《太上慈悲道場消災九幽懺》Vol. 5

This scripture passage comes from the Taishang Cibei Daochang Xiaozai Jiuyou Chan (Great Compassionate Daoist Liturgy for Dispelling Calamities in the Nine Netherworlds), compiled by the Left Immortal Lord of the Supreme Ultimate (Taiji), Ge Xuan. It primarily discusses the karmic consequences of false speech (妄语, wangyu) and methods for repentance.

The text begins by explaining how sentient beings in the world, deluded by the Four Confusions (四迷, simi) and the Six Sensory Perceptions (六识, liushi), often fall into the fault of false speech. Some exaggerate minor virtuous acts as boundless merits while downplaying their own transgressions. When witnessing others' faults, they embellish and slander, yet when seeing virtuous deeds, they nitpick and criticize. They boast of their own perfect virtue, using flowery words to conceal the truth—turning brief separations into tales of half a year's absence, or complaining that a single day's company feels like a century.

The scripture then enumerates over a dozen situations where false speech commonly arises: speaking deceitfully before the Celestial Venerables and the Great Dao (大道, Dao), the Three Caverns scriptures (三洞经典, Sandong jingdian), Dharma masters and virtuous elders, emperors and rulers, parents and seniors, wise sages, foolish or ignorant people, the disabled and ill, the wealthy and noble, or fellow practitioners. Whether relying on power and privilege, flaunting intelligence, or facing sacred beings like heaven and earth, deities, the sun, moon, and stars—any instance of harboring falsehood or indulging in exaggerated speech incurs grave karmic retribution.

A stern warning follows: those who commit false speech will suffer visible consequences in this life, such as facial distortions, and after death, they will fall into the Hell of Tongue-Ripping (拔舌地狱, bashe diyu), enduring countless kalpas before being reborn as beasts. Without sincere repentance, liberation into pure realms becomes nearly impossible.

The passage concludes with a gatha (偈语, jieyu), a poetic verse common in Buddhist and Daoist texts: Whether before deities, parents, rulers, or ordinary people—or in any social interaction—harboring deceit, envying the virtuous, sowing discord, or spreading rumors creates profound negative karma. This serves as a solemn reminder for cultivators to abstain from false speech and uphold honesty in all dealings.

Those who recklessly distort truth and falsehood, proclaiming lies as truth and white as black—who specialize in gossiping about others' faults and forcibly judging people's worth—such individuals create chaos among the living during their lifetime. After death, they will fall into the Hell of Tongue-Ripping (one of the Daoist hell realms), where iron spikes will pierce their tongues, crushing stones will squeeze their bodies, and their tongues will be stretched to a hundred feet, nailed with iron spikes that cause endless bleeding. In their next life, they will be reborn as stray dogs, forced to consume filth day and night, enduring ceaseless suffering.

Now, all present in this Daoist assembly, having heard this gatha (religious verse), should understand that since ancient times, all sentient beings have endured the karmic retribution of samsara. How, then, can we awaken? Today, with sincere repentance and diligent practice, we pray that through this opportunity, we may all attain liberation. The presiding confessor (the one leading the repentance ritual) prostrates fully (kowtowing with the whole body touching the ground) in devout reverence, listening to this repentance text while paying homage to the Celestial Honored Ones (the highest deities in Daoism).

Now, with utmost sincerity, we bow in sequence to the Celestial Honored Ones:

We bow to the Jade Purity Celestial Honored One, who bestows blessings.

We bow to the Celestial Honored One who hears cries and relieves suffering.

We bow to the Celestial Honored One of the supreme and wondrous realm.

We bow to the Celestial Honored One of wisdom transforming naturally.

We bow to the Celestial Honored One, formless and without appearance.

We bow to the Celestial Honored One who manifests in visible form.

We bow to the Celestial Honored One of perfect wisdom.

We bow to the Celestial Honored One of boundless wisdom.

We bow to the Celestial Honored One whose virtue spreads widely.

We bow to the Celestial Honored One who generates the myriad things.

We bow to the Celestial Honored One who harmonizes Yin and Yang.

We bow to the Celestial Honored One whose Dao-power is limitless.

We bow to the Celestial Honored One of immeasurable wisdom.

We bow to the Celestial Honored One who eternally exists.

We bow to the Celestial Honored One who created heaven and earth.

We bow to the Celestial Honored One whose light shines like sun and moon.

We bow to the Celestial Honored One of inexhaustible compassion.

We bow to the Celestial Honored One whose precious radiance illuminates all.

We bow to the Celestial Honored One who delivers beings across the Three Realms.

We bow to the Celestial Honored One of golden floral radiance.

We bow to the Great One Celestial Honored One, savior from suffering.

We bow to the Celestial Honored One who protects longevity.

We bow to the Celestial Honored One who guards the nation and its people.

We bow to the Celestial Honored One of carefree liberation.

We bow to the Celestial Honored One who guides the departed.

We bow to the Celestial Honored One without boundaries.

We bow to the Celestial Honored One whose merit is vast as the sea.

We bow to the Perfected Being of Solar Radiance (a Daoist immortal).

This passage is a repentance text from the Daoist scripture Taishang Cibei Daochang Xiaozai Jiuyou Chan (The Supreme Compassionate Liturgy for Dispelling Calamities in the Nine Netherworlds). It consists of two main sections:

The first section expresses devout reverence toward three Daoist perfected beings: the Moonlight Perfected (Yueguang Zhenren), the Great Compassionate Savior from Suffering (Daci Jiuku Zhenren), and the Great Merciful Deliverer from Sin (Dabei Bazui Zhenren). Devotees beseech the Supreme Lingbao Heavenly Worthy of the West and all sacred beings across the ten directions to open wide the gates of compassion and forgiveness. They pray for the elimination of karmic obstacles accumulated over countless kalpas—particularly those arising from false speech—for themselves, their ancestors of nine generations, relatives from seven lifetimes, and all karmically connected beings. They vow henceforth to refrain from creating illusions and to return to simple authenticity, wishing that all sentient beings may realize the true meaning of the Dao (the Way).

The second section specifically repents the sin of "evil speech and double-tongued words" (harsh language and slander). The text observes that sentient beings most easily commit verbal transgressions through gossip, manifested in various forms: indulging in sharp-tongued remarks, arrogant rudeness, gluttonous craving, slandering sages, defaming the orthodox Dao (the Way), spreading rumors, distorting truth, sowing discord, flattery, deceiving teachers, framing the virtuous, and other improper speech. Such harmful words not only injure others but also incur grave karmic consequences. Special emphasis is placed on maintaining proper speech and upright conduct—particularly in sacred ritual spaces, before the scriptures of the Heavenly Worthies, and in the presence of teachers.

By enumerating specific verbal transgressions, the entire passage instructs devotees to purify their speech karma through cultivation with sincere and simple words.

This scripture expounds on the sins of malicious speech (harsh words that harm others) and divisive talk (sowing discord), along with their severe consequences. The text clarifies that whether before divine beings (such as the celestial realms, sun and moon, or holy assemblies in the void) or in daily life (around wells, stoves, doorways, and other ordinary spaces)—and whether directed at family, strangers, or even non-human beings—harsh words accumulate grave karmic burdens.

The scripture employs vivid metaphors: these verbal transgressions are as countless as grains of sand, and even the slightest offense (as fine as a silk thread) brings immediate retribution, such as facial paralysis, loss of speech, muteness, or nasal obstruction. After death, offenders plunge into the molten-copper hells, suffering for eons before rebirth as venomous insects or serpents. Without sincere repentance, these karmic debts remain indelible.

Compassionate sages, pitying humanity’s ignorance, elaborate further in verse: past lives of cruel speech—whether toward kin or strangers, uttered thoughtlessly, invoking heaven and earth in rage, or even blaspheming the Three Jewels (the sacred triad of Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha)—leave their mark. Cursing at sacred spaces (under sun and moon, by wells and hearths, along roads and thresholds, in mountain groves and temples) or lashing out at parents, family, or servants—regardless of status—leads to molten copper poured down one’s throat in the afterlife, the body searing with smoke. Rebirth follows as stinging wasps or clams buried in silt. Even with another human incarnation, muteness awaits.

Devotees in this ritual assembly must understand: the retribution for malicious and divisive speech never errs. Without repentance, endless cycles of suffering await—in hells, among hungry ghosts, or as beasts. Thus, earnest prostration and contrition are urged, beseeching the Celestial Worthy’s (Tianzun) mercy for liberation. Those repenting (whether for personal blessings or the deceased’s salvation) must listen intently while fully prostrate, then bow in turn to seven Celestial Worthies:

• Jade Clarity Bestowing Blessings (dispensing grace and averting calamity),
• Answering Cries to Relieve Suffering (responding to pleas of the distressed),
• Supreme and Most Wondrous (embodying the highest dharma),
• Radiant Treasury of Ten Thousand Jewels (illuminating wisdom),
• Boundless Manifestations (unfathomable divine powers),
• Eternal Savior (unceasing deliverance),
• Lofty Purity and Emptiness (transcendent serenity).

Through depicting the terrifying fruits of verbal karma, this scripture underscores language’s potency, urging mindful speech and cultivation of virtuous words (De). Daoism teaches that language is not merely communicative but energetically consequential—harsh speech disrupts cosmic harmony, harming both others and oneself.

This scripture is a Daoist repentance liturgy (Keyi) for dispelling calamities and seeking blessings. Its core content involves devout prostrations before various Celestial Venerables (the highest Daoist deities) and Perfected Persons (those who have attained the Dao), praying for the elimination of karmic transgressions and the salvation of deceased souls.

The text begins by enumerating over twenty Celestial Venerables and Perfected Persons for worship, including the Response Manifestation Celestial Venerable, the Nation-Protecting Celestial Venerable, and the Universal Salvation Celestial Venerable. Each embodies distinct salvific functions: the Great Unity Savior of Suffering Celestial Venerable specializes in redeeming departed souls, the Longevity and Life-Preserving Celestial Venerable governs life extension, while the Free and Joyful Celestial Venerable symbolizes liberation through non-attachment.

Subsequently, the text expresses contrition: beseeching the Supreme Numinous Treasure Celestial Venerable of the West and other deities to show compassion toward the penitent and their nine generations of ancestors (the Nine Mysteries and Seven Forebears), as well as living and deceased relatives (both present and past existences). Particular repentance focuses on the sin of "malicious speech and duplicitous tongues" (hurtful words and divisive speech), with vows to abstain henceforth while praying for eloquence and wisdom to benefit beings through virtuous speech.

The liturgy culminates in the "Repentance of Sexual Desire" section. The scripture reveals how carnal desire condemns beings to hell realms (dark prisons) and submerges them in the river of passion (the river of attachment), making liberation difficult. Kneeling penitents receive these teachings, acknowledging how all beings cycle through birth and death due to lustful attachments, now seeking complete transformation.

This passage exemplifies characteristic features of Daoist repentance rituals: calamity-dispelling through deity veneration, karmic purification, and vows for virtuous conduct. The concept of "Nine Mysteries and Seven Forebears" reflects Daoism's emphasis on familial karma, while metaphors like "river of attachment" vividly illustrate passion's perils.

A person's accumulated bones in one lifetime could form a mountain as tall as any peak, the breast milk they've consumed rivals the waters of the four great oceans, and the blood they've shed surpasses the sea itself. The tears shed by parents, siblings, and relatives throughout their natural lifespans, when combined, equal the vastness of the four seas. Thus, it is said: where there is desire, life arises; when desire is exhausted, life ends. From this, we understand that the cycle of birth and death originates from lustful attachment.

The sin of lust causes sentient beings to fall into hells as hungry ghosts or be reborn as animals—pigeons, sparrows, owls, and the like. Some even harbor impure thoughts before the sacred altars (Xuantan) where the Celestial Master (Tianshi) expounds the scriptures, or within the divine halls (Lingguan) of Daoist temples. Others defile pure shrines and holy sites with wicked intentions; some violate the chaste, separate mothers from children, steal offspring, destroy loving marriages, or sever family bonds. There are those who shamelessly expose themselves under the Three Radiances (sun, moon, and stars), or direct lust toward the pure Dharma bodies of monastics. Worse still are violations against the five kinds of persons who should never be defiled.

Such sins—especially lustful thoughts toward renunciates—are as grave as burning down divine statues and temple halls. After death, offenders plunge into the Nine Dark Hells of Fengdu (the Daoist underworld), eternally barred from liberation, with nine generations of descendants doomed to short lives and poverty. These karmic debts manifest in misfortunes: wrongful lawsuits, calamities, chronic illness in this life, followed by endless torment in the hells. Only after ten thousand kalpas might they be reborn as maggots in filth.

The Compassionate Venerables (Daoist deities) speak this verse for the unawakened: Those who committed sexual misconduct in past lives—defiling others' spouses, tearing families apart, even lusting indiscriminately after monastics or livestock—will reap their due. Whether in pure sanctuaries before scriptures and icons, beneath the Three Radiances, by sacred mountains and rivers, or within temple precincts, their transgressions condemn them. In the Nine Dark Hells, men embrace red-hot bronze pillars; women lie on blazing iron beds, flesh scorched by flames. Boiling cauldrons and iron rods torment them day and night. Next comes the Ice Hell, where bodies are rent apart, then pounded in stone mortars and crushed by millstones.

This passage originates from the Taoist scripture Taishang Cibei Daochang Xiaozai Jiuyou Chan, a penitential liturgy for dispelling calamities. The opening depicts harrowing scenes of hell's torments—sawing dismemberment, blade mutilations—where sinful souls endure fractured forms and suffer madness and demonic afflictions.

All participants in this ritual assembly now understand how truly terrifying these visions of hell are. Such karmic offenses arise because, within the cycle of rebirth (the "four births" referring to womb-born, egg-born, moisture-born, and metamorphic beings; the "six paths" being celestial, human, asura, hell, hungry ghost, and animal realms), some beings endure suffering while others await karmic retribution. Through today's repentance ritual, we pray for the liberation of all such karmic burdens.

The penitent master (the officiant leading the ritual) performs full prostration—the highest reverence with forehead, hands and knees touching the ground—to supplicate for peace or the salvation of departed souls. This is followed by successive prostrations to twenty-eight Celestial Worthies (Tianzun) and four Perfected Beings (Zhenren), each embodying distinct compassionate vows:

For instance, "Celestial Worthy of Jade Purity Bestowing Blessings" represents the primordial grace of Yuanshi Tianzun, while "Celestial Worthy Who Hears Cries to Relieve Suffering" manifests Lingbao Tianzun's responsiveness to pleas. "Celestial Worthy of Supreme Unity Delivering from Suffering" specializes in soul salvation, "Celestial Worthy of Longevity Preserving Life" governs life extension, and "Celestial Worthy Fulfilling Vows for Rebirth" assists rebirth in pure realms. The four Perfected Beings respectively embody the illuminating wisdom of sun and moon, and the compassionate power to extract beings from suffering.

Finally, the penitent master leads the assembly in collective vows, invoking the divine power of these Celestial Worthies and Perfected Beings to dispel misfortunes and redeem souls. The entire passage exemplifies the Taoist cultivation principle of "repentance for calamity-dispelling"—affirming that sincere ritual veneration, synergized with the vow-power of Celestial Worthies, can purify karmic obstructions and liberate from suffering.

The Supreme Lingbao Heavenly Worthy of the West (one of the highest deities in Daoism), along with various perfected beings (Zhenren) and divine youths, pervades the ten directions of the cosmos, manifesting and withdrawing within all sacred existences throughout the universe. May the divine power of this ritual space, the merit of recitation, and the transformative force of nature purify all karmic retribution arising from lust and other transgressions—whether for the penitent, their living or deceased parents, relatives, clan members, uncles, brothers, in-laws, or old acquaintances. From this moment onward, may they recognize the illusory nature of sensual beauty, sever karmic entanglements, and cease creating further transgressions. Moreover, may they treasure their own being like a jewel, guard their words and deeds as one would pearls, dissolve all obstacles, and ultimately arrive at the state of non-action (Wuwei), together realizing the true fruit of the Dao (the Way). (A single bow is required here.)

Now follows the fourth section of The Chapter on Transcending Aversion and Attachment:

All present in this ritual space, still your hearts and focus your spirits (Shen), facing the compassionate deities to repent for sins born of hatred and partiality. The penitent should kneel reverently and listen carefully to the scripture’s teaching: Sentient beings in this world are often deluded in mind and hypocritical in conduct. Their greed piles high as mountains yet remains unfulfilled; their loathing treats others as filth yet still feels insufficient. Thus, their minds become obscured—forever dividing self and other, calculating strength and weakness, contradicting speech and action, bound by worldly conventions yet indulging in foolish obstinacy. For what they love, their eyes never tire of gazing, their ears never weary of hearing. Mired in covetous and deviant thoughts, they lose all inner peace—fixating on what pleases their eyes, clinging to what gratifies their ears. They eagerly highlight others’ flaws while flaunting their own merits. When preferences align, they discard distinctions of good and evil; when affections bind, they ignore boundaries of intimacy and distance.

Such beings may harbor aversion or attachment before sacred altars, or nurture discriminatory minds before rulers, parents, or teachers. They might cling to biases among kin and siblings, between men and women, or even project improper desires onto heaven and earth, the sun and moon, the realm of emptiness, or sacred sites and numinous altars. These immeasurable sins of aversion and attachment—even a single offense—will upon death plunge them into the layered hells with no hope of liberation. Should they reincarnate, they will be reborn among the beasts. Without repentance and deliverance, they will sink eternally in the sea of suffering.

Thus, the compassionate deities impart this revelatory verse:

Aversion and attachment breed division’s stain—

One source gives rise, yet evils multiply.

In hatred, vanishing foes leave wrath unspent;

In love, mountains of gifts seem still too slight.

Know all things share one body (alluding to the Daoist philosophy of "equating the myriad phenomena as one").

This scripture expounds the principle of karmic retribution for good and evil deeds. The text begins by stating that beauty and ugliness, good and bad, all originate from the human heart—both virtuous and wicked actions stem from one's inherent nature. Those who commit numerous evil deeds will fall into the great hell after death, suffering various tortures: blades piercing the heart, iron spikes penetrating the tongue, and nails driven throughout the body. In their next life, they will be reborn as livestock—geese, ducks, fish, or turtles—to be slaughtered and cooked by others. Even if reborn as humans again, they will become disabled, afflicted with idiocy, deafness, or muteness.

Hearing these descriptions in the ritual assembly, all present are overcome with grief. Those repenting reflect on themselves, their ancestors for nine generations, teachers, relatives, and friends—from beginningless kalpas until this very life—having committed countless sins due to attachment to love and hatred, distinctions and discriminations, yet never awakening to this truth. Now, by establishing this ritual space and devoutly prostrating before this repentance text to pray for peace (or to liberate the deceased), they bow with full reverence, offering homage to the Celestial Worthies.

Next comes a series of prostrations to twenty-three Celestial Worthies, including:

• The Jade Purity Bestowing Blessings Celestial Worthy (a manifestation of the Primordial Heavenly Worthy),
• The Great One Who Saves from Suffering Celestial Worthy (a deity dedicated to delivering the deceased),
• The Longevity and Life-Preserving Celestial Worthy (a divinity governing extended lifespans), and others.

Each Celestial Worthy embodies a distinct salvific function—responding to cries of distress, eradicating delusions, penetrating the void, or operating the Dao's transformative power. Through sincere veneration of these deities, practitioners seek to dissolve karmic obstacles and attain deliverance.

This passage is an excerpt from the Daoist scripture Taishang Cibei Daochang Xiaozai Jiuyou Chan (The Most High Compassionate Liturgy for Dispersing Calamities in the Nine Darknesses). It consists of two main sections: the first involves reverent prostrations to multiple Celestial Worthies (Tianzun) and Perfected Beings (Zhenren), while the second focuses on repentance for the transgression of stealing.

The text begins by enumerating nine Celestial Worthies and Perfected Beings—including the "Celestial Worthy of Unfettered Joy" (Xiaoyao Kuaile Tianzun) and the "Celestial Worthy of Rebirth by Vow" (Suiyuan Wangsheng Tianzun)—all revered for their compassionate powers to relieve suffering, protect nations, and aid the people. Through sincere repentance, devotees seek the blessings of these deities to absolve their own karmic burdens, liberate deceased ancestors, and assist living relatives in overcoming hardships—ultimately guiding them to the "shore of the Dao" (the彼岸 of liberation).

The second section specifically addresses repentance for violating the precept against stealing. The scripture emphasizes that all beings should uphold integrity and honesty, refraining from taking even a blade of grass or leaf without just cause, let alone committing theft. It enumerates various forms of stealing, including:

1. Illicitly acquiring wealth for immediate gain

2. Acts such as breaking into homes or highway robbery

3. Breaches of trust like defaulting on debts or violating contracts

4. Theft of sacred Daoist items, such as:

• Scriptures, ritual implements, or funds dedicated to the Celestial Worthies
• Offerings and ceremonial objects for deities
• Temple or ritual assembly utensils
• Statues and religious artifacts
• Donations from devotees

The text underscores that such acts, though seemingly concealed, cannot evade the scrutiny of the "heavenly net" (the cosmic law of Dao). Through repentance, practitioners seek divine forgiveness and deliverance from these transgressions.

This passage reflects core Daoist values of moral cultivation and karmic retribution, using ritual confession as a means to purify the heart and dissolve karmic obstacles.

This scripture enumerates the karmic offenses of various thefts, particularly emphasizing that practitioners must abstain from covetousness. It states that whether stealing property from sacred sites (such as Daoist temples and shrines), including lamp oil, incense, or offerings; plundering state treasuries or temple valuables; taking possessions belonging to immortals, masters, relatives, or the widowed and orphaned; or even unlawfully appropriating harvests, livestock, or goods—all constitute grave transgressions.

The methods of theft are manifold: some scheme to obtain by cunning, some seize by force of power, some misappropriate under official pretexts, some deceive through fraud, some borrow without returning, and some substitute inferior goods to evade debts. The scripture particularly notes that even a needle, a thread, or a single grain of rice—if coveted and claimed as one's own—counts as theft. Even keeping lost items found on the road without returning them, or hoarding objects blown by the wind or carried by birds, equally constitutes the sin of theft.

Such actions not only shorten one's lifespan but also bring suffering to ancestors and relatives in the underworld, causing illness in life and obstructing liberation after death. By meticulously detailing various forms of theft, the scripture warns practitioners to utterly sever covetousness—not even the slightest thought of possession should arise.

This passage describes the contents of a Daoist repentance ritual, focusing on the karmic retribution for theft and the importance of contrition.

The scripture first explains that those who commit theft during their lifetime will suffer in hell after death. Even when reincarnated, they will return as oxen or horses to repay their karmic debts. It details various forms of theft: stealing from the Three Treasures (Buddha, Dharma, Sangha), pilfering ritual offerings, coveting others' possessions, robbing travelers, extortion, and burglary. Such misdeeds lead to rebirth in the Chariot of Fire Hell (one of Daoist hell realms), where bodies are burned and mutilated.

When reborn as beasts of burden in subsequent lives, they endure nose-piercing, heavy loads, hunger and thirst, ultimately facing slaughter. Even if reborn human again, they suffer robbery and violent death as karmic retribution. The text admonishes ritual participants to contemplate these consequences with dread and repent sincerely.

Twenty high-ranking Daoist deities are then enumerated, including the Jade Purity Bestower of Blessings (Yuqing Jiangfu Tianzun) and the Sound-Hearing Savior from Suffering (Xunsheng Jiuku Tianzun). During repentance rituals, devotees perform full-body prostrations (wuti tou di), concentrating their intention while reverently worshipping these Celestial Worthies to eradicate sins. The passage concludes by noting participants may pray for personal peace or perform posthumous salvation rites.

This scripture embodies the fundamental Daoist doctrine of karmic retribution, emphasizing how repentance rituals can dissolve transgressions. Concepts like the Chariot of Fire Hell and karmic debt repayment reflect the integration of Buddhist notions of hell realms and rebirth into Daoist cosmology.

This passage is a liturgical repentance text from the Taoist scripture Supreme Compassionate Daoist Rite for Dispersing Calamities in the Nine Netherworlds. Its content unfolds in three main sections:

First, devotees reverently pay homage to twelve celestial venerables and perfected beings, including the Heavenly Lord Who Saves from Distress, the Divine Lord Who Preserves Life, and the Supreme Oneness Lord Who Rescues from Suffering—each with distinct divine functions—along with perfected beings like the Star Radiance Perfected and the Fire Radiance Perfected, who possess extraordinary spiritual powers. These deities oversee various responsibilities such as delivering from suffering, protecting life, and safeguarding the nation.

Next, the penitent (the lead confessor) guides all present in making supplications to the sacred beings of the ten directions, invoking the inconceivable powers of these celestial lords—their ability to dispel calamities, preserve life, relieve suffering, and absolve transgressions—to eliminate the karmic burdens of themselves and their loved ones. Special emphasis is placed on repenting countless misdeeds committed since beginningless time: theft, deceit, bullying the weak, greed, cruelty, and other evils.

Finally, vows are made: henceforth, life after life, may they obtain the wish-fulfilling jewel (symbolizing complete attainment), enjoy blessings like the seven precious treasures, exquisite garments, and fine food, while permanently eradicating the habit of theft. They further pray that all beings may find contentment in simplicity, delight in charitable giving, and even willingly sacrifice their own heads, eyes, or marrow to aid others, ultimately achieving supreme Dao-realization. The rite concludes with ceremonial bows.

This scripture exemplifies the Taoist practice of dispelling misfortune through venerating deities, confessing transgressions, and making virtuous vows. The "Nine Netherworlds" refer to the deepest hell realms, suggesting such repentance can liberate even the gravest karmic obstructions.