《靈寶領教濟度金書》Vol. 214

This scripture is a key liturgical text of the Lingbao tradition in Daoism, detailing the "Single Court Processional Rite" invocation from the Zhaijiao purification ceremony. It involves supplications to deities of the five directions (east, south, west, north, center), each with specific divine beings and incantations.

Eastern Section:

The prayer addresses the azure celestial realm formed from the Nine Qi (nine primordial energies), where the radiant light of the Morning Star illuminates the east. It mentions the guardian deity Opening Light Youth (Kaiming Tongzi), also called Mysterious Minister (Xuanqing), who dispels impurities and subdues demons. The supplication seeks divine protection for the ritual altar, upholding orthodox practice through the celestial decrees (Fulu) of the Nine Heavens to stabilize the world and aid practitioners in achieving transcendence.

Southern Section:

The invocation calls upon the crimson celestial realm formed from the Three Qi, where the shimmering light of Mars (Yinghuo) revolves. The True Man of Red Essence (Chijing Zhenren), in union with the Venerable Emptiness (Xuhuang), manifests as the Opening Light Spirit Youth named Magnificent Abode (Huafang), commanding fiery celestial troops. The prayer seeks to eradicate evil forces, invoking the wind-fire power bestowed by the Northern Emperor (Beidi) to protect the altar and propagate the true Dao.

Western Section:

The appeal is made to the white celestial realm formed from the Seven Qi, illuminated by the brilliance of Venus (Taibai). The White Sovereign (Suhuang), known as Imperial Numen (Diling), brings spiritual protection and bodily security. The supplication seeks to sever malign influences, promote royal virtue, and establish majestic palaces to assist practitioners in ascending to the Purple Court (ziting, celestial abode).

Northern Section:

The invocation addresses the black celestial realm formed from the Five Qi, where the shimmering light of Mercury (Chenxing) shines. The Black Numen Sovereign named Layered Might (Cengwei) commands flying celestial hosts. The prayer seeks guardianship over the five directional gates, capture of evil entities, and suppression of the eight directions with jade talismans (Yufu), obstructing heterodoxy while flourishing the true path.

Central Section:

The supplication turns to the yellow celestial realm formed from the Primordial Qi (Yiqi), harmonizing the Yin-Yang of heaven and earth. This central deity governing Mysterious Truth (Xuanzhen) balances cosmic energies. Through this harmonization, practitioners may achieve unity with the Dao.

In ritual practice, Daoist priests accompany these chants with specific mudras, ritual steps (Bugang), and ritual implements while bowing to each direction. Each directional incantation contains unique stellar lords, divine titles, and protective functions, embodying the Daoist cosmology of "five directions corresponding to the Five Phases." The chants serve to purify the ritual space and summon divine protection.

This scripture passage describes the scene of invoking deities during a Daoist purification ritual (Zhaijiao), consisting of three main sections:

The first part contains the deity-invocation incantation. The Saturn star (Zhenxing) radiates light illuminating the Nine Heavens, where resides an immortal named "Enlightened Youth" (Kaiming Tongzi), bearing the Daoist title "Celestial Luminary" (Tianlin). He releases pure Yang Qi (vital energy) that transforms into crimson mist illuminating heaven and earth, while also blessing the practitioners present. This incantation can dispel hundreds of evil influences and exterminate countless malevolent spirits, with the mighty Central Mountain Divine Incantation manifesting its power throughout the cosmos. When the Five Deities peacefully preside over the four directions, practitioners may ascend to immortality.

The second section outlines the ritual procedure. The ceremonial drum must be struck twenty-four times, followed by the "Kindling the Incense Burner" (Falu) rite to invite the deities, during which the presiding priest declares his ritual identity. The chief officiant identifies himself as "Your subject [name], executor of the Mysterious Numinous Jade Pivot Sublime Purification Ritual," joining all attending ritual officers (Lintan Guanzhong) in solemnly inviting the honored deities.

The final portion lists the deities being invoked in hierarchical order: Primordial Heavenly Worthy (Yuanshi Tianzun, head of the Three Pure Ones), Supreme Lord of the Dao (Taishang Daojun), Supreme Venerable Sovereign (Taishang Laojun), followed by the Jade Emperor, Purple Tenuity Emperor and other stellar deities. Special attention is given to the Nine Imperial Stars of the Northern Dipper (the seven stars - Greedy Wolf, Giant Gate, Storehouse of Wealth, Civil Excellence, Pure and Incorruptible, Martial Might, Army Breaker - plus the two auxiliary stars Left Support and Right Assistant), along with the Three Officials and the Sixty Jiazi Destiny Stars, totaling hundreds of deities. The text explains these deities each govern specific domains, managing all creation like celestial officials, regulating the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) and Seven Governance (sun, moon and five planets) through stellar movements, overseeing all living beings in the world.

This scripture describes an elaborate Daoist Zhaijiao (purification ritual), where priests devoutly offer prayers to the supreme deity, the "Most True and Supreme Celestial Worthy of Dao's Treasure." The ceremony brims with sacred solemnity: the priests wear the "Sanwu Huoluo Registers" (Daoist talismanic credentials) symbolizing celestial official ranks, chanting scriptures amidst exquisitely arranged altars while incense smoke coils upward, with rainbow canopies and jeweled parasols shimmering in mutual radiance.

The ritual unfolds through several key stages: First, the Zhai Master (the presiding devotee) sincerely repents, acknowledging that although born endowed with heaven-and-earth's righteous Qi (vital energy), they inevitably became tainted by worldly impurities, hoping through contrition to gain divine forgiveness. The altar arrangement is meticulously designed, with jade zithers playing and gem-studded ritual vessels displayed, while auspicious signs like azure mists, white clouds, purple auroras, and emerald fogs seemingly appear in the sky, symbolizing the descent of various immortals.

The priests conduct incense offerings through two phases: "Initial Incense Offering" and "Secondary Incense Offering." The rising smoke symbolizes offerings to the Celestial Worthy, praying for the emperor's longevity, national peace, the crown prince and nobles' capable governance, and harmonious imperial households. Finally, all participants vow to "unite with Dao and embody truth," aspiring to merge with the Great Dao and attain longevity.

The text employs distinctive Daoist imagery: "Nine Ling Zhengqi" refers to the pure primordial Qi (vital energy); "Three Karmic Delusion-Dusts" denotes faults of body, speech, and mind; "rainbow banners and jeweled canopies" represent celestial processions; while "Nine-Light Jade Wheels" and "Seven-Treasure Throne" depict the Celestial Worthy's sacred realm. The entire ceremony embodies Daoism's religious pursuit of connecting heaven and humanity through solemn ritual.

This passage is a ritual prayer text from the Daoist scripture Lingbao Lingjiao Jidu Jinshu, primarily consisting of two parts: blessings for the ritual sponsor and the practitioner's own cultivation aspirations.

First, the practitioner, with utmost sincerity, bows and offers prayers to the Supreme Most True Scripture-Treasure Celestial Worthy (one of the highest deities in Daoism). Prostrating in reverence, they dedicate these merits to the ritual sponsor (the host of the Zhaijiao purification ritual), wishing for the sponsor’s mind to be purified, their innate nature clarified, and blessings as vast as the heavens covering and the earth supporting them. The phrase "jade trees ever-renewed" symbolizes eternal vitality, while "golden blossoms strengthened" represents the stability of Jing (essence), Qi (vital energy), and Shen (spirit). "Crescent moon" refers to the Dantian (energy center), and "circling winds" alludes to the cyclical flow of breath. The practitioner prays for the sponsor’s household to flourish like fragrant orchids and thriving catalpa trees.

Next comes the incense-burning ritual. Through the threefold offering of incense (a ritual gesture performed three times), the practitioner sends the fragrant smoke upward to the celestial realm as an offering to the Celestial Worthy. They pray that the incense’s blessings may spread universally, bringing peace and prosperity to the world, ushering in an era where phoenixes descend (an auspicious omen), ensuring stability in border regions, harmony among the people, and the natural flourishing of all things. The term "eight wildernesses as a realm of longevity" signifies universal peace, while "empty round gates" metaphorically represents prisons devoid of inmates, symbolizing a crime-free society.

The second part consists of the practitioner’s personal cultivation prayers, expressed in three verses. The first verse describes the practitioner’s commitment to the Daoist teachings, upholding precepts and refining the self, attaining protection from celestial spirits through serenity and detachment. The second verse prays for national prosperity and the widespread transmission of the scriptures, seeking through cultivation to elevate seven generations of ancestors to the heavens. The third verse expounds on the profundity of the "Great Dao," affirming that sincere practice enables transcendence beyond the Three Realms (the realms of desire, form, and formlessness) and liberation from the Five Sufferings of hell (the pains of birth, aging, sickness, and death), ultimately achieving unity with the Dao.

The concluding "Threefold Homage" refers to the ceremonial bowing to the Three Treasures—the Dao, the scriptures, and the master—an essential Daoist ritual. The entire passage embodies the Daoist ideal of balancing salvation for all beings with self-cultivation, encompassing both worldly blessings and the pursuit of transcendence beyond life and death.

With utmost sincerity, we bow in reverence to the Supreme Dao (Taishang Wuji Dadao, the highest belief in Daoism).

With utmost sincerity, we bow in reverence to the Thirty-Six Sacred Scriptures (the collective term for important Daoist classics).

With utmost sincerity, we bow in reverence to the Great Masters of the Mysterious Center (important patriarchs of Daoism).

Reaffirming our ritual identity: We, practitioners of the Mysterious Lingxuan Xuanji Sublime Purification Rite, together with all the officiants present at this ceremony, devoutly report to the venerable deities:

We respectfully address the ancestral masters of the Northern Dipper Star Palace—the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning (Yuanshi Tianzun) of the Dongzhen Great Dao, the Supreme Lord of the Dao (Taishang Daojun) of the Dongxuan Great Dao, and the Supreme Venerable Lord (Taishang Laojun) of the Dongshen Great Dao; we address the Jade Emperor, the Great Heavenly Lord of the Mysterious Vault (Yuhuang Datiandi Xuangao Shangdi); we address the Supreme Heavenly Emperor of the Dipper and the Purple Tenuity Emperor, ruler of the Dipper; we address the Exalted Jade Sovereign Emperor of the Northern Dipper and the Mysterious Sovereign Emperor of the Jade Abode; we address the Great Sage of the Central Heaven, the Nine Luminaries of the Northern Dipper, and their nine imperial consorts and nine underworld concubines; as well as all the true spirits presiding over the Mysterious Court of the Dipper.

We have heard: When scriptures were transmitted in the Great Scarlet Heaven (one of the highest celestial realms in Daoism), the Jade Bureau (a sacred site of scripture transmission) was especially revered on earth; when the Shenxiao School established its teachings, celestial diagrams of golden radiance descended from the heavens. We gaze upon the majesty of the Mysterious Lingxuan Treasure Texts and admire the brilliance of the Xuanji Jade Compendium—these scriptures penetrate the Three Caverns (Dongzhen, Dongxuan, Dongshen) and connect with the Nine Pure Heavens (the nine celestial realms of Daoism).

These scriptures can revive the dead, illuminating the lamp of wisdom on the path of delusion; they dispel calamities and difficulties, steering the boat of compassion through confusion. Sincere veneration brings divine protection, causing demonic obstacles to retreat and malevolent spirits to hide. All who devoutly take refuge may attain health and peace.

Today, the patron of this purification rite (a certain person) reverently bows before the Purple Purity Heaven, offering his crimson heart in utmost sincerity. Though he has received the Central Qi (primordial energy) of heaven and earth, his spiritual nature remains ordinary; though endowed with the nobility of the Three Powers (heaven, earth, and humanity), he has strayed from the true Dao and fallen into heterodox paths. We fear that the Five Thieves (eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and body) disturb his inner being, churning the still waters (his nature) into turbulent waves; the Three Corpses (Sanshi spirits) wreak havoc, and the mountain of Dao (the path of cultivation) is lost on treacherous slopes. His ears confuse elegant music, his eyes are entranced by lavish attire; he craves delicacies to satisfy his appetite and seeks fine garments to adorn his body. Fragrances entering his nose become pollution, and worldly splendor entering his heart deepens delusion. Unaware of repentance on auspicious days like Gengshen and Jiazi, he knows not to seek blessings and avert disasters during his Original Destiny (the year corresponding to his birth star). The Four Offices (Siming, Silu, Sifei, Siwei) record his faults, and the Five Directional Emperors inscribe his transgressions. He disregards life and loses his true nature without realizing it—how could he understand the way to preserve life and prolong his years? He vainly pursues birds flying at the horizon (a metaphor for futile desires), yet in a blink, he finds himself in the twilight of life; he prays to the courier horse within his body (a metaphor for primordial Qi) but knows not how to nurture it.

This passage presents a devotional prayer from a Daoist purification ritual (Zhaijiao), depicting the scene of devotees earnestly making supplications to the deities. With sunflower-like devotion turning toward the divine light, practitioners conduct ceremonies before the sacred altar (Zhitan), opening precious Daoist scriptures (Ruiji) to seek profound mysteries.

During the ritual, the practitioner petitions the supreme deity (Yuanhuang) for blessings, beseeching the Great Bear Star Lord (Douji) to witness their repentant heart and sincere aspiration to return to the true way. They hope their name may be inscribed in the celestial registers (Qingjian, Dantai) and request the Celestial Worthy of Dao and De (Daode Guanjun) to dispel calamities, while invoking immortal officials (Weiquan Xianli) to safeguard their household.

The text expresses the practitioner’s pursuit of noble virtue: a mind as pure as ice, and steps refined in elegance. They pray for the radiance of the stars (Zhuxing, Biyue) to bless the elderly with peaceful longevity (maodie) and children with healthy growth (chentiao). May ancestors attain transcendence, descendants flourish, and the family be graced with the Five Blessings (Wufu), enduring prosperity for generations (bailing shangu).

The prayer then expands to grander aspirations: may heaven and earth harmonize (Tianyuan chengyan, Diji anning), the sun and moon move in perfect order (Eryao lianzhu, Wuxing hebi), the seasons bring favorable weather (Yuzhu), and auspicious signs abound (Siling kai souze zhi xiang). May crops yield abundant harvests (Jinrang baigu), plants thrive, and the realms of Yin and Yang coexist in harmony.

Finally, the ritual procedure is described: the practitioner offers incense and prayers, inviting celestial envoys such as the Incense Official (Xiangguan shizhe) and the Dragon-Tiger Lords (Longhu jun) to descend upon the altar. They pray that seekers of the Dao may attain enlightenment (xuedao dedao, qiuxian dexian), and all participants in the ritual receive blessings (zhaiguan mengfu). May immortal youths and jade maidens from the ten directions convey these prayers to the supreme Nine Celestial Sovereigns (Jiuhuang Yuchen Daojun).

The text concludes by noting that this forms part of the complete liturgy (Keyi) recorded in the Lingbao Lingjiao Jidu Jinshu, including vows, spirit meditation (cunshen), and incense offerings, ending with the "Chutang Song" hymn and expressions of gratitude to the transmitting master (Xieshi).