《無上玄元三天玉堂大法》Vol. 21

Chapter 6 of the "Summoning Divine Generals and Officials" section in Volume 21 of The Supreme Mysterious Primordial Three Heavens Jade Hall Great Method explains:

After prolonged cultivation when practitioners achieve purity of body and mind, various guardian deities will naturally manifest within them. These "generals and officials" are not underworld spirits, but transformations of the practitioner's own Jing (essence) and Qi (vital energy). When one reaches the state of "unity between heaven, earth, and myself," the fusion of Yin-Yang energies (Jing-Qi) within produces protective forces that safeguard the true self.

The text details the hierarchy of these guardian deities: including 1,200 officials from the Supreme Clarity Jade Steps (the highest Daoist celestial realm), 12,000 officials from the Three Heavens Jade Hall, as well as 1,200 guardian officials each from the Solar Palace and Lunar Palace. The Northern Dipper's Seven Royal Palaces command 360 million troops, while the Northern Emperor (Purple Tenuity Emperor of the North Pole) leads 200,000 black-armored soldiers. These divine generals all originated from the primordial essences of water and fire during the creation of heaven and earth.

Particularly important are three personal guardian generals: the Body-Protecting General named Ziying, the Heart-Protecting General named Xuanpin ("Xuanpin" signifies the source of life), and the Spirit-Protecting General named Changxian. They guard the physical body, heart-mind, and spiritual nature respectively. These three were transformed from the Three Treasures that emerged from the Primordial Three Qi before the Dragon Han Kalpa (a Daoist cosmic cycle).

Additionally, there are eight Jade Maiden Generals, grouped in threes totaling twenty-four, who permanently reside in the "Purple Tower and Jade Chamber" (referring to the upper Dantian or heart palace) within the human body. They include Jade Maiden of Clarity and Harmony Xuanyi, Jade Maiden of Longevity Xianzhi, each assigned specific duties like protection, message delivery, and evil elimination. Every day, thirty-six "Three-Five Merit Officials" take rotating shifts to maintain the practitioner's righteous Qi.

Through meditative concentration, when the mind becomes utterly pure and free of distractions, these true generals will spontaneously manifest. What are called "supreme immortals and exalted spirits" are ultimately manifestations of the dynamic interplay between Yin and Yang energies within the human body.

This passage describes the Daoist cultivation practices of "sending forth officials" (出官) and "receiving officials" (纳官), along with the related pantheon of deities and the application of ritual talismans (Fulu).

The text first enumerates nine categories of merit officers (功曹), each comprising four deities, totaling thirty-six. These celestial functionaries descend to the "Jade Mansion" (玉府) at the hairline of the practitioner's forehead - the Upper Dantian (上丹田) located between the eyebrows. It then mentions the daily rotating celestial messengers (天吏), including Yin-Yang divine officers, tiger-warrior officials, celestial physicians, and demon-quelling officers, each group consisting of twenty-four deities distributed along both sides of the practitioner's body.

The "Officer Dispatch Talisman" (出官符) section records the incantation for summoning deities: "The immortal palace radiates golden light, its brilliance reaching the boundless Wuji (无极) realm, penetrating the Great Canopy Heaven (大罗天). Flanking immortal officials clad in auroral robes illuminate with mysterious splendor. Through the Mysterious Gate (玄门) they soar unimpeded - the Mysterious Feminine (玄牝), the crucial point of cultivation, becomes the abode of immortals."

The scripture particularly emphasizes that "sending forth officials" constitutes a spiritual cultivation method requiring mental operation to elevate genuine Qi (真炁). This cannot be mastered through mere oral transmission but demands heartfelt comprehension.

The "Officer Recall Talisman" (纳官符) contains the chant for withdrawing deities: "Celestial essence has descended, earthly turbidity dissipates; the solar spirit returns via the Heavenly Bridge (天桥, referring to the Governing and Conception Vessels). The dual energies of immortals and spirits flow like the Milky Way, returning to the Mysterious Pass (玄关, the Dantian), neither scattering nor drifting. The Eight Gates (八门, key bodily points) stand guard in tranquility as primordial Qi gathers within, attaining the realm of enduring vision and internal serenity."

Finally, appended are the mantras for the Jade Maiden Talisman (玉女符) and Merit Officer Talisman (功曹符). The Jade Maiden formula emphasizes the harmonious interaction of Heaven and Earth circulating through the six directions, while the Merit Officer chant describes how the Primordial Ancestral Qi (玄元祖炁) manifests true form, enabling practitioners to summon deities at will for specific tasks. These talismanic incantations assist cultivators in communicating with deities to accomplish particular cultivation goals or ritual purposes.

This is a set of talismanic invocations (Fulu) and ritual procedures recorded in the Daoist scripture The Supreme Mysterious Primordial Three Heavens Jade Hall Great Method. The main content is divided into three parts:

First is the "Celestial Officials Talisman," describing the summoning of heavenly functionaries to carry out tasks. The Celestial Emperor (the supreme deity in Daoism) issues edicts through the Jade Altar (a sacred ceremonial platform) to summon these celestial officials for swift action. These functionaries can traverse heaven and earth, penetrate underwater palaces, and access the netherworld to execute missions against malevolent entities. Upon completing their tasks, they must immediately return to the altar to report, demonstrating the retributive justice of the Dao.

Next is the "Generals Talisman," invoking celestial soldiers and divine generals. It mentions deities like the Twenty-Eight Lunar Mansions (ancient Chinese constellations) who will descend to assist. These divine generals patrol the world to subdue ghosts and spirits, reaching everywhere from the highest heavens to the deepest earth. The talisman includes specific methods for vanquishing demons, such as splitting ghostly abdomens or piercing spectral hearts, ultimately imprisoning these entities forever in the netherworld city.

Finally, the "Purple Yang Union Illumination Talisman" specifically summons deities from the Three Realms (heaven, earth, and the underworld). It enumerates numerous divine titles, including the Union Illumination Celestial Emperor, Jade Maidens, the Six Jia Generals (Daoist guardian deities), the Three Officials (Celestial, Earthly, and Water Officials), and the Star Lords of the Big Dipper. Special brush techniques are required when inscribing these talismans.

Usage requires coordinated ritual pacing (Bugang Tadou, the Daoist ceremonial footwork) while silently visualizing the deities' forms. When invoking different deities, their names must be inscribed beneath the talisman, with instructions transmitted through incense burning. The incantation emphasizes that when the incense smoke rises, all celestial deities and generals must immediately descend to the ritual platform to receive commands without delay.

This passage explains several methods of Daoist cultivation and deity invocation. The first part presents an urgent summoning incantation, meaning: immediate execution without delay—violation will incur punishment from the underworld. When summoning the 12,000 officials residing in the Jade Hall (a celestial abode of Daoist deities), one may invoke them for different purposes (exorcism, salvation, or subjugation), all with remarkably potent efficacy.

The incantation reads: "By the decree of the Jade Emperor of Mysterious Metropolis (Xuandu, a Daoist paradise), we notify all celestial realms. The ritual altar radiates boundless light; a thousand officials swiftly descend, riding clouds and steeds. Immortal Qi (vital energy) permeates all, fulfilling every intention—the Three Realms (heaven, earth, and humanity) resonate in response."

The second section discusses the "Method for Gathering the Shen (spirit) for Internal Nourishment." The master said: When the human mind scatters, the primordial Shen departs from the body. Even before mastering the highest Daoist methods, one should understand this technique to collect the spirit. The human Shen is inherently luminous—its dullness stems from being clouded by desires; it is naturally perceptible—its invisibility comes from being obscured by delusions. Practitioners should minimize worldly interactions and trivial matters, avoiding the common tendency to chase external objects and lose one's true nature. Stabilize the heart-mind; beyond mealtimes, maintain proper awareness daily. Burn incense, sit quietly, close the eyes to visualize emptiness, and breathe long and smooth—thus delusions cease, and the innate true nature returns. Though this method doesn't directly lead to immortality, it helps practitioners gather their scattered Shen.

The third section explains the "Red Talisman Method for Commanding Deities." The master said: Immortals who have attained the Dao and accomplished Daoists, brimming with Yang Qi, can freely summon divine generals. But ordinary priests still entangled in worldly affairs must rely on visualization (cunxiang) to commune with spirits. To dispatch divine generals, first suspend breath and calm the mind—neither speak nor turn the head. Visualize your heart as a crimson sun containing meticulously armored divine generals, each the size of a bean.

This passage explains the Daoist practice of "Golden Light Transformation" (金光化身). The practitioner first causes golden light to rise from the mouth, initially reaching only three inches in height before stabilizing beside the body. As cultivation deepens, this golden radiance gradually grows—first taking human form, eventually reaching a majestic height of one hundred zhang (approximately 300 meters), appearing awe-inspiring and formidable.

The text mentions that the "fu" (talismans/符) used in Daoist ritual magic can transform according to need. This is because the heart houses the human shen (spirit/神) and governs the five senses like a sovereign ruler. The heart corresponds to the Fire phase and the southern direction, hence when adepts practice, they must achieve "heart attunement" (心合)—a focused visualization practice—referred to as the "Vermilion Talisman" (赤符).

This scripture reveals the essence of cultivation: through concentrated visualization (heart attunement), inner energy (golden light) manifests as external spiritual powers (transformation). The "Vermilion Talisman" serves both as an actual ritual implement and as a metaphor for heart-fire cultivation techniques. The process embodies the Daoist alchemical principle where focused intention (yi/意) catalyzes the transformation of jing (essence/精) into qi (vital energy/气), and ultimately into shen (spirit/神).