《靈寶玉鑑》Vol. 29

This scripture documents the talismanic formulas (Fulu) and liturgical documents used by the Lingbao (Numinous Treasure) tradition of Daoism (one of the principal Daoist schools) in salvation rituals for the deceased. During the ceremony, Daoist priests light thirty-two celestial lamps and employ specific incantations to deliver departed souls.

The opening phrase "opening the gates of darkness" refers to unlocking the pathways to the underworld, allowing souls to be liberated. The ritual employs "thirty-two celestial lamps," corresponding to the thirty-two heavenly realms in the Daoist cosmological system. Each celestial realm has its corresponding Celestial Emperor and talisman—for instance, the "Talisman of the Grand August Yellow Primordial Heaven" represents the first heaven, while the "Talisman of the Grand Luminous Jade Perfection Heaven" represents the second, and so forth.

The incantations essentially state that the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning (Yuanshi Tianzun, the supreme deity in Daoism) governs all heavens and creates all things through the pure primordial Qi. The priest invokes this authentic Qi to penetrate all celestial realms, facilitating the salvation of souls. In the liturgical documents, the "Numinous Treasure Altar" refers to the ritual platform, while the phrase "this decree must be promulgated" indicates the formal transmission of documents to the celestial deities.

During the actual performance, priests must position the talismans according to specific orientations (such as the Gen position [northeast] or Chou position [northeast by north]), coordinating with the Ancestral Qi (primordial vital energy) to perform the rites. Each talisman corresponds to specific hand seals (mudras) and directions—for example, the "Gen seal" represents the northeast, while the "Wu seal" represents due south. Finally, the talismans are burned to be transmitted to the celestial deities via the Divine Messengers (Gongcao, celestial couriers in Daoist theology).

The ultimate purpose of the entire ritual is to liberate souls from the sufferings of hell ("sever the roots of earth"), enable their ascension to celestial realms ("soar beyond the five households"), have their names recorded in the immortal registers ("enrolled in the Grand Mystery"), and ensure their smooth passage through the celestial gates under the supervision of demon kings (here referring to guardian deities who oversee the salvation process).

This scripture documents the Lingbao School's (one of Daoism's major lineages) ritual methods for the Thirty-Two Heaven Talismans (Fulu) and lantern altar arrangements used in grand Zhaijiao (purification rituals).

The Thirty-Two Heaven Talismans correspond to the thirty-two celestial realms in Daoist cosmology, each bearing specific names and directional markers (notations like "Shen position" or "Wei position" in parentheses indicate their corresponding earthly branch orientations). For instance, the "Yuankai Kongsheng Heaven Talisman" aligns with the Shen position, while the "Tai'an Huangya Heaven Talisman" corresponds to the Wei position, totaling thirty-two talismans in this precise configuration.

During the ritual, Daoist priests first chant the Lingbao Supreme Scripture, visualizing through meditation the descent of the Thirty-Two Celestial Emperors. They then channel the Lingbao Ancestral Qi (the primordial energy in Daoist cosmology) into the talismans before sequentially burning them during the lantern-lit repentance ceremony.

The lantern altar must be constructed as a three-tiered cosmic model: The uppermost level represents the Four Heavens of the Formless Realm (the highest celestial sphere transcending materiality), featuring thrones for Demon Kings and banners of the Ten Directions' Flying Celestial Deva Kings. The middle tier corresponds to the Eighteen Heavens of the Form Realm (the intermediate celestial sphere with form but without desire), with designated positions for Form Realm Demon Kings. The base level symbolizes the Ten Directions' Celestial Worthies of the Desire Realm (the mundane world of attachments), arranged with Desire Realm Demon King stations. At the altar's center stands a great banner inscribed with the names of the Three Realms' Great Demon Kings.

The altar's design must conform to the "Fundamental Principles of Cosmic Flow" (the foundational laws of universal operation): Thirty-Two Heaven banners hang above, surrounded by eight gates (symbolizing the Bagua directions) and twenty-eight lunar mansion tablets (ancient stellar divisions). The celestial palaces are enumerated sequentially from "Taihuang Huangzeng Heaven," including renowned palaces like the Purple Tenuity Palace, Nine Radiance Palace, and Moon Palace.

The text further specifies twenty-four Hell Lanterns representing the underworld system. Through this meticulously constructed cosmic model, the ritual achieves its purpose of mediating communication between heaven and earth.

This is a ritual document from the Daoist Lingbao Jade Mirror scripture for the salvation of deceased souls. The core practice involves Daoist priests using fulu (talismanic writings) to beseech the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning (Yuanshi Tianzun, the supreme deity in Daoism) to pardon the sins of the departed and liberate them from the sea of suffering in the underworld.

The ceremony begins with the priest reciting specific incantations: "The five stars shine bright, azure heavens and jade mists revolve, yellow blossoms [a Neidan term referring to refined bodily essences] bathe the hun and po souls, making the deceased reborn like flawless white jade, with spiritual light illuminating the Three Blossoms [representing the three treasures of Jing (essence), Qi (energy), and Shen (spirit)]." The ritual then guides the soul's ascent to the Southern Palace (the Daoist celestial paradise of the south) through ethereal hymns, completing the declaration ceremony.

The official proclamation opens with "The Mystic Altar of Lingbao," affirming the decree from the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning. It addresses the Three Officials (Heavenly, Earthly, and Water Officials), the Nine Bureaus (nine underworld departments), and all underworld deities, commanding them to pardon the specified soul. The document details how the deceased's spirit will be liberated from hell, ascending to Qingwei Heaven (one of Daoism's Thirty-Six Heavens) to merge with divine energies and attain immortality—forever freed from the realm of death, obtaining a jade-radiance body, and ultimately serving the Celestial Emperor.

The concluding section systematically lists counter-talismans for twenty-four specific hells—including those of impalement, shackles, bronze pillars, molten copper, and venomous serpents. Priests must ritually burn corresponding talismans while performing auxiliary ceremonies like the Eight Calamities Lantern Rite (symbolizing salvation from eight types of karmic obstacles) and the Three Damnation-Five Sufferings Wheel Lantern Rite (for deliverance from the three evil rebirth paths and five sufferings) to fully liberate the soul.

This comprehensive ritual embodies the Daoist compassionate ideal of "delivering the netherworld darkness." Through the sacred power of talismans and lantern ceremonies, it assists souls in transcending infernal torments to attain rebirth.

This is a Daoist spiritual talisman titled "Proclamation to the Three Realms Talisman," primarily used for the salvation of deceased souls and the alleviation of hellish sufferings. The talismanic text consists of three components: incantations, proclamations, and specific talismanic commands.

The incantation section employs numerous Daoist technical terms: "Purple Orchids of Luminous Void" refers to the pure celestial realm, while "Supreme Simplicity of the Lofty Void" represents the primordial state of the cosmos. The "Three Qi" (Sanqi, three innate energies) denote the fundamental energies constituting all existence. Through praising the mysterious transformations of the Jade Purity Realm (Daoism's highest heaven), the incantation beseeches the Three Pure Ones (Yuanshi Tianzun, Lingbao Tianzun, and Daode Tianzun) to absolve sins, specifically mentioning the liberation of souls from Jiuyou (the deepest hell) and Fengdu (the underworld capital), seeking to eradicate the "Five Sufferings and Eight Calamities" (Daoist classification of human hardships including birth, aging, sickness, and death).

The proclamation section issues a Daoist decree in the name of the Mysterious Altar of Numinous Treasure (ritual platform), commanding all deities throughout the Three Realms and Ten Directions (the entire cosmic space) - including those of the Limitless Divine Domain (celestial realm), the Spring-Curve Mansion (water palace), and the Northern Capital Luofeng (northern hell) - to immediately release a specified deceased individual and their ancestors from infernal punishments, prohibiting any obstruction of the soul's salvation.

The specific talismanic commands enumerate eight types of hellish torments to be nullified: thunderbolt tortures, burdensome servitude, mountain of knives and forest of swords, boiling cauldrons and fiery coals, frozen ice punishments, among others. The concluding universal absolution incantation emphasizes the Tianzun's (Supreme Deity's) vow to save all beings, promising liberation from the Five Sufferings and Three Evil Paths (hell, hungry ghosts, and animal realms), granting eternal transcendence.

Ritual instructions specify that the Daoist priest must perform the ceremony on designated dates, visualizing golden radiance while infusing the talisman paper with personal Qi (vital energy), ultimately burning the spiritual talisman to convey the divine decree. The recurring phrase "urgently, urgently, in accordance with the statutes and ordinances" (jiji rulüling) serves as a standard Daoist talismanic conclusion, indicating immediate enforcement of the command.

This scripture describes a Daoist ritual for the salvation of departed souls, focusing on the use of the "Eternal Deliverance from Three Paths, Five Sufferings, and Eight Calamities Talisman" (a fulu designed to liberate souls from the torments of hell).

The ceremony involves lighting three concentric circles of lanterns: the inner circle of nine lanterns represents the names of nine Celestial Worthies (Tianzun), the middle circle of fifteen lanterns corresponds to fifteen Celestial Worthies, and the outer circle of twenty-four lanterns symbolizes twenty-four Celestial Worthies. These deities are all associated with compassion and salvation, bearing titles such as "Greatly Merciful Savior from Suffering Tianzun" and "Tianzun of Dharma Power for Ascension."

The incantation conveys that through the power of the Numinous Treasure Jade Talisman (a sacred Daoist fulu), souls can be delivered from the eight calamities, enabling the departed to reach the "other shore" (liberation from the sea of suffering). Though the Dao is profound and unfathomable, the radiant wisdom of the Celestial Worthies illuminates all, granting the deceased rebirth and ascension to the celestial realms, where they are praised by the virtuous.

The text concludes by mentioning the "Primordial Decree Talisman" (a command issued by the Primordial Tianzun, Yuanshi Tianzun), which allows souls to wander freely and ascend to the realm of clarity and emptiness. The entire ritual—through burning specific talismans, reciting incantations, and lighting lanterns in honor of multiple savior Tianzuns—aims to redeem the departed and bring salvation to the underworld.

This scripture describes the Daoist belief system concerning hell, detailing the various infernal punishments souls must endure after death due to their accumulated sins during life.

First, it enumerates sixteen Celestial Venerables (Tianzun) who preside over distinct hell realms. Each deity governs a specific punishment dimension—for instance, the "Frost Night Hell" is overseen by the "Celestial Venerable Who Extracts Sins from the Nine Darknesses," while the "Wind-Blade Hell" falls under the jurisdiction of the "Celestial Venerable of Vast Constant Protection." These hell realms bear names reflecting their cruel torments: "Frozen Ice," "Razor Winds," "Iron Plow Tongue-Plowing," and so forth.

The text then explains the cosmological principle behind hell's formation: according to the Scripture of the Twenty-Four Precepts for Perfected Persons, the twenty-four types of transgressions committed during one's lifetime manifest as twenty-four corresponding hell realms after death. These hells mirror the "Three Palaces, Eight Luminaries, and Twenty-Four Spirit-Guardians" within the human body (a Daoist concept of twenty-four divine protectors residing in bodily energy systems). When humans indulge in carnal desires or harbor wicked thoughts, their Qi channels become obstructed, leading to postmortem descent into corresponding hell realms.

The scripture meticulously catalogues all twenty-four hells and their torments: the first Cauldron-Boil Hell (scalding in boiling water), the second Mountain-of-Knives Hell, the third Bronze-Pillar Hell (clinging to red-hot metal columns), the fourth Iron-Plow-Tongue-Tillage Hell, and so on—each employing extreme physical tortures. The system further includes more complex punitive frameworks like the "Three Paths, Five Sufferings, and Eight Calamities."

Finally, it introduces the salvific method of "Revolving Radiance Lanterns," a Daoist salvation ritual (Zhaijiao) where symbolic sunlight illuminates hell's darkness to liberate suffering souls. This reflects Daoism's compassionate dimension, demonstrating how specific liturgies (Keyi) can alleviate the anguish of the deceased.

This passage describes contents from the Lingbao (Numinous Treasure) tradition of Daoism regarding hell's punishments and salvation of deceased souls. It first mentions three types of hell: the twenty-third layer where sinners are bound with iron chains, and the twenty-fourth layer involving dismemberment by saws, each corresponding to specific karmic retributions for different sins.

The text then explains the Three Corpses (Sanshi) within the human body - upper, middle, and lower corpses - which correspond to three paths of degeneration: celestial, terrestrial, and aquatic. The upper corpse causes obsession with beauty and sensual pleasures, the middle corpse leads people astray into depraved desires, while the lower corpse tempts toward evil deeds and material greed. These cravings respectively harm one's heart, Shen (spirit), and physical form. The pursuit of vanity depletes Jing (essence) and Qi (vital energy), while bodily burdens torment the Hun and Po (ethereal and corporeal souls).

The subsequent section details rituals for redeeming deceased souls, employing the "Lamps of the Ten Directions' Sacred Realms" and special Fulu (talismans). Daoist priests, acting upon the decree of the Supreme Dao Lord, issue jade talismans to pardon the sins of departed souls, assisting their liberation from the underworld's hells and ascension to paradise. The talismanic texts instruct notification to deities across the Ten Sacred Realms to collectively participate in the souls' salvation.

Finally, the text enumerates eight directional sacred realms (east, south, west, north, northeast, southeast, southwest, northwest) with their corresponding jade talisman names and directional attributes. These Fulu are to be burned within the lamp altar, invoking the power of the Ten Directional Celestial Worthies (highest deities of each direction) for soul redemption. Each directional talisman bears a specific name, such as the eastern "Jade Talisman of Peaceful Treasure Magnificent Forest's True Realm," along with its associated Bagua (Eight Trigrams) orientation and Wu Xing (Five Phases) energy.

This records two types of jade talismans (fulu) and lamp arrangement methods used by the Lingbao School (one of Daoism's major lineages) during salvation rituals.

The upper section employs the "Jade Radiance Illuminating the True Realm Jade Talisman," which must be inscribed toward heaven using the hai script (a Daoist talismanic writing style) to absorb celestial clear Qi (Tianqi). The lower section uses the "Precious Forest Shining Through the True Realm Jade Talisman," written in the si script (another talismanic style) to draw yellow Qi (Huangqi) from earth veins. Both talismans must be burned before ritual lamps.

The lamp plaques (identifying markers on lamp stands) should bear the sacred names of the Ten Directions (east, south, west, north, etc.). The hanging banners (dengfan) must display the honorific titles of the Ten Directions' Salvation Celestial Worthies (ten specific deities who deliver souls from suffering).

These arrangements are used in conjunction with the "Inviting Light" ceremony and the "Nine Zhi Lamps" (nine specially arranged ritual lamps). The final mention of the "Ten Directions Sacred Realm Lamp Diagram" refers to a schematic for positioning ritual lamps according to specific orientations. This lamp formation illuminates the paths for souls to traverse all directions, assisting their liberation from suffering.