《靈寶領教濟度金書》Vol. 79

This is a passage from the Lingbao Lingjiao Jidu Jinshu (Golden Book of Salvation According to the Numinous Treasure Tradition), detailing a Daoist zhaijiao (purification ritual) liturgy for the salvation of deceased souls. During the ceremony, priests confess transgressions and beseech the Celestial Venerables of the northeast and eastern directions to deliver the departed.

The ritual commences with devout prostrations toward Yudan Wuliang Tiandi (the Celestial Emperor of Immeasurable Void in the Northeast), an exalted Daoist deity governing the northeastern celestial realm, along with perfected sages, celestial lords, and all divine officials of that direction. Amidst burning incense and scattered flower offerings, the presiding priest petitions for the salvation of a specific deceased individual on behalf of the ritual sponsor. The confession enumerates the departed's accumulated karmic burdens: through countless rebirths, their seven emotions and six desires became disordered, while their three karmic vehicles (body, speech, and mind—a Buddhist concept) fell into disarray. The human heart's artificiality flourished, violating natural harmony through disrespect toward the four elements (earth, water, fire, wind—ancient Indian philosophical concepts) and defilement of the Five Phases' spiritual essence. Repeated precept violations and moral transgressions compounded through malicious speech and scheming—recorded in the Black Registers (underworld ledgers of misdeeds)—until the soul remained trapped in the netherworld without deliverance.

Through incense smoke and floral offerings, the priests entreat Yudan Wuliang Tiandi and associated deities to descend azure numinous light, absolving transgressions and eradicating karmic roots. May the deceased's name be erased from the registers of death, their soul ascending with the dawn's radiance; may submerged spirits regain vitality, progressing to the Supreme Empyrean (a high Daoist celestial realm) to eternally merge with the formless Dao, transcending rebirth cycles. Concurrently, blessings are sought for the living family's prosperity, and for the departed's eventual ascent into formless realms of perfect unity with the Great Dao.

The ceremony then reorients eastward, with equally reverent homage paid to Shangshang Chanshan Wuliang Shou Tiandi (the Celestial Emperor of Immeasurable Longevity in the Eastern Supreme Goodness) and his sacred retinue, repeating similar confessional and salvific rites. Key terms include "fanqi" (primordial pure energy), "shuang" (wandering souls), "mingmen" (gate of life), and "fanjing" (returning radiance—symbolizing revived vitality). The entire ritual embodies Daoist soteriological practice—communicating with deities through confession, incense, and scripture recitation to deliver trapped souls.

This passage describes a Daoist zhaijiao (purification ritual) for the salvation of departed souls. Practitioners, through incense offerings, flower scattering, and sincere repentance, beseech various Celestial Rulers (deities governing cardinal directions in Daoism) to absolve the sins of the deceased.

The ritual begins by invoking the Supreme Chan-Shan Wuliangshou Celestial Ruler of the East (sovereign of the highest eastern heaven). The ceremony seeks the circulation of crimson immortal qi to pardon the souls' transgressions, liberating them from the darkness of the underworld. Thus absolved, the departed may sever karmic ties from past lives, refine their true nature amidst the azure heavens, eternally harmonize with the formless Dao, transcend the cycle of rebirth, and bestow blessings upon their descendants.

Next, practitioners address the Xuyan Celestial Ruler of the Southeast (sovereign of the southeastern heaven). Through emerald immortal radiance, the ritual opens the mysterious passes (xuan'guan, key energy portals in neidan practice), enabling souls to escape the eternal night of the underworld and attain rebirth. Ultimately, they may ascend steadily to the jade heavens (Daoist term for supreme celestial realms) with clarified consciousness, achieving unity with the Dao.

Finally, repentance is offered to the Durou Celestial Ruler of the South (sovereign of the southern heaven). The practitioner confesses on behalf of the ritual sponsor and their deceased kin for accumulated transgressions: emotional disturbances, misconduct of body-speech-mind, violation of precepts, and moral failings. These sins, recorded in black registers (Daoist records of karmic offenses), have trapped souls in the infernal bureaucracy (yin'guan), obstructing their liberation.

Through incense burning, floral offerings, and prostrations, the ceremony devoutly petitions these Celestial Rulers for absolution and salvation. Thus liberated, departed souls may transcend samsara, ascend to formless realms, and merge with the supreme Dao.

This scripture is a penitential text from Daoist purification rituals (Zhaijiao) and liturgy (Keyi), describing how practitioners seek liberation through confessing transgressions and taking refuge in divine beings. Here is the modern interpretation:

People often become entangled in the Three Karmas (evil deeds of body, speech, and mind), with human hypocrisy running rampant, causing the harmonious Qi of heaven and earth to dissipate. They disrespect the Four Great Elements (earth, water, fire, and wind—the fundamental components of matter) and profane the Five Numinous Powers (deities of the Five Phases), repeatedly violating precepts and moral principles. These offenses include speaking harsh words, harboring wicked thoughts, and secretly plotting evil deeds. Over time, all such transgressions are recorded in the black registers of the underworld, with souls detained in the netherworld prisons, unable to behold the light of liberation.

Therefore, through the practice of fasting and cultivating the Dao (a general term for Daoist cultivation and ritual ceremonies), we now burn incense and scatter flowers, sincerely taking refuge in the Celestial Emperor of the Southern Tranquil Doushu Heaven and the Heavenly Lords of Brahma Qi. We pray that the green celestial Qi may circulate its radiance, that the jade platforms (abodes of immortals) may widely grant amnesty, opening the Gate of Life (portal to rebirth) so that pure Qi ascends toward immortality; while closing the Door of the Corporeal Soul (portal for spirits) to gather wandering souls for enjoyment in the Cinnabar Heavens (celestial realm). Through practicing the alchemical arts and mastering fire phases, we eternally align with the Great Dao of emptiness, no longer subject to the cycle of rebirth. We also pray for blessings extending to descendants, ensuring family prosperity. Upon attaining the Dao, one ascends to the formless realm, merging completely with the Great Dao.

Next, we confess before the Celestial Emperor of the Southwest Paranirmitavaśavartin Heaven and the Heavenly Lords of Brahma Qi. We pray that the yellow celestial Qi may circulate, that the jade platforms grant absolution, and that through refining Qi in the Purple Portal (a vital point in cultivation), deceased souls may find new life in the long night. The divine records are kept in the Yellow Chamber (an alternate name for the Dantian), penetrating the underworld to bring about rebirth. Cultivating to the realm of the Brilliant Heavens (higher celestial spheres), where pure and empty Qi flows eternally, we align with emptiness and transcend the cycle of reincarnation.

Finally, we take refuge in the Celestial Emperor of the Western Resonant Heaven of Mysterious Transformation. The entire scripture, through confessions to Celestial Honored Ones in different directions, demonstrates the Daoist religious practice of liberating souls and pursuing longevity through ritual confession and internal alchemy (Neidan) cultivation. Terms like "refining Qi," "Purple Portal," and "Yellow Chamber" are all technical language of Daoist internal alchemy, referring to practices such as breath regulation and visualization to cultivate primordial Qi.

This passage describes a Daoist zhaijiao (purification ritual) ceremony for the salvation of departed souls. The ritual master leads devotees in solemn repentance before deities of the western and northwestern directions, praying for the liberation of the deceased.

First, the master, representing the patron sponsoring the ritual, prostrates before celestial officials including the Dongxuan Transformation-Responding Celestial Emperor and the Heavenly Lord of Brahma Qi (Daoist deities). The text explains how the deceased, during their lifetime, became entangled in the confusion of seven emotions and the turmoil of three karmas (physical, verbal, and mental actions), violating precepts which caused their name to be recorded in the underworld's black register, trapping their soul in the dark realms without liberation. Through this ritual with incense offerings and flower scattering, they beseech the deities to pardon these transgressions, enabling the departed soul to escape the sea of suffering, ascend to celestial realms, and eternally dwell in the immortal paradise beyond rebirth.

The ceremony then turns to deities of the northwest, including the Numinous Transformation Brahma-Assisting Celestial Emperor, with similar petitions. They pray for the radiance of purple immortal Qi to illuminate the soul's return to its original purity, transcending the eight calamities (Daoist term for eight types of worldly sufferings), restoring wholeness to the hun and po souls, ultimately achieving mystical union with the Dao.

The recurring term "Brahma Qi" refers to primordial vital energy, while "guiming" signifies complete spiritual surrender. Through repentance, offerings, and supplication, the entire ritual serves to purify karmic obstructions and facilitate the soul's transcendence.

This is a confessional text from a Daoist Zhaijiao (purification ritual), containing devotional prostrations and repentance addressed to the Celestial Emperors of the North and the Supreme Heavens.

First, devotees devoutly kneel in repentance before the Northern High Emperor of Purity and Radiance (the supreme deity of the North in Daoism) and his divine retinue. They offer incense in prayer, surrendering both body and mind to these sacred beings. They beseech the flow of azure auspicious Qi (vital energy), hoping that through the deities’ power of absolution, they may transcend worldly attachments, attune their spirits to the celestial harmonies of the Nine Heavens, and ultimately ascend to the Violet Firmament (one of Daoism’s highest paradises), eternally united with the Dao (the Way) in its formless void.

Next, repentance is offered to the Supreme Emperor of No-Thought, No-Knots, and No-Desires (the highest divinity symbolizing transcendence beyond worldly cravings). This section specifically petitions on behalf of the ritual master (Zhaizhu) and their deceased kin, acknowledging how mortals, deluded by the seven emotions and six desires, violate natural and moral principles, committing countless transgressions that lead to their names being recorded in the Black Registers of the underworld (the infernal ledger of sins). Through fasting, ritual practice, incense offerings, and flower scattering, they pray for the circulation of black auspicious Qi, enabling the liberation of departed souls, their return to the primordial true nature, and their eventual freedom amid the jade towers and jeweled palaces of the immortal realms.

The closing passages share a common aspiration: that families may flourish and that cultivators ultimately transcend physical form, merging completely with the Dao. The recurring term "Fanqi" refers to the primordial, pure energy, while "Xuwu" (the formless void) denotes the highest ontological reality in Daoism. The entire ritual embodies the Daoist practice of purification through repentance and Zhaijiao, seeking to cleanse karmic burdens, deliver the deceased, and pursue longevity and transcendence.