《靈寶領教濟度金書》Vol. 28

This scripture records the invocation procedures used by the Lingbao (Numinous Treasure) school—one of Daoism's major lineages—during rituals to liberate departed souls. The ceremony begins with preparatory steps: priests perform the Pacing the Void (a ritual dance mimicking celestial patterns), sprinkle purified water to cleanse the altar, and offer incense.

At the Lingbao Mystic Altar, the presiding priest lights incense and petitions various deities: local City Gods (Cheng Huang), Earth Deities (Tudi Shen), and celestial overseers from the void are summoned to witness the rite. Through these fragrant offerings, the priest implores their assistance in guiding the deceased.

The text describes the wheel of rebirth ever-turning, while the Qi of the Great Dao (Dao) permeates both Yin and Yang realms. The power of the Northern Dipper (Ursa Major) illuminates the underworld (symbolized by the Northern Fengdu, capital of ghosts), while the authority of the Three Officials (Heaven, Earth, and Water) enacts Daoist ordinances. Heavenly decrees fall like frost, earthly commands flash like thunder—their edicts pierce the celestial courts above and the Yellow Springs below, forging a path for the departed.

The ritual sponsor (Zhaizhu) seeks liberation for a specific deceased individual, having already submitted memorials to the celestial bureaucracy for approval. Now, under the silent night sky ablaze with stars, the altar displays rare delicacies (Zhi Zhuan) and orchid-scented holy water (Lan Tang)—the perfect moment to summon the divine.

The scripture then sequentially invokes three groups of spirits: First, the Tiger Generals and Jade Maidens from the Northern Mystic Exemplar Bureau; next, the Nine Heavens officials from the Azure Mystery Yellow Register Office, specialists in soul retrieval; finally, the immortal officers from the Mystic Terrace Inner Censorate tasked with summoning spirits. Each invocation repeats the refrain: "May your cloud chariots descend, your immortal retinue appear," beseeching their manifest presence to aid the souls' deliverance.

This passage depicts a Daoist Zhaijiao (purification ritual) ceremony for summoning deities and liberating souls of the deceased. With utmost sincerity, the priest first invites the chief commander, deputy generals, and guardian deities of the sacred precinct (abode of Daoist divinities), beseeching them to descend upon the altar riding cloud chariots with immortal retinues, manifesting their divine presence to guide the wandering souls at this sacred moment.

Next, the priest summons Cheng Huang (city guardian deities), She Ling (earth gods), and various local protective spirits, similarly requesting their assistance in soul retrieval. The ritual includes the "Three Offerings of Scattered Flowers" ceremony, presenting fragrant blossoms to the deities.

The text describes how the Celestial Emperors embody the De (Virtue/Power) of compassion and life-nurturing, their grace raining down upon the Ninefold Darkness (the Daoist underworld). Relying on the deities' majestic power, the priest employs Daoist methods to bridge Yin-Yang, commanding wind and clouds to traverse between heaven and earth. Golden talismans (Fulu) are issued to compel underworld officials into compliance, breaking open the Iron Enclosure Mountain (symbol of hell) to make ghostly functionaries obey.

The priest conducts liberation rites for the patron's deceased relatives, pitying souls fallen into the netherworld. Purple Palace (celestial abode) edicts are invoked for divine assistance, harnessing the summoning power of the underworld. All deities carry out their respective duties according to talismanic commands, with divine light illuminating the dark night and primordial Qi (vital energy) opening the underworld. The Qingwei Heaven (one of Daoism's Thirty-Six Heavens) displays imperial radiance, while the Crimson Bright Realm manifests auspicious purple-gold signs. Compassion spreads like clouds across the Three Realms (Desire Realm, Form Realm, and Formless Realm), with Dharma rain showering the Ten Directions (all spatial dimensions).

Considering the souls may be trapped in hell with fragmented consciousness, wandering through the Three Torments (fire, blood, and blade paths) and Six Caverns (types of hell), or detained by mountain, river, and underworld deities—or perhaps cycling through Four Births (womb-born, egg-born, moisture-born, and transformation-born) and Five Paths (celestial, human, animal, hungry ghost, and hell realms) due to unresolved karmic debts—the priest entreats all deities to assist in searching for the souls. Strict orders are given to remove obstructions at checkpoints, deploying celestial authority to ensure unimpeded passage, allowing souls to return to their spiritual stations for liberation.

The ritual concludes with stern written petitions (Daoist documents) urgently summoning the deities to act according to celestial statutes (Qinglu). Fiery bells are cast and cloud-lightning chariots are mounted to clear the underworld path. Any underworld official causing obstruction will face punishment according to the Thunder Code's decrees.

This passage from the Taoist scripture Lingbao Lingjiao Jidu Jinshu describes a ritual for guiding departed souls, where the priest summons spirits and alleviates their suffering in the underworld through ceremonial practices.

The ritual master begins by initiating the ceremony according to established liturgy, reciting summoning incantations like "Come swiftly, come swiftly" while raising the spirit-calling banner. Eighty-one beats of the ritual drum follow, symbolizing the opening of the Eight Gates (the eight directional portals in Taoist cosmology) to welcome the souls. Throughout the ceremony, the priest must maintain focused concentration while performing specific ritual steps in precise sequence.

The chanted verses depict celestial decrees descending from the Jade Capital (the highest heavenly realm in Taoism), with divine youths transmitting pardons to open the hell realms. The Sea of Karma (symbolizing accumulated sins) and River of Attachment (representing emotional bonds) calm their turbulent waves, while boiling oil and burning coals in hell transform into cold ashes. As authentic talismans (Fulu) reach Mount Luofeng (the abode of hell), the underworld officials respectfully receive the souls to hear the sacred teachings. Upon hearing these Dharma sounds, the spirits can eradicate their karmic burdens and permanently escape the bitter sea of rebirth.

The ritual continues: The Dao's Qi from the Jade Pure One (one of the Three Pure Ones/Sanqing) envelops the Three Realms with vital energy, while the Supreme Unity's divine light illuminates the Nine Dark Hells. Spirit banners flutter in the dawn light as sacred chants ascend to the heavens. Seeing these banners, souls find them like bridges across troubled waters; hearing the sacred sounds, they ascend as if reaching the far shore, all hastening to respond. The Purple Blossom Phoenix Seals and Azure Mystery Dragon Talismans (two advanced Taoist magical scripts) manifest their power here, guiding souls left and right as the boundary between Yin and Yang dissolves.

Specific summoning mantras follow, including the recitation of esoteric phrases like "The Supreme Subtlety returns the yellow banner," combined with the Yang Dipper Chapter (incantations related to the Big Dipper) that expounds the principles of Yin-Yang transformation and the cycle of life and death. The mantras describe the celestial movements of the Big Dipper's seven stars (invoking stellar deities like Kui and Piao) and the condition of spiritual energies between heaven and earth. The Great Unity deity (the North Star divinity) summons the souls without delay, promising their return to the Shangqing Heaven through the sacred liberation documents.

The ceremony concludes with "The Supreme Mysterious Dark Lady's Command," emphasizing how the profound mystery of dual Qi (Yin-Yang) can reunite form and spirit. Throughout the ritual, numinous light shimmers while sacred chants linger—in the evening breeze and moonlight, one might almost hear the approaching footsteps of the arriving souls. This scripture passage comprehensively presents the core procedures and secret incantations of a Taoist salvation ritual.

This scripture describes the Daoist ritual for delivering departed souls, primarily utilizing the power of talismanic incantations (Fulu) and divine summons to guide souls from the underworld to the celestial realms of Shangqing (Highest Clarity).

When people lose their way, it's like chasing their own shadows. Chanting yang-rhythmic invocations (mantras imbued with yang energy) can harmonize yin qi (negative energies), making departed souls manifest. The key to this spiritual resonance lies in the secret communion with divine summoning powers. Talismans penetrate the netherworld, while spirit banners flutter in the dawn wind, delivering souls from the Northern Office (underworld) to soar like birds into the Southern Palace (celestial realm). The merit of such deeds is beyond imagination.

The Yin Dipper Chapter (invocation of the Big Dipper) states: All things created by the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) must return to them; these temporary bodies formed by the Four Elements (earth, water, fire, wind) shall ultimately dissolve into emptiness. The interplay of yin-yang constitutes heaven and earth's foundation—when they rest, all ghosts lie dormant; when they move, all ghosts manifest; when their spiritual qi flourishes, all ghosts multiply. During yin-yang's operation, spirits partake of offerings. Through the Northern Water Deity (Tianyi Beizuo), departed souls are summoned, while the Supreme Purple Origin (Taiyi Ziyuan) gathers their essence. Amidst the dark waves of the underworld sea, deities ask no questions—ghosts and spirits from all directions respond to the summons, lingering near spirit banners to receive their deliverance documents (lingshu) and ascend to Shangqing Heaven. The ritual concludes with the command: "By the decree of the Supreme Unity's Dark Lady (Taiyi Xuanming Furen)."

The ritual's power is further described: harnessing celestial qi (natural energies) to command heavenly souls, opening ghostly passes (underworld gates) to receive departed spirits, permeating the void to search through the Three Realms (past, present, future) and four directions. This summoning knows no distance barriers, relying solely on the subtle resonance of Primordial Qi (Yiqi)—in that liminal state between presence and absence, myriad deities silently prepare. Through the sincere devotion of living relatives, departed souls escape yin's confines, receiving celestial grace above and fulfilling filial duty below.

The Radiant Brahma Soaring Mystery (Mingfan Feixuan Jing) illuminates wandering souls in eternal night, enabling their timely return as their qi reverts to its source—another inconceivable merit.

The Dipper Chapter summons humanity's three souls: the Celestial Soul (Taiguang), Human Soul (Shuangling), and Earthly Soul (Youjing), returning them to their original void-nature. Heaven-and-earth's righteous qi will reform them—this is the Five Phases' creative essence, leaving no place to hide. At a single summons they manifest true form, as lingering souls adhere to spirit banners, receive deliverance documents, and return to Shangqing. Again concluding with: "By the decree of the Supreme Unity's Dark Lady."

The final explanation states: Though heaven and earth operate through yin-yang, and all things undergo birth and decay, original spirit and soul should neither come nor go. Divine might resounds through the ten directions as fiery commands (yang energy) summon from all quarters. Souls arrive like clouds borne on lightning, hesitating before spirit banners. Now with sincere summons, may they swiftly return—witness this utmost sincerity and partake of filial descendants' devout offerings.

This scripture is a ritual text from Daoism for the salvation of departed souls, describing the process by which a priest summons spirits to receive liberation through ceremonial rites.

The priest first makes three solemn invitations to the deceased's soul: the first draws upon the power of the "Treasure of the Dao" (the supreme truth of Daoism), the second upon the "Treasure of the Scriptures" (Daoist classics), and the third upon the "Treasure of the Masters" (Daoist patriarchs). The priest beseeches the departed soul to attach itself to the spirit-summoning banner at this very hour tonight and receive the merits of this salvation ritual.

The scripture depicts scenes from the underworld: within the shadowy realms of the netherworld stand the Six Palaces of Luofeng (the administrative centers of the Daoist underworld), where countless suffering souls wail in anguish. Through the power of reciting the scriptures, the priest sends forth winds of compassion to drift into the underworld, summoning innumerable departed souls to follow these sounds and gather at the ritual altar.

The priest then specifically invites the deceased individual, their ancestors across generations, relatives by marriage, adversaries, and all other related spirits. Empowered by the "Three Treasures" (Dao, scriptures, and masters), they are urged to come to the purification altar tonight to receive salvation. The scripture prays for the gates of the underworld to open, allowing the departed souls to swiftly return and manifest their forms within the shadows of the banners.

Finally, blessings are offered that the deceased may awaken to the truth and ascend gently to the heavens, guided by divine light. It is also hoped that all related souls—whether kin or adversaries—may equally receive liberation and attain the blessing of ascension to immortality. The ritual concludes by invoking the sacred name of the "Compassionate Guide Celestial Worthy" to lead the souls, with the spirit-summoning banners brought before the priest's seat for deliverance.

This scripture reflects the Daoist ideal of "universal salvation for all beings," using specific rituals to help departed souls break free from suffering. It embodies the religious compassion of Daoism in its mission to aid the world and deliver sentient beings.