《洪恩灵济真君自然行道义》

The Ritual of the Spontaneous Practice of the Dao (the Way) of the True Lords of Vast Grace and Numinous Succor

The ritual service is conducted according to the liturgy.

All present follow the ritual procedure in bowing to the ritual master, and quietly still their minds in visualization.

Golden true Qi (vital energy) and green auroral light shine upon the heavens of the Three Realms. Flying clouds ascend into the cinnabar empyrean, and the gods and immortals of the many heavens arrive in their chariots. As the morning sunlight rises, the dark and shadowy vapors all disperse. The Qi of the Nine Subtleties stirs the sky, and the Five Stars move along their courses. The myriad immortals respond and come; the mystery within is of itself hard to fathom. In the deep and obscure darkness, the spirits scatter their bodily forms and transform into hundreds and thousands of images. The Mysterious Pearl, the precious pearl symbolizing the subtle Qi of the Dao, flashes with brilliant light, and auspicious signs descend above the altar. Grace is bestowed throughout the realms of the hidden and the manifest, and divine light converges in the upper, middle, and lower Dantian (energy centers), the three sites of cultivation within the human body. With one voice they chant: “May we become one with the Great Dao and be true immortals.”

The ritual drum is struck twenty-four times.

The Most High Mysterious Prime Lord of the Five Numina, a venerated deity of Daoism, summons from within our bodies the Three-and-Five Merit Officers, the divine clerks charged with transmitting documents and communicating with the spirits, together with the emissaries of the incense palaces of the left and right, the Golden Lads who attend the incense, the Jade Maidens who convey messages, the incense officers on duty that day, the merit-officer emissaries, and the orthodox deities of the Three Qi. He commands them to submit a memorial swiftly, and to inquire of and report to the five marshals Bian, Wei, Zhao, and Diao, the two marshals Yue and Xu, and the celestial stalwarts and the divine officers of the left and right:

I now ascend the altar to perform the ritual service, reverently carrying out the sacred decree, setting forth and conducting the Zhaijiao (purification ritual), the Daoist rite of praying for blessings and offering thanks, and seeking to repay and give thanks for vast grace. My utterly sincere intent has already been recorded and submitted in memorial. May pure and upright vital Qi descend and flow into our bodies. Celestial stalwarts and divine officers of the left and right, please swiftly present the words of my memorial before the sacred presence of the True Lord of Vast Grace of the Golden Portal of the Nine Heavens and the True Lord of Vast Grace of the Jade Portal of the Nine Heavens.

The title of ritual office is proclaimed.

I, your servant So-and-so, invested with ritual office, together with the officials and all others present at the altar, sincerely address the True Lord of Vast Grace of the Golden Portal of the Nine Heavens, the True Lord of Vast Grace of the Jade Portal of the Nine Heavens, the Holy Father, True Lord of Loyal Valor and Assisting Radiance, and the Holy Mother, Immortal Consort of Benevolent Longevity and Virtuous Goodness.

The Holy Consort, Lady of the State of Jing, the Immortal Consort of Accordant Aid, Benevolent Grace, and Faithful Response, and the Lady of the State of Wei, the Immortal Consort of Skillful Aid, Compassionate Virtue, and Reverent Serenity, together with the holy kin—the Holy Elder Brother, the Holy Sister-in-law, the Holy Maternal Uncle, the Holy Son-in-law, the Holy Son, the Holy Daughter, the Holy Nephew, the Holy Grandchild, and the rest of the sacred household—as well as the various ladies and all the holy kin within the hall, are all invited to examine and bear witness together.

At the same time we respectfully invite the five Great Marshals Zha, Bian, Wei, Zhao, and Diao, the two Marshals Yue and Xu, the God of Taisui (the deity who governs the cycle of the year), the City God (the deity who guards the city), the presiding lord of the City God, the Earth God of this palace (the local earth deity venerated by this palace), the divine officers of the ritual registers (the divine clerks within the Daoist system of Fulu, talismans and registers), and all the holy perfected ones arrayed at the jiao banquet (the ritual of setting up an altar and performing Zhaijiao, the purification ritual), to descend together and manifest their awesome spiritual power.

We reverently pray that all these holy perfected ones, in their compassion, will look down and examine the matters set forth here.

I have heard that when heaven and earth first opened and the myriad things still lay in chaos, the mystery of the Dao (the Way) was held within, formless and without body. Clear Qi (vital energy) rose on high and grew pure and bright, becoming the foundation of heaven and fixing the poles of heaven and earth. From the vast chaos at the origin of primordial Qi, the myriad things gradually came into being, and from this heaven and earth unfolded. The radiance of sun and moon has shone from antiquity to the present without cease; divine spirits (Shen) are spread between heaven and earth, ranged above and below in solemn order, vast and without bound.

The requital of humility and of fullness never goes astray, and that the good receive blessing while those who do evil meet with calamity is not in the least mistaken. Now, following the splendid qiongwen (precious Daoist documents), we open the precious casket (the case in which the treasured classics are kept) and proclaim the scriptures. Having seen these rites with our own eyes, we pay reverent audience according to the ceremonial of the court; with minds single and undivided, we draw upon the clear Qi of early morning to make heart and Shen pure and lucid.

A clear breeze stirs the pendants, and their ringing tones carry through the eight directions; incense smoke rises and condenses into auspicious Qi that reaches straight to the heights. Vermilion carriages and ceremonial escorts stand in rich array; golden standards and feathered robes drift with grace. The hundred spirits each receive their offices, and the divinities of the Three Realms arrive before the hall. Today we set up the altar for cultivation and perform the ritual of practicing the Dao. We invite the ritual assembly here present to join in concentrating the mind and carrying out the rites, first taking incense and offering it up.

The assembly responds: The incense smoke ascends to Lingji Palace (the Palace of Numinous Succor), spreads throughout the Golden Towers of the Nine Heavens, and transforms into a splendid canopy, offered in worship to the True Lord of Manifest Efficacy, Broad Succor, and Vast Grace (a True Lord deity venerated in Daoism). May this incense smoke be an offering to the True Lord of Vast Grace of the Golden Towers of the Nine Heavens, and to the perfected immortals and holy assembly of Lingji Palace. We reverently dedicate our persons to the Golden Towers of the Nine Heavens, look up toward the splendid canopy, and make offering to the True Lord of Manifest Efficacy, Broad Succor, and Vast Grace. May this incense smoke be an offering to the True Lord of Vast Grace of the Golden Towers of the Nine Heavens, and to the perfected immortals and holy assembly of Lingji Palace. We reverently dedicate body and life, relying upon the True Lords and the host of sages.

By the merit of this offering of incense, we reverently entreat the True Lord of Vast Grace of the Golden Towers of the Nine Heavens and the True Lord of Vast Grace of the Jade Towers of the Nine Heavens: may the De (Virtue/Power) of these two True Lords accord with heaven and earth, and may their achievements share in the work of cosmic transformation; by wondrous spiritual power may they manifest efficacious responses throughout the eight directions, and by the De of uprightness and clear intelligence may they assist the imperial court, so that it may long flourish. May their literary splendor shine forth, and may their grace, like rain and dew, nourish the myriad things. Now, on this account, we burn incense and take refuge in the De of the True Lords, the great sages, and the assembly of the Most Perfect. May we, after attaining the Dao, preserve our heavenly nature and endure without perishing.

The assembly responds: May we unite with the Great Dao and become truly real.

At daybreak the sun rises in the east. May we reverently serve those above, bathing in brilliant radiance and riding the auspicious light of morning, so as to save and deliver all beings of the netherworld and of the human world.

Today a rite of cultivation is held, and we ascend the altar to practice the Dao (the Way). The ritual assembly present is asked to offer incense twice in turn. The assembly chants: Incense smoke rises to Lingji Palace, the temple dedicated to True Lord Hong’en, spreads throughout the jade palaces of the Nine Heavens, and transforms into a canopy of precious jewels, offered in worship to True Lord Zhaoling Boji Hong’en, the Manifestly Numinous and Broadly Salvific True Lord of Vast Grace. May this incense be offered to True Lord Hong’en of the Jade Palaces of the Nine Heavens and to the perfected immortals and holy assembly of Lingji Palace.

We offer incense twice again, and the assembly chants: Incense smoke rises to Lingji Palace, spreads throughout the jade palaces of the Nine Heavens, and transforms into a canopy of precious jewels, offered in worship to True Lord Zhaoling Boji Hong’en. May this incense be offered to True Lord Hong’en of the Jade Palaces of the Nine Heavens and to the perfected immortals and holy assembly of Lingji Palace.

We entrust body, mind, and life alike to the True Lord and the holy assembly. By the merit of offering incense, we pray for His Majesty the Emperor: respectfully wishing His Majesty a life long-enduring, his light equal with the sun and moon; that the commands of the realm be unified, and that carriages and writing pass freely through the four quarters; that he be sagely enlightened and divinely martial, and that the institutions of rites and music flourish from age to age. May warfare cease on every side and farming bring abundant harvests in every place; may blessings protect the crown prince and make him wise and long-lived; may the imperial line prosper and its foundation endure for ten thousand years. May ministers assist as they ought, and may the bulwarks of the regional commands all receive good fortune; may wind and rain come in due season through the three seasons of spring, summer, and autumn, and may the four seas long remain at peace.

Now, as incense is burned, we take refuge in the supreme virtue of the Great Sage, the True Lord, and all the holy perfected. May we, when cultivation is accomplished, long abide in heaven and unite with the Dao in perfected truth. The sky of early morning is bright and clear, and we reverently honor Heaven; morning light illumines the ceremonial ranks of the court, and sunlight shines as well upon the places of darkness.

Today a rite of cultivation is held, and we ascend the altar to practice the Dao, offering incense three times more. The assembly chants: Incense smoke rises to Lingji Palace, spreads throughout the palaces of the Nine Heavens, and transforms into a canopy of auspicious clouds, offered in worship to the perfected immortals and holy assembly of Lingji Palace. May this incense be offered to True Lord Hong’en of the Golden Palaces of the Nine Heavens, to True Lord Hong’en of the Jade Palaces of the Nine Heavens, and to the perfected immortals and holy assembly within Lingji Palace.

We entrust body, mind, and life alike to the True Lord and the holy assembly. By the merit of offering incense we dedicate it to the crown prince, the protecting domains, the chief ministers and officials, and to the people of the realm and all beings in the world. We respectfully wish that auspicious heavenly signs and sacred portents appear, so that stars of calamity at once withdraw from the place where the court stands; that fortunate verifications arise, and that stars of blessing shine upon the destined stations of all. May everyone together look up to a teaching of peace, harmony, and flourishing, and often behold a presence solemn and gentle; may the people love one another and live as one in concord, the state be settled and at peace, and the prospect clear and bright. May the teachings spread far and wide, and may the transforming influence of the Dao be greatly exalted.

Now, as incense is burned, we take refuge in the supreme virtue of the Great Sage, the True Lord, and all the holy perfected. May we, when cultivation is accomplished, forever enjoy long life and unite with the Dao in perfected truth.

Calling the directions (changfang), repentance toward the directions (chanfang), the hymn of the three openings (sanqi song), the three salutations (sanli), the renewed proclamation of ritual office (chongcheng fawei), the making of vows (fayuan), and the returning of the censer (fulu): these are the names of ritual segments within the Keyi (liturgy).

Your servant So-and-so, who holds ritual office, together with the officers and the assembly attending the altar, with hearts of sincere reverence, once again presents a memorial to the holy thrones.

Your servant has heard that the holy perfected assist the myriad immortals; their numinous excellence is profound and far-reaching, wondrously attuned to what is hidden and subtle. When a person does even a single good deed, good fortune is drawn forth, and the response follows as closely as a shadow follows form. The transformative teaching of the Dao (the Way) stands clearly revealed, and the scrutiny of the spirits is vast without bound. Where there is sympathetic resonance, there is communion; where there is prayer, there is response.

We, your servants, reverently carry out the sacred command and solemnly perform the Golden Register Zhaijiao (a purification ritual held in Daoism for seeking blessings, offering thanks, and the like), so as to make manifest and give thanks for the merit of the divinities. We reflect upon the sincerity of former days, relying upon and repaying the protection of the Great Dao’s power. May there be a brightness like the morning sun upon the Ruo tree, shining upon the ranks assembled in audience; may the fragrance of pine blossoms drift among the mats of the ritual altar. Earnestly we offer sacrifice to the gods, our hearts reverent and careful, standing in ordered ranks before the throne of the Thearch and solemnly enacting the liturgy of the immortals.

Yet the three karmas of body, speech, and mind (deed, word, and thought), together with the six dusts (the six external objects that give rise to attachment in the mind), have not yet washed clean the faults of accumulated lifetimes. Although we look up to the holy perfected of the Nine Blossoms and the Ten Extremities, we can only gaze from afar upon the radiance of the assembled sages. We ask only that the holy perfected pardon our faults and let their grace spread far and wide.

Above, we pray that the foundation of the state stand firm and that the sovereign’s blessings and longevity long endure; that every land under heaven sing in praise of an age of great peace, and that within the four seas all enjoy the tranquility of rule by Wuwei (non-action). May warfare cease and the five grains ripen in abundance, so that birds and beasts, plants and trees, and all things, whether great or small, high or low, bathe in the nurture of heaven and earth and receive the life-giving work of creative transformation. May subjects dwell in peace and delight in their callings, glad to cultivate themselves amid mountains, forests, springs, and rocks; may the people plow their fields and dig their wells, joyfully singing songs in praise of great peace.

May the teachings of Daoism flourish and be handed on, and may the scriptures (Jing) and the talismans and registers (Fulu) be widely proclaimed. Thus, above, the transformative teaching of the True Lord’s great mercy and great compassion may be shown forth; below, it may answer the sincere hearts of us, your servants, who take refuge and carry out the charge laid upon us. Respectfully we submit this memorial.

In the original text, the phrase “to look up and repay the sustaining power of the Dao” is repeated. The line “the three karmas and the six dusts, not yet…” appears defective in sense, as though words have dropped out, and has been interpreted above, according to the context, as “the three karmas and the six dusts have not yet been washed clean.”

Envoys of the Incense Officials, spirit lords of the left and right, and all the numinous officials who attend the incense: please let the place where everyone has just performed the morning court worship spontaneously bring forth golden liquid and cinnabar-and-azure blossoms of the zhi—numinous flowers and plants that symbolize auspicious omens in Daoist ritual. The hundred spirits and the host of perfected ones, the many deities and immortal perfected, gather before this incense furnace.

May our sincere hearts ascend to the heavenly court, so that family and realm may be at peace. May the immortal lads and jade maidens of the ten directions receive the incense smoke, convey upward the words I have just reported, and swiftly deliver them before the sacred presence of the True Lord of Vast Grace of the Golden Portal of the Nine Heavens and the True Lord of Vast Grace of the Jade Portal of the Nine Heavens.