《靈寶領教濟度金書》Vol. 113

This passage describes the ritual liturgy (Keyi) for redeeming departed souls from the Lingbao Lingjiao Jidu Jinshu (Golden Book of Lingbao Salvation Through Teaching). In the ceremony, Daoist priests confess the sins of the deceased to deities of the four directions, praying for their deliverance.

The ritual begins with priests entering the sacred altar area, performing the "Pacing the Void" (a Daoist ritual gait), then kneeling toward the east. Burning incense, they offer prayers confessing on behalf of the departed: "This soul through countless rebirths was blinded by worldly desires—ears addicted to music, eyes craving beauty, tongue pursuing delicacies, nose drawn to fragrances, mouth spreading gossip, and heart making distinctions between self and others. Having failed to uphold the Dao and De (Virtue/Power), never eliminating the Three Poisons (greed, anger, and delusion—a Buddhist concept adopted in Daoism), and lacking repentance or spiritual practice, their accumulated karmic offenses remain recorded in the underworld courts (Xuan Cao), their name inscribed on the Jade Registers (the underworld's book of life and death). Now deceased, the soul sinks into darkness, and only through sincere repentance can salvation be attained."

The priests then beseech the Infinite Supreme Lingbao Heavenly Worthy of the East (a major Daoist deity), the Nine Qi (Nine Energies) Heavenly Lords (deities governing the nine celestial energies), and all eastern divinities to show compassion. They petition for the deceased's sins to be absolved in the Eastern Peak's Tai Mountain Prefecture (one of Daoism's underworld administrations) and the eastern wind-and-thunder hells, that the soul may escape darkness and regain illumination. All karmic obstructions should dissolve, grievances resolve, allowing ascent to heavenly realms—to reach the blessed land of Hua Lin's tranquil wisdom (an idealized Daoist paradise) where clothing and nourishment abound, and both form and spirit (Xing and Shen) attain perfection. Ultimately, the soul merges with the Dao, transcending material existence.

The ritual then turns southward, repeating similar confessional texts while appealing to the Southern Infinite Supreme Lingbao Heavenly Worthy and the Three Qi Heavenly Lords (deities governing the three celestial energies). This four-directional penitential liturgy embodies Daoist religious practice—through veneration of directional deities and confession of sins—to redeem the departed.

This scripture is a ritual document from Daoist practice for the salvation of departed souls, primarily invoking deities from the four directions to absolve the deceased's sins and assist their liberation from purgatorial suffering.

First comes the invocation to the southern deities: With reverent incense offerings, we devote our body, mind, and life essence to the divine powers, seeking repentance for the departed. The deceased, during their earthly life, indulged in sensual pleasures, coveted beauty and delicacies, engaged in gossip and disputes, harbored discriminatory thoughts, and failed to uphold the principles of Dao (the Way) and De (Virtue), thus accumulating numerous karmic burdens. Now submerged in the netherworld's darkness, they can only rely on the southern deities' compassion. We specifically beseech the Fire Official of Mount Heng's celestial administration (the deity governing southern fire purgatories) to pardon the deceased's punishments in the fiery realms, guiding them from darkness back to light. May all their sins be cleansed, grievances resolved, and may they ascend to the Brahma heavens where clothing and nourishment abound, their form and Shen (spirit) perfected, ultimately achieving unity with the Dao.

The prayer then turns westward: With similar incense offerings and confessions of the deceased's transgressions, we implore the Metal Official of Mount Hua's administration (deity overseeing western metal purgatories) to release the departed from punishments in the vajra hells. May their karmic obstructions be purified, ascending to the golden radiance of beneficial realms, ultimately attaining Dao-realization and celestial ascension.

The northern section follows the same structure, through confession and supplication seeking the deceased's liberation from northern hells. The phrase "failing to uphold the four cardinal virtues" refers to lapses in propriety, righteousness, integrity, and shame; "three delusions" denotes the fundamental confusions of greed, anger, and ignorance; while "primordial fasting decorum" indicates essential Zhaijiao (purification rituals) in Daoist practice. The entire ceremony, through repentant prayers to deities of the four directions, facilitates the departed soul's progressive salvation across layers of existence, ultimately reaching the perfected state of "merging with the Dao in truth."

This scripture serves as a ritual document in Daoist practice for the salvation of departed souls, primarily describing how incense offerings and repentance can help spirits escape the suffering of hell. The mentioned "Most High Numinous Treasure Celestial Worthy of the Northern Wuji" and "Most High Numinous Treasure Celestial Worthy of the Northeastern Wuji" are both revered Daoist deities who oversee the deliverance of souls.

The text first invokes the northern deity to absolve the soul's transgressions, liberating it from the Northern Frozen Ice Hell (Mingling Hell), eradicating all karmic obstacles, resolving enmities, and ultimately guiding it to the pure and beautiful celestial realm (Yudan Pure Realm). There, the departed spirit will receive naturally provided sustenance and clothing, achieving perfection in both form and spirit (Xingshen jumiao), ultimately merging with the Great Dao (Dahe).

It then turns to the northeastern direction, similarly beseeching the deity to deliver the soul from the Northeastern Boiling Cauldron Hell (Huotang Hell), elevating it to the Realm of Blessed Joy (Fuji Changle Realm). The southeastern invocations follow similar patterns, all serving to repent for the deceased's worldly transgressions.

The text meticulously enumerates various faults committed during the departed's lifetime: indulgence in sensual pleasures (ears intoxicated by music), craving luxurious sights (eyes enchanted by splendor), gluttony for delicacies (tongue coveting flavors), obsession with fragrances (nose craving aromas), gossip-mongering (mouth confused by disputes), and egoistic discrimination (mind separating self from others). These transgressions caused the soul's descent into hell, requiring deliverance through repentance rituals conducted by Daoist priests.

The entire ceremony employs incense burning, repentance, and supplication to harness divine power in liberating souls from infernal suffering, ultimately attaining the perfected state where "form and spirit both reach sublimity" and "union with the Dao is achieved." This embodies the Daoist religious ideals of soul salvation and transcendental pursuit.

This scripture is a ritual document for Daoist salvation of the deceased, detailing the practice of offering incense, confessing transgressions, and beseeching divine pardon to liberate souls from the torments of hell. The text makes supplications to three directions—southeast, southwest, and northwest—each following a similar structure:

First, it describes the sins committed by the deceased in life: indulging in sensory pleasures (ears chasing music, eyes coveting beauty, tongue craving delicacies, nose relishing fragrances), spreading discord with words, clinging to egoistic distinctions in the heart, and violating moral principles (failing to uphold the "Four Virtues"). Deluded by the Three Poisons (greed, hatred, and ignorance), they neglected repentance and self-cultivation during their lifetime.

Next, it explains how these transgressions were recorded in the ledgers of the underworld (the "Jade Registers of Faults"), condemning the deceased to the depths of hell ("sinking through nine nights"). Now, through the burning of incense and ritual practice (烧香行道, shāoxiāng xíngdào) and public confession (发露祈恩, fālù qí'ēn), they seek forgiveness from the Celestial Venerables and deities of all directions.

The text then petitions the deities of each direction: in the southeast, it invokes the Infinite Supreme Numinous Treasure Celestial Venerable (无极太上灵宝天尊, Wújí Tàishàng Língbǎo Tiānzūn) and the divine officials of that region; in the southwest, it calls upon the Heavenly Lord of Brahma Qi (梵炁天君, Fànqì Tiānjūn) and the spirits of that quarter; the northwest has its corresponding pantheon. They implore these deities to command the infernal bureaucracies (雷霆司, Léitíng Sī—Thunder Office; 地官司, Dìguān Sī—Earth Office) to extract souls from tortures like the Copper Pillar Hell and the Butchering Hell (拔度魂仪, bádù húnyí), halting their torment (断除考对, duànchú kǎoduì).

Finally, it prays for the souls to escape darkness (出离幽暗, chūlí yōu'àn) and behold light (得睹光明, dédǔ guāngmíng), with all sins dissolved (万罪荡除, wànzuì dàngchú) and grievances reconciled (冤仇和释, yuānchóu héshì). May they be reborn in blessed realms (福田用贤之界, fútián yòngxián zhī jiè; 妙严碧霞之乡, miàoyán bìxiá zhī xiāng—names of paradises corresponding to each direction), where food and clothing arise spontaneously (衣食自然, yīshí zìrán). May their form and spirit be refined (形神俱妙, xíngshén jù miào), ultimately merging with the Dao (升入无形, shēngrù wúxíng; 和与道合真, hé yǔ Dào hézhēn).

The term "Infinite Supreme Numinous Treasure Celestial Venerable" refers to one of Daoism's highest deities. "Qi" (炁) denotes primordial energy, while the "Four Virtues" (四维, sìwéi) represent Confucian moral pillars like propriety and integrity. The "Three Poisons" (三惑, sānhuò) mirror Buddhism's greed, hatred, and delusion. The ritual exemplifies Daoist soteriology, combining confession, divine intercession, and cosmic alignment to redeem the dead.

This scripture is a ritual document from Daoism for the salvation of deceased souls, expressing repentance for sins and beseeching divine forgiveness and deliverance for the departed. The text repeatedly invokes deities from three directions—the northwest, the upper realm, and the lower realm—with similar formats but different recipients.

The general meaning is as follows: During their lifetime, the deceased indulged in sensory desires—their eyes lusted after beauty, their ears reveled in music, their tongues craved delicacies, their noses delighted in fragrances, their mouths spread gossip, and their hearts clung to distinctions between self and others (attachment to dualistic thinking). They failed to uphold moral principles (the Four Virtues) and were unable to dispel the Three Poisons of greed, hatred, and delusion (the Three Confusions). Even on important fasting days (Yuanla), they neglected repentance. By violating ritual precepts (Keyi), they accumulated grave sins, recorded in the jade registers of the underworld (Xuan Cao). After death, their souls sank into the hells (Nine Nights). Only through sincere repentance, incense offerings, and ritual practice can they beseech the Supreme Lingbao Heavenly Worthy of the Northwest/Upper Wuji (one of the highest deities in Daoism) and the celestial officials to manifest their compassion and grant absolution.

The text specifically implores the divine officers overseeing the Hell of Fiery Chariots (a Daoist hell) in the northwest and the Puluo Hell in the upper realm to cease torturing the deceased (interrogation) and release them from darkness into light. It seeks to cleanse all sins, resolve grievances, and guide the soul to the blessed realms of Fude Yanxian or the immortal paradise of Yujing Ziwei (a Daoist celestial realm). There, they may enjoy abundant sustenance naturally bestowed, achieving the state where both form and spirit are perfected (Xingshen Ju Miao). Ultimately, they merge with the Dao (uniting with the Dao in truth), transcending material constraints (ascending into formlessness).

The phrase "burning incense and practicing the Dao" refers to a common Daoist ritual of communicating with deities through incense offerings. "Xingshen Ju Miao" describes the state attained through cultivation where both the physical body and the spirit (Shen) are simultaneously sublimated. The ritual officiants refer to themselves as "we, your servants" (Chen Deng), humbly petitioning the deities. The invocations to deities of the three directions share similar content but correspond to different hells and celestial realms, reflecting the Daoist cosmological framework where directions are associated with specific divine beings.

This scripture is a Daoist liturgical text (Keyi) for the salvation of deceased souls, expressing repentance and prayers for the departed's deliverance.

The text first enumerates the various faults commonly committed during earthly life: ears indulging in decadent music (gongshang referring to musical tones), eyes coveting luxurious garments, the tongue craving delicacies, the nose seeking fragrant scents, the mouth spreading gossip, and the heart making distinctions between self and others. By failing to uphold moral principles (Siwei, the Four Cardinal Bonds) and being unable to eradicate the Three Poisons of greed, hatred, and delusion, even during important festivals (Yuanla, the New Year and Winter Solstice), one neglects repentance and violates precepts, resulting in sins being recorded on the jade tablets of the celestial court (Xuancao). After death, the soul sinks into the darkness of the underworld (Jiuye, Nine Nights), and only through sincere repentance can salvation be attained.

It then beseeches the boundless compassion of the Celestial Worthy of Numinous Treasure (Lingbao Tianzun, one of the highest Daoist deities) from the Ten Directions, the Heavenly Lord of Primordial Qi (Fanqi Tianjun, a deity governing primal energy), and various divine officials to pardon the sins of the deceased. Special supplication is made to the underworld officials to cease their interrogations of the wandering soul, allowing the departed to escape darkness and return to light, erasing all karmic debts and resolving grievances. May the soul reach the pure realm of utmost yin (the Lotus Pure Land or the Land of Tenfold Splendor), receiving natural sustenance, with both form and spirit (Xing-Shen) liberated. Ultimately, may it merge with the Dao, attaining the supreme state of formless transcendence.

The concluding "Chutang Song" (Hymn of Departure) indicates that this scripture originates from Volume 113 of the Lingbao Lingjiao Jidu Jinshu (The Golden Book of Salvation According to the Numinous Treasure Tradition), a key text of the Lingbao school for soul salvation. The entire ritual, through incense offerings, ceremonial practice, repentance, and vows, seeks divine intervention for the deliverance of souls, embodying the Daoist ideal of "universal salvation for all beings" (Jidu Zhongsheng) through compassionate action.