《太上黃籙齋儀》Vol. 27

This scripture documents the liturgical procedure for the "Disaster-Dispelling Ritual" segment within the Daoist Yellow Register Retreat (Huanglu Zhai) — a ceremony for redeeming deceased souls and praying for blessings. The ritual begins with priests paying homage to ancestral masters, focusing their minds to enter a sacred state.

Next comes the recitation of the "Guardian Spirit Incantation" (Weiling Zhou), which essentially invokes the pure yellow central energy (considered the most refined Qi in Daoism) from heaven and earth to sever demonic traces and cut off evil at its source. Through the talismanic decree of Lord Laozi (one of Daoism's highest deities), divine power is summoned to bring forth ten thousand spirits who expel calamities and baleful influences. The sovereign Qi (referring to pure Yang energy) circulates within the body like a refreshing breeze permeating every limb. The Purple Portal (a vital bodily aperture) opens, with immortal attendants (Daoist divine servitors) flanking the practitioner as they roam freely through the nine celestial realms. The entire altar resonates with heavenly mysteries as myriad deities descend to deliver sentient beings.

The ritual master then strikes the ceremonial drum twenty-four times (Daoists believe drumbeats communicate with the divine), reverently inviting the appearance of the Supreme Mysterious Primordial Lord of the Dao (i.e., Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning, Daoism's highest deity). Simultaneously, the master summons the internal deities cultivated through personal practice — including the Three-Five Merit Officers (bodyguard spirits), Golden Boys and Jade Maidens (divine messengers), and Five Emperor Direct Talismans (guardians of the five directions) — thirty-two deities in total, instructing them to prepare for action. Local earth gods and city deities are also invited to provide protection.

The master declares that this Zhaijiao ritual is performed to dispel misfortunes and seek blessings for devotees, praying for the Dao's luminous Qi from the Jade Pure Realm (highest heaven) to infuse their being. Through visualization practice, the Violet Chamber (upper Dantian) within the body opens radiantly, receiving empowerment from the Five Directional Elder Lords (deities of the Five Phases) and the Celestial Emperor of Ten Thousand Heavens. This achieves a state of physical and mental purity with golden light emanating, ensuring prayers reach the celestial court.

Finally, all priests solemnly petition the assembled deities: the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning, the Supreme Lord of the Great Dao, Lord Laozi, the Jade Emperor, and other members of the Three Pure Ones and Four Sovereigns (Daoism's supreme pantheon), along with the Thirty-Six Celestial Emperors, directional guardians, sages of the Mystic Metropolis and Jade Capital (Daoist paradises), protectors of the Thirty-Six Daoist Scriptures, and all celestial officials across the three realms. They sincerely beseech the Great Dao to manifest its power, bestowing blessings and averting disasters.

This passage fully presents the standard Daoist ritual sequence of deity invocation, visualization, incantation, and vow-making, embodying the Daoist cultivation principle of "resonance between heaven and humanity."

The earth manifests auspicious signs as the celestial and earthly Yin-Yang energies harmonize above, dispelling the three calamities of the human realm. Thus all beings dwell in peaceful accord, living creatures receive divine protection, every household enjoys safety and joy, and even the souls of the netherworld obtain deliverance.

We practitioners, long blessed by the grace of Daoist teachings, have been granted the privilege to study precious scriptures. Following the compassionate guidance of the Most High Lord Lao (the supreme deity of Daoism), we propagate the salvific methods of the Celestial Venerables (high-ranking Daoist deities). With humble aspirations, we seek to uphold the orthodox Dao, universally deliver sentient beings, rescue those in peril, and assist in stabilizing the nation. Now we reverently submit this petition, daring not conceal the slightest sincerity.

Hearing these earnest supplications, we prepare offerings of incense and flowers, holding ritual implements (Daoist ceremonial objects) with pure hearts to petition the deities of the Three Realms (heaven, earth, and water). According to the liturgical standards (Daoist ritual protocols) of the Mysterious Gate, we observe purification through fasting and ablutions, still our minds, light lamps, burn incense, and perform prostrations. Following the calamity-dispelling rites recorded in the River Chart and the repentance rituals of the Great Unity (the North Star deity) from ancient texts, we express sincerity toward the Golden Portal (celestial court) while visualizing the Jade Capital Mountain (Daoist paradise). May our devotion ascend to the celestial court and receive divine protection.

At this hour of noon worship, the ritual masters perform the first incense offering. May this fragrant smoke rise directly to the celestial spheres as an offering to the supreme treasure of the Dao (the highest truth of Daoism). We surrender ourselves completely, prostrating with utmost reverence, relying upon the majestic virtue of the Three Supreme Venerables (Celestial Venerable of Primordial Beginning, Celestial Venerable of Numinous Treasure, and Celestial Venerable of Dao and Virtue). We dedicate these merits to the nation, praying that the imperial lineage may surpass the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors (legendary sage rulers of antiquity), and that Daoist teachings may flourish more brilliantly than the era of Fu Xi and Shen Nong (cultural progenitors of Chinese civilization). May the sagely ruler soar through the Purple Tenuity Enclosure (celestial realm) and attain transcendence in the Vermilion Mound paradise (abode of the southern fire deity), ascending to the ranks of perfected immortals while bestowing blessings upon the mortal world.

We pray the emperor's longevity rivals the eight seas (symbolizing eternity), his virtuous radiance illuminating sun and moon. May his reign shine with the sagely brilliance of Yao and Shun (legendary sage-kings), the imperial consorts embody gentle virtue, officials maintain loyal integrity, and all under heaven enjoy peace with the four seas tranquil. Now we burn incense in devotion to our masters and all perfected sages, praying that upon attaining the Dao, we may transcend physical form and merge with the Great Dao.

The noon worship continues with the second incense offering. May the fragrant smoke ascend as an offering to the supreme treasure of scriptures (Daoist classics). With devout reverence to the Three Supreme Venerables, we dedicate these merits to the fasting participants and their karmic connections across lifetimes. May nine generations of ancestors and seven generations of departed souls be liberated, enabling trapped spirits in the netherworld to attain deliverance.

This passage describes the noonday ritual procession (午朝行道) within the Taoist Yellow Register Zhai Ceremony (黄箓斋仪), a rite for salvation of the deceased and dispelling misfortunes. Practitioners offer incense and prostrations to seek divine protection.

As the ceremony begins, three incense sticks are lit, their curling smoke symbolizing the ascent of sincere devotion to the supreme Three Pure Ones (Sanqing) - the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning (元始天尊), the Celestial Worthy of Numinous Treasure (灵宝天尊), and the Celestial Worthy of Dao and Virtue (道德天尊). With reverent bows, they pray for the deities to absolve sins, liberate souls from purgatorial suffering, protect living relatives, and bring salvation to all afflicted beings.

The ritual progresses to the repentance phase (礼方忏悔), where practitioners visualize nine-colored auroras (a meditative technique in Taoist cultivation) while silently reciting incantations to dispel inner demons. This is followed by the Pacing the Void circumambulation (步虚旋绕), a ceremonial movement where participants imagine ascending celestial ladders upon clouds, feeling the breath of heaven, until reaching the abodes of immortals.

The text references the Legendary Hall of Extended Grace (延恩殿), associated with Emperor Zhenzong's vision of the Mysterious Maiden of the Nine Heavens, depicting the magnificent descent of divine beings. Finally, participants perform threefold obeisance to Taoism's supreme objects of veneration: first to the supreme Dao itself, then to the Thirty-Six Sections of Sacred Scriptures (representing the complete Taoist canon), and lastly to the Great Master of Mysterious Center (玄中大法师, an honorific title for Laozi).

Through incense offering, prostration, repentance, and Pacing the Void, the ceremony expresses profound piety while petitioning for misfortune-dispelling and soul salvation - ultimately aspiring toward the cultivation goal of "unification with the Dao in truth" (与道合真), the state of complete harmony with the supreme Way.

This scripture describes an important Daoist ritual known as the "Yellow Register Retreat" (Huanglu Zhai). Lord Lao (Taishang Laojun, one of the highest Daoist deities) descends to the altar accompanied by numerous Celestial Worthies (Tianzun) from the ten directions, Heavenly Emperors (Tiandi), guardian deities of the thirty-six divisions of sacred scriptures, the Great Master of Mysterious Centrality (Xuanzhong Dafashi, a high-ranking Daoist divinity), and deities from all levels of the Three Realms (heaven, earth, and the underworld).

During the ceremony, the presiding priest prepares incense, flowers, ritual offerings (Faxin), and multicolored silks, meticulously arranging the altar according to strict liturgical procedures (Keyi). The lit lamps illuminate all Three Realms—their light reaching upward to the blessed realms of the formless heavens (Wuji) and downward to the darkest depths of the Nine Earths (extreme yin regions). The purpose is to deliver deceased souls across generations, absolving them of karmic burdens. Through repentance and supplication, the ritual seeks to dispel calamities caused by celestial irregularities in the sun, moon, and stars, as well as misfortunes stemming from inauspicious geographical alignments.

The priest offers blessings for the emperor, praying for enduring and stable rule; for the imperial consorts, crown prince, and officials, wishing for enlightened governance; and for favorable weather and abundant harvests, invoking auspicious omens like "the Yellow River revealing its nine charts" (a cosmic sign of harmony) and "mountains echoing with acclamations of longevity." Finally, blessings are extended to devotees' families, hoping their ancestors across nine generations attain liberation while maintaining a lineage tradition of loyalty, filial piety, benevolence, and harmony.

Concluding the ritual, the Daoist priests make three vows: first, that the Dao (the fundamental truth of the cosmos) remains pure and empty in its essence; second, that the gates of Dharma may widely open to enlighten all beings; third, that practitioners may attain realization through diligent cultivation. This embodies core Daoist ideals—universal salvation, the pursuit of longevity, and the practice of ritual (Zhaijiao) as a means to bridge heaven and humanity.

These Twelve Great Vows from the Taoist Supreme Yellow Register Purification Liturgy (Taishang Huanglu Zhaiyi) express a practitioner's prayers for all beings during ritual ceremonies. Each vow addresses different beneficiaries:

The first vow hopes all cultivators may ascend to immortal realms, sharing the longevity of heaven and earth, forever free from worldly troubles.

The second vow prays for the celestial Qi (vital energy) to remain pure, enveloping all things, protecting the true spiritual essence, harmonizing the seasons, stabilizing the nation, enriching the people, and bringing universal peace.

The third vow wishes the earth to steadfastly bear all beings without collapsing, the seas to remain calm, the land secure, the people prosperous, crops abundant, and all life nourished by the earth’s bounty.

The fourth vow seeks eternal radiance for the sun and moon, unobscured by darkness, their light illuminating all, dispelling shadows, safeguarding worldly peace, and nurturing all living things.

The fifth vow desires the stars to shine alongside the sun and moon, each moving in perfect order, shielding nations from calamity and ensuring tranquility across the four seas.

The sixth vow asks for the seasons to transition smoothly, the climate to be temperate, plagues to vanish, harvests to flourish, and the nation to thrive in harmony.

The seventh vow hopes clouds and Qi will gather and disperse freely, immortals and mortals coexisting in grace, blessings widely bestowed, delivering salvation to all beings and extending human lifespans.

The eighth vow prays for timely winds and rains to nourish all growth, filling state treasuries and enriching the people.

The ninth vow wishes the Five Sacred Peaks (Wuyue) to stand firm as divine abodes for immortals, safeguarding the nation’s destiny and becoming revered sanctuaries for all.

The tenth vow seeks boundless rivers and seas to embrace even the smallest life, uniting heaven and humanity in celebration, enduring as steadfast as stone through the ages.

The eleventh vow desires wise and enlightened rulers to govern justly, stabilizing all regions without war, with heavenly auspices descending, virtuous teachings flourishing, and the people living in contentment.

The twelfth vow extends to all living beings—born or unborn, including insects, plants, and orchards—that they may safely endure winter’s trials, receive vitality, and feel the warming Yang energy of heaven and earth.

These vows embody the Taoist ideal of "delivering the world and saving humanity" (jishi duren), encompassing blessings for natural phenomena, human society, rulers and commoners alike, down to the smallest creatures.

This passage describes the pivotal "Returning to the Furnace" ceremony marking the conclusion of the Daoist Yellow Register Retreat (Huanglu Zhaijiao) – a ritual for delivering deceased souls and universal salvation. The ritual master announces the successful completion of the ceremony to the deities while seeking divine blessings.

Before the incense burner gather the Incense Official Messengers (divine administrators of ritual incense), the Left and Right Dragon-Tiger Lords (guardian generals), and attendant incense spirit officials. The master prays that this sacred space for burning incense may spontaneously generate Golden Nectar (elixir of immortality), cinnabar-jade hues (colors of divine elixirs), and numinous mushroom essences (lingzhi extracts), creating a convergence point for celestial beings and perfected immortals.

The master articulates dual aspirations: that seekers of the Dao may attain its truth, and pursuers of immortality may achieve transcendence. Simultaneously, blessings are invoked for the retreat patron (Zhaizhu) who sponsored the ritual, with grace extending to both the realms of Yin and Yang. Immortal youths and jade maidens from the Ten Directions will come to receive the sacred smoke, swiftly conveying the master's petitions to the supreme deities.

Ultimately, these prayers ascend to the "Supreme Ultimate Great Dao of the Most High" (Taishang Wuji Dadao) – the formless, nameless highest divinity dwelling in primordial spontaneity, residing within golden towers and jade staircases (celestial palaces). The text concludes by identifying its source as the 27th scroll of the Most High Yellow Register Retreat Liturgy (Taishang Huanglu Zhaiyi), with "Exiting the Altar" marking the ritual's end as the master steps away from the sacred space.