《太上黃籙齋儀》Vol. 18

This passage comes from the Supreme Yellow Register Purification Ritual compiled by Du Guangting of the Tang Dynasty, detailing a Daoist zhaijiao (purification ritual) liturgy. At the start of the ceremony, the Daoist priests first pay homage to their patriarchs according to protocol, silently reciting the principles they must follow.

Next comes the "Guardian Spirits" segment, which describes a sacred vision: the five directional stars (representing the Five Phases—Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water) hang high in the sky, while auspicious qi (vital energy) flows through the air. The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning (one of the highest Daoist deities) summons the host of divine beings, heaven and earth merge, and the jade talismans and precious ritual implements emit faint, mystical sounds. The priests cast fire talismans to display their solemn authority, leaving no hiding place for demons and mountain spirits—countless malevolent entities are subdued and pacified. Chaotic and evil qi dissipates, wicked paths are severed, and the righteous qi of the Dao fills heaven and earth. Divine light illuminates the dark night, dispelling all gloom, as countless immortals descend to the mortal realm. Auspicious signs arrive with the wind, bestowing blessings upon all living beings, spreading divine favor across the sacred land of China.

The ritual master then strikes the ceremonial drum twenty-four times (a specific sacred count) to summon the deities: the Three Primordial Qi (Xuan, Yuan, and Shi—the three fundamental energies of Daoism) from the highest Three Heavens, while Lord Lao (the deified Laozi) calls upon the divine spirits within the presiding priest’s body. Simultaneously, they invite the Three and Five Merit Officers (Daoist guardian deities), the Left and Right Envoy Officials, the Golden Lad of Incense Service, the Jade Maiden of Message-Bearing, the Jade Emperor’s Direct Talisman (emissary of the Jade Emperor), and the Daily Incense Officer—thirty-two divine attendants in total. These spirits must solemnly array themselves to open the profound altar of the ritual.

Next, they report to the Celestial Emperor and Divine Lords, requesting the assistance of the local earth gods (guardian deities of the land). The presiding priest explains the purpose of the evening ritual (nighttime worship), praying for the Dao qi of the Jade Pure Realm (the highest celestial realm) and the wondrous light of the Numinous Treasure to descend and flow into the priest’s body. This ensures purity within and without the ritual space—no foul qi in the heavens, no demonic dust upon the earth. The resonant chimes of ritual instruments shake the Ten Directions (the entire cosmos), and countless malevolent spirits dare not cause chaos, ensuring that sincere prayers reach the celestial court.

Finally, the priests each declare their fawèi (Daoist spiritual rank) and reverently invoke the assembly of exalted deities: the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning from the Void of Non-Being, the Supreme Lord of the Great Dao of the Limitless, the Great Sovereign of Mysterious Origin in the Golden Tower of the Lofty Dao, Lord Lao, the Jade Emperor of the Vast Heaven, the host of great sages from the Ten Directions who have attained the Dao, the Numinous Treasure Celestial Worthy of Utmost Truth and Naturalness, the Saving from Suffering Celestial Worthy who responds to all pleas, the assembly of Perfected Lords and Elder Sages, the Thirty-Six Celestial Sovereigns, the Jade Void God, the Jade and Great Emperors, the Sovereign Lord of Eastern Florescence, the Ancient Immortal of the South Pole, the Queen Mother of the West, the Mysterious Capital of the North, the Numinous Treasure Perfected Sovereign of the Purple Tenuity Upper Palace within the Seven Treasures Jade Capital and Golden Tower, as well as the guardian spirits of the Thirty-Six Sacred Scriptures (key Daoist texts).

This passage describes part of the ritual process and invocations from the Daoist Yellow Register Retreat (Huanglu Zhaijiao), a ceremony for the salvation of deceased souls. The mentioned figures—"the Great Master of Mysterious Center" (Xuánzhōng Dàfǎshī), "the Five Ancient Celestial Sovereigns" (Wǔlǎo Shàngdì), "the Three Primordial Sovereigns" (Sānyuán Jūn), and "the Three Officials of Heaven, Earth, and Water" (Tiāndìshuǐ Sānguān)—are all important Daoist deities with distinct responsibilities.

The scripture begins by expounding the principle of karmic retribution: though human acts of good and evil may seem intangible, they inevitably bear corresponding consequences, much like echoes following sounds. The celestial deities meticulously record every merit and transgression, leaving no detail, however minute, unaccounted for. Thus, people should maintain reverence in their hearts and adhere to the profound precepts.

It then depicts the emperor conducting this salvation ritual. Daoist priests, following the Yellow Register scriptures (Huanglu Jianwen) recorded in the Purple Sun Jade Casket (Zǐyáng Yùjí), arrange the altar with offerings such as incense, flowers, and oil lamps. Through chanting scriptures and performing rituals, they confess transgressions before the heavenly deities, beseeching divine blessings to deliver the departed souls.

During the ceremony, the priests offer incense in three stages. The first offering is made to the "Supreme Treasure of the Ultimate Dao" (Wúshàng Zhìzhēn Dàobǎo), dedicating merits to ancestors and deities of the land, praying for their ascension to the immortal realms. The second offering is presented to the "Supreme Treasure of the Ultimate Scriptures" (Wúshàng Zhìzhēn Jīngbǎo), seeking blessings for the emperor, that his benevolence may flourish and the nation remain stable. The third offering is given to the "Supreme Treasure of the Ultimate Masters" (Wúshàng Zhìzhēn Shībǎo), praying for all participants to be freed from calamities and attain purity of body and mind.

Finally, the ritual concludes with prayers that through this ceremony, the departed souls may find deliverance, the living receive blessings, peace prevail under heaven, and all beings attain happiness. The entire ritual embodies the Daoist religious function of mediating between humans and deities through liturgy (Keyi), offering salvation to the deceased.

This scripture depicts the sacred scene and prayers within the Yellow Register Purification Ritual (Zhaijiao) of Daoism—a ceremony for redeeming deceased souls and praying for blessings. The deities solemnly examine the precious talismans (Fulu, sacred documents for divine communication), displaying their majestic power like overlooking vast rivers. Auspicious signs manifest between heaven and earth, with imperial family members and civil-military officials jointly assisting governance to ensure national stability and prosperity.

The prayers express wishes for eternal peace on the frontiers, with people living contentedly in all directions and regions paying tribute. May wars cease, plagues vanish, and floods or droughts never occur; may dragon deities (controllers of wind and rain) rejoice, demons cause no chaos, crops yield abundant harvests yearly, and all beings enjoy lasting tranquility. Through the incense-burning ceremony, devotees piously take refuge in the supreme Daoist masters and sacred assemblies, praying to transcend physical form and merge with the Dao (the Way) upon attaining enlightenment.

During the ritual, priests perform the "Threefold Incense Offering" (three precise motions of presenting incense), wishing its smoke to rise straight to the highest heavens as an offering to the supremely authentic masters. All participants bow deeply, relying on the grace of the Three Supreme Venerables (Sanqing: Yuanshi Tianzun, Lingbao Tianzun, and Daode Tianzun), praying that merits may bless a specific official or deceased soul. May divine light illuminate the underworld, celestial saints bestow kindness, the Nine Darknesses open their shadowed paths, and the suffering of the Six Realms (Buddhist concept of rebirth cycles) cease.

May departed souls be purified, karmic debts resolved, sins absolved, and blessings descend. Those trapped in the Three Wretched Realms (hell, hungry ghosts, animals) and ancestors from seven generations may all share these merits, ultimately attaining the Dao-fruit. Again, incense is burned to express devotion to the masters, praying for transcendence beyond form to unite with the Dao.

Subsequently, the "Ritual of Directions" (Lifang) is performed, including repentance, Three Invocations (three appeals to deities), and Three Prostrations (three ceremonial bows). With utmost sincerity, participants worship: first, the Supreme Limitless Dao (source of all); second, the Thirty-Six Sacred Scriptures (essential Daoist texts); and finally, the Great Master of Mysterious Centrality (Laozi, Daoism's founder). The ceremony concludes as disciples of Shangqing Xuandu (elite Daoist priests) reverently present their final petitions to the divine.

This scripture passage describes the content of repentance for sins and prayers for salvation within the Daoist Yellow Register Purification Ritual (a ceremony for the deliverance of deceased souls).

It begins by enumerating the highest pantheon of Daoist deities: the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning (Yuanshi Tianzun, the supreme deity of Daoism), the Great Lord of the Dao (Taishang Daojun), the Supreme Venerable Lord (Taishang Laojun), and other celestial worthies, along with the Thirty-Six Sections of Sacred Scriptures (a collective term for Daoist classics) and the Great Master of Mysterious Centrality (referring to Celestial Master Zhang Daoling). The text explains that these sacred beings possess the divine power to respond with timely transformations, relieving suffering and rescuing the distressed.

It then elaborates how humans, though endowed with spiritual intelligence among all creatures, lose their innate nature due to the fluctuations of Yin-Yang, resulting in actions divided between good and evil, with movement and stillness linked to fortune and misfortune. Human sins and merits determine their ascent or descent in the cycle of rebirth, distinguishing life from death. Thus, out of compassion, the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning and other great sages opened the gate of salvation, dispatching the Five Directional Thearchs and the Four Departments of divine officials to guide sentient beings. They revealed the principles of examining sins and merits through the Three Officials (celestial deities governing heaven, earth, and water) and proclaimed the laws of karmic retribution through the Yin-Yang clerks (underworld officials).

Yet ordinary beings remain deeply deluded, burdened by turbidity that is difficult to dispel, accumulating countless sins. The text lists various transgressions one might commit: waging wars, enforcing unjust laws, abusing punishments, undertaking large-scale construction that offends dragon spirits, feasting on slaughtered animals, hunting and harming life, rendering unfair judgments, and acting willfully. These actions bring lamentation to the human realm and unresolved grievances to the ghostly realm, with sins recorded in the ledgers of the Three Officials and Five Thearchs in the underworld.

Finally, the passage expresses the emperor’s (or presiding officiant’s) compassion for the deceased souls. Following liturgical protocols, an altar is established, sacred lamps are lit to illuminate the Nine Darknesses, and incense is offered to the Three Realms. Prayers are made for the celestial worthies to extend their mercy and for the Three Officials and Five Thearchs to bestow compassion, allowing the grace of salvation to spread widely so that the deceased may break free from the net of sins and attain liberation.

This passage forms the vow-making and dedication section of the Huanglu Zhaijiao (Yellow Register Purification Ritual) in Daoist liturgy, expressing the dual purpose of liberating deceased souls and praying for blessings through ritual practice.

The text first describes the boundless compassion of the Tianzun (Celestial Venerable, the supreme Daoist deity) whose grace can cleanse all sins, freeing souls from the underworld. Through purification in the Liuhuo Ting (Courtyard of Flowing Fire, where souls are refined), impurities are washed away, leaving spirits purified to ascend to the Changletian Gong (Palace of Eternal Joy, a Daoist celestial realm), forever liberated from darkness. Karmic debts are resolved, transgressions instantly absolved—descendants receive blessings while ancestors transcend. The merit generated by the zhaijiao (purification ritual) extends to all beings, bringing harmony between heaven and earth.

Following this are ten sacred vows: May the Great Dao spread widely, guiding humanity toward virtue; may all beings awaken to its truth; may souls trapped in the Jiuyou (Nine Darknesses of the underworld) find liberation; may wandering spirits receive refuge; may the world know peace and harvests flourish; may rulers and subjects, parents and children each fulfill their roles; may all lands unite in kinship and harmony; may unborn infants and fledgling creatures thrive; may the afflicted be healed; may the destitute find sustenance and shelter.

The concluding "Returning to the Furnace" ceremony (a ritual closing) invokes protective deities like the Xiangguan Shizhe (Incense Official Messengers) and Longhu Jun (Dragon-Tiger Lords), praying for the altar to manifest golden elixirs (jinye), azure jade, and numinous herbs as celestial beings descend. Petitions are made for Dao-cultivators to attain immortality, for ritual sponsors to receive blessings, and for grace to permeate both yin (spirit) and yang (material) realms. Immortal attendants and jade maidens safeguard the sacred flames, swiftly conveying these vows to the Jade Emperor (Yuhuang Shangdi, one of Daoism's supreme deities).

The final "Exiting the Altar" marks the ritual's completion as participants depart. Collectively, this scripture embodies Daoism's religious function of soul salvation and disaster-averting intercession through liturgical practice.

(Note: All specialized terms follow the Daoist Studies academic convention of pinyin romanization with capitalization, preserving their original cosmological and ritual nuances while ensuring readability for English audiences.)