《靈寶領教濟度金書》Vol. 67

This describes the ritual procedure of the "Great Offering and Morning Audience Ceremony" (Daxian Wanchao Xingdao Yi) in Daoist practice, belonging to the Lingbao (Numinous Treasure) tradition, one of the major Daoist schools. Before commencing, the priests must follow specific liturgical protocols:

The ceremony begins with the "Pacing the Void and Entering the Sanctuary" (Buxu Ru Hu) segment, where priests pay respects to their master according to established norms while maintaining meditative focus. Next, they recite the "Guardian Spirit Incantation" (Wei Ling Zhou), a protective chant for the altar. Its essence conveys: the Five Planets (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) shine auspiciously as the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning (Yuanshi Tianzun, one of Daoism's supreme deities) gathers all divinities, harmonizing heaven and earth. The Jade Talismans (Yu Fu) and Precious Commandments (Bao Jie) can summon the underworld and dispel malevolent forces. All demonic influences are subdued, calamities dissolve, and the qi of the true Dao circulates unimpeded. Divine light illuminates the dark night, dissolving all shadows as ten thousand spirits descend like riding the wind. All beings receive grace, spreading across the sacred land until merging with the Dao.

Twenty-four drumbeats then resonate, symbolizing connection with the Three Realms (heaven, earth, and underworld). The priests solemnly invite the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing: Yuanshi Tianzun, Lingbao Tianzun, and Daode Tianzun) along with thirty-two other deities including celestial functionaries (Gongcao), Golden Boys and Jade Maidens, and the Five Directional Thearchs. Local earth deities are also summoned to assist.

The presiding priest, referring to himself as "your servant" (chen), humbly petitions: May the pure qi and numinous radiance of the Lingbao tradition descend upon this altar, purifying all within and without, leaving heaven and earth immaculate. As the ritual chimes (Linlang) resonate with clear tones, the ten directions become reverently still, repelling all demonic interference. Finally, petitions are presented to the highest deities including the Jade Emperor (Yuhuang Shangdi), the Celestial Worthies (Yuanshi Tianzun, Taishang Laojun, etc.), the Salvation Worthy (Jiuku Tianzun), and the Thirty-Six Heavenly Thearchs, seeking divine response.

Through ritual instruments, incantations, and visualization (Cunxiang) techniques, the ceremony constructs sacred space to welcome divine presence, offering devotees blessings and dispelling misfortunes.

This passage describes the thirty-six revered scriptures (an important canonical collection in Daoism) governed by the supreme Daoist deity "Lingbao Zhizhen Minghuang Daojun" (Most Sacred Sovereign Lord of Numinous Treasure), along with his divine abode. The opening depicts the celestial realm where Daojun resides: the Jade Capital's Golden Towers in the Southern Extremity's Western Numinous Northern Truth Mystic Metropolis (the highest heavenly realm in Daoism), and the Seven Treasures Mystic Terrace in the Purple Tenuity Upper Palace (abode of the Northern Dipper deities). These resplendent jeweled towers symbolize the supreme state of the Dao.

It then explains how the Great Dao (cosmic origin) encompasses heaven, earth, and all things, with the two energies of Yin-Yang giving birth to the Three Powers (heaven, earth, and humanity). Deities secretly govern human destiny, just as the Northern Dipper's seven stars (the celestial pivot) regulate worldly order. Daoist teachings spread like nourishing rain across the six directions (the cosmos), while divine winds (cosmic energies) stir the eight extremities (furthest reaches of existence) - all stemming from the laws of Yuanshi Tianzun (the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning, Daoism's supreme deity) and the governance of Xu Huang (the personified embodiment of the Dao).

The text mentions practitioners (referring to themselves humbly as "your servants") cultivating at jade altars, wearing talismans of azure hornless dragons and purple phoenix insignia (auspicious symbols), receiving celestial grace and instruction. They uphold the mission of universal salvation, promising response to all sincere supplicants.

The fasting master (zhai zhu, the ritual officiant), moved by compassion and pity for beings suffering in the six paths of rebirth (gods, humans, asuras, animals, hungry ghosts, and hell beings), offers blessings specifically for: immortals administering celestial affairs, perfected beings roaming sacred mountains, deities governing sacred peaks and waterways, local guardian spirits, and all sentient beings in various circumstances - including noble and humble, rich and poor, those suffering hellish torments, hungry ghosts deprived of sustenance, beasts covered in fur and horns, along with all life forms whether born from womb, egg, moisture or transformation, including unattended lonely spirits, souls of those with destroyed graves, and nature spirits inhabiting plants.

Finally, it expresses the aspiration that through the merit of the Boundless Dharma Assembly (an egalitarian salvation ritual), all beings may be illuminated by the golden scriptures' radiance to attain liberation from cyclic existence - the virtuous ascending to better rebirths while negative karma is dissolved. The entire passage manifests Daoism's grand salvific vow and its comprehensive cosmology.

This passage describes the incense-offering segment in Daoist Zhaijiao (purification ritual) ceremonies, where priests offer prayers through incense burning to seek divine blessings. Let me explain it section by section:

Using the Jade Tablet (a Daoist ritual instrument) to convey prayers to Heaven can eradicate karmic obstructions accumulated over countless kalpas, fulfilling present auspicious wishes. The pure spiritual source cleanses murky defilements, while abundant offerings are arrayed to absorb the essence of Heaven and Earth. Practitioners refine their form through Li Fire (symbolizing Yang) and nourish their countenance with Kan Water (symbolizing Yin), ultimately transcending worldly suffering to ascend to the celestial realms.

The ritual depicts celestial visions: starlight like pearls dripping with night dew, the bright moon casting golden waves upon the sky. Phoenix-shaped censers waft with sandalwood smoke, while dragon-shaped vessels glow with aromatic resins. The assembly beholds the sacred countenance of the Celestial Worthy, praying for auspicious signs to descend and the ten directions to rejoice.

The priests perform the incense offering in three stages:

The first offering prays for national prosperity, that imperial ancestors may roam freely on Mount Kunlun (the Daoist immortal paradise), clad in rainbows and feathered garments, riding dragons and phoenixes while listening to celestial music, wishing eternal stability for the dynasty.

The second offering dedicates merit to the ancestors of the ritual sponsor, wishing their liberation to either the Northern Yudan Heaven or Southern Cinnabar Heaven (among Daoism's Thirty-Six Heavens), forever freed from evil karma, the cycle of rebirth, and all afflictions.

The third offering prays that all deceased souls within the ritual's scope may receive compassionate salvation. After each offering, the priests prostrate in reverence, surrendering to the Great Dao (the supreme truth of Daoism), relying on the Three Supreme Pure Ones (Daoism's highest deities), aspiring to unite with the Dao upon enlightenment and transcend physical limitations.

The ritual repeatedly emphasizes the state of "uniting with the Dao in truth" (Yu Dao He Zhen), the ultimate goal of Daoist cultivation. Through incense burning, prayers, and visualization, the entire ceremony constructs a bridge between humans and deities, embodying Daoism's religious ideal of universal salvation.

This scripture is a key liturgical text of the Lingbao (Numinous Treasure) tradition in Daoism, detailing the ritual process for liberating departed souls and seeking blessings while dispelling misfortunes.

The opening passage depicts a harmonious cosmos: daylight brings warmth and radiance, the earth rests in tranquil peace, and the nocturnal sounds of lamentation cease. Practitioners offer incense and prostrations, expressing their devotion to the master-teachers and sacred beings, aspiring to merge with the supreme Dao.

Three subsequent verses elucidate the essence of cultivation: The first verse emphasizes embracing the Dharma as one’s companion, treasuring scriptures like jewels, and maintaining purity of spirit through disciplined restraint of the six desires. The second describes the blessings of practice—prosperity for one’s lineage, flourishing of the sacred teachings, and the eventual ascension of seven generations of ancestors to the heavens. The third underscores liberation from the sufferings of the Three Realms, release from the torments of hell, and ultimate return to the Great Dao of the Most High (Taishang).

The latter section outlines a solemn ceremonial sequence, paying homage to the highest deities of Daoism in order: first to the Limitless Great Dao (Wuji Da Dao), the supreme origin; next to the Thirty-Six Sacred Scriptures, representing the entirety of Daoist canon; then to the Great Master of the Mysterious Center (Xuanzhong Dafashi), a title referring to Laozi. The ritual then invokes the descent of celestial dignitaries, including the Heavenly Worthy of Universal Salvation (Taiyi Jiuku Tianzun) and other savior deities. The purpose of the zhaijiao (purification ritual) is clarified: to deliver the deceased from suffering, guiding them upward to the realm of clarity and emptiness.

The entire ceremony embodies Daoism’s compassionate ethos of universal deliverance. Through reverent worship, disciplined practice, scripture recitation, and repentance, practitioners seek divine grace to liberate souls and harmonize blessings with the dissolution of calamities.

This passage is a prayer text from the Daoist scripture Lingbao Lingjiao Jidu Jinshu, describing how practitioners, through repentance and divine supplication, ultimately attain liberation from suffering. Here is the modern interpretation:

From birth to death, humans often lose their true nature, stray from spiritual awareness, and become ensnared by the three poisons of greed, hatred, and delusion. They abandon inner wisdom, trapped by the seven emotions and six desires. Chasing empty fame while forsaking truth, they confuse right and wrong, unable to distinguish sages from fools. Their self-attachment towers like mountains, clouding wisdom without awakening, leading them to commit evils like killing, stealing, and lust, indulging in habitual greed, hatred, and ignorance.

These sinful deeds creep in like hidden illnesses, plunging people into darkness. The Three Corpses (Sanshi, the three malevolent spirits believed to reside in the body) stir calamities, binding them to cycles of suffering. Souls wander through the six realms (heavens, humans, asuras, hells, hungry ghosts, and animals), unable to escape the torments of the underworld—how could they ascend to the immortal realms of the living?

Thus, through scripture recitation and practice, one repents and seeks divine grace. May the deities bestow boundless compassion, dispel the obscurations of karma, and purify body and mind, granting freedom as effortless as riding clouds and mist. May they savor fragrant offerings, bathe in the nectar of the Hua Pool (a celestial pond), endure the tempering of the Flowing Fire (a trial in cultivation), and ultimately break free from the cycle of rebirth, severing the chains of death forever to roam in boundless ease.

The fasting master (Zhaizhu, the ritual leader) embodies virtue, acts with harmony, and progresses daily, filling the household with joy and radiant spirit, while the Daoist temple shines with auspicious light. Balancing hidden virtue (Yin De) and visible merit (Yang Gong), they pray: May the Five Directions’ deities protect all; may the sun, moon, and stars shine in perfection; may seasons harmonize; may all beings be free from calamity; may harvests abound; may people live in peace; may families prosper. May mountains and rivers rest tranquil; may birds, beasts, fish, and turtles thrive in their rightful places; may heaven and earth remain pure and untainted.

Finally, ten vows are made:

1. May the Great Dao (Da Dao) spread universally.

2. May all beings awaken to the Dao.

3. May souls in hell attain liberation.

4. May lonely spirits find rebirth.

5. May the world know peace and abundance.

6. May rulers and subjects, parents and children embody benevolence and filial piety.

7. May all grudges dissolve into harmony.

8. May every fetus and egg-born creature survive and flourish.

9. May illnesses swiftly heal.

10. May the impoverished gain clothing and food in plenty.

The "Returning the Incense Burner" (Fulu) ritual symbolizes the ceremony’s completion and return to the source. The entire text embodies the core Daoist ideals of universal salvation and the pursuit of purity and liberation.

This passage depicts the scene of deities descending during a Daoist zhaijiao (purification ritual). The Incense Official Envoys (divine administrators of ritual offerings) and the Left-Right Dragon-Tiger Lords (Daoist guardian generals) lead a host of celestial beings to descend upon the altar platform, gathering around the incense burner.

When these deities manifest, auspicious signs naturally appear at the ritual space—celestial treasures such as golden nectar (Jinye) and emerald lingzhi mushrooms (Danbi Zhiying) materialize. All perfected immortals (those who have attained the Dao) assemble before the incense burner, enabling the presiding ritual master to successfully cultivate the Dao and achieve immortality. Devotees participating in the ritual (known as zhaizhu) likewise receive blessings, with both the visible and invisible realms (the realms of yin and yang) receiving divine grace.

Jade Maidens and Immortal Youths from the Ten Directions (attendants of the celestial hierarchy) guard the curling incense smoke, swiftly conveying the ritual master's sincere prayers to the highest deity—the Most High Jade Emperor of the Infinite Great Dao (one of Daoism's supreme divinities).

The concluding phrase "exiting the ritual space" indicates this scripture is recited when the ritual master steps out from the altar. This content originates from Volume 67 of the Lingbao Lingjiao Jidu Jinshu (Golden Book of Lingbao Salvation), an important liturgical text of Song Dynasty Daoism.