《廣成集》Vol. 6

The sixth volume of the Guangcheng Ji records three ritual petitions (Zhaijiao, purification rituals) composed by Du Guangting, a renowned Daoist master of the Tang dynasty. The first is a supplication addressed to the Northern Emperor (Beiji Ziwei Dadi, the Great Emperor of the North Star, a major deity in Daoism):

People beseech the Great Emperor of the North Star, who governs good and evil, life and death, and presides over longevity, misfortune, and fortune. They fear that celestial anomalies and astrological conflicts during their birth year may bring calamity. Through devout ritual offerings (Daoist sacrificial ceremonies), they plead for the dissolution of misfortune, the extension of life, the erasure of their names from the registers of death in the underworld of Fengdu in the north, and the inscription of their names in the registers of life in the Southern Palace of the South Pole. May both public and private affairs proceed smoothly, and may their families remain safe—all through the compassionate protection of the Great Emperor of the North Star.

The second petition is a confession for the Sanhui Ri (Three Assemblies Festival, the three major Daoist festivals: Shangyuan on the 15th of the first lunar month, Zhongyuan on the 15th of the seventh month, and Xiayuan on the 15th of the tenth month):

Though the devotees have received and upheld the Falu (Daoist ordination certificates), worldly affairs have entangled them, preventing strict adherence to fasting and purification. Their offerings of incense and devotion have at times been lacking. Now, on this day when the Celestial Official (Tianguan) examines merits and faults during the Shangyuan festival, they sincerely repent. Through ritual offerings, they beseech the sages to forgive their transgressions and dispel calamities. They also request the protective divine soldiers under the Three Officials (Tianguan, Diguan, Shuiguan) to grant constant protection, ensuring safety and harmony in all their actions and daily life.

The third petition is an Anzhai Jiao (House-Pacifying Ritual), which expounds on the principles of feng shui for dwellings:

The transformations of Yin and Yang between heaven and earth give birth to all things. From ancient cave dwellings to later constructed houses, all must follow the laws of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water). The devotees fear that years of construction and renovation may have offended the Five Directional Emperors (the Green Emperor of the East, the Red Emperor of the South, the White Emperor of the West, the Black Emperor of the North, and the Yellow Emperor of the Center) and the various spirits of the directions.

These passages from the Guangcheng Ji record three devotees' petitions to deities during zhaijiao (purification rituals) to address different life crises:

The first petitioner, a certain Feng, fell ill during an inauspicious year and feared violating taboos had caused it. Following Daoist liturgical protocols, he erected an altar to invoke the Five Directional Emperors (sovereigns of east, south, west, north, and center) to purge malevolent influences. His prayers sought household peace, recovery from illness, and blessings from the Big Dipper Deity (who governs life and death) to prolong his lifespan and erase calamities recorded in his fate register.

The second account comes from official Wang Qian, who survived a perilous mission during the Longji era through divine protection. Separated from his son Yangui for three years, he received a divine sign after repeated prayers. On the Shangyuan Festival (a major Daoist holy day), he established a ritual platform to express gratitude, praying for continued divine aid in reuniting his family.

The third petition by Minister Ma focuses on supplications to the Southern Dipper's six stars (deities governing longevity). The text explains how these stars maintain life-registers that record virtuous deeds and grant extended lifespans. The minister reflects that despite wielding judicial power, he struggles to fully embody the Daoist ideal of "harmonious non-interference" (chonghe), fearing accumulated transgressions may invite underworld retribution. Though having repented multiple times, he doubts his sincerity has reached the divine realm. Thus he selects an auspicious date for an orthodox keyi (liturgical ritual), hoping formal ceremonies will completely resolve his karmic obstacles.

These petitions exemplify the Daoist concept of "cosmic resonance between heaven and humanity" - that devotees can receive divine protection through sincere repentance and strict ritual observance. Recurring terms like "Green Palace" (the eastern celestial court) and "Black Registers" (underworld records of sins) reflect distinctive Daoist cosmological terminology.

These passages from the Guangcheng Ji (Extensive Records Collection) reveal the devout mindset of ancient officials seeking disaster relief through Daoist rituals.

In Li Wan's Jiuyao Jiao Ci (Nine Luminaries Purification Prayer), he writes: "With utmost sincerity, I kneel before the jade steps of the altar, beseeching the celestial immortals to descend upon this sacred feast. May the divine beings take pity on this humble mortal, absolve my transgressions, and dispel calamities—erasing my name from the registers of Northern Yin Fengdu (the Daoist underworld) while inscribing longevity in the Southern Dipper's ledger of blessings. May the deities of the Six Palaces record virtuous deeds, may the Five Planets silently bestow fortune, so that my ancestors across nine generations may find bliss in Zhu Ling (a Daoist paradise), and my six clans of kin receive auspiciousness in the Purple Mansion (abode of immortals). I vow to cultivate diligently in repayment of divine grace."

The text mentions his prolonged suffering from eye ailments, unrelieved despite exhaustive medical treatments, leading him to suspect astrological misfortune. Thus, following Daoist liturgy, he erected an altar to worship the Nine Luminaries (sun, moon, five visible planets, plus Ketu and Rahu, the two shadow stars), praying for their radiance to protect him: "May the Purple Lad (a guardian spirit) shield my eyes from affliction, may the Green Emperor (stellar deity of Wood Virtue) regulate my liver and restore health—banishing misfortune forever and renewing my vitality."

The Bidi Jiao Ci (Imperial Rite Prayer) by Minister Ma records: "Though of lowly station, I have long revered Daoism, maintaining a pure heart in devotion to the orthodox teachings. Each sincere prayer has met with divine response. Last spring, during a severe drought, as the young wheat in public fields withered without rain, I anxiously established a purification altar—and indeed, the gods answered with timely showers. Before the incense smoke had dispersed, auspicious rain clouds gathered overhead, vividly demonstrating the Daoist principle of 'sincere cultivation invoking divine resonance.'"

These ritual texts reflect Tang-dynasty officials integrating Daoist belief into daily life, showcasing both their understanding of Daoist cultivation systems—such as stellar veneration and organ regulation—and their religious practice of bridging heaven and humanity through zhaijiao (purification rites). Phrases like "registers of Northern Yin" and "Southern Dipper's added longevity" exemplify the Daoist worldview concerning mortality and life-extension.

This passage from the Guangcheng Ji records the prayer texts from two Daoist ritual ceremonies (Zhaijiao). The first section describes miraculous transformations following rain-praying rites during drought: hardened stone surfaces grew moist, and after the water-sprinkling ceremony, the rain fell thick as grease, promising bountiful harvests for western crops and timely farming in the east, ensuring prosperity for all fields near the capital.

The text mentions using a simple verdant altar with humble offerings (water plants like duckweed and algae), though these couldn't compare to grand ceremonial standards. Yet the sincere preparation of silk, incense, and flowers served as gifts of gratitude to Heaven. The passage concludes with humble acknowledgment of the author's shallow virtue, offering only brief prayers to express thanksgiving and repentance.

The second section, "Minister Ma's Southern Dipper Liturgy Text," presents a petition to the Great Bear Deity (a major Daoist divinity governing life and death). It begins by extolling the deity's impartial grace, noting how even the most mundane mortal affairs receive divine response. The author professes deep devotion to Daoist practice, confessing transgressions in secluded meditation while seeking: 1) salvation for seven generations of ancestors (qixuan), and 2) peace throughout the land. The text describes the numinous experience of divine resonance: mental clarity resembling Zhuangzi's awakening from the butterfly dream, and abdominal comfort like nights when one obtains luminous pearls (legendary dragon pearls).

During the ritual, paired mandarin duck lamps (Daoist ritual implements) burned special incense, creating an ambiance like the Jasper Pool of immortals. Petitions included: bestowal of the Golden Slip of longevity (Daoist life-extending documents), merciful absolution of sins, and renewed blessings of longevity. Specific requests covered agricultural abundance (for all farmers), military virtue and civilizing influence (qide), eradication of public and private transgressions, and familial longevity. The conclusion references the Three Originals (Heavenly, Earthly, and Water Officials) who examine mortal destinies, hoping to transform calamities into blessings when facing tribulations. Quoting the Disaster-Averting Scriptures of the Supreme Lord Lao (Taishang Laojun) and the ritual protocols of Celestial Master Zhang (Zhang Daoling, founder of Daoism), it emphasizes that only through proper Daoist liturgical forms can misfortunes be dispelled.

This passage from the Guangcheng Ji documents several Daoist ritual prayers (Zhaijiao), comprising three main sections:

First is the personal destiny ritual prayer. On one's birth year (the zodiac year matching one's birth), a sincere minor ritual is conducted according to Zhengyi (Orthodox Unity) tradition. Devotees offer prayers to the Three Palaces (upper, middle, and lower Dantian) and Five Luminaries (planets of the Five Phases: Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth), while confessing transgressions to the Six Viscera (gallbladder, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, bladder, and triple burner) and Seven Origins (seven orifices). They beseech the Celestial Venerables to witness their repentance, forgive past wrongs, and bestow future blessings—seeking relief from the Nine Calamities, longevity, prosperity, and the salvation of seven generations of ancestors and nine clans, ensuring well-being for both the living and deceased family members.

Next is the personal destiny ritual prayer for Tang Dongxiang. The text recounts how karmic connections from past lives led to receiving authentic Daoist transmission and qualification in Fulu (talismanic arts), though cultivation progress remains unrealized while faults accumulate, causing Yin-Yang imbalance and illness. Through earnest prayer during deep distress, divine protection brought recovery. During the Zhongyuan Festival (15th day of the 7th lunar month), preparations were made for the Yellow Register Ritual to liberate souls, with prayers to the True Saints. Now that the ritual platform stands complete—unhindered by wind or rain, resonating with divine compassion—a minor altar is established on this birth year according to Keyi (liturgical norms). Kneeling before sacred scriptures (Lingzhang), blessings are sought: may the High Truth accept, the Saints descend, sins dissolve, cultivation flourish, living kin find peace, and departed ancestors ascend.

Lastly is the ritual prayer for renovating the Zhangren Temple at Mount Qingcheng. This sacred Daoist mountain, housing nine chambers and grottoes (Dong) for cultivation, holds supreme status among peaks. Since Emperor Huangdi's consecration and Han dynasty imperial worship, Tang emperors including Xuanzong expanded its halls, enhancing this immortal abode's majesty. Recent official repairs left the main hall's western side vacant, with ruins visible northward. Now preparing to construct an ancestral shrine and Zhaifang (purification quarters) for eternal incense offerings, ground-breaking begins—yet fearing disturbance to the mountain's dragon spirits, a ritual altar is erected. Heartfelt prayers seek divine permission for smooth construction and bestowed blessings.

These two ritual texts from the Guangcheng Ji (Expansive Perfection Collection) can be understood as follows:

The first passage is the prayer text by Imperial Attendant Yan for the Nine Luminaries Offering (a ritual honoring the nine celestial bodies) performed on Mount Zhangren. It describes how heaven and earth divided Yin and Yang, while the Three Officials (Celestial Official, Earthly Official, and Water Official) oversee the registers of life and death. The Nine Luminaries (the sun, moon, and five planets) illuminate the human realm. The Southern Palace (the celestial court of longevity) records virtuous deeds, while the Northern Bureau (the underworld) scrutinizes transgressions. The author humbly acknowledges his shallow virtue and fears his words and actions may not align with divine will. Moreover, with Saturn transiting his fate palace and an inauspicious year bringing frequent calamities, he sincerely conducts this offering to beseech the deities to dispel misfortune, beseech the Six Bureaus (the underworld’s six departments) to extend blessings and longevity, and safeguard his household.

The second passage is a ritual text by Qingcheng County Magistrate Mo Tingyi for the Circumambulating Heaven Offering (a rite petitioning one’s natal star) held on behalf of Vice-Envoy Zhang. It first expounds how the Great Dao (Dao) nurtures all things, while the Five Emperors and Three Sovereigns (venerated sage-kings in Daoism) govern heaven and earth. The Celestial and Water Officials maintain cosmic order according to the eight solar terms (such as the Beginning of Spring). The Southern Palace records good deeds, while the Northern Dipper (Pole Star) oversees punishment—all fortunes and misfortunes are determined by the spirits. It then praises the Sichuan region as the "Land of Heavenly Abundance," where Vice-Envoy Zhang has long held significant authority and served the state with loyalty: whether commanding armies to defend borders, reclaiming cities to expand territory, eliminating treachery to suppress the powerful, or managing logistics to ensure military provisions. Thus, this offering is specially conducted to seek divine protection for this meritorious official.

Both texts embody the Daoist concept of "cosmic resonance" (Tianren Ganying), where celestial movements influence human fortunes, and sincere rituals can commune with deities to transform calamity into blessing. References to the Southern Palace, Northern Bureau, and Three Officials reflect Daoism’s vast pantheon and its doctrines of karmic retribution.

This passage from the Daoist scripture Guangcheng Ji records the prayer text for a Zhou Tian Grand Rite (Zhaijiao, major Daoist purification ritual) conducted for a regional governor (Military Commissioner Wang). The content divides into two main sections:

The first part explains the rationale for holding this ritual. Although Commissioner Wang acted with righteousness while suppressing rebellions and defending the state, military operations inevitably caused casualties. There was concern these acts of war might violate celestial laws and be recorded in the "Heavenly and Earthly Registers" (Daoist texts believed to document human virtues and sins across the yin-yang realms). Additionally, worries arose that his birth constellation might be facing misfortune and his region could suffer disasters, necessitating this purification ritual to confess transgressions and pray for calamity relief.

The second part details the ritual's specific components:

1. Establishing a sacred altar at an immortal mountain site

2. Offering confessions to celestial beings of heaven and earth, yin-yang forces, sun, moon and stars

3. Expressing sincerity through "purification hymns" (ritual chants for purity) and "refined sacrificial grains" (ritual rice offerings)

4. Conducting devout prayers to the Nine Heavens of the upper realms and Nine Earths of the lower realms (the Daoist cosmological structure dividing heaven and earth into nine layers)

The ultimate purposes were to:

• Erase past transgressions ("expunge offenses from the black registers" refers to removing names from underworld ledgers)
• Extend lifespan ("lengthen life in the vermilion records" means adding years in immortal registers)
• Ensure regional peace ("bring prosperity to Sichuan" indicates stabilizing the region)
• Obtain blessings of "Northern Palace absolution and Southern Pole life-extension" (referring to the Northern and Southern Dipper Star Lords who respectively govern sin-cleansing and longevity)

The text particularly emphasizes this ritual was conducted for a loyal minister whose "righteousness connects with the divine and loyalty defends the state," illustrating the Daoist belief that even righteous military actions require religious rituals to resolve potential karmic obstacles. The entire ceremony embodies the Daoist cosmology of "heaven-human resonance" and the religious ideal of "delivering all beings."

This ritual prayer text (a liturgical document used in Daoist zhaijiao purification ceremonies to petition deities) was composed by Du Guangting to pray for national prosperity, people's well-being, and the dispelling of calamities. The opening depicts an ideal era of great peace: disasters eradicated and lifespans extended like vast rivers and towering mountains; bountiful harvests with people living in contentment, sagely governance enduring steadfastly, warfare naturally ceasing, and cultural unity flourishing. With heaven, earth, sun and moon moving in their proper courses, all beings thrive in the mortal realm—whether spirits of the netherworld or living creatures—all receiving the true compassion of the Dao and sharing in its boundless grace.

The author confesses his official predicament: serving in turbulent times while administering remote regions with heavy tax burdens—leniency leads to insufficient revenue while strictness breeds resentment, making governance as tricky as herding chickens or taming pheasants. Though maintaining personal integrity, he worries about administrative missteps and fears inauspicious astrological influences may trigger disasters. His jurisdiction contains sacred mountains and Daoist temples (notably Qingcheng Mountain and other holy sites), where immortal grottoes hide in mist-shrouded peaks and dragon deities gather amidst thunderstorms. Thus in this numinous landscape, he conducts the Zhou Tian Grand Ritual (a comprehensive zhaijiao ceremony worshiping all celestial deities) following ancient Lingbao scriptures' protocols.

During the ceremony, he prostrates before the Nine Heavenly Palaces and Ten Directional Majestic Deities, seeking absolution for all transgressions—whether committed or potential. He prays for eliminating misfortunes, resolving past grievances, while requesting increased blessings and longevity. The rites simultaneously deliver nine generations of ancestors from the Three Paths of suffering (hell, hungry ghosts, and animal realms), ensuring familial harmony. Notably, he addresses potential offenses to local deities from construction projects, beseeching temple and mountain guardians within his territory to protect living beings, ward off inauspicious signs, and shield towns from floods and droughts. The entire prayer embodies the Daoist ideal of "repaying four kindnesses above while relieving three sufferings below," intimately connecting personal destiny with national welfare and natural harmony.

This scripture contains three Daoist ritual prayers (zhaijiao) primarily describing the purpose and supplications of a ceremonial offering held at the Zhangren Temple (an important Daoist monastery) on Mount Qingcheng.

The first piece, Prayer for the Year of Destiny at Mount Qingcheng, is an official named Mo Tingyi’s personal supplication for blessings. Humbly acknowledging his ordinary status, he expresses deep devotion to the divine yet worries about inadvertent transgressions in daily conduct. As this is his benming year (a 12-year cyclical period in Daoist belief where misfortunes are more likely), he has specially prepared an altar (a Daoist ritual space), lighting incense and star-lamps (ritual lamps symbolizing celestial bodies), to confess his faults before the Nine Luminaries (the nine stellar deities of Daoist worship). He prays for the dissolution of past misdeeds, the warding off of future calamities, the dispersal of karmic debts, the retreat of ominous signs, and the increase of blessings and longevity—seeking protection for his family’s safety and the smooth execution of his official duties.

The second piece, Prayer for the Completion of Sacred Portraits at Zhangren Temple, recounts the temple’s extensive renovation and the painting of divine images within its halls. The newly rendered deities appear vividly lifelike—their crane-like visages seemingly descended from the hidden void of immortal abodes (qianxu zhi fu, a Daoist paradise), their dignified postures as if emerging from the Palace of Lucid Azure (chengbi zhi gong, another celestial realm). Through these sacred depictions, the temple aims to manifest divine majesty, inviting blessings to descend upon the mortal world, while beseeching the deities to bear witness to this ritual offering.

The third piece, Prayer for the Portraits of the Five Sacred Peaks and Deities, details the painted images of various divinities within Zhangren Temple: the mountain gods of the Five Sacred Peaks (revered in Daoism) clad in emerald-clouded crimson robes, holding ritual jades (xuanbi and huangcong); celestial beings like the essence of the sun and radiance of the stars; deities astride ornate chariots; river gods (Hebo) and stream maidens governing the waters; and terrestrial spirits overseeing forests and marshes. Some guard the Eastern Sea, while others preside over Fangzhu (a legendary immortal isle)—all orthodox deities canonized by imperial decree and recorded in sacred texts. Through these painted icons and the accompanying ritual, the prayer seeks their divine protection for the human realm.

This scripture depicts the majestic presence of a revered Daoist deity (the True Lord of Xiyi) who governs all things between heaven and earth. This divine lord oversees the immortal mountains of the west (sacred grotto-heavens) and the celestial paradise of Kunlun (Kunjiao), commanding thunder and lightning, directing flood dragons, overseeing both the yin and yang realms, and administering mountains and rivers. He assists the Supreme Venerable Lord (Taishang Laojun) in upholding the true Dao, aids earthly rulers in spreading transformative teachings, and harmonizes the six seasonal energies (liuqi) to ensure orderly growth for all beings.

The text vividly portrays the grand procession of this True Lord: adorned with a jade sword and bejeweled crown (yu jian zhu liu), draped in luminous jade ornaments (yao gui) that reflect starlight and moonlight, his retinue arranged like constellations amidst swirling clouds. His countenance resembles the immortal beings of Mount Guye (legendary abode of transcendents), his bearing as wondrous as divine light shimmering upon the Yangtze's waters at Xunyang. The entire scene unfolds in radiant colors, brimming with vitality.

This True Lord not only governs natural cycles (the "ten rains and five winds" representing timely, balanced precipitation) but also safeguards national stability and public welfare, bringing peace and prosperity to all nine regions (symbolizing the entire realm). His virtuous power (De) shines as brightly as the sun and moon, extending blessings even to the smallest creatures (chi yuan, denoting minute insects). The passage concludes by expressing sincere devotion through purification rituals (zhaijiao), humbly awaiting the True Lord's descent to bestow blessings.