《无上玄元三天玉堂大法》Vol. 3

On a certain year, month, day, and hour, in accordance with the talismanic command of the Celestial Worthy of the Primordial Beginning, the revered deity of Daoism, a certain person is delivered beyond suffering forever and entered by name into the heavenly register of immortals. All procedures are to be carried out in accordance with the written mandate.

This numinous talisman of long life has been written according to the prescribed rules and submitted through the Three Heavenly Gates for the relevant divine offices to verify and act upon. The talisman is now entrusted to the soul of the deceased, a certain person, so that it may proceed to the Vermilion Office, the divine bureau responsible for refining and transformation, and through refinement become perfected, attaining the wondrous state in which body and spirit are both perfected. When the seal is applied here, half of it is left on the memorial as proof.

The natural bridge that reaches through the heavens, unsurpassed.

The master who confers the register, the Daoist officiating at the transmission of registers or the ritual for delivering the dead, fills in his ritual office and signs, “Your servant, of the surname ___.”

The master’s ritual name or honorific is “Great Sage of the Three Heavens, Celestial Master of the Great Dharma of the Heavenly Capital.”

This register is written on silk, with its mounting marked on the reverse and its scroll head decorated according to ritual convention. The text and talismans are written in gold pigment and handed to the soul of the person being delivered. When sending off the soul, the talismanic command is held facing the Heavenly Gate, carried across the ritual bridge, and cast into a blazing fire to be burned.

The Three Paths of Darkness and the Five Sufferings: the torments and conditions of suffering in the underworld as described in Daoism.

The master said: Although the names of the “Five Sufferings” and the “Three Paths” (the three evil destinies) differ, the karmic retributions they bring are interconnected.

The suffering of the “Heavenly Path” arises when a person’s six faculties of perception—the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind—become defiled. After death, that person undergoes the suffering of the Heavenly Path. The suffering of the “Earthly Path” arises when a person exhausts the body and wastes vital energy, and the work of their hands and feet remains bound to earthly things. After death, they cannot forget the scenes and habits of their former life, and so endure the hard labor of the Earthly Path. The suffering of the “Water Path” arises when a person’s consciousness is defiled during life. The scripture continues: if someone, in the “Spring Bend” (the netherworld), becomes absorbed in sexual desire, damaging their true nature and sinking into a sea of cravings, then after death their thoughts remain attached to these desires, and they suffer the Water Path.

The “Five Sufferings” are simply another way of speaking of suffering of the heart, suffering of Jing, suffering of the body, suffering of Shen, and suffering of the soul. Together, these are also called the “Eight Difficulties.” The scripture says, “Forever pass beyond the Three Paths, the Five Sufferings, and the Eight Difficulties, and rise beyond the Three Realms” (the Realm of Desire, the Realm of Form, and the Formless Realm). This refers to the living. While alive, one must remain free from the burdens and defilements of desire within one’s mortal body; only then can one forever escape the Five Sufferings and Three Paths, and go on to transcend the Three Realms.

Some practitioners today cannot free themselves from the Eight Difficulties, yet presume to devise eight methods and use Fulu to deliver the ghosts of the dead. This is wrong.

“Suffering of the heart” means that worldly people scheme and calculate, covet fame, and indulge in sensual pleasures. Desire obscures the heart, which was originally pure: this is suffering of the heart. Craving sexual pleasure and becoming infatuated with women is called “suffering of Jing.” When Jing and Qi are depleted, the body withers and strength fails, leading toward death. When the body can no longer nourish Shen, the corpse’s Yin soul grows rampant; this is called “suffering of Shen.” Once Shen departs, death is near. When the mortal body is about to be lost but the Dao body has not been cultivated, all that remains in the end is a pile of dry bones in the wilderness. This is called “suffering of the body”; one whose body suffers becomes a lowly ghost. When the soul is no longer whole, it scatters into “wandering spirits”—souls dispersed and restless—and sinks without a place to return to. This is “suffering of the soul.”

The four kinds of suffering—of the heart, Jing, Shen, and the body—are all caused by a person’s continual depletion during life, day and night. Suffering of the soul, however, occurs after death…

Suffering is just like this. The so-called “five sufferings” (afflictions in the netherworld) have no fixed categories to begin with; the “eight difficulties” (eight kinds of obstacles or suffering) also arise from the mind. The mind governs the whole person: when the mind is at peace, the three forms of action—body, speech, and mind—and the six sense objects (external conditions that unsettle the mind) are also at peace. When the mind is disturbed, all kinds of causes and conditions arise in profusion.

While alive, people deplete body and mind day and night, thereby inviting these sufferings. “Suffering souls” refers to those who endure suffering only after death. Rather than burn talismans in the hope of guiding ghosts through the eight gates, one should first free oneself from the eight difficulties. If you cannot deliver yourself, you will ultimately be unable to escape death; after death, the eight difficulties will manifest as retribution. To rely on others to deliver you then—would that not be shameful?

Today, in accordance with the teachings of the lineage, no gates for the eight difficulties are established. The categories set up by later generations were invented out of thin air. Those who transmit Daoism should first cultivate themselves and deliver themselves, then rectify themselves; only after that can they speak of rectifying ghosts and spirits. Therefore, the “Talismans for the Three Paths and Five Sufferings” (talismans used to relieve suffering in the netherworld) are no longer established, so as not to mislead later disciples who understand the principles. One should keep the lineage’s admonitions in mind and not perpetuate mistaken teachings.

The Claim That the Dead Hold Credentials

The Master said: In the Lingbao methods, it was once said that the souls of the dead used a pair of credentials, one on the left and one on the right, to deliver their soul-bodies and enter the gates of the Three Heavens. This teaching is incorrect. The Great Dao is formless and Wuwei (non-action), with empty stillness and naturalness as its foundation. To suppose that holding credentials enables one to enter the gates of Heaven is to remain bound by material things. Once one becomes attached and rigid, one cannot penetrate the mysterious. Therefore, the Celestial Master deliberately abolished the credentials and instead bestowed the “Register of Long Life” (a talisman symbolizing longevity and the transmission of Daoist teachings).

The Principles of Refining and Delivering

Following the sacred command of “Crimson Radiance Summons the Generals,” talismans are burned to summon the generals and perform the transformation of water and fire. The divine officers and generals circle the pools of water and marshes of fire. The Supreme Emperor arrives before the hall, while the Compassionate Venerable One bears witness to the rite. The spirits of the Nine Heavens are arrayed in the four directions, and the sovereign lords of the Southern Dipper and Northern Dipper appear in formation.

The two lords of Water and Fire are summoned to receive and refine the souls of the dead. A talisman is burned for the infant, drawing the infant into the water. The water’s surface shines like the autumn moon; black and white energies intermingle, and the infant’s body becomes clear and radiant. Then the infant is sent into the fire to be refined. The fire’s energy is as gentle as a spring day; through steaming and refining, the infant gradually takes shape. An image seems to emerge within a golden orb of light, and the refining continues amid purple-gold radiance.

The sun and moon join as one—a metaphor for the gathering of their essences—and the soul is led into the Qian position. Nine Qi, the nine primordial energies, are infused to nourish it, making the golden light bright and clear. After a long while, only countless golden orbs of light can be seen, and it is impossible to discern what lies within them. At this point, the rite of refining and transcendence is complete.

The Great Dharma of the Jade Hall of the Three Heavens of the Supreme Mysterious Origin, scroll eighteen, ends here. Scroll nineteen: “The Chapter on the Three-Five Steps of Pacing the Dipper,” section twenty-one.

The master said, “How could the mystery of three and five be easy to understand? The Dao gives rise to One, One gives rise to Two, and Two gives rise to Three. The Three Qi divide and transform, bringing forth the three lights of the sun, moon, and stars. When these lights shine brightly, the Three Powers—Heaven, Earth, and humanity—take shape. The Taiji gives rise to the Two Forms of Yin and Yang, and the Two Forms give rise to the Four Images. When the Four Images are complete, the Five Phases are complete as well. Once the Five Phases are complete, the Five Planets shine forth; when the Five Planets shine forth, the Five Sacred Mountains rise up.

Thus, in the realm of the Dao there are the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing); in the world, the Three Powers; among the spirits, the Three Primes; and in the human body, the three sections. In the realm of the Dao there are also the Five Elders; in Heaven, the Five Planets; on Earth, the Five Sacred Mountains; and within the human body, the five organs. The human body embodies the principles of Heaven and Earth: its outward form reflects Yin and Yang, and Qi and the Dao are both present within it. If you cannot nurture their essence in the upper, middle, and lower Dantian—the body’s centers for cultivating Jing, Qi, and Shen—and let the five organs receive spiritual energy, you will drift ever farther from the Dao.

Those who can cultivate gather precious Jing and Qi in the three Dantian, direct the Five Qi toward the original spirit, restrain the Po and settle the Hun, and bring their spirit and vitality to fullness. This is called the Immortal Way, which prizes cherishing life. Those who do not cultivate turn the Three Hun into the Three Corpses—the internal corpse-worms or defiling forces said in Daoism to disrupt cultivation—and the Five Qi into the Five Thieves. The Five Thieves then bring five kinds of suffering. This is called the Ghost Way, which prizes the ending of life.

Among all things between Heaven and Earth, human beings are the most spiritually perceptive. Thus, the pointing of a finger or the placement of a foot can accord with the true Dao, and from this arose the method of pacing the Dipper: Daoist ritual steps that symbolize the movement of celestial patterns and communication with spirits. To pace the Dipper is to fly through Heaven and tread upon Earth, using one’s true Qi to bring the De of the Three Powers—Heaven, Earth, and humanity—into harmony and gather the Nine Qi. Spirits and ghosts move in response, and Heaven and Earth seem to turn as well. Every step, every hand sign, every turn and circling movement contains the principles of creation and transformation, while the spirits seem to accompany the practitioner.

Thus, one step symbolizes the Taiji; two steps, the Two Forms; three, the Three Powers; four, the seasons; five, the Five Phases; six, the Six Pitch Standards; seven, the seven stars of the Northern Dipper; eight, the Bagua; and nine, the Nine Spirits. These are the foundations of the various methods of pacing the Dipper.”

The Master said: The essentials of the Yu Steps—the ritual steps Daoist priests use to tread the stars and traverse the Dipper—have been lost to the world. Many people can talk about them, but few have truly mastered them. Even those who learn them may not put them into practice, or may lack focus when training, so the steps often fail to be effective. The “Huo Luo Dipper” practiced today is the key to the Three-Five Yu Steps. It follows the sequence of changes in the River Chart, whose numerical principles should not be taken lightly. The steps commonly passed down, however, contain errors, and so cannot bring about transformation or communication with the numinous. I am now correcting these errors and teaching the proper method.

The Master said: The primordial Qi divides into three, called Xuan, Yuan, and Shi. As the Three Qi differentiate, they establish the order of the Three Powers—Heaven, Earth, and Humanity—and the human body corresponds to them. The body, formed from the clear and the turbid, is divided into three parts. Each part has its own deity, and these parts are also called the Three Fields, the body’s three reservoirs of Qi. Each field holds a treasure. Thus, the One becomes Two, the Two becomes Three, and the Three become the myriad perfected beings; together, they are called the Three Origins. “Origin” carries the meaning of greatness and primacy. This is also the sense of the phrase “Origin, success, advantage, and constancy” in the judgment of the Qian hexagram in the Book of Changes.

The Master said: The primordial Qi of the Five Phases is called the Five Elders. “Elder” means root and beginning. The essence of the Five Elders differentiates into the Five Stars; the essence of the Five Stars gathers and forms the Five Sacred Peaks. In the human body, these correspond to the Five Organs. Above, the Five Organs correspond to the Five Stars; within, they correspond to the Five Sacred Peaks. The deities therefore dwell among the Five Organs.

The Master said: The deities of the Three Origins and the Five Phases connect Heaven and Earth, yet ultimately all return to the one body. When making use of these deities, follow the corresponding relations of generation, conquest, and restraint. For prayers, averting calamities, and giving thanks, use the methods of mutual generation and restraint; for driving out evil and treating illness, use the method of mutual conquest. Whenever you step through the positions of the stars, first transform the deities of the Three Origins and the Five Phases in your mind, then proceed with the prescribed steps.

The sequence in which the Five Virtues of the Five Phases generate one another is: Wood generates Fire, Fire generates Earth, Earth generates Metal, Metal generates Water, and Water generates Wood.

The mutual conquest relations of the Five Qi of the Five Phases: the source text gives this heading but does not yet specify the details.

The Five Phases overcome one another: Metal overcomes Wood, Wood overcomes Earth, Earth overcomes Water, Water overcomes Fire, and Fire overcomes Metal.

The Upper Origin Gang Method belongs to Heaven, the Middle Origin Gang Method to humanity, and the Lower Origin Gang Method to Earth. “Gang Method” refers to a Daoist ritual in which the practitioner performs ritual steps according to a prescribed pattern.

Incantation for Treading the Upper Origin Gang

I tread and move through the vital essence of Heaven, commanding the assembled spirits. The power of the Upper Origin shields and protects me. General Tang Xiong assists my righteous Qi and drives away hidden demons and spirits. If an evil thing dares to harm me, let it bring harm upon itself. When demons and fiends see me, let them turn to dust. Heavenly troops surround and guard me. I obey the command: carry it out at once.

Incantation for Treading the Middle Origin Gang

I tread and move through the vital essence of humanity, causing Yang Qi to grow and Yin Qi to recede. I strengthen my three souls and destroy ghosts, demons, and spirits. Misfortune cannot befall me, calamity cannot trouble me, and harm cannot draw near. The power of the Middle Origin makes my form disappear. General Ge Yong leads a hundred thousand troops to come and guard my body. I obey the command: carry it out at once.

Incantation for Treading the Lower Origin Gang

I draw upon the spiritual energy of Earth, bringing peace to the human world. The heavenly bodies move and Heaven and Earth revolve; above is the Star Kui, and below is the Qi of Qianyuan. Yin Qi closes, Yang Qi opens, and righteous Qi flows on without end. No ghost can harm me, and no person can injure me. Heaven covers me, and Earth bears me. If anyone dares to harm me, seize and confine him beneath Kui and Gang, so that I may conceal my form and hide my traces. General Zhou Wu accompanies me wherever I go and swiftly protects my true body. I obey the command: carry it out at once.

The master said: Whenever you need to subdue demons and evil forces or overcome calamity and danger, first tread the Upper Origin Gang, turning in sequence until you reach “Bi.” Then enter the Middle Origin Gang, and next transform into the Lower Origin Gang. To subdue a fierce evil being, change again and tread the “Mutual Destruction Gang.” In this way, you can subdue heavenly dragons, ghosts, and spirits, and summon them at will with scarcely a chance of failure. This method should be kept secret.

Five Phases Mutual Destruction Gang

The master said: To suppress evil and ward off calamities and danger, tread this kind of step. Among the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water), Water overcomes Fire, Wood overcomes Earth, Fire overcomes Metal, Earth overcomes Water, and Metal overcomes Wood. Accordingly, carry out the appropriate method of subjugation for the circumstances at hand. For example, to subdue the calamity of fire, tread the positions of Metal and Water, then reach the position of Fire and subdue it. Proceed in the same way in other cases. If later students still do not understand, they should tread the fixed pattern to form the astral steps, without adding to or subtracting from it on their own.

The incantation says:

The Five Phases overcome one another; Earth and Water are kept apart. Water and Fire overcome one another; Metal and Wood attack one another. When ghosts, monsters, demons, and wicked spirits see this method, their heads and feet will be severed. The demon king will also be struck with fear, and will collapse from top to bottom. All who dare to intrude will sink forever into the depths of darkness. Let this be carried out with the urgency of the statutes and ordinances.

The master said: This astral-step pattern follows the order in which the Five Phases overcome one another: Metal overcomes Wood, Wood overcomes Earth, Earth overcomes Water, Water overcomes Fire, and Fire overcomes Metal. Whenever you need to subdue an opposing force, use this pattern. When seeking good fortune, perform it in reverse, following the order in which the Five Phases generate one another.

Astral Steps for the Generation of the Five Phases

The master said: The generation pattern follows the order in which the Five Phases generate one another: Wood generates Fire, Fire generates Earth, Earth generates Metal, Metal generates Water, and Water generates Wood. Count each generation and each Sha in order, with Water first, Fire second, Wood third, Metal fourth, and Earth fifth. In all, walk fifteen steps. This is the Way of Three and Five.

Incantation for the Generation of the Five Phases

The Five Phases generate one another; all things become auspicious and proceed smoothly. Water and Wood join to accomplish their work; Fire and Earth complement one another. Metal and Water travel together, and calamity is transformed into good fortune. Ghosts and monsters cannot harm; others cannot intrude. The dead are brought back to life, and the oppressed rise to prosperity again. Let this be carried out with the urgency of the statutes and ordinances.

Yu’s Steps: the Nine Spirits and the Dipper’s Astral Pattern

The master said, “‘Huo Luo Dou’ is called the ‘Lesser Three-Five Dipper’ (Xiao Sanwu Gang). Many people in the world do not understand its full meaning. Because it is commonly seen and used, they have grown accustomed to it and do not know its mysteries. This Dipper step can subdue rampant evil, command ghosts and spirits, and is also used in rites to destroy wicked temples. People often perform its steps in reverse, so I am setting the record straight now.”

Next comes the formula recited while treading the Dipper:

The sun and moon shine bright; Heaven and Earth are joined. I begin my steps at the Heavenly Canopy position and enter the Inner Heaven position. I pass briefly by the Heavenly Balance, then step back when I reach the Heavenly Assistant. At the Heavenly Bird position, I face the Heavenly Heart. When the Way of the Dipper is made whole, the path of ghosts will fall apart.

The secrets of the Dipper are subtle and profound, linked to the twelve earthly branches. Treading the Qi of brightness, one manifests a mighty presence; one’s breath seems to rise among the azure clouds. The Dipper steps change seven times, corresponding to the celestial signs above. Understand their transformations, and you can discern fortune from misfortune. Step across the eight celestial lodgings and pass beyond the Heavenly Gate; align with the Six Pitch Pipes and command Jia and Yi. Tread upon the Heavenly Hero and ride the Heavenly Appointed; it is as though you stand in a cold, deep abyss, yet remain unharmed even if submerged in water. Stand beside the Heavenly Pillar and encircle the Heavenly Heart; pass through these and ascend to the Heavenly Bird. Lean on the Heavenly Assistant and gaze toward the Heavenly Rushing. Enter the Inner Heaven, then emerge from the Heavenly Canopy.

When the Way of the Dipper is made whole, it can lengthen life and increase blessings and good fortune, allowing these blessings to endure for generations. Even in the netherworld, one can continue for tens of millions of years. A thousand ghosts and ten thousand spirits will flee of their own accord. Let it be done swiftly, in accordance with the statutes!

The master said, “Today, people in the world who perform these Dipper steps have reversed the order of entering and leaving the Dipper, so the rite is ineffective. I am setting the record straight now. Perform it this way, and you can command ghosts and spirits and drive away demonic forces. Be sure to keep this secret; be sure to keep this secret.”

End of volume nineteen of The Great Ritual Manual of the Jade Hall of the Three Heavens of the Supreme Mystery and Primordial Origin.

The Great Ritual Manual of the Jade Hall of the Three Heavens of the Supreme Mystery and Primordial Origin, volume twenty: “Receiving the Degree in One’s Embodied Life,” section twenty-two.

The master said: “When the scripture says, ‘Receive deliverance while alive, and endure through every kalpa,’ it means that people cultivate the Dao and receive its transformative teachings while they are still living. Later generations failed to understand that they must cultivate themselves. They relied instead on the merit of Zhaijiao purification rituals, believing that if a rite of deliverance were performed for them before death, they could attain the Dao. This truly departs from the Great Dao.

“In the scripture, ‘the living’ refers to people in this present life, and ‘receive deliverance’ means accepting the Dao’s teachings while one is still alive, freeing oneself from worldly constraints and becoming a perfected person. Only then can one attain the immortal Dao and remain undestroyed through successive kalpas.

“Today, some people want to undergo a rite of deliverance in their mortal bodies before death, arranging in advance what will happen to them afterward. Unsure whether this is right, they have come to ask the master for guidance.”

My master said: “The reason I did not adopt the method of delivering the dead for people who have not yet died is that when the Most High (Taishang, a Daoist honorific for the supreme deity) established the rites and methods, he worried over changes in the world and the stubbornness of human hearts. He feared that people would find it difficult to attain awakening and, in the end, would be unable to gain deliverance and would remain ignorant of the Great Dao for a long time. That is why he established a method for opening the way to deliverance and transforming people. If later practitioners of the Dao can cultivate themselves and become perfected, they can enter and leave the Golden Gate and roam through the Three Realms. Why, then, would they need to use this ritual method?”

My master also said: “Heaven gives life to the myriad things, but among them, only humans are most endowed with spiritual awareness. Yet people’s inborn dispositions differ: some are noble, others lowly; some wise, others foolish; some wealthy, others poor; some long-lived, others short-lived. This is because their origins differ. Why do I say this? Among the Six Paths—the six destinations through which beings transmigrate—human existence is the most spiritually aware. Beings are reborn as humans from the Six Paths, each with a different origin. Those reborn from the heavenly path bear no ill will and are kind and generous at heart. Those reborn from the spirit path secretly harm others and are often clever and quick-witted. Those reborn from the human path understand ritual propriety and obey the law, and often follow sound principles. Those reborn from the evil paths of hell, hungry ghosts, and animals, by contrast, may be blind, deaf, or mute, or lowly and poor, unruly and violent, and unwilling to obey the law. Therefore, when performing a rite to deliver someone who has died in this life, one should choose an appropriate person to deliver.”

The princes and nobles who hold the highest positions in the world, and the wealthy families with great estates, owe their status and fortunes, whatever their rank or wealth, to blessings accumulated in past lives. Why do I say this? Those who in a previous life followed Daoism or Buddhism, observed fasts and cultivated themselves, built roads and bridges, provided baths and food, and accumulated abundant merit—or who personally received and upheld the scriptures and teachings and practiced them without achieving realization—will, after death, be reborn in the human or heavenly realms and receive the fruits of their merit according to its measure. But if, after receiving those fruits, they act contrary to the right path and thereby commit offenses, they will fall into the netherworld after death. The Most High took pity on such people and established this method especially for them, so that after death they might avoid judgment in the underworld, have the offenses of this life erased, and have their bodies transformed into perfected beings.

The rites and methods explicitly lay down prohibitions. When people practice them, there are several kinds of person who should not be delivered. One kind is generals who command troops on the frontier. They are said to come from among the spirits; although they enjoy wealth and rank, their names appear in the Black Register, and they specialize in killing. Another kind is officials who administer criminal law and interrogate suspects. If they distort cases out of vengeance or decide them according to their own whims, they are said to come from the underworld’s courts. They may be reborn in the Central Land and again obtain a noble human life, but they must not be delivered using the method of cutting the talisman. There are also young sons of families with hereditary stipends and of wealthy households who, though born to riches and rank, know nothing of the Three Venerables—the three deities revered in Daoism. Such people are said to have roaming essence-ghosts dwelling under the eaves of their homes. Their wealth and rank cannot last; once the heavenly authorities discover this, they will cause them to die soon. They, too, should not be delivered.

Those lonely, destitute people who shoulder their bundles and hurry along the roads are said to have committed offenses in past lives and, in this life, to suffer the hardship of constant travel and cries of distress. In life they are petty people; after death they become lowly ghosts. They, too, should not be delivered. Those who should be delivered are elders, benevolent people, faithful believers, and unrecognized monks and Daoist practitioners. They wish to return to the Great Dao but do not yet understand its true source. A rite of deliverance may be performed for them in this life, so that after death they may return to the true Dao.

Ordinarily, an altar must be set up for this purpose. A memorial is submitted to the Three Heavens, and the underworld is notified. The person’s name is removed from the relevant case registers, and a report is then submitted to the Celestial Bureaucracy, where the name is entered on a jade tablet. Talismans and registers are bestowed for the person to wear. The talisman is divided into two parts: one is kept by the person, and the other is burned in advance. After the person dies, they ascend with the talisman and return to the true Dao.

If a person has no Daoist rank while alive, after death they become a lowly ghost. During life, their name is entered in the Register of the Mountain Bureau, which oversees mountains and affairs of the netherworld, and is linked to the registers of the seventy-two bureaus. To alter the case records, the prescribed procedure must be followed. To “change the case” means to alter the person’s register in the underworld and report the change to the Celestial Bureaucracy. For each bureau, one must provide a brush, ink, paper, and inkstone. The inkstone may be made of paper or wood. These items are burned, while the talismanic command for changing the case is proclaimed.

The Celestial Office, the divine authority that governs the heavens, issues a jade talisman for transferring a name from the registers of the underworld and revising the case records.

Make seventy-two slips from catalpa wood, write on them in cinnabar, seal them in a yellow envelope, and issue them.

This talismanic decree is sent to the Underworld Bureau of Mount Tai, the divine office that oversees the registers of the dead. It commands the bureau to remove a person’s name from the register of offenses, revise and clear the listed faults, and report directly to the Celestial Bureau. The person’s name is to be entered on a jade slip. After their allotted lifespan ends, they are to ascend to the divine realm in accordance with the prescribed regulations. This is the talisman used to reach the divine realm.

Make seventy-two slips from catalpa wood, write on them in cinnabar, seal them in a yellow envelope, and issue them.

This talismanic decree is sent to the Underworld Bureau of Mount Tai. It commands the bureau to remove a person’s name from the register of offenses, revise and clear the listed faults, and report directly to the Celestial Bureau, where the person’s name is to be entered on a jade slip. When their lifespan ends and their allotted fortune is exhausted, they are to ascend to the divine realm in accordance with the prescribed regulations. All procedures are to be carried out as directed in the decree and transmitted by the Wind-and-Fire Courier Station.

Issued in the [year], [month], [day], and [hour] of the sexagenary cycle.

The master said: For a believer who has received ordination or Daoist instruction, whose name was entered in Fengdu—the Daoist realm of the dead—during their lifetime, separate decrees to remove their offenses should be issued.

The Supreme One’s True Talisman for Nurturing Life and Removing Offenses

Make thirteen slips from cypress wood, write on them in cinnabar, seal them in a blue envelope, and issue them.

This talismanic decree is sent to the Office of the Springs’ Turning, the Northern Capital of Luofeng—names for the Daoist underworld—as well as the Three Officials, the Nine Offices, and the twelve river sources. It commands them to remove the listed offenses for which a person has been punished over three lifetimes, along with faults accumulated over countless kalpas; cancel their name in the underworld registers and enter it in the Celestial Bureau; and write their name on a jade slip. When their lifespan ends and their allotted fortune is exhausted, they are to ascend directly to Zhuling, the Daoist immortal realm. All procedures are to be carried out as directed in the decree and transmitted by the Wind-and-Fire Courier Station.

Issued at an auspicious hour on the [year], [month], and [day] of the sexagenary cycle.

The master said: Although a believer who has received ordination has already been removed from the registers of the Northern Office, the Three Officials still record offenses, and the Four Offices—the divine authorities that oversee inspection and the investigation of faults—still examine transgressions. A jade talisman granting pardon for offenses should therefore also be issued to the Three Officials.

The master said: Although a believer who has received ordination has already been removed from the registers of the Northern Office, the Three Officials still record offenses, and the Four Offices still examine transgressions. A jade talisman granting pardon for offenses should therefore also be issued to the Three Officials.

The Supreme One’s Jade Talisman for Delivering Life and Pardoning Offenses

Make three slips from cypress wood, write on them in cinnabar, seal them in a yellow envelope, and issue them.

This talismanic decree is sent to the Three Primordial Forces, the Three Officials, the Nine Offices, and the one hundred and twenty bureaus. It commands them to obey the Dao’s will and the benevolent authority of the talismanic decree, immediately remove the person from the register of offenses, and enter their name in the Golden Book, making them an immortal with a Yang spirit who endures for all time and is united with the Dao. When [the person’s] mortal body eventually dies, they are to ascend to the Immortal Capital. All procedures are to be carried out as directed in the decree and transmitted by the Wind-and-Fire Courier Station.

Issued at an auspicious hour on the [year], [month], and [day] of the sexagenary cycle.

The Master said: Those who have received deliverance—that is, believers who have undergone Daoist salvation—having already been entered in the registers of the celestial bureaucracy, should be assigned divine beings to guard their bodies and lives. When their lifespan comes to an end, the gods who protected them will ascend to Heaven with them.

The Great God of Body Protection, Xuanzhen: guardian of male believers who have received deliverance.

Replace “So-and-so” with the name of the person who has received deliverance. Write it in cinnabar on yellow paper, give it to the person to keep, and have them wear it on their person.

Incantation:

By the talismanic command of Xuandu, the celestial palace, summon Xuanzhen at once. In accordance with the written document and command, guard the body and life of the person who has received deliverance. Let no disaster trouble him and no misfortune assail him. Protect him for a hundred years; when his lifespan ends, ascend to Heaven with him. Let all be carried out in accordance with this command.

The Jade Maiden of Body Protection, Xunying: guardian of female believers who have received deliverance.

Replace “So-and-so” with the name of the person who has received deliverance. Write it in cinnabar on yellow paper, give it to the person to keep, and have them wear it on their person.

The Great Gods, Jade Maidens, and their million-strong retinue will protect the talismanic registers within the person who has received deliverance. When that person’s lifespan ends, they will escort the person’s spirit and soul as they ascend.

The Master said: Believers who have received deliverance should also receive the pre-cultivated talismanic precepts—talisms and precepts prepared in advance to secure salvation after death.

Form of the Salvation Talisman

The Supreme One’s Yellow Register for Salvation from Suffering, Prepared in Advance

This true talisman for salvation from suffering has been written according to ritual and presented to the Three Heavens, the celestial realms of Daoism. It petitions that the roots of sin be removed, that the person’s name be struck from the corresponding registers in the underworld, and that it be entered in the registers of the immortals. When the seal is applied here, its impression is divided in two: one half is stamped here, and the other on the document in the underworld. When this talisman is burned in the future, the person will be freed from the netherworld forever.

The Venerable Jade Treasure Emperor receives and transforms beings. The Venerable Profound Truth, Myriad Blessings receives and transforms beings. The Venerable Supreme Mystery of the Great Marvel receives and transforms beings. The Venerable Jade Purity of the Profound Heights receives and transforms beings. The Venerable Supreme Sage Who Transforms Immortals receives and transforms beings. The Venerable Who Cherishes Life and Transforms Destinies receives and transforms beings. The Venerable Great Spirit, Vacuous Emperor receives and transforms beings. The Venerable Boundless Great Florescence receives and transforms beings. The Venerable Jade Void, Luminous Emperor receives and transforms beings. The Venerable True Emperor of the Cavern Spirit receives and transforms beings. The Venerable Who Hears Cries and Saves from Suffering receives and transforms beings. The Venerable Who Draws Guilt from the Ninefold Darkness receives and transforms beings. Transform. The Venerable Great Spirit, Vacuous Emperor receives and transforms beings. The Venerable Boundless Great Florescence receives and transforms beings. The Venerable Jade Void, Luminous Emperor receives and transforms beings. The Venerable True Emperor of the Cavern Spirit receives and transforms beings. The Venerable Who Hears Cries and Saves from Suffering receives and transforms beings. The Venerable Who Draws Guilt from the Ninefold Darkness receives and transforms beings. The Venerable Who Reduces Sins and Erases Transgressions receives and transforms beings. The Venerable Who Resolves Grudges and Ends Strife receives and transforms beings. The Venerable Who Compassionately Guides Living Beings receives and transforms beings. The Lord of Great Compassion Who Saves from Suffering receives and transforms beings. The Lord of Great Compassion and Generosity receives and transforms beings. The Lord of the Three Treasures and Nine Florescences receives and transforms beings. The Lords of the Various Offices of the Jade Hall receive and transform beings. The Lords of the Various Offices of Orthodox Unity receive and transform beings. The titles of all the Celestial Venerables above are to be written horizontally in three rows.

By command of the Talismanic Warrant of the Celestial Venerable Primordial Beginning, the Yellow Register and White Writ of the True Talisman for Saving from Suffering are issued and proclaimed to the boundless worlds in the ten directions; the Three Officials and Nine Offices; the one hundred and twenty bureaus; the Five Emperors’ examiners; the prisons of the Ninefold Darkness; the colossal heavenly strongmen; the divine troops who enforce punishments; the officials who administer destiny and registers, merit and misfortune; the ox-headed prison guards; and the great demons of the Three Realms. A certain person is to be registered in advance for transformation; their record of sins is to be erased and their birth name recorded, so that all transgressions are eliminated and all grudges resolved. Through the Nine True Wondrous Precepts and the merit of this advance preparation for transformation, this person will in time ascend to Heaven. Let all be carried out in accordance with this proclamation.

Proclaimed at an auspicious hour on a certain day and month in a certain year of the Grand Year.

The official, of the surname ___, holding a ritual rank.

The Great Celestial Master of the Three Heavens, the Great Dharma Master of the Capital of Heaven.

Format of the Longevity Register

The Supreme Golden Register for Preparing in Advance for Longevity. The Cavern Mystery of Primordial Beginning, the foundational chapter of the Numinous Treasure, opens and illuminates the three celestial lights of the sun, moon, and stars: these are the foundation of Heaven. When a person receives transformation in this life, they can endure through generation after generation. Proclaimed on a certain day, month, and hour in a certain year of the Grand Year.

The Supreme Golden Register for Preparing in Advance for Longevity. The Cavern Mystery of Primordial Beginning, the foundational chapter of the Numinous Treasure, opens and illuminates the three celestial lights of the sun, moon, and stars: these are the foundation of Heaven. Proclaimed on a certain day, month, and hour in a certain year of the Grand Year. By command of the Talismanic Warrant of the Celestial Venerable Primordial Beginning, a certain person is prepared in advance for transformation, transferred from the offices of the underworld to those of the immortal realm, forever released from suffering, and entered in the registers of the Three Heavens.

This Long Life Talisman has been written according to regulations and presented to the Three Heavenly Gates (the celestial offices spoken of in Daoism). The relevant divine offices will verify it and carry out its instructions, then deliver it to the designated person to keep and wear. When this person’s allotted lifespan ends and they leave the world, they need not pass through the underworld, but may ascend directly to the Vermilion Palace (the immortal palace within the Vermilion Mound Fire Office in the south). After nine rounds of refinement, they can attain the state of a perfected person, with body and spirit reaching complete and wondrous fulfillment. When applying the seal, divide the seal impression into two halves: stamp one half on the talisman and leave the other on the memorial. Once this talisman is burned, the person can leave the underworld forever and ascend directly to the Vermilion Palace.

“Supreme Bridge of the Long Life Refinement into Perfection” is the name of this method. It means the supreme method that leads to long life and refines one into a perfected being.

The following titles should be written horizontally in three rows. They are all divine lords within the Southern Pole Long Life system, in charge of deliverance, extending life, increasing one’s allotted years, dispelling calamity, and recording merit: Lord of Southern Pole Long Life, Lord of Southern Pole Deliverance to Life, Lord of Southern Pole Cherishing Life, Lord of Southern Pole Celebrating Life, Lord of Southern Pole Destiny, Lord of Southern Pole Registers, Lord of Southern Pole Extending Life, Lord of Southern Pole Increasing Deliverance, Lord of Southern Pole Increasing the Allotted Years, Lord of Southern Pole Deliverance from Calamity, Lord of Southern Pole Cavalry, Lord of Southern Pole Recording Births, Lord of Southern Pole Scattering Misfortune, Lord of Southern Pole Dispelling Calamity, Lord of Southern Pole Recording Merit, Lord of Southern Pole Multiplying Blessings, Lord of Southern Pole Reviewing the Registers, Lord of Southern Pole Preserving Life, Lord of Southern Pole Recording Good Deeds and Merit, Lord of the Southern Pole Vermilion Mound Office, and Divine Lord of the Southern Pole Vermilion Mound Office.

The Primordial Heavenly Worthy issues the Long Life Talisman in the form of a Golden Register and White Writ, informing the Great Lord of Long Life in the Southern Cinnabar Heaven, the Vermilion Mound Fire Office, and the Upper Palace of Nanchang; the revered deities Han Jun, Sima, the Lords of Destiny and Registers, the Lords of Extending Life, Increasing the Allotted Years, and Deliverance from Calamity; and the Great Lord Who Oversees Births, a deity responsible for reviving bodies and raising the dead to life.

This Long Life Talisman, issued through the Primordial Heavenly Worthy’s command in the form of a Golden Register and White Writ, again informs the deities listed above to carry out deliverance rites and preparatory rites. “Preparatory rites” means that a person performs rites of deliverance in advance while still alive, preparing for deliverance after death.

Record the person’s name in the Purple Register (the celestial register of names) and enter their good deeds in the Golden Record. Dispel their misfortunes, extend their life, and increase their allotted years. When their life ends, let them ascend directly to the Cinnabar Heaven without passing through the underworld. Then, through further refinement with divine elixir (a sacred medicine symbolizing the refinement and nourishment of the spirit-body), let them ascend to immortality and attain the Dao. Carry out everything in accordance with this proclamation.

This proclamation is issued at an auspicious hour on a certain year, month, and day under the current Tai Sui.

Enter the ritual title: Your servant, surnamed So-and-so.

Heavenly Master of the Great Dharma of the Three Heavens, Great Sage of the Capital of Heaven.

The two registers above—documents conferring Daoist ritual titles—are both written in gold ink on blue silk, then mounted in yellow silk according to ritual protocol.

The Nine Wondrous Precepts of the Perfected

Written in cinnabar on yellow paper and bestowed upon the recipient of initiation, the person receiving Daoist instruction and the precepts.

The Supreme Nine Wondrous Precepts for Advance Practice

According to the orthodox precept ritual, anyone in the world who can uphold the Nine Wondrous Precepts and wear and receive the Precious Register for Saving from Suffering and Prolonging Life will gain great blessings and a longer life during their lifetime. When their allotted years are spent and their lifespan ends, they will undergo no further rebirth, but ascend directly to Cinnabar Heaven, the celestial realm in Daoist teaching. These precepts are intended to guide beginning practitioners step by step toward higher attainment and entry into the ranks of the immortals.

Now, a person who has begun practicing this method in advance requests to receive the Nine Wondrous Precepts, to discipline body and mind and seek the protection of the true spirits.

The Celestial Worthy said: First, be filial and humble, and respectfully care for your parents. Second, work diligently and fulfill your duties, remaining loyal to your ruler. Third, do not kill; act with compassion and aid all living beings. Fourth, do not engage in illicit sex; conduct yourself uprightly and treat others and things with care. Fifth, do not steal; uphold what is right, even at the cost of your own interests when necessary. Sixth, exercise restraint and do not bully others out of ferocity or anger. Seventh, do not deceive, flatter your way into wrongdoing, or harm the good. Eighth, do not be arrogant or show contempt for the utmost truth of the Dao. Ninth, devote yourself single-mindedly to upholding the precepts, harbor no divided intentions, and receive the protection of the divine kings who guard them.

On an auspicious hour on a day, month, and year chosen in accordance with the Tai Sui cycle, this is proclaimed.

Enter the ritual title: Your servant, surnamed So-and-so.

Heavenly Master of the Great Dharma of the Three Heavens, Great Sage of the Capital of Heaven.

The master said: When a believer receives deliverance, the three calamities must be dispelled, the nine ordeals overcome, and the five kinds of suffering left behind. Then the roots of evil must be cut off, the records of sin in the Black Register erased, the Three Peng—deities who govern human desires and transgressions—destroyed, and the Yin souls, which make people dull and sluggish, driven away. Only then can one be considered a disciple of the Daoist tradition. If the three calamities have not been dispelled and the nine ordeals have not been overcome, illness will remain a source of trouble. If the roots of evil have not been removed and the Black Register has not been cleared, it will be difficult to ascend to the realm of the immortals and perfected beings. If the Three Peng have not been destroyed, desires will continue to grow; if the Yin souls have not been driven away, people will remain dazed and unaware.

One should now refine body and mind through purification and ritual, wash away defilement, and restore clarity to both. From then on, one should no longer cling to desires. If, after receiving deliverance, one remains unchanged, with anger, greed, and attachment still unrepented, then even if one’s name is entered in the register of those who cultivate the Dao, one may still fall into the Ghost Register, the record of the names of ghosts and spirits.

The Most High Jade Talisman for Dispersing and Eradicating the Three Calamities

When deliverance is conferred, have the recipient stand before the altar and proclaim the talismanic command facing the ritual altar.

Incantation:

The true talisman is issued, its radiance illuminating the stellar palaces. So-and-so’s allotted years and life’s course: may misfortune and calamity disperse. May the three calamities be dispelled, and blessings and protection be without end. Receiving the command and being delivered, may the body too become like that of an immortal. All is to be carried out in accordance with the talismanic command.

The Most High Talisman for Deliverance from Ordeals

Incantation:

The Dao’s Qi (vital energy) flows through all things; blessed Qi (vital energy) extends everywhere. The Most High specially performs deliverance from ordeals for men, enrolling them in the register of those who cultivate the Dao. Their names are entered in the Jade Almanac, the register of the immortal realm, and calamities no longer trouble them. May they be forever freed from adversity and their transgressions erased. May no calamity obstruct them; may they keep company with the true immortals. All is to be carried out in accordance with the talismanic command.

The Most High Talisman for Dispersing the Three Peng and Purifying the Seven Po Souls

Before the ritual altar, recite the incantation seven times over the recipient, then burn the talisman.

Incantation:

May the Lord Emperor rescue and protect the Mysterious Capital; may his grace extend throughout the Jade Furnace. Erase your record of sins and deliver your mortal body. May the Three Peng—Pengshan, Pengzhi, and Pengjiao—each be transformed and ascend to immortality; may the Seven Po souls—Corpse Dog, Hidden Arrow, Sparrow Yin, Swallowing Thief, Nonpoison, Removing Filth, and Stinking Lung—be wholly transformed away. Open the gate of goodness for you and close the gate of evil, so that you may ascend to the immortal capital and together return to the mysterious virtue.

The Master said: Once you have escaped the three calamities (three kinds of harm to be eliminated in cultivation), passed through the nine ordeals (nine kinds of adversity), subdued the Three Corpses, including Shigou and Fushi (spirits said in Daoism to dwell in the human body and hinder cultivation), and restrained the Seven Po (the souls associated with a person’s mental and vital activities), you should be free of the five sufferings and complete the cultivation of the Dao.

Talisman for Overcoming the Suffering of Emotional Burdens on the Heart

The incantation says:

This true talisman helps you pass through hardship and brings clarity and brightness to your heart. The Elixir of the Heart Spirit (the spirit that governs the heart and mind) should remain within the heart at all times. Do not indulge in sensual desire or let the spirit grow scattered; remain tranquil day and night. Cast off the heart’s suffering and weariness caused by attachments of love, and enter the transformations of the Great Dao. Even when life comes to its end, let the spirit remain undisturbed, ascending to the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), the highest heavens revered in Daoism. So be it, by this command.

The Master said: During the altar ritual, admonish the person receiving salvation: “The heart is where the spirits dwell, so keep it pure and focused at all times. Once the heart becomes attached to something, the mind grows confused and the spirit is depleted, and you fall into the realm of ghosts. Now, virtuous man, you have turned your heart toward the Great Dao and are preparing in advance through a purification ritual. You should quiet your thoughts, restrain your desires, and not dwell on things with anxious effort. After receiving salvation, let your heart be like the bright full moon in the night sky: complete, radiant, pure, and unstained. Then ascending to immortality will not be difficult.”

Talisman for Overcoming the Suffering of Greed’s Burden on the Body

The incantation says:

The Most High (a title for the highest deities in Daoism) saves all people and preserves the bodies of mortals in peace. The body is like a precious tree: it does not wither or suffer harm, decline or waste away, and its appearance remains as full of life as spring. Abstain from desire and indulgence; cut off greed and anger; cast aside every reckless impulse and sweep away the six dusts (external objects encountered by the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind, and the attachments they provoke). May the body be at peace and body and spirit be well, rising together with the immortals. So be it, by this command.

The Master said: During the altar ritual, admonish the person receiving salvation: “Form means the body. Having a body brings desire, so the body is the hub of the six faculties (eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind): the eyes see, the ears hear, and the body acts in response. People rush about and compete for profit and the gratification of desire, exhausting their bodies and leaving themselves especially vulnerable to harm. Now that you have received salvation, cherish your body and do not act rashly. Then you will not bring suffering upon it.”

Talisman for Overcoming the Suffering of Sexual Attachments on the Essence

The incantation says:

The Most High saves people through Fulu (talismans and registers) and protects their Shen (spirit). When awareness is settled and undisturbed, and the source of Jing and Qi is not depleted, one can distance oneself from desire and keep body and mind pure. Receiving Fulu and cultivating according to its method can purify the area of the middle shoulder. When original Jing is undisturbed, one can cultivate over a long period and draw near the state of the perfected immortals. This is the method proclaimed in the ordination mandate.

The master said: “When performing a rite before the ritual altar, declare to the person receiving salvation: ‘Jing is the essence of the whole person. Ordinary people have too many desires, which deplete their true Jing and scatter their original harmony—the body’s original Qi—so that life and nature gradually grow weak, often without their noticing. Too much desire therefore harms Jing; this is called “suffering through Jing.” The sages said: Do not recklessly stir Jing and Qi, and you will live long. Now, having received salvation, you should quiet your heart and lessen your desires, guarding your original Jing so that it is neither depleted nor lost. Gradually, you will draw near the state of the perfected immortals.’”

Talisman for Deliverance from the Suffering of the Soul

The incantation says:

“The jade talisman protects the Shen; golden liquid—a symbol in Daoist cultivation of a refined elixir or the essence of internal refinement—nourishes the body. May your hun and Jing and Qi remain whole, and may your po be held in check. With hun at peace and po settled, the chamber of Shen—the place where the spirit is kept—will be pure and clear. The Three Passes and Nine Gates, the bodily openings through which Qi is thought to flow, will shine with light. With Shen and Qi whole and free from loss, ascend to Shangqing, the pure immortal realm. Let everything proceed according to the ordination mandate.”

The master said: “Shen is the ruler of the whole person. Ordinary people have many desires and are deeply deluded, so Shen cannot remain in its proper place. Their thoughts constantly race outward, and their bodies decline like withered trees. The Nine Gates, the body’s openings, become blocked, and the body can no longer generate Shen and Qi. Therefore, the Scripture of the Central Yellow says: ‘Alas, the Twelve Towers of the Mysterious Palace, symbolic abodes of the spirits within the body, have instead become the dwelling of the Three Corpses, spirits said to inhabit the body and hinder cultivation.’ In this way, Shen and Qi are depleted. A saying of the Celestial Master states: ‘When the heart is disordered, Shen naturally scatters; when Qi is weak, the body withers. Those who slight the Most High’s teaching keep company with ghosts day after day.’ Is this not ‘suffering through Shen’? Now, having received salvation, you should constantly abide in the chamber of Shen and give rise to no deluded thoughts. Let body and spirit attain a wondrous state, accord with the Dao, and return to their true nature.”

Talisman for Deliverance from the Suffering of the Body and Soul

The incantation says:

“The jade talisman protects the Shen; the jade talisman connects with the true Dao. The talisman transforms and reveals the creative workings of the Origin, and the talisman becomes true Jing. The heart of Shen is settled and unmoving; the numinous abode, where the spirit is stored and nourished, remains clear. Body and Shen are both wondrous, united with the Dao in truth.”

The Talisman for Delivering the Body and Its Weary, Suffering Soul

Recite this incantation: The jade talisman can protect the spirits and connect with the true Dao; the Fulu (talismans and registers) transforms into primordial Qi (vital energy), then into pure essence. The mind and spirit do not waver, and the inner spirit-palace remains clear and still. One does not crave or grasp, indulge or engage in sexual misconduct. The soul and spirit are pure and upright, while the primordial energy between Heaven and Earth endures. The body and mind are no longer beset by suffering, and the body shines with light. Spirits of the Three Realms—the Desire Realm, the Form Realm, and the Formless Realm—stand guard and offer protection. The Five Emperors, the celestial rulers of the five directions, come to welcome the person; the assembled spirits pay homage, and the name of the one who has been delivered is entered into Shangqing, the honored celestial realm of Daoism. All is carried out in accordance with the command.

The master said: When the mind and spirit remain present, the hun and po souls remain at peace. Once the inner spirit-palace falls into disorder, the corpse-po souls—the parts associated with the body and its desires—readily give rise to greed, anger, worry, anxious thought, sorrow, the pursuit of pleasure, and attachment to food and clothing, desire, and sexual misconduct. These are the habits of the po. If a person can hold fast to their true nature, cast off deluded thoughts, and keep the spirit-palace clear and still, the hun can remain settled and undivided. If they cannot hold fast to the truth and instead disturb the spirit’s openings, the spirits lose their guard and body and mind fall into disorder. As the po grows strong and the body gives itself over to indulgence, the hun gradually dissipates. Once the hun has dissipated, one is far from becoming an immortal and close to becoming a ghost. Therefore, from the day you receive deliverance, do not forget your resolve to seek the Dao, and do not let your original spirit be put to work. When the mind and spirit are undisturbed, the hun will naturally be at peace; only then may you receive the preliminary practices of the Dao, teachings that prepare you for cultivation.

The master also said: Those who have received deliverance have passed through the Five Gates of Suffering, symbolic thresholds for escaping five kinds of hardship. Yet the mortal body still lives in this world and has not passed away; it must still guard against attachment to external things and breaking the precepts, and may still behave like an ordinary person. Even if one has cast off the Pengshi, a spirit said to be bound to the human body and to stir up desire, and has passed through suffering, this may amount only to a formality in the written record. One must also go on to receive and uphold the Ten Precepts. These precepts address the common failings of people in the world. Only by keeping them without transgression can one be free of wrongdoing. If one fails to uphold the precepts and relies only on having received the preliminary cultivation register, assuming that this alone will ensure ascent in the future, the hoped-for result may not be attained. Those who have received deliverance must uphold the precepts carefully and never transgress them. When the delivering master sets up the altar and performs the rites, they must also explain further:

First, after receiving initiation, one should begin by making offerings to the Three August Ones (San Zhen): the Dao, the scriptures, and the master. They are also called the Three Revered Ones. From then on, the initiate becomes a disciple of the Daoist tradition, and their name is entered in the Jade Register. They should therefore no longer begin worshipping new deities from the lower realms. Any sacrificial rite that offers animal blood and meat, unless it is a proper ritual within a tradition of cultivating the Dao, is considered a sacrifice to evil spirits.

If, before initiation, one had served a deity, one may bid farewell in the proper manner afterward: prepare incense, flowers, wine, fruit, and scripture scrolls, and perform the rite. One should then cease serving that deity. If one had worshipped the Buddha before initiation, a place for offerings to the Three Revered Ones of the Most High should be set above the Buddha image; the Buddha image must not be placed higher than the shrine to the Supreme Lord.

Second, after initiation, one should diligently make offerings to the Three August Ones, strictly observe ritual abstinence, and study and recite the true scriptures. These include such works as the Scripture on Deliverance of Humanity and the Chapters on Generating the Spirits. Having received initiation and become a disciple of the Daoist tradition, one should study the Daoist scriptures in the hope of attaining transcendence in the future—leaving the mortal world and entering the realm of the immortals. If one stubbornly refuses to believe and declares the Dao to be false, the Three Officials—the Officials of Heaven, Earth, and Water revered in Daoism—will investigate the matter and deduct twenty years from one’s allotted lifespan.

Third, after initiation, one should cultivate a compassionate heart. One must not secretly harm the good, envy the worthy or the sages, sow discord, or incite others to fight and litigate. One must not lie or cheat, or scheme to frame the innocent. Nor should one amass private wealth, covet dishonest gains, or seize the property of the poor and vulnerable to enrich oneself. If, after initiation, one continues in one’s former wrongdoing, the guardian spirit king will report it to the Three Officials, who will reduce one’s stipend and blessings.

Fourth, after receiving ordination, purify body and mind and gradually distance yourself from desire. Do not spy on young women, frequent brothels for pleasure, or engage in unlawful and indecorous acts. From then on, abstain from marital intimacy and observe the prescribed prohibitions at certain times. By keeping these precepts, you will earn the respect of ghosts and spirits and come closer to the ranks of the immortals.

Fifth, after receiving ordination, eat simply. Do not slaughter domestic animals such as cattle, sheep, and pigs at will, or crave rich and delicious foods, lest you damage your original nature. It is better to maintain a vegetarian diet over the long term; if you cannot, eat vegetarian food in the morning. If even morning vegetarian meals are difficult to keep, fast on the Three Primordial Days, the Eight Seasonal Festivals, Gengshen and Jiazi days, and your own birthday. Abstain from sexual activity on the day before a fast; eat no meat or fish on the fast day; and return to your usual diet on the third day. This practice is easier to maintain. If you cannot keep even these precepts, relying only on your present fasting practice to assume that you have already secured your cultivation in advance and will certainly be saved in the future may not bring the result you hope for. You may even incur punishment. The Three Officials, deities who inspect the good and evil deeds of people, will investigate your conduct and may even make you suffer as if struck by icy blades in a cold night. Such practices could instead become a burden.

Sixth, after receiving ordination, do not spend too much effort worrying about things. Beyond clothing and food, let things follow their natural course; do not pursue them deliberately. Heaven nourishes all living things: even crows and wild beasts can always find insects and grains. How much more must people, living between Heaven and Earth, have their due provisions and support? Each person has their own allotted share, so there is no need to scheme anxiously.

Seventh, after receiving ordination, let compassion and pity guide your heart. Even crows and wild beasts can always find insects and grains. How much more must people, living between Heaven and Earth, have their due provisions and support? Each person has their own allotted share, so there is no need to scheme anxiously.

Seventh, since you have received salvation through the Daoist teachings, you should take compassion and mercy as the foundation of your heart, and regularly do good and accumulate De (Virtue). “Hidden De” means doing good deeds quietly, without letting others know, and according to your ability: when someone has suffered an injustice, speak up on their behalf; when people fall into conflict, help mediate; when relatives are at odds, help them reconcile; when younger people refuse to heed advice, explain things clearly and guide them; when someone is hungry or thirsty, provide food and drink; when someone is ill and in pain, treat them; when someone is cold and hungry, give them clothing and food. If others owe you something, do not dwell on it. If you owe others, think about how to repay them and make amends.

Acting in this way can only build merit that brings blessings in the human and heavenly realms. If you cannot even do these things, yet rely on having been entered in the Register of Preparatory Cultivation—a record of the merits of spiritual practice—and assume that you can transcend the world and ascend to Heaven, you may well be deceiving yourself. You should reflect carefully.

Eighth: Those who have already received transformation through the Dao’s teachings—if their ancestors still dwell in the underworld, is it appropriate for them to think only of their own deliverance? The scriptures say, “The ancestors of seven generations ascend and leave the offices of the ghosts forever.” The Hymn of the Three Initiations also says, “The ancestors of seven generations are born in heaven.” From this we know that practitioners of the Dao in ancient times first delivered their ancestors, and only then ascended to the realm of the immortals. If their ancestors were not delivered, the ties that persist after death would continue, making ascent difficult.

Does delivering your ancestors require you to spend a great deal of money on rites such as the “Yellow Register of the Ninefold Darkness”? The purpose of urging people to do this is chiefly to encourage them to accumulate hidden virtue and find ways to do good without excessive expense. A simpler, less costly method is the Taiji Rite of Refinement and Deliverance of Ge Xianweng, a Daoist liturgy for delivering the souls of the dead. If you cannot conduct it yourself, you may ask a ritual master with spiritual cultivation and the proper ritual rank to perform it each month. In this way you will accumulate hidden virtue and deliver your ancestors; when you yourself ascend in the future, your conscience will be clear.

Someone asked, “If a person who has received deliverance has a friend or relative who has left home to become a Buddhist monk, could they ask him each month to recite scriptures and perform the Precepts of the Underworld—a rite in which precepts are conferred upon the dead—to deliver the departed? Why must they perform the Taiji Rite of Refinement and Deliverance?”

I replied, “Those who have received deliverance are now disciples of the Daoist tradition and have received the great grace of the Most High. Even if they were once ordinary people, they have already been permitted to have their names entered in the Jade Register, the celestial register described in Daoism, and after death they can ascend to the realm of the immortals. Buddhist practices, too, can release the dead. But since you are now a disciple of the Daoist tradition, you should not turn to the rites of another religious tradition. You should perform the Taiji Rite of Sacrifice and Refinement according to your own tradition; this is appropriate to your status and accords with the proper principle. If you do not understand this and take it upon yourself to use an unsuitable method, the Nine Offices, the Four Departments, and other underworld divine offices will investigate the offense and impose punishment. Who will bear the blame? You should take this seriously and make every effort to carry it out.”

Ninth, since you have already received salvation, you should regard all beings equally. Treat my enemies and loved ones just as you would your own. Do not let a minor grievance become a deep enmity, or set aside justice because of personal resentment. Remember that this body does not truly belong to you; lay down both gratitude and grievance, and remain impartial. Do not cling to delusion, lest you become trapped in the causes and consequences of the present. If you wish to deliver the dead from suffering, you must consider these principles carefully and with complete attention.

Tenth, all perfected immortals attained immortality only after cultivating and nurturing themselves. You have now received salvation not because you have completed your own cultivation, but through the establishment of an altar and the prior accumulation of merit. The hope is that, when you die, you will bypass the underworld and be reborn directly in Cinnabar Heaven, one of the heavenly realms in Daoism. This may serve as a basis for salvation in advance, but ultimately it is not as sound as cultivating in earnest for yourself.

In your own cultivation, first nurture your true nature and hold fast to the right path; only then should you recite scriptures and observe fasting. The Daoist tradition is vast and its methods numerous, while entering the Way is no easy matter. Without a spiritual foundation accumulated in former lives, you may fail to meet a master who can guide you, even in old age. Now, through this rite of salvation, I will briefly explain some methods of cultivation, so that you will not be left unsure where to begin or find the sages’ state beyond your reach.

It is better to gather your thoughts and turn your attention inward, allowing no affairs of the outside world to disturb you. Before events arise and before thoughts begin to stir, collect your mind and sit quietly. Then concentration and wisdom will gradually develop. When the mind is clear and still, you can behold the Jade Clear realm, a celestial realm revered in Daoism. The phrase “the great concentration’s divine radiance” roughly refers to this state. Through this practice, you can gradually transcend life and death and escape the cycle of rebirth. You need not wait for an external rite of purification and ordination to receive salvation; it can come naturally.

If your foundation is not yet firm, and these words leave you doubtful and unsettled, so that for now you cannot practice by preserving the true, then begin by observing the fasts and wearing a pre-cultivation Fulu, a Daoist talisman made to accumulate merit in advance and pray for salvation. Wait until you receive salvation in the future. Do you understand what I have said? You may ascend the altar to receive salvation only after confirming that you have understood.

The foregoing explains that after the hun and po souls have left the corpse, these teachings can be used to compose ritual procedures for the altar, where those receiving salvation are reminded and instructed to prepare themselves through cultivation and fasting. Only after they have understood the Ten Precepts and completed the talismanic rites for removing evil roots may they enter the altar and undergo the ritual of refinement through water and fire.

The master said, “For someone who has cultivated in advance and is to receive the rite of Water-and-Fire Refinement and Salvation, the appropriate documents and Fulu (talismans and registers) must be prepared. If the person receiving the rite is not a departed soul, why must they enter the pools of water and fire? And why is this called ‘refinement and salvation’?”

The master explained: “The nine apertures in an ordinary person’s body are blocked, and the divine beings within body and mind cannot manifest. It is as if the person lives by nothing more than a breath. Refinement and salvation do not mean training the physical body; they mean refining and nurturing the Shen (spirit) within the body. Once the Shen within has been refined and nurtured, it naturally gives forth light, just as divine beings dwell within golden towers and jade chambers. When the divine beings emerge, corpse Qi disperses and the Qi of the Po soul falls away. With the Yang spirit complete, one can escape calamities and the interference of evil forces, and ascend to a state of transcendence.

“If the Shen within the body is not refined and nurtured, the Yin Po soul will grow strong, while corpse Qi and defiling dust become chaotic. One will fall ill easily and approach death, ultimately remaining for a long time as a ghost in the lower realms. Even if one has accumulated merit in advance, that merit alone cannot bring transcendence. Practitioners should especially understand this.”

How those who cultivate merit in advance and receive the rite pass through the pools of water and fire for refinement

The master said: “For someone who has cultivated merit in advance, establish a refinement altar according to the rite. In accordance with the prescribed method, first guide the person receiving the rite into the water pool, blowing the talisman and performing the ritual actions at the same time. Next, have them pass through the fire pool, burning the talisman and performing the ritual actions. Only after all this is complete should the Nine True Wondrous Precepts (Daoist precepts) and the Precious Register of Prior Cultivation (a register granted for prior cultivation) be transmitted. Then dismantle the altar.”

Talisman for Washing Away Corpse Dust with True Water

The incantation says:

“Cool jade liquid descends abundantly like sweet dew; yellow spirit flowers spread everywhere, and the jade body naturally becomes fragrant. The inside is pure, the outside clean; refine the Yin Po soul and dissolve impurities within the Hun soul. Wash away the filth in the heart, so that the five viscera grow cool and the apertures throughout the body open freely. In the end, refine the body into pure Yang Qi.”

Talisman for Washing the Substance and Bathing the Spirit in the Water Pool

The incantation says:

When the Three Passes—the upper, middle, and lower energy centers described in cultivation—are purified, Qi flows freely through the joints and channels of the whole body. The true spirit is bathed, and the body’s luminous fluids fill and flow through it, nourishing and clearing stagnant places and driving away evil spirits and malign forces. The fluids of the Flower Pool, where bodily fluids are generated and transformed, spread throughout the Three Palaces, the upper, middle, and lower Dantian. The true body suffers no loss or leakage, and in the end one fulfills the work of the immortal Way.

Talisman for Bathing the Original Essence in the Water Pool

The incantation says: Wash away accumulated stagnation within the womb and dissolve blockages, so that the mind and spirit become clear. Let the spirit be complete and the original Qi abundant, and the body shine with radiance. The gods come to pay homage, and one’s name is recorded in Shangqing, the Daoist heaven of the highest order. Let one’s cultivation never falter, and in the end attain the fruition of the immortal Way.

Talisman for Bathing the Original Essence in the Water Pool

The incantation says: Wash away accumulated stagnation within the womb and dissolve blockages, so that the mind and spirit become clear. Let the spirit be complete and the original Qi abundant, and the body shine with radiance. The gods come to pay homage, and one’s name is recorded in Shangqing. Let one’s cultivation never falter or regress, and take one’s place among the immortals and perfected beings.

Talisman for Refining Yin Corpse Forces with Fire and Bringing About Renewal

This talisman is the “True Fire of the Three Lights, Shining Through the Caverns,” the penetrating true fire symbolized by the sun, moon, and stars.

The incantation says: Use Yang Qi to sweep away Yin Qi and unite original Qi with spirit. As spirit and Qi mingle and are refined, one can naturally become perfected. Let light spread through the upper, middle, and lower Dantian, and let Yin stagnation leave the limbs and the whole body. Let the nine orifices open and the joints throughout the body settle into ease. The sun’s Qi brightens mind and body; the moon’s clear radiance shines through. Let the two powers of Yin and Yang unite in harmony, and let the three lights of the sun, moon, and stars shine together. Refine the spirit’s Yang Qi to protect and strengthen the mortal body.

Talisman for Refining and Tempering Yin Demons with Fire and Restoring Yang

The incantation says: Use the true fire of Cinnabar Heaven, the true fire symbolized in Daoist cultivation, to melt and refine the spirit’s Yang. Burn away the corpse-soul forces, strengthen the hun and po souls, and bring health to the body. Let the myriad Qi flow in balanced harmony, and let Yang radiance guard the body. Use Yang Qi to refine Yin Qi, diminishing Yin and flourishing Yang; use Yang Qi to cultivate the true body, perfecting true nature and restoring original Qi. Let Yang Qi arise at the Jade Gate, an internal aperture in Daoist cultivation, and let radiant clarity shine through the Hall of Light, an inner spirit chamber or related aperture. Let every current of Qi return to its root, bringing lasting stability and boundless good fortune.

Talisman for Refining the Body with Fire, Changing the Embryo and Transforming Its Substance

The incantation says: Let true fire blaze brightly and illuminate the spirit chamber; let true Qi fill and flow, and let wisdom’s radiance shine. Refine the body with true fire, dispelling corpse-evil, driving away the Pengshi, one of the Three Corpses in Daoist belief, and scattering the seven po, the seven Yin souls associated with the human body. In this way the ritual body, the true body, is refined, and the embryo is changed and its substance transformed. Through transmission and cultivation, receive the Jade Decree of Heaven, the celestial command.

We have already discussed the refining of the dead through water and fire. First, the deceased are given deliverance and brought to stand beside a pool of water and a pool of fire. Following the prescribed ritual procedures, the ritual master leads them through the water pool and then the fire pool. Once the refining is complete, the corpse and soul of the deceased are cleansed, and their spiritual soul is settled and strengthened. They may then enjoy a hundred years of blessings and long life, and take part in the Zhaijiao (purification ritual) arranged in advance.

The Master said: Those faithful followers who receive deliverance should receive the prearranged talismanic precepts—the Fulu (talismans and registers) and vows used for the Zhaijiao arranged in advance.

Chapter Twenty-Three: Commanding Generals and Officials

The Master said: Soldiers and generals embody the intent to wage a campaign; official generals oversee and direct the various duties. Taken together, they are called “spirits.” Here, “spirits” does not mean ghosts and spirits of the underworld. It means that cultivators carry on the teachings and practice diligently, so that their form and spirit gradually unite with the immortals, while the burdens of worldly life steadily fall away. In a realm like the Jade Hall and Golden Palace, the workings of spirits can arise throughout the body. They respond to the mind’s direction and transformation; all that appears may therefore be called generals and officials. Thus it is said: “Heaven and Earth unite with me, and I unite with Heaven and Earth. Divine beings assist me, and I assist divine beings. Jing (essence) and Qi (vital energy) transform together, swiftly guarding my true nature.” This is what the passage means.

To know the spirits within oneself, one must gather the mind and sit quietly in meditation. When Heaven and Earth within the mind are settled and private desires do not disturb them, the true generals will appear. Thus, the Highest Immortals and Highest Spirits spoken of by the sacred masters are the workings that emerge from the transformation of the Yin and Yang Qi within oneself.

The Jade Steps of the Great Purity have twelve hundred official lords, and the Jade Hall of the Three Heavens has twelve thousand. The Palace of the Sun has twelve hundred officials of solar radiance, and the Palace of the Moon has twelve hundred Jade Radiance Youths. The generals of the Three Primordial Forces number thirty million; the official lords of the seven stars of the Northern Dipper number thirty-six million; and the black-robed troops and horses of the Northern Emperor number two hundred thousand.

All the officials and generals mentioned above came into being from the refined essences of water and fire at the beginning of the Red Radiance kalpa, a primordial age of cosmic cycles in Daoist teaching. In the celestial realm, three divine generals accompany and protect practitioners each day.

The General Who Guards the Body never leaves the body and is called Ziying. The General Who Guards the Heart never leaves the heart and spirit and is called Xuanpin. The General Who Guards the Spirit never leaves the original spirit and is called Changxian. The officials, soldiers, and clerks under their command are without number.

These three divine generals came into being from the Three Qi, the three primordial energies that compose all things in Heaven and Earth, before the Longhan era. The Three Treasures give rise to the Three Qi, and the three generals descend through the body’s wondrous gate. The wondrous gate referred to here is the space between the eyebrows.

Eight Jade Maidens take turns serving each day in the Jing Chamber, the quiet room where the Dao is practiced and cultivated or rituals are performed: the Jade Maiden of Clarity and Harmony, named Xuanyi; the Jade Maiden of Long Life, named Xianzhi; the Jade Maiden Who Transmits the Word, named Daocheng; the Jade Maiden of the Three Luminaries, named Chiming; the Jade Maiden Who Destroys Evil, named Mieguai; the Jade Maiden Who Attends the Incense, named Xinzhen; the Jade Maiden of Primordial Unity, named Yiqi; and the Jade Maiden Who Communes with the True, named Zhengxin. They form groups of three, making twenty-four in all, and descend into the practitioner’s inner Purple Jade Chamber, the palace within the body described in internal cultivation.

Thirty-six Merit Officers take turns serving in the Jing Chamber each day. The Three-Five Merit Officers are named Shouzheng; the Zhengyi Merit Officers, Pingqi; the Merit Officers Who Bring Down the True, Zhengtian; the Merit Officers Who Destroy the Wicked, Zhanxie; the Merit Officers Who Submit Reports Directly, Tongxuan; the Merit Officers Who Attend the True, Guzhen; the Merit Officers Who Heal Illness and the Red Talisman Merit Officers are collectively named Yixin; and the Yellow Registers Merit Officers are named Duyou. These officers are divided into nine ranks, with four in each rank, making thirty-six in all. They descend to the practitioner’s Jade Office and Hairline, the area of the forehead corresponding to the body’s inner divine office.

The Celestial Officials who take turns serving each day are the Yin Spirit Official Yang, the Yang Spirit Official Ci, the Left Tiger Guard Official, the Right Tiger Guard Official, the Left Celestial Physician Official, the Right Celestial Physician Official, the Left Official Who Destroys Evil, the Right Official Who Destroys Evil, the Black-Robed Official Who Captures Evil, and the Embroidered-Robed Official Who Captures Evil. They reside at the Jade Office and Hairline within the body.

The Yin Spirit Envoys, the Yang Spirit Envoys, the Left and Right Tiger Guards, the Left and Right Celestial Physicians, the Left and Right Evil-Quelling Envoys, the Black-Robed, Embroidered-Robed, and Red-Robed Evil-Capturing Envoys, the Cloud-Borne Evil-Slaying Envoys, the Five-Direction Evil-Slaying Envoys, the Three Origins and Four Beginnings Envoys, the Message-Bearing and Petition-Presenting Envoys, and the Disaster-Dissolving and Calamity-Delivering Envoys.

Each of these celestial officials has twenty-four members in its class. They guard the left and right sides of the practitioner’s body.

Dispatching the Officials Talisman

Incantation: Form the hand seal at the position of Chou, and direct it toward the position of Wu.

The golden palace chambers are deep, remote, and shadowed; the Jade Hall rises high and majestic. Its radiance extends throughout the limitless expanse, and its mystery reaches directly to the Great Luo Heaven. The officials on the left are supreme immortals, dressed in robes of light and adorned with rosy clouds; those on the right are supreme spirits, their radiance illuminating the wondrous spirit realm. The mysterious gate opens freely, and ascent and movement proceed without error. From here one reaches the mysterious female, the hidden source that gives birth to all things. This is the gate of my immortal abode. Hasten in accordance with the statutes and decrees.

The master says: “Dispatching the officials” is a method of using intention and spirit. The mind’s intent directs spiritual powers and sets the spirits moving upward. This cannot be fully explained through words and hearing alone; it must be understood inwardly. Hence it is called the method of mobilizing the spirit.

Receiving the Officials Talisman

Incantation: Hasten in accordance with the statutes and decrees.

The master says: “Dispatching the officials” is a method of using intention and spirit. The mind’s intent directs spiritual powers and sets the spirits moving upward. This cannot be fully explained through words and hearing alone; it must be understood inwardly. Hence it is called the method of mobilizing the spirit.

Receiving the Officials Talisman

Incantation: Form the hand seal at the position between Wu and Si, and direct it toward the position of Zi.

The celestial essence has descended, and the yin soul of the earth has quietly dispersed. Set the Yang Spirit in motion and draw it back, so that it enters my Celestial Bridge, the cultivation passage linking body and mind and connecting inner and outer realms. The two breaths of the immortal spirits flow on without end, vast as the Celestial River. Let their radiance return to the Mysterious Pass, the aperture where Qi gathers in cultivation; do not let it shine outward and scatter. The Eight Gates settle, and celestial Qi gathers within the body. Thus one attains long life and far-reaching vision, while the inner landscape rests in peace and freedom. Hasten in accordance with the statutes and decrees.

Jade Maiden Talisman.

Merit Officer Talisman.

Celestial Official Talisman.

Generals Talisman.

Generals Talisman.

Purple Yang Joining Radiance Talisman, used to summon the deities of the Three Realms.

The talismans above, whatever their type, must be written in accordance with ritual rules and accompanied by the prescribed steps for treading the ritual constellations (gangbu tadou). Practitioners should also follow the oral instructions for visualization and breath control. Whenever summoning generals, troops, or subordinate officials, write the general’s name beneath the talisman. To summon a deity, write the deity’s name and call out while pointing to it. When dispatching a general, attach the talisman to a written order. In all ritual workings, act according to your own intention. Practitioners should understand the method inwardly and avoid clinging to outward forms.

The incantation says:

Heavenly-Origin Great General, attendants and troops to the left and right, the Six Jia and Six Ding (divine generals who guard and ward off evil), heavenly generals and spirits, come swiftly before the altar and do not linger. By the talismanic command of the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning, I order you to descend amid the Qi of the Primordial Unity. This method is upheld by the Zhengyi (Orthodox Unity) school, and I am authorized to exercise ritual authority here. The divine generals of the ritual bureau, the celestial immortals of the spirit bureau, and the Merit Officers and Talisman Bearers (divine officials who transmit documents and carry out commands) all obey my orders. Wherever the incense smoke rises, hasten to the altar. By the talismanic command of the Most High, come at once and do not delay. If you disobey, you will be punished by banishment to the Dark Springs. Hasten, hasten, in accordance with the statutes and commands!

A talisman for summoning the twelve thousand officials of the Jade Hall. Whenever you need to dispel evil, avert calamity, rescue and deliver, or restrain and subdue, summon the appropriate deities according to the matter at hand; their response will be as swift as an echo.

The incantation says:

By the Jade Edict from the Mysterious Capital, let it be proclaimed throughout the heavens. May the altar precinct be pure and radiant; may all the divine officials come swiftly. Ride the clouds and celestial steeds, descend with numinous Qi, and open a passage to the realm of immortals. Let them be directed according to my intention and carry out their commands throughout the Three Realms. Hasten, hasten, in accordance with the statutes and commands!

A method of gathering and containing the spirit’s Qi and nurturing inner cultivation.

The Master said: When a person’s thoughts and intentions scatter outward, the spirit cannot remain settled within the body. Even if you have not yet heard the Great Dao, you should at least understand in general how to gather and contain the spirit. The human spirit is naturally clear and perceptive; it becomes clouded through the disturbance of desire. We are naturally able to see clearly, but deluded thoughts obscure our vision. Anyone who wishes to inherit the teaching should put an end to all kinds of deluded thoughts. Although it may not be possible to give up all social contact and worldly affairs, one should reduce them as much as possible.

People in the world do not understand their True Origin (the original vital energy within a person). They pursue external things and willingly move toward death. Many lose their true nature amid turmoil without realizing it, and do not believe that self-cultivation can lead to the rank of an immortal. Those who inherit the teaching should set themselves apart from worldly customs. They must not become entangled in them and caught in the net of karmic forces. Perfected Master Huan said, “Amid the turmoil of the Great Void, do not join the multitude of beings.” This means not to mingle with worldly people as one of their crowd.

To see your own spirit, first bring the mind to rest. When the mind is settled, deluded thoughts subside; when deluded thoughts subside, the mind can remain clear. Throughout the twelve double-hours of the day, apart from daily needs such as eating and drinking, you should continually attend to what is subtle and obscure, and hold fast to the right path: burn incense, regulate the breath, close your eyes and contemplate emptiness. Let the breath become long, fine, and gentle; contain the inner light and silently keep to stillness. With steady practice, deluded imaginings will not arise, and the natural, pure state will return to body and mind. In settled stillness, observe your original mind, and the spirit will naturally appear.

Although this method cannot make a person immediately become perfected or attain immortality, it is a way for those who inherit the teaching to gather and contain the spirit. It can keep the spirit from being disturbed by external affairs and prevent one’s efforts from coming to nothing. Practice it with reverence; do not neglect it.

Method for Commanding Generals with Red Talismans (using red talismans to command spirit generals)

The master said: Immortals and Daoist priests who have attained the Dao have an abundance of Yang Spirit Qi—the divine power that emerges through cultivation. They can move with the circumstances of the moment and respond to whatever is needed. Thus they can direct things without deliberately setting out to do so, and manifest the divine without making a special effort. Daoist priests living in the mundane world remain entangled in worldly concerns and have not yet attained the Immortal Way. They therefore need to seek the response of the immortals through visualization: quieting the mind and contemplating inwardly.

Whenever you need to dispatch divine generals or wield divine power, first hold your breath and gather your spirit. Settle your mind, speak to no one, and do not turn around casually. Visualize your heart as a red sun, with a divine general inside it, dressed in the prescribed robes and headdress. At first, he is only the size of a bean. After a short while, he rides up on golden light and grows to about three inches tall. Then he emerges from your mouth and stands beside you, gradually growing into human form. He grows further until he is a hundred zhang tall, awe-inspiring and fearsome. You can then dispatch him as the situation requires. When you issue a Fulu, it too will transform into the form of a divine general.

The heart is where the divine gathers within the human body. Among the five organs, the heart is like a ruler: it holds the highest place and has the greatest function. It therefore belongs to Fire and corresponds to the south. A ritual master joins the heart with the talisman, which is why it is called the “Red Talisman”—named for the heart’s association with Fire and the color red. Understand the principle behind this.

End of volume twenty-one of The Supreme Dharma of the Jade Hall of the Three Heavens of the Mysterious Origin.

The Supreme Dharma of the Jade Hall of the Three Heavens of the Mysterious Origin, volume twenty-two: “Red Talismans.” Understand the principle behind this.

End of volume twenty-one of The Supreme Dharma of the Jade Hall of the Three Heavens of the Mysterious Origin.

The Supreme Dharma of the Jade Hall of the Three Heavens of the Mysterious Origin, volume twenty-two

Twenty-fourth Section: Safeguarding and Restraining Calamities and Disasters.

The Master said: The Great Dao gives rise to primordial Qi; primordial Qi gives rise to Taiji (the Supreme Ultimate), which then differentiates into the two forms of Yin and Yang. Thereafter, the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water) are distributed, the Eight Trigrams arranged, and good and ill fortune determined. Punishment and moral transformation arise in turn. Heaven receives Yang Qi and is positioned above, where the sun, moon, and stars—the Three Luminaries—shine forth. Earth receives Yin Qi and lies below, with the Five Sacred Peaks guarding the four quarters. Human beings receive the numinous Qi of Heaven and Earth and dwell between them; the endowments of all things are present within the human body. Thus the Three Powers of Heaven, Earth, and Humanity take shape, and all things acquire an underlying order.

Yet things constrained by physical form cannot go beyond their own form, and things caught within the cycles of Qi and fate cannot escape them. Hence the movements of the stars may go awry, water and fire may bring disaster, Metal and Wood may overcome one another, and the Five Phases may restrain one another. When Yin-Yang and the Five Phases fall out of balance, good and ill fortune, blessing and calamity follow, bringing disasters and upheavals: celestial signs become abnormal, stars stray from their proper courses, and droughts alternate with floods; on Earth, mountains collapse, waters boil, the ground shakes, and seas dry up; among people, bandits cause disorder, foreign peoples invade, and wars become frequent. Such calamities are all brought by cycles of tribulation.

Therefore, the Most High—a Daoist title of the supreme divinity—established the teaching of Great Peace and used talismans and registers to subdue these forces. To keep Heaven and Earth stable over time, one must first guard against and remedy cycles of tribulation. This ritual procedure is established to regulate the order of Heaven and Earth, preserve the state, and bring peace to households. It enables people to pass through the “Yang Nine Calamities,” the periods of disaster described by the ancients, and usher in an age of Great Peace. Is this not a good thing?

Ritual for Averting Comet Disasters

The Master said: Whenever a comet or a hazy comet appears—an abnormal celestial sign regarded in ancient times as an omen of disaster—one should submit a memorial and use a star-averting talisman, while reciting the Lingbao Scripture of the Eleven Luminaries (the “Eleven Luminaries” are a set of celestial bodies; one character is missing from the scripture’s title in the source text).

Most High’s Star-Averting Talisman

The incantation says:

The Heavenly Talisman delivers all people from suffering, protects them, and subdues baleful stars. When the stars in Heaven stray from their proper courses, use talismans and scriptures to restore them to their proper order. With the Lord’s command in hand, bring peace and harmony to Heaven and Earth. Turn ill fortune into good, and make baleful anomalies disappear. The talismanic decree of Great Peace is issued; the star officials obey and carry out its command. Let everything be done in accordance with the decree.

The Tiangang Lamp for Subduing the Stars

The master said: Use the great, powerful, virtuous true light of the Celestial Dipper (Tiangang)—the handle of the Northern Dipper, also a name for its divine might—to pierce and dispel evil demons, and disaster can be turned into good fortune. When performing the rite, arrange the Twenty-Eight Lunar Mansions according to the four cardinal directions and four corners, then set out the Twelve Earthly Branches at their corresponding directions and subdue them with the Dipper’s light. Place three lamps at each position, except at the central Dipper position and the places of the sun and moon, where only one lamp is set at each. Fill the lamps with sesame oil and keep them burning for three days and nights, reciting the incantation three times each day. Hang a red banner at every position, inscribed with a talisman for warding off stellar calamities. After three days, face the Gate of Heaven and burn the banners.

Secret Incantation to Recite at the Altar Three Times Each Day

In Heaven stands the Northern Dipper, majestic guardian of the starry sky. The Dipper’s fire is mighty, able to subdue and destroy calamities. Yet demon stars and baleful forces dare to appear as strange omens. The Dipper’s fire rises ten thousand feet, purifying the four directions. Stellar demons return to their proper places; evil things hide away. When the laws of Heaven are followed, the state will flourish; when Heaven’s mandate is received, disaster cannot do harm. Harmony fills the four directions, preserving peace and good fortune forever. If any refuse to submit, bind and seize them and deliver them to Kui Gang, the deities of the Northern Dipper. I obey the command of the Most High Lord Lao, the revered deity of Daoism, to perform this rite of rescue, protection, capture, and subjugation.

Recite the incantation silently three times each day, as many repetitions as desired. The meaning of the words “liao deng jiu shui” at the end of the text is unclear, so they are retained as written.

Method for Warding Off a Solar Eclipse

The master said: When Yin forces intrude upon Yang energy, eclipses of the sun and moon occur. Use this method to ward them off and seek protection, and good fortune and success will follow.

Talisman of the Nine Dragons, Born in the Sunlit Valley

Make a banner from red silk and write this talisman on it eighty-one times. Set it beside a lamp. Nine Daoist priests and ritual masters, dressed in crimson, should circle the lamp and recite the incantation until the sun shines again; only then should they take down the talismans. Burn them facing south, toward the midday sun, to ward off great calamity and bring good fortune.

The qi of yin demons seeks to invade the upright yang qi. Nine dragons rise in radiant light, bursting forth with a glow that restores yang qi. In an instant, Heaven and Earth become clear, and the vast world is illuminated. Burn this talisman at noon while facing south to dispel great calamity and bring good fortune.

Incantation:

The qi of yin demons seeks to invade the upright yang qi. Nine dragons rise in radiant light, bursting forth with a glow that restores yang qi. In an instant, Heaven and Earth become clear, and bright light shines throughout the vast world. The assaults of yin forces and ill-omened stars retreat into the distance, leaving no trace. The sun (the “Crow-Wheel,” an ancient name for the sun) blazes brilliantly, and yang qi is restored in every direction. In strict obedience to the command, carry it out at once.

Ritual for Averting Bandit Raids

The master said: “Venus is an omen of ill fortune. If its movement goes awry and strays from its path, a fuzzy star or comet will appear, also foretelling calamity. Before bandits have taken action, ritual methods can avert and halt them. If they have already acted, these methods can lessen the harm and prevent them from causing injury.

“The ritual must be performed by forty-nine Daoist priests. Establish an altar, conduct a Zhaijiao (purification ritual) to make offerings to the deities, and submit a memorial of prayer, following the customary rites. When performing the ritual, recite the Incantation to Stay the Weapons, bury the Talisman for Staying the Weapons outside the west gate, then arrange talisman positions in the pattern of the Big Dipper. At each position, write a talisman on a brick and bury it. The ‘west gate’ means the west gate of the capital at the national level, the west gate of the prefectural city at the commandery level, and the west gate of the county seat at the county level. At night, light the Venus lamp, recite the Incantation to Stay the Weapons, and burn talismans, praying for peace throughout the realm and that no calamity may occur.”

Burying Talismans to Avert Bandit Raids

Write talismans in cinnabar on new bricks and bury them outside the city’s west gate. Then arrange more bricks in the pattern of the Seven Stars, burying them as well after writing talismans on them.

Seven-Star Talisman for Driving Away Calamity

Write it in cinnabar on red paper. Recite the name of the star deity belonging to the commanding general, then infuse the brush with qi (breath gathered through ritual). Empower a sword and halberd with the talisman; it is said to make the army invincible wherever it goes. Wear the talisman on the body, and the enemy is said to dare not approach.

Talisman for the Commanding General to Ward Off Poison

Form the Big Dipper hand mudra and write it in purple pigment on white paper. Hang it on a wooden bow and arrows offered as a sacrifice.

Talisman for Warding Off Harm

Form the Hand Mudra for Subduing Malign Forces and write it in white pigment on paper. Hang it on a spear or halberd.

Talisman for Warding Off Malignant Qi

Write it in black pigment on white paper and hang it in the ritual hall, while performing the Flying Seven Stars mudra.

The ritual method described earlier requires keeping the lamps burning continuously for three days and nights, and ascending the altar to perform the rites three times each day. After the ritual, offer the talisman, banner, and blade to the Great White One (the deity of Venus in the west), then burn them at the Gate of Heaven in the northwest.

Method for Averting Fire Disasters

The master said: “Heaven’s punishments take only two forms: floods and fires. Of these, fires are especially severe. If a calamity brought by Yinghuo (Mars) is not the result of Heaven’s retribution, this method can be used to avert it.”

Mysterious Register of the Yin Florescence of the Five Qi

Make the talisman from black silk, two chi and four cun long, and write on it in yellow. Spread it out before the ritual table in the cave and expose it to the dew, to suppress fire disasters. While writing, form the Northern Emperor hand-seal, a gesture used in Daoist rites when inscribing talismans.

Incantation:

Spirits of the Great Yin and the Celestial Star (Mercury), divine rulers of the Five Qi, suppress the flames and let baleful influences disperse of their own accord. The Supreme Emperor has issued his command: protect all living beings and govern their lives. Let the crimson fire clouds draw in their flames; let the Fire Emperor return to his banner. The Qi of the Great Yin fills the depths of the Dark Court. Hasten to obey the decree of the Great Yin Mysterious Life Emperor.

Recite this incantation three times a day, thirty-six times each time. As you recite, sprinkle water on the talisman until it is thoroughly wet.

Talisman for Appealing to Mars to Avert Fire Disasters

Make the talisman from red paper and write on it in yellow. Copy the same talisman three times, attach them to a vermilion banner, and set it up before the disaster star associated with the fire.

Incantation:

By command of the Supreme Emperor, Yinghuo (Mars) must immediately withdraw its banner of flames. The fire clouds are extinguished, and peace reigns in the four directions; the people live in peace, and the Qi of disaster no longer assails them. Mars must respectfully obey the command conveyed by this talisman. Hasten to obey the decree.

During the rite, form the Wu hand-seal and return to Zi, a Daoist hand gesture. Recite the incantation three times a day, twenty-four times each time. Sprinkle water on the talisman until it is wet, and good fortune may be sought.

Diagram of Lamps for the Yan Emperor’s Calamity-Averting Rite

Talisman for Suppressing Fire

Make flags from “tied paper,” producing twelve according to the same pattern, and arrange them around the lamp altar. Alternatively, write the talisman in cinnabar on yellow paper and distribute it to households to suppress fires and avert disaster. While writing, also form the Northern Emperor hand-seal.

The Fire Official of the Southern Dipper (the star deity who governs fires) dispels harm and poison, freeing people from calamities. The Water Deity of the Northern Dipper extinguishes violent disasters. Press the talisman command into the Kan position, then flick it into water or place it inside a talisman. Whatever is sought will be granted, and all obstructions and distress will disperse and clear. If one follows the scriptural methods and devoutly performs a Zhaijiao purification ritual, one’s request will surely accord with the numinous heart. As long as one is sincere and makes frequent prostrations, calamities will not dare to come unbidden.

Fire-Quelling Talisman

Perform the ritual steps along the celestial patterns (a rite in which one walks according to the positions of the stars), and hold the Northern Emperor’s hand seal (a Daoist ritual gesture). Write the Fulu talisman in cinnabar on yellow paper and paste it on both sides of the main hall’s door to subdue fires and invite good fortune.

Two Chapters of the Divine Incantation for Commanding Fire and Quelling Its Might

The Black Emperor of the North (the water deity of the northern direction) is the essence of the Ren and Gui Water Qi, and the ancestral master of the water deities. I respectfully summon Xuhun Shengming and the Dark Tortoise to subdue the essence of fire. Numinous waves surge through the heavens, overcoming the Bing and Ding Fire Qi. The blazing, radiant flames are cleared away and dispersed; all things are transformed throughout into pure Yin Qi. Hasten to obey the ordinances of Great Yin and Dark Mystery.

Great Yin and Dark Mystery (a divine force representing the deep, cold Yin Qi of water) is the essence of the One Qi, the primordial energy of the cosmos. Pure Yin Qi gathers and transforms, subduing Li Fire. Black waters surge in vast waves, while the Yin Qi drives away the red glow of the flames. In the Water Court stands a divine lord, clad in black, able to subdue the evil forces that bring fire. This is the ordinance of primordial Great Yin and Dark Mystery.

Great Yin and Dark Mystery is the essence of the One Qi. Pure Yin Qi gathers and transforms, subduing Li Fire. Black waters surge in vast waves, while the Yin Qi drives away the red glow of the flames. In the Water Court stands a divine lord, clad in black, able to subdue the evil forces that bring fire. The Lord of Primordial Great Yin and Dark Mystery commands the great springs to surge and swell: Jia-Shen Chengming; turning and roaring, Long-Ji Sha-Hong. Waves rise from all four directions, and Yin Qi mingles and gathers. Li Fire retreats, and its blazing radiance vanishes. In obedience to the talismanic command of the Most High, the Fire Deity shall heed the order. Hasten to obey the ordinances of Great Yin and Dark Mystery.

While reciting the incantation, shake the lamp banner (a ritual flag bearing a lamp), then sprinkle water toward the fire. This returns the sparks to their proper place and makes the Fire Deity withdraw the calamity, turning misfortune into good fortune.

Method for Averting Earthquakes

The master said: Heaven moves above, while Earth rests below; this is the natural order of Yin-Yang. If the earth shakes like the heavenly bodies, Yin-Yang has fallen out of order, and this method should be used to avert the calamity through prayer. The practitioner first sets up an altar and performs a Houtu purification ritual to the Earth deity. Then they make an announcement to the Kun direction, install and stabilize the Purple Writ and Jade Register, and prepare the Jade Characters for Stabilizing Kun before dismantling the altar.

Purple Writ and Jade Register for Stabilizing Kun

Make it from cypress wood and perform the ritual to avert the calamity according to the prescribed method. The practitioner first sets up an altar and performs a Houtu purification ritual, then makes an announcement to the Kun direction and installs and stabilizes the Purple Writ and Jade Register. They should also prepare the Jade Characters for Stabilizing Kun before dismantling the altar.

Purple Writ and Jade Register for Stabilizing Kun

Make a wooden tablet from cypress, two chi and four cun long and six cun wide. Write the talisman on it in yellow ink while forming the Yuqing hand seal. Facing the Kun direction of the city, bury the tablet three chi and six cun underground.

The incantation says:

“The Five Sacred Peaks guard the Kun direction; the Nine Sovereigns govern the order of the earth. Gold and jade bring forth radiance; mountains and rivers convey spiritual energy. The four quarters are firm and do not tilt; the Nine Tripods each rest securely in their place. May the August Earth Spirit protect lasting peace, and may Houtu govern and bring calm. With urgency, in accordance with the statutes of the Central Yellow One for stabilizing and securing the land, let it be done.”

Ascend the altar and perform the rite at three appointed times. Recite the incantation nine times each time, and burn the Talisman for Stabilizing the Kun Reaches.

Jade Talisman for Stabilizing the Kun Reaches

Write it in cinnabar on yellow paper and burn it in the Kun direction. Recite the incantation as the formal announcement.

The incantation says:

“The Kun direction is secure; the Nine Earths are at peace. The earthen ramparts receive the talisman’s command, firm and unshaken for ten thousand years. Strange manifestations and omens of disaster disperse; joy and peace prevail.”

Jade Talisman for Stabilizing the Kun Reaches

Write it in cinnabar on yellow paper and burn it in the Kun direction. Recite the incantation as the formal announcement.

The incantation says:

“The Kun direction is secure; the Nine Earths are at peace. The earthen ramparts receive the talisman’s command, firm and unshaken for ten thousand years. Strange manifestations and omens of disaster disperse; joy and peace prevail. Let all be carried out in accordance with the command.”

Great Talisman for Stabilizing and Securing

Write it in cinnabar on yellow paper and stand it before the image of the Houtu deity. Offer incense and perform the rite at three appointed times.

Method for Averting Locusts

The master said: Heaven sends down calamities such as floods, droughts, locust plagues, and insect infestations. They damage crops and leave the people hungry. The karmic force of living beings draws calamities to them of its own accord; Heaven does not intend to bring disaster. The Most High (a Daoist honorific for the supreme deity) is compassionate and has passed down methods for dispelling calamities, so that the people may live in peace.

Locust plagues occur because no snow falls in winter, and insects arise from Yin Qi. Demonic forces take advantage of the fiery Qi and grow wings, enabling them to fly in summer and damage crops. It is said that when locust eggs encounter the Qi of snow, they sink three feet underground. After encountering snow Qi three times in a year, they sink nine feet. If there is no snow for a year, the eggs rise to within three feet of the surface. If there is little snow for three years in a row, drought is certain, and the locusts emerge from the ground to cause a plague. There are methods for dispelling locust plagues: establish an altar and perform a Zhaijiao (purification ritual); have a ritual master beat a drum to summon wind and send the locusts into the water; and submit a petition to the Locust Deity, who governs locusts, to subdue these demonic insects.

Ritual to Repel Locusts by Burning a Talisman

Write a Fulu (talisman) in cinnabar on yellow paper. Face southeast, the Xun direction, and perform bugang bu dou, ritual steps that trace the positions of the stars, then burn the talisman. Turn south, recite the incantation thirty-six times, and spray water outward. Perform the rite for three consecutive days. If wind rises afterward and the locusts enter the water, the rite is considered effective.

Alternatively, write one talisman on each of two chestnut-wood boards. Nail one where the locusts are attacking; raise the other on a stand and burn it using chestnut wood as fuel.

The incantation says:

Flames of the Vermilion Bird of the south, gods of the bright and blazing Bing-Ding fire! The locusts have lost the nourishment of water Qi, grown wings, and multiplied like grains of sand. The Nine Sovereigns, Daoist deities, lie hidden in chaos; auspicious snow Qi secretly drives the locusts into the depths. Fiery Qi surges and gives rise to demonic forces, which spread and grow, harming the roots of the crops. I summon the gods who govern the village altar and the Lord Locust Deity. Raise the ritual drum and call forth a boundless wind to blow the locusts into the sea. Let these strange pests vanish, and let the crops yield a plentiful harvest. Hasten, hasten, in accordance with the statutes and commands!

Ritual to Repel Drought and Pray for Rain

The master said: Whenever a prolonged drought occurs and prayers have not been answered, the local officials should extend generous kindness to the people and show compassion. They should prepare a written petition and proceed to the ritual altar…

The master said: When a prolonged drought has brought no response to prayers for rain, local officials should feel compassion for the people, prepare a written petition, and go to the ritual altar to express their plea for rain. The ritual master prepares a memorial and submits it to the Three Heavens—the levels of the celestial realm in Daoist teaching—and to the Celestial Master’s court. The master also submits documents to the divine offices governing the Three Realms of Heaven, Earth, and Water. Then, following the prescribed rites, the master sets up a ritual altar, performs the Pace of Yu and the Dipper—a set pattern of steps symbolizing a journey through the heavens—and carries out the rites to summon the Dragon Deities. The period is usually set at three, five, or seven days. If rain has already nourished the people, a separate Zhaijiao ritual is held to give thanks. If the rainfall is still insufficient, the rites are continued to press the petition.

Dragon-Summoning Talisman

The talisman is written on black paper in cinnabar. The ritual master performs the Pace of Yu and the Dipper, faces the monthly direction—the direction assigned to that month—and, facing the Dipper’s ritual position, draws in Qi (vital energy). The talisman is placed in front of the petition, and celestial soldiers and strongmen are dispatched to carry it and summon the Dragon Deities, who will then arrive.

Talisman for Driving the Dragon to Bring Rain

The talisman is written on black paper in white powder and burned in an incense burner. Incense is offered three times a day, and the method is said to produce notable results.

The incantation says:

The Qi of Heaven and Earth communicate; Yin and Yang are in harmony. The dragon rides the clouds and mist—who would dare disobey? Send down sweet rain to nourish the people and destroy the evil forces causing the drought. Hurry, hurry, in accordance with the statutes and commands!

After reciting the incantation, face the monthly direction and the Dipper’s ritual position, then sprinkle water. If there is no response after three days, cast in an iron talisman.

The Great High One’s Talisman for Driving Away Drought

Write the talisman in cinnabar on an iron plate. The ritual master performs the Pace of Yu and the Dipper and carries out the rite with a sword. Celestial soldiers and strongmen are sent to face the Celestial Dipper—the ritual position within the Northern Dipper—and draw in Qi. The iron talisman is then cast into a river, lake, or other body of water.

Shangqing Talisman for Bringing Rain

The iron tablet, inscribed with the talisman, is two cun and four fen wide and two chi and four cun long. Write on it in cinnabar, place it in a sealed pouch, and cast it into a dragon’s cavern. The ritual master performs the Pace of Yu and the Dipper and carries out the rite with a sword. Celestial soldiers and strongmen are sent to face the Celestial Dipper and draw in Qi, then the tablet is cast into a river, lake, or other body of water. Once there is enough rain, retrieve the iron tablet using the same method as before.

All the talismans above are used according to the methods already described. When casting an iron talisman, choose a deep body of water within the local territory that is regarded as numinous; do not cast it into shallow water. If there is no spring or cavern, cast it into a well regarded as numinous. If a river or lake is nearby, it is especially suitable to cast the talisman there. Do not look back when casting it, lest thunder and rain suddenly descend. This method is said to work very quickly, so it must be carried out with care.

The End of Scroll Twenty-Two of the Great Dharma of the Jade Hall of the Three Heavens of the Supreme Mystery and Primordial Origin

The Great Dharma of the Jade Hall of the Three Heavens of the Supreme Mystery and Primordial Origin, Scroll Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Five: Eliminating Corpse-Borne Illness

The Master said: People in the Later Era often encounter calamities. Those living in the age’s decline are deeply affected by worldly habits, and the sources of illness and death follow one another without end. Among them, the harm caused by corpse-borne illness truly results from the contagion of the Nine Worms—the nine kinds of parasites said in Daoism to inhabit the body. It is also connected to ordinary people taxing their minds and bodies, injuring their original Qi, and depleting their Jing and Qi. Once a person’s original vitality is depleted, harmful influences take advantage of the weakness and illness spreads. Moved by compassion for the people, the Mysterious Origin therefore passed down methods of healing.

There are many kinds of illness, and they spread in different ways. A person may gradually fall ill through a dwelling or through food and drink; clothing and breath can also readily transmit illness. Only by cutting off the sources of disease can there be hope of restoring vitality. This chapter therefore explains methods for relieving suffering and dispelling illness.

Method for Treating Illness Transmitted by a House

The Master said: Abandoned residences and empty houses are seldom visited, yet after many years, traces of illness may remain. When a house stands vacant with its doors and windows shut, dark and damp influences gather and stagnate. Harmful forces cannot disperse, and the toxic influences that cause illness persist. When someone opens the door and enters, the first person inside is especially vulnerable, particularly if they are frail or their spirit is weakened. At the onset of infection, the person may feel their hair stand on end and a chill run down their back. These are the signs. The illness lies hidden in the Palace of the Spirit, the place within the body where the spirits reside; it remains in the Muddy Pellet, the Daoist spiritual center in the head, and spreads to the limbs. After some time, symptoms emerge: labored breathing, coughing up blood, wasting of the bones and flesh, alternating chills and fever, and confused dreams. This is illness transmitted by a house.

To eliminate illness transmitted in this way, one must first stop contact with the source of infection. After a month, one should take refuge in the Great Dao—the path of Daoist cultivation—and seek treatment at once. In this way, about eight or nine out of ten people may recover. If it is not dealt with promptly, the longer the illness persists, the worse it becomes, and life is soon in danger. Even divine power will then be too late to save the person.

Talismans for Treating Illness Transmitted by a House

Take a new brick and grind cinnabar on it in the sunlight. Face east, form the Northern Emperor’s hand-seal, and gather the Qi of the sun. Write the talisman on the brick. At noon on a jia or ding day, bury the brick in the center of the courtyard, three feet and six inches underground. As you bury it, the ritual master performs the prescribed steps that symbolically enter the stars, holds a precious sword, sprays water outward while carrying out the rite, visualizes himself transformed into a heavenly general, and recites the incantation.

The incantation says:

“Drive out this ghost that causes infectious disease; leave the center of the courtyard at once! The fire of the celestial steps blazes ten thousand feet high; lightning streaks by with the sound of bells. Burn away the Qi of ghosts and evil forces; cut down demons and spirits. Ghosts that spread corpse-transmission disease, hear this talismanic spell and flee at once. Descend ten thousand feet underground and turn into dust. Execute this command with all haste.”

Talismans to Suppress Illness Around a Patient’s House and in Its Eight Directions

Make slips from catalpa or cypress wood, write talismans on them in cinnabar, and nail them up in the eight directions around the house. Then use the power of the “Three Primordial Spirits’ Ghost-Repelling Talisman” to dispel evil influences and settle the room. When writing the talismans, the ritual master transforms himself into a spirit general through visualization, performs the prescribed steps that symbolically enter the stars, turns to enter the position of the Dipper, and guides the breath while writing.

East, west, south, north, northeast (the Gen direction), southeast (the Xun direction), southwest (the Kun direction), and northwest (the Qian direction).

As the talismans are nailed in place, recite the incantation:

“Heaven holds true Qi; the celestial court of the Northern Dipper reveals its might. Break demonic obstructions, subdue ghosts and spirits, and drive away ill fortune. Heavenly troops array themselves in front; lightning flashes and surges. Golden spears and armored cavalry fill the sky. Seize the demons and pestilence; cut off the disease of corpse transmission and eliminate calamity. You ghost who spreads infectious disease, you bring the disaster of corpse transmission. Hear my divine incantation and flee elsewhere at once; see my talisman and flee in all directions at once. Leave immediately, leave immediately! If you do not go, you will be taken under guard to Kui-Gang, the fearsome spirit among the stars of the Northern Dipper. Execute this command with all haste.”

The method for transmitting the treatment through clothing.

The teacher said: “Clothing transmission” refers to a patient and a healthy person sleeping in the same bed, or becoming ill through sharing clothing. After a patient dies, their clothes, curtains, bedding, utensils, and other belongings should all be fumigated, since foul, turbid Qi may linger in them. Some families, reluctant to spend money, keep using these things; poor families may have no way to replace them. The result can be disastrous, which is truly tragic.

When the illness takes hold, the patient may be restless at night and mentally confused. They may also experience involuntary emissions, nocturnal emissions, night sweats, and alternating chills and fever. The pathogenic Qi lodges between the skin and hair. If left untreated for a month, it enters the bones; after two months, it has reached the internal organs. When the pathogenic Qi gathers in the “numinous chamber” (the place where the heart spirit resides), it spreads to the limbs within a month if untreated, and enters the marrow within two months. When it entangles the hun and spirit, the illness has taken hold by the end of three months. Once the pathogenic Qi enters the internal organs, symptoms appear within a month. This shows how important it is to treat the illness early. Although this method includes treatments for it, they may be ineffective if not applied in time.

To treat “clothing transmission,” fumigate the clothing with a talisman, then roll the clothing up together with the talisman and cast them into a long, flowing stream without looking back. Before the illness has taken hold, take the “Three Luminaries Qi Talisman” (a talismanic method drawing on the Qi of the sun, moon, and stars) for a month; only then will it be safe. If the illness has already lasted two or three months, it may be difficult to cure. Once a month has passed, treat it with the “Labor Inquiry Talisman.”

Talisman for treating clothing transmission: Form the “Dipper mudra” (a prescribed hand gesture), face the direction of the monthly earthly branch to welcome the Dipper’s astral force, and recite the names of the Dipper thirty-six times. Then use talisman water to moisten the brush and write the talisman, and fumigate it with smoke; this can bring protection. Afterward, draw another talisman and cast it, together with the utensils, into a long, flowing stream. Leave without looking back.

The incantation says: “The Celestial Talisman, acting under orders, enters the Dipper. All ghosts and spirits will be terrified, and all demons, evil influences, and baleful forces will be swept away. The Azure Dragon guards the left and the White Tiger lends its power on the right; the Vermilion Bird leads the way in front, and the Black Tortoise follows behind. Transmitted fevers, flying corpse disorders, and other pernicious illnesses must all be eradicated without a trace. If any evil being refuses to leave, send forth the fire of the Celestial Steeds and the blades; strike it down ten thousand fathoms beneath the earth, and let its body be reduced to fragments in the raging flames. In solemn obedience to the laws, carry this out at once.”

A Method for Treating Illness Transmitted Through Food

The master said: The term “food transmission” refers to falling ill after accidentally eating food left over by a sick person, or drinking medicinal soup that the person has used, thereby taking the patient’s illness Qi into one’s own chest and abdomen. In general, food transmission is relatively easy to treat. When illness is transmitted through a house or clothing, the pernicious influence penetrates more deeply and harms the patient more severely, making treatment difficult. A patient with food transmission has not yet died, which shows that the illness Qi has not fully entered the body and that there is still a chance of treatment. If it is not addressed promptly, it may become difficult to cure after a delay, or even develop into a serious illness. This should be understood.

For treatment, use thirty-six talismans. Burn them to produce smoke, and have the patient inhale and swallow it; if necessary, force the patient to swallow. Continue until the talismans are burned up and the smoke has dispersed. The fumigation may feel unpleasant at first, but after a while the discomfort should ease. If phlegm seems to form in the throat, cough it up and spit it out. In cases of transmitted-corpse illness, the thicker the coughed-up phlegm and saliva, the better. If the pernicious influence has entered only shallowly, there will be little phlegm; if it has entered deeply, the patient will vomit violently and bring up a great deal of phlegm and saliva. According to this method, once it has been expelled, the illness will be cured.

Once the pernicious influence has been expelled, there is no need to continue fumigating with talismans. The patient should take only the Three Luminaries Talisman to nourish the body and restore the original Qi. For one month, abstain from alcohol and sexual activity, and avoid excessive joy or anger; then the patient may expect to recover safely.

“Talismans” refers to Fulu written for Daoist ritual use. Burning talismans for their smoke, inhaling and swallowing that smoke, and ingesting talismans are ritual methods described in the text.

In carrying out the rite, form the “Dipper mudra” (a Daoist hand sign) and invoke the “astral Qi” (the upright, firm energy represented by the stars of the Northern Dipper). Write thirty-six talismans in cinnabar on yellow paper, then fumigate them with a stick of incense.

The incantation says:

With care, issue the command to the soul and essence, so that Tai Guang and Shuang Ling become calm and bright. Bring peace to the upper, middle, and lower Dantian (energy centers), and make the corpse-soul attached to the body depart. Let the spirits of fatigue and illness flee and scatter; gather the Nine Qi, the nine kinds of energy linking the human body with Heaven and Earth. Use the talismans and astral Qi to subdue harmful forces swiftly, so that fatigue and illness no longer trouble the body. Make the sudden, spreading disease demons depart at once, and turn the ghost-spread disease demons—contagious illnesses believed to be caused by ghosts—into dust. Let the evil Qi pass through the limbs and enter the abdomen, then sweep it all away. Let true Qi guard the body, and let upright Qi endure forever. In accordance with the statutes, carry this out at once.

General Method for Treating Corpse-Transmission Disease

The master said: “To treat corpse-transmission disease, one must understand its particulars. Of the nine worms, six cause the disease to pass through six generations; the other three do not cause this kind of transmission. Let upright Qi endure forever. In accordance with the statutes, carry this out at once.”

The master said: To treat “transmitted corpse consumption” (a term used by the ancients for a group of diseases believed to be contagious and to spread from one generation to the next), one must understand its condition in detail. Of the so-called nine worms, six are said to pass through six generations, while the other three are not contagious. Stomach worms, roundworms, and inch-white worms (tapeworms) belong to this group. Some were thought to arise from toxic influences accumulating in the five organs; others were thought to result from close contact and prolonged exposure, and thus to spread from generation to generation.

Generally speaking, these worms circulate throughout the body four times in about ten days, repeating the cycle. They feed once every three days, then withdraw about five days after each feeding. During an attack, the patient feels pain throughout the body: this is when the worms are feeding. After they withdraw, the patient becomes drowsy and sleeps as if drunk, for about five days, and the illness temporarily subsides. Talismans and medicines should be administered while the worms have withdrawn and the patient is asleep. Otherwise, the worms seem to grow familiar with and guard against the effects of the talismans and medicines, making treatment difficult.

According to the text, one worm occupies twelve “yun” within the body; six worms together occupy seventy-two “yun.” A month is divided into its first, middle, and final ten-day periods. In the first period, the worms move four “yun” from the heart area toward the head; in the middle period, they move four “yun” from the heart area toward the navel; in the final period, they move four “yun” from the navel toward the feet. This can be used to determine when to administer medicine and talismans. Thus the scripture says that if treatment begins within sixty days, about eight or nine people out of ten can be cured; if it begins within one hundred and eighty days, about three or four out of ten can be cured. Beyond this period, whether the patient’s life can be preserved is difficult to predict.

When people seek to expel the worms, some use fraudulent methods, passing off other things as worms to make a small profit. This is condemned as conduct fit for beasts. The text says that after the patient takes the “Purple Court Talisman,” an oil pan should be prepared late at night and lamps and candles lit so that no corner remains dark. If a living worm is seen crawling or flying, catch it, fry it in the oil, then pour it into flowing water, without looking back. Yet this sign appears only once or twice in ten attempts, so the scripture says it cannot be forced. When the illness is mild, the worms may have no physical form and cannot be expelled. If the patient dreams that someone has come to say farewell and depart, this is taken as a sign that the worms have left.

The “Purple Court Talisman” for expelling worms is recorded in the “Talismans and Registers” section of this tradition’s Tianxin Methods. The specific procedure for expelling them is also recorded in the Tianxin Methods. Those who inherit this method in later generations should practice it with reverence. The scripture describes its efficacy as unmistakable and cautions that it should not be disclosed lightly, but transmitted in secret.

This concludes Volume Twenty-Three of the Great Method of the Jade Hall of the Three Heavens of the Supreme Mystery and Primordial Origin.

The Heavenly Heart section of the Great Teaching of the Jade Hall of the Three Heavens of the Supreme Mystery and Primordial Origin records this passage. Teachers in later generations who inherit this method should practice it with reverence. Its efficacy will be as clear as a shadow cast by a form. It must not be disclosed casually, but guarded with care.

The Aims of the Great Method of the Jade Hall of the Three Heavens of the Supreme Mystery and Primordial Origin, Volume Twenty-Four, Chapter Twenty-Six: Prolonging Life and Delivering People from Calamity.

The master said: Those caught within the bounds of fate find it hard to escape fate; those confined by bodily form likewise find it hard to go beyond its limits. Thus the Lingbao Jing says: the sun, moon, and five planets all wax and wane; even the most sacred and divine may suffer decline and hardship; and those whose cultivation is still shallow may fall ill or be injured. These are all cases of being constrained by fate and bodily form. It is from this that methods for delivering people from calamity and prolonging life arose.

If one could transcend the limits of form and fate, leaving all things free from illness and harm, and preventing spirits and ghosts from manifesting or causing trouble, what calamities would there be to avert? Yet worldly people are often entangled in mundane affairs and tainted by deluded habits. Without using ritual methods to dispel misfortune and pray for calamities to be averted, how could they escape danger and hardship?

Moreover, people are affected by hunger and fullness, toil, heat and damp, wind and cold. The slightest failure in caring for the body may damage the primordial Qi, the vital energy at the root of life. Then the stars that govern the calamities of the year may shine upon them, the periods of monthly misfortune may arrive, the year’s fortunes may clash, or their dwelling may prove inauspicious. They may swear oaths to Heaven but act contrary to their words; curse others and then be harmed by the curses themselves; suffer harassment by demons and ghosts, or possession and divination through women; or be struck by flying earth and falling misfortune, frightening and injuring infants in their swaddling clothes. Even the slightest lapse from proper conduct can bring calamity. Without relying on the mysterious methods, who could free people from disaster? For this reason, this chapter explains in detail the methods for saving and helping people.

The secret method of submitting petitions to the stars to avert calamities.

It is lamentable that those who have not studied the Dao deeply lose their minds and spirits amid the toil of worldly life. Those who live among the markets and courts, too, bury themselves in the pursuit of fame and profit. They crave long life but cannot find a way to prolong it; they wish to escape calamity but have no means to dispel it. All this is because one’s allotted lifespan is governed by fixed destiny, while misfortune comes through the physical body. Unless one penetrates the truth, it is naturally difficult to preserve oneself and withstand the trials of fate.

When faced with a “calamity of the hundred-six” (a major disaster), one may secretly submit a petition and prayer to the Pole of the Dipper in the high heavens (the star deities of the Northern Dipper). This is a secret for preserving life, as well as a mysterious method for warding off calamity and giving thanks for divine grace. It is a practice ordinary people may turn to in times of crisis, and an important means of turning danger into safety. If one can cultivate the highest Dao, understand the principle of true emptiness, and attain abundant Qi and complete spirit, with the body stable and in good health, why rely on the power of others to ward off calamity and cultivate blessings?

Altar-Cleansing Talisman

This talisman is used whenever one needs to purify an altar and dispel impurity.

First visualize the deity taking on the appearance and attire of a perfected being. Then visualize yourself with abundant Qi and complete spirit, your body stable and in good health.

Altar-Cleansing Talisman

This talisman is used whenever one needs to purify an altar and dispel impurity.

First visualize the deity taking on the appearance and attire of a perfected being. Then visualize the Nine Phoenixes above your head and the Four Divine Beasts (the guardian creatures of the four directions) arrayed at your sides to protect you. Let their radiance shine forward, and the Four Dippers (four star groupings) guard your body. Recite the spell: □□□□□□□. Then visualize the Dipper stars entering the water.

With reverence, pray for the essence of the seven stars of the Northern Dipper to descend into the water. Let all demons and spirits that bring harm depart at once to a place ten thousand li away; if they refuse to leave, cut them down. Let the Western White Metal Child immediately carry out the command according to the law.

Great Spell for Dispelling Impurity:

Om va li om va li yun nuo li duo jiu luo jie zha suo he.

Seven Talismans for Prolonging Life: see “Chapter on Prolonging Life and Overcoming Adversity.”

Paper-Wick Talisman and the Jade Purity Method

When first lighting the lamp, take one lamp talisman and roll it into a paper wick to light it. In spring and summer, begin with Kui Star; in autumn and winter, begin with Piao Star. Next, take another talisman, place it in the incense burner to burn, and recite:

Summon the immortals, and the immortals arrive; summon the sages and spirits, and the sages and spirits descend. Transform this divine talisman into light, in accord with the Heart of Heaven. Carry out the command at once according to the law.

The Most High and Supreme Clarity protect life and prolong the years. The Six Directions and the Three Offices, the myriad paths and Jade Spirits: may Heaven be free of calamity and Earth be at peace; may the Seven Stars be solemn and harmonious. May purple clouds cover and protect, enabling one to ascend to Highest Clarity (the Daoist realm of pure, empty immortality).

When the Seven Stars appear bright, recite the spell:

Heaven and Earth are profound and mysterious; the sun and moon follow their courses. The Five Phases stars—Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water—revolve without end, setting the celestial patterns in motion. I establish an altar: the myriad ghosts disperse, the earthly realm grows peaceful, and the altar solemnly aligns with the Seven Stars of the Northern Dipper. Purple clouds cover the ritual ground, helping people ascend to the Upper Clarity realm, the Daoist realm of pure emptiness.

As the Seven Stars appear, recite the spell:

Heaven and Earth are profound and mysterious; the sun and moon follow their courses. The Five Phases stars revolve without end, setting the celestial patterns in motion. I establish an altar, and all the myriad ghosts submit. With a single sweep of the divine blade, they scatter of their own accord. Swiftly, swiftly, in accordance with the statutes and commands!

Then present the invocation:

I, holding the ritual office, respectfully submit this petition to the Seven Primordial Lords of the Northern Dipper, the mysterious spirits who protect life. Today, a certain person comes to turn toward the Great Dao, seeking to repent and receive protection. Following the rites of ancient times, I solemnly set up the Seven-Star lamps and establish an esoteric Zhaijiao, a secret Daoist sacrificial rite. I arrange the lamps and purify their flames in accordance with the law, using them to discern good or ill fortune. I now calm my spirit and settle my thoughts, cultivating Qi, the vital energy of life, so that spirit and energy return to unity. When the auspicious hour arrives, I shall submit my petition. I respectfully ask the Heavenly Emperor and the assembled Perfected Ones to descend, look kindly upon my sincerity, and grant my request. The remaining rites shall be performed according to the ritual code for the esoteric Zhaijiao. I now respectfully invite the Seven Primordial Lords to descend and receive this petition, and to reveal good or ill fortune through the brightness or dimness of the lamp flames. May the power of the divine spirits bring every prayer to fulfillment.

Then circle the lamps three times and recite the spell forty-nine times:

Bright lamp, gather in your radiance, so that scattered vital essences do not drift away. May the Seven Po remain settled in their places, and all the spirits return and assemble. May the light of the sun and the light of the lamps shine with equal brilliance and reflect one another for ages to come.

Circle the lamps three more times and recite the spell forty-nine times:

Bright lamp, gather in your radiance, so that scattered vital essences do not drift away. May the Seven Po remain settled in their places, and all the spirits return and assemble. May the light of the sun and the light of the lamps shine with equal brilliance and reflect one another for ages to come. Swiftly, swiftly, in accordance with the statutes and commands!

Then recite the spell:

Following the steps of the Celestial Dipper, I set the Northern Dipper in order. Raising the ritual torch, I illuminate the stars in heaven. May the seven Star Lords descend, bringing Primordiality, Flourishing, Advantage, and Constancy—the four virtues that signify the smooth unfolding of things in the Classic of Changes.

Next, set the Dipper lamp facing the center. Burn a talisman for each star in turn, placing it in the lamp and using the prescribed visualization and method of cultivation. Then place the colored talisman for securing life and protection in a basin of water and set it before the lamp.

Next, read the signs in the flames.

The Greedy Wolf lamp is used to divine a person’s circumstances: a bright flame signifies good fortune, while a dim one indicates calamity. The Great Gate lamp is used to divine longevity; brightness is auspicious, while dimness is ominous. The Wealth Store lamp is used to divine blessings and virtue: brightness is auspicious. When it is dim, one should undertake rites to avert calamity, make offerings, and pray for blessings. The Literary Star lamp is used to divine official rank and salary: brightness signifies distinction and promotion, while dimness indicates slow progress. The Chaste Maiden lamp is used to divine marriage between men and women: brightness signifies harmony, while dimness indicates separation. The Martial Star lamp is used to divine new and old illnesses: brightness signifies a chance of recovery, while dimness indicates that the illness is severe and difficult. The Army Breaker lamp is used to divine matters involving servants and concubines, lawsuits and disputes, and the capture of thieves: brightness signifies success, while dimness indicates that the desired result will be hard to achieve.

When a household wishes to divine the illnesses of its members, it can observe the lamps of the Seven Stars of the Northern Dipper: a bright flame signifies that the sick person has a chance of recovery, while a dim one indicates a grave illness. The Army Breaker lamp can also be used to divine matters involving servants and concubines, lawsuits and disputes, and the capture of thieves. Brightness signifies that the matter will reach a successful outcome; dimness signifies that things will not go as hoped.

When someone in the household falls ill and you wish to investigate the cause, you may use “Seven Gengs of the Dipper Lamp” for divination. Carry out the procedure with focused devotion, then wait quietly for a sign to appear. First sweep and clean the room, close the doors and windows, keep women from looking in, and prevent cats or dogs from rushing through. Late at night, when all is quiet, light a strong fire and burn incense before performing the divination.

If the lamp burns brightly, with a long, upright flame that does not waver, it indicates that all will go well. If the light is dim, the flame short and unsteady, or it flickers and scatters, this is an ill omen. A blue flame indicates that the household is troubled by the Qi of a hidden corpse. This may stir feelings of aversion, bring quarrels and discord at home, cause frequent frightening dreams at night, and leave the family unsettled. A red flame indicates wandering souls, plague ghosts, and disasters associated with the earth or bloodshed; calamity or strange events may occur suddenly. A white flame indicates that the household may face lawsuits or disputes, that travel will be inauspicious, and that family members may be prone to fear and distress. A black flame indicates possible theft or lost possessions, difficulty with coming and going, and a sick person who may not recover. It may also mean that ground has been disturbed or baleful Qi offended, or that an old vow has not yet been fulfilled.

If the lamp alternates between dim and bright, or bright and dim, it indicates that the ancestors wish to be guided toward deliverance, and that members of the household may suffer calamity as a result. If the signs are unclear when the lamp is first lit, or if the oil in the lamp vessel churns, these too are regarded as signs of disturbance by spirits and ghosts, or pressure from malign forces. The scripture also says that the sick person may not recover, and that spirits associated with childbirth may become entangled, making it difficult for prayer to turn the will of Heaven. When such unusual signs appear, show even greater reverence and wholehearted care: pray and make a sincere petition, then follow the ritual procedure to tread the Dipper and subdue malign forces. Do not be negligent.

Fate-Color Talisman

Invite the Deities to Descend into the Zhai (Purification Ritual)

Next, examine the lamp flame and recite the memorial. Then follow the ritual procedure to enter the Zhai (purification ritual) and perform the method for restraining and subduing malign forces.

The master said: “When performing the method of presenting a memorial, the memorial should use sincere, plain language. There is no need to deliberately employ ornate wording, lest empty and showy speech bring about misfortune. Be careful. First focus the spirit and steady the will, then perform nine prostrations. Next, summon the divine officials assigned to your service according to the prescribed rites, then tread the Nine Spirits steps while visualizing the nine kinds of Qi. Afterward, kneel upright and silently recite the memorial. When you have finished, perform eight bows and place the memorial face down before you.

“Now visualize your whole body transforming into a round radiance of deep blue-green. In the Mudball Palace—the center of the head, where spirit and Qi are said to gather in Daoist inner cultivation—there are star lords, shaped like the Dipper, each assembling in turn above the Heavenly Gate, the palace of the celestial realm. Then visualize the nine palaces of the Northern Dipper in the heavens, each shining with its own light: the first palace is the Jade Tower of Qingcheng; the second, the Five-Colored Jade Tower; the third, the Yellow Terrace Jade Tower; the fourth, the Vermilion Terrace Jade Tower; the fifth, the White Terrace Jade Tower; the sixth, the Dark Terrace Jade Tower; the seventh, the Nine-Colored Brahma-Qi Jade Tower; the eighth, the Purple-Qi Jade Tower; and the ninth, the Jade Tower of the Purple Pavilion. Each of the nine palaces has golden light, and the light in the heavens and the light within the body shine upon one another.

“Next, visualize your tongue touching the roof of your mouth and transforming into a golden bridge. It connects with the Yellow Path in the sky and extends all the way to the mouth of the Northern Dipper. Then circulate the plain yellow Qi within the nine palaces of the Mudball Palace, sending it upward to fill the nine palaces and downward to connect with the golden bridge. Next, send out the Three-Five Merit Officers, divine officials who transmit documents, together with the Attendants of the Hidden Spirits, and have them ascend the golden bridge. Visualize the embroidered-robed messenger and the two messengers carrying the memorial approaching to receive it. They prostrate themselves beneath the bridge and wait for instructions.

“After a long while, golden light blazes in all directions. The Nine Sovereigns descend from the nine palaces and enter the Mudball Palace through the crown of the head. Visualize the nine stars within the Mudball Palace joining into one. Then bow before the hall and silently recite this secret incantation:

“Within me are the Three Yuan, Three Emperor Lords, who send forth radiant light and spread blessings, guarding my body.

“Above the Mudball Palace is a Celestial Emperor Lord, who generates vital essence, receives the mandate and inscribes its characters, and dwells in the central position of the Middle Mystery.

“Within the Crimson Palace, the inner cultivation chamber corresponding to the heart, is a Left Assistant Lord. He dwells in the central position and faithfully keeps his charge; his name is the Spirit of the Four Transformations.”

The Assistant Lord Right Support (a star-lord who provides aid) is located beneath the Yellow Court. He belongs to the Upper Brightness and is styled Valley Above the Mysterious.

Enter the chamber of the Emperor Lord, ascend to the Clear Realm (the pure and tranquil immortal realm in Daoist teaching), and ride the flying clouds through the sky as phoenixes cry out.

Urgently, in accordance with the statutes!

Then offer another prayer and recite the words. Next recite the “Numinous Mantra for Receiving Officials,” followed by the mantra for dispelling the twenty-four calamities, and then the “Great Central Heaven Mantra.” Continue reciting until “Primordial Sovereign, Upright Qi.” Then gather the radiance of nine colors into a single sphere, making it complete and bright. You will no longer see your own form, but only the nine Primordial Qis moving and transforming, with the light of the Seven Stars appearing among them. Once the radiance shines brightly, wait quietly for a short while, then withdraw and open your eyes. Carry out the Zhaijiao (purification ritual) according to the liturgy.

Numinous Mantra for Receiving Officials

Heavenly spirits, joints and flourishing radiance: may you preserve long life. The One of Great Mystery, protect my true form. Lords of the spirits of the five organs, each grant protection and peace. Urgently, in accordance with the statutes!

Method of Covering

The ritual master says: Whenever this method is performed in someone’s home, open your eyes and carry out the Zhaijiao according to the liturgy.

Numinous Mantra for Receiving Officials

Heavenly spirits, joints and flourishing radiance: may you preserve long life. The One of Great Mystery, protect my true form. Lords of the spirits of the five organs, each grant protection and peace. Urgently, in accordance with the statutes!

Method of Covering

The master said: If a household is in turmoil and, for many years in succession, suffers calamities and illness; if its young children also face lawsuits, punishments, quarrels, or legal disputes; if deaths occur one after another; or if fires and thefts are frequent, first examine whether the person is charitable, accumulates De (Virtue/Power), and has committed no serious wrongdoing. Only if these conditions are met may the person’s petition be accepted and the “covering below” ritual performed on their behalf. This ritual has serious consequences and must not be carried out carelessly.

Before performing it, first report the matter to the Imperial Preceptor, then submit a petition to the Palaces of the Seven Stars of the Northern Dipper, the Eastern Florescence Court, and the Nanchang Bureau, requesting that the person’s name be lodged beneath a star of the Northern Dipper. For example, someone born in the Year of the Rat is lodged at the Palace of the Heavenly Gate King beneath the Dipper’s Noble Wolf Star; those born in the Years of the Ox or Pig are lodged at the Palace of the Young Minister King beneath the Dipper’s Great Gate Star. The other birth years follow the same pattern. The name is lodged for one year.

For the ritual, arrange the implements in the direction of the Celestial Canopy. The directions correspond, in order, to the first, second, third, and fourth lunar months: Rat, Horse, Rabbit, and Rooster; then repeat the sequence. Take a pillar with a circumference of two cun and four fen, made of gold, copper, silver, or iron, according to one’s means. Make it one chi and two cun long, symbolizing the twelve months of the year. Carve seven sections into the pillar, with one hole in each section, symbolizing the seven royal palaces.

Next, take a clean bottle and dig a pit one chi and two cun deep. Bury the bottle in the pit. Write “Celestial Command Talisman of the Three Terraces, Northern Dipper, and Heavenly Dipper” on a piece of yellow silk one chi and two cun long, then place it inside the bottle. After this, a document must also be submitted to the City God. Its general meaning is as follows:

The household of a certain family in a certain village, township, and ward of a certain prefecture in the Great Ming has asked certain people to carry out a certain matter on its behalf, entrusting its life and fate to the Palace of the Seven Kings of the Northern Dipper, where the deities of the seven stars of the Northern Dipper reside. It respectfully asks the gods to dispatch officials, who will join with the household’s Life-Destiny Deity, responsible for human lifespans and household affairs, and the local Earth God to protect the person entrusted there. When the one-year term has ended, a year later, a Jiao offering ceremony is to be held in gratitude for the gods’ kindness.

Each person should wear a piece of crimson silk as a personal token, chosen according to their age, and then place it in a bottle. Take an iron cup and make a hole in its base, shaped like a precious pillar. Write three talismans in large script inside the cup. When placing the bottle in the casket, set the precious pillar inside it, then fit the iron cup over the bottle’s mouth. Inscribe on the cup: “The Eye of the Joint of the Palace of the Seven Kings.”

Take another piece of iron, two inches wide and seven inches long, and write on it the characters for “by decree of the Three Platforms and the Northern Dipper,” along with a talisman of the Celestial Dipper. Attach it to the back of the joint’s eye, then tie crimson silk around the base of the iron cup. Next, take a new bucket coated with gold lacquer, two feet four inches high and two feet four inches wide. Place the bottle, precious pillar, and iron talisman in clean earth, and seal them all around with mud. Cover them with a large table and hang curtains around it. Arrange the spirit tablets of the guardian gods on the table, and burn incense before them morning and evening. If there is no existing building in the direction of the canopy, build a small shelter over it.

When placing the objects in the casket, first arrange the sacred tablets. The night before, light a Longevity-Extending Lamp inscribed with the characters of the decree. The next morning, burn incense in the appropriate direction, perform the rites of spirit transformation and stepping the Dipper, and form the Dipper mudra. When you reach the Kan position, the northern direction, recite this incantation:

“Heaven covers me; Earth bears me. The stars of the Northern Dipper hang in heaven and become my clothing. I conceal my name in the Palace of the Seven Kings, and place it at the center of flowing fire. May I live long, extend my years, and find well-being in all things. The earthly branches cannot harm me; the heavenly stems cannot harm me. The sun supports me; whoever does not support me will be destroyed. In obedience to the decree of the Supreme Emperor, let this be carried out swiftly.”

First visualize the Gang Qi filling the Kan position (the northern, water position). Then contemplate the jeweled pillar transforming into a palace of jade. Next, place money, silk, and other offerings into the bottle. Once the pillar is in place, tie a talisman beneath it. After covering it, burn incense, make the Dous jue hand gesture (a mudra associated with the Northern Dipper), and recite the command of the Northern Emperor.

Following the method above, again visualize the Gang Qi filling the Kan position and the jeweled pillar transforming into a palace of jade, then place money, silk, and other offerings into the bottle. When setting up the pillar, tie a talisman beneath it. After covering it, burn incense, make the Dous jue hand gesture, recite the Great Spirit of the Northern Dipper in Heaven mantra, and command the guardian spirits to come and protect the site. When the ritual is complete, prepare wine, fruit, and paper money and horses as offerings to the guardian spirits. Wait one year. When the time comes to open the ritual site, repeat the earlier visualization and recite the following mantra for opening the site:

The Seven Stars of the Northern Dipper are the stars through which the Supreme Emperor governs the celestial pivot. They protect life and preserve one’s allotted lifespan, increasing blessings and good fortune. When the star cycle completes one revolution, calamities are dispelled. As this ritual site is opened, a report is submitted to the Pure Capital, the heavenly realm where the Celestial Emperor resides. Let each guardian spirit return to its original abode. Hasten to obey the Supreme Emperor’s command.

Then dismantle the ritual site and remove the talisman and silk from the bottle, burning them along with the Jiao ritual offerings. Beforehand, submit a formal document to the relevant divine office, requesting that it recall its troops and generals; also issue a dispatch ordering the guardian troops and generals to return.

Required documents:

A memorial to the Star Lord, a memorial to the Sacred Master, and a petition to the Palace of the Seven Kings.

A petition to the Eastern Peak, a dispatch to the officials and generals of this ritual site, and a dispatch to the City God.

Notices to the Earth God and other deities.

Sacred figures to be written on the cover of the ritual altar:

The Star Lords of the Eleven Luminaries of Highest Clarity; the Star Lords of the Three Platforms and Canopy; the Star Lords of the Six Offices of the Southern Dipper; the Star Officials of the Northern Dipper’s Seven Kings, Assistants, and Nine Emperors, governing one’s birth destiny; the Eastern Peak Emperor; and the officials of the Grand Year and the Sexagenary Cycle. Set all these divine seats together in the principal position.

Arrange all the guardian officials and generals in positions to the side.

For each of the following, prepare one copy: the Star Officials governing one’s birth destiny; the Eastern Peak Emperor; and the officials of the Grand Year and the Sexagenary Cycle. Set them together in the principal position, with all guardian officials and generals arranged to the side.

Burn incense each morning and evening. On the Three Primordials, the Eight Seasonal Nodes, and one’s birth date, make offerings to each divine seat in turn, preparing offerings according to one’s means.

The pillar’s design:

Write the text beneath the talisman.

On a certain day of a certain month in a certain year, the disciples so-and-so and others from a certain prefecture, county, township, and village entrusted their lives and destinies to the Palace of the Seven Kings of the Northern Dipper, the divine palace where the seven stars of the Northern Dipper dwell. With reverence, they prayed for the descent of the Sun, the Moon, the Five Planets, the Four Luminaries, the Three Terraces, the Canopy of Flowers, the Southern Dipper, the Northern Dipper, the Star Lords of the Personal Destiny, the star deities of the Three Offices who govern each person’s allotted destiny, the Three Offices, the Four Sages, the Eight Great Vajra Kings, the Primordial Lords of the Nine Heavens, the Dharma-Protecting Spirit Kings of the Ten Directions, the Six Ding and Six Jia, the Daoist guardian generals, the Heavenly Officers and Mighty Warriors, the Envoys of the Five Thunders, the Wind Earl, the Rain Master, the twenty-four Qi, the seventy-two seasonal markers, the Grand Year, the Lunar Deity, the deities of the Jiazi cycle, as well as all officials and lords, the City God, the local earth deity, the household gods and deity of fate, and every spirit within and without, all to descend together. They prayed for the sacred Qi of Yaoguang, associated with the Yaoguang star of the Northern Dipper, to descend upon “t zhong,” so that the disciple so-and-so…