《太上慈悲道場消災九幽懺》Vol. 2

This scripture passage comes from The Supreme Compassionate Daoist Rite of Ninefold Netherworld Disaster-Dispelling Repentance, compiled by Ge Xuan (revered as the Left Immortal Lord of the Supreme Ultimate), a pivotal figure in Daoism. It expounds on how sentient beings create various karmic offenses through the six roots (eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind), and the principle of attaining purity through repentance.

The text begins with the Universal Salvation Zhenren (Perfected Being) representing all beings in making repentance before the Compassionate Venerable One (a Daoist deity). The Compassionate One reveals that the cycle of rebirth for men and women in this world stems entirely from karmic offenses generated through the six roots—acts like killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, greed, anger, ignorance, false speech, and envy, along with transgressions such as disrespecting deities, defacing sacred images, and violating precepts. These accumulated offenses obscure humanity's originally pure nature like layers of dust.

A metaphor of a mirror illustrates this: just as a mirror clouded by grime regains its clarity when polished by a skilled artisan, human nature is fundamentally pure but becomes defiled by acquired habits. Sentient beings, through the interaction of the six roots (sensory faculties), six emotions (afflictions), and six dusts (external phenomena), give rise to deluded thoughts and unwholesome actions. This causes them to lose their true nature, trapped in the cycle of life and death, even falling into hell realms to suffer.

Ultimately moved by compassion, the Compassionate Venerable One reveals this repentance method to help beings eradicate karmic obstructions. Like polishing a mirror, sincere repentance restores the original purity of one's nature and liberates from the suffering of rebirth. This passage emphasizes repentance's vital importance while presenting the cultivation perspective that human nature is originally pure but becomes corrupted through defilements.

This scripture recounts the compassionate salvation of sentient beings by the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning (Yuanshi Tianzun), the supreme deity of Daoism. Beings cycle endlessly through rebirth—sometimes born in the Central Plains, sometimes among border tribes; sometimes aged, sometimes youthful; sometimes ordinary mortals, sometimes sages; sometimes female, sometimes male; sometimes noble, sometimes lowly. Through myriad manifestations, the Celestial Worthy employs diverse methods to teach beings, disseminating scriptural doctrines to awaken them from suffering, delivering them forever from the torments of hell.

Yet beings possess shallow wisdom, struggling to grasp these profound truths. Now the Celestial Worthy expounds in detail the causes and conditions, analyzing anew these principles so future beings may turn toward virtuous paths. Hearing these teachings and parables, people rejoice in body and mind, praising the compassionate Celestial Worthy while chanting this hymn:

"Hail the great Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning, true parent of all beings! You elucidate again the principles of Three Karmas (body, speech, mind) and Six Roots (eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, thought), using the metaphor of a clear mirror to skillfully save drowning beings, plucking them from suffering with compassionate heart. Hearing these teachings, our bodies and minds comprehend all causes. May we forever abide in this sacred arena as those who expound the Dharma for beings."

Now the Master of Repentance (presiding over the purification ritual) devoutly listens to these hymn verses for (peace/salvation). This profound repentance method defies comprehension—the Master prostrates fully, listening intently, bowing to the compassionate Celestial Worthy and reverently paying homage to all sacred ones.

Following this are listed twenty-four sacred names of Celestial Worthies, including:

• The Jade Purity Bestowing Blessings Celestial Worthy
• The Sound-Seeking Savior from Suffering Celestial Worthy
• The Life-Honoring Deliverer of Destiny Celestial Worthy

Each embodies distinct salvific functions. With utmost devotion, the Repentance Master venerates each one, seeking their protection and deliverance. These Worthies govern specific domains—some specialize in rescuing from suffering, some safeguard nations, some grant longevity—together forming Daoism's vast system of salvation.

This scripture forms part of the liturgical text and teachings within a Daoist disaster-absolving repentance ritual. It begins with reverent homage to four venerable deities: the Celestial Worthy of Wish-Fulfillment (who grants the aspirations of all beings), the Perfected Being of Oceanic Wisdom (an enlightened sage with wisdom as vast as sea and sky), the Universally Compassionate Savior (a perfected being who delivers all sentient beings), the Greatly Merciful Rescuer from Suffering (who relieves anguish through boundless compassion), and the Greatly Compassionate Remover of Karma (who eradicates sins through profound benevolence).

The prayer continues with supplications: May the Supreme Numinous Treasure Celestial Worthy of the southeast and all divine immortals throughout the ten directions—past, present and future—cleanse living beings with nectar of purity and illuminate them with compassionate radiance, ferrying all to the shore of liberation. The penitent bows in repentance for (protection/salvation), seeking the divine powers of suffering-relief, deliverance, guardianship, disaster-dispelling, merit-accumulation, and safeguarding, that all beings may repent their transgressions and ultimately attain the fruit of Dao-realization.

The instructional portion reveals the harsh realities of our Sahā world (the Buddhist "defiled land"): This illusory, impure realm teems with the three wretched paths—hells, hungry ghosts, and beasts. Virtuous deeds are rare while wickedness prevails. The cycling seasons hasten mortality; the harsh environment features barren lands and treacherous mountains. The human body—a foul, temporary amalgamation—endures the sufferings of birth, aging, sickness and death, compounded by desperate struggles for sustenance amid constant hunger, thirst and exhaustion.

Driven by worldly laws without freedom, ignorant beings consort with harmful companions while their six senses (eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body and mind) constantly encounter corrupting influences. Life flickers like lightning—a hundred years vanish in an instant. Bound by continuous karmic chains, hearts grow rigid as stone, drowning in seas of suffering unaware of liberation. These descriptions awaken practitioners to recognize existence's bitter truths, inspiring repentant hearts turned toward the Dao.

This scripture speaks of the sufferings people endure due to insatiable greed, and how Daoist practitioners should view and aid these lost beings.

The text explains that those who are endlessly greedy suffer as if crushed between stones, while those who are content find peace even on bare ground. The dissatisfied remain unhappy even in paradise. People, burdened by long-accumulated negative karma and severed roots of virtue, are deluded by ignorance and craving—like blind men shrouded in darkness (wúmíng, the Buddhist term for fundamental ignorance). Some are ensnared by newly created misdeeds, others tormented by past grudges. Ministers prove disloyal, children unfilial; they harbor malice and secretly curse others, only to be haunted by malevolent spirits, plagued by recurring illnesses, sudden calamities, career setbacks, unfulfilled desires, and disasters of fire, water, or violence. They endure the agony of separation, loss, and death.

Trapped by afflictions and obstacles, they rarely encounter virtuous outcomes. Even when hearing the true Dharma (teachings), they seek no liberation. Relying on youth, beauty, family, and lavish comforts, they cling to life—yet all these will inevitably decay. Whether rich or poor, noble or lowly, death comes for all. What use are such fleeting pleasures?

Beings fail to see the world’s illusory nature. Life is but a dream; sickness and fragility bind them in sorrow. Time flies, seasons shift, yet they spare no moment for awakening or virtue, choosing instead to drown in the sea of suffering, lingering in the cycle of birth and death. The compassion of Daoist practitioners surpasses even parental love, for parents’ care lasts but one lifetime, while a cultivator’s mercy is eternal. Even toward the wicked, their compassion grows stronger. Should beings fall after death into Jiuyou (the deepest Daoist hells), Luofeng (a Daoist purgatory), or the Avīci Hell (the relentless Buddhist hell), practitioners will preach the Dharma for them—even enduring their torments in their stead.

The scripture concludes with verses praising Yuanshi Tianzun (the Daoist supreme deity):

Yuanshi Tianzun transcends the Three Realms, peerless and supreme.

Through countless kalpas (eons) of virtuous deeds, he embodies pure merit and wisdom,

having severed all afflictions and habits, creating no new karma.

With fearless divine might, he perceives the truths of past, present, and future,

perfectly endowed with all wisdom and virtue—these sublime teachings form his Dharmakāya (truth-body).

Even in hell, he bears the boiling cauldrons and scorching coals for sentient beings.

This scripture describes the spiritual state and ritual prostration in Daoist repentance ceremonies for dispelling calamities. Practitioners transcend physical suffering through visualization—remaining unharmed even when facing icy blades, while cultivating compassion upon witnessing others' suffering, willingly taking their pain upon themselves. Such merciful resolve purifies the Dharmakaya (spiritual body) until it becomes limpid as moonlight reflecting on the ocean, embracing all things without exhaustion, ultimately attaining the realm of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing, the highest Daoist deities), ensuring the eternal flow of compassionate teachings.

All participants in this ritual assembly recognize that the human body is a temporary coalescence of the four elements (earth, water, fire, wind), that the splendor of the Three Realms (desire, form, and formlessness realms) is illusory and impermanent, that lifespan is uncertain, and that the physical form inevitably decays—all entanglements caused by karmic forces. Through today's repentance ceremony, devotees vow to eradicate the Three Poisons (greed, hatred, delusion), awaken countless virtuous thoughts, whether seeking present-world peace or liberating departed souls, performing reverent prostrations with utmost sincerity.

The following liturgy involves prostrations to twenty-three Celestial Worthies (Tianzun). Practitioners perform full-body prostrations (five limbs touching the ground—hands, knees, and forehead) with single-minded devotion, each Celestial Worthy embodying distinct virtues:

• Jade Purity Bestowing Blessings Tianzun represents the primordial blessings of Yuanshi Tianzun
• Sound-Following Savior of Suffering Tianzun is another manifestation of Taiyi Jiuku Tianzun
• Life-Loving Deliverance Tianzun embodies mercy for longevity and salvation
• Great Network of Ultimate Perfection Tianzun symbolizes the consummation of the highest heavenly realm
• Supreme Oneness Savior of Suffering Tianzun specializes in delivering departed souls
• Universal Compassion Guardian of Nations Tianzun manifests the majestic virtue of protecting kingdoms
• Carefree Joy Tianzun represents the liberated state of effortless freedom

Each Celestial Worthy's title contains specific salvific functions: "Subduer of Demons and Annihilator of Distress" overcomes demonic obstacles, "Longevity Preserver" governs life extension, while "Deliverer from Perils" specializes in rescuing from crises. Through sequential prostrations, devotees pray for the elimination of all sufferings and attainment of ultimate liberation.

This passage is part of the repentance liturgy from the Daoist scripture Taishang Cibei Daochang Xiaozai Jiuyou Chan (Supreme Compassionate Daoist Rite for Dispelling Disasters in the Nine Netherworlds), consisting of two main sections:

The first section depicts devotees reverently paying homage to multiple Daoist deities. With utmost sincerity, the faithful bow in sequence to the Following Vows and Rebirth Celestial Worthy (a supreme deity who fulfills all beings' wishes), the Wondrous Practice Perfected Being (an accomplished immortal of perfect cultivation), the Vast Faith Perfected Being (a celestial immortal who spreads the great Dao), the Great Compassionate Savior of Suffering Perfected Being, and the Great Merciful Deliverer from Sins Perfected Being (divine beings specializing in rescuing beings from suffering). The assembled devotees collectively pray that the Supreme Numinous Treasure Celestial Worthy of the southeast and all sacred beings throughout the ten directions may, through various virtuous intentions like compassionate hearts, hearts of deliverance, and disaster-dispelling minds, assist repentant practitioners in fulfilling their aspirations, attaining genuine sacred fruition, and ultimately realizing the Dao together with all beings.

The second section specifically repents for the sin of "deluded thinking." Facing the Compassionate Deities (merciful divine beings), devotees reflect on how since birth they've been misled by sensory desires: eyes craving the five colors, noses craving the five fragrances, tongues craving the five flavors, and ears craving the five tones—all preventing discernment of the true path. These transgressions all stem from deluded thoughts and doubts. The scripture points out that all beings' delusions arise from mental activity, mistakenly taking the false as real. Through wisdom observation, one realizes the human body is merely a temporary combination of bones, flesh, and skin, while mental activity itself is empty and unreal. All dualistic attachments—love and hatred, greed, anger, and ignorance—should be cleansed away to achieve internal and external purity, thereby harmonizing with the true Dao. Special emphasis is placed on avoiding deluded thoughts especially during rituals and scripture recitation.

This repentance text teaches devotees to recognize the illusory nature of body and mind, purifying the spirit through contrition. Concepts mentioned like the "six roots" (eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind), "four elements" (earth, water, fire, and wind as fundamental components), and "five viscera" reflect Daoist foundational understanding of human constitution. The requirement to first repent deluded thoughts before other transgressions demonstrates the Daoist cultivation principle of "first dispelling illusions, then cultivating truth" in proper sequence.

Before the sacred presence of heaven and earth, the vast void, and the celestial bodies of sun and moon, people often give rise to all manner of deluded thoughts. Whether facing emperors and generals, civil and military officials, monastics, family members like parents and siblings, or even before one's master, fellow disciples, wise sages, or sacred altars—unrealistic notions emerge. Once these delusions arise, whether acted upon or not, they create profound karmic burdens.

Such deluded thoughts bring immediate retribution: households become plagued by demonic disturbances, illnesses persist, misfortunes multiply, and suffering cascades through seven generations of ancestors (Daoism teaches that seven ancestral generations are affected). Even more gravely, those who fail to awaken to the true Dharma and comprehend ultimate truth will, after death, fall into the Fiery Obscurity Hell (a scorching inferno in Daoist cosmology that punishes sinful souls), enduring excruciating torments. In subsequent rebirths, they will take on grotesque, androgynous forms, despised by all. Unrepentant, they remain forever adrift in the sea of suffering.

The Compassionate Celestial Worthy thus proclaimed this admonitory verse:

"Living with delusions that deceive beings,

One must endure the fiery prison after death;

Reborn deformed, ugly, and reviled,

Foolish in this life, deaf to the true Dharma."

Today, all participants in this ritual assembly and those leading repentance (the confessors in Daoist ceremonies), from countless kalpas (immeasurably long cosmic cycles) until this very life, have harbored delusions toward masters, fellow disciples, family, and even themselves—yet failed to repent. Now, with utmost sincerity, they prostrate in full devotion (the wuti toudi posture of full-body reverence), attentively receiving these teachings, and bow before the supremely compassionate holy ones.

With devout hearts, all present pay homage to the Celestial Worthies (the highest tier of Daoist divinities):

Homage to the Jade Purity Bestower of Blessings Celestial Worthy

Homage to the Sound-Hearing Savior from Suffering Celestial Worthy

Homage to the Life-Preserving Deliverer of Beings Celestial Worthy

Homage to the Boundless Wisdom Celestial Worthy

Homage to the Omnipotent Divine Power Celestial Worthy

Homage to the Radiant Light of Wisdom Celestial Worthy

Homage to the Prophetic Bestower of Destinies Celestial Worthy

Homage to the Profound Mystery Beyond Measure Celestial Worthy

Homage to the True Sage of Perfect Insight Celestial Worthy

Homage to the Majestic Awe-Inspiring Radiance Celestial Worthy

This passage is part of the repentance liturgy from the Daoist scripture Supreme Compassion Ritual Field for Dispelling Calamities in the Nine Netherworlds. It consists of two main sections:

First, it enumerates the sacred names of fifteen Celestial Worthy (Tianzun, the highest Daoist deities) and four Perfected Persons (Zhenren, accomplished immortals) for reverent worship, including the Transformation Qi Celestial Worthy, Supreme Oneness Savior from Suffering Celestial Worthy (Taiyi Jiuku Tianzun), and Liberation Through Dharma Perfected Person (Fajie Zhenren). These honorific titles all reflect the compassionate salvific qualities of Daoist divinities, such as "savior from suffering," "absolver of sins," and "protector of longevity and life."

The subsequent repentance section describes how devotees, through ritual ceremonies, beseech the Celestial Worthies and Perfected Persons from all directions to employ their supreme Dao-power (Daoli) in eliminating karmic obstacles for themselves, their nine generations of ancestors, and living relatives. Special emphasis is placed on dispelling afflictions and delusions arising from bodily sensations (such as pain, hunger, or cold) and external disturbances, thereby restoring mental clarity. The terms "two realms of existence" refer to both living and deceased family members, while "nine ancestors and seven generations" broadly denotes successive ancestral lineages.

The concluding "Eliminating Delusions" section emphasizes that although the human body is transient, it often becomes entangled with various sensations. Through repentance, one harmonizes the spirit (Shen) and mind to dissolve false attachments. This reflects the Daoist cultivation principle of "perfecting both form and spirit" (xingshen jumiao), which involves attending to both physical refinement and spiritual cultivation.

People often cling to illusory perceptions, believing the physical body to be truly existent. Yet if one realizes the body is fundamentally insubstantial, all forms of suffering cease to arise. By relinquishing attachment to the body, all delusions dissolve—how could sensations like pain or soreness persist then?

The compassionate Immortal Venerables (a Daoist honorific for realized beings) teach us: Sentient beings are so deeply bound by confusion that suddenly asking them to abandon attachment to this illusory body is truly difficult. Thus, gradual guidance through the principles of cause and effect is necessary. One should calm the mind and observe the body’s true nature with wisdom, carefully contemplating until it becomes clear that all phenomena lack a fixed, enduring essence. If doubts persist, one remains adrift in the sea of suffering.

The karmic force (the causal power generated by actions) of sentient beings varies, and so too do their resulting retributions—like shadows following forms or echoes responding to sounds. Wealth and poverty, virtue and vice, all manifest differently. Yet people often fail to see the underlying truth: When observing longevity, they don’t recognize it stems from disciplined practice; when seeing short lifespans, they don’t realize it results from harming life; when witnessing wealth, they don’t understand it comes from aiding the poor; when encountering poverty, they don’t grasp it arises from greed or theft. They merely think, "If others live long, so should I," or "If others prosper, so must I," unaware that such blessings are cultivated through past deeds.

This is the mark of ignorance and delusion. Such beings refuse to recite scriptures or repentant rites, lacking faith and even scorning them. They mistake the carefree liberation beyond the Three Realms (the realms of desire, form, and formlessness)—where celestial robes and sustenance abound, and eternal life is possible—for suffering, while viewing the worldly cycle of aging, sickness, and death as joy. Due to differences in perception, they hold all manner of inverted views:

Seeing ascetics who fast and live simply, gaunt as withered trees, they mistake transcendence for self-inflicted hardship. Observing diligent practitioners who uphold precepts and chant scriptures, they dismiss their prayers for peace and liberation as pointless toil. They slander those of dignified bearing and scoff at scribes copying sacred texts, eyeing them with scorn. Whatever virtuous acts they themselves cannot perform, they doubt and deny—even daring to harbor skepticism before sacred altars.

When practitioners approach sacred scriptures and divine beings with constant doubt, their minds restless and wandering all day long, when will these skeptical thoughts ever cease? They fail to seek truth to dispel uncertainty, instead indulging their karmic obstructions (roots of unwholesome karma), breeding further hesitation. Those capable of awakening will naturally dissolve demonic hindrances; those incapable will find their doubts only growing heavier. After death, such people will fall into the Wind-and-Thunder Hell (one of the punitive hells in Daoist cosmology), enduring various torments.

The Compassionate Venerable (referring to Daoist deities) compassionately reiterates this warning gatha for the world: Those who harbor doubts in life will enter the Wind-and-Thunder Hell after death—their limbs broken inch by inch, suffering ceaseless torment day and night, traversing mountains of blades and forests of swords until agony pierces heart and bone. Reborn as beasts, their suffering knows no end.

All present at this Dharma assembly—if you do not sever hesitation and doubt in this lifetime, your karmic burdens will only worsen in the next. Only by accumulating virtuous deeds can you absolve transgressions. If you remain trapped in the cycle of birth and death, regret will come too late when retribution arrives. Today, having the fortune to encounter this Disaster-Dispelling Assembly, you should sincerely repent past misdeeds. The Chief Confessor (leader of the repentance ritual) guides everyone to realize: Human life is fleeting and impermanent, cycling endlessly through kalpas of rebirth. In this life, indulging the six senses (eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind) has bred countless doubts, giving rise to deluded thoughts toward teachers, fellow practitioners, parents, and kin—karmic offenses unawakened to until now. With utmost reverence, we prostrate in full devotion (the full-body prostration ritual) to hear the repentance text.

Next follows veneration to the Thirteen Celestial Worthies:

• Celestial Worthy of Royal Purity Bestowing Blessings (sovereign of granting fortune)
• Celestial Worthy Who Hears Cries and Saves from Suffering (saint who responds to pleas)
• Celestial Worthy of Cherishing Life and Liberating Souls (savior who nurtures life and delivers the deceased)
• Celestial Worthy of the Golden Scriptural Treasury (guardian of Daoist canons)
• Celestial Worthy of the Luminous Pearl Opening the Caverns (embodiment of wisdom's light)
• Celestial Worthy of Primal Majesty's Vast Transformation (supreme disseminator of teachings)
• Celestial Worthy of the Supreme Unity's Dharma (incarnation of ultimate Daoist law)
• Celestial Worthy of the Golden Purple Ultimate (most exalted sovereign)
• Celestial Worthy of True Marvelous Form (possessor of majestic Dharma appearance)
• Celestial Worthy of Immeasurable Longevity (symbol of eternal life)
• Celestial Worthy of Vast and Impartial Virtue (saint of boundless merit)
• Celestial Worthy of Universal Dao and Virtue (diffuser of ethical teachings)
• Celestial Worthy the Supreme True King (monarch of the utmost truth)

Each Celestial Worthy embodies distinct salvific virtues, and penitents must bow with utmost sincerity to each one in turn.

This passage comes from the Daoist scripture Taishang Cibei Daochang Xiaozai Jiuyou Chan (The Supreme Compassionate Liturgy for Dispelling Calamities in the Nine Netherworlds), focusing on the veneration of celestial deities and repentance for sins caused by the "heart-fire."

The text first enumerates thirteen celestial venerables (Tianzun) and four perfected beings (Zhenren), including Jingyao Tianzun, Yingzhen Tianzun, Taiyi Jiuku Tianzun (Celestial Venerable of Supreme Unity Who Saves from Suffering), as well as Dayin Zhenren (Great Hermit Perfected) and Jiutuo Zhenren (Salvation Perfected). These deities each possess specific divine functions, such as delivering beings from suffering, prolonging life, and protecting the nation.

Following this is the repentance ritual. Devotees in the ritual space beseech the celestial sages, praying that ancestral spirits from countless kalpas and living relatives may all attain liberation through this act of contrition. They seek the removal of delusions and obstacles, enabling sincere devotion to the Dao (the Way), the accumulation of merit through virtuous deeds, copying scriptures, making offerings to sacred images, and rejoicing at all virtuous acts witnessed in the world. Ultimately, they aspire for all sentient beings to transcend suffering and attain the Dao.

The section titled "Extinguishing the Heart-Fire" specifically addresses repentance for sins arising from "heart-fire" (referring to afflictions like greed, anger, and ignorance). The scripture explains how sentient beings often commit transgressions due to discriminatory minds: coveting wealth while despising poverty, insatiable greed, ingratitude, and favoritism toward some while alienating others. These stem from insufficient wisdom, narrow-mindedness, and limited capacity for tolerance.

This passage exemplifies key features of Daoist repentance rituals: eliminating karmic obstacles through deity veneration and sincere repentance to achieve mental and physical purity. The concept of "heart-fire" reflects Daoism's distinctive understanding of psychological afflictions.

This scripture reveals the common folly and delusion in human nature. Those who are stubborn and dull indulge in their actions, clinging obstinately to their own views, insatiably greedy yet always claiming poverty. They regard virtuous deeds as enemies but rejoice at hearing of wickedness. Though amassing vast wealth, they still lament their poverty; though committing grave sins, they insist on their righteousness. From beginning to end, they remain unaware of themselves, and year after year, they fail to repent.

All doubts and delusions arise from the mind—obsession, greed, and anger all sprout from the heart. The human heart is fickle in joy and rage, finding pleasure in drinking and killing. Outwardly adorned in fine attire, inwardly it brims with desire. Such people ultimately bring ruin to their families and nations. In youth, they flaunt their arrogance, avoiding virtuous friends and keeping company with the wicked, indulging in pleasure all day long, showing no respect even to parents and ancestors. This unshakable delusion is like a mountain fire fanned by wind—the flames grow fiercer with the wind's aid, becoming impossible to extinguish.

The Compassionate Lord (a revered Daoist deity) warns in verse:

"Thoughts of anger are like demonic obstacles,

Twisting speech and distorting one's countenance,

Eyes glaring, brows slanting like a venomous serpent.

Without repentance, one will soon fall into hell.

Yet with a sincere turn toward the Dao,

All sins and hindrances can be dissolved."

The text then illustrates with a metaphor:

Human karma arises from the mind and can also be extinguished by the mind. Bound by karmic retribution, one is like a bird tied by a string—it believes itself free to soar joyfully, unaware it may be reeled in at any moment. When people indulge their six roots (eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind) and seven consciousnesses (a Buddhist concept referring to cognitive functions) in wickedness, they are bound by invisible karmic ropes. Whether reborn into wealthy families or reduced to beasts or hungry ghosts, they mistake it for happiness, oblivious to the creditors of past deeds pursuing them across the realms of Yin and Yang.

People often unknowingly invite misfortunes and various sufferings, yet fail to examine their own faults, instead blaming the deities. Some misguidedly follow heterodox paths, seeking blessings through sacrificial killings, only to compound old sins with new transgressions. In such circumstances, few can find deliverance.

Fellow seekers present should reflect deeply: we are all bound by invisible karma (the causal force of actions in Buddhist and Daoist thought), these negative karmic bonds entangling body and mind like ropes. All suffering originates from mental formations—without sincere repentance, how can such karmic obstructions be dissolved? Just as shadows follow forms, afflictions arise from ignorance and vanish through awakening. We must cultivate remorseful hearts to purify body and mind through genuine contrition.

This penitent (name) from beginningless kalpas (immeasurably vast time periods) through countless rebirths until this present life—whether toward teachers, fellow practitioners, parents, siblings, or friends—has committed immeasurable misdeeds driven by the fires of delusion (greed, anger, and ignorance). Today, seeking peace (or liberation for the deceased), I prostrate myself in full reverence (the most respectful bowing posture), earnestly listening to this repentance text while paying homage to the Celestial Venerables.

Now reverently bow to the following Celestial Venerables (honorific titles for high Daoist deities):

Jade Purity Bestowing Blessings Celestial Venerable, Sound-Hearing Savior of Suffering Celestial Venerable, Life-Preserving Deliverer of Beings Celestial Venerable, Universally Manifesting Dao-Virtue Celestial Venerable, Compassion Pervading Three Realms Celestial Venerable, Universally Transforming Six Destinies Celestial Venerable, Alchemical Radiance Illuminating Truth Celestial Venerable, Treasure Grove Primordial Cavern Celestial Venerable, Limitless Numinous Response Celestial Venerable, Vigorous Wisdom and Valor Celestial Venerable, Floating Paradise Scenery Celestial Venerable, Eternal Compassion Across Aeons Celestial Venerable, Perfect Wisdom Celestial Venerable, Eternal Dawn Ascendant Celestial Venerable, Sublime Radiance Celestial Venerable, Wisdom-Opening Celestial Venerable, Boundless Relief Celestial Venerable, Mysterious Principle Sovereign Celestial Venerable, Grand Tenuity Palace Celestial Venerable, Wondrous Insight Celestial Venerable, Dharma-Ocean Wisdom Celestial Venerable, Life-Preserving Longevity Celestial Venerable, Supreme Unity Savior of Suffering Celestial Venerable, Universal Compassion Guardian of Nations Celestial Venerable, Immeasurable Merit Celestial Venerable.

(This repentance text enumerates thirty Celestial Venerables' sacred names, showcasing Daoism's vast pantheon where each deity embodies specific salvific functions. Through chanting these names, devotees seek karmic purification and divine protection.)

This passage is a liturgical repentance text from the Daoist scripture Supreme Compassion Ritual Field for Dispelling Calamities and the Nine Netherworlds. It describes devotees reverently paying homage to various Celestial Worthies (Tianzun) and Perfected Ones (Zhenren) in a ritual setting, seeking deliverance from misfortunes.

The text begins with sequential prostrations to six Daoist deities: Celestial Worthy of the Ocean of Merit (symbolizing boundless virtuous deeds), Celestial Worthy of Carefree Joy (representing perfect ease and bliss), Celestial Worthy of Fulfilling Rebirth Wishes (who aids in achieving posthumous aspirations), Perfected One of Marvelous Practice (a fully accomplished adept), Perfected One of Sublime Form (embodying majestic spiritual countenance), the Greatly Compassionate Savior from Suffering, and the Greatly Merciful Absolver of Sins (who removes karmic obstructions through profound compassion).

The chief confessor then leads the assembly in making vows to the Ten Directions' sacred beings, particularly the Supreme Numinous Treasure Celestial Worthy in the southeast. They beseech these enlightened beings to employ their Dao-hearts and the power of Wuwei (non-action) to eradicate all transgressions committed through the "fires of the mind" - greed, anger, and delusion. The practitioners pledge not only to repent past misdeeds and avoid repetition, but also to rejoice in others' virtuous cultivation.

The liturgy culminates in prayers that all sincere spiritual aspirants - whether perfected or still progressing - may attain liberation. It extends this salvation to all sentient beings throughout the dharma realm, including multigenerational ancestors ("nine ancestors and seven mysteries" denoting extended lineage), all living creatures (the "four births" of womb-born, egg-born, moisture-born, and transformation-born beings across the "six paths" of rebirth). The text concludes with instructions to perform the full ceremonial prostrations.