《靈寶領教濟度金書》Vol. 229

This scripture documents the ritual procedures for concluding a Zhaijiao (purification ritual) ceremony in the Lingbao tradition of Daoism. At the commencement, the presiding high priest Ning Quanzhen leads the assembly in incense offerings and incantations, following specific protocols to properly conclude the sacred rites.

The participants first maintain reverent concentration, visualizing the protective presence of ancestral masters. They then recite the "Guardian Spirit Incantation," which summons the powers of the Five Planets (Mercury, Jupiter, Mars, Venus, and Saturn): Mercury dispels calamities, Jupiter brings vitality, Mars resolves disasters, Venus wards off warfare, and Saturn stabilizes the four directions—all petitioned for national prosperity. The incantation mentions deities whose names are recorded in the celestial jade registers, capable of riding winds and clouds through the ten directions, ultimately achieving "union with the Dao in perfect truth."

The priest then strikes the ritual drum twenty-four times, symbolizing communication across the Three Realms (heaven, earth, and the underworld). They invoke the highest Daoist deities—the "Three Original Qi (energies) of the Supreme Three Heavens" (Wushang Santian Xuanyuan Shi Sanqi) and Lord Lao (Taishang Laojun)—along with thirty-two guardian generals including merit officials (Gongcao) and jade maidens. Local earth deities are also summoned to bear witness, ensuring the ritual space remains pure so petitions may ascend to the highest heavens.

Finally, the priest offers incense on behalf of all participants, dedicating the ritual merits to the emperor, officials, teachers, fellow practitioners, relatives, and all sentient beings. Petitions are made to the Celestial Worthy of Numinous Treasure (Lingbao Tianzun) and the Nine Imperial Deities (Jiuchen Shangdi) to absolve karmic transgressions from past and present lives, preventing rebirth in the three wretched paths (hell, hungry ghosts, and animals), while delivering souls from the Five Sufferings (birth, aging, sickness, death, and other human hardships). Through this sacred liturgy, the ceremony facilitates divine communication and merit transference.

This passage is a confessional text from Daoist Zhaijiao (purification ritual) liturgy, describing the practitioner's process of repentance and supplication to celestial deities during the ceremony.

The practitioner begins by recounting their suffering amidst worldly tribulations, yet through cultivation has attained enlightenment of the Dao, ultimately aspiring to ascend to celestial realms and eternally unite with the Great Dao within the Seven-Jeweled Palace. With utmost humility, they then perform acts of contrition before the Limitless Great Dao of the Ten Directions (the supreme object of Daoist veneration) and the Celestial Worthy of Numinous Treasure (one of the Three Pure Ones).

During the ritual, the practitioner confesses that despite having erected solemn altars and unfurled sacred scriptures, they remain apprehensive about their inadequate cultivation—like feeling ashamed before vast oceans or fearful when crossing waters. They worry their ritual decorum lacks natural grace, and their meditative practice hasn't yet achieved profound resonance with the mystical realms, fearing potential violations of the Jade Statutes of Nüqing (Daoist precepts) and Golden Rules of Liturgy (Daoist ceremonial protocols).

With heartfelt sincerity, the practitioner implores the deities to pardon their ignorance, beseeching the descent of Dharma rain to nourish all beings and the mystical Dao-wind to cleanse the dusty world. They perform triple prostrations with deepest gratitude, repeating their petitions and bows three times, then reaffirming their ritual rank (level of cultivation attainment).

The text concludes by enumerating the specific deities being invoked: the Three Pure Ones (Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning, Celestial Worthy of Dao and Virtue, and Celestial Worthy of the Supreme Dao), the Jade Emperor, the Great Emperor of Longevity, thunder deities (including the Universal Transformation Heavenly Worthy and Thunder Ancestor Divine Emperor), the Four Directional Thearchs, water palace deities of the Cavernous Abyss, and various mountain-river-city gods. The practitioner humbly compares themselves to straw dogs and wooden roosters—crude and ignorant—yet fortunate to have encountered the true Dao. Though bearing the Eight Convergences script (esoteric Daoist writings), they've failed to penetrate its mysteries; though holding the Nine Radiance precious register (ritual implement), they've not attained the realm of the Inaudible and Imperceptible (the profound state of Dao).

This scripture describes a grand Daoist rain-prayer ceremony called the "Wondrous Thunder Fast." The ritual masters begin by expressing humility, acknowledging that though they dwell in the mundane world, they dare not neglect their duties while receiving the grace of heaven and earth.

The ceremonial preparations are extraordinarily elaborate: an eight-tiered altar (babi) is constructed, ten ritual gateways (shimen) are arranged, and a jade platform is erected at the center. Following the liturgical diagrams of the "Nine Numinous Openings Chart," sacred implements like embroidered banners and jade discs are placed in their designated "soaring mystery" positions. The entire fasting altar glitters magnificently, with hundred-harmony incense burning in the censers and lamps shining as brightly as the sun and moon.

The ceremony continues for several days and nights, primarily aimed at beseeching celestial rain, dispelling the drought demon (hanba), and commissioning divine dragons to distribute precipitation. The masters pray for withered crops to revive, fields to regain their verdure, and common people to be spared from famine.

At the conclusion, cloud gongs and moon chimes resound in gratitude for celestial benevolence. Special thanks are offered to the protective Three Caverns (sandong) spirit armies (Daoist guardian forces), the Nine Heavens' immortal beings, the fasting supervisors, and altar guardians—requesting their merits be recorded and ranks promoted according to the regulations of the "Supreme Truth Canon."

The final stage involves vow-making through incense offering and spirit visualization (cunshen). The masters invoke protector deities like the Incense Official Messengers and Dragon-Tiger Lords, praying for auspicious signs—golden fluids, cinnabar hues, and numinous fungi—to manifest spontaneously around the altar as host of perfected beings descend. This passage comprehensively presents the liturgical procedures and religious atmosphere of large-scale Song Dynasty Daoist zhaijiao ceremonies.

This scripture passage describes a crucial segment within Daoist zhaijiao (purification rituals), the grand ceremonial practices. Practitioners devoutly pray before incense burners, expressing their heartfelt wishes: that students of the Dao may truly comprehend its teachings, seekers of immortality may attain their transcendent destiny, participating officials may receive blessings, and all beings—whether in the yang realm of the living or the yin realm of spirits—may be graced with divine benevolence.

The text mentions how "immortal youths and jade maidens from the ten directions" (celestial attendants from all quarters) descend to receive the incense smoke, swiftly conveying the practitioners' petitions to the highest deities. Both the "Supreme God of the Infinite Great Dao and Three Pure Treasures" (Taishang Wuji Dadao Zhizhen Sanbao Shangdi) and the "Nine Imperial Sovereigns" (Jiuchen Dijun)—prominent deities within the Daoist pantheon—listen attentively to these supplications in their celestial courts.

When the ritual reaches the "exit hymn" (chutang song) phase, practitioners are guided behind ceremonial curtains to express gratitude toward their masters who transmitted the Daoist teachings. This excerpt originates from Volume 229 of the Lingbao Lingjiao Jidu Jinshu (Golden Book of Numinous Treasure Salvation Rituals), a pivotal text documenting large-scale salvation ceremonies. The term "orchid smoke" (lanyan) symbolizes high-quality ritual incense, representing the purity of sincere devotion.