《靈寶領教濟度金書》Vol. 112

The Lingbao Lingjiao Jidu Jinshu (Precious Scripture of Numinous Treasure Salvation) documents a Daoist ritual (Keyi) for the salvation of departed souls. Before the ceremony begins, the priests undergo a seven-day purification practice known as "sitting in seclusion" (zuo qi) to cleanse body and mind.

The ritual commences with the "Morning Liturgy" (dan chao yi): The priests light incense, chant the Incense Offering Hymn in unison, pay homage to the patriarchs, and focus their intention. Next, they recite the Guardian Spirits Incantation to purify the sacred space, invoking the powers of the Five Phases (Wuxing)—Water Star dispels calamities, Wood Star brings vitality, Mars (Yinghuo) expels misfortune, Venus (Taibai) wards off warfare, and Saturn (Zhenxing) stabilizes the four directions, ensuring peace for home and country.

The priests visualize their names inscribed on the celestial jade registers of the immortal realm, enabling them to ride the wind and soar freely across the ten directions. As five-colored auspicious clouds rise, they summon divine beings and command countless spirit-officials to guard the ritual space. At this moment, the sacred drum is struck twenty-four times—a crucial ritual segment symbolizing the connection between the Three Realms (heaven, earth, and humanity).

The "Lighting the Furnace" (fa lu) segment follows: The priests visualize the Three-Five Officers (internal deities), Golden Lad and Jade Maiden, and thirty-two divine officials emerging from within their bodies, while respectfully inviting the local earth god to protect the ceremony. They report to the highest deities that they now ascend the altar to perform the rite, praying for the primordial Dao-Qi (cosmic energy) from the Jade Pure Realm to infuse their beings, ensuring their sincerity reaches the Jade Emperor (one of Daoism’s supreme deities).

Finally, in the "Invocation of Ranks" (qing cheng fa wei), all priests devoutly petition the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing)—Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning (Yuanshi Tianzun), Supreme Lord of the Dao (Taishang Daojun), and Supreme Elder Lord (Taishang Laojun)—as well as the Jade Emperor, the Four Directional Heavenly Emperors (such as Donghua and Nanji), and the guardian deities of the Thirty-Six Sacred Scriptures to descend into the ritual space. Through this meticulous liturgical procedure, a sacred space is constructed, laying the foundation for the subsequent salvation rites.

(Note: The term "Qi" (炁) refers to the innate cosmic energy in Daoist terminology, distinct from the breath-related "qi" (气). "Keyi" denotes the standardized ritual procedures in Daoism.)

This scripture records the solemn scene of presenting Qingci (Daoist prayer documents) to deities during a Zhaijiao (purification ritual) ceremony in Daoism, consisting of three main parts:

First, it venerates the Twenty-Four Perfected Beings (immortal sages who attained the Dao), along with eminent immortals like the Sovereign Lord of Western Citadel, the Great Primordial Perfected Being, and Lord Mao the High Minister of Destiny of Eastern Peak, as well as all divine beings of the Three Realms (celestial, terrestrial, and aquatic realms). The text depicts the magnificent cosmic creation: Yuanshi Tianzun (the supreme Daoist deity) separating primordial chaos, the ancestral Qi (primordial energy) giving rise to all things, and Xuhuang Tianzun (a revered Daoist divinity) operating the transformations of creation to establish cosmic order. These sacred forces stand like pillars upholding heaven, serving as an eternal bridge for universal salvation.

Next, it expresses the sincere prayers of the ritual patron. Grieving for departed loved ones, the patron laments how death creates an impassable gulf like a sunken boat in deep waters or flowing streams beyond recall. Through the ritual, they hope the deceased soul may escape the Earth Portal (entrance to the underworld) and ascend through the Celestial Gate (portal to heavenly realms) with the morning light, attaining eternal bliss. References to the Three Registers (Daoist talismans) transmitted from Dragon-Rising Mountain (a sacred Daoist site) and the rituals for the Nine Netherworlds (realm of darkness) performed in the Fragrant Grove Garden demonstrate the complete liturgy for soul salvation in Daoism.

Finally, it describes auspicious signs of divine descent: purple mists rising, numinous winds stirring, as immortals arrive via cloud paths in phoenix chariots and dragon carriages. White-jade radiance (sacred light) illuminates all directions, reaching upward to the realm of sublime emptiness and downward to the abodes of darkness. The ritual masters humbly compare themselves to mosquitoes attempting to carry mountains, yet earnestly beseech divine compassion to perfect the ritual's meritorious power.

Terms like "fungal grace" and "maple kindness" symbolize divine blessings, while "kalpa cliffs" convey vast temporal spans. Self-deprecating phrases like "grass offerings" and "turnip gifts" express unworthiness. The passage collectively manifests the solemn liturgy of Daoist salvation and the religious experience of celestial-human resonance.

This scripture depicts the ritual of incense offering during a Daoist Zhaijiao (purification ceremony). The ritual master leads devotees in making three successive incense offerings, each carrying specific prayers.

During the first incense offering, the fragrant smoke rises, dedicated to the supreme Dao Treasure (one of the Three Treasures of Daoism). The assembly bows reverently, devoting body and mind to the Three Supreme Treasures (Dao, Scriptures, and Masters), praying that their virtuous merits may bless the nation and its altars of state, allowing the spirits of past sages to roam freely in the realm of the Great Void. They wish for wise rulers and virtuous ministers to emerge through the ages, for the current emperor’s virtue to surpass that of ancient sage-kings, and for civil and military prosperity to flourish, bringing peace to the world.

The second incense offering is dedicated to the supreme Scripture Treasure (Daoist classics). The assembly bows again, praying that these merits may extend to the ancestors of the ritual sponsor (the lay devotee hosting the ceremony). They hope the ancestors may be freed from karmic burdens, released from the jurisdiction of the underworld, and granted rebirth. May they wander blissfully in the celestial realms, while the sponsor’s family inherits their blessings and enjoys health, peace, and prosperity.

With the third incense offering, the assembly prays that upon attaining the Dao, they may merge with the formless Great Way. The smoke ascends once more to the heavens, expressing reverence for the Master Treasure (Daoist teachers). The entire passage illustrates the religious function of incense rituals in Daoism—connecting with the divine above and aiding the souls below—embodying the ultimate pursuit of "uniting with the Dao in truth."

The "threefold incense offering" mentioned in the ceremony is a key element of Daoist Zhaijiao, corresponding to the Three Treasures: Dao, Scriptures, and Masters. Through this solemn rite, devotees pray for worldly well-being, ancestral salvation, and ultimate union with the Great Dao.

This scripture is an invocation text used by the Lingbao tradition of Daoism during salvation rituals, expressing the practitioner's repentance and prayers to celestial deities. The general meaning is as follows:

We disciples devoutly prostrate ourselves before the supreme masters, surrendering our body, mind, and life essence, seeking the protection of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing) — the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning (Yuanshi Tianzun), the Celestial Worthy of Numinous Treasure (Lingbao Tianzun), and the Celestial Worthy of the Dao and Its Virtue (Daode Tianzun). May the merit of our practice be dedicated to suffering souls in the three wretched paths of hell, hungry ghosts, and beasts, as well as to orphaned spirits trapped in the five rebirth destinies. We pray that the compassionate wind of the Celestial Worthies may dispel the darkness of the netherworld, allowing the radiance of the Dao to illuminate the Ninefold Darkness (the deepest hell realms), bringing warmth to the frigid underworld and restoring dawn to the perpetual night of the underworld palaces.

We beseech the erasure of karmic records in the infernal courts, the severing of binding oaths with the Water Officials (deities governing aquatic realms), enabling departed souls to escape eternal darkness and ascend directly to the Crimson Mansion of Fire (a sacred realm for refining souls). May our teachers, relatives, and friends be cleansed of delusions and karmic obstructions, attaining clarity like the bright moon. May all beings in the mundane world awaken to the Great Vehicle of Daoist teachings, with their virtues recorded on the Azure Registers (celestial records of merit), thereby achieving the Lesser Heaven of Existence (an initial celestial realm).

With reverent incense offerings, we take refuge in all enlightened sages. We particularly invoke the Three Pure Ones — the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning, the Lord of the Dao (Taishang Daojun), and the Most High Lord Lao (Taishang Laojun) — along with the Jade Emperor, the Thirty-Two Celestial Sovereigns, the Imperial Lords of the Four Directions, the immortal beings of the Jade Capital of Mysterious Metropolis (the highest Daoist heaven), the guardian deities of the Thirty-Six Sacred Scriptures (the canonical texts of Daoism), and all realized immortals throughout history. We deeply understand that the Great Dao operates through emptiness, governing the cosmic interplay of Yin-Yang, nourishing all beings with compassionate dew and sheltering creation with auspicious clouds. From the Heaven of Clarity and Subtlety (the highest celestial realm) where supreme teachings originate, to the Red Brilliance Kalpa (a cosmic cycle in Daoist cosmology) where universal salvation is accomplished.

This passage describes a Daoist zhaijiao ritual (a ceremonial rite for blessing deceased souls) to liberate the departed. The patron sponsoring the ceremony repents on behalf of their deceased relative's worldly transgressions: in life, the departed indulged in sensory desires—eyes craving beauty, ears enchanted by music, tongue lusting for delicacies, nose addicted to fragrances, heart chasing vanity, and body wallowing in luxury—entangled by the three poisons of greed, anger, and delusion, thus accumulating heavy karmic burdens.

Through ritual acts—unfolding sacred scriptures (Rui Ji), erecting the ceremonial altar, chanting scriptures, burning incense, and scattering flowers—the Daoist priest beseeches the Celestial Worthy (the highest Daoist deity) for merciful salvation. May the departed soul be cleansed of sins, released from karmic entanglements, spared from detention in the underworld, and elevated to celestial realms. Specific prayers include: breaking through the bronze gates and iron walls of hell, enabling passage through the Five Paths and Eight Gates (Daoist routes for soul liberation), escaping the Three Miserable Realms and Six Destinies (Buddhist rebirth concepts assimilated into Daoism), and ascending to the Mystic Metropolis (Daoist paradise) to hear sacred teachings, forever freed from the cycle of rebirth.

Simultaneously, blessings are invoked for the patron: may their Dao cultivation advance, virtuous connections flourish, family honor shine, and their community share in these blessings. The prayers culminate in universal aspirations: may the Three Luminaries (sun, moon, stars) protect all under heaven, seasons harmonize, winds and rains come timely, worthy leaders emerge in court and countryside, people dwell in peace, yin-yang balance, and water-fire achieve mutual fulfillment (a Neidan term symbolizing yin-yang harmony)—thus manifesting the Celestial Worthy's teachings and fulfilling the patron's devout intention for liberation.

The concluding "Twelve Vows" represent the complete liturgical prayer system in Daoist zhaijiao, with this passage showcasing its core essence.

This passage is a liturgical text from the Daoist scripture Lingbao Lingjiao Jidu Jinshu, detailing the procedures for a Zhaijiao (purification ritual) ceremony.

It begins with twelve auspicious vows: May heaven and earth be clear and bright; may the emperor enjoy longevity and his benevolence spread widely. Prayers are offered for sweet dew to descend from heaven and auspicious signs to appear on earth, for the seasons to follow their natural order, and for all beings to flourish. May every household practice filial piety and harmony, and may the nation abound with talented individuals. May the merits of this ritual spread far and wide, with blessings increasing day by day.

Next comes the incense-burning ceremony to summon the deities: The Incense Officer Messengers, the Left and Right Dragon-Tiger Lords, and other divine beings gather before the incense burner, causing the sacred space to spontaneously produce Golden Elixir (Jinye, an alchemical term denoting precious medicinal liquid), cinnabar blossoms, and other numinous substances. All the Perfected Immortals assemble before this incense smoke to aid practitioners in attaining the Dao (the Way) and achieving immortality. Devotees participating in the ritual receive blessings that extend to both the realms of Yin and Yang. Celestial youths and jade maidens from the Ten Directions guard the incense smoke, swiftly conveying the prayers to the supreme Jade Emperor.

The ritual then proceeds with specific ceremonial steps: First, the Chutang Song (Hymn of Departure from the Hall of Silence) is recited as participants leave the meditation hall, expressing gratitude to the founding masters and performing merit transference (dedicating the ritual’s virtues to all beings). This is followed by the Shejiao Xie’en (Offering of Gratitude) ceremony, conducted according to established liturgical norms. Participants must bow reverently to the patriarchs and maintain proper mindfulness.

Next comes the Weiling Zhou (Guardian Spirit Incantation), invoking the Five Stars (Mercury, Jupiter, Mars, Venus, and Saturn) to stabilize their positions: Mercury dispels calamities, Jupiter brings prosperity, Mars averts disasters, Venus prevents warfare, and Saturn secures the four directions—ensuring the flourishing of families and the state. May the practitioner’s name be inscribed in the celestial registers, granting freedom to roam the Ten Heavens. Five-colored auspicious clouds form a canopy, summoning the gods and commanding myriad spirits to protect the Perfected and unite with the Dao.

Finally, the formal ritual commences: The ceremonial drum is struck twenty-four times (a fixed number in Daoist liturgy), followed by the Falu (Kindling the Furnace) rite. The supreme Three Pure Ones (Sanqing)—the Daoist trinity embodying the primordial energies of Mystery, Origin, and Beginning—are reverently invoked. The practitioner’s personal retinue of thirty-two guardian spirits, including merit officials, golden youths, and jade maidens, are summoned to solemnly prepare the altar. Local earth deities are also called upon to assist immediately, allowing the numinous qi of the Jade Clarity Realm and the wondrous light of Lingbao to descend. Thus, the prayers swiftly ascend to the presence of the Jade Emperor.

This scripture depicts the solemn scene of inviting deities during a Daoist Zhaijiao (ritual ceremony). The presiding priest, humbly referring to himself as "this minor minister," leads the congregation in devoutly summoning various celestial beings.

First, it lists the exalted titles of numerous deities to be invited, including the highest Daoist divinities—the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing: Yuanshi Tianzun, Taishang Daojun, Taishang Laojun), the Jade Emperor, the Thirty-Two Heavenly Sovereigns, the Four Directional Sovereigns (Eastern Florescence, Southern Pole, Western Numen, Northern Perfection), as well as the sacred beings residing in celestial palaces such as the Jade Capital of Mysterious Metropolis and the Seven-Jeweled Jasper Terrace of the Golden Tower. Also summoned are the guardian spirits of the Thirty-Six Sacred Scriptures and the immortal sages who attained the Dao throughout history, such as Mao Ying, patriarch of the Maoshan tradition.

The text describes the supreme power of these deities: they govern the forces of Yin and Yang, circulate the energies of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water), and disseminate teachings through golden texts and jade scriptures, nourishing all beings like spring breezes and sweet rain. The ceremony follows the orthodox regulations of the "Three Heavens" (Qingwei Heaven, Yuqing Heaven, and Dachi Heaven) and employs the esoteric methods of the Lingbao tradition (a major Daoist school) to connect the realms of heaven, earth, and humanity.

The presiding priest declares his sincere devotion in preparing this ritual, hoping to liberate departed souls (dispersing the deathly Qi through the dark passes) and assist them in attaining rebirth (marvelously generating spirit in the luminous realm). The congregation offers pious sacrifices (such as water-weeds, ancient ritual offerings), praying that the deities descend upon the sacred space in resplendent chariots (vermilion carriages and emerald palanquins), riding phoenixes and dark dragons.

Finally, the formal invitation is issued: "All perfected beings of the Three Realms and sacred guests of this ritual banquet," summoning the deities to assemble their celestial entourage and collectively welcome the arrival of the highest divinities. The ceremony demands strict adherence to liturgical protocols (such as proper courtesies and prostrations), reflecting the meticulous ritual structure of Daoist Zhaijiao.

This is a documentation of a Daoist Zhaijiao (grand purification ritual), describing the process where the ritual master leads devotees in making supplications to the deities.

At the commencement of the ceremony, the presiding master and attending officials arranged themselves in orderly reverence, collectively petitioning the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing, the highest triad of deities: Jade Pure, Upper Pure, and Supreme Pure), the Seven Celestial Sovereigns, and all venerated deities of the heavenly realm. The text employs imagery like "millet pearls" and "jasper green" to depict auspicious celestial scenes, portraying the assembly of deities amidst rosy clouds as they examine and record human virtues and transgressions.

The master humbly declares that while his heart remains pure as blank paper, his wisdom is limited. He can only reverently hold the golden phoenix tablets (Daoist ritual documents) and jade mandarin duck boards (ceremonial implements), conducting this ritual at this propitious moment when winds and clouds converge. They believe the deities' compassion showers like nourishing rain, ensuring mortal prayers will reach the celestial court.

The Qingci (prayer petitions written on blue-tinged paper) are then solemnly read aloud. The principal supplicator (Zhaizhu) addresses heaven and earth, expressing grief over departed kin—the pain of separation like severed flesh and bone, with endless longing through the long night. The deceased souls may suffer in the underworld, and only through divine power can liberation be attained. Thus they earnestly beseech the deities to dispatch immortal officials riding rainbow banners and resplendent cloud-chariots to descend upon the ritual altar.

The ceremony concludes with auspicious wishes: may departed souls escape underworld torment to ascend into the serene void; may the living have sins absolved and grievances resolved. With grateful hearts, the assembly prepares pure offerings, hoping the deities will recognize their sincerity and accept this sacred rite.

The text repeatedly employs specialized Daoist terminology like "nine-leopard passes" and "eight-phoenix escorts"—all referring to the ranked honor guards of different celestial beings—using these majestic images to manifest the awe-inspiring presence of descending deities. The entire ritual embodies the Daoist religious function of bridging heaven and humanity through Zhaijiao ceremonies to deliver departed souls.

This scripture passage depicts a sacrificial scene from a Daoist Zhaijiao (purification ritual), presenting three key dimensions of the ceremony:

First is the sacred atmosphere of the ritual. The text paints a celestial landscape: jade-green hands holding golden ritual implements, jeweled incense burners radiating light, with various precious ritual objects shining in mutual splendor. Immortal beings descend upon the altar platform, arriving in dragon-drawn chariots and phoenix-carriages, escorted by lions and elephants, creating a solemn and divine spectacle.

At the heart of the ceremony lies its primary purpose. The Zhai Master (ritual officiant) leads the assembled liturgical officials in presenting memorials to the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing - the Jade Pure, Upper Pure, and Supreme Pure deities) and the Seven Mystic Sovereigns. They seek to harness the power of the Three Celestial Realms and the Nine Earthly Spiritual Merits to deliver deceased souls. The ritual aims to cleanse the dead of karmic transgressions, release them from karmic debts, and elevate their spirits to the immortal realms, ultimately reaching the Azure Void (Biluo, the Daoist heavens) and the Jade Capital (Yujing, the highest celestial realm).

Finally, the text describes the blessings generated by the ritual. Prayers are offered for the deceased to attain spiritual awakening and radiant clarity of heart, while simultaneously bestowing protective blessings upon the Zhai Master's lineage. The officiant themselves may experience deepened Dao-realization, perfected Virtue (De), and receive the blessing of longevity. The entire ceremony serves as a sacred bridge between heaven and humanity, fulfilling the dual purpose of delivering souls and blessing the living.

The passage employs distinctive Daoist imagery and terminology, including "Three Pure Ones," "Azure Void," and "Jade Capital" - all central concepts in the Daoist cosmological framework representing different tiers of deities and celestial realms.

This scripture describes an elaborate Daoist zhaijiao ritual (a ceremonial practice for blessings and offerings), comprising three main sections:

First, it depicts auspicious omens being invoked: The Southern Mountain (symbolizing longevity) grows lingzhi mushrooms and immortal herbs, while the Eastern Sea (representing divine favor) brims with propitious energy. Families live in harmony with thriving descendants who carry forward ancestral teachings to benefit humanity. Prayers are offered for the Three Realms (heaven, earth, and the human world) to manifest blessings, ensuring harmonious circulation of the Five Phases' Qi (Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth energies). This brings calm winds and still clouds, stabilizes mountains and rivers, and purifies heaven and earth.

The text then expresses grander aspirations: May peace endure for countless generations, with abundant harvests of mulberry, hemp, millet and grain (representing agricultural prosperity). May common people thrive in their farming lives (evoked through images of tilling fields and carrying hoes). Let border regions know tranquility (signified by the absence of military alarms), forests remain uncut, and divine grace reach all living beings—even souls in the underworld attaining liberation (daoan referring to the Daoist concept of deliverance).

The climax presents the ritual's ceremonial peak: The chief officiant (designated as "this minister") leads all participating officials in reverent supplication to the Daoist pantheon. The invoked deities include: the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning (Daoism's supreme divinity), the Supreme Lord of the Dao, the Supreme Elder Lord, the Jade Emperor (all representing the Three Pure Ones), along with the celestial emperors of the four directions, guardian deities of the Thirty-Six Sacred Scriptures, and immortal sages from all grotto-heavens and blessed lands. The text emphasizes offering heaven the most sincere yet simple rites (referencing ancient ceremonial protocols of modest offerings). Though the incense smoke dwindles and candle flames fade, sincere devotion moves the divine as deities are respectfully escorted back to their celestial abodes (described as canopied chariots, jade terraces, and blossom palaces).

This passage describes the complete procedure for sending deities back to their celestial abodes at the conclusion of a Daoist zhaijiao (ritual purification ceremony). Before an altar adorned with precious jade, the Daoist priest performs reverent bows as his spirit ascends to the azure heavens (biluo referring to the celestial realm). He circulates primordial Qi to merge with the Dao, devoutly contemplating the majestic vision of the Crimson Palace (residence of the heart-mind). Through life-transforming rituals, he seeks entry into the realm of truth, gazing with awe upon the mysterious gateway (xuan'guan, the crucial point in spiritual cultivation).

The term "chen" (your servant) is the priest's self-reference, expressing utmost devotion and attachment to the deities, repeatedly kowtowing to respectfully send them back to the celestial realm. "Hui ping" refers to the deities' chariots returning, "fu lu" denotes the ritual retrieval of incense burners and ritual implements, "fen liao" indicates the burning of sacrificial offerings and documents, while "xianglai" marks the ceremony's successful completion. These terms all represent standard procedures in Daoist zhaijiao liturgy.

This text originates from Volume 112 of the Lingbao Lingjiao Jidu Jinshu (Golden Book of Salvation According to the Numinous Treasure Tradition), an important liturgical text of the Lingbao school (a major Daoist lineage). It meticulously documents the complete set of rituals for redeeming deceased souls and praying for blessings and disaster relief. Through these rigorous ceremonial protocols, Daoist priests facilitate communication between humans and deities, embodying the Daoist cultivation principle of "the unity of heaven and humanity."