《道要灵祇神鬼品经》

General Preface to Lingqi (the Spirits of Heaven and Earth)

The Lingbao Wuliang Duren Jing (scripture/classic) says: Zhongdou Dakui (the stellar deity in the Northern Dipper who holds the office of overall command) has general charge of all the spirits and governs the earth deities (the spirits upon the earth). This deity is responsible for guarding, receiving, and escorting, and for delivering people from the five sufferings and eight difficulties (hardships of every kind) at the gates of the underworld.

The Dongzhen Shangqing Yinshu Longwen Jing (Dongzhen, of the Three Caverns: Dongzhen/Dongxuan/Dongshen) says: The Most High Lord of the Dao and the Celestial King of the Primordial Beginning returned together to the Palace of Great Existence and roamed in feast at the gathering place of the Wondrous Court. They condensed purple clouds, recited the Seven Treasures, spread forth cinnabar-red cloud-radiance, and arrayed the mysterious terraces. Flowers of every kind blazed in dazzling splendor; their light illuminated the Jade Void and shone through all the heavens. Fragrance overflowed into the ten directions, and brilliance and perfume reached an extreme beyond words. Thereupon the spirits of the Limitless gathered and assembled, and even the tiniest insects rejoiced.

Divine Ranks of the Lingqi

The Dongshen Sanhuang Jing says: One who can know in advance matters that have not yet come to light is called “spirit”; one whose hearing is keen, sight clear, and perception acute is also called “spirit.”

The Taiping Jing says: Spirits act by following the Dao (the Way); they do not rely on De (Virtue/Power). Therefore, one who employs the Dao can commune with the divinities, while one who cultivates virtuous conduct can consult with the spirits. The Dao and De may be set beside one another and understood more fully; spirits and human beings depend upon each other. These principles can all be seen today.

The scripture further says: The holy perfected persons of antiquity were all able to keep to the Dao. In times of clarity and stillness, they would call the host of spirits and have them come to converse, just as people today call upon guests.

The scripture also says: The spirits of heaven and earth, of the four seasons, and of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) take turns on duty, in charge of people’s allotted lifespans and records. How can people fail to revere them and think of repaying their kindness? If one is unwilling to do good and instead goes against the celestial spirits, the celestial spirits will throw wind and rain out of harmony and make the climate abnormal: warm when it should be cold, and cold when it should be warm.

The Laozi Guanshen Taiqing Zhongjing says: The celestial spirits of the Bagua (Eight Trigrams) descend and attach themselves to human beings, constantly guarding Taiyi—the supreme deity, or deity of the primordial source, in Daoism—and serving as envoys of the eight directions. On the days of the eight seasonal nodes (Beginning of Spring, Spring Equinox, Beginning of Summer, Summer Solstice, Beginning of Autumn, Autumn Equinox, Beginning of Winter, and Winter Solstice), they ascend to Heaven to report and verify, determining what is auspicious and inauspicious in the world.

The spirit of Qian has the style name Zhongni and the title Fuxi; the spirit of Kan has the style name Daxiangzi; the spirit of Gen has the style name Feixianwang; the spirit of Zhen has the style name Xiaozengzi; the spirit of Xun has the style name Dayouhou; the spirit of Li has the style name Wenchang; the spirit of Kun has the style name Yangzhuo and the title Yaowang, and is also called Nüwa; the spirit of Dui has the style name Yishi. If, on the days of the eight seasonal nodes, people can visualize these spirits and hold them in remembrance, they may obtain good fortune.

The Taishang Nüqing Guilü says: Each of the six Jia days has a spirit who presides over inauspicious affairs. In the ten-day period of Jiazi, the baleful spirit is surnamed Xuan and named Yuchong; in the ten-day period of Jiaxu, surnamed Heng and named Peng; in the ten-day period of Jiashen, surnamed Ji and named Gui, pronounced Ying; in the ten-day period of Jiawu, surnamed Ben and named Man; in the ten-day period of Jiachen, surnamed Heng and named Jianzi; in the ten-day period of Jiayin, surnamed Su and named Zao (“luo” may be a phonetic note).

These six baleful spirits preside over affairs of wickedness, rebellion and disorder, and harmful sha.

The True Scripture of the Eight Purities of the Most High (Taishang Basu Zhenjing) says: the first precept is that one must not fail to revere Heaven, must not say that there are no spirits in Heaven, and must not say that there are no ghosts on earth.

Demons and the Orthodox

The Scripture of the Jade Writs of the Grand Empyrean of the Most High (Taishang Taixiao Langshu Jing) says: Shuhua Qingtong (a Daoist immortal) says that there are several kinds of demons—celestial demons, terrestrial demons, and ghost demons. The so-called Great Demon Kings of the Six Heavens are the great demon kings of Heaven and Earth. They possessed great merit in former lives, and only for that reason were they able to become demon kings. Their virtue (De) is equal to that of Dishi (a revered deity of the heavenly realm), and together they administer the affairs of Heaven, Earth, and the human world. Above, they are subordinate to the Jade Capital of the Most High (Yujing, the celestial realm of immortals spoken of in Daoism); they are merely officials under the Celestial Emperor. What follows in the scripture is repetitive and incomplete. Its meaning is roughly that, as for all the rest, there is nothing that cannot be subdued.

When a person studies the Dao (the Way), they must first undergo the trials of the lesser demons. When cultivation of the Dao is about to be completed, the great demon kings all come to test them. After passing this great trial, one receives a recommendation and ascends the Terrace of the Jade Capital.

The Scripture of Ascent into the Mystery (Shengxuan Jing) says: the Most High says that eight men and eleven women, on first hearing this scripture (Jing), gave rise to disbelief, rose from their seats, and left. For this they were deluded by celestial demons and by heterodox paths (methods of cultivation different from the orthodox Dao), and their minds and spirits (Shen) were thrown into disorder.

The Strongmen

The Scripture of the Cavern Abyss (Dongyuan Jing) says: the strongmen who guard the hall (spirits who protect the sanctuary) register a person’s name and hand it to the examining officials. The examining officials then use kaosha (the calamities and trials by ghosts and spirits spoken of in Daoism) to injure the person’s spirit, so that their Qi (vital energy) and strength weaken, their mind and spirit grow unsettled, and their hun and po souls drift, until at last this leads to death.

Throughout the world there are strongmen named Wuxuan, four hundred and ninety thousand in all, who patrol within the borders of the various lands. Wherever a master of the Three Caverns (Sandong; a practitioner of the scriptural methods of the Three Caverns—Dongzhen, Dongxuan, and Dongshen) recites scripture, one or two of the persons of the Three and Five (protective functionaries in Daoism) stand guard and do not allow evil to intrude.

Spirits of the Void

The Shengxuan Jing says: the incantation recited by the Most High is: “The beings of the Eastern Pole patrol within the borders of the various lands; wherever a master of the Three Caverns recites scripture, send one or two of the persons of the Three and Five to stand guard and not allow evil to intrude.”

This passage is close in content to the section on the strongmen; the sense of the original wording is rather brief.

The Scripture of Ascending to the Mystery records that the Most High (the supreme venerable deity) intoned:

“In the void at the farthest reaches of the east, celestial deities, earth spirits (spirits of the land), dragons, and ghosts, and on down to the void at the very lowest reaches—all celestial deities, earth spirits, dragons, ghosts, and the like—listen carefully to my command. The good man Daoling has today already formed the resolve that in a future age he will become a great Master of the Law, protecting and delivering all living beings. From this day forward you too should form the resolve to lead the officers under your authority and diligently protect him.”

Section on the Gods of the Soil

The Catalogue of the Ghosts and Spirits of Heaven and Earth of Laozi records:

The soil god of the capital (the deity who guards the land) is an upright minister of the celestial realm. The left side belongs to Yang and the right side to Yin (Yin-Yang). His surname is Huang and his given name is Chong. He was originally a native of Liyang in Jiujiang, Yangzhou, with an official rank of ten thousand shi, and he has charge of the famous mountains of the world. The great deities and soil gods of every region are all under his command.

The soil god of Henan is the Three Luminaries of the Celestial Emperor (referring to the sun, moon, and stars). The left side belongs to azure and the right side to white. His surname is Dai and his given name is Gao. He was originally a native of Bohai in Jizhou, with an official rank of ten thousand shi. He oversees the operation of Yin-Yang, and also oversees the harming of people and the taking of their lives by curses and imprecations, so that people die as a result. The soil gods of every region are enfeoffed by the celestial realm, each charged with inspecting its own jurisdiction. Among the ghosts, spirits, and malign entities throughout the world that receive sacrifice from people, none, whether great or small, fails to obey them.

The Scripture of the Three August Ones records: Yin-Yang operates, and curses and imprecations can harm people and take their lives, so that people die as a result. The soil gods of every region are enfeoffed by the celestial realm, each charged with inspecting its own jurisdiction. Among the ghosts, spirits, and malign entities throughout the world that receive sacrifice from people, none, whether great or small, fails to obey them.

The Scripture of the Three August Ones further records: the soil god of Yuzhou is surnamed Fan, given name Li; the soil god of Yongzhou is surnamed Xiu, given name Li; the soil god of Liangzhou is surnamed Huang, given name Zong; the soil god of Kezhou is surnamed Zhang, given name Yu; the soil god of Yangzhou is surnamed Zou, given name Hun; the soil god of Xuzhou is surnamed Han, given name Ji; the soil god of Qingzhou is surnamed Yin, given name Yu; the soil god of Yanzhou is surnamed Fei, given name Ming; and the soil god of Jizhou is surnamed Feng, given name Qian. The god of millet (the deity who oversees grain) is surnamed Dai, given name Gao.

These soil gods of the Nine Provinces correspond above to the roots of the nine stars in heaven, are distributed among the Nine Palaces, and command the Nine Provinces. If an ordinary person can remember the names of the soil gods of the Nine Provinces and of the one god of millet, call upon their names, and inquire into the right and wrong of a matter, they will all make known the omens of good and ill fortune. One may also ask them to reward good deeds, punish evil deeds, and bring relief to the people.

The lower section of the Xiangong Qingwen Jing (Scripture of the Immortal Lord’s Questions) says: one who wishes to enter the mountains and dwell in a quiet, secluded place should first receive the Jing (scripture) and its methods, serve one’s teacher with reverence and solemnity, and cultivate all manner of good deeds and accumulate merit, so as to win the respectful submission of the mountain spirits.

Mountains, whether large or small, all have spirits. Where the mountain is great, its spirits are great; where the mountain is small, its spirits are small. If the spirits decline, human survival too becomes hard to sustain. If a person does not understand the supreme Dao (the Way) and its methods, and does not know how to cultivate goodness and accumulate merit, on what basis could one dwell long in the mountains? Here, “receiving the Jing” means accepting the scriptural methods transmitted by one’s teacher, and “subduing the mountain spirits” means winning their respectful submission by cultivating the Dao and accumulating goodness.

The Laozi Catalogue of Heaven, Earth, Ghosts, and Spirits records that the jail warden of Mount Tai—the divine officer in charge of the prisons within the mountain—is surnamed Jun, given name Hou, and that the jail warden of Mount Yang is surnamed Zhu, given name Zhao.

Mount Yu is a well of Heaven. Its mountain god is surnamed Xia, given name Ze. He dwells in and governs the southern mountains of Kuaiji and is known as “Lord Xie,” having governed for five hundred years.

The Lord of Mount Yuan is a chief clerk of Heaven, surnamed Yuan, given name Zhang. He governs the southern mountains of Yangxian County in Wu Commandery, with a salary rank equivalent to three thousand shi, and has governed for seven hundred and twenty years.

The Lord of Mount Yue is an attendant officer of Heaven, an assisting official, surnamed Xu, given name Song.

The god of the Eastern Mountain of Yin County is surnamed Lü, given name Cheng. He was originally a man of Guanghan, with a salary rank equivalent to six thousand shi. He had formerly been Grand Administrator of Shu Commandery; after his death he received a heavenly enfeoffment and was permitted to enjoy sacrificial offerings in Yin County. He has governed the Eastern Mountain for five hundred and ten years.

The god of Mount Zhang’an is surnamed Xu, given name Sui. He was originally one of the local people and held no office; in life he was a commoner, and he died at the age of seventy. He partakes of sacrificial offerings in the company of the Left General Marquis of the Celestial Emperor. That mountain was originally called “Mount Xu.” He gradually established merit and became a mountain god who receives sacrifice, and he has governed for seven hundred and seventy-two years.

The god of Mount Huang in Tan County is surnamed Hao, given name Nüdong. It is said that he was commanded to enjoy the local sacrificial offerings, which the houguan officers present to him, and that he has governed for seven hundred and twenty years.

The god of Mount Shu in the east is surnamed Qian, given name Jiju; the god of Mount Liu in the south is surnamed Liu, courtesy name Bo; the god of Mount Jiutong in the west is surnamed Ji, courtesy name Qiyang.

Mount Kunlun in the north is the center of Heaven and the mother of the earth. Its mountain god is surnamed Tang, courtesy name Daqing. The god of Mount Fuzi is surnamed Zhou, courtesy name Zhongzhu; the god of Mount Dayi is surnamed Wu, courtesy name Youwen; the god of Mount Manche is surnamed Fu, courtesy name Yousi; and the god of Mount Shuaigong is surnamed Huang, courtesy name Taichu.

Mount Wangong is likewise the center of Heaven and the mother of the earth, and its mountain god is surnamed Tang, courtesy name Daqing. The god of Mount Fuzi is surnamed Zhou, courtesy name Zhongzhu; the god of Mount Dayi is surnamed Wu, courtesy name Youwen; the god of Mount Manche is surnamed Fu, courtesy name Yousi; and the god of Mount Shuaigong is surnamed Huang, courtesy name Taichu. The god of Mount Wangong is surnamed Huang, courtesy name Zhongzeng; the god of Mount Fanggong is surnamed Huang, courtesy name Yuantai; the god of Mount Qiangong is surnamed Huang, courtesy name Youlin; the god of Mount Yuehangong is surnamed Chen, courtesy name Jingyuan; and the god of Mount Nipu is surnamed Chen, courtesy name Shaosi.

The dame of Mount Xisai has the courtesy name Nüsheng, and the dame of Mount Fan has the courtesy name Nü’e. Gongting was originally named Mount Tongting.

Lord Lukuang dwells within the mountain and presides over the affairs of the lingqi, the nature spirits of mountains, rivers, and the like. Lord Lu’s given name is Su, and his courtesy name is Junxiao.

The Lord of Mount Man is surnamed Lü, given name Ji, courtesy name Shuchen. In life he once served as a teacher, and he dwells in and governs the southern mountains of Lou County. The Lord of Mount Ke is surnamed Feng, courtesy name Ziyi. His uncle was formerly “Nana,” and the Lord of Mount Ke now governs the western part of this county.

Water deities preside over the rivers, lakes, and seas. Within each of the Eight Seas dwells a divine king, and the Yangtze, the lakes, the Yellow River, and the Ji River likewise all have their own water deities. Dragons, for their part, govern the clear, deep waters. The River Earl (Hebo) and the water officials each possess their own palaces, administrative offices, and temples and abbeys. These places are adorned with the seven treasures and serve as residences ranking below the assembled immortals.

The Laozi Guantian Taiqing Zhongjing (Central Scripture of Great Clarity on Laozi’s Contemplation of Heaven) states that the divine name of the River Earl is Feng Yi, and that he is styled the “Envoy Without Beams” (Wuliang shizhe).

The Laozi Tiandi Guishen Mulu (Catalogue of the Ghosts and Spirits of Heaven and Earth according to Laozi) records: the Duke of River Administration, courtesy name Qingzeng, also known as You; the Duke upon the River, courtesy name Dingming; the Duke of Heyang, courtesy name Dingling; and the Duke of Heyin, courtesy name Dingsheng. The original text breaks off at the character “river.”

The Duke Who Upholds the Methods (Chifa Gong) has the courtesy name Shaoheng; the Duke of the Southern Sea, the courtesy name Shaoming; the Duke of the Northern Sea, the courtesy name Yongchang, also known as Shuichang; and the Duke of the Eastern Sea, the courtesy name Siyi, also known as Xiyi. He Bo, the River God, has the courtesy name Duanzhong, also known as Chongzhong. The Lord Amid the Waves has the courtesy name Liuxiang; the Lord of the Four Waters, the courtesy name Boxing; the Lord of Ditches and Deeps, the courtesy name Quanxing, also known as Quanzong; the Lord of Marshes, the courtesy name Fusheng; the Immortal Lord of the River, the courtesy name Boyang, also known as Heyang; the Commissioner of the Great River, the courtesy name Ding’an; the Lord of the Hook River, the courtesy name Nücang; the Crone Who Feeds on the River, the courtesy name Shaoshou; and the Father of the Great River, the courtesy name Yuanxiao. The Hu Lord of the Eastern River is subordinate in service to the Northern Dipper.

The god of the Eastern Sea is surnamed Ru and named Mu. Charged with driving flying dragons, he is styled Duke of the Celestial Thearch, holds a stipend rank of ten thousand shi, and has already governed in this office for seven hundred and fifty years. The god of the Western Sea is surnamed Feng and named Xiu. Charged with driving small fish, he is styled Terrestrial Taiyi and holds a stipend rank of ten thousand shi. The god of the Southern Sea is surnamed Gou and named Da. Charged with driving carp, he is styled Duke of Earth and Heaven and holds a stipend rank of ten thousand shi. The god of the Northern Sea is surnamed He and named Bo. Charged with driving flood dragons, he is styled Terrestrial Heavenly One and holds a stipend rank of ten thousand shi.

The Marquis of the Yijin River is surnamed Zhou and named Ou. The Horse-Bit Lord of the Eastern Sea dwells in the midst of the Eastern Sea and, together with He Bo, takes part in the affairs of Dongdong Fu. The Crone of the Northern Lake is surnamed Bo; the Crone of Zihu is surnamed Huang, with the courtesy name Younü.

The Upper Scripture of the Supreme Code of Great Perfection (Taishang Taizhen Ke Shangjing) says: Ghosts, whether high or low, noble or base, after seven generations see the retributions of good and evil each brought to an end. Good ghosts ascend to the upper realms and are entered in the register of ghost-immortals; evil ghosts must undergo the trials of the Mountain of Knives, the Trees of Swords, and the Fiery Cauldron—punishments like a vat of boiling oil—until their bones have rotted away completely, and only then enter the Hell of Mingling, where even after ten thousand kalpas they cannot attain rebirth.

The Scripture on Conferring the Immortal Dao (Shouxian Daojing) says: Beyond the four quarters lies the Iron Enclosure Mountain, and beyond the mountain the expanse is boundless. The Most High Lord Lao, pitying all living beings and cherishing life, therefore formed the Iron Enclosure Mountain, shutting every kind of evil ghost outside so that they could not come and harm people.

The Daodejing says: When the Dao (the Way) is used to govern the world, ghosts and specters cannot put their supernatural powers to work. It is not that the ghosts themselves have no power, but that their power cannot harm people.

The Dongyuan Jing says: The Dao declares that, ever since Fuxi, defeated armies and their commanders have come, bringing throngs of bodily forms, to harm people.

The Daodejing says again: When the Dao is used to govern the world, ghosts and specters cannot put their supernatural powers to work. It is not that the ghosts themselves have no power, but that their power cannot harm people.

The Dongyuan Jing (Scripture of the Cavern Abyss; Jing, scripture/classic) says that since the time of Fuxi, the armies and generals who perished in defeat in war, together with those innocently slain by weapons, have numbered in the tens of thousands. Some of the corpses bear an uncanny power: their bones are scattered, head and body lie apart, and they cannot be joined again. Some have a body but no head, some have feet but no hands, and some have a mouth but no eyes. These departed souls, in the millions upon millions, wander everywhere and dwell by attaching themselves to mountains and waters.

Together with Li Ziao of the clouds, they come and go among the clouds, and they also haunt the seashore, roaming in every direction, east and west, south and north. Riding the wind and driving sparrows, they seize people’s chickens and dogs, recklessly raise demons and work strange wonders, manifest uncanny prodigies on every side, and seek to obtain blood offerings.

The scripture further says that there is a ghost named Duluona, three zhang in height, with eyes long and set vertically, a mouth broad and horizontal, and ears six chi long. It holds an iron staff and specializes in beating and killing wicked people in the human world. There are also 69,000 ghosts that sometimes transform into great crows; wherever the crows pass, people fall ill, and some even die of the illness.

There are also 36,000 evil ghosts. The ghost named Tianchi, with 30,000 subordinates, often kills good and virtuous people in the human world without cause. When a renwu year arrives, there are further 39,000 red ghosts named Datou (“Big Head”), who descend into the world to kill people. The ghost of the mountain forests is named Jiang Zidu and commands 20,900,000 ghosts, constantly watching for a chance to kill young children. They disguise themselves as old people, enter homes, and startle the chickens and dogs of the household. Another 39,000 small red-accumulated ghosts enter homes and seize people’s livestock.

There is also the green ghost named Dayun, three zhang in height, with 490,000 subordinates. Holding a red staff, it swings the staff and injures the common people; yet they will not draw near to good people who have faith in the methods of the Dao (the Way).

The scripture also says that there is a great thunder ghost named Jiuchang, commanding 80,000 lesser ghosts. Holding red staves, they come to the Central Plains, kill wicked people, and cause thirty-six kinds of disease to spread; those who die of disease are likewise the wicked. There are also 800,000 red-tailed ghosts named Duohe, with one head and three tails, nine chi in height. Holding water in both hands, they make people suddenly cold and suddenly hot. They bring ninety kinds of disease, and those who die of disease are likewise the wicked.

There is also a kind of great-eyed ghost, three cun in body length, coming by the thousands and in swarms. Together with a million red birds they descend into the human world, enter homes, and kill people. There are also thirty-six kinds of grass ghosts, which likewise harm people. If someone goes into the grass to pick vegetables to eat and encounters the ghost-poison on white roots, branches, stems, and leaves, that person will be poisoned. This poison is called Shengru. Shengru’s brothers number a million, and the breath of their Qi (vital energy) can injure people. After a person is poisoned, within ten days or a month the poisonous Qi enters the four limbs and the hundred joints and in the end takes that person’s life. There are also yellow-red ghosts, three cun and seven fen in body length.

The female ghost of the mountains is named Luoweng. Luoweng’s wives, concubines, and female generals number 200,000 in all. Female ghosts also appear in mountain forests and beside waters, watching for a chance to harm people. There is also a female ghost named Shijiang, extremely ugly in appearance, one zhang in height, with a darkened face, eyes long and vertical, a body entirely red and yellow, and a foul stench given off by her body. If a person sees her, one should quickly withdraw and keep far away.

If a Daoist priest has already accumulated immeasurable merit, he ought to enter the mountains to cultivate, revere the sages of the Three Heavens, and observe the three precepts for serving one’s teachers. The first is, in accordance with instruction, to receive and uphold the scriptures, respect one’s teachers, and not slander others. The second is to make offerings in support of all Daoist priests and not give rise to a jealous mind. The third is not to associate with ordinary worldly people. If these three precepts are not observed, celestial beings and ghosts and spirits alike will mete out punishment; demons will also seize the chance to stir up havoc, and the Dao of cultivating immortality will be difficult to secure.

The scripture says that there are eighty thousand ghosts named Wutulunna, each seven zhang in height, gathering in swarms of tens of millions. There are also great red birds with jet-black bodies as large as a cartwheel, which fly in and devour people. If someone cultivates the Dao (the Way) by observing the Three Caverns scriptures (Sandong Jing, a major scriptural system of Daoism), or if someone comes to seek instruction, these birds that bring pestilence will die.

There are also eighty-nine million red-faced ghosts named Mingzhen, each commanding thirty-nine thousand lesser ghosts. These ghosts carry red clubs, which they use to strike down and kill evildoers. There are further thirty thousand white-headed ghosts named Qianlun—the scripture next writes the name as Qianshu, perhaps a variant reading—three zhang tall, with black faces and white heads, gathering in swarms of tens of millions and bringing thirty-nine thousand kinds of disease. Another three thousand and sixty ghosts can harm people in all manner of ways.

Harmful ghosts number thirty thousand; stone ghosts, one hundred thousand; wood ghosts, twenty thousand; water ghosts, thirty million six hundred thousand; earth ghosts, six hundred thousand; and insect ghosts, one hundred sixty thousand. All of them can harm people. The scripture says that people suffer these ghostly harms because the ghosts attach themselves to the corresponding things: death by drowning, being killed among mountain rocks, injury caused by trees, death from inhaling the Qi (vital energy) of the yin hour, harm from the soil when the earth is broken, or injury by insects upon entering the grass—all are attributed to Qi that is not normal.

From now on, Daoist priests should exhort the common people so that men and women put their faith in Daoism; then the ghosts will not draw near. If they do not believe, ghostly evils must be driven out with full force. The scripture further warns that ghost soldiers may come to put them to death.

In addition, there are eight thousand black-eyed ghosts, six cun long, that fly by relying on birds, appear in the water, and at times ride the wind and rain to attach themselves to people’s bodies. After a person dies, there are another thirty-nine thousand sand ghosts, three cun long and red and white in color, which cling to people when the waters rise.

There are also eight hundred thousand “Daluo ghosts,” named Datou (Great Head). Their leaders likewise command hosts of ghosts and, bringing ghostly marauders with them, burst into the homes of the wicked, start fires, and make the flames impossible to put out. There is also a great ghost named Bengzhou. Among the great ghosts of the ten directions are ghosts named Jizi, Yangxiong, and Taojiang. In a renwu year (one year in the sexagenary cycle), each leads one hundred twenty thousand ghosts into China to kill evildoers.

There are further eighty-nine thousand black-faced great ghosts named Chitou (Red Head), two zhang and two chi tall, leading four hundred ninety thousand beings. They often falsely claim to be divine spirits of the emperor, terrorize the relatives of households, and bring all kinds of ghosts of unknown origin, together with calamities upon the men and women of the world. The scripture then lists such ghost names as Touluo Dingle, Nanyang Yegong, Shimu Dazi, Yunzhong Lizi, and Ao Santianna, saying that these ghosts enter people’s homes by the hundreds of millions, harming young children, old women, and men, so that people throughout the world are beset by illness and suffer unending death and injury. They are in every village, and every household meets with disaster. Ghost soldiers gather in the lanes and neighborhoods, seize people’s six kinds of livestock together with their birds and beasts, produce strange visions of light and shadow, and also cause people to fall into verbal disputes, punishments, and imprisonment, bringing poor harvests in the fields and in silkworms and mulberry, so that nothing goes well.

The Demon Statutes of Nüqing of the Most High (a Daoist code of laws governing ghosts and spirits) states: Since the first year of Houhuangtian (the Later August Heaven), all manner of cunning and deceit has continually appeared in the world. People do not believe in the Great Dao (Dao, the Way—the fundamental principle of which Daoism speaks). The malignant killing Qi (vital energy) of the five directions has fallen into disorder, and epidemic Qi has gradually arisen. Tigers, wolves, and every kind of wild beast have grown steadily larger, while the hundred insects and snake-demons multiply day by day. Every day tens of thousands of ghosts fly and rush about in all directions, working chaos without end, and they cannot be stopped. The Great Dao is unable to take effect, and the malignant killers and epidemic Qi of the five directions grow ever more rampant. Wild beasts such as tigers and wolves, together with the hundred insects and snake-demons, become more and more numerous, and every day a thousand ghosts run riot in all directions, beyond any prohibition. The Great Dao cannot restrain them, nor does the Celestial Master (Tianshi) impose any check. Thus the world is left to itself, unrestrained and without order. Vicious beings pursue one another, and only killing Qi harms the common people, so that the dead number as many as a hundred billion.

Later, if Daoist priests, or male and female practitioners, become official subordinates (the original reads “shengguan,” and what it specifically refers to is unclear), read my secret scripture, and come to know the names of the ghosts, they will all be able to preserve their primordial Qi and obtain good fortune, and not even the ten thousand ghosts will be able to harm them.

High above the lofty heavens, at a height of ten thousand zhang, there is a ghost-lord who commands the great ghosts and the hundred ghosts: the Central Sovereign, surnamed Mo and named Tian, chief of sixty thousand ghosts, who dwells at the southeastern corner of Mount Tai. The ghosts to whom the various dead in the waters belong must also ascend to heaven to undergo interrogation and punishment, going up once each month. From high antiquity onward there have been, in all, thirty-six thousand ghosts.

There are also the Three Elders Ghost of the Southern District and the Ghost of the Five Paths. The Ghost of the Five Paths is surnamed Che and named Shi. It has charge of the name-registers of the various dead, and the investigation and reckoning of the sins of the living all fall under this ghost’s jurisdiction. It likewise has a palace at the northwestern corner of Mount Tai and is subordinate to Mount Tai; if summoned, it will return. This ghost is a celestial killer, and it is specifically in charge of the documents of the passes (the original text reads thus; the precise meaning is unclear).

The Three Terraces Ghost of the Eastern Dipper is surnamed Jiao and named Che. The Three Terraces Ghost of the Southern Dipper is surnamed Binwudian and named Wenfu. The Three Terraces Ghost of the Western Dipper is surnamed Che and named Qiu (“Qiu” is pronounced qiu). The great Zhaoyao ghost of the Three Terraces of the Northern Dipper is surnamed Ban and named Wan. For the Three Terraces Ghost of the Central Dipper, the original text does not record a name.

The Three Terraces Ghost of the Southern Dipper is surnamed Binwudian and named Wenfu. The Three Terraces Ghost of the Western Dipper is surnamed Che and named Qiu (“Qiu” is pronounced qiu). The great Zhaoyao ghost of the Three Terraces of the Northern Dipper is surnamed Ban and named Wan. The Three Terraces Ghost of the Central Dipper is surnamed Wang and named Xian.

All the killer-ghosts of the Five Dippers named above are ghosts who preside over malignant killing and are capable of harming people.

Within the great clouds there is a nameless ghost whose body is thirty-six thousand zhang in length.

Within the clouds of heaven there is a wandering ghost named You Xizi (“You” is pronounced you, and “Xi” is pronounced xi).

In the clouds of heaven there are the duty-day sha-ghosts of the Twenty-Eight Lunar Mansions, named Chengzi. The three kinds of ghosts mentioned above belong to the heavenly Yin-Yang (yinyang) ghosts and are specifically charged with killing and harming people.

The zhifu-ghost of the Azure Emperor of the East—a ghost commanded to stand duty and exercise authority—is named Boshenzi, also called Gaozi. The zhifu-ghost of the Red Emperor of the South is named Taibozi; that of the White Emperor of the West is named Bohezi; that of the Black Emperor of the North is named Taiyizi; and that of the Yellow Emperor of the Center is named Boxizi, also called Taiyuan. These zhifu-ghosts of the five directions frequently kill and harm people and livestock, and when they appear they manifest strange lights and shadows.

The chief sha-ghost of the Northern Dipper (Beidou) wears black clothing the same above and below, stands seven thousand zhang tall, and bears the surname Hao and the given name Huanlin. The chief sha-ghost of Taiyi (the Great Unity) has no penal name, stands one zhang and six chi tall, and wears red clothing. There is another ghost that wears black clothing above and below, stands seven thousand zhang tall, and bears the surname Hao and the given name Huanlin. The chief sha-ghost of Taiyi has no penal name, stands one zhang and six chi tall, and wears red clothing. The examining sha-ghost who serves Heaven’s Three and Five is named Hui; it stands one zhang and seven chi tall and wears white clothing marked with red stains. The ghost who constantly attends the Celestial Emperor and is charged with inspecting faults bears the surname Ban and the given name Ban.

At night these ghosts can hear people’s words and know their thoughts in advance.

The ghost of the jiazi day is named Yuanguang. The ghost of the yichou day is named You. The ghost of the bingyin day is named Juzhaochang. The ghost of the dingmao day is named Zifang. The ghost of the wuchen day is named Shengjin. The ghost of the jisi day is named Fuling. The ghost of the gengwu day is named Chaifang. The ghost of the xinwei day is named Wuwen. The ghost of the renshen day is named Shisong. The ghost of the guiyou day is named Yigui. The ghost of the jiaxu day is named Jiaguang. The ghost of the yihai day is named Wuwen.

The ghost of the bingzi day is named Liuxia. The ghost of the dingchou day is named Wangmou.

The latter part of this scriptural passage contains repeated sentences, and certain ghost names are also mixed with phonetic notes or textual corruptions. The rendering above follows the extant text in sequence, and phonetic notes that cannot be determined have not been explained separately.

On the Wuyin day, the ghost’s name is Quexin. On the Jimao day, the ghost’s name is Yaozi. On the Gengchen day, the ghost’s name is Erzi. On the Xinsi day, the ghost’s name is Yuansheng. On the Renwu day, the ghost’s name is Chong. On the Guiwei day, the ghost’s name is Lichu. On the Jiashen day, the ghost’s name is Ya, pronounced she (奢). On the Yiyou day, the ghost’s name is Niexia. On the Bingxu day, the ghost’s name is Lilang, pronounced dong (董). On the Dinghai day, the ghost’s name is Shiming, and she (蛇) is given as its phonetic gloss.

On the Wuzi day, the ghost’s name is Zhengfang. On the Jichou day, the ghost’s name is Zhidu. On the Gengyin day, the ghost’s name is Qin, pronounced qin (琴). On the Xinmao day, the ghost’s name is Jifu, pronounced bei (北). On the Renchen day, the ghost’s name is Jing, pronounced kuxia (苦黠). On the Guisi day, the ghost’s name is Beifang. On the Jiawu day, the ghost’s name is Mazijiao. On the Yiwei day, the ghost’s name is Bufuxiang. On the Bingshen day, the ghost’s name is Yougong. On the Dingyou day, the ghost’s name is Rujinqing. On the Wuxu day, the ghost’s name is Shiwan’gao. On the Jihai day, the ghost’s name is Zhufuzi.

On the Bingshen day, the ghost’s name is Yougong. On the Dingyou day, the ghost’s name is Rujinqing. On the Wuxu day, the ghost’s name is Shiwan’gao. On the Jihai day, the ghost’s name is Zhufuzi. On the Gengzi day, the ghost’s name is Jifang. On the Xinchou day, the ghost’s name is Yun, pronounced yishi (以是). On the Renyin day, the ghost’s name is Luojie. On the Guimao day, the ghost’s name is Jianmu. On the Jiachen day, the ghost’s name is Suoliang. On the Yisi day, the ghost’s names are Leifu, pronounced bi (笔), and Fang, pronounced eryong (而勇).

On the Bingwu day, the ghost’s name is Ting, pronounced nudao (奴道). On the Dingwei day, the ghost’s name is Yiwu. On the Wushen day, the ghost’s name is Tingliu. On the Jiyou day, the ghost’s name is Daijie. On the Gengxu day, the ghost’s name is Zongfu. On the Xinhai day, the ghost’s name is Anxuan. On the Renzi day, the ghost’s name is Daozi. On the Guichou day, the ghost’s name is Changshi, pronounced guhuo (古活). On the Jiayin day, the ghost’s name is Biezhuang. On the Yimao day, the ghost’s name is Tian’an, pronounced yin (荫).

On the bingchen day, the ghost is named “Tianshu” (“shu” is read with the fanqie, the traditional spelling, “ji qie”). On the renzi day, the ghost is named “Daozi.” On the guichou day, the ghost is named “Changshi” (“shi” is read with the fanqie spelling “gu huo qie”). On the jiayin day, the ghost is named “Biezhuang.” On the yimao day, the ghost is named “Tian’an” (“an” is read as “yin”). On the bingchen day, the ghost is named “Tianshu” (“shu” is read with the fanqie spelling “ji qie”). On the dingsi day, the ghost is named “Tianheng.” On the wuwu day, the ghost is named “Erzhu” (“zhu” is read as “ben”). On the jiwei day, the ghost is named “En” (“en” is read with the fanqie spelling “wu jue qie”). On the gengshen day, the ghost is named “Yijing” (“jing” is read with the fanqie spelling “li zhi qie”). On the xinyou day, the ghost is named “Yihu.” On the renxu day, the ghost is named “Zhefu” (“zhe” is read as “quan”). On the guihai day, the ghost is named “Jindula” (“la” is read as “gao di”).

In the sixty days that correspond to the jiazi day, each day has one sha ghost (shagui) on duty, sixty in all. These ghosts have neither body nor head. They grow red hair, wear no clothes, have ears but no eyes, and can fly a thousand li. Acting together, they drive the Three Corpses (sanshi) to do evil, making people fierce, rebellious, and unfilial, and they harm the people of Heaven. If a person remembers their names according to the day, the ghosts dare not approach.

The ghosts of Taihe (Great Harmony) have red hair growing on their bodies, wear no clothes, have ears but no eyes, and can fly a thousand li. Acting together, they drive the Three Corpses to do evil, making people fierce, rebellious, and unfilial, and they harm the people of Heaven. If a person remembers their names according to the day, the ghosts dare not approach.

There is another kind of ghost of Taihe that has no body, yet has a head. The head is three chi long; the eyes are three cun in size; the ears are seven cun wide; the eyebrows are five cun wide; the mouth is three cun in size; and the nose is two cun in size. The hair at the temples is three chi long, and the hair of the head is one zhang long. When it exhales and inhales, it can transform into clouds and Qi (vital energy). One who encounters it should call it “Zibei”; if the name is shouted three times, its form will appear. All the ghosts that follow it will restrain themselves and submit of their own accord. Money should not be stuck onto the body of Zibei’s form. If one meets a ghost that gives off light, it will rush straight toward a person and will not give way. If one is carrying money on the body, one must not let the ghost know of it, but should hide the money.

Zibei can also hide in water. When one encounters it and shouts “Hefen,” it will likewise turn into a water ghost and change its form into the likeness of a crow. After killing it, do not tell anyone else. Three years later, when one again travels back and forth and goes in and out of the mountains and seas, one need never be afraid, and it is most auspicious.

The ghost of the “Five Wu” (“wu,” the character meaning filth, is read as the character meaning crow) is named “Jiexiaozi.”

The ghost of “Shiyao” is named “Shuilian.”

The ghost of “Tuzhi” is named “Keyuzhi” (“yu” is read as “zhi”).

The ghost born of striking stone is named “Yue’er.” The ghost born of striking wood is named “Ruyuan.” The ghost of the hundred insects is named “Xiatong” (for the pronunciation of “Xiatong,” see the phonetic note in the original). The ghost formed from the Qi (vital energy) that flows through the air is named “Huogui.” The ghost encountered in the river is named “Nilinzi.” The ghost of the bright reaches of the Han River is named “Qizi.”

The ghost of prosperity and smooth success is named “Kanfen.” The ghost of the five colors is named “Houxiang.” The ghost of Taixuan (the Great Mystery) is named “Juji.” Of the ghosts bound up with sexual desire between men and women, the male ghost is named “Daiwen” and the female ghost is named “Jiehai.”

The ghost in charge of food and drink within the house is named “Yaozi,” and the ghost in charge of food vessels is named “Houfu.” The ghost of the latrine is named “Xutian,” and the ghost in the well is named “Qiong.” The ghost in the form of an ao (a giant turtle) is named “Ranggan,” and the ghost of wooden clogs is named “Ganyuan.” The bed ghost is named “Fangzi,” also called “Fu.” The ghost of the bird canopy is named “Yan.” The ghost of the demon kind is named “Jiguxi” (the original supplies a phonetic note).

The ghost that answers the sound of the drum is named “Luan,” and the ghost that answers the sound of the sheng (mouth organ) is named “Jiang.” The ghost of the earthen pot-toy is named “Qianzhi,” and the ghost of the embankment basket is named “Chizi.” The ghost corresponding to the halberd, the semitone, the shed, and the like is named “Erqin.” The knife ghost is named “Jianzifu,” and the ghost of armor is named “Zixian.” The ghost of horses, oxen, and carts is named “Ruxianzi.”

The ghost formed from white bones a thousand years old is named “Yuanshi”; the offspring of white bones a hundred years old is named “Yinshi”; and the ghost of fifty years is named “Zongqin.” The ghost of the heavenly prison is named “Jinshengzi,” and the ghost of the heavenly whip is named “Rongfuyuan.” The ghost of Chongguang (doubled light) is named “Tong,” and the ghost of dogs and horses is named “Ci.”

This passage of the scripture lists the names of various ghosts and spirits, mostly classified according to the things on which they depend or with which they are associated. The original contains repeated passages, and a number of words and sentence divisions are unclear; the rendering here therefore follows the existing wording literally, and names that cannot be securely determined are left as they stand.

The Qi (vital energy) of Mengwei Zhengyi—the Dao-Qi of the Zhengyi (Orthodox Unity) school—together with the Nüqing Guilu (Female Azure Ghost Statutes), can command the evil spirits of the world and help the methods of the Dao (the Way) teach and transform people. The scripture (Jing) commands ghosts and spirits, accurately and sternly pointing out their true names, so that the Dao-Qi of the world may be proclaimed and rebellious, deviant beings submit and withdraw. If you know a ghost’s name and surname, the ghost will naturally depart at once and will not dare to harm anyone. You should constantly remember these names, observe them with care, and commit no violation.

The Upper General of the Dao is named Houfu. The Lower General of the Dao is named Yiche. The Heaven-Defying Ghost is named Zhangxunxuan. The Earth-Defying Ghost is named Jianjingzi. These four ghosts make mischief by taking advantage of wind and rain. When people travel on the road and encounter a great wind and rain, if they call out the names of these four ghosts, malign Qi will not dare to assail them.

The Ghost of Fortune and Misfortune is named Jin. The World-Defying Ghost is named Zhuanziluanqie’er. These two ghosts are spirits left behind after the ancient dead brought their family fortunes to ruin, or ghosts transformed from unorthodox common masters. They harm people in all manner of affairs. If you know their names, the ghosts will submit and remain still.

The Orthodox Ghost of Heaven is named Diedajieqiejian. The Orthodox Ghost of Earth is named Xiliyueqinshui. These two ghosts are death-bringing guardian ghosts that dwell in the residence, often staying in the main hall or upon the roof beams, and at night they injure chickens, dogs, and livestock. If you know their names, they will submit and remain still and will harm people no longer. If the household possesses good fortune and De (Virtue/Power), these ghosts will also guard the compound, so that disasters and baleful Qi coming from outside dare not cross the gate.

The two ghosts named Shenzhinian and Houmugao dwell at the tops of the beams and pillars beneath the roofs of people’s houses. In the morning or at dusk they manifest and disturb the family. If you know their names, the ghosts will not injure anyone.

The two ghosts named Lingjinghua and Shibuzuo are transformations of the Jing (essence) of bronze vessels, money, and similar objects in the residence. They may assume human form, live in the house, and unsettle the household. Call out their names, and the situation can turn auspicious.

Baliang, Shegu, and Yinge are three kinds of ghosts. They hide in the corners of the four walls inside a household. If the husband and wife of the house behave improperly and do not accord with Yin-Yang, the ghosts report them to the divine officers on duty that day; the officers then memorialize the heavenly court, and the person’s lifespan is removed from the registers of names. If a practitioner knows the names of these three ghosts, the ghosts dare not cause mischief.

Tianzai, Min (pronounced mín), and Xiangxu (the character “xu” is marked with a double fanqie) are two kinds of ghosts. They are the gate-elders and door-deputies who guard the entrance: by day they act as spirits who bestow blessing, and at dusk they become ghosts. Once a practitioner knows their names, in the stillness of deep night one may stand to the left and right of the gate, call their names three times, then clap the hands, turn the head, and grasp both ears, doing this twice. They will then cease their mischief and dare not harm anyone.

Fujinmuhe and Kaijia (pronounced cū) are two kinds of ghosts. If trees or a bamboo grove stand on a household’s grounds and birds such as crows and white egrets often roost there, malign sprites will be present. After a practitioner knows their names and calls them three times, the ghosts know that the person is not to be violated. After seven days, or after nine, the ghosts perish of themselves. If one does not kill the ghosts, one may call them at night so that they lie hidden and settled and no longer harm people.

Chenfa (glossed with “tai,” pronounced dà, and “gou,” pronounced shēn), Ruowu (“zi,” pronounced xū), Xi (the “ju” fanqie), and Fanggou (the “xian” fanqie, with the sound “lian”) are three kinds of ghosts. They bring on epileptic fits and injure people. They wear red clothes and black caps and are charged with seizing a person’s hun and po souls. If a practitioner knows their names, the illness can be cured, and the ghosts dare not encroach.

Chenghuazai and Biqi (“tu,” pronounced fù) are two kinds of ghosts. They are ghosts associated with women’s menstruation and commonly feed on the blood of Yin and Yang. On the day a woman’s menses come, if at night one practices cunxiang (meditative visualization) and calls their names, they dare not do harm. The ghosts are about three chi in height and wear blue-green clothes.

Yuwang and Jing (“kou,” pronounced wéi, with a “bi” fanqie) are two kinds of ghosts who preside over a woman’s approaching childbirth. When a woman gives birth, their names should be called; once they have been called, they will not do harm. The ghosts are about three cun and three fen in height and wear black clothes.

Dingjinghua (the original text is unfinished at this point).

This ghost specializes in harming people’s farmland and sericulture; he is the husband of the silkworm-maiden ghost. At dawn on the day of Lichun (the Beginning of Spring), one may face the northwest and recite a spell three times. The spell reads: “Tianhuang (the Celestial Sovereign) above and below, the black-robed one.”

This ghost specializes in harming people’s farmland and sericulture; he is the husband of the silkworm-maiden ghost. At dawn on the day of Lichun, one may face the northwest and recite the following spell three times: “Celestial Sovereign, pure and bright; far and enduring, the many spirits above, the forces of yin, do not turn back. Together with you, Magu (the Horse Maiden), come to my house, and make the silkworm yield increase ten millionfold. Let the fields bring in a hundred billion hu, let silk descend from the midst of heaven, and let rice come forth from the midst of the earth. Spirits of vigorous bloom, serve as my agents and shout the command; swiftly slay the hundred harms, and smash the petty goblins, however wolfish.” At the end there are further phrases such as “shijin jingli zhuiqie” and “baixiao,” whose meaning in the original text is unclear.

These two ghosts are called the “dawn-and-dusk sweeping ghosts,” and they are said to make people lose their wealth. The phrase “zi zhiming” in the scripture is unclear in meaning. Each month one chooses a pingri (an ordinary day), faces the northwest, calls upon them three times, and recites the spell: “Shiweizi, Shiweizi, Taiyi (the Great Unity), you are to drive them out for me. What ghost is causing this harm? Make it leave at once.”

The ghost of azure Qi (vital energy) in the east is surnamed Liu and named Yuanda; he commands ten thousand ghosts and spreads malignant diseases. The ghost of red Qi in the south is surnamed Zhang and named Yuanbo; he commands ten thousand ghosts and spreads diseases of heat-poison. The ghost of white Qi in the west is surnamed Zhao and named Gongming; he commands ten thousand ghosts and spreads diseases of zhuqi (infused Qi). The ghost of black Qi in the north is surnamed Zhong and named Shiji; he commands ten thousand ghosts and spreads dysentery. The ghost of yellow Qi in the center is surnamed Shi and named Wenye; he commands ten thousand ghosts and spreads malignant sores and swellings.

Of these ghosts of the five directions, the scripture says that when illness occurs one may consult this document and call out the name of the corresponding ghost; the illness will then be cured and calamity dispelled.

Shanshuang Ghosts

The Taiji Zhenren Feixian Baojian Shangjing (Upper Scripture of the Flying-Immortal Precious Sword of the Perfected of Taiji, the Supreme Ultimate) says: some people are outstanding in ability and eminent in reputation, upright and magnanimous at heart, yet they give no thought to glory, wealth, and rank. After death they are registered by the Three Offices (Sanguan, the Daoist system of divine offices that governs the affairs of Heaven, Earth, and Water) and listed as “shanshuang zhi gui” (“ghosts of wholesome clarity”).

The Taishang Taizhen Kejing says: Those who cultivate the Dao accept the methods of the Dao and practice according to the regulations. If they occasionally break a precept, they should correct themselves at once. Even if the offense cannot be fully pardoned, they may still come to a good end. If they can hear and see the true scriptures, establish merit in the realm of ghosts, and so become ghost-immortals, all such persons are called “spirit-persons.” Continuing to advance in cultivation, they may in the end roam freely among the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing; the three pure realms revered in Daoism).

The Class of Suffering-Soul Ghosts

The Mingzhen Kejing says: In the world of the Limitless (the vast and boundless realm spoken of in Daoism), some men and women, while in the human world, did evil and acted perversely, cursed good people, called on spirits and ghosts to bear witness, and swore oaths before the Three Officials (the Official of Heaven, the Official of Earth, and the Official of Water). After death they must suffer evil retribution and become imprisoned soul-ghosts, banished to wander between the Three Officials and the Five Sacred Peaks (the five famous mountains). Each day they are whipped three times, and the pain is beyond words.

The Taishang Taizhen Kejing says: Evildoers who abandon the methods of the Dao return after death to a realm of darkness. This is what is called a ghost, and such ghosts must suffer in the underworld offices (the courts of judgment in the netherworld).

The scripture further says: Cultivators of the Dao who have committed offenses yet do not reform, or who once reformed and then again commit grave offenses; who will not sustain their practice and who violate the methods of the Dao of their teacher’s lineage; or who follow wicked groups; or who idle about and let deviant thoughts rule them, and who still do not repent after death—these persons belong to the “Six Heavens” (the netherworld powers in Daoist writings). Their souls sink into dark obscurity, and no term is set for their release from the realm of suffering.

The Class of Sprite-Ghosts

The Taishang Nüqing Guilü records the following. The ghost transformed from a mountain sprite is one chi in height and is named Zhuorou. The ghost transformed from a tree sprite is named Qunyao, and is also called Shi. The ghost transformed from a stone sprite is named En Neizi, the first character being read by the fanqie spelling yu-jin. The ghost transformed from a tiger sprite is named Jianzi. The ghost transformed from a snake essence is named Ce Shigui, the character Ce being pronounced qi. The ghost transformed from a beast sprite is named Xiaozi, the first character being read by the fanqie spelling he-wu. The ghost transformed from a monkey sprite is named Mali, read by the fanqie spelling ce-liang, and is also called Shi.

The ghost transformed from a stone sprite is named En Neizi, the first character being read by the fanqie spelling yu-jin. The ghost transformed from a tiger sprite is named Jianzi. The ghost transformed from a snake essence is named Ce Shigui, the character Ce being pronounced qi. The ghost transformed from a beast sprite is named Xiaozi, the first character being read by the fanqie spelling he-wu. The ghost transformed from a monkey sprite is named Mali Zi, read by the fanqie spelling ce-liang.

The ghost of fox Jing (essence) is called “Lianyindaiwu”; the ghost of iron Jing is called “Yidun”; the ghost of Metal Jing is called “Kundui”; the ghost of Wood Jing is called “Yizhen”; the ghost of Fire Jing is called “Fuli”; the ghost of Water Jing is called “Tuokan”; the ghost of Earth Jing is called “Chengchuan”; and the ghost of Qi (vital energy) Jing is called “Jiaoqian.”

There are also the pernicious ghosts of the wangliang (sprites of the mountains, rivers, forests, and marshes); the ghosts of a thousand demons and ten thousand specters; the ghosts of specters who turn from the proper course and act contrary, under the Three Officials of Heaven, Earth, and Water (deities who preside over the affairs of heaven, earth, and water); ghosts by which foxes, after cultivating themselves into Jing, proclaim titles of their own; and the demonic, pernicious ghosts that hide in dwellings and fill people with fear.

All these ghosts wander through the world. When people grow weak, they watch for a chance to do evil, helping to stir up baleful disasters and to manufacture harm. They harass and injure people, change their shapes and forms, and ride their imposing momentum to bully others. If a scholar who cultivates the Dao (the Way) can recognize them, establish merit and accumulate De (Virtue/Power), and offer prayers and petitions to the Taishang (the honorific title for the supreme deity in Daoism), they may all be subdued and dealt with together. When memorials are submitted at the beginning of the year, if their names are listed and they are thereby cut off, the host of ghosts will scatter and flee.

Tree Ghosts

The Taishang Nüqing Guilu (a Daoist classic that records the names and titles of ghosts and spirits, together with methods for driving them off and dealing with them) says: the ghost encountered when trees are dug up is called “Lianbuzhi”; the ghost of great trees is called “Fangyu”; the ghost of small trees is called “Zhuanqi”; the ghost of transmitted wood is called “Ruyuan”; and the ghost of tree galls is called “Wuzhen.”

Mountain Ghosts

The Taishang Nüqing Guilu says: the ghost of great mountains is called “Gongqiang”; the ghost of small mountains is called “Heyou”; the ghost of cavern chambers in the mountains is called “Qixue”; the ghost of the shandu is called “Tianwang”; and the ghost of canopy mountains is called “Zhuwang.”

Water Ghosts

The Taishang Nüqing Guilu says: the ghost of Hebo, the River Earl, is named “Da”; the ghost of the Nine Rivers is named “Huo”; the ghost of the Three Rivers is named “Jian”; and the ghost of the Four Waterways is named “Hou.”

Earth Ghosts

The Taishang Nüqing Guilü (Supreme Lady Qing’s Statutes on Ghosts), a Daoist classic of ghost statutes, says: When the earth’s Qi (vital energy) is clear and bright, the Earth Duke—the deity who governs the land—is named Yuan; when the earth’s Qi appears red, the Earth Duke is named Chi and Fangyuan; when the earth’s Qi appears yellow, the Earth Duke is named Keyuan; when the earth’s Qi appears white, the earth ghost is named Da. The ghost of the Nine Rivers is named Huo, the ghost of the Three Rivers is named Jian, and the ghost of the Four Waterways—the four great rivers—is named Hou.

Earth Ghosts

The Taishang Nüqing Guilü says: When the earth’s Qi is clear and bright, the Earth Duke is named Yuan; when the earth’s Qi appears red, the Earth Duke is named Chi and Fangyuan; when the earth’s Qi appears yellow, the Earth Duke is named Keyuan; when the earth’s Qi appears white, the Earth Duke is named Shu. The local Black Earth Duke is named Fang, and the deity who governs essential earth is named Min.

Hungry Ghosts

The Taishang Zhenke Jing (Supreme True Liturgical Scripture), a Daoist classic of precepts and Keyi (liturgy), says: The scripture admonishes that people living in the world bustle about in dull ignorance, like little insects. While alive they scramble and greedily devour food; after death they become hungry ghosts, swallowing fire and eating charcoal. The strange manifestations of the corpse drift about everywhere and also return home in search of food.

Plague Ghosts

The Taishang Nüqing Guilü says: The plague ghost of the azure Qi of the East—the ghost that brings pestilence—is named Gaoyuan; the plague ghost of the red Qi of the South is named Shixuan; the plague ghost of the white Qi of the West is named Bosang; the plague ghost of the black Qi of the North is named Wenxia; and the plague ghost of the yellow Qi of the Center is named Jun.

The sixth ghost of Taihuangnu is named Zhuxuan. The plague ghost of the white Qi of the West is named Bosang, the plague ghost of the black Qi of the North is named Wenxia, and the plague ghost of the yellow Qi of the Center is named Jun. The sixth ghost of Taihuangnu is named Zhunü, and the seventh ghost is named Ling. The grandfather of the seven ghosts is named Liangzhou, the grandmother is named Jiaocheng, the father is named Yannian, and the mother is named Chuzhong.

The five ghosts above, together with their parents, amount in all to nine ancestors. The scripture says that their parents all have human form and are able to fly; they move with the moon and spread poisonous Qi, and are used to punish and slay the wicked.

The plague ghost of the first month is named Wéi; that of the second month, Xīng; of the third, Liú; of the fourth, Cún; of the fifth, Cānyīnqí; of the sixth, Yáng; of the seventh, Xìng; of the eighth, Huái; of the ninth, Chén; of the tenth, Bēi; of the eleventh, Yíng; and of the twelfth, Jiān.

These twelve kinds of plague ghosts are each active in the month that corresponds to them. The plague ghost that appears on a zǐ day is named Gēn; on a chǒu day, Dàng; on a yín day, Yí (怡); on a mǎo day, Yí (疑); on a chén day, È; on a sì day, Ài; on a wǔ day, Wù; on a wèi day, Núzhǎng; on a shēn day, Mù; on a yǒu day, Shí; on a xū day, Zhì; and on a hài day, Yōu. Here, “zǐ day” through “hài day” refers to days reckoned according to the twelve Earthly Branches.

Plague deities such as Liú Yuándá spread poisonous harm through the five directions of east, west, south, north, and the center. If people do not observe the precepts of the Dao (the Way), they will suffer the calamities these beings bring. If they practice goodness, cultivate in clarity and stillness, hold the Dao in their hearts, and follow the teachings and precepts, and if they also know the names of the ghosts, they can subdue all these ghosts. Those plague ghosts that according to the law ought to depart each flee far away; those that ought to remain restrain their vicious accomplices, caution one another, and do not harm good people.

Category of Gu Ghosts

The Taishang Nüqing Guilu (a Daoist scripture that records the names of ghosts and spirits and the related precepts) says: the first kind of gu ghost is named Shìqú; the second, Guǐgāo; the third, Lǐgāo; the fourth, Chéngyàn; the fifth, Bùxiáng; the sixth, Wūwù; the seventh, Lǜzhī; the eighth, Yùyí; and the ninth, Shíwǔ.

What is described on the right are the ghosts of the Nine Gu. They practice all manner of demonic, wicked, and bewitching arts, throwing heaven and the human world into disorder, and together with the Five Plague Ghosts, the Great Yellow Slaves, and others, they spread poisonous Qi (vital energy).