《靈寶無量度人上經大法》Vol. 60

Section on Receiving Refinement in Nanchang

The Celestial Worthy said: The rite of receiving refinement for a departed soul should be performed according to the liturgical procedures of the Lingbao tradition.

First, burn incense before the sacred image. After silently presenting the petition, sit down and recite the ritual text:

I, your servant So-and-so, whose ritual office is [the officiant’s title], burn incense today and respectfully beseech the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), the High Sages; the Most High Celestial Worthy Who Relieves Suffering, the Great One; the Lords of the Three Provinces and Five Offices of the Celestial Pivot; the Celestial Master (Tianshi) of the Three Heavens, who Supports the Teaching and Assists the Primordial, the Perfected Lord of Zhengyi (Orthodox Unity), Stillness, and Response; the Great Lord of Long Life in the Upper Palace of Nanchang; the Perfected One of Jiuhua; the Perfected Ones of Refinement and Deliverance in the Southern Palace; the Supreme Emperor of Vermilion Mound in the Southern Palace; the Venerable Gods Who Open the Light; the High Perfected Ones of the Fire Office; the Immortals and Sages of the Water Palace; the Rulers of the Office of Refinement and Deliverance; the Immortal Directors, Generals, and Officials of the Yellow Register Court; the Merit Officers and Divine Soldiers; the Earth Gods; the Great Flying-Heaven Gods; the Perfected Ones of Marvelous Practice; the Youths of the Nine Lights; the Dragon-Patterned Spirits of the Eight Powers; the Divine Generals of the Fire Pool and Water Pool; the Soul-Seizing Messengers; the Chief Officials of Soul Deliverance; the Youths, Officials, and Soldiers of the Fire Office’s Merit Bureau; the Youths of the Fire Pool; the Perfected Lords of Destiny and Record; the Venerable Gods Who Prolong Life, Increase One’s Allotted Years, and Remove Calamity; the Great Gods Who Restore the Corpse, Raise the Dead, and Oversee Rebirth; the Great Gods of the Five Roads; the Great God Mingling; the Great God of Refinement and Deliverance; the Merit Officer on Duty; the Officials and Soldiers of Refinement and Deliverance; and all divine rulers.

I earnestly ask you to leave the Cinnabar Heaven for a time, riding the clouds down to the ritual realm. Let five-colored auspicious clouds arise, and let your compassionate light shine throughout the netherworld. May the spirits of the four directions bestow their grace, extending it widely to the dark realms beneath the earth. Only then can I open the gate of deliverance and rescue the wandering souls. I now pray that you grant your great compassion and mercy, and serve forever as witnesses to this rite.

Dispatch the soul-summoning talisman, recite the hidden names and tabooed characters used in the rite, then recite, “Celestial Worthy, Manifestation of the Golden Palace.” Visualize guiding the departed soul to the ritual table.

Heaven and Earth have the virtue of sheltering and bearing all things; they nurture all things without partiality. The movement of Yin-Yang determines the roots of fortune and calamity, and its responses are always in accord with people’s actions. If someone commits an unjust deed or performs an inhumane act, while alive they cannot avoid the censure of others; after death, they will likewise find it hard to escape the reckoning of the spirits.

Whether men or women, commoners or officials—whether serving a ruler, supporting one’s parents, governing others, or disciplining oneself—if people go against Heaven and Earth’s virtue in bringing forth and nurturing all things, and remain blind to the clear light by which the sun, moon, and stars shine upon the world; if they fail to serve their country with loyalty and diligence, or to fulfill their duty to care for their parents; if they are arrogant and extravagant, indulge their desires, and fail to observe respectfulness and frugality; if they flatter and fawn, seek advantage through chance, and fail to uphold the balanced and equitable way; if they are treacherous and crooked…

They are jealous and refuse to heed honest counsel. They cruelly kill others and show no kindness or forgiveness. They speak recklessly and use honeyed words to distort right and wrong. They act with favoritism and falsely accuse the good. They covet honor and generous salaries, doing little while enjoying much. They seek wealth and bribes, acquiring them by unscrupulous means and hoarding them in abundance. They neither understand where life comes from nor inquire how food and clothing are obtained. They exploit the law to steal authority, arbitrarily changing the standards in their hearts. Relying on their power, they throw their weight around and treat people unequally.

These people have never taken refuge in the Three Treasures—the Dao, the scriptures, and the masters revered in Daoism—and have no compassion for the four kinds of beings: those born from wombs, eggs, moisture, and transformation. They violate the proper way of life and death, scold their teachers and elders, bully others, and behave arrogantly and without respect. They also curse others with spells, poison and harm them, and deceive people in public. They hold scriptures in their hands yet harbor doubts; they stand before the gods yet show contempt. They eat meat and pungent foods at will, ignore the rules of purification and abstinence, and make no offerings of incense. How, then, could they claim to make offerings with pure and reverent hearts?

All these deeds are seeds of descent into hell and the causes of remaining lost and unenlightened through dust-kalpas beyond counting. People devote themselves only to managing their own lives, believing they can live forever. Yet who knows that the cycles of the Five Phases must eventually run their course? When the final limit arrives, disputes over graves and lawsuits arise, with cries of accusation and pursuit; enemies and adversaries come forward to demand redress, and calamities follow one after another. Illness takes hold: some die young, some suffer death in childbirth, and others meet sudden or untimely deaths of many kinds. The souls of the dead pass a dark, lightless night, bearing sorrow and pain alone. Time continues to flow, yet they remain under the scrutiny and punishment of the Underworld. And since no one knows when they may be reborn in a future life, they have no way to begin correcting themselves.

If they do not turn for help to the Supreme Lords of the Three Realms—the Three Pure Ones and other highest deities—and rely on the Great Emperor of the Cinnabar Heaven and the Fire Court of Zhu Ling, where the souls of the dead are refined and delivered, through the practice of alchemical deliverance, who else can understand the Dao’s virtue of cherishing life and save the lost beings trapped in extreme suffering?

Now the deceased, so-and-so, once dwelt in the mortal world as an ordinary person and could hardly avoid misdeeds in thought and action. Through deeds of body, speech, and mind, they gave rise to greed, anger, and delusion. Though they committed the transgressions described above, they may still be delivered from this day forward. All souls confined in the Three Evil Paths—hell, hungry ghosts, and animals—and imprisoned in the Nine Layers of the Underworld rely on the rites of deliverance to have their bonds released and attain liberation.

With reverence, we pray to the Compassionate Venerable Ones of the Great Luo, the Primordial Beginning and the Numinous Treasure. These deities appeared in the age of Longhan, vast and boundless, manifesting jade-like eyes of radiant splendor. They bestowed the boundless merit of the kalpas and proclaimed the exalted, immense virtue of the Great Brahma. In the Heaven of Azure Firmament, they preached the Five Scriptures so that all beings might be saved; in Zhu Ling, they revealed the Eight-Cornered Writ so that beings of every kind might be delivered. They caused the souls of the dead to undergo refinement and become immortals. Then, with the Red Writ of Numinous Radiance and the ancestral Qi of the Cinnabar Heaven, the deities commanded the Nine Luminescent Youths…

The Perfected Ones of the Refinement and Deliverance rite—the Daoist ritual for refining and rescuing departed souls—summon the spirits of the dead and refine them with flowing fire. Their grievances dissolve, their karmic defilements are cleansed, and they vanish like smoke. The departed may then step up to the Vermilion Palace, where the immortals dwell, and have their names entered in the Purple Register of immortals.

Today, in accordance with the Great Rite, we solemnly perform the rite for refining and delivering souls. With reverence we carry it out, looking upward and praying for the response of the divine Perfected.

We offer incense once more, recite “Heavenly Worthy Who Rescues from Suffering in the Ten Directions,” and hold the Talismanic Decree of the Primordial Beginning, issued by the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning.

I have heard that the Lingbao Memorial Petition can pursue and deliver departed souls. It uses the power of the Ten Directions to deliver all beings, bringing forth the hidden resonances of the Ninefold Darkness, the netherworld, and revealing the transforming presence of the Way of Nature. Spirit energy descends into the Great Void, from which the gods and spirits come into being. The myriad forms and laws all return to the Jade Palace of the Three Origins, the Daoist celestial court. The Great Sage occupies the highest place, while the Imperial Worthy proclaims the supremely subtle Way and examines the karmic conditions of all beings. The Talismanic Decree of the Primordial Beginning descends, opening the gates of the netherworld to save all beings, deliver our ancestors, and guide them up to the Vermilion Palace.

We earnestly notify the Three Officials, the gods of mountains and rivers, the spirit grottoes, and the gods of the twelve river sources: forgive the departed souls their offenses without delay. Quickly summon the myriad gods to gather for the Great Assembly at the Mysterious Capital.

Among them are the Taiyi Heavenly Worthy Who Rescues from Suffering, who rushes to those in need at the sound of their voices and responds to save them from suffering in the Eastern Pole Palace; the Lord Who Delivers Souls and Transforms Their Forms, the Great God of the Great Darkness Who Refines Corpses, and the Perfected One of Great Compassion and Wondrous Practice; and the Revered God of Wenchang, who extends life, adds years, and averts calamity, watches over the workings of Heaven, and cherishes life and protects its span. They summon the departed souls to the Mysterious Capital and perform the boundless method of delivering people. Today, the officials who register the heavens hold court before the hall. We respectfully summon the mighty Dragon Gods of the Ten Directions, the Great God Haohua, the Great God Xuanying, the Great God of Refinement and Deliverance, the Great God of Transformation, the Great God of Restored Forms, the Great God of True Essence, the Great God of the Fire Palace, the Great God of Returning Forms, the Great God of Returning Souls, and the Great God of Transcendence to New Life. May the radiance of the gods shine forth and penetrate all the heavens. May Tao Gong, the immortal minister and high chancellor of the Divine Empyrean, who holds the registers of names, bring the ledgers with him before the Emperor and deliver all beings and the souls of our ancestors.

We command the Ghost Emperors to come and hear these instructions: let the attendant officials of the Fengdu Court of Dark Caverns each bring their black registers and remove the roots of guilt from the departed souls. They must not detain them or force them back into the ranks of ghosts. We now solemnly convey the Talismanic Decree of the Primordial Beginning, praying with utmost sincerity. We respectfully submit this petition.

Recite the Taiyi Heavenly Worthy Who Rescues from Suffering, hold the talisman for delivering souls from the netherworld, and offer incense once more.

I have also heard that the Great Sage of Long Life, the Flying-Heaven Divine King, gathered the Qi of Primal Azure in Heaven at the time of the first calamity of the Red Bright era, a period in the Daoist chronology of cosmic cycles. Mountains inhaled the vapors and received the hidden resonances of Lingbao. The gloom of ghostly essences and departed souls dispersed. The numinous power of the Wondrous-Head Sacred Writ was roused, and the merit of restoring bones and raising the dead was enacted.

With the virtue of rescuing and guiding the living, the deity listens to prayers and responds to those who reach out, and also helps the dead reach rebirth in accordance with their wishes. We respectfully ask the Great Sage of Long Life, the Flying Celestial Divine King, who governs ascension and escorts departed souls, to bear the talismanic decree of the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning. May it pardon the guilty souls of the Northern Capital, the underworld in the north, and grant the deceased [name] aid in subduing demons and securing recommendation for transcendence, so that they may ascend at the appointed time. May the attendant, guard, escort, and welcoming deities make their arrangements as scheduled, so that the departed soul may undergo refinement, roam the platform of the blades of kalpas, and attain the wondrous fruit of Dongxuan. May the soul bypass hell and ascend directly to the Southern Palace, escape the Five Sufferings and Eight Calamities, and dwell in freedom and ease. May the nine generations of ancestors and seven branches of forebears also be recommended and guided, and find peace and comfort. We pray that the deities impose no restraints or obstructions, and that this petition accord with the mystic ritual regulations. I, your servant, pray earnestly and with utmost sincerity.

Recite: “Heavenly Worthy of the Fire-Refined Cinnabar Realm.”

We respectfully pray that the Flying Celestial Divine King, together with his messengers, clerks, and soldiers, remember the instructions of the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning, just as they did long ago at the assembly of the Fuli Method in the Primordial Azure Heaven. May they open the path of deliverance for the deceased [name], refining the departed soul and transforming it into an immortal, while the body in this life also receives deliverance and endures through the generations. May all sentient beings ascend the path to liberation.

Recite: “Heavenly Worthy of Red Mound, Who Grants Life.” Offer incense, then form the hand seal for summoning divine clerks with the middle fingers of both hands.

We hereby summon the Great General of the Left Guard of Cinnabar Heaven; the Messengers of the Merit Officers on Duty; the Merit Officers of the Earthly Way; the Merit Officers of the Yellow Register Court; the Cinnabar Heaven Youths; the Chief Clerk for Pursuing Souls; the Merit Officers for Gathering Souls; the Generals for Seizing Souls; the Messengers for Refining Souls; the Divine Generals of the Fire Pools and Water Marshes; the Divine Soldiers of the Human Realm; and the Divine Generals of the Office of Refinement and Deliverance. May the divine clerks on duty respectfully carry out the Dao’s command and preside over the refinement and deliverance of the departed soul. O mighty and majestic spirits, please arrange for the Yin deities of Mount Tai, the Five Roads, the City God, and the underworld to order the officials who lead souls to act swiftly and respectfully in accordance with the decree of pardon, seizing and summoning the deceased [name] to this altar so that the rites of refinement and deliverance may be performed.

Recite: “Heavenly Worthy of Refinement and Deliverance in the Southern Palace.”

Next, form the hand seals in sequence. First make the Mao seal with the left hand and say, “All merit is accomplished”; blow toward the east and snap the fingers. Then make the Chen seal and say, “Life flourishes and transforms”; blow toward the west and snap the fingers. Next make the Three Paths seal and say, “Kehan shines brightly”; blow toward the south and snap the fingers. Say, “Duli ascends”; blow toward the north and snap the fingers. Then face the departed soul and say, “Gathering souls, the Merit Officer gathers and seizes souls”; blow toward the center and snap the fingers. Once the jade taboo talismans, inscribed with the deities’ taboo names, have been burned, draw in the qi of the Ghost Gate and blow it out. Then take in the qi of the southeast and blow it toward the departed soul; lift the seal, rotate the hand seals once more, and silently recite the formula for hooking and summoning the spirits.

When transforming the talismanic formula of the Five Emperors, make this invocation: “The Azure Emperor protects the soul and guards the Three Palaces.”

This scripture describes a complete Daoist ritual practice for cultivation and salvation, integrating the harmonization of Five Phases (Wuxing) energies with the use of talismanic incantations (Fulu). The practitioner performs specific hand mudras (qiajue) coordinated with breathing techniques to guide the directional energies:

Begin with the Zhen position mudra (East), visualizing the inhalation of nine streams of azure Qi that merge with the liver's energy in the mouth. This combined breath is then exhaled toward the talisman paper while maintaining the hand seal. The Red Emperor (Chidi, Southern Fire Deity) assists in nourishing primordial Qi during this process, causing the myriad spirits to align with the practitioner's being.

Next, form the Li position mudra (South), contemplating three crimson Qi streams merging with the heart's energy. The White Emperor (Baidi, Western Metal Deity) helps stabilize the ethereal (hun) and corporeal (po) souls while dispelling yin impurities.

When executing the Dui position mudra (West), inhale seven white Qi streams to unite with the lungs' energy. The Black Emperor (Heidi, Northern Water Deity) facilitates the harmonization of blood and Qi while consolidating vital essence (Jing).

The Kan position mudra (North) draws in five ebony Qi streams to blend with kidney energy. The Yellow Emperor (Huangdi, Central Earth Deity) serves as the axial regulator, commanding all spirits to remain in their proper stations.

Conclude by forming the central mudra at the middle finger, absorbing twelve golden-yellow Qi streams that integrate with spleen energy. Upon completing this sequence, burn the "Purity of Heaven and Earth Talisman," sprinkle nectar water, and recite purification incantations to cleanse defiled energies.

The subsequent fire refinement ceremony involves repeated chanting of fire mantras while burning the "Solar Lord Talisman," directing divine generals to guide souls through the purifying flame. The "Flowing Gold Transmutation Talisman" is then incinerated with accompanying spells to facilitate the souls' rebirth. The ritual culminates in water refinement—chanting water mantras while burning the "Lunar Lord Talisman" to complete the salvation process through yin-yang harmonization.

Note: The term "visualized inhalation" (cunxi) refers to cultivation methods combining visualization with breathwork. "Hand mudras" (qiajue) denote esoteric Daoist hand seals, while "talismans" (fu) are inscribed with sacred Daoist sigils. This comprehensive ritual embodies the Daoist cultivation principles of "Five Phases mutual generation and yin-yang harmonization."

Cinnabar Yang—the harmonious Yang Qi spoken of in Daoism—shines in every direction as the primordial scene unfolds. The crimson cinnabar furnace radiates brilliant light, and the nine Qi, the nine forms of primordial energy, gather in one place.

The Qi of the Three and Five circulates the essence, while the two forms of Heaven and Earth interweave. The jade-like embryo and stone-like body are refined, casting off the old and renewing themselves.

Mysterious fluid like flowing rosy clouds pours into the body, and the water-mother—the vital essence said to dwell in water—gathers the spirit. The hun and po souls are brought into harmony, until what is within and what is without become one.

Raise the head to draw in the moon’s radiance, and sip the Sun’s vital energy with the mouth. Essence like sacred mushrooms fills body and mind, and the face takes on the splendor of a Golden Immortal.

Share the Moon’s roots and endure alongside the Sun. Ride the radiance upward, ascending to the dwelling of the Heavenly Emperor.

Next, burn twelve talismans of the Nine Yangs, followed by the talismans of the Twelve Divine Generals. After reciting the text, command the generals to lead the departed soul to a pool, where its form may be cleansed. Then recite the spell three times and the hidden words once, and burn the talismanic figures in the pool.

Now the departed soul, [name], washes away its form and substance in the clear waters of the pool and refines its body in flowing flames. All impurities are cleansed away, and the body formed from the Five Turbidities is made pure. Demons and malign forces can no longer intrude; the body shines with light. Now we respectfully invite the departed soul to come before the altar, receive the sprinkling of sweet dew, and accept every merit, completing its deliverance and attaining new life.

Recite “Heavenly Worthy Who Universally Nourishes All with the Dharma Rain.”

Next, recite the “Hymn of Former Lives”:

How sorrowful: for ages, living beings have been trapped in darkness and suffering. In the Three Paths—hell, the hungry ghosts, and the animals—they are tormented by raging fire, their throats burning as they endure hunger and thirst for ages. They long only for a rain of sweet dew to fall, like cool relief arriving amid scorching heat. May their spirits be born in the Great Luo Heaven, the highest celestial realm of Daoism, and may this life-giving dew reach all beings.

Next, recite the “Spell of Celestial Qi”:

The sky is clear and the primordial Qi pure; five-colored radiance shines high above. The Sun and Moon pour forth their light, washing and refining the body. Mysterious fluid cleanses within, while fragrant broth refines and nourishes the vital energies. Radiance flows and shines upon the Upper Clarity realm. The primordial Qi is untouched by malign influences, and the Five Organs receive numinous Qi. Karmic offenses are erased, disasters in the Three Paths disperse, and suffering in the Ninefold Underworld is relieved. Evil roots are severed, and blessings arise of themselves. Today we proclaim to all beings the great vow we have made: may all beings receive deliverance and ascend to the court where the Heavenly Emperor dwells.

Next, confer the talismans and registers, and prepare the accompanying documents.

We humbly pray that the departed soul, suddenly fallen into the long night and cut off from sunlight for ages, may now be remembered by [name], who hopes it will reach the far shore of the Dao. With utmost sincerity and grief, [name] performs this liturgy of offering and deliverance. A pure ritual space is set up on a grand scale, and every kind of wholesome practice is prepared. Errors are repented, karmic offenses expiated, the body refined, and the spirit raised to a higher realm. Now that karmic obstacles and impurities have been washed away, the numinous awareness should also become clear and awakened. From this point onward, may body and mind be delivered, entering the realm I have cultivated and realized, and taking refuge in the natural Dao.

May the wind of the true Dao bring eternal accord with the wondrous realm of emptiness. May those who uphold the precious proclamations praising the honored gods at last roam freely through the boundless expanse. Awaken to one’s original nature and wander at ease; understand the original mind and abide in purity and peace. Amid the celestial fragrance of a heaven where night never falls, flowers drift through boundless halls. The scenes of the grotto-heavens endure forever, and spring remains eternal.

Driving the carriage and horses, one arrives in the realm of Great Luo Heaven, the lofty celestial realm of Daoist teaching, to pay homage in person to the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning. Facing the Elixir Sovereign, one bows and gazes up at the splendid celestial wheel. Following the ritual of the feathered canopy, one looks up toward the Golden Towers and Jade Chambers, the palaces and halls of the immortal realm. From then on, one is forever freed from calamity and no longer undergoes the cycle of rebirth. One then bows before the altar and receives the fruits of merit.

Recite: “Celestial Worthy Who Transcends to the Immortal Realm.”

Recite the esoteric formula once, making the hand seal for “Transcendence” used in Daoist ritual, and burn the talismans and registers.

Great Method of the Supreme Scripture of Limitless Deliverance through the Numinous Treasure, Scroll Sixty.