《道教靈驗記》Vol. 15

This passage recounts the miraculous deeds of Tang Dynasty Daoist priest Zou Tingxi (a priest from Piling region) through performing religious rituals. Li Dan, the military governor of Yongzhou (a high-ranking official stationed in Guangxi by the imperial court), became Zou's disciple. At that time, southern ethnic minorities (referred to as "Xidong barbarians") took advantage of the situation to raid the border regions, committing arson, murder, and plunder. Li Dan deployed troops to camp across the river in confrontation, but after prolonged peace, the soldiers lacked combat experience and were filled with panic.

Zou Tingxi gathered over thirty Daoist priests to conduct a two-day "Dongyuan Divine Incantation" ritual (a Daoist ceremony for exorcising evil and suppressing disasters). On the night of the ceremony, the altar was brightly illuminated with incense and candles, while townspeople observed the rites throughout the night. Strangely, dark clouds gathered and thunder roared above the barbarians' camp. The next day, scouts reported that the enemy troops had completely withdrawn. Later, captured tribal leaders confessed: upon hearing the thunder that night, their scouts mistakenly reported the arrival of imperial reinforcements, frightening them into abandoning their armor and fleeing. For several years afterward, these tribes dared not invade Yongzhou's borders again, and people attributed this to the efficacy of the rituals performed by Li Dan and Zou Tingxi.

Another story tells of Zhang He from Chengdu: three years after his wife's death, she suddenly returned to life, explaining that when the emperor was in Shu territory, their neighbors Feng and his son had deposited goods worth thirty strings of cash with them before joining the military campaign against Huang Chao. After the Fengs died in battle, the items had been used up. Recently, the underworld began investigating this debt, hence her return to inform him. This story illustrates the principle of karmic retribution operating in unseen realms.

This scripture recounts several accounts of Daoist spiritual efficacy.

The first story tells of a departed soul lingering in the underworld for six years. The Celestial Court (Tiancao, the underworld judicial authority) ruled that he needed to pay three thousand strings of cash to gain liberation. The payment had to be delivered to the Celestial Treasury at the Northern Emperor’s Hall (Beidi Yuan) in the Yuju Temple (a Daoist site dedicated to the Northern Emperor) by the 25th day of the twelfth lunar month, using spirit money as a substitute—each sheet counting as one string of cash. When his family fulfilled the payment on the 23rd day of the twelfth month in the third year of Guanghua, his deceased wife dreamed of him that night coming to express his gratitude.

The second story describes a man surnamed Feng, a former clerk in Chengdu County, who had been dead for over a decade. When his nephew was mistakenly seized by underworld officers, Feng angrily reprimanded them and secured his nephew’s release. On his way back, the nephew saw over sixty houses by the roadside—these were the Celestial Treasury storing the spirit money submitted through the Yuju Temple.

The third account involves a woman surnamed Zhang from Qiongzhou, whose late husband had served as deputy commander of the Yongping Army. After his death, their son was conscripted into government service. The deceased husband appeared in a dream, instructing his wife to deliver two hundred thousand cash (represented by two hundred sheets of spirit money) to the Northern Emperor’s Hall at the Yuju Temple, assuring her that this would prompt the Celestial Court to exempt their son from service. She complied, and the result proved effective.

Finally, the text records an incident where Tao Hongjing (Tao the Hermit) prayed for rain on Mount Mao. Emperor Wu of Liang had already made offerings to all mountain and river deities without success, so Tao Hongjing submitted a petition in his meditation chamber. The next day, a true immortal descended and explained that droughts and floods were predetermined by celestial decree—even the gods of wind and rain dared not defy the ordained seasons to alter the weather unless commanded by the Supreme Lord Lao (Taishang Laojun, the highest Daoist deity).

These stories illustrate that underworld affairs mirror those of the living realm, demonstrating the practical use of spirit money in the afterlife and revealing the operational principles of the Daoist divine order.

This passage records two accounts of Daoist spiritual efficacy:

The first story tells of Tao Dushui, a government official deeply concerned for his country and people. During a severe drought, he sincerely composed a Qingci (a Daoist memorial to celestial deities) to pray for rain. Following instructions from a Zhenren (Perfected Person), he reverently prepared the petition on blue paper with black ink in a secluded chamber. That very night, abundant rain fell continuously for three days. When the emperor learned of this, he personally commended Tao for his sincere devotion. This illustrates that even sages must align with celestial timing, yet utmost sincerity can move Heaven itself.

The second account concerns a wealthy salt and iron commissioner named Wang in Suzhou. Despite his vast fortune, he suffered from a severe illness that defied all expensive medical treatments. Originally skeptical of Daoism, he only agreed to invite Daoist priest Chen Daoming from Yuzhi Temple to perform rituals at his family's urging. Chen established a Shenzhou Daochang (a ritual space for divine incantations and blessings) in the Wang residence. During the Jintan ceremony (a protective boundary-setting ritual), the gravely ill Wang suddenly sat up and bowed, describing visions of golden light filling the room and celestial soldiers descending to exorcise malignant influences. He lamented having misguided priorities his entire life, only now comprehending the profound power of the Dao. Through these rituals, his chronic illness was completely cured.

The Daoist Accounts of Miraculous Experiences records two wondrous accounts of Daoist spiritual efficacy.

The first tells of a man plagued by evil spirits when the Great One (Taiyi, a revered Daoist deity) descended in a seven-jeweled chariot with a retinue resembling an earthly emperor. The Great One commanded attendants to sprinkle divine water upon the man's face, instantly dispelling his suffering, though his strength remained weakened. Then, the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning (Yuanshi Tianzun, the supreme deity of Daoism) appeared, prompting the Great One and all accompanying deities to bow in reverence—a spectacle a hundredfold more magnificent than before. The Celestial Worthy emitted a divine light that bathed the afflicted man, restoring his vitality. The man persisted in ritual purification, changing his garments and personally kneeling before the altar. Initially needing a cane to walk, he soon moved freely, his appetite and strength fully recovered. Thereafter, he devotedly made offerings for three days and single-handedly funded the construction of the Jade Mushroom Abbey (Yuzhi Guan), including its lecture hall and main hall, completing the entire project within two years. From then on, his spirit was clear and bright, his wisdom illuminated, until he eventually resigned from office to devote himself wholly to Daoist practice.

The second account concerns Chancellor Du Bin Gong (Du Cong, a high-ranking Tang dynasty official). At over ninety years of age, Du passed away in Jingzhou. That very night, an envoy named Yang Luzhou was resting at a courier station when, during the first watch, he heard terrifying gusts of wind like the clashing of weapons, striking fear into all who heard. Yang Luzhou dreamed of streets filled with soldiers who declared they had come to welcome the King of Hell (Yanluo Wang, ruler of the underworld) and would depart at the fourth watch. When asked who the King of Hell was, they replied it was a locally revered elder of great virtue. Awakening, Yang inquired with the station attendants and learned that Du had been critically ill for half a day. Those present surmised the "revered elder" must refer to Du Gong. Sure enough, at the fourth watch, Du passed away. Later, Yang Luzhou recounted this incident to his friends.

In the capital, there were also those who knew of this matter. The following spring, a courtesan suddenly died. This courtesan had previously appeared in a dream to Su Chuangong, saying: "I have now been appointed to the post of Yama (King of Hell) and require ten sessions of the Yellow Register Retreat (a Daoist ritual for the salvation of souls) to petition for release from this duty." She instructed Su to deliver three million coins and two hundred ceremonial canopies to the Ancient Cypress Courtyard of Kaiyuan Temple, requesting Master Hu Ziyang of Chongzhen to strictly observe the fasting rituals. After the zhaijiao (purification ritual) was completed, the same courtesan who had appeared in the dream suddenly died again. This time she said: "I have received a decree from the Heavenly Emperor to be reborn as a king in another land, thus released from my underworld duties." This demonstrates that the retribution of good and evil is as certain as a shadow following form or an echo responding to sound—one cannot afford to be unprepared. The Yellow Register Retreat has the power to submit memorials to the Heavenly Emperor; there is nothing it cannot accomplish.

Retribution for County Magistrate Liu's Disruption of the Yellow Register Retreat: In the late Xiantong era of the Tang Dynasty, Liu served as military judge of Lingzhou and concurrently managed affairs in Jixian. Registrar Cheng Kegong, a devout Daoist practitioner, led the community in establishing a Yellow Register Retreat and invited Daoist priest Luo Chaoran to preside over the fasting rituals. Luo, being hypocritical and arrogant, went to the county office to pay respects to Liu but happened to miss him and did not return. This angered Liu greatly. That evening, when the altar was opened, Cheng Kegong invited Liu to attend, but he refused. At noon the next day during the ritual, Liu sent bailiffs with several prisoners to hold court proceedings in the corridor of the retreat. Luo loudly reprimanded them, prompting Liu to order his men to storm the altar and seize Luo for punishment. The bailiffs bound Luo and questioned why he was wearing purple robes. Luo explained that these were ritual vestments (fa yi), the formal attire for Daoists ascending the altar to pay homage. Liu ignored this and threw him into prison, causing the retreat to be suspended. Though Luo was soon released, Liu subsequently fell gravely ill, crying out day and night as if being beaten, losing his eyebrows and beard, and developing sores all over his body until he became a leper. His temper, already violent, grew even fiercer after his illness. In the second year of Cui Angong's tenure as Attendant-in-Chief governing Shu, Liu's condition worsened. After lying ill for months, he died during a stormy, thunderous night at an inn in Chengdu.

Cheng Kegong's Efficacy in Petitioning for Rain: Registrar Cheng Kegong of Jixian was devoted to Daoist methods and practiced diligently. While residing in Meizhou, he received from Cui Hun, the Recorder and Army Advisor, the secret method of submitting memorials (bai zhang) to beseech blessings from the celestial deities.

This excerpt from the Daoist Miracles Record documents two accounts of Daoist spiritual efficacy.

The first story recounts how a man erected an altar in his villa to pray for rain. The region had suffered severe drought for nearly a month, with crops on the verge of withering. Following Daoist liturgical protocols, the man prepared incense offerings and burned a memorial petition in a quiet chamber while praying for rain. As the petition burned, a black snake appeared, slithering slowly before vanishing. Shortly thereafter, under a bright moon, dark clouds suddenly gathered and released nourishing rain that continued until midnight. Remarkably, the rainfall was confined precisely to his estate's boundaries, with clearly defined wet and dry demarcations in the fields. The next day, he submitted another petition praying for rain across the entire prefecture, and that evening, abundant rain fell throughout the region while neighboring areas remained completely dry.

The second story concerns supernatural events encountered by Wei Gao (Prince of Nankang) during the construction of New South Market in Chengdu. The excavation disturbed numerous graves, leading to nightly hauntings with ghostly wails and fox cries that terrified local residents. Wei Gao invited Daoist priests to perform the Great Yellow Register Zhaijiao (a salvation ritual) to repent and make amends. On the third day of the ritual, the ghostly sounds ceased. Wei Gao then dreamed of a divine being who revealed: "Your development displaced thirty thousand wandering souls, but through the merit of this Yellow Register purification ritual, Heaven has granted them rebirth." Wei Gao later inscribed this account on a stele erected at Zhenfu Temple.

The third fragment describes General Li Yue's extraordinary experience. His wife Wangshi, who had passed away a year earlier, suddenly returned home and began managing household affairs as in life. Though the family was initially terrified, they gradually grew accustomed over the following month. This phenomenon may represent spiritual efficacy resulting from the Yellow Register salvation ritual.

After being dismissed from office for two years, Li Yue lived in poverty, frequently petitioning the Zhongshu Sheng (the central administrative bureau of the Tang Dynasty) for a new appointment to no avail. One day, his wife suddenly informed him: "In the mortal realm, official appointments require prior documentation from the celestial bureaucracy. I've seen the celestial records indicating that your appointment decree will be issued on the 25th day of the fifth month, when you'll be assigned as Prefect of Huangzhou. You should submit your petition again at the Zhongshu Sheng on the 23rd."

Li Yue followed her advice. At that time, Chancellor Lu Yan was known for his upright character. Having heard rumors about Li Yue's wife returning from the dead to make prophecies, and now learning of this specific prediction about the 25th day, Lu Yan—who happened to be in charge of the official seal on that very date—had previously agreed with colleagues to ignore Li Yue's "demonic talk" and deny him any position. Yet when the 25th arrived and the Huangzhou prefect position remained vacant, Lu Yan hesitated for a long time before inexplicably writing the appointment. Only after the imperial edict was issued did he suddenly realize what had happened, sighing that this must have been the inscrutable will of Heaven.

When preparing to assume office, Li Yue's wife selected auspicious dates for both departure and arrival. About a month after taking up his post, she revealed: "My allotted lifespan has ended. The only reason I've remained in the human world is because the celestial court arranged for me to assist you for one month. Now you must perform meritorious deeds to atone for my past transgressions." When Li Yue asked about specific methods, she requested a three-day Huanglu Zhai (a Daoist salvation ritual for deceased souls).

She explained: "All deities between Heaven and Earth are governed by Daoist law, just as mortals obey their emperor. The Huanglu Zhai can deliver departed souls, resolve grievances, and repent sins. Through memorials submitted to Heaven and Earth (similar to petitions to the throne), the celestial deities will issue pardons upon receiving them. When the celestial decree descends, it first manifests as golden light resembling sunrise, illuminating the underworld to relieve beings from suffering."

This account recounts a miraculous story demonstrating the efficacy of the Yellow Register Retreat (Huanglu zhai) - a Daoist ritual for redeeming lost souls and dispelling misfortunes.

The protagonist Li Yan's wife fell ill while visiting relatives. Li Yan established a Yellow Register altar at his estate to pray for her recovery. On the opening night of the retreat, his wife dreamed of a blue-robed youth sent by the Supreme Elder Lord (Taishang Laojun) to guide her. The youth led her to a towering mountain where they ascended golden steps to the summit.

In the dream, she received revelations: Li Yan would be promoted to Junior General of the Imperial Guards in twenty-nine months, and was instructed to govern benevolently, aid the poor and weak, care for widows and orphans, value human life over material wealth, and maintain devout Daoist practice with purity of heart. The youth also prophesied their three sons' futures: the eldest would serve in Changming County, the second as an ordinary county captain, while the youngest would enter the Daoist priesthood to tend temple incense. A final warning foretold turbulent times in the coming decade.

All prophecies materialized exactly. Li Yan indeed received the predicted promotion after twenty-nine months, and his sons' careers unfolded as foretold. After his wife's recovery, the family deepened their Daoist devotion.

Through this concrete example, the story emphasizes the Yellow Register Retreat's efficacy, asserting that Daoist rituals receive swifter divine response than Buddhist merit-making. Notably, it claims Buddhist merits require "personal connections" to reach heaven, while Daoist zhaijiao rituals operate through direct celestial mandate - reflecting contemporary competition between Buddhism and Daoism in popular religion.

Walking along a smooth path flanked by exotic flowers and rare trees, with pines and bamboos dotting the landscape, one could occasionally glimpse pavilions and towers half-hidden among the woods and valleys. After several hundred paces, a magnificent palace came into view—its golden-roofed towers and jade-carved halls radiating splendor. Passing through multiple grand gates, they finally arrived at the main hall, where the steps were paved with white jade and the railings crafted of pure gold.

The Supreme Elderly Lord (Taishang Laojun, one of Daoism's highest deities) sat solemnly in the great hall. A young attendant led Li Yan's wife to the foot of the steps. Laojun addressed her: "I have just received Li Yan's petition and learned that your illness persists. With proper nourishment, you need not worry." He then ordered an attendant to present her with a cup of wine. After bowing in gratitude, she drank it, and upon finishing, the attendant escorted her home. Upon awakening, the entire room was suffused with the fragrance of wine, and an extraordinary sweetness lingered on her lips. From that moment, her condition improved, and within ten days she had fully recovered. Later verification showed this dream occurred during the third watch of the night when the Zhaijiao (Daoist purification ritual) had just concluded—precisely when the ceremony ended.

Deeply moved, Li Yan painted an image of Taishang Laojun and redoubled his spiritual practice. Both husband and wife received the Daoist registers (Fulu, certification of ordination) and maintained perpetual incense and lamps in devotion. When the emperor later traveled to Shu (Sichuan), Li Yan was promoted, and his wife received an honorary title. Their level of pious cultivation far surpassed ordinary attainment.