《靈寶領教濟度金書》Vol. 165

The 165th volume of the Lingbao Lingjiao Jidu Jinshu records the ritual liturgy (Keyi) transmitted by the Daoist High Priest Ning Quanzhen. This section details the noon ceremony procedures for the "Preparatory Yellow Register Retreat" (a major salvation ritual for deceased souls) on its second day.

At the ritual's commencement, the officiating priest and participants reverently pay homage to ancestral masters while maintaining mental stillness and visualization. They then recite the "Guardian Spirit Incantation" to purify the altar space. The incantation's essence invokes the central Yellow Court's Qi to sever demonic roots and summons divine powers through the decrees of Lord Laozi (Taishang Laojun) to dispel calamities. It describes the cosmos brimming with auspicious energy, where the Purple Tenuity Enclosure (the Daoist celestial realm) envelops jade towers, flanked by Jade Maidens of the Azure Waist and Mushroom-bearing Youths. The host of perfected beings roam the Nine-Layered Heavens, descending upon the altar riding primordial Qi (Xiantian Yuanqi) to deliver all beings.

The priest then strikes the ritual drum twenty-four times (a crucial Daoist ceremonial act symbolizing communication across the Three Realms), solemnly inviting the Three Supreme Pure Ones (Yuqing, Shangqing, and Taiqing—the highest triad of deities). Simultaneously, they summon thirty-two divine assistants including the Duty Officers of Merit (heavenly administrators), Golden Boys and Jade Maidens, and the directional emperors' representatives, while notifying local earth deities to protect the altar.

Declaring the ongoing Preparatory Yellow Register Retreat (a salvation assembly), the priest devoutly petitions the Three Pure Ones (Yuanshi Tianzun, Lingbao Tianzun, and Daode Tianzun), the Jade Emperor, and the Thirty-Two Heavens' sovereigns. They beseech the primordial Dao-Qi from the Jade Pure Realm and the wondrous light of Lingbao to descend, purifying the altar's interior and exterior, pacifying the ten directions, and repelling demonic intrusions. The ceremony concludes with prayers for swift celestial transmission of the petition to the Jade Emperor's divine presence.

This scripture comprehensively presents the standard Daoist grand ritual procedures for divine invocation and altar purification, embodying the Daoist cosmology of "Heaven-Human resonance" and meticulous liturgical tradition. Technical terms like "Yellow Center's Strategic Qi" and "Purple Portal's Jade Embrace" uniquely express Daoist internal alchemy (Neidan) practices and celestial visions.

This scripture passage depicts a grand Daoist purification ritual (Zhaijiao), comprising several key elements:

The highest celestial deities (including the Thirty-Six Venerable Ones such as the Most True Luminous Sovereign Dao Lord of Numinous Treasure) descend to the ceremonial assembly alongside immortal adepts like the Perfected Lord Wang of Western Citadel and the Three Mao Perfected Lords of Maoshan. These divine beings originate from all Three Realms—celestial realms, netherworld domains, and sacred grotto-mountains.

The text vividly portrays auspicious signs accompanying the divine descent: celestial music (Biluo kongge) resounds through the heavens as violet mists swirl, with deities from the Five Directions converging. Notably, the "Seven Scriptures and Eight Classics" (core Daoist texts) transform into radiant light, while "vermilion texts with purple characters" (sacred celestial writings) illuminate the four quarters, manifesting the mystical power bridging heaven and earth.

The ritual patron (zhai host) participates with utmost devotion, having purified body and mind while gazing toward the celestial purple palaces and cinnabar platforms (immortal abodes). Contemplating life's brevity—how gray hairs arrive in the blink of an eye—he recognizes only Daoist cultivation can bestow the blessings of longevity.

The ceremony employs multiple esoteric methods: the Nine Precepts (ethical guidelines), Two Talismans (Fulu), and Three Registers (ordination documents) serve as sacred instruments. These possess the salvific power to "pierce through the Nine Netherworlds" and "ferry souls across the Five Sufferings" (deliverance functions).

The ritual culminates with a "Green Petition" (memorial to the celestial court) conveyed heavenward through reverent prostrations (tiger-style bows), expressing communal prayers for disaster relief and longevity blessings. The entire passage manifests the sacred communion between celestial and mortal realms characteristic of Daoist salvation rituals.

This scripture depicts a solemn Daoist noon ritual. The priests, adorned in magnificent ceremonial robes (fufu guanshang) and jade ornaments (gongshang huanpei), stand solemnly like egrets upon the ornate steps (hua'e zhi shi), processing in orderly formation like wild ducks. The sacred space shimmers with crimson fruits (zhu shi) interwoven with vermilion branches (jiang ke), while emerald groves (qian lin) radiate brilliance and jade-green boughs (bi gan) resonate with harmonious tones.

The assembly gazes upward at auspicious signs in the purple void (zixu), reverently prostrating before the august deities enthroned upon the cinnabar dais (dan yi). Radiance from the ten directions shines like sunlight, as auspicious clouds purify the three realms (sanji). Divine chariots of green and cinnabar (lü nian dan yu) gleam within the ceremonial procession, while mysterious dragons and vermilion phoenixes dance with transcendent grace. The priests pay homage to the Venerable of the Great Kalpa (hao jie zhi zun) and the Sages of the Void (xuwu zhi sheng), their devotion sunflower-like in its constancy (kui chen), praying for the descent of numinous blessings like celestial mushrooms (zhi ze), that heaven and earth may rejoice together.

The incense offering commences:

At the first burning, the sacred smoke ascends straight to the Supreme Treasure of the Dao (wushang zhi zhen daobao). With wholehearted devotion, the assembly kneels before the Three Supreme Venerables (Yuqing, Shangqing, and Taiqing), dedicating the merit to the emperor. They pray his virtue may surpass the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, bringing universal peace (ba yuan zai de) and civilized harmony (jiu gui tong ren). Concurrent prayers ascend for the imperial family's wellbeing, that ancestral spirits may ride dragon banners to celestial realms (fan long qi er yu jing), while virtuous ministers support the dynasty (fu feng li yi qi tian).

The second incense offering venerates the Supreme Treasure of Scriptures (zhi zhen jingbao), dedicating merit to the ritual patron (zhai zhu). They invoke blessings of sea-deep fortune and mountain-high longevity, that the patron may soar like the roc (yun peng) riding the winds for ten thousand miles, or rejoice like the celestial crane (feng he) calling across the nine heavens. May their lineage flourish eternally (yu shu chang qing), ancestral transgressions erased (xiao liu gong zhi zui bu), kindred united in transcendence (chong si ji zhi xian bian), their household fragrant as orchids (run shen wu zhi zhi lan).

Note: "Nian xiang" refers to the Daoist ritual sequence of multiple incense offerings. The "Three Venerables" denote 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). "Six Palaces" (liu gong) here references the Daoist purgatorial courts of judgment.

This scripture describes a solemn Daoist purification ritual (Zhaijiao). At midday, the ritual masters perform the sacred ceremony, holding incense sticks in reverent worship. The rising smoke symbolizes offerings to the supreme Sanqing deities (the Three Pure Ones: Yuanshi Tianzun, Taishang Daojun, and Taishang Laojun). All participants devote body and mind in prostration before the divine.

The masters pray for these virtuous deeds to spread throughout the world, that officials may govern with benevolence according to the Dao. The text employs poetic imagery—"shade of pear trees" represents benevolent governance, while "jackals and wolves" symbolize tyranny—expressing hope to alleviate suffering so people no longer wander like scattered wild geese. They further pray for border security, military achievements, and outstanding governance by local officials.

During the ceremony, the masters repeatedly extol the supreme virtue of ancient masters and enlightened sages who, having attained the Dao, merged completely with the Great Way, reaching formless transcendence. The ritual follows strict procedures: paying homage to the four directions (Lifang), confessing transgressions (Chanfang), subduing demonic forces (Mingmo), performing the cosmic dance (Buxu), along with triple invocations and triple prostrations.

Finally, the presiding master devoutly petitions all celestial deities—the Three Pure Ones, Celestial Masters (Tianshi), various immortals, and beings from the Three Realms. Humbly comparing himself to a feeble firefly yet aspiring to celestial flight, though his cultivation remains shallow, he seeks purification through the compassionate rain of Dharma. The ritual patron (Zhaizhu) participates with pilgrimage-like devotion, like rivers returning to the ocean or stars orbiting the polestar in this sacred Zhaijiao ceremony.

This scripture primarily discusses attaining blessings and eliminating calamities through Daoist cultivation practices, achieving auspicious well-being in both this life and the hereafter. It depicts how worldly people are constantly troubled by various desires and afflictions—like turbulent muddy waves and pervasive dark mists—with the Three Corpses (sanshi, the three malevolent spirits believed to reside within the human body in Daoism) waiting to cause chaos, and all kinds of karmic obstacles entangling them. The karmic retribution from ancestors and the entanglements of karmic creditors must all be resolved through spiritual practice.

The text prays for celestial officials to bestow noble ranks (referring to immortal positions), hoping the Heavenly Emperor's grace can cleanse sins and transgressions. Golden talismans (Daoist ritual implements) shine brilliantly to initiate rebirth, while jade decrees (edicts from the Heavenly Emperor) fly swiftly to illuminate the darkness, enabling the salvation of departed souls and the resolution of grievances. It paints a beautiful vision of the rewards of cultivation: like a spring breeze brushing through courtyards, autumn moonlight shining through windows, jade emitting radiant light, blessings and longevity extending endlessly—ultimately culminating in the return to the womb for rebirth and attainment of immortality.

The concluding section is a vow recited during rituals, inviting protective deities such as the Incense Official Messengers and the Dragon-Tiger Lords to descend upon the ritual altar. It prays for the spontaneous generation of sacred elixirs like the Golden Nectar (a Neidan term referring to precious alchemical substances) and the Essence of Lingzhi (the quintessence of the Ganoderma mushroom) within the cultivation space, enabling practitioners to attain the Dao and achieve immortality. It further seeks blessings for the ritual participants (zhaizhu), with both the realms of yin and yang receiving divine grace. The text implores immortal youths and jade maidens to guard the sacred incense smoke, swiftly conveying these prayers to the presence of the Jade Emperor.

The passage employs numerous distinctive Daoist symbols and terminology, such as "Three Peng" (another name for the Three Corpses), "Two Imps" (referring to disease demons), "Northern Office" (the underworld bureaucracy), and "Southern Chang" (the Palace of Longevity), showcasing Daoism's religious functions in saving souls, praying for blessings, and dispelling disasters.

The Lingbao Lingjiao Jidu Jinshu (Precious Scripture of Lingbao Salvation) is a pivotal text of the Lingbao tradition in Daoism, primarily documenting liturgical rituals (Keyi) for redeeming deceased souls and dispelling calamities. Scroll 165 provides meticulous details on ceremonial procedures and incantation formulas.

This scripture delineates the ritual protocols Daoist priests must observe when performing salvation rites. First, a sacred altar space must be established—the ceremonial ground for Daoist rituals—complete with incense tables and ritual implements. The presiding priest, robed in ceremonial vestments and holding a jade tablet (a ritual object symbolizing celestial decrees), engages in devout visualization (a meditative practice to commune with deities).

The ceremony commences with the recitation of the Lingbao Zhongpian (Middle Chapter of Numinous Treasure), a scripture invoking divine presence. This is followed by the practice of "Pacing the Celestial Net and Treading on the Dipper" (Bugang Tadou)—a ritual dance mimicking cosmic patterns through specific directional steps—accompanied by mudra gestures (hand seals) and mantra chanting.

When redeeming lost souls, the priest burns fulu (talismanic writings inscribed with Daoist mystical scripts) while reciting specialized salvation incantations. The text particularly emphasizes that the officiating priest must maintain inner purity and unified shen (spirit) and form to achieve divine resonance, thereby effecting the deliverance of wandering souls.