《靈寶無量度人上經大法》Vol. 44

The Chapter on Moving the Spirit and Joining the Visions · Attending and Guarding Through Focused Visualization

First, visualize green Qi emerging from the liver and transforming into a Green Dragon positioned on the left; white Qi emerging from the lungs and transforming into a White Tiger positioned on the right; red Qi emerging from the heart and transforming into a Vermilion Bird positioned in front; black Qi emerging from the kidneys and transforming into a Black Tortoise positioned behind; and yellow Qi emerging from the spleen and transforming into a Yellow Dragon above the “Monthly General,” the direction associated with the Earthly Branch of the current month.

Next, visualize General Tang, the True Lord of Daoist Transformation of the Upper Origin, appearing in the left kidney. He wears a flying-immortal crown and a crimson ceremonial robe, and holds a five-colored tally. He sets out from the left kidney, emerges through the left ear, and stands on the left, thirty-two zhang tall. Then visualize General Ge, the True Lord Who Protects the Righteous of the Middle Origin, appearing in the right kidney. He wears a flying-immortal crown and a crimson ceremonial robe, and holds a five-colored banner. He sets out from the right kidney, emerges through the right ear, and stands on the right at the same height as the first general. Then visualize General Zhou, the True Lord Who Settles the Will of the Lower Origin, emerging from the heart through the mouth and standing in front. His crown and robes are the same as those of the first two generals. He holds a jade battle-axe in his left hand and a golden talisman in his right, and is likewise the same height. All these visions should be made clear in the mind.

Next, visualize the Celestial Sovereign of the Upper Origin, the Red Child of the Muddy Pellet; the Elixir Sovereign, the Perfected One of the Crimson Palace of the Middle Origin; and the Primordial King of the Yellow Court of the Lower Origin. They appear respectively from the upper, middle, and lower Dantian (the three places in the body where Qi is refined and spirit cultivated), and each stands behind one of the three generals.

Then visualize your own original spirit, dressed in ritual robes and wearing a crown, setting out from the heart and traveling to the Golden Portal, the abode of the immortals. Upon reaching the Upper Origin, it emerges from the Hall of Light, an imagined palace within the body. The spirit’s appearance and clothing are the same as your own. It stands behind the three generals; be sure to visualize it distinctly.

Then visualize the Great Gods and Jade Maidens of the Six Ding, the Great Gods and Jade Maidens of the Six Jia, the flying celestial officers who guard the Perfected Ones, the officers who convey messages and present memorials, the flying celestial officers on duty, the embroidered-robed Jade Youths of the Thirty-Two Heavens, the spirit youths of the Five Directions and Five Powers, the Jade Maidens who attend to affairs of the Three Heavens and Ten Heavens, the numinous officers who present memorials, the attendants listed in the memorial, and the civil and martial immortal officials recorded in the registers of the rite. Arrange them as attendants and guards according to the ritual procedure. Afterward, perform the “Ninefold Spirit Flying Steps,” a walking rite in Daoist liturgy.

Instructions for Presenting a Memorial

When presenting a memorial on matters of great importance to the state, the people, or one’s family, one must go to the gates of the Three Heavens. After the inner audience—an audience with the celestial deities in the inner vision—visualize the luminous Qi of the Five Directions and Great Spirits of the Five Directions condensing into five layers of radiance, one in each direction. Purple clouds of the Great One of the Three Heavens envelop the whole body, and their radiance descends into the Muddy Pellet Palace. Within the heart, turn it nine times to the left and nine times to the right, blending it into the Imperial Palace, the imagined sacred palace within the body. Repeat this movement up and down three times. Then … [The original text ends here unfinished.]

Visualize crimson Qi arising in the heart and rising into the sky like a long rainbow issuing from your own body. Make this visualization regularly as well.

When performing the rite, visualize yourself entering the crimson Qi as it swirls upward for several hundred li. You see the Yellow Paths of the sun and moon stretching across your way—this refers to the region where the stars move, or the celestial realm. Then cross the celestial realm and travel another thousand li to the northwest, where you glimpse purple clouds appearing in the distance. You arrive beneath the Three Heavenly Gates and submit a visiting tablet, a written petition requesting an audience, to the Three Yuan Generals, divine officers who convey memorials and petitions in the heavens.

The Three Generals carry the visiting tablet through the heavenly gate. After a long while, they come out with word that the heavens have issued an edict granting you an audience. You then travel with the Three Generals, the Three-One Perfected Deities, and your own Cinnabar Origin Spirit, a primordial spirit in the practice of internal alchemy, to the Gate of the Eight Golden Towers. This realm is subtle and indistinct, taking shape as you visualize it. After entering the heavenly gate, proceed east to the Left Bureau of Taiyi Xuansheng and pay your respects to the Sovereign Taiyi Xuansheng, explaining in detail your audience and the presentation of your memorial. Then perform nine prostrations, present the memorial—a document submitted to the heavens—and state the matter you are reporting.

Next, turn west and enter the Golden Gate of Taihao to pay your respects to the Three Masters and the Celestial Master, reporting the matter you have presented. Then proceed directly to the gate of the Palace of the Great Clarity and Supreme Ultimate. There you see the Three Generals, the Three-One Perfected Deities, and your own primordial spirit standing. After a while, someone leads you into the True Palace; once you leave its gate, you are led into the Precious Hall of the Great Clarity’s tiered tower.

In the hall is a jade table, attended by the Golden-Lighted Youth and the Jade Maiden Qingyao Chengyi, among others. If the Perfected Lord Taiyi has not yet returned to his seat of government, hand him the written memorial and place it on the jade table, then wait for his command.

If Taiyi has returned to his seat of government, you will see the tiered jade hall, its precious dais and golden curtains, and the Supreme Emperor of the Great Clarity descending to take his seat. You stand below the hall and present your memorial. After the Perfected Lord Taiyi receives it, he adds the Supreme Emperor of the Great Clarity’s imperial seal to the document, then writes the heavenly seal script and cloud script, along with the edict. When this is done, the memorial is delivered to the Heavenly Secretariat or Heavenly Bureau, the offices that administer documents in the heavens. You descend from the hall, perform nine prostrations below it, then return to the Golden Tower of Taihao. There you pay your respects to the revered deities of the Dao and De, earnestly praying for the matter you have presented. Then you leave the Gate of the Golden Towers with the Three Generals and the Three-One Perfected Ones, and return to the place where you presented the memorial.

If the Supreme One has not yet returned to his seat of government, perform the audience here according to the ritual described above. When it is complete, return to beneath the Celestial Storehouse Canopy, gather your spirit, and wait for the matter to come to pass.

The Procedures for Submitting Memorials

A “memorial” is a document used to pass through the gates of the Nine Heavens, reach the steps before the Supreme One, and free a person from calamity and peril.

To rescue and deliver departed souls, no method is more important or effective than submitting memorials. If Taoist priests and nuns who cultivate the Dao with wholehearted devotion can avoid being distracted by worldly affairs and recite the scriptures continually without interruption, their memorials can be conveyed upward. They can provide relief in times of distress and enable departed souls in the netherworld to be delivered.

The Most High (a Taoist honorific for the highest divinity) will then issue an edict. The various offices will relay it in turn to the gates of the netherworld and notify the officials in charge: the souls’ names are to be entered in the registers of the living and removed from the registers of the dead, thereby extending their lives. Their allotted years may also be increased, souls confined in the netherworld may be pardoned, and documents recording their offenses may be burned, allowing them to be reborn in a favorable realm.

Ordinary Zhaijiao (purification rituals involving an altar, offerings to the gods, scripture recitation, and prayer), as well as requests for blessings, the averting of calamities, and atonement, are conveyed only as far as the celestial gate of the star realm. General Zhou and the officials on duty sort the matters by category and report them upward. If a ritual master or libationer (a Taoist officeholder) lacks virtue, or if a memorial contains errors or its polluted Qi offends the celestial realm, the document is returned to the relevant City God office for safekeeping. Memorials submitted by anyone who is not a libationer or ritual master, or who lacks virtue, are often blocked by officials in the lower realms with baleful Qi. Evil spirits may also intercept them along the way, preventing them from being conveyed any farther.

When libationers and ritual masters act to heal the people and carry out Heaven’s transformation on its behalf, their memorials are received in the middle realm by General Zhou and the officials on duty, then sent to the Celestial Pivot Court. There they are sorted with memorials and petitions from the various kingdoms and reported upward. Documents containing errors or omissions are also sent to the City God office. If there are additional precepts and regulations that are not followed, penalties are imposed in accordance with the laws of Heaven.

When memorials are submitted on behalf of emperors or rulers to pray for longevity, avert the calamities of war, seek heirs, dispel major disasters, or deliver and rescue all beings, Generals Zhou and Ge convey them to the gates of the Three Heavens. General Tang and the officials on duty deliver them directly to the Celestial Secretariat, where they are immediately copied and presented; a reply can then be expected soon.

If a practitioner can manifest the Yang spirit and travel beyond the body, carrying the memorial in person to the gates of the Three Heavens, appearing before the Golden Palace, respectfully presenting the request, and personally receiving the instructions, they are not bound by the transmission procedures described above.

In cultivating the Great Lingbao Method, there are attendant Jade Maidens of the Three Heavens and Ten Heavens, spirit officials who present memorials, merit officers who mobilize the spirit and assemble the Dao, senior officials who guard the Real, immortal clerks who convey messages and present petitions, Golden Dragons, courier dragons and riders, Dragon and Tiger merit officers, Jade Youths in five-colored embroidered robes, and Jade Maidens of the Six Jia who fly with spiritual power. These divine officials are responsible for conveying the memorials. If a memorial contains errors or does not conform to the required format, the Celestial Minister will correct and copy it in person among the Heavenly Ministers beneath the gates of the Three Heavens, then present it upward. If the memorial conforms to the required format, …

Once a memorial is submitted, it is conveyed upward at once. This is because the practitioner has obtained a talismanic covenant recognized by the Three Heavens—the upper, middle, and lower heavens spoken of in Daoism—and so it naturally encounters no obstruction.

Whenever performing ritual services or composing memorials and petitions, one must silently recite the Three Heavens’ hidden taboo formula on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month and on New Year’s Eve each year. In the scripture, the formula is written as “Hong [two characters omitted].” It must be recited one hundred thousand times within a single day and night to receive Qi bestowed by the Three Heavens and bring the talismanic covenant into accord. Before submitting a memorial, first recite the formula silently several hundred times. While grinding ink, reciting the brush incantation, and laying out the paper, breathe upon them with the Qi of the Three Heavens. Recite the formula dozens of times while writing the imperial title. After rolling up the memorial, fumigating it with incense, and dispatching the officiating spirits, and again when placing the memorial in its case, recite the formula dozens of times and breathe upon it. In this way, the memorial will ascend at once without delay.

When writing a memorial, choose clean paper and never place it on a sleeping mat or bedding. Each sheet should be one chi and five cun long, with no more than twelve lines. The twelve lines correspond to the twelve months and twelve double-hours; in a leap month, increase this to thirteen lines. Each line should contain eighteen characters. The memorial’s layout should reach upward to the Nine Heavens and correspond below to the Nine Earths.

When writing, do not place the character “chen” (“your subject”) or the petitioner’s name at the head of a line, and do not separate “chen” from the name. The names of gods and spirits must not begin a line either. When writing “kowtow twice,” do not begin a new line. A memorial must not be presented with lines broken arbitrarily. Words such as “Tai Sui” and “the petitioner’s surname” must be written three characters lower than the rest, as prescribed. When writing “kowtow twice,” omit “the petitioner’s surname,” leave three lines blank, and write it on the fourth line. When writing “Dao Qi,” likewise omit “the petitioner’s surname,” leave three lines blank, and write it on the fourth line. “Dao Qi” should stand higher than the other lines, with eight fen of blank space above it and enough room beneath for ants to pass. Write either one “Qi” or three “Qi” characters; the characters must not exceed three cun in height. At the end of the memorial, the character “jin” (“submit”) must follow the same format as “Dao Qi”: omit “Tai Sui,” leave three lines blank, and write it on the fourth line. If the paper runs out after “Tai Sui,” do not write “jin.” Even if one line remains, do not write “jin”; another sheet may be attached instead. This is because after “Tai Sui,” the Three Masters must write their honorific titles before the memorial can be presented.

The relationships involved in the matter requested in a memorial should follow the proper order of human relations: a subject for the ruler, a son for the father, a wife for the husband, a younger brother for the elder brother, a grandson for the grandfather, and a guest for the host. Requests made in this proper order are more likely to find a path through. If instead a father requests something for a son, a ruler for a subject, a husband for a wife, a grandfather for a grandson, or a host for a guest, then although the request accords with affection, propriety, and ritual, and is made with great sincerity, the memorial may still ascend, but whether the matter succeeds will largely depend on what is being requested. Such cases therefore call for particular care and close examination.

When preparing a memorial, first write the libationer’s self-recommendation—the libationer being the ritual master who presides over Daoist ceremonies. In it, humbly state that one’s sins are grave and one’s virtue insufficient, and that one is unworthy of the office. Then write the petition submitted by the person concerned.

When drafting a petition to Heaven, first explain the reason for the matter, then state the offense and ask forgiveness. Next, ask for Heaven’s grace to pardon and deliver those who suffer. After that, make the request to the celestial officials. The wording must be concise. Do not conceal faults, deceive the gods, or make false claims. Written according to these rules, a petition can reach the celestial realm and receive a response more quickly. Without them, it is like a stone sinking to the bottom of the sea: it will bring no divine response, but may instead incur blame. What blessing could come from that?

The common people are ignorant and do not understand these principles. If a libation master—a Daoist responsible for rites such as sacrifices and purification rituals—is greedy for profit and seeks only to gain a reputation by presenting petitions, both parties are at fault. They must be careful. The offices of the Three Heavens are filled with divine beings such as the Great Demon Kings of Jade Purity. They communicate with the Celestial Emperor and jointly administer these matters. For example, the Great Demon King of Great Mystery serves much like a vice chancellor; the numinous demon records merit; the “non-demon” records faults; the “comparing demon” weighs merit against fault; and the “commanding demon” issues edicts on behalf of the Celestial Emperor. Their offices resemble those of the Hanlin Academy in the human world. Even the slightest difference in merit or fault is never overlooked. Without moral cultivation, how could anyone see these matters clearly?

Truly suitable people are rare in this world. Many libation masters simply copy old texts, following them without regard for whether they conform to the proper rules. For example, an old petition formula says, “May your grace come from the Most High.” But if the petition is addressed to officials of Great Clarity, and it names the “Golden Palace of the Three Heavens, Great Clarity, and the Grotto of the Spirits,” then it is being submitted in the Heaven of Great Clarity, not directly to the “Most High.” The “Golden Palace of the Most High” refers to the Golden Palace of Luminous Tranquility in Great Clarity, so only in this context is it appropriate to say, “May your grace come from the Most High.” Again, a petition should say, “Your subject, [name].” Some libation masters now omit “Your subject” and write only the name, which also violates the proper rules. There are many other errors in ritual practice and format. Who could judge such matters without understanding the true Dao?

The libation master, Perfected Li, who remained in the human world, once presented petitions on behalf of the families of the two Perfected Ones, Yang and Xu. He was therefore considered a gifted libation master, and later became an official in charge of a Grotto Heaven. He has since been promoted to an even higher divine office. How, then, could someone who has committed faults attain such a state? Later students may consult the petition texts he left behind as exemplary models. They may also refer to the Rituals of the Twelve Hundred Officials or to the methods for inviting officials found in the Celestial Masters’ Jing, the Daoist centers for cultivation and ritual practice. Following these sources will bring their petitions closer to the rules of the celestial realm.

According to ritual, when presenting a petition, one should kneel and offer incense, oil, firewood, rice, tokens of sincerity, and ceremonial robes to the celestial officials. People may prepare these according to their means, whether rich or poor, but none should be entirely omitted. If a vow has been made, it must be fulfilled once the matter comes to pass; do not delay or abandon it. In an urgent matter, one may give thanks by means of an oral petition. But if the original request was made in writing, thanks should be offered in a written petition.

When checking memorials, there must be no mistakes. Otherwise, the Celestial Administration will retrieve the case files for verification; if no record can be found, severe and urgent punishment will follow.

When presenting memorials and submitting the “Coughing Ghost Memorial,” kneel and offer ten sheets of blue paper. This will ensure the matter is accomplished, for the Celestial Officials honor the color blue. This is only a brief account; the secret and detailed points are recorded elsewhere.

Secret Instructions for Examination and Verification

Whoever wishes to cultivate this Dao must first enter meditative stillness, quieting and focusing the mind and spirit. Outwardly, settle awareness of the Six Dusts—form, sound, smell, taste, touch, and mental objects: the things encountered by the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind. Inwardly, settle the Ten Evils, that is, the three karmic actions of body, speech, and mind: a person’s conduct, words, and thoughts. Whenever you notice desire arising from the Six Dusts or the three karmic actions, gather it in through true awareness, and harmonize Jing, Qi, and Shen so that they return together to the Dantian (energy center). In this way, the Yin Qi brought about by the three karmic actions and the Six Dusts can be transformed into pure Yang Qi, nourishing a firm and vigorous body and mind and making one a person in accord with the Dao of Heaven. Only after reaching this stage may one enter the realm of spirits.

During still meditation, if divine light like the sun appears, or five-colored purple Qi or red auspicious Qi descends and pours into the Niwan (the cultivation site within the crown of the head), the heart, or the body, this is the true Qi of the Great Dao entering the body. It is called “penetrating life.” Penetrating life is also called “attaining the Dao”; though it is called attainment, in truth there is nothing to grasp as something attained.

During examination and verification, this state can enable one to connect with true spirits and summon them, witness visions, and receive signs of confirmation. Recite the “Secret Mantra of the Five Phases’ True Qi for Benefiting the Origin and Connecting with Spirits” ten thousand times each morning and evening. Then true spirits will reveal wondrous visions, perhaps through hearing or sight, or by appearing through objects or implements. The mantra reads:

Kui, Gui, Si, Xing, Bi, Fu, Piao—send the message swiftly
Chi ▲ Cui ▲ ▲ ▲—send the message swiftly
Red apricot, black ink, grind true sock-wax spirit treasure—send it swiftly
Xing Sheng, Du Li, Gong Du, Qie Jiao, Han Ming—send it swiftly
▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ Kun Gui—send it swiftly
▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲—send it swiftly
Dou, Lu, Li, Wei, Deng, Cui—send it swiftly

(The “▲” marks in the mantra indicate characters missing from the original or impossible to decipher.)

Recite each item ten thousand times so that the true spirits descend and appear. When connecting with the true and conducting the examination and verification, prostrate yourself and respond. First regulate the breath at the nostrils until it is steady and calm, then silently offer this prayer: “May the Jade Maidens who serve the Ten Heavens, the numinous officials who present memorials, the flying-heaven guards and true-attending high officials, the immortal clerks who convey messages and present petitions, and the Divine Lords of the Four Watches of Wind, Cloud, Qi, and Rain, the Jade-Text Merit Officers, bring the burned memorial text and present it on my behalf.” Envision the assembled spirits arriving with the burned memorial text; envision the Jade Maidens, numinous officials, and Merit Officers appearing clearly, and yourself entering between the eyebrows together with them…

Visualize yourself within your heart as having arrived at the Palace of the Hidden Chamber. There you see the Central Yellow Elder Lord of the Primordial Beginning, the Teaching Lord of Great Purity, a revered deity honored in Daoism. He sits amid golden towers and jade halls, in a yellow chamber adorned with cloud brocade. He wears an embroidered yellow brocade robe fastened with a belt of intertwined purple jade. Precious radiance, transformed by Great Purity, shines from his whole body. He sits upright on a seven-colored lotus, with the jade table of Great Purity, carved with dragons and tigers, before him. One hundred and twenty Great Purity spirit officials, dressed in vermilion robes and wearing dark caps, stand in orderly rows on either side, holding jade axes. One hundred and twenty Great Purity jade attendants, their hair arranged in double buns, wear five-colored cloud-brocade robes, sashes, and flowing skirts. They stand in attendance beside the Teaching Lord.

Perform the nine prostrations before the Yellow Elder Lord and state the purpose of the memorial you are presenting. The spirit officials and jade attendants carry it before the Teaching Lord. His sacred countenance is gracious, and he grants the request. The spirit officials and jade attendants present the divine brush of the purple phoenix of Great Purity. With gold ink, the Teaching Lord writes the two characters “Approved.” The spirit officials submit the memorial to the immortal officials, who then take it away. Perform another nine prostrations in gratitude, pray for the corresponding response to be sent down, and then wait quietly before the altar table, listening and observing the manifestations of the sacred realm.

When the vision ends, focus your mind and settle into stillness, silently reciting the three hidden names: Yin, Hui, Fang, Zhong, Biao, De, and Qiu, which the scripture prescribes for visualization and silent recitation. Pay close attention to the subtle sights that appear and carefully discern the response they reveal. If your practice is not yet fully developed, silently rehearse the audience and memorial at dawn and dusk. During a Zhaijiao purification ritual, after the silent audience, burn the memorial and place its ashes in a clean vessel of water. Recite the incantation:

“Heaven is clear and Earth is still; Yin-Yang and the Five Phases, the transformations of the Great Dao, all methods made manifest. This minister now submits a memorial, conveying it to the divine court. The Three Venerables issue their decree; the response and its manifestation are made clear. From within the ashes, the sacred words take shape.”

Stir the water thoroughly and wait for it to clear. Then retrieve from the ashes any scraps of writing that have not burned completely, along with two or three characters that remain in the ashes, unconsumed and damaged. These serve as evidence of the response.

Secret Method for Reaching the True and Conveying One’s Words

When holding a Daoist ritual banquet, large or small, the senior ritual master who serves the sacred perfected ones writes a private prayer according to the matter at hand, hoping that the request will reach the deities from afar. The wording should be earnest: first set out the request, then explain the reasons for any wrongdoing, next offer an apology, and finally pray for the removal of misfortune, protection, and blessings. The text should be concise and direct, without the tedious wording of secular documents. The scripture says that once a memorial has reached its destination, the request will receive a response. The ritual host’s private prayer should also be brought into the purified sanctuary and presented.

After submitting the memorial to the Three Treasures—the teachers and sacred treasures revered in Daoism—visualize yourself accompanying the teachers before the Three Venerables. Burn incense in the censer and bow. Then invite the sacred beings according to the ritual liturgy. At the mid-point of the offering, watch closely for unusual fragrance, or for the manifestation of true Qi, sacred spiritual energy, in the incense, tea, or wine. If you confirm that the deities have arrived, step forward at once and present the memorial.

When submitting a petition, one should beseech the deities to respond. If no response comes after the petition, one should send the spirit flying upward through visualization to pay an audience, then present the memorial.

When seeking a response, one must not remain in utter stillness with no sign of efficacy. But neither should one rashly make divinations and pronounce good or ill fortune, lest one speak wrongly of sin and merit, causing mistakes and errors. Then gather in the spirit, pray silently, click the teeth three times, and recite inwardly:

“Lay bare my heart and present the memorial; send it to the Three Heavens, the Daoist upper realms. May all that is prayed for come to pass, and all that is requested be granted as spoken. May sins be erased, my name removed from the Black Register of sins and entered in the Azure Register of good deeds and immortal names. May illness be cured and demons dispersed. May the celestial officials descend and grant lasting longevity. May immortal boys and jade maidens carry my petition upward to the Mysterious Capital.”

After reciting, click the teeth thirty-six times and swallow the saliva in the mouth five times. Face the Gate of Heaven, burn the memorial in a fierce flame, and pray:

“Supreme True Dao, open the gate of forgiveness and deliver all beings. My petition of heartfelt wishes has reached the Three Realms, the Daoist triple heavens; please transmit it swiftly to the celestial court. Let my immortal name be relayed from post to post, and may all that I seek be fulfilled.”

Then silently recite the honorific titles of the Three Venerables nine times each, followed by the title of the Celestial Worthy associated with the matter being petitioned. If praying for the state, also recite the title of the Holy Ancestral Celestial Worthy nine times. Afterward, go to the lower part of the ritual altar to restore the incense burner, ending the rites performed at the altar. Make nine prostrations and pray:

“At dawn I face the Celestial Spirit Terrace; at night I lodge in the Nine Heavens. Through successive Zhaijiao rites, I submit petitions to the celestial court. May every kind of misfortune and disaster be dispelled.”

There is no need to adhere strictly to the number of prostrations; stop when the bows are complete. Then gather in the spirit, and recite the incantation for leaving the house as you go out.

Lingbao Flying Spirit to the Golden Palace: Talismans and Incantations for Dividing the Spirit to Govern One’s Station

The Lingbao Great Rites describes methods of dividing the spirit and sending it flying: ascending to pay homage at the Golden Palace, the residence of the Daoist Celestial Emperor; descending to travel through grotto-heavens and sacred mountains; or going to the place where one holds an official post. Broadly speaking, the highest method is to refine Qi into spirit; the middle method is to cultivate the mind’s intent through repeated practice until it becomes pure and adept; the lowest method is to travel spiritually through visualization. Talismans and incantations assist the spirit and Qi.

Supreme Mystery Capital: Taiping Flying Spirit Talisman

Incantation:

“Supreme Taiping Mysterious Origin Emperor Lord, preserve my life and protect my vital essence; command the gathering in of the Three Souls, the three souls of a human being. Let the spirit talisman guard my hun and po souls, so that the divine beings appear at once and lead me to pay homage at the Gate of Heaven. Let me enter the Mysterious Gate, ascend in person to the Jade Court, and behold the True Ones of the Emperor. May my comings and goings be clear and distinct, and may I respectfully submit my sincere petition. By command of the Jade Emperor, let it be carried out at once.”

Following the Jade Emperor’s hand-seal method, write this talisman in cinnabar on white paper. After reciting the incantation, blow onto it toward the northwest, then swallow the talisman paper, or burn it to ash and mix the ash with water to drink. Twenty-four talismans must be completed before one can summon the True Ones and communicate with the spirits.

Talisman for Dividing the Spirit and Visiting One’s Post to Transform into a True Spirit

The function of this talisman is explained in detail in Ninefold Spirit’s Flying Steps. Following the Jade Purity hand-seal method, write it in cinnabar. Only after consuming twenty-four talismans may one submit a memorial. The incantation is as follows:

I am the son of the Most High (Taishang, an honorific title for the supreme deity in Daoism) and the grandson of the Primordial Emperor. My profound powers are unsurpassed, and my wondrous understanding reaches the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing, the three supreme deities revered in Daoism).

I command the Lords of the Five Zang organs, the myriad gods and spirits, the Qi of the Nine Numinous Powers, and the essence of the Three Heavens: all are to respond. The power of the Profound and Dark (a deep and wondrous divine power) reaches everywhere and answers all phenomena; all beings respond with sincere hearts. The divine talisman of the Most High transforms and dispatches the spirits, ascending to the lofty heavens. Suddenly they descend, their bells ringing through the air. In darkness and vast depth, in clarity and purity, they travel to and from the Golden Palace, entering and leaving the numinous mushrooms of the immortals’ realm. With all haste, in accordance with the statutes: obey this command and carry it out.

Great Method of the Supreme Scripture of Limitless Salvation through the Numinous Treasure, juan 44