《北帝七元紫庭延生秘诀》

In the second year of the Chiwu era of Wu (239 CE), the Immortal Ge sought out this method from the Most High Lord Lao (Taishang Laojun) and received it. In the Wei period, Master Ye transmitted it to the world. The Most High Lord Lao is void and without form. The Northern Emperor (Beidi), a Daoist deity of the north, holds the essential formulas and communicates with the Purple Court (Ziting), a sacred palace in the celestial realm.

The body, emolument, the fortune and virtue of sons and daughters, allotted destiny, official rank, longevity, and wives, concubines, and servants—these seven items each correspond to one spirit. At the sacrifice one lights seven lamps and, in a Daoist abbey or a clean and quiet chamber, observes whether the flames burn bright or dim, and thereby judges whether calamity attends the corresponding matter.

The jiao rite, a Daoist ritual of sacrifice and prayer, should be held on the first or the fifteenth day of each month. The Scripture of the Seven Primordials (Qiyuan Jing) says that on these two days the Seven Primordial Perfected of the Northern Emperor descend to the human world to examine people’s offenses and blessings. If people then set up a jiao and pray for calamities to be removed, they can move toward good fortune and away from misfortune.

The sacrifice is best chosen for one’s own natal day, or for a day that accords with one’s emolument destiny and in which the Five Phases (Wuxing; Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water) generate one another. The place should avoid spots where dogs and rats come and go. One first clears away weeds and filth and, on clean ground, performs the rite in the chou, hai, or wei hours. This manner of sacrifice is called “sweeping the ground and offering sacrifice”; white cogongrass may also be spread as a mat for the offering. If one can know the names of the stars, the offerings that correspond to each star, and the related taboos, one will be all the better able to seek good fortune and avoid misfortune.

When a jiao rite (jiaoyi)—a ritual of setting up an altar to petition the deities—is performed, one must first bathe and observe abstinence, keeping oneself pure. Lamps are arranged according to the positions of the stars; beneath each star a table is placed, and offerings are set upon it. All the offerings are to be washed with water scented with maoxiang (fragrant thatch), and this same water is also sprinkled through the courtyard and indoors.

To the north of the place of sacrifice, two money standards are set up. When the money on the standards begins to move, it is taken that the true deity has descended and can dispel calamity and bestow blessing. During the rite one should not keep staring at the divine seat. It is said that if a person merely knows the name of the natal star (benming xing) to which he or she belongs, calamity can be avoided—how much more so if the jiao rite is performed over a long time. After the sacrifice ends, one observes the direction from which the wind blows; it is said that this indicates the direction in which to seek rank and fame.

One then takes a small amount of star grain (xingliang), places it in a little pouch about one cun square, and wears it on the head when going out. In a sudden crisis, one calls the name and title of one’s natal star lord (benming xingjun) three times in succession and prays for aid; if one wishes to pray for other matters, one likewise invokes the natal star lord.

The offerings include clear wine, rare incense, offering fruit called “tujing fruit,” together with oil cakes and money; the quantities are left to each person to decide. In addition, a single petition (danzhuang)—a written prayer addressed to the deities—is used, listing the divine seats and setting down the matters sought.

The first is the Yangming Star, corresponding to “five and seven.” The second is the Yinjing Star, corresponding to the fourth star and the sixth star, which lie in a straight line. The third is the Zhenren Star; its position is distinguished separately and is not arranged in sequence. Then come the fourth, the Xuanming Star; the fifth, the Danyuan Star; the sixth, the Beiji Star; and the seventh, the Tianguan Star, together with the Fu Star and the Bi Star.

All the star lords above should be imagined as perfected beings (zhenren), crowned with jeweled headdresses, draped in mantles of roseate cloud, and holding jade tablets. During the jiao rite one should visualize their forms and address prayers to them.

The eighth is the Di Star, called Gaoshang Yuhuang Jingguang Jun, the Lord of Lofty Jade-August Radiant Light. It is said that one who sees this star lord may gain three hundred years of life.

The ninth is the Zun Star, called Taiwei Yudi Shenjun, the Divine Lord and Jade Emperor of Grand Tenuity, also known as Taidi Qichen Yuanjun, the Primordial Lord of the Seven Chronograms of the Great Emperor. It is said that one who sees this star lord may gain six hundred years of life.

The two Imperial Lords mentioned above wear the robes of emperors, and both are positioned near the Northern Dipper (Beidou). Another account holds that the Imperial Lord (Dijun) resides within the fourth star and the Venerable Lord (Zunjun) within the second; both are spiritual manifestations of emperors and exalted deities. When the jiao rite is performed—the rite of setting up an altar to pray to the deities, the Zhaijiao (purification ritual)—one should visualize them appearing.

On the nights of the third and the twenty-seventh of each month, one may quietly observe these two stars, taking care that no one else sees. If sincere devotion is maintained for a long time, they will become visible. Both stars are as large as the seven stars of the Northern Dipper and give off a purple radiance unlike that of other stars—brilliant, luminous, and awe-inspiring. Upon seeing them, one should kowtow and make a petition, then kowtow again, requesting long life and ascent as a flying immortal, while silently stating one’s plea in the heart. If at that moment one is able to see the two Imperial Lords, they will confer upon the practitioner the status of a True Official.

The Upper Terrace star is named Xujing. Prayers offered to it may bring a response in which an emperor appears in a dream to bestow instruction; one may also pray for gold and jade. Reciting the star’s name while praying will bring fulfillment.

The Middle Terrace star is named Liuchun. One prays to it for flourishing official rank and salary; reciting the star’s name while praying brings smooth success and good fortune.

The Lower Terrace star is named Qusheng. One prays to it for wives and concubines and for servants; reciting the star’s name while praying brings the wish to fulfillment.

The Celestial Lord of Grand Tenuity (Taiwei Dijun) says that anyone who wishes to prolong life, attain longevity, and rise to wealth and high office should cultivate this ritual art. If one long practices, according to the rite, the pacing of the “Seven-Star Net” (the ritual of stepping in accordance with the positions of the seven stars of the Northern Dipper) and performs the Jiao rite (a Daoist ritual of setting up an altar to announce offerings to the deities), it is said that one can remove the sins accumulated by seven generations of ancestors, as well as one’s own calamities. When disaster or illness is met with, prayer will dispel it.

If an emperor cultivates the Dao (the Way), it is said that his lifespan may equal that of the sun, moon, and stars, that he will be capable of countless transformations, and that his blessings will be as deep as the mountains. Those who sincerely revere and love the cultivation of the Dao can ascend to Heaven in broad daylight. High officials such as the Three Dukes and the chief ministers will receive the emperor’s favor, and their official fortunes and stipends will flourish. Those whose households are pure and who possess this method can avoid every kind of illness and inauspicious event.

In former times, Liu Jing of the Han dynasty was surrounded by a rebel army of a million men. Arrows fell like rain, and the soldiers all turned pale with fear, yet Liu Jing alone remained calm and unafraid. With his undershirt hanging loose, he paced the steps of the Seven Stars and silently vowed to perform a Jiao rite. Before long, divine beings suddenly came to raise the siege, and the rebel army all scattered and fled. This was merely the ordinary method of pacing the stellar net and establishing a Jiao; how much more so this secret true formula, which is said to have been transmitted orally by perfected persons and immortals who had attained the Dao.

According to the Code of the Seven Primes (the Keyi, or liturgy, relating to the star lords of the Seven Primes), this method is transmitted to only one person every hundred years, and the recipient must possess the “bone register” (gulu, one regarded as qualified by innate endowment to receive the method). It must not be transmitted casually, or nine generations of ancestors will suffer disaster. If people of the world do not yet know how to pace the stellar net, they need only perform the Jiao rite twice each month, and it is said that they will still receive a response: one year of practice averts unexpected calamity, two years avert the disasters of war, three years avert the calamity of death, and in the fourth year one beholds the true form. No calamity or evil spirit can then do harm, and one may long remain free of misfortune.

The original text repeats itself in the warning against reckless transmission and again in the later account of the Jiao rite’s efficacy; the above combines these passages into a single paraphrase.

The first is the Yangming Star, corresponding to those born in a Rat year, who eat broomcorn millet. The second is the Yinjing Star, corresponding to those born in Ox and Pig years, who eat foxtail millet. The third is the Zhenren Star, corresponding to those born in Tiger and Dog years, who eat glutinous rice.

The fourth star is the Xuanming Star. Those born in a Mao year or a You year belong to this star and should offer small beans (red adzuki beans).

The fifth star is the Danyuan Star. Those born in a Chen year or a Shen year belong to this star and should offer hemp seeds.

The sixth star is the Pole Star (Beiji Xing). Those born in a Si year or a Wei year belong to this star and should offer soybeans.

The seventh star is the Tianguan Star. Those born in a Wu year belong to this star and should offer small beans (red adzuki beans).

Offerings for the jiao rite: twelve substitute figures, symbolizing the person for whom the rite is offered and serving in that person’s place to bear calamity and affliction; cooked white rice; one bolt of life silk, silk symbolizing the lifespan; one set of underclothes worn next to the body; and one zhang and two chi of life cloth. Those born in a Wu year belong to the Tianguan Star and should offer small beans.

Offerings for the jiao rite: twelve substitute figures; cooked white rice; one bolt of life silk; one set of underclothes worn next to the body; one zhang and two chi of life cloth; one pair of gold rings; one pair of jade rings; one dou and two sheng of salt; one shi and two dou of emolument rice; one thousand two hundred copper cash; one dou and two sheng of fermented black soybeans; one hundred twenty sheets of paper for writing the memorial; one brush; one cake of ink; an incense burner; and one table set out with pure water.

Colored silks of pacification and pledge, silks of various colors used to secure protection and establish trust: for the east, nine zhang and nine chi of blue-green silk; for the south, three zhang and three chi of crimson silk; for the west, seven zhang and seven chi of white silk; for the north, five zhang and five chi of black silk; and for the center, twelve zhang and two chi of yellow silk.

The fruits may include chestnuts, plums, peaches, jujubes, apricots, walnuts, dried persimmons, and pears. Prepare two purified couches. Place one of them against the north wall, with the couch facing south, and set upon it the Diagram of the Seven Yuan, the chart of the stellar lords of the Seven Yuan. The diagram is made from two panels of blue-green silk, each nine chi long, and painted as a picture.

When the jiao rite is held, offer wine and food after the incense has been burned. When every section of the liturgy has been completed, withdraw to one side. After a short while, compose the Shen (spirit) and wait in stillness. Hold the ritual tablet, stand with the body bowed, one zhang and five chi from the offering table, and softly make this invocation:

“On such-and-such a year, month, day, and hour, the disciple sets forth his official titles in full. Then say: the life-allotment of the disciple belongs to such-and-such a star. Kowtow and bow twice.”

Then, facing the offering table, reverently petition and submit a memorial to the True Lords of the Seven Yuan. When the petition is finished, withdraw to one side. After a short while, again compose the Shen and wait in stillness. Hold the ritual tablet, stand with the body bowed, one zhang and five chi from the offering table, and softly make this invocation:

“On such-and-such a year, month, day, and hour, the disciple sets forth his official titles in full. Then say: the life-allotment of the disciple belongs to such-and-such a star. Kowtow and bow twice.”

Then, with reverence I announce and entreat the Seven Primordial True Lords (Qiyuan Zhenjun, the divine perfected corresponding to the seven stars of the Northern Dipper): the two Divine Lords Yangming and Yinjing. Please manifest your bright and resplendent numinous light, descend this night, and accept this meager offering. May the two of you briefly descend from the Celestial Court, bestow fearlessness upon me, and bring peace to body and mind; remove my name from the register of the dead and inscribe me in the book of longevity. May all that I seek be obtained and all that I do be accomplished; reaching upward, may I move the sovereign, and reaching downward, may I stir human hearts, so that all honor and cherish me, and at last I may ascend in flight to the Purple Court (Ziting, the dwelling of immortals and perfected beings). Please descend to the jiao altar (Jiaoxi, the ritual space where Daoist rites of prayer and deliverance are performed); I respectfully kowtow twice.

Then, with reverence I announce and entreat the Perfected One Xuanming (Zhenren Xuanming) among the Seven Primordial True Lords. Please descend to my pure altar court, partake of this simple jiao rite, and clearly perceive the sincerity of my heart. I wish to ascend to the Immortal Capital (Xiandu). May Taiyin—here the name of a deity—though nameless and formless, command the myriad spirits and lead the Six Jia and Six Ding (Liujia and Liuding, divine generals in Daoism who guard and direct ghosts and spirits), reach upward to the Heart of Heaven and downward to rescue the common people. Please descend to the jiao altar; I respectfully kowtow twice.

Then, with reverence I announce and entreat Danyuan Beiji among the Seven Primordial True Lords. Please descend to my pure altar court, delete my name from the register of the dead, and grant me the power to cultivate the Dao (the Way). May my lifespan endure as long as the sun, moon, and stars, and may good fortune extend without end; may divine beings guard my body, and may Jade Maidens (Yunü, female immortals who attend the perfected) come to serve on duty. Please descend to the jiao altar; I respectfully kowtow twice.

Then, with reverence I announce and entreat the Great Deity Tianguan (Tianguan Dashen) and Danyuan Beiji among the Seven Primordial True Lords. Please descend to my pure altar court, delete my name from the register of the dead, and grant me the power to cultivate the Dao. May my lifespan endure as long as the sun, moon, and stars, and may good fortune extend without end; may divine beings guard my body, and may Jade Maidens come to serve on duty. Please descend to the jiao altar; I respectfully kowtow twice.

Then, with reverence I announce and entreat the Great Deity Tianguan among the Seven Primordial True Lords to shine upon my body, grant me longevity, and enable me to become a guest of the Imperial Lord (Dijun). May my countenance be as bright as the sun and moon, and may I keep the freshness of youth through all four seasons; may I soon leave the dust and defilement of the lower world and ascend to the rank of a true immortal. When I glance to the left, may Yuyi (the deity of the sun) be at my side; on the right, may I carry Jielin (the deity of the moon) as a companion; let Jade Lads (Yutong) be my envoys, and Jade Maidens my intimate companions. Please descend to the jiao altar; I respectfully kowtow twice.

Then, turning toward the mouth of the Dipper (Doukou, where the handle of the Northern Dipper joins its bowl), I respectfully announce and entreat the two stars of the Venerable Emperor. You are the numinous spirits of the Northern Pole, never seen by ordinary mortals; if one can see you, one may attain long life. May you enter my name in the register of flying immortals and strike it from the register of the dead, so that my good fortune is endless and lasts as long as Heaven and Earth; let me swiftly rise to the Immortal Capital and roam in the realm of Shangqing (one of the immortal realms spoken of in Daoism). Please descend to the jiao altar; I respectfully kowtow twice.

Next, I respectfully submit a memorial, inviting the True Lord Fubi to descend. Now concealed and now revealed, supremely true and supremely divine, the True Lord assists the North Pole (Beiji) and circles through the Purple Court (Zichen, the abode of the Celestial Emperor). I pray that the True Lord will put forth the power of the Dao (the Way) and bring to fulfillment the conditions of my cultivation of the Dao: above, assisting the will of Heaven, and below, delivering those in the world who have lost their way. I respectfully invite the True Lord to descend to the jiao altar, the ritual platform on which the Daoist Zhaijiao (purification ritual) is performed. I kowtow and bow twice.

Next, facing the seat to the west, I respectfully submit a memorial, asking that Xujing of the Upper Terrace (Shangtai Xujing, “Void Essence”) be informed and that the True Lord Fubi descend. Now concealed and now revealed, supremely true and supremely divine, the True Lord assists the North Pole and circles through the Purple Court. I pray that the True Lord will put forth the power of the Dao and bring to fulfillment the conditions of my cultivation: above, assisting the will of Heaven, and below, delivering those in the world who have lost their way. I respectfully invite the True Lord to descend to the jiao altar. I kowtow and bow twice.

Next, facing the seat to the west, I respectfully submit a memorial, inviting Xujing of the Upper Terrace, Liuchun of the Middle Terrace, and Qusheng of the Lower Terrace to descend. With utmost sincerity I pour out my plea and bow twice to welcome them. Although the offerings are meager, my intention is not disrespectful; I will exert heart and strength to the utmost, and I earnestly beg the True Lords to perceive my sincere devotion. I pray that they remove my name from the register of the dead and enter it among the names of long life; that my rank be advanced and my name listed in the offices of the celestial court; that my mind be opened wide, my ears and eyes made keen, my three hun-souls long endure, and my seven po-souls be settled; and that I may attend court above at the Golden Portal and pay homage below at the Jade Capital (Yujing, the palaces of the celestial realm), ride upon cloud-dragons, and become an official of the immortal realm. I respectfully invite the True Lords to descend to the jiao altar. I kowtow and bow twice.

When the rite is finished, withdraw to one side and leave the divine perfected to partake of the offerings. If there is a wish to be reported, it may be presented at that time. When the single petition (danzhuang, a document setting out the matters of the prayer) is read aloud, one must not raise one’s voice, nor let idle bystanders hear or see it. The passage that says, “Celestial dragons, appointed as immortal ministers, descend to the jiao altar; I prostrate myself and bow twice,” is to be treated in the same way.

When the rite is finished, withdraw to one side and leave the divine perfected to partake of the offerings. If there is a wish to be reported, it may be presented at that time. When the single petition is read aloud, one must not raise one’s voice, nor let idle bystanders hear or see it. The spirit tablets of the Three Officials of Heaven, Earth, and Water should be placed below the handle of the Dipper (Doushao, the handle of the seven stars of the Northern Dipper). The offerings for the earth god and the deity on duty are divided into two portions, and paper money is burned in advance as an offering, so that one may make report and drive out impure qi (vital energy).

Sacrificial text:

In such-and-such a year, month, day, and hour, in such-and-such a prefecture and ward (the specific place to be filled in), I reverently report to the Divine Sovereign of High Heaven and the Seven Primordial True Lords of the Numinous Hall of the North Pole. The matters set forth in the sacrificial text are to be composed separately. I respectfully submit this zhang memorial. If in any respect I have offended the North Pole or slighted the luminous deities, I am truly fearful and trembling. I respectfully submit this.

There is, in addition, an incantation to be recited silently during the morning and evening rites of audience.

Note: In the original text, how the phrase “As for the celestial dragons, may their station be that of immortal ministers; may they descend to the jiao altar; I prostrate myself and bow twice” connects with what comes before and after is unclear, and the reading above retains a literal interpretation. In the sacrificial text, “compose a writing for the intended matter” may be a prompt to fill in the content of the announcement; the precise meaning of “ju zhou li ( ) ci” is also unclear, and it has therefore been treated as a place left blank to be filled in.

Reverently I submit a memorial to the True Lords of the Seven Primordials—the divine perfected who correspond to the seven stars of the Northern Dipper—the spirits of Yangming, Yinjing, Zhenren, Xuanming, Danyuan, Beiji, and Tianguan. Please remove my name from the registers of the dead and inscribe it in the roster of long life. May all that I seek be obtained and all that I do be accomplished; may everyone respect and cherish me, and cause me to ascend in flight to the Purple Court, the celestial palace of the immortals.

Then recite: Reverently I submit a memorial to the two stars of the Venerable Emperor, the stellar officials of the North Pole. O spirits of the North Pole, may I soon behold you; once I have seen you, I shall attain long life. May blessings extend without end, and may my lifespan equal that of Heaven.

Then recite: “May all that I seek be obtained and all that I do be accomplished; may everyone respect and cherish me, and cause me to ascend in flight to the Purple Court.”

Then recite: Reverently I submit a memorial to the two stars of the Venerable Emperor. O spirits of the North Pole, may I soon behold you; once I have seen you, I shall attain long life. May blessings extend without end, and may my lifespan equal that of Heaven.

Then recite: Reverently I submit a memorial to the Three Terraces, stellar officials near the Northern Dipper, together with the divine names Zhicheng, Xujing, Liuchun, and Qusheng. May my official career advance and my rank be listed in the celestial court; may my mind be open, bright, and clear, and my ears and eyes keen; may my three hun souls long remain at peace, and my seven po souls suffer no injury.

Then recite the Divine Spell of the Northern Dipper for Prolonging Life, used to settle the Shen (spirit) and extend one’s lifespan:

The Seven Primordials of the Northern Dipper, seven numinous perfected ones. Tanlang and Jumen, protect me that I may long endure; Lucun and Wenqu, guard my living soul; Lianzhen and Wuqu, watch over my gate of life; Pojun, Fu, and Bi, bless me with long life. Dispel calamity and cut off deviant Qi (vital energy); remove my name from the registers of the dead and inscribe it in the registers of the living. Spare me the three disasters and let me avoid the nine kinds of violent misfortune. The gods of utmost perfection gather in and restrain ghosts and goblins; the host of demons is utterly subdued. I study the methods of the Dao (the Way) and cultivate the true Dao; may I soon bring my practice to completion. May the spirits of the Seven Primordials protect me and cause me to ascend in flight to the Purple Court.

Each day, before one has yet risen from bed, and again just before sleep, this spell for visualizing the body, settling the Shen, and warding off calamity is to be recited silently once; only then does one get up or retire. The spell is:

The taboo name of the Tanlang star, Stellar Lord Yangming—O Jade Emperor, may I soon bring my practice to completion. May the spirits of the Seven Primordials protect me and cause me to ascend in flight to the Purple Court.

At the end of the original text the instruction to recite the spell silently before rising from bed and before sleep is repeated once more, but the spell is given only as far as the words “the spell says,” and its wording is not copied out again.

The taboo name of the Greedy Wolf star (Tanlang) corresponds to the Yangming star. This is the venerable deity the Jade Emperor (Yuhuang), who commands ten thousand troops and comes to protect my person. The taboo name of the Great Gate star (Jumen) corresponds to the Yinjing star (Yin Essence). The Lucun star bears the style name Zhenren (Perfected); the Wenqu star bears the style name Xuanming; the Lianzhen star bears the style name Danyuan. The taboo name of the Wuqu star corresponds to the North Pole star (Beiji), and the taboo name of the Pojun star corresponds to the Heavenly Pass star (Tianguan). The seven venerable deities who protect life are myriad upon myriad, surrounding me on every side. On the left is the Azure Dragon, on the right the White Tiger, in front the Vermilion Bird, and behind the Dark Warrior. Divine generals hold ceremonial regalia, banners, and pennants and raise standards and insignia, guarding me in ring upon ring. When this command is issued, it must be obeyed at once.

When kings and nobles practice this method, the peoples of the four quarters all submit. The common people live in abundance and prosperity, attaining long life that endures, their radiance equal with Heaven. Those who cultivate the Dao (the Way) and practice this method may ascend as immortals; people of the world who practice this method may prolong their years and increase their lifespan. When the method is performed, divine generals hold banners, pennants, standards, and insignia, guarding one in ring upon ring. When this command is issued, it must be obeyed at once.

This method-formula should be kept secret and must not be transmitted carelessly.

Wearing the true-form diagrams of the deities of the Seven Primordials (Qiyuan) of the Northern Emperor (Beidi) gathers blessings and auspicious fortune in abundance.

The true-form diagrams of the Seven Stars of the Northern Dipper (Beidou) follow in order: first the Yangming star, second the Yinjing star, third the Zhenren star, fourth the Xuanming star, fifth the Danyuan star, sixth the Beiji star, and seventh the Tianguan star.