《靈寶玉鑑》Vol. 22

This scripture primarily documents the Hundong Chiwen Baozhang talismanic incantation and related ritual procedures used by the Lingbao (Numinous Treasure) school of Daoism—an important Daoist lineage—for the salvation of departed souls.

The text begins by describing the mystery of cosmic creation: the Primordial Heavenly Venerable (Yuanshi Tianzun) first initiated the movement of heaven and earth, transforming the profound and wondrous Qi (Yiqi) from emptiness. This then divided into the two luminaries of Yin and Yang (Erjing) and the quintessential energies of the Five Planets (Wuwei). These forces naturally intermingled, ultimately forming the origin of life. It further depicts the radiant splendor of the Nine Heavens (Jiuqing) and the majestic spectacle of the orderly movement of the Seven Luminaries (Qiji).

In the ritual section, it details the method of refining talismans (Fulu) using vermilion flames (Zhu Huo Liandu), causing the crimson clouds to disperse and illuminate. The Three Blossoms (Sanhua—Jing, Qi, and Shen) flourish and manifest, radiating brilliance throughout the celestial realms. This talisman, called Hundong Chiwen ("Red Script of the Chaotic Cavern"), is bestowed by the Lingbao Great Law Bureau (the Daoist institution governing talismans) on specific dates in accordance with divine decree, specifically for elevating departed souls to paradise.

During the ritual, celestial seal script (Tianzhuan Hundun Chiwen) must be inscribed, proclaiming to the Ten Directions, the Three Realms (heaven, earth, and water), the Five Sacred Peaks (Wuyue), and the Nine Netherworlds (Jiuyou—the deepest underworld) to break open the long night of darkness. This guides the souls directly to the pure Brahma Heaven, preventing their descent into the underworld. Once the crimson talisman is activated, its effects manifest swiftly like wind and fire.

The text also mentions three significant Daoist deities: the Jade Pure High Minister (Yuqing Shangxiang), the Great Canopy Limitless Divine Duke (Daluo Wuji Shengong), and the Void Sovereign Heavenly Venerable (Xuhuang Tianzun), all high-ranking divinities who receive petitions during the noon hour (11 AM–1 PM) across the Three Heavens. The Eastern Flower High Minister Cavern Spirit Official (Donghua Shangqing Dongshen Dafu), an immortal official overseeing celestial registers, particularly emphasizes that the Nine Heavens (Jiuxiao) are governed by eight Heavenly Emperors. Only the Hundong Chiwen talisman can command the Nine Yang Qi and clarify the principles of the Dao.

Finally, the text describes the composition of the Four Heavens:

• The Heaven of Divine Empyrean (Shenxiao Tian) is formed from pure and empty Qi.
• The Heaven of Cinnabar Empyrean (Danxiao Tian) is formed from the pure and true Qi of the Yang Cavern.
• The Heaven of Azure Empyrean (Bixiao Tian) is formed from the supreme Yang primordial Qi.
• The Heaven of Jade Empyrean (Yuxiao Tian) is formed from the purest Yang Qi of ultimate truth.

These celestial realms are sacred domains condensed from various innate primordial Qi (Xiantian Zhiqi).

This scripture describes several important celestial realms in Daoism and their formative principles, along with related talismanic ritual practices.

It first introduces five heavens formed by distinct primordial Qi (vital energy): the Tai Xiao Tai Xu Zhen Yuan Heaven emerges from the "Qi of Three Yang and Nine Perfections of Supreme Unity"; the Lang Xiao Su Ling Hao Yuan Heaven from the "Qi of Six Yang's Cave Perfection and Ultimate Unity"; the Zi Xiao Xuan Ling Shang Ji Heaven from the "Qi of Pure Yang's Mystic Perfection and Celestial Unity"; the Jing Xiao Miao Ling Bao Hua Heaven from the "Qi of Bright Yang's Essential Perfection and Empty Unity"; and the Qing Xiao Yu Hua Wu Ji Heaven from the "Qi of Primal Yang's Celestial Truth and Pure Unity." These celestial realms all represent sacred dimensions evolved from different attributes of innate primordial Qi.

The text then discusses the transformative process of "Red Culture's Chaotic Cavern," identified as manifesting the "Dao of Nine Celestial Qi in Total Primordiality." It particularly mentions the great Dantian (energy center) containing the imperial palace of Wanli City, governed by the Red Emperor of Brahma's Treasure and Cinnabar Numen from the Abandoned Sage World. This sacred space houses the Vermilion Mansion, Flowing Fire Courtyard, and Blazing Palace - sites where the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning refines true scriptures. The text emphasizes that even middle and lower-level perfected beings (referring to immortals of lesser cultivation) find these mysteries difficult to fully comprehend.

Subsequently, the scripture transmits a complete talismanic ritual system including:

1. The celestial official's jade tablet (using northwest Qi with the Hai cyclical character) containing invocations for the Nine Heavens' ancestral Qi to expand, natural wondrous principles to manifest, sins to be pardoned, and deceased souls to be liberated.

2. Petition formats addressed to the Three Celestial Bureaus (heavenly administrative bodies) requesting absolution for specific individuals, enabling their souls to escape celestial prisons and ascend to the Brahma Qi Heaven.

3. Specifications for crafting the earth official's jade tablet (using southeast Qi with the Si cyclical character).

These elements constitute a complete Daoist salvation ritual system, embodying the religious practice of communicating with celestial realms through specific talismans and documents to seek pardon and liberation for departed souls. The mentioned "Brahma Qi Heaven" refers to the purest celestial realm, while the "Land of Heavy Yin" denotes hellish suffering realms. The entire ceremony must strictly follow designated temporal coordinates (using celestial stems and branches like Ren Chen and Geng Zi), spatial orientations (northwest, southeast), and document formats.

This passage is a ritual document from the Daoist scripture Lingbao Yujian concerning the salvation of departed souls, comprising three main sections:

The first section is a salvation petition addressed to the Earth Official (one of the Three Great Emperor-Officials in Daoism, governing the underworld). It states that the Supreme Venerable Sovereign (the highest Daoist deity) has decreed the absolution of the soul's transgressions, severing its ties to the hell realms. The text references the "Three Pure Administrations of Mid-Origin" (the threefold bureaucratic structure of the underworld) and the "Nine Dark Springs of Tortuous Suffering" (realms of torment in hell), commanding forty-two spiritual officials who oversee records of life, death, and sins to release the soul from dark confinement. The liberated soul is to bathe in sunlight and ascend to the "Realm of Sublime Bliss" (the Daoist paradisiacal state).

The second section presents a salvation petition to the Water Official (deity governing aquatic realms). It mentions the "Abyssal Depths of Lower Origin" (the watery netherworld) and "Fengdu's Torments" (hellish punishments), urging relevant deities to open the passageways. This allows the soul to escape the "Northern Capital's Frozen Pools" (the ice hell) and the "Bitter Sea of Tortuous Springs" (aquatic hell realms), returning to light and the yang world.

The third section contains the highest-level salvation document, issued as a "White Slip of the Nine Darknesses." It references "Luo-Feng's Northern Administration" (the northern hell) and the "Nine Layers and Ten Palaces" (the hierarchical structure of the underworld). Through the decree of the Primordial True King (i.e., the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning, one of Daoism's supreme deities), the Nine Dark Hells are commanded to comply, enabling the soul's "immediate ascension." The incantation portion employs Daoist cultivation terminology like "Solar Pneuma of Brahma" and "Crimson Bright Heaven," referring to supreme primordial energies.

All documents follow a standardized format: first establishing the issuing deity's authority, then enumerating the underworld jurisdictions and sin categories to be absolved, and finally describing the salvation's effects. Each concludes with the issuance date and instructions for talismanic usage—such as "slip pouch style" indicating document packaging, and "talisman inscription incantation" for accompanying spells. The entire ritual exemplifies Daoism's religious conception of using sacred documents to communicate across the Three Realms and deliver souls from suffering.

This text discusses Daoist ritual documents for the salvation of deceased souls. It focuses on three types of tablets with distinct functions (jade, golden, and jade tablets) along with their corresponding talismans and declarations, all designed to help souls escape the suffering of the underworld.

The first is the "Jade Tablet of the Nine Netherworlds," primarily used to absolve the sins of the deceased. It mentions underworld deities such as the "Six Caverns' Yin Demons" and the "Nine Palaces' Rulers," employing the "Qi of the Three Lights" (the radiance of the sun, moon, and stars) to refine the soul. The talisman describes the illumination of the Three Lights, the destruction of the iron walls of hell, and the cessation of torment by underworld jailers, ultimately enabling the soul to escape the Nine Netherworlds and ascend to heaven.

The second is the "Golden Tablet of the Divine Empyrean," which emphasizes the soul's transformation and rebirth. The talisman mentions "the interaction of Yin and Yang, forged by fire into human form," a process of refinement through "nine cycles" that allows the soul to be reborn. The declaration commands underworld officials to release the soul so it may "refine its corporeal form and purify its spirit," ultimately ascending to the Divine Empyrean realm.

The third is the "Jade Tablet of the Divine Empyrean," whose main function is the universal salvation of all suffering souls. Its talisman is concise, directly proclaiming the liberation of "anguished souls and lingering spirits" into new life.

Each type of tablet follows specific writing formats and directional correspondences:

• The jade tablet corresponds to the central direction, associated with the Earth phase.
• The golden tablet corresponds to the northwest, associated with the Metal phase.
• The jade tablet corresponds to the southeast, associated with the Wood phase.

The text concludes by specifying that these documents must be written and recited at precise dates and times. These ritual texts reflect the Daoist belief system, where proper ceremonies, talismans, and divine intervention can free souls from underworld suffering, granting them rebirth or ascension to the immortal realms.

This passage is a ritual text from the Daoist scripture Lingbao Yujian (Precious Jade Mirror), detailing the sacred ceremony of delivering souls from purgatorial punishments through three tiers of jade tablets (Upper Primordial, Middle Primordial, and Lower Primordial) to ascend to heaven.

The opening section "Eight Gates Passage" describes how the deceased soul traverses the eight great hell gates while the Three Luminaries (sun, moon, and stars) naturally radiate divine light. This illumination enables the soul to soar to the Golden Portal (celestial court) and wander the Jade Capital (immortal realm), with all underworld hells bathed in this sacred radiance.

Upper Primordial Jade Tablet: This highest-level document of Jade Purity employs the decree from the Divine Empyrean Jade Mansion (one of the supreme celestial realms). It commands the opening of the eight great hell gates and absolves sins from the thirty-six layers of hell. Prison officials are ordered to dissolve the soul's karmic burdens from past lives, enabling their spiritual consciousness to ascend through celestial tiers until returning to their original post at the Divine Empyrean Jade Portal. The document must conclude with precise date and hour of enactment.

Middle Primordial Jade Tablet: Written in vermilion seal script as a Nine Heavens Precious Edict, this proclamation addresses the Three Officials (Heavenly, Earthly, and Water Officials), Nine Bureaus, and 120 Departments. Through this document, all underworld deities must escort the soul to audience with the Celestial Emperor, resolving karmic debts until merging with the Dao (the Way), ultimately attaining eternal life at the Golden Portal.

Lower Primordial Jade Tablet: This talismanic mandate liberates souls from the cycle of rebirth. The incantation "Vermilion Text Animating the Spirit" describes the Three Celestial Worthies' absolution process—where the soul rides divine light through transformation, breaking free from samsaric existence, with physical refinement completed at Eastern Well constellation (symbolizing rebirth).

The complete ceremony employs these three graded jade tablets for progressive liberation: the Upper Primordial tablet opens hell gates, the Middle Primordial announces deliverance, and the Lower Primordial finalizes transcendence. Each document requires strict adherence to prescribed formats with exact timestamps and corresponding mantras for efficacy.

This passage from the Daoist scripture Lingbao Yujian contains funerary liturgy (Keyi) for the salvation of souls, comprising three sections of incantations and petitions:

The first part describes celestial deities mercifully descending with divine decrees, as the Three Terraces stars (Santai, three stellar officials in Daoist cosmology) shine brightly and the six primordial Qi (the fundamental energies of heaven and earth) converge. This dispels the darkness of the Nine Nether Hells, enabling departed souls to escape the Five Paths of Rebirth (the Buddhist realms of devas, humans, animals, hungry ghosts, and hell-beings), transcend the torments of wind and fire, and ascend to become immortal transcendents (Xianzhen). The incantation mentions that through mudras (ritual hand gestures) and genuine Qi, sacred scripts called "Red Script Jade Characters" (Chishu Yuzi) and "Eight Majestic Dragon Glyphs" (Bawei Longwen) — two types of esoteric Daoist talismanic writing — are generated to preserve cosmic cycles and deliver souls.

The second section presents the formal petition, declaring that this "Lower Primordial Salvation Talisman" (Xiayuan Dengzhen Duming Fu) connects the Jade Pure Realm (Yuqingjing, the highest celestial domain) with the Purple Tenuity Palace (Ziweigong). It pleads for amnesty toward sinful souls across the Three Realms' hells, specifically naming a deceased individual, praying that their ancestral lineage may eradicate karmic obstructions and sever evil roots. The soul is wished peaceful ascension through spiritual refinement to achieve mental clarity.

The third portion features the "True Talisman for Annulling Death and Elevating Life" (Xiaosi Shangsheng Zhenfu), issued in the name of the Primordial Celestial Sovereign (Yuanshi Shangdi). It claims power to absolve sins from the Northern Yin hells and enroll departed souls in the celestial registers. After undergoing "Three Transformations and Nine Refinements" (Sanbian Jiulian, the ninefold purification process of the soul), the deceased will be recommended for immortality by the Three Heavenly Demon Kings (Santian Mowang), ultimately attaining longevity by riding a dragon chariot.

Attached is the "Divine Empyrean Jade Seal Thunder Script" (Shenxiao Yuzhuan Leiwen), a distinctive thunder ritual (Leifa) talisman of the Divine Empyrean (Shenxiao) school, a major Song dynasty Daoist movement. The petition beseeches Han the Elder (Han Jun Zhangren), the immortal official of the Southern Chang Palace (Nanchang Shanggong) who governs life and death, along with infernal officers of Fengdu (the Daoist underworld), to expunge sins and harmonize Yin-Yang for the soul. Thus liberated from the Three Torments and Five Sufferings (various hellish agonies), it may wander freely in the Shangqing (Highest Clarity) heavens.

These contents reflect Daoist traditions of aiding souls through talismans (Fulu), visualization practices, and rituals, integrating cosmology, cultivation theories, and divine worship. The recurring phrase "strictly according to celestial mandate" (yiru gaoming) represents standard liturgical closure, indicating exact compliance with heavenly ordinances.

This passage documents the standardized format for "official decrees" (gaoming) as recorded in Volume 24 of the Lingbao Yujian (Precious Mirror of Numinous Treasure), referring to formal documents presented to celestial beings or deities in Daoist rituals.

The text specifies that such documents must begin by noting the date using the traditional celestial stem and earthly branch system (nian sui ci), followed by the month, day, and exact time (yue ri shi). The phrase "issued to the lower realm" (gao xia) indicates that the document serves as an official proclamation directed toward earthly spirits or relevant parties.

The term "simplified bag format" (jian dai shi) refers to the standardized writing style of these documents, resembling formal correspondence enclosed in an official pouch. The citation "Lingbao Yujian, Volume 24" identifies the source as the twenty-fourth chapter of this Daoist scripture.

Such decrees are typically used in Daoist purification rituals (zhaijiao), serving as formal communications between the ritual master and the divine. Their strict formatting—including precise dating and declaration of purpose—reflects the meticulous nature of Daoist ceremonial protocols. All elements must be faithfully observed when composing these documents.