《太上元阳上帝无始天尊说火车王灵官真经》

At that time, the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning (Wushi Tianzun, a revered deity of Daoism who symbolizes the primordial origin of the Great Dao) once convened countless celestial immortals in Fuli Heaven, expounding the most profound and subtle methods of the Dao and elucidating the mysteries of De (Virtue/Power) and the Great Dao. He unrolled the celestial scripture and saw that the beings of the lower realm were being harmed by the demons of the Six Heavens and the Nine Ugly sprites, suffering calamity, with many dead and wounded. Some met disasters of water and fire; others encountered plunder, warfare, and armed violence, together with all manner of other afflictions, and so their lives were filled with hardship.

The Celestial Worthy had the immortals present take their places in order and listen carefully. He said: “At the beginning, when Heaven and Earth were first opened, Yin-Yang was not yet distinct, and Heaven and Earth had not yet been established. I divided clear Qi (vital energy) from turbid Qi, established Heaven and Earth, distinguished the two modes of Yin-Yang, the Four Images, the Bagua (Eight Trigrams), and the Five Phases, and further set in place mountains and rivers, streams, and states, arranging the sun, moon, and stars and the four directions together with above and below, so that the constellations across the circuit of heaven each had their allotted domains. Thereafter the world possessed the order of ruler and subject. Sage kings such as Fuxi, Shennong, Xuanyuan, and the Yellow Emperor taught people to recognize medicinal herbs and to plant the hundred grains in order to nourish the people, and also established the distinction between men and women. From Yao and Shun onward, civil governance and martial achievement brought the world under order, and the people were simple and good; the teachings of Buddhism and Confucianism were also able to spread, so that people could live and work in peace, and even cultivate themselves until they became immortals.”

The Celestial Worthy continued: “Now the common people do not revere the sun, moon, and stars (the Three Luminaries), and they slight and despise the principles of the gods and spirits. They commit the Ten Evils, violate ethical norms, and lack loyalty and righteousness, humaneness and love, kindness, and filial piety; they also injure living beings and kill sentient creatures. After their store of blessings is exhausted and their allotted lifespan comes to an end, they must endure these sufferings.”

At this, the celestial immortals, earthly immortals, and divine immortals stepped forward and reported: “The people of the lower realm are suffering. By what means ought we to rescue them? We earnestly beg the Celestial Worthy to extend great compassion and reveal a method for saving living beings and relieving disaster and suffering.” All the immortals listened with reverence.

The Celestial Worthy told them: “If the demons and sprites of the lower realm are to withdraw and the people are to be spared suffering, only Wang Lingguan of the Huoluo Fire Chariot (a guardian deity of Daoism, who commonly subdues evil spirits in a fierce and majestic form) is able to accomplish this. This deity is sincere, loyal, and upright, unwilling to yield to demonic evil, and able to subdue devils.”

The immortals asked again: “We have never heard what De this deity has cultivated. Why does he hold a place in the Thunder Ministry and possess such great power? We earnestly beg the Celestial Worthy to explain this to us.”

The Celestial Worthy (Tianzun) said: This deity is the Yu star of the Southern Dipper, chief of the Fire Bureau. He can make fire spread for ten thousand li, hurl countless fire chariots, and fly with great speed between heaven and earth, his power immense.

The Celestial Worthy said further: This deity is the chief of the Fire Bureau of the Yu star of the Southern Dipper. He can make fire spread for ten thousand li, hurl countless fire chariots, and fly with great speed between heaven and earth; in merit and majestic force none can match him. The Jade Emperor once summoned him to send rain at command and to bestow grace upon all. Renowned for his valor, he was granted leave to establish a temple in Xiangtan, to garrison the place and receive sacrificial offerings.

In the Tang dynasty, Perfected Sa Gong (a lofty adept of Daoist legend) suddenly came to the temple and burned the shrine with thunder-fire. The Spirit Official memorialized the matter to the Celestial Emperor, who then bestowed on him a golden whip and ordered him to follow Perfected Sa and observe his conduct. Twelve years later, Perfected Sa succeeded in cultivating the Dao; his methods of the Dao penetrated the Primordial, his spiritual powers were manifested, he established his achievements at the Western River, his merit was brought to completion, and he was ranked among the immortals.

The Spirit Official and his subordinate deputy generals emerged from the water, bowed in submission to Perfected Sa, mended their faults and practiced goodness, attending at his side and upholding the Daoist teaching. He swore an oath to Heaven to show his loyalty, even offering a drop of blood as proof, and vowed to follow and protect him, assisting the Imperial Lord in defending the state and securing the realm. Thereupon the Celestial Emperor enfeoffed him as “Fierce Officer of Thunder and Lightning before the Primordial Imperial Presence, Inspector and Punisher of the Three-Five Fire Chariots, the Impartial Iron-Faced Huoluo Lord of Thunder,” commanding him to cut down the vicious and specifically to punish disloyalty and unfilial conduct, together with acts that violate the Dao of ruler, parent, teacher, and friend.

The Celestial Worthy said that the divine general, charged to descend into the world and save all beings, vowed to cut off demons and sweep away evil, so that people might return to the correct Dao, and only thus could all under Heaven be clear and bright. The assembled immortals asked: How can this divine general be brought to descend and save all beings, relieve suffering, give peace to the people, and bring clarity and order to the state?

At this, the Celestial Worthy ordered a Golden Lad to carry a talisman to the Primordial and summon the Spirit Official. On hearing the summons, the Spirit Official led three thousand Silver-Tusk generals and a million yaksha soldiers before the Celestial Worthy, knelt at length, and memorialized: “I garrison the station of the Primordial Huoluo. Honored by this summons, I do not know the reason.” The Celestial Worthy commanded him to descend into the world, subdue and eradicate demons and devils, and save all beings. The Spirit Official memorialized again: “My master, Perfected Sa Gong, whose vow is firm as a mountain, will also descend with me to rescue the people of the world.”

The Celestial Worthy said, “You ought to descend into the human world and bring relief everywhere to the beings of the dark underworld.” The Perfected and the celestial generals bowed once more and, receiving the command, proclaimed this secret incantation and oath:

Spirit of the Fierce Officers of the Nine Heavens, your majestic power guards the courts of the Nine Heavens. You pass in and out beyond the Three Realms, loyally assisting the Imperial Lord. Clad in golden armor, you display a valiant bearing; with an angry countenance you gather in the fire Jing (essence). Your red robe blazes like lightning, and your green boots tread the whole earth. Dragon cords and belts of thunder-fire coil about your body, and wind and cloud encircle you. You command the generals of every quarter and the mighty yaksha spirits, and the hosts on the left and the right together uphold Heaven’s mandate. I receive the command of the Lord of Purple Tenuity, and I also accept the decree bestowed by the Jade Emperor, raising a golden whip in my hand.

The fire-chariot spins like the wind; in a single turn it travels ten thousand li, intent on investigating whatever defies the Dao (the Way) of Heaven and whatever is evil and irreverent. At one sweep of the golden whip, offenses are laid bare. When Heaven’s mandate sends me up to the celestial realm, I have audience with the Jade Emperor and make my report; when it sends me into the watery mansions, the waves of the four seas surge; when it sends me to the human world, I at once come to the aid of living beings; when it sends me into the earthly courts, I go straight to the dark underworld.

When Heaven’s mandate sends me to dispatch the generals, the generals can commune with the divine and manifest their power; when it sends me to heal the sick, the sick find peace; when it sends me to seize ghosts and strange beings, I destroy the camps of the ghostly hosts; when it sends me to hunt down monsters, I pierce mountains and split rocks in pursuit. When it sends me to relieve a great drought, thunder and rain fall in an instant; when it sends me to pray for rain, sweet rain falls without cease; when it sends me to stop wind and rain, wind and rain cease at once; when it sends me to seek clear weather, heaven and earth clear immediately. When it sends me to burn the temples of demonic evil, those temples turn to dust; when it sends me to protect childbirth, pregnant women deliver safely. When it sends me to carry out punitive campaigns, I rise in wrath and awe and shake the altar; when it sends me to summon thunder, the thunder-drums resound on every side; when it sends me to raise wind and cloud, wind and rain come at once.

When it sends me to inspect and correct the True Officials, the golden whip appears before them; when it sends me to move the earth, the Earth Sovereign is startled and uneasy; when it sends me to govern pestilence, the divine offices that preside over plague carry out the command; when it sends me to report to the Celestial Emperor, the Jade Emperor grants my petition. Whoever to the end shares my purpose and carries this out is a subject of the Jade Emperor.

I join with you in making this vow, a vow to rescue all living beings. If you break the oath, your body will be cut to pieces by the golden blade, you will suffer harsh punishment forever, and you will never again see the light; if you forsake your own vow, through ten thousand kalpas you will hardly obtain a human body again. If I break the oath, I shall be banished forever among the hosts of demons.

If you carry out my laws and commands, I will attend carefully and heed your prayers; if you serve me with sincere diligence, I will swiftly manifest my true form. If you do not call upon my name, I will never come to the altar and display my power; if you call upon my name, I can reveal my true body even on level ground.

When you invite me to descend on ren days and gui days (two days in the stem-and-branch reckoning), you must be diligent and careful in upholding this method. Offer pure tea and jujube broth, and burn peach-wood incense. When I appear beside you, be at ease and do not be alarmed. I join with you in making this vow, a vow to rescue all living beings. On the day your merit and practice are complete, I will enter the realm of Prior Heaven together with you.

Quickly, quickly, in accordance with the statutes and commands of the Supreme Emperor of Primordial Yang.

Lord Sa swore an oath and recited:

I, Sa Shoujian, come from Xihe. I hold the authority of the Nine Heavens. I can command the thunder god Fenglong, and I can also drive the spirits of the mountains, the great rivers, and the springs. The workings of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water) are mine to dispatch, and Heaven and Earth, Qian and Kun, can be opened for me. The Three Hua—the refined essences of Jing (essence), Qi (vital energy), and Shen (spirit)—gather at the crown of the head, and the Seven Qi—the seven kinds of primordial vital energy spoken of in Daoism—pour into the spiritual root. I call upon the thunder, relying above on the deities of Heaven and drawing below on the power of the deities of Earth. The Qi of the myriad things replenishes my body and mind, and within it there is one current of precelestial Qi. I can cut down demons and goblins on every side and slay all ghosts.

Marshal Wang (Wang Lingguan) is as fierce and mighty as a qilin, and he returns to the Dao (the Way) of the Mysterious and the True. I submit a memorial to the Golden Portal of the Heavenly Court and command you to rouse the thunder. I fix your name with a ritual seal; the moment you hear the summons, you must come at once. I command you to manifest your awesome numinous power, so that even the Five Sacred Peaks are shaken by it; I command you to exterminate sprites, demons, and ghosts, and not allow them to take form; I command you to investigate and correct the true officials, bearing the golden whip and riding the wheel of fire; I command you to rescue all living beings, so that the people and the myriad things are at peace; I command you to aid in childbirth, so that pregnant women deliver smoothly and mother and child are both safe.

I command you to direct the heavenly soldiers, to take charge of the banners and lead the armies; to summon the clerks and troops and station them in separate camps to the left and the right; to descend into the spirit-medium youths—the boys who serve the gods and convey messages through spirit-writing—so that matters of retribution are made clearly manifest; and to draw in your awesome power and stand with hands clasped within the ritual arena. If I do not break the oath I have made with you, you must appear at once; if you do not break the oath, I will likewise commend your merit. Should I violate the covenant, I shall fall forever into the Northern Luo City, suffering through the cold, endless night, and for ten thousand kalpas never again obtain a human body. Should you break it, your bodily form will be shattered by a thunderbolt, your true nature will sink among the demons, and generation after generation you will fall into the dark underworld.

If you keep my oath and accumulate merit, you may ascend to the Heavenly Court. The Lingguan must obey the Master’s incantation-command; this is a statute that has stood since ancient times. This rite was established in order to save all living beings. Sworn with a drop of blood, it brings aid to the people throughout the world, so that even violent and overbearing evil spirits submit and obey. Their forms are to be destroyed at once. Morning or evening, whenever my name is recited, then by the force of this oath the Lingguan should manifest his true form. If my name is not called, I shall on no account come in answer to a summons. If I fail to aid and protect the Mysterious Teaching, I ought to suffer the punishment of Heaven’s majesty. Swiftly, swiftly, let this be carried out in accordance with the statutes and ordinances.

Sa Gong (Sa Shoujian) once again swore an oath and recited the incantation:

I, Sa Shoujian of Xihe, originally took my stand in the station of the Prior Heaven. Only in the Tang dynasty did I attain the Dao (the Way), so that the ritual methods of the Dao might be spread abroad and flourish. I subdue every kind of demon and destroy the bodily forms of ghosts and monsters. The City Gods and the deities of the local soil altars, together with the Five Marchmounts (the deities of the five renowned mountains) and the Four Waterways (the deities of the four great rivers), upon hearing my spell-command, all click their teeth and submit. If any refuse to obey, I issue a written memorial to report to the Supreme Clarity (the abode of the exalted deities of Daoism) and invite the Taiji (Supreme Ultimate) to descend.

I carry out the ritual methods in the realm of the Prior Heaven. Marshal Wang and the valiant officers and generals go with me. He wields a golden whip and rides a wheel of fire. I point to Heaven to swear the oath and point to Earth to seal the covenant. The ritual seal rests in my palm, and with it I subdue the host of demons, monsters, and sprites. Whoever dares to defy me shall be cut to pieces and reduced to dust; whoever is willing to submit I shall memorialize to the Imperial Lord. Quickly, quickly, in accordance with the statutes and ordinances!

The Master-Marshal (the ritual master and commander—here referring to the divine general commissioned to carry out the methods) paid his respects, finished reciting the incantation, took leave of the celestial realm, and went down below to subdue the host of demons, drive out evil ghosts, distinguish good and evil in the human world and the places to which they belong, and dissolve grievances, enmities, and karmic obstructions. May the Qi (vital energy) of Heaven and Earth be harmonious, the Dao of Heaven clear and bright, and the great earth at peace. Meeting this time when the ritual methods of the Dao flourish, the Six Directions (Heaven, Earth, and the four quarters) alike cherish humaneness and De (Virtue/Power); the nine Qi are brought into harmony; evil is eradicated and the orthodox Dao is upheld, so that the land is abundant, the people sing for joy, the realm prospers, the imperial enterprise endures, and the frontiers know no war. When the work of subjugation was complete, the assembled deities went together to the celestial palace to have audience with the Heavenly Worthy, respectfully received the decree, and bowed in thanks.

The Heavenly Worthy said: “You, Master-Marshal, have achieved outstanding merit and have labored hard. Because of this the people may live in peace, and grievances, enmities, and demonic obstructions have all been removed.”

The assembled immortals knelt long and paid their respects, reporting: “Now that the Master-Marshal has subdued the host of demons of the lower realm, the lower realm is entirely pure. Merit such as this is exceedingly great. It benefits both the human world and the celestial realm and enables all living beings to behold the light. We earnestly beg the Heavenly Worthy, in compassion, to proclaim a Precious Proclamation (a liturgical text praising the merits and De of a deity), to commend this Master-Marshal, to make known the majestic De of the celestial general, and thereby to honor his achievements for the human world.”

The Heavenly Worthy thereupon proclaimed the precious chapter and composed a hymn of praise:

Precious Proclamation of Lord Sa

With sincere heart we take refuge: Lord Sa’s lineage of the Dao originates in the West, and his numinous traces appeared in Longxing. He bestowed wealth and compounded medicines to relieve all living beings; he ceaselessly accumulated De, practiced goodness, and amassed merit and deeds in order to cultivate and perfect the Great Dao. He once received transmission from the Iron Master (the Immortal Master of the Iron Crutch)…

Disciples sincerely take refuge in Perfected Lord Sa (Sagong Zhenjun, a deity venerated in Daoism). He inherited the Dao (the Way) lineage of the West and manifested his numinous power in the land of Longxing. He constantly distributed wealth and prepared medicines to relieve all beings; accumulating good deeds and merit, he accomplished the Great Dao. He received the instruction of the Iron Master (Tieshi, the master who transmits Daoist methods) and had charge of the thunder-rite documents of the princely mansion. Wearing the hundred-patch demon-subduing robe (a ritual robe sewn from many pieces of cloth, symbolizing the subjugation of evil spirits) and holding the Five-Lights Demon-Quelling Fan (a Daoist ritual implement used to expel evil and subdue ghosts), he proclaimed the teaching on Heaven’s behalf, worked spells by incanting jujubes, and wrote talismans to settle affairs. Within arm’s reach he could summon wind and thunder, and beneath the Dipper asterism (Dougang, the stars of the Northern Dipper and the corresponding rite of pacing the Dipper) he cut down demons and monsters. His Dao participates in Taiji (Supreme Ultimate), and his rank stands in the Prior Heaven (Xiantian). Free as pine, bamboo, and the wild crane, he came and went as he pleased, near or far, unbound as a solitary cloud. In every place he expounded the methods of the Dao and was patriarch of the myriad methods; everywhere he established altars and became a model for later cultivators. This revered deity is the Ancestral Patriarch of All Heaven, the Unsurpassed Perfected Lord Sa of the One Origin.

Precious Proclamation of Wang Lingguan

Disciples sincerely entrust their lives to Wang Lingguan (Numinous Officer Wang, a guardian deity of Daoism). He is the commanding general and the Divine Lord of the One Qi (vital energy; the divine general who governs primordial Qi), and also the Great Numinous Officer who oversees investigation and punishment throughout the Three Realms, a valiant divine general who enforces the law with impartiality. Golden-eyed and vermilion-haired, he is called the Three-Five Fire-Chariot Thunder Lord; with a phoenix beak and silver teeth he commands a million pixiu divine generals (fierce divine troops). Riding the clouds and driving the mist, he commands thunder, can send rain or stop the rain and clear the sky, drive out baleful influences, cure illness, and examine faults.

The scripture says that after twelve years of scrutiny he received the command of the Jade Emperor and accumulated hundreds of millions of merits and vows; assisting the ancestral master, upright and valiant, he can both deliver the dead and rescue the living. In every place he expounds the methods of the Dao and establishes altars to transmit the teaching; he is the mighty and illustrious Great Numinous Officer of the Three-Five Fire Chariot, Heavenly Lord Wang. In the original text the wording about “receiving the Jade Emperor’s command and accumulating merit” is repeated together with the titles that follow; this vernacular reading presents them continuously according to the sense of the passage.

Incantation of Respectful Invitation and Vow

With reverence we invite the Great Teaching Lord of the Azure Clouds, Immortal Lord Sa, unsurpassed in the One Origin. You are the Grand Secretary of the Thunder Ministry of the Prior Heaven, and you personally received the profound ritual mandate transmitted by the Iron Master.

You hold the Five-Lights Demon-Quelling Fan and wear the hundred-patch demon-subduing robe; you constantly empower and distribute the food contained in the iron jar, universally relieving spirit-bearing beings so that all may obtain deliverance.

You incant jujubes and write talismans, and every method you employ proves efficacious; proclaiming the teaching on Heaven’s behalf, you are always just and impartial in your dealings. Wandering the world like a cloud, you came to Longxing; the Iron-Faced General manifested at the bottom of the pool.

After twelve years of examination you accumulated hundreds of millions of merits. You solemnly made a vow and covenanted with the Supreme Thearch, so that beings of the Three Realms all take refuge in the orthodox Dao.

This passage of the Jing (scripture) invokes Wang Lingguan, the Numinous Officer, to descend and grant protection. The reciter praises his power to heal the sick and save lives swiftly, to expel evil and subdue demons, and to preside over rites such as image consecration and spirit descent with possession, and prays that he will display his divine might and uphold the reciter.

“Reverently I invoke the divinely commissioned officer to audience with the Lord on High, and universally command the Three Realms all to take refuge” means: one respectfully entreats this spirit officer who acts under divine mandate, asking him to present himself before the Supreme Deity and to bring all beings of the Three Realms to take refuge in the orthodox Dao (the Way).

The scripture then portrays Wang Lingguan as a divine general. He is a fierce celestial commander, charged with patrolling the Three Realms and punishing baleful spirits. He holds a golden whip, wears golden armor and green boots, and ties a wind-sash at his waist; his two eyes blaze like fire, illuminating heaven and earth. He passes swiftly between the celestial realm and the Nine Earths to rescue the common people. Commanding hosts of divine generals and spirit troops, he pursues demons, pierces mountains and shatters rock, summons wind and wields fire, and with the command of thunder subdues the throngs of demons.

The scripture further prays that Wang Lingguan will call for clear skies and rainfall and bring relief to the people, conveying the divine will through possession or through yuanguang. “Yuanguang” (circular light) is a practice in traditional Daoist ritual by which messages from the spirits are manifested through a particular mode of contemplative gazing. The reciter also asks him to heal illness and drive out evil, to gather in and contain plague toxins, to bring the demonic hosts of the Three Realms and the heterodox teachings of every quarter into submission, and to send down the majesty of thunder as protection.

The closing “Ji qiqing zhou” (Spell of Urgent Invocation) again depicts his majestic bearing: he grasps a golden whip and rides a wheel of fire, a dragon-rope wound at his waist, clad in armor and draped in a blue robe, with guards attending him. “Why trouble a skillful hand to paint my image? I only wish your heart may accord with mine” means: there is no need to burden clever hands with depicting his divine likeness; one wishes only that your intention accord with his. The final phrase, “Zhihui wu ji qiqing zhou,” is the name of the spell or a prompt line.

Holding a golden whip and riding wheels of fire, with a dragon-cord coiled at his waist and both eyes glaring wide in wrath, he wears a yellow headcloth, his red hair streams in the wind, and he is clad in linked armor beneath a blue robe that flutters about him. This is the mighty image of Wang Lingguan, his whole person charged with a protective presence.

Why trouble to paint my likeness? I wish only that your heart accord with mine. Wang Lingguan can command the Five Thunders (the divine generals of the Thunder Ministry and the powers of thunder ritual spoken of in Daoism) to convey his orders, reducing demons, evil influences, ghosts, and specters to fine dust. Now I sincerely invoke him, hoping the deity will descend, bestow a mighty thunderous power, and protect all.

After the Celestial Worthy (Tianzun) had finished speaking the vows and the scriptural text (jing), he said further: This scripture is most precious and must not be treated lightly. It can dispel calamities from Heaven and ritually avert disasters of the earth, protect emperors and kings, and bring peace to the state and its people; it drives away pestilence and baleful influences, puts an end to the threat of fire, settles lawsuits and disputes, and makes private affairs harmonious. It can keep people far from vicious beasts, disperse misfortune, stop the wicked from doing evil, and benefit all living beings. Whatever one seeks, the wish can be fulfilled as desired.

To possess this scripture is for one’s dwelling to receive the protection of divine light; worn on the person, it can guard the body, remove adversity, preserve life, and lengthen one’s years. Reciting this scripture can make calamity depart and good fortune arrive: recite it by day, and one gains peace; recite it at night, and one’s dreams are undisturbed by evil spirits; recite it silently in the heart, and one can avoid quarrels of the tongue; recite it often, and it helps preserve life and extend one’s years. Recite it at all times, and no kind of calamity can intrude.

When a state recites and upholds this scripture, its frontiers can be at peace; when a ruler recites and upholds it, prosperity and safety can be gained. Recite it a thousand times, and one’s person obtains honor; recite it ten thousand times, and one may mount purple clouds and ascend. Copying the scripture and giving it to others can increase blessings and emolument; printing a thousand copies and circulating them widely can make one’s household flourish; distributing it broadly toward the four directions can increase good fortune. Widely urging the people of the world to recite and uphold it brings blessings without end.

In this way the Southern Dipper (the stellar lords in Daoism associated with human lifespan and the registers of emolument) may record one’s name, and the Northern Dipper (the stellar lords in Daoism who keep the registers of life and death) may then enter that name in the register of the living and strike it from the register of the dead. One’s ancestors, too, can receive deliverance and be reborn, and the gates of hell will no longer bar the way. All who worship with reverence can move the spirits to respond; so long as one prays with a sincere heart, there is no wish that cannot be fulfilled. Follow what the scripture says, and blessings come of themselves. This scripture is hard to encounter; those who meet with it are people of affinity.

As the scripture was about to come to an end, dragons and transcendent cranes came to receive them. At that time the whole assembly, having heard this scripture, rejoiced and accepted it in faith, and practiced it according to the text.

After the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning (Yuanshi Tianzun), a venerated deity of Daoism, returned to the Jade Capital (Yujing, the immortal capital of the heavenly realm), everyone came according to ritual to pay homage. This Jing (scripture/classic) is rarely encountered, and those who encounter it are persons with a destined affinity. As the exposition of the scripture was about to end, dragons and immortal cranes came to receive him. At that moment the whole assembly present, having heard the scripture through, rejoiced greatly, believed and accepted its meaning, and practiced in accordance with it.

After the Celestial Worthy returned to the Jade Capital, the Zhenren (Perfected) led the generals in offering ritual thanks and then withdrew. They bowed their heads and took refuge in the Limitless Great Dao (the Way), the supreme and unsurpassed Dao, and with sincere hearts offered ritual thanks to the unsurpassed, supremely perfected Three Treasures—Dao, Jing, and Shi (the Way, the scriptures, and the masters).

The Zhenren further offered praise and recited an incantation:

The lineage of the ritual method originates in Western Shu. In his early years Perfected Lord Sa devoted himself to the art of refining medicines. He rescued living beings, reciting incantations and writing Fulu (talismans and registers) with jujubes; on Heaven’s behalf he proclaimed the teaching, wandered the world, and established norms by which to transform the people. He is the patriarchal master who saves from suffering and relieves distress. His methods of the Dao are supreme and unsurpassed, and he is renowned for relieving suffering at the Western River. Perfected Lord Sa is like a solitary cloud and a wild crane, free and unconstrained.

A solitary cloud and a wild crane range at will in every direction; a wild crane and a solitary cloud ever attain ease and freedom. With a single heart I take refuge and entrust my life, reciting and upholding this scripture and practicing according to its teaching.

The Most High Thearch of Primordial Yang, the Celestial Worthy Without Beginning, speaks the True Scripture of Wang Lingguan, King of the Fire Chariot.

Collation note: The character “晴” preceding “常自在” in the original text has been emended, according to the sense of the context, to “睛”.