《靈寶領教濟度金書》Vol. 72

This scripture records the complete procedure and invocations for erecting the Nine Heavens Banner (a nine-tiered ritual banner) during the Salvation Ritual (funerary rite) of the Lingbao tradition (a major Daoist school).

The ritual begins with the priest (referring to himself as "your servant, so-and-so") offering incense and paying homage to the highest deities of Daoism in sequence: the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning (Yuanshi Tianzun, foremost of the Three Pure Ones), the Great Lord of Jade Dawn (Lingbao Tianzun), the Ancient Lord of Mysterious Origin (Daode Tianzun), the Jade Emperor (Yuhuang Dadi), and the Nine Heavenly Sovereigns. These deities govern the Nine Heavens, symbolizing different realms from primordial chaos to radiant clarity.

The priest informs the deities: The workings of Yin-Yang give rise to the cycle of life and death, and the compassion of the gods descends upon the mortal world like nourishing rain. Through the guidance of this Lingbao Lingjiao Jidu Jinshu (Scripture of the Golden Book for Salvation and Universal Deliverance of the Numinous Treasure), the living may commune with the divine, while the deceased may be liberated. The golden ritual banner shines like a beacon for the lost, building a bridge of salvation for souls drowning in the sea of suffering.

Now, the ritual is being performed for a specific deceased individual. In life, the human heart is swayed by circumstance, like chiseling away primordial purity (symbolizing the loss of one’s innate innocence). In death, the soul drifts in darkness. The heavens and earth are vast, time rushes by—only by relying on the Celestial Worthy’s radiant light can the soul be guided out of the underworld.

The scripture then describes the scene of raising the banner: The colored streamers hang low like dancing phoenixes, while the vermilion pole rises high like a soaring dragon. This ritual banner will serve as a bridge between heaven and earth, allowing all beings to witness its majesty and guiding the deceased’s soul toward ascension. Through the reception of the Ninefold Banner Array (a multi-layered formation of ritual banners), the soul may wander freely in the pure Brahma Qi (primordial energy) of the sacred realms.

This passage describes the ritual scene and invocations used by the Lingbao (Numinous Treasure) school of Daoism during salvation ceremonies. Through erecting spirit banners and chanting scriptures, Daoist priests guide departed souls toward liberation.

The text first depicts hundred-foot spirit banners erected at the altar: their golden light flickering in the wind purifies the karmic obstructions of all who behold them. Through the divine power of the Celestial Worthy (Tianzun), souls escape the dark underworld to ascend to the Vermilion Paradise (Zhuling), the Daoist realm of southern immortality.

The ceremony then turns northeastward, where priests devoutly petition the Jade Emperor of Utmost Simplicity and Boundless Heaven (Yudan Wuliang Tianzhu) - the supreme ruler of the Great Canopy Heaven (Daluo Tian) among Daoism's thirty-six heavens. They pray the Celestial Worthy's yellow transformative qi may illuminate the Cauldron Hell (Huotang Diyu) through these banners, cleansing the sins of suffering souls to restore their spiritual nature and return them to the primordial ancestral qi (the source of life). Terms like "emptiness qi" (kongdong qi) and "profound void" (youliao) refer to this cosmic primordial energy.

Following this comes a section from the "Chapters of Spiritual Rebirth" (Shengshen Zhang), a classic Daoist salvation text describing how chanting can deliver souls from the Ninefold Dark Hells to new life. It mentions how the radiance of Utmost Simplicity (Yudan) illuminates the spirit banners to guide lost souls, allowing wronged spirits trapped in the Cauldron Hell to attain liberation and the opportunity for celestial ascension.

Finally, the ritual turns eastward with equally devout petitions to the Celestial Worthy. The entire passage demonstrates the complete Daoist salvation process through sacred rituals, spirit banner guidance, and the divine power of the Celestial Worthies.

This scripture passage depicts a Daoist ritual for the salvation of lost souls. It describes how celestial deities from the highest heavens (specifically the Infinite Longevity Celestial Emperor of Great Bliss in the Supreme Great Canopy Heaven) employ spirit banners and divine light to deliver souls trapped in the hell realms.

The text first describes how the Imperial Perfected Ones (high-ranking deities) of the Azure Empyrean Heaven release purple primordial Qi (vital energy). This energy transforms into spirit banners that flutter in the wind, flying toward the Sword-Forest Hell in the eastern direction. These divine rays can cleanse the karmic burdens of hell's sufferers, helping them restore their original luminous nature and recover their innate primordial Qi. By recognizing the light of these banners, the souls can ride yang energy upward to reach the realm of Supreme Azure Heaven.

Next, the scripture portrays how the Infinite Longevity Celestial Emperor opens the purple portal of primordial energy to help souls transcend the cycle of rebirth. The text emphasizes severing the roots of life and death through cultivating true Qi to nourish the Shen (spirit). When reciting the "Chapters of Spirit Birth" nine times, the merit of salvation is accomplished, eliciting joyful praise from all celestial deities. As the spirit banners dance, they connect with divine radiance capable of destroying the sword-trees of hell, filling the underworld with light.

The latter section shifts to salvation in the Bronze-Pillar Hell of the southeast. The Imperial Perfected Ones of the Jade Empyrean Heaven release azure primordial Qi, similarly forming spirit banners that fly toward this hell realm. Here, souls can ascend to the Primordial Cinnabar Heaven by recognizing the banners' light and riding the primal yang energy.

The passage concludes with the Brahmā-Supervising Prolonged Celestial Emperor governing the cloud energies of the Three Realms, using the primordial energies of the Mysterious Origin to deliver souls from eternal darkness, enabling their hun and po souls to return to the source. The palace of the Great Celestial Emperor (a supreme deity) is called the Hall of Yang, where the nine heavenly gates revolve with emerald passages, generating new life-giving Qi.

[Note: The term "Qi" (炁) refers to innate primordial energy in Daoist terminology. "Imperial Perfected Ones" denote high-ranking celestial deities. "Supreme Azure Realm" and "Primordial Cinnabar Realm" represent different heavenly levels in Daoist cosmology. "Sword-Forest Hell" and "Bronze-Pillar Hell" are classic Daoist depictions of hell realms.]

This scripture depicts a Lingbao School ritual for the salvation of departed souls, comprising three essential components:

The first section describes the process of guiding souls through the spiritual banner (lingfan), a ritual implement used in Daoist ceremonies. Celestial Worthies descend from the Nine Heavens as the banner flutters southward toward the Fiery Pit Hell—one of the Daoist realms of suffering—to cleanse the sins of tormented souls. Should the deceased recognize the banner's radiant light, they may ascend to the Great Cinnabar Heaven (a high-level spiritual realm) by riding upon solar talismans (fulu) used for salvation rites.

The middle passage portrays the sacred realm: the Tusita Heaven (a supreme realm among Daoism's Thirty-Six Heavens) remains untainted by worldly distractions, where wandering souls in the golden light abandon earthly attachments. Through the Ninefold Refinement process (the nine stages of Neidan internal alchemy practice), adepts develop jade-like radiance to commune with the host of perfected immortals.

The conclusion turns westward to the Land of Ultimate Bliss (Bharani-mitra-sukhavati), where the Central Numinous Qi of the Brilliant Empyrean Heaven (one of the Nine Heavens) manifests through the spiritual banner. When its light points toward the Fiery Pit Hell, it pacifies suffering souls, enabling them to roam freely through the void.

The recurring invocation "Nine Heavens Life-Giving Celestial Worthy" refers to the presiding deity of the salvation rite, while the phrase "inconceivable merit" praises the ritual's efficacy. Through banners, talismans (fulu), and recitations, the ceremony liberates souls from hell realms, reunites them with Primordial Qi (the foundational energy), and ultimately elevates them to immortal realms.

This scripture depicts a Daoist ritual for the salvation of deceased souls, describing how spirit banners and divine power guide damned souls from hell to purify their karmic obstructions and restore their original nature.

In the Slaughtering Hell of the southwest (one of Daoism's Eight Great Hells), the High Perfected (Daoist immortals) employ the harmonious Qi of primordial purity (chongrong zhi qi) to cleanse the karmic burdens of suffering sinners through the power of spirit banners. The radiant banners point toward the Moon City (symbolizing a pure celestial realm), breaking open the circular gates of hell, allowing souls to ascend on the Primordial Yang Talismans (yuan yang zhi fu) to the realm of Great Simplicity (one of Daoism's Thirty-Six Heavens).

The Five Directional Thearchs (Green Thearch of the East, Red Thearch of the South, etc.) descend in procession, their yellow banners from the Taimwei Enclosure (celestial administrative region) fluttering as the Star Lord Wuying waves the spirit banners to summon souls from the Office of Eternal Night. Through jade seal scriptures (Daoist mystical writings), the underworld is opened, and via the Five Transformations practice (a Neidan alchemical process), the organs of the deceased souls are reinfused with vital energy. The Purple Chamber (another term for Dantian) spontaneously generates an immortal embryo, while hosts of perfected beings gather as the Three Realms celebrate together.

The Celestial Worthy of Nine Heavens Who Generates Spirits (a salvation deity) manifests awe-inspiring radiance. Jade Maidens bathe the souls with Five Celestial Incenses, while the Holy Mother (a female immortal) bestows blessings. The sinners awaken to their true nature, returning to their ancestral Qi (primordial life force), ultimately riding the Flying Mystic Bridge (ascension pathway) to transcend samsara, severing the Tree of Rebirth (root of cyclic existence), their consciousness soaring to the Upper Capital (celestial metropolis).

Finally, all present perform the highest Daoist ritual prostration to the Celestial Worthy. The liberated souls leave behind the dusty world of suffering, as within the Brahma-Light Pure Realm (sacred domain of purity), the banner shadows point toward the western direction of Geng-Xin (metal phase). The golden hammers in the Metal Hell cease their torment, allowing the souls to wander freely and ascend to the Purple-Gold Peak (sacred mountain). The scripture repeatedly praises this as "inconceivable merit," emphasizing the miraculous efficacy of the salvation ritual.

This passage depicts a Lingbao School Daoist salvation ritual where the priest guides departed souls toward liberation through sacred banners. The priest first devoutly invokes two Celestial Emperors from the Great Canopy Heaven (Daluo Tian, the highest Daoist celestial realm)—the Emperor of Numinous Transformation and Brahma Support (Linghua Fanfu Tiandi) and the Emperor of Lofty Void and Clear Radiance (Gaoxu Qingming Tiandi).

As the priest recites incantations, the spirit banners flutter toward the northwest's Iron Pellet Hell and the northern Frozen Ice Hell. Souls suffering in these hells due to karmic burdens from past misdeeds are cleansed by the banners' radiant light, which awakens their innate luminosity and helps them return to the Primordial Ancestral Qi (Xian Tian Zuqi, foundational life energy). Recognizing the banners' radiance, these souls ascend through the Right Yang Talisman (Zhengyang Fu) and Penetrating Yang Talisman (Tongyang Fu) to reach the Primordial Beginning Realm (Shiyuan Zhi Jing) and Supreme Mystery Realm (Taixuan Zhi Jing)—two advanced spiritual states.

The latter part poetically describes celestial wonders: Jade Scriptures (Yu Zhang, heavenly texts) drift amid auspicious clouds while the Nine Mysteries (Jiu Xuan, profound truths) emerge from the abyss. When souls comprehend the esoteric teachings of the Life-Giving Scriptures (Sheng Shen Zhang), they shed hell's shackles as effortlessly as loosening a sash. Their consciousness then soars through celestial realms like wandering clouds, transcending time and space to commune with all creation.

The ritual concludes by invoking the Nine Heavens Life-Giving Celestial Worthy (Jiu Tian Sheng Shen Tianzun), the presiding deity of salvation ceremonies. Through banner guidance, talismanic empowerment, and scriptural merit, both recent and ancient hell-bound souls attain liberation—transforming even the darkest netherworld into a realm of immortality.

This scripture describes a Daoist ritual for the salvation of wandering souls, where the spiritual banner (a ceremonial flag used in Daoist rites to summon spirits) serves as a conduit to liberate the deceased from the sufferings of hell.

When practitioners devoutly recite the incantations, the Celestial Worthy (Tianshi, the highest deity in Daoism) descends from the Nine Heavens, bestowing pure and luminous energy. Like sunlight piercing through ice, this energy dissolves the bitter cold of hell, allowing wandering souls to ascend via cloud paths. Two exalted deities are specifically mentioned: the "Nine Heavens Life-Giving Celestial Worthy" and the "Thoughtless, Knotless, Desireless Heavenly Emperor," whose profound energies attach to the spiritual banner.

As the banner flutters in the wind, its radiance illuminates the Wind-Thunder Hell and the Filth Hell (two of the most severe hell realms in Daoist cosmology), purifying the karmic obstructions of heavily burdened souls. The banner's light carries the "Yang-Germinating Talisman" (a potent fu talisman with life-generating power), awakening the souls' innate nature and helping them recover their primordial Qi (Zuoqi). Ultimately, they transcend to the "Realm of Prolonged Truth," a pure state of cultivation.

The latter part of the scripture poetically depicts the banner's miraculous efficacy: it connects heaven and earth, reaching up to the towering immortal mountains and down to the netherworld. Beings trapped in the Six Paths of Reincarnation (devas, humans, asuras, animals, hungry ghosts, and hell-dwellers) can escape suffering through its power, particularly those enduring the "Three Torments and Five Miseries" (blood, blades, and fire—the agonies of hell). When the banner waves, souls follow its ascent to immortal realms, attaining rebirth in the Qianlin (the legendary grove of divine trees) and the Zhipu (gardens of celestial herbs).

The text concludes by emphasizing the inconceivable merit of this salvation ritual, which delivers all beings across the Three Realms and Ten Directions (the entire cosmos). Souls trapped in endless cycles of rebirth eternally remember the banner's grace. The ceremony highlights Daoism's compassionate ideal of "universal salvation," using sacred objects to bridge the realms of yin and yang.

This scripture describes the Daoist ritual for liberating departed souls. As winds blow from all directions, the hungry ghosts and suffering beings in the underworld attain liberation, ascending to the heavenly realms. The majestic virtue of the Nine Heavens' Life-Giving Celestial Worthy (a revered Daoist deity) manifests, and the spiritual banner (used for summoning souls) completes its meritorious function. May the deceased's mind become radiant, dispelling the darkness of karmic obstacles, and may their name be registered among the immortals in the Southern Palace (the Daoist celestial abode).

The departed one, [name], possessed a pure heart and luminous innate nature, awakening to the illusory nature of worldly phenomena. Taking refuge in the Three Treasures of Dao (the Way), Jing (scriptures), and Shi (masters), they eternally align with the great Dao of Wuwei (non-action), transcending the suffering of cyclic existence. As Yin and Yang harmonize and heaven-earth unite, all beings share the joy of the Spring Terrace (celestial paradise), with every living creature receiving the Dao's grace. To fulfill these aspirations, we sincerely invoke the sacred name of the "Banner-Liberating Celestial Worthy," whose merits are beyond comprehension.

The following outlines the specific procedure for the "Summoning Talisman Ritual": The ritual master (referring to themselves as "your subject") approaches the deities with reverent trepidation, declaring the intention to conduct the Lingbao Life-Giving Sublime Ceremony (a salvation rite) on behalf of the patron, assisting the departed soul's liberation. The deceased, lost in the dark underworld, resembles a sunken vessel difficult to locate as time swiftly passes. The master petitions various divine generals for assistance, issuing cloud-seal talismans (Daoist mystical scripts) to summon the soul to the altar. Through vermilion petitions (red memorials), these appeals reach celestial hearing, hoping for heavenly approval to open the gates of hell and release the departed.

The master prays for the Three Treasures to radiate light and the Nine Heavens to issue decrees, commanding the salvation deities to perform their duties—unshackling infernal bonds and clearing the soul's ascension path. Finally, the master rises after three prostrations and proceeds to the Divine Tiger Hall (shrine for the Tiger Generals) to continue the ceremony.

The concluding "Universal Offering Hymn" presents incense praises to the ten-direction deities: Precious clouds of incense universally nourish all sages; may the deities descend to this ritual upon their seven-jeweled thrones (magnificent dharma seats). The entire ceremony embodies the Daoist compassionate spirit of delivering departed souls and universally liberating all beings.

This passage describes the ritual setting and invocations of the Lingbao Daoist tradition when performing ceremonies to universally deliver deceased souls. It consists of several key elements:

First, it speaks of liberating sentient beings from the Five Turbidities (the impurities of kalpa, views, afflictions, beings, and lifespan that characterize the Dharma-ending age) through Daoist rituals, enabling departed spirits to cross the Dharma Bridge toward liberation. The ritual masters maintain unwavering devotion in their practice, collectively realizing the Great Dao of Wuwei (non-action).

The text then details the deities invoked at the altar: Through incense offerings at the Shangqing Lingbao Mystic Altar, communication is established with the Universal Salvation Court of the Nine Heavens. Summoned are celestial officials, divine generals (including the principal and secondary guardian deities of the temple), supervising immortals, city gods, and earth deities who jointly witness the ceremony. Special mention is made of two types of divine generals: those who "guard the masculine and embrace the feminine" (maintaining Yin-Yang harmony) and those who "gather souls and capture spirits" (underworld officials managing the hun and po souls).

The ritual's majestic solemnity is portrayed: Golden texts and jade characters (sacred Daoist scriptures) manifest in the air like compassionate clouds covering the eight directions and benevolent sunlight illuminating the ten directions. Divine generals wield dragon talismans and tiger tallies (ritual implements) to shatter the "iron walls and bronze barriers" (symbolizing hell's obstacles), delivering souls from the underworld. The patron sponsoring the ceremony prays for the deceased to receive heavenly grace and escape the realm of ghosts.

The invocation section follows, reverently summoning thirty-six Perfected Ones and thirty-six generals from the Universal Salvation Court, along with the two groups of "masculine-guarding/feminine-embracing" and "soul-chasing/spirit-capturing" commanders. Also invited are the Divine Tiger General, the Jade Maiden of Nocturnal Radiance, and numerous other protector deities. Special emphasis is placed on inviting the altar's guardian spirits, local earth deities, and household kitchen gods to arrive on their "cloud chariots and wind-steeds" (divine vehicles) to receive floral and incense offerings.

The final section involves the scattering of flowers and presentation of offerings, praising the Heavenly Worthy's compassion in breaking hell's confines and delivering souls. Divine generals are depicted astride iron steeds wielding golden halberds, majestically executing their salvific mission. The patron expresses concern about the deceased's accumulated karmic burdens, hoping that through purification by the "Three Qi" (the Mysterious, Original, and Primordial energies), their soul may return to the state of pristine emptiness. The reference to the "Three Lights" (sun, moon, and stars) issuing their decrees suggests harnessing celestial powers for the soul's deliverance.

This passage from the Lingbao Lingjiao Jidu Jinshu (Golden Book of Lingbao Salvation Rituals) outlines a Daoist salvation liturgy designed to liberate wandering souls from the underworld and guide them toward the yang realm.

The ritual master first invokes divine power, holding celestial decrees while treading upon the earth's wheel, resonating through the Yellow Springs (the underworld) to seek out lost souls. The text hopes these "flying unsettled spirits" (feishuang) may break free from the confines of the "dark wilds" (yinjiao, symbolizing the underworld) and gain passage to the "yang realm" (yangjie), representing either the human world or celestial spheres.

The scripture emphasizes that true Daoist practice discerns good from evil and holds immeasurable merit. Through this ritual, souls may achieve "sublime refinement of both form and spirit" (xingshen jiemiao). Yet the master also expresses concern that some souls might remain trapped in the underworld's bureaucratic prisons—such as the Six Caverns and Ten Palaces or the Three Offices and Nine Bureaus (Daoist cosmological divisions of the underworld)—or detained by local deities like mountain and city gods. Whether they are ancestors from past generations (jiuxuan qizu) or beings caught in the six paths of rebirth (liudao sisheng), all are summoned for deliverance.

The master prays that souls may ride upon the "fire-command golden talismans" (huoling jinfu, ritual instruments for salvation), traversing freely between yin and yang realms. He demands that underworld encampments release hidden souls and that no divine domain obstruct their passage, enabling them to "awaken their true nature and escape the darkness of the netherworld."

Finally, after completing the Three Offerings (sanxian, the ceremonial triple libation), the master proclaims the Nine Heavens Soul-Summoning Edict (jiutian zhuihun fuming) and submits memorials to Heaven. Trusting that the exalted sages have witnessed the rite—their mysterious might now manifest—he believes celestial steeds like jade dragons and golden horses will escort the souls, ensuring their timely return to ascend with the morning light. The entire ritual must strictly adhere to the ordinances of the Lingbao Mystic Altar (Lingbao xuantan).

This passage presents a complete Daoist salvation liturgy, encompassing deity invocation, soul summoning, and liberation rites. It embodies the compassionate Daoist ideal of delivering all beings from suffering.