《天皇至道太清玉册》Vol. 2

It has lost the true meaning of cultivation. People in the world often speak of these principles without necessarily understanding them. Even when they do understand, they may not put them into practice; and even when they do, they often cannot focus their minds, so most see no results. The “Huluo Dipper” now handed down and used is the key method of the “Three-Five Yu Steps.” It embodies the interwoven transformations of the numbers and principles of the Yellow River Chart, and must not be regarded as an ordinary way of walking. Errors crept into its transmission over the generations, preventing it from bringing about transformation and spiritual communion. I now make a point of correcting these errors and passing down the proper method.

The Master said: One Qi divides into three, called the Mysterious, the Originating, and the Primordial. Once these three Qi have separated, the Three Powers—Heaven, Earth, and Humanity—are established. The human body follows this pattern: clear and turbid Qi are distributed among three regions, each of which has its own divine presence. These regions are also called the “Three Fields,” namely the upper, middle, and lower Dantian (energy centers). Each field has its own treasure; thus one gives rise to two, and two to three. This is the true origin within our bodies, collectively called the “Three Origins.” “Origin” means vastness, foundation, and beginning. That is why the Qian hexagram in the Book of Changes says that the Origin is the head of all goodness.

The Master said: The spirits of the Two and Five—corresponding to Yin-Yang and the Five Phases—pervade Heaven and Earth and ultimately converge within one body. Their use involves methods of generation and overcoming, as well as restraint and subjugation. When praying for blessings, averting calamity, or repenting at the proper times, one employs the principle of generation. When subduing evil beings, driving out malign influences, or treating illness, one employs the principle of overcoming. Whenever you tread the astral steps and walk the Dipper’s positions, first turn the Three Origins and the spirits of the Five Phases in your mind, gathering them within your body; only then take your steps.

The Master said: The ancestral Qi of the Five Phases is called the “Five Elders.” “Elder” means beginning and ancestor. The vital essences of the Five Elders transform into the Five Planets, and the vital essences of the Five Planets gather to form the Five Sacred Peaks. In the human body, these correspond to the Five Viscera. The Five Viscera correspond above to the Five Planets and within to the Five Sacred Peaks, and so divine presences dwell within them.

The five virtues of the Five Phases move according to the cycle of generation—for example, Wood generates Fire. The five Qi of the Five Phases, by contrast, relate through overcoming—for example, Metal overcomes Wood.

The Upper Origin corresponds to the Heavenly Dipper, the part of Daoist magic associated with the stars of the Dipper constellation.

The incantation recited when stepping the Upper Origin’s Dipper is: “I tread the vital essence of Heaven and command the myriad spirits. The divine power of the Upper Origin shields my body. General Tang Hong strengthens my upright Qi, driving out and subduing the demons. Whoever dares harm me will bring calamity upon himself. When evil spirits see me, they turn to dust. Act swiftly in accordance with the statutes and commands!”

The Middle Origin corresponds to the Human Dipper, the Dipper method associated with the human realm.

Incantation for Walking the Central Yuan Dipper Steps: As you walk, draw upon the body’s Jing and Qi to increase Yang Qi and diminish Yin Qi, strengthen your Three Souls (the souls said in Daoism to inhabit the human body), and destroy ghosts, spirits, and strange beings, so that misfortune cannot approach and calamity cannot intrude. The Central Yuan conceals my form; General Ge Yong leads a thousand troops and ten thousand horses to protect me. Quickly, quickly, in accordance with the statutes and commands!

The Lower Yuan belongs to the Earth Dipper.

Incantation for Walking the Lower Yuan Dipper Steps: As you walk, draw upon the Earth’s spiritual energy to bring peace to the human realm. The Heavenly cycle turns; the Earth’s configuration shifts. Above, align with the Kui Star; below, join with the Qian position. Yin Qi closes, Yang Qi opens, and righteous Qi continues without end. Ghosts cannot harm me; people cannot injure me. Heaven covers me, and Earth bears me. Should anyone dare to harm me, send them under guard to the Kui Gang. The Lower Yuan conceals my tracks; wherever I go, General Zhou Wu swiftly protects Xizhen. Quickly, quickly, in accordance with the statutes and commands!

The master said: Whenever you wish to subdue evil and ward off calamity, first walk the Upper Yuan Dipper Steps, completing the prescribed sequence and returning to the starting point. Then enter the Central Yuan Dipper Steps, and proceed to the Lower Yuan Dipper Steps. If you wish to subdue evil further, transform the steps again and walk the Dipper formation that follows the Five Phases’ cycle of overcoming. In this way, you can overcome the Heavenly Dragon and summon ghosts and spirits at will, without error. This method must be kept secret and not passed on.

The Dipper Formation of the Five Phases’ Mutual Destruction

The master said: Whenever you wish to subdue evil and eliminate calamity, walk this Dipper formation. “The Five Phases’ mutual destruction” refers to the way the Five Phases overcome one another; for example, Water overcomes Fire. Accordingly, add the appropriate ritual techniques for the circumstances at hand. To subdue a fire, for instance, walk the Metal formation, then the Water formation, until the flames are brought under control. Proceed in the same way in other cases. If later practitioners still do not understand, they need only follow the prescribed rules and complete the Dipper steps; they should not add or omit anything on their own.

The incantation says: “The Five Phases restrain one another: Earth and Water cut each other off, Water overcomes Fire, and Metal attacks Wood. If ghosts or monsters appear, sever their heads and feet; even demon kings will tremble, their bodies breaking apart from top to bottom. Should anyone dare to invade, let them sink forever into a dark cavern. Quickly, in accordance with the statutes and commands!”

This pattern of astral steps follows the sequence in which the Five Phases overcome one another: Metal overcomes Wood, Wood overcomes Earth, Earth overcomes Water, Water overcomes Fire, and Fire overcomes Metal. It is performed to subdue and punish.

The Astral Steps of the Five Phases in Generative Sequence

Master Mu says: “The generative astral sequence is Wood giving rise to Fire. Whether the steps are arranged for support or for warding off harmful forces, their order is Water as one, Fire as two, Wood as three, and Metal as four. They are performed to subdue and punish.”

The Astral Steps of the Five Phases in Generative Sequence

Master Mu says: “The generative astral sequence is Wood giving rise to Fire. Whether the steps are arranged for support or for warding off harmful forces, count them as Water one, Fire two, Wood three, Metal four, and Earth five. There are fifteen steps in all, expressing the principle of the union of three and five.”

The incantation says: “The Five Phases generate one another; all things prosper in good fortune. Water and Wood support one another in bringing things to completion; Fire and Earth work in harmony. Metal and Wood proceed together, and calamity turns to good fortune. Ghosts cannot cause harm, and people cannot intrude. The dead may be brought back to life, and what has withered may flourish again. Quickly, in accordance with the statutes and commands!”

Yu’s Nine-Spirit Dipper Astral Steps

“The Sun and Moon shine bright; Heaven and Earth are joined in harmony. I enter Tianpeng from Tiannei, pass beyond Tianchong, meet Tianfu and turn back, then turn again toward Tianqin and face Tianxin. I embrace Tianzhu and join with Tianying. The Dipper’s path runs clear; the path of ghosts collapses. Quickly, in accordance with the statutes and commands!”

The master said: “‘Huo Luo’ means the Dipper; this is called the ‘Lesser Three-Five Astral Pattern.’ Most people do not understand its full meaning. Because they see it so often, they take it for something ordinary and fail to recognize its mysteries. These astral steps can subdue rampant evil and command ghosts and spirits. They are also often used in rituals to break up temples and the like. People often misuse them, so they should now be corrected.”

The subtle movements of the Dipper’s Guiding Steps correspond to the twelve double-hours. Riding the bright Qi, they display a majestic power. The Dipper’s Qi is faintly visible, like drifting clouds, while the seven stars of the Northern Dipper shift and change in correspondence with the celestial patterns. Those who understand these transformations can discern good fortune and misfortune. Enter the celestial lodgings and pass through the Heavenly Gate; align with the Six Pitch Pipes and hold the Jia petition. Tread on Tianying and ride on Tianren, standing above a cool, clear abyss and responding to Heaven. Understanding these transformations allows one to discern good fortune and misfortune. Enter the celestial lodgings and pass through the Heavenly Gate; align with the Six Pitch Pipes and hold the Jia petition. Tread on Tianying and ride on Tianren. The cool, clear abyss may be entered; lean on the Celestial Pillar and embrace the Celestial Heart. Pass through here and ascend to Tianqin; lean on Tianfu and gaze into the distance toward Tianchong. Enter Tiannei, then emerge from Tianpeng. When the Way of the Dipper’s Guiding Steps is fully realized, hardness and softness balance one another. Blessings and emoluments increase and extend to later generations; one escapes the netherworld and endures for ten thousand years. All ghosts and spirits will naturally retreat. Act with all haste, in accordance with the statutes and ordinances!

The Master said: People commonly use this set of Dipper Steps to enter and exit the Dipper, but they walk it in the wrong direction, so it has no effect. Now that it has been corrected, it can be used to command ghosts and spirits and drive out demons. Keep it strictly secret!

The Guiding Steps Within the Golden Light

The Master said: Whenever you ascend the altar to perform a rite or conduct a ritual, visualize yourself transformed into the divine Yu, King Yu. Chant the incantation, form the hand seal, and begin with the Jade Pattern, ending at the Noon Pattern; then tread the Dipper Steps. In this way, you travel throughout Heaven and Earth, with golden light encircling you as you transform your appearance and subdue demons. Make sounds such as “ti yin zha li” with your mouth, while visualizing a mass of purple Qi in the empty space before you. After a moment, see blue-green Qi descending from Heaven and scattering the purple Qi; suddenly, a golden palace with towers appears among the clouds. Bow to it in your heart and pay your respects with three salutations, then submit your petition and make your request according to the ritual.

When treading this set of steps, visualize a mass of purple Qi at the center. After a moment, visualize blue-green Qi descending from Heaven and parting the purple Qi, after which a golden palace with towers appears among the clouds. Bow in your heart, pay your respects with three salutations, then submit your petition and make your request according to the ritual.

When treading this set of steps, recite the Golden Light Incantation, taking one step with each line. After finishing the incantation, add the Dipper Steps.

Three Steps and Nine Traces of King Yu

The Master said: Visualize yourself standing where King Yu carved through the Dragon Gate, amid wind, thunder, clouds, and Qi, receiving the command of the Supreme Emperor. Form the Jade Seal with your left hand and the Sword Seal with your right. By command, summon the assembled spirits, then direct them according to the needs of the ritual.

The Kan Seal

The master said that making finger signs is meant to communicate with divine beings and subdue harmful spirits. Different signs serve different purposes. There are more than seven hundred gang signs, though only a few are commonly used today. The signs for the four quarters and eight directions begin at the bases of the four fingers and are counted in order along the finger joints, giving twelve positions that correspond to the twelve earthly branches. These positions also include signs for the Eight Trigrams, the Seven Stars, the Nine Palaces, and the Three Terraces, each associated with different matters. In broad terms, the sign position at the middle of the middle finger is called the “Jade Clarity Sign,” while the position to its left is called the “Northern Emperor Sign,” also known as the “Great Fiend Pattern.” These two signs govern various affairs in the Three Realms. During ritual practice, one should press the appropriate positions for the rite being performed.

Teeth-Knocking Method

The master said that knocking the teeth is meant to gather the true Qi and focus the spirit. The body’s Qi can easily become scattered, and the heart’s Qi can also be depleted. When the true Qi fails to respond in harmony, one should gather it by knocking the teeth. This practice sends vibrations through the “Heavenly Gate,” a place that Daoism associates with communication with the divine and the spirit, prompting the spirit and Qi to respond. Knocking the teeth on the left is called “sounding the Heavenly Bell”; knocking them on the right is called “striking the Heavenly Chime.” These methods are used in rites for subduing, expelling, and overcoming harmful forces.

There are four upper and four lower front teeth. Knocking these eight teeth together is called “sounding the Ritual Drum” and is used to communicate with divine beings and make petitions to the Supreme Emperor. It is also used when paying respects and presenting petitions: knock the upper and lower teeth together three times each, for a total of twenty-four knocks. This, too, is called “sounding the Ritual Drum,” and the rule should be remembered.

Entering the Dwelling Method

The master said that when setting up a ritual altar, its entrance should face southeast. The southeast belongs to Xun and is called the “Earthly Gate.” When entering a quiet chamber—a room where a Daoist performs rites and cultivates in stillness—the chamber’s doorway serves as the entrance, and one steps in through it. First face the Xun direction, knock the teeth twelve times, and perform three bows inwardly. Then step in with the right foot first, followed by the left. Next, visualize four functionary messengers and two Dragon and Tiger Lords standing on either side. Then visualize the chamber filled with clouds of blue, yellow, and white. Afterward, visualize the incense smoke turning five colors, its breath rising straight to the Golden Palace, the heavenly palace. Finally, perform nine bows, or bow silently in the mind.

Incense-Burning Instructions

The master said: Step through the doorway with your left foot first, and do not look back; looking back can invite malign energy. At this moment, quiet your thoughts and visualize the Azure Dragon on your left, the White Tiger on your right, the Vermilion Bird in front, and the Black Tortoise behind—the four directional guardian deities. Then visualize the Merit Officer and Jade Maiden riding the five-colored Qi transformed from my five viscera as they ascend together to the Three Heavens, the higher celestial realms in Daoist belief. These images should appear clearly in a single instant of thought, without hesitation or obstruction. If you feel a slight warmth within your body, this is a sign that your own true Qi is in harmony with the Dao.

Whenever you burn incense, let the flame burn strongly, then twist more incense and place it in the burner. This is called “abundant incense”; “abundant” means plentiful. Let the incense smoke and its breath rise swiftly, without stagnating. If the smoke comes in fits and starts and the fire is weak, it cannot reach the realm of truth above or communicate with the spirits.

Twist the incense with your left hand. The left hand is the clean hand; the right hand often touches impurities and should not hold incense.

Instructions for Presenting Incense

The master said: When visualizing, let your mind be free of external distractions and your inner thoughts remain undisturbed. See only the space before you filled with true light and sacred Brahma-Qi, with purple and azure Qi spreading before and behind you. Think of nothing else. Let the incense fragrance rise straight to the Ten Directions—the four quarters, above, and below. The true Qi of the Ten Directions shines down and mingles with the incense smoke in the surrounding breath. It is as if countless perfected immortals, celestial officials, and divine lords descend in every direction like fine rain and dense mist.

Then visualize yourself arriving before the ritual altar and seeing the incense fragrance transform into five colors. The Merit Officer and talisman clerks—divine functionaries who convey the commands of the gods and administer talismans—appear in the air. Imagine yourself ascending to the Three Heavens and seeing the Three Pure Ones and the Jade Emperor in person. Then click your teeth thirty-six times, swallow your saliva nine times, and proceed according to the ritual procedures. Clicking the teeth and swallowing saliva are common cultivation practices used in Daoist visualization and Qi circulation.

The master said: Those newly entering the Daoist path are prone to scattered thoughts and doubt, so they should not be taught complicated liturgical texts. They should focus their attention on simple visualizations; the subtlety of these practices is difficult to put into words. If they continue to make progress and deepen their cultivation, advancing from here all the way to the stage of inheriting the lineage, learning the Dao of immortality will not be difficult.

Instructions for Submitting a Petition

The master said: Whenever submitting a petition, treating illness, or practicing talisman work, first visualize the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning in the upper Dantian, the Lord of the Dao in the middle Dantian, and Lord Lao in the lower Dantian. Then visualize the three perfected spirits in these three chambers, each resembling your own body. Next…

The master said: Whenever submitting a petition, treating illness, or carrying out a talismanic rite using Fulu (talismans and registers), first visualize Yuanshi Tianzun in the upper Dantian (the site of upper-body Neidan practice), Daojun in the middle Dantian, and Laojun in the lower Dantian. Then visualize the three true deities in these Dantian as corresponding to your own body. Next, visualize the divine lord in the lower Dantian merging with Daojun in your heart and standing at the center of your crown, as though seated in a golden palace. Kneel before him and silently report what you are about to do; a response will soon come.

The Method for Paying Homage to the True Ones and Audiencing the Emperor

The master said: Those who cultivate the Dao were originally ordinary people, with the same desires as others for food, drink, sex, and relationships. Now, by good fortune, they wear ritual registers and perform rites, earning the title of ritual master. Some even wear starry crowns and robes of rosy clouds, appearing outwardly like immortals and sages. But if the mind and spirit are unsettled, the breath remains disordered, emotions and desires still trouble them, they are stained by meat and impurity, and their minds are restless, how can they ascend beyond the empty expanse to audience the Supreme Emperor? Without a method of purity and clarity, they cannot communicate with the Supreme Emperor and may instead bring misfortune upon themselves. That is why it is said that even those who have done wrong may serve the Supreme Emperor if they fast and bathe first. This is the meaning of the teaching.

The Method for Facing the Gods in Zhaijiao Rituals

The master said: When bowing to and meeting the gods during a Zhaijiao purification ritual, one must follow the prescribed rites and unite body and mind. Often visualize a golden palace high in the sky; in this way, too, one may serve the Supreme Emperor.

The master said: When bowing to and meeting the gods during a Zhaijiao purification ritual, one must follow the prescribed rites and unite body and mind. Often visualize a golden palace high in the sky. Imagine that you are not at the ritual altar but among the highest heavens. Whether reciting aloud or visualizing inwardly, put aside every deluded thought. In this way, you can communicate deeply with the gods; the efficacy of a Zhaijiao ritual does not lie solely in its outward rites.

The Method for Invoking and Entreating

The master said: In daily practice, one should often check one’s own state. Enter the quiet chamber, the place where one sits in meditation during cultivation, and sit silently without thinking about worldly affairs. Once the breath, body, and mind have settled, visualize the space within the crown of the head as empty and vast. Within it is a golden tower and jade hall, where a Heavenly Venerable sits enthroned in solemn majesty. Sustain this visualization over time, until you feel the true Qi—the original vital energy spoken of in cultivation—illuminating the crown gate and growing gently warm within. This is the method for daily cultivation.

When a situation arises, visualize and guide your own state in the same way, as though you were kneeling in a trance before the Heavenly Venerable. Silently pray for what you seek, and every request will be answered. This is the essential instruction written down by the patriarch to teach beginners. It is an important method for entering the practice and should be guarded carefully, not disclosed to ordinary people.

Instructions for Writing Talismans

The master said: When drawing a talisman, the most important thing is to steady the mind and spirit and think of nothing else. One must also gather the spirit and let scattered thoughts fall away, so that the mind does not wander and the breath does not become disordered as the brush touches the paper. If you read and recite from a talisman manual while letting your eyes follow the text and your thoughts chase after the words, your mind and spirit will become scattered, your strokes will grow chaotic, and it will be difficult to establish a spiritual connection.

You must make the mind and talisman accord, with the talisman following the mind. When gathering Qi, there is no need to look back; when blowing out Qi, do so without making a sound. Drawing the talisman is called “transmitting the joyous spirit oneself.” This means that the mind and spirit are settled, and the Fulu (talismans and registers) one writes are clear and well formed. Later chapters will explain these matters in detail. Beginners should first understand this point.

Direct Instructions on the Jade Hall

The master said: “Jade Hall” is an esoteric method transmitted inwardly within the ancestral teachings of the Celestial Heart.

All the myriad teachings take it as their root, and the Three Realms—the Realm of Desire, the Realm of Form, and the Formless Realm—all revere it. Since the Han dynasty Celestial Master, Zhang Daoling, the Dao’s methods have been transmitted only through the mind-seal, a teaching passed from heart to heart; there are no other miscellaneous arts. Their sole concern is the word “upright.” To be upright is to be free of deviance. Heaven covers all things by the upright Dao, and Earth bears all things by it. Qi, which constitutes all things between Heaven and Earth and drives their movement, flows by the upright Dao; ghosts and spirits are commanded by it. People, for their part, must set their hearts straight in order to set themselves straight. When the heart is not upright, deviant thoughts arise, the six desires are stirred, and one eventually sinks to the level of beasts and falls into the realm of ghosts.

When people act wrongly in the world, they become treacherous and rebellious, defy the Great Dao, and so cannot enter the realm of the true immortals. Now the great teaching of the Jade Hall—the Daoist tradition—has appeared in the world, and its origins lie with the Celestial Masters of Zhengyi (Orthodox Unity). What is upright cannot be deviant; what is one cannot divide into two paths.

Those who inherit this teaching are divided into five grades. Anyone in the world who turns away from worldly dust and aspires to cultivate the Dao should first enter the altar and receive the ten scrolls of the Correct Method of the Celestial Heart, then practice for three years. Only if they show no disrespect toward their teachers or the Dao’s methods, and do not begin diligently only to grow lax later, may they receive further instruction and attain the seventh rank of ritual authority. If their practice is without fault, they may advance to the second rank, wear the seal of the Jade Altar’s Correct Rank, and receive the method of ascending swiftly to the Jade Capital.

After completing one cycle of twelve years and passing the required tests, a person may receive the transmission of the supreme doctrine, the twenty-four ranks, the Three Ascents’ treasured registers, and the seal of the Jade Hall’s Three Radiances. This is permitted only if they are neither an ordinary townsperson enrolled among the common people nor a low-ranking servant, a petty clerk or cruel official, or someone who has infiltrated a monastery, ignorant and unworthy, to steal its offerings. The seal of the Jade Radiance’s Ascent to the Hall is used to transmit the teaching to masters of its branches; “branch” means a division into separate schools.

There is no fixed limit on the number of people who may receive this transmission. Worthy gentlemen who hold official posts, as well as outstanding scholars of the Confucian and Mohist schools, may wear and uphold it. But transmission to Daoist priests from among the townspeople is forbidden. Many Daoist priests today have fallen on hard times and found no welcome among the occupations of scholar, farmer, artisan, or merchant. Only then do they enter the Dao and receive the yellow cap worn by Daoist priests. They may not have entered the Dao of their own accord; if they therefore treat the wondrous scriptures lightly or lose their secret teachings, their guilt will be beyond pardon. What has been described above constitutes the fourth grade of transmission.

The fifth grade is the true succession: in each generation, the inheriting master transmits the teaching to just one person, bestowing the Jade Book of the Twenty-Four Prohibitions, the Xuanhe Sword for Slaying Evil, and the seal for summoning the perfect and controlling demons. Thirty years must pass before the next generation may receive the transmission. Today, however, the teaching is transmitted at the initial rank and grade. Its wording is concise, its methods simple, and everyone can practice it and aspire to the Dao of the Jade Hall.

On the day they ascend the altar to receive the teaching, disciples must approach by the ritual of advancing on their elbows and knees, carrying their pledge of faith. No matter how high their official rank, they must not slight the Perfected or insult the Dao’s methods. They must perform nine prostrations at the covenant altar before receiving the teaching. From then on, if they uphold the wondrous instructions, do not disobey their teacher’s commands, and follow them, they can set foot on the path of the immortals and enter the gate of Xiyi, the subtle realm beyond the reach of sight and sound.

Those who disobey these instructions, transmit the teaching on their own authority, or receive it recklessly will have their faults pursued by the Three Officials, their offenses recorded by the Four Offices, and their punishment imposed by the Heavenly Office. Their seven generations of ancestors will suffer retribution as wind-blades scour their bodies, and they will serve through the long night. Even ten thousand acts of repentance cannot cleanse them; even a thousand Perfected Ones cannot redeem them. Everything depends on transmitting the teaching with care. As for the initial-rank doctrine of cultivation, it is passed on by word of mouth and mind-seal, and consists of twenty items:

One should practice with reverence and care, gradually reducing contact with worldly affairs. Do not conform to worldly customs or take on various miscellaneous tasks. Only after observing the precepts and practicing diligently over a long period, and after one’s conduct has become exemplary, may the teachings be transmitted in sequence.

One should visualize and absorb the Qi of Yuyi and Jie Lin (the vital essences of the sun and moon, respectively), diligently maintaining these visualizations and circulating the Qi. With sustained practice, true Qi will fill the body, and breathing and Qi cultivation can reach the state of genuine practice. There will be no need to exert deliberate effort: spirits and ghosts will naturally stand in awe and obey. After receiving the teachings, one should take the Great Dao as one’s foundation, keep one’s thoughts upright, and harbor no deviant thoughts.

Each morning, one should practice reciting the true scriptures and secret incantations. Rise early, burn incense, and make a formal report; visualize silently, without speaking, letting the heart alone accord with the practice. Do not let worldly duties disrupt or displace the daily routine.

When confronted with harmful and malign matters, one should keep one’s thoughts upright and harbor no deviant thoughts.

Each morning, one should practice reciting the true scriptures and secret incantations. Rise early, burn incense, and make a formal report; visualize silently, without speaking, letting the heart alone accord with the practice. Do not let worldly duties disrupt or displace the daily routine.

When evil spirits and malign forces harm the people, one must follow the Orthodox teachings in full and carry them out resolutely. If one gives in to fear or flattery and instead turns to ghosts and spirits with prayers and petitions, one’s resolve is divided and the offense is grave. The Three Officials (deities who govern the affairs of Heaven, Earth, and Water and oversee merit and transgression in Daoism) will investigate and punish the offender without mercy.

One should command the celestial deities and their officers with righteous intent. Do not use blood offerings, lest they become mixed with numinous Qi. Violating this rule will bring punishment from the Three Officials.

One should take the Three Lights (the light of the sun, moon, and stars) as one’s foundation. They are the eyes of Heaven and Earth, the source of Yin-Yang, and the wellspring of creation and transformation. Practitioners should focus on visualization and the circulation of true Qi, becoming one with the Three Luminous Aspects of the Imperial Perfected (three radiant perfected deities revered in Daoism). In this way, they can not only subdue the Three Realms and bind demonic spirits, but also cause their own bodies to shine with light, win the reverence of the gods, drive away corpse spirits, and dispel illness. Ultimately, they may attain the Dao, live long, and become perfected immortals.

By day, one should visualize the Three Lights and absorb Qi. By night, one should visualize the Northern Dipper, pointing its handle toward oneself, so that body and spirit become one, and spirit and body share the same Qi. Only when spirit and Qi have fused can one become a successor to the teachings.

One should first practice the “Three-Eight Rite of Atonement” (a penitential rite structured around the numbers three and eight). At each half-month observance and seasonal turning, one should summon the officers and generals maintained within oneself, perform the memorial offering rite, and practice visualization. Only then can one become a successor to the teachings.

First, one must practice the “Three-Eight Repentance Rite”: on the prescribed dates, bow in worship, submit petitions, and visualize while repenting of past faults and praying for blessings. On every half-month observance or seasonal node, summon the officials and generals within the body, bow and submit a petition, then follow the prescribed method of visualization and cultivation without interruption. In this way, one can become free of transgressions; only then may one speak of inheriting the lineage of the Mystical Teaching (Daoism).

Take the Three Luminaries Talisman daily, a talisman associated with the sun, moon, and stars, and wait for a response.

Abstain from lust and anger. In daily life, treat others with kindness and do good; restrain yourself if necessary in order to help others. Do not disparage teachers and elders or betray your roots; do not envy the worthy and capable, or speak one way while thinking another. Do not make a commotion, bring disputes, or fight with others. If you have committed such faults in the past, begin today to correct them and cultivate De (Virtue/Power). Keep a single thought firmly in mind: stay clear of wealth and profit, reject deceit and flattery, lessen sexual desire, and observe fasting and precepts.

When offering incense, visualize five-colored Qi (vital energy) rising from the five organs and gathering into a canopy of cloud, like an umbrella, that reaches upward into the empty, mysterious heavens. Imagine the High Emperor seeing all this from above. Then the matter you present will reach the heavens.

When drawing a talisman, enter a quiet room and settle the mind before dipping the brush in ink. Hold your breath and silently recite the incantation inwardly; do not speak aloud. Clasp the hands firmly to gather the mind and spirit, and maintain a solemn bearing without carelessness. Straighten the body and set the mind aright. Once the mind is still, the spirit’s intention can receive a response.

With a pure and single-minded heart, unite with the Dao (the Way). Turn away from all worldly affairs; do not let thoughts become scattered or be pulled along by external things, and do not give rise to desire. Remember that worldly affairs are impermanent, while only the Dao endures. Keep to purity and singleness of mind, and in emptiness a numinous awareness will respond.

Whenever you go out or come in, visualize the Heavenly Guards and the officials and jade maidens of the Merit Office—the divine generals who protect you, and the divine clerks and attendants who convey documents—standing in rows to the left and right before your seat. Then evil Qi will not dare to encroach upon upright Qi. Whatever the movement of your breath or changes in your conduct, continue to visualize these spirits as usual.

On the Ten Abstinence Days of each month, the Gengshen and Jiazi days, your birth destiny day, the Three Primal Days, the Three Assembly Days, the new moon, the full moon, the Eight Seasonal Nodes, and the Five Feast Days, sleep separately and quiet the mind to contemplate the Dao. At other times, continue to visualize as described above.

On the tenth day of each month, on Gengshen and Jiazi days, and on important occasions such as the Three Origins and Three Assemblies of one’s natal cycle, the new moon, the full moon, the Eight Seasonal Nodes, and the Five La Festivals, couples should sleep separately and quiet their minds to contemplate the Dao (the Way). It is even more refined to live separately in ordinary times as well, treating one another with the respect due to honored guests and friends.

Do not harbor cunning thoughts intended to harm others while outwardly pretending to be kind and benevolent. Nor should you covet what does not belong to you. Seek wealth in accordance with what is right, and obtain it through proper means. If you transgress, examine your faults, correct your conduct, and apologize for your mistake. Do not repeat it.

Serve your parents with filial devotion. Whether poor or wealthy, do not let your filial heart change. Obey and care for your parents, keeping them happy. Acting in any way contrary to your parents’ wishes is called unfilial conduct. The offense of being unfilial is grave and cannot be forgiven.

After your parents have died, pray sincerely to the best of your ability and petition the Lord on High to help them leave the netherworld and ascend to Heaven. If your parents cannot leave the netherworld, your own cultivation of the immortal Dao cannot be brought to completion.

Treat your brothers, clan relatives, relations by marriage, and distant kin with harmony. Do not favor one side and provoke disputes or resentment, thereby damaging the bonds of family. The spirits of the ghosts and gods in the Three Realms will not approve of anyone who violates this precept; those who observe it should be especially careful.

In your conduct, follow rules and laws. If a thought is even slightly out of accord with them, correct your behavior at once and strive to become the equal of the sages. Do not give up on yourself, and do not make a habit of entertaining reckless thoughts.

Chapter on the Forms and Standards of Zhaijiao Rituals

Great Offering to Taiyi: When an emperor performs this Zhai, it is to conduct a ceremonial rite and make offerings to Heaven.

Nine Heavens Zhai and Golden Register Zhai: The state performs these Zhai rituals to pray for the enduring prosperity of the realm.

Jade Register Zhai: This Zhai is performed to pray for the safety and protection of the empress and the consorts of the palace.

Great Yellow Register Zhai: These Zhai rituals have different grades and should be performed in accordance with established ritual procedures; one must not act arbitrarily. When scholars or common people perform such rites, they may only be called “Jiao rituals”—Daoist ceremonies in which an altar is set up for prayer and offerings.

There are dozens of ritual offerings (Daoist rites of worship and prayer) with names such as “River Chart’s Mysterious Efficacy,” and all belong to the category of jiao. The ancients said that “jiao” was another term for sacrifice. No rite is more solemn for praying that the Heavenly Emperor descend and summoning the myriad spirits.

When the state holds a jiao, the rite lasts three or seven days. Under the fasting method of the Lingbao scriptures, the fast may last as long as twenty-seven days. Du Guangting listed seventy-two kinds of jiao, all rites adopted by the state. The ritual standards of the Three Caverns, the classification of Daoist scriptures and methods, also follow established rules.

When officials, commoners, or scholar families hold a jiao and fast, it usually lasts one day and night, though some hold rites lasting three or seven days and nights. This risks showing irreverence and may instead invite punishment. An official would not stay for several nights in the home of a scholar or commoner. The Heavenly Emperor dwells high in the ninefold heavens. Though he can descend to the human world, would he really remain for three or seven days before returning? Therefore, these instructions stipulate that for a one-day jiao, preparations are made in advance. On the day of the rite, the formal invitation begins at dawn, and the altar is dismissed late at night. This avoids offending the sacred. The relevant liturgies and ritual standards are recorded in works such as the Yuchen and Xuanfan Xingyi, which can be consulted when conducting the rite.

For opening the altar and holding a grand jiao, it is best to choose a Daoist temple in a grotto-heaven or blessed land. The altar must be properly aligned, facing south and backed to the north. If the temple’s existing altar faces somewhat askew, a quiet room may be chosen elsewhere, and the altar set up and the rite performed according to the prescribed rules.

Whenever a Jiao ritual—a Daoist ceremony in which an altar is set up to offer sacrifice to the gods and pray for blessings or the averting of calamities—is held, its arrangements should match one’s means. A wealthy household may prepare more offerings; a poor household should act within its means. When buying what the ritual requires, one must not use ill-gotten money or quarrel with others over prices. To handle the ritual perfunctorily despite having the means, or to press ahead with preparations beyond one’s means, shows no sincerity and is unlikely to move the gods. If the sponsor of the ritual comes from a family devoted to loyalty and filial piety, and has truly done everything within their power, the ritual master may prepare items such as dragon-patterned sacrificial silk on their behalf. When each matter is handled simply, petitions and ritual offerings can also naturally move the gods.

The visualization and recitation methods used in the ritual are recorded in the “Chapter on the Celestial Pivot and the Creation of Transformations” (Qianyun Zaohua Zhang). Music and instruments, along with the ceremonial retinue of the immortals, are described in the “Chapter on Celestial Music and Ceremonial Regalia” (Tianle Yizhang Zhang); they will not be discussed further here.

All documents should be handled as simply as possible. Petitions, ritual offerings, and related matters should follow the prescribed rules; they can naturally move the gods.

The visualization and recitation methods used in the ritual are recorded in the “Chapter on the Celestial Pivot and the Creation of Transformations” (Qianyun Zaohua Zhang). Music and instruments, along with the ceremonial retinue of the immortals, are described in the “Chapter on Celestial Music and Ceremonial Regalia” (Tianle Yizhang Zhang); they will not be discussed further here.

Correspondence should follow the regulations in the Yuchen Xuanfan, with reference to the purpose of each document and ancient conventions. Consult the directory to determine which form to use. For example, a petition to an imperial deity should use a zhuangzhuang (“petition memorial”); most other matters should use a shenzhuang (“official submission”). Documents addressed to a divine bureau may use a gongdie (“official notice”).

In a zhuangzhuang, the writer refers to themself as “Your subject”; in a shenzhuang, they write their name. A document submitted to the Celestial Pivot Bureau is called “this bureau”; before documents such as an office heading, a guan, a tie, or a die, the writer uses “this office.”

Leave a palm’s breadth of blank space before the main text of a zhuangzhuang or shenzhuang, and two palm’s breadths at the end. The paper should be one chi and four cun high. For other documents, it is preferable to use longer slips of paper. Written petitions used to invite deities and present offerings during a Jiao ritual should be written only on petition paper and follow the prescribed format.

Whenever a sacred title—the name and rank of the deity being addressed—in a zhuangzhuang is written, attach a yellow slip and fill it in when the document is to be used.

The yellow paper attached to a zhuangzhuang should be three cun and two fen high and two cun and four fen wide; another acceptable size is three cun and six fen high by three cun wide. Write the text on the yellow paper in vertical columns. Once it is attached, write “Your subject” and the writer’s name across the sealed edge, then stamp it with a seal.

A zhuangzhuang may also be accompanied by a small yellow slip used together with the yihuang—the yellow paper attached to the petition—and affixed at the side beneath the words “Tai Sui.” This was the ancient convention, but it is rarely used today.

When a memorial petition requests the presence of only one holy or perfected being, use a strip of yellow paper, six fen wide and three cun long. Write on it in a single line, attach it at the fold of the sealed flap, then add the petitioner’s name and stamp it with a seal.

The memorial petition and its yellow label—the yellow marker attached to the document—follow the same format: use a small yellow tag and place it beside the name of the Grand Duke of the Year (Taisui). This is an ancient format and is rarely used today.

When a memorial petition requests the presence of one holy or perfected being, attach a yellow tag beside the name. If it requests two, three, or four, use a slightly wider tag and place it in the middle. When requesting three or five, the central position is the place of honor; when requesting two or four, the right-hand position takes precedence. The tag should read “Before the Throne” or “Before the Holy Ones,” or it may name only the first being listed. Documents reporting to deities of the lower realm use a white tag, at the discretion of the officiant.

The front of the square envelope used for memorial documents should have no yellow tag, and should not use the term “your servant”; write only the petitioner’s name. The outer envelopes for petitions and formal memorials follow the same practice. If a memorial petition lists several holy or perfected beings, the square envelope should name only the first one listed.

In memorial petitions and petitions to the Supreme Lord, use the phrase “By the compassionate command of the Dao.” When addressing an imperial deity, use “By the wise decree of the Holy Compassion.” When addressing the Two Empresses—the two empress deities—one may either use or omit “your servant”; write only the petitioner’s name. The outer envelopes for petitions and formal memorials follow the same practice. If a memorial petition lists several holy or perfected beings, the square envelope should name only the first one listed.

In memorial petitions and petitions to the Supreme Lord, use the phrase “By the compassionate command of the Dao.” When addressing an imperial deity, use “By the wise decree of the Holy Compassion”; when addressing the Two Empresses, use “By the sacred decree of the Palace Compassion.” Address the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing) and the Four Emperors as “Your Majesties,” the Two Empresses as “Your Highnesses,” the imperial deities as “Before the Throne,” the perfected beings as “Before the Holy Ones,” and deities of the lower realm as “Before the Deities” or “Before the Governing Office,” as appropriate.

The Great Yellow Register Retreat (Huanglu dazhai), a major Daoist purification ritual, has its own grades and regulations. One should consult the established rites and not conduct it arbitrarily. Rituals sponsored by scholars or ordinary people may be called only “Jiao rites.”

There are dozens of ritual designations, including the River Chart and Mysterious Numinous Jiao rites, and they all belong to the category of Jiao. The ancients said that “Jiao” is a term for sacrifice. A Jiao rite may pray for the Heavenly Emperor to descend and summon the myriad gods; it is a sacrifice on a grand scale.

The state holds Jiao rites lasting three or seven days, among other forms. The retreat practices in the Lingbao scriptures also include a Jiao rite lasting twenty-seven days. “Jiao” is a term for sacrifice; a Jiao rite may pray for the Heavenly Emperor to descend and summon the myriad gods, and is a sacrifice on a grand scale.

State-sponsored jiao rites, Daoist ceremonies in which an altar is set up for sacrifices and prayers, may last three or seven days. According to the fasting rules in the Lingbao scriptures, a fast may last as long as twenty-seven days. Du Guangting listed seventy-two kinds of jiao offerings, all used in ceremonies conducted by the state. The ritual procedures of the Three Caverns, the three main divisions of Daoist scriptures, also follow established rules.

Households of officials, commoners, and scholars usually hold a jiao fast for one day and one night. Some continue for three or seven days and nights. This risks showing disrespect to the spirits and may instead bring punishment. A high-ranking official, for example, would not lodge for long in an ordinary person’s home. The Heavenly Emperor dwells high in the ninefold heavens and looks down upon the human world; how could he remain in a mundane household for three or seven days without returning? The prescribed procedure for a one-day jiao is therefore to set out the offerings in advance, respectfully invite the spirits at dawn on the day of the rite, and close the altar late that night. This may help avoid offending the spirits. The relevant liturgies and rules are found in works such as the Yuchen and Xuanfan Xingyi; consult them when needed.

A grand jiao rite with an opened altar is best held in a temple within a grotto-heaven or blessed land, sacred Daoist sites believed to be realms of immortals. The altar should be properly aligned, facing south and with its back to the north. If the temple’s existing altar faces the wrong direction, a quiet hall may be chosen instead, and an altar established there according to the rules.

A jiao rite should be arranged according to one’s means: a wealthy household can prepare more items, while a poor household should make arrangements suited to its circumstances. Funds used to purchase ritual goods must not come from unjust sources, and one should not quarrel with sellers over prices. To have ample resources yet carry out the rite carelessly, or to lack the means but press ahead regardless, is not sincere and is unlikely to move the spirits. If the sponsor comes from a loyal and filial household and has done all they can, the ritual master may provide dragon silk, silk cloth and other offerings used in the rite, and simplify the various arrangements. In that case, the documents and offerings can naturally move the spirits.

The visualization methods used in jiao rites are recorded in the “Qianyun Zaohua” chapter; the musical instruments and immortal retinue used in the ceremony are described in the “Tianle Yizhang” chapter. They are not discussed further here.

Silk fabrics and similar items should all be handled as simply as possible. Matters involving documents, the performance of a Zhaijiao (purification ritual), and the presentation of offerings can also naturally establish communication with the spirits.

The cultivation methods and visualization formulas used in the ritual are set out in the “Chapter on the Turning of the Heavens and the Making of Change.” Music, ceremonial regalia, and processional standards are described in the “Chapter on Heavenly Music and Ceremonial Regalia”; they will not be explained in detail here.

The formats and wording of documents should follow the standards in Yuchen Xuanfan. In practice, consult the ancient formats and check the relevant entries: documents presented to the sovereign deities use a “memorial,” while other documents generally use a “submission.” Official documents addressed to divine offices use forms such as an “official dispatch.”

In a “memorial,” the writer refers to themself as “your subject”; in a “submission,” they write their name. A document addressed to the Bureau of the Celestial Pivot refers to the sender as “this office.” In passes, dispatches, and similar documents that name the responsible bureau at the beginning, the sender is referred to as “the undersigned office.”

Leave a space one palm wide at the top of memorials and submissions, and two palms wide at the bottom. The paper should be one chi and four cun tall. For other documents, use paper made from a sheet of writing slips laid out flat. Statements used in a Zhaijiao to invite deities or present offerings should be written only on statement paper and formatted according to the prescribed rules.

The names and titles of the deities listed in a memorial should be written on yellow slips attached to it; the text is filled in when the document is copied out.

The yellow slip attached to the front of a memorial should be three cun and two fen tall and two cun and four fen wide. Alternatively, it may be three cun and six fen tall and three cun wide. Write the text in vertical columns. After attaching the slip, write the character “your subject” across the join and stamp it with a seal.

For yellow slips attached to a memorial, place a small yellow slip beside the words “Tai Sui.” This was the ancient format, but it is rarely used today.

If a memorial or submission lists only one deity, attach the yellow slip along one side. If it lists two, three, or four deities, use a somewhat wider yellow slip and attach it in the middle. The slip should also be placed beside the words “Tai Sui.” This was the ancient format and is rarely used today.

If a memorial or submission lists only one deity, attach the yellow slip along one side. If it lists two or four deities, use a somewhat wider slip and attach it in the middle. When there are three or five deities, the central position is the most honored; when there are two or four, the right-hand position is the most honored. The yellow slip may bear the words “Before the Sovereign” or “Before the Sacred Ones,” or it may name only the deity listed first. Statements presented to deities of the lower realms should use white slips; the writer should decide how to apply them according to the circumstances.

The formal envelopes used for petitions submitted to the gods should not have yellow paper affixed to their fronts, and they should not use the title “Your servant”; only the petitioner’s name should be written. Petition wording written on the outer cover of a memorial should follow the same rule. If a petition mentions several sacred beings, the envelope should bear only the name of the first one mentioned.

In petitions of submission and petitions addressed to the Lord on High, use the phrase “the Dao’s compassionate decree.” When referring to imperial deities, use “the sacred and compassionate, wise decree”; when referring to the two empresses, use “the palace’s compassionate, sacred decree.” Address the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing) and the Four Emperors as “Your Majesties,” the two empresses as “Your Highnesses,” the imperial deities as “before the throne,” the various perfected beings as “before the sacred ones,” and deities of the lower realms as “before the spirits.” Terms such as “before the office” are likewise governed by their own conventions. Only those who have received the relevant Fulu (talismans and registers), the credentials conferred through Daoist ordination, may hold ranked offices. Those without ordination may not preside over purification rites.

Officiants serving under the chief liturgist, whose role is to deliver explanations and assist with the ritual, must also have received the registers of Sanwu, Zhengyi, Lingbao, and Yangguang before they may take part in the altar assembly.

Daoists invited to participate in a purification rite must be able to endure the labor of kneeling and bowing in their daily lives, be content with a simple way of living, devote themselves to cultivating the incense offerings, and avoid attachment to possessions. Only then should they be bound by covenant and oath and allowed to ascend the altar and take part in the rite. The Daoist participants must share the sponsor’s sincerity, pray devoutly to Heaven, and hope for a response. If they focus only on whether the chanting sounds pleasing while their minds remain undivided, they will waste effort and resources and may even incur blame, laboring without result. Choosing the right people is central to conducting purification rites, and must be done with care.

Daoist attendants responsible for the ritual procession and its decorum must learn in advance to lead the chanting of the “Steps of Emptiness” verses and to sing the prescribed Hua-Xia chants fluently. As they ascend the altar and circle it, they should respond in praise in time with the singing.

When performing an offering rite, one should devote oneself fully to it and carry it out with reverence. Ritual objects such as dragon silk, jade discs, and swords must be of fine quality. Incense, flowers, oil, and candles must all be clean and free from defilement. Any shortage discovered at the time of use may invite censure. In every offering rite, single-minded sincerity and reverence come first; the ritual objects, especially the dragon silk, must be properly prepared, while the purity and devotional use of incense and candles come next. A shortcoming in any one of these is a flaw in the rite. Those who perform and serve in purification and offering rites should take particular care to observe these requirements.

If a coffin is placed inside the house, a ritual altar should not be set up there for a Zhaijiao rite. If the residence is spacious and the coffin is kept far from the ritual site, so that it does not interfere with the rites, a Zhaijiao may be held. Those who cultivate the Dao and serve the teachings must be especially careful to observe this rule. If someone in the household has recently experienced a death, and the associated taboos concerning ritual impurity have not yet been lifted, a Zhaijiao altar should not be established in the home. This must be taken as a serious warning.

Incense must not be lit with embers or ash from the cooking stove. Paper money and other offerings must not be kindled with the flame of an oil lamp or candle.

Chapter on the Mysteries of the Celestial Heart

In ancient times, the Heavenly Worthy of Primordial Beginning suspended a millet pearl above the land of Li and commanded the Sovereign of Humanity, a legendary divine being, to expound the Cavern Chapters. Later, the Most High Lord Lao established the Jade Bureau in Chengdu, where Zhang Daoling received scriptures and instructions from him. Daoist rites include forty-two altars, and the liturgies for Zhaijiao rites come in seventy-two grades. They were handed down among the people to spread teachings and guide them. In each succeeding generation, those who inherited the teachings accumulated merit and cultivated virtue, bringing themselves into accord with the Great Dao. At the movement of a thought, the spirits responded; their arts thus showed their efficacy, and the teachings were carried forward. In this way, Daoist methods, Fulu (talismans and registers), and memorial petitions divided into different lineages and gradually multiplied, spreading throughout the world. There are more than three thousand ritual methods, too many to record in full. Here, only one or two are briefly mentioned to convey the general outline.

The Fourteen Celestial Zhaijiao Altars

The Yellow Emperor’s Chapter on Zhaijiao Petitions states: When people hold rites to pray and make petitions for averting calamities, to recommend and deliver their ancestors, or to ward off misfortune and cure illness, only Daoist priests who serve Heaven and practice the Dao may perform Zhaijiao rites of prayer and petition to Heaven. Later, if those outside the Daoist lineage that serves Heaven wished to avert disaster or deliver the dead, they could appeal only to the City God, the local territorial officials, the Earth God, and underworld officials. They were not permitted to petition the Heavenly Emperor and the assembled gods on their own initiative. For this reason, the Thunder Court established an office of investigation and punishment to chastise those who were not Daoist priests serving the Way but presumptuously petitioned the Heavenly Emperor: it would destroy their souls and reduce their allotted years. How could such a prohibition fail to inspire awe?

A Grand Zhaijiao (purification ritual) for all-under-Heaven using Golden Registers (documents inscribed on gold) establishes 3,600 divine positions. A Grand Zhaijiao for the Circuit of Heaven using Jade Registers (documents inscribed on jade) establishes 2,400 divine positions. A Grand Zhaijiao for the Net of Heaven using Yellow Registers (documents inscribed on yellow paper) establishes 1,200 divine positions.

There are also the Taiyi Zhaijiao, the Nine Heavens Zhaijiao, the River Chart Thirty-Six Heavens Zhaijiao, the Jade Coffer Covenant with the Perfected Zhaijiao, the Lingbao Natural Zhaijiao, the Dongyuan Samadhi Zhaijiao, the Calamity-Quelling Zhaijiao, the Zhaijiao for Transferring the Registers of Salaries and Horses, the Nine Netherworlds Zhaijiao, the Yuba Zhaijiao, and the Zhaijiao for Repaying Filial Kindness and Offering Posthumous Salvation.

Among these, the Jade Coffer Covenant with the Perfected Zhaijiao, Lingbao Natural Zhaijiao, Dongyuan Samadhi Zhaijiao, Calamity-Quelling Zhaijiao, Zhaijiao for Transferring the Registers of Salaries and Horses, Nine Netherworlds Zhaijiao, Yuba Zhaijiao, and Zhaijiao for Repaying Filial Kindness and Offering Posthumous Salvation each have corresponding ritual procedures.

According to the regulations of the Daoist tradition, the three Grand Zhaijiao—the Golden Register, Jade Register, and Yellow Register rites—follow fixed formats for the number of sacred and honored positions and the entries in the ritual documents. A typical Zhaijiao sets up forty-eight altars and presents memorial petitions and documents offering money and valuables. It may also establish twenty-four, thirty-six, forty-two, sixty, seventy-two, 120, 240, or 360 divine positions. The rites of a Zhaijiao are like the rules of ceremony in human society. Since Daoist methods depend on people to spread them, they should not be confined to fixed forms.

Thirty-Nine Ranks of Daoist Methods

The Great Method of the Upper Scripture for Delivering Humanity through Lingbao; the Supreme Great Method of the Jade Hall of the Three Heavens; the Great Method of Qingwei’s Primordial Descent; the Great Method of Qingwei’s Divine Thunder; the Orthodox Method of the Celestial Heart of Shangqing; the Orthodox Method of the Celestial Heart of the North Pole; the Secret Method of the Six Ding of Lingbao; the Secret Method of the Six Locks of Kui and Gang; the Secret Method of Three Expulsions and Five Dissolutions; the Secret Method of Prayers to the Six Jia; the Secret Method of the Martial Marquis Traversing the Dipper; the Secret Method of the Five Thunders of Xuanyi; the Secret Method of the Five Responses through the Aid of the Spirits; the Thunder Method of Brahma Qi; the Great Method of Shangqing Lingbao; the Great Method of the Jade Purity True King’s Purple Palace; the Daoist Method of Contesting Brightness and Loyalty and Filial Piety; the Great Method of the Five Thunders for Examination and Summons; the Method of the Jade Purity for Overall Direction; the Method of the Five Thunders for Slaying and Investigation; the Secret Method of Prayers and the Five Responses through the Aid of the Spirits of the Dongxuan; the Thunder Method of Brahma Qi; the Great Method of Shangqing Lingbao; the Great Method of the Jade Purity True King’s Purple Palace; the Daoist Method of Contesting Brightness and Loyalty and Filial Piety.

The Five Thunders Examination and Summoning Rite, the Jade Purity All-Encompassing Rite, the Five Thunders Beheading and Investigation Rite, the Dongxuan Prayer Rite, the Great Rite of Primordial Unity, the Orthodox Rite of Returning the Chariot and Completing the Way, the Nine Elders’ Demon-Subduing Rite, the Rite of Teaching with Lamps and Water of Heaven and Earth, the Primordial Chaos Qi-Attacking Rite, the Purple Court Labor-Pursuing Rite, the Rite of Sending the Spirit to Pay Audience with the Emperor, the Great Rite of Presenting Memorials, the Escape Rites of the Six Ding and Six Jia, the Palm-Thunder Rite, the Rites for Praying for Clear Skies, Rain, and Snow, the Canopy-Vowing Rite, the Five Thunders Rite, the Lingbao Rite, the Tianpeng Rite, the Tianshu Rite, the Zhao Hou Southern Rite, and the Rite of Praying to Resolve Demonic Obstruction are all names for Daoist ritual arts and purification liturgies. Some are used for prayer, warding off evil, summoning deities, or averting and resolving calamities. Each named rite has its own specific lineage and ritual content.

Examining these Daoist rites shows that their methods of transmission and circulation varied. The rites selected here are those practiced by relatively large numbers of people in the secular world. As for rites involving the heavenly thunder and the generals of Feng and Yue, their names are so numerous that it is difficult to list them all.

The Rites of Refining and Deliverance comprise seven categories: the Qingwei Rite of Refining and Deliverance, the Taiji Inner Rite of Sacrifice and Refinement, the Yuyang Rite of Sacrifice and Refinement, the Zhengming Yiyang Rite of Refining and Deliverance, the Lingbao Rite of Refining and Deliverance, the Yuchen Scripture Refinement Rite, and the Three Lights Rite of Refining and Deliverance. “Refining and deliverance” refers to a Daoist liturgy performed to rescue the souls of the dead. Through scripture recitation, visualization, and ritual services, the souls are delivered.

The Rites of Reporting to the Dipper comprise fourteen categories: the Qingwei Xuanshu Memorial Rite, the Taiyi Fire Palace Memorial Rite, the Dipper-Watering Five Thunders Memorial Rite, the Xuanling Rite for Releasing Calamity, the Qingwei Purple Light Memorial Rite, the Shenxiao Palace-Rushing Memorial Rite, the Qingwei Prayer Memorial Rite, the Shenxiao Fire Bell Memorial Rite, the Jinming Memorial Rite, the Xuanji Nine Lights Memorial Rite, the Yuntian Memorial Rite, the Sun Zhenren Ao Memorial Rite, the Rite of Opening the Buds and Manifesting the Dipper, and the Rite of Cloud-Embracing Dipper Manifestation. “Reporting to the Dipper” is a liturgy in which petitions and prayers are presented to the deities of the Northern Dipper, usually to seek blessings, avert calamities, and resolve misfortune.

The Great Method of the Celestial Marrow and Numinous Chapters is divided into twelve categories.

The Huntian Method: This technique is said to open the gates of Heaven and command celestial deities, make the sun stand still and the moon cease moving, turn day into night, bring snow in summer, and cause thunder in winter.

The Yidi Method: This technique is said to make the ground tremble when pointed at the earth and mountains shake when pointed at them, and to dry up the sea. It can also carve a river through the land, move mountains to block the sea, and subdue ghosts and spirits.

The Great Method of the Numinous Chapters of the Heavenly Marrow is divided into twelve stages (twelve levels or methods).

The Huntian Method: This technique is said to open the gates of Heaven and command celestial deities, make the sun stand still and the moon cease moving, turn day into night, bring snow in summer, and cause thunder in winter.

The Yidi Method: This technique is said to make the ground tremble when pointed at the earth and mountains shake when pointed at them, and to dry up the sea. It can also carve a river through the land, move mountains to block the sea, and subdue ghosts and spirits.

The Wansheng Method: This technique is said to ensure that its practitioner is never defeated. It can also transform plants and trees, turn metal and stone into people, and make the body vanish from sight.

The Jianglong Method: This technique is said to let its practitioner ride a dragon into the sky, transform other things into dragons, soar through clouds and mist, and tread the Qi in midair.

The Fuhu Method: This technique is said to subdue tigers, leopards, and all kinds of fierce beasts, snakes, and insects.

The Qiyun Method: This technique is said to summon clouds and mist and bring forth auspicious clouds in five colors. Its practitioner can ride the clouds up to Heaven, visit the celestial offices of the sun and the moon, and come and go freely. “Celestial offices of the sun and the moon” refers to divine bureaus associated with the sun and moon.

The Shengfeng Method: This technique is said to summon a mighty wind extending for ten thousand li. When a boat encounters enemy pirates, it can raise dust against them, blow sand and stones, and darken the sky; the technique can be adapted to the circumstances.

The Furen Method: This technique is said to make swords and knives shatter on their own and allow a person to enter among the blades without being harmed. Blades cannot injure anyone; when facing bandits, it can also prevent swords from leaving their scabbards and make bows and crossbows snap backward, rendering weapons harmless.

The Bianwu Method: This technique is said to make all kinds of plants and trees grow. It also allows its practitioner to fly through the air and command wooden human figures and animal-shaped implements.

The Congbo Method: This technique is said to turn mountains into lakes, raise the waters of rivers, and unleash towering waves. It can also summon clouds and rain, tread across waves to cross rivers, and enter water without drowning.

The Lieyang Method: This technique is said to produce a fierce fire whose flames shoot up to the sky, for burning encampments and clearing away demons and evil forces. Wherever the divine fire passes, all manner of calamity is dispelled.

The “Way of Everlasting Spring” is said to be able, in an instant, to produce all kinds of plants and trees, the five grains, melons, fruits, and vegetables. It can also turn soil into gold and stone into jade, conceal one’s form, and enter the earth.

The first twelve arts are called wondrous spiritual methods secretly transmitted from Heaven, capable of freeing people from the mortal world. They can be performed only by someone who has encountered a celestial being and received instruction in person. Even if one obtains the relevant books, they are merely words on paper; they cannot teach the arts, and studying them is a futile expenditure of effort.

The Thirty-Six Stages of the Great Method of Gold Inlaying on Mount Xuanpu (Mount Xuanpu is the name of an immortal realm; here it refers to a set of arts divided into thirty-six stages) lists the following arts: making sounds with reeds, shaking the heavens, covering the stars with a crock, obscuring clouds, damming water, stilling a river, extinguishing fire, riding clouds and forming a thunder array, subduing Shen, bringing forth springs, fire arrows, forming the Hua Yin, transforming plants and trees into people, riding while seated, walking on water, raising light, concealing one’s substance, transforming objects, entering dreams, neutralizing poison, restraining layers, slaying demons and monsters, the Diamond Talisman, unhindered passage, divine travel, inexhaustible elixir, inexhaustible flask, water-and-fire ladle, catching fish in a basin, boiling water with stones, feigning death, hovering in the air, making a paper crane fly, hardening the body like iron, and entering a flask. Several names are repeated in the scripture, and the original lists them as well.

The Eighteen Stages of the Great Method of the Celestial Book of Yuxu (Yuxu is the name of a Daoist immortal realm) lists: concealing one’s form and body; driving spirits into a room; roaming as a disembodied soul through the Three Realms; transcending life and death by borrowing a corpse; and “false” arts named for fire, water, metal, wood, and earth. It also includes the wooden ox and flowing horse; making the water in a hot-water flask boil by itself without fire; commanding stones to walk; refining mud into gold; transforming copper and iron into treasures; moving trees or objects a thousand li away; a wooden rooster that announces dawn; and a clay dog that barks at night.

The Sixteen Stages of the Great Method of the Secret Spiritual Guard lists: transformation, entering dreams, and changing form.

Flying through the air, passing through stone walls, and making oneself invisible; saving those near death and bringing the dead back to life; walking at night without a lamp; attaining immortality; preventing foolish thieves from escaping or compelling bound thieves to come of their own accord; employing the Wutong spirits—supernatural beings from folk tradition—to search for all things; summoning spirits; entering the earth to find corpses; discerning matters involving spirits and monsters; and receiving messages through the ears.

The “Thirty-Three Stages of the Great Method of the Tongtian Baolu” lists arts including immortality and longevity; ascending to Heaven and descending into the earth; entering and leaving the realms of darkness and light; traveling in spirit to the Moon Palace; crossing a river on a single reed; communicating by intention across a thousand li; summoning wind with the tides so that a boat can travel ten thousand li in a day.

Other arts include reincarnating by taking over another person’s body, traveling ten thousand li in a day, rising into the air on a feather, and flying while riding a grass dragon; heating and refining earth into gold, making the Nine-Turn Elixir, refining mercury into silver, and transforming copper and iron into gold and silver; cultivating and refining cinnabar, then pouring and washing it during the process to produce a gushing-spring elixir seed, a substance or elixir used in alchemy; shrinking goods and transforming them into treasures; preparing and transforming substances with medicines to make them into treasures; and refining spiritual cinnabar and treasure cauldrons. “Transforming xin metal into geng metal” refers to using magical methods or alchemical techniques to change xin metal into geng metal.

Also included are summoning cranes; yuan guang, in which scenes appear through a circular play of light and shadow; spirit possession, in which a deity or spirit attaches itself to a person; making immortal youths dance; entering the underworld; pursuing and capturing spirits; and spirit writing, in which a spirit or deity conveys written characters. The text also names several forms of planchette divination: Taiji luan, writing-stand luan, suspended-thread luan, and sealed-box luan. Here, luan refers to rituals that convey divine intent with tools such as a spirit-writing planchette.

The “Chapter on Daoist Official Ranks” lists the ranks of Daoist offices under the dynasty:

Rank two, first grade: the hereditary Celestial Master of Mount Longhu.

Rank six, first grade: the left and right Zhengyi officials of the Daoist Registry Office.

Rank six, associate grade: the left and right ritual instructors of the Daoist Registry Office, and the supervisors of palaces and temples.

Rank eight, first grade: the left and right Zhilings of the Daoist Registry Office.

Rank eight, associate grade: the left and right Xuanyis of the Daoist Registry Office.

Rank nine, associate grade: the chief registrar of the Daoist Discipline Office.

Unranked: the deputy chief registrar of the Daoist Discipline Office, the Daoist official of the Daoist Rectification Office, and the Daoist assembly official of the Daoist Assembly Office.

“Perfected One” is an honorific title in Daoism for someone who has attained a certain level of virtue and cultivation. In the Han dynasty, Zhang Daoling received the title “Perfected One” after being invested as Celestial Master (Tianshi). In the Tang dynasty, Bi received the same title and was elevated to the first rank after resigning as chancellor and turning to the Dao.

“Unranked” refers to positions that do not appear in the official system of ranks. The deputy deputy director of the Dao Discipline Office, the Dao Rectifier of the Dao Rectification Office, and the Dao Assembly Officer of the Dao Assembly Office were all unranked Daoist posts.

“Libationer” was originally an official position responsible for conducting sacrificial rites. Under King Cheng of Zhou, Tong Bo served as libationer and managed affairs concerning the royal clan. Later, when King Xuan of Zhou held a grand sacrifice in the southern suburbs, he appointed Zhong Shanfu as libationer to preside over the rite. Daoist priests later also held the position of libationer, conducting ceremonies such as sacrifices to Heaven and overseeing Daoist affairs. This is said to mark the beginning of Daoist priests serving as libationers.

“Daoist official” refers to an official position within Daoism. Under King Mu of Zhou, the Daoist priest Gao Gongchen served as libationer and performed a sacrifice to the Celestial Emperor of Primordial Beginning at the thatched pavilion of the Perfected Yin. This is regarded as the beginning of the establishment of Daoist official posts.

A “Daoist registrar” was an official who oversaw Daoist affairs. Emperor Taizong of Song added positions such as deputy registrar, chief supervisor, and head seat. Together with the officials already in place, eight officials jointly managed the religious community.

“Daoist enfeoffment” refers to titles of nobility granted to Daoist priests by the court. During the reign of Emperor Wu of Later Zhou, Wei Yuansong was enfeoffed as Duke of Shu Commandery; this is said to mark the beginning of Daoist priests receiving noble titles. During the reign of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, Ye Fashan was also enfeoffed as Duke of Yue.

“Daoist posthumous honors” refers to honors granted by the court to Daoist priests after their death. In the Tang dynasty, Wang Zhiyuan was posthumously honored as Master of Ascending Mystery, while Ye Fashan was posthumously honored as Grand Master of Splendid Happiness with the Golden and Purple Insignia and Governor of Yuezhou. Wang Zhiyuan is said to have been the first Daoist priest to receive commendation and posthumous honors.

A “Daoist posthumous title” is a title bestowed on a Daoist priest after death. After Tao Hongjing’s transformation and departure from the world, the Liang emperor bestowed on him the posthumous title “Master of Sincerity and Purity.” This is regarded as the beginning of Daoist priests receiving posthumous titles.

The term “Dao Discipline” comes from the Laozi: “One who can know the beginning of antiquity is called the Dao Discipline.” It means that one who understands the origins of things is called a Dao Discipline. The text also compares this system with the Buddhist establishment of the Sangha Directorate to oversee monks.

The earliest use of the title “Celestial Master” was for a young herdsman who tended the horses of the Yellow Emperor. This is said to be where the title began. Zhang Daoling of the Han dynasty was also called the Celestial Master. Daoist names and honorific titles often draw their meaning from the ideas in Laozi’s Daode Jing. Words such as “Dao,” “mysterious,” and “wondrous” are no longer used only by Chinese religious traditions; other peoples have adopted these titles as well.

Wearing Purple

Li Mi of the Tang dynasty was exceptionally clever and spiritually gifted from birth. As a child, he was so light that he could lift himself off the ground. His mother once heard the sound of string and bamboo instruments coming from the sky. Fearing that he might ascend to heaven and leave, she sprinkled onion and garlic juice on his head. Later, during the reign of Emperor Daizong of Tang, Li Mi was appointed chancellor. Li Fuguo, who held power at court, was often jealous of him. Knowing that he should not remain at court for long, Li Mi asked to resign, withdraw from public life, and become a Daoist. The emperor bestowed on him a purple robe and a gold belt. It is said that Li Mi was the first Daoist to receive a purple robe.

Daoist Priests in Yellow Crowns

The Inner Tradition of the Yellow Emperor says that all who follow the Way of Heaven are called “Daoists.” King Mu of Zhou once summoned reclusive practitioners of the Way to Yin the Perfected One’s thatched observatory, where he offered sacrifices and incense in service to the Celestial Emperor. It is said that this was the beginning of Daoists’ practice of making offerings to the Celestial Emperor at official temples.

Daoists’ clothing and hats are said to follow the styles worn by the Yellow Emperor, which is why they are called “Yellow Crowns.” They do what the Yellow Emperor did and speak of the Dao of Laozi, so they are called Daoists. They do not wear garments that depart from ancient custom, nor dare they wear clothing that violates the rites of the former kings; hence the name “Yellow Crowns.” They do what the Yellow Emperor did and speak of the Dao of Laozi, so they are called Daoists. They dare neither to wear garments that depart from ancient custom nor to speak words that violate the teachings of the former kings. By keeping their surnames, they do not forget their kin; by not injuring their bodies, they do not forget filial piety. They take the Dao as their teaching and do not go against the Way of Heaven. They do not follow teachings from abroad or stray from the Way of their own land. The people of China follow the Way of China: they accord with the Way of Heaven and make use of the benefits of the earth to cultivate themselves.

Thus, Daoists can ascend and soar, ride the wind through the open sky, and let their spirits transcend the ordinary world. They attend upon the Great Clarity (the pure heavenly realm described in Daoism), grasp the mysteries of creation, and keep company with Heaven. They can also reach the numinous powers of Heaven and Earth and commune with the virtue of the spirits; command ghosts and spirits, set thunder and lightning in motion, summon wind and rain, and master the stars; cut down malign forces and dispel pestilence, bringing peace to the world. The scripture says that these abilities have been verified since the Three Sovereigns opened up Heaven and Earth. This is what distinguishes Daoism as a religious teaching.

Chief Supervisor

During Emperor Wen of Sui’s reign, Wang Yan, the head of Xuandu Abbey, was the first to be appointed “Master of Ceremonies,” a post whose duties were equivalent to those of today’s Director of Ritual Purification, responsible for the order and affairs of Zhaijiao rites. Under the Zhou, the title “Master of Ceremonies” was changed to “Daoist Register” to avoid a tabooed name.

Supervisor of Rites

During Emperor Zhenzong of Song’s reign, the post of Senior Supervisor of Rites was established to oversee the affairs of Daoists of the same rank.

Senior Seat

This title originated during the reign of Emperor Taizong of Song.

Ritual Master

In the Han dynasty, Zhang Daoling began practicing methods for driving thunder and commanding ghosts. Those who performed such arts were called “Ritual Masters.”

Chapter on the Red Script and Heavenly Laws

Selects only the living and oversees the affairs of Daoists of the same rank.

Senior Seat

This title originated during the reign of Emperor Taizong of Song.

Ritual Master

In the Han dynasty, Zhang Daoling began practicing methods for driving thunder and commanding ghosts. Those who performed such arts were called “Ritual Masters.”

“Statutes of the Vermilion Text from Heaven”

These heavenly statutes record only the offenses against Heaven committed by the living; they do not record the crimes of ghosts and spirits. The prohibitions governing ghosts and spirits are found in the Heavenly Statutes of Nüqing.

A ritual officer—one who carries out Daoist methods—must not perform talismanic rites or chant over water, nor consult the statutes, on the days in each of the four seasons when Heaven and Earth grant amnesty. Anyone who violates this rule bears the guilt personally first, after which calamity will strike their nine generations of ancestors.

A ritual officer carrying out Daoist methods, whether acting openly or working in secret, must not begin with diligence and then grow lax. Anyone who violates this rule will be destroyed, and calamity will strike their nine generations of ancestors.

When a ritual officer submits a petition to fill a disciple’s official rank and title, the disciple’s name must be entered in the register of the Left Judge’s office. Once permission is granted, the disciple may be appointed Assistant Grand Judge of the Left, and only afterward may be appointed Assistant Grand Judge of the Right. Those who violate this rule each receive nine years of penal servitude. Anyone who knowingly sponsors a disciple in violation of the proper procedure will also be struck from the register and suffer calamity personally; the guilt will extend to three generations.

A ritual officer, Daoist priest, or ordinary person must not burn incense, submit a petition, present a memorial, or report to the Celestial Bureau—the offices of the heavenly realm—on any of the six Wu days. Anyone who does so will be destroyed. Those who knowingly break this rule will bring calamity upon their nine generations of ancestors and will remain unforgiven through ten thousand kalpas. If someone without a talisman tally commits this offense, the destruction will extend to three generations.

Except when exorcising ghosts, a ritual officer must not casually say, “Hurry, hurry, in accordance with the statutes!” Anyone who violates this rule will lose six years of life.

When writing talismans, a ritual officer must not point the tip of the brush to the left. Anyone who violates this rule receives nine years of penal servitude; anyone who does so knowingly will lose twelve years of life.

When empowering water—that is, applying a talismanic command to it through ritual—a ritual officer must not turn the water vessel to the left. Anyone who violates this rule receives nine years of penal servitude; anyone who does so knowingly will lose twelve years of life.

A ritual officer must not casually pass on the orthodox methods to someone unsuited to receive them. Anyone who violates this rule will lose twelve years of life.

A ritual officer must not privately make offerings to ghosts and spirits. The only exception is the sacrifice to Ao in the second and eighth months. Anyone who violates this rule receives three years of penal servitude; deliberate violations incur one degree more punishment.

Wherever a ritual officer goes, if they discover flood, drought, banditry, or other dangers threatening the people, they must report them immediately and await punishment from the heavenly court. Anyone who violates this rule receives three years of penal servitude. If ordered to go and execute someone, but the person accused does not match the reported circumstances, the punishment increases by one degree. If the accusation is substantiated and matches the report, the officer will be promoted by two official ranks.

An official practitioner, a Daoist who carries out Daoist rites and presides over ritual services, who lacks discipline in cultivation yet freely orders spirit officials—divine attendants assigned to carry out commands—to act, and writes Fulu (talismans and registers) or consecrates water without selecting suitable paper and brushes, will have the resources provided for his Daoist cultivation taken away by the Celestial Bureau. He will thus be reduced to poverty in the human world.

For each offense committed by an official practitioner, the prescribed penalty is increased by one degree. If someone has indeed acted as described in a submitted petition, he is granted two additional official ranks.

An official practitioner who lacks discipline in cultivation yet freely orders spirit officials to act, and writes Fulu or consecrates water without selecting suitable paper and brushes, will have the resources provided for his Daoist cultivation taken away by the Celestial Bureau. He will thus be reduced to poverty in the human world.

An official practitioner who orders spirit officials to act without proper cause or at an improper time, thereby harming the people, will have six years deducted from his lifespan.

Without valid reason, an official practitioner must not enter a temple dedicated to a righteous deity on his own initiative, nor presume to arrest a righteous deity on the grounds that he possesses the Orthodox Method. Anyone who violates this rule will be sentenced to two years of penal servitude. An official practitioner incurs no additional penalty if, when entering or leaving a temple dedicated to a righteous deity, there are no welcoming or farewell rites before or after him.

An official practitioner who accepts petitions from the people but fails to handle them promptly will be sentenced to one year of penal servitude. If a petition does not conform to the required format, …

When an official practitioner is entering or leaving and sees people privately worshipping heterodox deities or licentious spirits, he must immediately order spirit officials to arrest them and punish them according to the law. If he sees or hears of such worship but fails to investigate it thoroughly, he will be sentenced to three years of penal servitude.

An official practitioner who observes fasting and keeps the precepts but violates them will be sentenced to seven years of penal servitude.

An official practitioner who, when afflicted by a Yang illness, deliberately uses Yang talismans, or who uses Yin talismans for a Yin illness, or who harms others through rites such as turning Sha (malevolent force) to the left and life to the right, will be sentenced to nine years of penal servitude. If no clear retribution has yet appeared and Yin-Yang cannot be distinguished, there is no offense.

An official practitioner who presumptuously invokes the name of ritual practice to lend greater weight to his own words and disparages colleagues who are duly authorized to perform rites will be sentenced to five years of penal servitude. There is no offense if the dispute is intended to establish the facts of an official matter or to seek the Orthodox Method.

An official practitioner who, on his own initiative, transmits the Orthodox Method to an unsuitable person in order to gain money will have twelve years deducted from his lifespan.

For ritual magistrates—Daoist priests who carry out Daoist methods and preside over rites—those ranked in the seventh grade are to have their merits recorded, but not their offenses. If they submit memorials to the Celestial Court or a superior office, declaring that they have deliberately done evil by relying on their official position, their lifespan is to be reduced by half a cycle of twelve years.

A ritual magistrate who treats the Orthodox Daoist methods as a joke is to serve three years of hard labor.

When common people ask a ritual magistrate to draw talismans or provide talisman water, a magistrate who deliberately obstructs or delays them out of personal favoritism is to serve six years of hard labor. If people ask for talismans but the magistrate disregards the Orthodox methods and refuses to provide them, this does not count as a violation of this article.

When a ritual magistrate writes Fulu, deliberately writing the characters upside down or sideways, or failing to write red characters from left to right and black characters from right to left, is punishable by one year of hard labor.

When a ritual magistrate submits a memorial recommending a disciple to receive the transmission of ritual methods, the magistrate must follow the rules of the office to which they belong: those appointed through the Northern Office are to be ranked according to its official titles, and those appointed through the Southern Office according to its titles. Violating this rule is punishable by eight years of hard labor.

Before submitting a memorial recommending a disciple to transmit the methods, a ritual magistrate must first examine whether the disciple is upright in mind, and only then may vouch for and recommend them. Recommending someone recklessly out of personal favoritism or abuse of authority is punishable by three years of hard labor for each person involved. If the recommended person is genuinely suitable, the ritual magistrate may be promoted by three official grades.

A ritual magistrate who carries out Daoist methods and submits a memorial recommending a disciple must likewise examine whether the disciple is upright in mind. Recommending someone recklessly out of personal favoritism or abuse of authority is punishable by three years of hard labor for each person involved. If the recommended person is genuinely suitable, the ritual magistrate may be promoted by three official grades.

When submitting a disciple’s name in a memorial, a ritual magistrate should choose a Gengshen or Jiazi day. Whether or not the disciple already holds an official grade, they may be approved to take part in receiving and practicing the Orthodox methods. They may also apply, as circumstances permit, to enter the fourth or fifth official grade.

If a ritual magistrate applies for an exceptional promotion on a day other than Gengshen or Jiazi, they are to serve nine years of hard labor. Repeated applications are punishable by a reduction of half a cycle of twelve years from their lifespan.

A ritual magistrate who transmits the Orthodox methods to a disciple must first have personally received and borne those methods for a full one thousand days before vouching for and recommending the disciple. Violating this rule results in removal from the register, dismissal from office, and three years of hard labor.

When transmitting the Orthodox methods to a disciple, a ritual magistrate must give them the Military Command Seal and the All-Commanding Talisman, the seal and talisman used to command and dispatch divine officials, so that they can govern those officials and summon and direct spirits. The inscriptions on the Military Command Seal and the “Seal of the All-Commanding Celestial Capital” are to be written in seal script in two interwoven rows.

The “Comprehensive Command Talisman” is also called the “Three Origins Talisman.” Its inscription must be written on yellow silk, with ink edicts—commands written in ink—added at two points on the talisman. It is then entrusted to someone to keep and use to expel and destroy all spirits and ghosts. Afterward, the master who transmits the teaching must add their name and countersign it. If these rules are not followed, the divine officials will not obey. If the transmitter uses the talisman arbitrarily, it will become a mere formality. This will not only make the ritual ineffective, but also bring down Heaven’s punishment.

First, if a ritual officer—an official serving in a Daoist religious capacity—begins teaching a disciple magical arts but fails to carry the instruction through to completion, the penalty is nine years of penal servitude. A disciple who begins studying but does not see it through is subject to the same penalty. If either knowingly commits this offense, the penalty is increased by one degree. The original text breaks off before completing its account of cases in which a disciple does not come to seek instruction or a master refuses to teach.

First, when a ritual officer teaches magical arts to a disciple, whether the disciple is a male or female religious official, the officer must choose a suitable person and must not disclose the arts indiscriminately. Violators are sentenced to three years of penal servitude.

First, a ritual officer who says one thing but acts otherwise is sentenced to two years of penal servitude, except when compelled by circumstances. A ritual officer who presumptuously elevates their own status and reprimands a disciple is sentenced to three years of penal servitude.

First, when a ritual officer encounters in the world someone of unusual ability, the officer may permit them to submit a memorial to Heaven or a petition. If the officer is investigated because of that person’s case, the words “Vermilion Memorial” must be written on the outer cover. It is not to be sent to the Celestial Bureau, but presented directly before the Most High. The person is then to await an immortal official’s appointment and exceptional promotion, entering the ranks of the eighth grade of immortal officials in the Upper Origin. If an ordinary memorial or petition is submitted directly without first being examined and reviewed by the relevant offices, the penalty is eight years of penal servitude.

When a ritual master—a Daoist responsible for transmitting secret methods and submitting petitions and reports—passes cultivation secrets to a disciple, concealing the true method, teaching a false method, or deliberately withholding even one character is punishable by six years of penal servitude. The same sentence applies if the master recites the spell correctly but gives the formula incorrectly, or gives the formula correctly but recites the spell incorrectly. If the offense is deliberate, the penalty is increased by one degree.

A ritual master whose rank is among the Immortal Ministers may petition for the appointment of envoys such as the beheading demon-subduing emissaries. Violations are punished under the statutes cited above.

A ritual master whose rank is among the Divine Lords may summon and petition officials such as those of the Five Sacred Peaks and Four Great Rivers, and may also serve in place of immortal or ghost officials who should be appointed by the relevant departments.

A ritual master whose rank is among the Eminent Perfected may petition Divine Lords such as Dongyang. Violations are punished under the statutes cited above.

Ritual masters must act in accordance with the statutes cited above.

A ritual master whose rank is among the Divine Lords may summon and petition officials such as those of the Five Sacred Peaks and Four Great Rivers, and may also serve in place of immortal or ghost officials who should be appointed by the relevant departments.

A ritual master whose rank is among the Eminent Perfected may petition Divine Lords such as Dongyang. Violations are punished under the statutes cited above.

A ritual master whose rank is among the rank of Upper Petition Clerks may submit memorials to the gods. Violations are punishable by six years of penal servitude.

A ritual master who has not received the Duguang Register, a register in the Daoist system of conferring registers, may neither submit a report to the Yellow Dispatch, a document sent to the celestial administration, nor present memorials. Violations are punishable by three years of penal servitude. If committed knowingly, the penalty is destruction of the body. If the offender was unaware, but the accumulated offenses are grave, the Three Officials—deities who govern Heaven, Earth, and Water—will send agents to investigate and impose suffering through countless kalpas, or condemn the offender to prisons such as the Stone Coal Prison.

A ritual master of the seventh rank may not submit documents to the celestial administration or the Five Sacred Peaks; this is permitted only upon promotion to the sixth rank. Violations reduce the offender’s lifespan by twelve years. If committed knowingly, the penalty is increased by one degree.

A ritual master serving in the Southern Bureau or among the ranked officials may submit petitions independently as circumstances warrant.

A ritual master serving in the Northern Bureau or among the ranked officials may transfer to the Southern Bureau, following the procedures specified elsewhere. Violations result in dismissal and removal from the registers; even exposing another person’s wrongdoing earns no credit.

A ritual master of the ninth rank may not submit documents to the terrestrial administration; this is permitted only upon promotion to the eighth rank. Violations are punishable by three years of penal servitude.

A ritual master of the eighth rank may petition the Left Chief Judge. Violations are punished under the statutes cited above.

A ritual master of the fifth rank receives no credit for exposing another person’s wrongdoing.

A ritual officer—an ordained Daoist responsible for transmitting and performing ritual methods—may petition only divine officials permitted by their rank:

A ninth-rank ritual officer may not submit a formal petition to the Earth Bureau, the divine office that oversees the affairs of the underworld. Permission is granted only upon promotion to eighth rank. Anyone who violates this rule is sentenced to three years of penal servitude.

An eighth-rank ritual officer may petition the Left Chief Judge. Petitioning an official above the permitted rank is punished under the preceding rule.

A fifth-rank ritual officer may petition officials of seventh rank. Violators are charged under the preceding rule.

An officer holding the rank of “ritual officer” may petition officials from sixth rank. Violators are punished under the preceding rule.

A “Four Upper Immortals” officer may petition the High Chancellor. Violators are punished under the preceding rule.

A Perfected One may petition an envoy. Violators are punished under the preceding rule.

A Four Ministers officer may petition an Immortal Minister. Violators are convicted under the preceding rule.

Envoys of the Nine Heavens may petition an Immortal Minister. Violators are punished under the preceding rule.

Lords of the various offices may petition the High Chancellor, Perfected Ones, and envoys such as the judges of Fengdu. Violators are punished under the preceding rule.

If someone who transmits ritual methods encounters a Guiding Master—a teacher who transmits Daoist methods and leads disciples into the tradition—whose conduct is upright and whose heart is sincere, yet fails to treat that master with the respect due to a teacher, the offender is sentenced to three years of penal servitude. Insulting a teacher to their face or behind their back carries a sentence of eight years. Those who knowingly commit the offense receive a punishment two grades more severe.

If a ritual officer has done another person no favor but demands that a disciple repay them for their supposed service, the officer is sentenced to two years of penal servitude.

If a ritual officer has done someone a favor but boasts about it, the officer is sentenced to one year of penal servitude.

A disciple who unjustifiably insults their teacher or guardian loses twelve years of life. Those who do so knowingly receive a punishment one grade more severe.

A ritual officer who uses their authority to mistreat people of lower status, or who fails to honor their parents, loses twelve years of life.

When performing methods such as wielding talismans or consecrating water with incantations, a ritual officer who does not yet understand the content and use of the talismans and incantations should seek instruction from a master more skilled than themselves. Anyone who claims to understand what they do not, claims fluency where they lack it, and recklessly boasts of surpassing others is sentenced to three years of penal servitude.

When a ritual officiant—a Daoist who presides over religious rites—presents a petition and memorial to the gods, any mistake in the ceremonial bows is punishable. When carrying out talismanic rites or consecrating water with incantations, anyone who does not understand talismanic script should humbly seek instruction from someone more accomplished. Those who pretend to understand what they do not, claim mastery without having attained it, or presume themselves superior to others must perform three years of penal labor.

If a ritual officiant makes mistakes in the ceremonial bows while presenting a petition and memorial, the Three Officials—the deities who govern Heaven, Earth, and Water—will punish them. Those of lower rank must perform nine years of penal labor.

If a ritual officiant, Daoist, or layperson performs a Zhaijiao (purification ritual) for someone and ascends the altar in untidy clothing, they will lose twelve years of life. If they ascend the altar after eating meat or drinking alcohol, they will be sent to Fengdu, the legendary realm of the dead, for eternity, and their seven generations of ancestors will also suffer punishment. This penalty does not apply if they ascend the altar before the rite has begun.

If a ritual officiant or Daoist performs rites carelessly, presents petitions and memorials on someone’s behalf without following the prescribed forms, acts only for money, or is insincere, they will lose twelve years of life. Those who knowingly commit these offenses will receive an even harsher punishment.

If a ritual officiant or Daoist enters the altar precinct to announce and present petitions and memorials to the gods on someone’s behalf without following the prescribed forms, acts only for money, or is insincere, they will lose twelve years of life. Those who knowingly commit these offenses will receive an even harsher punishment.

When a ritual officiant or Daoist enters the altar precinct to announce and present petitions and memorials, they must perform three years of penal labor if they repeat themselves, make ceremonial bows incorrectly, let their thoughts wander, touch the Gate of Heaven—a portal in the altar precinct symbolizing passage to the celestial realm—or step onto the altar with their right foot first.

If a ritual officiant or Daoist states in a petition that they will present a red memorial to the gods at a particular hour but fails to perform the rite at that time, they must perform nine years of penal labor.

If a ritual officiant or Daoist receives the scriptures and registers of the Great Cavern of the Three Caverns, even the highest-ranking celestial officials in the world, along with ghosts and spirits, can be commanded and dispatched by them. The same applies to those who receive only the scriptures without the registers, or only the registers without the scriptures.

If a ritual officiant or Daoist uses secret texts and incantations to travel in person to the Celestial Bureaucracy to present petitions and memorials and pay respects to the Highest Perfected, they must first seek permission from the relevant offices. They may go only after approval. Those who have reached the seventh official rank are exempt, as are those who have already sought approval from each office in turn. Anyone who violates these rules will be struck from the registers.

If a ritual officiant or Daoist presents petitions and memorials and pays reverence to the gods using the secret texts and incantations of the Most High, then receives a response from the gods but reveals it to others, they will lose twelve years of life.

When ritual officials and Daoist priests—those who hold Daoist ritual offices and conduct liturgies—present memorials to the Celestial Court, not a single character may be omitted or entered incorrectly in the petitions submitted to the Court of the Celestial Pivot, the yellow slips of the Mysterious Capital, or the statement of intent on the first page of a memorial. The statement of intent sets out the prayers made during a Zhaijiao ritual. Any violation renders the ritual invalid and prevents the memorial from being delivered. The officials presiding over the ritual will be named in a report to the authorities, and each will be sentenced to five years of penal servitude.

In a memorial, not a single character may be omitted or entered incorrectly in the petition submitted to the Court of the Celestial Pivot, the yellow slip of the Mysterious Capital, or the statement of intent on the first page. Any violation renders the ritual invalid and prevents the memorial from being delivered. The officials presiding over the ritual will be named in a report to the authorities, and each will be sentenced to five years of penal servitude.

If ritual officials or Daoist priests enter their official titles incorrectly or falsely claim an office, six years will be deducted from their lifespan—a half-cycle.

Ritual officials, Daoist priests, and laypeople must first receive a Zhengyi register, a Daoist talismanic register conferred through initiation, before submitting documents or filing yellow slips. Violators will be sentenced to nine years of penal servitude.

Ritual officials or Daoist priests who present a memorial but fail to seal it in the prescribed five layers will be sentenced to four years of penal servitude.

When submitting a petition, ritual officials or Daoist priests who call themselves “your servant” despite rules forbidding it will have six years deducted from their lifespan. Those who knowingly do so will receive one level more severe a punishment.

When submitting a petition, ritual officials or Daoist priests who fail to call themselves “your servant” when the rules require it will be sentenced to three years of penal servitude. Those who knowingly violate the rule will be sentenced to nine years.

When presenting memorials or conducting a Zhaijiao ritual, ritual officials and Daoist priests must keep their prayers to no more than 176 characters. Violators will each be sentenced to four years of penal servitude. Anyone who hears a prayer containing irreverent language will receive the same punishment; those who knowingly violate the rule will receive one level more severe a punishment.

Ritual officials and Daoist priests who submit memorials on behalf of others must follow the prescribed procedures. Other aspects of the ritual may be arranged according to their means, and they should perform the rites to the best of their ability. Anyone who hears a ritual prayer containing irreverent language will receive the same punishment; those who knowingly violate the rule will receive one level more severe a punishment.

Ritual officials and Daoist priests who submit memorials on behalf of others must follow the prescribed procedures. The rest of the Zhaijiao ritual may be arranged according to their means, and they should perform the rites to the best of their ability. If the person requesting the ritual is poor and low in status and cannot afford more, lighting a single lamp and offering one flower is sufficient. But anyone who performs the rites without sincerity will be sentenced to five years of penal servitude.

When conducting a Zhaijiao ritual and ascending the altar, ritual officials and Daoist priests must behave with reverence and care. If instead they joke and shout, glance about, stand with their backs turned, spit, or call for attendants or servants, behaving in ways unbecoming of a subject, six years will be deducted from their lifespan. Those who knowingly violate the rule will receive one level more severe a punishment.

When Daoist ritual officials and priests—those who preside over Daoist purification rites and submit memorials—present memorials, any who fail to follow the required format shall be sentenced to two years of penal servitude. For every two characters written incorrectly, the penalty increases by one degree. If the errors prevent the memorial from reaching the senior ritual master or the presiding priest, the sentence shall be nine years of penal servitude.

When Daoist ritual officials and priests prepare memorials for rites to deliver the dead, a Golden Register Retreat (a rite for seeking blessings and extending life) may use only eighty sets of white slips; a Yellow Register Retreat (a rite for delivering the spirits of the dead) may use only eighty sets of offering slips. When submitting a “memorial explaining the eighty-one teachings,” only eight hundred sets of offering slips may be used. Offering slips in excess of the prescribed number must not be used in the rite. If the presiding priest nevertheless submits them with the memorial, each shall be sentenced to nine years of penal servitude. Those who knowingly violate the rule shall receive a penalty increased by one degree.

Daoist ritual officials and priests whose rank is below fifth grade may not issue the Edict of Nüqing or summon the souls of the dead without having received the Duwu register, a register of Daoist offices and their corresponding ranks. Doing so will cost them twelve years of life. Those who knowingly violate the rule shall receive a penalty increased by one degree.

Daoist ritual officials and priests of fifth grade or higher who wish to use the Edict of Nüqing must state in a vermilion-written document: “Acting under the command of the Edict of Nüqing in the Red Writ of the Undivided Cavern, we are authorized to issue edicts to the boundless worlds of the ten directions and to the court of the prayer official, so that the deceased may be transferred to the Palace of Human Life, in keeping with the Most High’s intention to cherish life and deliver all beings.” If they fail to follow this rule, the underworld will not accept the related edicts and memorials, and each presiding priest shall be sentenced to three years of penal servitude.

Offering slips must meet these specifications: each slip shall be nine inches long, two tenths of an inch thick, and two inches and four tenths wide. The incantation shall be written on the front, and a talismanic design carved on the back. The slips shall be kept in a blue silk wrapping or gauze bag; if these are unavailable, a paper bag may be used. If the specifications are not followed, the underworld bureau of Nanchang will not accept the slips, rendering them useless. Those who submit the related memorials and the presiding priests shall each be sentenced to two years of penal servitude.

When people hold a Daoist purification rite, they must not burn sandalwood, benzoin, or frankincense. They may use only Hundred Harmonies incense, so that the High Perfected Ones, Daoist deities of exalted rank, will descend to observe. Those with ample means may burn agarwood. Violating this rule will bring punishment upon three generations of one’s family and disaster upon oneself; Daoist ritual officials and priests will lose three years of life.

When ordinary people slander the orthodox teachings and turn away from the right path, burning Jiangzhen incense, a kind of incense used in Daoism, is enough to erase their guilt. Those who commit this offense bring punishment upon their relatives across three generations and suffer calamities themselves; judges and Daoist priests lose three years of life.

When ordinary people slander the orthodox teachings, abandon the right path, and turn to heresy, the harm extends to their relatives across five generations. Nothing goes well for the offenders, and their parents, wives, and children also suffer calamity. After death, they are taken to Dengdu, the underworld, where they remain unforgiven through ten thousand tribulations.

When ordinary people call the right path heresy and heresy the right path, and insult judges—those who preside over Daoist rites and administer Daoist teachings—they will be tried in Fengdu, the Daoist underworld, after death. Their ancestors across seven generations and nine forebears will all suffer harm, and the offenders themselves are certain to face many calamities in life. If they bear a thread or other related marker on their person, their punishment increases by two degrees. For grave offenses, their lifespan is shortened according to the severity of their guilt.

When ordinary people use their power to oppress others, damage Daoist temples, destroy scriptures, insult Daoism, and harm the people, their lifespan is shortened. For grave offenses, they lose their lives and bring calamity upon their ancestors across nine generations.

When ordinary people act deceitfully and treacherously, using such conduct to harm others, they bring calamity upon their ancestors across nine generations. After death, they sink into the underworld and remain unforgiven through ten thousand tribulations. If judges or Daoist priests commit this offense, they themselves will be put to death.

When ordinary people speak obscene and impure words in Daoist temples, on sacred mountains, or in places where scriptures and Fulu (talismans and registers) are kept, they are sentenced to one year of penal servitude. Judges and Daoist priests who commit this offense receive a punishment one degree heavier.

When ordinary people, in Daoist temples, on sacred mountains, or in places where scriptures and Fulu are kept, presumptuously imitate judges or Daoist priests by treading the stars in the prescribed pattern and speaking obscene and impure words, they are sentenced to one year of penal servitude. Judges and Daoist priests who commit this offense receive a punishment one degree heavier.

When ordinary people casually imitate judges or Daoist priests by treading the stars in their prescribed pattern, they are sentenced to two years of penal servitude. If they tread the star positions corresponding to the Perfected Ones, their lifespan is shortened by three years. Judges and Daoist priests who commit this offense receive a punishment one degree heavier.

When ordinary people curse Heaven and Earth and the sun and moon, offend the sun, moon, and stars—the Three Luminaries—scold the wind and rain, or blame Heaven and Earth, they are sentenced to nine years of penal servitude. Judges and Daoist priests who commit this offense receive a punishment one degree heavier.

When ordinary people use fire from the stove to burn incense, urinate toward the fire, and are reported for violating the precepts, they are sentenced to three years of penal servitude. Judges and Daoist priests who commit this offense receive a punishment one degree heavier.

When ordinary people eat meat or drink alcohol and then enter a hall of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), or attend in person upon the Supreme Perfected Ones, they are sentenced to six years of penal servitude. If they knowingly commit the offense, their punishment increases by one degree; judges and Daoist priests who commit it receive a punishment two degrees heavier.

Ordinary people who casually sacrifice to evil ghosts, or to spirits and ghosts not listed in the official sacrificial registers, shall be sentenced to two years of penal servitude.

Ordinary people who suffer illness and hardship and seek talisman water—a Daoist remedy in which a drawn talisman is dissolved in water to be drunk—but do so without sincere devotion, shall be sentenced to two years of penal servitude.

Ordinary people who undertake purification and fasting, set up an altar, and perform a Jiao ritual—a Daoist rite to pray for blessings and avert calamity—but do so without sincerity, shall be sentenced to three years of penal servitude.

Ordinary people who bring scriptures, writings, secret instructions, or talismans and registers into unclean places shall be sentenced to two years of penal servitude. Daoist priests presiding over ritual services shall receive a penalty one degree more severe.

Ordinary people who transmit secret methods without reporting their names to the deities, or who secretly look at numinous texts—documents transmitted in secret within Daoism—shall be sentenced to three years of penal servitude.

Ordinary people who fail to act according to the Orthodox methods, or who secretly keep secret methods in their homes, shall be sentenced to two years of penal servitude.

Ordinary people who resent their ruler, fail to honor their elders, are not affectionate toward their brothers, do not trust their teachers and friends, live in discord with their spouses, or show no compassion for the poor—instead hating and bullying them—shall be sentenced to two years of penal servitude. In serious cases, their conduct will bring about their death.

Chapter on Pure Rules and Ritual Procedures

The Taiji Master said: “The pure rules and ritual procedures of purification rites and Jiao rituals are extremely solemn. These prohibitions are regulations long observed by the Upper Palace of the Mysterious Metropolis, the celestial palace described in Daoism. They serve to warn people against negligence and disrespect, to restrain and investigate transgressions, and to observe whether people’s conduct and inner disposition are reverent and sincere. When someone commits an offense, it is to be corrected and dealt with according to the circumstances. Rules for investigating transgressions were established to prevent people from incurring guilt through taking part in purification rites and Jiao rituals. Once people recognize their faults and correct them, their guilt can be removed. In this way, the governing order can be put in order and the Mysterious Teaching upheld. Those who ascend the altar to perform rites must observe these rules with care.”

Titles and Duties at the Jiao Altar

One Chief Ritual Master: Left Expounder of the Dao.

The Chief Ritual Master is the Daoist priest who presides over the rites of a Jiao ritual. Whoever holds this office must possess moral cultivation inwardly and display proper appearance and conduct outwardly. Revered by Heaven and humanity, they are also looked upon by ghosts and spirits. Able to stride as if flying and present memorials to the celestial authorities, they receive and proclaim the moral teachings, extend their beneficence throughout the Three Realms—Heaven, the human world, and the netherworld—and hold a ritual rank above all officials.

The Dujian, known as the Right Expositor of the Dao.

His duties are to assist in proclaiming and spreading the teachings of the Dao and De, and to understand and explain their rules and standards; to lead the chanting of ritual procedures and direct the order and formations of the assembly; and to perform the prescribed steps on the altar of mystery and ascend the seat to preach, inspiring reverence in those present and quietly resonating with their hearts.

The Jianzhai, known as the Left Assistant of the Teaching.

His duties are to oversee the rules governing purification rituals and preside over the prohibitions and observances of various liturgies; to correct errors by the altar’s officiants and bring their appearance and conduct into proper order; to inspect violations carefully and receive talismanic slips with composure. He must be solemn and reverent, and provide proper assistance without abusing his authority or acting improperly.

The Shijing, known as the Right Assistant of the Teaching.

His duties are to clean and prepare the altar table with due care and arrange the scripture scrolls; to open their cases, present memorials, then put the scrolls away and display them; and to coordinate the assembly’s chanting so that every officiant follows ritual form. In this way, those watching and listening may be harmonious and at peace, and the unseen realm and the visible world may be brought into concord.

The Shixiang, known as the Left Attendant at the Celestial Court.

His duties are to carefully prepare the ritual vessels used for sacrifice and arrange the altar table and mats in a clean and solemn manner; to tend the incense burner and replenish the incense, keeping the fragrant smoke continuous from beginning to end. This makes the subtle power of divine scrutiny manifest and allows sincere devotion to be expressed in full, without interruption or any departure from the original intention.

The Shideng, known as the Right Attendant at the Celestial Court.

His duties are to prepare the lamps and their stands, and to clean the lamps and candles with due care, so their light shines clearly above and below, within and without; to tend the flames through the night and set them in order at dawn. The light shines upward to illuminate the realm of the Dao and downward to illumine the netherworld.

The Lianshi.

His duties are to remain upright and pure within and without, with a mind as empty and clear as the Great Void; to take the virtue of cherishing life as his foundation and sincerely put compassion into practice; to apply the subtle principles of Kan and Li, symbols of water and fire and of Yin-Yang, in accord with the fundamental workings of creation; and to refine and cultivate the body until it accords with the true Dao, rising from the ordinary realm to the realm of the sages.

The Sheke.

His duties are to observe the rules of ritual conduct strictly and proclaim the mysterious forms; to face the altar table with composure and attend closely at the Dao altar; to chant with a voice clear as gold and jade, and respond with a harmony like that of fine jade. He must act with reverence and care, giving thanks and making petitions.

The Zhengyi.

His duties are to understand and coordinate the various forms of ritual liturgy (Daoist ritual protocols), and to uphold and maintain Daoist discipline. This position should be held by someone experienced and senior, who carries out their work carefully, impartially, and in accordance with the rules. When the senior ritual master performing the rites falls short in worshipping the deities or conducting the liturgy, the assistants must provide support. Inspectors in the fasting quarters must also report and correct any such shortcomings. Any errors or omissions must be investigated and verified.

Altar Supervisor

The duties of the altar supervisor are to distinguish purity from impurity, uphold the proper, and dispel the corrupt. Before ascending the altar to conduct a rite, preparations must be made with scrupulous order and cleanliness. The supervision and direction of the altar supervisor are essential for communicating with the divine and eliciting a response from the spirits. All duties must be performed with reverence and care, without error or delay.

Way-Clearing Officer

The duties of the way-clearing officer are to clear the cloud road and remove dust and defilement, so that demons and spirits cannot disturb the sacred Yellow Way, the ritual path, or approach the ranks of the immortals. Errors must not be left to be dealt with afterward; the way-clearing officer should lead the procession before the ritual begins.

Ritual Director, also called the Left Master of Ceremonies

The duties of the ritual director are to oversee Daoist ritual etiquette and lead the ranks of the immortals. Gestures and bearing should be composed and fitting, with sincerity, reverence, and dignity. The ritual procedure must be orderly, and the sequence of actions must not be reversed. Ceremonies should be complete and properly conducted, with no confusion in the various duties.

Chime Master

The duties of the chime master are to chant the Cavernous Verses, Daoist scriptures, and sing of the wondrous laws of the Mystery. Bearing and breath should be in harmony, and the vocal melody known as pacing the void should ring out, lofty and far-reaching. During the chanting, the mind must be wholly focused, so that the scriptural sound fills the altar grounds, proclaims the Great Dao, and reaches the spirits.

Repentance Cantor, also called the Left Registrar on Duty

The duties of the repentance cantor are to set the mind aright, worship the Celestial Emperor with reverence, convey sincere intent to the heavens, and repent on behalf of the people, seeking blessings for them. The ritual must be solemn and dignified, and must not be neglected or allowed to lapse.

Petition Reader, also called the Right Registrar on Duty

The duties of the petition reader are to present petitions with reverence and undivided attention. They should exert every effort to convey sincere intent upward, in the hope of reaching the Three Realms—the different domains of spirits and beings, including heaven, earth, and humanity. Their bearing must be respectful and cautious, and they must observe the rules without neglect or lapse.

This office requires one to present petitions with reverence and devotion, focusing the mind wholly on a single ray of light so that sincerity may resonate with the Three Realms. One’s bearing and conduct must be solemn and careful, and the rules must be observed.

Rules of Conduct at the Jiao Altar

Misconduct at the Jiao altar, the ritual space where Daoist Zhaijiao (purification rituals) are performed, is subject to penalties under the rules. One may atone by providing incense and lamp oil; here, however, all penalties are standardized as a number of bows.

Those who ascend the altar must each bring their own headcloth, robe, and shoes. They must not exchange these items at the last minute. Even if something is missing for official business, one must not borrow clothing that belongs to someone else. Before ascending the altar or rising to move about, one must first inform the ritual master. When offering incense, make one bow first, then three bows before leaving; follow the same procedure on returning.

Arriving at the altar with shoes improperly worn: twenty bows.

Sitting down or rising in a manner that violates ritual decorum: five bows.

Leaning or sitting with poor posture: five bows.

Talking with outsiders during chants or rites before the altar: twenty bows.

Toppling the incense burner or disturbing the incense: ten bows.

Discussing worldly affairs: twenty bows.

Joking and fooling around: ten bows.

Using frivolous or suggestive language, or speaking inappropriately with one another: five bows.

Toppling the lamp oil: fifty bows.

Wearing the headcloth or robe improperly: ten bows.

The dujiang, the ritual officer responsible for preaching and leading chants, behaving improperly while leading a chant: twenty bows.

The zhijiu, the officer responsible for supervising and correcting the ritual, discovering a fault but concealing it out of favoritism: sixty bows.

Serving the scripture with an untidy appearance, or sitting high up and striking ritual objects or otherwise causing an error: ten bows.

Serving the incense and allowing its smoke to go out: forty bows.

Serving the lamps and allowing the flame to go out: twenty bows.

The jiaozhu, the person presiding over the Jiao rite, failing to discipline and instruct those within and outside the altar, and speaking in a harsh, impatient voice: fifty bows.

While listening to the scripture, leaning or propping oneself up and failing to hold the scripture slips in one’s hands: ten bows.

Failing to maintain a focused, pure, and open stillness, becoming mentally weary so that others notice: thirty bows.

Entering or leaving the Jiao altar without informing the jianzhai, the officer responsible for overseeing the order of the purification ritual: twenty bows.

For any other kind of fault: ten bows.

If, while reciting, one fails to keep the mind focused on purity and stillness, becomes distracted or mentally weary, and this is noticed by others, the penalty is thirty prostrations.

When entering or leaving the altar precinct for a Zhaijiao (purification ritual), failure to report to the supervising officer incurs a penalty of twenty prostrations.

Letting one’s hair hang loose or running incurs a penalty of two prostrations.

During scripture recitation, asking questions at will, or misreading or jumbling the lines of the Jing (scripture), incurs a penalty of thirty prostrations.

During the chanting of praises, an unsteady or unsynchronized voice incurs a penalty of twenty prostrations.

Failure to wash one’s hands and rinse one’s mouth before ascending the altar incurs a penalty of twenty prostrations.

A breach of ritual decorum when sitting, rising, or making way respectfully incurs a penalty of five prostrations.

Failure to follow the prescribed order when circling, or walking in the opposite direction, incurs a penalty of ten prostrations.

Failure to bow to the scriptures when rising to walk, returning, or sitting down again incurs a penalty of three prostrations; leaving without permission incurs a penalty of twenty.

Moving about suddenly when it is time to burn incense incurs a penalty of ten prostrations.

If the officiant in charge of the Zhaijiao neglects matters concerning offerings, ritual implements, or other arrangements, the penalty is twenty prostrations.

After receiving a ritual document, failure to report it to a superior incurs a penalty of thirty prostrations.

Leaving the altar precinct without authorization before the Zhaijiao has ended incurs a penalty of one hundred prostrations.

Anyone who violates ritual rules and, after being censured and punished, still refuses to comply shall be expelled from the altar precinct and shall not be appointed again.

If a lower-ranking ritual officer commits a fault during a rite, the prescribed censure and penalty shall be imposed, from one to three times. After three such penalties, the offender shall withdraw from the purification rite. A person responsible for discipline who fails to censure the offender shall be treated as guilty of the same offense.

If a senior ritual master commits a fault in the course of their duties, they shall acknowledge it themselves and submit a written record to the supervising officer. For one to three faults, the prescribed censure and penalty shall be imposed. After three, the master’s ritual duties shall be suspended for three hundred days, and they may no longer take part in the ritual seat. A person responsible for discipline who fails to censure the offender shall be treated as guilty of the same offense.

Titles of Monastery and Temple Officials

Titles held by Daoist clergy in ancient monasteries and temples included: Perfected One, Libationer, Daoist Register Officer, Daoist Discipline Officer, Daoist Tradition Officer, Daoist Corrector, Daoist Assembly Officer, Abbot, Superintendent, Director, Deputy Palace Official, Deputy Temple Official, Lecturer, Chief Supervisor, Profound Doctrine Officer, Administrator, Secretary, Censor, Inspector, Preceptor of the Precepts, Senior Seat, Keeper of Registers, Chief Memorialist, Supervising Officer, Ritual Master, Deputy Memorialist, True Year Officer, Lead Cantor, Keeper of the Storehouse, Keeper of the Rites, and Novice.

The Southern Pole Longevity Palace added fifteen new titles:

The Scripture Librarian was responsible for managing the scriptures in the scripture hall.

The Director of the Abbey was responsible for all the affairs of the Daoist establishment.

The Director of the Dining Hall had the same responsibilities as the Director of the Abbey.

The Chief of Letters was responsible for editing and compiling texts, and for teaching the young Daoists to read.

The Instructor was responsible for teaching the young Daoists the methods of purification and the liturgy.

The Registrar was responsible for managing accounts of money and grain, as well as various documents.

The Hall Steward was responsible for managing the main hall, covered walkways, and other buildings.

The Dining Hall Steward was responsible for meals in the refectory.

The Guest Master was responsible for receiving visiting immortals and Daoist companions.

The Granary Steward was responsible for managing grain stores of all kinds.

The Gatekeeper was responsible for managing the gates and the comings and goings of personnel.

The Works Steward was responsible for repairs and construction.

The Garden Steward was responsible for the medicinal herb garden, vegetable plots, and orchard.

The Livestock Steward was responsible for raising animals for ritual sacrifice.

The Estate Steward was responsible for spring plowing and autumn harvests on the estate.

Rules for Palace Temples: Prohibited Speech

“Daoism guides the worthy; Buddhism guides the foolish.”

During the Xianhe era of Emperor Cheng of Jin, eighty Buddhists in the commanderies of Leimai Men and others asked to enter monasteries and become monks. At Mount Song and elsewhere, two hundred Daoist priests asked to have their names removed from the registers and to convert to Buddhism. Emperor Cheng of Jin said to Wang Dao, “I have heard that human life is hard to attain, and birth in the Central Lands is hard to attain. Yet people in China now abandon the Daoism of their own land and wish to be reborn in the West, becoming foreigners, rather than be born in China. This is the height of foolishness. Was this the very situation meant by what Emperor Zhang of Han once said: ‘Daoism guides the worthy; Buddhism guides the foolish’?”

Wang Dao considered these words sincere and true, and suitable as a warning for later generations to heed over time. Thus, a saying circulated in those days: “Daoism teaches the worthy; Buddhism teaches the foolish.” Although people in the world have often said this ever since, Daoist priests must never say it aloud, lest it provoke disputes. They must take it as a firm warning.

The Perfected Huangfu said: “When sages establish teachings, they adapt them to local customs and take people’s innate dispositions into account. In this view, those whose temperaments and understanding are dull are rooted in the nature of Earth and are glad to turn toward death; those whose temperaments and understanding are keen are rooted in the nature of Heaven and are glad to seek life. The Zhouyi says, ‘What is rooted in Heaven is drawn to what is above; what is rooted in Earth is drawn to what is below.’ This is what it means.

“Those who are glad to turn toward death are called ‘sitting in extinction’ in the Buddhist Nirvana Sutra, which regards quiescent extinction as bliss. Those who are glad to seek life follow what Laozi said: ‘My life is in my own hands, not in Heaven’s.’ The worthy and the foolish each have their own paths concerning life and death. Why, then, insist on deciding who is worthy and who is foolish? These words are quite reasonable, so they are included here.”

Avoiding Disputes: A warning to Daoist priests not to argue over the relative merits of different teachings or their views of life and death.

One great prohibition is that you should not argue with others. The Dao De Jing says, “Precisely because he does not contend, no one under Heaven can contend with him.” The Qingzheng Jing says, “Those who practice at the highest level do not contend; those who practice at the lowest level delight in argument.”

If someone provokes you without cause and insults you in conversation, you can reply: “I have often heard that human life is hard to attain, that being born in the Central Land (China) is hard to attain, and that after being born in the Central Land, encountering the true Dao is also hard to attain. I am Chinese, born in China, and follow the Dao of China’s sages. I dare not go against the Heaven and Earth that gave me life, nor the land on which I was born. As a Chinese, following China’s teachings is only natural. If I were to abandon the land that nurtured me and adopt another teaching, I would be like an animal, forgetting the kindness of Heaven and Earth in bringing me into being. How could I be called a practitioner? I do not understand the relative merits of the various teachings. Simply answering in this way accords with common sense and does not place me above others.”

Seating Order for Daoists and Buddhists

When Buddhist monks come to a Daoist temple, Daoists should invite them to sit in the seat of honor. When Daoists come to a Buddhist monastery, the monks should likewise invite the Daoists to sit in the seat of honor. This is treating the other party as a guest on a first visit and showing them the courtesy owed to guests. If they meet elsewhere, Daoists and monks alike should honor the elder and invite that person to take the seat of honor. Although the two teachings differ as Chinese and foreign traditions, harmony is the highest principle in dealing with others, and yielding is a virtue.

Forms of Address for Monks and Daoists

In the fifth year of the Yonghui era under Emperor Gaozong of Tang (554 CE), Hu monks—Buddhist monks from the Western Regions and other places—argued with Daoists over forms of address. Someone said, “I have only heard people say ‘monks and Daoists’; I have never heard them say ‘Daoists and monks.’”

Forms of Address for Monks and Daoists

In the fifth year of the Yonghui era under Emperor Gaozong of Tang, a foreign monk and a Daoist priest disputed whose title should come first. Someone said, “I have only heard ‘monks and Daoists,’ never ‘Daoists and monks.’” The foreign monk therefore placed monks before Daoist priests. Emperor Gaozong said, “Daoist priests are people of our great Tang realm, while monks come from foreign lands. How can foreigners be placed before people of China? China has its own rites governing rank and precedence. Foreigners are not bound by China’s rules of ritual dress; this reflects the distinction between high and low status.”

The emperor then said to Yu Zhining, “For example, people say ‘Yi and Xia.’ ‘Xia’ means China, yet it comes after ‘Yi,’ meaning foreigners. Is that appropriate? When speaking of Yin-Yang, Yin is associated with petty people and ill fortune, while Yang is associated with exemplary people and good fortune, yet Yin comes before Yang. When speaking of misfortune and good fortune, why not say good fortune first and misfortune afterward? Is misfortune more auspicious than good fortune? When speaking of ghosts and spirits, ghosts are lowly, while spirits are divine beings of Heaven. Why put ghosts before spirits? When speaking of ‘crooked, straight, slanted, and upright,’ uprightness and straightness are good, while crookedness and slanting are bad. Why, then, name the inauspicious terms first?”

People often mention inauspicious and ill-omened things first, so the order of monks and Daoist priests can be understood in the same way. From the order of names for good and ill fortune, the distinction between high and low status, and the division between Yi and Xia, one can see that the status of Daoist priests is honored and has not been diminished.

A prohibition on speaking of cause and effect.

Emperor Wuzong of the Tang said: In the past, during the Tianjian era of Emperor Wu of Liang, the title “students of righteousness” was established. Each person was required to invent ten stories about hell and karmic retribution, to deceive the world, instruct the ignorant, and solicit donations. More than eight hundred such stories were produced, scattered through Buddhist works such as the Fayuan Zhulin. In the original transmission of the teachings, the patriarchs went barefoot with alms bowls, begging from door to door as a form of cultivation. How could they have deceived people and sought profit? At the time, some among the ignorant male and female believers accepted these claims and even gave away their entire fortunes. The Daoist Way is the Way transmitted by the sages of China. It should not speak of spirits and ghosts, strange phenomena, hell, or karmic retribution, nor should its followers copy texts and solicit donations along the streets, lest they sully the traditions of the Daoist community. Such acts are the work of rogues and shameless people, not what Chinese people should do; they should be firmly prohibited and eradicated.

Prohibiting Yang-Essence Śarīras

The Daoist priest Tao Yuansu once met a Daoist who called himself Huangfu Xin. Huangfu Xin led him to a pine tree, where Tao Yuansu saw an old man with a white beard. The old man stroked the crown of his head and said, “This child has an unusual bone structure at the crown. He will be able to study the Dao in the future.”

Prohibiting Yang-Essence Śarīras

The Daoist Tao Yuansu met a Daoist who called himself Huangfu Xin. Huangfu Xin led him to a pine tree, where Tao Yuansu saw an old man with a white beard. The old man touched the crown of his head and said, “This child has an unusual bone formation on his head. One day, he will be able to study the Dao.” Tao Yuansu’s parents then sent him to Haotian Palace to become a disciple of the Daoist Teng Bixiao. At the age of nineteen, he met an old man and received the Scripture of the Heavenly Marrow and Numina. Later, he traveled to Mount Kongtong and then settled on Mount Taihua.

By the thirteenth year of Emperor Wu of Liang’s Tianjian era, the year jiǎwǔ, he was already 182 years old. The emperor heard that Tao Yuansu possessed Daoist arts that let him transcend the world and roam in spirit through the Great Void, so he sent an envoy with an imperial letter bearing the emperor’s seal to summon him. Tao Yuansu did not answer the summons. He wrote a poem:

“Through the Jin, Qi, and Liang dynasties I have passed;

My years are near two hundred.

The affairs of the world have never concerned me.

Today I shall shed this skin

And go to the side of the Emperor of Great Luo Heaven.”

He then told his disciples, “I am about to leave this world. You should cremate me; leave no remains behind.” Having spoken, he removed his clothes, sat cross-legged, and died. It was the first day of the first month of the fourteenth year of the Tianjian era, the year yǐwèi. His disciples cremated his body and found red and white beads in the bones. They were clear and bright, hard as stone, and the largest were as big as a grain of rice. In all, they found 399 beads. The envoy presented them to the court.

Fan Yun said that the Western Hu—a term used in antiquity for peoples of the Western Regions—had secret sexual techniques. It was said that through intercourse and “gathering Yin,” they could obtain such things. The beads they produced were reddish-purple and heavy; the Hu called them “śarīra.” The Western Hu also had a kind of hard stone that looked the same as śarīra. Some people, too, embedded dragon’s blood, a red resinous medicinal substance, in bones. Yan Bian argued that Chinese people skilled in nourishing life might also condense their vital essence, while still in the complete Yang state of childhood, into such beads. These beads, red and white, were called “Yang essence”—that is, śarīra. But in the end, they were only filthy matter on the bones of the dead. How could they be presented to the court?

Yan Bian added that if someone claimed to have attained the Dao, he should ascend to heaven, not leave dry bones among the living. If he had died, and his bones remained after cremation, how could that count as attaining the Dao? When an ordinary household found a dead person’s dry bones in its home, it regarded them as an inauspicious “lurking corpse” and summoned a shaman to drive them away. How much more improper, then, to bring such things into the court! Yan Bian even said that the envoy responsible for presenting them should be executed. In the end, the emperor refused to accept the beads.

Afterward, the Celestial Master issued a proclamation to Daoist temples throughout the land: “Since the Yellow Emperor established the teachings, no Chinese sage has ever claimed that death was attainment of the Dao. If someone attained the Dao, why would he still die? After death, he could not escape being called a ghost of the underworld. How much less should anyone leave behind a corpse and claim that its bones had condensed into ‘Yang essence,’ thereby deceiving the world? From now on, anyone who again uses ‘Yang essence śarīra’ to mislead others should be treated as guilty of sorcery and deception.”

Those who practice through incense burning should burn incense and light lamps each morning and evening, pour water and offer flowers, recite scriptures, and perform rites of repentance in the hope of receiving blessings. The divine images and ritual objects in the halls should be kept neat and clean, free of dust and grime. They should be wiped down regularly, and the grounds swept often, so that dust does not accumulate in the temple buildings. This is to serve wholeheartedly before the Celestial Emperor and to settle body and mind in a pure and dignified environment. It is a duty that Daoist priests must fulfill. Those who do so will surely receive blessings; those who neglect their work and grow lax will bring down punishment from Heaven.

They should also make every effort to tend the vegetable garden and prepare meals with care, chopping wood and carrying water, so that body and mind are put to work and the body is kept industrious. These are forms of diligent practice that build merit and repay Heaven and Earth for nurturing us. The greater the merit, the more abundant the blessings. To do none of these things is to bear the name of a Daoist priest while secretly enjoying the blessings bestowed by Heaven and Earth. After death, one will face the karmic consequence of being reborn as livestock, enduring the pain of slaughter at the butcher’s block and the calamity of beatings and punishment. How could this fail to inspire fear?

At the end of this text, I now append Warnings and Their Fulfillment, written by Bai Jinwei of Tanzhou, for readers to consult.

Its general meaning is as follows: In the past, Kou Qianzhi, an important Daoist figure of the Northern Wei, said, “When ordinary people suffer punishment and calamity, how could they not feel afraid?”

The general idea is this: In the past, Kou Qianzhi said that some people are born under inauspicious stars and are destined for poverty and a short life because the karmic hindrances and wrongs they accumulated in previous lives are profound. They should abandon worldly life and enter religious life to serve the Celestial Emperor, seeking blessings in the hope of escaping poverty and an early death. The practice of leaving home to cultivate the Dao, burn incense, and devote oneself to spiritual discipline grew out of this belief.

Long ago, a man named Xu Mi from Jingzhao, in the area of present-day Xi’an, Shaanxi, was sickly from childhood. A fortune-teller said that he was not only prone to illness but would also inevitably live in poverty and die young. At first, his parents did not believe this. When Xu Mi was eleven, a face reader again said that he would not live past fifteen. Only then did his parents become alarmed and ask whether there was any way to avert the calamity. The face reader said that to escape his bad fortune, he would have to leave home and cultivate the Dao; perhaps then he could avoid disaster. So his parents sent Xu Mi to Xuanyuan Monastery, east of the city, to become a Daoist.

Morning and evening, Xu Mi diligently tended the incense and lamps and cleaned the halls and covered walkways. With a winnowing basket and broom, he swept the corridors without shirking the hard work. He also took a sickle and carried a hoe, doing his utmost to care for the gardens. At night, he recited scriptures and performed repentance rites—bowing and confessing his wrongs. Afterward, he sat upright and dedicated the merit of his practice to others or to a particular purpose. He burned incense, knocked his head to the ground, and prayed with sincerity. By day, he repaired walls and patched roofs, never letting himself rest. His hands and feet grew thick with calluses and split open from the labor.

He did not eat the monastery’s communal grain, but instead begged for alms to provide his daily food. Nor did he burn the monastery’s communal firewood; he gathered his own wood, drew water, and cooked his meals. Some people, feeling sorry for him because he worked so hard, asked why he was so diligent. Xu Mi replied, “Those who cultivate the Dao should keep the great matter of life and death in mind. How can they let others serve them while they refuse to work themselves? If we treat others as our servants, we will forfeit the blessings of Heaven and humanity.” He practiced in this way for more than forty years.

One day, beneath the shade of a pine tree, Xu Mi met a Daoist. The man took his hand and said, “You have practiced diligently and endured hardship for a long time. The Celestial Emperor will grant you long life and an official rank.” Before long, Xu Mi’s reputation reached the capital. The court appointed him chief registrar of Daoist affairs at Jingxiao Palace and bestowed on him the title “Perfected One Who Penetrates the Mystery and Assists Transformation.” In the first year of Longchang under the deposed Southern Qi emperor, Prince Yulin, Xu Mi was 101 years old. When the ruler of Northern Wei heard of him, he too sent envoys to present him with gold and silk.

According to legend, when Xu Mi was nearing completion in his cultivation of the Dao, three Daoist priests invited him to travel with them. Later, during the reign of Emperor Yuan of Liang, a man who had abandoned Buddhism to study the Dao entered Mao Mountain and encountered Xu Mi riding a great ram. Xu Mi told him to return and inform the Daoists at Xuanyuan Monastery in Jingzhao that he now held the office of “Left Minister of the Inner Court of the Mysterious Heaven’s Bureau.” This story spread, and Daoists throughout the land came to understand the importance of diligence and reverence.

The author reflects: At first, some people left their families and entered monasteries because their fortunes were poor, or because their parents feared their children would not survive. But later generations failed to understand the causes and consequences behind this. Many who entered religious life became lazy and arrogant. They accepted other people’s offerings and reverence, and begged for alms without the slightest shame. They did not care whether incense was burning in the halls, check whether the steps were clean, or see whether the buildings and surrounding walls had fallen into disrepair. They sought only ease and comfort, refusing to serve diligently or cultivate with sincerity. When we compare their conduct with Xu Mi’s, should they not examine their own consciences?

What is more, the laws of Heaven are stern, and the spirits see everything clearly. Even if someone enjoys comfort and plenty of food and clothing for a time, they may for that very reason fall into the ranks of other kinds of beings, with no escape from judgment at Fengdu, the underworld tribunal. The author says that he left home at the age of eight and is now white-haired. Often, when facing a meal, he reflects that he has made no contribution to Daoism. He fears that his sins are grave and will bring calamity upon his nine generations of ancestors. For this reason, he urges all who have left home to remain deeply alert and not sink into dullness and idleness. Only then may they hope to ascend together by the steps of the Immortal Way and restore order to the institutions of the Mysterious Gate.

On the sixteenth day of the third month in the second year of Jianlong of the Song dynasty, Bai Jinwei, a Daoist priest who had left home at the Longevity Star Monastery in Tanzhou, Successor of the Three Caverns and Orthodox Teacher, and Commissioner for Subduing Demons of the Qingwei tradition, respectfully wrote this text.

Morning and Evening Practice

All Daoist clergy residing in a monastery or temple should make burning incense and reciting scripture, together with performing sacrificial rites, their foremost duties. Each day, the monastery’s abbot gathers everyone in the hall to burn incense, recite scripture, and pay homage to the perfected and the sages. All should devote themselves to cultivating the Dao and learning its teachings, with the intention of offering reverence to Heaven and serving the tradition.

The New and Full Moon

On the first and fifteenth days of each lunar month, everyone should bathe the day before. At dawn on the appointed day, the abbot leads the community, dressed in Daoist robes, to assemble in order at the altar and in the hall to recite scripture. In this way, they pray for the sacred ones’ long lives and proclaim the profound teachings.

Festival Days

On each festival, rites should be held to pay homage to the perfected and the sages. After the morning service, the community should follow the customs handed down from ancient times, gather for a ritual banquet in accordance with proper etiquette, and observe Daoist rules with care, avoiding negligence and excess.

Opening and Closing the Gates

The management of a monastery or temple’s main gate is very important, and it should be opened and closed at the prescribed times. In the morning, open the gate once daylight has come; in the evening, close it while there is still light. The person in charge keeps the lock, while the resident members of the monastery or temple keep the keys. Each opening and closing should be carried out on schedule, with proper handover.

Morning Bells and Evening Drums

The morning bell and evening drum summon the myriad spirits, lend solemn dignity to the monastery or temple, and express the character of a sanctuary in the mountains. They must be sounded every morning and evening without fail.

Morning Gathering for Soup

After the morning service each day, Daoist priests and novice Daoists should gather at the abbot’s quarters, line up, and greet the abbot with a clasped-hand bow. They then divide into two groups and bow to one another. The priests take their seats in order; the novice Daoists bow toward the front, distribute the soup, then stand below with hands clasped.

The abbot explains the day’s business. If matters of public or private concern require action by the relevant officers, or involve other people, they should be reported to the abbot and then discussed and decided by the group. Once the business is settled, everyone bows to one another and withdraws. This practice is intended to uphold the community’s rules and maintain the Daoist tradition.

The common fund, meaning property jointly administered by the monastery, oversees all its affairs. It must be entrusted to people of outstanding virtue who are generous and fair. Separate duties should be assigned for handling income and expenditure, cultivating fields, managing forests and gardens, and receiving visiting officials and guests. Those responsible should serve in rotation, changing posts every one to three years. Appointments must be made with care, and those who serve must act wholly for the common good and never seek private gain.

The Perfected Yu Chan said, “The spirits watch over all the gold, silver, and grain held in the common fund. Those who take any of it without authorization will each receive the corresponding retribution.” These words are no idle warning. All who manage or use the common fund’s property should act with caution and reverence.

Banquets in the communal dining hall

When attending a banquet in the communal dining hall, take your seat according to the established order. Do not disrupt the formal distinctions between higher and lower rank.

Daily meals in the communal dining hall

The common fund provides each person with one sheng of rice each day. Vegetables, fish, and meat are provided as supplies allow. At the appointed time each day, the cloud board—a percussion instrument used in monasteries to summon the community—is struck to call everyone to the dining hall.

By old custom, itinerant Daoist priests who arrive from elsewhere are usually provided meals for only seven days. If someone registers to stay and practice according to the rules, remaining through the winter or summer, the common fund provides meals for one hundred days. Those who study at the monastery and serve in official duties receive the same amount of grain as the monastery’s own Daoist priests, with no one-hundred-day limit.

When virtuous practitioners from the capital or from the celebrated sacred mountains of Shangqing arrive at the monastery, they should be treated with special respect and provided with whatever they need. If they are sincerely invited to stay, there is no limit to how long their meals may be provided.

The community’s daily supplies are provided according to established rules. No one may misuse them out of personal favor, or use them to entertain others. If a vulgar and discourteous person demands food and wine, those responsible for managing the temple’s common property—the goods set aside for daily use—must strictly observe the rules and the community’s precepts. Anyone who breaks the rules must pay for a vegetarian meal to be served, and everyone in the palace community should attend as courtesy requires.

Taking on Disciples

When taking on and teaching disciples, one must select children from families that have been respected for generations, are held in high regard in their local community, and honor the Dao and practice goodness. The child must also be free of serious illness or other conditions that would hinder cultivation. The child should be accepted in accordance with ritual and law, and welcomed into the Daoist community as a member of its religious family before being admitted among the Daoist congregation. Children from idle, vulgar families who make their living through miscellaneous entertainments must not be taken on as disciples. Nor should children with serious illnesses, body odor, bad breath, blindness, facial scars, six fingers, lameness, or other disabilities be accepted.

Applying for an Ordination Certificate

A Daoist novice enters the religious life in childhood…