited; the gathering may consist of ten, twenty-four, thirty, fifty, or a hundred people. There must be at least ten. With fewer than ten, the blessing and virtue cannot be brought to completion.

The worthy are frugal; sometimes they do not eat, and when they do, they eat little. They take only simple food, grain drinks, and medicines, and have no need of lavish dishes. Ordinary people value and present these offerings to honor those who possess the Dao. When holding a meal for the worthy, a ritual altar should be established. First observe a vegetarian fast for three days, then present a statement of merits and virtues. Many spirits dwell within the worthy, so they should receive abundant offerings; their virtue is profound, so they should also be treated with great respect. The meal should be enough to satisfy hunger, and its flavors should be appropriate. Offerings should follow the rules for ritual meals and must not include meat, fish, or anything impure. Violators are subject to the five punishments.

Each month, guests should invite the recitation of scriptures three times according to the liturgy, without listing the titles one by one. Guests who crave abundance must not repeatedly partake of the Heavenly Kitchen, the ritual food offered to the spirits. The relevant regulations are very detailed and fill more than ten sheets of paper. Since few people now arrange this kind of meal offering, they have not been copied here in full.

The Laws of Xuandu say: On the auspicious days of the Three Assemblies, matters should be reported to the Celestial Officials, ignorant and worldly people should be instructed, and merit should be spread, so that the human realm may respond to the spirits. If anything impure is mixed in, calamity will fall upon the officials responsible in later generations, and twelve years will be deducted from their allotted lifespan.

The laws state: A Daoist priest of the Zhengyi rank of Left or Right Pacifying Qi is worth the hoped-for strength of seven people. A Daoist priest of a Qiu register is worth three people. One who bears registers and commands soldiers and officials, or holds a higher rank, is worth two people. Two youths serving as assistant commanders are worth three people. An unaffiliated believer is worth one person. When a boy is born, arrange an Upper Kitchen; when a girl is born, arrange a Middle Kitchen. When a household gains a member or increases its wealth, arrange a Lower Kitchen.

The precepts say: When a Daoist priest presides over a “kitchen-cleansing” rite for others—a ritual involving offerings and prayers for blessings—he should choose people of noble virtue and kind hearts. He must not choose cruel, rebellious, or discourteous people; otherwise, the rite will bring no blessings. Violating this precept shortens one’s life by twelve years.

The precepts say: If a kitchen is prepared for one guest, it should be prepared for that guest alone. Increasing the number of recipients in order to seek financial gain is called “improper kitchen preparation,” an unacceptable way of setting up the rite.

The precepts say: When a Daoist priest presides over a kitchen-cleansing rite for others, he should choose people of noble virtue and kind hearts. He must not choose cruel, rebellious, or discourteous people; otherwise, the rite will bring no blessings. Violating this precept shortens one’s life by twelve years.

The precepts say: When a kitchen is prepared, guests who arrive together should take their seats in an orderly manner, not sit scattered unevenly. Everyone should hold a sincere intention of reverence toward the Most High, a Daoist title for the supreme deity. They must not talk about killing living creatures, fishing, hunting, or capturing animals. Violating this precept will bring divine scrutiny upon both host and guests, and they will suffer illness for three years.

The precepts say: When a Daoist priest prepares a kitchen for others, he should burn incense in the guests’ presence and avoid contact with meat, fish, and other defiling things. Violating this precept will bring divine scrutiny and illness lasting one hundred days.

Second: The Circumstances for Building a Hall

Good deeds are established through the power of compassion; to hope for blessings through cause and effect, one must rely on faith. Merit comes from planting good causes in this life, whose fine results will appear in generations to come.

The Taizhen Code, a Daoist text of ritual rules and precepts, says: If a layperson can give away family wealth to build a hall or retreat, this can add one hundred and twenty years to their allotted lifespan. Building three rooms can add three hundred and sixty years. The greater the merit, the more years are added. The Great Precepts Scripture says: Establishing a Jing, a place where Daoist priests practice and reside, and building a Daoist temple will leave blessings for the next life.

The Taizhen Statutes say: If a layperson can contribute family wealth to build a hall or quiet chamber with a tiled roof, they will receive 120 “counts”—a unit used in Daoist texts for measuring blessings. Building three rooms brings 360 counts. The greater the merit, the more counts one receives. The Sutra of the Great Precepts says: Establishing a Jingguan, a place for Daoist purification rituals and cultivation, can bring honor to one’s family for generations. The person who builds it will ascend to heaven, enjoy food provided by nature, and dwell there for a long time in Wuwei (non-action), in harmony with the Great Dao, quiet and free from restless striving. A donation of one coin or more will be repaid thirty-two thousand times over; a donation of ten thousand coins or more will bring rewards beyond counting.

The Sutra of the Origin says: During a severe drought in his realm, King Brahma read the scriptures in turn and received benefit. He then built a large monastery in his country, a tranquil place for cultivation, worship, and recitation of scriptures. The Sutra of the Original Nature says: King Qinghe had originally disbelieved in Daoist teachings, but later built the Temple for Studying Immortality, as well as the Temple of Spiritual Insight and the Temple of the Seven Luminaries. The Record says: During the reign of King Kang of Zhou, the Perfected Wen Shi, a Daoist immortal of legend, fashioned an observation tower from grass. There he watched the stars and observed the weather, and later attained the Dao. King Mu of Zhou admired his legacy, repaired the buildings, honored the Daoist teachings, and named the place the Tower of Observation. He also built a temple and shrine for the Perfected Wen Shi. In the thirty-first year of Qin Shi Huang’s reign, a temple to the Lord Lao was built to the south of the Perfected One’s site. The Biography says: On the jiazi day of the first month of the second year of Yuanfeng, Emperor Wu of Han climbed Mount Songgao, entered the Great Yu Stone Chamber, and established Daoist offices. He ordered Dong Zhongshu and Dongfang Shuo to purify themselves through fasting and cleansing, and to meditate quietly in their search for truth.

Third: The Conditions for Keeping the Dao in Mind

The Great Dao is subtle and profound, beyond reach; it is still and mysterious, beyond measure. Empty and formless, it can bring forth the myriad things, and its workings are inexhaustible. The “Five Contemplations” are set forth among the models of the sages; by concentrating the mind single-heartedly, one can penetrate the true character of the Dao.

The Daoist Canon says: You should constantly think of the Dao, and the Dao will watch over you in turn. When faced with worry, illness, poverty, or hardship, think of the Dao. Think of it while eating, when entering mountains, forests, lakes, or marshes, and when crossing rivers. Whatever you do, keep the Dao in your thoughts, and the Dao will accompany you. From the place where the Dao gives rise to things, all beings come into being and the gods are fulfilled; all things flourish. If you depart from the Dao even for a moment, your body will fall into the “Eight Darknesses,” a dim and obscure realm.

The Scripture on Causes and Conditions says: Keep the true Dao in your heart without wavering. Be steadfast in loyalty and faith, and do not forget the words and deeds you have pledged to uphold. Those who support people of virtue who cultivate the Dao will face fewer hardships in this life and the next. By supporting virtuous Daoist practitioners and observing purification and precepts, one may behold the True King, a revered Daoist deity. With focused, quiet contemplation and unwavering diligence, one’s ancestors for seven generations can ascend to heaven.

The Wondrous True Scripture says: Those who cultivate the Dao seek long life, not fame. Even if their clothes are worn and their shoes threadbare, they do not envy rank or glory. Their hearts are pure and free of distraction, their intentions firm and unbiased. Their aspirations flow freely like water, and their minds are as empty and still as an unoccupied city. Only by continually abiding in the Dao of Wuwei (non-action) can one attain long life.

The Dao is the “One”—the fundamental, unified Dao. If a person can understand this One, they will see clearly, like the sun shining. If they cannot understand it, they are as if buried in the earth. The Dao does not need to be seized by force; when it is present, vital energy of the right kind naturally settles. Nor does the Dao depart; when it does, malign energy naturally dissipates. This Dao is not attained through prayers or offerings to ghosts and spirits. Held in the hand, it does not fill the palm; released, it can spread throughout the four seas. Those who learn the way to preserve life can survive; those who learn the Dao can become one with it.

It is like someone falling into water: a person who knows how to swim can survive, while one who cannot swim will drown. Illness is easy to treat before it develops, and a state is easy to govern before it falls into crisis. Those who do not love the Dao each harbor different desires. A quail may fly high, yet its thoughts remain fixed on grain in the fields; a wild goose flies high but longs for its pond. The great swan and the crane soar into the Great Clarity, the Daoist realm of lofty emptiness and purity. They roam the Nine Provinces and travel across the Eight Directions, settling in the most distant places. Only then have they found a fitting home. These birds differ in what brings them joy or sorrow, and their aspirations are not the same. Each considers grain, a pond, or the vast heights and distances to be what it desires.

Deep waters and abysses are where divine dragons dwell, but small fish swim away from them. High mountains and deep marshes delight tigers and leopards, but dogs and chickens do not care for them. This shows that people pursue different ideals, and the wishes of ordinary people differ as well. Those who cultivate the Dao should therefore temper the sharpness of their senses, set aside clever schemes, and return to simplicity. They should roam in the Great Simplicity, the pristine, undivided state of primordial purity; treat external things lightly and remain free from worldly constraints; stay clear and untainted; keep joy and anger from disturbing the heart, and prevent gain and loss from taking hold within. This is the state practiced by the great sages.

The Scripture of Lord Lao’s Prohibitions and Precepts says: Accumulating virtue leads to the achievement of kingship; accumulating resentment leads to ruin. Stones accumulate to form a mountain, and waters gather to form a sea; nothing has ever been accomplished without accumulation. Accumulate the Dao and virtue, and Heaven will bestow its favor, Earth will lend its support, and ghosts and spirits will assist. Phoenixes will fly above the courtyard, qilin will appear in the countryside, and divine dragons will dwell in pools and marshes. Therefore, govern the world by the Dao, and the world will possess virtue; govern it without the Dao, and the world will suffer calamity. Yao and Shun flourished through the Dao, while Jie and Zhou perished through abandoning it.

When the Shen (spirit) and Qi (vital energy) are clear, bright, empty, and still, they provide a place for divine spirits to guard and protect. Once the body and mind become muddied and defiled, malign forces take the opportunity to harm a person. When entering stillness to cultivate the Dao, one must guard against such defilement and refrain from all kinds of wrongdoing; then good fortune will descend.

The Statutes of Xuandu (Daoist precepts) stipulate that when a household has experienced a defiling event, one should generally wait until after the dark and new moon days have passed before returning. During this period, one must not enter the Jing chamber, where Daoist priests meditate and perform rites, to conduct religious affairs. After attending a funeral, one must also avoid defilement for three days. For one hundred days after the death of a parent, one must not enter the Jing chamber to worship or submit memorials and letters. Anyone who violates this rule forfeits twelve years from their allotted lifespan. For thirty days after the death of a master or parent, one must observe a period of avoiding defilement and may not perform Zhaijiao (purification rituals), submit memorials, or conduct other rites. Once the thirty days have passed and the period is complete, one should bathe and burn incense. Violators forfeit twenty-four years from their allotted lifespan.

The precepts also state that Daoist priests and female officials who cultivate the Supreme One’s Great Law are not bound by the general rules for avoiding defilement, and attending a funeral does not count as contact with defiling Qi. They need only wear their registers—Daoist credentials recording their ritual rank and the names of their divine generals—and need not remove them or hand them to anyone else.

After Daoist priests or female officials have been detained by the secular authorities and released, they should bathe with scented water and wash their clothes. They may enter the Jing chamber to worship only after three days have passed and the defiling Qi has been dispelled. Violators forfeit twelve years from their allotted lifespan. If Daoist priests or female officials have been beaten with a rod by the authorities, they must not enter the Jing chamber to worship or submit documents while their wounds remain unhealed or before thirty days have passed. Violators are subject to twenty formal punishments.

Those who wear registers must not enter places permeated by defiling Qi, though this prohibition does not apply to using the toilet.

The Huanglu Jianwen says that when upholding and reciting scriptures, one should keep the body clean and fragrant so as to welcome the true Qi. One must not enter a place of filth, lest the spirits disperse. If one is examined because the body is unclean, the case is handled by the Office of Great Clarity; if one is examined for having contracted foul vapors, it is handled by the Office of Clear Heaven.

The Sanyuan Pinjie says that on the fifteenth day of the first, seventh, and tenth months, one should bathe at dawn, noon, and midnight, cleansing the body with five kinds of fragrance. Before bathing, face south and stir the fragrant water with a golden ladle, turning it counterclockwise thirty-two times toward the southeast. Close your eyes and visualize: sunlight above the left eye, moonlight above the right, and the Five Planets circling the crown like a necklace. Clouds of five colors surround the body. The Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, Black Tortoise, lions, and white cranes stand to either side. Immortal youths hold towels, jade maidens scatter flowers, and flying immortals arrive on their mounts to guard you. These are the visualizations used in the bathing rite: imagine the spirits protecting you and the light of the sun, moon, and stars cleansing and refining the body.

Then click the teeth thirty-two times and pray:

“The heavens are clear, the breath is pure and calm, and radiant light of five colors shines above. The sun and moon pour forth their brilliance and fill my body. Sacred fluid washes within me; fragrant water refines and nourishes my vital essence. Light shines everywhere, illuminating Shangqing. My Qi is no longer stained by worldly filth; my five organs receive numinous energy. The sins of the Three Paths are erased, the calamities of the Nine Hells dispelled, and the roots of evil severed; blessings and joy arise of themselves. All the great vows I establish today have been fully declared. May this body of mine be delivered and ascend to the imperial court.”

When the prayer is finished, tilt your head back and swallow the breath thirty-two times, then bathe with the five fragrances. After bathing, put on your crown and clothes, click your teeth twelve times, and pray:

“The Five Pollutions have been washed away, the Eight Radiances have appeared. Today I undergo refinement…”

The Five Turbidities (the five kinds of disorder described in Buddhism) have been purified, and the Eight Radiances (the eight manifestations of the Daoist heavens) have been revealed. Today, through receiving ritual bathing and purification, sins are erased and blessings increase. From now on, you will stand among the Five Emperors (the celestial emperors of the five directions) and become a perfected being of the higher realm. Thereafter, you may enter and leave the inner chamber and practice the Dao in accordance with the prescribed rites.

The Lower Chapter of the Natural Instructions says: If, while reciting scripture, someone becomes soiled and does not bathe, five consequences may follow. First, they may readily attract illness. Second, this serves to make clear the distinction between purity and impurity. Third, the spirits and ghosts will not convey efficacious responses on their behalf. Fourth, the perfected officials who attend the scriptures will record their transgression. Fifth, those who see them may consider their conduct disrespectful.

The Scripture of the Three Sovereigns records that, when removing impurity from oneself, one should recite:

“I cleanse my body with the sun and refine and nourish my essence and Qi with the moon. Immortals assist me; Jade Maidens protect my form. The Twenty-Eight Lunar Mansions (the twenty-eight groups of stars surrounding the celestial sphere) join with me. A thousand kinds of baleful Qi and a hundred kinds of impurity are carried away and cleansed by the flowing water. Haste, in accordance with the statutes and ordinances!”

The Lord Lao’s Scripture on Nourishing Life says that bathing on the dark moon (the final day of each month) is auspicious, as is bathing on the new moon (the first day of each month). While bathing, one may recite: “Jade Maidens protect my form; the Twenty-Eight Lunar Mansions join with me. A thousand kinds of baleful Qi and a hundred kinds of impurity are carried away and cleansed by the flowing water. Haste, in accordance with the statutes and ordinances!”

The Rules of the Thousand Perfected says: In winter, bathe once every ten days. First prepare an enclosed bathing room about six feet square, furnished with a bathing tub, a stove, and a water pipe, then fill it with hot water. Put peach branches, cypress leaves, fragrant orchids, bamboo leaves, and other ingredients in the water. Boil them until two or three tenths of their medicinal properties have been drawn out. Once the water boils, remove the remaining plant matter, add five kinds of incense, and strain the liquid through a cloth bag. Bathing should follow the order of rank, and one must not bathe together with ordinary people. Everyone must wear a bathing robe; otherwise, they violate the precepts.

Fifth: The Cause of Theft

All who leave home and worldly life should set their minds right and be sincere and upright. Those who enter the Dao and pay homage to the true spirits should discipline their body, speech, and mind. The moment greed arises, one may sink for ten thousand kalpas. How much worse, then, to steal repeatedly: in the future, one may lose forever the chance to be born as a human being.

The Xuan Du Statutes say: Stealing objects from a seat of governance or items offered in worship is a crime punishable by “investigative execution” (punishment under the laws of Heaven, extending to death), even if their value is more than a single coin. If the stolen goods amount to five bolts of cloth, the offender must undergo five rounds of investigative punishment, and one member of the household is also implicated and harmed. Even stealing less than a single coin brings seven thousand days of illness as punishment and a reduction of twelve years from one’s lifespan.

Stealing talismans and registers of office, as well as Yellow Books and official seals, brings investigative punishment; liability is determined under the relevant statutes. Finding such items beyond the boundary, however, is not treated as theft. Stealing grain-rent owed to the Celestial Officials is a crime punishable by investigative execution if it exceeds five dou, and a crime punishable by penal execution (execution under criminal law) if it exceeds one hu. Even after liability has been discharged, the offender must still endure seven thousand days of illness and lose twelve years from their lifespan.

Robbing another person of their property is a crime punishable by penal execution, even if the amount taken is more than a single coin. Theft of one bolt of cloth or more is likewise punishable by penal execution, and brings a thousand days of investigative punishment; the offender may ultimately be killed. Even if the stolen goods are returned, anyone who stole one bolt must repay ten bolts. A robber may not make their own person serve as repayment. The stolen goods collected by ghosts and spirits must also be recovered: the stated amount is ten bolts collected for every two bolts stolen.

The statutes say: No offense is greater than robbery. Extorting goods under the guise of begging, forcing someone to lend an item, and compelling a sale all count as theft. Anyone who acquires property by improper means is charged with theft.

The statutes also say: Borrowing something and failing to return it, or taking a loan and failing to repay it, makes both the borrower and the lender guilty of theft, subject to the severe penalties described above. Failure to return a borrowed item brings investigative punishment that damages one’s supervising Qi and lifespan; failure to repay a loan is punished under these statutes. When offenses accumulate, they bring calamity; once they reach the prescribed limit, they are classified as capital crimes.

The statutes further say: Borrowing a single scroll of a Jing and failing to return it, or taking a loan and failing to repay it, makes both the borrower and the lender guilty of theft, subject to the severe penalties described above. Failure to return a borrowed item brings investigative punishment that damages one’s supervising Qi and lifespan; failure to repay a loan is punished under these statutes. When offenses accumulate, they bring calamity; once they reach the prescribed limit, they are classified as capital crimes.

The precepts say: Stealing a volume of scripture brings a thousand days of punitive trials and a reduction of seven years from one’s lifespan. Stealing even one volume from the secret archives of the celestial authorities incurs a crime so grave that the thief is sentenced to death. Stealing clothing, eating utensils, knives, axes, or finished goods increases the punishment by two degrees; damaging these things increases it by one degree. Crimes such as murder and theft are tried by officials in charge of prisons.

Stealing an incense burner brings severe punitive trials, with the crime treated as equivalent to murder. Stealing a writing knife reduces one’s lifespan by twenty years and brings two thousand days of illness as punishment. Stealing a document case reduces one’s lifespan by ten years and brings a thousand days of illness; stealing a counting device reduces it by five years and brings a hundred days of illness; stealing ink reduces it by three years and brings three hundred days of illness; stealing paper reduces it by two years and brings a hundred days of illness. Stealing miscellaneous items such as food vessels, cups, plates, and pottery jars reduces one’s lifespan by twelve years and brings two thousand days of illness. Stealing boats or vehicles is treated as equivalent to murder.

The Classic of Original Appearance says: “When treasures gather, calamity follows; when wealth accumulates, thieves are drawn to it.” Therefore, those who cultivate the Dao should devote themselves diligently to the Way and not covet treasures; they should cultivate De and not covet wealth. The scripture also says: “Thieves are people who harbor evil thoughts and covet stolen goods. Day and night they lie in wait, secretly entering other people’s homes and taking what they cherish for themselves. Once their theft is discovered, the king’s law beheads them. Their souls then fall into hell, where they become ghosts who carry sand beneath the sea and suffer the retribution of iron needles piercing them without end.” Seeing these consequences should serve as a warning: do not follow the path of theft again. Whether one has committed sexual misconduct or theft, one should quickly cultivate blessings and accumulate De. When the Dao comes to dwell within a person, that person can live at ease and enjoy lasting freedom.

The scripture also says: “If a Daoist commits theft, he cannot defend himself by claiming he has done nothing wrong. A Daoist has vowed to uphold the precepts and must not harbor deviant thoughts. Wearing the talismanic tokens transmitted by his master, he must constantly keep Shen present and guard his thoughts; he must not give himself free rein. One should not even covet what has been given to oneself as alms, much less steal. Otherwise, one will suffer punishments such as having one’s feet cut off and be confined in shackles in Beifeng, the underworld. The household’s ancestral rites will also come to an end, and the calamity will extend to seven generations of descendants.”

The Classic for Admonishing the World says: “To keep oneself alive through robbery and theft is like swallowing a knife. One’s whole life will be marked by hardship and decline, with no peace whether advancing or retreating. Every gesture may bring death; one’s remains will be covered in dust and disgrace. In the end, calamity and punishment are certain, and one may even bring one’s family line to an end, leaving no descendants.” Pity the children who do not understand; they do not know how blessings and calamities will come upon them. Why not cultivate the good path and do all one can to accumulate merit? Good deeds and transgressions can offset one another; when merit is sufficient, one’s lifespan can be extended and calamities overcome. Accumulating good deeds brings blessings and good fortune, while accumulating evil deeds brings calamity. Human life is brief. Why do things that bring shame and ruin upon oneself?

The Statutes of the Mysterious Capital (a Daoist text on precepts and discipline) says that those who harm or kill another person will be called to account by the Warden of Northern Peace. The Scripture on Ascending to the Mysterious says that if someone has personally killed a person before encountering the scriptures and teachings, they should atone by saving the life of someone who is close to death. This can both erase the offense and build up the merit of saving a life.

The Statutes of the Mysterious Capital also says that offenses arising from lawsuits over fields or houses, or from angry disputes and fights, are judged by the Warden of Harmonious Qi.

On the Causes of Faults, Chapter Six

To cultivate oneself, one must first avoid faults. Greed and anger arise from the six desires—the cravings of the six senses—while offenses emerge from the five emotions, the five feelings in human nature. This also includes the faults people commit in their everyday actions and dealings.

The Xuan Du Lü says: Within the human body, divine spirits are always present, reporting a person’s good and evil deeds to Heaven. When transgressions accumulate to a certain number, they bring corresponding calamities. More than 120 transgressions bring illness. “Illness” means that a person will face more misfortune and enjoy fewer auspicious events. At 180 transgressions, it is called “depletion” and causes the family’s livestock to decline. At 190, it is called “leakage” and makes a person prone to illness. At 530, it is called “minor misfortune” and harms the fetus or causes children to die young. At 720, it is called “major misfortune” and leaves a household without sons and with more daughters. At 800, it is again called “leakage” and also makes a person prone to illness.

At 829 transgressions, it is called “calamity” and brings illness. In severe cases, the illness may cause loss of speech, muteness, blindness, or deafness. At 1,080, it is called “disaster” and causes sudden, premature death. At 1,200, it is called “ruin” and brings rebellious, disorderly people into the family. At 1,260, it is called “blame” and causes the family line to die out, leaving no descendants. At 1,400, it is called “obstruction,” and calamity extends through five generations. At 1,620, it is called “punishment” and leaves the family without heirs. At 1,800, it is called “affliction” and reduces people to servitude while bringing disorder into the household. At 1,980, it is called “untimely misfortune” and brings madness or intellectual disability into the family.

At 2,600 transgressions, it is called “violence” and causes someone in the family to die by weapons or other violent means. At 2,340, it is called “emptiness” and brings rebellious acts into the household, with fathers and sons or brothers attacking one another. At 2,520, it is called “increase” and causes someone in the family to die of hunger or a grave illness. At 2,700, it is called “harm” and brings illnesses such as deafness, muteness, sorcery, or affliction by ghosts and spirits into the household. At 2,800, it is called “calamity” and causes sexual misconduct among close relatives, violating proper rites. At 3,060, it is called “violence” and brings disaster upon the family, including eye disease, leprosy, or disability. At 3,240, it is called “transformation” and causes deaths in the family through lawsuits or imprisonment, possibly even leading to the family’s extermination. At 3,420, it is called “strangeness” and reduces someone in the family to begging in the streets; after death, no one gathers and buries their remains. At 3,600, it is called “illness”: when disease reaches its end, the time of death is fixed.

The Miaozhen Jing says: No transgression is greater than sexual misconduct, no calamity greater than greed, and no fault greater than hoarding and refusing to let go. These three are the roots of disaster: in small measure they harm oneself, and in great measure they destroy the whole family. There are three kinds of true wealth and honor under Heaven: the highest honor is to be free of transgression, the greatest joy is to be free of worry, and the greatest wealth is to know contentment. Only those who know when they have enough are truly content, and Heaven will grant them blessings and emoluments. Those who do not know when to stop will bring disaster upon themselves. When people lose something, they grieve; when they gain something, they rejoice. If there is a prohibition against blocking a doorway, there must also be blame for damaging the door bolt. Such acts can cost a person their life and ruin their reputation, with calamity extending to their descendants. In serving the Way of Heaven, one should act with virtue and never treat others carelessly.

Chapter Seven: The Conditions for Meritorious Goodness

When a person is rough in nature and unrestrained in conduct, it shows that worldly habits have not yet been cast off. Only a gentle and compliant nature understands that the highest goodness is like water. Refraining from evil is itself a form of goodness.

The Scripture of the Cavern Spirit (Dongshen Jing) says that the Celestial Elder spoke of practicing goodness: “If a person accumulates ten good deeds, they are certain to have blessed children. With twenty, the spirits will protect them. With thirty, they can drive away evil ghosts. With forty, they can escape death even when their allotted years have run out. With fifty, they will be free of wrongdoing throughout their life. With sixty, the Lord of the Dao will personally protect them. With seventy, they can become connected with the Five Sacred Peaks. With eighty, their name can be removed from the register of the dead. With ninety, the immortals will surely sing their praises, and they can escape death even when their allotted years have run out. With one hundred good deeds, they are certain to ascend to the Ninth Heaven.”

The Scripture of Original Vows (Benyuan Jing) says that those who cultivate and study the path to immortality should accumulate twelve hundred acts of goodness. If their accumulated merit reaches three thousand acts, they can ascend to heaven in broad daylight. These good deeds include rescuing people in mortal danger, whose lives hang by a thread.

The Records (Lieji) says that those who study and practice the Dao should perform good deeds widely, without seeking reward; treat all things with compassion; and rescue people facing danger and disaster. They should regard wealth lightly and value the Great Dao, confer kindness and virtue, give freely of money and possessions, and aid the poor and needy. They should also make sincere vows, kneel humbly, and pray.

The Perfected of Great Emptiness said: “Supporting one hundred ordinary people is not as good as supporting one good person. Supporting one thousand good people is not as good as supporting one person who studies the Dao.”

The Scripture of the Household Instructions of Lord Lao (Laojun Jialing Jing) says that those who cultivate the Dao should embody every kind of virtue and accumulate a thousand good deeds. Even after laboring to complete nine hundred and ninety-nine, if they fall short by just one—or if self-interest is mixed into their good deeds—all the merit they accumulated before will be lost. By cultivating body and mind, keeping watch over one’s thoughts at all times, and never abandoning the precepts, one can transcend worldly life and death.

The Supreme Instructions and Regulations (Taishang Keling) says that teaching three people to correct their faults counts as one act of diligent goodness; encouraging three households to turn toward goodness also counts as one act of diligent goodness. Along with encouraging goodness, one should aid orphans and widows who are destitute and without support as they travel.

The Taishang Code and Precepts says: Teaching people to correct three kinds of faults counts as one act of diligent practice. Persuading three households to do good also counts as one. Aiding three poor and isolated people counts as one as well. When someone becomes angry because another person is protecting their property, yielding without arguing, three times in all, counts as one act of diligent practice. Treating three people’s illnesses out of concern for their offenses also counts as one. Other good deeds of this kind can be counted in the same way.

The Classic of Original Aspects says: When one’s accumulated merit reaches ten thousand, one can ascend through the sky. For someone who recites scriptures, each character recited counts as one portion of merit. Once three thousand portions have been accumulated, their name is entered in the registers of the immortals of Highest Clarity. Merit can also be gained by building official temples, altars and meditation halls—Daoist temples and places of cultivation—as well as scripture rooms, ritual purification halls, and kitchens; supporting Daoist priests; and providing them with clothing, bedding, and other necessities. Such merit brings blessings from the heavenly palaces: food and clothing will come naturally in abundance, arriving when needed and departing when they are not. Those whose households are prosperous can plant many more fields of merit and build up their good works. From the moment they understand the principles of cultivating the Dao, they will be assured of attaining the Dao in the future. Even the dull-witted have a time when they will attain the Dao. Just as an infant will eventually grow up, knowing to cultivate goodness is enough to set one on the path to attainment.

The Taiping Scripture says: When an evil person enters the Dao and harms good people, it is like a clumsy carpenter ruining timber or a clumsy woman spoiling cloth: nothing good can come of it. The inclinations of evil people and good people are opposites. A healthy person grows stronger by eating good food, but a sick person finds the food unappetizing and refuses to eat; over time, the illness worsens and may even lead to death. Urging an evil person to heed good advice is like offering fine food to someone who is dying: they will instead continue doing evil. Good people rejoice when they meet good people; the virtuous rejoice when they meet the virtuous; the wise rejoice when they meet the wise. Evil and treacherous people, too, each delight in their own kind.

If a son does not serve his parents wholeheartedly, a disciple does not serve their teacher wholeheartedly, or a subject does not serve their ruler and officials wholeheartedly, the offenses of these three kinds of conduct cannot be erased unless they are corrected.

The Karmic Causes Scripture says: Aiding the poor and helping people in danger earns great merit, lengthens one’s years, and brings lifelong peace and happiness. It also says: The more good deeds one accumulates, the better; do not be stingy in extending kindness. Merit can reach the immortals and perfected beings, and one’s name will naturally be entered in the Jade Emperor’s register of immortals.

The Wondrous Truth Scripture says: Unvirtuous people do not understand what is fundamental and cannot see the source of things. They deceive and slight Heaven and Earth, and deceive the spirits. Their words are false and changeable, while their hearts harbor resentment and suspicion; this is what is called being unvirtuous. In action, they go against the Way of Heaven; in stillness, they also oppose the Way of Earth. Their words harm people and things, and even in silence they secretly injure the spirits. Thus they divide the Dao from De, scatter the ways of simplicity, and make the customs of the age shallow and corrupt. With clever arguments and eloquent words, they make a pretense of benevolence and righteousness; citing things, omens, and the movements of the heavens, they discard what is true and uphold what is false, intent only on overturning the state. They open the gates of calamity and block the path of loyalty and integrity. Appeasing the ruler to preserve the state is merely a temporary expedient.

The Ascending Mystery Scripture says: Cultivate goodness and receive a good reward; even ghosts and spirits will turn toward goodness. Do evil and receive an evil reward; even ghosts and spirits will do evil. Thus, one half belongs to the Daoist hall of our Way, while the other half falls into the demonic realm and its hells. This is like making a sound: the echo will always answer.

The calamities had been dispelled, and worldly feelings and attachments changed along with them. To leave behind family ties and romantic love and enter the Daoist path is like escaping a cage and turning toward what is real. One sets one’s heart on transcending the “Eight Degrees,” departing from the “Ten Transformations” and walking together with the Dao.

The Jing of the Original Beginning (Benji Jing) says: King Brahma of the Great Brahma Kingdom thought to himself, “My realm has received the protection of the Three Treasures—the Dao, the scriptures, and the masters. I should take refuge in them and honor them, thereby repaying the Celestial Worthy.” He therefore selected princes and the sons of officials from across the realm, choosing those who were upright in appearance and bearing, exceptionally intelligent, and kindhearted. He had them leave home and enter the religious life so that the orthodox teaching might continue and flourish.

The Jing of the Original Form (Benxiang Jing) says: King Qinghe ordered three thousand five hundred men and women in his realm to leave home and cultivate the Dao. The men lived at the Temple of Numinous Practice, and the women at the Temple of the Seven Regulators, cultivating the Dao for the sake of the state.

The Record of the Louguan (Louguan Benji) says: King Mu of Zhou admired the way of the immortals. After Master Yin built the thatched tower observatory, the king appointed the man Shiyou Yiren as a Daoist. Shiyou Yiren had exceptional bearing and virtue worthy of serving as an example to others, so he was charged with cultivating and spreading Daoist teachings and practices.

The Jing of the Original Form also says: Fan Zezi went with four companions to cultivate the Dao on Mount Taiyuan. After thirty-six years, Fan Zezi dreamed of immortal perfected beings, each with a round halo above the head and countless attendants by their side. Six more years passed, but he never encountered the immortals again. His four companions then returned home, while Fan Zezi chose to remain in the mountains. The four suspected that he had attained the Dao, so they went back to check. They saw two white cranes on a jade stele of Great Clarity, and turned back once more. When they had reached halfway down the mountain, all four died and became birds of hesitation. Three years later, they were reborn in the Western Kingdom of Two Faces. Though they had human bodies, they had no human feelings.

The scriptures also say: King Yanming had a daughter named Haoqiu. At the age of fifteen, she made a vow to leave home, hoping to relinquish her female body and be reborn as a man. Her vow moved the Celestial Worthy, who sent forth a great light to shine upon her. She then rose into the air and ascended to heaven in broad daylight. After his daughter departed, the king missed her, so he built the Palace of the Immortals, the Terrace for Gathering the Numinous, the Four Surrounding Chambers, and the Hall of the Three Masters. He also issued an edict throughout the realm, calling on people to leave home and enter the religious life.

The Qianzhen Ke says: “Boys and girls who are to become Daoist practitioners should uphold the scriptures and precepts. They may leave home only after receiving the ruler’s permission.” How should the ordination ceremony be conducted? After leaving home, should they still bow to their parents?

Answer: To continue the Daoist lineage, one should respectfully support boys and girls who enter the Way. Select those of upright conduct, compassionate hearts, and a sincere desire to seek the Way. Their master should first teach them the precepts and put them through a period of training. Only when their daily conduct meets the required standards may they be permitted to recite scriptures and practice. Once the ruler has granted permission, their ordination registration should be handled in accordance with state law.

At the start of the ceremony, prepare the Daoist altar (xuántán) in an orderly and solemn manner, with railings and ritual furnishings in place. Following the “Illuminating the True and Delivering from Sin” rite—a Daoist liturgy for dispelling a person’s karmic offenses and guiding them into the Way—arrange the boys and girls to be ordained in advance on the south side of the altar, standing in two lines, left and right. The officials form a line across the southernmost side. A Great Cavern master, a Daoist who practices the methods of the Great Cavern scriptures, sets up an altar table before the officials and burns incense as he recites:

“Greatly holy and honored among heavenly beings, through the ages you have been revered. Now there is a noble person, our country’s ruler. He has awakened a kind intention, enabling all to enter the true Way. That they may enter the true Way is truly due to the ruler’s benevolence. May they be forever free from worldly entanglements, and long seek the realm of the sages. They will surely receive the benefits of the Great Way and together attain the state beyond birth.”

When the recitation is complete, the master tells the newly ordained: “From today on, you must bow to the holy and perfected ones, and leave behind your relatives and worldly life. Each of you will bow three times, thereby separating from the secular world. In the first bow, give thanks for the boundless benevolence of the king and sovereign. In the second, give thanks to the officials of the prefecture and county for granting and completing your departure from home. In the third, bow in gratitude to your living and deceased parents, through whom you were able to leave home and the secular world.”

After the three bows, the master takes hold of the robes and headwear of the leader of the newly ordained group and proclaims: “The great sacred teaching bestows boundless grace. Wear the stars as your crown and the sun and moon as your robes. Follow the Way of Heaven, never going against the four seasons. Guide all beings in great numbers, so that they may forever transcend the Three Realms.”

The leader’s robes and headwear are then proclaimed in the same way. The master asks everyone to affirm the proclamation and snap their fingers three times to signify the removal of offenses. The Daoists already present also affirm it and snap their fingers. Once everyone has snapped their fingers three times, they put on their ritual robes. The officials offer incense in turn, while everyone circles the altar three times. The Daoists already ordained lead the way, and then all ascend the altar and offer praise. After the ceremony, a vegetarian banquet is held. When it is over, everyone gives thanks to the disciples of the Way. Beginning with the eldest, they take their seats in order. The parents and siblings of the newly ordained also attend and bow before their children. The parents call themselves “disciples” and make this vow: “May the master surely attain the Way, and may we too enter the true and perfect Way together with you.”

Someone asked, “Into what ranks are those who leave home divided, from youth to old age?”

The answer was: “Those who leave home are divided into five ranks. From the ages of seven to eleven, they are called Pujia Daoists; from twelve to fourteen, Qingxin Daoists; from fifteen to nineteen, Shihui Daoists; from twenty to sixty, Honghu Daoists; and from seventy to ninety, resident Daoists.” Here, “resident” refers to the duties undertaken in later life of guarding and presiding over affairs of the Daoist community.

Someone asked, “What should be the foundation of the Three Vehicles?”

The answer was: “Those who cultivate the Lesser Vehicle withdraw to the mountains and forests, first nurturing and liberating themselves. Those who cultivate the Middle Vehicle widely bestow the benefits of De, aiding others as they work toward their own deliverance. Those who cultivate the Greater Vehicle forget their own merit, cut off selfishness, and make the Four Great Vows: to liberate all beings, end afflictions, study the teachings, and attain Buddhahood.”

Someone asked, “What merit comes from encouraging people to leave home?”

The answer was: “To encourage men and women to leave home—even one’s own children—brings merit beyond counting, as numerous as the worlds of fine dust. Even making a ceremonial banner or canopy and hanging it up, thereby gaining merit that reaches the realm of the Three Pure Ones, cannot compare with the merit of encouraging someone to leave home.”

This concludes volume twelve of Essential Extracts on Daoist Ritual Codes and Precepts. Volume thirteen, compiled by the Three Caverns Daoist Zhu Faman, begins with the chapter title “Miscellaneous Rites, Part One.”

The Thousand Perfected Rites says: “Institutions and rules must be established by people capable of putting them into practice. If no one among a group understands the rules, then, regardless of the group’s size, they must not live together. Those who live together must all observe the sacred teachings and conduct themselves with propriety; they must jointly renounce wrongdoing and support one another in virtuous conduct. As for matters that encourage people to do evil, these are governed by separate precepts.”

The Essentials for Cultivating Liturgical Rules and Precepts says: “The Dao and its methods are clear, still, empty, and tranquil; they do not pursue fame or profit. Those who cultivate the Dao while living peacefully in quiet rooms may be called members of the immortal household.” Among my disciples, many accumulate wealth, treasures, cattle, horses, and servants, and cling greedily to these possessions. Such people sever the roots of the Three Treasures—the Dao, the scriptures, and the teacher—and diminish the blessings of living beings. Even if they recite scriptures and observe precepts, they are corrupting the Dao.

The Essentials for Cultivating Liturgical Rules and Precepts also says: “Those of lofty virtue who are respected by others and can guide and hold the community together may be called members of the immortal household.” Among my disciples, many accumulate wealth, treasures, cattle, horses, and servants, and cling greedily to these possessions. Such people sever the roots of the Three Treasures and diminish the blessings of living beings. Even if they recite scriptures and observe precepts, they are corrupting the Dao.

Those of lofty virtue who are respected by others and oversee the affairs of the community should take care to avoid arousing suspicion when those under their charge commit minor offenses. If someone has an old or recent grievance involving the king, consorts, relatives, ministers, chief ministers, laypeople, children, junior Daoists, or ritual attendants—people who perform miscellaneous duties in a Daoist temple—they should not be reprimanded in front of others. If it is truly necessary to report or punish the matter, first summon the person involved to a secluded place and speak with them privately. If they still cannot accept the correction, or if the matter is widely condemned, then explain it to the community and impose the appropriate punishment.

Those who leave home to cultivate the Dao should make simplicity and quietude their priorities. If they act in ways that violate the rules, their conduct may stray from the proper path. Such improper conduct includes: first, seeking offerings on a grand scale while boasting of one’s abilities; second, greedily hoarding possessions, arranging marriages for others, or practicing divination and face reading; third, claiming superior learning and observing celestial phenomena; fourth, behaving like a ritual attendant by farming and doing manual labor oneself; fifth, sowing discord among fellow practitioners and befriending wicked people; sixth, neglecting the practice of the Orthodox Way and instead forming a faction with violent laypeople; seventh, disregarding rules in daily conduct and disrupting the order of cultivation; eighth, breaking the precepts by allowing monastics and laypeople to share a bed; ninth, going out at night without a torch; and tenth, gambling, stealing, committing misdeeds, and acting without restraint. Once they have entered the Dao and rely on the community in their cultivation, they should give up these behaviors. If they do not correct themselves, they are corrupting the Dao.

The ritual regulations stipulate that when young Daoist priests visit virtuous elders, they must attend carefully to their appearance, adjust their caps and footwear, walk with steady and graceful steps, and perform three bows. Afterward, they should kneel and report: “I, so-and-so, have little experience and have not yet understood the teachings of the faith. I have therefore come from afar and humbly ask you, esteemed elder, to resolve the doubts in my heart. Once I have heard your instruction, I will certainly follow it and dare not disobey.”

The elder then explains to the assembly: “There is now a Daoist priest, so-and-so, who has carried doubts in his heart from childhood until the present and cannot resolve them on his own. Today he has performed the rites and asked to repent. If, from birth until now, he has ever been angry, resentful, violent, thieving, greedy, or done other wrongful things, he now wishes to amend them all, vows not to repeat them, and will continue studying the proper precepts until he understands their meaning.” After these words, the person seeking instruction should rise and respond in accordance with what has been said, perform three more bows, and then withdraw.

The ritual regulations stipulate that those who disrupt the Daoist community often fail to observe the proper laws. Anyone who drinks to excess, behaves disgracefully, or mistreats or disrespects people of any rank may be fined money or grain, or made to pay other goods. If someone agrees at the time to pay but later changes their mind and refuses, they may be beaten with a staff or have their property confiscated for the community’s use. They may also be ordered to perform labor such as leveling land, cutting grass and trees, or hoeing and harvesting. If these measures cannot be applied to the community as a whole, the penalties may be combined and handled collectively. If the community lacks the means to enforce the law, the matter may be referred to the king for resolution under secular law.

The ritual regulations further stipulate that anyone who disregards the proper laws by wandering uninvited to other monasteries and unjustly bullying people or demanding wine and meat; arranging marriages or buying and selling enslaved people, livestock, or other property on someone else’s behalf; establishing rules that violate the proper Way and cater to worldly custom; being imprisoned for an offense and later released under an amnesty; bribing officials or otherwise scheming to evade punishment; or seizing goods from thieves and then using them to seek profit or buy reconciliation, must be punished according to the clear provisions already set out in the precepts.

The precepts stipulate that Daoist men and women should each observe the pure rules. Daoist men must not take women into their lodgings, and Daoist women must not take men in. They should keep their distance from one another, settle body and mind, and neither look at each other’s appearance nor listen to each other’s voice. A Daoist scripture says, “Do not look at things that stir desire, and the mind will not become disturbed.” If such conduct is discovered, it should be reported to the community. If it is reported and the person still refuses to stop, the matter should be dealt with under the laws of the state.

Disorder often arises in the living quarters of Daoist temples, especially because some elders act carelessly and indulge themselves, while some leaders fail to issue instructions. Though they dwell in a pure and solemn religious place, their hearts are impure and greedy. They also lead younger disciples astray, drawing them together toward evil paths, encouraging vicious customs, and blocking the foundations of cultivation. Those who follow the orthodox Way are left without support.

Those who live together in a Daoist temple should cultivate the good Way together. To harbor resentment, or even conceive the thought of killing, goes against compassion. Raising cattle and horses inevitably involves whipping them; using dogs to hunt or cats to catch prey likewise entails an intention to kill. Therefore, those who uphold the pure precepts should not keep these animals.

People differ in rank, and precepts differ in severity. Some people appear to uphold the precepts, yet pay no heed to them in their hearts. They neglect the practices of quiet and pure places, occupying themselves instead with decorating temple halls and attracting bad people, and their actions often violate the rules. When the bell sounds for worship, they enter the temple laughing. When they see a person of virtue cultivating the Way, they slander that person behind their back. This climate is created by the leaders themselves. How, then, can they expect everyone to work together and carry out the rites, so that good teaching may flourish day by day?

If someone in the community behaves improperly, find a quiet place and counsel them, saying: “The true ranks of immortality are a path that cultivators must practice for themselves. The Great Dao has neither form nor appearance, yet it depends on people to spread it. Cultivators in every place should help advance the work of the Dao and spread its teachings.”

Ritual regulations: If someone among the group behaves improperly, find a quiet place and speak to him privately. You might say: “The precious Daoist teachings and ranks of the immortals are the path that practitioners put into practice. The Dao has no form and must rely on people to be spread. Daoist disciples in every region help the Dao and teach its transformations. When they hear of an important method, they want to learn it and put it into practice themselves. How, then, can they make a mistake and let others notice? In your daily practice, none of you has broken the rules; it is only this particular matter that does not accord with the proper path. Please correct it at once. The moon wanes but will become full again, and when the fragrance of orchids fades, it can be renewed. I hope you will take these words to heart so that together we may uphold Daoist teachings.” Do not immediately make the matter known to everyone.

Ritual regulations: Since monastics are different from laypeople, when establishing a Daoist temple and setting up living quarters, they must not live with laypeople or their own families. When Daoist disciples from different regions travel through a place, their lodgings should be arranged in three grades according to the visitors’ levels of virtue, so that each person is accommodated according to rank.

Ritual regulations: Each Daoist temple should carefully plan separate courtyards and house people of virtue and standing. The community should gather regularly to take part together in activities in the communal hall, where purification rites, group ceremonies, and meals are held. Lodgings should also be arranged so that each person is accommodated according to rank.

Ritual regulations: When visitors from afar stay temporarily at a Daoist temple, first ask where they would like to stay. If someone is exceptionally capable and of upright character, assign them to a separate courtyard; if they have no particularly outstanding virtues, assign them to ordinary quarters. If a person of high virtue and standing has already been assigned lower-grade lodgings, apologize to them and move them elsewhere. If a visitor’s talent and virtue do not match their assigned quarters, ask them to yield that place and move to quarters suited to their standing.

The rules state that devoting oneself to the Dao and sitting in stillness until entering meditation are the nature of a Dao cultivator; wearing a yellow Daoist robe and a headscarf are outward appearances. A Dao cultivator should be as clear as a deep pool and as pure as frost and snow, with a gentle and lucid character, becoming a field of blessings for the world—a model through whom people may receive blessings. Their conduct should be free of defilement, and they should observe the proper precepts. The scripture uses five comparisons to explain the meaning of upholding the precepts.

First, imagine a wealthy family whose newborn child is blind in both eyes. Three months later, the child’s sight suddenly returns, and the whole family rejoices. Those without precepts are like the blind.

Second, imagine a mirror gradually growing bright through continual polishing. In the same way, those who uphold the precepts accumulate merit with every thought.

Third, imagine an infant growing little by little. Those who can uphold the precepts can likewise rise gradually from a low position.

Fourth, imagine a hungry person constantly longing for food. If food never comes, that person will surely starve to death. The scripture says that those who do not receive the precepts will remain sunk for a long time in the path of blindness, a condition of having lost the right way.

Fifth, imagine a boat carrying people across the sea. Those who can uphold the precepts will likewise be able to cross the sea of suffering that is birth and death.

The rules state that kings, ministers, donors—those who give material goods—or artisans may provide food and firewood to people if doing so can help them. When someone asks for such support, the community should be informed first, and arrangements should then be made.

The rules state that food should be provided even to powerful people or bandits who may harm others. Those who do not understand the Dharma may injure the Dharma community, the group that practices the Dharma, so providing food is a way to prevent harm.

The rules state that communal funds and property belonging to a Daoist temple or group must not be lent to others or used for personal expenses. If someone is seriously ill or in an emergency, they may first inform the community and make a request; afterward, they must repay twice the amount.

The rules state that goods obtained through improper means must not be used as offerings. What counts as improperly obtained goods? Cattle, horses, enslaved people, and military weapons all belong to this category.

The rules state that when famine coincides with war and unrest, and everyone wishes to move to a place with abundant harvests and greater stability, anyone willing to stay behind to protect the Daoist temple or communal property may be given a portion of the property according to the rules, to entrust to the person responsible for its safekeeping.

When you encounter people with vicious tongues who spread discord, or violent people who gather in groups, you should keep away from them as much as possible. Even if they sometimes harass you and you truly cannot get away, you must appear to comply while inwardly disagreeing. If you cannot even do that, you will suffer grave misfortune.

Ritual objects, everyday items, and the materials used to make images and scriptures are classified according to their purpose and relative importance. Bells, chimes, banners, flowers, incense burners, incense boxes, canopies, parasols, jeweled standards, and scripture scrolls are ritual objects and are considered weighty. Hats, shoes, tables, tablets, coarse cloth robes, shawls, skirts, and lined jackets are everyday items and are considered less weighty.

To determine an item’s importance, consider the intention behind it at the outset. If something originally given as a weighty offering is later treated as a lesser item, this violates the law of the Five Punishments. If something originally given as a lesser item is later treated as weighty, this does not break a precept. Images are ranked in three grades: images of the Celestial Worthies are highest, images of the Perfected Ones next, and images of the assembled immortals after them; images of ritual masters rank lower. If an image was originally offered with the intention of making one of the higher grades, it cannot be reclassified as a lower grade. To do so is a sin of the Ten Evils. Reclassifying a lower-grade image as a higher-grade one does not break a precept. The same rules apply to scriptures. Daoist scriptures are divided into three grades: the Shangqing Great Cavern Scripture is the Great Vehicle, the Dongxuan Lingbao Scripture is the Middle Vehicle, and the Dongshen Three Sovereigns Scripture is the Lesser Vehicle. If a scripture was originally intended for the Great Vehicle but is later treated as one for the Middle or Lesser Vehicle, this violates the law of the Five Punishments. If one originally intended to make a Lesser Vehicle scripture but later makes one for the Middle or Great Vehicle, this does not break a precept.

Stealing ritual objects or everyday items incurs the same offense as the Five Rebellions; stealing materials intended for making images incurs the same offense as the Ten Evils. Anyone who steals a household’s divine image and claims it as their own under the pretense of begging along the road will suffer punishment in the Five Hells and endure 240,000 kalpas. If someone makes an image intending to solicit donations with it, then keeps the money collected for themselves, they will face prolonged examination at the Eight Gates and remain unable to escape for ten thousand kalpas.

The precepts say: A monastic should live and sleep alone, keeping apart from worldly society. They should renounce family ties and worldly honors, and dwell in detachment. If their conduct is impure and disorderly, people will not respect them.

The precepts say: It is not a violation to support and care for one’s mother, mother-in-law, maternal aunt, older sister, or other relatives when they are ill or in urgent need. Even when another person’s child falls into water or is caught in a fire, a monastic must rescue them. This duty remains even if thoughts of sexual desire arise, but the monastic must not use the opportunity to break the precepts.

The precepts say: If a woman asks for help while you are traveling, or asks you for food or water, speak with her only from a distance of at least ten paces. If you are to give her an object or food, place it on a bed or on the ground, then step away and let her take it; do not hand it to her. When you meet a woman on the road, yield the way and let her pass first.

The precepts say: Monastics should also speak with one another from a distance of at least ten paces. If they are to pass an object or food, they should place it on a bed or on the ground, step away, and let the other person take it; they should not hand it over directly. When they meet a woman on the road, they should yield and let her pass.

The precepts say: Fellow monastics should set themselves apart from the secular world. As companions on the Way, they should cover one another’s faults, encourage goodness, and help it flourish. In this way they form wholesome bonds, earn praise from people near and far, and inspire faith more widely. A treatise says that good people are few in the world, while those who are not good are many. People today often seize on minor flaws, slander and envy one another, and refuse to examine their own faults, while insisting on pointing out the failings of others. When someone else does one good thing, they compete to disparage it. They refuse to reform themselves and turn toward goodness, yet try to undermine good deeds and join in evil conduct. Such people are chiefly responsible for bringing the Daoist teachings into disrepute. These are the words that eminent and venerable masters have repeatedly used to admonish us.

The precepts say: When sexual desire arises, imagine that you have encountered a fierce tiger, a venomous snake, or a king; that you have been caught by officials while committing theft; that you are sitting inside a house engulfed in flames on every side and are about to burn to death; or that, crossing the sea by boat, you find the hull leaking and the vessel about to sink. These six visualizations are ways to restrain yourself.

The precepts say: When sexual desire arises, use the six visualizations described above. By rousing yourself with these six perilous situations, you leave no room for sexual desire to arise.

The Rules of the Dao say: Among the Three Treasures community—the Daoists who revere the Three Treasures of the Dao, the scriptures, and the masters—those living together in monastic residences, halls, gardens, and fields have different places of belonging. The temple buildings belong to the Celestial Worthy; the lecture hall belongs to the Daoists. When these places are built, their arrangement should reflect the hierarchy of rank. A Daoist’s own residence is built with the resident’s own funds, and its size and rank are also decided by that person. While alive, the resident may dispose of it as they wish. If no instructions are left after the resident’s death, the community should decide what to do with it. A residence built by an unordained novice may also be disposed of by its builder if, after receiving ordination, they are assigned elsewhere. But the land on which the residence stands belongs to the Three Treasures and may not be altered without permission. If the community has agreed in advance on a different arrangement, that agreement should be followed and does not count as a violation.

The Rules of the Dao say: Some people have only recently entered the Dao and have not yet fully kept the precepts. They live in villages and neighborhoods rather than in Daoist temples. They have no elders nearby whom they respect, and are surrounded by many crafty people. They entice men and women to sit together on the same bed, laugh and play around, and drink wine and eat meat. When laypeople see this, they look down on them and may even assume that Daoists of great reputation and virtue behave the same way. Such conduct harms the Daoist teachings and undermines other people’s trust and respect for Daoism. The elders should investigate and punish those responsible according to the disciplinary statutes. If they cannot deal with the matter, the state has laws to punish it.

The Rules of the Dao say: If a monastic gives property belonging to the Three Treasures to an official or another person, the elders should investigate and punish the person according to the disciplinary statutes. If they cannot deal with the matter, the state has laws to punish it.

The Rules of the Dao say: If a monastic gives property belonging to the Three Treasures to an official or someone in power to obtain personal gain, thereby prompting laypeople to think they can use such gifts for their own advantage, then even if the act ultimately brings about a construction project, it is not as good as sitting quietly in cultivation. Such conduct violates the precepts and should be treated as theft.

The Rules of the Dao say: Monastics should live in clean, quiet, empty rooms. If they amass too many possessions, they invite ten kinds of fault: first, occupying large areas of wasteland and acquiring additional fields and houses; second, planting gardens and seeking profit from land; third, continually buying and storing silk, cotton, grain, and cloth; fourth, keeping or selling enslaved people; fifth, taking pleasure in raising various livestock; sixth, greedily gathering rare foods and delicacies; seventh, delighting in collecting things for display and amusement; eighth, decorating beds, curtains, and hangings; ninth, wearing unusual clothing; and tenth, growing ever more eager to accumulate treasures. Having such things makes it difficult to remain pure, calm, and unattached; possessing them becomes a burden. These accumulations obstruct the aspiration to follow the Dao and impede pure understanding and wisdom.

The precepts stipulate that if someone comes seeking material goods acquired through the Three Jewels (Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha)—for example, goods received through attending a purification assembly, teaching the Dao, lecturing on or reciting scriptures, turning the pages of scripture rolls, or accepting alms—they should be handled according to the Mingzhen Code, using the method known as “dividing and transferring in twelve parts.” If the goods were not acquired through the Three Jewels, one may give them away or use them to aid others as one sees fit. Even so, one must not acquire goods through impure means and then give them away. Otherwise, both the taking and the giving violate the law and incur culpability.

The precepts stipulate that disciples who are often concerned about cold weather, political unrest, famine, or similar conditions may store silk floss, cloth, and grain in advance so they can aid others in an emergency. This is not forbidden.

The precepts stipulate that weapons, other arms, birds and beasts, and any other improper items offered as alms must not be accepted.

The precepts stipulate that servants offered for others to employ must not be accepted. However, if these people themselves wish to observe a vegetarian diet, keep the precepts, and enter the Dao to practice, they may be accepted.

The precepts stipulate that when monastics live beside the children of lay families, both sides must keep their doors closed at night. Leaving them open violates the precepts.

The precepts stipulate that monastics should rather risk being accused of stealing bells or images than speak of the private and shameful matters of another household.

The precepts stipulate that buried goods discovered in the wilderness should be returned to the king. If documents or inscriptions among the goods indicate that they are intended for scriptures, images, a hall, or similar purposes, the finder should use them accordingly to build or restore scriptures, images, or halls, without reporting them to the king. Otherwise, the finder violates the precepts and commits one of the “Ten Evils.” If lost property is found beside a road or in open country, the finder should check for identifying marks and return it to its owner. If the owner cannot be found, it should be put to public use.

Daoist regulations stipulate that if monastics see fights, children defying their parents, brothers failing to treat one another with affection, theft, or soldiers battling while out, they should return to the monastery, bathe with fragrant water, and then enter a quiet room to calm their minds and contemplate the Dao. Failure to do so counts as a violation of the disciplinary rules.

If Daoist men or women are mistreated by laypeople who disregard proper conduct, they may inform their parents, siblings, and influential people in the village and ask them to provide protection.

Someone asked, “When the Celestial Worthy first attained the Dao, he permitted men to leave home and cultivate the Dao. When were women permitted to enter the Dao?” The reply was: “The Celestial Worthy formed a bond with a wife while still in the stages of cultivation. He later became the Primordial Beginning, and thus permitted men to leave home. His wife, meanwhile, was called the ‘Great Lady’ at the stage of fruition, so women too were permitted to enter the Dao and follow her. After undergoing the transmission of scriptures and receiving the precepts, they became female officials of the Great Cavern. When men see a woman enter the Dao and receive the natural law of Lord Lao, they should bow to her and, in accordance with Daoist teachings, guide and receive her, since she can carry on and spread the sacred teaching. Even if they see her commit a fault, they must not insult or slander her. Even boys who have received registers should pay their respects to female officials of the Great Cavern. This is out of respect for the Daoist teachings.”

Someone asked, “When people believe in and revere the Dao and donate fields, houses, or gardens, but others take possession of them, what should be done?” The reply was: “Inform the original donors and have them sell or otherwise dispose of these assets.”

When meeting one’s master or someone familiar to the master on the road, one should move to the leeward side, avoid crossing in front of them or stopping in the road to talk, and bow respectfully. One should speak only if the other person speaks first; if they say nothing, one should withdraw.

When accompanying one’s master on a journey, one should observe the same etiquette upon meeting the master or someone familiar to the master: move to the leeward side, avoid crossing the road to speak with them, and bow respectfully. Reply only if they speak first; if no instructions are given, withdraw.

It is prescribed that when accompanying an elder of higher standing on an outing or return, you should carry items such as their walking stick and shoes. When climbing a dangerous place or approaching a gate, personally attend to them on both sides, supporting them with both hands; do not let go and move away. Serve them this way whether they are old or young.

It is prescribed that a disciple should observe the following courtesies: before going out, inform the teacher; on returning, greet the teacher and ask after their well-being. After paying respects to superiors and subordinates, return to your daily duties.

It is prescribed that when people are uncertain, I do not hastily urge them to act; when they discuss something, I examine it carefully; when they take action on their own, I follow the group’s wishes; and when they go out traveling, I do not deliberately flout custom. I remain humble and yield to others, showing respect to those senior to me.

It is prescribed that teachers and virtuous leaders responsible for managing affairs should know how to guide and settle the community. Treat people with generosity and openness, establish standards while making room for everyone, and lead and guide them with care. Carry out your duties diligently. Maintain solemn reverence in morning and evening practice; harbor no ulterior thoughts toward those above you, and show no resentment or anger toward those below you. Only by doing these things can one be called truly virtuous.

It is prescribed that when you do good, you should share the benefit with those of lower standing and not claim all the credit for yourself.

It is prescribed that those who study the Dao should not expose or publicize other people’s faults, boast of their own abilities, reject others’ advice, or regard themselves as targets of others’ resentment.

The Bonds of Fellowship Among Fellow Disciples, Part Two

The Taizhen Code (a Daoist collection of rules and precepts) says: Fellow disciples who have received registers and share the same aspirations should learn from one another and jointly spread Daoism’s subtle principles and teachings. When younger disciples convey teachings to their seniors, they must not deceive them or speak falsely. Even servants should work wholeheartedly with their fellow disciples to understand the rules and standards of the precepts. They should conduct themselves with care and exactness, observe laws and propriety, and never become negligent or abandon their duties. In seeking good fortune and blessings for themselves, they should also pray on behalf of others. Their intentions must be impartial; they should cultivate themselves with single-minded sincerity and diligence, turning evil toward good. Those who violate the precepts are to be punished according to the Five Punishments.

The precepts say: Among people who study the Dao together, even if someone’s abilities and virtue truly surpass those of their seniors, they should still show respect and defer to them if they are younger or entered the community later. If a senior yields to them, they may accept in response, without deliberately refusing. If someone respects or honors me, I vow not to repay them in kind; if someone comes to revere me, I vow not to dare accept it. If circumstances truly leave no alternative and require me to take on the corresponding position, I should still decline repeatedly first. Even if I later occupy that position, I must continue to respect my seniors inwardly and follow the usual forms of respect in daily conduct, without treating them carelessly.

Those who understand one another and share the same aspiration toward the Dao can be called friends: they are friends whose hearts are joined. People who study the Dao together but lack firm purpose and discipline are only casual acquaintances. Many seek ties based only on another person’s appearance and demeanor, hoping for the status of friendship without sincere feeling. These relationships generally fall into five kinds: similar family backgrounds; comparable offices and social ranks; low status combined with power; humble standing combined with wealth; or similar age and appearance. All of these belong to worldly social relations.

Those who study the Dao and form friendships sincerely should choose people who share their aspirations. A person of high status should not look down on someone of low status, and a person of low status should not curry favor with someone of high rank. Neither age nor power should count between them; what matters is whether they share the same purpose. Violating this precept is punishable under the “Seven Penalties,” the disciplinary provisions of Daoist precepts.

The precepts also say: People who were once friends may later, because their offices or ranks differ, become one another’s teacher, fellow practitioner, or subject. In such cases, their shared purpose should remain the standard. Violating this precept is likewise punishable under the Seven Penalties.

The precepts further say: People who were once friends should, if they later come to hold different ranks and become one another’s teacher, fellow practitioner, or subject, end their former relationship as equals and follow the forms of conduct appropriate to their current positions. But if the person in the higher position orders them to maintain their friendship, they must still treat one another with humility. A person in a higher position must not demand that someone below them end the friendship; nor should a person in a lower position take the initiative in asking someone above them to become a sworn friend. In all matters, they should follow the higher-ranking person’s instructions.

The origins of establishing an altar (section three).

The Twenty-Four Life Images records that the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning received guests in a tranquil hall, setting up an altar of gold and paving the floor with silver. The Classic of Original Foundation says that King Brahma of the Great Brahma Realm received aid after praying for the scriptures, and so built grand monasteries and precious altar platforms throughout his country. The scripture also says that King Juehe loved building altar platforms, constructing three each month, again and again.

The scripture further says that when Master Lin was building an altar, a woman, relying on her beauty, laughed and teased him; later, her appearance became ugly. It also says that at that time a sacred altar made of the Seven Treasures surged up from beneath the ground, rising more than a hundred zhang above the earth. It had nine levels, above and below, was surrounded on all sides, and had openings in all eight directions. Each level had nine rows of railings, with eighty-one golden bars and jade chimes. The chimes rang of their own accord day and night at six periods, with all eighty-one sounding at once.

The scripture also records that a disciple of Jingxuan asked the Celestial Worthy, “Why did an altar platform surge up from within the country?” The Celestial Worthy replied, “Long ago, when the High Sovereign King preached the True Scripture of Original Form, the Empty King and the assembly made vows together.” The scripture continues: the Empty King had once built this altar platform, but later it sank and disappeared. Now, as the Original Form is being preached, the altar platform has heard the sound of the scripture and surged up again. This same question and answer appears twice here.

The Sequence of the Five Talismans says that Emperor Yu once offered sacrifices to the Celestial Emperor at an altar platform in Be’a.

Fourth: Stone Tablets and Gate Towers

The Scripture of Original Form says that after Fan Zezi and Shunzi attained the Dao, they saw only two white cranes on the jade stone tablets and gate towers of the Great Clarity. The stone bore this inscription: “In the past, we studied the Dao scriptures together and examined the thirty-six sections of scripture. But our minds were not focused, and our aspirations could not be brought into accord with the Dao.”

End of Essentials for Cultivating the Dao: Selected Precepts and Regulations for Liturgy, Volume Thirteen

Essentials for Cultivating the Dao: Selected Precepts and Regulations for Liturgy, Volume Fourteen

Compiled by Zhu Faman, a Daoist of the Three Caverns (Dongzhen, Dongxuan, and Dongshen).

Why Abstain from Drinking Wine

The scripture says that abstaining from wine and restraining one’s conduct can bring one’s nature and Qi into harmony. The Scripture of Great Peace says that a Perfected Person asked the Dao: “People throughout the world brew wine and drink it together; the wine in the markets and along the roads…”

“On the Causes of Drinking” describes the harms of consuming alcohol.

A scripture says: “One should abstain from alcohol and keep one’s conduct in check, so that one’s vital energy and temperament remain balanced.” In the Taiping Jing, a Perfected One asks: “People throughout the realm brew wine and hold feasts for one another; this has become customary. After getting drunk, people often shout and sing wildly. Some fight and die, some injure one another, some use drink as a pretext for sexual misconduct, and others fall from high places while drunk. The calamities caused by drinking are too numerous to count.

“Consider how many wine shops there are within the Four Seas. In a single day, they consume hundreds of millions of measures of grain. Drinking also brings calamity, burdens the authorities, and leaves descendants to grieve. It is even said to alarm Heaven and disturb Yin-Yang, throwing out of balance the energies of the four seasons and the Five Phases. Why deliberately brew this drug that makes people wild and disorderly, then drink it together? Can it be prohibited?”

The Spirit Man replied: “A good question. Food and drink affect people’s life and nature. The measures I propose may not all be practicable, but a virtuous ruler could issue an order: from now on, anyone who drinks one dou of wine without cause shall receive twenty strokes of the bamboo; anyone who drinks two dou shall receive sixty strokes of the rod; anyone who drinks three dou shall receive ninety strokes; and anyone who drinks one hu shall receive three hundred strokes. Let this be the standard and proclaim it widely, so that people throughout the realm know the law and fear the disgrace. Then they will not dare to drink. If the ignorant violate the rule, punish them as prescribed; those who brew the wine shall be guilty to the same degree as those who drink it.”

The Perfected One asked again: “What should be done about guests who have traveled a long way, or about the elderly and infirm in one’s household?” The Spirit Man replied: “If a long-distance traveler is reasonable, knows that the state has banned drinking, and drinks only a little without gathering others to drink, that does not count as a violation. Wine may be used as medicine for elderly or sick people in the household.”

The Qianzhen Ke says: “Those who leave home to cultivate the Dao must not drink wine. Some make the excuse that the weather is cold, or falsely claim to have stomach pain; after drinking, their complexion changes…”

When serving people in Zhaijiao (purification rituals), traveling, or handling public or private affairs, if one behaves in a disorderly way and reverses the proper distinctions between higher and lower ranks, one not only fails in one’s own etiquette but also brings shame upon the Daoist community. This harms the Daoist teachings and prevents them from being spread. When invited by others, one should first maintain personal cleanliness. Whether attending to public or private matters, one should make dignity and seriousness the priority. All such breaches of etiquette count as violations of the precepts.

The Lingbao Jing says, “Those who drink alcohol while alive will, after death, be drenched along with the waters of Mingbo and cast into the Four Rivers.” Some also say that Daoist teachings permit drinking alcohol. The Lingbao Jing further says, “Set out wine at the Fuyun Monastery and drink freely at the Yuching Terrace.” Why do these statements differ so greatly from the prohibition on alcohol? The answer is that this is a misunderstanding. The Taiqing Jing says that gold and jade can be transformed into thirty-six kinds of water: water made from gold is called Golden Syrup, water made from red jade is called Jade Nectar, and water made from white jade is called White Jade Syrup, also known as Jade Elixir. The Dingzhi Jing says, “The five do not intoxicate; always keep pure conduct in mind.” This means that five kinds of drink do not cause intoxication, and that one should always remember to maintain pure conduct.

The Origins of Fasting and Taking Medicines

There is a divine formula made from cinnabar and wax, said to enable one to abstain from grain after taking it. It is claimed that one can go a thousand years without eating and never grow thin, but instead remain strong and plump, while still being able to do heavy labor. The recipe is: one jin of genuine cinnabar, half a liang of mirabilite, and one jin of poria. Pound and mix them all, then cook them together with two jin of white wax, cooking the mixture repeatedly nine times until it can be made into pills. Roll all of it into pills the size of Chinese parasol tree seeds. Taking ten pills at a time is said to let one go a month without eating.

Laojun’s “Red Pellet Method for Guarding the Center,” an ancient formula for abstaining from grains and taking medicinal substances, is prepared as follows. Take one jin of white honey, one jin of genuine cinnabar (a mineral medicine of the cinnabar type; another version gives three liang), and one jin of white wax. First cut the wax into small pieces. Heat wine in a copper vessel until it boils, then add the wax and continue heating. Once the wax has melted, place the vessel in cold water so the wax solidifies, then remove it and heat it again. Repeat this process three times. When the wax has solidified, remove it and pour away the wine. Heat the wax alone in the copper vessel, bringing it to a boil nine times and taking it off the heat after each boil. Finally add the white honey, heat until it boils, then remove it from the heat and add the genuine cinnabar, stirring until evenly mixed. Just before the medicine begins to solidify, immediately roll it into pellets the size of crossbow pellets.

Those who wish to abstain from grains take this medicine as follows: one pellet on the first day, two on the second, and three on the third, then begin again with one pellet. Take it for nine days, for a total of eighteen pellets; this is called one dose. The scripture claims that after taking it one can go for a long time without eating grain, feel no hunger for forty years, retain one’s usual appearance and strength, and carry heavy loads on long journeys. When thirsty, one may drink a little cold water or wine, but should eat no other food. It also claims that after taking it one need not fear poisonous substances. The scripture adds, however, that this method cannot prolong life or confer immortality. Taking the medicine allows one to abstain from grains and feel lighter without losing strength, and to walk in the mountains without tiring easily. If a large pellet is difficult to swallow, the medicine may be divided into smaller pellets and taken in the prescribed total amount.

Before preparing the medicine, observe ritual abstinence for seven days and choose a “Wangxiang Jianman Ding day,” a traditional almanac term for a day suited to the undertaking. During preparation, do not let children, women, or chickens and dogs see the process. If you later wish to resume eating grain, first boil one sheng of sunflower seeds into a thin gruel and drink it. After the medicine has passed from the body, gradually begin eating thin gruel; do not immediately eat until full. The scripture also claims that Shen Jun once used this formula on cattle and horses: the animals stopped eating grass but remained strong and healthy. Another secret version uses only white wax, heated and cooled repeatedly three times, then boiled once with white honey. Add cinnabar and stir; once cooled, it can be made into “Guarding the Center” pellets.

The “Various Stabilizing Pellets Method” uses one liang each of poria, dried yellow [substance], essence wood, paper mulberry fruit, and ginseng. Pound and sift these ingredients finely, then add five he of white honey and two liang of white wax. Mix with the medicinal ingredients and pound another thousand times. Take one pellet, the size of a child’s fist; afterward, one may take the large and small Four Stabilizing Pellets. After taking the pellets, the scripture also recommends long-term use of the cypress-leaf pellets and poria pellets mentioned earlier.

The “Small Stabilizing Pellets Method” uses five ingredients: half a jin each of cinnabar, poria, and Yu Yuliang, one sheng of dwarf lilyturf, and three liang of white honey. Grind the cinnabar, Yu Yuliang, and poria finely, and bind them with a little honey. Remove the cores from the dwarf lilyturf, take three liang of it, and make four pellets with the other ingredients. Roll them between the hands until their surfaces shine. On a morning that falls on a Man day, face east and take one pellet. Take another ten days later, and a third ten days after that. In this way, take four pellets in all over thirty days. The scripture claims that more than thirty people attained transcendence by taking this medicine. When preparing it, choose a Wangxiang Man day and observe ritual abstinence. Do not let children or women see the process; avoid sunflower greens and raw greens, and do not prepare it when there is a death or childbirth in the household. This formula is said to come from a writing by the Changshi.

The “Simple Method for Guarding the Center” refers to avoiding grain and ordinary food for a time by eating certain foods. Take three sheng of fresh soybeans and rub them by hand until their surfaces are shiny and warm. First eat a full meal of delicious food, then swallow the soybeans all at once. It is said that this can sustain a person for fifty or a hundred days without eating. When thirsty, drink water, but eat nothing else. To resume eating, drink two sheng of hot congee, and the soybeans will be expelled.

Another account says to face the sun and bow twice each day. Each time, take one sheng of soybeans into the mouth and repeatedly recite “Liu Jia Tong” (a Daoist chant associated with the Six Jia), then swallow them. After three days, divide one sheng of beans into three portions and take them at separate times; children should take half the amount. Some accounts also claim that swallowing two sheng of red bean pulp or three sheng of red beans can sustain a person for a year. Alternatively, take three sheng of soybeans and yellow millet and eat them all at once; this is said to allow a person to go without food for five or ten days. To resume eating afterward, take about one fangcunqi of ash made from the stems of the sunflower mallow, which is said to help expel the beans. Pork fat, or dairy products such as cheese and su, may also be taken.

Another method is to chew a piece of wax about the size of a backgammon piece until it is soft, then place a large, fleshy date from Yishi in the mouth and chew them together. Swallow once both have dissolved. The text says this allows “upright Qi” to enter the abdomen, dispels illness, and stops the need for grain. Another account holds that eating only a square-inch-sized piece of wax can prevent hunger for a day.

Another method uses one jin each of white sandalwood bark and elm bark, soaked in one dou of wine. Remove the bark and dry it, then soak it again; repeat until all the wine has been used. Take two liang at a time. It is said that in ten days one can travel three thousand li.

Another method uses black mulberries. Dry them in the sun and pound them into pieces, then take three he with water three times a day. This is said to keep a person from feeling hungry.

Another method is to take white cogongrass roots on the third, thirteenth, or twenty-third day of the third lunar month. Wash and finely cut the roots, then take them with water; they may also be dried and ground into powder for later use. Take five or six doses a day. When taking them, do not pound them; swallow three he with water three times daily. This is said to keep a person from feeling hungry. Long-term use is said to give the complexion a beautiful appearance, slow aging, and ward off lurking ghosts and spirits.

Another method is to take five jin of white rice, one dou of husked rice, one dou of fermented black beans, and half a ge of salt. Add three dou of water and cook until soft. First eat until full, then eat small amounts from time to time. This is said to lessen hunger, dispel sensations of cold and heat, and promote longevity.

Method for taking pine roots: Take roots from a pine tree growing toward the east. Remove the white inner bark, chop the roots, dry them in the sun, then pound and sift them. Take them after eating until full; this is said to allow one to abstain from grain. Drink water when thirsty.

Another method uses only cypress leaves. Dry them in the sun and grind them into powder, then mix the powder with honey and form pills. These are said to relieve hunger. They may also be taken with water or wine. Or mix the leaf powder with clear liquor, dry it in the sun, then pound and take it. Pounding the cypress leaves and taking them directly is said to work even better.

Method for taking pine needles: Following the direction associated with the current season, gather pine needles from near the treetop, more than ten feet above the ground. Chop them finely, to the size of millet grains, and mix them with water to make a thin porridge. Take two or three ge each time, three times a day. Alternatively, pound the needles, dry them in the sun, and grind them into powder; or mix the powder with wine, dry it in the sun, then pound and sift it, and take it with wine or water. Regular use is said to make the body light and strong, promote longevity, give the body a fragrant scent, reduce the need for sleep, and even cause fine green hairs to grow and white hair to turn black. It is also said to enable one to abstain from grain and relieve hunger. Take it consistently; the same applies to cypress leaves.

Method for swallowing Qi and abstaining from grain: First close the mouth and swallow the Qi within the body, without drawing in external air. Swallow Qi at least 360 times a day; the more, the better. Gradually increase this to 1,000 times, which is better still. After ten days of abstaining from grain, one is said to no longer need food. On the third day, one may feel somewhat hungry or notice that the urine is reddish-yellow. If there is no discomfort, eat two or three dried dates each day at midday, for a total of nine. One may drink one or two sheng of wine at midday each day. At first, one may feel somewhat tired, but this should gradually improve.

The Method of Swallowing Qi at the Twelve Double Hours: During the twelve double hours of the day, swallow breaths according to the number prescribed for each hour: at midnight, swallow nine times, taking nine mouthfuls each time; at cockcrow, eight times, taking eight mouthfuls each time; at dawn, seven times, taking seven mouthfuls each time; at sunrise, six times, taking six mouthfuls each time; at mealtime, five times, taking five mouthfuls each time; and at midmorning, four times, taking four mouthfuls each time. At noon, begin again with nine times, taking nine mouthfuls each time. Keep your mouth closed as you swallow, drawing the Qi down into your abdomen. After completing the prescribed number for each hour, rinse your mouth, circulate the saliva in your mouth, and swallow it. After practicing at each hour, turning toward the direction associated with that hour can improve the effect. On the fourteenth or fifteenth day of practice, you may feel dizzy and become severely emaciated. If you endure this stage, you will gradually improve afterward.

Taking Talisman Water and Abstaining from Grain: Write the Six Jia Yin-Yang talismans (talismans assigned according to the stems and branches of the Six Jia days), each in the direction corresponding to that day’s stem and branch. The talismans may be stored in advance in a small container that can be held in the mouth. On the appropriate day, take out a talisman, offer a prayer over water, and then drink it.

When taking these Yin-Yang talismans, face east at dawn, holding the talisman in your left hand and a vessel of water in your right. Pray: “The perfected one, So-and-so, loves the true Dao and takes in the harmonious Qi. On the Jiazi day, the Taixuan Jade Maiden Chengyi stands ready to serve and provide the food and drink I need on my journey. Wherever I go, may I receive the food and drink appropriate to that place, and suffer neither hunger nor thirst. May armies, whether large or small, and crowds, no matter how numerous, all be well fed.” After praying, put the talisman in your mouth and swallow it with water. This describes a practice performed in a gathering. To help others abstain from grain, have a hundred or a thousand people line up facing east. Each should bow twice and give their name. Write a talisman for each person, then have everyone drink from the same vessel of water.

The Jade Maidens assigned to each Jia cycle are:

• Jiazi cycle: Taixuan Jade Maiden Chengyi
• Jiaxu cycle: Huangsu Jade Maiden Feilian
• Jiashen cycle: Taisu Jade Maiden Qiongshi
• Jiawu cycle: Jiangong Jade Maiden Yunling
• Jiachen cycle: Baijing Jade Maiden Lingsu
• Jiayin cycle: Qingyao Jade Maiden Huijing

For the sixty days corresponding to these Jade Maiden titles, take care not to mispronounce their names when calling upon them. Write the “Talisman of the Jade Lord’s Resolute Will” in cinnabar ink on paper, then burn it once the prescribed period has passed. Face north and bow twice first to the divine water, then take it. Holding the cup, face the direction of the month’s earthly branch and recite three times:

“Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth; the qi of the Five Planets; the essence of the Six Jia; the celestial granary of the Three Perfected Ones; pure qi, ever abundant. I bow and submit to the yellow script.”

Then, still holding the cup, face the direction of the month’s earthly branch and recite three times:

“Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth; the qi of the Five Planets; the essence of the Six Jia; the celestial granary of the Three Perfected Ones; pure qi, ever abundant. The Yellow Script and Red Child guard the center without wavering.”

When you have finished, click your teeth together three times, then gently tap the cup three times with your teeth. Next, swallow the talisman ashes and drink one sheng of water. All of the above comes from the lower volume of the Taiping Jing.

Lord Lao’s Method for Taking Water and Ending Grain Consumption

There is no need to limit this practice to the morning; you may do it whenever you wish to drink water. Fill a cup with water and, facing it, recite:

“Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth; the qi of the Five Planets; the essence of the Six Jia; the celestial granary of the Perfected One; pure qi, ever abundant. The Yellow Script and Red Child guard the center without wavering.”

Recite this three times, click your teeth together three times, and then drink. The scripture says that this keeps one from feeling hunger or thirst; if you are extremely thirsty, performing the method then is also said to have miraculous effects. Many people have recently benefited from this recipe. It comes from a volume of the Yangsheng Jing. A later copy gives a slightly different version of the invocation, but no other edition has yet been found for comparison.

The Daoji records a prayer method for making the six kinds of domestic livestock stop eating. The invocation is: “All things contain water, as the water of life enters the belly. All spirits are startled; living creatures with a pulse may be made to abstain from food, but those without a pulse may not. Bring all six kinds of livestock before the ruler.”

The Context of Healing Through Invocations

The Dengzhen Yinjue records various methods of ritual action, visualization (focusing the mind on an image), and invocation. Here I will briefly mention only one or two important points. Whenever you pass along a steep, difficult road or by a shrine to ghosts and spirits, and doubts or difficulties arise in your mind…

The passage above comes from the Gao Shang Nei Zhang of the Great Cavern Scripture (Da Dong Zhen Jing Gao Shang Nei Zhang). It belongs to a category of ritual arts called “Great Invocations for Suppressing Evil,” and its title indicates that it was written by a Senior Recorder.

The “Method of the Northern Emperor for Slaying Ghosts” instructs the practitioner first to knock the teeth together thirty-six times—a ritual gesture often used in Daoist visualization and ritual practice—and then to recite the invocation. The invocation summons divine generals such as Tianpeng, the Nine-Origin Slaying Youths, the Five Ding Commanders, Gao Diao Beigong, and the Seven Luminaries and Eight Spirits. It extols their immeasurable might and describes such figures as a giant long-skulled beast bearing the Emperor’s Bell and the three Su Xiao deities riding Kui dragons. After the words “mighty sword,” the text again says, “First knock the teeth together thirty-six times, then recite the invocation,” indicating that the practitioner must repeat the ritual gesture before reciting what follows.

Heavenly Canopy, the divine general who subdues evil in Daoism; the Nine Primordial Youth-Slaughterers; the Five Ding Commanders; Lord Gao Diao of the North; the Seven Regulators and Eight Spirits; the Supreme One, Vast and Fierce; and the long-skulled giant beast, bearing the Emperor’s bell in its hands. The three gods of the Plain Owl arrange the chariot in solemn order and arrive riding a Kui-dragon. The Divine King of the Awe-Inspiring Sword strikes down evil spirits and erases their traces; purple Qi rises to heaven, and vermilion clouds surge upward. The gods swallow demons and devour ghosts, stretching out their bodies to drink the wind. Their faces are blue-gray, with tongues and teeth green, and they look like old men with four eyes. The Heavenly Warriors and Mighty Ones threaten and repel baleful forces in the south; the Heavenly Charioteers rouse their might and check the enemy’s advance in the north. Three hundred thousand soldiers and generals guard the layers of passes around my body, open gateways a thousand li wide, and drive away ill omen. If a petty ghost dares to appear, it will be executed with the great axe that cleaves the heavens and the Five Punishments for Beheading Ghosts. The Flame Emperor tears its blood apart; the Northern Emperor burns its bones; the Four Luminaries smash its skeleton; and Heavenly You destroys its kind. With a single sweep of the divine blade, ten thousand ghosts scatter of their own accord.

When reciting these thirty-six lines of the incantation, knock the teeth once as a beat after every four-character line. When all thirty-six lines have been recited, you will have knocked your teeth thirty-six times. You may continue reciting it at any hour, by night or by day. The incantation has no fixed time for use. Whenever you have a moment to practice, you may recite it, especially at dawn, at night, or in dim, suspicious places.

The scripture says that ghosts named in the incantation, when struck by its power, will have their eyes rot away and their bodies die. These are harmful killing ghosts, evil ghosts, and the shadowy, baleful kinds of ghosts found between heaven and earth—not ghosts transformed from the souls of the dead. They have eyes, and so die when their eyes are blinded and rot away. Most of the divine names listed in the incantation are titles of divine offices that behead ghosts. The names of Fengdu and the other gods are mentioned because ghosts are afraid when they hear them. The text says that the practitioner is to command a thousand awe-inspiring southern troops; these are the divine generals who repel baleful forces. The Flame Emperor is the Great Emperor, and the Four Luminaries refers to the various divine lords. The Northern Emperor kept this method secret because, when ghosts seek to harm people and encounter this incantation, they cannot succeed. For that reason, it is not passed on casually.

The scripture also says that if people can uphold this incantation, they will not die; since all human deaths are caused by ghosts, mastering it can free one from death. Men and women, young and old, may all practice it. The concern is simply that people might not know of the incantation. The wise should use it in secret, without regard to age or social standing. The scripture further says that someone in the household of a senior official once suffered a grave illness and recovered quickly after this method was performed.

When knocking the teeth, close the eyes and contemplate the spirits within: that is, visualize the Five Viscera and their spirits in the mind. First knock the teeth thirty-six times while keeping the eyes closed and looking inward; in sequence, imagine the Five Viscera complete and clearly distinct. Only then can you draw on upright Qi to resist evil spirits and destroy ghosts.

This incantation has been transmitted secretly in the Zhengdu region. Today it should only be recited silently and must not be disclosed to those who lack a foundation in the Dao. Though it is not among the most exalted scriptures, it is an important method for protecting the body and killing ghosts. As baleful forces recede, upright Qi can continue to flow; the method can also be used to destroy evil and prevent malign influences from disturbing those who study the Dao. Many people regard its contents as simple and pass it on carelessly. As a result, the divine incantation loses its power and the method fails to work—a practice deserving of reproach.

Lord Yang Jun wrote two books.

The Origins of the Reclining Pillow

The Jing of the Foundations of the Dao says: If a pillow is too high, the Liver Qi contracts; if it is too low, the Lung Qi is obstructed. A pillow four inches high is most suitable. The pillow mat should be warm so that the breath can grow long and steady. The Treatise on the Grove of the Dao and the Jing of the Gate of Contemplation say that when practicing the circulation of Qi, the pillow should be two and a half inches high.

The Jing of Great Clarity records a method for making a pillow called the “Pillow for Bringing Down the Spirit.” On the fifth day of the fifth month or the seventh day of the seventh month, take cypress wood from the mountains and forests and make it into a pillow. The pillow should be one foot and two inches long, four inches high, and hollow inside, with room for twelve sheng of medicine. It should be three inches and five fen wide. Make the lid from heartwood cypress, four fen thick, and carefully drill holes in it in three rows, with forty-nine holes in each row, for a total of 120 holes. Each hole should be so small that it can hold only one grain of millet or one chestnut.

Next, place the medicinal ingredients inside the pillow. These include chuanxiong, Chinese angelica, bai zhi, magnolia bud, du heng, mountain thistle, gaoben, magnolia heartwood, cistanche, cypress seeds, cocklebur seeds, miwu, coltsfoot flowers, baiheng, Qin pepper, Sichuan pepper, cinnamon, dried ginger, feilian, fangfeng, ginseng, platycodon, baiwei, and jing seeds: twenty-four ingredients in all, corresponding to the twenty-four solar terms. Then add eight substances referred to as “toxic medicines,” corresponding to the eight winds: aconite, prepared aconite, veratrum, Chinese honeylocust, wang grass, alum, pinellia, Huayin, and asarum. There are thirty-two ingredients in total. Chop all the ingredients. Place the more potent toxic medicines beneath the fragrant medicines, then fill the pillow in order and sew cloth into a medicinal pouch.

The scripture says that after using the pillow continuously for one hundred days, the sinews and bones will grow strong and the complexion will become radiant. After one year, the body will carry a fragrance. After four years, white hair will turn black and lost teeth will grow back. A separate cloth cover should also be made. After sleeping, put the pillow inside and close the cover to keep its medicinal vapors from dissipating. Replace the medicines with fresh ones each year. For each of the thirty-two ingredients, determine the amount according to its volume. Once the ingredients have been chopped, take three ge, seven gui, and eight cuo, with each cuo counted as one-fifth of a ge. Because the ingredients differ in texture and weight, their quantities should also be converted and measured by weight.

The Treatise on Medicines in the Great Dispersal Family records some traditional conversions between the weights and volumes of medicinal ingredients: ten liang and six zhu of wood make one sheng and four ge; three liang and twenty-two zhu of dried ginger make five ge; three liang and fourteen zhu of cinnamon make five ge; two liang and four zhu of fangfeng make four ge; two liang and nine zhu of platycodon make four ge; one liang and twenty zhu of ginseng make three ge; seventeen zhu of huangqin make one ge; one liang and twenty-one zhu of asarum make three ge; nineteen zhu of aconite make one ge; eighteen zhu of poria make one ge; one liang and six zhu of alum make one ge; and sixteen zhu of oyster shell make one ge. These are the traditional conversion standards for the various ingredients. When preparing the medicinal pillow today, first calculate the amount of each ingredient using its own standard, then weigh and prepare them one by one.

The “White Tiger” of a ten-day cycle refers to the direction associated with the earthly branch that is controlled within that cycle: in the Jiazi cycle, it is Chen; in the Jiaxu cycle, Mao; in the Jiashen cycle, Wu; in the Jiawu cycle, Zi; in the Jiachen cycle, Yin; and in the Jiayin cycle, You. When entering the mountains, one should avoid the White Tiger direction, which is determined by a specific formula.

End of Volume Fourteen of Collected Notes on the Precepts and Regulations for Performing Rituals of Cultivation.

Compiled by the Daoist priest Zhu Faman of the Three Caverns (Dongzhen, Dongxuan, and Dongshen).

Rituals for Good and Ill Fortune for Daoist Priests, with Preface

I, Zhu Faman, began studying this subject only in my later years, and still do not fully understand its ritual regulations. For a long time, I have therefore had questions about them. I consulted the account of the great Meng, whose name was Jingyi and courtesy name Fuming, answering Crown Prince Wen-hui of Qi about the rites for a Daoist priest’s funeral. Citing the Sutra of the Dharma Wheel, he said, “The master is like a father. Without my teacher, I could not have encountered the scriptures. Now that I can read the teachings of the scriptures, I know the Daoist methods.” The Brief Text on the Yellow Register records the rules for serving one’s teacher. Thus, in learning the Dao and cultivating its methods, one must place the teacher first. Once the teacher has guided and transformed the disciple and transmitted scriptures and diagrams, the disciple can then aid beings across the Three Ages and protect both the living and the dead. A scripture says, “When one is able to see the catalog of scriptural texts, one’s nine generations of ancestors can all ascend together to the realm of the immortals.” A Perfected One also said, “Without my teacher, I could not have learned the Dao and attained its fruition.”

Perfected Ones sometimes manifest in the world in physical form to make the history of master-disciple transmission known. At other times, they use objects such as swords or staffs to mark their departure from life, relying on external things to help people understand the impermanence of change. Anyone who has yet to realize the Great Dao and unite with the true realm will naturally cling to life and dread death. Filial respect for one’s elders is part of human nature; it can move Heaven and Earth and reach the spirits. Grief arises naturally when circumstances call it forth. Whether wise or foolish, people are no different in their love and sorrow. This is true among both ordinary people and Daoists.

In ancient times, Confucius, as a teacher of the Confucian tradition, taught only the rites of the world. After his death, he was buried above the Si River, and his disciples mourned him for three years. Zigong built a hut by the tomb and lived there for six years. More than a hundred families from Lu also moved there to keep watch over the tomb, and the place came to be called “the people of Kong Village.” Sacrifices were offered there at each of the four seasons without interruption. How much more so for the Daoist patriarchs, whose transmitted methods enable people to surpass the Three Realms in virtue and go beyond the Six Paths in cultivation, then unite with the utmost truth and return to eternal stillness. The relationship between master and disciple reaches far beyond what is ordinarily understood, inwardly and outwardly, and cannot be measured by common standards. Daoism therefore established corresponding rituals, setting out as fully as possible the rules that should be observed.

The younger Meng supplemented the earlier ritual codes with essential provisions. In his writing, Lord Shijing cited examples recorded in the Inner Chapters of Master Baopu. During the Han dynasty, the Empress Dowager studied the Book of Documents with Xiahou Sheng and rewarded him with a hundred jin of gold and many other valuables. After Xiahou Sheng died, she granted his family two million coins and wore plain mourning clothes for five days. When Emperor Cheng of Han was still in the Eastern Palace, he studied the Analects with Zhang Yu. After ascending the throne, he made Zhang Yu a Marquis within the Passes, granted him an estate of a thousand households, appointed him Grandee of the Palace, and awarded him a thousand jin of gold. He later promoted him to Chancellor and elevated his rank to Marquis of Anchang. When Zhang Yu grew old, the emperor bestowed on him a covered carriage, four horses, a hundred jin of gold, and ten million coins. When Zhang Yu fell ill, the emperor went in person to his bedside to visit him. When Emperor Zhang was still in the Eastern Palace, he studied the Classic of Filial Piety with Huan Rong. After ascending the throne, he appointed Huan Rong Grand Preceptor. The emperor went to Huan Rong’s home, sat facing east to listen to him lecture, and hosted a banquet for the officials and several hundred students. He also held the text himself as he praised Huan Rong’s teaching, made him a Marquis within the Passes, and granted him an estate of five thousand households. When Huan Rong fell ill, the emperor visited him in person. On entering the lane, he got out of his carriage and hurried forward holding a book, observing the courtesy of a disciple. When Huan Rong died, the emperor wore plain mourning clothes and formally lamented his death.

These men taught only a single Confucian classic, yet the court showed such respect for them as teachers and such deep devotion. How much more should those who seek the Daoist methods for cultivating the true follow the teachings of the scriptures and honor the kindness of their teachers? Daoism therefore established ritual regulations to instruct its disciples. Some of the rites set down by Master Zhang Xu are the same as those found elsewhere, while others differ; the four versions now in circulation each emphasize different things. If later disciples were to hold fast to their separate views and follow them independently, disagreements would inevitably arise. I have therefore gathered the four versions into one volume, added brief notes, weighed their similarities and differences, and made selections, additions, and revisions in keeping with the circumstances of the present age.

While the teacher is alive, disciples who travel far from his side should still show concern for his well-being and comfort, and report to him by letter. To ensure that later students understand the proper weight of each observance, I have set down my views here under the title Rituals for Good and Ill Fortune for Daoist Priests. It is divided into ten categories, with the specific provisions listed below.

General Notification Ritual, First

The second ritual is for mourning; the third for illness; the fourth for the initial dressing of the body after death; the fifth for placing the body in the coffin; the sixth for putting on mourning clothes; the seventh for the funeral procession; the eighth for setting up the spirit tablet; the ninth for disciples returning to the Daoist temple; and the tenth for removing the spirit tablet.

General Notification Ritual, First

The first month is the beginning of spring. The weather is still cold, with some chill remaining. The second month is mid-spring. The weather gradually warms, and it is already mild. The third month is late spring. The climate is mild and comfortable, quite warm. The fourth month is the beginning of summer. The weather grows steadily hotter, and it is already hot. The fifth month is midsummer. The heat is hard to bear; it is extremely hot. The sixth month is late summer. The summer heat is at its height, and the weather is scorching.

The seventh month is the beginning of autumn. It is still hot, with some summer heat lingering. The eighth month is mid-autumn. The weather grows cooler, and the chill is noticeable. The ninth month is late autumn. The weather gradually turns cold, and it is already cold. The tenth month is the beginning of winter. A chill begins to set in, and the weather is already cold. The eleventh month is midwinter. It is bitterly cold, with a piercing chill. The twelfth month is late winter. The cold cuts to the bone; it is freezing.

Pei Ju said: “When drafting memorials, notifications, and letters today, one may use seasonal greetings such as ‘It is still cold in the beginning of spring.’ Thereafter, follow the seasonal and weather expressions listed above, changing them every fifteen days. They should also be selected flexibly according to the particular circumstances.

“When a provincial governor or county magistrate has just taken office, Daoist priests should present them with a formal notification. The heading should read: ‘Notification from Daoist priest [name] of [temple name].’ The address in the body should read: ‘Respectfully submitted to the attendant of the Illustrious Lord Governor and the Illustrious Prefect, Director of Records.’ This is the letter-writing etiquette Daoist priests use when paying their respects to newly appointed local officials. ‘Illustrious Lord Governor’ refers to the local chief official; ‘attendant of the Illustrious Prefect, Director of Records’ is an honorific for the official responsible for documents and his staff.”

A certain Daoist respectfully and fearfully reports: To the esteemed Lord Ming, Magistrate Yun: Your virtue and achievements are profound and far-reaching, and your judgment is renowned. You have graciously lowered yourself to bestow your favor by coming to our humble region. All within the Daoist community and among the common people rejoice and celebrate. Though early spring has arrived, the weather remains cold. How has your health been of late? I am ill and unable to accompany you as custom requires, which I deeply regret. I write to inform you and beg your pardon for not setting everything out in detail. Respectfully reported by [name].

On [date], [name], a Daoist of [name of monastery], reports. Other letters follow the same format.

When writing at the first seasonal observance of winter in each year (here, a calendrical festival) or at either of the two major festivals, the opening should express remembrance and concern, and ask whether the recipient, too, feels a deeper longing for their parents. This expression of remembrance refers specifically to the case in which both parents have died. If it is not the first festival of the year, or if both parents are still alive, these greetings need not be included. If the father has died and the mother is living, or if both parents have died, one may write, “At this festival, my distant thoughts are profound.” If the mother has died and the father is living, write, “From afar, I remember the departed elder.” If either parent has died, one may write, “I remember the departed.” When the recipient is of a senior generation, write, “I can only deepen my remembrance of the past.”

In letters, “I bow my head” and “I knock my head” are expressions of respect. When one’s father is alive, use “I bow my head”; after one’s father has died, use “I knock my head.” However, when writing to younger relatives within the five degrees of mourning, or to subordinate officials, one should not use either expression. In replies of condolence for a major bereavement, a letter may use “I bow my head”; in all other cases, omit this phrase.

When writing to one’s great-grandparents or grandparents, the envelope or heading should read “To my great-grandfather and great-grandmother,” “To my great-grandparents,” or “To my grandparents.” The body should begin, “Before [their names], [name] presents this letter.” A woman should write, “Before [their names], [woman’s surname] presents this letter.” When writing to one’s parents, the heading should read, “Before my father and mother, [name] presents this letter.” A woman should write, “Before my father and mother, [woman’s surname] presents this letter.”

When writing a letter, expressions for the month such as “the first month of spring” should match the actual season. Around the winter solstice, or if the recipient’s parents are still alive, there is no need to write “I respectfully wish you peace of mind and body.” You may move “the first month of spring” to before “the weather is still cold,” and adjust the wording in the same way for other seasons. If you have been apart for a long time, you may write, “We have been separated for a long time, and I miss you beyond measure.” After receiving the other person’s instruction, you may write, “I received your instruction on [date], which has somewhat eased the longing in my heart.” If you have not yet received a reply, write, “I have not recently received your instruction.” To ask after someone, you may write, “The weather is still cold. I wonder how you are in health and daily life. I respectfully hope your meals and rest are better than usual.” Then describe your own recent circumstances, for example: “Recently I have been blessed with your kindness, but have been unable to attend upon you; this only deepens my longing. I respectfully hope you will take care and remain well.” At the end of the letter, you may write, “My words are incomplete; I respectfully submit this letter.” If writing on a single sheet, place the date before “I respectfully submit this letter.” The formats for all the letters below follow these conventions.

When a cultivator writes to a master who has transmitted the Dao, if the cultivator has not yet received the transmission, the letter’s heading may read, “Before the honored Master [surname]”; if the master is a great virtuous teacher, write, “Before the Dharma Master [surname].” Sign the body of the letter with the disciple’s name, and write, “With trepidation, I submit this letter on [month] [day]. I, [name], speak with trepidation.” To ask after the master, one may write, “At this distant time of the first month of spring, I respectfully hope you are at ease. I wonder how you are in health and daily life.” If the recipient is not one’s teacher, ask directly, “How are you?” without using the phrase “in health and daily life.” After a long separation, one may write, “The days since our parting have been many, and my heart is filled with longing.” If no reply has arrived, write, “I have lately received no instruction; my thoughts remain wholly with you.” If a letter has arrived, write, “I received your instruction on [date], which has somewhat eased the longing in my heart.” If for the time being you cannot come to pay your respects, you may say, “I cannot come at once to pay my respects, and my longing for you only grows,” and close with, “I respectfully hope you will take care. I, [name], bow again with trepidation.”

When a teacher writes to a disciple, the heading should read, “Disciple [surname], [rank],” and the body should begin, “I, [name], inform you.” To ask after the disciple, one may write: “On [month] [day], I write to [name]. At this time of the first month of spring, I have felt your absence deeply. It has been a long time since I saw you; thoughts of you linger in my heart, so I write today.” This means: “[Name] writes to [person] on [date]. The season has recently changed, and it has been a long time since we met. I have thought of you constantly, so I am writing to ask how you are.”