《洪恩灵济真君集福晚朝仪》

The ritual proceeds according to the prescribed ceremonial regulations.

The ritual masters taking part in the liturgy quiet their minds and practice contemplative visualization in accordance with the ritual rubric.

Please recite the divine incantation:

Divine light shines bright and radiant, and auspicious Qi (vital energy) circles and swirls about. The Ji and Dou lunar mansions (names of constellations) gleam clear and pure, and the immortal realm is at peace. O Jade-Eyed Golden Perfected (an honorific for divine perfected beings), the precious altar is pure and clean. Turn the dark night into daylight, and turn the hours back to before the zi and wu double-hours. Mount Taihua streams with flowing radiance and overflowing color; the cinnabar phoenix soars through the mysterious void. Bring demonic obstructions to rest, dispel treachery and wickedness, and go forth treading upon auspicious clouds and mist. The true gods of the celestial realm gather from every quarter and come together before the Imperial Lord.

Strike the ritual drum twenty-four times (beating the drum twenty-four times according to the rite).

Most High Lord Lao of the Mysterious Origin and the Five Numina, please summon forth from within this minister’s body the Three-Five Merit Officers (divine clerks who transmit documents), the messengers of the offices of the left and right, the Golden Lads who attend the incense, the Jade Maidens who convey words, the incense officials on duty this day, the merit-officer envoys, and the orthodox deities of the Three Qi. Let them swiftly submit the memorial on high, and call upon and invite the five great marshals Bian, Wei, Zhao, and Diao, the two marshals Yue and Xu, the celestial stalwarts and strongmen, and the divine officials of the left and right. May all these gods ascend the altar and attend to the affairs of tonight’s court rite.

We ministers reverently carry out the sacred command. The matters to be reported have been recorded and submitted in memorial. May orthodox, true, and life-generating Qi (primordial energy that is pure, upright, and full of vitality) descend and flow into our bodies, so that the words we report this night may be swiftly conveyed before the sacred presence of the Vast-Grace True Lord of the Golden Portal of the Nine Heavens and the Vast-Grace True Lord of the Jade Portal of the Nine Heavens.

Please announce the ritual offices.

I, Minister So-and-so, holder of ritual office, together with the officials and all those assembled at the altar, sincerely address on high:

The Vast-Grace True Lord of the Golden Portal of the Nine Heavens, Great Immortal who Illuminates the Dao (the Way) and Attains De (Virtue/Power), Manifest in Numinous Power and Broad in Salvation, of Qingwei and Dongxuan (Pure Tenuity and the Cavern of Mystery), Empty and Wondrously Responsive, Compassionate and Beneficent, Protecting the State and Sheltering the People;

The Vast-Grace True Lord of the Jade Portal of the Nine Heavens, Superior Immortal who Proclaims Transformation and Upholds the Teaching, Brightly Numinous and Wide in Salvation, Lofty and Brilliant, Vastly Serene, Profound and Responsive in Humaneness and Grace, Assisting the State and Aiding the People;

The Holy Father, Prince of Qi, True Lord of Loyal Valor and Resplendent Brightness;

The Holy Mother, Immortal Consort of Benevolent Longevity and Virtuous Goodness;

The Holy Consort, Lady of the State of Jing, Immortal Consort of Compliant Aid, Humane Grace, and Chaste Responsiveness;

The Lady of the State of Wei, Immortal Consort of Skillful Aid, Kind Exemplarity, and Reverent Stillness.

We respectfully invite the holy elder brothers Tang Yu, 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 Preserves the Great, the Marquis of Manifest Trust, the Marquis Who Preserves Trust, the Marquis Who Preserves Peace, and the Duke of Wuning; the holy nephews, the Marquis of Manifest Virtue, the Marquis of Anding, and the Marquis of Taining; the holy grandsons, the Marquis of Wuchang and the Marquis of Nanchang; and all the dukes and marquises among the holy sons, holy grandsons, and holy nephews, to descend.

We respectfully invite the Immortal Consort of Bright Solemnity, queen of Tang Yu; the Immortal Consort of Benevolence and Compassion, queen of the Prince of Hong; the Immortal Consort of Gentle Virtue, queen of the Prince of E; and the Immortal Consort of Auspicious Goodness, queen of the Prince of Guangling; the holy daughters, the Immortal Lady of Profound Virtue and the Immortal Lady of Luminous Virtue; and the Ladies of Good Virtue, of Benevolence and Gentleness, of Kindness and Compliance, of Radiant Virtue, of Compliance and Reverence, of Wisdom and Discernment, of Reverent Virtue, of Tranquil Virtue, Zhaomu, and of Compassion and Filial Piety, together with all the holy wives and ladies, to descend.

We respectfully invite the officers and generals serving in the Court of the Celestial Mechanism, the Department of Thunder, the Bureau of Celestial Patterns, and the various offices of the underworld, all belonging to the Shangqing Dadong Register (a high-ranking Daoist Fulu, that is, talismans and registers). We respectfully invite the generals who expel the deviant and seize malign influences, transmit talismans and carry out ritual methods, dissolve calamity and relieve adversity, drive out the baleful and the deviant, oversee the altar and protect the rite, and patrol, inspect, and apprehend evil. We respectfully invite the Venerable Spirit (Shen) of Taisui, the Grand Year; the generals of the twelve months; the stellar officers of one’s natal fate and original chronogram; and the immortal hosts of the bureaus of wind, thunder, and rain.

We respectfully invite the Counselors-in-Chief of the Left and the Right, the Grand Steward and the Junior Steward, the ministers of the Six Boards and the dukes and ministers of the Inner Treasury, and the Senior Stewards of the Left and the Right who preside over the recording of births, the recording of lifespans, the Office of Emolument, and the Office of Blessing, together with the attendants, the secretaries of communication, the officials, dukes, and ministers of all the hundred offices, and the immortal hosts of fortune and emolument on the left and the right. We respectfully invite the officers, clerks, and those charged with duty in the twenty-four offices of the Bureaus of Fortune and Emolument of the Left and the Right, and the immortal officials of the Left and the Right who usher others in.

We respectfully invite the inner attendants, the Lady of Successful Compliance, the Lady of Luminous Splendor, the Lady of Beautiful Countenance, the Lady of Cultivated Countenance, the Lady of Cultivated Deportment, and the Lady of Luminous Deportment, together with the ladies who oversee palace affairs, women’s handwork, the weaving of silk and hemp, storehouses, accounts and registers, and the receipt and disbursement of goods and wealth. We respectfully invite the women officials—the female scribes of the women’s bureau, the female invocators, the female attendants, and the rest—and the ladies of the holy household who attend the inner halls and manage ceremonial affairs.

We respectfully invite, in Yanxi Hall, those charged with childbirth: the Divine Queen Who Records Births for the Celestial Administration, and the Divine Queen Taiyi Who Supervises Birth; the Lady Senior Minister of the Offices of Emolument and of the Command of Fate; the ladies who guard the fetus and the birthing room; the Lady Who Protects the Fetus and Safeguards Life; the Ladies of Compassionate Instruction on the Left and the Right; the Lady Guardian and Tutor; the Ladies Who Keep the Registers on the Left and the Right; and the Lady Who Holds the Seal. We also respectfully invite the ladies in the various palaces who nurse, carry and present, and nurture infants, together with the spirit Tuosheng Huapo (the deity who presides over entering the womb and being born).

We respectfully invite Marshal Cha, Regent of Yong’an; Marshal Bian, Regent of Wu’an; Marshal Wei, Military Commissioner and Supervisor of the Left Gate; Marshal Zhao, Commander-in-Chief of the Armies and Supervisor of the Right Gate; and Marshal Diao, Army Supervisor and Vanguard; together with the elite soldiers and fierce generals serving under these five marshals, the two marshals Yue and Xu of the Left and the Right, and the attendant guards and accompanying officials of the traveling palace.

We respectfully invite the departmental officers of the Office of Emolument, the Office of Merit, the Office of Servicemen, and the Office of Documents; the officials of the Office of Agriculture, the Office of Crops, the Keepers of Silk, and the Keepers of Kudzu Fiber, who preside over farming, sericulture, and weaving; and the officials of the Office of Markets, the Keepers of Goods, the Office for Examining Craft, and the Keepers of Prepared Materials, who preside over markets, wealth and goods, and the affairs of artisans. We also invite the kitchen officers, the officers of performers, and the officers of musicians; the spirits of Celestial, Divine, and Human Auspicious Response; those charged with turtle-shell divination, drawing lots, cup divination, and phoenix-planchette writing; the lads who transmit dreams; the section officers of the divine bureau; the messengers who attend the hall, attend the talismans, and serve as incense officials; and all the mighty spirits belonging to the Earth God of Lingji Palace.

We humbly beseech all you holy divinities to extend together your vast grace, to descend and look upon the altar, and to examine and bear witness with clear insight.

I have heard that activity gives rise to Yang Qi (vital energy), while stillness gives rise to Yin Qi; the subtle mystery of the Dao (the Way) lies hidden in profound depth within the Taiji (Supreme Ultimate). Ritual finds expression in reverence, and De (Virtue/Power) finds expression in abundant fullness. The Keyi (liturgy) of fasting and purification records the various rites in careful detail. The ceaseless vitality with which Heaven and Earth move and operate fully manifests the virtue of cherishing life.

Dragon patterns and phoenix seal script (sacred writing used in Daoist ritual) gather the radiance of the stars and of the sun and moon. The immortals, riding in swiftly coursing carriages, seem to descend from the clouds into the human world. We solemnly set the court rites in order, reverently come into audience, and with sincere hearts perform the Jiao rite (a ritual of setting up an altar to pray to the deities), setting forth our heartfelt wishes. The radiance of grace seems to descend upon the deities’ throne, and a rich fragrance drifts through the halls at evening. The deities, majestic and clearly manifest, survey and examine all things, and none of the offerings presented is left out.

We ever hold a heart of earnest upward longing and keep firm an original mind as bright and pure as at the first. The hundred numina and the host of perfected beings assemble together, and the deities of the ten directions and the three realms descend as one. Through fasting and purification we pay ritual homage to Heaven, as if personally beholding the majestic countenances of the deities close before our eyes. As dusk falls and night comes on, we joyfully see divine light rising and shining upon the four directions.

Crimson-purple rays and red clouds and mists rise and stream abroad; auspicious stars and felicitous clouds shine in brilliant splendor. Those taking part in the rite advance with measured steps and solemn bearing, reverent and grave. May the deities examine the sincerity offered in this Zhaijiao (purification ritual)—the Daoist rite of erecting an altar for sacrifice—and bestow many fine blessings.

This evening the evening-court rite is held, and at the altar ground we ascend the altar to perform the Dao (the Way). The ritual assembly present is invited to pinch incense together and offer it up. All pray aloud in one voice: may the fragrance reach Lingji Palace, spread throughout the Golden Towers of the Nine Heavens (the golden palaces of heaven), and turn into a splendid canopy, offered in worship to the Hong’en Zhenjun who manifest numinous power and bring universal succor (honored deities of Daoism).

May this wisp of incense smoke be offered to the Hong’en Zhenjun of the Golden Towers of the Nine Heavens and the Hong’en Zhenjun of the Jade Towers of the Nine Heavens. With body, mind, nature, and life as one, we take refuge in the perfected immortals and host of sages of Lingji Palace. By the merit of pinching incense, we reverently pray to the two Hong’en Zhenjun: that the Great Dao be made luminously clear, that De (Virtue/Power) be fully realized, that relief be widely bestowed, and that efficacious wonders be displayed; that they shine within the turning of the heavenly Dao, illuminating like the stars and the Dipper; and that in the Thunder Ministry (the department in the Daoist pantheon that governs thunder) they manifest their majestic power and set Yin-Yang in order.

The radiance of the two True Lords reflects one upon the other, joined like flower and calyx; their divine music answers in harmony, as the xun and the chi (two ancient musical instruments) sound in turn. Their divine merits can scarcely be told in full, and the transforming reach of their holy De has no bound. Now, as we burn incense, we take refuge in the De of the True Lords, the great sages, and the many supremely perfected holy ones. May we, after cultivating the Dao and attaining the Dao, long preserve our true nature and become one with the Dao.

I have heard that incense smoke curls through the air, while the evening clouds gather into a blue-green hue. In my heart I have always cherished a sincere wish to pay court homage, and even at dusk I dare not grow slack. Tonight we hold the evening court ritual, ascend the ritual altar to practice the Way (Dao), and burn these two sticks of incense.

The incense smoke drifts to Lingji Palace (the temple dedicated to the True Lords of Vast Mercy), rises throughout the Jade Palaces of the Nine Heavens (the jade palaces of Heaven), and turns into a precious canopy, offered in worship to the True Lords of Manifest Spirit, Broad Deliverance, and Vast Mercy (the Lingji True Lords venerated in Daoism). May this incense be offered to the True Lord of Vast Mercy of the Golden Palaces of the Nine Heavens, the True Lord of Vast Mercy of the Jade Palaces of the Nine Heavens, and the perfected immortals and holy assembly of Lingji Palace. We turn body and mind toward the True Lords of Vast Mercy, and likewise take refuge, with body, Shen (spirit), and nature and life together, in the perfected immortals and host of saints of Lingji Palace.

May the merit of burning this incense be offered upward in blessing upon His Majesty the Emperor: may His Majesty’s De (Virtue/Power) accord with Heaven and Earth, and his sagely brilliance be like the sun and moon; may the fortune of the state endure long and stand firm, and may food and drink within the palace be peaceful and abundant. May wind and rain come in their season, the people be safe and well, and produce be plentiful; may the hundred officials be loyal and careful, and officers of every rank be upright and incorrupt; may the borders be pacified, warfare cease, and weapons be laid aside; may the villages receive the teaching of virtuous government, and the people till diligently and return to farming. May government be clear and enlightened, following what is natural and refraining from willful action; may all under Heaven be at peace, and the prospect calm and settled.

Therefore we burn incense and take refuge in the supreme De of the True Lords and of the great saints and multitude of the perfected; may we, after attaining the Dao, long abide in Heaven. May we unite with the Great Dao and become perfected.

I have heard that Heaven is bright and manifest, and after the sun has set, people rest. A fragrant breeze spreads through the hall, and the moon of wisdom hangs high in mid-heaven. This passage likewise takes as its vow the burning of incense and refuge in the supreme De of the True Lords and the great saints and multitude of the perfected, praying that, after attaining the Dao, one may long abide in Heaven and unite with the Great Dao to become perfected.

This servant has heard that the workings of Heaven and Earth follow a clear and manifest order: when the sun sets, the myriad things come to rest. A fragrant breeze fills the whole hall, and the bright moon of wisdom hangs high in the sky. Tonight the evening court rite is held. We ascend the altar to practice the Dao (the Way), and we invite the ritual masters and the faithful here present to offer these three sticks of incense in due order.

All chant with one voice: May the fragrance reach Lingji Palace, spread through the palace towers of the Nine Heavens, and turn into a canopy of cloud, offered to the perfected immortals and holy assembly of Lingji Palace. May this trail of incense smoke be offered to the Hong’en True Lord of the Golden Palace of the Nine Heavens, the Hong’en True Lord of the Jade Palace of the Nine Heavens, and the perfected immortals and holy assembly of Lingji Palace.

We, your servants, take refuge in body, in Shen (spirit), and in life before the perfected immortals and holy host of Lingji Palace, and we dedicate the merit of burning incense to the heir apparent and the princes who shield the realm, to the chief ministers and officials, to the common people of the empire, and to every living being in the world. We humbly pray that the good hearts of all may be mild and free as a day in spring, and that the afflictions born of eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind—the six dusts—may scatter like clouds; that the causes and conditions and the ingrained habits that hinder cultivation may be removed, and that the vows and disciplined practice of cultivation may increase. May the sun, moon, and stars, together with the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water), shine with auspicious light and illumine the four quarters; may all within the palace and the hundred officials be transformed by auspicious Qi (vital energy) and dwell in harmony and concord. May the sovereign’s person be safe and well, and the imperial descendants flourish.

Therefore, in burning incense this day, from this moment we take refuge in the True Lords and in the supremely true De (Virtue/Power) of the great holy assembly. May we, after attaining the Dao, forever preserve life and enjoy longevity without aging.

All chant with one voice: May we unite with the Dao and return to the True.

Intone the directions.

Repentance.

The Hymn of the Three Invocations, invoking and chanting the hymn in three stages.

The Three Salutations, performing the rite of three bows.

Proclaim the ritual office once more, announcing the ritual master’s title and identity.

So-and-so, invested with office, together with the officers and the assembly at the altar, with hearts of utmost sincerity and reverence, once more invokes the Hong’en True Lord of the Golden Palace of the Nine Heavens and the Hong’en True Lord of the Jade Palace of the Nine Heavens: may we unite with the Dao and return to the True.

Intone the directions.

Repentance.

The Hymn of the Three Invocations.

The Three Salutations.

Proclaim the ritual office once more.

We who submit this memorial under our names, together with the officials attending the altar and all those present, with reverent and earnest hearts jointly address our petition to the Hong’en True Lord of the Golden Portal of the Nine Heavens, the Hong’en True Lord of the Jade Portal of the Nine Heavens, the host of perfected immortals and holy ones of Lingji Palace, and the sacred images venerated upon the altar of the Zhaijiao (purification ritual), together with every awe-inspiring spirit.

I have heard that the Dao (the Way) is supreme and without equal, and that De (Virtue/Power) is most precious. Subtle, deep, and wondrous, it accords with the realm beyond words. The Dao is vast and able to transform and nourish; the sage is divinely mysterious and beyond fathoming. Response comes as swiftly as an echo, and yet, in the hidden depths, there is also a silent communion. Heaven has nine layers, remote and closely secluded; day after day we pray with devout sincerity. Our hearts are reverent and undivided, and we firmly trust that the divinities dwell on high in Heaven and are present everywhere.

We reverently carry out the court’s edict, carefully observe the regulations of the Mysterious Gate, and perform the morning and evening court rites of cultivation. Upon the Zhaijiao altar are arrayed offerings such as pine flowers and water plants, to manifest the purity and clarity of the fast, while mind and spirit (Shen) hasten toward the Great Void. We look up to the crimson standards and jasper carriages of the immortals, faint and elusive, and gaze upon the successive heights of Heaven. We revere the Pure Capital above and earnestly pray for the protection of the Lingji True Lords.

Reflecting that the many desires and afflictions of the dusty world may cloud body and mind, we grow still more trembling and cautious. Savoring the profound mystery of the scriptural teachings (Jing) of the Three Caverns (Dongzhen, Dongxuan, and Dongshen), we have long depended on the divinities’ shelter and support. We earnestly beg the divinities to raise us up and come to our aid, so that nothing in our prayers is left omitted.

We pray that the sacred longevity of the True Lords may endure as long as Heaven, and that the emperor’s sagely brilliance may shine abroad like the light of the sun; that distant lands of the four quarters may come bearing jade and silk to give allegiance, and that warfare along the frontiers may be stilled forever. May blessings descend upon the heir apparent, granting him health, peace, and good fortune; may grace spread through the vassal domains that shield the realm, so that every quarter may share in purity and peace. May the ministers who assist in counsel grow ever more loyal and worthy, and may the people all live amid benevolence, virtue, and long life. If the palace is tranquil and the transforming way of the Dao is widely proclaimed, the vast compassionate teaching of the True Lords will be made manifest, and the sincere hearts with which we entrust our lives and offer prayer will be answered. We respectfully submit these prayers for hearing.

The Twelve Vows

Preserving the Spirit and Burning Incense

Envoys of the Incense Office, divine lords of the left and right, and all the numinous officers who attend the incense: we ask that you cause the place where I have just performed the evening court rite spontaneously to bring forth the essences of golden liquor, of cinnabar and azure, and of the zhi plants, and cause the hundred spirits and the host of perfected ones to assemble before this incense burner. May my sincere heart ascend clearly on high, and may the Zhaijiao rite be brought to full completion. May the immortal lads and jade maidens of the ten directions receive and attend the fragrant vapor of the orchid incense, convey the words I have just petitioned, and swiftly deliver them into the sacred presence of the Hong’en True Lord of the Golden Portal of the Nine Heavens and the Hong’en True Lord of the Jade Portal of the Nine Heavens.

Hymn for Leaving the Hall

Going Out the Door

The Evening Court Ritual for Gathering Blessings of the Perfected Lords of Vast Grace and Numinous Aid (Hong’en Lingji Zhenjun) is a Keyi (liturgy) for evening worship of the Perfected Lords of Vast Grace and Numinous Aid and for praying for blessings and protection—the ritual document followed when Daoists perform rites of worship and sacrifice.