《思印气诀法》

First click the teeth twelve times, face the place where the seal is to be applied, form the “Dujian jue” (a Daoist hand gesture) with the left hand, hold the Qi (vital energy), and take nine steps according to the pacing method of the Nine Palaces. If the rite is directed at mountains and rivers, visualize a ceremonial procession setting out: celestial officials and clerk-soldiers arrayed according to their respective directions and colors, bearing hook-spears, furnace-axes, and other weapons, and moving separately through the mountain forests.

Visualize within the mountain forest a blazing mountain like a hunting dog with its eyes open. When the trees have been opened and cleared, open the mouth and inhale, bite the Qi toward the left, and then gently swallow it. Next visualize three newly forged forest spirits (Shen) appearing before you, dressed in red and standing in the mouth. Raise the eyes and gaze into the distance three times; inhale and bite the Qi three times, then swallow the Qi three times. Visualize these three spirits drawing and contracting the Qi, as if hauling it into the mouth with a net. After biting the Qi to the left, swallow it so that the Qi enters the abdomen.

When the rite is worked upon mountains and rivers, rivers and seas, and rivers and lakes, raise the eyes and visualize three times, inhale five times, bite the Qi three times, and swallow once; when the Qi is full, swallow it down. Bite the Qi nine times in this manner. Then open the mouth and inhale and, facing the place where the seal is applied, invoke the Twenty-Eight Lunar Mansions (the ancient system of stellar lodges), the Three Officials (the Official of Heaven, the Official of Earth, and the Official of Water), Huangshen Yuezhang, and other spirits. Establish a covenant and oath, and protect yourself with the twelve double-hours and the one hundred twenty-one prohibitions. Cause the Qi to coalesce and the Jing (essence) and Qi to draw inward. Practiced in this way, sealing a mountain can make the mountain collapse; sealing evil can make malign Qi disperse; sealing a ghost can make the ghost die; and sealing a rebel can make the rebel flee. It may also be used against thieves, armed troops, poisonous epidemics, and mountain bandits, so that they are checked and defeated.

Afterward, hold the seal in the left hand and seal the target, hold the Qi twenty times, then depart while still carrying the seal. Blow malign Qi from the mouth toward the four directions, draw the character “well” on the ground with the left hand, and do not look back when leaving.

Next visualize three spirit-generals in each of the five viscera: those in the liver wear blue-green robes together with red attire; those in the heart wear red; those in the lungs wear white; those in the spleen wear yellow; and those in the kidneys wear black. All of them hold hook-spears, battle-axes, and other weapons. Following the method, lower the head and turn the gaze, passing through the mountains three times. Practice according to the prescribed counts of breath, and carry out the method of the Suspended Officials by means of the one hundred twenty chapters (Daoist talismanic chapters). The seal may regularly be applied at the round well before the ao, extending also to the households on the left and right.

If bondservants rebel and flee or depart, or if horses are entangled and hindered, the rite may be worked according to their tracks: sealing along the direction of the tracks makes them leave; sealing against the direction of the tracks makes them return. When thunder, lightning, and thunderbolts occur to the left or right, before or behind a dwelling, first draw in the malign Qi of the thunderbolt three times and blow it into the seal, then seal the four corners of the dwelling, so as to stop the thunder and lightning.

If an evil person intends to harm others, one can use the seal to close off the Gate of Life (mingmen) at the crown of that person's head.

When epidemic qi (氣, Qi) is spreading, place cinnabar in the teeth of the seal and stamp it on the doors of the household. To seal and suppress the talismans (Fulu) in a temple, enter the temple and form the "Dujian Gesture" (a Daoist hand seal). Hold the breath, then draw breath in from the four directions, as if absorbing the power of the temple's deity. Next, blow into the teeth of the seal, stamp it, and use the "Five You Method for Dispatching Ghosts" to drive out and send away malevolent spirits. If mountain rocks or epidemic qi are causing trouble, follow the same method: put cinnabar into the teeth of the seal and stamp it on the doors. To seal and suppress the talismans in a temple, likewise enter the temple, form the Dujian Gesture, hold the breath and draw breath in from the four directions, blow into the teeth of the seal, stamp it, and carry out the Five You Method.

To deal with a mountain rock or a great tree, first dig a pit beside the tree large enough to hold the seal, and shape the earth into a form suited to receiving it. If the earth is mixed with wine, place it in the pit. Then hold the breath for twelve breaths, perform the Steps of Yu (a Daoist ritual walk), and stamp the seal. The incantation says: "Taishang Laojun dispatches a thousand armies and ten thousand horses to seize and arrest the spirits of the great trees of the world and the numinous powers of the high mountains, as well as the river turtles, the giant lizards, the tortoises, the great sea turtles, and all the mountain sprites and ghostly apparitions. The Five You of the world, the foxes, and the old otters, all lie prostrate beneath the awesome power of Heaven. Let their heads be severed and their tongues cut off, so that they cannot move. Swiftly, swiftly, in accordance with the statutes and ordinances!"

When confronting a rebellious person or a corrupt official, use the rite to bring harm upon them. When performing the sealing, on seeing such a person, draw in the qi of the left side twelve times, then draw in the qi of the right side. Holding the seal toward the person, walk three steps forward, hold the breath three times, then close the eyes and hold one more breath. Afterward, silently recite in the heart: "The Way of Heaven aids me, the sun and moon protect me, the stars and constellations watch over me, the four seasons nourish me, and the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) fulfill me. Those wicked people who plot curses, and those rebellious officials, all lie as corpses beneath the awesome power of Heaven. Swiftly, swiftly, in accordance with the Beidou Yuezhang statutes and ordinances!"

This is the method for closing off doors and households and blocking ghosts and malevolent spirits. Prepare a document of petition (zhang), cut a hole in it as large as the seal, and put red earth into it. Stamp the seal toward the directions of the household corresponding to Shang, Jue, Zhi, and Yu. When the stamping is finished, recite the incantation: "Wicked people and rebellious officials, all lie as corpses beneath the awesome power of Heaven. Swiftly, swiftly, in accordance with the Beidou Yuezhang statutes and ordinances!"

This is a Daoist ritual method that uses talismanic seals and incantations to pray for the protection of the home, the expulsion of evil, and the avoidance of disaster.

In preparing it, holes the size of a seal are first bored into the seal board, and red earth is spread within the holes. Facing the four orientations of the household—Shang, Jue, Zhi, and Yu—one stamps the seal in sequence. When this is finished, the practitioner treads the Steps of Yu (Yubu, the pacing method used in Daoist ritual), writes the talisman characters on the door, and then, facing outward beyond the door, recites the incantation. The incantation first summons the lords of the village altars and local communities, the Three Origins and the Four Beginnings, the various officers of the jiazi cycle, the gods of the gate and of the household, together with the Azure Dragon, the White Tiger, the Vermilion Bird, the Dark Warrior, and other deities. It then reports the practitioner’s name, the members of the household, and the place of residence, and states that this family already has a covenant with the Most High (Taishang) and a mandate from the Celestial Master (Tianshi). It prays that the household remain safe and free of trouble throughout the year; that calamities and lawsuits disperse; that wicked people and thieves stay far away; that quarrels and disputes not arise; that disasters of water and fire subside; and that the perils of war also be avoided. The incantation further prays that the men and women of the household live in harmony and prosperity, and that the dwelling remain peaceful and suffer no affliction. Finally, it entreats the divine clerks and spirit troops to guard and uphold the talismanic seal, and closes with “quickly, quickly, in accordance with the statutes and ordinances” (jiji ru lüling), signifying that the command must be carried out at once.

What follows concerns a ritual method for inspecting and ritually dispelling yin calamities. If the Tiangang star shines down and thereby brings disaster, the practitioner calls out three times the name of that day’s deity, holds the breath and suspends respiration, directs the talismanic seal toward the “Gate of Heaven” (Tianmen, a Daoist term for a specific orientation used in the rite, or for a portal of the heavens), sets the left foot upon the right foot, then turns about and walks two steps forward. Next, the practitioner three times invokes the Most High Limitless Great Dao, the Most High Lord Lao, and the Most High Lords of the Three Qi (vital energy), and praises the libationers of the Celestial Master for receiving and upholding the celestial scriptures (Jing) and for carrying out the method according to the order and guidelines of Heaven’s seasons. The same rite—calling the names, holding the breath, raising the seal toward the Gate of Heaven, crossing the feet, and turning to step forward—is then repeated for the so-called “divine names of the four,” and the various exalted beings are invoked once more. At the end, the incantation prays that the power of the four seasons and the Five Phases (Wuxing: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) annihilate those without the Dao (the Way), so that every kind of essence-sprite and evil influence submits and dares not rise, and it closes with “quickly, quickly, in accordance with the statutes and ordinances.”

When performing a sealing and prohibition ritual for a talisman temple amid famous mountains and great marshes, face the Wang direction, let the hair hang loose, tread the Yu Step (a Daoist ritual gait) and circle three times, hold the breath for twenty-four respirations, and then look up at the sky. One ought to see a person thirty million zhang in height, dressed in black and draped in red, holding the Three-Five divine talismans, who comes and gathers upon the seal; those divine talismans appear about two cun and one fen in size.

Next, take some soil and place it on the seal, set the left foot upon the right foot, and tread nine steps on the seal. Then direct the seal toward the ghost, place the soil before the temple, walk about twenty paces away, and hold the breath three times. Call aloud: “On the left is the Most High; on the right is the Mysterious Elder; the Most High takes your hun and po souls.” Immediately tread nine steps in haste upon the seal. Again direct the seal toward the ghost, place the soil before the temple, walk about twenty paces away, hold the breath three times, and call aloud: “On the left is the Most High; on the right is the Mysterious Elder; the Most High takes your hun and po souls. Swiftly, swiftly, in accordance with the statutes and ordinances.”

If one is very far from the temple, the seal may be gathered into the bosom; hold the breath three times in succession and recite the incantation: “The Three and the Five array their ranks; the Northern Dipper stretches lengthwise and crosswise; the Three Terraces and the Five Dippers are now all behind me; of a thousand ghosts and ten thousand spirits, none fails to flee. Swiftly, swiftly, in accordance with the statutes and ordinances.”

If an epidemic is currently prevalent and the illness is critical, the ritual seal may be left in the open air for one night and then placed on a table. Each day wash it once with one dou of fragrant water, or five sheng may be used instead; after washing, smear it with cinnabar.

When going to the patient’s house, before one has come within thirty or fifty paces of the gate, one should visualize in the mind: there is fire ahead, burning straight through and destroying the patient’s dwelling, until one sees the house burned utterly clean. Then visualize the Qi (vital energy) of the kidneys transforming into water and going forward to put out the fire. Next approach the patient, cup the heart with the left hand, and recite the incantation: “True gentleman, why did the Most High (Taishang) give birth to you?” Then set the left foot upon the right foot, draw in the left Qi ten times, and again visualize fire ahead burning straight through and destroying the patient’s house until one sees the house burned away; afterward visualize once more the kidney Qi becoming water to extinguish the fire. Approach the patient again, cup the heart with the left hand, and recite the same incantation. After that, set the left foot upon the right foot, draw in the left Qi twelve times, and press the ritual seal upon the forehead, so as to stop the intrusion brought by malign Qi and strange phenomena.

Put the ritual seal away in the bosom, then take one square of white paper and place it on the “ao”; set one sheng of clear water in front of the ao. Then hold the breath three times, pass the ritual seal over the clay, turn to the left, hold the breath again, and depart.

If one must travel a thousand li away, the road is long, and while hurrying one feels fear and unease, one may take one dou of earth from a well, place it in a vessel, and let it dry. At first light, impress the ritual seal upon the earth, face east and hold the breath, clench both hands nine times, then return the earth to the well.

If the dead reappear and the grave is unquiet, cinnabar may be placed in the teeth of the ritual seal; then receive the seal impression on a piece of white silk one chi square, and afterward seal it away in the tomb passage. It may also be placed at the head of the bed. It is said that in this way ghosts and specters can be calmed, the many spirits made reverent and joyful, and calamities and matters that have been cut off can be continued.

If the silkworms yield no harvest, a woman is unsuited to raising silkworms, or the household’s goods are continually depleted, one may prepare two iron figures and bury them in the “ao,” then again receive the seal impression on white silk one chi square, and afterward seal it away in the tomb passage. It may also be placed at the head of the bed. It is said that in this way ghosts and specters can be calmed, the many spirits made reverent and joyful, and calamities and matters that have been cut off can be continued.

If the silkworms yield no harvest, a woman is unsuited to raising silkworms, or the household’s goods are continually depleted, one may also bury two iron figures in the “ao” and make an impression with the ritual seal facing the Wang direction; then take an earthen ladle one chi square, impress it, and place it in front of the garden, three chi from the “tu,” with the seal characters facing the Wang direction.

Note: In the original, the meanings of such words as “ao,” “sui,” “wang,” and “tu” may be corrupt or missing; they are translated literally according to the text as it survives. The passages concerning visualizing fire, holding the breath, pressing the seal to the forehead, and burying objects are operational descriptions of Daoist ritual techniques.

If someone in the household suffers a fire or a fire disaster, one may take a large wooden board one chi and two cun long and seven cun wide, write on it in cinnabar the words “Yuan guan kao sheng jun, Tiandi jing guishen,” and hang the board at the front of the courtyard. It is said that this can bring good fortune.

When natural calamities and epidemics are widespread and ghosts and spirits work mischief so as to cause death, even many ritual masters and ritual arts can hardly stop them. One may take twelve sections of green bamboo, place them in a well and break them, each section being three cun and three fen long. After one night, take the bamboo out, then put three sheng of white rice and three sheng of wine into a vessel and leave them overnight. Next place the bamboo in the wine and leave it for another night. At first light the following day, take one he of the wine and give it to one person to drink. The text says that a “Wang day” should be chosen for preparing and taking it, and that when taking it one should face the direction of “Wang.”

If a woman of the household is troubled by flooding, or if the household is populous and its various branches live separately, each may also be dealt with by this method. Choose a “Tiangang day,” take one sheng of jinghua water (water drawn from a well in the early morning), face the direction of “Wang” and bow twice, then press a hand seal into the water. Let the hair down and bind it toward one direction; with the left hand stir the water three times so that it whirls. Then, with the right foot, sweep the hair to the left, step backward twenty-four paces, pour the water into the “chong,” and do not let anyone else know.

In the final passage of the original text, certain words and phrases are difficult to determine—for example, “jia nü shui yan,” “Wang ri,” “xiang Wang,” “zuo yu fa,” and “chong zhong.” The above offers a smooth interpretation according to the literal wording; among them, the specific referent of “chong” remains unclear.