《太上洞玄灵宝素灵真符》

The Suling Zhenfu (True Talismans of Pure Numinosity) is traditionally said to have been obtained by the Celestial Master (Tianshi) Zhai. During the Qianyou and Qianyuan periods, Master Zhai traveled from Mount Huanghe along the river into Shu and arrived at the gorges of Mount Wu. Fond of mountain forests and springs, he ranged over the peaks on every side. For more than a year he wandered in all directions, south as far as the Qing River and north as far as Shangyong, a journey of more than a thousand li. Wherever there were remains linked to legends of spirits and deities, or deep and secluded caverns, he went in person to view them.

One night he dreamed of a Perfected (Zhenren) more than a zhang in height, dressed in plain clothes and wearing a splendid cap, standing on a high cliff and looking down upon him, as if about to transmit something. The next day Master Zhai climbed the Peak of the Heavenly Worthy, gazed upward, and paid homage, and indeed saw this Perfected. He then received from the Perfected’s hands a scroll written in cinnabar, which he accepted with reverent bows. This was the Suling Fu.

Tradition holds that, applied according to the talisman text, it could cure illness, subdue demonic evils, and command ghosts and spirits, and could even restore corpses to life; it could also summon wind and rain and drive away tigers and wolves. The people of the Three Gorges region benefited greatly from it. In the Tianbao period the court issued an edict summoning Master Zhai to the palace. He obeyed the summons, discoursed on the arts of the Dao (the Way) within the palace, and afterward returned to Mount Xiandu.

Later, Duan Chengshi of Pingchang, together with the noted scholars and local officials of the Jing and Ying regions at that time, all reverently studied this talisman text; after many years they one after another attained the Dao and departed. The preface states that if one who obtains these talismans transmits them to others in order to relieve the multitude, they will prove efficacious. The author, Du Guangting, says that in the bingyin year of the Tianfu period he went to Mount Pingdu in search of scriptures (Jing) and again obtained a manuscript copy of this talisman text, which he then included in the Canon of the Three Caverns (Dongzhen/Dongxuan/Dongshen), hoping that later companions in the Dao might also understand its aim of aiding the world and saving people.

The upper fascicle of the Taishang Dongxuan Lingbao Suling Zhenfu (Supreme Dongxuan Lingbao True Talismans of Pure Numinosity), signed “Master Lu,” opens with a catalogue of kinds of talismans: the first is talismans for treating all illnesses; the second, talismans for treating epidemics; the third, talismans for treating cold-damage disorders; the fourth, talismans for treating illnesses of cold and heat; and the fifth, talismans for treating headache.

Every day one should visualize the numinous spirits of the five directions gathering from above to surround and guard oneself, and one should often silently recite this incantation:

“On my left is the Azure Dragon Mengzhang, associated with jiayin; on my right is the White Tiger Jianbing, associated with jiashen; above my head is the Vermilion Bird Lingguang, associated with jiawu; beneath my feet is the Dark Warrior Zhiming, associated with jiazi; the spleen is Guizi, which enters the central palace, associated with jiachen and jiaxu.”

This incantation should be recited often until it is firmly fixed in memory. When reciting, do not let any sound escape between the lips, and do not let others hear it. When one meets with disputes in public or private affairs, the atmosphere of warfare in the four quarters, the dangers of a military formation, or when traveling to a foreign land where one has not yet adapted to the local climate and waters, as well as in times when epidemic disease is widespread, one should visualize and silently recite it again and again, morning and evening.

When offering condolences at a funeral, drawing near a corpse, entering a shrine or temple, or when one is in a frightening place or in the home of a family visited by inauspicious calamity, after stepping through the door one should perform the Pace of Yu (Yubu, the stepping method of Daoist ritual) and recite the incantation. It is said that the gods of the Six Jia and the Four Spirits will then protect one’s person.

This talisman (fu) is called the “Dujiang Talisman.” Whenever a talisman is drawn, one must first hold the breath, sealing the Qi; after the talisman is completed, knock the teeth three times and then recite the incantation:

“The sun rises in brilliant light; I deploy the divine talisman, its majesty overawing the four directions. I wear and employ the divine talisman; the hundred illnesses are removed, and the ten thousand evils disperse. Quickly, quickly, in accordance with the statutes and ordinances!”

All talismanic inscriptions contain written characters, yet ordinary people do not know how to recognize them. The scripture (Jing) says that if one can read the talisman characters, one may summon the myriad spirits, command the hundred ghosts, and gain a thorough grasp of all manner of affairs. The text then explains the essential point of the Dujiang Talisman: when one encounters warfare, bandits, tigers and wolves, or wind and waves, or when one is seized by terror, troubled by nightmares, or hears the sound of soul-summoning, and likewise when mourning the dead, approaching a corpse, or coming into contact with all kinds of defilement, one should set one’s thoughts upright and recite the five characters “Heming tiandi” (“Accord with the Bright Celestial Emperor”). Reciting them three times each day, it is said, can avert and dispel these calamities.

To release the talisman above, one need only recite the “five characters” three times and then fold the talisman neatly once more. If one is to swallow a Six Jia talisman (a protective talisman linked to the Six Jia days), one must not eat the animal corresponding to the time associated with that talisman: on a Chou day do not eat ox, on a Hai day do not eat pig, and on a Mao day do not eat rabbit. The Six Jia return talismans are used in cycles of sixty days, taken once every ten days; the Six Jia talismans are all to be taken together.

The first set of talismans for treating all illnesses comprises thirty-one talismans in all. These are true talismans for the treatment of every kind of disease. The scripture says that even a person who has been ill for many years, whose condition is critical and who is on the verge of death, may by means of these talismans prolong life, bring the hun and po souls back, and attain long life. Written in cinnabar and then swallowed, they can drive out every sort of malign influence and spectral being. Their effect is genuine and not empty talk. The talisman on the left is used for thirty-nine days, and the talisman on the right for thirty-two days.

The second set of talismans for treating pestilence comprises eighty-eight talismans in all. The Lord of Heaven regularly, on the Jiazi day (the first day in the sixty-day Jiazi cycle of dating), pays homage to the gods and, together with them, has audience with the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning. The Celestial Worthy asks whether the people of the world are often harmed by the poisonous Qi (vital energy) of pestilence, even to the point of death.

When pestilence is abroad, the sickness is violent and may even bring ruin upon an entire household. The scripture says that one should prepare the talisman “The Yellow Emperor Arrives at the Gate of Heaven” and affix the red characters to the doorway. When the sick person drinks the six-character talisman and at once breaks into a sweat, there is hope of escaping death. The Celestial Worthy imparted this method to the Lord of Heaven and the gods, that the people of the world might follow it.

At the first appearance of symptoms resembling pestilential illness, one should prepare a peach decoction and take this talisman so that the body sweats. After a while, take one more, and at most three; if sweat still does not come, one may continue up to seven or nine. Once sweating begins, the illness will ease and improve. If recovery is not yet complete, take the second talisman on the following day, and proceed in sequence. The scripture says that none fails to take effect. When writing the talisman one should face the wang direction (a technical term of orientation and day selection) and write it on a wang-xiang day (a day deemed suitable for action in the numerological arts).

In former times, Xuanzi obtained twelve divine talismans in a stone chamber and, after wearing them, became equal with Heaven. When someone in the world contracted epidemic disease, the talismans were written with cinnabar on paper and one was taken each day, so that the person might be spared the illness. Wang Qiao wore these talismans and ascended to Heaven in broad daylight; Chi Song wore them, underwent transformation, and became an immortal; Lord Lao practiced this method and held command over all the heavens. After the talisman has been written, one must recite the invocation:

This is a talisman bestowed by the celestial deities. Written on paper and taken one each day, it can keep a person from falling ill. Wang Qiao wore it and ascended in broad daylight; Chisong wore it and was transformed into an immortal; Lord Lao put it to use and thereby held authority over all the heavens. After it has been written, recite:

Nurtured by Heaven and brought forth by Earth, I receive the divine talisman of Heaven above and may thereby attain long life. Immortals assist me, and jade maidens protect and aid my bodily form. The Twenty-Eight Lodges (the stellar mansions by which the ancients divided the regions of the sky) help me ascend to the heavenly court. The five colors shift and change—black, white, red, and blue-green—and the Yellow Emperor of the Center (one of the deities of the five directions) unites with me as one body. Wherever the divine talisman reaches, it can subdue the myriad spirits, and all that is treacherous, wicked, and baleful will vanish, form and trace alike.

When the talisman is put into effect, recite:

The Great Method says: Today is a jiazi day (one day in the stem-and-branch reckoning of days), and you serve as the emissary on duty. I wish to employ the Fulu (talismans and registers); you shall dispatch them on my behalf. With a crimson embroidered cap upon your head, go straight in through the Gate of Heaven. Quickly, quickly, act in accordance with the statutes and commands of Lord Lao.

Talismans for treating cold-damage illness: the third category, eight in all.

Talismans for treating cold and heat: the fourth category, thirty-two in all.

Talismans for treating headache: the fifth category, thirteen in all.

End of the upper scroll of the Taishang Dongxuan Lingbao Suling Zhenfu (True Talismans of the Pure Numen of the Numinous Treasure of the Cavern Mystery of the Most High).

Middle scroll of the Taishang Dongxuan Lingbao Suling Zhenfu

Transmitted by Master Lu.

For treating abdominal pain, and pain in the heart and abdomen.

For treating sudden seizure by malign influences, and shuanshi (names of illnesses listed in the scripture).

For treating abdominal distension, and distress and oppression in the heart and abdomen.

For treating pain in the lower back, and pain in the back.

For treating diseases of the abdomen. Middle scroll of the Taishang Dongxuan Lingbao Suling Zhenfu.

Transmitted by Master Lu.

For treating abdominal pain, and pain in the heart and abdomen.

For treating sudden seizure by malign influences, and shuanshi.

For treating abdominal distension, and distress and oppression in the heart and abdomen.

For treating pain in the lower back, and pain in the back.

The talismans in this scroll for treating abdominal pain are all written in cinnabar.

On the talisman for treating pain in the heart and abdomen is written: “Heaven banishes ghosts; Earth presides over completion.”

This talisman is used to treat such symptoms as heart pain and inability to breathe caused by having offended the Five Ghosts. Write three talismans in ink on paper, burn them to ash in a salt broth, and swallow them; recovery follows quickly.

The talisman above is used to treat abdominal pain and swelling of the intestines, together with the illness in which the breath is about to fail and the body feels as heavy as if one were carrying a corpse on the back. Write it in cinnabar on the patient’s abdomen. The talisman should be written large enough to cover the whole abdomen; it is better still to fill the abdomen by writing lengthwise along it. One may also burn the talisman to ash and swallow it.

The first group consists of three talismans. They are the first talisman transmitted by Chang Gongzi (the Eldest Noble Son), and are used to treat sudden disturbance by evil influences, pain in the back, abdominal pain, and lockjaw. The talisman is written with cinnabar in water, or written on paper, made into three pills, and swallowed. If there is still no improvement, three talismans are drawn below the heart and talismans are drawn on a large scale across the abdomen; it is said that there is no case that cannot be cured.

The second group consists of two talismans, used to treat a sudden encounter with evil influences, a stabbing pain at the heart caused by ghostly malign influences, and pain of the Qi (vital energy). The talismans are written with cinnabar on white paper, and the upper one is taken first. If after a while the pain has not stopped, the lower one is then taken; if it is still ineffective, one begins again from the upper talisman and writes them in sequence once more.

If the patient has already died, yet warmth remains below the heart and the pulse is still present, taking the talisman is said to be able to restore life. If the jaws are locked so that the talisman cannot be taken, one tooth is broken off and the talisman is placed in the mouth; as soon as the talisman enters the mouth, the rite is considered complete, and it is said that it will in the end enter the abdomen. One may also cut a section of juicy scallion leaf, place the talisman inside it, insert it into the nose, and blow hard so that the talisman is driven deep; or one may blow it in with water, then shake the patient’s head and continue blowing. It is said that this too can take effect very quickly.

The third group consists of seventeen talismans, used to treat pain of the heart-Qi. They are written with yellow silk and cinnabar, and after they are swallowed it is said that recovery follows in every case.

The fourth group consists of eleven talismans, used to treat heart pain and vexed agitation. They are written with yellow silk and cinnabar, and after they are taken it is said that they take effect at once.

Zhong’e is a term used in ancient Daoist and medical writings for a class of illnesses that appear suddenly and are regarded as related to disturbance by evil influences. A fu is a Fulu (talismans and registers) written in Daoist ritual.

When someone is suddenly struck by a malign affliction, as if pierced by a ghostly being, and feels acute pain together with fullness and oppression in the chest and abdomen, suffering as though about to die, the first talisman (fu) should be swallowed first. If there is no improvement after a short while, the second and third talismans are swallowed in turn. If the person has already died, yet some warmth remains over the heart, and the talisman cannot take effect at once, it is written on paper in ink, rolled into a paper pellet, and given to be swallowed.

If the patient’s jaws are locked shut, one tooth may be knocked out and the talisman placed in the mouth. One may also take a fairly thick scallion leaf, cut off the thinner end, insert it through a nostril as far as the throat, and then wash it down with water, shaking the patient’s head so that the talisman is swallowed; it is said that recovery then follows. If there is still no improvement, one begins again with the first talisman and then takes the second, continuing until recovery. If this still has no effect, the talisman is once more conveyed to the throat by the previous method and washed down with water. If it remains ineffective, the later talismans are taken in succession.

There are two talismans for rescuing those suddenly afflicted by “corpse-strike” (shiji)—a sudden illness spoken of in the scripture (jing)—so that the breath is cut off and the mouth will not open. The talisman is written on paper in ink, the patient’s mouth is pried open, and the patient is made to swallow it. If the patient has not yet revived, the second talisman is swallowed; if revival still does not come, the first talisman is swallowed once more, and it is said that recovery then follows. This talisman is called the “Talisman for Breaking the Funeral Carriage and Raising the Dead.” Written on plain paper and affixed to the site of pain, it is said to be likewise auspicious.

There are two further talismans for treating the sudden onset of violent stabbing pain and unbearable distress and oppression, as if one were about to die. The upper talisman is taken first; if there is no improvement after a short while, the lower one is taken. If the person has already died, yet warmth remains over the heart, swallowing the “Shaking Talisman” (yao fu) is said to bring recovery. The talisman is written on paper in ink and given to the patient to swallow. If the patient cannot open the mouth, a tooth may be knocked out, the talisman placed in the throat and washed down with water, and the patient shaken to aid swallowing; it is said that the effect is immediate.

The talisman above is used to treat people suddenly stricken by zhong’e (“malignant seizure”), whose condition is critical and who are near death. Even if breathing has already stopped, one should still write the talisman in cinnabar just below the hair and on both shoulders. Once it has been written, take a cinnabar brush dipped in water and hold it in the hand while those nearby are unaware. If the malign agent is regarded as a “vigorous ghost,” turn it four or five times; if it is an “angry ghost,” turn it three or four times. It is said that none fail to be cured.

First place the patient’s two hands in front of the head and bind the two thumbs tightly with a cord. Then use a cinnabar brush to inscribe talismans on the five centers—the crown of the head, the two palms, and the two soles—written by the talisman master, and set the left side of the talisman facing the patient’s heart. Next gesture toward the nose with the cinnabar brush as if writing a talisman, and then introduce the written talisman into the nose. A man is turned to the left and a woman to the right, without passing beyond the two positions of zi and wu. The patient then kowtows, states his or her own name, and asks to depart. If the condition has not yet improved, one must quickly take hold of the patient, who will then begin to speak of his or her own accord. [Here the wording of the original is defective, and the meaning is not entirely clear.]

The talismans above, seventeen in all, are used to treat pain of the heart-Qi (vital energy). Written in cinnabar on yellow silk and swallowed, they are said in every case to bring recovery.

The talismans above, eleven in all, are used to treat heart pain and mental agitation. Written in cinnabar on yellow silk and swallowed, they are said to take effect at once.

Treating sudden zhong’e and pain in the back

The four talismans above are used to treat sudden zhong’e, acute pain caused by a blow from a pestle or a stab from a ghost, oppressive blockage, abdominal distension so severe that death seems imminent, and similar conditions. First swallow the first talisman; if after a while there is still no improvement, swallow the second and the third. If the patient has already died, yet the pit of the stomach remains warm and the talisman has not taken effect at once, write the talisman in ink on paper, roll it into a pellet, and have the patient swallow it.

If the patient’s mouth cannot be opened, pry the teeth apart and insert the talisman. One may also take a fairly thick scallion leaf, cut off the narrower end, and pass it in through the nostril as far as the throat, then wash it down with water and shake the patient’s head so that the talisman is swallowed. It is said that this brings recovery. If there is still no improvement, begin with the first talisman and then take the second, continuing until recovery; if it still has no effect, go on to take the talismans that follow.

The talismans above, two in all, are used to treat a person suddenly afflicted by “corpse-strike” (an acute condition regarded as caused by harassment from a corpse-ghost). Once swallowed, they bring recovery; if there is no improvement, begin with the first talisman and then take the second, continuing until recovery. If there is still no effect, continue with the talismans that follow.

[The swallowing of talismans, the insertion of talismans, and their forced introduction into the nose and throat, as described above, are Fulu (talismans and registers) therapies recorded in the Jing (scripture/classic).]

Two upper talismans are used to treat a person who has suddenly suffered a “corpse-strike” (shiji, the cause of illness named in the scripture), after which the breath—Qi (vital energy)—is cut off and the mouth is clenched shut. The upper talismans are written on paper with ink; the patient’s mouth is pried open and the talisman is swallowed. If the patient has not yet revived, the lower talisman is then swallowed; if there is still no revival, the upper talisman is swallowed once more, and recovery is said to follow. This talisman is called the “Talisman for Breaking the Funeral Carriage and Raising the Dead.” It is written on plain silk and placed on the painful spot, which is said to be highly auspicious.

Two upper talismans are used to treat a person seized by a sudden, malignant stabbing pain, an agony so unbearable that death seems near. The upper talisman is taken first; if after a short while there is still no improvement, the lower talisman is taken. If the person has already died but the center of the chest remains warm, the “shaking talisman” is swallowed, and recovery is said to follow. The talisman is written on paper in ink and the patient is made to swallow it. If the patient cannot open the mouth, one tooth is broken off, the talisman is placed in the throat, and it is washed down with water; it is said that the moment the talisman enters the belly it takes effect at once.

An upper talisman is used to treat sudden seizure by malign influence when death is imminent. If the person has already died, the talisman is written in cinnabar beneath the hair and on both shoulders. Once it has been written, the rite is performed with water and the cinnabar brush, without letting bystanders notice, while the cinnabar brush is held in the hand. The scripture says that one circles so-called “vigorous ghosts” four or five times and “wrathful ghosts” three or four times, and the illness can then be cured. The patient’s two hands must first be placed in front of the head, and both thumbs tightly bound with a cord. Talismans are then inscribed with the cinnabar brush on the body’s “five hearts” (the crown of the head, the two palms, and the two soles). The talisman master writes them, with the left side turned toward the patient’s chest. Next the cinnabar brush is directed toward the patient’s nose to form the talisman, and then inserted into the nose to write: for a man one turns to the left, for a woman to the right, without going beyond the double-hours of zi and wu. One then kowtows, announces one’s own name, and asks leave to withdraw. The scripture continues: if the patient has not yet recovered, the cinnabar brush must be grasped at once; the patient will speak of their own accord, and the illness will then depart.

Nine upper talismans are used to treat seizure by malign influence. Once written, they are swallowed, and the effect is said to be immediate.

Three upper talismans are used to treat what the scripture calls “shuanshi zhuwu,” an intrusion into the five viscera of the abdomen. They are written in cinnabar on yellow plain silk. The first talisman is swallowed first; if the illness does not cease, the remaining talismans are swallowed in sequence, and all are said to bring recovery.

An upper talisman is used to treat what the scripture calls “the Five Ghosts carving a person,” that is, an assault on the body’s five viscera. It is written in cinnabar. The first talisman is swallowed first; if the illness does not cease, the remaining talismans are swallowed, and all are said to bring recovery.

Treating abdominal distension

Treating vexation and oppression in the heart and abdomen (discomfort and oppression in the chest and the abdomen)

Treating lower-back pain

Treatment of back pain.

The middle scroll of the True Talismans of the Pure Spirit of the Most High Cavern Mystery (Dongxuan) Numinous Treasure (Taishang Dongxuan Lingbao Suling Zhenfu) comes to an end.

The lower scroll of the Taishang Dongxuan Lingbao Suling Zhenfu.

Transmitted by Master Du.

It treats chest pain, dysentery (diarrhea), huoluan (the ancient name for acute illnesses marked by violent vomiting and diarrhea), blockage of urine and stool, strangury (dribbling, hesitant, and painful urination), heat in the genital region, and restless heat. It dispels confusion, brightens the mind and spirit (Shen), and strengthens memory. It settles the ethereal and corporeal souls (hun and po) and relieves grief and longing. It treats malaria and includes written texts for prohibitive incantations (jinzhou).

Treating chest pain, dysentery, huoluan, and blockage of urine and stool. The talisman on the right can treat blockage of urine and stool in children. Written below the navel, it is said to take effect at once.

Treating strangury.

Treating the mind and spirit and strengthening memory.

Settling the hun and po and relieving grief and longing.

Treating malaria, together with the texts for prohibitive incantations.

Treating chest pain, dysentery, huoluan, and blockage of urine and stool. The talisman on the right can treat blockage of urine and stool in children. Written below the navel, it is said to take effect at once.

Treating strangury.

Treating genital heat and restless heat. The talisman on the right can treat heat illness and may also be used to drive off and ward away the hundred ghosts. When one goes out at night and encounters an evil mei (a malevolent sprite), wearing this talisman is considered auspicious.

Dispelling confusion. The talisman on the right is used to treat states of confusion and unclearness. One should hold this talisman, face west, and kneel in reverence, and the confusion is said to be dispelled. If there is still no improvement, writing the talisman and wearing it is also considered auspicious. If the confusion still does not cease, one writes the talisman in cinnabar on yellow silk and swallows it, and recovery is said to follow at once.

Brightening the mind and spirit and strengthening memory. The talisman on the right is said to open a person’s mind and understanding and to confer the method of foreknowledge (nizhi, knowing the pattern of affairs in advance). One selects an opening day (kairi, a traditional day-selection term for a day suited to opening or beginning an undertaking) and writes fifty talismans. Beginning on the day they are written, one takes them twice a day, one talisman each time, for fifty consecutive days. When the talismans are used up, one begins again from the start. Continued from one hundred days up to a full year, this is said to open the mind and understanding so that what one reads is not forgotten and one can memorize three thousand characters a day. Taken over a long period, it may also enable ascent to Heaven.

Settling the hun and po. The talisman on the right may be used when a sick person’s hun and po are unsettled. If one is suddenly assailed by malign vital energy (Qi)—which the ancients believed could disorder the mind and senses—one swallows this talisman, and the hun and po are said to return, which is highly auspicious.

Relieving grief and longing.

This talisman is used to treat worry, grief and yearning, unease in the heart, as well as weeping and crying, mental derangement, and similar symptoms. The talismanic characters are written in cinnabar on yellow silk and then swallowed; alternatively, the talisman may be written over the heart, and the characters inscribed on a five-cun length of red silk, which is tied to the left arm while one lies on one’s side. Treated in this way, the sufferer will recover.

Treatment of Malaria

This talisman is said to cure malaria that breaks out through the twelve double-hours. Once the talisman has been written and worn on the body, recovery follows at once.

The talismanic incantation says: Ascend the high mountain and gaze upon the cold waters; set tigers and wolves to seize the malaria demon. Rebuke it: “Why have you still not gone quickly? My household has wealth and rank.” It closes with the urgent command, “Quickly, quickly, in accordance with the statutes and ordinances” (jiji ru lüling).

Another passage of the incantation says: Ascend the high mountain and gaze upon the cold waters; set tigers and wolves to seize the malaria demon. If it comes in the morning, by evening it is dead and the illness is cured. The passage then again summons tigers and wolves to seize the malaria demon, and says: “Why have you still not gone quickly? My household has wealth and rank.” It ends with “Quickly, quickly, in accordance with the statutes and ordinances.”

A further passage says: Ascend the high mountain and gaze upon the cold waters; set tigers and wolves to seize the malaria demon. Rebuke it: “I will drink your blood—why do you not depart at once? My household has an honored guest.” In the talisman this demon-catcher is named Poshi (“Stone-Breaker”). Its head is like the western mountains and its body like the eastern marshes. It does not eat the five grains; it eats only malaria demons—three thousand in the morning and eight hundred in the evening. If any demons remain unexpelled, the pursuit continues. At the end it likewise presses the command with “Quickly, quickly, in accordance with the statutes and ordinances.”

The two talismans above, once written, are placed before the heart.

There is yet another talismanic incantation, which says: Ascend the high mountain and gaze upon the seawater; set tigers and wolves to hunt down the malaria demon. Rebuke it: “Why do you not depart at once? My household has an honored guest.” This talisman likewise names the demon-catcher Poshi, and describes its head as like the western mountains and its body as like the eastern marshes. It does not eat the five grains; it eats only malaria demons—three thousand in the morning and eight hundred in the evening. If that is still not enough, it continues to demand more.

As for the seven talismans above, the person suffering from malaria writes them according to the foregoing text and swallows them, and is said thereby to recover. The scripture (jing) calls this a secret method worth a thousand pieces of gold, not lightly transmitted.

Prohibitive Incantation

The spell says: Ascend the high mountain and gaze upon the cold waters; set tigers and wolves to seize the malaria demon. In the morning three thousand are eaten, and in the evening eight hundred. It ends by pressing the command, “Quickly, quickly, in accordance with the statutes and ordinances.”

The scripture further says that if the person suffering from malaria writes seven talismans according to the foregoing text and swallows them, recovery will follow. This is a secret method worth a thousand pieces of gold, not lightly transmitted.

Climb a high mountain and look out over the cold water, and send tigers and wolves to seize the malaria demon—the ghost that, according to legend, causes people to fall ill with malaria. Three thousand are eaten in the morning and eight hundred in the evening. If even one malaria demon still refuses to leave, hand its name over to Hebo (the river god). If that is still not enough, press him to come and claim it at once. Quickly, quickly, in accordance with the newly issued statutes and ordinances of Lord Lao (Laojun)!

The above is an incantation for rebuking the malaria demon. It is applied according to the condition of the illness and used together with Fulu (talismans and registers).

Once the envoy of the Celestial Emperor has captured the malaria demon, he may kill it at once; there is no need to inquire into its guilt. Quickly, quickly, in accordance with the statutes and ordinances!

The above is a talismanic incantation used for treating malaria.

Officers and envoys at my side, do not fall into confusion with one another; each of you has charge of the spirits of your own quarter. The malaria demon, however, deceived its own mother. Four sons burst into the garden for no reason, were burned to death by fire, and were turned instead into malaria demons. I am an envoy of the Most High (Taishang). I know your name and your origin—why have you not yet fled at once? I shall now set water and fire in motion to pursue and kill you. Quickly, quickly, in accordance with the statutes and ordinances!

The above incantation is used when treating malaria, together with fire talismans and Fulu.

Memorial for Treating Malaria

I respectfully report to those above: A certain man was born only a mortal, yet he is also a descendant of the hundred officials and the spirits. He has been fortunate enough to live past a thousand years, to receive the teaching of clarity and stillness, and to be upheld by the Qi (vital energy) of the Dao (the Way). He has always enjoyed favor, and most of what he sought has been granted. Mortals, however, often go astray in their daily conduct and thereby bring guilt and calamity upon themselves. In a certain year, on a certain month and day, he suddenly contracted malaria. The attacks have continued day after day: his head aches, cold and heat come by turns, his breathing is rapid, and he cannot take food. When a fit comes on, his breath grows faint and all but fails, and the illness grows ever more severe. The whole household, old and young, is greatly alarmed and does not know what to do. They have hurried to me, begging to be saved. That this mortal should have contracted malaria is truly pitiable; I therefore respectfully set the matter before you.

To the various lords of the Most High, the Elder Masters and the Teacher-Lords, those in the service of the Ladies, and the Lords of the Five Qi who oversee affairs: Taishang Dongxuan Lingbao Suling Zhenfu (True Talismans of the Pure Spirit of the Numinous Treasure of the Cavern Mystery of the Most High), Lower Scroll.