《醮三洞真文五法正一盟威箓立成仪》

The Established Ritual for the Jiao Offering of the True Writs of the Three Caverns (Dongzhen, Dongxuan, and Dongshen), the Five Methods, and the Zhengyi (Orthodox Unity) Mengwei Registers of the Covenant of Awe-Inspiring Authority (a ritual protocol for performing the Jiao, the Daoist rite of petition and offering to the deities, and for observing the True Writs of the Three Caverns together with the Zhengyi Mengwei registers)

Composed by Zhang Wanfu, Disciple of the Three Caverns

Whenever a Jiao ritual is held—a Daoist rite of petition and offering addressed to the deities—it is in order to express sincerity toward Heaven and Earth and to seek blessing and protection from the spirits of the unseen realm. If one cannot be single-minded in sincere reverence, it will not be enough to move the spirits and call forth a response. Never has blessing failed to descend when sincerity was given to the utmost, and never has it been heard that blessing arrived where sincerity was wanting. Those who cultivate and wear the relevant Fulu (talismans and registers) ought to give themselves with all their heart and all their sincerity.

In setting out the altar and the seats, a celebrated mountain or a grotto is best. If no such place is available, somewhere secluded, quiet, and free of disturbance may also serve for arranging the ritual implements and the seating. Fresh fruits of the season and fragrant, fine offerings must be ample and fresh. If a mountain grotto has no mats, grass may be spread and leaves laid down as cushioning. The cloths used for wiping must be clean, and cleanliness within and without must be attended to beforehand: dogs, rats, and other animals and livestock must not be allowed to enter; filth and rich, strong-smelling meats must be kept far off; and within the altar ground one must not climb about, touch the altar furnishings, scold, or relieve oneself.

The offerings should be arranged according to the same rules as the Zhaijiao (purification ritual). People of the world are dull of mind. Unable to perceive what is subtle, they suppose that sacrificial gifts are nothing more than wine and meat, and so faith does not arise in them. The methods of the Dao (the Way) are pure, empty, and still, and they especially shun defilement. The stars and constellations, the mountains and peaks, and the rivers and streams all have perfected immortals presiding over them. If, rather than inquiring into the source and pursuing the original meaning, one readily believes heterodox teachings, such a state of affairs is truly to be lamented. What superior cultivators of the Dao diligently practice is mocked by the foolish.

The ritual proceeds as follows. Setting the Altar and Seats comes first; Purifying the Altar and Dispelling Defilement, second; the Spell for Entering the Door, third; Issuing the Incense Burner, fourth; Sending Forth the Numinous Officials, fifth; Inviting the Officials and Presenting the Matter, sixth; Sending Off the Divine Perfected, seventh; Commanding the Minor Clerk-Spirits, eighth; the Inner Officials, ninth; Returning the Incense Burner, tenth; the Hymn for Sending Off the Gods, eleventh; the Spell for Leaving the Door, twelfth; and Various Taboos after the Jiao, thirteenth. There follows again Setting the Altar and Seats, the first.

In the original text, the passage beginning “Sumptuous foods are set out entirely as in the method of the Zhai; the minds of worldly people are dull…” appears once as a repetition. The wording that comes out, literally, as “all are true, great and small” is suspected of being a scribal error; here, in keeping with the context, it is translated as the statement that the stars, the mountains, and the rivers all have perfected immortals presiding over them.

The Dao (the Way) of the divine spirits has no concrete form, yet so long as the heart and mind are utterly sincere, sympathetic communication can be achieved. The true spirits have no fixed image, yet when they are petitioned one must still follow a definite method. Practitioners should establish an altar space (the place where sacrificial and prayer rites are held) in order to pray for blessings and for an answering fulfillment.

The altar space is to follow the regulations of the Lingbao Zhaozhen Fa (Lingbao Method of Summoning the True). Five gates are opened—east, west, south, north, and Wangshang—and the altar space measures two zhang and four chi in both width and length, with the enclosing railing set according to the ritual prescriptions. Among the scriptural methods (jing) of the Three Caverns (Dongzhen, Dongxuan, and Dongshen), the Dongxuan division occupies the middle position; its regulations are therefore adopted so as to communicate between above and below.

Once the altar space has been set up, the Shangqing seat (the seat for venerating the divine perfected of Supreme Clarity) is installed slightly forward of the center of the altar, facing south. A blue-and-crimson patterned cloth is spread, and the ritual registers—the Fulu (talismans and registers) used to invoke the spirits—are opened and placed upon the seat. In front are set three five-chi trays: one tray divided into nine portions, one tray divided into six portions, and three lamps besides; the third tray is divided into a single portion. In all, this comes to sixteen portions of offerings, sixteen cups, and three incense burners.

Next, on the northern side toward the west, the Six Jia seat (the seat for venerating the divine generals of the Six Jia) is set, facing south, and a crimson cloth is spread. The talismans are opened and placed upon the seat. In front are set six trays, one portion on each, together with one incense burner, six cups, and one lamp.

Then, at the eastern end, the Three Sovereigns seat (the seat for venerating the Heavenly Sovereign, the Earthly Sovereign, and the Human Sovereign) is set, facing south, and a jade-green cloth is spread. The talismans are opened and placed upon the seat. In order from east to west they are the Heavenly Sovereign, the Earthly Sovereign, and the Human Sovereign. In front are set three trays, one portion on each, together with three incense burners, three cups, and three lamps.

Next, at the northern end of the eastern side, one incense burner, six cups, and one lamp are set.

The Three Sovereigns seat at the eastern end is then recorded once more: facing south, a jade-green cloth is spread, the talismans are opened and placed upon the seat, and the Heavenly Sovereign, the Earthly Sovereign, and the Human Sovereign are installed in sequence. In front are set three trays, one portion on each, together with three incense burners, three cups, and three lamps.

Next, at the northern end of the eastern side, the Charts of the True Forms of the Five Marchmounts (diagrams depicting the forms of the Five Marchmounts) are set up, facing west, and a crimson cloth is spread. The chart-talismans are placed upon the seat. In front are set three trays: the tray toward the north is divided into five portions; the seat of the Lords of the Five Marchmounts, lying toward the south, has one tray divided into two portions; the seat of the Lords Who Assist the Mandate, further to the south, has two trays, one portion each; and the seat of the envoys of Qingcheng and Mount Lu has one tray divided into nine portions. In addition, nine cups, four lamps, and four incense burners are set.

Next, on the south side, set up the “Five Talismans Position” (Wufu wei). Spread a cloth facing west, place the talismans (fu) on the seats, and arrange three plates in front. The first plate holds one portion of offerings and is set slightly forward; one may also establish a separate seat spread with black cloth. The “Renwu Mountain Position” (Renwu shan wei) is furnished with one plate, one cup, one incense burner, and one lamp. Two further plates are then placed behind them, offered respectively to the “Positions of the True Writs, the Five Talismans, and the Inner Sounds of the Eight Scenes” (Zhenwen Wufu Bajing neiyin wei). Each position receives five portions, ten portions in all, together with ten cups, one incense burner, and one lamp.

Next, on the south side, set up the “Mengwei Position” (Mengwei wei, the position of the covenant of awesome authority). Spread red cloth facing east, place the talismans on the seats, and arrange three plates in front. Each plate holds eight portions, twenty-four portions in all, with twenty-four cups; twelve cups may be prepared instead. The “Positions of the Inner Sounds of the Eight Scenes” each receive five portions, ten portions in all, together with ten cups, one incense burner, and one lamp.

At another place the “Mengwei Position” is likewise set up on the south side. Spread red cloth facing east, place the talismans on the seats, and arrange three plates in front. Each plate holds eight portions, twenty-four portions in all, with twenty-four cups; one may instead prepare twelve cups, eight cups, or three cups, each corresponding to a different ritual rule and symbolic scheme. A separate incense burner is also provided.

Next, on the north side, set up the “Two Prohibition Positions of East and West” (Dongxi erjin wei). Spread blue-green cloth facing east, place the talismans on the seats, and arrange three plates in front. The plate toward the north holds one portion, offered to the “Position of the Lord of the Western Marchmount” (Xiyue jun wei); the plate farther south holds one portion, offered to the “Position of the Central Yellow Great Unity” (Zhonghuang Taiyi wei); and the plate toward the west holds four portions, offered to the “Positions of the Four Divine Lords” (Sishen jun wei). The three plates together hold sixteen portions. One may instead use six plates, with three portions on each, and set out two incense burners and two lamps.

If one practices the method of the “Seven Stars” (qixing), then in the center of the altar court, behind the “Shangqing Position” (Shangqing wei, Highest Clarity) and in front of the “Six Jia Position” (Liujia wei), spread purple cloth facing south and set out seven plates, one portion on each, together with seven cups, one incense burner, and one lamp. Even if one does not practice the Seven Stars method, it is still best to establish this altar position. The arrangement of the Jiao liturgy should take these dispositions as its primary basis.

Here “position” (wei) means an altar station in the rite where Fulu (talismans and registers) are installed and the divine perfected are honored; “portion” (fen) refers to the number of offerings placed on each plate. Cloths of different colors are used to distinguish the altar positions.

The offerings associated with the Hetu (River Chart) may be set beside the spirit positions of Shangqing (Supreme Clarity), or placed behind the Shangqing spirit positions and in front of those of the Three Sovereigns (Sanhuang). A blue-green cloth is spread, and, facing south, a tray divided into nine compartments is set out, holding one stick of incense, nine cups, and one lamp.

When the jiao rite—the Daoist Zhaijiao (purification ritual)—has ended, the zhenxin (ritual pledges), the water for washing, fermented soybeans, rice, and the like are placed on a mat slightly to the east, in front of the Shangqing spirit positions. The spirit positions are arranged in this way according to the practice transmitted by the teachers one has known; one does not presume to institute a separate rite of one’s own. If an additional tray divided into nine compartments is to be set out, together with one stick of incense, nine cups, and one lamp, as well as the zhenxin, washing water, fermented soybeans, rice, and similar items after the jiao rite, all of these are likewise to be placed by the same method on a mat slightly to the east in front of the Shangqing spirit positions. Such an arrangement is not a matter of deciding on one’s own authority; the incense, lamps, and zhenxin required must all conform to the regulations.

If an offering table can be provided at every place, with a separate clean cloth spread over it and the registers—the documents of Fulu (talismans and registers) conferred in the Daoist tradition—laid upon the table, that is better still. At each location a plank altar should be set up, enclosed on all sides with crimson cord to mark the boundary; if this is not done, ash or wheat bran may be used instead to trace the boundary. So that the true spirits may have a place in which to settle and visualization may be more readily practiced, clean curtains may be hung to screen and enclose the space. This also keeps the incense, fire, lamps, and candles from being scattered about, and the effect is better.

Second: Cleansing the Altar and Removing Impurity (cleaning the ritual space and driving away defilement).

The rite of purifying the altar, that is, of cleansing the ritual altar, is performed in order to wash away the pre-existing impure Qi (vital energy), to nourish the true spirits with fragrant and pure Qi, to make the inner and the outer unobstructed, clear, and pure, and to allow human beings and spirits to enter into mutual resonance. Whenever one performs the opening of a jiao—beginning the Zhaijiao (purification ritual) and setting up an altar to petition the deities—this is to be done; it is not limited to the rite described here.

First write the impurity-dispelling talisman on paper. Cut peach bark, bamboo leaves, agarwood, clove incense, fragrant cypress leaves, and the like into pieces, place them in a silk pouch, and boil them in water. Use the water obtained by this boiling to sprinkle the ritual altar and the ritual implements, and use it also for bathing. One may instead use water from a clear spring, or water newly drawn.

After everything has been laid out according to the arrangement set forth above, put on the ritual vestments. At the Earth Door—the direction or position within the altar ground that communicates with earthly Qi—place the ritual sword and the purified water, setting down the sword first and the water next, the two three paces apart, and then perform the Pace of the Three Powers, the stepping method paced according to the meaning of the Three Powers: Heaven, Earth, and Humanity.

When the pacing has ended, form wogu, the hand mudra of clasping the hand in Daoist practice, close the eyes, and visualize the master of Jing (scripture/classic), the master of registers, and the master of ordination positioned to the west. Visualize the troops and horses of General Tang on the left, wearing swords and holding seals; the troops and horses of General Ge on the right, holding halberds and wearing swords; and the troops and horses of General Zhou in front, holding staffs of authority. Visualize further a True Person clothed in vermilion and riding nine phoenixes, who arrives at the ritual altar by the Dipper Pace—stepping according to the positions of the stars—and gathers in the impure Qi. The seven stars of the Northern Dipper cover one from above, with the handle of the Dipper pointing forward, yet they must not obscure one’s eyes.

When this has been completed, open the eyes and recite the “Spell of the Four Numina.” The spell text begins, “Azure Dragon of the East, essence of Horn and Neck…”; the original then passes over what follows with “and so on,” indicating that one recites according to the spell in common use. After the recitation, touch the heart with the hand, stand in a T-shaped stance, and recite the spell: “The hundred spirits I have summoned have all assembled; next one should roam the clouds…” Here too the spell text is abbreviated with “and so on.” One then performs the Pace of the Three Powers once more.

Next, command the water spirits, so that the waters of the Yangtze, the Yellow River, the Huai River, and the seas all become extraordinary water; the related spell text is omitted with “and so on.” Then spray water outward once, and call out “She” three times in succession.

Then declare one’s own name and official title, and respectfully invite the Azure Dragon of the East to send down true Qi to enter one’s body; the specific spell text is omitted with “and so on.” Next perform again the Pace of the Three Powers, or tread the Nine Traces—nine stepping positions—or tread the pace of the hexagram Jiji (After Completion), stepping according to the image of that hexagram.

Then recite the spell, spray water outward once more, and call out “She” three times in succession. Again declare one’s name and official title, respectfully invite the Azure Dragon of the East to send down true Qi to enter one’s body, and then perform the Pace of the Three Powers, the Pace of the Nine Traces, or the pace of the Jiji hexagram.

Afterward, respectfully invite the Five Youth Lords, the divine youthful generals of the five directions, reciting the related spell texts according to customary practice. Finally, perform the Gang Pace of the Seven Stars, the stepping method paced according to the positions of the seven stars of the Northern Dipper, set down the water bowl, and with this the rite is complete.

The Four Superior Merit Officers, the Envoys of the Dragon and the Tiger, the living Qi (vital energy) of Zhengyi (Orthodox Unity), and the Pure Maiden who attends in stillness: tonight there is a memorial to present. Please dispatch the Boy of Opening Light and the Maiden of the Upper Mystery to enter the Yellow Palace together with me, to convey what is being memorialized so that all of it may reach the celestial court. When the recitation is finished, one enters the altar and circles it once. The person charged with presenting the memorial takes a place and stands in the northwest; the other palace youths take their places facing east. Incense is first offered in turn at each seat, and then the incense of the memorial announcement is offered.

They then chant. The assembly bows to the master according to the rite and performs the visualization as prescribed.

They then visualize the Three Masters according to the ordinary rite.

The fourth step is dispatching the burner. The other palace youths take their places facing east. Incense is first offered in turn at each seat, and then the incense of the memorial announcement is offered.

They then chant. The assembly bows to the master according to the rite and performs the visualization as prescribed.

They then visualize the Three Masters according to the ordinary rite.

The fourth step is dispatching the burner.

The ritual drum is struck thirty-six times.

O Most High Lord Lao of the Unsurpassed Three Heavens, of the Three Qi of Mystery, Origin, and Beginning: summon forth from within the body of me, so-and-so, the Merit Officers of the Three and the Five, the official envoys of the left and the right, the incense-bearers of the left and the right, the relay dragons and mounted officers, the Golden Lads who attend the incense, the Jade Maidens who scatter flowers, the on-duty talisman officers of the Five Emperors, and the incense officers assigned to this day—thirty-six of each. Command them to emerge through the passes, and announce to the earth gods of the prefectures and counties and to the true officials and orthodox spirits of this territory: I, so-and-so, am now burning incense and establishing a jiao offering. May the clear, upright, true, and pure generative Qi of the ten directions descend and flow into our bodies, so that what I memorialize may be swiftly conveyed and arrive directly before the thrones of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), the Jade Emperor, and the Most True venerable spirits.

The incense of the memorial document is then offered, and the officers bow once more.

The fifth step is sending forth the numinous officials.

One kneels erect and clicks the teeth twenty-four times.

Reverently summon forth from within the body of your servant so-and-so the True Officials of the Five Bodily Parts (divine officers who guard each part of the body), the higher immortals and higher spirits, the direct-envoy merit officers, the Zhengyi (Orthodox Unity) merit officers, the messengers of the offices of the left and right, the divine clerks who decide matters of Yin-Yang, the crimson-talisman clerks of the ritual carriages, the relay steeds posted by the riders of the Stiff Wind, and the officials of the petition clerks, two of each. Summon forth from within the body of your servant so-and-so the attendant gentlemen of the left and right of Empty Non-Being and Spontaneity, the Great Perfected of the Jade Emperor of Primordial Chaos, the jade lads of the left and right who lead the immortals, the merit officers of the Upper Void of the Nine Mysteries, and the merit officers of the Three Origins, twenty-four of each.

Further summon forth, by commission of the Jade Void of Highest Clarity, from within the body of your servant so-and-so the attendant gentlemen of the left and right of Empty Non-Being and Spontaneity, the Great Perfected of the Jade Emperor of Primordial Chaos, the jade lads of the left and right who lead the immortals, the merit officers of the Upper Void of the Nine Mysteries, and the merit officers of the Three Origins, twenty-four of each. Summon forth the envoys of the Jade Void of Highest Clarity, the envoys of the divine immortals, the envoys of Mount Tai, the jade lads of the Golden Dawn, the jade maidens of Great Floriate, the numinous flyers of the left and right, and the attendant gentlemen of the Jade Void, twenty-four of each.

Summon forth the Five Emperors, the Primordial Sovereign, and the Great Perfected, nine thousand of each. Summon forth the cavalry that inspects Heaven and assists the immortals, the cavalry that assists the perfected, the cavalry that assists the spirits, the cavalry that assists the emperors, and the cavalry that assists the numinous, a host of nine hundred million each. Summon forth the void-riding cavalry of the flying wheels of the Five Emperors and the void-soaring cavalry of the flying immortals of the Five Emperors, a host of nine hundred million each. Summon forth the cavalry of the flying jasper feather canopies of the Nine Heavens, the cavalry of the flying carriages with paired green steeds, and the cavalry of earth-subduing soaring dragons, a host of nine hundred million each.

Summon forth the jade immortal clerks of Spontaneity who summon the perfected and generate numinous mushrooms, the jade immortal clerks who summon the spirits and generate numinous mushrooms, and the jade immortal clerks of the Divine Elixir who generate numinous mushrooms, a host of nine hundred million each. Further summon forth the cavalry of the Golden Perfected of gleaming lightning, the cavalry of Yang Jing (essence) that raises clouds and sends rain, the cavalry of Yin Jing that raises clouds and sends rain, the cavalry of Yang brightness that shines and pursues lightning, and the cavalry of the Cloud Gate that bears the tally of golden light, a host of nine hundred million each.

Next summon forth from within the body of your servant so-and-so the spirits of the inner tones of the heavens of the Three Divisions and Eight Effulgences of the Numinous Treasure Dongxuan (Cavern of Mystery). Again summon forth the cavalry of the Golden Perfected of gleaming lightning, the cavalry of Yang Jing that raises clouds and sends rain, the cavalry of Yin Jing that raises clouds and sends rain, the cavalry of Yang brightness that shines and pursues lightning, and the cavalry of the Cloud Gate that bears the tally of golden light, a host of nine hundred million each. Also summon forth from within the body of your servant so-and-so the divine immortals of the inner tones of the heavens of the Three Divisions and Eight Effulgences of the Numinous Treasure Cavern of Mystery, the jade maidens in embroidered robes, the direct talismans of the Five Emperors, the spirits who transmit words and present memorials, together with the sun, moon, and constellations, the official retinues of the Five Emperors, the divine-dragon cavalry, the flying-dragon cavalry, the relay-dragon cavalry, the cloud-dragon mounts, and the like.

All these divinities are to equip themselves in good order, put on caps and sashes, compose their bearing, and array themselves before your servant so-and-so. Command them to convey the announcement and petition to the celestial officials, earthly officials, and water officials above, below, and in the four directions and eight quarters, and to the divinities of the Five Marchmounts and Four Waterways, the Nine Rivers and Eight Extremities, and the famous mountains and great marshes. They are also to notify the true officials of the Five Emperors, the inspectors of the Four Bureaus, the examiners and summoners of the Nine Departments, the Mysterious Origin and the Four Beginnings, the various official lords of the jiazi cycle, and the multitudes of true officials without end or limit, neither high nor low, neither dark nor bright, neither deep nor shallow. Together with these they are to announce and petition the Qi (vital energy)-infusing Sovereign of Qian, the Nine Palaces and the Bagua (Eight Trigrams), the direct talismans of the Six Jia, those on duty in Empty Non-Being, the flying immortals of the Five Marchmounts, the feathered cavalry of the divine dragons, and other such divinities.

This liturgical passage uses a succession of “summon forth” formulas to list the divinities, officials, and divine cavalry who are called, commands them to compose their bearing and form ranks to await orders, and then has them convey the announcement and petition to the divinities of heaven and earth in every quarter. “Your servant so-and-so” is the self-designation of the ritual performer in the text.

Your servant So-and-so respectfully memorializes: From such-and-such year, month, and day onward, the countless host of perfected officials—including the Qian Sovereign who infuses Qi (vital energy), the deities of the Nine Palaces and the Bagua (Eight Trigrams), the Direct Talisman Officers of the Six Jia, the Direct-Affairs Officers of the Void, the Flying Immortals of the Five Marchmounts, the Divine Dragons and Feathered Cavalry, and the other gods—are all invited to come together and take up this matter.

Your servant So-and-so respectfully memorializes: On such-and-such year, month, and day, I went to the gate of Master So-and-so, a Great Cavern Master of the Shangqing (Highest Clarity) tradition, and received the Complete Methods of the Immortal Numina, the Immortal Registers of Shangqing, the True Writs of Lingbao (Numinous Treasure), the Five Methods of the Eight Effulgences, and the Secret Talismans of the Six Jia, together with the Famous Mountains of the Western Marchmount, the chart-registers of the True Immortals of the Five Marchmounts, the divine talismans of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, the true registers of the orthodox method of the Phoenix Qi of the Nine Heavens, the tiger talismans of the Metal Spirit, the Huoluo Seven Primordials and the Numinous Flight, the purple writs and interlocking belts of the Six Jia, and other registers and secret methods. Thereafter I conducted myself according to the ritual procedures, wore the registers, and practiced cultivation and made offerings.

Now, having chosen an auspicious day, I have modestly arranged a jiao rite upon the numinous altar of such-and-such abbey, to set forth my intentions and offer sincere reverence, and thereby to correspond with the perfected numina and the official hosts of the Three Realms. I also invite the thirty-six thousand divine officers of the five bodily constituents within the body of your servant So-and-so each to divide their forms and appear, to join their strength in guarding and upholding the altar ground, to cut away and diminish the Qi of demons and deviance, and to render the altar solemn, dignified, and undisturbed. May the gods hear the memorial and prayer of your servant So-and-so, and be sure to descend and come to the altar.

Sixth Item: Inviting the Officials and Opening the Matter

From this point onward, the gods should each rest in their proper places, divide their forms and unite their shadows, and together guard the altar ground, cut away the Qi of demons and deviance, and make the altar solemn, dignified, and undisturbed. They should hear the memorial and prayer of your servant So-and-so and descend to attend the altar.

Sixth Item: Inviting the Officials and Opening the Matter

From this point onward, the voice must be lowered and the text recited softly. Each time the reading comes to a double bow, one should pause for a moment; one must not read in a loud or hurried voice.

The disciple of the Three Luminaries of the Great Cavern of the Mysterious Capital of Shangqing, Master of such-and-such Marchmount, and humble Perfected of minor omen under such-and-such Emperor, your servant So-and-so, bows twice and respectfully invites the gods.

I reverently invite the Twenty-Four Exalted Perfected of the Supreme Sovereign, the Dao Lord of the Primordial August One Most High of the Purple Void of Jade Clarity, and the assembled immortals and gods, together with the Jade Lads and Jade Maidens, to ride the clouds and harness the Qi as one, to accord with the sights of the season, each to divide their numinous presence and send down their light, and to come to the jiao altar. Bows twice.

Respectfully we invite, from the Orthodox Dharma of the Three Heavens (the orthodox lineage of Daoism), the Three Primordial Great Lords, the Primordial Sovereign True Lord of the Numinous Metropolis of Grand Tenuity, the Elder of the Divine Immortals, the Jade Lads and Jade Maidens, and the Numinous Officers and Perfected of the sixty-three departments. May they unite as one body and divide their spirits so as to appear in response, command primordial Qi (vital energy), ride the clouds and mount the void, descend from the four directions, let down their radiance, and come to the jiao altar of the Zhaijiao (purification ritual). Bow twice.

Respectfully we invite the High Immortals of Grand Clarity, the Perfected of Auspicious Clouds, the Supreme Elder, the Lord of the Upper Sovereign, the Great Thearch of the Nine Blossoms, and the Jade Maiden of the Dark and the Yellow. May they gather Jing (essence) and Qi, respond as they are moved and manifest as the occasion requires, ride cloud-vapors through to the realm of the divine, and descend upon radiance to the jiao altar. Bow twice.

Respectfully we invite the Numinous Flyers, True Lads, Jade Maidens, and the host of immortals to the left and right of the Jasper Palace. May they let down their radiance and descend to the jiao altar. Bow twice.

Respectfully we invite the Grand Commandant of the River Chart and the gods of the Jade Emperor’s mansion. May they gather Jing and Qi, respond as they are moved and manifest as the occasion requires, ride cloud-vapors through to the realm of the divine, and descend upon radiance to the jiao altar. Bow twice.

Respectfully we invite the Numinous Flyers, True Lads, Jade Maidens, and the host of immortals to the left and right of the Jasper Palace. May they let down their radiance and descend to the jiao altar. Bow twice.

Respectfully we invite the Grand Commandant of the River Chart, the Nine Dawn Lords of the Jade Emperor’s mansion, the Lady of the True Sovereign, the various Numinous Officer-envoys, the Jade Lads and Jade Maidens, and the rest. May they join in harnessing cloud-light and spreading their radiance, and descend to the jiao altar. Bow twice.

Respectfully we invite the twenty-four exalted Perfected who transmit the teaching of Great Peace. May they attend with care to sympathetic response, broadly bestow compassion, look with regard upon those whose hearts turn toward the Dao (the Way), draw near the world and receive and guide living beings, scatter their radiance so that it shines in every direction, and descend to the jiao altar. Bow twice.

Respectfully we invite the True Lords of the Seven Stars of the Northern Dipper, the True Stewards who assist them, and their immortal and numinous attendants. May they harness cloud-light, spread their radiance, and descend to the jiao altar. Bow twice.

Respectfully we invite the True Gods of the six ten-day periods under the command of the Six Jia, the Jade Maidens of the Six Ding, the Fulu (talismans and registers) clerks and attendant officers, the gods on duty for the day and for the talisman, and the twelve guardians of the soil; and at the same time we respectfully invite the True Lords who come to the jiao altar, the True Stewards who assist them, and their immortal and numinous attendants. May they harness cloud-light, spread their radiance, and descend to the jiao altar. Bow twice.

Respectfully we invite the True Gods of the six ten-day periods under the command of the Six Jia, the Jade Maidens of the Six Ding, the Fulu clerks and attendant officers, the gods on duty for the day and for the talisman, and the twelve guardians of the soil, to descend together to the jiao altar. Bow twice.

Here “jiao seating” refers to the ritual altar on which the jiao rite is performed; “bowing twice” means making the reverence twice. The “Six Jia” and “Six Ding” are protective divine generals in the Daoist pantheon, while “on duty for the day” and “on duty for the talisman” refer to the divine clerks then holding office.

Respectfully invite the Lord of the Western Marchmount, together with the Flying-Heaven Elder, Taiyi Zhonghuang, the Jade Lads of the Mysterious Heights, Lord Li the Tiger King, Master of Fierce Beasts, and the other deities, to descend together upon the jiao altar (the ritual platform on which the jiao offering is performed). Bow twice.

Respectfully invite the Lords of the Five Marchmounts, the Heir-Apparents of Mounts Qian and Huo who assist the Mandate, the Elder of Qingcheng, the Envoy of Mount Lu, and the true spirits of the local mountains and rivers, to descend together upon the jiao altar. Bow twice.

Respectfully invite the Celestial Sovereign, Lord Tianyi; the Earthly Sovereign, Lord Taiyi; and the Human Sovereign, Lord Xuanyi, together with their true spirits and attendants, to descend upon the jiao altar. Bow twice.

Respectfully invite the mountain-form of Renwu, together with its true spirits and attendants, to descend upon the jiao altar. Bow twice.

Respectfully invite Lingweiyang, Azure Emperor Lord of the East; the Celestial Lord of the Azure Sprout and the Nine Qi (vital energy); the True King of the Most High; the Jade Maiden of the Azure Waist; and the various numinous officers of the East, to come to the jiao altar. Bow twice.

Respectfully invite … to descend upon the jiao altar. Bow twice.

Respectfully invite Lingweiyang, Azure Emperor Lord of the East; the Celestial Lord of the Azure Sprout and the Nine Qi; the True King of the Most High; the Jade Maiden of the Azure Waist; and the various numinous officers of the East, to come to the jiao altar. Bow twice.

Respectfully invite Chibiaonu, Red Emperor Lord of the South; the Celestial Lord of Vermilion Cinnabar and the Three Qi; the Elder of Primordial Qi; the Jade Maiden of Great Cinnabar of the Vermilion Palace; and the various numinous officers of the South, to come to the jiao altar. Bow twice.

Respectfully invite Hanshuniu, Yellow Emperor Lord of the Center; the Perfected of the Great Thearch; the Celestial Azure Jade Maiden of Zidan, the Yellow Court, and the stems wu and ji; and the numinous officers of the Great Thearch of the Center, to come to the jiao altar. Bow twice.

Respectfully invite Yaobobao, White Emperor Lord of the West; the Celestial Lord of Bright Stone and the Seven Qi; the Elder of Primordial Qi; the White and Plain Jade Maiden of the Most High; and the various numinous officers of the West, to come to the jiao altar. Bow twice.

Respectfully invite Yinhouju, Black Emperor Lord of the North; the Celestial Lord of Mysterious Nourishment and the Five Qi; the Numinous Lord of the Most High; the Jade Maiden of Night Radiance; and the various numinous officers of the North, to come to the jiao altar. Bow twice.

Respectfully invite the Xia Emperor Lord; the Perfected of the numinous mountains of the Five Marchmounts; the Celestial Lords of the Qi of the rivers and the Four Conduits (the principal rivers of the four directions); the Numinous Lord of the Most High; the Jade Maiden of Night Radiance; and the various numinous officers of the North, to come to the jiao altar. Bow twice.

Here, the character “炁” is the specialized Daoist written form for primordial qi and for Qi (vital energy). The original phrase “reverently invite those below to descend upon the jiao altar” does not name those being invited, and so, following the wording as it stands, it can only be rendered as “Respectfully invite … to descend upon the jiao altar.”

Respectfully invite the Emperor-Lord of Summer, the Zhenren (Perfected Persons) of the numinous mountains of the Five Marchmounts, the rivers and the Four Waterways (the four principal rivers and the deities of the waters), the various numinous officers of the Three Officials and the Nine Bureaus, the Jade Maidens of the earthly immortals, and the immortal officers among the flying immortals of the Five Marchmounts, to descend together upon the jiao altar, the place where the Daoist Zhaijiao (purification ritual) is performed. Perform two bows.

Respectfully invite the various Zhenren, the Jade Lads and Jade Maidens, and the exalted immortal divine officers of the Dipper Palace (the palatial halls where the deities of the stars and the Dipper dwell). Draped in splendid shawls of purple and kingfisher green, and wearing skirts of cloud brocade patterned with phoenixes, they bear tiger-shaped insignia on the right and dragon-patterned precious swords on the left. Riding in carriages of the emerald groves and driving three-colored auspicious clouds, they let down their radiance, turn to look back, and condescend to descend upon the jiao altar. Perform two bows.

Respectfully invite one Great General of the Left Upper Immortals Who Conceals the Body, surnamed Tang, named Hong, courtesy name Wenming. Wearing a great cap and a red robe, he holds an authority tally in his left hand and a talisman in his right, and commands thirty million sword-bearing soldiers as he descends upon the jiao altar. Perform two bows.

Respectfully invite one Great General of the Right Upper Numina Who Renders the Form Invisible, surnamed Ge, named Yong, courtesy name Wendu. Wearing a red headcloth and a great cap, and dressed in a red robe, he holds a halberd in his left hand and a talisman in his right, and commands thirty million sword-bearing soldiers as he descends upon the jiao altar. Perform two bows.

Respectfully invite one Great General of the Central Upper Spirits Who Conceals the Shadow, surnamed Zhou, named Wu, courtesy name Wengang. Wearing a red headcloth and a great cap, and dressed in a red robe, he holds an authority tally in his left hand and a talisman in his right, and commands thirty million sword-bearing soldiers as he descends upon the jiao altar. Perform two bows.

Respectfully invite the divine generals within the body of this servant (the Daoist priest who presides over the ritual). Wearing a red headcloth and a great cap, and dressed in a red robe, they hold an authority tally in the left hand and a talisman in the right, and command thirty million sword-bearing soldiers as they descend upon the jiao altar. Perform two bows.

Respectfully invite the Register of One General of the Lad of the Most High Zhengyi (Orthodox Unity), worn on the body of this servant—a Fulu (talismans and registers) that records one general and his subordinates. The Zhengyi merit officers and envoys and the attendant immortal lads listed in the register are invited to descend together upon the jiao altar.

Respectfully invite the Register of Ten Generals of the Lad of the Most High Zhengyi, worn on the body of this servant. The merit officers and envoys, court clerks, Tiger Braves, and other divine officers, soldiers, and generals listed in the register are invited to descend together upon the jiao altar.

Respectfully invite the Register of One Hundred and Fifty Generals of the Upper Immortals and Upper Numina of the Most High Zhengyi, worn on the body of this servant. The merit officers and envoys, generals, and officers and soldiers listed in the register are invited to descend together upon the jiao altar.

Respectfully this servant invites General Tang, General Ge, and General Zhou of the Most High’s Red Heaven Three Divisions Register worn upon this servant’s person, together with the attendant soldiers and clerks under their respective commands, thirty million in all, fully arrayed and splendidly robed, to descend to the jiao altar (the ritual precinct in which the Zhaijiao (purification ritual) is performed).

Respectfully this servant invites the merit-office envoys, the generals, and the clerk-soldiers of the Most High’s Upper Numina Register for Summoning the Hundred Ghosts, worn upon this servant’s person, to descend to the jiao altar.

Respectfully this servant invites the Most High worn upon this servant’s person [the original text has only the character “xi” (“altar”) at this point; an omission is suspected].

Respectfully this servant invites the merit-office envoys, the generals, and the clerk-soldiers of the Most High’s Upper Numina Register for Summoning the Hundred Ghosts, worn upon this servant’s person, to descend to the jiao altar.

Respectfully this servant invites the merit-office envoys, the immortals, the jade maidens, the generals, and the clerk-soldiers of the Most High’s Primordial Destiny Chaos Red Register, worn upon this servant’s person, to descend to the jiao altar.

Respectfully this servant invites the generals and clerk-soldiers of the Most High’s Three-Five Upper Immortals Register for Summoning the Hundred Ghosts, worn upon this servant’s person, to descend to the jiao altar.

Respectfully this servant invites the merit-office envoys, the generals, and the clerk-soldiers of the Most High’s Nine Provinces Earth-Altar Command Register, worn upon this servant’s person, to descend to the jiao altar. Two bows are then performed.

Respectfully this servant invites the merit-office envoys, the Kui-Gang Dipper paces (spirits and stepping methods associated with the stars of the Northern Dipper and with the liturgy of pacing the Gang and treading the Dipper), the generals, and the clerk-soldiers of the Most High’s Three-Five Stellar Gang Five Dippers Register, worn upon this servant’s person, to descend to the jiao altar.

Respectfully this servant invites the merit-office envoys, the immortal lads, and the jade maidens of the Most High’s River Chart Precious Register, worn upon this servant’s person, to descend to the jiao altar.

Respectfully this servant invites the true officials (divine perfected officers) of the Most High’s Divine Talisman Register for Resolving the Six Harms, worn upon this servant’s person, asking them to remit punishments and eliminate calamities and, together with the generals, the clerk-soldiers, and the rest, to descend to the jiao altar.

Respectfully this servant invites the impurity-dispelling generals of the five directions and the true officials of the Most High’s Nine Phoenixes Register for Dispelling Impurity, worn upon this servant’s person, asking them to remit punishments and eliminate calamities and, together with the generals, the clerk-soldiers, and the rest, to descend to the jiao altar.

Respectfully this servant invites the impurity-dispelling generals of the five directions and the clerk-soldiers of the Most High’s Nine Phoenixes Register for Dispelling Impurity, worn upon this servant’s person, to descend to the jiao altar.

Respectfully this servant invites the true spirits, the merit-office envoys, the immortal lads, and the jade maidens of the Most High’s Capital Petitions Completion-Seal Register, worn upon this servant’s person, to descend to the jiao altar.

Respectfully I invite the merit-officer envoys (gongcao), the generals, and the officers and soldiers of the “Most High Register for Slaying Evil beneath the Flowery Canopy” (Taishang Zhanxie Huagai lu), which I wear upon my person, to descend to the offering altar.

Respectfully I invite the divine lords who command the Nine Heavens, together with the generals and the officers and soldiers, of the “Most High Register of the Military Talismans of the Nine Heavens” (Taishang Jiutian Bingfu lu), which I wear upon my person, to descend to the offering altar.

Respectfully I invite the various officials, the Lords Who Avert Calamity (divine lords who remove disaster and adversity), the generals, and the officers and soldiers of the “Most High Register of the Nine Palaces for Warding Off Adversity” (Taishang Jiugong Han’e lu), which I wear upon my person, to descend to the offering altar. The rite of bowing twice is performed.

Respectfully I invite the merit officers, the Lords Who Protect the Body in the Eight Directions (divine lords who guard every quarter), and the generals and officers and soldiers of the “Most High Register of the Eight Trigrams (Bagua) for Protecting the Body” (Taishang Bagua Hushen lu), which I wear upon my person, to descend to the offering altar. The rite of bowing twice is performed.

Respectfully I invite the merit officers, the Lords Who Protect the Body in the Eight Directions, and the generals and officers and soldiers of the “Most High Register of the Eight Trigrams (Bagua) for Protecting the Body,” which I wear upon my person, to descend to the offering altar.

Respectfully I invite the Lords of Investigation and Summoning, the generals and clerks, and the numinous officials who seize and summon (officials commissioned to summon and apprehend spirits) of the “Most High Register of Investigation and Summoning” (Taishang Kaozhao lu), which I wear upon my person, to descend to the offering altar.

Respectfully I invite the generals who repel and expel, the officers and soldiers, and the numinous officials who slay evil of the “Most High Red Register for Slaying Evil” (Taishang Zhanxie Chi lu), which I wear upon my person, to descend to the offering altar.

Respectfully I invite the merit-officer envoys, the generals, and the officers and soldiers of the “Most High Divine Register for Repelling Evil” (Taishang Bixie Shen lu), which I wear upon my person, to descend to the offering altar.

Respectfully I invite the generals who interdict vital energy (Qi), the merit officers, and the officers and soldiers of the “Most High Register of the Four Divisions for Interdicting Qi” (Taishang Sibu Jinqi lu), which I wear upon my person, to descend to the offering altar.

Respectfully I invite the divine generals who punish evil of the “Most High Great Register for Slaying Evil” (Taishang Da Zhanxie lu), which I wear upon my person, together with the generals and officers and soldiers charged with cutting off the malign essences of the Water Bureau (the anomalous spirits and evil influences that dwell in the Water Bureau), to descend to the offering altar.

Respectfully I invite the merit-officer envoys, the immortal lads, the jade maidens, and the officers and soldiers of the “Most High Register of the Merit Officers” (Taishang Gongcao lu), which I wear upon my person, to descend to the offering altar.

Respectfully I invite the merit officers who preserve life, the envoys, the immortal lads, the jade maidens, and the officers and soldiers of the “Most High Register for Preserving Life and Longevity” (Taishang Baoming Changsheng lu), which I wear upon my person, to descend to the offering altar.

Respectfully I invite the lords and officers who preserve life of the “Most High Register for Preserving Life and Longevity,” which I wear upon my person, to descend to the offering altar. The rite of bowing twice is performed.

The repeated sentence pattern “respectfully invite … to descend to the offering seats” is used in Daoist offering liturgy (Zhaijiao, the purification ritual) to invite, with reverence, the deities, officers, and generals governed by the registers one wears to come to the offering altar. To perform “bowing twice” means to carry out the rite of salutation once more.

With reverence we invite the Great Generals of the Supreme Three Primordials (Taishang Sanyuan), together with the noble divine generals and functionaries named in the covenant contracts, to descend upon the jiao altar, the place where the Daoist rite of Zhaijiao (purification ritual) is performed. Two bows are made.

With reverence we invite the Dugong Parish Register of Yangping Parish (Yangping zhi Dugong zhilu), a clerical title associated with Yangping Parish and the Dugong parish register. If one has not received the Dugong parish register, this invitation need not be made.

What is called the “Canon of the Parishes” comprises twenty-four parishes (zhi), the twenty-four parishes established in Daoism. Each parish is staffed by twenty-four persons, and the offices fall into twenty-four categories. Each office commands 240 armies; each army has 2,400 generals; each general has 24,000 functionaries; and each functionary has 240,000 soldiers. There are in addition male officials and female officials, twenty-four offices of each; male posts and female posts, twenty-four posts of each; and likewise male Qi (vital energy) and female Qi, twenty-four of each.

Within the parish are established the Tiger Braves, the Officers of Majestic Deportment, the Attendants Beneath the Bell, and the Five-Hundred Generals, twenty-four persons in each category. Within the parish there are 120 commandants, two merit officers, two registrars, twelve assistant clerks, twelve Vajra lads, twelve minor functionaries, twelve inspectors of sectional petitions, twelve attendant officers, two envoy-officers, two transmitters of petitions, and the lords who preside over the parish. Within the parish there are again twelve inspectors of sectional petitions, twelve attendant officers, two envoy-officers, two transmitters of petitions, and twelve lords who preside over the parish. Within the parish there are twenty-four functionaries of inquisition and summons, and twenty-four functionaries of the left and the right, of Yin-Yang, and of the generation of Qi (functionaries in charge of Yin-Yang and the generation of Qi). Within the parish there are twenty-four great generals who raise the standard and supervise merit, twenty-four functionaries of the forward pace who render merit, twenty-four of the rearward pace who carry out slaying, and twenty-four deputies of the relay stations and pavilions. Within the parish there are two attendant officers who supervise petitions, two who examine petitions, two who record petitions, two who collate petitions, and two who present petitions. Within the parish there are twenty-four kings among the hundred ghosts beneath the bell, two attendant officers who settle petitions, and two attendant officers who carry petitions.

The foregoing are the titles and numbers of the divine generals and functionaries invited in the jiao liturgy. These office titles are for the most part concerned with the management of documents, the transmission of memorials and petitions, and the examination of merit and fault. Among the subordinate offices listed in the original text there are repetitions, and in one place “the lords who preside over the parish within the parish” is given without a number; these have therefore been retained exactly as in the original.

Two attendants of the Zhizhong serve in charge of the seals.

One respectfully invites the true officials who guard the famous mountains and great marshes, the deities who preside over the locality, the inspecting spirits who patrol the void, the Four Offices and the Five Emperors, and all the true spirits who come in response. May each of them manifest their radiance and descend upon the jiao altar (the altar ground on which Daoist sacrificial rites are held). Two bows are performed.

When the rite of inviting the assembled sages is complete, one bows the body and meditates in stillness, visualizing the true spirits encircling in layer upon layer; the inspecting spirits who patrol the void, the Four Offices and the Five Emperors, and all the true spirits who come in response each manifest their radiance and descend upon the jiao altar. Two bows are performed.

When the rite of inviting the assembled sages is complete, one bows the body and meditates in stillness, visualizing the true spirits gathered round in layer upon layer, with hundreds of millions of chariots and riders all arriving at the altar ground and arrayed in solemn order according to their respective stations. The radiance of the spirits is brilliant and dazzling, as though they stood in grave presence before one’s eyes. When this rite is finished, two bows are performed once more.

The written address is then read aloud, and a bow is also made when the reading is done.

One then declares one’s own name and identity.

The disciple of the Shangqing Mysterious Capital’s Great Cavern of the Three Luminaries, Master So-and-so of Such-and-such Marchmount, who carries out the jiao offering rites of the Three Caverns (Dongzhen/Dongxuan/Dongshen), together with the minor-omen Perfected Person of Such-and-such Thearch, your servant So-and-so and the others, filled with awe and trepidation, respectfully knock their heads to the ground and bow twice, and submit a memorial to the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning of Vacuity and Spontaneity, the Most High Lord Lao of the Limitless Great Dao (the Way), and to the Supreme Chancellor and Supreme Steward, the Primordial Lady of the Limitless, the Most High Exalted Lord of the Dao of the Jade Dawn, the Celestial Thearch-Lord of Grand Tenuity, the Latter Sage, Thearch-Lord of the Golden Portal, the Twenty-four Exalted Perfected of the Jade Emperor, and all the other venerable gods.

In the memorial they further invite, one by one and with reverence, the Dao-Lord, Primordial Sovereign of Purple Vacuity in Jade Clarity; the Four Assistants, together with the Supreme Chancellor and Supreme Steward; the Great Lord, the Azure Lad of Fangzhu of the Eastern Florescence; the Three Primordial Lords of the Orthodox Law of the Three Heavens; the Perfected Lord, Primordial Sovereign of the Numinous Capital of Grand Tenuity; the supreme immortals of Grand Clarity who bear the phoenix Qi (vital energy) of the Nine Heavens; the Most High Elder and the Elder of Gods and Immortals; the Jade Lads and Jade Maidens; the venerable thearchs who assist and support as the Three Platforms and the Seven Primordials; the divine Perfected and the supreme sages, and the other venerable deities of all the heavens. They also respectfully invite Lady Purple Primordial of the Southern Pole, the Perfected Lord of Great Simplicity, Lord Wang, Chief of the Perfected of the Western Citadel, the Perfected Person of Taiji (Supreme Ultimate), the Red Lord of the Southern Marchmount, the Twenty-four Perfected who descend to transmit the teaching of Great Peace, and the immortal perfected, including Lady Wei, Lady Wang of Purple Tenuity, Consort An of the Nine Blossoms, the Perfected Person of Great Primordial, Lord Mao, Lord Pei, Lord Zhou, the two Perfected of the Xu family, and Lord Yang. They further respectfully invite Junior Lord Mao, Rectifier of the Office for the Protection of Life under the Three Officials; the many Perfected, within the jurisdiction of the Huayang Grotto-Mansion, who govern life and death, sin and blessing, throughout Kuocang, Wu, and Yue; the Thirty-six Official Lords of the Directors of Destiny; the Nine Dawn Lords of the River Chart; the various Numinous Officials of the Six Jia; the Lord of the Western Marchmount; the Lord of Central Yellow Great Unity; the Assisting Lords of Destiny of the Five Marchmounts and the Nine Mountains; the Perfected Lords of the Three Sovereigns; the High Gods of the Five Elders; and the host of other divinities, together with the successive Celestial Masters (Tianshi) of the Daoist tradition through the ages, the masters of the inherited lineage, the officers and clerks of the school, the scriptures and texts of the Three Caverns, and the immortal officials and their subordinates.

Your servant So-and-so states: My family has accumulated De (Virtue/Power) generation after generation, and that blessing extends into this present life. From my youth I have revered the Great Dao and longed in my heart for its mysterious and wondrous methods. I have carefully kept a pure and solemn resolve, taken refuge in my master’s lineage, and sought the Dao with diligence. I then went to study under Lord So-and-so and received precious Jing (scriptures/classics), celestial writs, texts in jade characters, talismanic charts, essential instructions, and the registers of inner and outer regulation (Daoist Fulu, talismans and registers, used for personal cultivation and for the performance of ritual). Following the prescribed methods, I have worn them, practiced them, contemplated them in quiet, and made offerings to these sacred objects, yet to this day I have still not obtained a response from the true spirits.

Now, on an auspicious day and at a favorable hour, I have bathed and perfumed myself with incense and cultivated with reverent care. I have set up the ritual seat, arrayed fragrant offerings, and respectfully opened an invitation to all the true spirits. I earnestly beg the great sages and venerable gods to descend in person, to deign to receive this prayer, to look into the feelings of an ordinary mortal, to examine the words here set forth, and to bestow grace and blessing. Your servant So-and-so respectfully knocks his head and bows twice.

Incense is offered three times.

The soup offering is presented three times.

Your servant So-and-so carefully announces once more:

The Great Dao (the Way) is profound, subtle, and mysterious, and its wondrous working has no fixed limit. It sets Yin-Yang in motion and transforms and brings forth the myriad things. Every living being and every thing that has form is born of the Dao, and is nurtured, raised, and brought to fulfillment as a mother rears her children. Of all who turn toward the Dao with sincere hearts, there are none who fail to be moved and answered. We earnestly beg the Most High and the assembled venerables, in compassion and pity for those whose hearts incline toward the Dao, to bestow inspiration and awakening.

If the seven ancestors of your servant So-and-so in former generations (seven generations of ancestors) once committed grave offenses, violated precepts and prohibitions, defiled Heaven and Earth and the sun, moon, and stars, reviled gods and ghosts or reproached the true numina, slandered the scriptures (Jing) and the Great Dao, oppressed the weak and deceived the poor; or committed faults through the three karmas of body, speech, and mind (action, speech, and thought) and through the six faculties of eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind, treated all kinds of living beings with arrogance, took life, stole, and incurred every sort of transgression—we earnestly beg the venerable deities to extend the grace of pardon and to grant a general absolution to your servant’s seven generations of ancestors, parents, and the souls of those already deceased, so that they may forever leave the dark prisons, ascend to the blessed lands, receive refinement and deliverance in the Southern Palace, cast off the mortal embryo and become immortals, rise aloft to the Nine Heavens, and attain the freedom of Wuwei (non-action).

The karmic roots that your servant So-and-so accumulated in former lives are deep and heavy, and old illnesses and calamities cling to the body. We earnestly beg the assembled venerables to cause every disease to recede unseen and every disaster to be wholly extinguished; perilous plots to do harm, deeds of wicked rebellion, and treacherous ghosts and spirits shall all be removed as well, so that the lifespan and emolument bestowed on your servant by Heaven may long endure, and blessing and joy be without end. May those who share the same cultivation and the same teaching, together with kin by marriage and the ancestral clan, all long enjoy peace and health and longevity without aging, with fortune rising high and auspiciousness firm.

We earnestly beg that the mind and Shen (spirit) of your servant So-and-so be clear and pure, awakening open and bright, and wisdom full and penetrating; that true sages lend aid in secret and divine spirits descend to receive and guide; and that good teachers and beneficial friends, together with the Jade Liquor and the Golden Elixir (Jindan; a term in Daoist cultivation symbolizing the immortal’s numinous medicine), be met of themselves, arriving even without deliberate seeking. To cultivate the Dao is then to attain the Dao, and to seek immortality is then to become an immortal; whatever the heart wishes is realized, and all affairs proceed smoothly.

Your servant So-and-so kowtows and bows twice.

Incense is offered three times.

The soup offering is presented three times.

Your servant So-and-so carefully announces once more to the lofty numina and assembled venerables, the superior sages and venerable deities, the divine perfected of the Three Caverns (Dongzhen, Dongxuan, and Dongshen; the divine perfected within the scriptural methods of the Daoist Three Caverns), the Four Offices, the Five Emperors, and the other venerable deities: Your servant is fortunate. Through the profound grace of former lives, all that was previously prayed for has been fulfilled as wished.

Your servant So-and-so kowtows and bows twice.

Incense is offered three times.

The soup offering is presented three times.

This disciple, So-and-so, respectfully reports once more to the lofty numinous hosts of worthies, the supreme sage deities, the divine Perfected of the Three Caverns (Dongzhen, Dongxuan, and Dongshen—the divine Perfected venerated in the scriptures of the Three Caverns of Daoism), the Four Offices and the Five Emperors, and all the honored gods.

This disciple, So-and-so, has been fortunate to receive the profound grace of a former life, and only after passing through the calamities of the Nine Heavens has been reborn into the present world. Now, meeting a clear and bright turn of the age in which the methods of the Dao (the Way) are transmitted, this lowly body of the disciple has also had the chance to come into contact with numinous and wondrous scriptures, the lofty secret registers (Fulu, the talismans and registers secretly transmitted in Daoism), the talismanic diagrams of the Three Caverns, and the precious seals.

Since obtaining these scriptures by good fortune, the disciple has ever looked up in reverence to the Upper Perfected and longed in heart for the realm of the immortals; yet because his sincerity is shallow, he has been unable to move the spirits to respond. The disciple often fears that, with sins so grave, he will sink into defilement and fall into the Nine Springs.

Relying on the vast compassion of Heaven above, which grants the disciple an opportunity for efficacy to be brought into effect, the disciple wishes to guard his heart with sincere faith, to set his resolve upon cultivation, and to attain deliverance without end. Today he reports to Heaven above and sets forth every wish; he purifies body and mind, sincerely confesses his faults, and frankly states the errors of the past and the present.

He humbly prays that the supreme sages and exalted worthies, the Lords and Elders, and the Heavenly Worthies of Utmost Perfection will condescend to descend upon this humble place. The disciple is ashamed and fearful, and dares not rest at ease. May the light of Heaven shine from afar, so that no dark and hidden place goes unexamined. The disciple lays bare his heart, respectfully submits this memorial, and presumes to report what he seeks.

He prays that true talismans and precious registers be bestowed, and that spirits be dispatched to guard the disciple: so that, when he climbs mountains and crosses dangers, entering and leaving mountains, forests, streams, and ravines, whatever he seeks and wherever he goes, all may be granted as he wishes; so that metal and stone open a passage, the bright spirits assemble, and every wish is fulfilled to his heart’s content.

When he gathers and ingests lingzhi and the medicines of the immortals, may they not be hidden away by others; may the sprites of the mountains lie concealed and not emerge, and may the various trials not be permitted to trouble him; may tigers, wolves, and venomous insects be unable to harm the disciple. He prays that immortal lads and jade maidens attend at his side, that the numinous Qi (vital energy) of the myriad spirits descend into his bodily form, settle the five viscera, render him keen of sense within and without and awakened in mind, and enable him to know fortune and misfortune in advance; that the Three Corpses be destroyed (the spirits which, in Daoist teaching, dwell in the human body, incite people to do evil, and impair cultivation), and that the Nine Worms not arise (the worms within the human body which Daoism holds cause illness and do harm); and that strange feathers grow upon his body, so that he may soon become an immortal.

He wishes only to receive the blessings and grace sent down by the exalted worthies, the Great Emperors, and the Perfected, and that this grace be spread widely among all people, granting the disciple everything he has set forth and sought. Grateful for this vast kindness, the disciple wishes to repay it with all his strength. This disciple, So-and-so, in fear and trembling, knocks his head to the ground and bows twice.

Three sticks of incense are offered.

Hot water is offered three times.

The divine Perfected are sent off (the seventh).

This disciple, So-and-so, reports:

We respectfully presume upon the noble deities to descend into this mundane and defiled place. The food and drink offered are meager, and the wording of the prayers is crude and clumsy. The solemn rite has been long delayed, and the offense is truly hard to bear. Now the divine carriage has been made ready and the road has been opened. We respectfully invite the honored deities to return to the Golden Portal (the palace towers where the immortals dwell). Your servant, So-and-so, is wanting in ability, and earnestly begs the honored deities for forgiveness and for the grace of mounting the carriage and departing. Your servant, So-and-so, is filled with the utmost dread, and kowtows in repeated obeisance. The fragrant broth and the jiao portions (sacrificial foods distributed after the offering rite) are then dispersed and cleared away, the ritual registers (documents conferring ritual office and registering the spirit-officials) and the seat tablets (plaques marking the deities’ places) are put away, and a command is then issued to the lesser spirit-officials.

Command to the Lesser Official-Spirits (Eighth)

The order of high and low, honored and humble, is to be observed alike by humans and by spirits. It must not be confused or overstepped, and must be arranged according to rank. Now that the honored deities have ascended to Heaven, all the true officials of the soil charged with encampment, protection, attendance, and guard, together with the soldier-officials within the body (spirit-officials held to dwell within the human body and charged with its defense), and those spirit-officials who oversee talismans and diagrams, who are of lower station and lesser office and who were unable to take part in the rite at the ritual seat, are each asked to return to their places and, according to the order of honor and humility, to hear the report of your servant, So-and-so.

Offer incense.

Present the broth.

Respectfully reported: the dragon carriage (the vehicle in which the deities ride) is already prepared for departure, and we dare not let it remain long. We earnestly beg that, after the honored deities have descended, each return to their charge and keep watch as usual, bestowing blessings, dispelling calamity, and leaving their grace behind. The Jade Lads and Jade Maidens who attend the scriptures, the Jade Gentlemen of the left and right, and the true officials listed in the ritual registers received by your servant, So-and-so, are asked to hear this report.

Offer incense.

Present the broth.

Respectfully reported: the dragon carriage is already prepared for departure, and we dare not let it remain long. We earnestly beg that, after the honored deities have descended, each return to their charge and keep watch as usual, bestowing blessings, dispelling calamity, and leaving their grace behind. The Jade Lads and Jade Maidens who attend the scriptures, the Jade Gentlemen of the left and right, and the true officials listed in the ritual registers received by your servant, So-and-so, are each asked to fulfill their duties of oversight and protection, to be of one heart and one body with your servant, So-and-so, and, whether walking, halting, or acting, never to depart. Should calamity or hardship be met, or should the mind grow confused and the breath grow dim, in violation of the covenant, the spirit-officials and soldier-officials shall be punished first. The culpability laid down by the statutes, precepts, and laws of the Mysterious Gate is not light, and all the spirits must take care. The fragrant broth and the other items are then dispersed and cleared away.

Inner Officials (Ninth)

The jiao rite of your servant So-and-so has now concluded. The True Officials of the Five Bodies, the Jade Lad officers of the Three Caverns (Sandong), and all the numinous cavalry who were earlier invited forth from the body of your servant So-and-so are all willing to return into the body of your servant So-and-so, each going back to the post originally guarded: those on the left return to the left, and those on the right return to the right. Please sit at ease within the golden halls and jade chambers, preserving primordial Qi (vital energy) and guarding true nature; when your servant So-and-so summons you again hereafter, come forth once more according to former precedent.

Your servant So-and-so respectfully entreats the Jade Lad officers of the Three Caverns and all the numinous cavalry to return into the body, each guarding the original position, sitting at ease in the golden halls and jade chambers, preserving primordial Qi and guarding true nature, and waiting until a later summons, when they will come forth again according to former precedent. After the entreaty, close the eyes for a moment, click the teeth three times, and imagine the spirits (Shen) within the body returning together into the body. Just as the troops and horses of the prefectures and provinces of the human world each return to camp and rest, once everything is settled and still, set the incense burner in place once more.

Restoring the Incense Burner, the Tenth

The following section is to be chanted in a calm yet resonant voice, and the rite proceeds according to the usual practice of the zhai method.

Envoys of the Incense Officials, Lords of the Dragon and Tiger on the left and right, and all the numinous officials who attend the incense fire: may this altar ground of itself bring forth golden mushrooms and jade blossoms. When your servant So-and-so seeks the Dao (the Way), may the Dao be obtained; when seeking immortality, may immortality be obtained. The seven ancestors and the three masters all receive deliverance, and all universally partake of mysterious and wondrous grace. May the immortal lads and jade maidens of the ten directions receive and attend the incense smoke, swiftly transmit upward the words just memorialized by your servant So-and-so, and respectfully present them, above the Three Heavens, before the throne of the Primordial Worthy, the Jade Emperor—formless, nameless, supreme, and without limit.

Hymn for Sending Off the Gods, the Eleventh

The Great Dao is profound, subtle, empty, and still, without form and without image, yet able to respond in resonance with sentient beings. If a person is reverent and sincere, that person can receive the grace bestowed by Heaven; if careless, negligent, and lacking in respect, one may draw in deviant demons. Good and ill fortune arise with the turn of the times, and favorable circumstances and hardship are likewise born of causes and conditions. The Dao does not prize pearls and fine jade; what the spirits value is a sincere heart. Whether one paints in cinnabar and azurite or labors with diligent effort, one must give heart and strength to the full and pour out the sincerity within. In this way one can naturally move the Great Sage and cause the divinities to descend and manifest their power. Holding the incense fire, one states one’s wishes and bows the head to pray for auspicious peace and stability. The Celestial Worthy ever abides in pure stillness and quiet; a person should turn the heart back toward the deep, mysterious, and far-reaching realm of the Dao.

After the recitation, those who study immortality descend from the altar according to the usual practice.

Invocation upon Leaving the Hall, the Twelfth

(After the ritual has ended, the principal officiant) faces the Mysterious Upper Great Yin (the deity or sacred direction indicated in Daoist ritual), with all eight windows open and bright. If there is a matter to be presented, a young woman can then reach the divine spirits. When the matter is finished and one returns to the original place, the assembled deities withdraw and rest in peace.

Various Taboos after the Jiao, the Thirteenth

The food offerings used in the Jiao rite (the Daoist ritual of setting up an altar to offer sacrifice to the deities) may be shared with worthies and Daoist priests; they must not be given to unclean persons among ordinary lay people to eat, and sons in filial mourning and women are especially to be avoided. Nor should the food offerings be given to worldly people. According to the old method, the offerings should be sent into long-flowing water, or buried in the earth.

After the Jiao, the following taboos should be observed: do not drink alcohol, lest the Qi (vital energy) become disordered; do not eat the five pungent foods (usually referring to strongly aromatic acrid foods such as scallion, garlic, and Chinese chives), lest the Qi grow dim and turbid; do not sit together with others, lest the Qi become mixed; do not look upon the dead or upon newborn infants, lest the Qi be tainted by impure influences; do not become angry, lest the Qi rush away and scatter; do not grieve, lest the Shen (spirit) be injured; do not see blood, lest the Qi suffer defilement.

These seven prohibitions should be observed for seven days, or for fourteen consecutive days without violation; if one can maintain them for forty-nine days, that is better still. These taboos are in general what Daoist priests ought to observe, and they do not apply only after the Jiao rite has ended.

All things needed for preparing the Jiao rite should be chosen fresh, abundant, and clean at the time, and must have neither insect holes nor dust and filth. One should not haggle over the price, nor bury money in the earth. What is heavy, turbid, and filthy cannot be used as an offering. Sugarcane, taro, yams and tubers, lotus root, kudzu root, and the like, together with ginseng, poria, and similar items, are not among those forbidden for use; all of these are things brought forth through nourishment by numinous substances.

When the food offerings are prepared, the person in charge should first bathe and purify the body, then burn incense, and wash the vessels, knives, and chopping board; one must not clamor loudly or speak in a harsh voice, nor grow angry at adults or children, and still less associate with worldly people. If one cannot make the preparations in person and must ask someone else to prepare the food, the rules should be agreed upon beforehand, that person should bathe and change into clean new clothes, and the process of preparation must be specially overseen.