《靈寶領教濟度金書》Vol. 91

The Lingbao Lingjiao Jidu Jinshu (Book of Golden Salvation According to the Numinous Treasure Tradition), Volume 91 records the "Morning Court Ritual" (Zhaochao Yi) procedure in Daoist purification ceremonies (Zhaijiao). This scripture describes the process through which Daoist priests communicate with deities during dawn ceremonies via a series of ritual steps.

The ceremony begins with priests offering incense and performing prostrations while reciting the "Weiling Zhou" (Guardian Numinous Chant) to purify the altar space. The incantation invokes celestial beasts like "Qingxu Yangying" (Azure Void Shining Radiance), which possess the divine power to exorcise evil and protect the Dharma. This is followed by the ritual of "sounding the Dharma drums twenty-four times" (Ming Fa Gu Ershisi Tong), symbolically opening pathways between the Three Realms (Sanjie).

The priests then summon their internal guardian deities known as "Three-Five Merit Officials" (Sanwu Gongcao) and celestial attendants like "Golden Boys and Jade Maidens" (Jintong Yunü) to assist, while simultaneously inviting principal deities such as "Elder Lord of Azure Mystery from the Eastern Pole" (Dongji Qingxuan Laojun) and "Heavenly Worthy of Supreme Oneness Who Saves from Suffering" (Taiyi Jiuku Tianzun) to descend. These deities possess special powers to relieve suffering, particularly Taiyi Jiuku Tianzun, who in Daoism is specifically revered for delivering deceased souls.

During the ritual, the priests—acting in their capacity as "officiants performing the marvelous purification rites of the Azure Mystery Yellow Register" (Juwei Fengxing Qingxuan Huanglu Miaozhai Fashi)—announce the purpose of the ceremony to the Ten Directions' Jiuku Tianzun and other deities. Through the "petitioning" (Shangqi) method, they beseech the deities to bestow "Marvelous Azure Qi" (Qingxuan Miaoqi), enabling the devotees' prayers to reach the celestial realm.

The entire ritual embodies the Daoist concept of "resonance between heaven and humanity" (Tianren Ganying). Through meticulous liturgical procedures (Keyi), it establishes communication channels between the human world and divine beings, ultimately achieving the goals of delivering deceased souls and dispelling calamities. The text mentions the "Yellow Court" (Huangting)—a crucial internal cultivation site in the human body—and the "Three Qi" (Sanqi), which represent the fundamental energies of heaven, earth, and humanity.

This scripture depicts the solemn scene of a Daoist zhaijiao (purification ritual). The ritual master refers to himself as "your servant," expressing reverent devotion in presenting memorials to the deities.

The text mentions "the crimson brightness that opened the cosmos" and "the azure mystery governing creation," referring to the sacred visions of cosmic beginnings in Daoist cosmology. "Eight directions perfected" and "ten poles complete" represent the universe's structural wholeness, while "primordial Qi" (the primal vital energy) and "true radiance" (primordial spiritual light) constitute the fundamental energies of all existence.

The master describes the deities with majestic forms where "awesomeness coalesces in purple gold, while wisdom blossoms in jade green," showcasing Daoist veneration for divine majesty and insight. The fragrance of incense forests and the sublime tones of langyin (celestial music) symbolize the compassionate resonance of the sacred.

The master recounts having accumulated merit in past lives, now fortunate to encounter this flourishing age where he may wear "mystic precepts" (ritual implements) and follow the "teacher of formless subtlety" (referring to Laozi or an enlightened master) in study. This expresses the cultivation attitude of "learning truth to amend faults"—both advancing oneself and universally delivering sentient beings.

In the ritual section, the master petitions the deities on behalf of the patron (who commissioned the ceremony). Grieving for departed loved ones, the patron seeks the "boat of wisdom" (symbolizing Daoist teachings) and "torch of compassion" (divine grace) to guide souls from the darkness of the underworld to the "shore of Dao" (liberation's far shore).

Finally, the text portrays the ceremonial grandeur: incense smoke spirals upward as divine offering; wind banners and dew-canopied standards (ritual regalia) stand in solemn array; moon chimes and cloud pipes (celestial instruments) resonate ethereally—revealing the sacred atmosphere of the ritual space. The master prays that through this zhaijiao, divine blessings may illuminate both realms of yin and yang, delivering all beings.

We practitioners devoutly dedicate our body, mind, and spiritual nature, prostrating ourselves in reverence to the Supreme Oneness Savior of Suffering (Taiyi Jiuku Tianzun, the Daoist deity presiding over salvation of departed souls). May today's cultivation merits be dedicated thus: First, we pray for the nation's peace and stability, that the imperial ancestors' sacred spirits may concentrate their Shen (spirit) in the azure heavens, adorned with immortal jade pendants to audience with the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning (Yuanshi Tianzun), ensuring perpetual imperial lineage. May the emperor receive blessings as the phoenix bears auspicious signs and the dragon talisman continues its divine mandate, bringing seasonal winds and rains, with rituals and music flourishing like the Zhou dynasty's golden age, cultural prosperity lasting as the Yan region's poetic legacy.

At this dawn hour ascending the altar for ritual, the Daoist priests reverently light incense. May these curling smoke spirals rise to the nine heavens as offerings to the supreme treasures of Daoist scriptures. We again worship the Supreme Oneness Savior of Suffering, transferring merits to the host's ancestral lineage. May departed souls receive salvation in the Vermilion Palace (Zhuling Gong, the Daoist paradise for soul refinement), eradicating all karmic roots—the three poisons of greed, anger, and delusion dissolving like stilled wind and water, with karmic obstructions, retribution obstacles, and affliction hindrances vanishing as ice under sunlight. May the deceased ride phoenix-drawn immortal carriages straight to the celestial court, all sins purified, ascending to the Minor Clarity and Emptiness Heaven (Xiaoyou Qingxu Tian), embarking on the Mahayana path of liberation.

For the third incense offering to the supremely venerable Teacher's Treasure (one of Daoism's Three Treasures, representing the lineage masters), we pray the host's household be bathed in Dao-De's (Virtue-Power) radiance, with auspicious celestial flowers showering their threshold, pure laughter resonating through harmonious halls. May we cultivators with our kin and teachers—the living refining Shen like golden blossoms gathering in mystic valleys, the departed blending jade essences on jade terraces—ultimately return all merits to the supreme state of "Union with the Dao in Authenticity."

This scripture primarily describes the state of attaining immortality through realizing the Dao (the Way) and the corresponding cultivation methods, along with the ritual content of petitioning Daoist deities to deliver deceased souls.

By upholding precepts and reciting scriptures with devotion, practitioners can achieve the state of merging with the Dao. Specific cultivation methods include: treasuring the Buddhist Dharma as one would a lifelong companion, valuing scriptures like precious pearls and jade; using precepts to restrain the desires of the six senses (eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind); diminishing worldly desires through tranquil cultivation; and maintaining a serene and detached state of mind to nurture upright Qi (vital energy). Such practice inspires awe even in celestial demons and brings immense blessings across generations.

The sublime achievements of cultivation include: flourishing family and nation, widespread propagation of the Daoist teachings, and harmony with all things in heaven and earth; accumulating merit through mind cultivation, ensuring the constant turning of the Dharma wheel; seven generations of ancestors ascending to heavenly realms, while the practitioner achieves daylight ascension. By deeply comprehending the profound mysteries of the Dao, all thoughts align with its principles, transforming the mortal body into an immortal form, attaining an indestructible diamond-like body that transcends the sufferings of the three realms (desire, form, and formlessness) and liberates from the five torments of hell (birth, aging, sickness, death, separation from loved ones, encountering the hated, unfulfilled desires, and the afflictions of the five aggregates).

The latter section details a solemn petition ritual. The practitioner reverently pays homage to the three supreme deities: the Great Dao of Supreme Non-Ultimate (personified manifestation of the Dao), the Thirty-Six Honored Scriptures (collective term for all Daoist classics), and the Great Master of Mystic Centrality (referring to Lord Lao, the deified Laozi). Then, supplications are made to the Celestial Worthies manifested from the Primordial Azure Qi (the foundational energy of life), including the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning, the Celestial Worthy of the Dao, and the Celestial Worthy of Supreme Oneness Who Saves from Suffering, beseeching them to illuminate the dark underworld with their divine power, deliver souls from the torments of hell, and elevate them to the celestial realms of clouds and mist.

Finally, the reason for conducting the ritual is explained: the patron (who sponsors the ceremony) is concerned about the karmic obstacles accumulated by deceased relatives in the cycle of rebirth and hopes that, through the deities' divine power, they may be freed from worldly afflictions and attain liberation.

This scripture depicts a Daoist ritual for the salvation of departed souls, comprising two main sections:

The first half describes the ceremonial process (Keyi) through which the priest liberates souls from hell. The deceased, originally trapped in the dark underworld (Nine Netherworlds) suffering various torments (iron-barred bronze gates), are delivered through ritual actions. The priest ignites sacred incense (qiào yān), erects an altar (zhī tán), and invokes the power of the Three Treasures (Dao, scriptures, and master) to summon celestial officials (immortal functionaries who break open hell's gates). Thunder deities and wind lords escort the souls (guarding and transporting their forms and spirits) through the adamantine wheels of hell (steel-rimmed dark cycles), ascending them to the jade void's paradisiacal realm (jade void's Daoist realm), ultimately cleansing their karmic burdens (completely washing away the weight of grievances and transgressions).

The latter section presents ten prayerful aspirations expressing the Daoist practitioner's universal compassion:

First vow: For ancestors (seven generations of parents) to ascend to celestial realms;

Second vow: For national prosperity (emperors and kings flourishing through Dao's transformation) and universal peace;

Third vow: For the priest's meritorious deeds to reach fulfillment;

Fourth vow: For fellow cultivators to achieve immortality swiftly;

Fifth vow: For familial harmony (nine relations in concord) and the veneration of benevolence and righteousness;

The remaining five vows (not fully enumerated here) typically include liberating all beings and the wellbeing of all creation.

The text particularly emphasizes that only through sincere repentance (eradicating sins through tenfold purification) and reverent practice (the piety of advancing elbow-to-knee) can one receive the Celestial Worthy's compassionate salvation (comprehending the Celestial Worthy's great compassionate transformation). The final prayers wish for celestial clarity (the heavenly axis purified and serene) and abundant harvests (five grains ripening), that all living creatures (moving, rooted, flying, submerged) may receive Dao's grace. This ritual simultaneously embodies Daoism's religious function of soul salvation and demonstrates its cosmic concern of "universal compassion and equal care," reflecting the tradition's characteristic integration of soteriological practice and cosmological vision.

This scripture is a liturgical prayer text used in Daoist Zhaijiao (purification rituals), containing ten devotional vows and ceremonial procedures.

The text first enumerates ten virtuous aspirations practitioners should cultivate: The sixth vow expresses willingness to sacrifice oneself to support Daoist priests and those suffering from hunger and cold, so all people may live in peace and prosperity. The seventh vow hopes all crawling creatures may attain liberation. The eighth seeks absolution for karmic transgressions across lifetimes, vowing to atone through good deeds. The ninth prays for flourishing lineage and virtuous descendants. The tenth pledges devout study of scriptures transmitted by one's master, single-minded devotion to the Dao (the Way), universal salvation, and ultimately achieving ascension as an immortal - rising bodily to meet Lord Lao (the deified Laozi), becoming a true transcendent who rides cloud chariots and feathered carriages to merge with the supreme Dao.

The ritual scenario then unfolds: Practitioners must concentrate their Shen (spirit) while offering incense prayers. The Incense Official Envoy (divine administrator of ritual fires), Dragon-Tiger Guardian Generals (protector deities), and various spiritual officers will descend to the altar. The prayer invokes this morning's practice space to spontaneously generate Golden Elixir (alchemical substance), cinnabar-jade herbs, and numinous mushrooms, attracting assembled immortals to the incense burner. May practitioners attain the Dao through study and achieve immortality through cultivation, while all fasting devotees receive blessings benefiting both Yin (spirit) and Yang (material) realms. The text further petitions immortal youths and jade maidens from the ten directions to safeguard the ritual fire and swiftly convey the practitioner's sincerity to the Eastern Extremity's Azure Mystery Elder Lord (an epithet of the Salvation Sovereign), Taiyi Salvation Sovereign, and the God Who Preserves Primordial Fortune.

The concluding section describes ceremonial closure: First chanting the "Exit Hall Hymn," then reverently escorting the deities back to their celestial abodes. This passage originates from Volume 91 of the Lingbao Lingjiao Jidu Jinshu (Numinous Treasure Canon for Universal Salvation), a foundational text for Daoist salvation rites and disaster-averting blessings.