《靈寶無量度人上經大法》Vol. 64

The Immortal Huang Chuping said: The Nine-Refinement Method of Generating a Corpse (Jiulian Shengshi Fa) is the most profound of all Daoist arts (Daoshu).

Every person receives life originally from emptiness and non-being (xuwu). Each birth is also bound up with past causes and conditions (yinyuan) and with the circumstances of the present life. The human body takes its pattern from Heaven and Earth, embraces sun and moon, and undergoes the transformations of Yin-Yang, while the spirit-consciousness (shenshi) moves back and forth among the myriad things. The Qi of the Triple Burner (Sanjiao) lies hidden and gathers, the Nine Heavens turn in the dark obscurity, and the body is thus harmonized from the Qi of the Nine Heavens that generates spirit.

In the first month of pregnancy, the true Qi of the Yudan Wuliang Heaven descends and the embryo forms its enveloping membrane. In the second month, the true Qi of the Shangshang Chanshan Wuliangshou Heaven descends and the embryo becomes established. In the third month, the true Qi of the Fanjian Xuyan Heaven descends and the hun and po souls begin to take shape. In the fourth month, the true Qi of the Jiran Doushu Heaven descends and the po gradually forms. In the fifth month, the true Qi of the Boluonimi Bujiaole Heaven descends and the five viscera come into being. In the sixth month, the true Qi of the Dongxuan Huayingsheng Heaven descends and the six bowels are transformed and completed. In the seventh month, the true Qi of the Linghua Fanfu Heaven descends and the body's orifices open clearly. In the eighth month, the true Qi of the Gaoxu Qingming Heaven descends and the physical form joins with the vital spirit. In the ninth month, the true Qi of the Wuxiang Wujie Wuai Heaven descends and the numinous spirits return to the fetus.

At this point, the body contains eighteen thousand spirits, which join inside and outside, and a further thirty-six thousand spirits take part in forming the body together with them. The sacred Qi of the Golden Tower, the Jade Chamber, and the Purple Gate, together with the Numinous Spread, encircles the body inside and out and responds to itself. The Three Primes (Sanyuan) nourish the Nine Qi, which condense into form and circulate ceaselessly, day and night. The Yellow Spirit (Huangshen) bestows the human form, and so while a person is in the womb, he or she knows the affairs of past lives. After birth, however, the influence of turbid and impure Qi from food and drink causes this knowledge to be forgotten of its own accord.

Whatever receives life depends on the Nine Qi. If one now gathers and combines the Qi of the Nine Heavens and scatters it into the eight directions, the dead bones can be brought back to life, decayed matter can regain its vitality, and karmic offenses can be dissolved. When the Qi of the Nine Heavens is mingled, the spirits are complete, the spirit-consciousness becomes clear, and the soul can rise beyond the Three Heavens. This practice takes its pattern from Heaven and Earth, embraces Yin and holds Yang, and causes the vital spirit-Qi to be generated and dispersed. It must be repeated and transformed in accordance with the corresponding formulas, until finally one ascends into the realm of formlessness.

When performing the Nine-Refinement Method of Generating a Corpse, nine altars must be set up. Each altar is nine chi high and eighty-one cun wide. Altars of nine cun high and five cun wide may also be used, to symbolize the Nine Heavens. At the center of the altar…

Make banners from yellow silk, nine cun wide and thirty-six cun high, and write on each one a talisman of the qi of the present heaven (benTian qi fu). Separately, use orpiment (cihuang) and realgar (xionghuang) to inscribe the titles of the Lord of the Nine Heavens (Jiutian Dijun) on a tablet.

Each altar receives a blue-paper Nine Refinement Talisman (Jiulian Fu), placed on the altar. Nine lamps are set out, making eighty-one in all across the nine altars. Each altar also holds a bottle of sacred water, sealed with yellow paper. The Ritual Master (Fashi), the officiant of the liturgy, stands within the altar holding the banner. He calls the souls, paces the seven stars of the Dipper, and chants incantations. Using the banner, he summons the deceased's spirits and guides them down to the altar.

Next, incense is offered, and the officiant bows again to the Lord of the Nine Heavens. Tea and wine are presented, and the Nine Refinement Memorial (Jiulian Biao) is read aloud. The documents are burned, and the Black Altar Divine Tiger (Xuantan Shenhu) is informed. The jade tablets (yuzha), talismanic dispatches (fuxi), and other documents are also burned.

Entering the Refinement Through Practice (Xingchi Ru Lian)

First, the darkness is dispelled with light. The Nine Heavens Life-Generating Lamps, called Jiuzhi, are lit. After the talismans are burned, the Ritual Master paces the Dipper and performs the Steps of the Big Dipper (bugang), transforming his body and form. He visualizes himself becoming the August Heavenly Lord of the Golden Gate (Haotian Jinque Shangdi), whose appearance resembles that of the Jade Emperor (Yuhuang Shangdi). He stands amid golden light and purple mist, attended and protected on either side by Perfected Ones (zhenren), golden youths, and jade maidens. He then visualizes the palaces of the Lord of the Nine Heavens appearing clearly, with the four directions illuminated by the radiance of the nine heavens. The lords of the nine palaces each send forth hundreds and thousands of divine officials (shenli), who appear clearly around him.

He then recites the Nine Chapters and burns the talisman of qi corresponding to the lord of each altar. Next, he performs the Nine Palaces Formula (Jiugong Jue) according to the seasons. In spring, the rite is performed at the eastern altar; in summer, at the southern altar; in autumn, at the western altar; and in winter, at the northern altar. He then forms the Formula of Our Master (Benshi Jue) and recites the Chapter on the Generation of Spirits of the Nine Heavens (Jiutian Shengshen Zhang). At each altar, he burns the talisman of qi for that direction and blows the talisman's qi with the three qi of Xuan, Yuan, and Shi. He then walks around the altar, recites the esoteric sounds of the Great Brahma (dafan yinyu), a secret vocal practice used in Daoist ritual, and sprinkles the altar with pure water to cleanse it.

When the incantations are finished, the deceased's spirits are led in turn to each altar. The officiant first informs them of the Nine Heavens Yang Talismans, so that the spirits generate their life-souls and spirit-souls. He then informs them of the Nine Yin Talismans, so that their hun and po souls and their nature and spirit are made whole. Next, he informs them of the Lingbao Five Talismans, so that they give rise to myriad spirits. He then recites the esoteric sounds once more, gathers the qi of the five directions and blows it upon them, and gathers the three qi of Xuan, Yuan, and Shi and blows those as well, so that the qi of the Nine Perfections congeals into their bodily form.

The officiant then explains the fate and karmic conditions of the deceased's past lives, and charges them to cherish their bodies, nourish their spirit, value their primordial qi, and guard their roots. In this way they will not die or decay, and will attain the body of an immortal. Form and spirit will rise together and ascend to the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing). This is called "the three qi uniting in virtue, and the nine qi all becoming immortal."

This ritual sequence is called the Nine Refinement Liturgy (Jiulian Ke).

Huangren said: First, go before the altar and burn incense, guiding the spirit of the deceased to the front of the altar. When making obeisance, face the sacred image, burn incense again, and perform three salutations. Then return to your original position, face east, invite the Holy Ones to descend to the altar (tán), and offer tea and wine.

Next, tread the Gang and pace the Dipper (tà gāng bù dǒu), a stepping pattern that imitates the movement of the stars and constellations. Spray water outward, and burn the Talisman for Gathering and Delivering the Soul (cuīshè dùhún fú).

Then recite the incantation for burning the talisman:

"Lingbao (Língbǎo) talisman-decree, summon the spirit-souls. The true talisman gathers the departed souls and brings them to the ritual altar to receive refinement. Swiftly, swiftly, follow the edict of the Supreme Deity."

Next, recite the name of the Heavenly Venerable Huanghua Dangxing and burn the Talisman of Yellow Qi and Yang Essence. Then recite the name of the Heavenly Venerable Huolian Danjie and burn the Talisman of Great Fire for Refining the Body. Following this, recite the three sections of the Pinwen, read aloud the official document (guānwén), light nine lamps, and read the memorial (biǎowén). Circle the nine altars and recite the Dafan Yinyu (Dàfàn Yǐnyǔ), the "Hidden Language of the Great Brahman," three times. Then proclaim the Nine Dragons decree-talisman and recite the name of the Heavenly Venerable Jiutian Lianhua. Place nine pieces of incense separately into the censers of each altar and burn them, each paired with the burning of a Talisman of the Original Qi of the Shengshen Zhang (Shēngshén Zhāng). Finally, recite the name of the Heavenly Venerable Bianlian Youxing.

Burn incense once more and offer this petition:

"I, [name], holding the ritual rank of minister, respectfully report: I have heard that the profound realm of Xiyi (Xīyí) is subtle and hard to reach, and that only a sincerity that is clear and pure can respond within its stillness. I reverently uphold the canons of the Shengshen Zhang, which truly manifest the power to restore the dead to life. I dare not be negligent, and I carefully observe them, hoping that Heaven will turn toward light and graciously witness this matter. Now I offer incense and present this memorial to:

The Original Yang Compassionate Father, the Supreme Lord Mugong of Fusang, the Divine Lord of the Way; the Golden Mother, the Venerable Divine Lady of the Jade Turtle Terrace, the Nine Spirits, the Supreme Mystery, the Azure Gold Elixir Empress; the Venerable Lords of the Nine Qi of the Azure Spirit Origin, the Three Qi of the Vermilion Spirit Lord of Cinnabar Perfection, the Seven Qi of the White Spirit Emperor, the Five Qi of the Dark Spirit Lord, and the One Qi of the Yellow Spirit Venerable Lord of the Yellow; the Heavenly Emperors of the Immeasurable Realms of Uttarakuru, the Supreme Good Immeasurable Life Heavenly Emperor, the Brahma Supervisor Sudhana Heavenly Emperor, the Serene Trayastrimsha Heavenly Emperor, the Paramita Heavenly Emperor Who Does Not Pride Himself in Joy, the Dongxuan Huaying Sound Heavenly Emperor, the Linghua Brahma Assistant Heavenly Emperor, the Gaoxu Qingming Heavenly Emperor, and the Wuxiang Wujie Wuai Heavenly Emperor; the Flying Heavenly Kings, the Great Sage of Long Life, the Prince Wuying, and the Venerable White Origin; the Lord Taiyi of the Nine Heavens, the Lord Who Continues Life of the Nine Heavens, the Lord Taokang Heyan, the Lord Who Bestows Birth and Fortune of the Nine Heavens, the Holy Mother Who Guards the Chamber of the Nine Heavens, the Great Spirit Who Oversees Birth of the Nine Heavens, and the True Lords who Bestow Fortune and Preserve Life of all the Offices; together with all the official deities of the Three Realms and all the numinous powers. I earnestly beseech your compassionate regard..."

Radiant light shines forth, and the feather-guards (the immortal attendants) stand in solemn array. The assembled immortals escort the imperial chariot, and the perfected ones attend upon the sovereign's procession. May the Xuanxiao (the lofty celestial heavens) bestow its grace broadly, and may a numinous wind stir upon the jeweled leaves. May the divine perfected descend to the ritual altar and extend the shelter of the Great Dao. We bow our heads in homage and offer our praises with utmost sincerity.

Next, the Thunder Script is burned and the secret phrases are recited. Then the Talisman of Return to Truth is burned, followed by the chanting of the Hymn of Life Restored:

Birth and death alternate like a cycle, yet the branches of the chun tree (a symbol of longevity) endure unchanged. Still the mind and single-mindedly contemplate the Perfect Truth, follow the flow of the times, and keep far from the calamities that lie like nets. So long as one constantly recites the jade stanzas, the mysterious chanting will rise to the clouds. Thus one enjoys boundless years, and why should one still count the years and the kalpas?

Next, bow again and offer incense.

We, your servants, respectfully bow our heads and again present a memorial to the Great Emperor of Fusang, the Venerable Lord Wood Duke, and to the Lady of the White Jade Tortoise Terrace, the Nine Spirits Supreme Mystery Azure Gold Elixir Queen.

We have heard that the Primordial Beginning (Yuanshi) sent down the Primordial Qi so that each of the myriad things received its essence, and so that the venerable lords of heaven and earth were formed and became masters of the numinous perfected. The Primordial Qi moves through the vast heavens, and all corporeal beings are nourished by it. It secretly turns the mechanisms of Heaven, and nothing fails to be shaped and transformed by it. The profound workings of creation are truly beyond measure.

Now there is a certain person who, by command, builds a precious rite (zhaijiao) for a certain deceased person, and conducts the rite of aiding the departed spirit through recommendation, so that it may return to the human Dao. Because the spirit has long been entangled in worldly ties, and in the past did not understand the true Dao, its nine qi have no refuge, its five phases are scattered and out of order, and its three hun-souls suffer punishment as it sinks through myriad kalpas. Without good fortune to aid it, how could it recover its vitality?

We, your servants, respectfully follow the wondrous scriptures and imitate the creative power of Heaven and Earth. We reverently observe the mysterious texts and, by the reckoning of the harmonious union of Yin-Yang, secretly carry out the corresponding operations. We humbly request that the Primordial Dao send down its numinous power: refining the placenta from the essence of flowing water, and the embryo from the brightness of Yang Fire; refining the hun-soul from the upright qi of Wood, and the po-soul from the yielding nature of Metal; refining the five viscera from the essence of Earth, and the six bowels from the numinous qi of the Kan (Water) trigram; refining the orifices from the essential qi of the Li (Fire) trigram, and the bodily form and shadow from the sound and breath of the Zhen (Thunder) trigram; and refining the spirit from the splendor of the Dui (Marsh) trigram. Then let the qi of Heaven and Earth be harmonized, so that after nine refinements it circulates and returns in endless cycles.

Afterward, we again request the Harmonious Primordial Qi to wrap around the body, so that the pure Yang Dao-qi pervades within and without, nurtured by the qi of the Three Primes until the physical form is finally accomplished. We, your servants, address the numinous perfected, proclaim the precious verses, and bow our heads in homage once more.

Next, the Nine Refinements Memorial Talisman is burned, and the Hymn of the Flowing Crystal of Wood and Gold is chanted:

Fusang initiates the first turning, and green sprouts grow luxuriantly. The wondrous function flows onward, as the Golden Mother...

Natural harmony and union: blossom-like Shen (spirit) Qi gathers in the Yuan Palace (the place where the source of life resides), and numinous things reflect crimson clouds and rosy vapors.

When a person can naturally and spontaneously awaken to the Dao of the human world, they can, in profound stillness, accord with the immortals.

Incense is offered once more.

Your ministers respectfully memorialize the Heavenly Emperors: the Yudan Wuliang Heavenly Emperor, the Shangshang Chanshan Wuliang Shou Heavenly Emperor, the Fanjian Xuyan Heavenly Emperor, the Jiran Doushu Heavenly Emperor, the Boluo Nimi Bujiao Le Heavenly Emperor, the Dongyuan Huaying Sheng Heavenly Emperor, the Linghua Fanfu Heavenly Emperor, the Gaoxu Qingming Heavenly Emperor, and the Wuxiang Wujie Wuai Heavenly Emperor.

Your minister respectfully hears that the Three Treasures (the three fundamental powers venerated in Daoism) have emitted light, and that the Nine Spirits respond with numinous power. They have no form or shadow, yet they possess form and spirit. They move through the vast heavens, are distributed between Yin and Yang, regulate the courses of the Five Stars (Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth), and allow all things to be born and transformed. Thus the Nine Qi gather, and the Three Qi unite to become De (Virtue/Power). Your minister, now following the ritual, performs Liandu (salvation of the dead through Daoist rites that purify and deliver the departed soul) for the deceased, named here, and has previously submitted a written petition.

We respectfully invite the Venerable Sovereign Mu Gong (Father Wood) and the Venerable True Mother Jin Mu (Mother Gold). Please descend the essence of the sun and moon, gather the beautiful Qi of the Five Phases, and let life take root and receive the vitality of its ancestors. Let Jing (essence) and Qi respond to one another, and let Qi and Shen unite, so that form appears in a state of wondrous indistinctness. We humbly hope:

We respectfully invite the Heavenly Emperor of the Nine Heavens to bestow the pure Qi, filling the Nine Passes and the Ten Extremes. We invite the Lofty Perfected to nurture the primordial embryo through the ten months, so that Jing and Qi circulate and, within chaos, the body is cultivated and formed.

We respectfully invite the Huangyan Qi, which surrounds the placenta with nine layers of Qi, so that the vitality within the placenta flows freely, rises to Heaven, and thereby completes life.

We respectfully invite the Dongming Zishi Qi, which surrounds the fetus with nine layers of Qi, so that the body is formed and its foundation made firm, descending to respond to Earth and settling the spirit.

We respectfully invite the Changling Mingxian Qi, which surrounds the Three Hun (ethereal souls) with nine layers of Qi, so that the gates of the hun and po souls are cultivated, penetrate to the numinous, and link Jing and Qi.

We respectfully invite the Tangshi Mingyan Youxi Qi, which surrounds the Seven Po (corporeal souls) with nine layers of Qi, so that the Po Gates (the places where the Seven Po reside) are closed and guarded, the Heavenly King descends to bestow immortal Qi, and they are brought to peace.

We respectfully invite the Lofty Perfected Chongrong Qi, which surrounds the Six Fu (bowels) with nine layers of Qi, so that the stomach produces fluids and receives harmonious Qi.

We respectfully invite the Gaoxian Dongji Qi, which surrounds the Seven Orifices with nine layers of Qi, so that the openings are unobstructed, the ears and eyes are keen, the stars shine brightly, and a passage is thereby opened.

We respectfully invite the Zhenling Huaning Qi, which surrounds the Eight Scenes (the spirit deities and inner scenes of the body) with nine layers of Qi, so that the Three Divisions and Eight Scenes are complete and in order, and the body and spirit remain bright even in the dark night, thereby protecting the person.

We respectfully invite the Ziran Xuanzhao Qi, which surrounds the whole body with nine layers of Qi, so that the Three Passes (Sanguan), the Five Viscera, the Six Bowels, the Nine Palaces, the Golden Tower and Jade……

Twelve chambers (symbolizing the inner spaces of the human body, interconnected in layers), purple gates, jade pavilions, and the thirty-six thousand joints and roots.

At the beginning, the spirits (shen) were generated at the same moment. The spirits caused the Primordial Qi (the original vital energy from which Heaven, Earth, and all things arise) to disperse, and when the Primordial Qi filled the body, it could produce sound. Sound in turn honors the spirits.

When the hair and the bodily form were complete, the myriad spirits of the realm descended, and life was thereby accomplished. Your servants, with the utmost sincerity and trepidation, petition Heaven and pray to the holy spirits, and reverently kowtow and bow again.

Next, incense is offered, and the invocation "Heavenly Lord of the Transformation of the Nine Qi" is recited.

The Three Qi (the three primordial vital energies that constitute Heaven and Earth) are the honored lords of Heaven and Earth, and the Nine Qi are the root of all things. When the Three Qi unite, they form De (Virtue); when the Nine Yang condense, they form Zhen (perfection). This is the utmost of the profound work of creation by Heaven and Earth. Now, although the images of the Nine Heavens have already taken form, the nine-fold gathering has not yet separated, and the life born of ten months of gestation is still bound by ten layers of entanglement and cannot be freed. Since life is born from its root, it must ultimately differentiate into bodily form, and therefore one must rely on the Perfected Sovereign (Dizhen, an honored Daoist deity) to protect and deliver it from beginning to end. May all the officials assembled attend single-mindedly, without distraction, and recite the Golden Chapter of Da You to complete the good work of ferrying living beings across.

Next, nine chapters are recited, and then the talismans (fu) of the Five Emperors are applied.

Burning the Azure Emperor talisman, recite the incantation:

Respectfully summon the spirit of the Azure Palace, where the liver resides, Lord Wuying Who Controls the Hun-Souls. Invite the Lesser Yang wood essence and the qi of the planet Jupiter to enter the body and generate the liver, so that its three Hun-souls may dwell within it. Invite the nine wood spirits and the nine thousand divine attendants to descend swiftly with true qi, guarding the skin and governing the hair.

Burning the White Emperor talisman, recite the incantation:

Respectfully summon the spirit of the White Palace, where the lungs reside, Lord Bai Yuan Ying Po. Invite the Lesser Yin metal essence and the qi of the planet Venus to enter the body and generate the lungs, so that its seven Po-souls may dwell within it. Invite the seven metal spirits to descend and govern, leading seven thousand divine attendants, guarding the sinews and bones and governing the teeth.

Burning the Black Emperor talisman, recite the incantation:

Respectfully summon the spirit of the Mysterious Palace, where the kidneys reside, Lord Taokang Na Jing. Invite the Greater Yin water essence and the qi of the planet Mercury to enter the body and generate the kidneys, so that the Jade Youth dwells on the left shoulder and the Jade Maiden on the right shoulder. Invite the five water spirits and five thousand attending divine officers to govern within, guarding the blood and bones and governing the essence of reproduction.

Burning the Red Emperor talisman, recite the incantation:

Respectfully summon the spirit of the Crimson Palace, where the heart resides, Lord Taiyi Si Ming. Invite the Greater Yang fire essence and the qi of the planet Mars to enter the body and generate the heart, so that the Jade Youth dwells on the left side and the Jade Maiden on the right side. Invite the three fire spirits and three thousand attending divine officers to govern within, guarding the palaces and mansions within the body and governing the hun and po souls.

Burning the Yellow Emperor talisman, recite the incantation:

Respectfully invoke the Spleen Spirit, Lord Huangting Changzai Hualing (transformed from the Earth Essence Qi). This earth qi enters the body and gives rise to twelve Spleen-Earth Spirits (Pitushen), who command a retinue of twelve thousand. They oversee the body's nourishment and protection, nourish the muscles, and regulate the limbs and blood vessels, so that the myriad spirits are born. The primordial qi of the Void Sovereign (Xuhuang) circulates throughout the body, giving rise to twelve thousand Essence-Radiance Spirits and thirty-six thousand Hair-Pore Spirits. The five viscera receive numinous qi, the myriad primordial energies endure, and the hundred spirits gather, so that inside and outside alike become deep and mysterious. The practitioner returns to embryonic breathing (taixi) and recovers an infant-like state, and then presents themselves at the court of the Lord Sovereign. This must be carried out at once, in accordance with the decree of the Lord Who Generates Spirits of the Nine Heavens.

Chant and burn the "Great Brahma Esoteric Words" (Dafan yinyu) and talismans such as the Soul-Protecting Talisman (Hunfu). The Soul-Protecting Talisman is the precious edict of the Nine Heavens within this Heaven of Original Governance (Benzhi Tiantang), which restores the deceased to bodily form and returns them to their origin and original nature.

Next, recite the Destiny Chapter Incantation for the deceased:

"The qi of the Chen-zhong Yellow Radiance rises into the heavens amid the Three Blossoms; atop the Azure Terrace, the wheel of feathered wings comes forward to receive you and lead you onward. Your cultivation of the Way has been accomplished. The Director of Destiny will present your document to the Lord Sovereign and enfeoff you as the Lord of Xuanedu. You will enter the Palace of Taixia and take your place in the guesthouse of the honored guests, as a Supreme Minister. Within the Golden Gate, your essential qi is nourished, so that your hun and po souls are kept tranquil: Huangning supports you on the left, Yuansu Jun guards you on the right, and Zhuyu Ling also comes to protect you."

Next, read the pardon edict and dispatch the deceased.

Once the Nine Chapters have been recited, your bodies and five corporeal forms have already come into being. Since you have received the profound grace of the Great Dao, you should now receive the compassionate teaching of the Supreme Perfected (Shangzhen, the highest divine beings). Purify your minds and spirits, return to the Dao, and listen attentively and practice faithfully. For the qi of the Nine Heavens gives birth to your shen, and the Three Primordial Jing nourish your forms; when yin and yang qi unite, your bodies are formed out of chaos. The qi of the Six Jia cycles through its course, and the qi of the Five Phases respond to one another. Model yourselves on the forms of Heaven and Earth: take in yin, exhale yang, and let the firmness and softness of the earth correspond to the divisions of the heavens.

Thus the parts of the body are matched with the cosmos. The head is Kunlun, the hair is the stars, the eyebrows are the Canopy, the eyes are sun and moon, the nose is the Heavenly Pillar, the ears are the Heavenly Windows, the mouth is the Heavenly Gate, and the face is the Heavenly Mirror. The Five Sacred Peaks, the Four Rivers, the Nine Rivers, and the Eight Waters, as well as the One Primordial, the Two Forms, the Three Lights, the Four Images, the Five Phases, the Six Pitch-Pipes, the Seven Primordials, the Eight Scenes, the Nine Palaces, and the Ten Directions, and even the Thirty-Six Heavens and Thirty-Six Earths, are all present within you. These are manifestations of the subtle workings of the Dao, and the result of the spirits nourishing the myriad things.

You should keep your mind-heart clear, quiet, and luminous, reduce your desires, rectify your thoughts, and follow what is natural without acting willfully. In this way, qi nourishes shen; shen and qi unite; qi and jing gather. Then you can return to embryonic breathing and regain vitality, and gradually ascend to the "Land of Nothing Whatsoever" (Wuheyou zhi xiang), a realm of transcendence free from worldly entanglement. Is this not cause for joy?

Alas, if the heart is restless and clouded, turbid and lewd, it will harm one's own spirit-breath (shenqi). When the spirit-breath is exhausted, the hun and po scatter apart, and one sinks into the Six Paths, is driven by the po, and falls into the Three Evil Paths (sanqi, the three wretched destinies of traditional belief, where one suffers without end). There is no time of rest, and this is truly lamentable.

Such conduct also adds to the sins recorded against the Three Officials (sanguan, the spirits who govern Heaven, Earth, and Water), and brings calamity upon one's ancestors. Passed down generation after generation, the disasters would be endless. If you can preserve simplicity, nurture your original nature, embrace what is plain, and cultivate the correct Way, then through the power of wisdom-nature (huixing) you may transcend birth and death and be reborn in a land of peace and joy. Yet the causal bonds of good and evil must not be taken lightly. Now, for the deceased, we open the path to the netherworld (youming) again, awaken the light of wisdom in them, and proclaim their merits.

Next, we chant the Hymn on Wisdom:

Wisdom arises from the precepts, and the True Way takes the precepts as its root. Through them the Three Treasures (sanbao, the three fundamental treasures revered in Daoism) flourish, and the High Immortals also honor and transmit the precepts. Launch this boat of non-death, and in an instant it will carry us across the vast sea of suffering.

When the precepts are proclaimed, all the immortals come forth to bow.

Once more we offer incense, perform three bows, and then kneel at length to offer our address:

We, your servants, respectfully undertake the refining and salvation of the departed souls (liandu, the rescue of the dead through Daoist ritual), and presume to petition for the vast grace of Heaven. We have received the nurture of Heaven and Earth that gave us form, and the nine qi (jiuqi, the nine primal energies that constitute the human body and all things of heaven and earth) have gathered to shape us. The thousand perfected ones gather in the three fields (santian), and the myriad phenomena spread through the six viscera. When the hundred vessels flow freely and the orifices are open, when the po is settled and the hun is tranquil, when the spirit is clear and refreshed, the departed may return to the path of life and dwell forever in the peace of the true realm.

We, your servants, are as lowly as ants and as narrow in understanding as the vinegar-fly (xiji, a small insect believed to live in vinegar). Though we follow the teachings and rites, we cannot fathom the profound mysteries of the Dao. Now we presume to receive this charge and petition the True Divinities, relying on their compassion to save all beings, so that we, your servants, may pour out our humble sincerity and reverently receive the light of grace.

The rite of delivering the departed is now complete, and the arrangements for the remains are also finished. We humbly beseech that the dragon carriage and phoenix palanquin return to the Jade Capital (qiongdu, the capital of the immortal realm), and that the feathered canopies and rainbow banners ascend once more to the crimson palace (jiangque, the celestial palace). Our thoughts follow the Silver River from afar, and we gaze upward with focused minds, still hoping that Heaven will bestow its boundless mercy and continue to grant protection. Reluctant to part, we respectfully bow and bow again to see the perfected ones on their way.

Scripture of the Great Method of the Lingbao Wuliang Dujin Shangjing, Volume Sixty-Four.