《洪恩灵济真君祈谢设醮科》

Liturgy (Keyi) for the Prayer-and-Thanksgiving Zhaijiao (purification ritual) to the True Lords of Vast Grace and Numinous Deliverance (Hong’en Lingji)

The Ritual Service

The ritual masters (the Daoist priests who preside over the liturgy), each in accordance with the rite, visualize the deities and hold fast to their concentration.

Recitation of the Divine Incantation

The Five Stars (the luminaries of the five planets) stand arrayed and shine, their light filling the five directions. The Water Star, Mercury, dispels calamity; the Star of Wood-De (Virtue/Power), Jupiter, brings flourishing prosperity. The Dazzling Deluder, Mars, puts an end to disaster; the Great White Star, Venus, drives away arms and war. The Quelling Star, Saturn, guards the four quarters, so that household and realm are peaceful and secure. Their titles are engraved on jade tablets, and their names are registered in the palace of the Celestial Emperor. Riding the wind, they scatter their radiance and ascend into the Great Void; they pass in and out of the dark and hidden realms, roaming and feasting through the ten directions. Five-colored auspicious clouds rise like a canopy, summoning the spirits and driving the winds. They command the myriad numina and ascend to guard the Immortal Elders.

Sounding the Ritual Drum Twenty-Four Times

Most High Lord Lao of Mysterious Origin and the Five Numina, we ask you to summon forth from within our bodies the Three-and-Five Merit Officers (the divine clerks of Daoist ritual who transmit documents and report affairs), the incense-official envoys of the left and right, the Golden Lads who attend the incense, the Jade Maidens who carry words and scatter flowers, the incense officials on duty this day, the merit-officer envoys, and the orthodox deities of the Three Qi (vital energy). Let them swiftly memorialize above, and seek out and invite the five Grand Marshals Bian, Wei, Zhao, and Diao, the two Marshals Yue and Xu, together with the celestial stalwarts and strongmen and the divine officials of the left and right.

Now we reverently set forth the Zhaijiao rite (the purification ritual of prayer and offering to the deities), carefully obeying the sacred edict; every matter we entreat has been recorded and reported upward. May orthodox and true Qi descend and flow into our bodies, so that the words we present today may swiftly reach the throne, in the Golden Portal of the Nine Heavens, of the Great Immortal Who Illumines the Dao (the Way) and Attains De—the Hong’en True Lord of Manifest Numinosity and Universal Deliverance, Pure and Subtle, of the Cavern of Mystery (Dongxuan), Empty and Void, Wondrously Responsive, Kind and Benevolent, Protector of the State and Shelter of the People—and the throne, in the Jade Portal of the Nine Heavens, of the Superior Immortal Who Proclaims Transformation and Upholds the Teaching—the Hong’en True Lord of Radiant Numinosity and Broad Deliverance, Lofty and Bright, Vast and Still, Profound and Clear, Wondrously Responsive, Humane and Kind, Who Assists the State and Blesses the People.

Announcement of Ritual Rank

I, the servant of the stated office, So-and-so (the name by which the Daoist priest conducting the rite refers to himself), together with the officers and assembly attending the altar, with one sincere heart address on high the Great Immortal of the Golden Portal of the Nine Heavens Who Illumines the Dao and Attains De, the Hong’en True Lord of Manifest Numinosity and Universal Deliverance, Pure and Subtle, of the Cavern of Mystery, Empty and Void, Wondrously Responsive, Kind and Benevolent, Protector of the State and Shelter of the People.

The Upper Immortal of the Jade Palace of the Nine Heavens, who proclaims transformation and upholds the teaching, who manifests numinous power and brings wide relief, lofty and luminous, vast and serene, profound and clear, wondrously responsive, benevolent and gracious, who assists the state and protects the people—the True Lord of Vast Grace, the honorific title of the Hong’en Lingji True Lord; the Holy Father, Prince of Qi, True Lord of Loyal Valor Who Assists and Illumines; the Holy Mother, Immortal Consort of Benevolent Longevity and Virtuous Goodness; the Holy Consorts, the Lady of the State of Jing, Immortal Consort Who Compliantly Assists, Benevolent and Gracious, Chaste and Responsive, and the Lady of the State of Wei, Immortal Consort Who Virtuously Assists, Kind and Exemplary, Reverent and Tranquil; the Holy Elder Brothers, the Prince of Tang, the Prince of Hong, the Prince of E, and the Prince of Guangling; the Holy Maternal Uncles, the Duke Who Protects the State and the Duke Who Serves the State; the Holy Sons-in-law, the Marquis of Wu’an and the Marquis of Ningguo; the Holy Sons, the Marquis Who Protects the Great, the Marquis Who Manifests Faithfulness, the Marquis Who Protects Faithfulness, the Marquis Who Protects Peace, and the Duke of Wuning; the Holy Nephews, the Marquis of Manifest Virtue, the Marquis of Anding, and the Marquis of Supreme Peace; the Holy Grandsons, the Marquis of Wuchang and the Marquis of Nanchang; together with the dukes and marquises among the holy sons, holy grandsons, and holy nephews.

Also the Queen of the Prince of Tang, Immortal Consort of Bright Solemnity; the Queen of the Prince of Hong, Immortal Consort of Benevolence and Kindness; the Queen of the Prince of E, Immortal Consort of Compliant Exemplariness; and the Queen of the Prince of Guangling, Immortal Consort of Virtuous Felicity; the Holy Daughters, the Immortal Maiden of Profound Exemplariness and the Immortal Maiden of Bright Exemplariness; the Holy Wives, the Lady of Virtuous Exemplariness, the Lady of Benevolent Gentleness, the Lady of Gracious Compliance, the Lady of Manifest Exemplariness, the Lady of Compliant Reverence, the Lady of Bright Wisdom, the Lady of Reverent Exemplariness, the Lady of Tranquil Exemplariness, the Lady of Manifest Solemnity, and the Lady of Kind Filiality, together with all the ladies among the holy wives.

The officers and generals who conduct affairs in the Court of the Heavenly Mechanism, the Department of Thunder, the Court of Celestial Patterns, and the various bureaus of the Underworld, under the Great Cavern Registers of Highest Clarity, the Daoist Fulu (talismans and registers) of the Shangqing tradition; the divine generals who expel evil and seize baleful influences, transmit the statutes and ordinances of the Fulu, dispel calamity and relieve adversity, drive off malevolent and uncanny beings, and guard the ritual altar; the generals who patrol and apprehend; the Venerable God of Taisui, the Generals of the Twelve Months, and the stellar officials of the natal primordial chronogram; and the immortal hosts of the several departments of wind, thunder, and rain.

The Left and Right Chancellors, the Grand Steward and the Lesser Steward, the ministers and attendants of the Six Ministries, and the dukes and ministers of the Inner Treasury; the Left and Right Supreme Stewards who record births and record longevity, the Left and Right Supreme Stewards of the Bureaus of Emolument and Blessing, and the Left and Right Attendant Interpreters, together with the officials, dukes, and ministers belonging to the hundred offices and their various bureaus; the departmental officers and clerks of the twenty-four bureaus under the Left and Right Bureaus of Fortune and Emolument, the Left and Right Immortal Officials of Introduction, the Supreme Stewards of the Bureaus of Emolument and Blessing, and the Left and Right Attendant Interpreters, together with the officials, dukes, and ministers belonging to the hundred offices and their various bureaus; and the departmental officers and clerks of the twenty-four bureaus under the Left and Right Bureaus of Fortune and Emolument, and the Left and Right Immortal Officials of Introduction.

The inner attendants, the Lady of Compliant Accomplishment, the Lady of Manifest Splendor, the Lady of Dignified Splendor, the Lady of Cultivated Countenance, the Lady of Cultivated Deportment, and the Lady of Manifest Deportment; the ladies who oversee palace ceremonies, women’s work, silk and hemp, storehouses, account registers, and the receipt and disbursement of property; the Talented Ladies of the women’s offices and the women’s scribes, and the Honored Ladies among the women’s invocators and the women’s attendants; together with the inner attendants of the inner halls, the officers of ceremony, and the ladies of the holy household.

Within the Hall of Festive Joy: the Divine Empress Tianyi, who records births for the Bureau of Recording Births, and the Divine Empress Taiyi, who supervises births; the Lady Supreme Minister of the Bureaus of Emolument and Fate; the Lady Who Guards the Fetus and Protects the Chamber, and the Lady Who Preserves the Fetus and Protects Life; the Left and Right Ladies of Kind Instruction, the Ladies of Guardianship and Tutelage, the Left and Right Ladies Who Keep the Registers, and the Lady Who Keeps the Seal; the ladies of the various palaces charged with nursing, carrying and presenting, and nurturing; and the divine crones of entrusted birth.

Marshal Zha, Resident Governor of Yong’an, and Marshal Bian, Resident Governor of Wu’an; Marshal Wei, Military Commissioner and Left Gate Supervisor; Marshal Zhao, Commander-in-Chief of the Armies and Right Gate Supervisor; and the Vanguard Crone Goddess, Chief Army Supervisor; Marshal Zha, Resident Governor of Yong’an, and Marshal Bian, Resident Governor of Wu’an; Marshal Wei, Military Commissioner and Left Gate Supervisor; Marshal Zhao, Commander-in-Chief of the Armies and Right Gate Supervisor; and Marshal Diao, Vanguard and Chief Army Supervisor; together with the elite soldiers and fierce generals under the Five Marshals, the Left and Right Marshals Yue and Xu, and the attendant officials who serve the traveling palaces on the left and the right.

The departmental officers of Emolument, Merit, Servicemen, and Documents; the departmental officers of Agriculture, Grain, Silk, and Kudzu; the departmental officers of Markets, Goods, Merit Evaluation, and the Ordering of Materials; the kitchen officers, the officers of performers, and the officers of musicians; the Swift Agents of Heaven, of the Spirits, and of Humankind; the youths in charge of divination, oracle slips, cups, the phoenix planchette, and the transmission of dreams; the section chiefs of the spirit bureau, the emissaries on duty in the hall, on duty with the talismans, and in the incense office; and the local earth gods belonging to Lingji Palace, together with all the august numinous powers.

We respectfully entreat the True Lord of Vast Grace to bestow his compassionate grace widely, to descend upon the altar, and to examine and grant this petition.

Goulong has charge of the land, and Zhu has charge of the grains; for this reason the ancients built shrine temples in which to sacrifice to Sheji (the gods of soil and grain). The divine officers of every rank in the Shenju (the office in Daoism that administers the affairs of the gods), the envoys of the incense officers who attend the halls and bear the talismans, and the gods of the soil belonging to Lingji Palace—we invite all of you to manifest your awe-inspiring numinous power. We respectfully pray that Vast Grace will extend its sheltering protection, descend upon this ritual space, and clearly examine our petitions.

Goulong has charge of the land, and Zhu has charge of the grains; therefore the ancients established the shrines of Sheji. The people of Zhou set store by fragrance, and the people of Shang set store by sound, and by these means they communed with the intent of divine De (Virtue/Power). In sacrificing to the gods, does one rely only on offerings of the blood and flesh of livestock? Even ordinary duckweed may be presented to princes and dukes. Sagely brilliance that remains unknown to others is called Shen (spirit); when spiritual brilliance can display its efficacious response, it may then be called sage.

We reverently call to mind the True Lord of Vast Grace, Great Immortal of the Golden Portal of the Nine Heavens, who Illumines the Dao (the Way) and Attains De, Manifests the Numinous and Universally Saves, of Qingwei and Dongxuan (Cavern of Mystery, one of the Three Caverns), Empty and Void, Wondrously Responsive, Compassionate and Kind, Protector of the State and Shelter of the People; and the True Lord of Vast Grace, Superior Immortal of the Jade Portal of the Nine Heavens, who Proclaims Transformation and Upholds the Teaching, Manifests the Numinous and Broadly Saves, Lofty and Bright, Vast and Still, Profound and Limpid, Wondrously Responsive, Humane and Benevolent, Aid to the State and Protector of the People. The two True Lords take uprightness as their De, and they are able to change the fortune and misfortune of human beings. When they move unseen through the earth, the earth comes under their rule; when they course through Heaven, Heaven too answers them. Their awe-inspiring power is marvelous and beyond all fathoming. If clear skies are wanted, the skies clear; if rain is wanted, the rain falls. They alone hold the authority of creation and transformation. Their renown is illustrious and their majestic bearing immense, as though they stood before our very eyes.

At the North Pole the two True Lords assist the Douzhen (deities of the kind of the god of the Northern Dipper); at Donghua they silently accord with the learning of the mysterious and subtle. They are one with the Great Dao, and they devote themselves wholly to guarding the way of Shen. Their titles are registered at the Golden Portal, and they have been granted honorifics of thirty-two characters; their Dao accords with the Cinnabar Terrace, and they have probed the mysterious purport of more than five thousand words. They respond as circumstances arise, and they have vowed to save and deliver the people of the world. Since we have received the grace of their shelter and nurture, how dare we forget the rites of prayer and thanksgiving? We therefore respectfully welcome their sacred carriage as it descends upon this ritual space: we may behold immortals with gleaming pendants and ornaments, the eight luan-bells chiming in attendance behind, or behold ranks of court robes in perfect order, a hundred riders coming forward to receive them. Their immortal retinue gathers from above and below and from every quarter, and numinous officers stand guard on the left and the right. We have prepared thin wine and plain offerings, and with hearts of virtuous and reverent conduct we express our sincerity. The whole assembly, full of earnest reverence, respectfully welcomes the sacred procession of the True Lords.

Invite the two ranks: we respectfully invite the two files of the honor guard, or the ritual officers, to take their places.

Invite the Holy: we respectfully invite the sacred ones to descend.

Immortal cranes bear the sacred carriage to the front of the hall; we invite them to ascend to their seats on the jiao altar. The Daoist officiants and the assembly offer incense and present the first offering of wine.

The chime is struck, and the hymn Scattering Flowers is chanted.

With due reverence we have heard: this divine True Lord is renowned for benevolence and righteousness. A descendant of King Yan of Xu, loyal, brave, and unyielding, he inherited through successive generations the noble title conferred by the state of Qi. His fame for benevolence and De (Virtue/Power) first shone forth in Minzhong and later spread far throughout the lands within the seas. His merits and his name were engraved upon bells and tripods, and his deeds were recorded in the histories.

Once, under orders, he garrisoned the region south of Xiajiang, so that the local officials, people, and troops might dwell in peace as before. He also raised his banner on Ao Peak to quell disorder and wipe out the remaining bandits. That this blessed land is now tranquil is entirely due to the favor of his sagely brilliance. How could anyone dare forget the kindness of his De? His achievements are like those for which the people praised the Earl of Shao and cherished the sweet-pear tree. Made a king in his lifetime and honored with temple sacrifice after death, his dignity may be said to have reached its height. He bestowed his De upon the people and pacified calamity for the state, and to this day he is still praised.

In former times even grasses and trees showed a responsiveness like that of the spirit of Mount Gong; now the fields are spared the damage of floods. When the people’s boats struck the reefs, they indeed heard the divine troops of the yellow banners come to the rescue. When a neighbor’s house caught fire, the flames turned another way, and they were spared the disaster of their homes burning down. In the Jiading years locusts did not enter the territory; in the Baoqing years drought did not become a calamity. After the red snake appeared, sweet rain fell everywhere from the nine heavens; when the divine dragon soared aloft, thunder shook the land for ten thousand li. Divine signs have neither form nor trace, yet at night the heavenly lamps can be seen. The spirit makes no sound and no stir, yet in broad daylight one seems to hear the music of strings and flutes.

These deeds have been carved on stone steles for a thousand years, and the titles granted through the ages have been solemnly inscribed in the golden registers. People come from a thousand li away to turn toward him in devotion; therefore he should be worshiped with reverence in all four seasons. What the spirit supports is virtuous conduct; he does not covet the fragrance of sacrificial offerings. What sacrifice values is offerings that are clean and presented with sincere respect. To establish merit, accumulate goodness, keep the precepts, and observe the fast—if this were not in accord with the will of Heaven above, how could one ascend into the ranks of the immortals?

The True Lord reverently accepted the command of the Celestial Emperor and looked up to the mysterious manner of the Dao (the Way). He was granted honorific titles such as those of the Golden Portal and the Jade Portal, and was further enfeoffed as Great Immortal and Superior Immortal. The Dao that he practices embodies the great Dao; the De that he possesses embodies the transforming power of De. By the divine Dao he nurtures all living beings, and by divine teaching he instructs the people. This does not merely glorify a single person in one age; it also brings honor to the ancestors and benefit to later generations. The kin live in harmony, and the household rejoices. Above are the venerable Holy Father and Holy Mother; below are the illustrious holy sons and holy grandsons. The title of the Holy Maternal Uncle is enrolled in the Purple Prefecture (the realm of the immortals), and the Holy Elder Brother receives temple sacrifice in Jinling. The Divine Queen has particular charge of the registers of birth, while the holy consorts and immortal attendants are ranked among the palace retinue. Some members of the family administer fortune and emolument, and some hold office as dukes and ministers. The Five Marshals stand high in authority; among the three armies their valor surpasses all. Accomplished alike in civil and martial arts, they are arrayed on the left and the right.

The temple of the True Lord guards the land of the Seven Min, and its splendor could scarcely be greater. His De may stand together with the spirits of the Five Sacred Peaks; were he not a spirit of supreme sageliness, who could accomplish this? Under the spirit’s protection we are able to live in peace, and even in a single drink or a single meal we dare not forget his kindness. We bathe and offer incense, worshiping with reverence as though the spirit were present before our eyes. We respectfully welcome the descent of the divine carriage, and earnestly beg that he deign, if only a little, to regard the sincerity of those who preside over the Zhaijiao (purification ritual). Daoist priests are then assembled, and the auspicious Biluo Kongge (the hymn in praise of the gods within Daoist liturgy) is reverently offered.

We, your servants, bow a hundred times and respectfully wish the reigning emperor boundless longevity of ten thousand years. May he protect the people as a father and mother, preserve the imperial clan, and enjoy abundant blessings and emoluments; and may the sovereign receive the mandate of Heaven, so that the foundation of the state may long remain firm. We, your servants, undertake this with care and dare not let the rite cease. The words of sincere prayer set forth above are hereby respectfully read aloud and submitted.

In accordance with the wording presented above, the matter has been fully set forth. We respectfully beg the immortal perfected, in their compassion, to look down and examine it.

We have reverently heard that the immortal perfected are able to ward off misfortune and dispel disaster, and for this reason the sacrificial statutes—the ritual system of offerings—are especially solemn; they are able to requite merit and to promote virtuous conduct, and for this reason they ought to be advanced in immortal rank. May the immortal perfected receive the edict of the Golden Portal, the palaces of the immortal realm, and in glory attend the incense table of the Jade Emperor.

The immortal perfected harmonize their breathing and respiration, and are deeply versed in the method of cultivation called “emerging from the azure and entering the mysterious”; the seven fluids circulate within the body, and they comprehend the subtlety of “returning the purple and embracing the yellow.” Cultivated in one’s own person, this can fulfill the virtue of perfecting oneself; extended as a benefit to others, it can establish the meritorious work of aiding all. Whatever is felt and sought will surely find a response; whatever is prayed for will not fail to be fulfilled.

In relieving the sufferings of the people, the immortal perfected need not rely on the medical prescriptions of Bian Que; in surveying the Yin-Yang of the terrain, they can also silently impart the geomantic learning of Guo Pu, whose courtesy name was Jingchun. When someone inquires about marriage, they encourage harmony between husband and wife and peace in the household; when someone prays for offspring, they wish them sons and grandsons. When someone seeks an official career, they urge that person to take a stand through loyalty and filial piety; when someone engages in trade, they teach that profit lies in humaneness and righteousness. Farmers labor diligently at cultivation, and artisans advance in their craft, so that those nearby rejoice and those from afar come to them. The immortal perfected manifest humane virtue, and also keep their wondrous workings concealed within the formless.

All who sincerely turn toward the Great Dao (the Way) receive the grace of inspiration and instruction; men and women, old and young alike, obtain the protection of the immortal perfected. Now we, your servants, respectfully carry out the sacred decree and perform the jiao rite—the Daoist ritual of setting up an altar and offering prayers—in order to requite true grace and to pray that fine blessings may descend.

We respectfully wish that sacred virtue be pure, complete, and firmly settled, and that divine merit be vast and manifest; that the Nine Heavens bestow auspicious blessings, bringing a boundless source of good fortune; that the sun and moon shine together in brilliance, opening a lofty and enduring realm of longevity. May all beings receive this grace, and may every undertaking prosper and flourish.

The assembly bows according to ritual, offers incense and presents wine, and sets forth the rite of the second offering of wine.

The master of the chime raises the chime and intones the verses of Scattering Flowers.

I have heard that the heroic spirit recorded on the stele beside Luo Pool is hard to efface even after a thousand years; the Donghua Cavern (a Daoist immortal realm, or a place of cultivation) has already endured a millennium—who today can inherit the true tradition within it? With reverence we remember this deity who guards the region, whose accumulated merit is vast and boundless. His bearing and character may stand beside the Immortal Guanghui, and his literary talent may keep pace with Marquis Liu.

Talent so outstanding, if not born of the stars gathering their pure essence, must have been formed by mountains and rivers nurturing spiritual excellence. His deeds deserve poems, rhapsodies, and songs of praise; they ought to be solemnly recorded and proclaimed again and again. He can clearly discern good and ill fortune and point out their changes beforehand; yet to consult him over and over would show disrespect toward the deity. The deity perceives the subtle principles of the hidden, and can foresee the signs by which fortune and misfortune depend upon one another and turn each into the other.

The deity’s countenance is grave and his majesty awesome, commanding reverence like harsh frost and fierce sun; his attainment in the Dao (the Way) is lofty and far-reaching, looked up to like the Northern Dipper and Mount Tai. Great De (Virtue/Power) shines forth clear and manifest, and the awesome light of august Heaven and the divine spirits blazes bright and evident. Now, carefully obeying the sacred decree, we solemnly establish a Precious Zhai (a Daoist Zhaijiao, or purification ritual), to display and repay the blessings granted by the deity, and to pray that grace be widely bestowed.

We humbly pray that the imperial foundation stand firm, solid as the mountain peaks; that His Majesty’s sacred person enjoy health and ease, his lifespan as long as Heaven and Earth; that the Six Palaces (the dwellings of the emperor’s consorts) ever enjoy peace and good fortune, and that every land under Heaven obtain tranquility.

The assembly bows, offers incense and presents wine, completing the final offering.

Proclaiming the Memorial

Sending Off the Holy One

I have heard that Ao Peak towers tall and sheer, as though one might climb to Heaven and pluck the stars; Dragon Head rises proud and steep, able to shower dew and rain widely upon the human world. Day by day we have received this grace—how now ought we to repay it? Although pure offerings have been set forth, we are ashamed that there is no fine wine in jade jars, nor mellow brew in golden cups. What the immortals eat is nothing more than immortal fruits such as fire-dates and crossed pears.

Now the sacrifice is finished; the precious seal-script incense has burned out, and the flame of the silver lamp has grown cold. Daoist priests wearing star-crowns and feathered robes tread the Buxu (the ritual, in Daoist ceremony, of chanting while pacing), and the sound of their invocation reaches far to the Jasper Palace. Immortal attendants in the mist, carriages amid the clouds—the retinue is about to return to the Golden Portal. The hearts of the assembly linger, reluctant to part, and still they pray that the deity send down blessings and dispel calamity, warding off misfortune. With devout hearts they bow once more and respectfully send the deity on his way.

Sending Off the Deity

Restoring the Censer (setting the incense burner in order after the rite has ended)

Envoys of the Incense Office (divine messengers charged with conveying offerings of incense), Divine Lords of the Left and Right, and all the Numinous Officials who attend the incense fire, we invite you to come to the place where today’s Zhaijiao (purification ritual) is held—the Daoist rite of erecting an altar, performing the ceremony, and offering prayers and thanks to the gods. May golden liquor, cinnabar and jasper, and the immortal herb lingzhi arise here of themselves, and may the hundred spirits and the host of the Perfected gather joyfully before the incense burner. May the deities receive the offerings we present.

Sending Off the Gods

Restoring the Burner (putting the incense burner in order after the rite has ended)

Envoys of the Incense Office, Divine Lords of the Left and Right, and all the Numinous Officials who attend the incense fire, we invite you to come to the place where today’s Zhaijiao is held. May golden liquor, cinnabar and jasper, and the immortal herb lingzhi arise here of themselves, and may the hundred spirits and the host of the Perfected gather joyfully before the incense burner. May our sincere hearts be conveyed without obstruction; may the gods examine them clearly and leave out nothing of what we pray for.

May the immortal lads and jade maidens of the ten directions receive and attend the incense smoke, carry upward the words that I, your servant, previously reported, and swiftly deliver them before the Golden Gate-Towers of the Nine Heavens (the palaces of Heaven), presenting them before the holy presence of the True Lord of Vast Grace (Hong’en Zhenjun), Great Immortal of the Golden Gate-Towers of the Nine Heavens who Illumines the Dao (the Way) and Attains De (Virtue/Power), who Manifests Numinous Power and Universally Brings Relief, of Qingwei (Clear and Subtle) and Dongxuan (Cavern of Mystery), who Penetrates the Void and Responds with Wondrous Sensitivity, Compassionate and Beneficent, Protector of the State and Shelter of the People; and before the holy presence of the True Lord of Vast Grace, Supreme Immortal of the Jade Gate-Towers of the Nine Heavens who Proclaims Transformation and Upholds the Teaching, who Brightens the Numinous and Broadly Brings Relief, Lofty and Brilliant, Vast and Tranquil, Penetrating and Profound, Wondrously Responsive, Benevolent and Gracious, who Assists the State and Blesses the People.