《金籙玄靈轉經晚朝行道儀》

The Golden Register Mysterious Numinous Scripture-Recitation Evening Court Ritual describes the procedural sequence of a Daoist evening liturgy. The main content is as follows:

This is a scripture-recitation ritual performed in the evening. At the commencement, participants first pay homage to the founding masters, focusing their spirit and silently reciting incantations. This is followed by the chanting of divine mantras: "The Five Directional True Qi of the Northern Great Mystery realm encircles us, with five-colored precious light circulating in layered radiance. The numinous illumination shines forth, penetrating the Taiwei Heavenly realm, pouring into my body, causing my internal organs to glow with light. Stabilizing the abodes of my spirit-souls (Shen), ten thousand deities return to their proper stations. Clad in feathered robes, I ascend in immortal flight."

Next, the ritual drum is struck twenty-four times, symbolizing the summoning of deities. The invocation continues: "The Primordial Three Qi from the supreme Sanqing (Three Pure Ones) celestial realm, may the Most High Lord Lao manifest within this disciple. We summon the Merit Officers of the Three Realms, the left and right attendants, incense-bearing envoys, dragon-mounted messengers, golden boys who tend the incense, jade maidens who scatter flowers, and the thirty-six Duty Gods of the Day—all arrayed in full regalia to protect this Dharma assembly."

The presiding priest declares: "This disciple now ascends the altar for evening liturgy, paying homage to the Celestial Venerables. With utmost sincerity we present this memorial, praying that the Dao-Qi of the Supreme Venerable and auspicious radiance may descend, flowing into our bodies, that our sincere hearts may swiftly reach the celestial hearing."

There follows a sequential invitation to each honored deity: including the Sanqing Celestial Venerables (Yuanshi, Lingbao, and Daode—the three highest divinities), the Jade Emperor, the Purple Tenuity Emperor, the Nine Imperial Lords of the Northern Dipper (including the stars Tanlang, Jumen and others of the Big Dipper constellation with their left and right assistant stars) and their consorts, the Great Sage of Celestial Stem, and numerous other divinities to descend to the ritual platform.

Finally, the presiding priest declares his ritual office, joining with all participating Daoist priests present in reverent supplication to all the aforementioned deities.

Note: This constitutes an important evening liturgy in Daoist practice. Through scripture recitation, visualization (Cunxiang), and deity summoning, it achieves communion with the divine and purification of body-mind. The veneration of the Northern Dipper holds particular significance in Daoism, believed to eliminate calamities and prolong life.

This scripture describes the deity-invocation segment of the Golden Register Grand Rite (Jinlu Dajiao) during the evening court ceremony in Daoist practice, where priests devoutly invite celestial beings to descend upon the ritual altar through incense offerings. Here is the vernacular interpretation:

Tonight we perform the scripture-revolving evening court ceremony, reverently inviting:

• The Three Platforms and Canopy Star Lords (guardians of destiny in the Three Platforms constellation)
• The Natal Destiny Star Lord of this life (one's personal guardian star deity)
• The Southern Pole Elder Star Lord of Longevity and Virtue (the immortal Southern Pole Elder, master of longevity)
• The Upper Clarity Star Lords of Blessings and Prosperity (deities governing fortune and official rank)
• The Shining Imperial Throne Star Officials (celestial officers of the Purple Tenuity Enclosure)
• The Twenty-Eight Lunar Mansions Star Lords (the twenty-eight constellations encircling heaven)
• The Sixty Jiazi Star Lords (sixty Tai Sui deities)
• The Officials of the Mysterious Tribunal of Dao and Virtue (underworld judges)
• The True Lord of the Great Master of Mysterious Center (Daoist patriarch)
• The True Lord of the Great Master of the Three Heavens (emanations of the Three Pure Ones)
• The Venerable Elders of the Nine Heavenly Ministries (celestial officials from nine heavenly departments)
• Along with the Embroidered-Robe Messengers and the Qiangyang-Tuoluo Messengers (Dharma protector generals)
• The Four Direct Duty Officers and the Communications Attendants (celestial couriers)
• The Thousand Chariots and Ten Thousand Riders of the Dipper (the multitudinous spirits of the Northern Dipper)

We have heard that heavenly radiance illuminates all, as the Daoist teachings have spread widely since the primordial separation of chaos. Today, honored by imperial decree to conduct this Golden Register Grand Rite, we offer incense before the solemn altar with utmost sincerity, earnestly beseeching:

1. Through this incense, we venerate the Supreme Treasure of Ultimate Truth—the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning (Yuanshi Tianzun) of the Great Canopy Heaven

2. The Great Emperor of Heavenly Augustness from the Purple Tenuity Upper Palace

3. The Two Dipper Emperors and Nine Imperial Star Lords of the Jade Dipper

4. The Assembled Immortals and Saints of the Clear and Subtle Heavenly Palace

We bow in devout supplication, praying:

• May the Emperor receive divine protection from all directions
• May celestial auspicious signs descend, bringing national prosperity and peace
• Through cultivation, may we unite with the Great Dao
• Ultimately attaining the Dao and achieving eternal life

(Here the priests perform the second incense offering, continuing the subsequent ritual sequence)

This scripture is part of the evening ritual liturgy (Keyi) in Daoist practice, primarily consisting of two sections:

The first section involves incense offerings to various deities. Daoist priests light incense, hoping its fragrant smoke ascends to the celestial realms as an offering to the supreme divinities, including:

• The Dao Lord of Jade Capital (an epithet for Lingbao Tianzun, one of the Three Pure Ones)
• Lingbao Tianzun (the Celestial Worthy of Numinous Treasure)
• The Great Emperor of the North Star in the Purple Tenuity Central Palace (the deity governing the Ursa Major constellation)
• The Stellar Lord of Original Destiny (the star deity overseeing individual fate)
• The immortals of the Yu Yu Heavenly Palace (one of Daoism's Thirty-Six Heavens)

The prayers focus on blessings for the crown prince, wishing his fortune to increase daily, that he may receive the pure blessings of heaven and the righteous Qi of the Big Dipper's seven stars, while bathing in the numinous light from all ten directions. The liturgy also prays for auspicious clouds to envelop the imperial household and for the golden branches and jade leaves (metaphors for royalty) to enjoy eternal peace.

The second section continues with incense offerings to:

• The Virtuous Celestial Worthy of Five Numinosities (another name for Lord Lao, the deified Laozi)
• The Stellar Lord of Longevity and Virtue from the Southern Pole
• The Stellar Lords of Blessings and Prosperity from the Upper Clarity realm
• The immortals of the Great Red Heavenly Palace (one of Daoism's highest celestial realms)

The prayers expand to encompass universal salvation, hoping the orthodox Dao may spread widely and mysterious grace descend universally, enabling all beings across the nine regions and four seas to return to the true path and escape the sufferings of samsara.

The conclusion features the "Three Refuges" ritual, expressing devout commitment to the Three Treasures of Dao, scriptures, and masters. The "Eulogy of Predestined Fate" explains how during one's birth year, through repentance of faults and veneration of the Original Destiny Stellar Lord, one may eliminate the three calamities and nine misfortunes while protecting family members.

The entire scripture demonstrates the complete Daoist ritual process of communicating with deities through incense burning and scripture recitation for blessings and disaster prevention, embodying the Daoist cultivation ideal of "harmonizing with the Dao in authenticity."

This passage describes the evening ritual procedure of the Golden Register Purification (Jinlu Zhaijiao), the highest-level Daoist purification ceremony:

We reverently undertake this practice, now conducting the Great Golden Register Purification by imperial decree to pray for the Emperor's longevity and blessings. Leading the assembly of pure Daoist practitioners in the altar space, we recite the Supreme Mystical Numinous Big Dipper Original Destiny Life-Prolonging True Scripture (Taishang Xuanling Beidou Benming Yansheng Zhenjing) once each. We supplicate the heavens:

We pray to the Seventh Star of the Big Dipper, the Jade Dawn Lord of Heavenly Charge and Army Breaker (Tianchong Pojun Yuchen Jun), beseeching the removal of all calamities from the Three Green Great Fire division in the Zhen trigram position (the eastern direction in the Eight Trigrams). We earnestly request the deities' compassionate response.

The ritual sequence includes:

1. Arranging the dharma seat with hymns

2. Opening the scripture

3. Scripture recitation

4. Concluding the seat with hymns

After completing the scripture recitation, we lead the assembly in altar circumambulation, reciting the Supreme Mystical Numinous Big Dipper Original Destiny Life-Prolonging True Scripture once each for the Emperor's boundless longevity. We pray for increased blessings, longevity, and the fulfillment of virtuous fruits, with all participants sincerely chanting praises.

Then we proceed with Pacing the Void (Buxu, a special ritual walking technique) to offer incense in the eastern direction before returning to position, invoking the sacred title "Heavenly Worthy of Seven Primes' Protective Covering" (Qiyuan Fuhu Tianzun).

The scripture states: During one's birth year - this crucial period - calamities may be dissolved through repentance, and life may be prolonged through blessings. Reciting this true scripture combined with purification rituals can increase one's virtue and blessings. Now we again lead the assembly in scripture recitation, praying to the Big Dipper's Eighth Star, the Jade Dawn Lord, to remove all calamities from the Two Black Quail Tail and Actual Sinking division in the Kun trigram position (southwestern direction).

The same ritual sequence repeats, concluding with incense offering in the southwest and invocation of "Heavenly Worthy of Great Compassion and Life Extension" (Daci Yanshou Tianzun).

The scripture further explains: For all men and women during important days like their birth dates and destiny periods, reciting this scripture can...

This scripture records the specific procedures and invocational content of the evening ritual (wanchao xingyi) in the Daoist Golden Register Retreat (jinlu zhai) — a purification ceremony for blessing and longevity. The process consists of several key components:

First, during the fasting days, practitioners must purify body and mind, burn incense while reciting sacred texts (Daoist scriptures), and offer sincere prayers to the Northern Dipper Destiny Star Lord (the deity believed to govern one's natal destiny in Daoism). During the ceremony, Daoist priests lead devotees in chanting the Supreme Mystical Numinous Northern Dipper Life-Prolonging True Scripture, beseeching the Jade Dawn Lord of Heavenly Prowess (one of the Nine Dipper Lords) to dispel calamities from the Xuanxiao constellation (one of the Twenty-Eight Lunar Mansions) in the northern sky.

The ritual sequence includes:

1. Arranging the ritual seat and commencing hymns

2. Reciting the scripture

3. Concluding the scripture recitation and dismantling the seat

4. Circumambulating the altar while offering incense to the northern direction

The invocations specifically petition:

• The Nine Imperial Jade Dawn Dao Lords (deities of the nine Dipper stars) to eliminate misfortunes across the nine celestial divisions
• The Six Jia and Six Ding guardian generals and the Dipper's celestial souls to protect the altar
• The Twenty-Four Calamity-Dispelling Numinous Officials to form ceremonial ranks
• Blessings for the emperor's longevity and the nation's prosperity

The ceremony concludes with the benediction "May heaven endure and earth abide, may seas be tranquil and rivers clear," expressing wishes for national stability and imperial perpetuity. Through focused visualization of deities (cunxiang shenling) and incense offerings, the ritual completes the devout veneration of the Northern Dipper Lords.

(Note: In Daoism, Northern Dipper worship is closely associated with longevity and calamity prevention, believing sincere devotion can dispel natal misfortunes. The Golden Register Retreat represents one of Daoism's highest ceremonial standards, often employed for imperial blessings.)

This passage is a liturgical text from the Daoist scripture Golden Register Mysterious Numinous Scripture-Rotating Evening Court Ritual, describing the ceremonial scene of an evening scripture recitation:

The Incense Official Messengers (divine envoys overseeing ritual offerings), the Left and Right Dragon-Tiger Lords (guardian deities), and all attendant numinous officials should now allow the practitioner (the Daoist priest presiding over the ritual, who humbly refers to himself as "this subject") to naturally manifest auspicious signs within the evening scripture-rotating ceremony space—including the Golden Liquid (a Neidan alchemical term referring to the elixir's jade-like essence), cinnabar-red brilliance, and Ganoderma essence (the quintessence of the immortality herb). May the hundred Immortal Perfected Ones and numerous divine beings gather before this incense burner, and may the practitioner's crimson-hearted sincerity move the heavens, allowing the silent descent of vast celestial blessings.

We pray: May the Sagely Sovereign (the emperor) enjoy boundless longevity and health, and may the nation's territory remain eternally secure. May the jade maidens and immortal youths from the ten directions receive these incense offerings, swiftly conveying the sincere petitions just presented to the supreme thrones of the Three Pure Ones (Yuqing, Shangqing, and Taiqing—the highest triad of Daoist deities), the Purple Tenuity North Pole Emperor (sovereign of the Big Dipper), and the Nine Imperial Stars of the Northern Dipper (the seven stars plus two auxiliary stars).

The final phrase "Exit Hall Hymn" indicates the concluding praise to be chanted after this segment of the ritual. The Mysterious Numinous Scripture-Rotating Evening Court Ritual refers to the complete ceremonial name for this evening liturgy, wherein rotating scripture cylinders and recitations serve as means of divine communication.