《太上洞渊三昧神咒斋清旦行道仪》

After the ranks have taken their places before the Xuanshi (Mystery Master, the Daoist ritual master who presides over the ceremony), they intone:

All present in the ritual space, please each concentrate your mind and take refuge in the Three Treasures: the Dao (the Way), the Jing (scripture/classic), and the Master.

Next, the ceremony is led in by the Huaxia Zan. Next, the Incantation for Entering the Hall is recited. Next, incense is offered in sequence to the five directions, beginning with the east. Next, incense is offered at the imperial altar table. Next, everyone bows to the Master according to the rite and practices visualization and recollection. When bowing to the Master, they visualize, following the ritual method, the Azure Emperor amid azure clouds, in accordance with the specific prescriptions of the Huangxian Yi (Yellow-Line Rite). Next, the Incantation for Guarding the Numina is recited. Next, the ritual drum is sounded twenty-four times. Next, the Incantation for Dispatching the Incense Burner is recited:

Most High Mysterious-Origin Lord of the Five Numina, we ask you to summon the emissaries of the merit bureau, the Dragon and Tiger Lords of the left and right, the incense-bearing emissaries, and the orthodox spirits of the Three Qi (vital energy), to ascend at once and report to the Most High Mysterious-Origin Lord of the Dao of the Three Heavens.

I, your servant, now burn incense and, on behalf of the zhai sponsor So-and-so, perform the Great Zhai (purification retreat) of the Divine Spells of Samādhi of the Most High Cavern Abyss, in order to rescue and protect the human world and the celestial realm and to dispel calamities and inauspicious Qi. May the orthodox and true generative Qi of the Most High in the ten directions descend and flow into our bodies. May the matters we report ascend swiftly and be conveyed directly before the throne of the Most High Mysterious Elder, the Supreme Perfected, the Limitless Great Dao, the Jade Emperor of Taiyi (the Great Unity).

Everyone each performs three salutations.

Next, each announces his or her own ritual rank:

Disciple of the Great Cavern of the Three Luminaries of the Mystic Capital of Highest Clarity, unsurpassed Ritual Master of the Three Caverns (Dongzhen/Dongxuan/Dongshen), who carries out the ritual service of the Great Zhai of the Divine Spells of Samādhi: Master of Such-and-such Marchmount and Such-and-such Emperor, minor-omen Perfected Person. We, your servants So-and-so, with the utmost sincerity, together present this address. (Here each person, according to the rite, announces his or her own ritual rank and name.)

Disciples of the Shangqing Mysterious Capital of the Great Cavern and the Three Effulgences, unsurpassed ritual masters of the Three Caverns (Dongzhen, Dongxuan, and Dongshen), together with the gentleman-master of such-and-such marchmount and such-and-such sovereign and the humble minor-subject perfected person who carry out the great purification ritual of the Samadhi Divine Spells, lead us, of one and the same sincere heart, in presenting this memorial and announcement:

To the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning, of empty non-being and natural spontaneity; the Most High Lord of the Great Dao of the Limitless Dao (the Way); the Unsurpassed Mysterious Elder, Most High Lord Lao of the Mysterious Origin; the great sages who have already attained the Dao, and all the kings and elders of utmost perfection; the Great Ritual Master within the Mystery of the thirty-six venerable scriptures of the Samadhi Divine Spells, who comprehends the profound principles and sees into the abyss; the Supreme Perfected of Upper-Prime Taiyi of the Empty Cavern of the Three Heavens; the Lord of the Dao of the Myriad Sages; the twenty-four exalted worthies; the perfected beings of the ten directions; the celestial immortals, earthly immortals, perfected immortals, and flying immortals; the divine immortals of the Five Marchmounts; the majestic spirits of the Three Treasures, highest of all the heavens; and all the perfected numina who respond according to conditions and extend throughout the Three Realms.

In the past we received mysterious and wondrous grace, and were fortunate to be invested with the teachings of the Great Dao. Now we have been able to receive the venerable scriptures and precious instructions, and we cultivate in accordance with them. According to the dates fixed by covenant and sworn declaration, we are to proclaim the teaching, assist and protect the state, and rescue and safeguard heavenly beings and all living beings, so that both the unseen realm and the human world may obtain universal deliverance. How much more, now that we bear the charge of a written document, would we dare not submit this memorial and report it?

The document will now be read aloud.

In accordance with the principles of the Jing (scripture/classic), one ought to practice purification, abstinence, and cultivation with a sincere heart, praying for blessings and hoping for grace. We who unworthily serve in the Office of the Mysterious (the Daoist clerical institution) should properly act according to the ritual regulations. We therefore reverently prepare incense and candles and arrange the altar, and, following the rites established by the Celestial Worthy of Great Unity and the Mysterious Elder, we carry out the Great Zhai of the Divine Spells of Samādhi of the Cavern Abyss.

Day and night we labor diligently, reciting the scriptures and performing the rite of practicing the Dao (the Way). We respectfully invite the Thearchs of the Five Directions, the officials and troops of the celestial administration, the Mighty Spirits of the Three Caverns (Dongzhen/Dongxuan/Dongshen—the guardian deities of the scriptural teachings of the Three Caverns), and the dragon and tiger mounts (the guardians and steeds of the divinities), to drive out demonic rebels and sweep away evil Qi (vital energy); to spread true Qi and wield divine power, subdue demonic afflictions, remove calamities and bring blessings, benefit the Great Dao, and manifest divine might. We pray that the true spirits of Heaven and Earth may be moved to respond in due season and descend.

This morning, in the rite of practicing the Way, we first take up incense and offer it, so that body, Shen (spirit), and life together turn toward the Great Dao. We prostrate with our five limbs and entrust our lives to the Three Venerables of the Most High. We wish to dedicate this merit to the altars of soil and grain (the state and the people), to the honored ancestors of the clan, and to the ancient sages and worthies, that they may ascend to the Purple Towers (the palace precincts of the celestial realm), manifest in the Pure Capital (the celestial immortal realm of which Daoism speaks), and roam freely in phoenix carriages. May the destiny of the state endure long and its blessings reach far, its territory be vast and its mandate flourish; may Heaven and Earth, sun and moon, be peaceful and harmonious, and may the sun, moon, and stars shine with brilliant light. After attaining the Dao, may we ascend to the formless realm, body and mind made one with the Dao, and become Realized Persons who have attained the Way.

Now, with the second offering of incense, we entrust body, Shen (spirit), and life to the Great Dao (the Way). Knocking our heads to the ground in prostration, we take refuge in the Supreme Venerable Jing (scripture/classic), the classics revered in Daoism. We wish to dedicate this merit to the emperor: may Heaven and Earth long remain firm, and may the sun, moon, and stars shine together in brightness; may the emperor’s benevolence and virtue rival those of Yao and Tang, and may his transforming instruction surpass that of Fuxi and Shaohao. May the empress and consorts, the crown prince, and the princes assist the court through virtue; may the civil and military officials, and the officers within the court and beyond it, bestow grace and spread favor justly and without selfishness, so that all under Heaven may be harmonious and at peace and moral instruction may be carried out. May warfare cease forever, and may floods and droughts occur no more; may pestilence and poisonous harm not come to trouble us, and may auspicious blessings gather. May the four quarters and the nine provinces all enjoy an atmosphere of clarity, stillness, and stability, and may the unseen realm and the human world together witness an age of great peace. When cultivation of the Dao is accomplished, may we ascend into the formless realm and unite in truth with the Dao.

Now, with the third offering of incense, we entrust body, spirit, and life to the Great Dao. Knocking our heads to the ground in prostration, we take refuge in the Three Supreme Masters (the three teacher-lords revered in Daoism). We wish to dedicate this merit to the Nine Mysterious Ones and Seven Ancestors (the ancestors of successive generations) of the household of Disciple So-and-so, and to all wandering spirits, so that their offenses in the earthly courts may be released, and in the celestial courts their spirits may be brought to birth and they may receive deliverance; enmities may be reconciled, and karmic offenses gradually cleared away. May the family dependents and the six classes of kin of So-and-so’s household all receive blessing and protection, and may the merits and virtues of former lives be safeguarded. Debts still owed in this life, and faults left from the past, are all extinguished through the conditions of repentance and the acknowledgment of wrong, and no longer bring on disaster. May true spirits grant their shelter, and may the Dao and De (Virtue/Power) uphold and protect them; may adverse fortune disperse and deviant demons withdraw; may the celestial troops and spirit-generals send down blessing and good fortune. When cultivation of the Dao is accomplished, may we ascend into the formless realm and unite in truth with the Dao.

We next pay homage toward the four directions, and then repent toward the four directions. In the direction of the Ghost Gate, we visualize the divine spirits and recite the secret spell for commanding the demons (the secret incantation in the Daoist purification rite for summoning divinities and subduing deviant demons). We next tread the steps of the Buxu (Pacing the Void) and circle three times (walking according to the liturgy and making three circuits), and then perform the three rites of homage.

With utmost sincerity we kowtow to the Supreme Limitless Great Dao. With utmost sincerity we kowtow to the secret spell, at the Three Gates, for visualizing the spirits and commanding the demons.

We next tread the steps of the Buxu and circle three times, and then perform the three rites of homage.

With utmost sincerity we kowtow to the Supreme Limitless Great Dao. With utmost sincerity we kowtow to the Thirty-Six Venerable Scriptures (the collective name for the Daoist classics). With utmost sincerity we kowtow to the Great Ritual Master of the Mysterious Center (the teacher-lord of transmission revered in Daoism).

We next proclaim and report the ritual positions once again.

A Master of a given marchmount, duly invested with ritual office and charged with performing the Great Zhai Liturgical Service of the Samadhi Divine Spells, together with your servants So-and-so, cautiously and reverently addresses on high the Supreme Boundless Great Dao (the Way), the Unsurpassed Mysterious Elder, and the Most High Lord Lao of the Mysterious Prime; the divinities of the realms of Dongshen (Cavern of Spirit), Dongyuan (Cavern of the Abyss), Dongxuan (Cavern of Mystery), and Dongzhen (Cavern of Perfection); the awe-inspiring spirits of the scriptural treasure of the Scripture of the Samadhi Divine Spells; the celestial immortals, earthly immortals, perfected immortals, and flying immortals; the divine immortals of the Five Marchmounts and the perfected beings of the ten directions; the great assembly of saints who have already attained the Dao; the lords and elders of supreme perfection; the officers of the Three Realms; and every honored divinity.

Your servants have been fortunate to receive this blessed encounter, to enter the gate of the Dao, to attend, revere, and bear the precious scriptures, and to cultivate the Great Method of Dongyuan. The charge laid upon us is to proclaim and widely transmit the mysterious teaching and to save and deliver both the human world and the celestial realm; to assist the state and establish merit; and to practice and promote the transforming instruction of the orthodox Dao. Now Official So-and-so requests that the unsurpassed Great Zhai of the Divine Spells be established: that the altar be laid out and pure, abundant pledges prepared; that scriptures be recited and the Dao practiced, incense burned and lamps lit; that offenses be confessed and calamities dissolved; that announcement be made to the Three Realms and the myriad spirits invited to descend. We earnestly beg that one thousand two hundred celestial officers, heavenly troops, and commanders exterminate demonic deviance and subdue aggrieved demons. Your servants pour out their hearts in utmost sincerity and pray in silence, hoping thereby to move the gods to response.

We respectfully invite the lofty saints of the ten directions and the Three Venerables of the Most High to extend their compassionate grace, to let down their majestic light upon the human world, and to command the celestial offices, the earthly administration, the Five Emperors, the Three Officials, Mount Tai, Fengdu, and the officers of every marchmount bureau to pardon the deep and heavy offenses accumulated by Official So-and-so through former lives and the present life, across hundreds of millions of kalpas. These offenses are boundless and measureless. Evils of the past have not yet been confessed, and new sins have since been added. Karmic guilt implicates the offices of Heaven and Earth, the bureaus of Yin-Yang, the nether offices of the mountains and marchmounts, and the departments of water and fire. One may be accused and seized, or entered in the registers of investigation and punishment, and so calamity is drawn down, yet there is no way to plead for release. Some have also defiled and slighted the Three Luminaries—sun, moon, and stars—and offended the Four Greats of heaven, earth, water, and fire; they have violated taboos in the open and affronted the spirits in secret. The knots of sin are tangled and cannot be recorded one by one. Now, on the occasion of this confession, we ask that all of them be cleansed together: that enmities, hatreds, debts, and resentments be reconciled, and faults and transgressions washed away; that offenses be pardoned and disasters delivered, so that every charge in the unseen realm receives remission. May he enter the celestial realm in peace, cultivate the Dao, and be transformed into birth in a blessed land; may he receive protection, have his good fortune continued, and long enjoy fair and abundant blessing.

If there is calamity or illness, the following passage may then be recited; if there is none, it need not be read. At present, within the territory and the household, epidemic and poisonous Qi (vital energy) are spreading. The people cry out and suffer sudden, unprovoked disaster. We look up to the mysterious divine protection, asking that all living beings be pitied and rescued.

In accordance with the Zhengyi (Orthodox Unity) Keyi (liturgy) of the Ritual Master of the Three Heavens, and in order to exterminate baleful influences, subdue ghosts and specters, and seize demonic spirits, your servant respectfully invites the following on behalf of Official So-and-so. We invite the five Unsurpassed Lords of the High Granary, with one hundred thousand soldiers, expressly to seize and remove the ghosts of the three mounds and five tombs within the residence. We invite the five Lords of Circulating Qi of the Celestial Bureau, with one hundred thousand soldiers, to seize and remove the ghosts of the one hundred and twenty kinds of taboo, penal killing, jealousy, and deviant Qi belonging to the said household. We invite the five Lords of Upright Qi of the Metropolitan Bureau, of the Plain Carriage and White Horse, with one hundred thousand soldiers, to seize and remove the ghosts of every evil influence, sprite, and harmful prodigy in the said household. We invite the five Lords of Investigation and Summons, with one hundred thousand soldiers, to seize and remove the stale Qi of subordinate officers, the earth Jing (essence), and the moon-eclipse ghosts of the said household. We invite the five Lords Who Circulate Qi, Relieve Affliction, and Guard the Dwelling, with one hundred and twenty officers and commanders and one hundred thousand soldiers, to seize and remove the five poisons, the hundred illnesses, and the Qi of rebellion and disorder in the household’s new and old residences. We invite the five Celestial Lords of Blame and Opposition, with one hundred and twenty officers and commanders and one hundred thousand soldiers, to seize and remove the ghosts that cause depletion and harm and that draw in outside demons and thieves. We invite the five Lords of the Broad Bureau, with one hundred and twenty officers and commanders and one hundred thousand soldiers, to seize and remove the ghosts of breakage, killing, and vain depletion associated with the directions of the twelve months. We invite the five Lords of the Northern City, of Edict and Command, Transformation and Instruction, and Counsel, with one hundred and twenty officers and commanders and one hundred thousand soldiers, to seize and remove the northern ghosts that threaten to overthrow the householder. We invite the one thousand two hundred inspectors and attendants of the Celestial Heart, with one hundred thousand soldiers, to seize and remove the ghosts of the seasonally prevailing five poisons, warm epidemics, and diseases. We invite the five Lords Who Pacify Heaven, with one hundred and twenty officers and commanders and one hundred thousand soldiers, to seize and remove the ghosts of penal prayers and curses and the inquisitorial Qi in houses and shrines. We invite the five Unsurpassed Lords of Great Harmony, with one hundred and twenty officers and commanders and one hundred thousand soldiers, to seize and remove wangliang sprites, deviant paths, and the soldier-ghosts of the five divisions. We invite the five Lords of Supreme Brightness Who Gather the Spirits, with one hundred and twenty officers and commanders and one hundred thousand soldiers, to seize and remove the ghosts that disorder a person’s spirit, startle the souls, and leave sleep and dreams unsettled.

The officers and soldiers of all twelve celestial divisions receive the command together and descend at the appointed time. They spread through courtyards and buildings and draw up their ranks to guard the eight directions. Thunder shakes above, and battle lines are deployed all around. Inside and outside the residence they search out and seize the treacherous and deviant, sweep away defilement, destroy violent hauntings, and burn up demonic and evil Qi. The stale Qi of the Six Heavens, the Jing of the host of ancient spirits, the thousand ghosts and myriad gods, the epidemic poisons of the five directions, wangliang and strange anomalies, powerful evils within and without, accumulated resentments of former lives and calamities transmitted onward, the harmful Qi of the Earth Duke, disasters and blame from the stars, the newly dead and the long departed, the contrary and lethal forces of Yin-Yang, the deviant Qi of penal prayer, and jealous evil ghosts—all are to be seized, confined, and suppressed, and cut off forever.

May the sovereigns of Yin-Yang and all orthodox spirits securely settle the four quarters and drive out deviance and delusion. If anyone has violated a taboo or disturbed the dragon spirits, may rites of prayer, thanksgiving, and remedial purification turn misfortune into good fortune. May the seventy-two spirits of Punishment and Virtue uphold the orthodox Dao, bring peace to the people, expel calamity, and bestow blessing, so that guilt is eliminated and illness no longer intrudes, or else gradually heals. May the ancestors of nine generations and the ancestral spirits of seven generations ascend to Heaven and realize the Dao, at last receive an auspicious and blessed response, and long remain in peace. When the merit of the memorial announcement is performed, may they be raised in rank and further rewarded; and if the Zhai is held for a private household, may the fortune of that house likewise flourish.

The original text is incomplete after the closing words “Above, we pray that Heaven and Earth shine clear.” Several other passages are also damaged, and their original meaning cannot be known with certainty.

May the destiny of the nation be peaceful and secure, the sun and moon bright, pure, and upright, and the five stars move in their proper courses, so that the people of every region enjoy health and happiness. May the foundation of the state stand firm and the sagely sovereign enjoy long life. May the honored deities of the altars of soil and grain, together with the ancestral sages of the ancestral temple, jointly protect the nation, causing its destiny to flourish and long endure and sheltering all under heaven. May the ministers give their loyalty and hold to integrity, the five grains yield abundantly, warfare come to rest, and auspicious omens appear; may the various states come to court, and even the remote wastes present tribute.

May the Qi (vital energy) of the Dao (the Way) in the household of So-and-so spread widely, the accumulated good deeds be continually cultivated and increased, blessings be renewed day by day, and kinsfolk share in that fortune together. May the ancestral sages of the ancestral temple continue to protect the nation, so that its destiny flourishes and long endures and all under heaven is at peace; may the ministers give their loyalty and hold to integrity and the five grains yield abundantly, warfare come to rest and auspicious omens appear, the various states come to court, and distant lands present tribute. May the Qi of the Dao in the household of So-and-so spread widely, good deeds accumulate, blessings be made new each day, and kinsfolk share the blessings together.

May all sentient beings in the Three Paths and Six Destinies—the three evil paths and the six destinations of rebirth spoken of in Buddhism—whether creeping and crawling, soaring in flight, or swimming in the depths, receive sacred grace and be universally delivered. May the honored deities on high manifest great compassion and, here below, answer the sincere hearts with which we, your subjects, repent and confess our faults. This memorial is respectfully submitted.

One then recites the Twelve Vows. One then recites the Incantation for Restoring the Censer. One then performs the ritual section on studying immortality. One then recites the Incantation for Leaving the Hall. One then offers incense before the Mysterious Master, the ancestral master who transmitted the teaching, or the honored master of the Mysterious Gate. One then recites the Hymn of Dedicating Merit. Finally, following the customary rite, one carries out the penalty rite and disperses the altar.