《靈寶領教濟度金書》Vol. 111

This passage from the Lingbao Lingjiao Jidu Jinshu documents a Daoist Zhaijiao (purification ritual) Keyi (liturgy) for the salvation of departed souls, primarily conducted during nighttime. The ritual commences with priests reverently paying homage to ancestral masters while silently reciting esoteric formulas, followed by chanting the Weiling Zhou (Guardian Spirit Incantation) to purify the ritual space. The incantation depicts a scene where the Five Planets shine brilliantly and auspicious Qi flows freely, employing the power of jade talismans (Daoist ritual implements) and precious ceremonial instruments to dispel malevolent forces, causing all demons to retreat as divine radiance illuminates the space.

Subsequently, the ritual drum is struck twenty-four times, symbolizing the awakening of celestial and earthly deities. Through the "Falu" ceremony (burning incense to summon deities), the priests solemnly invite the supreme Daoist divinity "The Most High Lord of Dao of the Three Primordial Qi from the Three Heavens Beyond Compare," while also summoning guardian spirits such as the merit officials (protector deities) within their bodies and the Golden Lad and Jade Maiden to descend. With utmost reverence, they announce: Tonight's ritual is being performed to deliver departed souls, beseeching the spiritual energy from the Yuqing realm (the highest celestial realm) to descend so that their sincerity may reach the presence of the Jade Emperor (one of the highest Daoist deities).

Thereafter, the priests, assuming a posture of humility, sequentially invite the various exalted deities of Daoism: beginning with the supreme divinity, the Primordial Heavenly Worthy of Void and Spontaneity, followed by Lord Lao (Laozi), the Jade Emperor, the Four Directional Heavenly Emperors (Eastern Florescence, Southern Pole, Western Numen, and Northern Perfection), the celestial palaces (such as the Jade Capital of Mysterious Metropolis and the Golden Tower with Jade Terraces), as well as the guardian spirits of the Thirty-Six Divisions of Sacred Scriptures (the collective term for Daoist classics). The entire ritual, through its meticulous liturgical procedures, harnesses the power of these deities to accomplish the salvation of departed souls.

This scripture depicts the sacred setting and devotional content of a Daoist purification ritual (Zhaijiao), structured in three main sections:

First, it enumerates the sacred names of important Daoist deities, including the Twenty-Four Perfected Ones (immortal masters who attained the Dao), the Sovereign Lord of Western Citadel (chief divinity of the Queen Mother of the West's paradise), the Great Unity Perfected (manifestation of the Northern Dipper Star Lord), and the Three Lords of Maoshan (patriarchs Mao Ying, Mao Gu, and Mao Zhong of the Shangqing tradition). Here the text portrays the celestial realm's grandeur—the primordial Qi (Dao-energy) surging like rivers and seas at the universe's dawn, forming cosmic laws through the "bellows" (metaphor for heaven-earth respiration). The mystic energy of the Five True Scripts (core texts of the Lingbao canon) circulates in the highest celestial realms, while the Three Vehicles of teaching (Daoist cultivation stages) radiate brilliance in the Heaven of Clarity and Subtlety (one of the supreme heavens).

The second section transitions to the ritual scene: officiants humbly address themselves as "servants" before the deities, declaring their transmission of the Jade Register Scriptures from the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning (supreme Daoist divinity). The patron, grieving for deceased relatives, seeks through this ritual to construct a "Dharma Bridge" (symbolic passage for souls) to deliver the departed from the underworld (Diyu) to luminous realms. Ritual implements like phoenix-bound scriptures, phoenix chariots, bejeweled banners, and emerald canopies create a sacred atmosphere with swirling sandalwood incense and a thousand lamps' radiance.

The conclusion presents the incense offering: the priest holds the first twist of incense (ceremonial first offering), praying its smoke ascends directly to the celestial court as an offering to the "Supreme Treasure of Ultimate Truth" (highest Daoist realization). All participants devote body and mind in reverence to the Three Pure Ones (Yuanshi Tianzun, Lingbao Tianzun, and Daode Tianzun), hoping the ritual's merit may cleanse the deceased's karmic burdens across lifetimes. Through golden talismans (Fulu) and jade petitions (transcendence documents), they seek to dissolve obstructions from three incarnations (past, present, future), open the Eight Gates (celestial portals corresponding to the Bagua), and liberate souls from underworld constraints to ascend in transcendent freedom. The prayer concludes with wishes for divine grace to bless all realms across time, universally delivering celestial and human beings alike.

The Lingbao Lingjiao Jidu Jinshu (Precious Scripture of Numinous Treasure for Salvation and Deliverance) describes a solemn Daoist zhaijiao (purification ritual) ceremony. Daoist priests, dressed in emerald-green ceremonial robes (fu) and wearing pearl-adorned crowns (liu), reverently pay homage to the golden celestial palaces. They offer prayers for the emperor, praising his benevolent virtue and wisdom that grow like the sun and moon, wishing his imperial authority to be as steadfast as Mount Song and Mount Tai, with blessings as profound as the vast sea.

During the ritual, the priests light incense and perform the threefold incense offering (three deliberate presentations of incense), sending its fragrance directly to the Nine Heavens as an offering to the supreme and authentic scriptures and teachers. All participants bow deeply in prostration, taking refuge in the Three Supreme Pure Ones (Yuanshi Tianzun, Lingbao Tianzun, and Daode Tianzun), praying that the merit may liberate the nine generations of ancestors (jiuxuan qizu) and all departed souls of the ritual sponsor.

The scripture specifically prays for the departed souls to break free from the delusions of the six dusts (form, sound, scent, taste, touch, and mental phenomena) and transcend the bondage of the five aggregates (form, sensation, perception, mental formations, and consciousness). The Candle Dragon (Zhulong, the mythical beast governing day and night) illuminates the dark underworld, allowing the departed souls to see the light; the spring breeze dispels the underworld's chill, enabling the spirits to forever escape suffering. The souls shall ascend to the celestial realms upon radiant clouds or swiftly pass through the Court of Flowing Fire (a refining ritual for departed souls) to attain rebirth.

For the living sponsors of the ritual, blessings are given for cultivating body and mind, studying poetry and rites to perpetuate family traditions, ensuring household prosperity. Finally, through another incense-burning ceremony, prayers are offered that all wandering souls and hell-bound spirits may receive the grace of the Dao, cleansing karmic obstacles (negative karma), resolving grievances, escaping the three wretched paths (hell, hungry ghosts, and animal realms), and attaining rebirth to eternally dwell in the radiant sacred realms.

This passage fully demonstrates the core purpose of Daoist salvation liturgy (keyi): through sacred rituals that connect heaven and earth, blessings are sought for the living while deliverance is offered to the deceased, embodying the compassionate Daoist spirit of "the immortal path values life, saving countless beings without measure."

This scripture passage depicts a Daoist ritual for the salvation of deceased souls and universal deliverance. It first describes souls emerging from the darkness of hell's five sufferings (birth, aging, sickness, death, and separation) – no longer wailing in nocturnal grief but instead attaining the joy of ascension to immortal realms. Liberated from the appearance of annihilation, these souls walk peacefully along cloud-covered celestial paths, severing the roots of doubt as they ride the wind up moon-palace stairways, forever escaping the bitterness of samsaric cycles to achieve collective salvation and heavenly ascent.

The text then portrays Daoist priests conducting the zhaijiao (purification ritual): the assembly burns incense and pays homage while taking refuge in the pantheon of Daoist deities. The passage enumerates the highest divine hierarchy including the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning (Yuanshi Tianzun, supreme deity of Daoism), the Supreme Lord of Dao (Taishang Daojun), the Supreme Venerable Lord (Taishang Laojun), the Jade Emperor (Yuhuang Dadi) and other members of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing) and Four Sovereigns, along with thirty-two heavenly emperor-lords, directional deities of east, west, south and north, and thirty-six guardian deities of the scripture divisions. These divine beings all reside in sacred abodes like the Jade Capital of Mysterious Metropolis (Xuandu Yujing, Daoism's highest heaven) and the Purple Tenuity Palace.

The participating priests refer to themselves as "your subject so-and-so," expressing humility. They examine their own dull faculties while acknowledging their heavenly mandate to bear the transmission responsibility for sacred texts like the Eight Luminosities Phoenix Charts (Bajing Luan Tu, important Daoist scriptures) and Nine Radiances Phoenix Seals (Jiuguang Feng Jian, symbols of divine mission). Though their cultivation remains shallow, they establish firm vows to propagate the Dao and aid the world, pledging to repay heaven and earth's grace with metal-and-stone steadfast sincerity and cinnabar-azure clarity of faith.

The passage concludes with the ritual sponsor's repentance: sentient beings drift in samsara's currents, trapped by the six causes (eye, ear, nose, tongue, body and mind as sensory roots) and ten habitual tendencies, drowning in seas of desire while deluded by the five thieves (form, sound, scent, taste and touch) and seven emotions. People chase fame and gain as if treading dangerous goat-path precipices, busied with trivialities like rabbits chased through brambles or colts galloping down narrow reed-lined trails. Such conduct damages loyalty and filial piety, unravels moral principles, dissipates spiritual energy, and makes the heavy burden of karmic retribution unbearable.

This scripture records the prayer text and ritual procedures for the Salvation Purification Ceremony (Zhaijiao) conducted by the Lingbao School (one of Daoism's major lineages).

It begins by describing the sincere devotion in supplicating the deities: The profound mysteries between heaven and earth, the sacred laws of the celestial palaces—how could their blessings reach the mortal realm without sincere prayers to the heavens? Therefore, one must devoutly petition the supreme deities at the Azure Zenith (the abode of the Celestial Emperor) and seek decrees from the Purple Void (Daoism's highest celestial realm). Through repentance of sins, one implores the compassion of the ten directions' deities, takes refuge in the Three Treasures of Dao, scriptures, and masters (core objects of Daoist faith), and prays for the primordial true Qi (vital energy) of the Great Dao to permeate all directions.

The text then details the contents of sin-absolution and blessing-seeking: transmitting compassionate edicts to the underworld (referred to as the Springs of Qu and Mount Luofeng), and extolling virtuous merits at the Shuo Judgment Hall (Daoist tribunal of the underworld). It prays for the remission of sins to make the night sky clear as the full moon, and for the resolution of grievances to make pearls shine in the vast sea. Simultaneously, it commands the Southern Palace (celestial bureau overseeing life registers) to record good deeds and the Northern Yu (underworld institution) to erase transgressions. May true Qi nourish the spirit, the Azure Palace (eastern celestial abode) flourish with vitality, and the Mysterious Elixir (Neidan term) coalesce within lofty immortal courts, enabling all beings to forever remain cultivators of the Dao, eternally dwelling in celestial realms.

Following this are blessings for the ritual sponsor (Zhaizhu): May their lineage prosper with the Five Blessings (longevity, wealth, health, virtue, and peaceful death) arriving at their door. May their virtue shine like precious jade and their detachment render all matters light as goose feathers. They pray for the protection of the Red Texts (Daoist esoteric writings) over their fortune, and for the White Registers (celestial records of good and evil) to reach the netherworld, bringing peace between heaven and earth and the manifestation of auspicious signs. May frontier soldiers lay down their bows, farmers celebrate abundant harvests, all beings coexist harmoniously, the seasons bring favorable weather, and the land remain stable and disaster-free—thus manifesting the compassion of the Celestial Worthy (Daoism's supreme deity) and fulfilling the sponsor's devout wishes.

The text concludes with ten grand vows:

1. May the Great Dao spread widely and virtue return to all under heaven

2. May all beings attain enlightenment of the Dao

3. May souls in hell attain liberation

4. May wandering spirits receive salvation

5. May the world know peace with abundant harvests

6. May rulers and subjects, fathers and sons, each uphold their virtue

7. May grievances between adversaries be resolved

8. May all sentient beings—whether born from womb, egg, moisture, or transformation—attain life

9. May illnesses be swiftly cured

10. May the impoverished enjoy ample clothing and food

In the final spirit-invocation and incense-burning ritual, deities such as the Incense Palace Messengers and the Dragon-Tiger Lords (guardian spirits) are summoned. This causes the ritual space to naturally manifest golden nectar (immortal elixir) and cinnabar-jade (celestial herbs) as auspicious signs, while hundreds of perfected immortals gather before the incense burner to assist practitioners in fulfilling their aspirations.

In Daoist purification rituals (Zhaijiao), practitioners through devout fasting beseech the immortals to bestow blessings, allowing both the realms of Yin and Yang to receive divine grace. The immortal youths and jade maidens (celestial attendants in Daoism) from the ten directions guard the curling incense smoke, swiftly conveying the practitioner's sincere petitions to the exalted throne of the Jade Emperor (Yuhuang Shangdi), one of the supreme deities in Daoism.

This scripture passage documents two crucial stages in the Zhaijiao ceremony: the "Exit Hall Hymn" marks the conclusion of the ritual's main segment, where Daoist priests chant eulogistic scriptures while departing the central altar; "Returning to the Silent Hall to Thank the Master" refers to retreating to the meditation quarters to express gratitude toward the master who transmitted the Daoist teachings. The entire excerpt originates from the Lingbao Lingjiao Jidu Jinshu (Golden Book of Salvation According to the Numinous Treasure Tradition), an essential Daoist liturgical text that vividly portrays the solemnity of Song Dynasty Daoist ritual ceremonies.

(Note: The Lingbao Lingjiao Jidu Jinshu is a pivotal scripture of the Southern Song Dynasty's Lingbao tradition, meticulously documenting various Zhaijiao liturgies (Keyi) and emphasizing the salvation of beings through standardized rituals. The phrase "benefiting both visible and invisible realms" refers to blessings extending to both the living and spirit worlds, while "direct audience" signifies immediate communication with celestial authorities.)