《靈寶無量度人上經大法》Vol. 48

This incense stick, its essence deep and unfathomable and its body that of emptiness, cannot be swayed by winds from the eight directions, nor turned by the pull of ten thousand hands. Today I lift this incense and offer it upon the established altar, first praying for the Emperor:

May the Emperor endure as long as Heaven before its creation, and flourish like the rising sun. May he long serve as the Dharma King who propagates the Great Dao, and forever remain the sovereign of an age of great peace.

This incense is offered to the Chief Minister of the present court, the assembled Dukes and Ministers, and the officials holding key posts in this dynasty who are distinguished in both virtue and talent. May they, through the same De (Virtue/Power), move Heaven, so that their foundations stand firm and endure, as steadfast as the Six Ao (legendary giant sea turtles said to carry the earth on their backs). May officials adorned with jade and gold all rise to high office, and may those who cling to wise rulers and worthy ministers each ascend step by step.

This incense is offered to all the worthy scholars and believers present. May their Daoist nature (daoxing) become deeply still and clear, so that they instantly understand and dissolve all afflictions. Though the roots of their karmic transgressions weigh heavy as mountains, may they forever be freed from boundless entanglement. May everyone condense a jade bone and return to the true realm, and may each be inscribed in the Golden Register (jinshu), the golden book that records the names of perfected immortals. May the ancestors of the departed clans all form good affinities, and may every sentient living being transcend the mundane Dharma realm.

Next, I ascend the seat and read the prayer text:

The numinous wind of primordial Origin stirs the scriptural chapters within the void, and the boundless Fire of Salvation refines the pure Yang Qi. It opens the three luminaries of sun, moon, and stars, universally nourishing and transforming the spirits, so that all things return to undifferentiated transformation. The Five Wen (the mysterious patterns of Daoist talismans or scriptures) contain profound principles and pass through nine cycles of transformation; sometimes appearing, sometimes hidden, embracing Yin and cradling Yang, seemingly present and yet absent. They can make the foundation deep-rooted and the vital channels securely bound; dwelling in true stillness, they answer whenever questioned, and once one comprehends the mysterious principle, they respond upon attaining resonance.

Moreover, souls that arise and transform of themselves sink into clods of earth, while souls that attain unity with the Dao grow light and rise upward. Therefore, the esoteric essentials of the thirty-six scriptural methods are proclaimed, and the root of numinous true nature is honored above all; the thousand two hundred official registers are bestowed to rescue the drifting and sinking multitudes. White bones in the wilderness, meeting the talisman that grants long life, see their withered bodies revive; and when the wondrous method of the Purple Qi crossing the pass and the true scriptures are practiced, even the boiling cauldron of hot broth will cease to seethe.

The Dao pervades every direction, and its teaching reaches everywhere, giving birth to all things, each differing from the others. If we forcibly call it "Great," then not even Heaven, Earth, and the four quarters can confine it; if we call it "Dao," then each person bears the allotment it bestows. Beyond the primordial origin, no Dharma can be established; extended to all sentient beings, its mysteries are beyond words.

The Dao transmitted the abbreviated texts of the three kinds of Daoist fulu (talismans and registers) to the sovereign, and also established the regulations of the Nine-Altar Keyi (liturgy) for scholars and common people, so that both the living and the dead receive blessing, and it has been jointly observed from ancient times to the present. Only, the paths of the Yin and Yang realms are cut off from one another, and life and death...

Opening Invocation

The souls of the dead in the dark netherworld are a source of grief, their suffering boundless and impossible to describe fully. Therefore, relying on Taishang (the Most High, a revered Daoist deity), who bestows the Talisman Register for Returning the Soul (fanhun zhi lu, a talismanic register that brings release to the dead), Xuandu (the Dark Capital, a Daoist celestial realm) establishes the rite for delivering the dead. Fasting and petitionary prayer deserve reverence, and only through faith in the sacred sound of the Dao can one achieve spiritual communion.

Thus, we cleanse our thoughts, uphold the precepts, dispel evil intent, and maintain sincerity. We substitute a lock of black hair for the ritual of cutting one's hair, and use gold and silver treasures as tokens of our vow. We write earnest petitions, bow our heads, and kneel to pray to Heaven. Having been instructed by Heaven through the way of humility and diligence, we can scarcely contain the gratitude in our hearts. Moreover, we have withdrawn to the mountain forests, resolved to dwell amid mist and cloud. We have studied the secret scriptures and registers in the mystic altar, yet we often feel ashamed that we cannot lift our spirits to ascend to the vast celestial halls. Now we must diligently cultivate ourselves and together wash away the dust of the world.

If my mind is free of distracting thoughts, my heart will be as broad as the Great Void (taixu). If I am settled and thereby gain wisdom, the light of that wisdom will not be obstructed. When we proclaim the profound Dharma and chant the Kong Ge (Hymn of Emptiness), our voices, clear as jade, will resound throughout the ten directions, and the pure breath of the Brahma-conduct will fill the farthest reaches of the eight quarters. The Golden Dragon soars, the Divine Tiger runs; the Jade Tablet is issued, and mountains and rivers reverently listen. The talismanic decree is proclaimed, and Fengdu (the underworld of Daoist belief) obeys its command. We cast torches that circle for ten thousand li, as if smelting in a great furnace; we shake the flowing bells until their sound shakes the eight directions and shatters the solid barrier of the cold, dark netherworld. Thus, when the brilliant essence of sun and moon is drawn in, it can illuminate the gloomy underworld; when the upright qi of heaven and earth gathers and stirs, the spirits can be delivered. Above, we rely on the Way of the Heavenly Honored One (Tianzun); below, we depend on the woodsman-ministers, the Daoist priests who take part in the rite. With all the assembly united in one mind, we together open the sacred altar.

Opening Petition

I, a disciple of the Yellow Register Grand Retreat (Huanglu Dazhai, a ritual for blessing and delivering the dead), bow my head and bow again, and sincerely lift my heart to reach Heaven's ear. We reflect that we were born into the dust of the mundane world, long occupied with worldly splendor, sinking and drifting in the sea of suffering and the burden of karma. Fortunately, our past lives still held some roots of goodness, and our hearts have long admired stillness and emptiness. Though we are as deaf and blind, we honor the Great Dao and wish to gradually enter its profound mystery, and to deliver both the living and the dead. Now we intend to begin with ourselves and wash away the faults of the past.

Moreover, from before today until now, across the nine regions, there have been loyal officials and righteous men who gave their lives for the nation, and filial sons and dutiful grandsons who died to protect their families. Some have wandered to foreign lands, where hunger and cold scattered their souls and spirits. Some have had their bodies left exposed in strange places, cut down before their time. Some were slain by fierce enemies, thereby repaying the debts of past lives. Others met the calamities of war, thereby concluding the karmic bonds of earlier existences. There are also chaste and steadfast women and upright gentlemen of sincere heart who, having angered others for a moment, died beneath the sword. Or there are infants with weak constitutions and the aged and infirm, who, through irregular living and improper diet……

Some people die far from home on the road, their bodies left in the wild. Others take their own lives through self-harm, drowning, or fire. Some are lost at sea in storms, and others perish in wind and rain. Some are poisoned by mistake and their souls go down to the netherworld. Some are seized and devoured by fierce beasts, and some fall from dangerous heights or are executed for breaking the law. Others are struck by wind sickness or qi disorders, and when their allotted years run out, their lives come to an end. They wander in bewildered suffering, lamenting how far their homeland lies. Dwelling in the dark underworld, they do not know in what year they will be reborn.

Without the power of the Dao and its methods, how could these wandering souls be delivered and raised to higher realms? I have heard that the Huanglu Dazhai (Yellow Register Great Offering), a Daoist purification rite performed to deliver the souls of the dead, has inconceivable merit, and that the Dongxuan Jiao (Dongxuan Offering Rite), a refining ritual conducted according to the scriptures of the Dongxuan division, has boundless spiritual power. It can rescue the countless suffering souls sunk in the hidden springs and save the myriad souls who have endured suffering for kalpas. The Jinlu (Golden Register) can pardon past faults, and the Baijian (White Tablet) can free the souls of the dead so that they enter a realm of carefree joy. Those who take part in such a rite are spared the Five Sufferings, and how much more so when one devoutly and single-mindedly sets up the rite.

I have heard that a certain master has widely propagated the teachings, vigorously clarified the correct Way, expounded the principle of stillness and wuwei (non-action), and delivered both the living and the dead of the human world. His achievements are outstanding and the multitude esteems him. His virtue is profound and his Dao is lofty, and all people revere him. We humbly beg the master to show compassion and pity, and graciously consent to temporarily attend this assembly, preside over the rite, take command of the whole altar, and serve as Gaogong (the officiating master of the offering), governing the altar and widely proclaiming the teachings of mengzhen (covenant with the perfected). May the merit extend to the netherworld and the human world alike, and may its grace reach both the dead and the living. This is not the merit of your disciples; it is entirely the result of the master's teaching and transformation through the Dao. Your disciples bow again.

The Master's Reply:

I am merely an ordinary scholar from a poor family, a humble man of the countryside. Although I have learned the methods of the Dao from an enlightened master, I still cannot liberate myself. I have heard that what is profound within naturally brings about what is profound without, and that when the true Dao is within, the true realm without will appear accordingly. Yet my learning is shallow, I am still an ordinary person, and I am still burdened by worldly entanglements. My mind does not truly have the foundation of the profound, so how could I propagate the great Dao outwardly?

I had originally intended to retreat to a mountain cave, set aside cleverness, conceal my edge, take in the Three Dawns' Blossom (the pure vital essence of heaven and earth at daybreak), refine the Nine Perfected Fluid (the spiritual elixir fluid described in Daoist cultivation), and nourish the immortal embryo within, so that both body and spirit might attain a profound state. Only then could I rescue beings, deliver the dead, and spread the teachings and the Dao. Since you have sincerely invited me, how could I dare not report this on your behalf? I am only unable to bear this office, so I ask that you seek another enlightened master.

Renewed Entreaty:

We once again state our sincere hearts and respectfully ask the master to consider this with clear discernment. I have heard that the Celestial Master of the Zhengyi (Orthodox Unity) school once obtained a cinnabar scripture at Jingshan (Jing Mountain) but did not practice it immediately, fearing that he could not accomplish cultivation while living in the human world. Later he gradually cultivated himself in the Three Realms of Heaven…… The Perfected Lord Miaoji received the Jade Register at……

Proceed straight to the Western Chu region, receive and transform all beings, and rescue them, so that every member of a household may be lifted up to become an immortal. This is what is meant by first accumulating external merit (gongde) and then cultivating inner skill (gongfu), so that outward good deeds and inner practice support one another, and a sincere heart pierces through to the sun and moon. In this way one can guide the multitudes to roam the Dongtian (cavern-heavens, the immortals' realms), cultivate oneself through dinghui (meditative concentration and wisdom), and summon wind and clouds among the celestial palaces. Since antiquity, no lofty Perfected (gao zhen) has failed to do so.

We earnestly petition a certain Master to emulate the miraculous traces of the immortals of former ages and become a bridge for aiding the world and saving people. Following the enterprise left by the ancient immortals, may you build a stairway and a sea-route for rescuing and delivering all beings. We beseech you to open a special gate of expediency and keep open forever the path for saving both the living and the dead, so that the hundreds of millions of suffering souls may regain their vitality. The beings of heaven and earth will all repay this with gratitude. Moreover, the ritual altar has already been prepared; we ask that you descend at once. We beg you, in your compassion, to grant this expedient aid, so that both the living and the dead may receive the blessing of peace, and both may be lifted up and transformed by your instruction. We are overwhelmed with awe and endless gratitude.

The Master answered again:

I have heard that the Mengzhen Great Canon and the Yuhui Xuanzhang were both proclaimed by the Heavenly Venerable of Jade Clarity and transmitted by the Supreme Lord Dao. They expound the thirty-six divisions of the venerable scriptures, fully recorded within a million volumes of sacred texts, to protect the state and to deliver beings in the netherworld and the human world. The celestial venerables revere these scriptures, and the immortal perfected uphold the golden talismans and jade tablets within them, to rescue the myriad sins of beings everywhere. Through the Three Refuges and Nine Precepts, they liberate those bound by enmity over countless kalpas. The divine lamps that break open the hells and illuminate the underworld radiate the light of compassion, and the true scriptures and sacred names are spoken by honored deities in their own voices to relieve beings drowning in the sea of suffering.

The Three Returns and Nine Refinings, and the ten recitations and chantings, are not ordinary ceremonies of the mundane world; they are the forbidden texts of Xuandu (the celestial capital of the Daoist heavens). A thousand perfected each attend to their office, and ten thousand sacred perfected descend and bend low. Should there be the slightest violation of ritual decorum, one will surely suffer the punishments of Fengdu (the Daoist netherworld prefecture). I am of mediocre talent and shallow understanding, and I have little knowledge of the rules of the keyi (liturgy). I wish to carry them out to the best of my ability, yet I fear harming the merit and bringing down blame. Could I abandon the dead, and yet not dare to take up this task? Therefore, I earnestly ask the wise Master to instruct me.

The disciple requests a third time:

We do not fear the offense of presumption, and once more we state our sincere feelings. Having received your instruction, we have now come to understand each point. The ritual altar is ready, and the solemn dignity of the rite is set in order. The deities of the Three Realms are waiting, and the lonely souls in the long night of the netherworld have waited for a very long time. We look up to your compassion and earnestly ask you to descend to this assembly and open the gate for delivering the souls of the dead.

If, through any private selfishness, we fail to see the work through to the end, beginning diligently but later growing slack, mocking, slandering, or idly debating, confusing the true and the false, violating the liturgy, treating the Great Dao with contempt, or showing disrespect to our teacher, then we are willing to bear the suffering of the blade's edge upon our bodies and to remain without release through ten thousand kalpas of endless night. We beg you to grant your assent...

The Master Grants the Request a Third Time

The Master instructed: "That you have petitioned me again and again shows how fully you have given your sincerity. You would not refuse, and you fear that the ritual might be delayed before it is completed. Now I exert myself to sustain it, and I will carry it out with single-minded devotion. May each of you attain what you hope for, and may you all share in this extraordinary grace.

"May the merit of opening this altar be offered to the Seven Ancestral Temple Deities, so that their spirits may roam the Vast Desert (the boundless expanse of space), cultivate their true nature in the Azure Heaven (the celestial realm), follow the Jade Emperor, and nourish their original authenticity in the Realm of Bright Mist. Next, may the dust and turmoil of the Nine Regions be swept away and the smoke of war on the frontiers be quelled in the four directions. May the winds and rains come in their proper seasons, nourish the crops, and bring an abundant autumn harvest. May disease cease to spread and locust and insect plagues be wholly eliminated. May all the dead ascend to the realm of the Dao, and may all beings of the Four Births and Six Paths (a Buddhist-Daoist term referring to the kinds of living beings and the destinies of their rebirth) obtain wondrous peace and joy.

"Now the ritual forms are complete and the hour for opening the altar has arrived. Do not defer any longer. Each of you, take care of yourselves."

The Disciples Give Thanks to the Master

We have received the Master's consent to our petition, and our gratitude is boundless. We respectfully thank you. All of us bow twice and ask the Master to ascend the altar.

Ascending the Altar and Opening the Rite

"To give birth to Heaven and Earth, to set the sun and moon in motion, and to nourish the myriad things is the function of the Dao. To promulgate its laws, establish its teachings, and transmit its precepts and talismans (fulu), so as to aid the living and deliver the dead, is the compassion of the Dao. The Yellow Register and the White Tablet (documents used in Daoist zhaijiao purification rituals to save the dead) can rescue the dead in the netherworld and universally deliver the wandering spirits. This is the partial pardon bestowed by Yuqing (the Jade Clarity, the celestial realm of the Daoist high deities).

"To manifest the function of the Dao, to put its compassion into practice, and to pray that Yuqing will grant a partial pardon, the key lies in human sincerity. Sincerity can move Heaven and Earth and respond to ghosts and spirits. Whether near or far, deep or remote, it will be answered as an echo answers in a valley. Without a person of true sincerity devoted to the Dao, even good intentions will struggle to reach the divine.

"Now, at the invitation of a certain person who has established this altar, I respectfully summon the true spirits, deliver the souls of the dead, and send them upward to the ranks of the immortals. I follow the liturgical (keyi) teachings and prepare all the rites. With the vermilion memorial I summon the souls of the dead. With orchid-infused water I cleanse their defilement. With brilliant lamps I return light to the darkness. With precious banners I guide the spirits onward. With numinous talismans I rescue them from the Nine Dark Realms and provide for the beings of the Six Paths. First I take refuge in the Three Treasures (the Dao, the Scriptures, and the Master), and then I proclaim the Nine Perfected Precepts. I lead the wandering souls back to the Southern Palace and erase their dark names from the registers of the Northern Capital (the netherworld bureaucracy). I apply the great medicine to rescue those who have sunk, raise the great torch to illuminate the darkness, and spread the great cloud of Dharma to shelter all beings.

"Such merit cannot be fully described. As for one like me, who has been entrusted by others to serve this jade altar, how could I dare not keep this in my mind at all times, and not beseech Taishang (the Most High) for compassion? What I hope for is that the exalted perfected will descend and grant their assent, so that the dead may..."

Petition Memorial Rite

May the deceased ascend in the Courtyard of Nine Refinements (Jiulian zhi Ting, the sacred site where Daoist rites refine and deliver the souls of the dead), be transformed in appearance, and have their grievances dissolved in the Palace of the Three Officials (Sanguan zhi Fu, the seat of the Officials of Heaven, Earth, and Water). May all who gather rely on these compassionate vows and together roam the homeland of Dao (the Way) and De (Virtue/Power), and may they pray that in days to come they will again share an altar and proclaim the scriptures and teachings together.

Incense Petition Rite

This single stick of incense rises to pierce the Three Realms (the three heavenly levels in Daoist cosmology) and descends to penetrate the Nine Netherworlds (the depths of the underworld). Though it passes through great calamities, it will surely reach its destination, and it always responds in accordance with the movement of the Heavenly Dao. Now the incense is burned in the censer and offered on behalf of the deceased, [name]. We earnestly request that faults and entanglements be removed from them, that they be kept far from the roots that bind them to the mortal world, and that they be lifted at once beyond the realm of youlou (the state still bound by affliction and the cycle of birth and death), reaching directly the shore of wuwei (non-action).

True Suchness is pure and still at its source, and originally it has no dharma-marks at all. Once deluded thoughts scatter, countless entanglements arise one after another. Awakening allows one to transcend the constraints of cosmic change, while confusion sinks one into the mire of error. How much more so for the deceased, whose spirit is restless and drifting, and who has not yet understood the way of returning to their original nature. Therefore the Great Dao pities the suffering of living beings, establishes a covenant, and bestows the rites of deliverance. In a single thought one may ascend. This response is subtle and difficult to perceive, yet it reaches the lofty heavens, for Heaven and Earth are empty and tranquil, and not a single trace of such a response is ever lost.

We earnestly beseech Heaven to look down upon us and bestow its grace, so that the deceased may receive the blessing of having their spirit transferred and elevated. We carry out these rites according to the prescribed procedures, and though we humbly hold a post within the Mysterious Gate, how could we, having received this petition, dare to neglect it and not transcribe the memorial? Now the hundred spirits are at their posts, the energies of the four directions are clear, and we have already composed ourselves and are prepared to submit the memorial. Yet our understanding is shallow, and we fear we may not be able to answer this entreaty. We still hope that fellow practitioners will join us in accomplishing this work and in manifesting its profound responsiveness.

Admonitions Before Deliverance and Petition for a Reply Upon Ascending the Seat

The Daoist priest bows three times, kneels, and speaks:

We have heard that the Great Dao proclaims a teaching of compassion, and that living beings thereby receive the grace of deliverance. Now, in accordance with the Golden Statutes (jinke, the ritual principles of Daoism), we respectfully conduct this pure offering rite. Since the true immortals are present above to witness it, and the talismans have already been arranged, we wish that blessings may extend to the Three Paths (the realms of suffering: hell, the hungry ghosts, and animals), and that merit may surpass the Nine Nights (the realm of the netherworld). We earnestly request that the rite of deliverance be performed to rescue the drowning souls of the dead.

Reply:

The precious registers and spiritual talismans revealed by the Jade Words and Golden Instructions are the means by which the souls of the Nine Nights and the Three Paths are delivered, refined, and purified. These rites should be entrusted to accomplished priests and must not be transmitted to those unsuited to receive them. Look upon me, a shallow and ordinary person. How could I dare to take sole responsibility for a petition of such great weight?

Kneeling again, the priest speaks:

We respectfully beseech the Three Realms to descend and bear witness, and we offer our wholehearted reverence. If the talismans can be arranged upon the altar, the souls of the dead may attain the form of perfected immortals, and this truly depends on the aid of the spirit-presence. Since you have graciously declined, we do not dare to presume to request again. Yet we still hope that you will consider the will of Heaven, accord with the wishes of the assembly, and take pity on the drowning souls of the Nine Nights. This is truly the compassionate grace of the Daoist master. Having already exhausted our sincerity, we now hope that the procession of the immortals will descend soon.

Reply: The original text does not record a reply at this point.

I have heard that to carry out transformation on behalf of the Dao (Tiandao, the Celestial Dao), to benefit all things, and to rescue the people of the world, one must truly possess a profound attainment in the Way and a noble character.

Therefore, the wish to console the people is, in my case, merely a shallow and humble act, and I am unable to fulfill it.

Bowing once more, he said:

I have considered that I have repeatedly submitted memorials to the Three Realms (sanjie, the realms of the heavens, the mortal world, and the netherworld as described in Daoist teaching), petitioning on behalf of the living. I have also set up altars in the four directions, arranged the offerings and seats, observed fasting with a sincere heart, and earnestly looked up toward Heaven. Now my heart is troubled and grieved, and I can only wait upon the decree of Heaven. I beseech the Supreme Master of Merit (gaogong), the Grand Ritual Master who presides over the purification rite (zhaijiao) and performs the Dao methods, to moisten the lower realms with words as abundant as a spring, to embrace the remote wilderness with a broad heart, and to descend swiftly to proclaim the numinous scriptures and widely rescue the Three Paths and the Five Sufferings (the netherworld destinations where beings undergo suffering and the many hardships of existence). May you extend the compassion of deliverance, so that the lingering corporeal soul (po) and the ethereal soul (hun) in the netherworld may truly rely upon your grace to be liberated and ascend. I pray earnestly, with the deepest sincerity of feeling.

He replied:

Your repeated pleas have made your sincerity fully clear to me. Since the True Spirit (zhenling) has already condescended to descend, how could I dare not report it upward? In duty, I cannot refuse. In accordance with ritual, the liturgy should be presented: the talismans and registers (fulu) are to be adorned and placed within a precious scroll, and the rite of refinement and deliverance is to be performed for the deceased souls at the Vermilion Hall (Zhuling, the place of refinement in Daoist belief). The congregation goes before, and those willing to follow go behind.

The True Master then chanted the Dao:

In the time of the Longhan era, the ferry for universal salvation was opened. Through countless kalpas, heavenly beings and all living things have been delivered. The garden of the Numinous Treasure is thrown wide open, receiving beings and bringing them across the wheel of birth and death. This is the Way of compassion, able to restore life to what has withered and decayed. Were it not for my master in this lifetime, who else could penetrate the netherworld?

Great Method of the Upper Scripture of the Limitless Salvation of Mankind of the Lingbao (Numinous Treasure) Canon, Fascicle Forty-Eight