《天枢院都司须知行遣式》

Essential Instructions on the Formats for Processing and Dispatching Documents of the Directorate of the Celestial Pivot Bureau (the formats that the Office of the Celestial Pivot Bureau should follow when handling documents and when submitting documents)

Format of the Memorial

If two or more persons submit the memorial, one should write “your subjects So-and-so and others.” One then sets forth the matter to be reported. At the close one writes “your subject So-and-so is truly fearful and truly apprehensive”; if the piece is a congratulation, one writes “your subject So-and-so is truly joyful and truly delighted.” The closings of documents of leave-taking, of statement, and the like are likewise handled according to the corresponding format. One then writes “I kowtow, I kowtow” (bowing the head in salute), then writes the wording of the address, and finally writes “I respectfully present this memorial and declare.” For documents of congratulation, of declining or seeking exemption (a request to be relieved of office or excused from some matter), or of petition (a request for gracious approval or a bestowal), the wording appropriate to the particular case is used. At the end one writes “that this may be heard,” and then writes “your subject So-and-so is truly fearful and truly apprehensive, I kowtow, I kowtow, and I respectfully speak.”

The year, month, and day. Your subject of such-and-such station, named such-and-such, submits this memorial.

Whenever a memorial is submitted to set forth a matter, this format is used. A jian (formal note) likewise follows this format, except that “I kowtow” is changed to “I knock my head,” and one does not style oneself “subject.” Documents concerning deities such as the Southern Dipper and the Northern Dipper use the jian.

Format of the Memorial Petition

When a given office (a particular bureau or post) presents a memorial, the official title should be stated. One then sets forth the matter being presented. If a memorial is presented but there is no specific item, one writes at this point “the above, your subject,” and then continues the statement. If several matters are to be listed, one writes “the items above are as previously set forth” (the matters listed above are as already stated). At the close one writes “I respectfully record and memorialize”; if no matters have been listed, one writes “that it be heard” at the close. Finally one writes “I respectfully memorialize.”

The year, month, and day. The official of stated title, named such-and-such, submits this petition.

On the front of the memorial petition and on its cover, yellow paper is to be affixed setting out the matter being memorialized. The date and hour of the report and of its dispatch are also to be noted before the memorial petition. Whenever a request concerning some matter is memorialized, a slip should be affixed beside the year, month, and day, stating “I beg that it be sent down and delivered to such-and-such place” (please have the document issued to that place). If a seal is borrowed, that too is to be explained here. If one has been ordered to go out on mission, a separate note should be affixed, stating: “Your subject is at present at such-and-such place, and on such-and-such day of such-and-such month, at such-and-such hour, issues this document and submits this report.” Whenever a request concerning some matter is memorialized, a slip should likewise be affixed beside the year, month, and day, stating “I beg that it be sent down and delivered.”

Documents sent to a given place should have the place of receipt noted here. If a seal is borrowed, that too is stated here. A person dispatched on business should further add a note: “Your servant is at present residing at such-and-such a place, and on such-and-such day of such-and-such month set out for such-and-such a place.” Whenever documents in the form of memorials and petitions are used, the same procedure is followed.

The cover states the official post and the servant’s name, together with the words “statement-memorial, respectfully sealed”; if the document is sealed shut, one writes “respectfully and securely sealed.” In sealing, the corners are folded up and the seal is impressed at both ends of the closure; if there is no seal, the servant’s name is written and signed. No yellow paper is affixed to the cover. When a person memorializes from a place away from court, only the words “confidential” or “urgent” are affixed.

When a zhazi (a brief document for memorializing affairs) is used, the opening does not give the official post, does not write “aforesaid,” and does not give the year and month. “Statement” is changed to “pouzi,” and the close reads “requesting a decision” (asking how the matter is to be decided). Such a document may be delivered directly to the place concerned, without passing through the office to which one belongs. When an urgent item uses a bangzi (a brief document for urgent dispatch), one simply omits the year and month; the writing need not fill the whole sheet, nor is it sealed, and it is written in small characters in the manner of a statement. If it is used for a silent memorial (reporting without speaking aloud), one faces north, memorializes in silence, and then burns it before oneself.

Format for a Recommendation Memorial (a memorial recommending and standing surety for a candidate; used, for example, when a recommending official puts forward a person to transmit the teachings)

Full official title and name: according to the ordinances or the regulations (statutes and rules), briefly set out the relevant provisions under which a recommendation ought to be made.

“Aforesaid: Your servant So-and-so has humbly observed Official So-and-so—the words presented and the affairs conducted… I now recommend and stand surety that he is fully qualified to fill… (enter the specific matter here). Should what follows present a different circumstance, it is handled according to precedent in accordance with the Heavenly Constitution (Tianxian, the laws of the celestial realm). I respectfully transcribe the relevant content and submit it to be heard, respectfully awaiting the imperial instruction (Chizhi, the superior’s disposition). If the person recommended is elsewhere, it is called an ‘immortal decree’ (Xianzhi).”

Year, month, and day. Servant of full rank, Name, statement-memorial.

Format for a Single Statement (a document submitted on its own)

“Such-and-such office reports on its own behalf, recommending that someone is fully qualified to fill… (enter the specific matter here). Should what follows present a different circumstance, it is handled according to precedent in accordance with the Heavenly Constitution. I respectfully transcribe the relevant content and submit it to be heard, respectfully awaiting the imperial instruction. If the person recommended is elsewhere, it is called an ‘immortal decree.’”

Year, month, and day. Servant of full rank, Name, statement-memorial.

Format for a Single Statement

When such-and-such office submits a statement on its own behalf, it states the true rank (Zhenwei, the Daoist post or title employed) and the matter being handled. If the report is made on account of a particular matter, one continues at this point with “the aforesaid states” (what follows is set forth). When the account is finished, one writes “respectfully submitted.” If several matters were listed above, one writes “the items of the aforesaid statement are as previously set forth” (the matters listed above are as already described). Such-and-such office respectfully submits this statement. When a disposition is requested, one writes “humbly awaiting direction” (respectfully awaiting instruction).

Year, month, and day. Name of full rank, statement.

All reports submitted by the various subordinate places use this format. When reporting, for example, to the Eastern Peak (Dongyue, the Great Emperor of the Eastern Peak and the divine offices under his authority) and the like, the date and the hour of issue should be noted before the text of the statement.

This passage describes the writing formats for the various official documents of the Tianshu Institute (天枢院, Tianshu Yuan), an office within the Daoist system of Thunder Rites (雷法, Leifa).

The Die format (牒式). When one bureau sends a document to another, or addresses a matter concerning a particular official, it is written "Such-and-such Bureau to Such-and-such Bureau," followed by a statement of the matter, and closed with "Die, etc." If several items are listed at once, one writes "The items for the Die are as above," and ends with "Respectfully submitted." This format is used for documents sent upward, such as reports to the Eastern Peak (东岳, the divine government of the Great Emperor of the Eastern Peak). The date and hour at which the report was issued must also be posted ahead of the statement itself.

There is another form of the Die. It opens in the same way, "Such-and-such Bureau to Such-and-such Bureau," but concludes with the year, month, day and hour, after which the official lists their post, titled rank, and name, and adds their signature. This form is used afterward for all offices that have no relationship of subordination or jurisdiction to one another. Supplementary Die documents are handled in the same way, except that "Such-and-such Bureau" is replaced by an individual's name, no blank space is left in the text, and the document ends with "Hence this Die." The same format is used where a subordinate relationship exists but there is no precedent for a Statement (申状), and for correspondence between offices of equal rank. For an office under one's own jurisdiction where there is no precedent for a Fu or Tie, one writes "Die to such-and-such place" or "Die to such-and-such official," again leaving no blank space.

The Fu format (符式, talisman-order). It states the matter of a given bureau and directs the person in charge at a given place to carry it out. It closes with "When this Fu arrives, it is to be received and carried out" (meaning that once the Fu text arrives, it must be obeyed and executed at once), followed by the year, month and day, and the official's title, name and signature.

The Guan format (关式, transmittal). It states the matter of a given bureau and closes with "The above is opened from such-and-such bureau, hence this Guan." The year, month and day are added, followed by the official's title, name and signature. This format is used between offices that belong to the same system but differ in function or department. An example is a document from the Tiandao Institute (天道院) to the Registry of Immortals (仙籍案), since both belong to the Tianshu Institute.

The Tie format (帖式, directive). It states the matter of a given bureau and closes with "The above is directed to such-and-such place," or to a particular person. If the matter has several items, one writes "The above items are directed in this Tie." The year, month and day are added, with the official's title and signature. The Tie format is used for all orders that dispatch or assign divine generals, or that are issued for the healing of illness. If the document is a citation, one writes "Citation" (引).

The Xiaoshi format (晓示式, proclamation). It requires only the year, month and day followed by "Proclamation," after which the official signs their name. A placard (榜文) is handled in the same way, except that the character "Placard" (榜) is written beneath the year, month and day, and the officials are listed following the format of the Die.