《上清天枢院回车毕道正法》

Worn on the body, the Seal of the Nine Elders of the Immortal Capital of Shangqing (Shangqing Jiulao Xiandu Yin)—a Daoist ritual seal used by the immortal officials of Shangqing (Highest Clarity)—can subdue wolves, tigers, and spirit-prodigies when one enters the mountains; when crossing rivers, it can make the wind and rain favorable so that one passes over in safety. This seal can also command the immortal officials in the grotto-residences throughout the world. Once it is worn, weapons are said to be unable to wound the body, fierce tigers unable to harm a person, and falling into water will not bring drowning; even in the greatest peril, danger can be turned to safety. Worn by ordinary people, it can prolong life, subdue evil ghosts, and keep every kind of calamity from doing harm.

The seal is also said to serve in treating night crying in children, jingfeng (sudden convulsions and similar illnesses in children), and the various diseases of adults: the seal is burned to ash, mixed with a decoction of frankincense, and taken, and it takes effect. It can also hasten childbirth and expel a dead fetus; worn on the person, it can calm the fetus and stop night crying and convulsions in children. A woman without offspring is said to be able to conceive after wearing it. It can likewise undo curses and grievances, make a person intelligent, and prove efficacious in every use to which it is put. The face of the seal is two cun and two fen wide, square in form, and eight fen thick; the inscription comprises eight characters in all, set out in two lines and written in stacked seal script (diezuan).

The Seal of Governance and Overall Command (Zhidu Zongshe zhi Yin), a ritual seal used for governing and exercising comprehensive direction over the various affairs.

The seal that presides over the various offices and exercises overall command of orders is called the “Military Seal” (Bingyin). One who holds this seal may dispatch the ghosts and spirits and immortal officials of the Three Realms throughout the world, together with the divine clerks and troops attached to the regional astral divisions, City Gods, and local shrines; without distinction of high or low rank, all may be commanded. To wear this seal is as if one bore the mandate of the Celestial Emperor (Tiandi), and even fierce and malignant ghosts and spirits will submit.

When the ritual method is performed, if the officiating officer lacks this seal, the ghostly troops are difficult to mobilize. When the seal issues an order, the officers and troops advance; when the seal suspends the order, the officers and troops halt; the moment the seal is set in motion, it is as if the forces have been sent forth. Should this seal be used and the officers and troops refuse to obey, they are to be executed regardless of rank, with ghosts and spirits supervising the carrying out of the sentence. After the execution, a written memorial is prepared and submitted to the Supreme Deity. Thus the troops move at the seal’s command, and the generals act according to orders; the offense of defying a command is exceedingly grave.

The seal is two cun and two fen wide, square in form, and eight fen thick. Its inscription consists of six characters in two lines, carved in overlapping seal script.

All-Heaven Great Thunder-Fire Seal

The “All-Heaven Great Thunder-Fire Seal” (Dutian Dalei Huoyin) may be used to command the mountains and rivers, forests and trees, temples, spirit altars, and dragons and mirage-serpents throughout the world. Once the seal is activated, it calls forth thunder. This seal must not be used interchangeably with other seals.

If one wishes to pray for timely rain, one may, at a place where a dragon spirit dwells, take an iron plate, seal it with paper inscribed with talisman characters (fu), stamp it with this seal, and send someone to deliver it into the water; it is said that the dragon spirit will immediately rise. If there is a monster in the water, trees that have become demons, or an ancient temple working harm, one may write talisman characters on a document and stamp it with this seal. The scripture states that the water monster will die of itself, the temple will collapse of itself, and the trees will wither of themselves—or they may be consumed by celestial fire and thunder and lightning.

This seal is two cun and two fen wide, square in form, and eight fen thick. Its inscription consists of six characters in two lines, carved in overlapping celestial-script seal characters.

Seal of the Superintendent of the City God Office

Those who hold the “Seal of the Office of the Superintendent of City Gods” (the seal for discharging the duties of the City God, Chenghuang) serve as Superintendent of the City Gods and, on behalf of Heaven, carry out moral instruction and transformation. Anyone who accepts this office must possess this seal; without it, one cannot perform the duties of the post or travel the world in that capacity. Wherever the City God goes, the officials of the underworld report of their own accord, and ghosts and spirits come forward to welcome and escort him; ritual soldiers and clerks likewise assist as commanded. Whether he passes through mountains, forests, and temples or crosses rivers, lakes, and seas, the soldiers and clerks of his own jurisdiction attend at his side. When a dispatch is issued to the City God, the mere use of this seal brings an immediate response. If the City God’s soldiers and clerks fail to appear or refuse to obey, one may submit a written petition, report the matter to the Lord on High (Shangdi), and request that they be transferred and assigned to posts in accordance with the regulations. This seal is two cun and two fen wide, square in form, and eight fen thick; its legend consists of six characters arranged in two lines, written in stacked celestial-pattern seal script.

Seal of the Shangqing Celestial Pivot Court

The Seal of the Shangqing (Highest Clarity) Celestial Pivot Court is the official seal of the office, under the Three Heavens of Shangqing, charged with presenting memorials. Whenever one performs ritual methods in the human world on behalf of the people, submits petitions to the Celestial Offices (the bureaucracies of the heavenly realm), or issues dispatches to the ghosts and spirits of the middle and lower realms, this seal must be used. Only when reporting to the Lord on High of the heavenly realm may one write a petition and present it directly. The deities of the Five Sacred Peaks and of the famous mountains and great rivers of the middle realm, together with the gods of Fengdu (the legendary capital of the underworld) in the lower realm, must all be addressed by official documents, whatever their rank. Wearing this seal can drive off evil spirits, and using it to perform ritual methods can cure illness. Carrying this seal on one’s person causes the ghosts and spirits of the world to submit, and wherever one goes, ghosts and spirits attend at one’s side. This seal is one cun and eight fen wide and one cun and nine fen long; its legend consists of six characters arranged in two lines, written in stacked seal script.

Seal of the Great Ritual Master of All Heaven

The Dutian Dafazhu Seal (Seal of the Great Ritual Lord of All Heaven, the name of a Daoist ritual seal) has charge over the evil essences of the world and the demon kings of the Six Caverns. Whenever sprites cause trouble, or when longshen—legendary spirits of the waters—stir up demonic disorder and bring misfortune upon the people, this seal must be used whenever the various Fulu (talismans and registers) are put into practice. If someone suffers injustice or a curse, or is pressed by aggrieved spirits from a former life who come to claim a life or collect a debt, or is afflicted by illnesses and sufferings of every kind, wearing this seal will keep those aggrieved spirits from drawing near and prevent evil karma from intruding. It can also dispel nightmares and bring all affairs into harmony. Taken regularly, it is said to remove chronic illness, lengthen one’s years, leave one unharmed by gu poison, and prevent the arising of the nine worms, the disease-worms named in ancient medical and Daoist writings. When it is used to hasten childbirth or to expel a dead fetus, the seal may also be burned to ash and swallowed. The seal measures one cun and eight fen in width and one cun and nine fen in length; its inscription consists of six characters in two lines, carved in overlapping seal script.

The Shangqing Zhuming Divine Talisman (the name of a divine talisman in the ritual methods of Highest Clarity).

Dispersed form (the pattern in which the talisman’s shape is spread out).

Gathered form (the pattern in which the talisman’s shape is drawn together).

The Shangqing Zhuming Divine Talisman is a form naturally condensed from the true Qi (vital energy)—the innate primordial qi—of the Seven Primordial Sage Lords of the Northern Dipper, the seven stellar lords corresponding to the seven stars of the Northern Dipper, and it is employed by the Commissioner of the Shangqing Celestial Pivot Court. This talisman can break the evil hauntings in temples and shrines and drive out malevolent forces, and it is used when entering places where epidemic disease is widespread, so as to ward off pestilence. Worn constantly, it protects the body, so that evils of every kind cannot do harm. Ghosts and spirits who see it fear it as they would a great volcanic fire. Taken often, it is said to make a person intelligent, free from grave illness, unharmed by poisonous drugs, and unafraid of the blade.

This talisman is also used to treat severe illnesses of every kind and to relieve pain, and to treat madness and illnesses caused by evil influences, as well as night crying and fright-wind in children. It can secure the fetus for a woman, hasten birth, and bring down a dead fetus, and it may also be used for what are called ghostly Qi and ghost fetuses, to expel the Three Corpses—the three spirits which, according to Daoist teaching, dwell in the human body and harm body and mind—and to cut off the mutual encroachment of ghosts and specters. In application, the talisman may be dissolved into a decoction and swallowed; all such uses, it is said, prove effective. When writing this talisman, one presses the wu position with the left hand to form the mudra and recites the incantation while inscribing the talisman.

The incantation is as follows:

The Seven True Ones of the Northern Dipper (the deities of the seven stars of the Big Dipper) are great gods of the celestial realm. Above, they attend court at the Golden Portal (the abode of the Celestial Emperor); below, they shelter Kunlun. They regulate the fundamental order of Heaven and Earth and hold command over the cosmos. Greedy Wolf, Giant Gate, Preserver of Emolument, Civil Melody, Pure and Upright, Martial Melody, Army Breaker, and the Assistant Star pervade the vast celestial realm, and they can also enter, in the most minute way, into the dust. What calamity cannot be dispelled? What blessing cannot descend?

The Orthodox Qi (vital energy) of the Primordial Sovereign (the orthodox vital energy at the origin of Heaven and Earth) comes forth to unite with my body. Tiangang (the direction indicated by the handle of the Northern Dipper) turns without cease through day and night. I keep far from those whose intentions are not upright; I delight in the Great Dao (the Way) and pursue the truth. May I ever look up and behold the countenances of the honored gods, and may I be granted long life. Most High Jade Emperor and Imperial Lord of Purple Tenuity, please bestow blessings and protect me. The Three Terraces (three stars near the Northern Dipper, often regarded as deities who protect life) give me life, nourish me, and protect me….

Another incantation says:

Qian yuan heng li zhen (the statement of the Qian hexagram in the Zhouyi, indicating that the Dao of Heaven proceeds with vigor and ease). The sun and the moon are my soldiers and generals. The divine talisman enters the five viscera and brings me peace forever. Swiftly, swiftly, let this be carried out in accordance with the statutes and commands of Shangqing (Highest Clarity).

The Shangqing Divine Talisman of the Nine Hells.

The so-called “Divine Talisman of the Nine Prisons of Shangqing” is a Fulu (talismans and registers) used to suppress the evil Jing (essence) and malicious ghosts that work mischief in the human world. The scripture says that when baleful influences cause disturbances, doors and gates may open and close by themselves, well water may surge and churn, houses and cooking pots may give off hollow sounds, insects and rodents may behave abnormally, and all kinds of forms and shadows may appear. People are left mentally disordered, long ill without recovery, confined to bed, and unhelped by medicine. Even when rank, filthy ghosts and spirit-monsters lie beneath a dwelling, they are difficult to clear away by one’s own efforts.

In such cases, one should set the circumstances down in a written statement and submit it to this Court (here referring to the Shangqing Court of the Heavenly Pivot). Using an iron plate and raw cinnabar, one then draws the talismanic script according to the prescribed method and buries it at the residence that needs to be suppressed. If it is to be installed in the Prison of Fengdu (in Daoist conception, the shadowy underworld), it is written on yellow silk one chi and two cun long and seven cun wide and posted inside the prison; if water monsters are causing harm, the talisman is cast into the water. Iron plates come in two sizes: the large one is two chi and four cun long and one chi and two cun wide; the small one is one chi and two cun long and seven cun wide.

This talisman may be written only on a Six Wu day (a day in the sexagenary calendar whose stem is wu); it must not be drawn on any other day. When drawing it, one stands with the feet apart in the shape of the character ding and lets no one else see. The thumb of the left hand pinches the middle joint of the middle finger to form a hand seal, while one recites the incantation and writes the talisman.

The incantation states that the Numinous Lords of the Nine Prisons and the Great Gods of Fengdu command the divine generals, and that divine generals such as Zhang, Ma, and the Four Poisons seize and subdue ghosts and spirits, capturing evil Jing with golden nets and iron meshes. By decree of the Emperors of the Three Heavens, they order the earth gods of the Nine Provinces and the Shebo (local earth gods) to send forth troops, and they further summon the gods of wind, fire, thunder, and lightning to suppress the baleful influences. The incantation also says that ghostly beings will be destroyed by fierce fire, and that Iron Masters and Bronze Dogs will wound their bodies; every stroke of the talisman has the power to quell evil, and once the talisman is complete it can suppress ghosts and spirits. It closes with “Quickly, quickly, in accordance with the statutes and commands of Shangqing,” indicating that the order is to be carried out swiftly under the laws of Shangqing.

When the talisman is written, the incantation above should be recited seven times. The original text then introduces “And another incantation says,” followed by a further incantation.

The spirits of the Nine Prisons of Fengdu carry out the statutes by command of the Supreme Thearch. Should anyone dare to disobey, the offense is given over to the martial gods of the Five Marchmounts for disposal. The divine generals of the Six Ding and the Six Jia will go forth to seize them, and even while pacing the Gang and treading the Dipper they will show no mercy. The command is entrusted to the divine generals of Kui and Gang to carry out, and the myriad ghosts will have nowhere to hide. Swiftly, swiftly, act in accordance with the statutes and ordinances of Shangqing (Highest Clarity)!

The incantation above is recited seven times. One then sprays seven mouthfuls of water onto the talisman and afterward performs the ritual mudra (forming the hand seal according to the prescribed method).

Talisman of the Thunder Lord of Shangqing

The divine talisman of the Thunder Lord of Shangqing is used to deal with epidemic malign Qi (vital energy), mountain miasma, the Qi of the five kinds of gu poison, and corpse-transmission consumption (in traditional accounts, a contagious chronic illness, including pulmonary consumption), as well as the harms caused by mountain essences and ghostly sprites, rampant ghosts, ghosts of those who died away from home, uncanny beings born of hidden corpses, those who drowned or hanged themselves, those who died in battle, those who died from taking medicines or drugs, those who died in childbirth, and the like. It is also used when wandering spirits of trees and woods disturb the land of a dwelling, or when deities worshipped by others, affected by the Qi of the five kinds of gu poison, corpse-transmission consumption, mountain essences and ghostly sprites, rampant ghosts, ghosts of those who died away from home, the uncanny born of hidden corpses, suicides by drowning or hanging, the battle dead, those who died of medicines or drugs, those who died in childbirth, or wandering tree-spirits disturbing house and soil, refuse to depart after being dispatched, and when tombs give rise to disaster.

In use, one should first write out the course of events, submit it to this court for review and endorsement, and then deliver it to the spirits of the residence; only after that may this talisman be written on an iron plate. There are five copies in all, buried respectively in the five directions—east, south, west, north, and center. According to the scripture (Jing), ghosts and spirits will see thunder-fire burning the dwelling and so have nowhere to enter; at times others will also dream that the dwelling is consumed by fire. When a household stricken by epidemic obtains this talisman, the sick person will see a great fire and the mind and spirit (Shen) will run wild; if a cool sweat then appears, the person will at once grow calm.

If an ancient temple works mischief, or trees and woods become essences and harm the people, one may also write a single copy of this talisman and bury it in the temple or beneath the trees. The scripture says that the temple will then collapse of itself and the trees will wither; otherwise they will be burned by heavenly fire. If there is a monster in the water, write one talisman and cast it into the water. The scripture says the monster will be destroyed, ghostly sprites will be driven off, and a dragon will appear.

The iron plate is to be forged on a water day and inscribed on a fire day. It is one chi and four cun long and eight cun wide. When writing the talisman one must enter a purified chamber, pace the Gang for three steps, and with the left hand form the chen-position mudra of the Fire-Day Palace, reciting the incantation while writing the talisman.

The first incantation says: Dutian Leigong (the divine general who commands the thunders) calls forth the cloud-Qi (vital energy) and stirs the winds. The azure thunder-Qi and the crimson thunder-Qi run through and press down upon the Nine Palaces (jiugong); the crimson thunder-Qi and the white thunder-Qi rise to the vault of heaven; the white thunder-Qi and the black thunder-Qi travel north to Yuanfeng (the realm where the offices of the underworld reside); the black thunder-Qi and the yellow thunder-Qi merge into Taiji Yuanchong (the source-Qi of Taiji, the Supreme Ultimate); the yellow thunder-Qi and the azure thunder-Qi spread throughout the void. The whole circuit of heaven turns into a realm of fire, and a crimson wind burns with fierce heat. Whatever spirits or ghosts there may be, all must submit and obey: those who defy me die, and those who comply with me are enfeoffed. In the clouds of the north are Heili and the nine-yellow thunder-azure Qi, which likewise fill the void; the whole circuit of heaven turns into a realm of fire, and a crimson wind burns with fierce heat. Whatever spirits or ghosts there may be, all must submit and obey: those who defy me die, and those who comply with me are enfeoffed. Heili amid the northern clouds, the Nine Ugly Purple Lads (Jiuchou Zitong, divine generals of the Thunder Department), together with the Earl of Wind (Fengbo) and the Master of Rain (Yushi), are all to drive the thunder and lightning and command the winds. Wherever the divine talisman (fu) arrives, evil ghosts leave no trace. Swiftly carry out the decree in accordance with the statutes and ordinances of Shangqing (Highest Clarity).

Recite this incantation fourteen times, write it out as a talisman, and use it to secure and protect the dwelling place.

The second incantation says: The Great Thunder Lord of All Heaven—thunderclaps shake the void. Three hundred thousand armed troops spread like fierce flames within the Purple Cavern (Zidong). If any refuse to submit, the stern command allows no leniency; seize them and deliver them to Kuigang (the divine generals charged with expelling evil and exacting punishment), so that they are forever transformed into a pure, clear wind. Swiftly carry out the decree in accordance with the statutes and ordinances of Shangqing.

Recite the second incantation eighty-one times, spray nine mouthfuls of water onto the talisman, and then perform the fangjue (the hand mudra used in Daoist ritual methods to issue commands or circulate Qi).

The Divine Fire-Bell Talisman of Shangqing.

The Shangqing Fire-Bell Divine Talisman—a fire-bell-form divine talisman (Fulu) transmitted by the Shangqing school—is used for cases in which a woman cannot conceive, a pregnancy is unsettled, miscarriage occurs spontaneously at three or five months, or a child cannot be raised and dies at one or two years of age. Some people seek blessings in many ways yet see no result; this talisman method is said to address such problems as well, and is therefore no ordinary ritual art.

The scripture holds that difficulty in childbearing may have many causes: the fengshui of the gates and doors of the family dwelling, the influence of ancestral graves, a hidden corpse within the residence (thought to bring inauspicious remains or yin spirits), an unfavorable well or stove, the violation of taboos, the influence of stellar deities, a clash in the fate calculations of husband and wife, faults of the ancestors, a former life that gave no thought to descendants, forebears who failed their parents, or an unclean inner chamber and household entrance, among others.

If one wishes children to be born safely and to live long and in health, one should avoid sexual union at the times and in the circumstances listed in the scripture: the new moon, the full moon, the quarters, and the moon’s dark end (the beginning and middle of the lunar month, the upper and lower quarters, and the end of the month); the transitions of the four seasons and the eight nodes; the days jiazi and gengshen; times of great wind and heavy rain, severe cold and intense heat; and moments of overeating, hunger, or drunkenness. One should also avoid being beneath the stars and moon, before the deities of the well and stove, when thunder and lightning alternate, when auspicious clouds appear in the sky, and during solar or lunar eclipses. The scripture says that if one acts accordingly, children will be conceived in stability, with proper features and enduring fortune and longevity; if one does not observe these rules, even should a child grow to adulthood, that child may be ill-favored in appearance, poor, or short-lived.

When such a situation arises, one should write out the course of events, submit it to this court (a Daoist clerical institution or the relevant Daoist abbey) for the record, and then inscribe the divine talisman according to the rite. After husband and wife wear it, they are said before long to dream of auspicious signs and conceive, and the child born will surely be a son of noble standing. After birth the child should also wear this talisman, so as to remain free of illness and misfortune, enjoy lasting fortune and long life, and be spared harassment by ghosts and malign influences.

The talisman may also be written on an iron board or a wooden board, of any size; after the seal script is inscribed, incense is burned in offering, and it is said to drive off pestilence and avert fire. In writing the talisman one must use cinnabar, form the mudra by pressing the yin position with the thumb of the left hand, and recite the incantation while writing. Those who wear or venerate this talisman are said to receive the protection of celestial envoys and lingguan (divine generals of the heavenly realm).

The incantation says: “The Great Fire Bell hangs high in the sky, watching over all living beings and opening a way through to Heaven above. It wields the Fulu (talismans and registers), and with them drives out pestilence and stops fires.” When writing, cinnabar must be used. The thumb of the left hand presses the Yin position to form the hand seal, while the incantation is recited and the writing proceeds together. If someone wears and venerates this talisman, the envoys of Heaven and the numinous officers will protect him.

Another incantation says: “The Great Fire Bell hangs high over the circuit of Heaven, watching over all living beings and opening a way through to Heaven above. Lord Han (a Daoist deity), who holds the Fulu and the registers of names, governs the Five Emperors, settles the hun and po souls, and bestows emolument and rank. The stellar gods of the Seven Primordials assist in settling the hun and po, and the Divine Primordial upholds the ancestral line. Corpse-ghosts are made to withdraw and intrude no more; one receives only the human span of life, and demons are not permitted to do harm. Blessings are granted by Heaven’s mandate, so that one may dwell long in the palaces of the immortals. The Great Deity of the Void cuts off evil deeds and removes baleful calamity. The Director of Destinies of the Nine Heavens (the deity who keeps the registers of fate) commands Lord Primordial Ancestor to record lifespans, nurture the root of life, and enable people to attain deliverance and to penetrate the numinous and subtle. Rebellious demons are cut down, and the traces of malign spirits are swept away. The divine talisman covers and protects, revealing the true countenance amid purple clouds. In strict accordance with the statutes and commands of the Shangqing (Highest Clarity), carry this out at once.”

Recite this incantation twenty-one times, and then finish writing the talisman.

Yet another incantation says: “The Great Fire Bell patrols the circuit of Heaven, preserving nature and life and lengthening one’s years. It causes the Three Corpses (the three spirits which, according to Daoist teaching, lodge in the human body and obstruct cultivation) to withdraw, and bids the Qi (vital energy) of Lingbao (Numinous Treasure) guard long life. It does not let one fall into the straits of deviant paths; one wishes only that the way of the immortals be accomplished. It checks the Three Yellow Petitions within the body (here a specialized term of the scripture), and causes the azure numinous Qi of the Five Marchmounts to return to empty stillness.” After reciting it twenty-one times, finish writing the talisman.

A further incantation says: “The Great Fire Bell patrols the circuit of Heaven, preserving nature and life and lengthening one’s years. It causes the Three Corpses to withdraw, and bids the Qi of Lingbao guard long life. It does not let one fall into the straits of deviant paths; one wishes only that the way of the immortals be accomplished. It checks the Three Yellow Petitions within the body, and causes the azure numinous Qi of the Five Marchmounts to return to empty stillness. In strict accordance with the statutes and commands of the Shangqing, carry this out at once.”

This incantation is to be recited thirty-six times. Then take a mouthful of water, spray it upon the talisman, and finally release the hand seal.

Shangqing Dingjia Divine Talisman: a Fulu used by the Shangqing school and associated with the Dingjia deities.

The Shangqing Dingjia divine talisman is a spirit talisman used to deal with calamities in the human world. The scripture says that it may be used to ritually avert and resolve offenses against Taisui, violations of the Earth Talisman and the spirit-sha, and cases in which others break ground for building or flying earth draws near the residence; it may also be used for disasters brought on, at the time of burial, by offending the mountain gods or by unfavorable fengshui. It may likewise be used when a woman develops sores in the genital region, is often injured by scalding liquid or fierce fire, or has lain ill for a long time with medicine proving useless, or when, because an inauspicious star is presiding and one’s allotted fortune comes into clash, the mind grows clouded, one’s actions become sluggish, disordered dreams multiply at night, and the household is unsettled.

The scripture further mentions the male and female sha, the linked succession of funeral carriages, and being cursed by others, holding that these cause people to fall ill often and leave the mind and spirit ill at ease, and may even bring mental derangement upon someone in the household. If a residence harbors a concealed corpse or strange beings, or ghostly infestations that cause self-injury and punitive harm—appearing at night, striking lamps and setting fires, frightening women and children, and draining wealth—the circumstances should likewise be written into a document and submitted to the Shangqing Celestial Pivot Court (a Daoist clerical institution), with a request that it write out this spirit talisman. The talisman may be enshrined for worship or worn on the person; according to the scripture, it will soon take effect.

If the household is currently breaking ground for construction, one may write twenty-four talismans and post them around the four sides of the residence. The scripture states that there is no need to move out of the dwelling: auspicious deities will of themselves stand guard, and inauspicious stars and malign sha will not dare to make trouble. When writing the talisman, one should use raw cinnabar, form the hand seal by pressing the Wu position with the thumb of the left hand, and recite the incantation while writing; the scripture claims that, used in this way, it is invariably efficacious.

The incantation petitions the Dingjia Generals, the Venerable Deity Tianpeng, the Three Terraces, and the divine generals of the Six Jia and Six Ding for aid, bidding them drive off the Nine Uglies in front and destroy the mountain sprites behind, harmonize the numinous springs, and act upon the command of the Supreme Thearch. It further asks the earth gods of the Nine Provinces, the mountains, rivers, and marshes, the Twenty-Eight Lunar Mansions, and the Six Spirits to protect peace and safety. The divine youths carry out the command; the Bagua (Eight Trigrams) honor the Qian position; and the Vermilion Bird, the Dark Warrior, the Azure Dragon, and the White Tiger each attend to their charge of protection. Finally it prays to connect above with the Golden Portal (the abode of the Celestial Emperor) and to accord below with Qianyuan (the root of heaven and earth), to command the ghostly troops, to present the memorial petition to the heavenly court, to have the Kuigang divine generals within the talisman crush and subdue baleful infestations, and, in the name of the “Shangqing statutes and ordinances,” to carry this out with all speed.

Then recite the incantation twenty-one times and finish writing the talisman (fu). This talisman holds overall command of the ghost-soldiers, who must be memorialized together with it to the Heavenly Court. The principal general within the talisman, Kuigang (a divine general among the stellar lodges of the Northern Dipper), is charged with expelling and subduing every kind of demon and evil. By the statutes and ordinances of Shangqing (the Qingwei celestial realm venerated in Daoism), let this be carried out at once.

Then recite the incantation twenty-one times and finish writing the talisman.

Recite further:

Great General Dingjia (a dharma-protecting divine general) and the sixty Shangyang deities (divinities of the Daoist pantheon), through the Dao (the Way) of the Most High and the Exalted Supreme, bestow an edict upon Lord Kuigang. Seize the ghosts and specters of mountain, forest, water, and marsh, and below bring into submission the Earth-Yellow spirits (deities associated with the soil). If anything that is not upright should appear, subdue it by the power of Qian, Yuan, Heng, Li, and Zhen. By the statutes and ordinances of Shangqing, let this be carried out at once.

Then recite the incantation eighty-one times, take a mouthful of water and spray it upon the talisman, and perform the fangjue (completing the rite according to the ritual formulae).

The Shangqing Talisman of the Seven Primordials of the Northern Dipper (a talisman in Shangqing Daoism associated with the Seven Stars of the Northern Dipper).

The Talisman of the Seven Primordial Holy Lords of the Northern Dipper of the Supreme Clarity (Shangqing) is said to be able to treat illnesses in the world that arise from the evil karma of past lives. If an ancestral haunting is passed down and turns into a consumptive disease that long resists cure, spreading by contagion from person to person, and if medicines likewise cannot heal it, the patient’s four limbs will gradually wither and waste away. Even if one’s allotted lifespan is not yet exhausted, the illness may first be transmitted to one’s descendants, recurring without end.

Therefore the Supreme Thearch (Shangdi), taking pity on the people, sent down this numinous talisman. The talisman text should be written out and burned to ash, then decocted and mixed with seven “human figures” (renzi) made of willow wood together with ash-free wine, and the patient should take it three times a day. It is said that in fewer than ten days the “worms” within the body will die, and the withered, emaciated body will gradually recover.

If someone shows these symptoms, one should first prepare a document and submit it to this Bureau (the Daoist institution in charge of the relevant ritual affairs), record the patient’s condition, memorialize it to the Supreme Thearch, and send a written dispatch to the Marchmounts and Waterways (Yuedu, the deities of the famous mountains and great rivers) to confess fault and have the offenses absolved. Only afterward may this talisman be written and given to the patient to swallow according to the prescribed method. One should also write twenty-one further talismans, post them around the house, and write a talisman to be worn. It is said that in this way one will soon dream of auspicious signs, and may also move the Upper Perfected (Shangzhen, the Perfected of the upper realm) to send down true Qi (vital energy) to protect the body. Worn regularly, this talisman can preserve life and protect the person, avert sudden calamity, secure the dwelling, and draw in good fortune.

To write this talisman one must use raw cinnabar. With the thumb of the left hand pinching the zi position (the zi position in the hand mudra), one recites the incantation while writing the talisman.

Incantation:

The Seven Stars of the Northern Dipper are the numinous spirits of the Jade-Perfect immortal realm: Tanlang and Jumen protect people and lengthen their years; Lucun and Wenqu make them intelligent and wise; Lianzhen and Wuqu safeguard their peace; Pojun and the auxiliary star protect the physical body. May people ever dwell in good fortune and long enjoy blessings and longevity; may the names of the living be entered in the registers of life and death, and the names of the dead be struck out. May they be made clear in spirit and fresh in Qi (vital energy), able to reach through to the hidden and the netherworld; may malign Qi be driven out, ghosts and specters subdued, and every kind of demonic evil destroyed. For those who cultivate the Dao (the Way) and seek the True, may all that they seek be fulfilled. May the Seven Primordial Star Lords of the Northern Dipper shelter them, so that they may ascend in flight to the Purple Court, the palace courts of the immortal realm. May the Spirit Lords of the Five Viscera—the deities who, in Daoist teaching, preside over the five internal organs—each preserve the body’s peace. May all be carried out swiftly in accordance with the statutes and commands of Shangqing (Highest Clarity).

The above incantation is recited fourteen times, and the talisman is then complete.

One then recites a further incantation, saying:

The Great and Holy Lords of the Seven Primordials are the supreme deities of the celestial realm. May you protect me and grant me long life, and drive away the Three Corpses gathered in hosts—the spirits who, according to Daoist teaching, lodge within the human body, record a person’s faults, and report them upward. Great Divine General Qingyang, please cut off the Gate of Life that leads toward death; Great Divine General Tuoluo, please scatter calamity and misfortune, so that people may ever obtain extended years. May all be carried out swiftly in accordance with the statutes and commands of Shangqing.

The above incantation is recited seven times. One then sprays water once upon the talisman and afterward releases the ritual mudra, the hand gesture formed by the finger-pinching seal.

Divine Talisman of the Three Terraces of Shangqing

The Talisman of the Three Terraces of Shangqing is a stellar Fulu (talismans and registers) that brings peace and good fortune and shelters every affair. All whose destiny is affected by the stars and whose fortune does not run smoothly, or upon whom baleful stars shine—who often become entangled in lawsuits, in whose households plague breaks out, whose eldest sons are frequently ill, whose women suffer difficult childbirth, or who are pursued by enemies and creditors accumulated over successive generations demanding their lives and pressing for repayment, with no way of release—should write out the circumstances clearly, submit them to this Court for examination, verification, and the affixing of its seal, and then write this talisman on yellow damask silk and wear it on the head. In this way baleful stars will no longer shine upon them, and wronged ghosts will not come to trouble them. This talisman is a hidden protective canopy of the celestial realm, a treasure of the Utmost True.

When the talisman is written, the thumb of the left hand presses the Chen position to form the mudra; after the incantation is recited, it is written and submitted to this Court to be sealed, then written again on yellow damask silk and worn on the head. In this way baleful stars will no longer shine upon them, and wronged ghosts will not come to trouble them. This talisman is called a hidden protective canopy of the celestial realm, a treasure of the Utmost True.

The Star Lords of the Three Terraces—the stellar deities who preside over the three realms of Heaven, Earth, and humanity—guard and protect my bodily form. Cover and shelter me beneath the canopy of Heaven, so that the purple Qi (vital energy) may circulate smoothly and without obstruction. The Qi of the Nine Primordials opens and closes in transformation, cutting down and subduing fierce and mighty numinous beings. The deity Taiyi remains in protective attendance upon my person, and the methods of the Six Classics (Jing) within the River Chart uphold and sustain me. The Most Exalted Divine Kings and the gods who fly through Heaven seal their gates of their own accord. The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning grants me freedom from care, shining upon and protecting my primordial Jing (essence). Fierce celestial horses gallop in all four directions, with banners and standards, war drums, and golden bells following in their train. The armored soldiers of Vast Heaven, together with the divine generals of the Six Jia and the Six Ding, patrol throughout the world, concealing and sheltering my bodily form. What calamity would dare to appear? What ghost or demon would dare to glare in anger? Those who spy after disaster perish; those who turn a hostile glare are overthrown. Once a single divine talisman is put to use, even the gods of Heaven cannot see my bodily form. I reverently obey the statutes and commands of Highest Clarity; let them be enacted at once.

Recite the incantation above fourteen times, and the writing of the talisman then brings the rite to completion.

Recite further:

The Star Lords of the Three Terraces descend and come forth to protect and uphold me, so that my fundamental life-destiny may attain long life. The Star Lords of the Three Terraces nurture and sustain me, so that the Supreme Thearch may shelter, bless, and support me. The Star Lords of the Three Terraces guard my bodily form. I reverently obey the statutes and commands of Highest Clarity; let them be enacted at once.

Recite the incantation above fourteen times, and the writing of the talisman then brings the rite to completion.

Recite further:

The Star Lords of the Three Terraces descend and come forth to protect and uphold me, so that my fundamental life-destiny may attain long life. The Star Lords of the Three Terraces nurture and sustain me, so that the Supreme Thearch may shelter, bless, and support me. The Star Lords of the Three Terraces guard me, so that I may enjoy longevity and peace. Deliver the command to Kuigang, the stellar deities of the handle of the Northern Dipper, so that affairs may proceed smoothly and reach fulfillment, auspicious and freely penetrating. Immediately and with all urgency, enact this in accordance with the statutes and commands of Highest Clarity.

Recite the incantation above forty-nine times, spray one mouthful of water upon the talisman, and then bring the hand-seal method to completion.

The Black Killer Divine Talisman of Highest Clarity.

The Shangqing (Highest Clarity) Black Killer Divine Talisman is used to suppress water monsters, and the dragons and shen (aquatic mirage-serpents) of rivers and lakes that raise winds and waves, sink boats, extort sacrificial offerings, and harm human lives. When the rite is performed, the circumstances must first be set out in writing and submitted to this court for review and approval; one then takes an iron plate one chi and two cun long and seven cun wide, writes this talisman on it in cinnabar, and buries it to suppress the place of the disturbance. The scripture says that the dragons and shen will at once move away; if the Black Killer True Lord learns that they have violated the law of the talisman, he will descend in person to subdue them.

When crossing rivers or seas, the talisman may be written on paper and worn on the person; it is said to spare one from disaster on the water and to drive away water monsters. This talisman may also be used to secure a residence, dispel calamities, and investigate strange phenomena. In performing the rite, the thumb of the left hand presses the hai-position mudra (pinching the designated position according to the specific hand mudra); one recites the incantation and writes the talisman. The cinnabar must be raw cinnabar (cinnabar that has not been processed).

The first incantation:

Black Killer True Lord, your radiance illumines the sun and moon, and your majestic power subdues heaven and earth. Carry out the talismanic command: seize ghosts and monsters, and seal off the gate of ghosts. Patrol the world and arrest ghosts and spirits. Command divine beings and spread divine Qi (vital energy), sweeping away the five kinds of pestilence. The officers and troops to left and right, the Three-and-Five Generals, together with the Lord of Thunder, flashes of lightning, and cloud-Qi, all set forth as one. Swords fall like rain; the ceremonial retinue masses thick as clouds. Fangs bared and strength exerted, they smash the forms of demons and evils. The sheling of the Nine Provinces (spirits who guard the local altars of soil and grain) and the troops who receive sacrifice obey the command of the divine talisman and carry it out according to law. If any still refuse to obey, they are slain without mercy. The kui-dragon (a legendary numinous being) displays its awesome light; crimson auroras shine upon the Purple Court. Swiftly carry out the statutes and ordained commands of Shangqing.

After the incantation has been recited eighteen times, write the talisman.

The second incantation:

Black Killer Spirit of Great Power, your dharma-power is boundless; you bring deliverance to the dharma-realm (the world in which the various heavens and living beings dwell). Seize demons and monsters, bind evil spirits, and patrol the entire circuit of heaven. Drive the dragon-monsters back to the rivers and seas; reach through to the bitter realms of the dark underworld and carry out deliverance. The golden sword cuts down.

After the incantation has been recited eighteen times, write the talisman.

The third incantation:

Black Killer Spirit of Great Power, your dharma-power is boundless; you bring deliverance to the dharma-realm. Seize demons and monsters, bind evil spirits, and patrol the entire circuit of heaven. Drive the dragon-monsters back to the rivers and seas; reach through to the bitter realms of the dark underworld and carry out deliverance. The golden sword cuts away demonic violence, and ghostly evils subside of themselves. Swiftly carry out the statutes and ordained commands of Shangqing.

Hold the hand seal in the right hand, recite the incantation twenty-one times, then spray a mouthful of water onto the talisman, and release the hand seal.

Shangqing True Form Talisman of the Five Marchmounts

The Shangqing (Highest Clarity) True Form Talisman of the Five Marchmounts—a Daoist Fulu (talismans and registers) symbolizing the forms of the Five Marchmounts—is said to subdue wolves and tigers when carried into the mountains, and to subdue dragons and clam-monsters, legendary creatures of the waters, when one enters the water. Worn on the person, this talisman may be used to seek good fortune and avert ill fortune, so that one meets with no calamity or hardship.

If insects or ants damage a house, if birds fly into the dwelling and cause disturbances, or if insects and snakes appear, one may set the circumstances down in a written document and submit it to this court for review and instruction. Then take a board of catalpa wood two chi and four cun long and one chi and two cun wide, inscribe this talisman on it in cinnabar, and nail it above the residence. It is said that the strange phenomena will then subside, and that the insects and ants will depart and do no further harm. Worn on the person, the talisman can protect the body and preserve life and ward off every kind of danger. Those engaged in cultivation ought especially to wear it, so as not to encounter demonic obstacles. When the talisman is written, press the hand seal with the thumb of the left hand and recite the incantation while writing.

The incantation:

True forms of the Five Marchmounts, receive the Scripture of Yu bestowed by Heaven. Demon kings of the Great Cavern and primordial spirits of the Nine Uglies, go forth to battle and seize ghosts, and subdue demons, deviant spirits, essence-specters, and strange beings. Celestial stalwarts and mighty warriors spew horses as the clouds increase, and swiftly escort the wronged spirits under guard. Jia and Yi, Wu and Ji, Ren and Gui, Geng and Xin; Bing and Ding seize the might of flame; the Six Luo extend throughout the great thousandfold world. The primordial Gang and the nine nets unite the primordial and return it to Shen (spirit). Taking all under their command, they spread the upper luminaries until these fill the Great Void and Great Clarity. The Supreme Sovereign grants protection, and the land is at peace. The Six Jia of Taiwei blend with the primordial of Qian. Divine talismans of eight and nine descend to garrison the mountains and rivers. When the command arrives, it is carried out as ordered. Swiftly, swiftly, act in accordance with the statutes and ordinances of the Shangqing. By imperial command!

Recite the incantation fourteen times, and the writing is complete.

Then recite a further incantation:

Great numinous talisman of the Five Marchmounts, seize, subdue, and annihilate evil kinds. If anyone offends against me, the chariot of Heaven and the chariot of Earth will bring that person to decline. Wind and thunder are set in motion; fire and lightning burst forth together; valiant warriors subdue the demonic monsters and put them to death. Deliver them to the stellar officers of Kui and Gang for judgment, and let the host of ghosts, obeying Heaven’s mandate, drive them away. Swiftly, swiftly, act in accordance with the statutes and ordinances of the Shangqing. By imperial command!

Recite the incantation eighteen times, then spray a mouthful of water onto the talisman, and release the hand seal.

Shangqing Divine Talisman of the Tiangang

The Shangqing Tiangang divine talisman is used to expel and treat the Jing (essence) monsters and evil hauntings of the human world, virulent gu-poison Qi (vital energy), and the ghost-fetuses and ghost-Qi believed to spread through the human world and harm people. On meeting all manner of heterodox evils and evil spirits, one may recite the incantation eighteen times, spray a mouthful of water onto the talisman, and then perform the ritual hand-seal.

This divine talisman is also used to suppress evil spirits. If an evil spirit settles without cause in a household’s home and courtyard and will not leave, or if one encounters cattle plague or pestilence among livestock, a formal written petition may in every such case be submitted to the Shangqing Celestial Pivot Court. After the court has endorsed and sealed it, this talisman is written in cinnabar and installed to pacify and secure the place; it is said that good fortune will then arrive. Once written and worn on the person, the talisman is said to lengthen one’s years and benefit longevity, to ward off evil, to remove the Three Corpses and the Nine Worms, to spare one the harm of epidemics, to cut off the incursions of ghosts and demons, and also to treat young children who wail and cry out in fright at night. Against mad possession, mountain miasmal Qi, the five kinds of malaria, and every sort of illness and suffering, this talisman is likewise held to have the power to expel, avert, suppress, and subdue. When the talisman is written, the thumb of the left hand presses the zi hand-seal, and the incantation is chanted.

The incantation states that the Great Deity of Tiangang, together with the Seven Perfected of the Nine Heavens, by the power of Yuanming Taiyi, sweeps away dense ghost-Qi. Within the stellar fields of the Nine Provinces, the honored star Taibai patrols the Six Directions; the fire-bells blaze fiercely, and the Eight Awes put forth their divine might, so that ghosts and evils submit and do harm no more. Three hundred fifty thousand divine troops devour ghosts and demons and draw in all the Qi of Jing monsters; their awesome light shines through the dark underworld, subduing demons and conquering spirits. The Qi-power of heaven and earth and the might of the hosts set forth together. There is no divinity that does not come to protect, and no ghost or demon that dares remain. The Elder of Mount Tai, a Daoist deity, displays his might and works his power, so that evildoing ghosts all meet with armed destruction. The divine talisman stands long on guard, and the myriad ghosts can find no peace. It closes with “Quickly, quickly, as commanded by the statutes of Shangqing” as a pressing order, signifying that the charge is to be carried out at once in accordance with the statutes of Shangqing.

The Jing (scripture/classic) further says that the talisman is written after the incantation has been recited eight times; once the writing is finished, one recites again the passage of the incantation from “What spirit does not protect” through “Quickly, quickly, as commanded by the statutes of Shangqing.” At the end, another incantation is then introduced.

The Thirty-Six Heavens tilt and incline—O great divine kings of the celestial realm! The Flame Emperor refines my blood with fierce fire and grants that I become Upper Yellow. The Great Primordial Lord of the Seven Chiefs drives away calamity for me. True Qi (vital energy), the subtle breath of Prior Heaven, receives the power of thunder and fire, and the venerable lord subdues the firelight. I reverently follow the statutes and commands of Shangqing (Supreme Clarity); let this be carried out at once.

Recite the incantation above twenty-one times, spray one mouthful of water onto the talisman, and then perform the release of the hand-seal (a hand mudra in Daoist ritual methods).

Upper Scroll of the Correct Method of Returning the Chariot and Completing the Dao (the Way), of the Shangqing Celestial Pivot Court

Middle Scroll of the Correct Method of Returning the Chariot and Completing the Dao, of the Shangqing Celestial Pivot Court

The Method of Distributing Qi

When mind and intent are perfectly sincere, face the sun and burn incense. Raise the head and pray, saying: “I, disciple So-and-so, holder of such-and-such office, respectfully address the Imperial Lord of the Sun: I carry out the Correct Method of the Celestial Heart of the Celestial Pivot Court, to relieve the illnesses and sufferings of the people, to move Qi and settle the Shen (spirit). I now earnestly beg you to extend great compassion and bestow the true Qi that descends, so that it enters my body and fills the Mud Pill (a Daoist term for the head), the joints throughout the body, and the five viscera and six bowels. Whenever I treat illness for others, I hope there will be none that fails to take effect.” When the prayer is finished, concentrate with a single mind and sound the Celestial Drum seven times (tap lightly with the fingers behind the ears, as preparation for calming the mind and circulating Qi). With eyes open, face the sun, and with each hand press the third joint of the middle finger; then inhale one breath toward the sun and swallow it. Recite the incantation seven times, and swallow a second breath. Next form the hand-seal with the right hand, recite the incantation seven times, and again inhale one breath and swallow it. Then cross both hands before the mouth, recite the incantation seven times, inhale one mouthful of true Qi, and blow it toward the seal formed by the two hands. Repeat the cycle for a total of three times. The incantation is: “Wind-pain departs with the wind; Qi-pain disperses along with the Qi.”

The sick person sits in the southeast, facing northwest, while the practitioner sits in the northwest, facing southeast, so that the two face one another. Have the sick person press the painful spot and not let go. First cough once and draw in a breath, but do not swallow it yet; then arrange both hands in the hand seal described earlier and recite the incantation seven times. Next cough once more, swallow that breath, and recite the incantation again in the same way as before. If the illness is relatively mild, do this three to five times; if it is more serious, follow the same method and, at the end, repeat it five to seven times. This is said to be certain to work.

The Method of Incanting Water

Quiet the mind and fix the attention. Press the middle fingers of both hands upon the lines at the center of the palms, and respectfully invite the Twenty-Eight Lunar Mansions of the five directions (the stellar spirits distributed through the east, south, west, north, and center):

I respectfully invite the stellar spirits of the two mansions Horn and Neck, Jiao and Kang, of the east to manifest their true forms. Holding precious swords and Fulu (talismans and registers), may they guard and protect my bodily form.

I respectfully invite the stellar spirits of the two mansions Well and Ghost, Jing and Gui, of the south to manifest their true forms. Holding precious swords and Fulu, may they guard and protect my bodily form.

I respectfully invite the stellar spirits of the two mansions Legs and Bond, Kui and Lou, of the west to manifest their true forms. Holding precious swords and Fulu, may they guard and protect my bodily form.

I respectfully invite the stellar spirits of the two mansions Dipper and Ox, Dou and Niu, of the north to manifest their true forms. Holding precious swords and Fulu, may they guard and protect my bodily form.

I respectfully invite the stellar spirits of the seven mansions of the center to manifest their true forms. Holding precious swords and Fulu, may they guard and protect my bodily form.

May the true Qi (vital energy) of the five directions enter this cup of water. This is not ordinary water, but water naturally transformed by the Limitless Great Dao of Shangqing (Highest Clarity)—the supreme Dao revered in Daoism—able to dispel illness and relieve suffering. Wherever a drop of this water of mine falls, the place can become pure. When orthodox deities touch this water, they manifest vast spiritual power; when baleful specters and strange beings touch this water, their bodies are as if burned by fierce fire. This water is condensed from the true Qi sent down by the perfected beings of Heaven. No malign influence fails to submit, and ghosts and demons dare not show themselves. Whoever offends me dies; whoever turns against me perishes. Wherever the divine water reaches, the myriad ghosts must hide and lie low. The incantation is:

Prime of Kui, primal Qian; beneficial and constant, roaming and constant. I petition the Great Void for its decree, at the heavenly gate of Kunlun. Swiftly, swiftly, obey the statutes and commands of Shangqing.

This incantation is recited three times seven (that is, twenty-one times).

The method described on the right is the sprinkling of purifying water (water scattered in a prescribed way to symbolize purification). Such sprinkling can sweep away every kind of evil defilement, while swallowing Fulu (talismans and registers) is said to bring results very quickly. When pestilence is spreading, the water may be sprinkled inside and outside the dwelling; if someone is ill, the talisman may also be used in decocting medicinal infusions or powders. These measures are said to take effect swiftly, as though one were carrying out the ordinances of Shangqing (Highest Clarity). Each of the procedures above is performed three times seven, that is, twenty-one times.

Method for Extracting the Worms of Consumption

If a person suffers from chuanshi disease (a class of contagious, life-threatening illness as the ancients described it) and the course of the illness has not yet exceeded one hundred and twenty days, one should first devoutly invite a Zhengyi (Orthodox Unity) Daoist priest to conduct a jiao for three days, that is, to perform a Zhaijiao (purification ritual) of prayer and the averting of calamity, draw three talismans, and have the patient take them according to the method that follows.

On the fourth day, prepare a cauldron and heat in it five jin or more of oil; then take a length of white silk and bind the patient to a pillar. Prepare three strands of raw-silk left-twist thread, each four chi and four cun long, and tie one talisman to peach wood with each. Have the patient swallow the talismans with ginseng decoction. One person holds the patient; once the talisman and silk thread have entered the abdomen and caught hold, use a ruler to pry open the patient’s mouth and quickly draw the talisman out, declaring that the worm will cling to it. Do this three times and extract three worms. The worms are said to give voice, after which they are placed in the cauldron of oil and fried. When all three talismans have been treated in this way, the patient will be at ease. If only one or two are extracted, the patient is judged certain to die.

The First Talisman

Take a piece of silk half a cun square and write on it with cinnabar. With the left hand form the wu hand-seal (a ritual gesture in which the fingers are joined in a prescribed way), recite the incantation while drawing the talisman, then seal the talisman into a pellet with wax. It is taken on the first day at the chou hour and swallowed with frankincense decoction. The incantation is recited three times, and only then is the talisman completed.

The incantation is:

“Spirits of the celestial numen and the three luminaries, grant me life; command me to receive the talisman edict and cut you down. When the fated calamity arrives, let it be carried out according to the law.”

The Second Talisman

Take a piece of silk half a cun square and write on it with cinnabar. With the left hand form the shen hand-seal, recite the incantation while drawing the talisman, then seal it into a pellet with wax. It is taken on the second day at the wu hour and swallowed with frankincense decoction. The incantation is recited three times, and only then is the writing completed.

The incantation is:

“It was you who first brought me harm; now I drive you out and subdue you. Those ghosts and spirits that come flying through heaven, and the ghosts that wander everywhere feeding on corpses, shall all be brought under control by this method.”

The Third Talisman

Use a piece of silk half a cun square and write the talisman on it in cinnabar. With the left hand forming the mudra of the hai position, recite the incantation while writing. When it is finished, seal it with wax into a pill. Swallow it at the hai hour on the third day, washed down with a decoction of frankincense. Recite the incantation three times, and only then write the Fulu (talismans and registers).

The incantation is:

Supreme Lord of the Great Dao (Dao, the Way), I pray you grant me the preservation of my body. May auspicious fortune and blessed felicity descend upon the celestial talisman, so that Taiyi and Yuanzhen may unite.

Method of Treating Illness

Seven days after the talisman is issued, illness may be treated. In performing the rite, press the center of the palm with the middle finger of each hand, look at the patient, recite the incantation seven times, and then give a light cough. The incantation is:

Supreme Lord of the Great Dao, I pray you grant me the preservation of my body. May auspicious fortune and blessed felicity descend upon the celestial talisman, so that Taiyi and Yuanzhen may unite.

Then blow one breath toward the wall and recite the incantation three more times. For seven days the patient must abstain from the five pungent foods—scallions, garlic, Chinese chives, and other acrid vegetables—and from anything poisonous.

Sacred Talisman for Settling Silkworms: affix the talisman in the room where silkworms are raised.

Sacred Talisman for Securing the Dwelling: a Fulu used to guard and settle a residence.

Transferring Swellings and Toxins

Even when a swelling or toxin has already advanced to seven or eight parts in ten, it may still be treated. With the left hand forming the mudra of the wu position, press firmly on the painful place and recite:

You are a poisonous thing—why do you injure a person’s flesh? I now send you up onto Knife Ridge. Carry out this command at once!

After seven recitations, shift the hand mudra, give a light cough, blow one breath onto the ground, and stamp it out with the foot.

Method of Treating Pestilence

When treating pestilential illness, recite toward the place of pain:

You are a poisonous thing—why do you injure a person’s flesh? I now send you up onto Knife Ridge. Carry out this command at once!

After seven recitations, shift the hand mudra, give a light cough, blow one breath onto the ground, and stamp it out with the foot.

Treating epidemic illness has always followed a fixed, commonly used ritual. As soon as the Daoist priest enters the door, he presses the centers of both palms with the middle fingers of his two hands and at the same time recites the incantation: “Close the celestial eye above, so that no ghosts or spirits can see.” This is the method of dispensing Qi (vital energy) to the patient—that is, directing vital energy in order to perform the rite.

Coming before the patient, he recites: “Year Kings who travel with the epidemic, and Envoys of Illness (divine officers charged with going about and spreading plague): this person once walked an improper path, and Heaven ordered you to come and investigate. He has now reformed and is willing to take refuge in and practice the Great Dao (the Way). I have already memorialized the Supreme Thearch and have also submitted a document to the City God. If this person is not on the list of those to be seized by the celestial warrant, then immediately withdraw the medicinal poison and the poisonous Qi, leave this place, and do not remain for even a moment. It is to be feared that the Celestial Pardon (the period within which Heaven remits offenses) is about to arrive; if you disobey the command, you will certainly be severely punished. Carry out the order at once.”

Method for Treating Ghostly Affliction

The year, month, day, and hour of the patient’s birth must first be ascertained. The practitioner holds a sword in the right hand and first forms a ritual hand seal (performing the rite by a prescribed gesture), pressing the position that represents the year of birth. He recites the incantation forty-nine times, then sprays a mouthful of water onto the patient’s body. If the illness is comparatively mild, the symptoms will cease. If they do not cease, he turns instead to the position representing the month of birth, recites the incantation forty-nine times, and again sprays a mouthful of water onto the patient. If the condition has still not fully subsided, he applies the same method to the day and the hour of birth, repeating the cycle until a response appears.

The incantation is: “By the heavenly kalpa, pardon from above; urgently command that evil be cut off; urgently slay, urgently bind.”

If the year, month, day, and hour of birth cannot be determined—for example, if the patient was born in a zi year—the rite is performed at the position occupied by zi. This is the “Method of Four Piercings in the Center of Heaven for Binding the Deviant” (a technique that uses the positions of the heavenly stems and earthly branches to seize and bind malign spirits). The Talisman of the Seven Primordials of the Northern Dipper and the Talisman of the Three Terraces should also be taken, washed down with a decoction of frankincense.

Formula for the Herb-Spirit Elixir for Treating Affliction of the Heart and Affliction of the Blood

Take seven spirit-peaches, half a liang of frankincense, half a liang of cinnabar (zhusha), half a liang of sour-jujube seed, half a liang of Chinese angelica, half a liang of rehmannia, and half a liang of realgar—seven ingredients in all. Grind them into powder and, using wax, form nine pills, each the size of a Chinese parasol-tree seed. Twenty-one pills are taken at each dose. The remainder of the formula is incomplete in the text that follows.

Grind the seven medicinal ingredients listed on the right into a fine powder, and with wax form them into nine portions of pills, each the size of a Chinese parasol-tree seed. Take twenty-one pills at a time, together with seven Fulu (talismans and registers). At the moment of use, see which talisman is being employed, and make that talisman into pills as well. Children and men take them with rush-pith decoction; women take them with safflower decoction.

A Secret Method for Treating Madness Caused by Evil and for Performing Ritual Methods to Sever Ghosts and Spirits

If people of the lower origin—that is, people living in the world—commit all manner of unwholesome deeds, if pride and arrogance arise in the heart, if they indulge lust and the killing of living beings, constantly slight and slander others, fail to practice filial piety, are greedy without limit, and give rise to deluded thoughts, then their Shen (spirit) and mind will be alarmed and disturbed. Afflictions and vain imaginings then spring up in profusion, and body and mind grow worried and distressed. Evil sprites seize the opening and enter, taking advantage of a person’s weakness. Jing-evils (evils of essence), lower ghosts, and all kinds of monstrous anomalies invade the body and the hun and po souls, so that one sometimes cries out and laughs, with joy and anger unregulated and the spirit dazed and confused; sometimes one sings and dances, and sometimes one grieves and weeps; one eats and drinks to excess, and can no longer tell high from low or recognize the various rules of conduct.

It may also be that a grave is not at peace, that offerings have not been made with due care, that one lives in an inauspicious place, or that the felling of trees has brought on calamity. None of these circumstances should go unrecognized. Observe how the illness manifests, and its source can be distinguished.

The heart belongs to Fire. When the heart is diseased, the face turns red; one cries out and laughs, the voice is loud and high, and one is easily angered and seldom glad.

The liver belongs to Wood. When the liver is diseased, the face turns blue-green; one drinks to excess, and sorrow and worry do not cease.

The lungs belong to Metal. When the lungs are diseased, the face turns white; one takes up a blade and commits violence, and constantly speaks of strife and of killing.

The spleen belongs to Earth. When the spleen is diseased, the face turns yellow; one eats and drinks to excess, and talks without ever stopping.

The kidneys belong to Water. When the kidneys are diseased, one is sorrowful, grieving, and emotionally unsettled, often tearing the clothes open, lowering the head and clenching the teeth, with a manner as if ashamed.

All these are signs that the five viscera have been invaded by evil Qi (vital energy). One should first perform the ritual method and take the Fulu; afterward, treat with medicine according to the organ affected, and the treatment will take effect.

Discerning Ghostly Evil

Eyes opened wide and jaws clenched tight are signs of invasion by a violent evil. One should first perform the ritual method and take the Fulu, then treat with medicine according to the organ affected, and the treatment will take effect.

Eyes opened very wide, teeth clenched and gnashing, and a fierce, savage expression indicate a ghostly affliction of the self-harming kind; singing and dancing, crying out and laughing, indicate a ghostly affliction of the mountain-goblin (shanxiao) kind. Calling upon deities, summoning ghosts and strange beings, and biting objects as well indicate a ghostly affliction of a person who died away from home. Anger one moment and joy the next indicate a ghostly affliction of the soil-altar shrine (shemiao) kind. Gnashing the teeth and crying out, in a voice that sounds as though pain were being endured, indicate a ghostly affliction of a person who died by drowning. Fear of strangers indicates a ghostly affliction of the sprite-of-Jing (essence) kind. Fear of sunlight and shame at facing the light indicate a ghostly affliction of a person who died from bleeding or in difficult childbirth. A liking for wandering about in every direction indicates a ghostly affliction of the tree kind. Self-harm and the seeking of death indicate a ghostly affliction of the grievance-and-debt kind. A constant love of sleep indicates a ghostly affliction of a person who died in prison.

As for treating a Jing (scripture/classic) with disrespect while chanting or reading it, sighing and groaning, sorrow in the heart, the speaking of many false words, singing and dancing with Shen (spirit) and mind disordered, or passing without constancy between joy and anger—these too are all signs that evil ghosts are at work.

In every judgment of ghostly affliction, if one follows this manner there will be no error. If one wishes to judge whether the patient is ill, observe the eyes: if they look upward, and their color is bluish-white and clear and bright, or if the gaze is unsteady, this may also be a sign of affliction by evil ghosts. If the eyes are clear and bright, with nothing unusual, or are as they ordinarily are, then the case is a false presentation.

Whenever manic madness and evil haunting are to be treated, first have the patient submit a written petition; next ritually notify the deities of the place where the patient dwells; then present a document to the local City God (Chenghuang), requesting that officers and soldiers be sent to stand guard. After that, following the method of the Dipper, visualize one’s own person, carry out the practice according to rule, and keep bearing and demeanor wholly solemn, and only then step forward to observe and examine. The method must be performed in accordance with the Keyi (liturgy); one must not act willfully or recklessly. On meeting the patient, one should counsel and instruct with gentleness and mildness, and must not injure the patient’s spirit or Qi (vital energy). Only thus can one keep the patient from becoming still more frenzied and restless, and it will also help to preserve the patient’s mind and Shen.

Secret Method of Entering the Dipper, Preserving the Body, and Sustained Practice

When treating madness and deranged evil illnesses together with ferocious ghosts and demons, one must observe fasting and abstinence to purify the mind and bathe to cleanse the body, first performing the method of incantation before setting out. On arriving at the home of the sick, one must not let mind and spirit (Shen) become scattered. The concern is that foolish, ignorant ghosts and demons do not understand what is right; should they dare to refuse obedience, they would cause the ritual master to lose his solemn bearing and profane the commands of the Supreme Thearch. Even if a long time is required, they must in the end be seized; throughout the performance one should remain single-minded.

Each time the rite is performed, face east and burn incense, stand with the body upright, and with the thumb of each hand form the “Shangqing mudra” (the hand seal of the Shangqing school), moving it from behind the head to the point between the eyebrows; then separate the hands, draw them downward along the front of the chest, cross them, and set them at the waist, silently reciting the incantation:

Merit-officer emissaries within my body (divine officers who transmit commands and assist in performing the rite), now summon the twelve double-hours within my body, the Qi (vital energy) of the twenty-four solar terms, and the seventy-two pentads (the finer traditional units by which the seasons were divided), together with the three hun-souls on the left and the seven po-souls on the right, the twelve thousand spirits of Jing (essence) and radiance, the twenty-two thousand spirits of form and shadow, the thirty-three thousand spirits of hair and pores, and the spirits of the heart, the spleen, the lungs, the liver, and the kidneys. All of you must set your solemn bearing in order, bring me auspicious joy, bestow upon me the Great Dao (the Way), and transform my bodily form into the Great Demon-Subduing Ritual Master of the Thirty-Six Caverns of the Mysterious Metropolis of Shangqing: the Far-Roaming Crown upon my head, a crimson robe of thin silk upon my body, a jade tablet in my hands, vermilion shoes upon my feet, seated on a ritual throne of jade.

You numinous spirits must stand guard at my left and right: above, cover me with red light; below, encircle me with auspicious clouds. Follow me to the home of such-and-such a person in such-and-such a place, investigate the evil ghosts, treat the illness and remove calamity and baleful influence, command the wicked demons each to submit and meet execution, cause ferocious beings no longer to appear, and cause the illness to be eliminated. May the numinous spirits of the south protect me and transform me into a body of Jade Vacuity. Swiftly, swiftly, carry this out in obedience to the statutes and commands of Shangqing.

After the incantation has been recited, face east, take a mouthful of water, and spray it over your own body. Then burn incense again, face south, click the teeth, announce your own name and title, and reverently call upon and invite:

Star Lord Tianfu of the Southern Pole, Star Lord Tianxiang of the Southern Pole, Star Lord Tianliang of the Southern Pole, Star Lord Tiantong of the Southern Pole, Star Lord Tianshu of the Southern Pole, and Star Lord Tianji of the Southern Pole.

The Star Lord of Myriad Longevity of the Southern Pole (the stellar deity of the Southern Pole who presides over longevity), the Lady of the Three Brilliances of the Southern Pole (a goddess associated with the Star Lord of the Southern Pole), and General Fire-Bell of the Southern Pole (a divine general under the command of the Star Lord of the Southern Pole).

I, your servant So-and-so, have today chosen an auspicious day for fasting and purification, to devote myself single-mindedly to cultivation, to practice salvation and deliverance far and wide, to aid the people of the world, to drive out malign spirits, to break heterodox arts, and to uphold the orthodox and establish the Dao (the Way). I earnestly beg the Star Lord of the Southern Bureau to send down divine light to guard my body, and I also ask the Three Thousand Envoys and General Fire-Bell to come and protect me, so that I may attain long life. In reverent accordance with the statutes and commands of the Shangqing (Highest Clarity), let this be carried out with all speed.

When the incantation has been recited, knock the teeth, and then, in accordance with the Keyi (liturgy), perform the bugang (treading the guideline steps according to the prescribed pace). With each step, recite the title of one star lord: Star Lord Tianfu (Celestial Treasury), Star Lord Tianxiang (Celestial Minister), Star Lord Tianji (Celestial Mechanism), Star Lord Tiantong (Celestial Unity), Star Lord Tianshu (Celestial Pivot), and Star Lord Tianliang (Celestial Beam).

When the pacing of the guideline is finished, take the sword in hand and recite the incantation: Envoy of the Merit Office of such-and-such a day (the divine clerk who transmits commands), I dispatch you to ascend to Heaven, to reach the Gate of Heaven swiftly; I dispatch you to enter the Earth, to reach the Door of Earth swiftly; I dispatch you to enter the waters, to reach the Water Bureau swiftly. Now I do not dispatch you to Heaven, into the Earth, or into the waters, but order you to go at once to such-and-such a place and such-and-such a household, to notify the Controller of Fate, the Earth God, and the other deities who have jurisdiction over the dwelling of so-and-so, together with the various spirits concerned in this matter, and the City God of the locality, to send soldiers and generals to come and guard the place, and to examine the illness of so-and-so. You must be strictly solemn and cautious; you must not contract defilement, nor may you lose proper ceremonial bearing. Then continue to recite: Heaven is numinous, Earth is numinous; Heaven and Earth conjoin. Divine generals of the Merit Office, you shall not linger; go quickly and return quickly. I wait before the altar, my sword braced upon the ground. In reverent accordance with the statutes and commands of the Shangqing, let this be carried out with all speed.

After the incantation has been recited, brace the sword upon the ground. One must be strictly solemn and cautious, must not contract defilement, and must not lose proper ceremonial bearing. Then repeat the recitation: Heaven is numinous, Earth is numinous; Heaven and Earth conjoin. Divine generals of the Merit Office, you shall not linger; go quickly and return quickly. I wait before the altar, my sword braced upon the ground. In reverent accordance with the statutes and commands of the Shangqing, let this be carried out with all speed.

After the spell has been recited, plant the sword upright in the ground, cross all ten fingers of both hands, and shout loudly, “Go!” Whenever you enter the home of a sick person, as soon as you come through the door and see anyone, put away your headcloth and go straight to the upper end of the hall to sit upright. The moment you sit down, press the centers of your palms with the middle fingers of both hands to form a mudra (a ritual hand gesture in which the fingers press specific points), send out one breath toward the four directions, and then recite:

“I am the grandson of the Primordial Sovereign and the son of the Most High. The star lords of the Northern Dipper are subject to my command. I walk in the Yubu (the pacing method of Daoist ritual arts), acting on the orders of the officials of Heaven. On my left the Azure Dragon attends as guard; on my right the White Tiger upholds and protects me. The Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), the supreme deities, secretly lay down true Qi (vital energy, the primordial breath of which Daoism speaks). Any ghost that is demonic, wicked, or rebellious, should it dare to disobey, shall be seized with the golden net and iron mesh and put to death in Fengdu (the legendary underworld realm where ghosts are governed). Carry this out at once in accordance with the statutes and ordinances.”

After the spell has been recited seven times, pace a circuit in the Yubu and recite:

“I act on the orders of the officials of Heaven. On my left the Azure Dragon attends as guard; on my right the White Tiger upholds and protects me. The Three Pure Ones, the supreme deities, secretly lay down true Qi. Any ghost that is demonic, wicked, or rebellious, should it dare to disobey, shall be seized with the golden net and iron mesh and put to death in Fengdu. Carry this out at once in accordance with the statutes and ordinances.”

After the spell has been recited seven times, walk one full circuit, gather a single breath, and blow it between your two hands. Then form the mudra again with force until you feel pain, and recite once more:

“Heaven is my father, Earth is my mother, the sun and moon are my brothers, and the Seven Stars are my friends. The generals of the Six Jia grasp axes and halberds; the generals of the Earth Jia strictly guard the bells and drums. The Three Terraces (stellar deities in Daoism) clear the way in front, and the Avian Lodges (spirits of the constellations) await orders behind. I serve Heaven as its minister and accept the commission of Heaven above, to cut down baleful influences, swallow and destroy demons, bind evil spirits, and seize ghosts and specters. At a single call from me they must obey; the hard and forceful Qi is to be regulated. When Heaven’s talismanic command arrives, the gods of the soil must all present themselves and carry out the order at once.”

The East:

The Azure Emperor, Lord of the Azure Youth, of the East grasps bells and drums, swiftly binds the ghosts that stir up demons and work mischief, and delivers them into the prison of the golden net, to be dealt with according to the celestial talisman, with no leniency, and the case is to be concluded at once. And, as set forth in the preceding text, receive the command of the celestial talisman. Gaze toward the east and shout loudly, “Go!”

The South.

The Red Emperor, Lord of the Red Youths of the South (the celestial imperial divine general of the southern quarter, associated with the color red), holds thunder and lightning in his hands, swiftly binds the ghosts that stir up heterodox evils (ghosts that raise baleful influences and work hauntings), and commits them to the Prison of No End. Grave crimes are met with no leniency whatsoever and are at once tried and decided according to the law. The relevant divine generals are then ordered, in keeping with the instructions already given, to receive the command of the celestial talisman. The ritual practitioner turns toward the south and shouts, “Go!”

The West

The White Emperor, Lord of the White Youths of the West (the celestial imperial divine general of the western quarter, associated with the color white), holds a battle-axe, swiftly binds the ghosts that stir up heterodox evils, and commits them to the Prison of the Sunken Sea. Their offenses are met with no leniency whatsoever and are at once tried and decided according to the law. The relevant divine generals are then ordered, in keeping with the instructions already given, to receive the command of the celestial talisman. The ritual practitioner turns toward the west and shouts, “Go!”

The North

The Black Emperor, Lord of the Black Youths of the North (the celestial imperial divine general of the northern quarter, associated with the color black), holds the imperial bell, swiftly binds the ghosts that stir up heterodox evils, and commits them to the Prison of No Recourse. Their offenses are met with no leniency whatsoever and are at once tried and decided according to the law. The relevant divine generals are then ordered, in keeping with the instructions already given, to receive the command of the celestial talisman. The ritual practitioner turns toward the north and shouts, “Go!”

The Center

The Yellow Emperor, Lord of the Yellow Youths of the Center (the celestial imperial divine general of the central quarter, associated with the color yellow), holds a golden hammer, swiftly binds the ghosts that stir up heterodox evils, and commits them to the Prison of Long Detention. Their offenses are met with no leniency whatsoever and are at once tried and decided according to the law. The relevant divine generals are then ordered, in keeping with the instructions already given, to receive the command of the celestial talisman. The ritual practitioner looks up to the sky and shouts, “Go!”

A person suffering from the affliction of derangement and heterodox possession will certainly cry out of their own accord. At that moment one recites: “Divine generals of the left and right, who command the troops and assist the rite, seize him and bring him out for me.” One then orders that he be committed to the Prison of Long Detention, punished according to the law, and immediately tried and sentenced. The relevant divine generals are again ordered, in keeping with the instructions already given, to receive the command of the celestial talisman. The ritual practitioner looks up to the sky and shouts, “Go!”

A person suffering from the affliction of derangement and heterodox possession will certainly cry out of their own accord. At that moment one recites: “Divine generals of the left and right, who command the troops and assist the rite, seize him and bring him out for me.” The patient’s family is then told to bring the patient before the hall, and the patient will prostrate. The incantation is recited at this point; when the patient comes forth, the Jade Clarity hand-seal (Yuqing jue, one of the Daoist ritual hand gestures) is employed:

Numen of Heaven, numen of Earth; Heaven and Earth join as one. Generals and officers under commission, indulge no partiality. Seize the ghostly malefactors and bring them swiftly before the steps. Quickly, quickly, in accordance with the statutes and ordinances.

The incantation is recited seven times. When the patient arrives at the foot of the steps, one says: “Jailer on duty, seize the ghostly malefactor for me.” One then recites:

By the edict of High Heaven, swiftly bind the demonic essences. Jailers in attendance, indulge no partiality. Swiftly obey Heaven’s mandate; investigate, subdue, and obtain a confession. Beneath my steps: origin, penetration, benefit, and correctness. Quickly, quickly, in accordance with the statutes and ordinances.

After the spell has been recited three times, have the person believed to be troubled by evil spirits sit down of his own accord. The moment he is seated, ask him the cause of the matter and have him give a clear account of what happened. If he will not answer, shout the command, “Put the cangue on him!” Then recite the confession spell. As I step forward, recite “Yuan heng li zhen,” and carry it out swiftly in accordance with the celestial statutes.

After the spell has been recited three times, have the person believed to be troubled by evil spirits sit down of his own accord. The moment he is seated, ask the cause and have him give a clear account of what happened. If he will not answer, shout the command, “Put the cangue on him!” Then recite the spell seven times. This is marked as the “Shangqing formula,” meaning the ritual formula of Highest Clarity.

The spell says:

“By command of High Heaven, the Jade Emperor’s majesty is manifest. Evil ghosts beneath the cangue dare to defy Highest Clarity. The Mysterious Registers of the Nine Heavens—the rolls of the celestial realm—are present here; none may be arbitrarily spared. Swiftly, in accordance with the statutes—execute at once by the laws of the celestial realm.”

At this point the person believed to be troubled by evil spirits will hang as limp as an object suspended beneath the eaves, wholly subject to one’s handling. If he is questioned again and still will not answer, form the Jade Emperor formula with both hands—the hand seal symbolizing the Jade Emperor—and shout, “Bind him for me!” Then form the Purple Tenuity seal and recite the spell seven times.

The spell says:

“Heavenly numen, heavenly glory: I act by edict of Highest Clarity. Bind the ghostly malefactors; if they dare resist, they shall surely be punished. With Kuigang—the stellar names of the Northern Dipper—suppress them within the Dipper mansion; none may be arbitrarily spared. Swiftly, in accordance with the statutes.”

The person believed to be troubled by evil spirits will then stand rigid and motionless, as though bound. Question him again and have him state the cause clearly. If he still will not answer, say, “Beat both his feet for me!” Then recite the “ghost-investigation formula,” the ritual formula used to examine and punish evil ghosts.

“By edict of High Heaven, confine the evil Jing (essence) in the cangue. The jailers who carry out the punishment must show no leniency. Together with the command of the celestial talisman, carry this out in accordance with the edict. Swiftly, in accordance with the statutes.”

If the person believed to be troubled by evil spirits merely cries out and still will not state the cause, recite the “Yellow Wasp Spell” three times and form the ghost-investigation formula.

“Great demon, great numen; the radiant seven stars of Kui. The true origin of the nine Qi (vital energy), forever brought to completion in the charge above. Receive the command as commanded, and carry it out with utmost urgency. Swiftly, in accordance with the statutes.”

If he still will not answer, say, “Bind him to the bronze pillar and pour molten copper and iron pellets into him.” Then form the ghost-investigation formula and recite the spell seven times.

“Supreme Tenuity, Supreme Tenuity: smelt red copper into liquid. Let the offense remain forever in the Nine Heavens, with no release. Through rebirth and death again, submit to seizure by edict of the Supreme Thearch. And command the jailers to devour the ghostly beings and drink their blood. Swiftly, in accordance with the statutes.”

If the person believed to be troubled by evil spirits cries out in distress, ask him the cause of the matter.

The Method of Beheading Ghosts.

When the “Seal for Destroying Demons and Ghosts” (mie yaogui jue) is performed, both hands form the seal at the same time. If a ghost is to be beheaded, recite the “Statutes Confirm the Law of Death” incantation (lüyan fasi zhou), asking the Lord on High (Shangdi) to issue an order to arrest and seize the ghost, and commanding the jailers to swallow the ghost’s flesh and drink its blood—quickly, quickly, in accordance with the statutes and ordinances (jiji ru lüling). If the sick person cries out in pain, ask about the cause of the illness.

Method of Beheading Ghosts

When the “Seal for Destroying Demons and Ghosts” is performed, both hands form the seal at the same time.

To behead a ghost, recite the “Statutes Confirm the Law” and say to the ghost: “You have now committed a crime of this kind; the crime deserves beheading.” Then say: “I ask the executioner of this bureau to behead the ghost for me.” Then recite the incantation:

The Celestial Thearch (Tiandi) issues a stern command, and the executioner acts under orders. Having received the mandate of the celestial talisman, he must not indulge favor or grant leniency. Holding the divine twin-edged blade, he roots out evil. Bring the ghost to the foot of the altar and slay it with a single stroke of the sword. Quickly, quickly, in accordance with the statutes and ordinances.

After the incantation has been recited seven times, say: “Take it out and put it to death by slow slicing (lingchi).” Then recite the “Ghost Incantation” seven times:

The Celestial Thearch issues an order, and the Celestial Armored Guards and Celestial Lads (Tianjia Tianding) act under orders. The ghost has committed a grave crime; smash its body and shatter its bones. By command of the Celestial Thearch, wherever the statute reaches, it is carried out according to the order. Quickly, quickly, in accordance with the statutes and ordinances.

Incantation for Sentencing Ghosts

In performance, use the “Seal for Investigating Ghosts” (kangui jue), a hand seal for examining and judging ghostly beings, and recite:

The Celestial Thearch issues an order; the law is established without mercy. The talismanic mandate of the Three Heavens (Santian) has already been sent down; the offender ought to receive punishment. By command of the Celestial Thearch, wherever the statute reaches, it is carried out according to the order. Quickly, quickly, in accordance with the statutes and ordinances.

In the original text this incantation is repeated once.

Incantation for Banishing Ghosts

In performance, use the “Seal for Banishing Ghosts” (peigui jue), a hand seal for sending ghostly beings into exile, and recite:

The ghost has committed a wicked crime and ought to be dealt with without mercy. In accordance with the statutes and ordinances, banish it to the sea encampment. By command of High Heaven, carry this out according to the law. If it dares to refuse submission, smash its body and shatter its bones. Quickly, quickly, in accordance with the statutes and ordinances.

The incantations above are recited seven times.

Beginning with the “Incantation for Personally Seizing and Subduing the Ghost-Thief,” after each phrase of the incantation is recited, spray one mouthful of water outward and say: “Destroyed.”

Heart-Method for Treating Derangement and Evil from a Distance

If the patient is a young woman or a married woman, and the practitioner does not wish to meet her, first recite an incantation to consecrate the water and take one cup of water. Both the patient and the practitioner wash their hands and faces with this water. While washing his hands, the practitioner forms the “Jade Emperor Seal” (Yuhuang jue) with both hands—a Daoist hand seal made with the fingers—recites the incantation seven times, and with each recitation blows Qi (vital energy) into the water. The text of the incantation is as follows:

The divine dragon displays its divine might and, ritual implements in hand, the thousand kinds of demons and specters withdraw of themselves. The ritual seat of Daluo Heaven is established, and the divine songs of the grotto-heavens are intoned. Swiftly, swiftly, act in accordance with the statutes and ordinances of Shangqing.

After the incantation has been recited, the hand seals are formed in the water.

Explanation of the Hand Seals

For the Taiqing seal, the index finger points upward; for the demon-inspecting seal, the index finger is held in the center. For the Yuqing seal, the middle finger points upward; for the Jade Emperor seal, the middle finger is held in the center. For the sword-raising seal, the middle finger points downward; for the Shangqing seal, the ring finger is held in the center. For the Ziwei seal, the ring finger is held in the center; for the demon-pairing seal, the little finger is held in the center. For the demon-destroying seal, the little finger points downward.

When one is to go and drive out and remedy baleful influences, the transit permits (documents used in performing the rite) and the posted notices are first burned, and the documents are delivered before the Earth God of the household and Siming (the deity who keeps a family’s register of fate), as well as to the deities of the Five Paths and other related gods, to await their indication. An official dispatch is also submitted to the City God (the deity who governs a locality), requesting the temporary assignment of spirit-soldiers and commanders to arrest and keep guard. When the rite is finished, another official dispatch is submitted to return the soldiers and commanders. Once custody has been properly arranged, the matter is reported clearly, so as to await the response of the deities.

Spell for Distributing Qi (vital energy)

O heavenly numina of the Qianyuan, deities of Jia, Yi, Bing, and Ding; O Taiyi of Wu and Ji—Ren and Gui guard the bodily form. The Vermilion Bird (the protective deity of the south) covers and protects, granting long life. The merit officers within the body (divine clerks who transmit commands), the generals of the Three and the Five, and the divine beings on the left and the right all bestow auspicious blessing this day. May the methods of the Dao (the Way) be gained in their subtle excellence, so that I may commune with the spirits. Filthy Qi is swept away, and fierce, unsettling affairs disperse. Shen (spirit) and Qi are made clear and bright, body and mind refreshed and sound, and cultivation of the Dao returns to purity and correctness. Swiftly, swiftly, act in accordance with the statutes and ordinances of Shangqing.

Shangqing Celestial Pivot Bureau: The Orthodox Method of Returning the Carriage and Completing the Dao, Middle Scroll

Shangqing Celestial Pivot Bureau: The Orthodox Method of Returning the Carriage and Completing the Dao, Lower Scroll

Formulary for the Verified Report on Inspecting the Stove

If someone submits a petition, first burn incense. With the index finger of each hand, pinch the Hai position and form a hand mudra, then cross the hands and press them at the waist. Knock the teeth three times and blow one breath toward the ground; knock the teeth three times more, draw in one breath from in front and swallow it, and then recite the incantation:

“Spirits of Heaven, spirits of Earth, Heaven and Earth dispatch their troops and commanders. By command of the Jade Emperor, I investigate evil Jing (essence). The common people have submitted a document, and the matter they set forth deserves compassion. How dare the merit officers of the Celestial Pivot Court delay and leave it undone? Go at once to trace the Controller of Fate and ascertain the names of the ghosts and demons that have brought this misfortune. Go quickly and return quickly; I wait before the altar, sword in hand. Quickly, quickly, in accordance with the statutes and ordinances!”

When the recitation is finished, shout loudly: “Go!”

After the incantation, examine what is written on the petition and, from it, judge whether malign ghosts are working harm. Weigh the circumstances and the reason of the case, and deal with it according to the articles of celestial law and imperial decree. If the matter is minor, it need only be passed to the relevant presiding Shen (spirits), or entrusted to the spirits whom that household serves.

If troops of ghosts and spirits must indeed be dispatched, state clearly from which temple they have been sent, and at the place of signature at the end of the document affix the “Seal of the Dharma Lord of All Heaven” as a mark. Offer them incense, wine, tea, and fruit. After the patient has recovered, prepare incense and paper and take them to that temple to be burned.

When the petition is submitted, prepare six packets of spirit money, twelve paper horses, and offerings such as incense and candles. If the divine generals of this court find the case grave and inauspicious, these offerings must on no account be given to them; even if the patient is at ease for a time, long life will be hard to attain. Weigh the matter with care and act prudently, and do not lightly damage a person’s merit and practice.

It is said that in the first year of Longhan (a date in Daoist legend), the Supreme Lord of the Dao (the Way) of the Shangqing realm of perfection summoned the celestial officials and ordered them to investigate the Stove God, Controller of Fate, in the human world, to interrogate him and determine the causes of calamity and evil ghosts. The Celestial Pivot Court then ruled on where responsibility lay and carried out the healing.

The form of the petition: state the place of residence—prefecture, county, village, community association, ward and lane, and the like—and the disciple’s surname, So-and-so.

So-and-so respectfully submits the following report to those above: it is presented on behalf of so-and-so (now of such-and-such an age, born in such-and-such a year, month, day, and hour). Since such-and-such a year and month, the body has been unwell because of a certain illness. Physicians have been consulted for treatment time and again, yet no cure has been achieved. It is feared that baleful hauntings are at work, obstructing the illness and causing the medicines to lose their effect. There is now nowhere else to turn for help. A written petition is therefore respectfully prepared and submitted to the Shangqing Tianshu Yuan (Supreme Clarity Heavenly Pivot Court, the Daoist clerical institution in charge of the relevant rites and of healing), with the earnest request that instructions be sent down and that healing be carried out in accordance with the ritual statutes. This is respectfully reported.

The year, month, and day are as given above. Surname so-and-so respectfully submits this petition.

Method of Examining the Petition (the method of judging the cause of illness from the submitted document)

The character zhou (“prefecture”) is judged in the same way as the character jun (“military prefecture”). If the document does not contain the character zhou, judgment is made according to the two characters Tianshu Yuan (“Heavenly Pivot Court”).

Dianwu (ink stains): This indicates that a vow was once made among the ancestors of three generations, and that the Wudao gods (deities who guard the roads) before the gate of the house are unsettled. It may also mean that a spirit from an ancient tomb in the southeast is causing a haunting, or that the household has stored objects that are round and bright. In addition, if within twenty-one days something bearing blood was brought home, this may likewise have invited the haunting of a changgui (ghost of an entertainer).

Fanzhong (doubled strokes): This indicates that a woman’s corpse is buried beneath the door of the central room of the house, to a depth of about seven chi; or that within seven years a very close relative in the household died of a blood illness, leaving the homestead unsettled. It may also be that a feishi nüyang gui (flying-corpse female-calamity ghost) is haunting this room.

Tiaoqi (upward strokes): This indicates that a Wutong gui (Five-Powers ghost) from a tree in the south has come by attaching itself to food, and that a feitu shen (flying-earth spirit) from the west is causing a haunting at the same time.

Zhushi (ink that runs and is lost): This indicates haunting by a Wutong gui, by xianghuo shanxiao (mountain sprites of the incense fire), by those among the ancestors of three generations who died away from home, by a female ghost who died by self-injury, or by someone who drowned in a river. It may also involve the Chenghuang (City God) and the Shebo (local guardian deities).

The character xian (“county”): Dianwu indicates that the household god is unsettled, that a vow made to the Chenghuang has not been repaid, or that the stars, shining upon the palace of fate, are exerting an influence. It may also be that the mountain spirit and the yin earth are unsettled because they have been disturbed by an outsider.

Fanzhong

The wandering earth of the south—an unsettled, mobile earth-sha—will, within ten years, cause a person to offend the Taisui (taisui, the Grand Duke of the Year). Vows once made in the household, together with the mischief of the crimson-purple spirits (sha associated with red and purple), may bring illness from food and drink taken away from home.

Stirring up: Someone dies away from home before the gate, and a man is injured or dies. Yin-Yang within the household falls out of balance, and the Stove God is ill at ease. A vow of purity once made at a temple or abbey is disturbed, and the matter may also involve the fallen-fetus ghost of a person who died abroad.

Inflicted loss: Present are the crimson-purple spirits, corpse-transmitting consumption ghosts (ghostly agents believed to spread consumptive illness), the curses of one’s parents, and ghostly disturbances from kin and friends in the north. The Door God and the household earth (the earth deity of the dwelling) are unsettled, and the Stove God likewise has vow-matters still unfinished.

The character xiang: The Five Temples (temples enshrining the deities of the five directions) are defiled, and old vows are stirred; in the northeast there are ghostly disturbances tied to kin and friends. Also involved are ghosts of medicinal poison, blood-gu, blood-corpses, and ghosts of flying consumption.

Grave offense: Ten paces east of the gate lie a hidden corpse and a stone-essence (a spirit-being lodged in an object of stone), and the household gods are implicated as well.

The character xiang: The Five Temples are defiled and old vows are stirred; in the northeast there are ghostly disturbances tied to kin and friends. Also involved are ghosts of medicinal poison, blood-gu, blood-corpses, and ghosts of flying consumption.

Grave offense: Ten paces east of the gate lie a hidden corpse and a stone-essence, and the household gods are also linked with illness-ghosts handed down by the lineage ancestors.

Stirring up: One’s closest kin once uttered curses in a temple hall to the south. The destiny offends a star-sha (a baleful astral sha) and also offends the household earth.

Inflicted loss: There are ghosts of hidden corpses and ancient tombs, deities of merit attached to old paintings, strange things that have become essence-spirits, and objects stored in the house—or ghostly agents—connected with consumptive illness and death.

The character bao: The deities of an old temple are defiled, and vow-matters of merit are stirred; a female ghost of a blood-corpse is also involved. Food from the east on the second seventh day (the fourteenth day) may, under ghostly intrusion, enter the house bearing harm.

Grave offense: Beneath the third mouth of the stove lie a man’s withered bones, together with the ghostly presence of a woman who took her own life. Someone has been injured or has died in a watercourse to the north, and there is also a spirit of an ancient tomb.

Inflicted loss: Deities of an old temple in the west offend the household earth, the well, and the stove. Before the gate there is the ghostly presence of one who, frightened and disturbed, took their own life, and there is also the injury or death of a woman.

The character li: A watercourse is defiled, involving the ghost of a man who was injured or killed. Among trees to the north there is a Wutong spirit (wutong, a numinous being in popular belief); in the north there is the essence of a bronze image; and the Stove God has vow-matters still unfinished.

Grave offense: The case involves wandering spirits, the Wutong, the loose earth of the west, the deity of the funeral carriage, objects from a ghost-household, and implements of bronze and iron. The scripture states that one whose destiny offends this sha will surely die, and that no treatment can save them.

Stirring up:

These are ghostly afflictions of the shanxiao and muke kind. A vow once made in the household was left unfulfilled, and this has offended the Earth Bureau (the divine office that governs the land), leaving the home unsettled. It may also be the work of ghosts of those who died away from home, or of ghosts of women who died by injury.

Ghostly afflictions of the south that chiefly govern spasmodic illness enter Buddhist monasteries from outside, curse the stars, press upon a person’s allotted span of life, and unsettle the Five Paths (the roads bound up with the destinations of rebirth); they also involve the departed souls of the parents. Offending the Earth Bureau and the unsettled state of the household may likewise be connected with ghosts of those who died away from home and ghosts of women who died by injury.

Ghostly afflictions of the south that chiefly govern spasmodic illness enter Buddhist monasteries from outside, curse the stars, press upon a person’s allotted span of life, and unsettle the Five Paths; they also involve the departed souls of the parents.

Submitting a Petition

If the patient’s surname and given name have been forgotten, do not write them down. The matter may concern an ancient tomb in the west, Wutong ghosts of those who died away from home (spirits associated with the Wutong cult, together with souls of people who died abroad), and ghostly afflictions that offend the earth or are of the medicinal-poison kind.

Defiling and offending the departed souls of the parents, conducting household affairs in secrecy and obscurity, and failing to honor the parents—this is a calamity sent down by Heaven.

Grave Offense

The ancestors once made a vow, and stellar killers (baleful forces associated with the stars) have brought disaster. It may also involve the departed souls of uncles and of father and grandfather, a lurking corpse beneath the main hall (death-Qi [vital energy] or corpse-balefulness concealed within the dwelling), and the mischief of ancient objects and of stone Jing (essence).

Stirring Up

The ancestors once cursed a temple deity, and in their speech there were faults of flattery and deceit, of slander and distortion. This brings on death, and the illness is hard to cure.

Infusion and Loss

It may be Earth-Yellow, Earth-Arrow, Earth-Plague, the shanxiao, or the Shebo (the god of the soil), as well as the departed soul of a woman in a watercourse; it may also be a ghostly affliction of the gu-poison Qi kind from the northeast.

Name

The woman’s surname, the younger brother, and similar details are recorded in the same way.

Parents and brothers have been defiled, and a corpse-transmitting ghost (a ghostly affliction believed to pass illness from one person to another) may be at work; the shanxiao does harm, and there is a lurking corpse in the guest hall. The household does not accumulate good deeds, offends the parents, and close kin curse one another; the tree spirit of the north and the Jing of ancient bronze and iron may also be involved. The Jing (scripture) says that cases of this kind bring death and are hard to cure.

Grave Offense

The departed soul of the maternal grandfather is at work; kin and friends in Daoist abbeys and Buddhist temples once uttered curses, and death-Qi has entered the dwelling. There is again a corpse-transmitting ghost at work, harm done by the shanxiao, and a lurking corpse in the guest hall. The household does not accumulate good deeds, offends the parents, and close kin curse one another; the tree spirit of the north and the Jing of ancient bronze and iron may also be involved. The Jing says that cases of this kind bring death and are hard to cure.

Grave Offense

The departed soul of the maternal grandfather is at work; kin and friends in Daoist abbeys and Buddhist temples once uttered curses, and death-Qi has entered the dwelling. There may also be a creditor-ghost from the north and souls of those who died away from home. Weapons kept in the house draw the mischief of the shanxiao and of the roof tiles, or a sound like the beating of a drum is heard. It may also be connected with the Jing of fish and soft-shelled turtles, a ghost of the south who died by self-injury, and a female ghost in a well or spring.

The Patient’s Name

The woman’s surname, the younger brother, and similar details are recorded in the same way.

Defilement in the south brings misfortune through food and drink. In the northwest there is an old temple, and behind the spirit hall lies a concealed corpse. In the west there is a female ghost.

Aggravated affliction (meaning that baleful influences or disasters have grown more severe). The ancestors once made a vow, and someone among friends or guests died a violent death. The stars now shine directly on the Palace of Destiny, and grievance-bearing creditors from a former life will come to claim a life. The illness cannot be cured, and three people are certain to die.

Noted loss (meaning that the signs indicate bereavement and calamity). The stars shine down, or a vow was once made, and the destiny bears the mark of a short life. In the north there is the ghost of a funeral cart. The divine generals of the Five Paths will lure in the gu-ghost from the southwest. The illness cannot be cured.

The year, month, day, and hour of falling ill. The stellar lodges shine upon the destiny, and it suffers defilement. In the house there are concealed corpses and strange mountain sprites, together with ghostly hauntings from the hills, ancient tombs, wells, and springs.

Aggravated affliction. The mountain god works harm, and the god of the foul pit works harm. Beneath the stove there is a ghost who died bearing a grievance, or the ghost of a funeral cart. The divine generals of the Five Paths will lure in the gu-ghost from the southwest. The illness cannot be cured.

The year, month, day, and hour of falling ill. The stellar lodges shine upon the destiny, and it suffers defilement. In the house there are concealed corpses and strange mountain sprites, together with ghostly hauntings from the hills, ancient tombs, wells, and springs.

Aggravated affliction. The mountain god works harm, and the god of the foul pit works harm. Beneath the stove there are a ghost who died bearing a grievance and the ghost of a funeral cart. There may also be calamity from death by poisonous medicine, and the ground where the Stove God dwells is unsettled.

Stirred up (meaning that some malign influence has been provoked). There are concealed-corpse ghosts under the charge of the Wutong spirit, and a corpse-transmitting ghost come from the southwest. Relatives, friends, or monks and nuns have worked curses. Copper and iron objects kept in the house have become sprites.

Noted loss. Beneath the first room on the east side there are ancient weapons, and a sprite of the waters works harm. Bamboo and wood take on green and yellow colors, as if mocking. There is also the ghost of a woman who died by her own hand.

The character Shen (spirit)—that is, the character “shen” used for judgment in the divination. If the character “shen” is written above, it means the first character in the line. It indicates a female ghost who died away from home, a ghost who died by self-harm, a mountain goblin, and the god of an old temple. The spirits of the Five Paths have a demand to make, and the house site is not at peace.

Below. If the character “shen” is written below, it means the first character in the line.

A female ghost who died in secret, a ghost that works curses in a temple, and the god of the ancestral grave to the west: within two years there is a vow pledged by the tradition of the Dao (the Way), and the house site is not at peace.

Below. If the character “shen” is written below, it means the first character in the line.

A female ghost who died in secret, a ghost that works curses in a temple, and the god of the ancestral grave to the west: within two years a baleful event that harms living beings will occur.

Defilement. Ghosts served and worshiped by the ancestral line of the Wutong spirit, together with the souls of other people’s grandparents, occupy ground within the dwelling and bring on calamity.

Ghosts seen in a night terror may be tied to dietary taboos of the East or to the calamities connected with them. Ancient objects kept in the house may turn into anomalous spirits, or they may be the ghosts of those who died in childbirth.

Stirred up: ghosts that transmit corpse-disease; flying insects on clothing entering the dwelling; the Shen (spirit) of flowers and fruits in the South. If, after a person has died, no treatment is applied here, the sign will come true.

Infusion and loss: vow-hauntings of the deities of water and land are set in motion; the parents once pronounced a curse; mountain Jing (essence), together with essence-beings of blue-green and yellow; and the spirits of hills, ancient tombs, and burial grounds.

The character “ghost” above: spirits of a temple in the southeast; a male corpse lies hidden in the main hall. Within twenty-one days the household will see strange things and meet with disaster.

The character “ghost” below: temple spirits within a hundred li; a curse or a vow was once made; ghosts of those who died or were injured in the waterways of the northwest, and the ghosts of the ancestors.

Blot and stain: vow-hauntings bound up with the stars; the ghosts of brothers; corpse-ghosts and the wood Shen of the South; the haunting spirits of those who died away from home, died of injury, took their own lives, or died by injustice.

Doubled offense: the Wutong (Five Manifestations), Shen of the incense fire; breaking ground in the southwest offends the Earth Bureau, so that Taisui (the Grand Year) sends down disaster and Siming (Director of Fate) is alarmed.

Stirring the ghosts of brothers: the ghosts of brothers, corpse-ghosts and the wood Shen of the South; the haunting spirits of those who died away from home, died of injury, took their own lives, or died by injustice.

Doubled offense: the Wutong, Shen of the incense fire; breaking ground in the southwest offends the Earth Bureau, so that Taisui sends down disaster and Siming is alarmed.

Stirred up: this is the ghost of one who died in a nightmare. It may also be someone who died in war, someone killed or injured while imprisoned, or a haunting anomaly caused by ancient objects stored in the house. It may further arise when one of lower station encroaches upon one of higher station.

Infusion and loss: things sent by relatives in the West; calamitous hauntings connected with women; gu-poison ghosts, water monsters, and the Jing of dragons and mirage-clams in rivers and deep pools.

The character “calamity” above: a female ghost of the South who died by injuring herself; the Jing of flowers and trees; a well or stove left uncleaned; unfinished vow-matters of the ancestors of the house.

The character “calamity” below: the ghosts of brothers and of grandparents; a curse brought upon oneself; guilt incurred because the mind was not upright, and seizure by celestial Shen. In such cases death is certain, and no remedy is possible.

Blot and stain: curses and divine vow-hauntings of the South and the North; troubles provoked by kin; haunting by deviant ways; and a female ghost who died in secret.

Doubled offense: corpse-transmitting ghosts of ancestors or kin; those who formed a grievance in a former life and now demand a life or collect a debt; ghosts determined to take possession; hauntings of the Wutong Shen, of entertainers, and of the dead. Curses of the North, divine vow-hauntings, troubles provoked by kin, haunting by deviant ways, and a female ghost who died in secret may all likewise come true.

Among the ghosts of ancestors and kin are those who died of infectious disease; karmic enemies and creditors from a former life who formed grievances, are owed debts, and come to claim life; and also ghosts that occupy a place and will not leave, the Wutong Shen (Five Manifestations spirit), and ghosts of those who died as courtesans and who harm people.

“Tiaoqi” (stirring up): Because things of blood were used to draw the courtesan-ghosts of the east into the house to cause haunting, the household Siming Shen (Director of Fate) and the ancestors are thereby unable to rest in peace.

“Zhushi” (infusion and loss): The mountain spirit has been offended, and the Yin Qi (vital energy) of the dwelling is unsettled; a malign star comes upon one’s allotted fate, and the Wutong Shen in an ancient temple still has unfulfilled wishes.

When the character “祟” (sui, haunting) stands above: Incense and sacrificial offerings belonging to others are mixed into the chamber; within are a female ghost who took her own life and the spirit of the well and spring.

When the character “祟” stands below: There is incense offered by outsiders, and also concealed corpses in ancient tombs, ghosts who died of infectious disease, and the unfulfilled wishes of those who died earlier; the dwelling site is unsettled.

“Dianwu” (defilement): Spirits of the paternal uncles’ line and of the maternal grandfather’s line, mountain ghosts, tree Jing (essences), and the Wudao spirit before the gate.

“Fanzhong” (grave offense): There is a female ghost who died away from home; four chi to the west, below the fence, there are hidden essence-specters and ghosts of knives and swords. Cases of this kind are said to be difficult to cure.

“Tiaoqi”: In the west there are spirits who preside over flowers, fruits, and play; the dwelling is unsettled, and the many spirits have unfulfilled wishes; within a hundred days a strange creature has been seen.

“Zhushi”: This comes from having offended the dwelling site, and it involves ghosts of those who caused death by injuring others; the pure spirit has unfulfilled wishes, and a great spirit has also been offended.

When the character “邪” (xie, deviance) stands above: There are ancient-tomb spirits of the five directions; those who died earlier cause haunting; the sacred-mountain spirit has unfulfilled wishes; and the Siming Shen cannot rest in peace.

When the character “邪” stands below: There are unfulfilled wishes, and the spirits of the Three Realms contend and are unsettled; what is thought in the heart and spoken by the mouth has no basis, and the calamity is said to have been sent down by Heaven.

Cases of this kind are said to be difficult to cure.

“Dianwu”: The celestial spirit has unfulfilled wishes; in the north there are matters of cursing and imprecation, and shanxiao (mountain goblins), as well as one’s parents, also bring disaster.

“Fanzhong”: There are ghosts of those who died in battle, ghosts on the southern road who died by violence or of wounds, and female ghosts who died an evil death; there are also Wutong ghosts of the east that sport and cause haunting.

“Tiaoqi”: The door gods, the Wutong Shen, spirits of the tree kind, and the City God (Chenghuang) have unfulfilled wishes and therefore cause haunting.

“Zhushi”: There are ghosts who died in prison, ghosts of female corpses who died of a blood calamity, and fierce mountain Jing; the five spirits cannot rest in peace.

The character “妖” (yao)

What “above” refers to as causes of illness or evil influences includes chuanshi disease (an illness believed to be transmitted within a family), the ghosts of grandfathers and earlier generations, malevolent anomalies appearing in the residence, lingering entanglements left by vows once made to the stars, and corpse-ghosts and female ghosts lurking beneath the woods.

What “below” refers to includes ghosts of those who died by injury in waterways, chang ghosts (fierce and violent ghostly afflictions), female corpse-ghosts transformed from the poisonous gu of the north, and the Jing (essence) anomalies of medicinal substances.

What “defilement” refers to includes corpse-ghosts lurking before the hall, inauspicious graves of one’s parents or an inauspicious residence, and strange phenomena produced by ancient vessels and by paintings and calligraphy. According to this account, when the illness is severe it cannot be treated.

What “grave incursion” refers to includes falling ill through buying a sick person’s clothing, ghosts transformed from women who died suddenly, and the gu-poison Jing anomalies of the southwest.

What “stirring up” refers to includes stone Jing, anomalies produced by beast-shaped or elephant-shaped objects made of copper and iron, tomb Shen (spirits), mountain Shen, river Shen, chang ghosts coming from outside, and evil influences within ancient tombs.

What “infusion-loss” refers to includes falling ill through losing another person’s belongings, ghosts transformed from women who died suddenly, and the gu-poison Jing anomalies of the southwest.

“Stirring up” further includes stone Jing, anomalies of beasts and elephants made of copper and iron, tomb Shen, mountain Shen, river Shen, chang ghosts from outside, and the evil influences of ancient tombs.

“Infusion-loss” further includes vow-covenants left by the Yue Shen (spirits of the mountains and peaks), curses between brothers, ghost-officials of deviant paths, and the Five Chang (fierce deities of the five directions) together with the Shen of mountains and stones.

What the character “guai” (“strange”) refers to includes, among three generations of ancestors, the ghosts of women who died away from home, unrest of the earth Shen, chang ghosts and ghosts of those who died young in waterways, and the Shen of blood-gu.

What “below” refers to includes shanxiao, ghosts of those who died in fires, corpse-ghosts that lurk after death by bleeding or after suffering injury, the Shen of crimson and purple, and falling ill after eating and drinking associated with the northeast.

What “defilement” refers to includes ghosts of gloom and darkness, the water Jing of the west, and Shen transformed from the pagoda tree and the soapberry tree of the north. According to this account, when the illness is severe it cannot be treated.

What “grave incursion” refers to includes the ghosts of those who died in battle, “Wudao xiangju” (the notion that the ghosts and spirits of the Five Paths implicate one another), vow-covenants upon the land of the residence, curses of the north, and flying corpse-ghosts.

What “stirring up” refers to includes female ghosts who took their own lives in the kitchen or the latrine, Shen in ancient temples of the east and west, and ghostly afflictions of unknown origin in ditches and wells.

What “infusion-loss” refers to includes karmic consequences incurred by having beaten living beings to death within two years, grievances and debts accumulated over seven generations, and hidden baleful stars (stellar luminaries believed to bring misfortune) pressing upon one’s allotted fate.

The character “wang” is explained in the same way as the character “lao.”

What “above” refers to includes the karmic offenses created, generation after generation, by ancestors who were unfilial toward their parents, ghosts of the poisonous mountain Jing of the southeast, and ghosts transformed from those who died as sojourners away from home or through unexpected injury and death.

Under the category “Below” (zaixia) are listed spirit-beings and ghostly hauntings believed to lurk underneath and bring misfortune. They include the gu-poison Qi (vital energy) of the five directions, Shen (spirit) that wander among the trees, shanxiao, stone Jing (essence), water specters, and the ghosts of those who died violently in waterways.

The situations indicated by “Defilement” (dianwu) include offending Taisui (clashing with the Taisui presiding over the current year), unrest in the yin dwelling, and unrest among the ghosts of parents and ancestors and among the door gods. “Grave Offense” (fanzhong) involves blood corpses, the Wutong, hauntings by shanxiao, fox spirits, and wells or stoves left unclean or improperly placed. Listed under “Stirring Up” (tiaoqi) are nightmare-death ghosts, ghosts of corpse-transmitted consumption, baleful entities associated with food and drink in the south, and Shen in the ancient tombs of grandmothers in the north.

The baleful harms listed under “Infusion and Loss” (zhushi) include hauntings by parents and ancestors, shanxiao and the Shen of ancient tombs, the ghosts of the newly dead, and earth ghosts in ancient tombs of the north. The entry for the character liang (魉) further lists shanxiao, the ghosts of monkey Jing, and, in connection with Siming (the divine office that governs a person’s lifespan and destiny), ferocious injuries, deaths away from home, the ghosts of those who hanged themselves, and corpse-transmitted consumption (an illness believed to be contagious and to cause prolonged sickness and wasting).

The categories “Below,” “Defilement,” “Grave Offense,” and the rest are then listed again. “Below” includes the Shen worshipped beneath an old residence, the ghosts of flowers and fruits that wander here and there in the east and the west, and the Jing of nails and iron. “Defilement” refers to acquiring, within a single year, the clothing of Daoist priests or Buddhist monks, making vows to pure Shen, the stars shining upon one’s allotted fate, and the Jing-beings associated with sweeping the house and courtyard. “Grave Offense” includes ghosts of violent death and concealed corpses, disease-transmitting ghosts of the ancestors, hauntings by the mountain Shen of the Five Paths, and wandering flower-and-fruit ghosts together with the Jing of nails and iron. “Stirring Up” means that the maternal grandparents enter the residence and, together with the ancestral parents, become linked with Siming, thereby bringing calamity and illness.