《靈寶玉鑑》Vol. 4

The fifth section of Volume Four of the Lingbao Yujian (Precious Mirror of Numinous Treasure) discusses the "Gate of Numinous Banners and Precious Canopies," primarily describing the symbolic meanings and ritual applications of ceremonial banners and canopies in Daoist liturgy. These ritual implements play vital roles in ceremonies for communicating between heaven and earth, summoning deities, and exorcising malevolent forces.

The crafting and employment of these banners and canopies must follow specific liturgical protocols. By cutting brocade as radiant as clouds and aligning it with celestial luminaries, practitioners focus their Shen (spirit) and gather Qi (vital energy), thereby invoking the descent of celestial deities to the ritual assembly—bringing light to eternal darkness and halting punishments in the Nine Netherworlds. The grand rituals of the Lingbao tradition employ implements like banners, ceremonial staffs, streamers, and canopies according to complete liturgical procedures. Through the fusion of Primordial Ancestral Qi (the cosmic source energy in Daoism) with divine radiance, these implements manifest both exquisite subtlety and boundless efficacy. They adapt according to circumstances, becoming liminal markers connecting life and death, bridging Yin-Yang realms. When their patterns materialize in empty space as sacred talismanic scripts, they permeate the ten directions, delivering salvation to beings across the eight extremes—serving as essential guides for Daoist practice and standards for Zhaijiao (purification rituals).

In practical application, practitioners must concentrate their awareness through visualization: first perceiving a boundless silver ocean of crystalline clarity, then envisioning the erected banners as crimson talismanic staffs, rainbow-hued pennants, and lingzhi-adorned canopies, all shimmering with celestial bodies while auspicious breezes stir golden lotus reflections, saturating the space with sacred presence. Next, they visualize their Dantian (energy center) primordial Qi interflowing with heaven and earth, drawing radiant treasures to illuminate the ten directions, thereby inviting the celestial venerables from the Thirty-Two Heavens (cosmological realms in Daoist cosmology) to join the ritual assembly. This constitutes the authentic cultivation method for manifesting merit and summoning divine beings.

The scripture further details specifications for two types of banners:

The "Four Directions Banner" requires four panels of yellow silk, each forty-nine feet long. During preemptive purification rituals, these are erected at a city's four gates or positioned one to ten li beyond the city walls. The central panel bears the sacred title of the Jade Emperor inscribed in cinnabar.

The "Covenant Declaration Banner" similarly uses a forty-nine-foot yellow silk panel. Its top section bears the inscription "Your Servant Reverently Petitions," while the main body displays sacred titles including "The Supreme Ultimate Great Dao's Most True and Supreme Thirty-Six Sections of Venerable Scriptures, Authentic Scripts and Precious Talismans," incorporating the names of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), the Ten Directions' sacred assemblies, the Great Master of Mysterious Centrality (a major Daoist immortal), and all divine officials across the Three Realms.

This passage details the ritual protocols for creating and using spirit banners (Lingfan) in the Daoist Yellow Register Retreat (Huanglu Zhai), a major ceremonial rite for the salvation of deceased souls. The ritual master, referring to himself humbly as "your subject so-and-so," declares his adherence to the Huanglu Jianwen (Yellow Register Scriptures) by assembling Daoist priests to construct an altar and selecting an auspicious date for the multi-day ceremony.

The complete ritual sequence includes: daytime scripture recitation and ritual performances according to established procedures; lighting perpetual lamps at night to dispel the darkness of the underworld; preparing sumptuous feasts to summon departed souls; performing purification rituals involving bathing and clothing the deceased while transmitting talismanic incantations (Fulu) and precepts; and conducting refinement rites (Liandu) to facilitate the souls' rebirth. The ceremony concludes with thanksgiving rituals (Xie'en Qingjiao) dedicating the merit to elevate all wandering souls.

Regarding banner specifications: The primary spirit banner must be crafted from 49 feet of deep red silk, hung before the altar during the retreat. The banner pole should be topped with a colored lantern ball to illuminate the underworld. Another type called the "Nine Heavens Canopy Banner" requires nine colors, with each banner measuring nine feet long. The center must bear the Nine Qi Talisman (Jiuji Fu) representing the primordial energies of the Nine Heavens, while the reverse side displays the names of the Nine Heavenly Sovereigns. Eight smaller banners hang from the corners, with the main banner suspended at the center—the nine-colored ribbons symbolizing the celestial energies. This banner must be erected on the altar's left side at the retreat's commencement.

Special emphasis is placed on the Nine Qi Talisman's significance: when inscribing it, the priest must form the Nine Heavens hand seal while reciting the Nine Heavens Spirit-Generating Incantation. As the Nine Heavens Canopy embodies the profound principle of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing) generating the Nine Qi that gives birth to all existence—a mystery revered by myriad deities—its proper display during the retreat's opening is essential for divine resonance. Such banners are indispensable for grand-scale salvation rituals.

The text also mentions the "Dark Azure Treasure Canopy Banner" (Qingxuan Baogai), alternatively called the Precious Banner (Baochuang), which requires the Nine Dragons Talisman painted on its central section. These banners serve the specific function of guiding souls and illuminating the underworld during ceremonies.

This passage describes several types of ritual banners (long vertical religious flags) used in Daoist ceremonies, detailing their production methods and functions.

The first is the Bi Cai Fan (Azure Colored Banner), crafted from cyan-green fabric. The large banner measures twenty-four chi in height (approximately 8 meters), with a central white-painted Nine Dragon Talisman (Jiulong Fu) and the name of Taiyi (a Daoist venerated deity) inscribed below. Ten smaller banners, each four chi long, bear the names of the Ten Directions' Salvation Deities (Shifang Jiuku Tianzun), including the Jade Treasure Sovereign of the East and the Mysterious Truth Blessing of the South. These banners are raised high during formal rituals, symbolizing the compassionate salvation of souls by the Supreme Elder Lord (Taishang Laojun).

Next is the Jiang Cai Fan (Crimson Colored Banner), made from forty-nine chi of deep red fabric, with talismanic inscriptions written in cinnabar and realgar mixture. Erected before the altar at the ceremony's commencement, this banner is believed to illuminate darkness with radiant light, elevating departed souls to celestial realms.

Lastly, the Da Ci Bao Fan (Great Compassion Treasure Banner) uses yellow silk fabric, featuring either a ten-character mantra or (in alternative versions) another Nine Dragon Talisman at its center. The left side depicts scenes from Fengdu (the Daoist underworld), describing how the infinite light of Lingbao can illuminate hell realms. The right side portrays golden radiance piercing the underworld, allowing souls to ascend on lotus flowers. Collectively, these inscriptions express the banner's religious function of delivering souls to paradise through Daoist rituals.

These banners hold profound symbolic significance in Daoist purification rituals (Zhaijiao), embodying the tradition's salvational philosophy through specific forms, colors, and inscriptions. Their strict production standards—governing dimensions, colors, and calligraphic content—reflect the precise codification of Daoist ceremonial practices.

Here are the production methods and incantation texts for several types of spirit banners (soul-summoning banners) used in Daoist salvation rituals for the deceased.

The left banner streamer bears the inscription: "By the Primordial Commands of the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning, may the souls ascend from the Northern Capital's Frozen Pools (Daoist term for hell), with their forms and spirits guarded." This signifies that the decrees of the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning can assist souls in ascending from the underworld's Northern Capital. The right streamer states: "Subduing demons to guarantee promotion through purification in the Southern Palace, may the deceased souls undergo refinement and transform into immortals." This indicates the banner's power to overcome demonic obstacles and escort souls to the Southern Palace (Daoist celestial realm) for alchemical purification, ultimately achieving immortality.

The central section of the banner features five characters written in golden seal script: "Golden Tower's Brahmic King," an honorific title of the Celestial Worthy of Taiyi Who Saves from Suffering (a Daoist deity specializing in salvation). Both sides list the names of the Ten Directions' Saviors from Suffering, five on each side. The banner's lower edge bears the names of four perfected beings including "The Greatly Compassionate and Merciful Perfected Being Who Saves from Suffering."

These banners must be crafted from 49-foot-long cyan silk. They contain special talismanic patterns formed according to the celestial harmonics of the highest Daoist heavens, capable of resonating with suffering and guiding souls from the underworld to celestial realms. When hung during rituals, they enable souls to be liberated from the Northern Capital's hell realms and ascend to the Southern Palace's paradise.

Another variant called the "Spirit-Transferring Treasure Banner" uses crimson silk of the same length with yellow inscriptions. It bears the verse: "Celestial commands penetrate the dark depths, the numinous banner flutters in dawn's wind, transferring spirits beyond the Northern Prefecture, flying on celestial shoes to the Southern Palace." This signifies that when the celestial decrees connect with the underworld and the banner waves, souls can ascend from the Northern Capital to the Southern Palace.

There is also a yellow "Return-to-Yellow Treasure Banner" inscribed with: "The Supreme Subtlety's Yellow Banner, the Non-Flowering Spirit-Summoning Pennant, gathering souls from the Eternal Night Prefecture, delivering and receiving the host of souls." This 49-foot yellow silk banner features vermilion inscriptions. "Non-Flowering" (Wuying) refers to a Daoist deity's name, while "spirit-summoning" indicates the act of invocation. This banner summons souls from the Eternal Night underworld to receive salvation.

During rituals, both banner types must be displayed together—neither can be omitted. Some traditions primarily refer to the "Non-Flowering Spirit-Summoning Banner," though this actually denotes the deity Wuying using such banners to summon souls.

This scripture primarily discusses various soul-summoning banners and their corresponding talismanic formulas (Fulu) used in Daoist rituals. It notes that these banners should not be simplistically labeled as "spirit-commanding," as this would distort their true purpose. According to the Scripture on Salvation (Durenjing), when celestial soldiers and divine generals (Tianding) clear the path ahead, the banner held by the great marshal is not called "marshal's banner"—a principle requiring deeper contemplation.

The text enumerates multiple banner talismans in detail:

• Dragon Youth Banner Talismans: These include the "Jade Talisman Piercing Heaven" used by fire-palace youths and the "King's Talisman Opening Earth" for earth-palace youths. Both must be inscribed with the Primordial Ancestral Qi (Yu Wen Zu Qi), the innate vital energy cultivated in Daoist practice.
• The reverse side of fire-palace youth banners bears the inscription "Primordial Decree for Ascension at the Appointed Hour," while earth-palace youth banners display "Primordial Decree Descending to the Nether Springs."
• Iron-Trace Platform Character Banner and Treasure-Light Chapter Character Banner must be written with realgar mixed with cinnabar. These are erected within the Eight Gates alongside banners for the deceased. The living summon spirits using the iron-trace banner, while the departed are summoned with the treasure-light banner, accompanied by forming the Jade Emperor Mudra (Yuhuang Jue), a Daoist hand seal.

Eight additional banner talismans correspond to the Eight Gates representing different realms: human, Buddhist, immortal, hell, karmic, divine, ghost, and animal paths. These talismans assist sinful souls in liberation and ascension to immortal realms. Their activation requires visualization of deities, forming the Great Ascension Universal Salvation Mudra (Taisheng Shangtian Pudu Jue), inscription with Ancestral Qi spiritual writing, and deployment toward specific directions during designated hours (Mao [5-7am], Wu [11am-1pm], You [5-7pm], and Zi [11pm-1am]).

Finally, the scripture details banner construction methods:

• Nectar Banners and Treasure-Dew Banners require six feet of yellow silk with central talismanic inscriptions, erected before ritual vessels (hu).
• Universal Soul-Summoning Banner Specifications: The banner top bears a human-shaped soul-summoning talisman, while the reverse displays the "Great Unity Soul-Summoning" talisman. Names of the Three Hun and Seven Po spirits are written at the hand positions, with birth/death dates at the feet. An alternative method uses seven feet two inches of white silk.

These banner talismans serve in Daoist salvation rituals to summon souls, bridge yin-yang realms, and liberate the deceased, embodying the rich ceremonial culture and talismanic systems of Daoism.

This scripture meticulously documents the methods for crafting and arranging the ritual banners used in Daoist soul-summoning ceremonies. The summoning banner requires a fresh bamboo pole measuring five chi five cun (approximately 1.8 meters) in length, with a banner cloth of three chi six cun (about 1.2 meters). The banner must bear two types of inscriptions: one side displays the "Mysterious Darkness Supreme Unity Soul-Summoning Talisman" (Xuanming Taiyi Zhaohun Fu) along with the deceased's name, birth details, and the names of their three hun (ethereal souls) and seven po (corporeal souls); the reverse side bears the "Secret Names of the Seven Mystical Truths of Profound Darkness" (Xuanming Qizhen Neihui) stamped with the Divine Tiger Seal. When held by the deceased's kin, this banner can immediately summon the departed soul.

The text further describes the designs of the Five Directions Guardian Banners: the eastern banner uses a cyan background with vermilion characters, the southern a red background with yellow characters, the western a white background with black characters, the northern a black background with white characters, and the central a yellow background with cyan characters. These five banners represent the qi (vital energy) of the five directions and must be hung at corresponding positions around the ritual altar to invoke celestial deities and subdue demonic obstructions.

The ceremonial space requires twenty-four banners in total, each bearing six talismanic inscriptions (Fulu). The scripture enumerates their names—such as the "Soul-Guiding Radiance Banner" (Yinhun Mingguang zhi Fan) and the "Mighty Salvation Banner" (Weiling Zhengdu zhi Fan)—each possessing specific religious functions. Finally, it records the Five Directional Celestial Lords and their corresponding yang qi attributes: the Eastern Nine Qi Celestial Lord governs the Nine Yang Primordial Blossom Qi, the Southern Three Qi Celestial Lord commands the Three Yang Primordial Numinous Qi, the Western Seven Qi Celestial Lord oversees the Seven Yang Primordial Essence Qi, the Northern Five Qi Celestial Lord presides over the Five Yang Primordial Treasure Qi, and the Central Single Qi Celestial Lord regulates the Singular Yang Primordial Unity Qi.

This passage details the method for crafting the Five Directional Banners (representing east, south, west, north, and center) used in Daoist rituals. Each banner must bear twelve seal-script characters corresponding to its respective direction. These inscriptions should be written in two lines: the upper line in standard script, while the lower line features talismanic designs that harmonize with the unique Qi (vital energy) of each cardinal direction according to Daoist cosmology.

The colored silks for the banners must follow directional color correspondences (azure for east, vermilion for south, white for west, black for north, and yellow for center), with each banner measuring seven chi in length. When applying pigments with the brush, artisans should prioritize aesthetic harmony in color combinations rather than rigid adherence to directional color restrictions.

This instruction originates from the fourth volume of the Lingbao Jade Mirror scripture, establishing liturgical standards for ritual implements in Daoist zhaijiao (purification ceremonies). It exemplifies the Daoist emphasis on the Five Phases' directional symbolism and chromatic correspondences.